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Lea diagrammea auivanta llluatrent la m6thode. by errata led to Bnt ine peiure, apon d 1 2 3 6 32X B] PR NOVA BRITANNIA; OB, BRITISH NORTH AMERICJ^ ITS EXTENT AND EUTURE. A LECTURE. BY ALEXANDER MORRIS, A.M., ADVOCATE, AUTnOB OF A FRIZB-£S8AT 05 CANADA. t4iir _^ ".; jPubUsbfli bS Kcqufst of U)c fBrrcantilc ILibrarg SlaBOciatioit of ^ntti « in * J /. fHonlrcal : PRINTED BY JOHX I.OVELL, AT THE CANADA DIRECTOET OFFICE, BT. iriCnOLAS STREET. 1858. ; ? ,1:-"!:^: I^REFA^OE. In the course of the writer's own investigations as to the matters treated of in this Pamphlet, he felt the need of a brief Treatise, which should present a condensed bird's- eye view of British North America. With the intent of supplying that want, he compiled the facts here sub- mitted as a Lecture. This he has now beeu induced, in compliance with a request to that effect, to publish, in the hope that the result of his inquiriea may prove of lome service in directing attention towards the important subject he treats of. In the historical, topographical, and descriptive portions of the Lecture, the writer has very freely used the statements of Andrews, in his excellent Report to the American Congress on the Trade of the British North American Colonies, and of Haliburton in his " History of Nova Scotia," without further acknow- ledgment than this general one. A list of other works made use of appears elsewhere. With these explanatory observations, the writer commits this pamphlet to the public, in the hope of leading his readers to appreciate more fully their position, as dwellers in a land of much promise, citizens of a country destined yet to assume the proportions of a great and powerful Britannic Nor- thern Empire. He moreover trusts, that, now when the prospect of a Union of the British American Colonies is engaging so much attention, this Lecture may prove of some slight service in urging on that desirable event. Montreal, March, 1858. 'ii m 1 i II ■h y Tho following Lecture was read before the Mercantile Library Association of >rontreal, a» part of its special course, on the 18th of March, 1858. At tho conclusion of tho Lecture, tho Honorable Peter McGill rose, and, addressing the President, stated that he had listened with much satisfaction to tho lecture which had just been delivered. lie believed its wide circulation would be productive of much good ; and ho was sure he uttered the sentiments of ever}' person present when he desired its publication. lie would, therefore, move, *' That Mr. Morris be requested to publish the Lecture in pam- phlet form, under tho auspices of tho Mercantile Library Associa- tion." The Resolution was seconded by James Mitchell, Esq., and adopted by acclamation. The President, T. S. Brown, Esq., then stated that the Associa- tion would be proud to secure for tho Lecture wide publicity. On the suggestion of W. Edmonstone, Esq., three cheers were given for the Queen, and the meeting closed. i I NOVA BEITANNIA. OB THB BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN PROVINCES. In acceding to the kind invitation of this So- ciety to lecture before them, and thus complying with a practise which has become almost one of the institutions of the present age, I have preferred to select for this evening's consid- eration a subject of practical intrrcst. It is impossible, within the brief limits c : a fleeting hour, so to handle a large and comprehensive subject as its importance would merit; but my object will have been attained if by the instru- mentality of this lecture any one is led to make the matter treated of the subject of his after reflection and inquiry. In fact, in this I believe the chief merit of the modern lecture to consist, that tlirough it some topic of importance is 6 treated in a popular style, and presented to the consideration of a general audience, in some of whom the spirit of inquiry may be enkindled, and thus they may be led onward and upward in the pursuit of knowledge and in the acquisition of general information. Impressed, then, with this belief, I invite your attention for a brief space to a consideration of the present condition of the British North American Colonics; and shall, as I close, in- dulge in what some may deem the fanciful dream of an enthusiast, in regard to the future des- tiny of that immense tract of country, which extends from the Atlantic to in fact the Pacific coast, and which is now beginning, nay which already is making, rapid strides towards assuming that position, in the estimation of the European and American world, which its vast extent and its immense resources entitle it to. I believe that too few amongst us are by any means so familiar as we ought to be with the extent, capabdities, and actual position of the Lower Provinces, and the Island dependencies of Newfoundland and Prince Edward's Island. Their geographical position, their actual relations towards us, and the pro- bability of their future closer alliance with Ca- nada, give importance to such considerations, and justify me, a Eritish American by birth, in to- the ic of , and the Dn of your ation ^orth c, in- Iream ; des- vvhich ^acific which liming opean md its lat too liar as 33, and nd the Prince )sition, le pro- th Ca- ns, and in to- night, before this a Colonial audience, dealing with questions deeply affecting the future of a great Colonial erupire. Providence has cast our lot in a land destined to be a great country. It cannot be time mis-spent to consider its pres- ent, to speculate as to its future, or even to imi- tate the example of our good cousins across the Lines and boast a little of our country, our progress, and of our rapid advance in all that constitutes the real greatness of a nation. The subject is indeed an inviting one, thus to trace from infancy the rise and progress of what are now thickly populated Provinces ; and many suggestive thoughts crowd upon the mind as it dwells upon the contemplation. Time will not permit my entering upon many of these ; but I cannot refrain from a passing allusion to the proud position which Britain holds in regard to her Colonial empire. Strange, is it not, how the mixed population of that, according to our Cis-Atlantic ideas, little country, should have so disseminated themselves and built up great countries, — New Britains in all parts of the habi- table globe. The triple cord which binds to- gether the English, Irish, and Scotch into one great people, who yet preserve to a considerable extent their national characteristics, in support of the British Constitution and of civil and religious ll 8 t liberty ,has given to Eritaiii lier immense power and her proud position. Swarms of lior dense popula- tion have been drafted into the Old AVorld and the New. Millions of people acknowledge her sway. Australia and British America, deriving from Bri- tain their religion, tlicir literature, their language, and their national characteristics, rival each other in the magnitude of their resources and in the ra- pidity of their development ; and the impress of the British mind is stamped upon and reproduced, in what are in the lapse of time destined even- tually to be great kindred nations, bound to- gether by the ties of origin and by parental and filial affection. India, too, that great country towards which our sympathies are now so warm- ly turned, — that vast battle-field on which is even now going on the stern contest between light, civilization, and liberty, — the fierce fanaticism and blind hate of the proud Mussulman and the cringing but subtle and cruel Hindoo, — that great country in which the death-struggle of an effete and expiring religion is even now taking place, will still more and more be moulded by the influences of British energy and civilization, and will yet add a brill i ant ornament to the crown