A ij m , e !>" A 'S M © m T t # itk , QU'KBKC i'rniTi POINT I ,E\'I Pa. U49 "TV'Hl _i_'!i iCfl vy jjniiLcsv^v wmj^"^ s \ REMARKS, MADE ON A SHORT TOUR, BETWEEN HARTFORD AND aUEBEC. ly THE AUTUMN OF 1819; BY THE AUTHOR OP A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN ENGLAND. HOLLAND AND SCOTLAND • i %"••■ NEW-HAVEN : PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY S. CONVERSE. 1820. DISTRICT OF CONNECTICLT, #5. KK IT KF.MFMBFREn, That on the twelfth day of August, in the foriy-iifth year of the lu- ll) leiieiuleiice of the United States of Amcriin, , -___-^^^BF.NJAMiN Sii.HMAiV, of the Said District, hath de- '<^^'rj0i>^ posited in this OiUco the title of a book, the rigbi whereof he claims as Author, in the words following, to wit : — " Remarks, made on a short tour, between Hartford and Qiie- •' bee. Ml the Autumn of 1819: by the Author of a Journal of • Travels in England, Hollaiul and Scotland. ' In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, " An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of iMaps, Charts and Books, to the authors and propri- etors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned.' CHAS. A. INGEReOLL, Clerk of the Dhtrht of Connecticut. A true copy of Record, examined and sealed by me, CHAS. A. LNGERSOIX, CJe.rk of the DUtrict of Conncctieut. PUEFACE. DUlllNG the excursion, which produced this iiuill volaiiie, I began, with an intention of sketch- ing a series, of short articles, in some degree popu- lar and general, in their character, and still of such a cast, as would admit of their being thrown occa- sionally, into the American Journal of Science. Before the close of tlie journey, these remarks, although written hastily, in public houses, and in steam-boats, became too extensive for the object M'st intended. For reasons, with which it is, per- laps, unnecessary to trouble the reader, it has since .)een thought advisable to print them, after due re- vision, in the form in which they now appear. The geological notices, are, with few exceptions, placed under distinct heads, and may, without in- convenience, be omitted, by those to whom they are uninteresting. But, the geological features of a countr)^ being ])ermanent — being intimately con- nected with its scenery, with its leading interests, and even w^th the very character of its population, have a fair claim, to delineation, in the observa- tions of a traveller ; and this course, however un- usual with us, is now common in Europe. I regret, that my limited time did not admit of more extend- ed and complete observations of this nature, and I cannot flatter myself that they are always free from error. The historical remarks and citations have been the more extended, from an impression, that less has been said by travellers in America, than miglit. liave been expected, of scenes and events, wliich, to Americans, I conceive, must ever be subjects^ of the deepest interest. 4 PREFACE. The friend, in whose company this tour was made, having been in the habit, when travelHng, of taking hasty outhnes of interesting portions of scene- ry, and of finishing them after his return, did, in this instance, the same ; and, although when execu- ted, they were not intended for pubHcation, the drawings, which illustrate some of the scenes in this work, were, at my request, furnished by him. The engraver, Mr. S. S. Jocelyn, of New-Haven, a young man of twenty, almost entirely self-taught, evinces talents, deserving of encouragement, and which have been highly spoken of, by the first his- torical painter in this country. This little accidental work does not assume the dignity of a book of travels ; it contains no adven- ture, and claims to be merely a series of remarks, and of statements of facts, respecting some portions of this country, and of a neighbouring province. BENJAMIN SiLLIMAN. Yah College, August llth, 1820. 90i0i ERRATA, A few errata, which (although, in an uniraportont raaiiner,) ai- fecl the sense; and a few errors in orthography, had been noted, but, the rnemorandnm containing tliem, having been mislaid, at too advanced a stage of the printing, to allow time for a reperusal of the book, these things must nerep-arily go nncorrected. The only error of fact, which I have discovered, is, that we ar- rived at Burlington, on our return, ai cccning, instead o( insmiiij^j ?! j?, however, ofna inomcnt. CONTENTS, PlllNT; Page. Quebec from Point Levi, (Vignette on title page) Description of this print, _ - - 249 No. 1, Monte Video, from the south rock, (frontispiece) 2. Approach to the house, facing page - 1() Description of No's 1 and 2, - - 10 3. Lake George, from the village of Caldwell, (facing page) - - - - 146 4. Lake George, from fort George, facing page 148 Description of iNo.'s 3 and 4, - - 147 5. Approach to Quebec from the S. W. facing pa. 210 Description of No. 5, - - - 209 6. Part o}' Quebec, from the wharf, facing page 214 Description of No. G, - - - 213 7- Falls of Montrnorenci, facing page - - 230 Description of No. 7, - - - 228 8. Lumber establishment at Montrnorenci, and bay of Quebec, facing page - - 234 Description of No. 8, - - - 234 9. Quebec, from the mouth of the Chaudiere, facing page - - - - 252 Description of No. 9, _ - - jb. ^ PRINCIPAL TOPICS. Monte \'id('u. near llnrtford ; description of its scenery, 1 Middle region of Coimeeticut ; its scenery and geology, 17 Primitive country : its commencement, - - 28 Churcht-s ; zeal lor building them, - , - 30 yVmerican liuis ; peculiarities in their manners, - 32 (iideto Sandisficid, 3't Hide to Lenox, ------ 37 Geology bctwrM n Sandisfield and Lenox, - - 3?> 8 CONTENTS. Pnge. iSIontreal ; Geology and mineralogy of its environs, 328 Mode of building, - - 330 Beauty of its environs, - - 332 Race-course, and racing, - - 333 , Its importance, - - - 335 JVliscellaneoiis remarks upon it, - 341 North-West Company, - - 344 Aborigines, - - - - 34G Ploughing match, - - - 348 Agricultural dinner, - - - 349 History, Sec. - - - - 353 Caution to strangers in Canada, - - 356 Peculiar mode of extracting teeth, - - 357 Catholic worship, - - - - 358 French language, ----- 3(32 Population ; manners ; costume ; villages ; political situation, &c. - - 263 Departure from Canada, - - - 370 Plattsburgh bay, 374 Anecdotes, ----- - 376 Burlington to Hanover, - - - 380 Geology and mineralogy from Lake Chaniplain, 386 Hanover, - -" 387 Dartmouth College, - - . - ib. Connecticut river ; ride down its banks, - 389 Geology, - - - - 391 Bellows Falls, 392 Geology and mineralogy, - - - 395 Brattlcborough, ----- 39G Geology. \'c. 399 Greenfield, 401 Deerficid, and other towns, to Hartford, - 402^ TOUR, ^c. llemarks viade^ on a short tour, between Harlford and Quebec p in the autumn q/'l819. XvELAXATION and health, and the gratification of a reasoiuible curiosity, were our immediate mo- lives, for undertaking this journey. Quebec, was our ultimate destination, but, we were not disposed to neglect interesting intervening objects, and as we w^ere unincumbered by business, and travelled by ourselves, we were masters in a good degree, of our own movements. On the twenty-first day of September, we left Hartford for Albany. A blustering equinoctial, had been howling for two «^ays, but without rain, and, as a severe drought had long prevailed, clouds of dust rose, in incessant eddies, and, driving before a violent w^ind, filled the atmosphere, and enveloped every object. We were not however prevented by the storm of sand and dust from setting out, nor, by the rain which soon followed, from proceeding. The fine turnpike upon which we commenced our journey was, but a few years since, a most rugged uncomfortable road ; now we passed it with ease 2 iO TOURBLTWEEN IlAllTl; URD AND QUEBEC. and rapidity, scarcely perceiving its beautiful undu- lations, which, gradually rising, as we receded from the Connecticut river, brought us, within little more than an hour, to the foot of Talcot mountain, MONTE VIDEO. After constantly ascending, for nearly three miles, we reached the highest ridge of the mountain, from which a steep declivity of a few rods, brought us to a small rude plain, terminated at a short distance, by the western brow, down which the same fine turnpike road is continued. From this plain, the traveller w4io wishes to visit a spot called Monte Video, remarkable for the extraordinary beauty of its natural scenery, will turn directly to the north, in- to an obscure road, cut through the woods, by the proprietor of the place to which it conducts. The road is rough, and the view bounded on the east, by the ricgo, which, in many places, rises in perpen- dicular ciifFs, to more than one hundred feet above the general surface of the summit of the mountain. On the west, you are so shut in by trees, that it is only occasionally, and for a moment, that you per- ceive there is a valley immediately below you. At the end of a mile and an half, the road ter- minates at a tenant's house, built in the Gothic style, and through agate of the same description, you en- ter the cultivated part of this very singular country residence. Here the scene is immediately changed. The trets no longer intercept your view upon the left. TOUR BETWEEN HAUTFORD AND Q,UEBEC.. 11 and you look almost perpendicularly, into a valley of extreme beauty, and great extent, in the highest state of cultivation, and which although apparently within reach, is six hundred and forty feet below you. At the right, the ridge, which has, until now, been your boundary, and seemed an impassable barrier, suddenly breaks off, and disappears, but rises again at the distance of half a mile, in bold grey masses, to the height of one hundred and twenty feet, crowned by forest trees, above which appears a tow- er, of the same colour as the rocks. The space or hollow, caused by the absence of the ridge, or what may very properly be called the hack hone of the mountain, is occupied by a deep lake, of the purest water, nearly half a mile in length, and somewhat less than half that width. Directly before you, to the north, from the cottage or tenant's house and extending half a mile, is a scene of culti- vation, uninclosed, and interspersed with trees, in the centre of which, stands the house. The ground is gently undulating, bounded on the west by the precipice which overlooks the Farmington valley, and inclining gently to the east, where it is termina- ted by the fine margin of trees, that skirt the lake. After entering the gate, a broad foot-path, leaving the carriage road, passes off to the left, and is carri- ed along the western brow of the mountain, until passing the house, and reaching the northern ex- tremity of this little domain, it conducts you, almost imperceptibly, round to the foot of the cliffs, on 12 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. which the Tower stands. It then gradually pass- es down to the north extremity of the lake, where it unites with other paths, at a white picturesque building, overshadowed with trees, standing on the edge of the water, commanding a view of the whole of it, and open on every side, during the warm weather, forming at that season, a dehghtful sum- mer house, and in the winter, being closed, it serves as a shelter for the boat. There is also an- other path which beginning at the gate, but leading in a contrary direction, and passing to the right, con- ducts you up the ridge, to what is now the summit of the south rock, whose top having fallen off, hes scattered in huge fragments, and massy ruins, around and below you. From this place you have a view of the lake, of the boat at anchor on its surface, gay with its stream- ers, and snowy awning; of the white building at the north extremity of the water, and, (rising immedi- ately above it,) of forest trees, and bold rocks, in- termingled with each other, and surmounted by the Tower. To the west, the lawn rises gradually from the wa- ter, until it reaches the portico of the house, near the brow of the mountain, beyond which, the west- ern valley is again seen. To the east and north, the eye wanders over the great valley of Connecticut river, to an almost boundless distance, until the scene fades away^ among the blue and indistinct mountains of Massa- chusetts. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. iJ The carriage road, leaving the tvvQ foot-paths, (just described,) at the gate, passes the cottage and its appendages, inclining at first down towards the wa-- ter, and then following the undulations of the ground, where the ascent is the easiest, winds gently up to the flat on which the house stands. Along this road the house, the tower, the lake, Sic. occasionally ap- pear and disappear, through the openings in the trees; in some parts of it, all these objects are shut from your view, and in no part is the distant view seen, until passing through the last group of shrub- bery near the house, you suddenly find yourself within a few yards of the brow of the mountain, and the valley with all its distinct minuteness, immedi- ately below, where every object is as perfectly visi- ble, as if placed upon a map. Through the whole of this lovely scene, which appears a perfect garden, the Farmington river pursues its course, sometimes sparkling through imbowering trees, then stretching in a direct line, bordered with shrubbery, blue, and still, like a clear canal, or bending in graceful eweeps, round white farm houses, or through meadows of the deepest green. Tlie view from the house towards the east, pre- sents nothing but the lake at the foot of the lawn, bounded on the north and south by lofty cliffs, and on the opposite shore, by a lower barrier of rocks, intermixed with forest trees, from amongst which, a road is seen to issue, passing to the south along the brink of the water, and although perfectly safe, ap- 14 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. pears to form, from that quarter, a dangerous en- trance to this retired spot. Every thing in this view, is calculated to make an impression of the most entire sechision ; for, be- yond the water, and the open ground in the imme- diate neighbourhood of the house, rocks and forests alone meet the eye, and appear to separate you from all the rest of the world. But at the same moment that you are contemplating this picture of the deep- est solitude, you may without leaving your place, merely by changing your position, see through one of the long Gothic windows of the same room, which reach to a level with the turf, the glowin|| western valley, one vast sheet of cultivation, filled v/ith inhabitants, and so near, that with the aid only of a common spy-glass, you distinguish the motions of every individual who is abroad in the neighbouring village, even to the frolicks of the children, and the active industry of the domestic fowls, seeking their food, or watching over, and providing for their young. And from the same window, when the morning mist, shrouding the world below and frequently hiding it completely from view, still leaves the summit of the mountain in clear sun- shine, you may hear through the dense medium, the mingled sounds, occasioned by preparation for the rural occupations of the day. From the boat vr summer house, several paths diverge ; one of which, leading to the northeast, af- ter passing through a narrow defile, is divided into TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 16 two branches ; the first passes round the lake, and • generally out of sight of it, for a quarter of a mile, until descending a very steep bank, through a grove of evergreens, so dark as to be almost impervious to the rays of the sun, even at noon day, it brings you suddenly and unexpectedly, out, upon the east- ern margin of the water, into the same road which was seen from the opposite side, and from thence along it, to the cottage, beyond the foot of the south rock. The other branch of the path, after leaving the defile, passes to the east side of the northern ridge, and thence you ascend through the woods, to its summit, where it terminates at the Tower, standing within a few rods of the edge of the precipice. The tower is a hexagon, of sixteen feet diameter, and fifty five feet high; the ascent, of about eighty steps, on the inside, is easy, and from the top which is nine hundred and sixty feet above the level of Connecticut river, you have at one view, all those objects which have been seen separately from the different stations below. The diameter of the view in two directions, is more than ninety miles, extending into the neighbouring states of Massachu- setts and New-York, and comprising the spires of more than thirty of the nearest towns and villages. The little spot of cultivation surrounding the house, and the lake at your feet, with its picturesque ap- pendages of boat, winding paths, and Gothic build- ings, shut in by rocks and forests, compose the fore- 8:;round of this ^rand Panorama. io TOTR BETWEEN' HAKTFORP \VT> QIEBFC. Ou the western side, the Farniiiijion valley ap- pears, in still greater beauty than even from the low- i er brow, and is seen to a greater extent, presenting: j many objects which were not visible from any other quarter. On the east, is spread before you, the , s^reat plain through which the Connecticut river winds its course, and up^^^n the borders of which tlie ! towns and villages are traced for more than forty i miles. The most considerable place within sight. ,1 is Hanford, where, although at tlie distance of eight « miles in a direct line, you see, with tlie aid of a j glass, the carriages passing at tlie intersection of the * streets, and distinctly trace the motion and position of the vessels, as they appear, and vanish, upon the \ river, whose broad sweeps are seen like a succession j of hikes, extending ilirough the valley. The whole j of this magnificent picture, including in its vast ex- i tent, cultivated plains and rugged mountains, rivers, i towns, and villages, is encircled bv a distant outline j of blue mountains, rising in shapes of endless vari- \ ety. ! The annexed prints, Nos. 1 and 2. will give some i ocular Dlustrations of the sceuery on the top of the j mountain. They ex'hibit different views of the lake, the cuhivated lawn, tlie buildings, the sur- i rounding forest, and rocky pinnacles and tower; i but still, it must be remembered, that they give only 1 some parts of the scene on the top of the mountain, ] without conveying any adequate idea, of tlie altitude j TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND vlUKBEC. 