OP / NOVA SCOTIA, ILLUSTRATED BY A NEW AND CORRECT MAP. Vivere natnfe si convenienter oportet, Ponendaeqoe domo qiuErer.da est area primum, Novistine locum potiorem ? A J^EW EDITIO.y, PRINTED AT THE IlOYAD ACADIAN SCHOOL. HALIFAX: Reprinted for and Sold hy Clement H. Belcher. 1825 , 4 by JEdmuad Ward, CONTENTJr. CHAPTER I. , X V i A Sketch of the changes Nova Scotia undent betwe ^0 Population,— Militia,— Longevity—andReUgion,. distove~thrCoUf and the year 1758, when the firs^t Ge^ neral Assemby met at * jj * * * * ^ ^ Extent, Situation, Division, Government, & Representation, 15 CHAP. III. , ,. »il Bo dies,— Wild Ai^al^Birds,— Fishes,— Insects an^ CHAP, id Religion, .....p- 38 CHAP. V. The Indians, (two Tribes)— Attacks Customs,— Manners, — Civilization, — CHAP. vi. ’ ” 2 Society %artmo«th,-Lodge,-Mount y^^^^^^^ tion. Attempts for its Recovery by the 'f mouth,— Barrington,— Shelburne, — ^Liverpool,-— Lunenbu^ . Chester —Truro,— Villages, of Cumberland, Col. Church s Ex ^Ldition’ there,— Pictou,—Shubenacadie, and AnnapoUs Rivers^ CHAp'vii’. %.u and Agriculture,— Mode of Settiing New Lands,— Fees oi\ Grants, — Quantity of Vacant Land, — Average Produce per' Acre, — Cattle, — Markets, — Proportion of Soils, &c CHAP. VIII. 88 Trade, — Queries submitted to the Merchants, — ^Table of Ar- ticles that may be imported from the United States, with the Duties payable thereon, — Ditto from Europe and Africa, with Duties on do. — Table of Duties payable at the Excise, King’s Duties, Abstract of the Trade with Great Britain and Ireland, Witli tht Southern Parts of Europe, — With the West Indies, -—With Canada, New Briin^wck, and Newfoundland, — With the United States in foreign vessels, — Do in British ships, — Ab- stract of Coal Trade, — Amount of Duties collected under the late Acts of Parliament, — Acronnt of dutiable Articles imported into the Province in 1818^ 1820, ar.d 1822 CHAP IX. Ill The Governor, hi.s Power,— The Council, its origin in the old Colonies,— Phe Courts of Law,— Chief Justice,— The Laws of the Province in general T A -r\ tiis^atiou of Sir George Prevost, Sir John Sherbroke, the Eari ofDalhousie, and Sir James Kempt 1.51 CHAP. XII. DEDICATIOT^. To the ffonourahlc RICHARD JO/JJV UmACKE, Esquire, Altonwy General and Member of His Majeslfs Council, Sir, THE knowledge you possess of the true interests of Nova Sco- tia, and the zeal you have always manifested for Rs advancement and welfare, encourage me to hope that the following pages will meet your approbation and patronage. However incompetei?t I may be to the task, and how incom- plete and defective soever the work may appear, I take the li- berty to solicit your protection of it, and to request yonr accep- tance of this Dedication, as a tribute of respect for your distin- guished talents, and as an expression of that deference which is so justly due to you, for your disinterested exertions to promote the Agriculture and Commerce of the Colony. Permit me also to add, that while I inscribe this work to a Gentleman w'hose eloquence at the Bar, and extensive know- ledge in the Legislature, are equalled by few,, and excelled by none in America, I gratify a feeling of personal vanity, by pub- licly subscribing myself Your most obedient servant, THE AUTHOR FRJEFACE^ TN GREAT BRITAIN, less is known of NoVft Scotia lka» of any other Colohy. she possesses. Many persons suppose, that the oLy value of tL Province, consists in the shelter its various bays and harbours afford the Navy ; that the Coast is y >"* habited by fishermen ; and that the interior, is a stony sterile re- gion incapable from the poverty of the soil, and inclemency of L ilimu, «tyieldmg..«ffldentrelu™ and expense of cnltivation. Some admit good I^d on the banks of the rivers emptying into the Bay of fwdy, but all condemn the climate in the most unqualified man- ner, a^nd the soil with little exception. The object is to dispel these errors and to give a true description of of its c i- mSeld productions, its agriculture and trade, futions and laws, Stc. &c. A residence of more than fitteen years in the country, and repeated journeys into the intenor Lve made the Author sufficiently acquainted with these lars and great pains have been taken to render the work concise, ye^nSoo general ; correct, yet not too minute. To those who Lve friends^ or relations resident in Nova Scotia, ™*y^® *" teresting to know something of the country they inhabit, and to those aLut to emigrate to America, who when they change their country, would wislto continue their allegiance to the>r natural and lawful Sovereign, it may be useful to know, that ' Scotia possess not tLoughout, an equal fertility of soil, with the Ohio, Kentucky, &c. it has not their local fevers, and epidemi- cal disorders ; that if it produce not so much acre, it has a better and readier market ; and finally, that if they should find change of place, not producing a corresponding change ot tor- Sne,*their return to their native land, is not ever prechffied by Jhose formidahle mountains, those immeasurable wilds, those 8 unbridged rivers, and those weary journeys, which, in the inte- rior of the United States, form the barriers of a frightful prison that incarcerates the unhappy exiles for life.* Should the fol- lowing pages be the means of preventing any persons from emi- grating to Nova Scotia, who have been deceived by misrepresen- tations as to the state of the country, and suppose it to be more rich, more fertile, or more populous, than it really is, or should they induce others to choose it as their place of abode in prefe- rence to adding to the wealth and strength of a country, the na- tural rival of Great Britain, then the Author will be fully com- pensated for his trouble, and his labour will not have been in vain. Halifax^ 1st March, 1823. * It was designed by the Author, that this Book should have been printed in England, but circumstances have occurred to suspend, for the present that intention. This fact will account for many observations and passages in the course of the work, which, were they confined to the linaitsof Noya*Scotia, might be deemed unnecessary and tedious. The following works have been coTTsulted by the Author, who has in some instances extracted entire paragraphs from them.— i- Charlevoix, Abbe Raynal, * Bowes’ T.,ex Mercatoria (Ti- tle Nova Scotia,) History of Penobscott and / Acadie, j Lockwood’s brief deso,ription ^ of Nova Scotia, 5 Journals of the House of As- sembly, Belknapp’s History of New- Hampshire, Jefferson’s Notes on Virginia, JE ro V inoi^ ^ « Roberf^n’s History of Arne- ) Bromley’s Pamphlets on the ) Indians, J American Historical Collec- > lions, ^ Morse’s Geography, Guthrie’s do. &.C. ^c. §tc. n 0 CHAPTER 1. A Sheicti of the changes Nova Scotia underwent between the discovery of the Country and the Year 1758, when the first General Assembly met at Halifax,. NO part of the British American Settlements, has occasioned so many contests, or has been so often granted and purchased, conquered and ceded as Nova-Scotia. It has been several times alternately possessed by the French and English ; the former claiming it by priority of possession, the latter by discovery. It was originally regarded by the English as part of Cabot’s dis- cove ry of Terra Nova ; and was afterwards comprehended with- in th^oun^ary of a large portion of America c^led North Vir- ginia. The first settlement of the French in Acadia was made at a very early period, being four years before the smallest hut was erected in Canada, In 1603, Monsieur De Monts was or- dered by Henry the Fourth of France to explore the country and select a suitable place for settlement. De Monts, after having met with many disasters incident to a navigation, where there were no charts to direct, and where the shoals, banks and har- bours were totally unknown, completed his examination of the eastern, southern and western coasts. Instead of fixing towards the east of the peninsula, where the emigrants would have had larger seas, and easy navigation, and an excellent cod fishery, he chose a small bay, afterwards called the French Bay, which had none of these advantages. It has been said, that he was in- duced by the beauty of Port Royal, where a thousand ships may ride in safety from every wind, where there is an excellent bot- tom, at all times four or five fathona of water, and eighteen at the entrance. It is most probable that he was led to choose this situation, from its vicinity to the countries abounding in furs. This conjectui’e is confirmed by the following circumstance : — that the first monopolizers took the utmost pains to divert the at- tention of their countrymen, whom restlessness or necessity brought into these regions, from clearing the woods, breeding B IQ fishing and from every kind of culture, choosirtg rath^’ to engage the industry of these adventurers, in hunting or in trading with the savages. Port Royal therefore, since called Annapolis, soon became the capital of all the French settlemenU in the Province. In these voyages of discovery, the object pur- •ued by the Sovereign, was dominion, but gain stimulated the subjects. As a compensation for this hazardous enterprise and important service, the King of France made a grant to De Monts, of all the country from the 40th to the 46th degree of northern latitude. This Territory had the general appellation of New France, or Acadia, and is the same which was after- wards called Nova-Scotia, comprehending the present Province of that name. New Brunswick and Cape Breton. The French however were prevented by the English settlers from crossing the Kenebec River. Thus by the extreme points of national strength and exertion, a boundary seemed to be settled, not ai the linnof peace and ooncord, but as the place of future contro- versies. All the lands from the river Kenebec to the Narragan- lett country, being granted to the company called the Council for the affairs of New England, and being reduced to possession under the grants of that company, assumed the name of New England by commo n coi^ ent. It is singular that the offspring of these two rival nations, no" lung^i aukauiv ledge their former patrons. New France belongs to Great Britain, and New En- gland is an independent state. The French have preserved in their records a great variety of incidents which took place while they were in the progress of discovering and settling Acadia. A mi- nute detail of aU these events, so similar to the early history of most of the American Colonies, would not be interesting to every reader, and from the circumstancial detail, with which they are related, would far exceed the limits of this chapter, which is de- signed, rather as a sketch of the political changes of the country, than a history of its settlement. In 1618, Sir Samuel Argali, then Governor of Vi^inia, made a cruising voyage along the coast, as far north as Cape Cod. There he was informed of De Monts' Fort at Port Royal, in the south west part of Acadia, which he soon afterwards conquered and destroyed. About this period, Sir Ferdinand Gorges, President of the New England Company, recommended to Sir William Alexander to procure from the English Government a particular grant of New France or of a portion of that country to the northward of their Patent. Sir William accordingly applied, and obtained it of King James the first in 1621, and named the territory contained in his grant Nova-Scotia. The next year he sent a ship with passengers to wUk there, but it being late ia the autumn, they were compel 11 led to winter in Newfoundland, and to wait until the next before they could get away. As soon as the they set sail, and landed in what they aftemards caHed L^e s Bav. Owing to various misfortunes and difficulties, this atteinpt to colonize the country proved abortive. Sir WiUkn^^exander but little affected by the disasters attending this expedl^, pu^ lished a very flattering description of the coun^, to Europe, and placed it in so favourable a view, ffiat his vereign created a new order, called the Knights of Nova Scotia, to facilitate its plantation.* He attempted to make another set- tlement in 1630, but out of seventy Scotchmen whom he haa sent to Port Royal, thirty died during the followmg winter, tor want of accomodation. There was afterwards a»}other gi^t made of the northern part of this country to Sir ^avid which was purchasedby the king of France for the sum of 5^1. Sir William some time afterwards sold his property to Cl^de De La Tour, a French Nobleman. By ^he ^rwty of St.^Ger- mains in 1632, Acadia was relinquished by the English, and La Tour dependent on the French government. Wishing to en his title. La Tour obtained a grant from the king of the bay and river St. Croix, the islands and lands > twelve leagues upon the sea, and twenty lea|;ues into the land , aTso a gra^t of the Isle of Sables ; another of ten leagues ripon the sea, and ten into the land, at La Have ; anther at Port Lyal of the same extent ; and one at Mems ; with all the ad- iacent islands included iu each grant. , j The French being now in possession, by purchase and treaty re-estabUshed their former settlements with great activity, and sent out a considerable number of emigrants with very ample e- quipments. A strong fort was erected at La Have, and the for- tifications at Port Royal were enlarged and rebuilt. A person bv the name of Daunley having obtamed a very exteasive grant of Acadia from the French government, and a commission ot commander in chief over the country, set sail from France wifo a CT^t force, and a large amount of property, in merchandize suffable for the trade with the Indies. Haunley had arrived there, when La Tour considering him as an intruder on his possessions, declared war against lum. Vanous w battles and skirmishes between these two petty and various the success. La Tour generally proved the we^er and was finally routed, his fort destroyed, and all his property to * A copy of one of these singular grants of a Barony ? castles, towers and fortifications, in the then unexplored ^^r ® of Nova Scotia, will he found in the miscellaneous chapter at the end of this work. 12 the amount of 10,0001, carried offbj his suecesful rival. Daua.- ley died soon after his victoiy, and La Tour married his widow and thereby became re-invested with the possession and title of Nova Scotia. Oliver Crom wen in 1654, sent a force under the command of a Major .S^jeworth to dislodge the French from Port Royal, which he effected, and took nossession of the whole country for toe British government. After this conquest, Charles De St Eshna or Estienne, sonandheir to Claude De La Tour, went making out his title to Nova Scotia, under Sir William Al^ander, then Earl of Stirling, Cromwell allow- ed las claim. On the twentieth of September 1656, St. Estina Sink property in the said country to Sir Thomas Browne, who divided their purchase by * • 1,1*^ Thomas afterwards, in the year 1662, ob^ tmned a paten, for it from the crown, not only for the territory but for the government thereof, during his natural life, and tlfe fishery and trade with the Indians. He did not however long continue to enjoy his property and privile- feded to t^p F 1667, th? county waT again toSmbv ^Tr ’ *“ 1670 the possession wL delivered hy Sir Thomas pursuant to the said treaty, and in obe- dience to the excess orders of the Earl of Arlington, then.secre- ta^of state. The sum of £16,200 was stipufated He pafd him, in recompence for his disbursements in building forts main- taimng garrisons, and for debts. d«aJWiW«J-nSs W ^ never paid to him by the court of France ’ In 1 90, on the 28 th of April, Sir William Phipps, by order of tlm Massachusetts government, fitted out an expedition for there- eflected without much loss, and !if'^ ^ Governor, he returned to New Eneland on the 30th of May following. The English rem Jned Sem of Acadia till 1697, when, by the treaty of Rvswick it urac Th Tn' SofSi respectable strea^’twenTy SRe. 13 mame at that time, but such as were expressed in the Indian Ian* gua^e, and therefore among the Europeans, they took the gene- ral name of the country and were all called St. Croix. This sub- ject has since proved a fruitful source of dissention. In 1710^ Nova Scotia was again reconquered by the forces of Her Britan- nic Majesty Queen Anne, sent from New-England under tha command of General Nicholson, and by the treaty of Utrecht in 1712, it was finally ceded and secured to Great Britain, and has ever since continued in her possession. By that event, the court of Versailes was for ever deprived of a colony, of which it had never known the value. The Acadians, who in submitting to a new yoke, had sworn never to bear ai*ms against their former standards, were called the French neutrals. There were twelve or thirteen hundred of them settled in the capital, the rest were dispersed in the neighbouring country. No magistrate was ever set over them, and they were never acquainted with the laws of England. No rents or taxes of any kind were exacted from them Their former sovereign had relinquished and forgot them, and their new one was a total stranger to them. From this period, Annapolis continued to be the capital of the country until 1749, when the seat of government was removed to Halifax. At this time Great Britain perceived of what consequence the possession of Acadia might be to her commerce. The peace, which ne- cessarily left a great number of men without employment, fiu*- nished an opportunity, by tfie disbanding of the troops, for peo- pling and cultivating the vast and fertile territory. The British ministry, offered particular advantages to all who would go over and settle there. They engaged to advance, or reimburse the exjienses of passage, to build houses, to furnish all the necessary instruments for filing or agriculture, and to defray the expen- ces of subsistence for th^ first year. They also offered grants of land, the quantity of which was apportioned, according to the rank or family of the emigrant. These encouragements deter- mined 3,750 persons, in the month of May 1749, to emigrate to Nova-Scotia. The new colony was intended to form an esta- blishment to the south-east of Nova-Scotia, in a place which the Indians had formerly called Chebucto, but the English Halifax. This situation was preferred to several others, where the soil was better, for the sake of establishing in its neighbourhood an ex- cellent cod fishery, and fortifying one of the best harbours in A- merica. But as it was the spot most favourable for the chase, the English were obliged to dispute the possession with the Mick- mac Indians, who mostly frequented it. These savages, insti- gated, as was supposed, by the French neutrals, defended with obstinacy a territory they held from nature, and it was not until after rerj great losfses, that the English dr^ore them out of their former hunting grounds. Halifax will always continue to be the principal place of the Province, an advantage it owes to the en- couragement lavished upon it by the mother country. The sum expended upon this settlement for several years amounted to more than £3937 10 0 per annum. Such favours were not ill bestowed upon a place, which from its situation, is the natural rendezvous of both the land and sea forces, which Great Britain is obliged to maintain there, as well for the defence of her fishe- ries, and the protection of the West India Islands, as for the pur- pose of supporting her connections with the Canadas. About this time, considerable agitation was discovered among the neu- tral French, the hostility of the Indians continued unabated, and repeated outrages were committed by their joint exertions upon the English settlers. The French, whose manners were so sim- ple, and who enjoyed such liberty, entertained serious apprehen- sions, that their independence wmuld be materially affected or a- bridged, by the introduction of these new colonists. To this alarm they added the fear of having their religion endangered* Their Priests, either heated by their own enthusiam, or se- cretly instigated by the Governors of Canada, persuaded them to credit every thing they chose to suggest against the English, whom they called heretics. This w'ord, which has so powerful an influence on deluded minds, impelled some to secret acts of violence, and determioed others to ^^uit their habi^tions, and re- move to Canada, where they were offered lands. The constant state of irritation in which they kept the Indians, and the extreme aversion which they manifested to the English, induced the Bri- tish government to adopt the severe resolution of sending them out of the country*; under a pretext of exacting a renewal of the * The removal of the French Neutrals forcibly reminds us of the pathetic lament of the Mantuan Shepherd, when driven from kis patrimony by the victorious soldiers of Augustus. O Lycida, vivi pervenimus, advena nostri (Quod nunquam veriti sumus) ut possessor agelli Diceret : Haec mea sunt ; veteres migrate coloni. En unqum patrios longo post tempore fines, Pauperis et tuguri congestum cespitc culmen, Post aliquot med regna videos mirabor aristas ? Impius base tarn culta novalia miles habebit ? Barbarus has segetes ? Ite meae, felix quondam pecus, ite capellae. Non ego vos posthac, viridi projectus in antro, ^ Dumosa pendere procul de rape videbo, Carminu nulla canam. kt k 9th EcL V"irg. 15 oath, which they had taken at the time of their becoming T5ngliali iubjects, they assembled a number of them together at different posts, and when they had secured them, immediately embarked them on board of ships, which conveyed them to the Mississippi and Louisiana. Transporting them like convicts to a distant clime was perhaps unnecessary, and certainly injurious to these unfor- tunate people. Had more conciliatory measures been used, a large industrious and useful population might have been saved to the country. In 1784, the colony was divided into three gov- ernments, and all that country to the north west of fort Cumber- land, was created a distinct province, and called New Brunswick- Cape Breton was also made a separate government. The following is a list of the Governors of Nova Scotia since 1758, at which time the first General Assembly of the Province met at Halifax. 1 1758 Charles Lawrence Esq. * Governor, and Robert Monkton, Lieutenant i Governor. 1761 Jonathan Belcher. 1763 Montague Wilmott, 1766 Benjamin Green Admi- ‘ nistrator. 1766 Michael Francklin. 1767 Lord William Campbell. 1767 Michael Franklin, (ab- sentee Campbell.) 1769 Lord William Campbell. 1772 Michael Francklin, (ab- sentee Campbell.) 1773 Francis Legge, Esq. 1776 Marriat Arbuthnot. 1779 Sir Richard Hughes. 1 78 1 Sir Andrew Hammond. 1784 John Parr. 1792 Sir John Wentworth. 1808 Sir George Prevost. V 1812 Sir John C. Sherbrooke. 1817 The Right Hon. George Earl of Dalhousie. 1820 Sir James Kempt. CHAPTER n. Extent^ Situation, Division, Government Representation, NOVA SCOTIA lies within the 43d and 46th degree of north latitude, and between the 61st and 67th degree of longitude, west from the Greenwich meridian. It is connected with the body of North America by a narrow isthmus. By a fair compu- tation it contains 15,617 square miles, or 9,994,880 acres. One third of this superfices is occupied by lakes of various shapes and sixes, spread in all directions on the face of the peninsula. There is no point in the Province thirty mile* from navigable wkter. U w »Uout three hundred miles in length, but of nnequuT width/ The southern margin is broken and rugged, with very prominent features, deep indents, and craggy islands, with ledges inserted in the sea either formed by nature to resist the constant attacks of the Western Ocean, or more probably exposed by its action.— The features of the northern coast are soft and free from rocto. It is bounded on the north by part offthe Gulf of St. Lawrence, which separates it from Prince Edward’s Island ; on the north- •ast by the Gut of Canso, which divides it and Cape Breton ; on the west by the Bay of Funday and New Brunswick ; and on the south and south east by the Atlantic Ocean. Including Cape Breton, which is now a part of the same gov- ernment, it is divided into ten counties. Towns theU send Representa* lives to the House of Assembly, Halifax, Truro, Londonderry, Onslow, Lunenburg, Lunenburg, Cumberland, King’s County ,> Hants, Amherst, Horton. t;o?n\vallIr Windsor, Newport, Falmouth, Annapolis, ^ Annapolis, Shelburne, Sydney, Queen's County, Cape Breton. LiverpooL There are many other townships which do not send R 17 tended In particular counties, arc not contained in any township. The counties are not well divided, some being disproporUonablj large. Halifax county covers nearly one quarter part of the Province, and Annapolis county is about one hundred miles ioi length. From this arrangement jurors and witnesses sometimes experience much inconvenience, whose attendance is required ^ so^eat a distance from their homes. The difficulty of appor- tioning the representation has in some instances obstructed a better division of the Province. It is the opinion of a gentleman of great information in the colony, that it would be advisable to form an entire new representation. He proposes that fifty per- sons be elected by the Province at large, or in other words tliat every freeholder should vote for fifty members, who would not represent any particular county or town, but the whole country. This idea is novel and somewhat singular, but the plan has many advantages, it would destroy all local, partial, and conflicting interests, it would be the means of electing more suitable per- sons, and it would afford facilities of making many improve- ments in the country to which a jealousy of unequal representa- tion is at present a banier. Halifax chooses four county and two town members, all the other counties two, and the towns, mentioned in the foregoing table, one. The qualificatioi^ for a voter or representative, are either forty shillings, yearly income from real estate within the county or town, or a title in fee sim- ple of a house and the ground on w hich it stands, or one hun- dred acres of land, five of which must be under a state of culti- vation. It is also requisite that this title be registered six months before the teste of the writ, unless it be by descent or devise. The whole number thus elected as members of the House of At- sembly is forty-one. There were originally three sorts of governments established by the English on the continent of America ; Charter Govern- - ments, such as those of Rhode Island, and Connecticut in New England. Proprietory Governments, as Pennsylvania and Ma- inland y and Royal Governments, as Nova Scotia. A Royal Government is immediately dependant upon the Crown, and the King remains Sovereign of the country. He appoints the Gov- ernor and officers of state, and the people only elect the repre- sentatives as in England. The" council in Nova Scotia is not an elective and representative body, but is created by the Governor, who appoints for life, and is at once a privy council and legisla- tive chamber, consisting of twelve members. The legislature meets generally in winter, and continues the session from six to ten weeks. It has the power of making local ordinances not re- pugnant to the laws of England, and the King reserves the right c of disannulIiBg anj law within three yeai’S after its publication^ The arti^cial refinements and distinctions incident to the proper- ty of^the mother country, the laws of police and revenue, such especially as are enfoxc, qd by pen^ilty, the modes of maintenance for the clergy, the jurisdiction of the spiritual courts, and ainul^ titude of other provisions, are neither necessary nor convenient for such a colony, and therefore are not in force there. The principal business of the legislature coiisists in investigating the public accounts, and appropriating the revenue, which after the discharge of the civil list is chiefly ^applied to the Improvements of roads and bridges, bounties for the encouragement of ao’ri- culture, and sometimes for promoting the fisheries. As its'iu- risdiction IS confined to the limits of the Province, and as ttiere Me no direct taxes in the country, the above mentioned businesg together with sontie acts or laws principally of a local nature, u- sually occupy their attention. Sometimes however, business of a more general interest conies before them, when tlie debates are’ often conducted with ability and spirit. The legislature contains some public speakers who would make a respectable appoai’ance an the deliberate bodies of a much older country. The men of business both in the council nnd assembly are chiefly luwvei*.<. V CHAPTER III. Climate, lakes, spnngs, cascades, natural and imported Jrmts, hortulan, plants, forest trees, mineral and fossil bodies, wild animals, birds, fishes, insects, and disorders, fr has been the peculiar misfortune of this countiy, to be re- presented by every geographer or gaicetteer who has written upon a a gloomy cloudy region, constantly enveloped in 7\T ,t . ^ og) which obscures the sun and impedes vegetation.* o ing can be more distant from the truth. This strange niis- description of Nova Scotia published in Tented of tl, is country is repre- representation can only be accoi^nted for, by supposing that Jthe iwormalion of these authors has been derived from persons, whose knowledge of the country extended no farther than Hali- fax, w’hich with two or three exceptions on the Atlantic side of the Province, is the only place visited by fog. In the interior, the sky is serene the greatest part of the year. The air is more temperate than could be expected. This arises as in Scotland, partly from the variety of its hills, valleys, rivers, lakes, — and -still more from its almost insular situation, and vicinity to the sea, which afford those warm breezes that not only soften the natural keenness of the air, but by keeping it in perpetual agi- tation, render it pure and healthy.’’ What Charles the second observed of England, may with' great propriety be applied to Nova Scotia. He said ho thought that the best climate, where he could be abroad in the air with pleasure, or at least without inconvenience or trouble, the most days in the year. If this be the test of a good climate, this country Ihay be allowed a very tolerable one. There scldoni dccurs a day too hot or too cold for tra^velling. In the spring during April and part of May tlie wind is often from the eastward which occasions a cloudy rainy atmosphere. The rest of the year has a very large proportion of agreeable clear weathec. It has been observed, that the win- ters arc less uniformly cold than formerly, and that, of late years the storms of snow are neither so frequent or so heavy. The same remark has been made in Canada and in the United States. An intelligent priest, in the island of Orleans, kept for half a cen- tury, a correct meteorological table, and his successor continued it for eight yeai’s longer. The result of their observations tended to prove, that the medium of cold in winter had diminished eight degrees in that period. Dr. Williams in his history of Vermont observes that by remarks I made in the university of Cam- bridge for seven years, from 1780 till 1788, I found the mean heat in the month of December to be 29 deg. 4 min. in January it was 22 deg. 5 min. and in February it was 23 deg. 9 min. These numbers express the present temperature at Boston. If this computation he admittea, the change of temperature at Bos- ton from the year 1630 to 1788 must have been from ten to twelve degrees.” Dr. Mease in his philosophical obseiwations on the cli- mate of Philadelphia, observ'^s that a considerable change has ta- ken place, ill the climate of Philadelphia, in common wij:h thestate at large, during the last forty years, llie winters are not so cold and variable as before the period just mentioned. The Delaware for many years past has not afforded the diversion of skaiting for more than two weeks at a time, while formerly dui'ing four or six weeks, it was the scene of pastime and manly exercises. 90 The following tables will exhibit the daily temperature of the three winter and summer months in Nova Scotia. Uune. Thermo- meter. Wind. Rain. 3 Thermo- meter. Wind. [August. Thermo- meter. a Rain. I 75 S E .42C ) J 68 SSE 1 95 W 2 75 S W 2 t €8 S W 2 84 W 3 76 S W 3 ( 66 ESE 8 84 N W 4 75 N 4 : 68 SW 4 72 N 5 81 S 6 64 NNW 5 81 NE 6 80 S 6 68 s w 6 83 W 7 82 s 7 64 7 87 SW 8 82 s w 8 66 wsw 8 38 N 9 75 s 9 68 s w 9 83 s .270 10 78 N E 10 68 s w 10 77 NE .270 11 22 s .030 11 69 11 80 12 78 s .300 12 64 ssw 12 84 N W 13 68 N 13 66 s 13 84 s w 14 74 NW 14 69 SSE 14 75 s 15 80 S 15 66 ssw, 70 N 16 ' 77 sw 16 70 s w 16 71 N W 17 77 w 17 74 w 17 72 s .640 18 76 N 18 70 s w 18 75 E 1 19 78 S 19 64 SE 19 81 S W 1 20 68 NE 20 69 N W 20 81 N 21 73 NW 21 69 S W 21 81 N W 22 80 NE 22 68 22 80 E 23 82 S 23 68 23 85 S .350 24 82 E i 24 69 ssw 24 66 N 25 71 N 1 25 72 s w 25 72 N 26 75 S W t 16 71 ssw 26 77 N 27 75 N E n 68 s 27 76 SE 28 82 • S c 28 66 ssw 28 80 SE 29 75 S e ^9 70 s w 29 82 SE 30 85 S 10 71 1 ivs w 30 76 W n 75 s w 31 66 N W 21 lU u 0) a> . a; o 0) d a d fl g o CO d u s o .3 o V 86 summer and winter fruit, quinces, may duke, black and white heart cherries, and other varieties, black, white and red cur- rants, gooseberries, apricots, peaches, and grapes if assisted bj the shelter of wooden fences, high ground sloping to the south, or brick walls, will thrive about as well as in England. It has often been asserted by the Acadians and Indians that a wild grape ^sted in the country, and although this was long doubted, it has been lately confirmed by the discovery of a large quantity of native vines, covering about an acre and a half of land, near Digby. This grape is said to resemble that of Massachusetts, and will afford valuable stocks for grafting. The hortulan plants and roots, are water and musk melons of different varieties (which are easily raised in the open air,) cu- cumbers, squashes, potatoes, and artichokes,^ cauliflowers, cab- bages, beans and peas. Hops are an invariable and sure crop, and may be raised in great abundance. Pumpkins and Indian, corn are cultivated to a great extent. Carrots, onions, parsnips, and beets, — thyme, sweet marjorum, and sage, — Tm’kish rhu- barb, chives, celery, caraway, mustard and asparagus are more or less to be found in almost every good kitchen garden in the coun- try. The grains cultivated by the farmers, are summer and win- ter wheat, rye, buckwheat, barley, and oats. These productions speak more. i^ favour of the climate than the most laboured pa- negyric, for it Is well knmvn that many of them will not thrive under a cold variable atmosphere, which Nova Scc^a has always been represented to possess. Tlie natural forest trees are elm, cherry ; white, black, yellow and gray birch, red oak, beech ; white and yellow pine, fir;, 'Xhite, red, and black spruce, hacmatack or juniper, cedar ; black white and mountain ash ; white and rock maple, larch, poplar or aspen, hornbeam, . dogwood, &c. The minerals of Nova Scotia are but little known ; neither the British goverament or provincial legislature having taken any steps to procure a scientific survey of the country. Hence there seems to be no person in the colony to direct a stranger’s inqui- ries, and very few who have thought much upon the subject.— The most valuable at present is the coal This is found at Syd- U^y in Cape Breton to a great extent, and of better quality than m. any part of America. It is as highly valued as that from New- castle, and will bring as good a price in market. Were the tradu ©Ythe/ colonies opened to the United States, this would become* ^ ^ticle of great export, and give extensive employment to shallops, seamen, labourers, &c. la the (fokict of Pictou, coal places. " ft? The following is a compwative analysis of the Sydney and PidU' ton coal. ANAttSIS. j 100 parts. Carbon. Bitumen. Ashes. Volatile Matter. Sydney, Pictou, 40.12 30. 55.8 58.80 4.0 11.20 In Cumberland, Douglas and Granville it is also found, but has been worked in Nova Scotia at Pictou and in Cumberland only. There is not much consumed within the colony, except at Hali- fax and Windsor, and in very small quantities at one or two o- ther places. A portion is exported to St. John, N. B. but the greatest quantity is either used at Halifax or shipped from thence to the United States. By reference to the tables contained m chapter VIII. the amount exported from Pictou and Cape Breton will be found stated at large for a period of ten years. The next in value is the Plaister of Paris. The composition of this article may be thus expr^ed f Of sulphuric acid one proportion 75 Lime one do. 55 *Watertwo do. 17 eacji 34 Plaister or gypsum is chiefly found in the county of Hants, al- though there is some in Cumberland, in the parts of Halifax county hordering on Hants, and at the Gut of Canso. ■ There are various kinds, but it is generally known by the division of hard and soft plaister. The hard plaister is firmer in its texture, and more difficult to manufacture than the otli^r, and consequent- ly not much valued. The soft is of different shades of colour, and of different degrees of induration. Windsor, Newport and IShuhenacadie are the places where the greatest quantity is to be met with. It is on high broken ground where the rocks are pri^ cipally worked, to save the labour of digging. This fossil is ^ no means a solid body. Large veins of earth are scattered thro the rocks, sometimes red and other coloured clays, and not uft- frequently layers of lime, all which it is necessary to clear away at much expence. The mode of working it is by blasting with powder, and breaking with the pick-axe. This stone is export- ^See Lettow of Agricola. to the United States, where it is gfound in mills, and applied as a dressing for land. The result of the application is beyond belief, and appears rather the effect of magic than of manure. The whole quantity exported annuaJly from all parts, may a- moimt to one hundred thousand tons. Essential as this manure Ts to the United States, and abundant as it is in Nova Scotia, it has produced but little to the colony. The trade has been always attended with some fatality, or fetter, and generally in the hands of very poor people. It is also singular that the inhabitants of Nova Scotia, who are so much employed in transporting this imajiure for the Americans, have never made a fair experiment of its virtues themselves. It is possible it will not have so great an effect in Nova-Scotia, as m the States, because the dews are Wt so heavy^ nor the heat so great ; but it is very improbable that it js without efficacy, particularly when oalcjned,* This article ought to be manufactured in the Province,’ and shipped in the same manner as flour^ in barrels, in which shape it would be much more marketable. It would also be exposed to less, waste and breakage, which in the present xpode of U'ansportati- on is very great. Lime is very abundant in certain jyorts, but prefers the neiglw bourhoqd of the plaister, consequently the county of Hants con- tains more lime thdn any other part of the Province. The post road from Halifax to Winder nearly divides the Province into two equal parts and is in the direction of east and west. In the whole ti-act ef country in the south side of that road there is no great quantity of lime but at Chester. On the north side, lime of various quahties is every where tg be found. As a manure it has been but lately used, and no exportations have ever taken placej either in its crude or inanqfactured state, but the use of it is becoming more extended, and its properties more known and valued, Slate of the ffrst quality, and fully equal to the Welsh, has been found in Rawdon in Hants County ; and should Windsor *Sinoc this chapter was prepared for the press, the Author has understood that the Attomey-Oeneual has made an experiment, during the last summer, which has proved very satisfactory in its results. The plaister was burned in a clay kiln, the crown of which was covered so as to prevent the escape of the sulphuric a- cid. After it was sufficiently calcined the plaister and its cover- ing weJ^e both spread upon a piece of very poor land as a supers ncial dressing. The ground (which had, been previously prepare i wwa with turnips, and thn wop proved a very abiuir* 29 Weome a free port under the late act of parliajnent, it is ptobn- hle it may be shipped to the United States, to a great extent. Slate is not confined to Rawdon, but the quality of that which has been discovered there, is esteemed the best. It occurs also in tlie Eastern part of the county of Halifax, at Mount Ardois in Newport, at Bear River in Clements, &c. Free stone is in great ^ abundance, but accompanies the coal in general, as lime doet the gypsum. The'hest quarries that are worked are near Pic- toU) from wh^ce the materials of the Government House and Province Building at Halifax were taken, and at Henet-cove^ where the stone was quaiTied of which the Collegiate Academy at Windsor wa.s built. In the.