which graces the temples of the Queen of Hin- dostan. Aye, and on this continent a young but vi- 9 ■and )ula- ithe way. Bri- lagc; other icra- 3SS of uccd, even- d to- d and >untry ;varni- s even light, tticism rid the — that 5 of an taking by the n, and crown FHin- but vi- gorous nation owes her origin and derives her national features from Old Britain, and, though to some extent temporarily alienated from the Parent State and obscured by internal dis- cords and the dark blot of slavery, will yet, I doubt not, in the evolution of the world's his- tory and the wondrous passing changes of events, be found, with India, Australia, and British Ame- rica, combining with Britain in the defence of great constitutional principles, and in the main- tenance of the world's liberty. But I must revert from this passing allusion to the greatness of that Colonial empire of which we form a part, and which is rising up to national importance under the shade of the old flag, which, in the words of the poet, has " braved a thousand years the battle and the ])rceze,'* to the considera- tion of the British North American Colonial em- pire. And in dealing with the question, it shall be my aim to treat the subject popularly, avoiding statistics except when absolutely required in il- lustration or explanation. Commencing,then,in geographical order,though not strictly so, I shall pass in brief review the Province of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, the Labrador coast, and then the Islands of New- foundland and Prince Edward. New Brunswick will next claim our notice ; and passing on, the 'J 10 neglected Island of Anticosti, — as large, it may be observed, as Prince Edward's Island, — and our own Canada, will be considered. I shall then,, pointing merely to that great undeveloped North- west, to which the Ottawa valley is the natural highway, including the Eed Biver country, the Saskatchewan Territory, New Caledonia, and Vancouver's Island, and, trusting that they will not stand aghast at the thought of such an infliction as an essay on so vast a subject, leave my readers to form their own impression3 of the correctness of those hopes as to our future, which Colonists, whose all and whose destiny are here, are fain to cherish, as in the pride of their hearts they exclaim, " This is iny own, my native land !" ACADIAN HISTOBY. The early history of Nova Scotia, from its dis- covery to its eventual final cession to the British ^t the treaty of Versailles, is a chequered and eventful one ; but our time will not permit our tracing in detail the stirring history of Acadia. The early history of those discoveries which led to the settlement of British America may however be glanced at. To arrive at a toler-? ably correct outline of the result of those event- ful discoveries, it will be well to consider, that, since Southern Oregon and Upper California have been absorbed into the United States, the continent of North America may be divided into four great sections, viz. : The Eussian Territory on the North-west, The British Dominions on the North, The United States in the centre, And on the South, Mexico and Central Ame- rica uniting with South America. " The most remarkable features of both North and South America are the rivers and the mountains, the former for their size and number, and the latter for their size and position, running in an unbro- ken chain from the northern to the southern ex- tremity, having on the east side an immense broadth of country open to the rivers, four of which, the St. Lawrence, the Mississippi, the Amazon, and La Plata, are amongst the largest in the world, and but a narrow strip to the west, wider in the northern than the southern conti- nent." Such is the vast continent developed by the flood-tide of discovery, which, at the end of the 15th century, bore Columbus to the New World. In 1492, Columbus discovered, in the month of October, one of the Bahama Island ; and after- wards the Continent. The success of the Spanish, stimulated the enterprise of the British, U f ■I 12 and in May, 1497, in the reign of Henry YII., John Gabot and his son Sebastian sailed from Bristol in the hope of finding a western passage to India. While pursuing a westerly course, in the hope of reaching the China seas, they saw land on the 24th of June. This they called Prima Vista, and it is believed to have been a part of Nova Scotia or Newfoundland. As Galvanus says that this land was in latitude 45^^, it is ex- tremely probable that the expedition, in coasting, had entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. During this part of their voyage they discovered an Island which they called St. John, now Prince Edward's Island. They then steered south to Plorida. England therefore claimed America by disco- very and possession. The Erench next visited the continent. In 1518 and 1525, parties coasted along the shores from Newfoundland to Elorida. In 1534, Jacques Cartier landed at Bay Chaleurs, and took possession in the name of the King of Erance. In 1579, an attempt was made by the British, under a charter from Queen Elizabeth, to colonize the Western World. The Erench follow- ed them in 1598, under De La Eoche ; but the early attempts were very calamitous, and the hold obtained upon the country was slight. In 1621, James I. granted all the country now Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and Newfoundland, 13 to Sir William Alexander, afterwards Earl of Stirling; and in 1628, Charles I. added an- other grant, including Canada and the chief part of the United States. An order of Ba- ronets was created, each of whom were to receive 16,000 acres of land, and who were to take seizin on the Castle Hill of Edinburgh — ^Nova Scotia being included in the county of that name. In 1629, Britain took possession of Cape Breton, and held all this part of America ; but attaching little importance to it, Charles I., by the treaty of St. Germains, in 1632, resigned to Louis XIII. his right to New France. The progress of set- tlement went on. Cromwell reconquered Nova Scotia, for the third time, in 1654 ; but in 1667 Charles II. relinquished Acadia to France. Time went on, and, in 1710, New England con- quered Nova Scotia, at an expense of £23,000, by an expedition which sailed from Boston. The treaty of Utrecht finally, in 1713, ensued, and all Acadia or Nova Scotia was ceded to Great Britain, and it has since so remained. New Bruns- wick was then included within its limits. In the war of 1745, Cape Breton was conquered by the Provincial troops. It was restored to France in 1749; but it again, in 1758, became the proper- ty of Britain. In 1759, the settlement proper of Nova Scotia may be said to have commenced. \ t u The subjugation of Prince Edward's Island took place in 1761. I pass by, as more familiar to my hearers, the early history, colonization, and set- tlement of Canada; merely remarking, that by the treaty of Versailles,at Paris in 1763,Erance resign- ed all her claims in North America to Britain. Such, then, is a compressed outline of the leading events in the earlier European history of this por- tion of British North America; and it is now time to glance at the position of Nova Scotia and the other Provinces, which were once so undervalued, that on Champlain's return to Prance he found the minds of people divided with regard even to Canada, some thinking it not worth possessing. NOVA SCOTIA. The Province of Nova Scotia now includes Cape Breton, from which it is severed by the Straits of Ganso. Nova Scotia proper, says Andrews, is a long peninsula nearly wedge-shaped, connected at its eastern and broadest extremity with the continent of America by an isthmus only 15 miles wide. This narrow slip of land separates the waters of the Bay of Fundy from those of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The peninsula, 