Lowe - Dominic of Canada 82.25 1508 Cani Lowe - Dominion of Canada - A guide on HN IJNY W WIDENER can 1508.82.25 HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY VERIT FROM THE BEQUEST OF GEORGE FRANCIS PARKMAN (Class of 1844) OF BOSTON ..... : . .. Mritten fri dictahi In Belia Samboni, during 8 months, on eventje سے وا که وه ده گه ر house, a 483. . . دي Dominion of Canada A GUIDE BOOK ONTAINING Information for Intending Settlers WITH ILLUSTRATIONS Published by the Government of Canada FIFTH EDITION. REVISED AND CORRECTED TO DATE By hoor -- -- -- - - - - - - OTTAWA THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1884 M AIN ANATOS UBE TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I.-INTRODUCTORY. PAGE Motives to Emigrate. .... Emigration from Europe. ...... Classes who should Emigrate ..... Position and Extent of Canada...... CHAPTER II.-FACTS ABOUT THE DOMINION. SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. Federal Government. Provincial Government .. Municipal Government Education ..... Social Position ............... Religion ......... ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. ........... The Courts ........ Police .................. Militia System . ...... Naturalization Laws. ....... Climate of Canada......................... Land System. ......... Selling and System of Conveying Lands............ Farms for Sale ....... Post OFFICE AND TELEGRAPHS. tam .......... WH4 Postal System ......... Telegraphs............... Newspaper Press, ....... ............ MONEY, BANKS AND BANKING. Bills and Coins. ........ ...... Banking ...................................................... Denominations of Money. ........ ...... TABLE OF CONTENTS. . CHAPTER III.–PRODUCTIONS OF CANADA. PAGE ................................... 10 Farming and Stock-Breeding ..... Dairy Farming. ............................... Market-Gardening, Poultry-Raising, and Bee-Keeping ... Fruit-Growing................ Forest Products ...... Products of the Mine ...... CHAPTER IV.-PUBLIC WORKS. Canadian Canal and Inland Navigation System. .......... Canadian Railways... .......... ....................... ............ CHAPTER V.-PICTURESQUE AND SPORTING ATTRACTION. The Tourist and the Artist ...... The Sportsman and the Angler ... CHAPTER VI.-CANADA AS SHOWN BY FIGURES. .......... Area of Provinces and Territory........ Population of the Dominion... Trade of the Dominion. Imports and Exports ....... Canadian Fisheries. .... Revenue of the Dominion ....... Debt and Assets of the Dominion .. Banking ..... CHAPTER VII.-PROVINCES OF THE DOMINION. PROVINCE OF ONTARIO. ................................................. r. ...... ...... ...... ................. ........... Extent and Position ......... Population, Occupations and Cities ..... Resources, and Demands for Labour. Prosperity of Immigrants in Ontario. ...... Climate and Productions. ..... Means of Education .......... Farms and Lands Free Grant Lands .............. Conditions of Successful Settlement on Free Grants......... Advantages for Persons with Means. .. PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. Extent and General Capabilities ......... River St. Lawrence .... Chief Cities................. Lands and Surveys. .......... Climate ........................ Soil and Productions. .......... Population and Industries. ....... Territorial Divisions and Municipal Institutions ...... ..... TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii PAGE . Means of Communication ..... ...... Minerals and Fisheries.. Education ............ Religious and Charitable Institutions..... Farms for Sale, and Prices of Government Lands Valley of the Saguenay ....... Valley of St. Maurice...... Valley of the Matawan. ...... Ottawa Valley...... Below Quebec ....... Free Grants and Exemptions. .... Titles to Lands ........ THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS. . ............. ............................................ ................ Climate and Productions .......... Soil and Features ...... Settlement on Land, and Purchase of Improved Farms.... Productions and Minerals ...... Communications and Markets...... Suitability for Immigrants .......... PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK. US........................................ . .......... ...... General Features............ Rivers.......... .............................. ...... ........................................ Climate............ Products....................... Fisheries......................................................... Education ......... ........ Social Life, and Adaptability for Settlers from Great Britain....... : ............... ... ............. ................ : ................................... ........ .............................. : : . : : . PROVINCE OF Nova Scotia. General Features........ Climate................ Soil and the Productions thereof..... Peat Lands ......... Production of the Sea and Rivers.... Woods and Forests..... Game ......... Mines and Minerals........ Crown Lands... Education................. Trade and Commerce...... Internal Communication .. Time to Immigrate......... Halifax Harbour.......... PROVINCE OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. . . . . . .......... ........... General Features-Climate, Industries, etc ................... PROVINCE OF MANITOBA. General Features. ................................................ Climate, Soil and Productions....... ... X TABLE OF CONTENTS. . ............. 12 PAGE Birth Places of the People.......... Increase per cent. in Population......... Population of Cities and Towns having over 5,000 inhabitants compared ............. 127 EXPORTS AND IMPORTS. Summary of Exports in 1883............. Value of Fisheries of the Dominion....... 12 RAILWAYS. List of Canadian Railways ....... vv Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 100 . . . ... 10! BANKING. ............... ...... .......... ........... Bank Statement for December, 1883 ........... Government Circulation, 31st December, 1883 ... Amount of Deposits in Savings Banks......... Government Savings Banks, 30th November, 1883.... Post Office Savings Bank ....... City and District Savings Bank of Montreal ........... Caisse d'Economie de Quebec....... 85. ................. .......... .. ... ...... .... CANADIAN CANALS. ........................................... ......... ........ St. Lawrence System. ........ Ottawa Canals. ... St. Lawrence and New York. ....... Trent River Navigation ................ St. Peter's Canal . L U I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... DISTANCES. Quebec to Liverpool via Straits of Belle Isle and Malin Head.... Quebec to Liverpool via Cape Race and Malin idead... Great Circle or Air Line Distances. . d . ........ ...... .................. O D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... ANALYSIS OF MANITOBA Soil. Analysis of Sample of Manitoba Soil. ......... NATURALIZATION. 56 ........... United States Naturalization Law. ..... Declaratory Statement of a United States Citizen... Final Obligation of a United States Citizen.... Canadian Naturalization and Passports ............ ......... V I I H I I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUNGAI MOE DO DOMINION OF CANADA. INFORMATION FOR INTENDING SETTLERS. Published by the Government of Canada. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. MOTIVES TO EMIGRATE. cummumkin HE first question which a man who thinks of emigrating should ask himself is, J u “Why should I do so ?” And this is perhaps the most important practical question of his life. It means the breaking up of all the old ties and associa- tions of his childhood, and beginning life afresh in a new country, where every- thing will at first seem new and strange to him. He will, however, in a very short time become familiar with his new surroundings, and the general experience is, that when an immigrant has lived for a few years in Canada, he is not willing to leave. It has happened in many cases, where the old home feeling was very strong, that men who have gone back to the Old Country with the intention of staying, have soon returned to Canada. It is true that emigration has led to many cases of individual hardship, but these are the exceptions to the rule; and it is a fact that they have nearly always come from the unfitness to emigrate at all of the persons who have suffered. The object of this book is to furnish such information as will assist in forming a decision upon the question, “Why should I emigrate?” The greatest care will be taken to make no statement not based upon well ascertained facts and figures, or which is not within the actual knowledge of the author. When a man is doing well at home, and sees his way to continue to do so, it may be a safe rule for him to let well alone. But a man may be doing well himself, who has a family to bring up; and it will very often happen that such a man may do equally well in Canada, and find a far better chance for educating and advantageously placing his family, than he could find among the crowded and constantly increasing population of the Mother Country. An intending emigrant should have above all things good health, and be stout-hearted. A man who comes to work should be prepared to do anything at first that comes to his hand; and he should try to adapt himself to the ways of the new country in which he has placed his lot. He may have many things to unlearn, and also to learn, and especially he should learn to follow the practices proved to be wise, by the experience of the new country to which he goes, rather than make any attempt to push them aside by the use of the practices of the old country which he has left. This is a truth which men always in the end come to find out, and many have done so through disappointments which might have been avoided. 1. The condition of success in Canada is, honest work; and none should come seeking to make a living who have not made up their minds to work. Canada is no place for the DOMINION OF CANADA. idle or the dissipated, and none of this class should think of coming. But men of families who have even small means to live on, may do so cheaply and with comfort in Canada, and educate and settle their children with the best prospects. The present Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. J. H. Pope) stated in a Memorandum to the Colonial Secretary, which has been before quoted, but which cannot be too often read, that “ There are very many thousands of persons throughout the Dominion who came to this country as labourers, without any means, in fact almost in a state of pauperism, and tenant farmers with very little means, who have attained a state of comparative independ. ence, being proprietors of their own farms, and having laid by sufficient means for their declining years, while they have educated their children and settled them in conditions of ease and plenty. “In fact, the inducements to immigrate to Canada are not simply good wages and good living among kindred people under the same flag, in a naturally rich country, pos- sessing a pleasant and healthy climate, but the confident prospect which the poorest may have of becoming a proprietor of the soil, earning competence for himself, and comfortably settling his children.” These are facts which many thousands—not only poor men, but men with families who are now themselves getting good livings in the Old Country--may profitably ponder. EMIGRATION FROM EUROPE. The continuous stream of emigration from the old settled countries of Europe nas, within the last fifty years, constituted an exodus which is one of the most remarkable features of modern history, and there is very little sign of its abatement. On the con. trary, those who have settled in new countries are constantly inducing their friends to join them, and so the current becomes wider and deeper. It has in fact built up great and populous communities in Australasia, and on the continent of America. About two millions and a half of people have emigrated from and through Great Britain alone during the last twelve years; and the movement, as already stated, does not begin to show any signs of exhaustion. During the years 1882 and 1883 it was larger than ever before, as well from the United Kingdom as from Germany and other parts of Europe. It appears, however, that even in the face of this outflow there is crowding in the labour markets, and a very large amount of pauperism. Emigration relieves both of these, while it builds up prosperous and happy communities in hitherto waste places of the earth. One feature of this emigration is that very large amounts of money are sent home by the immigrants within one year after their arrival, to prepay the passages of their friends, in order to enable them also to emigrate. The Irish and the Germans have been particu- larly conspicuous in sending back money for this purpose. No accurate statistics of the amounts can be obtained; but it is known that the sum sent to the United Kingdom alone in one year reached over $10,000,000 (or over £2,000,000 sterling); and it is also known that many thousand Germans and other immigrants come annually in the class known as “ prepaids,” that is, by money sent by friends who had come before to this con- tinent. These striking facts are proof of the prosperity of the immigrants in their new homes. It is to show reasons why a large portion of this emigrating movement should be directed to the Dominion of Canada, that this book is published. CLASSES WHO SHOULD EMIGRATE. To prevent disappointments, it is important to point out with distinctness the classes of persons who should be advised to emigrate to Canada. The first great demand is for LABOURERS of all kinds. Agriculture being a leading industry of Canada, there is a very great and steady demand for all labourers who work on land. The construction of numerous railways, including the Pacific Railway across the continent, makes a very large demand for men to work on them. The demand for both these classes of labourers will probably continue to be greater than the supply for some time to come. Next in extent of demand is that for FEMALE DOMESTIC SERVANTS. Very large numbers of these would find immediate employment and good wages in all parts of the Dominion. GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. MECHANICS AND ARTISANS, skilled in what may be called the common trades (such as carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, etc.), are also in good demand. The labour market for mechanics is, however, more fluctuating. The general prosperity of the country, and the numerous and extensive railway works now being pushed forward, lead to the erection of a very large number of buildings of all sorts, and men are required to do this work. Children of either sex, watched over on their arrival by the parties who bring them out, may be absorbed in very considerable numbers. The various manufactories which are in active operation, and springing up in all parts of the Dominion, make a demand for immigrant labour. The getting out of timber from the forest, and its manufacture, form a leading in- dustry of the Dominion; and the fisheries of Canada, both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, which are almost of unlimited extent, afford a field for the particular kind of labour adapted to them. The mineral resources of the Dominion, of almost every kind, are of vast extent, and these are constantly affording an enlarged field for mining labour. Professional and literary men, and clerks seeking employment in offices and shops, should not be advised to come to Canada, unless in pursuance of previous engagements, for the reason that there is a tendency to over-supply in these callings from within the Dominion itself. The children of immigrants of the working classes, to a large extent, seek, as they grow up, these pursuits. The demand in Canada for immigrants is constantly increasing, and the opening up of the vast and fertile territory of the North-West has begun to attract a large immigrant movement, not only from Europe, but from different parts of the continent of America, which has already assumed very large proportions. The questions of wages, cost of living, care of immigrants, and directions as to what they should do, will be treated of in detail in another part of this book. POSITION AND EXTENT OF CANADA. In the next place, it is proper that the intending emigrant should have definite in. formation afforded to him of the nature, extent and position on the globe of the country to which he proposes to move. The Dominion of Canada occupies the northern half of the continent of North America. It has a territory of about the extent of Europe, and larger than that of the United States without Alaska. The southern frontier of Manitoba and the North-West Territory, if extended across the Atlantic Ocean, would strike the continent of Europe a little below the latitude of Paris; while the southern point of the Province of Ontario is as far south as the latitude of Rome. Canada is therefore the physical equivalent on the continent of America of the great empires and kingdoms of Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, the British Islands, Russia in Europe, and Sweden and Norway. This vast territory comprises an area in round numbers of 3,500,000 square miles. From east to west it stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and from the southern latitudes above stated to the Arctic circle. Very large portions of this great territory are cultivable; and those portions not cultivable are rich in mineral wealth. The proportion of cultivable land in the Domin- ion, suited to the productions of the temperate zones, is quite as large as that in the United States. It possesses the largest extent of land yet open for settlement adapted to the growth of the grasses, cereals, and other productions of the temperate climates, not only on the continent, but in the world. It has many thousands of square miles of the finest forests on the continent, and many thousands of square miles of the most fertile prairie land. İts rivers and lakes form one of the most remarkable physical features of the conti- nent. This water system furnishes important facilities for communication; and the course of the St. Lawrence is in the line of the shortest sailing circle across the Atlantic. The same favourable condition prevails on the west coast from the terminus of the Pacific Railway, now well advanced in construction, across the Pacific Ocean to the markets of China, Japan, and also to Australia. Coupled with these important commercial condi- tions, there is the fact that the Canada Pacific Railway crosses the continent on the shortest line through the fertile belt, and at the “gate” of the Rocky Mountains, crossing them on immensely more favourable conditions, both as respects grades and curves, than the line of railway which reaches the Pacific coast at San Francisco. DOMINION OF CANADA. Canada has fisheries of almost boundless extent, both on its Atlantic and Pacific coasts, which are without equals on the continent, or, it is believed, in the world. It has coal-fields of immense extent both on its Atlantic and Pacific coasts; and there are large deposits beneath the surface of its prairie lands east of the Rocky Mountains. It has also iron, gold, silver, copper, lead, and other mines of great richness; together with almost every description of the most valuable building materials; also petroleum, salt, etc. It has great variety of climates, from the arctic to that of almost the most southern of the temperate zones. The climates of the settled portions of the Dominion, and of the lands open for settlement, are among the most pleasant and healthy in the world, and favourable to the highest development of human energy. The Dominion of Canada must therefore, from these facts, become in the not distant future the home of one of the most populous and powerful peoples of the earth. As at present constituted, it is divided into seven Provinces, viz.: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia, together with the vast extent of North-West Territory; out of which the Districts of Assiniboia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Athabasca, have been formed; districts which will in the near future become great provinces of the Dominion, each having a territory us large as a European kingdom or empire. Every immigrant will have an inheritance in the great future of the Dominion, and help to build it up. 41 CHAPTER II. FACTS ABOUT THE DOMINION. IT is desirable that the intending emigrant should be informed of what may be called Facts about the Dominion, with respect to its government, its people and their social position, and also with respect to population, wealth and general progress. SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. The Government of Canada is Federal: that is, there is a Central General Govern. ment for the whole Dominion; and the several provinces have separate Legislatures, and manage their own local affairs. The seat of the Federal Government is at Ottawa. The engravings in this chapter represent the Parliament Buildings, which are in three groups, namely, the Parliament House, Departmental Buildings, East Block, and Departmental Buildings, West Block. vo TOTA VVV ಸರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ PARLIAMENT HOUSE, OTTAWA. Federal Government. The Federal Government has for its head a Governor-General appointed by the Queen, holding office for five years, having, however, his salary paid by the people of Canada; a Senate, consisting of members who are appointed for life by the Crown on the nomination of the Ministry; a House of Commons, elected by the people of the whole DOMINION OF CANADA. Dominion, under a very free suffrage, almost universal; and a Ministry consisting of Heads of Departments, having seats in the House of Commons and in the Senate, who are responsible to the House of Commons, not only for all moneys expended, but for their tenure of office. It is believed that this system is practically more free than that of the Republic of the United States, in that it gives the people more direct control over their rulers, to make and unmake them at pleasure, while at the same time it affords conditions of well-ordered stability. Provincial Government. The Lieutenant-Governors of the several Provinces are appointed by the Federal or General Government, but the Legislatures are elected by the people of the Provinces, and are independent within their respective spheres. The Province of Ontario has only one chamber, the Legislative Assembly, and a responsible Ministry. The Province of Quebec has two chambers, and a responsible Ministry, as have also New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and some of the other Provinces. Municipal Government. There is a very perfect system of Municipal Government throughout the Dominion. Both the counties and townships have local governments or Councils, which regulate their local taxation for roads, taxes for schools and other purposes, so that every man directly votes for the taxes which he pays. This system of responsibility, from the municipalities up to the General Government, causes everywhere a feeling of contentment and satisfaction, the people with truth believ- ing that no system of government which can be devised on earth can give them greater freedom. EDUCATION. Means of education, from the highest to the lowest, everywhere abound in the Dominion. The poor and middle classes can send their children to free schools, where excellent education is given; and the road to the colleges and higher education is open and easy for all. In no country in the world is good education more generally diffused than in Canada. In many thousands of cases the children of immigrants who came to Canada without any means, in a state of poverty very little removed from absolute pauperism, have received a thorough education, and have the highest prizes which the country offers before them. They have thus attained a state of well-being which would have been impossible for them at home, and which affords the most striking possible contrast with the dismal prospect which the workhouse would have afforded for a large number of them, when their strength for labour should have passed away. SOCIAL POSITION. An intending immigrant should be well informed with respect to the social position of the people of the country in which he intends to cast his lot; and here in the first place it may be stated that society is less marked by the distinctions of caste than in the Mother Country; while there is at the same time a careful preservation of those traditions. which give the general features to English society, and which are found the world over. The reasons of this important social fact are plain before the eyes of every observer. Apart from there being no social class of feudal nobility in Canada, almost every farmer and agriculturalist in the Dominion is the owner of his acres; the lord of the soil. He owns no master, but is free to do as he wills. This sense and state of independence among those who follow the leading industry of the Dominion, naturally permeates the whole social system, and produces a condition of social freedom which is impossible in all those countries of the Old World in which feudal castes prevail. Agricultural labourers have come to Canada in a state of poverty not far removed from pauperism, who have by their industry and earnings been very soon enabled to obtain farms of their own, and give their children thorough education-first in the Primary schools, second in the Grammar schools, and lastly in the Colleges and Univer- sities. DOMINION OF CANADA. BRITISH.A.B.N.C SH.A.B.N.com DEPARTMENTAL BUILDINGS, OTTAWA.—WEST BLOCK. surprisingly fine. A field pumpkin which I measured was four feet ten inches in circum. ference; a squash eight feet three inches, weighing 150 lbs. [We have seen them 350 lbs., open air growth. No better illustration could be given of a summer, semi-tropical in heat and of great duration, than the maturing of the pumpkins and squash of such great size). The potatoes were the finest I have ever seen; there were a great number of varieties. Citrons, melons, marrows and tomatoes, were also exceptionally large and fine.” “It is difficult to speak of the returns of grain commonly yielded to the farmer in this country. I have seen some fields that yielded forty bushels to the acre, others not far distant giving but fifteen. [No doubt, in a new country where many turn farmers not before acquainted with it, the average yield gives a poor idea of the capabilities of the soil]. I remarked one morning a particularly poor looking crop of Indian corn. On the Sunday, in the same county, I walked through a field of forty acres of this splendid plant, growing to a height of eighteen to twenty feet, and yielding thirty-seven tons to the acre as food for cattle. I plucked an ear nearly ripe, eighteen inches long, and counted six hundred grains on it” (p. 79). Usually there are two ears, sometimes three, on one stock or stem-not, of course, all so large. “Upwards of a hundred varieties of apples were exhibited. For cooking there were the Cayuga, Red Streak, or twenty-ounce Pippin, an imposing fruit, measuring sometimes over fifteen inches; the Alexander, of glorious crimson, the red Astrachan, Snow apples, so named from the whiteness of the pulp, the Gravenstein, Baldwin, and many others. For dessert, there were the Fameuse, the streaked St. Lawrence, the Spitzenberg, the Seek-no-farther, of gold and red” (p. 76). “The Canadian apple is the standard of excellence” (p. 5). "Even in California, the orchard of the Union, the superiority of the Canadian apple was, to my surprise, confessed-vast quantities are exported to England, and sold as American, their nationality being lost” (p. 77.) “Fruit and vegetables grow generously. Melons and tomatoes grow equally with the potatoe, pea, turnip, and the rest of the vegetables known in England. The grape thrives well. Raspberries, strawberries, black- berries (or brambles), cranberries, cherries and other fruits, currants, plums, grapes, apples, etc., grow wild. Orchards everywhere thrive.” These facts suggest some practical thoughts worthy the consideration of emigrants. LAND SYSTEM, As regards the land system of the Dominion, it may be stated that in the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and British GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. Columbia, with the exception of a tract in the last named Province, ceded to the Dom- inion for the purpose of the Pacific Railway, the lands are held by the several Provincial Governments. In several of the Provinces, free grants are given to immigrants, and in almost all cases in which Government land is for sale, it is offered at prices which are merely nominal, and which really only amount to settlement duties. It may also be stated that partially cleared farms, with the necessary buildings erected thereon, may be purchased in almost any part of the Dominion, at very moderate prices, and on very easy terms of payment. This arises from a disposition very common all over America, on the part of farmers, to sell out old settlements, and take up more extensive new ones. The facilities thus afforded are particularly advantageous to tenant farmers or farmers pos- sessing small capital who come to Canada, as from their previous training they are not so well adapted for the settlement of wild lands as persons brought up in this country. The lands in the Province of Manitoba and the North-West Territories are held by the Dominion Government, which gives a free grant of 160 acres to every settler on the condition of three years' residence, and the payment of an office or entry fee of $10.00 (£2 stg.) The free homesteader may also pre-empt the adjoining quarter-section of 160 acres, which, in a good locality, he can buy at $2.50 (or 10s. stg.) per acre; or $2 (8s. stg.) per acre. See Land Regulations published in Appendix. