Letter XI.—­Emigrants suitable for Canada.—­Qualities requisite to ensure Success.—­Investment of Capital.—­Useful Articles to be brought out.—­Qualifications and Occupations of a Settler’s Family.—­Deficiency of Patience and Energy in some Females.—­Management of the Dairy.—­ Cheese.—­Indian Corn, and its Cultivation.—­Potatoes.—­Rates of Wages

Letter XII.—­“A Logging Bee.”—­Burning of the Log-heaps.—­Crops for the Season.—­Farming Stock.—­Comparative Value of Wheat and Labour.—­Choice of Land, and relative Advantages.—­Clearing Land.—­Hurricane in the Woods.—­Variable Weather.—­Insects

Letter XIII.—­Health enjoyed in the rigour of Winter.—­Inconvenience suffered from the brightness of the Snow.—­Sleighing.—­Indian Orthography.—­Visit to an Indian Encampment.—­Story of an Indian.—­An Indian Hunchback.—­Canadian Ornithology

Letter XIV.—­Utility of Botanical Knowledge.—­The Fire-Weed.—­ Sarsaparilla Plants.—­Magnificent Water Lily.—­Rice Beds.—­Indian Strawberry.—­Scarlet Columbine.—­Ferns.—­Grasses

Letter XV.—­Recapitulation of various Topics.—­Progress of Settlement.—­ Canada, the Land of Hope.—­Visit to the Family of a Naval Officer.—­ Squirrels.—­Visit to, and Story of, an Emigrant Clergyman.—­His early Difficulties.—­The Temper, Disposition, and Habits of Emigrants essential Ingredients in Failure or Success

Letter XVI.—­Indian Hunters.—­Sail in a Canoe.—­Want of Libraries in the Backwoods.—­New Village.—­Progress of Improvement.—­Fire flies

Letter XVII.—­Ague.—­Illness of the Family.—­Probable Cause.—­Root-house.—­Setting-in of Winter.—­Insect termed a “Sawyer.”—­Temporary Church

Letter XVIII.—­Busy Spring.—­Increase of Society and Comfort.—­ Recollections of Home.—­Aurora Borealis

APPENDIX

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Illustrations. 1.  Falls of Montmorenci 2.  Rice Grounds 3.  Sleigh-driving 4.  Silver Pine 5.  Spruce 6.  Log-house 7.  Log-village.—­Arrival of Stage-coach 8.  Road through a Pine Forest 9.  Newly-cleared Land 10.  Chart showing the Interior Navigation of the Districts of Newcastle and Upper Canada 11.  Papouses 12.  Green Frogs 13.  Bull-frog 14.  The Prairie 15.  Red-bird 16.  Blue-bird 17.  Snow-Bunting 18.  Baltimore Oriole defending her Nest against the Black Snake 19.  Red Squirrels 20.  Flying Squirrel

INTRODUCTION

Among the numerous works on Canada that have been published within the last ten years, with emigration for their leading theme, there are few, if any, that give information regarding the domestic economy of a settler’s life, sufficiently minute to prove a faithful guide to the person on whose responsibility the whole comfort of a family depends—­ the mistress, whose department it is “to haud the house in order.”

Dr. Dunlop, it is true, has published a witty and spirited pamphlet, “The Backwoodsman,” but it does not enter into the routine of feminine duties and employment, in a state of emigration.  Indeed, a woman’s pen alone can describe half that is requisite to be told of the internal management of a domicile in the backwoods, in order to enable the outcoming female emigrant to form a proper judgment of the trials and arduous duties she has to encounter.