York May 3, 1856,
Dear brother and Sister
I now write you a few lines to let you know that I got home safe, after leaving you at Toronto I found I had an hour for strawling, and went into the soldiers barracks to see what I could discover, I saw there many women and many children, and one young woman well dresed walking out with a young soldier as if lately maried,
I now returned to the depo where were a large croud of people collected which is always the case at such times, the wether was fine, the cars went off at full speed, lickate brindle as the boy said when his cattle run away from him and he could not keep up with them,
There were many yankees on board the cars, I could tell almost every one of them by their bright, roling, chearfull, and far seeing eye, together with their short hair and long sences, also the goodly hue of their skin which denotes the well furnished tables at which they live, they were traveling from one extent of country to the other with great activity, in persuit of making money,
After passing the suspension bridge about twenty miles we came up with a wood train which had got off the track, we had timely notice to prevent a collision, after waiting some time, they got on the track and got out of our way, and we got to Rochester at one oclock, the next morning at ten oclock I was at Avon Springs, where I left the cars and went by stage twelve miles to the end of my journey, my expences were twelve dollars for my journey both ways, it was twice that amount last winter,
I will now say some thing about your city Toronto, and our city Rochester, Toronto has thirty thousand inhabitants, and Rochester has forty thousand, The publick buildings of Toronto may in some respects out reach those of Rochester, but the depo and the acwiduct which carries the canal over the river is great and splended, but the market at Toronto is four times as great as that at Rochester, But when we come to take the city of Rochester all together, the extensive, splendid and high finished blocks of private buildings the neatness and cleanliness which is every where combined with modesty, bespeaks that such a people must have their hearts softened, their feeling refined, and are made the better citizens,
One word about the country, the system of plowing among your farmers is performed with more scientific skill, than is done with our farmers here, except we plow deeper, than you, which is better for land and crop,
When I come to see the Genesee country again, the neat farms, the furtile fields, the buildings neatly aranged along the highway, the beutifull roling lands as far as the eye can see, all hansome timber such as maple, beach, basswood, ash, and oak, no pine, hemlock, ceder, nor swamp or any such ugly thing to be seen, well may I repeat it again that the Genesee is the garden of America, and if you would come and see for yourselves, you would return home saying as the Queen of Sheba said after visiting King Solomon, that one half had not been told you,
You may perhaps like to hear what my prospects are about staying here or coming back to your place, I can not say any thing at present, a man who lives in a village wants me to take the management of a farm for him, but I do not see as yet, that my situation could be very pleasant, and I think that I shall not accept of the offer,
I might have stayed with you untill after the plowing much as well as to have lift when I did,
My bugy is not sold yet, and I do not know what my luck may be in getting it sold,
My other business appears to wear a favourable aspect, I have not been very well since I got home,
I can not finish my letter without expressing my deep felt gratitude to each one, and all of you, for your tender kindness to me, which can never be forgoten and never be repaid by me,
The situation of your house made it so pleasant and agreable for me to excercise muself in writing, and everything combined to make all things agreable,
It is very likely I may write to you again next week, and it would be pleasant to me to receive a letter from you,
With much esteem I remain your affectionate brother
Erastus Knowlton
James Peters
Sina Peters
The wheat on the ground is about the same here as it is with you,
I have got some scions cut and buried, so if I return soon enough, I will bring them with me
There is some banks of snow seen here yet
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