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'tis ^V«'*"aoi; Morril •loeX U» -«^" 31ou),030.82 1,030,7-JO *• Honaventurc 3,L'91.G0 2,10G,G8l " Gaspc 4^;>1.22 2,851,540 Total 10,783.73 0,900,911 This extent of territory is comparatively small, not even one twentieth of the total area of the province, but still it forms a large region when compared with certain provinces of the Confede- ration or with some of the most densely populated and civilized countries of Europe. GASPSIA This will be clearly seen on reference to the following table. Countries. Area. Holland 12,791 Belgium 11,500 Denmark 14,6U) Switzerland 15.990 Scotland 30,685 Ireland 31,874 New-Brunswick 27,174 Nova-Scotia 20,907 Prince Edward Island. 2, 1 33 (Jaspesia 10,783 PopiUatioii. 3,674,000 5,100,000 1,784,000 2,670 )00 3,360,000 5,411,000 321,233 440,572 108,891 56,860 If we suppose it iiihaljited in tlie same propor- tion as Switzerland and Scotland, Gasposia could support a population of more tluui a iiiillion souls. The realization of this liypothesis is not an im- possibility, for Gasjcsia is less mountainous and its soil, in general, much more fertile th.an that of either Switzerland or Scr>(lan'l, to sav nothinc^ of the i\xct that its fishei'ies constitute a so-urce of inexhaustible riches, not to be f\)und in Scotland and still less in Switzerland. ]Moreover, neither of these two countries has forests capable of sup- plying the lumber trade with enormous quantities of timber of the very best quality. The territory of Gaspesia is as rich, as suscep- tible of development as Prince Edward Island, E 10 GASPESIA has a better agricultural climate, and it is as easy of access by rail and easier by navigation. Now Prince Edward Island, whose area is not one-fifth that of Gaspe, has a population of 108.891 souls, from which we may conclude tliat the territory of the latter might support a population propor- tionate to its extent or five times greater, which would make 544.455, or, in round numbers, half a million. In such a case the area allotted to each person would be fourteen acres or about one hundred acres to each family, which exceeds by thirty per cent that occupied by each %mily in the province of Quebec, according to thQ census of 1871. Gaspesia has at present but 56.860 inhabitants, thereby clearly showing that it is a country into which the tide of immigration might abundantly flow without encumbering its great extent. Unfortunately it has always been ignored l)y immigrants, w^ho would nevertheless find in it in- contestable advantages wdiich are not to be found in other parts of the province of Quebec. In addition to its agricultural resources, the settler has in its fisheries a safe means of providing for the subsistence of his family. The fact is GASPESIA 11 that the greater portion of its population lives on the fisheries and lives comfortably. This comfort might be considerably increased if, in. the moments of leisure left them by the fishing, the inhabitants were to give more care and attention to farming. Still, notwitjhstanding this neglect, the people of Gaspesia cultivate all the produce required for their consumption. According to the census of 1871 the yield of ^heat, per acre, was 8.3 bushels in Eimouski ; 11.9 in Bona venture and 15 in Gasp^ or an average of 11.7 bushels for the three counties. This equals and even exceeds that yielded by the most fertile and cultivated regions in other sec- tions of the province. By the same census it appears that the yield of the following counties for every acre sown with wheat was : Maskinonge 7.11 bushels; Napierville 6; Bagot 7.69; Cham- bly 6.73 ; Verch^res 6.19 ; Kichelieu 7.46 ; Brome 13.41 ; Compton 12.89. Gasp^ therefore greatly excels, in the cultivation of wheat, the other localities, while Bonaventure and Eimouski show a yield 30 per cent, greater than the rich counties in the valley of the Richelieu. These facts naturally lead us to ask the reason why Gaspesia i^ sot more settled. > 12 GASPESIA It is no doubt due to want of information about that country and its isolation. In all tbe publications scattered broadcast to attract immi- grants, the name of Gaspesia is hardly even mentioned ; and, as that region is completely outside of the route taken by immigrants to reach the port of Quebec and the other large cities of r>anada, they cannot even have an idea of settling in that part of the country. The only two ports frequented by vessels from England are Gaspe and Pasp^biac ; but these vessels only come to load with fish and with the exception of those coii- sigued to the Robins they always come out in ballast and bring neither freight nor passengers, not even immigrants for whom they could not supply proper accommodation. But, out of a population of 56,860 in Gaspesia, there are only 3,067 who are not natives of the country and of these 1,025 come from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick leaving only 2.042 people born out of the country, or less than one twenty-seventh of the whole population. The population of Gaspesia has therefore been almost exclusively made up by tlie excess of GASPESIA 13 births over deaths and even this does not pre- vent it from having increased pretty rapidly and constantly as shewn by the following table : RIMOUSKI Dates 1852 1861 1871 1881 17,267 Increase Per cent. Population 3,866 8,509 4,823 130.85 12,958 4,449 52.28 4,309 BONAVENTURE 33.25 1852 10,844 1861 13,092 2,248 1871 15,293 2,201 1881 18,908 3,615 GASPfe 20.7:5 16.81 23.63 1852 8,702 1861 11,426 2,724 31.33 1871 1881 15,557 4,131 .... 20,685 5,128 .... THE WHOLE OF GASPESIA 36.15 32.96 1852 23,412 1861 33,027 9,795 60.93 1871 43,808 10,781 35.08 1881 56,860 13,052 30.46 As may be observed, during the decade between 1871 and 1881, the county of Rimouski shows the largest increase ; it exceeds Gasp^ by 0.29 and Bona venture by 9.62 per cent. This is due in a 14 GASPESIA great measure to the construction of the Interco- lonial Eailway which has opened up to settlement much land which was formerly inaccessible or too remote and has given a powerful impetus to colonization. With the exception of the portion comprised in the county of Eimouski, that is to say in the portion of that county called, in the census of 1871, Eimouski-East, there is but one conces- sion settled in Gaspesia, that which borders on the F I. The habitations are like a riband which completely circles the great interior plateau and it is only in Shoolbred, on the Nouvelle Kiver, and some other localities, that a few lots have been settled in the interior concession? and short roads made to reach them. Colonization has there a vast field for its opera- tions and if all the resources, the natural riches and facilities of settlement of this fine region were well known throughout our province, and appreciated at their proper value by those who are in a posi- tion to render valuable assistance to colonization, finally if these riches, these resources and facility of access to the inner parts of the county were made known to immigrants from Kardpe, it is GASPESIA 15 jra- ind ^ell ited )si- Lon, ity lere is beyond a doubt that the current of immigration \Nould set towards that jart of the province in pre- ftrtnce to the others and that, at the next census, Gas] csia would have a population of at least 100.- 000 souls. Let Paspebiac be made a sea port by connecting it with the Intercolonial by a railway, and before ten years Gaspesia wuU be entirely changed and become one of the richest and most progijBssive parts of the province and even of Canada. CHAPITRE II TOPOGRAPHY — MOUNTAINS — EIVERS — SEA SHORE — PRINCIPAL CENTRES OF POPULATION — WATERING PLACES G aspesia forms an immense plateau whose prin- cipal slope inclines towards the Baie des Chaleurs. It is divided into two distinct parts by the Notre Dame Mountains, which are but the eastern extre- mity of the Alleghany chain. From Gasp^ the axis of this ridge borders on the south shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at a dozen miles from the sea. The highest part is 16 GASPESIA from two to six miles wide. Starting from Gasp^ these mountains trend towards the interior in a north-westerly direction and then return in a wes- terly direction to the neighborhood of Ste. Anne des Monts and Cap Chatte, whence they run south east. The highest portions are in the region in which the Cap Chatte and Matane Rivers take their rise, where some mountains are as high as 3,973 feet. These mountains do not however form a conti- nuous chain, for the princit)al rivers which flow into the Gulf of St. Lawrence take their rise beyond and to tlie south of tlio line desci'il.>ed by this series of isolated peaks. As regards its continuity and altitude, this chain of mountains is of a varied cliaracter. The main ridge or centre of the chain is at a distance of from twelve to twenty-five miles from the St. Lawrence. Behind Metis, the summit is seldom over sixteen hundred feet high and this region is more of a plateau broken by a few high hills than a continuous range of mountains. Without being of superior quality, the soil is in a great measure fit for cultivation and improves as we go towards the St. Lawrence, where we GASPESIA. 17 generally find good, deep and fertile land, espe- cially in the valley of the Metis River. To the noith of this range of high mountains there is another stretch of hilly but lower country beyond which is an extent of fertile land which is sometimes of considerable width. This land, as well as the low lands along the St. Lawrence River and the mouths of the rivers which flow into it is very suitable for cultivation and almost everywhere covered with settlements. At the Ste. Anne River the chain divides into tv/o branches, one of which runs towards the south while the other goes to- wards the St. Lawrence. At Mont Louis the chain inclines towards the east and its altitude decreases as it proceeds towards Cape Gaspe where it terminates, leaving, for a length of twenty miles above Cap Rosier, between it and the Gulf, a wide stretch of good land. To the south of this chain tin ic is a great interior valley whose surface is frequently broken by hills or narrowed by hilly lands which border it both on the north and south sides. Its width varies from ten to thirty miles and it generally presents all the characteristics of a high plateau. The soil of this great valley is poor and light 18 GASPESIA in some places, stoney in others but it is gene- rally arable and fertile. There are even conside- rable extents of excellent land, especially in the region v/here the Matane river has its source and along the Kempt Boad. On the side of the Baie des Chaleurs and forming the southern limit of the interior valley tirst described, there is another range of hills, broken in many places by mountains of small extent but of a certain height. Towards the northern angle of the county of Bonaventure and not far from the banks of the Bonaventure Kiver, three of these mountains are respectively 1,394 > 1,324 and 1757 feet high. The Conical Mountain' at the sources the River Cascapedia, is 1,910 feet high. The southern slope of this range of hills lowers gradually to the Baie des Chaleurs. It forms a strip of arable land, from twenty to thirty miles wide,preb(.:iiting all the characteristics of a slightly elevated plateau towards it southern limit, cut cross-wise by deep and narrow valleys in the midst of which flow wide rivers taking their rise in the inner plateau, to the north of the range which has just been described. The strip of land GASPESIA 19 which borders the Bale des Chaleurs is everywhere composed of soil of an excellent quality. From Mackerel Point to the Cascapedia River, the shore advancing into the sea describes a curve which considerably increases the width of this strip of fertile land. The ground is level and settlements might profitably be established to a distance of thirty miles from the shore. To the west of the Cascapedia River, the surface of the soil is more broken and nearly all the points which run into the sea are commanded, as th^y go towards the interior, by isolated mountains which are sometimes 1,800 ^eet high, like Mount Tracadigetche, behind Carleton. Along the Ristigouche river the hills are not so high and almost border on the river. They [)roduce the prettiest landscapes one can wish to see. Their sides, sometimes precipitous but generally descending in gentle slopes, are surrounded by valleys of considerable extent and of the greatest fertility. The soil, even on the summit of the hills, is everywhere rich, fertile and generally free from stones and covered with fine hardwood forests. The valley of the Nouvelle River forms the finest pnrt 20 GASPESIA of this region, which is of a hilly character, but possesses a soil which, as regards fertility, is in no wise inferior to that of the richest tracts of the valleys of the Richelieu and St Lawrence. When seen from the sea the shore of Gaspesia presents a continued succession of splendid lands- capes, where the pittoresque vies with the sublime. On the side of the Gulf, the shore forms an almost regular ciyved line, whose length is broken only by slight sinuosities which canba'ely be dis- tinguished at a short distance. The only indenta- tions of any ex<"ent are at the mouths of the nrin- cipal rivers whose estuaries form what are called in the language of the couutry : barachois or lagoons. The entrance of these rivers generally affords to schooners and light draught vessels an ancho- rage where they can communicate more or less easily with the sliore. At Matane, Ste Anne, Riviere Blanche, Mont Louis, Anse k Griffon, Fox River, we find these anchorage grounds which are so many small ports, frequented by the schoon- <3rs used in fishing or in the coasting trade. At Ste Anne, the village is built on a sandy eninsul he rive ,awrenc >each of 10 ve. ToWcV 5t. Law )ne abo ^hick-S: ;hvee th Bjyo the GIdi of their fifty to contrast trees. T wards, i In the cient g< Thir Louis, Wheat of Que the riv of a hi GASPESU 21 minsula formed by a lagoon and the mouth of le river. The habitations extend along the St. jawrence on each side of this central point. A )each of white, hard and level sand surrounds the ^ove. Towards the interior, at some distance from the ^t. Lawren ce, the land rises and the hills appear me above the other until they terminate in the bhick-Shock s, some of whose peaks are more than three thousan d five liundred feet high. Bjyond St. Ann(3, as we descend, we notice the CJdmineys, rocks wliich are so called on account )f their shape and several pretty watur-flills IVom Hfty to sixty fee t high, whose whiteness foiuis a Icontrast with the dark tints of tlio siinouuding (trees. The whole of this coast, from Ste., Anne down- wards, is high, precipitous and cut by deep ravine^'. In the interior, the land is good and there is sufil- Icient good soil to support a great many families. Thirty six miles below Ste. Anne is Mont Louis, remarkable for its extensive fi-heiies. Wheat ripens there as well as in the neighborhood of Quebec. The habitations are on the banks of the river and sheltered from the wind V)y the spur of a \ivA\ mountain. 22 GASPESIA The bay formed by the mouth of the Magdalci Eiver is bounded on the east by a bank of gravel about a mile long and but little above the level of the high tides. This small port affords a gccd aiiJ chorage to light draught vessels. The bay of Grand Fox liiver forms a semi- circle about a mile in diameter." The entrance i.si between two head-lands which are constantly' being eaten away by the waters; around the basin | the ground is like an am}thitheatre, covered with| verdure and crowned with hardwood. This bay is fairly safe ; vessels find good hold- ing ground for their anchors, and are sheltered from all winds, except from the north. Around Fox Eiver the soil is excellent ; it produces good wheat, barley, oats and potatoes which grow wonderfully. About fifteen miles beyond Fox River, low- lying lands stretch to the base of the mountains and end at the sea in a point which is barely from thirty to forty feet high. This is Cap des Hosiers, or Eosier. Se ven miles beyond this cape, the chain of mountains which borders the south shore of the St. Lawrence ends in a promontory, Le Fourillon. This is a naj'row peninsula which stret- GASPESIA 2S ches boldly three miles out into the sea between the cove at Cap Kosier and Gasp^ Bay. On the north side it presents a bare rock perfectly per- pendicular and reaching a height of seven hundred feet ; it is the remains of a mountain, one half of which fell into the sea after having been under- mined by the ice and water ; while the othei half has remained standing as straight as a wall. To the south of Le Fourillon is the entrance to Gasp^ Bay, a fine sheet of water eight miles wide and running about eighteen miles into the interior with high lands on either hand. One side, the reverse of Le Fourillon, is hilly ; the other is varied by hillocks, valleys, forests and groups of houses. On the north the land is generally precipitous. At some points, however, the mountains recede from the sea and leave at their base a more level space, on which are the establishments of Grande Greve, Cap-aux-Os and Penouille. At the head of Gasp^ Bay is the best harbor on the whole coast ; it is separated from the bay by two points which leave between them a channel navigable for large ves- sels. Before reaching the entrance of the port we come, on the south side, to the mouth of the little St. John river, near which, on a hill, is the vil- lage of Douglastown ; on the opposite side is :f 24 GASPESIA Pointe-Penouille, from which a view of the whole harbor is obtained with a large part of the basin and the village. Into the harbour of Gasp^ flow the Dartmouth or North -West and the York or South- West Rivers. The' mouth of the latter forms the basin which is less than a mile in length and whose depth varies from five to nine fathoms. This inner part can shelter a large fleet. The village of Gaspe, situated at the head of this bay, is a place which cannot fail to grow in impor- tance cwitig to the convenience of its port, which, without being very considerable, is accessible to large vessels and affords them a safe refuge during storms. Ships which are unable to hold their own against the gales in the gulf run into it for shelter and the fishing vessels touch there either to procure provisions or to load with merchandize for foreign ports. The houses which are scattered over a hill overlooking the whole port have a very charming appearence. There is no place in Canada more attractive or more healthy during the fine season. It is the most retired and pittoresque watering place on the Lower St. Lawrence. The water in the bay always has that bracing cool GASPESIA 25 whole ! basin mouth Rivera, hich is . varies irt can [ of this impor- which, jible to i during 3ir own shelter her to iize for ed over a very anada ;he fine oresque e. The ig cool temperature which is essential to sea bathing, that sovereign panacea which rejuvenates those whose health and strength have been weakened by sedent- ary habits or the routine of city life. In addition to the sea bathing there are the view of the surounding scenery, which is so disposed as to be pleasing to the eye, charming walks along the shore shaded by the adjacent forest and excursions on a beau tit ul sheet of water sheltered from the wind. There are also the sea breezes which gene- rally rise towards the end of the forenoon during the hottest days of July and August and whose freshness adds to the enjoyment of the tourist or invalid who visits this enchanting spot. " Gasp(5 is the only place in the Gulf where schooners are fitted out for whale fishing and this adventurous pursuit has been retained among the same families ; those who follow it being the descendants of the hardy sailors who settled at Oaspe after the declaration of Independence of the United States and forthwith engaged in this enterprise which then yielded large profits. *' Strictly speaking there is no cod-fishing a^ Gasp^, but most of the cod caught on the North ^nd South coast is brought there when prepared 26 GA8PE8IA for exportation. This trade brings a large number of vessels to Gasp^ all the year through, thus giv- ing employment to the poorer population of the place and of the neighborhood. Work consequently is abundant, either from that source or with the farmers whose lands are here in a better state of )} farming than elsewhere. _ The village of Perc^y the county seat and cJief lieu of the judicial district of Gaspe is built on the extremity of the promontory which forms the western boundary of Malbaie bay. It is one of the most pittoresque sites in the whole of Gas- pesia and its celebrity is due to the singular rock which lies in front of it. This rock appears to have been at one time united to Mount Joli from which it is separated only by a narrow channel which is dry at low water. 