establishment. It is now no longer to be distinguished from the surrounding woods, but by the mounds of earth which have been placed over the dead; the whole being covered with a thick shrubbery of forest trees. At the mouth of the Arm there is another small island, called Pernett's Island, and about a mile above are two immense iron rings fastened into masses of rock, to which was appended, during the war, the chain that secured the passage. Midway between the Arm and the harbour, near the southern part of the Peninsula, stands a strong stone tower, in a position which commands the approach to both; but at this, as well as the other batteries in its vicinity, there are no troops stationed during the peace. About three miles from the North West Arm is a Rocking Stone* of very large dimensions. It rests upon a strata of rock that rises to the surface of the ground, and moves on a pivot of 12 inches 6. It is composed of granite, and when set in motion (which may be effected with great ease by means of a short wooden lever) undulates from E. N. E. to W. S. W. It is twenty feet in length, 14 in breadth, 9 in height, and 74 in circumference, and is supposed to weigh 162 tons. Within a shorter distance of Halifax, on the Prospect road, is another of smaller dimensions, but similar as respects its posi tion, and facility of motion. On the south western shore, between Halifax and the bounds of Lunenburg County, there are several And some, chance poised and balanced lay, A mass no power could raise, In nature's rage, at random thrown, On its precarious base.-Scorr. good harbours. After passing the North West Arm, Herring cove and Ketch harbour, Sambro presents its capacious Bason, to vessels that encounter contrary winds in departing from Halifax. It is situated a league north-westward of the light house, is easy of access, perfectly sheltered and deep. Coasters resort thither in great numbers in bad weather, and fifty or sixty sail are frequently collected in this retreat. It was settled in the year 1780, and contains a small fishing population. Between this and Margaret's Bay, are Pennant, Upper and Lower Prospect, Molineux, Dover, and Indian harbour, at each of which are settled a few fishermen. The lands from Chebucto head to St. Margaret's Bay, are, with very few exceptions, covered with rocks, the shore Iron bound, and not a tree to be seen for many miles. At the first settlement of the Country, this portion of the Coast was clothed with a growth of spruce, hemlock, and an intermixture of birch and beech, which was soon afterwards consumed by a fire, that spread over almost the whole township of Halifax, and destroyed an immense forest of timber, to the irreparable injury of the inhabitants. St. Margaret's Bay is safe and capacious, being four leagues in depth, and two in width, but contracted at its entrance to two miles. It is accomodated with many harbours, coves, and islands, which afford shelter for ships of the greatest burden, and convenient situations for fishing or farming. The lands, for the space of a mile from the shore on the eastern side, are well clothed with beech, birch, and various kinds of soft wood. The soil, though stony, is fertile, producing not only vegetables, but rye, barley, and oats. There are several streams that fall into the Bay, abounding with salmon, trout and gaspereaux-all the lands in its vicinity susceptible of culture having been granted in the early settlement of the Province, to individuals who engrossed them on speculation, and were neither disposed to sell nor lease them, but upon exhorbitant terms, they remained in a state of nature until 1783, when Governor Parr, while on a tour to Lunenburg, encouraged some of the descendants of the French, and a few German families, to remove thither--these people, by a regular course of persevering industry, became possessed of considerable property, and this neighbourhood has for many years furnished a large supply of vegetables and fire wood, for the Halifax market. Beside the North West Harbour, Long cove, Hubbert's cove, French cove, Haggart's cove, and others; Margaret's Bay contains Head Harbour, an anchorage of the first order, and so perfectly safe that a fleet might be moored side by side, unaffected even by a hurricane. DARTMOUTH.-Opposite to Halifax, on the eastern side of the harbour, which is there about nine tenths of a mile wide, is situated the town of Dartmouth, which was laid out and settled in the year 1750. In the war of 1756, the Indians collected in great force on the Bason of Minas, ascended the Shubenacadie river in their canoes, and at night, surprising the guard, scalped or carried away most of the inhabitants. From this period the settlement was almost derelict, till Governor Parr, in 1784, encouraged 20 families to remove thither from Nantucket, to carry on the south sea fishery. The town was laid out in a new form, and £1,500 provided for the inhabitants to erect buildings. The spirit and activity of the new settlers created the most flattering expectations of success. Unfortunately, in 1792, the failure of a house in Halifax, extensively concerned in the whale fishery, gave a severe check to the Dartmouth establishment, which was soon after totally ruined. About this period an Agent was employed by the Merchants of Milford, in England, to persuade the Nantucket settlers to remove thither; the offers were too liberal to be rejected, and the Province lost these orderly and industrious people. During the late war the harbour became the general rendezvous of the navy and their prizes, which materially enriched the place, and extended the number of buildings. Between Dartmouth and Halifax a team boat constantly plies, for the accommodation of passengers. The whole of the eastern shore of the harbour, though by no means of the first quality of soil, is much superior to the western. In shape it bears a resemblance to the Peninsula of Halifax, Cole Harbour and Salmon River, with which it is connected, extending in the rear of it to within a short distance of Preston. On the eastern passage there are some fine farms, chiefly settled by Germans, and every cove and indent contains a few families of fishermen, who supply Halifax with fresh and cured fish. A chain of lakes in this township, connected with the source of the Shubenacadie river, suggested the idea of uniting the waters of the Bason of Minas with Halifax harbour, by means of a canal. Of these Lake Charles, or the first Shubenacadie lake, Lakes Charles, William, Thomas and Fletcher's, are distinguished as 1st. 2d. 3d. & 4th. Shubenacadie Lakes. is distant from Halifax about three miles and a half. It extends from north to south 4,300 yards, and occupies the higher portion of a valley, which reaches, with irregular breadth and elevation, from the Bason of Minas to Dartmouth, dividing the Province by a well defined line of separation into two parts of nearly equal extent. From the southern end of this lake there is a descent through the Dartmouth lakes to the harbour, of 91 feet, and from its northern extremity, a gradual descent through several beautiful lakes into the great Shubenacadie, and from thence in the channel of the river, for a distance of thirty miles, to the junction of the tides of the Bay of Fundy. As Halifax is situated on an Arm of the sea, and has no connection with the interior parts of the Country by a navigable river, it was thought that a canal would afford greater facility of communication with the Capital, and secure to it the trade of the extensive and fertile townships, bordering on the Bason of Minas, which would otherwise receive their supplies from St. John, New-Brunswick, the natural emporium of the Bay of Fundy. The project having been decided by a competent Engineer, to be not only practicable, but attended with fewer obstacles than usually accompany works of that description, an Association was formed, denominated the Shubenacadie Canal Company, and on the 1st of June, 1826, it was regularly incorporated. As it was supposed that the resources of a large portion of the Province would be developed by this work, and that the public would also, in the event of a war, be much benefitted by this internal naviga |