tide is felt
as high as Three Rivers and it is possible for a ship to go that far by
floating up with it. The second night after leaving Quebec we were
startled by a loud knocking on the companion of the forecastle and an
imperative shout to tumble up. An east wind had come and every minute
was valuable. The anchor was lifted and sails set, and before the sun
appeared we were sweeping past Three Rivers. Interest was kept up by the
villages and fields we passed, and it was the decision of the farmers
that it was poor land badly worked. More novel to us, was the succession
of rafts we met, each covering acres, with masts and houses on them, and
men along their sides keeping them in midstream by means of long oars.
As we passed up lake St Peter the wind freshened, the clouds came lower
and the rain poured. The captain and pilot were in great glee, for they
told us if the wind held we would pass up the St Mary's current and
anchor off Montreal before dark. Strong as the wind was and with every
sail set that would draw, it was found we could not stem the current
without help, so the ship was brought close to the bank, a rope passed
ashore, and a string of oxen appeared, who helped to draw her into
calmer water. The night was dark and rainy but we kept on deck and
watched the lights of Montreal.

They had not been at sea a week when the three farmers had agreed they
would keep together on reaching Canada and take up land side by side.
They were also of one mind in making Toronto (it was not so named then)
their starting-point in search of new homes. The captain's advice was,
that one of them should take the stage at Montreal; by so doing he would
get to Toronto at least a week ahead of the rest of the party, in which
time he could hunt up land. This would save delay and the expense of
staying in lodging while looking for a place to settle. It was arranged
the master should go. At daylight he got ashore and was in time for the
stage that left for Prescott. We were all up early that morning, eager
to see Montreal. The clouds had gone and the mountain looked fresh and
green. The town consisted of a few rows of buildings along the river.
There being no wharf or dock the ship was hauled as close to the shore
as her draft allowed, and a gangway of long planks on trestles set up.
Nearly every passenger walked over it to say they had set foot on
Canada. A number of the men went into the town to see it. In two hours
one of them was br