NEW BRUNSWICK, a British province of North America, situated between the parallels of 45. 5. and 48. 4. 30. north latitude, and the meridians of 63. 47. 30. and 67. 53. longitude west of Greenwich. It is bounded on the north by the Bay of Chaleurs and the river Ristigouche, which separate it from Lower Canada; on the south by the Bay of Fundy and Chignecto inlet, which nearly insulate Nova Scotia, the latter being divided on the land side by a short boundary line; on the east by the Gulf of St Lawrence and Northumberland Strait, the latter separating it from Prince Edward Island; and on the west by the United States territory, from which it is separated chiefly by the river St Croix. The whole of New Brunswick contains an area of 27,704 square miles, or 17,730,560 acres. The greater part of this vast territory is still in a natural state, covered with dense forests and fine extended prairies, and intersected by numerous rivers and lakes, which afford ample means of inland navigation. Yet, with the exception of a few rocky districts, principally on the coast of the Bay of Fundy, and several not very extensive swampy tracts, the soil of this wilderness is rich and fertile. Its quality here, as elsewhere, may always be determined by the nature of the timber which it produces. Along the countless rivers, there are also innumerable tracts of what is termed here, and in other colonies in this quarter, “intervale land ;” and from its being occasionally overflowed, and thus enjoying the advantage of alluvial deposits, it is also termed alluvial soil. In several parts of the interior, generally along small brooks, there are wild meadows, which owe their origin to the dams constructed by the beaver; which, by arresting portions of the streams, have caused the water to flow over the flat tracts of land. The aspect of New Brunswick is bold and undulating, sometimes swelling into mountains, and again subsiding into vales and low lands. Its geology is but imperfectly known. Limestone, graywacke, clay-slate, and sandstone, occasionally interrupted by gneiss, trap, and granite, seem to prevail on the southern coast, the calcareous rock appearing to predominate. Along the shores which face Chaleur Bay and the Gulf of St Lawrence, gray sandstone and clayslate predominate, with detached rocks of granite, mica, quartz, and ironstone. Specimens of amethyst, carnelian, jasper, and other stones, have been picked up in various places; and marble having fair pretensions to beauty abounds in at least one part of the country. Coal is plentiful in different localities, and iron ore is abundant. The other minerals found are copper, plumbago, and manganese. Salt springs are numerous, and some sulphureous or hepatic springs have lately been discovered.

“As we procéed from the sea-coast up the rivers of this province,” says Mr M ’ Gregor, “the rich fertility of the country claims our admiration. A great flat district may be said to prevail, from the parallel of Long Reach, up the river St John, to the foot of Mars Hill. High hills occasionally rise in ridges in various pjaces, but no part of New Brunswick can be considered as mountainous. The scenery of the rivers, lakes, and cataracts is generally picturesque and beautiful, and often wild and grandly romantic.” The principal rivers are, the St John, the St Croix, the Petit Condiac, the Ristigouche, the Miramichi, and the Nipisighit, besides which there are innumerable inferior streams. The St John, called by the Indians Looshtook, or the Long River, is, next to the St Lawrence, the finest river in British America. From its source near the Chaudière, in Lower Canada, to where it falls into the Bay of Fundy, it has a course of six hundred miles, for about half of which distance it is navigable. It receives innumerable tributaries, and in some parts presents remarkable natural phenomena, which will afterwards be described, along with the other important streams, when we come to treat of the counties in which they are situated. The wild animals in New Brunswick are, bears, mouse-deer, the cariboo fox, loup-cervier, tiger-cat, racoon, porcupine, marten, beaver, otter, mink, musquash, fisher, hare, weasel, and others. Most of the birds and the fishes common to North America are also plentiful here. The climate may be pronounced very salubriqus, and, generally speaking, more healthy than that of England. Consumption and rheumatism are the most prevalent diseases; but agues and intermittent fevers are rare, if not unknown. Sea-fogs frequently envelop the shores of the Bay of Fundy, and render the culture of wheat near the coast uncertain; but they do not appear to occasion any unhealthy tendencies. The temperature of the southern parts is much milder than that of those which border on the Gulf of St Lawrence, the Bay of Chaleur, and Lower Canada. The following is a meteorological return for Frederickton, the capital, situated in latitude 45. 57. and longitude 66. 45: Daily average for January, 17; for April, 40; for August, 69∣; for October, 47½; for December, 13½. Mean of the whole, 41f.

