a British province of North America, situated between the parallels of 43° 25' and 46° 0' north latitude, and the meridians 61° 0' and 66° 30' of west longitude, and connected with the south-east part of the continent by an isthmus of only eight miles in width. It is bounded on the north by the Strait of Northumberland, which divides it from Prince Edward Island; on the north-east by the Gut of Canso, which interposes between it and the island of Cape Breton; on the south and south-east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Bay of Fundy; and on the north-west by New Brunswick. Its extreme length from Cape Canso on the east to Cape St Mary's on the west is about 280 miles; but its breadth varies from fifty to about 100 miles, and it contains a superficies of about 16,000 square miles, or upwards of nine millions of acres. From this, however, nearly one third may be deducted for lakes, arms of the sea, and rivers, leaving about seven millions of acres of land, five millions of which may be considered as adapted for cultivation, and the remainder as affording tolerable pasturage. It is estimated that above three millions of acres of these lands still remain vacant, and in the hands of the crown; but the largest unoccupied tracts do not in one place exceed forty thousand acres.
The most remarkable physical characteristic of this peninsula of the North American continent is the numerous indentations along the coast. The shores are lined with rocks, and studded with thousands of small islands; and close to these, and in the harbours, almost without exception, there is a considerable depth of water. All along the southern shore there is a succession of noble harbours; and coasting vessels sail amongst and within the myriads of islands which line the coast during the most blustering weather, thus enjoying comparatively smooth water, whilst the main ocean heaves in violent agitation. The interior of the country is very agreeably diversified with hill and dale, river and lake, forest and grassy plain. The surface, although undulating, is not mountainous, the highest land, Ardoise Hill or Arthur's Seat, being only 810 feet above the level of the sea, nearly the same height as Arthur's Seat at Edinburgh. The highlands generally run north and south, branching off in all directions, and in some instances terminating in bold cliffs on the coast, the most remarkable of which is Aspotague, between Mahon and Margaret's Bay, which is about 500 feet in height. The Horton Mountains run nearly north and south; and the north mountains, which are washed by the Minas Basin, terminate in Cape Blomidon. The Blue Mountains, which lie in the interior of the counties of Annapolis, Shelburne, and Queen's, are said to retain traces of volcanic eruption. There is a great variety of rocks in Nova Scotia, but granite, trap, and clay-slate predominate. The most abundant variety is the gray granite, which prevails along the shore, and is well adapted for mill-stones. Trap rocks, sometimes interstratified with clay-slate, protrude in various places in immense parallel ridges above the surface, and frequently in piles of loose masses heaped confusedly together, traversed frequently by veins of quartz. Clay-slate of a very fine quality, and used as a building stone, prevails in the eastern section of the colony; and graywacke and graywacke-slate extend along both shores of Chedabucto Bay, in which are found beds of limestone and numerous species of specular iron ore. In connection with carboniferous limestone are found, both in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, those immense coal fields which are supposed to rival in extent the mines of the mother country. Varieties of copper, iron, and lead ores are also abundant; and different other minerals of less importance are found. Salt springs, some of them strongly impregnated with saline matters, are met with near Pictou, at River Philip, and some other parts. The soil of Nova Scotia is of many different qualities, and various degrees of fertility. The alluvial, or intervale lands, of which there are extensive tracts, are rich, and produce plentiful returns of wheat, barley, oats, Indian corn, potatoes, turnips, with all the vegetables and fruits common in England. Some of the uplands, lying between the hilly country and the rivers, are light and poor, whilst the high lands are rich and very productive. The lands on the southern coast are generally so rocky as to admit of cultivation only at much expense and labour; but after the stones are removed, the soil is by no means barren.
