CLIMATE SOIL. 351 



vince is carried on chiefly by British subjects. In politics, 

 there is a French and British party. At present the French 

 interest is the most numerous ; it will, however, ultimately 

 dwindle away. 



The province of Lower Canada lies between forty-five and 

 fifty-two degrees of north latitude, and sixty-three and eighty- 

 one of west longitude, from Greenwich. The climate of 

 America is very different from places of the same latitude in 

 Europe, the degrees of heat and cold being much greater. 

 Although lying considerably farther south than England, 

 Fahrenheit s thermometer ranges between ninety and one 

 hundred degrees in summer. In winter, the thermometer 

 occasionally indicates thirty degrees below zero, and for six 

 months the surface of the earth is covered with snow. The 

 St Lawrence, which divides the province, runs in a north 

 easterly direction, and the climate becomes mild as the river 

 is ascended. In the western part of the province, spring com 

 mences a month earlier than it does at Quebec, the capital of 

 the district, and the climate is in all respects superior for 

 agriculture. 



The climate of Lower Canada is perhaps as healthy as any 

 in America, which may be owing to the length of time the 

 banks of the St Lawrence, where the population chiefly 

 reside, have been cultivated. In newly settled districts, fever 

 and ague, the scourge of America, is frequently known. 



The soil, which has been surveyed, is estimated by Bou- 

 chette at about 16,000,000 acres, and is said to be inferior 

 sand in the eastern parts, and to improve to the westward. 

 This gradation of soil seems to be pretty general in most 

 parts of North America ; but soils of the most opposite cha 

 racter are to be found in all situations, and America is as vari 

 able in texture and quality of surface as Britain. 



The greater part of the cleared land is occupied by the 

 descendants of the French in narrow stripes, seldom exceed 

 ing 100 acres, and often extending miles in length. The 

 tenures are of French origin, and it is difficult to get a good 

 title to land, without it has been disposed of at a sheriff s sale, 

 A considerable part of the land is held by English tenure. 