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company has received a grant from the Government of 25,000,000 acres in alternate sections (this company's lands are the odd-numbered sec. tions), which they offer for sale at $2.50 (or 10s. stg.) an acre, and upwards, the prices. varying with position. On the lands at $2.50 per acre, a rebate of $1.25 (or 5s. stg.) is made on every acre cultivated within four years. Lands are also for sale without any required conditions of cultivation. The great object of this company being to secure settlement, to bring traffic for their railway, they offer their valuable lands for sale at prices which are merely nominal. The Hudson Bay Company has yet to dispose of nearly 7,000,000 acres of land in the fertile belt, which it wcquired at the cession of this territory to the Dominion. This. company sells its lands et prices varying from $5.00 to $10.00 (or £1 to £2 stg.) per acre, its interest being simply to obtain fair market values. How to Obtain Lands. More particular details respecting the public lands of the Province and of the Dom- inion, the prices and modes of obtaining them, will be given under their appropriate heads. in another part of this book, the object of these lines being to afford a general explanation of the Canadian land system. SELLING AND SYSTEM OF CONVEYING LANDS IN CANADA. Lands are bought and sold as readily in Canada as any kind of merchandise, and the system of conveying them is not much more intricate or expensive than that of making out bills of parcels. This extreme simplicity and conciseness in conveyancing very frequently excites the astonishment of those who have been accustomed to the skins of parchment, and long and dreary nomenclature common in such instruments in the Mother Country. In Manitoba, for instance, a parcel of ground may be described by a few figures, namely, the number of the section or part of a section, the number of the township, and the number of the range. These three figures afford an instant and absolute description of any land in the surveyed portions of the North-West. The words “ sell and assign," for so much money, cover the transfer. This is signed before a notary or a commissioner, the deed is registered, and the transaction is complete. In the other Provinces the forms. are very little different and very little longer, although the definitions of property cannot be simply expressed by the numbers of the section, township and range. This simple system does not give rise to any ambiguity or doubtfulness of title; and the people who have become used to these concise and convenient forms would not endure any other. There is a question before the Legislature of making titles, as registered, final, thereby preventing any necessity on the occasion of transfers, of searches of titles, and curing all defects, the same as has been the practice in Australia and elsewhere. Such a system, in addition to the simplicity of transfers, would render very much more certain any deal- ings in real estate. DATUM CHAPTER III. PRODUCTIONS OF CANADA. T HE object of this chapter is less to give a detailed account of the productions of Co Canada, which would be impossible in a book of this kind, than to point out their nature for the information of possible workers in the several branches, or for men with capital who may desire to embark in them. At the head of these stand farming and stock-breeding. FARMING AND STOCK-BREEDING. Canada seems especially fitted to supply the United Kingdom with much of the farm produce that is necessary for her to import. The older Provinces export horses, beef, mutton, butter, cheese and fruits as their leading staples from the field and the garden, while Manitoba and the North-West export wheat and other grains. Large ranches have also been successfully established on the great grass lands at the base of the Rocky Moun. tains, and when these come into full play their products will be enormous. The cattle can be driven to the nearest railway stations, which are not more distant from the Atlantic seaports than are those railways in the United States, West and South-West, which now successfully bring cattle via Chicago to the Atlantic ports for export to Great Britain. The general healthfulness of climate, and favourable conditions for feeding all kinds of stock, which prevail in the older Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, as well as in what may be called the new North-West, leave no room for doubt that Canada is capable of supplying the needs of the mother country as respects supplies of horses, cattle and sheep. It is to be remarked, moreover, that since the beginning of this export trade, there have been marked improvements in stock, by the importation of Short Horn, Polled Angus, Hereford and other varieties. It is also to be remarked that the facilities afforded in Manitoba are particularly favourable for feeding swine for export. The soil of Canada may be said to be the source of her greatest wealth and strength. Her forest lands, her smiling farms, and her rich and vast rolling prairies, make the attraction she offers for the agriculturist. There may be more scientific farming in England and in Scotland than in Canada. English high farmers would find in Janada much that they would consider very rough work; but there are exceptions of highly cultivated farms. In the Province of Ontario there is a School of Agriculture, connected with a model farm, at which scientific and practical agriculture is taught. There are also model farms in the Province of Quebec. The result is a marked improvement of late years in the style of farming in some parts of the country. But there is much to be done yet in this direction. In too many instances the land is merely scratched over; and it speaks well for the character of the soil and climate that under such adverse circumstances such excellent yields are obtained. It has been hitherto found that what we may call pioneer farming, that is, taking from the soil in the roughest and readiest manner what it will produce, is more profitable than higher farming with its more costly appliances of labour and fertilizers. But in the older por- tions of the country this state of things is beginning to chan ge. The sufficient reason for its existence in the past has been that the land has been plentiful, cheap and virgin, while on the other hand labour has been dear. It was, therefore, natural to take the most from the land at the least cost of labour. There is no more independent man in the world than the Canadian farmer; he may not have so much wealth as soms English farmers: he may not be in a position to 09 PRODUCTS OF FIELD AND ORCHAND. 18 DOMINION OF CANADA. cultivate his land to such a degree of perfection; yet, as a rule, he is a happier, a more contented, and a more independent man. His land is his own absolutely. His taxes are light; his family are well to do; he is the equal in every respect (not unfrequently the superior) of the most successful persons in the towns near by. The English farmer coming to Canada, particularly to the older Provinces, will find a general similarity in work and conditions to those he left in England. The products are the same, and the nature of the work very little different. As a rule, machinery is more generally used in Canada, and farming tools are lighter and handier. The more general application of machinery naturally arises from the greater dearness and difficulty of getting labour. The farmer in Canada cannot do the same kind of field work in the winter as in England; but he finds enough to do, and there are ample compensations. The climate is a little warmer in summer and colder in winter; but it is clearer, brighter and more pleasant to live in; and, it is believed, more healthy. The great majority of English farmers who come to Canada will all testify to the truth of these statements. Again, the English farmer in coming to Canada, feels that he has not gone a three-months' journey away from his old home, but only about nine days. The field crops that are produced are wheat, oats, barley, rye, Indian corn, potatoes, turnips, mangel wurtzel, peas, buckwheat, flax, etc. The garden fruits and vegetables are similar to those of England, except that tomatoes, melons, grapes, etc., will ripen and are grown in the open air in Canada. Let a new-comer in Canada go into a farming district, and call at the first large, comfortable house he may meet with, surrounded with well-tilled fields, herds of sleek cattle, great barns and extensive stables, all showing evidence of prosperity. Upon asking the owner's experience, in nine cases out of ten, the reply to this would be that he came from the Old Country fifteen, twenty or twenty-five years ago, with an empty pocket; that in his early days he had to struggle with difficulties; but found his labours rewarded by success, and ultimately crowned with independence. Paying no rent, and owning no master, he has educated and settled his children around him in equally favourable con- ditions with his own. This is not an isolated case; it is the experience of hundreds and thousands of men. For the agricultural labourer who comes to Canada, the question is not simply what wages he may earn, but to what position of independence he can attain in the evening of his life; in contrast to that possible goal in the Mother Country, if he should become unable to work with his accustomed vigour—the workhouse. • The opening up and successful carrying on of the export of cattle trade with England has sensibly changed, in many cases, the character of the farming in Canada ; and this is well, for farmers had begun to overcrop the soil, in so constantly producing cereals. In comparing Canada's present standing as a stock-breeding country with her stand- ing twenty years ago, we find that her progress in this direction has been most remarkable. It is barely twenty years since the first herd of English thoroughbred short-horns was brought to Canada. Previous to that time very little attention had been paid to stock raising. In many instances cattle were allowed to look after themselves, and for market purposes they added but little to the settler's income. It was the opinion of many persons in those days that stock-breeding could never be successfully carried on in Canada. The experience of the last few years shows that that opinion was an error. Though the number of farmers who have ventured on the experiment of stock-breeding, on a large scale, is not great, the test has been most thorough and complete in both Ontario, Quebec, and part of the Maritime Provinces, and the result satisfactory. . It may now be stated with confidence that the collection of cattle at the great stock. breeding farms of Canada is among the most valuable in the world. It is made up of the very best blood of the bovine aristocracy of England. Not many years ago there were no pure herds in the country, except the small species of cow in the French part of Lower Canada, which were brought in chiefly from Bretagne, and possess the milking character- istics of the Alderneys. To-day, there are in Canada many herds of the best English breeds, with a pure and unbroken record extending back many generations. It is a fact established beyond all doubt, that the famous short-horns of England not only do well in Canada, but that the character of the stock actually improves in the new country. In not a few instances the offspring of stock taken out from England has been carried over to the Mother Country and sold at high prices. At a recent sale in England a three year old bull which brought the extraordinary price of three thousand six hundred guineas was of Canadian breed. The herds to be seen at the Provincial and other Exhibitions are the wonder and admiration of experienced English stockmasters. GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 19 Within the last few months as much energy and capital have been expended in introducing the class of Polled Angus into the country as at the beginning of the great shorthorn movement, and sone of the best blood of Scotland in this class of cattle is now established in Canada. At the last Paris Exhibition, and at three or four recent shows in England, especially the Smithfield shows, it was proved that the Polled Angus were superior to other breeds for fattening purposes; and especially the grades of this blood, when mixed with other breeds, produced very remarkable effects. So soon as this fact was perceived by Canadian farmers and breeders, they at once put that knowledge into practice, and the result will probably be a marked improvement in the cattle exported from Canada. Devons, Ayrshires, Alderneys and other breeds are found in all the old Provinces marked with a degree of perfection which would command respect anywhere. The best varieties of English sheep and pigs have also been largely imported, and are becoming generally spread. DAIRY FARMING. Great progress has been made in dairy farming in Canada, and the tendency is towards improvement and economy of labour. The factory system has been latterly introduced in the older Provinces. There are factories for the manufacture of cheese, and creameries for the manufacture of superior butter. These works relieve the farm house, and especially the female portion of the inmates, of a great deal of labour, and not only this, but the products arising from the application of scientific processes and highly-skilled labour, produce results more excellent than was possible under the old systems. “ American" cheese, as it is called, is well known in England; but very few people are aware of the fact that the best “American” cheese is made in Canada. In the window of a cheesemonger's shop in Ludgate Hill, London, Canadian Stilton and Canadian Cheddar are constantly exhibited, and so well do they suit the palates of Englishmen that many persons prefer them to the English articles after which they are named. The Canadian cheese is, in fact, the very best made on the American continent. The cattle are of the very best breeds, the pasture is excellent, and the work is cleanly and carefully done. Both of the industries of butter and cheese making are largely carried on in Canada, , and the exports of both products are very considerable. MARKET-GARDENING, POULTRY-RAISING, AND BEE-KEEPING. Near the large towns, market gardening is profitably carried on. A comparatively small capital is necessary, and with industry and perseverance, backed up by experience, a good income is assured. Poultry-raising is only beginning to be much looked after in Canada, probably because poultry is so cheap. In course of time, however, as the market extends, and as means are found of exporting fowls, geese and turkeys to England, henneries on a large scale will be established. The exportation has already begun. Bee-keeping is profitably carried on in many parts of the Dominion. These few points show that what may be termed the smaller branches of farming are not neglected by the Canadian husbandman. Still much remains to be done in, this respect. FRUIT-GROWING. The growing of fruit, as well for home consumption as for exportation, is a very important industry in Canada, and one which excites the wonder of many new-comers. People who have been accustomed to think of Canada, as described in the words of the French king before the cession, as “a few acres of snow,” are at first incredulous as to the extent and excellence of the fruits produced in a country which has the summer skies of Italy and France. There are vineyards in the Province of Ontario of fifty.or sixty acres in extent; peach orchards of similar extent; and apple orchards, almost innumer- able. Strawberries are raised as a field crop. Plums, pears, gooseberries, currants and raspberries, are everywhere produced in the greatest abundance. The tomato ripens in the open air, and such is the profusion of this fruit that it is very often cheaper on the market than potatoes, selling at 50 cents (28. stg.), and sometimes less, per bushel. Melons ripen in the open air, as a field or market garden crop, and this delicious fruit is sold at very cheap prices in the markets. 20 DOMINION OF CANADA. Wine of excellent quality is now largely manufactured from the grapes, and this fruit is so cheap as to be within the everyday reach of the poorest. It may be mentioned that in the county of Essex, on the shores of Lake Erie, the vine is very largely grown for the purpose of wine-making, and both the growing of the vines and the making of the wines are systematically carried on by French viticulturists, by French methods and processes, with very great success. Frenchmen engaged in this work have declared the conditions for growing the vine are more favourable in Essex than in the east of France, while the wine which is made is of a superior quality. The great wealth of Canada in fruits is a fact which is not only interesting to the intending settler as an industry, but as a climatic fact, the country in this particular being much before the United Kingdom. It is especially interesting to the intending settler as a consumer, in that he can always obtain a supply of the healthful luxury of delicious fruits. The apples of Canada are especially very highly prized, and find their way in very large quantities to the markets of the United Kingdom; and it may be mentioned here that at the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia the Americans honestly admitted themselves to have been fairly beaten by this Canadian product. A New York illustrated paper, on that occasion, stated that the finest show of fruits at that great Exhibition was made by the Fruit-Growers' Association of Ontario, Canada ; a Society which has done much to promote and encourage the cultivation of fruits in North America." FOREST PRODUCTS. The forest products of Canada constitute one of her most important sources of wealth. They find their way to all parts of the world; to the United States; to the United Kingdom; and to our antipodes, the Australian colonies. The Canadian saw. mills are at once among the most extensive and best appointed in the world. It excites the wonder of a stranger to see a log taken out of the water by an automatic process, placed in position under the saws, and reduced to inch boards in a few seconds. An American naturalist, at a recent meeting of the Scientific Association, stated that this summary process of reducing in a few seconds a giant pine to boards for the uses of man contrasted strangely with the period of more than a century required for its growth. This industry in all its stages employs large numbers of men, as well as affording freight to railways and shipping. The forests of Canada are rich with a great variety of noble trees, which are useful to man for lumber of many kinds; for building purposes, for furniture; and, in many parts of Canada, for fuel. Among the varieties are the maple (hard and soft), elm, hickory, ironwood, pine, spruce, cedar, hemlock, walnut, oak, butternut, basswood, poplar, chestnut, rowan, willow, black and white birch, and many more. These forest trees add a singular beauty to the landscape in many parts of the country, and also exercise a very beneficial influence on the climate in affording shelter and attracting rain-fall. The beauty of the tints and the brilliancy of colour of the Canadian forest-trees in autumn require to be seen in the clear, bright atmosphere of the Canadian autumn to be understood. Some stá vistics of the export of Canadian lumber, over and above the immense quantities manufactured for domestic use in Canada, will be found in the Appendix to this Guide Book. PRODUCTS OF THE MINE. The mineral resources of Canada are among its great attractions, and their develop. ment in the immediate future will constitute one of the greatest sources of wealth for the Dominion. On this subject we quote the following from a recently published work: “ The possession of metals is of vital importance to every country, and nature has been extremely prolific in giving Canada, in its varied geological formations, many of the ordinary metals and ores. To quote the words of Lanman, a well-known American writer, to particularize the undeveloped wealth of this northern land would require volumes.' The Atlantic coast embraces a large area of the oldest known formation, the Laurentian, which brings up from the bowels of the earth, either in its rocks or accom- panying them, nearly all the known minerals. The Pacific coast, over an area of several hundred thousand square miles, is composed of rocks similar to those of Colorado and Nevada--the bonanza-bearing rocks. The district between the great lakes, while appa- GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. rently without the precious metals, furnishes no small amount of other minerals, of which also the prairie regions contribute their share. “The attention of capitalists, both native and foreign, which has within the last few years been attracted hither, has had the effect of eliciting facts which prove beyond a doubt that Canada is destined eventually to rank as ono of the finest mining districts in the world. The impetus lately given to prospecting by inquiries constantly being made has caused the discovery of important deposits of economic minerals of vast extent, and of so varied and useful a character—the existence of which in Canada was previously unknown, or, at least, known only to the geologist and man of scientific pursuits-as in many cases to lead to the rapid development of new sources of industry. The system of scientific exploration and analysis afforded by the annual progress of the Government Geological Survey is gradually unfolding the hidden wealth of the mines, and private enterprise is doing much toward this end. The drawback hitherto experienced has been in the fact that sufficient capital has not been applied to the development of the general mineral wealth to make it productive, and it has not unfrequently happened that many mining operations were only of a speculative character, the effect of which was to throw doubts on all mining schemes. But foreign capital is now being brought in, and has wrought a wondrous change. As the mineral resources of this country become developed, its agricultural capabilities will be fully brought out, manufactures and commerce will increase, and a numerous and thriving population will find ready employment in the various branches of trade. “ Metals and their Ores.-Under this head are the following: Iron, which exists as bog ore, hematite, magnetic and specular ore and magnetic iron sand; lead, copper, sulphurets and native; nickel and cobalt, zinc, silver, gold and platinum. “ Minerals applicable to Chemical Manufactures.- Iron ores and chromic iron, sulphate of barytes, molybdenite, cobaltiferous andarsenical pyrites, bismuth, antimony, manganese, dolomite, magnesite, phosphate of lime and calcareous tufa. Of the above, iron ores and sulphates of barytes, chromic iron, bismuth and others are used as pigments and in the manufacture of paints; molybdenite and manganese for bleaching and decolorizing; pyrites for the manufacture of copperas, sulphur and sulphuric acid; dolomite and magnesite for medicinal purposes; phosphate of lime and calcareous tufa for artificial manures. “Minerals applicable to Construction.-Under this head are limestones and sandstones for building purposes; the former is also used to prepare lime and hydraulic cement; gneiss; syenite and granite for paving purposes; marbles, found in great variety, white, black, red, veined, dark and light green, brown, grey, mottled, etc., for pillars, mantel. pieces and decorative purposes and sculpture; slates for roofing; flagstones; clays, various colours, for bricks and tiles. “Minerals for Grinding and Polishing.–Whetstones, hones, grindstones, millstones and emery powder. " Refractory Minerals.—Asbestos, or amianthus; mica; soapstone, or steatite; plum- bago, or graphite; and clay for fire bricks. “Minerals applicable to Fine Arts.---Lithographic stones, agates, jaspers, crystals, amethysts. " Miscellaneous Minerals.-Coal, lignite, rock salt, petroleum, or rock oil, feldspar, bituminous shale." Gold mines have been worked in Nova Scotia, in Quebec and Ontario, and largely in British Columbia, where there are yet immense fields to open up. Silver mines have been worked in Ontario; and that at Silver Islet, Thunder Bay, is the richest which has yet been discovered on the continent. Iron ore is found all over the Dominion, and many mines have been successfully worked. Some of the Canadian iron ores are among the most valuable in the world. Copper has been mined to a considerable extent, both in Quebec and Ontario; and the deposits of the ore are of great extent. There are very large coal deposits in Nova Scotia ; and many mines are profitably worked. This coal is sent up by the River St. Lawrence and by rail into the interior. The coast of British Columbia is very rich in coal of a quality which commands a prefer- ence in the markets of San Francisco, notwithstanding the United States coal duty. Tests made by officers of the United States Government showed the British Columbia coal to excel that of California, Washington Territory or Oregon, by one-fourth in steam-making power. As regards the North-West Territory, coal is known to exist over a vast region to the east of the Rocky Mountains. This region stretches from 150 to 200 miles east of the mountains, and north from the frontier for about a thousand miles. In places where the seams have been examined, they are found to be of great thickness and of excellent 24 DOMINION OF CANADA. This was remarked by the Princess Louise in the notes to her appreciative sketches of the St. Lawrence, at Quebec, published in Good Words. With respect to the view from the citadel of Quebec-taking in the harbour; part of the city; the opposite town of Levis; the Island of Orleans, with a spur of the Laurentian range on the left shore, through which the Falls of Montmorenci are precipitated into the St. Lawrence—she says that “it is always understood to be one of the finest views in the world, an ever-varying scene of beauty." This view is inserted as the frontispiece of this pamphlet, and, following, ls another very beautiful view, from a sketch taken by H. R. H. of Wolfe's Cove, looking up the St. Lawrence above Quebec. The sail up the St. Lawrence to Quebec alone is worth a journey to Canada to see. Passengers from Europe select the St. Lawrence route, because it affords the most direct and shortest line to the very heart of the American continent. The Canadian railway system connects with that of the Western States, as well as those of the Eastern and Middle States; and the same remark applies to the system of canal and lake navigation. These facts account for the large number of emigrants who go to the United States by way of the St. Lawrence; and it is certain that the number of these will increase as the advantages of the route become more and more known in Europe. It has been represented in certain quarters that these passengers are immigrants who have left Canada to go to the United States; but nothing can be more absurdly untrue. The fact of the large use made of this route is simply a tribute paid to its superiority. CANADIAN RAILWAYS. In the particular of the construction of railways, the progress of the Dominion of Canada has been very rapid since Confederation; and great efforts are being made at the present moment to extend and complete the system. In the Appendix to this book a statistical view of the railways of Canada is given, from 1876 to 1883, inclusive, with a list of the railways in operation, taken from the Official Report; together with a sketch of the progress now making on the greater railway works. The track of the Pacific Railway is now laid for a distance of about 960 miles west of Winnipeg, and has already passed the summit of the Rocky Mountains. The length of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, so for as completed, is 2,158 miles, and under construction, 734 miles; making in all 2,892 miles of main line. The branches and connections of this railway are 1,064 miles in length. The Company confidently expect that the whole line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean, including trunk line and branches (3,956 miles in all), will be completed in 1885; that is five years earlier than the time specified in their contract. The prosecution of the work of construction of this company is marked by unexampled energy. More miles of railway track have been laid by its workmen in one day than ever before on the continent of America. The total length of Canadian railways in operation at the date of the last Official Report, June 30th, 1883, was 8,805 miles; but the increase since that date has been con- siderable, the time since the close