broke away this spring, and has been under water more than a
month, and the loss of property been immense. , New York, is
burned up. Also $60,000 worth of is also burned, and large
fires in almost every town; many fires in since left.
I have just returned from a mission of two months in , , , , &c., and I have seen two
hundred miles square of those provinces either burned over this spring or
burning while I was there. Such fires were never known in that country.
No rain in that country from April to August, and the fires got into the
forest, and burned hundreds of miles over, sweeping fences, dwellings,
barns, mill^s^, lumber yards, towns, cities, &c., all before it, in some in-
stances driving the entire population on to the beach or into the sea. It
seems as though nearly the whole country was ruined, and the fires not
bringing trouble enough, the people have risen in mobs, burned the Par-
liament houses, and government property, stoned and egged the Governor,
and the people seem bent on burning up everything that is left, and kill-
ing each other. The day before I got to a company of Orange
men were marching in procession, were stoned by the Catholics, a fight
ensued; about twenty were killed and twice that number wounded. They
fought with stones, clubs, rifles, muskets, &c. I was on the ground on
the occasion, and the doors and windows were riddled with bullets and
slugs. The people were much excited the day I was there. I found the
whole country through which I travelled in a horrid state; the people in
a state of starvation. No business going on; all trying to go to the
states for better. The people were leaving with their packs on their
backs. I had a hard journey through that country; was sick part of the
time. I spent one week very pleasantly with Capt. , of
Miramichi. He owns the whole Island he is on; has expended some $30,00^0^
in buildings; says he will sell the whole at auction on the 5th of Sep-
tember if he does not get ^£^50 for it. He has three new ships not sold,
about 700 tons each, which he will sell in market; will go
from to the one year from next spring. He sent up
to brother of late ^£^330 to help meet those merchant debts. His ,
who held the office of a Priest in the Church, died of late with the con-
sumption, strong in the faith. He has now but two sons living. I
broke away this spring, and has been under water more than a
month, and the loss of property been immense. , New York, is
burned up. Also $60,000 worth of is also burned, and large
fires in almost every town; many fires in since left.
I have just returned from a mission of two months in , , , , &c., and I have seen two
hundred miles square of those provinces either burned over this spring or
burning while I was there. Such fires were never known in that country.
No rain in that country from April to August, and the fires got into the
forest, and burned hundreds of miles over, sweeping fences, dwellings,
barns, mills, lumber yards, towns, cities, &c., all before it, in some instances driving the entire population on to the beach or into the sea. It
seems as though nearly the whole country was ruined, and the fires not
bringing trouble enough, the people have risen in mobs, burned the Parliament houses, and government property, stoned and egged the Governor,
and the people seem bent on burning up everything that is left, and killing each other. The day before I got to a company of Orange
men were marching in procession, were stoned by the Catholics, a fight
ensued; about twenty were killed and twice that number wounded. They
fought with stones, clubs, rifles, muskets, &c. I was on the ground on
the occasion, and the doors and windows were riddled with bullets and
slugs. The people were much excited the day I was there. I found the
whole country through which I travelled in a horrid state; the people in
a state of starvation. No business going on; all trying to go to the
states for better. The people were leaving with their packs on their
backs. I had a hard journey through that country; was sick part of the
time. I spent one week very pleasantly with Capt. , of
Miramichi. He owns the whole Island he is on; has expended some $30,000
in buildings; says he will sell the whole at auction on the 5th of September if he does not get £50 for it. He has three new ships not sold,
about 700 tons each, which he will sell in market; will go
from to the one year from next spring. He sent up
to brother of late £330 to help meet those merchant debts. His ,
who held the office of a Priest in the Church, died of late with the consumption, strong in the faith. He has now but two sons living. I