EEPOKTS ON THE COUNTIES OF BY Messrs. A. BUIBS H. A. TURBEON and C. E. OAMOURS (Printed by order of tbe lieirlslMtlve Aaaembly) QUEBEC : PRINTED BY CHARLES-FRANgOIS LANGLOIS, riilM'EK TO THE QURRN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJEHTT 1890 ')>: *< V" I To an order of tho LegiHlative Assembly, dated the 11th December, 1890 : / For copies of tho reports of Mr. Arthur Buies, ou the counties of Eimouski, Mataue and Temiscouata. CHS. LANaELIER, Secretary. Skcretaky's Office, ietaky's Office, ) Quebec, nth DiMHsmber, 1890. j -3eaa.Bo-T THE COUNTY OF lilMOUSKI. Honourable H. Mercier, Premier of ihe Province of Quebec. Sir, I havo tho honour to submit, iu this report, the result of an expodition which I have just made iu the interior ol the county of Rimouski, for the purpose of exaiuining- that region from various points of view, and espe- cially with reference to agriculture and colonization. As soon as we leave the banks of the Saint Lawrence and penetrate even to a slight extent into the interior, the first thing that strikes lis is the geological appearauce of the soil. "We find ourselves in a country which appears mountainous, owing to the numerous and capricious upheavals of the soil, a country inter- sected by deep valleys which give it an appearance of infinite irregular, brokt-n and diversified undulations, like that of great waves breaking upon a surface full of precipices and prolonged escarpments. These mountains, which, from a certain distance, seem to be rather high, are but hills, frequently of irregular shape and rounded, regular ridges containing not a single rock but, on the contrary, a soil very rich in fertile ingredients and covered with forests of the kinds of timber w^hich are most in demand. There are many rivers and water-courses which in most instances seem to How at the bottom of abysses for they have had to plough deeply through die soil to find a bed and flow either into the River Saint Lawrence or the rivers into which they fall. There is abundant evidence that the whole of the surrounding soil consists of a thick mass of alluvium, which varies in height and forms, in a great measure, the hills which we see on all sides. We may add that in the numerous depressions of the soil, sometimes even on the sides of the mountains, we find lakes of all sizes and in such nurabi'rs that the observing traveller cannot refrain from asking whence those dei'p and tranquil reservoirs have derived their origin and how thoy have been fed down to oxir day. Lakes <^xist in prolusi' n over the whole continent of North America aiul are csin'cially abundant in our Pr viuce. Alter the iilaeial period which covered the greater portion of the globe and whi<-h lasted for hundreds of claees. th'-ow- ing out on eacli side enoruious masses of earlh, of detritus, ol accumulated organic su1)stanc<'s, which have form-'d the hills and app.irent mounlains AVe now st>e. The soil is conse out by the nature ;in(l ap]ie;nani'e of th(> land. I havt; no hesita- tion in giving it a place in the report which I s<'nd you. leaving to geolo- gists the duty of contradicting or supporting it, according to their respec- tive theories. • The traveller who Avishes to rea(di the r./ar portion of the county of Rimouski and d(>s,'ends in a direction ne'irly parallel to that of the' river, will take the Saint Anaclet road, called after th • parish of that name, situat^fd between Eimouski and Sainte Luce ; he will follow that road as far as the iifth concession of Saint Anaclet, will turn 1o the left and enter the Neigeltv' road, which will lead him to the parish of Saiitt Donat situated immediately in I'ear of thi' i)arish ol' Sainte Lut.'e. During the whole of this journey the road ibllows, with slight devia- tions, the river Neigette, which further on falls into tht' river Metis. Here we find ourselves in the very heart of the hilly and undulating region of which we have- just spoken. The country is so l)rok:'n with moundK and ravines, that one is tempt(^d to ask how mail has lieeu able to p mi elrate, to make roads and settle in it. We find hoiisos situated in thi^ most oxtraordiiinry places possible. Soinc- timos there is not room enouL^'h on thi'. same mound for both the house and 'ts dependencies ; avc (irst see the house on a hill and then th" barn in a ravine belnw, thus discovering one after the other. Th<' countrj' is so brolcn that my driver could not avoid savin u' : " The I'arth dances ln're, Sir, it is one of Nature's quadrilles." Hill succeeds hill, one's whole time is spent in as( and St Octave. It has on one side the Matap 'dia road which goes from Ste Flavio to the Bail! des ('lial-ur.s, and, on the ot h t. the new road whieh has been cut this year thnmgh the forest, which starts from Ste Angele, and follows the River Metis till it reaches the large lake called by thesame name, twenty- one miles further on. Ail around the village are hills rising gently, one above the other, which are calh'd mountains and which can be cultivated to half or three fourths of their height. a* All the laud is remarkably fertile, the grain is long and heavy eared ; the crops of oats and wheat are as fine as the yield of hay is good, and one is quite astonished at such a sight in a place where civilization is sup- posod to have but barely penetrated. But this is an erroneous idea which must at once be dispelled. In our courtry the people of the new s<'ttlemv'nts are generally the most wide-awak(> and the most incined to adopt progressive measures. Not being hampered by routine, by tradition, by the use of old fashioned e methods, by the impedimeuts raised by iutereyted persons who ure preju- diced and easily ahirmed at the idea oi' any improvement or transforma- tion, they set up a new state of alFairs based iipon the new processes of .farming and the recent progress therein. You fear that, at the furthest habitations, you will meet with people who have lost all recollection of their iormer existence or who have always led a solitary and wild life. Yoii imagine that they will be awe- struck ns you approach thom and hardly know how to answer or receive you. Undeceive yourself. The people consist precisely, with but few exceptions, of those who were most active and energetic in the old parishes. Eather than emigrate to the United States, these sftthrs have resolved first to try all they can do in the land of their i'orellithers and they haA'e bravely and hardily penetrated into the heart of the forest. Tliey l)ring with them ncw^ methods and new minds, and we see the settlements tliey h;ive founded prospering much more rapidly than the old ones, endowed as th(>y are with those modern improvements which sini})lii'y and fainlitato agricultural operations. At Ste. Angele there are at least thirty mowers in use, besides other agricultural implemt>nts, and this amongst a popul: ion which, l)arely thirty years ago, Avas entirely without n'sources an.; greatly scattered. At that time the Matapedia road, which h;; < opened up to agricul- ture the whole of the valley ol that name, had not yet been begun as it dates only from i863. At present there are settlements on almost its entire length, and from Sainte Flavie, which at that time was abi,u; the fnrthest inhabited point, to Amqui, tin- last township of Mataiie. there are several parishes b ! ween the Matapedia road and the line of the Inter(;olonial While on the siibject of the Matapedia road, we may say that its construction in certain parts was a very long and arduous undertaking. In some places it has cost as uiUvh as four hu:idvcd dollars an acre owing to the diificnlr nature of the work in consequence of the configuration of th' soil and the olisiacles of all kinds which it presented. At the present day it is a lony- and splendid means of communication and colonization, v.hich has contributed at least as much as the Intercolonial itself towards the openiiig up of this region. Not only w.is the Mataix.dia road, which preceded colonisation, not in existence thirty years ago, but moreover there VTas no road, not even a path, leading from the shore of the Saint Lawrence to the interior. Those who had horse's and vehicles with them were obliged to ferry them aeross uniordable rivers upon planks laid acro.^s two canoes. Thi'y went about at haphazard, selecting land as best they might from what they could judge of it outwardly ; they suttled, without a thought of the hardships and dilficulties of the future, ou the spot they selected far away from all means of communication, from all assistance and, frequently also, without any definite prospect before them. This is how it happens that, even in our day, the explorer who pene- trates to some distance into the forest, sometimes tinds himself unexpected- ly in presence of a rudimentary settlement, commonly called a desert, in the vernacular of the settlers. He asks himself how those who live there manage to exist, to com- municate with other men and to derive some benefit from their labours. Almost, if not all, travelling is done in winter. The settlers drive their scanty produce to the nearest parish on the ice of the rivers ; in winter they go and work in the lumber shanties and this proves the truth of the assertion, which has only of late been made, that far from being natural adversaries, the settler and tht^ lumber merchant work, on the contrary, for their mutual advantage. The settler, being on th.' spot, makes the lumberman's work easier, while reducing his expenses, and the lumber- merchant buys th(> produce which the settler has to sell, pays him for his work and provides for the subsistence of a man whom hardship and discouragement would soon drive away from the soil which he has so arduously cultivated. It is in these clearings lost in the midst of these forests and which would long remain unknown, if the feverish desire which man feels to disperse and acquire, without delay, the whole of his earthly domain, did not lead him to unceasingly piish forward the inhabited or known limits of that domain ; it is in these clearings, I say, that we find the true image of what our country was in its earliest days. AVe find men contending with everything sixrrounding them and we thereby learn, by seeing the details, how nations have originated which later have become highly civilized. Those who, like me, have been able to enter the huts which give shelter to so tnuch patient courage, so much heroic resignation ; those who, like me, have seen what can be done by these unequalled pioneers whom nothing can n^bnlf, whose daily fatigues overpower without discour- aging them, who come into the woods frequently without the most necessary tools, without indispensable articles and who, nevertheless, hew down the forest and find, or rather inv forded in many places, runs through the w^hole village of Ste. Angele and gives it that smiling and picturesque aspect which at once strikes the traveller and reminds him of some of the sites which charmed him most on the banks of the lied River in the norLhern town- ships, behind St. Jerome. The River Metis flows from the large lake of the same name which is, properly speaking, divided into three successive lakes of equal dimen- sions connected by passes or narrows. The first is calh'd Inc Sup^ritur, the second, lac d la Croix and the third, lac d VAnguille. 9 In order to establish communication between Ste. Angele and the interior of the region, the Provincial Government, at the request of Dr Fiset, M. P. and H. E. Monsignor C. Gruay, A. I'., a new apostle of coloni- zation, had a road opened as far as lac il CAnguille, twenty one miles from the village of Ste-Angele, following, as closely as possible, the course of the Kiver Metis. Last summer, in the space of five weeks only, Messrs Corriveau and Elzear Pelk^tier, who were entrusted with the undertaking, succeeded in making seventeen miles of excellent road and had to give up the work from want of funds after having exjiended the sum of ijiiOOJ, whii'h is assuri'dly very slight in comparison with a work of such importance. I went over this road and I found isolated settlements such as those I have already mentioned. Hitherto the pi'0V>le living there could ojily get to kSainte Angele in winter on the ice of the liiver Metis, to take their produex' down and bring back their supplies. Most of them are emi)loyed by the firm of Price Brothers & Co., who carry on lumbering on the river and throughout the adjoining country. Although pine has been pretty well exh.iusted, there still remains a great deal of spruce which the Messrs Price export laru<'ly. About thirty vears ago this section was ravaged by fire and the forests burned leavinu' here and there some i^iant trees vvhosi^ trunks can still be seen along the new road which, with the permission of the Premier, we will call the Fis^a road. These trees are generally black birch and their compaiiious were fine maples, large l)ass-wood trees and elms with wade-spreading branches. They have all disappeared and are replaced by a second growth which, unfortunately, will never have the vigour nor the value of that which precedvd it. We are hardly out of the ibri'st through which we have driven for sevenieini miles over a colonization road, than we experience a great relief. We l)reathe freely as if we had emerged from a tunnel and it is with undisguised i)leasurc that we again see the open country, the long fields with abundant crops and the white houses w^hich appear in the valley. The next day after a good night's rest and a breakfast at which proudly figured the enormous new potatoes from Francois Corriveaxx's lields, and his exoellent-home made bread which was remarkably light and appetizing, we bade a-lieu to the parish of t^ainte Angele and at once commenced a stories of formidable ascents interspersed with almost as perilous descents, in order to reach the next parish of Saint Gabriel over the exctdlent Tache road which was opened some years ago to enable persons to settle in rear of the old seigniories. Unfortunately no sufficient preliminary surveys were made in order to find a good line for this road, so it has been run through a region full of interminable hills, while if it had 10 beeu made a few miles back it would have ruu for the greater portion of its length over level ground offering every possible advantage to coloniza- tion. As it is now, the road can only be used by bits and that it is the reason why it is so often intorrupted between the county of liellechasse, whore it begins, and the county of Rimouski, where it ends. Moreover, in opening this great road in rear ol the seiguiorial concessions, the fact that it should be placed in communication with the parishes on the shore, Avas completely overlooked and this is why a great many settlers who went there full of hope for the future came away discouraged and the road, being no longer kept in order, has in many places been abandoned and lilled with weeds and wild plants. Afror passing several hills, we come almost unexpectedly upon the modi'st village of Saint (ialmel, si^^iate on a larg.' plateau of very good soil, yielding almost every kind of produce grmvn in this Province. Far away, outlined against the sky, wo see tin? sharp peaks oi the Dlue Moun- tains, a detached spur of the Apalachim range. This chain, which is of but little height but whose deep blue shows otit strongly in a clear atmos- phere, produces an elfect which is striking at first sight, but w^hich after- wards becomes familiar and even agreable. Saint Gabriel is a small parish which dates baek twenty-five years at the most. Its first iuhal)itai)t, Pire Piton, lived thi're quite aloue fur four or live j^nirs. In many new settlements we find these strange characters who, from love of solitude or impelled by a resistless desire to precede all olh rs, have managed to exist, to provide for themselves and their young families, in a state of complete isolation. This taste i:^, fortunat;-ly, especially remarkable in confirmed bachelors, the enemies of their race, who are on familiar terms w'ith the beasts of the forest which th(>y, nevertheless, hunt to the death. Until quite recently ther.» lived an old bachelor on the slope of one of th:' steepest hills of St. Gabriel, in a htit separated by deep ravines from the nearest dwellings. He lost courage in the end and the contagious exaini)le of tln^ parishioners of Si Gnl)riel, whose i'amilii's consist, on an avrage, of ten or I welve children, iudueed him to eud'^avour to earn the hundred acre lot offered by the GovernuKMit to model fathi'rs. He, therefore, took a wife which h;)d thi- good eliect, amongst other things, of making him give up his hut and bringing him nearer fiis fellow-settlers. At St. Gabri.'l there are still some log-hoitses, but they are becoming rapidly iranslbrnied and even under ovir eyes. The staple produce con- sist.