Chapter II: The M'nab in Canada

From Montreal McNab went to Glengarry, and saw the Highlanders there, and remained with Bishop McDonnell for a fortnight. It was that venerable prelate--the emigrant's friend, without any distinction as to creed--who first spoke to him of the Ottawa. He was really the friend of distressed humanity, whether of a Catholic's or Protestant's type. He put into philanthropic exercise Queen Dido's maxim:

"Tros, Tyrinsque mihi nullo discrimine agetur."[1]

A patriot, a Christian, a loyalist, ever ready to help the distressed, we shall seldom "see his like again." Having received a good deal of valuable information from the Bishop, McNab proceeded to Toronto (then York), and entered into negotiations with the Government respecting the settlement of a township on the Ottawa. The Government there informed him that a township had been lately surveyed, adjoining Fitzroy, by Mr. P. L. Sherwood, containing about 81,000 acres. It was a large township, and consisted of thirteen full concessions and four broken ones. It was not yet named, and if he undertook the settlement, McNab could name it after himself, and proceed forthwith to occupy it. They gave him a map of the township, which the Chief immediately named McNab, after himself and his clan. Fancying he had all at once tumbled into an El Dorado, without seeing the place, or knowing anything about the facilities the township afforded, McNab at once agreed to the terms of the Government, which were as follows:--He addressed a letter to Sir Peregrine Maitland, then Lieutenant Governor of the Province, offering to settle a township near Glengarry with his clansmen, and found a Highland Settlement of like loyal character as that which existed on the banks of the St. Lawrence. He had received his inspiration from the venerable Bishop McDonnell, and thus put it in practice. The following answer was given to his application; and as this is the basis of the attempt to establish the feudal system in Canada, and the misrepresentations founded upon it, by which many of the unfortunate settlers were harassed and oppressed, we direct particular attention to it:--

[COPY.]

_Report of a Committee of the Honourable Executive Council on the
Application of the Laird of McNab for a grant of Land._

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER, AT YORK }
Wednesday, 5th November, 1823. }

Present: The Hon. James Baby, Presiding Councillor; the Hon. Samuel
Smith, the Hon. and Rev. Dr. John Strachan.

To His Excellency, Sir Peregrine Maitland, K.C.B., Lieut.-Governor
of the Province of Upper Canada, and Major-General Commanding His
Majesty's Forces therein, &c., &c.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY:
The Committee, of the Executive Council to which Your Excellency
has been pleased to refer the letter of the Laird of McNab, dated
York, 15th Oct., 1823, proposing upon certain conditions to settle
a township of land with his clansmen and others from the Highlands
of Scotland, most respectfully report, That a township of the usual
dimensions be set apart on the Ottawa River, next to the township
of Fitzroy, for the purpose of being placed under the direction
and superintendence of the Laird of McNab for settlement. That the
said township remain under his sole direction for and during the
space of eighteen months, when the progress of the experiment will
enable the Government to judge of the propriety of extending the
period. That patents may issue to any of the settlers of said
township, on certificate from the Laird of McNab stating that the
settling duties are well and duly performed, and his claims on the
settlers arranged and adjusted; or patents may issue to Petitioner
in Trust, for any number of settlers, certified by him as
aforesaid; the fee on each patent to be One Pound Five Shillings
and Fourpence, sterling. That the conditions entered upon between
the Laird of McNab and each settler be fully explained in detail,
and that it be distinctly stated that such have no further claim
upon the Government for Grants of Land; and that a duplicate of the
agreement entered into between the Leader and the settlers shall be
lodged in the office of the Government. That the Laird of McNab be
permitted to assign not less than One Hundred Acres to each family
or Male Twenty-one years of age, on taking the oath of allegiance,
with the power of recommending an extension of such grant to the
favorable consideration of His Excellency, the Lieut.-Governor, to
such families as have means, and are strong in number, and whom it
may be deemed prudent to encourage. That an immediate grant of
1,200 acres of land be assigned to the Laird of McNab, to be
increased to the quantity formerly given to a Field Officer, on
completing the settlement of the township. That the old settlers
pay the interest on the money laid out for their use by the Laird
of McNab, either in money or produce, at the option of the settler;
and that the settler shall have the liberty to pay up the principal
and interest at any time during the first seven years.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

(Signed,) JAMES BABY.

