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A special Act has been obtained from the Dominion Parliament incorporating the Company for that purpose, and received Koyal assent on 14th June, 1872. (See Act and relative Joint Stock Clauses Act Appendix.) The Directors of the Company, after mature consideration and investigation of all matters connected with the Island and .ts resources, have eflfected the purchase from the Proprietors in fee simpli!, on the most favourable terms, of the whole of the Island of Anticosti. This Island is situate in the Gulf and River St. Lawrence, in the Jomiaion of Canada . it has over 300 miles of sea coast; is about 140 miles long and about 35 miles broad in the widest part, with an average breadth of 27^ milec, and comprises a territorial area of 2,460,000 acres, being one-fourth larger in size than Prince Edward Island. The Japital of the Company is $2,500,000, divided into 25,000 shares of $100 each, $1,500,000 of which will apply to the purchase of the whole Island (in fee simple), and the remainder to the developn.ent of its resources and in prosecuting the business of the Company. , The whole Island of Anticosti was first granted by the Crown of France, in 1680, to one Louis Joliet, in consideration of the discovery of Illinois, — now the State of Illinois, U. S. A., — and for other services rqndered to the Government. But, after the conquest of Canada by Great Britain, it passed into the hands of wealthy English families residing / mostl}' in England, wlio Imvo evor since, by succession, retained the proprietorship ; although frequent attempts have heretofore been made both by the Government of Canada and by private individuals, to pin-chase the Island, with a view to colonization and development of its resources, they have invariably failed to induce the English proprietors to consent to a sale. This fact appears to have been the only obstacle to the colonization of the Island. Like the objection made by the " Hudson Bay Company" to the colonization of the North-West Territory, so have parties been found ready at all times to discourage every attempt hitherto made to purchase the " Island of Anticosti." This Company has, however, at length succeeded in making an absolute purchase as above stated. The climate of Anticosti is exceedingly healthy, and certainly not more severe than that of the other Maritime Provinces. The cold blasts of the winter are very much tempered by the waters of the Gulf and River St. Lawrence, and the heat of the summer months rendered much less intense by the same influence. The atmosphere is pure and clear, not subject to fogs to the same extent as prevail upon and around the " Island of Newfoundland." Vegetation progresses most rapidly, and crops come to perfection in good season, a fact which shows that climate (unless it be very severe) is by no means the most influential element in determining the Agricultural capabilities of a country. The geological character of a country has more influence upon its economic prospects than climate ; and as thv geological character of the Island ie favourable, with a fine and healthy climate, it should, therefore, be carefully studied with regard to its bearing upon the question of agricultural productiveness. The soil of Anticosti is of good quality, being a rich loam intermixed with particles of limestone, and capable of raising most of the cereals, root-crops, and fruits, to perfection. Of cereals, such as wheat, barley, oats, peas, and beans; of roots, such as turnips, carrots, onions, cabbage, parsnips, and potatoes ; and of fruits, such as apples, plums, cherries, gooseberries, strawberries, and currants, as well as all other garden vegetables, — all of which have been successfully raised by parties resident on the Island. The meadows also produce great .abundance of hay. Sir William Logan, in his Geological Report to the Government of Canada, 1857, states that upwards of one million acres are composed of soil of the very best quality for agricultural purposes. The language used in the Report is : — " It is on such rocks, in such conditions, iind with such " altitudes that the best soils of the western Peninsula of Canada V/est are " placed as well as the Genesee County in the State of New York. I have " seen nothing in the actual soil as it exists to induce me to suppose that, " in so far as soil is considered, ' Anticosti ' will be anything inferior to " these regions." Valuable forests exist on the greater part of the Island, of pine, spruce, maple, birch, juniper, tamarac, ash, and cedar. There can be no doubt that a large revenue will be derived from the forest. Although the timber generally is not of the largest size, it is of a superior quality, and, besides its value for exportation, it is well adapted for ship and house building purposes, and will be of great value for these operations on the Island. The geological surve;', made on the Island by the Government of Canada, does not report the discovery of any mineral ore, with the exception of pieces of magnetic oxyde of iron ; yet it states that there is no reason to assert that iron ores may not be found hereafter. We have an example of this in respect in Newfoundland, which, after repeated geological examina- tions in former years, -waa pronounced to possess no minerals, while within the last few years copper, silver and lead have been discovered. The Copper Mines at the Tilt Cove, Newfoundland, Avhich were said to have been worked by Messrs. Bennett, McKay & Co., of St. Johns, for the last few years, with unprecedented success, have recently been sold to an English Joint Stock Company fov the sum of £150,000 stg. ($750,000); the late proprietors receiving thereof in cash £100,000 ($500,000), and the remainder in Stock of the new Company. From this it nuvy reasonably be expected that the Island of Anticosti may become a valuable mineral producing country, as its geological formation is similar to that of Newfoundland. ECONOMIC SUBSTANCES. The substances fit for economic application, also mentioned in the Government Report above referred to, are as follows, viz. : — The fossiliferous limestone, which exists in great quantities upon the shores in a horizontal state, is of so fine a grain and colour, and so hard, that it is deservedly classed under the head of marble, and it receives a beautiful polish. There is little doubt that were this stone brought to the large cities, it would be extensively used in public buildings as well as for ornamental purposes. There is also ai. other kind of stone, exceedingly -well adapted for lithographic purposes, a sample of which has been tried, with satisfactory results. Limestone for building purposes appears in a coarse but regular formation, and is displayed in abundance in beds from six to eighteen inches in thickness in the neighbourhood of South-West Point. It is easily dressed, and yields good blocks of a yellowish white colour. Two Light- houses on the Island are built of it, and have stood for upwards of twenty- five years without showing signs of decay. Sandstone is also found of a good warm colour, a greenish grey approaching to drab, rather lighter than the sandstone of Craig Leith Quarry, near Edinburgh ; it has a free grain, and would therefore dress easily, while the angular fragments on the beach show that it would retain its sharp edges. Blocks of every size might be obtained, varying in thickness up to five and a-hulf feet. w The same sandstone would also yield very good grindstone ; it is even grained, and there is a sufficient amount of clear sharp grit in it to render it available, while there would be no difficulty in getting any size of grindstone required. Clay fit for brick-making exists in some abundance, of a bluish grey colour ; it will prove very serviceable for building purposes on the Island. This marl is found of considerable thickness at the bottom of several small lakes, covering from 50 to 200 acres each. This substance is nearly pure Carbonate of Lime, and will make good mortar for masonry work. In some parts of the State of Verfnont, large quantities are said to be manufactured for that purpose. • .' < -• ',r • ,...