DALHOUSIE TO BATHURST. 



natural capability. Level and swampy surface. Arterial and 

 thorough drainage suggested. Eoman Catholic Ireland transplanted 

 to the settlement of New Bandon. Clearing land close to the sea. 

 Cold winter winds of the Bay de Chaleur. Greater warmth of the 

 inner Concessions. Mr Ritchie s private transition hotel. Discom 

 fort of such hotels. Superior character of the French population in 

 this north-eastern part of the province. Relation of the soil and 

 rocks of a new country to the intellectual and social character of its 

 future inhabitants* Element of race. Intermixture of Indian blood. 

 Caraquet settlement. Improvement in rural practice among the 

 French. Hospitable reception of Mr Collector Blackball, an old 

 Aberdonian settler. His opinion of the health of the country. In 

 fluence of early associations in the choice of a new home. Sullivan s 

 boggy corner, and Mr Blackhall s rocky selection. Attempering of 

 man and circumstances to each other. Amusing prejudice of one 

 of my fellow-travellers. Its early source. Travelling thrashing- 

 machines. Pocmouche River and Ferry. Fire-making in the woods. 

 Carriboo Plains. Little Tracadi. Tracadi Lagoon. Leper hospi 

 tal. Singularity of the disease here called leprosy. Opinions of the 

 medical profession regarding it. Scrub-pine barren, and sweet fern 

 country between Big Tracadi and the Tabusintac River. Pitchy dark 

 ness of moonless cloudy nights in the forest. Excellence of the 

 roads in New Brunswick. Annual Government expenditure upon 

 the roads of this province, compared with similar expenditure in the 

 East Indies. 



OCTOBER 12. This morning I started early for Bathurst, 

 a distance of fifty-two miles along the coast of the Bay 

 de Chaleur. The country over which we passed con 

 sisted of the highly-inclined upper Silurian beds, with 

 occasional limestones occurring among them, especially 

 about half-way to Bathurst. Over these rocks, in many 

 places, were spread, in patches more or less extensive, 

 horizontal old red-sandstone beds, and, for the first 

 twenty-five miles, red drift covered the surface, forming 

 a light red land, easily worked, in many places cleared, 

 and covered with thriving farms. 



I had, during the forenoon, an opportunity, which 

 rarely occurred, of comparing together the opposing 

 sentiments of different persons in regard to this country 

 as a place for the settlement of our home population. 



