614 REPORT—1883. 
possession, with Quebec and Montreal; (2) Upper Canada, lying south-west of 
this, and containing about 100,000 square miles; (8) Newfoundland, an island 
whose fisheries render it important; (4) Nova Scotia, settled by the Scotch in 
1622; (5) New Brunswick, formerly a district of Nova Scotia; (6) Prince 
Edward Island, formerly in the possession of France; (7) British Columbia, 
which was not practically opened up until the time of the gold fever in 1858; and 
(8) Manitoba, formerly a portion of the territory belonging to the Hudson's Bay 
Company, and ranking as a province only since 1870. The area of the Dominion 
is 33 million square miles, equal in extent to the whole of Europe. The Con- 
federation, commenced by an Act of Parliament in 1867, embraced in 1872 all the 
provinces with the exception of Newfoundland, which still remains aloof. Canada 
in its climate reaches greater degrees of heat and cold than Europe, the ther- 
mometer ranging between 36° and 102° Fahr. The prevailing winds are N.E., 
N.W., and 8.W.; and its pleasantest season the autumn, late in which what 
is known as the ‘Indian Summer’ occurs. The lakes are both numerous and 
important, several being over 1,000 miles in circumference, and in parts unfathom- 
able. 
The author gave a description of some of the principal rivers, including the 
St. Lawrence, the Ottawa, the Saguenay, and the Saskatchawan. It is estimated 
that the solid content of the first of these is 1,547,792,360,000 cubic feet, which 
would form a cube of water 22 miles on each side. The curious formation of the 
bed of the Saguenay river, which lies 600 feet below that of the St. Lawrence 
at their juncture, was also adverted to. 
- Canada contains thirty-seven cities with populations exceeding 5,000. Quebec, 
formerly the first in this particular, is now surpassed by both Montreal and 
Toronto, but continues, from its situation, the chief shipping port of the Dominion. 
Montreal (Mont Royal) was formerly the depét of the fur trade; it has now, 
among other buildings of importance, that monument of railway enterprise, the 
Victoria Bridge. Toronto, the old capital of Upper Canada, is now the second 
city of the Dominion, and from its rapid rate of progression promises soon to take 
the first position. It is the great centre of the West of Canada Railways. 
The agricultural statistics show an increase of landowners during the last half 
century, which must be compared with other newly settled countries, since in 
accordance with the Old World rate of progression it could only be denominated 
‘maryellous.’ In 1831 there were 57,891 proprietors, while in 1881 the number 
was 588,975, and the acres owned, 67,645,162, by far the greater number of which 
were in plots containing between 50 and 200. The yield of wheat in 1880 was 
over 32} million bushels; of barley, over 163 million bushels; of oats, 704 million 
bushels; potatoes, over 55 million bushels ; turnips, nearly 40 million bushels ; and 
apples, over 13 million bushels. Butter was made to the extent of 103 million 
pounds ; and maple sugar to that of 203 million pounds, whilst the returns of honey, 
cheese, home-spun cloth, flannel, and linen testify to the extraordinary industry of 
a by no means large population. The statistics of live stock show that in 1881 
there were in stock enough sheep to provide for two years’ consumption, cattle for 
nearly four, and swine for one. 
The following table shows the magnitude of the export cattle trade of Canada 
and its increase of late years: 
{ 
Number exported Value in dollars | 
j re ese = | 
1875 | 1882 1875 1882.~ | 
Horses. 3 g | 4,382 | 21,006 460,672 2,358,887 
Horned Cattle f 4 38,968 62,337 823,522 3,285,452 
Sheep . 5 = . | 242,438 511,669 637,561 1,228,957 
Swine . ihr L6 Teg 3,263 152,252 10,875 
