New Brunswick : with a brief outline of Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island : their history, civil divisions, geography, and productions : with statistics of the several counties : affording views of the resources and capabilities of the provinces, and intended to convey useful information, as well to their inhabitants, as to emigrants, strangers, and travellers, and for the use of schools

Front matter

HANDBOUND AT THE

I

I i:

Introduction

It is fully understood, by the feio who have studied the resources of the Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, that they possess all the elements necessary to their elevation in the scale of nations : a healthy climate; an excellent soil for agricultural purposes ; inexhaustible forests of valuable timber, accessible by an extensive sea-board, and by navigable rivers ; immense mineral resources, and an unparalleled coast and river fishery /—all of which, when developed, are highly calculated to enable the inhabitants of these Provinces to compete with those of any other country, of equal extent, on the American continent. And the little colony of Prince Edward Island, although it may not abound with minerals, is invaluable in all the other advantages above referred to.

One of the principal reasons for so little having been done, commensurate with this extent of resources and capability for developement, is the ignorance, in a great measure, even of the colonists themselves, but more especially of the inhabitants of the mother country — that source to which the colonists looks for aid— of the true character of these Provinces. When a body of men, possessing such facilities for knowledge as " the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland," would give to the youth of Great Britain and America a book on geography, so recent as 1849, stating that the chief rivers of New Brunswick are the Saint John, the Shubenacadie^ and the Annapolis ; and that the inhabitants employ themselves, during the winter season, in rolling logs down the banks, and taking them to Halifax in the spring,-~it is no wonder that it was asked, probably taking this geography as a guide, " How far it was from Halifax to Nova Scotia V It is not unfrequent to find, in perusing descriptions of those colonies by the prees of Great Britain, that the whole of them, 35,000,000 acres, are ineluded in that of Canada.

It is almost impossible to advance in the scale of general improvement, without more than ordinary etfbrts. In this age of panoramic representation, it will not do merely to imagine the existence of resources, without m.aking them, as well as their worth, both known and appreciated. They must be placed, in miniature, on the tables of those numerous exhibitions of national products and artistic industry, which are now going hand in hand with increased commercial skill and intellectual improvement.

The details necessary to a real knowledge of these Provinces should be taught in our schools and literary institutions^ in order to be properly unjierstood at home. A cheap work, detailing their capabilities, is required to be circulated in the mother country, so that a portion of her super- abundant population might be induced to take up their residence in this extensive portion of her dominions. How much, it may be asked, have these colonies done to elevate their character in any respect. At that ever-memorable ex« bibition of the industry of all nationSj held in London j when almost every country stood forth in bold relief to the worldp Nova Scotiaj it k ttm^ pr®^ mt^i a p^rti&l ej^Wbiiiox^ of hm mmvLmmi, fei wWab ib© gol pbm ®l iv praise ; but how did New Brunswick figure 7 ^'By a lump of asphaltum^ the figure of an ludian^ and a'hark canoe /" And at the exhibition recently held in New York, this Province was represented " solely by two beaver hats, and a box of biscuit ! 1" \ What an exhibition to make by a Province whose resources are so varied and extensive ! Why did not some friend draw a curtain over the whole ? I am sure his name would have been emblazoned in letters of gold on the flags of our Provincial Exhibitions,— ^exhibitions which, if they had been made in London or New York, would have eclipsed many of those which have been receiving the praise of an admiring public.

And with regard to the principal part of the works written on these colonies, they have either been confined to detached parts of their resources, or they have expatiated to such an extent upon Indian wigwams, canoes, haunts, customs, manners, &c., that, however true, as matters of history, they must, when presented to those desirous of emigrating, have a tendency to impress their minds with the idea that their lives would be in danger as soon as they disembarked on the shores of the Province ; and that the inhabitants are still living in the midst of Indian squalor. Such, however, is far from the truth— for the aggregate number of Indians in these three Provinces is not more than 2000, out of a gross population of not less than 550,000 souls; and, whatever may have been their original number and character, they are now a very harmless and inoffensive people— much more so than a great proportion of the super-abundant population of the mother, country. See pa^es 275 and 278 of this work.

