CHAPTER VII 
     
     MY BOYHOOD NEIGHBOURS 
     
    
   
   
    
     Grand View 
     
    
   
   
    
     Portage—"The Portash”—-as the settlement was then named 
     
     (later it was called Elmira), was a big circle cut out of the forest, 
     
     with its centre about half way across the Island. The road running 
     
     North and South passed through this centre. From the top of our 
     
     barn, which we boys used as an observatory, we could see the whole 
     
     settlement. The forest made a green border all around, and stretched 
     
     out in every direction as far as we could see. In a few places where 
     
     the trees were low, we could get glimpses of the sea, and as vessels 
     
     passed we could catch sight of their white sails; it was a magnificent 
     
     panorama. There were twenty families in. the settlement, about an 
     
     equal number on each side of the road. Those nearest us were Irish, 
     
     with a good fund of witty and quaint sayings and some odd ways. 
     
     Farther North, there were Scotch, who spoke Gaelic. We seldom saw 
     
     these and the Gaelic sounded very funny to us. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The neighbours were very friendly and kind to one another. In 
     
     cases of ordinary sickness many of the women were as skilful as regu- 
     
     lar doctors. A family living near our “Indian Marsh” farm had 
     
     sickness. The man went with his horse and sleigh for an old woman 
     
     in the south shore settlement, who was known far and wide for her 
     
     skill. On their way the horse got stuck in the snow and they could 
     
     not proceed farther with him. But the case was urgent and the old 
     
     woman could not wade through the snow. The man tied the horse to 
     
     a tree and took the old woman on his back and carried her two miles 
     
    
   
   
    
     to his home. Then he went back for his horse. 
     
    

    
     In critical cases, when the regular doctor was called in, we 
     
     thought it meant that the person was at the last ebb of life. In many 
     
     cases this was true, for people would not send for a doctor so long as 
     
    
   
   
    
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