New Brunswick is divided into ten counties, viz. Gloucester, Northumberland, Kent, Westmoreland, St John’s, Charlotte, King’s, Queen’s, Sunbury, and York. The three counties first enumerated were originally comprised in one county, named Northumberland; and their characteristics are nearly the same. They have a sea-board along the Gulf of St Lawrence, the shore of which is low and sandy, covered with trees of a stunted growth, and skirted with extensive marshes, large and deep morasses, and long sand beaches, formed by the conflicting currents of the gulf and the various rivers which penetrate the shore. The coast line of the magnificent Bay of Chaleur has much the same character as the gulf shore. At its mouth, contiguous to New Brunswick, are the islands of Shippi-gan and Miscou. The former is about twenty miles long; [7:16:148]is low and sandy, and produces bent grass, fir and birch trees, shrubs, and a great abundance of cranberries, blueberries, and other wild fruits. The soil is tolerably fertile, and the island is inhabited by Acadian French. Miscou island is about ten miles in circumference; and here the French once had an extensive fishing station, the remains of their buildings still being seen. The great river of the district just described is the Miramichi, which, from its position on the map, appears to be the great drain of the counties of Northumberland and Kent. It falls into the Gulf of St Lawrence in latitude 47. 10. north, and longitude 64. 40. west, forming at its estuary a capacious bay, with several islands, and a ship channel for vessels of seven hundred tons burden, which can navigate for upwards of thirty miles from the sea. The importance attached to Miramichi has arisen within the last twenty-five years, in consequence of the vast quantity of timber exported from it; and this has superseded almost every other pursuit. Upwards of two hundred vessels annually load with timber for Great Britain and other countries. Chatham, the principal seaport town of the district, is situated on the south-eastern bank, about twenty-five miles from the Gulf of St Lawrence; and on the opposite banks are the towns of Douglas and Newcastle. In 1825, this part of the country became the scene of perhaps the most dreadful conflagration recorded in the history of the world. The catastrophe was preceded by a fearful hurricane, which, sweeping through the forest, parched almost to tinder by an unusually hot and long summer, soon wrapped both sides of the river in one tremendous blaze, extending over more than six thousand square miles of country. Several towns, about five hundred human beings, and an inestimable amount of animal life, perished in the flames. Seven miles above Chatham the Miramichi divides into two great branches, and these again are broken into innumerable streams. The sea-coast of this river is low; but inland the country rises in some places, consisting of extensive and rich intervales, and in others, of a rugged, rocky territory. It is as yet but thinly peopled, having scarcely recovered from the desolating effects of the fire in 1825; but the establishment of the New Brunswick Company will no doubt gradually facilitate the settlement of this fine portion of the country.

Gloucester county, commencing about thirty miles north of the Miramichi, stretches along the shore round the island of Miscou, up the south side of the Bay of Chaleur, and onward to the sources of the Ristigouche. This river is about two hundred and twenty miles long, and forms at its estuary a large and commodious harbour. For upwards of two hundred miles from its embouchure it is above a mile in breadth; and from thence to within forty miles of its source, it is navigable for barges and canoes. The scenery upon this river is exceedingly grand and impressive; much of the territory is rich upland, skirted with large tracts of intervale, and covered with a dense and unviolated growth of mixed wood, in which large groves of pine are very conspicuous. There are several other rivers of considerable size, as the Nipisighit and the Upsalquitch; but the county, notwithstanding its many natural advantages, is but thinly sprinkled with inhabitants, except along the shore from Nipisighit to Ristigouche. St Peter’s or Bathurst, the county town, situated on the eastern side of Nipisighit, is a flourishing little settlement, provided with a commodious haven, where, for several years past, timber of most excellent quality has been shipped. Kent and Westmoreland counties present nothing that requires particular mention. They have both an extensive sea-board, several large rivers, and tracts of excellent soil. Two thirds of Westmoreland has a water frontier; and, forming, as it does, the only land communication between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, it is a rich and valuable district.