- of oats which are sold to the lumber merchants. The. farmers who do not obtain sulficieut produce from their farms for th'iir subsistence, work in the shanties themselves or manufacture saw logs which they sell. Those who derive sulficieut sitbsisteuce froiia their 11 farms are very tow. Without the lumbering establishments, living ■would be very hard to obtain in that region. Fortunately some of the farmers can sell their cattle to passing drovers. It is not astonishing, therefore, that in this parish, which is so yoiing and so little advanced that it would require every hand for farming, there is still a comparatively considerable emigration to the United States How can it be otherwise ? Our f 'How- country m<"n are now so numerous in the New England States, especially Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and that they constitute important colonies there, retaining their autonomy, their national character, their distimt physiognomy, their habits and their customs and, moreover, they have their own churches, convents, and hospitals, in a word, another Province of Quebec, transported to the United States, whicli can, in many respects, replace to advantage the Canada of their forefathers. A young girl whom I met on the way and who had come to spend sonic weeks in her native ])lace, which sshe had left when a child and whieh she hiid not scrn for eight'-en years, replied with an expressive shrug of the shoulders to sonic questions which I asked her r.specting repatriation : "Oh yes, th^'re is no danger. I iind it very miserable here. We arc so well oil'ar Fall liiver ; there the Canadians nre at home, they live altogether, they form the wholi; population of a town, La F/in, and never have any troiiblc about getting work. " (La Flin probably means Flint, the luune ol' a small riv^r which runs through the town of Fall Tlivcr). This is how our French Canadians gallicize English names to retaliate for the anglicizing which afflicts us here. I may be permitlcd to insert here some very sensible and very true remarks respecting rc]);)triation made by a man who is a competent judge and who went last year to vi it most of the Canadian centres of Mas- sachusetts and New flampshire : " The French-Canadians an' in a much better position than fifteen years ago. They now form important groups in each town ; they have their churches, couveiitis, advocates, physicians, merchants &c., many of whom are very weallhy. Do not imagine that they will consent to work for rt'patriatiou. On thi' contrary, they do all they can against it and en- deavour to increase their nuuil)ers by inducing their I'rioids to join them. They sc • a;ul undi'rstand that they ar« ffaijiing inlluenc.c and that they will soon be in a positioii to make that influence felt in the House of ivepre- sentativi's. Their yu'iests are also anxious to see them iiicrease in number and iniluence, so thai, whatever may be the jileasure they feel in seeing the Province (j)' Qu»'bec prosper, 1 hey will never do auything for repa- triation. " Nevertheless a good many workmen hope some day to return to Quebec with suilicient cai>ital to settle on a farm. iJut as the majority belong to the poorest, class, it will take some time for them to carry out heir project ; they are not as saving as they were in Canada, there are 12 many temptations to spend money and waji^os are low owing to groat com- petition. " The young men who wer.' horn here and those who came wh'.'U very young and have be»'n brought up ht-ri' will, with very few cxci'j^- tion.s, ncvt'r return lo live in Quebec They are essfMitially Americans and on I' might as well try to induce Ca7uidian,s to return to the farms of old France as to induce th' forin''r to r-'turn to Canada. " The numb T of French Canadians is increasing to an astonishing exteni in New England. Th;'y have immense advantages over other emi- grants. Factory owners invariably give them the preference, their friends here make arrauLn'm -nts for their reception so that when they come, by entire i;iniiU('s, 1 hey lind their lodgings ready and can obtain credit from their fellow-couiitrymen for what they require during the iirst months of house-keeping. They obtain work at oi.ce ; generally there is a place waiting for tlu i:i in tlie factory. Their naiaral increase is as rapid a^ in the rmviiKc of Quebec. There is no decrease whatever as r<'gards fecuu- dity." III. 15 'fore leavinii' Saint Grabriel, let us cast an eye to our right upon the famous Monnt Comis, with an altitude of two thousand and tiiirl y-six feet above th(! l(n"(d of the river and with which are connected many tra- ditions which would be dv'serving of careful scientific investigation ; amongst others liiat shell-lish, skeletons of whales and various fishes have been discovered on it ; but as these bones could not be found again after several attempts of a more or less earnest nature, the reports remain as tradition ])ut, n.'verlheless, as constant tradition. Moiant Comis is situated between Saint Donat and Saint Grabriel. By looking at it attentively one soon observes a kind of dejiri-ssion in its crest. In this depression, between granite flanks, lies a beautiful lake from fifteen t<^ tweutv arpents in lengtli and of unknown depth. There is no known outf-t of this lake, it is supposed that its waters How through subterranean fissures into a second lake which has been found halfway up th ' mountain. The upper lake has no fish in il at all while the lower one abounds in fish. At the foot of Mount Comis, on the south sidi;, there are seven olh"r lakes which the hardiest and most truthful of fisher- men agree upon as lieing the wondrous home of the fiiu'st trout which exist and will evi'r exist in oxir Province. 15 etweini Saint Gabriel and Saint Marcellin, the (^mntry presents a miserable appearance which it would be wrong, however, to attribute to the cji^idity of the soil. Nearly all the dwellings are log-houses ; very few are of squared timber and a great many have been abandoned. They stand with their doors padlocked, their windows boarded up in the midst 13 of fields full of gradually decaying stumps, whtMv thi' primitive vogotation has resumed its sway as soon as man deserted them. The hills continue and succeed each other with veritnble emulation. Far away we see Ihe road ascending still higher and higlier and \\h\ ask ourselves with dismay whether we will eviT ])e al)le to reach those inter- minable heights. We succeed sometimes, but think wc have triivflled sixty miles. We examine the country but nowhere do we see what is called Saint Marcellin. At last, aiti-r passing a rari.sh (^omes oiily at long intervals and in tact did not »!ome here at all in the summer of iJS'.iO. Notwithstiindiiig th(> poverty ol'the i)lace, the inhabitants do not yet seem too dissatisfied with th(>ir late. They work in the shanties, weave their own clotli, keep their houses clean and Avhen. you visit them, their count nances are beaming and cheerl'ul. The <-iiildren have an appear- atice of health and strength Avhich is truly astonishing. 1 saw two, one Iroia four to six yt'iirs of a.ge at the most, relr.iJiiiig from the woodsdriving tliemseiv.s a horse harnessed to a juiir of shafts fastened to a freshly cut log. After a short stay in Mr. Gagne's house, the house par cxcc'hiire of Saint Marcidlin, we drov(^ four miles further on the Tache road m the i'or'st and through high grass reaidiing the horse's chest. We turned to the right and took the road to Saint e l?landine, the second oxitlet from the Tache road, which has (rtily recently been opened and completed this year only. The Tache road continues for ten or twelve miles further in the same condition as before and then it becomes (juite impassabl(\ It was in good condition some years ago, but has been abaudoio'd f-iiice, because it had no outlet. Now, it is prol)able that persons will go I'lid settle ther<' again. The i'orest trees are remarkably tall and llourishing ; lliey are most black and white birch and spruce. The traveller is surprised with the regularity and firmness of the St. Elnndine road cut through the lu'art of the forest and where there is no hi'k of hills, to a distance of a])out lour miles Iroiu the shore. The first six miles of the Ste. IjUindine road ai'e in the woods, then gradually the (/^srr/s appear, become la' ger, increase in number and finally 14 we come into the open country and the first ranges of Ste. Blaudine, a parish situate nine mik's in rear of Rimouski and of very inferior appear- ance when compared with the splendid farms we saw some time before at Ste. Angele. Here ends my report as regards this portion of the interior of the county of Rimouski, I will take the lib,'rty of adding one more word in conclusion and I address it especially to you, whose ever active patriotism promises before long to renew the surfac. of the country and to fulfill its destinies which have long been foreseen, but which have been mauy times delayed. "When we shiill have constructed, between the county of Bellechasse and Lake Temiscouata, a railway which will afterwards bt.' continued to Matane and connect at that point with the Baie des Chaleurs Railway, and when, starting from Gaspe, we shall have built a railway around Graspe- sia, touching at Matane and liually joining the Intercolonial, we will have surrounded the whole lower half of the southern portion of our Province with a collar of iron more precious than all the collars of pearls and dia- monds, which will be the wealth of many and at the same time a great work accomplished by a Grovernmeut alive to the importance of its mission and having the will to accomplish it. I remain. Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) Arthur Buiks. Rimouski. 15th September, 18!t0. TV THE COUNTY OF MATANE. Honour ABTiE H. Mrrcier, Premier of the Prorince of Quebec. Sir, I have tho honour to submit tho following report of a special explo- ration which I have just made in the new county of Matauc, with a view of asctn'taining the (-ondition of that region generally and, at the same timt!, the reasons which justify or rather imperatively necessitate the constru(^tion of a branch of the Intercolonial between a point on the latter line, either at Saint Octave de Metis Station, or its vicinity, and the port of Mataue. I stopped in each of the parishes on the line of the projected branch, I carefully examined tht! localities, consulted everyone who was in a position to give me the best information, such as the cur6s, merchants and intelligent farmers, and I must say that the considerations which arise from th(! prospect of this undertaking, which is apparently only of a secondary character since it is only a branch line of about thirty miles, are so important and so numerous that they require a circumstantial and careful statement instead of a mere summary report, such as that which I am to-day obliged to submit, in order to make you acquainted as ^oon, as possible, with a pressing want. I will therefore content myself with establishing a basis and setting forth the conditions which are essentially inherent to the subject. The projected branch will cross one of the finest regions which is to be found in any part of the world, one of the re ;ions most favoured by Nature, a region, finally, which by means of communications and the developments to which they would give rise, would be one of the most prosperous and most productive of the Province. It is barely thirty five years since this region has been settled and already eight ranges of con- cessions are occMpied, new parish<\s have been formed at four or five leagues from the s(!a-shore in the vicinity of the Intercolonial and the parishi^s first established on the sea-shore, such as Sandy Bay, Riviere Blanche! and Saint Jerome Je Matane, which are now looked upon as old parishes, have increased to degree unheard of for places left ie to tht'ir owu rcsoxircos aud to the natural increase of the population. "When I say " Lett to their owu resources " I only repeat the coaiplaint which I have heard from the r.ur^s and merchants of each parish who speak bitterly of the abandonment in which they have been left, purpo- sely to all ai)pearan(;es, by the tory governments which have governed the Province almost uninterruptedly during the twenty years preceding your accession to powtu', as well as by the local membi-rs who appeared in iheir midst only at election times. The back-country was completely without roads, without even rudi- mentary colonization roads and consequently every developm"nt, every kind of settlement would have become impossible if the. construction of the Intercolonial had not compelled and rendered inevitable the settle- ment of this part of the country. Without communications a country remains like an embryo in its envelo])e. Iloads are like the arteri(\s and veins through which the blood Hows ; withoutjcirculaliou life is impossible; the body becomes inert and paraly- zed. In like manner agriculture without communications languishes and dies, the farmers leave in num1)ers ; not only do they find themselves unable to derive the slightest benefit from their farms but they even lose hope, their lust sup[)ort and .supreme consolation. I have no hesitation in stating that it is owing to the absence or insuificiency of communications and of real, elficient solicitude, diligently and carefully devoted to colonization, that we have suifured for so many years from the ever-increasing evil of emigration. When, as I have just done, one sees the great ravages of that evil in young counties like that of Matane, where everything invites the child to remain on the soil of his forefathers, one remains stupelitd at the contagious want of intelligence and care displayed by the governments which have preceded yours. This is not only the material but also the moral consideration upon which I wish ro insist in the present report. Without active colonization carried on with all the resources at the disposal of the. Provincial Government, our race may bid adieu to the role whieh it may legitimately claim to play in the dt-stinies of the Conleder- ation ; we may bid adieu to the management of our affairs by ourselves, adieu to love of country and to all the strength, the resources and advan- tages which an enlightened patriotism can confer upon us. I was surprised in many places to see the houses abandoned by their inhabitants. Why should there be deserted houses in a country so young and apparently so prosperous ? For, in truth, the farms in Matane are remarkably fine and delight the eye of the trav(dler with their appearance of fertility. It is because, now that the parishes are established, that the • start has been made and each oue has assumed his place, what sulUced twenty or tliirty years ago for the [)iimitive generation, does not suifice 11 for tiu) iiiiw g.MKM'atiou whivjh iiiids itsolf isolated, losL ia ihii mid ji" mod'M'a prog-njss und p;vTalysod iis il wcro, even wli mi Hurrouuded ])y abundiiut. r.'sourc.'s, o\viui>' to t he. a!).si'iic.i' of railways aad oiiiMvs in 'a;is of 'muii-'rative rati's, tht pri'S'Mit population is <;Tadu illy Si'ivi.if-' up a<4'ri'.'Xiltur''. tlio youu^- m mi go away, I'V-ry iiit'iprisi; hm- g'ui dr-s or dios, and parish^'s, which had niad'^ a splnadid start, uow lind I li'uis 'h'l's slop[).'d au'l paralyz 'd without any n'ln 'dy aud y -t wo mu^t ri'ciili'l'r that l.h'S' parish's mi'^'ht b; amongst ih • most populous :'.nd |)r;)(liiriivi' oi' 111 • ProviutH'.. Sfarti]i<4' from Saint Ortavc, the projcott'd ])ranch would, for about tcu md'^. ioliow a liu'- and pcrf'ctly levol i)lateau, sort led for th > mos! part by S':oii-iim.'U. who wt' th'^ lirst to settli' in the s(d'h a romparatividy 1 'vel and easy <^.ountry, aloni>' th- imm-diat;' vicinity of the Saint LawrtMuu.', to Mataiic, passing- throu^'h the thrivinu' villaj^t's of Littl>' M-'tis and Sandy Hay. Th' total distau'" from the probable point of d^'parturo, from the Intercolonial li:ulway. is about thirty miles, in round numb >rs. " All throuL>'li. th ' conntry is exceptionally easy, and a y-ood lino of railw ay can b ■ construetv'd at a moderate cost. The yrading- would be li'jhi and the bridging inconsiderable. ■■ I'h.