1 he length of this rocky islet is about eight hundred feet while its width is barely more than from sixty to eighty feet. Throughout its entire circuit the rock is one continuous cliff, whose avtrage height is two hundred and ninety feet Near its centre, the waves and ice have bored an arched passage through the rock sufficiently large to allow boats under sail to pass through. OASPESIA 27 isage This arched passage gives the locality its name of Perc^ which is an abridgment of Roc Perc4, On the side facing Mount Joli, cape Perc^ foims a a steep cliff and as the plateau narrows, it stretches out several feet over the sea and terminates in a point. Perc^ finds employment for the most fishermen and fishing boats. Its port is excellently adapted for small craft, while its rocky shores are well suited for the work of caring the fish. If Perc^ cannot boast of a safe harbour, it nevertheless possesses natural beauties which can be found nowhere else, and a fertile and well cultivated soil which yields an abundance of cereals of all kinds. Grand River is one of the most populous pa- rishes—it contains 2,150 inhabitants — and is one of the richest in Gaspesia. The people devote themselves chiefly to agriculture and there are farms there which would do credit to the most advanced agricultural districts. The settlements are extending into the interior, where excellent land is found, and are making perceptible progress. The village forms at the mouth of the river a kind of amphitheatre whose aspect i? most pleasing to 28 CASPE8IA the oye. Everywhere reign cleanliness and com- fort which give a peculiar charm to this locality. Cape Cove is a commercial centre of rather considerable importance. There are several mer- chants in the place and business is fairly active. The port is frequented by a good number of schooners which can-y on the coasting trade and even by ships which come to load with fish for the European and South American markets. Port Daniel is a port of considerable impor- tance. It is frequented by a good number of schooners engaged in the coasting trade and espe- cially by those from Prince Edward Island which come for cargoes of the excellent limestone found in the localioy. In addition to the fishing, which is good, agriculture supplies the inhabitants with abundant produce and in Port Daniel there are several ri'^h farmers. Pa;8p^biac is one of the finest parishes on the Baie des Chaleurs. The soil is fertile and care- fully cultivated. The fanners* houses are neat and well built ; everything denotes easy circum- stances and prosperity. In this place is the principal establishment of the Eobins, a house whose fortune is counted by GASPESIA 29 the ire- land im- of millions ; the residence of its chief clerk, who directs and controls all the other establishments, shows that his employers may he classed amongst the millionnairos of the Island of Jersey. About two miles from Paspebiac is the magnificent residence of the Honorable Theodore Kobitaille, the late lieutenant-governor of the province of Quebec and a little further on is the pretty village of New Carlisle which is the county seat of Bona venture. In Paspebiac the ground slopes gradually down to the shore and is everywhere almost uniformly level. The land is fertile and generally w^ell cultivated, especially the farms belonging t^ the Eobins which would do honor to those por- tions of the province where agriculture is . the most advanced. The port of Paspebiac is already provided with a wharf where ships of average tonnage can moor with the greatest ease. On the eastern side it is protected by a kind of natural dyke, or projection of the shore which extends a certain distance out to sea. Through the liberality of Lieutenant- Governor Kobitaille, who has given the land, and of the municipality of New-Carlisle which subs- cribed $2,500, the Federal Government oommenced. i 30 OASPESIA in 1881, building a wharf which will be five hundred feet long and will give ships fropi 1 3 to 14 feet of water at low water in spring tides. In this place the neap tides rise 3.5 feet and the springtides 6.5 feet. Paspebiac is the terminus of the first portion of the Baie des Chaleurs railway which is under construction. When this railway runs, the ] ort will have a considerable importance as it is open to oc^an navigation both in winter and in summer. The village of New-Carlisle, built on a slight eminence and almost surrounded by the sea,presont» a very pretty and charminjj: aspect. It is the county seat and the judicial centre of the district of Bonaventure. New Richmond, between the t' '^^ Cascapedia Rivers, is a rich parish, where agriculture is well advanced and it possesses many landscapes of enchanting beauty. A good deal of lumbering is done here. Both as regards its scenery and its resources. New Eichmond is one of the first parishes in this region. MaHa is situated at the head of Cascapedia Bay, formed by the estuary of the river of the same name. The land in Maria is flat on the sea- GASPESIA 81 shore and the parish is almost surrounded bj heights which are, as it were, the continuation of Mount Tracadiff^.che. The soil'is fertile and lobsters o « are taken in large quantities in the bay, as well as herring and many other kinds of fish. Agricul- ture is the chief occupation of the inhabitants, who as a rule, are comfortably off. Carleton is the most nourishing parish on the Baie des Chaleiirs. The village is built on tli« shore of Tracadig^che Bay at the foot of a moun- tain over eighteen hundred feet high and on one of the most pittores [ue sites which one can imagine. It is already in great repute as a watering-place and will oe still more so when a hotel will be built suiri'iieutly large to accomruoflate all who wish to spend the summer there. It is unquestion- ably one of the finest parishes in this region. Trade of a certain importance is carried on and the opening of the railway will develop it still more. Is has a tannery, a flour and a carding mill and several stores; it has the only convent in Gaspesia and a wharf which makes it easy of access. The western portion of Carleton is situated on Tracadigeche Bay commanded by the moun- 32 GASPESIA tain of the same name. The two sides of the bay are formed by Tracadigeche point on the east and Miguasha (red earth) point on the west. This bay is about ten miles wide and four or five deep. It is, as it were, surrounded on the land side by the mountain, whose highest por- tion is 1,814 feet above the level of the sea. Between the church at Carleton and Nouvelle Kiver which falls into the north western end of the bay, the flank of the mountain is almost every- where a perpendicular cliff, leaving between it and the shore only a strip of land less than a mile in width for a distance of half a mile. At the eastern end of the bay, the estuary of the little Carleton River forms a large lagoou wliich is surrounded by two long banks of gravel. That on the west side advances a couple of miles into the sea, start- ing from the foot of the mountains and is from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet wide. From this bank there is one of the finest, if not the finest, views in the whole Baie des Chaleurs, and it forms one of the best sites for a watering place that can be imagined. Protected on the north side by the mountain from cold winds from that quarter it is only exposed to the refreshing and health-giving breezes from the sea, which keep tlie sid is com well as niost'fa most si ing of very al Nouvel weighir In Ci careful ; which r have ar only to part of ( Betwe mountai banks of hilly eve even on with fine This r beautiful equal to and. GASF£SIA 3a keep the temperature constantly uniform. On tlie side of the bay, the beach has very little slope, is composed of fine gravel, free from stones as well as from all other obstacles and is one of the iiiost^favorable, most agreable, least dangerous and most suitable places for sea bathing to say noth- ing of fishing, including lobster fishing, which is very abundant in the neighborhood, especially in Nouvelle Eiver, where trout are also caught weighing from four to five pounds. In Carleton agriculture is carried on in a fairly careful and intelligent manner and along the road which runs around the bay the establishments all have an air of comfort and prosperity which is only to be observed at Grand River in all this part of Gaspesia. Between Nouvelle and Patapedia rivers the mountains stretch down to the sea and to the banks of the Ristigouche River. The land is very hilly everywhere but the soil is of good quality even on the top of the hills which are covered with fine woods. This region is but one succession of exquisitely j beautiful landscapes and in this lespect is at least I equal to the finest parts of Scotland and Switzer- and. I ( 34 GASPESIA A pretty large number of people come every year from England and the United States to enjoy the scenery as well as the shooting and fishing which are abundant in the neighborhood. At Metapedia, the Messrs Vanderbilt and other New- York millionaires who compose the Kisti- gouche club have a magnificent summer-house to which they annually repair to enjoy all these pleasures. Several points on the shores of the Baie des Chaleurs could not be surpassed as watering places. The mildness and coolness of the climate* the purity of the atmosphere and the beauty of the scenery, all combine to make this region a ter-. restrial paradise for those who desire repose or are under the necessity of recruiting their health. Here the weakest and most delicate have nothing to fear from the cold northern winds nor from sudden changes of temperature ; the interior pla- teau of Gaspesia takes from the Gulf winds their cold ness and humidity and nothing is felt but a light and refreshing sea-breeze which is sure to restore strength and vigor to the most shattered constitutions. The two finest watering places are beyond all doubt Carleton and New Carlisle. The beach could the su] a word with a attiacti ton, es Murra} places 1 even fr States, soon be Orcharc to the U tourists by Gasp pensive since the one can fifteen In by water of the fir All th watering ire as en supply □ae every to enjoy d fishing md other he Kisti- -house to ill these Baie des watering 3 climate* beauty of ion a ter-. se or are health. nothing or from rior pla- ds their elt but a sure to hattered GASPESIA 35 iQ ond all beach could not be finer on better suited for sea-bathing, the surrounding scenery is of exquisite beauty, in a word every thing seems to have been ordained with a view to make these two localities the most attractive watering-places of the province. Carle- ton, especially, is unrivalled and is far beyond Murray Bay, Cacouna and all the other watering places which yearly attract thousands of tourists, even from the most remote parts of the United States. If that place were better known it would soon become the most popular resort, the Old Orchard Beach of the Province of Quebec. Up to the last few years it was difficult of access, as tourists could only reach it by v^ater, going round by Gaspe which made a long, fatiguing and ex- pensive trip; but these obstacles are removed since the opening of the Intercolonial Eailway and one can now go from Quebec to Carleton within fifteen hours and have only thirty five miles to do by water, which occupies only two hours and is one of the finest trips one can take. All that Carleton wants to make it a fashionable watering-place is a hotel and some capitalists, who ire as enterprising as they are far-seei ,ng, are about supply this want. When this is done Carleton i i :36 GASPESIA Avill assuredly become one of the mos^ popular and most frequented, of bathing resorts. CHAPTEK III SUPERFICIAL GEOLOGY — SOILS — EXTENT OF THF| DIFFERENT KINDS OF SOIL !From a geological point of view, Gaspesia form si the eastern extremity of the hilly country calledl by Professor Hunt the Apalachiaii region and irl is really the continuation or extension of tliej Eastern Townships. In fact the soils of Gaspesiaj are exactly similar to those of the Eastern Town? hips both as regards their composition and theirj configuration. They belong to the geological formation whiclj has been called the " Quebec Group " by SiJ William Logan, the founder of the Geological Survey of Canada. They form ^hree series of stratJ which have been more or less disintegrated aii'l belong to the lower Silurian age. These three series are : V A series of paleozoii strata more or less disintegrated in most of the loj GASPESIA 37 r OF THF calities where they have been found ; 2* A series of eruptive, trachytic and granitic rocks ; 3° A series of post cainozoic or quaternary deposits. The changes through which several of these paleo'^oic formations have gone through, the disturbances of which they show traces almost everywhere, make it rather difficult to determine exactly the age to which they belong ; but it is evident that they should be classed amongst the groups of the lower and upper silurian age, the devonian and sub-carboniferous formations. A strip of land belonging to the HudsoD Eiver formation extends from Porpoise Eiver to Tierce Cove, a distance of over sixty miles, on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These rocks are composed of bands of sandstone, of dolomite and bituminous shales. These formations are, however, much less extensive and important than those of the Quebec group, which cover the calcareous rocks and sandstones of Gaspe as well as the sub-carbo- niferous formation of Bona venture, on the shores of the Bale des Chaleurs. The Quebec group oc- cupies a medium position between the calcareous and Chazy formations or represents the two com- bined. It is divided into three formations which are, 2 38 GASPESIA in ascending order, that of Levis, that of Lauzon and that of Sillery . The Levis formation is largely composed of schistous rock s or black shales containing many graptolite and other fossils. The Lauzon forma- tion is composed of red and green shales, sand- stones and dolomites, but chiefly of metamorphic strata, mostly of the talcose and magne- sian rocks : chloritic schist, serpentines, &c. The Sillery formation consists chiefly of red and green shales, sandstones and dolomites, but in certain places includes altered rocks, crystalline schists, epidotic and gneissoid strata. Such are the rocks which form the foundation of the soil of Gaspesia. As we have already seen, they are nearly all covered by the calcareous rocks and sandstones of Gasp^ as well as by the sub-carboniferous formation of Bonaventure. The limestone formation of Gasp^ corresponds,, by its position, with the inferior strata of the Helderberg formation. Although composed chiefly of layers of grey limestone, it also contains beds of black shales and schists which belong to the ir'ddle silurian. The lower portion of this for- GASPESIA 39 mation is found in the Eastern Townships and the upper portion which contains the most limestone has its greatest development in Gaspesia. At the eastern extremity of the peninsula, at Cape Bany, at Perc^ and several other places, this limestone presents bold cliffs and pinnacles of rock worn and hollowed by the action of the se^.. The Gasp^ sandstone formation as shown by its fossils, is of Devonian age and corresponds to the Oriskany, Hamilton and Chemung formations of American geologists. It consists of sandstone, shales and interstra- tified conglomerates and in many places holds remains of plants in the fossil state. At Little Gasp^ Cove there is in these strata a thin seam of impure coal and at Douglastown and several other places springs of petroleum ooze through the strata of this formation. The Bonaventure formation belongs to the sub- carbotiiferous period, but is entirely destitute of coal. Its strata are chiefly composed of conglomerates, with associated sandstone, red and greenish shales, sometimes containing remains of carbonized plants. In many places they are penetrated by trap dykes. They rest inconformably on strata of the 40 GASPESIA Gasp4 sandstone. This formation is on the eastern coast of Gaspe and especially along the Baie des Chaleurs, where Sir William Logan estimates that it is not less than three thousand feet thick. On the Quebec and Sillery formations which constitute the northern coast of Gasped rest uncon- mably stratified about eight hundred yards of fossiMferous limestone and schist which represent the upper silurian formation to which succeed, further on, more than sixteen hundred vards of devonian c^ndstone interpenetrated by red shales. On he southern coast of Gaspe, the uplifted strata of this devonian formation are covered by eleven hundred yards of horizontal strata of grit-stone which constitutes the base of the coal basin of New-Brunswick, but which contains no combus- tible mineral. The fossiliferous limestone of Gasped can be followed towards the south-east as far as Lake Memphremagog. The devonian formation, which is purely silicious in the county of Gaspt, presents, towards the south-east, beds of liracstone stone are in the same valley as the silurian lime- which of which we have just spoken. The Bona venture formation is of little extent. GASPESIA 41 It forms the strip lying between the Baie des Chaleurs and a line drawn from the confliience of the Matapedia and Eistigouche rivers as far as the head of Cascapedia Bay and another line running from the mouth of the Little Cascapedia to the estuary of Port Daniel Eiver, finally between the shore of the Gulf and a third line starting from Douglastown, turning slightly to the west about the middle of its 1 ength and ending in the vicinity of the mouth of Grand Eiver. The Quebec Group forms a strip whose width varies from fifteen to thirty miles and runs along the shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Metis Eiver and Cape Gasp^. Its width increases as it goes towards the east and it is cut only by a narrow strip of soil belonging to the Hudson Eiver formation between Porpoise Eiver and Tierce Cove and at its southern extremity by a small extent of soil of the Chazy formation between St. Anne Eiver and the head of the Magdalen Eiver. The space comprised between these two strips, bordering the shore of the Gulf and that of the Baie des Chaleurs is occupied, or rather covered by the Gasp^ limestone and sandstone. 42 GASPESIA The sandstone forms a kind of parallelogram extending in a straight line to the west of that portion of the Bonaventure formation comprised between Douglastown and Cap Eouge and going as far as the Bonaventure Eiver in the interior. A little further to the West, half way between the Gulf and the Bale des Chaleurs, there is another area of sandstone which extends from the North-Eastto the North- West from the Grand Gas- capedia Eiver and there forms the connecting link between the two sections of the Bonaventure forma- tion which borders on the Baie des Chaleurs, on each side of New Eichmond. The extent of these various formations is res- pectively as follows, as far as can be ascertained by surveys hitherto made : Formations Miles Acres Gaspe limestone 4.000' 2,560,000 Gaspe sandstone 3,000 1,920,000 Quebec Group 3,000 1,920,000 *600 384.000 184 147,760 Bonaventure Formation.. H udson Formati on 10,784 6,901,760 This table clearly shows that the greater portion of the soil of Gagpesia is of excellent qua- lity, easy to cultivate and yields hay and all kinds of cereals in abundance. GASPESIA 43 The limestones which cover an extent of 2,500,000 acres, belong to the uppper and middle Silurian formations, which are found throughout the northern portion of New - Brunswick, and it is in them that the highlands, the richest lands in the province, exist. The fertile and cul- tivated land of the Restigouche River and the land which borders on both banks of the St. John River as we near its source, rest upon these rocks and are largely composed of them. The soils of this formation are as a rule heavier and danser than those of the carboniferous region. The rocks of which they are composed are generally shales, more or less hard, which by their disaggregation give rise to soils of great strength as the farmers say, and sometimes very heavy. There are also beds of good limestone more or less rich in fossils. In the western por- tion of the State of New- York these formations compose the richest and most fertile lands. The red sandstone which covers a large extent of Gaspesia also affords soil of great fertility. The richest and best cultivated lands in Scotland rest upon red rocks of this species. In New Bruns- wick the excellent farms of the Sussex valley, of I u GASPESIA Sackville and on the Shepody Eiver are in the neighborhood of rocks of this kind. Moreover, the fertility of the soil of Gaspesia is proved by the crops which it yields, as shown on page 11, by the figures which relate to the produc- tion of wheat. The comparison is still r^ore in its favor when applied to the total yield of cbe other provinces of the Confederation, as may be seen by the following table : Gaspesia Bushels of ivh£at per acre Gasfto 15.00 bushels) BonaVenture 11.70 '^ \ ll.GG Rismouaki 8.30 " J Province of New-Brunswick 10.85 " Nova-Scotia 11.78 " Quebec 8.04 " Ontario 10.42 That is to say that in Gaspesia the average yield of wheat exceeds hy 1.24 bushels per acre the yield of the same cereal in the province of On- tariOf whose soil is considered one of the most fertile. And it may safely be asserted that if cultivation were as well and as carefully carried on in Gaspesia as in the province of Ontario, the yield would be at least 25 per cent greater. It is therefore evident and undeniable that the soil of GASPESIA 45 Gaspesia is rich, fertile and capable of supporting in comfort and affluence all the settlers who cultivate it with care. CHAPTER IV > CLIMATOLOGY — ASTRONOMICAL POSITION — WINDS- SEASONS — AVERAGE TEMPERATURE — LENGTH OF FARMING SEASON — SNOW — RAIN We have ah^eady seen that Gaspesia is situated between 47° 49' and 49° 15' North latitude. In the same latitude in Europe we find the north of France, including the valley of the Loire, the north of Swrtzcrland and Austria, the south of Germany and Eussia as far as the Black and Caspian seas. That is to day that this latitude comprises all the centre and the richest as well as the most thickly populated pait of Continental Europe. The British Isles, a part of France, Bel- gium and Holland, the greater part of Germany and Eussia, Denmark, Sweden and Norw^ay are north of this degree and their temperature, is, as a rule, lower than that of Gaspesia. . 