!!ACE OF THE COUNTRY AND SOIL. 207 



appointed to meet me, and he was so long 1 in getting every 

 thing put to rights, that I walked over the common on foot. 

 He, however, soon overtook me ; but declining to go beyond 

 a pace faster than I could walk, I leapt from the cart, and 

 proceeded on foot, breakfasting at a French inn, stopping at 

 Sandwich two hours, and bidding adieu to Canada, by cross 

 ing over to Detroit about noon. 



Having, on my different visits to Canada, passed completely 

 round the peninsula formed by the Thames river, Lake St 

 Clair, Detroit river, and Lake Erie, I shall describe the face 

 of the country through which I passed. 



On leaving Chatham for the south, the soil from that place 

 to Lake Erie, with exception of the plains already noticed, 

 was clay of excellent quality, the surface level, and apparently 

 wet near the margin. In passing up the shores of the lake, 

 the soil was variable, being sometimes clay, and sometimes 

 sand, the latter greatly preponderating. Some parts of the 

 lake shore were unsettled, and scarcely a recent clearance 

 was discernible. In the townships of Tilbury and Marsea, 

 some farms had been deserted, which had a most barren 

 aspect, being overrun with weeds, and scarcely producing a 

 blade of grass. 



The surface in the township of Gosfield, near the iron 

 works, differs from any seen in the peninsula, being undu 

 lating, and, in the language of the place, a handsome country. 

 The land is not of the best quality, and for the first time in 

 Canada, I walked over a gravelly soil. 



The townships of Colchester and Maldon are not much 

 above the level of the lake, and the road passes through a 

 sandy soil generally, and sometimes thin clay of bad qua 

 lity. In the former there are oak openings, the soil of which 

 is poor sand. The soil of Maldon seems superior to that of 

 Colchester, and improves, on approaching Amherstburgh, to 

 the finest quality. In both townships there are a good many 

 people of colour, who generally rent the farms on which they 

 reside, or obtain so many years* possession, on condition~of 

 clearing a certain extent of wood. A considerable quantity 

 of tobacco is here grown, chiefly by the black population. 



The country from Chatham to Lake Erie in the township 



