sailles, 1783; and of Paris, 1814 and 1815, all recognize this island as a British possession.

It was in the year 1729 that Captain Osborne was appointed the first civil governor of this colony. He was empowered to appoint justices of the peace. Courts of justice were appointed in 1789. A few years later a chief-justice was appointed, and surrogate courts in various parts of the island. John Reaves, Esq., was the first chief-justice of this colony. In 1824 the island was divided. into three districts, in each of which a court was annually to be held.

CHAPTER II.

TOPOGRAPHY, NATURAL RESOURCES, CLIMATE, &c.

NEWFOUNDLAND is in shape almost an equilateral triangle, the apex being to the northward, terminating in Cape Bauld, while the base extends east and west between Cape Ray and Cape Race. The coast-line is very irregular, being indented at intervals of only a few miles with bays, harbors, coves, creeks, and rivers. The shores are rocky, and the headlands, on the south-west side, quite lofty.

BAYS.-The most important bays are: on the east side of the triangle, Hare, White, Notre-Dame, Bay of Exploits, Bonavista, Trinity, and Conception Bays; on the south side, St. Mary's, Placentia, and Fortune Bays; on the west, St. George's and the Bay of Islands; and at the northern apex, Pistol et Bay. Most of theseare extensive, and contain commodious and well-sheltered harbors. The good harbors are numerous, and have good anchorages with clear good channels.

RIVERS.-Rivers are numerous in the island, and though the great majority are small, yet some attain to respectable

size. The largest are the Humber, River of Exploits, Gombo, and Great Cod Roy Rivers. Nearly all the rivers of this island issue from lakes or ponds in the interior. Many of them abound with excellent salmon.

LAKES AND PONDS.-Fresh-water lakes and ponds are very numerous. They are found over the face of the entire country-on the very tops of the hills. The surface covered with water has been estimated at one-third of the whole island. The Grand Pond is about sixty miles long, and five miles wide. Indian Lake is thirty miles long by six wide. Sixty-seven ponds have been counted from one spot on the top of the N. E. Mountains of Avalon, some two and three miles in extent, none less than 100 yards, and not at a farther distance than ten miles from the base of the hill. Some of the larger and more important lakes have water communication with each other.

Victoria Lake has communication with Bathurst, Wilmot, and George the Fourth lakes.

MOUNTAINS AND HILLS.-There is a long and continuous mountain extending from the three sugar-loaf hills near Cape Roy, to the north-east. These elevations have a steep face toward the north-west, and are rather flat and regular on the summit. The "Blow-me-down Hills,” on the south side of the Humber River, have the least elevated peak at 800 feet. "Butter Pots," near Conception, at either end are 1,000 feet. A ridge that runs from Cape Dog to St. Mary's Bay, at the highest elevation ranges from 1,200 to 1,500 feet. The elevations about St. John's, viz. Signal Hill, South Side Hill, and Bronxscombe Hill, are respectively 520, 700, and 870 feet above the level of the sea. The hills near the mouth of the River of Exploits are from 1,000 to 1,500 feet high. There is more good soil on this island than was supposed some years since. The "Barrens," properly so called, are the tops of hills, and most elevated plains. These are covered with thin scrubby vegetation-berry-bearing plants and dwarf bushes of various kinds.

TREES. The principal trees are, spruce, birch, larch, willow, mountain ash, and fir-trees. Trees do not attain to a large size. Recumbent and standing evergreens are to be met in great variety; berry-growing bushes abound in every swamp. European and American grasses, also red and white clover, are abundant.

ANIMALS.-The only animal peculiar to this island is the Newfoundland dog, which is famous the world over. A team in the out-districts of Newfoundland consists of a man and two dogs. A team of this description carries two men with a considerable amount of stuff on a sledge or sleigh. All their fire-wood is hauled by teams of this des cription in some districts. The long-haired pure Newfoundland dog is not very easily procured now. There is, however, a short-haired native breed, a cross with the other, which is abundant, and possesses the chief excellences of the first named. The deer, the wolf, the bear, the beaver, martin, and wild-cat, are to be enumerated among the wild animals of the country. Land and aquatic birds are

numerous.

The mussels The capelin,

FISH.-The lakes, and ponds, and rivers abound with trout, and salmon, and eels of great size. The lobsters are uncommonly large and of good quality. are more esteemed than European ones. mackerel, herring, and salmon are abundant. The halibut, thornback, and other kinds of fish, are to be found on the coast. The cod, however, is the "fish" of Newfoundland, while all other varieties, as being less important, are called by their specific names. There is no place in the world comparable to the shores and "banks" of Newfoundland for cod-fisheries.

AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES.-In several sections of the Island agriculture can be carried on with profit. The timber, natural grass, and clover, found in various districts, indicate a productive soil. In the neighborhood of many of the lakes and rivers there are valuable alluvia: The stunted forests on the east and south shores mark a poor

country; but the large growth of timber in the interior and toward the west indicates a rich soil, and proves that there is room for successful agricultural enterprise in Newfoundland. The land close by the sea-shore affords no criterion by which to estimate the fertility of the inland districts.

Potatoes yield well and are of excellent quality. Green crops thrive well in many districts. Wheat has been known to yield fifty bushels per acre. Apples, plums, and cherries have been raised with success. Red, black, and white currants; gooseberries, strawberries, and raspberries of very good quality are grown. The season for the growth and ripening of the fruits of the earth is brief, but fervent.

CLIMATE. The climate, though severe, is not unhealthy. The rate of mortality, according to the population, is lower than in any other country in America. Old age is usually attended here with an uncommon degree of bodily vigor and mental activity.

In 1829, Marten Galen, of Placentia Bay, was over one hundred years of age, lived in excellent health, and in company with his brother, caught that year nine quintals of fish. Seventy years previous to that date he piloted Captain Cook into Placentia Bay. Mrs. Tait died in the same place 125 years old. About twenty-five years since a woman died at Torbay, near St. John's, aged 125 years; shortly before her death she sent for a doctor to see what was the matter with her poor child, who was sick. The child was ninety years of age! The winter lasts from the beginning of December till the middle of April, and sometimes till the end of that month. Frost is less intense here than in Canada. January and February are the coldest months. The bitterest winds are from the northwest. The south-east wind is warm; the north-easterly winds are cold, both in summer and winter. The following table contains the results of meteorological observations for the years 1858, 1859, 1860, taken by E. M. I. Delaney, Esq., C. E.

Mean temperature for year..

Prevailing winds..

Rain fell on 117 days: snow on 43; fog, 109; thunder and lightning on 5.

GRAND BANKS.-These are the most famous submarine elevation on the face of the globe. In the whole of their extent they occupy six degrees of longitude, and nearly ten degrees of latitude, being over 600 miles in length, and 200 miles in breadth, with soundings varying from twenty-five to 150 fathoms. The mean depth is estimated at forty fathoms. They swarm with cod and other kinds of fish.

CHAPTER III.

INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES.

AGRICULTURE.—This important branch of industry was for centuries not only systematically discouraged, but actually prohibited by law in Newfoundland. The first important relaxation of the old system regarding the land was