Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/310

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hardly able to keep pace with it. The advantages which you mention that J— possesses in Canada are certainly great at present; I mean the facility of getting meat and fish to live on. But many other things are to be taken into consideration by one who is comparing advantage as inducement to emigration. I do not know what people are to turn their attention to there ultimately; agriculture or pasture? I should think that everything of agricultural produce is so cheap that little could be made of it, and is a forest a grazing country? I do not know enough of it to speak on those points, and therefore I say nothing, but the many circumstances which were disadvantageous to us first, here, are rapidly disappearing or changing their character. Fresh meat two years ago was from 1s. 6d. to 1s. 8d. a lb.; it is now 1s. 2d. to 1s. 3d. Four years hence I dare say that 6d. will be the price. Wheat has been 30s., and it may now be bought for 8s. to 10s. If we throw our view forward to ten years this colony will have all the necessaries of life very cheap, and many luxuries, such as wine and fruit. Our exports of wool and oil will then be considerable. The climate is healthy and pleasant, no uncomfortably cold weather, and the heat very endurable in a good house, although oppressive in a low-roofed, shingled wooden house.

Saturday.—Gave my own three men four glasses of rum each to-day, and two bottles of wine put into water, among them. I think that was pretty well for one day.

Sunday.—Men wished to reap to-day, but I would not allow them. A number of strange natives came here and would insist upon gleaning, or "pick up" as they call it, so I made them carry some from the field as payment for the permission to do so. John Mackie dined here and Francis Whitfield came in the evening. I tried yesterday to make some spruce beer, but I fear that it will fail for want of yeast. Two other men have come to-night offering to work at the harvest,—very seasonable. The sound of a clarionet is some-