IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) m// ^ ^cr ^ ^^_ 1.0 11.25 g La |2.o 6" HiotogFafto Sciences Corporalion 33 WIST MAIN STMET WIBSTn,N.Y. 14SM (716)t7'i-4S03 CIHM/gCMH Microfiche i 1 Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microraproductions historiquas Technical and Bibliographic Notat/Notas tachniquaa at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta naa attamptad to obtain tha b<*at original copy avaiiabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographicaliy uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara chacitad baiow. D D a D Colourad covara/ Couvartura da coulaur r~~| Covars damagad/ Couvartura andommagte Covars raatorad and/or iaminatad/ Couvartura rastaurte at/ou paliiculAa r~~| Cover title miasing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gtographiquaa en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encra de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) r~| Coloured platea and/or illuatrationk/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Rail A avac d'autrea documents Tight binding may causa shadows or diatortion along interior margin/ Laraiiure sarrte paut cauaer de I'ombre ou de la diatortion la long da la marge intMeure Blank leaveu added during reatoration may appear within the text. Whenever posaible, theae have bean omitted from filming/ II aa paut qua cartaines pagaa blanches ajouttea lore d'une reatauration apparaissent dana la texte, mala, ioraqua cela Atait poaaibia, caa pagaa n'ont pea 4ti film^aa. Additional commanta:/ Commentairea suppMmentairas: L'Institut a microfilmi le meiileur exemplaira qis'ii lui a 4t4 poaaibia da se procurer. Les ditaiis de cet exemplaira qui sont paut-Atre uniquea du point da vua bibliographlqua, qui peuvent modifier une image raproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dana la mithoda normaia da filmage sont indiquis ci-dessous. r~| Coloured pagaa/ D Pagaa da coulaur Pagaa damaged/ Pagea andommagAea Pagaa restored and/oi Pagea reataurAea at/ou pelllcuites Pages diacoloured, stained or foxe< Pagaa dteolortea, tschatiea ou piquAae Pagea detached/ Pagaa dAtochAaa Showthroughy Tranaparence Quality of prir Qualit^ InAgala de I'Smpreaalon Includee supplementary materii Comprend du matiriel auppiimantaira Only edition available/ Seule Mition diaponlbia I — I Pagea damaged/ I — I Pagaa restored and/or laminated/ I — y Pages diacoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pagea detached/ rri Showthrough/ I I Quality of print variea/ I I Includee supplementary material/ I — I Only edition available/ Pagae wholly or partially obacurad by errata slips, tissuaa, etc., hava been refllmad to enaure tha beat poaaibia image/ Lea pagaa totalement ou partlallement obscurcies par un fauillet d'errata, une peiure, etc., ont AtA fllmtea A nouveau da fa^on A obtenir la meiliaura image oossible. Various pagingi. Thia item ia filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est f ilmi au taux da rMuction indiquA ci-deaaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X 2fiX 30X 2i-L —J 12X lex 20X 24X 2tX 32X Th« copy filni«d her* hat b««n raproduoMl thanks to th« ganaroaity of: Library of tha Public Archivas of Canada L'axamplaira fiimi fut raprodult gricr k la g4n4roalt4 da: La bibiiothiqua daa Archivas publiquas du Canada Tha Imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality poaalbia consMarlng tha condition and laglbillty of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract spacificationa. Original coplaa In printad papar covara ara fllmad bagi(in|ng with tha front eovar and anding on tha iaat paga vvith a printad or illuatratad Impraa* •ion, or tha back eovar whan approprlata. All othar original copiaa ara fllmad baglnning on tha f Irat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- •ion, and anding on tha iaat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraaalon. Tha last racordad frama on aach microflcha shall contain tha aymbol -h^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha aymbol V (moaning "END"), whichavar appiiaa. Laa imagaa suhrantaa ont 4t4 raproduitaa avac la piua grand soin, compta tanu da ia condition at da ia nattat* da l'axamplaira film*, at an conformity avac las conditions du contrat da fiimaga. Las axamplalraa originaux dont ia couvartura an papiar aat ImprimAa sont fiimte an commandant par ia pramiar |«iat at an tarminant soit par ia darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'iliustration, soit par la sacorfd plat, aalon la cas. Tous laa autras axampiairas originaux sont filmis an commandant par ia pramiAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'iliustration at an tarminant par ia darnlAra paga qui comporta una taiia amprainta. Un daa aymbolaa suivanta apparattra sur ia darnlAra Imaga da chaqua microfiche, salon ia cas: ia aymbola — *> signifia "A SUiVRE", ia aymbola ▼ aignifia "FIN". IMapa, piataa, charta, ate, may ba fllmad at diffarant raduction ratloa. Thoaa too iarga to ba antlraly includad in ona axpoaura ara fllmad baglnning in tha uppar laft hand cornar, laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framas aa raqulrad. Tha following diagrams iliuatrata tha mathod: Las cartaa, planchas, tablaaux, ate, pauvant Atro fllmte A das tMUx da rMuction diff Arants. Lorsqua la document aat trop grand pour Atra raprodult an un aaui clichA, ii aat fiim>!k A partir da i'angia supAriaur gaucha, da gaucha k ilroita. at da haut an baa, an pranant ia nombra vl'imagaa nAcaaaaira. Laa diagrammas suivants iliustranit ia mAthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 T DEIBCHIPTION o»* TOWNSHIPS SURVEYED IN LOWER CANADA, IlSr 18B1 A.ISrD 1862, WITH §xttMi^ itm Mtnpx^' Jtjrtfttisi. QUEBEC; PRINTED BY HUNTER, ROSE & CO., ST. URSULE STREET. 1863. CONTENTS. *>^-^**.'S^^.V^-. . Township of Alleyu ..'. 5 " Albert " Asbuapmoucbouan 7 " Adstock X " Assemotquagan i) Abbeford 9 " Armand '•) " Alma, Island of. 15 " Bagot 10 " Bovrman 11 " Basoatonge 11 " Casupsoull 12 " Christie 12 " Casgrain 18 " Demeules 7 " Duoheinay 12 " Delisle ID " Daaquam 10 '• Qosford 17 " Oarnoau 18 _" Lafontaino 18 " Langevin 19 " Lytton 20 " Matane 21 " Mann 22 " Patapedia '. 24 " Polette 24 " Pontefract 26 " Panet 27 Portland 30 " Rolette 27 " Rojmont , 17 " St. Qermains 28 " Spaulding 2» " Turcotte , 24 " Templeton 30 " Talon 31 " Tourelle , 31 " Wakefield 30 " Watford , 33 Exploration of a line of road from St. Uabriel to Rocmon: <. 34 Montanban Road Line 37 New line explored for the Tachfi Road „ ., ,„ „.. 38 The Hampden and ArnoM Rivor and Maine and Megantio Roads 89 Hampden and Arnold River Road, — Qeneral Summary.. ..«. , , 40 ThtM*ln«»nd Megantio Road , ., ,„ „„„.,.,.„ , *• JA i- U -*'i r> Fc R c n I T*Ti o 3sr o» IN 1861 AND 1862, WITH EXTRACTS FROM THE SURVEYORS' REPORTS. THE TOWNSHIP OK ALLEYN Is iu the County of Pontiac and lien in rear of thu Township of Aylwiu on the riVer Gatineau. It oontains 43,000 acres, and is watered by the river Pickanoo. The foU lowing is an extract from P. L. Surveyor John Holmes, report of survey : — " The land throughout the said Township of Allcyu in chiefly all fit for agricultttrai purposes, the soil being generally a heavy loam, tiinhcrnd chiefly with hard wood ; any merchantable pine timber that is or has been in the said Township is along the Casabaxtta Creek, Grove Creek, and from lot number twcuty-sevcn on the seventh, sixth and eighth ranges to lot number eighteen (on said sixth, seventh and eighth ranges,) the pine being in all oases mixed with hardwood. " There is no difficulty in having roads in any part of the said Township as it is com- paratively level and very free from swales or swamps. There is a passable road from Oazabas< tta to Otter Lake, on the Pickanoc river, entering the said Township of Alleyn at lot No. 1 in the rear of the second range crossing the third rangeat lot number fifteen, and running westward to the Pickanoo at lot number forty, and thence continuing westward along Pickanoc river, also another road following the Oazabuzua Creek to Otter Lake, used only as a winter road, owing to its crossing several marshy places, both of which roads are laid down on the accompanying plan of said Township." TOWNSHIP OF ALBERT. This township is situate oa the north shore of the River Saguenay^ in the Contity (rf Saguenay, and is bounded on the east by the township of Tadoussac. It contains 33,000 aereK, and the part laid out into farm lots on the road line from Tadoussac to the month at the River Marguerite occupies about a range on each side thereof, and contains aboa| 8,748 acres. Mr. P. L. Surveyor J. B. Duberger reports as follows the general chMacter of th« )aod laid oat along the projected Albert Colonization Road : — "The point of departure for disposing of ranges of lots I established at Cedar Camp, Itaring an extent of unfavorable land (save few patches of insufficient areas) along the road of about four miles of Tadoussac Reserve,and at which starting point I traced side lines on oaolriidrbf the vmd, vii : one bearing dae west and the other north 45 ® 0^ east, ^vidiag I thereby the ran^^es to bo laiJ out from the unsarreyed to eiuitward ; from thenoe |)rocee<1ed iu laying; out the difTnrent ranges designated ou tho ucoompanyiuu; plan, dcsoriptioan of whicn ranges are os follows:— Albert Road lionfff, Ea»t, "This runj^o, coniprixes 28 lots i)f various ureas and p.oil of good qualitioB, covered with well grown timber, consisting gcneriilly of blui-k. and white birch, spruce, and fir. A raogo of mountain') occupies a part, but diminishes in extent towards the westward. Sev- eral abattU exist on each side of the ruad ; hy whom mado ia unknown Albert Road Rangr, Wat. This range, lying on tho opposite aide of tho latter, containing 17 lots, also of all di- tnenaions, offers more advantages, having less mountains .-ind a greater extent of strong loam. The timber^ particularly the spruce, on account of its size und quality, will bo very valuable. Albert Road Runtje. "This range, adjoining the latter, having a different course of 37 lots, with the ex- e«ption of Nos. 26, 27, 28, and 29, bordering on tho river, is the most promising extent of ground to be met with for agricultural pursuits ; the road across it for the distance of about o\ miles of dry soil, but of good produce, is dead level and stoneless. It is nearly all taken up and marked by abattia on each side of the road. Albert Road Rdni/e, North. "This range, lying opposite the latter, offers the same advantages, the soil on. either side of tlie road being a mixture of yellow and strong loam soon takes to strong loam pro- ceeding towards tho depths, and contains 23 lots. ■ -■ East Branch, Range North. "This range, lying between the two branches of tho St. Margaret, of 21 lotsof differ- . ent dimensions as other ranges, is considered of the richest soil to be found in Canada, to- gether with its delightful climate early frosts are unknown; the grain griws and ripens to perfection, and vegetables reach to enormous siz... The extremities at the river are uneven, interrupted with earthen mounds, but not very extensive. This range is likewise all taken up, and partly under cultivation. River Range, East. " This small range is for the most part taken up by a range of steep mountains, over- looking the river, but being well covered with good timber, principally for fuel, its prox- imity to the water for transport gives it somp value. River Range, West. "This range and old settlements is of old standing, opened at first by Messrs. Price & Co., for lumbering. It is nearly all cleared, and deficient of timber for fu<el ; what remains lies to eastward, of that of (aellis. The soil though light is good, particularly for rye. There are but five houses in the whole. This range is much exposed' to deterioration from the iboulis at the great winding of the river. Ono lot. No. 4, is nearly cut up from this cau^e, and is naturally limited in depth by a range of barren rooky mountains, as deficient of earth und timber, for a considerable distance in the rear. £ Outlines. '* In running the westei n and rear line, also the prolongation of tho west outline of tho township of Tadoussac, limiting township Albert, I mot with no advantages for colonization in the vicinity of these lines, except a spot of sufiitient area to form one establishment, jy- ing iu the valley of the west branch at the head of the rapids, where the line crosses.. This is a fine extent of ground, nearly tit for culture; the great fires have left bat few stumps here and ihere, the local is level, alluvial soil, and stoneless. A communication to it from ■ ocedfld tionii of covorod fir. A . Sev- of all di- f strong be very 1 the ex- ixtent of of about all takca the old lottloments ha« been opened at the expense of Mr. David Price, at which place a corariion dwelling is obout being put up for the noconiniodation of fishing excuraiona. Apart from this spot and few very smnll patches lying hero and thera, along these lines the country udjoining, as seen on the heights a.s wo proeocded, procnts but an enchainment of barren mountains towards tiic interior for niileH, dcfieicnt of timber and dotted with quan- tities of lakes, and several of larger h'uo than those met with on the lines. Suth parts along said lines as would huvo been moro luvorablo are taken up by the lakes designated on the accompanying plan, on'y useful to quench the thirst of the few wild beasts frequent- ing that country; but towuids tho *Uin/rni»)it;s' tl.cro seems to exist a fine extent of ground, well covered with timber and much loss mounlainous. When that part will be explored something good will likely tun. out. It nnist not bo understood that the remnant of this township will be unproductive; an immense tract of good ground lies between Anu dr. la Pause I'i-rrc and Aus^e ik la Grosse Roche. Several lots have been marked, and it will not bo long before application will bo made for subdividing it. Also a fine extent ex- ijts abutting East Branch range north, that being nearly cleared by fires. •'In conclusion, I would recommend for the prompt settlement of this township, as the attraction is very strong there, that the communication to it should be eff"ected as early as po.ssiblu. This is the only impediment; should that bo realized there would bo there a dense population in a very limited time. There is already the advantage of a winter road from Ansii d I'eau to the first lake, and that just now used for drawing fuel, a distance of 2i miles. At tho angles of said outlines I have planted cedar posts, six inches squat*, with stone boundaries, duly inscribed A. T. and B. T." on. cither oam pro- I of difl'er- aoadn, to- ripena to '0 uneven, I all taken [lins, over- I, its prox- rs. Price & at remains y for rye. •ation from ( from this \» deficient tlinc of tho lolouization shment, Jy- sses.. This few stumps a in it from TOWNSHIPS OF ASHUAPMOUCHOUAN AND DEMEULES. These townships situate on the riuht bank or south west side of the river Chamonch- ' ouan which discharges into Lako St. John, in tho County nf Chicoutimi occupy the ground valley of the upper Sagucnuy, and are collectively bounded on the south east bj the Indian Reserve of Ouiatehouun, and on tho north west and south west by the waste lands of tho Crown. The Township of Ashuapmouchouan contains 45,379 acres, whereof 30,529 acres were subdivided into farn- lots : and Dcmcules, the northernmost of the two townships, contains 38,401 acres, whereof 18,551 acres were laid out into farm lots by Mr. P. L. Surveyor P. A. Tremblay, who reports on those townships as follows : — " From the nature of tho reports which I have transmitted at diflferont periods, u often as circumstances would permit lue, you will have remarked the groat amount of arable land contained in the townships of Ashuapmouchouan and Demeulcs. With regard to the quality of the soil, it is quite certain that no land is superior to that of the valley of the river Ashuapmuchuan. Clayey land predominates here as in all other parts of the Sague- nay country; in many localities the clay is covered with a layer of sand, three or four inches io depth, which is of great value in the cultivation of wheat, which on this land appears to be especially exempt from the attack.s of the fly. The great characteristic of this valley is, that the land though well watered, does not present any obstacles to cultivation, such as deep ravines and lofty rocks, which ab(mnd in other parts of the Saguenay. Three fine parishes at least might be funned in these two townships, and I trust they may very shortly, if the Government encourages the views of tho numerous settlers, who are about to proceed there. Judging from the information I have received from different parties, and from an r xploratiou which I made myself towards the north east of the River Ash- uapmouchouan, I am inclined to believe that there is a considerable amount of fine land. Ah a proof ot the excellence of the climate. I may cite the prosperous condition of the iscttlers, who are now inhibiting the township of Kobcrval, which borders on the. Indian [lauds. ' Lost autumn the thermometer descended for tho first time to zero, an- the 16th October, at the place whciro I was camped at the back of the 6th range of Ashuapmoaehouan, he same rate was obse ved at the same time by the curate io the township of BoherraL, •t ^xitMmmiM. i JL J ... The tempenituro in caninier in about, the aaina as that of Qaehfo, with thd «S6epUoa thftt th« noTlh cant winds arc but Uttlo felt, and uro nearly a» mild a^ those of the opposite quarter Tli« winter cold is very intenso, owinR most piobnbly to the vast eitent of the rIearinKs situutcd to the north west. " The only method for developing the ro«ouroe» of thin important part of the Sague* nay diHtrict, would bo to provide mcauM of communication first between Chiooutiroi and the north west part of Lake St. John, and subsequontljr if practicable, between the Lake and •one one of the parishes of the Cuucty of Qiiobeo.' TOWNSHIP OF ADSTOCK. This Township lies in the County of Bcauco and is bounded on tha South west partly by the township o*" Lambton, and partly by liako St. Francis j on the north cast by the Townchip of Tring, on the south cost by the township of Kor^yth und Lambton, and on the north west by the tuwiisliip of Thetford, und contains 1G,007 acred. The part subdmded into farm loin covers the north east part of the township containing 29,498 aorea. Already extensive clearances and improvements have been made in this township, chiefly by French Canadians. Mr. P. L. Surveyor F^lix Legendre who surveyed in this Township, reports as follows : — " I have the honor to report that the greater part of the land I have surveyed ii well adapted for cultivation, and that a largo number of settlers are already established therei and have begun to cultivate their land." < TOWNSHIP OF ASSEMETQUAOAN. This township is situate on the east bank of the River Metapedia, in the County of Bonavcnture. It is bounded on the south by tho township of Ristigonehe, sod on the . north by the township of Casupsoull, from which it is divided by the county line of Ri> Boutki ; and on the east by the re&r line of the Kempt Road, range east. It eoDtaini about 78,500 acres, whereof 17,(86 acrfs are subdivided into farm lots, traversed by the military road, leading from the Ristigouebc, un the left bank of the Metepedia to the Pariiih of Ste. Flavie, on tho St. Lawrence. The following is an extract of the Report of Mr. I'.L. Surveyor E. H. Legendre : The soil from the 8th mile to the Riv r is very similar to that last passed over, ezeept that it is covered with live timber, there is a large quantity of spruce and pine fit for the market, this timber was not felled later than 1854, of which I was convinced by finding this date in a camp near Piit's brook. '' The soil all along this stream is certainly the best I have as yet found ; it ia watered by numerous streams, which are of sufficient volume to turn mills of any dimensions, and the timber covering it is cedar, birch, elm, and ash of immense growth. The tops of the hills, enclosing these fine tracts of land are covered with pines, the greater part of which •re dried up by the fire which passed through in 1843, they would still however be service' able ia huilding for doors, windows, etc." .#-w»*-i el D that ppositfl of Uie Saga*- lod the tkfl tod »»t partly by the ad on the ibdiTided township, ii in this fed ii well led therei I Connty of end on the . line of Ri- It eontaine Bed by the ledia to the gendre : oyer, ezeept 3 fit for the by finding it is watered tensions, and tops of the rt of which er be BerrioC' TOWNSHIP OF ABBEFORD. This towDNhip is .«U.uato(l on the north bauk of the OlUwa Ilivor, in the oonnty of Pontiac, and i» thn wcstf^nnioHt limit of tho surveyed townships in Lower Canada. It is of the Uimcnsions ofnioo miles perpendicular breadth, on tho mean depth of thirloon miles, nnd is hounded on otic sido, towardn tho South-east, by tho surveyed township of Ahurdotm, and un tlin other sido by tho projected township of Kiilaly. It i» traversed from its south-cantcrn oorncr, on tho whole depth of the township, by tho llivcr I)u Moinc, a htroam of cunsidorablu ma(;nitudo, which derives its narao from the fact of tho River being tho ..sual route of tho curly miusioDarios to the Grand Lao and Lao des Quinze, forming the friucipal head waters of tho Ottawa River, the source of which head with those of tiio Dxi Moino ut a diHtauce of upwards of 200 miles, by tho course of tho latter from its mouth in the Ottawa, at tho western corner of the township of Aberdeen. Mr. P. L. H. tSinoluir laid out and subdivided into furni lots 32,650 acres, chiefly located in tho north-west corner of the township, and reports as follows: "I have delineated tho natural features of the country on the plan herewith, such as mountains, swunips, burnt lund and the woods; tlio best part of the land is situated on the south s'.Jo of tho wcHt branch of the Du Moicc, and at tho north-west corner of the township, but thcro i.s rather better lund out of tho township around Sucker Lake than there is in it. From Sucker Luke, westward across Bear River, towards tho Deux Kiviires, there arc very nice parceL of hard wood, with what lumbermen would call scattering large whit^ pine. " A few settlers would find the lots which I have just surveyed thcro very convenient of access, and when there very profitublo to ruiso hay and oats for tho lumbermen. Hay will command ''^^iO 00 a ton, and seventy-fivo or eighty conts a bushel for oats, which woald be an excellent bpoculution for young men to engage in. There is plenty of land thai will not cost more than twelve dollars per acre to clear. Men engaged in the lumber trade have now commenced operations on an extensive scale, that must be continued for many years, not only in the immcdiutc neighborhood of this township, but also a consederable distance up the river. "This Country, up to tho Grand Chute, i.s very well opened up with roads, the prin- cipal one of which was made by Mr. William Moflutt, of Pembroke, leading from the mouth of tho Du Moiuc up the west side of tho river. It is a waggon or cart road for reven miles, and an excellent winter roaU to the Grand Chute, where Mr. Moffatt made a farm, the only one at present occupied in tho township, i. c. having a settler on it. Mr. Kyan has a shanty farm in the township, on which he raises hay, but has no one residing on it. This road made by Mr. Moffatt, if made bv tho Government would have cost nearly one hundred pounds per mile ; besides this m^ road there are others leading westward, beyond the township, one leads off from the mouth >f tho Fils du Grand, or west branch. This, I consider, will become some day, at an early period in tho history of that country, the site of a village. There uro excellent water privileges not fur from this spot on both the main River and its West branch. " There is some valuable white pine in this township. I have no doubt the largest timber of the Upper Ottawa will coiac from this place this year, which is being made for the trustees of the estate of the late Mr. Egan." TOWNSHIP OE ARMAND. This township is situate in the county of Temisconata, and comprises in its frontage Jl that part of the new line of the Temiscouata Road constructed under the superintend* ence of the Department of Public Works, from the rear limit of the township of Whit, worth, Ui the re«r boundary of the seigniory of Lake Temiscouata and Madawaska< 10 Xl^e line of tbe Taoh4 Road, as now traced, traverseR, diagondly, the western quarter of this township to its junction with the Teraiscouata Road, at the furks of tue St. Francis ; but a morp central, as well ns a more favourable line through this township into the town- ship of Demers, and thence north-eastwardly, intersecting that well known tract of country watered by the River Rimouski, called the "Fonds d'Ormes,' to its junction with the Kempt road, now being explored by J. B. Lepage, Esq., would open for colonization a nrach larger field at the head waters of the rivers Ristigoucho and St. John. This tract is an extensive table land, occupying a region bounded on the north by the Metis and Ri- mouski rivers, and is composed chiefly of hard-wood ridges. The present line of the Tachd Road would remain still available for the settlement of th: arable lands along it, with the advantage of proximity to the St. Lawrence. Description of the above mentioned lands by Mr. P. L. S. Doucct: — "The lands along this road are generally good, thou<^h rocky in places, but there are places where there are hardly any rocks. There arc very tc lands taken here, but from the river of the Little Fork they :ixe almost all taken ; these arc uldo of much better quality." , 54 i iO TOWNSHIP OF BAGOT. The portion of this township laid out into farm lots, and situate in the County of Cbiooutimi, liea along the easterly aad southerly outlines thereof, and is traversed by the St. Urbain and Bale St. Paul colonization roads, leading from Grand Bay to the old settled parishes on the St. Lawrence. The land subdivided into farm lots is described as follows in the report of Mr. P. L. Surveyor J. Ovide Tremblay : — - " The land all through these ranges is good, with the exception of a few lots near the exterior line, where it is rather hilly. The soil is composed of yellow and black mixed; there is very little standing wood, and what there is, is mostly dried and blackened. On the Hoe between the third and fourth range, Grand Bay range south, I have subdivided the lots so as to suit the clearings ; these lands are all taken, and improvements are being car- ried out. From lot 1 to lot 16 in the third range, Grand Bay south, the soil is of an excellent quality, although rocky it is composed of yellow and black mould ; in some places under the yellow mould there is a layer of clay of some .ochcs in depth. " All this locality is covered with live tiees of good growth, the same emarks apply to the fourth range both as regards timber and the soil, especially towards the centre. In prolonging the exterior line, on the banks ot the Saguenay, I discovered about a le&g^io of uncultivated land. The chain of mountains bordering on the river Saguenay, and vaiying very much in breadth is here of great ts w'ent, its height amounts to some hundreds of feet, formed of bare rocks, and quite devoid of tree? as far as the banks of the Saguenay. I cleared and blazed the exterior or south easterly line of the township from end to end. Along the Bagot road the surface of the ground Is rather irregular, with hills here and there ; there is very little live timber, the greater part of it having been burnt. Part of the land bordering on the River Ha ! Ha I is of very good quality, and many of the lots ore already taken. " In the Ilth and 12th ranges many of the lofs are occupied ; the soil is not however fit for cultivation everywhere, as it is very rocky ; the greater part of the timber hai been burnt, and it is only near lakes and in some valleys that live timber is to be ^ound, on tko 12tli range it is rather abundant. *■ ■ " The 6tb and 7th ranges of the river are subdivided in conformity with the im-;,. proreiMntB that Imv« boon niftdo : nearly all the lot* are taken and ocoupied. ^ u 1 1 VV >'•'•■; TOWNSHIP OF BOWMAN. ■ ^i^AK.