CAPTAIN MARRTAT'S SETTLERS IN CANADA.
Ist 1794, a gentleman of the name of Campbell, who had suddenly been deprived of a large fortune, resolved to emigrate to Canada. Thither he accordingly went with his family ; consisting of Mrs. Campbell, four sons of various ages, and two orphan nieces whom he had adopted. The best land around Quebec and Montreal being disposed of, Mr. Campbell determined to settle in a district then unoccupied ; and, having interest, he procured a favourable grant on Lake Ontario. The Settlers in Canada narrates the exploits of this family in establishing themselves on their " lo- cation," and the different adventures of some of its members, arising from the unsettled state of the country and the hostility of roving Indians.
To readers familiar with Colonial publications and American fictions there will be little of substantial novelty in these volumes. The labours and economy of a new settler—the manner in which the wilderness is roughly reclaimed—the rapid progress from some- thing like nothing to competence and wealth—with the natural features of the country, and the field-sports of the back-woods- have already been often described both in fiction and matter-of-fact. The risk of the out-settler from the accidental firing of the woods, the peril from Indian attack, and the distress from Indian ab- duction, have also been painted, and form indeed part of the com- mon stock of American border-tales. Written for "young people," and with the didactic purpose of presenting them with a living idea of the natural peculiarities of Canada and the employments and drawbacks of a settler's career, Captain MARETAT'S little novel is subduedin tone, giving to everything a more actual air. But what is gained in matter-of-fact is perhaps lost in vividness of outline and brilliancy of touch ; whilst the minute particulars of domestic life and conversation, though real, have but a sort of jog- trot reality. At the same time, this may be rather a merit than a fault with the class of readers to which the work is chiefly ad. dressed,—to whom everything beyond their own experience is new, and who like everything "explained." Great ingenuity is frequently shown in the manner in which information is presented, so as to vivify common knowledge by the images that are used to present it. The following are instances of what we mean.
CANADIAN WINTER WONDERS.
My young readers will be surprised to hear, that when the winter sets in at Quebec, all the animals required for the winter's consumption are at once killed. If the troops are numerous, perhaps three or four hundred bullocks' are slaughtered and hung up. Every family kill their cattle, their sheep, pigs, turkeys, fowls, &e. ; and all are put up in the garrets ; where the carcases im- mediately freeze hard, and remain quite good aud sweet during the six or seven months of severe winter which occur in that climate. When any portion of meat is to be cooked, it is gradually thawed in lukewarm water, and after that is put to the fire. If put at once to the fire in its frozen state, it spoils. There is another strange circumstance which occurs in these cold latitudes: a small fish, called the snow-fish, is caught during the winter by making holes in the thick ice; and these fish coming to the holes in thousands tobreathe, are thrown out with hand-nets upon the ice, where they become in a few minutes frozen quite hard, so that, if you wish it, you may break them in half like a rotten stick. The cattle are fed upon these fish during the winter months. But it has been proved—which is very strange—that if, after they have been frozen for twenty-four hours or more, you put these fish into water and gradually thaw them as you do the meat, they will recover and swim about again as well as ever.
TIMBER RAFTS.
" But what is that?" said Mary Percival, " at the point ? is it a village— one, two, three houses—just opening upon us ? " " That is a raft, Miss Percival, which is coming down the river," replied Cap- tain Sinclair. 46 You will see, when we are nearer to it, that perhaps it covers two acres of water ; and there are three tiers of timber on it. These rafts are worth many thousand pounds. They are first framed with logs, fastened by wooden tree-nails, and the timber placed within the frame. There are, per- haps, from forty to a hundred people on this raft to guide it down the stream; and the houses you see are built on it for the accommodation of these people. I have seen as many as fifteen houses upon a raft, which will sometimes con- tain the cargoes of thirty or forty large ships."
" It is very wonderful how they guide and direct it down the stream," said Mr. Campbell. " It is very dexterous ; and it seems strange that such an enormous mass can be so guided ; but it is clone, as you will perceive : there are three or foot rudders made of long sweeps, and, as you may observe, several sweeps on each side."
All the party were now standing up in the stern-sheets of the bateau to look at the people on the raft ; who amounted to about fifty or sixty men—now running over the top to one side, and dragging at the sweeps, which requited. the joint power of seven or eight men to each of them—now passing again over to the opposite sweeps, as directed by the steersmen. The bateau kept well in to the shore, out of the way, and the raft passed them very quickly. As soon as it was clear of the point, as their course to Quebec was now straight, and there was a slight breeze down the river, the people on board of the raft hoisted ten or fifteen sails upon different masts, to assist them in their descent ; and this again excited the admiration of the party.
The Settlers in Canada has the defect common to most didactic fictions—the actors are too well rewarded, or rather, their good fortune is greater than the experience of life warrants ; and a false notion of things is consequently impressed upon ductile minds. It is natural enough that a reduced gentleman should make friends with the Governor and get a good grant of land—such things were common enough in the olden time to less deserving settlers than the Campbell family : but grants have now ceased altogether. It is not very unnatural that the commandant of the fort near their location should assist them in various ways : but he pushes hie assistance too far, and creates a profit for Mr. Campbell by no means essential to the progress of the story. Nay, not content with making every thing Mr. Campbell touches "turn to gold," the author restores hitn to his fortune at the end of the book, in as unexpected a manner as he lost it. Had all this been "necessary," it would have been " defensible." A peculiar mode of life allows of events and incidents peculiar to itself. The persons of a fiction in rare difficulties, as in Masterman Ready or Robinson Crusoe, are to be extricated by rare good fortunc,—which is in fact the way they are really extricated; but where the object is to convey a picture of a more regular kind of life, and to blend instruction with amuse- ment, the closer the fair expectations of life are adhered to, the better will be the book, and, we believe, the greater the "effects" upon the reader.
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