«,; Sir William Logan, in his Geological Report of Canada, 1863, says, (after referring to deposits of Peat or Peat-bogs in the diiferent parts of Canada, and as to its economic value and use when distilled as oil for illuminating purposes, as well as when prepared for fuel,) on Page 783 : •• «' The most extensive Peat deposits in Canadt» are found in Anticosti " along the low land on the coast of the Island, from Heath Point to within " eight or nine miles of South-West Point, a continuous plain covered with " peat, extends for upwards of eighty miles, with an average breadth of two " miles, thus giving a superficies of more than one hundred and sixty " square miles. The thickness of the Peat, as observed on the coast, was " from three to ten feet, and it appears to be of an excellent quality. The " height of this plain may be on an average fifteen feet above high water " mark, and it can be easily drained and worked. Between South- West " Point and the West end of the Island, there are many small Peat-bogs, " varying in superficies from 100 to 1,000 acres." Too much importance cannot be attached to the value of these Peat deposits, when we consider the new and approved mode adopted for the successful manufacture of Peat and Parafine oil and fuel, coupled with the situation upon the sea coast, and at a point where there is a good harbour for extensive shipment. A large amount of capital is now invested in Sweden, France, Ireland, and America, as well as in other countries, for the manufacture of those valuable articles of commerce on an extensive scale with considerable success. ' ■ i ' '> Near the South-West Point there are several large salt-ponds or springs, which, when labour becomes plen<.;iful, might be turned to good account in the manufacture of Salt, of which there is a great consumption in Canada. It may thus become an article of great commercial importance, as it is well known that Salt, manufactured from salt-ponds, is the most valuable for curing fish. It is also well-known that some of the Bahama Islands are retained merely on account of their valuable salt-ponds, and at Ceylon a large revenue is derived from the salt-works carried on upon the Island. I ■1 ■h I # r h! HARBOUKS. i .) . . . ... There are three excellent harbours, one at Ellis Bay, one at Fox Bay, and one at South-Wc-t Point (Lighthouse). The harbour at Ellis Bay at the upper end, and tli harbour at Fox Bay at the lower end cf the Island, can bo so improved as to be capable of accommodating a large fleet of the largest sized sea-going ships and steamers, with the grep.tcst safety in all kinds of winds, having an excellent holding bottom of gravel and mud ; at South- West Point the harbour can also be made safe by construction of break-waters, Mrhile besides there are many other smaller harbours for vessels of light draught along the coast, affording safe shelter. The establislimont of depots of co.al at Ellis Bay and Fox Bay (close to which both inward and outward bound ocean and coasting steamers must pass) would be an advantage, the importance of which it would be difficult to overestimate ; and if, upon an exploration of the interior, coal be not found on the Island, it could easily be procured from Nova Scotia, and laid down at either harbour for about $3.50 to $4.00 per ton. These harbours offer peculiar advantages for Naval Stations, as all vessels bound up or down the St. Lawrence must pass close to the Island. When it is considered that upwards of 2,000 vessels arrive from Europe, in the season, and also several of the finest lines of steamers in the world, besides a large fleet of coasting and fishing vessels, all of which must necessarily pass within sight of the Island, some idea may be formed of the importance to be attached to the position and capabilities of these harbours for Commercial and Naval Stations. . •, ; ^^'-^ ' ^.^.M.;;., r:^ ' RIVERS. ■ k -.-.^v- ,, . . .■ The Eivers and Brooks along the coast are very numerous, considering the size of the Island ; there is scarcely a mile that is not supplied with a clear stream of water, and every six or nine miles shows one of a size sufficient to supply the water power necessary for milling and manufac- turing purposes ; some beautiful waterfalls are also to be found near the coast, presenting excellent sites for these purposes. The largest rivers on the Island are the Becscie, Otter, Jupiter, Pavilion, Chaloupe, Fox, and Salmon ; besides many smaller streams, most of which swarm with the finest brook trout and salmon. , ' FISHERIES. 4 The Fisheries adjacent to the Island are of great value and importance in a commercial point of view ; these consist of both deep sea and river 6 fisheries, and although as yet comparatively neglected by Canada, arc entitl(;(l to bo classed amongst the most valuable fisheries of America. Whale, seal, cod, mackerel, salmon, herring, halibut, haddock, and eels, as well as shell fish, have for many years been most succeHsfuiiy caught along the coast, and in the rivers and bays of the Island, by fishermen employed by capitalists from the Island of Jersey, who have extensive establishments at diflerent points along the coast on the shores of the River St. Lawrence. These capitalists reside at home like merchant princes, eujoying the profits of their employees' operations in the Cana- dian Fisheries. In the Spring, seals are exceedingly abundant, and are met with by thousands i.i the bays, and more sheltered places on the coast, amongst the diift ice. It is frequently the case, that a sailing vessel will catch as many as 10,000, and since the introduction of steam vessels in these fisheries as many as from 25,000 to 30,000 seals are caught in a season. The average value of Heal for the last two years has been about $3.50 each. Commander Lavoie, of the Government Schooner " La Cana- dienne," in his Report to the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, 1870, says : — " This Island is beginning to be frequented and settled by hardy " fishermen, tempted by the desire of participating in its rich fisheries, " which, up to the last few years, were comparatively unexplored ; a " more perfect knowledge of the surrounding of the Island, and more " prudence on the part of the fishermen, enables them to arrive, depart, " and sail around the Island in almost every kind of weather. Tlie " importance and value of its fisheries have also increased along with " the number of fishermen. The waters bordering on Anticosti are " stocked with the same kinds which are met with on the South and " North coast of the St. Lawrence." There cannot, however, be a better proof of the importance that should be attached to the Fisheries than is oifered by the- large fleet of Amerloan vessels that frequented the Island, during the existence of the Reciprocity Treaty, with their expensive outfits, (some of them coming for a distance of 500 to 1,000 miles,) and the great interest manifested by the Government and people of the United States, since the abrogation of the Treaty, with regai'd to the fishtiry question with Canada It will also be observed from the terms of the Washington Treaty, that the American Government agreed to admit fish caught and cured in Canadian waters free of duties, which will enhance, by 20 per cent, at least, the value of Canadian fisu. ■p. COMMERCIAL POSITION. The favourable position of Anticosti as regards shipping and general commercial enterprise has been shown, and the extent of fisheries sur-, rounding it. It is self-evident that if the Canadian Fisheries were not ^ of ttu iinmoiiHu value, Amorican fishcrmon and capitn'iHtH would not ho onf^erly Hoek to renew their former privileges with the Canadian author- ities. Keeping this in view the advantages to parties /esiding upon. the Island will be very grea'., with every facility for drying and curing the fish, and with ready means of shipping to American as well as to all other markets of the world. Wo look forward with confidence nt no distant day to soo extensive commercial transactions carried on on the Island, and a direct trade opened up for the exchange of the produce of the Island with that of the United States, West Indies, South America, and the Mediterranean. Many a largo town in various parts of the world has sprung up into a position of great commercial importance with less promising resources than a town on Anticosti may present; but these resources must be properly developed to ensure such a result. Many a project of less promise hac, in this country, been at first sacrificed through timidity and prejudice, which, upon subsequent trial, has proved a success. TOWNS It is proposed to lay out town sites at Ellis Bay, Fox Bay, and at the South-West Point (Lighthouse), The chief +own will bo at Ellis Bay, where the principal place of business will bo established. Ellis Bay is beautifully situated, having a fine command of the surrounding country, with an excellenu beach ; its salubrious and bracing sea-air will doubtless make it eventually a place of resort for thousands of pleasure-seekers, where they can combine sea-bathing with many other summer sports, such as shooting, fishing and sailing. COLONIJ5ATION. The Directors, having in view the importance of permanently colonizing the Island, propose, when the several permanent improve- ments referred to in the next paragraph shall be far enough advanced, to take the necessary steps to bring under the notice of the emigrating population of Northern Europe the innumerable advantages of Anticosti, as a place where there is every prospect for an industrious family securing a home of competence and independence; and with a view to the adoption of a system of colonization to the mutual advantage of the Emigrants and the Company, the Directors propose to make an appro- priation commensurate with the importance of the undertaking. Jat i! OPERATIONS. With a view to the early colonization nnd settlomont of the Tsland, and the pradniil development of its many valuable refioiirees, the Directors propose to earry into effect the following* operations with the least possible delay : — 1. To open out roads, to survey and lay out townships, and to encourage settlement, by granting land on favorable terms to actual settlers, and by offering liberal inducements to merchants, traders, agriculturists, fishermen, and artisans, to settle on the Island, 2. To erect grist mills, saw mills, iron foundry, planing mills, and such other necessary works as the growing population and the resources of the Company may warrant; also to aid such deserving settlers as may require it, by assistance to erect suitable dwellings, and to contribute to the building of churches and the establishment of good schools. 