The interior of Nova Scotia is intersected and watered by numerous rivers, lakes, and streams, which beautify and enrich the country. The two largest rivers are the Annapolis and the Shubenacadie. The former takes its rise in King's county, and, running parallel with the bay of Fundy, after a long and serpentine course, in which it receives the Moose and Bear Rivers, discharges itself into Annapolis Bay. It is navigable to a considerable extent, and its banks present a rich and pleasing landscape. The Shubenacadie, issuing from the Grand Lake in the county of Halifax, divides that county from Hants, and, after a rapid and circuitous course, the length of which has not yet been accurately ascertained, discharges itself into the Bay of Minas. It receives the waters of ten other rivers, is navigable for large vessels a long way into the interior, and contains on its banks inexhaustible quantities of gypsum and lime, together with extensive groves of fine timber. At Pictou, three rivers, navigable for large vessels, empty themselves into the harbour; the East, West, and Middle Rivers. Besides these, there are the Avon, navigable for a considerable distance; the La Have, which issues from a chain of interior lakes, and has a course of about sixty miles; the Mersey, which winds from Lake Rosignol through the Queen's county, and discharges itself into Liverpool Harbour; the Medway, the Shelburn, the Clyde, the Tusket, the St Mary, and others, all of which owe their origin to lakes in the interior. The most extensive still sheet of water is the Rosignol, situated partly in each of the three counties of Queen, Shelburne, and Annapolis. It is said to be thirty miles in length, but is little known. Lake George is also of considerable size; and there are innumerable others, which it is unnecessary to mention. The forests of Nova Scotia still constitute a prominent feature of the country. The trees are the same as those common to America, and the timber is generally large and lofty. Amongst the natural curiosities of this country is a huge granite stone, supposed to weigh about a hundred and sixty-four tons. It stands on the margin of a small lake, encircled with wood, near Halifax, and is so nicely poised on a flinty base of twelve inches, that the strength of one hand will put it in motion, but that of several hundreds could not shift it from its place. There are several remarkable caverns and grottoes, one of which, at St Peter's Point, on the coast of the Bay of Fundy, displays in the interior a spacious hall, the roof of which is fretted with stalactites; and brilliant gems are observed sparkling at the moment that the light of a torch or a candle approaches. The climate of Nova Scotia was for many years after its discovery considered as an insuperable barrier to agricultural industry, and an idea long prevailed in England that it was peculiarly the region of snow and fog. The temperature is indeed colder in winter in this peninsula than it is in Great Britain; but when the weather is cold it is usually dry, and altogether the winter is milder, and the summer less intensely hot, than at Quebec. The summer heat is moderate and regular; the autumn is a delightful season; and there is seldom any severe winter weather until the end of December. Frost continues generally from Christmas to April, only interrupted by a thaw, which almost invariably takes place in January. The heaviest snow-storms occur in February. Rain falls in greatest abundance in spring and autumn; and a fog prevails on the south shore near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, but does not extend far inland.
The wild animals are the moose, caribou, bear, loupervier, tiger-cat, fox, marten, otter, mink, beaver, muskrat, porcupine, racoon, wood-chuck, fisher, weasel, squirrel, hare, and the like, all of which, excepting the two last, have rapidly decreased in number. Nearly all the birds common to North America frequent Nova Scotia; and there are but very few kinds of fish which are found in the American seas that do not frequent the shores of this colony in vast swarms.
Nova Scotia is divided into ten counties, including Cape Breton; and the counties are subdivided into districts and townships as follows, viz.: Halifax, divided into the districts of Halifax, Colchester, and Pictou, and containing the townships of Halifax, Dartmouth, Preston, Lawrence Town, Truro, Onslow, Londonderry, Pictou, Egerton, and Maxwellton; Lunenburg, containing the townships of Chester, Lunenburg, and Dublin; Queen's county, containing the township of Liverpool; Shelburne, containing the townships of Shelburne, Yarmouth, Barrington, Argyle, and Pubnico; Annapolis, containing the townships of Digby, Clements, Clare, Annapolis, Granville, and Wilmore; King's county, containing the townships of Aylesworth, Cornwallis, Horton, and Sherbrooke; Cumberland, containing the townships of Wallace, Amherst, and Pamborough; Hants, containing the townships of Falmouth, Windsor, Rawdon, Kemp, Douglas, and Newport; Sydney, divided into the Upper and Lower Districts, and containing the townships of St Mary's, Guysborough, Manchester, Wilmot, and Dorchester, or Antigonish; and Cape Breton, divided into the north-western, north-eastern, and southern districts. The townships are not all of equal extent, nor are there, as will be seen, the same number in each county. The inhabitants meet, like an English parish, in vestry, and assess themselves for the support of the poor. This regular subdivision affords facilities for the administration of justice; and the principal townships send representatives to the House of Assembly.
