But even by this creditable enactment slavery had a lease of life of
fully a quarter of a century longer, and the _Gazette Public
Advertiser_, and other journals, continue for years thereafter to
exhibit such announcements as this of the Hon. Peter Russell, President
of the Legislative Council, of date, February 19, 1806: "To be sold: a
black woman, named Peggy, aged forty years, and a black boy, her son,
named Jupiter, aged about fifteen years." The advertisement goes on to
describe the virtues of Peggy and Jupiter. Peggy is a tolerable cook and
washerwoman, perfectly understands making soap and candles, and may be
had for one hundred and fifty dollars, payable in three years, with
interest, from the day of sale. Jupiter, having various acquirements
besides his specialty as a good house servant, is offered for two
hundred dollars, but a fourth less will be taken for ready money. So
recently as 1871, John Baker, who had been brought to Canada as the
slave of Solicitor-General Gray, died at Cornwall, Ontario, in extreme
old age. But before that the very memory of slavery had died out in
Canada; and it long formed the refuge which the fugitive slave made for,
with no other guide than the pole-star of our northern sky.
The history of Toronto, as already noted, is necessarily to a great
extent that of the province, and of the whole region of Canada.
Upper Canada [says Dr. Scadding], in miniature, and in the space
of a century, curiously passed through conditions and processes,
physical and social, which old countries on a large scale, and
in the course of long ages passed through. Upper Canada had its
primeval and barbaric, but heroic age, its mediæval and high
prerogative era; and then, after a revolutionary period of a few
weeks, its modern, defeudalised, democratic era.
[Footnote 38: Named in honour of a French Minister of Colonies. The
_Rouillés_ are a celebrated family, later on styled Rouille-de-Marboeuf.
The above-named Rouille is highly praised by St. Simon as a statesman of
ability and integrity.]
[Footnote 39: _Five Years' Residence in the Canadas._]
Index
A
Abbott, Francis, the "Hermit of Niagara," 40
Abercrombie, Sir Ralph, Brock under, 232
Allen, Ethan, mentioned, 222
Allen, Sadie, shoots the Rapids, 139
"American Blondin," the, see Calverly
_American Canals, Great_, see Hulbert
American Civic Association mentioned, 119
Amherst, Sir Jeffrey, campaign of 1759, 209
Anderson, M. B., on first Niagara Commission, 80
"Angevine place," building-site of _Griffon_, 181
B
Bakewell's estimate of Niagara's age, 65
Balleni, tight-rope artist, 130
Barton, J. L., reminiscences of early Buffalo, 7
Bath Island, 76
Biddle Stairs, 32
Bird Island, 30, 76
Black Rock, origin of name, 8
Blondin, career of, 123-129;
W. D. Howells's description of, 127-128
Blossom, I. A., agent of Holland Land Co., 7
Bourinot, Dr., quoted, 159-160, 288-291
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