Page:The Under-Ground Railroad.djvu/170

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and refined, but here they are very uncultivated, they are quite a different class altogether. The coloured people are principally engaged in agriculture throughout this region of country, the western portion of Upper Canada. Colchester, New Canaan, Sandwich, and many other places where the coloured people have settled, seem to be developing the resources of the country.

I might merely allude to the Dresden Settlement, 13 miles from Chatham, this place is quite prosperous, well-cultivated farms, &c.; Chatham is their nearest and best market. In this settlement, my brother Missionary has just finished a small chapel, which has been in progress for four years, but no school house; I suppose he will keep school in the chapel. The homes here are mainly log houses, but they are generally well furnished, and exhibit considerable taste.

Wilberforce settlement is 15 miles from London.—One word as to its origin. Previous to 1829, a great many coloured people moved from the Slave States into the State of Ohio, which, up to 1845, had laws preventing coloured people from living in that State, but many came into the State being ignorant of the existence of such an enactment. In 1829 this law was put in force, and 1000 coloured people were driven out of that State. Previous to their emigration, they sent a deputation to the Governor of Upper Canada, to ascertain whether or