Chapter I: Introduction

One who has had much to do with outgoing colonists and knows a great deal about their wants and difficulties, has summed up in a couple of terse sentences their primary needs. These are, he says—

Things to Take: Time, Patience, Money.

Things to Leave: Hurry, Worry, Doubt.

The summary is an excellent one. It covers all the necessary ground; it is capable of infinite enlargement as to meaning, and at the same time it packs away into the smallest possible compass all that the traveller, the pioneer or future citizen can require. It is, in fact, a complete manual in itself, and all that we do here is to interpret it in fuller detail, and we do this in order to save the time, the patience and the money of those who perhaps have little of either to spare.

Much has been written about the romance of colonization, and stories of pioneering experiences are of thrilling interest—when read at home. It is difficult to see the romance, as it is difficult to experience the thrills when actually undergoing the hardships and battling with the difficulties on the spot. What really helps, then, is not the ability to see the romance or the picturesqueness of the situation, but the ability to see the humorous side of things. A sense of humour saves many a situation, and to be able to laugh in the face of hunger and hardship, because it brings goodwill to bear on the subject, does wonders in the way of smoothing down the rough side both of men and things.

One of the daily trials will be the imperative need of getting meals ready. Those three meals a day are perpetually hindering other work, taking up much time and thought, and involving much carrying about of tools and materials. Yet they cannot be done without, and are not to be despised or treated with indifference. In fact, from the health point of view they are of more consequence than making progress in other ways, for without health and strength the colonist is of no good at all.

Those who set out with the idea of “roughing it” are very apt, in their early enthusiasm, to think lightly about the food question, but when they find themselves thrown on their own resources, obliged to use their own initiative in everything, it is wonderful how important a matter cookery becomes, and how much is made of a little knowledge or skill in this direction.

“Can you tell me of a simple cookery-book to send out to my boy in Canada?” a lady asked us one day. “He says he finds meals are so much more important than he ever imagined they were, and he wants to know how to do so many things.”

It is the simple book we have tried to write, one that the average young man—or young woman—will have the time and patience to read and the money to buy. It may not tell all that they will want to know, but at least it will tell them enough to make for comfort, economy and health, and we trust that all useless and needless technicalities have been avoided. The great Food question comes first, and has received the bulk of attention, as it should do, but there are a few useful suggestions further on which may help to make the difficult way easier. It is not possible to meet the wants of all types of settlers, for some go to pioneer work and others go to live under advanced conditions—more advanced, in fact, than they leave behind them in the old country; nevertheless, all must take with them a certain amount of time, patience and money, and all must leave behind hurry, worry and doubt, while all, wherever they are, will find, we think, some use for our Handy Guide.