TOR COLONISTS AND EMIGRANTS. 
125 
whatever disadvantages there are in the lo- 
cality of a farm, lowers the rent. The more 
circumscribed a man's capital is, the more 
reason he has to be careful that he be not led 
away by the comparatively low rent of a dis- 
tant farm. 
A tolerable road is a treasure. The means 
of transmitting things to market cheaply can 
hardly be too highly estimated. Water in 
abundance is a necessary which no farmer 
should overlook ; for a season of drought 
would otherwise blast all his hopes and ruin 
all his stock ; therefore look well at the ad- 
vantages and disadvantages of a place before 
you enter upon your proposed permanent 
home. 
Take a place, if possible, with the privilege 
of buying it within a given time, at a given 
price ; and plenty of eligible plots will be 
found in most o*' the British colonies, to be 
had on reasonable terms ; but nothing should 
be, and nothing need be, done in a hurry. 
If a man be at all capable of managing for 
himself, his services are just such as plenty 
of others require, and he need not be idle ; 
whereas, if a fear of trenching upon his little 
capital induce him to make a hasty choice, 
he may repent it ever after. Too much caution 
cannot be used. A. man must consider well 
all we have said of the advantages and disad- 
vantages of different localities ; and he has 
this in his favour, in choosing a farm already 
in cultivation, — the quality of the soil is 
known ; there is no lottery about it, nothing 
uncertain. All he has to do is to make 
himself master of facts which are known to 
others : — the quantity and quality of the pro- 
duce ; the price of everything in the locality, 
such as labour, carriage, and all sorts of food ; 
the distance of markets ; cost of tillage ; and 
various other matters bearing upon the real 
value of the plot of ground. He has also to 
consider the value of any building already 
erected, for he has so much the less to lay 
out. He must not lose sight of the many 
costs he escapes — such as the expense of 
grubbing up a wood, or making roads, or 
fencing, and all the other subjects which are 
done to his hand. Nevertheless, as be may 
prefer a grant at a venture, and we are to 
assist him on a strange uncleared tract of 
land, we will proceed with our best instruc- 
tions under the circumstances. 
TAKING POSSESSION AND SURVEYING. 
As you will find no building on your 
newly acquired land, and have to shelter 
yourself against wind and weather, your first 
object must be to select a place for your cot- 
tage. In doing so you have several material 
points to look to : — first, it should be neither 
the highest nor the lowest part. Secondly, it 
should be a spot whence roads may easily be 
made to other parts of the estate, and also to 
the main road, or rather way (for there may 
be no road), from the estate to the nearest vil- 
lage or town, however distant that may be. 
Thirdly, it should be near a spring, if there 
be one on the premises, or in such a situation 
that the water may be readily conveyed by 
means of an open gutter, or pipes, or other 
contrivance. Fourthly, it should not be sur- 
rounded with wood and thicket, but be in a 
spot open on one side, or so that, by clearing 
the wood away, it may be rendered so : if a 
hot climate, let the opening be on the east, or 
north-east ; if a cold climate, let the open 
plain be on the south, or south-west. Fifthly, 
the nearer a wood, or woody shelter, the better, 
and regard should be had to its proximity 
to fine trees, which by clearing others away 
might be made ornamental. Sixthly, if there 
happen to be a river running through or by 
any part of the land, keep as near it as the 
nature of the ground will admit with safety, 
due regard being had to the possible flooding 
during heavy rains. This may be seen in any 
season, for even if the water be low when you 
survey, the banks or trees will show how high 
the water rises ; and if the land on each side 
be very flat, so that in floods the water will 
occasionally cover it, keep further off and on 
higher ground ; still go as near as appears 
quite safe. Nobody who is a stranger to the 
visitation of a drought, can form the slightest 
notion of the inestimable value of water. 
Look therefore thoughtfully around your pre- 
mises before you do anything. Pitch your 
tent gipsy-like, in the most sheltered place 
for the night ; if there is any danger of wild 
beasts or reptiles, light a fire all round, and 
let one of the party watch while the remainder 
sleep ; but no time should be lost until you 
have surveyed every acre of your allotment, 
which, that we may direct under the worst 
circumstances, we will suppose to be up the 
country, far away from any other farm or 
plot of land in occupation, — because between 
yours and the nearest farm there may be 
half-a-dozen large unoccupied grants of land. 
If you have temporary housing, such as 
a gypsy's tent, or anything better, and you 
are in the fine weather season, do not be in 
a hurry to settle the spot for your house. 
Pitch your tent on the best spot you can find, 
and try a few days if you can improve it. 
Meanwhile, set the labourers you have at 
grubbing up such portions of wood as you in- 
tend to clear, sparing, as you proceed, any 
particularly hand«ome trees. If there be any 
clear place, set other labourers digging and 
trenching it for crops, which you will sow 
if there be enough of the fine weather season 
left to perfect the produce, whether it be corn, 
