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Tous les autres exempluires originaux sont filmds en commenp ant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole ~-^- signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour §tre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gpuche, de gauche d droite, et dp haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'im&ges n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthnde. 32X 1 2 3 : ♦:" 5 6 p?5^lfci*3»^'.--' ■"'r<*.>fei' wbuhm A SKETCH OF a A S P E B I A ,— -??5<^^^C: OTTjfi.-V7-J^ 1885 v*$ii^v-'-',' fll/F • P ■"1 /^/a t^(\S t^mmmmmmsnm A SKETCH OF GASPESI A CHAPTER I. SITUATION—BOUNDARIES— EXTENT— GENERAI. OUTLINE. Under the name of Gaspesia is designated the great peninsula which forms the south-eastern ^ctremity of the Province of Quebec. This territory is situated between latitude 49o 15' at Point du G-ros-Male on the St-Law- rence and 47'^ 19' at the confluence of the Risti- 4 OASPESIA j;?ouche and Patapedia rivers, and between lon- "•itude 64" 22' at Cape Rosier and 68^ 6' at the mouth of the Great Metis river. The Gulf of St Lawrence forms its north- oastern boundary- To the south, it is bounded by the Bay des Chaleurs and the river Risti- jrouche, which divide it from New Brunswick, as far as the confluence of the Ristigouche and Pa- tapedia rivers Its western limit is formed by a line following the course of the Patapedia river to its source and thence extending to the head of the river Metis, whose course it follows to the river St Lawrence. The area embraced within these limits has a superficies of 10,*78B.^3 miles or of 6,900,941 square acres, and is apportioned as follows be- tween the threo counties comprised in Gaspesia : Miles. Acres. County of Fimouski 3,030.82 1,939,720 Bonaventure 3,291.69 2,106,681 « Gaspe 4,461.22 2,S54,540 Total 10,783.73 6.V00.941 The extent of this territory embraces but a coe^^- parativeiy small area, equal to not more thai a twentieth of the total superficies of the Provitice, but it constitutes a large region when contrasted with certain provinces of Confederation or some OASPESIA 5 of the most populous and civilized states of Europe, as will appear more clearly from the following table : Covn try Holland Belgium Denmark Switzerland Scotland Ireland , i\€\v Brunswick , Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island.. Gas2:>esia Svperjicies 12,791 , 11,500 14,616 15,990 30,685 31,874 27.174 , 20,907 2,133 10,783 Population. 3,674,000 5,100,000 1,784,000 2,670,000 3,^60,000 5,411,000 321,233 440,572 108,891 56,860 On the supposition that it was inhabited in the same proportion as Switzerland and Scotland, Gaspesia would be capable of supporting a population of over a million of souls. The reali- zation of this supposition is not an impossibility, as the surface of Grespesia is far less mountainous and the soil in general much more fertile than those of Switzerland and Scotland, without taking into account its fisheries which consti- tute an inexhaustible mine of wealth not enjoyed by Scotland and still much less by Switzerland. Moreover, those countries have no forests like Gaspesia capable of furnishing the lumber trade with enormous quantities of first quality tim- ber. * 6 GASPESIA The territory of Gaspesia is just as rich iiud as susceptible of development as that of Prince Edward Island ; it enjoys a better agricultural climate, and is of as easy access by navi<;(atibn and of easier by rail ; yet Prince Edward Isla,nd, whose area is not a fifth of that of Gaspesia, has a population of 108,891 souls, from which it is legitimate to conclude that the territory of Gas- pesia could support a population in proportion to its extent or one live times larger than Prince Edward Island, which would give it a popu- lation of 544,455 inhabitants or half a million in round numbers. This would allow fourteen acres to each person or about one hundred per family, a figure exceeding by thirty per cent the extent occupied by each family in the whole Province of Quebec, according to the census of 1871. Gaspesia actually has only 56,860 inhabitants, which clearly indicates that it is a region towards which immigration might be largely directed without danger of overcrowding the land. But unfortunately it has always been ignored by immigrants, who would nevertheless find in it uncjuestionable advantages not to be met with in other parts of the Province of Quebec. Besides the resources of agriculture, the settler in Gas- pesia has in fishing an assured means of sup- plying the wants of his family. The fact is that GAS PES I A actually the greater portion of the population live by tho fisheries and live in comfort, too This comfort might be considerably increased, if the inhabitants paid more attention and care to agriculture. Still, the people of Gaspe,, even in spite of this neglect, derive from farming all the produce required for home consumption. According to the census of 1871, the yield of wheat per acre was 8.3 bushels in Rimouski, 11.9 in Bonaventure, and 15 bushels in Gaspe, making an average of 11.7 bushels per acre for the three counties. This yield equals, nay exceeds, that of the most fertile and best culti- vated regions in other parts of the Province. According to the census of 1871, the following countie.s yielded as follows per acre sown to wheat: Maskinonge, 7.11 bushels, Napierville, 6 bushels. Bagot, 7.G9 bushels, Chambly, 6.73 bushels, Vercheres. 6.19 bushels, Richelieu. 7.46 bushels. Bionie, '•3.41 bushels, Compton 12.89 bushels. Gaspe thus surpassed and by a good deal the wheat production of all the other places, while Bonaventure and Rimouski show a yield 30 per cent in excess of that of the rich coun- ties of the Richelieu valley. These facts naturally suggest enquiry as to the reasons why the settlement of Gaspesia is not more advanced ? s ( tAHPESIA These reasons are the want of information with regard to the region and its isolation. In all the publictitions circulated broadcast with the view of attracting immigrants, the name of Gaspesia is scarcely mentioned. And then, as Gaspesia is wholly off the route followed by immigrants to reach the ports of Quebec and of the other great cities of Canada, it is not even, possible for them to have any idea of settling in that part of the country. The only tw^o ports of Gaspesia frequented by vessels from England are Gaspe and Paspebiac ; and the vessels which call there come to take aw^ay cargoes of fish and, with the exception of those of the Robin firm, invariably come in ballast, carrying neither freight nor passengers, not even immi- grants, for w^hom in any case they have not the necessary accommodation. In its population of 56,860 inhabitants, Gaspesia includes no more than 306t persons, who are not natives of the country, and of these 3067 persons, 102.'^ come from Prince Edw^ard Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, which leaves but 2042 inhabitants born abroad or less than at wenty seventh part of the total population The populatioii of Gaspesia has consequentW grown up almost exclusively from the excess of births over deaths, which, however, has not m lUSPESIA 9 prevented it from increasing rapidly and steadily, as indicated by the following table : RIMOUSKI Bates Population Increase Per cent 1852 3,866 1861 8.509 4,823 130.85 1871 12,958 4,449 52.28 1881 17,267 4,309 33.25 BONAVENTURE 1852 10,844 1861 13,092 1871 15,293 2,248 1:0.73 2,201 16.81 1881 18,908 3,615 23, 63 1852 1861 1871 1881 GASPjfi 8,702 11,426 2,724 31.33 15,f57 4,131 36.15 20,685 5,123 32.96 ALL GASPESIA 1852 23,412 1861 33,027 9,795 1871 43,808 10,781 1881 56,860 13,052 60.93 35.08 30.46 i» \im J.l.^rmsFmtf^^m 10 CIASPESIA As will bt seen, it is the county of Rimouski, which, for the ten years from 18Y1 to 1881, boasts the largest rate of increase, exceeding Gaspe by 0.29 and Bonaventure by 9.62 per cent. This was due in a great measure to the con- struction of the Intercolonial Railway, which made access easy to many tracts of land pre- viously inaccessible or too remote, and thus powerfully stimulated the work of settlement. Except the portion comprised in the county of Rimouski, that is to say, except the part of that county designated in the census of 1871 under the name of Rimouski East, there is, so to say, but one settled concession in Graspesia, that bordering on the sea. The settlements form a strip or band which completely surrounds the great plateau of the interior and it is only at Shoolbred, ilong the Nouvelie ;iver and in a few other spots that some lots have been opened up in the inland concessions and short roads constructed to lead to them. Colonization has consequently here a vast field to work, and if all the resources, the natural riches and the settlement facilities of this fine region were well known in the Province and appreciated at their correct value by the men in position to effica- ciously help the cause of colonization, if these riches, resources and facilities of access were properly brought to the knowledge of European immigrants, it is unquestionable that the cur- fUSPESIA II rent of immigration would flow towards that portion of the Province in preference to the others and that at the next census G-aspesia would show a population of at least 100,000 souls. Make Paspebiac a regular seaport by connecting that point with the Intercolonial by- means of a railway, and in ten years the Grasp^ region would be entirely transformed and become one of the wealthiest and most advanced not only of the Province, but of all Canada! CHAPTER II TOPOG RAPKY — MOUNT AI NS— RIVERS — COAST — PRINCIPAL CENTRES OF POPULATION — WATERING PLACES G-aspesia forms an immense plateau, whose principal slope inclines towards the Hay des Chaleurs. This plateau is divided into two dis- tinct parts by the Notre Dame Mountains, which are but the eastern extension of the Alleghany range. Starting from Gaspe the axis of this mountain ridge skirts th« southern shores ot the Gulf of St. Lawrence, at a distance of a dozen miles from the coast. At its highest point, it has a bieadth varying between two and six miles. Leaving G-aspe, these mountains trend 1& OASPEcBIA i3ilaTid in a north-easterly direction, then turn- ing westwards in the neighborhood of St. Aane-des-Monts and Cape Chatte, where they assume a south-easterly direction. The highest portions of the ridge are in the region where the Cape Chatte and Matane rivers take their lise and where peaks are to be found with an ultitude of 3,973 feet. These mountains, however, do not form an wnbroken chain, for the principal rivers emp- tjrhig into the Gulf of St. Lawrence have their i€!:a.ds beyond and to the southward of the line described by this series of isolated hills. In respect of continuity and altitude, this chain of mountains is of a varied character. Its principal ridge or axis lies at a distance Tarying between twelve and twenty five miles ^-om the St. Lawrence. Behind Metis, the sum- mits rarely rise to a height of more than 1600 It'et and this district constitutes rather an ele- TAted plateau, broken by a few lofty peaks, than a continuous mountain chain. Without being of superior quality, the soil for the greater part is susceptible of cultivation and improves in proceeding towards the St. Law- rence, where deep, fertile clay lands are to be irenerally met with, especially in the valley of ihe river Metis. To the north of this rano-e of high, mountains, there is another hilly strip. GASPESrA It but much lower, beyond which extends a fertile band with a considerable breadth occasionally- This band, as well as the low lauds borderimj on the St. Lawrence and at the mouths of th.« streams whose waters it receives, is very welt suited to cultivation and nearly everywhere covered with settlements. At the river St. Anne, the chain sepf^rates into two branches, one tread- ing" to the south and the other advancing towards the St. Lawrence. At Mount Louis, the chain inclines towards the east and its elevation diminishes in proceeding toward*; CapeGraspe where it ends, leaving for a dist.-«n?»» of twenty miles above Cape Hosier and between itself and the Oulf a broad strip of good land. To the south of this chain, there is a griiJdt inland valley whose surface is in several places broken by elevations or narrowed by the moitat- tainous lands which bound it on either side im the north and south. Its breadth varies betwefisi. ten and thirty miles and generally it presenU. all the characteristics of an elevated plateau. The soil of this great valley is poor and light in cer- tain spots and stony in others, but in general it is arable and fertile. There are even extensive tracts of excellent land, notably in the region of the headwaters of the river Matane and alo«g the Kempt road. On the side of the Bay des ChaleuTS and forai- •■yw".v4uwiiai 14 OASPESIA iug the southern limit of iho inland valley just described, there is another line of heights broken at several points by mountains of no great extent, but of a certain elevation. Towards the northern angle of the county of Bonaventure and not far from the banks of the river Bonaventure, three of these mountains attain the height respectively oi 1394, 1324 and Hoi feet. Conic Mountain, towards the sources of the Cascaped'a river, rises loa height of 1910 feet. The southern slope of this range of elevations sinks gradually towards the Bay des Chaleurs. It forms a band of good arable land, from twenty if> thirt)^ miles broad, presenting all the charac- teristics ol a somewhat elevated plateau towards its northern limit and intersected by deep and narrow valleys in which flow the waters of the great streams that have their sources in the inland Talley situated to the north of the hilly ridge just described. The strip bordering the Bay des Chaleurs is everyw^here composed of land of excellent quality. From Mackerel Point to the river Cascapedia, the shore line describes in advancing towards the sea a curve, w^hich consi- derably enlarges the breadth of this strip of good arable land. The soil is level and settlements could be formed with advantage for thirty miles from the coast. To the west of the river Casca- pedia, the surface is rougher and nearly all the points which project into the sea terminate CUSPESJA 15 inland in isolated mountains, some of which, however, rise to an altitude of 1800 feet as in the case of Tracadigash mountain in rear of Car- leton. Along the river Ristigouche, the mountains are not so high ; they almost line the river and offer to the eye the most picturesque scenery imaginable. Their flanks, sometimes precipitous, but in general gently sloping, are surrounded by valleys of considerable extent and the greatest fertility. The soil, even on the mountain tops, is everywhere rich, fertile, generally free from rocks and, clothed with fine hardwood forests. The valley of the river Nouvelle is the best portion of this region which, through moun- tainous, still boasts of a soil yielding in no respect in the matter of fertility to the richest sections of the valleys of the Richelieu or the Saint Lawrence. Viewed from the sea, the shores of Gaspesia present to the eye one unbroken series of splendid rural landscapes, in which pictures- queness disputes the palm with grandeur. On the Grulf side, the shore describes an almost regular curved line w^hose continuity is only broken by small sinuosities scarcely percep- tible at a slight distance. The only indentations, of any considerable extent are to be found at the mouths of the chief rivers, whose estuaries mmmmmm 16 GASPESIA form what is country as barachois. known in the language of the The entrances of these rivers generally furnish to schooners and light-draught vessels havens where they can come to anchor with more or less facility. At Matane, St. Anne, River Blanche, Mount Louis, G-riffon Cove and Fox River, there are havens of this class, which thus consti- tute so many small ports frequented by the schooners employed in the fishing or the coasting trade. At St. Anne, the village is built on a sandy peninsula formed by one of these barachois or natural break- waters, and the mouth of the river. The houses extend along the St. Lawrence on each side of this central point. A solid h vel beach of w^hite sand encircles the cove. Inland, at some distance from the St. Lawrence, the ground rises and the hills pile one over the other until they terminate in the Shick-shocks, some of whose summits, in the vicinity, attain a height of over 3,500 feet. Further on than St. Anne going down, the traveller encounters the Clmnnef/s^vocks so named on account of their shape and several graceful cascades of 50 to 60 feet in height, whose snowy whiteness strikingly contrasts with the sombre tints of the neighboring foliage. P" OASPESIA 11 Thirty six miles below St. Anne's is Mount Louis, noted for the abundance of its fisheries, the fertility of its lands and the advantages of its port for the small craft employed in the fishing business. Wheat ripens here quite as well aa in the environs of Quebec. The houses of the inhabitants are located on the banks of the river and sheltered against the winds by the spur of a high mountain. The bay formed by the mouth of the river Matane is bordered on the east by a beach of shingle which extends for about a mile and is but slightly raised above the level of the high tides. This little port offers good anchorage to craft drawing but little water. The bay of Great Fox river forms a half circle whose diameter measures, perhaps, a mile. The entrance lies between two headland©, which are being ceaselessly undermined by the waves ; around the basin, the land presents the appear- ance of an amphitheatre clothed with verdure and crowned with hardwood forest. This bay is safe enough ; vessels anchor on a good bottom and in shelter from all winds, except from the northward. Arouid Fox river, the soil is ex- cellent, producing good wheat, barley and oats, while potatoes succeed marvellously. About 15 miles further than Fox river, a piece of low ground extends from the base of the i 18 (USPESTA mountains and terminates at the sea in a x^oint whose height is scarcely more than 30 or 40 feet. This is the Cape des Rosiers or Cape Rosier. SeveiA miles from this cape the chain of mountains, which skirt the right bank of the St. Lawrence, end in the promontory of Fourillon. Fourillon is a narrow peninsula, which juts boldly for a league into the sea between Cape des Rosiers and Gaspe Bay. On the northern side, it pre- sents the aspect of a bare, precipitous rock rising to a height of tOO feet ; it is the remains of a moun- tain half of which has been swallowed up by the sea after it had been undermined by the ice and the water, while the other half continues standing as straight as a wall. To the south of Fourillon is the entrance of Gasp6 bay, a fine sheet of water eight miles broad and stretching for about six leagues between two high shores. The one, behind Fourillon, is moun- tainous ; the other is diversified by hills, valleys, woods and groups of buildings. The land on the northern side is generally steep. At some points, however, the mountains retreat from the shore, leaving at their base a more level space upon which have been built the settlements of Grand-G-reve, Cape-aux-Os and Penouille. The best port on the whole coast lies at the bottom of Graspe bay, being only separated from the latter by two points, with a channel between them navigable for the largest vessels. Before OASPEPIA 19 reaching the entrance of this i^ort, the month of the little river St. John is met with on the south- ern shore and near it on a hill stands the village of Doufflasstown. On the opposite shore is PenouilTe point, from which the whole port can be embraced at a glance, together with a largo portion of the basin, as well as the village. Into the port of Gaspe empty the Darmouth or north west river and the York or south west river. 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 interior harbor is able to accommodate a considerable fleet. The village of Gaspe, situated at the head of this bay, is a place which cannot fail to grow in importance on account of the handiness of its port which, without being very large, is acces- sible to large ships and offers a safe haven against the fury of the winds. Vessels unable to make headway against the storms of the Gulf take refuge in it and fishing craft repair to it to provision or to load with freights for foreign countries. The houses, scattered over a rising ground overlooking the port, present a charm- ing coup (Vccii There is not in Canada a more attractive or a healthier spot during the fine season. It is the most retired as well as the most picturesque watering place of the whole Lower St. Lawrence. The waters of the bay are always mmmmmmm 20 OASPESIA of that cool, bracing tomperature most desired for ^a-bathiiig, that sovereign panacea to recu- perate vigor and health when impaired by the sedentary or routine habits of city life. Besides the sea-bathing, there are the attractions of a surrounding scenery admirably calculated to charm the eye, of delightful promenades on foot along shores shadowed by forest trees, and of little excursions on a fine sheet of water per- fectly sheltered from the winds. There is also the sea breeze, which usually springs up towards the close of the forenoon during the hottest days in July and August and which adds by its freshness to the comfort of the toUrist or the sick visiting this enchanting spot. Graspe is the only Gulf port which fits out whaling schooners and this venturesome industry has been retained by tradition in the same families for generations. Those who devote themselves to it are descended from the hardy seafarers who established them- selves at Gaspe after the declaration of indepen- dence in the United States and turned their attention at once to this branch of the fisheries, which then yielded large profits Strictly speaking, the cod-fishery is not car- Tied on at Gaspe, but the great bulk of this fish taken on the north and south shores is conveyed there ready cured for exportation. This trade draws a goodly number of vessels to the place and furnishes employment to its poorer GASPESIA 21 I population and those of its environs. There is cer- tainly no lack of employment in the port any more than on the farms, \v'hich are better tilled here than elsewhere. 