NARROW GREEN SPHAGNUM SWAMP. 103 



is less naturally productive. This Shepody district 

 illustrates the value of some such natural stimulus, as I 

 was informed that the worst farming was here to be seen 

 on the best land. 



Ascending from New Horton, we drove along the 

 ridge which forms the sea-wall, as far as Cape Enrage. 

 As we advanced, we came upon hard grey sandstones, 

 inclined at a very high angle, and forming, probably, 

 the cliffs at the Cape, which I had not the opportunity 

 of examining. Turning to the right, before we arrived 

 at the end of the peninsula, we descended into a deep 

 narrow valley, by which this ridge is separated from the 

 next adjoining and nearly parallel one. On reaching 

 the bottom, we came upon a bridge by which the water 

 and swamp was to be crossed, and where the scene was 

 very striking. A long narrow ravine, like a broad 

 green lane or alley, ran on our right in a nearly straight 

 line, far towards the north-east. On our left, its course 

 was more curved towards the sea. On the surface of 

 this green alley not a tree or shrub was to be seen 

 but, down the middle, moving water was visible, slowly 

 descending. It was the lively green and treeless surface 

 that gave its striking character to this spot ; for, on either 

 side, the rapid slopes that hemmed it in were densely 

 clothed with native forest. A treacherous sphagnum swamp 

 filled the narrow green valley from side to side. Nature 

 was in the act of converting into a boggy marsh what 

 had recently been a shallow lake. It presented an 

 extreme case of what is often seen in the swampy hollows 

 that intervene between the nearly parallel ridges of 

 sandstone in this county of Albert, and between those of 

 metamorphic slate along the St Lawrence in Lower 

 Canada. In old-settled countries, such natural appear 

 ances are not often seen. The hand of man has felled the 

 forest and drained the swamp, which give to such places, 

 in their natural state, their wild and peculiar features. 