3. The building or purchasing of fishing schooners and boats ; also of iron screw steamers for whale and seal fishing, and a steamer for conveyance of mails and passengers between the Island and the main land. 4. To lay a submarine telegraph cable, to connect the Island and the mainland, at a point on the coast of Qaspfe ; improvement of harbors of Ellis Bay and Fox Bay, with patent slips and ship yards. In carrying out these last-mentioned enterprizes, the Company expect to receive material aid from the Dominion Government, as they will conduce so greatly to the advantage of the commercial and shipping interests of the country, and to the relief of shipwrecked and disaljled vessels. 5. The erection of stores and warehouses, and such other buildings as may be necessary for the business of the Company, where will be kept a suitable supply of provisions, salt, and all kinds of goods required by the colonists, as well as supplies for the use of the numerous fleets of fishing vessels which resort from all points to the rich fishing grounds near the Island. The Directors have every reason to believe that when the proposed works are in full operation, profitable employment will be found for a large population ; numerous applications and inquiries for land have already been received from residents of Newfoundland and different points on the Gulf, and the Directors are satisfied that a very large immigration of a most desirable character will be immediately available. Indeed, they have already commenced to arrive, twenty-four families, embracing one hundred and twenty-five individuals, having landed at Ellis Bay on 19th August last from Garia, in Newfoundland ; and as soon as it becomes known that the Company is prepared to receive and employ them, an influx of several thousand can be confidently predicted to take place in a single year. With a liberal colonization policy, the Directors ■ look forward ut no tligtanfc day to sco tho Island of Anticosti with a nourishing population of at least 100,000. As an investment, the Anticosti Company offers to capitalists advan- tages superior to most cnterprizos, and the Directors invite a considoratiou of tho facts set forth in the reports and maps appended hereto. In conclusii n, the Directorn would remark that the price at which the title (in fee simple) to tho Island has been assumed by tho Company is cxtremc'y moderate ; whether we consider its extensive area, viz., 3,844 square miles, embracing 2,400,000 acres of fertile land, pro- nounced by Sir William Logan and other eminent authorities to be equal in quality to that of tho Pcninsiila of Ontario, or of tho Genesee Valley in tlio State of New Yoik ; its valuable forests, which experts in the lumber trade, estimate to bo worth at least $3,000,000 ; its unrivalled fisheries, or its commanding commercial position — standing, as it does, in the gateway of the St. Lawrence — in whatever aspect it can be vif^wed, it must bo admitted that the investment of $1,500,000 or .1"300,000 stg. in th" purchase of this magnificent torritoxy is a most advantageous one for the Company, the land costing not more than CO centc or 2s. Gd. stg. per acre. The Directors are persuaded that the f.icts herein mentioned fully warrant them in anticipating large returns to the shareholders. APPENDIX A. TO THE PROSPECTrS OF TUB ANTICOSTI COMPANY. Extracts from the Annual Report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries for year endiu.u; 30th June, 1870, by the Hon. P. Mitchell, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, dated at Ottawa, Slst December, 1870 : " VAIiiJE OF FiSH rnODUCTS. " The annual inci'case of yield and enhanced value of the produce " from our Fisheries show how rapid and extensive has been their " development. Without reckoning at all tho catch of foreigners, the " actual value for exportatioh of tho produce of our waters in the Con- " federated Provinces now exceeds seven millions of ^ - lars ($7,000,000), " nearly doubling in ten 3'ears.'' " The labour and capital engaged in them have correspondingly " increased. A few years more of sufllcicnt protection to the inshore and " inland Fisheries of Canada, as well from domestic injury as against " intrusion by foreigners, will, doubtless, favour tho further development " of this valuable resource." B . - i ! i w " EXTENT AND INTRINSIC VALt'E OP THE BRITien NOIU'll AllERICAJI l-'IijlIERIES. " There is no country in the world possessing finer Fisheries than " British North America, As a national possesoion they are inestimahle, » and as a field for iudustrv and enterprizo they are inexhaustible. " Besides their general importance to the country \s a source of maritime " wealth and commerce, they also possess a special value to the inhabi- " tants. The great variety and superior' quality of the udh products of " the Fea and inland waters "of these colonics afford a nutritious and " economic food admirably adapted to the domestic wants of their mixed " and laborious population. They are also in other respects specially " valuable to such of our people as are engaged in maritime pursuits " either as a distinct industry or combined with agriculture. The prin- " cipal localities in which fishing is carried on do not usually present " condition.'' favourable to husbandrj. They are limited in extent and " fertility, and are srbject to certain climatic disadvantages. The prolific " nature of the adjacent waters and the convenience of the undisturbed " US'; are a necessary compensation for defects of soil and climate. On " such grouud alone, the sea and inland Fisheries, to which British " subjects have claims on this Continent, are of peculiar value, and as " regards particular sections of the country, the benefits of solo privilege " of fishing are, practically spciiking, an almost vital necessity." " When, therefore, we regard them as being abundant and important ♦' for domestic substances, or in their much larger import as a valuable *' resource, cii'~.*ble of ever increasing development and limitless rcpro- ■' duciion, employing an amount of capital reckoned by man^ millions of " dollars, and engaging the labours of hundreds of thousands of persons ; " encouraging maritime pursuits ; fostering the commercial marine ; " promoting foreign trade ; keeping always and productively in active " training an independent, spiriied class of sea-faring men,— the teeming " waters around the coasts of the British North American possessions '' and those Avhich form the groat lakes and magnificent rivcrSj present '' to our view a national property richer and more perpetual than any " mere monicd estimation could express,' " It is in the highert degree gratifying to find that British subjects " arc becoming every year more and more alive to their vast importance, " and that Canadians especially are now more than ever anxiout to •' preserve them as the finest material portion of our Colonial heritage.'' •' The'fact of foreign nations having alwys clung w'th such tenacity " to every right and common liberty which they have uoei. enabled to " secure ii these Fisheries, and the eagerr -ss which foreigners manifest " to establish themselves in the actual use of such extensive and lucrative " privileges, constitute the best extrinsic evidence of the wide-spreading " influence of their possession and the strongest testimony to their " industrial and commercial worth." . „; . s;.vfc . . oX .i •- ' 51 B^ 11 " VALUE OF THE FISH CAUCillT BY BRITISU AND AMEUICAN FISUERMBN. " The aggregate value of the fish products of the rroviucial Fisheries " is nearly seventeen million Joilars ($17,000,000), ani it is susceptible *' of being increased to a very much greater value." "Americans employ — tonnage varying— between eight and eleven " hundreil vessels in +,hese Fisheries. Their estimated annual catch, " ehi(;fly within the throe mile limit, is valued at about eight millions of « dollars ($8,000,000). The probable value of capital embarked in carry- " ing on the inshore Fisheries is computed at nine millions of dollars " ($;),000,000) ; thus making a total interest of some seventeen millions " of dollars ($17,000,000). APPENDIX ''0'' TO THE ABOVE REPORT. (iL'ANTITY AN'D YIKI.D. PKICE. 