324 A Week in Gaspe. 



Devonian system, the equivalent of the older part of the Old Red 

 Sandstone of Scotland, and probably of the Hamilton and Upper 

 Helderburg groups of New York. Doubled into a trough along 

 the south side of Cape Gaspe, they form a low country in which 

 Gaspe Bay stretches far inland, affording a noble harbour for ship, 

 ping, which, could it procure an exemption from the icy fetters 

 of winter, might be the emporium of Canada. As it is, it pre- 

 sents great facilities for the prosecution of the fisheries and for 

 the trade of the peninsula, and appears to be a favorite resort of 

 the American fishermen who frequent the Gulf. Its sides are 

 everywhere thickly settled ; and though toward its entrance the 

 coast participates in the precipitous character of the outer shore, 

 as we approach the arms into which its upper part divides, the 

 country becomes low and undulating, though still backed by high 

 hills. The vignette and tail-piece of this article may serve to 

 illustrate its more varied aspects. In the latter sketch, borrowed 

 from the note-book of a friend, we have a portion of the bold 

 Gulf shore; the other, taken from the ''battery" on the beauti- 

 fully-situated property of the County Member, Mr. Boutillier, 

 shows Gaspe Basin, with its steam-mill, its shipping, its neat 

 church and parsonage, and the little town that is growing up at 

 the "Point." 



Southward of Gaspe Bay the Devonian rocks are capped by a 

 great mass of Conglomerate, belonging to the Lower Carbonife- 

 rous series, and made up of pebbles of all the rocks from the Old 

 Laurentian of the North Shore to the Devonian. It is this 

 bed which gives its picturesque character to the scenery of Perce, 

 and, running onward with a slight dip to the southward, under- 

 lies the coal formation of New Brunswick. 



The whole of the rocks that have been mentioned afford good 

 soils, and, though the climate of Gaspe is less favorable to agri- 

 culture than that of many other parts of Canada, there seems no 

 reason to prevent the extended cultivation of all the ordinary 

 crops ; and the presence of a large fishing population is one of 

 the best guarantees of a near and good market for the farmer. At 

 the time of our visit, in the middle of August, the hay-crop was 

 being taken in, barley was nearly ripe, oats and wheat were well 

 filled, and we saw one field of the latter with straw six feet in 

 height. Potatoes were abundant and good, though the first au- 

 •tumnal frosts had nipped their leaves in some places ; cauliflower 

 was ready for the table ; raspberries were in full fruit ; and the 