of the fiscal year having been one of remarkable activity in railway construction. During the year 1883, no less than 1,031 miles of railway were completed in the Dominion. The total amount of paid up capital expended in the construction of railways in Canada, at the end of the fiscal year, was $494,253,046. The natural and physical advantages for the construction of a trans-continental railway are very much greater in Canada than at any other point in North America. The Canadian line, in the first place, passes through that portion of the continent known as the “Fertile Belt," instead of over arid or salt plains. The highest pass, according to Mr. Fleming's report on the line selected by him, was 3.372 feet above the level of the sea; while the line of railway having its terminus at San Francisco has to scale an eleva- tion of 7,534 feet. It is understood, however, that the Canadian Pacific Railway Com- pany have found a more southern and shorter pass through the Rocky Mountains than that which was surveyed by the engineers under Mr. Fleming and selected by him. It is not certain that the gradients of the Kicking Horse Pass will be in all respects quite so favourable as the Tete Jaune. But the gain in distance is expected to be from fifty to one hundred miles. The following further statements are extracted from Mr. Fleming's report: • Viewing the Canadian Pacific Railway as a 'through' route between ports on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the comparative profile of altitudes as above given illustrates யாவாய் TAHTMISTARVER M M N IHILIS M MIX Hmmm illi ANIM N1 MIS M WOLFE'S COVE; A VIEW ABOVE QUEBEC, LOOKING UP THE ST. LAWRENCE. BY H.R.H. THE PRINCESS LOUISE 25 26 DOMINION OF CANADA. the remarkable engineering advantages which it possesses over the Union Pacific Rail- way. The lower altitudes to be reached, and the more favourable gradients are not, how. ever, the only advantages. - A careful examination into the question of distances, shows, beyond dispute, that the Continent can be spanned by a much shorter line on Canadian soil than by the exist. ing railway through the United States. "The distance from San Francisco to New York, by the Union Pacific Railway, is 3,363 miles, while from New Westminster to Montreal it is only 2,730, or 636 in favour of the Canadian route. “By the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, even New York, Boston and Portland will be brought from 300 to 500 miles nearer the Pacific coast than they are at present. “ Compared with the Union Pacific Railway, the Canadian line will shorten the passage from Liverpool to China, in direct distance, more than 1,000 miles. “ When the remarkable engineering advantages which appear to be obtainable on the Canadian Line, and the very great reduction in mileage above referred to are taken into consideration, it is evident that the Canadian Pacific Railway, in entering into compe. tition for the through traffic between the two oceans, will possess in a very high degree the essential elements for success.” It will thus be seen that the Canadian Pacific Railway has not only Canadian but Imperial interest. As regards the Pacific Ocean connections of the Canadian Pacific Railway, it is worthy of note that the distance from Japan, China, or the Atlantic coast generally to Liverpool is from 1,000 to 1,200 miles less by the Canadian Pacific than by the Union Pacific Railway. In reference to this point Prof. Maury, U.S., writes:–«The trade- winds place Vancouver's Island on the way side of the road from China and Japan to San Francisco so completely that a trading vessel under canvas to the latter place would take the same route as if she was bound for Vancouver's Island—so that all return cargoes would naturally come there in order to save two or three weeks, besides risks and expenses.” It must, however, be clearly understood that this advantage, equivalent to the distance between Vancouver Island and San Francisco, viz., about 700 miles, is independent of and in addition to, the saving of direct distance by the Canadian route given above. When the great advantages of favourable grades and curves, and shortness of line, passing through a rich and well watered agricultural country, bountifully endowed with coal, are taken in connection with the favourable conditions as respects navigation, both on the east and west sides of the continent, it will appear at a glance that there is a con- junction of commercial forces presented which is unique in the world, and which must in the near future exercise a marked influence upon, if it does not command, what has been commonly known in England as the trade of the East; China and Japan, however, being the west from the Canadian point of view. Old poplars that adorn the lower ramparts, built on the site of those which defended the city in 1759. The walls have been neg- lected, but are now being restored to their original condition by the Dominion Government. TAJU unghi all w ԱԱԱիա անիրա ՔՍԱՆՀ nsure papayamanan B PART OF THE LOWER RAMPARTS. A VIEW AT QUEBEC BY H. R. H. THE PRINCESS LOUISE. 28 GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 29 leave at night, enter what is called a "sleeping car,” and be at Montreal on awakening the next morning. Our traveller has now arrived at the commercial capital, over a thousand miles from the ocean. Montreal has a population in round numbers of 150,000 inhabitants within its somewhat narrow city limits. These figures would be largely increased if the adjacent villages, which virtually form part of the city, were taken in. Montreal is a handsome, well-built city, and a place of large commerce and great wealth. It is rapidly increasing, and probably in the immediate future will fill the whole Island of Montreal. In addition to its commercial facilities, being the head of ocean navigation, it is a railway centre, and has very favourable manufacturing facilities. The population is mixed English and French speaking, each contributing to the city's progress. The Victoria Bridge, crossing the river, about two miles wide at this place, is one of the features of Montreal. The city is beautifully situated, and the view from the Mountain Park overlooking it is one of the most charming to be found in any country. Proceeding west, the tourist may call at Ottawa, the seat of the Federal Government; which he may reach by the choice of three railways, or by the steamers on the Ottawa, a river having a course of more than 700 miles in length, yet itself but an affluent of the great St. Lawrence. Ottawa has a population of about 28,000. The Parliament Buildings form the most prominent feature of attraction to the tourist, from their architecture (Renaissance Gothic) and commanding situation. They stand on the south bank of the Ottawa, on high and spacious grounds, of about twelve acres in extent, and are visible for miles around. An eminent writer has well said of them that they “are among the glories of the architecture of the world.” Proceeding westward, the pleasant city of Kingston, the former capital of the two old Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, at the foot of Lake Ontario, is next reached; and further west, at the head of the Lake, the tourist will come to the large and beautiful city of Toronto, claimed by its inhabitants to be the “Queen City" of Western Canada. Toronto had a population of 86,415 when the Dominion census was taken in 1881. But it has, according to a municipal census taken as these sheets are passing through the press (October, 1884), a population of 102,276. Its streets are beautifully laid out, and it has many handsome buildings. It is surrounded by a rich and pleasant farming country. Many lines of railway centre in this city, opening up large portions of the Do- minion tributary to it. If the tourist should make Toronto a point at which to stop, and from which to see the Province of Ontario in detail, he may visit Hamilton, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Guelph, London and numerous other thriving and prosperous towns, situ- ated in a rich farming country, where the numerous pleasant homesteads, with fields, orchards, flocks and herds, give everywhere the impression of agricultural contentment and success. If the tourist should continue on his journey westward, and go to Thunder Bay, near the head of Lake Superior, he will again have gone more than a thousand miles, as the crow flies, from his last stopping-place; or 2,500 miles from the ocean. In other words, he will have travelled as far from the Atlantic Ocean as from Liverpool to the city of Quebec. The upper lakes have been not inaptly termed “inland seas ;” and Lake Superior is at once the largest and most remarkable sheet of fresh water in the known world. The scenery is very beautiful; and particularly about Thunder Bay, the lake terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, where there is the town of Port Arthur; and where undoubtedly in the near future a great city will arise. The tourist can now take the Canadian Pacific Railway, and proceed direct to Win- nipeg. Measured on the map in a straight line, the distance is about 400 miles; but the meanderings of the railway in the rugged and highly picturesque country it passes through would make that distance longer. It might be worth while to stop at a place called Rat Portage, a point at which the Lake of the Woods—a large and beautiful sheet of water literally studded with wooded islands, in the same way as the Thousand Islands below Kingston falls over a ledge of rocks into Winnipeg River; the waters of which now run northerly into Lake Winnipeg; a lake which is over 210 miles long. The scenery here is very beautiful; and the immense water-power will probably induce the building of a large manufacturing city—the Minneapolis of the Canadian North-West. Proceeding on his westward way, the city of Winnipeg, situated on the Red River, at the confluence of the Assiniboine, would surely give him a surprise. Within the years that may be counted on the fingers of one hand, Winnipeg was almost naked prairie. By the census of April, 1881, it had a population of about 8,000; but now it is said, as these lines are written, the population is estimated at 30,000. There has been a rush to it 30 DOMINION OF CANADA. LIKUARA . SUN H OTEL DE ter “It is always understood to be one of the finest views in the world, an ever-varying scene of beauty. On the right bank of the river is Point Levis, named after the gallant French gener- al, Marquis de Levis. At this place the Royal Engineers erected wooden huts some years ago, and these are now used by the Canadian Artillery Militia in the summer time. To the left is the Island of Orleans, situated almost midstream, six miles below the City of Quebec. The hills beyond rise over St. Anne's, a favourite place for pilgrimages.”_ H.R.H.'S DESCRIPTION, FROM "GOOD WORDS." VIEW FROM THE WINDOWS OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S QUARTERS IN THE CITADEL, QUEBEC, OVERLOOKING THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. BY H.R.H. THE PRINCESS LOUISE. from all parts, so great that building accommodation could not be procured for all in- comers; and one saw, even late in the fall, whole streets of canvas tents, and primitive constructions of merely wooden boxes, while substantial buildings of every kind were everywhere being “rushed” up. There are splendid villa residences in Winnipeg ; handsome houses and magnificent blocks of shops or “stores," as they are called, which would be conspicuous in the great cities of Europe. A very large business is done, large numbers of people have grown rich, and the streets which have tram railways are already lighted with electricity. Its citizens believe, and apparently not without good reason, in view of the vast territories that must be tributary to Winnipeg, that it will become in the near future one of the great cities of the world. Business eagerness seems to be depicted on the faces of the people, and at times the hurrying and crowding on parts of Main Street, Winnipeg, remind one of State Street, Chicago. After having travelled about three thousand miles from the ocean, the tourist has now arrived at the centre of the continent of North America, and he has fairly entered on the prairie region of the great North-West of the Dominion of Canada. He may now drive over the plains, directing his course by the points of the compass in the same way as on the ocean; and proceeding west for about 1,000 miles, will reach the Rocky GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 31 Mountains. The Pacific Railway, as these lines are written, has pushed 960 miles west of Winnipeg, and passed the summit of the Rocky Mountains. Here the scenery has a grandeur which words fail to describe. The Rev. Dr. McGregor, in a paper contributed to the Contemporary Review, says: “Our first glimpse of that long and magnificent line of gigantic peaks and mighty masses-a broken mountain wall of glittering snow some hundred miles away-was a vision of glory never to be forgotten. On our ascending from a great Indian pow-wow on the Bow River to the upper level, they looked in the clear morning air like a long series of sharp-cut white pyramids built upon the prairie; then the great dog-toothed line rose higher; then the long serrated range of jagged peaks and twisted masses, seen under sunshine almost tropical in its heat and purity, stood out in all its splendour, sharp and distinct as if only a few miles away, their sides blue in shadow, while their peaks and faces were a glittering snow-white down to the yellow prairie level out of which they seemed to rise. When forty-five miles distant from them, I noted as special features the straightness of the range from the two extreme points of vision, and that, though broken into every variety of form, the pyramidal peak pre- dominating, the summit line was pretty uniform, like a deep and irregularly toothed saw. I suppose that nowhere else on earth is there such an ocean of verdure bounded by such a shore.” His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne, on the occasion of his visit to British Columbia, made a speech in the autumn of 1882, in which he referred to the importance of culti- vating the attractions held out by the scenery of this Province. He said :-“I woulă strongly advise you to cultivate the attractions held out to the travelling public by the magnificence of your scenery. Let this country become what Switzerland is for Europe in the matter of good roads to places which may be famed for their beauty, and let good and clean hotels attract the tourist to visit the grand valleys and marvellous mountain ranges. Choose some district, and there are many from which you can choose, where trout and salmon abound, and where sport may be found among the deer and with the wild fowl. Select some portion of your territory where pines and firs shroud in their greatest richness the giant slopes and swarm upwards to glacier, snow field, and craggy peak, and where in the autumn the maples seem as though they wished to mimic in hanging gardens the glowing tints of the lava that must have streamed down the precipices of these old volcanoes. Wherever you find these beauties in greatest perfection, and where the river torrents urge their currents most impetuously through the Alpine gorges, there I would counsel you to set apart a region which shall be kept as a national park.” Considerable portions of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Rocky Mountain region are undertaken and far advanced, and in the year 1885, it is believed, perfect railway connection will be made to the tide waters of the Pacific Ocean from the Eastern Provinces. Such are the merest outlines of a trip which any person from the United Kingdom can undertake at moderate expense, within a few weeks, and which may be varied with almost infinite detail and interest in any part of the Dominion. It is suggested as a varia- tion from the now old round of the European watering places. THE SPORTSMAN AND THE ANGLER. Foremost among the attractions for sportsmen may be placed buffalo hunting on the vast prairies of the North-West, although, unfortunately, this noble game is begin- ning to disappear. Travelling via the Canadian Pacific Railway west of Winnipeg, which may be taken as a point of departure, sportsmen may there procure camping requisites, and may hire expert guides with trained horses; but it is best before concluding arrangements to consult with some skilled person on the spot. These guides, or “ plain hunters,” are most expert, and, as a rule, trustworthy, honest and respectful. In the forests of New Brunswick and Quebec, moose are abundant; but the chase, if exciting, is most arduous, and experienced guides should be engaged. The best are the Canadian, French and Indian half-breeds, who are active, hardy, shrewd and skillful both in killing and caring for the game. They are more cleanly than the full-blooded Indians, and better cooks. Those who have time and means to push on to the Rocky Mountains may find grizzly bears; and the forests of British Columbia teem with many kinds of large game. For less ambitious sportsmen, there is a range in the older Provinces from deer shooting to bagging squirrels; including bears, foxes, wolves, otter, mink, pine marten, sable, hares, raccoons, etc. SIE INTERIOR OF THE CITADEL, QUEBEC. By H.R.H. THE PRINCESS LOUISE. Plateau, looking over the St. Charles Valley, with part of the Laurentian range in the distance, as seen from the Governor-General's windows. The present citadel was built in the early part of this century. The old French fortifications extended rather farther than the present works, and their lines can be most distinctly traced. Large military stores are kept in the citadel. VV AVV AU CHAPTER VI. CANADA AS SHOWN BY FIGURES. AREA OF PROVINCES AND TERRITORY. A table is subjoined of the territorial area of the Provinces and North-West Territory of Canada ; the figures of the four old Provinces of Canada being taken from the Introduction to the Census of 1881: ... ... Prince Edward Island ........ Nova Scotia. ............. New Brunswick ............. Quebec .... Ontario ....... Manitoba... .. British Columbia. The Territories... Total square miles......... 2,133 sq. miles. 20,907 27,174 188,688 181,800 123,200 341,305 ...2,585,000 3,470,257 It is to be observed that the areas of the great waters, such as the great lakes and rivers of the Upper Provinces and the St. Lawrence, the bays, and inlets of the Lower Provinces, are not included in the above table of square miles, these being compiled from census districts established with a view of apportioning population to specific areas of land. The areas of these waters, as nearly as they can be estimated from measurement on the maps, would be about 140,000 square miles, which, added to the areas taken from the census districts, would give a total of over 3,610,000 square miles. The area of the whole of the continent of Europe is 3,900,000 square miles; the area of the United States, exclusive of Alaska, is 2,933,588 square miles—that of Alaska is 577,390 square miles—combined making 3,510,978 miles. Thus the Dominion is nearly six hundred thousand square miles larger than the United States without Alaska, and nearly eighteen thousand square miles larger than both combined. The total population of the Dominion by the census of 1881 was 4,324,810, against 3,687,024, as shown by the census of 1871. The increase in the old Provinces during the decenniad is over 18 per cent. The increase for the same Provinces in 1871 over 1861 was over 12 per cent. The number of males in 1881 was 2,188,854 ; that of the females 2,135,- 956; there being a preponderance of more than 50,000 males over the females in the Dominion. This has probably arisen from the excess in immigration of males over females; and it is very desirable in the social and economical interests of the Dominion that this difference should be redressed by an increased immigration of females. (See Census Tables in Appendix to this Guide Book.) Of this population, 478,235 were born in the British Isles and Possessions; 101,047 in Prince Edward Island ; 420,088 in Nova Scotia ; 288,265 in New Brunswick; 1,327,- 809 in Quebec ; 1,467,988 in Ontario; 19,590 in Manitoba ; 32,275 in British Columbia ; 58,430 in the Canadian North-West Territories ; 77,753 in the United States; and 53,330 in other countries. Of the population of the Dominion 641,703 live in cities and towns having a popula- tion of over 5.000 inhabitants. (See Census Tables in Appendix to this Guide Book.) 35 DOMINION OF CANADA. FREE GRANT LANDS. On the 1st Jan., 1881, there were 122 townships open for location under the Free Grant and Homestead Act of 1868, each containing between 50,000 and 60,000 acres ; making altogether about 6,710,000 acres of free grant lands. Other townships will be opened up as railways and colonization roads are constructed; and the Georgian Bay Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway will, in its construction, pass through townships in Ontario that will be open to settlers as free grants. Two hundred acres of land can be obtained, on condition of settlement, by every head of a family having children under eighteen years of age; and any male over eighteen years of age can obtain a free grant of 100 acres on condition of settlement. These lands are protected from seizure for any debt incurred before the issue of the patent, and for twenty years after its issue by a “ Homestead Exemption Act.” CONDITIONS OF SUCCESSFUL SETTLEMENT ON THE FREE GRANTS. In order to make a successful settlement upon a free grant, the settler should have at the least £40 to £50 after reaching his location. But, as elsewhere advised in this Guide Book, it would be an act of wisdom on the part of immigrants on their arrival in the country to deposit their money in a Savings Bank, where it would draw four per cent. interest, and go out for a year as agricultural labourers. The experience thus acquired will far more than compensate for the time lost. The settlers are always willing to help new comers. A house, such as is required by the Act, could be erected by contract for from £5 to £8; but with the assistance which the settler would certainly receive from his neighbours, it might be erected for even less. The best season of the year to go on a free grant is the month of September, after harvest work in the old settlements is over. There is time to put up a house, and get comfortably settled before the winter sets in ; and during the winter the work of chopping and clearing can go on. The operation of putting in the first crop is a very simple one. Ploughing is at once impracticable and unnecessary. The land is light and rich. All it needs is a little scratching on the sur- face to cover the seed. This is done with a drag or harrow, which may be either a very rough, primitive implement—a natural crotch with a few teeth in it—or it may be care- fully made and well finished. ADVANTAGES FOR PERSONS WITH MEANS. Persons of moderate but independent means, who are living on the interest of their money in England, could double their incomes by settling in Ontario, where seven per cent., and sometimes more, can easily be obtained for investments on first-class security. Add to this, that living and education are cheaper than in the Old Country, and it will be at once obvious how great are the advantages Ontario offers to this class of persons, and especially those with families. Another class of persons to whom Ontario offers special inducements are tenant farmers, who are ambitious of changing their condition as leaseholders to that of free- holders. Improved farms can be bought in Ontario for the amount of capital necessary to carry on a leased farm in Great Britain thus placing the well-to-do farmer in a position of independence. THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. EXTENT AND GENERAL CAPABILITIES. The Province of Quebec has an area of 188,688 square miles as taken from the census districts, but if the map is measured, including the waters which comprise a portion of this Province, the area may be stated at 210,000 square miles. The soil of a large portion of this immense area is exceedingly fertile, and capable of high cultivation. The cereals, grasses, root crops, and many of the fruits of the temperate zones grow in abundance and to perfection. In the southern parts of the Province Indian corn is a large crop, and fully ripens. Tomatoes grow in profusion, and ripen, as do also many varieties of grapes. It may be mentioned, as a climatic fact of importance for the purpose of comparison, that GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 09 tariu LUNGIG AVHENDID 3000 Luty TN Ho LERICIRE QUZBLICIOUS BRITISH.A.B.N.CP THE CITADEL, QUEBEC, AND A RIVER STEAMER. neither Indian corn, nor tomatoes, nor grapes, will ripen in the open air in the United Kingdom. Quebec has vast tracts of forest land, and a very large lumber trade. It is rich in minerals, including gold, silver, copper, iron, plumbago, etc., and has especially immense deposits of phosphate of lime, but it has no coal. It has large deposits of valuable peat. Its fisheries are of immense extent, and among the most valuable in the world. The inhabitants of the British Islands and France will both find themselves at home in the Province of Quebec, the English and French languages being both spoken. This Province was originally settled by the French. Among the first English settlers who fixed their homes in Quebec were the United Empire Loyalists, whom the War of Independence in the United States caused to emigrate to Canada. To recompense their allegiance the British Government gave them large grants of land in the Eastern Town- ships in Quebec. RIVER ST. LAWRENCE. The great River St. Lawrence, which forms so remarkable a feature in the continent of North America, runs through this Province from the head of ocean navigation to the Gulf of St. Lawrence; and gives to the Province of Quebec a commercial position of commanding importance, not only in relation to the Province of Ontario and the North- West of Canada, but also to a large portion of the adjoining United States. This great. river, apart from its commanding commercial importance, is also remarkable for great natural beauty at every point of its course. Its waters are everywhere clear and gener- ally blue, being in this respect the opposite of the muddy waters of the Mississippi ; and many of its affluents, some of which are 1,000 miles in length, would be esteemed great rivers on the continent of Europe. It is worth a trip to Canada to sail up the St. Lawrence. CHIEF CITIES. The historic City of Quebec, containing about 63,000 inhabitants, is the seat of the Provincial Government, and presents many features of great interest to strangers, as well of its own, as its surroundings of probably the most beautiful scenery in the world. Its port is of great capacity and importance. Montreal has a population of about 150,000, and is the commercial metropolis of the Dominion, as well as the principal port of entry of British North America. This city has been previously briefly described in another part of this guide book, LANDS AND SURVEYS. In the Province of Quebec there are about 6,000,000 acres of land surveyed, and offered by the Government in part for sale and in part for free grants, subdivided into farm lots; the lakes and large bodies of water being excluded, together with 5 per cent, for highways. 