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Le diagrammr suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 1/ 2- AVEEK m THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OP LAKE ETCHEMIN A17D QUEBEC BY MAJOR GEORGE E. BULGER 1-.L.S. F.R.O.S. C.M.Z.S. ■0 — 0- pkintsd at the regimental press 2nd Batt. 10th Foot. 1869. 1 1 1 (^\mt ^Jnm mi mmmm^mwi mmmm TO Pj) potftn-. ■qnpa^^^^pii^wn mil, ,i,iiiiii«ii|iiii^i I iiiiivv •wnv wrrm'^fr^^mm MoNP/AY 80 III May 1859. On Ici/rd the Stparncr ' Qvelcc' 7 ■30 r.M. S and I are on onr way to the ancient rn])ital of Canada, ■whose name this fine vessel has appropriated. Wc have left the city of Montreal some distance behind us, and aio speed- ing through the clear waters of the Saint Lawrence smoothly and quietly towards the old town of Sorel, which is our first stopping-place. As we sit upon the upper-deck of the steamer, and gaze around us, a charming prospect meets our view. It is not splendid, or grand, or even strikingly picturesque, for the low, flat shores and the scattered islands, that hereabouts stud the water-way, can scarcely lay claim to any of these epithets, but there is something inexpressibly attractive in the ciuaint, little French villages, with their red-roofed, white hourjes, and their bright, tinned church-spires, glittering in the last rays of the linking sun — something so suggestive of peace- fulness, and quiet, rural happiness, in these little groups of cottages, fringing the river-bank, that th j eye rests on them with a peculiar pleasure difficult to describe, yet somewhat a- kin, I imagine, to the feeling of relief afforded by the appear- flnce of a vcrdnrc-elnd oaBis to tlie tliirsfiy and way-worn tra- veller tliroi.gli a sandy desert. The evening is superb — cool, fresh, grateful and strongly characterised by that transparent pnreness of atmosphere so peculiar to Canada. Not a breath of air is stirring. The woods and fields — rich in the nntarnished brilliancy of early summer — are hushed and sleeping, and the peerless river sweeps on- ward, with a flow as calm and noiseless, as if it, too, shared the soothing influence of the sunset-hour, that has cast such a man- tle of softness and beauty over the still and verdant shores. 8'80 P.M. We have stopped at Sorel for a few minutes, but the night is too dark to see anything but the general outline of the place. Tt is a small town, situated at the confluence of the Eiver Richelieu with the Saint Lawrence, and is distant about forty-five miles from Montreal. The French had a fort here in 1GG5, as a protection against the attacks of the Iroquois Indians, but there is now scarce a vestige of the ancient buil- ding left. An attempt was made some sixty years ago, to change the old name of Sorel to that of William.Henry, in honour of the sailor-prince, afterwards William the Fourth, but it proved a signal failure ; and the place still bears its original, and, there- fore, most appropriate designation. Tuesday 31st May St. Henry De Lair^on 1*40 p.m. It was so early this morning, when the steamer arrived at the far-famed * city of cannon,' that we judged it advisable to delay further progress towards Lake Etchemin, until after breakfast ; ospcciall}', as the temperature of tbc air — notwitli- Btaiidiiig the immediate proximity of summer — was so exceed- ingly low, as to make it feel almost cold. Accordingly, having consigned our luggage to the guardianship of a stui-dy portei", we walked up to Russell's Hotel, in Palace Street ; and, iu duo time, were provided with an excellent breakfast, and all neces- sary information regarding the best mode of reaching our des- tination. About ten o'clock we crossed the river to the pretty littlo town, which stands directly oj)posite Quebec, un the promon- tory called Point Levi. According to Bouchette, it was laid out in 1818, by Sir John Caldwell, and named Aubigny in honour of the then Duke of Richmond ; but that title has long since passed away, and the more ancient designation, by wluch the old French village had been known for so many years, is now completely reinstated. Its site is lofty, and, from the river- bank clohc by, there is to be obtained a most glorious view, unequalled of its kind, perhapp, in the whole world. Far and wide, the eye roams over a vast extent of country, presenting every variety of featurp, and combining, not only most of the chara;Cteristics of scenic grandeur, but those of marvellous love- liness as well. The majestic river, sweeping its blue and crys- tal tide between bold and imposing shores ; the frowning bat- teries of Cape Diamond, three hundred and fifty feet above the surface-level of the water ; the beautiful and romantic old city, with its battlemented walls and glittering spires ; the moun- tain-ranges in the distance; smiling and rich valloys, green as emerald, and chequered with picturesque farm-houses j the mystoriou.s and almost