Fraser River mines, coal, timber, dried fish, and furs, are annually exported, and much of the imports, chiefly manufactured goods, machinery, agricultural and household implements, are received by way of Portland, Or., and San Francisco. When Vancouver's Island united with British Columbia, Victoria and New Westminster were rival aspirants for the capital seat, and the former was chosen by popular vote at the suggestion of Queen Victoria. Population, 1881, 5,925.

THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

HE largest province in the Dominion comprises the vast region stretching north from the provinces already described to the Arctic Ocean, extends a length of about 2,500 miles, with a breadth of 1,500, and was estimated in 1881 to have an area of 2,934,000 square miles, and a population of only 56,446, mostly Indians. It is larger than the whole of Europe, excepting Russia, and the greater part of the whole region is barren

waste.

What is called "the fertile belt" stretches 960 miles from east to west, with an average breadth of 250 miles, and comprising, therefore, 240,000 square miles. At least one-fourth of this land has been ascertained to possess a very rich and deep soil, capable of growing an abundance of wheat, barley, potatoes, and all roots and green crops produced by the English agriculturist, while it is equally adapted to stock raising. In 1881 the land occupied amounted to 314,107 acres, and improved, 28,833. The timber product was 109,873 cubic feet, and the value of the fur trade $428,177. The region was purchased by the Dominion government from the Hudson Bay Company in 1870.

In 1875 an act was passed vesting the government in a Lieutenant-governor and a council of five, of which the stipendary magistrates should be exofficio members, and in 1882 a portion was divided into four districts, Assiniboia, with 95,000 square miles; Saskatchewan, the "fertile belt," 114,000; Alberta, 100,000; and Athabasca, 122,000. The law of 1875 provided that as soon as districts of 1,000 square miles should contain a population of 1,000, exclusive of aliens and Indians, they were to be constituted electoral districts, and return a member to the council. Forty-four churches and a school population of 578 were reported in 1881. Capital Regina.

ISLAND OF
OF NEWFOUNDLAND.

LTHOUGH this island was independent of the Dominion govern

ment and constituted a province of Great Britain, in 1888 a movement was officially inaugurated by its authorities to secure a political union with the Dominion in the summer of that year; and, as at the time of writing all indications gave assurance of the consummation of the proposed act, the country is here treated as if it were at the time a sister province of the Dominion. It is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is separated from Labrador by the Straits of Belle Isle, and lies between latitude 46° 38′ and 51° 37′ north, and longitude 52° 44′ and 59° 30' west. It has an extreme length of 370 miles, width 290, circumference of about 1,000, and area of 42,000 square miles, and had an estimated population of 185,000 in 1885.

The entire Atlantic coast of Labrador, 1,100 miles in extent, is attached to Newfoundland and under its jurisdiction. The island has what is known geologically as an "iron-bound" coast, rising frequently in bold, lofty precipices, vertically, or nearly so from the sea. The outer exterior is mountainous, but the interior is a vast elevated and undulating plateau, with ranges of minor hills alternating with shallow valleys. One range of extremely rugged and desolate hills, reaching at many parts an elevation of upward of 2,500 feet, extends diagonally across the island.

The coast is deeply indented with large bays and inlets, the most prominent of which are Placentia Bay, having a width at its mouth of fifty-five miles and extending ninety miles inland; Fortune Bay, twenty-five miles wide and seventy miles extension; St. George Bay, forty miles wide; Notre Dame Bay, fifty miles wide and with arms reaching inland in some places a distance of eighty miles; and Trinity Bay, with inland extension of seventy miles. The largest river is the Exploits, which, after a course of 200 miles, falls into Exploits and Notre Dame bays, and drains an area of over 3,000 square miles. Its upper waters, in two minor branches, flow into Red Indian Lake, which has an area of sixty-nine square miles, and is 468 feet above the sea level. The second river in importance is the Humber, which drains an area of 2,000 square miles, and falls into the Bay of Islands. This river expands in several places into lakes of considerable size, notably the Grand

Pond, which has a surface area of 192 square miles and includes an island of fifty-six square miles. The third river in size is the Gander, which drains. 2,600 square miles, flows through a lake of the same name, possessing a surface area of forty-four square miles, and falls into Gander Bay.

