54 ALLEGED LARGE DEPOSITS OF COAL 



between them a somewhat elevated promontory or point 

 of land juts forward into the mingling waters. On this 

 promontory stands the Roman Catholic church, large 

 as they usually are in the country districts of these pro 

 vinces, forming an object on which the eye could rest ; 

 while right and left, fringed with trees, and winding 

 round the land, the water expands in front of it, and 

 the background of native forest-trees encloses the cleared 

 land on which it is placed. There is good land and 

 some fine farms in this locality, and some fine timber still 

 remaining. And as the sun shone upon the mingling 

 tints of the coming autumn, the lighter yellow of the 

 white birch and poplar contrasted not too violently 

 with the dark-brown leaves of the beech and the peren 

 nial green of the pine-trees, giving a cheerfulness to the 

 landscape which was very pleasant to look upon. 



At the head of the wider part of the Richibucto, a 

 stream flows into it, to which the name of Coal River is 

 given, from the occurrence of a bed of coal a few miles 

 above the junction. One of the objects of my excursion 

 to-day was to visit this seam of coal, and to form an 

 idea of its economical value. 



It is known, by the maps and statements which have 

 already been published, that a large portion of the 

 surface of New Brunswick an area of seven or eight 

 thousand square miles- is occupied by coal-measures ; 

 and it has been stated and is, in consequence, I believe, 

 generally thought in Europe that the province is 

 exceedingly rich in fossil fuel. Dr Gessner, late pro 

 vincial geologist, speaks of the coal of Xew Brunswick 

 &quot; as sufficient to supply Canada, and all the demands of 

 the extensive coasts of the Gulf&quot; as being &quot;inexhaust 

 ible &quot; and reasons upon the &quot; importance to which 

 New Brunswick is destined to attain, as regards not 

 only herself and her sister colonies, but Great Britain 

 also, and the United States, whose supplies of coal must 