^e places the stone is of a vfery simi- lar nature, of a fine grain, dark olive colour, and close texture. There is a great variety in the quality, colour, and texture of free stone in general in Nova-Scotia, and there are few town- ships which do not contain it, in greater or less quantities. At the entrance of the Basin of Minas, there is a stone of a dark red colour and coarse grain, which is remarkable for resisting the effect of fire. When first raised it is vary soft, and requires to be gradually heated, but when thoroughiy burnt, it will endure iu ovens, or the backs and jambs of cliimneys for any number of years. There are quarries also in Cumberland ; of which grind- stones are manufactured, and shipped to difierent parts of the Province, to New-Brunswick, and to the American lines. Tliis article is beginning to form a large export, and will eventually be very valuable. But for this as well as other exports the Province is much in want of a market, in consequence of the restrained trade with America. Clay suitable for bricks is abundant in ma- ny places, but few are manufactured except at Dartmouth, Cum- berlandand and Annapolis, and seldom exported but from the latter place, from whence some few thousands are annually ship- ed to New-Bruusw’ick. Iron ore has been discovered in several ^daces, but in the greatest quantity in the county of Annapolis. No experiments have been made upon it in Nova Scotia to ascertain its quality. It Was once in agitation to commence a foundry there, and /he bouse of Sir Brook- Watson & Co. of London had a quantity of the ore shipped to England for the purpose of essaying its valuq,- preparatory to the undertaking ; but the project was abandoned either from the difficulty of pixicuring labour, or under the im-? pression that the population of the country \yas then too limited to afford a sufficient market. In the recent grants of land all mines of this kind are reserved to the King ; and consequently caftnot be worked but by permission. Some small pieces of copr per fouud sit Cape Dore, ou the uoxih side of the Ba- ftin of Minas ; but not sufficient to establish a well founded ex- pectation, of finding any mine rich enough to pay for the work- ing of it. It is ascertained that lead exists in several counties ; and manganese is in great abundance in the township of New- port. Of other mines little is known. A tradition exists among the Acadians, that the French government was aware of silver ore existing in several places, and they name some of their an- cestors who were sent to the Mississippi when these people were removed from the country, who were acquainted with the spots where it was to be met with. Many people attach credit to this atory, but time alone must decide whether it be true or not. The native animals are neither numerous nor troublesome. The following is a catalogue. (Jrey Moose Weasel Red Squirrel, Garaboo Martin Ground Squm- Bear Minx rel Black Fox Otter Field Mouse Red Fox Woodchuck House Mouse, Grey Fox Rabbit Black Mole, Lynx Flying squirrel Beaver Musquash, Loup Cerviet*, Rat Field Rat, Porcupine Racoon. The beaver is a valuable animal and is now becoming scarce from the constant warfare which the Indians wage against their whole tribe. There is something so uncommon in the manner of erecting their habitations, that although repeatedly described, perhaps some account of them will be acceptable. Their hou- «es are always situated in the water, sometimes they make use of a natural pond, but generally they choose to form one, by build- ing a dam across some brook or rivulet. , For this purpose they select a number of trees of soft wood, generally of less than six inches diameter, but sometimes of sixteen or eighteen inches. These they fell and divide into proper lengths, and place them in the water, so that the length of the sticks make the width of the dam. These sticks they lay in mud or clay, their tails ser- ving them for trowels and their teeth for axes. These dams are six or eight feet thick at bottom, sloping on the side opposed to the stream, and are about a quarter as broad at top as at bottom. Near the top of the dam they have one or more waste ways, dr sliding places to carry off the surplus water. The formation of their cabins is no less remarkable. They consist of two stories, one under the other, but both above water. They are shaped like the oval bee hive, and of a size pi’oportioned to the number of inhabitants. The walls of the lower apartment, are two or Mu*ee feet thick; formed lik^ tiiose of tke upper sto^ SI rj are thinner, and the whole on ti»e inside plaistered with mud. . Each family conducts and inhabits its own cabin. The upper a- partmcnts are curiously strewed with leaves, aud rendered most clean and comfortable. Before a storm they are all employed in repairing and strengthening their dams. They retain this indus- trious habit even after they are domesticated. In Summer they roam abroad and feed upon leaves, twigs and food of that kind. These beavers are considered the same species as those in Europe but are vastly superior to them in every respect. The birds are. not so numerous or so various as in more cultivated couhtries. They delight to live in. tlie neiglibourhood of their greatest enemy — man. The following catalogue contains a list of most of the knowU birds of the Province with their popular names. Homed Owl, Whooting Owl, Little Screech Owl, Barn Owl, Great Gray Eagle, Bald Eaglte, Hen Hawk^ Chicken Hawk, Pigeon Hawk, Sparrow Hawk, or Least Hawk, Raven, Common Crow, Blue Jay, Cuckoo, Whet-Saw, Pigeon Wood pecker Speckled Wood- pecker, Great Crested Kong- Fisher, Humming Bird, King Bird, Pewit, or Black Cap Fly Catcher, Lesser Pewit, or Brown Greenish Fly Catcher, Wild Pigeon, Black Bird, Robin Red Breast or Field Fare, Cherry Bird, Summer Red Bird, Cat Bird or Chicken Bird, Birch Partridge, Spruce Partridge, Rice Bird or Boblin- coln. Gold-finch or Yellow Bird, Towhe Bird, Pewee or Cheweek, Spring Bird, Winter Sparrow, Little Field Sparrow Snow Bird, Blue Bird, Water Wagtail, Summer yellow Bird’ Tomtit, House Swallow, or Chimney Swallow, Martin, White bellied Swal- low, Baitt Swallow^ ‘ Great Bat, or Cbuck-v will’s Widow, w: Goat Sucker, Whip poor Will,. Night Hawk, Murr, Great white Gull, Great Grey Gull, Little White River Gull, Mackarel Gull, Irish Shoal, Crane, Marsh Bittern or luf^ dian Hen, Old Wife, Dipper, Blue winged Teal, Whistling Duck, Peep, White Curlew, Lesser Field Curlew, Sea side Lesser Cur- lew Meadow Snipe, Little Pond Snipe, Blue winged Duck, Large spotted Loon, or Great speckled ^t)jTeTV Red Sheldrake, Ortolan, Black and wliite \vild Goose, White Brant Goose, Great party colouted Brant or ^ey Goose Grefif Black Duck, Sea Duck, Water Hen, Mother Caryls Chicken, Kildee, or Chatter- ing Plover, Yellow Leg Plover. There are two kinds contained in tliis catalogue which merit descriji/tion on account of their' rarity and beauty, the humming • bird and boblincoln. The former is the smallest of all the fea- thered inhabitants of the air. Its appearance surpasses descrip- tion, on its head is a small tuft of jetty black, its breast is red, itr belly white, its back, wings, and tail of the finest pale green. — Small specks are scattered over it with 'inexpressible grace, jahd^ to crown the whole, an almost inperceptiblc down softens the se-^^ veral colours and produces the'most pleasing shades. They are of two kinds ; one has a cun^ed and the other a strait bill. The boblincoln is a small bird of black and white colour, and dwells in the meadow land where it builds and rears its young before the mow er begins to invade his retirement with the sc}i;he. It has a peculiarly sweet and melodious note, and is the only bird . in Nova Scotia that sings while on the wing. These birds are most numerous in the large dyke marshes, and their approach is bailed as the smrest symptom of the commencement of summer. The following is a list of the fish that frequent the coast and harbours of this country.. ' Wliale (very scarce) Halibut, Dolphin, Red Perch, Porpoise, White Perch, Grampus,. Sea Bass, Beluga (very scarce) Shiner, Thresher, Periwinkle, Skafe, Barnacle, Shark, Land Shell. Clam, Dog Fish, Speckled Mackai*el Lump Fish,. ^ Salmon, Giolden Bream, or Salmon Trout, Sun Fish, Trout, Eel, Smelt,. Haddock, Herring, Cod, Shad, Frost Fish, Hard-head, Pollock, Alewife, Fieuader, Sucker,^ Loug shell Clam^ Oyster, Bcollops, Minnow, Sole, Mummychog, Anchovy, Flying Fish, Sword Fish, Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Ci-ay Fish,- Muscle, ^ Cockle, 33 There are no venomous snakes or dangerous reptiles in Nova- Scotia. The only troublesome insects are the mosquitos and black flies. These little insects are tlie only enemies a person tra- velling- in the woods has to fear. He is neither alarmed by the alligator, surprised by the wolf, or attacked by the lurking rattle- snake. The only animal that will ever venture resistance, is the female bear, but if unmolested sh^ will invariably avoicbhim, and allow him to pursue his journey. The following is a list of most of the insects of Nova Scotia. Horned Beetle Water Flea Lady Fly Goat Chafier Fire Fly Skipper Water Beetle Wasp Stinging Fly Fatlier long legs Bug Moth or Miller Hornet Humble Bee Wild Bee Ant Caterpillar Eai'wig Black Beetle Blossom Eater Apple Moth or Canker Worm Cockroach, Grasshopper Cricket Locust • Black Fly Brown Fly Horse Fly Mosquitto or Moschetto Butterfly Night Flatterer. Local disorders are unknown in this country, but conSumpti-* ons and in flam matory colds and fevers, are perhaps more coni- mon than others. The Medical Profession labours imder eveiy discouragement, for want of some law to protect it from quacks and uncjualified intruders. Any person who thinks proper to style himself Surgeon or Doctor, which in this country are used as synonimous terms, may without licence or examination, com- mence his fraud upon the fears or ignorance of the community. The number of these wretched pretenders is very great, and the injury committed by them often attended with serious conse- quences. Notv/ithstanding^ these difficulties, there are many practitioners of respectable information and regular education, but they seldom acquire more than a competency on account of the number of qualffied and unqualified persons who are employ- ed by the public. s 84 A List of Plants indigenous to Nova-Scotia, comprising the most remarkable and valuable that have yet been discovered. TREES. Vernacular Names. Scientific Names, Genus et Sjyecies* Larch, Hackmatack or Juniper, Pinus Larix, White Pine Yellow Pine, Balsam Fir Mountain Pine Black or yellow Bitch White Birch Dwarf Birch Beech Sugai’ Rock curled or Bird’s Eye Maple, Red flowering or white Maple Dwarf Maple Elm Hornbeam Red Cherry Choke Cheiiy White Cedar, Trembling Poplar White Poplar Mountain Ash or Fowler’s Ser- vice Oak, White Ash Alder, Balsam Poplai’, Biittcni Wood or Sycamore Thorn Fox Berry — Strobus — Silvestris Balsamifera — Pinea Betula Nigra — Alba — Nana Fagus Silvatica, Acer Saccharinum — Rubruni — Nana Ulmus Americana, Carpinus Ostia, Prunus A visum — Virgmiea Thuya Occidentali^ Populus Tremula — Alba j Sorbus Aucuparia Quercus Rober, Fraxinus Americana Betula Ahius Populus Balsamifera, Plantanus Occidentalism Crataegus cnis.galli Mespilus Canadensis, SHRUBS. Witch Hazel, Pond Bush, Water Elder, Moose Bush, Maple leaved Vibumuni, Flamamelis Virginica, Cephalanthus Occidentalis Viburnum Opulus, Viburnum Lantana, — Acerifolium, 35 Vernacular Names. Red berried Elder, Black berried Elder, Black Currant, Red Currant, Goose-berrj, Red berried Honeysuckle, Blue buried Honeysuckle, Hiervilla, Evergreen Gall Berry, Black Whortle Berry, Swamp Whortle, Red Wliortle, Blue Berry, Crane Berry, Maiden Hair, Labrador or Indian Tea, Crimson flowering Bush, Wild Rosemary, Round leaved Andromeda. Raspberry, Black-berry,. l5ew-berry. Creeping Blackberry, Bog Apple, Dalibarda, Spiraea Frutex red, — ^ white, Candleberry Myrtle, Dutch Myrtle, Sweet Fern, Juniper, Savin, Dwarf Laurel, Silver leaved Laurel, Berry bearing heath, Bear berry, Poison Ivy, Sumach, Seeded Swamp Grass, Wild Millet, Scitntijic Names. Genus et Species Sambucus Racemose, Nigra, Ribes Nigrum, — Rubrum, — tJva Crispi, Lonicera Alpigena, Xj^losteum, Diervilla, Prino.s Glaber, Vaccinium Myrtillus, Frondosum, > Vitis Idaea, Album, Oxycoccos, Hispidulum, Ledum LatifoUum, Rhodora Canadensis, Andromeda polifolia, — CaJyculata, Rubus Idaeus, Fruticosus, Saxatilis, Hispidus, Chamaemorus, Dalibarda, Spiraea Tomentosa, Salicifolia, Myrica Cerifera, » Myrica Gala, Aspleni-folia, Juniperus communis, Sabina, Kalmia Angustifolia, Glauca, Empetrum Album, Arbutus Uva Ursi,i Rhus Radicans, — Canadensia, GRASSES. Briza Medea, Panicum Brevifolium, Vernacular Names, Small wild Oat, ^ Elymars, Do. Bearded Thatch Grass, Cotton Grass, Sweet Flag, Chair maker’s Flag, Scienlijic Names, Genus et Species, Avena Spicata, Elymus Canadensis, Elymus Arenarius, Dactylis Cynosuroides, Eriophorum Alpinura, Acorns Calamus, Typha Angustifolia. PLANTS. Pigeon Berry, Enchanter’s Night shade, Bladder wort, Blue flowered grass. Twin berry, Blue Solomon’s Seal, Branched Solomon’s Seal, Tongue leaved Solomon's Seal, Single leaved Lily of the valley! Broad leaved Plantain, Sea Plantain, Hairy Plantain, — Shepherd’s Needle, Sweet Cicelyj Sarsaparilla, — Prickly do. Spikenard, Convolvulus, Sea shore Loveage, Groimd Nut, Ground Nut, Canada True love, Nodding Trillium, Thrift, Blue flowered pond weed, Chickweed winter green, True Primros^ Small flowered Primrfsc, French Willow, American Sanicle Princes Pipny, Winter Green, Cornus Canadensis, Circaea Alpina, Utricularia subulata, . Sisyrinchium Bermudianum Mitch el la repens, Convallaria, polygonatum, racemosa, trifolia, bifolia, Plantago Major, Maritima, Lagopus, Scandix Pecten, '• Odorata, Airalia Nudicaulis, — — Spinosa, RacemOsa, Convolvulus Arvensis, • Ligusticum Scotictim, Claytonia Virginica, Bunnium Bulbocastanum Trillium Erectum^ ^ — I Cernuum, Statice Limontim, Pontederia Cordata, Trientalis Europaea, CEnothera biennis, - — ;■ Parviflora, Epilobiurn Angustifolium, ^ Palustre, Mitel I a repens, Pyrola Dmbellata, ^ Rotundifolia, Verncicular 'Names^ Winter green, Mountain Tea, May Flower, Indian Cups, Chocolate roots. Gold threads or snake root, Wild Tulip, Herb Robert, Dragon Root, Blood Root, Fumitory, Ladies Smock, Leontice, March Marygold, Yellow Violet, Blue Violet, White Violet, Thorough wort, Lo^lia, Ladies’ slipper, (Groundsel), Golden rod, Autumnal dandelion. Spring Scientific Namee. Genus et Species* Pyrola Secunda, Gaultheria rcpens, Epigaea repens, Sarracenia purpurea, Geum Montanum, Helleborus trifolius, Tulipa Silvestris, Geranium Robertianum, Arum Triphyllum, Sanguinarfa Canadensis^ Fumaria Cuculat^, — Spectabilis, Cardamine Trifolia, Leontice Thalictroidos, Caltha Palustris, Viola Canadensis, — Palustris, — Lanceolata, — Obliqua, Lathraea clandestina, Linnaea borealis, Chelone Acadiensis, Thalictrum disicum, Hypericum Canadense, Sagittaria Sagittifolia, Carduus Benedictus, Verbascum Phlomoides, Phoeniceum, Smilax Rotundifolia, Scutelaria Lateridoxa, Salsola Kali, Rumex Patientia, — Persicaroides, Maritiraus, Eupatorium perfoliatum, — ■■ — puppureum, Lobelia Dortinanna, Indata Cypripedium spectabile^ Senecio Aureus, Solidago Stricta, Leontoden autumnale Taraxacum, Cancer Root, Liimea, Chelone^ Meadow Rue, St. John’s Wort, Arrow head, Thistle, Mullein, Royal Rocket, Green Briar, Scull Cap, Kali, Dock, Vernacular Names Star wort, Virgin’s Bower, Wnite water lily, Yellow do. Sweet scented do. Kalni s do. Wood Sorrel, Cudweed or Everlasting, Five finger. Goose grass, Straw berry, Polygonum, Scientific Names. Genus et Species^ Aster Cordatus, — Corymbosiis, — " Ledifolius, — Radula, — ./Estivus, Clematis Vitalba, Nymphaea Alba, — Lutea, Odorata, Kalmaina, Oxalis acetosella, corniculata, Gnaphalium Uligi nosum, Margariteuni, Potentella reptans, anserina, tridentata,* — fnrticosa, — norwegica, Fragaria Vesca, Polygonum Persicaria, Hydropeper, — Sagittatum, Convolvulus. CHAPTER IV. Population^ Militia, Longevity and Religion., DOCTOR FRANKLIN observes that population increases, as the means of subsisting a family are rendered more easy. In a country where the means of subsisting abound, more people marry early. In Europe and in the American Atlantic States, the lands are every \yhere occupied, and let at the highest rate ; those who cannot arrive at property of their own are hired by those Vho have property. Rivalship, owing to the multitude of workmen, lowers the price of labour, and the smallness* of their profits takes away the desire and the hope, as well as the abili- ties requisite for increase by marriage. The state of British A- merica presents an appearance of a contrary nature. Tracts ef lands and imcultiyated are to be obtained either by grant i 89 «r 56 cheaply by purchase, that a man of the least turn for la- bour is furnished in a short time with an extent, which while it is sufficient to rear a nunlerous family, will maintain his posteri- ty for a considerable period. The inhabitants therefore of this colony, marry in greater numbers, and at an earlier time of life, than the inhabitants of Europe. Where one hundi’cd enter into the marriage state in Europe, there are two hundred in Nova Scotia in proportion to its extent. And if we reckon four children to each marriage, in the old, we should allow at least eight in tlic new hemisphere. If we multiply these families by their produce and add to that amount, the number of emigrants, it will appear that at no great distance of time, the British North American Colonies will arrive at an immense degi^e of population. The grogressive increase ofpopulation inNova Scotia, has never been accurately ascertained. The first census taken in the Province after the settlement of Halifax was of property. In 1757 the in- habitants of the county of Halifax rated the value of their hous- ses, cattle and merchandize at about 295,3121. 10s. In 1817 a census of Nova Scotia Proper was taken by order of the Earl of Dalhousie, which was as follows. County of Halifax Annapolis... Sydney Queen’s County. Lunenburg Shelburne King’s, County... Cumberland....- Hants .30,196 . 9,817 7,151 3,098 6,628 4,874 . 7,145 2,965 6,471 TOTAL 78,345 This account however is well known to have been taken, in a very loose and inaccurate manner, and persons well acquainted with the country, are disposed to rate the population as high as 125*, 000 at the present period. This number is composed of na- tives, Scotch, English, Irish, Germans, American Royalists, and the French Acadians. The Germans ai*e not so numerous as the others, being principally to be found in Lunenburg and Cle- ments. They have made extensive improvements wherever they settled, by tlieir unremitted industry. They are not so fond of emigration iu general the subjects of Great Britain, Con- tented with their own country, they seldom go out of it, but to cultivate others which they are not ambitious of conquering. 40 They have fertilized every countiy under the English domlniott to which chance has conducted them. The Scotch are scattered over all parts of the Province, but by far the greatest number are living on the Rivers of Pictou, on the coast bordering on the gulf of St. Lawrence, and the intermediate country. The High- land Scotch are not so advantageous a class of settlers, as their Lowland neighbours. Their wants are few, and their ambition limited to the acquirement of the mere necessaries of life. A few acres of cleared land, half a dozen sheep, a cow, and one or two pigs, arc all tliey seem to value or desire. Their first improve- ments are made with great rapidity, but these remain stationary whenever they jdTord subsistence. The Lowlan#ers on the con- trary, to the frugality and industry of the Highlanders, add a spirit ol persevei;‘ing diligence, a constant desire of improvement,, and a superior system of Agriculture, which render them a valu- able acquisition to the Province, The religion^ language, cus- toms and sympathieiS of the French Acadians naturally attach them to each other, and induce them to settle together as much as possible. Their largest and most populous settlements are at Menudio in Cumberland, Chizencook, which lies to the eastward of Halifax, at Clare in the county of Annapolis, and Tusket in the county of Shelbume. The exceptions are so few that they may be said never to intermix bj marria«;e with tlieir protestant neighbours. Among themselves they stillconverse in the French - language which is corrupted not only by patois, but by words de- rived from the Indians and English. Although the males are not generally ignorant of the English language, there are but few of their females or children who can understand it. As a people they are moral in their habits, simple and economical in their ex- penditures, cheerful in disposition, and contented and happy. The Abbe Raynal says, that in 1749 they computed as much as 60,000 head of homed cattle, and that most families had several horses though the tillage was carried on by oxen. They bred a great deal of poultry of all kinds, which made a variety in their food, Jbr the most part wholesome and plentiful. The common drink W as beer and cider to which they sometimes added ruml- Tlieir usual clothing was the produce of their flax, or the fleeces of their own sheep. With these they made common linens, and coarse cloths. If any of them had a desire for articles of greater luxu- ry, they drew them from Annapolis or Louisburg, nnd gave iu exchange corn, cattle or furs. The neutral French had nothing else to give their neighbours, and made still fewer exchanges a- because each separate family was able, and had been used, to provide for its own wants. They therefore knew nothing of paper currency, which was sg qormnon through- 41 out the rest of North America. Even the small quantity of spe- cie, which had slipt into the country, did not inspire that activi- ty in which consists its real value, tteir manners were of course extremely simple. Whatever little differences arose from time to time among them, were amicably adjusted by their eldera AH their public acts were drawn up by their pastors, who had likewise the keeping of their wills, for which and their religious services, the inhabitants paid the twenty-seventh part of their harvest. Every misfortune was relieved, as it were, before it could be felt, without ostentation on the one hand, and without meanness on the other. It was in short a society of brethren, every individual of which, was ready to give, and to receive what he thought the common right of mankind. As soon as a young man came to the proper age, the community built him a house, broke up the lanas about it, and supplied him with all the necessaries of life for a twelvemonth. Here he received the partner whom he had chosen, and who brought him her portion in flocks. This iamily-grew and piuisp^rodJike-the otherSv In 1749^ all together made a population of 1 8,OO0 souls. There are about 1200 free blacks in the Province, who are employed as labourer’s and domestic servants ; there are no slaves. Formerly there were negro slaves, who were brought to the country by their masters when emigrating from the States, but some legal difficulties having arisen in the course of an action of Trover, brought for the recovery of a runaw^ay, an opinion pre- vailed, that the courts would not recognize a state of slavery, as having a law ful existence in the country. Although this question never received a judicial decision, the slaves were all emancipated. The most correct opinion seems to be that slaves may be held in the cok)ny ; and this is not only corroborated by the constructi- on of several English acts of Parliament, but by particular clau- ses of the early laws of the Province. The eflect produced by this latent abandonment of Slavery is beneficial to the country. Slave labour resembles profit on stock, or capital, more than la- bour properly so called. The individual who contemplates an establishment of this kind, takes into consideration the cost of the necessary number of slaves, in the same manner as he cal- culates the c^st of the land. The uncertainty of this species of employment affords anotlier ground of resemblance to commerce. Independent therefore of political and moral considerations, such a system is by no means suitable to a colony like Nova Scotia, where there are few branches of business requiring a repdar bo- dy of labourers, and where their clothing and provision is attend- ed with so much expence. A great proportion of the inliabitants of Nova Scotia live to a F Veiy advanced period. It is not uncommon to see people 9(J yeai’s old, and many have attained to the age of a hundred. This observation is more particularly applicable to emigrants, as the settlement of the country is yet too recent to exhibit many instan- ces of longevity among the natives. The people who came from New England are peculiarly long lived, a very great proportion of them reaching their eightieth year in full enjoyment of all their faculties. Until lately this great longevity was also observ- able among the Indians, especially the females, who lived to an extreme old age. But the use of ardent spirits to which many of both sexes are addicted, has contributed to shorten the dura- tion of their lives, and it is now a rare thing to see an aged In- dian. In the human existence another circumstance is also re- markable, that in few countnes do so many children attain to the age of puberty. This observation is also strengthened by the great proportion that children bear to adults. All new countries are favourable to early marriages, as the means of subsistence acquired ; consequently where there are so many children, the deaths of infants might be expected, according to the course of things in Europe to be very great j— but the re- veme is the case in Nova Scotia, w here children are easily rear- ed, and instances of mortality among them rare. The militia throughout the American war was in a very effec- tive state. At present the legislature feels a very natural reluc- tance, to impose much military duty in a time of profound peace upon a new settler, whose attention and continued presence are required upon his farm. The law enacts that every male from sixteen to sixty be enrolled as a militia man, excepting the mem- bers of the Legislature, lawyers, magistrates, surgeons, and offi- cers of the civil and military department. Every regiment if capable, is divided into battalions, which consist of not less than 300, nor more than 800 men. Every battalion is again divided .imo companies which consist of not less than 30 nor more than 80 men. Every regiment, battalion, or company is called out lour times a year upon three days’ previous notice, by com na- mes tvvice, and in regiment or battalion tw ice, and the whole is under the superintendence of tw'o military inspectin'^ field offi- cers, who review the militia on the days of regimental meetiuc. borne years ago a quantity of arms was furnished to the militia, ^ Uie use of whi^ they were well trained. The Sqiiaddrils in- ^oduced by Sir George Prevost, the only effectual mode of dis- rtiif have rendered some companies nearly as ex- ^ exercises as regular tioops. . several religious denominations in this country. The p p 1 ion perhaps, as applied to the population, may be awsum- 43 ed to be, Roman Catholic one quarter, Church of England and Methodist, one quarter. Baptist one quarter, and the Church of Scotland, and other dissenters one quarter. The tolerant laws of this country are of a nature to produce great harmony among all classes of Dissenters, and the Established Church. The Church of England is supported in this countiy by the benevo- lence and liberality of the Society for propagating Christian Re- ligion. The churches have been erected partly by subscription, and partly by funds belonging to His Majesty to which the soci- ety has occasionally contributed. They are in general handsome wooden buildings, well finished and painted, and add very much to the appearance of the country. The clergy of this church are about twenty-eight in number, and are under the control of a bishop, whose jurisdiction extends over the Province of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The salary of the clergy is 2001. sterling a year, to which may be added the proceeds of small glebes, parochial fees, and other perquisites, the whole of which at the prc^entperlod;' wtu'n bills arr^ at A g iea t q yr eiri Ttim, and the price of wages and provision so much reduced, afford the clergy- man a very comfortable maintenance. The church is increas- ing in the Province, and its congregation contains a large portion of the respectable inhabitants. The Roman Catholics were for many years under controul of a vicar general, and afterwards of a bishop who has recently died, and at present no successor has been appointed. In their late bishop, the Rev. Dr. Burke, not only that church over which he presided, but the Province in ge- neral have experienced a great loss. He was a man of profound and extensive learning, of great and unaffected piety, of conde- scending and affable manners, and of the most charitable and hu- mane disposition. By all classes of society, and by eveiy deno- mination of Christians throughout Nova Scotia, as well as in ma- ny parts of Canada, where lie was many years actively employ- ed among the Indians, he was regarded with great respect, and when dead was universally lamented. The subordinate clergy of the Catholic Church amount to ten or twelve. This number in proportion to the size of their flocks is much smaller tlian that of other denominations, which is attributable to the circumstance of the Catholics living more together, than the peojde of any o- ther persuasion. The Presbyterians have a provincial church government of their own, and have about twenty -five ministers. The Methodist Missionaries act under the direction of a society in England, and are also about twenty-five in number. They are in general natives of Great Britain, and of late years are men of better qualifications than their predecessors, and their church is gaining gi’ound both in respectability and in number. Tho Baptists are numerous, but not so well organized a body as the Methodists, nor are they so well provided with a regular clergy, ^he number of meeting bouses belonging to all the different sects in Nova Scotia is very ^reat, and speak loudly in favour of the religious feeling of the country. In Nova Scotia, as in the Uni- ted State^ much of the pomp antf ceremonies of religion seem reserved for the last honours man receives before he is shut up in the grave for ever. As soon as any one is dead in the country, the nearest n^'gbbours have notice given them of the day of bu- rial, and within a short time the news is thus conveyed to a dis- tance. All the acquaintances attend the funeral if possible, where they are presented with refreshments. When the assembly is complete appropriate hymns are sung, and a funeral aermon preached ; the corpse is then removed to the burying ^ound, or if that be at too great a distance, into one of the fields belonging to the family. It is esteemed in a neighbourhood as a mark of disrespect to tlie relatives of the deceased not to attend his funeral. The number of persons, both male and female, pre- sent upon these occasions is often vciy great. It is not the dy- ing man himsef who exacts these honours, but his parents, wife or children, who voluntarily pay them to the ashes of a husband and father that has deserved to be lamented. These ceremonies have always more numerous attendants in small societies than in larger ones, because altliough there ai’e fewer families upon the whole, the number of individuals there is much larger, and all the ties that connect tliem with each other much stronger. CHAPTER V, The Indians ( ttco tribes,) attacks on Canso, treaty, customs manners^ civilization^ specimens of their language. IN the estimate of population, inserted in the preceding- chap- ter, the Indians were not included. As they form a distinct bo- dy of people, with customs, manners and language peculiar to themselves, I have reserved the account of them for a separate chapter. So many volumes however, have been written, exclu- sively treating of (be •aborigines of North America, and so gene- ml a similitude exists, in the colour, dialects, and habits of the oitterent tribes inhabiting the British colonies, that a very detailed ana minute description of them would be unnecessary. There is naraiy any nation from the north to the south pole, to which, antiquary in the extravagance of .coryectuie, has uotascri- 45 bed the honour of peopling America. The Jews, the Canaanltes, the Phoenecians, the Carthagenians, Uve Greeks, and the Scythi- ans, in ancient times, are supposed to have settled in this w estern world. The Chinese, the Swedes, theNorw^gians, the Welsh and the Spaniards, are said to have sent colonies thitlier in later ages, at different periods, and on different occasions. To discuss tlie me- rits of these different theories would be to enter the regions of con- iecture and controversy. All that we know with infallible cer- tainty is, that all the human ?ace sprang from the same soiu ce, and that the descendants of one man under the protection as well as in obedience to the command of heaven, multiplied and replen- ished the earth. But we cannot trace tlie branches of this first family, or point out with certainty the time and mamier m which they divided and spread over the face of the globe. Europe w'as greatly astonished at the immense decrease ot the native population of the new Spanish Territories during the first century after the discovery of the country. In British America they have aleo^oatl y .ierreased^ - Jm t causes as those in the South. No attempt has ever been made to enslave them in Nova Scotia, or to make them in any way subservient to the European Settler ; consequently cruelty and ill usage so ab- horrent to the nature of an Englishman have had no share m their diminution. But the use of ardent spirits which they have acqui- red from civilized people, and the introduction of the small P'OJfj and other disoi*ders previously unknown to tliem, have tended -ijreatly to their decrease. The diseases of Savages, tliough few- Irin number, are like those of the ammals, whom they nearly re- semble in their mode of life, more violent and more fatal. In ad- dition to these causes they rear fewer children than the whites. Amon®- wandering tribes, who depend upon hunting and fishing for a subsistence, the mother cannot attempt to rear a second child, until the first has attained such a degree of vigour as to be in some measure independent of her care. From this motive it is the universal practice of the women to suckle their children du- ring several years, and as they seldom marry early, the period o their fertility is over before they can finish the long but necessa- jry attendance upon two or three chil^^en in Nova Scoha. i hey are now diminished to 3o0 families or 1500 pei’sons. Previoiw to the'dismemberment of the Province in 1784, there tribes of Indians inhabiting the country, the Micmacs and Richiouctos. They were a savage and ferocious race, often committing great outrages upon the solitary and peaceable settlers. But the French who have been always remai kable for their powers of address, con- ciliated their friendship, and afterwards converted them to Chris- tianity. They were aU Catholics and very strict observers oi 4G the eeremonial parts of their religion. As allies of the h'rehcli thej were the natural enemies of the English. To enumerate the various rencounters with the Indians, and the many injuries committed by them on the trade of the country would be depart- ing from the plan of this work and extending this chapter to a size exceeding that of the whole book. I shall therefore merely mention two of their attacks upon Canso, which will sufficiently evince the resolute and warlike character of these people On the 7th of August 1720, a party of Indians fell upon Capso, with- in the Province of Nova Scotia, but peopled every summer by fishermen from Massachussetts. Such was the secrecy, order, and expedition, with which it was done, that they surprised the English in their beds, and stripped them of every thing ; telling 1 carry away what they found upon their own an . The 1 rench of Cape Breton no doubt planned this enter- prise, for the next day some of their vessels carried away the plunder, including among other things 2000 quintals of dry fish. 1 he loss sustained by the English was estimated at =£’20,000 cur- rency. There were but three or four lives lost among the whites upon this occasion. The Indians were most convenient allies for the French When an outrage was committed by them and sa- tisfaction dernanded of the French, they excused themselves from intermeddling with them, assigning as a reason that they ""T subjects, and therefore not under their control. In 1723 there was a very general war commenced by all the tribes in this quarter, the Ricliibuctos, the Micmacs, and Pe- nobscots In the latter part of July they surprised Canso and o- ther harbours ne^ to it, and took 16 or 17 sail of fishing vessels, all belonging to Mas-sachusetts. Governor Philips happened to be at Canso, and caused two sloops to be manned, partly uith volunteer sailors from merchants’ vessels, which were loading, with fish, and sent them, under the command John Elliot of Poston, and John Robinson of Cape Ann, in quest of the enemy. Eliot, as he was ranging the coast, espied seven vessels in a har- bour, called Winnepaug, and concealed all his men, except four or hve, until he came near to one of the vessels which had about Ruffians aboard, who were in expectation of another prize fal- ling into their hands. As soon as he was within hearing, they hoisted their pendants, and called out, “ Strike English dogs, and come aboard, for you are all prisoners.” Elliot answered, nff ® ^ould make all the haste he could. Finding he made no f « they began to fear they had caught a Tartar, ‘ • . ^ beir cable, with intent to run ashore, but he was too quicK lor them, and immediately boarded them. For about half ° , a brave resistance, but at lengUi, some of 47 them jumping into the hold, Eliot threw his hand grenadoes after them, which made such havock, that all which remained alive took to the water, where they were a fair mark for the English shot. From this or a like action, probably took rise, a common expression among English soldiei’s, and sometimes English hun- ters, who, when they had killed an Indian, made their boast of having killed a black duck. Five only reached the shore. Elliot received three bad wounds, and several of the men were wounded, and one killed. Seven vessels, with several hundred quintals of fish, and fifteen of the captives were recovered from the enemy. They had sent many of the prisoners away and nine they had killed in cold blood.* The Nova Scotia Indians had the character of being more savage and cruel than the other na- tions. Robinson retook two vessels, and killed several of the enemy. Five other vessels the Indians had carried so far up the Bay, a- bove the harbour of Malagash, that they were out of Ivis reach and he had not men suffie i e nt to laiuly -the enemy being very nu- merous. ^ The loss of so many men enraged them, and they had deter- mined to revenge themselves upon the poor fishermen, abovt twenty of whom yet remained prisoners at Malagash (Lunenburg) harbour, and they were all destined to be sacrificed to the manes of the slain Indians. The Powovving and other ceremonies were performed, when Captain Blin, in a sloop appeared ofl the har- bour and made the signal, or sent in a token, which had been agreed upon between him and the Indians, when he was their prisoner should be his protection. Three of the Indians went on board his vessel, and agreed for the ransom, both of vessels and captives, which were delivered to him and tiie fansom paid. The Richibucto Indians, who dwelt on the borders of the Gulf of St. Lawrence within the limits of New Brunswick, then a part of Nova Scotia, were found by the English to be a most in- tractable tribq ; and it was not until ITGO that they finally sub- mitted to the British Government. The following is a copy of tlic treaty signed by their Cliief at Halifax, with the Governor of Nova Scotia. A treaty of peace and friendsldp concluded by His Excel- lency Charles Lawrence, Esq. Captain General and Governor ^Cruelty was not confined to the Indians, the whites commit- ted many acts of barbarity. During the same year that the Can- so afifair happeiied, we find a law passed by the Massachusetts goverumeiit, otfering rewards to those who siiould bring m Indian scalps, or Indian prisoners. . - 48 in Chief in and orer His Majesty’s Province of Nova Scotia or Acadia, tvith Michael Augustine, Chief of the Richibucto tribe of Indians at Halifax, in the Province aforesaid. I Michael Augustine for myself and the tribe of Richibucto Indians of which I am Chief, do acknowledge the jurisdiction and dominion of His Majesty King George the second over the terri- tories of Nova Scotia or Acadia, and we do make submission to His Majesty in the most perfect, ample and solemn manner. And I do promise for myself and my tribe, that I nor they shall not molest any of His Majesty’s subjects in their settlements as already made, or that may be hereafter made, or in car- rying on their commerce, or in any thing whatever within this the Province of his said Majesty or elsewhere. And if any insult, robbery, or outrage shall happen to be committed by any of my tribe, satisfaction and retribution shall be made to the person or persons injured. That neither I nor my tribe shall in any manner entice any of his said Majesty's troops or soldiers to desert, nor in any man- ner assist in conveying them away, but on the contrary will do our utmost endeavours to bring them back to the company, regi- ment, fort or gai-rison to which they shall belong. That if any quarrel or misunderstanding shall happen between myself and the English, or between them and any of my tribe, neither I nor they shall take any private satisfaction or revenge, but we will apply for redress, according to the laws established in his said Majesty’s Dominions, That ail English prisoners made by myself or my tribe shall be set af liberty ; and that we will use our utmost endeavours to prevail on the other tribes to do the same, if any prisoners shall happen to be in their hands. ‘‘And I do further promise for myself and my tribe, that, we will not either directly or ii^directly, assist any of the enemies of his most sacred Majesty King George the second, his heirs or suc- cessors, nor hold any manner of commerce, traffic nor inter- coui*se Avith them ; but on the contrary, will as much as may be iu our power, discover and make known to his Majesty’s Gover- nor, any ill designs which may be formed or contrived against His Majesty’s subjects — And \ do farther engage, that we will not traffic, barter or exchange any commodities in any manner, but with such persons, or the managers of such truck-houses, as shall be appointed or established by His Majesty’s Governor at Fort Cumberland, or elsewhere in Nova Scotia or Acadia. more effectual security of the due performance of this Treaty, and every part thereof, I do promise, and engage ffiat a certain number of persons of my tribe, which shall not be 4 » two, shall on or before the 24th day of June next, reside as hostages at Fort Cumberland, or at such other places m this Province of Nova Scotia or Acadia as ^ V His Majesty’s Governor smd Province, which hostages shall be exchan<>-ed for a like number of my tribe when requited. ‘-“an^ea tor a like behalf * ’^*’P*'°™se lor myself and iu in Vn» 1 ^ keep and observe in the most solemn manner. ^ at I hereunto put my mark and seal, at Halifax, in Nova-Scotia, this tenth day of March, one thou- ty?reigr the 33d year of His Majes- (Signed) “MICHAEL M AUGUSTINE” tv In the foregoing trea- o^’Tk ^ testimony whereof, I have signed these presents seal to be hereunto affixed, this 10th day of «R,,n- P “CHARLES LAWRENCE. By his Excellency s Command ) “ R. Bulkley, Sec?ry.” ] a® “^the Nova Scotia Indians, I S! succeeding part of this chapter confine my remarks to ProSc^^''*’ exclusively within the precincts of the heVhf ' ^^®®“hje the Europeans and very like them in to six feet. In ^lour they are norl^ltVn^l^f*^^'’ Indies s they are neither black normu atto, but a reddish brown, with high cheek bones, large t hy no means curly or intell that of the negro. The males in general have fine intelligent penetrating eyes. They are broad shouldered and bandy legged, (owing to the ligatures that hold them when infants on the cradle or board:) possessed of the greatest activity of body, and capable of enduring excessive fatigue and hunger, when plea- suraor necessity require, but at other times they are extremely in- dolent and lazy. When sober they are silent and thoughtful, very s rewd and sensible in their remarks.