Nearly one-third the entire surface of the island is occupied by its lakes, which, in general are well stocked with trout. But very little of the soil is productive agriculturally. The fisheries always have been and doubtless always will be the chief industry of the inhabitants. The known mineral wealth embraces gold, silver, copper, lead, marble, limestone, coal, and gypsum. Of these, the copper deposits are the most industriously and profitably worked. The first mine was opened in 1864 at Tilt Cove, on the shore of Notre Dame Bay; a second was discovered at Betts Cove, in the same district, in 1875; and the third at Little Bay in 1878. The total export of metal from these mines up to 1879 amounted in value to $4,629,889. In 1880 gold was discovered in quartz veins in the region of Brigus, Conception Bay. Sir Alexander Murray, the official geologist, made a thorough examination of the locality, and pronounced the indications favorable for systematic mining, whereupon New York and Boston capitalists invested nearly $2,000,000 in the auriferous fields. The climate is healthy, but variable. Dense fogs prevail in the vicinity of the island, which, with violent gales, frequently render the coast very dangerous to navigation.

Newfoundland and its vicinity constitute the greatest cod-fishing region of the world. The Grand Banks, which form the greatest submarine island on the globe, having a length of from 600 to 700 miles and a width of 200, at a depth of from ten to 150 fathoms, seem to have been the original home of this fish. The value of the annual catch of this fish alone averages $6,250,000, and the exports reach 1,250,000 quintals of 112 pounds each. Next to this the most important fishery is the seal, of which anywhere from 300,000 to 550,000 will be taken in a single season, representing an average of $1,026,896 in market value. The herring fisheries will average $581,543 in value per annum, the salmon $114,505, and the lobster $104,000.

The government is vested in a governor appointed by the British sovereign, an executive council of seven members chosen by the dominant party in the legislature, a legislative council of fifteen members holding office for life, and a house of assembly comprising thirty-three members elected for a period of four years. There are also the usual judicial officers and courts. The right of suffrage is extended to all male subjects over twenty-one years

of age who have occupied domiciles for two years. Politically the island is divided into seventeen electoral districts. The public debt amounted to $1,351,000 in 1883; the revenue of that year was $1,369,909; the value of imports, chiefly provisions and manufactures, $6,863,708; and of exports, mainly fish, $8,200,00. No official discrimination is made between the various religious denominations; the Roman Catholic has the largest membership, and is followed by the Church of England, Wesleyan, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches. Education, being fostered by the government, is brought within the reach of all classes. It is arranged on the denominational system, and the government makes an annual division of about $100,000 among all denominations, according to their respective members. Besides many private and strictly denominational schools, there were in 1885, 416 public elementary schools, with 24,292 pupils, four academies, with 674 students, and two highgrade grammar schools. The population was estimated that year at 185,000, of whom 30,000 were engaged in fishing and 24,000 more in other branches of that industry. The capital is St. John's.

T. JOHN'S is a city and the capital of the Island of Newfoundland, situated on the east coast of the island. The city is 2,000 miles from Liverpool, 540 from Halifax, and 900 from Quebec. It has an excellent harbor, which is well fortified. Being the nearest port in America to Galway, Ireland (distance, 1,650 miles), St. John's has acquired importance in the commercial and political world in connection with steam navigation between the two continents. It has suffered severely from repeated conflagrations; in 1846 it was more than half destroyed.

At the entrance to the harbor are the Narrows; on the north side of the Narrows is a cliff over 300 feet high; back and above it is Signal Hill, 520 feet above the sea level. On the other side of the Narrows is a hill, 650 feet above the sea, on which is a lighthouse. The Narrows will admit only one vessel at a time. The latter ridge of hills extends into the interior for miles. The city is built of brick, and is well situated on sloping ground on both sides of the harbor. Bridges and causeways connect the north and south sides. Over 1,200 vessels, having a tonnage of 250,000, enter the harbor annually.

There are a dry-dock and marine railway. The business portion of the city is solid and substantial. It has several banks, 12 churches, a number of convents, 20 insurance companies, various societies, benevolent organizations, academies, colleges, theological institutions, a medical society, an athenæum, two libraries, 13 newspapers, and two fine cathedrals (one each, Roman Catholic and Episcopal). Among the public buildings of note are the Government-house, the residence of the Governor, which cost $250,000, the Assembly building, the Court-house, the Public Hospital, and Market-house. The Allan line of European steamers has extensive wharves at this city. The manufactures consist chiefly of ship-bread, furniture, boots and shoes, iron-ware, and nets. The city has large storehouses, distilleries, tanneries, breweries, refineries, block factories, and steam seal-oil works. A large trade is done in exporting oil, seal, and cod. Its principal business is connected. with the fisheries. It receives the large imports of the colony. Population in 1874, 25,000; 1889, 42,320.