46 DOMINION OF CANADA. The construction of the Intercolonial Railway has led to the opening up of several townships in the Metapediac Valley, the soil of which is reported very good. Colonization has received great impetus from the railway. To the east of the Metapediac road is the immense district of Gaspé, forming an area 8,613 miles of superficies; bounded by the St. Lawrence and the Bay of Chaleurs. It is in great part rocky and unfit for cultivation; but there are many portions which are extremely fertile, and its fishing grounds are said to be the most advantageous in the Dominion. Both sea-weeds and fish are used for manure by the farmers. The Govern- ment offers for sale 491,000 acres of land in Gaspé, at from 20 to 30 cts. per acre (10d. to 1s. 2 d. stg.) FREE GRANTS AND EXEMPTIONS. In the case of free grants the conditions are trifling. Possession must be taken within a month, and twelve acres must be under cultivation at the expiration of four years. The Crown Land agents are obliged to grant a permit of occupation for 100 acres to any person who claims the same, provided only the person has attained the age of eighteen. And further to protect the settler, a law was passed in 1868 providing that no mortgage should be valid on the land granted to him, nor his farm liable to be sold judicially for any debt contracted by him previous to his entering upon it, and for the ten years following the granting of Letters Patent. The following among other things are declared exempt from seizure for sale judicially:- “The bed and bedding of the family, the wearing apparel, stoves, knives and forks, spoons, spinning wheels, weaving looms, etc., etc., the fuel, meat and vegetables for family use, two horses, four cows, six sheep, four pigs, hay and forage necessary for the support of these animals during the winter; vehicles and other implements of agriculture.” Čer- tain of these articles may be attached, however, but only when the debt is contracted in the purchase of such articles. This protection is an evidence sufficiently strong of the interest taken by the Government in the settler. Independently of these provisions, societies exist everywhere for the benefit of the agriculturist; and colonization societies, whose duty it is to promote settlement and protect the settler, are largely subsidized by the Government. TITLES TO LANDS. It is well to state that all aliens have a right to acquire and transmit, by succession or by will, all movable and immovable property in the Province of Quebec in the same way as British-born subjects. There are no questionable titles in Quebec, the system of registra- tion being perfect, so the purchaser of lands has nothing to fear; and for the rest, Quebec shares in common with other parts of the Dominion in a perfect postal and telegraph system. There are also Government savings' banks where a depositor may obtain 4 per cent. for his money with the most perfect security. Those who settle in Quebec will settle in the central commercial Province of the Dominion of Canada, and among a most orderly and law-abiding people. THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS. The Eastern Townships comprise a portion of the Province of Quebec, south of the River St. Lawrence, and adjoining the frontier of the United States. They call for par- ticular mention. It has happened, from the fact of these townships lying outside of the ordinary route of travel from the United Kingdom to the west of the Dominion, that they have not hitherto been so much sought out as other parts of the Dominion by settlers. They yet offer particular advantages which are worthy of notice. These townships are the most English part of the Province of Quebec, having been originally settled by the United Empire Loyalists, who left the present United States at the time of their separation from England, and who thereby made enormous sacrifices to preserve their allegiance. From that root, the spirit of loyalty has continued to grow and spread. The original stock has been replenished and added to by immigrants from the United Kingdom; and people from the British Islands will here find themselves among a congenial people. There are also many French-Canadian settlers in the townships, who live in the most perfect harmony with their brethren who speak the English tongue. 48 DOMINION OF CANADA. raising there are cattle in the Eastern Townships, both Shorthorns and Polls, which would compete with any in the world. There are also fine Herefords and other varieties. Sheep do well in the townships, and they will probably become more profitable with the further opening up of the export trade to England. The manufactures comprise woollens, carriages, ironware, agricultural implements, furniture, manufactures of cotton beet-root sugar, etc. COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETS. The Eastern Townships are now thoroughly opened up in every direction. The Grand Trunk Railway connects Richmond, Sherbrooke and Compton with Montreal and Portland on the Atlantic coast. The Central Vermont Railway connects another portion of the townships with the cities of Montreal and Boston. The South-Eastern Railway connects still another portion with the same cities. The Quebec Central Railway connects Sherbrooke with Quebec, as well as the western portions of the townships. The Inter- national, connecting with the Grand Trunk at Sherbrooke, opens up a valuable tract of country for settlement, and is being rapidly pushed on so as to form a through line connecting with the ports of St. John and St. Andrew, in New Brunswick, making the shortest possible line between Montreal and the Atlantic sea-board. The St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain Railway, the Montreal, Portland and Boston Railway, the Massawippi Valley Railway, severally open up other portions of the townships; and there are other railways. Besides these, there are many good carriage roads. SUITABILITY FOR EMIGRANTS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM. The settler from the United Kingdom may find good society; ample means for the education of his children, from the Primary Schools to the University; churches of all denominations; and congenial social conditions. On the shores of Lake Memphremagog, and in many other parts of the Eastern Town. ships, very handsome residences have been erected in situations of almost unexampled natural beauty, coupled with very favourable climatic conditions. Comparatively small means would enable a man to obtain an estate in the Eastern Townships in which he might find conditions of comfort and natural beauty which even a large fortune would not enable him to secure in the Old Country. There is, moreover, the fact that society is much more free and open than in England; and it therefore happens that the conditions are particularly favourable for the settlement and retirement of men who have themselves acquired competence, in the walks of commerce or manufacturing industry, in the Mother Country. PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK. GENERAL FEATURES. The next Province to the east of Quebec is New Brunswick. This, with Nova Scotia, is nearer to Europe than any of the populated portions of the Continent of America. It is larger than both Belgium and Holland united, and nearly two-thirds as large as Eng. land. It is 210 miles in length, and 180 miles in breadth; having a coast line of about 500 miles, indented with spacious bays and inlets; and it is intersected in every direction by large navigable rivers. The surface of the country is generally very undulating, and on its west coast, from the Bay of Chaleurs to the boundary of Nova Scotia, there is scarcely a hill exceeding 300 feet in height. There are elevated lands skirting the Bay of Fundy and the River St. John, but the only section of a mountainous character is that bordering on the Province of Quebec on the north, while the country is beautifully diversified by oval-topped hills, ranging from 500 to 800 feet in height, clothed with lofty forest trees almost to their summits, and surrounded by fertile valleys and table lands. New Brunswick is a farming country; also a lumber country; and it has great fisheries, both coast and river. According to the record of the British army, it is one of the healthiest countries in the world. Ship-building is one of its industries. It has fine harbours, open all the year, and as already stated, its rivers water every part of the Pro- GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 49 vince, floating down to the sea-board the products of a fertile country. It has many manufactories, and is well opened up by railways and waggon-roads. The postal and telegraphic systems of the Province connect it with other Provinces of the Dominion, the United States, Great Britain, and the Continent of Europe. It is said that New Brunswick has the greatest number of miles of railway in propor- tion to population of any country in the world. These railways connect the capitals of St. John with Halifax on the Atlantic, with Pictou on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and all the cities and towns of the United States by lines via Bangor, and with Quebec, Montreal, and other places in Canada by the Intercolonial Railway. Besides, there is the Riviere- du-Loup line, via Fredericton and Woodstock, to the St. Lawrence; also several other lines. RIVERS. The principal river is the St. John, which is 450 miles in length, and flows through the Province for a distance of 225 miles. It is navigable for steamers of large size for 84 miles from the sea to Fredericton; and the steamers running between St. John and Fredericton almost equal in magnificence those splendid boats that ply on the great American rivers. Above Fredericton similar steamers ply to Woodstock, about 70 miles farther; and when the water is high, make occasional trips to Tobique, a farther distance of 50 miles; sometimes reaching Grand Forks, a distance of 220 miles from the sea. The Miramichi is a large river, navigable for vessels of 1,000 tons for twenty-five miles from its mouth; for schooners twenty miles farther; and above this point it is farther navigable for sixty miles for tow-boats. The Restigouche is a noble river, three miles wide at its mouth at the Bay of Chaleurs, and is navigable for large vessels for eighteen miles. This river and tributaries drain about 4,000 miles of territory, abounding in timber and other valuable resources. Besides these rivers there are the Richibucto, the Petit-Codiac, the St. Croix, all navigable for large vessels. These several rivers have affluents of more or less importance. Some of those of the St. John are navigable for various distances; namely, the Kenne- becasis, the Washademoak, the Grand Lake, the Tobique, and the Aroostook. CLIMATE. On this head we take the following remarks from a pamphlet published by the Pro- vincal Government: . “In New Brunswick the summer is warmer and the winter colder than in Eng- land, the ranges of temperature being, in the interior, from 92° above zero to 18° below zero (Fahrenheit), The whole number of days, however, in which the temperature is below zero rarely exceeds twenty. It seldom happers that more than four days occur together when the mercury is below zero at all. There are generally in the course of the winter three or four periods, lasting two or three days each, when the weather is very cold, and these occur at the same time over the whole breadth of America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Be- tween them are thaws, occasional rains, and warm sunny days, during which the average range of the mercury is from 10° to 40° above zero. In general the winters are pleasant, and a few days of extreme cold are nothing in comparison with the average amount of fine weather. “The snow disappears early in April, and spring ploughing corimences; seed-time continues according to the season, from the last week in April until early in May. In June the apple trees are in full blossom. In July, wild strawberries of fine flavour are ripe and abundant; haying then begins. In August, early potatoes are brought to market, as also raspberries and other wild fruits. In September, oats, wheat, and other cereal grains are ready for the sickle; these are generally secured before October. The autumn is long, and the weather is then delicious. This is decidedly the most pleasant portion of the year. There are usually heavy rains in November, but when not wet the weather is fine and pleas- ant. The rivers generally close during the latter part of this mouth, and by the middle of December winter again fairly sets in.” The effect of the winters, so far from being injurious to the agriculturist, are a great davantage to him, as when the frost goes away the ground is found to be pulverized there- by, and this is one of the agents that tend to bring about large crops. ha PRODUCTS. All the fruits generally found in England are grown in New Brunswick; especially wpples, pears, plums, cherries, currants, gooseberries and strawberries. 50 DOMINION OF CANADA. This Province is especially adapted to the growth of potatoes. They grow very abundantly, and are very largely cultivated. The ordinary cereals do well. Spring wheat gives an average of eighteen bushels to the acre. The following is the testimony of emi- nent and trustworthy men respecting the capabilities of New Brunswick. Major Robinson, R.E., who in 1845 explored the Province under direction of the British Government, thus describes the Province in his report to the Imperial Parlia- ment: “Of the climate, soil and capabilities of New Brunswick, it is impossible to speak too highly. There is not a country in the world so beautifully wooded and watered. * An inspection of the map will show that there is scarcely a section of it without its streams, from the running brook to the navigable river. Two-thirds of its boundary are washed by the sea; the remainder is embraced by the large rivers the St. John and Restigouche. For beauty and richness of scenery this latter river and its branches are not to be surpassed by anything in Great Britain. The lakes of New Brunswick are numerous and most beautiful : its surface is undulating, hill and dale varying to the mountain and valley. The country can everywhere be penetrated by its streams. In some parts of the interior, by a portage of three or four miles, a canoe can be floated either to the Bay of Chaleurs or down to St. John, on the Bay of Fundy.” Some years ago, Professor Johnson, F.R.S., of England, the author of works on agricultural chemistry, was invited to visit New Brunswick for the purpose of examining and reporting on the soil and agricultural capabilities of the Province. In his report he concludes: “1. That the soil of New Brunswick is capable of producing food for a population of from five to six millions “2. That in the capability of growing all the common crops on which man and beast mainly depend, the whole Province of New Brunswick, taken together, exceeds. even the favoured Genesee Valley. "3. That the climate is an exceedingly healthy one, and that it does not prevent the soil from producing crops, which, other things being equal, are not inferior, either in quantity or quality, to those of average soils of England.” In fact, it may be stated that at the London and Paris Exhibitions, New Brunswick took the first prize for oats, the weight being fifty-seven pounds to the bushel. Archbishop Connolly, the late Roman Catholic Archbishop of Nova Scotia, speaking of New Brunswick, said: "He had spent years in Italy, had been twice in France ; he knew every county in Ireland, and had seen most of England and many other countries; but he never saw any other country teeming with greater abundance of everything necessary for the sustenance of man; no country more highly endowed by Providence with beauty and fertility than New Brunswick appeared to him to be when on his visitation. During the summer season he travelled through various districts, and saw on every side fields of potatoes, and. corn, and vegetables, such as could nowhere be exceeded, and the people in a correspond- ing degree comfortable, happy and independent.” Macgregor, in his work on British America, speaking of the forests, says: “It is impossible to exaggerate the beauty of these forests-nothing under heaven can be compared to its effulgent grandeur. Two or three frosty nights in the decline of autumn transform the boundless verdure of a whole empire into every possible tint of brilliant scarlet, rich violet, every shade of blue and brown, vivid crimson, and glittering yellow. The stern inexorable fir trees alone maintain their eternal sombre green; all others, on mountain or in valleys, burst into the most splendid and most enchanting panorama on earth.” Among the products it may be specially mentioned that coal is abundant. Antimony, copper, iron, manganese, and other valuable minerals are found in considerable quan- tities. The favourable maritime position of New Brunswick, with her wealth of forests, has very largely led to the interest of ship-building. New Brunswick has, therefore, always been eminent as a ship-building country, and in every market and in every port her ships have a well-known character for strength, durability, workmanlike finish and. model. The manufactures of New Brunswick consist of woollens, cottons, boots and shoes, leather, lumber, furniture, carriages, doors, sashes, staves, paper, soap, nails, agricultural implements, stoves, steam engines, locomotives, etc. These industries are in a prosperous state. GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. FISHERIES. It is claimed by the pamphlet of the Provincial Government that the deep sea and river fisheries of the Maritime Provinces of Canada are admittedly superior to all others in America, and from them the markets of the United States, the West Indies, and South America are largely supplied. The finest salmon, cod, mackerel, herring and shad fish- eries in the world can be prosecuted within sight of the shores of New Brunswick; and her inland waters teem with trout and salmon. (See Appendix to this Guide Book for statistics of the value of the Fisheries). EDUCATION. The educational institutions of New Brunswick, as elsewhere in the Dominion, are remarkable for the facility with which they may be made use of by the poorest of the population. There are supported by law a Provincial University and Training or Normal School for teachers, and a system of Common Schools ranging from the Primary to the Grammar or High Schools. The Common Schools are free to all, being supported. from the Provincial Revenue, and by rate upon the entire population of the country. SOCIAL LIFE AND ADAPTABILITY FOR SETTLERS FROM GREAT BRITAIN, The social life and civilization of New Brunswick is that of Great Britain, with such changes as are naturally induced by life in a country where the land is owned by the tiller of the soil; where there is no exclusive or favoured class; where, in the eye of the law, all men and all creeds are equal; and where the physical characteristics of the country are fitted to develop the best qualities of the race. The New Brunswicker is ordinarily robust, athletic, active, intelligent, and enterprising. He is surrounded with all the evidences of civilization. In every settlement there is the post office, the news- paper, the school, and the church. The country is a new country only in the absence of traditions and a history. The emigrant from England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, or France, will come to a country as advanced in all respects of civi- lization as the country he has left, but free from many of the social, legal and economic drawbacks which often render life in the older countries unpleasant and labour unremuner- ative. Wherever he settles he will be within the reach of profitable markets, free schools, and the meang of religious worship. And in New Brunswick all religious bodies exist on terms of equality. There is no State Church. PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA. A pamphlet has been published respecting Nova Scotia by the Government of that Province. It is written by Mr. Herbert Crosskill, Deputy Provincial Secretary, and pub- lished under the authority of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor and the Executive Council. It is approved by an Order-in-Council passed by the Provincial Government, which states that “the Council are of opinion that the information therein contained is correct and reliable, and calculated to be useful to intending emigrants." The following extracts are, therefore, taken from this pamphlet: GENERAL FEATURES. “Nova Scotia is a peninsula, lying between 43° and 46° North latitude, and 61° and 67° West longitude. It is connected with the Province of New Brunswick by a narrow isthmus, about 16 miles wide; its area is about 300 miles in length, by 80 to 100 miles in width; its length running about north-east and south-west. The Province contains about 11,000,000 acres, of which about one-fifth part consists of lakes and small rivers. About 5,000,000 acres of land are fit for tillage. “There is no finer scenery to be found in America than in many parts of Nova Scotia ; there is a great variety of hill and dale, small, quiet, glassy lakes, and pretty land-locked inlets of the sea, which would afford charming studies for an artist. The gloriously bright tints of our autumn forest scenery, warmed by an Indian summer sun, cannot be surpassed anywhere." 52 DOMINION OF CANADA. CLIMATE. “ It is not generally known outside the Province that the climate of Nova Scotia is more temperate than that of any other part of the Dominion; but such is the fact. The extreme cold which is experienced in winter in other parts of America is not felt here, owing, perhaps, to the fact that the Province is almost completely surrounded by the sea. 6. The climate is extremely healthy; there is probably none more so in the world. The health returns from the British military stations place this Province in the first class. Nova Scotia has fewer medical men in proportion to the population, and requires their services less than any other part of America. The inhabitants live to a good old age. There are many people now in this Province who have passed their hundredth year." SOIL, AND THE PRODUCTIONS THEREOF. “ The fertility of the soil in the agricultural districts is unsurpassed, as is evidenced by the fact that, in quantity and quality, the productions of our farms are equal, and in many cases superior, to those of Great Britain; for instance, our orchards produce larger and finer apples than are grown in any other part of the world. 6 All the small fruits, such as currants, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, black- berries, blueberries, huckleberries, etc., are very abundant, both in a wild state and cultivated. Our wild strawberries, although small, are remarkably rich and high-flavoured; indeed, they are far more delicious than any of the cultivated sorts. Probably no country in the world produces a greater variety or abundance of wild berries. “Our grain and root crops are also excellent, the average production of which in the Western counties is, as nearly as it is possible to come at it, as follows: Wheat, per acre, 18 bushels; rye, 21 do.; barley, 35 do.; oats, 34 do.; buckwheat, 33 do.; Indian corn (maize), 42 do.; turnips, 420 do.; potatoes, 250 do.; mangel-wurzel, 500 do.; beans, 22 do.; and hay, 2 tons. "The above is a general average of the crops in three counties; but there are many farms which, being highly cultivated, produce crops that are truly astonishing. For instance, in King's County, a few years ago, I knew a farmer who in one season raised on a little less than one acre of land four hundred and three bushels of potatoes; and in Anna- polis County, I have frequently seen sixty bushels of shelled corn raised on an acre. In Colchester County forty-six bushels of oats have been produced per acre. Mr. James E. Rathbone, of Lower Horton, in the County of Kings, cut, last summer, five and one-half tons of hay (two crops) from one and one-eighth acres of land; and in 1870 he raised on the same piece of ground seventy-four bushels of barley. “Beets, carrots, parsnips, beans, peas, squash, pumpkins, melons, tomatoes, etc., are raised in large quantities. We sometimes see squash at our agricultural exhibitions weighing from 100 to 150 lbs. each. “Broom corn, sorghum (Chinese sugar cane), and tobacco have been successfully grown, a proof of the warmth of the climate and fertility of the soil. “The crops of hay, timothy and clover and coarse · salt grass,' that are raised on the dyked lands and marshes in the Counties of Hants, Kings, Annapolis and Cumberland, are sometimes almost incredible. "I have seen four tons of 2,240 lbs. of timothy and clover taken off a single acre, besides a light second crop late in the season. “Hemp can be raised here in perfection, but none is grown. By way of experiment, however, it was tried in 1868 by several farmers, and the experiment was remarkably successful. “Every farmer keeps a few sheep, but the flocks are seldom taken proper care of. A number of thorough-bred shepherds, who would introduce the best breeds of sheep, both for wool producing and for mutton, would, in a few years, make a small fortune. There is a great deal of land suitable for the purpose in every county, and even among the wild lands there are large tracts of open, rough pasture, that might be made capable of main- taining vast flocks of sheep at very little expense. “Tobacco might be successfully and profitably cultivated in the Counties of Kings and Annapolis. Hops may be easily raised, as the soil is well adapted for the growth of the plant. A number of English hop growers would do well, as there is a good home market for the article. “Dairy farming might be extensively and profitably prosecuted in this Province. GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 53 "Farmers in Nova Scotia raise a good deal of pork for their own use and for market, and many of the farmers' wives obtain considerable pocket money by the sale of poultry and eggs. They also make a great deal of yarn, which they knit and weave into socks and warm clothes for their own wear and for sale." PEAT LANDS. *. In many parts of the Province there are large tracts of peat lands or bogs; but they are not made available in any way. Peat is not required for fuel in Nova Scotia, because at present there is plenty of coal and wood.” THE PRODUCTION OF THE SEA AND RIVERS. “The fisheries of Nova Scotia have long been celebrated, and indeed they are so valuable that the protection of them has caused a great deal of dispute between the Governments of Great Britain and the United States. The Americans, who have no valuable fisheries on their own coasts, are constantly encroaching on ours. “In some seasons our bays and harbours teem with fish of various kinds—mackerel, herring, cod, haddock, halibut, hake, pollock, shad, smelt, perch, eels, etc. Lobsters are abundant, and are usually sold in the Halifax market at about one shilling per dozen. “Good sport is afforded in spearing lobsters at night by torch-light. We have a plentiful supply of shell-fish, viz., oysters, scallops, clams, quahuags, mussels, etc. Indeed, no country in the world can produce a greater variety of sea fish, or in greater abundance. Our rivers and lakes afford salmon, trout and grayling; and we have no lack of the disciples of Isaac Walton. Any boy with a bean pole, a half dozen yards of twine, with a hook on the end of it, and a few angle-worms or grasshoppers, may go out in the morning and kill as many trout as will do a large family for breakfast. In some lakes they are quite large, and are taken as heavy as four or five pounds. In other lakes they are small, seldom weighing more than one pound. The little brook trout is an excellent pan fish: the prince of all the trout tribe is the sea trout. This fish is taken in large numbers at the mouths of rivers emptying into the Atlantic.” WOODS AND FORESTS. "Nova Scotia contains vast tracts of woodland, which produce timber for ship- building, and for manufacturing into lumber for exportation. Millions of feet of pine, spruce, hemlock and hardwood, deals, scantling, etc., are annually shipped from the different ports in the Province to the West Indies, United States, Europe, etc. We also supply the ports of Massachusetts with thousands of cords of firewood. Oak, elm, maple, beech, birch, ash, larch, poplar, spruce, pine, hemlock, etc., all grow to a large size. There are many other kinds of trees, but they are chiefly ornamental rather than useful. “The sap of the rock maple tree is manufactured into sugar and syrup. The former, of which some tons weight are annually made and sold, is used chiefly as confectionery; the latter is used as treacle. Both have a delicious flavour. “In our forests may also be found numerous small trees and shrubs, which are valuable for medicinal and other purposes, among which are wild cherry, sumac, rowan, sarsaparilla, elder, alder, hazel, bay, etc. Wild flowers are in great profusion. The trail. ing arbutus, our little May flower, which blooms in April and May, cannot be surpassed in delicate beauty and fragrance.” GAME. “Nova Scotia is a sort of sportsman's paradise, as there is excellent hunting, shoot- ing and fishing in every county. Of wild animals we have bears, foxes, moose, deer, (cariboo), otter, mink, sable, musquash, hares, raccoons, and squirrels; and of feathered game, woodcock, snipe, plover, partridges, geese, ducks, brant, curlew, etc. Cur game laws are simple. They are made only to protect game when out of season. This is necessary in order to preserve it from total destruction. “In the proper season, all persons are allowed to hunt and shoot ad libitum. No true sportsman would do so at any other time.”' DOMINION OF CANADA. MINES AND MINERALS. “The Province contains very valuable mines of coal, gold, and iron, which are worked by private companies; of these the coal mines are the most important. “Of gold mines we have in fourteen districts about fifty-eight mines in working order: of these the Montague mines are the most prolific. “Although we have iron ore in inexhaustible quantity almost all over the Province, we have but one iron mine in operation, namely, that of the Acadia Company, at London- derry, in Colchester County. The quality of the iron of their mines may be judged of by the price in the English market as compared with English iron. The latter, in pigs, is worth an average of £4 stg. per ton, while Nova Scotia iron brings £7. English bar iron is worth £9, Nova Scotia £10 per ton. There is but one Swedish iron which is considered superior for steel. All Nova Scotia bar iron is used for this purpose. "In addition to coal, gold and iron, we have silver, copper, lead, zinc, tin, manganese, mercury, plumbago, sulphur, etc. "Of minerals for jewellery and ornamental purposes, several kinds have been found, namely: Opal, topaz, amethyst, garnet, cairngorm, agate, jasper, heliotrope and chal- cedony. “ Building Stone.