The Narrative of Gordon Sellar Who Emigrated to Canada in 1825Sellar, Gordon
History
The Narrative of Gordon Sellar Who Emigrated to Canada in 1825
Sellar, Gordon
Frontier and pioneer life -- Ontario; Sellar, Gordon
July 4--Leaving to Gordon the finishing of our shanty, the rest of us
tackled with might and main Auld's. How quickly Jabez and Sal can hew
down a tree is a wonder to me.
July 5--Auld moved his belongings into his shanty this evening, though
it is not half done. Gave Jabez money to bring out with him on Monday
morning the iron-fixtures for our fire-places and the lime for the
chimneys.
July 6--On going out this morning saw a deer with her hind drinking at
the far end of the pond; beautiful creatures. Thank God for the Sabbath.
Without it we would have broken down with our hard toil.
July 7--Jabez brought word from Mr Bambray that he wanted us on the 9th
to give us our deeds. Told me he could not finish out a month, as he had
expected. Business had become brisk in Toronto, and his brothers needed
his help. He started at once to build the chimney in Brodie's house, so
that we could see how to do the other two. In laying the floor a 6-foot
square had been left uncovered for the fire-place. In a frame of heavy
elm logs that fitted the spot, puddled clay mixed with sand was rammed
hard. Two jambs were built with brick which Jabez had brought and across
them a thick plate of cast iron, which was to support the front of the
chimney. The back of the chimney and sides had the few stones found in
digging the cellars, and on top of them was laid more brick until the
ceiling was reached. Care had been taken to build in a crane to hang
pots. From the floor of the loft squarely cut pieces of cedar, 2 inches
thick, were laid in clay mortar, and as the work went on were plastered
with the same mortar inside and out, until the top was two feet above
the ridge-board. Jabez said there was no danger of the cedar sticks
taking fire. They were so well-beded in the clay that when it hardened
the chimney was all one piece. If it fell, it would not break.
July 11--Brodie, Auld, and myself accompanied Jabez on his going to
Toronto. Mr Bambray had arranged everything and in an hour we had paid
him and each of us had his deed. We asked him about securing a road to
our lots. He said two blocks of bush lay between them and Yonge-street.
Both were owned by a man who was holding to sell, and he was afraid any
influence we could exert would not compel him to make the road, though
that was the condition on which the government had given the land. Met
in the tavern several emigrants eager to get lots, all discontented with
their treatment at the government office. One said he would go to
Illinois. Asked how he would get there. Told me by Buffalo and lake
Erie; land sold there at $1.25 an acre and no bush to clear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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