IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7 ij.o S W- P. 'Q>.. :/ 1.0 I.I 1.25 !!i^ IIIIM |||||M " iiiU 1111122 2.0 1^ 36 IM 1.8 U II 1.6 V] <^ /a VI ^' % >■ ^0 / y >^ Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ -'^ i''":.' !v > '■. '■,* ^ I f na I: •■v,^ V i I J I The across John I appears and are ed in a help to try of ^ tend to ive to the people of Newfoundland a firmer confi- dence in the future of this fine Island. The lecture on "This Newfoundland of Ours" wns published last year, and a large edition was exhausted in a few days. It is so often inquired for, that I have Iteen in- duced to include it in this publication. M.H i ,■ : ■> ^ r ,1 VI 'i :/v/ vv' MA.vt. ,\ '!;(/ ;,i :• ,: tj^Mi' ■ -,H , ^'i .-.-.-iiilifei'.; ! ,.v, .v , ', ' = rii 'ilfi/U- 'i' ^ ■; -Mjrii.r : 'M.' ;'»;> ^/'fr i' lu- ll; I . LETTER FrUST. Since his arrival in Newfoundland Sir John Hawley Glovei', G. C. M. G., Governor of this colony, has spent a portion of each year iu visiting the various districts and settlements, in order to make himself acquainted with the character, modes of life, and wants of the people, and the capabilities of the country over which he rules. The deep interest which he takes in the prosperity and progress of the colony has led him to uudei'take these journeys, which generally entail no small personal sacrifice in a country such as this, where the means of locomotion are so limited and imperfect. The warm-hearted people of Newfoundland tully appreciate the efforts of their energetic Governor to advance their interests, and wherever ho goes receive him with the most cordial welcomes. The best results attend this kindly, sympathetic intercourse. The poorest fisher- man understands that the representative of Royalty takes an interest in his welfare, and wishes to improve his con- dition, and has visited his humble homestead with a view of ascertaining how this can be best accomplished. All arc stirred up to more energetic action and patriotic effort when they listen to the words of an experienced, practical leader, whose sharp glancb takes in the vast capabilities of their country, and who has a firm belief that it is entering on a career of ])ro^ress which will place it high among its sister Provinces. It is in this way that a Governor can accom- plish an incalculable amount of good — by kindling patriotic feeling, promoting a right spirit amon;^ the people, and pointing out the path of progress. Sir John Glover's pop- ularity here is deservedly great. Not satisfied with the enjoyment of inglorious ease within the walls of Govern- ment House, he voyages and travels in order to see with his own eyes what is the condition of the people and the coun- try. The? consequence is that public improvements of vari- ous kinds are pushed forward energetically ; a railway 6 ACIIOSS XKWKOT^NDLAND survey has been caniod out; oiio liuiuh'od aud eij;'hty milo.-^ ot telegraphic oxtoiisioii have just becMi completed, connect- ing the east and west coasts, together with the niinin^j re- gion, with the capital ; and the project of a graving docic in St. Jolm's has l)ee]» started under favorable auspices through the otlorts ol" the Governor, ^^any other minor improvements might bo named, but these will suflice to show the spirit in which Sir John (Hover acts while presi- ding over t'.ie destinies of Newfoundland. He is not satis- fied with visiting the portions of the Island already settled, but he loves to plunge into the untrodden wilderness and exjj':»re the vininhabitod wilds. 'I'wo years ago lie under- took a very laborious journey through a portion of the in- terior, which extended to White Bay and Bonne Bay. This year he projected an excursion across the Island from tfie head of Hall's Bav towards the west C')ast, through one of the finest aud most interesting portions of Newfoundland, of which comparativ(;ly little is known. His quick eye had fixed on this route as afi'ordiuix gi'cat facilities for a road through the country from east to west, which would open up fine tracts of fertile land, favorable for farming and lum- bering, and containing in all probability mineral treasui'O.s. His object was, by personal inspection, to ascertain the character of the country along this route. Having had the honrr and pleasure of accompanying His Excellenc}^ during the excursion, I propose to furni.sh souie account of what we .saw on the journey. THE .lOURXF.Y r.Eoat and canoes Si f -1 M IS ACROSS NEWFOUNDLAND in such a way that any article wanted could be found at once, and so that when we reached a portage, the whole could