17 of the place, and scarcely a glimpse of the remote scenery. Indeed, the full illustration of the beauties of this mountain, would require a port folio of views, and would form a fine subject for the pencil of a master. As the beauty and grandeur of this place depend principally upon certain general facts relative to the geological structure and consequent scenery of the middle region of Connecticut, it may not be amiss to sketch in a very general way what I. believe has been nowhere sketched at all. Scenery and Geology of the Middle Region of Con- necticut. Among the objects which most powerfully arrest the attention of a traveller, natural scenery gene- rally occupies a distinguished place. No person, however heedless in observation, or torpid in feel- ing, can fail to experience some degree of interest in the features drawn upon the face of the earth by the hand of the Almighty, or to preserve some recollections of them. Even those whose views rise not above their immediate occupations, and who contemplate the earth only as a place on which they may live and act, and as a reservoir from which 18 TOUll BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (tUEBEC. emolument may flow, are still attentive to deep sands and rocky defiles, to dangerous bogs and marshes, and to mountain chains, \vhen they defeat or enhance the toils of cultivation, or oppose for- midable obstacles to travelling. National character often receives its peculiar cast from natural scenery. The hardy mountaineer, at least in the early stages of society, instinctively despises and easily subdues the soft inhabitant of rich alluvial plains ; and the peculiar characteristics of the Scotch Highlander, of the Bedouin Arab, and of the Hindu, are derived as much from the mountains, the sandy deserts, and the luxuriant vallies and plains, which they res- pectively inhabit, as from other causes. Natural scenery therefore is always worthy of observation, and It will be a never-failing source of delight to those, who, though perhaps not themselves painters or poets, participate in any degree in their faculties and perceptions ; and find in mountains, plains, and vallies— in streams, lakes, and woods— in cataracts and caverns— in cultivated regions, and in untamed solitudes— in narrow defiles, and in the boundless horizon, ever varying sources of pleasure, and inex- haustible topics of admiration and praise. ^ Neither should it be forgotten, that the peculiar leatures of every landscape are not fortuitous. The nature of the rocks, which, more or less prominent, or buried at a greater or less depth, form the firni :5ubstratum of every country, determines also the iineaments of the surface ; and although the Arab of TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 19 the desert, while he looks over his boundless ocean of sand, and the Norwegian, while he climbs his snowy mountains, is unconscious of this truth, it is still an acquisition to every intelligent mind. Thus, natural scenery is intimately connected with taste, moral feeling, utility, an instruction. In no country perhaps, is it more varied than in North America, and it constantly bears a close rela- tion to the geological structure of the different re- «^ions. Even in so limited a country as Connecti- cut, there are features so widely different, as hardly to escape the observation of the most negligent trav- eller. The greater part of this state being compos- ed of primhive formations, exhibits the usual aspect of such countries, and is, with few exceptions, (and those relating principally to the alluvion of rivers and of the sea shore,) hilly or mountainous. In most parts of Connecticut, the traveller passes a succession of hills and hollows, bounded by large curves, sometimes sinking deep and rising high, so as to create great inequality of surface — ascents and descents frequently arduous ; but rarely, except at fissures and chasms, exhibiting high naked preci- pices of rock. But, the hills and mountains are not all similar in their outline, and, in one region in particular, the physiognomy of the country is very pecuHar. At New-Haven, commences the region of se- condary trap or greenstone, referred to above. It completely intersects the state, and the state of 20 T0I511 BETWEEN HARTFORD AND iiUEUKC Massachusetts, like a belt, and even passes to the confines of the states of Vermont and New-Hamp- shire. Through the whole extent of this district, as in a great valley among the ridges, the Connecticut river flows, except below Middletown, near which the river passes through a barrier of primitive country, which continues uninterruptedly to the ocean, a distance of twenty-five or thirty miles. In the mean time, the trap region passes off in a direction south-westerly, and obliquely, w^th respect to the Connecticut river, and to the sea coast : it in- tersects parts of Durham, Guilford, and Branford, and unites again with the primitive in East-Haven, on the eastern side of New-Haven harbour. There, near the light-house, granite ledges are found contiguous to, although not, (as yet,) in absolute contact with the trap. The other boundaries of this region of second- ^ ary trap or greenstone, (as it is more frequently \ called,) may be thus stated, with sufficient accuracy. |] The primitive forms the western termination of * New-Haven harbour, and proceeding northerly, j' through parts of the towns of Woodbridge, Chesh- I ire, Wolcott, Bristol, Burhngton, Canton, and Gran- by, crosses into Massachusetts by South-Hampton, Northampton, Hatfield, Deerfield, Greenfield, and [ Bernardston, and terminates very nearly at the Ver- mont line. Returning, on the eastern side, this re- gion is bounded by parts of Northfield, Montague, j I J TOUR BETWEEN BARTEOKD ANli Q,LEBEC. 2\ Leveret, Pelliam, Belchertown, Granby, &;c. and passing into Connecticut at Somers — it is bounded by parts of Ellington, Vernon, Bolton, Glastenbury, and Chatham : at this latter place it again strikes the Connecticut river a little below Middletown, where this sketch commenced.* This region is more than one hundred miles long, I and varies in breadth from three miles to twenty- five. Its basis is composed of stratified rocks, in- clined to the east generally at a small angle to the j horizon ; sand stone is the most conspicuous of ' these rocks, and it has every variety, fron\ very I fine grained, to coarse; sometimes the rock is a I breccia or a pudding stone or a mere conglomerate. ' Generally, beneath the sand stone we find varieties i of slaty rocks, sometimes impressed with vegetables I and fish, and containing small veins of jet and coal. The most conspicuous feature of this region is I composed of the fine ridges of greenstone trap, which pervade it, generally in the direction of its length, and reach from the sea shore at New-Haven, with little interruption, to Greenfield and Gill, in th6 northern part of Massachusetts. These ridges of greenstone repose almost univer- sally upon sand stone,t and as this rock is by the 'lam indebted to Mr Tlitclicock's geological map (see Amer. Jour, of Science, vol. 1, p. 109,) for a part of those boundaries. ! Tiie only exceptions tliat I am acquainted with, are those mentioned by Mr. Hitchcock in the American Journal of Science-, I vol. l,p. 109. I 3 :;2 TUUR BETWEEN HARXrORD AND (QUEBEC. consent of all, regarded as a secondary formation, proceeding from the ruins of other rocks, it follows, of course, that whatever rock reposes upon it, must also be secondary. Hence, these greenstone ranges are called secondary. The rock is called green- btone, from its having, generally, a dark bottle green colour, and trap, from its being often in the form of steps or stairs — the word trap, in the Swedish lan- guage, from which it is derived, having this signifi- cation. The constituents of the greenstone trap are, generally, the mineral called hornblende, for its basis, with feldspar intimately blended, some- times visibly and sometimes in distinct crystals. — This rock is not hard, but it is very difficult to break — is sonorous — endures the weather very w^ell, and forms an excellent material for building. But the most striking circumstance to a traveiier, is, the peculiar physiognomy imparted to this re- gion, by the rocks of which we are speaking. Gen- erally, throughout the district whose boundaries have been sketched, the greenstone mountains rise in bold ridges — stretching often, league after league, in a continued line — or with occasional interruptions —or in parallel lines — or in spurs and branches. One front, (and generally it is that which looks w^est- erly,) is in most instances, composed of precipitous clifis, of naked frowning rock, hoary with time, moss-grow^n, and tarnished by a superficial decom- position. This front is a perfect barrier, looking like an immense work of art, impassable in most places, TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 23 composed frequently of ill-formed pillars* standing, side by side, and recedins; one behind another, at dif- ferent elevations, like rude stairs. These pillars ter- minate, at last, in a regular ridge, well defined like the top of a parapet, and crowned with trees, which a* the elevation of from two or three, to seven or eighf hundred feet, form a beautiful verdant fringe, often of evergreens, which is finely contrasted with the rocky barrier below. Although this is the general form of these hills, some of them are conical, or, ol irregular shapes ; but, the barrier-form is so com- mon, that in many parts of this distilct, the country seems divided by stupendous walls, and the eye ranges along, league after league, without perceiving an avenue, or a place of egress. Most of the ridges are parallel, and it is when travelling at their feet, that one is most forcibly struck with their castellated appearance. In some parts of the district it is impracticable for many miles, to find a passage for a road, or for a stream ; and both, when they cross the direction of the ridg- es, are wound through narrow rocky defiles, often singularly picturesque and wild, with their lofty im- pending cliffs, and with their fallen ruins. Indeed, I the immense masses of ruins w^hich, both in this dis- trict, and in the similar districts of other countries, are collected at the feet of the green stone ridges, * In some places, as on the front of mount Holyoke near IN'orlb- I ampton, they are regular pillars, IHce those of the giant's can?e- ' way. 24 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND qUBBEC tbrm a very striking object. Often they slope, with a very sharp accHvity, half, or two thirds of the way lip the mountain, and terminate only at the rocky barrier ; the ruins are composed of masses of every size, from that of a pebble, which may be thrown at a bird, to entire cliff's and pillars, of many tons weight, which, from time to time, fall, with fearful •concussion, into the vallies. This kind of rocky i avalanche is so common amons; the 2;reen stone l mountains, that it is often heard, and sometimes, in | the stillness of night, by those who live in the vicin- i ity. ^ I The cause is obvious. The greenstone rocks 1 arc often composed of contiguous, separate, pillars .'■ or portions, connected only by juxta position, and :; severed by fissures, both vertical and horizontal : into the fvirmer, the rain and snow water filters ; \ and when it freezes, the rocks are, bv the well ^\ known and irresistible expansion of the congeahng ' water, strained asunder, and whenever, either by the gradual undermining, produced by the weather, or by the stone diggers, who fearlessly work under the impending cliffs, their centre of gravity ceases to be supported, they come thundering down, like the alpine glaciers, and strew their ruins beneath. The two bluffs at New-Haven, called the East and the West Rock, have been (especially the for- mer.) in a great measure despoiled of their ruins, and, to some extent, even of their columns, in order to supply the demands of architecture ; but in most TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 25 parts of the greenstone region of Connecticut and Massachusetts, the venerable piles are undisturbed, and the hoary columns, tempest-beaten for ages,. stand, the durable monuments of other times. On the side of the greenstone ranges, opposite to that which presents a mural front, there is gene- rally a gradual slope ; often not of difficult ascent, and covered with trees and verdure, so that a trav- eller coming first upon the front, or the rear, would, if unaccustomed to such mountains, have no correct idea of the opposite side. Such are the outlines of the scenery, and of the rocks upon which it depends, in the middle region of Connecticut. It enables us to understand the peculiarities of the beautiful and grand scenery of Monte Video, which makes this villa, with its surrounding ob- jects, quite without a parallel in America, and prob- ably with few in the world. To advert again, brief!}', to a few of its leading pe- \ Guliarities. It stands upon the very top of one of the highest of the green stone ridges of Connecticut, at an elevation of more than one thousand two hundred feet above the sea, and of nearly seven hundred above the contiguous valley. The villa is almost j upon the brow of the precipice ; and a traveller in the Farmington valley, sees it, a solitary tenement, and in a place apparently both comfortless and inac- cessible, standing upon the giddy summit, ready, he would almost imagine, to be swept away by the 3* 26 TOUR BETWEEN H.ARTFORD AND QUEBEC. first blast from the mountain. The beautiful crys- tal lake is on the top of the same lofty greenstone ridge, and within a few yards of the house ; it pours its superfluous waters in a limpid stream, down the mountain's side, and affords in winter, the rnost pel- lucid ice that can be imagined. Arrived on the top of the mountain, and confining his attention to the scene at his feet, the traveller scarcely realizes that he is elevated above the common surface. The lake, the Gothic villa, farm house and offices, the gardens, orchards, and serpentine walks, conducting the stranger through all the varieties of mountain shade, and to the most interesting points of view, indicate a beautiful but peaceful scene ; but, if he lift his eyes, he sees still above him, on the nortl). bold precipices of naked rock, frowning like ancient battlements, and on one of the highest peaks, the tall tower, rising above the trees, and bidding defi- ance to the storms. If he ascend to its top, he contemplates an extent of country that might con- stitute a kingdom — populous and beautiful, with vil- lages, turrets and towns ; at one time, he sees the massy magnificence of condensed vapour, which re- poses, in a vast extent of fog and mist, on the Farmington and Connecticut rivers, and defines, with perfect exactness, all their windings; at anoth- er, the clouds roll below him, in wild grandeur, through the contiguous valley, and, should a thun- derstorm occur at evening, (an incident which eve- ry season presents,) he would view with delight. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 27 chastened by awe, the illuminated hills, and corres- ponding hollows, which every where, fill the great vale west of the Talcot Mountain, and altcrnatelv appear and disappear wuth the flashes of lightning. Descending this mountain to the west, the travel- ler is powerfully struck whli the view of the enor- mous masses of greenstone rock, which lie in con- fusion upon the slope of the mountain. They are the largest masses of this kind of rock, that I have any where seen. One of them is twenty-five feet in diameter. They lie in every form of disorder — alone, or piled one on another, and plainly evincino;, agreeably to the general fact in every country, where greenstone mountains abound, that they, jnore than almost any other, cover their decliv- ities with fallen ruins; that in some period of anti- quity, the contiguous ridges were vastly more ele- vated than at present, and that these dissevered masses, cleaving off from the ridges to which they were attached, were precipitated with irresistible violence, down the side of the mountain, till they found a resting place in solitudes, then trod only by the wild beasts, or by the savage aboriginals. Alluvial country succeeds to the Talcot mountain, and for miles, we pass over gentle undulations aboun- ding with water-worn pebles. The red sand stone which every where in Con- necticut, as well as in many other countries, forms the basis of the greenstone mountains, makes its appearance in various places, and constitutes, along is TOUR BETWEEN HARTVOiiO AND QUEBEC. with this species of trap, the most common building stone of the country. COMMENCEMENT OF THE PRIMITIVE COUNTRY. At the distance of thirteen miles from Hartford, we crossed the first ridge of gneiss. This was a part of the great barrier of primitive rocks which as I have already stated, bounds the secondary region of Connecticut on the west, and in a moment, 'changes both the geology and the picturesque features of the country. It is w^orthy of remark, that the primitive coun- try, on the eastern side of the Connecticut river, comes in at nearly the same distance from Hartford as on the western side. As we ascend tlie Bolton hill, going towards Norwich, we come to the primi- tive rocks, wiiich there, are mica slate, filled with garnets and staurotide. I suppose these two bounda- ries of the primitive, are therefore about twenty-five miles apart. Generally, the boundary of primitive which limits the great secondary green stone region of Connecticut already described, is distinguished by the contour of the hills, which is rounded, and they are commonly of greater elevation than the ridges of trap or greenstone. Thus it is impos- sible, for a traveller to go through the length of Connecticut, without traversing its secondary green- stone region. As he descends from the iiigh rounded primitive hills, on either side, lie will TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 29 be struck with the distinct ridges of greenstone rock, and with the long and often narrow rallies between them. iMount Holyoke and mount Tom near Northampton and the blue hills of Meriden, are parts of these greenstone mountains. The State's prison of Connecticut, or Newgate, is in one of these ranges, or rather in the sand stone which lies under it, and from this prison to New-Haven a distance of fifty or sikty miles, one rides almost at the foot of a nearly uninterrupted barrier of greenstone, frequent- ly from four to seven or eight hundred feet high. It is amusing to observe how immediately the materi- als of the fences and of the buildings, as far as they are constructed of stone, change as soon as the geol- ogy of the country changes. For some miles, after we left the Talcot mountain, the materials of these structures continued to be fragments of greenstone and of sand stone ; but, as soon as we crossed the line of the primitive, these stones disappeared, and gneiss and other primitive rocks began to exhibit themselves in the houses and fences. Thus, these structures become in some measure, cabinets of the geology of a country, for, the people will of course collect those stones for use, which are most preva- lent, and in many instances, they will be loose frag- ments of the most prevailing rocks; or, if the stones be obtained by quarrying, then they become still siUTV criteria of the nature of the countrv. 30 TOUR BETWKEN HARTFORD AND q,UEBEC. ZEAL FOR CHURCHES. In the valley of Northington we passed a beauii- ful new meeting house. It is a handsome specimen of architecture, and is one of three places of public worship, recently erected in this little parish, which, a short time since, had only one miserable ruinous house, situated in the midst of a forest. I once attended public worship there on a pleas- ant but warm summer sabbath. The house was al- most embowered in ancient forest trees; it was smaller than many private dwelling houses — was much dilapidated by lime, which had furrowed the grey unpainted shingles and clapboards, with many water-worn channels, and it seemed as if it would soon fall. It was an interesting remnant of prime- val New-England manners. The people, evidently agricultural, had scarcely departed from the simpli- citv of our earlv rural habits : the men were not parading in foreign broadcloth, nor the women flaunting in foreign silks and muslins ; but they ap- peared in domestic fabrics, and both men and wo- men were dressed with simplicity. I do not mean that there were no exceptions, but this was the general aspect of the congregation, and, from tlie smallness of the house, although there were pews, it seemed rather a domestic than a pujDlic religious meeting. The minister corresponded, admirably, with the ap- pearance of the house and congregation, as far a? rp- TOUH BETWEEN HARTFOKD AND (tUEBEC. 31 tiquity and primeval simplicity were concerned, but he was highly respectable for understanding, and sustained, even in these humble circumstances, the dignity of his station. He was an old man, with hoary locks, and a venerable aspect, a man of God, of other times — a patriarchal teacher — not caring for much balanced nicety of phrase, but giving his flock wholesome food, in sound doctrine, and plain speech. His prayers had that detail of peti- tion — that specific application, both to public and private concerns, and that directness of allusion, to ihe momentous political events of the day, and their apparent bearing upon this people, which was com- mon among our ancestors, and especially among the first ministers, who brought with them the fervor of the times when they emigrated from England. This aged minister is still living, but since the destruction of his ancient house, and the division of his people, he is without any particular charge ; still, however, although oppressed with the infirmhies of advanced hfe, he occasionally officiates in public. Instead of the ancient house, there have now arisen the three pretty, modern churches. We are not, however, to infer that increased re- sources, nor additional zeal for religion has reared these edifices ; it was the effect of local jealousies, as to the place, where a new house should be built, and how often, in our New-England villages, do we see this circumstance produce the same result, ad- ding to the beauty, but, perhaps, not always to the harmony and piety of the neighbourhood. 