It is almost impossible for colonies of such amplitude and varied capabilities, and with so limited and scattered a population, and having their attention directed to so many diifferent pursuits, to make a comparative progress in the general advancement of their trade, and the developement of their other industrial resources, In addition to the obscurity in which these colonies have been enveloped, their inhabitants, while they have done much to advance their progress, have still, in some respects, themselves assisted in retarding it, by drawing unfair comparisons as to the relative progress Of their own country and the United States, the latter possessing great national powers, and into which has been pouring for years a large portion of the inhabitants, industry, intelligence and wealth of Europe, besides the gold of California. These unfair comparisons are generally made a^^ the least temporary depression or drawback in the prices of ships or deals, or any failure in the growth of agricultural produce. We forget that other countries suffer reverses both in agriculture and commerce ; and we require a little of the nationality, as well as of the education, that characterize the Union. It would be difficult to find a native of the States underrating his own country ; but, on the contrary, we invariably hear him boasting- of her resources, her institutions, and her commerce, and frequently asserting that there is no part of her wide , domain, however sterile and barren the soil, or however limited the apparent capabilities, in which he could not make money. It is now generally admitted that the inhabitants of these colonies live easier, and do not labor so hard, as those of the United States ; and one thing is certainly true, and it is much to be regretted, that there is not the same value placed on time in the colonies as there is in the Union.

Until very recently, a great proportion of the inhabitants of these lower. Provinces have abandoned, and frequently sacrificed, the good old farms, on which their father^ have resided and lived independently, in order to be-

/come qualified for the law, or some other profession or occupation, under the idea of living easier and more respectably than by tilling the soil ; a course which, to say nothing of its effects upon the comforts or happiness of individuals, has in many instances proved highly inimicaj^ to the best interests of these labor-requiring countries.

That a proper value might be set on the resources and capabilities of the Provinces, than which nothing would more effectually tend to make them properly understood and adequately appreciated, has been the main object of the writer in devoting no small trouble, labor and expense to the preparation of the following pages ; it will be for his readers to decide how far his humble but zealous efforts have been successful. The map shewing the sub-divisions of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, will be found useful to the reader, as well as the one shewing the roads, railroads, and minerals.

In addition to my having personally traversed a large portion of these colonies, I have consulted nearly all the works extant on their natural and statistical resources, and have received much valuable information from numerous friends in different parts of these Provinces, for which they have my best thanks. Trusting that the information thus collected and arranged may tend to produce a better knowledge of these infant and comparatively unknown dependencies of the Crown of Great Britain, and may be the means of removing or lessening these erroneous impressions to which I have before alluded, and may also be found useful as a directory to persons desirous of adopting them as their home, is the sincere desire of the writer.

In consequence of the writer residing so far from the Press (one hundred and thirty miles) while the work was being published, and the delay occasioned by sending the proof-sheets to the writer and returning them to the Printer, a few inconsiderable errors have been committed in the part of the work not proof-read by the author, which will be found in the table of £'rrata.

The whole, however, with its numerous imperfections, is dedicated to an indulgent Public, by

ALEXANDEE MONEO.

Bay Verte, Westmoreland County, N. B., ) October, 1855. \

TO INSTRUCTORS OF YOUTH.

«■

While the general reader is referred to the title page for an explanation of the ostensible object of the following pages, we beg to direct the attention of the teachers of parish schools to the principal subjects, and the pages where they may be found, which we believe every child in the British Provinces should be acquainted with, namely : —

The situation, area, number, population, and political character of the Provincial divisions into which British North America is divided, with their respective head quarters and chief towns ; the number of counties in each Province — their boundaries, sub-divisions into parishes, and their shiretowns ; Geography ; General Description ; Early History ; Climate ; Geology ; position, extent and variety of Minerals ; Agricultural Capabilities ; extent, variety, and uses of their Forest Trees ; Fisheries— their extent and natural history, and other natural advantages ; along with statistics of the extent of their improvement, &c.

