The Saint Lawrence basin and its border-lands; being the story of their discovery, exploration and occupation

Front matter

THE STORY OF EXPLORATION

EDITED BY

J. SCOTT KELTIE, LL.D., Sec. R.G.S.

Preface

In the following pages an attempt has been made to set forth in order the chief facts relating to the discovery and exploration of the northeastern part of the continent of North America. It is the nearest to Europe, and has an interest of its own, inasmuch as it was the first part of the main continent to be reached from the Old World.

No attempts to penetrate beyond the sea coast of this region have been recorded, until the Cartier voyages opened up the Gulf and the River St. Lawrence as a broad waterway leading to the mysterious West, or, as often called in the language of that day, to the East. The limits of exploration remained for sixty years after Cartier at the site of the present city of Montreal, eightysix miles above the head of tide water. The foundation of Quebec by Champlain in 1608 initiated a new series of explorations. These extended over the whole basin of the St. Lawrence and over the water-parting into the basin of the Mississippi contiguous to it. The story is full of geographic and historic interest, and abounds with romantic adventure. This also forms a part of our theme.

To narrate intelligibly the achievements of these explorers, it is necessary, incidentally, to dwell upon the geography of these regions. Following up the avenue of “ the River of Canada,” the French pioneers outflanked the barrier of the Alleghenies, “ the endless mountains ” which so long retarded discovery at the south. They passed readily up into the great fresh-water seas in the centre of the continent and over the portages at the heads of their tributaries into the adjoining basins at the north, the west, and the south, unlocking all the river communications of the interior. Reference must also frequently be made to that confederacy of astute and politic savages which, seated on the water-parting of the

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PREFACE

St. Lawrence, Ohio, Susquehanna, and Hudson rivers, held for a hundred years the balance between the English and French nations and stamped its impress on the destiny of the continent.

Nor is it possible to present the subject without dwelling upon the progressive occupation of those immense territories, where the steam whistle has replaced the warwhoop, and where great cities have grown up on the portages ; where the enormous silences of inland oceans, once scarcely ruffled by the wary dip of the paddles of some war party gliding upon its bloody errand, now resound to the blare of gigantic and demonstrative whalebacks, or of steam tugs towing long trains of loaded barges. These are themes worthy of more adequate presentment than they can receive within the limits of a single volume. They are subjects of never-ending interest, for when the New World was discovered the Old World itself had recently been reborn, and, alive to all new influences, regarded the new continent with a newly awakened curiosity and a pardonable credulity — for what might not be possible in a world unknown to Aristotle and Ptolemy!

PAGE

List of Illustrations ........ xix

GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Newfoundland — Acadia — The St. Lawrence Basin . . xxiii

Chapter I

Early charts — Estimation of longitude and latitude — Revival of Greek science — Geography in the Dark Ages — Geography at the era of the Renaissance — Columbus — Discoveries of the Portuguese — Legendary islands of the Atlantic — Behaim’s globe — Rapid extension of exploration i

Chapter II John Cabot’s First Voyage — Discovery

Discovery of the mainland — Previous attempts of Bristol sailors — Cabot at Bristol — First voyage — Cathay the - objective point — Variation of the compass in 1497 — Nature of the country found — Cape Breton the landfall — La Cosa’s map — Cape Race the key to North American geography — John Cabot’s testimony — Sebastian

Cabot’s testimony — Historic importance of the question 13

Chapter III John Cabot’s Second Voyage — Disappointment

John Cabot’s brief triumph — New letters patent — Expedition on a large scale — Merchandise for Cathay — Sebastian Cabot’s experience — His subsequent career — First record of ice — Extent of the coasting — Robert Thorne’s evidence— First and second voyages contrasted — Misconceptions as to Sebastian Cabot — His service in Spain and return to England — Neglect of English historians . 35

IX

X CONTENTS

Chapter IV

THE CORTE-REALS AND PORTUGUESE! DISCOVERY

PAGE

The Golden era of Portugal — The Corte-Real family — First expedition under Gaspar Corte-Real to the North —

