104 HAMILTON. 



threw herself some years before. Being deserted by a lover, 

 her mind gave way under the shock her feelings sustained, and 

 the spot where she sought relief from her sufferings will long 

 remain associated with human frailty, and the perfidy of man. 

 The family with which my relative resided were about to sit 

 down to breakfast, and I tasted, for the first time, mj.sh, or 

 Indian corn meal porridge. Mr C - had only been ten 

 days on his farm, having judiciously purchased a moderate 

 extent, including live stock and growing crops. He converted 

 what had been erected for a barn into a tolerable dwelling- 

 house ; and, with sobriety and industry, will have little diffi 

 culty in bringing up his family. 



A gentleman of Hamilton, to whom I had a letter of intro 

 duction, remarked, in course of conversation, he was a Whig 

 at one time, and had lately changed and opposed the mob, as 

 there was no end to innovation. I replied, most people do 

 so after sharing the pickings of Tory governments, not being 

 aware at the time that he himself had lately obtained a go 

 vernment situation worth L.300 a-year. A feeling of toryism 

 pervaded most people in the Canadas I came in contact with, 

 more especially those lately arrived from Britain. Whig and 

 Radical in the mother country, after becoming possessed of a 

 few acres of forest in Canada, seem to consider themselves 

 part of the aristocracy, and speak with horror of the people 

 and liberality. Politicians are too seldom influenced by pa 

 triotism and philanthropy ; changing opinions as they do gar 

 ments, according to fashion and interest. 



Hamilton is situated within half a mile of Lake Ontario, and 

 at a short distance from an elevated ridge passing round the 

 head of the lake. The houses are chiefly of wood, forming a 

 broad street, resembling some of the villages of the States. 

 It is in the midst of a beautiful country, and forms one of the 

 cleanest and most desirable places of residence in Canada. 



From Hamilton we proceeded to York at 10 p. M. by the 

 mail stage, the evening being cold with bright moonshine, and 

 the passengers walking up and down hills in crossing several 

 creeks to ease the horses. When objects became visible by 

 return of clay, the country seemed partially and recently 

 cleared, and the inhabitants far from wealthy. The soil clay 