* 1 bis township is situated on the westerly side of the River Da Lie?r«, in the Conntj of Ottawa, and is bounded on the North by the township of Bigelow, on the South by the township of Portland, and on the West partly by the township of Denholm, and partly ^y White Fish Lake. The residue now surveyed by Mr. P. L. Surveyor R. Rauschcr, completes the subdivision of the whole township, containing 31,642 acres, exclusive of lakes and alloT.ances for highways. Mr. Rauscher reports as follows : — « From the centre line North, the land in the Seventh Range, with the exception of the ilrst three lots is not very well adapted for settlement, on account of its mountainou* nature for the range line between lots 34 and fifty-seven, intersects five heavy mountain ranges. In three instances I have to ascertain distances tvigonometricrMy, as chaining was out of the question. The sixth range, north of the centre line, affords in many places, good farming land, and althongu the nature of the ground is very undulating, yet, ai the soil consists of rich clay and vegetable earth, that obstacle will easily be o▼e^8ome by the industry of the settlers. some •ft TOWNSHIP OF BASCATONGE. Thiu township, on the Gatineau River, of the dimensions of 13} miles in its deepest part, by 9 miles in breadth, is the northernmost surveyed township in the connty of Ottawa. It is of irregular figure, and is bounded on the west and north-west by the Gatineau River, which here, although at a distance of 100 miles as the crow flies due north from its month, is a broad stream, averaging some 10 chains wide, more or less rapid but generally navigable for canoes. The River Raskatonge, whoso waters irrigate the lands of this township, and discharge into the Gatineau about two and a half miles above the River Jean de Terrc, is the outlet of the lake of that name, presenting a fine sheet of water of a quad* rilateral figure, averaging eleven-and-a-hal^miles long by two-and-a-half broad. A description of the land around which, and of the arable portion surveyed in the township of Baskatongc, is contained in Mr. P. L. S. Bouchette's report, as follows :— " In reference to the general geographical feature of this section of the country, they are good ; the soil is composed of alluvial deposits, which cover a considerable extent of the township, from the fact of the Gatineau River, in high water, backing up into the Baskatonge Lake, and in its course flooding the flat countries very considerably. The land in many places is high and timbered with hardwood. There is very little white or :red pine in this section of the Gatineau ; but above and below the boundaries of Baskatonge, large quantities of saw-logs are yearly manufastured by the Messrs. Gilmours and Hamil- tons. There is also a good winter road through the centre of the township, constructed by the above firms, which with very littb expense could be made a practicable means of r^immunication during the summer. This of itself would bo an inducement for settiers to locate themselves along this road, and also along the borders of the Baskatonge Lake, where there is a fine tract of hardwood land. <' There is a peculiarity in this township — from the banks of the Gatineau River through to the }^askatonge Lake, the land is rolling, the elevations are gradual, with f«^ir exceptions. The south-east and cast sides of the lake aforesaid are very mountainous and rugged, with deep ravines, making it totally unfit for cultivation. These ranges of tD0uii> tains are those which divide the waters of the Rivers du Lievre and Gatineau, and if tHe Indians' report be true, the waters of the Baskatonge Lake flow either way. This 1 would readily believe, from the fact of the Gatineau waters backing into the lake, thereby proving its position to be lower ; there is no doubt the land about a great number of iakee lu the township would otherwise be fit for oultivation. There we alfo « nombtr vf awiaipf^ 12 bat'they might be converted into meadow land by proper drainage; however I think that the lakes would bo rather a benefit to settlers than otherwise, for they abound with very fine fish from five to twenty-five pounds in weight. The west side of the Gatineau, begin- ning at the rear post of the township ofEgan, extending several miles above Qilmours' farm, (which is an island in the Gatineau Kivcv of eonsidcrahlc extent, containing several hundred acres of beautiful land,) and thence west, fourteen or fifteen uiilcs back, is fit for ■ettltiment, being of a level surface; the soil is of a gravelly nature in some places, in others clay und yellow loam, making the whole desirable for colonization." TOWNSHIP OF CASUPSCULL. This Township situate on the east side of the River Metapedia, in the County of Rimottski, is bounded on the south by the township of Assemetquagan, on the north by the projeoted township of Lepage, on the east by the rear limit of the Kempt Road range. It contains about 48,000 acres whereof the two front ranges containing 8,460 acres hare been subdivided into farm lots of lOO acres each, which, together with the adjoining town- ship of Assemetquagan, presents highly favorable advantages for settlement, especially as rendered accessible by the new Metapedia Road, opened by the Board of Public Works last year. Mr. P. L. Surveyor E. H. L.gendrc, who performed the survey, reports as follows : — "The front of the township of Casupseull offc.s to settlers the finest sites for cultiva- tion that could be desired. From No. 12 to the junction of the roads, I am certain there is not an inch of land that is not fertile; the movntains arc at some distance from the banks of the river, and are very susceptible of improvement. " A krge quantity of marketable timber has been destroyed by fire ; but to make amends for the loss the knd was cleared of rubbish, and large clearings made, and hay, millet and clover abound in all directions. I feel sure that oti Lots 27, 28, 29 and 30, at . least 3,000 lbs. of hay, per lot, might be collected during the summer. " It may appear strange that millet and clover should grow without culture in the forest, but it arises from the circumstance that contractors for square timber have camped for several winters on these lots, and have scattered tbc seed about, which has increased in productiveness during that period. " The projeoted rood, at this place, passes about three quarters of a mile from the river bank tkrough a perfectly level and fertile country. Tho ' greater part of these lots are Marked by persons who wish to settle on them immediately, and I am convinced that ap- pK«a^ns will be made for them to the agent, even before my repoit is sent in, for fear of Mt getting them." TOWNSHIPS OF DUCHESNAY AND CHRISTIE. ■ •* ■ !^M8 townships are situate on the south side of the St. Lawrence, in the County of vhhjp6 Andare collectively bounded on the east by the Seigniory of Mont Louis, on the 'Weit hf tbe township of Tourelle. They are intersected by the projected colonization road priq^l j caUed the Gulf Road, leading from the Seigniory of Ste. iSnne des Monts to Fox BiTtr, on the Gulf Shore, or by its branch from the Magdalen River to Gasp^ Basin- til The township of Duchesnay is projected to contain about 70,000 acres, whereof •Iwttt tWoraiigM trarersod by the Gulf Road, have been subdivided into farm lots contain iii4flC*(lMr«bcat 1^00 Mies. , . -:!*?? 118 ok that th very I, begin- ilmoura* r several is fit for lacw, in jounty of north by ad range, sres bave ing town- tecially as ic "Works reports as or cultira- rtain there from the t to make 5, and bay, and 30, at ture in the ivc camped a increased »m tbe river lese lota are jd that ap- i, for fear of c County of lOuis, on tbe aization road lonta to Fox }asp6 Basin- sres, wbereof I lots contain i^. The Township of Christie lying between the above stated Township and the Seigniory of Mont Louis, averages the same extent in supe^cies ; about 10,000 acres have been laid out into farm lots along the gulf line of road. Mr. P. L. Surveyor 0. F. Roy, who surveyed the two ranges in each of the above named township.:;, reports as follows :— " The Townships Dachesnay and Christie, situate on the south shore of the Biver St- Lawrence in the County of Gaspd, are bounded on the south west by the township of Tourelle, on the north east by the Seigniory of Mont Louis, on the north west by the River St. Lawrence and on the south east by waste lands of the Crown. Their surface is generally rolling and sometimes broken. " Seve^l streams cross these townships,, two of which the Valine and the Albour are of some consequence ; there are also three rivers, the Maitre, the Marsouin and the Claude. These rivers with the exception of the Marsonin are formed by the waters flowing from the north westerly slope of the Chick Chack mountains^ and are swelled in their course by a large number ol tributary streams. 41ong the ^anks of these riven are deposits of alluvial soil, from two to six feet in depth, and of considerable extent. At the mouths of each of them aie establishments of hardy settlers, employed in farming and fishing. I was however glad to find that more attention was paid to the former than, to the latter pursuit, which unfortunately is not always the case among the Q^^asp^ settlers. These people enjoy all the comforts of life, and await with solicitude the opening of a road to widen their circle and extend their social relations. <' I'he river front of these townships is rocky and not easv of access ', in this locality as on the coas*; of Gasp6 the shore is lined with high. oli£b, which give these coasts a "wild and sinister appearance. ' The traveller in these regions frequently journeys between the sea on one hand which breaks at his feet and often stops him, and cliffy hundreds of feet high on the other, frowning above him ; nor can he thus pass thi^ough. these dangers with- out emotion, and it is with foelingsof relief that on tnraing a point, at the mouth of a river sheltered by heights, lie perceives the houses where a . oo;*diaI welcome awaits him, for here the settlor bears the highest character for hospitality. In the houses generally the utmost gaiety prevails, the settler-fisherman, without regret for {he past or oare for the future passes a life of happiness and contentment. If there is any exception to this stato of things to be found, it should cause no surprise, when the difficulties and discoarajre* ment, that a new settler has to encounter, are taken into consideration, as in addition to the hard labour be baa to undergo, he has also iQ contend with the disadvantages of a per- fect isolation from the rest of the world to which he has access only by passing along a dangerous shore of on the sea. « In orHer to show the relation between tbe mode of survey whioh 7 have adopted for the subdivision of these townships and tbe position of the line of road' which traverses them, I have shown it by a red line on the plan, by which it will be seen that the base line from the south west line of the township of Christie as far as the tenth lot serves as a line of road. I here deviated from the former direction, adopting in prefereiice a straight line, as in this course no obstacle exists to the construction of ap excellent road. . The land is perfectly level except a small hilt on the 9th lot ; the soil is universally jellow mould, easily ploughed, and free froo: rocks. From the 10th to the 15th lot, I have adopted fcr ncy base line, the direction of the road line which is very neai'ly straight. I have on. this course from the base line of the township of Christie, made a double range for the double subdivision of th ) lots in tbe first and second ranges. At ieach subdivision of the lots, T have left a sufficient distance for the width of the road, between the . posts on which are the numbers, each in its proper range. From this point the road.iine continues alto- gether in the first range, as far as lot 47, after which it serves as a base line, as far as lot 55 with a double subdivision of lots as in a former case, that part of the road line from lot 55 in the township of Christie as far as the Seigniory of Moot Louis is subdivided into lots without any designation of range. The subdivision posts "only indicate the lots be- tween which they are placed. The land traversed by the road line in these townships is suceptible of advivQta^ous clearing over a surface of considerable extent. In the south west., part of the tov^nshu) of Christie the road line runs along the height of land bori^ering the, fiyer m fi^r t^ the JL5th lot, from thence it takes » N.N.E. dirtetion 'ind or6S's«s » plateau of arable land, with a 2 14 •light slope towards the north east, as far u the valle6 stream. Between the vailed and the Maitre streams, the line approaches the St. Lawrence and intersects a country vorj faTOurably adapted for settlement. After a gradual ascent from the vailed stream, to about half the aistance to the Maitre t>t,ream , it continues descending till it reaches the mouth of the Maitre. The land has a general slope from S.E. to N.W., which is everywhere jx- tremely gentle, with the exception of the high land bordering the vailed stream which is rather steep ; a large number of the lots in this range of uountry are easy of access and might be cultivated with advantage throughout their whole extent. " The soil is generally excellent, and the timber consisting of balsam, white birch, beech and spruce is of good quality. The deposits of alluvial soil, found in the valley of the river Maitre are worthy of notice. These lands for a depth of two or tiiree miles have a mean breadth of 60 or 70 chains, and lire covered with splendid hard wood. There is a good number of maple woods of some extent, which are annually made available for the manufacture of sugar ; at the mouth of this river are the residences of some settlers who employ themselves in farming and fishing. This is a most excellent fishing station. « From the hills on the borders of the river Mcitre, as far as the division line, be- tween these two townships the road passes ihrough a perfectly level country. The land on a frontage of three or four miles is so favourable for settlement, that it is certain that as soon as the road is opened, there will be a nucleus of settlement in this locality. The same remarks may apply to all the table land, from the maitre to the Marsouin river. To a depth of three or four miles the land is easy of access in any direction, the soil a rich yellow loam of superior quality. The only obstacles to be encountered here, are the deep gullies of two small streams, known as the rivers Portage. Mr. Baillargd divided these, giving us the advantage of using the road line for a base line and of having a double range on a front of eight or nine lots. " In the Township of Duche8nay,'the land traversed by the line of road exhibits about the same uniformity of features as that of Christie. That which is most worthy of note lies among the alluvial tracts of the rivers Marsouin and Claude. These rivers are bordered by cultivable land to a depth of four or five miles. A.t a distance of about three quarters of a mile from the St. Lawrence, the Marsouin divides itself into two branches, both of which pass through tracts of good land. I have shown on my plan what I consider the best method of laying out the land for settlement on those branches; on each of these rivers are extensive maple woods, some of which are valuable for the manufacture of sugar in the spring. The lands along the road line, from the high lands on the banks of the river Marsouin as far as the mouth of the river Albour, are very rugged and unfit for cultivation, to about half their depth, especially on the hills and mountains near the St. Lawrence, there however remains on each of thete lots a surface of from 50 to 60 acres of better quality. The soil is mostly yellow sandy mould. u From the Albour River to the Seigniory of Mont Iiouis, the slope of the river bank is gentle, and the land so good that the greater part is already under settlement. The lands along the River Claude run several miles deeper than those on the Marsouin, those on the St. Lawrence are already under cultivation. With regard to the best mode of sub- dividing this locality, I am of opinion that the usual regular method of survey should be adhered to, as most favourable to settlement. The most valuable localities in the frontage of these Townships are in the neighbourhood of the rivers Maitre, Marsoun, and Claude ; ihese spots already in a flourishing state of cultivation, are no doubt destined to become the centre of future settlements. At the mouths of each of these rivers are basins pro- tected by long clifis ; in these small vessels find a safe refuge at all times of the tide ; they are generally frequented by fishermen coming from St. Anne des Monts, and who generally pass some months of every year there during the fishing season. There are several small settlements along the front of these townships, which though in their infancy show signs of becoming more important. '* The land in the 2nd Range is not inferior to that in the 1st, and setting aside the advantages which the settlers in the Range derive from their proximity to the St. Lawrence, I can safely say that the lands in the second range would prove more profitable than those iu the first. The surface of the land is every where level and the soil of the finest quality. Several lots have been already applied for, but principally on acc3unt of the profit to be derived from the extensive maple woods which cover the slopes of the, hills bordering the I mucb % consi. ?! ash, I of th I line f small f wood I It is I eral 1 i "*'* * i be in iDeol I genel 16 alle^ and ntry very a, to about mouth of where ox- which is access and hite birch, e valley of miles have There is a )le for the settlers who ion. n line, be- rhe land on ain that as The same ver. To a soil a rich Eire the deep rided these, louble range iibits about :thy of note . s rivers are I distance of self into two ay plan what )hes; on each manufacture on the banks and unfit for near the St. ) 60 acres of lie river bank lement. The irsouin, those mode of sub- rev should be L the frontage and Claude ; ed to become e basins pro- he tide ; they who generally several small icy show signs itting aside the St. Lawrence, e than those in finest quality e profit to be bordering the different rivers.' The timber most abundant in those parts of these townships which I have explored, are the balsam, white and red birch and spruce, with a few cedars, the lat- ter, being invariably found in the low grounds of rivers, are of good growth and quality. " I have only to add that the settlement of these two townships depends altogether upon the opening of the roid, and the application of a good system of colonization, and if in addition to those benefits it should please the Government to make gratuitous grants of the lots along the road, the country might soon congratulate itself on the rapid progress that colonisation would make in this neighbourhood." THE TOWNSHIP OF DELISLE AND ISLAND OF ALMA. On the River Saguenay, in the County of Ghicotttimi| were surveyed by P. L. Survey- or E. Duberger, in 1861, who reports as folIoTrs: •' -'■ < " From the starting point of the line between Townships Tach^and Delisle, on the north bank of the Grande Decliarge, as I have already remarked in detail in my field book and report of progress No. 1, the surface in general was of a broken sort. The great number of streams which I intersected on my way, accounts for the unevcnness of the sur- face, and for the same rcabon the soil is singularly good and arable. I do not think it worth while to take the few rocky pcctions in that part of my survey into consideration, because they are all detached from each other, few in number and of very small extent, leaving the land throughout in all respects free and easy of culture. " The above topographical description will answer from the borders of the Grande De- charge up to the vicinity of the 6th mile post, after which the soil is poor, being composed of large grained white sand and a few bog swamps, with the exception of that tract of land in the vicinity of the Riviere au Broohet, the borders of which are wooded with large and lofty mixed timber and the soil is composed of clay. The merchantable timber which has been in abuadance some years ago in that part of the country has since been manufactured and taken away. " Along the rear line of the township the country has in general a more even surface, but the soil is noi recommsndable, with the exception of a few narrow sections of which the soil is sandy and produces nothing but cypress, black and grey spruce, and dwarfish white birch. '' The surface along the main west line of Township Delisle is broken up by deep gul- lies, but the soil is of the richest kind, it being composed of fine clay with a slight mixture of loam which may be called excellent arable land, with the exception of the north-west corner of the Township where the soil is completely destitute of vegetation less a few sections where black and white spruce of a dwarfish siie and white pines of an inferior quality predominate. " The description of the country along the west line of the township does not vary much, it is generally uneven. The soil is composed of fine clay with sub loam, the timber consi. ting of fir, black and white birch, brushwood of all descriptions, including mountain ash, merchantable spruce and white pines, particularly on the elevated spots on each side of the streams which I intersected. I have also come across some detached rocks on this line but they are of very little consequence as they are scattered, each covering a very small area of land and small in number. '' As I neared the Grand Decharge with the linC; I crossed certain tracts which were wooded with nothing but cedar of a large size, but too deformed to be valuable. " The Island of Alma h one of the finest tracts of land in the County of Ghicoutimi. It is in general low and thickly wooded in^K large and loffcy mixed timber, the soil in gen- eral being of a rich loam with a slight mi^.tire of clay. It is my firm opinion that there is not two hundred acres of waste land on this island. With all these advantages it will not be inhabited for some years on account of the difficulty of communications by the Grand Decharge, which is difficult and toilsome, particularly when the waters are high, which is generally the case after a couple of d'^.ys' rain. 16^.)^ « Af |o the topography of the interior of Township Deliile, it does not dliffer much firom that dcsoribed about the main lines. " The country on each side of the line diyidiog ranges A aod 1 has a rolling surface ex- cept in the vicinity 6f the Grand Deoharge, where there are a few rocks, &o. The country inclines towards the south-west ^in broken order. The soil is loam and the timber con- sists of black and white birch, spruce, fir, &o., all large and lofty. When I surveyed this part of the township scattered white pines were yet seen, but they have since been exported by lumberers. " The country traversed by the line dividing ranges 1 and 2 from lot No. 1 to No. 14 does not differ much from that latterly described. It is uneven from No. 1 to No. 14. The vicinity of the Grand Decharge answers for that nnevenness of the surface. The soil is of a superior quality and well suited for agriculture. The timber is large, lofty and mixed. « The country crossed by the lines 2 and 3, 8 aojd 4 is^of the same descriptioQ. The surface is generally uneven, partidnlarly in the vicinity of Riviere Mistook and Rivi&re k la Pipe. The timber is large, lofty and mixed. The soil is loam except in the bottom of gullies, where it is clay. The western part of the range 1 and 2 from lot No. 88 to 49 crosses a country very proper for agricultural purposes. Many white pines of a good qual- ity are to be seen on both sides of the line, and there the soil does not differ from that al- ready described. " The immediate borders on the north bank of the Grand Decharee are high and rocky froiQ No, 1 to No. 10. To be brief the banks vary in height from No. 1 to 49. in some parts the appearances are poor but it changes, and is of a better quality at some aistance north of the bank. "The minor islands, with the exception of No. 1 and No, 8, are fine traots of land and are generally low and wooded with black and white birch, tx, spruce and brushwood ; tha reraainbg pines aeen on them are of an inferior quality." TOWNSHIP OF DAAQU AM. This township is situate in the valley of the upper St. John's river, in the <)onnty of ' Belleehasae, and is bounded on the south-east by that river, where it forms part of the louthem limits of the Province under the Ashburton treaty, and on the north-west by the river Da&quam, or Mettawaquam, on one side, on the north-east, by the 'x'ownship of Panet, and on the other, on the north-west by the recently surveyed Township of Langevin. Ij is the sonthermost of the townships traversed by the projected line of road diverging at right angles from the Tach4 Road, in the Township of Mailloux, which, when carried ou aa originally contemplated; will Serve to open up a vast field for colonization. Mr. P. L. S. ; Casgrain gives a favorable report of the soil and timber of this section of country in his ' ,eport of survey of the arable part of the township : — " Before terminating my report, I taust affiria that putting together all tay observations of the soil and variety of land in this course of my exploration of the Township of Baaquam, I four 1 the lands in this township fevorable for cultivation and offering to the colonist who is prepared to clear them, a sure guarantee of success. "lam the more confirmed in this opinion by the rare and remarkable fact that this ' locality IS everywhere extremely level and devoid of rocks, which gives the cultivators great facilities for opening roads of communication. The only diflSculties to be encountered intnis township arise from the existence of some marshes here and there but these are tnflwg compared with those arising from the inequalities of the surface, and 1 have the hope that at no very distant day a briUiant ciestiny awaits the valley situate between the tiTer Daaquam and the River St. John. ,-^.^i . .-. .r 1-- -rVt^:''"'''^ Ol',!fH>': ^ .T-^^t. -v.'' - V, . u ih ttom Pace ez- sountry er oon« ^ed this zported I No. 14 4. The loil is of lixed. The ividre k Dttum of 38 to 49 ood qual- that al- ind rocky tme parta ,oe north land and ood • the <)0unty of art of the est by the pbfPanet, gevin. It merging at carried ou [r.P.L.S. itry in his bservation^ fDaaqnam, he colonist ot that this ) cttltivators iocountered it these are i have the between the '>UJ '^HiXi!' r TOWNSHIP OF FOURNIER. u . , v y This township, situate in the County of L'Islet, comprises the tract, of land formerly called the augmentation of Ashford, and is bounded by the seigniory of St. Jean Port Joli on the north west, on the south east by the towuship of Garneau, towards the south west partly by the seigniory of Lessard, the townships of Beaubien and Lessard, and towards the north east by the township of AHhford, in part by the Elgin road. The whole of this township is surveyed it t ) farm lots, comprising nine ranges each of 43 lots, the first three ranges consinting of 200 acre lots and the residue into 100 acre lots. This road opened by Government in 1856, leading from the settled townships on the St. Lawrence to the Province Line, has proved of eminent service in facilitating the settle^ ment of the public lands, surveyed townships fronting on it. The land in the township of Fournier surveyed by Mr. P. L. S. Ven^eault, is reported i^s follows : — " The general quality of the land I have surveyed in this township is sandy, the timber, bulsaui', spruce birch, and white birch. The land is mostly dry and stony, but still good for cultivation, over a large extent of the township. Theuontage between the 8th and 9th ranges must be excepted as to that part north east and south west of the central line : the land though sandy is rich and free from rocks, and covered with hard wood and spruce. " The large lofly trees testify to the fertility of the soil. The land throughout except the belt mentioned above, rather resembles that found along the Elgin road; and is, it is well known well liked by ourfsttlers. " Some marshes, nearly all near the lakes, will be an obstacle in the way of settlement, particularly as regards the construction of roads. " The land is nearly all level, with the exception of some slight undulations ; I found neither mountains nor hills, on all the lines I explored which would offer any impediment to the opening of roads. GOSFORT> AND ROCMONT. ' The northerly part of the township of Gosford, and the easterly part of the adjoining township of Rocmont, both situate in the County of Portneuf were subdirided and laid oui into farm lots by Mr. P. L. Surveyor Ignace P. Dery, to meet the demand for the Settle- ment of that section of the waste lands. The Country, although generally mountainous^ offers along the tributaries of the north east and main branches of the River St. Anne, several fine valleys for settlement, which the opening of the proposed colonization road from St. Gabriel to connect with St. Raymond, besides those already constructed cannot fail to promote. The following extracts from the Report of Mr. P. L. Surveyor Dery will eonvey a^ reliable description of the land and timber in both townships : — " The fifth range of Gosford is all settled except lots 26 and 28. In that part of the sixth range which I have surveyed the land is well adapted for cultivation, with the et- ception of the lots on each side of the River Talleyard, which however are well provided with wood for the market, pf-incipally spruce ; five lots are already applied for j two thirds of the seventh, eighth, and ninth ranges of Gosford, in this part of the township are well adapted for cultivation ; although rather rooky • the soil is good ; the sonth-wds luklf of lot No. 17 of the eighth range ia ocoapie'd ; tiiere is a saw mill on it, whioh belong mmm' to Ohas. Voyer ; there are two saws in this mill which is about 26 feet by 80 ; the water power is not of suffioiont force lo work the mill when the water ia low. '< The quality of the soil in that part of the township whioh I last surveyed, is simi- lar to that of Gosfurd. The Revd. Mr. Bedard oooupies the 39th lot of the sooond range, and has built a mill with two saws, whioh supplies the settlers of Rocmont with all the wood they require. A flour mill has also been oommenoed by Mr. Uedard, to supply the wants of the people of the place ; both these mills are in the same building, on the little River Roche Platte, whioh has sufficient volume to drive the mills even when the water is low. " No. 42 of the 5th Range is occupied by Edward Walsh, who has cleared and culti- vated about twenty-five acres of land, built a house, barn and stable ; numbcra 45 and 46 of the 5th Range are also occupied by Hugh Qarrhae, he has also about eight acres of land under cultivation, and has built a house 25 feet by 20. Lot 42 is in possession of John Hughes, who has made no improvements worthy of mention. There is a large qantity of spruce fit to make logs for the market. Mr. Methot who has a licence for foiling timber in Gosford, has two or three huts erected for carrying on this business. His agents ap- peared well satisfied with the quality of the timber ; and with the aid of the lines that were cleared were enabled to explore the entire limits of their license. A few only uf the pines are of inferior quality, these are found on the borders of the lakes and rivers. The road explored by P. L. Surveyor Neilson, which I met in running the rear linos would be of great use in the sottloment of this part of Gosford, and would very much shorten the road for the settlers in Rocmont." TOWNSHIPS OP CARNEAU, CASGRAIN AND LAFONTAINE. The two former townships are situate on the south-west and the latter on the north east side of the Elgin Road range, in the County of L'Islet. The residues of unsurveyed lands in the above named townships were laid out into I'arm lots for the purpose of extending the field of settlement, in consequence of the rapid disposal of the lands laid out along both sides of the Elgin Road, taken chiefly by the hardy yeomanry from the old settled parishes in the seigniories bordering on the St. Lawrence • whilst the opening of the Taoh4 Road, which traverses the townships of Garneau and Lafontaine, and intersects the Elgin Road, will aid materially in developing the settlement of this section of the public lands. Description of the lands surveyed into farm lots in the township of Garneau : ' " The five last ranges of the township of Garneau, now surveyed, give a superficies o^ twenty-two thousand acres of land, in part well adapted for ooloni74ation, offering a surface generally level and covered for the most part with mixed hardwood : it is more rocky than the township of Casgrain." I Description- of the lands surveyed in the Township of Casgrain : " The five last ranges of the Township of Gasgrain, whioh form a superficies of 20,226 acres, are in general less stony than those of the Township Garneau ; they are partly covered with maple, presenting a soil generally sandy and of good quality. This township is traversed in every direction by important and numerous rivers, on which mills of every kind might easily be constructed. Description of the lands surveyed in the Township of Lafontaine : " There are found, in different parts of this tract, meadows made by beavers many years ago, which will be of great advantage to the settlers, from the facility the latter will have of procuring hay, which although of a rather inferior quality, will be not less useful in helping them to winter their cattle, during the first years of their occupancy, and until they can mow better hay from their own lota. There are also on some lots maple groves, many of which are already occupied by persons who have made sugar there for the last two or tibiree years ; these maple groves will also be of advaatage to those holdiag these lots by 19 "■ , 'T. enabling them to gain some money by preparing them for market, at a soason when it would be impoHsible for then: to do anvthing in advancing their farm work." " On looking at these fine lands, ifvhioh are, so to speak, at the door of our farmers set- tled in the pariuhes along the river St. Lawrence, one is surprised that thoy have not been already for man) years settled, while the vigorous youth or our oountrv parts have been leaving from day to dav to live among strangers. One of the prinoipnl reasons, and one which has certainly delayed their settlement, has been the uiit'avorablc reports made by hunters, f r sonic reason or other, of these lands, saying that they were nothing but barren swamps and rocks, wholly unfit for settlement ; reports which were apparontlv confirmed by a strip of land, a mile or a mile and a-half in width, in * rearof the seigniories which is precisely such as the hunters have represented the remainder to be; add to this the absence of any road to get to these lands, ana, in the last place, the uncertainty of not knowing where the line of separation between this province and the United States would pass, the latter pretending, before it was drawn, that all the lands watered by the streams dis- charging into the River St. John belonged to them, thus taking away all the township of Dionne, and more than half tht. ^fLafontaine, which are about the finest parts of the tracts in question." " But now that ther'* is an auspicious beginning of settlement on these lands, we mu6t hope that they will be promptly opened, by enabling an industrious population to secure an honest independence, as well as by eventually preventing our young people going else- where to meet only fraud and deception." .,, , . .i' .. <■ , I north TOWNSHIP OF LANGEVIN. The township of Langevin is situate on the River St. John, the southern boundary of the Province under the Ash burton Treaty, and in the county of Dorchester. It is bounded on the north-west by the irregular limit of the township of Ware, on the south-east by the boundary of the Province, towards the north-east partly by the townships of Bellechasse and Daaquam, and towards the south-west by the surveyed township of Ware, and the pro- jected township of Metgermette ; and contains 65,200 acres, whereof 80,789 acres were laid out into farm lots of 100 acres, in the north-west part of the township. This township may be said to occupy part of the upper valley of the River St. John> and is watered by the tributaries of the Rivers Ghaudiere and St. John. ' j^*' t vn Mr. P. L. S. Casgrain describes the larger proportion of the land surveyed as highly fit for cultivation, as may be seen from the following extracts from his report : — ~- , ,j " Having been unable to find the north-east line of the township of Ware, which forms the south-westerly boundary of the township of Langevin, I took upon myself to run it, meeting the River Daaquam at a distance of 135 chains. It is very narrow at this point, the soil is of middling quality and spruce is the most abundant timber ; but on the rest of the line which traverses a forest of maple, birch, elm, pine and cedar, the soil is of a superior kind, with few rocks, it is generally very level and composed of grey loam. " Returning to the north-easterly line of the township I ran the line between the 5th and 6th ranges ; on the fifth lot I found a swamp of about 20 chains by 15, and another, round in shape, of about 15 chains in diameter, on the 16th lot. " Up to this point the land is only middling, but, after passing the 18th lot, the line traverses a magnificent forest of hardwood, maple, birch, ash, and cedar ; the soil is a grey loam, quite free from rooks. " Returning to the centre lihe, I ran the line between the 4th and 5th ranges; on the 15th lot I crossed a small stream, 40 links wide, and on the 19th lot the line passes along the northerly line of a swamp, tending to the south west, about 30 chains in breadth. There is a small swamp on lot 31, about 10 chains broad ; at this place, also, there is a l»rge burnt clearing, which extends as far as the south-west lateral line of the township , and about a hundred ohains to the southward. ':»•> *«• • a*;>^.