426 THE IMPORTANCE OF CENTRAL BRITISH AMERICA. 
already taken the matter in hand can successfully and easily over- 
come. 
And lastly: The growing conviction among the people of British 
America, and of many in England, that the maintenance of British 
rule over that portion of the American continent is in a great measure 
dependent upon united action on the part of the different Colonial 
Governments, which must ultimately, and perhaps soon, lead to a 
closer union between them, in the form of a Federation and Vice- 
Royalty, under the protection of, and in intimate alliance with, the 
British Crown. 
A necessary preliminary step in the establishment of a Federation 
of the British American Provinces, would probably be the legislative 
union of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and 
Newfoundland. These Provinees have an aggregate population of 
822,000 souls,* and an area of 84,353 square miles. The value of 
* The population of Newfoundland, in 1851, was 101,600; in 1857, it was 122,638; at the 
present time it is probably 140,000. Of New Brunswick, the population, in 1840, was 
154,000; in 1851, 193,800. Its present population is estimated at 234,000 souls. The popula- 
tion of Nova Scotia. in 1851, was 276,000; in 1861, 330,857—its rate of increase being in the 
Jast ten years within a fraction of 20 per cent. ; and at the commencement of 1864, its popu- 
lation may, at the same rate of increase, be estimated at 352 000. The population of Prince 
Edward Island, in 1851, was 55,000; in ,i861, it was 80,856; and it now probably exceed 
95,000 souls. 
Areainsq. Hstimated 
miles, pop. Jan. 1864. 
ING WR NUTS WACK No teseevcuuaueeuosseeaestuauins decom deavenubcueeeeeteueeersde 27,620 ...... 235,000 
Nova Scotia and the Island of Cape Breton .............css00c0ee 18,600 ...... 352,000 
INEM ATORTAC DIG |. sonasoonsosanchonsiasoboonpodesonnoons ee gainle vated ane aaa nee eRe 36,000 ...... 140,000 
Prince Edward Island ...................- Ssoananacp sorinoaBeodaucasnUsa0sC03C9 2,133... 95,000 
Motalliareaiersiccecrioemener tees. 84,353 oo... 822,000 
Estimated area available for agricultural pnrposes ... 52.000 = Wt ceanaee = 
(Wiper Camad ayes oti crspttavsecaiseanoswssices caetonccsbse Wider seaceeeemovcuases 140,000 ...... 1,520,000 
Trower Canad ais ssacssveatesue ver cimoane neeeaesncene epaadetoncsteae elaeeseares 200,000 ...... 1,200,000 
Estimated area of the Province available for agricultural , 
R(SUETTTSTT cone tonjoavedonodoasseoconabaconaqd sapsaabooaraGanoso sen CONN == 60000 = 
Basin of Lake Winnipeg and Valley of the River Athabaska... 400,000 ...... 15.000 
| Exclusive of Indian population (40,000) ] 
Estimated area available for agricultural settlement 95,000 = reo = 
British Columbia and Vancouver’s Island .........ccccceceeceseeveee 210,000 ..:... 50,000: 
7 {Exclusive of Indian population (60,000)] 
Assumed area suitable for agricultural purposes ...... 80,000 Saeeses aad 
Motellieeay ae ona ce ene 1,084,358 ...... 3,607,800: 
Estimated area available for agricultural purposes... 267,000 —  ..... = 
Or about nine times the area of Great Britain and Ireland. But throwing ont what may be 
called the inferior and desert portion of this immense territory, we find the area of the 
agricultural portion to be approximately 267,000 square miles, or as large as France, Hole 
Jand, and Denmark put together, with an aggregate population approaching four millions. 
