he barking of the fox, the howl
of the wolf and the growl of the bear, and the occasional whoop of the
Indian.[171]

The population of Upper Canada was, in 1792, about 12,000 souls. The
Loyalist pioneers of Upper Canada fought as bravely against privations,
hardships, and dangers in founding their forest homes, as they had done
in the Royal ranks in the defence of the unity of the empire. During the
first ten years of their hard enterprise and labours, the forest began
to yield to the axe of industry, and the little cabins, and clearings,
and growing crops gave evidence of human life and activity; but there
were no towns or large settlements; the inhabitants were scattered in
little groups, or isolated log-houses, along the north shores of the
River St. Lawrence, Lakes Ontario and Erie, and of the Detroit river,
the only gathering of houses or villages being Kingston, Newark, and
Amherstburg.

The first session of the first Parliament of Upper Canada lasted only
four weeks, commencing the 17th of September, and closing the 15th of
October, 1792; the first session of the Parliament of Lower Canada
lasted nearly five months--from the 17th of December, 1792, to the 9th
of May, 1793. During these nearly five months, the Legislature of Lower
Canada passed eight Bills, all well prepared and useful, but with much
ceremony and delay from the polite French seignors; the Legislature of
Upper Canada, in their session of four weeks, also passed eight Bills,
indicating no haste, well prepared, and of importance and useful. The
Bills passed provided for the introduction of English law; the trial by
jury; for the charge of millers, limiting their allowance for grinding
and bolting grain to the rate of one bushel for every twelve bushels
ground; for the easy recovery of small debts; for the change of the
German names of the four districts into which Lord Dorchester had
divided what now constituted Upper Canada, and granted to the United
Empire Loyalists. _Lunenburg_, extending from the River Ottawa to the
River Gananoque, was now called the _Eastern District; Mecklenburg_,
extending from Gananoque to the River Trent, was called the _Middle_ or
_Midland District; Nassau_, extending from the Trent to Long Point, on
Lake Erie, was called the _Home_ or _Niagara District_; and _Hesse_,
embracing the rest of Canada, west to the Lake St. Clair, was called the
_Western_ or _Detroit District_. These districts were again divided into
twelve co