"And sleep protracted came with double power."
"And sleep protracted came with double power."
"And sleep protracted came with double power."
The next day brought both the beautiful shores of the St. Lawrence in sight, and Flora remained chained to her post on the deck from morning until night; her eyes never weary of dwelling upon the glorious river, its romantic islands, and magnificent banks.
What a noble panorama the St. Lawrence would make—to follow all the windings of this matchless stream, from Grosse Ile, through its chain of inland seas! Perhaps no country in the world could present finer subjects for such a work; with water so pure—skies so blue—rock, mountain and forest so vast—and cities, towns and villages along its shores placed in such picturesque and imposing situations. A pictorial map of Canada could alone give a just idea of the beauty and importance of this great country to the good folks at home. Then consider the adjuncts of such a landscape—the falls of Montmorency, and God's masterpiece, Niagara. The panorama of its Upper and Lower Mississippi would lose half their beauty, when contrasted with the panorama of the St. Lawrence,with its tumultuous rapids and thousand isles.
An old friend of Mrs. Lyndsay, who had visited almost every country, had assured her that nothing he had ever seen during his travels through the world surpassed in grandeur and beauty the shores of the St. Lawrence, Rio Janeiro alone excepted; and so well had he described every remarkable scene on their passage up the river, that Flora instantly recognised the spot from the vivid pictures he had given her of them from memory.
How she longed to land upon the lovely islands which continually glided past them! Some of these were partly cultivated, and neat white farm-houses peeped out from the midst of orchards glowing with ripe fruits, and the first gorgeous tints of the Canadian fall. On the south shores of the river, the wheat was still standing in the sheaf upon the yellow uplands, and the forest and the harvest changing colour, and blending their rich hues into a splendid harmony of the bright and beautiful. As if to atone for the long, cold winter (and yet how charming that winter is!) Nature puts on royal robes to cover her decay; and autumn, which in other countries is so melancholy and sober in her russet dress, is, in Canada, the most attractive and delightful season of the four. Who does not prefer it to the warm, humid, leafless spring?—to the blazing sun, cloudlessskies, and enervating heat of summer?—or to the cold, bright blue and silver sheen of the spotless winter?
On the 29th of August they passed Crane Island, the beautiful domain of Mr. Macpherson, on the north side of the river; and early on the morning of the 30th, theAnnecast her anchor opposite Grosse Ile.
And here we shall leave our emigrants, in the bustle, confusion, and excitement of preparing to go on shore, having described the voyage from thence to Quebec and up the St. Lawrence elsewhere.
If any of my readers should feel interested in the fate of the Lyndsays, we will briefly add, by way of postscript, all we know concerning them.
The Lyndsays settled upon wild land, and suffered, for some years, great hardships in the Backwoods. Ultimately Mr. Lyndsay obtained an official appointment, which enabled him to remove his wife and family to one of the fast-rising and flourishing towns of the Upper Province, where they have since resided in great happiness and comfort, and no longer regret their voyage to Canada, but bless the kind Providence which led them hither.
As an illustration of that protecting and merciful interposition, so often manifested by the Great Father to his dependent children, we must here add, that the two disastrous trips to sea relatedin the former part of these volumes, by preventing the Lyndsays from taking passage to Canada in theChieftain, in all probability were the means of preserving them from falling victims to the cholera, as all the passengers in that unfortunate vessel perished with the fatal epidemic.
TheRachel, the ship to which Flora felt such an unconquerable objection, was wrecked upon the banks of Newfoundland, after having been twelve weeks at sea. The Captain was made a prisoner, and confined during the greater part of the voyage to his cabin by his brutal sons, while many of her passengers died of small-pox and want of food.
How kind, then, was the Providence that watched over our poor emigrants; although, like the rest of the world, they were tempted to murmur at the provoking delay, nor could discover the beam in the dark cloud, until the danger was past, and they had leisure to reflect upon the great perils they had escaped, and the mercies they had received from the Almighty Disposer of all human destinies.
Musa, King of Grenada, owed his elevation to the throne to a delay of five minutes: when he requested the executioner, whom his jealous brother had sent to the prison to take his head, to allow him that brief space until he had checkmated the gaoler, with whom he was playing a game at chess, the grim official reluctantly consented. Before the time expired, a tumult in thecity dethroned his brother, and gave Musa his crown. How much he owed to that one move at chess! Could that be merely accidental, on which the fate of a nation and the lives of thousands were staked?
