44 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



" Industrial Resources of Nova Scotia. 



The next important work published by Dr. Gesner was a 

 volume of 375 pages on the " Industrial Resources of Nova 

 Scotia." 



This work opens with an historical sketch of the province, 

 beginning with the early French settlement of the country and 

 extending down to the time in which Gesner lived. This is 

 followed by a geographical outline, giving an account of the 

 harbors, lakes, marshes, etc. In another chapter the vegetable 

 products of the province are described, and then in succession 

 the fisheries, agricultural capabilities, manufactures, geology, 

 mines and minei^als. Chapter X gives an account of the climate, 

 history and resources of Cape Breton ; and there is a final chapter 

 devoted to pi-ospective railways and to emigration. 



This book is imbued with the local politics of the time at 

 which it was written. It advocates the protection of the sea- 

 fisheries from foreign aggression, complains of the monopoly of 

 the mining rights, and calls for the construction of a i-ailway 

 from Halifax along the Gulf shore of New Brunswick to the 

 Metapedia river and Quebec. This railroad has since been l)uilt 

 almost exactly on the line advocated by Gesner. 



One remarkable feature of the book is the strong advocacy 

 of a protective policy in relation to the commerce and manufac- 

 tures of Nova Scotia. It outlines the "national policy" adopted 

 by the Canadian confederation soon after the consolidation of 

 the provinces. The policy of protecting domestic manufactures 

 was adopted in New Brunswick about this time, btit soon after 

 abandoned for a tariff purely for revenue. 



The geological chapter may be considered to contain Dr- 

 Gesner's matured views on the geology of his native province. 

 Thirteen years had elapsed since the issue of his work on the 

 Geology and Mineralogy of Nova Scotia, and several able 

 geologists had in the meantime given their attention to the 

 geology of Nova Scotia. 



The views expressed in this work differ in some points from 

 'those of the earlier one. His first division consists of granitic 