1^ The viilaffe of Perce, the chef-lieu of the county and judicial district of Gaspe, is built on the point of the promontory which bounds the bay of Malbaie on the west. It occupies one of the most picturesque sites in all Gaspesia and is famed for the singular rock in face of it. This rock appears to have been formerly connected with Mount Joli ; it is now only separated from it by a narrow channel, which is bare at low tide. The length of this rocky islet is four or five acres and its breadth scarcely more than from sixty to eighty feet. Throughout its entire circumference the rock is one unbroken cliff', whose average height is some 290 feet. Near the middle, the action of the sea and the ice has worn a hole in the form of a large arch through which boats can pass in full sail. It is from this arch that the place derives its name of Perce (pierced,) which is only an abbreviation of Roc'Perre, or the pierced rock. On its side towards Mount Joli, Cape Perce is perpendi- cular. In that direction, the plateau, narrowing, juts out several feet above the sea and termi- nates in a point. Perce has the greatest number of men and vessels employed in the fisheries. The port is 22 GAt^PEKIA excellent for small craft and the rocky bsaohes of the locality well adapted to fish curinj^. If Perc6 cannot boast of a safe port, it possesses natural beaulies which are met with nowhere else, and a fertile soil, well tilled and producinj^ icereals of all kinds in abundance Grand River is one of the wealthiest and most populous communities of Gaspesia. Its people, who number 2150, devote themselves especially to agriculture and there are fiirms thore which would do honor to the most advanced acri^^ul- tural districts. The settlements extend inland, where there are some excellent lauds, and are making notable progress. The village forms a sort of amphitheatre^ at the mouth of the river and presents a most agreeable aspect. The air of cleanliness and comfort which generally per- vades the place also lend to it a special claim. Cape Cove is a prett}^ large centre of trade. It counts several merchants, and business there is not without activity. Its port is frequented by a goodly number of schooners in the coasting trade and even by ships which call there for cargoes of fish for the European and .*;'outh American markets. Port Daniel, as its name indicates, is a little port of real importance. It is the resort of a good many coasting schooners and especially from Prince Edward Island, which come there GA^PESIA 23 for cargoes of the excellent limestone found at this point. Besides the fisheries, which are good, agriculture supplies the inhabitants of this parish with an abundance of produce, and Port Daniel can boast of some rich farmers. Paspehiac is one of the finest parishes on the Bay des Chaleurs. Its soil is fertile and tilled with care. The farm buildings are neat and sub- stantial and everything in the place breathes an air of comfort and prosperity. It is here that the princely house of Robin, whose fortune is counted away up in the millions, has its principal place of business ; the residence of its manager, who directs and controls all the other establishments, suificicntly points to the fact that his employers, ligure among the millionaires of the island of Jersey. A couple of miles from Paspebiac harbor are the splendid residence of the Hon. Theodore Robitaille, ex- lieutenant governor of the Province of Quebec, and a little further on the coquettish village of New Carlisle, which is the cltej'-lie?^ oi the county and district of Bonaventure. In Paspebiac, the ground slopes down gently to the shore and is everywhere almost of a uniform level. The farms are fertile and gene- rally well tilled, especially the Robin farm, which would do honor to parts of the province where agriculture is most forward. 24 GASPESIA The port of Paspebiac is already provided with a wharf at which vessels of a middling tonnage can touch with the greatest ease. On the eastern side, it is protected by a sort of natu- ral breakwater or coast defence which juts out for a certain distance into the sea. Thanks to the liberaiity of the ex-lieutenant governor,who gave the site, and the municipality of New Carlisle, w^hich subscribed $2,500, the Federal G-overn- ment began in 1881 the construction of a pier, w^hich will be 500 feet in length and give to vesf^els thirteen to fourteen feet at low water during the high tides. At this point, the neap tides rise 3.5 and the high tides 6.5 feet. Paspebiac is the terminus of the lirst link of the Bay des Chaleurs railway actually in course of construction. Once this road is in operation, this port will acquire consid -^rable importance, as it is open to ocean navigation as well in winter as in summer. The village of New Carlisle, built on a slight eminence and surrounded, so to say, by the sea, presents one of the prettiest and most agreeable sights to the eye. New Richmond, situated between the two Cas- capedia rivers, is a wealthy i^arish, very ad- vanced from the standpoint of agriculture and endowed at several points with sites of the most ravishing beauty. A considerable trade in lura- OASPESIA 26 ber is done here. Under the double head of situation and wealth, New Richmond is one of the foremost parish os of this whole region. Maria is situated at the foot of Cascapedia Bay, formed by the estuary of the river of that name. The lands of Maria are flat on the sea shore and the parish is, so to speak, encircled by heiq-hts which are in a measure a continuation of Mount Tracadigash. The soil is fertile and lobsters are taken in great quantities in ihe bay, as well as herring and several other fish. Farm- ing is the chief occupation of the population, who in general are in comfortable circui.'istances. Carleton is the most advanced and progressive parish of the Bay des Ohaleurs. The village is built on the shores oi Tracadigash bay, at the base of a mountain over 1800 feet high, and its site is one of the most picturesque imaginable. This locality is already very popular as a watering place and will be still more so when A hotel shall be eracted sufficiently spacious to accommodate all who desire to spend the summer thare. It is unquestionably one of the finest parishes of this region and does a trade of some importance, which must further develop with the opening of the railway. It possesses a tannery, a flour mill, a carding mill and several stores. In fine. Carleton has the only- convent in all Gaspesia and a whart which renders its access very easy. ■^p 26 (lASPESlA The western portion of Caiieton lies on the shores of Tracadigash bay, which is overlooked by the mountain of the same name The two sides of the bay are formed by the point of Tracadigash on the east and that of Mignasha (red earth) on the west. This bay measures ten miles in breadth and four or five in depth. It is, so to say, sur- rounded on the land side by the mountain, whose highest portions rise to an altitude of 1814 feet over the level of the sea. Between the church of Carleton and the Notivelle river, which empties into the north western-extremity of the bay, the flank of the mountain is nf^arly everywhere an abrupt cliff, leaving between itself and the shore a strip of land only a mile m breadth by half a mile in length. At the eastern extremity of the bay, the estuary of the little river Carleton forms a great bamchois, which is encircled by two long banks,of shingle. That on the west stretches out a couple of miles seaward, starting from the foot of the mountains, and is from 250 to 30U feet in breadth. This bank unquestion- ably commands one of, if not, the best points of view in the whole Bay des Chaleurs and forms one of the finest sites imaginable for a watering place. Protected on its northern side by the moitntain against the cold blasts which blow from that quarter, it is only exposed to the refreshing and healthful breezes which come from the sea and which constantly maintain an OASPE81A 27 equabU' t(?mperai ure. On the e^ide ol' the bay, the beach has very little declivity, is composed of fine shingle free from stonies and all other obstacles and offers one of the most propitious, most ag'n eable and least dangerous spots lor sr-a-bathing, without taking into account that fishing, even lobster fishing, abounds in the environs, and notably in the river Nouvelle, where sea trout running up to four and live pounds weight are caught. Agriculture is prac- tised Vv'ith a cfood deal of care and intelliaeuce at Carleton, and, along the road which runs around the bay, the s^ttlemc^nts everywhere have that air of ease, comfort and i)i*osperity which characterizes only another point, Grand River, in all this portion of Oaspesia. Between the Notivelle and Patapedia rivers, the mountains stretch down to the sea and the banks of the river liistigouche. The ground is everywhere very broken, but is composed of a soil of good quality, even on the hill tops, which are clothed with line forests. This region is one continuous series of ravishing landscapes and, in this respect, it fully equals the finest portions of fScotland and Switzerland. It is the resort of a considerable number of amateurs who come from England and the United States to enjoy the panorama presented by its splendid scenery and the delights of the abundant fish- ing and hunting in it? environs. At Metapedia 28 (4ASPESIA the Messrs. Vaiiderbilt and some other New- York milhonaires, who compose the Uistigou- che Club, have a superb summer residence to which they repair annually to enjoy these pleasures. The shores of the Bay des Chale^rs offer many spots which cannot be surpassed i.s water- ing i)laces. Th() mildness and coolness of the climate, the puiity of the air, the beauty of the scenery, all combine to make this region a veri- table paradise for thoi^e in need of repose or of health restoration. Here the weakest constitu- tions, the most delicate temperaments, have no reason to fear the chill of the north winds any more than sudden changes of temperature ; the inland plateau of G-aspesia eliminates from the G-ulf winds their coldness as well as their m,oisture and everywhere only a light, refresh- ing sea breeze adapted to the reinvigoration of the most damaged constitutions is experienced. The two best watering places are undoubtedly Carleton and New Carlisle. The beach could not be finer or better adapted to sea bathing, the surrounding scenery is enchanting in its beauty, in a w^ord everything seems to liave been purposely arranged to make these two spots the most attractive watering places in the Province. GaT'Cton; in particular, stands without a rival and leaves far in the shade Murray Bay, Cacouna, ' OA^SPEiSIA 29 and the other summer resorts of this class, which annually attract thousands of tourists even from the remotest parts of the United States. If this locality were better known, it would quickly become the Old Orchard Beach of the Province of Quebec. Until latter years, it was rather difficult of access, as tourists could only reach it by sea and by going around by G-aspe ; but these draw^backs have disappeared wuth the opening of the Intercolonial Railway, and to-day Oarleton can be reached from Que- bec in less than fifteen hours by rail, and but thirty five miles by boat, which are got over in less than two hours additional, makincr in all one of the finest trips possible. To become a fasnionable w^atering place, Carleton only needs a hotel, and capitalists as enterprising as they are far-seeing are about to supply this w^ant. AVhen this shall have been ddne, Carleton will certainly become one of the most popular and best patronized seaside resorts. 30 GASPESIA CHAPTER III SUPERFICIAL GEOLOGY — SOILS — EXTENT OF DIFFERENT FORMATIONS From the geological point of view, G-asperiia forms the eastern extremity of the mountainous country designated by Professor Hunt under the name of the Apalachian region and which is only a continuation or prolongation of the Eastern Townships. In point of fact, the formations in Gaspesia are absolutely identical in composition and configuration with those in the Eastern Townships. These formations belong to the geological series styled the '* Quebec group " by Sir William Logan, founder of the Geological Survey of Canada. They form three series of strata more or less altered, confused and appertaining to the Lower Silurian. These three series are 1^ a series of paleazoic strata more or less altered, at most points where they have been observed ; 2^ a series of eruptive, trachitic and granitic rocks ; 3" a series of superficial or quaternary deposits. The alterations which some of these paleazoic formations have undergone, the disturbances of which they show everywhere the traces, make it somewhat difficult to determine the precise GASPESIA 31 age to which they belong; but it is evident that they must be classed in the groups of the Lower and Upper Silurian, Devonian and sub- Carboniferous ages. A strip of country belonging to the Hudson River formation extends from Porpoise river to Ause a la Tierce, a distance exceeding (50 miles, on the shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and is composed of bands of sandstone, dolomite and bituminous shale. These formations, however, are of smaller extent and importance than those of the Quebec group, which overlay the limestone and sandstones of Gaspe, as well as the sub- carbonilerous formation of Bonaventure on the shores of the Bay des Chaleurs. The Quebec group occupies an intermediate position bet- ween the limestone and Chazy formations or represents the two together. It is divided into three formations, which are, in ascending order, that of Levis, that of Lauzon and that of Sillery. The Levis formation is in great part composed of schists or blacks shales containing many graptolites and ether fossils. The Lauzon form- ation is composed of red and green shales, sand- stones and dolomites, but especially of metamor- phic strata among which mostly figure talcose and magnesian rocks, serpentine schists, &c. The Sillery formation is chiefly made up of red and green shales, sandstones and dolomites, but & 32 GASPESIA includes in certain spots altered rocks, crystalline schists and epidotic and gneissoid strata. Such are the rocks forming the basis of the sur- face ofG-aspesia. As already seen, they are nearly everywhere overlaid by the limestones and sand- stones, as well as by the sub-carboniferous form- ation of Oaspe. °31TJ[ According to its position, the limestone for- mation ofGaspe corresponds to the lower series of the Heidelberj? formation. Althouq-h com- posed in great part of beds of gray limestone, it includes also beds of shale and black schists belonounsf to the Middle Silurian. The lower portion of this formation is met with in the Eastern Townships and the upper part, which includes the most limestone, finds its greatest development in G-aspesia. At the eastern extrem- ity of the peninsula, at Cape Barry, at Perce and other places, this limestone displays itself in the shape of abrupt clifis and points which have been worn away and hollowed out by the action of the sea waves. . The Gaspe sandstone formation, as indicated by its fossils, belongs to the Devonian age and corresponds to the Oriskany, Hamilton and ( iiemuuit" formations of the American sreolosyists. It is composed of sandstones, shales, and con- glomerates interstratified and showing in cer- tain j)lares many remains of plants in a fossil GASPESIA 83 state. At Little G-aspe Cove, there is a small vein of impure coal in these strata, and near Douglasstown and in several other places petro- leum springs ooze from the beds of this for- mation. The Bonaventure formation belonsrs to the €ub - carboniferous age, but contains no coal whatever. Its strata are chiefly composed oi con- glomerates associated with sandstones and red or greenish shales, sometimes holding the car- bonized remains of plants. In many spots, they are cut by trapdykes.They rest in uncomformable stratification on the beds of Graspe sandstone. This formation is found on the eastern coast of Gaspe and especially along the Bay des Cha- leurs, where Sir William Lojran estimated that it was not less than 3000 miles thick. Upon the Quebec and Siller y formations, which form the northern coast of Graspe, rest in uncom- formable stratification about seven hundred metres of limestone and fossiliferous shales, representing the Upper Silurian and succeeded by fifteen hundred metres of Devonian sand- stones interstratified with reddish shales. On the southern coast of G-aspe, the beds of this Devonian formation are buried under a thousand metres of horizontal beds of grindstone, which form the basis of the coal basin of New Brunswick, but contain no combustible min-^ral. The fossilifer- 34 (USPESIA ous limestones of Gaspe can be traced towards the south west as far as Lake Memphremagog. The Devonian formation, which is altogether silicious in the county of G-aspe, exhibits towards the south west limestone beds, which are found in the same valley as the Silurian. lime- stones already spoken of. The Bonaventure formation is but of slight extent. It forms a strip comprised between the Bay des Chaleurs and a line drawn from the confluence of the river Metapedia with the Ris- tigouche, to the head of Cascapedia Bay, then another line extending from the mouth of the little river Cascapedia to the estuary of the river at Port Daniel, and lastly between the shores of the Gulf and a third line starting from Douglass- town, deflecting slightly towards the westward near the middle of its length, and ending in the^ vicinity of the mouth of Grand River. The Quebec group forms a band varying in breadth from fifteeen to thirty miles and skirt- ing the shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence bet- ween the river Metis and Cape Gaspe. Its breadth increases in proceeding eastwards and is only encroached upon by a narrow strip belong- ing to the Hudson River formation between. Porpoise river and L'Anse a la Tierce and at its southern extremity by a small strip of the Chazy formation betwen the river St. Anne and the head of the river Magdalen. II It •m'frtim^m' mimiimmmi[t!imxv tm^mgimi^i^' GASPEHIA 85 The space embraced between these two strips bordermg-lthe shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and that of the Bay des Chaleiirs, is occupied or rather overlaid by the Gaspe limestones and sojidstones. The sandstones form a sort of lono- square extendnig in a t^traight line to the west ot that portion of the Bonaventure formation comprised between Doujrlasstown and Cape Rouge and then stretching as far as the river Bonaventure in the interior. A little more to the west half way between the Gulf and the Bay des Chaleurs, there is another sandstone area extending from north east to north west from the Great Cascapedia river to the river Metapedia. Finally, these sandstone series sur- round the mouth of the two Cascapedia rivers and form the connecting link between the two portions of the formation of Bonaventure. which border the Bay des Chaleurs on each side of New Richmond As far as ran be judged from the surveys thus far made, these different formations severally extend as follow : Foymations Miles Acres Gaspe limestones 4,000 2,56O,(Xi0 Gaspe fondstones 3,000 1,920,000 Quebec group 3,000 1,920.000 Bonaventure formation... 600 334,000 Hudson River formation. . 184 147,760 10,784 6,901,760 86 aASPESIA This table clearly shows that the greator por- tion of the soil of Gaspesia is of excellent quality, easy to cultivate and capable of yielding abun- dant crops of hay, as well as of all kinds of cereals. The limestone soils, which cover an area of 2,560,000 acres, belons: to the Upper and Middle Silurian formations, which are met with through- out the whole of northern New Brunswick, and it is on these formations that the richest high lands of the province are found. The fertile and cultivated lands of the Ristigouche valley and those which line both banks of the river St. John towards its source rest upon these rocks and are in great part made up from them. The soils of this formation are ordinarily heav- ier and stronger than those of the carboniferous region. The rocks of which they are composed are generally schists of more or less hardness, which, in breaking up, give birth to lands of considerable strength, as farmers say, and some- times very hard. Beds of good limestone, more or less rich in fossils, are also met wath. In the western portion of the State of New York, these formations constitute the richest and most prolific soils. The red sandstones, w^hich cover a large extent of Gaspesia, are also the origin of very fertile soils. The richest and best tilled lands in Scotland CUSPESIA 87 ^^■* rest on rv-'ddish rocks oT this chariicfer. in XeW Brunswick, the excellent lands of the Sussex Valley, of Sjickville and of the river j^hepody are found in tho vicinity of rocks of this kind. Moreover, the fertility of the soil of Gaspesia is attested by the cr9ps it yields, as shown on page (7) bv th<^ figures relating to the wh^^at pro- duction, "f he comparison redounds still more to its advantage when applied to the total yields of the other provinces of Confederation. Gasp^sia Bushels (iftpheai to the acre Gaspe 15.00 bushels | Eonaventure 11.70 " i 'K68 Rimouiki 8.30 " J Province of New Brunswick .85 " Nova Srotia 11.78 ^< Quebec 8.04 '• Ontario. 10.42 That is to say, that in Gaspesia the avemge ijield of ivheat exceeds b// 1.24 per acre the vield of the same cereal in the province of Ontario, whose soil is reputed to be the most favored. And it may be said, without any fear of making a mistake, that with as good and as careful cultivation as in Ontario, the yield of Gaspesia would be at least 25 per cent higher. It is therefore obvious, na^ intestable, that the soil of Crasp^'sia is ric)- , tt. tile and able to support in comfort and ease th^^ settlers who cultivate it with care. (tASPEjjIA CHAPTER lY CLIMATE — ASTRONOMICAL POSITION — WIND^i — SEASONS— AVEIIAOE TEMPERATURES — LENOTH ():•• THE A(rRICULTURAL • SEASON —;iii. From a climnlological point of view, the latter occupies a special position. The sea, which sun ounds it on three sides, regularizes its climate and lessens the tiuctutxtions ))etween cold and \\vu.