148 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
tries also, the first recognized boundaries tend to be of the natural 
sort, particularly those which follow watersheds and thus separate the 
basins being exploited by the respective nations. But the struggles of 
races for supremacy, ending in treaties and compromise lines, or other 
peculiarities of past history, lead often to the deliberate establishment of 
boundaries that are not a natural growth. In cases where some natural 
feature is available, it is taken advantage of, and both parties usually 
show some willingness to yield something to secure such a boundary. 
Of this character is the boundary formed by the great lakes. But 
where no such natural feature is available, or, to bridge over the gap 
between two natural boundaries, an artificial compass line is chosen, 
which is likely to be a definite meridian (as in part of the Canada- 
Alaska boundary), or a definite parallel of latitude as in the boundary 
between Canada and the United States across the plains. Such bound- 
aries, whether natural or artificial, are likely to be very permanent. 
Colonial Boundaries, separate self-governing communities of the 
same or different race, and are usually inter-provincial or inter-state 
boundaries. They are oftenest established by statute by the Parliament 
of a mother country, and hence are as apt to have artificial as natural 
boundaries. Such boundaries are remarkably sensitive to the peculiar- 
ities of the contemporary history, and hence colonial boundaries estab- 
lished in the earlier periods of a country’s history, when communication 
was slow and emigrants few, were very different in scope and character 
from those established later, as is made plain by a comparison of the 
boundaries, both as to character and extent of land inclosed, of the 
Atlantic Provinces and States with those of the Pacific. 
Administratwe Boundaries, are established by Colonial Govern- 
ments for the purpose of administration of internal affairs,—justice, 
public works, ete. Such are County and Parish or Township bound- 
aries. Of the same sort are the lines of districts established by great 
public bodies for convenience of management, resulting in school dis- 
tricts, church dioceses, ete. Such boundaries are likely to be artificial 
rather than natural, for the divisions are small, and moreover need to 
be approximately regular, so that natural boundaries (excepting rivers) 
are not at all likely to be available. As to the rivers, these, as already 
explained, naturally bring together rather than separate peoples, and 
thus are bad boundaries for small divisions. For this reason nearly all 
county boundaries are artificial lines usually so arranged as to inclose 
and separate the chief settled areas; hence they run through uninhabited 
places, which are usually the watersheds of the rivers. Such, as we 
shall later see, is the arrangement in New Brunswick, and a very wise 
one, particularly for a newly settled country ; and it is very fortunate 