280 miles in length, fronts the Atlantic ocean. The Island of Cape Breton is a singularly formed network of streams and lakes, and it is 15 separated into two parts, with the exception of ail isthmus but 767 yards wide, by the Bras d'Or Lake, an arm of the sea. The most remark- abk feature in the peninsula of Nova Scotia is the numerous indentations along its coasts. A vast and uninterrupted body of water, impelled by the trade-wind from the coast of Africa to the American continent, forms a current along the coast tin it strikes the Nova Scotian shore with great force, and rolls its tremendous tidfes, of 60 or 70 feet in height, up the Bay of Eundy, which bounds Nova Scotia on the north-west. The harbours of Nova Scotia on its Atlantic coast are unparalleled in the world. Between Halifax and 'Gape' Ganso there are 12 ports capable of receiving ships of the line, and 14 others of sufficient depth for merchantmen. The peninsula of Nova Scotia is supposed to con- tain 9,534,196 acres, and, including Gape Bre- ton, 12,000,000. The country is undulating, and abounds with lakes. The scenery is pictu- resque. Nova Scotia is possessed, it is believed, of valuable mineral wealth, including large fields of coal. The development of these riches has however been checked by the fact, that in the year 1826 a charter was granted to the Duke of York, for the term of 60 years, of the mines and minerals of the Province. The lease was assign- f ^ If 16 ed to an English Company, which now holds it. The Province has recently come to an arrange- ment with this company, by which they are con- fined within certain limits. Still, in 184j9, 208,000 chaldrons were shipped to the States. The other minerals which are turned to econo- mic uses, are iron, manganese, gypsum, &c. The western and milder section of Nova Sco- tia is distinguished for its productiveness in fruits. Wheat grows well in the eastern and in the central parts of Nova Scotia. In 1851, 297,157 bushels were raised, of which 186,497 were grown in Sydney, Pictou, Colchester, and Cum- berland, a fact which shows the superiority of that section of tlie Brovince for the growth of wheat, — a pecidiarity which extends along the whole north-eastern shore of New Brunswick to the boundary of Canada. Oats, hay, peas, beans, potatoes, turnips, &c. are raised in large quanti- ties, and butter and cheese are made freely. The character of Nova Scotia for farm stock is good. My hearers may be surprised to learn that Nova Scotia exceeds 14 wheat-growing States and Territories of the Union in the growth of wheat and barley ; and all the States and Ter- ritories in oats, buckwheat, potatoes, hay, butter. The trade of Nova Scotia is large. In 1850 its imports were 5 millions of dollars, and its exports 17 is it. .nge- con- .849, tates. cono- /• Sco- 3S3 in quanti- freely. gtock is :o learn ^-rowing growth nd Ter- , butter. L850 its J exports 3 millions. In its general and fishing trade it employs a large marine, which must prove a fruitful nursery for seamen. In 1851 there were 3228 vessels entered inwards, 3265 out- wards. In 1851 Nova Scotia had a fishinof fleet of 812 vessels, manned by 3G81 men, and the number of boats engaged was 51G1. The total value of its fisheries for 1851 exceeded a million of dollars. The population of tlie Pro- vince was at last census, in that year, 276,117 souls. There were in 1851, 1096 schools and 31,354j scholars. Nova Scotia has reclahned by dykes 40,012 acres of land. Cape Breton too has a large trade, produces large quantities of fish, and there is mined besides a considerable amount of coal. NEWPOUNDLAND Lies on the north-east side of the en- trance to the St. Lawrence, separated from Canada by the Gulf. Its south-west point approaches Cape Ereton within about 46 miles, the Straits of Belle Isle to the north and north- west separate it from the shores of Labrador, the Atlantic washes it on the east. It is triangular in form, broken by bays, creeks, and estuaries. Its cu-cuit is 1000 miles. Its breadth at the wid- est is 300 miles, its extreme length 419. Trom B 18 the sea it has a wild, sterile appearance. It is rugged in character, hills and valleys succeeding each other. It comprises woods, marshes, and barrens ; the woods clothing the sides and sum- mits of the hills, and tlie valleys and low lands. The trees are pine, spruce, fir, larch, and birch. E-ecently in the survey of the Atlantic Tele- graph, pine of most excellent quality was found in the interior of the island. The marshes are not necessarily low or level land, but are often undulated and elevated a considerable height above the sea. They are open tracts covered with moss. The barrens are exposed elevated tracts, covered with scanty vegetation. The most remarkable general feature of the country is the great abundance of lakes, which are found even on the tops of the hills. In fact, it is estimated that one third of the surface of the whole island is covered with fresh- water. The area is 23,040,000 acres. Pishing has employed the population chiefly, and not over 200,000 acres are under cultivation. The climate too is varia- ble, its vicissitudes being great. Spring comes on more slowly than in Canada. Summer is shorter, and the winter a series of storms, winds, rain, and snow. The last rarely remains long on the ground, and the frost is never so intense as in Western Canada. This arises no doubt from its 19 insular position. The population in 1852 was 125,000, of whom 30,000 were directly engaged in the fisheries. In 1845, 9900 boats were engaged in the fisheries. The annual value of the produce of the colony has been estimated at $6,000,000, and the value of the property engaged in the fisheries at §2,500,000. The ex- ports in 1851 were $4801,000, employing 1013 vessels. The imports were $4s*ij5 5,180. New- foundland exported in that year, to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Brazils, to the extent of $1,500,000. The fisheries carried on are cod, the great staple, and the herring, mackerel, sal- mon, whale, and seal fisheries. The principal town of Newfoundland is St. John. It is alleged that a fast steamer could cross from thence to Galway in five days. It is distant from Ireland but 1665 miles. Its geo- graphical position is very important, and its fish- eries are a source of inexhaustible wealth. It carries on a large foreign trade, inclusively of an extensive one with the West Indies. LABRADOR, Of the Labrador coast little is known. It was at one time included in Canada, but was re- annexed to Newfoundland in 1808. It has a sea- coast of over 100 miles, and is frequented during 20 summer by 20,000 persons. This vast country, equal in extent to France, Spain, and Germany, has a resident population of 9000 souls, including the Esquinuuix and the Moravians. The climate is very severe, but the sea on its shores teems with wealth. Seals and salmon are very plenti- ful. The furs are very valuable. The exports from this coast are cod, herring, salmon, seal- skins, cod and seal oil, furs, and feathers. An- drews, from the best data at his command, states that the exports from this coast are of the an- nual value of $2,784,000 ; but they are by some estimated as high as $4,000,000. Its imports are $000,000 per annum. PEINCE EDWABD's ISLAND. I now glance at Prince Edward's Island, which is situated in a deep recess on the western side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is separated from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by the Straits of Northumberland,whicli at the narrowest are only 9 miles wide. The island is crescent- shaped, 130 miles in length, and at its greater breadth 34 miles. The east point is 27 miles from Cape Breton, and 125 miles from Cape Eay, Newfoundland. It is a level country, well adapt- ed for agricultural purposes. Wheat, oats, and