46 GASPESIA • From a climatological point of view, the latter region occupies a special position. The sea which surrounds it on every side, regulates its climate, and tempers the variations between heat and cold. The very nature of the different parts of the sea divides the peninsula of Gasp^ into two distinct climatic regions : that of the north and that of the south. The norihern region exposed to the more or less cold north winds as well the neighborhood of the waters chilled by the Labrador current and the ice which enters the north-western part of the Gulf by the straits of Belle Isle, is a little colder than the southern region. This does not prevent it from enjoying a temperature as warm as that of the most thickly populated parts of Scotland and sufficiently warm to ripen all cereals, particularly wheat which giow'j in abundance and is of excellent qua- lity throughout the whole region which borders on the gulf of St. Lawrence. The climate of the southern region is a little warmer and as regards agriculture, is better than that of Great Britain and Ireland. Thus, for instance, maize, which cannot b«. growu in England on account of the tempera- ture, grows very well in the county of Bonaven- tare where hundreds of bushels were harvested GASPESIA 47 in 1881, as shown by the census. Protected on the one side by the Notre Dame and Shickshock mountains against the north winds, exposed on the other to the warm south winds which bring to it a portion of the warm air of the gulf-stream and the rays of the noon-day sun falling almost perpendicularly on it, this southern region enjoys one of the most temperate, the most beneficial and the most agreable of climates. One must travel along the Bale des Chaleurs, inhale the pure and soft breezes of this small inland sea to appreciate the climate at once so healthy and so invigorating of this fine country which is very ap- propriately called the Mediterranean of Canada. The climate is so piire and healthy that disease is almost unknown, to such an extent even that the four or five physicians scattered amongst the 35,593 people who inhabit the counties of Gasp^ and Bonaventure have great difficulty in living very quietly on the practice of their profession. On the shores of the Baie des Chaleurs, the north-east wind which is so raw, so damp and so disagreable in the valley of the St. Lawrence, is not felt at all ; it is stopped by the mountains and completely neutralysed by the currents of hot air which come from the south-west. 48' GASPESIA The east wind is* generally accompanied by rain in summer and by snow in winter ; but, strange to say, in this region rain and snow never last long and when they continue beyond a day it is looked upon as an extraordinary event, particularly in summer. The south-east wind in many respects resembles the sirocco of the Mediterranean which also comes from the south-east ; like it, it is hot, damp, light and swift ; when it comes in winter it frequently brings on thaws, especially when near the equinoxes. The south wind, which one would be inclined to think warmer than that from the south east, is nevertheless more temperate. During the season when it more frequently occurs it is con- sidered as a pleasant and almost a cooling breeze owing to the moist vapor which it brings from the sea. The south-west wind blows more frequently in summer than in winter. It is only during the summer solstices that it is more prevalent than the other winds, and is the chief cause of the showers which occur during the months of July and August. Frequently the south wind, which generally rises about ten or eleven o'clock, is succeeded by the south-west wind, which in the OASPESIA 49 afternoon brings up rain-clouds; during two or three hours there are constant claps of thunder and flashes of lightning and just before sun-set come more or less heavy showers. The autumn equinox brings a change in the direction of the air currents and then the east wind, during forty or fifty days, prevails, although not continuous ; after this period the south-west wind revives and divides the remainder of the season with the north-west wind and with the west wind which is the most constant, temperate and agreable of the v^inds of this region. It is also the south-west wind which, about the twer'-ieth of iYpril, thaws the ice and snow ; it also brings rain at certain periods of the spring and fall- It is well known that this is nothing but the wind from the tropics, deviated and modified, but naturally warm, which e::plains why it almost always raises the temperature. The north-west wind is essentially cold, dry, sharp, and boisterous, more frequent in winter than in summer. It is very much like the Pro- vencal mis^ra^, or north-west in the Mediterranean. In the Baie des Chaleurs, as on th 0' St Petersburg, Russia.. 35° 0" Berlin, Prussia 47« 4' Paris, France 50« 6' New-Carlijle, Baie des Chaleur? 48° 2' Carleton " " 48" 1' 62 GASPESU The above table, the figures of which are taken from Blodgett for the European cities and from the Keport of the Canadian Meteorological oflfice for 1880, for the Baie des Chaleurs, establish beyond a doubt that the average temperature of Spring is higher and warmer than that of London, Liverpool, Glascow, Edinburgh, St. Petersburg and Berlin ciud iy only 2" 4' lower than that of Paris. These facts require no comment. The variations or rather the extremes of tem.- perature during these three months were as follows : Highest tempemtKre Lowest temperature M.irch April May March April May New -Carlisle... 38° 5' 59* 5' 73« 5' —15° 0' 5° 0' 24« 0' Carleton 39=^ 0' 58® 0' 77° 5' — 20° 0' 1° 5' 19° 5' Father-Point.. 35° 0' 57° 8' 67^ 2" — 17o 5' 4o 9' 12° 0' The nimiber of days on which rain or snow fell and the quantity of each are as follows : SNOW RAIN Miirch April May March April May days ins days ins days ins days ins days ins days ins New-Carlisle. 4 6.0 2 traces 1 0.48 8 2.10 Carleton 9.0 4 1.5 G 1.64 10 3.19 Father-Point 11 6.0 6 15.5 3 2.2 9 2.42 16 2.64 At Carleton the last frost was on the 14th of May and was but slight as the thermometer only went down to 24°. At Xew-Carlisle it occurred GASPESIA 53 on the 8th of the same month with the' thermo- meter at 24° 8'. * The summer heats commence with the month of June. In the first days of the month tem- perature is sometimes lowered by easterly winds which bring with them the cold air from the polar currerat or the ice-bergs which begin to make their appearance on the Banks of Newfoundland. This has no other effect than to cause the lowest tem- perature of the month, which in 1880 was P>5° 8' on the 4th of June. After that the heat increases constantly and regularly to 70° about ihe 15th and 80° or even 82° towards the end of the month, with the average temperature during the greiitest heats at 58° or 60°. The months of July and August, the finest of the year, have the highest temperature, which sometimes reaches 90° while the lowest, at the beginning of July, does not go btl v 40° and this happens but very seldom. The ordinary figure of the lowest temperatures varies from 50° to 55°. During these three months the average temperature in 1880 was .as follows : June July August Simwier Xew-Carlisle 60° 8' 69^8' 65^5' 04^7' Carleton 58<^ 6' 650 1' GOQ 6' 64^7' P'ather-Point 54<^ 7' 57» 5' 56° G' 54^7' Oap-Rosier 51*^4' 58<> 5' 56° 8' 55'* 6' AUGaspesia 56"^ 4' 62<» 7' SO'^ »' 59<^ 4' 1i '\n 54 GASPESIA By comparing these temperatures with those of certain of the most populated parts of Europe, we get the following results Julf/. 3 summer months. London, England 02 4' 610' Liverpool, " 58 G' 57 6' Glasgow, {Scotland CI 2' 60 1' EdinburjTh " 58 7' 57 1' St-Petersburgli, Russia 02 «' GO C' IJerhn, Pruscia. 65 8' 64 5' Paris, France Go 6' 64 5' New- Uatl isle, Bale des Chaleurs...;.. 69 8' 64 7' Carletou, " " 65 1' 62 7' That is to say that the summer temperature of Baie de Chaleurs is about the same as that of Paris or BerHn, but it is from three to seven de- grees higher than that of the principal cities of England, Scotland and Eussia. As to the extreme temperatures, they are as follows : Highest temperature Lowest temperature June July August June July August New-Carlisle 83 5' 8t5' 90 5'... 35 8' 40 4' 35 8' Carleton 86 5' 87 5' 90 5 .. 35 5' 4-^,0' 39 0' Father-Point 83 1' 74 7' 82 7' ... 37 0' 46 1' 42 1' The daily variation between the highest and the lowest temperature is from twenty to thirty degrees and very seldom exceeds this. In the Baie des Chaleurs especially, the legularity and uniformity lose of pe, we months. 10' 7 6' 1' 7 V OG' 4 5' 4 5' 4 7' 2 7' :ure of :hat of Mi de- ties of are as erature August 35 8' 39 0' 42 1' Qd the egrees lie des umity GASPESU 55 of the changes of the thermomater duriim tho summer season is a characteristic feature of th'3 chmate or rather of tho dehglitful temperature o^ that season. The north-east and north winds are not felt ; the north- wast wind whicli sometimes rises after showers is ratlier dry than cold, so that the mercury feels only the effect of th e solar heat» but rises and falls regularly with it. The other windo are sea-breezes which take the temperature of the water and have no perceptible effect on the thermometer ; they only stir the air, make it a little less dry and thereby give to the temperature a softness and freshness which have a peculiar charm. This is the special characteristic of the climate and is what makes it so pleasant and healthy in summer. Kain falls but seldom and in small quantities during the summer months. A glance at the following table will show this. NUMBER OF RAINY DAYS AND QUANTITY OF RAIN June July August Summer daifs ins days ins days ins days ins New-Oarlisle 4 0.15 13 3.04 7 1.58 2t 4.77 Ca.rleton 6 1.95 12 2.82 9 2.64 27 7.41 Father-Point 7 1.21 12 2.20 8 1.15 27 4.56 Cap-Rosier 14 5.71 13 3.17 7 2.66 34 11.54 Gaspesia 7| 2.25 12i 2.81 7^ 2.01 28 7.07 56 GASPESIA There were only '60 per cent of rainy days during the three su^imer months, counting every day on which the sliglitest shower fell, even if it only lasted a few minutes. During the same season, out of ninety two days, 63 were rainy in Montreal and 41 in Quebec, wliile S.62 inches of rain fell in the former and 11.46 in the latter city. All this shows that the summer is drier in Gaspesia. especially in the Baie des Cha- leurs region, than in other parts of the province further west. Autumn, the early part especially, is one of the finest seasons. The tempetature lowern gradually as the month of September advances, but the mer- cury never falls to freezing point. The greatest variations are from 25° to 40° for the lowest tem- peratures, about the end of the nionth, and from 70° to 80° for the highest in the early part of it. The weather is generally cool, calm, very ugreable and suitable for farm work. The harvest, which is commenced between the 15th and the 20th of August, is finished in this month. After the autumnal equinox, the south- w^est and even the north-wost winds commence to bring up rain which prepares the soil for ploughing. The cold caused by these winds also brings on frosts which com- GASPESIA 57 meuce about the middle of October. During this montph, the thermometer never falls lower than 24° and this only happens but seldom towards the end of the month. Potatoes and other root-crops are gathered during the fine weather which is a cha- racteristic feature of the beginning of October. In the region about Father-Point and Cap Ilosie:', on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, there are sometimes slight falls of guov/, but it melts immediately, remains only a few hours on the ground and has no other effect than to prepare the ground for ploughing. Then comes a spell of fine weatht3r with one or two more storms up to the tweniy first of November, when winter sets in. This spell o ' fine weather is the Indian summer or, as the -Janadians call it, VdU de let Saint Martin. All Europeans and esp<^cially Englishmen wlio have passed this season near the Baie des Chaleurs or in the Maritime Provinces say that this period of fine weather is one of the finest seasons which one can wish to see. " Autumn," says Captain Moorsom, " is the season in which the climate may vie with that of any coun- try in either hemisphere. September and October 58 GASPESIA are very similar to the same months at home ; but in November the waning season, like the expiring efforts of a lamp which now and then glimmers fitfully yet brilliantly in the socket, presents us with days to which there is no parallel in England. This sort of weather is called the Indian Summer and varies in duration from a few unconnected days in some years to as many weeks in others. - The Indian Summer day is that on which, at this season, the whole atmosphere appears suffused with a faint vapour as if there were fires in the woods beyond the circumference of the visual horizon. The brilliancy of the sun's dial is deadened and its rays more equally refracted so as to produce but a very faint shadow. The air is generally calm and as warm and as mild as the loveliest morning that ever dawned upon a newly elected Queen of May." The average temperature for the three months of autumn is : September October November Autimn New-Carlisle 58^ 8' 46^ 1' 27« 7' 43<» 2' Carleton 54^ 7' 42^ 4' 20^ 7' 39^ 3' • Father-Point 49^8' 41o 2' 26^9' 39ft 3' Cap-Rosier ,. 50o 3' 39^9' 27^7' 390 3' Gaspesia 53° :' 42^ 4' 25o 8' 40« 5' home ; ike the ad then socket, parallel lied the ►m a few y weeks that on appears ere fires of the n's dial acted so The air i as the a newly months Auti inn 43« 2' 39Q 3' 39ft 3' 390 3' 40^* 5' CASPESIA 69 Let us compare this with the temperature of the principal cities of Europe. Localities Autumn Temperature London, England... 50*" 7' Liverpool " 49« 1' Glasgow, Scotland .' 48" 0' Edinburgh " 47" 9' St-Petereburgh, Russia 40" 3' Berlin, Prussia 4«® 2' Paris, France 52" 2' New-Carlisle, Bale des C hale urs 43" 2' Carleton, " ** 39" 3' Taking New- Carlisle as a basis of comparison, tlie fall temperature of the Bale des Chaleurs is only 7° V lower than that of London, 6' lower than that of Liverpool, Glasgow and Berlin and r 7* lower than that of Edinburgh and it is 2° 9* higher than that of St. Petersburgh, the capital of Ilussia. The extremes of temperature are shown in the following table. Highest temperature Lowest temperaturt Sept. Oct. >loT. Sept. Oct. Nov. New-Carlisle... 84^: 5' 63" 5' G3" 5' 33" 1' 23? 3' -- 72 5' Carleton 81° 5' 61° 0'- 61^ 0' 37o 0' 24«' 0' — 1<> 0' Father-Point... 70? 2' 623 3' 6Q9 7' 318 3' 26» C — 3« 2' Cap-Rosier 64« 0' 51« 0' 42" 0' 40« 0' 30" 0' — 10 0' The number of days on which rain or snow fell 60 CA.SPESIA during this season and the quantity of each aie given in the following table : RAIN SNOW Sept. Oct. Nov. * Sept. Oct. Nov. days in. days in. days in. days in. days in. days in. New-Carlisle.. 11 3.80 5 2.89 3 0.77 0.00 0.00 4 9.0 Carleton l2 5.80 13 4.78 2 0.69 0.00 0.00 7 11.5 Father-Point.. 20 4.52 16 4.77 2 0.07 0.00 3 1.80 8 20.2 Cap-Rosier... 7 1.40 12 2.63 7 1.61 0.00 0.00 7 4.2 Montreal.... 17 2.83 17 4.44 8 36.30 0.00 5 3.10 15 12.7 Quebec 19 4.72 19 6.35 6 1.^0 0.00 4 1.20 15 28.1 This table clearly shows that in autumn much more rain and snow falls at Montreal and Quebec than in Gaspesia. Taking New-Carlisle as the basis of comparison, we find the following differences : Rain. Snow. Montreal 42 days 43.57 ins. 20 days 20.80 ins. New Carlide 19 " 7.46 " 4 " 9.00 " Diflference 23 " 36.11 " 16 " 11.80 " Quebec 20 " 15.80 " 19 " 29.21 " New Carlisle 19 " 7.46 " 4 " 9.00 " Difference 1 8.34 " 15 " 20.11 " That is to say that during the three autumn months there are 23 more rainy days and 36. 11 GASPESIA 61 more inches of rain, and 16 more days on which snow and 11.80 more snow in Montreal than in New-Carlisle. To this fact, we call the attention of those persons unfortunately in too greater number, who might be inclined to believe that with respect to climate, the Baie de Chaleurs is not much better off than the district of Montreal which is well known to be the finest portion of the province of Quebec. The thermometer fell below freezing point for the first time on the following dates : at Garleton on the 23rd September, 29° 5' ; at New-Carlisle on the 2nd October, 31° 1' ; at Father- Point, on 25th October, 31° 3' ; at Quebec, on the 14th October, 31° ; at Montre?!, on the 20th October, 31° 3'. The first frosts therefore occur in the Baie des Chaleurs only a few days earlier than at Mon- treal and Quebec. This is more than compensated by the smaller quantity of rain and number of days shown above in favor of New Carlisle. Winter really sets in only about the twentieth of November. This month, especially during the . latter part, is snowy and rather cold. Still there are very fine days in the early part 62 GASPESU of it as we saw when speaking of autumn. As a general rule, however, the temperature of this month is much finer in the Baie des Chaleurs than in England and Scotland and less disagreable than at Paris and Berlin, w^here the Tme weather of our Indian summer is unknown. The first week of December is usually snowy ; the re- mainder of the month is cold, especially about Christmas, but is generally very fine. The air is clear, pure and dry and this amply compensates for the cold which is really not unpleasant. It is even impatiently expected in order to allow lum- bering to be commenced. At the beginning of January there are generally a few days of exceptional cold, followed by a snow storm, but the temperature during the re- mainder of the month is not unpleasant and the variations of the thermometer are only what is usual at this season. The sky is always clear, the sun bright and the weather very pleasant. The greatest cold is generally felt during the first part of the month of February which is also the most snowy. The temperature commences to rise gradually during the latter half of this month, during which the mercury sometimes rises '11 GASPESIA 63 to 40° and even to 45°. The average temperature for the three winter months is : December New-Carlisle 19« 8' €arleton 17 2' Cap-Rosier 12® 2' January February !rin<<»r 16» 2' 15«» 2' 16« 9' 13? 4' 119 3' 150 5' 130 9' 12« 6' 140 2' 12° 2' 15° 8' 13«> 4' Gaspesia G^^o 2' 13« 9' 13? 9' 15° 0' Compared with that of the principal cities of Europe, this winter temperature gives the follow- ing results : London 39<' 2' Liverpool 40^5' Glasgow 39° 6' Edinburgh 38° 4' Berlin 31° 4' Paris 37° 8' St-Peter3burgh 18° V New-Carlisle 16° 9' Carleton 15° 5' Father-Point 14° 2' Cap-Rosier 13° 4' This table shows a considerably lower temper- ature than that of the principal cities of Europe; but it must be said that it does not give it exactly, as regards Gaspesia, where cold is less felt than in England and Scotland. In those countries the thermometer never falls as low as in the province of Quebec; but dampness makes the weather raw and unbearable, while here the air is clear and dry, and cold is easily borne. Hov;ever light one's clothing may be, so long as it keeps out the wind. MMMaHMnKVa 64 GASPESIA he can go out even when the thermometer marks 10° to 15° below zero, without suffering from the cold. This fact is attested by many English writers who after having dwelt for a long time in England have travelled or dwelt in Ca-ij,da. We will quote some of them. " The winter, says Anderson (1), is intensely cold, but as the frost continues without intermis- sion and generally with a clear sky and a fine dry air, it is thereby rendered both healthy and plea- sant, the cold being infinitely less penetrating than in moist climates There aie not per- haps above two or three days in the course of the winter so intensely cold as to prevent ship-car penters and other workmen employed out of doors from following their occupations. This circum- stance affords one of the most convincing and decisive proofs that the cold in Canada, when compared to Great Britain, is not by any means esxperienced in a dv^gxee of cold shewn by thermo- meter. Throughout the season there is a much greater proportion of clear weather in the Canadas than in Great Britain. Upon the whole, the climate of Ihe Canadas compared with that of Great Britain (1) Anderson's views of Canada. GASPESIA 65 ida. is equally agreahle, equally favorable to agri- culture and actually more keati^y." lu 1809 Gray (1) wrote, that "Although tem- perature is lo.wer, people are less liable to suffer from^ cold in Canada than they are in England, ihe air is extremely dry in winter. Lambert, in his ^' Travels iip Canaday* says that " The wipter from Christmas to Lady Day is alrnQst always remarkable for a fine, clear, azure sky seldom obscured by fogs or clouds and the dry frosty weather is rarely interrupted by falls of snow, sleet or rain. These advantages render a Canadian winter so agreable and pleasant that the iuhabitants are never under the necessity of changing their dress. •* It may astonish those who have heard such dreadful accounts of a Canadian winter wheii I assert it a& a fact that the people of Great Bri- tain suffer onore from the cold than the people of Canada.'* These quvotations clearly establish that it would be a great error to judge of the cold of our winter by the reading of the thermometer and they also show that we suffer less from cold here than they <1) Gray's let ers from Canada. 6& GASPSU do in England and that the .weather is ever so much dner. This applies especially to the wliole of the Baie des Chaleurs region which, as regards climate and temperature, is unquestionably the finest part of the province of Quebec. The . vicinity oV the sea exercises a great influence on thie temperature' which it softens and to which it imparts a unifor- mity which we do not find elsewhere.' By arrest- ing the nortn and north-east winds the Shickshock mountains contribute larorelv to the softening of the winter climate of fiiic fine country. In 1880 the extremes of winter temperature were as follows : Lowest tempefftture Iliyhest temperature Dec. Jan. Feb. Dec. Jan. Feb. ^o.w,0arli8le...l0? 5'— 20^ 5'— 18» 8' 36«» 5' 43^ 5' W 5' Curleton 6° 0'— ll'^' 0'— IS*^ 0' 3G^ 0' 39=* 0' 41«' 0'' Father-Point... 7« 2'— 15^ 8'— 20*^ 5' .35«> 0' 37^ 5' 43° 1 Montreal 8« G'— 9° 5'— 17° 5' 40'' 6' 43° 8' 51o 2' Quebec lO^' 0'— 9» 0'— 22° 0' 34° 5' 40° 0' 44« 0' In 1870, the thermometer fell in January to— 28° at Montreal and to— 26° T at Quebec. The following year it fell in February to — 28° at Montreal and to — 28° 5' at Quebec. This has never happened on the Baie des Chaleurs where the winter temperature, as a general rule, is higher GASPESIA 67 than that of Quebec and as warm as that of Mon- treal. For the three winter months the average temperature was as follows : at Montreal, for De- cember, 15° 7' ; January, 22° 4* ; February, 19** 9* ; winter, 21° 5' ; at Quebec, December 14° 1' ; January 17° 4' ; February 14° 8' ; winter 16° 3'. These figures compared with those of the last table but one, prove our assertions. The number of days on which rain and snow fell as well as the quantity of each were as follows v 9N0W R UN Dec. Jan. Feb. Dec. Jan, Feb. in3. ins. ina. ins. ins. ins. (lays days days days days days New-Carlisle G 3.00 3 9.00 9 17.00 0.00 2 light 1 0.32 Carleton 7 9.50 12 32.00 6 18.00 0.00 00 2 0.20 Father-Point 14 13.00 17 25.50 12 17.10 0.00 1 lights 0.26 Cap-Rosier... 3 14.30 G 21.40 7 G3.00 1 light 4 0.80 2 0.27 Mo'itn'al 18 17.G0 11 16.30 16 26.00 2 0.29 12 l.'i7 6 1.14 (^ii/>bec..., 16 27.30 20 30.60 17 34.40 0.00 4 0.51 5 0.60 For the whole winter we get tlie following fimires : Snow Bain days ins. days ins. New-Carlisle 18 32.00 3 0.32 Carleton 25 59.50 2 0.20 Father-Point 43 56.50 4 0.26 Cap-Rosier 16 98.40 6 1.16 Quebec 53 92.30 9 1.10 Montreal 45 59.90 20 2.70 68 GASPESIA. These figures clearly show that winter is finer, Avith less snow and rain in the Baie des Chaleurs, than at Montreal and especially at Quebec, where nearly as much snow falls and where there are a ^eat many more r low;^^ lays than at Cap Rosier, the part of Jaspd vli ..'e winter weather is the worst. At Carlecon , .d I~rw-Carlisle, the depth of snow which covers the ground is generally about three feet and seldom reaches four feet where it is not drifted up by the wind. It is therefore established that much less snow falls and the wejither is finer in winter in the southern part of Gaspesia than in the districts of Quebec and Montreal. The agricultural season, that is the period during which no frost occurs, is much longer than neces- sary to ripen all kinds of cereals and to allow of their being easily harvested. This fact is established in the following table, the figures in which are taken from the Report of the Meteorological Offtce of Canada for the year 1880. J ^a St frost in First frost Interval spring. in autumn, without frost. New-CarlUle 19 may 28° 1' 2 October 31° 1' 135 days Carleton 14 " 24° 0' 29 September 29° 5' 138 '' Father-Point 19 " 30° 0' 25 October 31° 3' 159 " Quebec 15 " 32° 0' 14 " 31° 0' 152 " MmUrcal Irst " 22° 9' 20 " 31° 3' 172 GASPESIA 6^ That . to say tlia; at New-Carlisle, where it is the short 'st, the season during \^.jcli no frosts occur e> V ?edi .our monMis and a lialf. And the i rst frosts, as the ^aM shows, are very slight and not sufficient to injure even the least hardy plants and cereals. The mercury barely falls as low as fret-'^ing point. Hoar frosts occur only much later and practically the farming season exceeds five months. What more is required ? The harvest commences about the twenty fifth of August, before that even in some places, so that there is more than a month and a half in which the crops may be gathered before the frosts and rains of the autumn, the first half of which is generally very fine. The frosts in May do no harm whatever to the seeds and this increases still further the length of the farming season and makes it really over five months. Let us complete these data by a table of the average temperature for each month in the year, which is as follows : - / 70 GASFESIA Xfii'-Carlisff Carlrton Fathrr-Point Jiinurtry lO*^ 2' W^ 4' i:i'^ 1»" February 15" 2' 11'^ 3' 12" (J' March l?" G' 14" 8' l.'l'^ (5' April .