THE DOMINION OF CANADA.
LESSON XLIV.
In the fields of the Saskatchewan.
1. Crossing the northern boundary of the United States, let us make a visit to the colder countries of North America.
2. The Dominion of Canada is about as large as our country. It extends from the Great Lakes to the Arctic ocean, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Canada is not only near us, but quite like us. Just as the United States is made up of states and territories, so Canada is made up of what are called provinces and territories. The provinces are Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.
The Dominion of Canada, Newfoundland, and Labrador, taken together, are sometimes called British America.
3. How Governed.—Laws are made for all the provinces by the Canadian Parliament, which is like our Congress. It meets at Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
The chief officer of the Government is not a president elected by the people, but a governor sent out by the sovereign of England.
4. Early Settlers.—Canada was first settled by the French. More than one hundred years ago England and France fought with each other for the possession of the country. England was victorious.
The descendants of the old French settlers still speak the language of their forefathers. Many of them speak English also. They are noted for their gayety of disposition and their adherence to old customs.[1]
Logging scene in Canada.
5. Surface.—Along the Pacific coast Canada is mountainous. The Rocky mountains extend through it from north to south.
Most of Canada, however, is level. South of the Sas-katch'-e-wan river are prairies like our own.
These prairies and the valley of the St. Lawrence are the most fertile parts of Canada. They yield abundant crops of wheat, barley, and oats.
6. Climate.—The climate of the seaboard provinces is like that of New England; the in-land provinces are colder; Manitoba has a climate like that of North Dakota; the climate of Southern British Columbia resembles that of Washington.
As we approach the Arctic region, the summers grow shorter and shorter until the year is nearly all winter. If we should travel northward from Lake Winnipeg, we should pass at first through immense forests. Then we should notice that the trees are more and more stunted, until at length even the fir-tree, which is a lover of cold and snow, disappears.
We should be in the midst of a treeless waste, where the ground is seldom free from ice and snow.
Of course we should see no houses in this part of our journey. Who would like to live in such a region?
7. Minerals.—British Columbia, like California, produces gold. Ontario has rich mines
- ↑ Note.—In Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline", many interesting allusions to the old French settlers and their customs are found.
