he
adjoining country is first improving.

RIVER SAINT JOHN.

This noble river encircles a large portion of New-Brunswick, and may be
considered as the principal drain of those numerous rivers and streams
with which the Province is intersected. Winding in an irregular
semi-circle, it traverses an extent of about five hundred miles, and
falls into the Bay of Fundy nearly in the same parallel of latitude in
which it takes its rise.

It may not be improper to observe, that most of the rivers and streams
in this country were originally named by the Indians, who generally, by
the names they give, wish to signify something peculiar to the thing
named; consequently the Indian name of this river, which they call
"Looshtook," signifies long river.--It rises from lakes near the head
of Connecticut river, between the 45th and 46th degrees of north
latitude, and stretches to the northward, beyond the 47th degree of
north latitude, where it receives the waters of the Madawaska river,
which rises near the St. Lawrence. It then inclines to the southward,
and continues its course uninterrupted, receiving several large
streams, till it arrives at the Grand Falls, in lat. 46 deg. 54'. Here
its channel is broken by a chain of rocks, which run across the river at
this place, over which its waters are precipitated with resistless
impetuosity. The river, just above the cataract, makes a short bend of
nearly a right angle, forming a small bay a few rods above the
precipice, in which there is an eddy, which makes it a safe landing
place, although very near the main precipice, where canoes pass with
the greatest safety. Immediately below this bay, the river suddenly
contracts. A point of rocks project from the western shore and narrow
the channel to the width of a few rods. The waters thus pent up sweep
over the rugged bottom with great rapidity; just before they reach the
main precipice they rush down a descent of some feet, and rebound in
foam from a bed of rocks on the edge of the fall. They are then
precipitated down perpendicular cliffs of about forty-five feet in
height, into an abyss studded with rocks, which nearly choke the
passage, leaving only a small opening in the centre, through which the
water, after whirling for some time in the bason, rushes with
tremendous impetuosity, sweeping through a broken rocky channel and a
succession of falls for more than half a mile, being closely pent up
with rocks, which in some places overhan