{. The characl^'r,too,of the dillerent portions of this hea divides the peninsula of Gaspe ^ ■ -wo distinct regior.s iis regards climate, tha o the GASPESIA 39 north and that of the south. The northern region, exnosed as it is to the more or less chilly winds from the north and to the proximity of waters chilled by the Labrador current and the ice which enters the north-eastern part of the gulf by the straits of Belle-Isle, is a little colder than the one to the south. But this does not prevent it from enjoying as warm a temperature as the most thickly inhabited parts of Scotland and one sufficiently high to ripen all cereals, espe- cially wheat, which comes to perfection, the yield being abundant and of first quality, throughout the entire region bordering upon the southern shore of the gulf of St. Law^rence. The climate of the south eastern section is a little warmer and, as regards farming opera- tions, far superior to that of G-reat Britain and Ireland. Thus maize or Indian corn, which can- not be raised in England on account of the tempe- rature, succeeds perfectly in the county of Bona- venture, where hundreds of bushels of this cereal were harvested in 1881, as shown by the census. Protected on one side against the ?iorth winds by the Notre Dame and Shickshock mountains, exposed on the other to the genial influence of the warm breezes from the south, w^hich come laden with a portion of the heated air of the gulf- stream, and receiving almost vertical- ly the ardent rays of the midday sun, this southern region is blessed with one of the best ;«^K.VLN,.«JJiLWH 40 GASPESIA balanced, most advantageous and most agreeable of climates. It is only necessary to travel on the Bay des Chalenrs and to experience the softness and purity of the breezes of this little inland sea to appreciate the healthful and invigorating climate of this fine country, which has been termed with so much reason the Mediterranean of Canada. So salubrious and so ])ure is its cli- mate and sickness is so Httle known that the four or five doctors scattered among the 39,593 souls inhabiting the counties of Bonaventure and Gaspe find it difficult to live modestly by the i^ractise of their profession. On the shores of the Bay des Chaleurs the north east wind, so raw, damp and disagreeable in the St. Lawrence valley is not at all felt, as it is checked by the mountains and completely neutralized by the currents of warm air coming from the south west The east wind is usually accompanied by rain in summer and snow in winter. But, a remarkable circumstance, the rain and snow falls are never. of long duration and when they last more than a day, it is considered extraordinary, jiarticuiarly in summer. The south east has some points of ressemblance to the sirocco of the Mediterranean, which is also from the south east ; like the latter, too, it is warm, damp, light and rapid. When it blows in v> inter, it often produces thaws, especially during the approaches to the equinox. GASPESIA 41 The direct sonih wind, which might be deemed warmer than that from the south east, is nevertheless more tempered and during the season in which it prevails most frequently, it h regarded as an agreeable and almost refreshing breeze on account of the damp vapor from which it absorbs ihe moisture. The south west wind is more frequent in sum- mer than in winter. It is only about the summer solstice that it prevails more constantly than the other winds. It then becomes the principal origin of the storms which happen in the months of July and August. Often the south wind, which is in the habit of springing up about ten or eleven in the forenoon, gives way to that from the south west, which, in the afternoon, brings up the storm clouds : for two or three hours the lightning flaGhes and the thunder growls and then the elemental disturbance subsides before sunset ii showers sometirr^es more and some- times less copious. The autumnal equinox brings a change in the direction of the air currents and it is then that the east wind which for forty or fifty days claims the preponderance, without, however, reigning alone ; after this period the south west wind revives and shares the remainder of the season with the north east, which wakes up, and with the west wind whicli is the most JJJUHWIMMI 42 GASPESIA equal, serene, and agreer.ble of all the winds in this region. It is the south west wind which again about the twentieth of April thaws the ice and snow and th is is also the wind w^hich brings the rain at certain stages of the spring and fall. In fact, it is established that this wind is no other than the wind from the tropics, diverted and modified, but naturally warm, which explains why it invariably raises the tempe- rature. The north west wind is essentially cold, dry, elastic, impetuous and more frequent in winter than in summer. There is n good deal of analogy between it and the mistial of Provence. To speak of the north west wind on the Bay des Cha- leurs, as on other parts of the Atlantic coast, is simply to designate a cold, rough, blustering wind, but one at the same time healthy, elastic and bracing. There is this treacherous about it, however, in winter that, while a clear sky and brilliant sunshine delight the eye and invite the dweller indoors to breathe the fresh air, he no sooner steps outside than the icy keeness of the wind calls the tears unbidden to his eyes. Milder in summer, it is coveted to temper the violence of the heat and pretty often shows itself after a rain storm. The predominating winds in the Bay des GASPESIA 43 Chaleurs are the west, and its opposite, the east winds. The march ofthe seasons is regular. The influ- ence of the sun begins to make itself felt in a more or less steady manner during the latter part of February. It increases gradually during Ma ch and from this month out the mercury rist i almost ever}' day above the freezing point. Durins: this month the average temperature varies between 17° and 20°, the weather gene rally very fine, the sky clear, and the sunshine bright and warm. The thaw sets in regularly after the 20th and the snow disappears rapidly. In April, the solar heat is powerful enough to exert its influence over the whole face of nature. In some places, the last vestiges of snow vanish between the 20th and 25th and a few davs later, the soil is ready to be worked. The average temperature of the month ranges between 30° and 36*^. There are some snowy, but a larger number of rainy days. With the first week of May, the snow disappears completely from the tilled lands and from the first to the eighth the land is fit for sowing in high and well drained spots. The average temperature of this month ranges between 40^ and 50^ and the number of rainy days is small; it did not exceed eight in 1881. Vegetation sets in with extraordinary vigor and towards the end of the month, the green foliage, the spring flowers and the shoot- BHW 44 G^ASPESIA ing crops announce that the fine season has definitely set in and that vegetation is in full blast. In 1880, the average temperature of the three spring months was 48*^ 1' at Carleton and 48^ 2' at New Carlisle. To furnish a contrast between these figures and those of the average tempera- ture of a few well known placps in Europe, the following table is given : Places Spring Temperature London, England 47" 6' Liverpool " 46^2' Glasgow, Scotland 45° 9' Edinburgh *' 45-0' St-Petersburg, Russia 35" 9' Berlin, trussia 47" 4' Paris, France 50' 6' Isew Carlisle, Bay des Chaleurs 48** 2' Carleton '' ** 48° 1' This table, the figures of which are taken from Blodgett, for the cities of Europe, and from the Report of the Meteorological Bureau of Canada for 1880, for the Bay des Chaleurs, establishes beyond question that the latter's average spring temperature is higher, warmer than that of London, Liverpool, Grlasgow, Edinburgh, St. Petersburg and Berlin and that H is only 2*^4' below that of Paris. This fact needs no com- mentarv. GASPESIA 45 The variations or rather the extremes of tem- perature were as follows during these three months : Highest Temperature March April May New Carlisle. Zii" 5' 59» 5' 73" 5' Carletoo 39° 0' 58" 0' 77° 5' Father Point. 35" 0' 67" 8' 67" 2' The number of days on which snow and rain tQii and the amount of the snow and rainfalls were as follows : Lowest Temperature March April May —15" 0' 5" 0' 24" 0' 1" 5' 19' 0' 4" 9' 12" 0' —20" 0' —17" 5' s.vow March April May OS as -I . BlIS March April May 5<5 50 2 J^ * -§ 05 x^ew.Caslisle. 4 6.0 2 traces 1 0.48 8 2 To ^^^^^^^^ 6 9.0 4 1.5 G 1 G4 10 3 '9 FatherPoint.il 6.0 6 15.5 3 2.2 9 2.42 16 2 64 At Carleton, the last frost was felt on the 14th May ; but it was slight, as the thermometer only fell to 24". At New Carlisle ii occurred on the stii ol tne same month with the thermometer at 240 8'. The shimmer heats begin with the month of June. During the early days of this month, the temperature is sometimes lowered by the east winds, which come laden with the cold air from •sir 1 ^mmtrnmi-rmwrnaimm "J iii^iimkjumif^mmmmmmmmm 46 CtAspesia the polar current or the ice-bergs which at ^his time of year arrive on the banks of Newfound- land. But this has no other effect than to make the weather a little raw^ and to produce the lowest temperature of the month, which, in 1880, was 45« 8' on the 4th June. But afterwards, the heat goes on constantly and regularly increas- ing up to tO" towards the 15th and to 80'^ and even 82" towards the end of the month as the highest temperatures, with 58' to 60*^ as the average. The months of July and August, the most beautiful of the year, are characterized by the highest temperatures, whch run up to 90^ while the lowest, in the beginning of July, never go below 40«, w^hich happens very rarely. The ordinary figure ol the low^est temperatures ranges between 50'^ and 55". For these three months, the average temperature \vas as follows in 1880: June July August Summer New-Carli8le 60^8' 69^8' 65^5' 64' 7' Carleton 58-^^ 6' 65" 1' 60^ 6' 64" 7' Father Point 54^7' 57" 5' 56» ^ ' 54" 7' CapoRosier (1).... 51'^ 4' 58- 5' 56" 8' 55" 6' All Gaspesia.... r,&4^ 62 7' 59-9' 59*^4' (h The figures for Cape Rosier only apply to 1871-72. GASPESIA 47 In contrasting these temperatures with those of some of the most populous places in Europe, the following results are obtained : July London, England 62^ 4' Liverpool " ,. 58» 6» Glasgow, i-^cotland 612"' Edinburgh " 58" 7' St. Petersburg, Russia 62^ 7' Berlin, Prussia 65' 8' New Carlisle, 2ay des Chaleurs... C9' 8' Carleton. " •' ... 65M' That is to say, that while the summer tempe- rature of the Bay des Chaleurs is almost the same as that of Paris, it is from three to seven degrees higher than that of the principal cities of England, Scotland and Russia. As for the extremes of temperature, they are as follow : Highest Temperature Lowest Temperature June July August June July August New Carlisle.. 83" 5' 84^6' 90» 5'...35o 8' 40' 4' 35» 8' Carleton 86" 5' 87" 5' 90» 6'...35" 5' 44" 0' 39^0' Father Point.. 83'' 1' 74^7' 62' 7'... 37" 0' -i6' T 42M The daily variation between the highest and lowest temperatures is from tweiity to thirty degrees and only exceeds these figures excep- tionally. In the Bay des Chaleurs, especially, % 4B OASPESIA the regularity and uniformity of the fluctuations of the thermometer, during the summer, consti- tute the characteristic feature of the climate or rather of the delightful temperature of that season. The north easterly and northerly winds are not felt ; the north western, which sometimes succeed thunder storms, are rather dry than cold, so that in point of fact the thermometer is only subjected to the influence of the solar heat and rises and falls regularly with it. The other winds are breezes from the sea, of whose tempe- rature they partake ; and they exercise no sen- sible influence upon the thermometer ; they only agitate the air, render it a little less dry, and thus impart to the temperature a balminess and freshness which constitute its special charm. This is precisely what characterizes the climate and makes it so pleasant and healthy in summer. The rainfalls are neither frequent nor heavy during the summer months, as can be gathered from the following table : NUMBER OF RAINY DAYS AND QUANTITY OP BAIN June July August Summer days inc. days inc. days inc. day a inc. Ifew Carlisle... 4 0.15 13 3.04 7 1.58 24 4.77 GarJBton 6 1.96 12 2.82 9 2.64 27 7.41 Father Point... 7 1.21 12 2.20 8 1.15 37 4.56 Cape Rosier.... 14 5.71 13 3.17 7 2.06 34 11.54 (iaspesia. 7 1 2.25 12i 2.81 7^ 2.01 28 7.07 GASPESIA 49 The number of rainy days does not amount to 30 per cent of the 92 days included in the sum- mer months. And this number embraces all the days on which the slightest shower fell, did it only last a few minutes. During the same season, there were 53 rainy days at Montreal and 41 at Quebec, while there fell 9.62 inches of rain in the former of those cities and 11. 4o in the latter. As will be seen, the summer is less rainy in Graspesia, especially in the Bay des Chaleurs, than in the parts of the Province more to the westward. The autumn, particularly its earlier portion, is one of the finest seasons. The temperature falls gradually as the month of September advances, but the mercury never reaches the freezing point. The greatest range of the ther- mometer is between 35» and 40^ for the lowest temperatures towards the close of the month, and YO*' and 80*» for the highest in the earlier part. The weather is generally cool, calm, serene an in every w^ay of the most agreeable and pro- pitious character for field work. Harvesting., which begins between the 15th and 25th August, is concluded in this month. After the autumnal equinox, the winds from the soutk west and even from the north w^est commence to bring the rains which prepare the land fot fall ploughing. The coolness induced by these rains also prepares the way for the frosts, which 60 OASPESIA set in toM''ard mid-October. During this iriontt, the thormometer does- not fall below 24® and this only happ<»»8 rarely during the latter days of the month. Potatoes and other root -rops are dug during the fine days which characterize the first part of the month of October. In the Father Point and Cape Rosier regioi )ere are some- times light falls of snow betw. .;n the 20th and 25th October, but this snow immediately thaws oii, only lies a few hours on the ground, and hae no other effect than to prepare the earth for the plough Then comes a spell of fine weather, with one or two snow storms, until the 21st November, when winter begins. This spell or period of fine w^eather is known in Canada as St. Martin's or the Indian summer. All Euro- peans and especially those from England, who have passed this season in the Piy des Chaleurs, nnite in declaring that this pei of fine weather is the finest season imaginable. The autumn, says Captain Moorsom, is a season whose climate can compare with that of no matter what coun- try. In September and October, the temperature is the same as in England, but in November, the season, w^hich is then on its decline, like a dying lamp that flickers up from time to time, is marked by days whose charm has no parallel in English weather. This is what is termed the Indian summer. Its duration varies between a few scattered days in some years to as many (4A8PESIA ^l weeks ill Others. Durine such days, the atmos- phere is hllod with a smoky haze, as from fires in the woods beyond the circle of the visible hori- zon. Tm sun only sheds a softened or deadened light and its more equally refracted rays cast but a feeble shadow. The air is generally calm and as baJmy and warm as during the finest mornings of the early part of May. tor the throe autumn months, the averaj^e temperatures were : September October November Autumn New-Carlisle 58' 8' 46^ ]' 27' 7' 430 3' Carleton 54° 7' 42' 4' 20' 7' 39" 3' Fatner Point.... 49' 8' 41" 2' 20' 9' 39^ 3» Cape Rosier, 56^ 3' 39' 9' 27' 7' 39^ 3' Gaapesia.... 53" 4' 42" 4' 25' 8' 40" 5« Let US compare the^e autumn temperatures with those of the principal cities of Europe : ^^^^^^ Autumn Temperature London, England 590 7? Liverpool, " 49, p Glasgow, Scotland 430 qj Edinburgh " 470 9, St. Petersburg, Russia 40^ 3* Berlin, Prussia 400 2' Paris, France ^,.,.. .,,^ 52" 2' New-Carlisle, Bay des Chaleurs ,... 43' 2» Carleton, " « 39. 3? ■1^ m ^ MP II 52 OASPESIA Taking New Carlisle as the point of comparison, the autumn temperature of the Bay des Cha- leurs is only t® 5' lower than that of London, Q° thaii that of Liverpool, G-lasgow and Berlin and 40 T than that of Edinburgh, while it is 2^ 9' higher than that, of St. Petersburg, the capital of Kussia. The extreme temperatnves are indicated in the following table : Highest Temperature Sept. i^ew Carlisle.. 84" 5' Carleton 8l» 5' father Point.. 70° 2' Cap Rosier 64" 0' Oct. 63° 5* 61" 5' 62 » 3' 61° 0' Nov. 63° 5' 61° 0' 56' 7' 42" 0' Lowest Temperature Sept. Oct. Nov. 33° 1' 37° 0' 31° 3' 40" 0' 23" 3' _ 7° 5' 2.^ 0' — 1° 0' 26° 0' — 3° 2' 30" 0' —10 0' The number of rainy and snowy days and the volume of the rain and snowfalls give the following figures for this season : Sept. RAIN Oct. S5 00 «0 Co IS New Carlisle. 11 3.80 5 2.80 Carleton 12 5.80 13 4 77 Father Point, 20 4.52 16 4.77 Cape Hosier. 7 1.40 12 2.63 Montreal .. 17 2.83 17 4.44 Quebec... 19 4.72 19 6.35 Nov. Sept. s.vow Oct. Nov. '^ so 3 0.77 0.00 0.00 4 9.0 2 0.60 0.00 0.00 7 11.5 2 0.07 0.00 3 1.80 8 20.2 7 1.61 03 0.00 T 4J2 8 36.30 0.00 5 3,10 15^12.7 6 1.40 0.00 4 1.20 15 28.1 II WH" "— ■ GASPESIA ss This table clearly establishes that the autamn is much more rainy and snowy at Montreal and Quebec than in Gaspesia. Taking New Carlisle as the point of comparison for the latter, the following differences are found : Rainy days Raivfall Snowy days Snowfall Montreal 42 days 43.57 inches 20 days 30.80 inches New Carlisle. 19 <' 7.3G " 4 *' 9 00 Difference. 23 " 36.11 Quebec 20 " Ne%o Carlisle. 1 9 " Difference . 1 u 15.80 7.46 8.34 if <( 16 u 19 " 4 <' 15 " 11.80 29.21 9.30 20.11 That is to say, that during the three autumn months, there are 23 rainy days and 36.11 inches of rain, with 16 snowy days and 11.80 inches of snow, more at Montreal than at NewCarlisle. And we call this fact to the attention of those people, unfortunately too numerous, who are inclined to believe that on the head of climate the Bay des Chaleurs is not superior to the district of Montreal, well known to be the finest portion of the Province of Quebec. The thermometer fell below the freezing point, for the first lime, at the following dates : At Carleton, 29<^ 5' on 23 September, at New Carlisle, 31" 1' on October 2, Father Point 31<> •mfm 54 GASPESIA 3' on October 25 ; Quebec, 31*^ on October 14, and Montreal n"" 3' on October 20. The first frosts are consequently only lelt a few days sooner at New Carlisle than at Montreal and Quebec. Winter only sets in definitely towards th-j 20th November. This month, especially its latter half, is snowy and passably cold. There are nevertheless some very fine days in the first part, as already stated in speaking of the autumn. In general, however, the temperature of this mouth in the Bay des Chaleurs is much liner than in Scotland and England and less disagree- able than at Paris and Berlin, where the beauti- ful days of the Indian summer a:^e unknown. The first week of December is usually snowy, and the remainder of the month cold, but or- dinarily very fine, especially about Christmas time. The weather is clear and the air pure and dry, and this amply compensates for the cold, which is really not incommoding. It is even looked for with anxiety to begin work in the woods. In the commencement of January, there are ordinarily a few exceptionally cold days, folio v\'ed by a snow storm; but during the remainder of the month the temperature is not incommodious and shows no marked depart- ure from the usual variations of the thermome- ter at this season. The sky is always clear, th« sunshine brilliant, and the weather most agreea- GASPESIA 55 ble. The greatest colds are generally experienced during the first half of February, -/hich is also the most snowy month. The temperature begins to rise gradually in the latter half of the month, during which the mercury sometimes reo-isters as high as 40^ and even 45o. ° The average temperature? for the three winter months are : December. January. February. Winter. New-Carlisle 19'^ 8' 16' 2' 15 ■ 2' 1 6-^ 9^ Carleton 17" 2' 18-/' \i^ s^ js- 5? Father Point 16-2' 13' 9' 12' 0' 14" 2» Cape Rosier 12-^ 2' 12' 2' 15- 8' 13' 4' 13" 9' 13^ 9' 15° 0' Gaspesia 16^2' Compared with that of the principal cities of Europe, this winter temperature presents the following results : Loudon 39" 2' Liverpool 40^5' Glasgow 39" 6' Edinburgh 31" 4' Berlin 31" 4' Paris 370 g' St-Petersburg 18"!' New-Carlisle 16" 9' Carleton 15" 5» Father Point 14' 2' Cape Bosier 13' 4' These figures show a temperature consider- ably lower than that of the principal cities of Europe ; but it must be said that it does not exact- it h 56 DASPESU ly represent the case as regards Gaspesia, where one suffers less from cold than in England or France. In those countries, the thermometer does not fall as low as in the Province of Quebec, but the dampness renders the weather raw and unendur- able, while here the weather is clear, the air dry, and the cold one of the easiest things in the world under the circumstances to support. No matter how light or thin may be his clothing, the moment it does not let the wind through, a person can go out without suffering from the cold even when the thermometer stands at 10^ and 15*^ below zero. This fact is fully attested by numbers of English writers who, after having long lived in England, have travelled or resided in Canada. We shall quote from only a few : *' In winter — says Anderson (1) — the cold is intense, but, as the frost continues without interruption and as during this season, the sky is usually clear and the air pure and dr}^ it is thereby rendered healthful and agreeable, the cold being infinitely less penetrating than in damp climates In the whole course of the winter, there are not perhaps more than three or four days of cold intense enough to prevent ship carpenters and others working in the open air f»*om uninterruptedly continuingtheir labors. .