The snow begins to melt in April, and the thaw is so rapid that it is generally gone by the second or third week. Vegetation then resumes its suspended powers ; the fields are clothed with verdure, and spring can scarcely be said to exist before summer is at hand. In Upper Canada, the winters are much shorter than in Lower Canada, nor is the cold so in tense. The spring opens, and the labours of the farmer commence six weeks or two months earlier than in the neighbourhood of Quebec. The climate is not liable to the same extremes either of heat or cold, and the weather in autumn is usually favour able for securing all the late crops.
The exports from Canada consist chiefly of oak and pine timber, deals, masts, and bowsprits, spars of all denominations, staves, pot and pearl ashes, peltry, wheat, flour-biscuit, Indian corn, pulse, salt provi sions, furs of various descriptions, and other miscel laneous articles. The imports are wines, rum, sugar, molasses, coffee, tobacco, salt, coals, and all sorts of manufactured articles from Great Britain. The commerce of Canada has been progressively increas ing since it became a British colony. In the year 1769, the value of produce exported amounted to L. 163,105 ; and it employed 70 vessels belonging to ' Great Britain and to her subjects in the different colonies of North America. Not more than twelve vessels were engaged at this period in the fisheries of the St Lawrence, and about six were sent to the West Indies.' In the course of the next ten years, the trade appears to have greatly improved ; and the number of vessels employed in 1775 was increased to 97, containing 10,841 tons. In the succeeding ten years, the number of vessels which entered the St Lawrence was diminished to 57. But in the, course of another period of ten years, about the year 1795, not less than 128 vessels were employed in 'the commerce of Canada. This increase was oc casioned by the scarcity of grain which prevailed at that time in Britain, and in other countries of Europe ; to supply the augmented demands from this quarter, there were exported from Canada in that year 395,000' bushels of wheat, 18,000 barrels of flour, and 20,000 cwts. of biscuit. The high prices which were procured for those necessary arti cles, gave a powerful stimulus to industry in all its branches, and by increasing the capital of the colo ny, gave it the means of carrying on a more extend ed commerce. The following is an account of its exports and imports In 1799 and the three following years, large ex portations of grain took place. In 1802, 1,010,000 bushels of wheat, 38,000 barrels of flour, and 32,000 cwts. of biscuit were sent abroad; and the number of vessels engaged in the trade of the colony was 211, the aggregate burden of which amounted to 36,000 tons. Agriculture in Canada has since been greatly extended,—the surplus produce has of course increased, and we find the exports amounting for 1807 to L. 813,900 ; the imports to L. 467,294. In 1808 the exports had increased to L. 1,156,060, and the imports to L. 610,000.
The following is an account of the value of the exports to the British colonies in North America during four years previous to 1814 :— Braid) Produce. Foreign. Total 1810, L.1,484,388 L.263,733 1811, 1,578,464 266,095 1,844,559 1812, 1,658,531 251,158 1,909,6891813, 1,134,987 284,032 1,419,019 This includes the exports to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, which being deducted, the annual value of the exports to Canada will not be found to amount to more than one million. ' Since the year 1808, therefore, its trade does not appear to have materially increased. In 1808, the number of ves sels which cleared outwards from Britain to Canada was 179, and the number of arrivals from Canada, in the same year,' was 202. In 1815, those which cleared outwards amounted only to 132, and those which entered inwards only to 138. This, however, is probably owing to accidental circumstances ; since it cannot be doubted that as the interior ad vanes in population and improvement, there will be a correspondmg increase of external trade.
For a long period after settlement, the colony of was neglected by the court of France, and its administration was left, in a resit measure, to the discretion of individuals. In 1668, it was raised to the dignity of a royal government, and from this period its governors were appointed by a regular commission from the king. Its inhabitants amounted to about 7000, who, possessing the advan tages of a free trade and of regular government, be gan rapidly to increase ; and, in 1714, their numbers had risen to 20,000. The colony would even have increased more rapidly, but, by the rashness of its governors, it was engaged in almost perpetual hosti lity with the native tribes,• by whose continued in cursions the attention of the settlers was distiacted from agriculture to war. Under these disadvanta ges, however, its population had increased, in 1759, when it was conquered by the English, to 70,000. The conquest of a country must be regarded as a serious evil, even in circumstances the most favour able ; and the revolution which took place, in conse quence of this event, in the government and political institutions of Canada, tended, for some years, to retard its progress. The change of allegiance from ' i one sovereign to another, was rendered as easy as possible to the inhabitants, by the lenient measures . of the conquerors. Their laws were allowed to remain unaltered. They were secured in the undisturbed possession of their lands un- der their ancient tenures, and in the free posses- sion of their religion. All religious property was respected, and every concession was made by the British Government in favour of the peculiar cus- toms and manners of its new subjects. Under this judicious management, the country soya began to improve, and, in the year 177-5, its population, cluding the new settlers in Upper Canada, who could • amount to above some thousands, bad increased to 90,000.. In 1814, according to a regular census, the province of Lower Canada contained 885,000 inhabitants. Of this number 285,000 may be reck oned native Canadians, descendants of the original French settlers. The remainder is composed of emi petits from various nations, chiefly English, Scotch, Irish, and American. In the year 1788, the settlers of Upper 'Canada were estimated at 10,000, of which the numerous frontier poets and Far risoni constituted by far the greatest part. After this period; the number of settlers was augmented by a great accession of loy *We and disbanded soldiers, and by emigrants from the United States, and from Great Britain, so that in the year 1814 the inhabitants of the province had increased, according to the most accurate returns to 95,000. Since ,the year 1798, the progress of this colony has been particularly rapid. In that a solitary Indian wigwam stood where the town of York, the capital of Upper Canada, is now built. la the succeeding spring, the ground was marked out for the future .metropolis of the country, and it now contains 2500 inhabitants, and is fast increas iog. It is the residence of the chief officers of go vernment, both civil end military, and affords many of the more refined comforts' and convenieucies of life. A newspaper is printed onee.a week, and its markets are welt supplied with every necessary frosu ' the adjacent lands, which are in a high state of • tivation. The other towns of Upper Canada are Kingston, Johnstown, and Cornwall. The taro 1st, tar contain only sixty or seventy houses, built of wood. The town of Kingston was founded in 1784, and it new presents a front of nearly three quarters of a mile in length, and extending iq breadtk about 600 yards. It contains 870 houses, and •he streets are regularly planned, crossing each, other at right angles, though they are not paved.