The Project Gutenberg EBook of Recollections of Bytown and Its Old
Inhabitants, by William Pittman Lett

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Title: Recollections of Bytown and Its Old Inhabitants

Author: William Pittman Lett

Release Date: February 4, 2005 [EBook #14908]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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RECOLLECTIONS

OF

BYTOWN

AND ITS

OLD INHABITANTS

BY

WILLIAM PITTMAN LETT.

OTTAWA:

"CITIZIEN" PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY, SPARKS STREET

1874.

INTRODUCTION.

As no book, small or great--gay or grave, witty or sublime, scientific,
dramatic, poetic, tragic, historical, metaphysical, philosophical,
polemical, wise or otherwise--can be considered complete, particularly
at the beginning, without a preface; I have deemed it expedient that the
contents of the following pages should be dignified by a few lines of an
introductory nature.

It was not my intention when I commenced these reminiscences to publish
them in their present form, neither had I any idea of their extending
beyond a few hundred lines. That I have changed my mind is entirely
owing to the solicitations of friends desirous of having them in compact
shape, and not to any particular ambition of my own to write a book.

I do not pretend to present the reader with anything perfect in rhythm,
polished in measure, or labored in style of construction. I have aimed
at the truth, and imagine I have hit it.

My object has been, simply, to gather together as many of the names and
incidents connected with Bytown's early history as memory alone could
recal. My desire has been to rescue from oblivion--as far as my humble
efforts could conduce to such a desirable end--what otherwise might
possibly have been forgotten. In the contemplation