uncxploicd forest; gcm-llkc lakes aiul foaming water-falls ; all here unite to form a matr^hlesa pa- norama, in which the various elements are grouped together in scenes of wondrous beauty. Wo reached this village a few minutes since, after a most charming drive through a delightful and lovely country, with pleasant-looking farms, and clean, bright cottages scattered over its surface. The road, too, was macadamized and luost ex- cellent, approaching ;is nearly to perfection as any I ever tra- velled over. The soil, judging from its appearance, and the thriving look of the farms, should be very good. St. Henry do Lauzon is in the Seigniory of that name, which occupies the whole county of Dorchester. It was granted, according to Bou- chette, to Monsieur Simon Lemaitre, on the 16th January 1636. Trees are, unfortunately, not abundant, so that the natural beauty of the country is rather impaired ; and the eye, although recognising its many attractions, still longs for some forest or woodland scenery to relieve the monotony of such a long stretch of grain-fields and gardens. At this place, we got our first view of the Eiver Etchemin, a wild and lovely stream, with craggy banks and brilliantly clear water : but so shallow, at this season, as to be only navi- gable for canoes, and, in some places, not even suitable for those. Its breadth does not appear to average much more than twenty yards, so far as w^' have seen, and, indeed, the presump- tion is that, as we approa its source, we shall find it narrow- er still. 6*30 P.M. We arc stopping for a few minutes at a mill, where 5 J as wc increase our di.«tai)co from tlio St. Lawrcuco ; and the farms hereabouts do not wear the same api)earance of riclinc.srf and prosperity that chai'actcrizcs tliosc in the vicinity of tUo great river. At three o'clock we passed through the vilhige of St. An- eelmc — seven miles from St. Henry. The road between tlie two places, though not macadanii/od, is very good, and con- tinues on the eastern bank of the Etchemin, within a short dis- tance of the stream. Two hours later we arrived at Sto. Claire, twenty-four miles from Quebec, and six miles from St. An- selme. It is a very small place, with nothirg remarkable about it, but, wc observed that, in its neighbourhood, the land was beginning to lose the dead level, which distinguished it for the first part of our journey, in rapidly-succeeding undulations — signifying approach to the high and almost mountainous town- Bhip of Frampton. 11 P.M. The country, after passing the mill on the Abenaqui, rapidly assumed a hiliy character, and, on reaching East Frampton, thirty miles distant from Quebec, we found our- selves fairly amongst the mountains. Travelling became a matter of sc . e toil and difficulty; for the road was bad, and precipitous hills of momentary occurrence ; however, with the inferiority of the highway, the beauty of tjj^ scenery increased, and every succeeding instant presented us with fresh and charm- ing glimpses of the now wild and magnificent forest-landscape. Away down in a deep valley to our right, ran the silver thread of the River Etchemin, while, on either side of the stream the banks rose into sloping mounlains, decked with the summer 6 woods in all their glory — bright, gay and luxuriant — perpotu- ally varying in aspect Avith the undulations of the land, and the cver-changing play of light upon the dense masses of fleecy foliage, from which the stray dwellings of the lonely settlerH stood out in strong and bold relief. Ever and anon we crossed some brawling brooklet, pursuing its noisy way at ihe bott(jni of a deep dell, sometimes far down below us, and almost hid- den from view by the density of the dark spruce forest, which, in its wild luxuriance, cast an eternal shadow over the path- way of the babbling waters. Mr. E had written to me to the effect that, although there was no inn at East Frampton, we should find little diffi- culty in procuring a night's lodging, as the people were very hospitable : but we were not fortunate enough, on our arrival at the village, about eight o'clock, to find his promises rea- lized. The inhabitants of East Frampton would have nothing to do with us, but contented themselves with the intimation that an inn existed f^ome four miles further on. Considerably disappointed at our reception, and provoked at such an unex- pected prolongation of the day's work, we were not in the best mood when we turned our backs upon the inhospitable village, and resumed our journey over an execrable road, and through an exceedingly wiOd, and, apparently, almost uncleared coun- try ; more particularly, as the last vestige of daylight had dis- appeared, and it was almost impossible to move faster than at a foot-pace along the broken and hilly track, which was every- where full of holes and rain-puddles. The horse, at this juncture, began to show symtoms of fiv- tigue ; 80, leaving him