10 



cessfully introduced from England and from Ver- 

 mont. Draining and improved methods of farming 

 are in many parts practised, and the agricultural 

 importance of the southern portions of this region is 

 yearly increasing. The Easterfi Townships moreover 

 abound in metallic ores, marbles, slates, etc., which* 

 will be noticed in their place. 



in. 



THE CHAMPAIGN REGION. 



The limits of the great plains of Canada have al- 

 ready been defined in describing those of the two 

 proceeding regions. These plains, which may be cal- 

 led the champaign region, occupy about three tenths 

 of the province, and are, as we have seen, divided 

 into two parts by a low and narrow isthmus of Lau- 

 rentian country, which runs from the Ottawa to the 

 Adirondacks of New-York. To the eastward of this 

 division, the present region includes the country 

 between that river and the St. Lawrence, and ail be- 

 tween the Laurentides on the north and the Notre- 

 Dame hills on the southeast ; while to the west- 

 ward it embraces the whole of the province south of 

 the Laurentian region, including the great area lying 

 between the Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron, gene- 

 rally known as the southwestern peninsula of Canada- 

 The whole of this region from east to west is essen- 

 tially a vast plain, with a sufficient slope to allow of 

 easy drainage. The distance from Quebec to the 

 west end of Lake Superior is about 1,200 miles, yet 

 this lake is only 600 feet above the sea-level, while 

 Lake Erie is 565 feet, and Lake Ontario 232 feet a 

 bove the sea. The land on the banks of the St. Law- 

 rence and its lakes, either near the margin, or not 



