ward that the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad was laid between Laprairie (opposite Montreal) and St. John's on the Richelieu River, a distance of sixteen miles. The first train was drawn over wooden rails by teams of horses. In 1853, the Grand Trunk Railway, pioneer of the greater Canadian roads, began operations. It was several years later, in 1876, that the Provinces were joined to Lower Canada by the Intercolonial system.
On August 31, 1831, there arrived in Halifax harbour, via Miramichi, the 363-ton steamship Royal William from Quebec. Among the incorporators of the Quebec and Halifax Navigation Company were Henry, Samuel and Joseph Cunard. After making several trips over this route, the steamer left Quebec in August, 1833, coaled at Pictou, Nova Scotia, and set out for Gravesend, England. The little craft arrived about a month later, having performed and being the first vessel to perform the entire trans-Atlantic voyage by steam and without the aid of Boreas.
When Samuel Cunard organised in 1840 the first regular steam passenger service across the Atlantic, Halifax was made the calling port on this side of the ocean.
In 1851 the population of New Brunswick was 194,000, and that of Nova Scotia 277,000.
After twenty-five years of discussion and political bitterness these provinces were united in 1867 with
