346 EXTENT OF WILD LAND. 



of Montmorenci, about three-fourths of the whole sur- 

 face has been surveyed, and probably, for the most part, 

 granted. In I'Islet and Kamouraska, about one-half 

 has been surveyed ; but of that of Rimouski, only one- 

 fourth. Of that which has been surveyed, probably a 

 large portion is still ungranted ; and of tlie granted, at 

 least two-thirds is still uncleared. But in Rimouski 

 alone, there are still four millions of acres of unexplored, 

 and, except to the lumberers, almost unknown wilderness. 

 In this county, in 1848, about 8,000 acres of land were 

 sold, one-third of it to new settlers ; and the value of 

 cleared land, within the last ten years, has increased 15 

 per cent. Even this remote county is advancing, there- 

 fore ; but, at this rate of increase, how very many years 

 must pass before all the available land can be subjected 

 to the plough ? 



But the rapidity of settlement even where, as in these 

 counties, it chiefly depends on the natural increase of 

 the population, advances in a geometrical progression. 

 Land and subsistence are easily obtained on the seigno- 

 ries, and the climate is healthy ; the habitants marry 

 young, and have large families. The clearings through 

 which I passed to-day were all made by French Cana- 

 dians. My driver was one of fourteen children — was 

 himself the father of fourteen, and assured me that from 

 eight to sixteen was the usual number of the farmers' 

 families. He even named one or two women who had 

 brought their husbands five-and-twenty, and threatened 

 " le vingt-sixi^me pour le pretre." I expressed my 

 surprise at these large families. " Oui, Monsieur," said 

 he, " vous avez raison. Nous sommes terribles pour les 

 enfants ! " 



The eldest son usually succeeds to the father's farm ; 

 the younger sons are placed upon new farms, which the 

 father helps to buy or clear. The rate at which the 

 Government land is sold is half-a-dollar an acre — thirty 