Halifax is the largest county in the province, stretching quite across it from the Atlantic Ocean to Cumberland Straits. It is bounded on the east by the county of Sydney, on the west by the counties of Hants and Lunenburg, and on the north by the county of Cumberland. The whole southern shore is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and a part of the northern shore by Northumberland Straits. With the exception of the township of Halifax itself, the general appearance of the three districts into which the county is divided corresponds with that of the province as a whole; its surface being everywhere diversified by hill and dale, and well irrigated by rivers and brooks. All the southern part which lies upon the Atlantic is high, broken, rocky land, interspersed here and there with some good belts of soil, but in general it is barren and uncultivated. The extensive tract of country surrounding the Great Lake bears the same character, as does that which extends several miles along the eastern and western sides of the Shubnecadie River. Halifax, the capital city of the province, is situated on the south-east coast, in latitude 44° 40' north, and longitude 63° 40' west. It is built on the eastern side of a small peninsula, upon the declivity of a hill, which rises gradually from the water's edge; its length being about Nova Scotia two miles, and its breadth about half a mile, with wide streets crossing each other at right angles, and containing nearly 20,000 houses, and a population, including strangers, of about 20,000. It has been very much improved within the last ten years. The front of the town is lined with wharfs, alongside of which vessels of all sizes are continually discharging or taking on board their cargoes. The harbour of Halifax has perhaps not a superior in any part of the world, affording safe anchorage for a thousand ships at once; and it is accordingly the chief naval station of Great Britain in North America. It is accessible at all seasons of the year, being scarcely ever ice-bound, as Quebec annually is. It lies nearly north and south, extending in this direction about sixteen miles, and terminating in a beautiful sheet of water called Bedford Basin, within which are ten square miles of excellent anchorage. The bay from which the entrance of the harbour leads is formed between Sambro Head and Devil's Island, on the former of which a lighthouse was very early erected. There are four islands still farther in, upon the smallest of which, opposite the town, there are batteries strongly mounted, whilst several other fortifications command the harbour. A second lighthouse has been established on McNab's Island, situated near the mouth of the harbour. This island forms two entrances to the harbour; the eastern passage being for small vessels only, the other having depth of water for ships of all sizes. Above the wharfs already mentioned are numerous warehouses; and on the acclivity are the houses of the citizens, public buildings, and other structures. The houses are very irregular in height, but many of them are handsome stone and brick buildings, whilst those of wood are neatly faced with plaster or stucco. The public edifices are substantial, the Province Building in particular being one of the finest in our American colonies. It contains chambers for the council and legislative assembly, the supreme court, and all the provincial offices. The government-house, at the south end of the capital, is an antique baronial-looking edifice; and the military hospital, and other structures, are elegant and substantial. The dock-yard is one of the finest establishments out of Britain. There are a number of churches, and other places for public worship; and several markets, which are extremely well supplied with necessaries. Amongst the benevolent institutions of this city may be mentioned a college, which was established in 1820; and seven or eight newspapers, and a monthly magazine, are published. The intercourse between Halifax and Europe, America, the West Indies, &c., is regular and certain; and ever since its first settlement in 1749, it has continued to be of considerable importance, not only as a rendezvous for his majesty's ships, and as the head-quarters of the troops on the establishment of the lower American provinces, but also as the centre of a profitable fishery and trade. The manufactures carried on consist chiefly of sugar-refining, distillation of spirits, porter and ale brewing, and the making of soap, candles, leather, flour, and cordage, and a few other minor articles. Halifax is a free warehousing port, and its trade is very considerable.
Opposite to Halifax, on the eastern side of the harbour, stands the little town of Dartmouth. It was laid out about the time that the capital was founded, but in 1756 it was destroyed by the Indians, together with most of the inhabitants. It was subsequently resettled, and has slowly increased in population, and extended in size. The lands on the Dartmouth side of the harbour are much less stubborn than those on the opposite shore; and the industrious descendants of the original German settlers have long subjected them to a fair and profitable cultivation. The various other townships or settlements in the county of Halifax it is unnecessary to particularize individually. Nova Scotia—They all contain a considerable quantity of excellent soil, and a small town or hamlet where the settlers reside. Truro, situated on the southern side of Cobequid Bay, near its head, contains about one hundred houses, and a number of public buildings. The district of Pictou, which contains three townships, has a very good soil, and, besides a great coal-field, abounds with iron ore, copper, freestone, and lime. It has a number of excellent harbours, the principal port being called Pictou. It is admirably situated on the Straits of Northumberland, opposite Prince Edward Island, on the route from Halifax to Quebec, between which places there is not a safer or better shelter for ships. The town of Pictou, situated about two miles from the entrance, is well built, and contains four churches, with other public edifices, and about 3000 inhabitants. It is a free port, and its trade in lumber, coal, and the fishery, is considerable. An excellent newspaper is published at this place.
