IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 SfKA Ui l^^s 111 Bill 122 1.1 f.-^Ks ^ Fhoiogmphic CoqxiFatiQn 23 WMT MAM klMIT WM6TIR.N.Y. 14StO J CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHiVI/iCIVlH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institiita for Historical IMieroraproductiont / Institut Canadian da microraproductions liiatoriquat Tachnical and Biblio^irtphic Not««/Not*« tachniquM at MMiographiquas Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha boat original copy availabia for filming. 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Thia itam la fllmad at tha raduetton ratk» ehaofcad balow/ Ca document aat fUn)* au taux da r*duetion ktdkfuA ol daaae u a. 10X MX ItX y 12X ItX anx MX »x lilt lu Jifiar in* «0« The copy filmed hars has b««n reproduced thenke to the generoaity of: Library of the Public Archive* of Canada The imagae appearing here are the beat quality poaaibla conaMering th«i vtondMon and legibility of the original copy antf In keeping with the filming contract apacHycatlona. L'exemplaire f llmA f ut reproduit grice A la gtoiroaitA do: La bibliothAque des Archive* publique* du Cenada Lee image* *uhrante* ont 4t4 reproduite* avac la plu* grand *oin, eompta tenu de la condition at de le netteti de rexemplaire film*, et en conformity avac le*' condition* du contrat d* fHmage. Original eoplea In printed paper cover* are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the leat page with e printed or illuatralM Imprae- *ion, or the back cover virhen appropriate. 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Mapa, platea, charta, etc.. may be filmed et different reduction ratioa. thoiie too lerge to be entirely inchided In one exp^ure ere filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right end top to bottom, ae many framee aa required. The folkiwing dlegrama Htuatrate the method: Lea cartea. planchea, tableaux, etc.. peuvent *tre fiim*e * dee teux de r*duction dlff*rent*. Lor*que le document eet trop grend pour Atre reproduit en un *eul elich*. II eet film* * pertir de I'engle *up*rleur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de heut en bee. en prenent le nombre d'imagea n*ceaaaire. Lee diagrammea auivant* IHuatrent ki m*thode. ate »lure. 1 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 Al BY C'ett 1 rce et 1 TheF lezico I PUBLIE FEW OBSERVATIONS UPON THE :»••;*. ■:i ^ '-n VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF OUR NORTH [AMERICAN COLONIES. m s *^ .'\..t . .■.? BY LIEUT.-COLONEL OLDFIELD, K.H., CORPS OF ROYAL ENGINEERS. C'ett le nombre du peuple, et I'abondance dm aliment, qui formaut la traia rce et la vraie richesse d'un royaume. FThe Fisherieaof Newfoandland are mines of wealth superior to those of lezico and Peru.— Abbb Batmal. U.tm ■f LONDON 8 [UBLISHBD BY P. PINKNEY, AT T»E MILITARY LIBRARY, (LATE EGERTON'S), NEAR WHITEHALL. 1838. '•b. .■- -1, . ill ^ 'i ■f***^ ■' t'Md-^-ft'^' ■'^^' ' 1 -. , i.% '•» sN »i !.- i i-. PgiMTiB IT P. Path. A FEW OBSERVATIONS UrOM OUB NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES. The assertion that our North American colonies are a burthen and expence, rather than an advantage to the mother country, has been so frequently made, that it appears to have gained some degree of credit ; a few facts which I propose to state in the following pages, may possibly tend, in some slight degree to dissipate this illusion. * ^ ^ t It is true that Her Majesty's North American pos- sessions do not afford the same pecuniary advantages, as Her West Indian colonies, yet they are not deficient in this point ; but it is, as connected with our maritime prosperity, that they are of the greatest value, and of the most vital importance to Great Britain. It must be remembered, that previous to the loss of Canada, France was enabled to contend with us at sea, with a force, somewhat approximating to- wards an equality, from the period of her losing Canada, her naval power has gradually declined, a second and almost death blow was given to it, by the loss of St. Domingo, which valuable colony gave employment to fully ten thousand seamen, and may serve as a warning to us, with respect to our vVest Indian islands, whose prosperity is closely allied to that of our North American provinces. Napoleon had ships in abundance, but he wanted sailors, when we entered Antwerp in the year 1814, thirty-three sail of the line, were on the stocks, several more in the basin, and others afloat in the Scheldt ; it was easy to build ships, but to man them was a much more difficult task. Aware of the impossibility of maintaining a military, without possessing a com- mercial navy, France has never failed to use her ut- most endeavours to fuster tlie latter, regardless of ex pence. Before Jacques Cartier entered the St. Lawrence in 1534, France had sent her ships to take cod on the banks of Newfoundland ; subsequent to the loss of Canada, additional encouragement was given to the fishery, which in 1775, employed five hundred and sixty -four vessels, and twenty-seven thousand seamen ; the value of the trade was calcu- lated at one million sterling; and the extent of the fishery, enabled France in the American war, to con- test with us tbe sovereignty of the sea. After tlic peace of 1783, the French fishery declined, and with the fishery the French marine. Since the treaty of Paris of 1816, the Government of France alive to the importance of the