The different voyages confused — Second expedition of Gaspar Corte-Real to the West and Northwest — A slave coast in America — Gaspar Corte-Real does not return — Unsuccessful efforts of his brothers to learn his fate — Maps of Cantino and Reinel 47

Chapter V Mythical Pre-columbian Discoveries

Discovery of America easy in theory — Claimed for all western nations — Claims of the Portuguese — of the Azoreans — of the Basques — of the Bretons — of the Normans — Atlas of Andrea Bianco — Stokafixa — Origin of the name Labrador— of the name Bacallaos — Beothiks (Red Indians) of Newfoundland — Fishing vessels, Breton, Portuguese, Basque, early on the coast 59

Chapter VI Private Adventurers — Cabot To Cartier

The Cabot patents superseded — English adventurers with Azorean partners — Slow development of English fisheries— Sebastian Cabot not concerned in English enterprises— John Rut’s voyage — Voyage of Master Hore and the lawyers — Bretons and Normans flock to the fisheries — Prominence of the Portuguese in early days — Fagundez — Breton and Portuguese names on coast — Earliest voyages of French and Spanish Basques . . . *74

Chapter VII The Voyage Of Verrazano

Disbelief in the continuity of the American coast — Francis I. seeks a share in the New World — Commencement of national navies — French corsairs prey on Spanish commerce— Juan Verrazano — Engaged to lead an expedition

PAGE

for France — He sails to the West — Extent of his voyage — His own account to the King — Unreasonable doubts of its authenticity — The sea of Verrazano — He sails on another expedition and is not heard of again — Juan Verrazano a different person from Juan Florin, who was hanged by the Spaniards 87

Chapter VIII The Voyage Of Stephen Gomez

Gomez a Portuguese pilot in the service of Spain — He deserts Magellan — Engaged by Charles V. to search for a central opening to the South Sea — Sails in the winter of 1524-25 — Extent of his exploration — Carries back a cargo of slaves — The coast of Acadia examined from the Penobscot eastward — The Bay of Fundy — The Gut of Canso — The Island of St. John — Cape Breton — Cape Smoky — Cape North — The Bay of the Bretons . . 98

Chapter IX Results Of Exploration Up To Jacques Cartier’s First Voyage

Atlantic seaboard completely explored — Viegas’ map — Defects of the early maps — The Gulf of St. Lawrence unknown — Philippe de Chabot, Seigneur de Brion — Cartier selected to explore for a western passage to Asia — Cartier’s birth and previous life 114

CHAPTER X cartier’s first voyage, 1534

Sources of information — “Relation Originale” — Departure from St. Malo — Arrival at Bonavista — Coast blocked with field ice — Strait of Belle-Isle — Course . inside the Gulf — Arrival at Blanc Sablon ; the first point of the present province of Quebec — Inner coasts of -Labrador and Newfoundland— Discovery of the Magdalen group — North coast of Prince Edward Island supposed to be mainland — Coast of New Brunswick at Miramichi — Chaleur Bay — Gaspe — Anticosti — Return to St. Malo. Note — The birds mentioned by Cartier 121

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Chapter XI Page

Second expedition commissioned — Cartier sails May 19,

1535 — Rendezvous at Blanc Sablon — Course through the Gulf — Arrives at the kingdom of Saguenay — Indian interpreters at home — Grand river of Hochelaga reached — Pushes on to Canada — The three kingdoms — Arrives at Stadacona — Beauty of the country — The lord of Canada — Winter quarters chosen — Proceeds to Hochelaga — Indian jugglery — Passes Ochelay — Reception at Hochelaga— Productions of the country — Cartier’s religious sendee — His view from the mountain (Montreal) — Return to Stadacona — Winter quarters on the St. Charles — Winter sufferings — Scurvy — Despair of the crew — The wonderful tree of healing — Arrival of spring — Departure for St. Malo — Donnacona and his chiefs carried off — Newfoundland proved to be an island . .151