(1) Anderson^ s Vieics of Canada. OASPESIA 61 This is one of the most couvincingf and irre- futable proofs that in Canada, as compared with Great Britain, one does not at all suffer from the cold in proportion to the degrees of frost registered by the thermometer. During the whole of this season, there is fare more clear w^eather in Canada than in England. All well considered, the climate of Canada, as compared with that of Gl-reat Bretain, is equally agreeable, equally favorable to agriculture, and much healthier. " " Although the temperature is lower — wrote Gray in 1809 — the cold is less felt in Canada, than in England. The air is extremely dry in winter. " (1) According to Lambert, the winter from Christmas to Lady Day is nearly always remark- able for the purity of the atmosphere, which is clear, of a light blue and rarely obscured by fog or clouds The dry, cold weather is seldom interrupted by falls of snow, sleet or rain. All this combines to make the winter so agreeable and so pleasant in Canada that the inhabitants are never under the necessity of having recourse to chansres of clothing. " I shall, perhaps, astonish those who have heard frightful stories related with regard to the winters of Canada, by affirming that (1) Gray^s Letters Jrom Canada, RMPI I 68 GASPE8IA the population of Groat Britain suffer more from cold than do the residents of Canada." (1) These extracts show how utterly erroneous it is to judge of the coldness of our winters by the rating of the thermometer and they estabish that, in point of fact, the cold is less felt here than in England and that the weather is iniini- tely more beautiful. This applies especially to the Bay des Chaleurs region, which, a? regards climate and temperature, is incontestably the finest portion of the Province of Q^aebec. The neighborhood of the sea exerts a great influence on the temperature by softening it and impart- ing to it an equability hardly met with else- where ; and then the Schickshock mountains, by fending off' the north and north east winds, also contribute largely to the amelioration of the winter climate of that beautiful country. In 1880, the extreme temperatures were as follow : Lowest Temperature Highest Temperature Dec. Jan. Feb. Dec. Jan. Feb. New Cailble.— 10' 5'~20' 5'— 18' 8' 36" 5' 43» 5'<. 44» 5' Carleton — 6" 0'— 11^ O'—IS' 0' 36' 0' 39' 6' 41» 0' Father Pc:nt.— 7" 2'— 15" 3'— 20' 5' 35' 0' 37' 5' 43» 1' Montreal — 8^ 6»~- 9" 5'— 17" 5' 40° 6' 43« 8' 51" 2' Quebec — lO"* 0'— 9" 0'— 22" 0* 34° 5' 40=- 0' 44" 0» (1) Lamherfs Travels in Canada. GASPESIA id In 1870, the thermometer fell in January to 28" at Montreal and 26" T at Quebec. In the following year, in February, it went down to 28^^ at Montreal and 28" 5' at Quebec, w^hich did not happen in the Bay des Chalcurs, w^here the winter temperature, as a general thing, is higher 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, December, 15" T ; January 22" 4', February^ 19" 9', winter 21" 15', at Qubec, December, 14" 1', January, IV" 4', February, 14" 8' ; winter, 16" 3'. These figures, compared with those of the second last table, establish what w^e have advanced. The number of snowy and rainy days, and the volume of the snow " andrain falls" were as follow : SNOW KAIN I Dec. -I I New Carlisle 6 3.00 Carleton 7 9.50 Father PointU 13.90 Cape Rosier, 3 14.39 Montreal . ..18 17.60 ■ Qmhcc 1.G 27.30 Jan. -2 3 9.00 12 32.00 17 25 50 6 21.40 11 16.30 .20 30.60 Feb. Dec. 03 •I 9 17.00 0.00 6 18.00 00 12 17.1« 0.00 7 63.00 1 light Jan. Feb* J5 O! tn ^ u^ '^ -^ ^ -% 2 light 1 0.32 0.00 2 0.20 1 lights 26 4 5.89 2 0.27 16 26.50 2 0.29 12 1.27 6 1.15 17 34.40 0.00 4 0.51 5 0.60 " ■'■* . 1^ • j i ra'JMJtW f fli'i iipimiji i j i 60 OASPESIA For the whole winter, we find the following litrnres : Snow Rain inches days inches 32.60 ■; 0.32 50.50 0.20 56.50 4 0.26 98.40 6 1.16 92.30 9 1.10 59.90 20 2.70 days New-Carlisle ,. 18 Carleton 25 Father Point 43 Cape Rosier 16 Quebec. 53 Montreal 45 These figures clearly prove that the winter is finer and less snowy and rainy in the Bay des Chaleurs than at Montreal and more particularly than at Quebec where the snowfall is almost as heavy and where there are many more snowy days than at Cape Rosier, the part of Gaspesia where the winter is severest. At Carleton and New Carlisle, the depth of snow, which covers .the ground, is usually three feet and rarely attains four in spots where it does not accu- mulate with the w^ind. It is therefore an estab- lished fact that less snow falls and that the weather in winter is finer in the southern part of G-aspesia than in the Montreal and Quebec districts. The agricultural season, that is to say, the interval exempt from frosts, is very much longer than is required to ripen all kinds of grain and GASPESIA 61 to harvest them with the greatest ease. This fact is established by the table below, the figures of which are extracted from the Report of (he Meteorological Bureau of Canada for the yea i 1881. Last Frost in First Frost in Interval Spring. Autumn. without Frost. New-Carlisle. 19 May 28 1' 2 October 31" 1' 135 days Carleton 14 '• 24' 0' 29 Septem. 29" 5' 138 " Father Point 19 " 30' 0' 25 October. 31" 3' 159 <• Quebec 15 " 32^0' 14 " 31" 0' 152 " Montreal ler " 22« 9' 20 *• 31' 3' 172 " That is to say, that at New Carlisle, where it is the shortest, the season free from frosts exceeds four months and a half. And these first frosts, as indicated by the table, are very slight and inca- pable of hurting even the tenderest grains and plants. The mercury barely touches the freezing point. The white frosts come much later on, so that practically the duration of the agricultural season exceeds five months and over. What more is needed ? The harvest begins about the 25th August and '^ven earlier in some places, so that there is more than a month and a half to complete it, before the serious frosts and rains of the fall set in , the first half of this period bemg always very fine. It should be also noted that the frosts in May interfere in no injurious way with sowing operations, which still further extends the length of the agricultural season and practically makes it over five months, 62 (4ASPE6IA Let US complete these data by the iollowing table showing the average temperature for each month of the year : New Carlisle Carle- ton Janunry 16' 2' ]3''4' February 15" 2' -U" H' March 17" 6' 14' 8' April 36^-0' 30' 5' May 47" 8' 41'' June 69" 8' 5S»=' July 69^8' August 65" 5' GO" 6' September 58° 8' 54' 7' October 46'!' 42" 4' Father Poiut . 13' 0- . 12' 5' . 13' G' . 30' 3' . 43' r . 54 Cape Rosut 12" 2' , 15' 8' . 15-6' 30' 3' 7' ' 57' .V ... 50' 6' ... 40' 1' ... 51' 4' ... 58" 5' ... 56° 8' i0°8' 5J-3' 41" 2' 39" 9' November December 19^3' 17" 2 27^7' 20'' 7' 2G'9' 27" T 'V 16' >» )» Yea^ 40° 7' 36- 33' 35' 12' 12^2 34' 5' For each season, the figures stand as follow : Sprincj Slimmer Auiuinn Winter Vear New Cai lisle . 48' 2' 04' 7' 43' 2' 16" 9' 40" 70' Carleton . 48" 1' 62' 7' 39" 3' 15" 5' 35' 93' Father Point.... . 42' 7' 54" 7' 38" 3' 14' 2' 34" 72-' Cape Hosier . 29' 7' 55" 6' 39' 3' 13' 4' 34' 50' Quebec . 49'!' 62^2' 27= 6' 16" 3' 38" 78' Montreal . 54' 9' 05" 5' 30' 2' 21" 5' 43 ■ 02' London ,.. . 47- 6' 01-0' 50' 7' 39^ 2' 49" GO' Liverpool . 46" 2' 57^ 6' 49' i ' 40^5' 48" 30' Gla«g w . 45" 9' 00^ r 49^^ 0' 39" G' 48" 60' Edinburgh 45- 0' 57° r 47 ' 9' 3S' 4' 47" 10' Paris . 50' G' 64^5' 52" 2' 37" 8' 51-30' Berlin . 47 '4" ei" o 49' 2' 31 4' 4^" 10' St. Petersburg.. . 35" 9' tO' 6' 40' 3' i>.' r 38' 70' GASPESIA 63 Except the winter temperatures which are colder, the temperatures shown by the tables are nearly the same as those of the most densely populated portions of Europe, and under this head Gaspesia constitutes one of the finest regions of Canada. The climate of the fine season in the Bay des Chaleurs is famed for its balm- iness, equability and salubrity which attract thither a multitude of persons sick or whose health has suffered from hard work. Again, it is well known that, in the interior, the summer temperature is higher, seeing that there it is not so much exposed to the influence which the sea moisture exercises as in the localities where the observations above given were taken. Moreover, what proves that the climate of G-aspesia is good and among the most favored for agriculture operations is the fact that wheat succeeds well and comes to the most perfect maturity in all parts of that country. At the first universal exhibition of Paris a sample of wheat raised in the county of G-aspe was award- ed honorable mention, though that county is inferior to Bonaventure, under the head of climate. In fine, maize or Indian corn, which cannot be grown in Great Britain owing to the temperature, comes to perfect maturity in Gas- pesia, where several hundred bushels were rais- ed in 1881, as attested by the census. Another proof of the mildness of the climate in the Bay des Chaleurs is supplied by the culture 64 UASPESIA there with the greatest ease of the melon and tomato, two of the tenderest plants. Heat and moisture are the two principal agents which render a soil and a climate favor- able to agricultural production. It has been seen that, as regards heat, the agricultural sea- son inGas: esia is preferable to that of the prin- cipal regions of Europe inasmuch as the degree of summer heat there is higher. With respect to moisture, the following table will show that it is not lacking : Number of rainy days nnd vohime of the rainfall in Gaspeua m 1872 for Cape Rouer and 1880 /ar the other localities. Father Point Cape Rosier New Carliale Carleton nAIN RAIN KAIN EAIN daijS inc. clays inc. days inc. days inc. January.... 0.00 4 0.89 1 0.06 1 0.05 February.... 3 26 2 0.27 0.00 1 0.05 March 0.00 5 3.66 4 1.92 5 2.41 April.. 2 42 2 0.09 2 1.15 3 0.85 May 16 2.04 6 3.01 5 J. 22 3 85 June 7 1.21 14 5.71 U 5.84 15 6.44 July 12 2.20 13 3.17 8 2.04 8 2.82 August 8 1.18 7 2.66 7 3.23 9 108 September.. 20 4.32 7 1.40 5 1.04 10 1.34 October.... 16 4.77 12 2.68 7 1.17 11 2.71 November.. 2 0.07 7 1.61 4 ^.07 5 1.20 Decembtr.. 0.00 1 tr^ 20 0.00 Ymr.., 94 19.04 a^ '.W 71 19.80 GASPE8IA 65 For each of the four seasons, the following is lOund as regards asi^osia and other places : Spring Slimmer Autumn Winter Year (lays inc. days inc. dayi lux days inc. days in:. Now Carlisle. 9 2.58 24 4.77 10 7.46 3 0.32 55 15 13 Carl6ton ;16 4 83 27 7.41 20 11.27 2 0.20 74 23.71 Father Point. 25 6.0G 27 4.66 38 9.14 4 0.26 94 19.02 Capo RoMer..l3 7 66 34 11.54 26 5.69 6 1.16 79 26 05 Quebec... .51 10.68 41 11.46 25 7.84 l.ll 126 30.99 Montreal 47 9.41 53 9.62 27 8 33 20 2.41 147 29.80 London 4 00 6.00 6.15 20.69 Liverpool 6.19 9.78 10.81 34.10 Glasgow 3.80 6.39 5 82 21.33 Edinburgli .. 5.40 7.10 8.90 28.08 Pai'is .-)53 5.92 6.51 22.64 Berlin. 5.06 7.21 5 45 13.56 St. Petersburg 2.89 6.73 5.11 14.73 Under this head, as under the others, there is a complete resemblance between the climate of Graspesia and that of the most central and popu- lous parts of Europe. As compared with Quebec and Montreal, the number of rainy days is less by half and even much more, ebpecially in the spring and fall, which has for result to render the two seasons infinitely more favorable in Gaspesia for the operations of the husbandman than in the districts of Quebec and Montreal. When it is noted that instead of 55 as at New Carlisle and 74 as at Carleton, the number of rainy days is 126 at Quebec and 147 at Montreal, it must be •»w»^ "imsB 66 GASPESIA conceded that, in this respect, the climate of Gaspesia is far superior to that of the parts of the Province more to the west. As for the number of snowy days and the amount of the snowfall, here they are, as given for the periods indicated in the other .table : Spring Autumn days inc. days ins. NewCarliRle.-.. 6 G.OO 4 9.00 Cavletoa 10 10.50 7 11.50 Father Point.... 17 21.50 11 21.82 Capo Hosier 14 51.60 7 4.20 Quebec 24 54.40 1 9 29.30 Montreal 26 33.70 20 15,80 Winter days inc. 18 32.00 25 ."59.50 43 56.50 16 98.40 53 92.30 45 59 90 Yf.'ar daijs inr 28 47.00 42 81.50 71 99.82 37 164.20 96 176.00 91 109.40 The number of snowy days for the v/hole year was 28 at New Carlisle and 49 at Carleton, while at Montreal it was 91 and at Quebec 96 or much more than double the number in the Bay des Ghaleurs. The depth of the snowfall was 4t inches at New Carlisle and 81.50 at Carleton while at Montreal it was 109.40 and 176 at Quebec, which clearly shows that during the season of the snows the weather is much finer and clearer in G-aspesia than in the districts of Quebec and Montreal. These tables also demonstrate^ that there is an appreciable difference in the tempera- ture and the state of the atmosphere bet- ween the northern and southern portions of lASPESIA 67 G-aspesia. In the northerii section, the inlluence of the ice that comes through the straits of Belle Isle accompanied by winds from the north and north east has the etiect of lowering the winter temperature and increasing at the same time the snowfall, just as in other seasons these cold, damp • currents bring down the ihermo- meter and produce those raw, damp w^eathers which mark the prevalence of north - east winds. In the southern region, on the other hand, these north east winds are unknown, being arrested by the Shickshock moun- tains which rob them of their coldness and hum-idity. This is the reason why in the latter the only winds known, so to speak, are the east and west winds ; the only an* current wuth a northing in it comes from the north west, and as this wind is always dry, it is not disagreeable and only affects the temperature to render it pleasant, particularly in summer. The following- extract, borrowed from Mr. Sims' report, will furnish an idea of the climate of the Bay des Chaleurs and the Metapedia valley : " The country (v^hich surrounds the Bay des Chaleurs) produce all the different sorts of grains raised in Lower Canada. Fogs are very rare. Snow falls towards the end of October and winter sets in about the middle of Novem- ber, but the fine weather often continues to the end of the month. The maximum of the depth ^ 68 GASPESIA of the snowfall is from ftve to six feet ; it disappears at the beginning of May and a few days later the land is ready for sowinj?. In the direction of the Bay des Chaleurs and the Risti- gouche river, the wind generally blows fronn the west or the east ; heavy squalls are rare " The climate of this part of Canada (the Meta- pedia valley which oornmences at a distance of twenty miles from the St. Lawn nee) does not differ much from that of Quebec, though it is not so hot in summer. Seve7'e cold spells are aloo not so frequent, here, and yet rain and soft weather do not occur in winter. Some snow falls about the 22nd October, but it does not lie on the ground longer than one or two days. Then comes a spell of fine weather, with one or two snow storms, up to the 21st November, when winter definitively sets in. In ordinary winters, the depth of snow on the ground is four feet ; but it has sometimes run up to six. After the 20th .'Vpril, the tilled lands are bare and ploughing begins from the 1st to the 8th May. From this date to the 28th of the same month, rye and peas are sown, oats at the end of the month and barley and potatoes towards the close of June. The harvest generally opens on the 25th August and lasts to the end of September, when the potato crop is dug." All this superabundanth^ proves that the cli- ^■^ mmms^ mr- OASPEStA 69 mate of Gaspesia leaves nothing to desire, that It IS well adapted to agricultural operations, and that It IS m all respects suited to provide for the comfort of the inhabitants of that beautiful and fertile region. CHAPTER V MINERALOGY— MIXERALS— WORKABLE DEPOSITS The mineral weath of Gaspesia is unfortu- nately but little known. The surveys of the b-eolog-ical Commission have been few and limited to the strip of countrv bordorinn- on the sea-shore or the banks of the principal rivers which traverse that region, besides being carried out--it must be confessed— too hurriedly to yield the results derivable from a minute and careful examination of that portion of the Pro- vince. However, the most competent men not only do not entertain the slightest doubt that Gaspe- sia is rich m minerals, but are convinced that the day that that extensive and beautiful country can be traversed more easily, inspected more in detail, and explored more thorouo-hly, will indu- bitably witness the discoverv of rich mineral deposits. Here is what the Report of the Minister 10 GAbPESIA i)fthe tnkrior for the year 1882 says on this subject, in that part in which it deals with the labors of the Geological Commission and with the survey made by one of iis members, Mi. Ellis, in a portion of Gaspesia : " This region is probably an important one, but the difficulties in the way of its exploration are very great. The rough and precipitous cha- racter of the numerous streams proceeding from it and the dense forest which covers the whole of the intervening country, except the rugged sum- mits which rise to elevations above the tree line, together with the entire absence of tracks or roads of any kind, are obstacles, which have hitherto prevented the acquisition of any really accurate geographical or geological details con- cerning it ; and, before these can be obtained, the requisite surveys and explorations will pro- bably have to be undertaken during the winter. " It can, however, now be affirmed that this extensive mountain region has no connection with the Cambrian (Lovv^er Silurian) formations of the Quebec group, but is a detached area of the Pre-Cambrian formations which constitute the chief mineral-bearing belt of the Eastern Townships, extending from the Vermont bound- ary north eastward to a little beyond the lati- tude of Quebec. In the Shickshock mountain rea as yet only serpentine and chromic iron GASPESIA 71 have oeeii recognized, but as these everywhere accompany the deposits of crysotile or asbestos and the ores of copper, lead, antimony andiron, with some gold and silver, in the region to the south west, it is not unreasonable to anticipate their discovery in this unexplored area of the Gaspe peninsula. " The same opinion is expressed by Professor Hunt, in a pamphlet published in 1865 : '* Under this head, says he, in speaking of the Eastern Townships, is comprised the mountain- ous zone, situate to the south of the St Law- rence, together with the region more to the south east extending to the frontier and forming a succesjiion of valleys which follow each other from the headwaters of the Connecticut river and run in a north easterly direction towards the Bay des Chaleurs. It is true that the Eastern Townships, as they are ordinarily designated, do not embrace this extension towards the north east, but as it l^eiongs to them both from a geo- graphical and a geological pcint of view, it can be rightiully included, under the same desig- nation. The Eastern Townships, moreover, abound in metallic minerals, marbles, slates, etc." These extracts clearly attest the richness of G-aspesia in minerals. But we have irrefutable proof in li:\ud of these liciies in the existence of I ■HPSBSSWeWBHB 12 GASPESIA well established deposits and indications which we shall brieiiy enumerate : Petroleum. —The presence of petroleum in the rocks of Graspe was ascertained for the first time upwards of thirty years ago by the members oi the Geological Commission of Canada. .Subse- quent explorations have established that this mineral product occurs at several points in that region, on the banks of the Darmouth, York, St. John and Malbaie rivers. In many places in that region the limestone is overlaid by sandstones whose lower portion belongs to the same age as the Oriskany formation. This sandstone is found near the month of the York river and, like the limestone, is impregnated with petroleum. On the banks of this same river, at a distance of about twelve miles from Gaspe Basin, particles of solid bitumen are met with in the cavities of a dyke cutting the sandstone. At the spring from which comes the petro- leum of Silver Brook, one of the tributaries of the York river, this oil oozes from a mass of sand- stones and arenaceous limestones which dips towards the south east at an angle of 13" and occurs at about a mile from the summit of the anticlinal. The oil, which collects in pools of water along the brook, is of a greenish color and an aromatic odor much less disagreeable than thu t of the petroleum of Ontario Farther towards py w ' '"'" "" (^..si KsrA IB the east, at a distaiiiooi' about twelveinjl 's irom the mouth of the river, the oil Hocvts ^u rh-- sur- ta(?e of the water where it is on a level with the limestone. Petroleum is also IbiiiKl at the Adam spriiig- in the rear of lot B. of the township of York, a couple of miles S S. E. of the '.'ntiance ol Gaspe bnsin. It equally oozes from tbt» shore mud at Sandy Beach and Haldiniand, tv.^o loca- lities, which, like the pre.'eding one, are found on th^? sandstones and the anticlinal that passes a little to the north ofth'^ source of Silver Brook. A little to the east, two miles west of Ta.