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Since its publication five years have passed away, during which many changes have taken place in the Province, its resources have been more fully developed, and by *he census of 1861 many new facts have also been collected. The Geogi*aphy of 1859 is, consequently, not adapted to 18(54. As necessary changes were numerous, it seemed most advisable to rewrite the whole work. It is hoped that this course will commend itself to teachers and others interested in education. Much statistical information is furnished in a tabular form, rather for reference than for school lessons. The author would acknowledge his obligations to the sev* eral gentlemen who have rendered him valuable assistance. Every available work bearing upon the sulyect on hand hasi been consulted ; special mention is due to McKay's Ge- ography, Lovell's Geography, Dawson's Handbook of Nova Seotia, and Haliburton's History of Nova Sootia. ni «• i' n f I SUGGESTIONS TO THE TEACHER. O"^-* UxDER tho old regime it was not cuBtomary for the child to commence the study of geography until he could read tolerably "vvell. "\Vc consider thiis was a very unnecessary and injurious delay. The youngest child in school may \)e both instructed and interested by this study. If gcograpJiy is presented judiciously, no study will prove more captivating, or better calculated to un- fold the youthful mind ; because the child's present stock of knowledge is called into requisition and he, as it were, feels his way from the known to the unknown. Wo refer to a system of oral lessons, suited, in style and language, to the undeveloped capacity. It is Bcarc'?ly practicable, nor is it necessary, to write out such a uV3- tem of lessons. They should vary according to the lo'"il circumstances of every school. We subjoin a specimen lesson, giving an idea of the course proposed. If the teacher will follow out this plan, carefully taking advan- tage of the geographical features of his district, which are fiuniliar to his pupils, we believe that by the time they are old enough to read a geography, its terms will be to them like common words and many of its facts and principles like nursery tales. ORAL LK8S0N. T ORAL LESSON. Children, you liavc seen a heavy fall of rnin, did nil the water eink immediately into the earth ? No.* Did it remain standing on the ground like a great pond? No, if. ran in brooks. What caused it to flow? — When I pour water upon the level floor, it remains where I put it; when I pour it upon the de.sk, it rims off" from the higher parts to the lower. In the purfaco of the earth level, like the floor? No, it has hills and hollows. So, when the water falls upon the hills, it does not remain still ; but runs into the hollows^ or, can you give me another word for hoUowe ? Valleys. You see then that the water iiows because the earth is not level. If the earth were level, when the rain fell, it would lie upon the ground. Did you ever see a pool of standing water ? Yes. AYas it clear and good ? No ^ it was dirty. After remaining in the sun for some time, it Ijecame green and filthy. If the whole earth were covered with corrupt water of this kind it would be very had. So we should be very thankful to God for making hills and valleys. When the rain falls upon the roof of the house, it runs off. Does it all run one way? No, it runs two ways; because the roof slopes two ways. The highest part is called the ridge. Now if there is a high ridge of land, the water will run two ways. What do you call a ridge of land that throws oflf the water both ways? — ^Where does your father keep his ploughs and harrows? In the shed. Why docs he put them there ? To keep the rain '* <» i * The children are supposed to ^ve the words in italics. I r ■• <» ORAL LKSSON, 7 off. The rain falls upon the roof of the shed, and runs off. Thereof — what does the roof do to the rain? It throws it off. Give mo anotlicr word for throws off. — Wlien a person weeps, woiijd you say he throws off tears? No. You would say, ho sheds tears. So the roof sheds the rain. And the ridge of land throws off or sheds the water. And you would therefore call the ridge a shed. Yes, it is called the water-ehed. You have seen, after a heavy rain, deep channels cut in the road. These were made by the water. Would the water have made these channels, if it had been lying still? No, The earth was washed away by running water. The hole from which the earth has l>een washed away is called a channel. And the bottom of the channel upon which the brook lies is called — what do you lie upon at night ? A bed. So the bottom of the channel upon which the river lies is called its bed. What do you see lying upon the bed of the brook? Little stones , or pebbles, which are very smooth. The stream has washed away the earth and left the stones. Are the stones you dig up in the garden as smooth as the stones in the brook? No, they an rough. What has made the stones in the brook so smooth? If you rub two stones together, they will become smooth. So the water, flowing over the pebbles, jostles them against each other and makes, them smooth. Can you tell me now what a river is? A stream &J water. Are the little brooks that run along the streets after a rain, rivers? No, they are too small. A river is a large stream. Small streams are called brooks, and BDOiall brooks are called— can you tell me what a leaflet ii? A tmail leaf; and a small brook is a brooklet. What pr^fents ^ water iu th« riirar £mm loAiriiig its 8 ORAL LKSSOK. bod and flowing ovrr tlio Innd? Tin: hanlis. IIow many banks are there ? Two. One upon each side. One Ih called the right bank and tlie othiT the left bank. The right bank is that which you would have upon your right hand, if you were sailing down the river ; and the loft bank is that on the left hand. Suppose wo go up the river, or in the direction from which the water comes. Will you observe any change in the river? Ycs^ it would he smaller. Why does it become smaller ? — As the rivor flows through the country it receives many brooks, so that the lower part of the stream would contain more water than the upper. The river is like the trunk of a tree and the brooks like the branches. So the streams that run into the river are 1/5 branches. The branches are made up of smaller branches ; so if we go far back into the country, the streams will be quite small and they will be called brooks or brooklets. Where do the brook- lets come from ?— You have seen a little stream flowing from the side of a hill where the water came out of the ground. This was called a spring. A spring is where the water comes up out of the ground; and the little stream that runs away from the spring is a brooklet. How does the water get in the ground. The rain. So the rain that sinks into the ground forms springs, and springs form brooklets, and brooklets form brooks, and brooks rivers. Rivers flow into the sea. The source of anything is that which gives it beginning ; thus the river has its source in springs. Now I may tell you that the end of the river where it flows into the sea is called its mouth. Where is the ground highest ? — at the source of ihfi river or at its mouth ? At the source. How do you know this ? Bicauit thM water nmtt run down hiU. So wc may know that the higheflt part of a country is the place when; tho rivero have their source. You have told me that the rivcrH How into tho sea ; would you not eup- poflc tliat the sea would got full? We have not time in this IcBson to explain the reason why the sea does not get full, I wish you now all to repeat this verso from the Bible, which will form the subject of a lesson, another day. ** All tho rivers run into the sea, yet tho sea is not full ; unto tho place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again." ¥ 1^ INTRODUCTION. V.- it CHAPTER I. aEN£BAIi OUTIiINB. The Heavenly Bodies. — When children look out on a clear night and see the moon and stars shining in the heavens, they should remember that the earth on which we live is just like many of those distant heavenly bodies, and that if they were living on the moon, the earth would then sometimes appear as bright and beautiful as the moon does now. The heavenly bodies are divided into three great classes, — fixed stars, planets, and com'sts, The fixed stars are supposed to be similar to the sun, and they shine by their own light ; but most of them are removed to an incalculable distance from our earth. Astronomers tell us that the nearest fixed star is so remote that light, which travels 192,000 miles per second, would be 3 1-4 years in coming from it to the earth. The stars, visible to the naked eye, are divided into six classes, according to their apparent magnitude. The planets, like the moon, shine only by rctiect- 11 12 INTRODUCTION. ing the light which they receive from the sun and the fixed stars. They can be distinguished by their steady light. Comets are much less dense than planets, and they possess a long luminous appendage, called a tail. a The Solar System. — The word solar is de- rived from the Latin SoL the sun. The Solar S^'stem consists of the sun, the planets, and the COMETS. The sun, in the centre of the system, is nearly a million and a half times larger than the earth, and its diameter is over 880,000 miles, or nearly four times the distance of the moon from the earth. The planets are divided into primary, which revolve directly round the sun, and second- ary, which revolve round their primaries. The primary planets are situated at difierent distances from the sun, round which they revolve in nearly circular orbits or paths, turning at the same time upon their own axes. There are over 80 ])rimary planets of which only 8 are of considerable size. These are Mer- cury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The remainder are quite small, and are called j?>?aneioic?5. The number of secondary planets, called, also, satellites and moons, is twenty ; one revolves around the earth, four around Jupiter, seven around Saturn, six around Uranus, and one around Neptune. ^ „ ^_.,: THE EARTH. 18 id a The Earth. — The earth is shaped iVKe an orange, being flattened at the poles, and is tnere- fore called a spheroid. It is nearly 8,000 miles in diameter, and about 25,000 miles in circum- ference. It is 95,000,000 of miles distant itom the sun, around which it revolves in 365 1-4 days nearly. The eaith also turns on its axis once in 24 hours.- The immense distance of the earth from the sun can be more easily realized from the fact, that if there was a railroad from the one body to the otlier, a car, going at the rate of a mile a minute, would require ISO years to travel over the distance. Some of the planets are very much larger than the earth, and some are much farther from the sun. We live upon the outside or surface of the earth, and, of course, are whirled around with it, as it turns upon its axis, and car- ried forward with it, as it moves around ttie sun. The ancients erroneously believed the earth to be an extended plain or le\"el surface ; the follow- ing are some of the proofs of its globular form :— 1. As we travel east or west, the sun rises pro- portionally earlier or later : and as we go north or south, new stars come in view and old ones disappear behind us. 2. If we ascend a tower or mountain, we obtain a more extended view of the earth's surface, and when a distant ship comes in sight, we first see the topmasts, then the yards, and, finally, the hull, just as if she were coming over a convex surface. 3. Navigators have sailed round the world, by pursuing uniformly an easterly or westerly cour9e« ;^^f.,^w' i li 14 tN'TRODUCnON'. 4. The shadow of the earth, rlnring an eclipse of the moon, is always circular. Meridians and Paraixels. — In order to de- termine accurately the position of places on the earth's surface, imaofinarv circles are drawn round it, some of which run north and south, others east and west. Every circle is divided into 300 equr4l parts, called degrees. The circles which divide the earth into two equal parts are called great cir- cles, those which divide it into two unequal parts are called small circles. Those circles which run north and south are called Meridians, and are all great circles. Thej' mark the Longitude of places, or the distance east or west of one place from iinother. Longitude is reckoned from the first Meridian, which runs through Greenwich near London. Those places on the east of the first Meridi \n have east longitude, those on the west have w-est longitude. A great circle, called the Equatx R, equidistant from the poles, passes round the ear di, east and west, and divides it into the NoBTHVsRN and Southern Hemispheres. Small circles, called parallels of latitude, are drawn be- tween vhe equator and the poles, and mark the dis- tance liorth or south from the equator. The most important of the parallels are the Tropics and the Polar Circles. The Tropic of Cancer is 23 1-2 degi*ees north of the equator, the Tropic- of Capricorn, 23 1-2 south ; the Arctic Cir- cle is 23 1-2 degrees ft-om the north pole, the Antarctic 23 1-2 from the south pole. Zones. ---The Tropics and the F<>\ux Circles di- vide the earth into five Zones, differing in climate ^ ISOTHERMAL LIK£«. 15 L';> ' i and productions. They are called the Torrid, North Temperate, South Temperate, North Frigid, and South Frigid Zones. Climate. — The climate of a country has refer- ence to the character of the weather, its tempera- ture, moisture, and other conditions affecting ani- mals and plants ; climate depends upon a variety of causes. As we go from the equator, the sun's rays fall more obliquely, and hence fewer of them fall upon a given space, and the temperature is lower. Cold increases very rapidly as we rise above the sea level, so that mountains in the tor« rid zone are covered constantly with snow. When the aspect or slope of a country is towards the equator, the sun's rays fall more vertically, and the heat is increased ; if the aspect is tot wards the poles, the contrary effect is produced^ If the prevailing winds blow from a large body ol water, more rain will fall than if they came across extensive tracts of land ; if they come from a burning desert, they will increase the heat« Clearing away forests and drainage also affecf climate, causing less rain and elevating th« temperature. Isothermal lines. -^ As climate depends upon such a variety of causes, the parallel of latitudt gives but a very indefinite idea of the temperature. Lines are therefore drawn around the earth, re- ceding from the equator, or approaching it, accord- ing to the influence of local causes. Bythes« lines, each hemisphere is divided into six vegeta- ble ZONES, named from the characteristic products. 1. The region of Spices and Coffee. i. The region of the Sugar Cane and Cotton. 'ii>-f'&^ . 1« «»lMi. 16 INTRODUCTION. 8. The region of the wine grape and maize. 4. The region of the wheat and oak. 5. The region of barley, oats, and fir. 6. The region of mosses and lichens. Land and Water. — The area of the earth's surface is 197,000,000 of square miles, nearly three-fourths of which are covered with water ; about three-fourths of the land surface is situated on the north of the equator. . Continents and Islands. — . Tlie land surface of the globe is estimated at 51,500,000 square miles. Very large bodies of land are called continents ; smaller portions, entirely surrounded by water, are called islands. There are three continents, the Eastern Continent, or Old World, including Europe, Asia, and Africa ; the Western Continent, or New World, including North and South Amer- ica; and Australia. The area of the Eastern Continent is about twice as great as that of tho Western, and ten times tha^ of Australia. Europe has the gi*eatest extent of seacoast in proportion to its size ; it also contains the most powerful nations and the most celebrated institu- tions of learning. In the south are three noted peninsulas, of which the eastern and central were Tespectively the centres of the Grecian and Roman empires. The most powerful empires of modern Europe are Great Britain, France, Russia, Aus- tria and Prussia. . Asia is the largest of the six divisions. Its mountains, plains, and rivers are on a gi'and scale. The Himalaj'^a Mountains, of which the highest point is 29,000 feet above the sea-level, are the most elevated in the world. Asia is noted 4 i NORTH AMERICA. 17 n / i as the cradle of the human race, and as the place in which were transacted most of the events re- corded in the Bible. Its most distinguished an- cient empires were the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Medo-Persian. The most important of its present political divisions are the Chinese Empire, the British possessions, the Russian possessions, and the empire of Japan, consisting of several large islands on the east coast. Africa is yet but partially explored. It i-^ noted for the regularity of its coasts, its extensive deserts, hot climate, scarcity of rain, the barbar- ism of its inhabitants, and the size and ferocity of its wild animals. The gieat desert of Africa^ called the Sahara, covering an area of 2,500,000 square miles, is the largest desert in the world. Its ancient kingdoms were Egypt and Carthage, the former noted for its antiquity and its progress in the arts, and the latter for its commerce. The most important of its political divisions are Egypt, the Barbary States, and Cape Colony. North America is noted for its extensive mountain chains, large rivers, and lakes. The Mississippi, with its tributaries, is the largest river system, and Lake Superior the largest collec- tion of fresh water on the globe. Shortly after the discovery of America, the Spaniards, French, and English subdued the native Indians, and es- tablished colonies in the country ; but the great- er number of these have thrown off their alle- giance to European powers and established inde- pendent governments. Its most important civil divisions are British America, The United States* and Mexico. 