Roughing It In The Bush, By Susanna Moodie











































































































































 - 

A number of the recent settlers in the backwoods, among whom were
several speculators, resorted frequently to C - -; and as - Page 72
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A Number Of The Recent Settlers In The Backwoods, Among Whom Were Several Speculators, Resorted Frequently To C - -; And As

Soon as a new batch of settlers arrived on the lake shore, there was a keen contest between the land-

Jobbers of C - - and those of the backwoods to draw the new comer into their nets. The demand created by the continual influx of immigrants had caused a rapid increase in the price of lands, particularly of wild lands, and the grossest imposition was often practiced by these people, who made enormous profits by taking advantage of the ignorance of the new settlers and of their anxiety to settle themselves at once.

I was continually cautioned by these people against buying a farm in any other locality than the particular one they themselves represented as most eligible, and their rivals were always represented as unprincipled land-jobbers. Finding these accusations to be mutual, I naturally felt myself constrained to believe both parties to be alike.

Sometimes I got hold of a quiet farmer, hoping to obtain something like disinterested advice; but in nine cases out of ten, I am sorry to say, I found that the rage for speculation and trading in land, which was so prevalent in all the great thoroughfares, had already poisoned their minds also, and I could rarely obtain an opinion or advice which was utterly free from self-interest. They generally had some lot of land to sell - or, probably, they would like to have a new comer for a neighbour, in the hope of selling him a span of horses or some cows at a higher price than they could obtain from the older settlers. In mentioning this unamiable trait in the character of the farmers near C - -, I by no means intend to give it as characteristic of the farmers in general. It is, properly speaking, a LOCAL vice, produced by the constant influx of strangers unacquainted with the ways of the country, which tempts the farmers to take advantage of their ignorance.

STANZAS

Where is religion found? In what bright sphere Dwells holy love, in majesty serene Shedding its beams, like planet o'er the scene; The steady lustre through the varying year Still glowing with the heavenly rays that flow In copious streams to soften human woe?

It is not 'mid the busy scenes of life, Where careworn mortals crowd along the way That leads to gain - shunning the light of day; In endless eddies whirl'd, where pain and strife Distract the soul, and spread the shades of night, Where love divine should dwell in purest light.

Short-sighted man! - go seek the mountain's brow, And cast thy raptured eye o'er hill and dale; The waving woods, the ever-blooming vale, Shall spread a feast before thee, which till now Ne'er met thy gaze - obscured by passion's sway; And Nature's works shall teach thee how to pray.

Or wend thy course along the sounding shore, Where giant waves resistless onward sweep To join the awful chorus of the deep - Curling their snowy manes with deaf'ning roar, Flinging their foam high o'er the trembling sod, And thunder forth their mighty song to God!

J.W.D.M.

CHAPTER XIII

THE LAND-JOBBER

Some men, like greedy monsters of the deep, Still prey upon their kind; - their hungry maws Engulph their victims like the rav'nous shark That day and night untiring plies around The foamy bubbling wake of some great ship; And when the hapless mariner aloft Hath lost his hold, and down he falls Amidst the gurgling waters on her lee, Then, quick as thought, the ruthless felon-jaws Close on his form; - the sea is stain'd with blood - One sharp wild shriek is heard - and all is still! The lion, tiger, alligator, shark - The wily fox, the bright enamelled snake - All seek their prey by force or stratagem; But when - their hunger sated - languor creeps Around their frames, they quickly sink to rest. Not so with man - HE never hath enough; He feeds on all alike; and, wild or tame, He's but a cannibal. He burns, destroys, And scatters death to sate his morbid lust For empty fame. But when the love of gain Hath struck its roots in his vile, sordid heart, - Each gen'rous impulse chill'd, - like vampire, now, He sucks the life-blood of his friends or foes Until he viler grows than savage beast. And when, at length, stretch'd on his bed of death, And powerless, friendless, o'er his clammy brow The dark'ning shades descend, strong to the last His avarice lives; and while he feebly plucks His wretched coverlet, he gasps for breath, And thinks he gathers gold!

J.W.D.M.

I had a letter of introduction to a gentleman of large property, at C - -, who, knowing that I wished to purchase a farm, very kindly drove me out to several lots of land in the immediate neighbourhood. He showed me seven or eight very eligible lots of cleared land, some of them with good houses and orchards; but somehow or other, on inquiry, I found they all belonged to himself, and, moreover, the prices were beyond my limited means. For one farm he asked 1000 pounds; for another, 1500 pounds, and so on. After inquiring in other quarters, I saw I had no chance of getting a farm in that neighbourhood for the price I could afford to pay down, which was only about 300 pounds. After satisfying myself as to this fact, I thought it the wiser course at once to undeceive my very obliging friend, whose attentions were obviously nicely adjusted to the estimate he had formed in his own mind of my pecuniary resources.

On communicating this discouraging fact, my friend's countenance instantly assumed a cold and stony expression, and I almost expected that he would have stopped his horses and set me down, to walk with other poor men. As may well be supposed, I was never afterwards honoured with a seat in his carriage.

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