ROAD FROM MITIS TO CAMPBELTOX. 385 



failing lumber-trade on the permanent welfare of the country. — ■ 

 Illustration of certain social and domestic differences between the 

 United States and the colonies. 



October 6. — Having yesterday arranged with a habitant, 

 bearing the illustrious name of Dumas, to convey me 

 across the peninsula of Gaspe for £6 currency, I rose 

 from a short sleep at one o'clock this morning, and, 

 after a drive of three miles inland from Mitis — for a 

 considerable part of the way over a bog, upon a fearful 

 corduroy road — reached the house of Dumas. Having 

 transferred myself and luggage into the waggon I was 

 to occupy for the next two days, we ascended a hill 

 which separated us from all further communication, 

 even by sight, with the river St Lawrence, and in about 

 half-an-hour had entered the forest. Under the shadow 

 of perpetual trees we continued, from this point, for a 

 distance of eighty miles, emerging only to come within 

 sight of the river Restigouche. 



This road between the two rivers is a very rude and 

 difficult one. It is barely blocked out of sufficient width 

 to allow a waggon with one horse to pass. The trees 

 are cut down and hauled off, boulder-stones and small 

 inequalities removed, and bridges built where they are 

 absolutely necessary. Only the horses of the country, 

 which all their lives have been trained to it, could 

 conduct even light waggons across the numerous steep 

 hills over which the road passes. 1 had been told in 

 New Brunswick that the road was impassable for 

 carriages, and that my portmanteau would have to be 

 carried, while I walked on foot myself a considerable 

 part of the way ; and I did think that my luggage, my 

 conductor, and myself were a very heavy load for the 

 little Canadian horse, till I afterwards saw other horses 

 compelled to drag at least twice the load along the 

 same road. 



VOL. I. 2 B 



