B R U 



14 



B R U 



Brunswick. BRUNSWICK, NEW, one of the four British 

 * "'"V" provinces in North America, is bounded on the south- 

 east by the Bay of Fundi, on the south by New Eng- 

 land, on the north and west by Canada, and on the 

 east by the Gulf of St Lawrence. The principal 

 towns of this province are Frederickstown the capi- 

 tal, St Ann's, St Andrew's, and St John's ; and it 

 is watered by the rivers St John's, Magegadavick, or 

 Eastern River, Dickwasset, St Croix, Merrimichi, 

 Petitcodiac, Memramcook ; all of which, except- 

 ing the three last, discharge themselves into Passa- 

 maquoddy Bay. In the St John's River the tides 

 flow about 80 miles ; and it is navigable for vessels 

 of 50 tons about 60 miles, and for boats about 200 

 miles. The vast extent of country into which it 

 opens, contains rich vales and cultivated meadows, 

 while the higher grounds are generally covered with 

 wood. 



After the settlement of this province by the Ame- 

 rican loyalists in 1783, the inhabitants eagerly en- 

 gaged in endeavouring to supply, with fish and lum- 

 ber, the British possessions in the West Indies ; and 

 within the first ten years, they had built 93 square 

 rigged vessels, and 71 sloops and schooners, which 

 Were principally employed in that trade. In the year 

 1793, however, this trade was greatly injured by the 

 permission granted by proclamation to the United 

 States of America, to supply the West India islands 

 with every thing they wanted. The citizens of the 

 United States being exempt from a duty of 24- to 5 

 per cent, exacted in the West India islands from Bri- 

 tish subjects, and not being subject to the high rates 

 of insurance on their vessels and cargoes, nor to the 

 great advance in the wages of seamen, with which 

 the inhabitants of New Brunswick had to struggle, were 

 obviously enabled to engross a great part of the trade 

 of that province. The American government, by 

 granting a boanty of nearly 20 shillings per ton on 

 all vessels employed in the cod fishery, have now en- 

 grossed the principal part of the cod-fishery in the 

 bay of Fundi ; and from the county of Charlotte, 

 which is separated only from the United States by a 

 navigable river, have been enabled to carry off an- 

 nually, and to reship for the American market near- 

 ly three millions of feet of boards, cut in that part of 

 New Brunswick, and also a large proportion of the 

 fish, caught and cured by British subjects, in the bay 

 of Passamaquoddy. 



The sea-coast of New Brunswick abounds with 

 cod and scale fish, and immense shoals of herring, 

 shad, and salmon annually enter its rivers. The her- 

 rings are possessed of a greater degree of firmness 

 than the common herrings, and are capable of being 

 kept longer in a warm climate. They are caught in 

 such abundance, that the quantity cured is limited 

 only by the insufficient number of hands employed. 

 The numerous harbours along the coast are conveni- 

 ently situated for the cod-fishery, which may be car- 

 ried on to any extent. Near the margin of the nu- 

 merous rivers, creeks, and lakes, which intersect the 

 province, the country is for the most part covered 

 with inexhaustible forests, of pine, spruce, birch, ma- 

 ple, elm, fir, and other timber, proper for masts of 

 any size, lumber, and ship-building. The smaller ri- 

 sers afford excellent situations for saw-mills; and 



from the melting of the snow in spring, every stream Brussels. 

 is rendered sufficiently deep to float down the masts " "ST"" 

 and lumber of every description, which tl e inhabi- 

 tants have cut and brought to its banks during the 

 long and severe winters, when their agricultural pur- 

 suits are suspended. 



In the interior of the province, the lands are ge- 

 nerally excellent ; and where they have been culti- 

 vated, they have proved very productive, owing to 

 the small number of the inhabitants. Great advan- 

 ces have not yet been made in agriculture ; but with- 

 in a few years preceding 1804?, there has remained, 

 beyond the domestic supply, a considerable surplus 

 in horses, salted provisions, and butter for exporta- 

 tion. The following table exhibits the trade of New 

 Brunswick during the last seven years : 



Ships cleared out. Tons. 



1804 ... 126 - - - 17.203 



1805 - - - 119 - - - 15.910 



1806 ... 128 - - - 20.019 



1807 --- 156 - - - 27.430 



1808 - - - 253 - - - 39.114 

 3809 ... 310 - - - 55.158 

 1810 ... 410 - - - 87.690 



w 



BRUSSELS, or BRUXELLES, a city of France, 

 formerly the capital of Brabant, and of the Aus- 

 trian Netherlands, now the chief place of the pre- 

 fecture of the department of the Dyle, is situated on 

 the river Senne, in a fertile and picturesque country, 

 about 27 miles S. of Antwerp, with which it com- 

 municates by a canal, and 177 N. by E. of Paris. 

 It is a rich, handsome, and populous city, rising 

 from the river to an eminence on the east, and unites 

 the magnificence of Paris with the cleanness of a 

 Dutch town. Brussels is encompassed by a double 

 brick wall, with seven gates, and about seven miles 

 in circumference ; and without the walls contains se- 

 ven parishes, Ste. Gudule, Notre Dame de la Cha- 

 pelle, St Geri, St Nicholas, Ste. Catherine, St Jaques 

 de Caubergue, and Notre Dame de Finis-terras. It 

 is surrounded with extensive suburbs, consisting of 

 several villages, and joined to the city by a conti- 

 nuity of streets and buildings. The city is divided 

 into eight section^. The older and lower streets are 

 small and crooked, but the more modern ones are 

 straight and wide. The houses are lofty and well 

 built, and its public structures display both taste and 

 magnificence. The ducal palace, where the gover- 

 nor used to reside, stands upon an eminence, with a 

 large square before it, encircled with pillars of brass, 

 on which are statues of several emperors and dukes 

 of Brabant, as large as life. It was begun in 1300, by 

 John II., duke of Brabant, and finished by the suc- 

 cessors of Philip the Good in 1521. It then con- 

 tained one of the most beautiful chapels in Europe, 

 which was pulled down in 1777, to make room for 

 the new square called Place Royale. This superb 

 building is now converted into a central school for 

 the department of the Dyle, to which is attached a 

 public library, a botanical garden, and a collection of 

 paintings. The school is divided into three classes. 

 In the first are taught, drawing, natural history, and 

 the Greek and Roman classics ; in the second, ma- 