St John’s county is bounded on the south and south-east by the Bay of Fundy, on the north and north-west by the King’s county, on the east by Westmoreland, and on the west by Charlotte county. The corporate town, or city of St John, is situated on the southern declivity of a peninsula, and on the northern side of the entrance from the Bay of Fundy to the river St John, in latitude 45. 20. north, and longitude 66. 3. west. It is not the metropolis, although the largest town in the province, and the emporium of the greater part of its inland trade. St John’s is a handsome place, but situated on rocky and irregular ground. The government and public buildings, which are numerous and built of stone, if not splendid, are handsome structures. Being an incorporated city, St John’s is governed by a mayor, aldermen, and commonalty, who have an annual revenue at their disposal for the improvement of the city, which has a population of about 12,000 inhabitants. There is here a good and thriving bank, places of worship for various persuasions of Christians, some literary institutions and schools, and the society of the place has latterly much improved. The harbour is easy of entrance, capacious, and safe, with a lighthouse on a small island about the centre of the entrance. On the opposite side of the river, and under its municipal government, stands a pretty little town called Carleton. The upper part of St John’s is named Portland, and the whole, including Carleton, is divided into six wards. There are always troops stationed here; and the barracks are spacious, handsome, and commodious. The country in the vicinity is stubborn, but, when subjected to cultivation, it is fertile. An extensive prairie of about 3000 acres, and occupying a space which is by some considered as the ancient bed of the river, lies near the town. The soil is remarkably rich and productive. About a mile above the city, the river St John passes through a fissure of solid and overhanging rock, exhibiting every appearance of having been formed by a convulsion of nature. Through this narrow passage of only 1300 feet the immense volume of water collected during a course of many hundred miles is compelled to pass, and occasions what are called the falls of St John, which foam and thunder through with tremendous violence. Navigation is thus rendered impracticable, except for four short diurnal periods. But the tide rises to a great height at St John’s, and when the flood rises twelve feet at the fort, sloops and schooners pass in safety for about twenty minutes, and during the same space of time when the tide ebbs to twelve feet. Above the falls the river widens, and forms a bay of some magnitude, surrounded by high and rugged woodland. Passing up the bay, the country assumes a very grand aspect, high calcareous rocks and vast pine forests stretching up the sides of lofty hills and promontories. Still farther up is Grand Bay, where the same scenery prevails. From this extensive bay Kennebekacis Bay and River trend away to the eastward for nearly forty miles, twenty of which are navigable for large vessels. By another curve of the river a beautiful vista, of eighteen miles in length, called the Long Reach, is formed; and still farther up is Belle Isle Bay, a fine sheet of water, which here branches off for upwards of twenty miles to the westward. The St John then winds to the northward towards Frederickton, receiving the waters of the Washdemoak and Grand Lake from the east, and the Oromucto from the west. No part of America exhibits greater beauty or more luxuriant fertility than the lands upon each side, and the islands here situated. A great proportion of the soil is intervale or alluvial, and coal is found in great plenty, so that it must ultimately become a very rich and populous country. Beyond Frederickton the river St John winds through a fertile and wooded country, and receives several large rivers in its course. One hundred miles distant from Frederickton is Mars Hill, interesting from the circumstance of its being [7:16:149]the point fixed on by the British commissioners as the com- ’ mencement of the range of high lands forming the boundary of the United States. The mountain is about three miles in length, with a base of upwards of four miles, and an elevation of 2000 feet above the level of the sea. The prospect from the summit is extensive and grand, embracing an undulating expanse of forest, varying in shade from the funereal green of the fir to the bright verdure of the birch. The next objects of any interest, as we proceed to the source of the St John, are the grand falls, where, for a mile, the river foams and boils through contracting walls of rock and over perpendicular precipices. Farther up there is a straggling colony of Acadian French at Madawaska, some miles above which the St John receives the waters of the Madawaska, which issue from the Lake Tamisquata, a sheet of water about thirty miles in length by two or three miles in width. It is only necessary to state with respect to this rich and fertile part of the country, that it is claimed by the Americans, who do not appear to have the shadow of a right to it.

York county, which is traversed by the river St John, þ bounded on the north by the river Ristigouche, on the south by Charlotte county, on the east by that of Sunbury, and on the west by the United States. It is of great extent, but thinly settled, and in several parts little known. It is well watered by various rivers and lakes; and although the soil is in some places rocky, there is a large quantity of intervale or alluvial land, which, at the settlement of Madawaska and some other parts, is well cultivated. This county contains Frederickton, the metropolis of New Brunswick. This town is regularly laid out on the right bank of the river St John, which here forms an angle, enclosing the city on two sides; whilst on the land side, in front of it, stretches a chain of hills. The streets are disposed rectangularly, some of them being a mile in length, and for the most part composed of wooden houses. The public buildings consist of the province hall, where the provincial assembly and courts of justice congregate, the court-house, barracks, government-house, library, several churches, and other structures. The trade of Frederickton consists principally in selling British goods to the settlers along the river St John and its streams, and receiving timber and agricultural produce in return. Its situation as a central dépôt for commerce and military purposes is admirable, and it will doubtless increase rapidly with the advancing prosperity of the province. The population may be estimated at about 500.

The remaining counties of New Brunswick present little requiring special notice. Sunbury county contains some of the most productive tracts in the province, from being annually overflowed by the St John. These parts of the country exhibit a most luxuriant scene during harvest. Sunbury is computed to contain 40,000 acres of pasturage and tillage ground, and upwards of 20,000 of meadow ground. Contiguous to it, but lying on both sides of the river, is Queen’s county, which is extensively fertile, and yields fine timber, in large quantities, for ship-building. The same remarks apply to King’s county, which embraces the whole of Belle Isle Bay, the Long Reach of St John, and the estuary of the Kennebekacis, including Long Island and Kennebekacis. Charlotte county, opposite to St John’s, on the other side of the river, contains the well-laid-out town of St Andrews, which has about 5000 inhabitants. This district abounds with spacious, excellent, and easily accessible harbours. Connected with it are the islands of Campo Bello, Grand Manau, and Deer Island. Campo Bello, about eight miles in length by two in breadth, is in a high state of cultivation. Grand Manau, near the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, is twenty miles in length by about five in average breadth. A great part of it is cultivated; the herring fishery is extensively prosecuted on its shores; and from its situation, commanding the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, it is valuable as a defensive position. Deer Island, lying at the entrance of Passamaquoddy Bay, is studded with numerous islets, some of which are richly wooded. This noble bay has the advantage of being free from ice to a greater extent inland than any other harbour north of New York.

