| This important
township fronts on Long Point Bay. It has Houghton to the west, Middleton
on the north, and Charlotteville on the east. Its largest stream is Big
Creek, which enters the township at the 12th concession on the eastern
town line, and after many devious windings flows into the Bay at Port
Royal. At the 4th concession Big Creek is joined by its tributary the
Venison Creek, which drains the north-western part of the township. The
south-eastern portion is drained by Spring Creek, which flows into the bay
a little west of Port Rowan. The courses of these streams are in many
parts very deep, forming ravines and gulches which impede the traveller
but afford very valuable mill sites. Big Creek is the main stream of the
county. It rises in the north of Windham, flows south through that
township, then traverses Middleton, crosses the north-east corner of
Charlotteville for about three miles, and flow through Walsingham. It is
through this gate that have gone forth the giants of the forest of a large
part of Norfolk. The value of the saw logs that have been floated down
this stream the last seventy years is almost incalculable. The natural
wealth of the county has been steadily poured out through this channel as
the life-blood of a victim flows from his wounded throat.
The soil of this township varies
very greatly in different portions. The general character of the land in
the south is that of a heavy clay loam. About the centre it becomes sandy,
and from this to the north town line there is much excellent land, with
occasional ridges of sand. Taken as a whole, Walsingham promises to be one
of the finest agricultural districts in the county. Much of it is yet new,
especially in the west.
Long Point, which is a tongue of
sand extending out into the lake for about thirty miles, was attached to
his township for municipal purposes. It is now an island. The
"Cut" which separates it from the main land is wide, but too
shallow for general navigation. Long Point is now the property of a
private company, who bought it and keep it for purposes of shooting and
fishing. Immense numbers of wild duck are now found there, and afford much
sport for those who are fortunate enough to be shareholders. The sale of
this large tract by the government has excited very warm feelings of
dissatisfaction among a large number of persons who are thus excluded from
a hunting ground common to the public for over half a century. The company
have succeeded in greatly increasing the number of ducks, and of late have
introduced deer.
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