HOxME IN THE PROVINCES. 25 



It Is a pleasant thing in the British provinces to hear 

 the people talk of England and Scotland and Ireland — 

 of the Old Country generally — as home ; and It is plea- 

 sant to meet so many persons who, though long settled, 

 and having families of province-born children, were them- 

 selves born at home, and like to ask of places they knew 

 in their youth from one who has lately seen them, and to 

 tell how they have struggled and fared since they came 

 to the New World. Those persons are greatly deceived 

 who think that less labour, and less patience and perse- 

 verance, are necessary to success In the New World than 

 In our part at least of the Old. The chief difference Is, 

 that there Is room enough In the broad lands of America 

 for the full employment of all, and that the diligent man 

 of moderate desires Is sure of a competency. 



Along this road I met the first examples of these old 

 settlers, and I was especially Interested by the narrative of 

 an old Aberdonian, at whose house we stopped to refresh 

 our horses. He had remained fixed wdiere he first settled, 

 and the determination he brought with him from his 

 native country had at length made him master of almost 

 everything desirable around him. 



As we descended towards Annapolis, the land and 

 country improved, and the last fifteen miles were beau- 

 tiful In scenery, and showed extensive fertile flats in the 

 bottom of the valley. Bridgetown, ten or twelve miles 

 above Annapolis, struck me forcibly as neat, clean, well 

 built, and apparently prosperous. It depends almost 

 solely upon the agriculture of the neighbourhood. 



The structure of the narrow valley along which I came 

 to-day, and at either end of v/hich, but especially at the 

 eastern end, so much fertile land is to be seen, is very 

 simple, but very interesting. Two ridges of elevated 

 land, called respectively the North and South Mountains, 

 run nearly parallel to each other from Windsor to beyond 

 Annapolis and Digby, a distance of upwards of a hundred 



