oOO Account of a Journey across the Island of Newjoundland. [May I, 

 miles from tlie sea-coast, up tlic South 

 Barrasway River. There are several 

 salt springs: one about two miles 



from the sea.coast, up another Bar- 

 rasway River, some miles north of 

 tliat where the coal is found ; another, a 

 few miles still farther north, up what is 

 called Rattling Brook; and a tiiird at 

 Port-a-Port. There is a strong sul- 

 phurous spring, close to the sea-shore, 

 about a mile north of the Barrasway 

 River where the salt-spring first men- 

 tioned is found, (apparently what is 

 called the Second River by the chart). 

 Gypsum and red ochre abound between 

 these rivers and Flat Bay, at the sea- 

 shore; and the former is also found 

 some miles within the country. There 

 is a dark grey-coloured marble found at 

 Bay of Islands ; but, from report, in no 

 great quantity near the coast. The 

 soil of St. George's Bay is good, and 

 not so rocky as in most parts of the 

 island. 



There does not appear to be any good 

 soil in the interior. It is almost invaria- 

 ble peat-marsh, more or less wet ac- 

 cording to situation, the more elevated 

 parts being rocky. The stunted woods 

 almost invariably indicate its poverty. 

 The short summer does not allow the 

 sun sufficient time to draw out, even 

 from the more elevated sloping districts 

 in their natural state, the wet of the 

 preceding winter. The best soil in tiie 

 island is near the sea-coasts, particu- 

 larly the banks next to the niouths of 

 some of the large rivers. 



The eastern half of the interior is a 

 low picturesque woody country, Ira- 

 ■versed northerly and southerly by suc- 

 cessive ridges of low hills. I'he western 

 half is mountainous, often rugged, bar- 

 ren, and nearly destitute of wood; but 

 the mountains here do not lie in ridges, 

 nor in any particular direction, and the 

 lakes and rivers are much larger than 

 to the eastward. 



The most extensive lake in New- 

 foundland is called the Bay of Islands 

 Lake, said by the Indians to be sixty 

 miles Ion?. The second is called the 

 Lake of the Red Indians. The largest 

 river is Exploit River. The river of 

 East Bay, in the Bay of Despair, 

 admits of the Micmac Indians taking up 

 their birch-bark cauoes from the sea- 

 coast to Serpentine Lake. After that, 

 they go on tlseir hunting excursions, 

 from lake to lake, in skin canoes, by 

 means of the rivers, and, occasionally, 

 by portages. From St. George's Bay 

 there is a portage of upwards of twcntj' 

 miles to George the Fourth's Lake, 



before the Indians enter upon the great 

 lakes of the interior. 



In a botanical point of view, tiie in- 

 terior does not appear to be particularly 

 interesting, after having examined the 

 country near the sea-coast. The island 

 altogether, however, aflfords a wide field 

 for research to the botanist, pa'ticularly 

 as to shrubs. The naked parts of the 

 country', iu general, including the 

 marshes, exhibit appearances of having 

 been once wooded. Roots and trunks 

 of trees are generally found under the 

 surface. Many are of larger <iinien- 

 sious than any now growing iu their 

 vicinity. They have evidently been 

 destroyed by fire; and from the poor 

 soil in this cold region several centuries 

 seem necessary to produce a forest of 

 any magnitude. A thin wiry grass, 

 with lichens and mosses, cover t'lc 

 marshes ; and these, with whortleberry 

 bushes, and several diminutive shrubs, 

 predominate on the higher unwoodcd 

 districts. Spruces, larch, and birches, 

 compose the woods. The pine is sel- 

 dom seen, and is commonly so stunted 

 or shrubby, as to be of little value for 

 timber. The mountain-ash is some- 

 times met with. The only good timber 

 in Newfoundland grows near the sca- 

 eoasts, and particularly on the banks of 

 the large rivers, where the best soil is 

 found.* 



The western division, being nearly 

 destitute of wood, affords pasture to nu- 

 merous herds of deer (the Caribou). 

 Of these animals there are here many 

 thousands; indeed, the country seems 

 covered with them. They migrate 

 eastward to the woody districts in win- 

 ter, and return westward very early in 

 spring. Their flesh forms almost the 

 sole subsistence of the Indians. 



Beavers have, in former times, 

 abounded in all the woody districts; 

 and, in some places, considerable num- 

 bers of them are still found, particularly 

 north of the Bay of Despair and For- 

 tune Bay, and in the vicinity of White 

 Bay. 



'ihe other wild animals of the coun- 

 try are not numerous, except foxes, 

 near the sea-coast. 



Geese, ducks, and gulls, with some 

 other aquatic birds of passage, breed in 

 considerable numbers in the interior. 

 They collect in flocks, and leave it for 

 tho coast, as soon as the ponds are 

 frozen over. 



The Micmac Indians visit the interior 

 chiefly 



* The centre ot the island is m 48i° N. 

 lat. 



