390 GAME. 



present I regard Upper Canada as a wretched, an immoral, 

 and a misgoverned country. 



I found many of the Canadians filled with inveterate preju 

 dice against the inhabitants of the United States, whom they 

 regarded as a band of cheating- and lying democrats. Some 

 excuse might have been found for this feeling, had it alone 

 existed amongst the first settlers, who suffered during the late 

 war ; but the greatest degree of inveteracy was evinced by 

 persons lately from Britain, whose conduct, in the intercourse 

 of the world, had not been altogether blameless at home. 

 The prosperity of the people of the United States seems to 

 excite the envy of the Canadians. The same feeling does not 

 exist in the State of New York towards the Canadians, who 

 are there considered indolent and dissipated. 



The constitution of Upper Canada is modelled after the 

 British one, and there is a council appointed for life by his 

 Britannic Majesty on certain conditions. The House of Assem 

 bly is chosen by voters, twenty-one years of age, British sub 

 jects, and possessed of 40s. freehold for a county election, and 

 L.5 for a town qualification. The province possesses the power 

 of taxing itself, and the impositions are as little felt as in any 

 country in the world. 



There is a general opinion in Britain that Canada is an ex 

 cellent sporting country, and almost every young emigrant 

 carries out a gun with him to shoot game. Few people 

 however go in quest of it, the winters being so severe, and 

 food so scarce, that game cannot exist in numbers. In every 

 situation deer is difficult to be had, and I only met with one 

 deer-shooter in my travels. The turkey is found only in the 

 western district in limited numbers. Quails are more plenti 

 ful, and confined to the west. There are two kinds of phea 

 sants throughout Canada, and not plentiful any where but in 

 the west. The ruffed grouse or prairie hen has never been 

 found in the country. Ducks are particularly numerous in 

 autumn, and at certain seasons so are woodcocks. I have seen 

 more game in half-an-hour in Scotland than I saw in all my 

 wanderings in Canada, and there is no part where good shoot 

 ing can be obtained but near the River Detroit. 



