much was promised; and had I seen any chance amounting to five to
one that I should not have to spend my own money during the winter,
I should have gone, and, once well acquainted with the country, I
think we should have been able to live upon our land in some way
till I could trust myself to invest in a few implements. There must
be a fearful amount of gammon in the talk about this country
somewhere. I was told--in fact we were all told--that living in the
country was very cheap, and that living in Montreal was dear, but
according to Deacon it is just the reverse. He said he did not think
we could live in Regina, or thereabouts, supposing we got nothing to
do, under ten or twelve dollars a week, instead of five which we pay
here. I don't say that I believe it; someone must be in the wrong;
and until we can find out for ourselves it is impossible to say who
it is. It may just as well be Deacon as anyone else. Still, it would
have been unwise to go west so soon on pure speculation. The end of
it was the gentleman started away by himself, and Mr. Barnes said we
were quite right to stop where we were. He said, somehow or other,
he had managed to get a wrong impression of the whole affair. He has
since exerted himself a great deal in making enquiries in Henry's
behalf, and he gave me an introduction to a young fellow in the
Harbour Commissioner's office, which, however, did not prove of much
value. We have had to take our present diggings for another week,
not having been able to get finished up here in time. I do not want
to leave the place and leave any stone unturned, and there are
several people I can see yet. We see Roland Stanley nearly every
day, at a fish and game club where he introduced us, and which forms
a most convenient meeting place, &c. Like everyone else, he is very
good-natured, but his power of assisting us, so far, seems to lie
chiefly in his willingness to do so had he the power. He has given
over his farm to his son, and only kept his house and a few acres,