The county of Lunenburg is bounded on the north by King's county and that of Annapolis, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by Halifax, and on the west by Queen's county. It extends forty miles from east to west, and its extreme width is thirty-five miles, exclusive of nearly three hundred islands scattered along its shores. The land is in general covered with spruce and fir timber, well watered, and capable of cultivation. The principal harbour is Mahon Bay, which is very extensive, and affords secure anchorage inside its numerous islands to vessels of the greatest magnitude. Chester town is situated on the north side of the bay, about nine miles from its mouth, upon a snug and commodious harbour. It is a thriving place, and carries on a very considerable lumber trade and fishery. It was first settled by people from New England, who afterwards abandoned the place. They were succeeded by Germans, who, being industrious, soon secured their own independence and the prosperity of the settlement. The population of the bay amounts to about 2000, who are chiefly employed in agriculture, preparing lumber for exportation at the saw-mills, and in fishery. Near the entrance of Mahon Bay, upon the western side, lies the harbour of Lunenburg, the county town. It is regularly constructed, and contains the county buildings, above 140 dwelling-houses, besides stores, and about 1400 inhabitants of Dutch and German origin. A few miles to the westward is La Have, one of the largest rivers in Nova Scotia, and settled principally by Germans, who own a number of saw-mills and grist-mills. The harbour is very spacious, consisting of an outer and an inner place of anchorage. Considerable quantities of fish are taken here, and several vessels are annually freighted with lumber and timber for Great Britain. Several islands well calculated for drying fish lie at the entrance, and they also form a protection to the shipping. Most of the islands in this county remain in their natural state; but one, called the Great Tancook, is settled, and contains thirty families.
Queen's county is bounded on the east by the county of Lunenburg, on the west by the county of Shelburne, on the north by the county of Annapolis, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The interior of this county is stony, and generally incapable of cultivation. On the sea-board, however, it is better, and there are here several tracts of respectable soil, and some thriving settlements. Liverpool, the county town, and the second place in the province, is situated upon a harbour of the same name, about eighty miles west from Halifax. It is regularly laid out and well built, containing a court-house, jail, several places of public worship, a fort, above two hundred dwelling-houses, and a great many wharfs, stores, and other buildings. There is a good lighthouse at the entrance of the harbour, which never freezes over. The trade of the place is very flourishing, consisting chiefly in lumber and fish; but a considerable trade in timber is also carried on. Port Medway, into which the river Medway runs, is a very fine harbour, capacious, and safe. There are some other small settlements in this county, but none requiring special notice.
Shelburne county is bounded on the north by Annapolis county, on the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the east by Queen's county. It contains four townships, one of which, Yarmouth, comprises 100,000 acres of land, exclusive of lakes, of which Lake George is one. In the interior, this county remains, with few exceptions, in the state of a wilderness; but some parts are agreeably diversified, and in point of scenery it is one of the most beautiful portions of Nova Scotia. Shelburne, the shire-town, is built upon a harbour of the same name, which is esteemed one of the best in America. It has a lighthouse at the entrance, and is twelve miles in length, easy of access, and perfectly secure, affording anchorage for the largest vessels. This town was at one time of considerable importance, containing, it is said, about 12,000 inhabitants; but the population does not now exceed 500. A few miles westward of Shelburne is Cape Negro Harbour, sheltered by a high island of the same name. It forms the embouchure of the river Clyde, which winds forty miles through the county, has finely wooded banks, and, next to Annapolis, the most beautiful stream in the province. Within Cape Sable Island, the most northern point in Nova Scotia, is Barrington Harbour, where fishing to a considerable extent is carried on. Yarmouth or Cape Forchère Harbour is the principal and most thriving place in this part of the province. Its harbour is large, well sheltered, safe, and navigable for ships up to Yarmouth village. Yarmouth and its neighbourhood contain an industrious population of about 4500 inhabitants, who possess about seventy vessels and large stocks of cattle. It has always gone on steadily improving, and promises, from its numerous local advantages, to become a place of considerable importance. Shebogue River, in this part of the province, is navigable for seven miles from the sea, and at its mouth expands into a good harbour.