^ -i 'in^n^fips. v-»i. ru jii«*^« 10 " The woods whioh h»T6 sprang np siooe the flr«s have taken plaoe, are, the eherry, white biroh, spruce, and cedar. The land is generally good and not ruoky. The 4drd lot is tratersed by a river of dead water, aboot 60 links wide and three or four feet deep ; this river contains fish. This locality is very level, and nearlv all susceptible of cultivation. " The third and fourth ranges are both cleared by fire, and in both the land is good •nd firee firom rooks. " On the 2nd range, the burnt clearing ends at a distance of half a mile, after whioh, the hardwood forest begins, composed of maple, biroh, and beech : the land is also excellent. The same may be said of both timber and soil on the first range, wherever the old line is Tisible. The line between Watford and Metgermette not having been prolonged I carried it as fkr as the River St. John ; finding, everywhere, hardwood and a soil free from roeks '' In range B, the land is equally good ; the timber, cedar, balsam, and spruce. " I then proceeded to lay out lots along the River Daaquam, which, I found, to have a depth of three or four feet, and an average breadth of about 60 feet, it is winding, and its •arrent very gentle ; its banks are covered with trees, and the soil on the north side is of • •aperior quality, as also the hardwood with which the land is covered. " The river abounds in fish and afifords, in several places, some splendid water-powers. " In running the south-west line of the township of Belloohaase, I met, at a distance of 77 ehains, in the 8th concession, a branch of the River Daaquam ; its breadth here is about 66 feet. At 70 chains, on the 0th range, I found a snail river uf about 88 feet in width, running south-west ; and another, of the same breadth, and running in the same direction, at 78 chains, on the 1st concession. Through the whole of this line the timber is a mixture of balsam, spruce, birch, and cedar. At 1 40 chains on the last range it passes through magnificent forests of hardwood of the very best quality. " After laying out the exterior lines of the township I commenced the sub-division of that part of it ^ing to the north of the River Daaquam, for which purpose I started a line fh)m the post Between the 8th and 9th ranges, running astronomically south-west : I found, all through, the most splendid hardwood. The soil is a grey loam with very few roeks. "On lot 24 there is a splendid site for a church, in the midst of a fine forest of hard- wood, the spot is a little elevated with a fine view on all sides. The surrounding land would be a most eligible locality for a village. " Returning to the north-east lateral line I, started another range line, running as far as the south-west lateral line ; this line passes, .through a level country, without rooks— the soil a ffrey loam, well covered, generally with maple, beech, and birch. The lot No. 6 is crossed by a river about 80 feet wide with sufficient fall to turn a mill ; there is also a river on lot 14, of about the same breadth, and another on lot 20, both running southward. " Finally, starting from the. post, on the north east lateral line between the 10th and 11th ranges, from a range line to the south west lateral line, this line passes mostly through fine wood, and good land. The 6th lot is traversed by a river tunning south 60 linxs wide. The 7th, 8th and 9th lots are covered with hard wood, sloping towards the north, on an Angle, of 8 or 9 degrees. The land after this is clothed with balsam, spruce, beech, audi oedar, and is perfectly level as far as lot 21, when the surface becomes uneven as far M the 2Sth lot, in whioh is a river running south east, about 26 links wide. The rest of the range as far as the centre line abounds in magnificent hard wood. In closing my report I may say that on putting together my observations on the iiatiire of the soil and the features of the ground, this locality o£fers to settlers the greatest aMoxanoe of success, and this is confirmed by the usiversal evenness of the ground, which affords the farmer such excellent opportunities for opening roads. In addition to whioh, splendid riveni and strean^s interseot the lau'l in all directions, all of which ciroum- ^nee8«onfirm me in the idea that at no distant period a high destiny awaits the township of Langevin." 11^ r THE TOWNSHIP OF LYTTON, ,, ,In ihi Cpnii^ty q^ Ottawa, abofit 90 miles up the River i Gatineau, is bounded, oi^ the poatli hy the Township of Egan and adjoins tha County line of Fcmtiao on the nortb^and 21 4drd lot )ep; thii ration, is good jr which, Dxoellent. )ld line is I carried am rooks ice. to have a , and its e is of a :S; jr-powers. distance adth here at 88 feet the same ;he timber e it passes ib-divisioD [ started a th-west: I h very few ist of hard- nding laud ning as far rooks — the t No. 6 is e is also a southward. e 10th and ^ly through h 50 links the north, uoe, beech, even as far The rest of )ns on the the greatest >und, which I to which, ioh ciroum- he township appoarit from the following Report of I*, h. Surveyor JiininM McArtlinr, who recently sur veyctl it to bo well ailnptod lor Hottluinotit. It coiiiuiiis ^7,800 uureu, of which 34,000 have boon Hitbdiviiled into farm luti: With respect to the phyHiciil ehaiMotorifltics of Jjytton, T bog loavo to utato that the land Ih of vory ^;ood quality and lixtronioly level, thoio are very few clovationH of any eon- Hidoruble extent; at leawt It") per cent of the whole is arable and ilt for cultivation. There is a continual NuncU'Hsiun of hardwood rid^'cs, with balnani, cedar, or laniarack KWanipH inter- vening; the soil on the Irirdwood ri<li,'t's iw cxctjlicnt, !>iU ii. the Hwamps it in lijjht and sandy. There in not much white or red (line in the township; oecasiuiially Hniall grovcH are to bo met with of largo growth, and of apparently good ((uality, but not in "-uifieient (juau- titicH to induce cxten.-ivn lumbering opcratiopH. \h yt there are no nettlers in hyttoi; ; nor is there any probability of its bring st^ttlcd soon, an it is ^'o dilHcult of access at all sea- sons of the year. It in true tliat it can bo easily reached by the Indian or experienced voi/in/fui' by ascending (Jaiineaa or Desert Rivers in c.inoes, but few settlers could be found willing to etioounter tiie risk thereby incuned; gou 1 r^iads are essentially n(H;essary in order to open out the t(nvn<hi|is on the (jatincau river for settlement. In no other part of the Ottawa country is there so large a tract iij" really good and fertile hind as in the Townships of Muuiwaki, i'igan, Aumond, Sicotte, .md Lytton ; but in order to render said land availa- ble it is absoliitelv uoecssarY that roads should be iuimcdiatelv constructed or laid out throughout said townships. rv TOWNSHIP OF ^wVTANE. ind^doi^ the e Bortb^and The six first ranges of this Townshij) situate In the Couuty of Iliniou.ski, were verified by Mr. P. L. Surveyor iJradley : the primitive survey being nimost wholly obliterated whilst a pressing demand jjrevniled for purchasing the lands in this township for actual set tlement. It is bounded on the south by the St. liawrciiec, on the north east by the Scign iory of Matane, and on the south west by the townf-hip of McNider. The following ex' tract of Mr. Bradley's report will convoy .some reliable information on the character of the lands surveyed by bini in this townshii) : — '' ' ' ' ; ' ■' -^ In luy supplementary report on the sur ey of iMatai.e, iu 18GI I represented to Che Government tne necciisity (if opening a road at or near tliC llivcr IJlauche, so as to allow the settlers to penetrate into the interior, and to give some eneouragcnjcnt to colonisation. The quality of the land in rear of the first four ranges wan even superior to that iu the first ranges, especially from the fifth to the eighth range or even as far as the river Pechedety, which empties itself into the river Matme, on t!io Uth range, I conceive it uiy duty again to urge the imporianeo of such an improvement. E.vperieuce has fully proved that without roads or routes to penetrate into the forest, settlement to the extent desired by^he Government cannot be accomplished. I :uu therelbre happy to be the echo of the nume- rous settlers in this township, for I am convinced that if the (Jovernment arc disposed to give them some assistance, they will never have to rcpro:ich themselves for having wasted the public money, far fro-.i it, it will always bo a source ol' congratulation to thini ttiat they have given an impulse to the imprtiv.oinent of agriculture in a township which pro- nii.ses ti' become at no distant p. iriod, one of tiio important parts of a district ;< i ready iu so flourishing a condition. " I would suggest at the same time thecxpodiency of opening a route to Lartigou ; but a better acqaintance with the locality and topography of the township hf e convinced mo that a branch road would be suflicient, to start from the uorth cast of Tartigou, going north easterly till it joins the water of thi! river Blanche, at some point on lots 20 or 21 of the fourth range, this route would then be common to both localities, extending as far as the river Pechedety. This river is deep enough to float pine and spruce log.-, and the Messrs. Price & Sons are at the present moment clearing these pine forests, both to their own profit and that of the uoighbouriug iuhabitauts. it boasts at the same time of several ti mill powrr.^, well culiMilatcd to supply iiiilln or inniiiifactitrioM of iiny kind ; tho banka of the river arc hi^h, ami Init iittio mhiptod to cultivaHoi), owiii^' to tlwir f.'roiit Ntocpnnri. " I ou^ht alno Id remark on tho fubdiviHion (iftlK.- lotsiilonf; tin; river Mntatio, beyond the (igbtb ranfio. As it is more ihnn probable tint tho (ioveriiinent will at 8(»nio con- veuicnt Rcafoti, cunliue tlio Hur\ey beyond ilh present liinitii. 1 am of opinion that it would be to their mlvanta^e an well a.s to that of the seltlerH or ^<|llatt('rH, to divide the IoIh on each Hide of the river, on a bearing south wcHtand north eant, for thia roaKin : in the first place, the landn eleared by the M|iiattters have all been liiii out in thin manner, for this reason that it allows them to settle in larger ninnbers and with more ODnveniencu to them- •alves. '1 hi.'< river tlows through vast table !nnd.H, fertile in the lii^heMt decree, andoxtend* ing into the interior a dimtaiictt oi nearly ten leagues, and ni' n breadth varying from 11 to 20, or even HO arpents. " On these table lands abound the elm tree, ash, beeeh, poplar, and spruec ; and I have been asflurcd by Indians that these splendid plateaus extend as far m trout river (^hich flows into the Grand iMatane, at about 15 leagues from tho St. Lawrence,) follow ing its sinuosities, and that at the confluence of tho river Tornadi, they are of far greater extent. " In rear of these table lands commence the hard wood lands, these are tho banks of the river Mutanc, having a slope Hufiicicntly gcntlo to be cultivable. It will bo evidcut from the uuture uf this proposition, that niany hundreds of sottlcrii could establish them- selves at very little expense for tho opening of roads, as they would have only their front road to make. A road is at present open from the south wtf>t side of tho river, to tho back of the 9tb range, and some fifteen settlers have already ranged bemselves along cho road, with clearings on their respective lots, varying from .') to 85 ac • s, who are wuiang with great anxiety for the decision of the Government in this nia'.ti . *' Should my humble suggestions not be adopted, the conseq icuces which would ensue would I think be as follows : — The pre ont sijuatters would lose the greater part of their cleared lands, as they are cut up in all .shapes by tho river, tho lines being changed in their direction, one or two iiidividua's would profit by the labours of nil the others. This would be the case with Blouis and Chrysostonie IJernier, besides the cultivation of these lotA will be impossible, as their small means will not allow of their constructing bridges, and no alternative would be left them but to abandon their lands or to vegetate on them for the rest of their days ; this fact is so evident that some of them have already given up clearing. " I would recommend in addition, the continuation of tho " Tach6 Road," from tho Matapcdia road to Matanc, as a certain means of settling the fertile lands in the interior of tho townships of Cabot, McN'ider, and Matanc. A route to communicate as far m the town.ship of St. Denis, or its augmentation (now called tho township of Tessier,) would bo V' ry de-^irable, the land is magnifiiont in rear of the Seigniory of Matane, and would be all taken up shortly if accessible by roads or routes. The inhabitants or squat- ters of this locality have already petitioned the Legislature on this subject, and I may venture to say it would only be fair to grant their petition, for they more than all others feel the want of such improvements, and know how to appreciate the benefits they confer on colonization generally." TOWNSHIP OF MANN. The land surveyed into farm lots in this township, in the county of Bonaventure, as returned in the annual staeement for the year l8Gl, lies back of Oak-!*oint-Range and tho adjudicaced lands situate on t'le River du Loup, and east of the track reserved for the Micmao Indians of Ristigouche. It :g bounded towards the east by the Seigniory of Shool- br«d and the Township of Nouvelle, and on the north by the residue of the township. iz Tin exoelh'rit (juulity of llio b >il in tliis townH'iip, itn Quo timber, nnJ tho favorabU obaractor of the lutid, euiiiiut'ruil to IikJuoo uriiigraiiti, eiipfliMiilly thn Auuilituii from Nova Scotiii titiii I'rincu Ktlward I^lutul, umi ooriitict; to tliv rupid Hvttleinont of tliJH township. The report of Mr. K li. Lc^Dndio (Miivcyi ;i 8:»tis(iiotory docriptioii of tho country surveyed, im tbllaWM- *' All tho liirul wliidli I hav.) raiit in prol(»nu;in'X this lino, ii so good and ho fit for ouU tivtttiiin that it wm takon up by do^ro s whli t I wis sur\oyin;» it I wan iirooinpuniod by a lurgo iiuiiditr (,f uctivo yiiuii|^ in >ii who did not oimtiiit thi< iin( Ivcm mondy wiih marking thoir lotN, but who uctuiiliy (Mil down tho ith'h and id nrod ho land wh.lo 1 wai working on tho lino " This land in pi-rfootly lovol and oovorod with very largo l)iroh and maple. Itcitonda IkiiDW not how fir cattwarl, for ih ; l.i ih II v -r, at a distmoj of fr)ia 14 to I.) ohiins to the cant of my lino, (^omos from tho north, and it ia on tho oast side that this IcV'd and good land appcircd to nic lh(>n to cxiond. '* Having him c proloniifd tho roar lino of the cast range from llivor du Loup to tho seventh run^jo, 1 wa^ cnablod tu a.-^ctrtiiin that tho land alroady niontionod extended to- wardii thn cant. I ftdl in with it on tho north part nf (ho fifth mile and on sixth, beyond which, if I may judgo from appoaranees, I bolievo it terminates only at tho valh-y formed by tho Kiver Esouminae. " All the land whi(di lioM between tho Uusteod Oook and rear lino of tho range cast of tho lliver du Loup in uf tho boHt quality, and although it is very elevated, it is neverthe- less level and of c i.sy access. Groat part of tho timber is birch, of an enormous sise, and sound in quality. " The groat valley of IJustood (.'rock is wooded with pines which appeare<] to mo for tho most part Ho\ind. Thi.s crook only extends, from what I am informed, to the fourth range, whore it takes its ri.^c. " I proceedod to (ho post, liet,"oon tho fourth and fifth ranges, on the range cast of River du Loup, um' ; rolon^od this lino to its junction with the west lino of the township ofNouvcllc. The ; lil which I mot with along this line is still finer than that of the ranges already passe over, aud to give an idea of it, I will say that it may be compared to that of Matapcdin. " The prevailing ti<ul)or is the same as that lower down, that is to say, birch and maple ; and, with th.u i xooption of the hill at the point of departure, tho land, as far as Harrison Creek, is level. This hill is tho last in this range. The cast branch of the River du Loup and Uustccd Creed take their rise in tho middle of the fourth range, in a grove of balsams, aud beyond this tho mountains disappear. '* Access to any of the ranges of these townships is niado easier by the shunty roads along tho different streams, which extend as far as the Kiver Escuminuc, and in one in- stance, to the head oi the above named creeks; nor is there any difference in the roadu, the land being the same everywhere. " The valley of Ilarri.son Creek in this range is wiler and more shallow than in the ranges already gone through, and the land in this valley is exceedingly good. The timber is of enormous size ; ash trees, for example, arc met with as large as pines: the prevailing kinds are elm, ash, and birch. This valley ap])cars to mo to become larger towards the interior, and I do not doubt that in the adjacent ranges, it will appear still finer in character not as respects the quality of the soil, for it is impossible to find better, but from its greater extent of level ground. This crook supplies a considerable volume of water, and milla might be put in operation throughon* 'ts length. " The further I advance into the interior the better I find the soil, and I am informed by credible parties, that there is equally good land as far as the River Escuminuc in the interior; I jud< o h" not only from the appearance of that which I found between the 6th and 7th ranges wlion I prolonged the rear Hue of River du Loup range east, but also irom the opportunity which I had of seeing, from the summit of the mountain between the 5th and 4th ranges, into the interior of the township. From this point I remarked that a range of mountain.>i extended from the south-east towards the north-west, at many miles distance, and that tlie ground sloped gradually from these mountains to the place of Qbser* 24 VJition. From this I am led to believe that those mountains separate the river Escuminac on the north, and leave a very large extent of ground fit for Immediate settlement on this side, towards the south-west." THE TOWKSIIIP OF PATAPEDIA. In the County of Douavoiiturc bounded on the south by the Uivcr llistigouc'.ie, and on the west by the Divisiuii line between tlio Provinces of Canada and New Bruns- wick, and on tiie cast bv tlie townsliiiMif Mctnpcdiii. contiiins 80,000 acres, of which P. L. Surveyor "NVm. 3!cDouaM (subdivided or>,-i80 iicivs into liivni lots in IMO'i. He reports as follows : — .... " Uemarkinj,' on the nature of this survey, tbe ubsevvaiion maybe made that in its extent the Township is an unusually iar^o one, and from having two river I'ronts (upwards of fifteen miles on the Kisligouehe and Kii on the I'afapedia.jjune oi'whielieould^not be scaled occasioned some time in surveying i>uitieu!arly wlicn so much depended on correctness. T';? binds warranting the subdivision of the lull exient of thirty five thousand acres per- mitted, the n-imo were surveyed and po.-ted into M''!) lots full t'l-cM fourths of which are in quality, adapted for Fcttlement, and the reuuiining undivided ;^ irts are not without a large scope of very fine ac<x\^sible lai.d, vi2.,oa^t and \\est of the ec.itro line. " John Sharp, and licnjamin Murrell are th • only two settle! s at present in the Township, buu there is room on the Hiveis for at least forty additional settlers, the ranges OQ theothcr handas I before reuuvrked in my seveiai rejjorts during' the progress of the work, present elevated tracts, but which are nevevlheless easy of access by various routes, in some instances up the streams iu other parts by diflc'-^nt ravines and along the table land." TOWNSHIPS OF POLETTE AND TUllOOTTE. These contiguous townships are siii 'to on the northerly side of the lliver St' Maurice. The township of Polctte lying partly in i"n county of Champlain and partly in the county of Portueut* adjoins on the Soutli-wesr ']i;> Seigniory of IJatiscan, and presents on the St. Maurice a frontage of iL'] miles, laid oui into (12 farm lots, several of whicli are already occupied and improved, eonucctively with the extensive luuiLiering business carried on upon that river and its tributaries. The Kiver Wisscneau or "NVosseneau, wiiieh uit'chargesinto the St. Maurice about half a mile below the mouth of Hut Pvivor, in the township of Turcotte, traverses this township from north-cast to Houtli-we,<t — its north branch entering the township from the north- west — and is, together with its tributaries, reported as offering seme fine tracts of laud for settlement. The Township of Turcotte, situate in the County of ]*ortneuf, adjoins on the south- west the Township of Polettc, ai~ ! presents along its front on the St. Maurice GO Ikrai lots now available for settlom.'nt. A range of farm lots on both f-;ides of Hat River, from the rear of the first range to the north-v/est outline of the township, has been surveyed, which, together with the surveyed ratiges back from the St. Maurice, will lay open to settlement man} fine tracts of land eligible for cultivation, di-persed over 41, U-t2 acres subdivided into ranges and lots, us returned into the departiiuint by Mr. 1*. L. S. Wallace: " The irout of the township of Ptdctte presents some very fine tracts of land. That part adjoining the St. Maurice eousis'.s of alluvial deposits of different ages, arranged in successive '■tops varying in height from a fcv,' feot to about one hundred feet; the higher or older plateau, in all cases shov>'ing the beiter s il. Seven of those steps or ancient banks of the St Maurice can be distinctly traced iu several places The soil on thosT places is sandy, the upj)or containing more vegetable uuitter than the lovvcr. The timber .is fir, spruce, pine, aspen, white, yellow and black birches, cedar, ash, and in some places basswood. Above the bill or bank proper of the rivor, which in sonjo plac^jS is precipitous aqd rooky, tji© soil in generally a good browu leam, growing black and ygllow birches, maple, ',■'■«, oct 26 dnrs, ash, Leech, pine, fatnarack, &o., &,o. The couotry is gonerally rolling and notBobi!ly as, the township of Turcotte. ■ There are two farms on the front of this township shown oa tlie plan — one belonging to the estate of Mr. H^': and the other to Mr. Baptiste. " The front of the township of Turcotte, the lat and parts of the 2nd, 8rd and 4th ranges, al<^o present some fine tracts of land, marked by the same suoeessive plateaux M Polcttc, and growing the panic timber. The hill or bank proper hero, especially in the 4th range is higher than in l\)lettc, in some placos precipituous and rocky, and rising seven or eight hundred feet ; the direction of the valleys, however, being nearly north and south, there is every facility for getting on to the higher lands, p number of good main lumber roads being already made. "There is a large farm at the mouth of the Rat River, on the 1st range, belonging to Mr. Baptiste, on which he raises largj quantities of 'lay, oa's, potatoes, &c. The times of sowing and reaping are the same as in the vicinity of liiree Rivers, while the soil is more productive. " The remainder ')f ranges 1, 2, 3 and 4 is generally hilly or mountainous, in some places broken and rocky, but presents many fine valleys and valuable tracts of land. The soil is generally a rich brown loam or black mould, growing large birches, maple, pine, fir, Hpruco, aspen, cedar, beech, taniarack, and in some spots red oak and ironwood. Numerous lumber roads intersect this tract, some of them requiring little or no labor to fit them for waggon roads, nnd nil passing through the bcf<t valleys, so that, although these ranges are more broken than the land on the west side of Rat River, settlers will have little difficulty in makin<]. roads. " Baiigo A which is laiii off into lots on Rat River, as far as the 24th lot, presents, to this point, tlic same soil and charactc, as the Ibrmcr ranges, though not so broken. Above this, as far as the fork of Cigoncique or (irande Fourche, the front of this range is bounded b^ precipitous rocky hills, which rise in some places upwards of eight hundred feet, leaving in some cases level tracts at their bases, along Rat River. The remainder of the lota were laid out along the rear line of this range, or centre line, which will be the best locality for a road to the interior of ilie township as far as lot 52. From lots 24 to 56 this range presents a good deal of hilly and rocky country, although at least one half is fit for culti- vation, the soil and timber being the same as in the former ranges; even the more hilly parts growing very larj-o hardwood and mixed timber, always available for woodlands. There are al.so tome fine level tracts growing timber of the largest size. From lots 56 to the rear of the townsliip, this range, with the exception of the precipitous rocky front on Rat River, presents very good lands, growing fine timber and having large level or rolling tracts. " Ranges B and C generally present very fine tracts of land, except in some places near Rat River, where rocky and stony ranges occur. The soil is here also a rich brown loam or black mouM, growing birches, maples, beech, firs, aspen, ash, cedar, red oak, &c., &c. There arc several clearings along Rat River, some belonging to Mr. Baptiste and others whicli were abandoned by lumbermen after they ceased making pine timber in ♦he vicinity. "The unsurvoycd part of this township was explored in seveval places, and presents good tracts of land throughout, not so hilly as that near the St. Maurice or Rat River, having the same or deeper soil, growing large timber, and showing extensive tracts of nearly level or rolling laud ; the tamarack and black birch especially being of a very large size and superior quality. '•' All the mountain ranges in these two townships, and generally throughout the St. Maurice territory, run nearly north and south, presenting valleys of erosion caused by the great northern drift of the glacial period, lying in the same direction. On this account, I would respectfully suggest to your department that future townships in this territory, should be laid out with their side lines running east and west, that the range lines, and, consequently the range roads, might lie north and south for the convenience of settlers; as all the inhabitants of a range have, or should have, constant intercourse with each other. — It would also bo advisable to adopt this course in subdividing the unsurveyed part of the township oi Turootte, whenever that may become necessary. " The resources of the St. IVIaurice Territory are great, A.» proseoti the only sottrct of revenue is pine timhor, aud the quantity made would be very muob inoreiUiedi hftd tbf j^tnherera grdttter laaiUtipii ^uv oarryiug oa their ftlvr»yii profiUblfi iMl' 26 " The best method of developing the resources of the t«Mritory, is Jo build a good waggon road from the settlement in rear of Three Rivers to Rat River; this road there to branch off to the River Vermillion, to tho north west, ulonir the valley of Rat River, or its immediate vicinity; and to the vicinity of ha Tuque, to the mirth. This should bo a colon- isation road similar to those hy which your dopartnunt ';as opened up severiil other parts of the country, and esptcially in Upper Can.ida. This ' )ad would be tho means of settling the country on both sides of the 8t. Maurice, as '"^rries oould be established anywhere below, and at many places above La Tuque. The settlers, bct^ides being in themselves of known value to the country and its revenue, would bo of great service to the lumberers in Sroviding them with fodder for their cattle which they now have to traiisport from Three livers, and in root crops, such as potatoes, &c. Tho road would n'so be of inin.i itse value to the lumbering interest, as the lumberers could us" it at all seasons of the year, whereas now th'^y have but the St. Maurice, a summer and winter road alone— a sumnnfr road for cunoes and scows, and a winter road for teams. In the fall, before the ice becomes strong enough to bear teams, and in spring, when it is too porous and dangerous to do so. the lumberers for several weeks have no means of transponing supplies to their fields of i peration. The value of this road will be appreciated wlieu it is remeinbcn'd that himhering operatioi d begin in the fall, about September ( r October, and that the timber gets to the Quebec market in June, July or August only of the following year IMany lumberers cannot send their supplies up the river till navigation is impeded by floating ice, and have to send up their ' drivers' on the ice in spring, weeks before they are wanted or can do anything for their high wages. Some lumberers on the iSt. Maurice now s-end up their supplies on the river road in winter for the next winter's operations; thus not only vuniiing ihe risk of the provisions deteriorating by being kept all summer, but paying a yeans interest on the largo outlay required to furnish a lumber camp in rations and fodder. A road would remedy this state of things, and be beneficial to the lumberman, the settlor, and the country at large, as it would increa.se the revenue in a much greater ratio than the outlay required to make it. " If the St. Maurice country were settled, its resources would be — not only pine timber — but tamarack and black birch, of which there are large quantities of a superior quality, — would be made by the settlers; and when tho Piles Railway is biilt, this timber as well M cedar and spruce, and even firewood will find its way to Three Rivers and Quebec. '• Having, according to instructions, made a few general remarks on the physical geog- raphy of the country, its resources and the best mode of developing them, I have only to add that the colonization road I have mentioned could be made without any difHoulty, as the country is very favorable for roads running north, the valleys, as before mentioned lying in that direction. " The road could also be made at a comparatively small cost, as there are only three rivers of any size to bridge, namely, the Matawin, the Betepuante and Rat River. " The branch road to the Vermillion could be of great use to the lumberers on that well wooded river as it would enable them to send their supplies direct from Rat River in sum- mer, instecd of using a great bend of the St. Maurice through the worst and most danger- ous rapids of that river above La Tuque. It would also pass through a country well fitted for settlement, and which would probably bo the first part of the Upper St. Alaurice, turned into the permanent homes of civilized men." ^ TOWNSHIP OF PONTEFRAOT. <■■ ■ The township of Pontefract lies in rear of the Township of Mansfield, in the county of Poutiac, adjoining on the east the surveyed Township of lluddcrsfield, and of the dimensions of nine miles in breadth, by the mean depth of fourteen miles. It is trs versed in its whole extent by the River Coulonge and its tributary, the main stream discharging into the Ottawa River at Fort Coulonge, in the Township of Mansfield. The land in this township is much broken by hills and mountains, aud is intersected by several large lakes, in the westerly part thereof esptcially. Hardwood seeirs to be the prevailing feature of the country surveyed up the Coulogne. Th« soil is generaMy a rich can, but most frequently stony. ' j7 ROLETTE AND PANET. These atljoining townships are situate in tho County of Montmaf»ny ; the termer in bounded on the north-wost by tho towuship of Moritniigny, which is travursed by the Tach^^ Road, on tliu P^ast by township of Talon, on tho west by the County lino of lielle- chasse. It contains 33,80U acres, and i.