Before leaving this part of the subject, it may be as well to state that after repeated trials and applications, it was not till 1841 that the settlers procured a copy of the above document. The Government until then was composed of members of the Family Compact, and they determined to keep settlers in the dark, and to allow the Laird of McNab to do as he pleased. Although the above is the only official document on record, there was a private understanding between the Chief and the Government to the effect that the Chief was to have for his own use and benefit all the timber growing on the township of McNab. There was some unaccountable delay after the passing of the above Order in Council before the Chief proceeded to the importation of immigrants, owing to the survey of the township not being exactly completed, and the assignments to and selection of certain lots by P. L. Sherwood, Esq., who had made the survey, and whose remuneration was to be made in lands on the survey, and not in money. After the lands had been selected by Mr. Sherwood, he assigned them to Billa Flint, of Brockville, and they were marked on the diagram as not open for settlement. This having all been arranged to the satisfaction of all parties, in the autumn of 1824, McNab wrote this letter to Dr. Hamilton:

KENNEL LODGE, }
On the Banks of the Ottawa, }
10th Aug., 1824. }

MY DEAR LENEY,--From my last letter you will have gleaned what my
intentions are, and of the progress I have made. Now I am happy to
inform you that all my arrangements for settlement are complete.
The township of McNab has to-day been handed over to me by Sir
Peregrine, and it contains 80,000 acres of fine, wooded, arable
land--and upwards. You will send out to me, according to your
offer, twenty families, at first. Give them three months'
provisions, and make each head of a family, before you give him a
passage ticket, sign the enclosed bond, which has been specially
prepared by the Attorney-General. ...... I will meet the settlers
in Montreal, and see each one on the land located to them, and will
provide for their transport to their lands. They should embark
early in April, and I should feel obliged if you would personally
superintend their embarkation at Greenock. Now I am in a fine way
to redeem the estate at home, and in a few years will return after
having established a name in Canada, and founded a transatlantic
colony of the clan.

The preparations can be all made this winter for their emigration,
and I shall be fully prepared to receive them. I have a large log
house erected close to the banks of the Ottawa, which, as you will
see by the heading of this letter, I have called after my estate on
Loch Tay, &c., &c.

(Signed) McNAB.

Immediately after the receipt of this letter, Dr. Hamilton, of Leney, set to work to procure a band of emigrants to go to McNab in Canada. In January, 1825, the following heads of families signed the bond prepared by the Canadian Attorney-General, and witnessed by D. McLaren, Banker, Callender--James Carmichael, Donald Fisher, Peter Campbell, Peter Drummond, James Robertson, Alex. McNab, James McFarlane (Kier), Duncan Campbell, James McDonald, Donald McNaughton, John McDermid, John McIntyre, Peter McIntyre, Donald McIntyre, James McLaurin, Peter McMillan, James Storie (Dumbarton), James McFarlane (Crief), Alexander Miller, Malcolm McLaren and Colin McCaul.

The terms of the bond were that every adult bound himself--L36 for himself, L30 for his wife, and L16 for every child, with interest, either in money or produce.

On the 19th of April, 1825, the McNab settlers, amounting in all--men, women and children--to eighty-four souls, embarked at Greenock in the ship _Niagara_, for America. After a speedy and prosperous voyage they safely landed in the city of Montreal on the 27th day of May, and were there met by the Chief and his piper, James McNee, and Mr. Miles McDonald, who boarded the vessel in due form, and with a Highland welcome congratulated the settlers on their safe arrival.

Preparations were now made for conveying the settlers to the place of their destination. At that time there were but few steamers, and the mode of travelling was difficult and hazardous. The only means of transport on the rivers and lakes were by "batteaux"--a species of large barges,--and the only steamboat that was then to be found on the Ottawa was the old _Union_, which plied between Hawkesbury and Hull. The necessary number of batteaux were got in readiness at Lachine, and the settlers having arrived at the latter place with their baggage, embarked, and after a voyage of two or three days' duration landed their living freight at Point Fortune. Here Mr. McLachlin, father of the late Daniel McLachlin, of Arnprior, took the contract of bringing the baggage to Hawkesbury. The settlers with their families performed the journey on foot, and Mr. McLachlin drew the baggage up on ox carts and sleds. There were but few horses in those days. At length they got safely on board the _Union_ and steamed up for Hull. This part of the voyage took two days and a night in its accomplishment--a journey that can now be made in a few hours. On the evening of the second day they arrived at Hull. There was no city of Ottawa then--no Bytown. The site of the present seat of Government of the Dominion of Canada was a dense, unbroken forest, an uncultivated wild, a pathless wilderness, where the bear and the wolf roamed uncontrolled, and the red deer gambolled in its deep dark glades and sylvan retreats.

From Hull upwards, the settlers met with many hardships till they reached the Chats. Here they had to disembark and proceed to the place of their future home through the woods, following a pathway and guided by a blaze, their baggage being transported up the Chats Rapids by some of the male portion of the settlers and those who were sent to their assistance, such as lumberers and others who had before that time squatted in the township (the only persons residing there when they arrived were Archibald Stewart, Duncan Campbell and his sons, an old Glengarry soldier and the Goodwins). The journey of the settlers from Montreal to McNab, with their baggage and luggage, occupied 28 days.

[Footnote 1: The above may be freely translated thus--"Protestants and Catholics shall be treated by me with no invidious distinction."]