D ivisions. What is called New 'Britain comprehends the moft, northern parts
towards Hudfon’s Bay, and the coaft of Labrador. The large ill and of
'S Newfoundland ; that called Cape Breton !; and the neighbouring ifle St.
John; complete the chief denominationsp>f Britilh territory. But in
the Englllh maps, while Greenland is affigned to Denmark, all the other
moft northern parts of America, on the eaft and on the weft, as far
fouth as the port of Sir Francis Drake, are impreffed with the colour of
~ Britilh territory. By the right of prior, or at leaft of more complete and
precife, difeovery, the weftern coaft might be conftdered as belonging to
England, according to ' the eftabliftxed ufage of all European nations ;
and which of courfe muft be admitted as valid in a caufe between any
two of them. -This right may indeed be carried to a ridiculous e.xcefs ;
and we have feen navigators in our“ own time giving new names to
places in Cochin China, a country perhaps as “civilized as their own;
which is the fame as if a.Chinefo-junk fliould fail up th^1^me.s,#nd
the captain beftow new . names upon every ol^effo .Bflt in-a- country
thinly inhabited by favages, and adapted for European fettlemenls, the
eafe is totally different; and any' ufage, however ridiculous., muft be
admitted which tends'to prevent dtfputes’aüd-ëöhmftsl ^Tle-fira^fetle-
ment feenis however to be the moft rational claim and -rioTuifif event
having yet happened, the weftern coaft of North'America fliall be arranged
among the Unconqüéred Countries, which feeiris to be the moft
proper method, when- the fettlemenls are only a few detached factories,
to which the natives profefs no fubjediOn. Hence the regions around
Hudfon’s Bay, with Labrador and Greenland, are, from the intenfe fe-
verity of the climate, declared free by nature, and fhall alfo be claffed
among the Unc.onquered Countries. The prefentftiort defeription ïïiali
therefore only comprife Canada, and the other Britilh provinces in the
fouth, which form actual pofleffioris or colonies. *
C A N A D A ,
■ T his; country is. computëd to extend from the gu lf of St. L a w r e n c e ,
and ifle of Anticofti,. in the eaft", to. the lake of Winnipeg in the weft, or . from
from dong; 64° to 9.7°' weft irptav.L dis/'thirty-threetdegrcés, which in Canada.
'that latitude m/ay be' about 1200 g. miles.- The breadth, from the lake
of Erie- in the-fouth, or lat. 430, may extend to'lat. 490, or 360 g. miles';
mît ’ thell mediah hreadlh is not above'','200. The - óriglilahpbpu'ktibn
«■ cönfiftéd eftjfeVdral-fayage* *tiibss)" whcrfe-njKto'ês âriâ man'pers" i&a^ be
“traced in ‘the1 Nearly French>'acö'öuiits-, which ma-yfafMo be'cotafidted for
‘thd^fpgreffive dlfcoviry, jjjjfe firft fettlemcnt-being St’Quebec*'in ft*6S8.
Duisjfogj.a, pentury and a half that the French poflMed Canada,"they
dffoê'veMfes,towards foë:weft ; and -Lahontan; ih\thfo'eM of
the dsventeeritlV century, has given a tolérable aSc&mnt offifofeê1 lafefes hél-
yoftd that called Superior, and of 'thfe* r-iver Milfodr-i,- Quebec t-béih^
dontfuered by Wdfe* 1739, Canada wâ&*cèd'éÔ: < Britaih *by the
treaty effi IParis ( 1 ’
■ i}3Trie reli|;ibir is'the Roman Catholic, but hire BrMfh->fêttlersJjfoIldw' Religion..
their own! 'inodes df worfhip. There ■‘a^e'-'öxAytwelve ‘cFérgyrrien’ of 'tap
chürcKvdf*England, including the bfferip of Quebec!';’ while’the Catholic
clergy are 126. By an a£t pafled in 1791 a legifiàtive council,, and Government,
ari'affemijlyy aie appoiri'ted'fo? çaenofthe provmces of'Üpper âpd Lower
Canadâ, having power id make laws" with the confent oF fo«rg over nor ;
Bti! ffiet'king may declare his diifent at any time'within twp years after
rèçemrig fonyftfiJK The legiflatwe,, cóuncïl to confia offeven mem-
pe^jtor'Upper 'Canada, and fifteen for foe Low,er province, fummoned
by the~governor under the king s authority, and nominated during their
Hyps, except forfeited by, an abfenee of four years, orfoy paying allegiance
to £ foreign power. Thp houfe q»f afiqmfily is to fonfifl^of fifty me others
from foqwep Çanadàl and fixteep;frpih; Üppe£ Çapadçi,, foofon by-•
foe freeholders in the towns and djftrilfo. Thcfefogppcik are.tQjaffeij^-
ble at Jeaft once, every year ; an,d the, houforpfo^forobly eontiques four
years, except-in ;çafe’ ,of prior diffol ution. governor, tpjptfo^rv
with, fiuch of foe executive ogfouuk as: foall foe, appointed,' by: foe fomg far-
tbe'.afFairsmf-eacfonrdyifiçej are.fofof
hearing, and determining appeals ; fjpm.
their .fçntençe as, heretofore Texifted. ,Afo Cfoper., Gfoadh are tohe
granted hereafter in free and common foccage arid alfo in Lower
8 Canada,.