2 1 1 18 INTllODUCTION. Sou . H America is noted for the rcgulaTitj* of its <;oast, its lofty mountains, large rivers, and the profusion and variety of its tropical products. The river Amazon is said to be 4,000 miles long, and to drain an area of over 2,000,000 square miles. The greater part of this countr}'^ was conquered and colonized by Spain and Portugal, about 200 years ago. Within the last 50 years the colonies belonging to these nations have gain- ed their independence. The most important divi- sion of South America is the empire of Brazil, which has an area nearlj' equal to that of Europe, Australia is distinguished for its compactness, the regularity of its coast, its minerals, and the peculiarity of its plants and animals. Of 5,710 native plants now discovered in Australia, 5,440 belong to this continent alone ; and of 58 species of quadrupeds, 46 are unknown elsewhere. When discovered, in 1606, it contained no fruits or do- mestic quadrupeds. The most important Islands of the globe are the British Isles, the West Indies, and the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Population. — The inhabitants of the earth number over 1,000,000,000. They are divided into five great races, distinguished from each other by their color, shape of the head, and general features. The following table gives the probable number belonging to each race. Caucasian 400,000,000 Mongolian 470,000,000 Negro 80,000,00a Malay 40,000,000 Amerioan 10,000,000 fmAL - 1,000,000.000 ! i i OCEAN3. 19 n ! i i Area and Population of the six great divisions of tlie globe. NAME. AP.EA. POPULATION. Europe Asia. Africa N. America S. America 3,500,000 17,000,000 11,000,000 8,500,000 0,500,000 3,000,000 205,000,000 000,000,000 00,000,000 50,000,000 SO,000,OGO 1,000,000 Australia Oceans. — The water surface of the earth ii divided into five great oceans, the Atlantic, Pa- cific, Indian, Northern, and Southern. The At- lantic lies between the Old and the New Worlds, having Europe and Africa on the east, and Amer- ica on the west. The Pacific has Asia on the west and America on the east. The Indian Ocean lies to the south of Asia. The Northern or Arctic Ocean is situated around the North Pole, and the Southern or Antarctic, round the South Pole. ?i li 20 INTRODUCTIOH. i CHAPTER n. * NOBTH AMEBICA. Boundaries. — North America has the Atlantic on the east, the Arctic on tlie north, the Tacificon the west and southwei=>t, and the Gulf of Mexioo on the southeast. It is connected with South America by the Isthmus of Panama. The narrow part in the south is called Central America. Situation and Extent. — North America lies between 7^^ 15' and 71^ 23' N. Lat., and 55^ W and 108^ W. Long, The extreme length, from the Isthmus of Panama to the most northern point, is about 5,600 miles and the breadth, across the middle of British America, 3,120 miles. Political Divisions. — The following table gives the political divisions, their area, popula- tion, and capital. NAME. Russian America British America Danish America United States Mexico Guatemala San Salvador Honduras Nicaras:ua Cofita Rica British Honduras* B AREA IN BQ. M. 394,000 3,488,300 380,000' 3,200,000 856,000 43,380 9,594 39,600 49,500 13,590 19,200 POPULA- TION. 06,000 4,000.000 9,400 31,250,000 7,845,000 970,400 394,000 350,000 260,000 215,000 11,0001 CAPITAL. New Archangel Ottawa Julianshaab Weushiogton Mexico New Guatemala Cojutepequd Oamayagua Leon San Jofie Balize Surface. — There are three principal mountain systems in North America : — SLOPES. — LAKES. 21 \ I 1. The Allegiianies, consistinj:^ of several parallel ranges on the east of the continent. Black Mountain, in North Carolina, and Mount Washington, in New Hampshire, over six thou- sand feet high, are the most elevated peaks. 2. The RocKV Mountains, extending through the whole length of North America; in Mexico they are called the Cordilleras. Popocatapetl, in the south of Mexico is 17,717 feet high. i\. The Pacific Coast IMountains, extending from the south of California into Russian Amer- ica. Mount St. Elias, the highest point in North America, has an elevation of 1 7,8G0 feet. Slopes. — There are five principal river slopes in North America : — 1. The NoRTHEASTEUN Slope, containing the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries. 2. The Eastern Slope, comprising all the rivers which flow into the Atlantic. 3. Tlie Southern Slope, including the Mis- sissippi and all the rivers which flow into the Gulf of Mexico. 4. The Pacific Slope, including the Columbia and other rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean. 5. The Northern Slope, including the Mac- kenzie and other streams flowing into the Arctic Ocean and Hudson's Bay. Lakes. — North America surpasses all the other great divisions in the grandeur of its lakes. The live most important arc Superior, Huron, Mich- igan, Erie, and Ontario. They are partly in British America and partly in the United States. They cover an area of 94,000 square miles, and are drained by the River St. Lawrence. « M ^ 1 M INTnODUCTlOK. Islands. — The principal islands are the West Indies, l>L'rmud:w, Newfoundland, Cape Breton, rrince Edward Lsland, Vancouver, and Queen Cliarlotte Island. Climate. — Nortli America, especially in high latitudes, is colder than places similarly situated in Europe. The climate i.s also nnich more severe on the Atlantic coast of America than on the Pa- Pacilic, in the siime latitude. Russian Amkrica consists principally of an elevated plateau. In the south there is a lofty mountain range, of which Mount St. Elias is the highest point. The climate is very severe and the soil sterile. The most important products are furs and fish. The inhabitants are Esqui- maux and Indians. Greknlaxd or Danish America is now gener- ally regarded as an island. The northern portion is still unexplored. It is rocky and elevated. The climate and products are similar to those of Russian America. July is the only month in which snow does not fall. Vegetables are culti- vated in sheltered places in the south. The in- habitants are Esquimaux. British America extends from the United States to the Arctic Ocean. Near the Pacific const is an elevated plateau, traversed by the Kocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast Range. The country east of these mountains is noted foi its numerous and extensive lakes. The northern portion of British America is inhospitable, and chiefly valuable for its furs ; the south is in the temperate zone, and is well suited to agri- eultural pursuits. A largo portion of Britisl;' 1 MEXICO. 2d -' America was originally colonized by the French, and many of the inhabitants are of French ex- traction. United States. — Tliis is a large and highly important division of North America. It extends from Mexico to British America, occupying the whole breadth of the continent. The surface is very diversified ; but it may be considered under three great divisions, — the Atlantic slope, the Pacific slope, and the basin of the Mississippi. The principal mountains are the Alleghanies, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Coast Range. The Misbissippi, with its tributaries, drains an area nearly equal to two-thirds of Europe. The internal commerce of the country is greatly facilitated by its numerous rivers and lakes. The climate and soil are varied, being in the northeast adapted to grazing and esculents ; in the middle and west to wheat and Indian corn ; in the south to cotton, rice, sugar-cane, and to- bacco. The north is noted for its enterprise, manufac- tures, and commerce ; in the south the labor is performed principally by African slaves. There are many large and beautiful cities, as New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, and Cincinnati. The United States owe their origin to thirteen British Colonies, which revolted and declared their independence in 1776. Mexico has great diversity of surface, climate, and productions. The coasts are low, hot, and unhealthy ; but they yield every variety of trop- ical produce. The interior consists of elevated I 24 INTRODUCTION. table-land, traversed by several mountain ranges. The vegetable products vary according to the elevation. Mexico is noted for its rich mines of gold and silver, especially the latter, of which it has yielded more than all the rest of the world. The largest river is the Rio Grande, which sepa- rates the country from the United States. Mexico City has a beautiful situation 7,500 feet above the level of the sea. When America was discovered, the natives ol Mexico were far more civilized than those of the north. They had large towns, and pos- sessed great wealth. The Spaniards, led on bji Cortez, conquered them, treated them very cruel- ly, in order to obtain their riches, and at length took possession of their country. Mexico re- volted from Spain and became an independent republic in 1821. Central America consists of several small political divisions, for which see table of " Politi- cal Divisions of North America," page 20. The interior is elevated ; on the east coast the surface is low and level, and the climate is very insalubrious. The products are similar to those of Mexico. The States of Central America were formerly subject to Spain ; they threw off their allegiance in 1824, and are now, with the exception of Brit- ish Honduras, independent republics. The West Indies consist of about 1,000 islands, between North and South America, having a united area of 92,793 miles and a population ol about 3,500,000. They are noted for their rich tropical produce, with which they supply the rest WEST INDIES. 25 of the civilized world. They are divided into three groups, — the Bahamas, Great Antilles, and Less Antilles. The Bahamas consist of about 600 islands southeast of the United States. The Great Antilles include Cuba, Jamaica, Porto Rico, p.ud Hayti, or Dominica. The Less Antilles include the Virgin, the Windward, and the Lee- ward Islands. I u INTKODL'CTION. CHAPTER III. THE BRITISH EMPIRE. I Capttat, London. Population, 2,500,000. The Bkitisii Empire consists of England, Scat- land, and Ireland, — called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, — together with extensive colonial possessions in all the great divisions of the globe. In respect to power, commerce, wealth, literatnre, and civilization. Great Britain ranks lirst among the nations of the earth. Its area is computed at 8,500,000 of square miles, which is equal to the area of North America, or about one-sixth of the land surface of the globe. The population is over 200,000,000. The number of ships-of-war is betwesn 700 and 800, carrying 18,000 guns, and 80,000 men. The army numbers about 220,000. The following table gives the area and popula- tion of the British possessions : — XAXE. AREA IN SQ. M. POPULATION. British Isles Other possessions in EuroDe 122,550 144 207,202 1,311,541 3,000,000 125,191 3,596,989 8,363,617 27,452,262 145,591 1,042,171 174,489,183 919,917 Possessions in Africa •* Asia.. Australia Pacific Isles Possessions in Am.. Total T'" -.rtfi '.-•"-■ '■"'«:■ ,■■:•■ 252,164 4,573,239 808,874,527 •<.• BRITISH AMEUICA. CHAPTER IV. BBITISH AMEHICA. The principal portion of the British possessions in America, called British North America, lies to the north of the United States. The parallel 49^ N, Lat. forms the sonthern boundary from the Pacific Ocean nearly to Lake Superior ; on the Atlantic side the boundary approaches nearer the equator. British North America includes Hudson's Bay Territory, British Columbia, Can- ada, Newfoundland, and the Lower Provinces, or New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In addition to this extensive territory in the north, the British ow-n a portion of Central America, a part of Guiana, in South America, several West India Islands, and the Bermudas. The following table gives the various divisions, with their population and capital : — H KAHE. Hudson's Bay Terri- tory British Columbia and Vancouver Island Canada Ne\/ Brunswick Nova Scotia Prince E. Island Newfoundland British Honduras British Guiana Weul Indies Bermudas AREA IN 8Q. M. POPULA- TION. CAPITAL. 3,014,000 390,000 27,620 18,600 2,133 36,000 19,200 76,000 13,414 47 280,000 2,501,370 252,047 330,857 80,857 122,250 11, 0(^ 103,000 820,792 14,000 Victoria Ottawa Fredericton Halifax Charlottetown St. John's Balize George Town Spanish Town Hamilton 28 IXTRODUCrriON. Ill HUDSON'S BAY TBBBITORY. Hudson's Bat Territory is n. vast region ex- tending from Canada and the United States to the Arctic Ocean. The Rocky Mountains run through the western part of the country, and a large inland sea, called Hudson's Bay, lies toward the east; betvt^een this bay and the Atlantic is the large peninsula of Labrador. Through the interior is an extensive chain of lakes drained by the Mackenzie River. This river flows to the northwest into the Arctic Ocean, and is one of the largest rivers in the world, being over 2,000 miles in length, and draining nearly 500,000 square miles. The country has generally a north- ern aspect, and the climate is very severe. In many parts the gi'ound remains frozen throughout the year. The inhabitants consist principally of Esquimaux and Indians, who are engaged in hunting. The principal export is fur. Hudson's Bay Company, organized in England about 200 years ago, and protected by royal charter, enjoys the exclusive privilege of trading with the natives. BRITISH COLUMBIA. British Columbia, formerly called New Cale- donia, is situated on the Pacific, southwest of Hudson's Bay Territoiy. The area is over 200,- 000 square miles. The Rocky Mountains run along the east, and the Cascade Range through the west. The Eraser River, about 1,000 miles in length, flows in a southerly direction into the Gulf of Georgia. The general aspect of the country is southerly. The climate and soil are CANADA. 29 irell adapted to a^icultnral pursuits. Valuable gold mines were discovered in 1860 near Fraser River. Coal is abundant. Vancouver Island, separated from the main- land by the Gulf of Georgia and Queen Char- lotte's Sound, is the largest island on the Pacific coast of America. It is about 300 miles long, and contains an area of 14,000 square miles. The climate is very mild, resembling that of England, and the soil is fertile. Coal is abundant, and the fisheries on the coast are valuable. In 1858, the British Government organized British Columbia and Vancouver into a distinct province, and ap- pointed a provisional government. CANADA. N. Lat. 42^— SI'* ; TV. Lonr/. 64^— 90^^; Cap., Ottawa, Canada i» bounded on the north by Hudson's Bay Territory, east by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, south by Bay Chaleurs, New Brunswick, United States, and the great lakes, west by the great lakes. The province includes two great divi- sions, Canada West and Canada East, separated by the Ottawa River. The surface is generally undulating ; the great- est elevations are in the northeast, where the Notre Dame Mountains, connected with the Alle- ghany system, have an extreme elevation of 3,780 feet. The lakes between Canada and the United States are the most magnificent in the world. Lake Superior covers an area of 32.000 miles, Huron 25,000, Erie 9,500, Ontario 6,000 ; Erie and Ontario are connected by the Niagara I 30 INTllODLCTION. River, 34 miles long. The Falls of Niagara, 20 miles from Lake Erie, are celebrated for their grandeur, — a vast body of water falling 160 feet over a precipice of solid rock. Canada is princi- pally included within the basin of the St. Law- rence. This is an immense stream 750 miles long, flowing from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It has many large tributaries, of which the Ottawa, 450 miles long, the St. Maurice, 400 miles, and the Saguenay, 100 miles, are the principal. The lakes and rivers of Canada, to- gether with numerous canals and railroads, afford extensive internal communication. The climate is healthy, but liable to the ex- tremes of heat and cold ; in the southwest it is more equable and temperate. The soil is fertile, and adapted to the growth of wheat and other grains. Flour and timber are the chief articles of export. The imports amount to about $40,- 000,000 ; the exports, $35,000,000 ; the revenue, $10,000,000, and the public debt, $65,000,000. The principal cities are Montreal (100,000), Quebec (61,500), Toronto (44,400), Kingston (23,800), Hamilton (19,200), Ottawa (14,700), London (11,500), Three Rivers (6,000). CaHadawas colonized by the French. In 1759, Quebec, a strongly-fortified town, was taken by General Wolf, and the whole country was shortly after ceded to the English. The French language stiU pr«yvails in Canada East. NEW BRUNSWICK. n NEW BBUNSWIOK. ; N. Lot. 45^--48° ; W. Lom/. 