and the driver to follow at their leisure, we trudged on in advance, glad enough, in spite of the unto- ward circumstances of our case, to stretch our legs after the long drive from Point Levi. In the uncertain starlight, unusually faint and dim, the dark and silent forest presented a most frown- ing aspect, while the road was hardly distinguishable, as it pur- sued its unlit way through M'hat seemed to us the very heart of the deep woods — the hill-sides, dotted here and there with the clearing-fires of new settlers, alone proclaiming the vicinity of man. The noisy Etchemin, too, although dashing along within a stone's throw of cur path, was quite invisible for a time, and it was only when our eyes became accustomed to the gloom, that we could discern the foaming river plunging ovfa- its rocky bed, and trace the dark outlines of the solemn pine.', standing in groups like the genii of the stream, and keeping watch and ward upon its bold and beautiful banks. About three miles from East Frampton, we arrived at the house of a young Irish settler, who, unlike his neighbours of the village, was hospitably inclined j and, tired and hungry as we both were by Jiis time, it was with a feeling of really glad relief that we accepted his ofEer of a night's lodging, and thank- ed him for the civility and kindness of his reception, which, moreover, did not end with the shelter of his roof, as very shortly after we crossed the welcome threshold, his wife laid before lis a most excellent supper of tea,, hot rye and oaten cakes, with an abundance of capital milk and butter. The quiet, unde- monstrative way in which she catered for our comfort, quite won upon our gratitude ; and it will be long before either S— — 8 or I forget tlic genuine Lofi})itality of Mr. and Mrs AndrcTv Bradley. Wednesday 1st June 5 a.m. The morning thus far has been rainy, but the clouds arc now breaking, and there is every prospect of a fine day. Mr. Brad- ley tells us that severe frost occurred here on the night of the 30th May, which did much damage to the young crops. The land is wretchedly poor in this neighbourhood, and in that of East Frampton, hardly requiting the settlers for the labour of clearing. They pay yearly rent at the rate of four cents per acre, such being about the interest on the purchase money; and the claim of preemption is always allowed. The seig- niorial or territorial rights belong to a family of the name of Henderson — whose comfortable looking chUeau we passed just as the sun went down last evening. 4 30 r M. We left Bradley's about a quarter after five this morning, and ronchcd the inn, which the people of East Framp- ton hrid directed us to, very shortly afterwards, having fii'st crossed, from Frampton Townshi}) into Standon, a beautiful little river called L'Eau Chaude. The inn proved to be a new- ly-built log -house, occupied by a French Canadian, named Gosselin, and consisting, apparently, of only two large rooms, one on the ground-floor, and the other a story higher. In the former we seated ourselves and ordered breakfast, wliich made its oppearance about half- past seven o'clock — a capital meal of fried pork, omelette, tea and home- made bread, to which we did most ample justice. Then, having exchanged our calecJie i'or a charette, or common cart of the country, we started for tho lake, said to be about twelve miles further on. For about a fourth of the distniice the road ip v'cry tolerable, and the country, in its immediate vicinity, cleared and thinly settled ; but, tlienceforward, our path lay entirely through tho unfchorn woods, over a rough, mountainous, and rocky track, impassable for any vehicle of more delicate constitution than a common cart. The land between Gosselin's and the forest seem- ed better than that we passed over yesterday, bnt it became worse as we advanced, and, for a considerable distance, was as bad as it well could be : there was literally no soil* and the na- ked rock was seen cropping out everj^where. In a short time we came to the wild and beautiful Riviore des Fleurs, spanned by a rude, wooden bridge, and not long aiterwards, about eight miles from Gosselin's, found our- selves once more on the banks of the Etchemin, there sepa- rating the townships of Standon and Craubourne. The bridge over this river was swe])t away in the great floods some years ago, but, as the water was very low, we forded the stream with- out difficulty. After crossing the Etchemin, the road, wliich is the separa- tion-line between the townships of Ware and Cranbourne, im- proved slightly ; though it still continued ascending and rough : the land, however, was decidedly better than that in either Standon or Frampton, and, as we advanced, some beautiful bits of luxuriant hard- wood forest gave token of the fertile soil be- neath. Here we quitted the cart, and, discarding our coats, as the day was vory warm, trudged on towards the lake, lea- ving