—The Province abounds in superior granite, free-stone (or sand- stone), of several colours, iron stone and flag stone. There are many beautiful varieties of syenite and green stone, also of marble. There is a mountain almost entirely composed of the latter in the neighbourhood of Bras d'Or Lake, in the Island of Cape Breton. We have also abundance of gypsum, limestone, barytes, clays for pottery and for common purposes; moulding sand, mineral paints, etc. “ Mineral Waters.—Of these we have salt springs in several counties.” CROWN LANDS. “There are now in Nova Scotia nearly four millions of acres of ungranted lands, a considerable quantity of which is barren and almost totally unfit for cultivation; but there is a great deal in blocks. of from five thousand to ten thousand acres of really valuable land, and some of it the best in the Province, and quite accessible, being very near present settlements. The price of crown lands is $44 (£8 16s. stg.) per 100 acres. No distinction is made in the price between 100 acres and smaller lots, as the difference in cost of survey is very trifling. An emigrant would have to pay as much for twenty acres as for one hundred acres. Any quantity over one hundred acres must be paid for at the rate of 44 cts. per acre. The cost of survey is defrayed by the Government." Mr. Crosskill's pamphlet goes on to state that the Government of Nova Scotia does not generally recommend fresh European emigrants to go into the forest and attempt to clear themselves farms there, on the ground of want of suitability for this kind of life. He shows, however, that there are some special circumstances in which they might do well. For further remarks on this point we refer to his pamphlet. He states: “ There are plenty of farms already under cultivation which may be bought at very reasonable rates, and any practical farmer, with a small capital, may at once possess a good and comfortable home ; and by energy, industry and enterprise may make for himself a fortune and a position in Nova Scotia, in a very few years, such as he could not obtain in a life-time in Great Britain.". EDUCATION. “While education is not compulsory, free schools are provided by the Government, and efficient teachers are maintained in every district in the Province where there are children to educate. There is a Provincial Normal School for the training of teachers. There are also academies, colleges and common schools. The academies and common schools are under the control of the Government, but the colleges are sectarian. We have nearly sixteen hundred public schools in operation in the Province, having nearly one hundred thousand pupils in daily attendance. There are also many private schools in different parts of the country, and among them some excellent boarding schools for young ladies. "Owing to our excellent system of free schools, the poorer classes of our population are rapidly improving in education, and a steady increase of general knowledge is being made manifest yearly among those whose parents were, a few years ago, too poor to pay the expense of educating their children, or too careless and indifferent in the matter. GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. toga CITY OF HALIFAX. Now the child of the poorest individual is placed on a level with the rich man's son in respect to general or common school education ; and the wealthy classes who require for their sons a classical education, have every facility afforded them in the numerous colleges, where young men may be fitted for any profession, occupation or station in life.” TRADE AND COMMERCE. “ The trade and commerce of the Province have wonderfully increased within a few years. Twenty years ago our exports and imports were very little more than half as much as they are now. Our imports from foreign countries and the other Provinces amount to about $12,000,000, and our exports to about $9,000,000. “Our shipping has in the same time doubled in number and tonnage. Nova Scotia owns more shipping in proportion to the population than any other country.” INTERNAL COMMUNICATION. “We have now nearly 250 miles of railroad already in operation. Several new lines are now being surveyed. Where there are no railroads there is good conveyance by stage coaches or by steamboats." THE TIME TO IMMIGRATE. “The best season in the year to come to Nova Scotia is early in April, as we have then fine spring weather, and farming operations may be commenced almost immediately on arrival in this country. Mechanics may, however, come at any season; but I think it would hardly be advisable to come out here in the middle of winter." HALIFAX HARBOUR, “The harbour of Halifax is one of the best, perhaps the very best in the world. It is six miles long by, on an average, a mile wide, and capable of floating alongside the wharves vessels of the largest size. There is excellent anchorage in every part of it, with room for all the navies of the world. The city and harbour of Halifax are protected by eleven different fortifications.” GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 57 keystone of that mighty arch of sister Provinces which spans the Continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific.” And further, that “ Canada, the owner of half a Continent, in the magnitude of her possessions, in the wealth of her resources, in the sinews of her material might, is peer of any power on the earth.” The British subject, or the in-comer from Europe or other parts of the globe, will therefore have the satisfaction of feeling that, in settling in the Canadian North-West, he takes an individual part in building a great nation of the future. The settler in Manitoba will find schools, colleges, churches, and a kindred society. The social conditions where settlement has taken place leave nothing to be desired. Civilized society in the new world starts in its infancy from the point of the acquired knowledge of the old ; and from the point of a first straggling settlement, the building up of a community proceeds with great rapidity. In the course of a single summer vil- lages have sprung up from the previous wild at many points of the Canadian Pacific Railway. CLIMATE, SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. The climate of Manitoba is warm in summer and cold in winter. The summer mean is 65° to 67°, which is very nearly the same as that of the State of New York. But in winter the thermometer sinks to 30° and 40° and sometimes 50° below zero. The atmosphere, however, is very bright and dry, and the sensation of cold is not so unpleas- ant as that of a cold temperature in a humid atmosphere. Warm clothing, especially in driving, and warm houses are, however, required; that is, houses built to resist the cold The climate of the territory contiguous to Manitoba is of the same character, the isothermal line running from Winnipeg nearly due N.W. Manitoba and the North-West Territory of Canada are among the absolutely healthi. est countries on the globe and pleasant to live in. There is no malaria, and there are no diseases arising out of, or particular to, either the Province or the climate. The climatic drawbacks are occasional storms and “blizzards,” and there are some- times summer frosts. But the liability to these is not greater than in many parts of Canada, or the whole of the United States as far south as New York. Very little snow falls on the prairies, the average depth being about eighteen inches, and buffaloes and the native horses graze out of doors all winter. In the unusual winter of 1879-80, the snow-fall was deeper, but such was the case over all the Continent. The whole of the Continent of North America is liable to sudden variations and exceptions. from ordinary seasons. The snow goes away and ploughing begins from the 1st to the latter end of April, a fortnight earlier than in the Ottawa region. The Red River opens at about the same time, or a fortnight earlier than the opening of the Ottawa. The summer months are part of May, June, July, August and September. Autumn lasts until November, when the regular frost sets in. The harvest takes place in August, and lasts till the beginning of September. The soil is a rich, deep, black, argillaceous mould or loam, resting on a deep and very tenacious clay subsoil. It is among the richest, if not the richest, soil in the world, and especially adapted to the growth of wheat. Analyses by chemists in Scotland and Germany have established this. One or two of these are given in the Appendix to this Guide Book. The soil is so rich that it does not require the addition of manure for years after the first breaking of the prairie, and in particular places where the black loam is very deep, it is practically inexhaustible. This great richness of the prairie soil has arisen from the gathering of droppings from birds and animals and ashes of prairie fires, which have accumulated for ages, together with decayed vegetable and animal matter, the whole resting on a retentive clay subsoil. It is to the profusion of this stored up wealth in the soil that the agriculturist from older countries is invited. All the cereals grow and ripen in great abundance. Wheat is especially adapted both to the soil and climate. The wheat grown is very heavy, being from 62 to 66 lbs. per: bushel ; the average yield, with fair farming, being 25 bushels to the acre. There are much larger yields reported, but there are also smaller, the latter being due to defective farming. Potatoes and all kinds of field and garden roots grow to large size and in great abun- dance. The same remark applies to cabbages and other garden vegetables. Tomatoes. and melons ripen in the open air. Hops and flax are at home on the prairies. All the small fruits, such as currants, strawberries, raspberries, etc., are found in abundance.. Wh TI L ANNER SERTIVSUSADARAJ RE 58 JUAN UME DESA SH КЛот WINNIPEG IN 1871. LOKA a S- SRL M2 Sláig WINNIPEG IN 1883. 59 60 DOMINION OF CANADA. But it is not yet cstablished that the country is adapted for the apple or pear. These fruits, however, do grow at St. Paul, and many think they will in Manitoba. For grazing and cattle raising the facilities are unbounded. The prairie grasses are nutritious and in illimitable abundance. Hay is cheaply and easily made from the native grasses; and to the present day the farmers have, for the most part, burnt their straw to get rid of it. Clover, timothy, and other cultivated grasses, answer weh. Trees are found along the rivers and streams, and they will grow anywhere very rapidly, if protected from prairie fires. Wood for fuel has not been very expensive, and preparations are now being made for bringing coal into market; of which important mineral there are vast beds further west, which will immediately be brought into use. The whcle of the vast territory from the U. S. boundary to the Peace River, about 200 miles wide from the Rocky Mountains, is a coal field. Water is found by digging wells of moderate depth on the prairie; the rivers and coolies are also available for water supply. Rain generally falls freely during the spring, while the summer and autumn are generally dry. The drawbacks to production are occasional visitations of grasshoppers, but Senator Sutherland testified before a Parliamentary Committee that he had known immunity from them for 40 years. This evil is not much feared, but still it might come. There is reason to believe, however, that if it should come after the country has become thickly populated, it might be met, and in a large measure overcome, as has been proved by an experiment in the neighbouring State of Minnesota. In further reference to the prairie soils of the Canadian North-West Territory, the following important statements are quoted from a work of Sir John BENNET LAWES, and Professor J. H. GILBERT, descriptive of their combined experiments at Rothamsted. These statements will everywhere be received with confidence, and they furnish scien- tific reasons for generally known popular results: “ During the present year (1882), between 40 and 50 samples of soil from the North- West Territory, taken at intervals between Winnipeg and the Rocky Mountains, were sent over to the High Commissioner in London, and exhibited at the recent show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, at Reading. The soils were exhibited in glass tubes, four feet in length, and are stated to represent the core of soil and subsoil to that depth. Three samples of the surface soils have kindly been supplied to us for the deter- mination of the nitrogen in them. “No. 1 is from Portage la Prairie, about 60 miles from Winnipeg, and has probably been under cultivation for several years. The dry mould contained 0.2471 per cent. of nitrogen. “ No. 2 is from the Saskatchewan District, about 140 miles from Winnipeg, and has probably been under cultivation a shorter time than No. 1. The dry mould contained 0.3027 per cent. of nitrogen. “No. 3 is from a spot about 40 miles from Fort Ellice, and may be considered a virgin soil. The dry mould contained 0.2500 per cent. of nitrogen. “In general terms it may be said that these Illinois and North-West Territory Prairie soils are about twice as rich in nitrogen as the average of the Rothamsted arable surface soils; and, so far as can be judged, they are probably about twice as rich as the average of arable soils in Great Britain. They indeed correspond in their amount of nitrogen very closely with the surface soils of our permanent pasture land. As their nitrogen has its source in the accumulation from ages of latural vegetation, with little or no removal, it is to be supposed that, as a rule, there will not be a relative deficiency of the necessary mineral constituents. Surely, then, these new soils are 'mines' as well as laboratories? If not, what is the meaning of the term a fertile soil ? “Assuming these soils not to be deficient in the necessary mineral supplies, and that they yield up annually in an available condition an amount of nitrogen at all correspond ing to their richness in that constituent, it may be asked—whether they should not yield a higher average produce of wheat per acre than they are reported to do? “The exhausted experimental wheat field at Rothamsted, the surface soil of which at the commencement of the experiments, thirty-nine years ago, probably contained only about half as high a percentage of nitrogen as the average of these four American soils vielded over the first eight years 17}; over the next fifteen years, 151; over the last fifteeb years (including several very bad seasons), only 11! bushels; and over the whole thirty eight years about 14 bushels per acre, per annum. - So far as we are informed, the comparatively low average yield of the rich North- West soils is partly due to vicissitudes of climate, partly to defective cultivation, bu partly, also, to the luxuriant growth of weeds, which neither the time at command I GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 61 cultivation, nor the amount of labour available, render it easy to keep down. Then, again, in some cases the straw of the grain crops is burnt, and manure is not returned to the land. Still, if there be any truth in the views we have advocated, it would seem it should be an object of consideration to lessen, as far as practicable, the waste of fertility of these now rich soils. At the same time it is obvious that, with land cheap and labour dear, the desirable object of bringing these vast areas under profitable cultivation cannot be attained without some sacrifice of their fertility in the first instance, which can only be lessened as population increases." YIELDS OF THE GRAINS. The average yield of wheat in Manitoba, according to the returns obtained by the Department of Agriculture in 1883, was 21.8 bushels per acre, and the yield in the Pro- vince was given as 4,540,000 bushels. In 1884, the yield, so far as the returns have been received, will be, in the whole Province, about 8,000,000 bushels. In 1883, the yield of oats, so far as ascertained, was 6,195,802 bushels, an average of about 36 bushels per acre. The averages in both these grains are brought down by defective farming. Wheat will yield, with good farming, 40 bushels per acre, and oats from 60 to 70. The average of barley in 1883 was 26.50 per acre, and the yield, so far as ascertained, 1,277,962 bushels. Potatoes, the same year, averaged 234 bushels per acre, with a yield of 2,847,312 bushels; and roots that year averaged 397.50, with a yield of 1,346,624. In the North-West Territories the reports of yields, so far as received, are very little different from those above stated. FRUITS, AND WHAT MAY BE GROWN. All the small fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, cran- berries, etc., are very plentiful in Manitoba ; wild grapes are very common, and it is thought from this fact that some of the hardier varieties of cultivated grapes, grafted on the wild stock, might ripen in sheltered places. But this has not been tried, and is not sure. Some varieties of apples have been tried by Mr. Hall, of Headingly, not far from Winnipeg, and he has measurably succeeded. But it has not yet been sufficiently demon- strated that the apple, at least on Southern stocks, will succeed in Manitoba. There is, however, the fact of its being largely grown in very much higher latitudes in Russia, and the probability is, that by the use of stocks adapted to the climate, it will succeed in Manitoba. The fact is, that all kinds of horticulture and tree culture are yet in their infancy in Manitoba. The hop grows wild, with great luxuriance. Flax is adapted to the soil and climate. ROOTS AND VEGETABLES. Both the soil and climate of Manitoba are, in a very high degree, adapted for the growth of the ordinary roots and vegetables of the temperate zone. Potatoes yield very large crops with the simplest culture. The profusion with which this root comes is a surprise to visitors, and the quality is excellent. The same remark may be made of tur- nips, beets, mangels and other roots. Cabbages and cauliflowers grow to monster size. CATTLE AND STOCK RAISING. Manitoba is particularly favourable for cattle industries. Cows from the Eastern Provinces thrive and grow fat on the native grasses, and farmers are beginning to pay more attention to stock raising, in order to mix their industries. The very great profu- sion with which potatoes and barley may be grown, has suggested the profitableness of swine feeding as a possible valuable if not leading industry of the country. The question of warmth in winter is met by the large quantities of straw which the farmers burn to get rid of; and a very little care in timing the period at which litters would appear, would probably solve the only other question of difficulty in connection with this industry COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETS. Manitoba has already communication by railway with the Atlantic seaboard and all parts of the Continent; that is to say, a railway train may start from Halifax or Quebec, after connection with the ocean steamship, and run continuously on to Winnipeg. It can 62 DOMINION OF CANADA. BRITISH AB.NL A PRAIRIE SCENE. do the same from New York, Boston or Portland ; and further, the Canadian Paciîc Railway, as elsewhere stated, is now completed 960 miles west of Winnipeg, and nas already pierced far into the Rocky Mountains, on the east side; while the branch from the Pacific tide water, on the west side, is approaching completion. The branch from Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior, to Winnipeg, a distance of over 400 miles, is already completed. Other railways are chartered, and it is believed will soon be constructed. A portion of the Manitoba and South-Western has already been opened. The section of the Canadian Pacific Railway now open to Port Arthur places the cereals and other produce of Manitoba in connection with Lake Superior, whence it can be cheaply floated down the great water system of the St. Lawrence and lakes to the ocean steamships in the ports of Montreal and Quebec; while the railway system affords connection as well with the markets of the older provinces as with those of the United. States. The Canadian Pacific Railway, which is now so rapidly approaching completion, as elsewhere stated in this Guide Book, will be by far the shortest line, with the easiest gradients, and the fewest and easiest curves between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and will constitute the shortest and, in many respects, the best line for travel and com- merce between Great Britain and China and Japan. This line of railway, passing through the fertile instead of the desert portion of the Continent of America, will consti- tute one of the most important of the highways of the world. The river system of Manitoba and the North-West is a striking feature of the country. A steamer can leave Winnipeg and proceed via the Saskatchewan to Edmonton, near the base of the Rocky Mountains, a distance of 1,500 miles; and steamers are now plying for a distance of more than 320 miles on the Assiniboine, an affluent of the Red River, which it joins at the city of Winnipeg. The Red River is navigable for steamers from Moorhead, in the United States, where it is crossed by the Northern Pacific Railway, to Lake Winnipeg, a distance of over 400 miles. Lake Winnipeg is about 280 miles in length, affording an important navigation. The Saskatchewan, which takes its rise in the Rocky Mountains, enters this lake at the northern end, and has a steamboat navigation as far as Fort Edmonton, affording vast commercial facilities for those great areas of fertile lands. The water system between Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg may be improved and rendered navigable at moderate cost compared with the great commercial interests which will, in the near future, call for it. GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 63 At present, a vessel may load at the railway terminus at Port Arthur and proceed all the way to Liverpool across the Atlantic Ocean. But the system of transport at present considered the cheapest, is by means of lake and river steamboats and tug propellers with “tows." With the present arrangements, wheat has been conveyed from Manitoba to Montreal for 30 cents a bushel, whence it can be taken by ocean vessel to Liverpool for 10 or 15- cents more. It is calculated that this wheat can be raised with profit for 50 cents a bushel, thus making a possibility of delivering wheat in Liverpool under 85 cents (i. e. about 3s. 6d. stg.) per bushel, or 28s. per quarter. Charges and handling may bring it over this price, but the two naked elements of growth and transport are within the figures. named. The farming interests of Manitoba and the North-West are not, however, confined to wheat. Large stock interests are being rapidly developed. There are already 50,000 head of neat cattle in the newly started “ranches” in Alberta, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The progress made in them is giving entire satisfaction. Cattle are already shipped from more distant points in United States territory to Chicago, and thence to England with profit. It may further be remarked, that the conditions are so favourable for transport in the Canadian North-West, that cattle from Montana for the Chicago market enter at Maple Creek, and pass over the Canadian Pacific Railway to its connection with the American railway system, in the State of Minnesota. Apart from the magnificent commercial facilities which a settler in Manitoba and the North-West will possess for disposing of his surplus products, there will be a splendid hume market for some years to come, for all that a farmer can raise, in supplying the numerous in-comers and the very large number of men and cattle required in the con-- struction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. SYSTEM OF SURVEY AND DIRECTIONS FOR TAKING UP FARMS. The system of survey or of laying out the land in Manitoba is most simple. Every township is about six miles square, and is divided into sections of one mile square (or 640 acres) each, more or less, the scarcely appreciable difference from this exact area being the result of the convergence or divergence of the meridians forming the eastern and western boundaries, as the township is north or south of one of the standard base lines of survey. These sections are again subdivided into half sections of 320 acres and quarter sections of 160 acres, and further into half quarters, which terms are legal or statutory definitions of the divisions and subdivisions of land in Manitoba and the North-West Territories of the Dominion The townships are laid out upon certain“ base lines,” about twenty-four miles apart, running east and west, to the depth of two townships, both to the north and to the south, upon each. The lines upon which adjacent townships, surveyed from different base lines abut, are termed “correction lines,” and upon these all discrepancies of survey are ad- justed. The townships are arranged in tiers running from south to north, and starting from the southern frontier, which is the International boundary line. These tiers are marked on the map with ordinary numerals, thus, 1, 2, 3, etc. Township 1 being on the Inter- national boundary or province frontier, which is “the first base line;" Township 2 would be six miles further north ; Township 3 again six miles north, etc. The townships are further numbered in what are called “ranges” east and west, from lines called “principal meridians.” These numbers are marked on the map in Roman characters, thus: I., II., III., IV., etc. The first principal meridian starts from a point on the International boundary line- about eleven miles west of Emerson. The west ranges” run in regular numbers to the left or west of that meridian; and the east “ranges” to the right or east of that meridian. Thus, Township 3, Range III., west, would be three townships north of the boundary line, and three townships west of the principal meridian; or, Township 3, Range III., east, would be, in the same way, three townships north to the east of the principal meridian. Any. one with this simple direction could put his finger on any township in Manitoba or any other part of the North-West Territory, of which the number north of the International boundary or first base line might be given, with the number of the range or tier of town- ships east or west of the first or any of the principal meridians on the map. Any section of a township can be found by its number on the diagram of the map; and the reader by looking at this and seeing the way in which the numbers run, can instantly put his finger on any section of any township marked on the map. The boundaries of these 64 DOMINION OF CANADA. sections being all laid out on the cardinal points of the compass, east, west, north and south, the section is divided into east half and west half, or north half and south half, whichever way the dividing line is run. These half sections are again divided into quarter sections, such as north-east quarter, north-west quarter, south-east quarter, south-west quarter; these quarters may again be divided in the same way; and these terms, as before stated, are legal or statutory definitions of land in Manitoba and the North-West Territory. Under this very simple, but scientific method of arrangement, any township, or section, or subdivision of a section, can be instantly and unerringly described. A trans- fer or conveyance of property may likewise be made by deed in as few words as any ordinary bill of parcels, and that with perfect accuracy and absoluteness of definition. The settler from the United Kingdom will at first find the nomenclature of this sys. tem of survey a little new and strange; but he will, on slight acquaintance with it, become charmed with its simplicity. The surveyed lines are marked on the ground itself by iron and other kinds of monu- ments and posts at the corners of the divisions and subdivisions; and, so soon as the settler makes himself acquainted with these, he will instantly understand the position and extent of his own farm on the prairie, or of any other in the country. Or, when travelling in any part of the country, these posts will tell him at a glance exactly where he is, so that he cannot get lost in any surveyed district. Distances on the map, in miles, may be ascertained approximately by counting the townships to be passed over and multiplying the number by six. The unit of the town. ships' surveys is the statute mile or section of 640 acres, all the townships being made six statute miles or sections square, as nearly as it is possible to make a series of squares on the face of a globe. FREE GRANTS AND PRE-EMPTIONS. A settler may obtain a grant of 160 acres of land free, on even-numbered sections, on condition of three years' residence and cultivation, and payment of an office fee amount- ing to $10 (£2 stg.); and he may obtain the adjoining portions of sections by “pre- emption” or otherwise, at the rate of $2.00 (8s. stg.) or $2.50 (10s. stg.) per acre. The privilege of pre-emption, however, will cease after January 1st, 1887. All intending settlers should take notice that they are entitled to enter at the nearest Government Lands Office for a free grant of a quarter section in any even-numbered unoccupied land in Manitoba or the North-West; whether or not such even-numbered section is near a railway, or comes within the reserves of any of the Colonization Com. panies. DIRECTIONS RESPECTING LANDS. A settler should obtain from the Local Dominion Lands Agent general information as to lands open for settlement. The marks on the map show certain lands taken up, and therefore not available for settlement. Of course, other lands may have been taken up since those marked taken on the map. Exact information can, therefore, only be obtained at the Local Land Offices, which are shown on the map. A list of these is also published as an Appendix to this Guide Book. All even-numbered sections (except 8 and three-quarters of 26, which are Hudson Bay Company's Lands) are open for entry as free homesteads, or as pre-emptions, unless already taken up by settlers. odd-numbered sections (with the exception of 11 and 29, which are School Lands) for 24 miles on each side of the Canadian Pacific Railway, may be generally stated to be Railway Lands, purchasable from the Company, and not open for homestead and pre- emption. There are also other Railway Lands, which have been appropriated in aid of similar undertakings. (See Land Regulations in the Appendix to this Guide Book). Beyond the limits of the land granted to such enterprises odd-numbered sections may, if surveyed, be purchased direct from the Government, on terms stated in the regulations referred to. WHAT CAPITAL TO BEGIN WITH. A settler in Manitoba may commence on comparatively small capital; that is, enough to build one of the inexpensive houses of the country, to buy a yoke of oxen and a plough, his seed grain, and sufficient provisions to enable him to live for one year, or until his first crop comes in. With a little endurance at first, from this point he inay attain to a position of plenty and independence. 