- land along the whole distance, as far as could be seen from the highway, wa-< g;-!ter;itly good and well (.'uliivated, the crops wdl advancjd and no mountains in the immediate vicinity in sight. ■' The houses are so numerous directly lu'ar the shore that th'-ir removal will b • a source of considerable expenses ; and it is questionable whether it will not be d 'sirable to lix the location on th^- higher i)lateau that exists about half a mile furth -.r back. This can only be determmed by a survey." Mr. Light estimated the cost of the coustructir ^ and putting the l)ranch line in thorough working order at .ipBiS,!)?;!.!)*), including right of way, wire fences, removal of buildings, cuttings, bridges, culverts, sheds and cro.ssiags. II. Alter h'iiviii^' l.ilil'- Metis, wliich is the suiiu.it-i' n-sort of iVoui lill-'cii to ;mli!'^' 11 Iniiiflrtd i)('<)p!,«, whoiiixk tluTc to it joy its niituv.il h.iiuii 's and liie s|)h'ii(i;d cliiual.' ou tli" slunv otlh<' St. Lnwrcuc;', wliieli ai liial point is iiciirly forty mi! s \vid«', W' eomc to the p.iri h nl'Saady Buy nud we lollow the slioi'e without iiileriuplion iis iar ns Ste. I'Vdieiit!, ten miles belo ,, 'M^riiue. ;( louniey oj lolly niih's at least. Those who have not mad liiisf*.' ip jiiav i!ol '-eliM'e me wh ii ! say that il i- iu'it' .^'-ihle lo eoii- ceiV'. a'lVlliili'V ''i: 'V ov !?>ore strikiliL!' ihaii the siierta<'le alloKl'd l)y this loiU'' I! ive on I lie V' ry II. aril i 1' th-' St. l^awreiiee. on a p vi' e;Iy ] vel grav 1 iuad supevio;- in tveiv vesr. '■\ te ihe ]>.',-t ei'maeadaiin;': .il road.-, and wheli nonhl r (piire t!ie nios' iiillinu' reriairs to he kept, in tiie very h-st ordc ■ in I'l.' ^vo^,■.; oi weaih'i's In ^'oiiiu' ov r ihis road o.'i- eaniiot help ibeli.Mi' ura;.iul '■> ['rovidtMice !or liavinu,' oreal.-i] .-o line a evUiiiiiy as ovarci and ;.:.■•■* h^'i'-pj- tiianki'ti! i'or ih' i'aei iiiat iMHUilii'iil Nafur-' u'i\'es us ^i man\ .iil\ a.iilay' s Lo s 'k I'ov a. Ml hen. 'lii by. !■ ..- uiuL •;!> i •' ;y in a u'reai measure (\v.i> to tlio extu-piional (a'.i]iti"s oiler' (1 l)y such a road on t he shore ol'i he Si . La wr"!iee and to t lie extension oi' 1: ' (d'd settlements that til' [)ai'ishe,s V.'.,' liave la ntioiied have he'U Ibiind (i. IjUI. unlbri unalv'ly. ai I lie j)!', siul day ihi>is no lon^-er siiliieieni and unless we eonstiuet beibre long the branch line IVoiu Metis to M; lane and col(>ni:'.alion rrii'dsinto the intt'iior, the I'rovinee run.s ihe risk of seejiio- one (1 iis iiiiesi s. rtions I'all into insignilicaiiee and deea.y. I will iiow qiiot.' the very words olMiev. Mr. U. Monisset. the [laiish prii si ol »Sandy Hay. a rtinarkably intelligent gi'iitlenian and (-.ne who tiike-'j an interest in iveryiiiing ealeuialod to promote the welfare of the country, lie says : " Sandy Hay eontains about two hundred, iiiid eiuhty families. It is an (ss< iitially aiirienituial jtarish. but has no other m-'aiis of ' onnnunii'Uiioji than Ih" shore-roaii and on;' oitwo roads le-ading to the concessions. It is imi)os.>ibh' to inild a wharf here be,au-e we have ueit h.r a nalural ]iort nor a suitable beaeli. \V.' miu-iif pndiialtly urow cereals and Vegetabh's and rai.se cattle, hul we have no uiark.'t lor our produee. '("he nearest raalway station i;; »St. t)etave de Metis, thirt.en mik .s distant, llow eau cattle and she.';) be sold with any p.olir when they hav" to walk so far V They lire on lli- way, are liable to accident I'rom the ieni))eralure or otheiwise. they arrive at ihe station exhausted, run the risk of losing value and in auv c is ■ a whol' day must I) ■ lost in driv- ing them there and other exi>enses iucuired which take away all the prolit, since ilie fanner is oldiged to s '11 the cattle at the same price as the farm- ers of the adjaeiit parishes of Sie. Luce and Ste. Flavie, who have the Interiadonial at hand and sell their (;atth' on the spot or shi[) them by railwav.' 19 The siune lroul)l(' exists I'or tho raniicrs of liivii;ro Bluuehe and Si. .To- roiue (l- Malrtiu', two hir^V! and pupulous parishes whosi^ a^i'ricultural devi'loimnMit is arvi-stcd. The tarmers ol' these three parishes cannot raiso call 1.' because they cannot sidl theia or 1)er;iuse they have to sell llunn ehfup on the si)ot. We liave. therefore. thre>' lari^'e parishes whieli are entirely nnabh' to engage in one oi' Ih-- ni<\sl iuiporhmt hninehes of farming;. 1' is Mow adiiiitl.'d 1> 'yo:id question that the Pro.iu''. of Quebec cairi ii .'iirich ii^'lf by (niltivaiiiej;' v'Oieal-. Oar e;)Ujitry is an agi'i.'uii.ural eouulrv, of eoiir.-e, ])ut ii! its own way ; tli- .-it vial ion must 'oe consiib'red from various points ol" vi 'W. The I'rovinci' of (Quebec is esjveinlly adapted for -lo k-r;ii.-ia^' lud in ihis resi)e(.',;, tlie eountieii of Maiaiie lud Uiini>uski can u!id()ubi'(lly ]).' count'-d auu)iu;'st i.h ■ lirst I Jo iioi know o)' any part of I he eoun'ry, wlvTe die lt.--,!ii ol b h-vcs and ' ir is preciv 'ly of this biiuKdi of I'armia!.;-, which mi^'hl b> so lncr;!'.ive, thai iho inhabitants of the riv-'r-[)arishe,- of the county of IVtatane avi' d 'prived. Fortuualciy i he many strangers wiio si)eud two of the summ t months at Litilc .Metis, allcviaic, th" situaiiou to some ^-xieiit. Tli-'y cousu.ii.! ^'i-.-at (|uaiilities of meat and the tarmiu's of all the neighboriiig parishc.-. take adv anlan' ■ of tliis annual i>'ai lieriuu- fo di-^pos ■ of at least a portion of their produ •:' ; bat thai is not aniarlct. We may at one.( slave that the number of r.'-id.'iii or visiting tranii'-rs who go to Little Metis would be uudoul>t- edly l)c doubled if I iun\' was a, rail way there. 'I'iiey would spr. -ad along i he .v^ea-sliore becw-' m LilileM 'iisan.l }.Iala- ne, would brinir abuiulaiu;(! with t!i in aiul eonlri!/ate to aceruiin e.vtent to arre-.t ih- evil of emiivralioii. To ihnn i>reat imnnjveni 'uis aa'c already due. -^uch as roads, market-gCcrdeiiing, etc. \eveiilieless. lanning has iriude great progress duriiig the past lifte en years. Tli" inha))itauts are mostly adl freed from th • thraldom of routine ; they h-avv' educated themsdves, have ma.de. th.'!nselv(^s famijiar with new methods and agi'icuhural imphnnenls are in us ' ou uoarly every farm. Th'' [>opulaiion is lab.arious and brigii:. aiid i:- only loo d \si- rou> of going aliend provided ii is li'iven the means oi doieg so. At pres mt th.e nuu'ehauts themselves will not buy th.j farm 'I's' produce bociiuse th -y di) not wish to dispone of it or they buy it at their own pric 's. In the same manner thcysdl the farinersthe grain they recpiire at exorbitant i)ri(.'es : whe.it for in-itauv'.; at !:?:12r) [)er bushel of sixty pounds, while 111 Quebec it costs only ^ijl.-i". If they had a railway the farm 'rs would pro.nire th > grain th.-y require, at town prices. The i I'ad > in potatoivs alone would make the pari.^h ofSandy l>ay w.'althy. Well, th w sdl there for only twenty cuits a bushel while they sell at lifty cents, only a few miles away, near the Int« '< oloniiil. This is wliy tins parishis of Sic l-'lavic and St. Luce, which lire 111 iiowiMc iiior*' iavoun-d l)y iSatxiTf than Sandy Bay, do a thriving' hnsiucss by scllinn th' ir produce lor « ash as soon as it is ripe, tluiiiks to llic liiU'rcohiuial which runs tlirouuli ih''ir entire Icno'th. It, is even stated that the parisli of St >. i.u 'c produces ye;irlv som • huudr 'ds of })nslie|s of potato, s ; the same wouls its produci- -when it likes, bec-'v.' it is only S'-vcn iiiiles Iroiii a station on tli' liit"v,M)loiiial c:il',d Sai;.. .Miii .. . I", r arol' Saint ])aiu is . and b -low it in l he rone, ■•■ions bick of Iiivierc lihiU' h th;' soil is splndicl ; but to net th 'vc one has to {lass ovi" liv«' or six ieatrucs of hilly atitj <(iilicult roads. Wlunonce these liiUs ar<' iias^i (1 We . oui upoii a line au'ri'Ultural rce-ion ^vllich sivctchc-. as far as the Ur.i ■ des (Miah'ui's. 'v'V.dy Hay has only h.id a resident priest for ihirtv years. In ^•■•iO the iii,-i nil,'. 1\.>\ . Mr liuiiias, went to reside 1 Ic.re. U that lim.tliere we. otily abou; .si>;ly i)ihal)irants. it is to Air. l)uiuas. to the un(.'e;;.viiii>' eilbrts and the untivinLi' labuurof that Mitive Hiid intelligent pri 'st. that we n\ve the fi . "ii' (la ' lo!) ol the tia.rili of Sandy Day, Ifo-uiri'abI' .\1 r. .1 u.^tic•' Tessii'i^ (old -,ii(' (piite rec.tHlv that hayinii' oc;c;..-lw;;, some forty y ars aijo. to no to Malane, he had to do tlie thirty mil' .-. i>et ween Lit t ie Al''tis ;! nd ]\Iaiane oii horsfliack along the beach and that wh"n h ■ l-'l'l th:- shore he had to "'o by paths barely traced oiit thvoCvii'h th:' \yoofls. At pr.-- iit Sandy l5,iy has seyenleeu hundred com- mxiii e.iits, jioiwiihstaiidiii!^' :)i • disastrous d"iH)pu!ation cau^fd bv the depriliiVi- (d' I'lanv young and even old in Mi ; the psirish oi K'iviere Bla:;.h • lias (oc tiiousaiid four liuiidrcd andtiii.ly si'ven communicants. There is another ihinu' which is of th ■ i>-reatest importance. Tho uor'li shore of th- Saint Lawrence might carry on a very proHtabh' trade in Jr-h with ih' parishes ojthe county oi'Matane if theri> v.'as a raiiway to t;ike th iish oa ii.s arrival and trans})ort it to Quebec in ice. The same miu'hr b ' doiu- for h::llbut which are talcr: in great quantities opposite Sandy Hay and Uiyicr e lilanehe, and this wnuhl be of o-reit assistance to the poorer port ion of the population on both shores. Schooners loaded witli llsh hav • crossiMi from the nortli to Uiyiore Hlaindie and that Hsh was conveyv'ii in ravt.-; and sohl along the vvay a. far as ]vimouski. But such a thiiiu" can only happen once ; there is too mueli risk of the fish spoilinu'. I m iitiou ihi.s lact to show how easy it would 1)' by means of the Matane lirar.ch Railway to establish a li>eal trade between both shores of the river which would also contribute towards retaining a portion of our population in th.' country. At present the Hsh taken ou the north does not come over to the south shore. Ther.- would be nothing to 21 g'jiiii hy il and to,) iu;iiiy ri-^ks \n run. A ( :irni. w^ald iiol 1)' !),'id 'ridtK' iuiiih.'r ir.MJ.' is ciurird uk wlii. li wniilil !).> iu- orcast'd tcii iold ])y ui'aiiis of :i r.rdway which wi'uM roiiv y ii away at uU s.asiiiis wiliioiil any li.-k. At inisi'iit iho,.- (•ii:j,-i;u d ialli.,; ..ado ar.- i.l)iio-,d ,(, liuiii it to a LiTcal rxinil b ■causr- ih 'y ciui diip i h'lr lumber only by Kchouin'is and in iavuiirubif woalhcr. I'hc i»abii(} loss snfil' red and \\w obsiach-s cau;>«'d lo (■oloni/alioii ..ud auri'uluiwd and industrial dv-VidopiU'-nt lhroUL;-h ihi> abs'juv' ol" a vail- ^vay fonnccliny wiiii the Intcrcoloiiiai arc inculcuhdjlc. Un ' niusi -.vo ou the spot to b ' able to a[)jiri'(;ial:(! It and when one s 'cs ii wi'h iii ■ wn eyes, one {'anno! h dp i'eeliliij' coiiji.leiii tlial an eilli^'hleiied (roVei'niil.int wi'l not only ik.i put idl'the carryiii'.;' out ol' such an undeitaking, hu* 'vill alsM proinol.'it wilhall i)ossil)le dili^'ciice iiiul z 'al. In the con e,,,,;^ .sof Maiane, there arc invent quantities ol' cedar, spruce and whiter birch, which arc uiili>;cd to a very limited c.Kteiil with the exeeption, however, ofldrch, which is exported directly from Matane as we will .see lurther on. i'hus we would !iav' on the spot the cedar reiiuifed lor ties on the 'pro; -oted branch and t here would be a ia,r<>'<' trade in mapl' and l)lack buch for iire-\\()od. :i trade wliiidi woubl make the lortunc ol' many people who an- diily altracted to the United States. ()ii tli • other hand many snial! local industries could be easily devel- oped whose a!i-ourous impulse he has Li'iven to his parish that it has made such reniarkal)le j.rnvress in ag ieulture since \it\ has bnm ill eliaru'.-. IJut at present. althoui:ii much remains to b- done, (\very oilbi't will !>■ useless without a railway and one ol' the linest parishes in ill'- I'roviuce will be stopped while in full progress. This can be shown by an example which comes to my mind just as I am about to iinish with Sandy 15. ly. I have alrv'ady spoken of tire potato trade, and I said that the farmers of that place did not even get one half the amount paitl to thi' farmers of municipalities on the line of the I)iter- colonial. Thei'e are also other kinds of [)roduce : oats instead of selling for o5 or 60 c Mit.s, as in town, sold l:)r iJO or 35 cunts only. Rev. Mr. Morris- sette is (!ouipelled to sell the i)ro;?e,eds of his tithes at a very low ligar-^ to the? persons who work in the mills of Matane and Sainte Felicite, so that it is ouly some local industries in the neighborhood which enable the n inhiil)itunts ol Siindy Hay to di^jiosc ol' Ihal portion of their inoduoe wliich cxcrcds tlioir oavu ooiisumplio]! Tht^ ca])!!!'