Tiger Dunlop's Upper Canada: comprising Recollections of the American war 1812-1814, and Statistical sketches of Upper Canada for the use of Emigrants

by William Dunlop

Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Derrick Grose]

The engaging personality of the author, a medical officer in the British Army during the War of 1812 and, many years later, a land promoter, with connections in the literary world, shines through in this guide for settlers coming to Upper Canada in the mid-nineteenth century. It is interesting to hear about travel from the United Kingdom to Niagara-on-the-Lake and details of garrison life in Upper Canada. Practical advice about choosing where to settle includes the recommendation to avoid the most thoroughly cleared land because there is a good chance the soil has been depleted. The book also reveals the racial and religious prejudices of the day with a romantic view of the life of an Indian in the wilderness juxtaposed with a commitment to civilizing the wilderness. Unfortunately there is a fair amount of repetition in this volume which is an amalgamation of Tiger's writings which was not written with a view to publication in a single volume.