63^* 50—67'' S \ j Capital, Fredcrkton, New Brunswick is bouncled on the norlti by Canada and Bay Chaleurs, east by the Gv\f of St. Lawrence and NorthumberUind Strait, routh by Nova Scotia, Chieguecto Bay, and B»y of Fundy, west by the United States and Canada. The snrface is undulating ; the greatest el ova- tions, about 2,200 feet high, are in the north. The St. John, 450 miles long, is the largest river. Kt is navigable to Fredericton, 84 miles from its mo^ith. It has several large tributaries. The Restigou -jhe (200 miles), Miramichi (225 miles), Peticod'ac, and St. Croix are also large streams. Snail lakes are numerous. The climate is similar to that of Canada. 7 he soil is fertile, especially near the rivers. A lar-^^e part of the country is yet covered with fore^t^s, from which excellent timber is obtained for rx- portation. Iron and coal are abundant ; agricul- ture, lumbering, fishing, and ship-building foim the principal branches of industry. The import amount to about $7,250,000 ; exports, $4,600,00^ •, revenue, $833,000, and public debt, $4,685,000. St. John is the largest city, population, induct- ing Portland, 38,817. New Brunswick was one* owned by the French, forming a part of tb?^ country called Acadia. It was ceded to the Eng lish in 1713, and became a separate province ii- X784. I /; 88 nffTEODUOTXON. NOVA SCOTIA. N. Lat. 43^ 25'— 47^ ; W. Long, 59^ 40'— 66'» 25'. Capitalf Halifax, Nova Scotia is bounded on the north by the Bay of Fundy, Chiegnecto Bay, New Brunswick, Northumberland Strait, and the Gulf of St. Law- rence ; on all other sides by the Atlantic. The province consists of Nova Scotia Proper and the Island of Cape Breton. The surface is generally undulating. The rivers are small, the longest not exceeding 50 miles. Lakes are nu- merous. In Nova Scotia Proper, the north pos- sesses the greatest agricultural capabilities and also valuable coal mines ; the south, the most im- portant fisheries, the greatest commercial advan- tages, and extensive gold mines. The imports are worth about $10,200,000; exports, $6,546,500; revenue, $1,249,000 ; public debt, $5,000,000. Halifax (25,000) is the only city. Nova Sco- tia was originally colonized by the French and formed a part of Acadia. It was finally ceded to England in 1713. PBINCE EDWABD ISIiAND. N. Lat, 45^ 57'--47^ 3' ; W. Long. 62^— 64<' 26^. Capital, Charlottetohon, , Prince Edward Island is situated In the southern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is separated from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by Northumberland Strait. The western ex- tremity is 9 miles distant from the nearest point of New Brunswick. The length of the island is 130 Biiles; the breadth, 34 miles. The sur- *^ e^ a NK\VForNI»LANl>. 33 25'. r the L.aw- OPER ,ce is L, the 3 nu- pos- i and jt im- ivan- tsare ,500 ; 0. L Sco- I and led to 26^. n the It is Scotia n ex- point island le sur- fuce ia low iiiul undulLitinu'. Tlie streams arc Bmali. The soil is gouenilly li<;iit iind lertile, and the climate similar to that of Nova Scotia. Agriculture is the principal occupation. As ti great portion of the island was originally grante,70u. Prince Edward Island was dis- covered by Cabot in 141)7. It was originally set- tied by the Freuch, b:it was ceded to the English in 17G3. It was called St. John's Island until 1800, when it received its present name in honor of iLdwaid, Duke of Kent. NEWFOUNDLAND. A^ Lat. 4G^ o7'— 5P 40' ; W. Lonr/, 52^ 41/— 59° 31'. Capital y SL John's. - Newfoundland is a large island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, about 50 miles from Cape Breton, and separated from Labrador by the Strait of Belle Isle, about 12 miles wide. Its extrema length is about 419 miles. The island is nearer Europe than any other portion of America, within the temperate regions. It lies near the track of the British mail steamers. The surface is un- even ; the greatest elevations are about 2,000 feet above the level of the sea. The interior is almost wholly unexplored. The rivers are small. The climate is severe, but healthy ; dense fogs prevail in the spring and early summer. Grains do not o 34 IXTRUDL'CTION. If ; ripen well ; but vegetables f\m\ oynsse.'? flourish. Coal, iron, and lead arc found. Tlic most noted animal is the large, curly-haired do<]f, called tho Newfoundland dog. The inhabitants reside chief- ]y on the southern and eastern coasts. To the east and south of Newfoundland is a celebrated submarine plateau, called the Banks of Newfound- land. The cod fisheries of this region are the most celebrated in the world, A submarine tele- graph connects Newfoundland with Cai)c Breton. Imports, $4,028,000 ; exports, $4,G8C,O00; rev- enue, $468,000; debt, 095,000. 8t. John's (25,000) is the most eastei'u city in America. Three small islands, St. Pierre, Miquelon, and Langley on the south coast, belong to France. The French have the right of drying fish on cer tain parts of the shore of Newfoundlaml. Tin'f? island was discovered by Cabot in 1497. Sir Humphrey Gilbert visited it in 1583 and took formal possession of it in the name of Queen Elizabeth. The French afterwards made some attempts to seize the island. It was finally ceded to Britain in 1713. BEITISH WEST INDIES, ETC. The British West Indies include the Bahamas, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Antigua, Dominica, St. Christopher, Anguilla, Monsterrat, Nevis, Barbu- da, Barbadoes, St. Vincent, Tobago, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Trinidad. Jamaica is the largest of the British West In- dies. It is 150 miles long, has an area of 6,400 square miles, and a population of 500,000. It contains the Blue Mountains, which have an ex* I BRITISH WEST INDIES. d5 ish. )tecl the lief- tho ated II lid- tlic tole- jtou. rev- ricti. and ince. i cer Sir took >ueen some jeded am as, a, St. »arbu- la, St. 5st In- 6,400 0. It an ex- treme elevation of 8,000 feet. The exports are sugar, rum, coffee, spices, etc. Kingston (35,000) is the largest cit}^ ; Spanishtown is the capital. Jamaica was taken from Spain in 1655. Trinidad, area 2,020 square miles, population 80,000, ranks next to Jamaica in point of size. Its mountains have an extreme elevation of 3,000 feet. It contains a celebrated asphaltum lake. Port of Spain (18,000) is the capital. Barbadoes has an area of 166 square miles and a population of 150,000. Almost the whole island is under cultivation, and nearly one-half is planted with sugar-cane. Bridgetown (23,000) is the capital. The Bahamas include about 500 islands, the most oi which are small, rocky, and uninhabited. Their united area is 4,500 square miles, and popu- lation 28,500. The exports are salt, fruit, and sponges, San Salvador or Guanahani, one of the group, is supposed to be the first land discov- ered by Columbus in 1492. The Bermuda Isles, about 600 miles east of South Carolina, consist of about 300 small islands and rocks of coralline formation. They are gen- erally low and rock}-. Their united area is about f ^ 47 square miles, population 14,000. Hamilton >' (2,500), the capital, is situated on Long Island,' the largest in the group. The principal products are arrowroot, tomatoes, potatoes, and tropical fruits. The Bermudas contain an important naval station and a penal settlement. British Honduras, in the north of Central America, was obtained from Spain in 1783. Xbo coast is low and swampy. The chief tz|Mirts are ii 3G INTKODrCTION. mahogany, logwood, sarsaparilla, cocoa-nnts, and cochineal. This colony is a dependency of Jamaica. British Guiana is situated on the north coast of South America, and includes three divisions, — Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. On the coast, the country is low and alluvial ; in the interior it is more elevated. The most important river is the Essequibo, 450 miles long. The chief products are rum, sugar, coffee, and tropical fruits. George- town (25,000) is the capital. Guiana was taken from the Datch in 1803. M \>' and of >ast fist, it is the ictg •ge- li:en NOYA SCOTIx\. NOVA SCOTIA, Capital, Halifax, Population , 25,000. ■I Situation. — The Province of Nova Scotia is situated on the Atlantic, near the middle of the North Temperate Zone ; except the frozen penin- sula of Labrador, it extends about 200 miles farther east, and hence nearer Europe, than any other part of the Western Continent. It lies between 43^ 25' and 47^ N. Lat. ; be- tween 59^ 40' and 66*^ 25' W. Long. Boundaries. — It is bounded on the north by the Bay of Fundy, Chiegnecto Bay, New Bruns- wick, Northumberland Strait, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; on all other sides by the Atlantic Ocean. Extent. — The length, from the extreme point of Victoria County to that of Digby, is about 370 miles ; the greatest breadth, from Bay Verte to the Atlantic, is about 100 miles, and the area 18,600 square miles, or 11,904,000 acres. Nova Scotia is nearly one-fourtli the size of Great Britain, and it comprises about the four hundred and fiftieth part of North America. The «7 'i ■•8 NOVA SCDTIA, M populiitioii is 330,857, o'ivlng nearly 19 inliabitauts to tlio square mile, ami one to every oQ acres. Natuuai. Divi?:ioN5. — Thc rrovinco of Nova Seolia lirjludc-s two principal divisions, — the Peniiisiila. or Nova Wcotia I'liorEii, and tlie Island of Capf. Dketon. Tiiey are separated by the Strait of Ca!iso,a cluraiiel about a mile in breadth, and firiocn miles long, eoiineclinir the Gnlf of St. Lawrence with the Atlantle. Nova Scotia and Cape IJrcton formed two distinct provinces until IS 11), when they were united under one gov- ernment. ^ The Pi^NixsuLA. — Nova Scotia Proper is con- nected with the cjpitinentof North America by an isthmus i 2 miles in breadth, separating Cumber- land Basin from Bay Verte. The southern ex- tremity is Cape Sable, a small island near the coast of Sholburne, 'IS*^ '2i)' N. Lat. ; the northern is Tidnish Head on the north of Cumberland, 46*^ N. Lat. ; the most eastern point is Cape Canso, Gl'* b' W. Long. ; the most western Briar Island, 66^ 25' \V. Long. The length, from the extreme west to Cape Canso, is about 260 miles ; the breadth, from Tidnish Head to the south of Hali- fax County, is about 100 miles, and the area is 15,600 square miles, or 9,984,000 acres. The out- line resembles a triangle, with the base on the At- lantic and the apex at Bay Verte. The Island. — Cape Breton is situated north- east of Nova Scotia, at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It lies between 45^ 27' and 47° N. Lat., and between 59*=^ 40' and 61« 33' W. Long., extending about one degree farther north, and one and a half farther east, than Nova Sco^i?< l!l h If IlI:iTOHK, UL'II.INK 39 .t- Ciipc Ijictoii is very iiTi^gnlar in its outline, and is nearly divi^led into tv;o ])ortions bv an inlet of tliG sea, called llvixs IXov Lake. The two divi- sions are connected bv the Isthnni.s oi* St. Peter's, about half a mile in width. IIisTOKic Outline. — Nova Scotia was discov- ered in 1497, by the Cabots, residents of Bristol in Kn'^land. The French vi.sitcd it in 1598 ; in 1605, they es- tablished a colony at Port Uoyal (Annapolis; ; they called the country Acadic or Acadia. In 1G13, British colonists from Virginia destroyed the French settlements ; soon after, the British made some attempts to colonize the country, and named it Nova Scotia. Charles I., in 1632, ceded it to France. Ifh4G54, it was again taken by the English, but conveyed back by treaty 1667. In 1690, a force from the British colony of Massachu- setts took possession of the French settlements in Nova Scotia ; but the country was once more ceded to France in 1696. Massachusetts again captured Port Royal, in 1710, and gave it the name of Annapolis ; finally, the whole country was confirmed to the English by the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713. Cape Breton still belonged to the French. It was first colonized by natives of Bretagne or Brittany, in France, and hence the name Breton. The French prized this isLand very highly, both for its fisheries and its commanding position, as the. key to the Gulf and River St. Lawrence. At great expense, they built, on the south of the island, a strong town named Lonisburg. In 1745, a force from Massachusetts took possession of ^ i , ■■*H.' J-:;; 40 NOVA SCOTIA. this town ; three years after, the British Govern- ment restored it to the French. In 1758, Louis- burg was again taken by the British, and by the treaty of Paris, in 1763, the island of Cape Breton, together with Canada and other French possessions in North America, v/as Ihially acknowl- edged as British territory. In the mean time, in 1 749, Governor Cornwallis had founded the cit^- of Halifax, on the Atlantic coast. Until 1784, New Brunswick and Cape Breton formed part of the colony of Nova Scotia , they were then formed into separate provinces. Cape Breton was re-annexed to Nova 8cotia in 1819. Civil Divisions. — For greater convenience in regulating the internal aflairs of the province, it is divided into eighteen counties ; viz. : — h h <■ r^ ' ' 1. Guysborougli. - 2. Halifax. «. 3. Lunenburg. ^ ^0.^-- ■ 4. Queens. 5. Shelburne - «. Yarmouth. ~, 7. Digby. <-■ . , , 8. Annapolis. -^ I i I C9. Kings. erland. (;L-rvi/u.^> lil 10. Hants. l1' 11. Cumberland 12. Colchester. 13. Pictou. — 14. Antigonish. -- . ^- ., 15. Inverness. J'-.^lA , /[J-^ ^^ IG. Victoria, ^fta d'c ^,rx-U- 17. Cape Breton. Z^H-t%JL<( 18. Richmond, t ^ / .. / '-t-l ^\ ^1 The last four are in the island of Cape Breton, Each county forms a distinct community in the management of its own local affairs, has its own judicial courts, and sends, representatives to the Provincial Assembly. The courts are held and other public business is transacted in some central town or village, called the County Town. The counties are subdivided into townships. Surface. — Both in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton tho surface is generally undulating \ there *' SURFACE. 41 •n- he pe ch vl- lis tic on ey pe in it )n, he 5vn ;he nd ral he pe ire ni'c several mountain ranges, but none of them vGiy elevated. The highest summits are found in the North of Cape Breton. The three prhicipal ranges, running lengthwise through the Province, are the following : — 1. The Ccbequid Mountains, extending from Cape Chiegnccto, in the west of Cumberland, through Colchester to the borders of Pictou Count3^ terminating in several isolated peak's, as Mount Thorn and Roger's Kill. The length of the ran2:e is about 100 miles, and the greatest height i',100 feet. 2. The Noktii Mountain, extending along the margin of the Bay of Fundy, from Cape Blomi- don, in Kings, to the extremity of Digby Neck, about 110 miles ; its greatest height is about 700 feet. The ascent from the valle^^, on the south, is abrupt ; on the north the slope is more gradual. A most singular gap occurs at Annapolis Gut, vrhere the Annapolis River and Basin communicate with the sea. This is a narrow opening, with high cliffs on each side, presenting scenery of great beauty.- 3. The South Mountain, a low range nearly parallel to the North Mountain, running through the middle of Digby, Annapolis, and Kings. With some interruptions in Hants, this range may ]}e traced through the middle of the Province, parallel with the Atlantic coast, to the Strait of Canso, where it terrairates in the bold promontory of Cape Porcupine : rising again on the eastern shore of the strait, it runs in a northeasterly di- rection through the entire length of the island to Cape North ; in the southeast of Pictou, it sends off a subordinate range, terminating in Cape George. The length of the range, from Digby to 1;; % f. ^Ji 42 NOVA gCOTlA. I •1 ■; Cape North, is about 3i0 miles ; its greatest ele- vation is in the north of Invernefis, about. 1,500 feet. Between the North and South Mountains is a well-watered and fertile valley, from 4 to 12 miles in breadth. It is celebrated for the abundance and excellence of its fruit. lliVEKS. — No part of the Province is very far from the sea, — hence tlie rivers are small ; but the}' are numerous, of great utility, and add much to tlie beauty of the Ecenery. They may be clas- sified according to the decMvities which they occupy. 1. The Atlantic Slope comprises the stream.:* flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Tiie Mire in Cape Breton, St. Mary's, La Have, and Liverpool, in Nova Scotia, are the i)rincipal. The Mire is about 30 miles in length and re- sembles a long, narrow lake. The St. Mary's, formed by the union of East Branch and Wes^ Branch, is one of the largest streams in the Prov- ince, being over 50 miles long. The La Have flows through a series of lakes, and is about 50 miles long. The Liverpool is nearl}^ equal in length, and also flows through a chain of lake** of which the principal is Lake Rossignol. 2. The Second Slope is the valley between the North and South Mountains ; it is divided into two gentle declivities by a water-shed in the west of Kings, from which the Annapolis River flows to the west, into Annapolis Basin ; the Cornwallis, and two or three smaller streams, to the east, into Minas Basin. The Annapolis is about -^O miles In length, the Cornwaliis about 20. 