348 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



B. The Post Route to (Jlf.bec.' 



In the early days of the province the St. John River valley formed 

 the natural route from Nova Scotia to Quebec, particularly in winter, 

 when the .sea route was closed by ice. For the accommodation of the 

 mail-carriers, and travellers as well, the British Government early estab- 

 lished a series of post-houses, in charire of disbanded soldiers, at con- 

 venient distances from Fredericton up the river to the Madawaska, up 

 that river to Temiscouata, and thence to Rivière du Loup, from which 

 the route ran along the St. Lawrence to Quebec. These post houses are 

 'marked upon several maps of the last centuiy, particularly on the Peachy 

 map reproduced in the preceding memoir (p. 303) of this series. As there 

 shown, these houses stood about as follows : 



1. Just above Longs Creek. 8. At Grand Falln. 



2. Ju.st above the Xacawicac. 9. About at Siegas". 



3. Near Fort Meductio. 10. Just below mouth of tlie Madawaska 



4. Just above tlie Becagniinec. 11. Half way up I\radawaska on east side. 



5. Just above the Munquart. 12. Outlet of Temiscouata, east side. 



6. Just above Tobique. i:^. At Fort Iiigalls, Temiscouata. 



7. Just above Aroostook. 



There were perhaps also others, or else possibly they were not placed 

 as the maps shovv, for at Salmon River, above Tobique, it is said, a post- 

 house, kept by a Captain Whitehead, stood just below the mouth of the 

 river on the edge of the intervale, now washed away, and another is said 

 to have stood opposite Andover. I have not tried to locate these houses 

 exactly, but it could doubtless easily be done. 



C. The Semaphore Telegraph Line from Halifax to Fredericton. 



About 1794 ' it was decided by IL R. II. the Duke of Kent to establish 

 a semaphore telegraph line from Halifax to Fredericton, a system worked 

 by signalling from hill to hill. Though apparently never fulh' cai-ried 

 out, something was done in this direction, and several "Telegraph Hills" 

 mark the stations to-day. The lino crossed from Nova Scotia at Chig- 

 necto to just west of Martins Head, where Telegraph Brook still marks 

 the place. A plan of 1807 in the Crown Land Oilice has this inscription 

 on the hill west of the brook, "Telegraph Station formerly proposed." 

 "Some trees were felled on this lot, by order of H. R. H. of Kent, to 

 attempt a telegraph station to communicate with Cape Chignecto, in the 

 year 1800." 



The second of the known telegraph hills was at St. John near the 

 Martello tower. Between these two points there must have been others, but 

 1 Mr. Howe (Coll. N. B. Hist. See, L, 20). 