%*» 0' 30^5' 'MY' -X Mav 47« 8' 4l'» T .. .. •ll}'^ l' June (U)*^ 8' 58^ «)' 54*M' July 00" 8' Gr)'> I' 57^ T)' August Gf)'^ f)' GO*' G' .'iG'^ G' September.... 58° 8' 54*^ 7* 4i>^ 8' October 4G« 1' 42^^ 4' 41'^ 2' November..., 27'^ 7' 20^7' 20*^ !V December.... 10^ ;V 17^ 2' hP 2" Year 40o 7' 3G'=» 33' ;^5^ 12' f 'np -Ron 120 iVr 2 150 H' IS'i G' .'UP :v 40'» r r)i«* 4' ...... .'iB*^ .v .'iG ' H' .')0«i ;<' 31>Q !»' 270 7' 120 2' 34<» 5, We have the fullowiii spring Xew-t'arlisle 48'^ 2' rarletou 4S^ V Father Pouit 42'^ 7' cap-Rosier 20'* 7' Quchrc 40" V Montreal 54^^ 0' London 47"* G' Liverpool 4G'^ 2' (ilasg:ow 45** 9' Edinburgh 45" 0' Paris 50" 6' Berlin 47*^ 4' St. Petersburgh 35<^ 9' wiui; t ar each Ot t lie seasons : Sin7)»in- A tit inn Wi niet Year G4" 7' 43" 2' IG" 0' 40" 7(1' (3JO 7' 30" :V 15" 5' 35** 03' 54'^ 7' 38-^ X 14' '1' 34** 72' 55'> iV .30** 3' 13." 4' 34" 50' G2" 2" 27" 5' IGo 3' 38** 78' G5" 5' ;;o" 2" 21" 5' 43** 02' GF 0" 50" 7' 30" 2' 40" GO' 570 G' 40" r 40" 5' 48" 30' GO'^ r 40" 0" .30" G' 48'* GO' 57^^ r 47" 0' 38" 4' 47" 10' G40 5' 52" 2' 37** 8' 5l<* 30' G4'^ 5' 40" 2" 31" 4' 48" 10' GO" G' 40" 3' I8<> V 38« 70' The temperatures indicated by these tables are about the same, except that of winter which is (v GASPKSIA. 71 ^rp-Rosirr .. 12« 2' .. If)" H' .. IS'i (V .. :kp :v .. 40«» r .. r)i'» 4' ... r.8'^ 5' ... .% ' 8' ... r)0«^ :v ... 3y<^ !»" ... 27"^ 1' .. 12" 2' 34° 5. seasons : )','a r 40^^ 70' 35«> o:r ■M'^ IS 34-^ 50' 38'' 78' 43*3 02' 49^^ GO' 48-^ 30' 48- 00' 470 10' 51^ 30' 48^ uv 38« 70' ibles i are vhich is colder, than in the most populated parts of Europe uikI in this respect Gaspesia is one of the finest r(»I^Mons of Canada. The (diinjjte of sunnnor on the Ixiie des Cha- lours is n^nowiied for its niilchiess, uniformity and sahibiity and attracts many invalids or jjcrsons wliose health is affected by hard work. It is also well known that in the interior tlie summer tempc^ratnre is higher, because it is not allected by the cool air of the sea as in the loca- lities where the observations above mentioned were taken. • Moreover, one fact which proves that the climate of Gaspesia is good, highly favorable to agricultural operations, is that wheat is succesfully grown in many parts of the country and ripens thoroughly. iVt the first Paris Exposition, honorable mention was awarded to wheat grown in the country of Gaspi5, which is nevertheless inferior, as regards climate, to that of Bonaventure. Finally maize which cannot be grown in Great Britain, owing to the temperature, ripens easily in Gaspesia where several hundreds of bushels were grown in 1881, as established by the census. Another proof of the mildness of the chmate is that melons and and tomatoes, two very tender plants, are grown 72 MAirRRlA in t1\o i^pon air, with ll\o ^ivrtlosl i»r «»n«o mi llii» \\i\\o lnrh \T'n«lor tlif> soil mul oliiunli* luvomltli* fm ajjviowlttiml oponUions. Wo liuvo hooh llint, ns wgiuxiw l\Oi\t, tl\o ogrioulluml himirou in (Iiir|k> '\n p\>^rov;U>lo (o (l\ti( of tl\o ]>iini'ipMl (Munidips i>l K\tn>]M\ (o\ its stmnuiM hvM im oiomIcM'. y\M In nu>isttnv, tho rollowiim tnhlo slmws (lint il i'^ iml NNunlnio. ^V?^/)^fr of niiinf »/o;y.s (r7)f^ iiutinfifjf of min «irt\s inp. .) \\\\\M\ !> Maui\ \) April... May .... Juno 10^ \1 0.00 •2.42 2.m ».2l 14 2.20 i;i i.i:> 7 il:ns ills. O.S!> 0.2T o.!>;> .1.01 r>.Ti 2.r«r, ilnv U.MN » iUfJ. UAIN dm r> Anp\!i:t ... 8 Si^ptomlxT 20 4.:V2 T 140 Oc\ol>or... ir> 4.TT 12 2.(>S XovonilKr 2 O.OT T l.Gl IVocnilx^r 0.00 I tmooji O.Oli 0.00 l.UJ 1.15 2. 2 -J 5 H4 15 2.04 H ;i,2:i !» 1.01 10 ;i I.IT 2.07 0.20 II Ills. 0.(i"< 0. (>:> 2. II o.n:> o.,^r» r..44 2.m: i.os i.;ii 2.71 O.oit )>.05 GO 20.04 71 1{».^0 a^fM ih Ao r.M Ult, MM lR|»i> '\n •i(»« <>l jU to is tint )f vain l\Of'' Tt •J.ll :i O.H". :\ O.Hf* 5 0.44 s '2.m: !» l.OS i.;;t t '2.71 .""• l.'-Mt 0.0(1 (I li».^l' For oacli i»f Mm four HnuRoiiFi wc« find tlio foll(»w- |i1ht lf».02 < np-lluf»l»»r.. in 7.0(5 H MfiJ 20 r,.i]<» Mi^tn^iit 47 !».41 U\\ {».02 27 H .l.'J 20 2.41 147 ^iO HO lA n /a /A Hiotographic Sdences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 145iO (71«) •73-4503 86 GASPESIA III mm Serpentine. — " At the eastern extremity of the Shickshocks, there is a great display of Serpentine, which appears to come in above the limestone conglomerates, with a thin band of black slate between, and to sweep round to the soutlieastern shoulder of the range, composing Mount Albert, one of the main peaks. It continues south-west- ward for a considerable distance along a tributary of the Great Gascapedia Kiver, there constituting the southern flank of the range ; and it finally disappears beneath the middle silurian series fur- ther on. The thickness of this great mass of ser- pentine is estimated to about 1000 feet. The whole of it presents evidences of stratification, in lower parts remarkably clear and distinct, in others more obscure. Much of the lower 600 feet is bottle-green in color, with beds towards the top, of a streaked and mottled reddish and greenish brown, much studded with small crystals of dial- lage. The upper 400 feet display the bedding very beautifully, by differences of color on the weathered exterior, as well as in freshly exposed surfaces. The weathered surfaces are marked by a sett of red and opaque white bands, the white broader than the red, varying from the eighth of an inch to an inch, and becoming often interstra- 1^ GASPESIA 87 oi the ntine, i stone slate astern Libert, -west- )utary tuting finally 3S fur- of ser- whole lower others ■eet is le top, eenish f dial- edding on the Kposed ted by white hth of erstra- tified with layers of brownish-fawn color, which vary in breadth in the same way. When cut and polished, this serpentine displays dark, brown pa- rallel bands, with then blood-red surface. These red lines aie sometimes disposed after the manner of false bedding. " At Mount Albert, in Gasp^, the serpentines, which are there associated with chloritic, epidotic and hornblendic slates and which have been des- cribed on page 266 (of Geology of Canada) cover an area of no less than ten square miles. Much of the serpentine is distinctly stratified and is o^ten striped with red and brown colors. There is a little doubt that both here and in many other localities throughout this region fine varieties^ well fitted for ornamental purposes^ may be obtained in any quantity required. " There are other considerable masses of serpen- tine in the neighbourhood of Mount Serpentine and here also quarries capable of supplying a large industry might be worked. Hydraulic ciment. — Mr. James Kichardson, of the Geological survey of Canada, says that the black yellow- weathering dolomites found at the Mountain Portage and which are similar to those 88 GASPESIA existing at the Grande Coupe, six miles below the Grand Etang River, afford a matter which gives a very strong hydraulic ciment, setting a few minutes under water to a very hard and tenaceous mass of a yellow white color. The range of the formation containing these bands makes it probable that a considerable quantity of this stone may be obtained from various localities along the south shore of the St. Lawrence. Roofing slates and mill-stones. — Sir William Logan, who himself explored these localities, says that very beautiful flag and tile stones might be obtained from some calcareo-arenaceous strata which occur a little westward of Anse h. la Vieillej they split readily into plates of almost every required thickness, from a quarter of an inch to three or four inches, from the presence of mica in the divisional planes. The bed of silicious conglo- merate, at the base of the limestone series, as well as others of a^similar character, and of greater amount, on the West Eiver, would yield good millstones. Grinding -stone. — At the falls of the Dar- mouth River, in the curve to the north of Ser- pentine Mountain, and along that river, the beds GASPESIA. 89 at the base of the calcareous formation are rather tender and arenacreous and sometimes pass to thin layers of sandstone fit for making stone for grinding scythes. In the valley of the Bona ven- ture river rocks were also found which would make excellent stones for grinding scythes as also good stones for grinding other tools. These rocks are stratified and could be easily worked. Marl. — This substance can be used in many ways. When pure it is used for white- washing buildings, cleaning metals &c. By calcining it we get a very white lime which is the very best for making mortar. But its principal use is in agricul- ture for improving soils which are too sandy or too clayey. To the latter it gives the lime which they require and to the former it gives consistency which makes them yield abundantly. In Europe and especially in France, marl is considered by all farmers a great source of wealth and ...? one of the best fertilizers. In Gaspesia, marl is found in many places, especially on the shores of Lake Metis, at its upper end, on the shore of the St. Lawrence five or six miles below Matane, in the lakes of Port-Daniel and those of New-Richmond and principally about New- 90 GASPESIA Carlisle, on the shores ^f the Bale des Chaleurs, At a couple of miles from the village, in a valley whose area is about a mile and a half, there are four or five small lakes at the bottom and on the shores of which is a bed of white and pure marl five or six inches thick. At Matane the deposit, which is about fifteen inches thick, forms the bottom of several marshes which cover an area of from sixty to seventy five square acres. These deposits might be utilized to great advantage by the farmers of the adjoining * country. Lime-stone, — The lower silurian calcareous rocks of the Chazy formation and Trenton group, which make the best 'kind of lime, are to be met with in many places in the limestone formations of Gaspesia. The largest and purest deposit is at Port-Daniel and makes excellent lime. Large quantities are exported every year to Prince Edward Ibl.ciid where there is no limestone. It is quite a considerable industry. From the quarry the stone is taken on a tramway to the ships in which it is baded. Several cargoes are exported every year and their number increases yearly. It is an important industry for this locality which GASPESIA 91 leurs. iralley re are n the marl can also supply excellent lime for bulding and agricultural purposes to all the parishes on the Baie des Chaleurs. CHAPTER VI fifteen arshes y five zed to oimng areous group, 36 met ions of I is at Large Prince , It is quarry hips in [ported •ly. It which THE FORESTS AND LUMBER TRADE As'a rule the forests of Gaspesia are but little known and it is in all probability to ignorance o^ their wealth and value that the fact of their no^ being turned to account is to be attributed. These forest contain every kind of timber which possesses the greatest value for purposes of expor- tation, such as pine, spruce, birch, elm, ash, cedar, &c. Certain portions of the Metapedia valley have been swept to a considerable extent by fire ; but elsewhere the forests are in their virgin state and have remained untouched except by fleeting. and inconsiderable lumbering operations. Ship-building, which is to a certain extent connected with the lumber trade, might be carried on to great advantage on the shores of the Baie des Chaleurs, where lumber of the best quality can be obtained at a low figure. 92 GASPESIA M. Perley says : " The facilities for ship- building are very great on this bay. The timber is of excellent quality and noted for its durability, more especially the larch which is accounted equal to any in the world. M. MacGregor M. P. for Glasgow, late secretary to the Board of Trade, in one of his official reports to that Board says : " The larch-built vessels of the Bay of Chaleur are remarkably durable. A vessel belonging to Kobin & Co. which I saw at Paspebiac in 1824, I went on board of again in 1839 in the port of Messina where she was then discharging a cargo of dry cod-fish to feed the Sicilians. This vessel^ then more than thirtv years old, was perfectly sound." The forests of this region have never been ex- plored with the same care as those in other parts of the province ; but the reports of surveyors who have passed through the belt in the vicinity of the sea clearly establish that Gaspesia is as re- markable for the wealth of its forests as for that of its soil and fisheries. We give the following extracts in support of our assertion. The township of Milnikek was surveyed and explored by Messrs. H. LeBer amd P. Murison, who say in their reports : ; OASPESIA 9? " The timber which grows on the crest of these mountains and on their flanks consists of balsam, white spruce, pine and white and black birch. On the greater part of the mountain summits, there still remains a great deal of this timber, but of inferior quality. (H. LeBer). " Settlers should locate themselves on the fine gradually sloping land on the head- waters of Malt's Brook and the two Connors Brooks ; there is a good standing growth of black and yellow birch, a few maples and a thick undergrowth of spruce and fir. All the merchantable timber of any consequence has been cut away, which was pine of the first quality, but there is a good quantity of birch that will be at some future time brought into use for shipping and other purposes.'* (P. Murison). Speaking of the township of Humqui, Mr. Le Bersays: "There is no pine to be found as in Miinikek, but as much, and even more, of spruce fit for commercial purposes. There is also consi- derable cedar to be twet with ; the rest of the timber is made up of balsam and white and black birch." The township of Cabot has been explored by 94 GASPESIA f Mr. T. A. Bradley, a surveyor who states in his report that there are fertile plains, quite flat and un- broken by hills where the soil is excellent. Hard- Avood such as birch and maple predominates and there is also a good deal of spruce which is cut in great quantities by lumbermen of the locality. On the Blanche and Tartigou Riveis, there is a good deal of timber suitable for saw logs which are made all aloiig these rivers from their sources to their mouth. The timber consists chiefly of pine and cedar with a little maple and white and black birch. Mr. Garon, surveyor, has ascertained that in the township of McNeider, through which flows the River Tartigou, timber is of good quality, esi)e- cially maple and birch which are found in the largest quantities. Pine is very scarce, .but there still remains a small quantity of merchantable spruce. Cedar is generally abundant and of su- perior quality. According to the report of Mr. Grondin, sur- veyor, the towmship Tessier is " level and covered with timber of the finest gro wth, such as maple, birch, elm, ash, n.nd spruce." This township is crossed by the Matane River and is in rear of \h(^ Seigniory of that name. of tim andcc Theo are of a grej recolU ln\ North grounc ash; I to the makin Int spruce tjiroug V^mt a maple tioDs» birch, be prQ< Mer the for the vie ivterioi GASPESIA 95 in his md un- Hard- es and I cut in y. On a good ich are rces to of pine d black ; in the >ws the , esj)e- in the t there antable of su- in, sur- covered maple, iship is r of tht* ^r. Roy, surveyor, says the predominant kinds of timber are the pine, white birch, birch, spruce and cedar. There is only a small quantity of maple. The cedar bushes are not numerous, but the cedars are of good size and of superior quality. " Tliere is a great quantity of pine stumps, but I cannot recollect having seen one of these trees standing." In the townships of Fox Eiver, Cap Rosier and North Gasp^, especially in the low-lying parts, the ground is level and covered with maple, birch and ash ; but the latter kind is becoming scarce owing to the large quantities used by the fishermen in making barrels. In the township of Fortin the forests consist of spruce, fir and birch. In the township of Rameau tkrough which flows Grand River, there is a little pine, a large quantity of fine cedar and a little maple ; red birch, generally sound, of fair propor- tions, is found everywhere mixed with white birch, fix and spruce. Cedar, particularly, might be procured in large quantities for exportation. M^ch^otable timber exists in abund^OPice in the forests of Fabos. Same pine has been cut in the vicinity of the sea ; but enough remain3 in the ivterior to supply a large lumber trade during 96 GASP£SIA many years. Even in the first ranges of the town- ship, there is an abundance of all the other kinds of merchantable timber, such as cedar, spruce, fir, birch and ash. Black birch is very plentiful, of large size and very sound and is a first class article of export. Mr. Legendre, surveyor, has explored a consi- derable portion of the region drained by the Pabos and Port-Baniel rivers and we give the following extracts from his report : *' From Nouvelle Kiver to the Forks, there is a great abundance of merchantable timber, cedar, poplar, elm, &c. This timber is generally very large, heavy and of excellent quality. The hills and mountains supply pine in small quantities and a great deal of spruce. The summit of the heights is almost everywhere wooded with birch and soft wood. " I saw there some birch which could furnish a log of thirty feet in length by twenty inches square. These forests have already been worked but there still remains enough pine and spruoe to give them a considerable value. " The Samaragne is the best water-power among these streams ; pine and spruce abound and the driving o the timber is easy," on on OASPESIA 97 toWn- kiuds ice, fir, iful, of b class I consi- B Pabos Uowing lere is a ', cedar, ly very ^he hills lantities t of the :h birch 'umish a r inches worked ipruoe to ^r among and the The same surveyor explored the Bonaventure and Cascapedia rivers and reports the following with respect to the forests which ho saw : " The timber which in these locahties (in the valley of the Cascapedia) consists of cedar, birch, poplar, spruce and balsam, is of a remarkable size and abundant in quantity. I saw several cedar trees from 18 to 20 feet in circonference and generally sound... " From the Forks to the 32nd mile, on the East side, there is a large quantity of spruce, cedar and poplar. I remarked that in this country the low lands are generally well wooded with soft wood... " As regards the rest of the South West Branch from the Forks, there is no timber of any value ; but from the rear line of the township of Newport, there is found an abundance of cedar and poplar on the banks of the river and also pine and s]^ uce on the heights and on the streams. " The Hall Kiver (one of the tributaries of the Bonaventure) is well wooded with birch, pine and spruce as are also the Pabos rivers." A considerable portion of the country about the I i 98 GASPESIA Grand Bonaventure River was explored by M. Henry O'Sullivan, a very competent person. The following notes are taken from his report. " The land is covered with a considerable 'quantity of pine and an abundance of spruce, fir and cedar. "There are two old lumber chanties on the west branch where square timber has been made, one on the 2nd and another on che 3rd mile. There is some splendid land both along the main river as for as the 2nd mile post and up the west branch far a considerable distance. The total area would be about two thousand acres. The valleys are well timbered with spruce, cedar, fir, gilead and pine and the mountains with spruce, scattering pine and white birch. *' The cedar of the Bonaventure deserves a spe- cial mention, as I have not seen iu any other part of the province any thing to equal it either in size, quality or quantity. There is also consider- able quantity of pine, spruce, fir, gilead and accord- ing to the explorers and lumberers who have visited the head of the rivers Hall, Duval and Deep-water, there is an abundance of birch and maple in that locality.