Agricultural tour in the United States and Upper Canada

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The author, a retired British army officer and noted traveller, tours Canada and the United States in 1841, visiting such cities as Halifax, Boston, New York, Albany, Pittsburgh, R ichmond, Washington, Toronto and Hamilton. He is generally unimpressed by conditions in Canada, finding Canadians living in "universal gloom" while Americans live in "cheerfulness and appearance of contentment" (pp. 62-63). He finds Niagara Falls inferior to the scenery of Scotland (60) but approves of the appearance of Toronto (61). He meets Sir Allan McNab, Bishop Strachan, and pays his respects to U.S. President Tyler (104). He does not approve of slavery but finds living conditions of slaves in Virginia and Maryland better than expected (92-93). He also found time to visit some farms on his agricultural tour but Upper Canada is "an immense and trackless forest, forlorn and forbidding at best" (63). Note the bookplate for Richardson of Pitfour. Pitfour Castle, Perthshire, Scotland, was built for John Richardson (1760-1821) around 1784. Show more