49 



'»ESCR1PTI0N OF A i'OUTIO?^ OF THE INTERIOR PLATEA-U OF 



THE ALLEGIIANIES. 



A VAST KR(JION TO 15E SETTLED. 



1,280,000 acres of very fertile f(inuin<^' Uvid in llti: counties of 'leinisroiiafa 



and RimoHslti. 



Behind the ohiiin f)f th(^ Allcyhiiiiics, \vhosi> (n-cst is outliiuid al)OVO 

 the towu ol' St. Gcrniiiiii dc lliitiouski Jiiul ;idjoiniH<>' villnii'cs, there is a 

 depression fomiiiiii' an interior ])latean, hounded \o th(! south hy a range 

 of hills whieh follows the Irontier liiu' ol' the Province. 



This plateau, on a level ^vilh the ui)per pi^rtion ol' the great rivers of 

 this region, is iutcrseeled hy beaulil'ul lakes and rivers and covered with 

 densi' fon sis. It, extends AVi'stwardly to tin- mountains around lake 

 Toraiscouata. 



The rivers whieh take ris»i in it are : the Mtitis, Rimouski and Trois- 

 Pistoles, which cut through the whole chain of the AUeghaiiies in deep 

 gorges and fall into the 8t. Lawrence ; the Patapcdia, which Hows towards 

 the south, the Squateck, des ' )utres and Eagle rivers, \vhich How into 

 lake Teniiscniiata. hy t,he river Touladi. The principal lakes are laki's 

 Metis, h'imouski. Patapedia, des Outres, Eagle, St. John and tin* four 

 Sqnateck lakes 



ThiMuost comnion kiiuls of trees an' maple, black and white birch, 

 elm and willow ; there are also white and red pine, grey, black and red 

 spruce, cedar and fir. Hard- wood trees are so abundant that Ihey have 

 given to the region the name of " i^-rande lisiire dea liois francs, " (wide strip 

 of hard-wood timber.) 



This interior plateau, closed in on all sides by a dense chain of moun- 

 tains over whiih no road passes, is accessible only by means of the rivers 

 whose beds are often obstructed, making canoe navigation dillii;ult and 

 slow. 



The rivers which How into lake Tomiscouata are comparatively easy 

 of navigation ; they constitute the ordinary rout(> of the conreiirs des hois. 

 It is by their means that we will jienetrate into this portion of our Pro- 

 vim-e, where the a.\e of the s.tiler has, as yet, awakened no echoes. 



In iht! <'ounty of Temiseou;ita, the main axis of the Alleghany chain 

 deviates to the south towards the American frontier. 



At a distance of thirty miles from the St. Lawrence, along blue streak 

 appears in llie midst of the mountains. This is lake Temiscouata, whose 

 bed lies in the l»osom (d' the Alleu-iuinies, with very irregular and caprici- 

 ous shores. Here it sto[)s at the foot of a giant i)eak, further on it stretches 

 4 



