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.
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