The first edition of this book is dated 1844. The edition used is dated 1906. The publisher was Collins Cleartype Press. The number of pages is 321.

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General information

“The Settlers in Canada” was published in 1844, the twenty-first book to flow from Marryat’s pen. Marryat’s later books were written for a juvenile readership. This book is notable because it is not in Marryat’s earlier style, in that the narrative flows forward in a steady style, without the introduction of the usual asides which make his nautical books so readable. The subject material, set in the Canadian wilderness, is very well treated: in fact one might almost say that he had read the works of the later masters of Canadian wilderness writing, Ballantyne or Egerton Ryerson Young. Another feature which is unusual for him is the shortness and evenness of the chapters; nor are there any of the long paragraphs normal for his earlier works. This helps to make the book so suitable as a children’s book.

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Contents

Chapter I.
It was in the year 1794, that an English family went out to settle in Canada.

Chapter II.
After a delay of some months, Mr. Harvey again wrote to Mr. Campbell, informing him that the claim of the opposite party, so far from being fraudulent as he had supposed, was so clear that he feared the worst results.

Chapter III.
It may appear strange that after having been in possession of the estate for ten years, and considering that he had younger children to provide for, Mr. Campbell had not laid up a larger sum; but this can be fully explained.

Chapter IV.
Mr. Campbell was a person of many amiable qualities. He was a religious, good man, very fond of his wife, to whose opinions he yielded in preference to his own, and very partial to his children, to whom he was inclined to be over indulgent.

Chapter V.
The French sixty-gun ship proved to be the Leonidas; she had been sent out with two large frigates on purpose to intercept the convoy, but she had parted with her consorts in a gale of wind.

Chapter VI.
The next day the Surveyor-General called, bringing with him Martin Super, the trapper.

Chapter VII.
Although it was now the middle of May, it was but a few days before their departure that there was the least sign of verdure, or the trees had burst into leaf; but in the course of the three days before they quitted Quebec, so rapid was the vegetation, that it appeared as if summer had come upon them all at once.

Chapter VIII.
Captain Sinclair having stated that they would have a longer journey on the following day, and that it would be advisable to start as soon as possible, they rose at daylight, and in half an hour had breakfasted and were again in the boats.

Chapter IX.
The party were so refreshed by once more sleeping upon good beds, that they were up and dressed very early, and shortly after seven o’clock were all collected upon the rampart of the fort, surveying the landscape, which was indeed very picturesque and beautiful.

Chapter X.
The next morning, when they assembled at breakfast, after Mr. Campbell had read the prayers, Mary Percival said: “Did you hear that strange and loud noise last night? I was very much startled with it; but, as nobody said a word, I held my tongue.

Chapter XI.
We must pass over six weeks, during which the labour was continued without intermission, and the house was raised, of logs, squared and well-fitted; the windows and doors were also put in, and the roof well covered in with large squares of birchbark, firmly fixed on the rafters.

Chapter XII.
The Campbells remained for some time on the shore of the lake watching the receding bateaux until they turned round the point and were hidden from their sight, and then they walked back to the house.

Chapter XIII.
In the course of a week or two, things found their places, and the family began to feel more comfortable; there was also a degree of regularity and order established, which could not be effected during the time that the soldiers were employed.

Chapter XIV.
After Alfred’s return from the fort, a few days passed away without any incident; Martin had paid a visit to Malachi Bone, who had promised that he would be on the look-out and would give immediate information and assistance in case of any hostile measures on the part of the Indians.

Chapter XV.
It was on the Saturday evening, when they had all assembled round the fire, for it was more cold than it had hitherto been, that the moaning of the wind among the trees of the forest announced a gale of wind from the northward.

Chapter XVI.
The next morning was bright and clear, and when Emma and Mary went out, attended by Alfred, to go and milk the cows, although the cold was intense, everything looked so brilliant and sparkling in the sunshine that they regained their spirits.