barley are the staple products. Its area is 2134 21 square miles. In 1848 tlie population was 62,G78. The climate is neither so cold in winter nor so hot in summer as in Lower Canada. One drawback to the progress of the island has been the holding of the land by non-resident land- lords, who lease the soil. Prom the productive- ness and the other advantages of the soil, it might, says Monro, easily sustain 1,000,000 persons. There are 231 schools in the islandi supported by a tax on real estate, and attended by 9922 pupils. The exports in 1854i were $596,608. In 1851, 621 ships were entered inwards, and 621 outwards. The island is believ- ed to have been discovered by Cabot in 1497. In 1761 it became permanently a territory of Great Britain. NEW BRUNSWICK. I now turn to New Brunswick, which abuts Canada. In 1784 it was erected into a Pro- vince distinct from Nova Scotia. Its length is 190 miles, its breadth 150. It lies nearly in the form of a rectangle, and is bounded on the south-east by the Bay of Pundy and Nova Scotia, on the west by Maine, on the north- west by Canada and the Bay of Chaleurs, on the east by Northumberland Straits and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It contains 32,000 square miles 22 or 22,000,000 of acres, and a population of 210,000 inhabitants. It has a sea-coast of 400 miles, with many harhours. Its staple trades arc sllipbuiidinf,^ the fisheries, and the timber trade. Its great agricultural capabilities are only now beginning to be known. The Commissioners ap- pointed by the Imperial Government to survey the line for the proi)osed railway from Halifax to Quebec, thus speak of New Brunswick in their report, and their testimony is a weighty one : — "Of the climate, noil, and fiapabililies of New T^runswick it is impossible to speak too hi^lily. There is not a country in the worM HO hcautit'iilly wooded and watered. An inspe<'ti img with articles on the subject of this Territory, and has d(jne good service thereby, and, though there is not opportunity here to enter upon 31 the subject at length, yet, while not going so far as those who would paint all that Ter- ritory — some of it bleak and inhospitable enough — as a paradise, I hesitate not to assert, that there are many millions of acres riclily arable and possessed of a climate milder than our own. In proof of this position I will say a word or two as to the Bed River country, in which Lord Sel- kirk's settlement was planted,taking, as recent and reliable authorities the Eev. Jno. Eyerson, 1855, and Bond's Minnesota. The Red River Settle- ment is 700 miles distant from Fort William, on Lake Superior, by the travelled way, but a route of 456 miles can be opened. The Red River rises in Minnesota, and, running northward, discharges into Lake Winnipeg. It is navigable for boats for 150 miles from its mouth. The Assiniboia River rises west of the Red River, and forms a junction with it 55 miles from the mouth of the latter. The English and Scotch settlers extend along both sides of Red River from the Assi- niboia to Lower Tort Garry, 20 miles below. This is far the best post of the settlement. 18 windmills are scattered along the west bank, upon which this lengthy serpentine village is principally situated. Sir George Simpson, in his Overland Journey, says : — 32 " The soil of the Red River is a black mould of considerable depth, which, when first tilled, produces extraordinary crops, — • as much, on some occasions, as 40 returns of wheat, — and even after 20 successive years of cultivation, without the relief of manure or of fallow or of green crop, it still yields from 16 to 25 bushels per acre. The wheat produced is plump and heavy. There are also largo quantities of grain of all kinds, besides beef, mutton, pork, butter, cheese and wool, in abundance." As to the character of this settlement, Eyerson also says : — " The soil is of black mould, and the settlement yields good crops of wheat, barley, oats, pease, and potatoes. The spacious prairies aftbrd pasture in the open season, and furnish abundance of hay for the winter. Over the boundless pastures roam thou- sands of sheep, black cattle, and horses. There is however no export trade in the Colony. The Hudson's Bay Company pay for what they wish tc '^jrsume, and thus afford the only market. The wheat is ground by windmills. There are no sawmills, full- ing-mills, or factories of any kind. A large portion of the settlers are hunters, and the number of buffaloes in the Hudson's Bay Territory is immense. The settlers have many diflSculties to con- tend with." Hear again another authority (whose zealous discharge of his duties led him to visit Prince Eupert's Land) as to the Eed Eiver Settlement. The former Eishop of Montreal, and now of Quebec, in 1844, said : — " The soil, which is alluvial, is beyond example rich and produc- tive, and withal so easily worked, that, although it does not quite come up to the description of the Happy Islands, reddit ubi cererem tellus inarata quot annos, there is an instance, I was assured, of a farm in which the owner, with comparatively light labour in the preparatory processes, had taken a wheat crop out 33 of the same land for 18 successive years, never changing the crop never manuring the land, and never sutfeiing it to lie fallow and that the crop was abundant to the last ; an.l with respect to the pasture and hay, they are to be had ad libitum^ as nature give* them in the open plains. ' These testimonies have lately received the most entire corroboration. Professor Hind, in his Eeport to the Canadian Government of hia visit there, in the summer of last year, fully con- firms all these statements. He describes the valley of the Eed Eiver, and a large portion of the country on its affluent, a3 a " paradise of fertility." He finds it " impossible to speak of it in any other terms than those which may express astonishment and admiration." He states that " the character of the soil cannot be surpassed, and that all kinds of farm produce! common in Canada succeed admirably in the District of the Assiniboia" ; and he declares em- phatically, " that as an agricultural country it will one day rank among the most distinguished." Such, then, is that little colony composed of Scottish Highlanders and their descendants, and of French Canadians, which is even now a peti- tioner at the portals of our Legislature for ad- mission to those inherent rights of free and self government which every Briton inherits as a birth-right, and which the statesmen of Britain have learned — and I doubt not Canadian poll- i ill II 34 ticians have had their share in the inculcation of the lesson — to concede to British subjects in all territories under the sway of the Royal Sceptre. Colonial Government has in our days assumed a new phase. It must, to continental eyes, have been a strange spectacle, as it was in our view a noble one, that was presented, when the assent of the little Colony of Newfoundland was required to give validity to a solemn treaty agreed to between two of the mightiest of European nations; and stranger still, to see that little colony resolute- ly vetoing the arrangement. This result must have grated harshly on the feelings of Imperial Mili- tary France. But it should be viewed by colonists as a convincing proof of the readiness of the Parent State to act justly by her Colonial chil- dren ; and with such a precedent before us, can we doubt as to whether the rights of these Red River colonists will be protected, if properly urged and sustained by Canada. Imperial interests, as weU as Colonial ur- gently demand the opening up of that vast stretch of rich agricultural territory of which the Red River *' holds the key." Apart from the arable areas on the highway between Canada and the Red River, that settlement forms a nucleus round which will gather a dense