Tradesman, not found, 30l. per annum.

Female cook, from 97. to 127. per annum, found in food. Housemaid, from 67. to 97. ditto, ditto.

Boy, about 107.

The male domestic servants have also clothing given them according to agreement, and all require tea and sugar, and sometimes butter.

The farm-servants frequently go to the sealfishery, and are, with the other classes, except amongst the higher grades, shipped, as it is called; or, in other words, have a paper to sign mutually with the master, for the agreement as to time and wages. A few good gentlemen's servants of steady character, and understanding horses and garden-work, would find employment at the capital.

The servants here, when they come to hire, or to be "shipped," as they call it, say, if they have a written character, that they have an "accommodation" from Mr. So-and-So, and a very accommodating piece of paper it often is, for there are very few young or good menservants to be had, as the fishery absorbs all that class; and thus a man-servant in the capital has usually made the capital tour of service of that small city, before he hires himself to a stranger.

PART VI.

MODERN GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY.

CHAPTER XIV.

PRESENT ASPECT OF THE ISLAND, ITS DIVISIONS, ROADS, PUBLIC WORKS, AND CONCLUDING REMARKS: WITH NOTICES OF THE RED INDIAN TRIBE, SUPPOSED TO BE NOW EXTINCT.

THERE is no doubt some irregularity in making the last chapter of a work like this describe the outlines of a country upon which it has been treating; but like a lady's letter, there may be more in the summing-up of the postscript than meets the eye in the body of the epistle.

In fact, I was desirous to obtain the most correct information, and to exhibit the newest map; a work of time and trouble, which caused this chapter (which some may think should have been the first) to be the last.

Newfoundland, lying between 47° 46′ 39′′ N.L., which is the latitude of its southern point, Cape Ray, according to careful observation taken on

board H. M. S. Hussar, and 51° 35′ 30′′ N.L., the latitude of Cape Norman, according to Norie's Chart Cape Norman being the northernmost point of the island itself; although Cape Bauld, on Quirpon Isle, and Belle Isle, are both much further, the first by nearly fifteen seconds, and the other by several minutes.

The parallels of longitude it occupies are from Cape Spear, near St. John's, on the east coast, in 52° 33′ 27′′ W.L., well ascertained by frequent observations, there being a light-house on it, and Cape Anguille, on the west coast, near St. George's Bay, which Norie's Chart gives as in 59° 20′ 2′′ W.L. from Greenwich.

It thus occupies about the same parallels of latitude, and the same position on the western face of the globe, as the southern parts of England and the northern coasts of France do on the eastern hemisphere.

It resembles the shape of England, being an irregular triangle, and its average length may be roughly stated at 450 miles, whilst its extreme breadth is about 300, although its mean breadth is not more than 200. A line drawn round the three sides of its triangular-shaped coast, so as to include and exclude, as is done by surveyors in the contents of land, would embrace upwards of 1000 miles; whilst the deep indentations and great bays on the east and south, would, if circumnavigated, more than double the line of coast. But it is so cut up in this way on every side save the west, which has its shore, that no safe calcu

lation of its area can be made without great trouble and more difficulty than are necessary for a mere abstract question; I think, however, it may be stated, for general statistical purposes, at 36,000 square miles, or 23,040,000 acres.

England and Wales contain, according to the "Edinburgh Gazetteer," from thirty-two to thirty-six millions of acres, so that if it were not for the great bays of Newfoundland, the area of both would not be very dissimilar.

The whole of this immense territory is, comparatively speaking, open for settlement, being inhabited only on the coasts by a seafaring population of British subjects, now in numbers from eighty to a hundred thousand, for it is impossible, at present, from its scattered condition and the want of a census, to arrive at the truth in this respect. It is certainly, however, not less than eighty thousand thus, taking only a small per centage, affording a defence of a militia, inured to toil, of not less than ten thousand able-bodied men, equally capable of serving ashore as afloat, and almost all from habit, using fire-arms-in fact, a regular army of Sea Fencibles of the best materials.

Newfoundland is the nearest portion of British America to the mother country, and her oldest colony. The distance across the Atlantic from St. David's Head to Cape Spear being only 1860 miles, and from Liverpool only about 2000, whilst it is much nearer from the west coast of

Ireland, and does not exceed 1550 miles from Cape Clear, or not more than from eight to ten days' steam passage from any port on the southwest coast of England, or the west coast of Ireland.

Voyages are frequently made to Waterford from St. John's in a fortnight, and even ten days; but from the mother country they are usually from three weeks to a month, and even two months, owing to the prevailing Atlantic winds being westerly, excepting in the early months of the year, towards the vernal equinox, and about the latter end of May and the beginning of June, when they are easterly. The best time for a quick rough passage across from Great Britain is in March, but for one less uncertain as to its termination from boisterous weather, the timid landsman or ladies would prefer the latter end of ·May, or middle of June. Icebergs keep, however, on the banks until June is over, and require care in the master of the vessel.

Some of the Newfoundland traders from London, Liverpool, Cork, and Waterford, and from Greenock, adapt their cabins for passengers, and are well supplied; but it is always to be recollected that they are all small vessels-few exceeding 150 tons burthen, and many not more than 120.* Persons desirous of obtaining more instruction in

* From ten to fifteen pounds is the price of a cabin passage, with everything but good bedding being found.