Year: 1859

ng my meal, &c. from the Park.


My practice was to carry my loads in
A bag, to tie the ends of the bag so nigh
hat could but comfortably get my head
through, so that the weight of my load
would rest on my shoulders. l often had
to encounter this hardship in the time of
a thaw, which made the task more severe,
in the latter part of winter and
fore part of spring, when the snow be-
came coarse and harsh, and will not so
readily support the snow-shoe. My hold
would often fail without any previous no.
tiee to guard against tit-perhaps slide un-
der log or catch in a bush and pitch me
into the snow with my load about my
neck. / have repeatedly had to struggle
in this situation for some time to extri-
cate myself from my load, it being impos-
sible to get up with my load on. Those
who are acquainted with this kind of bur
den may form an idea of what l had to
great difficulty Of carry
ing load on snow-shoes in the time of a
thaw, is one of those kinds of fatigue
that it is hard TO describe, nor can be
conceived but by experience. 1t is wea-
risome at such times to travel without a
load but with one, especially at this late
season, it is intolerable; but thaw or
freeze my necessities obliged me to be at
my task, and still to keep up my burthen.
l had to draw my fire-wood through the
winter on a hand sled in fact, my snow
shows were constantly hung to my feet.


Being destitute of team for four or
five years, and without farming tools, l
had to labor under great embarrassments;
my grain hoed in the three first years.
After | raised sufficiency for my fami-
ly, had to carry it twelve miles TO mill
on my back, for the three first years
this l had constantly to do once a week.
My common load was one bushel, and
generally carried it eight miles before
stopped to rest. My wife at one time
sold her shirt to purchase a moose hide
which was obliged to carry thirty mile.
on my back, and sold it for a bushel o.
corn, and brought the corn home in the
same way.


For a specimen of the hardships thos,
have to encounter who move into the viii
derness, will give the following, tha
took place the winter after came on -


We had a remarkable snow, the first o.
consequence that fell; it was full two fee


deep. Our communication was with tn,
inhabitants of Hydepark, and it was nee
essary for Us to keep the road, or rathe


path, so that we could travel; we wer,
apprehensive of danger, if we did no
Immediately tread a path through thi
snow. was about out of meal, and hat


previously left bushel at a deserte,


house about FIVE miles on the way


agreed with Esq. Taylor, he bein,


the only inhabitant with me, to star


the next day on the proposed tour. w


accordingly started before sunrise; tn


snow was light, and we sunk deep int


it. By the middle of the day it Civ
some, which made it still worse on


snow-shoes loaded at every step we ha,


to use nearly our whole strength to ex


tricate the loaded shoe from its hold. !


seemed that our hip joints would be draw


from their sockets. We were soon wor


ried-could 90 but few steps withou


stopping; our fatigue and toll become a


most insupportable-were obliged ofte


to sit down and rest, and were sever


times on the point Of giving up the pul


suit, and stop for the night. but this mui


have been fatal, as we bad no axe to ct


wood for a fire our blood was heated


and We must have chilled. We finall,


at about dusk, reached the deserted housi
but was in effect exhausted. 1t SCENE


weeould not have reached this house ha


it been twenty rods further, so terrible
the toll to travel through deep snow, thi
no one can have a sense Of it till taugl
by experience. This days journey
often on my mind ; 10 my many haI
struggles it was one of the severest. W


struck up a fire and gathered some 70
that lay about the house, and after "
had recovered strength, baked cake
my meal. We then lay down on son
hewn planks, and slept sound till NOR


ing. It froze at night the track we hs
, made rendered it quite feasible trayeliin
The next dag / returned home with n
. bushel Of meal.


D Another periIous tour l viii mentio
] that occurred this winter. II vas tin
: to bring on another load Of meal fro
1 Esq McDaniels. ] proposed in my nlil
{ to 20 early the next morning. The
r had been thaw, and in the time Of Il