46 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



of time, as soon as the season might permit, to proceed with the work, but not 

 until he had reason to believe that the waters had left the woods, so that there 

 might be no fear of delay by commencing at an unseasonable time of the year, Avith 

 himself and his men idle while under pay. ' ' I have perused my instructions and 

 looked over the plans," he wrote on April 1st, "as carefully and as much as I 

 possibly could for the short time I have had them in my possession, and see nothing 

 to prevent my putting the instructions into execution as soon as time will allow." 

 On the same day he drew the allowance of stationery, and having gone to his home 

 in Bertie township he began to fit out for the enterprise in hand about the middle 

 of May. Four days were spent in making out voucher forms, a field book and plans 

 of the townships, and then he was ready to begin the journey to Port Talbot. I 

 quote a few pages of the journal. 



"Sunday 21st May. Could not set out with a Boat on account of the Ice 

 being wafted to the North side of the Lake. 



' ' Monday 22^ May. Believing it would be difficult to hire men enough at 

 Long Point or Port Talbot for my Party to consist of, and being ready to set out I 

 engaged three, by name, Edward Kerr, John and Robert Burwell. Kerr for a 

 Chain Bearer at 2/6 currency per day, and the Burwells at 1/6 per day each. Set 

 out from Fort Erie and reached Point Industry. It rained all Night. ' ' 



Point Industry is west of Point Abino and Sugar Loaf. It is lot 14 on the lake 

 shore, the most southerly land in Wainfleet, and was patented to David Morgan in 

 1817. It seems likely, however, that Morgan was an old squatter here, as in the 

 first edition of D.W. Smith's Topographical Description of Upper Canada (1799), 

 Industry Point is also called Morgan's Point. 



' ' Tuesday 23'J May. We set out early in the morning, had contrary Winds, 

 and it rained all day, however, by being assiduous we reached Oustine's Creek. 



"Wednesday 24th May. get out early. Winds still contrary, but reached 

 St. Gust at 11 o'clock a.m., and the Wind breezed up so strongly from the South 

 that we had to put into the mouth of the Eiver for Safety. ' ' 



St. Gust is one of the several aliases for the most southerly point of Walpole. 

 In Smith it is called St. Dusk or Sangas, and the same name is given to the stream 

 which empties into the lake just east of it. On the U. S. Lake Survey chart the 

 stream is called Sandusky river, and the point itself Peacock Point. 



"Thursday 25th May. Reached Colonel Ryerse's in Woodhouse, with some 

 difliculty, by rowing against the West Wind. I embraced the afternoon to enquire 

 for men to engage, but found none. 



' ' Friday 26th May. The Boat I went up in went no farther than Long Point. 

 I went to Dover in quest of one, and of men to assist me, but all to no effect. 



" Saturday 27th May. Was told that Stephen Bartow of Charlotteville had a 

 Boat. I went to get it, but he wanted it himself Made enquiry elsewhere, but 

 could not hear of any in the vicinity of Long Point, and I found no men to engage 

 yet. Mr. Mitchell the schoolmaster informed me that Col. Talbot had taken 

 considerable of pork to his place, and he presumed part of it was intended for me, 

 also that I could get a sufficiency of Flour there, and finding that I could not get 

 a Boat, I concluded to set out on Foot. I could not engage any Men. 



' ' Sunday 28th May. Rained severely the whole day, that I could not start. 



" Monday 29th May. Rained until 2 o'clock P.M. I offered two Indians the 

 wages allowed, bvit they said it was too little. We travelled to the house of 

 Thomas Welch, Esq. , tarried all night. 



' ' Tuesday 30th May. Set out early. Mr. Welch sent his son to pilot us to 

 Big Creek, there being no Road to that place. Found the creek very high in 

 consequence of the great fall of rain. Travelled on to within four Miles of Big 

 Otter Creek and encamped. Rained smartly in the night. 



' ' Wednesday Sl^t May. Hindered some time crossing Big Otter Creek, had 

 to fall a large Hemlock Tree across it, which would have failed us, had not the 

 Creek been narrower below, that the Banks interfered as it swam down. We had 

 to fall a tree across Catfish Creek also and encamped on good land a mile to the 

 Westward of the creek. 



' ' Thvirsday l^t June. Travelled on to Kettle Creek and had to fall timber 

 across it, — reached Port Talbot after Sunset and it rained in the Night." 



At the mouth of Big Otter creek is now the village of Port Burwell, named 