66 DOMINION OF CANADA. with a rank vegetable growth, and the question is how to subdue this, and so make the land available for farming purposes. Experience has proved that the best way is to plough not deeper than two inches, and turn over a furrow from twelve to sixteen inches wide. It is especially desirable for the farmer who enters early in the spring to put in a crop of oats on the first “ breaking.” It is found by experience that the sod pulverizes and decomposes under the influence of a growing crop quite as effectually, if not more so, than when simply turned and left by itself for that purpose. There are also fewer weeds, which is of very great importance, as it frequently happens that the weeds which grow soon after breaking are as difficult to subdue as the sod itself. Large crops of oats are obtained from sowing on the first breaking, and thus not only is the cost defrayed, but there is a profit. It is also of great importance to a settler with limited means to get this crop the first year. One mode of this kind of planting is to scatter the oats on the grass, and then turn a thin sod over them. The grain thus buried quickly finds its way through, and in a few weeks the sod is perfectly rotten. Mr. Daley, near Bigstone City, in the vicinity of Bigstone Lake, sowed ten acres of oats in this way. He put two bushels and a peck to an acre. In the fall he harvested 426 bushels of oats, which he found to be worth enough to pay for the “ breaking” and give him $75 besides. This is a practical, reported experience. There is also testimony from other farmers to similar effect. Flax is a good crop to put in on the first breaking. It yields well, pays well, and rapidly subdues the turned sod. A practice which has been followed by other settlers, and which experience has proved to be successful, is to turn the sod two inches deep, and then by the device of removing one furrow and ploughing up from the bed it occupied a sufficiency of earth to make a covering of the ploughed sods, an admirable seed bed is obtained. The settler should plant potatoes the first year for his family use, and do other little things of that kind. Potatoes may be put in as late as June the 20th. All that is required is to turn over a furrow, put the potatoes on the ground, and then turn another furrow to cover them, the face of the grass being placed directly on the seed. No hoeing or further cultivation is required except to cut off any weeds that may grow. Very heavy crops of fine potatoes have been grown in this way. Before the prairie is broken the sod is very tough, and requires great force to break it; but after it has once been turned the subsequent ploughings are very easy from the friability of the soil, and gang ploughs may easily be used. On account of the great force required to break the prairie in the first instance, many prefer oxen to horses. There is a liability of horses becoming sick in Manitoba when first taken there from the older parts of the Continent, until they become accustomed to the new feed and the country, especially if they are worked hard and have not sufficient shelter. It is for this reason that oxen, which are not liable to the same casualties as horses, are better suited for breaking the prairie. A pair of oxen will break an acre and a half & day, with very little expense for feed. Mules have been found to do very well, and they are considered well adapted for prairie work. On the larger farms steam is beginning to be used, but the question of steam cultivation is not yet settled. WHAT TO TAKE TO MANITOBA. The settler in going to Manitoba from the Old Country should be cautioned against burdening himself with very heavy luggage. The weight which he is allowed to carry without paying extra on an ordinary emigrant ticket is 150 lbs. Freight charges for lug. gage over this weight are high. Tools and implements, stoves, tables or bedsteads, or heavy, clumsy things of that description, can be bought in Manitoba more cheaply than they can be carried. Tools and implements specially adapted to the country can be pur- chased cheaply in Manitoba, but artisans or mechanics having special tools for their handicrafts will, of course, take them with them. The exception to this general direction is that parties may sometimes hire a car for their effects, and thus take their whole stock and furniture with them more cheaply than they can be replaced; but the adaptation of any implement to Manitoba should be well ascertained before it is taken. All clothing, also bedclothing, and cases or covers of beds, should be taken to be filled after arriving in Manitoba. ROUTES, AND WHEN TO GO. The intending settler from the United Kingdom or the Continent of Europe may buy a ticket direct to Winnipeg, or almost any part of Manitoba, at the offices of the steamship 67 HAMN WILL HOMESTEAD FARM AT KILDONAN, NEAR WINNIPEG. ENGRAVED FROM A PHOTOGRAPH, DOMINION OF CANADA. MAKONDA பயாயdlineயயும் பார்கys CITY OF VICTORIA, The Province is divided into two parts—the Island of Vancouver and the mainland. The island is about 300 miles in length, with an average breadth of 60 miles, containing an area of about 20,000 square miles. HARBOURS. Barclay Sound is on the west coast of the island. It opens into the Pacific Ocean itself, and is about thirty-five miles long. At its head it is only fourteen miles from the east coast, and easy communication may be had with it. The water is very deep, and once in harbour the shelter is perfect. The harbours on the mainland are Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound, Bute Inlet, Milbank Sound, River Skeena, and River Nass. Burrard Inlet is situated on the Gulf of Georgia, a few miles from New Westminster. It is nine miles long, deep and safe. It is the port from which the lumber trade is chiefly carried on. It is very easy of access for vessels of any size or class, and convenient depth of water for anchorage may be found in almost every part of it. Howe Sound is north of Burrard Inlet, separated from it by Bowen Island, and com- paratively difficult of access. Bute Inlet is much further north, is surrounded with lofty mountains, and receives the waters of the River Hamathco. Valdez Island lies between its mouth and Vancouver. Millbank Sound, still further north, will become valuable as a harbour as the gold mines on Peace River attract population. The River Skeena is now ascended by steam vessels from Nanaimo, and is one of the routes to the Ominica gold mines. The River Nass, a little further north, is near the frontier of Alaska. It has been ascended by a steamer more than twenty-five miles. It is believed that the region it waters is rich in gold, and both it and the Skeena are valuable for the fisheries. DOMINION OF CANADA. MINERAL WEALTH-IMMENSE GOLD AND COAL DEPOSITS. First among the resources of British Columbia may be classed its mineral wealth. The exploratory surveys in connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway have estab- lished the existence of gold over the whole extent of the Province. Large values have already been taken from the gold mines which have been worked. This precious metal is found all along the Fraser and Thompson Rivers; again in the north along the Peace and Ominica Rivers and on the Germansen Creek; and on Vancouver Island. Want of roads to reach them and want of capital seem to have been the obstacles in the way of more generally working the gold mines in the past. These obstacles are, how- ever, in the way of being overcome. Even with these insufficient means of working, the yield of gold in British Columbia from 1858 to 1876 was $39,953,618, the average earnings per man being $663 per year. It is confidently expected that more gold will be taken out of the mines of British Columbia than would build the Pacific Railway. It is found along a north-west line of more than ten degrees of latitude. Copper is found in abundance in British Columbia, and silver mines have been found in the Fraser Valley. Further explorations will undoubtedly develop more mineral wealth. The coal mines of British Columbia are probably even more valuable than its gold mines. Bituminous coal is found in Vancouver Island in several places, and anthracite coal of very excellent quality on Queen Charlotte's Island. This is said to be superior to Pennsylvania anthracite, and although coal is found in California, that which is mined in British Columbia commands the highest price in San Francisco. His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne said respecting it, in a speech at Victoria, British Columbia : “ The coal from the Nanaimo mines now leads the market at San Francisco. Nowhere else in these countries is such coal to be found, and it is now being worked with an energy that bids fair to make Nanaimo one of the chief mining stations on the Continent. It is of incal- culable importance, not only to this Province of the Dominion, but also to the interests of the Empire, that our fleets and mercantile marine, as well as the continental markets, should be supplied from this source.” Speaking of the quality of the coal of British Columbia, Dr. Dawson, a competent authority on the subject, made the following statement: “It is true bituminous coal of very excellent quality. It was tested by the War Department of the United States, some years ago, to find out which fuels gave the best results for steam-raising purposes on the western coast, and it was found that, to produce a given quantity of steam, it took 1,800 lbs. of Nanaimo coal to 2,400 lbs. of Seattle coal, 2,600 lbs. of Coos Bay coal, Oregon, and 2,600 lbs. of Monte Diablo coal, California, showing that, as far as the Pacific coast is concerned, the coal of Nanaimo has a marked superiority over all the others. In 1882 the coal raised from the Nanaimo mines was 282,139 tons, which is equal to about one-fifth the coal product of Nova Scotia, though that Province has been so much longer a coal producing region. Of this 151,800 tons were sold in San Francisco, the retail price being about $12 a ton." The importance of the coal supply of British Columbia is pointed out by Sir Charles Dilke, one of the present Ministers of the Crown in England, in his book entitled “Greater Britain," as follows: “The position of the various stores of coal in the Pacific is of extreme importance as an index to the future distribution of power in that portion of the world; but it is not enough to know where coal is to be found, without looking also to the quantity, quality, cheapness of labour and facility of transport. In China and in Borneo there are extensive coal fields, but they lie • the wrong way for trade; on the other hand, the California coal at Monte Diablo, San Diego and Monterey, lies well, but is bad in quality. Tasmania has good coal, but in no great quantity, and the beds nearest to the coast are formed of inferior anthracite. The three countries of the Pacific which must for a time at least rise to manufacturing greatness are Japan, Vancouver Island and New South Wales; but which of these will become wealthiest and most powerful depends mainly on the amount of coal which they respectively possess, so situated as to be cheaply raised. The dearness of labour under which Vancouver suffers will be removed by the opening of the Pacific Rail- way, but for the present New South Wales has the cheapest labour, and upon her shores. at Newcastle are abundant stores of coal of good quality for manufacturing purposes, although for sea use it burns dirtily' and too fast. ... The future of the Pacific shores is inevitably brilliant, but it is not New Zealand, the centre of the water hemi- sphere, which will occupy the position that England has taken on the Atlantic, but some country such as Japan or Vancouver, jutting out into the ocean from Asia or from America, as England juts out from Europe." GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 73 The importance of these considerations will become more apparent to those readers of this Guide Book who have taken note of the enormous resources of the vast region- agricultural, industrial and commercial--through which the Canadian Pacific Railway passes, with its favourable grades, and great saving in distances. These greatly important facts, affecting the considerations of empire, are fully set forth in the work from which the above extract is taken. FORESTS. The forest lands are of great extent, and the timber most valuable. They are found throughout nearly the whole extent of the Province. The principal trees are the Douglas pine, Menzies fir, yellow fir, balsam, hemlock, white pine, yellow pine, cedar, yellow cypress, arbor vitæ, yew, oak, white maple, arbutus, alder, dogwood, aspen, cherry, crabapple, willow and cotton wood. The Douglas pine is almost universal on the sea coast, and up to the Cascade range. It preponderates at the southern end of Vancouver, and along its east and west coast, the finest being found in the valley and low grounds along the west coast, and on the coast of British Columbia. It yields spars from 90 to 100 feet in length, can often be obtained 150 feet free from knots, and has squared forty-five inches for ninety feet. It is thought to be the strongest pine, or fir, in existence. Broken in a gale, the stem is splintered to a height of at least twenty feet, and it is astonishing to see how small a portion of the trunk will withstand the leverage of the whole tree. The timber contains a great deal of rosin, and is exceedingly durable. The bark resembles cork, is often eight or nine inches thick, and makes splendid fuel. On the banks of the Nitniat Islet and elsewhere, forests of the Menzies pine occur suitable in size for first-class spars, and the wood works beautifully. The white pine is common everywhere. The Scotch fir is found on the bottom lands with the willow and cottonwood. The cedar abounds in all parts of the country, and attains an enormous growth. Hemlock spruce is very common. The maple is universal everywhere, The arbutus grows very large, and the wood in colour and texture resembles box. There are two kinds of oak, much of it of good size and quality. There are few lumbering estab- lishments, the trade being hardly developed. The value of timber exports in 1881 was $162,747. The Fraser River and its tributaries, with the numerous lakes communicating with. them, furnish great facilities for the conveyance of timber. The Lower Fraser country especially is densely wooded. Smaller streams and the numerous inlets and arms of the sea furnish facilities for the region further north. His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne said in a speech made by him at Victoria : “Every stick in these wonderful forests, which so amply and generously clothe the Sierras from the Cascade range to the distant Rocky Mountains, will be of value as communication opens up. The great arch of timber lands beginning on the west of Lake Manitoba, circles round to Edmonton, comes down along the mountains, so as to include the whole of your Province. Poplar alone, for many years, must be the staple wood of the lands to the south of the Saskatchewan, and your great opportunity lies in this, that you can give the settlers of the whole of that region as much of the finest timber in the world as they can desire, while your cordwood cargoes will compete with the coal of Alberta. Coming down in our survey to the coast, we come upon ground familiar to you all, and you all know how large a trade already exists with China and Australia in wood, and how capable of almost indefinite expansion is this commerce. Your forests are hardly tapped, and there are plenty more logs, like one I saw cut the other day at Burrard Inlet, of forty inches square and ninety and one hundred feet in length, down to sticks which could be used as props for mines or as cord wood for fuel. The business which has assumed such large proportions along the Pacific shore—the canning of salmon-great as it is, is as yet almost in its infancy, for there is many a river swarming with fish from the time of the first run of salmon in spring to the last run of other varieties in the autumn, on which many'a cannery is sure to be established.” FISHERIES. The fisheries are probably the richest in the world. Whales and seals abound in the northern seas. Sturgeon are plentiful in the rivers and estuaries of British Columbia. They are found weighing over 500 lbs., and are caught with little difficulty. Salmon are excellent, and most abundant. Those of Fraser River are justly famous. There are five species, and they make their way up the river for 1,000 miles. The silver 74 DOMINION OF CANADA. salmon begin to arrive in March or early in April, and last till the end of June. The average weight is from four to twenty-five lbs., but they have been caught weighing over seventy. The second kind are caught from June to August, and are considered the finest. Their average size is only five to six lbs. The third, coming in August, average seven lbs., and are an excellent fish. The noan, or humpback salmon, comes every second year, lasting from August till winter, weighing from six to fourteen lbs. The hookbill arrives in September and remains till winter, weighing from twelve to fifteen, and even forty-five lbs. Salmon is sold at Victoria at five cents per lb., and there appears to be no limit to the catch. The oulachans, a small fish like a sprat, appearing at the end of April, are a delicious fish, fresh, salted or smoked, and yield an oil of a fine and excellent quality. They enter the river in millions, and those caught at the north are said to be so full of oil that they will burn like a candle. Several species of cod are found, and it is believed that there are extensive cod banks in the Gulf of Georgia. Herring also abound during the winter months, and are largely used, both fresh and smoked, and are of good quality. Anchovies are only second to the oulachans in abundance, and may be taken with great ease during the autumn. Haddock is caught in the winter months. Dogfish can be taken with great facility in any of the bays and inlets, and the oil extracted from these is of great value. Excellent trout are found in most of the lakes and streams, weighing from three to eight lbs. Oysters are found in all parts of the Province. They are small but of fine quality. AGRICULTURE AND FRUIT GROWING. The Province of British Columbia cannot be called an agricultural country through. out its whole extent. But it yet possesses very great agricultural resources, especially in view of its mineral and other sources of wealth, as well as its position. It possesses tracts of arable land of very great extent. A portion of these, however, requires artificial irrigation. This is easily obtained and not expensive, and lands so irrigated are of very great fertility. Land 1,700 feet above the level of the sea, thus irrigated, yielded last year as high as forty bushels of wheat per acre. The tracts of land suitable for grazing purposes are of almost endless extent, and the climate very favourable, shelter being only required for sheep, and even this not in ordinary seasons. On the Cariboo road there is a plain 150 miles long, and 60 or 80 wide, and between the Thompson and Fraser Rivers there is an immense tract of arable and grazing land. The hills and plains are covered with bunch grass, on which the cattle and horses live all winter, and its nutritive qualities are said to exceed the celebrated blue grass and clover of Virginia. At the north-east corner of British Columbia there is a district of prairie land, which is thus spoken of by Dr. Dawson in his evidence before the Parliamentary Committee: * I have spoken of the whole district, because that part in British Columbia-between 5,000 and 6,000 square miles of agricultural land-is similar. I speak only of that part of the Peace River country south of the 59th parallel. I do not refer to that to the north, because I have never been there myself, and could only speak of it from report. To give some idea of the value of the region as an agricultural country, taking the area I have given, and supposing as a measure of its capacity--merely, of course, as an empirical supposition for the purpose of estimating its value—that the whole were sown in wheat, at twenty bushels to the acre, it would produce over 470,000,000 bushels of wheat annually. I believe that the whole of this area will eventually be cultivated. I am not quite sure that over every part of it wheat will ripen and be a sure crop, but as far as we can judge of the climate, it is as good as or better than that of Edmonton, on the Saskatchewan River; and where wheat has been tried in the Peace River district, as a matter of fact it succeeds, as well as other crops, such as oats and barley. We have, therefore, every reason to believe that over the greater part of this area wheat will be a satisfactory and sure crop. If only the estimated prairie area be taken as immediately susceptible of cultivation, its yield, at the rate above estimated, would be 38,400,000 bushels.” Dr. Dawson stated that summer frosts, which sometimes occur in this region, were not sufficiently intense to prevent the ripening of wheat and other grains. This, he said, was a fact within his own knowledge. He was asked whether the season in which he was GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 75 there was not more favourable than usual; on the contrary, he said, it was an unusually severe season, but yet the frost did not affect the wheat crop. He added: “I collected excellent specimens of wheat from the Hudson Bay post. In fact, the crops this year were later than usual, on account of a period of wet weather just before harvest, which delayed the ripening of the grain." His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne, in a speech at Victoria, made the following remarks: “Throughout the interior it will probably pay well in the future to have flocks of sheep. The demand for wool and woollen goods will always be very large among the people now crowding in such numbers to those regions which our official world as yet calls The North-West, but which is the North-East and east to you. There is no reason why British Columbia should not be for this portion of our territory what California is to the States in the supply afforded of fruits. The perfection attained by small fruits is unri- valled, and it is only with the Peninsula of Ontario that you would have to compete for the supplies - grapes, peaches, pears, apples, cherries, plums, apricots and currants.” His Excellency further said: “For men possessing from £200 to £600, I can conceive no more attractive occupation than the care of cattle or a cereal farm within your borders. Wherever there is open land the wheat crops rival the best grown elsewhere, while there is nowhere any dearth of ample provision of fuel and lumber for the winter. As you get your colonization roads pushed and the dykes along the Fraser River built, you will have a larger available acreage, for there are quiet straths and valleys hidden away among the rich forests which would provide comfortable farms. As in the North-West last year, so this year, I have taken down the evidence of settlers, and this has been wonderfully favourable. To say the truth, I was rather hunting for grumblers, and found only one He was a young man of super-sensitiveness from one of our comfortable Ontario cities." MANUFACTURES AND EXPORTS. The manufactories of British Columbia have been hitherto comparatively few in number; but water power is everywhere abundant. Those manufactures which are at present being carried on are in a prosperous state. The exports from the Province are already considerable, and will undoubtedly in the near future be largely developed. Besides the large number of vessels that visit the ports of British Columbia, there are steamers plying between Victoria and New Westminster, and on the Fraser River as far as Yale; and there are also others. POPULATION. The total population of British Columbia was 49,459 by the census of 1881. But since that date there has been a large influx of Chinese, and also of whites, in connection with the works of the Canadian Pacific Railway. There is a large disproportion between the men and the women in the Province, the men being greatly in excess. The disproportion will, however, probably be remedied by the progress of immigration. The Indians of British Columbia are remarkable for their peaceable disposition. On this point His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne made the following appropriate remarks at Victoria : “I believe I have seen the Indians of almost every tribe throughout the Dominion, and nowhere can you find any who are so trustworthy in regard to conduct, so willing to assist the white settlers by their labour, so independent and anxious to learn the secret of the white man's power. While elsewhere are met constant demands for assistance, your Indians have never asked for any, for in the interviews given to the chiefs, their whole desire seemed to be for schools and schoolmasters; and in reply to questions as to whether they would assist themselves in securing such institutions, they invariably replied that they would be glad to pay for them. It is certainly much to be desired that some of the funds apportioned for Indian purposes be given to provide them fully with schools, in which industrial education may form an important item. But we must not do injustice to the wilder tribes. Their case is totally different from that of your Indians. The buffalo was everything to the nomad. It gave him house, fuel, clothes, and bread. The disappearance of this animal left him starving. Here, on the contrary, the advent of the white men has never diminished the food supply of the native. He has game in abun- dance, for the deer are as numerous now as they ever have been. He has more fish than he knows what to do with, and the lessons in farming that you have taught him have given him a source of food supply of which he was previously ignorant." INS LE ES 16 BON Un Die NA “BELL FARM,” INDIAN HEAD STATION, CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY, 741 MILES WEST OF PORT ARTHUR. ENGRAVED FROM A PHOTOGRAPH. TRA co KO W UMATOLA BIZE UNEN TE ZE BES BE17 MEIO TWENTY-THREE REAPERS AT WORK ON THE “ BELL FARM.” 84 DOMINION OF CANADA. men employed, and each has a house and one acre of ground, rent free. These uniform arrangements, and division of men and horses at equal points over the immense area of the farm, with just as much placed under one man's charge as he can comfortably manage, so simplifies the control of the whole as to place it under easy command from the centre of operations. The point of greatest attention of all is bestowed upon the care and feeding of the horses, as the source of motive power for the farming operations. The horses are, however, worked to their capacity. It seems to follow naturally that the men who work these good sized farms of 213 acres, and who are highly paid, and made as comfortable as possible, would embrace the opportunity that is to be offered them of becoming possessors of them; the whole scheme thus melting into one of uniform colonization of a hundred square miles. Major Bell is the able projector and manager; and the scheme so far is reported to be largely pecuniarily successful. The Benbecula colony, settled by the crofters from the estate of Lady Gordon- Cathcart, is in this district, about ten miles south of the Wapella railway station, and the results which it has exhibited are worthy of notice. An advance of £100 stg. was made to each crofter, to enable him and his family to emigrate and also to settle on land, security being taken on the land itself for repayment of the advance, with interest at 6 per cent. This security being on a farm of 160 acres, is of course more than ample. The colony has been decidedly successful. Professor Tanner visited it in 1883, and again