102 DUNVJLLE BAR-ROOM GROUP. 



passing- along the feeder and canal to Port Robinson, and 

 from thence by Lundyslane to my friend s house. 



The country at the junction of the Welland canal with 

 Lake Erie is little cleared, and few habitations or traces of 

 cultivation are met with on the banks or feeder. Many trees 

 have perished, from stagnant water, on the margins of the 

 feeder, and impart a gloomy aspect to the scene. Part of 

 Cranberry-marsh is seen on the banks of the feeder ; the soil 

 is peat-moss, thickly covered with stunted larch-trees, ten to 

 twenty feet high ; and the water is yellow coloured, but not 

 unpleasant to the taste. A plough, drawn by four oxen, was 

 turning over part of the marsh bearing grass twenty inches in 

 height, and five or six Irishmen planting it with potatoes on 

 6th July. The country improved on descending the canal, 

 and the banks of the Chippeway were well cleared ; the soil 

 is dry, and some good crops of wheat and grass were seen. 

 Cattle and sheep were in considerable numbers ; the inhabi 

 tants seemed wealthy, and resided in good houses. 



When near Dunville I saw, for the first time, wood-pigeons 

 and humming-birds, also a few carrion crows and herons, simi 

 lar to those of Britain, and different kinds of hawks. On 

 the south from the canal, annual thistles and wild mustard were 

 growing ; and on the north bank of the feeder red and white 

 French willow, the latter having afterwards been seen only 

 in one situation. 



After an agreeable visit my friends drove me to St Cathe 

 rine s next day, to get the stage for Hamilton. On the way 

 we met an Irish funeral, accompanied by waggons filled with 

 both sexes, who, on approaching, descended, and broke im 

 mense branches from cherry-trees, loaded with ripe fruit. 

 The owner of the trees halloed to the depredators in vain, and 

 I felt indignant that they should composedly take the fruit, 

 and destroy the trees. I was told it is customary for the peo 

 ple of the country to help themselves to peaches and other 

 kinds of fruit in the same way. 



While waiting for the arrival of the coach, I strolled into 

 the bar-room of the hotel, which would be better named bear- 

 room, and witnessed a group deserving the pencil of Cruik- 

 shank to immortalize them. The landlord, a little, spruce, 



