CANADIAN OYSTER. 115 



From Cocagne Is nine miles to Sbedlac, a village of 

 some twenty houses, with a little-frequented harbour, 

 which, among the New Brunswick gourmands, Is famed 

 for Its oysters. The oysters of this coast, and of the 

 shores of the Gulf of St Lawrence generally, are very 

 different In size and appearance from our comparatively 

 small English oysters. They are of a species known as 

 the Canadian oyster [Ostrea canadensis^) are very large, 

 and Inhabit a shell which Is long, narrow, massive, 

 somewhat curved, and often attains a length of eight 

 inches. The heavy shells are frequently burned into 

 lime, and are occasionally seen in large heaps on the 

 road-sides, collected for this purpose. I don't know to 

 what extent It actually takes place, but I was told that 

 the New Brunswick pigs have learned to open and relish 

 the oysters, and that they frequent the sea- shore and 

 contrive to feed upon them ! 



We had arrived at Shedlac in good time for dinner ; 

 but as I wished to accomplish the remaining thirteen 

 miles of my day's journey while it was still light, I left 

 my provincial friends to enjoy their oyster feast, mounted 

 a single horse car, with a young habitant for my guide, 

 and drove on to the Bend, as it is called, on the river 

 Petltcodiac. There were many fires to be seen raging 

 in the woods, and the evening came on early In conse- 

 quence of the smoke with which the air was everywhere 

 tilled. 



The Bend is a village which derives its name from 

 being situated at the point where the river Petltcodiac, 

 which had been flowing north-east, bends suddenly 

 almost at a right angle, and flows south-east towards 

 Shepody Bay, one of the head forks of the Bay of 

 Fundy. The tide flows up from this bay a distance of 

 20 miles, and rises at common tides 22 feet 8 inches, and 

 at the highest tides 28 feet 8 inches. It rushes up with 

 a bore which at spring-tides is 5 or six feet high, and to 



