Pine Forests and Hacmatack Clearings: or, Travel, life, and adventure in the British North American Provinces

Preface

. The prevailing features of the northern division of the British North American Continent, are vast suc cessions of Pine Forests, which stretch along the shores of the Atlantic, and timber the bays and rivers which disembogue themselves into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The same genus, Pinus, including every variety of resinous evergreens, grows within the regions bounded by the 43rd and 50th paradels of latitude. Proceeding inland are to be found the white pine (Pinus Strobus), the red pine (Pinus rubra), the black pine (Pinus nigra), hemlock (Pinus Canadensis), the spruce (Pinus nigra et alba), the balsam, or fir (Pinus balsamea), the tamarack (Pinus pendula), and the cedar (Thuya occidentalis). These species are most generally in the intervals, forming what are termed " soft woodlands." a2

PREFACE.

. Where the progress of man has not as yet swept away the timber of those solitudes, they cannot be more appropriately designated than Pine Porests. The tree next in frequency to be met with by the traveller is the Lariæ Americana — the Hacmatack of the Indians, and Tamarack of the Dutch. Botanists state that the Hacmatack grows in profusion in the North-eastern States and British America ; but it prevads to an even greater extent in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. It is more frequently used in ship-building of Colonial vessels, as it is a "wood, hard, strong, and very durable," whde the houses of the settlers are almost entirely constructed of it. It is " not so easily ignited as most of the Pine tribe, but when once blazing, it burns with great briskness, giving out a fervent heat ; it is therefore in great request for steam-boats and engines in Canada and the States."

It is the most durable wood to be found in British North America, equalling English oak or the far famed teak. There is " no record of a vessel built of Hacmatack having been destroyed by dry-rot;" whilst, in several cases, the oak, and other timber sur rounding and immediately contiguous to it, has been found decayed. This tree attains a great age : Lin næus states that species have been found more than

PREFACE.

. V four hundred years old. " Tiberius caused the Nau machiarian Bridge, constructed by Augustus, and afterwards burnt, to be rebuilt of larch-planks brought from Rhætia. Painters, from the time of Pliny to that of Raphael, trusted their works to this wood, which the Roman naturalist styles ' immortale lignum.' The Romans, when first acquainted with the larch (the hacmatack of the American continent), lost no time in bringing it down from the Alps. Vitruvius bears evidence of its value as a building timber. Pliny says, ' This tree is the best of the kind that bears resin ; it rots not, but endures a long time.' And this asser tion of Pliny is wed borne out by the fact, that the immense floating palace, or ship, built of cypress and larch by the Emperor Trajan, as a summer residence on Lake Nesni, having been weighed up, the timber was found sound after fourteen hundred years' immer sion."

The Colonists are fortunate in having in such abundance the favourite timber of the Romans. Where the forests have been felled by the axe of the pioneer, these places are caded, in Provincial phraseology, 'Clearings;' and as the locations where now are to be found the great cities and cultivated lands of the British North American Provinces, were formerly timbered with the Lariæ Americana, I considered it as appropriate, and conveying the meaning I wished

PREFACE.

. VI to be understood by the title of this work, to refer to those places as ' Hacmatack Clearings.' Hence the combination of these two woods has suggested to the Author " Pine Forests and Hacmatack Clearings." Of " Travel, Life, and Adventure"— the former wdl be found blended with the latter in those chapters which are descriptive, historical, and statistic. I consider the word "Life" to apply to ad that relates to the Social and Political condition of the Provincials. Their social peculiarities wdl be best judged of after perusing the chapters that contain Travel and Adventure ; while in referring to their Po litical state, I do not mean by that expression what has so happily been designated by the late lamented Earl of Durham as " the petty objects of Colonial faction," but their political views, as they affect the governmental policy of the British Empire, and have a tendency to the permanent retention or the dis memberment of those Provinces from Great Britain.

I have introduced a lengthy chapter on travel in the United States, and the " impressions " made on my mind, as to the progress of the people of the American Union in wealth and ad that constitutes a high state of civilization. It will be seen that this chapter is important, as affording a means of com paring the state of the British Provinces adjoining.

PREFACE.

. VII The military incidents narrated occurred during my service in Canada and the Maritime Provinces in 1846; and incidents of travel over the same country in 1852 are added, thereby exhibiting both the present state of the Provinces, and the progress made by them in the interval. So much for the title of this Volume. It is but natural, when a new Work is announced on a Colonial or other topic of general interest, to inquire from what sources the information is derived which an author professes to convey to the public. The opinions I have expressed in the fodowing pages, and the conclusions I have arrived at, are the result of personal observation, made after a rather lengthened sojourn at different periods on the Ame rican continent. During two separate epochs of early life I have resided in the British American Provinces.

For four years, on that continent, I was the school fedow and college chum of many men who have since achieved a position and standing in their country. My first breath was drawn on the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence. I may perhaps therefore claim the right of feeling and expressing a deep interest in Canadian affairs. During my service in the military profession, I was quartered as an officer in the army, in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Lower Canada. I then had

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. VIII many opportunities of hearing the political sentiments of ad classes in the different Provinces. The extended circle of society presented, and the well-known hospitality of the Colonists to military men, likewise rendered me famdiar with their social state. Afterwards, and at a comparatively recent period, I again resided in the British North American Provinces, and during that time I travelled over a large extent of country in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the Canadas, as well as in the United States. In this instance I served Her Majesty as a Field-Officer of militia, as Lieutenant- Colonel commanding a regiment, and as a Justice of the Peace. My numerous avocations gave me fresh oppor tunities of examining and forming my observations upon the political system now operating in those Provinces.