32 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. It would be easy to give a considerable list of towns in Connecticut, where two spires rise instead of one, because the people could not agree where the one should be placed. Happier would it be, if these separations had always been free from animos- ity — if they had not sometimes laid the foundation of permanent discord, and if there had been no in- stance of outrageous violence, and the prostration of all law and order, while people were professing only to honour their Maker, and to benefit their fellow I men. But still, who that is friendly to the best in- \ t terests of mankind can lail to be gratified, with the ^; constant succession of churches and spires which he j observes in Connecticut, and who would not prefer -^ the active interest that is manifested on this subject, | although attended with occasional irregularities — to * that apathy which permits a land to remain without temples to the living God, and rarely salutes the ear with the sound of " the church going bell." Passing through a part of Canton, we arrived in ' a little clustre of pretty houses, handsomely situated on the Farmington River. PECLLIARH lES IN THE MANNERS OF AMERICAN INNS. This was a part of New-Hartford where we din- ed pleasantly ; every thing was good, and neatly and well prepared, and we were attended by one of j those comely respectable young women, (a daugh- j icr of the landlord,) who, so- often, in our pubhc j t TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 3i> houses, perform these services, without departing from the most correct, respectable, and amiable de- portment. This is a pecuharity in the manners of this coun- try which is not at once understood by a foreigner, and especially by an Enghshman. Such a person, if uninstructed in the genius of the country, almost of course presumes, that all those whom he sees in public houses are in servile situations. If he adopt towards them an imperious and harsh manner, he gives offence, and produces coldness, and pos- sibly resentment, so that the interview ends it) mutual dissatisfaction. If the traveller should write a book he, of course, enlarges on the rudeness of American manners, and it is very possible that even the servants of our inns may give him some occasion for such remarks, if they are treated as persons of their condition commonly are in Europe. Some years since, to an Englishman emigrating to America, the obvious causes which often disgust the English, and offend the Americans when the former are travelling among the latter, and especially in the smaller towns and villages, were faithfully pointed out. ' It was strongly recommended to him, rather to ask as a favour, what he had a right to command as a duty — to treat the heads of the public houses, with marked respect, and their sons and daughters, who might be in attendance, and even the servants, with kindness and courtesy, avoiding the use of terms and epithets which might imply inferiority 4 34 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. and servitude, to make their duties as light as possible, to manifest no unpleasant peculiarities, and to make no unreasonable demands, with re- spect to food, wines and cookery. He was assur- ed, that with such a spirit, he would be treated with respect and kindness — that he would be cheerfully served — that the best the house afforded would be promptly obtained for hi-m, and should he ever visit the same house again, that he would probably be remembered and welcomed with cordiality. He must indeed, occasionally, concede something to fa- miliarity and curiosity, but with an amiable spirit and courteous deportment, he would not meet with rudeness or neglect, or have occasion to write an angry sentence concerning the Americans; and he was told, that even the familiarity and curiosity which are sometimes unpleasant, would be commonly re- paid, by the communication of valuable local infor- mation. As the gentleman to whom these remarks were addressed was gay, and had been a military man, he was cautioned not to presume that any members, of the families at the public houses, might be treated with levity, for, he would find that fathers and broth- ers were at hand, and pecuniary considerations would be sacrificed, at once, to the respectability of the house. After this gentleman had travelled four- teen months in the United States, he came to the town, where his adviser resided, and thanked him for his cautions. He said that they had been of the TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 35 greatest service to him, that he liad found the pre- dictions fully verified, and himself treated with hos- pitality and kindness, while he had seen others of his countrymen, pursuing an opposite deportment, meet with very unpleasant treatment, and creating hoth for themselves and others, perpetual dissatisfac^ tion. RIDE TO SANDISFIELD. In the afternoon, during a ride of sixteen miles, which brought us to Sandisfield, in Massachusetts, we never left the banks of the Farmington river, which, owing to its windings, and our own, we, crossed during the day, no fewer than seven times, and on as many bridges. We had now left the Al- bany turnpike, and the great thoroughfare of popu- lation and of business, and purposely deviated into one of those wildernesses, which, intersected by roads, and sprinkled with solitary houses, afford the traveller an interesting variety, and easily transport him back in imagination, to the time when the whole of this vast empire was a trackless forest. In a very hilly and almost m.ountainous region, w^e found a delightful road, so level, that our horses hardly ever broke their trot ; the road generally followed the river, and was laid out, with few exceptions, on the alluvial bottom, which the river had formed. We passed almost the whole distance, through a vast defile, in tlio forest, which every where hung around 36 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. US in gloomy grandeur, presenting lofty trees, rising in verdant ridges, but occasionally scorched and blackened by fire, even to their very tops, and strongly contrasted with the chfTs and peaks of rude rocks, which here and there, rose above the almost impervious forest. Tliis tract of country had the stillness of a rural scene, embosomed in mountains ; there were no villages, and the few scattered farm houses were scarcely near enough, even for rural neighbourhood. Their very graves were solitary : Httle family cem- eteries several times occurred, marked by pretty, white, marble monuments, and by graves covered with the richest verdure, while the gloomy bier stood, hard by, in the field, ready again to support its melancholy burden. It was quite dark before we arrived at Sandis- field ; wind, rain and gloomy portentous clouds, driving over the dark hills, might have made our ^ ride, for a few of the last miles, somewhat anxious, 5 but, our road was good, and the welcome light of i the Inn, at length caught our eyes, and a quiet eve- ^ uing, passed with our pens and books, beguiled our time till the hour of repose. A tolerable house was made comfortable, by the assiduity and kindness of its tenants, and our sleep, in a great vacant ball room, was not much interrupted by the rain, drop- ping on the floor, and by the wind, howling through broken panes of glass. Sandisfield is thirty-six milea from Hartford. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC 37 RIDE TO LENOX. Our equinoctial still continued, and we set for- ward before eight in the morning, in the midst of a driving rain. But, as the coachman was wrapped in a weather proof great coat of oiled silk, and we were completely protected from the rain, we pursu- ed our journey, without the slightest inconvenience. The war of tlie elements corresponded very well with the wild scenery through wdiich we were to pass. For ten miles, we again followed the course of the Farmington river; our road was one contin- ued vista, through an unmterrupted wilderness of the most lofty trees ; occasionally, the wide forest- crowned ridges caught our eyes, as they shewed themselves through the openings of the wood, or towered above its top ; but, for the most part, the river, now much diminished in size, murmuring over a rocky channel, and presenting many a for- midable barrier of drift wood, recently accumulated by an unexampled deluge of rain, was a principal object of contemplation ; while the forest, inter- spersed with numerous pine trees, rising to a great height, often burnt to their v(?ry summits, and totter- ing to their fall, appeared, as if, only recently in- vaded by man, and as just beginning to resign its solitary dominion, to the axe and to the fire. The river, we crossed again and again, till we numbered the ninth time, and then, a few miles from the confines of Lenox, we traced it to its source, in 4* 38 TOUK BKTWEEN HAKTFOllD AND QUEBEC. a small, but pretty lake, of probably half a mile or more in length. Thus we bade adieu to our little river, after having been familiar with it for forty miles, and for nearly thirty, we had constantly trav- elled upon its banks, finding a smooth road in the midst of a rugged country. To those who would wish to enjoy an interlude of forest scenery, almost in the wildness of nature, and little more subdued by man, than is necessary to render it comfortable to travel through, this ridcj from New-Hartford through Sandisfield, to Lenox, may be strongly recommended. Such a tract, in the midst of populous arid well cultivated regions, is in this country rare, and probably more resembles a w^estern wild, than a district in an old and popu- lous state. Soon after passing this lake, the country began to descend, ; another lake of greater magnitude occur- red on our left — a river soon succeeded, and w« recognized these waters, as the first of those which begin to feed the infant Housatonick. GEOLOGY. The rocks on our ride, were, almost invariably, gneiss, frequently intersected by distinct veins of granite, in which feldspar generally predominated. Not far from Lenox we passed two forges, the iron ore for which, we were informed, is dug out of the hills in the vicinity of that town. TOUfl BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 39 As we ascended the hills on which Lenox stands, white primitive hme stone began to appear, in de- tached masses, in spots uncovered by quarrying, and in ridges crossing the road ; the strata were nearly vertical, and like those in Litchfield County in Connecticut, were imbedded in 2;neiss. LENOX. Lenox, the capital of Berkshire county, is a town of uncommon beauty. It is built upon a high hill, on two streets, intersecting each other nearly at right angles ; it is composed of handsome houses, which, with the exception of a few of brick, are painted of a brilliant white ; it is ornamented with three neat houses of public worship, one of which is large and handsome, and stands upon a hill high- er than the town, and a little removed from it. It has a jail, a woollen manufactory, a furnace for hol- low ware, an academy of considerable size, and a court house of brick, in a fine style of architecture ; it is fronted with pillars, and furnished with convenient offices and a spacious court room ; this room is car- peted, and what is more important, contains a library for the use of the bar. Lenox has fine mountain air, iind is surrounded by equally fine mountain scene- ry. Indeed, it is one of the prettiest of our inland towns, and even in the view of an European travel- ler, (who had eyes to see any thing beautiful, in v/hat is unhke Europe.) it would appear like a gem 40 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. among the mountains. I did not count the houses, but should think there might be one hundred hou- ses and stores Sic. Its population is one thousand three hundred and ten.* White marble is often the material of their steps, foundations and pavements. This country abounds with primitive white limestone. Our dinner and treatment at the inn, were such as a reasonable traveller w^ould have been very w^ell satisfied with, at a country tavern in England. Still, probably no small town in England is so beautiful as Lenox, nor have the Europeans, in general, any ad- equate idea of the beauty of the New-England villa- ges. — Lenox is fifty eight miles from Hartford. RIDE TO NEW-LEBANON. As we ascended a mountainous ridge, two miles on the road to New-Lebanon, a fine retrospect oc- curred. Immediately below, was a spacious and deep basin, environed by mountains, which, receding one behind another^ presented in one view, brilliant forest green, in another, dark hues, almost black, and farther off, ridges and summits struggling through clouds and mist, and rain, in obscure and gloomy grandeur. Beautifully contrasted with these, was the bright clustre of buildings in Lenox, compact, blended by perspective into one rich group, in which turrets, and Gothic pinnacles and Grecian * Worcester's Gaz:eteer^ TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 4l pillars were conspicuous, and eeemed like a string of pearls, upon the brow and declivity of the hill, now sunk by comparison, to one of moderate eleva- tion. It were in vain to attempt to describe all the fine alpine scenery, which, with endless variety, was per- petually occurring and perpetually changing. Rich vallies and basins, were every where, mixed with the hills and mountains, on whose declivities and summits, cultivation had often spread scenes of fer- tility and beauty. The lofty Hoosack, with its double summit — the highest mountain in this region, appeared at a dis- tance on our right ; — on our left, the fertile vales of Richmond, a scattered agricultural town, and almost before we were aware of it, we wound our way down the steep declivity of the mountain, which bounds the southeast side of the vale of New-Leb- anon. We had already passed upon our right, a small village belonging to the people, ludicrously called Shakers or Shaking Quakers. VILLAGE OF THE SHAKERS. We did not deviate into this first settlement, be- cause their principal establishment, in this quarter, was immediately before us, and we were indeed not fully clear of the mountain, before we found our- selves in the midst of their singular community. Their buildings are thickly planted, along a street of 42 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. a mile in length. All of them are comfortable, and a considerable proportion are large. They are, almost without an exception, painted of an ochre yellow, and, although plain, they make a handsome appear- ance. The utmost neatness is conspicuous in their fields, gardens, court yards, out houses, and in the very road; not a weed, not a spot of filth, or any nuisance is suffered to exist. Their wood is cut and piled, in the most exact order; their fences are perfect; even their stone walls are constructed with great regularity, and of materials so massy, and so well arranged, that unless overthrown by force, they may stand for centuries ; instead of wooden posts for their gates, they have pillars of stone of one solid piece, and every thing bears the impress of labour, vigilance and skill, with such a share of taste, as is consistent with the austerities of their sect. Their orchards are beautiful, and probably no part of our country presents finer examples of agricultural ex- cellence. They are said to possess nearly three thousand acres of land, in this vicinity. Such neat- ness and order I have not seen any where, on so large a scale, except in Holland, where the very necessities of existence impose order and neatness upon the whole population; but here it is voluntary. Besides agriculture, it is well known, that the Shakers occupy themselves much, with mechanical employments. The productions of their industry and skill, sieves, brushes, boxes, pails and other do- mestic utensils are every where exposed for sale, and TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 4o are distinguished by excellence of workmanship. Their garden seeds are celebrated for goodness, and find a ready market. They have many gardens, but there is a principal one of several acres which I am told exhibits superior cultivation. Their females are employed in domestic manu- factures and house work, and the community is fed and clothed by its own productions. The property is all in common. The avails of the general industry are poured into the treasury of the whole ; individual wants are supplied from a common magazine, or store house, which is kept for each family, and ultimately, the elders invest the gains in land and buildings, or sometimes in money, or other personal property, which is held for the good of the society. It seems somewhat paradoxical to speak of a fam- ily, where the relation upon v/hich it is founded is unknown. But still, the Shakers are assembled in what they call families, which consist of little col- lections, (more or less numerous according to the size of the house) of males and females, who occu- py separate apartments, under the same roof, eat at separate tables, but mix occasionally for society, la- bour, or worship. There is a male and a female head to the family, who superintend all their con- cerns — give out their provisions — allot their employ- ments, and enforce industry and fidelity. The numbers in this village, as we were informed by onR of the male members, are about five hun- 44 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEe, dred, but there are said to be fifteen hundred, inchi- ding other villages in this vicinity. Their numbers are sustained by voluntary additions, and by prose- lyting. Poor and ignorant people, in the vicinity, and on the neighbouring mountains in particular, are allured, it is said, by kindness, and presents, to join the society; and destitute widows, frequently come in, with their children, and unite themselves to this community. Where a comfortable subsistence for life, a refuge for old age, and for infancy and child- hood, the reputation (at least with the order) of pie- ty, and the promise of heaven are held out to view, it is no wonder that the ignorant, the poor, the be- reaved, the deserted, the unhappy, the superstitious, the cynical and even the whimsical, should occasion- ally swell the numbers of the Shakers. Their house of public worship is painted white, and is a neat building, which in its external appear- ance, would not be disreputable to any sect. Their worship, which I did not have an opportu- nity of seeing, is said to be less extravagant than formerly; their dancing is still practised, but with more moderation, and for a good many years, they have ceased to dance naked, which was formerly practised, and even with persons of different sexes. Their elders exercise a very great influence over the minds of the young people. The latter believe (as I was assured by a respectable inhabitant of New- Lebanon, but not a Shaker) that the former hold a direct and personal intercourse with Christ and the TOUR BETWEEN HARTi ORD AND QUEBEC. 