in 1884. Speaking of these colonists, when he saw them, shortly after their arrival, he said: “They soon (after their arrival in May) commenced ploughing the turf of the prairie, simply covering in their potatoes with the fresh-turned turf. They also sowed their wheat and oats upon the newly-turned sod. Very rough style of farming many will be disposed to say; still it must be remembered that they had no choice, but the results caused them no regret. Within eight weeks from the time of planting the potatoes they were digging their new crop, and before two weeks had passed I had some of those potatoes for dinner, and I do not hesitate to say that for size, flavour and maturity; they were excellent. The roughly sown wheat and oats were then progressing rapidly, and a good harvest awaited their in-gathering. During the summer they had raised a better class of house, they had secured a supply of food and seed for another year, and their settlement was practically completed. A total area of about 3,200 acres had thus been secured, the quality of the land was good, the surface was gently undulating over the entire area, and it was as nicely wooded as many a park in the Old Country. The change in their position had been so quickly accomplished, that I can readily imagine that they must at times have wondered whether it was a dream or a reality. Was it really true that they were no longer small tenants and labourers struggling against pecuniary difficulties which well nigh tempted them to rebel, and that they had so suddenly become the owners of happy homes and nice farms, without the shadow of a care or a fear as to their future support? It was true, and the deep gratitude manifested by those settlers towards Lady Gordon-Cathcart no words of mine can adequately describe. It was obviously unnecessary to inquire whether they were happy in their new homes; but I did ask one of the party whether he had sent home to his friends a full account of the place. “Why, sir,' he replied, “if I only told them half, they would never believe me again.'" Professor Tanner's report of his second visit in 1884 was in every way confirmatory of his first. These results show that capital may be safely as well as beneficently advanced, with suitable management, to persons who are able to shift and work for themselves on farms in the Canadian North-West. Another and somewhat similar attempt at colonizing has during the present year (1884) been made in this district, from, however, quite a different source, viz., the east end of London, by a society of which Mr. Burdett Coutts, Sir Francis de Winton, Sir John W. Ellis, the late Lord Mavor of London, Mr. Rankin, M.P., and others were the principal movers. This society made advances to a party of East End Londoners with their families, who were brought out under guidance, placed on homesteads, and generally instructed, as fully as possible, how to proceed; one hundred pounds to each family being advanced, in the same way as to the Benbecula colonists, and with the same security. There appeared to be more elements of risk in settling a colony of East Londoners on farms than one of Scotch crofters. This colony, however, has, so far, succeeded beyond expectation. It has been officially visited by the Rev. Mr. Huleatt, of Bethnal Green, one of the promoters. He made an inspection of every family and homestead, and declares himself to have been, on the whole, both satisfied and gratified. The colonists were comfortable, have done the necessary preliminary work, and prepared for the winter, with the exception of one man, who, not liking this kind of life, went back to London. Professor Tanner also visited the colony during the autumn, and fully confirmed the report of Mr. Huleatt. The fact is GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 85 thus demonstrated that the conditions of prairie farming are so simple that labourers and artisans from towns, who desire to change their mode of life, may adapt themselves to them. There are considerable numbers of English gentlemen settled in this district, in the neighbourhood of Moose Mountain, who express themselves very well pleased with the country and its capabilities, but who yet want railway communication to satisfy their needs. This will probably be afforded during the coming year by the Manitoba and South- Western extension. Many towns and villages have sprung up within a year with surprising rapidity, on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, in the district of Assiniboia. Among these may be mentioned Broadview, Indian Head, Qu'Appelle, Regina (the capital), Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Medicine Hat. DISTRICT OF SASKATCHEWAN. This district comprises about 114,000 square miles, bounded on the south by the District of Assiniboia and the northern boundary of the Province of Manitoba ; Lake Winnipeg, with a part of Nelson River, forms its eastern boundary; on the north it is bounded by the 18th Correction line of the Dominion Lands System of Survey, and on the west by the line of that system dividing the 10th and 11th Ranges of Townships west of the fourth initial meridian. This district, owing to the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway being taken south through the Districts of Assiniboia and Alberta, has of course not so rapidly settled as these. It yet, however, contains the flourishing settlements of Prince Albert, Battleford and others. It is a district of immense resources, the two branches of the great River Saskatchewan passing through a large part of its territory. It has several projected railway lines, which, it is expected, will be immediately proceeded with. DISTRICT OF ALBERTA. This district comprises an area of about 100,000 square miles, bounded on the south by the International boundary; on the east by the District of Assiniboia; on the west by the Province of British Columbia at the base of the Rocky Mountains; and on the north by the 18th Correction line before mentioned, which is near the 55th parallel of latitude. Nature has been lavish in its gifts to the District of Alberta. A great portion of this district being immediately under the Rocky Mountains, has scenery of magnificent beauty, and the numerous cold rivers and streams which flow into it from the mountains have waters as clear and blue as the sky above them, and abound with magnificent trout. The writer saw one afternoon, in October last, one of the railway navvies with rude fishing appliances of rod and line, go to the Bow River, and in a very short time return loaded with fine large trout. The great natural beauties of this district seem to point out these foot-hills or spurs of the Rocky Mountains as the future resort of the tourist and health seeker, when the eastern plains will have their population of millions. This district may also be said to be pre-eminently the dairy region of America. Its cold clear streams and rich and luxuriant grasses make it a very paradise for cattle. This is at present 'the ranch country. Numerous ranches have been started, and the number of neat cattle on these was, during the summer of 1884, 50,000. Experience has already proved that with good management the cattle thrive well in the winter, the per- centage of loss being much less than that estimated for when these ranches were under- taken. We have in these facts the commencement of great industries, and these ranches will very soon commence to send their cattle by thousands to the eastern markets, including those of the United Kingdom. These ranches also contain large numbers of sheep and horses. . Questions have been raised in the past as to the suitability of the District of Alberta for ordinary farming operations, an opinion prevailing that it should be given up to ranches. This question, however, of its suitability for mixed farming, especially that in which dairying has a large share, is no longer doubtful, proof having been furnished by actual results. The writer of these pages saw in the fall of 1883, an exceptionally unfavourable year, crops of grains including wheat, and roots and vegetables, in the vicinity of Calgary. The crops were large and perfectly ripened, leaving nothing in this respect to be desired. Such being the fact, it will assuredly follow that settlement having for its industries mixed arable and stock farming will rapidly take place. Note APPROACHING THE Rocky MOUNTAINS. Bow RIVER, ENGRAVED FROM A PHOTOGRAPH, GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 87 It may further be remarked in this place that the country along the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, from Moose Jaw to Calgary, had been commonly said to be a desert, incapable of growing crops. It is true that at certain seasons the aspect of these plains is not very inviting. But it has also been demonstrated to be true, that the theory advanced by Prof. Macoun, the botanist of the exploratory surveys of the Canadian Pacific Railway, has proved to be quite correct. These plains in their natural state, as the summer advances, have a baked and in some places cracked appearance; but when the surface of this crust is broken in the spring, it absorbs the rain-fall, and has sufficient moisture for vegetation, in place of shedding it, and offering the conditions of rapid evaporation, and these combined causes producing apparent aridity. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company during the past season (1884) caused a series of experimental farms to be tried without any special selection of site, the places being chosen for convenience near the railway stations, which are placed at certain fixed distances from each other. The result of these experiments in every case, without exception, was luxuriant crops of wheat and other grains, and vegetables of every kind put down. Mr. Mackenzie, the late Premier of Canada, who was one of those who were sceptical as to the capability of those plains for cultivation, visited these farms during the summer, and expressed himself astonished at the favourable results he saw. He found oats to be so luxuriant that he might hide himself among them walking upright. The uniform success of these experimental farms at so many different points settled the question as to the adaptability for cultivation of the formerly so-called "arid plains” of the third steppe of the Continent of America, in the North-West Territory of Canada. And with respect to those portions of these North-West plains of Canada in which alkali is found, Prof. Macoun declares that these will become the most valuable of the wheat lands as settlement progresses, the alkali being converted into a valuable fertilizer by the admixture of barn yard manure. The Professor further contends that these alka- line plains will become the great wheat fields of the American Continent long after the now fertile prairies and fields to the east shall have become exhausted. It is not, however, only in agricultural resources that the District of Alberta is rich. There are in it the greatest extent of coal fields known in the world. The Rocky Mountains and their foot-hills contain a world of minerals yet to explore, comprising iron, gold, silver, galena and copper. Large petroleum deposits are known to exist. Immense supplies of timber may also be mentioned among the riches of Alberta, and these are found in such positions as to be easily workable in the valleys along the numer- ous streams flowing through the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains into the great Sas- katchewan. It is needless to say that resources such as these in North America, now that they are pierced by the Canadian Transcontinental Railway, will not remain long without development. According to the competent testimony of Dr. Dawson, the quantity of coal already proved to exist is very great. Approximate estimates underlying a square mile of country in several localities have been made, with the following results: Main Seam, in vicinity of Coal Banks, Belly River. Coal underlying one square mile, 5,500,000 tons. Grassy Island, Bow River (continuation of Belly River Main Seam). Coal underlying one square mile, over 5,000,000 tons. Horseshoe Bend, Bow River. Coal underlying one square mile, 4,900,000 tons. Blackfoot Crossing. Workable coal seam as exposed on Bow River. Underlying one square mile, 9,000,000 tons. There is thus under one square mile of territory a sufficiency of coal for a large population in the North-West to last for a generation of men; and whether these coal fields are continuous or not, there are at least many thousands of square miles of them. The coal-bearing rocks developed so extensively on the Bow and Belly Rivers and their tributaries are known to extend far to the north and west, though, up to the present time, it has been impossible to examine them at more than a few points. On the North Saskatchewan several seams of lignite-coal, resembling those of the Souris River region, outcrop at Edmonton. The most important is about six feet in thickness, and has been worked to some extent for local purposes. Thirty miles above Edmonton a much more important coal seam occurs. This, as described by Dr. Selwyn (Report of 1873-74), has a thickness of eighteen to twenty feet. It is of excellent quality, and much resembles the “Coal Banks” coal from the Bow River. Good anthracite coal has also been found near the Pacific Railway, at the point of its entrance in the Rocky Mountains. A PEEP AT THE ROCKIES, FROM NEAR PADMORE. ENGRAVED FROM A PHOTOGRAPH. 88 GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 95 Sir R. W. Cameron, of New York.-The following is an extract from a letter dated October 24th, 1882, written by Sir R. W. Cameron, of New York, to the Hon. J. H. Pope, Minister of Agriculture. Sir Roderick Cameron is a man of great experience: "For agricultural purposes the whole plain from Winnipeg to beyond Moose Jaw, a distance of nearly 500 miles, is, with small exceptions, as fine in soil and climate as any that has come under my observation. I have traversed Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado, and in none of them have I seen the depth of rich soil that I saw on the line of the C. P. R. The soil around Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Brandon and Regina, is the richest I have ever seen, and as to the climate, I visited it for the benefit of my health, which for some time previous was much shattered, and received more benefit from my month's stay in the North-West than I believed possible. I found myself capable of more physical exertion than I could possibly have stood in this climate at any time within the past ten years. A walk of ten miles, which I made without extra exertion in two and a quarter hours, fatigued me less than a walk of a third of the distance would have done here. The climate is bracing and exhilarating beyond any hitherto experienced by me. “I left Winnipeg on the 16th inst. Up to that date the weather was delightful; clear and bracing, and without frost or snow. Ploughing was progressing all along the line of railroad. I was at Qu'Appelle on the 9th, at Ellice on the 11th, and thence to Winni- peg on the 12th and 13th. The contractors on the road expected another month of Indian summer weather for their work. At Fort Ellice I met a settler just arrived from Ontario, who expected to complete his ploughing (which he had not then commenced) before bad weather set in. The crops had all been gathered, stacked, and to a large extent threshed before my arrival in the country. The quality of the grain and roots you all know about. I brought from the Roman Catholic Mission at Qu'Appelle some potatoes, which I intend to preserve for seed next spring—the finest I have ever seen. I weighed two that turned the scale at 41 lbs., one of them being 2} lbs. The original seed was the “Early Rose,” and the product was four times the size of the seed used, and for soundness and flavour no potato could surpass them. Indeed, during my stay in the country I never found an unsound or watery potato. I saw in the market at Winnipeg splendid specimens of carrots and cauliflowers. .. . I also heard wonderful accounts of the soil and climate of the Saskatchewan Valley, but cannot speak from experience. Col. McLeod informed me at Winnipeg that he preferred the country around his residence at Fort McLeod to any portion of the North-West, and I believe that for stock raising pur- poses the nearer you approach the Rocky Mountains the better, as there cattle can exist without shelter all the year round, whereas between Winnipeg and Regina I am satisfied that cattle and horses must be fed and housed from December to March or April. The native horse keeps fat and in good condition throughout the whole territory all the year round, and is in much better condition when taken up in the spring than when turned out in the autumn, but the native horse knows where the nutritious grass is to be found, and understands pawing the snow off so as to reach it. This would not be the case with imported stock, whether horses or cattle. There is a great future for this part of the Dominion." Mr. Blodgett, U. S., Author on Climatology.-The following extract is taken from the work on Climatology by the eminent American author, Mr. Blodgett. The statements are in themselves interesting, and contain principles of the greatest importance. Both have been verified in a remarkable manner by the evidence of facts since the author's pages were written: “By reference to the illustration of the distribution of heat, we see that the cold at the north of the great lakes does not represent the same latitude further west, and that beyond them the thermal lines rise as high in latitude, in most cases, as at the west of Europe. Central Russia, the Baltic Districts and the British Islands, are all reproduced in the general structure, though the exceptions here fall against the advantage, while there they favour it through the influence of the Gulf Stream. “Climate is indisputably the decisive condition, and when we find the isothermal of 60° for the summer rising on the interior American plains to the 61st parallel, or fully as high as its average position for Europe, it is impossible to doubt the existence of favour- able climates over vast areas now unoccupied. "This favourable comparison may be traced for the winter also, and in the average for the year. The exceptional cold for the mountain plateaux, and of the coast below the 43rd parallel, marks the advantage more or less to those who approach these areas from the western part of the Central States, and from the coast of California ; but though the distant mountain ranges remain high at the north, the width of their base, or of the 96 DOMINION OF CANADA. plateau from which they rise, is much less than at the 42nd parallel. The elevated tracts are of less extent, and the proportion of cultivable surface is far greater. “It will be seen that the thermal lines for each season are thrown further northward on passing Lake Superior to the westward in the charts of this work than in those of the military report prepared by the author. .... A further collection and comparison warrants the position now given to the thermal lines, placing them further northward than before, and extending them in a course due north-west from Lake Superior to the 58th parallel. For the extreme seasons, winter and summer, this accurate diagonal extension of the thermal lines across the areas of latitude and longitude is very striking. The buffalo winter on the Upper Athabasca at least as safely as in the latitude of St. Paul, Minnesota; and the spring opens at nearly the same time along the immense line of plains from St. Paul to Mackenzie River. “The quantity of rain is not less important than the measure of heat to all purposes of occupation; and for the plains east of the Rocky Mountains there may reasonably be some doubt as to the sufficiency; and doubts on this point whether the desert belt of lower latitudes is prolonged to the northern limit of the plains. If the lower deserts are due to the altitude and mass of the mountains simply, it would be natural to infer their existence along the whole line, where the Rocky Mountains run parallel and retain their altitude; but the dry areas are evidently due to other causes primarily, and they are not found above the 47th parallel in fact. It is decisive on the general question of the sufficiency of rain, to find the entire surface of the upper plains either well grassed or well wooded; and recent information on these points almost warrants the assertion that there are no barren tracts of consequence after we pass the bad lands and the Coteau of the Missouri. Many portions of these plains are known to be peculiarly rich in grasses; and probably the finest tracts lie along the eastern base of the mountains, in positions corresponding to the most desert. The higher latitudes certainly differ widely from the plains which stretch from the Platte southward to the Llano Estacado of Texas, and none of the references made to them by residents or travellers indicate desert characteristics. Buffalo are far more abundant on the northern plains, and they remain through the winter at their extreme border, taking shelter in the belts of woodland on the Upper Athabasca and Peace Rivers. Grassy savannas like these necessarily imply an adequate supply of rain; and there can be no doubt that the correspondence with the European plains in like geo- graphical position—those of Eastern Germany and Russia-is quite complete in this respect. If a difference exists it is in favour of the American plains, which have a greater pro- portion of surface water, both as lakes and rivers. “Next, the area of the plains east of the Rocky Mountains is no less remarkable than the first for the absence of attention heretofore given to its intrinsic value as a pro- ductive and cultivable region within easy reach of emigration. This is a wedge-shaped tract, ten degrees of longitude in width at its base, along the 47th parallel, inclined north-westward to conform to the trend of the Rocky Mountains, and terminating not far from the 60th parallel in a narrow line, which still extends along the Mackenzie for three or four degrees of latitude, in a climate barely tolerable. Lord Selkirk began his efforts at colonization in the neighbourhood of Winnipeg as early as 1815, and from personal knowledge he then claimed for this tract a capacity to support thirty millions inhabitants. All the grains of the cool, temperate latitudes are produced abundantly. Indian corn may be grown on both sides of the Saskatchewan, and the grass of the plains is singularly abundant and rich. Not only in the earliest exploration of these plains, but now, they are the great resort for buffalo herds, which, with the domestic herds and horses of the Indians and the colonists, remain on them and at their woodland borders throughout the year. av The simple fact of the presence of these vast nerds of wild cattle on plains at so high a latitude is ample proof of the climatological and productive capacity of the country. of these plains and their woodland borders the valuable surface measures fully five hundred thousand square miles.” So much for the principles affecting the conditions of climate in the Canadian North- West. It only remains to add that the farming products coincide with the conditions. The Attorney-General and Governor of the State of Wisconsin.-Hon. L. F. Frisby, Attor- ney-General, and His Honour J. M. Rusk, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, visited the Canadian North-West in the summer of 1882. Mr. W. C. B. Grahame, the Immigration Agent of the Canadian Government at Winnipeg, being anxious to learn the views of these gentlemen, addressed to them a letter, to which they kindly replied. The Hon. Mr.. Frisby said, under date Sept. 23, 1882: GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 97 “I saw nothing that did not indicate thrift and prosperity. The City of Winnipeg is a marvel of modern times; its rapid growth, its large and costly business blocks filled with the choicest and richest goods of a metropolitan city, its fine dwellings with their beautiful surroundings, the thousand tents sheltering the immigrant while engaged in erecting the more substantial place of a bode, and the many long and heavy laden trains which came and went, impressed me with the conviction that the country surrounding must be rapidly improving and settling up. The many and large wheat fields which I saw in the Red River Valley-certainly, this year-indicate that for wheat raising no place in the North-West can excel it. So far as one could judge from a hasty view of the country surrounding your city, it seems to me that it must attract the emigrant hither, who is seeking a new home in the Far West. Of the climate, little can be said from actual observation of a couple of days; but from conversations had with intelligent gentlemen who have spent some years in your city, I am led to believe that it is favourable to agri- cultural pursuits, and withal healthful. On the whole, I formed a very favourable opinion of the resources and productiveness of your country.” His Honour, Governor Rusk, wrote the following words in corroboration : “EXECUTIVE OFFICE, MADISON, Wis., Sept. 23, 1882. “I fully concur with General Frisby in the foregoing statement. “(Signed) J. M. Rusk, Governor.” Archbishop Lynch.-His Grace, Archbishop Lynch, of Toronto, on the occasion of a visit to Ireland, wrote a letter to the editor of the Dublin Freeman's Journal, under date of June 7th, 1882, in which he gives his appreciation of the suitability of Canada as a field for Irish immigration, His Grace wrote: "I am interrogated on all sides concerning Canada by persons wishing to emigrate. I would feel much obliged and relieved if you would kindly publish in your excellent journal my answer to all. "I. I would not undertake to advise any one to leave Ireland who could live in it in moderate comfort, except, indeed, parents having large families, who see nothing in the future for their children but poverty or emigration individually. “II. The Catholic Church in Canada is in a very prosperous condition. Priests and churches are to be found everywhere throughout the country, and Catholic education is on a better footing than in the United States, where Catholics are obliged to support by their taxes the common or irreligious schools, as also to keep up their own at great expense. "In Canada this is not the case. Catholic taxes go to Catholic schools, wherever Catholics are numerous enough to establish them, and Catholics also receive for their schools the per capita bonus from the general fund. "The Government is Home Rule, such as the Government and Parliament of Canada, in its recent address to the Queen, desired should be granted to Ireland. The address assured Her Majesty that the Irish in Canada were amongst the most prosperous and loyal in the country. In our mind, Canada is the freest and best governed country in the world, and the people are happy. "The climate of Upper Canada or Ontario (the English-speaking portion) is tem- perate. It is the same as the northern portion of the State of New York. The everlasting snow of Canada is a myth. Toronto is on the meridian of Florence, in Italy, and re- sembles its heat in summer, but the winter, with the exception of a few days occasionally, is not colder than in Ireland. “The soil is very fertile, almost as fertile for wheat, potatoes and other vegetables as Ireland, and excellent for raising cattle. “The wages for farm hands are as good as in the United States. Wages for mechanics generally not so good, except in Manitoba, where wages are enormous ; but living is cheaper in Canada than in the United States. "The lands in Ontario are mostly taken up by old settlers, who are selling out their improvements to new comers at a fair price. "The lands of Manitoba and the North-West-an unlimited territory formerly Occupied by the Hudson Bay Company—are thrown on the market for homesteads and for sale. "The Government has reserved a large portion of land for homesteads-of 160 acres -for actual settlers, who pay only a few dollars for surveying fees. · "The climate of Manitoba and the North-West is very cold in the winter, but the people are well prepared for it. Besides, the air being free from moisture, is not so pene- 98 DOMINION OF CANADA. trating as in Ireland, where the pores of the body are kept open by the humid atmosphere. The soil is, in most places, exceptionally fertile. I have travelled through the country, and was astonished at the size of the potatoes and vegetables. The winter is long, but the vegetation is very rapid, and the crops ripen comparatively soon. The country is filling up very rapidly with inhabitants, many of whom sold out in Ontario, to have homesteads for their children. I have found Irish everywhere and prospering.” Test of Saskatchewan Coal.-Subjoined is a letter from the Londonderry Steel Company of Canada (Limited), descriptive of a test of a specimen of coal brought down last fall by Mr. James Turner, of Hamilton. He says, in a letter addressed to the Hon. J. H. Pope, Minister of Agriculture, dated December 6, 1882: “ The enclosed report, handed me by Senator McInnes, will no doubt interest you, as the coal referred to was brought down by myself this fall from Edmonton as a sample of what was two years ago mined, or rather, I should say, dug out from about midway on the rise of the bank of the Saskatchewan, directly opposite Edmonton.” Ash ......... “ STEEL COMPANY OF CANADA (Limited), “ LONDONDERRY, N.