. Jislii'vy o]i tli«' lioacli and lJu> ])rf]tai;itiou < F s^■a-^V'=t'd mia'lit yield n larLje qriaiitily oi' iiiaiuire suilirieiil 1o Irrliliv.c a con- sidi'iablc porlioji ol' ihc couiily oi Mataiio, l)iil wlial is llie nsi" d t.ikini^ any lion])lc ai.oul tliis win n ;ii the pre^oiii nioiuciil there is :; uivat deal oi'produt(> which caiDiot he sold :" L,'! us novr iiroet cd (o IJivieie 111;:,", he. "Wf m/ed noi d\V"ll ai ;;iiy lena'th on ii. si!;rc we Avoiikl h;ivi' titv nearly the same remarks t" i.tako wilhv. r.reiiee !o tin' huui)er Irade, auiTnltural prodncc ii'id rattle raising. We niay ho\v< ver slale Ihal there would Ix- eciisidend-li' trade ii^ hunhev here illln're Wiis a re.ihvav. (hat the lailwav would iii;il ahiiudaiii up- plies and ureal (lu.aiiiilies oi' shiiii^lcs wiaiid he niaiiul'ih hired At ill',' ])ri'si'nt inoineiii a u'ood Inisin^ss is done with thi' la'.: r. c-.n- sidoriiiy ihat the shingles can he shipped only hysehoornr. duriiiL'' i \'''ry short p'-riod ol the year ar.d only to Quebec, whii'h is not at all ;i iii;i ket for that arti'de. C'onscquenllv it is sa<'rilied. II iherr was ii hraiii 'i ol' the Intercolonial passing through KiviGr*' Dlniichv. .--hiiigh s, a dwr . nd firt -wood could be shijiped at any seasfm to all parts o! ^\ nieri'a. and b^ I'ore loiig the trade would be iiicr^ used to three or lour times its v.eiujl volume. At Kiviere Ijlaiiche weluivealso the (juestion ot roads to e<>itsid'r. It is really j)ainlul to see to what extent and how eulpa])ly, 1 might say. this fini' 'parish has been negledi'd in thai respect. ITntii within ih-- past few years, (hci'e AVas but one road h'adiim' to the cone 'ssio;is and ihi.-. was lour miles 1,! low till' church, so tlnit the ])ricst when calh'd u|)on to mini.--ier tolhcsiek. livinu' ai a distance ol' three dr i'our luilv. iii a slrtiight lino from the chui'ch, was obliged to {)r 'ceed io th" only cxi.>tiim' ro;id which I have just !>ieiii ioned, go up tiiat road, then return l)y ib- cMie- 's- sioii roan dir apj); iirs when we i- 'ib'c! that this is one ol'th" r.i my c!ia- raclerislie I'eiiiui'.'s ol' (he inveterate c.",vlessnes-;. (vu;' iiiij.-h; s i y the stuilied neii'ieci. o!' t iie consfM'vative e-ov- I'nmenis in conui^eiion w .' ii ■very- thing allecting •, .ionization and agriculiural p.ogress in th ' I'rovuic ■. Ivoads us. <; to be coiuineiK'ed ill inaiiv i>'!aees, a cevlain numb",- ol' men \vere sd ;i/ work who were ke[>( a! hand as el 'e(oral ins' rii!ie>nts, onls' the (puur . y ol' work wiis liuue whieh was re(|uired to k ''p up the good leeling. and the hojie.s oi'tlie various loeaiities, roads w le Ci>ened at randoiM, inoie by favour, by privil 'ge or from poliiie.d motiv 's liiiM to meet tii'wani.-; o! colonization. The r ;il; wes thai hualities whieh weiv' .)iily ))■ '.>iiuiing ilii'ii' exis(>'nc(-. wk'iidi had \)' ■)i lur 'd by ihe .nost 23 in;it;'iiilic( nt pr(prniscs of ('ol(>;ii>:;iiinii roads (luriii'j;' I'li-ctiop. tiiucs ;md whjrli w;ii!d')ni'(l lo ihcir (uvii rcsourci's, !'.)uii(l tlifin- st'lvi's riipidly dcscvt* d In' lln ir iirst sfil !■ rs orrcduccd lo wjiiL in j>'>vt'rly and scrvitud;' loi' the ooiiipldioii of Llu' luiserahlt' roads (•(uiimoJici'd sonio liiii ' Ix'l'ori'. AVhilc Oil iiii;- sul)j'( I ] i';;unot hiv lui) nm 'h sti'^^^s on nw" iniporlaut jioiiil and llial is that, wiiliour uiod^si !)i'ovi;iri;il r-'SDiirc^'s and llu'im- lH>s-iliilily ill which w-: lind < ui'Si'l v. s id'opt'iiinj;' all th-' nccossarv moans td ( oiiiinnnication. wo nuisl abs(dal.(dy oonllno oursdvo.s lo niakuia' and osp^'cially lo compiiMin'^' a icriai)i numh.vor roads raili'rtha ; cfjiuiu 'injo a jir. atl.'i:'d roads, at leas,, aro olii-;' whcro il)>'y ar^' .iiadtv whih' ooinnii'noi'inonis ol'roadfi arc nsi'n .-s cvi ry wlnrt' and (K)notliinL; hut causi' (lis onii'iit atnonu,'.4 the popu- lati;iii oi' till' ih'wly sollL'd i):uis oi' lii,' ooviiilry. III. AV(> hav' now roardiod Malano, oiu^ ol'lli^ niosl roninrkahh- phu'.-s iu Provincv- and cTtainly ono oj' ihosp wlioso ruturo is ihc most promising and assured. Th travdh-r, on ariivinii al Ma.ian^', ini .djscrving- its port, ih- rirt'V wdiich Talis iiuo it. i h' nuuh ruus and cxi'Misivi' l)uildin<.>'s iii the village <»r liiihor ihc small lowii, thi' iarii'i' stores. Iho saw mills, the anitu itiou whieh pit'vails every whv're. the enormous piles of deals on tho wharves reailv lo 1) ' lraiisi:or.ed in liii'hteis to th ■ sliij)-- anrhored iu the oiling, on obs ivinii', i sav. this spei I :iele to whiidi lie has l);('n uiiacuslonK'd since he Itdl the iiiige aiul poj)iilou,-. eeni res. h.' asks hims'dt how il liapi>'ns (hat such a place should still 1) ' so iar IVom railway eommunie;itiou a'ul his mind natural iv reverts io the I'roviiu- ■;; oi Ontario. Nova Scotia atid Xwv lirunswiek, where many pla>'. s, \vhiw provid hI with hraiiidi lin; s putlinii' them in eomuiiinieatiou with rh • [irineipal cities and lind t hei r p. ipiihition iiicveasinu' to such an extent as to make lh''in towns ol'th' third or lourih ordej'. We .se(> l)-|'ore us an imi) >i'l;'. n; t'twn en' the i'uiure. .lav'.ques Ciuiier, on his third voyau'c to Canada, ha'm:irk 'd and esi>eciaily m 'Utioned the port ol Matau.'. Alt'rwards l'a[>U)iii Ivtyli dd. w!ioto,!<^ ^oundii.'i'; in all the \\ alers o! til,' St Lawrence and who eompil'd cliarls which have since l)e(Mi US'd by all na\ iu'ators, slated thai on the south shore there werv' only two sea-poits. at Matau ' and al Die; th' iaiter i-. dn'adi'd by seam ii bec;ins • in ten and lilieen lalhoms ot waUr lU're are tuiormous bcuiMeis which arc a soun'C oi' great danuer, while there ,'xists ut)thing of the kind at Mataiie. 24 Tt is true th:it IhiTc is another place, Mont Louis, mueh further down on thi' Gaspe coast, but the mere siuht of this jwrt to which the Shiek- sh;)ek chain runs down in forniidabh' rapes and promontories is sulheient to v-p:l the hardiest seamen. Therefore, only the port of Matanor(in:'.ins. OiMii a ehan ai-d you will at onee observe that the naturid route of .hips coming up iVon) iheClulf and wiH(Oi invariably steeribr Poiul -des-Mouts is from (he latter point to Matane. lu 1ST8. the Melveiudt' Govt-riimenl und'^rieok ih.' eoii ^Lueiiuii oi an imm''ns"je!ly wiiieh would havi' made a reiiiark.'ible jxjil of Mat;ii:', a po:. ol siieileV \vh(>r«> vessel.-, could put in ami obtai!-. supplies, a port lor riv'- and ocean trade whi(di -wcuild have s"rved lor the whole oi'lhe Lower 8i i/awrence a.nd the immense jieniusula of (vasp"sia. lT)ilorluiia,iidy this undertakir.ii' was not carried out, after nearly l"U! hundred feet td the jetty had been Imilt, as, on the fall of the McKcJi^'iieGovernmeiil, Ih*' w'ork was discontinued, no one knows why. The current of ihe Malaue river is very swifl. It eariies down with it groat quantitich of sand whicdi it heaps up at the mouth (d'ihe river so aslo form a l)ar. A little insidi> the l)ar thv; Messrs Price have bmit a •whari for ship-ping their deals to the vessels at anchor, ileiween this wharl' and th' jetty there is a space of ;d)0ut eight hundred lert wiuch would have to be lilled up to unite the two wharv(>s, so that the cnrrent, confined betwecni the shore on one side and the jetty on the other, without a br ak, would be rendered still more vapid and carry the sand much further out, or it would so scatter it that the bar would b ■ formed at a greater distance and in deeper water. TheFedeial (loveriiment has recently sent two eiigiueiU's on the Spot to useoriain \vh -ther the interruj^ted work should b.' resumfd. It is inl iid.'d. it is said, to add one hundred and fifty f 'et to the lirst section of I'! ' jetty but this cannot l)e produetiv*- (d'any kistiug result or ehaugo th i)rs;>nt state ol thini-'.-; to any extent. If th," Matane River were uti- lix. d as it might be, if the country w re developed on a large scaL', it would otirr unique advantages li is the only om' whicdi alfords a passau'c through the Shiad or in time budd a railway from Matane totlnr Haie des ChaLurs. Moreover, by means of this : ,-er and the chain of lakes to which it givv's a<'ce.ss, one can gv) as fai us CJaspe l?ay itsss to enter into details. L'a Hy niciiiis of a branch line (^oinuMMinu- llic Iiilercolonial with th • port ot Mataiif, \vi' would ur/atly di-'Vi'lop rivi'r naviu'atiou, decn'ase thr di.s- taurc- which scpiirat":-, this port iVoia th:- u'r. at centres and give 'o the wlioi;- rcii'ioii ol' (Jaspcsia, and I'Vcn the norlli shore of 1 lie Saint Law- re. ic;- an i;idii.sti'ial and agricultural dtsvelopnient hitherto unknown. AVe might also, and with reason, make Matano a i)ort for shipping cattle to Etirope. For thai jnirpose. exiensive pastures could be oi)laintHl in the U' ighborhood where the cattle could n-main some days and 1) ' slupp.'.d to Europe (lU!!' rri'ect health. i<"inally. th.inks to t I.e i)ni>roveuii'nls made to its port, Matine would b"'<)iiie a sh/ppiiiLi' ]!iac ■ where transatlantic steamers would take or leave th.' mails, auu as Mai ii'' is si.vlv miles i'rom Riuiou; ki. tlieri^ would beu'ain ol'threi' or lour houivs in seiidinu' and reciviug the mails. All tlie capiiiins of Ocean steamers who anchor oIl'Matane. are unanimous in saying thai, the (xmslructioi. ol'a i)rancli railway leading 'o it would bring ab.Mit the making ot'a harbour, the proloiieation of naA'iii'ation to ;h > moeth ot' De- ee:;ib"r and its oj)eniiig bei'ore the "ud of March. At Matr.ne lh"re are, besides the sa\\-niills and mills lor cut tiny- spools* wiiich are .>-lii[)ped direct to Europe, someother industries, such as l.-.niie- ri 's. a spinr.ing mill, (S:;i'., to whi<'h tlie eonstruotion of a railway would give a ureal imjietiis. Apart from these considerations, there is anolh-r which is also ofgreat importance ; 1 mean Matane as a wat ring-place. Every .snmnier there WMiild be sure to be a ureal inllux ol' visit(n's. as the place p;is«esses overy aliraetion o;; > can imagine and all the advantages r '(juir''d even for a lengthened si ly, bathing, iishing, driving, boaiing on the Saint Lawveiiee or on the Matain', in a word ovei'ything lalculaled to attract and k ep the people from the cities. This is asstiredly no! a consideration to be overlooked, even as regards only the proHts which the projei.'tcd branch line would derive therefrom, besides ih. fact (hat the aeconiplishmi'nt of v.diat 1 luive just men- tioned in deiail would no; (uily impart new life a::d an extraordinary deV'doi)ment to I he whole of that section oi' tl;e country, but would also eontribiil" alxive all to keep our p;'oi)le with us, vvhieh is thi' lirst object We have in view. At pres ni, although ther.' is still too much emigration from M .taue, there is less to complain of therr^ than in other parts of the county, b 'cause foi'tunat' ly there are local industries there which keep a good nuiny p 'ople employed and if, nevertheless, far too many still leave, about an equal uiimber return and the evil is fought step by steji. The chief industry of Mataue is lumbering and thi' timber consists principally of cedar, spruce and white birch. Of thj latter spools are made, which arc shipped direct to Europe. 26 There nv two .:)ills ut Mulau.' tor thiit iinrpose. There avo others, ten mil's lower down, ;it .Ste, Kelieite ; tnri ^l^ill, and :is i';ir as Sto. Aiiiie d. ;■. .M(,iiis. Messrs l.'ussidl &. Co,, uii. ^\ n one ol' the two luilh, at Miitaue ail'! Sie. leli.'iiH, h; ve otlj.'rs ai Cuu a la Haleiii.., Sam's Cr.-ek and Cap Cliiii : Mr. Ch. lies Uiti laud Ii.-s lu.lis at . "a!)Ufiiis. :\IartMi liiver and Ste. .-\i)ih (Irs Mom., where Mr. Theodore I.nmonlau'iie alsohassoiue. '1 he hirrh IS '.;ti; out ol'lhe woods iii ill ' wiuter ;i.id >iuvii in th" sp^'iii^r. I'or. wiiei) ()-,•.. the -non;!) olJuly i; j>iss,d, it '• ;^ours '' us lli-y sev ill Mmaue. ihe ends (ur ))lu(> and i'; d-t.-riorates <;:'eat.ly in v.du ■ TIht foro It can only h' exiio.ied --arly, i'l ih- al)sene' o! a. railwav., or it must bo s]i'op..d oarly in .sehooneis, \vliieh is aliou-eiiier iii-^unirii-nl. The Messrs I'ri> e mannlaeture a eo!i--id-v;;i,i,. (juaiilily ■'' -i>ruee d"al.s for exportation ; til-o a uood denl ol' cdiir and a comp'.ir ; ^ ivelv small qie .111! y of ])ini'. ( edar is the iiudjer rhielly di'all in by the uj. eiiaiiis ol Mataiie. Mr. Jo,- ph L'Vasseur. o^,' ol'the mereliants of the b st siandiu'. ni tln^ pi.u;t> told mi.' tlial is.si year h<> had nmd ' s^veu Jmndred (L.Tlars Wf.rlhand that the otln'v m.-ivhants had nnido about as niu.-h. Ihit thi ti\i;:', .r has io be shi,,,,.(1 in .schooners which is one olthe >• aso-is why tliis ;r. de (h>e> not dev lop a> il is a source ol d 'lay and dei-riora! e.s ihe" vdiie of l he an i.'le. About th ' middl' ol'sunuu r, it s.m.'rime- ha].pe!)s tha: there is a fali in the market an.d one haiiol'ilic manu.ad u!' .1 ce.lir ivi.iain-; on the hands oi' the uiorclitnits niilil the followinu' spring;', altei' haviim- lo.>l a good deal ol'iis value from expo.-ure t(. th' weather ami olh-r causes. U :.s eal.'UJated thai la^t wi nier about, l-jrj,()On I'eet ofeedar wer • eat for ;(i ■ lociii tiieie and IVoui touv to live millions I'e't ol bir-h I'or expor- tatn;;i. If iheie was a railway there wuid b- a! leas! ilir. timi-s the cjuaiititv of cedar cuf. At pv,.,s,.),i, the M.itaiie merehants. wiiodoaeom- para.nvely ..'.icd busim-v, bui \v]io. a ft-r all, are no: Miibioniiaires. are obh^'ed to mak" h"avy advane; s of provisioiLs and mal'ri.,!s io ih^ men who work-in I h" shanties ii; the autumn and winter, and ihen have to wait uiitii the foilowiiiLi- Slimmer 1), lore ihev are repaid, i'is iherefove qnii' evident that if ihey could .shij) their ced.ir in wiiit'-r, or sell ii on th( spoi, ihev would do very mueh belt r. Th.. Malaiie m-r-wants al -o gvt oui . H'reat deal of,~.(juar .spruee. forty i'eet ,i v r,; -v. whieh they shiifto Quebec, in schooners. 'I lie spiuce must be soil op in iji,. s;>viu"o-^ olluT- wise it loses valu" like thecccbir. The sanf mav be s,r"' of 'shin.-.rhvs w^li:;'ii miuhi b' -xix.rl'd in unlimiled <|uantines ; ' btil ihe\ hav to wait luit.I summer a)id then the traib' is v ry limited as there 'sr • only four sdiooii. rs at Malaiie suitable for eanyinti- timber, to say iii>iiiinu- <"'! the obstach's and d(days caused by a bad' season and (he many ol her diilicul- tK's in the Way of river iia vi;rat ion. The result (dall thi-; is iImi M.tia'ie, nol witli,4audin-' the activity of the iM.pulation and its local i mhi e :io<. is placed, owing h.the ab.senue of 27 a braiu-h raihvny. hi a v.-ry inl-riov position coinpuvi'd wilh oth-'V places eqiu'.lly wuil sitUiittd in lii'- otiu'i' I'roviiio's. In iv;iv oi'ih-." villiiav :iiul to a loim' disJauc > inland -Ahnxtx tlio river, str>tclit's anisn-ow v:iiirv vvlii^'h niiuld pay oa -li Tor all ih 'iv i)un'h:;.;e«; i(M'al Ivad- would bo ut. •iliv iiK'Voasd ; sio, k niisina' AVouUM)-.;oine a sour-'r ol' woalih; sinuninii' nulls would ])■' * slabhsh.-d and wii.iihe as>i.v1am'c (.itlu' harbour ^vo!■ks, \hr ])oi>uUit;on orMalan/, which is v.ny wiil.-awakc int. Uiuvii! and aclivo, would hav o>vupa;i(.;! and r>:uize l)iHdics Ihronuhoui liii war: not ordy would n be no lonn'M mipov.Misli.Hl and ivdu.ud by omiii'ialioii but it would inrr.'aso rapidly and to a ronsi- d.rabk" d. gi',"/. Ilori" also poiatofs s.'lli'or only twenty <-i'nts a biishci, whi! iheY s,d; r.)v libv ■.■ah\ sixiv <'onts alontr'th- hit'-rcolonial and not wilh-^iaudiu^' all !his, ih"' inhabilaiils o!' Mahnh' ui;d is done ai Ste. l^'lavic and Stc. l^uce ^ While 1 was al Mavaiic. I was g-ivMi one instance, amona- a hundred others, (d'lhe natural woadh whi-h abounds iii the country and which, it suitably utilized, would ionn :! conoid, rabi.