Charles Dickens Observes The Emigrants in Canada 1868

IN THE YEAR 1868 CHARLES DICKENS, ON A VOYAGE TO AMERICA, SAW EMIGRANTS IN THE ROUGHEST OF CONDITIONS

SOME WERE PROBABLY HEADED TO THE FREE LAND GRANT DISTRICT OF MUSKOKA

     UPON LANDING BY BOAT IN QUEBEC, AFTER A ROUGH CROSS-ATLANTIC VOYAGE, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUTHOR, CHARLES DICKENS, MADE A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE STEERAGE CLASS PASSENGERS, SOME, WHO WOULD ONE DAY SOON, BE LABORING ON THE NEWLY OPENED LAND GRANTS IN REGIONS LIKE MUSKOKA AND PARRY SOUND. HIS VANTAGE POINT, OF COURSE, WAS AS A FIRST CLASS PASSENGER, OF CONSIDERABLE PRIVILEGE. HE WRITES AS FOLLOWS:

     "IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR, VAST NUMBERS OF EMIGRANTS WHO HAVE NEWLY ARRIVED FROM ENGLAND OR IRELAND, PASS BETWEEN QUEBEC AND MONTREAL ON THEIR WAY TO THE BACKWOODS AND NEW SETTLEMENTS OF CANADA. IF IT BE AN ENTERTAINING LOUNGE (AS I OFTEN FOUND IT) TO TAKE A MORNING STROLL UPON THE QUAY OF MONTREAL, AND SEE THEM GROUPED IN HUNDREDS ON THE PUBLIC WHARF ABOUT THEIR CHESTS AND BOXES, IT IS MATTER OF DEEP INTEREST TO BE THEIR FELLOW-PASSENGER ON ONE OF THESE STEAMBOATS, AND MINGLING WITH THE CONCOURSE, SEE AND HEAR THEM UNOBSERVED.

     "THE VESSEL IN WHICH WE RETURNED FROM QUEBEC TO MONTREAL, WAS CROWDED WITH THEM, AND AT NIGHT THEY SPREAD THEIR BEDS BETWEEN DECKS (THOSE WHO HAD BEDS, AT LEAST), AND SLEPT SO CLOSE AND THICK ABOUT OUR CABIN DOOR, THAT THE PASSAGE TO AND FRO WAS QUITE BLOCKED UP. THEY WERE NEARLY ALL ENGLISH; FROM GLOUCESTERSHIRE THE GREATER PART; AND HAD HAD A LONG WINTER-PASSAGE OUT; BUT IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW CLEAN THE CHILDREN HAD BEEN KEPT, AND HOW UNTIRING IN THEIR LOVE AND SELF-DENIAL ALL THE POOR PARENTS WERE."

THE WRITER LOOKING AT DEGREES OF POVERTY, OF THESE NEW CANADIANS

     Dickens goes on to observe, "Can't as we may, and as we shall to the end of all things, it is very much harder for the poor to be virtuous than it is for the rich; and the good that is in them, shines the brighter for it. In many a noble mansion lives a man, the best of husbands and of fathers, whose privateer worth in both capacities is justly lauded to the skies. But bring him here, upon this crowded deck. Strip from his fair young wife her silken dress and jewels, unbind her braided hair, stamp early wrinkles on her brow, pinch her pale cheeks with care and much privation, array her faded form in coarsely patched attire, let there be nothing but his love to set her forth, or deck her out, and you shall put it to the proof indeed. So change his station in the world, that he shall see in those young things who climb about his knee; not records of his wealth and named; but little wrestlers with him for his daily bread; so many poachers on his scanty meal; so many units to divide his every sum of comfort, and further to reduce its small amount. In lieu of the endearments of childhood in its sweetest capacity, heap upon him all its pains and wants, its sicknesses and ills, its fretfulness, caprice and querulous endurance; let its prattle be, not of engaging infants, but of cold, and thirst, and hunger; and if his fatherly affection outlive all this, and he be patient, watchful, tender; careful of his children's lives, and mindful always of their joys and sorrows, then send him back to Parliament, and Pulpit, and to Quarter Sessions, and when he hears fine talk of depravity of those who live from hand to mouth, and labour hard to do it, let him speak up, as one who knows, and tell those holders forth, that they, by parallel with such a class, should be High Angles in their daily lives, and lay but humble siege to Heaven at last."

     The legendary author pens, in his observations on board the ship, that "Which of us shall say what we would be, if such realities, with small relief to change all through his days, were his! Looking round upon these people; for from home, houseless, indigent, wandering, weary with travel and hard living; and seeing how patiently they nursed and tended their young children; how they consulted ever their wants first, then half supplied their own; what gentle ministers of hope and faith the women were; how the men profited by their example; and how very, very seldom even a moment's petulance or harsh complaint broke out among them; I felt a stronger love and honor of my kind come glowing on my heart, and wished to God these had been many Atheists in the better part of human nature there, to read this simple lesson in the book of life."

