The book in
which these notes were made was never sent, the master having learnt his
friend had taken a new tack of his farm. From this journal I will now
quote.

June 21.--Rushing work in getting up the shanties. Four men felling
trees and sawing their trunks into the desired length. Awkward in
chopping, I took the job of squaring the logs with the adze-ax. Gordon
notched the ends as I finished them. Digging his cellar Brodie struck
clay, which Jabez tells me is worth money to us. Under Ailie's
direction, the children planted potatoes round the stumps of the trees
as they were cut down, and made a garden on a bare strip of land on the
pond bank. Have got all the boards drawn from Yonge-street. Slow-work
with an ox-sled, having to dodge to avoid striking trees.

June 22.--Jabez helped Brodie to finish his cellar, lining it with
red-cedar poles. Great heat. Oxen drawing logs for the shanty.

June 23.--Began raising today. Jabez, never at a loss in finding the
easiest way, had left standing two trees at the site of the house.
Placing a stout pole in their crotches, long enough to reach across from
one to the other, he attached a pulley. An ox, hitched to the end of the
pulley-rope, hauled the logs to the spot and pulled them up as needed.
This saved much lifting and the walls went up quickly. Gordon had
notched the ends of the logs so exactly that they went together without
trouble.

June 24--Have got Brodie's house up to the square and began putting up
the rafters. Cloudy; heat more bearable.

June 25--Saturday; eager to get the shanty finished all hands turned to
the work, got the shingling finished and the ground floor laid. Mrs
Brodie moved in at dark. Though there was neither door nor windows in
place, she said she was prouder of her shanty than the Duchess of
Hamilton could be of her palace.

June 26--The heat of this country surpasses anything we ever knew in
Scotland. All very tired and glad to rest in the shade, with a smudge to
keep off the mosquitoes. Strange to say, the children do not seem to
care much about the heat.

June 27--Jabez arrived with a wagon loaded with lumber. Drew on sled
first the doors and sashes, which he had got a carpenter to make for
Brodie's house, which Gordon fitted in. Afternoon being wet, we helped
to lay the loft floor and to chink the house from the inside. Gordon put
up two wide shelves in the corners for beds, and is making a table with
benches on each side to sit on. Th