The Trading period of Bush life—Money scarcely ever seen—Marriage under difficulties—The want of roads oppressively felt—The terrors of Beverly Swamp—Early stories of the Benighted Region—Mr. Shade determines to float the produce of the Settlement down the Grand River—Galt’s first and only Fleet—The “Arks” as a freight line.

Much of the business of the settlement, during the first ten years, was carried on by barter. It might be called the “trading period.” It was so many yards of cloth for so much pork, so much calico and cotton for so many pounds of butter, and so much tea for so many dozens of eggs. The farmer could not get cash for wheat or wool at every cross-road as at present. The miller took his toll from the wheat, and returned the balance in flour; when the old-fashioned carding mills came in, he got so much rough grey cloth—and rough it was—or so much yarn, in return for his wool. And it was pretty much the same in all transactions. Even the minister and the doctor were sometimes paid in trade!

Money was rarely seen. At certain seasons there was literally none in circulation. An English shilling was almost a curiosity. Battered brass buttons passed readily as coppers, and it is said that, in a hard pinch, they were occasionally cut off the coat for the purpose! Although money was so scarce, the farmers, fortunately, soon had abundance to eat, and not a little to barter in exchange for their other wants.

An amusing illustration of the scarcity of money may be mentioned here. People were so infatuated as to get married in those days, just as they do now; but the operation was by no means so easy as at present. The clergy of the Church of England were the only ministers at one time who could marry; magistrates could do so, however, when there was no Episcopal clergyman within a radius of eighteen miles, and Squire Ellis, of Waterloo, and Squire Murray, who resided near St. George, for many years did a thriving business in the matrimonial line.

But to our story. It was customary then, as now, for the bridegroom to hand the officiating clergyman or magistrate a small fee on the completion of the ceremony. However difficult it was to procure, at least one dollar was generally scraped together for this purpose. But even this could not always be obtained. Indeed, on one occasion, one of the clergymen of Galt (Rev. Dr. Boomer), after tying the marriage knot, was surprised when the bride stepped briskly up to his side, and whispered in his ear that they had no money, but would, on the morrow, send him the marriage fee in sausages! He accepted the offer with the best grace possible, but could scarcely suppress his merriment at the unexpected and unusual character of the douceur.

Few can realize in this age of railroads and easy communication, what satisfaction the completion of the road to Guelph created, or the acclamations with which the subsequent proposal to construct the Dundas and Waterloo macadamized road was greeted. The want of roads had become oppressively felt The production of farm produce was annually increasing, but it was nearly impossible to get it to market. Galt was almost hemmed in— a place without an outlet. The natural route was eastwards to the head of Lake Ontario at Dundas, but between the two points was a literal slough of despond in the shape of the far famed Beverly swamp, whose bottomless mud-holes and almost impassible “corduroys,” were the terror of travellers for many a year thereafter.

This benighted region had a most unenviable reputation. It blocked the way between the head of navigation at Dundas and Hamilton, and the fertile lands of Dumfries and Waterloo. It could not be avoided, therefore, and the blazed1 road through its long desolate morasses, was seldom passed without accidents and delays innumerable. A dozen teams all “stuck” (to use the expressive term of the period) within a few miles of each other, was no uncommon occurrence, and only the marines could believe the stories of the size and depth of the mud-holes which have been handed down to us.

Once upon a time a reckless rider attempted, contrary to advice, to pass through on horseback in the middle of the spring floods. A few hours afterwards a pedestrian found what at first glance he took to be a blue Scotch bonnet floating in the middle of a treacherous dooking pool. On attempting to recover the bonnet, he was horrified to find it covered the head of the reckless rider, who had plunged into the fatal morass, and, astride of his horse, had gradually sunk down, until arms, neck, mouth, and eyes, had been engulphed in the oozy, treacherous, almost fathomless abyss. Before assistance could be obtained, horse and rider had entirely disappeared!

How far this and similar stories can be relied upon, the reader can judge for himself, but certain it is, that the passage through Beverly swamp was greatly and justly dreaded. These feelings were increased by current rumours of an old peddler and even of other benighted travellers who had undertaken to pass through the swamp after dark, having mysteriously disappeared. These rumours became crimes of blood to the active imaginations of those days, and so widespread and strong had - they become, that when Mr. Alexander Buchanan, a man certainly not deficient in courage, came in from New York State in 1819, he started through the wild and trackless woods after dark to his father’s clearance near Branchton, rather than linger in Beverly swamp, with its dismal surroundings and evil reputation.

Pressed by increasing supplies of farm produce, which were mostly obtained in exchange for goods out of the Red store, Mr. Shade determined about 1831 to endeavour to find an outlet to Lake Ontario by means of the Grand River. Through the enterprise chiefly of the late Hon. William Hamilton Merritt, the spirited project of connecting the waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario by means of the Welland Canal, had been accomplished four years previously. Mr. Shade conceived the idea of taking his produce down the river to Dunnville, towing it through the canal to Lake Ontario, and then shipping it from Port Dalhousie to its destination.

When this project was announced, it became the event of the season. The farmers, not less than the villagers, were all agog, and a good many doubting Thomases shook their heads wisely. But Mr. Shade quietly proceeded with his plans. He built several flat-bottomed boats which were called “Arks.” These were each of sufficient capacity, being eighty feet long and sixteen wide, to carry about four hundred barrels of flour. They could only be used during the spring floods, and it was an exciting time at the little wharf at the end of the bridge when they were being loaded.

The cargo consisted chiefly of wheat, coarse grains, flour, high wines, pork, and furs, and was of considerable value, embracing a large portion of the results of the year’s business. Each Ark was in charge of several men, one of whom had special control, when Mr. Shade, who always accompanied them, was not on board himself. The boats were difficult to manage, and in consequence of the rapid current, numerous islands, and occasional shoals especially between Galt and Brantford, they required as skilful navigation as their great prototype to which the whole human race is so greatly indebted.

The Arks, as a freight line, could hardly be called a success, though it must be admitted they served to tide over a pressing difficulty. They were only used for three years, and as evidence at once of the difficulties of the navigation and the energy of Mr. Shade, the mishap which befell the last expedition may be mentioned.

Seven Arks started from the Galt wharf, all well laden. Everything went smoothly until a short distance below the village of Glemorris. At this point the boat on which Mr, Shade himself was, ran upon a rock, and narrowly escaped becoming a total wreck. By great efforts, however, the flour with which it was laden was removed to an adjacent island, as quickly and with as little injury as possible. Mr. Shade immediately returned to Galt, worked almost night and day till a new Ark was made, started down to the scene of the accident, took on board the flour, and caught up to the first and only fleet which Galt ever possessed, at Port Robinson, about the middle of the Welland Canal.

Whatever the reasons may have been, this was the last occasion on which the Arks were used. Possibly a dove had returned with a sprig from Beverly swamp!