Audio 09TRAVEL – general Audio File (MP3) 1813 October 18 – I was married to B. Billings at Merrickville. On the 19th, I rode 40 miles to see my sister; the 21st I rode back to Merrickville. On the 24th started the move to Gloucester, came 9 miles and was detained by the rain. 26th we started in a bark canoe, our loading consisted of Mr. Billings and a Frenchman and myself, 6 chairs, one trunk and a bed and a bundle of bedclothes. We went 18 miles and camped in an old shanty – it had a door, no window, no chimney but a large hole for each. The next morning it rained till 4 in the afternoon then we started and went 4 miles and came to another shanty of the very same kind. Remained that night, the 28th we started again and we found the water so shallow that the canoe would not swim; the men had to unload and carry the things on their backs some distance and then carry the canoe and load again three different times they had to load and unload again before we reached home 9 miles, and when we arrived, it was of a good round log house and a good chimney and 4 windows, a floor made of split logs for there was no plank there in them days. We had about 6 acres chopped and planted to corn and potatoes and turnips and them we began the world, 40 miles from any house on one side and 7 on the other, no road either way, not one house in the town but our own. L. Billings” |
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