population scattered over those vast prairies, covered with the 35 rankest luxuriance of vegetation, and holding out to settlers the rich inducements of l,800,00i) acres of arable land and 3,000,000 acres ofj^-razing country. Should such a "paradise of fertiUty" as this remain longer locked up ? Will the gather-' ing of a few peltries compensate for the with-' drawal of such a region from the industry of our race? Assuredly not. The knell of arbitrary rule' has been rung. The day has gone by for the per-' petuation of monopolies. The Baronets of Nova' Scotia would fare but ill in our times, unless moral worth accompanied their rank. Provinces are not so lightly shared and parcelled as they once were. As for our own Province, self-government has been conceded to us, and the largest measure' of political liberty is enjoyed by our people. Wo are left to carve out our own destiny; and I shrewdly suspect that few among us will regard^ with much admiration that ancient and vener- able parchment, which, under the sign-manual of Charles II., by the Grace of God, King of 'England, Scotland, Prance, and Ireland, recites that he, '* being desirous to promote all endea- vours tending to the public good of our people, have of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion given, granted, ratified, and confirmed unto our entirely beloved cousin' PrinceRupert,the Duke of Albemarle,^/ «/., by the i;l M 36 name of the Governor and Company of Adven- turers of England, tradinj^ into Hudson's Bay, the sole trade and eommeree of all those seas, streights, bays, rivers, lakes, creeks, and sounds, in whatsoever latitude they shall lie, within the entrance of tlie streij^hts commonlv called Hudson's Streights ; together with all the lands and territories upon the countries, coasts, and confines of the seas, bays, lakes, rivers, creeks, and sounds aforesaid, that are not already actually possessed by the subjects of any other Christian Prince or State, with the fishing of all sorts of fish, whales, sturgeons, and all other royal fishes in the seas, bays, islets, and rivers within the premises, and the fish therein taken, together with the royalty of the sea upon the coasts within the limits aforesaid, and all mines roval, as well discovered as not discovered, of gold, silver,gems, and precious stones, to be found or discovered within the territories aforesaid." And what think you is the price which this char- ter provides shall be paid for this munificent, * this princely gift, — of, as the Hudson's Bay Com- pany view it, half a continent, — for this compre- hensive donation of everj^thing, but the sky, which overhangs Prince Eupert's Land. Ah, here it is, and very onerous and burdensome this same company of adventurers must have found their 37 vassalage to be : ** yieldinj^ and paying,'* saitli this grave title-deed, with which the onward rusli of settlement is attempted to be stayed, somewhat, it must ho confessed, after the fashion of the celebrated Mrs. Partington, when mop in hand she valiantly endeavoured to sweep out the incur- sion of the angry Atlantic, — " yielding and pay- ing to us, our heirs and successors, for tlie same, two elks and two black beavers" — not yearly, mark you, but magnanimously — "whensoever and as often as we, our heirs and successors, shall happen to enter into the said countries, territories, and regioni hereby granted'* ; and then, by all sorts of right lawyerly phrases, not only " the whole, entire, and only trade and traffic and use and privilege of trading is granted, but also the whole trade to and with all the natives and peo- ple inhabiting, orwhick sliallinhahit, witliin the territories, lands, and coasts aforesaid" ; and all sorts of pains and penalties are threatened against all those who do visit, haunt, frequent, or trade, traffic or adventure into the said countries ; and all such shall, saith the Royal Charles, " incur our Eoyal indignation, and the forfeiture and loss of the goods and merchandize so brought." But time does not permit the dwelling longer on this relic of antiquity. It will suffice to express my confident belief, that Canada has only to ex- ^ press in firm but respectful tones her demands as to that vast territory, and these will be cheer- . fully acceded to by Britain. Those demands should be ripely considered, and so matured as to evince, not a mere grasping thirst of territorial aggrandizement, but a large-spirited and com- prehensive appreciation of the requirements of the country, and a proper sense of the responsibili- ties to be assumed in regard to the well-being of the native and other inhabitants, and the due developement of the resources of the territory. In such a spirit our statesmen will I trust be found acting. The position of our Province too is to be weighed. To a large portion of the Territory we have an indubitable legal claim ; to another portion the Crown of Britain would be entitled : but all that is adapted for settlement should be placed under the jurisdiction of repre- sentative government, and any further extension of the rights of the Company to trade in the more northerly regions should be subjected to the approval or control of Colonial authorities. *rhe subject is not without its difficulties ; but, I doubt not, these can all be satisfactorily overcome; and the interests of the whole Empire imperiously demand tiieir prompt and satisfactory adjustment. 89 VANCOUVEBS ISLAND. But now, to hasten on to tlie end of this our long journey, and, traversing the country stretch- ing towards the Pacific, you will find the climate gradually becoming milder as we approach the ocean. And we have at length reached the Pacific, and Vancouver's Island, a British possession, improvidently leased to the Hudson's Bay Company, but whose lease will expire in 1859, and which is now, it appears, to be com- mitted to a military government. " Th is splendid island," says Nicolay, " is in form long and nar- row; in length about 250 miles, in average breath 50 ; with a surface of upwards of 12,000 square miles. A range of lofty hills extends through its whole length ; and it is perhaps even more fertile, and has more open glades and land fit for cultivation than the Southern Continental shore. Its western side is pierced by deep canals, and it has many excellent harbours. It has beautiful rivers of water ; and clumps and groves of trees are scattered through the level lands. The Hudson's Bay Company have here established a large cattle farm and post called Yictoria. At the northern extremity of the is- land there is a large and excellent field of coal." Iron, copper, and silver, according to Spanish 't ill w iifi jf ( i/il writers, are found there ; and gold, according to more recent accounts. Martin, the apo- logist of the Hudson's Bay Company's regime, testifies to the excellence of the climate of the island, and to its adaptation for the cultivation of wheat and other grains ; and further states, that,— n" .,;,.-* .,:. ,, ., ,./;.;,',.