* When intoxicated by li- * An Indian some time since, entered a tavern to purchase tome spints, for which ten shilUngs per galloa.was demanded, when the retail price at Halifax was about half that eum. Upo* 50 tfttots which « too often the case, they are riotous and qua^el- tfome ainong each other. In the woods, they are as much at home as the Wild animals of the forest. They can travel without a compass to any given pointy and can trace footsteps which are imperceptible to any eye but their own. With respect to cos- tume in place of the furs worn by them when they were discov- ered by the Europeans, they now use cloth which for the males is Cut into two garments ; — -a full gaiter or legging which reaches a little above the knee, and a kind of loose coat, descends below the top of the gaiter, and is secured round the waist by a girdle* To this girdle is fastened a fur purse, containing their coin, a flint and steel, and a small piece of touch-wood or fungus for Itghtihg a fire. The covermg of the feet, tv^hich Is called mogasin, consists of one piece of leather or raw hide, through the rim of W'hfch a small cord is inserted, that when drawn tight, forces the leather to assume the shape of the foot. This is much warmer than a shoe, and as it admits of the action of the toes, is far better a- dapted for use upon ice and slippery places. The women wear the mogasin, a large skirt of broad cl^h, and a blanket folded in the shape of, and used as a shawl. Their caps are also made of blue cloth, cut in the shape of the letter A, pointed at the top, and usually edged with a red border. Both sexes allow their hair to grow in great profusion, though not trimmed in any particular Shape, or gathered in any form by combs or ribbons. Amoi^ all barbarous people the situation of women is very degradeo, Man, •proud of excelling in strength and courage, the chief marks of pre-eminence among rude nations, treats woman as his inferi- or, With disdaiUi lU this tribe the female sex are the servants of the men, and cariy not ohly the children, but in travelling, all the domestic utensils, provisions, and other burdens. At home they lire employed in making baskets, carrying water, cooking, and Other drudgety. Tasks are imposed upon them without pity, and services are received without complaisance or gratitude. \\^en the husbands ate intoxicated they suffer every species of ill-usage, but however severe their treatment may be, they submit without murmur, and in no instance require or receive the interference his expressing his astonishment at the extravagant price, the land- Totd endeavoured to explain to him, the loss of interest and ex- ^nSe of conveyance, and illustrated the remark by telling him that the expense of keeping a hogshead of rum was as great as ^al of maintaining a cow. The Indian replied w ith great rea- diness and some humour, ^*may be it drinks as much water. ^aUitdiijg <0 its adulteration) << but certain no eat so much hay/^ 51 the whites. The method they adopt for carrying Bxeixxhji^ dren is admii'ably well suited to a woody country. They make a small wooden case, before alluded to, open at the top and the two ends, in which the infant or papouse is well secured by a transverse lacing of cord. This boit is fastened to the nock, and carried on the back of the mother, who by warding off the limh^ of trees.and bushes, prevents the ychild Ixom receiving any injury, which were it carried in any other manner, it would be impossi- ble to prevent. At the close of day, or whenever they have po casion to encamp, this cradle is suspended to a large branch and set in motion. Although the dependance of children upon their parents, among the Indians, for many obvious reasons ceaseys at a much earlier period than in polished society, those .persons are much mistaken, who suppose that the p^ental solicitude of the one is weaker than that of the other, xhe Indians feel the dull force of this instinct, and as long as their progeny continue fee- ble and helpless, no people exceed them in tenderness and care. The alteration produced among the Indians by religion and thp influence of the Roman Catholic priests is so great, iliajt their respect for the laws and the property of the inliabitants is -truly astonishing. It is extremely rare that an instance of peculation occurs among them. Cattle and sheep that continually wander throi^h unfrequented paths or into the wilderness, are . never mo- lested by them. They do not live in collective bodies, but in distinct families, and are continually changing their place of abode. Sometimes they encamp on the borders of a lalce for fishing, at other times they remove to the sea-shore to takp por- poises j or resort to the hunting grounds. They generally under- stand the English language and converse in it with flimncy. Their boats called canoes, are built of birch bark drawn tightiy over some thin slips of wood, and are plaistered at the, seams with gums and resinous substances. These canoes are highly finished and manifest great skill and ingenuity in every part of their cw- struction. They are pointed alike at both ends so as to he ued- pelledin either direction. The size is proportioned to the num- ber of the family, and the whole is of so trifling weight as (bo be easily carried by one man. They are not xowed in the same manner as boats by oars, but are both steered and propelled by 'short paddles. The dexterity with which these paddles .are us^ is very great, and in still water a canoe will outstrip any i boat iu rapidity of motion. In someparts of America the Indians have domestic animals and a local domicile ; but here they are ene- mies to all the lower animals and not their .masters, they .wasf>e and destroy but know not haw to govern them, and the only spe- cies to which they are attached^is the dog. Their tente ja^ 52 tlie simplest construction, requiring little time to be erected, in general of too little value to be removed with them. They vary a little in shape, but are generally built with poles placed in a conical form like a sugar loaf. The poles after being well secured in the ground, and boimd together at the top, are inter- woven with the branches and bark of the birch tree, which com- pletely exclude the weather. In the summer the fire is made on the outside of the tent or wigwam, for the purpose of destroying the musquitoes and other winged insects. In the winter it is light- ed in the centre of the camp, (as the colonists tenn it) it having a small aperture at the top to emit the smoke. Their beds con- sist of a few boughs of evergreen, loosely spread upon the ground, and they generally sleep in winter with their feet towards the fire, which they suppose to be a preservative of health. It may be thought by those unacquainted with these people, that m a climate like that of Nova Scotia, such a mode of living must be attended with the greatest bodily suffering and wretched- ness, but this is very far from being the case. The south side of a hill or declivity in the forest is in winter inaccessible to the north wind, and forms so complete a shelter, that a very slight wigwam is sufficient to protect them from the inclemency of the weather. It it doubted whether they feel the cold so acutely as the whites. A constant exposure to the vicissitudes of the cli- mate from their tenderest years no doubt renders them less sen- sible to its severities. In addition to this cause of hardihood they use a good deal of oil with their food, which not only preserves heat in the stomach, but defends their vitals from the severity of the frost. They also anoint themselves with the fat of the bear in sun^mer to prevent the annoyance of the black fly, and in win- ter to avoid those rheumatic pains, which they would otherwise suffer by sleeping in damp places. The winter is the season for hunting moose, carraboo, &.c. and tor taking fish in the lakes by means of holes in the ice, to which they are attracted by a torch of lighted bark. At this period buckets, tubs, churns, baskets, and birch work ot different descriptions, axe handles and similar articles, with ivhich and the venison and fur they procure in hunting, they pur- chase broad doth, blankets, powder and shot, axes and knives, Jiquor, &c. They have a chief who is elected by vote, and con- ffrmed by the priest ; but as they are almost insulated in Nova Jc intercourse with other tribes, his jurisdiction ^ ^ fixing the limits of hunting grounds for nlH!! in order that they may not interfere with each Ls tribr ^hich maj occur amoug Although the law of the Province recognize! the In- \ 6S 5ians as subjects of his Majesty, and as well extends to them iig protecUon as exacts their obedience, yet they never litigate, or are in any way impleaded. They have a code of traditionary and customary laws among themselves, although the use of it is daily diminishing. Not many years ago they condemned one of their •tribe to be stoned to death. He was accordingly fastened hand and foot, and conveyed to low water mark, and placed on i the top of a small rock. They then proceeded to the execution 1 of his sentence, stoned him arid left him for dead. His faithful I squaw or wife who was anxiously awaiting tlie event, in a neigh- bouring thicket, approached him as soon as the executioners and i spectator’s had withdrawn, carried him to the woods and then re- covered him. This is the last instance that is recollected of their attempting to inflict a capital pimishment in obedience to their own laws. This custom of stoning to death so analagous to that ^ of the Jews, would to a person fond of supporting a particular I theory, afford a slight illustration of that of renn’s, that they are i in fact descended from the Jews. They liave cemeteries of their • own, and will on no account bury their dead in ground which has not received the consecration of the priest. The philosophic con- tempt with which they view the artificial wants and ^migratory k habits of the Europeans, is amazing. They seem to conceive them as humAn weaknesses from which their Creator in his boun- j ty has exempted them. Their wants are few and confined to U three articles ; food, raiment, and shelter. All beyond this aj)- jj pears to them superfluous and useless. Their idea of wealth is jj well expressed in the words of Horace. i; , , • An vigilare metu exanimem, noctesque diesque, j Formidarc malos fures, incendia, servos, , ' Ne tc compilent fugientes ; hoc juvat ? horum Semper ego optarim j pauperrimus esse bonorum. \ ^ Sat. Lib. 1. I. [ The period however has now arrived when they must look to agriculture for support. Hunting and fishing will no longer mi- nister in sufficient quantities to their subsistence. Attempts have been made by one or two individuals to excite an interest in the [ public in behalf of these people, but they have not been so siic- I cessful as could be wished. Walter Bromley Esq. has taken an active part in their favour, and has made several appeals to the humanity of the public, but he has had a strong prejudice to con- tend with. An opinion prevails that they are incapable of ci- vilization, and that any attempt to ameliorate their condition, will be ultimately productive of evil to the Indians themselves. 54 The absurdity of this idea is only equalled by the obstinacy with which it is maintained. The prodigious advances of cultivatioii in the Province are daily diminishing the extent of their hunting grounds, the wild animals are also becoming very scarce, and re- pcaited applications have been made to the legislature to prevent them from shooting porpoises, by which they derive much of their support. If their attention' is not directed to agriculture, they will rapidly become extinct. What then will posterity think of this species of men, ^vho will exist no more but in the accounts of travellers ? Will not the times of savages appear to them in the same light as the fabulous times of antiquity do to us ? The impossibility of civilizing the Indians which is so strenuously maintained must arise from one of two causes ; either, first from their total incapacity : or secondly, from their natural aversion to labour. If the first ground of objection required an answer^ we mi^t reply in the words of Dr. Robertson. A human being as he comes originally from the hand of nature, is every wher^ the same. At his first appearance in the state of infancy, whe»- ther it be among the rudest savages, or in the most civilized na- tion, we can discern no quality which marks any distinction or superiority. The capacity of improvement seems to be the same;, and the talents he may afterwards acquire, as w ell as the virtues he may be rendered capable of exercising, depend in a great measure upon the state of society in which he is placed To this ^tate his mind naturally accommodates itself, and from it receives discipline and culture. In proportion to the w ants which it ac- oiistoms a human being to feel, and the functions in which these engage him, his intellectual powers are called forth. To the second objection, their aversion to labour, their own repeated solicitations for grants of land, and the circumstance of several families having already become pr^rietors of it is a sufficient reply. The Society of Friends in Pensylvania have by several experiments sufficiently proved the possibility of reclaiming the Indians, and have left this subject no lon^ «r a matter of specu- lation, It might also be added that one tribe of these people on lake Ontario, sell annually 5,000 barrels of flour, the j^roduce of "their own lands. It is probable that they would not all immedi- ately become domesticated, and that they w'ould at first only make agriculture subsidiary to their support, but not their sole depend- aiice. This however would be a great object to attain, and w'ould no doubt lead to their ultimate abandonment of their pre- sent erratic mode of life. Their language is extremely beauti- lul^ soft, comprehensive and harmonious, but is so different from Richibucto tribe in New Brunswick, that these neighbours cannot understand each other. When deposing upon 65 oath, which is sometimes the case, they return their answers in their own dialect to an interpreter. Upon these occasions they exhibit great fluency and eloquence, accompanied with a flue a-* nimation of countenance, and a very appropriate action. Subjoined are various specimens of their language. English^ American, ( Father’s sister, Aunt, ^ Mother’s sister, Arrow, Air, * Autumn, Brother, * Blanket, ^ Button, ’ Boy (very small) ‘ Boy (large) ' Ball, Bow, Boat, Bread, Beaver, ' , Birch tree, I Birch Bark, f Black, ^ Black cloth, Blue, Christ, Child, Cap, (a woman’s) Cap, (a man’s iiat) Chest, Canoe, Cod-fish, Cherry-tree^ Ci'adle, Devil, Daughter, Dollar, Duck, i>»y. Englishman, Evening, 3/icmac. Bas-ton-cow-a-chee, Liskq, v Se-quis, Ma-joc-ta-le-gan, Kum-la-mit, Taugh-wagh, ’ W it-che-ka-teak, Pe-tu-ga-no-son, or Blakeet, Pe-joc-wic-on, Me-j ou-a-cheech, Ba-touse, Pe-low-w'ey, Aa-be, Wel-bote, Pib-be-nagh-an, Co-beet, Ne-be-nog-hon, Mashk-wee, Mac-to-wake, Mac-to-wake-a-soon, M us-sor-na-mook, Wh i ch- wil-1 e-n ix- euxr^ Me-j ou-a-cheech, Aag-wes-un, Ab-el-e-too-a-sic, Es-ca-e-gan, ' Que-tan, Paa-choo, Me-tc, Teug-he-nngh-an Mun-doo, Un-toose, Nec-ta-geek, (g hard) Ne-mooche, She-sip, Na-gueck Aa-glash-e-owCj Wei-iakc, English, jprenchinan, pish, jpather, ringer, Flint, Fiddle, Fire, Fox, Feather, Girl, (small) Girl, (large) God, Gnn, r Goose, Hand, Head, Hair, Heaven, Hell, Herring, Indian, Iron, Knife, Lake, (of fresh water) Lobster, Mother, Maple, (white) Mogasin, (Indian shoe) Mosquito, ' Morning, Mackarel, Nals, (Iron, &c.) Noon, Oar, Otter, Oak, Paddle, Potato, Rope, Rum, Root, Red, Raspberry-, Shoe, Micmac, Wen-iiooch, Ne-maach, Nooch, Un-tel-a-wig-an, Malse, Ab-be-a-jidck, ' Puc-tow, Who-quisk, Pe-guing, Aa-pe-ta-cheeoli, Aa-pe-tes, Ke-soulk, Paas-cow-we, Se-nunk, Un-put-en, Mo-nou-chee, Nu-sab-on, Wa-sook, Mun-doo-a-kc, Sboo-gin-a-mec, Il-le-noo, Cus-a-woe, Wag-hon, Wus-pem, Wal-am-quech, Un-kitch, Che-oc-che-moo-che; Um-cus-sen, Ka-lo-moach, Es-kit-pook, Ham-il-eh-mec, Pe-lai-go, May-how-la-guet, W an-j ou-tah-on, Cu-be-nic, Un-quan-moo-see, Ta-gan, Ta-ba-tate, A-bub-bee, Biic-ta-witchq, Ou-ta-bee, Ma-quake, Kil-le-dagh, W an-j ouk-se-nan , English. Son, Ship, Sea, Strawberry Table, Thumb, Teeth, Tree, Uncle, White, Water, Yellow, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Twenty, Twenty^one, Thirty, Thirty-K)n'e, Forty, Forty-one, Fifty, Fifty-one, Sixty, Si^y-one, Seventy, Seventy-one, Eighty, jfcighty-one. Ninety, Ninety-one, One hundred Two hundred Tliree hundred Four hundred, Micmac. tJn-q\i^-cheech, Nab-ig-wan, Ec-ke-taan, Ad-Wam-ke-wink, Pa(f-da-loo-t|Be, Tee-cheern ' ' Ne-bee-dei^ Cum-mo6dh^ Un-cla-ibac-sii&'^ ^ Wab-ake^ ‘ Sa-bogh-wan, Wad-ajvtec, Naa-cut^ Ta-boo, Seert, Na-hoo, '- Na-an, As-sa-com,, Lou-jg-i-nac, Ug-a-niid-cbin, / Pes-coo-na-deck^ . • ^ ' Un-tjl-un^ . / \ Un-til-un-cbel-naa-cut, Un-til-uri-ehel-ta-boo, &c. to nineteen^ Ta-buiir-ska, Ta-bun-^ka-chel-naa-cut, &c. to twenty-nine^ Na-sin-ska, ’ Na-sin-ska-»chel-naa-cut, &c. to 39, Na-win-ska, Na-^win-ska-chel^-naa-cut, &.c. to 49, Na-an-iii-ska, Na-an-in-ska-chel-naa-cut, &c, to 59, As-sa-com-da-sin-ska^ . As-sa-com-da-sih-ska-chel-naa-cut, 8tc. to 69, Lou-ig-i-nac-da-sin-ska, ■ ^ Lou-ig-i-nac-da-«intska-chel-naa-cut, &c. to 79, Ug-a-inul-ch in-da-sin-ska, Ug-a-inul*^ldn-da-sin-ska-chel-naa-cut to 69 Pes-coo-na-deck-da-sin-ska, Pes-coo-na-deck-da-sin-ska-chel-naa-cut, &.C. Pcsery. Governor Cornwaliis no sponpr arrived in this haihour than he was joined by two regiments of Infantry from Cape Breton, ^hich had been restored to the French by the treaty oC Chapelle,) and a conipaiiy of Rangers of Annapolis. He then glitched upon a ^ot for the settlement, and employed the people in clearing the ground for laying the foundations of a tow n ; but s^^^^^cpnv'eniehcies being discovered in this situation, he clnx^ another to the northward, near the Harbour, on an easy ascent, commanding a prospect of the whole Peninsula, and well sup- plied With £re§.h mid wbolesome >vater. Here he began 61 to buil4 a town on a regular plan^ in latitude 44® 40' north, and 63® 40' west longitude, and about ten miles distant from the mouth of the harbour. To thia place he gave tjie name of Halifax, in honour of the nobleman who had the greatest share in found- ing the Colony, and before the approach of winter above 300 comfortable wooden houses were built, the whole surrounded by a strong palisade. In the first chapter of this book, I attempted to trace the po- litical transfers of this country, and stated that it was finally ceded and" secured to Great Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht. It was nevertheless the secret but fiiPm determination of the court of Prance to repossess herself of it as soon as the position of her affairs would warrant the attempt. The conduct of her agents and emissaries soon gave such strong indications of this design, i that it was found necessary for this infant colony to put forth all t its energies to secure its very existence. 1 Before I enter into a detailed description of the present state I of Halifax, I shall gi#^e an account of the difficulties it cncoun- f tered in its first settlement, and the expeditions it fitted out against its enemies. \ Halifax was no sooner built, ihm tlie French spiiited the In- I dians of that neighbourhood to comniit hostilities against the i inhabitants, some of whom they murdered, and others they car- ried prisoners to Louisbotirg, where they sold them for arms and ^ anpimunition ; tlie French pretending that they maintained this j traffic from motives of pure compassion, in order to pi^everit the 3 massacre of the English captives y whom liowcrer they did not I set at liberty without exacting an exorbitant ransom. - . » I As those skulking parties of Indians were generally directed { and headed by French commanders, repeated complaints were I made to the Governor of Uouisbourg, who still answered, that his jurisdiction did not extend over the Indialis, and that their French I conductors were chosen from the inhabitants of Annapolis, who tliought proper to remain in that country after it was ceded to the English, and were in fact the subjects of Great Britain. Even while the conferences wei^ caiTied on for ascertaining the limits of Nova Scotia, the Governor of Canada detached M. La Coroe, with some regular troops, and a body of militia, to forti- fy a post on the. Bay of Chignccto (Cumberland) on pretence that this, and a great part of the pemnsula, belonged to his govern- ment. The possession of this )>ost sitnayted on the narrow Isth- mus which connects Nova Scotia with New Brunswick, not only seciu*ed to the Indians on the Continent a. free entrance into the Peninsula, and a safe reteeat in case of pursuit, but also encour- 62 aged the French inhabitants of Annapolis to rise in open rebellion against the. English Government. In the spring of the year 1750, General Cornwallis, Governor of Halifax, detached Major Lawrence with a few men to reduce them to obedience. At his approach they burned their town to ashes, forsook their possessions, and threw themselves under the protection of M. La Come, who thus reinforced, found himself at the head of 1,500 men, well provided with arms and ammuni- tion. Major Lawrence being unable to cope with him in the field demanded an interview, at which he desired to know for what cause the French inhabitants of Nova Scotia had shaken off their allegiance to the crown of Great Britain, and violated the neutrality which they had hitherto affected to profess. The French officer without pretending to account for their behaviour gave him to understand, in general terms, that he had orders to defend his post^ and these orders he was determined to obey. The English major finding himself too weak to attack their uni- ted force, and having no orders to commit hostilities against any but the Indians and their open abettors, returned to Halifax, without having been able to fulfil the purpose of his expedition. Immediately after his retreat, the French Neutrals returned to their respective farms, and in conjunction with the Indians, re- newed their depredations upon the inhabitants of Halifax and its dependant settlement. The English Governor justly incensed at these outrages, and seeing they would neither submit to the English Government themselves, nor allow others to enjoy it with tranquillity, resolved to expel them effectually from the country Major Lawrence was again detached with 1000 men, transpoiled by sea to Chignecto, Cumberland, where he found the French and Indians intrenched in order to dispute his landing. Notwithstanding this opposition, he made a descent with a few companies, received and returned a smart fire, and rushing inte their intrenchments, obliged them to fly with the utmost preci- pitation, leaving a considerable number killed and wounded on the spot. The fugitives saved themselves by crossing a river, on the further bank of which La Come stood at the head of his troops drawn up in order to receive them as friends and depen- dants. He had by this time erected a fort, which he denomin- ated Beau Sejour ; and now the English built another on the ^posite side of the river, which was called after its founder, ^^wrence. This being provided with a good garrison, served as a check upon the French, and in some measure re- strained the incursions of their barbarians. Not that it offec- * See Smollett’s History of England. V tually answered this purpose, for the Indians and Neutrals still seiz^ every opportunity of attacking the English in the interior parts of the Peninsula. In the course of the succeeding year, they surprised the little town of Dartmouth, on the other side of Halifax Bay, where they killed and scalped a great number of people, and carried off some others. For these expeditions the French always supplied them with boats, canoes, arms, and ammunition ; and indeed they were conducted with such care and secrecy, that it was al- most impossible to prevent their success. The Indians continued to plunder and massacre the British subjects with impunity, and were countenanced by the French Government in that country, who now strengthened their lodgement on the neck of the Penin- sula at Cumberland with an adaitional fort, distinguished by the name of Baye Verte, and built a third on the mouth of St. John^s River, on the north side of the Bay of Fundy. In the beginning of the year 1755, the Assembly of Massachu- setts’ Bay in New England, passed an act prohibiting all corres- pondence with the French at Louisbourg ; and early in the spring they raised a body of troops which was transported to No- va Scotia, to assist Lieutenant Governor Lawrence in driving the French from the encroachments they had made upon the Pro- vince. Accordingly, towards the end of May, the Govemot sent a large detachment of troops, under the command of Lieut. Colonel Monkton upon this service ; and three frigates and a sloop were dispatched up the Bay of Fundy, under the command of Captain Rous, to give their assistance by sea. The troops, upon their arrival at the River Massaquash, found the passage stopped by a large number of regular forces, rebel Neutrals or Acadians, and Indians, 450 of whom occupied a block-house with cannon, moimted on their side of the river j and the rest were posted w ithin a strong breast-work of timber, thrown up by way of outwork to the block hoase. The English Provinci- als attacked this place with such spirit, that the enemy were o- bliged to fly, and leave them in possession of the breast work^ Then the garrfson in the block house deserted it, and left the passage of the river free. From thence Colonel Monkton ad- vanced to the French fort of Beau Sejour, which he invested, as far at least as the small number of his troops would permit, on the 12th of June ; and after four days’ bombardment obliged it it to surrender, though the French had twenty-six pieces of can- non mounted, and plenty of ammunition, and the English had not placed a single cannon upon their baUeries. The garrison was sent to Louisbourg, on condition of not bear- ing arms in America for the space of months j and the Aca- dianis who had joined the French were pardoned in consideration of their having been forced into that service. Colonel Monkton, after putting a garrison into this place, and changing its name to that of Cumberland, the next day attacked and reduced the o- ther French fort, upon the river Gaspereaux, which runs into Bay Verte, where he likewise found a large quantity of provisi- ons and stores of all kinds ; that being the chief magazine for supplying the French Indians and Acadians with arms, ammuni- tion, and other necessaiies. He then disarmed these last to the number of 15,000, and in the meantime Capt. Bous with his ship$ sailed to the mouth of the river St. John, to attack the new fort the French had erected there : but they saved him that trouble by abandoning it upon his appearance, after having burst theit cannon, blown up their magazine, and destroyed as far as they had time, all the works they had lately raised. The English h^ but twenty men Jtilled, ana about the same, number Avounded, in the whole of this expedition, . the success of which secured the tranquillity of Nova Scotia. A powe^ul rival and enemy still remained unsubdued in the neighbourhood, and it was found impossible to carry on any trade at Halifax, while the French were ih possession of Cape- Breton and the Island of St. John. Immediate preparations therefore were made for the reduction Of these places. Major General Amherst and the Celebrated. General Wolfe being join- ed by Admiral Boscaw.en, Avith a fleet and forces from England, the Avhole armament consisting of 157 srail, took their departure from the hai'bour of Halifax in Nova Scotia, on the S8th May, and on the 2d June part of the transpCrts anchored in the Bay of Gabarus, about seven miles to the westward of Loiiisbourg. The garrison of this place, commanded by the Chevaher Dimcor, con- sisted of 2,50() regi-ilar troops, 300 militia formed of the burgh- ers, and towards the end of the siege they were reinforced by 550 Canadians, including 60 Indians The harbour was secur- ed by six ships of the line, and five frigates, three of Avhich the enemy sunk across the harbour’'s mouth, in order to render it in- - accessible to the English shipping. After a brave defence of up- wards of twenty days, Louisbdurg surrendered, and on the 27th day of July, three companies of grenadiers commanded by Ma- jor Farquhar took possession of the western gate j and Brigadier Whitmore was detached into the town to see the garrison lay down their arms, and deliver up their colours on the esplanade, and to post the necessary guards on the stores, magazines and ramparts. Thus at the expense of about 400 men killed and wounded, the English obtained possession of the important Is- land of Cape Breton, and the strong Town of Louisbourg, ia which the victors found 221 pieces of cannon, with eighteeu mortars, and a comiderable quantity of stores and ammumtion Ihe merchants and inhabitants were sent to France in P-ngii.t, bottoms, hut the garrison, together with the sea officers, mannes and mariners, amou^ing in all to 5,637 prisoners, were trans- ported to England, ^e loss of Louisbourg was the more severe- ly felt by the French King, as it had been attended with the des- tniction of ^ many considerable ships and frigates. The par- ticulars of this transaction were immediately carried to England for that purpose, with Captain AmReret, brother to the Commander, who was also entrusted with eleven pair of coloiu-s taken at Louisbourg j these were by his Majesty’s order, carried in pompous parade, escorted by detachments of horse, and foot guards, with kettle drums and trumpets, from the Palace of Kensington to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where they were deposited as trophies, under a discharge of cannon and other noi- sy expressions of triumph and exultation. Indeed tlie pubhc re- joicings for the conquest of Louisbourg were diffused throu®'h e- yery part of the British dominions, and addresses of conffr^ula- tion were presented to the King by a great number of flourishing towns and corporations. After the reduction qf Cape Breton some ships were detached with a body of troops under command ol Lieutenant Colonel Lord Rollo to take possession of the Island of St. John, which also lies in the gulf of ^t Lawrence, and by its fertility in corn and cattle, had since the beginning of war supplied Quebec with considerable quantities of provision. It was likewise the asylum, to wliich the French Neutrals of Anna- polis fled for shelter from the Fngl^h Government ; and the re- treat from whence they and the Indians used to make their sudden irruptions into Nova Scotia, where they perpetrated the most inhu 1 man barbarities on the defenceless subjects of Great Britain. The number of inhabitants amounted to 4,100, who submitted, X and brought in their arms ; then Lord Rollo took possession of the Ghivernor’s quarters, where he found several scalps of En- glishmen, whom the savages had assassinated in consequence of the encouragement they received from their patrons and allies, who gi-atified them with a certain premium for every scalp they produced. The island was stocked with above 10,000 head of black cattle, and some of the farmers raised each 1,200 bushels of corn annually for the market of Quebec. By a succession of victories over these internal and neighbouring enemies, the inhabitants of Halifax were placed in a situation to prosecute the settlement of the country, tneir trade and fisheries without mo- lestation ; and from that period the town has increased with great rapidity. It is now two miles in length and about a quay- X 66 . ter of a mile in width. Of late years it has been greatly improv- in its appearantie, several lai‘ge fires having consiimed many of the old buildings, and the incr^sfe of wealth having enabled the proprietors to build larger and better edifices. In general they have been replaced by bilildings of stone ahd which can now be erected at as low a rate as those of wood. The whole number of houses in 1817 amounted to but has considera- bly increased since that period. The main streets are parrallel with the harbour, and are intersected by others at right angles; Water-street is now well paved, and the side patli neatly fiag^ed fbr the accommodation of foot passengers. During the war, Ha- lifax was thought to contain about 12,000 inhabitants, and m 1818 10,000, but the population at present does not exceed 9,000. It has a meat, vegetable, and fish market all extremely well sup- plied. The latter in particular deserves notice, on account of the quality and variety of fish, the low price at which it is sold, and the importance of the establishment to the poorer class of the trOmmUnity. ^ There are two churches of the Established Religion, one m the centre of the town, and the other in the north-west suburbs ; ene chapel for the Roman Catholics, tw6 meeting houses for the Presbyterian!^, Onfe Methodist chapel, and one Anabaptist meet- ing house. There is nothing reniarkable in the appearance of these buildings. They are plain, substantial and suited to the size of the town and the extent of their respective congregations. Of government establishments the most important is the King’s Dock Yard. This was commenced about the year 1758, and has been not only of infinite service' to the navy, during the late war, but by its very great expenditure of money, of most es- sential advantage to the Province. It is inclosed on the side to- wards the to\vn by a high stone wall, and contains within it ve- ry commodious buildings for the residence of its officers and ser- vants, besides stores, \vatehouses and work shops, of different descriptions. It is on a more respectable footing than any in A- merica, and the vast number of shipping refitted there during the last twenty years, and the prodigious labour and duty perfoiroed on them, are strong proofs of its regulation and order. The neg- lect of these valuable works at the present period, cannot hut ex- cite regret in every beholder. The removal of the Naval Stoi’es to the Bermudas, was extremely injudicious. Bermuda is by no means suited for^a receptacle of those articles, which, continual- ly assailed by the climate and insects peculiar to the country, soon decay. It is still less calculated for the Hospital, to the success of which, the dampness of the atmosphere a:nd the scar- city and high price Of provision seem to impose insurmountable impediments^ Independently of these objex:tions, it appears to be the opinion of experienced persoiia, that the; Avorks cannot be completed, in the manner designed, from obstacles of a. local na- ,tuie, which can never be overcome or removed. The Dock Yard at Halifax on the contrary' is situated in a fine commo^dious harbour,, in a healthy climate, and in a country abounding with provision of all kinds.. In. the rear qf tiie Dqck-Yard and .pn an elected piece of ground tWt overlooks the works and the har- bour, is the Admiral’s house which -is a plain stone building, cov- ered with Roman cement. This .house, with its out-buUdings, &.C. was completed in l620 ; and as its name denotes is intended for the use of the Admiral or Commodore commanding on the sta- tion. The Naval Hospital, which was attached to the Dock Y^d tvas unfortunately destroyed by lire a few years ago, and haauot yet been rebuilt. There are two Barracks in the town, one on the north and the other on the south side of the Citadel Hill, in which p^t of three regiments are generally quartered. They are built of wood, and contain nothing particularly deserving notice except the Library, which was established by the Earl of Dalhousie lor the u^e of the officers, of the garrison. ; _ The other government buildings are, the General s House^ residence of the Commandant, the Military Hospital,, built by the late Duke of kent, and the Stores belonging to the Ordnance. The Colonial Buildings aie Government House, the Province Building and the Gpui t House The first, which is the residence of the Lieutenant Governor, is built of brown free-stone well polished, and is situated in the south end of thp town. Jfhe.Pni- vince Building is also erected of an excellent freenstone, and is the best built and handsomest edifice , in North Am, erica. The dimensions of it are 140 feet in length, 70 in width, and 4 in hei^-ht. It contains all the public Provincial Ofhees, the Secre- tary’s, Surveyor GeneraPs, Treasurer’s, Prothonotary s, Ac. and the Halifax Library recently established. Also ap^tments for the Le^'islature and Supreme Court, lobbies, vestibules, anu- rooms, Ac. It has tw o passages on the ground-floor, one exten- ding the whole length of the building, and one running trom the front to the rear. It is situated in the centre of the town m the middle of a square, ^he whole of which is neatly enclosed with an iron fence. This building is much beyond the state of Nova Scotia, and on too large and expensive a scale for the means and revenue of the country. . i . i. xu The Court House is a plain brick building, m which there i3 an Exchange Room for the merchants, and Suitable apartments for the Court of Common Pleas. There is also a large wooden Bmldlng^ called Free Masons’ Hall; in which tlie public assem- blies for dancing are usually held. Schools and the Poor House, elsewhere noticed Haiif^ contains a House of Correction or Bridewell, which was established in 1815. Persons designated in the act, as liable to be committed to Bridewell for a time not exceeding seven years, -are described vaguely as disorderly and idle people, « who no' tonously misspend their time to the neglect oftheir own and fa- mi y s support, and those who are convicted of any clergyable or ‘‘ lesser criminal offence.” i here ai-e in^e township a Paper Mill, a Sugar Refinery, and a Distillery. This place also maintains seven weekly Newspa- nca " ® ^ managed as any in North Ame- isjfrlt “’if H^ifax which is about sixteen miles in length, IS large enough to contain any number of shipping in perfect saf^ It lies nearly north and south, and terminates in a beauti- JiLir called Bedford Basin, in which there are ten r’ f anchorage ground. A Light-House on a f SS f *f entrance. The lantern is elevated above artillery are stationed there ^ara guns^ signals, and are furnished with two 24-pounders as This harbour having no river connected with it, (Tor Sackville mer «a mere brook) and the wind during winter preSnx from the north and north-west, there is no loating ic^e and it rarely occuk that it is so frozen as to impede navigation ** ““ '*'“'*“* **’* entrance of the harbour called M’ft abb’s Jto sol7(. ttfrSr Cornwallisin 1788, »db, »im sold to the father of the present proprietor for one thousand poun^. It contains about one thousand and nSy Tr? Viewing Halifax from the entrance of the harbour it has a verv pleasing appe^ance. It is situated on the side of a hieh talf Md as It contains several churches and public buildings which all on an elevated ground, it appears much larger thanl rt ^ly IS ; consequently there is a feeling of di.sappointment at finding that it is not reality but pffprf ^^s^ippointment, at thego'odold substanti-a Lns of sUe intar^tinTscenf * S ^ ^ovefaml its nuhlif pri'A j’ extreme disproportion between a place which *»ccci nor can there weU be in thScounti7fe;“te;tTSc\^1?‘"T^^ growth of j) ects its public buildings for posterity, and its pri- 69 tate ones for the temporary wanti of the day. And yet the first and the last imjpressions made by this place are very di.ssimilai\ The incongruities and peculiarity of this Colony, in a short time lose their novelty, and cease to excite remark ; and we soon be- gin to find the same religion, the same spirit of loyalty, and tho differing in many mirticulars, yet on the whole the same manners as in England, "rhe society is composed of the permanent inha- bitants, the officers of the army and navy and their families, and the officers of public departments. Many persons have been struck with the resemblance between the society of this town, and that of a watering place in England, * from the constant fluctuation which it is perpetually undergoing • by the change of its inhabitants. Officers holding situations un- der government, generally intermix largely in society, and by the I time they have established a circle of acquaintance and friends, ^ a removal takes place ; but this removal is no ordinary one, it is not to this or that post, but it is to another hemisphere, from the i new to the old world, and is attended with this painful addition to the separation,, that it is probably for ever. The European ' part of the society do not look forward to spending their latter days m Nova-Scotia, and the idea of hon^e seldom internuxes with I their schemes of life. There is a great want of permanency in the society, a fixture ^ of families. This transitory state of things is incident to eve- » ry Colony, but it is not the less injurious to it It is obvious that this mode of regarding the country as a hired house, as ready 1 furnished lodgings which we can quit at a moment’s warning, '« leaves the landlord but little ground to expect, that the tenant f will expend much in repair or substantial improvements, in beau- tifying or ornamenting the premises, when he intends to quit at- the expiration of his lease. Among this class there is little or none of that feeling of local attachment, that affection for things and places, that regard for names and persons, which, though ap- parently unimportant in itself, constitutes the very association of ideas which is the parent of the aimr 'pair%c&^ or love of country. This evil has however its counterbalance, these gentlemen bring with them English manners, English principles and English feel- ing. They keep alive in the Colony an attacliment, not only for individuals in England, but for the government and country it- self ; and, altliough most come with an intention to return, some settle in the Province for life. To them also Halifax is indebted for most of its splendour ana gaiety. A merchant on the con- trary who amasses much property at Halifax, and removes to Great Britain to enjoy the fruits of his labours, exhausts the funds of the country ; and large sums of money have at various 70 times been transferred in that manner from the Colony for eveR There are always in this town a few British merchants whose in- tention IS tq return to Europej and there hope to return soon. The wealth of the Province tlrerefore, is not centred at Halifax as many people suppose. If we hear of large mercantile esta- biishmonts, rich firms, &c. it is necessary to inquire who are they composed of. Are they natives of the country, or are they strangers ? If of the first class their wealth belongs to the coun- try, and may. be placed in the column of the table which esti- mates its riches, if not, their property can no more be said to belong to the town, than the ships in the hai’bour, which carry the flags of different nations. It is like a caravan which halts at a village, it fills it with riches to-day, but it departs on the mor- row. The real wealth of the Province therefore is not at Hali- fax, it is in the country, in the owners of the soil, in the respect- able body of yeomen who live on. their own farms ; whose im- provements are their country’s, the individual amount of whose property is small but permanent. The style of entertainment, the hours, Sec. are always in imi- tation of those at Government House, the residence of the Lieu- tenant Governor. The fashions of the place are imported from Great Britain ; and in respect to the dress and manners of the in- liabitants in general, it is that of a provincial town in England. The gayest season is in winter. The first fall of snow is hail- ed as the commencement of amusement. Sleighs built, decora- ted and trimmed in all the different shapes and forms that the fancy of the owners can devise immediately make their appear- ance ; some driven with four horses, and some with two, either abreast or tandem. So long as the snow continues on the ground this aihusement is prosecuted with great eagerness and spirit. In the winter also there are public assemblies for dancing got up by subscription among the inhabitants, or by the officers of the dif- ferent regiments, and sometimes by both. Beisides these there are balls given by the Governor. These balls are either public or private, either confined to a select society, or extended gene- rally to all who have admission to Government House Of late years the town has been much enlivened by an amateur theatre, fitted up in very good taste, and plays performed by the officers of the garrison and their ladies, which tends to increase the gaiety of the place, and pass away the dullness of the winter. In most other particulars Halifax resembles a county town in En- gland, and therefore needs but little additional observation. The arrival of the English packets in the ^ring is an event an- ticipated with much anxiety, as the recommencement of direct in- tercourse with England. The departure of the last, in autumn^^-r %0 excites some Interest, as .it is the period at which it is usual ta piake the remittances which are to close the accounts of the ex- tent year. The cessation of the packet service during winter is perfectly unnecessary, as Halifax is at all seasofis of the year ac- cessible. If the mail can be Conveyed every month regularly by. a o^ovemment vessel from Bermuda to Halifax as at present, "^hy can it not as well be sent by the packet ? Yet such has been the arrangement for some years past. -8' The ground occupied by government is a great impediment to th* growth and extension of Halifax, compressing it in width, and extending it to a tedious length. Were the trdops removed to a military post about three miles from town, culled Point Pl't*^" Bant, and the King’s' euclosuros disposed of to' the inhabitants, it would not only benefit tbe town, but contribute materially to the ease of maintaining military discipline. The Legislature, wishing to remedy this great extension of the town in length, pas- sed an act authorizing commissioners to lease a part of the Com- mon iU lots for 999 years to individuals who would imp'-ovh upon them. This act however did not meet his Majesty’s approbation and was accordingly disallowed. - Opposite tp Halifax on the eastern side of the harbour, which is there about nine-tenths of a mile wide, is situated the town of Dartmouth, which was laid out and settled m 1750. In the war of 1756, the Indians collected in great force on the Basin of Mi nas ascended the Shubenacadie River in their canoes, and at night, surprising the guard, scalped or carried away most of the settlers. From this period the settlement was almost derelict, till Governor Parr, in 1781, encouraged twenty families to remove thither from Nantucket, to carry on the South Sea fishery. The town was laid out in a new form, and £1,600 provided for the in- habitants to erect buildings. 'Phe spirit and activity of the new gcttlers created the most flattering expectations of success. U«- fortunately, in 1 792, the failure of a house in Halifax, extensive- ly concerned in the whale fishery, gave a severe check to the Dart- mouth Establishment, which was soon after totally ^ned. A Mr. Stokes was employed by the merchants of Milford in b^n- ffla’nd, to persuade the Nantucket settlers to remove thither ; the Offers were too libei^l to be rejected, and the Province lost these orderly a d industrious people. , i During the late war the harbour became the general rend^e^ouf of the navy and their prizes, which has materially enriched _ the olaee,’ a id extended the number of buildings. Between this place and Halifix, a boat called the Team Boat, the machinery of which is worked by hbrsQS;^ constantly plies for the acconaiuoda- tion of passengers. 