Canadian Scenery, Volume 2 (of 2)Willis, Nathaniel Parker
History
Canadian Scenery, Volume 2 (of 2)
Willis, Nathaniel Parker
Canada -- Description and travel; Canada -- History
When we entered within the door, and informed the owner of the
circumstances which obliged us to become intruders, and to claim his
hospitality, he muttered out a few words with unfeeling frigidity, the
purport of which was that we might lie upon the floor if we pleased! It
was then about nine o’clock; and from that hour until eleven, when they
retired to bed, I do not recollect that we had the pleasure of any
further conversation either with our host or his lady. When they
withdrew from the apartment we were left sole monarchs of the kitchen;
but our throne was, in one respect, like that which the sycophantic
courtiers of king Canute urged him to usurp—it was covered with coarse
sand, and presented no very agreeable aspect as a resting-place to us,
who presumed to think that we had done sufficient penance for our
transgressions in this country, by the sufferings which we necessarily
endured in the day during the course of our unfortunate perambulations.
It was some time before we could reconcile ourselves to the idea of
lying down on the rough kitchen floor; but at length the god of dreams
prevailed over all our apprehensive sensibilities, and compelled us to
resume a recumbent posture. I converted my hat into a pillow, and my
cravat into a cap or turban; and, after promising my companions in
tribulation a glass of rum in the morning by way of toasting Canadian
hospitality, I fell asleep; but awoke some time before day-break with
sore limbs and an aching head.
From the perusal of such incidents as these, one would probably form a
very low and indifferent opinion of Canadian hospitality; but justice
compels me to add, that the people who live on the shores of the St.
Lawrence have so frequently been imposed upon, plundered, and otherwise
maltreated by various evil-disposed emigrants in their progress to the
Upper Province, that, if we had experienced even worse treatment than
this which I have related, it ought not, under such provoking
circumstances, to excite much astonishment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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