2S9 



CANADA. 



CANADA. 



290 



St. Lawrence, about 56 miles N.E. from Kingston, was founded in 

 1802 ; it is now an incorporated town. Most of the houses are built 

 of stone, and the town has a handsome appearance. The court-house 

 and jail, and the churches, of which there are several, are stone- 

 buildings. Tanneries, saw-mills, a brewery, and other works employ 

 some of the inhabitants. Steam-vessels call at Brockville on their 

 passage. Chatham, population 2070, on the left bank of the river 

 Thames, 66 miles S.W. from London, and 50 milea E. from Detroit, 

 is a thriving town, with an increasing trade. A steam-vessel belonging 

 to the place maintains a regular communication with Detroit and 

 Amherstburg. There are here saw-mills, tanneries, pottery works, 

 &c. Several places of worship are in the town. Coboury, population 

 3871, is situated on gently rising ground, oa the bank of Lake 

 Ontario, 103 miles W. by S. from Kingston, 72 miles E. by N. from 

 Toronto. The town is well built, and has a good appearance. The 

 harbour and lighthouse are of recent construction. There are churches 

 for the leading denominations of Christians, a court-house, a mechanics 

 institute, &c. Victoria College, founded by the Wesleyan Methodists, 

 but not exclusive in its management, is supported partly by a 

 legislative grant. It has the power to grant degrees. There are 

 here a lar/e cloth-factory, mills, and other works. Cornwall, popu- 

 lation 1646, situated at the termination of the Cornwall Canal in 

 the St. Lawrence, was incorporated in 1834. There are many good 

 stone dwelling-houses, several churches, and a court-house and jail. 

 Some tanneries, a foundry, and other establishments give employ- 

 ment. Dimdas, population 3517, a manufacturing town, about 5 miles 

 N.\V. from Hamilton, possesses extensive water-power, which has 

 contributed much to ite prosperity. The town is surrounded on 

 three sides by high table-land, usually termed 'the mountain;' from 

 this high land freestone and limestone are procured and exported. 

 There are several chapels in the town. There is a mechanics 

 institute. Goderich, population 1329, on Lake Huron, at the entrance 

 of the Maitland Rirer, was laid out in 1827 by Mr. Gait, who was at 

 that time Secretary of the Canada Company. The town is finely 

 situated on rising ground, more than 100 feet above the level of the 

 lake. It ia about 60 miles N. by W. from London. An expensive 

 harbour was constructed, and a lighthouse was placed at the port, 

 but the town has not been very successful There are several churches, 

 a court-house, breweries, tan-yards, &c. Guelph, population 1860, 

 the district-town of Wellington district, about 42 miles N.W. from 

 Hamilton, was laid out by Mr. Qalt in 1828. It is pleasantly situated 

 on elevated ground. The Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Wesleyan 

 Methodists, Independents, and Roman Catholics have places of worship. 

 London, population 7035, is finely situated at the junction of two 

 branches of the river Thames, 85 miles \V. by S. from Hamilton. It 

 waa laid out in 1826 by the crown, and was incorporated in 1840. 

 London suffered severely from fire in 1844 and 1845, but the appear- 

 ance of the town was much improved by the handsome streets of 

 fine buildings which were subsequently erected. St. Paul's Episcopal 

 church, erected by subscription to replace the edifice burnt down in 

 1844, ia a beautiful gothic structure with a square tower surmounted 

 with pinnacles. The court-house and jail, built of brick in the form 

 of a castle ; commodious barracks ; two market-buildings ; a theatre, 

 and a handsome station of the Great Western railway are among the 

 public buildings of the town. There are good roads in the vicinity. 

 Machine-making, tanning, brewing, 4c. are carried on. The central sec- 

 tion (Hamilton to London) of the Great Western railway was opened on 

 December 15th, 1853. Niagara, population 3340, the district-town of 

 Niagara district, 48 miles E. from Hamilton, was for a few years, under 

 the name of Newark, the capital of the country. It was incorporated 

 in 1845. There are here several churches, a town-hall, and a court- 

 house. The Niagara Harbour and Dock Company, incorporated in 

 1830, have constructed in their ship-yards numerous barges, schooners, 

 and steam-vessels. Considerable quantities of apples, peaches, and 

 cider are shipped annually from the port of Niagara. Perth, popu- 

 lation 1916, the chief town of Bathurtt district, distant about 40 

 miles N.W. from Brockville, was laid out by the government in 

 1816. It stands on the river Tay, which is made navigable to the 

 Rideau Canal by a branch canal about 11 miles in length. The town 

 contains seven places of worship, a court-house and jail, and many 

 good dwelling-houses built of stone. White marble is found a few 

 miles from the town. Peterborough, population 2191, occupies a 

 beautiful situation on the Otonabee or Trent River, about 34 miles 

 N.N.W. from Cobourg. It was commenced in 1826, is well laid out, 

 and has a handsome appearance. Part of the town on the east or 

 left bank of the river is called Peterborough East. Most of the 

 places of worship are built of stone. On an elevated site behind the 

 town is the court-house and jail, a handsome stone edifice. There 

 are here woollen manufactories, fulling-mills, saw-mills, chair-factories, 

 breweries, &c. Picton, population 1589, chief town of Prince Edward 

 district, is finely situated on the Bay of Quinte 1 . It is an old town, 

 and contains many good stone houses. Steamers call here on their 

 passages between Kingston and Trent. There are several places of 

 worship, a court-house and jail, and a library. A good deal of trade 

 is carried on. Wheat, flour, butter, leather, &c. are exported. Port 

 //<//, population 2476, on Lake Ontario, about 8 milea W. from 

 Cobourg, between Toronto and Kingston, in built on the side of a 

 hill commanding interesting views of lake and inland scenery. It 

 OEOO. DIV. VOL. n. 



contains some handsome buildings, including four places of worship. 