72 I In travelling from Halifax to Windsor, the first object which attracts attention is a covmtry seat erected by his Royal Highness the late Duke of Kent, when Governor General of British Amer- ica. It is called the Lodge, and is a very handsome wooden build- ing, situated on the border of Bedford Basin, and commanding a i view of that beautiful sheet of water, and the high hills on the op- posite side. In front of the Lodge is a rotunda or music room, in the rear, tjie green house, buildings, and offices of different des- criptions. The whole is surrounded by a wood, principally of birch and beech trees laid out in a very good taste. After thede- i parture of the Duke from Nova Scotia, this property came into the possession of Sir John \Ventworlh, ihen Lieutenant Gov- ernor of the Province, who being unable to maintain such an es- tablishment, suffered it to fall into decay, and the whole is now in a most ruinous and dilapidated situation, and bears but little re- semblance to its former state. Halifax and its environs are much indebted to his Royal Highness who expended large sums of mo- ney in making and repairing roads, erecting buildings, 8lc. The roads then made under his authority, have required but little: re- pair until the present period. About eighteen miles beyond the I Lodge on the same road is a handsome country residence^^ Mount Uniacke,” belongi^ to Richard John Uniacke, Esquire, the At- torney General. This house is situated between two very hand- some lakes, the margins of which still retain their ancient growth of wood. A very considerable sum of money has been expended at this place by the worthy proprietor, and many poor imnilies maintained upon the estate 1131 cottages erected for that purpose. It is much the largest and handsomest private establishme^ iu = the Colony. Windsor is the county town of Hants County, and is situated | nearly in the centre of the Province, on the banks of the River Avon. The town is small but well built and one of the prettiest ini America. The scenery in the neighbourhood is remarkably fine, the undulation of the land such as to present a great va- I riety in the landscape. The scene is diversified by the serpen- tine windings of tlie Avon and St. Croix rivers, which are bordcr- r XX j and fertile meadows. Tlie nei^bourhood of Windsor is not devoid of trees and groves, as most of the cul- rxu country, having some of the original tenants pt the forest stiU remaining. Thci-e are also a few good hedges in IS vicinity, which grow in a very luxuriant manner, and wliich m time will become the most prevalent kind offence. The whole pt ttiis neighbourhood is extremely beautiful, the luxuriance of tne meadows, the frequent changes of scenery, the chain of high Kills on the south and west clothed with wood of variegated foli- 7 » age, the white sails of the vessels passing rapidly through tht vales^ are some of the leading features of this landscape. In the town itself there is not much commerce, the principal export con^sting of plaistef of Paris or Gypsum, which is sh^ ped from different parts of the rivers most contiguous to the quarries where this fossil is raised. This place is forty-five miles from Halifax by land, to which there is an excellent road. It contains besides the College and Academy elsewhere described, a Church, a Roman Catholic Chapel, a Methodist a Presbyte- rian, and a Baptist Meeting House, and Court House. About six mijes above Windsor is a wooden bridge across the ’Avon, which connects that township with Falmoutln At tlie town ,of Windsor another bridge is now commenced of 4,000 feet m length over the same riVc^, the expence of which is intended to bo (Jefrayed by a lottery. There is a small military post at Wind- sor, called Fort Edwarct^ after his Royal Highness the late Duke of Kent, which is much out of repair, and now scarcely tenant- able. After leaving Windsor and proceeding on the great West- ern road, the traveller is very much struck by the extent and beauty of a view which bursts upon him very unexpectedly on descending the Horton Mountains. A sudden tutn of the road xfisplays at once the townships of Horton and Cornwallis, witU the.Basin of Minas, and the Gasperaux and Horton Rivers. Be- yond Is a lofty and extended chain of hills presenting a vast chasm, apparently burst out by the waters.of eleven rivers that empty into the Basin of Minas, which here escape into the Bay oC Fundy. ITie great breadth and extent of this view, the still re- tired verdant vale at the foot of the. mountain, the extended town- ship of Hprton interspersed wuth groves of wood, and cultivated fields, and the cloud capt summit of the lofty Cape which termi- nates the chain of North Mountain, form an assemblage of ob- jects rarely imited with so striking an effect. . The post road, after passing through parts of Horton, Corn- wallis, Ayleisford and Granville townships, brings the traveller to Annapolis, formerly Port Royal. This place from the earliest settlement of the country , until the establishment of Halifax, was the capital of the Province, and head quarters for the forces of France and England, j^s they alternately possessed the coun- try. Much of the history of Nova Scotia is connected with this place ; for the capture of Port Royal was formerty considered the conquest of the whole Peninsula. T shall therefore select from these occurrences, siich as I think will interest those who have a local ^owl^dge of the country. A Fort built tliere by De Monts in - - 1603 J I 74 l>estroyed by Sir Samuel Argali - T " Granted (with the rest of the country) to Sir Wil- J liam Alexander’ - - - - - ) Restored to France by Treaty * - - - Reconquered by the English under Major Sedgwick Restored to France by Treaty - - - - Reconquered by Sir William Phipps • - - Restored to Prance by Treaty - Reconquered by General Nicholson - - - And secured to Great Britain by the Treaty of ) Uti^echt ^ - - - - On the 14th of May 1692, Sir William Phipps arrived at Bos- ton from England with the new charter of Massachusetts, which was found to include within its limits Nova Scotia. That gov- ernment therefore issued commissions, and instruction for the management of the Colony, and not only fitted out the subse- quent expeditions against the French inhabitants, but maintain- ed the garrison at Amiapolis. The expenses requisite for the rotection and government of this place were so great, that they nally petitioned England to send regular troops there, at the na- tional expense, which request, as it was considered a tacit aban- donment of their claim to the country, was complied with. After the treaty of Utretcht, therefore I find no fartlier notice taken of that part of their charter which contained Nova Scotia. Of the two last armaments dispatched by Massachusetts for dis- lodging the enemy from Annapolis, and the subsequent attempts of the French for its recoveiy, I shall give a brief account. In 1707 Massachusetts, assisted by Rhode Island and New- Hanipshire, equipped an expedition for the capture of Port Roy- al which was conveyed by the Deptford Man of War, Captain Stukely, and the Province Galley, Capt. Southack. Tlie land forces were under the command of Colonel March. They arri- ved at the place of destination on the 26th of May. Col. March immediately landed with 700 men, on the harbour side, and Co- lonel Appleton with 300 men on the other side, now called Gran- ville. The next day as March and his men were advancing to- wards the fort, he discovered about 200 of the enemy near the summit of the hill, with Subercase, the Commander-in-chief, at their head. A short skirmish ensued, in which the French Gov- ernor had his horse killed under him ; but the numbers being ve- ly unequal, the French soon retreated, leaving two of their men killed, and having wounded three of the English. On the 29th, Colonel Appleton and his 300 men were attacked by a body of joined by about 60 Canadians, who had arrived a few 1616 1621 1632 1654 1667 1690 1697 1710 1712 75 ilayT? previous to man a Privateer that lay in the harbotir. They killed two of the English and then retreated. All the inhabitants forsook their houses, and retired to the fort which was well gar* tisoned. They kept up a continual fire with cannon and moiv tars upon the English camp, but not having any skilful engineers very few of their shells fell so as to be any annoyance. The In- dians upon every quarter, skulked about, and shot down every man who ventured without tjie camp. The English soon open- ed their trenches, and in three or four days, having made some practicable breaches, determined upon a general assault *, but advancing toward the fort and finding no deserters come over, they altered their minds, and on the sixth or seventh of June the whole army returned. Colonel Belknap the Engineer, and Co- lonel Appleton went to Bostqn for further orders, and the rest of the army to Casco Bay, having two men scalped, in sight, wliile embarking, without being able to render them any assistance. Governor Dudley, notwithstanding the diffidence expressed by these officers, thought of nothing short of the reduction of Port Royal, and after so great an expence in raising such an armed force, and so little diminution of it, he was unwilling to abandon the design, and sent immediate orders for the forces to remain where they were, until he should consider of further measures. Colonel Hutchinson, Colonel Townsend, and Mr. Leverett were selected to superintend the proceedings. They embarked about the middle of July in a vessel belonging to Captain Gerrish, with- about 100 deserters who had left the Army at Casco. Upon their arrival they found parties formed in the army, no subordi- nation in the men, a coldness in the officers, and an avepion in the privates to return to the ground they had left. But it seems that the Governor had insisted, that at aU events the army should return to the attack. t The tenth of August they again crossed over ta Port Royal, where they landed, but on the opposite side of the fort, and in every respect in a much worse condition than before. The nio'hts were growing cold, the men sickening, and the army in general incapable of sustaining the fatigues of a siege. Wheel- WTi»*ht’s letter to the Commissioners August 14th shews the state they were in : — Our not recovering the intended ground on the opposite side is a mighty advantage to the enemy, as they have ah opportunity, and are improving it, for casting up trenches in the very place we designed to land, and draw up our small forces. Yesterday the French about eight o’clock in the forenoon, on the fort point, with a small party of St. John’s Indians began to fire upon our river guards, and so continued until about three in the afternoon : there appeared about one hundred Indians and 7 ® French upon the same ground, who kept continually firing at uf until dark. Several were shot through their clothes, cuad one In- dian through the thigh.. About four in. the afternoon I suffered a number of men about 4Q or 50, to go down to the bank of the river, to cut thatch to coyer their tents. All retm’ned well ex- cept nine of Captain Dimmock’s m^n, who were surrounded by at least one hundred French and Indians, who in a few minutes killed every one of them, their bodies b^ing mangled in a fright- ful manner. I return you Dr Ellfs^s account of the sick — God help us.^’ The army continued ashore until the 20th, when they re-embarked. Tlie enemy then attacked them. The English accounts say that they killed and wounded many of tlie enemy, and finally put them to flight. The French say that both retreat- ed by turns. Each seemed to have been glad to be released of the presence of the other. About 16 were killed in the whole expedition, and as many wounded. The conquest of this place was an object of too much importance to he thus easily abandon- doned, and accordingly, ^another and more successful expedition .was fitted in 1710. On the 18th of September a fleet consisting of 36 sail left Nantasket for Port Royal, having on board a regi- ment of marines, and 4 regiments raised in New England. The fleet arrived on the 24th September. One transport Capt. Taye, ran ashore at the mouth of the river and was lost, together with 26 men. The forces were landed without opposition. Sub crease the French Governor had only 260 men, and most of them he was afraid to trust out of tlie fort, under an apprehension that they would desert to the English. As the army were marching up to the fort several men were killed by the inhabitants, who fi- red from behind their houses and fences, and made their escape. On the 29th the Governor sent out a flag of truce, praying leave for some of his ladies, who were afraid of the bombs, to be shel- tered in the English camp. The officer not observing the rules of war, was put under an arrest, and an English officer sent to tlie fort to acquaint the Governor with the cause of his detention. — The first of October the two Engineers, Forbes and Belknap, had three batteries open, two mortars and 24 cohorn mortars ready within a hundred yards of the fort, and began their firing, the French returning shot and shells at the same time. The same day Col. Taylor and Capt. Abercrombie were sent with a smn- mons to surrender ; and in consequence thereof a cessation of arms was agreed upon, the terms of capitulation soon settled, and the next day the following aiiicles signed. ^ J^See pov, Hutchinson’s History of Massachusett’s Bay, vob 2. p. 1 8 1 , ^ i 77 Ai ticligby, and varies from three to seven miles in breadth. This is a very strong soil, and with little exception, of a most excellent quality throughout, producing wheat and otjjef grains in abimd- * At the head of the Bay of Fundy there are seventy thousand acres la one connected body. ance. In Horton and Cornwallis the upland has stmethlng of u*- niform character, and consists of a light sandy loam, which pos- sesses the double advantage of being early and easily worked ; and the crops raised upon it are as great as from any land in the country. But almost every other township contains A great va- riety of soil, varying from the heavy clay land, to the lightest gra- velly loam, and from the richest to very indifferent. The south- western part of Halifax county is in general stony, and requires a great deal of labour to fit it for cultivation, but the eastern part about the three rivers that empty into Pictou Basin, the Gulf Shore, Mount Thom, and the whole district of Colchester, con- tains a large portion of excellent land consisting of dike, inter- vale and upland. Sydney county consists more of upland and intervale, having but few marshes, and is in general an excellent tract of country. The best proof of the opinion usually enter- tained of a place, is the state of its population, and this county has greatly increased of late years. Ciimberiand, including all its different townships, possesses more valuable land than any county of its size in North Ameri- ca. It is an immense prairie, extending in places as far as the eye can reach, and being principally under grass, presents in the autumn of the year, with its numerous hay-stacks and extensive herds of cattle, an interesting scene. Hants and King’s counties rank high in value in point of soil, containing larger portions of intervales and marshes of superior quabty than either of the remaining four counties. The upland of these two counties also is more invariably good land. Annapolis county is very extensive, being one hundred mfles in length, and containing seven large townships, and exhibiting every variety of soil. The upper half, or the paj^betweeen the borders of King's County and 6ighy, may be considered as mUch the best land. The valley of the Annapolis river is one of the most pictimesque and fertile parts of the Province, and retains this character for a distance of nearly forty miles. The land up- on both sides is, at some distance from the river, high, and gra- dually slopes with various undulations, until it descends to the meadows, which, on either side, border the river. Shelburne, Queen’s and Lunenburg contain a large poriion of stony land, and being principally inhabited by a commercial pop- ulation, less attention is paid to the improvement of their interior than that of the other counties. In each of these three district* the quantity of inferior land preponderates. The counties which have been thus cursorily alluded to, contain the whole of Nova Scotia Proper. The Isktnd ef Cape Breton CQastitutes t tenth. The soil of 92 this . Island is of a uniform cbaracter.tt Nova Scotia, ^and for it^s extent is^mpriq inya^iafely i^dod, and the land tyell timbered and wooded, tn.its A^icultui^^ it is much inferior to Nova Sco- tia, much loss attention^aving^been|>ajd it than to its fisheries and cpal^ ^ Of the fjertilij^ of the forest land of America, where tfio soil it. naturally gpod, a st^ng^er can for;n but little conception Na- ture has been ebrlchipg it for centuries, and. has. fitted it tp yield, the settler gopd.qrp^p for successive. years, without the additional sad of mapUre^. Dr. l^bertson/speaking of America says, If aMpwance^ be.npjade for the diversity in the degree of. heat, the; toil of America i^ nfiturally as rich, and fertile aLS^ in a-py part of As Ihe coiinjtiy was thinly inhabited, apd.by a, people, of little industry, who had. none of the domestic animals, wh; Th civilized nations rear in such, vast numbers, the earth was hot ex;. ^y consumption. The vegetable production^, tp which the fertility of the soil' gave birth, oUen reipaihed^untpvidhr ed, and being. suffered to corrupt, on its surface, returp^. wijh increase into Tu bosom. As trees and plants. derive, a; great part frorn air apd water, if they "'Yierp, not^ de%-. t^pyed.by mah and Sther animals^ ^l^^y would render, to ;thp earthy lUore, perhaps than they take from it, and feed rather than Jax:] poverish it. Thus tlie * unoccupied soil of Amenp^a^ may haye< ^h^^phin]^ fpr^many agps. Thp vast numhpv, and, eppr- size.of thp trees in Ainprichh indicate the. exifWrdipary vig,-. 1^9 soil in, its nathh state,. When the Europeans .fiiret began to cultivable the New' Wottd, they were astpnished. at tbp, pow er of vegetation m its virgin mould, and in , seyeral places the ingenuity of the planter is still employed in diminish- iiig.and w.astihg; ils^uperfiuotis fertility, in order to bring, it down to a state fit fpr profitable culture^” ^owth of the wood is generally an ipdeJs: to ascerta.m the, W^iHy.of. Ihe soiL When it, produces black and yellow, birch, and rock maple, ^ or eift^er of those. trees, intermixed, with hemT^ lock o^, or elm, ash, and beech,; the land, is in general j of superior quality.- is al^p manifested by the h^ght. and bulk of the wUPd^ and the distmirce. between the root, and. the fij^st limb of the tree ; but spruce and . fir, or white birph and mayl^ of an inferior quality^ Land bear- of a good ^owtb^ and pines of large dimensions, forms and is of an ordinary, description., ^.^^?9£h-the first .mentioned jWopd is a sure proof of good, laudi the latter is ’not ap Infallible murk of its jnfenprity, ores have at different times raged in the wilderness, ei.^ ^/er.by ^benefilcoted embers, in thp TnHiar^ c^onps^ or by otb^* ; wmI* wh^re- these fires* consumed* the origimii* growth, a new set of saplings arose, frequently of a different descnption from the first, 'this is not peculiar to Nova Scotia, but has. been noted in England and Canada Evelyn, a writer of the seven- teenth ceutuiy., ^vllo. paid great attention to^ tbe> rearing of forest trees mentions, “ That when hi» grandfather’s w'oods were cut down, which consisted entirely of oak, there sprang up again not OGlks^ but beeches, and when tliey in tlieir thrn felt the axe, there arose spontaneously a third plantation, not of oak or beech, but of birch,” which he does not set down as a thing singular, but merely because it happened under his own eye. M’Kenzie, in his North American Tour, speaking of the country bordering on the Slave Lake, says, is covered with large trees of spruce pine and.white birch ; when these are destroyed, poplars succeed though none were before to be seen.” It is owing to this cir- cumstance, that the settler has been frequently agreeably sur- prised to find that land which he supposed to be of an ordinary nature, has turned out upon cultivation to be of a very good qua- lity. The growth however of the' wood, as first observed, is most commonly a pretty good criterion by which to estimate the soH. The first kind never proves bad, the latter sometimes better than is expected. In, Nova Scotia there are two descriptions of farmers, one who lives on a new farm, and the other who cultivates land which has beien previously tilled. It nwky not be amiss to commence with the new settler from the period of his obtaining his grant, and ac- company him- until he makes use of the plough, shewing how the grantis; obtained, tfiemode and expense of tilling, and the man- in which he lives. As respects the old farmer, I shall not state how. he ought, but how he dpes,_ cultivate, what he raises, _ the description of cattle he uses, and the manner in which he dispos- es of his produce. In each district tliroughoufi the Province there are Beards of Location composed of three or more of the gentlemen of the county, who facilitate the granting ofilamd. An emigrant on his airival applies to one of these Boards which sits once a month. He isvslicwn- by the secretary a jdan. of the county, containing all tlie un granted land helonging to his Majesty. After having made his selection, he presents a petition to the Board for a grant of the^spot he has, chosen. If the prayer of the petition is ap- prpvediil; is foi’warded to PJalifax for the inspection of the Gover- nor, and is issued accordingly. The fees on grants, if •nJy .OilC person iSf inc luded i n a gr sire f ollow , |Number of acres. Gover- nor's. Secretary’s. Surveyor General’S Attorney General’s Audit and Quit Rent. Total. £ 9 £ 8. d. £ 8. £ 8 . d. £ 8. d. £ 8. d 100 3 10 3 14 10 2 5 1 3 4 0 13 4 n 6 6 200 3 10 3 14 10 2 5 13 4 0 13 4 11 6 6 300 3 10 3 14 10 2 5 1 3 4 1 3 4 11 16 6 400 3 10 3 14 10 2 5 1 3 4 1 13 4 12 6 6 500 3 10 3 14 10 2 5 1 3 4 2 3 4 12 6 If more than one application is included in the grant the fees are proportionablj smaller. tM o fe ’I !5 O c p c- o o <15 w o o S' > j/. «.j/. s. d.\l c> 1 n* .J n /-» I/- rf.l/. s. /. 9 6 2 10 300:3 lOjS .2 2i2 15 400i3 lols 14 lOjs 0 7 6i3 5 19 012 15 s § § $ . ■3 Cf a c« 0^ e o . « < - -35 ^ . i'Stc l2«- I ^ ^ 2 a \Xi 0) lc« 200 3 io;4 500|3 loje 60013 10 5 800j3 10 7 15 4 3 15 1000 3 10 8 15 0|4 10 /. s. d. /. 8. d /. 8. d. t. s, it. 1 7 4 0 13 4 12 10 2 2 6 5 1 1 9 4 0 13 4 13 9 10 3 41911$ 1 1) 4 0 13 4 14 9 C 4 3 12 4$ 1 13 4 0 13 4 15 9 2 5 3 1 10 1 9 4 1 3 4 15 6 8 2 7 13 4 1 17 4 0 13 4 17 II 0 4 4 7 9 2 3 4 0 13 4 19 11 8 5 318 4 his grant and had his bdu ndarr line es- me next step oi tne emigrant is to settle himseii upon his new acquisition. In the mode of commencing his clearing, he IS governed hy the means he possesses. If he has wherewith to subsist himself and family for a year, he begins to clear the land ef the wood, to build his house, aud remove upon his premises, — 95 If not he cuts down n few acres of the wood in the autumn, and leaves it to be prepared for the application of fire by the effects of the sun, and hires out as a labourer until the expiration of the ensuing spring. As soon as this season commences, he bums the wood he had previously felled, fences his field, plants part of it with potatoes, and during the autumn sows the remainder of it with winter grain and grass seed ; he then cuts down a similar quantity of the adjoining wood. After his crop is secured ha seeks employment again until the following spring, when he erects his house. From this period he is enabled to make a living from the land, and is at liberty to devote his whole time to its improve- ment. In the course of a year or two his little farm is in a situ- ation to keep a few sheep and cows. In this regular and progres- sive manner he proceeds for five years, at the end of which time the piece of land first cleared is in a situation to bear the plough. The slow but sure effects of time and weather, subdue the stumps and roots of the trees, which decay and return again to the earth from whence they sprang. Each year presents a similar piece for the plough, according to tlie regular routine in which it has been successively cleared. From this stage of his settlement he may be said to cultivate the soil, and must provide himself with the implements of husban- dry. During the season for planting and harvesting, and at other convenient periods, he may if he thinks proper, seek employ- ment among the neighbouring farmers, and thereby acquire the means for the purchase of stock or other necessaries. To a person acquainted with Canadian and American modes of settling new lands, it is a matter of great surprise, that the Legis- lature has never turned its attention to the encouragement of •migrants and other new settlers, by offering them a bounty for manufacturing potash. The process is so simple, and attended with so little labour, that in a woody country like Nova Scotia, the introduction of this system would prove of incalculable ben- efit. A small portion of this article might be made by every fa- mily living in the forest, which would not only individually assist those empoyed in manufacturing it, but would increase the ex- ports of the country, and form a valuable remittance to Europe, more especially w hen Bills of Exchange bear so great a premium as at present. In winter a settler has necessarily much leisure time, and could devote a large portion of it to this employment, without neglecting his interest in other particulars. It is unneces- sary here to describe the process, but merely sufficient to observe that it is little else than boiling down to a substance, the lie ob- tained from w^ood ashes. Beside this advantage, which might be reaped from the situa^- \ 06 % tion of the country, there are others that at*e not neglected, Titk^ her, staves, hoops, shingles, oar rafters, and handspikes, are, afe^ cording to local conVeniencies, prepared during the leisure of the winter, and sold to coasting tniders in the spring. The woods, the lakes and rivers, contain food of different dei*. oriptions. If the moose, deer^ and rabbit, th^ salmon and the trout, gaspereaux, herring and shad^ supply the wattts and neces- sities of the wandering tribe of Indians, without one artificial duct of the land, it must be acknowledged that it is not the fault of the country, if a settler cannot make a comfortable hVlngj who, besad^ these advantages, possesses the means of Cultivat-^ ing a luxuriant soil. To the new settler the siigar maple-trCe is very vahiable. In the early part of the spring ot the year, when the sap first rises, the tree is tapped, and a certain quantity of the sap or juice drawn off^ which is then boiled down, and mannfiaic- tured into sugar. In some parts of the Country large quantities* are made, and in most of tho families on wew farms, a sufficiency for their own consumption. The process is attended with very little labour, and one tree will yield annually from five to eight pounds. In the United States, they know better howto apprc^ ciate the advantage of tli-k tree th^h the inhabitants of N^a- Scotia. Some years ago, in two towns in Vermont, containing no more than forty families, li^,000 weight of maple Sugar Was made. In some parts of that State the inhabitants are beginning to Kne the roads with maple trees, and it would certainly be veiy advantageous to Nova Scoti^ if its farmers Wjjiuld adopt th§ same practice. The granulation of the sugar is easily performed and the quality, colour, and flavour of it, when well made, is e- qual to any sugar manufactured in the West Indies; As a home for a poor man, Nova Scotia is at least equal to Eu- rope ; for of aJl the emigrants who come to the country, tiotwith- atanding the numerous opportunities from different porta^ nonO return to their native land. The description of emigrants, who most promote their own interest and that of the Province, are farmers who cany with them from 200 to 500 pounds ; men who instead of beginnmg a settlement themselves, can purchase one already commenced. The native is now ex'^iort With his axe, more used to the clearing of land, and better fitted for a pioneer m the Woods, European is generally his superior in all kinds • occupations. The one is at home with his' axe the other u ^ The emigrant should therefore purchase a farm which, besides snitable buildinsfs, &c. should contain 3 or 400 a- erw of laud, forty orfi% of which should be cl^at^d, stud the **.^l!7* should recede to the woods to contend again with new roads anu now set^temeuts, fo which he hjis boen accusfoihcd. To the other cU^sa o( emigrants who go to Nora Scotia with small means, it may be proper to suggest, that experience has shewn the necessity of their not being too eager to obtain grants of land. It is far better for them to engage as workmen for a few years, until they become acquainted with the climate, mOde of cultivation, habits and manners of the people, markets, rela- tive value of land, Sic. After having acquired this information, there is a greater probability of them selection being judicious, and their eflbrts successful. ^ , v t The auantity of ungranted land is not accurately known, but is estimated at 4,994,880 acres, which, with a,0Q0,000 of ficrea now granted and unescheated, makes up the total amount of land in the Province 9,994,880 acres. The method of giving to soil, consists in dividing and breaking its particles. This i done in two ways, by fire or by tillage. 'Phe one acts by way of calcination, the other by fermentation. The first is the method adopted by the new settler, iiiho burns the wood upon the sod where it giows, which has one great advantage over the other, it does alter the nature of the productions so much as manure. Hence it arises that the grain and potatoes raised u^ new land are always of a quality superior to those produced by soil which has been regularly manured. The latter however is the system adopted bylhc old farmer from necessity, and naturally leads to the consideration of his mode of culture. - • ,. < Tillage is in Us infancy in .Vora Scotia. The French who m- babited the country previous to the treaty of Uutrecht, seldom made use of manure, but continued from year to year to plough the land and sow it with grain. Few soils can bear those repea- ted drafts upon their bounty without failure m the end , but th,e diked land, which they inclosed, was too nch to be exhausted m their time, and has descended to their successors, not much m- iured by this hard treatment. The inhabitants who first remov- idto Nova-Scotia, after the Acadians were banished, were peo- ple from New England and Great Britain, and consequently Lou<'bt with them habit? rather different from those of their pre- ieceWs. But although their system of husban^y was better, S their work more skilfully perfomed, yet they «ndcrs‘oo4 neither the climate or soil so well. The French for several yea^ devious to their departure raised and exported a great quanti- ty of crain, their successors raised little, and ii^orted much, ference to grazing, the inhabitants were guided, partly hy the eAmw- the early laws of the Province, there is one act pro- hibiting the exportation of whe^ and fiour from Nova Scoti» iigh price of iaboul*> and partly by the extent of the land srhtat- ble for that purpose. This system of extensive grazing has been continued. until within a few yeai’s, and has produced one serious injury to the country* The old British settlers found that tiie difficulty of procuring labour was so great, and the price so high, that they deemed it more eligible to purchase grain by the sale of the cattle, than to raise it themselves. In process of time not only strangers who witnessed this great importation, but the farmers who were in the habit ot malung it, began to suppose that w heat coujd not he raised in abundance, and Nova Scotia soon acquired the Provin- cial term ‘‘of not being a wheat country.’^ The demand also was increased by the habits of the people. Tlie meanest and poorest peasant in Nova Scotia, esteemed superfine flour an ar- ticle of indispensable necessity, and regarded all the coarser giains with sovereign contempt. This extravagance of expenditure, added to the extent of grazing, rendered Nova Scoria almost wholly dependant upon the United States for bread. In 1790 no less than 40,000 barrels of bread and meal, and 80,000 bushels of ffrain were imported from that country During the late war with America, when the importation of flour was attended with great difficulty and hazard, it was sold in parts of the Province as high as five pounds per barrel. A general change has taken place in this respect, to which ma- ny causes have contributed. Necessity is certainly the first and great cause of this agricultural revolution. The low price of la- boiu* efiecting a reduction in the expense of tillage has also had its full shai’e. But these causes were much strengthened by the formation of agricultural societies throughout the Province, which w ere subordinate to a Central or Provincial Society at Halifax. The Central Board is in a great measure under the control of the , House of Assembly ; from which it receives an annual grant of money to aid its operations. This system was commenced un- der the auspices of his Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie, wM^le Lieytenant Governor of the Province, whose name will ever be . held dear in Nova Scotia, while connected with this branch of its colonial advancement. Tlie particular attention of the Eari, and of the country at large, was directed to this object by an anonymoas writer in the Acadian Recorder, wdio treated of the agriculture of the country at great length and with much ability, and who very cleaidy refuted the assertion that the Province w'as not capable of raising its own bread. Those essays appeared at a favoui’able pexdod;, and as they treated of popular and inter- esting subject, were very extensively circulated. Inquiry after lime, marles, and other manures, was eVery where prosecuted with great spirit. Societies aiid associations were formed in all parts of the country, and very general excitement created. Plough- fno- matches, cattle shows, and other exhibitions appeared in all the counties. An improved breed of stock of various descripti- ons, seeds, implements, Etc. were imported from Great Britain, and’ the Ignited States. Mills for grinding o'ats and shelling bar- ley were erected in several districts. The use of bread made of grain of an inferior quality became more common among the poor, and in short a most extensive and salutary change was ef- fected. Much less flour is imported now than formerly, and in many districts, particularly about Pictou, there is a surplus. Cuniberland, if all its beautiful and -fertile marshes were appro- priated to tillage, could alone supply Nova Scotia with a ^tmci- ent quantity of bread for its borne consumption. King s, Haiit s or Annapolis county, could perhaps do the same, ifunder an im- proved state of tillage. Tliat the consumption of foreign grain is decreasing will ap- pear from the following tableg. From which tables it appears 1st, That there has been a gradual decrease in the quantity of foreign agricultural produce needed for consumption since 1819, when the Central Board commenced its operations. 2nd ^From comparing the statements of 18.^0 and 1822, there is a diminution of the imports of very new a full half in fa- vour of the latter year, a result which could scarcely have been ^3rdl— T^is "reat saving to the Province has not arisen entire- ly from the extended culture of wheat, although that has opero- ted to a certain extent, but from the substitution of oatmeal lor flour, and from the increased supply of potatoes 4ti, In 1820 and 1821 the exports exceeded the imports on- ly in one column each year ; whereas in 1822 the balance is m favour of the Province bread, in ogts and barley, and m In- dian meal. J «ni E£p9ti» ^%f^vi(iieriA FrodwXy as /tiftiMcd l^ikt Cutfoui jSeim. Floui?. " Bread. WlTgat joati P Barley. ^feAanST^ Cofti. 1 ! 00 u, cd PP a * S|' “II ; ^ ■ r ■ io & m tLs loudlj in favour of the climate of Nova Scotia, as any producr- tiobs <>f the country. Pease, carrots, parsnips, cabbages, &c. arc sown on a very small scale. Flax is seldom raised for sale, but the coilntiy is favourable to its production, and its culture is ta- pidiy increasing. The hay of the country consists of a variety of grasses. The intervales, when in their natural state, produce a grass vulgarly called blue joint, which is very luxuriant, but affords a coarse and inferior food. The dikes produce clover, or timothy mixed with clover. Sometimes they bear flat grass, which is a plant strongly partaking of a saline nature. A proportion of this flat grassland is very valuable to a farmer, as the crop may be ga* thered after all his other hay is secured, and receives but little in- jury from the rain. Working oxen sometimes prefer the hay made of it to clover, and it is always an agreeable change of di- let for them. The undiked marshes produce a coarse salt grass, which is covered at high tides by the sea water without injury. Young cattle are fed upon this in winter and continue in very good condition. This grass is also valuable for the manure made of it, which is of a much superior quality to that produced by cat- tle fed upon clover. White and red clover, timothy and brown top, are the grasses usually raised upon upland. The farms in the old townships consist generally of dike and upland. The former is set apart for hay, with a small portion for grain. The latter is divided into two parts, one of which contains a small piece of ground for tillage, and the rest is a large pasture in which the whole of the stock, cows, horses, sheep, pigs, and young cattle feed at large during the summer. In the autumn so soon as the hay is gathered, the stock is removed to the dikes to depasture upon the after-grass. The properties of this grass are so peculi- ar, that horses or horned cattle, however low in condition, be- come completely fattened in the course of six weeks. This system among others is now undergoing an alteration. The proportion of tillage land is becoming greater, and the pas- tures consequently somewhat improved. The farmer is hereby enabled to raise potatoes or other vegetable products sufficient for stall feeding, and the markets are not so much glutted by grass fed beef in the autumn as heretofore, but regularly su}^ plied at difl'erent periods according to the demand. The quanti- ty of manure is also proportionably increased, and the soil thereby rendered more rich and productive. The period of sowing dif- fers accoi*ding to the season and soil ; but in general oats and wheat are sown in April ; Indian corn is planted according to lo- cal citcumstances, at any time between the tenth of May and the tenth or twelftii of June. Barley aud buckwheat are sown a- V 104 bout the first of June, and tu’^ps about the tenth of July. Mow- ing commences about the 25th of Jtily. Reaping begins in Au- |mst, and is finished in September. Dung is the only manure which has been used in Nova Scotia until within these two or three years. But sinee the establish^ ment of agricultural Societies, lime has been applied with much success, and composting has become a general practice. In inost districts bordering on the Bay of Fundy, marsh mud (of which the dikes are composed) is applied as a superficial dres- sing for grass lands, and as a manure for grain crops. The ef- fects of this application are very great, often producing two or three courses of wheat in succession, and afterwards a strong growth of grass for several years. In Hants, King’s, and Anna- polis counties, there are very extensive orchards of excellent Iruit trees, and a very great quantity of apples of superior quali- ty, and cider is annually exported to NeW Brunswick, Newfound- land, and the West Indies. Cumberland and Annapolis coun- ties are remarkable for the great Uanoimt of butter and cheese which they export every season. Aiuonc the mass of agricultural papers which have lately beeo iblished, I tiod the following list of general prizes for 1821* General Prized ai»irded by the Pfo^nl thi leet ^cree of Wldfe and G««» CropSj raised in J^ova ScoliOy m ihe year 1821, Wheat, Oman Lewis, Secmd prize^ Rev. R. Norris, Rye, Rev. Wra. Forsyth, Second priz£j James Allison, Oats, William Starr, Second prize y S. G, W, Archibald, Indian Corn, John Wells, Second prize, James N. Crane, Burley, John Henderson, Second prize. Rev, Mr. McGregor, ParrsM rough, Cornwallis, Do, Do. Do. Truro, King’b County, Do. Onslow, Pictott, hush, tfft- 60f 59 544 54 44i 60 414 564 1064 31 974 ^4 mi 561 87 58i 684 534 64 49 Onslow > 3 Turnips, Robert Dickson, tops and buibs — Tons, y Second prize, C. R. Prescott, Cornwallis, I SB tons 5 cwt RutaBaga, tops 8 l bulbs — Tons, Potatoes, Robert Dickson, Onslow, Second prize, Henry Yates, Annapolis, Mangel WortzeJ? C. R. Prescott, Cornwallis 2 qra. 24 lb. 520 640 80 62 wt. prw. 35544 20 dollai% 34&8 16 2635 20 jj 2330i 12 n 39401 20 n 3753} 12 n 7166} 16 it 50891 8 3678 16 »r 3136 12 tt 6i IB 12 jf 41600 12 ft 39680 8 lb. 12 For brwgiug a «ipp/j of Wheat (rad Flour to mrhd in Sa^r, Fiovry IVlieat Edward Lockart, ‘ Daniel Wier^ John Young, James Shannon^ Newport^ Do. Prizes awarded for Halifax Proper in 1821 , bush, ewt. 0 61 | 55 Chef. qrs. ibs, prize. 40 2 2 S 24 doIlajrri 20 2 22 18 S 4 0 0 24 W 0 d 16 J- For the greafest quantity of Lime applied to Land, 1 John Young, f €80 For the greatest weight of wheat from one undiTid - 1 ed acre, John Albro, | 48 18 32 Second Prizes John Young, 341 55 For the greatest quantity of Barley, John Alhro, 49 I 51 i ^ greatest quanti^ of Indian Com, John Young— consumed green, P. h or the greatest quantity of Potatoes, John Albro 45 S Second PAze, Peter M, Nab, 440 . hor the greatest quantity of Turnips, John Stayner, 600 63,660 qrs. Q 297 T 1897 J 23301 fff 12 12 10 10 10 !0 8 a Tf fj- yr ff iJ ii jy ¥ ENOS COLLINS, HENRY YEOMANS, FREDERICK MAJOR, CHARLES BOGG6. m Some of these results are doubtless swelled to the fullest Extent and the mode adopted for ascertaining the quantity raised upon an acre was by no means accurate. A square rood was selected, and the produce weighed or measured, and the amount of an acre estimated by that standard. It may however be stated with cer- tainty that thirty bushels of wheat, twenty-two do. of Rye, 40 do. of oats, 35 do. of Indian Corn, and 225 do. potatoes, are considered as fair crops in good soil, although on dikes or pieces of prime land this estimate is very far exceeded. By comparing^ this latter scale with that of other counties it will be found, that notwithstanding Nova Scotia has been described as doomed to unrelenting sterility,’’ the produce of its soil will rather exceed than fall short of that of most States iq the American Union, In Maryland,” says Morse, the soil is of such a nature and quality as to produce from 12 to 16 bushels of wheat, or from 20 to 30 bushels of Indian Corn per acre. Ten bushels of wheat, mnd fifteen bushels of corn per aci*e, are the annual average crop^ in the State at large. In Massachusetts the average produce per acre of good land well cultivated, has been stated as follows : 30 bushels of Corn, 30 of Barley, 20 of Wheat, 15 of Rye, and 200 of Potatoes. The horses of Nova Scotia are a mixed breed, containing cros- ses of Canadian, American and English stock. When His Roy- al Highness the late Duke of Kent was resident in Nova Scotia, he imported several valuable stallions, which filled the country with an excellent description of cattle, but since the death of those horses, the stock has been much degenerated. A well shaped horse is now rai*ely to be met with. They however endure much fatigue, are extremely hardy, and in general of better bot- tom than those in Massachusetts or Maine. The agricultural societies have attempted an improvement m the size and shape of the horses by introducing foreign stallions of different descri|>*- tions. In proportion to the other stock of the country, there are too many horses which are frequently used in tillage when oxe» /V’t>uld perform all the work required. In a country w^here the winters are long, and the provender valuable, this error is atten*- ded with very bad consequences, not only to the individual wha is at the expense of rearing and providing for them, but the com- munity at large. The homed cattle of the country are very superior, which,, considering the little attention paid to breeding, must be attribu- ted in a great measure to the richness of the pastures. The ox- en are commonly of a red and white colour, tall, full bodied, short jointed, and well put together, and are both handsome and •trong, tractable in labour and easily fatted. The cows whereYer .i j0e\\ fed and attended, are also of a large slae and in general gaod for the dairy. The Province is at present well stocked. The demand for teef during the late war, was so great, that homed cattle became acarce ; and it is only within a year or two that the country has recovered from its exhausture in this particular. ^The swine ig the most inferior description of stock in the colony, and although in some districts the breed has been much improved, yet they are commonly long bodied and long legged, and require both time and expense to fatten. Next in value to homed cattle is sheep, an article of great concern to the farmer, cheap in the purchase^ easily fed, and returning a profit in many different ways. In a new country they are invaluable to a settler, by clothing and feed- ing his family, in enriching the land, and last, not least, by des» troying the sprouts and sapplings, which are constantly springing up in his recent clearings. The sheep in the Province have un- dergone so many crosses, that they do not properly come under the description of any of the English breed. They are tall, strong well shaped animals, and the wool neither fine nor coarse, but well suited for the purposes to which it is applied. They thrive very well in Nova Scotia, and as the winters are dry, are not sub- ject to so many disorders as they are in many other countries. They weigh from 10 to 20 pounds per quarter, and yield a fleece from two to eight pounds, according to the treatment they have received. Miramichie and St. John in New Brunswick form a market for working oxen and fat cattle, Halifax and laverpool, N. S. Newfoundland, and the West Indies, for fresh and salt beef oats, apples, cider, butter, and cheese, are exported to the same places, in quantities varing according to the demand. Horticulture is greatly neglected by the fai’mers. A stranger is much surprised at the total want of good kitchen gardens, so essential to the economy and comfort of a farmer He is also 40istonished to see a lavish expenditure in the erection of large farm houses, handsomely painted, and neatly fenced with-oma- mental railings and pallisades ; wliile the interior of the building is not unfrequently cold and unfinished. External show, in too many instances, supercedes that compact, neat, comfortable ap- pearance, which characterizes the English farmer* The winter is devoted to thrashing and cleaning com, to transporting fuel, and poles for fences, and carrying poultry, mutton, pork, ana beef to market. The spring is sometimes tedious in making its appearance, but when it commences it compensates, by its rapi- dity, for the lateness of its approach. At this period there is much work to be done, ploughing, sowing, carting manui'e, and repairing fences. The aumnaer is generally favourable for har- 100 vesting, and it seldom occurs that damage is sustained by vark'- ble or wet weather. The autumns are peculiarly fine, and fre- quently admit of field work i?o late as the first of December. The improvement of the Provincial agriculture is very percep- tible, in the great quantity of additional labour, which is now performed at this season. Fall ploughing as it is termed, or au- tumnal preparation of the ground, was at one time little attend- ed to, but now, great exertions are made to anticipate the spring work, and a suitable use is made of this season so essential to the due course of husbandry. On the whole, though much improve- ment has undoubtedly taken place in the habits and manners of the farmers, there is still room for the introduction of further in- dustry and economy. Nature is too grateful, and returns eveiy favour she receives with so bountiful a hand as to spoil her chil- dren by indulgence. The native farmer is too apt to speculate, to enter into trade, and dabble in small coasting vessels, to the neglect and injury of his farm. These however are evils which will in time correct themselves. I have extended this chapter beyond the limits assigned to it, as I thought some detail was requisite to exhibit the agriculture and soil of a country, which has been so often represented a5 incapable of producing the commonest necessaries of life. I shall now shew the proportion that the soil fit for cultivation in Nova Scotia bears to that of seme other countries This Pro- vince is hilly but not mountainous, 500 feet above the level of the sea is the utmost height of any diif cw* high land in the coun- try, consequently its altitude is no barrier to agriculture. The soil of the Province may be divided into four classes. — 1. Prime land, as dike and intervale. 