tho horse and driver, with the heavy vehicle, to follow ua 10 nvor the rocky, uneven unci trying ])alii, at tlicir own time aud }>ii CAi. About one o'clock, a glimpse of the water, tlirougb the trccH, j-hewed us tha^. our journey was near its end, and, in a few minutes afterwards, we reached a clearing, and obBerved several wooden buildings ; but only two of them were used as dwel- ling-houses — one by a man named Mc Ceaughry, and the other by his son-in-law. The farmers were not at heme, but Mrs. Mc Ceaughry, with true backwoods hospitality, soon laid be- fore us excellent pancakes, eggs, butter and capital tea, on which welcome combination we feasted sumptuously, Tifikc Etchemin is, without exception, the wildest and most solitary sheet of water I have ever seen. It is about four miles in length, with a variable breadth, averaging, perhaps, Komuthing over five hundred yards, which is pretty nearly the distance across at the continuation of the boundary -lines of Ware and Crahbourno. So far as our observation extends, it eoems to possess gently sloping shores, which are almost en- tlffiv wooded. The dense spruce forest creeps down to the edtro of the water, and the lower branches of the outward trees spread over its surface to the distance of several feet, all but dil>pij>g themselves into the cool, pure element, which reflects Intck their loveliness with the distinctness of a brilliant mirror. Denuded of these dark and beautiful woods, perhaps there would be nothing very striking in the appearance of Lake >.tchcmin, but rich in such an exquisite setting of nature's own sweet handiwork, it is perfectly charming — and none tho less so in my eyes, that it is lonely and silent as the grave, 11 Not a sound dlaturbs the unbroken solitude, and the lake itself is sle eping as if it never meant to wake again : ' So calm, the waters scarcely seem to stray, And yet they glide like happiness away.' Anxious to explore the mysteries of these lovely shores, we instituted enquiries as to the means of accomplishing this ob- ject by water, but, alas, no vessel that would swim was obtain- able — not even a log-canoe. We were shown, indeed, some once excellent boats in a neighbouring shed, though the dis- appointing fact was all too patent, that they were utterly use- less — sad relics of bygone years, whose mouldering sails and rotting keels spoke to us strangely of other and different con- ditions, and almost persuaded us that the now silent and de- serted lake possessed a history we knew not of, while imagi- nation led us back through a long vista of years, painting, as it strayed, such a picture of the past, that we were fain to believe ' — should the stranger apk what lore (.If bygone days this winding shore Yon cliffs and fir-clad steeps could tell, If vocal made by Fancy'sspcll, — The varying legend might rehearse, Fit themes for high romantic verse.* But the wild and lonely shores of beauteous Etchemin were never settled in olden times by the ' pale-faces,' and if any his- tory hangs about them, we must look for it amongst the tra- ditions of the ' red-man,' in the days when he roamed, free and fearless, by the sparkling rivers, and through the massive fo- rests, which still — in the rich exuberance of nature — lend a glo- ry to the scene, as grand as it is impressive. We are now about four miles from the ford across the Etchei ImP II ruin River, and rnthcr more than ten timep tliai distance from Qneboc, forty-six tnilos bcin«^ the crtimatnd length of the road by wliicli we have travelled. From St. TIenry it has been an al- most continued ascent, so thht we mii«t, by this time, have at- tained to a considerable height above the level of the St. Law- rence — probably about 1500 feet. After luncheon, we wandered into the woods, following, a?i our guide, a beautiful little stream, called Le Dccharge du Lac, which runs frorn the lake, and falls into theEtcherain some dis- tance below. At no time have T been more forcibly impressed with the solitude and silence of the American primeval forest than to-day. Although within a mile of Mc Ceaughry'e house. it seemed as if we were in the heart of a great, forlorn and un- trodden wilderness, so utterly destitute of life, and so still and voiceless were the woods around us. Not a bird was visible Even the inquisitive and cheerful chickadee, (Pants atricapil Ivs) which I have so frecjuently found under similar circum- stances, was absent. No pert and noisy squirrels sported amongst these recluse and ancient trees, whose destiny seemed literally to be a silent passage through the various phases of vegetation, from the bright, sweet verdure and bloom of youth, to the in- evitable death, which awaits alike the animate and inanimate in this sub-lunar world, Huge, prostrate trunks — moss-cover- ed and half- hidden by tbe thick underbrush and untold gene- rations of mouldering lec.ves — lay scattered about in all