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Title: The Scribbler 1821-07-19 Volume 1, Issue 04
Date of first publication: 1821
Author: Samuel Hull Wilcocke 1766-1833 (Editor)
Date first posted: Dec. 13, 2014
Date last updated: Dec. 13, 2014
Faded Page eBook #20141214

This eBook was produced by: Marcia Brooks
& the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net




THE SCRIBBLER.

MONTREAL. THURSDAY, 19_TH_ JULY, 1821. NO. IV.

    _Ignotis errare locis, ignota videre_
    _Flumina gaudebat._----OVID.

    To visit regions, vast, unknown, untried
    And trace the hidden waters was his pride.

    _Antes que todo es mi dama._----CALDERON.
    Above all else my fair I prize.


To give a brief and impartial review of the few literary productions
that owe their origin to, or derive their interest from, Canada, having
been announced as part of my plan, I will begin that department of my
labours, with the first regular original work that I believe ever issued
from the press in this country.

_Relation d'un Voyage à la Côte du Nord-Ouest de l'Amérique
Septentrionale dans les années_ 1810, 11, 12, 13, et 14.--_Par_ G.
FRANCHERE, FILS.

Printed by C. B. Pasteur. 1820. 8vo. p. p. 284.

This is what may be called a matter of fact work; one of those from
which geographers, historians, and naturalists derive the materials for
their systems, descriptions, and histories. It has been often a matter
of surprise that so few among the many who have traversed the almost
unknown regions of the interior of this Continent, have, in any shape,
recorded, or rendered public, their narratives and observations. Yet
when it is considered that it is the love of gain, principally, if not
entirely, that has led them to encounter the numerous difficulties of
such enterprises; that they are little fitted by education, habits, or
talents, for any thing beyond their immediate sphere of action; and
that, in addition, the jealousy of commercial monopoly is ever alive to
discourage, or suppress, the publication of any details connected with
the lucrative pursuits which bring their traders in contact with the
wonders of nature, the _loci ignoti_, and _flumina ignota_ of the poet;
it will cease to astonish. We ought therefore to hail with the greater
pleasure, welcome with the more honour, and peruse with the more
indulgence, whatever appears in such a shape as the work now under
consideration. Mr. Franchere undoubtedly appears to have had some talent
for observation, and to be a faithful narrator of occurrences. There is
much less, however, of description both of animated and inanimate
nature, than might have been expected from the extensive range of his
travels, and the stupendous objects that presented themselves. In this
respect his book is too scanty, whilst, it is, in other points,
unnecessarily eked out with individual details, such for instance as the
list of the ship's crew, in which he embarked, and the superfluous, and
superseded account of New-York, etc. which would not be unworthy of a
regular bred book-maker. It is nevertheless an interesting performance,
giving an account of places and circumstances, known to very few
individuals in this place, and entirely unknown to the rest of the
world. The commercial expedition which he accompanied, sailed from
New-York in September, 1810, and formed the first settlement at the
mouth of the Columbia, on the North-West Coast of America; the
narratives of which, and of the voyage, occupy the ten first chapters.
The occurrences there during the three succeeding years, take up six
more. Three chapters are devoted to a brief account of the country, its
natural productions, and of the natives, their manners, appearance, and
language; and the seven last chapters relate the journey over land to
Montreal. A great defect, and which must much diminish the value of the
work as a book of reference, is the want of any kind of map, either of
the River Columbia, of the North West Coast, or of the Indian
territories through which the author passed. Although the narrative,
neither in its details, nor its language, is such as to rivet the
attention of the reader throughout, yet it is sufficiently instructive
and interesting to ensure the entire perusal of it, by whoever commences
it, and who has any taste for the sort of reading to be found in all
voyages and travels. There is no doubt that an English translation of it
would be well received in London; but it would be more so, if there were
more commercial memoranda embodied in it; these the author has evidently
studious avoided, not following in this respect the example of his
illustrious predecessor in this career, Sir Alexander Mackenzie; but
perhaps he had his reasons, and which it may not be difficult to guess.
To general readers, setting aside the few chapters descriptive of the
country, and the natives, the narrative of the massacre of the crew of
the Tonquin, and the short account given of the expedition undertaken
and completed in 1810-11, by Messieurs Hunt and Mackenzie, from the
waters of the Missouri, to the mouth of the Columbia, will be the most
interesting; to which may be added the following short extract
recounting an adventure on the journey towards the Rocky Mountains, with
which I will conclude the review of this book.

