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From the Journals of the House of Assembly of Nova-Scotia,

FRIDAY, 27th March, 1829.

On motion of Mr. HARTSHORNE,

Resolved, unanimously, That the thanks of this House be communicated ro THOMAS C. HALIBURTON, Esquire, for the very laudable and laborious effort which he has made to illustrate the History, Topography, and resources of the Province, in the "Historical and Statistical Account of Nova Scotia," now issuing from the Press; and that Mr. Speaker be requested to convey to Mr. Haliburton the substance of this resolution; and thereupon,

Mr.HALIBURTON being called into the House, and standing in his place, was thus addressed by Mr. Speaker:

Mr. HALIBURTON, I am directed by this House to communicate to you, that they have had under their consideration a work now issuing from the Press, of which you are the author, entitled "an Historical and Statistical Account of Nova Scotia," which they think alike useful to the Province, and honourable to yourself, and that, to mark their approbation of this first effort to describe the Country, and develope its resources, they have unanimously passed a vote of thanks to you, for this laudable undertaking, which resolution will be read to you by the Clerk. It ailords me a great deal of pleasure to add my own opinion of the work, to that of the Representatives of the People, who deem it an object of this honourable notice, as the production of a native of this Province. The resolution was then read by the Clerk-and

Mr.HALIBURTON replied to Mr. Speaker as follows:-Mr.Speaker, I beg leave to return you and the House my most grateful thanks for the honor this day done me. I regret that I find myself unable to express fully the high sense I entertain of this flattering distinction, and can only say, that I feel the labour I have performed, more than amply compensated by the notice this House has been pleased to take of it.

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF

CALIFORNIA.

Statistical Account of Nova

Scotia.

CHAPTER I.

Boundaries, Extent, Situation, General Appearance,
Civil Divisions.

THE Boundaries of the Province of Nova-Scotia, previous to the conquest of Canada, were always a subject of dispute between Great Britain a 1 France. They had never been settled by any trea, and the Commissioners appointed to adjust them ime to no conclusion upon a subject, which, by mutual consent, seemed to have been left to the decis

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At the peace of 1763, the limits of the matter of discretion rather than stric and were therefore fixed by the Crown, "to the Northward, our said Province shall be bounded by the Southern Boundary of our Province of Quebec, as far as the western extremity of the Bay Des Chaleurs. To the eastward by the said Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to the Cape or Promontary called Cape Breton, in the Island of that name, including that Island, the Island of St.

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John's, and all other Islands within six leagues of the Coast, to the southward by the Atlantic Ocean, from the said Cape to Cape-Sable, including the Island of that name, and all other Islands within 40 leagues of the Coast, with all the rights, members and appurtenances, whatsoever, thereto belonging. And to the westward, although our said Province hath anciently extended, and doth of right extend, as far as the river Pentagoet or Penobscot, it shall be bounded by a line drawn from Cape-Sable across the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, to the mouth of the river St. Croix; by the said river to its source, and by a line drawn due north, from thence to the southern boundary of our Colony of Quebec." At subsequent periods, this territory was divided into four separate Provinces, viz. Nova-Scotia, New-Brunswick, Prince Edward's Island and Cape Breton. But in 1820, this latter Island was again annexed to the Government of Nova-Scotia, and now forms a County in the civil divisions of the Province. Nova-Scotia proper, or that portion of the Continent known under that name, is connected with the body of North America by a narrow isthmus, and is bounded on the North by the Strait of Northumberland, which separates it from Prince Edward's Island; on the north east by the Gut of Canseau, which divides it from Cape-Breton,on the south and south east by the Atlantic ocean, and on the west by the Bay of Fundy and NewBrunswick. It lies within the 43d and 46th degree of North Latitude, and between the 61st and 67th degree of Longitude,west from the Greenwich meridian, and is about 300 miles in length, but of unequal width, embracing a superficies of 15,617 square

miles, or 9,994,880 acres. The face of the Country is agreeably diversified by hills and dales, but though undulated is not mountainous, the summit of the highest hill being not more than six hundred feet above the level of the sea. There are several ridges of high land, which are here called mountains, although they by no means deserve the appellation on account of their altitude. These generally run north and south, branching off into irregular and hilly land, terminating sometimes in high cliffs on the Coast, and sometimes losing themselves in gentle declivities in the interior. In scenery, therefore, it partakes not of the sublime, but its numerous and beautiful lakes, its harbours studded with islands, its rivers, brooks and streams, of which it boasts a great profusion, enliven and embellish the Country, naturally picturesque from its variety of highlands and praries. The appearance of the sea coast is generally inhospitable, presenting a bold rocky shore, and a poor and sterile soil, clothed with a thin and stunted growth of Birch and Spruce. The southern margin is rugged and broken, with very prominent features, deep indents and craggy islands, and ledges inserted in the sea; either formed by nature to resist the constant attacks of the western ocean, or more probably exposed by its action. The features of the northern coast are soft and free from rocks.The shores are every where indented with harbours, rivers, coves and bays, in most places communicating with the waters of the interior of the Country, scarcely any part of which is thirty miles distant from navigation. The most remarkable cliff on the whole coast, is the summit of Aspotagoen, which lies

on the Promontary that separates Mahone from Margaret's-Bay. This land, which is about five hundred feet in perpendicular height, may be discerned at a great distance, and is generally the first object seen in approaching Halifax from Europe, or the West Indies. Ardoise hill, situated between Windsor and Halifax, is the highest land in the Province, and affords a distant prospect of Windsor, Falmouth, Newport, Horton, and the Country bordering on the Bason of Minas. Beyond this are the Horton mountains, which run nearly north and south, and about twenty miles further is another range of high lands, known by the name of the North mountain, which is washed by the waters of the Bay of Fundy. Cape Blomedon, which terminates this chain of hills, presents a grand and imposing appearance; its perpendicular front is of a dark red colour, and its head may often be seen above the mists by which it is encircled. The great inequality in the surface of NovaScotia is the cause of the existence of numerous lakes, which are scattered over it in every direction. Some of them are of very great extent, and in many places form almost a continued chain of water communication across the Province. The largest is "Rosignoll," situated to the westward of Liverpool..

The dimensions of this lake have never been ascertained by actual admeasurement, but it is said to exceed thirty miles in length. In the same neighbourhood there are a number of others, extending from the head of Allan's River, near Annapolis, to within a short distance of the Liverpool river. This route is always adopted by the Indians, when passing between these towns, who affirm that there are but

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