CANADIAN LOCAL HISTORf. 215 



here by His Excellency Major-General Simcoe; and it Avas made a 

 dep5t for the fine whale-boats which were built by His Excellency's 

 directions. Indeed, it possesses many advantages : the point is 

 extremely well suited for the launching of vessels, and the river is 

 sufficiently deep for those of any size; so that a secure arsenal and 

 building-place, and an excellent dock, might be made in the lesser 

 branch of the fork, upon which there is now a mill. 



Firs are easily floated down from the piaery above, and other 

 timber necessary for ship-building may be procured by water carriage- 



The greatest disadvantage is the bar across its embouchui'e into 

 Lake St. Clair; but that is of sufficient depth for small craft rigged 

 and for lai'ge vessels when lightened; and it would answer as a 

 good winter hai^bour for any vessel which navigates the lakes, if she 

 made herself light enough to pass over the bar and go into the i-iver; 

 and this might easily be effected for all vessels, by having a flat- 

 bottomed lighter stationed at the mouth of the river for that esjiecial 

 purpose. 



About twenty miles above Chatham is a village of Moravians, 

 under the guidance of four missionaries of the iTnited Brethren; and 

 here they have a chapel. The converts are Indians, who are peaceable 

 and civil ; their principal employment is in attending to their corn- 

 fields, and to the making of maple sugar. Above the village, on the 

 river, is a large spring of petroleum. Passing Upwards from the 

 Moravian village, the Thames continues a fine serpentine canal, 

 without falls, with a natural tracking-path great part of the way. 



The windings of the ri\er leave fine rich bottom. There is beau- 

 tiful open land on the tops of the banks, which are high, but not 

 broken. Passing the Delaware village, and a settlement in the 

 beautiful plains of the Delaware township, where there is a fine 

 pinery and good mills, you arrive at the spot selected by His 

 Excellency Major-General Simcoe for the site of London. 



This situation is on the main fork of the River Thames, and 

 considered by His Excellency as the proper place for the seat of 

 government. It offers many striking advantages for the capital of 

 the Province; is centrically situated in regard to the Lakes Erie, 

 Huron and Ontario; and around it is a large tract of land well 

 calculated for agricultural purposes. It communicates with Lake 

 St. Clair and the Detroit by the River Thames. It communicates 

 with Lake Huron by the northern or main branch of the Thames and 



