BOOK NOTICES. 325 



upon a spot so rich in natural beauty. These disbanded soldiers, at least 

 each family, had a canvas tent capable of accommodating, in a certain way, 

 from eight to ten persons. These were pitched upon the shore, at first in 

 groups, until each person had learned the situation of his lot, when he 

 immediately removed thereto. But there were by no means enough tents 

 to give cover to all, and many had only the friendly trees for protection. 

 The first steps taken were to clear a small space of trees, and erect a place 

 of habitation. We have seen what were the implements he had to work 

 with — the materials he must use to subdue the forest tree standing before 

 him. 



" Here, at the very threshold of Upper Canadian history, was initiated 

 the 'institution' of 'bees.' ' Each with his axe on his shoulder, turned 

 out to help the other,' in erecting a log shanty. Small and unpretending 

 indeed, were these humble tenements first built along the shores of the bay. 

 The size of each depended upon the number to occupy it. None were larger 

 than twenty by fifteen feet ; and an old man tells me that his father, who 

 was a carpenter, built one fifteen feet long and ten feet broad, with a slant- 

 ing roof seven or eight feet in height. The back-woodsman's shanty, which 

 may yet be seen in the outskirts of our country, is the counterpart of those 

 which were first built ; but perhaps many of our readers may never have 

 seen one. 'Round logs,' (generally of basswood,) 'roughly notched 

 together at the corners, and piled one above another, to the height of seven 

 or eight feet, constituted the walls. Openings for a door, and one small 

 window ' (always beside the door) ' designed for four lights of glass, 7 ><i 9, 

 were cut out,' (Government had supplied them with a little glass and putty ;) 

 ' the spaces between the logs were chinked with small splinters, and care- 

 fully plastered outside and inside, with clay for mortar. Smooth straight 

 poles were laid lengthways of the building, on the walls, to serve as sup- 

 ports of the roof. This was composed ' of strips of elm bark, four feet in 

 length, by two or three feet in width, in layers, overlapping each other, and 

 fastened to the poles by withes.' (The roof was sometimes of black oak, 

 or swamp oak, bark,) 'with a sufficient slope to the back, this formed a 

 roof which was proof against wind and weather. An ample hearth, made 

 of flat stones, was then laid out, and a fire back of field stone or small 

 boulders, rudely built, was carried up as high as the walls. Above this 

 the chimney was formed of round poles, notched together and plastered 

 vnth mud. The floor was of the same materials as the wall, only that the 

 logs were split in two, and flattened so as to make a tolerably even surface. 

 As no boards were to be had to make a door, until they could be sawn out 

 by the whip-saw, a blanket suspended from the inside for some time took 

 its place. By and by four little panes of glass, were stuck into a rough 

 sash, and then the shanty was complete.' 



" Furniture for the house was made by the old soldier ; this was gene- 

 rally of the roughest kind. They had the fashion of exchanging work, as 

 well as of havhig bees. Some of them had been mechanics in other days. 

 A carpenter was a valuable acquisition, and while others would assist him 

 to do his heavy work, he would in return do those little nicer jobs by which 

 the household comforts would be increased. No chests of drawers were 

 required ; benches were made of split basswood, upon which to sit, and 

 tables were manufactured in the same style. The bedstead was constructed 

 at the end of the cabin, by taking poles of suitable size and inserting the 

 ends between the logs which formed the walls on either side. These would 

 be placed, before the cracks were filled in and plastered." 



