into the hands of his son John, and more recently is kept by his younger son, Daniel Buck, junior. The first hotel, actually in Minden, was that opended by Mr. Benjamin Sawyers in 1863. A second at some distance from the village, is kept by Mr. William Gervais.

A Division Court was established at Minden in 1865, at which His Honor R. M. Boucher, Esq., Judge for the County, presides. S. S. Peck, Esq., is Clerk, and Mr. R. C. Garrett. Bailiff, of the Court.

William Gainor, Esq., of the township of Minden, is a Justice of the Peace, as is also the Reeve of Minden, and the Reeves of the townships adjoining.

William McKelvey, Esq., who for many years has acted as Clerk of the municipality of Minden, is also a Commissioner of the Queen's Bench and Issuer of Marriage Licenses.

The total population of the townships of Minden and Stanhope in 1861, was 230. Of these 110 were males and 88 females.

There were from Ireland 49, England 35, Scotland 5, United States 3, Upper Canada 136, Lower Canada 1, other countries 1.

As regards religion, there were (in 1861) Church of England 32, R. Catholic 4, W. Methodist 69, Bible Christian 4, Free Church 4, Church of Scotland 14, and Baptists 2.

The Assessment Roll for 1866, shows the number of ratepayers for that year to be 188, the total value of assessed property $31002, and the county rate $114.79. The militia of Minden for 1866, were, 1st class 27, 2nd class 68, third class 27.

THE TOWNSHIP OF STANHOPE.

This township was surveyed by C. R. Stewart, Esq., P. L. S.,in 1860. He says of it in his official report:

"The land in this township is more hilly and undulating than in Minden and the soil is generally lighter; north of a chain of lakes previously referred to, flowing into Big Bushkonk, are a series of hardwood ridges of moderate height; the soil in the valleys between them is very rich, but on them is light and stony; the above water chain flows through several large

cranberry marshes. About 45 per cent. of this township is suitable for farming purposes."

The first settler in Stanhope was Mr. Isaac Hunter, who found his way into that wilderness in 1855, long before the land was surveyed. He was followed in 1859 by Mr. George A. Mason, and in 1860 by Messrs. James Mellville and Ruel Clarke. In 1861 the following persons became actual settlers-Messrs. Robert Sturgeon, James A. Ferguson, Thomas Mason, Caleb Davis, Samuel Sims, William Welsh aud Benjamin Clark.

Stanhope can boast of two saw-mills, the first of which was erected in 1862, by Mr. William Cameron, on the north branch river flowing into lake Bushkonk. The second was built by Daniel Buck, senior, on the west branch flowing into that lake. A third saw mill on the east branch, was commenced in 1863, by Mr. James A. Ferguson, but is not yet fully completed.

Stanhope, as yet, has neither store nor grist mill, church or school. A Post Office is expected to be opened shortly. Clergymen, from Minden and elsewhere, visit the township and officiate in private houses. It became a separate municipality in 1866, and in that year had the names of 51 ratepayers on its assessment roll. Its total assessed property for that year was $8998, and its county rate $51.82. Its militia was enrolled as followed, 1st class 17, 2nd class 17, 3rd class 9.

CANADIAN LAND AND EMIGRATION COMPANY'S LANDS.

The townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde, nine townships "en bloc," are the property of the Canadian Land and Emigration Company, (limited) of London, England, capital £250,000, sterling.

In 1861, the company agreed to purchase these townships, and one other in the County of Victoria, from the Crown Lands department, on which they paid down over $95,000. By the terms of the purchase, it was agreed that the company were not to pay for land covered by lakes, rivers or swamps, and that certain allowances were to made for roads, &c.

An exploratory survey was made by Mr. Gossage, P. L. S., who was subsequently entrusted with the survey and subdivision of the townships into farm lots of 100 acres each. The original terms of the agreement were, in the opinion of the company, not adhered to by the Government,

and a great deal of negotiation took place on the subject, the terms not being finally settled until August, 1864.

By the agreement entered into, (published in the report of the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the half year ending 30th June, 1865,) it appears that the area of the ten townships is 403,125 acres, from which the Commissioner deducted 41,000 acres for area covered by swamps, &c., leaving 362,125 acres to be paid for at the rate of 50 cents per acre. The ordinary settlement duties are to be performed on an area of 261,544 acres, within a period of 15 years from 1st January, 1865.

Ten per cent. of the purchase money is to be refunded to the company for the construction of leading lines of road through their lands, subject to the inspection of the Superintendent of Colonization roads.

The purchase of the ten townships was completed in May, 1865, when a patent was issued to the company, and a Provincial Act of incorporation was subsequently obtained.