Chapter XII Some Disputed Points Of Cartier’s Voyages

The Indian nations of the St. Lawrence valley — Algonquins — Huron-Iroquois — The healing tree, Ameda — The chaplains of Cartier’s expeditions — Etymology of the word Canada — The Ste. Croix of Cartier’s winter quarters . 179

Chapter XIII Cartier’s Third Voyage — Roberval — 1 54 1 -43

Delay of Cartier’s third expedition — Cartier commissioned, October, 1540 — Disgrace of Admiral Chabot de Brion — Cartier’s commission revoked — New commission places Roberval in command — Cartier sails in May, 1541 — Roberval’ s delays — Jealousy of Spain — Cartier establishes himself at Cap Rouge — Revisits Hochelaga — Examines the Lachine Rapids — Indian distrust — Roberval sails in April, 1542 — Cartier encounters him in St Johns harbour — Cartier sails away to France and Roberval proceeds up the river — Roberval establishes his winter quarters — His harsh rule — His incompetence — Visits Hochelaga — Return to France in 1543 — The story of Marguerite and the Isle of Demons — Cartier’s life and character. Note — Cartographical results of the Cartier Voyages 192

CHAPTER XIV Xlll

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Private traders in the Gulf and River — Cartier’s discoveries shown in the maps reproduced in the “ Bibliotheca Lindesiana” — The Cabot map of A. D. 1544 — Jean Allefonsce — Breton and Norman fishermen and traders — Neglect of the French Court — Basques upon the coast — Decline of Portugal — English enterprise aroused — Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s expedition — English begin to enter the Gulf — La Roche’s expedition — Convicts abandoned on Sable Island — Legend of the Franciscan monk . . 215

Chapter XV Samuel De Champlain

Critical point of Canadian history, A. D. 1600 — Chauvin builds a trading post at Tadoussac — Pont-Grave — De Chastes — Samuel de Champlain enters upon his life work — His family and previous history — First arrival in Canada — At Tadoussac — He goes up the river to the sites of Quebec and Montreal — Returns to Tadoussac and explores the lower river — The Sieur Prevert’s marvellous reports — Champlain returns to France — Death of De Chastes — De Monts takes his place and is commissioned Lieutenant Governor for the King — Opposition of the merchants — Character of De Monts — De Monts sails for Acadia, 1604 — Champlain joins the expedition and explores the Acadian coasts — Lescarbot — Basin of Annapolis Royal — St. John harbour and river — Settlement at Ste. Croix — Poutrincourt — Colony removed to Port Royal — L’Ordre de Bon-Temps — Commercial jealousy thwarts De Monts’ plans — Poutrincourt’s family clings to Acadia. Notes — Meaning of the name Acadia — Annapolis Basin — Settlement at St. Sauveur— Early English voyages to the New England coast . . . .231

Chapter XVI

Champlain the founder of Canada — Settlement at Quebec in 1608 — First winter at Quebec — War between Algonquins and Iroquois — Necessity of siding with the Algonquins —

War party against the Mohawks — Lake Champlain discovered— Defeat of the Iroquois — Second conflict, at the

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Richelieu — Assassination of Henry IV., the patron of Champlain and De Monts — Champlain in 1611 goes to the Sault — Makes a clearing on the site of the city of Montreal— He meets the Indians of the Ottawa and lake regions — Champlain returns to France — Continued hostility of merchants — Company reorganised — Champlain arrives at the Sault — Proceeds up the Ottawa River to find the Northern Sea — Narrow escape at the Chute a Blondeau — The site of the present capital described — Arrives at Allumette Island — Vignau’s falsehoods exposed— Disappointment of Champlain — He returns to France — Conciliates opposition and brings out Recollet missionaries 253

Chapter XVII

Champlain goes up the Ottawa — His course by Lake Nipissing and French River into Lake Huron — The Huron nation — The Huron territory — The great war-party assembles— Route down the Otonabee and Trent — Lake Ontario crossed — The Iroquois territory — Terror inspired by Iroquois among surrounding nations — Champlain and the Hurons assault an Onondaga town without success — Retreat — War-party breaks up and Champlain unable to reach Quebec — He visits the country between Kingston and Ottawa — Returns to Huron country and winters there — Visits the Tobacco nation and the Ottawas — Returns to Quebec in May, 1616 — Extent of Champlain’s explorations in Canada — Religious differences — Huguenots and Jesuits — Moderation and constancy of Champlain 273

