01/20/07

Particularly in the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, and New Brunswick, and in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, and New York: containing a variety of interesting adventures and disasters, which the author encountered in his journey among the Americans, Dutch, French and Indians.  Also several remarkable interpositions of divine providence, in preserving him from dangers, by sea and land, from 1816 to 1823.

Auteur/Author: John Mann, Glasgow

Printer / Imprimeur : Andrew Young, 150, Trongate (1824)

Excerpts / Extraits par Benoît Long

Introduction

«        Mann and the passengers on the Favorite did not face any of the problems just described, but he does describe his encounters with people who did, such as the two Irishmen whom he met walking from Quebec to New Brunswick, accompanied by their wives and two tiny children, with no ideas of the distance they had to travel or of the difficulties they would have to face.  In this period the colonial governments occasionally gave small grants to settlers located in remote places on main routes of travel like Lake Temisouata and Grand Falls on the upper reaches of the St. John river.  These grants were to provide some form of shelter and food for travellers, many of whom could not afford to pay for such help.  One such settler was John Long at lake Temisouata and another was Charles Stewart at Grand Falls, who between August 1822 and March 1823, aided over sixty people.  Mann describes his visits to the homes of some of these hardy pioneers, including a visit to the home of John Long, although he does not mention Long by name.” (citation de l’introduction page VI et redigée par W. A. Spray, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, N.B. 1978, reprinted by Saint Annes Point Press, P.O. Box. 691, Fredericton, N.B. – édition original est avec A. Young, Glasgow, Scotland en 1824.)

Other sections of the book / autres extraits du livre

Journey from Quebec to Fredericton

pp. 34-37

Note: Nous avons modifié la pagination originale pour permettre une lecture plus aisé.  We have modified the original pagination in order to facilitate the reading of this passage.

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     After travelling for three days successively, from day-light till night, I arrived at the foot of the carrying-place, fifteen miles below Kammoraskau, where I intended to leave the river St. Lawrence.

     On Sunday evening, just as I was going to bed, in an inferior tavern, a number of the neighbouring youngsters collected to drink; and, being well advanced, some of the females began to sing, and the rest to dance.  I was lulled asleep with their mirth, but had not continued long so when they awakened me, bringing liquor with them, and compelling me to take it.  After complying with their pressing invitation, I knew by their countenance and motions that they were well pleased.  The whole of them crowded to see such a phenomenon.  they continued dancing until they were exhausted, and then retired.  Next morning, being the 10th September, I left the St. Lawrence, and ascended a height on the south side of the river, where I met with a kind of road, cut through the woods, to another Settlement about six miles from the river.  Here I met with an old Indian, who informed me that he was going to the tavern I just left, for a bottle of rum he was to take with him on his journey to Lake Tammisquatta, being the same route that I was going.  I told him I would wait for him, and would be glad of his company, for he spoke pretty good English.  There were three other Indians, who were to accompany him, sitting by a fire on the road side, where they had passed the night.

They were cooking breakfast, while their companion went for the rum.  I hurried on to the next Settlement to get breakfast, in order to be ready to go with them.  Getting refreshment, I rested until they came.  Happily I met an old lady, (the wife of a disbanded soldier), who informed me that I must lodge in the solitary desert all night if I should proceed on my journey so late in the day.  The Indians in the mean time approached us, struck fire, and cooked dinner.  One of them, as soon as he had dined, took up the canoe and marched; the rest smoking pipes.  The old Indian that went for the rum made rather free with it before he overtook the rest, which rendered him unable to take his turn of the canoe.  However, his companions being stout and nimble, they carried it by turns, and walked amazingly expeditious.  Taking the advice of the old lady, I staid till next morning, thinking it would not be difficult to overtake them the next day.

     Getting up early, I set off, having to travel thirty miles before I would meet a single house. The road was exceedingly disagreeable, sometimes through soft swamps, and sometimes over hills, rocks, and mountains, which made traveling very fatiguing. I observed by the road side vestiges of fire not wholly extinguished, and I concluded that the Indians took up their abode by it all night, and could not be very far before me. I traveled with a quick pace, being anxious to overtake them, as I was informed that there was no possibility in getting a passage, when I came to the lake, excepting in some of their canoes. In the afternoon I discovered marks of another fire, where I supposed they had cooked dinner; but I thought certainly that they could not be those whom I had seen, otherwise I must have overtaken them before now, as their canoe was of a considerable bulk and weight. In a little I met with three Irishmen, carrying their baggage, who had left the city of St. John’s, and bound for upper Canada. They told me of the distance the Indians were before me, but I understood they were not the same party to whom I had been speaking for a passage the day before.

After having ended my conversation with the Irishmen, I pushed on to overtake the Indians, in order, if possible, to procure a passage in their canoe. About four in the afternoon, I overtook them, consisting only of a young couple and a boy of sixteen years of age. Their baggage consisted of a small canoe, a small hatchet, a tin kettle, and a few herrings. I was desirous to have a conversation with them, chiefly for my own interest, but they seemed very distant and indifferent. Being unacquainted with their manner of carrying the canoe, and yet anxious to do them any service in my power, I carried the tomahawk.