Newfoundland fishery, as a nursery for her navy, has supported it by consider- able bounties, amounting in some years to <£60,000. However, extravagant this method may appear, of forming a marine, it is certainly more economical than that which Napoleon adopted from necessity, of training his sailors, in ships of war, and supporting them in this unproductive labour, entirely at the expence of the public. ' ^ ^^ ^ ' ' Mr. Bliss in his interesting pamphlet, on the colo- nial system, tells us, that the number of seamen em- ployed by the French in their Newfoundland fishery, exceeds one half of the whole number employed in her commercial marine. . r :1 . '' :* *« ♦; Of the importance attached by France, to her i North American colonies, we have a proof^ in the immense sums expended on the fortifications of Louisburgh, in the island of Cape Breton, which is- land was occupied by the French, in the year 1713, during the regency of the Duke of Orleans. "^ Raynal tells us, " the necessity of bringing stone [from Europe, and other materials proper for these 6 great works, sometimes retarded (heir progrcii, but never made them to be discontinued ; more than thirty million i of francs, or j6li250,000 stg. were ex- pended on them. This was not thought too great a sum for the support of the fisheries, for securing the communication between France and Canada, and for obtaining a security or retreat to ships of war coming from the southern islands ; nature and policy required that the riches of the south should be protected by the strength of the north." The conquest of Cape Breton by the British, in 1745, was considered a most valuable acquisition ; it was restored to France at the peace of Aiz-la-Chapelle in 1748 ; and again captured by the English in 1758 ; after the conquest of Canada, in 1759, Cape Breton lost its importance, in a military point of view ; the expensive fortifications were destroyed, and a quan- tity of fine free stone, imported from France for the construction of the works, was, as recently as the period from 1811 to 1814, sent to Newfoundland for some defences proposed to be erected on Signal Hill, the progress of which was suspended at the peace in 1815. Should however, at any future period, the Canadas be severed from the British Empire, Cape Breton would resume its military importance, and its commercial consequence which is now consi- derablo would be greatly enhanced. Its valuable coal mines, and agricultural produce, render it at all times, a possession of much importance ; the first as furnishing an abundant supply of excellent fuel, for our steam vessels ; and the last as affording provi- sions for our West Indian colonies, and Newfoundland fishery, for it must be observed, that Newfoundland, although of such value to Great Britain, as a fishing station and as a nursery for sailors, is almost entirely dependent on external resources for the subsistence of its inhabitants. The island produces little more than a precarious crop of potatoes, hay not sufficient for the small number of cattle on the island, oats, cut green, and used as fodder, and a few vegetables. Newfoundland has an increasing population, con- sisting at present, of probably not less than 70,000 ; in 1786, when Mr, Jenkinson (afterwards Lord Liver- pool) brought forward a proposition for regulating the fisheries of Newfoundland, an object at that mo- ment doubly interesting from the then recent loss of so many of our trans-atlantic colonies, in a speech in which he evinced a profound knowledge of his subject, he pointed out the unfitness of this island for colonization, and the injury to be apprehended to our fisheries by colonizing it. However, sterile may be th« soil, and inhospitAble tho climate, Uie value of Vl > •yf'p-'-.J' iT' iJ»»(*H!?*-Hfc-'-' ■ *^D** ^'('i ')* this possession to Great Britain, cannot for one mo- ment be questioned : this island has been justly termed the asylum, and defence of thecodfisheryjts consequence to a maritime and commercial nation* whose natural defence in her navy is incalculable. The exports of Newfoundland, consist of fish, oil, seal skins, and a few furs ; in some of the bays, remote from St. John's, a small quantity of timber iscutfor ship buildin*?, - .. .i!> z ,;„■ The value of the exports in 1834, the year preced- ing that in which I left the colony was £826,659 8s. lOd., of the imports jB6l 8,757 2s. 4d„ the tonnage outwards, '•<' '' •-■-■■-'■> ' - " <•>••- ••->* ••- Ships. Tons. Men. BriUsh 852 75,394 5,727 Foreign 21 3,028 168 Total ."873 78,422 5,895" the tonnage inwards. Ships. * Tons. Men. British 888 105,570 6,993 Foreign .20 2,978 157 , Total 908 108,548 6,150 An increasing branch of comnerce, is that of the seal fishery. In 1796, a publication in speaking of the increasing importance of the seal fishery, in Newfoundland, states, that " 4,000 seal skins were exported," in 1831, 604,000 aealswerr taken. Inl835, from the port of St. John's, 126 vessels, of 14,167 tons, and with 2,912 men, went to the setil fishery, and from the out harbours, about two hundred sail of vessels, with tonnage and men in proportion. To say more of Newfoundland, would oblige me to ex« tend the limits I have prescribed to myself, in this pamphlet, but I think I have sufficiently proved its value and importance to Great Britain, and I shall only add, that its position at the mouth of the St. Lawrence, with the occupation of Cape Breton and Prince Edward's