- asvurei^'ati'. The ceuntry behi)ul M'aiane cdiuains a nninb-r of lake^ niest of which are lull o\ lish. Lust suniin.T threi' lishernieii went, io lake Ta ou.su'ad v, iwenly hve> or thiiiy mil 'S l);;(dv in.ni theUMver St. Lawreii- , and reiuriied with one hund'ivd andniii' de;-r Mi iinportane- audit i^ not inadvisable to add to more weiuhty con-^id' rations certain oih'i.s oi a secondary ra.iuv, calculated to sin .w the pil'li"' ^v'i=>'^ unempmyed, disdaiui'd and even unknown ^ou,v■.s ol \v,aliii are pe>sess d !)y oiir country, decimated as it is by a pl.inue whi 'h u-overnm.'nis th Mii-elves have (it''ii di>n ■ theii- best to .si)r-.'ad. I h.ive now iinish d •••ivinu' n\ detail th" many decisive reasons in hivonr orcoiislruclinu-. as rapidly as p .ssibl-, a branch railway IVoni the Intercolonial, !.. twcen St. Ociave. deMetisand Matane. Notwithstanding- the repeat. (I ellorts ol' Dr. J. U. R. Fiset, the m-mber for th county in the House or<'ommons, and a petitiim sig-ned by t ieas! one hall the mem- ])ers ol' I'ariiamcnt, both conservatives and lib rals. the 1' •-• 'ral doyern- meiM has ,,, variably turned a deal'ear and has :ioi hilh-rto thought prop«T to do more in t'ayoiir of the Maiaiie !?raneh then !'» acknowledge, on the m 28t!i Iv'I)i-uiuy. 18iH), the rccinpt dI' the nii-morial pro.sentod by Dr. Vitivl auJ (»r Uk' i).'t,iti()ii ac(;;)inp;i:iyi!i:i' !!>>' lu.'iuurial. \ i«u jiloH". r^ii', iTcon'iiiziiiL;' ui our' ih;' iuiporLaiu'i oi" such an ii!i'! "lakiuu-.alh'i'iTailiiiga rcry siur.ini'.rv sial'ia'.'iit ot'thi' facts ,subiiiilt,t>(l ])y (he iiii'mhiT I'or Iviiaou^ki, * on ihv 2lsi May, 18>-8, rcsolvt-d to >4'iv(' 0V''V\' jto.ssibh' NUi)pui't lO the ])rnji'i't and got tiui L.'gi.daLivt* A.sso.ably ol' (^tic'brc t(i voii' a suh'hore on ih^ oih'r side of l!ie Shickshcdc and Notre Dann- rana-es (if moujitnins. Mow, the ii.itane branch would be the .Niartinu point of the (iaspe looji-liiu'. As I have already staled, thebfstor rather ihe only [)ass Ihroughthe Shickshocks is thai all'ordid by the Matan-' river. By means of this jiass and wh^Mi once on the southi!rn sloi)e of the Notre Dame Mountains, a loop-line might be budt almost in a straight line to Gaspc l]asin. thence run around the peninsula and connect with tht; IJait' des ChaKurs Kailway. This woulil not prevent the Mata]>edia valley being placed in direct conunnnieation with the loop-line by a branch line from near Trout River, to AuKiui, or Causapsc 1, on the Intcrcoloiiial. IJeyond a doii'ot, we will beiore lonii" see this idea carried out. By iucicas', d communications not only will our country assume a new a,--pect, but th<' spirii of the [lopulation will assunn; a new nature, will linditstdf impelK-d by a powerful imi)ulse and be auimatvd with an unknown energy. 1 hope that the reaiuiiii' (d this report will contribute to sonn* exl -nt, howsoever small it niay be, to the ai iK)mplislunent of the j)roJects which you iiave generously assisted, while at the same time it will, in exchange, assui'e you the gratiiud.' and support of a numerous and vigourous population. I have th" hono\rr &c , (.Signed) AllTilUR BUIES. K-mouski, r»tli O.'tober, lSi)0. SULMMJiMENT TO TIIK KKPORTS OX THE COUNTIE.-; OK RlMOUrfKI AND MATAXE. IIoxoup.AiiLE Mr. Meucif/r. Proiiier of the iiovinredf (^luher, Sir. Tho ii(lv;iiic«'d state uf th soiisoii, thii fr.Hjui'ul raiii'; or premature oold^weather, aceoiiipaiiicd by heavy tog's, vvhieli spread ovi-r the eoiiutry, hidiui" it from view, prevented uie IVoui coiiipleiiiig thi.s year the study \vhi/h I had uudertaki'ii oi' ihe counties oi' i^imouski and Mataue. I set out three limes to visit the upper portion orilimouski, in rear of the parishi's off^t. Simon and St. Fabi- i'Drili, with ovory pos- sibl' ;ilt('ii1 ion ;ui', wiial'V^T Wc uiiiy .si'e and to do the l>.'sl wo can for iln' preparatory instruction (uiitryini'n. You uiay h;ivr obsirv^d in my pi^'vious r^'port;-; tli'' iui[)()rtaU(U' and the I'u'ur'' prosjU'Cls of till' two Vast couutics of IJiiaouski :ind Matane, and -till th"y arc as yl hut v^ry iin|)rii'M'lly km^wn ; th"re a,ri' still vasi ( \(i i!ts Uiu-xi)l()r'-d mid whiiji rcundn a dead I'.'tt'r not only to rho pirblic hu! ;;lso to n^'ii wlio study. W.' do no: r (luir;' to '^'o hack h'yo;id the pi'iscnt ct ntury to tind \h<' oriLi'iu ol'lh*' oid 'st parishes oi tri'' eovinty of Ivlniouski. th ' oldi'st ot t!i'' 1 wo. 1 rcioliocl when ih • parishi's of St. Sini' li :ind St. ]'"ahii n. wh'i-h arc .now S'. Ilourishi'i^' .nd so popiiiou.s. had not veil acart-n»;d hctw ■ n ihiin. To ji'o iroiu one to 1 lie ol ii. r, one h.sd to u' 'k" M iHU'hiy,'., like l)elwe ji iwo iuk's. and peopl • who ventured iMio tha'. :'i;Il primilive and uncniiiviii ^\ r '_;io'i \\ -re oi)iiu' •(! to go .--ox. miles on I'ooT ihrougli th(> wacxis over a eorduioy road ihrongh a sw;unp full of slon_li . Only he;ivv c:ivts were us'd. ou' of which a portion of i he baa'.'i.tu'e had to ]>.• i;dv j. -awA c,!;i d on on e'.s h.ick. ol'i'va ^.^\^^•\l ih' horses had to he unh:>rnessc(l so as to lake them ,'ind lit • carts by less swampy patlis, and when, alter niueh i;i!>.)ur ;\!id b.ardshi|\ the Hr-t houses of ihe tw" V'Un'_;' parish s wer ■ rc'-icluil. th- di:y v,'.:s sp 'ill ;!!id one i lioii :':it only '.; rc;-!ini;'. At pi'eseui the s'»vaini)s an suee.M'd iMch othn' witlh/Ut inlv'rmpiion ;!nd one nuLi'hi limey hinr-ell in i 'i-,' mids; of ihi; okUsi settled i>arts td' tin- ciuintry. Quito close to the road runs the [riteicolonial liailway, which enables the l;;iim'rs to shij) their pioduv-e :il once and in i'earaie hveor six ranges of I'l^nccssioii.s connected wit!) tin uiiiin ro.ul by various colouizalion roads \ew i)arishe~; have ii": 1) estai)li.-!ied in ihi- interior wmX at cerl:iin poiii,.--. i)ei\\ccn the toeiiMes ol liimoii.>.ki and 'reiniseouata, we li'sd parish' s which "XtinKl 11 arly to the Irontier ni' N -w- i!run>< we have already stated. proi>erly si)-.akinu- iher.' are no chains of >!iountains on the south shore ol'theSt. ba\v ren.'.'. but iiierely elevati(nis, mor > or less hiyh. whicli can easily hi- p!oioi)i..,l. W'l' musi. hov.' v t. exc 'pi Inn'e and there some spots wher-' Natur^ has indu!u''(l in asionisjiinii- iraks and wh n'i' it has lelt that mark (d' le.ntaslic /I'aiuleur ■ iid fo;niidable app.'ai'ance which is peculiar to our -ouiiiry. Thus, the parisi; ot St. i^'abien, where we now are, has hid list :!tVom the vi'W (d tiie Ki\'er St. I.awreiice and looks as if protected a!aai:ist it by an enormous mass ol' rocks, livi' or six hundred feel in height, wliiidi bolder, the shore and fall pm-pendieularly into ihe river in the most varied and strikiim- fni'nis. and w!ii(di for that reason are i-alled the " Walls f)f St-i''abien." Whi) 'ver has not sen these walls doe,s not know one of the line.st graniti- f.rmations in the country and vet no description has been given, no mention made of them, exf.'cpt ;n in ii n'pon ncroinpiiuird l)y (li'.scrii)livi' iihiiis tbniii'ily ilniwii up hy Mr. Michatid. rtii "ii^'iiii'cr in the si'ivir,' olth.' l'\'dci';il ( r(.\i'nuiii'nl. I'nlbr- t\an:i!.-ly. ihis r port and tlii' phuis were d''.siv()yi'd in ihc liif which con- sunii'dlh(> Pro' inciiil Ijihrary in \^^-\. and \V(i hav' lluis lost the only dncuni. nt conliiiiiinii' tcclinioid and positiv-' inibrni;;li(tji upon wh;.! we uiiu'hi call (jU" ol'th' i>h iKoncuii or( "aiutdiaii Xaluv'. This cnonnous mass cd Liraiiil" rocks ])ilcd one abiv':- tii' oihcr. ■ uts abruptly .".cross t h'- line cd' country which lojlows aiiii.isi, withoiu ii-'er- ruplion on til" south -di'.n'c o!" I li ' I'ivci-. li winiM s'^in ns il'ih' wiiilc (.dl'ovts oi' t he eruptive pip-iiouiejia. el.;- wh-'r • co :i :;;,.;■< i :i;id heid bncic .>n tlie vjiurc. had conccnlraicd at. this pniiil and cans 'd the explosio.;. cashing' u}) ironi the ixisoni oithe W(n'ld "VcryLliiim' whi'h oi>;>ress'd -iiid !'ei:i!:i ed it. \\'hen. ill s;iilinu- (hiv.'u ;he iiver. w,- ohs; r\'e this Ibniiidahlo ari'.;y oi' rockv ilans wldch seem to [)ri's eni ;in unas:;ailai>lc line ol' halile, we can)i.ii avoid ;; invsterious dvi-iid. that overpoweriiio- shrjukinu' (d' tlie suul wiii.ii w • r -l ai the toisi ol' liiii-li uii iiuii aiji.-i whic.li t)v rLoi) us. crusii us witli th 'ii' heiii-lit and seem to altraei u.s h eiiMih liieir mass. W ■ leel as iluiial)!'' lo pen-trate or ;'ven a!>proa''li them. Where c.iii there '>, ;i)i acci .>.'-ihle If a-'h. at ilierodt (d' those savau'e mouniain-<. ih.is' p ••Oi'ii- dicular, iiowninu aii>l ilireat^niii^' clilis, ^nveiop. d in impenetral)le shallow ^ Is IJi-K- a piac \vlicr,' in.au can i'reejv .-si ib'il on tliai api)a- renily iu\isil)|e shore .•' llut wlien we ^-el over this lirst i iiiprt'ssio]!. the iirisT ici'linu' ol' dri-ad and llie desir'lo n'ct asvay and wh^n we dare to approacli, tlie most a^Tcablo and piv-asaut suri.-.i.ie awaits us. Partly veiiinii' their wild ai)pearanoc, the mounaiiis s-i'm to welcome and oH'/r a !•■ I'uLie in ihcir many bays and creeks ; the , miles on moiisicrs' laced. The iniium ■ra])le in ■qMalilies (d' the soil give rise to ilie most start- ling .--urpvi.ses. the iiiosi varied and un* xpecred oi' [)ictures([ne a^p.^'is. Par tViun hei;io- m.ic.essibl", the shores slope d(»wn gently and harmo- niously und i our i'ei't ; b.-hind the.n are smnetimey outlined .diiiht ridu's iik • tu.' ariirs swollen veins ; tli.se are hillocdcs only a icy varfls in height, ot Mdmirable dcsiti'n whieh (dl'er th-'ir rotuid -d sumuiit ^ Tor man's r.'sidenc" and lend ihemseives with ih'- greatest do;'iiiiv te '^dii- vation. Ai . dier times the nxountain.->, Icvinu' calm and wide Ini'rvals betw en th.Tn, idiow the land lo extend ir eiy and form small ii'lds in Avhich a few isidated men living by lishinu-anda little agricuiiixral labour have alrviidy ripeninu' crops. A line road runs along the siiore following- its innumerable winding.--, each of which suddenly presents a new Kpec- lacl" ; soniei i'lies there an; ishmd.s abruptly rising from the bosom of a little l)ny (ill then .hile trinii't) of ninuiilains, Avliieh irom at'av seems to have ]io hreak nor variety of aspi-.i, Xiiiure has exeaviited a bay, the uu'st adiuir.ihli', ih' most p 'rfect, the iDost iittraclive in its wiid ;uid pietnriscjue graudeuv which th' yo ean eonteniplati . This is Ha ! Ila ! I'ay which no doubt owi's its name to tin- cry oi admiral ii>ii whi"h bnvst Irom the lips of the lirst men wiio saAV •'. 'i'his bay is ii'-.M-Jy a niiie louo' ])y hali a mile wide, li i.s pertectiy Avihl .wid nniiili;:bitcd, aillioim'h il oif^Ts tic safr-t aiid mnsr i liaruiuiir "i' •shelt IS. iJcyond llu' shr.v". th'' mouariins which iinvc upcai'd to let it pass, do not close ac'ain ; on lh" contrary, they i.ave n wide spaec l»etw 'cii thein Avhi' h extends to another shore further awiiy. ibre are the Unest li-ids and the most piiMurcsqiae d\vellinii' })h(ces of this stratiu'e corner of the earth. Tlie Avholeof this space is rennirkahlv level, Avith only a slij^ht iiill whi( h seems to have been placed there expressly for '.he purpose of receiv- inji' i>icinres(iue country house.s aiid of •••ivini!;' iheir iiih;d)iiaiits a moi-e ext\ lided and fuller view ot the surroundiny- si^iiery. Oiie i.s tempted to thii.k ihat this s])acc was fonni'rly coven d with w.iter. but let us leave thi.s 'lypothesis to yeolou'ists and let us sav, in th words of a simple tra- vell.r. Iiimiliar with the natural beauties of hi-- ("Uiilry, that there is no bett' r idact> for a summin- residence than Ila! JIa ! liay, in St. Fa!)i ii, whit h is as yet so lit tie known and which is n-vrtheless so d 'serviiM^' of prai.a>. The name of Ila I ]Ia ! Bay has been extended to the whole regi<.n whii'h wo have just (h-scribed and i)eople o'eiierally sav that th y are troini>- to Ila I Ila ! liay and not to the Walls of St. l-'abien. This is a drawi)ack, because travellers and American totirisis arc much more familiar with Ha I Hal ISay. in theSau-aenay river and which is much larger but not nearly so pitloresqui' as th^u of St. l-'abien. When once the latter is known, it wi.l b -come a favorite summ t resort Some families have com" to reside there witiiin late years, but its di;-tance and the dilHeulty of 'ommunication have j)revenied them from ret uruing. I'rom the Si. I'uMen m;iiii road to Ila ! Hal iJay there is only a roiigh, steep and roay by following the sea-shore for a sliort distance. This project will. 1 believe, be carried out before long. It was our duty to inform the public ofoiie of the most enchanting sites in our country, to induce lamilies who desire above all to enjoy our Canadian scenery in its finest and grandest aspects to go there and we seized the oi«portunity to give a des(n-iptioii of the place and thereby en)oy a pleasant change Irom our professional duties. 33 The two parishf.s dl'St. I"":il)ii'n iiiul St. Simon loriii tlic iii)i)('r i)ortiou nl' the county ol' Kiniouski. In rear ol the latt'T is tlu> iiitcn'slini;' parish f)l'St. Mathit'U. loundi'd only twi'iity-lour years aii'o and wliii'h seems to have a hi'illiaiit ruture Ix't'ore il, owinij' to tli" excellence ol' its soil, th(^ benuly ol'its site, lis exieiisive (juarries ol' red stone which a"' only Just (.'oniuieiiciii'j,' to he worked mid. liiially,lo the h^'autil'ul laki' whicli (;rosses il fhrouu'h almost its entire lenuth. which has I'or nr iiy years h'eii cele- hrated as one oi'lhe linest lakes and one most ahoundiiiy in lisli oi' the wholo I'l'ovince. It s -ems to he inexhaustible and miiiht easily he mah' nu'ans of providinu' subsistence i'or many peoi)le. |,ake St. Mathiou (111 plies into the Soutli-AVesi rivi'r which in its turn falls into the St. Iv.iw- rence at llic, after a vei\' capri'-iou.s course of about twenty miles naviii'able without inierruption. Tiiis parish is remarkable jWr the i'erlility (d' its soil, its situation and its piciiliar I'aturcs wliich seem full of vigour and orig'inality, "Wlinever has sen J^aki' Si. Mathieu will lony remember it, lor it is one of tiios" v.'hich h'ave an impression on the mind whi(di be- comes more and more delined with time ; such are also Lakes TemiscoxuUa, Tem;scamina-ue. .Archainbault and li'iaUy Lak > St. John. Their aspe('t pli'ases us and wh' n no Ioniser before us, the miml reverts to them with pleasure and gladly dwells npon the pictnre thi'y i)ri sent. Notwithstaiidiny' all these advantaii-es. the parish of St. Maihieu ha.s not nuxde rapid progres.^,. This is due to the i)hui'ue of emigration which decimates our countrv parts I'rom one end of the Province to the other. Nevertheless. Ilie ])laLrue has a ten river, a place come into existence and increase in size which, from its geographical position aiul the «combi- Uiitioa of circumstances, is destined to become a commercial town of the iirst order. That place is Frascrville, still also called Riviere-du-Loup, from the name of the river whi(;h runs through it iu a sU('cessiou of «;ascades. For a long time there were no settlements in Temiscouatainrear of the old seigjiiorial concessions, but, since the building of the Intercolonial Railway and espi'cially since a large population of French Canadians has settled on the River Saint John, which sei)arates New Brunswick from Maine, an almost uninterrupted communi(!atiou has been established between the interior of the county and the shore. The two portions met each other half way, the Canadian parishes on the Saint John River endeavoring to increase th"ir relations with Riviere-du-Loup and the latt;'r on its side seekiug to stri;tch further and further backwards as th-^ wants of colonization required. These mutual elForts to obtain un- interrupted communication soon gave rise to the settlement of several small groui)s in the must suitable spots. These groixi)s now constitute parishes to the numbi'r of seven or eight, which extend, with slight intervals of course, bi'tw.'cn Fraservilleand Edmundston the county town of the county of Madawaska, in New Brunswick. The development of the TiMuiscouata region will increase still more now that the new railway betweeu Fraserville and Edinunston has come into operation. It is not that the new parish's along the line can contribute very much to th ' development of th ■ region, for these parish(\s are not very remarkable lor the fertility of their soil and their prospecsts are limited, but this new Temiseouata Railway brings the whole country in direct aud daily cara.