45 Apostles, and that the elders possess the power of inspecting their very thoughts, and their most secret actions. Perhaps this will account for the re- puted purity of the Shakers, for whatever may be imagined, it does not appear that any scandalous of- fences do now occur among them, or, at least, that they are brought to hght, and it must be allowed that if they were frequent, they could not be con- cealed. They profess, it is said, to believe, that Christ has already appeared the second time on the earth, in the person of their great leader, mother Ann Lee. and that the saints are now judging the world. They have no hterature among them, nor do we hear that they are ever joined by people of enlighten- ed minds. We met a party of children apparently coming from school, and I enquired of a Shaker, a middle aged man of respectable appearance, wheth- er the children belonged to the Society ; he answer- ed in the affirmative ; " But," I replied, " how is that, since you do not have children of your own.'^" Are these children the offspring of parents who after becoming such, have joined your society, and brought their children with them.^" " Yea," w-as the answer, with a very drawling and prolonged ut- terance, and at the same time, there was a slight faultering of the muscles of his face, as if he were a little disposed to smile. The children were dress- ed in a plain costume as the whole society are. 5 46 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC, This singular people took their rise in England, nearly half a century ago, and the settlement at New-Lehanon, is of more than forty years standing. They first emigrated to America in the year 1774, under their spiritual mother, Ann Lee, a niece of the celebrated General Charles Lee, who made a dis- tinguished figure, during the American Revolutiona- ry War. The order, neatness, comfort and thrift, which are conspicuous among them, are readily accountedTor, by their industry, economy, self-denial and devotion to their leaders, and to the common interest, all of which are religious duties among them, and, the very fact that they are, for the most part, not burdened with the care of children, leaves them greatly at liberty, to follow their occupations without interruption.* But — where is the warrant, either in reason or in scripture, by which whole communities, (not, here and there, individuals, peculiarly situated,) withdraw themselves from the most interesting and important of the social relations — from the tender charities of husband and wife — from the delightful assiduities of parental love — from that relation, on which society * Tbey have another collection of houses in the vicinity, where I was told they place offending members, who I)eing under disci- pline, are for the time, excluded from the community, and whom they style backsliders; they designate them by saying, "they are Qid of the gift:' I am told that they are not offended by being vailed Shdcers, and do not regard it as an opprobrious epithet. Indeed, I have never heard of a milder or more respectable name, hy which they cKher are called, or even wish to be TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 47 Stands, and on which, as on a fruitful stock, is graft- ed, every personal and domestic virtue, and every hope, both for this world and a better !^ By what right are they empowered to recruit their ranks, thinned from time to time by death, by draw- ing upon the social world, V\'hose obedience to the first law of God and nature, they condemn, while they are dependant upon it. both for their ow^n exist- ence as individuals, and for the continuance of theii own unnatural community ; however commend- able they may be for their industrious, moral and humane deportment; the principle of their associa- tion is, in my opinion, deserving of severe reproba- tion. But, happily, their example is very little in danger of general imitation; mankind will not, gen- erally, be persuaded to go on a crusade, or to suffer martyrdom, in the cause of celibacy, and I believe it will be long ere the world, according to their ex- * More 13 not here attributed to the Institution of marriage, thdin it deserves, for, to try the question, we must ask, not, what is the condition of, here and there, a convent or a monastery, or of a few clusters of Shakers, protected as they are by society, founded on marriage, and drawing their recruits from the offspring of its vir- tuous affections. We must inquire what would be the condition of the w'orld, w'ere the institution of marriage cnlirely abolished ! It is obvious, that it w'ould soon become the urdversal theatre of crimes, of every description, which are now only occasional^ and that no one solitary virtue could possibly spring up, or be cherish- ed. Piety itself, could it exist in such a state of things, must (if such paradoxical language can be admitted,) necessarily become exclusively selfish, and indeed, it could find no refuge, except in absolute sccliisioa, in the dens and caves of tbc earth. 48 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. pectation, is all reformed by becoming a generation of Shakers, for this they say, will constitute the Mil- lenium. Poor human nature — of what is it not ca- pable — what absurdity ! — what impiety ! (I had al- most said.) is there, which it has not sanctioned with tlie name of religion. As the Shakers are not now a new people, and as their most prominent pecuharities are well known, I am not disposed to dwell with much minuteness on a subject, in which I confess I have very httle complacency: a few particulars more, may howev- er, be added. They rarely publish any thing respecting their own principles and habits, and we are indebted chiefly to those who have seceded from their com- munity, for the more precise information which we possess respecting them. Among various publications of this nature — "An account of the people called Shakers, their faith, doctrines and practice, &;c. by Thomas Brown," who was, for several years, a member of their socie- ty, is probably one of the best. It has every appear- ance of being written with candor and truth, and al- though an unpolished performance, exhibits consid- able ability. If this book be considered as a fair account of the Shakers, it is manifest, that notwithstanding all the t'-ommendation to which they are entitled, for their moral virtues and their habits of order, industry and economy, they are the subjects of the wildest fanat- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 49 icism, and of the most degrading superstition. If it be idolatry and blasphemy, to pronounce a woman, of at least questionable character, to be the Saviour of the world, at his second coming, and thus, in the person of this woman, to blend the at,tributes of the Son of God, with at least occasional drunkenness, it will be very difficult to acquit the Shakers of these crimes.* I am aware of the ignorance of many of these people, and am not disposed to doubt, that there is real piety among them, any more than I am to deny that industry, sobriety, economy and occa- sional humanity are conspicuous traits of their char- acters. They have however, been known to act in a very inhuman manner, in separating and alienating children from parents, and in severing the other dear- est ties of our common nature, for the purpose of building up their own sect. The conclusion of Mr. Brown's book contains the following summary of facts respecting them. Speak- * I here allude to Ann Lee. She was born in Manchester about the year 1735, and became the wife of Abraham Stanley, a black- smith, who proved unkind and intemperate. Having been jieeu- liarly unfortunate in the loss of eight infants, owing piincipaily to very severe personal sufferings, during a dangerous crisis, which, at last, had nearly proved fatal, siie renounced marriage, declaring it to have been the great original sin, and thus became the leader of the Shakers. They had before practised mai-riage, but from this time (1771) they have renouncrd it. Ann Lee, (now called mother Ann, because she was considered as the spir- itual mother of her disciples,) claimed the gift of lai'guages, of healing, of discovering the secrets of the heart, oi' being actua- ted by the invisible power of God, of sinless perfection, and of 5* oO TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. ing of their conversion he says: — "After a number have believed, the next principal labour of the lea- ders is to gather them into a united interest and or- der. They assemble every sabbath in their public meeting-house. They walk to the meeting-house, in order, two and two, and leave it in the same order. Men en- ter the left hand door of the meeting-house, and women the right hand. In each dwelling-house, is a room called the meeting-room, in which they assem- ble for worship every evening ; the young believers assemble morning and evening, and, in the afternoon of the sabbath, they all assemble in one of these rooms, in their dwelling-house, to which meeting spectators, or those who do not belong to the society, are not admitted, except friendly visitors. Their houses are well calculated and convenient. immediat« revelations. Mr. Brown says, however, of mother Ann, that she sometimes drank spirituous liquors to intoxication, pronouncing them one of God's good creatures. She died at Nis* keuna in 17S4. In what estimation she was held by her follow- ers, may be learned from the following, (must we not say .') bhisphemous lines, taken from different hymns of the Shakers : " Christ's second coming was in niotlier Ann-^- " We bless our dear mother the chief corner stone ■" Which God laid in Zion his anointed one ; *' Let names and sects and parties *♦ Accost my ears no more ; " My ever blessed mother, *' Forever Hi adore. ♦* Appointed by kind heavenj '- My Saviour to reveal ; *' She was the Lord's anointed, •'• To shew thfc root of sin, fac. &c. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 51 In the great house at Lebanon there are near one hundred ; the men Hve in their several apart- ments on the right, as they enter into the house, and the women on the left, commonly four in a room. They kneel in the morning by the side of the bed, as soon as they arise, and the same before they he down ; also before and after every meal. The brethren and sisters generally eat at the same time at two long tables placed in the kitchen, men at one, and women at the other ; during which time, they sit on benches and are all silent. They go to their meals walking in order, one directly after the other ; the head of the family, or elder, takes tli» lead of the men, and one called elder sister takes the lead of the women. Several women are employ- ed in cooking and waiting on the table — they ar(j commonly relieved weekly by others. It is contra- ry to order for a man or woman to sleep alone, but two of the brethren sleep together, and the sisters the same. It is contrary to order for a man to be alone with a woman, also to touch one another. If a man presents any thing to a female, or a female to a male, due care must be taken by each one not to touch the other. It is contrary to order for a wo- man to walk out alone, or to be alone. A man and woman are not allowed to converse together, except in the presence of some of the brethren and sisters. They sometimes have what they call un- ion meetings, when several of the brethren and sis- ters meet together, sit and converse and smoke their 52 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND qUEBEG. pipes. If a man is on the road alone from bomr. i in a carriage, it is contrary to order -for him to ad- j mit a woman to ride with him on any account what- [ ever. It is contrary to order, or the gift as they i call it, to leave any bars down, or gates open, or ] leave any thing they use, out of its proper place, consequently they seldom have any thing lost. It . is according to the 2;ift or order, for all to endeav- » our to keep all things in order; indolence and care- i lessness they say is directly opposite to the gospel [ and order of God; cleanliness in every respect is j strongly enforced — it is contrary to order even to ' spit on tlie floor. A dirty, careless, slovenly or in- dolent person they say, cannot travel in the way of ! God, or be religious. It is contrary to order to talk : loud, to shut doors hard, to rap at a door for admit- .i tance, or to make a noise in any respect; even when ' walking the floor, they must be careful not to make f a noise with their feet. Thev ^o to bed at nine or \\ ten o'clock, and rise at four or five ; all that are in i health go to work about sun-rise, in-door mechan- j' ics, in the winter, work by candlelight: each one j^ follows such an employment as the deacon appoints '' for him. Every man and woman must be employ- ed, and work steadily and moderately. When any are sick they have the utmost care and attention paid to them. When a man is sick, if there is a wo- ! man among the sisters, who was his wife before he r beheved, she, if in health, nurses and waits upon i him. If anv of them transsjress the rules and or- ^ TOUU BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 53 ders of the church, they are not held in union until they confess their transgression, and that often on their knees, before the brethren and sisters. Each church in the different settlements has a house called the office, where all business is trans- acted either among themselves or with other peo- j pie; each family deposit in the office all that is to , be spared for charitable purposes, which is distribu- ! ted by the deacon to those whom he judges to be , proper objects of charity. He never sends the poor , and needy empty away. I Mr. Browm is of opinion that they will not " soon < become extinct." " Their general character" (he 1 adds,) "of honesty in their temporal concerns, and \ their outward deportment and order being such, that j many may be induced to join them; and as indus- 1 try and frugality are two great points in their reli- gion, it is likely they will become a rich people." I In proof of his opinion he remarks : — " See the once uncultivated wilderness waste of Niskeuna, and oth- er places now turned into fruitful fields — see their neatpubhc edifices towering amidst the surrounding elegance and neatness of their more private habita- tions — See their ability in their munificent dona- tions to the poor in New-York; judging of their future prosperity from their present flourish- ing state and from their being a much more orderly people, (than formerly) it is possible they may in- crease in number and acquire a prevailing influence in the future destinies of thi? country." 54 TOUR BJCTWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEt- ^EW-LEBANON MINERAL SPRING. ^^ This is a very remarkable fountain. Unlike most J mineral waters, it issues from a high hill ; the wa- ter boils up, in a space of ten feet wide, by three and a half deep; it is perfectly pellucid, so that a pin's head might be seen on the bottom of the spring ; gas in abundance, issues from the pebbles, and sand, and keeps the water in constant and pleas- ing agitation ; the fountain is very copious, more so by far than any spring that I have seen, except the springs at Bath in England ; the water discharged amounts to eighteen barrels in a minute, and not only supplies the baths very copiously, simply by running down hill to them, but, in the same man- ner it feeds several mills, and turns the water wheels with suiBcient power. Owing to its high tempera- ture it does not congeal in winter which gives it a great advantage for moving machinery. The quantity of water is constant, and varies not percep- tibly in any season — so is its temperature which is 730 of Fahrenheit. This temperature, so near the summer heat, makes it truly e thermal water, and causes a copious cloud of condensed vapour to hang over the fountain, whenever the air is cold. There is no film to be seen upon the water, it apparently deposits nothing by standing, but in the course of time, there collects in its channel, an earthy or stony deposit, which eventually becomes copious and hard. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UI»BEC. 55 This deposit is rapidly made in the tea kettles, which are speedily incrusted, and their throats choaked by it; it is of a white colour, and its ori- gin can scarcely be a subject of wonder, since the fountain issues from a hill of lime stone. The water is perfectly tasteless and inodorous — very soft — does not curdle soap — is used for all cu- linary and domestic purposes — is acceptable to ani- mals, which drink at the stream that flows in a rivu- let down the hill, and apparently, differs little from very pure mountain water, except by its reraakable temperature ; that of the contiguous springs in the same hill is as low as that of any mountain springs — about 50^. It is found to be very useful in salt rheums and various other cutaneous affections — in some trouble- some interna] obstructions &:c. It augments the ap- petite and sometimes acts as a cathartic. The bath if used, without previously guarding the stomach, by a draught of the water, sometimes produces sickness at the stomach. As to the chemical constitution of this water, Professor Griscom, (in ISIO) from the apphcation of tests, but without attempting a regular analysis, drew certain conclusions, which are stated in Bruce's Journal v. 1. pa. 158. Dr. William Meade,* from a regular process of * See the appendix to Dr. Meade's Experimental Enquiry into > *he Chemical Properties and Medicinal Qualities of the Ballston and Saratoga Waters. 1 grain. 1 3-4 1 1-2 3-4 5G TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD ANJD QUEBEC. analysis infers, that the Lebanon Spring contains, in two quarts of the water — Muriat of Lime, Muriat of Soda, Sulphat of Lime, - - - Carbonat of Lime, Total, - - 5 The aeriform fluids in two quarts of the water, he states thus : — Azotic gas, (or nitrogen,) 13 cubic inches. Atmospheric air, - - 8 do. do. 21 Dr. Meade remarks that the Lebanon water is purer than most natural waters, and purer than the contiguous springs, which flow from the same hill. Its temperature appears therefore to be the only pe- cuharity to which any medical virtues can be attach- ed. It is beyond a doubt, that tepid waters, not stronger in mineral ingredients than the Lebanon water, do produce salutary effects, as at Bristol and Buxton in Lngland. The Buxton water is very similar to that at Lebanon ; it is very copious and a little warmer. Being there some years since, I was forcibly struck with the abundance and purity of the v/ater and with the fine atmosphere and features of the country. As to picturesque scenery, it is how- ever inferior to New-Lebanon, and it is probable TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 57 that there is not a mineral spring in the world, sur- rounded by finer landscapes than this. Not expecting, when I left home, to visit any min- eral spring, I had to regret that I had no reagents or instruments of analysis with me. I brought only instruments necessary for mineralogical and geolo- gical observations. The gas which issues from the spring, is so copi- ous, that I could easily collect it in the usual man- ner, in bottles filled with the water of the fountain, and inverted in it, with funnels in their mouths. I ascertained, that the gas readily extinguishes a candle—smoke, mingled with it, descends to the bot- tom of the vessel, and does not rest upon it, as in car- bonic acid ; the gas does not readily run from the mouth of an inverted botde, on to a burning can- dle, but if the candle be held close to the mouth of the bottle, it is extinguished as the gas passes out. I am therefore of opinion with Dr. Meade, that the gas is azot. Indeed, as he justly remarks, the fact ihat the w^ater is not acidulous or sparlding, although the gas that rises through it is very abundant ; that it does not trouble hme w^ater, and is not at all ab- sorbed by it, and that it does not redden litmus pa- per, sufficiently proves that the gas contains no car- bonic acid." * The proprietor of the spring, furnished me witli a quantity of the solid matter, deposited by boiling the Mater in tea kettles. I find that it dissolves in nitric acid with great rapidity, and with a very active effervescence, leaving only a small residuum. The 6 5S TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD ASD (QUEBEC. Azot probably imparts no virtues to mineral wa- ters, as it is insoluble in water. Still it is found in many, especially, of the warm springs. Bath water, which boils up with great agitation, owes this move- ment in part to azot, but, perhaps more to the aque- ous vapour, for the w^ater is at the temperature of 116^ of Fah. when it first emerges, and is probably much hotter below. We know that this spring has flowed, thus hot, more than two thousand years ; what is the cause ? There are no relics of volcanoes here, nor other marks of subterranean heat, except those aflbrded by the water itself. SCENERY OF NEW-LEBANON. Had this remarkable place been situated in Eu- rope, tourists w^ould have pronounced its panegyric, and poets would have made it famous, as Windsor or Richmond Hill, or as the little Isle in Loch Ka- trin. Few places have fallen within my observation, which combine both the grand and the beautiful, in saturated solution is iiileiii^ely l/itter — gives a o?t.cie j recip- itate witli fluat of ammonia, anil with suljihuric acid becomep ?Alid, so that the glass was inverted without droj'ping a particle. This residuum from tlie evaporation of tlie water \n the tea ket- tles, is tasteless — insoluble in water, and reiuains uRaltered, even in a damp air. All tlicse facts show it \£> be principally corbonat of lime : the muriats which Dr. Meade found, would of course be removed bv the Imilin^ water. — Mnv. i«C!<' TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 59 a higher degree, than the bashi of New-Lebanon. Embosomed in mountains, (at this time capped with dark clouds,) which, whh their lofty and apparently impassable barriers, seem to shut it out from the rest of the v/orld— verdant and beautiful in its slopes, and in the plain by which they are terminated, and ex- hibiting a village, with a handsome church and steeple in the bottom of the basin, it powerfully brought to my recollection, the valley of Castleton, in the Peak of Derbyshire. Between the two, there is certamly a striking resemblance, but with some points of dis- parity. The Derbyshire mountains are more lofty, and ol course, more grand— those of New-Lebanon, while they are cultivated, in some places to their summits, are also extensively crowned with forests, while the Derbyshire mountains are naked as a hillock, shorn by the scythe. The New-Lebanon scenery resem- bles also, that in the vicinity of the celebrated springs of Bath in England. At New-Lebanon, the principal lodging house is situated on the slope of one of the high hills and near its summit. The view from the gallery, in the front of this house, is very fine, and much resembles that from the Crescent at Bath; from the latter, you see a beautiful amphitheatre of hills, highly cultiva- ted and verdant, and possessing more wood than is common in England, but the view at Bath, althougli perhaps more beautiful, from cultivation, is less ex- tensive, and less magnificent and grand, than that at New-Lebanon. GO TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. On the side of the New-Lebanon basin, opposite to the spring, at the distance of two miies and an half, upon the declivity of the mountain, and near its base, is the Shaker's village, which, with its green fields and neat houses, is a pleasing object, in the outline of the picture. Nearer still, (as I have al- ready remarked,) and in the very bottom of the ba- sin, is the handsome village of New-Lebanon, com- posed of neat white houses, and a pretty church, with a spire; and all around, are the grand slopes of mountains which limit the view on every side, and present fields, woods and rocks, and bold ridges, up- on which the clouds often repose. Bristol spring in England is surrounded by the fine scenery of the Avon, and the romantic rock of St. Vincent impends over it, with a good degree of grandeur, but even this scene is very limited com- pared with that of New-Lebanon, and when at the Bristol spring, the observer is in a deep channel, by the side of the river, and shut out completely from all prospect. From the top of St. Vincent's rock, and from every part of Clifford, and the other emi- nences around Bristol, and indeed from the upper street of the town itself, there are the finest views. ^ The famous Springs atBallston and Saratoga, are situated in disagreeable low bottoms, with scarcely any advantages of scenery, and with no attractions, except those presented by the medicinal powers of the waters, by good cheer, and by genteel compa- ny; the first of these advantages is very great, and TOUR BETWEEN HAIITFORD AND (^UEREC. 61 those springs are, without doubt, one of the greatest natural bounties of heaven to this country. The other two may be enjoyed at New-Lebanon, where we found pleasant company, and a house extremely comfortable, in every thing except the beds, which were very hard. For those who wish to enjoy fine rural scenery, bold, picturesque and beautiful, with the best moun- tain air, and such advantages to health, as this copi- ous fountain presents, nothing can be better in its kind than New-Lebanon. Its waters must be ad- mirable for bathing. New-Lebanon spring is twelve miles from Lenox and seventy miles from Hartford. It is situated just within the limits of the State of New-York, and very near both the states of Massa- chusetts and Connecticut. A stone similar to a mile stone, denoting the boundary line between the states of Massachusetts and New-York, occurs on the slope of the mountain, as we descend toward the village of the Shakers. In the valley of New-Lebanon, there is a family vault which struck us on entering the village. It is a neat cemetery, covered by a high mound ; a mar- ble table lies on the top, and (what constitutes its singularity) it has a flag stalf, similar to those in forts ; we supposed it must be a mausoleum for some military man, but we w^ere informed that it was the vault of a private family, of the name of 6* G2 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEr. Hand, and that whenever any member of the famijr dies, a black flag is hoisted on the flag staff. RIDE TO ALBANY. The morning after our arrival at the New-Leba- non spring, the equinoctial storm, which had never deserted us, poured literally floods of rain ; they ran in torrents, down the steep hills of New-Lebanon, while the black clouds and the clusters of vapour hung over the tops and around the sides of the mountains, or, driven by the gusts of wind, swept with gloomy grandeur, along the frowning ridges. It appeared as if we were imprisoned for the day, and we solac- ed ourselves with the pleasant society, of the small but intelligent party, which w'e found at the Springs. About 10 o'clock, the rain so far ceased, that we lesumed, and afterwards continued our ride, al- ihough rain and sun-shine, and alternate currents of liot and cold air, made it a day of singular fluctua- tion. Stephen-Town, Nassau and Schodack, through w'hich w^e passed, presented nothing particularly in- teresting. At Greenbush, we observed the exten- sive barracks, erected during the late war, for the accommodation of the United States' troops ; being white, and standing upon elevated ground, they make a pleasing appearance — aside from the pensive sen- sations, associated with all military spectacles. Near the river, we examined an abandoned pit, dug for TOUR BETWElEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC, 63 coal, and a sulphureous mineral water ; the latter has been considerably spoken of, but, on the pres- ent occasion, was weak both in taste .and smell, ow- ing, I suppose, to the recent heavy rains, and to hs being left without any shelter to protect it from the weather. Some winters- since, a bottle of it which had been brought to me, happened to freeze, and broke, when the offensive hepatic gas filled the house to the no small annoyance of the family. From the barracks, we descended a considerable hill, before we reached the bartk of the river ; a horse- boat conveyed us over the Hudson, and before night, we were safely landed at a very comfortable house in the city of Albany. GEOLOGY. At New-Lebanon, a few miles east of the springs, the geology of the country undergoes a great change, and the whole tract, thence to Albany, is, without doubt, a transition country. Bluish grey transition lime stone, in immense strata, traversed by white veins of calcareous spar, is found at New-Lebanon. Its texture is nearly compact, its structure slaty, and its inchnation to the horizon considerable. Grau- wacke makes its appearance, about seven miles an the road towards Albany, and continues to be abun- dant at intervals. Common transition slate and a red slaty rock of a very fine, and indeed almost im- perceptible grain, apparently between a sand stone 64 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. and a slate are abundant. The strata on the road are in many places, much decomposed. The slate thrown out of the pit at Greenbush, where the ex- cavation was made for coal, is evidently transition slate, having ofte« a tortuous appearance and a glis- tening surface, as if covered with a varnish or with plumbago. Itjs just such slate as is found in con- nection with the anthracite of Rhode-Island. It ap- pears therefore, that good bituminous coal is not to be expected at Greenbush ; the incombustible coal, the anthracite, may indeed be found, but it would be much less valuable than the other kind. I have several times had occasion to remark, tliat the picturesque features of a country depend very much on its geolo£;y. This remark is particularly verified by the country just spoken of. After leav- ing New-Lebanon, we soon lose that bold scenery which I have described, and which often so eminent- ly characterizes primitive countries. The transition lime-stone. I am aware, is occasionally Alpine in its appearance, as in the Peak of Derbyshire, and it is so in the New-Lebanon basin. But, the transition and slaty formation, which im- mediately succeeds, presents hills of moderate el- ovation, without ridges, peaks, defiles or deep hol- lows, and bounded by gentle outlines and large curves. It would be too much to say, that this is the invariable character of transition countries, but com- pared with the primitive in the immediate vicinity, I believe they usually possess this appearance. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 65 We must not, however, Insist with too much rigor upon the apphcatlon of the systematic arrangements of other countries to this. Many parts of our prim- itive formations, occupy a low level, and some of our primitive slaty rocks are not highly inclined in relation to the horizon."^ The ridges of greenstone trap at Greenfield, m Massachusetts, are higher than the granite of North- field and Montague, in the same vicinity, and at Lev- I crett, the granite is low, and the puddingstone rises to the heighth of five or six hundred feet, and far ahove the granite. The Sugar-Loaf Mountain, in the southern part of Deerfield, is composed of con- glomerate, and is five hundred feet high above the contiguous plain. Mount Toby, on the opposite side of the river in Sunderland, is between eight and nine hundred feet high, and these hills are higher than the greenstone, granite and other rocks in that region.f ALBANY. Albany contains from ten to twelve thousand in- habitants, and is the second city in the State (wc might almost say empire,) of New-York. Its lati- tude is 42° 38' N. ; it is one hundred and sixty miles from New-York, and one hundred sixty-four from * This is llie fncl with vast ledges of gneiss on the southern and eastern shores of lake Champlain. t See Mr. Hitchcock's account of Deerfield, Stc— American Journal of Science, ^c. — Vol I 66 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND q,rEBEC. Boston. It rises, for the most part, rapidly from the river, and exhibits a very handsome appearance from the Greenbush side. The greater part of the population, however, is on the flat ground, immedi- ately contiguous to the river, where the Dutch, who founded the town, first commenced building, agree- ably to their established habits in Holland. In- stances are innumerable, where people continue from habit, what w^as at first begun from necessity, and this seems to have been the fact in the present case. The town extends about two miles north and south, on the river, and in the widest part, nearly one mile east and west. It is perfectly com- pact — closely built, and as far as it extends, has the appearance of a great city. It has numerous streets, lanes, and alleys, and in all of them, there is the same closeness of building, and the same city-like appearance. The principal streets and especially Market, State and Pearl streets, are spacious, and the hous- es in general, are handsome and commodious ; ma- ny are large, and a few are splendid. State-street is very wide, and rises rapidly from the river, up a considerably steep hill. The Capitol stands at the head of it. This is a large and handsome building of stone,* furnished with good rooms for the govern- *I could not but regret t!)at the tessellated marble pavement of the vestibule, otherwise very handsome^was shamefully dirtied by tobacco spittle : such a thing would not be suffered in Europe. It is however, unfortunately, only a sample of the too general TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEC. G7 ment and courts of law; in the decorations and furn- iture of some of these apartments, there is a good degree of elegance, and even some splendor. — There is also a State Library, just begun ; it does not yet contain one thousand volumes, but they are w^ell selected, and a fund of five hundred dollars per annum is provided for its increase, besides three thousand dollars granted by the legislature to com- mence the collection. The view from the Balcony of the Capitol is rich and magnificent : the mountains of Vermont and of the Catskill are the most distant objects, and the banks of the river are very beautiful, on account of the fine verdure and cultivation, and of the nu- merous pretty eminences, w^hich bound its mead- ows. The Academy of Albany, situated on the Capi- tol Hill, is a noble building, of Jersey free stone. Although it has (as stated to me by Dr. B ) cost ninety thousand dollars, only the lower rooms are finished'. Schools are, however, maintained, in it, for nearly two hundred children, and it is pros- perous, under the able direction of Dr. T. R. Beck, and of several assistant teachers. This Institution was erected at the expence of the city of Albany, and is honourable to its munifi- cence, although a plainer building, which, when treatment of public buildings, and places in the United States, and constitutes no peculiar lojiic of reproach, in this instance ; but it is particularly offensive in so fine a building 68 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC completely finished, would have cost much less money, would probably have been equally useful, and might have left them, out of their ninety thou- sand dollars, a handsome fund, in addition to what they now possess. There is a large and convenient brick building fbr a Lancasterian school, but I did not go into it. Among the interesting things of Albany is the seat of the late General Schuyler, situated quite in the country, at the south end of the town. It is memorable, principally, from its historical associa- tions. It was the seat of vast hospitality and the resort of the great men of the revolution. Even Gen. Burgoyne, with his principal officers, was lodged and entertained there, after his surren- der, although he had devastated Gen. Schuyler's beautiful estate at Saratoga, and burned his fine country seat. The house of the late Gen. Schuyler, is spacious and in its appearance, venerable; it has, long since, passed away from the family, and is now possessed by a furrier. At the opposite, or northern extremity of Alba- ny, and almost equally in the country, is situated the seat of the patroon, Gen. Stephen Van Rensse- laer. It is well known, that he possesses a vast pat- rimonial estate of forty miles square, lying in the vicinity of Albany, which has descended, unbroken, from his early American ancestors. Such a phe- nomenon, in a repubhcan country, is very remarka- TtOCR BETWEEN HARTFOIiD AND QUEBEC 69 ble, and cannot fail, in spite of our early prejudices and the strong bias of national feelings, to excite a degree of admiration, if not of veneration. We are still more disposed to indulge these feelings, when we find the hereditary possession of such wealth, associated with distinguished excellence, in public and private life, with the most amiable and unas- suming manners, and with a princely, although dis- criminating liberality. The house (which was built by the father of the present patroon,) is a palace. It stands on the flat ground, by the river, and looks down market street, which here terminates abruptly. The house has in the rear, nothing but green fields and beautiful ru- ral scenes. It is embowered in groves, and shrub- bery, and reminded me powerfully, of some of the fine villas in Holland, to which, both in situation and appearance, it bears a strong resemblance. Among the gentry and professional and literary men of Albany, there are individuals of distinguish- ed eminence. But, eminent men, of our own time and country, are rather too near, for much minute- ness of delineation. Were it not for the restraint thus imposed by dehcacy, it would be a task, by no means ungrateful, to draw likenesses from the hfc, and to exhibit the combined effect of talent, learn- ing, and social virtues. An American in Europe, is free from this embarrassment, and should he there discover a mind of amazing vigor and activi- ty — always glowing — always on the wing — replete 7 70 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. with various and extensive knowledge, flowing out in the most rapid, ardent and impressive eloquence, w-hile simplicity and familiarity of manners were as- .^ociated with a high minded integrity, and indepen- dence, he w^ould fearlessly pronounce the possessor of such quahties an original and captivating man. Albany is the great thoroughfare and resort of the vast western regions of the State ; its streets are verv bustlins^ ; it is said that two thousand w^asEons sometimes pass up and down State-street in a day ; it must hereafter become a great inland city. It stands near the head of sloop navigation and of tide water : sloops of eighty tons come up to the town, besides the steam-boats of vastly greater ton- nage, but of a moderate draught of water. In addition to the public buildings, that have been already mentioned, Albany has a City-Hall, a Jail, an Aims-House, a State Arsenal, two Market-Hous- es, four Banks, a Museum, eleven houses of public worship, and a public Library containing about four thousand volumes.* The private library of Chancellor Kent, does honour to him and to learning. It contains between two and three thousand volumes of choice books. The collection on jurisprudence, embraces not only the Enghsh, but the civil and French law. It con- tains Latin, Greek, English and French Classics — belles lettres—history— biography—travels, and books in most branches of human learning. The numerous * Worcester's Gazetteer. TOUR BETWEEN^ HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 71 manusciipt remarks and annotations, on the blank ieaves and margins of tho books, evince that they are not a mere pageant, and at a future day will form some of the most interesting of our literary rehes. The situation of Albany is salubrious, and emi- nently happy, in relation to the surrounding coun- try, which is populous and fertile. No one can estimate the importance of the regions west, which, in their progressive increase, and aided by the stu- pendous canal, now in progress, must pour a great part of their treasures through this channel. Albany has been memorable in American histo- ry. It was the rendezvous, and the point of de- parture, for most of those armies, which, whether sent by the mother country, or, raised by the colo- nies themselves, for the conquest of the Gallo- American dominions, and of the savages, so often, during the middle periods of the last century, exci- ted, and more than once, disappointed the hopes of the empire. It was scarcely less conspicuous in the same manner, during the war of the revolution and during the late war with Great Britain. Few places, on this side of the Atlantic, have seen more of mar- tial array, or heard more frequently the dreadful " note of preparation." Still, (except perhaps in some of the early contests, with the Aborigines) it has never seen an enemy ; a hostile army has never encamped before it ; nor have its women and children ever seen " the smokp of an enemy's camp.'' 72 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORT) AND QUEBEC. More than once, however, has a foreign enemyt after fixing his destination for Albany, been either arrested, and turned back in his career, or visited the desired spot in captivity and disgrace. The French invasions from Canada never came nearer than Schenectady.