Chapter XVIII Exploration Of The West, From Champlain To The Dispersion

OF THE HURONS

Explorers trained under Champlain continue the work — Physical features of the country favour exploration — Interpreters and traders lead the way — Adventures of Etienne Brule — Recollet missionaries commence their labours — Assistance of the Jesuits invited — Missionaries established in the Huron country — They visit the Neutral nation — Quebec taken by the English — Champlain and most of the colonists carried to England — Canada rexv

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stored to France — Return of Champlain — Jesuits the only missionaries allowed to return — Nicollet starts to discover the Great South Sea — Jesuits resume missions to the Hurons — Michilimaclcinac — Lake Michigan discovered — Green Bay or Baie des Puants — The Winnebago nation of Dakota stock — Nicollet reaches the water-parting of the Mississippi basin — Jesuit mission to the Hurons —

St. Mary on the Wye — Sault Ste. Marie visited by the Jesuits — The Lake system begins to be understood — Breboeuf among the Neutrals — Premonitions of martyrdom — Destruction of the Huron nation ...... 289

Chapter XIX Exploration Resumed And Possession Taken For France

The Huron country abandoned — Fear of the Iroquois — Jesuits and Huron converts retire to Quebec— Desolation and massacre extend over the West — Peace, in 1654, permits resumption of the fur trade — Missions resumed — Radisson and Chouart — Radisson among the Iroquois — Radisson and Chouart on Lake Michigan — Pass Sault Ste. Marie into Lake Superior — Make a trading post at Chequamegon Bay — Explore the country over the water-parting — Return to Three Rivers — Second expedition of Chouart and Radisson — They resolve to discover the Sea of the North — Go up to Lake Superior to Chequamegon Bay — They are conducted by Cree Indians to Hudson’s Bay — Return and subsequent adventures — Father Menard perishes south of Lake Superior — Father Allouez founds a mission at Chequamegon Bay and on Lake Michigan — De Tracy and Talon arrive in Canada — Iroquois sue for peace — The route by Lake Ontario opened — The Sulpicians commence to establish missions — Expedition of Dollier and Galinee — They find an earthly paradise on Lake Erie — Return by Michilimackinac — St. Lusson is sent to the Sault Ste. Marie and takes ceremonial possession for France 312

Chapter XX Jolliet And La Salle — The Mississippi Valley Unveiled

All westward routes opened — Louis Jolliet and Father Marquette— They start for the Mississippi — Fox and Wisconsin portage — Arrive at the prairie region — The Mississippi reached — Paddle down as far as the Arkansas —

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Return by the Chicago portage — Marquette remains on Lake Michigan — Jolliet goes down to Quebec — His maps and papers lost — Death of Marquette — St. Ignace de Michilimackinac — Robert Cavelier de La Salle — His post at Lachine — Starts with Galinee and Dollier, but separates from them — Discovers the Ohio — Controversy about the discovery of the Mississippi — Arrival of Frontenac — La Salle’s western schemes supported by Frontenac — The first step, Fort Frontenac — Henri de Tonty — La Salle at Niagara — He builds the Griffon for the upper lakes — Loss of the Griffon — La Salle’s indomitable spirit struggles against disaster — Overcomes all obstacles — Fort Crevecoeur destroyed — La Salle reaches the Mississippi — Goes down to the Gulf of Mexico and takes possession for France

Chapter XXI Hennepin And Dulhut — Western Exploration Continued

Mississippi and St. Lawrence divide south of Lake Superior — Wild rice region — The Dakota nation reached — Hennepin on the Illinois — He reaches the Mississippi — His pretended discoveries — His captivity among the Sioux — Weeping Indians — Rescue by Dulhut — Mendacity of Hennepin — Daniel de Greysolon, Sieur Dulhut arrives in Canada — He establishes himself at the head of Lake Superior — His adventurous life — His explorations to the extreme western limit of the St. Lawrence valley .