bQ readily packed on men's backs for overland tran- sit. This was no easy task, but under the quick eye of the Governor, who had frequently organized and provisioned expeditionary forces in Afiica numbering thousands, the matter was admirably arranged. I could not but admire the tact and skill imparted by experience, and the know- le Ige of minute detailsj which marks the practical organizer of labour. Nothing seemed to come wrong to our command- er-in-chief, while in the doctor he had an able I ieti tenant, OUR MUSTEPt ROLL. By noon of Septemb.n- 24th, the nor'-eajster had stormed and wept itself into quietude, and we made ready for the start.. As our journey was to be mainly by river and lake, we had provided ourselves with two canoes and a light boat. To work these wo had six men — two for each. One of them was a Micmac Indian, Andrew Joe by name — a fine, broad-sht)uldered, tall, powerful fellow, whose life was pass- ed in hunting and trapping, and who knew the interior in- tim;itely. We tound him quick, intelligent, and active — familiar with all the details of life in the woods, and equal to every emergency. He had the light sprii gy step of the Indian, and his easy and rather graceful carriage. There are a few Micmac families living in Newfoundland— some at Bay d'Espoir, and three in Hall's Bay. Those who go into the interior deer-stalking or fishing find their services very valuable. They know every brook, pond, hill, and valley, and are most trustworthy. The}' must, however, be kept from the terrible "fire-water," the effect of which on them is to madden and destroy self-control. Two of our men were from New Brunswick and Nov;i Scotia. They had been empl yed lumbering for some years on the Hum- ber, Grand La a narrow channel, and rushes along one bank with great rapidity, it forms a " chute," and it is often hard work to polo a boat against such a current. Trunks of trees that have fallen in often project their branches into the river and present troublesome ol)stacles. When the canoes got a little distance ahead, the appearance presented was that of two men walking on stilts through the water, the poles rising and falling with great regularity. Or one might fancy them amphibious creatures moving along on crutches. At times wo came to what the men called a "stiddy" or "study" — a long stretch of deep still water which seemed almosi' like a little lake. These " stiddies " afl'ord the men a welcome breathing time, but they are "like angels visits — short and far between." Our men worked admirably. No accident happened. We stopped an hour for dinner, and when the evening shadows were gathering around us, and it was time to look out for a camping ground, we found that we had poled up stream seventeen miles, which was pronounced an excellent day's work. Nearly half the time the men had been wading in the stream, but they seemed to mind it no more than if they were amphibious creatures. After such a day's work, the}' showed no signs of exhaustion, and set to work laying out the camp and felling trees for fuel almost as freshly as in the morning. A genuine Newfoundlander seems almost incapable of fatigue. THE LAND AND TlilBER — BURNT FORESTS. What was the character of the country through which wo had passed ? Our chief object in undertaking the jour- ney was to ascertain the capabilities of this district, and we carefully noted all particulars. The valley through which 1 ndian Brook flows is enclosed by a low ridge on each side, wooded densely to the summit. The width of the valley varies from half a mile to a mile and a half The whole is thickly overgrown with heavy forest timber, consisting of yellow and white birch, white and black spruce, fir (called " var" in Newfoundland), white pine, and juniper or tama- rack. But, alas ! the beauty of the scene had been destro}"- ed by fire. Four years previously a terrible fire swept through the whole of this fine valley, of nearly forty miles in length, and aiso much further west, destroying an im- mense quantity of fine timber, and leaving the once beauti- ful scene a desolated '>7a3te. Nearly all the day we were NHTH TUE GOVERNOR. 