Travels Through North America, v. 1-2

y at Quebec.-Return to Montreal-from

felt sensibly on going on board the steam-boat, as we were obliged to walk in the dark through the mire, which was particularly disagreeable to the ladies. We had taken state-rooms on board the vessel, so that the ladies could live alone, and not be obliged to sleep

ck in the evening. During the night it stopt an hour at the outlet of the river Sorel into the St. Lawrence, at William Henry, a small town, so called in honour of the Duke of Clarence. They were

river are thickly inhabited on both sides, and are also said to be cultivated and productive. The river is throughout from one to two miles wide, but fifty-two miles below Trois Rivières, at the village of Richelieu, it becomes narrower, and here are the last rapids, called Rapids de Richelieu. The banks, which as far as this place are pretty low, become higher and more rocky, particularl

n elegant appearance, when contrasted with the dark rock. The first coup d'?il, which was by night, reminded me of Namur, as it is seen from the right bank of the Maas. In the river were many vessels, mostly used for carrying wood. It was already l

levated three hundred and fifty feet from the level of the ocean. The upper is separated from the lower town by a stone wall, which has the form of a horn-work. Through this wall is a gate, which has a guard, the guard-room is opposite the gate, and by means of a portcullis defends the entrance. For the convenience of foot-passengers, there is a door near the gate, with wooden stairs, by asc

sions in North America, was at that time in England, but was expected daily. During his absence, the government was under the direction of the lieutenant-governor, Sir Francis Burton, brother of Lord Conyngham. He is a civilian, but is said to fill his high post with credit. The good spirits the inhabitants are in, and the harmony that exists

a large balcony, from which one can see part of the town, the harbour, and the surrounding neighbourhood. The citadel is a new work, and not quite finished. The English speak with a kind of exultation of the fortifications of Quebec, and compare it to Gibraltar. I also expected something extraordinary, but cannot say that my expectations were gratified. The hei

men in the night, took advantage of the darkness to pass the town, sailed up the St. Lawrence, and disembarked at the place that is now called Wolfe's cove. He mounted the rock with a great deal of difficulty, and then put his army at the break of day in order of battle on the Heights of Abraham. To assist the town, and drive the English from the h

sand of these bricks cost the government, including transportation, two pounds ten shillings! The reason they give is, that t

and muskets, and some useful pistols. We also saw here several very handsomely ornamented sing

ntreal, and has elevated himself by his own merit. A few years ago he travelled through England, France, and Italy, where he received the title of Archbishop of Canada, from the pope. The English government in the mean time, took into consideration, whether they would recognise his title, because he would, as archbishop, rank in the Canadian parliament before the English episcopal bishop. We paid our respects to this worthy man. He received us kindly, surrounded by many young priests. His secretary showed us the building and the garden. The scholars had a vacation, and the house was deserted. They are not all destined for the priesthood; the most respectable people of this country have their sons brought up in this

nded in the leg. His column had already pressed into the city, and would certainly have taken the town, if General Montgomery, who attacked the lower town from the side of the St. Lawrence, had met him at the same time. This, however, was impossible, as General

ounding country is extraordinarily beautiful. Near the waterfall is a cave, where the soil is either sunk, or washed away by the water; it is a narrow deep crack in the earth, which you cannot behold without shuddering. When the water is high, there are three falls. The middle one precipitates directly down, the two others cross over the middle one. The drought, however, of the summer of 1825, and a canal, which drains the water from the river to drive saw and other mills, has lessened the quantity of water in the river, so that only one of the three falls has water, and instead of seeing the other two, you perceive the bare rock. This rock is slate. At Quebec and Point Levi, it is limestone; in Quebec it is interspersed with silicious crystals, hence its name Cape Diamond. The st

wing stood two companies of artillery, then a company of sappers and miners, after this, the sixty-eighth, and lastly, the seventy-first regiment of infantry. The last is a light regiment, and consists of Scotch Highlanders; it appeared to be in particularly good con

company of the sixty-eighth regiment, with their flag displayed as a guard of honour, which I immediately dismissed. The fortification saluted us with twenty-

ure in writing, but was often interrupted. In this boat they have four meals daily, and at every repast they drove me from my writing place. In the morning at seven o'clock, they ring the bell for the passengers to rise and dress; at eight o'clock breakfast is served, which consists o

ed American tories and discharged soldiers. It contains two churches, about one hundred houses, and six hundred inhabitants, whose houses are mostly of wood, and stand separately in the streets, which are arranged in squares, and occupy a great space. It is built on a sandy soil, and has a poor aspect. Generally speaking, the towns in Canada bear a very poor comparison with those of the United States, and will never arrive

ed three boxes of gunpowder, which caused us a great deal of uneasiness. The danger was so much the greater, as the sparks were continually flying from the pipe of the steam-boat, which the wind drove towards the sloop. I was one of the first who received the information, and immediately gave the a

s. At last we were obliged to draw up the boat by aid of six oxen, two horses, and ten men. The Lady Sherbrook, however, is one of the oldest steam-boats on the St. Lawrence, and the captain himself confessed that she was so rotten that she was not worth repairing, and will soon be condemned. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, after we had been forty-six hours

found assembled in his rich and tastefully furnished halls the whole fashionable world of Montreal. They mostly dance French contra dances, commonly called Spanish dances. To the contra dances, in honour of the officers of the seventieth regiment, who are the favourite young gentlemen, they have adopted tedious Scotch melodies; to the Spanish dances they played German waltzes. The native ladies conversed in very soft Canadian bad French, not even excepting our han