- Point, vrhich derives its name from the petroleum found there, there is another spring* situated about three quarters of a mile from Porpoise Cove. On the southern border of the beach at Douglasstown, about a mile to the west of the village. petroleum oozes from the mud and shingle of the beach. Still further to the westward, at the second forks of the river St. John, petroleum also oc nirs. And iinaily it has been observed on the banks of a brook wh'\ -i discharges into St. Gre»>rge's Cove on the ncrti eastern shore of Gaspe Bay. Fos.iende and copper ore. By sinking a 20 feet shaft on the main vein and some parallel veins, twenty tons of the ore were obtained, which yielded twelve tons of pure lead. Galena has also been found in several other places, and notably in the limestones both on the north and the south, sides of the Gaspe promontory in a vein which seems to be a con- tinuation of that encountered at Little Gaspe Bay. Small quantities of galena in veins have also been noticed in the limestones of Perce, as 76 GASPESIA well as at Cousin Cove and it is certain that, by making- a little more careful search for it, still larger quantities would be found at these points. But in any case the deposits already discovered might be profitably worked. Chrome — This mineral is found in workable quantity in the serpentines of Mount Albert on the banks of the river St. Anne. It is met with in the form of chromic iron, in detached masses weiq-hinfj" as much as 20 lbs, each, and an examination of the around bv Sir "William Logan has established that the beds of this mineral, which were traced for up^vards of a mile and a half, constitute an extensive deposit offering a vast field to working enterprise. It is from this chromic iron or oxyd of chro- mium that the bi-chromate of potash is obtained, frorp ivhich are prepared both red and yellow chromates of lead : the latter being the pigment knov. n as chrome-yellow. The green oxyd of chromium is also derived from this salt and is used OS ail indelible green color in painting and for the preparation of an indestructible green printing ink. Large quantities of the bi-chro- mate of potash are used, too, in dyeing and calico-printing. Asbestos — This precious mineral, which is exten- sively worked in some portions of the Eastern Townships, was found by Sir William Logan, OASPESIA n in the environs of Mount Albert, at the extremity of the Shickshock mountains, and in the vicinity of the Serpentine. This deposit is unimportant in itself, but it points to thj existence of larger- beds, the discovery of whicli cannot fail to be made by means of a more careful examination and extensive survey. Serjtp.rdine. — At the eastern extremity of the Shiokshock mountains, there is a great display of seipentine, which appears to come in above the limestone conglomerates, -svith a thin band of black slate between, and to sweep round to the south eastern shoulder of the range compris- ing Mount Albert, one of the main peaks. It continues south westward for a considerable distance, along a tributary of the Great Casca- pedia river, there constituting the southern lianlc of the range ; and it finally disappears beneath the Middle Silurian series farther on. The thickness of this great mass ofseri)entine is estimated to be about 1000 feet. The whole of it presents evidence of stratification, in some 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 diallage. The upper 400 feet display the bedding very beautifully, bv difference ot color on the weathered exterior, as well as in freshly exposed IS (I ASP ESI A suri'aces. The weathered suriuct.'s are marked by a set of red and opaque white bands, the white broader .haii the red, varying irorn the eighth of an incii to an inch and becoming often interstratiiied with layers of a brownish fawn color, which vary in breadth in the same way. "When cut and polished, this serpentine displays dark brown parallel bands, with thin blood red vein-like lines, running through those which are red on the weathered surface. These red lines are sometimes disposed after the nirjinner of false bedding. At Mount Albert in Graspe the serpe}itines, which are there associated with chloritic, epido- tic and hornblendic schists, and which have been described on page 206 (of the Geology of Canada) cover an area of no L^ss than ten square miles. Much of the serpentine is distinctly stratified and is often striped with red and brown colors. There in Utile doubt that both here and in many other localities throug-hout this refj^ion fine varieties, well fitted for ornamental //ur/ tones, rita/j be obtained in any quantity required. There are other extensive deposits of serpen- tine in the neighborhood of Mount Serpentine and there also quarries could be opened and worked on a large scale. Cement est dressings for land by all farmers In Gaspesia, marl is found in several places, not"bly on the banks of Lake Metis at its upper extremity, on tlie shore of the St. Lawrence, five or six miles beiow the Matane nv^y and in the lakes of Port Daniel, but chiefiy in the neigh- borhood of New-Carlisle, on the shore of ihe Bay des Chalcurs. About a couple of miles from the village, in a valley about a mik and a I V (LiSPEHIA 81 half in superficies, there are four or iixe little lakes, at the bottom and on the banks of which, there is a bed of pure, white* marl of five or six inches thick. At Matane, the rleposit, which is fifteen inches deep, fornts the bottom of several swamps which cover an area of seventy five acres. These deposits might be utilized with the greatest advantage by the farmers of the surroundinc: region. Lime. — The Lower Silurian limestones of the Chazy formation and Trenton group, which furnish the best material for the manufacture of lime, occur at several points in the calcareous series of Graspesia. The purest and most exten- sive deposit is found at Port Daniel and vields excellent lime, of which larjre quantities are annually exported to Prince Edward Island where there is no limestone. This enterprise is carried on on a large scale. From the quarry, the stone is transferred by a tramway to the vessels, which remove it ; several cargoes are shipped annually, and the trade is increasing from year to year. The industry is an impor- tant one for Port Daniel, which is also in a posi- tion to supply all the parishes of the Bay des Chaleurs with excellent lime for building and agricultural purposes. B 82 OASPESIA CHAPTER VI FORESTS AND FOREST INDUSTRIES The forests of G-aspesia lire generally but little known and, in all proba'jility. it is to this li^uo- rance of their resources and the wealth they represent that we must attribute the fact that they are, so to say, un worked. Yet these forests contain ail the different woods which are most sought after for exportatioil : pine, spruce, birch, elm, ash, cedar, &c. >ire has committed rather extensive destruction among them in the Meta- pedia valle}', but elsewhere^hey are still in their primaeval condition and have only been en- croached upon by slight and temporary work- ings. Shipbuilding, which is in a measure con- nected ^Y\th. lorest industry, might be prose- cuted under the most favorable conditions on the shores of the B?y des Chaleurs, where iirst quality timber can be so cheaply procured for the purpose. " There are, saya* Perley, very great facilities on the shores of the bay for ship- building. The lumber is of excellent quality and famed for its durability, especially the tamarac, ^^hich, as a wood, is regarded as the equal f the best in any other country in the world. CUSPESIA. 83^ 4( (( u i( (( Mr. McGregor, member for G-lasgow and secre- tary of the Board of Trade, says in one of his official reports : " The tamarac-built ships of the Bay des Chaleurs are of remarkable dura- bility. In 1830, in the port of Messina, I went on board a vessel belonging to Robin &; Co ^ that I had seen at Paspebiac in 1824 and that was discharging a cargo of dry codfish for the consiimption of the Sicilians. This vessel, " which was more than thirty years old, was " still p. fectly sound. " The forests of this region have never been carefully explored like those of other parts of the Province, but the statements of the land surve^'ors, who have gone over the zone in the neighborhood of the sea shore, show clearly that Gaspesi.^ is as remarkable for the richness of its forests as for that of its soil and its fisheries. Let tis call attention to a few quotations in proof of this assertion : The township of Milnikek was explored and surveyed by Messrs. H. LeBer and P. Murison, who say in their reportb : " The timber which grows on the crests of these mountains and in their hollows is composed of balsam fir. white spruce, pine, and white and red birch. On most of the mountain crests, there still remams a good deal of building timber, but it is of secondary quality, (H. LeBer;. 84 aA,SPESlA " Tlie lands aiv fine and with a gentle slope near the sources of Malt brook and the two Connor's brooks ; there is a good growth ot red birch, v/hite birch and some maples. All the merchantable timber has been cut oti'; it was fi.rst quality pine ; but there i>; still a good quan- tity of white birch, w'hicL wull be utilized later on for exportation and otker purposes. " {P. Murison). In speaking of the township of Humqui, M. Le Ber states " that, like, Milnikek it no longer contains pine, but it has as much, if not more, merchantable spruce. There is also a good deal of cedar. The other woods are the balsam fir, the w^hite and black birch.*' The township of Cabot was explored by ti^urveyor T. A. Bradley, who notes in his report that there are plains fertile, level and un])roken by any elevation. On these fiats the soil is very rich. Hardwoods predominate, like ^he white birch, maple, and spruce. The last named especially is very abundant and much employed by the lumber merchants of the locality. On these rivers (the Blanche and Tartigou) tiiere is a great quantity of milling wood, which is worked from the sources to the mouths of those streams. The principal woods are spruce, pine and cedar, with a little maple and white and black birch. GASPESIA 85 Mr. Surveyor Oaron r-n^orted that.in the towu- ship ol McNider, which is traversed by the river rartigou "the timber is of g-ood quality, especially the maple and birch, which predomi- nate Pine IS very s -arce. but there is still a small quantity of merchantable spruce. Cedar IS generally abundant and of superior quality " According to the report of Surveyor G-rondin, the tow-nship of Tessier is level and covered with timber of the linest growth, such as maple, birch elm, ash and spruce." This township is traversed by the Matane river and lies behind the seio-. niories of the same name. '^ ''/^'^^ pre' .nating woods in tiie township of 1 ourelle- ays Surveyor Koy— are the balsam trr, the white and black birch, the spruce and the cedar, There is some maple, but only in small quantity. The cedar groves are also few in num- ber, but the cedar is of good size and superior quality. I met a great many pine stumps, but I do n )t recall having seen a single one of these trees standing. " In the townships of Fox River, Cape Rosier and Gaspe North, especially in their interior, the land is level and timbered with maple and birch, as well as with ash ; but this last vvood is beginning to grow scarce on account of the extensive use made of it in the fisheries for the m anu facture of barrels 86 GASPESIA The forests of the townsij) ofFortin cousist of spruce, balsam fir aud birch. lu the township of Rameau, which is traversed by the Grand Eiver, there are a little pine, a very large amount of fine cedar, and a small quantity of maple. The birch, which is generally sound and rather of remarkable size, is everywhere met with, mixed with white birch, balsam fir and spruce. A good deal of cedar, especially, could be supplied to the export trade. Timber suitable for exportation is found in abundance in the forests of Pabos. A little pine has been cut from places nearest to the sea, but there still remains in the interior enough to supply a large trade for many years All the other commercial woods, such as cedar, spruce, balsam lir, birch and ash, are abundant, oven m the first ranges. Birch is j^lentiful, very hi'ge and sound, and constitutes a first class article for exportation. Surveyor Legendre explored an extensive portion of the region drained by the Pabos and Port Daniel rivers, and we borrow the following notes from his report : " From the Nouvelle river to the Forks, great abundance of commercial timber, cedar, poplar, elm, ine, balsam fir and spruce a])0und " On the 2nd and 3rd, there has already been some square tim])er made. Along the main river to the 2nd mile picket and. for a good distance along the western branch, there are splendid lands to the extent of about 10,000 acres. The valleys are w^ell wooded with spruce, pine, bal- sam fir, and poplar and the heights with w^hite sxjruce, and a few^ pine and yellow birches. " The cedar of the Bonaventure river deserves special mention ; I have never yet seen any thing in any part of the Province to equal it in size, quality and quantity. There is also a good deal of pine, spruce, balsam lir and poplar and, according to the reports of explorers and lum- ^iT-jiiyr' ^~-^. ^ — ^ — : (^A^il'ESIA 89 bermeu who have visited the head waters of the Hall, Duval and Deep rivers, maple and birch abound in those localities." It should be remarked in passing* that the finest forests of Gaspesia are those to be met with in the valley of the Bonaventure river. 'The pine there is plentiful and of the iinest quality, as well as spruce and cedar, which latter Mr. O'Sullivan represents to be extraor- dinary and far superior to everything of the sort he had previously seen in all other parts of the Province. In the valley of this river, there is enough fine pine of the first quality — and some has been measured which were three feet and a half and four feet on the stump — to manufac- ture millions and millions of feet of square or sawn Itimber. The spruce would also furnish a very strong contingent, without taking into account the birch and cedar. And these splendid woods are ibund not only in the main valley, but in the secondary valleys of the river's aifluents, which is tanta- mount to saying that those rich forests cover an immense ttact and are capable of almost iudeii- niteiy supplying a most extensive and paying- lumber trade. This industry might be prosecitted under the most advantageous conditions imaginable. In its ordinary prosecution, the transportation of pro- 90 (JASPESIA visions lor the wood-cutters and the boasts ol' burthen employed in the woods, several hun- dred miles away I'roiri the great trade centres, through reg'ions where roads are costly to open, hilly and scarcely practicable, constitutes a very heavy item of expense. Lumbering- on the Bona- ventnre river is exempt from these inconve- niences and sources of expense. There, the coun- try is well adii})ted to the opening of roads and, in winter, the ice-bound surface oithe river and its tributaries provides the finest and Icvelest of roads. Then the distances are trilling, as, on an average, they do not exceed thirty miles from the sea shore to the heart of the finest forests, which is as nothing compared with the remote- ness of the forests in the other parts of the Pro- vinse. Thus, on the Upper Ottawa, where the bulk of our export pine is manufactured, provi- sions must be transi^orted for two and three hundred miles and sometimes more. Yei, many firms, w^orking those forests, have realized colossal fortunes in the bu-^iness. What would have been the result if they could have carried on their oi>erations, as they can be carried on in the valley of the Bonaventure river, at a few miles only from points where provisions can be cheaply procured and whence they can be trans- ported to the lumbering camps for a trifle ! Lastly, the drive or descent of tne prepared timber, which costs so much on the Saguenay, (USI-EHIA 91 the kSt. Maurice and the Ottawa owing to the cxpeiises of handliiii]^ and oi slides and booms, would cost (Comparatively nothing- on the Bona- venture river, where there is no necessity to have recourse to anvthing of the sort ibr th^* good reason that the course of the river, throughout lis whole length, is obstructed by no impediment. " I should remark, says Surveyor O'Sullivan, who explored if from one end to the other, that all along the river from the coas-t to the remotest 1;. ke [fiftf) two and n ha!f miles fron the sen) there is nol a single falh, but that, on the contrary it is a continuous current, free from ant/ nhslnde whatever. ' ' Is it possible to picture a river better adapt 3d to the descent of timber V No falls, no natural obstacles of any sort whatever, and a rapid cur- rent everywhere. It is only necessary to put the logs in the water and let them drift downi them- selves. Under conditions so favorable, ten men on the Eonaventure river can do the work of a hundred and more on less favorable rivers. Lastly, the mouth of the river forms an excel- lent harbor, where vessels can load the timber with the greatest facility and where they are protected against the winds and everything that might obstruct or hinder their work as in other places not so v/ell situated. All this shows clearly that, in every respect, the superb forests of the Bonaventure river can be w^orked under IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^^ 1.0 I.I lllh: 'i^ iiiiM KS IM || 22 141 e^ 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" ► V] 6,960.0a 132,379 qt8=$531,51f).00 113,199 qt3=$4r,5,795.00 Salmon : '''far."... I4,5001b9=$ 870.00 7,200 lbs=$ .■>40.00 '*frSr...392,3-21b.= 21,479.10 869,719 lbs= 19,713.37 406,882 lb»=$ 22,249.10 276,919 lbs=$ 19,713.37 Lobsters : ^u can8.39^6481b8=$ 59,797.20 135,7101bs=$ 20,356.50 These three items alone in 1882 showed a fallino- ofi- to the extent of $116/i86.13. In ordi- nary "years, the yield of the fisheries reaches about $800,000 and might be easely increased to a million, if this industry were prosecuted with a little more activity. #f (JASPESIA 103 Moreover, there are several sorts of fish, to which the Gaspesia iishermeu pay no heed, though they might pay them well. Among others, may be mentioned the tunny and the blue fish Let us complete this last information with some statistics as regards the number of men, vessels, &;c., employed in the fisheries of Gas pesia which will be found summed up in the followini? table : Vessels Number 2'ons Men Shipa 70 ....() 709 ... 390.. Fishing boats... 1 612 \... 4 056 .. Flat boats. 1 343 >... Value $299 560 81 053 14 857' 3 025 Seines and nets b'alnion nets Herring •< 3 502 114 032 6 709 4 436 $395 450 Numhir Yards Value 888 57 002 $18 411 37 504 Mackerel *' Mackerel seines. Capelan •* Launce '' 243 8 114 3 160 3 150 100 181 7 304 5 993 21 .'. 700 829 4 832 189 202 $66 C06 The value of the craft and tackle men- tioned in this table forms a total of $401,456 I rt< 104 GASPESIA which prove ; sufficiently that it needs very little money to procure a iishing outfit and that even the poorest man can easily provide him- self with one. Tho fisheries of G-aspesia could also be made to supply the raw material of a most important industry, the manufacture of fertilizers or arti- licii^l manures, an industrv verv lucrative in itself and of the i^reatest avanta^e to aojicul- ture. The use of fish in the manufacture of ferti- lizers has been long known and practised in Scot- land, Cornwall and Brittany and on some parts of the coasts of the United States. But it is in France that this industry of the manufacture of manures from lish oftal has been most successful. Mr. DeMolon has carried it on for thirtv vears and realized an immense fortune. His chief establish- ment is at Concarneau, a small town in Brittany, where he converts into manure the offal of the sardines Avhich are taken in such abundance on the coast. The process pursued by M. DeMolon is very •simple. After cooking the offal in copper boil- ers heated by steam, it is subjected to powerful pressure to extract the water and oil : the mass thus pressed is then grated, and the product dried by exposing it to a current of hot air. I WUSk GAS PES I A. 105 when it is reduced to powder by grinding and in that form delivered to the trade. The ex- perience of the Concarneau factory establishes the fact that 100 parts of fresh oftal will yield on an average 22 parts of powdered fertilizer and from 2 to 2J parts of oil. The establishment employs—at least, it employed a few years ago — six men and ten little boys and can convert from eight to ten tons offish offal per day yielding from four to five tons of pulverized fertilizer. This ma- nure holds 80 per cent of organic matter and 14.1 per cent of phosphate of lime and magnesia, toge- ther with ordinarv salt, carbonate of lime sul- phateand carbonate of ammonia and only one per cent of water. Azote exists in it almost exclu- sively in the form of organic matter and is equal to 14.5 per cent of ammonia. Phosphoric acid, which is insoluble in the state in which it IS found in this fertilizer, represents nearly 7 per cent. According to the most reliable data, fish offal yields ten per cent of this excellent fertilizer, which is as good, as precious, and as much souffht after as Peruvian guano. Lastlv, the catch of fish from the Gaspesia fisherie.*^^ would yield at least half its gross weight in oftal. The Ibllowinsr fisfures, from the census of 1881, indi- cate the weight of the fish caught that year and show the quantity of oftal ^^-hich could have hM loe OASPESIA been converted into a manure worth at least 520 a ton : Fish Bonaventure Gaspi JimousJci Cod,qt8 38 112 257 653 5 er- petual supply oi' good manure to dress his meadows or to increase the yield and quality of his grain crops. This manure costs him nothing ; he has only to draw it to the field and spread it. It does not hurt, but rather improves the pasturages, as grazing animals prefer the grass to which these marine plants have imparted a slightly saline taste. Mussels, starfish and sea urchins may be used to form the basis of an excellent compost, which can be still further v;nriched with beach mud and shells. Rut the richest manure is furnished bv fish and their offiil. All the codfishing establish- ments are in a position to supply enormous quantities of this manure which can be buried just as it is in the soil. If the farmers of Gaspesia knew how to take advantage of it, they would find in this codofial a source of riches, of which it is easy to conceive the value ; and they might still further enhance the latter, if they were simply to boil the offal to free it from its oil, which retards or hinders vegetation. Fish in its whole state is also an excellent manure which abounds everywhere on the coast. Capelan and herring, when too small or poor for the trade, are used in this way. Thousands of pp GASPESIA 109 barrclsfull are thus consumed ; but a great deal more mij^ht be used and especially might other species of fish, which abound, and which are not sold or consumedjbe utilized for the same purpose to advantage. In fine, the quantity of manure which the sea can supply is, so to say, boundless and at the disposal of all with intelligence and industry enough to profit by it. Elsewhere, the manufacture of artificial ma- nure has been sj)oken of If, some day, this pre- cious industry should take root in G-aspesia, the farmers of that region would find it another great source of riches, as this artificial manure is almost as rich as the guano for which the best agriculturists of France and England pay over $20 a ton to the dealers who import it from the coast of South America. Plaster is another fertilizer which the Gas- pesia farmer can procure under exceptionally advantageous conditions. There are inexhaus* tible quarries of this material in the Magdalen Islands which are in a measure at the very door of the Gaspe coast, as compared with other parts of the Province. Its transport can consequently be effected cheaply, which is of considerable advantage to the farmers of the coast. There are deposits of marl at several points in G-aspesia and herein lies another source of agri- cultiiral wealth. Marl, as is well known, pos- - '-^,^^.