CHANaE IN THE SCENERY AND SOIL. 117 



city of St John. At low water the river narrows 

 exceedingly, and deep, muddy, and sandy flats appear. 

 Along the immediate banks of the stream there Is much 

 fine land, and the mud, which is copiously deposited 

 between high and low water marks. Is very rich, and is 

 extensively employed for manuring purposes. 



29^A August. — We drove tv/elve miles up the Petitco- 

 diac Hivei' this morning to breakfast. From the Bend to 

 St John, a distance of ninety-four miles, the country is 

 more or less settled all the way. Much of the land is of 

 inferior quality, light, sandy, and gravelly ; but there is 

 much good land also, and the country generally along the 

 road is more undulating, abounds more in the picturesque, 

 and has more the air of a civilised old settled region 

 than almost any other tract of equal extent in the pro- 

 vince. This superiority arises. In great measure, from a 

 change In the prevailing geological formation. Before 

 reaching the Bend, we pass from the grey coal measure 

 sandstones on to red marls, red sandstones, and red con- 

 glomerates, with subordinate beds of limestone and gyp- 

 sum, which extend to within a few miles of St John. 

 The round hills of our English Monmouthshire appear in 

 this region In Mount PIsgah, Piccadilly Mountain, and 

 other striking elevations which are still unnamed. Soils 

 like some of those In South AYales, " which eat up all the 

 manure, and drink up all the water," are formed in many 

 spots from the drift of these red rocks, while In not a few 

 places red soils like those of the Lothlans are produced, 

 over which extend rich and fertile farms. Over all this 

 red district the land is absorbent of moisture, easy to till, 

 and early ready for the seed In spring, or for the sickle 

 in autumn. The subordinate beds of lime and gypsum 

 also contribute to improve the soils which rest upon this 

 formation ; while the salt with which it is impregnated, 

 as shown by its salt springs, is probably not without its 

 influence on the general vegetation. Along this line of 