Island, will always ensure to us the command of the entrance to that river. • The value of Prince Edward's Island is great, not only from its position, but from the richness of its soil, and its agricultural produce, which renders it capable of affording considerable supplies to our West India Islands and Newfoundland Fisheries. The idea that the Canadas have been productive of a heavy expense to Great Britain, is erroneous; economy has been the order of the day, in these, as well ds in the other North American Provinces ; but perhaps more particularly so in the Canadas and in Cape Breton. The local government of the latter having, to save expence, been merged in that of Nova Scotia. *< «-/'; In the Canadas, the only expensive public work, ifjgKP^ 10 lil undertaken by the British Government, has l)een that of the Rideau Canal, the merits of which have been discussed and decided upon by Parliaiaent ; the French fortified Quebec, built the Chateau of St. Louis, the Jesuit's College, tlie Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, and the Seminary at Quebec, the Cathedral, Hotel Dieu, and the Seminary at Montreal, with other public establishments at both places. Fort Anne, at Annapolis, the former capital of Acadia (as the Province of Nova Scotia was called by the French), was a much more expensively constructed work, than any in my time in Nova Scotia, or I believe since ; the free stone of which the magazine was built, is said to have come from France ; it is similar to that which I saw at St. Johns. Newfoundland, which had been removed from Louisbourgli. in the year 1832, the actual cost of all the military and ordnance establishments in British North America, including the public works, amounted only to £351,819 4s. lid. In the year 1830, of the shipping employed in the trade of the United Kingdom, more than two fifths of the tonnage of the outward bound was to British North America, and of the homeward bound nearly one half. The value of the imports into the United Kingdom from British 11 North America for that year, was jg 1,1 19,046 3s. 7cl. of exports, 2,261,979 17s. Id., exclusive of the imports to Great Britain, the North American Colonies, and especially Newfoundland, have a considerable colonial and foreign trade ; the latter to Portugal, the Mediterranean, South America, &c. The consumption of our manufactures and colonial produce exported in British bottoms by a rapidly increasing population of a million and a half of British subjects, is of no small moment : it has been stated by those who hold that we derive no advantage from our North American Colonies, that the inhabi- tants of the United States consume more of our manufactures than they did when they were Colonies of Great Britain : this circumstance is brought for- ward as a proof of the inutility of our Colonies : and that the consumption of our manufactures would rl- ways be insured by their superiority and cheapness in comparison with other countries, and that we should have an equal trade with the Canadas if dismembered from Great Britain, without the expense of their government ; it may be answered, that the additional demand from the United States arises from her increase of population, and consequent demand for necessaries, as also from the increase of wealth, and the numerous wants arising therefrom, that had the fi 12 United States remained as part of British America, the demand would have been greater, as her supplies from other sources would have been less, and more- over, in place of importing these supplies in Ame- rican vessels, much the largest portion of them would have reached the colonies in British bottoms, tliere- by benefitting the shipping interest, and above all, our nursery for seamen, consequently, were our re- maining North American Provinces, either to become independant, or to become a portion of the United States, it may be inferred that our trade, manufac- tures, commercial and military navy, must inevitably sutler. ^ ' * ' The timber trade of our North American colonies, is one of very considerable importance, for although the superiority of the Baltic timber, is not disputed, yet it must be remembered, that any difference with the Northern powers might close the Baltic upon us, in which case, we should be thrown back upon our own resources, and must then look to the Canadas, and New Brunswick, for a large portion of our sup- plies ; the effect also which our North American timber trade has had in reducing the price of the Baltic Umber, must not be lost sight of. In 1831, the value of the produce of our American forests, exported to different parts of the world, exceeded 13 one million sterling ; exclusive of the fur trade. In New Brunswick, ship building is carried on to some extent, and from this province, also a conside- rable portion of the timber is exported. Amongst the branches of Canadian commerce, is to bo reckoned the fur trade, the value of which, in 1831, exceeded 200,000 The Mineral productions of our North American Provinces, are of considerable importance. The island of Cape Breton, the neighbourhood of Pictou, in Nova Scotia, the country between the Gulph of St. Lawrence, and the River St. John's, in New Brunswick, and the district of Gaspe, in Lower Canada, contain beds of coal, of great extent : coal is said to exist in Newfoundland, and it seems highly probable, that the stratum of coal which is worked