Chapter XXII Exploration To The North And East

Champlain’s early attempt to reach the Sea of the North— The quest continued — Chief routes from Canada to Hudson’s Bay — Expedition of De Troyes — Father Buteux killed on the St. Maurice — Unrecognised devotion of the missionaries to the North and East — Lake St. John discovered— Fathers Druillettes and Dablon start for Hudson’s Bay — They turn back at Lake Nekouba — Talon sends Father Albanel — He reaches Hudson’s Bay — Finds the English flag there — Injustice of the Governor of Canada to Chouart and Radisson — They transfer their services to England — Lead Gillam’s expedition to Rupert’s River — Father Albanel’s second journey — Taken prisoner by the English — Chouart and Radisson return

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to their allegiance — Radisson founds a French fort on the Bay — He turns English again and captures it — Jolliet at Hudson’s Bay — The Traite de Tadoussac — The Labrador wilderness — The missionaries on its southern border —

The desolate plateau — The Grand Falls discovered . . 375

Chapter XXIII

OCCUPATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY

Close of the era of discovery — Physiography of the continent favours French and retards English exploration — The Iroquois bar the route by the lower lakes — Great war-feast at Montreal — Iroquois opposition ceases — Expedition to the interior of Labrador — Rumours of the Grand Falls stimulate the efforts of explorers — Remarkable exploration of A. P. Low for the Geological Survey of Canada — The grim territory traversed in two directions —

The occupation of the valley of the St. Lawrence on the far west — Headquarters of the great fur companies on Lake Superior — Course of occupation along the southern water-parting — Lowness of the divide of Lakes Michigan, Erie, and Ontario — Divides of Lake Champlain, the Connecticut, the Chaudiere, and the St. John — Arrival of the loyalists and English settlement of Ontario and Acadia 401

Chapter XXIV Occupation Of The Atlantic Coast

The history of the French settlements in Acadia — Vicissitudes of English and French Conquest — Alexander, La Tour, and Charnisay — Nicholas Denys — Port Royal (Annapolis) repeatedly changes masters — It becomes nomi - nally English — Settlements on the St. John River and Prince Edward Island — Settlement at Halifax — Deportation of the Acadian French — Anticosti — The Island of Newfoundland — Exploration and settlement impeded by Government — Cormack’s expedition — The interior opened up by a railway 415

List of the Chief Works Consulted or Referred to . . 429

Index 443

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ILLUSTRATIONS

1. Go-Home Bay; Georgian Bay of

Lake Huron Frontispiece

2. Extract from Martin Behaim’s Globe Facing page 8

3. The Cabot Tower at Bristol . . “ 18

4. The Key Point of North American

Geography — Fig. 1, Ruysch Map, A. D. 1508 — C. de Portogesi. Fig. 2, King Map, A. D.

1502 — Cape Race. Fig. 3, Cape

5. Juan de La Cosa’s Map, A. D. 1500 “ 30

6. Extract from Sebastian Cabot’s

Map of 1544, showing the point of Cape Breton as the landfall.

Fig. 4 Page 32

7. Robert Thorne’s Map, A. D. 1527.

Fig. 5 “ 4i

8. Sebastian Cabot — From a contem-

poraneous portrait, last owned by Richard Biddle; destroyed by fire in 1845 Facing page 44

9. The Cantino Map, A. D. 1501 -2.

Fig. 6 Page 54

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XX

ILLUSTRATIONS

10. Pedro Reinel’s Map, A.D. 1505.

11. Ribeiro’s Map, A. D. 1529 . . . Facing page 80

12. Cape Blomidon — at the entrance of

the Basin of Minas “ 106

13. View on the Gut of Canso ... “ no

14. Gaspar Viegas’ Map, A. D. 1534.

Fig. 8 Page 115

15. Portrait of Jacques Cartier . . . Facing page 120

16. The Great Bird Rock, from an

Admiralty Chart. Fig. 9 . . . Page 134

17. The Magdalen Group, true shape.

18. Deadman’s Island (Alezay), from

an Admiralty Chart. Fig. n “ 138

19. Representations of the Magdalen

Group on early maps. Fig. 12 . “ 139

20. Plan of Hochelaga — from Ramusio Facing page 168

21. Cartographical results of the Car-

tier Voyages. A — Harleyan

World Map, circa A. D. 1536.