21 passing through a burnt forest, presenting a dismal sight, in the bleached or charred skeletons of noble trees, stretch- ing out their bare and blackened arras to the sky, as if in stern protest against the evil which had been wrought. Here and there were patches that had escaped the flames — little oases — islands in the river especially, which the fire had not reached ; but the rest was blighted. As yet, how- ever, the timber is uninjured. Wo wore told that pine took no harm for ten years alter being burned, the effect of the fire being to harden the surface and render it impervious to water. The burnt pine, and birch, and spruce are now be- ing cut down by lumberers and floated down the stream, but as yet the quantity cut is hardly missed. I saw pine logs in the water which must have been between two and three feet in diameter. We estimated some pines standing near the stream as we passed along at from sixty to seventy feet in height. The birch, too, which are very numerous, are of very large size — some forty to sixty feet high. These, in their present dried condition, arc excellent timber, and when cut down, burn most brilliantly, making a fire far pleasanter than one of coal. The yellow birch is said to l)e equal in durability to English oak. It is saddening to think of the enormous quantity of valuable timber destroyed in this single valley, most of which, I fear, is destined to rot on the spot. Could it be conveyed to the capital, what glorious birch fires we should have. And then to look at those noble pine trees, which required one hundred and fifty years to bring them to maturit}^ — such being the slow growth of pine — and to sec them dead, stripped of their bark and foliage ; how saddening ! Happily the fire could do no injury to the soil, and along this valley there is a large extent of excellent arable land. In many places we rioted a fine deep vegetable soil along the banlcs, and in fact the timber growth is a sufficient index to the character of the soil. The roots of the trees do not seem to have pene- trated into the subsoil, so that the stumps would be easily removed, or would probably rot out in two or three years. The land could thus be cleared much more readily than in most parts of New Brunswick or Canada. We observed many fine tracts of perfectly level country near the river, especially where the valley widened, affording attract* /e locations for settlers. We also observed at several points along the banks, cliffs of plastic clay thirty feet in height, and at one or two places about a quarter of a mile in len^h. ijHii PI 12 ACROSS NEWFOUNDLAND We tested the clay and found it of very fine quality, fit for modelling or for making the finer qualities of brick. How far these beds of clay extend back from the river I cannot say, but the probability is that they are of considerable ex- tent. Chlorite slate was seen at some points, which in this Country is indicative of copper. Dr. Kales brought away specimens of the plastic clay, with the view of having its economic value tested. He is himself a modeller and car- ver, and amused us by making comic figures ot the clay, which he f< d admirably adap*^ed lor the purpose. It would be a mistake to suppose tliat the whole of the land along Indian Brook is fit fur cultivation. We noticed .some places laid bare by the fire which were thickly covered with large boulders, and some pai ts are swampy. Allowing for these, however, the good land along the river vvould sup- port in comfort a considerable farming population. Were there a road constructed, there cannot be a doubt that set- tlement would follow, and blooming farms would spring up along the banks of the brook. The produce of such farms would find an excellent market at the mines now opening all round Notre Dame Bay. Cattle and sheep might be raised, and would bring hi^h prices in the same quarter. Miners who had saved a ' ittle money would, after a time, think of investing it in a farm, where they might soon se- cure a modest independence. The younger branches of a fisherman's family, instead of following the paternal occu« pation, would be led to engage in agricultural pursuits, with advantage to themselves and to those who preferred sea farming. Much of the burnt timber might still be utilized. But the first step is the opening up of the district by a road, and layiLg ott" the good land in sections. Should minerals be discovered along the valley, which is quite probable, of nonr.se this would lead to rapid development, OUR SECOND CAMP. Our second camp was twenty miles from Hall's Bay, close tc a lumberer's camp, where we found two or three men RDUgly located, and engaged in cutting pine for the saw-mill at the moKth of the river. They described the wood as per- fectly sound and of good quality. In a few weeks they ex- pected the river to rise when the autumn rains set in, and then they would drive their logs down stream. Our tents were speedily pitched, cur couches spread and a roaring fire of the finest dry birch wood, of which there was an