8. Thf Third Slope is on the south of Minas i UIVEIIS. 48 » Basin and Cobequid Bay. The most important streams belonging to it are the Gaspereaux, the Avon, and the Shubenacadie. The Avon is a small stream, but is noted for its large estuary, forming quite an arm of the sea. The Shubenacadie, one of the largest rivers in the Province, drains a number of lakes. A canal is nearly completed through the lakes and river, connecting Halifax Harbor and Cobequid Bay. The length of the river from Grand Lake is about 33 miles, or, including the lakes which it drains, laearl^^ 50 miles. It receives the Stewiacke and other tributaries. 4. The Fourth Slope is on the south of the Cobequid Mountains, including eight or ten small streams. Salmon River, about 20 miles long, is the largest. 5. The Fifth Slope is on the north of the Cobequids. It includes upwards of 20 streams, flowing into Cumberland Basin and Northumber- land Strait. River Philip, Wallace River, and the East River, of Pictou, are the most important ; the latter is over 30 miles in length. 6. The Sixth Slope inckides the streams in Cape Breton, flowing into the Gulf of St. Law- rence. Mabou and Margarie arc the principal. Margarie, noted for its salmon, flows from Lake Ainslie. It is about 25 miles in length. 7. The Seventh Slope comprises two or three small streams in Cape Breton, flowing into the north side of Bras d'Or Lake. St. Denys, Middle River, and Baddeck are the principal. The following table shows the principal rivers, their slopes, etc. Tributary streams are placed in parentheses. Ill .Ai/-^^ 'SKSIimm' mmmmifi^ u NOVA gCOTIA. COUNTIES. IIIVEKS. FLOW INTO. ^1 1 m iii.'^ :''■ t 11 Cape Breton. . Richmond Guysboro'.... Halifax ....... Lunenburg. . . . Queens Shelburne. .. Yarmouth .... Digby Annapolis Kings Hants Colchester — Colchester .... Cumberland. . . Cumberland. . . Colchester .... Pictou Sydney Inverness Victoria. 1. Miru (Salmon), Griir!, Inhabitant, Country Harbor, St. Ma- ry 'y, Liscomb, iNIiddlc, Musviuodoboit, S.iokville, Gold, La Have, Petite, jPort Medway, Liverpool, Mordan, Roaeway, Clyde, iTiiskot (Salmon), jSisijiboo. I n. ! Annapolis, Bear, Allen, jPcrcaux, Habitant, Ca-^j nard, Cornwallis, Gas- }■ pereaux. J HL Avon, St. Croix, Kcnnet- cook. Petite, Shubenacadie (StcKiacko) IV. Salmon, North, Chiganois/ Debcrt, Folly, Great Vil- lage, Portapique Partridge Island. V. Herbert, Maccan, Nappan,"\ La Planche, Missaqu'ish, J Shinimicas, Philip, Pug-' wash, Wallace, French, Waugh, John, Fast, Middle, West, Sutherland, French, Bar- ney, Rights, West, South, Pomket. VL Mabou, Margarie. VIL St. Denys, Middle, Bad- deck. Atlantic. } St. Mary's Bay. Annapolis Basin. Minas Basin. Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay. Cobequid Bay and Minas Basin. Cumberl'd Basin. Northumberland Strait. St. George's Bay. Gulf of St. Law- rence. Brasd'Or. , >i'j IL\ ^* BASlNt?, AM> fcTKAITS. 45 m. bid in. in. id ly. • II Lakes. — TIiO lakes, though Dot hsrgx?, aro. very inimerous, usually occurring' in chains along the river basins, especially on the Atlantic slope. Yarmouth Conntv contains several chains oi lakes in the basin of the Tusket and other streams ; Lake George is the largest. A chain extends across Queens and AnnajDolis^ in the basin of the Liverpool and Allen Rivers. The most important in this group is Lake liossig- iiol, about 12 miles long. The basin of (he Port Medway also contains several lakes. Another chain, containing Sherbrooke Lake, Kempt Lake, and several others, is found in Lunen- burg and Kings, along the basin of the La Have. The Gaspereaux, Avon, and St. Croix also have their origin in small lakes. The basin of the Shubcnacadie, in Ilaliitix County, contains one of the most extensive sys- tems of lalces in the Province. There are six in the chain, of whicli Grand Lake, 9 miles long, i» the largest. Ship Harboi* Lake in the east of Halifax, is about 10 miles long. The largest collection of fresh water in Cap6 Breton is Lake Ainslie ; it is about 12 miles \\\ length, and forms the source of the Margarie. Bays, Basins, and Straits. — Nova Scotia \% indented on all sides by numerous bays and inlets. The following are the principal : — Bay of Fvindy, Chiegnecto Bay, Cumberland Basin, Minas Channel, Minas Basin, Cobequid Bay, Annapolis Gut. Annapolis Basin, Grand Passage, Petito Passage, St. Mary's Bay, Mahojne Bay, Margaref ^ Bay, Bedford Basin, Chedabucto 46 NOVA SCOTIA. ii«!' a I. •i!! u Bay, Strait of Canso, St. George's Bay, North- umberland Strait, Tatamagoiiehe Bay, B'jiy Verte, Aspy Bay, St. Ann's Bay, Great Bras (rOr, JMWe Bras cl*Or, Cow Bay, Mire Bay, (iabarus Buy, St. Peter's Bay, Lenox Passage, Little Bras d'Or Lake, Barra Strait, Great Bras (VOr Luke, Lust Bay, West Bay, Basin St. Denys, Whykokoa^agh, St. Patriek's Channel. Harbors. — Nova Scotia possesses great com- mercial facilities in its many excellent harbors. The following table shows the principal with their situation : — COUNTIES. Guysboro'... Hali to • • • • Luncnbtirg.. Queens Shelbnme... YariDoath •• IVAUES OF nARBORS. \'\l Milford Haven, Croyt Har- bor, Canso, White Haven, Country' Harbor, St. Mary's, Liscomb,Wine Harbor, Mary-Joseph, BcsiTer Harbor, Sheet Harbor, Spry Harbor, Pope' 8 Harbor, Ship Harbor, Jeddore Har- bor, Musquodoboit, Chezzetcook, Cole Har- bor, Halifax Harbor, Sambro Harbor, Mar- i garet*s Bay, Mauone Bay, Lunenburg Harbor, La Have. Port Med way, Liverpool, Port Mouton, Port Joli, fPort Herbert, Sable River, Raajged Island, Jordan lliver, Shel- burne. Cape Ne^ro, Port-la-Tour,Barring- ton, 'Pubnico, Abuptic, Tus- ket River, Jebogue, Yarmoutb, SITUATIONS. Chedabacto Bay. Atlantle. " \ DAiiuons. 47 " , COUNTIES. Digby AnnapoHd. . . tCing8 Hants .... Colchester. NAMES or IlAUlJOIiW. .SITUATIONS. Bay of Fundy <| Minas Basui. Cumberlaud. Colchester. Pietoii .... Sydney.. . Inverness. Victoria. .... Cape Breton Richmond. . . Grand ^^ Passage, Slssiboo g^^ j^j^^^,^ ^^^^ rAuuupolis Basin, Oatc's' { Break water, Margaret- l ville. Harbor ville, Kemiedy 1 Creek, Hall's Harbor, ' Baxter's liar., Scot's Bay, Estuaries of ! V rivers, Estuary of Avon and other rivers. Estuaries of rivers. Partridge Island, Advo- cate Harbor, Apjjle River, Cumberland Btisin, Pagwash, Wallace, jTatamagouche Bay, Ctiribou, Pictou, Merigo- ■ mish, J r Antigoni3li,Pomket,Tra- 1 t cadie. Harbor Boucbo. J ( Ship Harbor, Plaster^ J Cove, Port H(X)d, Ma- > j boa, Margarie, J t Malaga wda^ihkt, fSt Ann's Harbor, iBaddeck Harbor, ( Arichat, Little Arichat, t Inhabitants River- Minas Basin, Cobcquid Bay, & Chiegnccto Bay. Northumberland Strait. St OeoKge*8 Bay. Canso and North- umberland Strait Bras d'Or. Atlantic. Bras d'Or. Chedabucto Bay« A Notes on the Coast. — The coast line of the Province, including the interior waters of Cape Breton, is about 1,500 miles in length, making one mile of coast for every 12 square miles of area. The south coast of the Island of Cape Breton is generally low. Coves and small haibors are ill i: h ■ 3' "A 1 48 NOVA aCOTlA. inimeroiis and are of great impoitiUice to the fisheries. Tlie best harbors arc Louisbiir^ and Arichat. The lnr<>est inlets nre Gabarns and St. liter's l^ays ; the latter has good ai;chorage, but i.s diHi- cnlt of access. Lenox Passage, between Isle Madame arid the mainland, is 15 miles long, and IVora one to three miles in breadth. It is not considered .safe for large vessels. Chedabucto Bay, between Islo xvlatlarao and Guysboro* Connty, is abont 25 miks lon,^. On the Nova Scotia shore, at the eiitrance of the bay, is Canso Harbor, a place of much historic interest ; 12 miles to the west is Crow Harbor, eelebratcrl for its mackerel and herring fisheries ; and at the head of the bay is Milford Haven or G uysboro' Harbor, which, though deep within, is obstructed by a dangerous bar. The Atlantic shore of the peninsula is usually rugged, and abounds in craggy islands. The largest inlets are Halifax Harbor and Bedford Basin, Margaret's Baj^, Mahono Bay, and St, Mary's Bay. This coast is unrivdiled in the num- ber and excellence of its harbors, that of Hali- fax is scarcely surpassed by any in the world. The Bay of Fundy, an arm of the Atlantic, be- tween New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is noted for its high tides and its fogs. Its shores are usually elevated and rocky. After extending from the Atlantic, with a breadth of about 40 miles, to Cape Chiegnecto, it divides into two portions, the northern, called Vhiegnecto Bay, eontinues to form the boundanr between New t 1 i 1 N'OTKi* ON TIlK COAST. 49 1 f 1 i Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and terminates in two subdivisions, Chepody Bay and Cumberland Basin. The former is wholly in New Brunswick ; Cumberland Basin approaches to within 12 miles of Bay Verte, on Northum])orland Strait. ^ The other arm of the Bay of Fundy, called Minas Channel, runs to the east, about 25 miles, to Cape Split, where it is about 7 miles in breadth. It then suddenly expands into Minas Basin, a sheet of water nearly 20 miles broad and 30 miles in length. The remaining portion of this arm, including the waters to the east of Economy Point, is calletl Cobequid Bay. The whole distance from the Atlantic to the head of Cobequid Bay is about 200 miles. Near the head of Cobequid Bay and Cumberland Basin the tide rises from oO to 70 feet. At ebb tide the waters recede far from the shore ; the flood is very rapid, preceded by an unbroken wave, from throe to six feet in height, called the bore. ,- Annapolis Basin, which is connected wfth the Bay of Fundy by a narrow strait called Annapolis Gut, is a beautiful sheet of water extending about 20 miles inland. It receives the Annapolis River, besides several smaller streams, and forms an excellent harbor. AVith the exception of Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia has no natural harbors on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. Breakwaters, which afford safety to small trading vessels, under ordinary circumstances, are erected at convenient distances along the ccast.\ Bay Verte, on the north of Cumberland, ex- tends inland about 11 miles ; there is no harbor on its shores. Tatamagouche Bay is 7 miles in t f 50 NOVA SCOTIA. '1 ■■ ( m ll } length ; it is very shallow tmd has no harbor suit- able for large vessels. St. George's liay is a large expanse of water ; its harbors at Antigonish, Tracadie, and Toniket admit only small craft. The best harbors on the Norlhumborlantl coast are those of Pictoii, Wallace, and Pugwa&h ; but in common with the rest, they are obstructed by a bar across their entrance. Pictou Harbor is di- vided into three arms, which receive respectively West, Middle, and East iUvers. The Strait of Oanso, between Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, is 15 miles long and about 1 mile in breadth. The .shore on either side is usually high and precipitous ; Cape Porcupine, on the western side, rises 640 feet above the sea. The strait is very deep and is the great thoroughfare between the Atlantic and the Gulf and River St. Law- rence. Ship Harbor and Plaster Cove, are the principal harbors on the Cape Breton shore. Port Hood, 28 miles from the strait, affords the only remaining safe anchorage on the west side of the island. From this place to Cape St. Lawrence, a distance of 70 miles, the coast is bold and ele- vated. Cape North, the most northern point of the island, rises 1,100 feet above the sea. The rock}' and elevated shore continues to St. Ann*s Harbor, about 60 miles from Cape North. This harbor, at the head of the bay of the same name, is, large and safe ; but it has a narrow entrance ob- atructed by a bar. Great Bras d*Or and Little Bras d*Or, on either side of Boulardarie Island, are two narrow chan- nels, about 22 miles in length, communicating with the interior waters. Great Bras d'Or, on the ' . i N0TK3 ON THE COAST. (^1 ■ \ Dortli side, is very narrow ; but its waters are deep and niivioable. Little liras d'Or, the southern channel, is obstructed at its entrance by a rocky bur, which admits only small craft. A few miles in, it ])ecomes wider and deeper. From Boulardavie Island to Mire Bay, the coast is less elevated, and its rocks belong to the car- boniferous strata. On this coast, is Sydney Har- bor, one of the finest in the world. Four miles inland, the harbor is divided into two arms. Miro Bay is long and narrow, without safe anchor- age ; it receives the Mire River. Mainadieu Pas- sage separates Seatarie Island from the main- land. The Bras d*Or waters are of the greatest com- mercial importance to Cape Breton. They are generally navigable and have many excellent har- bors. The two channels leading from the Atlan- tic unite in Little Bras d'Or Lake, at the west of Boulardarie Island. This is a basin, 9 miles in length, from Boulardarie to Barra Strait, and from three to five miles wide. St. Patrick's Channel extends, from the west of the lake, 21 miles, with an average breadth of 1 mile. It baa several harbors. At its westeni extremity ia a basin 6 miles long, csiDecl Whykokoraagb. Barra Strait is over a mile long awl halt" a mik wide. West of this strait is Great Bras d'Oi Lake, an irregular sheet of water, foriTvus;, ontho west. Basin St. Denys, West Bay, aiK\ the Nar- rows, and on the east, East Bay. Th^ greatest length, from the head of East Bay to ti?at of West Bay, is nearly 50 miles ; from Barra Strait ( 1 1^ III I- I, '. 1. 52 / NOVA SCOTIA. to St. Peter's Isthmus, the distance is nearly 25 miles. The depth of water in the Bras d'Or Lakes is very irregular, dangerous shoals often lying near deep soundings. To the west of Barra Strait, there is no tide, and the mean level is two feet below high water of ordinary spring tides, in St. Peter's Bay. The proposed canal across St. Peter's Isthmus would open a much readier com- munication with the jnterior waters of Cape Breton. Capes. — The principal capes are : Porcupine, Canso, Sambro, Pennant Point, Crown Point, Sable, St. Mary, Split, Blomidon, Economy Point, d'Or, Chiegnecto, Malagash, John, St. George, Mabou, S^. Lawrence, North, Egmont, Enfum6, Dolphin, Point Aconi, Lingan Head, Murgain, Breton, Gabarus. Cape Porcupine, on the west coast of the Strait of Canso, is 640 feet high. Cape Canso is a small island on the east of Guysboro'. Crown Point, situated at the extremity of a high prom- ortory, called Aspotogon, rises about 500 feet above the sea. Cape Sable is a small island on the south of Shelburne. Blomidon, at the eastern extremity of the North Mountain, is a bold head- land, about 450 feet high. Cape North, the most northern point of Cape Breton Island, rises ab- ruptly from the sea, to the height of 1,100 feet. Cape Breton is a low point on the extreme east of the island. Islands. — Small islands are very numerous along the coast, especially on the Atlantic. The following are the most important : — . ISLANDS. 53 * Cape Sable Island, Long island, Brier Island, Pictoii Island, St. Paul's Island, Boulardarie, Scatarie, Isle Madame, Sable Island. Long Island is separated from Digby Neck by Petite Passage, and IVom Brier Island by Grand Passage. I>rier Island is the western extremity of the Province. St. Paul's Lsland, 13 miles from Cape North, is nearly o miles long and 1 mile in breadth. It is elevated above the sea from 200 to 450 feet, and the coast is precipitous. This island has been the scene of many shipwrecks. It has two light- houses. During fogs a bell is rung and a gun is fired every four hours. Boulardarie, situated between the Great and the Little Bras d'Or, is 22 miles long and 5 miles in extreme breadth. In tlie interior the land rises to the height of 400 feet above the sea. Scatarie, the most eastern dependency of the Province, is of a triangular form, extending 5^ miles on its longest side, and having an extreme l)rc adlli of 2^ miles. It is the resort of fishermen in tlie summer season, but has no permanent in- lui!»i:ar;ts. Lslv? Mauame, separated from the island of Cape r>reton by Lenox Passage, is of an irregular form. Its irreatost len^'th i3 about 15 miles. It has sev- cral hai'bors which are frequented by fishing ves- sels. Arichat Harbor is the most important. Sable Island is in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 miles southeast of Cape Canso ; its latitude is 44^ north, and its longitude at the east end is 59^ 40', the meridian which passes through the eastern extremity of Cape Breton. The island is si- Mi m Ml II y ■■>. ,1 I i. 54 NOVA SCOTIA. low and sandy, about 25 miles in length, and one mile in breadtli. On its coasts are dangerous shoals, upon which many vessels have been cast away. Men are stationed upon the island, to afford relief to the shipwrecked. Wild horses, of a small size, roam over the island, and feed upon a coarse grass which it produces. There is no harbor or safe anchorage on the coast. Climate. — Nova Scotia is situated near the middle of the vegetable zone peculiar to the oak and wheat. In common "with other British colo- nies, on the east coast of America, it is subject to the extremes of heat and cold. Amid the frosts of winter, the thermometer sometimes fixUs as low as 24® below zero, while in the hottest days of summer it rises to 96^, in the shade. The mean annual temperature is 44*^, which is considerably lower than that of places in the same latitude on the west coast either of America or Europe. Notwithstanding the wide range of tempora- ture, and the somewhat variable nature of the climate, few countries are more healthful than Nova Scotia. The annual depth of rain is about 41 inches. Snow usually covers the ground three or four months, and cattle require to be fed and housed six or seven months in the year. The spring is late, and little can be done in the fields before the lirst of Ma3^ But when warm weather sets in, vegetation is very rapid, there being only about three months between seedtime and har- vest. Indian corn is easily ripened, and the hardier varieties of the grape come to maturity in the open air. V GEOLOGY AND SOIL. 55 the .