^*SS! S ^! S^!^! mGm O tl^ 110 GASPESIA sesses the dual quality of being at once a manure and an amendment. It is established that by the use of marl, applied with a suitable quan- tity of natural or artificial manures, the yield of land is easily doubled. Consequently the far- mers of Gaspesia, who enjoy fertilizers in abun- dance, are admirably located to take advantage of these dei>osits of marl and to double the produce of their lands, w^hich are naturally very fertile. It may therefore be fearlessly asserted that, as regards manures and the facility with which they can be procured in abundance for the sole trouble of collecting and carting them, Graspesia offers to the fanner advantages which are met with nowhere else, at least in the portion of Canada more to the westward. Then the climate is one of the most piopitious for agriculture. This is an established fact. The southern portion of the Gaspe peninsula, how- ever, enjoys from the climatic point of view an other advantage w^hich is generally ignored — w^e refer to its southern exposure. Starting from the chain of elevations which skirt the shore of the St. Lawrence, it slopes continuously towards the south and is thus admirably exposed to the beuv^ficent action of the solar rays, so important to vegetation and to which it imparts an extra- ordinary activity and energy. The solar rays lose portion of their warmth by refraction and this OASPE8IA 111 explains why ou the New Brunswick coast, on the other side of the Bay des Chaleurs, the a^m- cnltural temperature is lower than in Gaspe'sia where the lays of the sun strike the soil verti- cally and consequently communicate to it more heat and vivifying force for veg-etation. This exposure to the midday sun makes the southern zone of Oaspesia one of the most favor- able regions for fruit and even vine culture. W ith an intelligent and careful system of culti- vation, apples would succeed very well, as well m fact, as in the district of Montreal, where the summer is not finer or the fine season lono-er, and there are certain spots which seem io\w specially adapted to the growth of the giape l^oremost among these places should be men- tioned the slope between the sea and the flank of Mount Iracidigash in Carleton. The soil at this point suits the vine perfectly ; the flank of the mountain, which arrests all the north and north east winds, reflects the rays of the sun and thus raises the temperature, while the nei,7U 1,730 d,291 Othercrops 23,1:21 10,80S 21,351 61,290 'fotal 42,76S 32,543 43,39S 118,711 Tliat is to say, that tho different crops stand m the following proportions for the whole of Gaspesia: hay, 28.38 per cent, wheat 13 per cent, potatoes G.99 per cent, and other cereals and roots 51,03 per cent. It is obvious that the hay crop is not large enough and that it should be increased at least by 12 or 15 per cent. In our province, it is cattle-raising which pays the best, and to raise cttle with profit at'least 40 per cent of the acreage should be in meadow. Otherw^ise, the farmer will not have enough good fodder to keep a sufficiently numerous herd or to feed them to advantage. Bv remedy- ing this defect, the profits of agricultural indus- try in Gaspesia might be largely increased. Moreover, there is not a region anywhere better suited to the profitable business of cattle- raising. Pasturages is of superior quality. The m 116 OASPESIA soil produces grass in abundai?ce and nearly everywhere the meadows are traversed by brooks or streams whose constantly (lowing current is as clear and limpid as spring water. The mountains and the hill sides furnish excellent sheep pasturage and everywhere the freshness of the temperature imparts to cattle a vigor and health which are with difficulty found else- where in the same degree. Finally, the ease with which immense quantities of potatoes and other root plants can be raised, thanks to the manures furnished by the sea, assures to the breeder food as rich as it is plentiful for" the wintering oi fattening of stock. And the expor- tation of cattle has been largely facilitated by the opening of the Intercolonial, which has placed the Bay des Chaleursin cheap and speedy communication with the principal ports and great cities of Canada. When the western breeder finds it profitable to raise stock and to send it 500,600 and even 800 miles to the Chicago market, is it possible to pretend that his rival of the Bay des Chaleurs could not raise cattle to advantage for the markets of Halifax, St, John and Quebec which are only three or four hundred miles distant from him ? It must be therefore ixknowledged that the farmers of G-aspesia do not devote themselves enough to stock-raising, w^hich is clearly proved by the following figures. The stock table in the OASPE.SIA 117 census of 1881 gives the quaatities below set down : Stock, Bonavinture. Oasp4. lUmouski. Gaspesia. ^o^es 2,272 2,320 1,412 6,004 ^oals 518 4i9 305 1,253 Working oxen 1,437 1,818 353 8,607 MUch cows 5,053 4,996 3,906 14.855 Other aeat cattle. 4,611 4,209 3,635 12,545 SUeep 15,030 19,408 11,8^7 46,325 I'igs 7,428 9,447 4,061 20,937 Total 36,348 42,779 25,499 104,626 There are in Gaspesia 173,101 acres under til- lage and pasturage, which is equal to 1.64 acre for each head of stock and 1.S4 head of stock per head of the population, which latter is com- posed of 56,860 souls. In Compton, one of the richest counties of the Province and which owes its wealth wholly to agriculture, and especially to stock raising, there are 147,874 acres under tillage and pasturage and 46,721 head of stock, equal to 3.16 acres per head and 2.38 head of stock to each person, the population being com- posed of 19,581 souls. As may be seen, comparatively to the popu- lation, there is nearly 100 per cent more stock in Compton than in G-aspesia, which explains 118 GA83»E?^IA the wealth of the ibriner and tho comparative poverty of the latter. Another example ^viH mnk<^ the thing clearer : In the county of Compton, in 1881, the value 01 the dairy produce rose to $14i.;,851.S0 or $7.50 l^er head ; in Eonaventure county, it only amounted to $.>2,(n9.90 or $2.78 per head. In this single item, there is consequently a diffe- rence au'ainst the Bonavcuture farmers of $4.72 per heaa an-fl $80,245.76 lor the whole county. In the same proportions, the difference reaches $268, 379.20 tor the whole of G-aspesia, where the lands and the pastures are as good and even better than in Compton. All these facts clearly prove that the iarmer of Gaspesia might nearly double his profits by paying more attention to stock raising. This tact may not immediately strike to advantage the population of that region ; but it shows immigrants who would like to se-'ttle there that w^ell conducted farming wnll pay at least as well on the shores of the Bay des Chaleurs as in the finest portion of the Eastern Townships, which are so famed for their ri<'hness as an agri- cultural country. GASPESIA 119 CHAPTER IX ROADS— SEAPORTS AND NAVIGATION Gaspesia is encircled by a very superior waggon road as compared g-enerally wiih the roads in other parts of the Province of Quebec. This road is little hilly in same places, but it is everywhere as hard and as fit for travel as a macadamized road. We know of nothing more beautiful than the portion of this great public highway which runs through the Metapedia valley and then skirts the Bay des Chaleurs and the (xulf of St. Lawrence to the village of Gaspe. We have travelled over it constantly for six weeks without experiencing the slightest fatigue. The other portion, particularly the Maritime Road, is not as fine, but it is not less fit for tra- vel. In the less settled spots, the Government itself looks after its maintenance, which results in its being kept in very good order. In addition to this great road, there are many others at the points unhappily too few where settlement has spread inland and gone back a little from the coast. These roads are also well kept and it may be added without fear of contra- diction that, in the matter of highways, Gas- pesia is much better oft' than nearly every other part of the Province. The soil is so favorable, so [♦'71 ri m\ ■PPPVi mmmmm MHl 120 (lASPESIA well drained, that all the roads opened at once become good. Actually there is but one railway in Gaspesia, the Intercolonial, which traverses the Metapedia valley, and runs from north to south irom the St. Lawrence to the Ristigouche river, a dis- tance of 100 miles. The Bay des Chaleurs rail- way, which is actually in course of construction, will traverse the southern section of the penin- sula and connect Metapedia station on the Inter- colonial with Gaspe Basin, which is distant about 200 miles. The first link, about 100 miles long, will terminate at the port of Faspebiac and will soon be in operation. The company, which has undertaken to carry out the enterprise, includes among its directors some leading capi- talists and railway men. For the hundred miles between Metapedia and l*aspebiac, the Quebec Government has "i anted a subsidy of 1,000,000 acres of land and the Federal Government a subsidy of $620,000 in money, which will assure the success of the undertaking. During the session of the Quebec Legislature in 1883, another company was chartered to build a railway in the northern section of Gaspe, from any point on the Intercolonial between Rimouski and Little Me is to or near to Gaspe Basin, passing by Mat; ne, Cape Ohatte and St Anne des Monts. This line w 11 be about 180 miles GASPESIA 121 in length and will complete the chain around Gaspe which will form about 500 miles of iron road. But the i)opulation of Grasx>esia hare another means of transport and communication, which has its advantages-navigation. For short trips from one place to another and in the upper part of the Bay des Chaleurs, from their residences to the Intercolonial railway station at Metapedia, thev use their boats, and this mode of convey- ance is cheap and quite as quick as by horse and waggon. For longer voyages, principally to the north and east shores, they employ schooners which carry on a considerable traffic and constitute the mode of transport most in vogue for the exchange of natural products and merchandize between those localities and Que- bec or the other trade centres where the pro- ducts of Graspesia are traded ofi'. Transport by schooner is very cheap and within the reach of all the inhabitants. The trade with foreign countries, or in other words nine tenths of the lish trade, is done in ships coming from Europe. Tiiese vessels usually take cargo at G-aspe, Perce and Paspebia<% which are sure and handy ports, especially those of Graspe and Paspebiac. The former is situated at the bottom of the bay of the same name and could easily hold a fleet of a thousand ships. Pas- 122 (4A8PESIA IDebiac is also provided with good wharves, but the ^Yate^ is not deep enough. At Ferce, there is no wharf, but vessels can load and discharge cargo at anchor with the greatest facility. The same is the case at many other points and notably at Cape Cove, Port Daniel, etc. There is a fine wharf for vessels of light draught at Carleton and Tracadigash bay offers to vessels of heavier draught, which cannot use this wharf, ahaibor as safe as it is convenient. The navigation ot the i3av des Chaleurs is safe and easy, as it is conducted with a good offing in the open sea and is not obstructed by any island, reef or other ob.stacle. There are two lines of steamers running to Graspesia : the line of steamers from Quebec and that from Campbelltown to Gaspe. As indicated by its name, the former places the ports of the north eastern portion of Graspesia as far as Perce in direct communication with Quebec, Montreal and the cities of Nova Scotia. The latter performs the ferry service between CampbelHown, where it connects with the Intercolonial raihvay, and all places on the Bay des Chaleurs as far as Gaspe. It receives a Government subsidy for carrying the mails. The steamer of this line makes two trips w^eekly, and the Quebec line usually tw'o a month as far as Montreal. The little steamer Beaver, which belongs to a Quebec merchant, also frequents the ports of Gaspesia and calls at nearly every place ■W^fWP' GAt?PESIA 123 As may be seen, means of communication are not la<'ked by the population of Graspesia and these numerous modes ot transport are compa- Tatively speaking very cheap. True, they last only for six or seven months of the year ; but this drawback would disappear with the con- struction of the Bay des Chaleurs railway, which is now progressing. But, in any case, there is always the Intercolonial, which in winter as well as in summer is convenient to the larirest portion of the population of Graspesia and puts them in regular communication with all the ^reat cities of Canada. CHAPTER X. TRADE— IMPOKTs? AND EXP0IIT8 ~ TONNAGE OP DIFFERENT FORTS —(COUNTRIES WITH WHICH TRADE IS DONE. The export trade of Graspesia is registered at the ports of Gaspc, Perce and New^ Carlisle or Paspebiac. At these three ports, the imports and exports of the southern portion of Graspesia r * entered. Those of the northern section beinsr ^■■1 i«HH 124 GASPESIA entered at Quebec or Rimouski, it is next to impossible to distinguish them and to supply statistics that are exact and complete with regard to the shipping trade of that section, which is considerable, seeing that it includes the expor- tation of timber, fish &c. Since 1867, the trade of G-asfjesia seems to show a steady decline : but this falling off is only apparent and explains itself in several well known ways. Belore Confederation, all the trade that was done between Graspesia and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick figured naturally in the foreign trade, as both those provinces were were not then iucluded in Canada. Since Con- federation, the customs duties and other com- mercial restrictions which existed as against those provinces have been abolished and the entire trade done between them and Gaspesia has passed into the category of inland trade, which reduces by so much the figures of the import and export trade of the Gaspe and Bay des Chaleurs ports. Nowadays, a good part of the fish, which used to be exported directly from those ports, is forwarded to Halifax and there loaded on the ships which carry it abroad, so that the figures of these exports are entered at (he port of Halifax instead of at the ports of G-as- .pesia ; and the same thing occurs in the case^ot a portion of the imports. . BP9^ .5 GASPES: ^ 125 Another cause which has contributed to ihis seeming falling off is the establishment ol lines of steamers and the Intercolonial Railway. Firstly came the Quebec and Grulf Ports line, which for several years maintained as many as three steamers to do the traffic between Quebec and the Bay des Chaleurs ports. Then, the Beaver, belonging to Mr. Alexander Eraser, went into the business ; and lastly, some years ago, the Intercolonial railway was thrown open to traffic between Quebec and the B:iy des Chaleurs ports These new modes of transport have effected a revolution in the trade of a large portion of Gaspesia and today nearly all the articles of consumption which were formerly imported direct from abroad into the ports of (laspe and New Carlisle are now purchased in Quebec, Montreal and Toronto and forwarded by rail or steamer, which reduces by so much the figures of the export and import trade. In reality, there is as much, if not much more, business done in Gaspesia, but it is done with the great centres of Canada and does not appear in the tables of imports at the ports of Gaspe and New Carlisle. This is the explanation of the apparent falling off in this trade which seems to be presented by the following table : 126 GASPES lA Ga Sp( Ne 578,822 245,408 1871 311,508 117,808 3^19,1 8S 124,240 t)90,090 242,048 1872 413,397 181,803 803,131 131,373 770,528 263,176 1W3 872,938 77,419 a59,415 103,a57 103,902 01,931 S3fi,2S5 245,443 J874 393,7(>') 45,417 3:?7,8.59 99,807 87,488 39,744 819,112 18.5,078 J875 836,481 50,202 825,529 100,131 72,490 54,321 734,590 210,714 1870 31^11,897 ■18,181 .r>3,131 07,S12 70,870 01,897 710,898 207,020 .1877 443,82(} 50,0ft2 391,212 97,043 120,820 01 ,205 95-5, 85s 209,000 1878 319,047 43,485 401,805 83,007 01,200 43,790 842,052 170,848 1870 313,821 31,2(i') 4! 0,1 87 99,H7 75,828 30,039 8a5,830 170,410 1880 382,375 31,371 425,592 75.214 50,787 40,113 8.58,754 147,728 ,1881 1543,1 14 24,0(K) 4(»1,034 69,782 28,780 14,524 m^m 108,900 1882 816,872 31,017 420.189 68,729 18,4.5(i 22,9f8 755/)17 123,304 1S83 254,827 35,217 378,720 52,071 43,,83i) 30,700 677,380 117,998 The bulk of these exports is composed of lish. The details are not giTeii in the Tahlen of Trade and Navigation, but the following information, furnished to the Department of Marine in 1871 and applying exclusively to the port of Gaspe, jshows that iish forms the greater portion of these exports : < 'mmmmm mrnmmnmnA^i,^-^ OASPESIA 127 ■c '^ *«. •^ c^ >-* ■;. ^- V n^ T*». Co cc c** ^^ •* • c ^^ Ci ? '^ I I 1 Value. vy^- '^ 12 « i :c ->5 «T< 3. 1 s '1 ?5| 2* i --c-.^j^r: -., c2^ .>. iS'^?]^ 1 ii r^""' 3: O zc ! \\^z:i^ ui ■^ *— « «-. y. *- I/. X. ■/: ■ ■ cr. I c c 6 ':$^ ' ' N - w . K •5 • "5 • ■ rt a : r* ' cs o S C3 eS - « : -^ 1 -5 : •—1 y-* Jl"? : g c _1 ^ ■ a '" ^ e c 2 '* • • » = -3 3 S-3 i- S C --3 d i s^^ £/: . M *■" u. t—l^ n /-* i5 !* -«— I c *-* ^ O CC 1^ '• ?? 'X o ^ ar- o ■^ 3: •— * . ,.^ •* -*-^ ■J. ■t- o »-( o *-* 'rc !-( X ^— ( ^— -o S i- F^ rt g F^^ Sw ^ -<♦* 1^ ^^tx -c 1. o t— 1 -J ■ ■ . ■ri <" C . i ailed r c S 1 « t ac„ S*"' ic "C 5 w S • : P S! 5 u ' • H - o ; — i 2 ■4- ► ■ 1- -1 4 1 ) 1 "3 = it 3 '- 9 128 GASPESIA " This statement is believed to be as correct as possible, the merchants and others having supplied all the information in their power. The value indicated represents the average value at Gaspe. Still the statement does not exhibit the real exports of the year as, besides the iish, «^c., exported abroad, our merchants fonvard a consider- able quanlily of dry cod to Halifax whence it is shipped during' the winter to theWest Indies and BraziU for their own account ; moreover, a large fji{an- tity of dry and green fish, of cod and. of whale oil, is foriaarded to Quebec and Montreal. In addition to this, it is estimated that, owning to the loss of several ships, at least 26,00u quintals ot dry cod will remain over this winter at the port of Gaspe. " With regard to the imports, it is difficult to to procure details, but their value may be safely estimated at ^132,0iK) for the current year and this amount w^ould be still higher but for the loss of a ship and general cargo bound for this port. Many articles, of which there is a large consumption here, such as boots, shoes, dry goods, clothing, which were formerly imported ^ovci England, now nearly all come to ns from the JDominion. No estimate of the amount of the pur- chases of these goods of Canadian manufacture, or of the coasting trade done on our shores, can be obtained as the customs do not keep track of them ; but two or three years ago the value of the coasting trade entered inwards at this port exceeded $286,000. At that time, Nova i. m- GASPE8IA 129 Scotia and New-Brunswick were not united to Canada ; but the imports from those provinces- were important and the above amount, almost in its entirety, represents the value of products and manufactured goods coming from Quebec and Ontario or of merchandize imported by Canadian merchants. Fish exported J rom New Carlisle in 1871. Sort offish Destination Quantity Value Total value Cod 'Iry, qts England do do Son'li Anieilc 1. do do Bnizil do do Bull la do (lo Naples do do Oporto do do West Indies do do ITnllod States.. . ((Mi,T.T) q'K.) Cod green, do l'>arl)}idoes (1) do Na k's dr> do South Ajiu.rica. do i!o Oporuj do do Englad (595 qts-) Balmon, brls. United States. .. do do Barbadoes do do England (7 harroLs) Herri rg, do ,.. England do do Naples do do South America . do do "West Indies do d > TTni ted St at ox . (.')377 bari(>^«j) Herrinirsmoked.brls.lTnitOil Sta'<' (;,9i3 $ 28,430.01) 2S,212 126,860.00 2,!»l:} 14,.500.00 1,4().{ 64,500.00 >,,fl81 .1,410.00 1,718 6,990.00 10,158 42,529.00 ■W 1,388.00 10.00 21 120.00 4 18.00 2 12.00 502 2,;J93.()0 2 2 3 1,731 ■.m 181 469 2 613 18 Fish oil England .1'j,828 Seal skin ■ 80 .$2G1, 607.00 2,>j3.00 32.00 32.00 1,050.00 545.00 1,408.00 5,288.00 5.00 17,821.00 80.(»{) 13,.521.00 5.00 17,901.00 $29,'ir6l8.C0 I 130 GASPESIA Let us complete these data by the uavig'atiou table tor the period comprised between 1868 and 1883 : 0:A««l'ft NEW-C. vur.raiiK I'KRCii: Arrival Snrilcd .1* •riv'.'d H< liiof Ar rived Sailed No. To.M. No. T ;•. No. T n. No. Toil. No. T.)'i. N.\ Ton. WiH ;!'» "),lir) .•u ■•'..U") »s (i,.'>i)N r») (i,41)l IHfiO ^5 (),;i:i;) i ) :').:5ijl 21 7,4.VJ (ji S,(),i'{ 1870 r,{ O^S-)! 51 (),(L>ti fli s,712 01 7,408 H7I -.1 7,817 -iii O.Hiv) .T.I 7,!K'; !i i ^,482 1872 r,f 8,:V22 5) 7,B'>i ;").") s,52s -*l 4 ti,;jI2 IS7;5 ii .s.Sil ! > 7,:U:; r,-i 7.Sltl 77 0,818 18 2,1)80 11 1,174 1.S71 ( 1 s^B?:} •J7 S»,171» !2 t) iK)0 52 9,255 IS 1,578 10 1,^)70 187r> u 0,1 Of) 42 11,171 ;'.'( (i,170 55 f>,14.{ .8 802 8 S«2 1870 ;n -v')!! ;;i 7,7til» M (),;lm 51 7,277 i;{ 2,511 !) 1,59!) 1877 42 i;),8a2 m 9,717 1.3 (i,l80 57 S,;7IIJ 17 2,041 1.] 2,699 1818 :!1 ■-'i PA 0,071) 5") 9,1.'/) 72 12,()f)S U l,87o 8 S9I 1870 ;!•") i,,i)j.» :!() r),!'!*-; "■.) u»,i.-;j m 11,108 !) 751 8 7(>-5 18»> .'iS 7,s:)S U) 7,58!) ;i8 r),8i)2 47 0,()1I 15 1,01;^ i 719 1881 ',-,•1 7,;j {»,0«) 1> l,ii21 7 mi ISH2 .SL* il.JlMi ;is •'{,;>i)H .'^7 ,->,f);57 fil 11,280 11 i,7ua 1 701 isan ■ l,i.' M-t'J -' !\7l)_' •'!."