408 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



A few miles further on, and we pass Coburg, another 

 thrifty-looking town, containing about 3,000 inhabitants 

 and a costly artificial harbor. Many of the Canada towns 

 seem to have a pride in one conspicuous public building. 

 Coburg is in the enjoyment of this feeling, in a very 

 splendid stone edifice. I regretted after it was too late, 

 that I had not made arrangements to visit these two 

 towns, and if I had known their importance, would have 

 done so. 



From here to Kingston, the passage was by night, but 

 I was told the coast possessed no great attractions. I 

 arrived in this ancient military-looking strong hold, on 

 Sunday morning, August 18th, the weather perfectly 

 clear, but cold enough to make a fire agreeable, if I could 

 get it ; but as that is not convenient, let us ramble out in 

 the sunshine, and warm up a few ideas for my next letter. 



Solon Robinson. 



Kingston, Canada, August 19th, 1850. 



Sketches of Canada. 



[New York American Agricultterist, 9:343; Nov., 1850] 



[August 20, 1850] 



Kingston. — There is not much in, nor about this town 

 to excite the attention of an agricultural traveller. It is 

 situated at the northeast corner of Lake Ontario, in lati- 

 tude 44° 15', upon a formation of blue limestone that 

 affords a very abundant, cheap material for building, as 

 may be seen in the numerous handsome edifices in and 

 around the city, which is said to contain 13,000 inhabit- 

 ants, counting the large military force stationed here, and 

 all that are in, or ought to be in the penitentiary, and 

 including all the suburbs. It is in appearance and man- 

 ners of the people, very English, and some of their cus- 

 toms are very unlike those of our Yankee notions. For 

 instance, the times of eating — breakfast at 8 o'clock, 

 lunch at 12i/^, dinner at 5, and tea at 8. This custom, 

 also, prevails at Toronto and many other places. 