( ' Geology and Soil. — The earth's crust, or outer portion, consists of rocks, cither exposed or covered at various depths below the surface. The soil is derived partly from decayed vegetable and animal matter, but mainly from rocks, disin- tegrated oitbroken up by the action of rain, frost, and other atmospheric iniluences. Rocks are di- vided, according to their origin, into two great classes, aqueous and vjneous. Aqueous rocks are sedimentary ; that is, the particles of which they are composed, having been commingled with the waters of liikes and seas, gradually settled to the bottom. These rocks usually have a stratified appearance, and often contain remains of animals and plants, which are called fossils. Igneous rocks are supp* ;ed to have been formed by the cooling of meh matter, like the lava of volca- noes. The older igneous rocks, which have cooled under great pressure, are called Plutonic rocks ; those of later origin are called volcanic. Igne- ous rocks have a crystalline appearance and con- tain no organic remains. The term metamorphic is applied to such aqueous rocks as have been changed by means of heat, yet not reduced to a state of fusion. Rocks admit of a much more detailed classification, according to the period of their formation and their contents. The principal rock formations of Nova Scotia are included under the following heads : — I. The Metamorphic District of the Atlan- tic Coast. — This division occupies a large area in the south, extending from Digby to Cape Canso, and varying in breadth from 50 miles in the west to 7 miles in the east. The surface is 1 *. • ' V 50 NOVA SCOTIA. rngp:e(l and uneven, and often covered with large boulders ; it abounds in lakes and bogs. The rocks of tliis region are eiiieily slate, granite, gneiss, and quartz. The soil is not generall}'' fertile ; grains do not grow well, owing partly to the soil and partly to Atlantic fogs ; but many parts are well adapted to vegetables and fruit- trees. It is from the quartz of this region, chiefly, that the Nova Scotia ii;old is obtained. II. Silurian Districts of the Ikteiiior. — The rocks of this division — consisting of slates, shales, grits, and limestones — belong to v.'hat geologists term the Upper Silurian Seri(^s, It includes the most elevated lands in the Province, comprising the South Mountain, the Cobequid Mountains, the hills of Pictou and S^^dney, the highlands in the north of Inverness and Victoria, and a portion of the country south of the Bras d*Or Lake. The soil of these regions, though often stoii}', is deep, generally fertile, and adapted to the growth of grains. Superior iron ore occurs in this forma- tion, and copper has also been found. III. Cakbomiferous Districts. — These occur in the east of Kings, north of Hants, principal lowlands of Colchester, Cumberland, Pictoa, and Sydney ; also, in the south of Inverness and Vic- toria, the west of Richmond, and the east of Cape Breton Count3\ The varieties of rock belonging to this system are sandstone, shales, conglomer- ates, gypsum, limestone, and coal. This forma- tion is of great interest both to the naturalist and the political economist, — to the one for its numerous fossils of extinct animals and plants, to the other for its mineral products, as coal, GFOLOGi' AND SOIL. 57 arge The iron gypsum, lime, froostoiie, and griiulstone. The surface is generally undulating, and the soil fertile, varying from light loam to stiff cla;)'. IV. New Ri:d Sandstonk. — This formation occupies the valley between the North and South Mountains, and also the lowlands bordering on Cobequid Ba}^ The varieties of rock are red sandstone and red con^ilomerate. The soil varies from fertile loam to barren sand ; it is generally adai)ted to the grovv'tli of fr nit-trees and roots. V. Trap. — The trap rock comprises the North Mountain, several small islands in Minas Chan- nel and Basin, as well as some detached points on the north of these waters, from Cape Chieg- necto to Five Islands. The trap usually rests upon red sandstone, and is supposed to have been poured forth in a melted state from the interior of the earth, subsequent to the sandstone deposit. The soil formed from trap is easily exhausted. Trap alluvium, combined v/ith red sandstone soil, at the base of the North Mountain, forms one of the most fertile soils in the Province. VI. Modern Alluvium. — Under this head are included all those deposits which have accumu- lated along the margin of the principal streams. Alluvial soils are of two kinds, marine and river alluvium. The former commonly called marshy is formed from mud left by the tide at the estua- ries of certain rivers ; it is protected from furthei tidal washings by artificial embankments called dyJces* Marsh is generally a very rich soil, having, without any fertilizing application, retained an extraordinary productiveness sinc€f the settlement of the country. River alluvial soil, called inter 58 NOVA SCROTI A. vale^ is foiiiul along llic iiinrgiiis of rivers, and is coinposeil of materials broiiglit from the higher gro'inds during fresljeto. It ia ver^^ fertile, fur- iiisluni>' e?:cellent hay land. MiNEUALS. — The i)rincipal mineral products of Nova 8e()tia are gold, iron, copper, coal, lime, gypsum, snlphnr, sulphate of barytes, salt, man- iianese, and ochres. Building materials, such ag granite, sandstone, shite, and clay, are plentiful ; marble is also found to some extent. Sandstone is obtained in Cumberland and other places, of a rare grit, required in grindstones. Gold was discovv-red in 18G1, at Tangier, in Halifax County. The names Gold River, Cape d'Or * and Bras d'Or t seem to indicate that the precious metal had been found in the Province by the early settlers. The principal places at which gold mining is prosecuted areStormont, AYine Harbor, and Sher- brooke, in Gu^^sboro* ; Tangier, Montague, Wa- verty, and Oldham in Halifax ; the Ovens in Lu- nenburg; and Renfrew in Hants. The average number of men engaged in mining operations at these places during 18G3, was 877, and the value of the gold obtained was §2o9,032. Iron ores of superior quality are abundant in various parts of the Province. The only iron works at present in operation are those called the *' Acadian Charcoal Iron Wbrks^^ at London- derry, in Colchester. In 1863, 903 tons of bar iron and 402 tons of pig iron were exported. The average number of men employed was about 200. * Cape of Gold. t Arm of Gold. MINRRALS. 59 in by Coal mining is prosecuted cliiefly in the comi- ties of Cape Breton, Pieton, and Curaberland. Tlie total qnantity of coal raised in the Province in 18G3 was 429,^321 tons, of wiiich 104,.'M3 tons were raised at the Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, and 198,313 tons at the Albion Mines, Pieton. Copper is found in various parts of the Prov- ince. The only mine in operation is at Cheti- camp, in Inverness. This mine has been recently opened by an American company. Grindstone is quarried principally in Cumber- land Count3^ The stones manufactured in that county, in 1860, were valued at $40,166, and the whole manufactured in the Province, at $44,100. Vegetable Products. — It has been already stated that Nova Scotia is situated in the vegeta- ble zone, whose characteristic products are the oak and wheat. The flora is similar to that of the Northern States and Canada. The forests are extensive, yielding timber, lum- ber, fuel, etc. The cone-bearing trees (ConU ferce), such as pine, spruce, larch, etc., are of great commercial value. The most valuable hard wood trees are oak and beech {Cupuliferoe,) ^ maple (Aceraceoe)^ birch (Betulacece)^ and &.sh (Oleacece) , The finest ornamental trees are the elm {Uimus)^ poplar {Popuhcs), and rowan or mountain-ash (^Pyrus Americana) . Many beautiful herbaceous plants are indige- nous to the Province. Without attempting an enuniwration, we may name the May-flower {EpU gea Eepens)^ spring beauty (Claytonia), Indian cup 9r jfttelMiT plant {Sarracenia Ficrpurea), white 60 NOVA SOOTIA. l! I'! I' ! ? ■I f^ I •♦ .1 ,( water-lily (NympJicaa Odorata)^ wild rose (Rosa Parviflora)^ and violet (Violacece). The principal wild fruits are strawberry (Fra- garia Virginiana)^ raspberry (liubus Strigosus)^ blackberry (Eicbus Villosus)^ blueberry (Faccm- ium), and gooseberry (Ribes), The principal cultivated fruits are apples, pears, plums, ckirries, quinces, currants, etc. ; with care grapes are also ripened. The common cereals, as wheat, oats, rye, and barley are successfully cultivated ; Indian corn is ripened without diffi- culty. Potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots, etc., are extensively cultivated. Wild Animals. — Many of the wild animals which once abounded in the country have disap- peared, or are becoming very rare. Passing over the lower orders of the animal kingdom found in Nova Scotia, we notice only the Vertebratce^ or those which have a bony sys- tem or backbone. These are divided into four great classes: Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes, which are distinguished by their form, habits, and internal structure. Thi; Mammalia, so called because they suckle their young, are represented in Nova Scotia by four orders : — 1 . Carnivora, or flesh-eaters, including the bear, wolf, wild-cat, lucifee, fox, raccoon, seal, weasel, bat, mole, and shrew-mouse. 2. RoDENTiA, or gnawers, furnished with a pe- culiar kind of teeth with which they gnaw rather than cut or tear their food, including the hare, woodchuck, porcupine, beaver, squirrel, musk- rat, and field-mouse. WILD ANIMALS. 61 3. RuMiNANTiA, or ciid-chewers, including the moose and caribou. Tiiey live upon grass and otlier vegetable food, which having swallowed, they can, by means of a peculiarity in the struc- ture of the stomach, return to the mouth and chew a second time. 4. Cetacea, or whale family, including the whale, porpoise, etc. The animals of this order live in the sea and resemble fishes in their form ; but as they suckle their young, inhale air through lungs, and are warm-blooded, they are classed with mammalia. The Bear is the largest carnivorous animal in Nova Scotia ; though very destructive to sheep, it seldom attacks a man. It passes the winter in a partially torpid state. The Wolf is rarely found in Nova Scotia. The Moose is the largest wild animal in the Province ; his head is adorned with large and branching antlers, which fall off every spring, and are replaced by new ones. When seen in his na- tive forests, the moose presents a majestic appear- ance ; he is much hunted, and the flesh is highly esteemed as an article of food. The Caribou is much smaller and is similar to the reindeer of Lapland. Birds are included under six orders : — 1. Raptores, or plunderers, so called because they prey upon other animals; this order com- prises the eagle, hawk, and owl. 2. Insessores, or perchers, obtaining their name from their perching habits ; as they subsist largely on insects, they perform very important service to the garden and farm. This order comprises a 62 NOVA SCOTIA. •! 'I ■t- large proportion of the birds of Nova Scotia; the most important are the robin, blackbird, wren, yellow-bird, king-bird, sparrow, snow-bird, cross- bill, crow, raven, blue-jay, Imraming-blrd, king- fisher, swallow, and night-hawk. 3. ScANSOKEs, or climbers, comprising the wood- peckers, of which there are several species. They subsist on insects found beneath the bark of de- caying trees. They have a long, sharp bill and a barbed tongue, by which they get their food, and their toes are so formed that they can cling to the side of a tree, or climb upon it. 4. Rasores, or scrapers, including the partridge and pigeon. They subsist on seeds and berries, and belong to the same order as the domestic hen. The name of the order is taken from the habit of scraping or scratching with the foot. 6. Grallatokes, stilt-birds or waders, com- prising th« heron or crane, snipe, woodcock, phalarope, and plover. They subsist on small fish and aquatic insects. In adaptation to their mode of living, they have long necks and long legs. Their legs resemble stilts ; hence the name of the order. 6. Natatores, or swimmers, including the goose, duck, loon, auk, gull, etc. These birds have their toes united by a membrane, enabling them to swim. They are sometimes called Palmipides, which means web-footed. Reptiles are distinguished for their slow breathing, which renders them cold-blooded. Many of them have no limbs and move by creep- ing; hence the name reptile. Those in Nova Scotia are small and harmless. The principal INHABIT A NTS. 08 nrn snakes, tortoises, lizards, toads, and frogs. Toada and frogs have the power of living both on the huul and in the water, and henee are called amphibious. The spawn of the frog is deposited in water, and the young, in the first state, called tadpoles^ have no legs, and the\^ breathe through gills, like fish. Legs are at length developed, and the gills fall off. Fishes require but very little air, which they obtain from the water alone, as it j)asscs through their gills. The following are the most important on our coasts : — 1. The Cod tribe, including the cod, haddock, pollack, hake, etc., which arc of great value as an article of food, and also for the oil obtained from their large livers. 2. The Flatfish, including the flounder, hali- but, etc., noted for their flat bodies. The halibut often attains a great size and is much prized for food. 3. The Salmon tribe, including the salmon, trout, smelt, and capelin ; the salmon ascends the rivers to deposit its spawn, and is noted for its habit of leaping up cascades of considerable ele- vation ; its flesh is highl}'^ esteemed. 4. The Herring tribe, including herring, shad, and alewife ; these are plentiful and much used Ibr food. 5. The Mackerel tribe, of which large quan- tities are captured. Inhabitants. — The population of Nova Scotia, in 1861, numbered 330,857; of these 294,706 were born in the Province, of the remaining 86,151 immigrants, nearly one-half have come '\ ! IL U N'OVA SrOTIA from Scothnid. otic-foiirl!) IVoiii Irolaml, and onc- twolfth from lC:i j:l:ni(l. Tlif) niitivo inha])itants are principally of Jiritisli OAtrju'iion. Tho conuti'v wan oritiiiKiUv iiilinl/ited bvii triljc uf Isortli American Iinli{i:;'3, (.•iill'.^.«.» uborigiues litive vhieli has so greatly chani>ed tl:e character of their once forest home. I^ands have been reserved for them in tlio Frovinee ; bnt they have an aversion to a 5:-ettlc(l life. A missionary is sustained amoni]j^;t them by the joint etibrts of the various Protestant Churches. There are in the Province upwards of 20,000 Acadians who arc of French oriixin. Their an- ccstors came into the country on di»Terent occa- sions, commcncinGj v;ith the French settlement of Annapolis in 1G05. Their principal settlements are in Pdcbmond County, at Cheticamp, Tracadie, Chezzetcook, Pubnico, Clare, and Minudie. Although the English had previously made some attempts -to colonize Nova Scotia, the first permanent residents were those who came with Governor Cornwallis, in 1749. In 1753 a number of Germans settled in Lu- nenburg, where their descendants form a large portion of the present population. On the expulsion of the Acadians, in 1755, their lands w^ere occupied by farmers from the New England Colonies. It is computed that at the American Revolution, about 20,000 royalists came to Nova Scotia from the revolted colonies. At the close of the war, many disbanded soldiers also settled in the Province. \ EDUCATI02C. 65 The population of the country was still Hirther increased by Irish and Scottish immigrants ; the former settled principally in Halifax and Cumber* land, the latter in the Eastern Counties. The colored population, in 1861, numbered 5,927. They are principally the dencendants of slaves who accompanied their masterer from the revolted colonies, and of ft'ce negroes who came from the United States in the year 1815. Education. — In respect to general intelligen Nova Scotians compare favorably with the inhab- itants of other Christian lands. According to the Superintendent's Report for 1862, the num- ber receiving education during that year in the Schools, Academies, and Colleges of the Province was 40,517, or nearly one in eight of the entire population. The Provincial Normal School, established at Truro in 1855, includes a Normal College and Model School, and is sustained by a Legislative endowment pf $4,000. The average number of pupil teachers in attendance is about 60. The following table gives the Colleges of Nova Scotia, with the date of their foundatipn, number of professors, etc. COIiIiEQES NAME. BlTVXTlOm. CONMXCTIOK. FOITNPXD. NO. OF PBOFB880BS. Kings Dalhousie Acadia St. Mary's St. Francis ^aTier Windsor Halifax WolfviUe HaUfax Antigonish Episcopal 'n Provincial Baptist R. CathoUo R. CathoUc 1789 18^ 1838 4 • hU I. :: ¥ 66 NOVA aCOTIA. The various instttations of learning were sns« tained, in 1862, at an expense of $216,178, of which 665,027 were granted by the Province. By the new '* Education Act," which came into operation May 1st, 1864, the grant for educational purposes is largely increased. Over $80,000 are now given to Colleges, County Academies, and Common Schools. The act also provides an In* spector of Scho.