Agriculture is yet in its infancy, and can scarcely be said to have existed till 1825, about which period agricultural and emigrant societies were formed; and since then a desire to bring the soil under culture has been gradually diffusing itself over the province. In the interior all kinds of grain and vegetables arrive at full perfection, and on alluvial lands yield great returns. Heretofore it has been necessary to import grain and flour for home consumption; but this cannot long continue in a country where the necessaries of life may be so readily procured. Of agricultural stock, the number of horses is estimated at 12,000, that of horned cattle at 87,000, hogs 65,000, sheep 105,000, whilst the number of acres of land under cultivation is about half a millioij. The staples of the province are timber and fish. The felled trees are cut up into square timber, deals, spars, and staves, for which purpose an immense number of saw-mills are required. In 1833 the number of establishments for sawing deals in New Brunswick was 228, the estimated quantity of lumber sawed at which during the same year amounted to 103,840,000 feet. The amount of shipping employed in the timber trade is necessarily very great; and for this reason the province assumes an importance which it does not seem to possess, considering the number of its inhabitants. In the year 1834 there entered inwards from Great Britain, the colonies, and foreign states, 3102 vessels, of 304,929 tons burden. In the same year there went outwards 2605 vessels, of 316,214 tons burden. A considerable whale fishery has commenced, and several large vessels proceed from New Brunswick to the Pacific and Eastern Oceans for seals, sperm, and black whale oil. In 1833 there were employed in the coasting trade 550 vessels of 34,780 tons burden. During the same year there were fishing for bounty thirty-five vessels of 1615 tons burden, and not for bounty twenty-eight vesselsof 1048 tons burden. For the year ending January 1833, the total imports amounted to L.590,488, and the total exports to L.411,572. The trade of this province consists chiefly in exporting square timber, deals, spars, staves, and a few firs, to Great Britain and Ireland, in return for British manufactures; and also in shipping boards, shingles, scantling, and fish to the West Indies, for which rum, sugar, tobacco, and dollars, are brought back. Gypsum and grindstones are shipped on board of American vessels, and flour, meal, bread, and even Indian corn, are received in exchange; a trade which reflects little credit on the industry and enterprise of the New Brunswickers, who possess so much valuable soil capable of producing all kinds of grain.

The constitution of this province is similar to that of the other North American colonies, except that the lieutenant-governor’s executive council of twelve have also a legislative capacity, which is not the case in the Canadas. The house of assembly consists of twenty-eight members, sent by the different counties. The provincial parliament sits for about two months during the winter at Frederickton. The laws are administered by a supreme court and minor tribunals. The former has a chief justice and three puisne judges. There are also courts of chancery, viceadmiralty, and for granting probates of wills, and for other purposes. The revenue of New Brunswick is chiefly derived from duties levied on the importation of goods at the several ports of the province. The grand total revenue of the province in 1832 was L.68,769. The expenditure was about the half of that sum, the surplus being laid out [7:16:150]in the construction of roads and bridges, in which the province was greatly deficient, and for the purposes of education. Grammar schools, and those on the Madras system, are established in all the settlements; and a college has been built under the auspices of Sir Howard Douglas, to whom the province is otherwise much indebted. The established church is within the diocese of Nova Scotia, to which persuasion there belong twenty-six churches, each having one clergyman, and the whole being superintended by an archdeacon. The Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, and others, have also places of worship. There are eight newspapers published; and altogether the social aspect of New Brunswick is as promising as that of any of our North American colonies. The improvement of the province will be greatly accelerated by the New Brunswick Land Company, which was established in London in 1832. This company purchased from the crown 500,000 acres of fertile inland territory, at 2s. 6d. per acre, which is in the course of being disposed of by the board of management established in London. The population of New Brunswick in 1824 amounted to 74,176; and it may now (1837) be estimated at 90,000. It appears that the legislative assembly has passed a bill for the support of the civil government of the province, in conformity with the terms prescribed by the head of the colonial department in this country; and that the crown has, in consequence, surrendered to the legislature the casual and territorial revenues of the province. The history of this province is comprehended in that of Nova Scotia, to which article the reader is referred, (r. r. r.)