unlim- ited allowance, soon spread warmth and cheerfulness all ^ WITH THE GOVERKOR. it round. The men divested themselves of their wet clothes, put on dry stcckingH (a vital point in travelling through the woodH), lines were stretcher' around our huge pillar of fire in the wilderness ; and soon a wonderful array of wet clothing was gettiug the bonetit of the heat in order to be leady for wear on the morrow. But most interesting of all — supper for ten hungry men was cooking before their eyes, which pretty nearly doubles the enjoyment of a meal, at least in the woods, for what with the odours of soup, meat, and tea mingling with the pleasant scene of burning birch, and the influence of the imagination, you first enjoy the supper in anticipation and afterwards in reality. Our commander-in-chief held ^ men must be well fed and weii cared for in order to ell, and he carried out the principle on this expeditio Jur men had an unlimited allowance of the best food woll cooked, and were never overworked. Before the jouiuey ended they had become quite attached to their commander. One of them informed me privately that, in his opinion, "the Guv'ner was a tine man, and that ho would wade up to the neck in water for him." This was, no doubt, his strongest way of putting his regard. Supper was now announced to be ready. Each man, with his pannikin in hand, is seen seated or squatted. Conversation ceases— we have more serious work on hand. How the thick slices of pork, fiom which at homo we would turn away, now vanish, "The hungry Jovv in wildernosH R'^joicing o'or In's manna" was not u "circumstance" to our supper on Indian Brook at Camp No. 2. L.KTTER FOUKTH. MOSQUITOES OF NEWFOUNDLAND — HOW THEY OPERATE. September '26th. — Another beautiful morning to greet us as we rub our eyes after a dreamless sleep. We are most iortunate in regard to weather. Though it is late in Sep- tember we enjoy a summer warmth, and we are not much troubled with the mosquitoes. Their day is nearly over, although on a warm damp evening they seem to recover their vigor, and give us a vivid idea of what we should W\ 24 ACROSS XEWrOUNDLAND have buffered had we beeu a monih earlier, and Buggcat for- cibly that, of the j^Iagues of Egypt, that of the Hies was {)robably the worat. After getting a uumber of bites on the lands and ueck, I began to conclude that the principle of " the survival of the tittest " has been in operation, and that the moBt vigorous and venuuiuus have lived longest. Still, the days during which wc are annoyed by these pests, which must have been ereatod for some wise purpose, though we can scarcely expect to know"^ it in this imperfect state, are very lew. I)r. Eales tells us he was in the south- west arm of Green Bay in July, when the sufferings of peo- ple from the mosquitoes were terrible. No one could gu about uc^oaa jjrotected by a veil on hands and head, or smeared all over with a mixture of tar and oil, which drives them off. One man braved them in an unprotected condi- tion, but in a short time his face was a bloated, gory mass, in which all traces of the original liad disappeared. His horrified comradas besought him to spare their feelings and " take the veil." Around our cam|> this morning I notice jays, woodpeckers tappinij the hollow trees for their break- fast, and "robbins" or "blackbirds" — the last named is th(! American robin {T. riiigratorious Linn). There are, how- ever, few birds in the woods in this region, although in the island two hundred different species have been observed. After an early breakfast wc continue our canoe voyage uj) the stream. We expect to reach Indian Pond, the first ol the chain of lakes we aj'e approaching, in two hours. These lakes, with their connecting rivers, streich almost across the island from the point we arc nearing. DESTRUCTION OF THE WOODS BY I IKE. *' Our course to-day is still through burnt woods. The waste of national wealth by these destructive fires is enor- mous, and yet no one seems to mind it, and no measures are taken to prevent an evil which, to a large extent, is pre- ventable. Wherever one goes the desolation wrought by these fires is visible. In the Gander country there arc three hundred square mile.s ot forest, much of it consisting of pine, blighted by fire, and in other regions the same tale is told, r do not know that we suffer more from this cause than other countries, as I see it stated that the average annual Aoss through the forest fires in the Ottawa Valley alone is .c«*timated at ^5,000,000. And yet, in a great majority oi <;a»es, these fires originate in causes that could be readily conti'olled. It is quite surprising, considering the irropara- WITH THE GOVERNOR. 