^ls for each county, and encour- ages the principle of assessment and free schools. Religion. — All religions denominations enjoy equal civil privileges. Ovei one-fourth of the population is Roman Catholic ; the various bodies of Presbyterians also comprise more than one- fourth ; the Baptists over one-sixth ; the Episco* paliani^ about one-seventh; the Wesleyans one- tenth. There are several other denominations in the Province, but all taken together number less than 12,000. Industrial Resources. — The principal re- sources of the Province are Agriculture, Fisher- ies^ Mines, Timber, Commerce, Manufactures^ and Shipbuilding. Agriculture is the pursuit of more than one- fourth of the population; and the quantity of land under cultivation is over one million of acres. Generally speaking, the counties border- ing on the Bay of Fundy, Minas Basin, and Northumberland Strait, are the best adapted to agricultural pursuits. The following table shows, in the order of their productiveness, the six counties yielding the largest returns to the farmers : — ♦,J»*. A, ■^^ AGRICULTURE. a? ? g* P g &.S off- S -3 S.2-0 2 I 1 p p« f^ III ^ 1^ o H H SO » o o H OD O H OB $4 ? • - "'^ p o 'S o e 2.3- ^ d ) *5' c » 5 I IS iOD •1 >i5^ 1 3 e;* 1 S 3 3^ ei QQ O i w 1 «> ; ! J 25^2-2.35: CB OQ tr^ li U o d 'c2 5- M CD 3 cn g o o &»• o c* Ti Ci E5 fa © P "• C'B 2 CO 5.2.2.38? W ■^. I; li i g WOTA SCOTIA. Wj 21 IS «0 X O Tf t^ Ci C* n» t* ' 09 fs* f-ir-H2fco(N wco«g4oi g » Owtrrr ■^WSO x>cooor-*c«»G>»>r3c>»o I CO CO ^ 00 00 wo a « (M ^"co-^ r- o c»i © 131 CO o"'-^ Ci ■t^Toojo'T-i 3 (?lC^O»*-» joo-:o»rt)Qeos' 3 ^ ^ "^ »rt CO I .. fj © 00 ^ ^ -H ( cO'-^ooocoootflScor-' :S o 0» »-iO«lCOi-i ^ co_». o> 25 OS CO "^ » *22 *H OtCOOvHCO CO 1 tDwSs more than a fourth the Indian corn ; Cumberland about two-fifths and Colchester one-tifth the buckwheat ; Kings nearly one-fourth and Annapolis nearly one- seventh of the potatoes ; Annapolis more than one-third and Kings one-lilth of the apples ; An- tigonish nearly one-fourth the plums ; and An- napolis nearly one-fourth the cheese, in the Prov- ince. The Fisheries on the coast of Nova Scotia are ver}' valuable, and aie prosecuted with much suc- cess. In 1860, there were 14,322 men, 900 ves- sels, and 8,816 boats engaged in this business. The total value of the fish caught was nearly $3,000,000. Generally speaking, the counties bordering on the Atlantic prosecute the fisheries most extenpively. Shelburne, Lunenburg, Hali- fax, Gu3^sboro', and Richmond furnish about two- thirds of the men, vessels, boats, nets, and seines ; these counties also cure about two-thirds the dry fish, mackerel, and herring; Colchester takes nearly half the shad, Kings one-sixth, Hants one- seventh ; Annapolis nearly two-thirds the smoked herring, Digby over one-fourth. The following table gives in order the ten lead- ing counties in the most important departments of the fisheries : — I. ?0 NOVA SCOTIA. i I i n 1 s . fl a « '3 & S ^ « P a > 0) -^ ^ bo f^ ^ s 9 3> ^C3-P fl '3 fl § « 2 &> o fcijg i4 H tM 33 S ^ -^ ^•2 P g2 o 00 O is ."» ^ 'i^ JO "^ ** "^ "^ rt 53 pO H O (^ O S S I U «pq v^dCO'^OCOK^OOOd'H C5 J?: en I o o * «M M 0.0.0' = '-s b 2 "35 tc » ? s 2 a ^ ft 2 § ^oic9'«ftA«pt«aoo>*H V MINES. — IMPORTS. — EXPORTS. 71 The Mines of Nova Scotia give employment to about 3,500 men, and the number is rapidly increasing. (See minerals, page 58.) According to the census of 1861 the number of men engaged in lumbering was only about 500. It is probable, however, that many who follow the business at certain seasons of the year did not enroll themselves under this occupation. Cumberland returns more than two-thirds the deals manufactured in the Province ; Queens more than half the pine boards ; Lunenburg one-fifth the spruce and hemlock ; Pictou nearly one-fourth the square timber, Cumberland and Colchesler, together, over one-fourth ; Halifax nearly half The staves. The prominent geographical pos^jk^n of Nova Scotia, as well as the number and excellence of its harbors, gives its inhabitants Unrivalled com," mercial advantages. The shipping owned in the province exceeds 309,000 ton^i valued at $8,- 966,000. The Imports are varied, consisting of woollens, cottons, silks, iron, and innumerable manufactured articles, from Great Britain; flour, agricultural and other implements, furniture, tobacco, and other articles from the United States ; sugar, mo- lasses, rum, and tropical fruits from the West Indies. The Exports include fish, agricultural products, coal, gypsum, vessels, lumber, etc. A large amount of /^oods imported from the West Indies and other jplaces is also exported again to other colonies. The following tables give the value in dollars I;! 73 NOVA SCOTIA. ; of some of the principal Imports and Exports together with the totals for 1863. Imports. ARTICLES. Flour, corn and meal . . Cottons, linens, silks, and woollens. Liquors, wines, etc Tea Tobacco Hfirdwai'e, etc Molasses and Sugar Other articles Total. VALUE IN DOLLARS. 2,160,919 2,024,595 332,800 477,675 212,877 950,094 881,467 3,160,964 10,201,391 Exports, ARTICLES. VALUE IN DOLLARS. FLali and oil 2,390,667 796,389 716,913 659,778 1,982,741 Coal Produce of the forest. .... ^ produce of the farm Other articles Total 6,546,488 The Manufactures are yet quite limited, but they are increasing every year. Nova Scotia with its abundance of coal, iron, and other minerals, together with its commercial advantages, is well adapted to manufacturing pursuits. Shipbuilding is extensively prosecuted in al- most all the counties, particularly in Hants, Yar- mouth, Digby, Pictou, Colchester, and Cumber- land. The number on the stocks, in March 1861 y was 295, and their probable tonnage 47,922. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION, ETC. 78 Internal Communication. — Good public roads intersect all parts of the country. A Railroad, commenced in 1854, connects Halifax with Truro, \ distance of 61 miles; a branch line, 32 miles long, which joins the main line 13 miles from Halifax, runs to Windsor. This railway was constructed by the Province, and is under the control of a Chief Commissioner, ap- pointed by the government. The entire cost of the whole line, consisting of 93 miles, was $4,099,464. A Canal, of about 60 miles in length, is nearly completed, connecting Halifax Harbor and Cobe- quid Bay. The work was begun by a company, in 1825, and subsequently abandoned ; it was re- sumed in 1853. The cost when completed has been estimated at $200,000. Over $24,000 has been expended in cuttings for a canal across St. Peter*s Isthmus, in Cape Breton ; but nearly ten times that amount will be necessary to finish the work. iHie Telegraph lines of the Nova Scotia Tele- graph Company extend over 1200 miles, connect- ing all the principal places in the Province. There is also a submarine cable from Cape Breton to Newfoundland, by which European news ar- rives in advance of the mail steamers. In 1860, the Nova Scotia Telegraph Company leased their lines to the American Company for ten years. There are nearly 500 post and way offices in the Province, by means of which every facility is afibrded for the conveyance of letters and papers. Cnni; Government. — The governmwit of I' 1,11 ll'l 74 NOVA SCOTIA. JS'ova Scotia, although amenable to the Imperial Government of Britain, is not subjected to any unpleasant dictation or control. No provincial law is valid until it is sanctioned by the Sovereign : but as the acts of the Provincial Legislature are geiiGrally affirmed, it may be con- sidered as practically independent in the manage- ment of the local affairs of the Province. In its form, the Government is modelled after that of Great Britain. The Sovereign is represented by the Governor, an officer appointed by the Crown. The Government embraces three departments, — Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. 1 . The Exp:cutive generally originates the policy or system of measures pursued in the administra- tion of public affairs, and also carries the laws into effect. It consists of the Governor, who is the Head Officer, and the Executive Council, usually comprising nine members. Five of these, Attorney General, Solicitor General, Provincial Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Receiver General hold lucrative offices and are styled Heads of Departments. This Council is responsi- ble to the people for the public acts of the Gov- ernor and holds office only so long as it possesses the confidence of their Representatives. 2. The Legislature consists of the Governor the Legislative Council, and the House of AsseiK biy. The Legislative Council is composed of twenty-one members, appointed by the Crown and holding office for life ; it possesses the power to sanction, amend, or reject all measures pre- viously parsed by the Assembly. It can also t' CIVIL GOVERNMENT. 75 otiginate any Bill which does not involve an ex- penditure of the public money ; but Bills origi- nated by this Body require the assent of the As- sembly. The House of Assembly consists of fifty-five members, chosen every four j'^ears by the electors of certain counties, districts, and townships. This Body claims the exclusive privilege of levying taxes and originating all Bills involving an ex- penditure of the public money. Its Bills require the assent of the Legislative Council and Gov- ernor. 3. The Judicial Department applies the laws to particular cases, investigating and deciding with respect to violation of law, and awarding penalties. It embraces the following courts: — Court of Error and Appeal, Supreme Court, Court of Vice Admiralty, Court of Probate, Court of Marriage and Divorce, Court of Ses- sions, and Justices' Courts. The Court of Error and Appeal consists of the Governor and Council. Appeals may be made to this court from inferior courts, where the amount of judgment is not less than $1,200. The Supreme Court is presided over by the Chief Justice and four Assistant Judges. All civil causes are decided by a Jury of nine men, and criminal causes by a Jury of twelve men. This Court has jurisdiction in all criminal cases, in civil suits in which the sum is not less than $20, and in appeal cases under that sum. The Court of Vice Admiralty decides upon maritime causes. The Court of Probate has jurisdiction over the property of deceased persons. Hi 76 NOVA SCOTIA. I I - li '■ • III f P i I I i \§ The Court of MarriiiGfc and Divorce consists of the Governor, one of the Judges of the Supe- rior Courts, comniissionecl b}" the Governor, and the members of the Pjxecutive. It decides upon the legalit}^ of marriages, and has the power to grant divorces. The Court of Sessions consists of the Magis- trates and GTand Jurors in the several counties. It manages the local atfairs of the counties. Justices* Courts consist of one, two, or more Justices of the Peace. In civil suits a single Justice cannot give judgment upon a case in which the sum exceeds §20. Two or more Jus- tices can give judgment on any sum not exceed- ing $80. An appeal can be made from these courts to the Supreme Court. Defences. — The Volunteer and First class Military forces of the Province number about 50,000 men. Revenue and Expenditure. — The Revenue or public money of the Province arises from various sources, as duties on goods imported, sale of crown lands, royalties on minerals, proceeds of the Provincial Railway. The modes of expendi- ture are quite as divcrsilicd, including salaries of Government Officers, of Judges of the Supreme Court, Clerks, etc. ; Legislative expenses. Rev- enue expenses : grants for the support of Educa- tion and Agriculture, grants to public works, to the post office department ; grants for the main- tenance of roads, bridges, and the provincial rail- way ; interest on the public debt, etc. The following table gives the Revenue and Ex* penditure for 1863. 1 l^KVE-XCK AST) EX?E^OITCRE«, ETC. 77 tkl'.VE'yUJE. DutioA Royalty on O^al - . Riiilway licvcnud.. Post Office Oowii Landtji. Gold Fiekla Other Suuroes $883,005, 34,032, 144,247. 33,932, 19,377, 19,247. 114^303. 00; KXVKSIUVUISXL Total $1,249,103.00 (nterettt.... 00 Roaid Service* .... 00 Hallway Kz4)enfl08 OOliourdof Works.. 00 EducMtum*. OOPoMtOifice OOtiwv't Offivsers.... Haw Kx|dcii&e&. . . . fiC^- Expeuse&. .. iGold Fields Militia Kx{)efi6eA. • Other objeots. .... $;266,750.0§ i37,ll2.0a 127,000.0© 84,8G7.0« 6G,(J08.0« 59,929.00 59,704.00 55,f? 54.00 37,789.00 25,250.00 29,444.00 198,044.00 T4, are iar^4i]y increased. Public Dect. — The public debt of the Prov- ince is over $5,000,000., of which the greater por- tion has been incurred in the coustruetion of the provincial railway''. Of this sLinouut the province has given its bonds for §4,000,000. borrowed $500,000 from the Savings Bank, and issued notes to the amount of $444,45^. SYNOPSIS OF THE fiUftrACE, ETC., OF TKE OOUmXlDS. COCTITTIES. fiCBFiLCEU SOIL. LBADINO INDCJ^TBT. Quysboro* . . . . Halifiiz Rugged and rocky- Huggied and rocky Good ia tke north, barren ia 80uth,except ou the rivers. Agriculture, fisnery, and gold mining. Generally poor except on rivers. Trade* fishery. the agriculture, k gold mlaiiig;* _ ' 't : 78 NOVA SCOTIA. COUNTISa. Lunenburg. . I^eens SURFACE. MOIL. LKAUING BRANCHES or INW8TRY. Undulating. IMuch fertile A|[»riculturc, 'soil, e»pccially|ilsnery» luiiu on the rive is; 1)0 ring, and and shorcH ut'^hip-buiid'ng;. Mahonc Uay. Rugged » sev* Rocky and bar> Shelburne. Tannoulh. . . Low on th« coast, more elevated in the interior. Low» many small lakes. Pigby Annapolis. Kings eral lakes. ren on thi coast, fertile tracts in the in- terior. Rocky, exten- sive barrens and peat bogs» fertile districts in the interior. Rocky, gene- erally arable. Undulating and hilly. Mountains in the north, hilly in the south, ▼alley inter- vening. Mountains in the north and south,, yalley intervening. Average quali- ty, ^ood soils on Digby Neck and at the head of St. Mary*8 Bay. Generally fu- tile. Generally fbr- tile, superior marsh. rjUDibering, fishery, and ag- riculture. Fishery, lum- berinp;, ship- buildmg, and agriculture. Ship-building, commerce, fi^ «i'y> agricul- ture, and lum- bering. Agriculture, fishery, lum- bering, and ship-bttildlng. Agriculture^ large dairies, and extensive orchards. Agriculture, numerous or- chards. i COUNTIES. 79 i OOUHTIBS. aURFACE. Hants Undiilatineand hilly. Fertile, good marsh. \griculture» plaster trade, and ship build- ing. ^ Agriculture, the north, nilly tile, extensiTe ship-building, [lumbering, an4 mining. Cumberland. .. Undulating inOeuerally fer- and mountain- marshes, ous in the south Colobttter LSAOIirO. BRANCHES OT INDUSTRY. Undulating in Generally fer- A^culture, .the north audi tile,^ood marsh ship-building, — i.u »-•-"" "-'and intervale, lumbering, and south, hilly in Ithe interior. Pictou Hilly in the Generally fer- Agriculture, Antigonish. . west and south. imining. tile, good inter-.mining, ship- vale, building, com- merce, and lumbering. Inverness. Victoria. Generally fyt' tUe. Hilly in the Generally fer- I north and tile, south ^ low in the middle. Undulating and hilly in the south, moun- tainous in the north. Uneven and mountainous; some low land in the south. Cape Breton... Undulating, elevated near the Bras d'Or. Kobmond. • • • • Generally Hbf- tile. \griculture and fishery. Agriculture and fisheiy. Agriculture and fishery. Generally fer- tile. A^culture* mming, and fishery. Best soil on the Fisheries.coatt- shores of Bras Generally low, more elevated in the east aadd'Or Jjake aadjagrionltiire. west ing trade and along the rivers! 80 rOVA SCOTIA. The following tabic gives the popnlation of 18 counties, in J 861, their s^^veral townships, the etc. 2 6' §!S=3 ' 2 OQ O « S '^ V Z *"* *j S cB -r oj ii» o a o d o o o o a> a-H •—< .l-H X oe O Q % 6D^ 90 «4w -3 g _ o 21 §3^ ~4 g4<1 fi 4 IS ■*Jt «I eJ fc^ ©* J I 00 « * coo coo gtoooo 7 •> * • -MCiCJ CO ® 00 »-< d P» -^co o § - o CO CO CO — «0»»rt 00«O -(CO ^o COVJ G^COCOCO-^MOOCOO CO-^ o ?o CO «o "^ r* !