Game animals.

The soil.

The great fire in the north-east.

Ground plants and shrubs.

Land former/y cleared reverting to wood.

The principal tree species.

The mammals and birds.

Harbour and very near to Racico which in many places affords a very extraordinary appearance, particularly at the Carrying Place betwixt the North East Rivers and Tracady, where the burnt timber looks at a distance like lofty pillars or columnes. The plains occasioned by the fire being thus robbed of their wood, occasioned a desertion by the inhabitants of St. Peters during the Winter Season to a place called Morrell, distant about three miles, to which they retire for the convenience of Wood both for Firing and Shelter; the better sort of people before they were ordered from the Island, generally provided Coal from Louisburg.

The poor wretches who still remain on St. Johns are also very alert in the chase of Bears, Wild Cats, Martins and Otters, which are the only beasts upon the Island;

Letter, 8 October 1765.

Soil and Produce. The soil in general, on the South East side of the Island, is a reddish clay, though in many places it is sandy, particularly upon the North Coast: from the East point to St. Peter’s it is a greyish sand.

The Woods upon this coast, from the East Point as far Southward as Hillsborough River, and to Bedford Bay [i.e. Tracadie Bay] on the West were entirely destroyed by fire about twenty six years since, it was so extremely violent, that all the Fishing Vessels at St. Peter’s and Morrele River in St. Peters Bay were burnt.

In most parts of the Island the Sarsaparella Root is in great abundance and very good. The Mountain Shrubb and Maiden Hair are also pretty common, of whose leaves and berries, the Accadians and Soldiers frequently make a kind of tea. The ground is in general covered with Strawberries and CranBerries in their different Seasons; which are very good.

In those places which have been settled and are still tolerably cleared is very good grass, but a great part of the Lands formerly cleared is so much overgrown with Brush and small Wood, that it will be extremely difficult to form a true estimate of the quantity of cleared land, or to make it fit for the plough again.

Timber. Red and White Oak, neither of which is in plenty nor of large growth. Beech and Maple very good. Black and White Birch the former of which is a useful and handsome wood. The Pine is extremely large and fine. In some places is found the Curled Maple which takes an excellent polish. Spruce of many different kinds is the universal produce of the whole Island, from one species of which is got the Balsom of Canada, and which the Canadians hold in great repute. From the Maple also, at the proper time of the Year is extracted a liquor which they boil into a sort of sugar pretty good and reckoned medicinal.

Birds, Beasts etc. There are Bears, Otters, Martins, Foxes, Red Black and Grey Lynxes‘, or Wild Cats, Minxes, Musk Rats, and some, but very few Carriboux, (a kind of Deer) Hares extremely good, which in the Winter turn white. Of Birds may be accounted the Eagles of their several species, though not very common. Hawks, Partridges, a kind of thrush called Robins, (in general abundance) which sing very agreeably. Of Birds of passage there are great variety, as Doves which come in July and August, Corbejeaux a kind of Woodcock, which fly together in large flocks, plover, Snipe, Curlews, . In the Winter there is scarce a bird to be seen, except Partridges and some few straggling wild fowl .

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