> n,!l7:l •5") ^/)44 21 7,2Ul) 7 2,077 nu' port ot • Per ce was established only in l8To. These iigures apply solely to \'essels coming* I'roui or going- abroad, or in other words the out- side maritime trade. The coasting trade, at the three ports under review, is very much larger, as indicated by the following table lor the year 1882: J8 73 ■.m,m 124 Totals., m Arrived. J2i) Kuiled 11!) Tot n Is. Stf.i.m 101 (irund total. MX) §,4S7 o,06M J 1 ,.V> ) (ifi.lfi? ti7,7.'>-' 2(M lt)6 400 240 44,217 47,770 iil,«tK7 14,:}-li) 2(),9ia h4,i)H7 112,1H« By adding- the coasting to the Ibreign trade, the I'ollovving iigaresare obtained as regards the movenjent of the maritime trade of the three ports of Gaspe, Perce and New Carlisle : A't' ruber <>J' vcsscl.i Aiiivtd. Sailed .., i'AH Toiinage 113,:^ lll,H8.i These ditferent tables clearly demonstrate that the trade of Gaspesia is possessed of real impor- tance. Bat, properly speaking, the exports consist of fish alone. There are occasionally a few mixed cargoes shipped of fish, shingles, grains, and other articles to the West Indies ; but fish is by far the heaviest item of export. These mixed cargoes arc nearly always readily and 132 GASPESIA profitably disposed of iu the markets to which they are forwarded. In return, the small ships engaged in this trade take cargoes of molasses, sugar and other West Indian products generally for the Canadian ports. It is obA'ious that all these return cargoes would be discharged at G-aspc and New Carlisle, if those ports were connected by a railway with the great inland trade centres of the country. This railway, w^hich would connect with the Intercolonial in the neighborhood of Metapedia or of Campbell- town, would also inevitably have for effect to create an immense export trade from the port of G-aspe and especially from that of New Car- lisle, as will be seen further on. CHAPTER XI THE PORT OF rASPEBIAC— BAY DES CHALEURS RAILWAY — ITS IMPORTANCE VllOM THE DOUBLE STANDPOINT OF TRADE AND COLONIZATION What the Province of Quebec has chiefly lacked until now to give it first rank Ironi the standpoint of the transit trade, has been ^ permanent sea port, or, in other words, one MHWUl OASPESIA 133 o-pen to ocean navigation ui winter as well as in summer. During the latter season, the fine highway of the St. Lawrence is unrivalled and unquestionably otters Hie greatest advantages for the exportation of the agricultural produce of the West ; but the moment the winter sets in. the ports of Quebec and Montreal are blockaded with ice. and the immense Western trade is obliged to take the route of the United States to reach ocean navigation in the American seaports. In other words, our railways, lose a great portion of the Western traffic because -in the Province we have no seaport accessible in winter by rail and navigation. ' WelL this winter port is to be had in Paspo- biac, on the Bay des Chaleurs, and it is only necessary to build a hundred miles of railway to secure all its advantages. Contrary to the erro- neous idea, which is unfortunately too wide, spread on the subject, the navigation of the Bay des Chaleurs — which may be styled the Medi- terranean of Canada — is without any serious obstruction in winter— at all events, on the side of the Province of Quebec. As far as Paspebiac and even further going westward, the surface of the sea is always free from ice and presents no obstacle to the progress of a ship, and espe- cially of a steamship. To any one entertaining any doubt on this head, we would recommend the perusal of the report made in 1H74 by a If p I' 134 GASPESIA select committee appointed to enquire as to the shortest route " for the conveyance of mails and passengers between Canada and Europe, and to find on Canadian shores a harbor open in winter as well as summer to be the terminus of the shortest route. " This committee had for its chairman, Hon. Mr. Eobitaille, since Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Quebec and then member for Bonaventure. After hearing the evidence of the most competent witnesses this committee reported on the head of Paspebiac as follows : " The port of Paspebiac situated on the north side of the Bay des Chaleurs, presents all the advantages of a first class harbor, being, accord- ing to the evidence, open at all seasons. " After examination of the merits and draw- backs of the harbor of Paspebiac, your com- mittee deemed it advisable to procure all the information possible on the navigation of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. " According to the evidence of Col. Farijana, based upon careful hydrographic studies, it appears that the southern and western portions are navigable at all seasons. " It was denionrtrated tc your committee that the arctic ice that passes into the gulf through the straits of Belle-Isle is carried to the north of Anticosti at the rate of half a mile an hour : that ■MHR (lASPESIA the ice of the river fSt. Lawrence follows the southern shore of the same island at the rate of two miles an hour ; that the current of the river, which is the strongest, forces the polar ice towards the south coast of Newfoundland and thus leaves free, as just stated, tho southern and eastern portions of the Gulf " The evidence of Col. Farijana was very posi- tive and favorable to the port of Paspebiac : 'Ihe Gulf of St, Lawrence, mya he, beins^ navig'ab/e at all seasons, it is evident that Paspebiac pre- sents the greatest amount of advantage : by its geographical position, Canada entirely controls it. It is nearer to the great centres of- Canada than Halifax or Louisburg. From the commer- cial point of view, it is preferable, because the connection by rail would not be so long and consequently because the whole trip would be less costlv- It is right to remark that Col Farijana's evi- dence is not based on theory, but on practical experience. That gentleman, in fact, had navi- gated the gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay des Chaleurs in winter. At tiie time of the Trent affair, in 1801, he spent the winter in the capa- city of hydrographic engineer on board an American cruiser in the gulf to prevent vessels of the Southern Confedv :acy from taking refuge there to prey upon the merchant vessels of the mmmmmm wmmmmm 136 GASPESIA North. The ship on board of which was Col. Farijana actually cruised throughout the Grulf without any more difficulty than in summer, which fully proves that the imaginary difficul- ties spoken of some times are only dreams, whose folly can be easily established. The result will be the same in the case of winter naviga- tion as ii) was in the case of that of summer ; it was long pretended that the latter was imprac- ticable, but experience has given the lie to this absurd pretension and the twenty-two lines of steamships, not including the sailing ves- sels, which run between the ports of lilurope and those of Quebec and Montreal, attest in a tangible way enough that the highway of the Gulf of St. Lawrence otters no obstacle whatever and constitutes one of the finest oceanic lines of navigation imaginable. And yet, the navigation of the Bay des Cha- leurs is still easier, being unobstructed by islands, rocks or shoals and approachable almost everywhere by a vessel to within a few acres of the shore without fear of reefs ; in fine, it can be navigated like the open sea, with the sole difterence that the waves and the winds are lighter. And be it noted in passing that by the route of the Bay des Ohaleurs, the dangerous currents of the Bay of Fundy, Cape Sable and other critical spotd which strew with wrecks the route followed by vessels frequenting the GASPESlA 137 American ports are avoided. This consideration alone should be sufficient to establish the supe- riority of the Bay des Chaleurs rout3. But there is another still more important, the shortening of the distance between the ports of G-reat Britain and those of Canada. Taking- Montreal as the point of comparison, the M- lowing results are obtained : From Li verp(X)l to Paspeblac, navigation. . . . From Paspgbiac to Metapedia, by railway Bay desChaleui-ii, building i()o mi!".s From Metapedia to tii'j Cluu.diere jimctiou by tlie I:itLM-eo!onial 2!it •' From tlie Cii i idiOre j.inctio:i to Montreal, by Grand Trunk — . . ., kj:} '< From Liveri)rK) to Montr at, vid P.Kspobiac " LiverpDol to Halifax, navigation " Halifax to the Chaud Ore Janctio;i by tiie Intercolonial. ...„ 680 miles From tlie ChaudlOre Junction to Montreal, by the Grand Trunk •,,. 103 " Fror.i Liverpool to Montreal, vUl Ha ifax 2,rm ml 'w 2,m 8ia ♦* Liverpool to Portland, navigation " Portland to Montreal, by the Gran I - Trunk , From Liverpool to Montreal, vid Portland (1) 2,7m 297 ;i,09S That is to say, that the Paspebiac route is 25 miles shorter than that by Portland and 255 miles shorter than that by Halifax. * (I) Figure o^ti^blished by Hnndford Fleming. 138 GASPESIA Taking the average speed cf steamers and passenger trains, the following figures are obtained: Hours of Navigation Railway ByPaspebiac 156.25 22.75 ,. 174.75 , 12.00 .. 155.70 33.75 '< Portland., " Halifax... Total 179.00 186.75 188.75 In the duration of the trip, the Paspebiac route is therefore shorter by 7.75 hours than that of Portland and 9.75 hours than that of Halifax, a gain of considerable importance as regards the conveyanee of mails and passengers. The port of Paspebiac thus occupies an excep-^ tionally ftivorablq position from every point of' view and it is of the greatest importance th:it it should be placed in constant communication, in winter as -^ ell as in summer, w^th the great cities of Canada in order to retain for the Cana liau railways the trathc which now takes the route of the American ports. For this purpose, it is sim- ply necessary to build the railway link of i\\^i Bay des Chaleurs, only 100 miles long, between Paspebiac and Metapedia. From the standpoint of the transit as of the interprovincial trade, this Bay des Chaleurs rail- way is absolutely essential and its construction will satisfy a pressing and much felt want. It will open to the western provinces a new OASPESIA "^9 seaport and to the varied products of the Bay d3s Chalears — that Mediterranean of Canada — the markets of Quebec, Montreal, Toronto and Win- nipeg. As it is, a large portion of the sea fish consumed in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba romes to us from the United States. In 1882, these imports amounted for the three provinces to 7,509,253 lbs or 3,753. 55 tons and to a money value of |288,559. These imports were thus divided for each province : Cod, haddock. Ontario Quebec Manitoba ling 1,691,710 lbs $ 71,8% ^.187,480 lbs $122,21K) 10t,6«0 lbs $2,rm Herring . . Mackerel. Other fish. Lob^iters. .Salmon . . . 6.58,1{»9 " l33,S8o " 0,537 " 5,806 " 22.5,^00 " l"),'2t»fi 4,787 515 39S 21,7(11 88,727 19,{>(};i 145,218 {>7,;{10 2,f!4;J mi i,3(a 10,51K) 40,869 49,969 l,28(i 8,8;^8 39,270 Totals. ... 3,723,492 " $117,153 3,5.3.8,701 " $ 61,405 241,987 1,139 1,706 182 844 3,112 $8,001 A large portion of this fish is taken in our own waters, conveyed to the American markets, and thence sent to ours. Why should we not ourselves realize the profits derivable from this trade ? All fish, especially salmon, abound in the Bay des Chaleurs and the waters surround- ing G-aspesia ; what is wanted is a means of rapid transport. Well, with the Bay des Cha- leurs railway, connecting with the Intercolonial, we would secure this means of transport and could do this trade ourselves ; we would still fur- ther increase it and get our fish cheaper, fresher and of better c|uality" We have especially need m GASPESIA of this road for the forwarding of the large quan- tities of dry and salt fish required for the con- sumption of the ever increasing populations of Manitoba and the North West. Before many years our fishermen of Gaspesia would find among these populations an extensive and most advantageous market. This would compensate for the ground they are losing a little in certain markets of Europe where the Norwegian fisher- men, who have of late years learned how to properly cure cod, are beginning to give them a competition not easily overcome. And from the moment that the railway will open this outlet to our fishermen, it will be easy to keep it sup- plied, as our fisheries are inexhaustible and capable of yielding much more than their actual product. From this point of view, the Bay des Chaleurs railway is a truly national undertaking. In the first place, it \vould give a new stimulus to our fisheries and, in the second, it would bring a considerable amount of trafiic to the Intercolo- nial and to the Canada Pacific railways, two lines built at Grovernment cost as national enter- prises. The future of the finest portion of Gaspesia depends upon the construction of this railroad. In America, the w^ork of settlement never serious- ly advances except with the development of rail- ^i— — ----^'■'"""''''"^'"'■'" GA8PESIA lit M"- Id. is- il- ways, and the rogion in the neighborhood of the Lay des Chaleurs and the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Metapedia and Gaspe, so well endowed in point of soil and climate, is no exception to this invariable law of progress. Build the Bay des Chaleurs railway and in a few years Gas- pesia will have a population of 100,000 souls ; its forest and agricultural wealth will be utilized and furnish a large contribution to our export trade ; commercial centres will be created ; pro- gress, in fine, will make itself everywhere felt, and Gaspesia will take its rightful place among the most iiourishing sections not only of the Province of Quebec, but even of Canada. Ur> to the present the farming population of the Bay des Chaleurs only increases through the excess of births over deaths and scarcely in- cludes more than a few hundred farmers, who w^ere not born there. This well be quite altered when a railway runs along the caost. All the fine lands it will traverse will become better known ; agricultural products wnll be forwarded to market at all times of the year, in winter as in summer : and then farming will be so profitable that it must necessarily attract a multitude of foreign settlers. European immigrants will be able to reach it with the greatest facility and the moment the first of them settle down there, they well undoubtedly form a nucleus, which will grow from the acces- sion in a large measure of their relatives and U2 OASPESIA friends. Their success would prove an irresis- tible attraction to others. What is actually occurring along the line of the Intercolonial, in the Metapedia Valley, sulhciently foreshadows M'hat ^vould happjii in the richer and more iavorable region traversed by the Bay des Cha- leurs railway. Nev\ Carlisle would, in a few years, become on^ of our leading seaports, in winter as in sum- mer, and then the Bay des Chaleurs railway would incontestibly prove one of the most im])ortant lin.^^ of the Province. This is only a question of lime. CHAPTER XII QWUj. and REwIlrlOUS GOVERNMENT.— CHURCHES AXD SC!H()OLS. For the purposes of civil government, G-aspe- sia is divided into judicial districts and county and local municipalities. The counties of Boiiaventure and Gaspe each form a judicial district distinct from the portion of that reofion included within the limits of the n f4ASPE.SIA 148 county oi" Kimouski. The seat ol the district of Gaspe is at Perce, where the courts are held and all their officials reside. The chef-Hen of the dis- trict of Bonaventure is at New-Carlisle. It must be said to the credit of the Gaspesians that they do not afford much occupation for the officers of justice civil or criminal, as the volume of busi- ness of this kind in Gaspe and Bonaventure, is scarcely sufficient to modestly support five or six lawyers. The county mvmicipality is managed by the county council, which is composed of the mayors of the local municipalities The chairman of this council is the W' arden of the county. This council sits only seldom and deals only with business of "-eneral interest to the countv. There ■.T3 •# is a council for each of the counties of Bona- venture and Gaspe and the remainder of Gas- pesia is under the administrative control of the county council of Rimouski. The local municipality, that is to say, the parish or township municixxility, is managed by seven councillors, w^hose chairman is styled the mayor, elected by the ratepayers of the parish or township. This council deals with the subject of roads and all cjuestions of police and local government. In 1880, there were 12 municipal- ities in the county of Bonaventure and 1(> in that of Gaspe. 1 144 aASPESIA The school administration is under the con- trol of school commissioners and trustees, who collect the school taxes and see to everything relatinor to the schools. These commissioners and trnstees are elected by the ratepayers, ) thus wield an indirect control over the mo. ys they contribute for the purposes of public education. In G-aspesia, as in all other parts of the Pro- vince of Quebec, primary education is compul- sory in the sense that every citizen must con- tribute to the maintenance of the schools, by means of a small tax levied on their real estate and yielding an amount equal to the G-overn- ment school grant to each municipality. Each head of a family must further pay a mon '^ly fee, varying from twenty five cents to -o francs, for each child of school age (from se.en to fourteen vears) whether that child attends school or not. The public moneys set apart ibr education are apportioned in proportion to the population and to the number of pupils attending each primary or other educational institution. Forty thousand francs are appropriated annually for the support of schools in poor municipalities, so that persons who can barely live are not troubled for their school contributions. In dissenting municipalities, where the popu- dASPESlA 146 lation are of different religious creeds, it is the religious majority that governs. But if the reli- gious minority is not satisfied with the school administration, in whatever affects it more specially, it has only to make choice of three trustees to manage its own schools, and to notify the chairman of the commissioners of its dissent. Thenceforward, the minority's schools take the name of dissenting schools and the trustees are clothed in regard to them with the same powers as the commissioners in regard to the schools of the majority. The commissioners, however, con- tinue to collect the rates from the whole muni- cipality, but subject to hand over to the tru5tc«=^s the amount levied from the dissenting ratepayers together with their proportion according to num- ber of +he public grant. Thaii H to these guarantees, the minority, be it Cath« 'c or ] rotestant, has never occasion to fear any oppression ; and absolute harmony has ncA^er ceased to reign between the different religious persuasions. The revenue of the school commissioners is derived from three sources : taxes, monthly fees, and the Grovernment grant. The taxes are levied on the real estate. The monthly fees constitute a tax paid for each child of suiiicient age to go to school. These taxes are almost insignificant, as may be gathered from the following figures 5 146 OASPESIA showing the amount of school receipts coming from each source of rerenue : Jionaventurc Qaspi Assessments.... $10,605.80 $10,420.67 Monthly fee^ ,... 2,488.39 647.55 Government grant 3,823.29 1,918.29 $10,887.48 $12j8t<6.5l These Iwo totals fotra $29,^^3.99 ; but of this only $24,032.41 were paid by the ratepayers, $13,06'*.19 by those of Bonaventure and $10^ 968.22 by those of Grasp6, These different sums were expended in the support of 139 schools, 105 Catholic and 34 Protestant, attended by 600 pupils. All these figures are taken from the report of the Superintendent of Public InUruction f(w the year 1881-82. It is impossible to furnish the details for the portion of Gaspesia included in Rimouski, as the report only gives the totals for the whole county. But, in any case, the fore- going details show that the facilities for elemen- tary education are not lacking in Gc'^.spesia, as there is one school to every 43 pupils, and that this education does not cost the inhabitants dear, as they pay for it only 52 cents per head iD Gaspe and 69 cents in Bonaventure, where the schools are very well kept, thanks to the zeal of the population in all that relates to the education of their children. Next, as regards the religious service, the OASPEslA 147 Catholic parish priests are supported iii certain places by tithes, amounting to the twenty sixth of the grain and potato crops. Gaspesia form.s part of the episcopal diocese of Rimouski, whicli is presided over by His Lordship Bishop Jean Langevin, whose episcopal seat is in the town of Rimouski. The Catholic ciergy of Graspesia consists of about 100 priests. 'The ministers of Protestant worship are supported by the contritmtions of members of their own congregations and by assistance from certain associations formed in the great cities to help in this way congregations who are too poor or too small to support a minister solely at their own expense. It is only necessary to add that the cost of worship and religious service is com- paratively trilling both on Catholics and Protes- tants. From the standpoint of religious beliefs, the population of Gaspesia is divided as follows according to the census of 1881 : Bonaventure Uaspf liimouski Gaspesia ^^"1""'^'^ •• ia,«77 17.7r>5 16,725 48,&37 ^^SMci^^H 2,m 9.,m 15 4 734 Methodists m 319 147 W PreHbytcrlent. 2,070 43 885 3,078 Other necLs m 32 15 \m 1M,1K>8 20,(585 17,2«t7 SThOO That is to say, that the Catholic population forms 85 per cent of the whole population. 