clouds filled the entire northeastern sky.

Oct. 10--Crying need for rain; everything dry as tinder; air full of
smoke.

Oct. 15--My worker at the ditch insisted he had to go to Toronto. Gave
him his pay and knew he would not come back, despite his promise. There
are more slaves than black men. The man of whom whiskey has got a grip
is the greater slave.

Oct. 17--Closed the house on Sunday morning and all walked to Toronto to
attend worship. Today yoked the sled to an ox, for our path to
Yonge-street is too narrow for two, in order to find settlers who had
produce to sell. Bought corn in cob, apples, pumpkins, and vegetables,
but only one bag of oats, few having threshed. Was kindly received and
learnt much. In one shanty found a shoemaker at work. He travels from
house to house and is paid by the day, his employers providing the
material. Agreed with him to pay us a visit and he gave me a list of
what to get in Toronto.

Oct. 18--Spent day in trying to make everything snug for winter.

Oct 19--Went to Toronto determined to find out whether there is no way
of compelling the man who owns the land that blocks us from Yonge-street
to open a road. First of all I called upon him, and he received me
civilly. I told him how our three families were shut in. Asked if we
would not buy his lot, he would sell the 1200 acres cheap and give us
time. Answered we could not, we had all we could manage. He thought we
were unreasonable in asking him to make a road which he did not need. It
would be of use to us but not to him. Asked him if the conditions on
which the lot was granted did not require him to open a road? Replied,
that was like many other laws the legislature made, and which were
disregarded everywhere in the province. When I said, since it is law it
could be enforced, he smiled and said there was no danger of that. Was
pleased to hear of our settlement behind his land and hoped it would
help to bring him customers. Turning from his door, I made straight for
a lawyer's office, to make sure whether the owner of vacant land could
not be forced to open a road. The lawyer, an oldish man, listened to my
story and told me to give up the idea of compelling the making of the
road we needed. You are a stranger and ignorant of how matters stand.
The law is straight enough, that whenever the government grants a lot,
the receiver must do his part to open a road, but the law has become a
dead letter. Two-thirds of the granted land i