The difficulty of arriving at any definite arrangement with the Crown Lands department, and various other matters for some time retarded the operations of the company. Among these may be noted the case of "Gossage vs. the Company," which excited considerable interest at the time; the question being the fair interpretation of the following words in a contract "average for the year 1861 of the acreage cost of the Government surveys," the various officials of the Crown Lands department giving three different average rates. Under these circumstances, the company can in fact be only said to have been in active operation for a little over two years.

In September, 1863, the present Secretary, then unconnected with the company, made a trip with the Surveyor to the township of Dysart. There was at that time no access at all to the township from the Bobcaygeon road, except through the township of Minden by a portage road or rather track of three miles to the foot of lake Kahshagawigamog, (now generally called Kushog by the settlers) and thence by water. The inhabitants numbered about half a dozen settlers, two of whom were old trappers who had "squatted" there before the company was heard of. In the fall and spring, before the ice had thoroughly formed and before it broke up, these families were prisoners in the township, dependent for sustenance on the company's store,-at that time by no means furnished with the luxu ries and comforts of civilized life. It is due, however, to the company to

state that they assisted some of the early settlers who were unable to earn a livelihood, in a most liberal manner and for a considerable time. The now rising village of Haliburton, at the head of lake Kushog, existed then only to the eye of faith and prophecy, there being but one small shanty, minus a roof, in which the gentleman above mentioned bivouacked for a few days.

The first commencement of a road through Dysart was made at that date, September, 1863, and was completed in the summer of 1865 as far as Haliburton. It is now open to the Peterson road, from which the company are clearing off the brush which has grown up since its construction by Government. Through the joint exertions of the company and the adjoining municipalities of Snowdon and Minden, a connecting road has also been opened to the Bobcaygeon road, at a point about two miles south of the village of Minden or Gull river. The Burleigh and Buckhorn roads, when completed, will give more direct access to the company's block.

The character of the country is undulating, studded with beautiful lakes of from one to fifteen miles in length, fed by streams containing many excellent mill sites. The scenery is everywhere picturesque, and the air extremely healthy. The soil is a rich sandy loam, and of its fitness for agricultural purposes, a sufficient proof is afforded by a reference to the report of the Provincial Exhibition in 1865, held at London, C.W., where it will be seen that an assortment of farm produce from the settlers in Dysart obtained a special prize, and the grain was particularly commended by the Judges. The country is also admirably adapted for stock raising, and for sheep farming as the clearings increase. The timber is principally good hardwood, with sufficient pine for local purposes.

An excellent grist mill at Haliburton supplies the wants of the community, and there are also a saw mill, store and boarding house, Post Office, &c. Lots have been granted by the company to the various religious denominations for the erection thereon of places of worship. Three school sections have been formed, and an Agricultural Society has been properly organized.

The first settlers in Dysart were, Messrs. David Sawyers and William and James Murray, who located there in 1863. During the following year, they were joined by Messrs. John and James R. Erskine, Leeper, Richard Thompson, Stephen Thompson, George Thompson, James Hol

land, William Holland, Willett Austin, John Lucas, William Gainor, William Ellstone, and subsequently by others.

The saw mill, already mentioned, was erected in 1864, as was also the school house and church at Haliburton. The grist mill was completed in 1865, and has one run of stones. The first trustees of the Haliburton school were Messrs. John Lucas, J. R. Erskine and John Stoddard. One other school now exists in Dysart, erected in 1866, and taught by Miss A. Giggins, whose sister was teacher of the school at Haliburton,

Mr. A. H. Garratt's general store was opened at Haliburton in 1865, and Mr. Samuel Pocket's tavern during the same year. A blacksmith, carpenter and other tradesmen also ply their avocations.

An enterprising settler has recently built a small steamboat, which is intended to run from Haliburton to the foot of Lake Kushog, 3 miles from Minden, a distance of about 13 miles.

Dysart has been set off this year in conjunction with three other townships of the company as a separate municipality, John Lucas, Esq., being the first Reeve.

On the whole, the progress made in this township, so far in the rear of our beautiful county, cannot be looked upon as otherwise than encouraging; and the large capital which the company have invested in the land, is a sufficient guarantee that they will do all in their power to develope settlement, from which alone they can hope to realize any considerable profit.

REEVES AND CLERKS.

For conciseness of detail, as well as ease of reference, the following statement has been prepared, showing the date of the formation of new municipalities in the back country, and the names of the Reeves and township Clerks who have successively or severally performed the important trusts committed to them on their election or appointment to these offices. The municipality first formed, in the back country,-as we suppose it must still be called,—was composed of the townships of Galway, Snowden and Minden, in the County of Peterborough, and those of Anson and Lutterworth in the County of Victoria, for as yet the two counties had not been separated. The municipality as thus formed came into official existence on the first of January, 1860, and continued to comprise the same townships for two years. At the close of 1861, Anson and Lutterworth, being on the Victoria side of the boundary line, withdrew on the separation of