FORT ERIE. 99 



Indian will retire still farther to the west, if drunkenness, and 

 other vices acquired from the whites, do not exterminate the 

 race. 



On landing at Fort Erie, consisting of four or five houses, 

 I was disappointed at finding that a gentleman, to whom I 

 had a letter, resided three miles from the fort, and that it was 

 doubtful if we could make our way round the south side of 

 the lake, there being no regular conveyance of any kind ; but 

 I flattered myself if we could reach Gravelbay, at the mouth 

 of the Welland canal, all difficulty would be over ; and after 

 some little enquiry, we succeeded in engaging a farmer to drive 

 us there in his waggon. 



I delivered letters, and dined at Fort Erie, where a pretty 

 little miss, when enquiring about her friends at Edinburgh, 

 said her cousin, Mrs , was old when married. On reply 

 ing I did tfot think so, she added, &quot; O yes quite old ; she 

 was six-and-twenty.&quot; This lady s opinion of marriage was 

 pretty well expressed, and I hope she may not be disappointed 

 in her own fate. The people of America marry early. When 

 at Montreal, a couple was pointed out, the lady being only 

 thirteen years of age. 



The waggon arrived soon after dinner, driven by its owner, 

 Mr David Baxter, so much improved by change of dress, that 

 I had difficulty in recognising him. He was son of a captain 

 of militia, farmed 100 acres, and owned 200 more in the 

 London district, yet he readily left his employment, and en 

 gaged to carry us nineteen miles for 8s. 6d. sterling. The 

 horses were excellent, and he said to them a thousand times, 

 &quot; Jim and Jerry, go-a-long ; bid you both ; what-you-bout ? 

 wheel-away ;&quot; and being good-humoured and intelligent, time 

 passed pleasantly in the waggon. 



For eight or nine miles the shores of Lake Erie resembled 

 the beach of the sea. The country at some distance was wet 

 and partly newly cleared ; the ridges eight or ten feet wide ; 

 crops, with exception of some wheat-fields, indifferent, and in 

 cluded a considerable extent of peas. Houses were mean ; the 

 inhabitants ragged and dirty. Cattle were small and lean. 

 Many pigs were pictures of starvation ; and on the 5th July 

 their winter hair was hanging on them in matted masses, like 



