The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-26 00:00:00

2.RAYELLING IN B.RITISII AMERICA.

Mr. W. B. Foward, of Liverpool, has sent the
following
communication to a contemporary :—"I

am indebted to continued and unwarrantable poli-

tical persecution by the United States' Government
which rendered it desirable that I should embark
on my return from America from a British port,
for a recent exploration of the route from Quebec
to Halifax. As this route is that which must be
traversed by the troops which are being sent via
Halifax to Cana, the following notes of my journey
may not be without interest.

I left Point Levi, opposite Quebec, by the Grand
Trunk Railway at noon, and, after a tedious jour-
ney of 115 miles, over a snow- clad country,
arrived at 8 p.m. at Riviere de Loup, a small
watering place, forming the eastern terminus of the
Grank Trunk in Canada. Hare it may be mentioned
that the season is considered a very open one, and
that it is probable the ic9 will not form, so as to
block the harbour, before the end of January.
At Riviere de Loup commences what in winter
may be termed the sleigh route uniting the dif-
ferent provinces. The road for the first 10 miles is
regularly formed and well settled by comfort:ble

log farmsteads, and then it runs through a series
of dense pine forests in a continuous ascent up to
1,500 feet above the level of the sea, descending
again by what is called the Portage to the shores of
Lake Temisconta. The Colonial Government has
completed this important road of 42 miles during
the last 12 monihs at great cost. Tnis is the most
arduous part of the journey; there are very few
habitations, and these are occupied by lumber-
men. Leaving the Lake Port, the road
skirts the borders of Lake Temisconta for eight
miles when it pass through the small small
village of Edmondson, containing some good farm-
houses with spacious outbuildings; 12 miles fur-
ther on is Dishley, a small settlement at the foot
of the lake. The road, which still skirts the lake,
is hilly and narrow, but in winter when the lake
is frozen the the distance from the Lake Port is
shortened two miles by travelling on the ice, and
the journey much accelerated. From Dishley the
road is good for 16 miles to Little Falls, where
the British had a post during the last war, and
some of the blockhouses then erected are still in
existence, From the postmaster at this place (John
Edmondson) I learned that, in the event of troops
having to traverse this route in winter, at a week's
notice he could provide runners—i.e., sleighs and
horses, in sufficient number to convey a regiment
right throngh to Riviere de Loup. The farmers in
this district have plenty of good horses, and sleighs
to contain about ten soldiers each ; but if means of
transport were required for a very large body of
men good strong sleighs to hold eight soldiers each
might be constructed at Woodstock, and they are so
simple that only a few days would be required to
put them together.
From Little Falls the road follows the left bank
of the St. John's River, which here forms the boun-
dary between Maine and New Brunswick, and is
tolerably good, and rather thickly settled by de-
scendants of the old French settlers. Thirty-six
miles from this is Grand Falls, a village of maids
rable pretensions, where the road is carried over
the St. John by a suspension bridge of apparently
weak construction ; thence it traverses the right
bank of the river to Tibique, 25 miles
from Grand Falls, and forward for 48 miles
to Woodstock, one of the principal towns of
New Brunswick, containing 5,000 inhabitants.
Canterbury, six miles from Woodstock, is the ter-
minus of a line of railway running to St. Stephen's,
on the Bay of Fundy, whence steamers ply to St.
John's, New Brunswick, and Windsor, Nova Scotia.
At the latter place there is a railway to Halifax.
When I came through the steamers had ceased
to run, as in the winter there is very little traffic,
and I had consequently to continue my journey
through to Halifax by land, a farther distance of
400 miles. The weather was intensely:cold, the
thermometer marking 10 deg. to 16 deg. below
zero, and the snow, having lately fallen, was soft,
rendering the journey very laborious and tedious,
requiring ten days and eight nights to accomplish
it.

Should a necessity arise for moving large num-
bers of troops from Halifax to Canada this winter
I think it might be effected by the route from
Woodstock. The total distance to be traversed
by sleighs would be 187 miles, and might be ac-
complished in three or four daps, or the whole
route from Halifax to Qaebec via the Bay of Fundy
in five or six days, The expense is moderate,
being about ls. per mile for posting by sleighs.
The roads when snowed over are good and well
kept open, as in addition to the ordinary traffic the
lumberers' operations carried on during the winter
form the roads well. The only difficult part of the
road is from the Lake Port to Riveire de Loup along
the Portage, which would ecoupy 12 hours or more;
but if shelter was required on the way the huts
used by the road makers are available.

A pair of horses will draw a sleigh and ten men
over a stage of 25 miles with comparative ease, and
ought t o perform that distance in fives or ma- Louie.

Cattle are plentiful in the country, but flour ig
comparatively scarce. The settlers throughout the
route are very loyal in their sentiments and ready to
stand by the old country. Their indignation at the
Trent outrage was unmistakable, and I was fre-
quently interrogated as to what I thought would be
the action of Great Britain, and they said they were
ready to volunteer to a man to defend their province;
in fact, I must say their loyalty could not be ex-
ceeded.

TIT' DAY'S MARKETS.

METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET.

Our market to-day was very scantily supplied with
beasts, and all kinds moved off steadily at full prices. The
best Scots realised ss. per 81bs. The few sheep on offer com-
manded steady, though not to say active, inquiry, on former
terms. The best old downs were worth quite ss. Gd. per
Blbs. Calves—the show of which was trifling—were dis-
posed of at extreme rates. Pigs were held on former terms;
but the demand for them was inactive. Milch cows were
dull.