^ all laid off into farm lots; the latter township extends north eas'twardly to tl.e Pro.'inco line, and is bounded on the north-east by the said township of Talun, and un tho west by the townships of Bollechasse and Daaquam and County lino of Bellcchasso, and contains i7,212 acri'S, whereof the southern part tra- versed by tho Hiver Dnacjuam and tributary of tho River St. John, presenting some favor- able lands for settlement; on both sides thereof, and a few ranges along tho south-east limit of Rolette were laid oil' into lots, comprising 28,869 acro.x. '. A passable road intersects these townships, called '• lo Chemia des Anglais," which was opened by the Ikitish and American surveying parties engaged on the survey of th-j boundary line, under the treaty of Washington, for tho express purpose of transporting by it the provisions purchased in the old parishes on the St. Lawrence, and has been used since for lumbering purposes, and might, with ceiiain improvements, be made available for the use of the first settlers ol' those townships, until this section of the country bocomca moie developed through settlement. • The report of >ir. P, L. S. Tdtu conveys ii favorable idea of the general fitness of the land for cultivation : — The 1st and 2ijd rangfs of tho township of Rolette, 'jre more mountainous than any other range I surveyed. The soil is uood, but a little hard to cultivate, particularly in the south-wostern parts of tlicsu ranges. The laud to the south of the above lines has a graduil fall, and with the exception of some slopes more or less steep, and all cultivable, only two mountains are to be found, which cover the site of a few lots, and render them of but little use for cultivation, they will not however be altogether valueless, on that ac^rount, as they are clothed with rich fore&ts of maple, which before next spring, will be occupied by settlers Irom the Township of Moutminy. The whole surface of this surveyed laud, is intersected by rivers and st.eauis, by which it is watered in the most advantageous man- ner. The 3rd Range is composed of good yellow and grey mould, with a sub-soil of calcareous clay. The nortii-wcstcrn [)art is altogether covered with maple woods, which have been made use of by the English ut the time of the survey of the frontier line. .Leas maple is found in tho South, but a larger amount of grey loam, and the surface is more level. The 4th Range is in every rcspoct similar to the prececd'ng one, except that there is a larger amount of m;iple, covering a soil well calculated for the growth of cereals. The no:th-cast part of the 5th range is partly composed of yellow mould, and in this par- ticular is inferior to the prcccetling ranges ; the south-west part is iroinethiug similar, only that soft wood is the prevailing quality of limlior. Tiie north-east part ol' 6th range, al- though interspersed with cedar and other swamps, is not the less fit for cultivation. These swamps are mostly covered with a thin layer of vegetable detritus, over a sub-soil of clayey earth very rich and easily drained. The same remark applies to all the kwamps in these two Townships. With the exception of some rocky lots, the remainder is excellent, though not offering tho same facilities for c llivation to settlers in poor circumstances, who would prefer the lands where hard wood is to bo found. The rivers and streams which intersect this part of the township have a more rapid current, running over beds of peb- bles (quartz) and do not possess any falls available for industrial purposes. The 7tn Range is composed of good land, yellow and grey loam covered partly by hard and partly by soft wood. The Ist, 2nd, and 3rd ranges of the township of Panet, are composed of good yellow soil, with clay uiderneath, and very few rooks on the surface, and therefore well adaoted for cultivation^ to the louth of these two rangu , verj little maple or birch is to be found. The land being low there is a growth of cedar and spruce CD it, it is mostly swampy. 'The4th, 5tn, and 6th, ranges of this township contain the richest soil found in the whole survey, extending south as far as the frontier, and corwistiug of yellow and grey mould with an argilo-calcarcous sub-soil. The swamps covering all this part of the township would be easily drained, and if subjected to the action of fire, the finest imaginable land would bo exposed for cultivation. Finally these two townships are generally well adapted for cultivation, and will very shortly be nearly all settled, in the spring settlers arc about to locate themselves on the 8rd range, in the township of Rolette, in the north cast part ; to reach this locality, there is a road known as the " English Road" which conld be repaired at little cost; it crosses the first four ranges of the township ; it was passable for carriages twenty years ago, and might be made so again for a small sum. These townships could be traversed by a road which should be made to pass near the lots No. 20, adjoining the central line of llolettc, which would be very level through its whole length, having neither mountains nor rivers to cross, and free from rocks, it would develope the resources of the County of Montmagny. I have explored and traced out a road taking the above course for the transport of my surveying apparatus, which passes through a very level country. With a few corrections an excellent line might be made, which would give a new impulse to settlement in these parts. " What first strikes the observer in these townships is the good quality of the land, which is everywhere so prevalent; vast plains extend beyond the limits of sight, interrupted only by rocks here and there, serving as a relief to their immense extent. " The River Daaquam, which traverses the Township Panet through its whole breadth, waters the two most fertile of its ranges. On approaching the frontier, the land become!) of middling quality, owing to the presence of swamps, which, though of no great extent, are pretty numerous; still, when colonization sltall have reached this far in the country, means will easily be found to drain them, and .Make them as prodmjtive as the best parts of the township; for as the sub-soil of these swampn is composed of cluy, covered with a thick coating of vegetable matter, it will not fail to become extremely fertile a-i soon as the work of cropping has begun. The labor will bo very much facilitated by the streams which flow in all directions and empty themselves some into the river Daaquam, o;hcrs to the south of the frontier line. " In general, the soil of these two townships is mixed with sand and gravel, thbugh much clayey land is to be found, and fit for cultivation : Yellow mould also exists, also grey and black loam, but in smaller quantities, although of good quality, and all well adapted for cultivation. "The timber is generally as fine as may be expected to be found on land of such fertility, and which requires but a little labor to make it cultivable, for the timber is in general rat.her scarce. The prevailing kinds are maple, balsam, pine, cedar, and birch, all of excellent quality. "I am firmly convinced that n=- soon as the sub-division of this township is terminate,!, settlers will be found to go into it iu great numbers. There is already a good shanty roid leading to it: it is commonly known by the name of the Englishman's Road ; it is quite go jd «nough for the cartage of provisions during the summer. It traverses a part of Rolette and cuts the province line a little to the east of the north-east line of the Township of Panet. They made use of it during the time that the shanty season lasted ; but since the lumber business ceased in these parts, the road has been but little travelled, and latterly has been altogether disused. A very small outlay would put it in good condition. It would only require to raise the trees which have fallen upon it, and to straigliton it a little, thouirh, in general it is straight enough. Very little rjioney would make it ono of the finest coioniza- tioQ roads, and one of the most travelled. <'his part of the county is much like the land of the townships on the west and east, and a., least as good. TOWNSHIP OF ST. GERMAINS. The Township of St. Germains in the County of Chicoutimi, is situate on the north shore of tbe Birer Saguenay, and is bounded in rear on the north and cast by the waste lands 29 of the Crown ; towards the west by the towDship of Harvey. About three ranges back from the steep and rugged escarpment of the rivev, have been subdividod into lots ; and also the arable spots at the mouth of the Bmall streams discharging into the Sngucnay, presenting some <ivailable ground for settlement. The rear part of this township is traversed by the river Marguerite, but no subdivision of lots was made of the land on its banks as bearing generally a hilly and rugged character. Mr. P. L. S. Gagnon who sur- veyed this township, reports as follows : — " The soil from lot No. 1 to 19, inclusively to the south of iho river St Margaret, is well adapted for cultivation, being a flat yellow mould, covered with hard and soft wood, and from 19 to 55 to the north of the river, as far as the foot of the mountain, the distance varying from 20 to 30 chains in depth the land is also good. "in the ranges to the south of the base lino from range D to the Sagucnay the land is good with the exception of a distance of some chains along the bank of the Saguenay, and part of range A where it is rather rocky. All the lakes I met in the course of my opera- tions are well stocked with fish, principally trout and eels. " There are some good harbors along the Sagnenny coast, in front of this townahip, the best of which is tho * Anse a Xavicr' in front of the village Ileservo. There are fur- ther, some excellent mill sites on all the rivers intersecting the township. There is no obstacle to the opening out of roads across the township, especially^^ through the surveyed land, and the unsurveyed land between the third range and the river St. Margaret; that part which lies near East Cape, and that of Red llivcr. The survey of these two last tracts is prayed for by a large number of settlers who have already commenced their labours. " It is very necessary also that the Sagucnay front of this township should be laid out, so as to establish the amount of land in possession of squatters. I would call the attention of the Government to the land between the River .St. Lawrence and the Saguenay lo the east of the township of St. Gcrmains ; having had occasion to e.'iplorc this township before the survey, I do not hesitate to say that the soil and climate are as good as or superior to those of any of the surveyed townships of the Saguenay." TOWNSHIP OF SPAULDING. This township lies on the easterly bank of tho river Chaudiere, at its outlet from lake Megantic, extending in depth, towards the cast, to the Province line, and bounded on one side, towards the north, by the Townships of Marlow and Risborough, and on the other side, towards the South, by the Township of Ditchfield. The first six ranges of Spaulding which were laid outinto farm lots, present with the surveyed six langos in Ditchfield, about 70,000 acres of highly favorable lands for actual settlement, — the much larger proportion of which is composed of land well adapted for cultivation, — the soil being in general a rich loam and the surface moderately undulating, hardwood timber lands. The colonization of this township and of the adjoining townships will be materially assisted by the Government road, recommended by Mr. Duchesnay, now in progress of being opened from its junction with the LambtonRoad, through the Townships of Aylmer and Gayhurst, intersecting the Chaudiere at this townshipj but this desirable object would be considerably promoted were a good road opened on tho right bank of the River Chau- diere, from the Township of Jersey, in front of the Townships of Marlow, Risborough, Spaulding and DitchficM, to meet the colonization road projected from the interior ii^ Lingwich to the Arnold River, in the Township of Woburn, recently traced and marke^ under iqstructioos ftom thi« pJ9|oe, mi yfhiifB it W9ul4 meet the propoi^^ Ui)e Qf foa*^ 9X> traced from the Province line, at the terminus of a road proposed to be opened by the American authorities, in the State of New Hampshire, to connect with the Portland and St. Lawrence line of railway, towards the south, with Quebec by the Mcj^antic Government Road, — and with Sherbrookc and Montreal by the western and eastern township roads. Mr. P. L. S. Duchesnay, who surveyed the Township of Spaulding, reports as follows: — "The land throughout the Township of Spaulding is for the most part of good quality of loam, though rather stony in places, yet on the whole, very well adai)ted to agricultural purposes, and may bo classed as first-rate farming land. The timber is also of superior quality and of average growth, generally mixed,— the principal kinds being birch, maple, spruce, cedar, balsam and some pine. and afford! Nebnellis a..v. ^^v...^ ,. ^ ~j y . Y rapid stream, at low water oeing not more than two feet in depth, and of an average width of about two chains, although at spring floods it rises to considerable size. " The banks are in many places rather uneven, while in others good flats of arable land extend to the water's edge. "I would take the opportunity here of remarking with regard to thesettlement of this land, that the construction of a road from Aylmer, through Gayhurst, to the Biver Chau- diire, in the vicinity of the discharge of Lake Drolet, would be of material service, and is asked for by the settlers in that neighborhood, who arc even now in the act of petitioning for the road. " There is at present a rough timber road following the course of the river Ghaudi^re, which crosses from Gayhurst into Spaulding about lot 27, and thence continues along the river course as far as Lake Megantic." THE TOWNSHIPS OF TEMPLETON, WAKEFIELD AND PORTLAND In the Connty of Ottawa lie between the fxatineau and the aux Lievrcs rivers. On a verification of their outlines P. L. Surveyor George F. Austin, reports : — '* The line A. B. passes over a very rouj^li tract of land, with hardly a chuiu of level land excepting near the point A. The soil is of a good deep hazel loam, in the high land, and of a clay in the low flat land. The timber is chiefly beech, maple, birch, and hemlock with a mixture of white spruce, balsam, cedar, &c. It is very precipitous and rocky, in fact the appearance of the country is broken, rugged, and stony, and almost un- fit for cultivation. " The land along the lineB. C. is much superior, there being more land fit for cultiva- tion which has been settled within the last two or three years. It is nevertheless very rocky and barren on the high lands. On the line C. D. E. there is quite a fair tract of land favo- able for cultivation, a good deal of which is under cultivation . " The predominating vock is gneiss. I met with but one water power which is on lot 28 in the 13th range of Templetcn, where a fall of 30 feet could be obtained, and a constant flow of very clear water. " The lake I crossed on line A. B. is very deep, and its waters are very clear and cold; the banks are very steep and rocky. It contains trout, chubb, and perch. "Lake Wakefield is amagnificentsheet of clear deep water, surrounded with a tract of undulating land. Its banks are not so precipitous as the lake before described, but slope gradually to the water. " I would also briefly remark that I met with no posts excepting those marked on the B. C. line, and on the south outline of Portland line, of which note has since been taken in the field notes. " The country about the vicinity of Lake Wakefield is being rapidly settled chiefly by French Canadians, and promises to be a rich agricultural country : vising the Y^^^^y for graia Aod the uplands f^]* gheep pasture. There appears to be a ijice tract yet undivided *•■' ''•'■■ t -" ^ 81 marked as " Oore" ou my plan having a depth of one hundred and twenty-one chains and thirty-six links from C to D, and ranning eastward to the western line of Buckingham.' TOWNSHIP OF TALON. The township of Tfilon situate in the County of Montmagny is bounded on the south east by the Province line under the Ashburton treaty, on the north west by the Township of Patton, towards the south west by the townships of Rolette and Panet, and towards the north east by the projected township of Levcrrier. It lies chiefly on the table land at the head waters of the north west branch of the River St. Jean, and contains 59,500 acres of land, whereof 30,201 acres have been laid out into farm lota of 100 acres. Mr. P. L. Surveyor l>6langer who surveyed this Township, reports as .'"ollows : — " All the surveyed part of the township of Talon does not consist of land favourable to cultivation, still we may estimate at about 50 per cent the amount of superior land, covered with hard wood, cedar ami alders. With regard to the remainder, which is in- ferior in quality, about half may bo considered cultivable and the rest rocky, and covered with hard wood, spruce, and some pine. There arc several spots that are marshy. With the exception of some steep mountains in the ueighbourhood of the centre line, and a few hills here and there the land is generally level, or slightly undulating, over extensive tracts presenting some good lots, well adapted for cultivation. " With regard to the best method of developing the resources of this locality and opening these lands for settlement, I would recommend that the Anso a Gillcs road should as soon as possible be prolonged and run across this township. " I have indicated by a yellow line on my plan, the best looality for the above toad, leading through the most level country and where the best land is found. In the unsur- veyed parts of this township there is a tract of about three or four miles in depth, and nearly of the breadth of the township, where the land is pretty level and excellent in quality, covered with fine hard wood, such as maple, birch, &o. ; the rear line of the sixth range passes along the northern limit of this hard wood. " I have transmitted to Sir William specimens of iron ore, which I fonud in large quantities on a mountain in lots 11, 12 and 13 in the sixth range." TOWNSHIP OP TOURELLE. This township, situate in the County of Gasp£, adjoins on the south-west at the St. Lawrence, the Seigniory of Ste. Anne des Monts, and back of this seigniory, the Township of Cap Chatte, to its depth, and on the north-east by the waste and unsurvcyed public lands — excepting, however, the front range recently laid out into farm lots, on the St. Lawrence, and along the line of road traced from Ste. Anne des Monts, eastward, through the projected Townships of Christie and Duchesnay,to Pox River, by Mr. P.L.S. Baillargd, under the instructions from the Department of Public Works, and of this Department. The four first ranges of the Township of Tourelle were laid out into farm lots; the greater proportion of the first range thereof being already settled and ocupied, partly by squatters, and partly by persons representing the owners of adjudicated claims under the Qtaapi Relief Act, (59 Geo. 3) ; whilst the remaining surveyed ranges, although jooasion- ally of a mountainous and broken surface throughout contain some very favorable lands fbr settlement, which will be rapidly taken up, so soon as the Gulf Line of road shall have bMi ooostruoted, as the ample report of Mr. P. L. S. Roy renders manifest : — 82 "All the land in the lirnt rftn<,'n of the Hei^niory of St. Anne, and in blocks A. and B. is under cultivation to tho inoiin depth of iihout sixty chains. In addition to the groat River St. Aiuic, thuro ftio two iuiportiuit water poworH in this tract, tho littlo llivor St. Anue, and the ' Patutu' struani. On tho little Uiver Kt. Anno, about lO chains from the St. Lawrence, aro two splendid mills, tho property of T. B. Sussovillo; one a flour, tho other a saw mill. The .saw, particularly, i.s of superior construction. "Tho Little river Sc. AnHO was us?d, fir a long period for lumbering purposes, a considerable quantity of deals having been made on its banks ; but for the last four or five years very little wood has been made up in this locality, and this branch of industry has been nearly quite abanduncd. Om tho River I'atatc aro still scon tho romains of an old sawl, and a flour mil. These establishments, tho property of Jean Le Boutillier, Esq., ore now all in ruins" Mr. Key, in speaking of tho Township of TouroUo, says: — "The name uf this townsiiip, which is also that of the locality before a survey was made, is, owing to the existence of two rocks, situate on the shore at a distance of about three miles from one another: the first of these rooks, which is also the largest, is shown on the plan of the township as point la Tourolle ; it is of quadrangular form with a bas3 of about twenty feet diameter and riding to a height of forty or fifty feet; this rock is per- fectly isolated on a rough beauh, and sometimes at very high tides the water passes several feet beyond it. "Tiie other of these blocks called the little TourcUe, lies to the north-east of the first, is of triangular shape, narrowing at a height of thirty feet and forms part of the cliff on the borders of the river, having the appearance of a chimney standing tilone after the de- struction of a building by fire. " The shore opposite the Township of Tourello is generally rockv ; here and there small sandy bays are found which afi'ord a safe harbour for barges at high tide. Iif tho course of last Bumuicr several of these bays were occupied by fisher-men Lom St. Anne and Cap Chat, who established themselves there for the purpose of fishing for mackerel, which these shores arc celebrated for. " In the eastern part of the township is the little Kiver Castor, with a good water power; it reaches the St. Lawrence by a fall of about 20 feet; the banks of this stream are very high and difficult of access on the first four ranges of the township, but beyond this they gradually disappear. " The land in the south west part of this township, from the central line to the north east line of the Township Cap Chat, is well adapted fur colonization. The soil is a yellow mould very favorable to cultivation. " There are but few o'" these rivers whose formation oficrs any obstacle to communi- cation or to cultivation ; moreover there is at present a road along the River St. Anne, which extends three or four leagues into the country, but it is unavailable in winter, though a very little outlay would make it pasf^able in summer. A similar road runs along the River Patate, but does not go more than four miles back, about half of it is however passable at all seasons. I would here draw the particular attention of cultivators to ■the few lots that are still vacant along the llivor Patate, and also in that part of the township from that stream to the central line of the township. Several lots in the 2nd and 3rd ranges are in course of being cultivated for the goodness of tho soil, the facility of commu- nication and the proximity of tho Village of St. Anne, having all the advantages of a church, post-office, registry office, &c., &c., are such solid advantages and so rarely met with in a new township that a passing notice of them will be sufficient to show all their importance. "The north-east part of the township, extending from the centre line to the easterly lateral line, presents to the eye a different aspect; if we consider the height of the cliffs and judging of the interior by tho difficulties encountered near the sea coast, we must be led to suppose that this locality is destined to remain long in a state of nature. It is true that on the lots of the first range, to the depth of 20 or 30 chains, the land could only be made available for persons who intend to devote themselves exclusively to fishing, but when this distance is passed, the country changes its appearance and all obstacles dis^appear. Here and there, it is true, inequalities of the surface, caused by tho course of streams, and high clifls are met with, but do cliffs or hills such as are seen in the first range. I must, how- 88 eTor, make an ozoeptioD oh regards the hollow formed by the Oostor stream ; which at the St. Lawronoe as wuli us in tho interior, to about the middle of the 5th runv;c^ presents obstacles which, in my opinion, would not bu suiniounted v/ithout great difficulty. Coloni- zation would progress but slowly if the puoplo wore loft to their own resources, but tho road which the government is about constructing from St. Anno to Fox River, will not full to prove so encouraging that before long wo uhiiU see there us in many other places along the coast of Guspd, an uninterrupted gucecsHion of good settlunionts. "I did not find in the interior of tho Township of Tourello a continuance of level land, such as exists in tho interior of tho Town.