SQENnFIC SURVEY. 339 



ocean harbors. Huronian tansy, Tofieldia, Oxytropis and Astrag- 

 alus, are plentiful along the banks and in the woods immediately 

 back from the river. They are also found on the tributaries of the 

 main river. 



This description of the St. John applies to the whole river as far 

 as the Seven Islands farm. This farm, owned by Holman Gary of 

 Houlton, afforded us our first night's shelter in a house since the 

 commencement of our tour. We reached the house on the even- 

 ing of the 29th of May. The ftirm is of immense extent, and a 

 good deal of it is under fair cultivation. The annual crop of oats 

 and hay is sufficient to support a large drove of cattle and afford 

 supplies to the up-river lumbermen. The farm is under the super- 

 intendence of Mr. Currier of Eastern Aroostook, and in his liands 

 has proved, it is thought, an exceedingly profitable undertaking. 

 He is a good farmer, prudent and enterprising. Seven Isles is now 

 quite a settlement, having several houses in the neighborhood, and 

 numbering in all twenty or twenty-five souls. It is distant from 

 Quebec only a ride of a day and a half on horseback, and the same 

 from the nearest railway station. One goes to St. Jean, Port Joli, 

 thence a very good road till within twenty miles of Seven Isles. 



We carried from this place to the Allegnash river, eastward 

 thirteen miles, by the assistance of Mr. Holmes. He brought 

 our luggage over the rough road in a creditable manner, and de- 

 served our thanks for it, and a higher price than he demanded. 

 Having now left the river St. John, let me give a brief resume of 

 its geographical features, and the contour of the valley. The river 

 is shaped not unlike the inverted figure five, c having the com- 

 mencement of the curve in latitude 45° 56' N. : thence bending 

 around the State of Maine, receiving water from its tributaries, St. 

 Francis and Madawaska, from a point as fer north as latitude 47° 

 4t'. It now pursues a southerly course as far as Woodstock, 

 where it turns to the east, and finally empties into the Bay of 

 Fundy at the city of St. John. It is only with its upper part that 

 we have now to deal. The water flowing into the river comes 

 from . a water-shed or valley bounded on the south by a range of 

 hills, separating it from that of the west branch of the Penobscot. 

 Westerly it is limited by the Chaudiere line of hills and the moun- 

 tains along the eastern shore of the St. Lawrence. 



In this basin, the highest land is pr()l)al.ly in Canada, at least 

 such is the opinion of Mr. Greenleaf, (Atlas, map No. 3,) and it is 

 confirmed by our own observations. 