2. — Good upland. 3. — Inferior land, and, 4. — ^Land incapable of cultivation. Of the proportions of these soils, it is impossible to give an exact table, as no accu- rate survey has been made. Any stony soil is called poor land in this Province, even if there be not sufficient stone to form the enclosures, and as the value of property is I'elative, the farmers jn the old townships, long used to the extraordinary fertility of their dikes, are apt to condemn all land that requires much la- bour or much manure. Perhaps the following scale will be found correct. Prime land, Gh)od do. Inferior do. 3 parts, 4 do. 3 do. 2 do. ✓ Lic^able of cultivation do. Although tlie last portion is stated as totally unfit for every kind of agricultural purpose, yet it is not entirely useless, and in JIO ttvany places where such spots are to be found ou a farra, they are appix)priated to the growth of that efwential article, fence poles, with which they are generally covered. Some partlon of at nevertheless is barren and incapable of producing even the hardy spruce and fir. I shall now compare this statement with that of Jamaica, the land ‘‘ of the orchards, of the sun, and woods of perpetual verdure.” Jamaica is one hundred and fifty miles in length, and on a me- dium of three measurements, taken in different places, is about forty miles in breaath. Hence if the Island be a supposed level country, it would give 3,840,000 acres. As a great part of it consists of high mountains, whose superficies contain much more land than the base alone, may be alowed, which is - • - - 240,000 Total 4,080,000 Deduction fot sugar plantations, 639,000 For pens, - - - 280,000 For coffee, cotton plantations, 140,000 1,059,006 Which leaves more than three millions of barren wilderness. Dominica contains 1 86,436 acres, not so much as fifty* thou- sand of which are fit for cultivation or improvement. Even Ire- land which is so extremely fertile, if allowance be made for its mountains, waters and bogs (one of w^hich alone, that of Allen, extends eighty miles, and is computed to include three hundred thousand acres) will be found to contain in proportion to its ex- tent a far greater quantity of unprofitable land than Nova Scotia. All that the Province requires is capital and population. If the country were sufficiently known in Great Britain, a large portion of that capital wdiich is now transported to the wilds of the United States, would be conveyed to Nova Scotia, where its investment while it enriched the colony, would by a reaction, materially assist the exports ©f England. Everj^ pei*son settled Jn the colonies, is supposed (by Child in his Treatise on Trade and Colonies) to give employment to three or four at home in supplying his wants, and wherever the Mother Country does not turn the tide of emigration to her own Provliices, every emi- grant may be considered as a citizen lost to the community, and strangers must reap all the benefit of answering his demands^ CI^APTER Vm. Trade y — Quenes Submitted id the merchants , — Table of articles that may be imported from the United Stales, with the duties payable thereon, — Ditto from Europe andJlfica, with duties on do . — Ta- ble of didics payable at the excise, — King^s duties, — Mstract of trade unth Great Britain and Ireland, — with the Southern parts of Europe,— ivith the West Indies,— with Canada, JVew Brunswick^ and ^eufoitndland, — with the United States in foreign vessels,-— Do. in British ships, — Mstract of coal trade, — *d)nount of Duties collected under the late acts of Parliament,— Account of dutiable articles impm^ted iido the Province in 1818 , 1820 , and 1822 . THE Trade of Nova Scotia is Tjot so great as might be^expeo led from a country surrounded by capacious harbours, and situa- ted in the very centre of the fisheries. The system of colonial policy excluding the Americans from entry, has produced a countervail-* ing prohibition from them. The operation of both these coer- cive measures has cramped and confined mercantile exertions* Very much Nova Scotia has no intercourse with the United States, but by means of Halifax ; which, under the late act of Parliament, has become a free port. By another act a trade with foreign parts in Europe is permitted under certain duties and restrictions. What the effects of this relaxation will be, whether it has gone far enough to do good, or whether under existing cir- cumstances Nova Scotia will be able to avail herself of the trade* to any extent, are all subjects to be decided by experience. At present the commerce of the country consists, 1. Of the XVest India trade and fisheries ; 2. Of the trade with Great Britain and Ireland ; 3. With the Southern' parts of Europe ; 4. With the United States and the Independent Governments in South Ame- rica ; 5. Of the Plaister trade ; 6. Of the coal and coasting trade and other minor branches. For a view of the extent of these* branches of trade, with an account of the articles of traffic, and the amount of the tonnage of shipping employed in them, the rea- der is referred to th^ subjoined tables, in which they are exhibi- ted for the period of ten years. The following are a selection of the queries put by a joint com- mittee of the Council and Assembly, to the merchants of the Pro- vince, in 1819, on the subject of the late convention with the U- nited States, and the trade of the Province in general, with their answers thereto. Quest.Sei forth how, and in what manner, the Fishery car- ried on from the United States operates, genei’ally to tlie preju- dice and disadvantage of the Britist Fisheries in North iljnerica< 112 —The natural advantages are ours ; but by admitting the Americans to participate in them, we suffer in the same ratio that they gain. The markets of the world are open for the ad- missionof their fish, either directly or indirectly j their govern- ment cherishes and encourages their fishery, by which means they meet British fish in almost every market with advantage ; besides which, they ruin the British Fishery by wantonly throw- ing into the sea the garbage and other filth from their vessels. Quest. Have you any, and what, knowledge as to the value of the Fisheries appertaining to that part of the coasts of Newfound- land, the Straits of Belleisle, Labrador Shore, and Magdalen Is- lands, upon which a right to take and cure fish, has been granted to the people of the United S^tes, under the Convention lately concluded between his Majesty and the Government of that coun- try ? If you have, set forih the same, and describe how you have acquired such knowledge ; and make an estimate, comparatively as to value between the Fishery granted by that Convention to the United States, and that still retained by Great Britain in North America ; setting forth what proportion the value of the one bears to that of the other. Arts. The Convention gives them every advantage in the Cod Fishery they can wisli for or desire. A general indulgence in the whole we have retained would make but little difference, unless we can preserve the J^et FisJiei'y. The overwhelming numbers of the American fishermen will exclude British subjects from participating in the Fisheries now made common to both na- tions. Quest. Will the liberty of Fishing granted by the late Conven- tion to the United States afford to them any, and what, facilities in participating in the Fisheries still exclusively retained by Great Britain ; and if it will, describe how and in what manner they will attain that object ? ^ns. Unless we can preserve the Net Fishery, the Americans will have neaidy the same advantages that the llritish have in the reserved Fisheries ; besides which, they will supply the British Fisheries with stores of every kind, and receive from them their green fish in return ; and they will, through the same channel, supply in a contraband way, the inliabitants with all sorts of fo- reign commodities. Quest. Is there any, and what net fishery, and to what extent carried on from the coasts of this Province, beyond the limit of a cannon shot, or three marine miles from the shore ? If there is, describe the nature and value of such fisheiy. Arts. There is to a very great extent ; particularly the Mack- ^el Fishery, which is of the greatest importance, and is at some 113 S^asotts catTied on at double that distance. We have mucb cause to fear that the ruin of the net fishery will be the consequence, if the Treaty allows the Americans to Come within tlie Headlands, keeping a cahnon shot from the shores in the bays and harbours,' they will be in the very heart of our net fishery. Quest. Will the general permission granted to the American fishermen to take fish at the distance of a cannon shot, or thre^ marine miles from the shore of this Province, operate in any res- pect, and how, to the prejudice of the British fishery ^ •Am. It will, not only from the increased number of vessels they will employ in the Cod Fishery ; but particularly in the Mackarel Fishery ; the best market for which is the United States ; it is a fishery of vast value to this Province, and of which, it has hitherto had the monopoly : but the Americans, while en- gaged in tlm Cod Fishery, will set their nets three miles from the shore, where at one season of the year they will meet all the shoals of that fish ; and when they run nearer to the shore, they can set their nets in the night, which is the time the fish run, and send them in their boats from their vessels at an anchor three miles from the shore ; this will also apply to the Herring Fishe- ry ; and if they come within the headlands, keeping three miles from the shores of the bays, the whole net fishery is open to them ; so is the Dog Fishery, the Oil of which fishery is a most import- ant branch of our trade ; but W'hen it is considered that with the liberty of fishing three miles from the shore j they can enter e- very harbour and river in the North American Colonies, nothing is left for tlie British fishermen, but to scramble on the common ground^ having superior numbers to contend w*ith ; under such circumstances, British fishermen, have their nets at the mercy of tlie Americans, who carry them away by sailing through them, without the British fishermen having the smallest prospect of re- dress. Besides, they ruin the fishery by throwing their offals in- to the sea ; while our fishermen bring them to the shore. Quest. If British sub jects were allowed to fish on the coasts, and to enter the harbour of the United States of America, in the same way that the people of that country are allowed to enter those of the British North American Colonies, would such privi- lege be of any and what, advantage to the British fisheries and commerce ? A)is. None, farther than it would furnish to our people the same facilities to carry on an illicit commerce with the people of^ that country, which the Convention enables the Americans to carry on with the North American Colonies^ but a right to en- ter for shelter,, or wlien in distress for any necessary articles, would have been an advantage to British colonial veseels, had the o i m Convention secm>ed them that privilege, of which they are now Can you speak as to the value of tlm Salrnon Fishery on the coast of Labrador, and to what extent Trade is earned on tvith the natives of that country in furs, skins, feathers, oil, or a- ny other and what commodities ? — Please to set forth particular- ly what you know on these subjects. ^ Ayis. The Salmon fishery is very extensive ; some adventures in that Fishery have been made from this Province i it has been principally carried on by persons from England, Newfound- land, ind Canada. The trade with the natives is valuable, and has hitherto been conducted by the Hudson’s Bay Company and traders from Newfoundland ; but the whole is now thrown open to the Americans, and its advantages will almost exclusively cen- tre with them. ^ r t i • Quest. Describe how the Fishery on the coast of Labrador is carried on, whether in boats or vessels, and at what distance from the land. , i- i. l ic Ans. The fishery extends from the distance of about halt a mile to between three or four miles from the shore. It is carried on by vessels of from 60 to 80 tons burden and upwards ; these ve^ sels lie at anchor in the harbours and send out their boats with crews to the fishing ground ! the fish are all taken by the boats belonging to the vessels, which remain laid up in the hai’bours until their lading offish is completed. v r u- Quest. Do you know whether American or British fishing ves- sels are outfitted and navigated at the cheapest rate ? and if you do, state the comparative expetices, so as to show how and m what manner the advantage lies on either side. Afis. There is very little difference in peace. . , ,5 . Quest. Have you known any, and what, instances in which Bri- tish fishermen have been forcibly prevented by the American fishermen from carrying on the fishery ? State what you know as to any violence offered to British subjects on their own chores, or at sea, by these people. Ans. The complaints of injuries, violence and outrage, sustain- ed by British fishermen from the American fishermen are numer- ous and frequent every season — pains have been taken to inves- tigate the causes of complaint, which have always proved well ^ founded. On the coast of Labrador, tliey prevent British sub- " jects from hoisting their colours ; they drive them from the best fishing stations ; take their bait, and will not allow tliem to set nets for bait, until they supply themselves : This their supe- riority in number enables them to effect, and whenever that is the pase they genarafiy do as they please. nii Quest. Are you aware of any practicable means, by which the American fishermen can be prevent^ from * and privileges on the British shores, different from those grant ed to them by the late Convention ? Set forth the same paiti It will be very difficult, not impossible, to prevent all the evils which will grow out of this Convention ; , ‘ • be necessary to explain whether the right given TVorth vessels to enter every harbour, river, and creek in American Colonies for shelter, or to procure and water, is a right only to be exercised cessitv, or whether it is a right they cm' for the vari- pleasiire ; Secondly whether they are liable to pay lus lights kept up on our shores, or any other ^"d what port charges ; and lastly, a naval force, judicious y , , cxten- prevent, as far as possible, the numerous abuses n i sive privileges given by this Convention wi giv . * Qust. Is it your opinion that, il a Commercia i added to the East Indies, and all other parts of he world, was mlded to the other privileges which the in North America now enjoy, that it 'vould nave y, effect in transferring Capital from the United St4es to these “2" lo induce film that count,,- to the North If freedom of Commerce such as is enjoyed by the Uni ted^Ses was granted to the Colonies in North Anierica m ted ataies, w g „,;fu fhp rpvenue now collected in The establishment of such a trade would, no dovAt, ena- bic S Sto S.X to to* » cotoiO'toM' rctcnue fton, b« wLTcSX^U tuppo. the North American Colonies would have King. of manufactures, and other ’J^ncrise^or (fiminifh dom : you think it would operate to increase or %r?^ould, no doubt, greatly increase fo^exportation to other rirL^otSSiMS ductions of the East ludie^, for the last ten years ; ^id can you form an estirnate of the annual value of East India produc- tions clandestinely introduced into the same Colonies from the United States during the same period ? .^Tw. Part of this question can be best answered from the dif- ferent .Custom Houses ; the'annual importation from Great Bri- taininto this Province may be estimated for the last ten years at the value of from 16 to 20 thousand pounds a year, and the clan- desbne importations from the United States, at about from 8 to If) thousand pounds a year. There is good reason to believe the clandestine importations into the Sister Colonies in North Amer- ica, f^ exceed the .estimate for this Province, and upon such ex- cess the calculations should be made, according to the population ol the respective Provinces. Quest. Do you think that all, or any great portion of such British merchants, would remove with their trade and business to e North American Colonies, in case they were allowed there to trade to and from all parts of the world, with tiie same freedom they now enjoy in the United States ? If of trade to British America was placed on a footing that merchants could depend on its permanence, no ^ubt great numbers of British subj'ects would remove to the North American Colonies ; their natural inclinations would in- aimnce them, were it not for the injury their interests would sustain, w-erc they to move while the present system e^cists. Quest. What number of days does it generally take to make United States to Halifax, that IS to say : From Portsihouth in New Hamn- shire Boston, New-York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Charleston and Savannah ; and what number of days does it generally take to make a passage from Savannah to Portsmouth, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, and Charleston ? Set down each passage separately. ” " Jins. From Portsmouth to Halifax, the passage is from 3 to 6 days and from Boston it is accomplished in nearly about the it takes from 4 to 8 days ; from Philadelphia, from 7 to 14 days ; from Norlblk, front 7 to 14 d-ilc ’ Charleston, 8 to 16 days ; from Savannah, 9 to 18 days. From Savannah to Boston or Portsmouth, from 8 to 16 Se' Philadelphia, or New York, much the 5 Savannah to Norfplk, from 4 to j same^place to Charleston, from 3 to 6 days, est^lisliwi • commerce was permanently alactures of ^ -^encan Colonies, could not the man- wactures of the Moth» Country be there exchanged % the. commodities of the Unrted States, generally, upon as good term!* as they are now exchanged in the principal tradinsr towns of the United States 2 r r © Atis. They would, upon better terms. ^Purn your attention generally to the subject matter of this inquiry, and state any matter relative thereto ; which may not have been set forth, and particularly explained in your an* swers to the fbregoing questions. •dm. If Great Bntain would hold out to the merchants and fishermen of that country, engaged in the whale and cod fishery the enjoyment of the same commercial advantages in British North America, which they now enjoy in the United States ; adding thereto all the commercial and other advantages which belong exclusively to British subjects ; and would also allow them to remove with their vessels and effepts into the British do*' minions, naturalizing the merchants and fishermen, and cqnstH tuting the vessels they brin^ with thein into a special and parti- cular branch of British navigation, so oalcidated as to naturalize their vessels as British built ships, qualified to carry on the whale and cod fishery from Britistn America ; to which occupa- tion they should be exclusively confined, and restricted from be- ing employed in any other branch of British trade or commerce ; we from our contiguity and intercourse with this description of people, are well acquainted with their sentiments and opinions, and know the powerful effect would have if 'a measure (so simple in itself, so easily executed, and attended with no expense) was carried into efiect. We know that under such encourage- ment, great numbers would at once remove and settle with their vessels and property, in British America ; and the great advan- tages they would immediately derive from such removal, would cause them to be followed by a constant succession of the same description of emigrants, which no exertions on the part of the United States woiild prevent, for it is not in their power to give them any natural advantages, such as the British Dominions af- ford y and it is also out of their power to open for them any new commercial resources, beyond what they at present enjoy. Thus we should soon strip the United States of the vast advantages they expect to derive from the late Convention ; and we should not only gain, in a commercial point of view, what they would lose ; but we should add to British power the principal founda- tion of their naval strength — thus increasing the maritime force of Great Britain in the same ratio that we should diminish theira. Subjoined is a list of the articles, w'hich may be legally im- ported into Halifax from America, under the late act of Parjia^ ment, with a table of duties payable thereon.. I II» articles. Asse*, Barley, Beans, Biscuit, Bread, Beaver, and all sorts of Fur, Bowsprits, Calavances^, Cocoa, Cattle, Cochineal, Coin and Bullion, Cotton Wool, Drugs of ail sorts. Diamonds &. Preci- ous stones, Flax, Fruits and Vegeta- bles, Fustick, St all sorts of Wood for Dy- ers’ use, Flour, Grain of any sort. Garden Seeds, Hay, Hemp, Heading Boards, Horses, '' Hogs, Hides, Hoops, Hardwood or Mill Timber, Indian Corn Meal, Indigo, Live Stock of any Sort, Lumber, Logwood, Mahogany and o- thcr Wood for Cabinet Wares, Masts, Mules, Neat Cattle? Oats, Pease, Potatoes, Poultry, Pitch, %e, Rice, Staves, Skins, Shingles, Sheep Tar, Tallow, Tobacco, Turpentine, Timber, Tortoise-shell, Wool, Wheat, Yards, DUTIES. Barrel of wheat Flour, not weighing more than 1961b. net weight, - - “ T Barrel of Biscuit, not weighing more than 1961b net weight, “ f . " For every Cwt. of Biscuit, For every JOOib. of Bread, made from Wheat or other Grain, imported in Bags or Packages, - - For ever)^ BaiTcl of Flour, not weighing more than 1961b. made from Rye, Peas, or Beans, - - For every hush, of Peas, Beans, Rye, or Calavances, Rice, for evorv 1001b. net weight, . - - For every 1 ,000 Shingles, called Boston Chips, not more than 12 inches in length, - - - For every 1 ,000 Shingles being more than 12 inches in length, . ^ - - - - - For every : ,0<;0 R ed Oak Staves, - - For every 1,000 Whit^Oak Staves or Headings, £ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 I I 5. d 5 0 2 6 1 6 2 6 2 6 0 7 2 e 7 0 14 0 1 0 15 '0 !I0 for every 1,000 feet of White or Yellow Pine Lumber, of one inch thick, - - - - - For every 1 ,00^ » feet of Pitch Pine Lumber, Other kinds of Wood and Lumber, per 1,000 feet For every 1,000 Wood Hoops, - - Horses, for every 1001. of the value thereof, - Neat Cattle, for every 1001. of the value thereof All other Live Stock, for every lOul. of the value thereof, 1 1 8 5 0 0 -10 0 0 Anchovies, Argol, Alabaster, or rough and worked, Anniseed, Amber, Almonds, Biscuit, Brandy, Bullion, Brimstone, Boxwood, Beans, Botargo, Cattle, Currants, Caf)ers, Cauiharides, Corn, Cumininseed, Coral, Cork, Cinnabar, Casrasoo, Caviar, Dates, Essence of Bergamot Essence of Citron, Essence ofijemon, — of Orange, — of Lavender — of Roses, — ofRosemary Emery Stone, Flour, Fruit, — dry & wet, pre- served in 13ran- dy and sugar, in jars and bottles. Figs,' Garden Seeds, Gum Arabic, — Mastic, — Myrrh, ■' — Sicily, — Ammoniac, Grain, Honey, Jlalap, Incense, Juniper Berries, Lava Sc Malta Stone for Buildings, Lentils, Lumber^ Manna, Mosaic Works, Medals, Meal, Musk, Maible, rough and worked, Mill Timber, Macaroni, Mules, Nuts of all kinds^ Oil of Olives, — of Almonds, Opium, Orris Root, i Ostrich Feathers, Ochres, Orange Buds and Peel, Olives, Pickles, in jars and bottles, Paintings. and Prints Pozzolana, Precivous Stones, Pearls, » Punk, ^ Pumice Stone, A Schedule of Duties payable on Articles imported hUo jestfs Colonies^ PlantalionSj or Islands, in America or His Ma- _ . tile TPcsi Indies, from Ports in Europe or Africa, under the authority qf the late Act of Parliaments Wine impoFted in bottles, viz. French Wine the tun of 252 gallons - * - - Madeira Wine do. do. do. * - - « Portugal Wine do. do. do. - --- Rhenish, Germany and Hun- > ga.^ Wine, J galls. Spanish Wine, and Wine not > j j i otherwise enumerated. ) ^ no do iVnd in addition to the specified Duties hereby impo- sed upon such Wines respectively, a further Du- ty for every 100/. of the true and real value there- of, - - - And for every Dozen of Toreign Quart Bottles, in which such Wine may be imported, - * Corn, Flour, Grain, > For every 1 001. of the true and Meal, Peas, Beans, J real value thereof, - - Headings, for every 1,000, Lumber, viz. Yellow or White Pine per 1,000 feet All other descriptions, Mill Timber, the like, - - - Shingles, for every 1,000, not exceeding 12 inches in length, - - - Shingles, for every one thousand exceeding: twelve inches - - - . . Staves, Oak, Red or White, for every 1,000 • Wood Hoops, for every 1,000; . ^ - 7 10 0 n -080 Parmesan Cheese, Quicksilver, llaisins, Rhubai’b, Rice, Salt, Sausages, Senna, Scammony, Sarsaparilla, Saffron, Safflower, Shingles, Sponges, Staves, Sheep, Vermillion, Vermicelli, Whetstones, Wine, Wood Hoop# 151 Alabaster, Anchovies, Argol, Annisecd, Ambei*, Almortds, Brandy, Brimstone, Botar^o, Box-wood, Currants, Capers, Cascasoo, Cantharides, Cummin-seed, Coral, Cork, ^ Cinnabar, Dates, Essence of Bergamot, — of Lemon, — of Roses, — of Citron, — of Orange, — of Lavender, — of Rosemary, Emery Stone, Fruit, viz, — dry and preser- ved in Sugar, — wet preserved in Brandy, Figs, Gum Arabic, . — Mastic, — Myrrh, — Sicily, — Ammoniac, Honey, Jalap, Juniper Berries, Incense of frankincense Lava and Malta Stone for building, Lentils, Manna, Mai’ble, rough and worked, Mosaic Work, Medals, Musks, Macaroni, Nut^ of all kinds, Oil of Olives, — of Almonds, Opium, Orris Root, Ostrich Feathers, Ochres, Orange buds and peel, Olives, Pickles in jars & bottles Pair lings, Pozzalana, Pumice Stone, Punk, Parmesan Cheese, i Pickles, ) Prints, Pearls, Precious Stones (ex- cept Diamonds,) Quicksilver, Raisins, Rhubarb, Rice, Sausages, Senna, Scammony, Sarsaparilla, Saffron, Safflower, Sponges, Vermillion, Vermicelli, Wine, not in bottles, except Wine impor- ted into Newfound- land, Whetstones, ^ V For every £100 of ihe true arid real value thereof 122 TABLE OF DUTIES Payable at the Excise on the folUnvin^ Articles, with the Drawhack allowed on Legal Expoiiations. ARTICLES. Wines — Champaigne, Madeira, Port, Claret, Lis- bon, and Sherry, - - - - - All other Wines, - “ . . “ " *Runi and all other distilled Spirituous Lic[Uors JMolasses, §Brandy and Gin, - - - - - ]^Excise.\J)raw,. pr * gal tSugar, IlCofFee, - Is. 9d. Is. 3d Is. Id Is. 3d. per cwi. 3s. 6d. per lb. Id Is 6id Is lid lOd Is lid l2s lid Th'awjback allowed, ’^For a quantity not less than 400 gallons. tFor do. not less than 1 ,000 gallons. Slid, to Quebec, and lOd. to other Colonies. jFor a quantity not less than 1 0 c\vt. )|For do not less tlian 5001b. ^ All Goods, Wares and Merchandize imported from any port or place subject to a duty of 3} per cent. ad. valortim, except owned in any shape by a non resident ; in which case they pay 5 per cent. ad. val. unless imported directly from Great Britain or Ireland. All ai’ticles from the United States pay a duty of 10 per cent, ad. val. The following articles are exempt from 3i and 5 per cent . — Wines of all kinds. Brandy and Gin, Rum, and other distilled Spirituous Liquors, Molasses, Brown Sugar, Coffee, Flour, Meal, Grain and Lumber of all kinds ; Furs and Skins of all kinds, Staves, Hemp, Sail Cloth, Cordage, Pitch, Tar and Tuipen- tine. Fish, and Fish Oil, Salt, Coals, Anchors, Grapnels Un- wrought Iron, Twine Lines, and Fish Hooks. All articles exported subject to drawback, must if landed in a British port, have a certificate of the same from tlie Collector and Comptroller of the Customs, if in a Foreign Port from the British Consul or Vice Consul there resident, to be produced here to the Collector of Excise ; otherwise no drawback will he uUowed, KING’S DUTIES, Payable at the Custom House in Cash at the time of Entry, Wines, from the Azores, Madeira, and the Island of Malta, 71. per ton. t i a Wines, direct from Great Britain, from Sicily, and other Ports in the Mediterranean, if not the produce of France, 10 s. per ton French Whines can only be imported from Great Britain, anti then pay the same duty. ^ British Plantation Coffee, 7s. per cwt. Foreign do. do. 59s. 9d. per cwt. Indigo, 6d. per cwt. Pimento, id. per lb. Foreign Muscovado Sugar, 5s. per cwt. Clayed, 278. Foreign Rum, not admissable unless Prize. Idfofasses 1 d. Foreign Productions as above may be bonded for exportation, but no di*awbaek is allowed on any articles on which the duty has actually been paid. ^ , r xt • These duties, with some trifling ones imposed by tlie Provin- cial Legislature, upon the importation ol Cattle from the United States, are the principal chaiges upon trade, and constitute the sources of the Province. The diflerent Harbours of the Pr<> vince since 1822, are considered as constituting the port of Hal- ifax and the districts in which Deputies are stationed as Mem- ber Ports. The fees of the Custom House, when compared with those of other Colonies are small ; ahd although great strict- ness is observed in enforcing obedience to the laws, yet no ob- structions or unnecessary delays are thrown in the way of trade. The present Collector, The Hon. T. N. Jeffery is very much teemed by the mercantile part of the Conuaunity, who can best appreciate his conduct as a public of{icer. • PORT OF HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA. Mstract1 ... o «« ^ > e2 a> s a> O CA o 1809 \UH 7!43 454 1809 "105 7256 10 Nil. — 10 Nil. — It Nil. , — 11 Nil. 12 42 4I‘‘5 220 12 35 13 107 l»895 559 13 93 1 406 14 98 1011 lip 14 M 20SI 15 Nil. 15 Nil. — 16 Nil. — . ' 161 Nil. 17 Nil. — 17 Nil. IS 74 7223 j 332 lh| 66 6005 Fr Jan. 5, to 17 1703 68 191 20 2159 Mar. 1,1819 1 1 1 1 ^0 171 4S3 16 a 93 Imports— Bread, Com, FIouI-, Beef and Pork, Oats, TaiT^on- tine, Indian Meal, Onions, Lumber, Nuts, Apples and Pears, Caudles, Cattle, Tobacco, &c. Exports-rSngar, Molasses, British Merchandize, and prize Goods, Sait, Coals^ Iron, Coffee. Fish, Hides, Wine, Oil, Stc, PORT OF HJlLIF.iX, NOVA SCOTIA. HALIFAX. Jin accovM of the quantity of imposed forihe last ten years^ eliding Dec, 31, 1818^ From whence. Number of Chaldrons. : Year Fi-otn whence. Number of Chaldrons. Year, From whence. Number of Chaldrons. 1809 10 11 12 13 14 16 16 17: 18 Great Britain. 203 393 1942 474 8-50 435 1467 2176 1776 2162 1809 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 13 Sydnej^, 4026 3928 4240 4126 3696 4098 3721 3693 4308 3708 Castom- 1809 10 IJ 12 13 14 15 16 , 17 18 House, ] Pictoo Halifas, March Ni! ~ 639 i 845 2416 2562 , 18i9. j . imported vf^o the Pmi. between the \eth day of ^ugitsl and the i 0th of October 812, under tivo t^fs of ike British ParlmmejU^ passed in the thud year oftktreign of His Present MaiesN for the exiemimi of Colonial ComAnerce. ^ o J ^ irresem JUajesty, vvneat i Kye, Flour, Flour, Barrels, Barrels, 4,452. 121 Breadj j Crackers, Barrels, j Barrels, 6,142 I 400 Rice, Pease. Barrels, Bushels, 625 634 Beans, Wine, Amount of Duties in SterJ. Money. Bushels, Casks, 341 10 £1,224 15 8f Msfraclo/Bfiliabk Goods impmied inlo iht Proimce ofMm-Sc^im, from to Stsi I?£cemBcr, 18 i 3 HaJifaXj Luaeuburg, Shelburne, Liverpool, Yarmouth, Annapolis^ Windsor, King’s County, Pictou^ '• [Brandy &L Gili. Spirits. Wine. 5iIola3ses. Cwt. Sugar, 99 TOTAL.., *905 493j984 325685 181 81,543 135741 8,895 4,634 €99 602 34^31 m fO 133 169,647 6,360 1,238 22,472 8,872; 7,670 326 107 Ctvt. Coffee. [ and 5 per Cent. 39,634 63€,964l35,l€6 216,692 9733 L922 143 1326 584 263 39 101 42,0 fR’25 1234 1000 818 966 37 201 257 977 9605 0 0 16 10 5 17 0 17 14,161 43,018 264148 6 11 Amount. 39474 2021 46 4427 887 1281 312 77 344 16 15 8 2 3 16 13 11 12 10 H M iU o 6 Ml 9 51 48874 1 ,10 iract ^ Buiu^k Goods imported inio the Pravlnce of J^Tora Seotia^ between the first da^ Januuru and iheSUt da^ of BecembeTj 1 ft22. Brafidy & Gjn. Galls. Spirits. Galls. Wine. Gails. Molas- ses. Galls. Sugar, cwts. qrs. Halifax, 20133 379136 20487 178224 10204 0 liunenburg, 22074 47703 1325 0 Shelburne, 4260 211 245 0 Liverpool, 51810 77155 1438 0 Yarmouth, 18045 15058 666 i ! Annapolis, 14328 4572 138 3 ' King’s County; 10370 25 2761 9 3 Hants Qouaty 1150 i 602 8 3 Pictou, 1291 i 8578 !30 6099 282 2 Colchester, 2(IJ 4220 30 2142, 14 1 Cape Breton, 313 12154 390 4289 219 3 Cumberland, 339 i Total. 1 2 1 94211526684, 21062 338919 14572 1 Cof- I fee. lb.! lb. Amo utrt upon wbich the 3| and 5 per cent, are payable. Amount of Du- ties secured. 0 12 , 0 , 15; 0 12^ 0 0 0 o; 0 , II 46859 ] 8721 45Cr 824 56854 ilSljOlo !o 3 232 5 0 4 10 3 425 17 766 17 87 0 67 13 6,714 12 1,202 12 8,092 0 199,109 3 6} ^^ 29,721 12 9 ! 1,664 J4 9 272 16 7 3,349 4 1 1,^85 16 6 867 I 0: 586 6 lOi 71 5 3| 895 6 305 7 1,002 0 19 6 5 1 3 , 2 ~39;94Q”I8^5 Jrom &e first 3220 16694 0 0 967 1 0 188 0 17 3291 1 8 427 2 0 248 3 18 33 2 0 496 0 21 48669 2977 1050 i;i73bt)ti 10 0 1 130 3 157 19 2 : 31 9 lUi, 51 !0 3 ^ £36002 10 11 190] 1 9 486 13 8 3723 5 H 781 1 1 309 2 lOi J33 14 21 438 J8 9J 262 8 li Halifax, Lunenburg, Shelburne, t-iverpool, Yarmouth, Annapolis, Win&or, King’s County Pirtou. Total,— 114,4,11 1 52226# 46339|276048 21336 3 e 52836 179096 4 3i 43226 17 0 m CHAPTER TX, 'Q^ic Governor y his Pomry — The Conncily its Ongin in the oid Co^ loniesy — The Courts of Law y — Chiff Jv^lic-Cy — The Laws of the Promnee in gemraL ; IN the second chapter of. this book, I stated that the Ljegisla- tiire of Nova Scotia, consisted of three branches, the Governor, Council and Assembly, in hiimbTe hnitation of King, Lords and Commons ; and as tlie chapter is devoted to the consideration of the Courts of Judicature, and peculiar laws of Nova Scotia, I shall give an account of the authority vested in the Governor, and the origin and powers of the Council, as they are respective- ly connected with those subjects. Every Governor is allowed the title of Excellency, and is invested with the follow ing pow- ers. — First— As Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief, he has the actual command of all the Land Forces within his Govera- ment, and he commissions all Officers of the Militia. He ap- points the Judges of all the different Courts of Common Law. He nominates and supci’sedes at will the Custodes, Justices of the Peace, and other subordinate Civil Officers. With the ad- vice of kis Council, he has authority to summon General Assem- blies, wdiich he may from time to time prorogue and dissolve as he alone shall judge needful. All such civil employments as the crown does not dispose of, are part of his Patronage, and whenever va- cancies happen in .such offices as are usually tilled up by the Bri- tish Government, the Governor appoints pro tempore, and the persons. so appointed are entitled to all the emoluments till they arc superseded at home, and till the persons, nominated to super- cede them arrive in the Colony. He has likewise authority, when he shall judge any offender in criminal matters a tit object of mercy, to extend the King’s pardon tovvards him, except only in cases of murder and high treason, and even in these cases he is permitted to reprieve, till the signification of the Royal Plea- sure. Secondly— the Governor has the custody of the Great Seal, presides solely in the High Court of Chancery, and in general exercises within his Jurisdiction, the same exteasive powers as are possessed by the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. Thirdly— The Governor is Ordinary. He has likewise the power of granting Probate of Wills, and Administration of the ef- fects of persons uyiiig Intestate, and grants Licences for Marri- ages. Fourthly — 'i’he Governor presides in the Court of Error, of 183 willed he and the Council are Judges, to hear and determine aU appeals, in the nature of writs of error, from tlie superior Courts of Common Law. Fifthly The Governor is also Vice-Admiral within the extent of his Government. As such in time of war, he issues his war- rant to the Judge of the Court of Vice-Adndralty, to grant com- missions to privateers. Lastly — The Governor, besides various emoluments which a- rise from fees, forfeitures and escheats, has an honourabls al provision settled upon him, for the whole term of his adminis- tration in the Cplony j and that he may not be tempted to dimi- nish the dignity of his station by improper condescentions to lea- ding men in the Assembly, he is in general restrained by his in- structions from accepting any salary, unless tlie samebe settled upon him by law within the space of one year alter his entrance into the Government, and expressly made irrevocable during the V’hole term of his residence in the administration. And this ap- pears to he a wise and most necessary restriction. Tlie Members of the Council are severally appointed by the Governor and are in number twelve. Their privileges, powers and otiices are as follow : , , i Pirst They are severally styled Honourable, they take pre- cedency next to tlie Commander-iu-Chief i and on the death or absence of the Governor, Lieutenant-General, and Lieiitenant Governor, the eldest Member of the Council succeeds to the Go-, vernment, under the title of President. , _ ^ Secondly— They are a Council of State, the Governor or Com- mander-iu-Chief presiding in person, ip whom they stand in the same relation as the Privy Council m Great Britain does to the Thir(fly — They are named in every Commission of the Peace, as Justices throughout the Province, . , , ^ 1 • Fourthly— The Council, together with the Commamler-m- Chief sit as Judges in the Court of Error, or Court ot Appeal in civil causes from the Courts of Record. Pifthly The Council is a constituent part of the Legislature, as their consent is necessary in the enacting of Laws. n t is capacity of Legislators, they sit as the Lpper House ; tiuct frLi the Governor, enter protests on their the manner of the House of Peers, and have their Chaplain, ^ As*^th^re was no order of hereditaiy Nobility out of which to constitute an intermediate body, like the Peers ot England and Ireland, a Legislative Authority was ^ubtlcss a an e.arly period entrusted to the Governors and their Council, acting 134 Conj6intly, aiid forming a middle branch between the Crown the otie hand, and the Representatives of the people on the other. That this was the case at first the history of most of the Colonies clearly evinces. The Governor and Council, in Legislative af- faii^, constituting, not two separate and distinct bodies, indepen- dent of each other, but one constituent branch only ; sitting and deliberating together. As it sometimes became necessai*y to re- ject popular bills, the Governors to divert the displeasure of the Assembly from themselves to the Council, gradually declined at- tending On such occasions, leaving it to the board to settle mat- ters as they could without their interference. The council readi- ly concurred with the Govemor^s designs, because his absence, Removing a restraint, gave them the appearance of a distinct in- dependaiit estate ; and the Crown perceiving the utility of the measure, gradually confirmed the practice in most of the British Colonies.* This appears to be the plain origin of the privileges which the Councils in the British Provinces enjoy of deliberatino* anart from the Governors on all bills sent up by the Assembly*) of proposing amendments to such bills, or of rejecting them en tirely without any participation with the Grovernor. It has been held, says Blackstone, that if an uninhabited country be discov- ered and planted by English subjects, such of the English Laws as are applicable to their situation (which are the birthright of every British subject) are immediately in force there, and that conquer- ed or ceded countries retain their own laws until altered by Par- liament. From which it appears that royal proclamations and chartei-s are declaratory of ancient rights, not creative of new privileges. Hence arose the establishment in the British Colo- nies, of Assemblies or Houses of Representatives, who necessari- ly participate with a tender interest in every thing that concerns the people. ^ The Supreme Court or Court of King’s Bench, consists of a Chief Justice, three assistants, and one Circuit Associate. The Chief Justice is paid by Government, arid in addition to his an- nual allowance, is entitled to fees on every Action The assis- tants draw their Salary GOOl. a year and one pound three shil- lings and four pence per diem when travelling by virtue of a per- manent Gi ant of the Legislature. This court has a Jurisdiction extending over the whole Province including Cape Breton, and takes cognizance of all matters criminal and civil, in the same manner as the Court of King’s Bench in England. Its Jurisdic- tion is limited to five pounds in actions of Debt. It sits once in * For miich useful information on this subject, the reader is referred to Long’s History of Jamaica. m thr^e months at Halifax, and has two Circuits East and West each year in the more populous counties, at which two Judges in general preside. The venerable Chief Justice the Hon. S. S. Blowers, Esq. has presided in this Court since 1798 . The patient investigation which he gives every cause which is tried before him, the firm- ness, yet moderation of temper which he exhibits, the impartial- ity, integrity and profound legal knowledge with which he digni- fies the Bench, have rendered him an object of affection not on- ly to the gentlemen of the Bar, but to the public at large. It may be said of him as of Sir John E. Wilmot. Etiam contra quos statuit, aequos placatosque dimisit. The Bar affords a very fair share of good public speakers, and in this Colony as in most others, contains the leading men of the province. The Court of Common Pleas is in most instances a court of concurrent jurisdiction with the King’s Bench, but can- not send process out of the county nor take cognizance of cri- minal proceedings. The Judges of this court are not Lawyers, but Magistrates of the county who preside without any salary and with very small fees. In tliis Court there are few actions of consequence tried. The principal business consists in taking Judgments on Notes of Hand, and proving small accounts. It aits at various fixed periods in different counties according to the local exigencies, and is also limited in its jurisdiction to five pounds. Of all actions of debt between three and five pounds two Magistrates take cognizance ; and one Justice may collect any smaller sum by a legal process. From the Inferior Courts an appeal lies to the Supreme Court (it possessing an autborily similar to the King’s Bench in England) thence to the Governor and Council, who compose a Court of Errors and Appeal, and thence to England. The office of a Prothonotary or Clerk of the Courts is a patent appointment. There is a Deputy in each county, who is a Clerk of the Supreme Court and Common Pleas. There is also a Court of Sessions in each county, with an authority and jurisdiction similar to an institution in England of the same name. There are Judges of Probate in the different districts, who have a Jurisdiction over all matters touching Wills, Letters of Administration, Stc. There is no provincial system of Law regulating these probate offices, and the Judges are left to find their way by the feeble light of analogy to the Courts at home. This perhaps will ac- count for the irregularity and confusion prevailing in those dis- tricts, where lawyers do not preside in these 000113. There is no bi*anch of the jurisprudence of the country which requires revision sa much as this department. 