[GANONG ] BOUNDARIES OF NEW BRUNSWICK 151 
the county boundaries of the province have been laid down. And for 
the smaller and especially for all property boundaries, the lack of 
sharply marked physical features has led to the almost exclusive use 
of compass lines. 
Hence it comes about that New Brunswick’s natural boundaries are 
almost all international or interprovincial, and her administrative 
boundaries are almost entirely artificial compass lines. 
F. Upon Bounpary DISPUTES. 
There are probably few countries of which the boundaries have not 
been, one or more of them, at some time in dispute. In the case of New 
Brunswick boundary disputes have been well nigh chronic, and not one 
of the boundaries of the province capable of dispute has escaped it. 
Not only the international, but also the two interprovincial boundaries 
have been subjects of prolonged disputes ended only by the decisions, 
in all cases compromises, of special commissions. 
The psychological basis of boundary disputes we have already noted 
in an earlier section. It consists in that unreasoning but natural par- 
tizan condition of the human mind which leads men to take sides with 
their own clan and to close their minds to any merits of the case of the 
opponent. Neighbours will dispute with one another, but will unite with 
others in the same street against those of the next ; and the two streets 
will dispute with one another, but will unite with others in the same 
ward against those of the next ward ; wards in the same city will dis- 
pute with one another but will unite with others in the same city against 
a neighbouring city, and these cities will unite with others in the same 
state against a neighbouring state and so on. This habit of mind is no 
doubt a phase of the same principle which has divided all organisms 
into species, genera, families and orders, and is therefore one of the most 
natural of man’s impulses. Most men in thus taking their stand, do 
so under the delusion that it is matter of conviction with them, whereas 
the conviction would be equally strong the other way had they happened 
to be born under the other flag. In addition to the ever-present par- 
tizanship, there exists also the deep-seated and universal land-hunger, 
which appears to be the more insatiable the higher the civilization of 
the race. Thus is a favourable soil prepared for a boundary dispute, 
after which a very slight occasion is sufficient to bring it into being. 
The most fertile source of such disputes is the loose way in which 
boundaries are usually described in the earlier documents, the result of 
carelessness, of ignorance of the geography of the country, or of indiffer- 
ence as to the precise lines of demarcation in wilderness country where 
few great interests are involved. No difficulties are likely to arise 
