PRICE OF FLOUR. 409 



are still to be seen on many of the points most suitable 

 for defence. Mr Ferguson preserves around Atholl 

 House several large guns, which had been buried and 

 left behind on the site of an old battery upon the Cana- 

 dian shore, a few miles above his residence. 



Oct. 11. — Immediately behind Dalhousie rises Challe- 

 fours Hill, from which an extensive view is obtained, 

 not only of the river-scenery already described, but of 

 the newly-opened country up the Eel River, a stream 

 which flows into the bay a few miles below Dalhousie. 

 Up this river there are many new settlers, all Scotch at 

 the settlement of Dundee, and a mixture of Scotcii and 

 Irish at that of Colebrook. These have all been located 

 within these five or six years, and are all prospering. 

 Every kind of grain ripens. Even Indian corn — 

 the short eight-rowed yellow variety — is a sure crop. 

 Only nine years ago, when the local agricultural society 

 was established, it was believed that wheat could not be 

 grown ; now most farmers grow not only enough for 

 their own consumption, but have some for sale. The 

 variety sown is a hardy red chaifed spring wheat, with 

 a long red beard^ known as the Red Russian. This 

 variety has hitherto escaped the midge, and is less subject 

 to be shaken when over-ripe. 



Still the lumberers, and the Indians, and the towns- 

 people, and the new settlers require imported flour ; and 

 it shows how imperfect the means of transport still are 

 about the mouth of the St Lawrence, or how scarce 

 capital or mercantile competition, that when flour sells 

 at Quebec at 20s. a barrel, it brings here 3os., and that 

 on the closing of the river it rises here at once to 50s. a 

 barrel. At this time of my visit, though still early in 

 October, it is 40s. a barrel for cash at Dalhousie. One 

 of the benefits of the harder times on the North Ame- 

 rican rivers will be, to wean the lumberers from their 

 attachment to the finest and fairest flour. They have 