- inunicatiou with New lirunswick and the United States. More than half a centiiry ago, the Imperial Governin 'ut wishing to forward its troops as rapidly as possible in winter from Halifax to Qu "bee, had a military road opened which was for a long time the only means of commu;iication through the fortssts of Temiseouata to New- Brunswick. At the same tinu' the troops were cantoned at dilferent stations along the road, amongst others at a place call 'd Fort Ingall, six miles from Lake 36 Toiiii,-!! oiiiita, wIk'IO the ri'maiiisoi'ii bnildiiiii' iiri* .still to h.' scon, in which om- laiiidrcf] .■■oldii'T.s were Klatioiud, Avhilt out' hundred others wrc nt 8t'.^ Ik0«(,' dn Denrle, at iho other end ol Lake Temisoonata The .Ameri- cans on iht'ir side crcct( d l)nrrn(ks iorly miles iurtli^'V at Fort Koit at thr ]>lace ^A•el•^• J'"ish Iviverralls iiitolhcSt John Iviver. Tliis stnir ol'afiaiis lusi'd until 1842 vvh St. .l(dn! liivi'r. Not only were p '-is i',-t;;ldish.d hi'Ve and there alonir the road, but the Canadian ("n 'V'-rnni. lit JndLi-cd sni;i.' lamiHcs they(> 1o whom it 2ave a certain quaiilil y ori)rovisi()iis, just as i. now docs ii; till' Various liu'li! h'lU-t's on lie St-I/iwr iirc, Travdl ;••> [Vi. n 'J:!,,;idii to Xcvv-liruiiswirk. :;nd vf(C-i'>rsii, fJi:i)prd iit tic si' pm-is w le r<' ih y e; I and slo;U on payiaciit ol' a small amouni and cvi u did not i>av at all \vh<'ii Hi. y brniiii-pi their (nvii in-ovisions. Antoim,' Dunio'it, !lu oldi^t inhahitain clihis nuinn wlci loadr tic first clcarint^' at Sti' Ro- ■, in \>^y>l is oic- of ilius'- who us -d to k.'p ilic^' posts. l-"or a lonu' time his was the Diily dw(dlini>' at the ])lace now oalli'd 8tf. hes". Jlis ni'ai'i'>T iciuhhour livd in a cabin niiu' miles away. Twelve uiih's rurlhfr, lived one ■'.Jcorir.' Doll, whose >hicr duty was to mark out with ir^'cs tin' winter road on Lake Temisrouata so that ill" posTuiaii wlio carri d ih' iiiail ev ry i'oi-tnight and travellers should be ahli' to lind th'-ir way. The old military road was rouiiiily made thronuh the Ibri'st In gummer it was nst.>d only between liivicrc du Loup and Lake Tcnniscouata, a dislanci^ of about lllty miles which took three days to iret over. l'"roni th" lake to Edmundsloii, travellers Weiil by canoe (.11 the Madawaska Rivtr. which carries the wat'.'rs ol tlie Lak ■ 1m liivcr Saint John, ihirlv miles lurther. This canoe voya<|e was very easy and pleasant in a river without rai)ids and whose low but very j)ietures(jue shores form a narrow and remarkably ft rtile vali y. There was, howi'ver, a por- taii'e to be made on arrivinp,' at Edmundston. which lor that reason was called "Little Falls." It is a very modest rai)id throuL>'h whieh the Madawaska i'alls into the Saint John Sometimes ovi'U the rapids could be jumped. At this place which for a lontr time was called "Littlei Fails " and which is now Edmundston, theri' was only one hous(> inha- bited by a man named Belauger. Fiv(^ miles lower down, where now' stands th(^ fine and nourishing parish of Saint Basile on the New Ib-uns- wick bank, opj)osite the State of Maine, there w'as only a mile and ;i hall of road which was practicable and one saw nothing but canoes at tlu' church door on Sundays. The old military road soon became insufficient for the increasing r(dations between th ■ inhaliitants of Ifiviere du Loui' and the people of Madawaska, as they w-ro th'ii called. Moreover, this road had pr-^p'rly speaking, been opened on the t "rritory of th- old Pro vint;e of Lower Canada only bi'tween liiviere du Loup and the head Lake T-niiscouata. It had also been made rather at haphazard, withou preliminary survey and had many unnecessary lengths and turnings. I 37 tli('r(>!'((ri' bc'curin.' u-'fcssary to straiylitou it and put it iu ti'ooil ordrr, bi'sidcs oxtciiding it to the Caiiadiaii settli'm.-iit.s, on t\v Rivov Saint John. This th<' (lov(M'iniiL'iit uiidiTtook to do, in 1800. It canst'd. what is now known as the new Ti'niiscouala road, to b^ buill. which i,s nothinii,' but thi' old road improved and slrai.'ni'd io tralhi- in 1 phnigh ..n pa-^s. The |',')re>t was !(irin"rly splendid and exteiisi"-', but the specnlatiou and uieedini'ss oClh • lumber merchants liave devastated it, to say Jiothing ol' llic injury lime bv lire vviiich has dcstrovd cvu lo the v -ry r'u»ts and ha. lejt wide st retches costiuninii' only the buriil, blai'kened skeletons ol' trees, stripp 'd of their })ranches. awaiting oiilv the hand of nniu to sir-tch tii"i!i on (he u'round. Si ill the ior 'si, or;easionallv shows some of its former si>1'IkL'U1' aii'l Li'ivcs rise to momenta ;y illusions. bill the irregular rock;-. tl).e rtm':.>'ed and ste >p heinhis whi-'h s!n)W up iii t'le distauci' like Avriiikls on a withered I'aco, soon re-appe.ir and thrust their ugly leatur's on th' sad iookiiiL;' si-enery. Several i)arishes are passed without even suspecting their existence, for th ■ line runs nearly always through th • woods, through rocks, along gorges or ••Icariiius which convey no idea of the rather advanced cultivacioii close l)y. We puss St. Mod sti'. St. I'rancois, Sl.IIouore and arrive at 8t, liouis, whose church a[)p''irs on a rocky height (;ont;uiding with dried stuinps and dominating by a lew feet a thin lini' of houses very dislaut from each other and buttressed on th ' rugged soil, as if defending thenisi'lv. s against the lorest which surrounds th -m on all sides. IJut here the specta le will promptly chauir". AVe approach Ca})ano. th ' spot on whicii are thi- ruii's of" Kort Ingall " aiul which takes its name froia the livm' which at that lilace fails into Lake Temiscouata. m The fori'st thickens uloiig the lino, hccomes covorod with leaves, raises up its large trunks and uncovers its vast shoulders. We see her(> the inaiestic types ul' Canadian tree.s and find the reason of the existence ol' those saw-mills and shantitvs which we see iialf hidden as we proceed and which cut up an enormous qiiantity oi' raw material, and are the fac- tors of a very extensive industry. Althouu'h the place where we now are i.s called Cahano, the naine of the station is Fort Ingall, and we are always in the parish of St. I ouis de Ha! Ma! ^Ve discover the line and admirabli> 1.aki' Temiscouata lilong whose shores we run for over liiteen miles, passinu' ihrouuli nuni 'rous cuttings in th.' solid rock, making an inlinite numhv'r of turnings follow- ing th'' sinuiisities of the shore. Two eleu'ant hotels in the modern stylo , ailract our attention. We nri' not lonn' snrjirisi'd to sec them built in this spot which still retains its primitive appeiiraiice. for many tourists and fishermen go to Lak-' Temiseouata in the summer season. Many travellers i'ornu rly used to stop at this place bejore the railwav was buili. Cabano was an excell -nt post for all of them, but now it ha^ liiven plaeo in a great measure to Nolre-Dame du Lac. an impoilant pari.sh. thi- ]arii''st in. t!u' whole of this region. "\A'e reach it in a lew n:inutes after running over the distance whicli separates Fort Ingall IVoin Clout ier Station, at the far end of t!ie lake. II N^otre-Dame du Lac is Ijiiilt on a height whii li overlook.-^ Lake 'i'emis- couaia and whence the view extend:- to an ((joal dL^tance on t lir right and hi', Deiieaih us spreads that splendid sle-. i of wat- r whieh hioks liki' a majesii<' river calmly ilowing betwei.i familiar banled ; l)ut if tile lightest wind arisi's it becomes angry and over it'- vast back roll ]v,i ssinu: wav"s like a ma !<• on a lion's ne.k. There ar(> nri mountains on either side but only elevation-- oi greater or l-ss. v |; iii'hi, and ill the whole scenery ih Te is a hai/iuiny at once wild and n^entle M'hi.'h particularly please,-, il,. eye. Only one of the shores is inha l)iti d, the west one on which we .-.land and whieh coniains the jiarishes oI'Sl. Louis. Nfitre-Diinie and a portion ofSle. Rosi'. The oth'r shore is still in a wiidstati;. Tlieri' lies the sei^iiinry ol' ^ladawaska. whieh lurmerly b longed to the heirs Laiiguedoc .and whieh i< now owned hv diU'ercnt -SI augers. The Seigniors ol Madawaska ari' not aiixion- to dispose of Ihei;- lands l.H'eaUfC they lind it more prolitable lo cut ihe timber oii it. The whole ol' ihat sliore is therefore uncultivated and we liardly distiuLiiiish one isolat(>(l roof on tlie shore of tic lake. Ne\ertheless scnne miles ahead we see in the direction of the 'ui>[)er end a dwellin;x oi' rather considerable api)etiram'e in the midst of lieUls. This is the solitary farm of Mr. Levite Tiierriault, at the month of the liiver Touladi. the largest (d'all the waier- ronrsi's Avhich fall into Luke Temiseouata. This fiver abounds in fish to an extraordinary extent ; in it arc caught quantities of fresh water her- ring, touladi, a species of grey trout whicli weighs from live to six pounds, •AudpniHtu, a variety of trout gcucrally unknown elsewhere. Much higher uj) and farther than \vc can st>e, at the very head of the lake, is the river Ashbi'rish, which after collecting the waters of seven tributary lakes of varying size, i)ours thein into Lake Tcmis(;ouata, which is also f 'd on the W(»st by other rivers of secondary importance, such as the Cai aiio, Perch and Uabbit rivers, the two latter biiing much smaller than the Cabauo. As to Lake Teiuiscouata itself, it is one of tht^ beauties, one of the glories of Canadian Nature. From no point can it be better or more exten- sively see)i than from the height on which stands the fine church of Notre Diime. or from the platform on the top of Cloulier's lL)tel, which is the elegant and fashio)iabIe resort of tourists and sportsmen, and above all of Amerii;an I'amilies attracted from afar by the ever-increasing renown of this enchanting spot This hotel wiis built seven or eight years ago. There is not a Canadian tourist at all worthy ol the name who does not kiu>w it at least l)y reputation. Its elegant architecture, its elaborate ex- terior and ai)pearance of good taste and comfort, at once attract attention. It stands on the siiore of the lake, at a height of a hundred feet above it, and affords a view of tln^ lake and of the extensive country which frames it in, which one is neyer tired of gazing at, especially when the hour of di'parting day spreads around tiiose in r/zo-tints and shades which give a mysterious and infinite charm to the surroundings. Lake Teiuiscouata is twenty seven or twenty eight miles in length and its averagt? width is half a mile. Its depth is (Miormous and in some places unknown ; tlie lead has been dropped to seven hundred and fifty feet without linding l)ottom. Lake Temiscouata possesses this trait in common with its sister lake. Temiscaminuue, whieli does not wish to sutler by comparison in this respect with any other lake in the world. It is imptissible as yet to decade between the two " 'J'niiis " and ini';)illible s(nindings I'an alone decide this important (|Uestion in tiie future. The lake also iiliounds in fish ; it is the favorite resort of lisherraen and especially III' .Vmericans who <>'o there every year in such iniTnbers that an association of capitali-^ls hiis decided to erect, next year, another laru'c hotel. !i hundred feet long by forty in depth and thnu' stories high. In the hike greal (]ua)itities ol' irout, touladi. /toiti/u. et<' , are caULi'ht as well as (/iH'HC (tnnixiiillt')^ or eel's tail, a kind of fish which is found on the nniddy Ixtttoms and weighs on an averag.^ from six to seven pounds. iJore and white lish are also cauii'ht in lire lake while. on ihe eastern short;, which is still covered with dense forests, there are plenty of partridges, hares, deer and caribou. As already stated, there are no mountains, properly speakiuti', in this country ; the heights more or less dispos.'d at intervals and scattered or 40 joiuod tog'cthor, or placed one abovii tht> other, arc all suitablt3 for cultiva- tion. We may gro still further and say that the whole region as far us the St. John River is of remarkal)le fertility ; its soil is especially adapted for the growth of cereals and there are iiue iields of wheat and buckwheat ; besidi's, where the |)lough has not yet passed, there are forests of great conun.rcial value. The iKuish of Notre-Dame du Lae in partii-uiar is remarkably fertile ; it is tlic largest of all the parish'-s in th*^ r^ar part of Temiseouata ; its poi)ulation is about sixteen hundred , it has several concessions in a perfect stale of cvdtivatioii and a mission, called Si. Husebe, which contains at least five hnndr^'d people and whose soil is renowned for its fertility throughout the surrounding country Coni|)laints are made that previous (roverunients would never do anything for colonization, nor open roads nor aid settlers. It is consequently said that, owing to this fatal abandonment, tiu' mission of St. ICuseb' has not increased one- half as much as ii should liavi' done under belter cir(,'unstances aiul with the aid of a Governmeiu havinur at heart the development of the country. The parish of ?\otro-])ame du Lac iuis not been in existence more than twenty live years, it ]n'ecedes on the New-Urunswick road the parish of Ste. Rose du Degele, from whii'h it is separated by a distance of nine miles. Tliis is (juite a new parish erected only since 188"). It was formerly a mission, with a. smail chapel built, in 18t)l<. Adjoining the chapel was what was call 'd liie pai'sonage, a poor miserable dwelling i welve feet square, which reseml)led a pioneer settler's cabin more than anything else. At present tliis modest building has become the residence o!' the beadle. The ciiap'd has remained the same, as jxior-looking as ever, with this diliereuce, however, that the present i-itrc. Rev. Mr. Tliibault, has suc- ceeded in eiilaro'ing the interior a little by ])ushing back a wall which has o'ivi'ii enough space lor twelve mort^ pews, eaidi of which yields a revenue often dollars. On the other hand. th(> worthy ])riest has had a real parsonage built, in which he has lived for two years. lie has built it witlnnit any assessment on hiii ])arishioners, without any plan and with only the a^si^■.tance of a workman nivmed N'adand. i^lverybody has choerlully contributed to his work. The Temiseouata Railway transi^orted lime lor him free of charge, his parishioners worked voluntarily for him and linally Sir .Tosei)h llickson, the n)anager of the (Jrand Trunk iiailway, who owns a splendid farm iiot very far olf. iwo miles in width, where his family comes to spt-nd the summer with all its household, its carriages and a niimber id' servants, gave the priest, llfty dollars for his parsonage, which does not prevent his bi'ing a good Protestant. He has also given plenty of work to the people cd' the i)la'e whom he employs on his farm and has also li'iven the priest a new bell for his ehaixd until th(^ latter is replaced by a church. This is the country for buckwheat ; the r«/-^gets nearly two hundred bushels a year for his tithes ; (juite a eonsidera])le amount for a parish with a population of eight hundred souls. 