Canadian Boat-Song facts for kids

The Canadian Boat-Song is a famous poem or song from the early 1800s. No one knows for sure who wrote it, which has made it a bit of a mystery! It's a song that tells a story about the adventurous life of early Canadian travelers.

The Mystery of the Canadian Boat-Song

The Canadian Boat-Song first appeared in a magazine called Blackwood's Magazine in September 1829. It was published in a section known as Noctes Ambrosianae. The magazine claimed the song was translated into English from Gaelic. It was also said to have come from the French-Canadian voyageurs. These were brave travelers who paddled large birchbark canoes. They carried goods from the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, up the Ottawa River, and far beyond Lake Superior. However, experts in Gaelic languages have since said that the song probably did not come from Gaelic.

Who Wrote This Famous Song?

The poem was supposedly sent from Upper Canada to a person known as "Christopher North." Many believe this was actually John Wilson, a writer who passed away in 1854. The real author of the song is still unknown. Several people have been suggested as the possible writer:

• William "Tiger" Dunlop (died 1848)
• John Galt (died 1839)
• John Gibson Lockhart (died 1854)
• David Macbeth Moir (died 1851)
• Walter Scott (died 1832)
• John Wilson himself

Out of all these names, the strongest evidence points to David Macbeth Moir as the author. The least likely person to have written it is Walter Scott. The true writer of the Canadian Boat-Song remains a fascinating puzzle from history!