** ^ fore ven the whi( and othe enou been diam milli( sprue to sa^ timbe but tribut these almos exten The most a gine. large s the luj Woods, in^ GA.SPESIA ^Tlie srable DC, fir 1 west )ne oil lere is ver as )ranch would •e well I pine y pine a spe- r part ler in isider- ccord- have al and ch and 99, We may state, by the way, that the finest forests of Gaspesia lie in the valley of the Bona venture Kiver. They contain an abundance of the best quality of pine, spruce, and the cedar which Mr. Sullivan represents as extraordinary and far superior to anything he has seen in any other part of the province. In this vallej^ there is enough fine pine, of the best quality, some has been measured which was three and a half feet in diameter above the roots, to make millions and millions of feet of square or sawn lumber. The spruce there would also afford a very large supply to say nothing of the birch and cedar. This pine timber is to be found not only in the main valley, but also in the smaller valleys drained by the tributaries of the river, all of which means that these forests cover a vast area and can for an • almost indefinite period provide material for most ' extensive and lucrative lumbering operations. These opf rations could be carried on undei; th^,, most advar geous conditions that one c^n ima,?,,,, gine. In the case of most establishments, very,, large sums are spent in transporting provisions, fqCji the lumbennen and t forage for the animals iisedinr woods, hundreds of milea from the lairge commerni ■m 100 GASPKSIA cial centres, through regions in which roads cost a great deal to open, are hilly and barely practi- cable. All this trouble, all these sources of ex- pense do not exist as regards lumbering operations in the forests of the Bonaventure River. There the ground presents no obstacles to the opening of roads and in winter the ice which forms on the river and its tributaires supplies the finest and most level of roads. Then the distances to be got over are inconsiderable since they do not exceed, on an average, about thirty milos from the sea-shore to the centre of the forcict, which is nothing compared to the remoteness of the forests in the other parts of the province. Thus on the Upper Ottawa where we obtain the greatest portion of the pine we export, provisions have to be trans- ported for distances of two or three hundred miles and over. And yet several firms which have carried on lumbering operations there have realized immense fortunes. What would they not have done if their operations had been carried on, as may be done in the valley of the Bonaventure River, a few miles only from localities where provisions can be cheaply purchased and whence they cftn be taken to the shanties for a trifle. GASPESIA 101 3ta cti- ex- ons the )rms inest X) be not 1 the ch is )re3ts the rtion rans- miles have lized have on, as nture Iwhere hence Finally the driving of the lumber which is so expensive on the Saguenay, the Saint-Maurice and the Ottawa owing to slides, booms and labor, would cost comparatively little on the Bonaventure Eiver. Nothing of the kind is required there for the very good reason that the river, throughout its entire length, is entirely unobstructed. " I may state, says M. O'Sullivan, that on the whole river from the beach to the upper lake, there is not a single fall, but it may be considered one continuous rapid free of any obstacle whatever." It is impossible to imagine a river better suited for floating down lumber. Not a fall, not a natural obstacle of any kind and a swift current through- out. All one has to do is to roll the logs into the water and let them float down alone. Under cir- cumstances so favorable, ten men can do work which on other less favored rivers it would require a hundred or more to accomplish. Finally the estuary of the river forms an excellent harbour where vessels may load with the greatest ease, being protected against the wind and against anything which might impede or prevent them from doing so in other localities not so well situated. 102 Qk^TRSlJht ,. 1 JMJi All this clearly shows that in every fe&pect lumbering in the splendid forests of the Bonaven- 'ture Eiver can be carried on nnder exceptionaDy advantageous conditions. It is for all these reasons 'that the valley drained by this river and its nu- "^merous tributaries is beyond doubt the finest, forest region of Gaspesia and perhaps even of the« whole province. There are also fine forests in the valley of the Nouvelle Eiver. M. Murisson speaks of them as follows : " The soil in this locality (20 miles from the • mouth of the river) is rich and the timber large, more especially the spruce which would make good merchantable timber, being sound and straight. In the vicinity and between the ninth and tenth mile posts, there are some pine trees of good quality, growing on the slopes of the mountains facing tliG river and on both sides of the same. The brooks that run into the main river are small. The spruce and fir are large ; there is also some * white and black birch ; excellent timber of the 'Same kind abounds along the slopes of the moun- tains." In the township of Mann, the land is perfectly t( Il» GASPE8IA lOS level, of the best quality and covered with very ' large birch and maple. The great valley of Busteed Creek is wooded with pines arid there are some birch trees of enormous size. The valley of Harrison Creek is also formed by land of superior quality, covered by timber of an enormous size. The prevailing kinds are elm, ash and birch. There are ash trees as large as pines. The soil becomes better and better as the interior is reached, going towards the Escumenac River. An opinion may be formed p f the soil and tim- ber of the township of Ristigouche from the fol- lowing report on the second range of that town- ship made by Mr. Legendre : *' Every kind of timber and the soil I met with are of excellent quality through the whole extent of the line and I have been assured that it is exactly similar in the immediate neighborhood and in some places beyond the northerly exterior line of the township. For my own part, I have not, so far, seen any tract to equal this part of the second range. The birch trees are enormous, plentiful and sound ; some splendid sugaries are also met with. There are spruce trees measuring sixteen inches in diameter at sixty feet from their 1' 104 GASPESIA m. base. The soil composed of yellow loam is the finest I have seen. Conspicuous among the timber I have mentioned are to be found some immense cedars, a sure indication of the quality of the soil." The township of Kistigouche and that of Me- tapedia, next to it, have been carefully explored b y Mr. W. A. Sims, who says in his report : " The township of Eestigouche is situated at the head of the tide-way on the Eestigouche which forms its southern boundary. The ground is a brownish or yellow loam of a good quality, free from stones, the sub-strata being generally trap rock which when decomposed, forms an extre- mely fertile soil. It is well timbered with yellow, white and black birch, .balsam fir, spruce, maple, beech and ash, the latter named woods inter- mixed with white pine, cedar, and white birch also prevails on the sides of the hills. " The extent of the flats in the ravines and valleys is limited. The timber in these places is chiefly soft wood with some ash and elm. The descrip- tion given above will apply to the township of Matapedia, which is also bounded on the south by the River Eestigouche." large GASPESIA 105 All these data taken from the most authentic and approved sources clearly show that the forests of Gaspesia, especially in the region bordering on the Baie des Chaleure between the Saint John and Metapedia rivers, are as rich in merchantable timber as those of the Saguenay, the Saint-Maurice and the Ottawa. In these fine forests of the Baie des Chaleurs there is enough pine, spruce and birch to feed an immense lumber trade for years and years to come. As to cedar, it is the only place in the province where it can be found so large and so good. Ash and elm trees are also of colossal proportions and would furnish their quota to the trade. As to lumbering in these forests, it is very easy and much less expensive than in the other parts of the province. Elsewhere the lumber must be sought out three, four, even six and seven hundred miles from where it is shipped on board of the vessels which are to take it to Europe. In Gaspesia, the most distant forests are not a hundred miles from the sea-shore. This is an immense advantage ; but there is a still greater one. The course of the rivers down which lumber is floated in i 106 GA.SPESU other parts of tho province is iutorriiptcil and broke u in over wliioli many })laco3 by falls and cascades the Innibor cannot be taken and to avoid lliose ol)staclcs slides have to be built and iniprovenients niaile which cost riiornious snnis. There is nothing of all this in Gas[)esia ; through tlie .'oresta flow rapid rivers which do not oder the slightest obstacle to the Heating of lumber. All that reiiuires to be done is to i)ut it in the water and it lloats down alone. Finally freights to England arc much lower than in Quebec and other Canadian ports. Besides the lact that they have from four or five hundred miles less to go both ways or from eight hundred to a thousand miles in all, vessels loading in the ports of the Bale des Chaleurs, Percd, Pabos, Port-Daniel, New- Carlisle, New-Richmond, etc., have not a cent to pay for pilotage, wharfiige, towage, all of which are heavy items of expense in other ports. All these considerations establish that lumbering in Gaspesia offers the greatest advantages and the finest prospects ; if it has not yet been undertakejQ to any extent or on a large scale, it is solely due, to the fact th$t the wealth of the forests of this country is not generally known. OASPESIA 107 I and 9cados [ind to It and snnis. irough ler the r. All ) water ;Uts to d other y have 70 both i miles aie des Carlisle, pay for I heavy nbering and the ertakein aly duBi of this CHATTEK VII FISIIKHIKS — HTATISTICS — FISH MANURE • TIjo Cjliis]ic fisheries are, ])robiibiy, the richest ill North Aincrica or even in llio world. They luive be(;n known fur two eentiiri(!s and liavo yielded to conunerce jn'oducts whose vahie is comited hy millions. The firm of Chs. llobin & Co., of Jersey, has realised a fortnne of seveial mill ions v.'liieh Ims i)luced it at the head of the lish trade in Amcrioii and in Euroj)u. The lirms of Le r)onthilier & l>ros., ,1. & K. Collas, J. Le Dou- thilior i^' Co., and Valpy Sc Le I)as also do a very larire business. The fish wliich form the staple of the trade are the cod, herring, makerel, salmon and lobster as well as the gaspereau or alewife and several other kinds of minor importance which might furnish a good supply to the export trade, if they were only appreciated and pains were taken to find a market for them. Cod is the most valuable of all fish and by far 108 6ASPESIA the most plentiful. In Gaspesia it constitutes a means of support as sure as farming ; with a little activity the poorest man can always find in cod- fishing a support for himself and his family. In Gaspesia the fishing is carried on along the coast, in the coves and bays, and is called shore- fishing ; it is also carried on the banks, from twenty five to thirty miles out to sea. Fishermen who have sufficient means build their own craft» provide themselves with necessary gear, fish on tV iv own account and sell their fresh fish to the merchants or salt it themselves in order to sell it in the fall to speculators who frequent the whole length of the coast and buy all the fish they can find. Those who have no means to buy boats and gear, hire them from the large fishing establish- ments. The hire of a boat all fitted out varies from $25 to $35 for the season and one invariable condition of the lease is that all the fish which shall be taken in one of these boats shall be sold exclusively to the merchant who provides it. They are about thirty feet long and from six to ten feet wide, are made of cedar and pointed at both ends like whale-boats j they carry two sails and I GASPESIA. 109 are splendid sea-boats. In shore fishing the men start out in the morning about two or three o'clock and return between four and five in the after- noon, so as to have time to dress their fish before dark. Each boat carries two men who each use two lines when they fish in thirty or forty fathoms of water and as many as four lines when they fish in ten fathoms. When fish are plentiful the men do not get a moment's rest ; while they are unhooking the fish from one line, the other has hooked a fish. Each line has two hooks and when the fish bite well, two are taken at a time. Under these circumstances a boat often returns with 2,000 lbs of fish, that is a thousand pounds to each man. The fishing season generally lasts from the month of A pril to the month of November. This period is divided into two parts called the summer fishing and the fall fishing. The former finishes on the 15th August. The cod taken up to the end of September is dried or prepared for expor- tation ; that taken after that date is salted, bar- relled and sold on the home market. As may be seen, cod-fishing is a lucrative em- ployment and an active and hard-working man ■can earn from S300 to $400 in a summer. 110 GASPESIA lllir- The herring fishery lasts from the month of April to the month of December and is carried on with nets and seines. The nets are generally thirty fathoms long and five or six wide. They are stretched vertically in places where the herring passes and are visited every morning to remove the fish. In the spring time every night, when the fishing is good, from 5 to 10 barrels of herrings are taken in a net thirty fathoms long. Mackerel is caught in seines or with hand lines. The former way is precisely similar as for herring. The hand lines used are made of hemp or cotton and are from six to eight fathoms long. They are baited with a small piece of skin from the neck of a mackerel. Each fisherman takes two lines which are attached to the boat and when the fishing is good, a crew of fifteen men can take in six hours from twenty to thirty barrels of mackerel, which sells from eight to twenty dollars a barrel, according to quality. Lobster fishing is also a very lucrative occupa- tion. It is only carried on along the shores of the Baie des Chaleurs, as lobster is not found on the shore of the St. Lawrence which forms the northern limit of Gaspesia. It is a very easy kind of fishing Co Summ( Pall Tongu onth of •ried on aerally hey are herring remove lien the lemngs 1(1 lines, herring, r cotton 'hey are ) neck of es which ishing is ;ix hours I, which tccording I occupa- BS of the id on the northern )f fishing GASPESIA 111 and the lobsters arc sold to manufacturers who liave large factories where they can them and ship them to market. Salmon are caught in nets stretched near the sea-shore, in coves and at the mouths of rivers* At high water the fish pass ever the nets to go near the land or to ascend the rivers ; but when the tide falls they leave the land and go back to sea where their passage is intercepted by the nets. They are caught in the meshes and remain there until the fisherman removes them and places them in his boat. The fisheries above described supply the export trade and the local market in the large cities of Canada. The following figures taken from the official statistics of the Department of Marine and Fisheries will give aa idea of the importance of this industry, which constitutes one of the principal sources of wealth of Gaspesia. Table showing the quantity and value of fish taken in Oaspesia in the year 1883 Cod: Summei' fishing. ... 74 990 qtx at $4.00...$299,960.00 Pall do ....39 209 do at 4.00... 156 836.00 Tongues & sounds 368 bar. at 9.00... 3 312.00 ill 112 GASPESIA Cod 79 do at 1.00. Cod liver oil 63 862 gal. at 0.60 . Herring : Salt 26 922 bar. at ^.00 ., Smoked 5 030bts at 0.25 . For manure 37 231 bar. at 1.00 , 79.00 38 317.20 $498 504.20 .5^107 688.00 .. 1 257.50 .. :7 231.00 Mackerel : Salt 1 165 bar. at $8.00.. Salmon : Salt 36 bar. at$15.0a Fresh 269 719 lbs at 0.07 Lobsters : Canned 135 710 lbs at$0.15.. Various kinds offish : $540.00 19 173.37 Haddock Ling , Halibut .. Trout Eel 490 qtx at $4.00 207 do at 4.00 54 bar at 6.00 35 do at 8.00 96 do at 8.00 442 do at 3.00 Sardines Various kinds for local consump- tion 12 102 do at 4.00 Sturgeon 45 do at 5 00 1 960.00 828.00 324.00 280.00 768.00 1 326.00 48 408.00 225.00 Fish used/or manure and bait : Capelin 12 240 bar at $1.00 $12 240.00 Smelt 756 do. at 1.00 756.00 Troit 50 do at 1.00 50.00 Launce 594 do at 1.00 594.00 Encornet 2 889 do at 1.00 2 889.00 Clams 683 do at 1.00 683.00 146 176.50 9 320.00 19 713.37 20 356.50 54 119.00 17 212.06 GASPESU 113 8 504.20 6 176.50 9 320.00 9 713.37 to 356.50 4 119.00 Porpoise : Hides Oil Whales : Oil 4 810 gal at 0.60 36 at 3.00 108.00 193 gal at 0.60 115.80 223.80 2 886.00 $768 510.57 This sum of $768,510.57 represents 33,924,829 lbs of fish and 68,865 gals, of oil. And it must be observed that the year 1883 to which the above table relates was one of the most ordinary years for fishing as may be seen by the following com- paraison between 1879 and 1883. Cod: (1879) (1883) Summer fishing. 101 776 qtx=|407 104... 74 990 qtx= $299 960 Fall do . 31 103 qtx= \24 412... 39 209 qtx= 156 836 132 8T9 qtx= $531 516. ..114 199 qtx= $456 796 Salmon : Salt 14 500 lbs =1 870.00... 7 200 lbs= « 540.00 Fresh 302 372 lbs= 21 379.10.. .269 719 lbs= 19 173.37 17 212.00 406 872 lbs=|22 249.16 276,919 lbs 19,713.37 Lobster : Canned 398,048 lbs=e59,797.20 135,710 lbs=«20,356.50 These three items alone show a deficit for the years 1883 of $116,686.13. In ordinary years, the yield of the fisheries is about $800,000 and it would be easy to bring it up to a million, if more activity were displayed in prosecuting them. Moreover, there are several kinds of fish to 114 GASPESIA which the Gasp^ fishermen, especially in the Baie des Chaleurs, pay no heed and which might how- ever be a source of profit to them, such as makerel, tunny and blue fish. We will now give some statistics on the num- ber of men, vessels, &c., employed in the fisheries of Gaspesia which are resumed in the following table. Tonnage Men Value G 709 390 e299 560 i ^^^^ 14 831 Vessels Number Ships 70 ... Fishing boats 1 612 ... Flat boats 1343 ... 3 025 6 709 4 446 $395 450 Seines mnd nets Salmon nets Number 883 Yards Value 57 002 lis 411 Herring nets 3 501 114 032 Mackerel nets 243 8 114 Mackerel seines 3 150 Capelin seines 181 8 304 Launce seines 21 700 37 504 3 169 100 5 993 829 4 832 189 202 166.006 The value of the vessels and fishing material mentioned in this table amounts to a total of $461,456, which clearly proves that a fishing out- fit does not cost very much and that even the poorest persons can easily procure one. The fisheries of Gaspesia could also supply the paw material for an industry which is of the '*5 GASPESIA 115 :he Bale ;lit how- makerel, be num- fisheries ollowing Value .. |299 560 .. 81 053 .. 14 83'? $395 450 Value 118 411 37 504 3 169 100 5 993 829 #66.006 material total of ling out- ven the pply the is of the greatest importance from every point of view namely the making of artificial fertilizers, which is not only very profitable in itself, but also of con- siderable benefit to agriculture. The use of fish in the preparation of certain artificial fertilizers has been known and practised for a long time on the coasts of Scotland, Cornwall, Brittany and of some parts of the United States. The manufacture of fertilizers from fish offal has met with the most success in France ; M. Demolon has carried it on for more than thirty years and has realized an immense fortune. His chief establishment is at Goncarneau, a small town in Brittany, where the offal of sardines, found in abundance along its shores, is manufactured into manure. The process followed by M. Demolon is very simple. After boiling the offal in copper kettles heated by steam, it is subjected to strong pressure to expel the water and oil it contains ; the mass so pressed is grated and the produce dried by being exposed to a current of hot air. It is then ground in order to reduce it to powder, in which shape it is sold to the trade. The experience derived at the Concameau factory shows that 100 parts of fresh \ I ; 116 GASPESIA offal yield an average of 22 parts of the fertilizing powder and from 2 to 2 J parts of oil. The establishment employs — or at least it employed some years ago — six men and ten boys and turned out daily from four to five tons of the pulverized fertilizer out of from 18 to 20 tons of fish offal. This fertilizer contains 80 per cent of organic matter and 14.1 of phosphate of lime and magnesia as well as ordinary salt, carbonate of lime, sulphate and carbonate of ammonia and only one per cent of water. The nitrogene it contains is almost entirely in the state '^f organic matter and is in the propor- tion of 14,1 to 100 of the ammonia. The phos- phoric acid, which is insoluble as it exists in the fertilizer, represe'^ts about 7 per cent. According to the best data, fish offal yields 10 per cent of this excellent fertilizer which is almost as good, as valuable and as much in demand as Peruvian guano. Finally the fish caught in the fisheries of Gaspesia would give at least one half of its weight in offal. The following figures taken from the census of 1881 show the weight offish taken in that year and the quantity of offal which 't> izmg The loyed lined jrized offal, 'ganic ynesia [phate r cent ely in ^ropor- plios- m the Ids 10 [almost md as |in the le half taken offish which GASPESU 117 might be made into manure worth at least twenty dollars a ton. Total Fish Bonaventure Guspe Rimouski in tons Cod— qtls 38 112 257 653 5 898 15 083.0 Haddock, ling & smelt q.. 69 1 099 83 62.5 Herrings— barrels 32 076 76 615 1943 11063.2 Alewives " 31 3 6 4.0 Mackerels " 1259 8 437 647 1034.3 Sardines " 28 180 380 53.7 Halibut " 6 336 16 30.7 Salmon " 652 479 32 111.2 Shad " 5 6 2 1.3 Eels " 53 112 7 17.2 Trouts " 158 122 32 31.2 Other fish " 12 934 15 116 1765 2 981.5 Canned lobsters lbs 97 200 420 534 258.7 30 732.5 This grand total of 30,732.5 tons represents the net weight of the fish after it is prepared for market and its offal removed, which weigh the same. This would therefore give about 30,000 tons of offal for manufacturing artificial manure, making about 6,000 tons worth at least $20.00 a ton or $120,000 in all per annum. The same might be done with several other kinds of fish which are not taken because they are of no use, but which exist in immense numbers in the waters surrounding Gaspesia. Consequently a yearly 118 GA8PKSIA product of abont 10,000 tons of this fortilizer could be obtained, of an annual value of about $200,000. CHAPTEK VIII AGRICULTURE Both as regards soil and climate Gaspesia is beyond doubt one of the finest, if not the finest portion of the Province of Quebec, to say nothing of the fact that the sea supplies the farmers of this region with inexhaustible quantities of the richest fertilizers. Kelp is found in abundance on the shore and in addition to fish offal immense quantities of inferior kinds of fish can be taken which are not required either for local consump- tion or for export. The mud from the beach and the sea- weed are also oxcellent fertilizers which are of great benefit to laborious and intelligent husbandmen. All these exist in abundance in Gaspesia, chiefly on the shores of the Bale des Chaleurs. After each tide, especially when the water has been ''^J OASPESIA 119 agitated by the wind, quantities of kelp and sea- weed are heaped upon the shore. This accumu- lation is continually renewed ; the farmer has a constant supply of good fertilizers to spread over his land or increase the yield and quality of the grain which he raises. It costs him nothing beyond the trouble of carting it and spreading it on his fields. It improves instead of injuring pasture lands, becarse cattle prefer the grass to which the sea- weed has given a slightly salty taste. Mussels, star-fish and sea-urchins can be used as the basis of an excellent compost, which can be improved by the addition of mud and shells from the beach. But the richest of fertilizers is furnished by fish and its offal. All the cod-fishing establishments could supply enormous quantities which can be used without any preparation for manuring the soil. If the farmers of Gaspesia would turn it to advantage, they would find in this refuse a source of wealth whose value may be easily ima- gined. They might increase it still further by boiling the offal in order to extract the oil which retards and even hinder vegetation. Whole fish also make excellent manure. The 120 