in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, extends to that island ; these mines area source of great and increas- ing wealth, and will probably ere long afford the principal supply of the Eastern part of the United States, as well as our own provinces. In Upper and Lower Canada, iron mines are working, indications of this ore have appeared in our other colonies ; oopper and lead, are said to exist ; by an official minute, I saw in Newfoundland, dated 16th Sept. 1757, it would seem a copper mine was then open at Petty Harbour, in that island ; gypsum and i? 14 grindstones, have long been articles of export from Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, the former, and red ochre are found in Newfoundland. Lime stone exists in Newfoundland, but has not been burnt to any extent ; excellent free stone is quarried in Nova Scotia, and good building stone in the other colonies. Salt springs exist in Upper Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland ; in New Brunswick, specimens of rock salt are said to have been here found ; Manganese is an article of export from the latter Province. ;....... > In Agriculture, all our American colonies, with the exception of Newfoundland, are highly produc- tive ; the value of the exports under this head in the year 1831, was £656,584 19s. 2d. The population in British North America, which was in 1806, only 480,000, in 1832, was 1,204,000. Its increase since that period has been rapid ; the emigrants who have gone to British America, have settled there, with a full persuasion that the property invested in their adopted country, was guaranteed by the parent state, the question might consequently arise, whether injustice to these settlers we could abandon our North American Possessions, without giving them a recompence ; such at least as was granted to the Royalists, whQ quitted the United 15 States, when that country was severed from Great Britain— many of these Royalists settled in the British Provinces, where their descendants now remain. The militia of our American colonies, has been calculated at upwards of one hundred thousand, the loyalty and efficiency of this force has been proved by the good service they performed in repelling the invasion of the Americans in the last war, as well as by their having during the late insurrection, without the assistance of the military, foiled the attempts of the rebels in Upper Canada. The importance of Halifax, as a naval station, in connection with our transatlantic possessions, has, we believe, never been questioned ; the harbour is always open, it is only 220 miles from Boston ; across the peninsula of Nova Scotia, to Annapolis, the distance distance is 133 miles, from Annapolis to Digby by water through the Basin, is 18 miles, by land 21 , from Digby to St. John's, New Brunswick, 45 miles, from thence to Kamarouska, on the south bank of the St. Lawrence, 315 miles* making the whole distance from Halifax, to the banks of the St. Lawrence, something more than 500 miles. In Nova Scotia, the roads are good ; from St. John's to Fredericton, 90 miles, the communication is easy ; either by the river or the roads, on its banks, ■ h 16 If from thence the remaining 225 miles, it is more diffi- cult, but has doubtless, much improved since I left the Province. The territory claimed by the Americans under the treaty of Ghent, interferes with our communication between Fredericton and Canada ; it brings the Americans within a few miles of the St. Lawrence, about 100 miles below Quebec ; if it should be decided to relinquish this territory, we must establish a com- munication more to the eastward, by Kamarousky, on the St. Lawrence, the Bay of Chaleurs, Miramichi, Dorchester, Court-House, and so across the penin- sula of Nova Scotia to Halifiu. It is unfortunate the boundary question has not been arranged ; nothing now remains but to do it speedily and in good faith ; the straight forward bearing of the American government, with respect to the late insurrection in the Canadas, is an additional inducement to settle the question with that amicable feeling it is so essential to preserve between the two countries. The fishing boundaries upon the coast of New- foundland should also be adjusted ; they have been a source of dispute from the time of Louis XIV.^ as appears by onr dechmtion of war against that Monarch in 1689, when one of the grievaiiees was 17 the encroachment of tne French on our Newfound- land fisheries ; to attempt to discuss this question, would be foreign to our present purpose, which is merely an humble attempt to undeceive those w'.^o unfortunately imagine our transatlantic possessions are a burthen rather than an advantage to the state. The memorandum from which these notes have been extracted, were made during a residence in the North American Colonies on military duty ; they claim no merit but tliat of being perfectly free from political feeling or party prejudice, and of coming from the pen of one who has no personal connection with ships, colonies, or commerce ; and, consequently, can have no interest in the question beyond that of every loyal subject of Her Majesty, and of every well wisher for the prosperity of his country ; to do justice to so important a subject, would require a much abler pen, and a knowledge of the full advantages of the several branches of commerce, which have been cursorily alluded to. FINIS. '^, ■■- ) ^■.^ '> ■. ;■,,.„; # A;''''> ^ „ ■iiiS^\:-'b^