25 ble Josses from these fires, that here and in Canada there are not compbteut inspectors of lorests appointed, whose duty it would be to report on the timber in the districts assi<;nec' them, and enforce the laws for tho- prevention of forest tires. In Europe, where there are no such btretches of unbroken forests as on this side of the Atlantic, every forest of any extent has its regular staff of officers ana ranger.'^, whose duty it is to watch over its safety, and open spaces and broad belts of cleared land are ke[)t on purpose to prevent fires from spreading. Such precautions, I believe, aro un- known in this western world, where there is such a quan- tity of moss — which in summer is highly inflammable— and other debris on the gn>und, among the trees, as furnish dangerous materials for starting a conflagration, and where reckless or ignorant settlers and hunters are numerous. CONSERVATION OF OUR FORESTS. In Newfoundland we have very large tracts ot good for- est timber still uninjured by fire, and these should be care- fully guarded. Such districts are found in the valleys of the Exploits, Humber and Gander Rivers, in the valleys of their tributaries, and in all the minor valleys, more or less, such as the one we are now traversing. This Is a source of national wealth yet almost untouched. This colony, unlike all the neighboring Provinces, derives no revenue Irom its forests, which are now cut down by u muthorszed persons who are uncontrolled by any legal restrictions. The forest lands are not surveyed as yet, and but for the reports of the Geologi- cal survey we should scarcely know of their existence. We have yet to learn the value of these ti'easures. Canadian^ understand these matter.s better. The timber trade of Ca- nada is immense. The value of the Cnnailian timber im- ported into Great Britain alone, in 1ct of which, amid the varied foliage of the forest trees, with the stars visible overhead, I never v earied of admiring. After such a glorious supper as ours, amid such surroundings, if there be anythinor good or humorous in a man, it comes to the surface. There is a streak of the wild Arab in every man, which is overlaid by education and social conventionalitie?i and theologios, and life in the woods seems to revive the dormant element. Do we inherit it from our patriarchal ancestors, or, going further back, from our poor relations, the monkeys Somehow this gypsy life does not seem to me at all odd or incongruous ; all its details are natural and pleasant, and T feel as if I must have lived it a long time ago— perhaps in a previous state of existence — and had only now got back to the primeval and proper condition of being. From our present standpoint, ordinary life seems a dull, plodding affair, and I begin to wonder how I endured it so long. I observe my Micmac friend, Andrew Joe, fre- quently stretching himself at full length, in an u[)right posi- tion, with his back to the fire, and rubbing along the course of his spine, with great apparent satisfaction. It strikes me there must be something in this practice of " the noble red man" which is perhaps the outcome of centuries of ex- perience in the woods., and I resolve to try it. I can now WITH THE GOVERNOR. di recouimeiid it as cuinfurtiug aud refreshiug iu a high de* gree, wheu practised in front of a big fire of birch in the woods. When wet, Andrew lies down in front of the fire till the region around the stomach is steaming, then he turns his back to the heat. The men evidently reverence him and listen to him deferentially, from his superior know- ledge of the country aud of all matters connected with hunt- ing, fishing, and canoeing. He is a good-humoured, sharp, intelligent fellow, aud even the New Brunsvvicker and Nova Scotian listen to him respectfully. As for the New- foundlanders, they regard him as a superior being. He has a wonderfully accurate knowledge of the island, and has been guide to many a deer stalker during the last d(»zeu years. Of all these he mentions with greatest respect Mr. Sheffield, an Englishman, who came here hunting seveial years in succession. Ho was a wonderful shot — according to Andrew — could take off the head of a black duck when on the wing with a rifle bullet, and never fai'eil in this per- formance. Captain Charnley, the great deer-stalker from Nova Scotia, stood next to him in Auurew's estimation. He was "a fine gentleman, and such a one for deer." For Lord Bunraveu, too, ho had much respect as a true sportsman and