Three Years in Canada: An Account of the Actual State of the Country in 1826-7-8. Comprehending Its Resources, Productions, Improvements, and Capabilities; and Including Sketches of the State of Society, Advice to Emigrants, &c, Volume 1H. Colburn, 1829 - Canada |
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Americans amongst arch banks beautiful beneath birds bottom bridge Britain built called Canada Canadian canoe carrion crows chains channel colour considered creek deepen depth distance Dondaine embankment excavation Falls of Chaudiere feet feet deep feet wide fish floods foot French Gulf Gulf of St gully height holes Indian island Jonathan keep kind Lachine Canal Lake Ontario land Lawrence length lift limestone locks Merrick's Mills Mississipi Montreal nature nearly never obtained ocean Ottawa River pass Perth Perth River plenty Point Nepean proposed Quebec rafts rapids Rideau Canal Rideau Lake Rideau river rock rocky round sailors seems seen settlers ships shore side singular sleighs Smith's Falls snie snow still-water stone summit-level swamp thick thing timber tion trees Upper Canada wild wilderness wind winter wood Yankee yards
Popular passages
Page 162 - The Rideau Canal, when constructed, will be perfectly different from any other in the known world, since it is not ditched or cut out by the hand of man. Natural rivers and lakes are made use of for this canal, and all that science or art has to do in the matter, is in the lockage of the rapids, or waterfalls, which exist either between extensive sheets of still river water, or expansive lakes. To surmount this difficulty, dams are proposed, and in many instances, already raised, at the bottom of...
Page 67 - Canadian adopts this for two substantial reasons : first, that the ice is more safe there, and, secondly, *W should it break in, he has a better chance to get out. Often horses and sleighs will break smack through, sink beneath the ice, and be seen no more : the drivers generally contrive to escape, although sometimes they get entangled or confused, and sink with the rest.
Page 321 - ... a sensitive pair of scales to be had in every shop, with' the necessary drachms for balancing the matter ? and then to carry a weigh-beam about would be troublesome. While the French keep gabbling about quinze sous, and trente sous, which are perplexing to comprehend ; every sort of a copper-piece is an halfpenny. I have no less than 120 different kinds, the greater part of them old copper coins of Britain, and merchants
Page 169 - It is perfectly practicable. The magnitude of the whole may, probably, be too much for the minds of the generality of mankind to grasp. But what signifies that? Were the work absolutely finished, millions would not believe it. Pagans consider the sun in a different light from astronomers : the eyes of both are dazzled by his beams, while his real nature is unknown — as far beyond the understanding of man as he is in miles from the earth, and probably farther.
Page 255 - ... the air they give them. Could I do justice to such, a few should be inserted here; for I have all their good boat-songs, and mean to publish them with the music attached, without which they are useless. Indeed, let me do my best with them, it will be impossible to inspire those who have never heard them sing, with much emotion. We must be in a canoe with a dozen hearty paddlers, the lake pure, the weather fine, and the rapids past, before their influence can be powerfully felt. Music and song...
Page 198 - There are few estates of any extent in the country that have not plenty of mill-seats on them ; indeed, there are more mills erected, in many instances, than there seems to be work for. But mills alone by no means complete the finished establishment. A distillery is a thing quite...
Page 310 - ... it is almost needless for me to say, that this is the mansion of Jonathan, or the UE Loyalist from the United States. A house nearly as large as the American's, but built of stone, and high roofed...
Page 169 - The town of Nootka is likely yet to be as large as London, and ought to be laid out on an extensive plan, as the trade between it and the Oriental World may become wonderfully great in a short time. Then, when the steam-packet line is established between Quebec and London, as it soon will be, we may come and go between China and Britain in about two months.
Page 163 - In several instances, a dam not more than twentyfour feet high, and 180 feet wide, will throw the rapids and rivers into a still sheet above it for a distance of more than twenty miles.
Page 53 - Spoon ! — the order to turn to the other — rwhich was often an agreeable order, if a spike of tree-root or such substance stuck up beneath the ribs. Reclining thus, like a parcel of spoons, our feet to the fire, we have found the hair of our heads often frozen to the place where we lay. For many days together did we lie in these wild places, before we could satisfy ourselves with a solution of the problem already represented.