Chapter XVII.
On the Monday morning, Alfred and Martin went to the cow-house, and slaughtered the bullock which they had obtained from the commandant of the fort.

Chapter XVIII.
“Here come Martin and John at last,” said Mr. Campbell, after they had been about a quarter of an hour at table.

Chapter XIX.
The next morning, a little after daybreak, Martin and John made their appearance, leading the magnificent dog which Captain Sinclair had given to John.

Chapter XX.
Alfred and Martin brought in the wolf which Emma had killed, but it was frozen so hard, that they could not skin it.

Chapter XXI.
Christmas-Day was indeed a change, as Emma had observed, from their former Christmas; but although the frost was more than usually severe, and the snow filled the air with its white flakes, and the north-east wind howled through the leafless trees as they rasped their long arms against each other, and the lake was one sheet of thick ice, with a covering of snow which the wind had in different places blown up into hillocks, still they had a good roof over their heads, and a warm, blazing fire on the hearth: and they had no domestic miseries, the worst miseries of all to contend against, for they were a united family, loving and beloved; showing mutual acts of kindness and mutual acts of forbearance; proving how much better was “a dish of herbs where love is, than the stalled ox with hatred therewith.

Chapter XXII.
When we left off our narrative, our Canadian settlers were enjoying themselves on Christmas-day.

Chapter XXIII.
For two or three days, Mr. Campbell was very busy making out an inventory of the articles which he required.

Chapter XXIV.
A notice arrived that the departure of the boat to Montreal would take place on the next morning.

Chapter XXV.
In two days Malachi and John returned, bringing with them the skins of three bears which they had killed—but at this period of the year the animals were so thin and poor, that their flesh was not worth bringing home.

Chapter XXVI.
It was nearly five weeks before Henry returned from his expedition to Montreal.

Chapter XXVII.
“How cheerful and gay everything looks now,” observed Emma to Mary, a few mornings after the celebration of the marriage.

Chapter XXVIII.
Mr. Campbell acceded to the offer made by the Commandant of the fort, and purchased of him at a moderate price eighteen oxen, which were all that remained of the stock at the fort, except the cows.

Chapter XXIX.
Once more was the ground covered with snow to the depth of three feet.

Chapter XXX.
The party had proceeded many miles before they arrived at the spot where Malachi thought that they would fall in with some venison, which was the principal game that they sought.

Chapter XXXI.
Thus in one short day was the family, or Mr. Campbell changed from a house of joy to one of mourning.

Chapter XXXII.
As Henry had predicted, during the autumn the whole family were fully employed.

Chapter XXXIII.
It was now April, and for some days Malachi and John had been very busy, assisted by the Strawberry; for the time had come for tapping the maple trees, to make the maple sugar, and Mrs. Campbell had expressed a wish that she could be so supplied with an article of such general consumption, and which they could not obtain but by the bateaux which went to Montreal.

Chapter XXXIV.
It was in the first week of June that Malachi, when he was out in the woods, perceived an Indian, who came towards him.

Chapter XXXV.
Martin was right when he stated that he perceived the form of the Angry Snake under the shade of the trees.

Chapter XXXVI.
Captain Sinclair was now very constantly at the house, for in the summer-time the Commandant allowed much more liberty to the officers.

Chapter XXXVII.
Previous to his starting for the fort, Alfred had a hasty communication with his father and mother, in which he informed them simply that it was evident that Mary had been carried off, and that it was the opinion of Malachi and Martin, that the Angry Snake was the party to be suspected.

Chapter XXXVIII.
It was a great annoyance to Captain Sinclair to have to wait in this manner, but there was no help for it.

Chapter XXXIX.
Not one of the party slept much on this night. Captain Sinclair, as it may be supposed, was fully occupied with Mary Percival, of whom more anon.

Chapter XL.
Captain Sinclair on his return to Fort Frontignac reported to the Colonel the successful result of the expedition, and was warmly congratulated upon it, as the Colonel had been made acquainted with the engagement between him and Mary Percival.

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