July 1 Iroquois to Westville, New York

July 1st happenings were on the radio as i rolled along the St. Lawrence today so i was feeling quite patriotic and happy that we still have an intact country in spite of the Separatists. Just west of Cornwall is this large monument. There is also an interpretive center about the battle of Chryslers farm which I walked through and talked to the young fellow there who had the summer job of tour guide for Parks Canada.

In 1812 the Americans would have liked to kick the British out of North America. Eight hundred British, Canadians(many of them French) and Iroquois held off 4000 Americans. If this battle had been lost the history of Canada might have been much different. A pivotal time which not many people know about.

That was almost two hundred years ago so I thought that the "Muricans" have probably got over it by now so went over the bridge into New York. The American Border agent warned me to be careful of the Mohawks as I would be passing through their land. They were quite friendly and gave out directions or waved as I went by. Their dogs were a different matter. Three times big loose dogs come out for me and had to peddle like mad to leave them behind. Came as far as Westville and camped by the river here as for once it was not raining. The campground manager had an English bulldog named Isabella who was quite well behaved and expressed an interest in the sandwich I was eating because it had cheese in it. Just to make friends I gave her a small piece. She has the typical snoring breathing of the English bulldog so now it sounds like there's a drunk passed out under my table as she waits for a possible second piece of cheese.

Will cross over the top of New York into Vermont tomorrow.