70 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Then he came to Canada; intending to return in six months,^ he 

 was bitten by mosquitos so badly that he was laid up two months and 

 so prevented from returning.^ Thus he was detained in Upper 

 Canada to become a storm centre for two years. 



His early Addresses to the people of the Province were, bona fide, 

 to obtain economic information, but the foolish opposition of the 

 official set forced him into politics. It is not proposed to go into his 

 campaign efforts here; the story can be read in his several writings.* 

 Only certain matters which have elements of humour will be referred 

 to. 



Travelling in the eastern part of the Province holding public 

 meetings in support of his schemes, he passed through Brockville 

 "outwardly a delightful place, and when it contains as much honesty 

 as pettifogging law will be truly enviable"^", at Johnstown a Justice 

 of the Peace, Duncan Fraser by name, made a violent and unprovoked 

 assault upon him ; pleading guilty of the assault the Magistrate was 

 fined 40 shillings ($8) while one Grant, a by-stander, who had tried to 

 keep the peace, but struck back when Fraser struck him was fined 

 £5 ($20) and imprisoned for one month !!^^ At Kingston he got into 

 controversy with Christopher Alexander Hagerman, a lawyer of note, 

 and afterwards Attorney General and Justice of the Court of King's 

 Bench. Hagerman said Gourlay "must have a Dolt's head," a friend 

 of Gourlay 's replied referring to Hagerman's "false, foolish and im- 

 pertinent letter," and Gourlay thinking honours were easy let the 

 matter drop for a time — he was right, however, and the lawyer was 

 wrong in the law^^. But he soon published a statement that Hager- 

 man's brother was a felon and had been hanged, excusing himself 

 afterwards by the grotesque explanation "that he had reason to thank 

 me for openly declaring what was said of him that he might at once 

 put an end to the story ... by making his appearance." Hagerman 

 horsewhipped him, and a magistrate put an end to the affray^*. The 

 original recognizance requiring of Hagerman to keep the peace for a 

 week is now at the Canadian Archives at Ottawa. ^^ 



Returning to York, Toronto, he in July, 1818, attended a meeting 

 of the "Friends of Enquiry," i.e., those who supported his scheme of 

 petitioning the Prince Regent (the Home Government) to enquire 

 into the affairs of the Province. The proceedings of the "Convention" 

 (as it was unfortunately called) are duly recorded by Gourlay.^^ and 

 they are serious enough. But there happened to be in York shortly 

 after the time a "well known character" from Kingston, Amos Ansley, 

 "Yeoman Ansley," living on Lot No. 12 in the First Concession of the 

 Township of Kingston; he was a chronic "kicker," rather more than 