GABP«8IA. kinds used are capelin and herring, which is too thin or too small for the trade. Thousands of barrels are used in this way, but much more might be made use of and moreover other kinds of fish which can be taken in large quantities and which are not accepted by the trade or for local consumption might be devoted to the same pur- pose. In a word the quantity of fertilizers which the sea can be made to supply is practi- cally unlimited and it lies at the disposal of all who arc suffioiently intelligent and laborious to take advantage of it. We have spoken elsewhere of the manufacture of artificial manure from fish offal. If some day this valuable industry should be inaugurated in Gaspesia, the farmers of that region will find it a source of great wealth, for this fertilizer is almost as good as guano, which English and French agri- culturists find it profitable to buy at more than twenty dollars a ton from the traders who import it from the south American coast. Gypsum is another fertilizer which the inhabi- tants of Gasp4 can procure under exceptionally advantageous conditions. There are inexhaustible quarries of this material in the Magdalen Islands GASPESIA 121 agn- habi- nally jtible ands which, compared to the other parts of the province are in the neighborhood of Gasp^, so that freight would be very cheap, thereby giving another great advantage to the farmers of this region. There are deposits of marl in many parts of Gaspesia. This is another source of agricultural wealth, for marl, as is well known, has the double advantage of being both a fertilizer and improver of the soil. It is an established fact that by using marl with a [)roper proportion of natural or artifi- cial manure, the ground may be made to yield double its usual produce. The farmers of Gaspesia who have an abundance of all kinds of manure are therefore in the best position to benefit by these beds of marl and double the yield of their farms , which are naturally very fertile. It may therefore be said, without fear of con- tradiction, that as regards fertilizers, the ease with which they can be procured at the sole expense of collecting and transporting them, Gaspesia offers advantages to agriculturists which cannot be found elsewhere, at least in that part of Canada situated to the West of it. As to the climate, it is a well known fact that it is favorable, in the highest degree, to farm- 122 GASPESIA iW ing operations. Moreover, the southern portion of the Gaspi5 peninsula enjoys as regards climate an advantage which is not generally known, and which is its southern exposure. Starting from the chain of hills which runs along the shore of the St. Lawrence, the ground slopes downwards towards the south and is therefore well exposed to the fruitful action of the sun's rays, which is so important for vegetation and which gives it an extraordinary activity and energy. The solar rays lose a portion of their heat by refraction and this explains why on the New-Brunswick shore, on the other side of the Bale des Ch Jeurs, the agri- cultural tempf ''ature is lower than in Gaspesia, where the run's rays fall perpendicularly on the soil and therefore impart to it greater heat and greater power for producing vegetation. This southern exposition renders the southern portion of Gaspesia one of the best of regions for the growth of fruit-trees and even of grape-vines. With intelligent and careful cultivation, apples would succeed very well, as well as in the district of Montreal where the summer is not finer and fine weather does not last longer and there are some localities which seem specially adapted to the cul- GASPESIA 123 tivation of grape-vines. Amongst the latter may be mentioned, in the first place, the slope between the sea and the side of Mount Tracadigetche in Carleton. The soil is particularly suited to grape- vines ; the flank of the mountain which keeps off all winds from the north and north-west reflects the rays of the sun and keeps the temperature higher while the vicinity of the sea keeps the thermometer at a uniform height — and prevents sudden changes and early * frosts. In a word this place, both as regards soil and climate, is equal, if not superior to many localities on the Island of Montreal where grapes have been grown for many years with undoubted success. If the same were attempted on the Baie des Chaleurs, particularly at Carleton, it would be sure to succeed. The soil is, in itself, so fertile, that excellent crops can always be raised without the use of fertilizers. It is composed of detritus of rocks which give the richest and most easily cultivated of soils, as we have already shown. These yellow and brownish loams, clayey in same places, are easily cultivated and yield abundant crops of all kinds of cereals. This fact is very well established by the following figures taken from the census of 1881. 124 OASPEBIA In Oiiapoaia thoro ia i\\\ uhmi of 174,300 acroa of farming land. Tho extent covorhI by the varioua branchoa of ajrricuUure ia aa follovra : c>it»AU :io I :.n y i !»;w :»y i»y.j «.*) o 1 4 n«y rj«iu«» HMiui lit nj :ny.... ;n,9:w 4r»,!».v: (!;j,<>yi Hy,HO.% I > o 5. h'i^ (i, ou :.r)T,Hi7 :50(;,'j:}0 1.704, 358 Tons of hay 16,891 17,1«)!) 7 70,i ll,7fi'2 The yield of wheat per ncre is given in the following table : Bonovcnture Oa»pf Rimonski Oaspesia Bushels harvested IJS.eiW 28,74-2 89,625 154,206 Acres sown 3.1SI 2,610 9,482 15,07:1 Yield i^r acre 11.26 11.81 9.10 10.23 •• •♦ 1871 11.9 IS-Oi? 83 11.7 Diflfereuce —0.04 —3.19 0.80 —1.47 GASPESU 125 )0 acroH of lie varioiiH ki 7\»/rtN H5 0N :»;» iVM 54 :i!»o i.'jor. J73.;io«; v.s • * ki TnUtlf ir»-i.y,272 '2.3-M 1,412 6,004 Colts 548 430 305 1,253 Working oxen 1,436 1,818 353 3,607 Milch cowa 5 053 4.096 3,906 13,955 other horned cattle... 4,611 4,299 3,63 12,548 Sheep 15.G;J0 19,468 11,827 46,325 Swine 7,428 " 9,448 4,061 20,937 Total 36,348 42,779 25,499 104,086 In Gaspesia there are 173,101 acres of land under crops and in pasture, which gives 1.64 acre per head of cattle and 1.84 head of cattle to every person, as the population consists of 56,860 souls In Compton, one of the richest counties in the pro- M(, GASPESIA 129 in short tie pria- Canada. fitable to ) or even jannot be ought to le for the 5C, which ,nt. le farmers md this is res taken ski Gaspesia 6,004 1,253 3,607 13,955 12,548 46,325 20,937 104, 0«6 [es of land 1.64 acre \\e to every >,860 souls in the pro- vince, whose wealth is solely derived from agricul- ture and more especially from stock-raising, there are 147,874 acres of land under crops and in pas- ture; also 46,721 headof cattle making 3.16 acres for every head and 2.88 heads for every person, as the population is 19,581. As may be seen, taking the population as a basis of comparison, there is nearly one hundred per cent, more cattle in Compton than in Gaspesia, and this explains the wealth of the former county on the one hand and the comparative poverty of the latter region on the other hand. Another example will explain this still more clearly. In the county of Compton, in 1S81, the value of dairy produce amounted to $140,851.80 or $7.50 per head ; in the couaty of T^onaventure, it was only $52,679.00 or $2.78 per head. In this item alone, there is therefore a difference against the farmers of Bona venture of $4.72 per head and of $80,245.76 for the whole country. At the same rate, the difference is $268,379.20 for the whole of Gaspesia, where the soil and pastures are as good, if not better than in Compton. All these facts clearly prove that the farmers of 130 GASPESIA Gaspesia might almost double the value of their products by devoting themselves to a greater extent to stock-raising. This statement may not perhaps, have an immediate effect upon the inhabitants of that region, but it should convince immigrants who may wish to settle there that farming operations properly earned on would yield at least as much revenue and profit on the shores of the Baie des Chaleurs as in the finest part of the Eastern Townships, whose reputation as a rich agricultural region is so widely known. CHAPTER IX ROADS — SEA-PORTS AND NAVIGATION Around the whole of Gaspesia runs a road which is in general superior to anything of the kind in any other part of the province of Quebec. It is a little hilly in seme places, but it is very hard and as well suited for wheeled vehicles as a macadamized road. Nothing can be finer than that portion of this great highway which crosses the valley of the Metapedia, then runs along the fr( m th Sal abf GASPESIA 131 , of their 5r extent ; perhaps. )itaiits of ants who ►perations ; as much . Bale des e Eastern jricultural now ms a road ling of the of Quebec. t it is very rehicles as a ei than that crosses the s along the shores of the Baie des Chaleurs and of the Gulf of St. Lawrence as far as the village of Gasp^. We have travelled over it for six weeks at a time without feeling the slightest fatigue. The other portion, particularly the Maritime Eoad, is not so good, but it is nevertheless a good road for wheeled vehicles. In sparsely inhabited localities, the government itself sees to the road, which is always kept in very good order. Besides this highway, there are several other roads in places, unfortunately too few in number, where settlements have penetrated into the interior and have withdrawn to a slight extent from the vicinity of the sea. These roads are also in good order and it may be asserted without fear of con- tradiction that with respect to its roads, Gaspesia is far ahead of nearly all the other parts of the province. The ground is so well suited to the purpose, so well drained, that all roads are good from the time they are opened. At the present moment there is only one railway in Gaspesia, the Intercolonial, which runs through the Metapedia valley, north and south from the Saint-Lawrence to the Eestigouche, a distance of about one hundred miles. The Baie des Chaleurs t 132 GASPESIA railway, now under construction, will cross the southern part of the peninsula and connect Meta- pedia station, on the Intercolonial, with Gasp^ Basin distant about 200 miles. The first link, about a hundred miles long, will have its terminus at the port of Paspebiac and will soon be in running order. The company which has undertaken to curry out the Work has amongst its directors some of the best financial and railway men in the country. For the hundred miles between Metapedia and Paspebiac, the Company has been given by the Quebec Government a subsidy of 1,000,000 acres of laud and by the Federal Government $620,000 in money, which assures the success of the undertaking. At the session of the Quebec Legislature held in 1883, a company was incorporated to build a railway in the northern part of Gaspesia " from a point on the Intercolonial between Eimouski and Metis, as far as or near Gasp^ Basin, passing by Matane, Cap- Chat te and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. This railway will be about one hundred and eighty miles long and will complete a net-work which will siurround Gasp^ and consist of above five hundred miles of railway. ■^^ GASPESIA 133 But the inhabitants of Gaspesia have another means of communication which gives them great advantages, namely navigation. With their barges they can easily convey articles for short distances from one place to another and in the upper part of the Baie des Chaleurs, from their residences to the stations of the Intercolonial Railway which runs along the south shore of the bay as far as Bathurst. This means of transport is inexpensive and almost as rapid as if carried on by means of horses on ordinary roads. For longer distances, chiefly to the north shore and to the eastward, schooners are used which do a large trade in conveying produce and goods between these places and Quebec or the other commercial centres to which the products of Gaspesia are forwarded. This transport by means of schooners is also inexpensive and is within the reach of all the inhabitants of that region. The trade with foreign countries, that is, the nine-tenths of the trade in fish, is carried on bv means of vessels for Europe. These vessels gene- rally load at Gasp6, at Perc^ and at Paspebiac which are safe and convenient ports, especially Paspebiac and Gasped. The latter is at the bottom 134 GASPESIA m of the bay of the same name and can easily hold a fleet of a thousand sail. There aie also f^ood wharves at Paspebiac, but the water is not so deep. At Perc(^ there are no wharves, but vessels can load and unload without difficulty in the road- stead. This can likewise be done in many other places, such as I'Anse-du-Cap, Port- Daniel, &c. There is a fine* wharf at Carleton for light draught vessels and Tracadigeche Bay offers a safe and convenient harbour for vessels which draw too much water to allow of their being moored to this wharf. The Baie des Chaleurs is very safe and very easy to navigate, for navigation is carried on in the open sea and is not obstructed by any island, reef or other obstacle. Two lines of steamers run to the various ports of Gaspesia : that of the Quebec Steamship Com- pany and the line from Campbellton to Gasp(5. The first, as its name indicates, connects the ports of the north-western part of Gaspesia directly with Quebec, Montreal and the towns of Nova Scotia. The other connects at Campbellton with the Intercolonial railway and runs to all the places on the Baie des Chaleurs as far as Gasp^.. It receives a subsidy from the government for '^arry- oi !(^ GASPESIA. 135 isily hold ilso good t so deep. issels can the road- any other aniel, &c. it draught safe and draw too red to this safe and carried on d by any :ious ports ship Corn- to Gasp^. s the ports a directly of Nova sllton with I the places Gasp^.. It t for .carry- ing the mails. The steamer belonging to this line makes two trips a week going and returning and the Quebec line makes two trips a month, as far as Montreal. The small steamer Beaver, belong- ing to a Quebec merchant, also runs to the ports of Gaspesia and stops at nearly every place. It is evident that there is no lack of means of communication for the inhabitants of Gaspesia and all these means are comparatively inexpensive. It is true that they can be used only for six or seven months in the year; b~Qt this inconvenience will disappear as the construction of the Baie des Cha- leurs railway, which is now being carried on, pro- gresses. Besides, there is always the liitercolo- nial which is available in summer or in winter, for the population of Gaspesia and affords it a regular means of communication with all the Urge cities of Canada. CHAPTEK X TRA.de — IMPORTS AND E XPORTS — TONNAGE OF THE VARIOUS PORTS — COUNTRIES WITH WHICH TRADE IS CARRIED ON The trade of Gaspesia is registered at the ports of Gasp^, Perce and N'ew-Carlisle or Paspebiac. 136 GASPESIA It is in these three ports and in the interior ports under their jurisdiction that all the imports and exports of the southern part of Gaspesia are entered. As those of the Northern portion are registered at Quebec or at Kimouski, it is next to impossible to distinguish them and to give complete and accurate statistics of the trade of the northern part, which is a considerable one, including as it does the exportation of lumber, fish, &c. Since 1867, the table of the trade of Gaspesia shows a constant decrease which, however, is only apparent and is explained by well known facts. Before Confederation all the trade which was carried on between Gaspesia and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick was naturally classed under the heading of exports, as those two provinces did not tiben form part of the Dominion. Since Confede- ration, the customs regulations and commercial restrictions which existed as regards those pro- vinces have been abolished and the entire trade QtM^ried on between them and Gaspesia has passed into the class of inter-provincial commerce, thereby decreasing by so much the account of im- ports and exports of the ports of Gasp4 and of the Baie des Qhaleurs. At the piesent time a large proportion of the fish which was exported direct GASPE8IA from those ])ons is forwarded to Halifax, where it is shipped in vessels which carry it to foreign countries, so that the quantity of these exports is ,in the registers of the ports of Halifax instead of heing in those of the ports of Gaspesia. This also applies to imports. There is another reason which hati decreased, apparently, the amount of the imports and that is the establishment of lines of steamers and of th6 Intercolonial railway. In the first place there was the Quebec and Gulf Ports steamship company which for several years had three steamers engag- ed in the carrying trade between Quebec and the ports of the Baie des Chaleurs. These new means of transport have made quite a revolution in the trade of a large portion of Gaspesia and at the present time nearly everything required for home consumption which used to be imported direct from foreign countries in the ports of Gasp^ and New-Carlisle, are bought in Quebec, Montreal and Toronto and forwarded by water or by rail, thereby decreasing the amount of imports and outside trade. As much if not more business is done in Gaspeida as formerly, but it is done with the large cities of this country and does not appear 138 GASPESIA in the tables of imports at the ports of Gasp^ and New-Carlisle. This explains the apparent decrease in this trade as shewn by the following table. * Gaa p^ Netv-Carliale Perce Total Expor. Impor. Expor. Impor. Expor. Impor. Export, Im^'^r. 1868 2-J4,iil4 75,(575 292,744 117.290 516,958 192,871 18fi9 230,138 7-.»,750 296.702 79,606 .535,900 152,3.56 1870 318,427 112, -,'36 260,395 133,232 578.822 245.468 1871 341.008 117.808 349,188 121,240 690.696 242.048 187ii 413,397 131,!-03 363,131 131.373 776,. 528 263,176 1873 372,938 77.449 359,445 103.057 103.902 64,934 836,285 245,443 1874 393,765 45,437 337,859 99.867 87,488 39,744 819,112 18.5,078 875 336.-481 50,20.2 325,529 106,131 72,490 54 321 734,.590 210.714 1876 300; 897 48,181 3.33.131 97,842 76,870 61,897 710,898 -^07,920 1877 44:{,8'26 50,692 3!) 1.2 12 97,843 120,820 61.265 95.':,858 209,000 J 878 319.047 43,485 461,805 83,067 61,ij00 43,796 842,C52 170,348 1879 313,821 31,260 416,187 99,117 75,828 30,039 805,836 170,416 1880 38-J,375 31.371 425.592 75,244 50,787 40,113 858,754 147,728 1881 343.114 24.600 401,634 69,782 28,786 14,524 773 534 108.906 1882 316,8:2 31,617 420.189 68,729 18,456 22,958 755,517 123,304 1883 254,827 35,217 378,720 52,074 43,839 30,706 677,386 117,998 The greater portion of these exports consists of fish. The details are not in the Tables of Trade and Navigation ; but the following information supplied to the Department of Marine in 1871 and which apply exclusively to the Port of Gasped show that fish forms the largest item of export. OASPESIA. 139 Gasp^ and this trade Total Icjwyt. >l(;,fl58 )35,900 578.82-2 ROO.COG 776,528 B3H,28:) 819,112 7:54,590 710,898 95fi,858 842,052 805,836 858,754 773 534 755,517 677,386 192,871 152,356 245.468 242.048 263.176 245,443 185,078 210.714 v07,920 209,000 170,348 170,416 147,728 108.906 123,304 117,998 consists of of Trade nformation in 1871 't of Gasp^ export. V. S CO «0 o o 00 O •■I. 00 > 00 0) to 00 > 9 •a > o u 00 4A 00 pq o hi a g n o s o ^ i-I" ri^ o» oT •^ e go Jh 00 slice ^t;».s r. "ODM^I'^.O^I-aflrO "^ 5 i< S^ ^1 eo c« ' I « M 5* <0 h. h. ^*? O s; >o r> (O «^ « t* (o irt CO *• CI ■-< lO <-< on 3 o H — © O * •c m « to 00 CO kO CI rH W QO a o a s pq 00 a p; QQ .*^ M ^ -/2 (i^ ;:^ p; CI «o ■a 1, 140 GASPESIA " The foregoing statement is believed to be as nearly as possible connect. The merchants and others have given all the information they could and t)3e value affixed is the average value at Gasp^ Basin. " This, however, does not show the actual exports for the year, as, ii* addition to the fish, Ac. exported to foreign ports, a considerable quantity of fieh in sent hy our merchants to Halifax and is thence shipped during the wintet fo the West Indies and Brazil on their account and again a very large quantity of dry and green fish, cod and whale oily &c., is sent to Quebec and Montreal. Besides this (in consequence of seveial vessels bound hither being lodt), it is estimated that at least 26,000 quintals of dry cod fish will remain in port during winter. " With regard to the imports, it is difficult to procure many particulars ; but their value for this year may be fairly estimated at $132,000 and the amount would be larger had not a vessel with a general cargo for this port been lost at sea. " Many articles, the consumption of which is large here, such as boots and shoes, cloth, ready made clothes, &c., which formerly were all im- "'•n to be as lants and ley could e at Gasp^ tie actual I the fisb, lisiderahle 'ckants to the wintef \t accouTit and green Quebec and of several estimated d fish will difficult to due for this 300 and the ssel with a sea. 3f which is cloth, ready vevQ all im- GASPESIA 141 ported from Great Britain are now almost enti- rely purchased in the Dominion, Of the amount thus bought in Canada no estimate can be obtain- ed, nor of the coasting trade generally, of which no record is kept at the Custom House. But two or three years ago the value of inward coasting at this port was over S286,000 and although at that time Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were not united to Canada, the imports from those pro- vinces were of trifling importance and nearly the whole of the above amount was for articles the pro- duce and manufacture of Quebec and Ontario, or goods imported by Canadian merchants." Statement of Fish exported from New-Carlisle in 1871 Kind o/fiah DesHnatibn Quantity Value Total value Dried C od, qtla. Great Britain 6.913 $28,430.00 do do .. South America 28,212 126,860.00 ko do ..Brazil 2,913 14,500.09 do do ..BaliU 1,460 64.500.00 do do ..Naples 8,981 3,410.00 do do ..Oporto 1,748 6,990.00 do do ..British W. Indies... 16,158 42,529.00 do do ..United states 347 1, {88.00 (66,735 qtls) |261,607.00 Gi;eeuCod,do ..Barbadoes 2 10.00 do do ..Naples 24 120.00 do do . South America 4 18.00 do do ..Oporto ,. 2 12.00 i.o do ..9r*at Britain 563 2,393.00 (595qtl8> 2,553.0O« 142 GASPESIA Kind offish Destination Quantity Salmou, Bbls United States 2 do do Barbadoes 2 do do Great Britain 3 (7 Bbls) Herring, do Great Britain 1,734 do do iN^aples 350 do do ....South America 181 do do Biitisli "W. Indies. .. 4G9 do do ....United States 2.G43 (5377 Bbls) Smoked herring. Bbls. ..United Slates 18 Fish oil, gals.. .Great Britain 35,8-.28 Seal .skins Xumber 80 Value Total value 32.00 20.00 45.00 97.00 5,230.00 1.050.00 545.00 1,408.00 5,288.00 y.OO 17,821.00 80 00 13,521.00 * 5.00 17,90.00 8-:295,C48.00 We will complete these data by a table of the Trade and Navigation for the period belweon 1868 and 1883 inclusively. GA.Sl'K XKW-CAKLi 8I.K ricKci': Inwards Outwards Intoards Out wards Inwards Outtvard'f | Ko. 