I have exercised an influence as a Pro prietor over forty-five miles of country, and hence have had the best means of obtaining information from the tenantry and yeomen. Entering extensively as a Colonist into public affairs, I connected the British North American Provinces, during last summer, by a steam communication ; as a ship owner, I derived much important information on the Maritime Colonies.

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. IX Having thus participated, during my ten years of residence, in mditary, landed, and commercial pursuits, I hope the experience thus acquired, the result of which wid be found in the fodowing pages, may entitle my remarks to some small amount of con sideration. Shoidd my work excite, in the most remote degree, a stronger interest than has been heretofore shown on the part of the English reader, in the destinies of Her Majesty's magnificent Colonial possessions in British North America, I should be satisfied. But should these pages attract the attention of Her Majesty's Ministers to the danger which threatens those Provinces, and should the facts stated and the conclusious drawn be considered of sufficient impor tance to cause inquiries to be made, which may lead to the permanent retention of the British North American Colonies as appendages of the British Crown, through the introduction of institutions more suited to their advanced state of progress, then in deed wdl the object which I have in view be more than achieved. London, May, 1853. Page 84 CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Nova Scotia. — Proximity of the British North American Provinces to England. — Their Retention of importance to Great Britain considered in a military point of view. — Political Systems of the various Provinces. — The Fishery question. — Check on the United States frontiers. — Agricultural and Mineral Resources of this Province. — Halifax. — The Great North American Railway Terminus. — Distinguished Nova- Scotians. — Cape Breton 1

Chapter II

Nova Scotia. — A Journey from the Atlantic to the Gut of Annapolis. — Bay of Funday, via Windsor and the Mines Basin. —The Tale of a Musical Box 19 CHPATEE III. Cape Breton. — Military Life in Cape Breton. — The Cruise of the " Daring " revenue-cutter 46

Chapter IV

New Brunswick. — Geographical extent. — Military Settlers. — Military Colony. — Agriculture. — Fisheries. — Minerals. — St. John's. — Frederickton. — The Ashburton Treaty. — President Pierces " Expansive " notions. — Local Government CONTENTS. Page 112 146 166 180

Chapter VI

Prince Edward Island.— Situation.— Harbours and Bays.— Length of Winter. — Drawback on Farming. — Land Tenure and Proprietary Rights. — Composition of Members of Government. — The Governor's Policy. — Escheat threatened. — The Fishery Reserves to the Crown. — New interpretation of that Clause in Original Grants. — Land Tax. — Education Tax on Cleared and Wilderness Lands. — Ninth Bill. — Tenant Compensation Bill. — Address of Inhabitants of Thing's County

Chapter VII

Prince Edward Island. — The Colonial Office. — Earl Grey's Despatch. — The Attack on Rights of Property countenanced by the Governor.— Anti-Renters. — Violence and Outrage. — Sir Charles Fitzroy. — Island Cunning. — Absurdity of Responsible Government for the Island. — Earl of Durham, Earl Grey, and Duke of Kent's Opinion. — The Coast Survey. — Useless waste of Public Money. — The Governor's Policy canvassed .

Chapter VIII

Intercolonial Communication.— Present Routes. — The Halifax and Quebec Railway. — Company to carry out that object, with Provincial Charter. — The question of expensively-constructed Railroads considered. — Failure of the Shubenacadie Canal scheme. — Stone from Aberdeen. — American mode of crossing the Alleghany Mountains. — The Author's exertions to carry out Intercolonial Communication by Steam. — Opinions of the Press. — Excitement at Halifax and Quebec. — Public Speeches. — Address of the Hon. Inspector-General. — Public Dinners at Halifax, Quebec, and Prince Edward. — The latter given to the Author in the House of Assembly. — History of Steam Navigation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence CONTENTS. XIII Page 209 246 274 CHAPTEE IX. Passage in the Belle Isle from Halifax to Quebec. — The El Bodons. — Embarkation. — The Troop-ship. — Magdalen Islands. — A Steamer ashore. — TJ.

S. Steamer Mississippi. — St. Lawrence River. — Isle aux Coudres. — Island of Orleans. — Point Levi. — Quebec. — Falls of Montmorenci. — The Citadel. — Wolfe. — Midshipman Kingcome. — Fortifications. — Hotel Dieu. — Ursuline Convent. — Cathedral. — Environs. — Percy Wood. — Earl of Elgin. — Lake St. Peter. — Richelieu River. — Montreal. — Baggage-Guard. — The Drunken Corporal. — Roman Catholic Cathedral. — Sœurs Gris. — Notre Dame. — The Nunneries. — Bon Secour Market. — Champ de Mars. — St. John's. — The Barracks. — Deserters. — American Sympathizers. — The Indian Summer. — Winter Uniform