II. DOMINION OF CANADA AND

NEWFOUNDLAND

NEWFOUNDLAND

Name and Size.-The Island of Newfoundland is the oldest British colony, and still remains politically distinct from the Dominion of Canada. Its name was probably given by Cabot during his first voyage, as it is met with shortly thereafter as Terra Nova and "New Islande," which soon passed into "Newfound Island," and then to its present form. It is supposed that the cape now named Bonavista was the first land seen by Cabot, and that its name is a corruption of Prima Vista.

This island contains 42,000 square miles, and is thus one-sixth larger than Ireland. It lies across the mouth of the wide indentation in the continent into which the St. Lawrence pours its waters, forming the eastern side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is separated from Labrador, on the mainland to the north-west, by the Strait of Belle Isle, only 12 miles in width, while from Cape Breton, on the south-west, it is distant only 65 miles. The depth of the Strait of Belle Isle is not great, and a slightly increased elevation of the land relatively to the sea would make the island a part of Labrador, from which its actual separation may be regarded as accidental. The general form of the island is that of a triangle, of which one side, facing to the north-east, conforms to the trend of the adjacent eastern coast of Labrador. The other two sides face to the south and north-west respectively, but their outline is very irregular. The greatest length of the island from

north to south is 325 miles, its greatest breadth from east to west 310 miles. It is the easternmost part of America, and was for a long time in its early history one of the best known, being resorted to on account of its valuable fisheries. Its geographical position, in later years, has caused it to become a landing-point for most of the transatlantic telegraphic cables, the actual distance from the eastern part of Newfoundland to the western extremity of Ireland being less than 1700 miles.

Surface. Newfoundland has no mountain range properly so called, though a few isolated points slightly exceed 2000 feet in elevation. The greatest mass of high land is situated on its western side, where a large area rises to about 1000 feet, sloping down gradually to the level of the sea to the north-east and east. The island is composed for the most part of old crystalline (Laurentian) rocks, and of newer over-lying Silurian strata, arranged in a series of parallel folds, which run in north-east and southwest bearings. The higher parts of the land are plateaulike, and form wide flat-topped ridges, which depend for their existence and direction on the position of bands of the harder and older rocks. Where the newer rocks occur, tracts of low land and wide intervening valleys, which open broadly to the north-eastward, have been formed. The highland tract which is the most continuous and important on the western edge of Newfoundland is known as the Long Range. This and the adjacent parallel ridges may be regarded as forming the north-eastern termination of the Appalachian mountain system, which has already been referred to as so important a feature of the eastern border of the continent of North America. The interior of the country is not completely explored, but the higher parts are known to be scantily covered with forest of small growth or with stunted bushes, where sufficient soil exists for their support; while elsewhere mosses and lichens with small berry-bearing bushes occupy most of the surface. Such tracts are locally known as "barrens." In the immediate neighbourhood of the coast the forest is also stunted and gnarled, but in the wider lowlands and interior valleys trees of good growth abound and afford excellent

timber, the most valuable kinds being the white pine, spruce, larch or tamarack, and birch. There are also some open pasture lands, and in the aggregate a large area of arable land, though that now actually under cultivation is not more than one-six-hundredth of the entire area of the island. Several large lakes and innumerable smaller lakes and ponds are scattered over the surface, and some of these occur even on the higher plateaux.

Coast. The coast-line is exceedingly irregular, and for the most part rocky and rugged, but its irregularities are not without system, as an examination of the map will show that they conform in their outlines to the general direction of the structure of the island, the principal indentations being in fact the submerged extensions of the more important inland valleys. The Strait of Belle Isle is a similar and parallel though now submarine valley, and a depression of the land by an amount of 500 feet would produce another comparable, though narrower, strait between White Bay and St. George Bay. The larger sinuosities of the coast are themselves broken up into innumerable smaller inlets and coves, most of which form good harbours for small craft, and the total length of the coast-line is estimated at not less than 2000 miles. Most of the larger bays are situated on the north-east side of the island, comprising White, Nôtre Dame, Bonavista, Trinity, and Conception Bays. St. Mary's, Placentia, Fortune, and D'Espoir (often called Despair) are on the south side of the island, and St. George Bay and Bay of Islands on the west. The land separating the various larger bays frequently assumes the form of peninsulas, of which the most important is the Avalon Peninsula, constituting the south-eastern extremity of Newfoundland. It is connected with the main island by a neck of land not more than 3 miles in width at the narrowest place, and on it is situated the city of St. John's with other towns. The Burin Peninsula on the south side is also noteworthy from its size and the existence of considerable settlements

