An Impartial and Authentic Account of the Civil War in the Canadas by Henry Samuel Chapman

Author:Henry Samuel Chapman [Chapman, Henry Samuel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, General, Nature
ISBN: 9781523895281
Google: sFoOEAAAQBAJ
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Published: 2016-02-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter VIII.

Table of Contents

Sketch of the Country around Toronto—the City—the Garrison—the Harbour—Yonge Street—Defective nature of the Evidence on which we are compelled to depend—The rising in Yonge Street—Death of Col. Moodie—The City alarmed—Effect on the Insurgents—The Volunteers—A parley—Attack on the Insurgents at the Gallows Hill—Their Dispersion—Duncombe in the London District—Success of M'Nab against him—The Rewards.

SKETCH OF THE COUNTRY ROUND TORONTO.

[IMAGE-O3]

THE above sketch, aided by the brief description which we are about to give, will afford the reader a tolerable conception of the country around Toronto, the capital of Upper Canada.

The city of Toronto is situated on the northern side of a bay of the same name, in the township of York, in a county of the latter name, which county forms part of the home district.130

Previous to the year 1833 the city was called York, but people were wont to prefix the epithet "little" to the name, and, as this was offensive to colonial dignity, it was changed by act of the provincial parliament; the present sonorous title, which is the original Indian name, being wisely chosen as a substitute.131

The building of the city of York was commenced in 1794. At that time the Indian station, once a considerable village, was reduced to a single Wigwam.132 The buildings proceeded under the immediate superintendence of General Simcoe, who paid considerable attention to the welfare of the then infant province.

M. Bouchette, the present surveyor-general of Lower Canada, who was then employed in naval surveying on the lakes, and who made the first survey of Toronto Bay, in 1793, thus describes the aspect of the country:—

"I still distinctly recollect the untamed aspect which the country exhibited when I first entered the beautiful basin which thus became the scene of my early hydrographical operations. Dense and trackless forests lined the margin of the lake, and reflected their inverted images on its glassy surface. The wandering savage had constructed his ephemeral habitation beneath their luxuriant foliage, the group then consisting of two families of Missessaguas; and the bay and neighbouring marshes were the hitherto uninvaded haunts of immense coveys of wild fowl; indeed they were so abundant, as in some measure to annoy us during the night. In the spring following, the Lieut.-Governor removed to the site of the new capital, attended by the regiment of Queen's rangers, and commenced at once the realization of his favourite project. His Excellency inhabited, during the summer and through the winter, a canvass house, which he imported expressly for the occasion; but, frail as was its substance, it was rendered exceedingly comfortable, and soon became as distinguished for the social and urbane hospitality of its venerated and gracious host, as for the peculiarity of its structure."

In 1834, the city contained about 1200 houses, and 9252 inhabitants, which at the present moment do not probably fall far short of 12,000. It is very regularly laid out, on the American plan, of streets at right angles. The streets are wide; but, unfortunately, a considerable number of the houses are built of wood, brick not having been introduced until within a recent period.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.