SWEET FERN SOILS. 113 



and stony soils which distinguish so much of the coal 

 measures of New Brunswick. We crossed on our way 

 the Kouchlbouguac, the Kouchibouguasis, and the Aldou- 

 ane rivers, flowing from the west ; and for some distance 

 on each side of these rivers, good land and fine settle- 

 ments were almost universally to be seen. On the flat 

 country, the clearings are feW and thinly scattered. 

 Hardwood ridges of land now and then rose above the 

 flat country, and on these were more valuable farms and 

 settlements. But, as I came over this ground again in 

 the ensuing October, I omit any further observations in 

 this place. 



28^A. — I left Richlbucto at eight in the morning. It 

 was at first misty, but by degrees became excessively 

 hot. After a few miles of better land, the soil and 

 country became very similar to that we passed over 

 yesterday — flat, poor, pine-clad, sandy soils, except 

 where rivulets and armlets of the sea occurred. Here 

 better land, and a few settlers, as usual, occurred. 

 Fifteen miles brought us to the Big Buctouche River, 

 near its mouth, where it expands into an arm of the sea, 

 and falls into Northumberland Strait, opposite to Prince 

 Edward's Island. Tide-water here extends six or eight 

 miles above the bridge and harbour; and along the 

 inland bay there is much cleared land, and some good 

 farms. 



On the sandy soils of the county of Kent, north and 

 south of Eichibucto, I saw, for the first time in New 

 Brunswick, the sweet fern [Comptonia asplemfolia^) 

 which had previously arrested my attention in the great 

 sandy plain of Aylesford, in the Annapolis Valley between 

 Windsor and Bridgetown. I afterwards saw it on 

 many other of the more barren sandy portions of the 

 north-eastern part of this province. It is a saying In 

 some of our ov/n rural districts, that, where the common 



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