     "We shortly after perceived some canoes which were paddling with
     all their might to overtake us. As, however, we continued to
     proceed on our route, we heard a child's voice, calling out in
     French to us to stop. We landed, and the canoes having come up, we
     recognized in one of them, the wife and children of one Pierre
     Dorion, a hunter, who had been sent with a party of eight men under
     the command of Mr. J. Reed, to collect provisions amongst the Snake
     Indians. This woman informed us of the miserable fate of the whole
     party. She related that, in the course of the month of January, the
     hunters being dispersed about the country, in order to set their
     beaver traps; three men, one of whom was her husband, were attacked
     by the natives. One of them, who had only been wounded, got back to
     the tent, where he died in a few minutes, after having told her
     that her husband was killed; that she had directly taken two horses
     which had been left at the tent, and placing her two children also
     upon them, had, with the greatest expedition, proceeded to Mr.
     Reed's post, which was about five days' journey from the place
     where her husband was killed; that to her extreme surprise, and
     horror, she found the house empty, and perceiving traces of blood,
     did not doubt that Mr. Reed had been murdered: that she then lost
     no time in pursuing her flight towards the mountains to the south
     of the River Walawala, where she passed the winter, killing the two
     horses for the nourishment of herself and her children: that at
     length, being destitute of provisions, she had come to the
     resolution of descending from the mountains, and proceeding to the
     banks of the Columbia River, in the hope of meeting with more
     humane natives, and who might suffer her to reside with them, until
     the canoes arrived, which she knew would ascend the river in the
     spring. The Walawala Indians had in fact exercised great
     hospitality towards this woman, and it was they, who brought her to
     us. We made them a few presents, to reward them for their humanity
     and attention, and they went away well satisfied."

Mr. F. says, that they did not doubt that this massacre was a
retaliation exercised upon them by the Indians, for the death of one of
them who had been _hung for a theft_ the preceding spring by a Mr.----
(with whose name I will not soil my page;) adding this short, but
sensible reflection:

     "This fact, the massacre of the crew of the Tonquin, the
     unfortunate end of Captain Cook, and many other similar examples,
     evince how much those Europeans who come in contact with
     uncivilized tribes, ought to avoid acting towards them upon a
     footing of too evident inequality, and punishing their offences,
     according to customs and codes of law, in which there frequently
     exists a most extravagant disproportion between crimes and their
     punishments."

Another reflection can not likewise fail to present itself from this
short narrative; namely, admiration of the courage, perseverance,
heroism, and resources of the woman, who, emboldened by maternal love,
encountered difficulties and fatigues that few men would have supported.

Upon the whole Mr. Franchere's work is deserving of more encouragement
than, I believe, it has hitherto met with in these provinces, and ought
to form part of every gentleman's library in Canada.

_The Emigrant's Assistant, or remarks on the Agricultural interest of
the Canadas; part I. by_ A. J. CHRISTIE, A. M. _with an Appendix_.

Montreal, N. Mower, Printer, 1821, p. p. 140.

This is the latest work that has appeared on this (locally) interesting
subject, and undoubtedly, as far as it goes, by far the best. The author
has had abundant opportunities of becoming _theoretically_ acquainted
with his subject, and is now, it is understood, likewise _practically_
engaged in the task (arduous to a literary man,) of settling upon waste
land; hence his second part, will, when it appears, probably add
considerably to the value of the first.

The feature which predominates in this publication is the accuracy and
plain intelligence of the accounts given of the various modes of tenure
of land in Canada, and the measures to be pursued by the various classes
of emigrants for obtaining their object; so that it can not but be
eminently useful to them who arrive in this country with a view to
settle as husbandmen. The style of the work is simple, unaffected and
clear, well adapted to the capacity of that class for whose information
it is chiefly intended. There are some few marks of haste (although it
was announced a long while before it made its appearance,) about it, but
none peculiarly prominent. It may be considered as an omission in the
appendix that a notice which has been given in the Upper Canada papers,
by the Executive Council, dated 7th February, 1821, has been overlooked;
by which the period for completing the settlement-duty on such lands as
have been granted to persons, who have from sickness, and other
legitimate causes, been unable to fullfil that duty, is extended to two
years from the date of the locations.

