that county from Peterborough, leaving the municipality formed as mentioned below. Other withdrawals have gradually been made as new townships became possessed of a sufficient number of ratepayers to entitle them to a separate municipal existence of their own; so that in 1867 we find five distinct municipal councils, with their officers and legal powers, where six years ago, little save a wild wilderness, but partially surveyed, existed. Such has been the growth and prosperity of these new townships!

TABULAR STATEMENT

Of Reeves, Clerks, and Municipalities. composed of the new Townships, from January, 1860, to January, 1867.

LOCAL SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS.

The progress of education in the new townships has kept pace with the advancement in material progress. In 1866, the schools numbered 14 in all, and were distributed as follows:-Galway 3, Snowden 4, Minden 5, Dysart 2.

The following Rev. gentlemen have successively filled the office of Local Superintendent for the several municipalities_named:—

The last named gentlemen at present fills the office.

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE BURLEIGH ROAD SETTLEMENT.

The construction of the Burleigh Colonization road was commenced in 1860, under the superintendence of the late Mr. Gibson, who had then the supervision of these roads throughout the Province.

The plan adopted was to let the work of constructing the road in sections, of considerable length, to contractors, who were paid on completion of the work according to agreement. Mr. James Walsh entered into contract for the first 23 miles, and Mr. William Lackey for the next section of 20 miles. These were the gentlemen with whom the Government had to deal, but they sub-let portions of the distance to others, whose names are not material to this narrative.

The roads constructed in this manner were far from satisfactory or permanent, and owing to various causes, the contract system was abolished on all the Colonization roads, after a trial of a year or two. The plan then adopted was to place some competent person in charge of the work, who should employ men by the day, superintend their operations, and be

responsible to the department for the result. This system was commenced on the Burleigh road during the season of 1865, under John Carroll, Esq., who from the beginning of 1864 had been acting as Crown Land Agent. for this settlement. During the year 1864, the road became utterly im. passable, partly from the wearing out of the temporary material used in constructing it, but chiefly owing to the destructive fires which swept the woods, and burned several of the bridges; thus rendering the position of the settlers, who chiefly resided at its further extremity, at once precarious and disheartening.

In the spring of 1865, the work of repairing the road, it might indeed be said of re-constructing it,—was commenced at Burleigh bridge, and was prosecuted with vigor. The "Burleigh rocks," which fill up the southwestern portion of the township, are immense boulders of granite, whose oval surfaces occupy an area often of half an acre. Over these the road had to be carried. This was successfully accomplished by filling the little valleys and interstices between them with solid stone, broken on the surface, thus forming an even and permanent road-way. The burned bridges were replaced by excellent timbers, necessarily brought from a distance, and in this way, 24 miles were not only rendered passable, but converted into an excellent road during 1865. Up to November, 1866, eleven miles more were finished, of which eight had been cut out and partially made under the old system, while three were entirely new. It is understood that this road will be continued as far as Peterson's line, and if it is to be as really useful as it is expected to be, this should be the case; for its first twenty miles have to be passed over before land of average quality is reached, or the prospects of a settlement fairly appear; so that the lands best fitted for settlement will be found towards its further extremity.

The entire back country is of the Laurentian or granite formation, which passes under Stoney lake, and forms its numerous islets. Occasional ridges of limestone, however, are found; and the land, so far as tested by practical experience, has proved itself capable of yielding abundant

crops.

We pass now to a brief notice of the several townships along the road, commencing with

THE TOWNSHIP OF BURLEIGH.

This township was surveyed as early as 1834, and was re-surveyed in 1864-5 by J. W. Fitzgerald, Esq., P. L. S. The "Burleigh rocks" before referred to, were long a barrier to settlement, and would doubtless remain so still, were it not for the road which now enables them to be passed over with comparative ease.

The first settler who ventured beyond these rocky impediments, and located himself in the eastern side of Burleigh, was Mr. Giles Stone. This was in the year 1861; and now, in 1866, the Assessment roll for Burleigh shows, ratepayers to the number of forty-six in that township alone. A number of settlers found their way there in 1862-3, and we proceed to give the names of these pioneers, as in the older townships. They were Messrs. James Goulbourn, Peter Phelan, Alexander Brown, Atwood Brooks, William Clifford, Edward Sanderson, William Spencer, Myers, Isaac Meers, Christopher White, Ephraim Burt, John McConnell, Charles Burt and John Coon.

There is one tavern in Burleigh-that kept by Mr. Peter Phelan. The first Post Office was opened in 1864, under the name of "Burleigh," of which James Goulbourn, Esq., is Postmaster. The second in 1866, called after the member for the county, "Haultain," of which Mr. Giles Stone, the first settler, is Postmaster. Two school houses were erected in Burleigh during 1866, one near Mr. Giles Stone's, the other near Mr. Burt's. Both of them are hewed logs, and well adapted for the purposes intended.

The first saw mill was erected in Burleigh by James Goulbourn, Esq., on Eel's creek, in 1863, and a second during the following year on the same stream, by Charles J. Vizard, Esq., a gentleman who has contributed much to the success of the settlement by furnishing employment to the settlers, for which they were promptly paid in cash, at a time when they had few other resources upon which to depend. During 1866, a small grist mill was erected by Mr. Goulbourn, and is now in operation.

Until the present time, Burleigh has been the senior municipality, having the greater number of ratepayers, and it and the adjoining townships have been associated together as one municipality. The rapid increase of settlers, however, will speedily give rise to two or more corporations, amid which Chandos promises to take the lead, as having now the largest population.

The chief difficulties with which the early settlers had to contend, were owing to the distance which their supplies had to be transported, and the absence of proper facilities for doing so. The summer of 1864 proved especially trying. The unusual drought affected their harvests, while the destruction of the bridges on the road by fire, and the practical closing up of their thoroughfare, bad as it was, greatly disheartened the settlers. The destructive fires swept away the fruits of the industry of some, while the non-payment of wages by a sub-contractor disappointed the hopes of others; and all these causes together, pressed severely upon the infant settlement. The difficulties of the position were greater than even during the first year, for there were more mouths to fill, with diminished facilities for procuring the necessary supplies. Three days were usually required for the transport of these from Peterborough. The first stage was by a hired team to Young's. Here a canoe or boat was engaged, which when laden was paddled up Clear and Stony lakes to Julien's landing, and from this point, partly by ox teams, but oftener on their shoulders, the hard earned necessaries were carried some miles further, through a bush with barely the semblance of a road.

Fortunately, this state of things was not of long continuance. The expenditure of money on the road in 1865; the re-opening of their thoroughfare; and the excellent crops of that season, restored confidence and hope, and with these the settlement has continued to progress.

Burleigh was for several years attached to Dummer for municipal purposes. The separation took place on the 1st day of January, 1865; and James Goulbourn, Esq., was returned as first Reeve, and took his seat in the County Council for that year. In 1866, John Carroll, Esq., Crown Land Agent, was chosen Reeve, and ably fulfilled the duties of that position.

A difficulty exists between this township and the county in reference to the re-payment of moneys expended by the County Council in the recent re-survey of the township, to which further reference need not be made here; and which, it is hoped, will ere long admit of a solution at once just to the county and satisfactory to the ratepayers of Burleigh.