The two men alternately carried the canoe; having a cross belt on the crown of their head, on which the canoe was supported; one of the cross pieces resting on a piece of board which hung down their back. The canoe was bottom upwards, with the one end stretching forward over their heads, and the other sometimes touching the ground. When they got it in order on their back they could travel pretty quick, but changing so often caused a delay, and obstructed our progress. The day being now far spent, I was doubtful if I could make out the lake that night. I marched on and left them. But after I traveled some distance, I reflected that it would not answer to take the hatchet with me if the Indians were to camp on the way that height, for they could not conveniently want it. Being at a loss what to do, whether to return with the hatchet or to proceed on my march, I rested myself to deliberate on the step I should take, thinking perhaps they would make their appearance before I removed. I knew they had but little or no provisions to themselves, and to deprive them of the hatchet, which they could not well want, was what I was reluctant to do.

While I was sitting, I fortunately saw some pheasants close by: aiming at one of them with a stone, I killed it. As the Indians had fire-works, I thought I could get it roasted for supper, and that it was providentially brought in my way. But after staying here a long time, and no appearance of the party coming, I got very uneasy, and was at a loss what to do. At last I thought, in case how I might be used by the Indians, that I had better proceed. The night being warm and dry, and having the pheasant, I saw I could not be ill off, on the supposition I had to pass the night in a bush, even if I had to eat my venison raw. Being yet day-light, I marched on, and in a little while I ascended a height from which I could discern the lake, through at a distance. My joy was more easily conceived than expressed. I walked with expedition and vigour, thinking to reach it before night. Having descended the hill, my march was through a low and level tract, which made it appear to be nearer night than it was.

After traveling some miles through this low place, I again became discouraged, supposing I had only seen the blue sky instead of the lake; but the next height happily removed my doubts. In a little I came to a small house on the border of the lake. When I was just done with supper, the Indians arrived with their canoe. They pretended to be making preparations for embarking that same night. Seeing this, I enquired of my landlord if there was any possibility of getting a passage any other way than with them. He told me there was very little chance, without paying more that I could afford. So I applied immediately to them in order to procure a passage to the next Settlement, which was forty-five miles distant. I asked them what they would take for conveying me that distance; but they would not come to any agreement unless I paid then so much per advance. They told me they intended to encamp by the lake side all night, and they had nothing to eat, excepting a few herrings which they brought from the St. Lawrence; and these were a little injured in consequence of being carried in a bundle on the back of the squaw; the heat rendering their taste disagreeable.

Here I was put to a stand what to do, suspecting if I was to pay them beforehand they might set off early in the morning and leave me behind. I told them I was afraid of this. They promised faithfully not to deceive me. Being however doubtful of them, I gave them only a quarter of a dollar to buy some flour for supper. I then returned to the house and fetched the pheasant which I had killed; but when I came back, I could neither see Indians, canoe, or any thing else. Apprehensive of being disappointed in my expectations, I cried out. They made answer, having retired a little from the place where I left them to a more convenient station. I presented the pheasant to them, for which they were very thankful, and then returned to my lodgings.

The landlord was an American, and could speak English with propriety. The landlady was a French woman from Lower Canada, and consequently all the family spoke the French language. After having some conversation with the old gentleman I retired to bed.

I got up early next morning. Indeed I slept very little all night, fearing I might be deceived by the treacherous Indians. I dressed myself with all expedition, being determined to put off no time till I knew whether they had gone or not. When I cam to the place I found the sunap and the squaw on one side of the fire, with a rage of a blanket under them, and another above them. The boy was opposite on the other side of the fire, rolled in an old tattered blanket. The three were fast asleep. The canoe was turned bottom upwards, and the few articles that formed their baggage secured under it. I awakened them, and enquired when they intended to set off. They said immediately after breakfast. The squaw began to cook. The sunap fixed two small stakes in the ground, with another across, on which the kettle was hung. The squaw had a quantity of flour, of which she made porridge, cutting the unsavoury herrings, and mixing them with the porridge. While she was employed cooking, other considerations occupied my attention.

I thought if I would return to breakfast, the might set off before I could return. To fast till we got to the next Settlement would be dangerous, and to partake with the Indians I felt no inclination; on the supposition I would be made welcome. I remained until I saw the porridge ready. It was poured into a platter made of bark. Each of them had an Indian spoon, also made of bark. They offered me one, and requested me to partake with them. Considering the distance before me, and at the same time fearing I should disoblige them by refusing, rather than from immediate want, I complied. We all four sat round the platter, thankful that we were not worse. The diet was a rarity to me, and I believe would be so to any European. After breakfast, one of them made a paddle for me to help them. All things being prepared we set off. One of the Indians was in the bow of the canoe, and the other in the stern. I sat next to the latter, paddling away, and the squaw sat next to the former, smoking her pipe. My companion in the stern soon broke his paddle, which relieved me very agreeably from my labour, and afterwards I was only a spectator of what was going on.”