those dei'p and tranquil reservoirs have derived their origin and how thoy 

 have been fed down to oxir day. Lakes <^xist in prolusi' n over the whole 

 continent of North America aiul are csin'cially abundant in our Pr viuce. 



Alter the iilaeial period which covered the greater portion of the 

 globe and whi<-h lasted for hundreds of c<Miturics, according to g(^ologists, 

 when the North Anierit^an continent gradually enicrged from under its 

 icy shroud, it appeared with terrible wounds, its ribs forced in, its back 

 broken in many jdaces, its thick crust pi(M'c(^d aiid iom in its most vul- 

 nerable parts. It was iji these gaping wounds llial the;ee remained, was 

 swallowed up ai'.d melted and formed hv lakes wliich we now come 

 acr()SS at almost every step inid to whi(^h so many eai;'er lisheruKMi 

 resort. 



On th<' other hand the mass of ice, surprised by the l)reaking up and 

 borne down by its own wcighl. was ofne(;essity <'onr|)e|li'(l to find au 

 outlet and to t^ideavour 1o r"ach llie sea. Hence the rivers and and water- 

 courses which, after centuries (d'labour, of eifbrt. (if reiieaU'dattc! I) pts to force 

 theii' way. have cut up and dredged out Mie soil in l!ie ensi.'st ]>laees. th'-ow- 

 ing out on eacli side enoruious masses of earlh, of detritus, ol accumulated 

 organic su1)stanc<'s, which have form-'d the hills and app.irent mounlains 

 AVe now st>e. The soil is conse<juently lertile as n rule aiid that; is why 

 the lauds in the interiiir of our Province, those especiidly bordering oil 

 water-courses, are inconii)arably more productive than those which btirder 

 the liiver .Saint Lawrent/e. 



Of coure. I do not wish to giv ■ this explanation as irrefutable, nor as 

 the only one which can be given f)r the cxisU'iice oi the y»henomena 

 which I mention. But, as I consider it very plausible and an it seems to 

 be born(> out by the nature ;in(l ap]ie;nani'e of th(> land. I havt; no hesita- 

 tion in giving it a place in the report which I s<'nd you. leaving to geolo- 

 gists the duty of contradicting or supporting it, according to their respec- 

 tive theories. • 



The traveller who Avishes to rea(di the r./ar portion of the county of 

 Rimouski and d(>s,'ends in a direction ne'irly parallel to that of the' river, 

 will take the Saint Anaclet road, called after th • parish of that name, 

 situat^fd between Eimouski and Sainte Luce ; he will follow that road 

 as far as the iifth concession of Saint Anaclet, will turn 1o the left and 

 enter the Neigeltv' road, which will lead him to the parish of Saiitt Donat 

 situated immediately in I'ear of thi' i)arish ol' Sainte Lut.'e. 



During the whole of this journey the road ibllows, with slight devia- 

 tions, the river Neigette, which further on falls into tht' river Metis. Here 

 we find ourselves in the very heart of the hilly and undulating region of 

 which we have- just spoken. 



The country is so l)rok:'n with moundK and ravines, that one is tempt(^d 

 to ask how mail has lieeu able to p mi elrate, to make roads and settle in it. 