Annapolis county is bounded on the north and west by the Bay of Fundy, on the south by Shelburne, Queen's, and Lunenburg counties, and on the east by King's county. The first European settlements in Nova Scotia were established in this county by the French, who made some very extensive improvements. They founded Annapolis, the county town, and gave it the name of Port Royal. It is built upon a peninsula, which, projecting into the river of the same designation, forms two beautiful basins, one above and another below the town. Although once the metropolis of Nova Scotia, it is not now more than a thriving village, containing about sixty dwelling-houses, with the government buildings, several places of public worship, and some stores. The trade is comparatively insignificant, and arises principally from the fishery. Digby, which has sprung up into a town within the last fifty or sixty years, is a much larger place, containing about two hundred houses. The inhabitants here and in the neighbourhood are principally engaged in the cod and mackerel fishery along the coast. Bridgetown, another thriving village, is situated at the head of the navigation of the river, and from this place the produce of the inland districts is shipped for exportation. Fish of various kinds, such as shad, bass, salmon, and particularly herring frequent Annapolis basin. About seven miles from Annapolis, on a stream called Moose River, an iron foundry has been established by a company under the protection of a legislative charter. The buildings are extensive and substantial, and the iron ore is excellent; but a similar work at Pictou possesses the great advantage of a coal mine in the immediate vicinity. The basin of Minas, in this county, is one of the two great... branches of the Bay of Fundy. Its entrance is through a strait about three miles in width, with bold, abrupt shores, within which it widens from eight to sixteen miles, and, receiving the waters of upwards of twenty rivers and streams, extends about fifty miles to the head of Cobequid Bay. The tide rises sometimes so high as seventy feet in the bay, and flows with great rapidity, particularly when under the influence of high winds. The other townships of this county are thriving places, containing from 1000 to between 3000 and 4000 inhabitants.
King's county is bounded on the south by the counties of Lunenburg and Hants, on the north by the Bay of Fundy, on the east by Cumberland county, and on the west by that of Annapolis. The township of Horton, in this county, contains about 4000 acres of diked land, besides intervale and salt marshes; and the upland, which is hilly and broken, consists mostly of good tillage land. The principal town is Kentville, on the borders of Cornwallis, containing several good private houses, a court-house, a jail, and a grammar school. The township of Cornwallis is well watered by several rivers, and the land throughout is of the very best quality, being so fertile as to have obtained the name of the garden of the province. The township of Aylesford is similar to it in soil and productions; but that of Parrsburgh is much broken and hilly, although in many parts the soil is excellent.
Cumberland county is bounded on the north-west by the Chignecto Channel, the Missigash River, and part of New Brunswick; on the east by the straits of Northumberland; on the south-east by the county of Halifax; and on the south-west by King's county. The soil of this county is various, containing a considerable portion of excellent land, with some that is not so productive. On the shore of the Chignecto Channel and Cumberland Basin there are considerable tracts of valuable marsh land. The upland is in general of very superior quality, and there are several thousand acres of dike land of the most productive description. Coal, lime, and gypsum, are found almost everywhere; and iron and copper ores have been discovered at several places. Rivers and streams traverse the county in almost every direction, and it has several fine harbours on both its shores. It contains a number of thriving settlements, particularly those of Fort Lawrence, Amberst, Wallace, and West Chester; but none of the towns requires particular notice.
Hants county is bounded on the north by the Minas Basin, on the east by Shubnecadie River, which separates it from Halifax, on the south by parts of the counties of Halifax and Lunenburg, and on the west by King's county. This county contains a considerable quantity of the very finest soil, and is well settled throughout. Windsor, the shire-town, is situated at the confluence of the Avon, Windsor, and St Croix Rivers, and is a neat, well-built place, containing about one hundred and thirty dwelling-houses, and a number of public buildings, particularly an university, King's College, an academy called the Collegiate School, and several places of worship. This is the only town in the county, the other settlements being small hamlets planted in positions favourable for agriculture or fishing.