C — Desceliers’ World Map, A.

22. The Sebastian Cabot Map of A. D.

1544 “ 216

23. View of Tadoussac “ 232

24. Champlain’s Chart of Tadoussac

Harbour “ 234

25. Champlain’s Map of Sault St. Louis

and site of the city of Montreal ..... “ 236

ILLUSTRATIONS

26. Digby Gut — The entrance to An-

napolis (Port Royal) Basin . .

27. Portrait of Champlain

28. Champlain’s. Map of Quebec Basin

29. Defeat of the Iroquois on Lake

30. Running the Sault St. Louis in

the present day

31. Chandiere Falls, Ottawa ....

32. Entrance to French River, Lake

Nipissing District

33. Barrie on Lake Simcoe ....

34. Onondaga Town

35. Site of Old Fort Ste. Marie . . .

36. Shadowy River, Muskoka . . .

37. Junction of the River Lynn and

Black Creek

38. Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de

Maisonneuve

39. Sketch Map of Strait of Michili-

mackinac. Fig. 13

40. Fort of the Gentlemen of the

Seminary of St. Sulpice . . .

41. Niagara from Falls View ....

42. Map showing the interlacing of

the St. Lawrence, Mississippi, and Red River of the North

43. Quaint Conception of Canada from

Herman Moll’s Map, 17 1 5 • •

44. Quebec about 1700

45. Grand Discharge Rapids, Lake

St. John

XXI

Facing page 246 t( a

<c

M

Page

:ing page u t'

XXII

ILLUSTRATIONS

4 6. The Town and Fortifications of

Montreal, & c

47. View from the Site of the Old

French Fort at Port Royal (Annapolis)

48. Panorama of Sault Ste. Marie,

Facing page 412

(C

GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Although in such a work as this it is frequently necessary to dwell from time to time upon the geography of the country, it will be convenient to review in one general survey the physical features of the entire region discovered by the men whose deeds are recorded. The characteristics of the Atlantic border region first presented to the early sailors differ much from those of the interior valley, and to that region it is necessary first to direct the attention of the reader. Much of the extreme northeastern part of the continent where it stretches far across the ocean towards Europe is still comparatively unknown. Until the last ten years the interior of Labrador was a great blank upon our maps, and little was known even of the interior of the island of Newfoundland until the opening of the railway a few years ago.

The portion of the Atlantic coast which falls within the scope of this volume extends through seventeen degrees of latitude, from the mouth of the Penobscot in Maine to Cape Chidley on Hudson’s Strait, the northern point of Labrador. Of the Atlantic Labrador very little can be said. Along its stern front rise cliffs, abruptly from the sea, at Cape Chidley 1500 feet high, and 2000 feet 50 miles further south. The bays and inlets in this rocky barrier and the surf-lashed islands which fringe the coast afford shelter, but it is a forbidding coast, and the region behind the steep barrier of cliffs is unknown.

Nearest to Europe is the oldest colony of England, the island of

NEWFOUNDLAND

It has an area of 42,000 square miles — considerably larger than the united areas of Ireland and Wales. Its coast is most profoundly indented by the sea, so much so that, for a long time after its discovery, it appeared

xxiii xxiv GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH on all the maps as a group of islands. The bays reach from 30 to 50 miles inland; in its whole circumference it is studded with harbours affording unlimited shelter to the fishing craft on the coast. The shape of the island is roughly an equilateral triangle — the extreme distance from north to south being 317, and from west to east 316 miles.