^ships of Cherbourg and Dalibaire which I traversed in 1850: but this land, though not so ciisy of access nor so capable of cultivation, docs not appear to me to bo less valuable towards the middlcof the township. At a distance of about? miles from tho St. Lawrence, there is u lake, which I have judged to be about fifty acres in Buperfices. These data are only approximate, as I saw tho lake only at a distance of six miles. I was then measuring tlio depth of the side line. In tho middle of the lake there is a small island. A hunter whom I have met since, tells me that this lake is called tho Island Lake, and that ho had caught u great deal of trout there. In tracing the back outline of tho township, I noted besides several streams, tho intersection of two rivers; the smallest of these which is i:i the middle of tho third mile, measures 85 links in brr^adth, and runs through level land from north to south, measuring one chain and five links in breadth ; tho other river is found at the beginning of the seventh mile, and is said to be a branch of the great River St. Anne ; its course is from west to east, and makes its way through tho Chiokchack Mountains. At about a mile to the north of tho rear line, this river appears to run through level land, after which tho hills through which it runs rise successively in an easterly direction ; at the point of its intersection with the rear line they attain a height of about 1500 feet. " The predominant kinds of timber are the pine, white birch, birch, spruce and cedar; there is only a small quantity of maple. The only maple wood worth mentioning, is in the neighborhood of the base line on the north-cast side of tho little Patate. We there found three or four huta for sugar making in the spring. The cedar bushes are not numerous, but the cedars are of good size and of superior quality. Tho most extensive of these cedar woods follow tho course of the River St. Anne and the Stream Patate. We found a great quantity of pine stumps in this part of the township extending from the Patate to the River St. Anne, but I cannot recollect having seen one of these trees standing. << The soil is mostly yellow loam and sandy mould ; alone the course of the littlo River St. Anne clayey land is found, as well as yellow loam, but pot to any extent ; wherever similar soil is met with, in other parts of the townships, it is of so small an extent as not to be worth mentioning. "In continuation, I may add that of all the townships destined for colonization, few arc more worthy of attention than the Township of Tourelle. This township has certainly the disadvantage of being difficult to cultivate, owing to the steepness of the cliffs and tho depth of the water courses, but f;on:rally the soil will be found fertile. " In addition to this, tho colonists will find great resources in an inexhaustible supply of fish of all kinds, with easy communications for the conveyance and exchange of their pro- duce. St. Anne, in the first place, owing to the excellent establishment kept up there by Jean Le Boutillier, Esq., affords a good market; again, the basin of the great River St. Anne, which is a safe port, is frequented during the whole season, by schooners plying between Quebec and Gasft6. It may be useful to add that the Township of Tourelle forms {)art of the free port of Gaspd, and with the Township Cap-Chat, forms its south-western imit." TOWNSHIP OF WATFORD. The portion of the Township of Watford subdivided into farm lots by Mr. P. L. S. Ross lies back of the old surveyed ranges on the River Lafamine, in the County of Dor Chester, which is described in the following extracts of his report :<— '< This part of the 84 Township of Watford which I have aurvoyod ii in general level with gentle swelU and free firom rooki, I met with only one ridge of rock in the whole ourvoy, and that one is not high, it is upon lot No. 20 in the 7th range. There nro a nurabcr of sugarics in this town ship which aro all occupied, they are upon gentle bwcIIh, being Huperiur land with a soil of rich brown loam. There has been at nome time great fires through this towoHhip which have run over all of the niizod wood land (which is of a nandy loam and in general free from stones), and destroyed all the valuable timber, the young growth at present upon it, being mostly sapin, spruce, larch and bouleuu ; this will retard the nettloment of thoHO lands fur some time, in consequence of t1ic want of building timber and firewood. There are several very fine streams running through this township ; they ire in general very flat. I saw only one place fit fur a mill site ; it is a fall upon the river Yeillcuz about 10 feet high, situated upon lot No. 22, in 7th Range. There is a number of flats along the difi'ercnt rivers of very rich alluvial soil, overgrown with alders, and in places a rank strong coarse grass which will make very fine meadow land, when brought into cultivation. There is a very little merchantable timber cpon what I have surveyed : ns the reater portion of the timber lands has been over-run by the fire and destroyed : of the remainder ft small portion hu been lumbered upon, and all the valuable timber taken away. Exploration of a line of Road from St. Gabriel to lionnonl. Thia exploration obtained for this Department sumo highly valuable topographical knowledge of the country traversed by the surveyor from River an Pin in the seigniory of St. Gabriel, through part of the seigniory of Fo-ssambault, at its northerly corner, thence through the Township of Gosford to the intersection of the colonization road at " Roche Plate" on the north branch of the River St. Ann. Part of the general line so explored has been since adopted from St. Gabriel line to the middle of the third range of the Township of Gosford, thence following a valley be- tween the mountains along the 3rd and 4th ranges, south-westerly to the opened public road leading to St. Raymond. The exploration performed by Mr. P. L. Surveyor JohnNeilson is reported as follows : " Entering the woods in rear of the first range north-west of River au Pin, I exam- ined the only three passes over a mountain range, extending south westund north-east, im- mediately in rear of the concession above named, the first of those passes at, and two others a short distance east from the grand line dividing the seigniory of St. Gabriel from Fos- sambault. Thence north-west, keeping the St. Gabriel side of the line to about the mid- dle of the first range, Gosford. Thence in a south-west course, keeping as near as poMiblc the middle of the range to lot twenty or nineteen. Thence north-west to the north-east branch of the River St. Anns, intersecting the colonization road now made on the south- east bank of that stream, on the line between number seventeen and eighteen in the fourth range, Gosford. Thence crossing the St. Ann's on lot No. 22, I explored in a general north-west course to the north branch of the St. Ann's in the Township of Rocmont, inter- secting the colonization road made on the south-east side of this branch at a place called "Roche Platte" in the settlement known as the "Petit Saguenay," the point of iotersec- tioa being at a distance of two miles from the termination of the said road, at th3 forks in the Indian reserve, Rocmont. 86 I free not |own soil Ihioh rroDi joing la for jo in llcuz IflatH scs a into " Prom the UopIio Pliitto and from tho forks incurnions were made by Mr. Crawford and myHolf in a north-east direction, pra<iuallv oloninn in north-wcut and nouth-tiant, with a view of aHOcrtnininf? the praeticnhility of pnthinR tho traco to the forli an directed in my in«truotioiiH. This was however found inipractioable owing to tho river range (which at tho pliico mentioned has an elevation of eight hundred or a thouMand feoL) extending ill broken npurs ho far back as to require a circuit of from six to seven miles to reach the " forks," wliieh by adopting tiio colonization road is but distant two miles from the point of intcrHcctiitii uliovo referred ti». "Tho rcHultof my exploration from tho first range, north west River an Pin, to the northcuHt branch of tho St. Ann's as described above, having proved that a road lino as de- aired by tho Department running along tho first rango, Gosfnrd, and theuoo following the lateral lines between lots nineteen and twenty to tho bank of tho St Ann's, could not bo m vde without great expense to Oovornmont, I reported tho fact to your Department prior to leaving for tho exploration off'olbert. " On my return from that Township I had tho honor of receiving supplemontary in- structions, dated 15th November, in answer to my report of progress directing me to make a rapid exploration of tho line suggested by mo in before-mentioned rt- ^'t, without chain- ing or taking acourato angles ; this I immediately proceeded to do. Taking departure from a post planted on tho north east sido of tho colonisation road at a point two miles from the end of said road (estimated distance) I commenced to re- trace my stops towards the north east branch of tho Kt. Ann's and Ilivor au Pin sottle- ments, taking hand enmpass courses, and estimating distances. In the first mile the " Pass of St. Ann's" is surmounted, tho road traco ascends pretty abruptly for tho first half mile, when tl.e summit of the mountain is attained, by passing through a notch in a spur of tho great river range. The ascent may be rendered easy by a series of lig rags. The soil is good, tolerably free from btones, and tho timber principally large hard wood, (immenso sugaries). " The pass or notch is level for about ton chains, having an average width of about ton chains; the descent on tho south sido of the Pass to the high table land beyond, is short, but abrupt, and will require side cutting to some extent, say six or seven chains ; when a bay is reached, from which the traco takes a north cost direction, following a val- ley flanked on the north west by the mountain spur just passed, and on the south east by a low hill extending south west its north cast end dipping into a small lake, when the line gradually turns to tho south west in tho conimencemout of tho third mile. This valley which extends a long way north east ofiers every facility for road making and settlement. The soil is rich, deep and comparatively free from stones ; the timber mixed and of a large size ; tho rear lino of tho township of Gosford skirts its north west, my trace inter- secting lot No. 22. " From tho lake the trace follows a southerly course in an extensive valley divided from the last described by the low hill (spur of the St. Ann's range) till it turns tho south west end of a chain of low hard wood hills ("spur of tho Talayarle), reaohing lake " Little Harry", the head water of Gre^n River in tlie fourth mile. Passing tho east of the lake and keeping well the south west cide of tho Talayarle range, the road trace assumes a gener- al south east course, down the valley of tho Green River till the seventh mile is attained. Throughout this distance the land is undulating ; (from Lake Little Harry) the soil is of first quality and the timber chiefly hard wood, maple predominating. " In tho eighth mile the trace again turns north east, winding round the south end of a very large hill (skirting a beautiful and extensive valley which stretches away to the south west towards the settlement of the lower part of tho north branch of the St. Ann's) extending north to the " Talayarle," into which stream it suddenly dips, forming a wild chasm of about two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet, following the east side of this hill, the land descends gradually into " Talayurlo" which is intersected at about three quarters of a mile from its junction with the north east branch of the St. Ann's; the stream is here from forty to fifty links wide, and although its immediate banks are low, its rapid current renders bridging at any point safe from spring floods. " On the cast side of the " Talayarle" a steep clay bank occurs of no considerable height and from thence crossing diagonally lots numbers twenty-one and twenty-two, upon which last lot the trace intersects the north-east branch of the St. Ann's, No diffioalt^ offers to nuking an excellent road, 86 " Plnntin)< a pnnt on Iho bnnk of iho Mt. Ann'M nti lot twenty-two whcro tho Btream ii not ov^r twenty yards widn, tlin bnnkfi on lioth sidcx (ifffrinx cvory ndvantn^o for hridginfr I ov^r crot<MC( I tho river, andoiiturin^ n wido viillcy, wending' nortli-wcHt nnd HOuth-coi;t, through tho r«niuining four ranp'H of (i(mf<>i-d. I ciiiititiucd Iho traco adopting generally tho Que> boo nnd Sugnenay II. 11. track to tho head of Lao it li'lulf Hivcr. " From tho St. Aoo'h to (inind Ijao, ii dir<tanco of iihout oiio and a (junrtnr 'mile, the country nscondH very gently, the mirfaen i.M even with medium miz-cJ mixed timber, fioilrioh but rather Rtony. " A remnrkahio rock ridgo traverses tho upper or norlIi-wc«it end <d' tho Inko. This ridge can however ho entirely avoided by dt fleeting sli;;htly to tho west ; tho trnco contin- uofl along the Houth Hide of the Lake to itH outlet, over an even Hiirface, and then ogain, adopting the II. II. track to the firHt f|iiarter id" tlio thirteenth milo (fuKt range) when tho trace takes an easterly courHo diagonally across number twenty-two, traverHing ii mixed al- der and tamarne swamp, watered by the discharge of (i. Lac, and reachcH tho pond. "The discharge of <r. J^ao is in itself in(V)nsiderabIe, but at the point whore my traco oroHieH it, the land Ih low. 1 would advise crossing it somewhat higher up whore a little Rite for bridging can be obtained. Fntm the J'oiid tho trace crosses the discharge of Upper Lac a li'lsloand goes down tho north side of tho Lac u L'lsla river to lower Lac a L'Isle, a diHtanco of about twenty chainu through small second growth. Some logging nnd tilling will bo required ia this section but not to such an extent as to materially increa.se expenses. " At Lower Lnc u LTslc tho II. R. lino is again adopted to tho bend of tho river a L'Isle, the lino leaving the Township of (iosford and entering Fossainbault from lot num- ber twenty-four or twenty-five. " From tho bend tho east courHO is continued, cutting the north course of the seig- niory of FoHsambault, nnd intersects the line between St. CJabriel nnd Fossainbault at about tho middle of lot number one, first concession north-west, River au Pin. There I plauted a post by tho side of road leading from the settlement known as Russia Buck to St. Oa- bricl west-ferry, distant about eight miles. This rond is in n very good condition till it crosses river au Pin, from that point to McPhcrson's Tavern, a distance of about two miles, the road is scarcely fit for traffic when it communicates with tho road made by Mr. Craw- ford during the seasons of 1859 and 1800 by Legislative appropriations, tho Municipal Council having issued aproces verbal, changing the road to a better locality ; tho aforemen- tioned two miles will bo a great improvement to the road for a distance of about three miles. A small amount of money judiciously applied would render it so fur good as to bear a favourable comparison with other roads throughout tho vicinity. "I also examined the road leading from McGuirc's Ferry to Clair's Mill. This I found an excellent road, the nature of the ground favoring its condition. There is, how- ever, no road connecting between Clair's Mill and the settlement of Iliver au Piu, (Craw- ford's a distance of one mile,) or from Ci.y^^ford's northwest to the road loading from Rus- sia Buck. Tho locality offers no obstn')' \ hatevcr to making an excellent road so as to connect these two settlements in n mor- direct manner with tho traco of the St. Gabriel and Rocmont road. "It is a great pity that the nature of the country between River au Pin and St. Ann's does not admit making tho road in tho position laid down on the sketch attached to my instructions. " Prior to making tho present exploration I had some hopes of being able to accompH^^h in this respect the desire of tho Department, but a strict cxamiuation of the locality has convinced mo, beyond a doubt, that a road could not be made in conformity with the trace in question (through ungrantcd lands) without incurring an expense much over tho ordinary cost of colonization roads. "To meet the views of the Department by nas.sing the road on ungrantcd lands, three high ranges of hills would unavoidably have to be crossed ; tho first immediately in rear of the first range northwest of River au Pin, the second taking its rise on tho southwest side of Grand Lac and dipping into Lacs au Chien and Sept Isles, and lastly, the chain border- ing the St. Ann's. " On the other hand, the valley of Grand Lac following lot number twenty-two affords a perfectly level tragk, ipore direct and free from any physical difficulty worthy of oopiidi ^rfttioo. "Tho tnouDtaia ranges southoati. of tho St. Ann'H extend northcut and •outhwcH, parallel to the ooncosHion linen, nu that no nbntaclo will be found in making ft-ont roada to connect with tho main trunk (my tiaco). Whenever thin in made, intending Hettlcrn will have eawv aoocM to tho ungrantod landn in tho flrni, Hccond, and third ranges, ai well aa to an ezoollcnt tract (already known to tho Department) of laud in tho fourth and fifth oou- oessions of Ht. Oobriel. "Northwest of tho St. Aun's (northeant branch) tho valley of tho Ureen river and the environs of I<ake Littlo Harry offer laud of a quality such as to induce settlors as soon as * road will bo made. <'To the n*rth of Lako Littlo Harry a wide valley of apparently good coloniiation land opens out. A view had from tho mountaiux of tho Petit Sagucnay load mo to believa that this valley, aftcc making a circuit fur to tho .lorthoast, opens on tho St. Ann's soma distance above the fori^ti. "In 1854, Honry Crawford, Esq., J. P., made an oxcurHion in a northerly direction, between tho main branches of tho St. Ann's, and reports having walked five days throuirh a country uuitablo for colonization ; encamped tho fiilth night on what ho supposed to bo tna head waterM of tho Mctabctuhouan "An immense tract of good land, sinco several years, has been reported to mo by Indiani and other hunters as lying in tho vicinity of Grand Lac HatiHcan. Tho country is des- cribed OS being entirely covered with an imnionHO growth of hardwood, tho mountains low, asoondiu.; gently, and entirely free from 8tono; elm and aah urn frequent, but birch pre* dominates; but littlo 8uow fulls, seldom attaining a depth of two feet; tho climato is iaon« tical with that of Lake St. John's. A straight line from the forks of St. Ann's (north branch) to La Tuque, on tho St. Maurice, would pass this reported good land; a pro- longotion of tho St. Gabriel and Rocmout road to tho last named place would secure the double advantage of opening u large field for colonization, as well as connecting Quebec directly with the immenHc lumbering districts of tho St. Maurice. "Sinco my return, I hear from reliable sources that several parties now settled on the north branch have actually commenced operations to clear land in the vicinity of Lake Lit- tle Harry, and at other points adjacent to tho truce. I have also received a letter Arom a resident of St. Raymond, requesting nio to intcrcedo with tho Department to procure for himself and others permits to se^Mo in the vicinity of Lako Batiscan, thus indicating a strong desire to face tho wilderness even without the convenience of a road. " In addition to the advantages which this lino of road will bear with it, in opening an extensive field for colonization, it will likewise facilitate tho communication with the existing settlements on both branches of tho St. Ann's, by reducing tho distance to Quebec twenty-one miles shorter than the present route by St. Raymond. " It is then fortunate that the country explored by me, and the trace suggested in this Report, offers no difficulty to making an excellent road, which will eventually become one of the greatest arteries in this district. In fuct, though to an inexperienced eye the coun- try under consideration may look rough, nevertheless a very largo amount of good land exists, of a quality superior to tho old settlements — all that is wanting to redeem this wil- derness is to open the road which I have tho honor to submit for your consideration." Jfontauban Road Line. This line of road lies in tho County of Portneuf, and commences at the end of the Colonization Road opened from the Church of St. Casimir, — a distance of about six miles — and thence, after following the seigniorial line of Grondines, inclines into the 1st Range of the Township of Montauban, which it traverses, and part of the 2nd Range, obliquely to the River Batiscan, a distance of six and a half miles. Mr. Provincial Land Surveyor A. Bochot, who marked and surveyed the road line repotts as follows : — " I proceeded to explore and trace tho Montauban Road, the direction of which Emm follows : — At starting on Lot 17 of the 1st Range of the township, the road winds to the left to avoid the end of a small lake, — the land here is low and wet, requiring a good deil of bridging — returniDg to tho seigniorial line which divides Grondiaes from Montaubao. The road follows thatjline for rather wore than a mile. Through this extent the land is lo*^ and wet for a few arpcnts, after which it passes through some fine land and good soil, covered with hard wood, and affording good luatcriul for road luaking. " Leavini; the seigniorial line at the distance above-named, I took a north-easterly direction for abou^ 48 chains. In this distance the surface of the land is more uneven, but the soil und timber are similar to that prcviou^]y passed. I then continued in a north- westerly direction, for about 62 chains, over very lovel land, the soil being of prime quality and covered with hard wood. ** From the end of thi.s course I took a course of about north 31° west, for about half a mile, over level ground and good soil ; and at the end of this distance I took a more northerly course, winding in different directions, for about 24 chains, and descending a slope, at the foot of which is a considerable stream ; the descent is gentle, and the soil excellent, except near the stream, where it is low and requires bridging. " From the stream I followed a course north 10° east, as far as the River Batiscan, a distanoe of 111 chains, the land being good and covered with hard wood. ''Through the whole course of the road I found only two small rocks, which were on , the seigniorial line, and from thence to the River Batiscan, only one. Out of five or six small streams there is but one having a high bank, being at all easy of access, so that no locality could be more favorable than this lor the construction of a road " New Line explored for the Tachi Road. That part oi the line marked in 1860 for the Taoh6 Road, from Pohenegamook to the Kempt Road, it was desirable should, as much as possible, keep in the range of surveyed townships back of the seigniories, on the St. Lawrence, which was accordingly carried out, but the line so marked was not found to pass in as favorable a country as would induce tha construction of the road. It was ascertained from reliable information that a far superior tract of country prevailed, more or less, to its junction with the New Temiscouata Road, through the Townships of Demerit and Raudot, about five or six miles further south than the first line . and running nearly parallel for a considerable distance, intersecting the well known fine area of land on the River Rimouski, called the "fonds d'ormes." A line has been accordingly explored and marked by Mr. J. B. Lepage, the Crown Land Agent, starting in the Township of Pohenegamook, where the Pohenegamook Road joins the Tach6 Road Line, thence traversing the Townships of Armand, Ghenier, Bedard Duquesne, and Macpes, and thence gradually inclining northward, through the Township of Fleuriau, to its intersection with tho New Matapedia Road; near the rear line of th« Seigniory of Thibicrge. A distance of 96 aailes, of which exploration and the country it has been traced through, Mr. Lepage reports as follows : — " In making a general review of the whole distance run for the purposes of opening roads and of settlement, no unfavorable feature occurs to me. I may say that, except one or two spots, which, after all, do not oppose any serious obstacle, the whole of the land intersected by this line offers every advantage to the completion o' a road. At no point is mining required. The greatest part of the hills ore composed of or of sand; mavsby bottoms and wet lands arc rare, and of little extant. " In a distance of 93 miles there are only 10 rivers to be crossed requiring bridges of expensive construction. Of these the subjoined table will exhibit the breadth, height of the bankH, and depth of water. With regard to the small streams crossing the line, they mtiy be easily bridged at little expense, the requisite timber being plentiful and near ki 80 " No. Name of Rirer. Breadth. He'ght of Depth of Bank. Water. Remarks. 1 St. Francois l''oct. 66 70 100 60 4r) 70 60 114 60 .^0 Feot- 8 to 10 7 to 8 Flat. 4 to 6 6 5 to 15 7 to 8 6 to 7 ? to 8 5 Feet. 2i to6 2 2 to 3 H 3 2i 4 2 to 3 1 to 2 H Hard bottom. 2 Toupiquc " stony. The hij;h water in spring coven the banks, stony bottom. Stony. Marshy for 9 or 10 chains. Stony. 3 Trois Pistoles 4 Petit St. Jean 6 Touradif, 1 6 Do 2 7 8 Do 3 Rimousl i 9 Neigetle ti 10 Ror. Rouge It A glance at the pUu of the line will show that its general course is pretty regular, and that the numerous slight deviations have all been made so a.s to avoid some obstacle in the lay of the land, such as a hill, a cedar swamp, a lake, rock or mountain, in fine all such impediments the nature of which would raise the expense of construction of a road, render it unfavorable to transport and less durable. As an inducement to settlement it may be stated that the land extending to some distance on each side of the line is favorable to cultivation in all degrees, very few places would make an unpro^tablc return. The whole country is watered by numbers of fine rivers and water courses, afi'ording in many instances water powers which might be made available with great facility. Add to this the presence of several lakes abounding in fish. Maple is abundant in all directions and sugar-making settlements are numerous. The other kinds of timber in any quantity arc birch, balsam, spruce, white birch and cedar. — In many places we find ash, poplar and aspen. The smaller trees are the mountain a«h, alders, buttonwood, willows and hazel. As to wood for the market, especially such as pine, there was formerly a large quantity, but at the present day the woods are quite de- void of it, however a large quantity of spruce may still be found sufficient for all the set- tler's wants. It is not necessary to speak of the beauty of, and advantages to be derived from, the elm covered lowlands at the River Ilimouski, as a sufficient description of them has alreadv been given in the 8th section of this report. I trust that I have conformed to my instructions and am happy that I may be certain that the running a road through this territory will be the means of opening up a vast ex- tent of country for settlement. These advantages are well known to a large number of settlers, who are disposed to locate themselves on the road as soon as it is passable, with by-roads leading to it. THE HAMPDEN AND ARNOLD RIVER AND MAINE AND MEGANTIC ROADS Lie in the County of Compton and will open up for settlement a large tract of fertile lands well watered by tributaries of the Rivers Chaudiere and St. Francis. Provincial Land Surveyor W. "W. O'Dwyer who surveyed the lines in 1861 reports as follows : — The Hampden and Arnold River Road commences at the point where the Victoria Road, in Bury crosses tho lino between Bury and Lingwick, and runs thence south easterly along that line to the out-linc of Hampden, which it follows south westerly to the division line of lots Nos. 8 and 9 of Hampden. Thence southerly through the three first ranges of Hampden, and tue 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranges of Ditton : thence, extending bac V; westerly to Newport line, it runs easterly, and part southerly through Pittpq, G)iepbtm> and Woburo to the West biiuk of Araold River, 49 The length of the Road, by the survey, from the Victoria road to Arnold Biver is 81 milea and 77 chains. The extension of the line westerly in Ditton to Newport line meaaared 99 chains ; giving the entire length of road laid out 33} miles Upon the whole of the line, with the exception of the distance along Bury and Ling- wick line, are laid out lots of one hundred acres each, (except whore irregular areas of necessity occur), forming a double range of lots fronting upon the road, except where aid* lines are followed ; as shown upon the map of the survey. HAMPDEN AND AJINOLD RIVER ROAD— GENERAL SUMMARY. SETTLING LAND. The good land for settlement may be divided in six principal blocks or tracts, via : I. — In the 1st, 2ud and 3rd ranges of Ditton, from No 7 and 13 of the 1st Range t^ about i of the depth of the 3rd Range, and extending west to Newport line. II. — On the west side of, and around Salmon llivcr from No. 10 to No. 31. III. — From No. 55 in Ditton to No. 2 in Chesham and extending farther north easterly. IV. — From No. 14 to No. 29, Chesham, extending farther east in a north east'^'ly direction. V. — From No. 36, ChesLam, to No. 55 or 56, Woburn, extending south tastciiy toward " Saddle Mountain." VI. From No. 72, Woburn to Arnold River, extending up and down the River, and containing very fine Meadow land. Of these the 2nd and 5th Blocks arc the most extensive ; and coutain some of the finest land and timber. GENERAL REPORT. In respect to timber for lumbering purposes, it may be observed that no great amonct of pine timber falls within the lots surveyed ; but there is an abundance of very largi erowth of spruce of excellent quality, with fine birch and maple in the higher parts. Smaller tracts of very good land occur between the larger ones, in many of which two or three farms in a block can be found of highly desirable land ; while the poor, waste land is not in such quantity or extent anywhere as to prevent the formation of a compara- tively continuous chain of settlements when the road has been opened and made ; and taken together, it may be safely said that the Lands laid out for settlement by this Survey, will compare favorably with the same extent of territory in most of the adjoining Town- ships now under process of settlement and colonization. THE MAINE AND MEGANTIC ROAD. No hills of any magnitude will be found ou this route. The exploration for the first four miles from the point of departure southerly, by the shortest route, runs mostly through good settling land. In the remaining distance there is a considerable proportion of dark timbered land, stony in parts, but generally not unfavorable for the construction of a Road ; while several favorable localities for farms can be found along the River. For the last two and a half miles the Road will run along the base of the Ridge, the crest of which is followed by the boundary line. The Easterly slope of this Ridge is finely tim- bered with hardwood ; and there is a narrow belt of arable land along the River on both sides, broken occasionally by the nearer approach of the hills to th^ River. Throughout the whole of this section no impediment exists {igainst t^e formation of a good Road, at about the ordinary cost of such work. 41 1 The land by the route through this section is favorable for settlement almost the whole diatance, and in many parts is of excellent quality ; some poor land intervening from time to time, but not in large tracts. liy the opening of this Koud, a considcrablo amount of good settling land in the town- ships of Woburn, and a large quantify of excellent land in the townships of Clinton and Marsion will be made available for settlement ; and when considered as a local improve- ment in connexion with the llampJcii and Arnold lliver Roa 1, now laid out, and as the connecting link between the settlements alreudy formed and now rapidly increasing, on both sides of the line between Canada and the United States, the importance of this route, in the general scheme of Coloiization, will hardly be overrated as an agency in developing the resources ol this part of the country. Mr. P. L. S. Duval's Report on the Anse h Gilles Road Survey : ■ " As to the quality of the land, from the 5th mile to tho 9th, along this road, it is but indifferent. As to the upper part, that is to &ay, that which is prolonged up to the Tach6 Road, it is well adapted for cultivation ; the soil is not .stony, and appears to bo every- where very rich. On the roar lines of the 5th and 0th ranges, which I have drawn, is a large and fine maple grove, on which have been established .'