CANADA. In the Encyclopedia will be found an account of the settlement and early history of Canada, with other ,particulars relative to the nature and productions of the country. At present we propose to add such further information as we have been enabled to collect from the works of recent travellers.
In the year 1791, the territory formerly dis tinguished by the general name of Canada, was di vided, by an act of the British Parliament, into the two provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. These are comprehended within the 61° and 81° of west longitude from London, and between 42° SO' and 52° north latitude ; and are computed to extend from east to west about 1400 miles, and from north to south from 200 to 400 miles.
The province of Lower ,Canada lies between 45° and 52° of north latitude, and between the 63° and 81° of west longitude. On the north it is bounded by the territory of East Maine ; on the east by the Gulf of St Lawrence, the river St John, and part of the Labrador coast, now annexed to the govern ment of Newfoundland ; on the south, by New Brunswick and the territories of United States, namely, the district of Maine, the province of New Hampshire, the state of Vermont, and the state of New York ; on the west, by a line which separates it from Upper Canada, commencing at a stone boundary on the north bank of the Lake St Francis, in St Lawrence river, thence north, to Ottawa river, which it ascends to its source in Lake Terniscaming, and from thence due north, till it strikes the boun dary-line of Hudson's Bay, including all the terri tory to the westward and southward, commonly known ander the general name of Canada. This province is divided into the districts of Montreal, Three Rivers, Quebec, and Gaspe, which by pro clamation of the •Government were, in 1792, subdi vided into the following twenty-one counties, viz. Bedford, Buckingham, Cornwallis, Devon, Dorches ter, Eppingham, Gaspe, Hampshire, Hertford, Hunt ingdon, Kent, Leinster, .Montreal, St Maurice, Nor thumberland, Orleans, Quebec, Richlieu, Surrey,War wick, add York. The minor divisions are, 1st, The seignories, or the original grants of the French 'Go vernment under the feudal system, which, in the year 1721, were again partitioned out into parishes. The
limits of these last, however, have not been very strict ly adhered to, portions of ancient parishes having been from time to time constituted into new ones. 2d, The townships or grants of land made by the English Go vernment since the year 1796, in free and common soccage.
The following are the boundaries of Upper Ca nada: On the east, it is bounded, 'since the year 1791, by Lower Canada ; on the north-east, by the Grand or Ottawa river, which is the common boun dary between it and the lower province; on the north, by the territories of the Hudson's Bay Com-, parry; on the south and south-east, by the United States of America, although the common frontier between these two states is far from being well defi•. ed. It is merely an imaginary line, beginning at the village of St Regis on the St Lawrence, in the 45th9 of north latitude, passing up the middle of this river, through Lake Ontario, the Niagara river, and Lake Erie, and continuing thence through the middle of the water-communication into Lakes Huron and Superior, along the middle of the chain of lakes which leads to the Lake of the Woods, and from thence due west to the river Mississippi.* The treaty of 1815 provides for the revision of this boundary-line. On the west and north-wcat, no limits have been assign ed ; and Upper Canada may be supposed, therefore, 'to extend, in this direction, as far as the Pacific and Northern Oceans.
Upper Canada is divided into eight districts, namely, • These contain 159 townships, exclusive of Indian lands, and certain other portions that are reserved for the Crown, and the maintenance of the Protest lint clergy. The quantity of land in each township is computed by llouchette,.in his valuable and ela borate work on Canada, to amount, on an average, to 61,600 acres, making the whole amount to 9,694,400 acres; of which 3,000,000 of acres are granted in feu and common soccage, 2,769,828, are reserved for the Crown and clergy, and 3,924,572 still remain to be granted.