CHAPTER XX.

Clothing—Domestic and Farming Implements—Style of Dress eighty years ago—Clothing of the Refuges—Disbanded Soldiers—No Fresh Supply—Indian Garments of Skin—Deerskin Pants—Petticoats—Bed Coverings—Cultivating Flax—Sheep—Home-made Clothes—Rude Implements—Fulling—French Mode—Lindsay Woolsey—The Spinning-wheel—Young men Selecting Wives—Bees—Marriage Portion— Every Farmer his own Tanner and Shoemaker—Fashions—How odd hours were spent—Home-made Shoes—What Blankets were made of—Primitive Bedstead—Nakedness—Bridal Apparel—No Saddles—Kingston and Newark—Little Money—Bartering—Merchants from Albany—Unable to buy—Credit with Merchants—The Results—Itinerant Mechanics— Americans—Become Canadians—An old Stone-mason—Wooden Dishes— Making Spoons—Other Hardships—Indians Friendly—Effects of Alcohol upon the Mississaugas—Groundless Panic—Drunken Indians— Women, defending Themselves—An erroneous Statement about Indian Massacre in “Dominion Monthly Magazine”—Statement of an Old Settler, Sherwood—Wild Beasts—Few Fire-arms—Narrow Escapes— Depredations at Night—Destroying Stock—An Act of Parliament—“A traveller’s statement”—The Day of Small Things—Settlers Contented—The Extent of their Ambition—Reward of Industry— Population in 1808—Importations—Money—The Youth 211