*• »* -^ too oc. ooo'^cooor* 050 ^ ,^ Vi^ ,»( ,H 1-^ vH v^ «M O) «•-• r'cotpi* 001* r> on the east. On the summit of the hill, is f ■ A 82 NOVA SCOTIA. the citadel, a fortification of great strength, com- manding the harbor. The city contains many fine buildings, among which is the Parliament House, a large and beautiful structure. The capacious and safe harbor and excellent dockyard of Halifax make it the principal naval station in British North America. It has direct communi- cation with England through the Cunard and other steamers, and it is the terminus of an im- portant railwa3\ Across the harbor, about a mile in width, is the pleasantly situated town of Dartmouth which may be regarded as a suburb of Halifax. In its vicinity is the Provincial Lunatic Asylum. PiCTOU, the most important town in the eastern part of the province, is situated on Pictou Har- bor. Its shJp-building and commerce are exten- sive. New Glasgow, a flourishing town near the mouth of East River, is noted for its ship-build- ing. In its vicinity are the Albion Mines, from which the coal is conveyed to Pictou Harbor by rail. Yarmouth is the largest town in the western part of the Province. It is noted for its com- mercial enterprise and shii>-building. The total value of the vessels registered in tliis port is up- wards of $2,204,000, being nearly one-fourth of the total value of the shipping of the Province. DiGBY is a small town on Annapolis Basin. It is connected by steamer with St. John, N. B<, with which it carries on a considerable trade. Annapolis, situated at the head of Annapolis Basiui is the oldest town in the Province. It was / i TOWNS. 83 m^ foimdcd in 1605, and was the capital until the settlement of Halifax, in 1749. Bridgetown is on the Annapolis River, 15 miles fi*om its mouth. It is a place of consider- nble trade and is the largest town in the county of Annapolis. WoLFViLLE is a prett}'^ village near Minas Basin ; it is the seat of Acadia College. Canning, near the mouth of the Habitant River, is a growing place. It has considerable trade with the United States. Windsor, on the Avon, is the seat of King's College, — the oldest literary Institution in the PiK)vince. In the neighborhood of Windsor are extensive gypsum quarries. Hantsport, near the mouth of tlie Avon, is noted for its ship-building. SpiELiiURNE, Liverpool, and Lunenburg are the most important seaport towns on the Atlantic coast, between Halifax and Yarmouth. Truro is an inland town, connected with Hali- fax by railway. It is the seat of the Provincial Normal College and Model Schools. Amuerst, the principal town in Cumberland, is pleasantly situated in the neighborhood of exten- sive marshes. Antigonisii is a pretty village and the seat of St. Francis Xavier's College. GuYSBORo' is situated on the west side of Guysboro* Harbor. In its vicinity are large beds of limestone. Arichat, on Isle Madame, is the most import- ant s iaport on the Atlantic coast east of Halifax. It is the head-quarters of the fisheries in its vicinity. S4 KOVA. SCOllA- ?l Sydney, formerly the capital of the island of Cape Breton, has au excellent harbor. The Bar at North Sydney ie a rapidly increasing village, oonnected with the coal-mines by a railroad. DUTAXCE IN MILES BETKTBEN TUE P£INC£PAL PIuVCBS IK NOVA scoriA. E I' ■:, Halifax to Yarmouth tlirougk tke interior. f 1 -1 f 1 to 1 t 52 1 s 00 45 61 68 9S 107 114 129 153 171 Halifax to the Strait of Canso. Southern route. Northern route. i 220 Halifax to Yarinouth . Sliore route. g St, Margare Bay 21 Cheater 24 1 1 1 tit < 1—* «o Shelburne 4 to 5' 1 1 to ^ s •a Eg o 18 i»» 21 1 45 65 72 100 109 149 171 215 \ Middle Mas- quodoboit 42 Upper Mus- quodoboit 13 Nelson's 21 O g CO to p Port Mul- gravo 20 a: Truro 63 New Glasgow and Pictou 40 O ^ S5 1 2 -^ i c 1 < B o 7^ ^ GA M ►— » ST" o 1— I 00 00 1— ' 00 C3 83 101 109 127 131 p 29 I CO 42 orq H Q P ^9 54 88 Plaster Cove to Margarie. P. C. to Sydney. o c 9 Port Hood to Baddeck. ? siS c p P c ^*3 C a^ s g c y-^ 3. O c*; S Ol 28 38 73 a O o CO CO CO 35 CO o 80 o o o 17 42 HISTOIIY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 1. Four hundred j^ears ago, our forefathers were living beyond the wide Atlantic, quite igno- rfint of tiie existence of that land which Nova Seovians call their home, as well as of that vast coiilinent of which il forms a part. Although the Northmen from Norway had visited America, by way of their colonies in Iceland and Green- land, as early as the 10th century, and had kept up some intercourse with it for several hundred years, this fact seems to have been entirely un- known to the other nations of Europe. In the 15th century, all communication between Scandi- r 86 niSTORV OF l',l ^■'H navia and the colony in Greenland was cut off by immense masses of ice, from the polar regions, and the very existence of America was for^rotten. 2. Towanls the end of the 15th century, a spirit of eonunercial enterprise was excited among the nations of Vv^estern Europe. India and the islands to the south of Asia presented the great- est allurements, and that man who could most facilitate communication with those distant places was accounted the greatest bcuofactor. The re- cent invention of the mariner's compass and other improvements in the art of navigation greatly facilitated distant voyages. 3. Columbus, a native of Genoa, a town in the north of Italy, having spent his early life in mari- time pursuits, conceived the bold and philosoph- ical idea of finding the Indies, by pursuing a westerly course across the ocean. After spending many fruitless years in endeavoring to persuade the sovereigns of Europe of the practicability of his plan, he at last secured the patronage of Fer- dinand and Isabella, the sovereigns of Spain. On the 3d of August, 1492, he sailed from the port of Palos with three ships and 120 men. 4. The hopes of CoUimbus were well • igh blast- ed on the ver}'^ eve of fruition. Tlie ocean was much more extensive, and consequently his prom- ised land was much farther off tlian he had anticipa- ted. His crew, at the beginning, hardly reconciled to their voyage, now having their hopes deferred from day to day, became mutinous. At length, however, Columbus was overjoyed at the sight of land which, in token of his deliverance from the perils of the sea and his murmuring crew, he \ NOVA SCOTIA. 87 a called St. Salvador. This island, which forms one of the group called the Bahamas, was sup- posed by Columbus to be near the coast of India, and its inhabitants were called Indians. When subsequent explorations had shown that this opinion was erroneous, the name West Indies was applied to the newly discovered islands. 5. A few 3^ears after Columbus had made his great discovery, Americus Vespucius, a native of Florence, explored the northern coast of South America. From this navigator, the Continent of America took its name. 6. John Cabot, a learned Venetian mariner, res- ident in England, caught the idea of discovery from the success of Columbus. He represented to Henry VII., already jealous of the glory which the Spaniards had acquired in the New World, his readiness to undertake a voyage of discovery under the auspices of the English Crown. Ac- cordingly Cabot and his son Sebastian sailed from Bristol, in May, 1497. They pursued a more northerly course than Columbus, and it is probable that the first land they reached was the western coast of Labrador, or the neighboring Island of Newfoundland. They visited Nova Scotia, and explored the principal pai't of the eastern coast of North America. 7. Nearly a century now elapsed, during which the English seem to have neglected the New World. Several French adventurers, meantime, visited North America ; among these was Cartier, who explored a part of Canada, as early as 1534. 8. In the year 1583, Queen Elizabeth fitted out a fleet for North America, under the command of 88 HISTORY or I i" .it f the gallant Sir Humphrey Gilbert. This brave man, having formally taken possession of the Island of Newfoundland, sailed to Sable Island foT the purpose of obtaining cattle, which he un- derstood had been left there by the Portuguese. In this attempt, he lost one of his vessels on the sand-bars ofl' that dangerous island. He then with two ships set sail for England ; but the one which he commanded was cast away and all on board perished. 9. In 1598, the Marquis De la Roche, on his way to Nova Scotia, left forty French convicts on Sable Island, absurdly supposing it a lit place for a colony, and alter visiting different parts of Nova Scotia, he returned to France. Slost of these poor fellows died of starvation. At the expiration of seven years, the twelve survivors were pardoned and brought back to France. 10. In the year ICO 4, De Monts sailed for America, with a patent from the King of France, conferring upon him the government of that por- tion of North .America situated between the 40th and 46th parallels, and called, in bis commission, Acadia. He was accompanied by Champlain, Pontgrave, and Pontrincourt. They landed on the south coast of Nova Scotia, near Liverpool. Thence they proceeded along the coast and sailed up into Annapolis Basin. Charmed with the beautiful scenery of this place, they chose a spot near the head of the basin for a settlement, and called it Port Royal. They then continued their explorations up the Bay of Fundy, visiting Cape d'Or and Parrsboro*. Sailing down the bay again, t c ■ ^i - .? ^ii- K* KOVA SCOTIA. 89 they took up their winter-quarters on the island of St. Croix. 11. In the spring, De Monts and his party re- turned to Port Royal, where they proceeded to erect dwellings and make other preparations for a permanent settlement. In the autun>n he vis- ited France, leaving Pontgrave and Champlain to make further explorations. During the follow- ing summer he returned to Port Iloyal, bringing supplies for the infant colon}'. Upon his subse- quent return to France, he found that jealousies had been excited on account of his exclusive privileges, and that the king, influenced by the clamor, had cancelled his commission. 12. Pontriucourt, who had received a grant of Port Iloyal from De Monts, was engaged in cul- tivating the soil, and in making such improve- ments as would render his colony comfortable and independent, when he received intelligence that Acadia had been taken out of the hands of his patron. In consequence of this, he and his colo- nists returned to France, leaving their buildings and crops to the natives, who had evinced much friendship for Pontrincourt, and were distressed at his departure. 13. In the following spring, Pontrincourt, hav- ing received a charter from the king, returned to Port Royal, with several families, and resumed the occupation of the settlement. A few years later, another French colony was established at LaHave, and priests were sent from France to^ instruct the Indians. 14. Meanwhile the English were fornung set- 90 iiisroiiv OK 5j:ii Is tlements farther to the south. Their first colony was established in 1607, at James Town, in Vir- ginia. When they were apprised of the existence of the French settlements at Lallave and Port Royal, within the limits of their charter, they fitted out an expedition under Captain Argall, and dispossessed them. 15. In 1020, the Turitaup, who were driven from England by religious persecution, arrived in America and formed the first settlement in New England. In the following year. Sir William Alexander, a native of Scotland, obtained from the king a grant of the country which the French called Acadia. In the patent granted to Alexander, it was called Nova Scotia, and embraced all the territory east of a line ruiniing northerl}'^ from the river St. Croix to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. For the purpose of encouraging its settlement, Charles I. of England instituted the order of Baronet oT Nova Scotia. Each baronet received a grant of land in the colony and pledged himself to aid in its settlement. , 16. Meanwhile the French were prosecuting their schemes of colonization in Canada, which was then called New France. They had also re- sumed the occupation of Port Royal and LaHave. In 1627, Sir William Alexander, aided b}^ Sir David Tirk, a French Protestant, sent out a fleet and recovered possession of Nova Scotia. On the way they captured eighteen French transports, bearing supplies to the colonists. In 1629, Kirk effected the conquest of Cape Breton and Canada.^ 17. AmoDj^ the prisoners taken on board the^ NOVA SCOTIA. 91 it French transports, was a Piotcstant named Claiido De la Tonr. lie soon identified his interests with those of the English, an 20. By the Treaty of Ryswick, in 1696, Nova Scotia was again restored to France. The French now manifested a disposition to encroach upon the territories belonging to Massachusetts. They also seized the fishing vessels belonging to that colony, and encouraged the Indians to attack their settlements. Colonel Church again pro- ceeded to Nova Scotia, and destroyed flourishing settlements at Minas (liorton), and Chiegnecto. 21. The New England Colonies were at length aroused to the importance of taking Nova Scotia firom the French. Having obtained the consent of the British Government, after two unsuccessful attempts, they eflected the conquest of Port Royal, in the year 1710. By the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, France finally ceded Nova Scotia to the English. * 22. Port Royid, the capital of the Province, , KOTA SCOTIA. 99 now received the name of Annapolis Royal, in honor of Queen Anne, the reigning sovereign of Great Britain. By the terms of capitulation, the inhabitants in the immediate vicinity of this town were permitted to dispose of their effects and leave the Province witliin two years. Governor Nicholson demanded of the other Acadians, resi- dent in the Province, either to take the o;ith of allegiance to the crown of Great Britain, or leave the country within one year. The former alter- native was at variance with their national preju- dices ; the latter involved a large sacrifice of property. After occasioning much perplexity to the governor by delaying beyond the app©inted time, they took the oath w^ith some understand- ing that they should not be required to bear arms against France. They were hence called neutrals. The English population was at this time very sparse, and the fear of renewed hostilities with the French deterred emigrants from settling in the Province.^ j ;« 23. The French, dispossessed of Nova Scotia, turned their attention to the island of Cape Breton which they still retained. A town, named Louisburg, was founded in 1720, in the south of the island, and at a vast expense was made one of the strongest places in America. It 6oon be- came an asylum for the perpetrators of the most cruel and daring assaults upon the English inhab- itants of Nova Scotia. The French had auc- ceeded in gaining the friendship of the Indians and at the same time in making them extremely hostile to the English. These aborigines now ooiiimeiiced the most fearful outrages upon Um 94 HISTORY OF lives and propen-ty of the English colonists. Canso, through its vicinity to the fisheries, had become a flourishing settlement. In the sanje year that Louisburg was founded, this place was attacked by a party of Indians, many of its in- habitants were murdered, and property, valued at £20,000, was plundered. Attacks of this kind became frequent. Fishing vessels also were boarded and plundered ; sometimes also their crews were murdered, or carried into the interior, scalped, and otherwise tortured. The plunder thus obtained found a ready market at Louisburg. 21. In 1744, war was declared between France and England; the Governor of Louisburg re- ceived intelligence of this fact before the people of Nova Scotia , he fitted out an armament, and taking the inhabitants by surprise, made an ea^y conquest of Canso. He then besieged Annapolis, but timely aid amving from Massachusetts, he was compelled to retire. 25. The Colonies of New England now, in their torn, planned the conquest of Louisburg. Wm. Pepperal, a militia colonel, was despatched with 4000 men and a small fleet, for that purpose. Pepperal was Joined at Canso, by Commodore Warren, with additional forces. After a few days siege, the Grovcmor of Louisburg was induced to surrender. It is said that the French flag was allowed to remain in the harbor to deceive French trading vessels, and that three valuable merchant ships were thus decoyed and captured. 26. In the following year. 1746, a fleet of 70 sail was sent out from France under the Duke d'Anville, fbr the purpose of recovering Nova : i NOYA SCOTIA. f»5 m V Scotia and destroying British settlements in^ America. The fate of this fleet was most disas* trons. Some of the ships were lost in a severe gale, and others, disabled, retamed to France, After a tedious passage of 90 days, the Duk« arrived at Chebucto Harbor (Halifax), with a small force. During the passage, many of his men had died of a fever which still prevailed. So great was the grief and disappointment of the Duke, that he died four da;^ s after his arrival. A force had been sent from Canada to act in con- Junction with this fleet. After waiting some days for the fleet and despairing of its arrival, the Canadian force returned home. The remnant of the fleet, having experienced several other reverses, returned to France without efliecting any conquest. Diplomacy however secured for them what they were unable to obtain by arms. By the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, Cape Breton was restored to France. 