■ >./ .C"', . "The position, resources, and climate of Vancouver's Island eminently adapt it for being the Britain of the Northern Pacific. There is no port between the Straits of Juan de Fuco and San Francisco; it is within a week's sail of California; within double that distance from the Sandwich Islands, with which a thriving trade has already been established ; five days' voyage from Sitka or New Archangel, the head-quarters of the Russian Fur Com- pany's settlements, wheie large supplies of provisions are required, and it is within three weeks' steaming distance of Japan. This commanding position justifies the expectation that Vancouver's Island will become, not only a valuable agricultural settlement, but also a rich commercial entrepot for British trade and industry." IT He also adds, that " whether it be possible to establish regular and rapid communication, via Canada, with the coast of the Pacific, remains to be ascertained" ; and concludes with the remark, that " by whatever means Vancouver's Island be brought within half its present distance of Eng- land, great good cannot fail to accrue to the Colony and to the Parent State." That desirable result is, I trust, not very far distant, and I else- where point out the mode of its attainment. ^ ' 41 iii.f:'! GENERAL RESULTS. Uik And now, my hearers, we have travelled in company from the Atlantic to the Pacific. What think you of your journey, and of those Eri- tannic possessions in which your lot is cast ? Is there not here the germ of a mighty people? Are not these Colonies a fitting appanage to the great Empire under whose protection they are heing developed ? Will they not be, nay I would say are they not now, a brilliant jewel in the crown of our beloved and gracious Sovereign Queen Victoria, who so worthily graces her throne? Eor bring together the gross results of our in- vestigations, and what do we find ? ■ . Istly. That the ^laritime Provinces alone com- prise 86,000 square miles, and, as we may safely assume, are capable of sustaining a population nearly as great as England, — their natural pro- ductions and resources being very similar in kind and amount. They are as large as Holland, Greece, Belgium, Portugal, and Switzerland, all put together. New Brunswick alone is as large as the Kingdom of Sardinia, and Nova Scotia is larger than Switzerland. 2ndly. We have Canada, with her 346,863 square miles of territory, with her great Lakes, — ■ f H 4i2 which alone comprise an extent of space equa to that of Britain and Wales, and larger in volume than the Caspian Sea, — and her railways, canals, agricultural capabilities, rising manufac- tures, and enterprising people. And Brdly. We have the North-west Terri- tory of British America, with, according to Arrowsmith," its 3,060,000 square miles of coun- try, extending from the Pacific Ocean and Vancouver's Island along the parallel of 49' north latitude, near the head of Lake Superior, and thence in an easterly direction to the coast of Labrador and the Atlantic." Place all this in one view, and we find that we can endorse the views of the Hon. Joseph Howe, when he ex- claimed in the Nova Scotian House of Assembly.— " Beneath, around, and behind us, stretching away from the Atlantic to the P.m -; ^-n ■ Such, then, are some of the material projects which lie before us, and which time will develope into life and activity. As our lands become more densely settled, as the tide of population pours in upon us, this our country will increase in wealth, and will steadily develope its resources. Let us hope, then, that it will grow also in those higher moral, social, educational, and other features which mark the real prosperity of a peo- ple ; and while with all the vigor of a new world these noble Provinces are thus advancing, I doubt not some of us may be spared to look back upon what has yet been attained, as but a faint sha- dow of the greatness which lies before this New Britannia. Very lately, too, despite the shock of commercial depression, and the panic in the States, and the suspension of monied institutions there, our young country presented a proud as- pect of stability and self-reliance ; and during the whole shock of commercial credit elsewhere, our Canadian banks continued specie payments, and afforded the requisite accommodation to their customers. In Montreal, we have seen commer- it 55 cial confidence unimpared throughout, and our merchants standing firm as in other times. Viewing, then, these Provinces in all their asH pects, I firmly believe that the day will come, when, in the graphic language of a Canadian writer, Mr. Roche, who feels a patriotic interest in the progress of our country and has done it some service, — "The Upper Provinces of the North-west and the Saslcatt'hewaa country, and the Lower Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward's Island, being joined to Canada, the whole confederated Provinces will ere long eclipse in importance all the othercolonies of Great Britain put together, and become a mightier empire in the West than India has ever been in the East." 3 ill be this as it may, and distant as the event may prove, and even Utopian as some may deem it, I am content to record the views I entertain, resting assured that time as it passes will mature and develope the strength and power of British North America, and enable her sons to care for the interests entrusted to their keeping, and to con- solidate the strength and develope the general resources of their country. •i r J CONCLUDING THOUGHTS. . But long as has been the journey this evening, and vast the territory traversed, I trust that none of my hearers will consider the time ill spent which we have thus together devoted to the con- I I li 66 sideration of the extent and importance of the British North American Provinces ; and I shall therefore, at the risk of repetition, ask you, in the graphic words of Judge Haliburton, "to take your pencils and write down a few facts I will give you, and, when you are alone meditating, y«^5^ chew on ^emP " There are," says he, " 4 millions of square miles of territory in them, whereas all Europe has but 3 millions and some odd hun- dred thousands, and our almighty, everlasting United States still less than that again. Canada alone is equal in size to Great Bri- tain, France, and Prussia. The Maritime Provinces themselves cover a space as large as Holland, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, and Switzerland all put together. The imports for 1863 were between 10 and 11 millions, and the exports and ships sold included be- tween 9 and 10 millions. The increase of population in ten years is in the States 33 per cent., in Canada 68. " Now take these facts and see what an empire is here, surely the best in climate, soil, mineral, and other productions in the world, and peopled by such a race as no other country under heaven can produce. Here, Sir, are the bundle of sticks ; all they want is to be well united." . And that they will be so united in firm and indissoluble alliance, I have no manner of doubt. Already the prospect is engaging the attention of thinking men, and Canada and Acadia have begun to stretch out their hands to each other : the alliance of their hearts and hands will follow. Our neighbours, too, have their eyes upon us, and see the vision of our future distinctly defined. It is well, then, in many points of view, that this 57 subject should be thus early discussed, for it will take time to attain its successful accomplishment. Public opinion has been rapidly maturing with regard to it. A few years ago, the man who ventured to declare himself in favour of such a combination was deemed a visionary, and was in fact in advance of his times. Now, however* politicians, and the leaders of that other power in the state, — a power which makes and unmakes cabinets, — the press, are ready to adopt the pro- posal. This is cheering ; for the more that it is weighed, the more important in every aspect of view will this Union appear. The mere discus- sion of it will do good ; while the actual grap- pling with the practical details of this great na- tional question, will give a breadth and scope to our politics that they now lack. The dealing with the destinies of a future Britannic empire, the shaping its course, the laying its foundations broad and deep, and the erecting thereon a noble and enduring super- structure, are indeed duties that may well evoke the energies of our people, and nerve the arms and give power and enthusiasm to the aspirations of all true patriots. The very magnitude of the in- terests involved, wiU, I doubt not, elevate many amongst us above the demands of mere sec- tionalism, and enable them to