4,5G7 111,000 :iit;,005 '^5,254 123,c{02 13,180 14,300 l,0GO 102 1,534 39y,8oy 02,513 0,214 820 553,000 297,823 bbls. Si.linon cans do. lbs. (•() Smoked Salmon bbls. Alackorel do. Herrings boxes Hmokcd Herrings bbls. Alowives do. Eels do. Trout do. Halibut quintals Cod do. Scale Fish bbls. Shad do. Smelt , . can Lobsters gals. Oil Total «I5 4Fbbl. 15c. ^ c!an 12ic. -y*" lb. $1 each. Si 2 .tp-bbl. $1 do." 75c. #" bcx iiSS ^ bbl. $8 TTIC0STI. Exlracis from Scientific Fejyorf, made by A. R. Roche, Esq., he/ore the Literary and Historical Society, of Qiiehec, read Ath Octoher, 1853. "The Island of Anticosti is situated in the Rivei- and (Inlf of St. Lawrence, about four liundicd miles below Quebec, and consequently that nmeh nearer England. It is nearly one hundred and forty miles long, and its greatest breadth is thirty-five miles, gradually becoming narrower ax it extends East and West. It contains more than three thousand seven hundred and fifty square miles, or about two taillious four hundred and sixiy thousand acres. " The Island contains extensive quarries of excellent stone for build- ing purposes, deposits of marble of very superior quality, besides stone fit for litliographic purposes. " The fisheries in its rivers, and surrounding its coast, are extremely valuable, and in tlie interior it contains extensive forests of most valu- able timber. It also has large deposits of peat of excellent quality, exceeding one hundred thousand acres in extent. " The excellent position of the Island in regard to sliips, commerce, &c., becomes at once apparent, Avhcn we consider tliat every vessel must take eitlier of the channels formed by Anticosti, upon entering or leaving the river, whether liaving passed from tiie Atlantic, or intending to pass to the ocean, through the Straits of Belle Isle, through the more frequented passage between Newfoundland and Cape Breton, or through the Gut of Canso, or whether running between Quebec and those portions of Canada, and of the Lower Provinces lying upon the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On taking either of the channels formed by Anticosti, vessels pass close to the Island, in consequence of the moderate breadth of the northern one, and of the strong soutli-east current wliijh always runs along tlie southern channel, to avoid which, r.nd the ri.slc of being driven upon the truly dangerous coast of the soutli shore of the gulf and river, where, for several liTindred miles, there is no harbour or place of slieltcr for any craft larger than a schooner, and where for long distances, there is not one foot of beach outside the perpendicular dills to laud upon; vessels generally stand out till they make tlie West point of Anticosti, close to which is situated the convenient liarbour of Ellis Bay, occupying a spot nearly mid-distance between the northern and southern banks of the St. Law- rence, and of easy access from both channels of the river. Considering that about two thousand vessels from Europe alone will have made this point in the course of the present season, some slight idea may be con- 16 , ccivcd of tlio capabiliticB of position attached to the Island, and in particular to Ellis Bay. The inner anchorage of this Bay has a depth of from three to four fathoms at low water, with excellent holding ground, (gravel and mud,) is of as largo capacity as the harbour of Montreal, and has been found by experience, to afford perfect shelter in all winds, to vessels of upwards of 500 tons ; while the outer position of the anchorage could be materially improved at a trifling expense, so as to be able to contain in safety, during all winds, almost any number of vessels of the largest size. Docks, with a patent slip, &c., could be easily constructed there, which would be admirably situated for the repair of vessels stranded, or receiving other damage throughout the lower St. Lawrence, most of them becoming broken up by the action of the sea, and in some cases, dismantled by wreckers, before thoy can obtain assistance from Quebec, or the intelligence of their position can be conveyed there, which port, strange to say, is the only place from the Atlantic to Montreal, (a distance of upwards of eight hundred miles,) Avhere vessels can be properly overhauled, or be supplied with the commonest stores, such as anchors, chains, sails, &c. For steam tugs employed for the relief of vessels in distress, Ellis Bay might also bo made an excellent station, with the facilities there for procuring shelter for our shipping in a portion of the St. Lawrence, where a spacious and deep harbour is more wanted than in any other part of the river or gulf, it is astonishing that no attention has yet been directed to this spot. This neglect, however, cannot long con- tinue. It could be made not only a fine commercial harbour, but also an excellent naval station, in the most convenient and central spot, for commanding, with a few steam vessels or gunboats, the two entrances of the river, and for sending out cruisers up the latter, or to any port of the Gulf. " The Island on the south side generally rises from about twenty to sixty feet above the beach, (but at the entrance of Observation River it is between 200 and 300 feet high,) and is nearly level to the centre, where a range of moderate sized hills appear to run its entire length, and upon the north side to terminate in steep cliffs. It is mostly covered with a thick forest of trees, stunted near the shore, (like those upon a great part of the coast of England, and of other countries,) but which become gradually larger as they approach the interior, and are less exposed to the influence of the wind and soa. This is very remarkable upon some of the bays, where at exposed points they are very small, and gradually increase in size from each side to the centre, those nearest to the sea being some- times quite white in .appearance, from the salt which is thrown indcrys- talizfs upon them. The trees are spruce, fir, red, and white )irch, ash, quantities of very fine tamarack, and upon the north side of 4.he Inland some good sized pine. . i "With the tamarack and pine growing there, and the immense quantities of valuable timber drifted upon the Island from Quebec and Vi ii ai ei bi U| I and in lepth. of ground, jal, and inda, to Lchoragc able to 8 of tbo i&tructcd vessels awrence, L in some ace from re, vhich tttreal, (a ! properly anchors, /^cssels in with the on of the d than in mtion has long con- mt also an , spot, for itrances of )ort of the twenty to Kiver it is itro, where and upon red with a L great part ch become osed to the some of the ly increase )eing some- n Hndcrys- >irch, ash, Jie Inland 1 immense Qu3bec and m other places, after easterly gales, many ships might be biilK every year . Like the vjiluuble meadows for cattle and sheep, which have recently been discovered in Minnesota, in the Far Wi-st, there are here many very fine naturp^ meadows, producing rich grasses, five and six feet high, and in some parts there are alternate ranges of wood and open plain. On the south side of the Island there are several peat bogs of some extent, and some salt marshes, caused by the overflowing of the sea at certain periods* which must tend to fertilize, rather than to impoverish the land; and near the south-west point there are some large salt ponds, which, were labour plentiful there, might be turned to account in the manufacture of salt : a manufacture whieli would become of some value to a great part of our North American fisheries, which, as well as the whole of Canada, are now supplied with salt from England or the United States; and for curing fish and provisions, bay salt, formed from the sea, and from salt ponds, is the most valuable. In consequence of there not having been a sufficient supply of salt upon the Island, an immense quantity of fish, caught at Anticosti on a recent year, had to b-^ thrown away ; and during the following season, the fishermen at Arichat, Cape Breton, were forced to sell mackerel at from sixpence to tenpence a hundred, or to see them rot upon the beach, through not having enough salt to cure them with. This latter circumstance occurred at a time when mackerel was soiling at Boston for nineteen dollars a barrel. Some of the Bahama Islands are retained merely on account of the salt ponds which they contain, and at Ceylon a large revenue is derived from the salt works carried on in that Island. " It is now time to notice these resources belonging to Anticosti, which, being wholly independent of soil and climate, may be turned to immediate account. These resources principally consist of its sea and river fisheries, which, although comparatively neglected by Canada, may be classed among the most valuable fisheries of British North America. " In the recent report published by the New Brunswick Government upon the fisheries of that Province, mention is made of the valuable whale and cod fisheries existing upon the coasts of Anticosti ; and it is stated that the Jersey houses fit rat vessels to carry en the former upon both sides of the Island and up the St. Lawrence at i&r as Bic, some of the whales (hump backs) being seventy feet long, and yielding- eight tons of oil ; while the fishermen of Gasp^ frequently resort to the east ynd of the Island, and take cod in great abundance. " It thus appears, by these authorities, that on every side of Anticosti valuab'e whales abound, the pursuit of which, and seals and cod, it is not improbable, could be carried on in winter as well as in summer, were the attempt to be properly made ; but without