Canada and the Canadians, Vol. 1Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
History
Canada and the Canadians, Vol. 1
Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
Canada -- Description and travel; Ontario -- Description and travel
We also pass, in going to Toronto, two other remarkable places. Finch's
Tavern, where we breakfasted at seven o'clock, was formerly the Old
Stand, as it was so called, of the notorious Montgomery, another
general, a tavern general of Mackenzie's, who moved to a place about
four miles from the city, where the rebels were attacked in 1837 by Sir
Francis Head, and near which the battle of Gallows Hill was fought.
Montgomery was taken prisoner, sent to Kingston, and escaped by
connivance, with several others, from the fortress there on a dark
night, fell into a ditch, broke his leg, and afterwards was hauled by
his comrades over a high wall, and got across the St. Lawrence into the
United States, where he was run over afterwards by a waggon and much
injured. His tavern was burnt to the ground by the militia during the
action, on account of the barbarous murder there of Colonel Moodie, a
very old retired officer, who was killed by Mackenzie's orders in cold
blood. It is now rebuilt on a very extensive scale; and he is again
there, having been permitted to return, and his property, which was
confiscated, has been restored to his creditors.
Such were Mackenzie's intended government and the tools he was to govern
by! Such is the British government! The Upper Canadians wisely preferred
the latter.
Next to Richmond Hill is Thornhill, all on the macadamized portion of
the road to Toronto. Thornhill is a very pretty place, with a neat
church and a dell, in which a river must formerly have meandered, but
where now a streamlet runs to join Lake Ontario. Here are extensive
mills, owned by Mr. Thorne, a wealthy merchant, who exports flour
largely, the Yonge Street settlement being a grain country of vast
extent, which not only supplies his mills, but the Red Mills, near
Holland Landing, and many others.
From Montgomery's Tavern to Toronto is almost a continued series for
four miles of gentlemen's seats and cottages, and, being a straight
road, you see the great lake for miles before its shores are reached.
Large sums have been expended on this road, which is carried through a
brick-clay soil, in which the Don has cut deep ravines, so that immense
embankments and deep excavations for the level have been requisite.
Near Toronto, at Blue Hill, large brick yards are in operation, and here
white brick is now made, of which a handsome specimen of church
architecture has been lately erected in the west end of the city. Tiles,
elsewhere not seen in Canada, are also manufactured near Blue Hill; but
they are not extensively used, the snow and high winds being
unfavourable to their adoption, shingles or split wood being cheaper,
and tinned iron plates more durable and less liable to accident.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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