'Ions No. Tons ^o Tons Xo. Tons No. Tons No. Tons 18G8 39 5,105 31 3,3 5 48 6,508 53 G.491 18G9 43 G,3:i9 40 5,361 21 7,45-i 61 8,083 1870 58 6,894 54 G,G26 66 8,712 04 7,408 1871 54 7,847 4G 6,-90 59 7.983 GG 8,432 1872 58 8.322 50 7,831 55 8,. 528 70 G,312 • 1873 46 8,8G1 46 7,313 58 7,891 77 9,818 18 2,089 11 1,171 1874 41 8.883 47 9,179 42 7,900 52 0.255 18 1,578 10 1.070 1875 40 9,109 42 11.471 39 6,470 55 9,143 8 863 8 862 187G 38 8,044 34 7,769 45 6.320 54 7,257 13 2,511 9 1,599 1877 42 10,802 43 9,717 45 6,180 57 8,310 17 2,641 13 2,699 1878 34 5.759 34 6,079 55 9,150 72 12,098 14 1,876 8 891 1879 35 4.926 36 5,008 55 10.153 m 11,408 9 751 8 765 1880 38 7,858 40 7,586 38 5,892 47 6,644 15 1.913 7 718 1881 32 7 363 42 7,953 31 6,395 55 9.6G0 14 1,624 7 GGl 1882 32 6,466 38 8,208 37 5,937 64 11.286 11 1,700 4 701 1883 00 2,932 20 6,702 33 5,973 55 8,944 21 7.200 7 2,077 ship] and cf G Total value [) _ 97.00 10 !0 lO _ 13,521.00 10 _. * 5.00 DO 17,90.00 - §-295,648.00 hie of the reen 1868 IM-.UCIi ds Ontivard'f ons Xo. Tons )^ ,089 11 l.l'^l 578 10 1.070 863 8 86Q 1,511 9 1,599 |,tm 13 2,099 [,876 8 891 751 8 765 L.913 7 718 l,6C4 7 061 1,700 4 701 7,200 7 2,077 ".ASPESIA 143 Perce was made a port of entry only in 1873. These figures only apply to vessels going to or comino- from ports outside of Canada. The coasting trade at the three ports in question is much more considerable as may be seen by tlie following table for the year 1882. Table of vessels emj^loyed in the coasting trade at the Ports of Gasp4, Percd and Neiu-Carlisle : ETEAMERS Tn transit Nuvther Tonnage Coasters 'No) Registered tonnage Arrivals.... 86 36,104 124 44.217 Departures., 73 20,093 32 47,770 Totals... 161 66,197 256 SAILING VESSELS Arrivals 120 6,487 204 Departures.. 7 ^ 5,068 96 Total... 239 11,555 400 Steamers 161 66.197 246 400 67.752 656 91,987 4,349 9,559 20,916 81,987 112.903 Grantl Total. By adding the coasting trade to that with fo- reign ports, we have tlie following figures for the shipping trade of the three ports of Gasp^, Perc^ and New- Carlisle. Tonnage 113,330 111,083 These various tables clearly show that tl e trade of Gaspesia is in reality a considerable one and Arrivals ... Departures. Nitmler of vesseh 616 626 144 GASPESIA ■1 jet exports properly speaking consist only of fish. It is true that there are some mixed cargoes of fish, shingles, grain and other articles exported to the West Indies. These cargoes nearly always find a ready and renumerative sale on the markets where they are sent. The small vessels which carry on this trade bring a return cargo of mo- lasses, sugar and other West Indian products which are generally consigned to Canadian ports. It ip evident that all these return cargoes would be landed at Gaspe and New-Carlisle if these ports were connected by rail with commercial centres in the interior. Such a road connecting the Intercolonial in the vicinity of Metapedia and Campbelltown would also, as an inevitable result, create an immense export trade from the port of Gaspd and especially New-Carlisle, as will be seen further on. v_^ CHAPTER XI THE PORT OF PASPEBIAC — THE BAIE DES CHALEURS RAILWAY — ITS IMPOUTaNCE WITH REGARD BOTH TO COMMEllCE AND TO COLONIZATION The want of a permanent winter port, that is a port open to navigation both in summer and in "11^* GASPESIA 145 oly of fish. cargoes of exported to rly always he markets sels which :20 of mo- n products idian ports. 208 s would le if these commercial necting the ,apedia and [table result, the port of will be seen CHALEURS REGARD port, that is imer and in winter has been the principal difficulty against which the Province of Quebec has had to contend in endeavouring to secure the transit trade. During the summer season the Saint- Lawrence route is unrivalled and by far the most advanta- geous for the exportation of the agricultural pro- duce of the West ; but as soon as winter comes the ports of Quebec and Montreal are blocked with ice and the large quantities of grain brought down by rail from the West have to be taken through the United States to be shipped across the ocean from American ports. This means that our rail- ways lose a considerable amount of the traffic from the West, because our province has no port accessible in winter both by rail and by water. Now, such a winter port exists in the Baie des Chaleurs at Paspebiac and in order to derive every benefit from it, all that has to be done is to build about a hundred miles of railway. Contrary to the present mistaken — but unfortunately too wide- spread idea — the Baie des Chaleurs, which might be called the Mediterranean of Canada, offers no serious obstacle to navigation during winter, at least as regards the province of Quebec. As far as Paspebiac and even further west, the surface 6 146 GASPESIA of the sea is always free from ice and offers no hindrance to the progress of a vessal, particularly if propelled by steam. There is no ice in the gulf between the Baie des Chaleurs and New- foundland in sufficient quantity to impede navi- gation. A steamer can at any time of the year make the trip from Paspebiac to Liverpool with- out difficulty. We would recommend those who might have any doubt on the subject to read the report made in 1874 by a special committee appointed " to inquire as to the best and most direct route for the conveyance of mails and passengers between Ca- nada and Europe, and the possibility of finding on the shores of the Dominion a harbor, accessible both in winter and in summer, to be the terminus of such shortest route." The chairman of this committee was the Hono- rable Mr. Kobitaille, the late Lieutenant Gover- nor of Quebec, and then member for Bonaventure. After hearing the evidence of witnesses selected from amongst the most competent authorities, the committee made the following report respecting Paspebiac : " Paspebiac Harbour, situated on the North side (( '"r GASPESIA 147 offers no :icalarly e in the Lid New- ide navi- the year Dol with- ght have )ort made nted " to ite for the ween Ca- inding on accessible terminus he Hono- it Gover- aventure. selected rities, the respecting Norih side of the Baie des Chaleurs, offers all the advantages of a first class harbour and is, as the evidence shows, open and approachable from the Gulf at all seasons of the year. " In examining into the merits and demerits of Paspebiac Harbour, your committee deemed it advisable to elicit all the information possible regarding the navigation of the Gulf of St Law- rence. " It appears from the evidence of Col. Farijana, based upon careful hydrographical examinations, that the Southern and Western portions of the gulf are perfectly navigable at all seasons of the year. " It has been shown to your committee that that Arctic ice which is carried into the Gulf through the strait of Belle-Isle, strikes the North East of Anticosti with a velocity of current of half a mile per hour ; that the ice from the river Saint Lawrence is borne upon the Southern shore of the same island with a force of current of two miles per hour ; and that the stronger current from the river forces the Arctic ice towards the Western shore of Newfoundland, thus leaving, as we have stated, the Southern and Western portions of the gulf safe for navigation." 148 GASPESIA The evidence of Col. Farijana is positive and highly favorable to the port of l^aspebiac. He says th it " the Gulf of St. Lawrence being navigable at all seasons, it is evident that Paspebiac is the mo-3t convenient port. It is nearer the large centres of Djinadii than either Halifax or Louis- bourg. lois preferable fmtn a coinnieicial point of view, because trins[jort by rail would be shorter and con3e[Uontly less expensive." Col. Far j ana's evide^jce it not based only on theoretic il stuilies, bit al^o on practical experience. He h IS, in fact, naviorited the Gulf of St. Lawrence ' ' 1..' an! thj Bale des Chileurs durini^ winter. Darin' the Trent affair in 18G I he passed a winter in the capacity of hydrographic engineer on board a man-of-war which the Am eric m government sent to cruise in tha gulf during the winter in order to prevent Southern privateers from taking refuge there and runnindiac to Chaudi^re Jonction, by Intercolonial Q34 " From Chaudi^re Jonction to Montreal, by the Grand-Trunk 163 " 508 miles From LiTerpool to Montreal, via Paspebiac. . '< S,0C8 " From Liverpool to Halifax, navigation 2,480 miles From Halifax to Chaudi^re Jonction, by In- tercolonial 680 miles From Chaudi^re Jonction to Montral, by the Grand-Trunk 1G3 " 843 milce From Liverpool to Montreal, v/a Halifax.. 8,323 " From Liverpool to Portland, navigation (1) 2,796 miloB From Portland to Montreal, by tho Grand- Trunk 297 " From Liverpool to Montreal, via Portland.. 3,093 milep That is to say that the Paspebiac route is 25 miles shorter than that of Portland and 255 miles shorter than that of Halifax. Taking the average speed of steamers and pas- senger trains, we get the following : Hours of nttvit:alion Hours by rail Total By Paspebiac 156.25 22.75 .. .... 179.00 " Portland 174.75 12.00 186.75 «« Halifax 155.00 33,75 188-76 (1) This is the distance given by Fleming. GASPESIA 151 568 miles 8,068 " 2,480 milCB 84B milcR 8,323 " (1) 2,796 milOB 297 " 3,093 milpp oute is 25 i 255 miles :r9 and pas- ail Tota'l 179.00 186.75 188-75 The Paspobiac route is therefore 7.75 hours shorter than that by Portland and 9.75 hours shorter than that by Halifax, which is quite an important item with regard to the mails and pas- senger service. The port of Paspebiac consequently occupies an exceptionally advantageous position in every respect and it is of the greatest importance that it be placed in constant communication, both in winter and in summer, with the large cities of Canada so as to enable the Canadian roads to retain the trade which is flowing towards Ame- rican ports. Jo do this all that is required is to build the link formed by the Baie des Chaleurs Railway, a 1 mdred miles in length, between Paspebiac and Metapedia. This Baie des Chaleurs road is absolutely ne- cessary both for the transit trade and the inter- provincial trade and its construction will meet a pressing and long felt want. It will open a new sea-port to the western pro- vinces and above all it will bring to the markets of Quebec, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg the varied products of the Baie des Chaleurs, the Mediterranean of Canada. At the present moment 152 GASPESIA a considerable portion of the sea-fish consumed in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba comes from the United States. In 1882 these imports amounted to 7,509,253 pounds or 3,753.55 tons and to $288,559 for the three provinces. These imports were distributed as follows amongst the three provinces : Codhaddock. Ontario Quebec Manitoba ling. .. 1,691, 71« lbs $7*,306 3,187,480 lbs $122,299 104,660 lbs $2,598 Htriiiig.. 658,199 '< 15,296 88,727 « 2,643 40,809 " 1,139 Mackerel, 133,885 " 4,787 19,963 <' 066 49,969 " 1,766 Other ft»h- 0,577 " 515 1,286 '< 182 I.obstor... 5,806 " 398 145,248 " 4,301 8,838 " 844 Salmon... 225,309 " 21,761 97,346 " 10,506 30,275 " 3,112 Total... 3, 723, 492 " $117,153 3,538,764 '« $61,405 244,897 "$8,001 A great part of this fish is caught in our fishing grounds and taken to the American markets whence it is shipped to ours. Why should we not ourselves reap the profits of this trade ? Fibh of all kinds and especially salmon is found in abundance in the Baie des Chaleurs and in the waters which surround Gaspesia ; all that is wanted is a means of rapid transport. When the Baie des Chaleurs Eailway is connected with the Intercolonial, we wil^ have such a means of transport and will be able to carry on this trade ourselves, increase it and supp ly ourselves at a lower rate with fresher fish and of a better quality. This railway is chiefly required for GASPESIA 153 M4,B<)7 " 8^001 forwarding the great quantities of dry and salt fish which will be required for the consiiraption of the ever increasing population of Manitoba and the North- West. Before many years our fishermen in Gaspe^ia will fin I in those regions a great and profitable market. This will make up for the ground they are losing to a slight extent on certain European markets, where the Norwegian fishermen who have learnt in the last few years to cure cod properly, are commencing a com])etition with them in which they have great difficulty in holding their own. As soon as the railway opens this market tp our fishermen, it will be easy to keep it supplied, for our fisheries are inexhaustible and can be made to yield much more than they do at present. From this point of view, the Baie des Chaleurs Railway is an undertaking of an entirely national character. In the first place it will give a new impetus to our fisheries and in the second it will bring a considerable amount of traffic to the Inter- colonial and Canadian Pacific, two lines which have been built at the expense of the government as national undertakings. The future of the finest portion of Gaspesia depends on the construction of this railway. In 154 GASPESIA America, colonization progresses only with the development of railways and the region surround- ing the Baie des Chaleurs and Gulf of Saint Lawrence between Metapedia and Gasp^, favored as it is both as regards soil and climate, forms no exception to this inevitable law of progress. Let the Baie des Chaleurs railwav be built and before many years Gaspesia will have a population of 100,000 souls ; its forest and agricultural riches will be turned to advantage and furnish a large contingent to the export trade, commercial centres will be estabhshed, progress will make itself felt everywhere and Gaspesia will take the place it should occupy amongst the most flourishing regions, not only of the Province of Quebec, but €ven of Canada. Hitherto the agricultural population of the Baie des Chaleurs has been increased only by the excess of births over deaths and it can barely count a few hundreds of farmers who have not been born in this country. But it will be very different when a railway will run along the sea-shore. All the fine lands which it will cross will be better known, agricultural produce will be shipped at all seasons of the year, summer and winter, and agriculture will then offer so many advantages that it will GASPESIA 155 not fail to attract a great many settlers from other countries. Immigrants from Europe will be able to go there wiih the greatest ease and when the first are settled they will, beyond doubt, form a nucleus which will be increased in great part by their relatives and friends. The success with which they are sure to meet will offer an irresistible attraction for others. What is now going. on along the Intercolonial in the valley of the Metapedia shows what will happen in the richer and better favored region through which the Baie des Cha- leurs Eailway will run. Before many years New-Carlisle will become one of our principal sea-ports, both in summer and winter, and then the Baie des Chaleurs liailway will be, beyond doubt, one of the most important lines in the province. It is but a question of time. CHAPTEE XII CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS ADMINISTRATION — CHURCHES SCHOOLS For the purposes of civil administration, Gas- pesia is divided in judicial districts, county and local municipalities. If 156 GASPESIA Each of the counties of Bona venture and Gasp^ constitutes a judicial district separate from that part of the region comprised within the limits of the county of Rimouski. The county seai of Gasp^ is at Perc^, where the court-house is situated and where all the ofi&cers of the court reside. The chef-lieu of the district of Bonaventure is at New- Carlisle. It must be said to the praise of the the Gaspesians that they do not give much occu- pation to the officers of justice either civil or criminal, for all the law business done in Gasp^ and Bonaventure barely suffices to provide a modest living foi five or six lawyers. The affairs of the county municipality are ma- naged by the county council, composed of the mayors of all the local municipalities. The presi- dent of the council is the warden of the county. The council sits but seldom and considers only matters which are of general interest to the county. There is a council for each of the coun- ties of Bonaventure and Gaspv?. and the remainder of Gaspesia is under the administrative control of the countv council of Kimouski. The affairs of a local municipality, that is to say, the municipality of a township or parish, are GASPESIA 157 managed by seven councillors, the president being called the mayor, elected by the rate-payers of the parish or township. This council attends to the roads as well as to all matters of police and local administration. In 1880 there were twelve local municipalities in the county of Bonaventurc and sixteen in that of Gaspe. The management of the schools is under the control of the school commissioners and trustees who collect the school taxes and attend to every thing which concerns the schools. These commis- sioners and trustees are elected by the rate-payers who have thereby an indirect control over the moneys which they pay for educational purposes. In Gaspesia as in all other parts of the province of Quebec, primary education is obligatory in this sense that all citizens are obliged to contribute to the support of the schools by means of a small tax levied on their properties and yielding an amount equal to the school grant given by the government to each municipality. Every father of a family is further bound to pay a monthly contribution varying from twenty five to forty cents for each child between seven and fourteen years of age, whether he attend? school or not. 158 GASPESIA The public funds voted for education are dis- tributed in proportion to the population and to the number of children attending eacli primary school or other educational institution. A sum of eight thousand dollars is set apart every year lor the supj)ort of schools in poor municipalities, so that persons who can command but the necessaries of life are not troubled for their school contri- butions. Tn places where the religion of the population is diff^'rent, the religious majority governs. If the niinorit}^ be not satisfied wiih the management of the schools, in so far as it is specially concerned, all it has io do is to select three trustees to govern its schools and inform the chairman of the com- missioners that it dissents. From that moment the schools of the minority are called dissentient schools anil the trustees are vested with the same powers with regard to them as the commissioners have with regard to th'?:c v^f the majority. Never- theless the commissioners continue to levy the contributions from the whole municipality, but have to pay over to the trustees the amount collected from the dissentient rate-payers as well as a portion of the public grant proportionate to their number I are dis- and to primary L sum of year ivjr lities, so pessaries [ contri- )pulatiou !. If the ement of )ncerned, govern the com- nent the ssentient he same issioners Never- evy the but have collected ell as a to their GASPESIA 159 Thanks to these safeguards the minority, whether it be Catholic or Protestant, need never fear any oppression or that the most perfect harmony should cease to exist between the various creedd. The receipts of the school commissioners are derived from three sources : the taxes, the monthly contributions and the government grant. The taxes are levied upon real estate ; the monthly contribution is a tax paid by each child able to attend school. These taxes are almost insignifi- cant as may be seen by the following figures showing the amount of school receipts derived from 3ach source of revenue : Bonaventure GaspS Taxc $10,595 80 $10,420 f 7 Monthly contributions 2,*63 39 547 55 Government grant 3,823 29 1,918 29 $16,887 48 $12,886 51 These two amounts added together make $29,773.99, but only $24,032.41 was paid by the rate-payers : $13,064.19 by those of Bonaventure and $10,968.22 by those of Gasp^. These various sums were expended in supporting 139 schools, 105 Catholic and 34 Trotestant, attended by €00 children. All these figures are taken from 160 GASPESIA the Report of the Superintendent of Education for the year 1881-82. It is impossible to give details for that part -)f Gaspesia comprised within Ei- moUfeki, as the report gives only the totals for the whole county. In any case, the foregoing details show that there is no hick of means of acquiring primary edu- cation in Gaspesia, for there is one school to every 43 puj ils and education does not cost the inhabitants very much, as they pny only 52 cents per head in Gas])6 and 69 cents per head in the county of Bona venture, where the schools are very well kept, thanks to the zeal of the inhabitants for every thing connected with the education of theii children. With regard to religious matters, the Catho- lic ])aribh priests receive as tithes the twenty sixth part of the cereals and potatoes in certain localities. Gaspesia forms part of the diocese of Eimouski, the see of Bishop Langevin whose cathedral town is Iliniouski. The Catholic clergy of Gasp^ comprises about one hundred priests. The Protestant ministers are supported by contri- butions from the members of their congregations and by grants from certain associations formed GASPESIA 161 in the large cities for the purpose of assisting congregations which are too poor or not sufficiently numerous to support a minister by themselves. All this goes to show that both with Catholics and with Protestants the expense incurred for reli- gious purposes amounts to comparatively little. The census of 1881 gives the following division of the people of Gaspesia with respect to their religious belief : Bonaventtire Catholics 13,877 Church of England. . . 2,173 Methodists 132 Preebj teriana 2,678 Various denominaiions 56 18,908 Gaspti Rimouski Gaspesia 17,755 l«,7a5 48 3oV 2,536 15 4,724 319 147 598 43 365 3,078 32 15 103 20,685 17,267 56,860 The Catholics therefore form 85 [)ev cent, of the total population. All the above data show that ,a.s i. gards civil and religious administration, Gas} esia enjoys a complete organization which leaves iioihing to be desired. The European who settles in that region, so highly favored by nature, is sure to find every thing he requires to cause his righto to be respected, to practice his religion and educate his children. 