evince sufficient If ■fi ill i!S ■ i \ \l ; *i 58 comprehensiveness of mind to deal in the spi- rit of real statesmen with issues so mornentbus, and to originate and develope a national line of commercial and general policy, such as will prove adapted to the wants and exigencies of our position. ' ; : :. V ': J ^ » But having thus directed your attention to mat- ters that concern you all very closely, I shall only add, tliat, while we are thus together conjecturing as to the future of this New Britannia, this rising power on the American Continent, I can- not refrain from a passing allusion to the para- mount necessity of the right developement and formation of the national character of this infant people. Nations, like individuals, have their peculiar characteristics. The British people, so firmly combined and yet so singularly distinct, present in proud pre-eminence a high- toned national character, a fit model for our imitation. Inheriting, as we do, all the charac- teristics of the British people, combining there- with the chivalrous feeling and the impulsiveness of France, and fusing other nationalities which mingle here with these, into one, as I trust, harmonious w^hole, — rendered the more vigorous by our northern position, and enterprising by our situation in this vast country which owns us as its masters, — the British American people ^4.-,- \ > 1 59 •.?r* *w ^ have duties and responsibilities of no light character iin])osed upon them by Providence. Enjoying self-government in political matters, — bringing home, through the municipal system, the art of government, and consequent respect for it, to the whole people, — ^let a high en- sample of national character be kept steadily in view, and let every effort be directed by our statesmen and by our whole people to its formation. A wide-spread dissemination of a sound education, — a steady maintenance of civil and religious liberty, and of freedom of speech and thought, in the possession and enjoyment of all classes of the community, — a becoming na- tional respect and reverence for the behests of the Great Euler of events and the teachings of his Word, — truthfulness and a high-toned com- mercial honour, — unswerving and unfaltering rectitude as a people, in the slrict observance of all the liabilities of the Province towards its creditors, and in all its relations towards all connected with it, — a becoming respect for the powers that be, and a large and liberal appre- ciation of the plain and evident responsibilities of our position, — should be pre-eminent charac- teristics of the British American people ; and so acting, they will not fail to win the respect, as they will command the notice, of the world. 60 i But in all this dc not think that you have no share ; for in the formation of that character there is none so humble that he has not a part to play. Society is a complex whole : all its members are so fitly combined, — each so acts and reacts on the other, — circles of influence are ever so meeting, contending, and extending, that thus the whole derives its characters from the natures and features of its component parts. In this view, then, each individual among us is exercising an influence, more or less widely diffus- ed, upon the society in which we mingle. And a people is, after all, but an aggregation of indivi- dual influences. Let each, then, adopt and firmly act up to high views of the social, moral, and religious duties we owe to ourselves and to society, and so the well-being of .the whole will be pro- moted. ^ . ' And to those young Briti ^h Americans who are within my hearing, I would say : Be no loiterers or laggards by the way. Here, you have a princely heritage before you. Here, steady in- dustry and unflinching integrity will secure the rise of any man. Here, there is no keen com- petition, no overwrought crowding of the mas- ses ; but there is the widest scope for the ex- ercise of every species of calling. And be your position what it may, recollect that your own 61 conduct can dignify and elevate it. You live in a country before which there lies a dazzlingly bril- liant future : be equal to the emergencies of your position, and recollect that you will have some greater or smaller influence in the shaping of its destinies. Be true, then, to yourselves, and you cannot help rising with your country. Take a deeper interest in its affairs, watch the course of events, and be ready to adopt an intelligent opinion on the requirements of daily occurrences. Cherish and promote by all means the spread of a national sentiment. Eamiliarise yourself with all the interests of your country j and henceforth feely if you have never felt before ^ that you have a country of which any people might icell he proud. And now, in conclusion, if anything that I have urged will cause the pure flame of patriot- ism to burn more brightly in the breasts of any of my hearers, I shall feel that this endeavour to contribute my mite towards extending some- what more widely a knowledge of the capabili- ties of British North America, has been amply rewarded. ,y;v' r -' '.;7- :,■ '■> :^1' r^>. \:" ' ■■■> (- «*'.'' fV'^.;'^ ,1 ^nt for the reas'in that lie was addressing n (^anadian audience, who were pw umed to l»e fully ac.«|nainicd with Ihc position of their own eoin.tiy. As however tliis pamphlet may fall into the imnds of many who do not possess a simila' knowledge of ('anada nnd her rcs()uri-es, it hps heen thought advif-aMe to supply, in this Ap| cudijr, ft condensed view of the oeem atul inland navigaiinn and of the great Byntetn of railways of the Province. — features whic h will ensure the maintenance of that stesidy growth and substantial prosper ty which h;is hiiheito marked the onward ct»uiso of thi-i rising Bii'ish Colony. The alvjmce of the populatirm has been very vapid. In 184] that of Western Canada was 4C5,3o7. In 1851 it was <.'52,004, .t an increase of 104 58 per cent. Iti 1831 the population of Lower Canada was oll,U'JO. In 1851 it was 890,02(i, having doubled in twenty yea' s. Or to view the matter in ano her aspect, as showing coMihiiied progiess, i i 1851 the population of United Canada was 1,84'), 265, while in 1857 it was (as ascertained by the Bureau of Ai:ii;ul- ture and S ati^tics, f, om returns from the vaiious municipal ties) 2,571,4:^7, s'lowinj; an increase in five yeais of 720,172. : This nohle British Province, with a healthy limate, vast rosour- * The writer acknowledges the friendly assistance and valuable sug- gestions, which, in the progress of this Lecture through the j rcss, h« has received from the President of the Mercantile Library Association. I 64 'J res, and ample room for the industry of a population of many millions, is now brought within 10 or 11 days' easy sail of Britain by the vessels of the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company, under contract with the Canadian Government for the transport of the mails. The line is composed of four vessels, of about 2000 tons each ; and four others are in course of construction. They leave Liverpool for Quebec and Montreal every second Wednesday during the summer months, commencing 2l8t April, and Quebec for Liverpool every second Saturday, commeneino; 22nd May. After the present year the line will make weekly trips. In winter their American terminus is Portland. The cabin passage from Liverpool to Quebec is from £15 ISs. to £18 18s. sterling, according to accommodation ; steerage, £8 Ss. stg., children in proportion. Freight to Montreal is OOs. stg. per ton mejisurement ; heavy goods as per agreenient. West- ward, from Liverpool to Quebec, the average passage of the Cana- dian line of steamers for 1867 was eleven dajs and one hour, be- ing thirty-eight hours per trip better than the Cunard line to New York, fifty-six hours better than the Collins line to New York, and