So with the Lyndsays. The storm—the fog—the lost passage in theChieftain—the presentiment against sailing in theRachel—though apparentlyvery triflingcircumstances, formed most important links in their destiny. Reader, have faith in Providence. A good father is never indifferent to the welfare of his child—still less a merciful God!
R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.
Transcriber's Note:Punctuation has been standardised. Variations in spelling have been retained as they appear in the original publication. Changes have been made as follows:ContentsThe Night alonechanged toThe NightAlonePage 26 pannelling of his berthchanged topanellingof his berthPage 29 through the Moray Frithchanged tothrough the MorayFirthPage 29 the stormy Pentland Frithchanged tothe stormy PentlandFirthPage 41 lighest and cheapest descriptionchanged tolightestand cheapest descriptionPage 43 A sadler by tradechanged toAsaddlerby tradePage 57 stay in Canadychanged tostay inCanadaPage 65 half-covered with carotty whiskerschanged tohalf-covered withcarrottywhiskersPage 65 man overbeard!—a man overboard!changed tomanoverboard!—a man overboard!Page 66 succeeded in throw-overchanged tosucceeded inthrowingoverPage 80 locomotion wese lost tochanged tolocomotionwerelost toPage 95 while Mary inlychanged towhile MaryonlyPage 104 quar-quarters.' When he saw thatchanged toquarters.' When he saw thatPage 108 awsome to hear him talkchanged toawesometo hear him talkPage 113 a tablespoonfnl of salt intochanged toatablespoonfulof salt intoPage 157 is a strage fluttering atchanged tois astrangefluttering atPage 197 He answered, "That it dependedchanged toHe answered,thatit dependedPage 213 He was the Squire'schanged toHe was the'Squire'sPage 253 the beautifu young girl broughtchanged tothebeautifulyoung girl broughtPage 272 buscuit, you will be calledchanged tobiscuit, you will be calledPage 273 buscuit—not a morsel ofchanged tobiscuit—not a morsel ofPage 276 a couple of tablespoonfullschanged toa couple oftablespoonfulsPage 287 it's afeathe!" and his shrillchanged toit's afeather!" and his shrillPage 290 and lifting the mattrasschanged toand lifting themattress
Punctuation has been standardised. Variations in spelling have been retained as they appear in the original publication. Changes have been made as follows:
ContentsThe Night alonechanged toThe NightAlone
Page 26 pannelling of his berthchanged topanellingof his berth
Page 29 through the Moray Frithchanged tothrough the MorayFirth
Page 29 the stormy Pentland Frithchanged tothe stormy PentlandFirth
Page 41 lighest and cheapest descriptionchanged tolightestand cheapest description
Page 43 A sadler by tradechanged toAsaddlerby trade
Page 57 stay in Canadychanged tostay inCanada
Page 65 half-covered with carotty whiskerschanged tohalf-covered withcarrottywhiskers
Page 65 man overbeard!—a man overboard!changed tomanoverboard!—a man overboard!
Page 66 succeeded in throw-overchanged tosucceeded inthrowingover
Page 80 locomotion wese lost tochanged tolocomotionwerelost to
Page 95 while Mary inlychanged towhile Maryonly
Page 104 quar-quarters.' When he saw thatchanged toquarters.' When he saw that
Page 108 awsome to hear him talkchanged toawesometo hear him talk
Page 113 a tablespoonfnl of salt intochanged toatablespoonfulof salt into
Page 157 is a strage fluttering atchanged tois astrangefluttering at
Page 197 He answered, "That it dependedchanged toHe answered,thatit depended
Page 213 He was the Squire'schanged toHe was the'Squire's
Page 253 the beautifu young girl broughtchanged tothebeautifulyoung girl brought
Page 272 buscuit, you will be calledchanged tobiscuit, you will be called
Page 273 buscuit—not a morsel ofchanged tobiscuit—not a morsel of
Page 276 a couple of tablespoonfullschanged toa couple oftablespoonfuls
Page 287 it's afeathe!" and his shrillchanged toit's afeather!" and his shrill
Page 290 and lifting the mattrasschanged toand lifting themattress