direc- tions ; some of them mere empty shells, the interior of which had rotted and passed away, leaving the less perishable bark to tell the story of their former grandeur, ere the unsparing 13 hand of time had bcwcd down their glories to the earth ! There was no breeze — no sound of any kind. Nature slept ; and her slumbers were so profound, that the mere crackling of a branch, or the twitter of a bird would have been a relief to the oppres- sive stillness which reigned alike on land and water : •Eirth wore one summcr-rohc of living green, In hccVcn'ri blue arch the sun alone was seen; Creation slumber'd In the cloudless light, And noon was silent as the dej-th of night.' We did not extend our explorations to any great distance through these gloomy woods, but retraced our steps to the banks of the little rivulet, whose bright waters seemed as lonely and unsought as the forest through which they flow, while hasten- ing onward to absorption in the larger stream below. The beau- ty of this little forest-river has been slightly marred, by a part- ly-formed dam — the work of the destroying lumberman — just where it debouches from the lake. No other harm, however, has resulted from the', fortunately, unfinished structure, and the waters flow on as ever. During the journey hither through the woods, we met with many specimens of the gaily-dressed and noisy American blue jay {GarruluB crisfatus), one of the commonest, but still one of the most beautiful of Canadian birds. With these exceptions, however, and a stray Baltimore oriolo [Icterus Baltimorensis)^ or two, no feathered creatures crossed our path. The latter ele- gant little warbler, called also gold-robin and hang nest, earn- ed its title of Baltimore bird from the colours of its plumage, black and orange, which were those borne by Lord Baltimore, in the olden days, when Maryland was first settled. Yesterday rvai u we obfcn id nanibers of the sprightly rice-birds or bob'O-links {DoUchomjx orynvora), in the fields along our route, and lis- U ned with pleasure to the sweet tinkling song, from which they have derived their rommon name. Thev were tame enough to allow us a very near approach, as were also, strange to say, our ordinarily cautious and wary old friends, the common crows {Corvus Amtricanzis). Wild-flowers, as yet, are not abundantly in bloom, though there are quite sufficient to attract the attention, and call forth the admiration of the wanderer through this unfrequented re- gion. The beautiful red death (Trillium' ercdum), with its curi- ous flowers of lurid purple, is very plentiful, as well as its pale sister, the white death {Trillium grand iflorum), whose blos- soms rival the winter snow in purity of hue. Some thirty years ago, or thereabouts, seventeen acres of this property, sloping upwards from +>"* Hke-shore, were clear- ed, with the intention of building thereon ; but the idea was shortly abandoned, and since then, I doubt if the spot has been visited by strangers a dozen times. !N'ature has entirely re- eamed her sway, and a second-growth of graceful and vigorous black-spruce trees [Abies nigra) — perhaps the most charming of their beauteous tribe — have now taken the place of the original forest. Thursday 2nd June, 10 p.m. Mrs. Mc Ceaughry gave us supper last night, and her hus- band soon afterwards returned from the woods, where he had been clearing. We found him an intelligent and, apparently, a very respectable man, possessing a good deal of information 1 about the country in his vicinity. He told us that his Bcttlc- mcnt was the most remote one in Canada to the eastward of Lake Etcherain, and that it was only thirteen milos from the head-waters of the great St. John River. Also that moose were plentiful in the adjoining woods, and that bears and wolves were very numerous. The trout, he said, of the Etchemin Lake, whose waters are very clear and of great depth, were often taken of large size, and he had seen one himself which weighed twenty-eight pounds. He added that there were only two un- settled townships between Craiibourne and the State of Maine. These people treated us with the utmost hospitality, and en- tirely refusou remuneration of any kind ; so we had to content ourselves with thanking them most cordially for their attention and civility. We started from Lake Etchemin shortly after five a.m., e- merged from the forest at nine, and reached Gosselin's, where we stopped for breakfast, at ten, having first had a delicious wash in the cool waters of the Eau Chaude. A little before noon, we were once more under-weigh, and, by about seven o'clock in the evening, had completed our journey to Point Levi, in time for the ferry. bot;t to Quebec — forty-six miles in eleven hours and a half. We hi'.d a capital horse, and a cheerful, ex- cellent driver, called Bonneville, whom we found most use- ful and obliging. The drive from Ste. Claire, where we aaid farewell