41 The rv/r^ also onllccls siipplcinciitary tit lies. ainountiiisi' to one twenty- fifth f)f all the product" that is to «ay, for itistauci', tlu' tw-nty-Hrth bushel of polatoes, the tW'Mity-filth bundle of hay, the tweiily-liilh pound of sugar, etc. The parish of Sain^e Ivose is twelve miles lonu' by six d''ep. r^diind it are line eoiiecssions, anionu'st others in the township of r,irlc''ii.<;ion, where the mission of .'*iain, Jjeuoir-Al^be is sit uai'd with a ponuiation of over oni' hundred. The oldei' .settbrs ol'Sainte Rose used lo u-o lo ••hureh at Saint Uasile in canoes, and we have not verv fai- to e-o to liiid tlieni. Now ihe villao-e is <'xtendinL;' rapidly to ih" riuht and hfi id'ihe (diapel, a school has been ojiened oi)Uosite t he ])arsnuiiL!"e. some hundreds of feet of sidewalks have liecu laid down andther/ov' who wishes to uive the. oxam;)le iu all ihiiiiis, has planted in his small ijrai-di'ii the lirst api)le-t!eo yet seen in the country. The lirst missioiiary of Sainte jiose was Rev. Mr. U-aiiliien, and the first to draw up acts of civil stattis was i'ev. !Mr. St 'Veniird. wlu) liad spiritual charue f)| 1 he nii.s'sion iitie.,'u years aii'o. 'Vlv hrst ]>asloral \"isit Avas made by llishop !jaim-evin. Th ■ inhabiimts a-'e eiiu'au'ed in I'annino;, hut also to a Li'reat extent in makinu' saw lous and sliiiiLri 's. A lireat many ol'lhem p.-iss ih • wini'f in the ^vo^ds foi' that purpose; they lind a si'oofl deal of emplovm-'nt althoiu'.h the forests haveb 'eii de:,i>oil •(! ofall the ])ine they contai!i"d. JMirtunately they still contain plenty oi vpniee, cedar and birch. Strann'e to sav tlicre is no emiiia'ation to i'omi)!ain of h 're and the younu' parisli priest is verv uratefnl to Heaven for havinu- preserved his parishioni'rs frtnn this evil aiiil has set apart a place on n hill ri'-in'4' a short distance from the presbvterv. where everv veiir a s(demn hiyh Mass is ctdebrated in honour of the patroness of C'atiada. Sainte Anne. This solemnil y chiellv (Ui account ol ihephicc where it is celebiMted. cannot fail to produee a u'rand eifect .and at the s.ame time attract nTcic nuntbers of peoi)le from all parts of the country. PeiuliuL!' the <'i)nst ruction of a chap.d on this hill. ;i llaL>- has been hoisiid which lloats hundreds of feet up in the air aiul can be seen from a considerable distaui-e. The Madawaska Rivm', as everv one knows, is the disehartreof !^;dco Teuiiseouala. It llows for a distance of a1)otit twenty four or twenty livt^ miles aiul falls into the River Saint John, at I'Mmuudston. Its biiiks are very low and the valley which it waters, shut in l)elwe(' view, while at the same time its soil is remarkaldy fertih'. The valley ol' the Madawaska which the railway crosses throuuliout its entire hniD'th, is by far the most juetu- resqup portion of the road. with t h(> exception of the parish of \ot re Dame, vvhicli is beyond ctnuparisou. 42 III The Madiiwaskii Kivcr has hardly any current and. but one rapid which is called '' Mttlc Falls", at the place where it llows into the Saint John. Ncvci'tlieh'ss, and it is a i'act which has ni^'er been exi)lained, the Miuhiwaska seldom Ireezes over in winter ; at one spot near the dis/harge, no ice has ever been seen. Hence the name of " Dcijele " which has been added lo lliat ol' 8ainte Rose to serve as a distinct ive a|ipellation ibr that pnrish. It in ])rit>lit and intensely cold weather the Madixwaska freezes from one b;ink to the other, it is never safe to venture to cross over on it with a vehiele. If tire sky clouds over durinu' tlied'iy the newly Ibrmed. i"e cracks in all ilireetions and is not stron^• enoun'h to bear the wt'ig'ht of Vehicles. The fact of Lake Temiscouata takiiiii' a loner time to freeze over is explained to a certain extent by its i^'^'iit depth, l)Utatthe "Dei^ele " th(^ water is far Irom dee]) and in very cold \vather a heavy misl rises from it which has always j^'reatly puzzled th- inhabitants of the locality. AVild ducks wliich are ([uite indiiferenl to liie phenomena of Nature, remain at the Deyele all winter. n l-'aviuii,- tlie parish of Ste Uo.s-.', we "rosf! that of St-.Tacques md. finally arriA'e at fJdmundston. after a charmint^ run of twenty one miles aluni>- ihe Madawaska river. '-> Edmundston is a very pretty littb" town which occupies a remark- ably g.);>d I!,- ■ographii-al position at the (^onlluenci' of tlie Madawaska and St. .lolu) liivers. Sim-e trade and communications withthe surround- ing (;ouHi ry liave ;issu)ned some imporianct!, Kdmnndston has rapidly incre. sed in size. Its hinil)er trade is immense and urows daily. Its poi)ulalion is not considerabl" as yet l)ut it has doubled dnrinsi- th-.; jnist four or iivc years 'j hi>; rapid increase is due, iu (he lirsl plac ■. io its sii nation, ih; ii to the construction of tiie Tcniiscouala Railway, and iinally tu th Mlecadeiice of the place called " drand l^'alls '", thirty six miles b 'low Edmundston, on the St. John River. The (Irand Falls are abiiui a hundred teet hiuh and over. Formerly \vlien large (luanlilies of saw lops lloati'd down th" riv^r to that jtoint, th -y Were phivu-d on carts <'oiistrucied for the |)uri)Ose aiid luuiled overland to the fool of t he falls wh"ri' they were aL>ain rolled into the water. This u,'avt> employment to sevral hundred men and a u' real nunil>t>roihorses which nuule (Irand b'alls a business place of yreal impo'taiice and a i>-reat c Mitre of activity. Rut nn\v thai a railway has b >en l)eilt alon:^ the River St. John, conn 'cting I'ldmnndsloii with all the rest of I'few Brunswick, the lumbL'rsawn in the EdiiiUiuL-fliin mills is shipp d by railway aiul the local industry of Grand l"\iils has, coiisecjuently, no longer any reason for its existence. iMlmundstou forms jiart of the parish of Madawaska whi(di, in 1881, had a |)opulation oi' nine hundred and now has two hundred moro. 43 Wo havo already said that the existence of Ed'nuiidston, as a town, dates hack only a lew years ; wo now see quite a populous quarter in whi(;h five years ago there were only seven or eight houses. Its popula- tion, three fourths of which consist of French Canadians, is nearly all engaged in the lumber trade and is remarkably active, honest and laborioixs. Tht^ town is built in a kind of irregular amphitheatre, above which stands the Catholic Chiirch, the largest in the town, at whose feet lies the beautiful and wide Saint John River, and opposite, on the other bank, is the 8tat(^ of Maine. On the Canadian side, to the right and leit of the parish of Miidawaska, there are four or live other large parishes, the most imj)o.;;uit of which is Saint liasile, with a population of nearly two thousand, then Saint Leonard, which extends as far as Grand Falls, and on th(! otlier side that of Saint Fr.ancis, bounded by the river of tliat name which jlows l)et\veen the counties of Temiscouala andlvamouraska and falls into Saint John Iviver. These lour parishes cover a front of about seventy- five miles l>etwi'en (rrand Falls and the moiith of the Ilivi'r Saint Francis. A railway is now under consiruction between Fdmundston and the latter river ; this railway will l)e thirty-six miles long and pass through a well settled counlry covered with quantities of timber, esi)i'cially cedar. The people of Fdmundston evi-n say that the Teniiscouata railway '"luld have been built Irom Riviere Ouelle to the River Saint Francis, whos ourse it would have luUoAved and th(>n that of the Saint John River to Fdmundston. They alhrm that this line would have run through a country mu('h more suita})le for colonization and of much easier access than the present line, besides the fact that it would not have been any longer and would have ;-aved the unnecessary run of thirty miles on the Intercolonial between Riviere Ouelle and Riviere-du-Loup. They say that the Teniiscouata Railway, owing to the eoniparativiily steril" region thrcnigh which it j)asses, will contribute but little to the progress of colo- nization and will not even ])ay its ex])t'nse,s. They say that it cost nearly a million dollars which, as regards colonization, \vdvv been spent to no purpose. This amount lias been paid partly by the I'ederal (JoV( rninent which gave a subsidy of six thousand dt>llars per mile and partly by the LocaKlovernmenl which redeemed, at a rate(»f seventy cents per acre, the lands wlii<-li it had originally granted to the railway, making a sum of seven thmisand dollars per mile and finally ])y the N"e\v Rrunswick Government, which contri!)uted thirty six thousand dollars for twelve miles within its territory from the parish of Notre-Dame du Degele. The peojile of Edinundston also say : " Politics, which are mixed up " with everything, alone decided the construction of the line through the " county ol Teniiscouata. No heed was paid to the recjuirements of the '■ population nor to I he conditions necessary for the colonization move- " ment, but the day is not far distant when the Provincial Government " will open its eyes to the truth and construct a railway which will start " from Riviere Ouelle and (!oiinect with th • railway we are no^v })uilding " from Edmundsion to St. Francis." 44 111 conehidiii'^ this report, I would liki; to add that this line will not pn^judirially alFcci th*» lino which must before long be bviilt from the county of ])orchester to Lake Temiscouata and thence, in a strai<>'ht line, to the Bail! d*'s Chaleurs, but will have just the opposite effect. This, Sir, will be the work of an administration liki' yours, as enlightened ri'speet- ing the interests and the true methods to be adopted for the progress of the county as it is (b-sirous of i)romotinir the former and of giving to the latter all tin? force and impetus vyhich they require 1 have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedi(Uit servant, (Signed) AllTIIUR BUIES. 49-1 69* CARTE ACCOMPAQNANT . Les Rapports de m. Arthur Buies 68* SUR LES COMT^S OE RiMOUSKI ET MaTANE Ml'" jfrMfm n m/iiflfs tiktiit 10 3 O t-i ^ 1-1 .^ »■ I I ii ECHELLE OE MiLLES ANaUAIS 10 to ^ ^Chemin j>E Fer PROJETt DE MATANE I /' ■yotiuikitninu 4 I WTN. NonriCM.. ^^ :*"" /,.,//■« Islin j"lW(W/!r//«///'!i w/ luwitiiihlo pom '^'^ tli-t hiiloawv \iitil'i"''r.JiSf^Jlt ' :;'■■/■'" 'III h^rT'^.^— VV'W^' ! ' _-,—-— ^ , ■ OF I^lKssHS H. A. Ti:U(U:()X AND C. E. DAMOUES ON CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTIES OF TEMISCOUATA AND EIMOUSKI COLlXTV of TEM1H]0UATA. Houorablo J. A.. Ciiapleau, Prcinior and Corainissiouor of Aijriciilture and Public "Works. In obodionoo to instructions Troni thn Dcpartmont of Agriculturt^ and Public Works, I proci'cded, on the 12th March last, to the county of Temis- couata to asciTtain the feasibility of openinj; a road from the last settle- ments of the Colonization Society No. 1 of Temiscouata, in Beiron, to Green. River, in the Province of New-Brunswick, and 1 have the honour to submit the following report: The road having been asked for at the same time by His Lordship the Uishoj) of Uiinouski and the nn'mber for the county of Temiscouata, I considered that means should be found to make it pass as clo.^e to the line as possible so that it might serve as a main colonization road for both these counties at the same time. Consequently, on leaving the road of the Temiscouata Coloniza- tion Society, and after following the Raudot central road, along almost its entire length. I at once jiroceeded to the lini' dividing the two (H)unties wliich I reached at lake 8t. John. The distance from the Itaudot road to lake St. John is about nin(> miles, over seven of which a road can be easily made through splendid lands with forests consisting chielly of maple and black l>irch. Tht> last two miles are swampy but Bti!l a road can easily be made. On leaving lake St. John and taking a south-easterly direction, following the line as closely as possible, we find about a mile or two of rather steep hills before we reach a splendid plateau of maple groves, which seems to <'xtend to a considerable distance in l)oth counties. Krotn the Touiarli river to a point two Tuih's beyond the line of liiencoiart. in IvMniouski. there is no serious obstacle to the constnicliitn (tf a colonization road, almost in a straight lint', and these six or seven '.Tiiles are covered for the most i>art with tall hard- wood trees, which indicate that the soil is rich and with but little rock At this point, that is about two miles from tin' line of liiencourt. we cross an extent of liA'e or six miles where the soil is not so well adapted for cultivation and where the mountains and steep ravines would ])resent more obstacles to the construction of a road in a straight line, llowever, the hills, ihouuh steep, are not lonu' and can b- easily turned without greatly increasing th<' cost ol the road. There is a good deal runsv.'iek, before reaching (Ireen lliver, where the division line bi'lwein the two counties of Kimonski and Temiscouata would touch, if prolonged as I'ar as lliat rivt-r. In New Ijrnnswick, on the ?)orih baiik of Grreen TJiver, as far as the lirsi sv'tllements iind even as far as ihe Mathiwaska River, there are very high mountains, but their sides liave lonur and licnile ^ilopes ; hard-wof)d tn-es, maple esiiicially, ]->redominate on these last twenty-iive niileK and, as in the Province of Quel)ec, there is a great deal oi' cedar on the bottom lands. llel'ore concludinii", I wonld observe that the two miles of hills alter leavinu' lake >^t. John, as well as the two miles ol swamj) before reaching there, might be easily avoided by 'ontinuinii' the liaudot central road, in a south-westerly direction, to wh<'re it would meet a natural ]>ass which is said to exist in a ravine at a short distance from that spot, and afterwards taking an obli(juc and south-easlcrly to 40 miles in length from the Baudot c«'ntral road to the fronti,-r of New-lirunswick. and I have no hesitation in saying that it would open up to eoloni/.ation a vast area exceptionally well adapti d lor cultivation, but the trreat (tost of the road, which 1 would not estimate at less than $000 jier mile, including bridu'cs and culverts, pri'vents my recommending the uiulertaking to the Govern- ment before ascertaining to what extent the two counties, who will derive so much beneiit from it, would be ju-epared to contribute towards the cost of the work. The whole respectfully submitted, (Signed) II. A. TUKGEON. Assislnnt-Tiireetor of Colonization. Quebec, 8th April, 1881. (True eopy.) II. A. TUlKiJ'ON. 49 '»ESCR1PTI0N OF A i'OUTIO?^ OF THE INTERIOR PLATEA-U OF THE ALLEGIIANIES. A VAST KR(JION TO 15E SETTLED. 