a trial, the undertaking may ever remain unjustly condemned as impossible. Should such an attempt be successful, it would not be the first instance of that being accomplished upon trial, which theory, timidity and prejudice had long declartd to be 18 ^ I impracticable. Here again, the experience of our northern fishermen, and of tlie Esquimaux, who fuarUssly encounter all difficulties and dangers of the ice, and of the weathor, and who fish in winter and summer, might be successfully brought to bear. " Of cod, Mr. Corbet, in his statement made to the writer, remarks, that one boat, with two good fislierraen, could take off south west Point, or at Fox Bay, eighteen hundred of these fish in one day ; while Mr. Morrison states that cod, halibut, and a variety of other fish, could be caught all round the Island, and in incalculable quantities ; and that no finer cod is caught on any part of the coast of America, or on the banks of Newfound- land, than is to be met with there. To this may be added the testimony of Captain Fair, R. N., of H. M. ship " Champion," who states that he met a few shallops from the Magdalen Islands, at the east end of Anticosti, where they found cod in great abundance, and of excellent quality. " Of hardly less value than the former is the seal fishery, which could certainly be carried on in the winter as well as in summer, many seals being seen on the ice during the former season, and in the spring, and thousands of them being observed during the summer and autumn, at the entrance of all the bays and rivers, where they remain almost entirely unmolested. To show the value of this fishery in the Gulf, the New Bruns- wick official report, already cited, brings forward an instance of a schooner engaged in it, from Sydney, Cape Breton, having cleared £14,000, within three weeks of her having left that port. Yet at Anticosti, where seals abound more than in most parts of the gulf, this fishery is at present almost neglected ; the Americans and others who resort to its neighbourhood, Heing principally engrossed with the still more profitable cod and mackerel fisheries. For the storing and preservation of seal, whale and cod oil, the temperate degree of heat at Anticosti during the summer, is particularly favourable. " At the present moment, the mackerel fishery is the most lucrative one in the St. Lawrence, and is the most extensively pursued ; mackerei s ell at Boston at an average of nineteen dollars a barrel, and at Halifax and Quebec, for a few dollars less than that sum. No part of the Gulf abounds with this fish more than the neighbourhood of Anticosti. Many schooners visit the coasts of the latter from the United States, the Lower Provinces, and a few from Gasp^, to carry on this fishery, in which they are very successful, and Mr. Corbet states that the mackerel he has seen in July and August come in shoals, so thick, and so close to the shore, that as many as one hundred barrels could be taken in one haul of the net. A few hours work will thus sometimes pay the whole expenses of a schooner during the season. " Herrings, as fine as any in the world, are as plentiful about the Island as mackerel , but fiom the wretched manner in which they are cured, they obtain a much less price in the market, and are, therefore, comparatively neglected by the fishermen. To make this fishery as valuable as the '?! 19 ten, and [igcrs of light be •emarks, Point, or Morrison lUght all er cod is iwfound- imony of le met a iti, where ich could lany seals ring, and in, at the ; entirely ew Bruns- , schooner 30, within here seals ent almost bourhood, mackerel od oil, the articularly lucrative mackerel at Halifax f the Gulf sti. Many the Lower kvhich they has seen in shore, that the net. A a schooner it the Island cured, they mparatively able as the mackerel, a few of tlio Dutcli North sea fislicrmen should be engaged, who would introduce their mode of curing, which lias long obtained for Dutch herrings the liiglicnt price in every market in Europe. By adopting that mode the Scotch fishermen are beginning to compete successfully with the former. " At the entrance of all the rivers and creeks immense quantities of lobsters are thrown up by the sea ; the collection of which, and the pre- serving them on the spot for distimt markets, or sending them fresh in vessels, ccmtaining wells, to our home markets, might render this fishery a very profitable one. Eels are also very numerous and very line, and are often collected by parties of Indians, who come for the purpose, from Mingan, and who obtain a high price for them from the Americans. Some of the halibut, wliich are found oil the coast, attain the weight of three or four hundred pounds. " The caplin, which are now merely used as bait for cod, are so abund- ant around the Island, that they are sometimes thrown up by the sea, and cover the shore to the depth of two feet. Were they properly cured and exported, they would find good markets in Emope, or oil of an excellent quality could be made from them by the sim^, .e process of boiling. " The number of schooners which resort to the shores of Anticosti from the United States, the Lower Provinces, and the Magdalen Islands, in pursuit of the cod and mackerel, is so great that there are sometimes as many as one hundred vessels fishing between the East Point and Fox Bay at one time, all of which are generally very successful. If these fisheries can be so profitable to expcasively fitted out schooners, (of from 40 to 150 tons,) some of which come a distance of fifteen hundred miles, and have to bring every supply, including provisions and salt with them, how much more profitable would they become to parties residing upon the Island, who would have their supplies upon the spot, and who would carry on their operations in boats? How important also to the latter would become the trade which might be created with the former, the supplying them with provisions, often witli fishing gear, and with every description of marine stores ; and how soon would such a trade lead to more extensive transac- tions in regard to the purchase of fish upon the spot, and the disposal of it in the best markets, and to a future trade in West Indian, South American, and Mediterranean produce, obtained in exchange for fish, and being in great demand in Cauadai' It might also lead to the gradual rise, at diftercnt points of the IslanJ, of good sized villages, and ultimately of towns. Many large towns in various parts of the world, which are now places of great wealth, have risen from elements quite as slight as these. " Though all the rivers of Anticosti abound with the finest salmon, few of them are fished to any extent, in consequence of there being but a small number of persons residing upon the Island, and those who come there not being prepared, and nut having the right, to fish in the rivers, which, with sufficient attention and judicious management, might be m made almost as valuable as the best salmon rivers in Scotland, for each of which a rent is obtained of from X5,000 to i;i5,000 sterling per annum. The porpoise fishery, which is successfully conducted at Tadousac (entrance of the Saguenay), could also be carried on at Anticosti at a cons.di-rable profit, the latter being as well situated for the purpose as the former. Each porpoise caught is worth £25, in the leather and oil which it yields, " The hunting upon the Island is of considerable value, though of far less importance than its fisheries. The animals consist of black bears, martens, otters, and the silver grey, the red, the black, and sometimes tin; white fox, all of which are very numerous, and for the skins of which excellent prices are realized in the Quebec market, the silver grey and black fox fetching from £15 to £20 each. There are no snakes or reptiles of any description. Great quantities of ducks, geeee, partridges, and other fowl, resort to the lakes npon the Island, some of which are of a species peculiar to England, and a duck, called the muniac, remains about the shore all the winter. It is probable that the Eider — which frequents the main shore further north — will be found there, in which case Eider-down might be made a profitable export. " With so many other resources, it is of little consequence whether or not Anticosti shall be found to possess valuable minerals. There is no account of its ever having been visited by a geologist ; but iron ore of great richness and quartz arc frequently met with on the Island, and recently some substances have been discovered resembling mineral paints. Plumbago may also exist there, as it has been found among limestone of a similar character to that of the Island in several parts of this continent ; and Mr. McEwan mentions having found freestone there, some of it as fine as water of Ayr stone, and soiue as coarse as grindstone. The fossil- iferous limestone, which exists in great quantities upon the shores in that horizontal strata, is of so fine a grain and color, and so hard, that it is most deservedly classed under tlie head of marble. " Were this marble quarried to any extent, large profits could bo made by disposing of it to builders in the chief towns