The coasts are rocky and forbidding, even in the bays, and along the Atlantic they present for long stretches a rampart of rock from 200 to 400 feet high. The entrance to the harbour of St. John’s is by a cleft only a half mile wide. The harbour is one of the best in America, deep and perfectly landlocked. A range of mountains 2000 feet high extends along the greater part of the west coast, but is fringed in most places with a band, a few miles wide, of low shore. The interior is a low, undulating tableland, with moors covered with moss and patches of low trees, and with marshes and innumerable lakes and ponds. Along the river valleys and the lakes there are extensive regions of excellent land with fine timber. Many detached peaks, locally called “ tolts,” rise abruptly from the plain.

Three large rivers extend almost across the island. Two of them, the Gander and the Exploits, rise in the southwest and flow northeast, and the third, the Humber, rises in the northeast and flows southwest. The rivers abound with fish — salmon and trout ; the coasts and bays swarm with codfish ; and large herds of caribou migrate spring and fall through the centre of the island. Copper and iron are mined, and coal is found, though the deposits are not worked. Fish, lobsters, oils, and minerals are the chief exports, and provide a livelihood for the population which fringes the eastern and southern coasts. The west coast has been kept vacant by the French claims, happily disposed of by a treaty recently ratified.

NOVA SCOTIA

The Province of Nova Scotia is a peninsula, and, politically, it also includes the island of Cape Breton, separated

GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH xxv from it by the deep Gut, or Strait of Canso, only three-quarters of a mile wide at its narrowest part, at which place a bridge is projected. The peninsula is 268 miles long, with a width of 60 to 100 miles, and the island is 108 miles long; but in width is very irregular, for the interior of the island is occupied by the Bras d’Or, an arm of the sea. The area of the whole province is 20,600 square miles.

The Atlantic coast is low, but rocky. It abounds in excellent harbours; that of Halifax is accounted to be among the finest in the world. The coast facing the Bay of Fundy is high and steep, because of a mountain ridge running close to the shore. A remarkable gap opens at Digby and admits the largest vessels into Annapolis Basin, an excellent landlocked harbour, the only one of note on that coast. The Basin of Minas opens out from the Bay of Fundy, and extends sixty miles into the land with a breadth of twenty miles. The entrance is remarkable for the bold headlands on either side. Cape d’Or and Cape Chignecto belong to the Cobequid mountain range, and Cape Split and Cape Blomidon are the bluff terminations of the ranges which shut in the Annapolis River.

The interior of the peninsula is of moderate height and abounds with lakes. The side facing the Atlantic is less fertile than the parts facing the inner bays. Two ranges of mountains, known as the North and South Mountain, bound the valley of the Annapolis River, and the Cobequid Mountains extend from Cape Chignecto, on the Bay of Fundy, through the peninsula to Cape Canso on the Atlantic.

CAPE BRETON

This beautiful island is worthy of note because of the Bras d’Or, a remarkable loch which occupies its centre. Two ranges of mountains open at an angle from the southwest to form a basin communicating with the ocean by two narrow passages on the northeast. Large ships can pass into it and moor close to the shores. The westxxvi GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ern range is the higher, and, as a tableland 1200 feet high, is prolonged to a promontory, steep on both sides, and ending in the bold headlands of Cape North and Cape St. Lawrence. The chief town is Sydney, where are large coal mines. The old harbour of Louisbourg is being again frequented, not as of old by ships of war, but by collier steamers. The island is underlaid by coal seams, which crop out at the east, south, and southwest shores. A narrow isthmus only a mile wide separates the Bras d’Or from the entrance of the Strait of Canso.

NEW BRUNSWICK

The Bay of Fundy is a remarkable arm of the North Atlantic, extending 180 miles towards the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and separating the peninsula of Nova Scotia from the Province of New Brunswick. Into this deep funnel the tides sweep on a broad front and gather force and height, as the shores close in, until they form a bore five feet four inches high. The tidal wave increases in swiftness, from three miles an hour at Cape Sable, to seven at the head of the bay. The rivers are all tidal, and at ebb present immense flats of red mud, through which the fresh water trickles to the sea; but suddenly, at flow, they become wide brimming streams. Rich dyked meadowland surrounds the head of the bay and all its branches.