The Mighty Rivers And Lakes Of Canada, Though Productive
Of Boundless Prosperity, Operated In The First Period Of Its
Settlement, Most Unfavourably On The Growth Of The Colony, By
Throwing Open For Settlement An Extensive Inland Coast, At That
Time Unconnected With The Ocean By Means Of Canals.
Hence numerous
detached, feeble, and unprogressive settlements, came into
existence, where the new settlers had to struggle for years with
the most disheartening difficulties.
European settlers know but little of the value of situation. In most
cases they are only desirous of acquiring a large extent of land at
a low price, and thus, unless restrained by the wise regulations of
a provident government, they too often ruin themselves, and waste
their capital in a wilderness, where it does good to no one. When
emigration from the United Kingdom began to set in to Upper Canada,
the pernicious speculation in wild lands commenced in earnest. As
most of the land speculators possessed shares in the steam-boats on
Lake Ontario, the interests of both speculations were combined. It
was, of course, the interest of the steam-boat proprietors to direct
emigration as far to the westward as possible; and influenced by
their interested representations and those of the land speculators
settled in Toronto, Cobourg, and Hamilton, the greater portion of
the emigrants possessing capital were thrown into these towns, near
which they were led to expect desirable locations. In the same
manner the agents of the Canada Land Company, who were to be found
on every steamer, were actively employed in directing the emigrants
to the Huron tract.
By a simple inspection of the map of Upper Canada, it will be seen,
that as the Bay of Quinte was out of the general route of the
steamers, and too near the lower end of the lake navigation, it
did not suit the views of the parties most interested to direct
emigration to its shores. Thus the beautiful Bay of Quinte, with
the most fertile land on its shores, and scenery which exceeds in
variety and picturesque beauty that of any part of Upper Canada,
Hamilton and Niagara alone excepted, has been passed by for years
for situations much less desirable or attractive to European
settlers.
The forbidding aspect of the country near Kingston, which is
situated at the entrance of the bay from the St. Lawrence, where
the soil has a rocky and barren appearance, has no doubt deterred
emigrants from proceeding in this direction.
The shores of the Bay of Quinte were originally occupied principally
by U.E. loyalists and retired officers, who had served during the
late war with the United States, but the emigration from Europe has
chiefly consisted of the poorer class of Irish Catholics, and of
Protestants from the North of Ireland, settled in two very thriving
townships in the county of Hastings. There is also a sprinkling of
Scotch and English in different parts of the county. Comparatively
few possessing any considerable amount of capital have found their
way here, as the county town, Belleville, is not in the line of the
summer travel on the lakes.
The scenery along the shores of the bay is exceedingly beautiful all
the way from Kingston to the head, where a large river, the Trent,
discharges itself into it at a thriving village, of about a thousand
inhabitants, called Trent Port. A summer ride along the lower
portion of this river presents scenery of a bolder and grander
character than is often met with in Upper Canada, and it is
enlivened by spectacles of immense rafts of timber descending the
rapids, and by the merry chorus of the light-hearted lumbermen,
as they pursue their toilsome and perilous voyage to Quebec.
Belleville was originally a spot reserved for the Mississagua
Indians, and was laid out in 1816 for a village, when there were
only two or three white men settled among them as traders in
the place. It was only during the last year that the two frame
farm-houses, situated about a quarter of a mile apart, were
removed to make room for more substantial buildings. Belleville
remained nearly stationary for several years, during which a few
persons realised handsome fortunes, by means of large profits,
not withstanding the limited extent of their business. It at
length began to grow in importance as the fine country in its
neighbourhood was cleared and rendered productive.
In 1839, when the county of Hastings was set apart from the Midland
district, under the name of the District of Victoria, and Belleville
became the District town, the population of the county, including
Belleville, was about 12,000, and that of Belleville about 1500. In
1850 the population of the county had reached 23,454, of which that
of Belleville was 3326. By the census just taken, on a much more
correct principle than formerly, the population of Belleville in
1852 appears to be 4554, showing an increase of 1228 in two years.
During the same period, from 1850 to 1852, the population of Cobourg
on Lake Ontario, which town formerly enjoyed the full benefit of a
large emigration, has risen from 3379 to 3867, showing an increase
of only 488. The town of Dundas in the same time has increased its
population from 2311 in 1850 to 3519 in 1852, showing an increase
of 1208. The population of the city of Hamilton in 1850 was 10,312,
and now, in 1852, it is said to exceed 13,000. In 1838 the then
TOWN of Hamilton contained a population of only 3116. When I first
visited that place in 1832 it was a dull insignificant village,
which might, I suppose, contain a population of 1200 or 1500. I can
hardly describe my surprise on revisiting it in 1849, to behold a
city grown up suddenly, as if by enchantment, with several handsome
churches and public and private buildings of cut stone, brought
from the fine freestone quarries in the precipitous mountains or
tableland behind the city.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 164 of 179
Words from 166412 to 167414
of 181664