136 Tbe sheriffs of the different counties arc appointed aiuinallj^ ' by the Governor, from a list made by the Chief Justice, pro^-' sin®* three persons for his choice for each county. This office being lucrative is in general solicited. A sheriff is invariably con- tinued from year to year, so long as he continues to discharge the duties of his office with fidelity and diligence. The Admiralty Court once so ably held by Sir Alexander Croke is but little frequented in peace, and has now dwindled to a sha- dow. The Chief Justice at present performs the duties of a Judge of that court without salary. It has been previously ob- served that the game, tithe, and ecclesiastical policy, and the remnants of feudalism which disfigure the junsprudence of Eu-« ropean countries, find no place in the Provincial System of Law. It remains therefore merely to trace some of the leading features of the laws of Nova Scotia. Land in general is held by one hf three titles, and seldom by any other, by grant, by deed, or de- vise, or by descent. The King is Lord of the soil, and is posses- sed of all that tract which is termed unlocated land. From him therefore all titles here are originally derived. The mode by which the King conveys, is by grant under the seal of the Prov- ince, with a condition to settle and improve. The next description is a conveyance in fee simple, either by deed of feoffment or by will. • There are very few instances of entailed property in this country, and the Legislature have lately passed an Act rendering the mode of barring entails much more easy and expeditious. The other mode is by descent. The statute of distributions of Nova Scotia directs the estate of an intestate to be divided in the fol- lowing manner ; — one third of tbe personal estate to the widow for ever, besides her dower or third in bouses and lands for life. Out of the residue of the personal and real estate two shares to the eldest son, and the residue to be equally divided among the o- ther children, and such as legally represent them. If the real estate cannot be divided without great injury, the Judge of Pro- bates is required to order an appraisement, at which* price so fixed, the estate is offered to all the sons successively, beginning with the eldest, who have a choice according to their seniority. If either of the sons take it at the appraisement, he is bound to pay in a given time the proportionable shares to the other heii-s. If not taken at the appraisement, it is then sold and the proceeds divided among the heii’s. After the widow’s death, her dower hi land is divided in like manner. It is provided also that where pei*sonal estate is insufficient, a part or the whole of the real es- tate may be sold to pay tlie debts. The creditors of the dece^- ed except the King, and such as have obtained judgments prior to the debtors death, receive au equal dividend. There is one 137 peculFarity attending Jand, it is subject to be sold under le- gal process for payment of debts, at the expiration of two years after the execution has been extended upon it. The writs are simple, and ate of three different kinds — a Summons ortnere or- der to appear and defend suit—a Capias which takes the body or requires bail — an Attachment w^hich is a mixed writ, and both Mimmons the party and attaches as nxuch property as by ap- praisement will amount to the sum sworn to. Property so at- tached, if hot bailed, or security given for its forthcoming aftei’ Jud<^mentis immediately sold. After .Judgment Execution issues, which is a writ authorizing the Sheriff to take body, goods oi- lands, at the option of the creditor. In order to prevent confu- sion and fraud in the title to lands, recording offices arc establish- ed, one or more in each countv, at which offices all conveyances must be recorded. The officers in the country transmit a quar- terly abstract of all deeds registered by them to the head of the Department at Halifiix. There are no bankrupt laws in Nova Scotia, and the only relief afforded is by means of a law, entitled the Insolvent Debtors’ Act. Under this statute an insolvent debt- or or bankrupt, is required within thirty days after his commit- ment under the execution, to petition the Judges tor relief, set- ting forth in schedule all his effects, debts, &c. to notify the cre- ditor of the day appointed for his examination. At the examina- tion the plaintiff attends, and either consents to, or opposes ^s discharge according to the circumstances of the case It the Jud<^cs feel disposed to grant the discharge and administer the oath, the creditor may require the debtor to be remanded for three months, but must supply the debtor in the intermediate time with eight pounds of good biscuit bread per week. Iflbe creditor cannot make it appear to the court at the termination of that period, that there has been fraud in the conduct of the in- solvent, be is discharged forthwith. At an early period the humane attention of the Legislature was directed to the means of establishing a provision fot the infirmi- ties and old age of the poor, and various regulations have taken place at different times. At present the poor are divided into two classes,— the transient and resident poor The transient consists of strangers who have no domicile, and have acquired no settlement. This class is sent to a poor house at Haliffix provi- ded for their reception. The latter are maintained in the coun- try. In every township there are two town meetings held annu- ally by the freeholders, who vote a sum of money ^ be raised by the township, wffiichwill in their estimation be sufficient for the support of the poor for the ensuing >rear. This sum oned by sworn assessors, whose business it is to (b aw ip 106 bill. This instrumeut is delivered to collectors who are boundLt® realize the sum so voted ami assessed, and to pay it over to the overseers of the poor. An appeal lies from this rate to the court of Sessions A settlement is gained in live ways, by beln<>- a na- tive of the township, by serving an apprenticeship therein, by dwelling there as a servant for one whole year previous to the ap- plication for aid, by the discharge of one public annual office or the payment of one year's poor rate. The mode adopted by this country for the support of the poor. IS perhaps the best calculated to ensure plenty, comfort cleanli- ness, and a tender humawe trealmenf, of any that could be devis- ed. Tn all the townships, except Halifax, the poor are put out to board among the farmers, one or more perhaps in the same fa- mily. Ey this means a pauper of good moral habits, who has been reduced by sickness or misfortune, has not his last hours embittered by those scenes of impiety and wickedness, of di.s- tress, disease and wretchedness, which are the living spec- tres and evil spirits that too often haunt a poor-house In this manner, il a pauper is well conducted, he not unfrequently re- mains m the same family for years, gains the affection of those around him, and enjoys in his latter days more tranquillity and comfort than he ever knew before. In addition to the rate just mentioned for the support of the poor, there is a small county rate yoled by the grand jury for the erection and repair of the court houses, jails, and other county services. This sum is also apportioned by assessors, and collected by persons appointed for th^ purpose, who pay it into Uie hands of the county treasurer There is also another public charge exacted oitJierin labours money at the option of the individual.— This is an annual road tax, commonly called statute labour, in contra-distinction to the labour expended and procured by grants of the Legislature The grand juiy appoint ovei-seers of the highways for tL several dis- tiicts, one m each year, who are by law the authorized superin- tendents of this service. These overseers compel the attendance ol o\vners of teams with their horses and carts four days, under a penalty for non-attendance of 12s. 6d. per day: and all other persons six days, imder a penalty of five shiffings per day, exceot lalmiirers, servants, minors and apprentices, who work two days, and dunng eight hours each day. ^ Marriages have been solemnized in three ways,— hy publica- tion of banns, by licence, and by certain authorised laymen in “0 officiating clergymen. These Ii- on!^ always directed to the Church Clergj', and the Dissenters wishing to be placed upon an equal footin"- With mimslem of the Established Church, procured an Act of the 13d L^egislature to be passed for that purpos^e in 1819, with a clause suspending its operation until His Majesty's pleasure should be known. When this act was passed, it was accompanied by the following address to his Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie theu Governor of the Province. May it please your Excellency . — HIS Majesty's Council and the House of Assembly beg leave to address your Excellency upon the subject of the act for regu- lating marriages, and granting marriage licenses, which has pas- sed in the present Session of the General Assembly, in conse- quence of the numerous petitions that have been presented by Protestant Dissenters in this Province, and which Act contains a clause suspending its operation imtil His Majesty’s Royal pleasure shall be known thereon. His Majesty's Council and House of Assembly are induced to address your Excellency upon this subject, because they are a- ware that representations may be made to His Majesty’s Minis- ters that the bill has a tendency to injure the Established Church, and confers a right upon persons to perform the marriage -cere- mony, who are not clergymen of the Church of England. And as His Majesty’s Ministers may not possess that minute informa- tion of the actual state of this Province, which would enable theni to discern the fallacy of such representations. His Majesty’s Council and House of Assembly beg leave to state f^uch circum- stances to your Lordship, for the information of His Majesty’s Ministers, as may enable them to form a correct opinion of the policy of the measiu*e. By an act passed in the thirty second year of his late Majesty’s Reign, it is enacted ; that any person presuming to officiate in solemnizing any marriage, before notice of the party’s intention of marriage shall be publicly given on three separate Sundays or holidays, in time of divine service, in some congregation within the town or towns where each of the parties do reside, or for which marriage license shall not have been appointed, under the hand of the Governor, or Commander m-Chief of the Province for the time being, shall forfeit and pay te the use-of His Majesty’s Government, fifty pounds, to be re- covered by Bill, Plaint, or Information in any of the Courts of Record within this Province. . , It has been adjudged in the Supreme Court of this Province, that all disseUting ministers, who publish the banns of marriage, in their rc^ective congregations, agreeably to the term of that act, are authorised to celebrate marriages, and such dissenting ministers have for many years celebrated the marriage ceremony 140 x^ithln tUis Province ; the present Bill therefore does not confer that right upon them, as they possessed and exercised it before. It has not however been the practice for the Governor or Cotn- mander-in-Chief to direct licences, authorising parties to marry without the publication of banns to any other Clergymen than those of the Established Church; but as the population of this Province has increased greatly, since the thirty second ye^r of his late Majesty’s Reign, and as the Dissenters now form a very large and respectable majority, comprising upwards of four-fifths of his. Majesty’s subjects in this Province, the Legislature have deemed it just and politic to extend to them the privilege of mar- rying by licence, as to the members of the Established Church, for the following reasons, which they request your Excellency will be pleased to submit to His Majesty’s Government. First. — Because the act passed in his late Majesty’s Reign, which established the Church of England, held forth every cn- cour^ement to Protestant Dissenters to settle themselves in this Province, and expressly declares, That Protestants dissenting from the Church of England, whether they be Calvanists, Luthe- rans, Quakers, or under what denomination soever, shall have free liberty of conscience, and may erect and build meeting houses for public worship, and may choose and elect ministers for the carrying on divine service and administration of the sa- craments, according to their several opinions ; and all contract made between their ministers and their congregations for the supporf .ofthe ministry, are hereby declared valid, and shall have Uieir full force and effect according to the tenor and condition thereof, and all such Dissenters shall be excused from any rates or taxes to be made and levied for the support of the Established Church of England,” Secondly .-*-Since the passing of this act, the greater part of the Eastern Division of the Province, has been settled by Dis- senters, and your Excellency well kn,ows that there is not a single Clergyman of the Established Church, from the settlement of Sackville within twelve miles of Halifax, to the township of Man- chester, at tlie eastern extremity of the Province, a distance of nearly t\yo hundred miles, and comprised within its limits is a very iaj’ge portion of the inhabitants of this division of the coun- try who arc either emigrants or the descendants of eniigrants, from Scotland and the North of Ireland, and generally profess tl^ Presbyterian religion. Your Excellency is also aware that ^ere is no Clergyman of the Church of England, resident in Queen s County on the south shore, or in the coui>ty of Cur.i- erJand o;i the north, and that with the exception of two Clergy- men in the populous county of Lunenburg, and two in the ex- 14t tensive county of Shelburne, the Clerjry of the Established Church are confined to Halifax, Hants, King’s County and An* napolis.^ Thirdly. — ^That many of the dissenting ministers are men of education and respectable characters, and their respectable con- gregations, even in those counties where the Clergy of the Es- tablished Church reside, are in general more numerous than those of the Church, and are equal to them in point of wealth and res- pectability of cha;racter. Your Excellency must perceive from this statement, for the correctness of which his Majesty’s Cmincil and the House o£y Assembly, will appeal with confidence to your Excellency’s own knowledge of the Country, that confining marriage licences to the Clergy of the Church of England, creates an invidious distinction which is highly injurable to that venerable establishment, and grating to the feelings of a large and respectable majority of his Majesty’s 'subjects in this Province. Your Excellency is aware that among the higher classes of Society, when they contemplate a matrimonial Union, tliere is a general reluctance to that noto- riety which the publications of banns occasions, and the Legisla- ture themselves have so far recognized this feeling, that Uiey have authorised the Governor, by an act passed in the thirty fifth year of his late Majesty’s Reign, to appoint persons to celebrate mar- riages by licence, in places wherein no established clergyman re- sides. The dissenters therefore complain, and we think with justice, that they arc obliged to submit to a regulation that is re- pu«-nant to their feelings, or comply with a ceremony which does not accord with their faith, and this they deem a violation of that law which encourages them to settle themselves in the country, and which exempted them from all contributions to the Clergy of any other Religion thaii their own. His Majesty’s Council and House of Assembly are also of op- inion that the appointment of laymen to celebrate marriages ac- cording to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, has* a tendency to lessen the respect which should be entertained for every part of our ritual, particularly as the persons appointed are generally from necessity Dissenters, and as neither of the parties who are to be united, or the person who is to perform the ceremony, belong to the Established Church, this sacred ordk- nance is sometimes treated with levity, and sometimes altered and violated. * Most of the vacant missions have been filled since the date of this petition. His Majesty's Council and the House of Assembly are a^m€ that it has been observed, that your Excellency issues the mar- riage license now in use, in your capacity as Ordinary ; and that it would be absurd for the Ordinary to issue a License or dispensation to a dissenting minister, who does not recognize his authority in that capacity, but they beg leave to observe, that it is an exemption from the penalty imposed by our Provincial sta- tutes, that is sought by the Dissenters, many of whom came from Scotland, where no such penalty is imposed. And the object of this bill is to preserve the License now in use for the Clergy of the Established Church, and to authorise your Excellency, in your capacity of Governor, to grant a licence to Dissenters which will relieve them from the penalty imposed by the Law of the province. His Majesty’s Council and the House of Assembly beg leave to assure your Excellency, that they proceeded to the consider- ation of this bill with mature deliberation ; that it originated at an early period of the Session in the House of Assembly, where it passed unanimously, and was revised and amended in His Ma- jesty’s Council, who passed it by a majority of two to one ; that it was generally known throughout the Province that this bill was under the consideration of the Legislature, yet no petitions have been presented against it, and his Majesty’s Council and the House of Assembly, think that they may venture to assure your Excellency, that the principle of it is approved of by the major- ity of the Members of tlie Church, as a measure calculated to remove jealousies, and to introduce and preserve that harmony among persons of different religious persuasions, so essential to the peace and happiness of the Province. His Majesty’s Council and the House of Assembly feel themselves wari’anted in making the above assertion, as many of the warmest supportei’s of this bill in both houses, are members of the Established Church, and pro- fess an ardent attachment to that venerable Institution. The pu- rity of its doctrines, the pious sentiments and sublime language of its excellent liturgy, the mild and tolerating spirit of the majority ofits professors will ever command the attachment of its mem- bers, and the respect even of those who dissent from it ; and it can only be injured in the Province of Nova Scotia, by the mis- guided zeal of its i intemperate friends. This Act however did not meet the approbation of His Majes- ty , and was accordingly disallowed, and the practice continues as han been before stated. 143 CHAPTER X. £ducationy King^s College^ Collegiate School^ — Pictou School County Grammar-Schoolsy^School Bill, — Dalltomie CoU ^ — Schools at Halifax, — Bromley* 8 Royal Acadian School^ Sfc, 4*c. IN recording the Public Institutions of Nova Scotia for the e>' ducation of youth, the University of King’s College at Windsor eminently merits the first place. The respectability of the esta- blishment, its liberal endowments, the learning and piety of its professors, the number of gentlemen whom it has educated, and the influence it exerts upon the manners and morals of the coun- try, all conspire to make every Nova Scotian, who feels and un- derstands the good of his country, regard this University as the parent of all that is good, and great, and learned in it. When we meet in a new Colony like Nova-Scotia, or New Brunswick, men whose education and promise in life are perhaps beyond the state of the country, we admire, but we seldom stop to ask for the causes ; but in tracing every young man of figure in the pro- fessions in both Provinces, to the Seminary where he acquired his education, our enquiries generally terminate at King's Col- lege. The University has a Royal Charter, bearing date at West- minster, the 12th day of May 1802. By this Chaiter it is ordain- ed that the said College shall be deemed to be an University, and shall have and enjoy all such and the like privileges, as are en- joyed by the Universities in the United Kingdom of Great Bri- tain and Ireland, as far as the same are capable of being had and enjoyed by virtue of the said Letters Patent. And that the Stu- dents in the said College shall have liberty and faculty of taking the degrees of bachelor, master, and doctor, in the several arts, and faculties at the appointed times. The Archbishop of Canterbury is patron of the Institution, and the follow ing persons compose, ex officio, a board of Governors; llis Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, The Right Rev. tlie Lord' Bishop of Nova Scotia, The Hon. the Chief Justice, the Judge of the Court of Vice Admiralty, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Attorney-General, the Solicitor General, the Secretary of the Province, and the Rer. the President. The board has the pow er of making statutes and by-laws for the inter- nal government and regulation of the Institution. Tlie follo wing extract from the statutes of the- University will shew^ the course of studies established for the students. ‘‘ 17th — Regular courses of lectures, as soon as the establish- ment shall admit of them shall be read every year by the Profes-^ 144 •^ors in Uie following branches oflitcrature, Science, and kndwi led«-e. Each course shall l)egin in Michaelmas term, and shall be "completed wdthin the year— Uj^n the evidences, practice, and doctrines of the Christian Religion, Grammar, universal and of particiilai’ languages. The Greek and Latin Classics. Hebrew, Rhetoric, Logic, . Mathematics, including Arith- metic, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, and the Co* nic Sections, with their ap- plication in mechanics and o*^ Iher useful and practical Sci- ences. Natural Philosophy, Asti-onomy, Ethics, General Jurisprudence, 18— The four following Proressocsbips shall be now established to which others shall be added, as soon as the revenues of the College shall render it practicable. 19. 1st. A Professor of Divinity and Hebrew. This Profes- sorship for the present shall be joined to the Presidentship, and. the President shall perform all the duties which are attached to it, without any additional salary. 1. Ho shall read Catechetical Lectures upon the first princi- ples of the Christian Religion, according to the Church of En- land, upon every Sunday evening in term time, between the GUI’S of seven and eight, which shall be attended by all students during their three first years 2. Upon the evidences of Christianity, upon every Saturday evening at seven o’clock, w^hich shall be attended by the same stu- dents. i • 1 3. Upon Theology every 'Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from twelve to one to all students in their fourth year. 4. Upon the Hebrew Language on Tuesday and Thursday at 12 o clock, to all students designed for holy orders during their fourth year, and all other students who shall choose to attend du- ring their fourth year. 20. 2d, A Professor of the Moral Sciences and Metaphysics. 1. He shall Lecture in Ethics and the Law of Nature every The LavV of Nature and Nati- ons, The Civil Law,, and the Theo- ry of Municipal Laws, Political Science, CEconomy, Metaphysics, Geography and Chronolpgy. History, ancient and modern, Anatomy, Botany, Chemistry, The Materia Medica, and the Practice of Medicine in cli- nical Lectures. 4lay ih term time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and holy-days, the first and two last days from the hour of twelve to one. His pu*^ pils shall be all students during their second year. 2 Upon general Jurisprudence, the Law of Nations, the Civil Law, and the Theory of IJunicipal Law, of Government and po- ^ litical o?conomy every day in term, except as befoi'C excepted, from half-past ten to half past eleven. His pupils shall be all students during their third year. 3. Upon Metaphysics, History with its auxiliaries. Geography and Chronology, upon the polite arts, and upon the use and ap- plication of science every day in term, except as befoi-e excep- ted, from half past one to half-past two. His pupils shall be all students during their fourth year. 21. 3d, A Professor of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Astronomy. . , ^ 1 . He shall lecture in the higher Arithmetic and Geometry e- very day in term, except Saturdays, Sundays, holy-days, and the first and two last days, from half-past one to halt-past two. His pupils shall be all students during their second year. ^ 2. In Alo-ebra and Trigonometry, and upon the Conic Secti- ons, from twelve to one every day in term, except as before. His pupils shall be all students during their third year. 3. And in Mechanics, Natui-al Philosophy, and Astronomy, every day in term, except as before, from half-past ten to half- ^ast eleven. His pupils shall be all students during their fourth year. . j t • 22. 4th, A Professor of Grammar, Rhetonc, and Logic. 1 . He shall Lecture in Grammar, and the Greek and Latin Classics alternately every day in term, except Sundays and holy “days, the first and the two last days, from nine to ten, and his pu- pils shall be all students during their third and fourth years, he shall read different books the second year from those which he shall read the first. ^ . j c i 2. In Rhetoric every day in term, except Saturdays, Sundays, holy-days, the first and the two last days, from half-past ten to half-past eleven. His pupils shall be all students during their first year. , ^ . 3 a 3. And in Logic every day in term, except Saturdays, Sun- days, holy-days,, the first and the two last days from 12 to one. His pupils shall be all students diu-ing their first year. 23. Masters shall he procured to teach the modern languages, particularly French, to Whom small salaries shall be allowed, and whose fees for instruction shall be settled by the President. Stu- dents likewise may receive permission from the President to at- 14G t-encl instructions in the arts of drawing, dancing, music, fencings riding, and otlier polite accomplishments.^ It is requisite that the President shall have taken a regular de- gree of Master of Arts, or Bachelor in Civil Law, at one of the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge or Lublin, in the United Kingdom. There are four laj scholarships of twenty pounds sterling per year, which may be held for four years. Also twelve divinity scholai’ships of 30/. sterling which may be held for seven years^ When any one of these scholai-ships becomes vacant, the Can- didates are publicly examined by the Governors, and it is assign- ed to him, who shall acquit himself the best upon such examin- ation. The Students are eligible to matriculation at the age of four- teen. This period is perhaps too youthful, but is adopted as the time for admission on account of the state of the country, w hich does not at present possess a sulhcient number of persons capa- ble of maintaining children at a school, and subsequently at a College beyond the age of twenty. 'The benefits of education at this University are accessible to all, but the honours to those only who subscribe to the articles of the Church of England. The College consists of five bays or large w ooden buildings under one roof. These bays are three stories in height, and consists of tw o suits of rooms on a floor, each suit containing one parlour and two bed-rooms for the accomodation of two students. The stew- ard provides in the hall a dinner for the students, and suppliei them with butter, bread and milk, for their breakfast and sup- per at their apartments, where they provide such other articles themselves as they think proper. In addition to this he is bound to furnish them with such general attendance as is requisite. For this service he is entitled to receive from every student thirty pounils per year. The whole expense of education at College, including tuition, boaixl, clothes, &.c. may be rated at 100/. per year, although many limit their expenses to a less sum. There are about twenty-eight or thirty resident students at the present period. The situation of this College is extremely pleasant, and the most eligible that could be selected. It is about one mile from the town of Windsor, in the centre of the Province. Tliere is a direct w ater communication between this place and New-Brims- w ick, of w'hicli about one-half of the students are natives. From the uncommon ebb of the tide w hich occasionally leaves the bed of the river perfectly naked ; there is a constant agitation of the air and a change of sea breeze twice a day. The climate there- fore is pCQuliaily healthy, audit is reinaxkable that there has ue- vet occurred an instance of mortality among the students, sinc#^ the first establishment of the institution. The building is erected upon an elevated spot of ground, com- manding in front a delightful view of the most improved and best cultivated part of the Province. In the rear the scenery is equal- ly fine, the landscape being much embellished by the several windings of the river Avon, The ground belonging to the esta- blishment contains about one liundred acres of land. The pre- sent buildings are much out of repair, and it is in contemplation hereafter, to erect new ones dn the same site as soon as funds can be obtained for the purpose. Great praise is due to the inliabitants of this Province for com- mencing at so early a period to establish this Institution. Noth- ing confers more honour or more utility on the couutiy, tlian in thus providing means for educating its youth for the professions and the public. Obedience is one of tlie capital benefits arising from a public educatiou. Although much happiness is undoubt- edly to be derived from those resources which are thus laid up in youth, yet that is a secondary consideration. ‘‘ To break the natural ferocity of human nature, to subdue the passions, to im- press the principles of religion and morality upon the heart, and to give habits of obedience and subordination to paternal as well as political authority are the primary advantages. Such is this Institution, which it is impossible to contemplate without the most pleasing anticipations, tl\at it will furnish the Colony with scholars and gentlemen who will be the oruaments of its Church, Legislature and Bar, and that it will diffuse a spirit of loyalty to our Sovereign, a veneration for our holy religion, and an attach- ment for our most excellent constitution. Ksto Perpetua. ordinate to the University, under its control, and within the limits of its grounds, is the Collegiate School. The building is of free stone erected at an expense exceeding five thousand pounds. There are apartments in it for the head master and his family, his ushers and about 40 boarders. — ^The principal is a Master ot Arts of Oxford, a Gentleman whose habits, experience and edu- cation well qualify him for the situation This Establishment is in a flourishing condition and the school very numerously attend- ed. The system of education adopted at this Academy is in ac- cordance with that of the College for which it is intended as the preparatory Seminary. At the School there are also twelve di- vinity scholarships of thirty pounds sterling each which may be sevei-ally held for seven years or until mairiculation at the Col- le^-e. A good female boarding School is established at indsor. There is a very respectable School at Pictou. The intention ot this Institution is thus expressed in the preamble of the Act winch 149 Established it. A gt»eat majority of the inhabitants of the db* trict of Pictou, being either emigrants from Scotland or are the descendants of emigrants from Scotland where the Presbyterian Religion prevails. The said Inhabitants of the district of Pictou or a great majority of them do now profess the Presbyterian Re- ligion, and are desirous of educating their children therein, Sic, The trustees of this Academy were incorporated in the year 1816, These trustees who must be either of the Church of England or Scotland, are empowered to purchase lands and receive Legacies, &.C. make by-laws for the Institution, subject to the approbation of the Lieutenant Governor. This School is conducted by a Presbyterian Clergyman of very respectable acquirements, and meets with great encouragement and support from a numerous body of dissenters. As the scholars are not boarded in the house of the Master, but make private contracts with the families in the neighbourhood, or reside with their relations, their educa- tion costs less than where they are placed under the personal su- perintendance and immediate controul of'the tutor, as at most other public schools. In the year 1811 an Act was passed to establish Grammar Schools in each county, in which the English Grammar, Latin and Greek Languages, Oiiiiography, the use of the Globes, and practical branches of the Mathematics are I'e- qiiired to be taught. By this Act the Governor is empowered to appoint three trustees for each School, who form a board for ma- king by-laws, choosing tutors, &c. The tutors receive 150/. per annum out of the provincial treasury, and are compelled to edu- cate in their respective Schools eight poor children or orphans as free scholars. There was another law of the Legislature passed in 1811 for the purpose of ailbrding education to the children of new settle- ments commonly called the School Act, This Institution reflects great credit upon the good sense and liberality of the House of Assembly, and has been of incalculable benefit to the rising gen- eration. By this law in any settlement consisting of thirty fam- ilies, if the majority vote a sum not less than 501. for a school, they are authorised to receive 251 at the Treasury. This amount 80 voted by the majority oi the inhabitants is assessed and collec- ted from ail the inhabitants, as well the minority as the others in the same manner as the poor rates. In 1820 Dalhousie College was established at Halifax, and the trustees incorporated by law ; this is a very spacious stone building, is situated at the end of the old military Parade and makes a very handsome appearance. It has the sum of 9,750 invested in the three per cents as a fund for the payment of professors, &c. and has been erected partly by monies in the handft of tlie Earl of Dalboiisie belonging to his Mai<5st)^, and partly by aid of the Legislature. The object in 6- recting this College as expressed in the act is for the educatioa of youth and students in the several branches of science and lite- rature, as they are commonly tauglit in the University of Edin- burgh,” and has three professorships established, first for ths Greek and Latin Classics, secondly of the Mathematics, natural and experimental Philosophy, and the third of TheoIogjT and moral Philosophy. This Establishment has not yet its Profes- sorships filled, nor is it probable they will be for some time. It is on all sides unanimously deplored that so much money should have been so injudiciously expended. One college is at present sufficient for the two Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Bruns- wick, and it is to be feared that by the endowment of two, both may dwindle into insignificance. Of all places, the centre of a garrison Town and sea-port like Halifax, is perhaps the most unsuitable for an establishment, which containing only lecture rooms, leaves its pupils exposed to dissipation, without one sa- lary check or restraint. Had these funds been appropriated to the endowment of new Professorships at King’s College at Wind- sor, to the enlargement of its Library, and the erection of new buildings which are much required for the accommodation of its officers and students, the public would have been greatly hene- fitted and the cause of Literature much better served than it is at present. Beside private establishments, Halifax contains a very respectable Grammar school a large school for the Cathplics, one on Bell’s and another on Lancaster's System of education. The latter is extremely flourishing being under the active superin- tendence of Walter Bromley, Esq. on thehalf pay of23d Regt. of foot. The unwearied and disinterested attention of this gentleman, to the arduous duties of a large public school, principally compos- ed of young children, the neatness, regularity and order he has in- troduced in the establishment, the interest and paternal care he manifests for the morals and education of his scholars, and the immense number ofphildren he has taught the rudiments of edu- cation, entitle him to the highest credit and respect.* A Sunday school was added to this establishment at an early * This school w^as established by Mr. Bromley 31st July 1813 since which upw ards of one thousand seven hundred scholars of both sexes have been instructed in reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar and geography. And the girls in every kind of needle ^vork — to which a plan has lately been introduced to add to the usefulness of the Institution — ‘‘ A room has been fitted up for the purpose of training girls in the arts of carding and spinning Y, ool^ kuittiiig, SwC. and of dressing and spiffing flax.” 150 period by Mr. “Rronlley and has always received his active and zealous superintendence, although tlie arduous duties of the week- ly school furnish employment more than sulBcient for the strong- est constitution. The j(ood elTects of this institution soon became visihle in the town of Halifax and led to the introduction of si- milar schools in other places. In Pictou one was founded in 18 17 and received such encouragement as to induce a number of the inhabitants of that place on the 25th March 1822, to form a so- ciety for the promulgation of this system thro the Kastern part of the Province; Although one year only has elapsed since the forni.ition of this society, twenty-nine Sunday schools are now in operation in which from 950 to 1000 young persons ai'C receiving moral and religious instruction. Fifty teachers are already em- ployed, many of whom are possessed of great zeal and extensive information. — The. following table will exhibit in one view, the niniber, situation, extent, and date, of the difl'erent schools un- der the direction of this Society. Wlicre situated. |No. of Schools. 1 No. of Teachers | No. of Scholars in attendance. No, of scholars left the School since its formation. When the »School commenced. Town of Pictou, 1 6 95 45 1817 Fisher’s Grant, 1 3 25 7 1821 Carriboo, 3 3 36 1822- Scoth Hill, 1 3 50 10 1821 Lochbrooin, 1 1 20 1822 Low er end West River, 1 3 45 1 822 Middle West River, 1 2 30 1822 Upper West River, 1 2 24 1822 Roger’s Hill, 1 3 28 1822 Mount Tom, 1 1 18 5 1821 Lower end Middle River, 1 2 72 9 1821 Upper end Middle River, 1 1 20 1822 Cape John, 1 I 22 1821 Tatamagouche, 1 3 75 ^1822 New' Annan, 1 o 16 1^22 East River, 11 11 350 1822 Total j28j47| 9G6: 7G ! V ' 151 It may be asked whether among all his Majesty’s Coloijies^ there is one of* the extent and population of Nova Scotia, so pro- vided with Colleges, Academies, County Grammar Seminaries, and the more humble, but not less useful, Schools for the chil- dren in the villages and new settlements ? Indeed few parts of Europe are so favoured in this respect. It is said that in England not more than one child in lifteen is taught to read and write, in \V ales only one in twenty, and in France until very lately, not more than one in thirty-five. But m Nova Scotia eveiy man possesses the means, if he choose to employ them, of giving his children the rudiments of education — reading, writing, and ac- counting. There is more necessity for affording means of edu- cation to the poor, than to the rich. The poor in all countries form the mass of the people, and it is upon their morals and man- ners, that public tranquillity and happiness is built. Whatever makes them good chi-istians malces them good citizens. The more instructed and the better informed they are, the less liable are they to be affected by the delusions of superstition and enthusi- asm, which among ignorant people occasion the most dreadful calamities. The annals of Salem, N. E. exliibit not only a me- lancholy illustration of this fact, but a most singular anomaly, that of persons flying from persecution, becoming the most bitter persecutors themselves, who, while they reprobated the doctrine of uniformity in England, became the most bigotted and cruel sticklers for it in their new settlement. An instructed and intel-^ ligent people are more decent and orderly than an ignorant one. They feel and know the respect due to themselves, and are more willing to pay a proper regard to their superiors, in the diiferent stations of life. It is this gives a security above the law, and con- firms to Nova Scotia the blessing of undisturbed repose, with un- barred doors in its Villages and retired settlements. CHAPTER XI. iO. hrlef Shctch ojilie State of the Province durinp^-ihe Admin isf ration of Sir GcGi'ij^e Prevost^ Sir John Sherbrooke^ the Earl of JJalhousiey and Sir James Kempt. THE origin and growth of a modern Colony affords miicU matter of curious sjieculation. To trace the difference between the state of man rising in the progress of years to civilization, and that of an enlightened people operatinguponuncultivateJ nature^ is at once an interesting and useful pursuit. What the sensati- 152 gns of those people were, who separated from their friends and homes, by a thousand leagues of ocean, and first settled in the trackless forest of Nova Scotia, may be more easily conceived than described. Good Heavens, what sorrows gloomed that parting day, That called them from their native walks away, When the poor exiles, every pleasure past. Hung roujjd their bowers, and fondly look’d their last. And took a long farewell, and wished in vain, For seats like these, beyond the western main ; And shuddering still to face the distant deep, Return’d and wept, and still retiu’ned to weep. Goldsmith. For years their longing lingering looks were cast behind to the temples w here they had worshipped, and the land of their birth and their forefathers, was still spoken of by the endearing appel- lation of Ueme. By this illusion they seemed to have endeavour- ed to mitigate the pain of peri^etual expatriation, by associating with it the idea of a temporaiy residence. An American author of much merit, has illustrated this feel- ing very happily by a reference to domestic life : “ A son, says he, leaving the house of his father for his ow n, finds by the order of nature, and the very law of his being, nearer and dearer ob- jects, around which his affections entw'ine, while his attachment to his parental roof becomes moderated by degrees, to a compo- sed re<>-ard and afiectionate remembrance ; so our ancestors lea- ving their native land, not without some violence to the feelings of nature and affection, yet in time, found here a new circle of engagements and interests, a feeling w'hich more and more en- croached upon the old, till an undivided sentiment that this w as their country occupied their hearts.” Such feelings as these, doubtless operated in their full force, until there arose a second generation to whom the blue hills and silent forests of Nova Sco- tia were familiar objects, who knew no other land or clime than that of their nativity, which soon became hallowed to them, by containing the ashes of their parents and friends. It is difficult to say what is the precise cause (if it be not a combination i that chains our sympathies to the place of our birth. But it is proba- ble that this attachment arises from the knowledge that it con- tains the earthly remains of all that the heart loved most, and from the secret hope that most men cheiish, of reposing in death near the objects of their affection. Th« exratic Indians ackiiowledge the force of this univers^^l 165 feeling, for when requested Jo migrate they answered with. great strength and sublimity, ‘^We were born on this ground, our fa- thers lie buried under it, shall we say to the bones of our fathers, arise and come with us into a foreign land Lonely and repulsive however as this country must have ap- peared to the early settlers, it is now inhabited by a targe popu- lation, whose fortunes are bound to it by the strongest ties, and who participate with as lively a sensation, in every thing connec- ted with its prosperity, as the inhabitants of those countries, which have been the abodes of civilized men for centuries. A person imaccustomed to a new country, can form but little idea of the difficulties encountered in settling Nova Scotia. When Halifax was founded, the communication between the difierent settlements, was chiefly by water, or by a course thro the woo^, marked by (what is called, in New England) blazing, or by strip- ping pieces of bark off of the trees that were immediately in the line of route. A tree cut so as to fall across a brook, constitut- ed the traveller’s bridge, and a hastily constructed camp or wig- wam his only inn. The obstructions presented by uneven ground, thick w'oods, and rapid streams, added much to the toil and fa- tigue, and not a little to the danger of a journey.