ARTICLES OF THE CIVIL CODE

400. Roads and public ways maintained by the state, navigable and floatable rivers and streams and their banks, the sea-shore, lands reclaimed from the sea, ports, harbors and roadsteads and generally ail those portions of territory which do not constitute private property, are considered as being dependencies of the crown domain.

The sanie rule applies to ail lakes and to ail non navigable and non floatable rivers and streams and their banks bordering on lands alienated by the Crown after the 9th February, 1918. 8 Geo. V, chap. 72, s. 1.

4 20. Deposits of earth and augmentations which are gradually and imperceptibly formed on land contiguous to a stream or river are called alluvion. — Whether the strea(m or river is or is not navigable or floatable, the alluvion which is produced becomes the property of the owner of the adjacent land, subject, in the former case, to the obligation of leaving a foot-road or tow-path.

4 21. As to ground left dry by running water which insensibly withdraws from one of its banks by bearing in upon thé other, the proprietor of the uncovered ground gains such ground, and the proprietor of the opposite bank cannot reclaim the land he has lost. — -This right does not exist as regards land reclaimed from the sea, which forms part of the public domain.

4 22. Alluvion does not take place on the borders of lakes and pounds which are private property ; neither the proprietor of the lake nor the proprietor of the adjacent land gains or loses in conséquence of the waters happening to rise or fall above or below their ordinary level.

423. If a river or stream, whether navigable or not, carry away by a sudden force a considérable and distinguishable part of an adjacent

field and bear it towards a lower or opposite bank, the proprietor of the part carried away may reclaim it ; [but he is obliged, on pain of forfeiting bis right, to do so within a year, to be reckoned from the possession taken of it by the proprietor of the land to which it has been united].

424. Islands, islets and deposits of earth formed in the beds of navigable and floatable ri vers and streams belong to the crown, if there be no title to the contrary.

4 25. Islands and deposits of earth, which are formed in ri vers which are not navigable or floatable, belong to the proprietors of the banks on the side wdiere the island is formed. If the island be not formed on one side only, it belongs to the proprietors of the banks on both sides, divided by a line supposed to be drawn in the middle of the river.

42 6. If a river or stream, by forming a new branch, eut and surround the field of a proprietor contiguous to it, and thereby form an island, the proprietor retains the property of his field, although the island be formed in a navigable or floatable river or stream.

4 27. If a navigable or floatable river or stream abandon its course to take a new one, the former bed belongs to the Crown. If the river be not navigable or floatable, the proprietor of the lands newly occupied take as an indemnity the ancient bed, each in proportion to the land which has been taken from him.