162 GASPESIA CHAPTEE XIII LAND FIT FOR SETTLEMENT— MODE OF PURCHASE FRJ GH .T^ We have seen that Gaspesia 's a territory of 10,783.73 miles or 6,900,941 acres in area. Out of all this there were in 1881, according to the census, only 666,115 acres occupied and 174,306 acres under cultivation ; this would leave 6,234,- 826 acres still unoccupied and 6,260,685 acres for cultivation. There remains, therefore, sufficient room for a population of 100,000 more, even after deducting all the land which is not suitable. The price of government lands varies from twenty to thirty cents per acre. The conditions oj sale are the same for the immigrants as for the Cana(i'/(t7i settler and the formalities to be accomplished are very simple. Every person who wishes to purchase a lot of land must apply in person or in writing to the Crown Lands agent of the locality in which he wishes to settle and deposit in his hands one GASPESIA 163 fifth of th price of the lot. Thereupon the agent delivers li ja a conditioaal deed of sah under his official si:.aat^^^e. Th3 principal condi ions of the sale are the following : To pay on account one fifth of the price and the remainder in four equal and annual instalments ; to take possession of the land within six months from the date of sale and from that time continue to reside on and occupy the same, either by himself or through others for at least two years ; within four years clear and have under crop at least ten acres for every one hundred acres and erect thereon a habitable house of the dimen- sions of at least sixteen by twenty feet. The sale is considered complete only when all the above conditions havv. been fulfilled and it is then ratified by moans of Letters Patent which are delivered to the settler without cost. These Letters Patent cannot in any case be issued before the expiration of two years of occupation, nor before all the above conditions are fulfilled, even if the price of the land be paid in full. It is the duty of the agents to give information to the settlers as to the different kinds of land within their agencies and to sell the lot?, at the 164 GASPESIA price fixed by government, to the first applicantfi for them. Not more than two hundred acrevS can be sold to the same person, but a father of a fiimily can buy lots for his sons. The government free grant lands are situated along the four great highways which afford a good means of communication for the settlers. These roads are : 1. The road from Matane to Cap Chatte^ which runs along the south shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and crosses the townships of Saint Denis, Cherbourg, Dalibaire, Eoniieu,in the county of Eimouski, and tlio township of Cap Chatte, in tlie county of Gaspe. Along this road there are 2,089 acres uf free grant lands. The agent in , charge is Mr. George Sylvain, of Eimouski. 2. The Maritime Road, which is the continua- tion of the preceding one and goes as far as Fox Eiver. This road crosses the Seigniory of Saint- Anne-des-Monts, the townships of Tourelle, Chris- tie, Duchesnay, the seigniory of Mont-Louis, the township of Taschereau, the seigniory of La Ma- deleine, the township of Denoue, the seigniory of GASPESLV 165 Grande- Valleo Jes Monts, the township of Clori- doriue, the seigniory of rAnse-(h>rJ^tiing, the township of Fox Kiver, all in tlie county of Gaspe. Along this road there are 1(S,750 acres of free grant lands. The ag.;nts to whom ai)plica- tion must bj nude are Mr. W. H. Anuett, at Gaspe Basin, and Mi'. Loais it oy, at Cap Chatte. 3° Th ^ Kempt RxiiL wliicli .starts from the Ristigouche Uiver, crosses the townsliips of Itisti- gouche, Assernetquagan, Casnpseul, Le]'age, thf^ seigniory of Metapedia, and tlie townslii[) of Cabot and ends at tlu^ Saint fyiwrence at Metis. Along this road there are 17,719 acres of free grant lands. The agents to whom application must be made are Mr. George Sylvain, at Kimouski, and Mr. Wm. Maguire, at New-Carlisle. 4° The Meto>pedla Road^ which starts from Sainte-Flavie, on the Saint-Law^rence, crosses the township ef Cabot, the seigniory of Lake Meta- pedia, the townships of Lepage, Casupscul, Asse- rnetquagan and Ristigouche and ends at the con- fluence of die Rivers Metapedia and Ristigouche. Along this road there are 12,80G acres of free grant lands. In order to obtain them application must be made to Mr. George Sylvain, agent at 166 GASPESIA Eimouski, and Mr. Wm. Maguire, agent at New- Carlisle. The number of acres to be given as free grants is at present 51,762 and the lieutenant governor in council can increase it if necessary. The Crown Lands agent for the district is obliged, as long as any free grant lands remain at his disposal, to grant a permit of occupation for one hundred acres to every one who applies for it, provided he be of the required age, that is eighteen years. Within one month from the date of such permit, the grantee is obliged to take possession under penalty of forfeiting his right. At the expiration of the fourth year of his being in possession, if he has erected a habitable dwelling on his lot and has twelve acres of land under cultivation, he is entitled to Letters Patent without cost and becomes full owner. The land offered for sale and already surveyed at the expense of the government forms an area of 1,066,453 acres, that is 373,587 acres in the county of Eimouski, 248,132 acres in the county of Gasp^ and 444,734 acres in the county of Bonaventure. These figures are taken in the Guide du Colon, edition of 1880, pubhsbed by the Crown Lands Department. (( rich it New- le grants governor le Crown 3 long as iposal, to red acres lie be of Within oait, the : penalty >n of the if he has and has Id, he is ost and lurveyed n area of in the e county >unty of lo Guide le Crown GASPESIA 167 These lands in Oaspesia, chiefly in the region adjoining tho Baie d es Chaleurs, offer very great advantages to tlie Canadian settler and to tlie European immigrant. This fact is establibhed by M. Alexander J. lUissell one of the most compe- tent and best informed of authoiities. He says : " The County of Bon.iventure, ou the Baie des Chaleurs, and the Itestigouche country lying chilly in tiio Province of New Brunswick, from their superior soil and climate, but especially on account of their admirable position for communi- cation with Europe, are as advantageous for set- tlement as the Eastern Townships, and nearly equal to the better parts of the Ottawa Country. " The soil of the County of Bona venture is a rich warm loam, free from stones, even on the table lands on the mountains ; and is unaiable only where too steep to be ploughed. It yields heavy crops of spring wh«. it and of oats (1) and bar- ley, much superior in quantity to the acre, and in quality, to those raised in counties on the St. Lawrence. (1) The average weight of is 43 pounds per bushel, measured. 168 GASPESIA. m " The coast of Gasp^ is similar in soil. Its fisheries are very valuable. " I found the interior, through to the St. Law- rence, on the route afterwards adopted by Major Eobinson as a line for the Intercolonial Railroad, to be generally an arable fertile country, judging from having had a hundred miles of it dug over in road making. ** This is the most healthful and romantic land within the compass of the Dominion. It has a winter temperature ten to fifteen degrees warmer than that of Quebec ; and in summer its rich val- leys and high swelling hills are fanned by the fresh breezes of the sea. *' Its rivers are uninterruptedly iitivigable by large scows drawn by horses from their mouths nearly to their sources ; and freight from its ports to Europe costs about a dollar a ton less even than from Quebec ; and every enterprise of sea and land is open to the settler on its shores." The deeds of sale of these lands contain the follov/ing conditions : 1. The purchaser to take possession of the land within six months from the date of the sale and from that time continue to reside on or GASPESIA 169 occupy the same either by himself or through others for at least two years ; 2° within four years at the furthest clear and have under crop at least ten acres for every one hundred acres and erect thereon a habitable dwelling of at least sixteen by twenty feet ; 3° no timber to be cut before the issuing of the Patent, except for clearing of the land, fuel, buildings and fences, all timber cut contrary to those conditions will be dealt with as timber cut without permission on public lands ; 4° no transfer of the purchaser's right will be recognized in cases where there is default in com- plying with any of the conditi ns of sale ; 5° in no case will the patent issue before the expiration of two years of occupation or the fulfilment of the whole of the conditions, even though the land be paid in full ; 6° the purchaser to pay for any real improvements existing on the land belonging to any other party; 7° the sale is made subject to current licences to cut timber. These conditions are very liberal and when settlers are in good faitii and industrious, the government gives them every possible facility to enable them to fulfill them and is net very exactinor as to punctuality in the payment of the instalments side on or i! r 170 GA^VE^IA of llio purcliJiso in()iu\y. It in thoroloro very easy \o settle^ oil ji Ijirgo ostiiti; in Oas[u}siji. Thus, for instaiu'o, a fatluM' of a family wlio lias two ijrowu ii|) sons Clin {',\\iv a lot of six Innidrod ai'ivs, two luunlriMl for hinis(»lf and as nnicli for i^ac^li of his s(»ns, for $180 or $2{)(), tbo linul WiWif s<.l(l nearly (^vorywhero at from L!() to .')0 (UMits per aci(». in ])la(U\s \\h(>rt^ tliero ar«» freo ufrant Innds, ho can L^et the ]>r(^|H^rty for nothing;. And lh(\s(» laiuls avv. fertile and very (wsv and ])rolital)le tixniltivate. The eonnties of (laspe and lionav(»nture (< >> dj shonld ilv b says Coninu now the weahhiest ones in tho country, liad both the rich merchant and the ])oor fishermen unders- tood formerly, as well as they do now, how important not only to themselves but to the whole country, wavS the cultivation of land where the soil was so fertile and so easy of culture from the facilities of procuring manure. The population of this part of the country where a large family can subsist 071 the produce of ten acres whilst one hundred would be requisite near the cities, are mainly poor in consequence of their dislike to farming. Experience wuU show them that by means of agriculture, they can become rich and iudepeudant." OAyrEsiA. 171 ovy oasy rhiiH, for ,'vos, two ich of luH lO ran i^ol liinils avo lliviito. ivontwve,'* vtainly bt^ , had botli ;u uiulers- low, how he whole re the soil from the Illation of imilycan \vhilst one cities, are dislike to . that by rich and III his report for 187G, lie adds : " This re|;ion with a coast line of two hundred and twenty four miles, offers throuf^liout the greatest ])()ssihle adviinla<^n!S to lishininen. Tho soil wliieli is ecpial to the best that (;aii be found in our eounlry, possesses a( Ivant; iLM'-s wliieb cannot l»e found elsewhero .'Uid the settler can lind an abundanc", of food in the soil as w<'.ll as in the dli fe if h ^ly sea and become. w(;anhy in a i<»roceeds methodi- cally iiihl divi(h's his time properly between farm- ing and fishing, so as to practise the latt(;r only vvlien agricultun; and taiin labour do not call for his \\uw mill work, h(3 can make; a good (huil of moiH^y in a, very short tiriKi. A. great many fishernKui M'ho negl(u;t tlieir fi(dds do not obtain from lluMn what they nu^uire for their livelihoout if they paid more attention to their fanning, they would live in com- fort and what they would earn by fishing, when there is no farm work to be done, would be so much profit which they could put by year by year and 172 GASPESIA thus accumulate quite a little fortune. A hard^ working and intelligent farmer can make yearly from $250 to $350 by fishing in the summer and autumn without neglecting his farming in the slightest degree. No other place offers as many advantages to the Canadian settler and to the immigrant from Europe. There is in Europe a class of persons who would get on very well in Gaspesia; they are the people who inhabit the coasts of Ireland and Brittany and who live by farming and fishing, both of which they thoroughly understand. Still they only cultivate land which is more or less sterile and of limited extent while their fisheries are nothing compared to those of Gaspesia. The skill and labour which rarely supports them where they now are, would enable them out here to live in abundance and acquire in a short time a res- pectable patrimony. It is always sad to have to leave one's country ; the recollections of one's fore- father s, frniily traditions are so many ties which it is paiiii:V 1 to have to sever; but if they only lockloiiie Intutv and i.flect upon the benefits they ciuii piocu/o for their children by abandonning theii iniuspi-al'le s^oasts and settling in the region GASPESIA 1V3 yearly Qer and in the tages to nt from ' persons ia; they [ Ireland i fishing, d. Still or less fisheries ia. The TO. where re to live ne a res- have to ne's fore- es which ^ey only benefits ndonning ,he region of Gaspesia so rich in natural resources, these hardy people will soon make their choice and reconcile themselves to the sacrifice. They will be received with open arms like brothers by our inhabitants of Gaspesia, whose .mildness and peacefulness, honesty and generous hospitality arc almost proverbial. They are as good to strangers as to their own people and an honest man is always heartily and cordially welcomed by them, whatever may be his language, his na- tionah^y or his religion. CHAPTEE XIV HOW AND WHEN TO GO TO GASPESIA From Nova-Scotia, iSTew-Bruns wick and the western part of the province; of Quebec, it is very easy to reacii Gaspesia, especially during the season of navigation. As w^ have already seen, several lines of stearnjrs run there. Froui Quebec there are the steamers of the Quebec steamship company which run every fortnight froui Montreal and Quebec to Metis, Gaspd, Perce and other ports on the Baie des Chaleurs. The Beavzr^ which belongs to Mr, Alexander 174 GASPESIA' Fraser, also runs between Quebec and ail the poits of Gaspesia especially those of the Bale des Cha- leurs, whence it goes to Paspebiac. The fare by these two lines is very low. One can also go almost at any time from Quebec to ny port of Gaspesia by schooner for a trifl''. The Intercolonial raihvay which runs from Quebec to Halifax and Saint- John, the two great sea-ports of Nova-Scotia and New-Brunsw^ick, crosses the western part of Gaspesia, which can- be easily reached by it at any time of the year. It is a first class railway in every respect and its management, by the Canadian government, leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. At Campbellton (it is now at Dalhousie) this road connects with a line of steamers subsidized by the govern- ment and which runs to all the places on the Bale dee Chaleurs and as far as Gaspe. By this route one can reach any of those localities in a short time and at small expense. For places in the northern part of Gaspesia, it is necessary to leave the railway at Kimouski or Metis and drive to one's destination. The voyage from Europe to Gaspesia is of the easiest. Several lines of steamer ply bet- GASPESIA 175 1 the poits i des Cha- [le fare by in also go ny port of 'uns from } two great Brunswick, lich can- be e year. It 3ct and its ent, leaves anipbellton I connects ,he govern- on the Baie this route in a short ices in the Lry to leave d drive to pesia is of r ply bet- ween the poHs of Great Britain and those of Que- bec and Halifax. Tlie best lines are the Allan and Dominion, which have agencies in Paris, as well as in all the principal cities of England, Ire- land, Scotland. The steamships of t\iQ Allan line start from Liverpool and Glasgow, generally stopp- ing at Londonderry, and proceed direct to Quebec in summer and to Halifax in winter. From these tv/o ports immigrants can reacli Gas[)esia by the routes we have just mentioned. The Domi < t^nj steamships also run between Liverpool and Quebec in summer, so that during that season they offer the same advantages as tlie Allan line for immi- grants who wish to settle in Gaspesia. The pas- sage from English ports to Quebec or Halifax only lasts about ten days at the most and on both these lines deck passengers, like the others, re- ceive every cr^e and attention. On the arrival of the steamships at Quebec and Halifax, the pas- sengers baggage is taken from the wharf ,to the nearest railway station at the cost of the companies and without any expt^nse t'» the passengers. By law the latter are allowed to remain on board for fortv eight hours after the arrival of the vessel in the port, unless it has a contract for transporting the mails or has to continue its voyage in order 176 GASPESIA ro reach its destination. The captain is obliged to land the immigrants and their baggage at a suitable landing-place in the city between sunrise and sun-set and free of charge. The immigrant should reach Giispesia at the commencement of Spring. It is then that the fishing begins and if he has no other means of subsistence, he can hire a boat and the necessary nets and gear fro i the large houses which carry on the fish trade. They will also advance him, on tlic anticipated proceeds of liis fishing, what he may icq lire for the subsistence of himself and family. While fishing he can, if he be active and industrious, select a lot of land and make a clear- ing which he \mM sow in the following spring. This will be of assistance to him and enable him to bnild a small house which will complete his establishment. And living is so easy and so cheap in Gaspesia. An acre of land in which vegetables and potatoes are sown will meet thj w.ints of a large family and the sea is always there with its splendid fi^h of ail kinds to supply its contingent of food for a family. Vegetables, potatoes and excellent fish in abundance form quite an exten- sive item and the immigrant can procure them all with but little labour. Duiing winter he can obliged go at a sunrise I at the that the leans of ecessary ;h carry him, on what he self and iive and a clear- spring. ,ble him lete his so cheap cf 'tables nts of a with its ntingent toes and 1 exten- them all he can GASPESIA 177 make a boat, nets, &c., for himself and twelve or fifteen months after he will be almost as well off and as well settled down as many of the people who were born in the country or have lived there for a long while. In any case he is sure to find in the fisheries enough to support his family com- fortably, as soon as he arrives. CONCLUSION' All the information given in these notes has been collected with the greatest care and things are represented exactly as they are. The data above given clearly show that Gaspesia offers to the immigrant: undeniable advantages and the prospect not only of being able to live comfortably as soon as he arrives, but of acquiring a respectable patrimony within a short time, of securing the future of his children and even of becoming wealthy. How could it be Otherwise when the country abounds in resources and riches of all kinds ' The soil is everywhere fertile and easy to cultivate and as Comnaandant Lavoie very pro- perly says, equal at least to the best land in the country. The forests have also their wealth and afford every opportunity of carrying on a large and profitable undertaking. The fisheries are 178 GASPESLV 4 I abundant, easily prosecuted, oi)en to all with their products which are sure of a market ; thoy afford a revenue as sure as that derived from agriculture and which for more than a century has supported the greater portion of the population and enabled the merchants who trade in fish to accumulate millions. In every respect, ro country can be found richer than Gaspesia, especially the region about the Baie des Chaleurs. Tlie roads are good, the means of transport easy and inexpensive, the climate healthy — there are not ten physicians in the whole of Gaspesia — mild and one of the best suited for agriculture ; the scenery is beau- tiful ; there are churches and schools, a civil and religious administration which leaves nothing to be desired; a psaceful, moral, honest and sym- pathising population, in a word every thing ne- cessary to make life pleasant and easy. Can any thing more be desired ? What country can offer greater advantages* to the European immigrant ! We have often read the works of travellers which tell of the hard life lead by a large portion of those who inhabit the coarts of Britanny, of Ire- land and of Scotland. We admire their energy and we cannot help thinking how those people would GASPESIA 179 ►vith their ley afford ^riculture jupported labled the i millions. be found ion about 200(1, the Lsive, the •sicians in le of the f is beau- civil and lothing to ,nd sym- thing ne- Can any can offer 1 migrant ! rs which )ortion of y, of Ire- nergv and pie would be liappy and successful in Gaspesia, where they could devute themselves with much more profit to tluir favorite occupations. ]f these notes s^liould come into their lumds, it may i>erha])S lead them to the same views and in- duce them to come to the fine country which we would like them to know. If s(>, our end would be atlainetl, fur it is for them tliat this little book is written. Let them come and they will be re- ceived like friends and brothers by our good people of Gaspesia. Happiness, comfort and pros- perit}' will be their portion and the future wldch they will prepare for their children will soon make them forget what they have left behind on the other side of the Ocean. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V O ^ A%^ /- u.. Ms ^fi 1.0 |50 ■■■ I u 25 1^ 1^ ■ 2.2 Ui 1.8 11.25 i 1.4 6" VL V] y] ^3 v: /A .v-^> > 'V* '^' '/ Photographic Sciences Coiporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. MS80 (716) 873-4503 INDEX tt Pages Chapter i, — Situation — Limits — Extent — General out line 5 Chaptf.r II, — Topography — Mountains — Rivers - Sea Shore — Principal centres of population— Watering places 15 Chapter hi.— Supeificial Gcoloiiy — Soils — Kxtent of the diflfcrent kinds of soil C() Chapter iv — CI imutology— Astronomical positi< u— Winds — Seasons — Avernge temperature - Length of farm- ing sea.-on Snow —Rain 4r> Chapter v. — Minerahgy — Mineral species — Deposits which may be worked 77 Chaptkr VI.— The Forests and Lumber trade Ul Chapter vii. — Fisheries — Statistics — Fish manure 10 i' Chapter vhi.— Agriculture UK Chapter ix. — Roads — Sea-ports and navigation 1:^0 Caapter X— Trade -Imports and Exports Tonnage of the various ports— Countries with which trade is carried on 1 o5 Chapter xl— The port of Paspebiac - The Bale des C ha- leurs Riiilway— lis importance with regard both to commerce and to colonization 14i Chapter XH. -Civil and relig.ous administration Chur- ches — Schools l.')5 Chapter xih.— Land fii for settlement Mode of purchase — Free grants 1 Tri ■Chapter xiv. — How and when to go to Gaspesip 17:) ? Pages ral out 5 8 - Sea 'ateiing , 15 lent of C(> -Winds jf farm- 4r> Deposits t 4 Ml re lOr 1 IH VM) iiinge of trade is Ior. «J*J des C ha- both to 144 1 Chur- ........ l">»> purchase , "'" l{« 1 ^ •> ! I