12th. Few building stone; no quarries.
14th. No lime has been burnt for sale.

15th. Journeymen blacksmiths are hired at 61. 5s. per month; masons 10s. and carpenters 7s. 6d. per day: the ploughs in common use will cost from 51. to 61.; a good axe 12s. 6d. ; shoeing a horse, (four shoes) 10s.; for working iron into implements of husbandry, 7 d. per pound.

18th. Five acres of heavy timbered land, may be cleared and fenced for about 251. The same quantity of light timbered or plain land, may be cleared for about 121. and occasionally for less.

25th. The increase of weight, &c. cannot be determined with precision.

26th. No regular rotation of cropping has hitherto been observed. Manure is seldom used, except for Indian corn and potatoes.

The place where I am is a reserved lot. Governor Gore has promised encouragement to the works, when government is satisfied that they will answer a good purpose. If Governor Gore does not return to this country, and what he promised should be refused me, iron works will be at an end with me, and at this place; but, I shall not ask for the promise, until the inhabitants of the country will be my bondsmen, for the benefits arising from the iron works. When I saw you, I offered a considerable sum of money to take them off my hands: this I repeat; not but I believe they will answer, but the trouble will be more than equal to any profit from them. Those who begin iron works after me, in this country, will start many thousand dollars a-head of me: every thing they want, except stone, will be had here; the best method of working the ore will be known, and men will be learned to work it.

"I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

"JOHN MASON."

27th. Land is frequently let on shares, the owner of the land receiving one-third of the crop, for the use of the land.

28th. About the first settlement of the township, land sold for 5s. per acre; but will now average about 11. A farm of 200 acres of land, with a log house and barn, with 50 acres cleared and fenced, and a small orchard of bearing trees, might be purchased for about 7001. and occasionally less. 29th. The quantity for sale, several thousand

acres.

30th. Public roads, good and improvable at small expence.

31st. It is the opinion of this meeting, that large tracts of land, owned by non-residents, retard the settlement of the township, and that wholesome settlers, artificers, labourers, and capital, would contribute most effectually to improve this township, and the province generally.

Signed, in name of the meeting, by
DANIEL FREEMAN, Chairman.

WALSINGHAM.

SIR,

To MR. ROBERT GOURLAY.

Dec. 5th, 1817.

IN compliance with your request, we, the inhabitant householders of the township of Walsingham, have convened ourselves, for the pur

pose of answering certain queries, which appeared in your Address of October last, which are as follows:

Sd. No churches; but make use occasionally of our school houses for that purpose. No professional preachers; but are frequently visited by different dissenting ministers.

9th. The three or four front Concessions, of superior quality, equal to any in the province. The remainder of a lighter soil. The township tolerably well watered.

10th. Pine, oak, ash, beech, sugar maple, basswood, black walnut, hickory, butternut, elm, with different other sorts.

11th. No minerals of any description have as yet been discovered.

12th. None.

18th. Five acres of wood land may be cleared and fenced from 151. to 201.; all expence accruing, to be borne by the party performing the labour.

25th. Pasture excellent; butter and cheese sells from 7 d. to 1s. 3d.

26th. Cropping on new land not practised; manure necessary for Indian corn and potatoes.

27th. Land is usually let on shares for one half, provided the proprietor furnish seed and team. 29th. Half of the township supposed to be for sale.

30th. Public roads in a very bad state, and capable of great improvement, at a moderate expence: only one stream capable of boat naviga tion.

31st. What, in our opinion, retards the improvement of our township, is that large bodies of land are owned by different gentlemen who do not occupy it. As to the province in general, we are of opinion that it is owing to our remoteness from a foreign market, and the great expence of transportation, occasioned in a great measure from the difficulty of the water communication with the Lower Province.

HAVING seen your Address in the Upper Canada Gazette of the 30th October, 1817-We, the undersigned, unanimously agree with you in sentiment, that the local situation of this province has never been fully made known either to government

or the British farmer; we likewise are of opinion, that your Queries annexed to your Address, being answered in a simple, but correct manner, will, when published in England, give a fair opportunity to every individual to judge for himself. We, the inhabitant landholders for the township of Middleton, having, at a general meeting held at the house of John Coltman, Esq. unanimously called John Coltman, Esq. to the chair, and cordially agreed to the following answers:

9th. The soil is of a rich loam, and the surface generally level.

10th. The timber, ash, maple, basswood, beech, black walnut, butternut, hickory, cherry, white pine, oak of different kinds, chestnut. The above timber generally stands in equal proportions. 11th. Iron ore in abundance.

12th. None.

14th. No lime burnt for sale.

15th. Blacksmith, being found with shop tools, and coal, wages at 10s. per day.

26th. First sown with wheat, and laid down to grass for three years, then summer fallowed, and sown with wheat, without manure.

27th. If the landlord furnish team and seed, the tenant receives half the crop. If the tenant furnish team and seed, the landlord receives one third.

28th. No wild lands for sale, as the whole of the township of Middleton and Howton is reserved by government, except Talbot street.

29th. A log-house built, and ten acres cleared on a 200 acre lot, is now selling at 2501.