Š., Nov. 13th, 1882. “ D. McINNES, Esq., CORNWALL. “ My Dear Sir, -I have received the analysis of the Edmonton coal. It is as follows: Fast Coking. Slow Coking. Water ............. ......... 17.76.5 17.76.5 4.40. 4.40. Volatile Matter ........ 28.23. 23.98. Fixed Carbon ........ 49.60. " The moisture is quite heavy; exclusive from that, however, the ash is indeed very small as compared to Pictou or Spring Hill coal. “The volatile matter is not very high-not as high as desirable to make it a good coking coal. It must be a very good steam coal if it holds its own in size. Altogether, I would say that it is a very fine coal, and if in sufficient quantity or thickness of vein, and suitable angle, should be a very valuable property.-I am, very truly, “(Signed) G. JAMMIE.” 53.85. Testimony of One Hundred and Fifty-Three Farmers.—The Department of Agriculture has published a statement respecting the suitability of Manitoba as a place for settlement, based upon the answers of 153 farmers, whose names and addresses are given, and to whom reference may at any time be made. A copy of this statement in pamphlet form, entitled “What Farmers Say,” will be furnished post free by any of the agents of the Canadian Government on application by letter. These farmers testify: (1). That both the country and the climate are healthy. (2). That the soil is exceptionally rich, there being a black loam from one to four feet in depth, resting on a clay subsoil; and that this soil yields good crops without manure. (3). That they have found no difficulty in getting wood and water for the purposes of their farms, but that sawn lumber is found to be at present dear. (4). That the prairie hay, which is very nutritious for feed, can be obtained in illimitable extent for merely the cutting and drawing. (5). That the effect of the winter is not unfavourable on cattle. Thirty-seven farmers testify that Indian corn can be ripened. Eighty-nine testify to an average yield of wheat per acre, of 267 bushels in 1877, of 264 in 1878, 26% in 1879, and of 294 bushels in 1880. The weight of this wheat is very heavy, being from 63 to 66 lbs. per bushel. One hundred and fifteen farmers testify to the yield of oats per acre, namely, in 1877, 593 bushels; in 1878, 598 bushels; in 1879, 58 bushels; and 573 bushels in 1880. In barley the testimony of one hundred and one farmers gives an average yield of 373 bushels per acre in 1879, and 41 bushels in 1880. Twenty-one farmers testify to the yield of peas per acre, giving an average of 32 bushels in 1877, 34 bushels in 1878, 327 in 1879, and 384 bushels in 1880. Some of the yields of peas were very much larger and some smaller than these averages, the yields evidently depending on the farming. Ninety-two farmers testify to an average yield of 318 bushels of potatoes per acre in 1880. W. H. J. Swain, of Morris, has produced 800 to 1,000 bushels of turnips to the acre, and 60 bushels of beans have also been raised by him per acre; S. C. Higginson, of GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 99 Oakland, has produced cabbages weighing 174 lbs. each; Allan Bell, of Portage la Prairie, has had cabbages 45 inches around, and turnips weighing 25 lbs. each; Thos. B. Patterson has realized 40 tons of turnips to the acre, some of them weighing as much as 20 lbs. each; Robt. E. Mitchell, of Cook's Creek, raised a squash of six weeks' growth measuring 5 feet 6 inches around the centre; Wm. Moss, of High Bluff, has produced carrots weighing 11 pounds each, and turnips measuring 36 inches in circumference; James Airth, of Stonewall, states that the common weight of turnips is twelve pounds each, and some of them have gone as high as thirty-two and a half pounds; Isaac Casson, of Green Ridge, has raised 270 bushels of onions to the acre; John Geldes, of Kildonan, states that he has raised 300 bushels of carrots and 800 bushels of turnips per acre; John Kelly, of Morris, has produced from 800 to 1,000 bushels of turnips to the acre; Joshua Appleyard, of Stonewall, also states his crop of turnips to have been 1,000 bushels per acre, the common weight being 12 lbs. each; Ed. Scott, of Portage la Prairie, raised 400 bushels of turnips from half an acre of land; W. H. J. Swain, of Morris, had citrons weighing 18 lbs, each; Francis Ogletree, of Portage la Prairie, produced onions measuring 49 inches through the centre; A. V. Beckstead, of Emerson, gives his experience as follows: mangel wurtzel weighing 27 lbs. each, beets weighing 23 lbs. each, cabbages weighing 49 lbs. each, onions each 11 lbs. in weight; W. B. Hall, of Headingly, has raised carrots 3 inches in diameter, beets weighing 20 lbs. each, and gives the weight of his turnips generally at 12 lbs. each; Philip McKay, of Portage la Prairie, took 200 bushels of turnips from one quarter of an acre of land, some of them weighing 25 lbs, each; he has produced carrots 4 inches in diameter and 14 inches long, has had cabbages measuring 26 inches in diameter solid head and 4 feet with the leaves on; his onions have measured 16 inches in circumference, and cauliflower heads 19 inches in diameter. James Lawrie & Bro., of Morris, have produced turnips 30 inches in circumference, onions 14 inches, and melons 30 inches; they had one squash which measured about the same size as an ordinary flour barrel. James Owens, of Pointe du Chene, had turnips 30 lbs. each, onions 14 inches around and cucumbers 18 inches long; Neil Henderson, of Cook's Creek, has raised 1,000 bushels of turnips to the acre, carrots 5 inches in diameter and 18 inches long, while his onions have frequently measured 5 inches through; Jas. Bedford, of Emerson, has raised 1,000 bushels of turnips to the acre. It must be remembered, moreover, that none of tle farmers mentioned above used any special cultivation to produce the results we have described, and out of nearly 200 reports which we have received from settlers concerning the growth of roots and vegetables in the Canadian North-West, not one has been unfavourable. Hon. Mr. Sutherland.- The Hon. John Sutherland, a member of the Senate, gave the following evidence before a committee in 1876 : "I have been in the North-West all my life. I was born within the corporation of Winnipeg. My age is fifty-three years. I am a practical farmer. "From my long experience there, and from what I have seen in other Provinces, I have come to the conclusion that the soil, climate and other natural advantages of Manitoba are conducive to successful farming, and that a poor man can more easily make a living there than in other parts of the Dominion. “The usual depth of alluvial deposit on the prairie is about two and a half feet, and on the bottom lands from two and a half to twenty feet. The natural grasses are very nutritious, and cattle can be wintered without any coarse grain, neither is it customary to feed any grain except to milch cows or stall-fed animals. . . . . . “I consider the North-West as very well adapted for dairy purposes, as we have many miles of natural meadows throughout the country, and hay can be cut and cured for about $1 per ton. We have five or six varieties of grasses that are good, and well adapted for stock-feeding, while a few others are not so suitable. “We have occasional frosts; generally one frost about the first of June, but not severe enough to injure the growing crops, and showers are frequent during summer. The average depth of snow throughout Manitoba is about 20 inches, and is quite light and loose... “I consider the country healthy, and we have not been subject to any epidemic. We had fever in Winnipeg in 1875, but none in the country places. It was brought into Winnipeg, and owed its continuance there, no doubt, to overcrowded houses and in- sufficient drainage. "The average yield of grain is-wheat, about 30 bushels per acre; oats, about 40; barley, about 35; peas, about 50 bushels. "The soil and climate are well adapted for growing root crops. Our potatoes are pronounced the best in the world. Indian corn is not extensively cultivated, and I think the large kind could not be cultivated. argo Anna couid not be cultivatec. . . . . . . . . . . . 100 DOMINION OF CANADA. “I think that extensive settlement will prevent the ravages of the grasshoppers, and we have good reason to believe that we will be exempt from them during the coming season, as there were no deposits of eggs in the Province in 1875, and, in all probability, we will be relieved from that plague for many years to come. To my own knowledge, the Province was not affected by grasshoppers for forty years previous to 1867, since which date we have had them off and on." Professor Macoun.-Speaking of the country in the higher latitudes, nine degrees north of the boundary, Prof. Macoun stated in his evidence before the Immigration Committee: “At Vermillion, latitude 58° 24', I had a long conversation with old Mr. Shaw, who has had charge of this Fort for sixteen years; he says the frosts never injure anything on this part of the river, and every kind of garden stuff can be grown. Barley sown on the 8th May, cut 6th August, and the finest I ever saw; many ears as long as my hand, and the whole crop thick and stout. In my opinion this is the finest tract of country on the river. The general level of the country is less than 100 feet above it. “At Little River I found everything in a very forward state; cucumbers started in the open air were fully ripe; at Windsor, pole beans and peas were likewise ripe August 15th. Fort Chippeweyan, at the entrance to Lake Athabasca, has very poor soil in its vicinity, being largely composed of sand; still, here I obtained fine samples of wheat and barley, the former weighing 68 lbs. to the bushel, and the latter 58 lbs. The land here is very low and swampy, being but little elevated above the lake. At the French Mission, two miles above the Fort, oats, wheat and barley were all cut by the 26th August. Crop rather light on the ground. “Mr. Hardisty, Chief Factor in charge of Fort Simpson, in lat. 61 N., informed me that barley always ripened there, and that wheat was sure four times out of five. Melons, if started under glass, ripen well. Frost seldom does them much damage. “Chief Trader Macdougall says that Fort Liard, in lat. 61°N., has the warmest sum- mer temperature in the whole region, and all kinds of grain and garden stuff always come to maturity. He has been on the Yucon for twelve years, and says that most years barley ripens under the Arctic Circle in long. 143° W. “ The localities mentioned were not chosen for their good soil, but for the facilities which they afforded for carrying on the fur trade, or for mission purposes. Five-sixths of all the land in the Peace River section is just as good as the point cited, and will produce as good crops in the future. The reason so little is cultivated is owing to the fact that the inhabitants, whites and Indians, are flesh eaters. Mr. Macfarlane, Chief Factor in charge of the Athabasca District, told me that just as much meat is eaten by the Indians when they receive flour and potatoes as without them. “At the forks of the Athabasca, Mr. Moberly, the gentleman in charge, has a first-class garden, and wheat and barley of excellent quality. He has cut an immense quantity of hay, as the Hudson Bay Company winter all the oxen and horses used on Methy Portage at this point. He told me that in a year or two the Company purposed supplying the whole interior from this locality with food, as the deer were getting scarce and the supplies rather precarious. This is the identical spot where Mr. Pond had a garden filled with European vegetables when Sir Alexander Mackenzie visited it in 1787. “From my former answers it will be seen that about the 20th of April ploughing can commence on Peace River, and from data in my possession the same may be said of the Saskatchewan regions generally. It is a curious fact that spring seems to advance from north-west to south-east at a rate of about 250 miles per day, and that in the fall winter begins in Manitoba first and goes westward at the same rate. The following data, selected from various sources, will throw considerable light on the question of temperature. It is worthy of note that Halifax, on the sea coast, is nearly as cold in spring and summer as points more than twelve degrees further north. “The following are the spring, summer and autumn temperatures at various points, to which is added the mean temperatures of July and August, the two ripening months : Latitude north. Summer. Spring. Autumn. July & Aug. Cumberland House.. 62.62 33.04 32.70 64.25 Fort Simpson..... .61.51 59.48 26.66 27.34 Fort Chippeweyan... 58.42 58.70 22.76 31.89 60.60 Fort William ........ 48.24 59.94 39.67 37.80 60.52 Montreal.. 45.31 67.26 39.03 45.18 68.47 Toronto. .43.40 64.43 42.34 46.81 66.51 Temiscamingue.. ...... ....47.19 65.23 37.58 40.07 66.43 Halifax. .....44.39 61.00 31.67 46.67 .53.37 62.31 66.55 GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 101 ......49.52 Latitude north. Summer. Spring. Autumn, July & Aug. Belleville .. ...44.10 temperature nearly that of Toronto. Dunvegan, Peace River .. ....56.08 average summer six months...... 54.44 Edmonton .... ....53.31 ..... 39.70 ..... Carleton ....... ......52.52 35.70 Winnipeg.......:::;-.. 64.76 30.13 35.29 65.32 “Any unprejudiced person making a careful examination of the above figures will be struck with the high temperatures obtained in the interior. Edmonton has a higher spring temperature than Montreal, and is eight degrees farther north and over 2,000 feet above the sea. The temperatures of Carleton and Edmonton are taken from Captain Palliser's explorations in the Saskatchewan country during the years 1857 and 1858. It will be seen that the temperature of the months when grain ripens is about equal throughout the whole Dominion from Montreal to Fort Simpson, north of Great Slave Lake. The country, in my opinion, is well suited for stock raising throughout its whole extent. The winters are certainly cold, but the climate is dry, and the winter snows are light both as to depth and weight. All kinds of animals have thicker coats in cold climates than in warm ones, so that the thicker coat counterbalances the greater cold. Dry snow never injures cattle in Ontario. No other kind ever falls in Manitoba or the North-West, so that there can be no trouble from this cause. Cattle winter just as well on the Athabasca and Peace Rivers as they do in Manitoba; and Mr. Grant, who has been living on Rat Creek, Manitoba, for a number of years, says that cattle give less trouble there than they do in Nova Scotia. Horses winter out without feed other than what they pick up, from Peace River to Manitoba. Sheep, cattle, and horses will require less attention and not require to be fed as long as we now feed them in Ontario. Owing to the light rain-fall the uncut grass is almost as good as hay when the winter sets in, which it does without the heavy rains of the east. This grass remains good all winter, as the dry snow does not rot it. In the spring the snow leaves it almost as good as ever, so that cattle can eat it until the young grass appears. From five to six months is about the time cattle will require to be fed, and shelter will altogether depend on the farmer.” And again, referring to the region supposed to be desert, Prof. Macoun continues: “Mr. George Dawson, speaking of this region, says: “In July of last summer (1873) I saw a band of cattle in the vicinity of the line south of Wood Mountain, which had strayed from one of the United States forts to the south. They were quite wild, and almost as difficult to approach as the buffalo; and nothwithstanding the fact that they had come originally from Texas, and were unaccustomed to frost and snow, they had passed through the winter and were in capital condition.'" EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF TENANT FARMERS' DELEGATES FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM In 1879-80 a number of delegates from tenant farmers in the United Kingdom were invited to visit Canada for the purpose of examining into and reporting upon its suitability as a field for settlement by their class. All these gentlemen were men of great intelligence and good standing; and they did, as they were invited, report their honest opinions. The following are some extracts: Mr. Biggar, the Grange, Dalbeattie.-As a field for wheat raising, I would much prefer Manitoba to Dakota. The first cost of the land is less; the soil is deeper, and will stand more cropping; the sample of wheat is better, and the produce five to ten bushels per acre more, all of which is profit.” Mr. George Cowan, Annan, speaking of Mr. Mackenzie's farm at Burnside, says: “I was certainly surprised at the wonderful fertility of the soil, which is a rich black loam, averaging about 18 inches of surface soil, on friable clay subsoil, 5 and 6 feet in depth, beneath which is a thin layer of sand, lying on a stiff clay. The land is quite dry, and is well watered by a fine stream which flows through it. "The land between Rapid City and the Assiniboine, which lies to the southward 25 miles distant, is a nice loam, with clay subsoil on top of gravel. I was very highly impressed with the fertility of the soil, some of it being without exception the richest I have ever seen, and I have little doubt it will continue for many years to produce excellent crops of grain without any manure, and with very little expense in cultivation." 1. Mr. John Logan, Earlston, Berwick, says: “All the land round this district (Assini. boine) is very good, being four feet deep of black loam, as we saw from a sandpit." Mr. John Snow, Mid-Lothian.-“ Along the Red River and about Winnipeg the soil is very strong black vegetable mould, and I have no doubt most of it would carry paying III a nave no doubt most UTILUSUOTUM 104 DOMINION OF CANADA. Ontario wheat flour. It will also give 2 to 3 lbs. more flour per bushel than Ontario wheat. The wheat of Ontario is every year getting weaker, and containing more starch and less gluten, so that this year we find it impossible to make good flour out of it. The element required for growing good wheat has passed out of the land, and no manuring will restore it. You may be able to grow a good yield out of good-looking wheat, but it will not have gluten enough to make good bread. The same thing exists in the Middle and Eastern States. The sooner Ontario, like New York, gives up growing wheat and turns to dairy and cattle the better. . . . I have travelled over the wheat fields of Europe, Asia and Africa, and know very well all the wheat lands of the United States except California, but I have never seen wheat lands equal to Manitoba and the North-West Territory." This letter establishes the superiority of the wheat grown in the North-West for milling purposes, and especially for the new patent process, with rollers. But it does not necessarily imply that if the land in Ontario, or more southern parts of Canada adjoining the United States, does not grow wheat of this quality, that it is not adapted for other uses, which in the eyes of many may be preferable. For instance, all the other Provinces of the Dominion are especially favourably situated for stock raising; for which industry a very profitable market has recently been opened in connection with the cattle export trade to the United Kingdom. A change of products, from the cereals to stock raising, would in fact probably be advantageous in many parts of the older settled Provinces, and would in a short time very much increase their capacity for the growth of cereals, in such way as to render competition possible in quantities--per acre, at least—with the North- West. GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 109 respecting the Government assisted passages. On this subject it is, however, well to write to any of the Canadian Government agents, whose addresses are given in another part of this chapter. An emigrant is generally advised to take his ticket to his place of destination in Canada, if that is fixed, as he will thereby be saved from the trouble of getting another ticket at the port of arrival; and in the case of assisted tickets, the lowest railway fares are added in the fares given by any of the agents of the steamship companies, either in taking an ordinary steerage ticket or an assisted passage. Emigrants who have no fixed place of destination should take their tickets to Quebec; and at this point they will learn from the agent where they are likely to obtain work, and may take their further tickets accordingly. The prices of all ocean passage tickets are generally very widely advertised in the newspapers, and by means of handbills, etc. Immigrants should avoid trusting touters and bad characters, who very often loiter about shipping offices; and should take care only to have dealings with the regular agents of the steamship companies or the agents of the Government. It happened formerly, also, that immigrants were particularly liable to imposition on their arrival at American ports, but this has now for the most part been done away with. Young girls, however, should be very careful not to suffer themselves to be approached by persons whom they do not know, either on board steamships or after their arrival. Agriculturists in search of land, and specially those going to the North-West, should be very careful how they receive the glowing representations which are made to them by agents of land companies who will waylay them at many points on their journey, and particularly if the route taken should happen to be through some of the Western States. An immigrant bound for Manitoba should persevere, in spite of all representations or mis- representations, in going to see for himself. DURING THE PASSAGE. As soon as the emigrant gets on board the steamship he should make himself ac- quainted with the rules he is expected to obey whilst at sea. These are generally printed and hung up in the steerage. He should do his best to carry them out; to be well- behaved, and to keep himself clean. He will thus add not only to his own health and comfort, but to that of those around him. If he should have any grievance or real cause of complaint during the passage, he should of course make it known to the Captain, who will naturally seek to have justice done, as well for his own interest as for that of his ship and his employers. But if for any reason there should be a failure in this, the immigrant should make his complaint to the Government agent immediately upon landing at Quebec, while the ship is in port. The master of the ship is responsible for any neglect or bad conduct on the part of the stewards, or any of the officers, or the crew. All steamships carrying emigrants have doctors on board, and in case of sickness, any emigrants will receive medical care and medicine, with such comforts as may be considered necessary by the doctor. The large steamships have stewardesses to look after the female portion of the steer- age passengers, who have separate and isolated accommodation in the better class of steamers; a necessary precaution where large numbers of both sexes are carried within a limited space. LUGGAGE. The attention of emigrants cannot be too particularly directed to everything about their luggage. In the first place, it is very desirable that they should not encumber themselves with unnecessary articles, as these, besides causing them a great deal of trouble, may in the end cost a great deal more than they are worth. , On the steamship bills the passenger will find stated how many cubic feet of luggage he can take with him on board. Cabin passengers are allowed 20 cubic feet, intermediate passengers 15 feet, and steerage passengers 10 cubic feet of luggage free. It may, however, happen that the number of cubic feet of luggage which the steamship will allow is very much heavier than the 150 lbs. in weight allowed to each passenger on the Western railways. The railways in the older Provinces of Canada are very liberal in dealing with emigrants’ luggage, and will let pass anything that is not very much out of the way. On the Western railways, however, the luggage is weighed, and high freight rates are charged GUIDE BOOK FOR SETTLERS. 119 The preceding tables show the relative proportions between rates of wages and the cost of living. Of course, wages may fluctuate with circumstances in different localities, and so may the items which form the cost of living. In the older Provinces, however, fluctuations of this kind are not likely to be so great as in a new community, such as in Manitoba, for instance. Both the rates of wages and the cost of living are generally higher in Manitoba than in the older Provinces. This state of things is incident to the particular circumstances of a new community; and especially in view of the suddenly rapid development which has taken place in Manitoba; a Province which is distant from the old centres, and one, more- over, which it takes the workingman considerable time and money to reach. In Manitoba there has been what is called a “rush” to cbtain land. Large sums have been expended both by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Government. The effect has been to create excitement and high prices; but things are now beginning to settle down to the level of the older Provinces. A gentleman from England who visited Canada to examine into the suitability of this country as a field for English immigration, inquired of the Department of Agriculture whether it would not be possible to indicate officially, and with precision, what kinds of mechanics, artisans or labourers, and in what numbers, would be sure to obtain work. This question is the first to occur to all men who give particular consideration to the sub- ject of immigration. It is the object of this Guide Book to furnish the information that will form the most intelligible answer to the question. The classes who would be sure to do well in this country, and the numbers in which they are invited to come, have been fully indicated. But it may be repeated here, and cannot be too well borne in mind, that there is practically no limit to the demand for men to work the land, to carry on public works, and for women to assist in domestic service. Next in order of numbers would come those mechanics and artisans who do the work of building in all its branches, incident to opening up a new country. Information with reference to many of the particular trades is made known by their own organizations, and by capitalists wanting skilled labour in such trades. The Department of Agriculture did, a few years ago, send circulars to all parts of the Dominion to ascertain what numbers and what classes of immigrants were required in each locality, especially the numbers of labourers, mechanics and female domestics. The Department caused the answers received to be tabulated; and these indicated that in the five Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Manitoba, nearly 150,000 persons of these classes were required. This system of ascertaining and tabulating the wants of localities was not continued, for the reason that it was found to be impossible to obtain and transmit such lists to the United Kingdom in time to have the wants supplied. The time required to make repre- sentations to the emigrating classes, and afterwards for them to act on such representations, was too long to make that system of any practical use; and the conditions of a locality became changed in the meanwhile, other incomers supplying the wants. The practical course now taken is: the agents of the Department take means to inform themselves of the demand for labour of all sorts within their several districts, and direct the immigrants accordingly on their arrival. This system is found to be effective, and experience has demonstrated it to be the only one available. These agents, in their respective localities, keep books of application and registration. It is practically found that prosperous times and the opening up of new lands attract a large immigration, while, on the contrary, times of comm' rcial crisis and depression check it. Lastly, it may be pointed out that the communities which have been built up chiefly by emigration are among the most thriving, energetic and prosperous in the world. The group of Australian colonies, the United States and Canada, are examples of this. The men and women who voluntarily cmigrate aro naturally not the least energetic or enter- prising of the peoples from which they como, and fresh stimulus is given when they find in the new country the conditions of success in life open before them on almost every side. It is not simply or mainly, therefore, a question of the higher wages an immigrant can earn in the new country; but, although he may be called upon to endure some hardships, it is the chance of bettering his position in life; a chance which has come for hundreds of thousands who were poor, and are now well-to-do and even rich—for large communities, in fact, now claiming the rank of nations. 3 2044 021 028 170 THE BORROWER WILL BE CHARGED AN OVERDUE FEE IF THIS BOOK 18 NOT RETURNED TO THE LIBRARY ON OR BEFORE THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW. NON-RECEIPT OF OVERDUE NOTICES DOES NOT EXEMPT THE BORROWER FROM OVERDUE FEES. WIDENER JUL 30 1993 Bogi DUE