BUTTERNUT RIDGE. 113 



and gypsum and salt-springs are met with, we descended 

 into the valley of the North River, a tributary of the 

 Petitcodiac, and passed over a broad flat, stony, and 

 swampy barren, through which the river runs. On the 

 succeeding rise, drier land and increasing clearings were 

 seen. Rounded hills and low undulating ridges of light 

 sandy and gravelly soil the debris and drift of red 

 conglomerate covered the slope ; and when, as we 

 neared the top, the ascent became more steep, cliffs of 

 the conglomerate rock in place, and soon after of a 

 solid thick bedded limestone, presented themselves. 

 These latter rocks form the surface of the Butternut 

 Eidge, which, from this summit level, inclines towards 

 the west in an undulating slope of rich red-sandstone soils 

 towards the valley of the New Canaan and Washademoak 

 Rivers. Beyond this come on again the flat grey sand 

 stones of the coal-measures, about the centre of the pro 

 vince. These are covered over large areas with bogs, 

 and swamps, and carriboo plains. Were the geological 

 structure of this country once accurately investigated 

 and mapped, nothing would be more easy than to indi 

 cate the capabilities of its several soils, and generally 

 their localities and relative extent, from the colours 

 which the map would present. 



A thick rain had come on before we reached the house 

 in the settlement in which we were to find quarters. 

 The title of Colonel given to our intended landlord 

 made me anticipate comfortable accommodations ; but 

 disappointment was the result. It was another of those 

 cases in which people do the traveller a favour by taking 

 him in. The landlord was a thriving man, had a fine 

 family of grown-up sons and daughters, and some of the 

 sons, who still lived with him, were already settled on 

 excellent farms of their own. I believe they intended to 

 be civil to us according to their knowledge ; but one 



VOL. n. H 



