y
way of the Mississippi, the Ohio and the upper lakes.

Patrick McNiff's survey of the River Thames, as far as the upper
Delaware village, was finished in 1793. His map is dated at Detroit on
the 25th June of this year. In it he mentions that "from the entrance to
the 12th lot of the 3rd township was surveyed two years since, from the
12th lot * * * to the upper village was surveyed in April and May
1793."

The map gives the "road leading from the Delawares to the Moravian
village," "corn-fields" along the east bank of the river, an Indian
village in the Southwold bend, and opposite on the southerly bank the
"road leading to the entrance of Kettle Creek[22] on Lake Erie. Five
hours' journey." It also shows the road leading to the Mohawk village on
the Grand River.

[22] This disposes of the story told by Colonel Talbot to Mrs.
Jamieson in 1837. He informed her that the name originated from
his men having lost a kettle in the creek. But the creek was
called Riviere a la Chaudiere or Kettle River by the French, and
that is one of the names given to it in D. W. Smith's Gazetteer,
of Upper Canada published in 1799.

The Moravian village is near the site of the battle field, and it is
marked "commenced in May, 1792." The present location of Dundas Street
and the Longwoods Road would appear to correspond with the roads east
and west of Delaware as laid down.[23] Simcoe in forwarding McNiff's
survey to Mr. Dundas on 20th September, 1793, thus refers to the Lake
Erie region:

[23] The writer has not been able to see Mr. McNiff's report upon
this survey.

"The tract of country which lies between the river (or rather navigable
canal as its Indian name and French translation import) and Lake Erie,
is one of the finest for all agricultural purposes in North America, and
far exceeds the soil or climate of the Atlantic States. There are few or
no interjacent swamps, and a variety of useful streams empty themselves
into the lake or the river."

The Governor makes frequent reference in his correspondence and state
papers to his plans for establishing the capital of Upper Canada at the
upper forks of the Thames, to be called Georgina, London or New London.
Down to the very time of his departure in 1796, and after the seat of
government had been transferred to York (now Toronto), he regarded the
latter as but a temporary capital, the real metropolis having yet to be
built at