•evciul sugaries. The soil in these two conces3ions is very rich, without rocks or stones; so that everything is in favor of tho settlers. I do not hesitate to say, that it is the finest and largest tract of laud which I have as yet passed through. It is in every respect well adapted for settlement. "I have no doubt that if these lands were once known, they would not fail to be appreciated by a crowd of sotllers, who would snt about clearing them with zeal and ardor, and would derive from them considerable profit. As soon as the road shall have been opened for a suflicient distance, it is certain that colonization will advance in the Township of Fatten. " Means ot communication in this territor}' will be easy of attainment, for there i.i no considerable hill or inequality. There are, however, some gentle acclivities, which are by no means unpleasant. From the summit of these slight emineuccii, the eye contemplates with pleasure the vast extent of country which lies around, and which fills us with senti- ments of admiration for the Author of so many wonders. The timber, in general, is tall and heavy There are some cedar groves interspersed with balsams of largo size." ' Report of Mr. Surveyor Francis Tetu, on the survey of the lands on the Arago Road* "In those parts of the Townships of Lc.«sard and IJoaubicn, which I have surveyed, there are many tracts of stony soil to be met witli, but this will not be an obstacle to the settlement of nearly the whole of these lots, the soil of which is, in general, well adapted for colonization. The prevailing kinds of timber, in those two townships are cedar, fir, white birch, alder and balsam : there is litth; pine of large size in the immediate neigh- borhood of the road line, but a proof of tlie existence of timber for building purposes in tho Township of Lcssard is, that in the mouth of November last a shanty road was established for the cutting of saw-logs which are transported to the Bras d'Apic. All the Arago tract is fit for cultivation ; the kinds of timber found there are balsam, white birch, black birch, and, in still greater quanticies, maple. In effect, in tho last named Township alone the number of sugaries worked during the last winter was more than sixty. " The Arago road-lino is already of great utility as a snow-shoo road for those who are making sugar in these townships." Report on the exploratory survey for a lino of road from Gaspe Rasin to Port Daniel in the district of Gasp6, by 3Ir. P. L. S. Blaiklock ; "Although my explorations have failed to attain the object contemplated in my in etructioiis, namely to open up the country for settlement in rear of the surveyed lands in this part of the country, yot a good line f)r a road could be traced which, passing through the back ranges of the Townships of York, Douglas, ]Mal Ray and Perco, would reach tlie seaboard near the seigniory of Grand River, and would open up an extensive and valuable track of unoccupied Crown land for settlement. This route would sh M-ten the distance to the Bay des Chalcurs by about thirteen miles, and would bo from thirty-two to thj ty-three miles in length ; it would at the same time avoid the danger and frequent delays caused by crossing the Barachoisof Malbay and Douglastown, where, after a heavy storm the sea breaks with great violence over the bnrs of the mouths of these rivers, and the ioo running in the spring causes frequent delays in the transit of the mails and passengers. " Besides this line, many other shorter branch roads might be opened with advantage, and would P'''eatly facilitate the settlement in this part of the country. For instance a road opened up the River St. John to connect with the Village of Dou;;lastown, would open two ranges nearly all across the Township of York, of excellent land for settlement, aho by continuing the road up the Barachoi of Mai Bay and thence along the river, would greatly facilitate the settlement of the fine rich tract of land bordering this stream. The York and Dartmouth rivers could likewise be opened up in like manner, in the valleys of both of which rivers considerable tracts of valuable land, well adapted to agriculture, exist. In fact if tivcr the interior lands are settled, it will be by the progressive settlements of the^ie streams. "Inclosing this report I cannot but remark the rapid improvement that has taken place in the agricultural pursuits in this country within the few years I have been obser* vant of it, as well as in the increasing quantities both of cereals as well as root crops that are now raised, as also in the improved system of cultivation. " The granting of nrtents and opening of the Crown Lands for sale, has likewise given an increased imp*. \ ■• n-'riculture, inasmuch as the occupants have already, or are about to obtain titles for t^ jperty they occupy, and be secured in their possessions, which, for years heretofore < y have not been. It will also enable persons wishing to invest capital in landed property in the country to do so with far greater security than heretofore." Exploratory surveys for a road from La Tuqu^, on the St. Maurice to Lake St. John, Saguenay, by Mr. P. L. S. Blaiklock : — " The country lying between the Iliver St. Maurice and the Lake St. John is an elevated, broken and rocky trough, in which numerous of their tributaries take their rise ; the surface is broken up into wave like mountains, not generally of high elevation, but precipitous, without connection or regularity. There are few regular ranges of hills or ex- tensive vallies, and the whole is clothed with a dense but stunted growth of mixed timber, consisting, chiefly of black and gray spruce, fir and white birch, together with a very few scattered birch, poplar, tamarack and maple. The soil of this vast region is mostly sand, approaching, in some instances, to a light loam, but of such a stony and rocky character as to afford but slight hopes of its ever being brought under cultivation. ''The country is well watered by small tributary streams, and innumerable small and large lakes, but their vallies are narrow and limited in extent. The fixed rock is all of a granite formation,andin no instance did lobserveany appearanceofminerals or stratification. " There are no extensive groves of pine in this country, but considerable quantities mattered over the hills, bordering the rivers and lakes chiefly upon the waters of the Bostonais and Groche; much of this timber is sound and good, but, as a general rule, they were faulty, from wind shakes and spunk knoUs, and more suitable for saw logs than squared timber. If the information I received can be relied upon, the great pine bearing country of the St. Maurice lies to the west of that river. " The idea that there existed a large and extensive valley connecting the St. Maurice with Lake St. John was quite a mistaken one ; the fact is, it is an elevated water shed with ranges of hills dividing the several streams. These hills, which have a considerable eleva- tion near the main streams, gradually diminish towards the height of land, the country rising gently to the dividing ridge and descendiiig in a similar manner on the opposite side. "From the foregoing description of the country lying between the River St. Maurice and the settlements of the Upper Saguenay, it cannot but be observed that from the broken and mountainous character of the land, and the arid nature of the soil, but slender hopes can be entertained of its ever being made available for purposes of colonization ; — many spots of comparatively good land were met with in my exploration, but so limited in extent and isolated in position, that they could not be made available for settlement. The only pros- eot for any connected or oootinuous settlement would be, in my opinion, by the valley of the for Mi tol nai th( of to wl do th bi bj be 0] r 48 the River Croohe, Habere the alluvial along the backs of that stream offer the only advantage for such a purpose. " Information has no doubt been furnished to the department upon this subject, by Mr. Arcand, P.L.S., whoso special duty it was to explore and report upon this river. '* By an inspection of the accompanying plan, it will be seen that my exploring line tollowed nearly along the dividing ridge, between the waters of the Groohe and the Basto- nais, and consequently passed over the most elevated ground in the range ; 't would therefore offer considerable difficulty to the construction of a road, from the broken nature of the ground in the vicinity ; but I should think, by following up the valley of the Croche to near the height of lands, and thence either to descend the valley of the Ouiatohouanish, which was explored by Mr. Arcand, but whether reported upon favorably or otherwise I do not know, not having seen his report upon this section of the survey. " Of the latter route I cannot speak with any degree of accuracy, not having explored that section lying between the head waters of the Croche and the great Ouiatchouan lake; but I have every reason to believe it would be found similar in character to that traversed by the line surveyed. "In reviewing the object of the present exploration, namely, the opening of a road between the settlements on the St. Maurice and those of the tipper Saguenay, I am of opinion that for at least some years to come, it will not be made available." DiPARTMXNT or CbOWN LaMD8; Quebeo, May, 1862. WM. McDOUGALL, Commimoner. OTTAAVA AND PONTIAO COLONIZATION ROADS l!ao\vN TiMUKii Office, Ottawa, 27th March, 1862. Sir, — I should have luid tho lienor, at an earlier date, ui reporting on the progress of last seasons works on tho Colonization lloads iu iho Counties of Ottawa and Vontiac, entrusted to my charge, had it not been that tho unavoidably late commencement of some of the works carried them far into the winter; and that unexpected difficulties in compila- tion, and other causes beyond my control delayed tho preparation of such a map of the country north of the Ottawa, as scorned necessary to shew in a satisfactory manner the lloads forming the subject of report and tho surveyed Townships they are designed to lead to, or through which they pass. Tho works to be reported upon arc of two classes; the works performed under the ap- propriation of 810,000 ff»r tho Counties of Ottawa and I'ontiac for the year 1861, and those done in expenditure of tho romainiug appropriations of former years. Tho works under the appropriations for the year 1801 consist of — Ist. Tho making of ton miles of tho (Jatineau and Couloniro road in the township of Low. 2nd. The improvoment of tho Thorno ro<id, and the making of three miles in contin- uation of it, leading to the Oatineau and Coulonge road, in tho township (»f Leslie. 3rd. Tho building and repair of bridge.^ in the Gatineau and Desert lloud. The works under renmining apj)ropriations of former years are — • Ist. The opening of the Onslow and Masham road. 2ud. 'I'ho improvement of the front road in the lower part of Pontiac. Urd. Tho opening of the l-lardly and 3rasham road. 4th. Works on the front road in tho upper part of the County of Pontiac. Tho Gatineau and Coulonge road was originally projected, and traced in the field by Messrs. Kouchotte and Aylon, from the Puagan Falls on the river Gatineau, about thirtj- »«ix miles above its mouth, to the sottlemenis on the Ottawa at tho mouth of the river Coulonge, a distance of forty-nino miles ; passing successively through the central part of the township of Tjow, the front ot Cawood, generally along the lino between Leslie and Thome, along tho rear of Litchfield and through the south-eaat corner of Mansfield. The ten miles of it contracted for, and very nearly completed, extend from the main road on tho Gatineau into the last range of tho township of Low. It is the most impor- tant part of the whole line, not only bocau.so it passes through the best land upon it, but also because it gives access to the road line traced northward from the river Peche in Masham, along the rear ranges of the townships of Low and Aylwin, to the river Pick- anock in the township of Wright, which pa.sses through the greatest extent of land gener- ally admitting of settlement that there i- in the lower part of the valley of the Gatineau. The intersection of these two road.^ therefore forms a point from which settlement roads could most advantageously be opened extending northward, southward and westward, as will be further explained in proposing tho works most immediately serviceable for the ensuing season. The greater usefulness in this manner of the first part of the Gatineau and Coulonge road became a r<^ason for making it in a more thorough manner than might be necessary in the case of a less important road. Tho part of this road cniitracttul for uiifl iinarly coiuidctuil i.i duiio u'jconliug to llio uccoiDpan^in^ ppocification wliicli I preparcJ, after luuuy ^oars cxpuriuncc, as llic boat for obtaining a piud road ecotxiniicully, uh regai'ds labor mid cspcnso, wlicro thu incans avail- able did not udiiiit (»f n fust class earth road boinj^ coiistructecl. It is opened lit feet in width, the roots aud stones thoroughly grubbed out, of ten fecit in breadth of tho centre, (practically much wider in all the dimensions'), and crowned to tho width of sixtcon foct with a Hufiieieiit risu in tho centre; with culverts, ditches and discharging drains, whcrt? necessary. The causeways are laid sixteen feet wide, hewn or covered with earth. The bridges are built in the most substantial manner with covering eighteen feet in breadth. Tenders were received fur tho work on the 2Gth day of August, ufter oxteusive public advertisements, and it was let to tho party making tho lowest tender, at the following rates, riz. : causewaying S3 ; bridging, from three to seven <*ect high, 810 per rod ; bridges over seven feet high, one-seventh additional to tho foregoing for every additional foot in height; ditching three feet wide by two deep whore required, apart from tho oruinury water tables, 60 cents per rod ; and for all other work taken together, that is, Ibr grubbing, crowning and drainmg, including side cuttings (not measuring in the bridges and causeway.s,) $1 per rod J extra excavation, 20 cents for earth and ^I.IU for rock, per cubic yard. Of the ten miles contracted for, two and a quarter miles remain to bo crowned, with the necessary culverts and a little oausevraying ; it is all grubbed out except sixteen rods ; and there 13 one bridge 104 feet in length by 12 in greatest height, not yet built, but novr iD progress. There are 58J rods of bridging done, varying from four to fourteen feot in height, including one bridge of 2l0 feet long by 13^ feet high, another of 117 feet by 10^ foot high, one of 81 feet by 9} high, and 348 feet in length of substantial wharving in the bod of Stag Creek, solidly filled, and from eight to 10 feet in height. Of causewaying there are 172 rods, and 135 rods of extra ditching ; and although there is very little stony or rocky ground, there are many extensive side hill cuttings from three to five feet in depth. My accounts to 31st December last, exhibit payments to W. A. Kichardson, tho contractor, for work performed on this road, amounting to §3,770.08. Tho further pay- ment to bo made for the completing of work under contract (part of which has since l)epn paid) will amount to about 8900 more, to which should be added 3100 for half n mile of work not yet contracted for, desirable to bo done. The final cost will be rnthor low fur the' value of the work performed. Considering the generally rugged character of the Gatincau country, it is remarkable that this portion of the Qatineau and Coulongc road, extending nearlvto eleven miles from the Gatineau passes through a tract of country nearly altogether arable, and very free from rocks or stones, the soil of the first part of it being generally a clay loam of tho richest kind, and the latter part warm and fertile, though in parts rather light and .sandy ; and connected with it on each side there are several irregular blocks of land very favorable for the formation of settlements which will open into this piece of road. The next eleven and a half miles of the road line passes through land of an inferior quaIity,one-halfof itonlyon an average on the line being fit for settlement, l)ut at a mile and a half suuth of tho line, three-quarters of it may bo said to be so. For the next four miles, to the centre line of Thurne, it is ot the same inferior description, on the line ubout one half fit for settlement — north of it about one quarter, and southward from it three quarters may probably be so. The next eight miles, that is to three and a half miles along tho rear of Litchfield, ia through land well suited for settlement on both sides, which extends to three miles north- ward of the rear of Litchfield, much of it is now occupied. This is tho best tract on tho west portion of the line. Then after becoming inferior for three and a half mil6.<!, it windu through tho mountain range, where scarcely half of the land Is fit for settlement ; and the lemaining six miles to the end of the line, near the mouth of the Coulonge, is generally on a light barren sand. The other parts being inferior, it was considered desirable in the first instance to open up only the eight miles in rear of Thome and Litchfield, most suitable for settlement (which has already made some progress there), and to connect it with the old settlement of the township -of Clarendon, by improving that part of the road from Clarendon Centre to Otter Lake, which leads northward through thu township ot' Thome. By dcinc sO| and then turning northward from tho ua»t purl of thu rear of LitchGeld, up botweou tho rivers Ooulongo and Piokanook, ivhero Hoveral luuihnr explorers had rcptirtcd that thcro yrw much apparently gnod hardwood land, it vraa thought that a great highway could be pio. jcoted, having the very important ndvontago of being alike an advantageouH road for set- tlement to an indefinitely large extent, and a very useful inlet for the luiubcrors on the rivniH Coulougc and Pickanock, whoMO expenditure fur farm produce and team hire would ill) much to encourage and Nuitain settlement. More recent information, however, tending to Nhcw that the soil of tho (teoiiiingly favorabiu hardwood land, in thut direction was too shallow to adiuit of tho formation of pronporous scttlcmentH, rcmirriMl the proispcctof form- ing an advantageous extenitive Hcttlement road in that direction tuo doubtful to warrant the commcnoement of it on the nualo originally intended. The idea of opening tho f'ighf miloi of tho Gatinoau and Coulonge road in rear of Thome and Litchfield, on tho namu scale as the ton miles of the eaat end of it, was there- fore ubandoncd fur tho present, as it would apparently lead to nothing of importance ; and the f)pcrations of the past season, there, wero limited to the works on the road through Thome and the making of part of it. Tlie improvomint of tho Thome luud, including tho making nf three miles of it on a new site, was requind to give proper access to the lands on the west eml of the Gatinoau (ind Cuulung«i roud, uiul to the Hcttleincnts that will gradually be formed on tracts adjoining il to thu iiorthwaiJ and easlwuid. This ruad is the natural inlet to these tracts, giving access to them from the steamboat landing on 'he Ottawa and the village of Clarendon Centre, where the Crown Land Agent's office and the nearest stores for the supply of the country arc. It affords a good passage through the first range of tho Laurentian Hills, which skirt the Ottawa settlements, and are here met at tho rear of Clarendon ; and it is the lino of comniuuicution with tho lumbering establishments of Messrs. Oilmour & Co., on the Pickanock, which together with thrir ronds, have been the chief cause of tho extension of Kottlcmeut in this direction. Tho road thnjugh Thorne is about iiiuc miles in length, from the front to tlie rear of the township. The first five miles pass through the range of hills above mentioned. On •ilils part, tho work done consisted in the improvement of long, steep and dangerously rocky ascents, requiring in parts excavation, and building up with stone, the removal ot rocks, ditching, &c., together with 224 feet of most substantial bridging, in three places; with Hide cuttings and levelling of banks, and 300 feet of hewn causewaying. Of the romaioing four miles, three miles and three chains of now road were opened, with a width of sixteen to twenty feet; twelve feet wide in the coutrc of il, well levelled, after being thoroughly grubbed and ploughed. There are considerable cuttings at ascents and side hills, a very subslautial bridge sixty feet in length, and 2J0 foct of hewn causewaying. The total expenditure made on the road in Thorne, otherwise called the Otter Lake road, is §1,0-17.10. Much of tho work was of an irregular nature that could not be suitably let by contract and required experienced skill. It was done by a party of well selected men under the charge of Mr. James MeLaren of Portage du Fort, who had formerly executed some very dif&cull work for me on the Bytown and Pembroke road, with unusual skill and economy, as he has also done iu the present instance. Finding many causeways to bo made, and bad rocky hills that would have been very expensive, on tho upper part of the old track, I spent two days in exploring and locating the three miles of new road above mentioned instead of it. The site of the new road is as lemarkably good as tho other is bad, passes through good land for settlement, which the other docs not, and shortens the distance one mile jr eastward, pnd two miles fur westward travel, on th.; (Jatinoau and Coulonge road line, which it intersects at the rear of Thorne. Tr also there connects with several lumber and settlement roads, which, as the country there booomes gen.-'rally level with a light dry soil, are remarkably good though opened at little cost. Within a radians of six miles of the end of thi.* npw road, there is much good land for ■ettlemont thoooli <^.>nie of it is etony, but unless the i9xisteDce of eome considerable extent «>f Innd fii fci seiil< tuent bw f]lofinitcIy nscertnined beyond that, nothing of importaoce c»i» be doiiu hci'u ; iiml tlio cumplctidu of tliu loiid u fow iiiilps wcHlwurd, ou a Hiuall scale, neems tu be tho utuiuHt tliat could bo dcsinni till furtlicr concIiiBivo iafortnation bo ubtaioed. The building nud repair of bridges on tlio (Jatiiiruu and Desert road, Ih the third division of works on which a small expenditure on account of the appropriation of IHUl liaa been made. In tho beginning of Novonibur lust, I made a rapid but eanful roconu'ii^Hancu of tho road up the Gatiucau us far as the river Desert, us formerly proposed, taking tho necessary notoa as to tlie state of the road, soil, wurfacc and obstacles, to enable me to make hu ap- proximate ostiniute of the cost of comjilcting on a nioderiitc scale that very important road, alike for tho sett lenient of the country and the busincns of it. As the expenditure! nf a small sum of tlio appropriation for IHtll, for necessary objects on the Desert road had lecu proposed, and as some of the bridges were in a dangerous slate, or required to bo built to prevent tho obstruction of travel in spring, I let part of tho irorks to be done on my way returning. It consisted of four small jobs, viz. : Tho repair, raising six feet and lengthening t(» J 70 feet of the bridge over Lacroix's brook, a little above the Piekanock, let for l^^lJO. The building of a bridge over Lepinen brook, 75 iVet in length, let fnr $50. One nf 00 leet on Carisso's brook for S50 ; and the building of a bridge and causeway at St. Amour's brook, 344 feet long, for Sill. 25, all in the township of Wright. Tho payments on account of tlic-e works charged in my account current to Slst De- cember last, amount only to 818(5, but they liavo all since been completed and paid for, excepting small reservations made till spring. Also tho bridge over the river I'ickanock, which was built with Colonization money, 1 found on careful cxauiination, rcijuircd lo be r.iised si.\ feet higher, to prevent its proba- ble destruction by spring floods, and to be lengtiiened to 23(3 feet by adding 70 feet to it. This work has since been let for 8320, completed and paid for with a small reservation. The extension of another bridge, let for 840, is the last work on the Desert road now in progress. Earlier in the full, I visited the Crown liandv^gents in the lower part of theCounty of Ottawa, and (collected from t'lcm and from the lumberers and others best acqttainted with the interior, such information, as added to that derived from Surveyors and their returns of surveys ou record in my ofticc, confirmed my prcvions'y expressed opinion that tho valley of the Petito Nation river was the most favorable site, next to that of the (latineau, for the opening of a great highway into the interior country north of the Ottawa, as a Colonization road, and that such a road on the east side of the Petite Nation river would pass through much good land for settlement. Having obtained yorr sanction, I immediately instructed Mr. Leduc, of St. Andre Avelin, to survey such a line of road, up through tho township of Suffolk, with a view to its further continuance. The result of his survey is highly satis- factory, but no expenditure has yet been made in work upon this line of road. I shall leave further notice of it and of the Gatineau and Desert road to the concluding part f>f this report, suggesting future operations. Of the work of last season, under remaining appropilations of former years, tho first begun was the opening of the Onslow and IMasham road. This road commences at the Catholic Church on No. 4 of the 8th range o/ Onslow, and extends to No. 28 of the r2th rangexif that township, where it joins tho Mashaui road at the river Peche. It has been opened throughout, from the vicinity of the church, from twelve feet in width to six feet in difficult places, among rocks ; the hills are dug and stones removed so as to make it passable for a cart. There are causeways made on it amounting to 286 feet, and a substantial bridge on the outlet of Wolf Lake, 166 feet in length, upwards of ten feet in height, on block work, with hewn covering. The bridge and causeways were made 18 feet in width to suit tho dimension of the oad when widened by the statute labor of the settlers. The appropriation lor this road was -^'JOO of which llitvc has been expended 8785, leaving 0115 for further work. The work was doue by a party of men ejuployed by ihe month under Mr. Benjaraiq Moore, of Onnlow, whose energy and great experienco in conducting extensive lumbering operationi \n the woods, Peoiired the best possible result for the money expended ' d I)- The improvomviit of tho IVont road, in tlio lower jmrl of Pontine, wan done under llio ftnpropriation of 81,000 for tliat rood froiri tho County liru! f>otwccn Ottawa and I'ontia-? to T'ortKjiC du I'ort On ciircful cxniuiruition and iniiuiry, I found thai expoiiditiiic on inijirnviMnunt una ino8t ro(|uirvd on purtv of the rood in ('iiiicndon, wliorc it \n rouprh and miry, and i>!*prcially in this township of Onslow, below tho rivor (^uio, wlicio thero wn.s an oxtont of nhout four miles of cxtrcuioly bad road, one half of it boinj^ over rmigli rocky ledges, and iho other very miry and unmade, rcquirinj; much work in (litehinij, \'e. This pieeo of road had lon^ been lliu chief obstruetion to i:oniiiui nidation by hind ietwi-en tho county of Pontine and tho city of Ottawa. Tho building of Hcvural l)ridm» on the front rond, in the lower {larlof tho township of Onslow was also very tnueh rt'(|uiri'<l. J'ilsowhcre, especially in the township of Bristol, 1 found the road qood and jirf^Hcnting no obstruction to travel, and therefore not meriting; any oxponditnro on it from the appro- priation, while the other parts mentioned s) much more required it. My examination took place at a tin>e when country roads arc in their worst posfiljlo condition, With the exception of tho impruvementof a dangorousspot, on a bare rock, on the road in Clarendon, tho doing of any work upon it in that, township wa.s di-forred, not only bccnuso it was so lato in tho season but al.so because tin apjc.irontly dosirable ehanpjo of a part of the road was proposed, which required examination. The expenditure of last scaHon was therefore limited to llie improvfment of the very had parts ot the road in Onslow, and the buildiotr of i)ii<lf^c.s already mentioned. This work was also done by Mr. lionjamin IMocro and his puriy, and in such a manner IIS to elicit an official expression of approbation from the Municipal f'ouneil. The work was commenced at the north hide of the (^uio brid;j;c, on No. 1 1 of the JJrd range of Onslow, and consisted in tho makin<^ of bad (spots by crowning and draininjr, tho jnoving of rocks, cutting of side hills, the makiu;L,' of nearly ii mile in all of ditches, with many culverts. On one hill nearly oOO tons of stone were ri'innvcd, and part used for breast work. Only I'JG feet of causeway wore made, but on tlio lowf r part of tho road, Bcvcn bridges were built, amounting to 4G4 feet in length, .sumo i>f thetn eleven feet in height, and all constructed most substantially. The total expenditure charged in my account to .'ILst neeondnu* last, on account of the works on this road of the .$1,000 aj)j>ropriated is STOT), leaving a balance uuexpendod of $205 for works to bo done in ('larondon. (See Synopsi.s herewith. ) Parties in Clarendon ac<|uainted with the ground informed mo that for about pcven miles, between No, 8 and No. U4 of tho second range of that township, where there is a great bend in the front road, and son»c bad ground to be pa.'^sod, tlio bend could be cut off, saving upwards of a mile of distance, and a much better site found by carrying the road nearly straight between the ubovo points^ pa.ssing in, or along tlio rear of the 1st range, chiefly through a dry, nearly bare sandy red jiino bruit' — and llio change of tlu! lino here is strongly recommended by some of the leading .settlers, as it woulil give a constantly dry road that would requin; almost no repair instead ut' the present line, whose clay ground will always become exceedingly cut up, in wet weather in the fall. The parties recommend- ing the alteration say, with ju.siice, that though it would not benellt them, as they do not reside on the proposed lino, it would bo a great advantac!,t: to the general travel, especially of people from the Upper Canada side of tho Ottawa, who would cruas on the bridge now budding at Portage du Fort', and avail themselves of tht; road on the north side of the Ottawa, which, by cutting off the great bend of the liver is almul ten niilos shorter than the road on the south side to Ottawa city ; which is all unquestionably true. Not having time to do so myself, I employed two competent persons to go over the proposed line, who found it to be as stated. S500 in addition to the balance remaining of tho appropriation would open this line and give a bettor and siiorter road than tho present onO; and a road that would bo sound and useful in the wet weather late in the fall, when most required, when tho other would hf scarcely passable. It i,i extremely difficult to see why it should be made with colonization road fun Js, but an additiaiial appropriation for it would be at least as justifiable in that respect as the ono already in .do. If by strict definition a eolonizaiion road be oito DPoos.