Sydney county, forming the most easterly part of the province, is bounded on the west by the county of Halifax; on the south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the east by Chedabuc Bay, the Gut of Canseau, and St George's Bay; and on the north by Northumberland Straits. It is divided into an upper and a lower district, the former being, in an agricultural point of view, far superior to the latter; and, notwithstanding the numerous and beautiful harbours on the bays and coasts, and the valuable fisheries, it is much more Nova Scotia populous. The village of Dorchester, situated about a mile above the navigation on Antigonish River, is the principal trading place in the district. The lower district of Sydney extends on its interior or northern boundary about forty miles, and on its western side (on the sea coast) about one hundred and twenty miles. No part of Nova Scotia, and perhaps few countries in the world, can boast of so many excellent harbours in the same extent of coast. Many of them are navigable for the largest vessels, and numbers affording safe and extensive anchorage-ground for ships of moderate size occur at intervals of only a few miles. The soil along the shore being stubborn, the agricultural resources of this part of the county are inferior to those of the upper district; but it possesses much greater facilities for commerce and navigation, and its fisheries are the best in the province.
For a general description and history of Cape Breton, the reader is referred to the article BRETON, CAPE. In many respects it bears so close a resemblance to Nova Scotia as to supersede any further description. The staple products of the island are fish, coal, gypsum, and timber. In 1832 the exports were, timber, 9500 loads; coals, 22,911 chaldrons; pickled fish, 21,000 barrels; dried fish, 44,000 quintals; oil, 2500 barrels; live stock, 820 head; oats, 6000 bushels; potatoes, 13,000 ditto; total value, L780,000. The imports, consisting chiefly of British manufactures, amount to nearly the same sum. The revenue, amounting to about L4000 a year, is expended in salaries to a few public functionaries, in improving roads, and for other purposes. This island is incorporated with Nova Scotia, and contains about 30,000 inhabitants, who send two members to the Provincial Assembly.
Sable Island, although distant about eighty-five miles from Nova Scotia, is considered as belonging to that province. It lies directly in the track of vessels bound to or from Europe, and has been the scene of numerous and melancholy shipwrecks. Within a few years forty vessels have been wrecked on it; and in one year two hundred people perished on its shores. It is thirty miles in length by about one and a half in breadth, the west end being in latitude 43° 56' 42" north, and longitude 60° 71' 15" west; and the eastern end in latitude 43° 59' 5" north, and longitude 59° 42" west. It is a barren desert throughout, the soil consisting chiefly of sand, and the only vegetable productions being a coarse grass and some wild berries. A sum of L800 is devoted to keeping on the island a superintendent from Nova Scotia, with a party of men provided with provisions and other necessaries, for the purpose of affording assistance to any shipwrecked mariners, of whatsoever nation, who may be driven upon its inhospitable shores. There is a small stock of cattle on the island, but the chief supplies of food are obtained from Nova Scotia.
Agriculture was long almost entirely neglected in Nova Scotia, as other pursuits afforded a more immediate return for labour and capital. In fact, the cultivation of the soil was looked upon as rather a degrading employment, and ranked far below that of the petty shop-keeper or itinerant pedlar. In 1817, however, a board of agriculture was formed, the objects of which were, the encouragement of agriculture on the most approved system; the improving of the breed of horses, and of all kinds of live stock; the importing of the best kinds of seeds, and the awarding of prizes to those who should excel in these various departments. Under the auspices of this society and its numerous branches, agriculture has made greater advances than could have been anticipated from the contempt in which it had previously been held; but still farming operations are rather clumsily conducted.
---
1 A great part of the fish taken here is transported directly to Halifax, and therefore does not appear in the Cape Breton returns. The soil will produce, and the climate ripen, all the agricultural productions of England in great perfection, so that it is unnecessary to specify individual crops. The province is well stocked with horses, horned cattle, sheep, and swine; and the last species of stock has more than doubled within the last twenty-five years. There are few manufactures, properly so called, carried on in Nova Scotia; but the preparation of lumber and ship-building are sometimes so denominated. Saw-mills abound in every district, and the quantity of lumber prepared and exported is immense. Ship-building is carried on to a great extent. The average quantity has been estimated at 10,000 tons per annum, principally sloops, schooners, and vessels for the fisheries. The total quantity of timber shipped from the colony in 1833 was valued at L62,447. The total value of the produce of the mines exported was L105,329, and of the fisheries L127,455. There were exported besides, beef, pork, flour, grindstones, gypsum, and other articles, to the value of L592,186, making the total amount of exports L887,967.