of the Province, whose wealthy inhabitants are beginning to vie with each other in the beauty of their residences and the style of their living. To Quebec and Montreal it could easily be conveyed as ballast. Being very durable, as well as very beautiful, there is little doubt that were it brought to those cities in any quantities, it would be selected for many public buildings. It has already been used for several lighthouses in the St. Lawrence besides those upon the Island. Both Lieut. Baddeley, R.E., who touclied at several parts of the Island in 1831, and Sir Richard Bonnycastle, R.E., who landed at the entrance of Jupiter River in 1841, speak of the value of this marble. " Having taken passage at Quebec, about the middle of July, in the steamer " Wilmington," which was sent to Anticosti with the object of assisting a ship wrecked the preceding Novcmbjr, about twelve miles '■p^ 21 from EIHk Iky (whidi had rcmiiinod then; cv«!r since, almost unlnjiinul by tho ico or Ktorms of nn unusually sevcro winter), the writer visited that Bay, as well as South-West Point, three times, and was un the south side of tho Island for about three weeks. At Ellis Bay, the steamer ran in, for shelter and firewood, on each oeeasion, and upon the last remained there for three days. She anchored about two miles up the harbour, in three and a half fatiioms at low water, about a mile distant from the shore upon either side, and a mile and a half from the liead of the Bay, which appeared to be, from point to point (Oape Henry to Capo Eagle) from eight to nine miles round. Upon looking out from this position towards the sea, every appearance of the most complete security was presented. This was experienced upon one occasion, when, in a heavy southernly gale, tho steamer ran in from a tremendous sea outside, in which she pitched nearly bowsprit under, and anchored in water almost as smooth as a mill-pond. The same afternoon, a large American schooni-r ran into the Hay for shelter, and anchored m^arly a mile outside of the " Wil- mington," in perfect safety. During the several periods the steamer lay in this harbour, heavy winds were experienced from every quarter, yet she rode through all as calmly as if she had been moored in tho front of Quebec; and in the spot where she was anchored, nothing less than such a hurricane as would cast vessels adrift and sink them either in the harbour of Quebec or in the Liverpool Docks, could affect a vessel there. Mr. Gamache, who resided for tweaty-fi re years at this Bay, informed the writer that the harbour was perfectly secure in all winds and at all periods ; that, besides other vessels, the " Sir llichard Jackson,'' of tabout 600 tons burthen, had twice laid there, for several months each time, and that her Captain had said it was as safe a harbour as any he had ever entered. Mr. Gamache himself built two vessels there of considerable size. A gentleman on board the " Wilmington,' a member of Lloyds', who had come out from England and had chartered the steamer to proceed to the wreck, and who had been three times round the world as captain of an East India Company's ship, declared that he considered the harbour "a most excellent one," so much so, that he should, on his return to England, make it specially known at Lloyds'. Much might be given here in favour of Ellis Bay as a harbour, but the fact of such vessels as the " Sir Richard Jackson " having been repeatedly there in all weathers, without any of them having been cast ashore or having dragged their anchors, should be sufficient. No instance has ever occurrcjd of a craft of any description having dragged her anchors or been injured there in any way ; and Capt Rudolph stated that the " Wilmington " would have ridden just as safely with a single anchor as with two As tho under- writer on board, belonging to Lloyds', remarked, there are many places in England and other countries carrying on a large maritime commerce which have not so deep, so spacious, or so safe a harbour as lOUis Bay. 22 "Tho HliorcK of EilJK l^ay mo genenilly tliickly wooilod with vpruco trooH, of a better j^rowtli tliiin thoHo noiir tho »ea upon tho othor piirtn of tho iHland ; and on tlio higher ground in tho diHtivnco a good niunv hard- wood trci'H woro Hoc'ii of a still larger Hizo. Oiw. of tin; trocs in a birrh ('lump, which tho writer nicasurod, tivo feet from tho ground, was fully flvo foot in circumference, its height appearing to tho oyo to bo almoHt sixty foot. Tho buildings of tho resident arc very prettily placed near ono of thv) three or four lino trout Ktn.'aras, whore ho has several acres cleared and divided by excellent fences, and where ho had giowing, and looking remarkably healthy, every description of vegetables and somo fine timothy grass. Tho potatoes there were looking more advanced than they woro at Quebec when tho steamer left the latter place, a few daya previously. The soil, though not very deep, is very good, consisting of a dark loam, witii sand and gravel below ; and there is little doubt tiiat it could easily pioduce the hardier grains, to ripen which, or even wheat, there must be quite sufticiont heat, tho thermometer, on two occasions during the 'Wilmington's' stay there, being as high as 81° in tho shado and lOf)" in the sun, and at no time going lower than between 50" and GO" during the three weeks tho steamer remained in tho neighborhood. Round tho Bay many beautiful wild flowers were seen ; also the sarsa- parilla plant and the sweet nea. Tho salmon trout in the river, near the resident's house, wore so numerotis that they might almost liave been caught by tho hand, as they moved in shoals upon boinjj disturbed by tho sailors, who attempted to take them with buckets. Quantities woro obtained, and found to bo delicious eating. A number of very fine salmon were also purchased of the resident, whose assistant happened to enter the Bay with fitcy he had just caught in tho Bocscie River, in the course of about an hour ; and several largo lobsters were taken in tho Bay and sent on board. What appeared of extraordinary interest to those on the steamer, was the sight, every day when tho tide was out, of sumo three hundred or four hundred seals sleeping or playing round the Bay. The Bay must be a favorite resort of tlieirs. A great many whales — at least fifty — were also seen between tho Island and Gaspe, and several between the former and Bic, each of which must have been worth from £200 to £400. Both the whale and seal fisheries could be carried on much more conveniently from Ellis Bay than from GasptS, Bic, or from any other place within tho Gulf With this sheltered spot everybody on board was much pleased, from ttio excellency of its harbour, the inviting appearance of tho country round it, and the objects of interest which were met there. "At the South-West Point, where tho steamer could have run close up to tho shore, and been moored to the llat limestone rocks, which form complete natural wharves, tho five or six buildings were so disposed near the magnificent lighthouse as to present quite the appearance of a village. Upon landing, this appearance was heightened, as a number of fine fields. 28 nontly divided by strniKiit foiicos, in which woro growing very luxuriantly many vegotablcH and grasHes, camo in viow, and a horso and four fine cows, all in exccllfint condition, wore Hoen fijcding upon a common c1oh(! by. Added to thcHo indicutiouH ol civilized lif' woro numbers of fowls and several fat pigs. Near to the landing-pluce immense) quantities of mackerel were seen, close under the point. This spot must bo about the bleakest upon the Island, being exposed to the north-west winds, not- witliHtan^8 a species of pea which was found on the beach and in open spaces in the woods ; on the beach, the plant (l:'e the ordinary cultivated field pea) often covered spaces from a quarter of aa acre to an acre in extent ; the stem and the leaf were large, and the pea sufficiently so to be gathered for use ; the straw, when required, is cut and cured for food for cattle and horses during the wint»T. " But little is yet known of the agricultural capabilities of the Island ; the only a^iempts that have been made are at Ellis Bay, S. W. Point and Heath Point. On the 22nd of July, potatoes were well advanced and in healthy condition at Ellis Bay. At S. W. Poini, Mr. Pope had about three acres of potatoes planted in rows three feet apart ; he informed me he expected a yield of six hundred buslicls, and at the time of my arrival on v.l 1:1. »S'3 x9. 