conducted with much spirit by Messrs. Montgomery. The harbour is safe, and sheltered by two rather high islands. Several large timber ships are loaded here annually.

A profitable salmon-fishery has, for many years, been followed on the River Rustigouche. I have been told by those longest settled on the river, that an extraordinary annual decrease in the number of salmon frequenting it has taken place, which they account for as a consequence of its waters being much more disturbed than formerly.

The inhabitants at what may be considered the harbour of Rustigouche, and at Dalhousie on the New Brunswick side, where many of the timber ships load, and those at the settlements of Nouvelle, New Richmond, Tracadigash, and Cascapedia, consist of a mixed population of English, Scotch, Irish, Americans, and Acadian French, who employ themselves in the different occupations of fishing, hewing timber, and farming on a very humble scale.

Eighteen miles up the Rustigouche there is an Indian reserve of 1200 acres of rich land, on which the Micmacs have a chapel, and a small village of huts and wigwams, forming residences for about 200 persons, who are considered residents; but for many of them it is only a rendezvous, where they assemble for a few weeks; and then, displacing and packing up their portable habitations, and whatever else they possess, embark in their canoes for some other part of the country. There are about twenty families who are permanent residents, and own some oxen, cows, and pigs, a few fishing-boats and a shallop, besides their canoes. They raise some maize, potatoes, &c. The land, on each side of the river Rustigouche, is high and mountainous. In some places the river appears to have actually broken through ramifications of the great chain between it and the St. Lawrence. In the valleys, and along the river where intervale lands abound, the soil is capable of producing luxuriant crops of grain, and all sorts of green crops. A vast population might be settled on these parts of New Brunswick and Lower Canada. The trees, particularly the fir tribes, grow to immense heights and sizes, and a great timber country may be opened along this river. The quality is in great repute among the timber dealers in England, especially in the port of Liverpool, and considered equal to that imported from Miramichi.

The greatest difficulty to surmount appeared to me to be the hauling or bringing it out to the rivers, as the best timber groves are in the valleys behind the mountainous ridges, which in most places follow the winding of the streams. Such, however, is the indefatigable spirit of the lúmberers, that they overcome natural obstacles that stagger the resolution of all other people. They cut the timber, and haul it, in winter, to places where there is often no water, either in summer or winter; but which, they well know, will be overflown when the spring thaws dissolve the snow on the mountains and in the woods.

There are three or four timber merchants at and near Rustigouche, who have exported several cargoes of timber during the last few years. Besides the quantity of salmon used by the inhabitants and lumbering parties, a great share of the salmon caught in this river is sold to the traders, who export the same to Quebec, Halifax, or direct to the West Indies.

CHAP. IX.

DISTRICT OF GASPE.

BONAVENTURE. - NEW CARLISLE. - PASPABIAC.

GASPÈ. - WHALE-FISHERS, ETC.

ALTHOUGH the country between the Bay de Chaleur and the River St. Lawrence, forming the district of Gaspè, is in Lower Canada, I continue its description in this part of the work from the connection that subsists between one part of the bay and another.*

The River of Bonaventure, on the north side of the bay, is about thirty miles below Rustigouche. It rises in a fine lake about forty miles in the interior, and flows rapidly through a richly wooded country to its débouché, where there is a small harbour, which at high water will admit brigs of two hundred tons; and on each side of which there is a thicklysettled population of industrious Acadian French. These people have much simplicity in their manners, and strangers always meet with kindness and hospitality among them. They are principally engaged in the herring and cod fisheries; next to which, they derive considerable assistance from the cultivation of the soil. They build boats and fishing vessels for themselves; and, during the winter, some of the young men have, since 1817, spent part of their time in hewing timber in the woods: this, however, is an employment which they do not seem fond of. There is a Catholic church in this village; and on the beach, near the mouth of the harbour, there are salt stores, fish houses, &c.

A more contented, honest, and amiable population than the Acadians of Bonaventure, I have not met with.

Carlisle is the principal place in the district of Gaspè. It is laid out for a town; and its situation, during summer, is agreeable and beautiful. There is a substantial and handsome stone building here, in which the district court is held, and in which there is also a jail.* The population is composed of people from different parts of America and Europe, and the character of the majority of them is considered not of the most honest description by the inhabitants of the neighbouring settlements. Carlisle has no harbour, but vessels anchor with safety in the road during summer and autumn. Vast quantities of red herrings are cured in this place; and some of the lands are under tolerable cultivation.

Two miles below Carlisle is the settlement of Paspabiac, inhabited chiefly by Acadian French, who employ themselves principally in fishing. There are also several people from Jersey, attached to the highly respectable fishing establishment of Messrs. Robin and Co. The harbour or lagoon of Paspabiac admits only very small schooners and boats; but ships and large schooners ride safely at anchor in the road. The fish stores, flakes, &c., are ranged along a very fine beach, where the people connected with the fisheries are incessantly employed during the summer and autumn; in winter they retire back near the woods. Messrs. Robin's establishment was formed, I believe, nearly fifty years ago, by the elder partner and parent of the firm; and its admirable plan of systematic management, the essential characteristics of which are ceaseless industry, frugality, and prudent caution, and particularly in having no one engaged about the business that is not usefully or productively employed, has long secured to it the most solid prosperity. During summer, their ships, ten, or often more, in number, are moored in the road, with their top-masts and yards lowered, and the whole, I believe, given in charge to one master and his crew; while the other masters, with their crews, are despatched in shallops to various parts of the bay, either to fish, or collect the cured fish from the fishermen who receive their supplies from Messrs. Robin and Co. In autumn, the ships depart with full cargoes of the best fish for ports in Portugal, Spain, and within the Mediterranean. They have also a ship-building establishment, where they have built a ship annually; and I know one of these