The following parliamentary return presents a tabular view of the exports from Nova Scotia, exclusive of Cape Breton, for several years ending 5th January.
| Year | Colonial Gross Revenue | Parliamentary Grants | Total | |------|------------------------|---------------------|-------| | 1821 | 31,430 | | 31,430| | 1822 | 32,097 | | 32,097| | 1825 | 37,004 | 9,395 | 46,399| | 1826 | 38,360 | 11,245 | 49,605| | 1827 | 59,886 | | 59,886| | 1829 | 81,887 | 13,998 | 95,885| | 1830 | 52,030 | 16,245 | 68,275| | 1831 | 85,018 | 13,125 | 98,143|
The fish is thus the staple article of the trade of this province. The fishery is carried on principally on the eastern shore, in and about Chedabucto Bay; on the southern shore, at Lunenburg, Liverpool, and Shelburne; on the western shore, at Yarmouth, Clare, Argyle, and Barrington; and at Annapolis, in the Bay of Fundy. The fish principally taken are cod, herrings, mackerel, shad, alewives, and salmon. The British fishermen complain much of the injuries which they receive from the French and Americans, who are permitted to fish upon the coasts of our North American colonies.
The imports of Nova Scotia consist chiefly of British manufactures and spirits, sugar, wines, and other articles from our colonies. The following is an abstract of goods imported between the 31st of December 1832, and the 31st of December 1833, for which duties were paid or secured at the excise office, including the island of Cape Breton:—Wine, 113,671 gallons; rum, brandy, and gin, 887,352 gallons; sugar, 41,990 cwt.; beef and pork, 6016 pounds; flour, 32,263 pounds; tobacco, 186,690 pounds. The amount of goods imported, paying ad valorem duties, was L347,388, and the amount of duties levied was L105,386. The total value of the importations for that year was L1,035,660.
With regard to the shipping of the colony, the total number of vessels inwards in 1833 was 1950, of 163,385 tons; and in 1834, 3068, of 253,921 tons. The total number outwards in 1833 was 2330, of 179,956; and in 1834, 3116, of 250,239 tons. They belonged chiefly to Great Britain and the British colonies. To show the increase of trade, it may be stated, that in 1807 the shipping entering Nova Scotia was not more than 25,000 tons.
The revenue of Nova Scotia is chiefly derived from the custom and excise duties above mentioned, to which are added other items of small amount derived from the sale of crown lands, which in 1831 realized L643, and in 1832, L1068; from the rent of the coal-mines, which is upwards of L4000 per annum; and from the lighthouse dues, which amount to an annual average of L2000. According to a document first printed in Mr Montgomery Martin’s work on the British colonies, the revenues for a series of years were as follow:
| Year | Seal skins | Oil | Fish, dry | Ditto, pickled | Ditto, ditto | Timber, &c. | Gypsum | Boards and planks | Vegetables | Spars | Staves | Grindstones | |------|-----------|-----|----------|---------------|--------------|-------------|--------|------------------|------------|-------|--------|-------------| | 1830 | 14,913 | 618 | 158,289 | 45,741 | 3,416 | 25,182 | 28,059 | 12,450,250 | 68,213 | 976 | 4,068 | | | 1831 | 3,365 | 715 | 151,807 | 45,433 | 2,999 | 26,182 | 44,253 | 9,876 | 63,503 | 1,322 | 3,051 | | | 1832 | 49,412 | 694 | 161,174 | 52,063 | 3,200 | 38,261 | 47,857 | 8,833 | 58,691 | 689 | 2,386 | | | 1833 | 51,918 | 704 | 160,640 | 36,070 | 2,168 | 38,192 | 45,058 | 9,984 | 64,712 | 1,689 | 2,714 | | | 1834 | 22,229 | 596 | 232,269 | 53,128 | 1,470 | 36,886 | 93,962 | 14,774 | 75,592 | 2,366 | 3,133 | |
The colony of Nova Scotia is quite adequate to defray all its civil expenditure, and the parliamentary grants, much of which had been applied to clerical purposes, were nearly all withdrawn in 1833, with the exception of that given to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. In 1831 the civil and military expenditure amounted to L94,876, which was less than the revenue. Besides the salaries of the different functionaries, a considerable sum has been laid out annually in making and repairing roads and bridges, keeping up lighthouses, and for the purposes of religion and education. The established church is Episcopalian, and under the management of a bishop, archdeacon, and thirty-two clergymen, who by the last census had under their charge 28,659 people. Of the church of Scotland there are twelve ministers, having 37,227 hearers. Of the Roman Catholic church there are a bishop and fourteen priests, with 20,401 members. There are, besides, 19,790 Baptists, 9408 Methodists, 2968 Lutherans, 4417 dissenters from the church of England, 405 from the church of Scotland, 153 Quakers, and some few other persuasions. About 50,000 acres of land have been granted for the support of religion and schools. For the year ending November 1832 there were in the province 420 schools, at which 11,771 scholars attended; and independently of these there were twenty-four grammar-schools. Dalhousie College, at Halifax, is in constitution similar to the University of Edinburgh. There is a fine institution, called King’s College, at Windsor, with regularly educated professors and others; and Pictou College is likewise an excellent institution.
