FEW BRITISH SETTLERS. 315 



district, in which a large part of the grant of the Land 

 Company is situated, and does not at all encourage 

 intending emigrants to settle there. Of the adjoining 

 county of Shefford, in which also they own much land, 

 it is said in the same report, that about 1000 acres of 

 the land sold during the year has been to new settlers, 

 at the rate of 15s. to 20s. currency an acre, and that the 

 increase in the value of land, within ten years, had been 

 5s. or 6s. an acre. 



These eastern counties of Lower Canada were at one 

 time brought prominently before the British public, in 

 consequence of the late Mr Gait having gone out to 

 Canada as agent to the Land Company. But if we may 

 judge from the proclamation issued by Dr Nelson, during 

 the time of the Rebellion of 1837, such companies are not 

 very popular with the French Canadians, nor settlers 

 upon their lands regarded with much favour. And 

 without supposing that there is anything wrong either 

 in the existence or management of these companies, we 

 can understand why the old settlers should look with 

 disfavour upon bodies of men whose professed object is 

 to bring in emigrants of another blood, tongue, and 

 faith, and, at the same time, to lessen the facilities and 

 enhance the expense of settling their own increasing 

 families. 



I regretted that my leisure did not permit me to visit 

 Sherbrooke, for the purpose of inspecting the district in 

 person. It is said, and I should think with much reason, 

 that the Company's grant, along with the whole of the 

 inland region of which it forms a part, will be greatly 

 benefited by the completion of the St Lawrence and 

 Atlantic railway now in progress. 



Sept. 27. — Unable longer to avail myself of the kind 

 hospitality of Major Campbell, I left St Hilaire at 8 a.m., 

 and returned by railway to Montreal, along with Mr 

 Wettenhall. I would strongly recommend flying visitors 



