182 CANADIAN LOCAL HISTORY: 



first ships ; and Captains Shank and Smith, with the remainder, are , I trust, at no great 

 distance from this place, — as the wind has served for the last 36 hours, and I hope -with 

 sufficient force to enable them to pass the Rapids of the Richelieu, where they have been 

 detained some days." Governor Simcoe himself, as we learn from this correspondence, had 

 landed at Quebec on the 11th of November preceding (1791) in the "Triton," Capt. Murray, 

 "after a blustering passage." 



In addition to the lot immediately after Major Littlehales', Col. Shank also possessed another 

 in this range, just beyond, viz., No. 21. 



The Capt. McDonell, whose name appears on the lot that follows Col. Shank's first lot, 

 was the aide-de-camp of Gen. Brock, who fell, with that general, at Queenston Heights. 

 Capt. McDonell's lot was afterwards the property of Mr. Crookshank, from whom what is now 

 Bathurst Street North had, as we have remarked, for a time the name of Crookshank's Lane. 



Capt. S. Smith, whoso name follows those of Capt. McDonell and Col. Shank, was aftenvards 

 President Smith, of whom ah-eady. The park lot selected by him was subsequently the 

 property of Mr. Duncan Cameron, a member of the Legislative Council, well-remembered. 

 The southern half of this lot now forms the site and ground s of the University of Trinity 

 College. At an early period, the whole property was known by the graceful appellation of 

 Gore Vale. Gore was in honour of the Governor of that name. Vale denoted the ravine 

 which indented a portion of the lot through whose meadow-land meandered a pleasant little 

 stream. This brooklet will hereafter be famous in scholastic song. It will be regarded as the 

 Cherwell of an infant Christ Church ; the Cephissus of a Canadian Academus. It irrigates 

 the elmy dale which gives such agreeable variety to the park of Trinity College, and which 

 renders so charming the views from the Provost's Lodge. After the decease of Mr. Cameron, 

 Gore Vale was long occupied by his excellent and benevolent sister. Miss Janet Cameron. We 

 observe Mr. Cameron's name, in conjunction with that of Mr. Allan, attached to an advertise- 

 ment calling for tenders for the erection of a Church in York in 1S03. " Wanted : a Quantity of 

 Pine, Boards, Scantling, Stones and Lime for buOding a Church in this Town. Any person 

 inclined to furnish any of these articles, will please to give their proposals at the lowest 

 prices, to the -Subscribers, to be laid before the Committee. D. Cameron ; W. Allan. 

 York, 1st June, 1803." 



Here we have the rudiments of St. James's Church, whose history we have already traced. 

 In 1812, Mr. Cameron is churchwarden of the same church, with Mr. Alexander Legge as his 

 colleague. 



On the steep mound which overhangs the brook above mentioned, on its eastern side, just 

 where it is crossed by Queen Street, was, at an early period, a Blockhouse commanding the 

 western approach to York. On the old plans this military work is shown, as also a path 

 leading to it across the Common from the Garrison, trodden often probably by the relief party 

 of the guard that would be stationed there in anxious times. 



In the vaUey of this stream a little farther to the west, on the opposite side of Queen Street, 

 was a Brewery of local repute : it was a long, low-lying dingy-looking building of hewn logs : 

 on the side towards the street a railed gangway led from the road to a door in its upper storey. 

 Conspicuous on the hill above the valley on the western side was the house, also of hewn logs 

 but cased over with clap-boards, of Mr. Farr, the proprietor of the brewery, a north-of-England 

 man in appearance and aspect, as well as in staidness and shrewdness of character. His spare 

 form and slightly crippled gait were everywhere familiarly recognized. Greatly respected, he 

 was still surviving in 1871. His chief assistant in the old brewery bore the name of Bow-beer. 

 (At Canterbury, we remember, many years ago, when the abbey of St. Augustine there, now a 

 famous Missionary College, was a Brewery, on the beautiful turreted gateway, wherein were 

 the "coolers," the inscription "Beer, Brewer" was conspicuous ; the name of the brewer in 

 occupation of the grand monastic ruin being Beer, a common name, sometimes given as Bere ; 

 but whicli in reality is Bear.) 



The stream which is here crossed by Queen Street is the same that afterwards flows below 

 the easternmost bastion of the Fort. A portion of the broken ground between Farr's and the 

 Garrison was once designated by the local Government,— so far as an order in Council has 

 force,— and permanently set apart, as a site for a Museum and Institute of Natural History 

 and Philosophy, with Botanical and Zoological Gardens attached. The project, originated by 



