48 THE MAGDALENE ISLANDS — PATTERSON. 



Island, they beino- with the exception of Ah'ight all connected 

 by marsh or sand-beach. 



Ten miles to the northward lies Bryon, four miles long, lying 

 nearly east and west. As we approach from the south, the ap- 

 pearance of the island from the water, with its dark );)rown cliffs, 

 its sloping hills rising to the height of 200 feet, with occasional 

 farm steadings, but the greater part dark green with spruce and 

 fir woods, is quite picturesque. One thing that struck me, how- 

 ever, was the peculiarly stunted appearance of the trees. On all 

 the islands the wood is stunted, owing, no doubt, to the ocean 

 winds. But this island is very narrow, not more than three- 

 quarters of a mile at its greatest breadth, and it appeared to me 

 in some places not more than one, and having no other land near 

 it, is particularl}' exposed. So that the trees appear along the 

 shore often as dead or dj^ing, or as thick bunches, so close that 

 no bird could penetrate them, and in the interior as if the tops 

 were cut off, about twenty or twenty-five feet from the ground, 

 and the branches extending horizontally, as we have seen the 

 cedars of Lebanon represented. 



There is no harbor on the island and few convenient landing- 

 places. The best are at two coves on the south side, — one near 

 the east end and the other near the west. At other points there 

 may be narrow margins of beach at the foot of clifts perhaps a 

 hundred feet high, where one may land, Ijut in such cases one 

 can ascend or descend, and goods can be hoisted or lowered only 

 by ropes. But in rough weather there is no landing upon any 

 part of it. 



This island, however, is perhaps the finest for agriculture of 

 the whole group. It presents beautiful slopes, with a fine deep 

 soil. Here farming is conducted on a larger scale than on any 

 of the other islands, mine host keeping eighteen cows, and his 

 brother alongside of him twelve, all of which were in excellent 

 condition, and improved by crossing with imported cattle of 

 superior breeds, besides other stock of good quality, contrasting 

 strongly with the stock on the other islands, which is commonly 

 of the poorest. These men, who were originally from P. E. 

 Island, represent the soil as superior to that of the latter. Yet, 



