MARSH AND LAKE REGION AT HEAD OF CHIGNECTO BAY. 9< 



the eighteenth century. Father LaLoutre used the men and money 

 for this purpose that were sent him to be used in putting Fort Beause- 

 jour in a state of defense, but not until the English came to this 

 country were large aboideaus built. 



In 1827 the Aulac was aboideaued four miles from its mouth, and 

 in 1840 an aboideau was thrown across less than two miles further 

 down. 



Eighty years ago these lands presented a very different appearance 

 from what they do now. The Aulac was much larger, at least in its 

 upper course, than the Tantramar. The bridge across the Tantramar, 

 where the upper bridge now stands, was just eighteen feet wide, as 

 stated in an old contract. Above this point the whole region was 

 covered with moss, and the water oozed rather than flowed into a very 

 crooked, lazy stream. A mile north-east of the bridge, in the bog, 

 Goose Lake was situated. Its waters flowed north-east to Gravelly- 

 beach Lake, and then in about the same course to Big Lake. Big 

 Lake drained into the Aulac through La Coup. A large part of the 

 land in the lower course of the rivers was also bog. 



About 1815 Tolar Thompson started a canal between the Tantra- 

 mar and Goose Lake. This man, a farmer, had made a careful study 

 of the lake region, and was convinced that the lakes could be drained 

 and made into marsh. Before this canal was finished in 1820, one 

 was dug in a northerly direction toward Log Lake. The old river 

 course and the canals can be seen on the accompanying map. The 

 new canal took a straight course. Tolar's Island and the old river 

 bed with its many curves, filled up level with Bay of Fundy mud. 

 This canal was cut through about ten feet of moss, but did not go 

 into the underlying mud. The moss was cut in large junks and floated 

 down the stream by the receding tide, hence the name " Floating 

 Canal " which it still bears. 



In recent years, this canal has been extended five miles beyond 

 the Upper Bridge, and hundreds of acres of good marsh are to be seen 

 in the place of lake and moss. The lakes were from four to seven feet 

 deep, and they were allowed to fill with mud before the surrounding 

 moss was covered with the deposit. Several small lakes on this branch 

 are still unreclaimed, but they are gradually filling with the mud 

 from the canal. Blue or red mud underlies all the lake and bog areas, 

 and is found in the valley eight or ten miles above the upper bridge. 

 The greater part of the low moss lias been made up, but hundreds of 

 acres of high moss are still growing " hard hacks " and small trees. 



