GEOGRAPHY OF THE PROVINCIALS. 403 



complain that his countrymen did him wrong in not 

 making themselves familiar with the local geography 

 and whereabouts of his humble residence, as the colonial 

 villages grumble that they have no place in the geogra- 

 phical recollections of the people and Legislature at 

 home. 



At the Governor's table one day at Fredericton, I sat 

 next to a lady, said to be a great heiress, the daughter 

 of an Englishman born, who was complaining loudly ot 

 the little that was known of their country at home. 

 " Allow me,'' I said, " to try your geography ? Is Ire- 

 land to the east or west of Great Britain ? " She could 

 not answer me ; and it was unnecessary for me further 

 to defend, on that day at least, our home knowledge in 

 geography against the attacks of the provincials. 



In the afternoon I crossed the harbour from Atholl 

 House to Mission Point, to visit the priest, Mr Olscamps, 

 and the Indian settlement he has charge of upon the 

 adjoining land. This is a settlement of Micmacs, which 

 the priest has very much the merit of keeping in peace 

 and sobriety; and to his exertions it is mainly owing 

 that the Indians have been induced to settle upon the 

 land assigned to them by the Government, and to attend 

 to the operations of farming. 



Ninety-four families, comprising in all 410 indivi- 

 duals, are here located upon 800 acres of flat land, lying 

 between the mountains and the river. Five years ago, 

 when Mr Olscamps came among them, they were nearly 

 all drunkards ; but he has succeeded in greatly improv- 

 ing their habits and condition since his arrival. He 

 speaks their language, and had previously been four 

 years among the Indians of the Hudson's Bay territory, 

 and had learned the art of influencing them. There are 

 still many idle ones among his flock, and many who will 

 not settle to regular labour, preferring hunting and 

 fishing to steady work upon the land ; but the greater 



