FEVER AND AGUE. 29 



important or fail altogether in a poor cold country, for they 

 are the product of rank vegetation on a rich soil, nourished 

 by extreme heat and humidity. In proportion to the natural 

 capacity of the country in North America to maintain a large 

 population is its greater liability to such disorders. The rich 

 alluvial soils on the river sides, whether in Canada or the 

 United States, south of 45 of latitude, are equally subject to 

 fever and ague, more or less intensified by the greater heat 

 and humidity of the summer. The settler may make his 

 choice with perfect certainty of the result. The poor soil, with 

 niggard vegetation and harsh climate, is exempt from malari- 

 ous fever, though favourable to colds and diseases of the respi- 

 ratory organs. The rich and abundantly productive soil, where 

 nature helps man in every way to make his labour profitable, 

 nourishes also that exuberance of vegetation the decay of which 

 produces malaria. But as these rich countries become popu- 

 lous the excess of vegetation disappears, and malaria dimin- 

 ishes. That has been the uniform experience of the Eastern 

 States of America, as also of our own rich flats on the east of 

 England. Certain it is that, notwithstanding malaria and its 

 consequences population flocks towards the richer territory, and 

 increases more rapidly in it. Canada West is richer than 

 Canada East, and it is more populous ; but there is a richer 

 territory still farther west where labour is yet more productive, 

 and, though in the present state of the country the risk of 

 health is greater, it is ten times more populous, for men push 

 on to the land in which they can most quickly and easily earn 

 an independence. 



Before leaving Canada and entering the United States at 

 Detroit, it may be well to notice here a subject much agitated 

 in the province at present, and also of national importance, 

 viz., the opening of a direct route through the British territory 

 between Canada and the Pacific. A company with most re- 



