The practice of “treating” is almost universal in this country, and, though friendly and sociable in its way, is the fruitful source of much dissipation.  It is almost impossible, in travelling, to steer clear of this evil habit.  Strangers are almost invariably drawn into it in the course of business.

The town of C—–­ being the point where a large number of emigrants landed on their way to the backwoods of this part of the colony, it became for a time a place of great resort, and here a number of land-jobbers were established, who made a profitable trade of buying lands from private individuals, or at the government sales of wild land, and selling them again to the settlers from the old country.  Though my wife had some near relatives settled in the backwoods, about forty miles inland, to the north of C—–­, I had made up my mind to buy a cleared farm near Lake Ontario, if I could get one to my mind, and the price of which would come within my limited means.

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