* In 1777, the porten- tous advances of the British armies from Quebec, and of the British fleets and armies, from New- York, threatening a junction at Albany, and filling the new States with alarm, and the Cabinet of St. James with premature exultation, met a most sig- nal discomfiture. Albany was the seat of the great convention, held in 1754, for the purpose of bringing about a con- federation of the Colonies, for their mutual def mce and general benefit, and it has been signalized, by not a few other meetings, for momentous public purposes. IVe passed a part of three days in Albany, and were not without strong inducements to protract our stay. The public houses are excellent, afford- ing every accommodation and com.fort, with that quiet and retirement, and that prompt civility, so commonly found in English Inns, and which, until within a few years, were so rare in those of Ameri- ca-. Polished and enlightened society, and the courtesies of hospitality held out still stronger at- * In InOO, Schenectady was suddenly assaulted, in the night, by (he Fifiich and Indians, and its miserable inhabitants either inassacred, or dragged, in the depth of winter, into captivity. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 73 tractions, but our allotments of time did not permit us to remain any longer, and we hastened to set our faces towards the British dominions. BANKS OF THE HUDSON, ABOVE ALBANY. We determined to go by Whitehall, as we wish- ed to avail ourselves, of the rapid and comfortable conveyance, to the confines of Canada, now estab- lished on Lake Champlain. Being unwilling how- ever, to pass rapidly by, or entirely to avoid, all the interesting objects on the road, we adopted such an arrangement, as might permit us to take the banks of the Hudson and Lake George in our route. Indeed, from Albany, upon the course pro- posed, every part of our way was to be over classic- al ground. History sheds a deeper interest over no portion of the North American States. He who venerates the virtues and the valour, and commis- serates the sufferings of our fathers, and he, w^ho views, with gratitude and reverence, the deliveran- ces which heaven has wrought for this land, will tread with awe, on every foot of ground between Albany and the northern lakes. We w^ere obliged, on this occasion, to deny our- selves a vish to Schenectady, and its rising literary institution, and to the waters of Ballston and Sara- toga. Leaving them therefore to the left, we pro- ceeded along the banks of the Hudson, principally on the western shore. T4 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. This is a charming ride. The road is very good, and absokitely without a hill ; the river, often placid and smooth, but sometimes disturbed by a rocky bottom, is almost constantly in sight, and flows through beautiful meadows, which are commonly bounded, at small distances from the Hudson, by verdant hills, of moderate height, and gentle de- clivity. The strata of rocks are, almost invariably, the transition slate. They present scarcely any variety. The direction of the strata is so nearly that of the river, that they form but an inconsidera- ble angle with it ; they often protrude their edges into view, because they have a very high inclination to the horizon, apparently about 45°,^ or, perhaps in some instances, a few degrees less. The rock is easily broken up, and reduced to small fragments ; and therefore forms an excellent material for the roads. The banks of the river frequently present a natural barrier, formed by the same kind of rock. Nearly six miles from Albany, we crossed the river into Troy. SINGULAR HORSE FERRY-BOAT. The ferry-boat is of most singular construction. A platform covers a wide flat boat. Underneath the platform, there is a large horizontal solid wheel, which extends to the sides of the boat ; and there * J had DO opportunity to judge, except by the eye, as we vnde fclonj; TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. Id the platform, or deck, is cut through, and removed, so as to afford siifiicient room, for two horses to stand on the flat surface of the wheel, one horse on each side, and parallel to the gunwale of the boat. The horses are harnessed, in the usual manner for P teams — the whiffle trees being attached to stout iron bars, fixed horizontally, at a proper height, into posts, which are a part of the fixed portion of the boat. The horses look in opposite directions, one to the bow, and the other to the stern ; their feet lake hold of channels, or grooves, cut in the wheels, in the direction of radii; they press forward, and, al- though they advance not, any more than a squirrel, in a revolving cage, or than a spit dog at his w^ork, their feet cause the horizontal wheel to revolve, in a direc- tion opposite to that of their own apparent motion ; this, by a connection of cogs, moves two vertical wheels, one on each wing of the boat, and these, being con- structed hke the paddle wheels of steam-boats, pro- duce the same effect, and propel the boat forward. The horses are covered by a roof, furnished with curtains, to protect them in bad weather; and do HOt appear to labour harder than common draft horses, with a heavy load. The inventor of this boat, is Mr. Langdon, of Whitehall, and it claims the important advantages of simphcity, cheapness and effect. At first view, the labour appears like a hardship upon the horses, but, probably this is an illusion, as it seems very im- material to their comfort, whether they advance with 76 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. their load, or cause the basis, on which they labour, to recede. TROY, LANSINGBURGH, AND WATERFORD. Troy, six miles north of Albany, is a beautiful city, handsomely built, and regularly laid out ; its appearance is very neat ; it stands principally on the flat ground, by the Hudson — contains five thou- sand inhabitants — a court-house, jail, market-house, and two banks, a public library, a Lancasterian school, and five places of public worship. It has an intelligent and polished population, and a large share of wealth. A number of its gentlemen have discovered their attachment to science, by the in- stitution of a Lyceum of Natural History, w^hich, fostered by the activity, zeal, and intelligence of its members, and of its lecturer, Mr. Eaton, promises to be a public benefit, and to elevate the character of the place. Near it, on the opposite side of the river, are ex- tensive and beautiful barracks, belonging to the United States, with a large park of artillery. Be- low the town, are fine mill seats, on which are al- ready established, several important manufactures, for which kind of employments, Troy appears very favourably situated. Small sloops come up to this town, which, for size, and importance, is the third, or fourth in the state. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 77 We had to regret that the arrangements of our journey did not permit us to pass as much time in Troy, as, under other circumstances, would have been both useful and agreeable. Lansingburgh, through which we passed, three miles north of Troy, is inferior to it in the number and quality of its buildings. Its population is not far from two thousand. It is a large and handsome settlement, situated, principally, on one street, and has an academy, a bank, and four- places of public w^orship. Sloops come up to this place, and it en- joys a considerable trade. It was formerly more flourishing, than at present. Troy has, for a good many years, gained the pre- eminence, and seems likely to retain it. Waterford is a pretty village, of one thousand in- habitants, and stands on the western bank of the Hudson, at its confluence with the Mohawk, where several islands, producing the appearance of several mouths, give diversity to a very beautiful scene. It is ten miles north of Albany. From the Lan- singburgh side, we crossed into it, over a commodi- ous bridge. The name of this place, was formerly Half-Moon point. It is memorable, as having been the most southern point, to wdiich the American army, under General Schuyler, retreated, before the then victorious General Burgoyne. In the con- tiguous islands, in the mouth of the Mohawk, they took their stand, and Avere preparing to form a ■ Worcester's Gazetteer. 78 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBFX. camp, so strong, that their enemy wouKl not he able to force it. This was in August, 1777. On the 19th of that month, General Schuyler was superceded in command by General Gates. Colonel Morgan's re- giment of riflemen, dispatched from the main army by General Washington, arrived on the 23d ; and on the Sth of September, the army again turned northward, and marched to Stillwater, to face Gene- ral Burgoyne. From this place, therefore, we are to pass over the most interesting scones of that cam- paign. GENERAL BURGOYNE'S EXPEDITION. Of that momentous period, I am not now about to- re-write the history, which may be found, per- haps, sulficiently detailed, in various authors.* But, in travelhng over ground, which has been the scene of memorable actions, it is both instructive and in- teresting, to advert concisely, to some of the riiost prominent events. In May, 1775, Ticonderoga, and Crown Point, and the small marine force on the lake, had been taken by surprise, by the Americans, led by Colonels Allen and Arnold, and thus, the command of the lakes George and Champlain, had been acquired ^Ramsay's History of the AiiiPiican Revolution, Gordon's His- tory, Marsiiall's Life of Washington, Wilkinson's Memoirs, An- nual Register, Burgoyne's State of the EspeditJon from Criip- da, &:c. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 79 without bloodshed, and with comparatively little effort. This opened the way for the invasion of Canada, which was undertaken, in form, in the summer of 1775, it being supposed that the Canadians were disaffected to the British government, and needed nothing, but the appearance of an American army, to induce a general revolt. Accordingly, in September, 1775, General Schuy- ler, with General Montgomery, proceeded to the So- rcl river, and took post at the Isle-aux-Noix, eight or nine miles above St. Johns, and eleven below the egress of the river from Lake Champlain. General Schuyler falling sick, the command devol- ved on General Montgomery, who, in the course of afew weeks, reduced the forts of St. Johns and Chambly, on the river Sorel, and captured Mon- treal, and the towns of Sorel, and the Trois Revie- res, on the St. Lawrence. Early in December, he formed a junction with General Arnold, who, in No- vember, arrived at Point Levi, opposite to Quebec, with the little army which he commanded, (having traversed the hideous wilderness between the Ken- nebec and St. Lawrence rivers,) and the two ar- mies united, scarcely equalling one thousand men, proceeded, in due form, to invest Quebec. The siege, from the want of heavy cannon, prov- ing ineffectual, they made a desperate assault, on the last day of December. This terminated in the death of Montgomery, and the defeat of the enter- 80 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. prise ; the army, however, kept its ground, in the vicinity of Quebec, till spring, and maintained, part- ly a siege, and partly a blockade of the place. On the return of spring, and the arrival of British reinforcements, the American army gradually retir- ed up the St. Lawrence ; and, although largely re- inforced, from time to time, till it eventually amount- ed to eight thousand men, it was not able to retain possession of the country ; but, by degrees, after various conflicts, more or less important, relinquish- ed all that had been gained, by so much elTort and blood. In June, 1776, the evacuation of Canada was complete, and 'the great objects, originally in view, of uniting Canada to the states, and of preventing invasion from that quarter, were entirely defeated. Still, the Americans held the command of the lakes, and Sir Guy Carleton, who commanded in Canada, made such astonishing efforts to prepare a navy, that, by the autumn of 1776, he had a force much superior to that of the Americans. A desperate conflict ensued, in October of the same year ; and General Arnold, who commanded the American flotilla, although he did every thing, which valour could accomplish, witnessed the com- plete destruction of this little navy. Thus the principal obstacles, that prevented the invasion of the new States, from Canada, were re- moved, and the tide of war, with a powerful reflux, was soon to roll back from the North. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORli AND (QUEBEC. 81 The troops, destined for the intended invasion, were ah'eady in Canada, and General Burgoyne, their future commajider, returned to England in the au- tumn of 1776, to digest the plan of the intended campaign. By an exertion of arbitrary authority, he was made to supercede General Sir Guy Carleton, who had commanded, with much ability, during the preceding campaign, and whose only fault, in the view of the English ministry, was, probably, his humanity and clemency to the Americans ; his magnanimity, however, led him still to do every thing in his power lo forward the service. In the spring of 1777, General Burgoyne returned to Cana- da, took the command, and the armament proceeded on its destination. It was led by accomplished and experienced ofti- cers ; — it was furnished with a most formidable train of brass artillery, and with all the apparatus, stores, and equipments, which the nature of the service required, and which the art of man had invented. Veteran corps of the best troops of Britain and Germany, formed almost the whole of this dreaded army, while Canadians, and American loyahsts, fur- nished it with rangers, scouts, and spies, and a nu- merous array of savages, with their own dress, and weapons, and with their own characteristic ferocity, increased the terrors of its approach. It numbered, ac- cording to common estimation, ten thousand strong, including every description of force ; an army, which, considering the theatre of action, was equal to ten 8 82 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QtEBEC. limes that miniber in the ordinary wars of Europe. ft is probable, however, that this force was some- what overrated, by the Americans, as the regular troops did not exceed, (according to the statement of the British officers,) seven thousand men. Un- molested in its progress, from St. John's, up the lake, it landed and invested Ticonderoga on the lirst and second days of July. This post, the key of the North, had not been at- tempted by Sir Guy Carleton, after the destruction of the American flotilla, in the preceding October. It had, in the mean time, been strengthened by ad- ditional works, and men, and the command of it committed to General St. Clair, an officer of the high- est standing. The country looked to him for a vig- orous defence, and expected that he would stem the tide of invasion, and fix bounds to its proud bil- lows. But, that country, little knew" the really fee- ble, and ill provided state of the garrison, and its utter incompetency, to contend with the formidable army by w^hich it was now invested. Had 'it been even much stronger than it was, its strength would have been rendered unavailing, by the unexpected occupancy of Sugar Loaf Hill, or Mount Defiance, hitherto deemed inaccessible, and equally neglect- ed, by iall previous commanders, whether French, British or Americans, and had the latter now thought proper to possess it, they could not have spared troops for the purpose. From this completely TO¥R BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 83 commanding, and very contiguous position,^ General Burgoyne was already prepared, to pour down into the garrison, a certain and deadly fire from his ar- tillery ; while, not an effective shot could be re- turned. The Eagle, perched in the covert of the rock, was poising -his wings to dart upon the de- fenceless prey, that was crouching beneath him, and nothing but precipitate flight could save the victim. Accordingly, on the night of the fifth of July, Ticonderoga was abandoned : the baggage, stores, hospital, ordnance and moveable provisions were dispatched to Skeensborough, by water, in the little American flotilla, while the main body of the garrison, having crossed the lake to Fort Indepen- dence, defiled to the left, into Vermont. They were closely pursued by a detachment of the British, under General Frazer, and of the Germans under General Reidesel, who, the next day, brought them to action, and the obstinate and sanguinary conflicts at Hubberton, evinced, that although in retreat, they were still very formidable. This little army led by General St. Clair, after a circuitous march, reached the Hudson, at Batten Kill, and soon joined General Schuyler, who, with the main army, was a few miles above, at Fort Edward. General Burgoyne, with the great body of the British troops, proceed- * Only one thousand four liundied yards, from Ticonderoga, and one (liousand five hundred from Mount Independence, on the opposite shore. — (General Burgoyne.) 84 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. ed, in pursuit of his enemy, up the lake, to Skeens- borough, and destroyed the American flotilla, bag- gage and stores, while General Philips with most of the stores of General Biirgoyne, went up lake George, to Fort George, situated at its head. Gen- eral Schuyler's armv continued to retreat, down the Hudson, to Saratoga and Stillwater, and, at last. to VanShaick's island, in the mouth of the Mohawk, where it took post, on the eighteenth of August. From Skeensborough, General Burgoyne, with extreme difficulty, and after several weeks of severe labour, and one considerable battle near fort Anne, cleared the passage to Fort Edward ; for General Schuyler, in consequence of General Burgoyne's halting, nearly three weeks, at Skeensborough, had time to throw very formidable obstructions in his way. He felled innumerable trees into Wood Creek, and across the roads, by Fort Anne; he de- molished bridges, and by every other means in his power, so impeded his march, that the British army did not arrive at Fort Edward, on the Hudson, till the 30th of July. A junction was at length formed at this place, betw^een the main body, and the divi- sion that went by lake George. In order to enable General Burgoyne to move down the Hudson, it was necessary to transport the stores, boats and ammunition, a distance of sixteen miles, over a very difficult country, from Fort George to Fort Edward. But still on the fifteenth of August, there was at Fort Edward, only four days' provision in advance. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 85 On the sixteenth, Colonel Baum, who with his Germans, had been detached by Burgoyne, to seize a magazine of stores at Bennington, in Vermont, and to countenance the loyalists in that quarter, was to- tally defeated and slain, by General Stark ; most of his detachment were either killed or made prisoners; and Colonel Breyman, who had been sent to succour Baum, and who arrived on the same ground, a few hours after the battle, was also defeated, and with extreme difficulty, regained the main army with the greater part of his troops. In the mean time. Colonel St. Leger, in conse- quence of an arrangement, made in England, had proceeded, early in August, with an army of British and Indians, to attack Fort Stanwix, called also Fort Schuyler, on the Mohawk. This was intended to operate, as a diversion in favour of Burgoyne; to distract the Americans, and, in case of success, to bring down a powerful force, upon their flank. This expedition was attended with some Guccess, in the defeat of Colonel Herkimer, who fell into an ambuscade, while advancing with the militia, of the vicinity, to relieve the Fort ; he was slain, with ma- ny of his party ; but a successful sally from the Fort — the reported advance of General Arnold, with a force greatly magnified by the artful representations of some friendly Indians, and the fears and fickle- ness of the savages, in the British army, eventually defeated St. Leger's expedition, and caused him to retreat, in extreme confusion and distress. 8* 86 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. Thus, General Burgoyne was disappointed of any collateral aid, from St. Leger, and the signal defeat at Bennington, not only deprived him of any supply of provisions, from that source, but lost him a sixth part of the regular troops in his army, and revealed the miportant secret, that regular troops could be beaten by mihtia. These events revived the cour- age of the Americans, ^ave them time to rally and to recruit their armies, and very materially embar- rassed and retarded the movements of General Bur- goyne. To retreat was to abandon the objects of his ex- pedition, and to disappoint the expectations of his government; to advance, although with increasing diriiculties, and dangers, was therefore the only al- ternative. Accordingly, on the thirteenth and four- teenth of September, he passed the Hudson river, on a bridge of boats, not far from Fort Miller,' and advanced, without any material opposition, to Saratoga and Stillwater, till, on the seventeenth, his advanced guard was within four miles of the American army, now returning northward. On the eighteenth, the ft-onts of the two armies were al- most in contact, and some skirmishing ensued, but without bringing on a general engagement. Thus, we have passed in very rapid review, the principal events, ivhich preceded, and induced the crisis of General Burgoyne's expedition. The two armies were now so situated that the catastrophe TOUR BETWEEiN' HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 87 could not long be averted, and the four succeeding weeks, were pregnant with dangers and difficulties, and fruitful in the waste of human life. We had so arranged our journey, as to lodge at Stillwater, and we were even desirous to stay in the very house, which in the plans, accompanying Gen- eral Burgoyne's " State of the expedition from Canada," is called " Swords' house." This small house, which is still in tolerable re- pair, and is now kept as a tavern, was, for some time, the British head quarters, and hospital, and was rendered very memorable by the events which happened in and near it. We arrived, at night fall, in the midst of a hard rain ; obtained the refreshments we needed, and made ourselves comfortable for the night. Willing to arrest the impressions of the moment, I wrote down such thoughts as the scene suggested. SWORDS' HOUSE AT STILL\YATEK— Ten o'clock at night We are now on memorable ground. Here, much precious blood was shed, and now, in the silence and solitude of a very dark and rainy night — -the family asleep, and nothing heard but the rain and the Hudson, gently murmuring along, I am writing in the very house ; and my table stands, on the very 88 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. spot in the room where General Frazer breathed his last, on the eighth of October, 1777. He was mortally wounded in the last of the two desperate battles fought on the neighbouring heights, and, in the midst of the conflict, was brought to this house, by the soldiers. Before me lies one of the bullets, shot on that occasion ; they are often found, in ploughing the battle field. Blood is asserted, by the people of the house, to have been visible here, on the floor, till a very recent period. General Frazer was high in command, in the Brit- ish army, and was almost idolized by them : they had the utmost confidence in his skill and valour, and that the Americans entertained a similar opinion of him, is sufiicientiy evinced, by the following anec- dote, related to me at Ballston Springs, in 1797, by tho Hon. Richard Brent, then a member of Con- stress, from Virginia,* who derived the fact from General Morgan's own mouth. In the battle of October the seventh, the last pitch- ed battle, that was fought between the two armies, General Frazer, mounted on an iron grey horse, was very conspicuous. He was all activity, courage, and vigilance, riding from one part of his division to another, and animating the troops by his exam- ple. Wherever he was present, every thing pros- pered, and, when confusion appeared in any part of * S'lace deceased TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 89 the line, order and energy were restored by his ar- rival. Colonel Morgan,* with his Virginia rifiennen, was immediately opposed to Frazer's division of the army. It had been concerted, before the commence- ment of the battle, that while the New-Hampshire and the New-York troops, attacked the British left, Colonel Morgan with his regiment of Virginia rifle- men, should make a circuit so as to come upon the British right, and attack them there. In this attempt, he was favoured by a woody hill, to the foot of which the British right extended. When the at- tack commenced on the British left, " true to his purpose, Morgan, at this critical moment, poured down, like a torrent from the hill, and attacked the right of the enemy in front and flank. "f The right wing soon made a movement to support the left, which was assailed with increased violence, and while executing this movement, General Frazer re- ceived his mortal wound. ^ In the midst of this sanguinary battle. Colonel Morgan took a few of his best riflemen aside ; men in whose fidelity, and fatal precision of aim, he could repose the most perfect confidence, and said to them; "that gallant officer is General Frazer; I * Afterwards General Morgan — the liiM'o of the battle of the Cowpens, and distinguished through the n'hole war, by a series o( Ihe most important services. f Wilkin'^on's Memoirs, Vol. T. p. 268. 90 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. admire and respect him, hut it is necessary that he should die — take your stations in that wood, and do your duty." Within a few moments General Frazer fell, mortally wounded.* How far, such personal designation is justifiable, has often been questioned, but those who vindicate war at all, contend, that to shoot a distinguished offi- cer, and thus to accelerate the conclusion of a bloody battle, operates to save lives, and that it is, morally, no worse, to kill an illustrious, than an obscure in- dividual ; a Frazer, than a common soldier ; a NELS0N,f than a common sailor. But, there is something very revolting to humane feelings, in a mode of warfare, which converts its ordinary chances into a species of military execution. Such instan- ces, were, however, frequent, during the campaign of General Burgoyne ; and his aid. Sir Francis Clark, and many other British officers, w^ere victims of American marksmanship. The Baroness Reidesel, the lady of Major Gen- eral the Baron Reidesel, in some very interesting letters of hers, published at Berhn, in 1800, and in part republished in translation, in Wilkinson's me- moirs, states that she, with her three little children, (for she had, with this tender charge, followed the * He was supported on his horse by (wo officers; till he reached his tent ; he said that he saw the man who shot hira, that he was a rifleman, and posted in a tree. I jVclson was killed by a sharp shooter from the tops of tV:f Sr.ntissima Triaidada ^ TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 91 fortunes of her husband, across the Atlantic, and through the horrors of the campaign) occupied this house, which was the only refuge, within protection of the British army. The rooms which it contain- ed remain, to this day, as they then were, although some other rooms have been since added. The house stood at that time, perhaps one hun- dred yards from the river, at the foot of the hill ; it was afterwards removed to the road side, close by the river, where it now stands. The Baroness, with her little children, occupied the room, in which we took tea, and General Fra- zer, when brought in wounded, was laid in the other room. In fact, as it was the only shelter that re- mained standing, it was scon converted into a hos- pital, and many other wounded and dying officers were brought to this melancholy refuge. Thus a refined and delicate lady, educated in all the elegance of affluence and of elevated rank, with her little children, was compelled to witness the agonies of bleeding and dying men, among whom, some of her husband's and of her own particular friends, expired before her eyes. She imparted to them of her few remaining comforts and soothed them by offices of kindness. This distinguished lady was not without female companions, who shared her distresses, or felt with keenness their own misfortunes. Among them was lady Harriet Ackland, the wife of Major Ackland, wiio com- manded the British grenadiers. Every thing that 92 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. has been said of the Baroness Reidesel, will apply to her. News came, from time to time, from the heights, that one officer and another was killed, and among the rest that Major Ackland was desperately wounded, and a prisoner ^vith the enemy. I^Bl Major, (called in General Burgoyne's narrative,^! Colonel) Ackland, had been wounded in the battle of Hubberton, but had recovered, and resumed the command of the Grenadiers. He was wounded, the second time, in the battle of October 7, and found by General (then Colonel Wilkinson,) who gives the following interesting statement of the occur- rence :* "with the troops, I pursued the hard pressed, flying enemy, passing over killed and woun- ded, until I heard one exclaim, 'protect me. Sir, against this boy.' Turning my eyes, it was my fortune to arrest the purpose of a lad, thirteen or fourteen years old, in the act of taking aim at a wounded officer, who lay in the angle of a worm fence. Inquiring his rank, he answered, ' I had the honour to command the Grenadiers ;" of course I knew him to be Major Ackland, who had been brought from the field to this place, on the back of a Captain Shrimpton, of his own corps, under a heavy fire, and was deposited here, to save the lives of both.^t * Memoirs, Vol. I. pa. 271. t Anbury relates, (Travels, vol. I. pa/»394,) that after Ackland was deposited, by Captain Shriuipton, he offered fifly guineas \o the Grenadiers, who were ilying by him, if any one of then), would TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ttUi^BEC. 93 *'I dismounted, took him by the hand and ex- pressed hopes that he was not badly wounded; * not badly,' replied this gallant officer, and accomplished gentleman, * but very inconveniently, I am shot through both legs; will you, Sir, have the good- ness, to have me conveyed to your camp ?' I direct- ed my servant to alight, and we Hfted Ackland into his (the servant's) seat, and ordered him to be con- ducted to head quarters." Two other ladies, who were in the same house with madam Reidesel, received news, the one, that her husband was wounded, and the other, that hers was slain ; and the Baroness herself, expected, eve- ry moment to hear similar tidings; for the Baron's duties, as commander in chief, of the German troops, required him to be frequently exposed to the most imminent perils. The Baroness Reidesel, gives, in her narrative, the following recital, respecting General Frazer's death : — "severe trials, awaited us, and on the 7th of October, our misfortunes began ; I was at breakfast, convey him into camp; that a very stout Grenadier, undertook it, but being overtaken by the Americans, both were made pris- oners. Anbury's book, however, although it contains maiiy inter- esting occurrences, which so far as they are stated, on his own knowledge, are probably related with correctness — is evidently a made up work, and what is curious enough, many pages of it, and by fur the most important parts, are taken, almost verbatim, from General Burgoyne's " State of the Expedition from Canada" — although that work was not published, till three years after Anbu- ry's letters are dated. 9 94 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^y£BEC. with my husband, and heard that somethmg was m- tended. On the same day, I expected the Gener- als Burgoyne, Phihps and Frazer, to dine with us. I saw a great movement among the troops ; my hus- band told me, it was a mere reconnoissance, which gave me no concern, as it often happened. I walk- ed out of the house, and met several Indians, in their war dresses, with guns in their hands. When I ask- ed them where they were going, they cried out War! War! (meaning that they were going to battle.) — This filled me with apprehensions, and I had scarce- ly got home, before I heard reports of cannon and musketry, which grew louder by degrees, till at last, the noise became excessive. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, instead of the guests, whom I expect- ed. General Frazer was brought, on a litter, mortally wounded. The table, which was already set, was instantly removed, and a bed placed in its stead, for the wounded General. I sat trembling in a corner; the noise grew louder, and the alarm increased : the thought that my husband might, perhaps, be brought in, wounded in the same manner, was terri- ble to me, and distressed me exceedingly. General Frazer said to the surgeon, ' tell me if my wound is mortal, do not flatter me.' The ball had passed through his body, and unhappily for the General, he had eaten a very hearty breakfast, by which the stomach was distended, and the ball, as the surgeon said, had passed through it, I heard him often exclaim, with a sigh, * O, fatal ambi- tour between hartford and (quebec. 95 tion! Poor General Burgoyne! O, mt poor WIFE I' He was asked if he had any request to make^ to which he replied, that ' if General Burgoyne WOULD PERMIT IT, HE SHOULD LIKE TO BE BURIEB AT 6 o'clock in THE EVENING, ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN, IN A REDOUBT WHICH HAD BEEN BUILT THERE.' Towards evening, I saw my liusband coming ; then I forgot all my sorrows, and thanked God that he was spared to me." The German Baroness spent much of the night in comforting lady Harriet xickland, and in taking car© of her children, whom she had put to bed. Of herself she says — "I could not go to sleep, as I had General Frazer and all the other wounded gentle- men in my room, and I was sadly afraid, my chil- dren would awake, and by their crying, disturb the dying man, in his last moments, who often address- ed me, and apologised '/or the trouble he gave me,^ About 3 o'clock in the morning, I was told, he could not hold out much longer ; I had desired to be in- formed of the near approach of this sad crisis, and I then wrapped up my children in their clothes, and went with them into the room below. About eisiht o'clock in the morning, he died. After he was laid out, and his corpse wrapped up in a sheet, we came again into the room, and we had this sorrowful sight before us the whole day ; and, to add to the melan- choly scene, almost every moment some officer of my acquaintance was brought in wounded." Vi[) TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UliiBEC What a situation for delicate females — a small house, (illed with blecdins; and expirini; men — the battle roarins; and raging all around — little children to be soothed and protected, and female domestics, in despair, to be comforted — cordials and aids, such as were attainable, to he administered to the vvound- pd and dying — ruin impending over the army, and they knew not what insults, worse than death, might await themselves, from those whom they had been taught to consider as base, as well as cowardly. Both these illustrious females learned, not long after, a ditfcrent lesson. I have already remadied, that Major Ackland was wounded and taken pris- oner. His lady, with heroic courage, and exempla- ry conjugal tenderness, passed down the river, to our army, with a letter from General Burgoyne, to General Gates, and although somewhat detained on the river, because it was night when she arrived, and the centinel could not permit her to land, till he had received orders from his superior, she was, as soon as her errand was made known, received bv the Amer- icans, with the utmost respect, kindness, and delica- ry. Her husband, many years after the war, even lost his life, in a duel, which he fought with an offi- cer, who called the Americans cowards. Ackland espoused their cause, and vindicated it in this un- happy manner. General Burgoyne, in his '' State of the expedition from Canada," has mentioned, with much respect and feeling, the rase of lady Harriet Ackland. Tt- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFOED AND Q,UErBEC. 97 seems she came with her husband to Canada, early in the year 1776, and accompanied him through that campaign, in all the varieties of travelhng and of season, " to attend, in a poor hut, at ChambJy, up- on his sick bed." At the opening of the campaign of 1777, she, by the positive injunctions of her hus- band, remained at Ticonderoga, till, hearing of his being wounded at Castleton, she went over to him, and, after his recovery, persisted in following his fortunes, with no other vehicle, than a little two- wheeled tumbril, constructed in the camp on the Hudson. She, with the Major, was, on a particular occasion, near perishing in the flames, in conse- quence of their hut taking fire in the night. As the grenadiers, whom Major Ackland commanded, were attached to the advanced corps, this lady was exposed to all their fatigues, and to many of their perils, and was at last obliged, during the battle of the 7th of October, to take refuge " among the wounded and dying." With respect to her proposal, to go over to the American camp, to take care of her husband, General Burgoyne remarks,* " Though I was ready to be- lieve, (for 1 had experienced,) that patience and fortitude, in a supreme degree, were to be found, as well as every other virtue, under the most tender forms, I was astonished at this proposal. After so long an agitation of the spirits, exhausted, not only ^ Slate of the expedition, Stc. page 128. 9* 98 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QITKBKC. for want of rest, but absolutely want of food, drench- ed in rains for twelve hours together, that a woman should be capable of delivering herself to the ene- my, probably in the night, and uncertain of what hands she might first fall into, appeared an eftbrt, above human nature. The assistance I was enabled to give, was small indeed ; I had not even a cup of wine to offer her ; but I was told, she had found from some kind and fortunate hand, a little rum and dirty water. All I could furnish to her, was an open boat, and a few lines, written upon dirty and wet paper, to General Gates, recommending her to his protection." " It is due to justice, at the close of this adventure, to say, that she was receiv- ed, and accommodated by General Gates, with all the humanity and respect, that her rank, her merits, and her fortunes deserved." I omit to quote General Burgoyne's statement, that lady Harriet Ackland was detained through the night in the open boat, because, we are now in- formed, on the authority of Generals Wilkinson* and Dearborn, that this was a total misrepresentation, although, probably, not originating with General Bur- goyne. It seems General Dearborn (then a Major,) commanded, at the post where the boat was hailed. As soon as the character of the lady was known, she was immediately provided with a comfortable apart- ment, and refreshments, and lire, ind, in the niorc- 'Memoifs, Vol. I. p. 283. