NORTHERN OUTCROP, CUMBERLAND COAL FIELDS—GILPIN. 387 
the charming July sun tempts you, you give way for the mouth 
of the basin, where the huge boulders of traps stem the Bay of 
Fundy tides, heaping great sand beaches at their bases. Your 
canoe grits upon Indian beach, you run it up amidst dozens of 
other Indian canoes, and scan half way up the rocky barrier a 
shady spot for your bivouaec. Here your Indian builds his fire, 
two parallel lines of stones eighteen inches high, with a trench 
between, picks and cleans his birds, and cutting branches from 
the nearest tree, impales a bird on every twig, resting the whole 
branch over his fire. Gravely he hands to each guest a branch 
with its roasted fruit, who, holding the branch in one hand pulls 
with the other the birds from the twigs. To one who has eaten 
of this Abyssinian banquet there is no need to tell of their ten- 
derness and juicy delicacy. The rigor mortis has not yet stiff 
‘ened the dead birds. This comes on after a few hours and then 
passes off after a day or two. If you cook the grouse shot upon 
your tramp for your night’s supper, you are surprised how tough 
they are, but if you hang them in your camp for a day or two 
you find them tender. The Indian, like the Abyssinian, chooses 
the aimost living flesh for his feast. 
ARTICLE 1X.—“ THE NORTHERN OUTCROP OF THE CUMBER- 
LAND Coan Fretp.” By EDWIN GILPIN, A. M, 
BG. S:, BOR. S: Cy EMC: 
(Read May 8th, 1882.) 
My object this evening is to lay before you a brief summary 
of the work which has been done on the northern outcrops of the 
seams of the Cumberland Coal Field. Some of the information 
is new and of importance, but for much of the work done at an 
early date I have had recourse to official sources. 
The Cumberland coal field was for many years an unknown 
and unpromising district. It was accessible by water at the Jog- 
gins only, to allow competition with the coals of Sydney and 
Pictou. The presence of coal seams was known at several other 
points, but the want of any means of transportation forbade an 
attempt to open them. 