* The awe which the solitude of the wilderness created was in- * Among the accidents which happened from these causes, I find the fallowing, tlie particulars of which are taken from the Halifax Journal of March 10, 1795. Extract of a Letter from Chester dated March 2nd . — I am ve- ry sorry in being under the painful necessity of acquainting you of a most melancholy accident, which has happened to our wor- thy Missionary, tlie Rev. Mr. Lloyd. — “ He, having formed a resolution of going to Windsor through the woods, upon business totally unknown to any person here, enga^^ed a young man as a guide for that journey, and on Tues- day morning last, went ofi with two others who were determined to accompany him as far as a horse which he rode was able to travel. When they had proceeded about nine miles they were Obliged to part, but hot before the returning pei*sons used every eflbrt in tlieir power to persuade him to come back. About three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon his guide re- turned to a house about two miles from this place, almost spent, and quite confused, imagining he was still proceeding to Wind- sor. “A message from him to the town, caused a party to go ofl immediately to the relief of Mr. Lloyd ; and, after extreme fa- tigue, exploring their way all night by the help of a lamp^ they; 164 f J dreasccl by the ftfiprehenslon of meeting any detached parties of the ferocious and hostile Indians, who, instigated by their mor« barbarous allies, the French Neutrals, seemed resolved to des- troy the English settlers. These were' difficulties of no ordinary nature, and we cannot sufficiently admire the patient industry and persevering fortitude, which enabled the emigrants to over- come them. At this time an arrival of a merchant ship from En- gland, in the spring and autumn, was an event of great import- ant^ to the infant settlements, which were thus scantily supplied With articles of British Merchandise and manufacture. Good roads are a work of time and expence. Many were sooa marked out and cleared of the wood, but none were completed. 1 he erection of a few bridges where labour was scarce and ex- undertaking of such magnitude as to absorb most ^ for the road service, and it was not mitil 1790 that an inland communication was formed between ±1 allfax and Pictou. The revenue w hich arose on duties imposed upon articles of import was necessarily small where there was but little trade. The country however under the fostering and pro- tectmgJiand of government gradually increased and prospered ^le population was daily augmenting, and the revenue improving' Great inducements were held out to emigrants, and extensiv^e and valuable grants of land were given to all who resorted to the 'Province. Sueh was the posture of affairs in 1783 and 4, when a very great adddion was made to the population and wealth of the country by the arrival of the loyalists from the United States Unlike the ordinary cl^s of emigrants, these industrious and re.^ectable people brought with them large sums' of money cattle, f^urniture, merchandise, vessels, &c. and what was of still peater importance, good principles and good habits. Instead of being exclusively peopled by disbanded soldiers and needy adven- turers, the Province was possessed of an intelligent and wealthy about sun-rise on Thursday morning, found him dead, about 1« miles Irom this place. , “ I shall not double you with any other particulars, but that he was brought back to town, and yesterday interred with every mark of respect, after an inquest had been taken. ^ Uvery individual of his parishionei-s, who had anv opportu*- mty of speaking with l.im tried every thing but force to detain r^r Hie length as well as the extreme badness of the Ih?l fTt appearances of a storm, and likewise his in- L and totar/""" ? journey, being of a weakly constituti- ttity of the S "■ith the changeablcuess and extre. miiy ox tne w eathei: m this couttti'y. 165 body of men, who at once liHed the Legislature, the Bench of Justices, and the various County Courts. From this period th^ improvement of the country advanced with rapid strides, and during the succeeding twenty-five years, most of the townships and settlements were traced out and assumed their present shape. Halifax becapic a large commercial town, and formed a valuable market for the sale of country produce. In 1808 Sir George Prevost was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia. At this time a communication had been formed between Halifax and most of the distant villages and districts, the Indians had long been ren- dered obedient to the laws, and the general improvement and increase of the country w^as deemed so great as to be a matter of congratulation, but such has been the rapid advance of late years that it has given it the appearance of a slow and slender growth. Few men were better qualified for administering the government of a Colony than Sir George Prevost. Conciliating and condes- cending in his manners he soon gained the good opinion of public men, and the irritation which conflicting interests had created previous to his arrival, was soon lost in the general harmony to which the policy of his measures so happily contributed. The United States at this period began to manifest a hostile disposition towards Great Britain and anticipating a favourable termination to the ambitious views of France, seemed resolved to seize upon that critical period to possess themselves of the British Continental Colonies. The first measure of the Governor therefore on his arrival was, by a personal inspection^ to inform himself of the actual state of the Province and its capacity for defence. Having made a tour through the country for this pur- pose, he communicated his observations to the House of Assem- bly as follows : “ when I turn,” said he, my thoughts to the affairs of this Province, I find much to congratulate you upon ; we can now fully and fairly estimate the eff ects of the embargo, so long and so rigorously imposed on the commerce of the Uni- ted States, by the Government of that country. The man- ner in which their general restriction of trade has been carried into execution leaves no doubt as to the real object intended to be accomplished by it, The project has totally failed, and the British Nation has derived sufficient experience from the measure to be convinced that her Colonies and Commerce can be as lit- tle affected by the embargo of America, as by the blockading de- crees of France. New sources have been resorted to with suc- cess, to supply the deficiencies produced by so sudden an inter- ruption of Commerce ; and the vast increase of Imports and Ex- gprts of this Province proves that the embau’go is a measure welt 156 aflaptfid to promote the. true iatereat of His Majestj^s North A- 3»nerican Coloiiies. The abundant Crops of every kind, with which it has pleased the Almij^ty to ble^s this Province, the great increase of Agricul- ture and Fisheries, and the considerable supply of timber which we have sent to the Mother Countries, the augmentation of ouv revenue/, aiid above all, the just derate which the people of this country entertain of the happiness they enjoy under His Majesty ir^y paternal Government, afford ample cause for congratulati- on, and give unquestionable proofs of the prosperity and rapid in- crease 01 this valuable Province. After the Olose of the last session, I took the earliest opportu- nity to give effect to the Act then passed for the better regulation of the Militia forces, and I feel great satisfaction in iniormmg you, that 26 Battalions are completely organized, and placed in E state of training and instruction ; and I have every hope, fronx the general zeal and good disposition of the people that the Pro- vince will acquire a great degree of permanent security from the measure. I have already caused a large proportion of the Mili- tfa to'be armed and accoutred and I have ordered the Quarter- Master-Gcneral to lay before you the proper accounts of tliis ex- pense, that measures may be adopted to liquidate and pay the same in conformity with your resolution relative thereto. The tour I made through the midland and western districts of the Province, afforded me a just conception of many local points, and particularly the importance of good public roads. I have paid every attention in my power to the expenditure of the mo- nies voted for that ser\dce and the proper accounts in that depart- ment are directed to be laid before you. Besides calling yovu* at- tention to that important object, I must also recommend to you such measures as may be judged beneficial for the improvement of Agriculture and Fisheries of this Province, and to encourage settlers to occupy and cultivate the waste lands.” At a subse- quent sessions of the Legislature, he says, I turn w ith satisfactn on from the consideration of the affairs of Rurope, to the pleasing conteniplation of the increasing trade and iishecies of this Pro- vince. The extension and improvement of its Agriculture ; the, enlargement of its principal town, and the cultivation of useful and ornamental sciences by our youth, all of which are unequi- vocal indications of a prosperous and rising Country. As no- thing tends more effectually to promote industry, audits ever be- neficial consequences, than the construction of good roads for in- tern^ commerce ; and as no stronger proof can be given of a flourishing state, than the multiplication of tho$e means of com- munication^ I iQo^ Iq wisdom, and public spirit^ for such supplies, as may be^ commensurate to that very importa®it ser* vice ; and I desire you will give your particulao:’ attention to the road estimate for the ensuing year, which I have directed to be laid before you,; it being my wish that eveiy inhabitant of this Province should know and feel that his convenience and interest < are attended to by the Government luider which he lives. The prosperous state of this Province, requires that the different hi-an- ches of the Legislature, the Courts of Justice, and the public of- ficers should be better accommodated than they are at present; I therefore recommjend that object to your consideration. The same increasing prosperity, renders a Provincial Prison an indis- pensible establishment, for the receiving at labour such refracto- ry and disorderly persons as may be committed to it from all parts ^ of the Province, for their reformation ajid for an example ta de- ter others from immoral practices. I feel it also my duty, to call your attention to the many af- flicting cases which present themselves in difi’erent parts of the; Province, where persons with deranged minds (the most grievous of all maladies) greatly suffer from the want of that accommo^- dation and medical aid, their wretched situation so particularly - requires, and which are only to be obtained in a public estab- lishment ; I therefore recommend to you to follow the good ex- ample given by all civilized Governments:; in making some pro- vision for the care of persons labouring under such deplorahl© visitations.^’ £ s* '!• * In 1808 the Revenue amounted to 17,147 13 0 In 1809 to .25,^41 15 10 In 1811 ^ to 26,598 7 5 To the militia Sic George directed his particular attention, in- troducing a new system f(?r their governance, and placing thein upon a very effective footing. Military Inspecting Officers and drill sergeants were appointed to assist the local officers, and arms and accoutrements were issued to the men, to a very large amount. During his administi'ataon order and regularity were introduced in the public departments, schools established in the. several townships of the Province, an agent appointed in Loai- * In thus fixing the amount of Revenue, it is proper to remark that I have taken the sum as stated in the Journals of the As- sembly to be the disposable amount for the current year, and al- though the , balances in the hands of the Treasurer, and the di’aw- backs of duties occasionally varied the amount, yet this mode of ^certaining the Revenue is the one gei^erally adopted. 158 ion to superintend Hie interests of the Colony, the Province Buildiiii^ founded, the road service revised and amended, boun- ties «-iven for raising grain upon new land, and for the encour- agement of the Fisheries, and other improvements of a perma- yient and important nature effected. In 1811 Sir Geore Prevost >vas appointed Governor General of the British Provinces in North America, and was succeeded in the Government of Nova Scotia by Sir John Coape Sherbrooke. During the course of the ensuing year Sir John met the Legislative body at Halifax, and in liis address mentioned the improving state of the country lit a manner tliat bore ample testimony to the exertions of his predecessor. The flattering accounts which I have received’’ said he, of the improving state of the Trade,Fisherips and Ag- riculture of the Province, have been particularly gratifying to me ; and 1 trust by our joint exertions and endeavours to ad-» vance the public good, that these indications of rising prosperity wili continue rapidly to increase. The very commendable attention you have paid to the roads, and to the establishing a very respectable constitutional force for the defence of the Province, are measures of very public utility, I regret that the advanced season of Hie year in which I arriv- ed here has prevented my inspecting the Militia ; but I am hap- py to inform you, that I have received such favourable repor^ of the progress made by several of the battalions in their disci- pline, as give me reason to believe (should circumstanced require their being called into more active service) that a considerable part of this force is already in a state to render very essential be- nefit to the country, and to perform their duty in such a manner as will reflect honour upon themselves and the Province. The amount of the Revenue in 1812 was £ 27,000 0 0 in 1813 33,686 3 10 in 1814 114,553 3 10 in 1815 108,095 5 If Soon after the arrival of Sir John, the American Government declared war against Great Britain, and the House of Assembly in a very loyal manner immediately placed a sufficient sum of money at his disposal, to put the Province in a posture of defence - It was no doubt highly gratifying to him upon this occasion to observe the patriotic spirit with which all classes of his Majesty’s subjects were animated. The Province however was never visi- ted by the enemy, but the war occasioned the colony to be filled with wealth, which afforded the means of making great and im- portant improvements. Happy would it have been for the couu-. iiy, had it availed itself in a suitable manner, of that most fortu- nate period. It maj however with safety be advanced as a fact, that th^ American war was highly injurious to Nova Scotia. It commenced under auspices which were hailed as most happy. The Revenue was overflowing, the metalic coins were in ^'eat abundance, and not only the value of real estate, but all the A- gricultiu^al products were greatly enhanced. Mechanic, and ther labour, received a remuneration far above the ordinary rates. Halifax began to increase in proportion, and afford a rei dy market for all the produce of the country. Most people without adverting to the adventitious circumstances which were the cause of this sudden change, began to suppose that property had not risen to one half of its real value, and that Nova Scotia was fast advancing to a state of European population and culture. It may readily be conceived, how baneful the effects of this delusion have been. Universal speculation ensued. Many farmers deemed it a duty to embrace the favourable moment by purchasing land, the price of which w as daily rising, to secure a fortune to them- selves and families. Unfortunately money was too abundant and too easy to be obtained on security and interest. Hence a gen- eral state of mortgaging commenced, and a proportion of the old farms of the Province became encumbered w ith debt for the purchase of new ones. Had however the infatuation been confined to a mere specir- lation, the error would have been more easily remedied, but un- happily a general extravagance and expensive mode of living, to- tally unsuitable to the means and state of the country", became every day more apparent. The good plain homespun manufac- ture of the country began to be little ivorn by any but menials. Nay some farmers affected to regard manual labour as unbecom- ing their station, and every species of rural occupation as labo^ rious and degrading. The war was no sooner terminated, and the numerous navy and ai’my withdrawn (the real cause of that increase of money) than this illusion vanished and disclosed th© plain reality. Halifax to its inhabitants, bore the appearance of a town at the close of a fair, and the sudden change from unu- sual bustle and* business, to their ordinary pursuits, made this alteration of times more perceptible. Money gradually disappear- ed, and a ho.st of speculators inundated the country wuth their printed promissory notes, which were substituted in the place of silver. This issue drove out of circulation what little coin w as in t];e Province, and was accompanied by a quantity of base topper money, the intrinsic value of wdiich boi'e no proportion to its nominal worth. The failure of several mercantile establish- added to the general drstre^s, l60 These chan-res the natural result of a sudden transition from -a Sat and universal war, to a state of ^ ^ ^ hv Nova Scot a in common with all ls.urope ana expenenced by Nova^^5>^^^^ since been made to meet that a suUable manner, and the remedies applied have been ‘^ffir-feious Necessity enforces the lessons taught by experience frSer exertions, more industty and strict economy are ^vprv^where tisible. The consequences of these habits so dearly ^^H'fTprent directions, cross roads made, and the two mam post expen^d by the Province m 21 years, that is, from 1800 to 18il amounts to 240,5001. A I'reat road is like a great river, it ffertilizes the country through which it passes. This attention to the inland communi- caUon of the Province cannot be too highly applauded Durmg the war Sir John Sherbrooke was particularly careful in the "e T)enditure of the public money, and the economy with 'vhich CrSatLs of Uie Legislature were disbui;sed, was such ^ to eSSr surprise and gratitude. Many of the large grants of land which had^ been made during previous nersons who never settled upon them, were escheated ® Granted to emigrants, which was a measure of great public utili- fr A new line of road was opened from Halitax to Annapolis, Ind a township formed thereon by the settlement of disbanded -a. „p.n .,.e which eno-a>red the attention of his prertionabI| larger as it is easier to pay. It would perhaps puzzle a lawyer to say which is a legal tender in the Province.— The current coin is any coin which reaches the country. Doubloons and their part* dollars and their fractions, copper coin of every description, Am- erican eagles, English sovereigns and guineas, French, Spanish, and Portugal gold, Silver, and Provincial paper. A dpubiooa passes for four pounds ; although bV the statute it is not worth more than £3 17 6.— This iumble^ and mixture of money al- though apparently absurd ana troublesome, answer;^ very well in practice ; and occasions no seripiis inconvenience whatever. There is a great deal of barter in the dealing between man and man in Nova Scotia. If a man purchase a hoi’se he frc (^uently offers in payment a certain Quantity of smoked fish, lumber, rum flour, or possibly Plaister oi Paris. This custom so injurious to the fair trader, and so immoral in its tendency, is produced by two causes/ both of which are in the power of the Province to remedy. One is a system of smuggling exciseable articles in despite of the activity of the preventive officers. The situation of the country, its neighbourhood to the United States, its innu- merable coves and harbours, rivers and creeks, its woods and thickets all present such facilities for evading the laws, that it is extremely difficult to check the evil. If the Legislature were to employ Kevenpe Cutters, this illicit trade would soon become too hazardous an employment, and the exports of the country Ayould be sold either fpr articles which would pay a duty into the treasury or for cash. The other cause is a scarcity of money, a- mong other things occasioned hy the loss of large sums which bave heretofore been annually expended fpr the purchase of flour. There are no manufactures in Nova Scotia:. They have but late- ly made their appearance in the United States, and require ca- pital, a dense population and a surplus of labour, neither of which the Province affords. The Legislature has manifested a design to encourage any undertaking of this kind and in 13 1 1 the follow- ing resolution was entered on the Journal of Assembly. ’Resolved — ^Tliat it is the opinion of this Committee, that a pre- mium of two hundred and fifty pounds should be granted to the first adventurer, being an inhabitant of this Province, who shall within four years erect and build in this Province, a good and suf- ficient Bloomery, or Forge, at which shall be made from ore of the Province, twenty tons, at the least, of good merchantable Bar Iron, within six months after such Forge shall be erected. Also, a premium of three hundred and fifty pounds to the first ad- venturer, being an inhabitant of this Province, who, within the time aforesaid, ahall boAjd a good and sufficient Finery in, the-Pro- m ■vftfcft, at which there shall be manufachired anti made (w6nty tons, at the least, of good merchantable refined Bar Iron, within SIX months after the same shall be erected. And also a premium of sii hundred pounds to the first adventurer, being an inhabitant of this jprovince, who shall, within the time aforesaid, erect and build a good and sufficient Furnice in this Province, at which shall be made, within six months after the same shall be built, GO tons of good merchantable Pig Iron, and ten tons of good mer- chantable Hollow Ware. The manufacture of Iron is a subject of great importance to the interests of the Colony, and the quality of the ore was pro- nounced on the trial of its properties made in London, to be very superior. There is a species of domestic manufacture of blu^ homespun or woolen cloth, which is oti mere or less in e- very old township m the ProvWce. This has been greatly in- creased of late years, by the introduction of carding and fulling mills, and the cloth thus made is strong and durable, and princi- pally used by both sexes among the farmers and their servants. Carpets, linen and cotton sheets and towels for domestic use are also manufactured upon a small scale Fn some of the older town- ships. There are no direct taxes in Nova Scotia. The civil list and other public expenditures are provided for by small duties imposed upon the introduction of certain foreign articles into the country, which are particularly specified hi chapter eight. The other impositions consist of an inconsiderable charge for the main- tenance of the poor, and other county services ^Ise-where no- ticed. . /• . It has been observed in Eurnpe thattbe middle classes of soci- ety are the most happy, and for the saihe causes it is probable that the inhabitants of Nova Scotia are as much so as any i^ace of people contained: in the British dominions. The equality of pro- perty and information which pk*evail^ in the country naturally tends to harmonize their minds, and draw together more closely the bonds of aflbct^on. The security of property and the hope of increasing it, arid the facility of succeding in this expectation,^ contribute to mutual independence and to an intimate connecti- on of neighbours. There is not that distinction ordisfance which leads to indifference, or that rivalship which borders on hatred. It is in the Colonies that men lead such a life (says the Abbe Raynal) as was the original destination of mankind', best suited to the health and increase of the species, arid probably they en- joy as much happiness as is consistant with the frailty of human nature. — When we contemplate the geographical situation of this country, and consider its political advantages and internal resour- ces, its portion for tradCj the salubrity of its climate^ the vigouv «f its s(^1, iht rariety and vahic of its minerals^ the quantity of- its timber, the number and extent of its harbours and rivers, and the valuable fisheries by which it is surrounded ; we should be inclined to say that Nova Scotia, “ that little speck, scai-ce visi- ble in the mass of national interest, that smalt seminal principle, rather than a formed body,^’ will one day be the most populous and wealthy portion of North America. CHAPTER XIL . - APPEJVDIX. Copy oflhe. Krn^ nf a ^ova Scotia Barony — Parlicular$ of tkk loss of the Frigate La Tribu,u> ^Patfa Piracy ai Ma- lagash — Abstract of a Report of the Commit- tee of both Houses in 181 9 — Letter of Gov, Mascarcncin 174Q. Obpy ^ a Grant to Edward Widdrington, Esquire, ol* Cai-L'nffJi. ton County of Northumberland of Lands, &c. &c. adjoining to the lands of Sir James Hay Knight and Baronet, of Smilh- faeld m Nova Scotia, bearing date the 26th of September 1635 in 1 1th of Charles the hrst« T ^ Charter made and granted by our Sovereign Lord the King to Edward Widdrington of Carlington in the oun y o Northumberland, Esquire, his heirs, male, and assigns whomsoevCT hereditarily, of all and the whole of that part and ^rtionoflandsofthe region and lordship of Nova Scotia, as follows, particularly bounded and limited, that is to say, becin- mng froin the west side of the lands and Barony of Smitlifield, hereditm ily belonging to Sir James Hay of Smithfield, Knight and ^ of the river named The Great Sh>boin Capricon, bearing towards the west from the said Barony for the space of three miles ascending the river, keepin" always the river for the bounds thereof towards the south, ^and from thence bearing tmvards the north for the space of six miles keeping ^ways two miles in breadth and six in length to the said th^eof towards the east, iJ-ith tie cast£ i^to the j /’ &c. which same lands were resigned by him tei^a?d InfeSet '‘‘i Sovereign Lord the King, for this new char- •Mpr^over^ with ^ of t/nipn, spid ooe entire and free. 1^8 3ftrony and RoyaTty at all times hereafter to 1be named, The Barony of Carlington, and to be held of our said Sovereign Lord the King, and his successors of his Crown of the Kingdom of Scot- land in tree and true Blanche Farm for the yearly payment of one penny of the usual money of the said Kingdom of Scotland upon the sale and ground of the said lands, in the name of Blanche J arm, if it should be demanded or any part thereof only on the feast day of the nativity of our Saviour, and the seizen taken at the Castle of Edinburg only shall be sufficient for all and singu- lar the lands, and other things particularly and generally above written. And that the said Edward Widdrington and his heirs male shall have arms proceeding from a hand armed and naked, joined with this motto (Munit haec et altera vincit) and other things granted in the Common fonm-tif^^rkarts of Baronets. Da- ted at Edinburg the twenty-sixth day of the month of September in the year of our Lord 1635, and in the 1 1th year of our reign. (By Signet.) N. B. The said Charter was ordered to be registered by King Charles the First, in the books of the Lyon’s King of arms, He- rald’s Office, Edinburg. The following particulars of the loss of His Majesty’s frigate theTrilmne, at the entrance of Halifax harbour, are extracted from the Halifax Journal of 1797. Halifax JS'ov, 30, 1797. — The melancholy fate of His Majesty’s ship La Tribune, having for the past week occupied the attention of every feeling mind, we conceived it our duty to collect, as far as possible, all the circumstances which attend the fatal disaster, not only for the satisfaction of the public in general, but particu- larly for the information of the friends of the unfortunate suffer- ei*s, and of the fortunate survivors. It is a tale replete with woe(, and the description given by those who have survived the disas- ters of the horrors of the closing scene, and the dismal night that followed, could we do justice in this short narrative, to their description, would harrow up the feelings of the most callous heart : — La Tribune was one of the finest frigates in His Majesty’s ser- vice, mounted 44 guns, and was lately captured by Capt. Willi- ams in the Unicorn frigate. She was commanded by Capt. S. Barker, and sailed from Torbay the 22d September, as convoy to the Quebec and Newfoundland fleets. In lat. 49. 14 — long. 17, 29. She fell in with and spoke His Majesty’s ship Experi- ment from this place, out 12 days. — She lost sight of all her con- voy Oct. 19. in lat. 46 16. long. 32. 11. — On lliursday morning fast, they discovered this harbour about 8 o’clock, and the wln*d 1/4 being at E. S: E. they approached it very fast, when Capt. BasA ker proposed to the master to lay the ship too till they could ob- tain a Pilot ; the master replied, he had beat a 44 gun ship into the harbour — that he had been frequently here, and that there was no occasion for a Pilot, as the wind was fair/' Confiding in tliese assurances, Capt. Barker went below, and was for a time employed in arranging some papers he wished to take on shore with him. The master in the mean time taking upon him the pi- lotage of the ship, and placing great dependence on the judgment of a negfro man by the name of John Casey, (who had formerly belonged here) whom he had placed forward to con the ship.-— About 1^ o’clock the ship had approached so near to the Thrum Cap ShoaKs, that the master became alarmed, and sent for Mr. Galvin the masters mate who was sick below. On his coming on deck, he heard tho'man in the chains sing out ‘‘ by the mark five" the black man forward at the same time singing out steady,” Galvin got on one of the Carronades to observe the situation of the ship, the master in much agitation at the same time taking the wheel from the man who was stoeririg, with an intent to wear the ship. But before this could be effected, or Galvin sdile to give an opinion, she struck. Capt. Barker instantly came on deck and reproached the master with having lost the ship— see- ing Galvin also on deck, he addressed him, and said, (as he knew he had formerly sailed out of this harbour) that he was much surprised he could stand by and see the master run the ship on shore. Galvin informed the Captain he bad not been on aeck long PTionghto give an opinion. Signals of distress were imme- diately made and answered by the military posts, and the ships in the harbour. Boats from all tite military posts, from His Majes- ty’s ships and the dockyard, proceeded to the relief of La 'rribune. The military boats and one of the boats from the dock yard, with Mr. Rackum boatswain of the Ordinary, reached the ship, but the other boats thoi^ making the greatest exertions, were not a- hie, the w ind being so much against them, to get on board. The ship was immediately likened by throwing all her guns, except one retained for signals, over board, and every other hea- vy article, so that at about half-past eight o’clock in the even- ing the ship began to heave, and about 9 she got off from the shoals. She had before at about five or six o’clock lost her rud- der, and on examination it was now found that she had seven feet water in the hold. The chain pumps were immediately manned, and such exertions made, that they seemed to gain on the leaks, and by advice of Mr. Rackum, the Captain ordered to let go the best bower anchor. This was done, but it did not bring her up^. The Captain then ordered them to cut the cable« m and the jib and fore top mast stay sail were hoisted to stear by. All this time the violent gale which had come on from the S. E. kept increasing and carrying them to the western shore. In a short time, the small bower anchor was let go, at which time they found themselves in about 13 fathoms water. The mheen mast was then out away. It was now about ten o'clock, the water gaining fast on the ship, little hope remained of saving the ship or tJieS lives. At tliis critical period Lieut. Campbell quitted the ship. Lieut, Nooth was taken into the boat out of one of the ports. Lieut. James of the Royal Nova Scotia regiment not be- mg to be found, was so unfortunate as to remain, and to the great distress of Ids worthy parents and friends shared the gene- ral fate. From the period when Lieut. Campbell quitted. the ship, all the hopes of safety had vanish ed, the ship was sinking fast, the storm was incre^ing with rcdmihle^ ^Telace,' the rocky shore to which they Wme approaching, resounded with the tre- mendous noise of the billows which rolled towards it, presented nothing to those who might survive the sinking of the ship, but the expectation of a more painful death, from being dashed a- gainst those tremendous precipices, which even in the calmest day, it is almost impossible to ascend. Dunlap, one of the survivors, informs us, that at about half past ten, as nearly as he could conjecture, one of the men who had been below, came to him 6n the forecastle, and told him the ship was sinking- — in a few minutes after, the ship took a lurch as a boat will when nearly filled with water and going down ; im- mediately on which, Dunlap began to ascend the fore shroud, and at the same moment casting his eyes toward the quarter deck saw Capt. Barker standing by the gangway, and looking into the w^ater, and directly after heard him call for the jolly boat. At the same time saw the Lieutenant of Marines running to- wards thetaffrail, he supposed to look for the jolly boat, as she had been previoasly let down with four men in her — but instant- ly the ship took a second lurch, and sunk to the bottom ; after which, neither the Captain nor any other of the officers were geen. ^The scene sufficiently distressing before, became now per culiarly awful ! — more than 240 men, besides several women and chi]di*en, were floating on. the waves, making their last efforts to preserve their existence. Dunlap whom we have before men- tioned, gained the fore top. Mr. Galvin the master’.s mate after incredible difficulty, got into the main top — he was below when the ship sunk, directing the men, at the chain puinp, he was w^ashed up the hatchway, thrown into the waist, and from thence into the water, and his feet as he plunged struck a rock— on asr cfuiiing he swam to gam the main shrouds, whea he w as sudieor 178 Jjr seized hold of by three men— he was now afraid he was lost *j-to disengage himself from them he made a dive into the watw which induced them to quit their hold. On rising again he swam to the shrouds and arrived at the main top, and seated himself on an arm chest which was lashed to the mast From the observations of Mr. Galvin from the main top, and of Dunlap in the fore top, it appears that near a hundred persons were for a considerable time hanging to the shrouds, the tops, and oth^er parts of the wreck : but from the extreme length of the night and the severity of the storm, nature became exhausted, and they kept at all periods of the night dropping off and disap- unhappy sufferers, from •■eceived, and as their hopes of de- 1 verence began to fail them, were continued through the night uT that then survive^ it became feeble indeed ! the whole number saved from the wreck amounting to eight persons and several of them so exhausted, as to be mdifferent whether they were taken off or not 1*^ V'*"®’ he supposes, there were on the main top and •n the shrouds upwards of 40 persons. By the fall of the mast the whole were again plunged into the water, and of that number only nine, besides himself regained the top.— The top rested up- on the mam yard, and the whole remained fast to the ship by some of the ngging. Of the ten persons which regained the main top four only were alive when the morning appeared ; ten were at that time alive on the fore top, but three of them had got so exhausted, and had become so unable to help themselves, that be, fore any relief came they were finally washed away ; three o- ' top*^* P®«shed, and four only were also finally left alive in the fore The place where the ship went down, was only about three Cove ^tL n"i^^l southward of the entrance into Herring Shi!: P P P ® came down in the night to the point opposite to where the ship sunk, and kept large fires, and were so near as in converse with the people on'the T^reck. The fiXxertioTu^ich was rnade for their relief, was by a boy of thirteen years old from Herrmg Cove, who ventured off in a small skiffby himself aboS eleven o’clock the next day, and this truly desei^ing younriad wi h great exertions, and at extreme risk to himself,*ventured to approach the wreck, and backed in his little bolt si nearTrthe tv oJeiPred whT^’f ’ ^ trait of generous magnanimi- had EahmPiP® T''®! and Munroe, S vit this disastrous night, providentially preserved V M 177 tiiefr streAgth and spirits, beyond their unfortunate oompanion^^ and they had endeavoured to cheer and encourage them as they found their spirits sinking ; they were now both of them able to have stepped into the boat, and put an end to their own sufferings j but their other two companions, though alive, were unable to help themselves ; they lay exhausted on the top ; wished not to be disturbed, and seemed desirous to perish as they lay. lliose ge- nerous fellows hesitated not a moment to remain themselves on the wreck, and to save, thoilgh against their will, their unfortu- nate companiorna ; they lifted them up, and by the greatest ex- ertions got them into the little skiff, and the manly boy rowed them triumphantly to the Cove, and instantly had them convey- ed to a comfortable habitation. After shaming by his example older persons, who had larger boats, he put off again in his skiff, but with all his eff >rts, he could not again approach the wreck. His example however, was soon followed by the men in the Tri- bime’s jolly-boat, and by some of the boats of the Cove, and by their joint exertions the eight men were preserved, who, with the four that escaped in the jolly-boat, make the whole number of the solitary survivors of this fine ship’s company. Some have been disposed to blame Captain Barker, as exhi- biting too much obstinacy in not abandoning the ship and preser- ving his crew, as a violent storm was evidently approaching ; but on examining the men who have survived, we find, (though othei: officers in the same situation might have formed a different judg- ment) that the conduct of Capt. Barker was throughout the try- ing scene completely cool and collected — Though from the man- ner in which the ship had been run ashore, no blame could at- tach to him, yet he could not reconcile it to himself to lose so fine a ship without making every exertion to save her. Having by the greatest efforts considerably lightened her, he had reason to suppose she might get off before^ high water — she made no water while she lay-aground — there^ were therefore great hopes, if she could not that night have been got up the harbour, that she .mi<^ht with safety have been brought to anchor atidiiave rode out gale. When she finally got off; universal joy was diffused throughout the ship — every man thought the object of their joint efforts was attained — but the rapid manner in which the water poured into her, soon damped their joy, and plunged them into despair. Had the ship been finally saved by the ereat exertions whmh were made to effect it, every man would have praised Captain Barker, and notwithstanding those exertions failed^ think we may'justly say in the language of AddisOu — ’Tis not in mortals to command success ‘‘ Barker iid more ; he did doserve it.'’ w To his memory therefore, and that of his brave fellow siiffeiw ers, the commiseration of their countrymen is justly due — from every generous heart they will receive that commiseration ; anil while the mind runs over the whole trying scene, the tears which must involuntarily flow will embalm their memory. Having closed the general scene, w^e think it will not be unac- ceptable to our readers if we notice the conduet of some indivi* duals. — A Quarter-Master belonging to the ship by the name of McGregor had his wife On board ; they were a respectable cou-< - pie and greatly attached to each other. McGregor, from his af- fectionate solicitation for her safety, endeavoured to persuaded her, while the ship lay on the shoals, to go ashore in one of thq boats which came ofl‘from the Island, as his mind would be morQ at ease, could he put her in a place of safety — to his solicitations she replied, that she n^ver would abandon him ; if it was hie lot to perish, shq wished not to survive him ; finding it in vain to urge her further, he desisted from the attempt, and she afterwards shared the common fate. A considerable time after the ship hact foundered, a man was discovered swimming towards the wreck. On his approaching hear it was found to be McGregor; he informed his comrades who were hanging to the w reck, that he had swam towards the shore ; that he nad ventured as far as he could with safety into the surf, and found if he went further he should be dashed to pieces, and he cautioned them all to avoid making the like attempt, but if possible to hold by the wreck. He himself gained the main shrouds, and remained there till the mast gave way, and then met the same fate as his unfortunate consort, whose death he was continually deploring while on the shrouds. Dunlap relates another instance that occurred, which though it. may appear ludicrous after the distressing scenes we have no- ticed, is too descriptive of that cool thoughtlessness of danger that so often distinguishes our British Tars, that it would be in- excusable to omit it. — ^Daniel Munroe, one of the survivors, had as well as Dunlap, got into the fore ton. After a while he dis- appeared, and it was concluded he had been washed away with many others ; after an absence from the top of about two hours he suddenly popped his head up The lubber hole to the surprise of Dunlap^ who enquired where he had been ; he said he had been cruising for a better birth ; and it appeared that after swim- ming about the wreck for a considerable time, he had returned to the fore shrouds, and crawled in on the Cat-harpins, and had actually been to sleep there more than a>i hour, and he said he was and really appeared to be, greatly refreshed. Brennan of the Pock-Yard, who had gone on board with Mr. Ivackum, after the sinking of the ship, had got on the maia and remained there till the main-mast gave way, and was ver after seen. While noticing the Fmmediate disasters of the ship, we forhorc to mention the fate of one of the boats which had gone from George’s Island. About nine o’clock as the ship went off, the boat got under the ship’s bow, and was upset ; by this circum- stance a part of the men, consisting of two serjeants and four privates the Royal Nova Scotia Regiment were unfortunately drowned ; the remainder were taken up by the boat belonging to the Eastern Battery. Too much praise cannot be given to the men w'ho manned these boats, and particularly to Serjeant Baker, and the boat’s cVew who persevered in following the ship, and finally brought offLieuts. Campbell and Nooth of the Royal FuSiltcrs. Great praise is also dbe to the dock-yard boat, which carried Mr. Rackiiih on board, they followed the ship at a short distance, tfll she foundered and with extreme diBiculty at ler^th reached Mferring Cove. We are sorry to mention that Mr. Rackum whose exertions on board La Tribune to preserve the ship, were gratefully acknowledged, perished with the unhappy ship’s com- pany. Having mentioned all the disastrous circumstances which have attended this distressing scene, it is with pleasure we now notice the attention which has been paid to the widow^s and children of the unfortunate sufferers. His Royal Highness Prince Edward,^ with that uniform generosity which has distinguished his Roy^l Highness during his residence ii;i this Province^ directed immedi- ate provision to be made for the behreaired families, and there is reason to hope through his Royal Highness’ representations, that provision will be made as permanent as their sufferings. Actions like these dignify even Kings, and add splendour to the highest rank. ^ . Besides the attention shewn by bis Royal Highness, a liberal subscription has been made by the garrison for the widows of the soldiers who were drowned, and lot the men who manned the boats. Tliere is another instance of generosity which the occasion seems to require, and it seems to be the earnest w ish of the men who were saved from the wreck ; it is that some reward may be bestowed on the boy who first came off to them. They attri-* bnte in a great measure their deliverance to him, and th^ men** tion with the w arniest gratitude, not only his exertions to save them from the wreck, but his kind and hospitable attention to relieve them after they had reached the Cove. Surely if a sub^ acfiption was set on foot, there is not a man in the conntiy w^ild not give something to reward and encourage so young an instance of humane and heroic magnanimity. Mr. Club, the master of La Tribune, was master of the Ac- tive frigate when she was run ashore on the island of Anticosti. Mr. Fennel, the first Lieut, and Mr. Galvin, the master’s mate were both formerly prisoners at Guadaloupe with Col. Wether- all, and were all for a considerable time chained by their legs together, Lieut. Fennel declared to Lieut. Campbell, that his only motive in coming out in La Tribune, was to have the plea- sure of seeing Col. Wetherall , and such appears to have been the attachment of Galvin to Lieut. Fennel, that though he speaks with becoming feeling of the fate of the ship’s company, the loss of Lieut. Fennel seems peculiarly to affect him. On enquiring of him if he saw Lieut. Fennel after the ship .sunk, he replied, he did not for if he had, though