He had been induced, by reading Cattermole’s pamphlet on the subject of Emigration, to quit a good farm, and gathering together what property he possessed, to embark for Canada.  Encouraged by the advice of a friend in this country, he purchased a lot of wild land in the western district; “but sir,” said he, addressing my husband with much vehemence, “I found I had been vilely deceived.  Such land, such a country—­I would not live in it for all I could see.  Why, there is not a drop of wholesome water to be got, or a potato that is fit to eat.  I lived for two months in a miserable shed they call a shanty, eaten up alive with mosquitoes.  I could get nothing to eat but salted pork, and, in short, the discomforts are unbearable.  And then all my farming knowledge was quite useless—­ people know nothing about farming in this country.  Why, it would have broken my heart to work among the stumps, and never see such a thing as a well-ploughed field.  And then,” he added, in a softer tone, “I thought of my poor wife and the little one.  I might, for the sake of bettering my condition, have roughed out a year or so myself, but, poor thing, I could not have had the heart to have brought her out from the comforts of England to such a place, not so good as one of our cow-houses or stables, and so I shall just go home; and if I don’t tell all my neighbours what sort of a country this is they are all crazing to throw up their farms and come to, never trust a word of mine again.”

It was to no purpose that some persons present argued with him on the folly of returning until he had tried what could be done:  he only told them they were fools if they staid an hour in a country like this; and ended by execrating those persons who deceived the people at home by their false statements, who sum up in a few pages all the advantages, without filling a volume with the disadvantages, as they might well do.

“Persons are apt to deceive themselves as well as to be deceived,” said my husband; “and having once fixed their minds on any one subject, will only read and believe those things that accord with their wishes.”

This young man was evidently disappointed in not finding all things as fair and pleasant as at home.  He had never reflected on the subject, or he could not have been so foolish as to suppose he would encounter no difficulties in his first outset, in a settlement in the woods.  We are prepared to meet with many obstacles, and endure considerable privations, although I dare say we may meet with many unforeseen ones, forewarned as we have been by our Canadian friend’s letters.

Our places are taken in the stage for Lachine, and if all is well, we leave Montreal to-morrow morning.  Our trunks, boxes, &c. are to be sent on by the forwarders to Cobourg.—­August 22.