NATURAL HISTORY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 29 
ed in the earlier part of this Note. Now the position from 
which the path must have started seems fixed by the topogra- 
phical conditions, for it could not have gone over the bluff, 
which is much too steep for ascent, nor would it have run 
over the low intervale, since that is barred in large part by 
the swampy swale and muddy shoal bogan; but every prob- 
ability favors a starting point on the low terrace just to the 
westward of the bluff. This affords the nearest convenient 
access to the water to one coming from the direction of the 
present highway road, and it is indeed the place to which the 
continuation of that road points. The dry level low terrace 
forms a perfectly ideal camping ground, and from it a path 
would ascend by a very easy grade over the shoulder of the 
low ridge of which the bluff is the cut end. The beach at 
this place is a moderate stony slope, making an excellent 
canoe landing, much the best for some distance up or down 
stream; while, furthermore, (and this is a point of importance 
in view of well known Indian prejudices) just on the middle 
teach at this place there gushes out from under a conglom- 
erate boulder a beautiful little cold spring — one with an 
aspect of perennial supply. A better combination of features 
for the landing place of a portage can hardly be imagined, 
and no other site for a long way up or dowm the river 
offers anything like these advantages. Here, accordingly, 
I believe the old portage path started, taking the course 
back to and along the highway road as shown by our map. 
It may seem some objection that the map of 1809 above 
mentioned makes the path start a little to the east of the 
middle of the John Keith lot, instead of a little to the west 
as I make it. But the appearance of the plan show r s clearly 
that precise accuracy in detail was not intended, so that a 
general position near the middle of the lot was sufficient for 
the surveyor’s purposes. It is in fact simply impossible 
that any path could have started exactly w r here the surveyor 
shows it on the plan, for that would have led it over the 
bluffs or through the muddy bogan. It could not have 
started on the low r intervale since that is too far to the east- 
ward, and is out of line wfith its general course; while more- 
over the intervale is overflowed at high water. Furthermore 
the terrace at the spring is exactly the quarter mile below r 
the bridge which the statement of the old residents assigns 
for the ending of the path. 
We consider now the probable course of the portage path 
across country. Dr. Thorne told me that it is believed to 
follow approximately the course of the present road. Now 