NeiD Brunstoick ;~~

Early History, see pages 4 to 7. Boundaries and General Description, 7--9. Geography, Latitudes, Longitudes, and Tides, 10 — 19. Distances, Civil Divisions, and Political Di^partment, 21 — -27. Judicial Institutions, their number and duties, 29 — 31. Currency, 48. Climate, 49. Agricultural Productions, Indigenous Shrubs, and Herbaceous Plants, 55—56. Agricultural Capabilities, 56. Fisheries, natural history of, 87 to 93. Natural History : Ornithology, Zoology, 94—96. Botany, 96—103. Geology, 103—109. Summary Description of the St. John, 178—182. Historical Sketch, 183 — 185. Passing Observations, 210. Historical Memoranda, 230—234. Provincial Education, Literature, and Religious Denominations, 245 — 258.

Nova Scotia ; —

History of, 260-275. Aborigines, 275-278. Earthquakes, 278— 280. Boundaries, 280. Civil Divisions, 281. Geography, 281—287. Geology, 287. Forest Trees, 295. Climate and Agriculture, 800—302. Political and Judicial Institutions, 306 — 307. Education, Literature, and Religious Denominations, 316. Island of Cape Breton, 844. Prince Edward Island ; —

Geography, History, 852 — 356. Civil Divisions and Political Department, 356—359. General Description, 359. Climate, 365. Geology, S68. Agriculture, &c., &c.

Introduction,

Map of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,

and Prince Edward Island, Map of Boads, Railroads, and Minerals,

CHAPTEB I.

Extent and Resources of British North America,

Historical Sketch of New Brunswick, Remarkable Dates,

Boundaries and general description of

New Brunswick, Geography of New Brunswick, Latitudes and Longitudes, Tides,

Light Houses, Distances,

Civil Divisions of New Brunswick, Political Department, Judicial Institutions, Jurors,

Post Office Department, Surveyor General's Department, Currency,

Table of Currency of Lower Provinces,

Banks, Climate,

Agricultural capabilities of New Brunswick,

Agricultural Societies,

Roads,

Railways,

Electric Telegraph,

Ship-building,

Lumbering,

The Fisheries — their extent and commercial importance,

Fisheries—Natural History, ^ Natural History — Ornithology, I Zoology,

Botany,

Geology,

Revenue— Reciprocity Treaty, Manufactures,

CHAPTER n.

County and City of St. John, County of Charlotte, King's County, Queen's County, County of Sun bury, York,

•* Carlton,

" Victoria, Summary description of the St. John

River, &c., Historical sketch of the river St. John, Restigouche County, County of Gloucester, Recapitulatory sketch of the Bay Chsleur.

County of Northumberland, Passing Observations, County of Kent,

** Westmoreland, Albert, Hiitorieal Memoraad%

Index

Page

66 67 71 75 78 79 81

82 87 94 95 96 108 109 118

125 136

CHAPTER ra.

Provincial Tables,

Table, shewing exten^*of, and facilities

for further settlement.

Public Lands — system of locating and

instruments employed.

Provincial Education, 4«j Literature,

Religious denominations.

Addenda,

CHAPTER IV.

Nova Scotia — Brief Outline of the

History of, Historical Memoranda, Aborigines, Earthquakes,

Boundaries of Nova Scotia, Civil Divisions, Geography, Geology,

Forest Trees of Nova Scotia, Fisheries of Nova Scotia, Climate, Agriculture,

Political and Judicial Institutions, Post Office Department, Revenue, Light Houses, Manufactures, Provincial Exhibition, Roads, Distances, &c., Education, Literature, and Religious

Denominations, Halifax, City and County=*— Railways, County of Lunenburg, Queen's County, Shelburne, County of Yarmouth, County of Digby, Annapolis County, King's County, County of Hants, Colchester,

County of Cumberland^ Pictou,

The County of Sydney, ^ ^jiThe County of Guysborough, rgJ^'The Island of Cape Breton, Sable Island,

160 170 174

178 183 185 193

Prince Edwab© Island— Geography, History,

Civil Divisions, and Political Department, General Description, Climate — Geology, Agriculture, &c..

Progressive Population — Education^ Postal arrangements, and means of

transit.

Light Houses — Fisheries, Commerce, Revenue, &c..

Currency,

EmigratioQ,

Pag©

242 245 255 257 258

862 863

356 859 863 364 366

868 870 871 872