to the bad roads, was very pleasant, and from St. Henry, it was per- fectly delightful. Thereabouts the Queen's highway is most excellent, and, as heavy rain had fallen an hour or two before, I lit' ■ i' ' 11 IB tbe damp, cool forest exhaled the most balmy and fragrant odours as we passed through it, and, being void of dust, look- ed particularly fresh and radiant. A beautiful savane, too, which wo observed close to the road, was very attractive from the multitudes of the rich, rose-coloured blossoms of the great willow-herb ( Epilohium angustifolhim ), which it presented. These charming flower-beds of nature abound in the North American woods, and afford most exquisite breaks in the forest scenery — relieving the monotony of the constant green, and gaining in loveliness themselves by the contrast. "^ ' ' The day throughout was overcast, and some rain fell during the afternoon, but, on the whole, we could not complain of the weather, for it was fresh and very pleasant, in spite of the dark sky and threatening nimbus clouds. The land, in the immediate neighbourhood of Point Levi, is exceedingly good, and the scenery very beautiful — two or three ravines which we crossed being of surpassing loveliness, es- pecially at this season of the year, when the grass is brilliantly green, and the landscape, generally, has donned its summer robe. The town appears to be chiefly inhabited by French Canadians, and, throughout the seigniories of JoUiet and Lauzon, the coun- try is settled almost exclusively by these people — the townships of Standon and Frampton, on the otheihand, being occupied, for the most part, by Irish emigrants. * # * • • Fbiday 3bd June, Quebec 10 a m. M'e took a caleche this morning, and drove out to the Indian village of Loretto, which is nine miles distant from the city. 17 I It ia situated on the cabt bank of tlie St. Charles River, and a bridge across that stream connects it with the French Cana* dian village of St Ambroise. 'i'he St. Charles is here very wild ijuiid picturesque, and, just below the bridge, tbere is a magni* ficenc cascade, where the stream tumbles through a charming gorge in an almost unbroken sheet of foam. The precipitous Bides of this beautiful defile, are densely clothed with spruce and other trees, which, during our visit, cast a cool and delicious shade over the pleasant foot-path at the river-edge, and filled the air with a balsamic fragrance that was truly delightful. After their stormy rush over the broken rocks at Lorette, the dark watera of the St. Charles wind in comparative tranquillity through a lovely valley to Quebec — where, in the suburbs of St. Eochs, they join the St. Lawrence. Lorette is inhabited by descendants of the once-powerful Huron Indians, who took refuge in Quebec after the massacre of their tribe by the Iroquois. They have adopted the religion and the language of their allies and neighbours, the French Canadians, with whom they have intermingled to such an ex- tent, that their individuality as a race has passed away for ever. The village was first settled in 1697, when the Hurons removed from their previous residence at Sillery. The population is imder two hundred. The drive to Lorette is a very delightful one at all times, and, at this season of the year, particularly charming, for the whole country is glowing in all the young beauty of a Canadian June — its rivers and lakes sparkling in the sunshine like dancing wtreams of silver and sheets of shimmering gold — the broad =r 18 fields, rich in the pride of their fresh greenery, and dotted, abundantly, with dark and picturej^qne woodlands, from a- mongst which peep n^any pleasant- looking country-houses, and flwcet, placid villages — while, far in the background, riao the blue mountains of the LaurcnLian (>hain, standing out clear and distinct from iho pure slvrent throughout its course. Its impetuous waters *iow thr a portion of that vast forest, which stretches, almost witL . .J a break, from within a short distance of Quebec, as far as trees will grow towards the arctic regions, and, at last, after dashing from a grand and magnificent gorge, they cast them- selves down a precipice, two hundred and forty feet in height, and are lost for ever from the view in some groat, mysterious cavern at the foot. It is an extraordinary and unexplained phe- nomenon, this strange disappearance of a large and powerful stream, but such is the fact, nevertheless. The mighty St. Lawrence sweeps its great flood past the rocky cliffs on either side of the cataract, but no drop of the falling river seems to mingle with its tide, and it flows on unconscious, as it were, of the fate of the Montmorenci, over whose mysterious grave, the crashing waters shriek their eternal requiem, and the foam- clouds rest like a silver pall. The beautiful and romantic falls of the Montmorenci are said to be only sixty feet across, at the summit, though their width below is very much greater — the huge gap in the cliffs of the St. Lawrence, through which the turbulent river pours its boil- ing flood, being estimated at about two hundred and sixty yards in breadth. A suspension-bridge spanned the cataract some years ago, but its existence was of very brief duration, for. giving way soon after its completion, it fell into the raging waters below, and carried three people, and a horse and cart Willi it to destruction. A wooden structure of more substan- tial workmanfihip now <;r-osfief th& rajjids some distance up. . 