upon it. In consequence of the penetration of the island in all directions by bays and inlets, communication between the different settlements and fishing-stations is chiefly by

sea. The settlements are almost entirely upon the coast, and there is but one short line of railway, 120 miles in length, connecting St. John's with Harbour Grace and Placentia.

On the south and north-east sides of Newfoundland the coast is fringed by numerous rocky islands, of which St. Pierre and Miquelon require special mention as being the property of France. These islands are employed as stations by the French fishing fleet, and constitute the sole remnant of the once extensive possessions of France in North America. The French, however, also retain certain fishing privileges on the west coast of Newfoundland, which are secured to them by an old treaty, and give rise to the perpetual antagonism of the French and Newfoundland fishermen. The shortest route for steamships entering the St. Lawrence is by the Strait of Belle Isle, but in the spring and early summer the passage is usually made to the south of Newfoundland. For vessels sailing between Great Britain and Halifax, and even for those destined for ports in the United States, the shortest line is one skirting the south of the island. The bold outline of Belle Isle Island or the rocky front of Cape Race, the south-eastern extreme of Newfoundland, is generally the first land seen by the transatlantic traveller to Canada, and thus Newfoundland is still to-day, as it was to Cabot, the Terra Primum Vista. Both Belle Isle and Cape Race are now provided with excellent lighthouses.

Drainage System. The rivers are numerous but small, and scarcely navigable except by canoes and boats, though useful as affording means of bringing timber from the interior, and important in connection with the cultivable land existing in their valleys. Most of the principal streams flow to the north-eastward, in conformity with the longer slope of the surface of the island in that direction. These include the River of Exploits, Gander, and TerraNova rivers. The Humber and St. George rivers reach the west coast.

Climate. The climate is best suited for agriculture at some distance from the north-east and south shores, and

is there such as to admit of the growth of wheat, and to favour that of barley, oats, potatoes, and garden vegetables. Though situated in the same latitude as the south of England and north of France the mean annual temperature is much lower. The cause of this difference has already been explained (see p. 22). The climate is, however, more equable, and at the same time more humid than that of the adjacent Canadian mainland on account of the modifying influence of the neighbouring ocean. In winter the thermometer seldom falls much below zero, while in summer it rarely attains 80° in the shade. The mingling of air, warmed and saturated with moisture by contact with the Gulf Stream water, with cold atmospheric currents from the mainland and from the often ice-encumbered surface of the Arctic current, produces frequent and dense fogs over the adjacent seas, but these do not usually extend far inland. The average annual rainfall is about 58 inches, and is thus not excessive. The climate of Newfoundland may therefore be stated to be naturally more favourable for grazing than for agriculture, though much of the interior will no doubt eventually be utilised for both purposes.

Products, Industries, and Commerce. The coal-fields of Newfoundland, though they occupy but a small part of the surface, and are not at present worked, are believed to be of some importance. The largest and most promising is on the west coast, about St. George Bay. Copper is the only mineral product yet utilised at all extensively. Gypsum, pyrite, lead, nickel, iron, and other valuable minerals are known.

The resources of the island in timber are considerable, and already suffice to keep a number of sawmills in operation. Manufactures of a few kinds are carried on, but chiefly for local supply. Agriculture is not yet extensively pursued, though important tracts of fertile land have been found to exist in the valleys of the larger rivers, and in the vicinity of the principal inlets, including St. George Bay, where a large population will no doubt eventually be maintained.

The fisheries constitute the great industry of Newfound