16th.

A bushel of wheat, is so universally the allowance in sowing an acre, in the early part of the season, that replies, as to that, will be henceforth omitted. The quantity is increased as the season gets advanced, to 5 pecks, and in some cases, though few, to 6 pecks.

17th.

The prices of bricks and lime will only be quoted in the Tables, when made and burnt within the Township.

18th.

The price of reaping and cradling wheat is so commonly stated to be that of a bushel of wheat, that no further notice will be taken of it. Women generally get for spinning, Is. more per week, than for house work.

19th.

To quote all the Replies to Queries 21st. 22d. and 23d. would be unnecessarily tedious. I shall, therefore, only give them in two adjoining Reports of each District, which will be quite sufficient for the reader's information.

20th.

When by any turn of expression, singularity of fact, or otherwise, a reply is worthy of notice, it shall appear at length, independent of the above general rules.

DELAWARE, WESTMINSTER, AND

DORCHESTER.

At a Meeting of all the Inhabitants of the Townships of Delaware, Westminster, and Dorchester, assembled at the House of Archibald M'Millan, at Westminster Plains, on the 15th December, 1817, for the purpose of considering the propriety of answering certain Queries submitted to the Resident Land Owners of Upper Canada, by Robert Gourlay, Esq. in his Address of October last, it was unanimously agreed, that the said Queries could not be so correctly answered by the People in their collective Capacity, as by certain discreet Persons, delegated by them for that Purpose. They, therefore, elected a Committee, consisting of Daniel Springer, Esq. Mr. Gideon Tiffaney, Mr. B. B. Brigam, Mr. Timothy Kilbourn, Mr. Joseph Webster, Mr. Archibald M'Millan, Mr. Aaron Kilbourn, Mr. Andrew Banghart, Mr. Jacobus Shenich, Mr. Joseph Idel, Mr. Joseph Flaningan, Mr. Seth Putman, Mr. Sylvanis Reynolds, Mr. James A. Mullet, to constitute and form a Committee to answer the said Queries, in such a Manner as to them might seem expedient, and to meet for that Purpose on the 17th Instant. The Meeting adjourned.

Westminster Plains, 17th December, 1817. THE Committee met pursuant to adjournment, and elected Daniel Springer, Esq. Chairman, and

Mr. Joseph Webster, Secretary, when the following were adopted, as answers to the said Queries:

3d. In Delaware, one church, but no Clergyman*. Westminster, no church; but visited by itinerant preachers. Dorchester the same.

9th. All, generally speaking, level† and well watered, with a marly loamy soil, and extensive flats on the Thames.

10th. White pine, red and white oak, cherry, elm, black walnut, ash, beech, maple, and bass-wood. 11th. No minerals in Delaware; but there is iron ore in Westminster and Dorchester.

12th. Some building stones of good quality in each township.

14th. Farmers burn lime in log heaps, consequently no particular price per bushel.

25th. Not only the flats of the Thames, but woods in general, are covered with grass, in a state of nature, which is good. An ox will gain onefourth of his weight with a summer's run.

26th. First crop, wheat harrowed in and stocked with grass. When the sod is broken up, we summer fallow and sow with wheat. No manure has yet been applied.

*This church was erected in a beautiful situation during Sim coe's government. It is now falling to wreck, a sad monument of an unprincipled departure from liberal measures.-R. G.

+ In Westminster there is considerable inequality of surface. The high road at one place rises perhaps 150 feet above the Thames.-R. G.

27th. Very little land is rented or let on shares. The land, if let, draws one-third of the crop. Land is so plenty, that almost every person is the owner of some,

28th. The flats on the Thames have always sold high, and are now worth £3 per acre.

29th. There are lands for sale; but the quantity is not ascertained.

30th. The public roads are not in a very good state, but are gradually improving, by means of annual labour, which the law imposes on every individual inhabitant. Our townships are bounded on the river Thames, which affords a good water communication to Sandwich and Amherst. burgh.

31st. The greater part of the lands which constitute the township of Delaware, were granted many years ago to persons not resident in this part of the province; or are crown and clergy reserves, which has been and still continues to be an unsurmountable obstacle to the formation of a

compact settlement in it. In the township of Westminster, no lands have as yet been granted, but to actual settlers. And if that system is pursued by the government, it will, no doubt, soon form a most delightful, populous, and wealthy settlement.

The principal part of the township of Dorchester, which is not composed of crown and clergy reserves, has been granted to persons not resident in this part of the province; and there does not appear at present to be any probability that it will

be settled soon, unless men of capital should purchase.

If his Majesty's government should grant or dispose of the crown and clergy reserves to actual settlers, and the colonial legislature should lay a tax upon the lands of absentees, so as to induce them to sell or contribute to the improvement of roads, &c. we are of opinion that the province in general would be more prosperous and happy.

If granting the lands bounded on Dundas street to actual settlers only, had not been deviated from*, the province would most unquestionably be in a much higher state of improvement, by the passage of so direct and well settled a road through it. And we esteem it as an object of the most primary importance to the welfare of the province, for the Colonial Executive Government to purchase from the natives, the tract of land on the west side of the Thames, between the township of Delaware and the Moravian grant, the road through which is now in a tolerable state, and lay out a continuation of Dundas street through the same, subject to actual settlement on the principle of Talbot road.

By order of the Committee,

(Signed)

RHODES

00

HOUSE

*OXFORD *

(Signed) DANIEL SPRINGER,BRARY

JOSEPH WEBSTER, Secretary.

Chairman.

* It was deviated from immediately after Governor Simcoe was

recalled.-R. G.