148 t*ASPfiSlA All these data show that, in the matter of civil and religious government, Gaspesia enjoys a complete organization and wants for noth- ing. The European, who emigrates to that region so favored by nature, is certain to lind Ihere all ho needs for the protection of his rights, i'le practice of his religion and the education of his children. CHAPTER XIII. HETTLEMENT LANDS — MODE OF PURCHASE- FREE GRANTS. It has bi^en stated that Gaspesia has a super- ficial area of 10,783.7^ miles or 6,900,941 acres. Of all this territory, acv^ording to the census of 1881, but ()66,115 acres were occupied and 174,- 300 acres under tillage ; consequently there remain still 0,234,820 acres to be taken up and 0,020,035 acres to be opened to tillage. As may be seen, there still remaiiio space euoufth for a popu- lation of more than 100,000 souls, after elimina- ting all the land not really advantageous. The price of Government land varies from 20 to 30 cents per acre. The acre is a little larger than the French arpent, about au eleventh more, OASPESIA 149 and a little less than a hectare, being equal to the 0,404671 of the hectare. The conditions of sale are the same for the immigrant as the Canadian settler and thv3 formalities to be fulfillei very simple. Any one wishing to acquire a lot of land has only to apply, personally or in writing, to the Crown Lands agent of the locality where he proposes to settle and to deposit with him a fifth of the price of the lot ; whereupon he will receive irom the agent a conditional deed of sale bearing his oflicial signature. The principal conditions of this sale are as follow : To pay cash one fifth of the pure base price and the balance in four equal annual instal- ments, bearing interest at the rat^ of six per cent per annum ; to take possession of the land sold within six months from the date of sale and to reside upon it either in person or by his repre- Fentatives during at least two years counting from that date ; in the course of the first four years to clear and bring under cultivation at least ten acres for each hundred acres ancj. to build thereon a dwelling hovise of at least IG feet by 20. The sale is only lield io be perfect when all the foregoing conditions have been complied with, when it is ratified by n^eans of letters patent which are issued tq the settler free of ^r^m^K^^^ , 150 GASPESIA charge. These letters patent can in uo case issue before the expiration of the two years of occu- pation or the fulfillment of the above conditions, even when the price of the land has been paid in full. It is the duty of agents to instruct the settler as to the quality of the different lands situated within their agencies and to sell the lots, at the prices fixed by the Governeraent, to the first applicants. Not more than 200 acres can be sold to the same person ; but the head of a family can purchase lots for his sons. The free gant lands are situated along the four great roads offering excellent means of com- munication to settlers. These roads are : lo The road from Malanc to Capc-Challe, which skirts the south shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, traverses the townships of St. Denis, Cherbourg, Dalibairc and Komieu, in the county of Rimouski, and the township of Cape Chatte, in the county of Gaspe. There are 208*? acres of land along this road offered as free grants. The agent to ^ /horn application must be madp for them is George Sylvain. of I^imouski. 2" The Maritime road, which is a prolongation of the last, runs to Fox river. This road traverses the seigniory of St. Anne des Monts, the town- shii)s oi Tourelle, Christie, Duchesnay the seig- ^iiory of M^unt Lovps, i}\e tov/nship of f^scj^e: OASPESIA 151 reau, the seigniory of la Madeleiue, the town- ship of Denoue, the seigniory of Grande-Yalh'ie- des-Mbnts, the township of Chloridorme, the seigniory of L'Anse-de-l'Etang, the township of Sydenham and a portion of the township of Fox River, all in the county ofGraspe. Along this road, there are 18,t50 acres of free grant lands. The agents to whom aj)plication must be made are W. H. Annett, who resides at dnspe Basin, and Louis Roy, who lives at Cape Ohatte. 3" Tlie Kempt road, which starts from the river Ristigouche, traverses the townships of Risti- gouche, Assemetquagan, Casupscul, Lepage, the seigniory of Metapedia, the township of Cabot, and ends at Metis on the St Law^rence. Along this road, there are 11,119 acres of free grant lands. To secure them application should be made to the agents, George Sylvain.at Rimouski, and Wm Maguire, at New Carlisle. 4" The Metapedia road, which starts from St. Flavie on the St. Lawrence, traverses the town- ship of Cabot, the seigniory of Lake Metapedia, the tow^nships of Lepage, Casupscul, Assamet- quagan and Ristigouche and terminates at the confluence of the Metapedia and Ristigouche rivers. Along this road, there are 12,806 acres offered as free grants. Application must be made for them to the agents, George Sylvain, at Rimouski, and Wm. Maguire, at New-Carlisle, mmmimmmmmmtmm ill 152 OASPESIA The number of acres set apart for free grants is actually 51,762 and power is given to the Lieutenant Governor in council to increase it, if necessary. The Crown Lands agent for each region, so long as any free grant lots remain at his disposal, is bound to accord a location ticket for a hundred acres to every one applying for the same provided the api)licant be of the requisite age, that is to say, eighteen years. Within one month from the date of this ticket the grantee must take posseesion under pain of being deprived of his right. On the expiration of his fourth year of possession, if he has built a dwelling house on his lot and brought twelve acres under tillage, he is entitled to his letters imtent, free of charge, and becomes the absolute proprietor. The lands offered for sale and already surveyed at the cost of the Grovernnient form an area of 1,060,453 acres, 373,587 of which are in the county ol Kimouski, 248,132, in that of Graspe and 444,734 in that of Bonaventure. These figures are taken from the Settler's Guide, edition of 1880, published by the Crown Lands' Department. These lands of Gaspesia, more particularly those in the neighborhood of the Bay des Cha- leurs, offer ertraordinary advantages to the settler as well as to the immigrant from Europe. This fact is established by Mr. Alexander J. Russell, one the best informed and most compe- i i f i eASf»E8lA 158 tent men : " The county of Bonaventuro, says he, and the Eistigouche river region, on account of their superiority of soil and climate, but particur larly owing to their excellent position as regards communication with Europe, offer as many advantages for settlement as do the Eastern Townships and almost as many as the best portions of the Ottaw^a country. " Tlxe soil of Bonaventure county ^s a rich loam, free from rocks, even upon the plateaus which form the mountain tops, audit is only in spots, w^here the declivity is too great for ploughing, that it is not arable. It produces heavy crops of spring wheat, oats (1) and barley far superior as regards the yield per acre and the quality to those obtained in the counties bord- ering on the St. Lawrence. " The soil of the county of Gaspe is the same. The fisheries of this county are very precious. " I noticed that the inland region as far as the St. Lawrence along the line later on adopted by Major Robinson for the route of the Intercolonial railway, is in general arable and fertile, and this estimate is based upon actual tests in turning up the soil over a distance of a hundred miles, during the time I was directing the construction works of the railway. (l) The avcmge weiglit cf the oats is 43 ll»s. to the measured bushel. 154 OASt^ESlA " This region is the healthiest and most picttl- tesque portion of all Canada. The winter tem- perature is from ten to fifteen degrees warmer than that of Quebec, while in summer its rich valleys and lofty hills are refreshed by the soft breezes from the sea. " The rivers are uninterruptedly navigable for large flat ])oats towed by horses, from their mouths to the neighborhood of their sources, and then between the ports of this region and those of Europe, the rate of freight is one dollar less per ton than from Quebec, while on its shores, all the industries of sea and land are offered to the enterx^rise of the settler. " The deeds of sale of these lands include the following conditions : 1" The purchaser must take possession of the land sold within six months counting from the date of purchase and continue to reside upon and occupy it ; 2^ in the course of four years at the furthest, he must clear and bring under cultivation at least ten acres for each hundred acres and erect thereon a dwelling house of at least sixteen by twenty feet ; 3" before the issue of the patent, no timber is to be cut except to clear the land and for fuel, buildings and fencing, and any timber cut in violation of this condition is regarded as having been cut without license on the public lands ; 4o No transfer of the purchaser's rights will be (USt>ESiA 15.^ I tecognized in any case wherein there has been default in the fulfillment of any of the condi- tions of sale ; 5« the letters patent issue, in no case, before the expiration of the two years of occupa- tion and the fulfillment of all the conditions, even when the full price of the land has been paid ; 6'' the purchaser binds himself to pay for all useful improvements belonging to others than himself that may be found on the land ; ^^ The sale is made subject to the licenses to cut timber actually in force. These conditions are most liberal and, when settlers are in good faith and industrious, the Government gives them every possible facility to comply with them and shows itself anything but exacting in regard to the punctuality or regularity of the payments on the purchase price. It is consequently very easy to acquire a vast property in Gaspesia'. Thus, a father of a family, who has4wo big boys, can secure a slice to the extent of i*00 acres, 200 for himself and as much more for each of his sons, the whole for |120 or $180, as the land nearly every where sells at from 20 to 30 cents per acre. In the free grant districts he can obtain this domain absolutely for nothing. And these lands are fertile and as easy as they are profitable to cultivate. " There is no doubt — scys Commander I^avoie — that the counties of Gaspe and Bonaventure would be today- the wealthiest in the country if the opulent mer- 156 OASl»ESlA chant and the poor fisherman had formerly understood, as they now understandthe impor- tance both for themselves and the nation at large of working* their fi\rms in themselves so eminently good and so easily enriched, thanks to the abundance of manures. The population of that part of the country, in tvhu'h ten acres of land are enough to support a num- merous family^ while one hundred acres do not always suffice in the neighborhood of the cities, are poor owing to their aversion for field labors- Experience w411 show the Oaspesians that by agriculture they can acquire a competency " and he might have added, without exaggeration, wealth. " This region — he remarks in his report for 1876 — with its coast line of 224 miles, every- where ofters the greatest advantages possible for fishing. The soil, which is equal to that of the best lands that can be found in the country, possesses advantages which are met with no- where else and the settler can extract from the land as well as the sea an abundant food supply and groio rich in a few years, if he knows how to suitably divide his time between his fields and his fishing pursuits." In fact, if the settler in Gaspesia proceed methodically and share his time properly be- tween xarming and fishing, so as to devote him- self to the latter only when his farm work does not require his attention^ he can make a good ' m OASPESIA 157 deal of money in a very short time, A large proportion of the fishermen, by neglecting the cultivation of their farms, are unable to support themselves except by spending all their receipts from fishing : but if they were to pay attention to their cultivation, their farms would maintain them in comfort and their earnings from the fisheries, during the slack seasons, would con- stitute a surplus each year which they could set aside and thus accumulate a nice little fortune. An industrious and intelligent farmer can in the course of a summer and fall make each year from $250 to $300 by fishing, without in the least nefflectini? his farm. Is there any other locality which can offer the same amount of advantage to the settler and the European immigrant ? There is a class of people in Europe who in particular would succeed well in Gaspesia: the people who inhabit the coasts of Ireland and Brittany. These people live by farming and fishing and both pursuits they understand per- fectly. But the holdings which they farm are comparatively small and barren and the fisheries they work are poor in contrast with those of Gaspesia. With the same amount of hard work which they have to impose upon themselves to eke out amiserable livelihood there in poverty and hardship, is it not obvious that here they would 15^ ttASt»t!:SlA live in abundance and soon acquire a handsome patrimony ? It is always painful, no doubt, to abandon one's native county ; and ancestral memories and family traditions constitute so many ties that are only broken with a pang ; but if they only looked forward to the future, if they only contemplated the wellbeing to be secured for their children by abandoning their barren coasts and settling in a region so rich in natural resources as Gaspesia, these hardy folk Would not long hesitate about iiaking their choice and consummating the sacrifice. They would be welcomed witl open arms as brothers by the good population of Graspesia, w^hosc mild and peaceful manners, honesty and generous hospitality, have almost become proverbial. This popt»lation are sympathetic as much towarus strangers as towards their own and a good man is always received by them with the warmest cordiality, no matter what his language, natio- nality or creed. aH OASPESIA 159 CHAPTER XIV HOW AND WHEN TO REACH OASPESIA. From Nova Scctia, New Brunswick and the western portion of the Province of Quebec, the access to Gaspesia is of the easiest, especially during the season of navigation. As already stated, there are several lines of steamers that keep up communication with it. From Quebec there is the Quebec line which runs twice a month between Montreal and Quebec, on the one hand, and Metis, Graspe, Perce and other ports in the Bay des Chaleura, on the other. The Beaver y which is owned by Mr. Alexander Fraser, also runs between Quebec and all the ports of Gaspesia, especially those in the Bay des Cha- leurs, which it ascends as far as Paspebiac. The rates of passage on both lines are low. All parts of Gaspesia can further be reached at all times from Quebec by schooner for a trifle. The Intercolonial railway, which runs from Quebec to St. John and Halifax the two great ports of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, tra- verses the western portion of Gaspesia, and gives easy access to it at all seasons of the year. It is a first class road in every respect and its manage- ment, which is under the control of the Cana- dian Government itself, is absolutely all that mmmm' 160 OASPESIA could he desired. At Campbelltown (and soon at Dalhousie) the Intercolonial connects with line of steamers which is subsidized hj a the Government and runs to all places on the shores of the Bay des Chaleurs as far as Gaspe and, by this route, these different places may be speedily reached at . b'ght cost. For places situate in the northern part of Gaspesia, the passenger leaves the railway at Eimouski or at Metis and performs the rest of the journey by waggon. Between Europe and Gaspesia, the voyage is easily made. Several lines of steamships run between the ports of Great Britain and those of Quebec and Halifax. The two best lines are the Allan and the Dominion lines, which have agencies in Paris, as well as in all the chief cities of Ireland, Scotland and England. The boats of the Allan line sail from Liverpool and Glasgow, generally put into Londonderry, and then proceed directly to Quebe(; in summer and to Halifax in winter. From either of these tw^o ports, immigrants can reach Gaspesia by the routes already indicated. The steamers of the Domini j:. line also run between Liverpool and Quebec in summer, so that during that season they are as advantageous for immigrants pro- posing to settle in Gaspesia afs those of the Allan line. The passage between the English ports and Quebec and Halifax seldom exceeds ten days and, on both these lines, steerage GASPESIA 161 passengers, like all others, are treated with all desirable care and atte^ition. On the arrival of the steamers at Quebec and Halifax, the passeu- gers' baggage is transferred from the wharf to ihe nearest railway station at the cost of the com- panies and free of charge to the passengers. By law, the latter can remain on board forty-eight hours after the vessel's arrival in port, unless the vessel is under contract for the carriage of the mails or must continue its route to reach its destination. The captain is bound to land the emigrants and their baggage on a suitable wharf or landing stage in the port and without extra charge, between sunrise and sunset. The emigrant should arrive in Gaspesia in the beginning of the spring. It is at this period that the fishing season opens and if he have nq other means to live, he can lease a boat and other requisite outfit from the ^reat fish trading houses. These establishments will also advance him the wherewithal to support himself and fiimily. While giving his attention to fishing as an occupation, he can at the same time, if active and industrious,select for himself a piece of land and clear a small portion of it, which he can sow to crop the following spring. This will help to enable him to build a small dwelling house for himself, to complete his establishment. And then living is so easy and so cheap in Gaspesia ! An acre of land sown to vegetables and potatoe§ 162 GASPESIA is able to supply the consumx^tion of a numerous family and the se? is always there, with its excellent fish of all kinds, to furnish its share of the family's food requirements. Vegetables, pota- toes, and excellent fish in abundance, these are already a good deal and. the emigrant can pro- ci^re them with the slightest exerlion. During the winter, he can make for himself a boat, nets, &c., and in twelve or fifteen months after his arrival he will find himself almost as far advanced, almost as well installed, as many people who were born in the place or have lived there a long time. In any case, he is certain to find in fishing a means of support for his family in modest comfort from his very arrival. CONCLUSIONS. I All the information given in this sketch has been weighed with care and will bo found to represent things precisely as they are. It proves clearly that Gaspesia offers to the immigrant incontestable advantages, together with the prospect not only of securing a comfortable living, upon his arrival, but of acquiring in a short time a handsome competency, establish- ing his children well and even amassing wealth. How can it be otherwise ? The country abounds in resources and riches of all sorts. The soil is everywhere fertile, easy to till, and, fis so well OASrESIA 163 I said by Commander Lavok\ the equal at least of the best land in the country. The forests are also a source of riches, which only await a favo- rable occasion for development to supply an extensive trade. The fisheries are prolific, easily prosecuted, open to all, and their products always find a sure market, thus yielding a revenue as certain as that derivable from agri- culture and one which for upwards of a century has supported the great majority of the popula- tion and accumulated millions in the coff'ers of the great fish merchants. From eA'ery standpoint, there is uo finer coun- try than Gaspesia and especially that portion of it bordering on the Bay des Chaleurs. Grood roads, cheap and easy means of transport, a climate mild, exceedingly favorable to ajjricul- ture and so healthy that there are not ten medi- cal men in all Gaspesia ; magnificent scenery presenting everywhere the most ravishing landscapes ; churches and schools ; an irreproa- chable system of civil and religions government ; a peaceable, moral, honest and sympathetic pofjulation ; in fine, all that is requisite to make life easy and agreeable — is it possible to desire anything further ? Where are the countries that can olTer more to the European immigrant ? It has often occurred to us to read accounts of travel describing the painful existence led by a jarge partjon of the populations on thie coasts of ^mmmmmi 164 GASPESIA Brittany, Scotland and Ireland. We admire the dauntless endurance, the courage and the energy of these people, and we picture to ourselves in our own mind how happy they would be, how well they would succeed, in G-aspesia, where they could devote themselves to their favorite occupations with so much greater profit ! Per- haps this sketch, if it should come under their eyes, may have the effect of persuading thorn to share these sentiments and attracting them to the beautiful country we have sought to describe for their information, and, in that case, we shall have realized in a large measure our object, for it is esi^ecially for their benefit that we have writteii this little work. Let them come and they will be welcomed as friends, as brothers, by the brave people of Gaspesia ! Of happiriess, comfort and prosperity, they will have all that their hearts can desire, and the future which they shall prepare for their children will soon lead them to forget what thoy may have left behincj on the olher side qf the ocean, i I I TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I Pages Situation — Bouniaries— Extent — General Outline 3 CHAPTER II Topography— Mountains— Rivers— Coast— Principal centre s of trade and population— Watering places 1 1 CHAPTER HI SuperHcial geology -Soils— Extent of different forma- lions ^^ CHAPTER IV Climate— Astronomical po.sition— Winds — Seasons — Mean tempuiatures— Length of the agricultural season- Snow— Rain ^" CHAPTER V Mineralogy —Minerals— Workable deposits 69 CHAPTER VI Forests and forest industries ^^- CUAPTER VII Fisheries- Statistics— Artificial manures ^^ 166 'Table of contents CHAPTER VIII ' Pageg| -Agricultural Industry..*. .,.., 107 CHAPTER IX Roads— Seaporls and Navigation ngi CHAPTER X Trade-Imports and Exports-Tonnage ot different ports— Countries with which trade is done 123 CHAFFER X[ 'I he Port of Paspebiac— Bay des Chaleurs railway— Its JUJportance from the double stanpoint of trade aufi colonization jo., CHAPTER XII Civil and religious government-Churches and schools. 142 CHU'TERXIII Settlement lands -^Mode of purchase-Free grants. ... 148 CflAPrER XIV How and when to reach Oas-pesia 159 Conclusions ,.„ *•" J 63 *f tes 07 19 n 1 23 ^ 32 2