26 EMIGRATION TO CANADA 



was not very high, but I advised him to take the slide which we 

 did. On this slide there were about four inches of water running 

 and, as we rushed down, the boat came too near the side and as 

 I was in the bow I shoved it, as I thought, gently, but owing to 

 the swiftness of the water and slipperiness of the boards the boat 

 went broadside down the remainder of the slide and I was thrown 

 out on the apron and Harry righted the boat and shot into the 

 water again. By good luck, I caught a chain and was able to 

 hold on till he came back and took me off. Another mile and we 

 were home and I decided that that was the last time I would go 

 out duck shooting with a "Sport." 



I may just add a word here. The next winter Harry went 

 home to his father's place on Crow Bay and he and the hired man 

 went out in the spring with two guns and he was never seen again 

 alive. Both were drowned in Crow Bay. 



When I left Mrs. Carlow, I returned to my brother's and this 

 was my last experience as a hired man. My brother attempted 

 to work in a saw-mill, piling boards, but he worked two days and 

 came home with blistered hands and told me that if he died of 

 starvation he would never work again for anybody. 



After leaving Mrs. Carlow, I bought one hundred and sixty- 

 four acres from the Government and decided to become a farmer. 

 I made an arrangement with my brother to live with him and 

 help him at a certain sum per day and he was to board me at a 

 certain sum per day when I was working for myself, and that was 

 our arrangement for the next five years. At the time I am speak- 

 ing of most of the land in Seymour West still remained bush and 

 the roads were little better than paths. A wagon road was 

 generally made through the easiest part of the country and not 

 on the proper road allowance at all. During the summer, fires 

 would take place and at times become dangerous to the whole 

 country round and all the farmers would have to turn out and 

 fight the fire. Other times, a fire would be on our own land and 

 the fight there would be both severe and dangerous. I have 

 known Frederick and myself to have been so exhausted that his 

 wife would have to come to us with water at the risk of being 

 burned herself, while my mother would stand and gaze at us and 