27. The French, desiring to obtain more terri- tory, asserted that Acadia which had been ceded to the English by the treaty of Utrecht, included only a part of the peninsula, and consequently, that a large country between it and Massachusetts still pertained to the French crown. The English maintained that Acadia included not only the whole of the peninsula, but also the country now called New Brunswick. Whilst this dispute was pending, the English sent out a large number of disbanded soldiers to Nova Scotia, under Edward Cornwallis, who was appointed governor of the colony . They landed at Chebucto on the 20th of June, 1749, laid the foundations of a town which Et^ ( ■■■ 96 HISTORY OF was called Halifax, in honor of the Earl of Hali- fax, a promoter of the enterprise, and organized a government, consisting of the governor and a council of six persons. 28. The Acadians and Indians tendered sub- mission to the governor, and for a short time manifested a friendly disposition. But the French Government, not yet abandoning all hope of re- gaining tiie country, immediately sent out instruc- tions, influencing them to a very different policy, The Indians under the influence of savage passions committed the most barbarous outrages upon the infant colonj\ It was necessary to keep a guard during the night to protect the town against sur- prise, and the inhabitants could not enter the neighboring forest, but at the risk of their lives ; or of being seized, carried to Louisburg, and sold as slaves. The French governor asserted that he had no control over the perpetrators of these outrages, and that the captives were purchased to save them from barbarous treatment. He, how- ever, exacted enormous sums for their ransom. 29. Governor Cornwallis, deeming it imprudent to allow the Acadians to continue as neutrals, summoned them to take an unconditional oath of allegiance. This they declined doing, as it might involve the necessity of their bearing arms against France and their friends the Indians. They asked permission to sell their property and leave the country, which was refused. The Indians were denounced as traitors, and companies were organized to hunt them in their retreats, encour- aged by a reward of ten guineas for every Indian 8^p. \ ^OVA SCOTIA. 97 3^. The Governor of Canada, having deter- mined to restrict the English to the peninsula, sent a strong force, commanded by La Corne, to Bay Verte. La Corne fortified his position on the isthmus and compelled the Acadians of Chiegnecto (Cumberland) to take the oath of al- legiance to the crown of France. The Acadians of Minas (Lower Ilorton) and other places were encouraged to renounce subjection to the English. Cornwallis sent Major LawTcnce, with a small force, to secure the fidelity of the inhabitants of Chiegnecto. At his approach they burned their houses and fled to La- Come, who was posted on the north of the Missaquash River. At an inter- view with La Corne, Lawrence learned that the French were determined to hold all territory north of that river, and as his force was too small to warrant an engagement, he returned to Hali- fax. He was immediately sent back with a stronger detachment. A large body of Acadians and Indians, intrenched behind the dykes, op- posed his landing. They at length gave way and fled to La Corne. Lawrence, not being able to dislodge La Corne from his strong position, con- structed a fort (Fort Lawrence) on the south of the Missaquash, by which he was able to command the entrance to the peninsula^ 31. In order to obtain colonists for Nova Sco- tia, George II. ofiered to the Protestants on the continent of Europe large inducements to emi- grate to the Province. A number of Germans accordingly came out to Halifax in 1750 ; they subseqnently settled in Lunenburg, where they endured great hardships i^i^d experienoed mndai 7 > // 98 uisTOKT or trouble with the Indians. Exasperated by these unexpected difficulties and also by reports, that supplies sent out for their use had been withheld, they rose in rebellion. They were, however, soon reduced to order and compelled to surrender their arms. 32, In the year 1755, an expedition was sent from Massachusetts to dislodge the French at Bay Verte. It was entirely successful. The forts were taken and the garrisons were sent to Louis- burg, under condition of not bearing arms in America for six months. The Acadians, who had aided the French, asserting that they had been forced to that service, were pardoned. To pre- vent them from giving assistance again in similar enterprises, they were disarmed and deprived of their boats. 33. The French had recently gained a decided victory over the English near the Ohio River, and Louisburg had been reinforced. The Acadians still refused to take an unqualified oath of alle- giance to the British Government, and as recent events had demonstrated, their neutrality, in case of French invasion, could scarcely be relied on. These cu*cumstances induced Governor Lawrence \ and his Council to remove them all from the Province and disperse them among the other Colonies. Accordingly, without intimating to them this design, they were all commanded to as- semble in their churches, to be informed of the king's pleasure concerning them. Their houses, lands, and all other property, except money and household goods, were then declared forfeited to the Crown ; permission was not allowed them to ^ »/ NOVA »^C:0T1A» 99 return to their homes, lf«t they should escape to the woods. They were placed on board vessels which had been provided for the purpose, and scattered among tlie other colonies from New Hampshire to Georgia. Their houses and barns were burned, so that if any escaped they might be compelled to return and submit to the hard de- cree. It is stated that about 7000 of these peo- ple were transported from Minas, Canard, Cum- berland, and Annapolis. Tliey were set down poor and friendless in a strange land, where they experienced great privations. In some cases, too, their expulsion was further embittered by the separation of families and friends. Those who had been taken to Georgia attempted to find their way back ; they coasted along from harbor to har- bor, till they arrived at New England, where they were forbidden to proceed any further. Not- withstanding the secrecy of the arrangement for the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia, and the vigor with which it was executed, many escaped to the woods and eluded pursuit. Others subsequently returned to the Province. 34. In 1758, an expediti .c, commanded by Admiral Boscawen and General Amherst, was sent against Louisburg. Aftei a few days' siege, the governor was compelled to surrender on humiliating conditions. The islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward were yielded to the English, and the soldiers of the garrison were made prisoners of war. The inhabitants of the town were removed to France and the fortifica- tions were subsequently destroyed. A few fish- ermen are now the only inhabitants of this former 100 UI8TORT or i stronghold of the French. In the following year, Quebec was taken by General Wolfe, who had dis- tinguished himself in the siege of Louisburg ; and soon after, all Canada fell into the hands of the English. 85. In 1758, Governor Lawrence convened the first Provincial Legislature of Nova Scotia. It consisted of sixteen representatives for the whole province, two for Lunenburg and four for Halifax, making twenty-two in all. Roman Catholics were excluded from the privilege of sitting as members and from voting at elections. Governor Lawrence also sent an invitation to the New Eng- land colonies, offering large grants of land to any who would remove to Nova Scotia. Many farmers accepted the invitation, and settled on lands vaca- ted by the Acadians. 36. In consequence of the seizure of New foundland by the French, 1762, a panic was ex- cited in Nova Scotia and a number of Acadians who had settled in Kings County and had given valuable assistance to the colonists from New England, in helping them to repair the dykes, be- came objects of alarm. In was feared that, in case of French invasion, these people would join the enemy. They were accordingly seized and transported to Boston. The Governor of Massa- chusetts refused to allow them to land, and the}r were brought back to Nova Scotia. The French^ however, were soon dispossessed of Newfoundland and all fears of the poor Acadians were dissipated. By the treaty of Paris, 1763, France relinquished fdl claim to Canada, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, |aclui}iof{ (be temtory ww eidled New Brunswick^ NOTA 8C011A. 101 and the islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with the exception of St. Pierre, Miquelon and Lang- ley. A treaty had also been effected with the In- dians, and the hatcliet buried, as a token of peace. Nova Scotia, so long a scene of strife and blood- shed, now started on her career of peace and prosperity. 37. Britain had scarcely compelled France to relinquish her vast territories in America, when she excited the hostility of her own colonies. The great cause of defection was a tax imposed by the imperial government, on tea and other articles, including stamped paper, on which all deeds and other legal documents were required to be written. The colonies remonstrated against being taxed by a Parliament in which they had no representation. The British Government remain- ing inflexible, the colonies rebelled. The war commenced in 1 775 ; the Declaration of Inde- pendence was made on the fourth of July of the following j'^ear. Britain acknowledged their in- dependence in 1783. During this general defec- tion, Nova Scotia maintained her allegiance and fidelity to the British Crown. The inhabitants of Truro and Onslow indeed manifested some sym- pathy with the revolted colonies and refused to take the oath of allegiance, in consequence of which their members were not allowed to take their seats in the Provincial Legislature. 38. Prince Edward Island was separated from Nova Scotia and became a distinct province in 1770. Cape Breton and New Brunswick were also separated in 1784. In 1819» Cape Breton was re-annexed to Nova Scotia. It has been t: 102 mSTOUY OF NOVA 0COTIA. computed that about 20,000 royalists removed from the revolted colonies and settled in Nova Scotia. During a war with the United States, in 1814, an expedition, fitted out in Halifax, took possession of Castine and other places now form- ing a part of the State of Maine. The duties collected at these places, whilst they were occu- pied by the British, were, at the close of the war, placed at the disposal of the governor of Nova Scotia for the benefit of the Province. Out of this fund £1,000 were expended on a military library in Halifax, and £9,750 towards the es- tablishment of Dalhousie College. 39. Until the year 1838, a single Council, con- sisting of twelve members, possessed both legis- lative and executive power and always sat with closed doors. This council was then dissolved, and two were created in its stead. 40. The ten years following this change in the Council were characterized by agitations in the country, as well as keen contests in the Assembly, for political reform. These movements at length resulted, in 1848, in the establishment of what is called Responsible Government. The Executive is responsible to the House of Assembly whose confidence it must possess. In 1818, the popula- tion of Nova Scotia Proper was 78,345 : in 1828, it was 123,848 ; in 1851, it amounted to 221,239 ; and in 1861 it had increased to 267,774. VOOAULI.Alty. 108 VOCABULARY OF GKOGllArillCAL TERMS. Abbreviations employed in the vocabulary. — L. Latin, G. Greek, F. French, Gcr. German, Sw. Swedish. Axis. (G. axon^ nn axle.) An axle : an im- aginary straight line passinjjj through the centre of the earth, on which it pciibrms its daily revo- lutions. Archipelago. (G. arc/io.?, chief ; and pelagos^ the sea.) The name of an important sea near Greece ; any sea containing clusters of islands. AvALANCiiK. (F. avaler, to descend.) A slip of snow, ice, earth, etc., from the side of a moun- tain. Basin, a small portion of water running up into the land, like a bay; the portion of a country drained by a river and its tributaries. Bay, an inlet of the sea. Boulder, {howl, a ball used in a game.) A rounded stone. Bras d'Or. (F. arm of gold,) The name of the inland waters in Cape Breton. Cape. (L. caput, the head.) A headland ; a point of land running out into the sea. Capital. (L. caput, the head.) The chief town of a countiy , the seat of government. Carboniferous. (L. carbo, coal, and feiv, I bear.) Bearing or containing coal. Carnivora. (L. caro, flesh, and voro, I devour.) Flesh-eaters. Cascade. (F.) A small waterfall. Cataract. (G. katarasso, 1 fall down.) A great waterfall. 4 104 YOCABCLART, V «;' Cekeal. (L. Ceres the goddess of corn and till- age.) Grain, as wheat, rye, barley. ' Channel. (L. cmialis^ a water-pipe.) The bed ' of a river ; a passage of water connecting two seas. Circle. A plane figure bounded by a curved tine w^hich is everywhere equally distant from the 4»entre. Citadel. A fortress. Circumference. (L. circum^ around, and fero^ 1 hear.) The curved line which bounds a circle ; trie distance round the earth, which is 24,870 milo^, Cliihate. (G. klima, a slope.) The condition of a coiiiitry with respect to heat, moisture, etc. CoASi. (L. casta, a rib.) The part of a coun- try bordering on the sea. Colony. (L, colonia, a settlement.) A com- , pany of people who have lelt their native place and settled in a distant country under the protec- tion of the parent state ; the country thus settled. Commerce. (L. commercium, trade.) An ex- change of the goods or products of one country for those of another. Continent. (L. contineo, I hold together.) A great extent of land not separated by water. Creek. A small inlet of the sea ; a brook. Current. (L. cwrro, I run.) A stream, a pro- gressive motion of air or water. Desert. (L. desero, I forsake.) A waste un- inhabited land. Diameter. (G. dia, through, metron,, meas- ure.) A straight line passing through the cen- tre of a circle or sphere and terminated by the ii VOOABULA&r. 105 till. bed two circumference. The earth'p diameter is 7,924 miles. Empire. (L. impenum^ supreme power.) A country ruled by an emperor. Emporium. (G. emponon^ a market-place.) A city or town of much trade. Equator. (L. mquo^ I make equal.) A great circle passing round the earth east and west and dividing its surface into two equal parts, called the northern and southern hemispheres. Estuary. (L. cestuo, I boil.) The expansion of a river at its mouth into an arm of the sea. Exports. (L. €«, out of, and porto, I bear.) Goods carried out of a country. FX.0RA. (L. Flora, the goddess of flowers.) The plants belonging to a country. Frigid. (L./n(/idws, cold.) Cold; see zone. Frontier. (L. frons, the front.) The border ; the boundary of a country. Glacier. (L. glacies, ice.) A large mass of ice and snow found along the slopes of lofty mountains. Government. (G. gubemo, I steer.) Rule; the power which rules a country. Grallatores. (L. grallatoVy one who goes on stilts.) Stilt birds or waders. Granite. (L. granatus, having grains.) A rock having a granular or grained appearance, and made up of three mineiils, quartz, felspar, and mica. Gulf. (G. kolpos, the bosom.) A portion of the sea extending into the land ; a large bay. Gtpsuh. (G. gupsos, chalk.) A combination of sulphur and Ume, called sulphate of lixne« 106 VOOABULAKY. PIarbob. (Saxon, here-bergd^ a station where an army rests.) An inlet of the sea containing safe anchorage for ships. Hemispheke. (G. hemi^ half, and sphaira^ a ball.) Half a ball or sphere. That portion of the earth north of the equator is called the Northern Hemisphere; that to the south, the Southern Hemisphere. Horizon. (G. horizOy I bound.) The circle which bounds the view, where the earth and sky appear to meet, is called the Sensible Horizon; a great circle parallel to the Sensible Horizon is called the Rational Horizon. Iceberg. (Ger. eis, ice, and 5ergr, a hill.) A large mass of ice floating in the sea. Imports. (L. in, into, and porto^ I bear.) Goods brought into a country from abroad. Insessores. (L. in, upon, and sessor^ a sitter.) A class of birds that often rest upon trees; perchers. Insular. (L. insula, an island.) Surrounded by water. Isothermal. (G. isos, equal, and therme, heat.) Having equal heat. Isothermal lines are imagin- ary lines passing through those places which have the same mean annual temperature. Isthmus. (G. isthmos, the neck.) A neck or narrow portion of land joining large bodies of land. Laej:. (G. lakos, a cistern.) A body of water surrounded by land. Latitude. (L. latitudo, breadth.) The angu- lar distance of a place from the equator. Lati- tude is noith or south, according as the place iB north or south of the equatot*. VOCABULARY. 107 Lava. (L. lavo, I wash.) Melted stones thrown from a volcano. Longitude. (L. longitudOf length.) The angu- lar distance of a place from the first meridian. When a place is east of the first meridian, it is said to be in East Longitude ; when west of it, it is in West Longitude. Mammalia. (L. maynma^ the breast.) That class of animals whicli suckle their young. Maritime. (L. mare, the sea.) Belonging to the sea. Meridian. (L. mendies, noon.) An imagin- ary great circle passing through the poles and cutting the equator at right angles. Mountain. (L. mows, mountain.; A vast elevation of the earth's surface. Metamorphic, (G. metamorpTioo^ I change.) Changed ; a class of rocks slightly changed by heat. Monarchy. (G. mono*, one; arc/ios, ruler.) A state or government in which the supreme power \n iod' :'- ».' "■ .^y