) 



3 



township with its shores, timber, animals, etc. but has the care and 

 control of all people in its borders. He furnishes them wood under 

 the direction of a forester, and has guardians and keepers scattered 

 over the area. He also owns the township of Rameau above Grand River, 

 and controls all the rights for forty miles up. After he leaves in 

 July & M. Lavois has had a week on the river, the country is "hermet- 

 ically sealed" and no one but the guacdian has ever been allowed to go 

 up the river, for fear of disturbing the salmon. So I am naturally 

 very grateful for the opportunity to break the seal in August. 



We have just touched at Grand Pabos which has profited greatly 

 by recent showers. When we passed Wednesday it looked as if half 

 Gasp* peninsula would be burnt up. There had been a month's drouth, 

 & a fire had burned a mile wide from Bonaventure River eastward and was 

 threatening the town of Port Daniel. Another was raging back of New- 

 port. All the hills were in flames back of Grand Pabos & since then 

 most of the settlement about the mill has gone. Another great mass 

 of smoke seemed to be on the St. Johns. We had splendid rain Friday 

 night & now the country is as clean & fresh as in May. 



I shall go to Fort Kent via Central N. B. as I have not seen 

 that district & want half a day to explore about Fredericton. The St. 

 John of Maine & N. B. is geologically & botanically a Gaspe river. 

 The common plants are identical with those of Grand River etc. & now with 

 my eyes full of Salix Hovae-Angliae , Carex concinna, Osmorrhiza obtusa, 

 Rubus arcticus, Thalictrum alpinum, Dryas , etc. I shall try to stretch 

 their ranges into New England. 



Collins will join me at Fort Kent and next Monday we shall get 

 back to St. Lawrence waters. This country is obviously one of the 