1,280,000 acres of very fertile f(inuin<^' Uvid in llti: counties of 'leinisroiiafa and RimoHslti. Behind the ohiiin f)f th(^ Allcyhiiiiics, \vhosi> (n-cst is outliiuid al)OVO the towu ol' St. Gcrniiiiii dc lliitiouski Jiiul ;idjoiniH<>' villnii'cs, there is a depression fomiiiiii' an interior ])latean, hounded \o th(! south hy a range of hills whieh follows the Irontier liiu' ol' the Province. This plateau, on a level ^vilh the ui)per pi^rtion ol' the great rivers of this region, is iutcrseeled hy beaulil'ul lakes and rivers and covered with densi' fon sis. It, extends AVi'stwardly to tin- mountains around lake Toraiscouata. The rivers whieh take ris»i in it are : the Mtitis, Rimouski and Trois- Pistoles, which cut through the whole chain of the AUeghaiiies in deep gorges and fall into the 8t. Lawrence ; the Patapcdia, which Hows towards the south, the Squateck, des ' )utres and Eagle rivers, \vhich How into lake Teniiscniiata. hy t,he river Touladi. The principal lakes are laki's Metis, h'imouski. Patapedia, des Outres, Eagle, St. John and tin* four Sqnateck lakes ThiMuost comnion kiiuls of trees an' maple, black and white birch, elm and willow ; there are also white and red pine, grey, black and red spruce, cedar and fir. Hard- wood trees are so abundant that Ihey have given to the region the name of " i^-rande lisiire dea liois francs, " (wide strip of hard-wood timber.) This interior plateau, closed in on all sides by a dense chain of moun- tains over whiih no road passes, is accessible only by means of the rivers whose beds are often obstructed, making canoe navigation dillii;ult and slow. The rivers which How into lake Tomiscouata are comparatively easy of navigation ; they constitute the ordinary rout(> of the conreiirs des hois. It is by their means that we will jienetrate into this portion of our Pro- vim-e, where the a.\e of the s.tiler has, as yet, awakened no echoes. In iht! <'ounty of Temiseou;ita, the main axis of the Alleghany chain deviates to the south towards the American frontier. At a distance of thirty miles from the St. Lawrence, along blue streak appears in llie midst of the mountains. This is lake Temiscouata, whose bed lies in the l»osom (d' the Alleu-iuinies, with very irregular and caprici- ous shores. Here it sto[)s at the foot of a giant i)eak, further on it stretches 4 50 to the bottom of a dicp bay. The peaks, forming vciy advaiic'd poiiits, approach so closely to both shon's that only oni'-half tlu' surlaci' of tlu' lake can bo seen. In the bays wht-re the mountains arc not so iiisih and have more gentle slojvs, they jn-esenl an ajiiJeiiiinice of raniparts of verdure or heniieych ;s risinj!' in amphitheatre up to tii,' cresl. clt arly and sharply outlined against the blue &ky. On the west shore of the lake are two pretty village.s built on the slope of the hills, Cabano and Notre-Danu^ Thi're is a church at Notre-Dame, and on ;; line summer's evMiin!'-, when thi' A/i<>('lits rings, the .silvery sounds of the bell are echoed lonir luid far away by the mountains. At that hour the lake looks like a long ribbon, black, silvery and rose-colouicd, assuming close by the dark shade of the shore, and in the centre the silvery and rose-coloured tints ol a cloudless sky, in which linger the l;isl r;iys ol' the setting sun. The river Touladi is on the east side of lake Temiseouata. It Hows through the mountains in deep gorges and falls evenly and gently into the lake. As far as the first lake Touladi. a disianci' of about four miles, the current is rapid and in some phices canoe navigation is di(li( ult. The steej) b:iuks ol the river, the u-reyish roeks piled one on the other, show that we are pai-sing through an iiihesiiilable reii'ioii ; human activity has not yet penetrated there and all is irloom and silenee. It seems as if Nature had wished to hem in wiih diltieulr barriers a j)rivileged corner of earth so that man would really have to con«iner ii. The Touladi lakes, which are respectively ciillcd •' Crreat lake Touhi ■ di " and "Little lake Touladi," are property sjieakiiur but one, whose two parts are connected by a pass which a uroup of islands divides into a number of narrow channels. Thes^ islands, coversistent over trees and water, wilh tile I'oolnesv; of the evening" and call ujion niu'ht to appear; thi're, (he riv"r. inriiinii- a])rnplly to the south, allows I'l ■ ia-^t rays oi' the setting sua V(> streleli in ionu' luminous streaks upon both banks. The riviM's Squat eek. I'^agle and ilrx Otitr^s fall into the Riiuire ilea Fjiik.v. Morlrx. at a [)la'(^ c, tiled the '• I'^orks," eight miles from tho Touladi lakes. At the Forks, we are in the midst of a fine level country; not a mountain or hill breaks, to an appreciable degree. th(* uniformity of tho. l)lain. (.)n the hiMizDn th" ey,' s ■■■s the bnixndary of the great forest, and an illusion is caus.'d wliieh is i'ar from the reality. In the siliMif,' n\' ihi^ slei-piug forest, one is struck with mut(> admira- tion in j)res.'iice of I he savaixe bi'auly aroiind him. The sky is perfet-tly cle;ir. theairis pi ';i>.iii; ly warm. On the slumb'Ting waters, th"ri3 is not a brv-ath to wriukf th"ir surfec. and, in tho forest, there is not a voice, not a cry. lo di>i,uii) th- silen/»' of the night which falls giMitly aiul p 'ace- fuUv over sluuib'r-sei'kiiig Nature. I'agle river takes its source in liagle lake. It Hows through a dense forest over a bed of alluvial soil of incomparable fertility. Ill several places the branches of tho trees iiit'-rlock above tho traiu|uil waters and cover iii-'in with a dome of foliage. I'iagle lake ree 'ives the waters of tho 8t. John river, which takes its risi' ill lake Si. .lolui, in the tovvnshii> of Kaudot. which adjoins tho parish of St. Jean de IIk-u, in the county of Temiscouata. This lake euts I ransversely the main axis of the All(\ghany chain; n"Verlh''li'ss the land around it is levid and lertile. The mountain^ have sulfcred more lr(>m erosion h'-n^ than anywhere {•\s'\ K'ockv mass s removed by the action of water and atm(»spheric ag'iits, have giv n place to a line alluvial plateau, in which are situated lake St. .loliii. hir il Id Sail I'd iTf^Kc and the seven lakes of the Trois-l'istolcs river. The latter with its tributary, the riviT IJoisbuscacho, have assisted in thij transformation. The Trois-Tistolcs river, cutting its channel through tho chain of tho Allegluinies. formed, as the lands of the Champlain fornuition emerged 52 from thti bnl of the- Octv'iii. an tininterrnptod series of platoaus risiuij one abovn the other iu tho form of terraces. It is v.'vy important to have an easy passasre throiiiih tho mountains, and Ihi' Trois-Pisioles river offers an excellent om*. This s'ries of terraces forms a lonir strip of arable land which con- nects the rich nlluvial lauds of Trois-Tislolcs with the interior plateau of the Alleq-haiiies, and allows a lonii: contiiuious line of dwellings to be built as far the good farming country. 8ettl(>rs, on the north side of the mountains, will, consequently, not be isohited. The parish of Trois-Pistoh\s has opened th" township of Begon (St. Jean (If Dicii.) The township of Hogon. iu its turn sends settlers further south to the banks of the rivers U()is])uscac'ae and Trois-i istoles. All that has to be done now is to push on the movement in order to obtain wonderful ri'.sults. The slightest step in that direction would be fruit- ful. It would cost but littli' to open a good road to tlie first lake iSquat(M'k ; no one in Trois-Pistoles and St. Jean d" Disu^ ignores what a b'-neficial effect it would have. Thi' n'n'n-f f/es Oufrra (;omes from ih(» east. It takes its rise beyond the lac (Ifn Oiilrf^, ei.;hteeu miles from the Touladi river, in a straight line. It Hows slowly over a shallow ;iud reyular bed. Its waters are remarkably clejvr and very pleasant to the taste. AH the ("ountry watered by this river and the ^ast anst, has been repeated here, 58 If tho Alleghanics could bt' coinpun-d to llu? Ivocky Mouulsiins this supposition would b(' still iiioro prohiiblc Still, Nature did not oriirinully give our mountains the shape they now havi'. l"]rosion and the work ol' centuries hav(^ considerably modilied them. Af^es ayo there was a time when the AUefrhaiiies had ])eaks attaininir a, height ol' '2,000 leet. il" we may Judge by the immense synelnal strata whii-h now Ibrm seyiM-al summits ol" considerable heif^ht. Who knows what giant lal)0ur was accomplihhed in this chain, all ol' whose summits are greatly worn by erosion and perhaps also by a con- tinental glacier ? What were the imm»>use waves of an unknown ocean which xindixlated the hills and left everlasting traces ? No one knows. On the eastern shore of Sugar-loaf lake, there is an isolated conica^ rock rising to a heiuht ol' nearly 1,500 feet This is the Squateck o^' Sugar-loaf mountain, the only mass of rock in that region. Nature seems to have placed it there to serve as a point of ob.serval ion. Irom the sum- mit of th(> mountain one sees on all sides an immeiise forest with lakes here and there reliectiiiii- the sky. The view is so liui' that the traveller is always enchanted with it. To the west of the mountain we see the calm surl'ace of Sugar-loaf lake, the gently sloping hills of the other shore, and the forest draped with the sombre verdure of resinous trees or with the fresh liiid tender tints of the maple leaf. All the meajulerings of tlie river Squateck, all the sinuosities of the lakes are visible to us. l'"uilhi'r on we sec the gaps made by tlie rii'iire (Ifs Kaux Mortes through a forest of elms, the Touladi lakes and the formidable declivity in the midst of hiuh peaks where like Tnniscouata spreads out in all its majestii' urandeur. To the south we see the river Squateck. the hills ol Giniul hie Squateck, the immense and unbrnken i'orest and, linally. almost lost in the a:':ure sky, the pale outline otthe hill;-, which form i he soiiihen! boxindary of tin- riovin<'e. To the north the eye wanders over a vast plain intersected by rivers and lakes, and r 'sts only on the gai)s in the Alleghanies through which Hows tiie Trois-l'istoles river. Here and there we observe si is'lit undulations, whose pile blue colour, itulicating the proximity of sheets of water, contrasts sirongly with the usual tints of the foresi. To the north-east lies lac ilea Oiilrra, in the centre of a fine level coun- try. Although l.i miles away, the lake scnis closi- by. so vast and h'vel is the plain over which we look. r)4 Fiir oil", ill tile sanii' diri'dion, li-s :i scnVs nl' hills iiilcTiuiiiirh'd with hikes and rivers : hiUi-s Trout, drs itard.'s, Tiichi''. iScc. tin' rivers liiinouski. Little riiirioiiski. Tessier, iVe., ;iiul I'mllier iiwiiy, "ii th;' outliii' of tli.; crest ol'the Alh^'^'haiiie^;. the moiiulain ol' Ste IJliuidiiK' and Mount C'ouiis show up ag-aiu.st the blue sky. To the east th- view is bounded only by tin- hills around Lake ^Irtis, ;")5 miles away We have had a u'linijise oC tiie 'j;r(i,iiu])ose of allnwiiiu' a I'urrow to be ])loU'^,'l ,1. Til -!)liMidid jiine aloiiLT the lakes and the rivrs ,M|uateek and des ()ntr:s has disappeared; it has bem lak'H down the riv.-rs asiaras Maine, where it has been unscrupulously sold as eomiuu'' Ironi the Aineriean forests, wi'hout a ci-nt l»einu' |)aid to us. <)\rr 14,Oni).(lO(l l',.(>t of pin,- have been eui oil tile shore.>< o| fac dis O/i/rcs. Sneli a iiilla.ye will no loni>"er be po;-sible in future, thanks tothe viy'iianefor the National (.lovi'rnuient. F'rom the summit ol I he S(|Uiiteik niouiitnin. we eannol look at the iuimeiise forest without thinkinu" that in it tlicri' is p ■rli:i|>s a sullieient means ol arrest in "• th • national evil. emjuTal !• m. which threatens to b. come .serious in th" counti(«s ot Temiseoiiata and Uimoiiski. When this region shall be opciiid up to colonization, when roads shall be mad-' everywhere, from t he old seiMiiii,,i-i,.s to the centre of the Alleii-hany [)lateau ;_ when ;o to spend their eiiern'y and lives on a forciii'ii soil, in the jioisoned atmosphere of factories, will have the ambition to creat ■ a home for ih 'inselv ■,•; n.'-w the St. Law- rence and near their familic.s, and they will I'litei- the I'j.rest clieerfuUy, with a warm feeling in their hearts for Canada, their count iv- This fin»i rei^ion is (dose to tlu' 81. Lawrence, near the old parishes and yet how is it that our surplus [)opulation has not gon • there i It is l»i'ciin.si' Uii' chain ol" lln' AUt'i:>'liaiiii's. vuiiniiij^' along' the St. Lawrence, has left a narrow strip ol' aral)l'' laud. oiilsitU' oi' which we find only niouutai-'is, hills a)ul narrow A'allcys. It is (jnitc trui' thai soiac ol' ili.'s" viilh'ys may bi' oultiA'atcd with adva)i(im-(' ; but th< y arc all parallel to ilic main axis ot'thc chain, so that owino- to the method ol' divitliii'j;' land, thcri' is not sulliiicnt iu 100 acres to provide subsistence for a liiri^e tainily. Several small parish( s have be»Mi roriued in the )no\intains, amongst others Ste. liliindiiie. St. Naerieii, Ste. [''rancoise, St. Francois-Xavier, St. Paul de la Croix and St. Iloiiore. It is true that the soil is suitable for cultivation, ])ut it is rocky and dilli'tilt to <'iear and thus discourages settlers. 11" they had u'one I'urtiier south, beyond the huire masses oi' rock, they would liave i'ound :; lin. i)la;eau coveri'd with hardwood trees, a rich soil. Tree Irom rocks and ( asy to clear. They wi>uld live there in comlbrt and we Would not have the sorrow oi' seeing them leave their country to go to the United States. And yet we must not bliuu', but jnty them. They knew that a lew mih\s to the south tlic soil was rich, but there were no roads to iio there, and tiny wen' (oo poor to make any. It is a dream impossible ol' realization lor :i settler, who has already spent one liair oi' his lit" and ene;gy u]>on an uuLi'ratei'ul soil from which he has derived just i nouffh lo keep him I'ne.n dyini;' (d" hunger, to venture alone ihre.uiili a cliain oi' moiinlains i'ar Irom his I'ellow creatures It is us''le.sts lor him to arouse his patriotism ann birth to enthousiasm and to .tho.se c(lel)raled words spoki-n by a Minister, Hon. Mr. Duhamel : " 'Ike las/ pine in our foirx/s shall he. sarri/irrt/ Jor our sflllers."' Nevertheless, the po]iulation of tht old ])arishes of the counties of Tcmiseouaia and liimouski is increasinir, as the births greatly exct^-d the deaths. It is painful to say so, but all thi> families have some of their mem- bers in the LInited States. Our vouim' men think that there is nothing wmmA H UMQUI ji'Tljy".-.." \.- /Kh? ,i!iFf^ V'l y I *;^f ^ 66 hero to salisty lln'ir ambilion. Tli>'y arc mistiikoi. If they know the woalth fonliiiii.'d in Iho interior plateau nfllic Allt'i>'hanifs, they would not hcsiiatc in I heir elioice. lUii to niak" tliom ai;(|niiinti'd with this wealth we must at least be able to show them a road leading to it through the mountains. ir we mude '.rood roads to tlnit region we woubl perhaps induce our surplus populalii)!. which escapes us each year to go there. The ]>roje(t is wortly of execution. It is not much to risk a lew hundreds of dollars when we hiive the i)rospect of a national fortune. And if we attain the desiriul result, in some years, owin<;to the producinj^ powers of our race, the sons ol the hirmers of the counties of Temiscouata and Kimoiiski will have founded 20 or {>0 l''reiich Canadian parishes in the forest. Then, from the summit of the S(iuate wealth and beauty are as ye! unknown. Beyond the mountains, shuttiiur in the horizon on all sides, man moves about, opens roads, builds railways and towns, while in thel»osoui of this immense forest, there is nauii'ht but the silent calm of the ibrest under a jiure and i-cnial sky. (Signed), C. K DAM0UK8, True copy, II. A.TURGEON. ♦ \