go PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



Mentiou has been made of the diflftculty Mr. Burwell had in procuring sujiplies 

 of provisions for his first campaign. He was destined to have more experience of 

 the same sort before the end of the season. The quantity which he at first thougiit 

 sufficient to complete the survey was entirely expended at the beginning of Septem- 

 ber. Everything was in such a situation that the whole party had to march out, 

 as clothes and shoes were required as well as provisions. The first day they travelled 

 twenty miles and encamped on Big creek. Going by way of Townsend, the 

 settlement on the lake was reached on the third day. But all the flour there had 

 been sent away, and the only thing to be done was to thresh wheat and get it 

 ground. A team was hired to carry a barrel of pork from Col. Ryerse's to Town- 

 send, and on the fifth day the men threshed seven bushels of wheat and took it to 

 Sovereign's mills. But the miller was not at home, and as a last resort on the 

 seventh day the grist was ground by one of Burwell' s own men. 



On Sunday, September 10th, Mr. Burwell records in his journal, "I took a 

 Boy and Two Horses whom I had engaged to Pack the Flour and Pork to the 

 Survey on the Old Road, had much trouble on account of Logs, Brush, Briers; 

 &c. , but Reached Big Creek. ' ' Next day the provisions were packed into Hough- 

 ton, "and it took us faithfully all day to proceed Seventeen Miles." There a 

 deposit was made, and taking a supply they proceeded to resume work at the 

 point they had left twelve days before. Such is an instance from life in Korfolk 

 county ninety years ago. 



In 1810, besides finishing the survey of Talbot Road East, Mr. Bvirwell survey- 

 ed the southern part of the township of London, which was believed to be suitable 

 for the cultivation of flax. "I kept a Proof Line in the centre of the Township," 

 he wrote to the Surveyor General's office, "that my Survey might be as correct as. 

 possible, on which I Proved every Concession Line that I run, by measuring on the 

 said Proof line, and can say that the operation is very correct. " This was the 

 origin of the name of the road which leads out of the city of London to the north 

 boundary of the township. He also received instructions to survey the vacant land 

 between Houghton and Yarmouth, and to divide it, if sufficiently extensive, into 

 two townships, under the names of Malahide and Bayham. The work was done 

 accordingly, and under date of February 12th, 1811, the Lieutenant Governor 

 commanded his secretary to acquaint the Surveyor General that " the townships of 

 Malahide and Bayham are to be annexed to the county of Middlesex. ' ' In making 

 this survey Mr. Burwell selected a block of land in Bayham at the mouth of Big 

 Otter creek, a part of which was subsequently surveyed for a town plot and called 

 Port Burwell. Writing of that region to the Surveyor General in June. 1815. he 

 said : ' ' Otter creek discharges more Water than all the small Rivers which disem- 

 bogue themselves into the North side of lake Erie excepting the Grand River. 

 When a few drifts are cleared out of it, Boats may descend from the Mills in Nor- 

 wich to its mouth, at almost any Season of the year. There are beautiful Groves 

 of White Pine Timber, on each side of the Creek, interspersed with Groves of other 

 Timber, alternately ; there is therefore no doubt, but what ere long considerable 

 quantities of Lumber will be conveyed down that stream, from Norwich and other 

 places to the Lake. It would appear as if Nature had intended the mouth of Big- 

 Otter Creek for a place of greater importance than any other in the District of 

 London. In my mind it is highly probable that such will be the case before many 

 years. I am about to lay out what Land I own on the East side of the mouth in a 

 ToAvn Plot." At the same time he encouraged the Government to lay out an 

 adjacent lot held as a reserve for the same object ; and " if it should meet Avith 

 the approbation of His Excellency the Provisional Lieutenant Governor, it would 

 much facilitate the future growth of that part of the Province, to have it laid out 

 by the Government, for a Town at the mouth of Big Otter Creek." But these 

 bright anticipations have not been realized, and although the town is beautiful for 

 situation, it has been for many years a finished town. Like its neighbor town, 

 Vienna, on the same stream, its glory departed when the last of the Big Otter i^ine 

 was cut. 



The north branch of Talbot Road was laid out in 1811, the object of it being 

 to connect the main line of the Talbot Settlement with the road through Westmin- 

 ; ter. Its western end is at the Dunwich and Southwold line, where the village of 

 : ra now is, and it extends eastward through Southwold parallel with the main 