     Charles Dickens, famous for his portrayals of the slums and the dark side of England, saw the plight of those hopeful but destitute emigrants, who were confined to the steerage class, in passage across the Atlantic. They were the poorest of the poor, and they came to Canada specifically, to take advantage of the newly created Free Land Grants, of a hundred plus acres. The Government of Canada, wanted to occupy the unoccupied lands to the west. They wanted to be able to justify the creation of a transcontinental railway, linking the country sea to sea. The people stuffed, often mercilessly into steerage class, represented the hope and aspirations of the nation builders. They sent government land agents to preach the good graces of arable farm land, and employment opportunities in many new and thriving industries, operating in the cities of the new Dominion. The steamship agents pushed the same agenda, and were credited for emigrants they signed up, to travel to a wild frontier an ocean-away. Even those who wrote and sold settler's guide books, portrayed the regions of settlement, as places of great opportunity, and potential for future wealth. There were very few trying to discourage these gullible homesteaders, so impoverished and beaten down by the stresses of urban living in Europe, it was an obvious outcome, that millions wanted to believe the promises of new and prosperous lives……and boarded those steam vessels with their families, with only meagre provisions and very little money to acquire what they needed, heading out to some of the roughest terrain in the country.

     These are the same folks who cleared our forests for pioneer farmsteads. They built the roads and the bridges, and supplied the lumber camps and general stores, and tourist accommodations with their produce……at least what they had to spare. Some failed. Many moved on, before they had cleared half the acreage they were contracted to cut; others lived miserable lives, in the harshest of conditions, and perished the direct result of homestead hardships. There were thousands of others, who persevered and never gave up on the task of community building. They never got rich, but they survived, generation after generation, to work the land, and man the industries……and be the customer base, for the businesses that depended on them. There families came here in the most adverse, terrible circumstances, and they are buried in our pioneer settlements, without glowing testimonials, about how their struggles, with only minimal resources, gave us today's communities. The poorest and most inadequately suited homesteaders, carved out our futures. Believe it our not.

     When we look at Muskoka's relationship with poverty today, and diminishing employment opportunities, it is one of those unfortunate traditions, we feel reluctant to embrace as legend……because we expect what is legendary should also be positive and of considerable and noble stature……as roll models of our past. Their determination, and stalwart pride in those early, humble homesteads, created a survival mentality here……and a neighborliness that goes back to those first isolated pioneer cabins, where those with more, shared more often. Historically, I look upon this early relationship with poverty, as an important marker, of the cultural identity of what it means to be called a Muskokan……that we have learned to live with a great respect for the values of resourcefulness and resilience, because it's the way it all began. It initiated as a struggle, to live and work here, and it is no different today in many regards.

     "All this I see as I sit in the little stern-gallery mentioned just now. Evening slowly steals upon the landscape and changes it before me, when we stop to set some emigrants ashore," writes the good Mr. Dickens, from the ship. "Five men, as many women, and a little girl. All their worldly goods are a bag, a large chest, and an old chair; one, old high-backed, rush-bottomed chair; a solitary settler in itself. They are rowed ashore in the boat, while the vessel stands a little off awaiting its return, the water being shallow. They are landed at the foot of a high bank, on the summit of which are a few log cabins, attainable only by a long winding path. It is growing dusk; but the sun is very red, and shines in the water and on some of the tree-tops, like fire. The men get out of the boat first; help out the women; take out the bag, the chest, the chair; bid the rowers good bye, and shove the boat off for them. At the first splash of oars in the water, the oldest woman of the party, sits down in the old chair, close to the water's edge, without speaking a word. None of the others sit down, though the chest is large enough for many seats. They all stand where they landed, as if stricken into stone; and look after the boat. So they remain, quite still and silent; the old woman and her old chair, in the centre; the bag and chest upon the shore, without anybody heeding them; all eyes fixed upon the boat. It comes alongside, is made fast, the men jump on board, the engine is put in motion, and we go hoarsely on again. There they stand yet, without the motion of a hand. I can see them through my glass, when in the distance, and increasing darkness, they are mere specks to the eye; lingering there still; the old woman in the old chair, and all the rest about her; not stirring in the least degree. And then I slowly lose them."

     They are home. But it takes time, to fulfill the enthusiasm they had, when signing onto the adventure of homesteading in a new land. For many, the enthusiasm became a horror. Imagine the feeling of panic, seeing that ship pass along, as they sat in the darkening environs, having no assistance from anyone, to help them on their way. Possibly, these emigrants, were coming to Muskoka.

     I will offer a few more historical notes about Muskoka's hardy pioneer lifestyle, in the next several blogs. Please join me for another retrospective, on how Muskoka has been associated with poverty from the beginning of its history. Thanks for joining me today.