A Tour through North America by Patrick Shirreff

_Colonel Talbot's residence-Camp-meeting-Barn-Mrs Aldgeo-Moravian Indian village-Cheap fruit-Runaway slaves-Excursion to Bear Creek-Mr Goose-Soil-Agricultural Notices-River Thames-Unhealthy appearance of inhabitants-Chatham-Plains-John Macdonald-Colborne Furnace-Neighbourhood of Amherstburgh-French inn._

In travelling from London to St Thomas, we were told of a Methodist camp-meeting in the neighbourhood; and as I had long been anxious to see one, we agreed to attend on the Sunday, when the meeting would be fullest. Early in the morning, people, in waggons and on horseback, were streaming in crowds through St Thomas towards the meeting, and as I was afraid of losing patience before evening, when the richest scene is said to take place, we embraced an offer of going to Colonel Talbot's in the forenoon, distant about twelve miles west from St Thomas. The colonel's residence may be described as a cluster of mean wooden buildings, consisting of dwelling-houses, stables, barns, pigstyes, and cattle-shades, constructed and placed seemingly without regard either to convenience or effect, commanding a view of Lake Erie, from which it is distant about 200 yards, and at the mouth of Ottar creek, a small brook, with clay banks of considerable height. The clay banks behind the colonel's house have a barren and naked appearance, while the lake in front is too near. The situation, nevertheless, has capabilities to make a fine place, when taste shall build a habitation. The garden, which was badly kept, contained some fine apple and pear trees, which we viewed from the outside of the fence. There were a few weeping willows, the first I saw in Canada, and which raised the colonel considerably in my estimation, as they are not, I believe, indigenous to the country.