Nova Scotia is governed by a lieutenant-governor, council, and house of assembly. The president of the council is the chief justice of the province; the next in station is the bishop, and there are ten other members. The house of assembly contains forty-two members, each of the ten counties returning two, except the county of Halifax, which returns four, and the town of Halifax two; seventeen other towns return each a member, and the island of Cape Breton sends two. The house of assembly act, and the laws are administered, as in Canada. There is a strong body of militia for the defence of the province, the name of every male from sixteen to sixty being enrolled. The king's troops consist of artillery and engineer detachments, and two regiments of infantry. Halifax is the chief naval station for the West Indies and North America, the commander-in-chief being a vice-admiral, with a suitable fleet. The forts protecting Halifax town and harbour are strong, and the interior of the country is well guarded by the militia.
By the last census, which was taken in the year 1827, the population, exclusive of Cape Breton, was 123,848. In 1837 it cannot be estimated under 145,000; for during the last ten years a great quantity of land has been sold, and a number of settlers have gone out, whilst the revenue has also greatly increased. The inhabitants consist of natives, the descendants of Europeans, English, Scotch, Irish, Americans, loyalists, Germans, Acadian French, Indians, and freed negroes. They mingle and live together in much harmony, and, generally, the social state of this province is rapidly improving. Its prosperity has greatly increased; and, instead of importing, it now exports provisions. Its fisheries, to which proper attention is at length paid, its rich and prolific soil, and its mines of coal and iron, are sources of wealth which were too long neglected by Great Britain.
Our limits will only admit of a brief abstract of the history of Nova Scotia. Ancient authorities state that it was discovered by the Cabots in 1497; but it was not until 1604 that the French attempted to form settlements. They were, however, expelled from it by the English colonists of Virginia, who claimed the country in right of the discovery of Sebastian Cabot. In 1621, Sir William Alexander obtained a grant of the whole peninsula, and it was named in the patent Nova Scotia, instead of Acadia, as the country was called by the French. In the mean time, the latter obtained a footing in it a second time; and it was not until 1654, when a strong force was despatched by Cromwell, that the French settlers were brought under subjection. In 1667, Nova Scotia was ceded to France by the treaty of Breda; but, after suffering during the war which broke out in 1701, as well as previously, it was finally ceded to England by treaty in the year 1711. From this period till 1749 it was neglected by Great Britain; but the designs of the French called the attention of government to the province. Encouragements were held out to settlers, parliament gave a large grant, and about 4000 adventurers with their families embarked for the colony. Halifax was immediately founded; but the French settlers, under the name of neutrals, were still very numerous; and, with the aid of the Indians, they inflicted repeated injuries upon the British, until they were forcibly expelled by the latter. In 1758 a constitution was granted to Nova Scotia; and the capture of Louisburg, in the island of Cape Breton, during the same year, gave additional security to the colony, which now began to improve. By the treaty of Paris, 10th of February 1762, France resigned all further claims on any of her former possessions in North America, and nothing of any material importance has since occurred. New Brunswick and Cape Breton were separated into two distinct governments in 1784, and the latter was re-annexed to Nova Scotia in 1819. This the colonists Novatian strongly protested against, and applied to government to allow them to remain as a separate province; but, as might have been expected, their application proved unsuccessful.