^ary to give access through, or to, public lands fit for settlement, not already oiherwise accessible, the front road in the upper part of Pontiae is mxvh morn fitrioily one, a<i it extends boyond e^isfiiicj eontinuovia •teamboai comtnunioatioo, «nd f«oiHUteii acoosa to tbo vtoaot laodM north of it, abovo Por tage du Port. The rotuaina of appronriationa of former yearn for th« front road in tho upper |)urt of tbo County of I'ontiac, una«r which worka were performed last aouaoo, wore |u50 for the part from Black Kiver in Waltharo to tho Coalonge io Manitfield, and 1250 fur tlio Culuiiict and Deop River Road, to be apenton tho uncompleted part in the upper nurt of Chiuhontur. Ah it wnH not till I received un official oomuiunioation of the 22nd October, that I was informed of tbu uiuouota actually at my diapoaal,or tho works to which they wore applloablo, remaining of former appropi iationa and that io sumo eaaea, after that, remotu luculitioii bad to bo viaitrd, and tno work to bo done ascertained, and agreementH made on tho npot for carrying them on, including tho oolkxtion of men, and tho purchuHo and forwarding uf tools and proviBiona, it will be evident that nome of tho works wore nvccsHHrily only cum menced, when Huoh operations generally arc beirg closed and reported upon. Under such circumstanoen, I truat^that it will not ho considered cxtrnrtrdinary that my works were nut all completed. Am the work to ho doun under the last uientiouod appropriatiouN, conAJHtod chiefly in tho building of Kovcral bridgoN, tho want of which oooatitutod tho ohiof obstacIcH on tho road between the Coulong and Black River, it could be proceeded with, though latn in the season. I instructed Mr. Alexander Proudfoot of ManHfiold, who v/ua Ntrungly recom- mended to mo by Mr. Bryson and Mr. Pouporo, M. 1*. P., on account uf his ability and character, to employ a party of suitable men by the day and proceed with the building of tho bridges and to make tho bent arrangement ho could for tnc opening ol' tho piece of road required in tho township of Chichester. He suspended proceeding with the latter at the instance uf the Municipul Council of Chichester, who were anxious to submit a change in tho line of road to my dccisir Mr. Proudfoot was interrupted by severe illness and by unfavorable weatb ^ the getting out of the timber for bridge work in progress ; hi.s works will be oomplc -ing the incoming season. Ho has, however, built three substantial bridges of hewn timber, one of .'U> and two of 56 feet in length, of 0, 7 and 12 feet in height respectively, with another of 180 feet in length iu course of construction, when he ceased working, besides making at Smith'n gully a heavy side cutting of 600 feet in Icugth, with log side wall ; all in the township of Mansfield. The expenditure charged in uiy account to ulst December last, on account of workn under Mr. Proudfoot's charge, amounts to 9535, leaving a balance then unexpended of 8365, to be applied to them next season. (Sec Synopsis herewith.) \Vhen at Mansfield making arrangements for getting these works dune, I miulc n sectional measurement of tho bridge site on tho river Coulonge on this road, so as to enable me to make an estimate for a bridge there, as tho want of one renders this river, which i.^ four hundred feet wide and nearly six feet deep in the channel, a great obstruction to travel and the extension of settlement. T beg further to refer to it in tho concluding suji- gcstions as to further works. The opening of the Eardley and Mashaui road is the lust work romuiuing to be nir.n- tioned of those under appropriations of former years. This road extends from the settlements on the Ottawa in the township of Eardley, to thoac on the river Pcche iu Masham, passing through the notch in tho Kardley mountains with very gradual ascent, behind the steamboat landing of Rocky Point. It is tho shortc&t and most favorable route into the settlement on tho upper part of tho Peche, and form? part of the northerly road line traced by Messrs. Bonchette and Aylcn, to the river Fiekanock. From where the opening of it commenced in Eardley, io the river Peche, it is a little over six and a half miles in length. The work on it was done by Mr. !Mongins (who owns a saw mill on it,) as overseer, with a party of men hired by the day. It consisted in opening out, through woods, of about three and a quarter miles of it, and elsewhere widen- ing an old lumber road that in places coincided with it, to the width of Ui or 20 feet as required, and the partial building of a bridge on it over McGee's ('reek, which is to be 83 feet in length of cord and 14 feet in height; but which was not finished owing Io the formation of ice on the steep banks at it, rendering it dangerous and too difficult to be c(H)- tintied late in winter. U«ifWIIII II t I'.T Thi; nppropriutioii for thin road wum nuly 9400, ufwhitih thoiu Iiun bucn cxpouded and i.'lmrgcd ill my account to KIhI Dcccmbur last 987U, including Sl.M) on account of th« Cliiri'ndoii mid Tliornu roud, (nc« following aynopniH), leaving 827 further ttvnilablo. Witli II Miiull itdditioii lo it from tliu upprouriatioii of IHOI, thi.H Hun> will ho i«uftioient to |)av for tlio coiupldtion of thn untiniNhcd nriagn on McQco'n ('reelt. licsidoN tho oxponditiiro on account of the foregoing worlcH, a payment i<« oharg«d in III) ueuount to VAhI December loHt of former year 'a appropriation, of 82r)l.r)0 to William llo(!gii)H ovcrHCcron thflOlnrendonundThornc road. ThiawuHnot for work |)crformod under my (lirection,it w»h in liquidation of hia claim for tho amount of two pay liNtN, for work done on that road, referred to mo for acttlcmcnt, and for which there remained of former appro- priation, the Huin of 92r>0. thi diflferenco of 9I.r)0 being truuHferrcd to the iiccount of tha i'liirdley and Mofiham road aa above mentioned. It will be observed by my accounts that with tho exception of the ten milcn let )>) I'litiirai't in tho ca.st end oi the (Jatiuoau and Coulongn road, tbn workn wore performed by iivorHL-erM, with partiea hired by tho month or day. 'fliiH waH done becauHu it waa preforablo for varioua roaaona, tho irrcgulur nature ui the work not admitting of it.i being let properly by contract, the latoucHH in the Hcaaon not atfording time for the delay of doing no, or tho work being auch aa ret|uirod tho judgment of u competent overaeor cxpcrionc<>d in it. Tho wagea of the mou with proviaiona and transport, gives an average of 84j cents per day'a work, which ia low on tho Ottawa. Synopni^ ol' (.-xponditur*^ charged by A. J. lluatiell in hia aocounta rendered to iil.ik heocmbor, IHOl, on account of the appropriation of 110,000 for Colonization Roada in tho Counties of Ottawa and Pontiac, for loUl. I'ayment to W. A. ilichardR> >i on account of contract on Oatineau andCoulonge road 93,776.08 Do. on account of worka on Otter Lake road in Thorno,. , 1,047.10 Do. on account of bridgca on Gatineau and Deaort road 18G.00 Do. for advcrti.sing road works bv order of Department in Quebec 102.02 Do. to P. Aylen, Kaq., for occaaionally inapocting and mcaauring works ...'. 102.00 Contingenciea and travelliag ohargea, including expenaea of rccon- noisaance of road to River Dcaert 163.34 Remuneration to A. J. Runscll for superintendenoo of the above and of other worka, under remaining appropriaiions of former years 400.00 95,770.54 Total received by A. J. RuMell on account of the above 96,000.00 Do. expended as above 5,776.54 Balance in his handa by his aooount current to 3lBt Dec, 1861 . 9 228.46 Synopsia of expenditure of old appropriationa for roada in the Counties of Ottawa and Fontiao, autumn 1861, by A. J. Russell. Omlow and Matfiam Road. Amount 9 900.00 Expenditure, three pay lists 9443.92 Proportion of remainder of B. Moore's aecottnt 327.08 Proportion of contingencies 14.00 9 786.00 Balance unexpended 1st January, 1862 9 115.00 I!' * '1 »" tfv- -'" \ 8 * *■ ()n^l,,v a, 1(7 Vlorcndon Front Rnnih Amouut 81,000.00 Kxpcnditurc, 15. Moore, twn pay listy S3U4.9U I'roportioii ol" romainilcM- of B. jMonre's account 200.81 A. Wilson'.^ riccouiif 35.65 Proportion of coiitingoncies 13. Gi'^ $ 735.00 Halaiioc iiiKxpondod, Isl Jamiar.v, lS(i2 8 265.00 Off this lialanec — paid John (lordon,in January, 1862, for a.sijist- inuiii oxplovinn last fall^ not in uoconnt, $5.20 8 259.80 Po)itiac Front Road. Amount for Man.^^lield S 650.00 Do. for rnlnmot and Docp Riv.'v 250.00 S 900.00 EXI'KNDITURE. Amount of S. Proudfoof.s account 5513.83 (!o,«t of transport of pupplies paid by A. J. Rti.sscU 8.80 Proportion of continp'fncios 12.37 535.00 i3alance une.xpendo'l un l^t January, lstj2 S 305.00 Fardle}/ auii Mashan: Road. Amount H 400.00 rXPENDITl'Ri:. Amount of F. Morgan's account.; 8360.60 Proportion of contingencies , 4.90 8371.50 Unexpended in payment to Tlodgins for (.'larendon and Thorno Road per pay li«t 1.50 $ 373.00 Balance unexpended on 1st J aniiary, 1862 8 27.00 (.'/(• re)idnii and Thome Road. Amount ^ 250.00 EXPENDITURE. Paid Wm. Hodgins amount of pay list 251.60 Over expended and charged to Eard?3y and Masham road ,., 1.50 RECAPITULATION OP EXPENDITURE. Onslow and Masham road 785f00 Onsbw and Clarendon Front do 735.00 Poniiac Froni do 535.00 Eardley and Masham do 371.50 Clarendon and Thome do 251.50 Total 82,678.00 RECAPITULATION OF BALANCES ON HAND, IST JANUARY, 1862. Onslow and Masham Road $ 115.00 Onslow and Clarendon Front do 265.00 Pontiac Front do 365.00 Eardley and Masham do 27.00 Total iiM per account current $ 772.00 Expended in January, 1802, on account of Onslow and Clart ndon road, paid John Gordon «5.20. PROPOSED WORKS. From information heretofore acquired, and recent careful investigation, I would reapectfully recommend the following as the most suitable further works for the advance- ment of Colonization iu the Counties of Ottawa and Pontiac. 1st. The opening of the north road surveyed by Messrs. Bouchette and Aylen, on and near the line between the Counties of Ottawa and Pontiac, northward and southward, from the point where it intersects the west end of the ten miles of the (latineau and Cou- longc road now nearly completed. The bridge built over the Stag Creek, where they intersect, serves for both of these roads. This north road line is laid off into lots, and by Mr. Aylen's report from .seven-eighths to four-fifth? of them are lit for settlement, on the 13 J miles from Stag Crock northward to the Pickanock, which, including sinuosities may bo upwards of 16 miles of road. It pas.scs along the front of the township of Stanhope, now called Alleyn, recently sub-divided into lots by Provincial Land Surveyor Holmes, who reports it to contain much good land, especially south of the Pickanock, which agrees with what was previously known as to that part. From Mr. Holmes' statements, and Provincial Surveyor O'lianly's report of explora- tion of that and other townships, it would appear that by turning westward, this road line could be continued at least twelve miles further inland, generally fit for settlement, south- ward of Stag Creek the land on this line, as far as the 8th range of Masliani, is all suitable for settlement, which with sinuosities maybe fifteen miles of road line. This would give upward of thirty miles of .sottlcnient road in the most favorably country the valley of the Catineau aiiords, besides its probable extension at the north end, and the continuation westward of the Gatineau and Coulongc road, all branching from the part of the latter made last season. As this extent is all, as yet, unoccupied, I consider it the most advantageous and most readily available field for the formation of settlement iu the territory under my charge. As timber agent, I would therefore j ' ^ the opening of this road as the first object to be provided for, and that T should do, to the making of it the remainder of tlie appropriation of last season, with as much of the appropriation for the ensuing season as may be available for it. To make this road as good as the best class of colonization roads in Upper Canada, would require an outlay of about ^500 a mile ; some of them cost nearly ?700 a mile, partly from defective original specifications and partly, in some cases, from their having required going over fr«m not having been completely made at first. The accompanying specification affordi a better road, for the cost, than any other that can be made. It con- 10- rM* (•(■ijlr;il( s the l.il'ur on the iiiakiii;^ <i( a .^duiid, though narrow road bed, where the wheebt run, Wilhuiit tliat, aiMitioual rartli i.s usi.'luss, either in a rugged or dry sandy country; I; U "!!! 1 f II and ('\cn in ehiy soil a ;:reater breadth ol' muddy surface in u poor substitute for crowning tuul drainage. Tlie elearinu of a grciitcr width of road than is going to be used as such is Hinii)ly wastino the money — ihat slionld bo apjilied to making a souod, dry and even carriage way — in elcariuL, inml ai tlio hides, lo save tlic settlers the trouble, or to grow up again in bushes, [f a road \h^ made by merely eiitting the roots and stumps close off by the surface of the !.;round, in tlie roadway— instead of tlioronghly grubbing out the roots, stumps and stones IVoiii nine i'eet, at lea-^t, in width of tiie eentro — the remains of the stumps will always bo proirnding afterwards, ronderiug the road bad and dangerous for rapid travelling, or should tho road l-e subsequently re-made, they must be then grubbed out at more cost thai) if t!io trccr. v.en.' standing. In the .same manner, if narrow causeways be made of jmall piece.'? of wood when a ro.nd is fir.st opened, liesides the risk of their being dragged into con fusion by till drawing; i>i' beavv loads over them, and the impossibility of teams passing e.ieh other on them, they remain as nuisances when the road is afterwards properly made, or are thrown aside us useless, and replaced at further cost. i'or tliese reasons, therefore, it is desirable, to avoid future loss of labor, that in open- ing road.s, nine or ten feet of the centre should be thoroughly grubbed, and a sound road bed made of it, and the eau.seways and bridges be made wide enough for two vehicles to pass on them, ctpecially vn liv=;t class settlement roads leading to large areas for settlement, and likely to bo mm-h used. "Where it ir.iiiht be advisable to adopt an inferior description of road to that provided for in the annexed specification, to mi il the requirements of economy, or for the opening of branch roads of less importance, the crownine and grading, in forming the road as men- tioned in the spocificati<,pn, might, with the greater part of the side hill cuttings, as to width, be lei'r to be done by the settlers, and the grubbed jiart of nine feet in the ceutre be merely .solidly levelled so as to be made solidly pas.sable for a loaded wagon. This is the least woih that eau be done without future loss, and it would afford a rough but pss.s- able road, with many bad spots in it. ))nl it would be as good as the roads are, in many ex- isting settlement.;. There would be labor to add, but none thrown away on it. Such work niiglit ho designated as affordini^' a second class road. A third class road might be opened iu an inferior manner, the width of the road and causeways to bo fourteen J'eet, at most ; no grubbing done ; the stumps to be cut close to the ^'urfaee, and a passable track for a li,L',litly loaded wagon made throughout. hi this ease the eaiiaeways and bridges would be the only part of the work that would be of valai! in future ujaking of the road, as, till the stumps and roots become completely rotten, the gridd/in;; and grading would all have to be done as if in .standing woods. The cost of making roads of either of these descriptions depends altogether on the nature of the ground and timber where they pass, and the prices of provisions and labor iu the locality. As pine trees (whose stumps are expensive to grub) arc so frecjuent in the Ottawa country, and so very much of the land is stony, rocky and uneven, and as the great market occasioned by the lumber trade sustains the highest prices for produce and labor known in the Province, the cost of making any kind of road should be very much greater here than is usual elsewhere. Iu ground of the usual ruggednesf, a road oi" the lirst (dass mentioned, made according to the aceom])nnyin2; rpecifiention, woidd eo.st, as stated, SOOO a mile, causeways and bridges included. The yecond cIuhs described would co.st .S380. The third ela: s, or ungrubbed passage for a wagon, would eo.st $300 a mile. The bridges and causeways in the two last would be nearly equal in quality to tho.'e on the fir-it, and be .serviceable when the roads were completed and enlarged to the usual width. Having made thi j long digres.vion, as it seemed to be necessary in explanation of pro- posed future work, I beg to revert to ihe north road, from the Township of .Masham to the Pickanock, which iDtersect,s the end of the part of the Gatineau and (?oulonge road made this season, As presenting the best site for immediate settlement on the Gatineau, it ia the first in importance to be opened a,-, a colonization road. But it will be sufficient to open it on the scale of the second clasa road meQtioued, at a cost of about $380 a mile, leaving the completion of it to the scale of the first class mcntiuucJ, to be afterwards pcr- Ibrmed, as it may, without any loss of work, fihould ito future oxtcnsion or iinportancc ar- a settlement road render it desirable. In t nncctiou with this, the opeuiuj^ of the Gatiucuu and Coulougc ruad wcatward, from the part made this season, might bo contiuucd, on the above scale, to the termination of the road made this season, as already mentioned, iu Thoruc, a distance of fifteen milci, and thence twelve miles further. But a;i the land on the first fiftccQ mile:* is not to suit able for settlement as on the north road (thou{2;h more than half of it will eventually bo occupied), and as the westerly twelve miles of road liiu!, though passing through good land already partly settled, has not been definitely aHccrtuincd to lead to any lonsiderablo extent of good land beyond it, neither of them (thouu,li well worth opcaiiig, and meriting an appropriation, should there be funds disposable) are t^o important or so immediately de- sirable to be opened as the north road already mentioned, w tbc uthors that T shall next specify. • Though secondary, as a great inlet for settlemcnl, In Iho main ruad u|i the Gatineau, to which 1 shall again revert, a road up the valley of the Kivor Petite Nation is the next that merits attention from its immediate utility and {irobnblc ovral imiicirtiincc I'roni the extent of good land it will open for settlement. This road line commences at the existing road in the township of Kiiion. on the east side of the river Petite Nation. Thirteen and a half miles of if were marked out last fall, by Mr. Ledue, under my direction, as before mcutioucd, leading up tbrouoji the township of Sufi'olk to its north outline. I would propose continuing thirty or thirty-five miles fur- ther northward, to Lake Mouaming, a tributary ot th( River Ilougo, where, from definite inforpiatiou and documents of survey in my possession, it would travcrs- a large tract of arable land, of a superior quality for settlement. On the part surveyed by Mr. Ledue, he says he loan.! "llie land, though uneven generally, yet nevertheless very advantageous for settlement, the :-i)il rich and :-uitablc for cultivation and the production of all kinds of crops : the wood-maple, beech, hemlock, basswood, and fir of a tall growth, with very little piue ;" and in an exploratory excursion northward, from the end of the road line he traced, be i'ound the soil to continue arable and fit for settlement. For thirty-five miles of this line my information is from surveys performed at the near and the far end if it; of tht^ middle part, the reports of lumber hunters who have traversed it, are ver-. fiivorable, dcfcribin'.; lite land ai v("^cnibliu':c that of Suffolk. As this presents us witl lie site of a <^;eueral highway of i'orty or fifty miles in length, from which lines of settlement may be opened along concession- branching from it, right and left, as in Suffolk, with the himbcring works on the l*(!titc .\ation and the river Rouge offering a considerable market for •'•in produce, and bcm: tlr..- nearest and one oT the largest favorable tracts on the Ottawa, it offers an imp"itant H-.M for coIouiz;itioTi, cr-- pecially for the surplus population of the adjoining seignioi s and ] .irishc. 1 would suggest that this should be opened as a fir.Nt clas.- colonization roa('. a.'' de- scribed iu the accompanying specification. As labor is rather c1 aper in that locality than in some others on the Ottawa, the cost might be somcv 'mt under -''aDtl a iiiile, all charges included, especially as dry loam is the prevalent soil i parts. To open the thirteen and a half miles laid out would, at the above rate, coat 86,75*^ By reducing the work to levelling solidly on very dry, sandy ground, S6,00() might be suflScient. The third work I would suggest, as most urgently in. riuug attention, is the road from the rear of the township of Hull to I'ricst'.s Creek and ,. township (if l>uwman nn tli'; Riviere aux Lifrvres. This line of road touches the north-west angle of Templctou, auM eoutiuucs nearly along the line between Wakefield and Portland to Bowman. A small appropriation of coloniiatiou road money was very advautageou:;ly expended upon it last season, by "Wm Hamilton, Esq., of Cantly, in commencing to open it at the lower end. It should be con- tinued at least sixteen miles further. Tt jia.'^ses through a largo tract of good land, lying partly in Wakefield, Portland and Denhohn, nov; being settled, giving the moit direct ac- cess to it from the City of Ottawa. It would open up most advantageously the land fit or settlement betweeu the Gatineau and the lliviere aux Lievrcs, and n)i the west bank i>! 12 if t- irr in that river, whicli docs not, on tlii.; part of its course, extend beyond the township of Bow- inan. The township ol' 13igok)W, above it, boing inferior and further up iho high range between these rivers, eonics close to the hitter, in a form too rugged for settlement. This road is essential for access to the Norwegian and German settlement now forming in Bowman. If the encouragement of such immigrants is desirable, it would seem especi- . ally so that a road of some kind should be aftbrdcd the first settlers of that class in this part of the Province, wlio, IVom their ignorance of the English and French languages, Buffer much creator inconvenience in commencing than other settlers. As thi^ road cannot be carried very I'ar with advantage, an expenditure upon it of C300 a milo, may probably bo considered sufficient, which would render an appropriation of $4,800 for it desirable. But as the sum of 8500 advanced for provisions for the desti- tute Norwegian and German settlers in IJowmau, and for which I hold their notes, payable in labor, if so required, is chargeable to the road, but possibly may not all be recoverable, it would seem desirable that the appropriation should not be less than §5,000. The Riviere aux liievrcs affords a water communicatiun from above the falls atTJuek- ingham village to the township of Bowman, but in ascending there are several portages, besides rapids, whore it is ntccs.sary to tow or pole up. A i-oad up the valley of the Riviere aux Lievre is very desirable, alike for the purpose of settlement and for the trafho of the lum ber trade. The ro.id on cither side is passable for a cart but a few miles above the village of JJuckingham. I a;ii not able to give an opinion how such a road should be carried. Where the Riviere aux Lievre traverses the ridge of the Laurentides, at and near the High Falls, there is much rough land, and unfavorable country above that, which would require much examination to enable one to judge. Much cf the township of Villeneuve is bad land and mountainous. The township of Wells, above it, is better, with much good flat land extending up the Rivi6ro des Sourds. From where the Kiamaea joins the aux Lievres, that is, about eighty-five miles directly northward from its mouth, the country, as elsewhere on the north side of the Ottawa, and at that distance from it, changes from high rugged hills to a much lower undulating sur- face, and is much more arable. The good lands on the upper course of the aux Lievres will most probably be settled in connection with the (latineau The lower part of the valley of the aux Jjievres, excepting near its mouth, seems much less suitable lor settlement than the country east of it, drained by the Lower Blanche and the Petite Nation, which is altogether on a lower level. I would suggest that a line of colonization road should be surveyed and opened, diverg- ng from the road from the steamboat landing at the village of Thurso to the river Ste. Scque, and passing up through the township of Derry East, on the cast side of the Blanche, where it would intersect much good land, and northward through the township of Lath- bury, which is reported to be favorable for settlement. I am not ia possession of sufTu lent iulormation to enable me to say how far this line of road might with advantage be carried. Miit the laud to bo opened for settlement by this line being so near the Ottawa, and counocting with so accessible a part of it, so near its mouth and to the port of 3Iontreal, would .^ccm to render the survey of such a road line, after careful exploration, and the opening of it for settlement, very desirable. It is equally desirable that a line of colonization road should be explored and opened from the west cud of lake Blanche in rear of Lochabcr northward, nearly along the line between the townships of Berry East and Derry West, where there arc vacant, good lands, superior in quality to those already settled to the southwest. This line may be car- ried along the east or west side of the west branch of the Blanche, as further examinations might dictate, and thence up along the line between ^'illeueuvc and Lathbury, or there- abouts, into the rear of the township of Wells, wher. the land is well suited for settle- ment. This road would give access to the vallej of the Riviere des Sourds, where there are extensive flats of arable land, reported to be gooii, down which a branch road might probably be carried with advantage to the Riviere mix Lievres. The townships of Derry are described as containing a good deal of good land, hilly but not stony, and of a doep fertile soil. Beyond the 4th range of Derry West no lands were taken up last fall, nor in Derry East except where a few squatters were settling up the. Blanche. 18 fow- ihge iiing ipeci- this ingca, lit of KatiuD ■desti- lyablo jrable, aud These two lust mentioned roads would give access to the oeiircyt vacuut laudu in the county of Ottawa, suitable for scttlcntent. The settlements generally forming on the Riviere aux Lievrc, and the large amouut of revenue that government has realized from the cxteu.sivo lumbering operations that have for years been earried on in connection with milling cstublishmcnts at the thriving village of Buckingham on that river, arc strong rcasous for opening a road up its valley, but as the country on the banks of the river, to a considerable extent, prcseutH difTicultics requiring careful examination, 1 am not in possession >/!' the infoniiiition ncccsHary to enable me to give any opinion of value as to where such a road shoul'l be located. I have made these suggestions and observations as presenting subjects for further consideration with a view to the development of the lower part of the county of Ottawa. Turning to a more remote part of the Ottawa country, I would in the fourth place recommend as meriting an appropriation of colonization fund:? for the opening of a road up the west side of the river Coulonge, to give access to a tract ol' ,uoi>d land in the west part of the township of Pontefract, and between it and Black Kivor, and the building of a bridge over the river Coulonge, The township of Pontefract was surveyed lately by 31v. J. Boberttion, of Fitzroy. He is a very reliable and thoroughly practical judge ol the quality of landj what he calls good land is unquestionably so. Ue condemns as unsuitable for settlement that part of the township lying east of tho. river Coulonge, even where it is very fine looking hardwood land, it is in general too shallow in soil lor projjcr cultivation or certainty of crop in dry seasons, though the demand for farm produce will doubllc;>s scon load wettlors to occupy the better part of it. The west side of the township, however, contain;; much jiood land tit for settle- ment for about eleven ranges in depth, which also extends westward towards Black River. The small proportion of good land in this part of the Ottawa country, compared with the great extent suitable only for lumbering, renders this tract of much value for settle- ment. It is near the Ottawa, and being on the way to the extensive lumbering regions ou the Coulonge and Black River, the settlers will be in the; most advantageous position for obtaining good prices for their produce, and the road, so far as it may be opened, will pre- sent the double advantage of being useful to the lumberers workinj; up these rivers, as well as to the settlers. I would suggest that this road should be opened from the front I'outiac road in Mans- field back four miles through that township to Pontefract, aud thence about twelve miles further to and along its west outline, the site to be more definitely dctermiued on survey of the line — in all say sixteen miles, at $300 a mile, making it a road of the third class, as regards scale of work, would require an outlay of §4,800. The Coulonge is the first unbridgcd river in the main front ro;'d on the north side of the Ottawa, above the city, and being a largo one, it is the first serious obstiicle to commu- nication and to the progress of settlement. The river Coulonge enters the Ottawa about a hundred miles above the city, and a? the country at that distance is but partially settled [and only on the front, the main road here is virtually a colonization road essential to the further progrcs.'i of soltlemeut, and the building of a bridge over the river Coulonge is much recjuired, not only for the upward travel on the Ottawa in connection with lumber trade aud the eastern tcttlcmcuts, but also for the extension of settlement in the towushijis ou the main river, as well its on the tracts in the rear like that just mentioned. As already mentioned, I took the necessary sectional measurement of the river to enable me to make a plan and estimate of the proposed bridge. The river is there four hundred feet wide and about six feet deep in the channel, with a strong current and high steep bauks and therefore quite unfordablc. The bridge recjuires to be Jive hundred aud ten feet in length, and twenty four feet in height from the bottom of the channel. It should have six water ways, of sixty feet wide, or five of seventy-two feet, with queen-post tret. ( ■: in the latter case, or king-post tresses in the former; the cost would be ecjual in either case. To give security, as the bottom is of shifting sand, the piers should be well sunk with pro- jecting foundation pieces, to give breadth of bearing, and they should be sent down with a good bed of fascines under them, which will prevent the eddy behind the piers and the plunge of the swell in front during freshets, from undermining their foundations. 