we do not know.  On Ailie’s return she was startled at the sight of her bending over the wheel.  She was dead.  While stooping to join a broken thread God took her.  Next day buried her on a rising bit of ground overlooking the pond.  What a mother she was I alone can know.  I shall never forget her.  Last evening there was to us a marvellous display of northern lights.  When daylight faded pink clouds appeared in the sky mixed with long shooting rays of white light.  The clouds changed shape continually, but the color was always a shade of red.  At times the clouds filled the entire northeastern sky.

Oct. 10—­Crying need for rain; everything dry as tinder; air full of smoke.

Oct. 15—­My worker at the ditch insisted he had to go to Toronto.  Gave him his pay and knew he would not come back, despite his promise.  There are more slaves than black men.  The man of whom whiskey has got a grip is the greater slave.

Oct. 17—­Closed the house on Sunday morning and all walked to Toronto to attend worship.  Today yoked the sled to an ox, for our path to Yonge-street is too narrow for two, in order to find settlers who had produce to sell.  Bought corn in cob, apples, pumpkins, and vegetables, but only one bag of oats, few having threshed.  Was kindly received and learnt much.  In one shanty found a shoemaker at work.  He travels from house to house and is paid by the day, his employers providing the material.  Agreed with him to pay us a visit and he gave me a list of what to get in Toronto.

Oct. 18—­Spent day in trying to make everything snug for winter.

Oct 19—­Went to Toronto determined to find out whether there is no way of compelling the man who owns the land that blocks us from Yonge-street to open a road.  First of all I called upon him, and he received me civilly.  I told him how our three families were shut in.  Asked if we would not buy his lot, he would sell the 1200 acres cheap and give us time.  Answered we could not, we had all we could manage.  He thought we were unreasonable in asking him to make a road which he did not need.  It would be of use to us but not to him.  Asked him if the conditions on which the lot was granted did not require him to open a road?  Replied, that was like many other laws the legislature made, and which were disregarded everywhere in the province.  When I said, since it is law it could be enforced, he smiled and said there was no danger of that.  Was pleased to hear of our settlement behind his land and hoped it would help to bring him customers.  Turning from his door, I made straight for a lawyer’s office, to make sure whether the owner of vacant land could not be forced to open a road.  The lawyer, an oldish man, listened to my story and told me to give up the idea of compelling the making of the road we needed.  You are a stranger and ignorant of how matters stand.  The law is straight enough, that whenever the government grants a lot, the receiver must do his part to open a road, but the law has become