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

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vlded the experiment bc made under the limits and
precautioes you havnkalstifly suggested. Sir Howard
Douglas had been goo enough to send forward to
-*Chatham, for the purpose of notifying my intention of
visiting that place, and requesting that every informa-
-lion and assistance might be afforded me. No sooner,
therefore, was' my arrival made known, than all the'
-Gentlemen of the neighbourhood did me the kindness
of calling to offer me their services; and before 1 left
Chatham, I really believe I had seen every person in
any lay acquainted with the quality of the land for
fifty miles round.
In such 14 mass of information, it is in no way sur-
prising that statements somewhat contradictory were cc-
• carionally made. To have taken them all down in writing
• would have filled a large volume, and tended perhaps
rather to contuse than expl Ain. Sufficient will, however,
be found noted in the general Remar k Book, and other ac-
companying memoranda, ro show that though the lands
immediately fronting on the gulf shore, and through
• which the new line of road has for the present been
opened, at* of unequal quality, yet those in rear of the •
road, and in a.dirett line between Richibuctoo and Pe-
tecoudiac, are generally considered good and fit for
settlement. It is in this latter direction that the great
line of communic ition towards LI% er Canada must
ultimately be laid out, so as to cross the rivers and
atreatns where bridges can easily be thrown over them,
reduce the distance nearly one-third of its present ex
tent, and, by passing through a fir e hard wood tract,
avoid the low lands, swamps, and barren., described a.
occasionally occurring in the front. Although du i
t C nine days I remained at Chatham, I was each day
• more strongly confirmed in the belief that the tract
between Petecoudiac and Miramichi, generally speak-
ing, wa• of a description to anstrer the purposes of
emigration, I still felt that nothing ought to be left to
„chance on so vital a point, and Inure particularly as it
. 'concerned a part of the Colonies which it was of such
Arcknowledged importance to the whole to have settled ;
therefore determined on send rig surveyors through
. the wood; pointing out the coutse which each was t"
take ; and directing them to adopt every means for
. ascertaining with the greatest possible accuracy, the
quality ot the lands they passed through; and to meet
me again at Kichibuctoo, with 'their several reports.
The severity ot weather which subsequently took place,
unprecedented at so late a period of the.spring, mate-
rially impeded the accomplishment of this part of my
-..l.tarranigensents, and the receipt of some of the reports
'''!'ctiXtrattlirom the whole of which are herewith trans-
ites.Ciansequently delayed till after my arrival
. tin•NovitSiotia. .
" • • ,* On the4th of May I left Chatham, but owing to
contrary Triads and bad weather, did not reach Richi-
bactoo moil the night of the 9th, though the distance
• by -land is only forty-five miles. The latter place,
• though byiho- means so populous as the former, is well
settled, and I received from' the inhabitants everypos-
,., ...Able assistance and attention. Letters were wattiiig
my arrival from Mr. Maclaughlan, detailing the d.fb
culties occasioned by the bad weather, and stating, that
as the ,toveyors had been driven to seek shelter amo,ls
• the settlements, he was fearful I should have left Richi-
buctoo hetcoe the services required in the wooda.ceuld
be completed, and had therefore directed Mr. Beckwith
apJ Mr. J,ruett, after completing their surveys.. to
re-
turn direct to their haloes, and 'send their reports frt.in
. thence to await my arrival at [tibiae. Of this ahem a-
nion I by no mane approved; however, all I.could dd
was so make the best arrangements within my mach
for remedying the evil. • •
-
On the itch of May I went up the Richiisectoe rives
• as far as it is navigable, stepping to obtain infotmattion
at different places where settlements had been effected ;•
and a finer water communication fur its extent lona
saw.
On the 140 h of May I left Richibuctoo, and "on the
16th reached Shediae, from whence. I proceeded to the
Petecoudiac River, over the first road practicable for
sehe:ls which I had seen since leaving Fredericton.- The
land about'' The Bend" (for so the place is called) was
. Tor a long titre considered of inferior quality, and was
thereby prevented from being settled as soon and as
thickly as might otherwise have been expected. The
importance of the situation, however, at last brought
it into repine; and dievoil now proves to be as produc-
tive as any in the province.
The numbpl., of houses which have lately been erected
give it the atlfillweence of a town ; and although no re-
Oar village his ikon laid out, there is already some
difficulty, and mush expense, in precuring a space
sufficient for a building lot. This place stands on the
isthmus through Which the land communication be-
tient Nova Scotia and all parts of New Brunswick
and the Canadas does and must continue to pass. The
. distance from it to the Gulf of St. Lawrence at Shediac
is 'cooly sixteen miles; to the Bay of Fundy, either by
I end or water, about twenty; the river being navigable
.• solar up for schooners of the largest class ; and the
read to Halifax good for carriages of any description
the whole way. With such advantages of situation,
the Stud of Fetecoudiac cannot fail ot rapidly increas-
ing in population and importance ; and I have been
more detailed in describing it, on account of its imme-
diate vicinity to the new townships now laying our. At
Petecoadiac I was met by Mr. Smith, who had left
me at Chatham, and to whom I had entrusted the ex-
ploring that part of the vacant lands between Richi-
buctoo and Petecoudiu, situated to the rear of the
settlements on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Notwithstand-
ing all obstructions of wind and weather, this Gentle-
man had performed the service allotted to bins in a
masterly manner; and his plan and report were so cleat
and explanatory, as to warrant every confidence in the
favourable accounts which they detailed.
Daring my stay at the Bend, I received information
of retract of vacant land on the other side ot the liver,
siiirto amount to two or three hundied-thousand acres,
and to be throughout of fir,t-rate quality ; and as this
new tract was in the immediate vicinity of the lands to
which my attention had been so .strongly directed, I
did not hesitate again to avail myself of the services or
Mr. Smith, and directed him to -proceed toithwith to
:etplote it, and having done so, to Meet me with his
plan and report at Truro.
On the 18th of May I left Peteceudia,s, and pro!
seeded to Dorchester, passing .over roads and Ahrough
'settlements that would do credit to any country. On
the 19th I reached Westcock, the tesidetice of Mr. Jus-
tice Botsford, a Gentleman whosegeneral koowlege ot
the topography, capabilities, and interests of the pro-
. Vince, it is admitted, cannot be excelled, and to whom
bit Howard Douglas had written, stating the probable
time at which I should pass through his neighbourhood
(the parish of Sacksille), and requesting him to afford
sue every information andipsistance in his power. To
• -a person of whom such kaput and favourable mention
had been made to me, I was most anxious of becoming
lumina and, oncbtaining that advantage, did not fail
to inter with 61111•21Obt fully on the various points Con*
iliff4,Cd with my mission, and. to seek hit, candid °pintail
and advice thereon. The result was in every way most
fratisfactory, far in no one instance have 1 met with a