168 CANADIAN LOCAL HISTORY. 



lain, Mr. Hudson, addressed to the commander of the forces a complaint " of the very great 

 inconvenience to which the troops are exposed in having to march so far to the place of wor- 

 ship, particularly when the weather and roads are so unfavourable during a greater part of the 

 year in this country, the distance from the Barracks to the Church heing two miles :" adding, 

 "In June last, the roads were in such a state as to prevent the Troops from attending Church 

 for four successive Sundays." He then suggested " the propriety of erecting a chapel on the 

 Government reserve for the accommodation of the Troops." The Horse Guards refused to 

 undertake the erection of a chapel here, but made a donation of one thousand pounds towards 

 the re-edification of St. James' Church, " on condition that accommodation should be perma. 

 nently provided for His Majesty's Troops." The outlme in the turf was a relic of Mr. Hudson's 

 suggestion. The line that defined the limit of the Government Common to the north and east, 

 (and west, of course, likewise,) prior to its division into building lots, was a portion of the 

 circumference of a great circle, " of a radius of 1000 yards, more or less," wliose centre was the 

 Port. On the old plans of York, arcs of this great circle are traced, with two interior con- 

 centric ares, of radii respectively of eight and five hundred yards. 



We now soon arrive at the ravine of the "Garrison Creek." We have Iieard that in the rivulet 

 below, for some distance up the valley, before the clearing away of the woods, salmon used to 

 be taken at certain seasons of the year. Crossing the stream, and ascending to the arched gate' 

 v.-ay of the fort (we are speaking of it as it used to be), we pass between the strong iron-studded 

 portals, which are thrown back : we pass a sentry just within the gate, and the guard-house on 

 the left. At present we do not tarry within the enclosure of the Fort. We simply glance at 

 the loopholed block-house on the one side, and the quarters of the men, the officers, and the 

 commandant on the other ; and we hui-ry across the gravelled area, recalling rapidly a series of 

 spirit-stirring ordinal numbers— 49th, 41st, 68th, 79th, 42nd, 15th, 32nd, 1st— each suggestive of 

 a gallant assemblage at some time here; of a vigorous, finely-disciplined, ready-aye-ready 

 group, that, like the successive generations on the stage of human life, came and went just 

 once, as it were — as the years rolled on, and the eye saw them again no more. We pass out 

 through tlie western gate to the large open green space which lies on the farther side. This is 

 the Garrison Eeserve. It bears the same relation to the modern Toronto and the ancient York 

 as the Plains of Abraham do to Quebec. It was here that the struggle took place, in the olden 

 time, that led to the capture of the town. In both cases the leader of the aggressive expedition 

 "fell victorious." But the analogy holds no further; as, in the case of the inferior conquest, 

 the successful power did not retain permanent possession. 



The Wolfe's Cove, the landing-place, we mean, of the invader, on the occasion referred to, 

 was just within the curve of the Humber Bay, far to the west, wliere Queen Street now sldrts 

 the beach for a short distance and then emerges on it. The intention had been to land more to 

 the eastward, but the vessels containing the hostile force were driven westward by the winds. 



The debarkation was opposed by a handful of Indians, under Major Givins. Tlie Glengarry 

 Fencibles had been despatched to aid in this service, but, attempting to approach the spot by 

 a back road, they lost their way. A tradition exists that the name of the Grenadiers' Pond, 

 a lagoon a little to the west, one of the ancient outlets of the waters of the Humber, is con- 

 nected with the disastrous bewilderment of a par*-y of the regular troops at this critical period. 

 It is at the same time asserted that the name " Grenadiers' Pond " was familiar previously. At 

 length companies of the Eighth Regiment, of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and of Incor- 

 porated Militia, made their appearance on the ground, and disputed the progress inland of the 

 enemy. After suffering severely, they retired towards the Fort. This was the existing Fort. 

 The result is now matter of history, and need not be detailed. As portions of the cliff have 

 fallen away from time to time along the shore here, numerous skeletons have been exposed to 

 view, relics of friend and foe slain on the adjacent common, where, also, military ornaments and 

 fragments of fire-arms, used frequently to be dug up. Some of the bones referred to, however, 

 may have been remains of early French and Indian traders. 



The site of the original French stockade, established here in the middle of the last century, 

 was nearly at the middle point between the landing-place of the United States force in 1813, and 

 the existing Fort. Before the erection of the white cut-stone Barracks, several earthworks and 

 grass-grown excavations marked the spot. These ruins, which we have often visited, were popu 

 larly designated " The Old French Port." 