a kindly gentleman. ; Ai.ii ; WE REACH THE WATERSHED. Next morning we were up betimes. After breakfast every thing was packed in bags; the men shouldered the loa Is aud trotted off along the telegraph line towards Bifchy Pond, a distance of about eight miles. It was marvellous to see the ease with which these stout fellows joj/ged along a very rou*;h path with these heav}'- loads on th^ir back. Andrew's was estimated at 100 lbs. weiyht, but he consider- ed this not much more than half a load. He said "At first carrying loads in woods, you sore and tired — after a month twice as much easy." Dr. £ took his rifle and went off on his own account in hopes of getting a deer. The Governor and I brought up the rear soberly, walking along the telegraph line among the stumps of the trees and ad- miring the fine timber and soil, and wondering when the scream of the locomotive would be awakening the echoes along this beautiful vaUey, aud the smoke of farm house and cottage would be ascending into the atmosphere. I had the curiosity to measure a noble pine, which had been cut down to make way for the telegraph wire, aud lay on the ground to rot. I fouud it sixty-eight feet four inches, and m M M m M 1 1l i St ACROSS NEWFOUNDLAND ;*itl M I I as it had been cut three feet above ground it stood origin- ally eeventy-one feet four inches in height. Spruce trees fifty and sixty feet high were common here. By-and-bye we emerged from the wooila and crossed a swampy piece of ground where the walking was very heavy ; then we came to open "barrens" where there are few trees, and these of small growth ; the soil thin, and in some places covered with bouldeis. This partis said to be excellent for deer-stalking at certain seasons. Two high hills on the left are visible for a long distance. The valley averages half a mile to three quarters in width. Alter a pretty ilatiguing walk, we reached, at 2 p.m., the portage between Indian Brook and Birchy Pond, which is about a mile in width. This is the water-shed, or, in the vernacular, " the height of laud," but it is only one hundred feet above the level of the sea. It is forty-four miles from Hall's Bay. From this the rivers all flow towards the west. Indian Brook comes through a depression in the hills to the north, having its origin in a pond at some distance beyond this range. Thus we have reached the greatest height of land between the eastern and western coasts, and find it only one hundred feet. In point of fact, a level plain runs from shore to shore, across the island, as this trifling eminence is of small account. By the hand of nature a great highway has been levelled, and in opening communication between east and west this is evidently the route for a road or railway. BIRCHY LAKE — THE WOODS IN AUTUMN. '. On reaching the highest elevation on the portage we sat down to enjoy the charming beauty of the scene, which, in many respects, ''ould hardly be surpassed. Let those who iancv Newfouudland a repulsive, befogged wilderness only stand where we now stood and look around, and their de- lusions about the island being a howling desert will soon be dissipated. The burnt woods were at length left behiud, and the leafy amphitheatre formed by the surrounding hills was glowing in the gorgeous tints of autumn. Over the tree tops we see the brightly gleaming waters of Birchy Lake, stretching as lar as the eye can reach to the west. A range of hills, thickly wooded, forms the southern boundary of the valley. Three peaks boldly lift their summits above the others, and present a very striking and picturesque ap- pearance, adding greatly to the impressive beauty ot the scene. The nearest is Necklace Bili, so named because tvbile the summit is green a landslide apparently has occur- WITH THE QOVIBNOZt. red underneath the crown of the hill, leaving a zone all arouud of bare white rock, to which at the liase a ^reea zone Bucceeds. The white circle below the Rumiuit has Hiig- gested the name, Necklace. Thi» hill is five hundred feet iu height. At about a mile distant Mount Syket^, one thuu* 6a!)d and fifteen feet hi^h, lilts its head, and Mount Steep- more, twelve hundred and eighty feet in height, lour or five m'leB further west, is a very striking objtc^, as it presents a bold square front to the lake, the summit having the ap- pearance of a truncated cone. The beauty and variety of the autumn tints of the foliage are charming to the eye~- yellow, green, ncarlet, crimson, ami many different shades of each of these colours, appearing the njore vivid by con- trast with the dark green of the tapering fir trees an