In stating the comparative advantages between the seigneurial tenures
and those in free and common soccage, the, to Englishmen inestimable,
privilege of a vote in the representation, which attaches to both, but
from which it is contended, (and has been decided in Upper Canada,[A])
that the simple possessor of a location ticket, before the grant has
been perfected, is excluded, is altogether lost sight of.

When the second part appears, it shall receive that attention, which, it
will, as well as the first, no doubt, amply deserve.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote A: By a majority of five, in the House of Assembly, at York,
in March last.]

       *       *       *       *       *

"Pooh! pooh! what's all this?" says my sprightly Irish widow, who came
tripping in to give me an extra-official report of an immense
coal-skuttle bonnet, she had just remarked upon a thin-faced lady,
(though that was chiefly conjecture, as the face was as much hidden as
the lady in the lobster,) "now my dare old fellow, give us something
like; a sweet song, or a pretty little story that's as true as--" "as
that thou art a bewitching creature," interrupted I, and as a compliment
to a lady never fails to put her in good humour, I persuaded her to
forego the determined resolution she had expressed to tear up my poor
"Scribbler" of to-day, whilst I wrote out for her the following lines, a
juvenile production of Master Lewis Macculloh, a short time after he
left school.


THE FIVE SENSES, IMITATED FROM GRECOURT.

    I _hear_ my sweet Althea's witching voice,
    Above divinest melody my choice;
    Her breath's perfume I _scent_, the fragrant air
    Of all sweet-smelling flowers beyond compare;
    I _view_ her beauties, see her winning smiles,
    Her beaming glances, and her artless wiles;
    Then from her moistening lip I _taste_ such draughts
    Of nectar'd love, that the all-powerful shafts
    Of my more poignant sense of _feeling_ seem,
    Although reality, yet half a dream;
    Now on my fingers, if I've rightly told,
    Here are five senses gratified fivefold:
    As for the sixth----

"Thank you, thank you, that'll do, stop there; and now for your story,
but let it be short for I've no time," looking at the clock, "Ah," said
I, following the glance of her bright sparkling eye, "do you know that
when Fontenelle was asked what difference there was between a clock and
a woman, he replied, a clock serves to point out the hours, and a woman
to make us forget them!"--"But I've no time now to be after making you
forget the time," retorted the lively beauty, and away she bounded with
airy step and flying garments, that gave such glimpses as made me
regret----I was not twenty years younger.

                                                               L. L. M.

N. B.--The aforesaid thin-faced lady is warned against wearing the said
bonnet any more, particularly, as her features, though appearing puny
under such an enormous canopy, have the most intrinsic delicacy of
expression and beauty, and ought not to be buried, like Juliet in the
tomb of the Capulets.

       *       *       *       *       *

ADVERTISEMENT.

Wanted, a number of spruce young men, to stand at the church-doors, for
the devout purpose of staring the ladies out of countenance. Nothing is
required but a sufficient share of impudence, and a good coat. If,
however, to these, be added a talent for making remarks aloud upon every
lady as she passes, and for tittering so as to shew a good set of teeth,
the applicant will be considered the better qualified for his station.
Persons desirous of engaging in this business will please to take their
stands next Sunday, for the purpose of giving a specimen of their
abilities.

Mem^m. Those who have but one Sunday coat may have it brushed gratis on
the occasion.

Also wanted,--A few loungers to parade arm in arm, no less than eight in
a row, along the Champ de Mars, every fine evening, or whenever the
regimental band is playing.


Transcriber's Note: Obvious printer errors, including punctuation, have
been corrected, with the exception of those listed below. All other
inconsistencies have been left as they were in the original.

undoutedly corrected to undoubtedly.

occuasion corrected to occasion.


[The end of _The Scribbler 1821-07-19 Volume 1, Issue 04_ edited by Samuel Hull Wilcocke]