5th of August, the plants were in full blossom and covered the ground thoroughly ; judging from the appearance, they seemed the finest patch of potatoes I had ever seen. About half an acre of barley was at the time commencing to ripen ; it stood about four feet high, with strong stalk and well filled ear. I observed oats in an adjoining patch ; these had been late sown, being intended for winter feed for cattle ; their appear- ance indicated a large yield. On the day of my arrival at Heath Point (23rd of August), I accompanied Mr. Julyan about a mile from the light- house to a piece of ground composed of yellowi«h brown loam, which he had cleared in the wood, and planted about the middle of June with potatoes and peas. Of the potatoes he procured a bucketful of good size and quality ; the peas were in blossom, yet a few pods were found to be fit for use. In this patch, I discovered three ears of bald wheat, the seed of which had been among the peas when sown ; they were just getting into blossom, and probably would ripen ; the ear was an average size, and the . traw about three and a-half feet high. " I observed frost only once ; it was on the 18th September, but not sufficiently severe to do injury to growing crops; and I was informed by Mr. Julyan that the lowest temperature of the previous winter was only 7° Fahrenheit below zero. I observed some cattle at S. W. Point belong- ing to Mr. Pope and Mr. Corbet ; they appeared to be in good condition, although they had been left to provide for themselves along the wood openings or along the shore. A horse belonging to Mr. Pope was in equally good condition. " The harbours at Ellis Bay and Fox Bay are comparatively safe in all wjnds ; the former is fully eight miles from West End Lighthouse on the south side ; the latter is fifteen miles from Heath Point on the north side. Ellis Bay is two miles in breadth, with a breadth of deep water of three-fourths of a mile, extending up the Bay a mile and a-half, while the depth of the Bay is two and a-half miles. Fox Bay is smaller, the distance across its mouth is a mile and a-half with half a mile of deep water in the centre, extending up the Bay nine-tenths of a mile, the whole depth of the Bay being one mile and two-tenths. I have been informed that a vessel of five hundred tons has been loaded with a cargo of timber in Ellis Bay. During a heavy wind from the east, while I was at Fox Bay, a schooner ran in for shelter and appeared to be quite safe. Tho streams that are met with along the coast are very numerous. Most of the streams and lakes swarm with the finest brock trout and salmon trout, and large shoals of macl'ierel were almost daily observed all around the Island. Seals were extremely abundant, and but for a few Indir ns who come over from Mingan in July and August, and take a few of them on the north side of the Island, they would be wholly undisturbed. In the bays and more sheltered places round the Island, these creatures are met with by thousands. Several species of whale were observed to be abundant towards the west end of the Island. This must be a favounte 11 I It 1 i 1 :- I' m resort, us they were either seen or heard at irregular intervals day and night. " The wild animals met with on the Island, as far as I am aware, are the common black bear, the red, the black, and the silver fox and the marten. Foxes and martens are very abundant ; the marten was fre- quently beard during the night in the neighbourhood of our camp, and foxes were seen on several occasions. The skin of iie silver grey fox frequently sells for £25 to £30 currency. Mr. Corbet, the lessee of the Island, employs several men to hunt these animals, and I understand he makes some profit by the trade. I heard of no animals of any other description, with the exception of wild fowl ; and I saw no frogs or reptiles of any description, and I was informed by the hunters that there were none. "The substances M for ecoaomio application met with on the Island are building stones, grind-stones, brick-clay, peat and Bhell marl. The only ore observed appeared to be loose pieces of magnetic oxyde of iron ; there is no reason, however, for asserting that long iron ore may not be hereafter found. The peat plain, which extends along the low lands of the south coast from Heath Point to within nine miles of S. W. Point, has a superficies of upwards of one hundred and sixty square miles, with a thickness of peat, as observed on the coast, of from three to ten feet. As far as my know jdge goes, this is the largest peat field in Canada, and the general quality of the material is excellent. "Among the materials of the Island which may be considered of an economic nature, tho^.gh not of a minsral character, sea weed and drift timber may be enumerated. The beneficial effect of sea weed as a manure is too well-known to require mentioning ; but to what distance it would bear carnage for such application is more than I am able to state. On the Island, Mr. Pope (of S. W. Point) makes use of it as a fertilizer for his fields. The quantity of square timber and saw logs which are scat- tered along the .south shore of the Island is very surprising ; the abun- dance appears to be greater towards the east end than the west ; but, according to the cilculation which I have made, if the whole of the logs were placed end to end, th.y would form a line equal to the whole length of the Island, or one hundred and forty miles ; this would give one million of cubio feet." ■•1 = 29 ANTICOSTI ISLAND. EXTRACTS FROM REPORT BY WILLIAM SMITH, Esq., DEPUTY MINISTER OF MARINE, CANADA. The Island which bears the name of the heading of this article lies directly in the south of tho St. Lawrence, between the 49th and 50th degrees of Ifl.titude, nearly the same as that of the north of France and contains an area of 2,460,000 acres of land of the best quality, similar says Sir William Logan, the eminent Canadian geologist, to the fine arable soil of Canada West, and the Genesee County, New York State. It is one-fourth larger in size than Prince Edward Island. It possesses over 300 miles of sea coast, is about 140 miles long, and 35 miles broad in the widest part with an average breadth of twenty-seven and a half miles. When the feudal system became abolished, which bad long prevailed under the French domination of Canada, there being no tenants on the Island, the seigneur, or lord of his manor, became possessed of the whole soil in fee simple, since which time it has been held jointly by a vanety of persons, chief amongst whom are the Forsyth Family. The title to this immense possession seems to have been fully acknowledged by the Parlia ment of Canada, as an act was passed during the last session, (in the spring of 1873,) incori^orating a company to develope the resources of the Island. Anticosti slopes gradually from its elevated northern coast to the grassy savannahs, which skirt the southern shore, and thus, in a great measure, the fertile portions of the country are prevented from the severe winter winds. Its climate is very healthy, and it certainly is not severer than that of the other maritime provinces. The atmosphere is pure and clear, and fr^e from the fogs which are so frequent on and around New- foundland. The winter's cold is considerably tempered by the waters of the Gulf and River St. Lawrence, and the heat of summer is to a certain extent, moderated by the same influence. Vegetation progresses M. i; I 30 there very rapidly, and crops come to perfection in good season. The soil is of good quality, being a rich loam intermixed with limestone ; valu- able forests are to be found on the greater part of the Island, and although the timber generally is not of the largest size, it is of a superior quality, and well adapted for ship-building. The fisheries around the Island, which have been hitherto compara- tively neglected, are valuable and important. Speaking of them, com- mander Lavoie, of " La Canadienne," in his report, in 1870, to the Dominion Government, says : " This Island is beginning to be frequented, and settled by hardy fishermen, tempted by the desire of participating in its rich fisheries, which up to the last few years were, comparatively, unex- plored. * • ♦ • The importance and value of its fisheries have increased along with the number of fishermen. The waters bordering on Anticosti are stocked with the same kinds as are to be met with on the south and north coast of the St. Lawrence." In his report for last year, (1872) Commander Lavoie says, " Large shoals of herrings visit its shores at about the same time they repair to Pleasant Bp.y, Magdalen Islands. A schooner, from Prince Edward Island, caught last spring, with the seine, 1,100 barrels of herrings in one day." He goes on to say : — " The whole coast of Anticosti abounds with fish of all sorts, but harbours are scarce, even for fishing boats . Cod-fish on this coast are all large, and no finer are seen even on the Miscon and Orphan Banks." The number of fishermen frequenting its banks increases every year. Even when cod-fishing was a failure everywhere else in the Gulf, it did not fail at Anticosti. Halibut are so plentiful, that 199 barrels were taken in one day. The seal fishery, which could be carried on here as well in winter as in summer, might be turned to profitable account, large numbers of these animals being visible during the former season, and thousands of them being observed in the summer and autumn at the entrance of almost all the bays and rivers, where they remain comparatively unmolested. Hunting on the Island is of considerable value, though of far less importance than its fisheries. The animals, whose skins are of marketable value, which ate found on the Island, are black bears, which are very abundant, otters, martens, and the