thirty-six hours better than the Cunard line to Boston. Eastward, from Quebec to Liverpool, the average passage for 1867 was ten days and fifteen hours, being six hours per trip better than the Cunard line from New York, thirty hours better than the Collins lino from New York, and sixteen hours better than the Cunard line from Boston. The difference in time is in part to be accounted for by the short- er distance of the voyage. From Liverpool to New York it is 2980 miles, and to Boston 2823 ; while to Quebec it is only 2583 miles. Besides, it must be borne in mind, that steamers passing by way of the Straits of Belle Isle are only for about 1878 miles upon the rough Atlantic, and have the comparatively smooth, pleasant water of the Gulf and the River St. Lawrence for the remainder of the passage. Montreal, on the River St. Lawrence, ISO miles above Quebec, is the destination or great landing-port of the cce?.n ^♦'^amers, where they meet steamers and other craft of from one to four hundred tons burthen, fitted for the inland navigation of nearly 05 tliirtc(Mi liiiiidroil miles furtliei' wost to Cliicjifro, soulliwcsturly intj Hi« vci'v 'colli r<^ of tlio North Ainciiciiii Coiitirifiit., ciubrju'-inu, a'l oxtoiit of inhiiid \viif(«r cornmniiic.;itioii which is almost tiii- e^|tiall <1 ill Hi<> Wdrhl, jiniigh iIk^ Saiilt Sto. Mai'in (-anal into Lik(( Sii])<'iio;. Montieul, al thti head of o<'ejin navij^Jition, is tlio jiort of tills giv.'it inlainl chain, of vvliich ihu St. Lawicnco (wj^stward fn-in that city) m»ikes 170 miles, Lake Ontario 100, Lake Eric 2r>0, Lake St. Cl ir 'Jo, Lake Huron '270, Lake Michigan ii'20, .•md L:ike Superior 420 miles. This st!Ipondoll^. onursc of navi'jfalioti h H'lfcteM by s veil canal-., in all measuriniij 45 miles in length of excavation, to Jivoid the rapids of ihe St. Lauroiico. Tiiose, with lliLiir loci.s, aio in size and mmner of construction superior to anylhiii};' « • the kiriJ known in the workl ; the locks beinu; of solid lieavy niMsoiiiy 9'i(i feet in len^th^ f'o u 4.5 to 55 feet in width, atid 10 feet deep ov the sills. Lake Ontario is connected with Lake Kric I'v he Wel- land Caiiai, 28 miles in length. By the St. Liwience uiul tlie Welland Canals passage is afford. 'd from the Western Laki-s to the Athiiiiic f>r vessels drawing len feet of water and suited to the capacity of the locks. Sa;lii'g-vessel-< atid stcaiiK^'s leave Montreal daily in no sunmicr moiiihs for the Wcs', .md avail themselves of the St. Lawieiicc Canals to avoid the uipids of thai river, as also do heavily laden vessels tending ea-Lward ; but tiie mail steamers from Kingston, freighted with passengers, n^gularly run down all the rapids with ease, expedition, and safety. In f' ummer months, there is thus an uninterruiited wa'er communication from the tide- waters of the Atlantic Ocean at Quebec (the only j^oit on tlie western shores of the Atlantic n^ vtii of Charleston, it may be remnrk' (1, with the exception o. I'ortlaud, where the "Leviathan " cnnid 'i le in safety and in stately grandeur) to tiie centre of the Anie/icnn contiivnt. Througliout the simmer months, this c mmunicafion is sup- plcm u eu, and in win er is wiiolly supplied and m.iiutaincd, by the (irand Trunk IJailvvay, commencing at St. Thomas, below Quebec, and extending to Stratford, in Upper Canada, in one E fTG liiuv of G.y./ iii.i .-, ■.!!...!, is MiibroktMi «'XceitL l>y -to si:^<>' tlio Sr. ].■ .. i',-ih;i' ai ^\Iihiu\m.. I>iit tiie ."M. LHuronce will slioi'lly he 811.1,1 .cil l)v the Victoria P>ri(li;o, now in nuiid coni'se oF coiisti'iK'tidD. Thi^ n-i-fit, bridge, which may he considered iho ei;hlh \vo:i(h' • of t]]i- wov'd, will bo const.nictc 1 at a eo-t of 11 arlv .■; niillioii ;in ! a half '•(.iiads .-foilino;. It^^ U'ligth will be wi;hin fifty yards uf two English miles. It will be built on 24 picis — ail tile spans being 240 ket, except tlie centre one, which will be 330 feet and be GO feet above high water — and on two long abntnients. The quantity of stone in these piers anridge, wliich wil con'aiu 8000 tons of iron. ■ . , This la bvay is a!>o lo be prolonged westward to Stratford from Sarni.i, a'ld eastward to Trois Pistoles from St. Tliomns, antl will tiien, in hisiv'i'lv of tiie existino' branch from Montreal to Poitland. of 202 miles, comprise an unbroken eoinmunication of i02G miles Th ^i running time by the Txrand Trunk Ivaihyay from Quebec, tlie first 'anding-jioint <'f the ocean sieaincrs, to Montreal, is ^s -^10, 2nd class I^S ; Montreal to <')t:awa, 1st class .i";, 2nd class ^;r!.5Q ; Mo)i1fe;d to Chicago, l>;t class •i'26, 2nd class >?,> 14. Passengers are ticketed through fro\n Biilain lo ( 'ana ia, or to the Western States, by the Canadian steamers and tiie Grand Trunk iiailway. The Ottawa navigation at the City of Ottawa is connected with Like Ontiwio at Kingston by the Kideau Caaal, (•()nst!Uc!e] by t!ie Imperial (jrovcrninenL at a Cv)st of £9(io,00U. ,• A canal has l)e(Ui commence*] at Lake Chats on ,ihe.O:taw;a ; and a snrvev has been made v.-ith a view to rend(,M'inL>'-the"Up]»er Ottawa liiver available f u' navigation, nnd tJiu^' atf<>rdmi>' anoiher onib-t to the jii'odin-ts of the <^':'eat West. It is believed to be quite practicable ti> open up by this route a river and canal navi- gation from Montreal to tlie Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, — II • 67 '/>■ a route, too, to tlie Far West wliicli would bo '700 miles sliortcr tliMii that rouud the Peninsula of Upper, Canada. Aided by several canals, the lower portion of the River Ottawa is navigated by steamboats to the (yity of Ottawa; and thence, with ihree sliort interruptions, to Lcs Joachims, 45 miles above Pembroke and about. 205 miles from Montreal. A railroad to Prescott connects the City of Ottawa, 120 miles from Montreal, with the Grand Trunk Railway. Canada is intersected by a number of railways, established or in course of con.'Jtruction, by which all parts of the Province are or will shortly be opened out. At present, winter communica- tion is secured lo the ocean by a branch of the Grand Trunk Rail- way running from Longueuil (opposite Montreal) to Portland, State of M.iine, 292 miles from Montreal, to which the Canadian line of steamei's runs from November to April. The Quebec branch of the (trand Trank iftail way joins at Ri('hmohd (YO miles from Montre d) the braiu;!) just named. At no distant time the Uritisli North American Provinces will be (;onncc'e I by one giand inter-pi'ovincial railroad running from llalifjix, Mova Scotia, through New Jirunswiik, till it juins the Canadian Grand Tiuiik Railvv;iy ;it Trois Pis^toles, and connects at Montreal with the Victoria Bridge. The da3Moo will como when a grand national chain of railway will thence pass on throuffh Britidi America and link the Atlantic with the Pa 'ific. More th.m tluve thousand miles of Canadian telegraph lines centre at ?\[Miitr('al, and afford communication with all parts of the continent; an 1 ^■'lould the attempt; prove successful to span tliC broad Atlaiiti* , and connect Britain and Britis'.i America and thence the Unilt'd States, with the ocean telegraph, Canadian enerji'v hasabeadv conceived the pi'oject of imitating the example anil laying down by way of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and so acr<:s«i the ocean to Britiin, one of those magic wires of instantaneous inti'lliu'encc, whic-h will link in unison the throhbings of the heai'ts. ot Britain and of Canada. V WORKS CONSULTED OR QUOTED FROM. Andrews's Report on the Colonial Hobbs's Hudson's Bay. and Lake Trade. Fitzgerald ou ditto. Haliburton's History of Nova Scotia. Simpson's Overland Journey. Gesner on New Brunswick. Bond's Minnesota. Monro on the Lower Provinces. Nicolay on British Oregon. Bonnycastle's New Brunswick. Howe's Speech on Nova Scotm. Ryerson or Hudson's Bay. It t m )tia.