1 F^ i 20 I ""We lunched at tiie pioturesque: little inn, called the Mont;^: in crenci Cottage, and returned to Quebec about six o'clock, hnving been detained by a heavy thunder. shower, which swept over us during the atternoon,, The road is pretty— like all those in the nf;ighbourhood of the romantic old town— and croBses the St. Charles Biver by 7Jorchester Bridge. The distance is about^ eight miles. ' '■■ ' - Saturday 4th June 9 p.m. - To-day we drove to Carouge — going thither by the St. Foy Eoad, through the village of that name, which is about five miles from the city, and returning by the upper or St. Lewis Road. It was a fine, bright morning, and the valley of the St. Charles River looked exquisitely beautiful, after the heavy rain of yesterday, which has ch,;ared the atmosphere, and refreshed the face of nature amazingly. Carouge is one of the numerous promontories on the north bank of the St. Lawrence, the name being simply a corruption, of Cap Rouge or Red Cape. It is about eight miles distant from Quebec, and, on account of its own beauty, and the charm- ing roads that lead to it, there are few places in the neighbour."?; hood possessing greater attractions. A rivulet, also called Ca- rouge, joins the St. Lawrence at the foot of the cliff, and, near, the confluence of the two streams, there is a village, as well as a bridge over' the Carouge. The promontory, which is beau- tifully wooded, is said to be about three hundred and thirty feet, above the tide-level of the great river. ; .:>■ : • -On our way back to Quebec, we stopped at the far-famed height3*of"Abra(hain«-the scene of. that great and. brilliant vie-. 21 tory, which lost France her Canadian possessions, and gave to England one of the brightest jewels in her empire-crown. The grassy plains that cover the summit of the cliffs, consist simply of pasture-lands and uninteresting commons ; but the undying associations connected with the battle-field must ever retain for it the deepest interest of all those who cherish the record of their country's glory and renown. A graceful little pillar marks the spot where the young and chivalrous English gene- ral breathed his last, and on it, are inscribed the memorable words : — HERE DIED WOLFE VICTORIOUS, The present monument, erected by Sir Benjamin D'Urban, is, I believe, Bifac-simile of the original, which, shattered by the frosts and snows of many winters, now lies buried in the ground beneath. During the afternoon we paid a visit to the pleasant and inter- esting government- garden, originally a portion of the grounds enclosing the time-honoured Castle of St. Lewis, which was destroyed by ^-e in January 1834. Of small extent, and not particularly remarkable for beauty, it is chiefly attractive as the Bite of an obelisk, erected in 1828, to commemorate the capture of Quebec, and the fall of the two gallant leaders of the French and English armies. The monument seems to have been badly built, for the stones, nearly all of small size, are separating rapidly, and the whole structure threatens, ere long, to come to pieces. The Iriscription, moreover, which is Hi 22 in Latin, and very lengthy, contrasts unpleasantly with the sim ^le words that we read this morning on the battle-ground, and forcibly suggestM how little real harmony there is existing be- tween verbiage and grandeur in such cases. Sunday 5th Junf 10 am. We left Quebec at five o'clock yesterday evening in the same fine vessel that took us down, and arrived ac Montreal early this morning — regretting that our pleasant tour was at an end, but rich in the remembrance of six most grateful and delightful days. En route, wo stopped at the old French town of Batis- can, on the left back of the St. Lawrence, near the mouth of the Batiscan River ; but the night was dark, and we could not see much of the place. During this trip I have seen more of the French Canadians than I ever did before, and I '^"n truly say that I have not, elsewhere, met with such clei joking villages, or such a polished and happy peasantry. Even the poorest among them keep their houses and farms in good order, and, at all hours, when we passed through their villages, the inhabitants were respectably and neatly dressed. The men and boys invariably touched their hats to us when we met them, and even the young children observed this polite and pleasing custom.