68 EMIGRATION, OR 



CHAPTER VI. 



DEPARTURE FROM COLONEL TALBOT s ROAD MAKING, 

 AND A SETTLER S ESTABLISHMENT DESCRIBED CAPA 

 BILITIES OF THE COUNTRY, AND MANNERS OF THE 

 RESIDENTS NOTICED ARRIVAL AT ANCASTER, AND 

 JOURNEY TO YORK. 



Oct. 14. Some rain, but generally fine and pleasant 

 through the week ; thermometer varying from 55 to 63. 

 Grass grows, and looks like spring, but nuts and leaves 

 begin to drop from the trees. Employed husking corn ; the 

 neighbours round used to come for a bushel of apples per 

 day and victuals, but none came this year, as apples are be 

 come more plentiful and cheaper. 



Oct. 21. There has been one or two frosty mornings 

 this last week, but days warm ; thermometer 50. Leaves 

 mostly off the trees, except the beech and a few others. By 

 the newspapers I learn that the wheat sent from this coun 

 try to England is not in good condition, but very foul, which 

 is in no degree surprising, when the method of cultivation 

 and stacking I have described is considered. I am fully of 

 opinion, that with the same management as is in use i 

 England, or as near as circumstances require, this province 

 would, generally speaking, produce fully equal, and, I think, 

 superior wheat to the former. Colonel Talbot s wheat is a 

 good sample this year, and I weighed some in the spring, 

 of last year s growth, which weighed 621bs. to the Winches 

 ter bushel. 



Nov. 1. Been generally mild and pleasant, with some 

 little rain of late ; thermometer 50 to 60. Having given 

 Colonel Talbot notice that I should quit his service, I left 

 him this day to proceed to York, and found it bad walking 

 on account of the late showers, particularly in places where 

 the road had been recently thrown up. On first making 

 roads through flat swampy places, logs are cut, about ten or 

 twelve feet long, laying them crosswise, side by side, through 

 the aboves places, which as they are left round, and little or 

 no dirt upon them, are abominably rough ; but along the 

 &quot; street&quot; they are getting them up, and ploughing the 

 sides, and with a kind of large shovel, having a handle, 

 (called a scraper) and a yoke of oxen, the dirt is drawn into 

 the centre and rounded, which is called &quot; turnpiking-.&quot; Four 