he was himself in a place of apparent security, he would have again risked his life to pre- serve him, and woidd have effected it or perished with him. A similar attachment to each other, appears among the men who have survived the wreck, and the circumstances unite to prove, that the virtues which render human beings the most pleasing, are, those they are taught in the trying school of adversity. List of the officers lost in La Tribune. — Capt. Scory Barker ; first Lieutenant Thomas Fennel ; second do. Thomas Clarke' ^ third do. Thomas Sharpe ; Master, James Club ; Surgeon Jones ; Purser Stanford ; Lieut. Marines James Craig ; Mr. Stag, Master’s Mate ; John Darrington, Midshipman , Charles Ritchie do. ; John Cloudesley, do. ; William Graston, do. ; William Haley, Captain’s Clerk ; John Franklin, Boats- wain y James Jurd, Carpenter ; William Thomas, Gunner. ^Extract from Cohnan^s Memoirs of the troubles of the J\ew Eng^ land Colonies from the Indians and French. IT was at Falmouth, in Casco Bay, August the 15th, 1726, that the Honourable William Hummer, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-chief of his Majesty’s Province of Massachu- setts* Bay, with the Honourable John Wentworth, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of New Hampshire, and Major Mascarenc, delegated from his Majesty’s Province of Nova Scotia, conclud- ed a peace with Wenemovet, Chief Sachem and Sagamore of the Penobscot Tribe W^e then were ready to flatter ourselves, that a foundation was laid for some lasting peace w ith these treache- rous natives. Not but that we were well aware of the narrow and feeble foot that peace w*as built on ; only one tiibe of the Indians appearing and acting injit. Nevertheless, they had sufier- so mudi iu the last short war, through the blessing of God 181 xipon {he connfcils and arms of the Provinces ", that we thoti^t thej would be glad of peace, and we concluded their interest would keep them quiet. But notwithstanding all these reason- able prospects, and hopeful grounds of peace, within less than a month the French and Indians began new outrages upon us. Samuel Daly of Plymouth, on a lishing voyage, put into Ma^ legash (Lunenburg) harbour, to water, on the 25th of August, when seeing John Baptist, a I'Venchman, on the shore, he hailed him, and asked him to come on board ; which Baptist and his son presently did ; and after some friendly talk of the peace, lately concluded between the English and Indians, master Daly asked Baptist down into his cabin to drink. — The meanwhile, Baptist’s son took the canoe and went ashore. Daly and his mate, with three more men, were so simple as to take the sloop’s canoe and go ashore, saying that he would call his son to carry him, which he soon did in French, and off came his son with two Indians, who as soon as they had got on board the sloop, took down the English ensign ; the Indians bidding the English on the shore to ask quarter. Baptist girded the ensign about his waste, and tucked a pistol in it. Daly with his men on shore, went to Mrs. Giddery, tlie mother of Baptist, and begged her to go on board with him, and intercede with her son to restore him his sloop After some time she went with him ; but now several more Indians had got on board, who threatened him with their hatchets. Baptist soon ordered him to come to sail 5 but Daly and his men watched the first opportunity to rise upon the French and Indians, and found one the very next day ; upon Baptist’s going down into the cabin with three of the Indians, Daly shut the cabin door upon them, easily mastered the son and the In- dians upon the deck, and then firing into the cabin, the three Indians threw themselves into the sea. Daly brought his pri- soners to Boston, where at aGourt of Admiralty for the trial of piracies, on the 4th of October, Baptist, his son, and three In- dians were found guilty and condemned to die, and w^ere execu- outed on the 2d of November. The Indians complained that the French misled them into such villainous practices, and wished their countrymen would take warning by them. Baptist also seemed to relent, and though he. had always shown himself a bitter enemy to the English, he now wished his friends would live in love and friendship hereafter with them, and carry kindly to them. This was a plain and horrid instance of the French having in- stigated tlie Indians to those villainous robberies and murders, wlTich they so often committed without any provocation on oiu“ ^rt But now the good providence of God discovered them^ aiid 182 veng’eance of them for their treachery and viMaiiiy ; and onr government wisely hung them up, Indians and French toge*' ther ; as they well deserved to die by the laws of all nationsv We hope tills detection of the French will be a warning to them and their execution a terror to the Indians : and the whole tunv by the goodwill of God to the establishment of peace. %B.n abridgment cf ike Report of a Joint Committee of the Cottmil Old Home of Jtsscmbly ajypointed in 1814 /o take into consideraticm Hie Coni'cntian with America a)id the restrictions on trade. Your Committee, in taking these important subjects into Con- sideration, find that, although tlie late convention vvill, in its peration be more ruinous to tlie best interests of this Province . than to any other of the British North Amei^can Colonies ; yet the general interests of Bi-itish America are so similar, that your Committee are of opinion, the I’eport they have agreed now to make, is applicable to all the Colonies in North America, tlie? same as it is to this Province Your Committee find that the most respectable merchants ia Great Britain, and in all the British Provinces in North Amern ca, have for a series of years past, in bodies made constant, uni- ted and most forcible representations to His Majesty's Govern*^ ment, respecting the neglected state of the Commerce and Fish- eries of British America ; and your Committee on taking a view of the present state of affairs, feel warranted in Congratulating both Houses upon the arrival of that happy period which will now enable his Majesty ^s Government without fear of interruption, to tura their most serious attention to this very interesting and important portion of the British dominions. Y our Committee could not enter into the consideration of the important objeefe refeired to it, without painfully feeling the- constant sacrifices which this Province has been called on to make, not only in the extent of its Provirtcial Territory on the land, but also in the valuable fisheries, which ever since the ^ Treaty of Utrecht, were considered as exclusively appertaining to Nova Scotia. ^Phat a proper estimation may be made of the extent of these .sacrifices, your Committee deem it expedient here to insert a description of the boundaries of tl>e Province of Nova Scotia, as settled and established by his present Majesty after the peace of 1763, when they w^ero regulated and perma- nently fixed by the Commission dated in September, 1763, gran- ted by his Majesty, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, ap- pointing Montague Wiimot, Esquire, to be Captain General and Governor in Chief over this Province ; and his Majesty by that commission thought proper to retain this Province within thi^ Allowing iunits, that is to say To the northward our said province shall be bounded by the southern boundary of our Pro»- vince, of Quebec, as far as the western extremity of the Bay Des Chaleurs ; to the eastward, by the said Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Cape or Promontory called Cape Breton hi tlie Island of that name, including that island, the Island of W. John’s, and all other Islands within six leagues of the coast ; to the southward by the Atlantic Ocean, from tlie said Cape to Cape Sable, including the Island of that name, and all other islands within forty leagues of the coast, with all the rights, members, and appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonghig ; and to tho westward, although our said Province hath anciently extended and doth of right extend as far as the River Pentagonet, or Pe* nobscot, it shall be bounded by a line drawn from Cajje Sable across die entrance of the Bay of Fundy to the inoudi of the riv- er Saint Croix, by the said river to its source, and by a line drawn due nortli from thence to the soutliern boundary of ouf Colony of Quebec.” Your Committee find, that the whole of the territory compre- hended wiUiin this boundary, was represented in the General As- sembly of this Province, and legislated in that Assembly, being governed as one Body Politic, the union and constitution of which was considered settled, until his ^^ajesty was advised to separate from it the Island of St. John, now called Prince Edward’s Is^ land. This separation your committee cannot admit to have been strictly legal ; for his Majesty, having exercised the Powers of Sovereign by solemnly incorjporating the whole o f this country to one government, and having established its constitutionj and the legislative powers of the General Assembly over the whole, could not by any subsequent act, revoke, alter or annul the same. This separation, however was improvidently made, to gratify se- veral speculative theorists ; who projected a Proprietary Gov- ernment on a new system^ that was to exhibit an improved form of Colonial Administration j this project failed, and laid the foun- dation of the depressed and ruinous state in which that fine island, still remains, and obliged bis Majesty, on the Proprietors’ relin-^ quishing tlie power of government, to re-assume the Sovereignty' which they were obliged to sui'render, from a total inability to conduct it. Thus things remained until the first war with America, during which his Majesty subdued and conquered that part of the anci-* ent Province of Nova Scotia lying between the St. Croix and the River Penobscot, and was in possession of the same, when the peace of 1783 was made. By that unfortunate treaty, the' whole of that territory, together with the best half of the Pro^. Vitice of Canada, of which we were in full "possession, were sur* rendered to the United States, together with all the Fisheries of Nova Scotia, and free access to all our harbours and shores. Shortly after this, his Majesty was advised to take away from the Province of Nova Scotia more than three fifths of its territo- ry, which was erected into a separate Province called New Bruns- wick ; thus taking from Nova Scotia a country which she had settled and improved at a great expense, and for which she had conti*acted a large debt, not a shilling of which was assumed by New Brunswick ; besides which, an imaginary boundary was de- scribed for the two Provinces, which remains to this day an un- settled matter of dispute between them ; and so far as it can be ascertained, has divided the township of Cumberland, which had been twenty years incorporated under the laws of Nova Scotia, placing the half of it in the Province of New Brunswick, and lea- ving the other half with Nova Scotia. Besides this, the island of. Cape Breton was separated from the free government it enjoyed as a part of Nova Scotia, and this fine island was erected into a government to be legislated for by a Governor and Council ; and yet remains a wilderness, in a most distressed and forlorn state. Nova Scotia, after suffering such a variety of dismemberments re- mained silent and without complaining. When the second American War commenced, the boundaries of this Province remained, as will appear by the Captain Gene- ral’s Commission to Sir George Prevost, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, which describes the limits of it to be as follows, viz. Bounded on the westward by a line drawn from Cape Sable across the entrance to the centre of the Bay of Fundy ; to the northward by a line along the centre of the said Bay to the mouth of the Musquat River, by the said River to its source ; and from thence by a due east line, across the Isthmus into the Bay Verte, to the eastward, by the said Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Cape or Promontory called Cape Breton, in the island of that name ; including the said island, the island of St. John's, and all other islands within six leagues of the coast ; and to the Southward, by the Atlantic Ocean, from the said Cape to Cape Sable aforesaid, including the Island of that name, and all other islands within forty leagues of the coast, with all the rights members and appurtenances tliereto belonging.’* Gloomy as the prospect of this war appeared to His Majesty’s subjects in British America, they met it with fortitude ; and their sufferings and apprehensions were cheered with the hope, that a part of the evils with which the Treaty of 1783 abounded, would be remedied, so far at least as it respected boundary. But the Treaty of Ghe^t was conluded just at the time when we beheld 185 the resources of the tJnited States exhausted, and when their in- ability to continue the war much longer with any effect was ma- nifest ; then were our best hopes frustrated, and the only cbnso- . lation left to us was, that the United States had by the declara- tion of war forfeited the rights they held under the Treaty of 1783, to participate in our fisheries, and to enter our harbours with their vessels ; but the recent Convention has deprived us of this our last resource, and left us almost without hope. ^ Your Committee having its attention called to the exertions of the United States in constructing fortifications on the frontier in- land navigations upon a gigantic scale, and military roads of vast extent. Your Committee would be happy to view these great public works as peaceful projects for the internal improvement of a civilized nation ; but when your ^Qommittee trace the Jine of direction, which these works are taking, and couple them with the recent invasion of the Floridas, the murder ot British subjects, for no other cause but that they were British subjects, and the extermination of the Indians, because they wexe friend- ly to Great Britain, your Committee cannot forbear pressing on the consideration of both Houses, the necessity there is for the Mother Country to counteract measures of this sort, by under- taking and completing works on a similar scale, a fine of forti- fications on the frontier, an inland navigation, to commence at two points ; — first, at the harbour of Halifax, to form a com- munication with the Bay of Fundy by the way of the Shubenac- adie lakes. This navigation has been accurately surveyed, its practicability fully established, and the estimate of the exp^e exactly ascertained, not to exceed materially the sum of 3^0001. this navigation should he continued from the head of the Bay of Fundy at Fort Cumberland to the Bay of Verte, which from low water mark on the one side, to low water mai;k on the other, woidd not exceed the distance of eight miles ; its practicability at a small expence cannot he fioubted ; and thus a direct munication would be opened between Halifax, the Bay of Fun- dy and the River St. Lawrence, by which the present circuit- ous, long and dangerous navigation would be avoided. The second inland navigation should commence at Mwtreal, and proceed by the Ottawa or Great River, and W the Rideau to Kingston on Lake Ontario ; and also by the Creat River to Lake Nigrissing, and from thence by the River Du Fra^ems in- to Georgian Bay in Lake Huron. As to the practicability of tLse navigation, there can be no doubt ; and the expense wifi be very small, when compared with the works now carrying on of a like kind in the United States. As to the advantag^in peace or war, one look at the maps of the interior wiU be sixD / t 186 ficiehi to point tfiohl Otii The prfeseht bommimicatiod witll iGltfebfet through ihteridi*, is tnore a water Ihdh A land car^ piage j iroto Halifax id thfe head of the Peticodiac, there no# li good foad, lind #hefe Ihi^ road turns to Ftfederlctod dh Saint John’s r^vei*, a military k’bad Should cohlrrience, and proceed hf the head of the Nasl;l^^'ahlc Rivek*, thh head of the Mifimiehite Ri- Ver, ^hd the head bf Ristigbuche RiVer, until it join^ the k’bad on the iidb of the St. Laurence, opposite to the' Isle of Bic. This road vvoiild bpeh a fine couritiy for setllehnenli and tvoiild connect Halifax arid Pffedericton with Quebec ; all interceptioni from water wblild bh avoided, arid this toad being distant froni the frontier oh IhO St. John’s, tvould give support to that liriri in case of tVithOut dau^i: of interruption from the enem^. These works thbugh ’ribt e^brislV^*, exceed thh present resour- ces of the Colonies ; brit wuld soon be repaTd to the Mother Country by the Vast advantages they would lay open to all Bri- tish America. Resides Vvhich, these works wouTd giVe eirijploy'- irient to the emigrant^, who would derive from them oh their ar- rival immediate support, such as would shbitly fenable theiii tb settle with advantage. Public tv^oite of this kind in the United 'States aVe one of the grb^t indneemenls tb eriiigf*ahts to res<>rt to that cburih^ for iriimediate support, as thfey generally exhaust ill their little ineariiS in the expends of their outward passage. Vour Committed are ‘of opinion that it is immediately nieces shry ftiit the Coloni'es, in addition to the ‘pri\dleges they hoW bhj'oy, should he allowed the same tVcedom of trade with all the <^orld ^hich the pebple of the United States h'aVe acquired. Se- :condly, by brit 14nds ^ih all parts ori which settlers tnay be Immediately and adVJi'ntageousIy located, Without Wandering pfe \hep^ do nbW in sehrch of sifuanons. Thirdly, by tolalTy prohi- biting passefigers frorii 'embaVkirig in foreign Vessels, unless by fecial passports, and taking off the unnecessaty restrictions ihi- po^ed on Brifisl^hips carrying passengers. Fourthty, by a duv ty imposed oh Rritish ^^^t, shipped in foreign vessels, so as to giVethe carrying of that article across the Weslerii dt^kh for th'e supply of Arn'erica, to feritish shipping. Fifthly, by excludiog Toreigh yess^s ‘from taldrig salt from Turk’s Islands. Sixthly, vy allowing ahd'ehcburagmg the Inerchants and fishermen em- ^oyed in the, United Whale and Cod Fishery, tb rdihoVe with 'their efftdts and settle ih this Province ; and by na- ^riralizing the foreign bui Vessels they may bring with ihem, sb fhr as to enable them to employ thetn with the privileges of British yesSeTs, while dniy eihplOyed Ih ’the fishery. Seventhly, by es- ^blishii^ 5Wo British Goverrithfenfs on the Labrador shore and Straits of Rellelsle, to secure British interests -from encroach* Eightlily, by adopting j^gulations ^ will tiie ye^s^els of the X/nited States fron^ abusing the indut^enpi^ granted to th^ji^ by the lat^ Cojiventiop, anq by limiting their right of entering the harbours of the Britl^ Colonies tor shelter, or to procure supplies of wood or water, except in case of real necessity. And lastly, by re-unjting the islands of Prince Ed- ward arid Cape Breton to this ^royinc;?. By adopting such mea- sures, ypur Committee are of opinion^ tfiat the Colonists wpiifd soon be able to (counteract the adyant^e^ which the United States have acquired by the late Conyention ; and by the rapid ^quisition of wjesdth and pppylatipn^ British America would o- peri a corresponding increase ip the consumption of British ma- nufactures ; apd united with the Mother Country, by the stro^- est ties of ipterpst and cpp^angpinity, wp ^outd Couyin6e me peop.le of the United i^ates, tjiat 'th.eir effort? to become success-^ fuj rivals to Great Britain were in vain j to wtiich m^y be fairly a»(hfed, that revenue which tKe incre^ipg prosperity pt the .coun- try wppjd soon enable British America to con^ibpte. The^ agt’C a few of the many advantages which your (Committee foresee would soon be derived from Great Britain abandoning a nairow Jcpptrpctcd policy; tptally inapplicable to the present state of her North American Colonies^ and generbuslr extending he/ pecuniary aid in constructing, as national woyKS, the iippoiiant projects to which your CpmpiittjBe hayp c^Jed the atjefttion of poth Ifousejs. letter frpin lieutenant Governor Pfun MA^CAR.nNc to (Joyernor Shirley. Aampol^ Bik 1740 , Sib, T,HE most dd^cuW tash .of any to nm is piy .giyipg my opipjpa on the civil goyerirpnept proper for this Bn)vipce. I eyer, proceed in the manner J havp done in th^e preceding, rela- ting tP fortification, and give an account oj* tlie goyernmbnt th^t spbsisted, and the alterations pipde .thereyiy since the ye^r 17 10, when this fort was reduced to fhe power .off he crown pf ^reat Britain ; from whenqe may apj^af proper to be apiended. At.theyeductiop pf tlp^ fprt, no capitulation W the garrison and I'he inhabitants ofthe Bailee (a league roun^ the fort ;) these had leave to withdraw with tli^ir effects, and ip dispose of tliose they could^npt cai’r/ ^\v;itli tbep; spaq? two years. TTie rest of the inhabitants, all over the Province, made terms that winter with the then Governor Vetch, who re- ceived them on their submission, but no oath was required of them, except of the inhabitants of the Bantieve, for the time of the capitulation. In 1714, Mr. Nicholson came over Governor and Commander in chief over the Province, and proposed to the French inhabi- tants, the terms agreed on for them at the treaty of Utrecht, which w’ere to keep their possessions, and enjoy the free exercise of their religion, as far as the laws of Great Britain do allow, on their becoming subjects to the crown, or to dispose of them, if they chose to withdraw, within the space of a twelve month. — They to a man, chose 'the last, having great promises made to them by two officers, sent here for that purpose from Cape Bre- ton, then beginning to be settled by the French. But these not sending vessels to fetch aw^ay the inhabitants, they remained, and though often required to take the oaths of fidelity, they constant- ly refused it. The government, during this interval of time, was vested solely in the Governor, and in his absence, in the Lieuten- ant Governor or Commander-in-chief of the garrison of Annapo- lis Royal, except a council of the Captains formed by General Nicholson, which did not exist above five or six weeks. Mr. Philips came over in 1719, Captain General over the Pro- vince, w ith instiTictiofts to form a council of the principal of the British inhabitants ; and till an assembly could be formed, to re- gulate himself by the instructions of the Grovernor of Virginia. — Governor Philips, for want of inhabitants, formed the council wuth the Lieutenant Governor of the garrison, (Mr. Doucett,) wdio, at the same time, was a Captain in his regiment, and named jdrst in the list of counsellors ; his Major, Law’rence Armstrong j the first Captain, Paul Mascarenc ; Captain Southack, Comman- der of the Province Sclmoner ; the Collector, Hibhert Newton : the Chaplain, Deputy Storekeeper William Howe, and other staff officers of the garrison ; and Mr. Adams was' the only inhabitant admitted. There was another (Mr. Winniett) who was not then named, but in process of time was called to the hoard ; but af- terwards dismissed on some disgust. The wdiole number was twelve ; but as it was made up of transient persons, it w’as soon re- duced ; and to keep up the number of seven, the Commander in chief took in Officers of the garrison or regiment j subaltern of- ficers being often judged more capable than their Captains, which has proved of ill consequence with regard to military subordina- tion, in a place where the civil government had no other means ilselt but by the military power, the inferior officers^ by being a5li;jLitted to tire council, thinking themselves 18 & at)OVe thofr supfft*ior officers. The first appearance of tfiB was, when Mr. Armstrong, then Lieutenant Colonel of the regi- ment, came in the absence of Governor Philips, to be under the command of Mr. Doucett, a Captain in the same regiment, who was Lieutenant Governor of the garrison, and as the first named in the list of counsellors, commanded in chief over the Province. Colonel Armstrong going home, obtained the c'bmmis.sion of Lieut. Governor over the Province ; but on his taking upon him, at his arrival here, the detail of the garrison, new disputes arose with the Lieut. Governor of the fort in which, as the officers sided some one way and some another, proved of very ill conse- quence to the peace and good order of the place. At the de- cease of Colonel Armstrong, I found myself the next in the list of counsellors. At Colonel Crosby’s decease, and in the absense of Governor Philipp, the whole authority and power, both civil and military became vested in me, and was further corroborated when his Ma- jesty w’as graciously pleased to appoint me Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, and Lieut. Governor of the garrison. The most of the Officers arc of opinion that, as in the civil government, they reckon me only as primus inter pares, I can do nothing out of this fort without their participation and consent, pot so much as to send a party out. Your Excellency knows too well the circimistances of the place as to think me in the wrong, if I have not conformed myself to this notion, or to several others of the like nature. I have, however, kept up the form of government as I found it, having conformed to the resolutions taken in coun- cil, ill what did not depend on secrecy or military operations ; and, in this last, I generally consulted the Captains of men of war, \yhen any were here, and the Captains of the troops under xny command. Governor Philips having formed the coiuicil as before menti- oned, issued out a proclamation, summoning the French Inhabit- ants to take the oaths of allegiance on the same terms offered to them as before, though the time prescribed had so long ago been elapsed. But these inhabitants in general still refused it, alledg- ino’, that they had been detained contrary to their desire, which indeed was patly true, as General Nicholson had declared they should not depart in vessels built on English ground, or Englisli bottoms, and that it belonged to the French to come and fetch them in their own. Governor Philips wrote home for fresh in- . structions how to act in this emergency, applying for more forces to prevent the French inhabitants from going away in a tumultu- ous knd disorderly manner, or for bringing them into a due sub- jection ; for which he desired, if I remember right, two regiments 19 ^ the £bur companies of his own, tl>en Annapolis M'itli jH’oportionable shipping to transport th^ese troops a^ o^?casi- ofi f require, and tjiis jin a lime of profound peaca and thea^ inhabitants were apt above a third pf Jthe number tboy now meVeased to. la answer, he was directed pot to use anjr vir ol^at ^*v>asi;ires, but to epdeayour to keep tiie people eas^, till at a proper time, it might be resolved bpw te proceed in this ease. 'f 'he Governor went home in 17?2, and things remained iq this ^teMipn, under tlie adminirtratipn of Mr* Dpucett, Lieut. Gf.oy- e.iaior of Annapolis Royah and President for the tiii^e being; pypf ike Province, till Mr. Ai’mstrong, having been made l^ieut. Gpy- ernor pv.er the whole Province, returned in and found n\eans to bring the inhabitants to take the path to the govenjb- luent ; but on Governor Philips returning some years afterj lhei?e inhauitants complaining that this oath had been extorted by due means, his Kxcellency brought them at fart te take h wUlingr ly, and the same was tendered and taken, in general, hy aJJ tha pieu of Gompeteat age, in ah the settlements of this Pepjjiqce ? ^ the teuAr of this path is inserted in the papers iuclo^d. Th,e word trihe being interpreted has ipade it t 9 bn opllpd Ih? o«ath of fidelity. The Fceach inhabitants intended to have arclauae, not to be<9,- bliged to take up arms .against the French, whiGhi t^ugh notiiv- #erted teey j^yc always said, was promised to them, and I haye heard i^ owned by thpse wlio were at Minas when the oath administered at that plape, that such a promise wps giyen to them in writing. This P^^tb was reckoned to be little binding with pep- pie who had pMssipnaries among them, supposed always forward to dispense the keeping it, and ready to absolve them on tfie breach of it. But hitherto the eontraiy has beep evident ; soiufi of these priests having publicly declared that they would refuse the absolution, even at the point of death, to o^ny that should join in a»’ms with the French, and this at the time that Luyiyier was at Minas and some of his officers, at the sermon where these w ords -w ece pronounced. Tlieir plea with the French, who pres- sed them to take up arrns, was their cath, their living easy under the government, and their having no complaint to make against it. Your Fxcellency ia acquainted with the means I have used for keeping thjs people and tlieir priests iu that temper. The usii^ any force, or vio,lence against them, especially when .the enemy Was continually pouring into this Province, might have drawn on very fatal consequences. To keep up ^me form of government amongst tlie French in- habitants, Governor Philips ordered them to choose a certain number among thorns under the name of deputies, to act in be- ot thfe People, !h publishing his otdevs and making, applica- liohs when their occasions should l*eqijire ; which was according^ ly obeyed. This HvCf ^ divided into eight districts or hamleS, haS eight deputies ; the Other settlements, mostly, tour each ; ift all I reckon twenty-four. They are every year newly chosen on the tenth of October, the anniversary of the king’s Coronation and of the taking of this fort. They are invested with no judiciary power, but are appointed often as arbitrators in small cases> Where, If any of the parties are not satisfied^ appeal is made to the Governor or Commander-in-ehlef^ and Council. These dif- Ferehtes, mostly in meum and tuufti, Were settled before the board, at three set times of the year, when the people of the se- veral settlements up the Bay, used to resort for judgment on their pleas ; but, since the war have been postponed to be composed in more peaceable times. 'I'hese inhabitants, though not one in a hundred can read or write, speak generally with good sense, and plead their own cases ; but as they can only speak the French tongue, it is tedious for those members of the Council who do not understand that language^ and must have the substance repea- ted in English, before they can give their opinion. How far the power of this board extends, has been often a question ; some extending it to all cases ; others again reducing it to a mere pow- ^ er of arbitration. It is happy in this perplexity that no crimes of a capital nature have been committed for these thirty-eight years, except in what relates to the defection of some of the in- habitants. A boy indeed, set his master’s house on fire, on which application was made at home, but no answer received. There are here persons prejudiced against the French inhabit- ants three different ways. The first is, by an imbibed notion that all who bear the name of French most be natiu-al enemies of Great Britain ; the second from views of interest and other rela- tions, and those so affected, though in public they can run down these inhabitants, yet underhand, favour them, and are partial towards those by whom they find their being originally from an- other nation, and differing in language, manners, relation ai:d religion, no better than in a continual state of rebellion, and are ever talking of ousting them, transplanting or destroying them, withovit considering the circumstances this Province has lately been, and still is in, and the fatal consequences that might have ensued from any violent measures. Yoiir Excellency may judge there has been im little diflicu!ty accrued from the managing these different tem])ers. What seems most wanted here is proper persons to form a ci- vil government there being no British planter or inhabitant t3)at can properly be so called in this Proyince. The French of that m denomination, as their religion will not allow of their taking the oath of supremacy, are besides generally of the lowest class of farmers or husbandmen, poor and unlearned, there being as I mentioned before, not one in a hundred that can either read or Py all which, I hope your Excellency will have a true notion of our state and constitution, and be enabled to point out means to amend it. In which I beg leave to remind you, that the state of a commanding officer is not very advantageous, not only to himself, but even to the public service, where he has nothing wherewith to reward those who behave well, and a coercive power, clogged with many difficulties, over those who behave ill. I am, with great esteem and respect, Sir, Your most bumble and most obedient Servant, MASCARENC. AN appendix; Coniahiing an account cf the variom plans in contemplation f6f etffi ling mlo operation the natural advantages oj'the Province ^ — ft statement relative to the probability and capability of a canal com^ mimicaiion by means of the Skubenacadie River y — and a detail of the alterations recently introduced by His Majesty^ s Ministers ^ with respect to the trade of the Colonies, AN important era appears io be opening upon this Pr-ovince, in which its natural advantages and capabilities have attracted the attention of enterprising individuals, and when some part of the immense surplus capital of England, may probably find its way to these hitherto neglecte^sjiores. To these cheering pros- pects may be added, the measures about to be adopted by Go- vernment, whereby the Colonists will be permitted a freedom of trade, and an exemption from those absurd and vexatious restric- tions, that have so long damped the ardour, checked the ener- gies of tliat class of His Majesty’s subjects, and kept prostrate the countries that they inhabit ; while the neighbouring State? of North America, under other circumstances, have made rapid advances in wealth, prosperity and knowledge. In this state of things, it has been deemed necessary to add another chapter, (in the form of an Appendix) to the foregoing account of the i^rovince ; and briefly to allude to those pleasing anticipations, which occupy the attention of every well wisher to this distant appendage of the British Empire. Among the most important of the natural advantages of Nova Scotia, may be classed its minerals, and the lakes and rivers with which it is intersected. Coal of a superior quality has for many years been procured at Cape Breton ; and as the reader of the preceding pagas will have observ^ed, it has recently been export- ed from rictou, altho of a rather inferior quality. It has since been discovered in the vicinity of Truro ; and were the mines containing this fossil permitted to be wrought free of duty, and the Shubenacadic Canal once opened, an article of much impor- tance in a climate so severe as is that of this portion of America, and forming a valuable export, might be fumislied in abundance^ and at a cheap rate. t i.- This Province also abounds with Copper and Iron Ure, which probably is not exceeded in richness by that af any other coun- try. Pieces of native copper tliat have been washed down by the mountain torrents, have been found near Capes D’Or and Sprit, where extensive mines doubtless exist ; and we under- stand that spccioiens of ore of a similar description^ have been V 4 ■'* m wiAin thtec miles of Halifax. It is as malleable as goW, and after it has been beat out, is perfectly ductile. No mea^ sures however have yet been adopted, to obtain correct infor- niation, as to the abundance or general qualities of this metal But, as relates to the Iron Ore of the country, owing to the exertions of an individual, who owns land near Annapolis, in which it abounds ; a Company has been formed, called th^e An- napolis Iron Company, and has received the sanction of the Le- gislature. It consists of 100 shares of 1001. each, forming a capi- tal ef 10,0001. The land whereon it is contemplated to work this mine, has been examined, and the result is perfectly satisfactory to tho subscribers. Yet* this ore is not peculiar to Anna- polis county ; for it may be obtained in Halifax County, and several otlier places throughout the Province. A difficulty however has arisen in this early stage of the pro- ceedings ; which has been caused by the opinion entertained in, En<"land, that the King has reserved to himself the sole right of ppenirg and disposing of all Iron Mines that may be found in the country. But upon investigating this subject, it has been ascer- tained that no such reservation was made in the early settlement of the Province, with respect to Iron. It is to be presumed therefore, that upon a proper representation being made, an arrangement will be effected j and that a measure of such great public utility, will receive the countenance and support of Gov- ermnent. Gvpsuxn as has been before, observed is very abundant, and of a superior quality ; and in the Distric t of Pictou and more eastern parts of the Province, Lead has been found. In the Island of Cape Breton there is Plumbago or Plumbagine, which is said to be “ the extreme of a gradation o-f which fossil coal is the begin- ning.” Manganese is also every where to be procured with ease, smd specimens of peifectly pure Antimony have been obtained iVom Annapolis County. Possessing these varieties of the mine- ral kingdom, and overspread with forests of excellent Timber, well adapted for ship building and other purposes of commerce j it becomes a source of equal regret and astonishment, that pub- iW attention has not long since been called, to circumstances of Mich v^iie and importance to the inhabitants of Nova Scotia. To enable them to take advantage of those benefits, which Nature has thus lavished with unsparing hand, it becomes ne- eessary that they avail themselves of the ivater communications, that as I have already observed every where penetrate the P;ro- ^ince. Among these, that v/hieh extends from the Harbour of Halifax to the Basin of Minas stands conspicuous, and promises •'e most immediate and permanent benefit. -41 is therefore pro - 195 to open a communication with the Shubenacadia Riyei'J'* hy means of the Dartmouth Lakes ; and accordingly Mr. Hah<^ a Civil Engineer, tvho has been procured for the purpose, who wc understand possesses not only much professional ability^ but also practical information founded upon experience and per- sonal obsen^ation has, during the present Summer, surveyed the intended route, to where it reaches the Bay of Fundy *, and the following Report has been made to His Honor the President ; who has always been an advocate for this and every other mea- sure of public utility . And a writer might be considered as ne- glecting a duty, which every man owes society who at^ tempts in a manner however humble to record passing evei^ ^ were he to omit paying that tribute which is so justly due to His Honor, not only for his long^uiLfoithfid services, as a stthotdi- nate OlFicer of Government; but For the integrity and ahirrty, with which he has goveined the Province during the absence of ^ir James Kempt. TO HIS HONOR THE PRESIDENT,. t/S.d)ninistciring the Goverwuetil of ^ovci Scoiiity ^c. Sm HAVING by your direction, carefVilly surveyed the Dartmouth and Shubenacadie Lakes, and the River, down to its conflu- ence, with as much accuracy as appeared to be necessary, loi- the purpose of a Canal Communication from the harbour ot Ha- lifax to the Basin of Minas, I have now the honor to lay before you the result of my investigation, viz. ^ 1 . A Section and Elevation of the Lockage, and con- nection of those Waters. .. ...i Nos. 2 and 3. — Containing Designs, and a detail of the various Works, with minute Specifications for the execution of the same. AIso’t-A Report and Estimate of the Expense which I deem sufficie’nt to complete that Navigation. 1 feel confident of the practicabjirty of the undertMinf^ ana with fewer difficullks than I have seen or experienced in Canal Works either in Britain, Canada or the United States. * Were a Shubenacadie Canal opened the intercour^ With the most distant part of the Province, and evenwith New Brunswick, would be much facilitated. At present two packets imn between I St. John and Windsor ; and were this cOm^ic^tion staam boat could leave St. John atid arrive at Halifax in twenty iipups* I^der this impi’ession, I have no doubt Oontfatclors n^ay tie found to execute the work, for the sums stated in my Estimates ; and I have no hesitation in desiring it to be understood, that iii the event of public offers being made, to execute the Work, ex- ceeding my Estimate, that I will, upon my own responsibility, guarantee to find respectable Contractors to finish all the work in two years from the date of the Contract, for the Sum I have es- timated. My Estimate of the expense for completing a Canal from the Harbour of Halifax to the Basin of Minas, of the depth of 4^ feet water, including Ten per Cent, for contingencies, 8lc. isw.., 06 ^ 4 , 136 18 5 But ifit should be deemed advisable to terminate the Canal at the South end of the first Dartmouth Lake, and form a Basin there> from whence an easy Railway may be made to the Harbour ; in that case the expense of excavation and masonry for 8 Locks will be unnecessary, and the conse- quent diminution of expense will be 15,643 0 0 28,494 18 6 Add the cost of a Railway..*.., 1,000 0 0 Total expense j[g29,494 18 5 ■f , . i-~. IF a Canal of 8 feet depth of wafer shwild be preferred with Locks commensurate with this de|)th, the expense will be £39,702 0 0 I have the honor to be Your very Obedient Servant, FRANCIS HALL, By His Honor’s directions, Mr. Hall is now engaged in sur» veying a small neck of land, of about a mile in width which se- parates the Bras d’Or Lake in the Island of Cape Breton from St. .Peter’s Bay. This noble I^ke communicates with the At- lantic Ocean, by means of a channel \vhich terminates at the east end of the Island. By the proposed passage, vessels may enter the Lake from the w estward, and thus a facility will be af- forded for the shipment of timber, which might be carried on to a great extent; as vessels could deposit at Halifax, their cargoes of European productions, — proceed from thence and enter the Lake from the westward ; and when loaded depart through the jaitfiU’n channel for England That finjp Island been IW > ftegtected owing to its peculiar form of Government ; but it is 'expected that its reannexation to this Province, will in a short time render it a most interesting and flourishing portion of the British colonial possessions. . On his return from Cape Breton, Mr. Halt, will proceed to inspect the isthmus which separates the Bay of Verte from Cum- berland Basin ; and will decide not only upon the practicability of a Canal to connect them together, but also whether it will not be preferable to make the excavation on the Nova Scotia side f>f the line which divides the two Provinces. Should such acont- munication be opened, this Province would find it necessary to proceed immediately with the Shubenacadie Canal, to prevent the entire Trade which would pass through from the Bay of Verte^ from proceeding to New Brunswick. Among the Companies formed in England are The Qitebic and Halifax Steam JVavigation Compcmy^^^ and The Shares not taken up will be disposed of in London. The ob^ct of this Company, is to make Halifax a place of deposit for Ca- nadian and West Indian produce during the winter months ; and also by means of tbe proposed communication, to transport pas- sengers and the mails,— the Steam Boats calling at certain places on their route to and from Quebec. r i. t a a The following is an outline of the Prospectus of the Land As- sociation ; and there cannot exist a doubt, but that English Ca- pital might be invested in tbe manner proposed to much advan- tat>-e ; and that its introduction in that way, would be produc. tive of great and permanent benefit to these Provinces. I he Capital of the Company is One Million Sterling, to be raised m 1000 Shares of 1001. each. . , n The Province of Nerva Scotia and New Brunsrvick, like the two Can^^las, are known to possess great advantages, in a pro- ductive soil, and healthy climate, and from the numerous excel- lent harbours both in the Bay of Fundy and on the sea coast, to be easier of access than Canada. They likewise enjoy IIk^ su- perior advantage of being open to navigation during the whole ^ “ The thinness of the population and the consequent imperfect and slow progress made in these colonies towards an improved a'vricultiual and enlarged commercial system, are mainly to be lOS attributed io the want of a capital sufficient . to . encourage laboui^ and ])romote enterprise^ It has therefore been determined to form a Company for Agrirultural anti other Objects” in the Province of Nova Scotia, s New Brunswick, and the acyacent Islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. For this purpose, imniediate application will be made to Government for the purchase of Crown Lands, and for an Act of Incorporation. From the countenance already given by His Majesty’s Gov- ernmeut to the Canada Company,” it is to be hoped that the J)i rectory may also shortly be enabled to announce that a Royal Charter wifi be granted to this Company. The purpose of the Company is, — 1st — To purchase such portions of Crown and Clergy Re- serves as Gowei’umeni may be induced to di.?pose of ; and to make any other Acquisitions of Land that may be deemed advis- able to the Compaii/. ^