82 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The best account of these three trials is to be found in VVilHam Tegg's "Three 

 Trials of William Hone," London, 1876 — more foolish, unfair and futile proceedings 

 never were taken in any Court — the Trial is well worth reading as showing the 

 lengths it was a century ago thought fair to go to destroy an agitator. The political 

 invective o"^ to-day or yesterday is but gentle remonstrance compared with that of 

 a centuiy ago. Major Simons was Titus Geer Simons, whose tarring and feathering 

 at Dundas of George Rolph was the cause of the action of Rolph v. Simons, which 

 resulted in the "amotion" of Mr. Justice Willis in 1828. 



Gourlay's practice of publishing letters to and fiom his wife is well known — many 

 such letters are to be found in "The Neptunian" — he seemed not to understand that 

 there was any impropriety or indelicacy in the practice — Mrs. Gourlay had no 

 reason to be ashamed of her letteis. 



1^ The Secretary of Lord Durham, who had written simply informing Gourlay 

 that Lord Durham had received his communications — Gourlay looked upon this as 

 a slight — "The Durham Ox" will be found Nep. No. 2, p. 26; Gourlay seems to have 

 been proud of this and his other doggerel. 



19 The Episcopalians (or some of them) claimed to be the Established Church 

 of Upper Canada; some of the Presbyterians claimed a share of the Clergy Reserves. 

 The language quoted is from Gourlay's "Address to the Resident Land Owners of 

 Upper Canada," of January 10, 1839. Gour. p. 89. 



-" Printed in Nep. No. 7, p. 72. 



The monkey was William Lyon Mackenzie, who, indeed, was neither tall nor 

 handsome. 



"Pug," a pet name for a monkey. 



"Jonathan's outpost" was Buffalo; and the playhouse the local theatre where 

 an enthusiastic public meeting was held the night after Mackenzie's arrival in 

 Buffalo — Monday, Dec. 11, 1837 — on his flight from Upper Canada. 



"Douce," Gourlay informs u.«, means "sedate, sober, decent". 



Van Renssellaer was Rensselaer Van Rensselaer who took command of the Sym- 

 pathisers; he had more ambition than brains and was more devoted to brandy than 

 to tactics. 



Nax'y Island in the Niagara River was the camping ground of the Sympathisers 



The Third Session of the Thirteenth Parliament of Upper Canada (I Vic.) sat 

 from December 28. 1837, till March 6, 1838. 



"My Dear McNab" was Allan Napier MacNab, who roused "the Men of Gore" 

 District during the Rebellion to some purpose. 



"Romney Marsh" — Francis Bond Head was Assistant Poor Law Commissioner in 

 Kent, and living at Cranbrook, when he was to his great astonishment made Lieu- 

 tenant Governor of Upper Canada — a worse selection could scarcely be made — 

 he was knighted at the same time. 



Allan Napier MacNab was knighted in 1838 for his services during the Rebellion. 



Edinburgh Castle was an Inn in Toronto, much frequented by Members of the 

 House of Assembly. 



21 Printed in Nep. No. 7, p. 72. 



The Steamer Caroline was laid up at Buffalo but being chartered by Sympathis- 

 ers, she was brought down to the River through a channel cut in the ice and taken 

 to Fort Schlosser, opposite Navy Island, on the American shore. She took supplies 

 including one cannon from the New York side of the River to Navy Island, but on 

 the night of the 29th December, 1837, she was boarded by a Canadian expedition 

 and set on fire. 



