Settlers in Canada

It was in the year 1794, that an English family went out to settle in
Canada. This province had been surrendered to us by the French, who
first colonized it, more than thirty years previous to the year I have
mentioned. It must, however, be recollected, that to emigrate and settle
in Canada was, at that time, a very different affair to what it is now.
The difficulty of transport, and the dangers incurred, were much
greater, for there were no steamboats to stem the currents and the
rapids of the rivers; the Indians were still residing in Upper and many
portions of Lower Canada, and the country was infested with wild animals
of every description--some useful, but many dangerous: moreover, the
Europeans were fewer in number, and the major portion of them were
French, who were not pleased at the country having been conquered by the
English. It is true that a great many English settlers had arrived, and
had settled upon different farms; but as the French settlers had already
possession of all the best land in Lower Canada, these new settlers were
obliged to go into or toward Upper Canada, where, although the land was
better, the distance from Quebec and Montreal, and other populous parts,
was much greater, and they were left almost wholly to their own
resources, and almost without protection. I mention all this, because
things are so very different at present: and now I shall state the cause
which induced this family to leave their home, and run the risk and
dangers which they did.