SECRETARY'S REPORT. 35 



To -what extent the wishes or eiForts of proprietors have, in fact, 

 availed to discourage settlement, it is not easy to determine ; but as 

 we know self-interest to be a governing motive to large extent, and 

 their aim to be profit from timber only, that settlements would ere 

 lonT result in increase of taxation for constructing roads and other 

 needful purposes, and of liability to the accidental destruction of 

 timber from the fires necessary for clearing lands, we may safely 

 ■conclude that they exercised no small influence. 



It is true, also, that the idea was industriously circulated that 

 "timber lands" were both very distinct in character and wide 

 asunder in locality from "settling lands," whereas the fact is now 

 well known to be, that while some timber lands are ineligible for 

 settling purposes, the very best of settling lands are those, which 

 among their mixed growth, contain the choicest and most valuable 

 timber. 



It will also be borne in mind, that prior, to the treaty of Wash- 

 ington, negociat^d A. D. 1842, the ownership and jurisdiction of a 

 considerable part of the northern portion of Maine, including nearly 

 all of what now cons^tutes the county of Aroostook, was in dispute, 

 and a subject of controversy between the government of the United 

 States and that of Great Britain. Such controversy must necessa- 

 rily, of itself alone, exercise a very retarding influence on settlement, 

 and we accordingly find, that, prior to the treaty adjustment, set- 

 tlements within its present limits were comparatively few, and mostly 

 confined to the banks of the St. John, and consisted in large propor- 

 tion of Acadian refugees and French Canadians. 



The first decided and efficient move towards the development of 

 this region, was in 1838, when Dr. E. Holmes, under direction of 

 the Board of Internal Improvements, then recently established, with 

 a corps of assistants, made an exploration and survey of the Aroos- 

 took valley, with particular reference to the feasibility of establishing 

 water communication between the tributaries of the Penobscot and 

 •St. John rivers, but including also its agricultural capabilities and 

 general topography. The valuable report which he made the next 

 spring, together with those of Dr. Jackson, who at the same time 

 was engaged in the geological survey of the State, afforded the first 

 reliable information given to the public of the character and re- 

 sources of this district, and attracted general and favorable attention. 