silver, grey, red, black, and, sometimes, the white fox. Great quantities of ducks, geese, and other wildfowl resort to the lakes and bays of the Island. There are numerous natural harbours round the coast, which are com- paratively safe in all winds — Ellis Bay and Fox Bay being especially so. The former is distant about eight miles from West End Light-house on the south side, and thu latter is fifteen miles from Heath Point Lighthouse on the north side. Ellis Bay is two miles in breadth, with deep water three-fourths of a mile from shore, but only with from three to four fathoms in shore. Fox Bay is smaller ; the distance across its mouth is only one mile and a half, with deep water in the ceut.e, extending up the 31 bay nine-tenths of a mile, but shoaling near the shores of it ; the whole length of the bay being one mile and two-tenths. Mr. Gamache, who has resided at Ellis Bay for upwards of twenty-five years, states the harbour to be perfectly secure in all winds, and at all periods. A gentleman from England, in 1853, a member of Lloyds, who visited the Island to inspect a vessel which had been wrecked on the coast, declared he considered the harbour *' a-most excellent one," so much so that he should, on his return to England, make it specially known at Lloyd's, and added, further, that there are many places in England, and ^.ther countries, carrying on a large maritime commerce, which have not got so deep, so spacious, or so safe a harbour as Ellis Bay. This gentleman had been three times round the world as captain of an East Indiaman. The excellent position of Anticosti in regard to ships, commerce, &c., is easily seen, when we remember that every vessel must take one or other of the channels formed by the Island, whether having passed from the Atlantic, or intending to pass to the ocean through the Straits of Belle Isle, through the more frequented passage between Newfound- land and Cape Breton, or through the Gut of Canso, or whether running between Quebec and those portions of Canada and of the Maritime Provinces lying on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Vessels taking either of the channels formed by the position of the Island, must pass close to the Island, in consequence of the comparative narrowness of the northern one, and of the strong south-east current which always runs along the southern channel. To avoid this, and the risk of being driven on the rock-bound coast of the south shore of the gulf and river, vessels generally stand out till they make the West Point of Anticosti, close to Ellis Bay. The inner anchorage of this has a depth of from three to four fathoms at low water, with excellent holding ground (gravel and mud) ; the outer portion of the anchorage could be materially improved at a trifling expense, so as to be able to contain in safety, during all winds, almost any number of vessels of the largest size. If docks were constructed at Ellis Bay, with a patent slip, it would be an admirable position ^or the repair of vessels stranded or damaged throughout the Lower St. Lawrence, many of which are now broken up by the sea or dismantled by wreckers before assistance can be obtained from Quebec. For steam-tugs employed for the relief of vessels in distress, this might be made an excellent station ; here, also, a few steamers or gunboats could command the two entrances to the river, or send out from this convenient and central spot cruisers to any part of the Gulf. The establishment of depots of coal at Ellis Bay and, Fox River would be an advantage, the importance of which it would be hard to estimate, coal being easily procurable from Nova Scotia, and laid down at either harbour at a cost not exceeding from $3.. 50 to $4 per ton. Considering the fact that upwards of 2,000 vessels arrive annually from Europe in the season, besides a large fleet of coasting and fishing vessels,, 32 4^,1 ! J J i i i f 1 : * , 1 Is all of which must paga within sight of tho Island, some idea can be formed of the importance to be attached to the position and capabilities of these harbours for commercial purposes. The Company which has been formed for the purpose of colonizing the Island of Anticosti, and for working and developing its resources, propose to lav out town sites at Ellis Bay, Fox Bay, and at the South- west Point, The chief town will be at Ellis Bay, w.^ere the principal place of business will bo established. The beautiful situation of the first of these places, with its bracing sea air, must eventually make it a resort for thousands of pleasure-seekers, since sea-bathing could there be combined with many other summer sports and amusements. The capital of the Company is $2,500,000, divided into 25,000 shares of $100 each. The Island is to be divided into twenty counties, of about 120,000 acres each, subdivided into five townships. It is further proposed to lr,y a submarine telegraph cable to connect the Island with the mainland ; to build saw-mills and grist-mills, establish a bank and a general hospital, churches and schools, and to establish, moreover, live fishing stations, in different parts of the Island, where temporary buildings are to be erected for curing and drying fish. Operations and improvements of such a kind have everywhere had the most beneficial result upon the industry, wealth and general progress of the country in which they were attempted, and with the great resources and favorable geographical position of the Island of Anticosti, there is no reason to doubt that they will be attended there with similar results. Sir William Logan, in his " Geographical Report cff Canada," after referring to deposits of peat, or peat-bogs, in different parts of Canada, says : — ** The most extensive peat deposits in Canada are found in Anticosti, along the low land on the coast of the Island, from Heath Point to within eight or nine miles of South-West Point. The thickness of the peat, as observed on the coast, was from three to ten feet, and it appears to be of an excellent quality. Tho height of this plain may be on an average, fifteen feet above high water mark, and it can be easily drained and worked. Between South-West Point and the West end of the Island there are many peat-bogs, varying in superficies from one hundred to one thousand acres." Near South-West Point there are several larger salt ponds, which if labour was abundant, might be turned to a profitable account in the manufacture of salt ; a manufacture which would become of some value to a great part of our North American fisheries, which, as well as the greater part of Canada, are now supplied with salt from the Bahamas and from England or the United States ; and for curing fish and pro- visions, bay salt, formed from the sea and from salt ponds, is the most raluable. In consequence of there not having been a sufficient supply V 33 of salt upon the Islantl, an iramonsis quantity of fiiih cauj,'!!! at Auticosti, a year or two ago, were rendurt'd uhuIuss. In Commander Lavoie'H Roport for 1872, ho says that geologists and others, who have visited the interior of the Islund, aj,'ree in statinjj that its soil is rich, and that more than one million aures eaii be cultivated with advantage. Clearunces have already been made at (lamaehe, ('KUis Bay, at South- West and at West Point, wliere tlu; vegetables aud grains of the district of Montreal and (Juebec flourish. Stories, however, of the numerous wrecks" that have occurred on the hhore of Anticosti have spred such a terror that, up to 18G1, nobody had thought of settling there. The reefs of flat limestone, extcMiding in some parts to one mile and a quarter from the shore ; the want of anchorage of a grurt portion of the coast, and above all, the frequent fogs, justify this belief, in part, but not in so great a degree as to render reasonable the dread with which they seem to have been regarded, and which can only have arisen from the natural tendency to magnify dangers, of which we have no precise knowledge. Streams of excellent water descend to the sea on every part of the coasts of Anticosti. They are, for the most part, too small to admit boats, becoming rapid immediately within their entrances, and even the largest of them are barred with sand, excepting for short intervals of time, after the spring floods, or after continued heavy rains. There is no doubt that in a very few years there will be a numerous population on the Island, as applications for land are being constantly received by the Anticosti Company, and the survey is being pressed forward with all practicable speed. Had the Island been thrown open for settlement years ago, it would be in a very different position, com- mercially speaking, from what it now is ; but once opened, and found to bo equall}' productive with the Maritime Provinces and I'rince Kdward Island, there is no reason why in a few decades it should not rival the latter. For long neglected and discarded, Anticosti now has a ciiance of prominence, and the C)ominion will hail the advent of another link in her chain, which, though it may never assuTie the title now borne by Prince Edward Lsland, "the gem of the Gulf,' may yet prove as valuable a jewel in the diadem of Confederation. K