Star.
London, England, 1828-03-14 00:00:00

EMIGRATION.

COLONEL. COCK BURN'S NARRATIVIL
On the 13th of April I reached St. John's, New
Brunswick, where I was detained until the 16th, owirg
to the river not being considered sufficiently clear °Hee
to admit of the steam boat going up, and the road being
at this season (as I believe it is at all others) next to im-
passable. This delay was the more to be lamented, as
Sir Howard Douglas ieas at Fredericton, and I klt
averse to making inquiries within the limits of his go-
vernment previous to having obtained his authority for
so doing. The time, however, was by no means lost,
for through the kind attention of 111 r. Wssiderburne,
Secretary to the New Brunswick Agricultural and
Emigrant Society, I was put is possession of some in-
teresting; and useful facts respecting the progress 'of
several emigrants who had been placed upon their lands,
under his immediate observation.

On the 27th April I reached Fredericton, and was
received by Sir Howard Douglas with that cordiality
and kindness which are the best and most gratifying as-
sorances of future co-operation and support. The heads
of all his public departments were in like manner ready
and anxious to afford every information in the linetof

their respective employments; but tf) Captain Hurd,
the Surveyor General of the Province, and to Mr.

Baillie, the Commissioner of Crown Lan-cl5, my thanks

are more particularly due ; indeed, I know not I:oar
sufficiently to express my acknowledgments for the im.
portant and continued assistance they afforded me; no
means were left untried—no exertion spaced by them
to supply me with the best and most extensive informa-
tion ; in fact, they seemed identified with the service
I was employed on, and as d.eply interested in its
success as I WAS myself. Thus aided in the inquiries I

bad to make, the period of my stay at Fredericton was
materially lessened ; and on the 23d April, backed by
. .

the fullest approval of Sir 11. Douglas in ail I was doing
(for his Excellency entirely agreed as to there being
every reason for preferring the tract lattween Petecou-
diac and Miramichi to all others for commencing on),
and provided with every description of information
judged liked' to be useful, I crossed the St. John's river,
and proceeded on my journey. 1 should mention, that
amongst the documents taken with me from Fredericton
was a map of New Brunswick, compiled with the
minutest care from the records, plans, and reports, in
the different offices, and the oral information of persons
best acquainted with the nature and description of the
lands throughout the province. This map, which was
prepared in the Surveyor General's Office for the express
purpose of assisting the description of inquiry I was
employed to make, proved of the greatest se rice; and
a ropy of it, made out in like manner, under Captain
Hurd's immediate direction, was sent forward with my
letter of the 15th June. 'Mr. Baillie and Capt. Hurd
would have accompanied me through the parts of view
Brunswick I had still to vi it, if their official duties
could have been so arranged as to have admitted of
their so long absence from the seat of government,
without danger of inconvenience to the public service.
The tisk, however, was thought too great, and it was
therefore arranged that Mr. Smith and Mr. Beckwith,
the former the confidential assistant in the Surveyor
General's Office, the latter in the Crown Commissioners,
should be attached to my party, with directions to
remain as long as I might find occasion for their ser-
vices ; and this was deemed the more requisite, not only
from the very general knowledge possessed by those
Gentlemen of every part of the province. and the con-
sequent assistance they would be competent to afford,
but with a view df enabling them on returning to
Fredericton to explain the otsject and extent 01 any
measure I might find it right to adopt, and thus, as
far as possible, prevent the chance of misunderstand-
ing, in the event of' future correspondence sWth their
respective departments.
Mr. Mac}auchlan (an officer on the half pay of the
late 104th Regiment, and distinguished for his great
zeal and activity in Upper Canada, where he was se-
verely wounded), having been recommended by Sir
Howard Douglas to fill the situation of superintendent,
should emigration take place to any part of New Bruns-
wick, I judged it advisable to procure this Gentleman's
assistance during the remainder of my tour through the
province, deeming it of fir st-rate consequence to afford
him so favourable an opportunity of becoming acquaint-
ed with arrangements making in reference to service,
the details of which, if it ever took effect, were to be
placed under his superintendence; and well knots jag,
from his great capabilities and experience as a surveyor,
that he was fully qualified to forward and take part in
the inquiries I was making.
The distance from Fredericton to Chatham, the port
and principal town on the Miramichi river, is about 120
miles. There is a road, such as it is, the whole way;
tire first 4.5 miles of which, by the side of the Nasharauk
river and over what is called The Portage, are the
worst We were, nevertheless, very glad, on arriving
at the upper part of the south west branch of the Mira-
michi, to avail ourselves of water conveyance for tffe
remaining 75 miles; and by dint of perseverance, and
a determination to get the better of all difficulties, suc-
ceeded in reaching Chatham on the night of the ‘2sth
of April. A great portion of the country we had passed
through during this part of our journey bad been lately
settled, and afforded constant opportunities of ac-
quiring the best information as to the wants, progress,
, and capabilities of the settlers, by seeing and conveys.
r' ing with them on the very spots they were labouring
to improve. On these occasions I never failed to inquire
their opinions as to the advantage a person would have,
if placed on lands, with assistance similar to that
• which it is proposed should be advanced to those to be
sent eut by Government, and the power of such person
to repay, within a given time, the amount so expended
in establishing him. To this inquiry the answer scarcely
, ever varied, and was as follows—go Give him good
F land, and in five years he will be able to commence re.
paying you at the rate of five pounds a year, or more,
, provided you consent to receive it in produce. I wish
• I had ever had such a chance." With respect to repay-
ment in money, they were less confident; and when
pressed on this point, seemed to think that the prevail-
ing habit of barter transactions would render the fulfil-
ment of any such arrangement very difficult and uncer-
tain. During the continuance of my tour through tie
different provinces, the above inquiry was repeated Jay
after day, and hour after hour : and though the per-
sons to whom it was made were of all the different ranks
in society, the reply was so generally and entirely to
the same effect, that I feel bound to believe the expect a-
(ton it holds out would seldom fail to be realized, pro-