 Wheat, flour, and timber are the chief exports. Pnacott, population 

 2156, on the St. Lawrence, about 12 miles N.E. from Brockville, 

 possessed considerable trade previous to the opening of the Rideau 

 Canal, but since then it has not made rapid progress. Among the 

 buildings are four places of worship, and a custom-house. At this 

 place the river is about a mile and a quarter broad. A good deal of 

 pot- and pearl-ashes is exported. Sandwich, population not given 

 separately, on the Detroit River, is finely situated and well laid out. 

 It is one of the oldest towns in Canada, and has assumed very much 

 the appearance of an English country town. Many flower-gardens 

 and orchards are kept by the inhabitants. The Episcopalians and 

 Methodists, have places of worship in the town. Simcoe, population 

 1452, the chief town of Talbot district, is situated near the shore of 

 Lake Erie, about 24 miles S. by W. from Brantford. Grist- and saw- 

 mills, a carding-machine and fulling-mill, with other establishments, 

 furnish employment. St. Catherine's, population 4363, on the Welland 

 Canal, about 12 miles W. from Niagara, occupies a beautiful situation, 

 and possesses a good trade. Ship-building is carried on. Great 

 quantities of flour are annually exported. There are six places of 

 worship. Woodstock, population 2112, chief town of Oxford county 

 in the Brock district, about 32 miles E.N.E. from London, is 

 pleasantly situated. It is composed of East and West Woodstock, 

 forming one street of about a mile long. There are six places of 

 worship, a court-house, and a mechanics institute. Considerable 

 trade is carried on. 



A few of the villages may be named : Bath, in Addington county, 

 population about 700. Chippawa, population 1193, Itiid out in 1816, 

 on the Welland River, has a good ship-building trade. The Niagara 

 Harbour and Dock Company have a ship-yard at this place. There 

 are several chapels. Tanning, iron- and brass-founding, waggon- 

 making, &c. are carried on. Gait, population 2248, on the Grand 

 River, is situated in a low valley about 25 miles W.N.W. from Hamil- 

 ton. It possesses good water-privileges, which have favoured the growth 

 of manufactures. The streets are well laid out, and the houses are 

 generally of stone. A considerable quantity of flour is exported. Inyer- 

 sol, population 1190, on the east branch of the river Thames, about 

 22 miles E. from London, was commenced in 1831. It possesses three 

 places of worship, several mills and foundries, and a good trade. It 

 has increased considerably of late years. Osliatea, population 1142, 

 about 33 miles N.E. from Toronto, in the midst of a farming district, 

 possesses a considerable trade. Several branches of manufacture are 

 carried on. The principal articles of export are wheat, flour, and 

 lumber. There are three places of worship in the village. Paris, 

 population 1890, on the Grand River, about 22 miles W. from Dun- 

 das, was named Paris from the large quantities of gypsum, or plaster- 

 of-P:iris found in the vicinity. The village ia finely situated, and is 

 increasing in importance. There are five places of worship. Large 

 quantities of wheat, lumber, and plaster aro exported. Preston, popu- 

 lation 1180, about 3 miles N.W. from Gait, chiefly inhabited by Ger- 

 mans. The village was commenced in 1834. There are chapels for 

 Lutherans and Roman Catholics. Richmond, population 434, on the 

 Goodwood River, about 20 miles S. by W. from Bytown, was laid out 

 in 1818 by the Duke of Richmond. There are three churches. A 

 small trade is carried on. St. Thomas, population 1274, about 17 

 miles S. from London, is agreeably situated, and possesses a good trade. 

 There are six places of worship. Thorold, population 1091, situated 

 on a hill about 4 miles S. from St. Catherine's, is on the line of the 

 Welland Canal. It contains three places of worship, several mills, a 

 brewery, and other establishments. 



Hittory, Government, <tc. Canada was first discovered by John and 

 Sebastian Cabot in 1497. In 1525 it was visited by Veraz;ini, a 

 Florentine, who took possession of the country for the king of France. 

 In 1535 Jacques Cartier, bearing a commission from the French king, 

 explored the river St. Lawrence, which he so called from his having 

 first entered it on St. Lawrence's day ; but it was not until 1608 that 

 the first permanent settlement, of which there is any record as having 

 been made by Europeans on the contineut of North America, was 

 formed by the French under Champlain, on the spot now occupied by 

 the city of Quebec. Settlements had been made about 1604, or the 

 year following, under grants of Henry IV. of France, near the river 

 St. Croix, and at Port Royal ; but these settlements were broken up 

 in 1614, owing to a successful attack upon them by Sir Samuel Argal. 

 Quebec surrendered to the English under Kirk, in 1629, but was 

 immediately restored to France, peace having been established with 

 that country in April of that year. In 1663 the colony was consti- 

 tuted a royal government, and the governors were thenceforth 

 appointed by the king. Canada continued a possession of France 

 until 1759, in which year Quebec was taken by General Wolfe, and 

 the province was ceded in full sovereignty to Great Britain by the 

 treaty of Paris in 1763. The affairs of Canad.i were regulated by the 

 ordinances of the governor alone till 1774, when under nn Act of 

 Parliament culled the Quebec Act, a legislative council of 23 members 

 was appointed by the king. The form of government was subse- 

 quently altered by an Act styled the Constitution of 1791, under the 

 provisions of which Canada was divided into an upper and a lower 

 province. To each province was assigned a constitution consisting of 

 a governor, nil executive council appointed by the crown (similar 



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