14 1li ! Including $100 for the making of the road approaching the site at the east end, the appropriation should bo 83,232 ; with tho $t,800 estimated for the Pontefract road, the total ibr these works would be $8,032. A bridge is also much required on Black lliver ; at thirteen miles by tho road above tho Coulonge. Black River is the last large river on the Pontiac road which terminates twenty miles beyond it, at the foot of Deep River, where precipitous mountains come to tho fihorc, rendering the continuing of the road along it impracticable ; it will have to be carried through the valleys behind. Though the extent of laud fit for settlement in this direction is eomparutively small, it would be a mistake to suppose that the public domain is too unimportant or unprofitable to justify such considerable expenditures on account of it. The land that is good is unus- ually profitable to the cultivator, and much of the remainder now yields and will continue to yield a larger revenue to the Crown than the sale of the lands would represent, by the produce of its forests, which afford profitable employment to thousands on the spot, and in the commerce it creates. The making and improvement of tho main road up the Gatincau is the next subject I would suggest as meriting attention ; not as being of less importance than the preceding works mentioned, but because its claims to consideration apart from its character as a colonization road are such as to merit a special parliamentary grant. Apart from being the inlet to the lands suitable for settlement ou the banks of the Gatincau and in the valleys of its many tribuUirics, it is now the main road of a numerous though rather thinly scattered population who can hardly be expected, unassisted, to make and maintain a road of ninety miles in length, passing fre(iucntly over very rugged unoc- cupied ground, and which is much used by the traffic of a branch of trade that yields a lurge profit to Government. Besides the price of lands sold, Government must have already received upwards of half a million dollars as revenue for lumber cut on the Gatincau. Lumbering was carried on upon it to a large extent upwards of thirty years ago, and during the last nine years alone, I collected in ground rents and duties on saw logs cut on it, 8221,909, and far from being exhausted, tho annual revenue has been gradually increasing from 818,454 in 1853, to 833,264 in 1861. It would not seem unreasonable were the inhabitants of that section of country to ask one year's revenue, in thirty, of the public domain, to assist them in giving access to it for the purposes of trade and the extension of settlement in it. The Gatincau road naturally presents itself in two principal divisions. The lower part, from the village of Hull, opposite the city of Ottawa, up the west bank of the Gatineau to Brooks's, at the Puagan Falls, in the township of Low, is thirty-five and a half miles in length. For this distance the road passes generally over rich clay soil, the alluvial flats of the river, with rocky ground on the spurs of the hills, which occasionally come close to the river, sometimes in precipitous rocky bluffs, hemming the road in to the nar- rowest practicable space along their base. A stage runs regularly from the Ottawa to the Puagan. The land in that distance is all taken up and occupied, and the road in dry weather is a good country road, and much labor has been spent on parts of it by the inhabitants, but in continuous wet weather it bccomct* exceedingly cut up, with the deepest possible ruts, owing to the richness of the i^oil and the great traffic upon it. In many places it needs ditching and culverts, and there arc some dangerous old bridges upon it, and bad rocky hills that arc serious obstacles, requiring much expenditure to improve them. A company was, I believe, formed for the macadamising of twenty-four and a half miles of this road, and a survey of the line and estimate of the cost of making it a macadamised road Averc made by George H. Perry, Esquire, Civil^Engiuecr, but nothing further has since been done to my knowledge. Tu a country like that north of the Ottawa, where the land tit for set i lenient is much exceeded in quantity by that which is unfit for cultivation, and is so frequently to be found in blocks too snjall and scattered to admit of the formation of extensive lines of settlement or to warrant the opening of colonization roads to them in detail ; the improvement of main roads such as this which are absolutely necessary, to give access to the interior lands gene- rally, is a very certain and advantageous way of forwarding the settlement of «vich parts of u id, the |ad, the above linatcs ^6 to the I carried |y small, rofitable liri unu8- uoDtinue by the [pot, and It subject Ireceding ptcr as a :s of the luiucrous , to make :ed unoc- yields a )wards of IS carried iuc years I far from [ in 1853, itry to ask ss to it for rhe lower ! Gutineau half miles e allavial tally come ) the uar- listuucc is md much veathcr it ess of the rerts, and obstacles, half miles iiiscd road has since t is much » be found settlement nt of main inds gene- h parts of the public lauds as arc lit for it ; especially iu such cases oa this, where the roud is the highway of an extensive lumber trade, which creates a highly profitable market fur the settlers and causes settlement to extend and prosper where it otherwise would not yut be in existence. This would seem to a£For<i uu argument iu favor of granting assistance to the Gatineau macadamised road company, should they proceed witli their design, as it would, no doubt, most powerfully forward the settlement of the Gatineau country. Uncertainty as to how much of the road they may improve, renders it difficult to estimate detinitely any sum fur this portion of the road, between the probable end of their works and the Puugun, where improvement is certainly required, and bo provided for in a general estimate for this road, in ea«e of a grant being obtained for it. An expenditure of at least $4,000 wouM (irobabl y be desirable on this section, besides anything the company may be able to do. The upper part of the Gatineau road, from the Puagan to the river Desert, is that on which expenditure in completing and improving it is most urgently required, not only to give access to several townships containing together much land suitable for settlement, but also for the benefit of the existing settlements and the important trade of the oountry. The distance is stated to be fifty-five miles. Much of it is merely a lumber track or winter road, parts of it have been worked upon by the settlers, as well as the lumberers. Some colo- nisation funds have been spent on other parts of it. The worst part of it, owing to natural difficulty, is the first twelve miles above the Puagan. It is with much difficulty and some danger that an unloaded buck board can be drawh through from the Puagan to the Indian Mission Settlement at the river Desert, in the township of Maniwaki . '''he first twelve miles, from the Puagan to the river Kazabazaa, embraces much of the most expensive ground to make a road upon that can be found. It has been opened from twelve to twenty feet wide. With some dry, even ground it presents steep clay hills, much very rocky ground, varied with long deep miry places, where the remains of numerous pine stumps that have merely been cut close by the ground, will be more expensive to take out than if the trees were left standing. The opening of the road in this imperfect manner and the making of some good causeways, a little side cutting, and some bridges was all that the limited funds hitherto available admitted of being done on fuch parts of the whole line as were worked on, and excepting partly in clearings, the ^lubbing and making the road, including ditching, grading and crowning, excavation and culverts, and the building and re-building of many bridges, has all to be done. A new bridge is required on the Kazabazaa, 263 feet in length of work, and four feet higher than the present imperfect old one. The next thirteen miles to the river Pickauock, in the township of AV right, passes over much more favorable ground ; the cost per mile of making it a good road will be not much more than half the rate of the preceding portion. The following nine miles from the Pickanock to Mr. Leamy's farm, at the upper out- line of Wright, would cost still less on an average per mile, were it not for two consider- able bridges required, for which I have taken the necessary measurements. Beyond this uo work whatever has been done with colonization monies. The next six miles reaching to the middle of the township of Bouchctte, owing to there being much unfavorable rocky ground, with two considerable bridges to be built, will be about twice as expensive to make as the last. The remaining fifteen miles to the river Desert, though at present merely a narrow winter road, will be much less expensive in making than the preceding, being generally very favorable ground, but is all in woods till about a mile from the river Desert. To make a fair turnpike road of the whole of this upper fifty-five miles in the manner described in the annexed specification but one-third wider, would, on account of the extremely unfavorable character of parts of it, probably cost about $35,772. But by care- ful management in concentrating the labor on the bad and impassable parts of it, and making the last fifteen miles in the smallest scale to be useful, the whole might be made fairly passable for loaded wagons for about $19,448. Tbia sum represents the smallest scale of work that Government could have performed without disadvantage or considerable loss of labor; and it would be necessary that it should be incurred if the settlement of the Indian township of Maniwaki, and the surveyed townships opposite and above it on the east aide, containing much good land, be considered 16 desirable. Much of the line in uuiuhubitod, cflpocially the exceedingly rooky and rugged parts of it, and thuy will iicccnNurily remain ho. The upper part of Buuohotte in unooon- pied, so alHO Ih Mnniwaki, excepting iit the Desert, and <t will long continue so, unleHS ■tops bo taken for its survey and rialo, which is very much to be desired. It is to be regretted that 3Iaiiiwaki, probably the best township for settlement on the Oatineau, should, where good land is so Moareo, remain not only unoccupied, but a barrier to the progress of spttlement in that direction. From the rivor Desert upwards, the Oatineau road should be continued for colonixa* tion purposes, on the oast side nf the river up through the townships of Kensington, Auraond and Sicotto to Lake Itaskatong in the township of that name j above the river Desert the west side of the (jatineau becomes less favorable for settlement than the east side. Above lake .H:iskatong, crystalline limestone is said to prevail up the river Baskatooshin. The river (iatinonu drains an area of about ten thousand square miles, and is probably about four hundred miles in length. Tn general, one quarter of the land in the known parts of the valley of the (jatineau may be estimated as fit for settlement, in the present acceptation of the expression, tliough more of it may eventually be occupied. To describe the lands tit lor settlement, T would quote the words of Peter Aylen, Esquire. His opinion is based on twenty-eight years personal acquaintance with tho Gatineau country, which, in connection with his lumbering operations, he explored more extensively than any other person. lie .says the lands fit for settlement "are generally of an unusually rich and dur.'\blc soil, and though stony in places consists of deep loam on the tables that form the hill tops, and clayey flats in the valleys, often covered with deep black earth, and adniitfiiig of drainage where requiring it, poor sandy soil being of rare occurrence," As one of the causes of fertility, T would mention that I found crystalline limestone the most commonly prevailing rock along the Gatineau for upwards of sixty miles below the river Desert. There are farms on the Gatineau presenting upwards of two hundred acres of the richest alluvial fields in front, and in rear hills of crystalline limestone, valu- able alike for building and as a manure for the soil, and covered with valuable wood, pine for building and hardwood for fuel. In the finest parts of Canada those advantages are .seldom found together. But the greater part of the Oatineau country, as is the case on the north side of the Ottawa, generally consists of rugged, unarable hilly land with occasional .sandy plains, the good lands occurring in veins, irregular tracts, and isolated spots. It is of the utmost importance, therefore, in the projection of settlement roads, that the extent and position of those I'avorable tracts, and the best means of connecting them, if not already definitely ascertained, should be carefully determined by cursory exploration and the road lines adapted accordingly, as any other system of projection otherwise based, will be sure to end in utter failure. As the rugged and inferior lands are generally covered with a good growth of valuable timber, in the manufacture of which, much farm produce is consumed, creating a market on the spot, and high prices, it is evident that the value of the remaining quarter for set- tlement and cultivation is thereby very much increased. By careful selection, the extensive forest regions, unfit for cultivation, might be left untouched, while continuous lines of set- tlement might be formed on the intervening veins and tracts suitable for cultivation, and settlers be placed where they would derive the greatest benefit from the lumber trade, and at the .same time the poor and unarable regions of the Ottawa be preserved for ever in their character as the greatest lumber forests in the world. Grain, potatoes and other vegetables are successfully cultivated on larpe lumbering farms at thirty and fcty miles north of the river Desert. In the settlement on the latter, fall wheat is cultivated with success. Though but remotely connected with the subject of this report, it is worthy of remark that it has been well ascertained that behind the high country of the Laurentidcs, that is, at from about a hundred varying to two hundred miles north of the Ottawa, the country becomes lower, and that in this great depression, which is about a hundred miles in breadth, and of an unascertained length from east to west, containing the upper three hundred and fifty miles of the Ottawa's course, there is much land suitable for cultivation, said by those irrier jgton, river lieeait river 3bably CDOwn jrenent V 17 who have viaitcd it to bo less hilly and stony that) the new townshipH on the Madawaska and Oatineau. Stratified limestone is found in it at the head of luku Temiacaming and at Qrand Lake, a hundred miles further cast. An these two points, and much more of this northern valley are a degree south of the latitude of lake St. John on the Sagucnay, which is known to have a better climate than Quebec, it is quite probable that they may poasess in some degree the same advantage ; and as thousands of settlers nru living suencssiiilly in Upper Saugenay, it would bo absurd to .suppose that tho same will nut ultimately bo tho case on the groat waters and much more extensive field of the Upper Ottawa, facilitated us it will bo by tho great reaches of inland navigation. Tho river Desert, or more properly the settlement at \tn tiioutli, is about throe milei north of tho latitude of Three Rivers, and tho south shore of lake IJaHkatong is about four miles south of the latitude of Quebec. I would now beg leave to recapitulate the works I have submitted for cousiJeratioii in tho order in which they seem immediately desirable to be proceodeil with, and the ap propriations that would bo reqtiisite for them, or the portions of them proposed. In doing so, I would respectfully explain that I submit a relative view of a system of works that would seem desirable for the most advantageous opening up of the localities most suitable for settlement, and of tho probable expense of performing them at rates of co.st consider- ably under that devoted to similar colonization works in Upper Caua<l:i, and which might occupy several years in execution, without presuming to indicate how much or how little of the Colonization funds should be at present devoted to them, were they even approved of and adopted ; my sole object being to place at your disposal the result of the bcsi inror- ination I have been able to accumulate, aided by my past experience in super'ntcuding such works. Rccapihdatlnn of Prnpnscd Workx. 1st. For the making of the North Road from the Pochc to tl»e Pickanock, 31 miles, at $380, less remains of appropriation of 1S61 % 8,780 2nd. For do. of 13 J miles of Suffolk Road 0,000 3rd. For do. of 10 miles of Hull & Bowman do 5,000 4th. For do. of 10 miles of Pontefract road 4,800 and Bridge over River Coulouge 3,232 r)th. For do. of tho main road up the Oatineau to tho River Desert, 55 miles from the Puagan upwards 19,448 (Were a special Parliamentary Grant obtainable for the (rutiueau road.s, the amount should not be less than $35,772 for tho part from the l^uagnn upwards, 84,000 for tho part below, and $4,800 for a bridge over the Gatineau, which is Uiuch required about six miles above the mouth of it.) Further Worls proposed to\ be afterwards proaecvtrd. The West Road in Derry or the East Road on do. or both. The continuation of the Suffolk Road to Lake Monoming. The building of a Bridge over Black River in Waltham. The continuation of tho Gatineau Road towards Lake Baskatong. But prior to that the continuation of the Gatineau and Coulouge Road. For the position of the roads and works referred to in this report, I beg to refer to the accompanying map of the Counties of Ottawa and Pontiac. In it the representation of proposed roads not yet surveyed,it is only intended to indicate the locality and directi'^i; of them, leaving their position to be better determined by exploration and survey. There is great danger of avaricious people, who own laud elsewhere, taking up bnds on Colonization roads as soon as it is known that they arc to be opened, to tho ob.'itructiou of settlers who really want the lots. To prevent this abuse the conditions ot acvual settle- ment should be promptly and rigidly enforced to tho letter, and confiscation take place with- out a single day's delay, just in the same manner as has been punctually done for many years with lumberers' licences iu this agency, when they failed to comply with the condi- tions required of them, though they might have made many payments on their licenses pre- viously, and might lose thousands of dollars by the confiscation. It would certainly be quite as easy and at least as just to enforce contiscatiou on the pretended settlers. 3 - •■ ■■ - 18 For a Kimplo and sclf-actiug ttynUitn that would ooupleUly remot* tht dMlmoUon to aettlcmcnt caused by j^artica taking up laadn ibr the speoulttire purpoM of wringiog hifk prices out of oRtual srttlora aftei-wiu-dM. I beg to refer you to mj report on the St. MMnoe Territory, tran«niittc<d in .March, 1859, containing praotical suggestioni M to thoMiU and •ettlemcDt ol' the waste lar.d» of the Provinoe, ana the better aajuatment of tli«riglitt of settlers and lumbercr.i, exhibiting a syntem whereby Uoda coald do sold tO MtuaL wttlen at a merely romina! price without any loss of rerenue therefiroiu to the Crown. I hare the honor to be, reapeetflilly, Sir, Your ▼•17 ob«cU«it Mcvant, A. J. SPECinCATION Of the roanncr in which the Coloniution Road fVom th» P«ugao Palle, OftUttMa^ !• tii* Rirer Conlonge, if to be made. 1. It is to bu made on the site of it traced in the field, excepting wliero olliMiriie pointed out by the Superintendent, or person in charge. It is to be cleared to tha iridth of 24 feet. 2. It is to be formed to the width of 16 feet; all roots, stomps, and atonea are to be grabbed out 10 feet in width iu the centre, which is to be solidly levelled up, and in dry gvound evenly crowned with hard earth to the height of * inches in the centre, above the sidea of the road. All roots, stumps, vegetable matter, stones, and timber, and other rubbish to be thrown 4 feet back from the edge of the ^16 feet) road. All stumps in the sides of the road, that is 3 feet 00 each side of the gruboing, to be cut down even with the surface of the road when made. No crowning to be done till all the grubbing has been performed and inspected. 3. In moist or loamy ground, as pointed out by the Superintendent or person in charge* the centre of the road is to be crowned to the height of 18 inches above the sides, which arc to bo formed into continuous water-tables, so as to take off all the water. They may be crooked outside of ihc 16 feet to avoid stumps or other obstacles. Or where required by the person iu chnrge, a ditch 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep, is to be sunk along the upper side, outside of the 16 feet, in addition to the crowning mentioned in the second clause ; the earth from the ditch to be used in evenly crowning the centre, excepting where it ia black earth or vc^'etable matter, which is not to be used in crowning. 4. Culverts, with sufficient discharge drains, are to be made in ul hollows where watar may at any time paea, or where pointed out by the Superintendent ; the water<ways to b« at least 15 inches wide, and 10 inches high, in the elear under— greater if required. Tkej arc to be made of cedar if it can be had, otherwise of black ash or pine flatted; to be not less than 5 inches thick, the pieces to be 16 feet in length. The covering to be supported by four cross pieces dovetailed into, and securely pinned to the side pieces. The top of the covering to be lower than the road, and well secured by pioces pinned across the ends. 5. Such small bridges as may be required, are to be built of the same deacription ol' timber as the culverts throughout ; the covering to be of the same dimensions^ reattng on four stringers, 1 foot in least diameter, supported by, and aaeurely pinned to aubstantial side-logs, of a height sufficient to give free passage for the water at highest flood ; or on abutments of round logs of the same description of timber, laid in tiers of four each way, 10 inches in least diameter, slightly notched upon each other, and securely pinned at the comers. Larger bridges to be built in the same manner and of the same dimenaions and descriptions of timber excepting that the stringers for water-ways of 20 feet are to ba not less 9 inches bread by 14 deep or round cedar peeled not less than 13 inohea thick may be * NoTE.^Economj is e.Tect«d by making the crowning only six iaeheionTery diygroaad^wlikh merely provides ground levelling) when the nature of the gronad and other eirCaoMteaeM adailt of •ucb being marked nod provided for in contracting, or where work iedone by askUftil ovaMaer asd a select party trhich, in difficolt ground, ii the beet way of obtaioiag the beat result fh>m limited fluis. Mtion to uumM m1« lad vifhto of 'nttlm |m«4 te til* oIlionriM tlio iridUi |ie» aro lo be up, Md IB feDtre, abore and other umps in the ven with the ng haa been ion in charge, sidee, which They maj lere required ng the upper icond dauae ; ig where it ia where wator sr>waya to b« uired. They )d ; to be not be supported The top of OBS the endfl. eacription of s^ reating on :o aubstantial flood; or on ttr each way, inned at the lenaiona and ire to be not (hiok may be {roand ^wUeh aaeea adoilt of 9v«ine«ra»da United fittia. If wed — with handnule 4 feet hish ; the poita and caps of which are to bo G iuchcj dquant with braoM 4 inches aquaro and 3 feet long securely shouldered in nnd spiked to the posts and vrojeoting pieces of the flooringeyery fO feot. The flooring to be of 4 inches thick pine plaoUy or hewn oedar 5 inches thick, 18 feet in length, the projecting pieces to be inches thiek and 23 feet long boxed on the stringers. A uindcr 8 inches by 4 tu bo trccnuilsd down on each side to retain the flooring. The posts of tho handrails to bo tccnonod with it as well as the cap above and well spiked. Tne abutincnts and picrn to be loaded with atone to the depth of 2 feet laid on a flooring of sound round lo;;9 8 inches in Icasit thick- DSfs. The approaches to bridges to bo raised so as not to bo flooded in high water, nnd all materials to be at all times subject to the inspection and approval of the supciintcndent or peraon k ithoriied by him. Chips, logt and rubbish, which might oonimunicatc fire, to bi- rauorad a rod back all round bridges, and from the ends of causeways, and logging up aide hills. 6. The water to be thoroughly drawn away from wator-tnblcs or bidc-ditchcfl, by off- take drains, 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep ; or larger, if required to pa<:3 tho water when greatest 7. All swamps or boggy places to be oauscwaycd or fu^tcincd. Causeways aro to be Mvenly and closely laid, and hewn level on lop and solidly bedded on the ground, — thi* stvmpa being first out below the surface, unless where stringers are necessary to f;ivo elo~ rations over water. Stringers to bo at least one foot thick and four to the width of the road. The pieces to be of sound wood, 16 feet in length, and S inches at loaut in diameter, -'Of eedar, where it can be had. Nine feet at least, in width, in the centro to be evenly eOTered, 3 inches in depth, over the highest logn, with earth from the side ditches, which are to be 8 feet wide and 2 feet deep, on one or both sides it' required to draw off tho water; otherwise, tho earth to be obtained olsewhorc. Where it may be found move suitable, (or be speoially required at the time of letting the work,) in swampy ground, the otumps aro to be cut even with the surface, IG feet in width ; tho centre evenly raised G inches, — the whole to be then covered with softwood brush and small trees, the tops towards and over the middle, to tho depth of one foot in the centre, when comprcss'.pd, and G inches at tho sides. The surface to be closed with 3 inches of swamp earth, with S inches of hard earth over 9 feet in width of the centre, diminishing to 1 inches at the sidca of the road, which may be made up with any earth obtainable. Causeways and f<i.scining, aud the grubbing previous to crowning, not to be covered up till inspected and approved of. 8. On steep sidelong hills the road is to bo cut lower on tho in?ide, and to bo 12 feet wide; besides a ditch near the cutting, 18 inches wide and a foot deep. Tho face of all euttinga to have slope back of one foot, for every one in height. Tho outside to bo built up solidly, with stones, or sound timber not less than 10 inches at the small cud, with 0roea-tiefl every 7 feet. Or the side may be made up with a layer of soft wood brush, laid tops out, for every six inches of earth. 9. In forming the road, tho earth is to be worked from the heights into the hollows ; attd banks and ridges, where more excavation is not specified, are to bo cut down 2 feet, if aceeaaary, to equalize the road. In deeper cuttings, the roadway may be only 12 feet wide. In passing among rocks, or in very rocky ground, a passage of 10 feet in width will be tttSeient, the points of the rock to be broken down, and the spaces between them r,olidly built m> with stones, and the whole crowned with hard earth. 10. In descending hills, the water to be turned off every 50 or 150 yards, accordiug to the ateepness, and at the head of all cuttings. 11. No earth work done later than 31st October will be acoeptod or paid for thw season. 12. All trees that fall on the road till finally received, to be cleared ctU, as well ae any overhanging or other timber, or trecii that may bo considered likely to full into tho road. 18. If the work be not commenced within 10 days after the day on which it is lot, or should it be abandoned for 10 days, without sufficient reason being as.signed to the satisfac- tion of the superintendent, or should the] contractor, or any person employed by liiui, r»'fuse to comply with the instructions of the superintendent, or person employed by him to otenee the work, the superintendent will be at liberty to annul the contract, or cmplo}r men to do the work at the rontrsctor'p rxpensfi : and should thero be less than six men eniploycfl for every milo coiUriiotcd tor, the huporiutciidcnt will he at liberty to mako up the number, by employing men iit the cxpenHe of the contractor, Nhould he hco fit. 14. No work to be sub-lot without the consent of the supflrintundont. 15. The work to bf completed bclbro the 1st November, ISOl ; but Hhould more than one half of it remuin to bo done on the 10th October, 1861, the HUperintcndent mny then employ men iit the confractor'.s expense to eomplctc it. 10. Persons iibandoninpj their work will forfeit the work performed. 17. One-third of the priee will be paid when one-half of the work is done, and the remainder when it i^ eompleted and accepted; but the eontructor'n Mccuritica are to receive the balance <h\c, or any part of it that the .superintendent may consider them entitled to, nhould they be obliged to complete the work, or any part of it. IS. The contractor is to give the best aecomrnuUiition in his power to the .sunerinteu- dcnt, or person njjpointcd to oversee the work ; MUch accommodation to be paid for nt a reasonable rate. The C'onnniBsioncr of Crown Lands will not consider it neccHsary to accept the lowcHt tender, nor to let the full extent of work ndvcrti^cc^. should lie find the rntcH proposed too high. lo up I ' ' * than thra the Iccivo d to,. I lite n- ror nt lowcHt led too CONTENTS. WORKS UNDER APPROPRIATION FOR 1861. Ontiucftu tu(l Cciulnnge Rnnd, work I'erformcH 1 Dcicrlption of Country upon it, Ac , J Tbonie RnmJ, work performed .1 Qatlneau and Desert Rotd, do i Suffolk lload Burvey 4 Workn nmUr AjijimpruitinnK /or /ormrr Yr.ar». Oailow tad Mtebam Knad, Work performed 4 Front Pootiac Road— lower part— do. ft do. do. — upper pari — do. fl Eardlejr and Maahain Koadj, do. A SynopilB of Expenditure uuder ApprupriatlonR of 1801 , t do. do. do. of fnrnior yearN ,, , 7 Pi'oposfd fuflhcr Works. Oponinf; of North Road line from Maxbam to the Piukauock — Deaciiptiou nf liuer, and laud thereon 9 Description of differeut clashes of Road work applicable to Colonizatiou Roads, with remarks on Road-making Estimated Cost of each Class of Road work described 10 North Road to Pickanock resumed It Suffolk Road, in Valley of R. Petite Nation — favorable chaructorttf the line for Colonization, tc... 11 Opening of Road, Hull on the Oatineau to Bowman on ihe R. aux Liuvrei II Charaotor of Country on R. aux Li^vres 13 Do. on Lower R., Blanche, and proposed Roads to open good lands in Derry, <tc 12 Proposed Road in Pontefract, between Coulongo and Black River, doscripUon[of land IS Proposed Bridge over River Coulongo 1.3 Proposed completion of main Oatineau Road to tcio River DoHort, — importance of it,— groat r .enue from the River Oatineau 14 Descuption of this Read by Sections, and ojtimatcd cost of making it 14 Proposed continuation of it for Scttlcmont 16 Description of Uutineau Country as a field for Settlement lA Of the Great Northern Valley of the Upper Ottawa behind it, OS do. do 16 Recapitulation of proposed further Works IT The evil of Speculators taking up land to the obstruction of Settlement, and remedy referred to... 17 Printed form of Road bpeoiflcatiou and Map of Ottawa asd Poutiao herewith. IS