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 99 Ing, was forwarded on her way to the camp. " Let such," adds General Burgoyne, "as are afiectcd by these circunristances of alarm, hardship, and danger, recollect that the subject of them was a woman, of the most tender and delicate frame ; of the gentlest manners ; habituated to all the soft elegancies, and refined enjoyments, that attend high bix'th and for- tune ; and far advanced in a state, in which the ten- der ca»es, always due to the sex, become indispen- sably necessary. Her mind alone was formed for such trials." Lady Reidesel, immediately on the surrender of the army, received on the spot, from General Schuy- ler, (and that spot was his own devastated estate,) the most kind and soothing attentions, which she and her children so eminently needed, and afterwards, in the family of this magnanimous and generous man, she experienced from Mrs. Schuyler and her daughters, all the attentions and sympathies of friendship. After the surrender, and the officers had gone over to General Gates' army. General Reidesel sent a message to his lady, to come to him with her chil- dren. She says in her narrative, "I seated myself once more, in my dear calash, and then rode through the American camp. As I passed on, I observed, (and this was a great consolation to me,) that no one eyed me with looks of resentment, but they all greeted us, and even shewed compassion in their countenances, at tlie sight of y- woman with 100 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. small children. I was, I confess, afraid to go over to the enemy, as it was quite a new situation to me. When I drew near the tents, a handsome man ap- proached and met me, took my children from the calash, and hugged and kissed them, ivhich affected me almost to tears. " You tremble," said he, ad- dressing himself to me, " be not afraid." " No," 1 answered, " you seem so kind and tender to my children, it inspires me with courage." He now led me to the tent of General Gates." "All the Generals remained to dine with General Gates." " The same gentleman who received me so kind- ly, now came and said to me, "You will be very much embarrassed to eat with all these gentlemen ; come with your children to my tent, where I will prepare for you a frugal dinner, and give it with a free will." I said, "you are certainly a hus- band AND A father, you havc shewn me so much kindness." " I now found that he vvas General Schuyler. He treated me with excellent smoked tongue, beef steaks, potatoes, and good bread and butter ! Nev- er could I have wished to eat a better dinner : I was content ; I saw all around me were so like- wise ; and what was better than all, my husband w^as out of danger! When we had dined, he told mc his residence was at Albany, and that General Bur- goyne intended to honour him as his guest, and in- vited myself and children to do so likewise. I ask- ed my husband how I should act ; he told me to TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 101 accept the invitation." " Some days after this, we arrived at Albany, where we so often wish- ed ourselves; but, we did not enter it, as we ex- pected we shoidd, victors ! We were received by the good General Schuyler, his wife, and daughters, not as enemies, but kind friends ; and they treated us with the most marked attention and politeness, as they did General Burgoyne, who had caused General Schuyler's beautifully finished house to be burnt; in fact, they behaved like persons of exalted minds, w^ho determined to bury all recollection of their own injuries in the contemplation oi our mis- fortunes. General Burgoyne was struck with Gen- eral Schuyler's generosity, and said to him, '' You shew me great kindness, although I have done you much injury." " That was the fate of war " repli- ed the brave man, '^ let us say no more about it." Thus, not only General Burgoyne, but a number of the most distinguished officers of the army, in- cluding Baron Reidesel, and Major Ackland, and their ladies, wers actually lodged for weeks, and most hospitably entertained, in the house of the man, whose elegant villa at Saratoga, they had wan- tonly* burnt, and whose fine estate there they had spoiled. ■X- •«• -K- -X- ^ ^ ii' "^ It wfis asserted, in juslificatioi), that the house was burnt to prevent its being a cover for the Amrricans, ard that the estate was ravaged in foraging. 102 TOUR BETWEEN HARTrORD AND QUEBEC. Retiring at a late hour to my bed, it will be easi- ly perceived, that the tender and heroic ideas, as- sociated with this memorable house, would strongly possess my mind. The night was mantled in black clouds, and impenetrable darkness ; the rain, in- creasing, descended in torrents, upon the roof of this humble mansion ; the water, urged from the heights, poured with loud and incessant rumbling, through a neighbouring aqueduct ; and the Hud- son, as if conscious that blood had once stained its waters, and its banks, rolled along with sullen mur- murs ; — the distinguished persons, who, forty-two years since, occupied this tenement — the agonized females — the terrified imploring children — and the gallant chiefs, in all the grandeur of heroic suffering and death, were vividly present to my mind — all the realities of the night, and the sublime and tender images of the past, conspired to give my faculties too much activity for sleep, and I will not deny that the dawning light was grateful to my eyes ! THE BATTLE GROUND. The rain having ceased, I was on horseback at early dawn, with a veteran guide to conduct me to the battle ground. Although he was seventy-five years old, he did not detain me a moment ; in con- sequence of an appointment the evening before, he was waiting my arrival at his house, a mile below our inn, and, deeliDing any aid, he mounted a tall T©UR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 103 liorse, from the ground. His name was Ezra Buel,* a native of Lebanon, in Connecticut, which place he left in his youth, and was settled here, at the time of General Burgoyne's invasion. He acted, through the whole time, as a guide to the American army, and was one of three, who were constantly employed in that service. His duty led him to be always foremost, and in the post of danger ; and he was, therefore, admirably qualified for my purpose. The two great battles, which decided the fate of Burgoyne's army, were fought, the first on the 19th of September, and the last, on the 7th of October, on Bemus' heights, and very nearly on the same ground, which is about two miles west of the river. The river is, in this region, bordered for many miles, by a continued meadow, of no great breadth ; upon this meadow, there was then, as there is now, a good road, close to the river, and parallel to it. Upon this road, marched the heavy artillery and baggage, constituting the left wing of the British ar- my, while the advanced corps of the light troops, forming the right wing, kept on the heights which bound the meadows. The American army was south and west of the British, its right wing on the river, and its left rest- ing on the heights. We passed over a part of their camp a Httle below Stillwater. * Called colloquially, in the neighbourhood, Major Bud, a rank which he never had in the army, but which was facetiously as- signed him, while in the service, by his brother guides. He is much respected as a worthy nan. 104 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. A great part of the battle ground was occupied by lofty forest trees, principally pine, with here and there a few cleared fields, of which the most con- spicuous in these sanguinary scenes, was called Freeman's farm, and is so called in General Bur- goyne's plans. Such is nearly the present situation of these heights, only there is more cleared land ; the gigantic trees have been principally felled, but a considerable number remain, as witnesses to pos- terity ; they still shew the wounds, made in their trunks and branches, by the missiles of contending armies ; their roots still penetrate the soil, that was made fruitful by the blood of the brave, and their sombre foliage still murmurs, with the breeze, wdiich once sighed, as it bore the departing spirits along. My veteran guide, warmed by my curiosity, and recalling the feelings of his prime, led me, with amazing rapidity, and promptitude, over fences and ditches — through water and mire — through ravines and defiles — through thick forests, and open fields — and up and down very steep hills ; in short, through many places, where, alone, I would not have ven- tured ; but, it would have been shameful for me not to follow, wdiere a man of seventy-five would lead, and to reluctate at going, in peace, over the ground, which the defenders of their country, and their foes, once trod, in steps of blood. On our way to Freeman's farm, w^e traced the line of the British encampment, still marked by a breast work of logs, now rotten, but retaining their T.OUR BETWEEN HARTFORT) AND QriiBEC- 105 forms ; they were, at the time, covered with earth, and the barrier between contending armies, is now a fence, to mark the peaceful divisions of agricul- ture. This breast work, I suppose to be a part of the line of encampment, occupied by General Bur- goyne, after the battle of the 19th of September, and which was stormed on the evening of the 7th of October. The old man shewed me the exact spot, where an accidental skirmish, between advanced parties, of the two armies, soon brought on the general and bloody battle of September 19. This was on Freeman's farm, a field which was then cleared, although surrounded by forest. The British picket here occupied a small house,"^ when a part of Colonel Morgan's corps fell in with, and im- mediately drove them from it, leaving the house al- most " encircled with their dead." The pursuing party almost immediately, and very unexpectedly, fell in with the British line, and were in part cap- tured, and the rest dispersed. This incident occurred at half past twelve o'clock; there was then an intermission till one, when the ac- tion was sharply renewed ; but it did not become gen- oral, till three, from which time it raged with unaba- ted fury till night. "The theatre of action" (saysGen- * Major Forbes, of llie British army, stales, that the AmericaR picket occupied the house : both facts might have been (rue at different periods of tlie affair. 10 108 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFOKD AND (iUEBE*. eral Wilkinson,*) was such, that although the com- batants changed ground a dozen times, in the course of the day, the contest terminated on the spot where it began. This may be explained in a few words. The British line was formed on an eminence in a thin pine wood, having before it Freeman's farm, an oblong field, stretching from the centre towards its right, the ground in front sloping gently down to the verge of this field, which vv^as bordered, on the opposite side, by a close wood : the sanguinary scene lay in the cleared ground, between the emi- nence occupied by the enemy, and the wood just described ; the fire of our marksmen from this wood, was too deadly to be withstood, by the ene- my, in line, and when they gave wa}^ and broke, our men rushing from their covert, pursued them to the eminence, where, having their flanks protected, they rallied, and charging in turn, drove us back into the wood, from whence a dreadful fire would again force them to fall back ; and in this manner, did the battle fluctuate, like waves of a stormy sea, with alternate advantages for four hours, without one moment's intermission. The British artillery fell into our possession, at every charge, but we could neither turn the pieces upon the enemy nor bring them off; the wood prevented the last, and the want of a match the first, as the lintstock was invari- ably, carried off, and the rapidity of the transitions did not allow us time to provide one ; the slaugh- * Memoirs; Vol. I. p. 240. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^UEBPX. i T ter of this brigade of artillerists was remarkable, the Captain (Jones) and thirty-six men being killed or wounded out of forty-eight. It was truly a gallant conflict, in which death, by familiarity, lost his ter- rors, and certainly a drawn battle, as night alone terminated it : the British army keeping its ground in rear of the field of action, and our corps, when they could no longer distinguish objects, retiring to their own camp. Yet General Burgoyne claimed a victory." It had, however, wiu. respect to him, all the con- sequences of a defeat : his loss was between five and six hundred, while ours was bat litde more than half that number ; his loss was irreparable, ours' easily repaired, and in proportion to our entire ar- my, as well as absolutely, it was much less than his. The stress of the action, as regards the British, lay, principally on the twentietli, twenty-first and sixty-second regiments ; the latter which was five hundred strong, when it left Canada, was reduced to less than sixty men, and to four or five officers." Greneral Burgoyne states, that there was scarcely ever an interval of a minute in the smoke, when some British officer was not shot by the American riflemen, posted in the trees, in the rear and on the flank of their own line. A shot which was meant for General Burgoyne, severely wounded Captain Green, an Aid of General Phillips : the mistake was owing to the Captain's having a rich laced fur- * Gordon. 108 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. niture to his saddle, which caused the marksman to mistake him for the General. Such was the ardor of the Americans, that, as General Wilkinson states, the wounded men, after having their wounds dressed, in many instances re- turned again into the battle. The battle of the seventh of October, w^as fought on the same ground, but it was not so stationary ; it commenced farther to the right, and extended, in its various periods, over more surface, eventually occupying not only Freeman's farm, but it was urged by the Americans, to the very camp of the enemy, which, towards night, was most impetuous- ly stormed, and in part carried. The interval between the nineteenth of Septem- ber, and the seventh of October, was one of great anxiety to both armies ; '* *not a night passed, (adds General Burgoyne,) without firing, and sometimes concerted attacks upon our pickets ; no foraging party could be made without great detachments to cover it ; it was the plan of the enemy to harrass the army, by constant alarms, and their superiority of numbers enabled them to attempt it, v/ithout fa- tigue to themselves. By being habituated to fire, our soldiers became indifferent to it, and were ca- pable of eating or sleeping when it was very near them ; but I do not believe that either officer or soldier ever slept during that Interval, without his clothes, or that any general officer or commander of a regiment, passed a single night, without being * State of the Espeditioa. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AlsD 4,UEBEC. 109 upon his legs, occasionally, at different hours, and constantly, an hour before day light." The battle of the seventh was brought on by a movement of General Burgoyne, who caused one thousand five hundred men, with ten pieces of artillery, to march towards the left of the American army, for the purpose of discovering whether it was possible to force a passage ; or, in case a retreat of the royal army should become indispensable, to dislodge the Americans from their entrenchments, and also to cover a forage, which had now become pressingly necessary. It was about the middle of the after- noon, that the British were observed advancing, and the Americans, with small arms, lost no time in at- tacking the British grenadiers and artillery, although under a tremendous fire from the latter ; the battle soon extended along the whole line : Colonel Mor- gan, at the same moment, attacked, with his rifle- men, on the right wing; Colonel Ackland, the com- mander of the grenadiers, fell, wounded ; the gren- adiers were defeated, and most of the artillery ta- ken, after great slaughter. After a most sanguinary contest, of less than one hour, the discomfiture and retreat of the British be- came general, and they had scarcely regained their earap, before the lines were stormed with the great- est fury, and part of lord Balcarras' camp, was for a short time in our possession. I saw this spot, and also that where the Germans, under Colonel Breymen, fornpiing the right reserve 10* 110 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC, of the army, were stormed, in their encampment, by General Learned, and Colonel Brooks, now Governour Brooks, of Massachusetts. General Ar- nold was wounded on this occasion ; Colonel Brey- man w^as killed ; and the Germans were ehher cap- tured, slain, or forced to retreat in the most precip- itate manner, leaving the British encampment on (he right, entirely unprotected, and liable to be as- sailed the next morning. All the British officers bear testimony to the valour and obstinacy of the attacks of the Americans. The fact was, the Brit- ish were sorely defeated, routed, and vigorously pursued to their lines, which, it seems probable, v/ould have been entirely carried by assault, had not darkness, as in the battle of the 19th, put an end to tlie sanguinary contest. It is obvious, from Gen- oral Burgoyne's own account, and from the testimo- ny of his officers, that this was a severe defeat ; and such an one as has rarely been experienced by a British army ; tliis arm}^ was reduced by it to the greatest distress, and nothing but night saved them from destruction. I was on the ground where the grenadiers, and where the artillery were stationed. " Here, upon this hill," (said my hoary guide,) "on the very spot w^here we now stand, the dead men lay, thicker than you ever saw sheaves on a fruitful harvest field." " Were they British, or Americans ?" •* Both," he replied, " but principally British." I -nppose that it is of this ground, that General Wil- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. Ill kinson remarks, it " presented a scene of compli- cated horror, and exultation. In the square space of twelve or fifteen yards, lay eighteen grenadiers, in the agonies of death; and three oflicers, propped up against stumps of trees, two of them mortally wounded, bleeding, and almost speechless." My guide, proceeding with his narrative, said, " there stood a British field piece, which had been twice taken, and re-taken, and finally remained in our possession : I was on the ground, and said to an American Colonel, who came up at the mo- ment, 'Colonel, we have taken this piece, and now we w^ant you to swear it true to America ;' so the Colonel swore it true, and we turned it around, and fired upon the British, with their own cannon, and w\X\\ their own ammunition, still remaining uncon- sumed in their boxes." I presume General Wil- kinson alludes to the same anecdote, when he says, " I found the courageous Colonel Cilley a straddle on a brass twelve pounder, and exulting in the cap- ture." I was solicitous to see the exact spot where Gen- eral Frazer, received his mortal w^ound. My old guide knew it perfectly well, and pointed it out to me. It is in a meadow, just on the right of the road, after passing a blacksmith's shop, and going south a few rods. The blacksmith's shop is on a road, which runs parallel to the Hudson — it stands elevated, and overlooks Freeman's farm. 112 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^UEBEC^ The night of October 7th, was a most critical one for the royal army ; in the course of it, they aban- doned their camp, changed their whole position, and retreated to their works upon the heights, contigu- ous to the river, and immediately behind the hos- pital. I saw various places, where the dead were inter- red ; a rivulet, or creek, passes through the battle ground, and still washes out from its banks, the bones of the slain. This rivulet is often mentioned in the accounts of these battles, and the deep ravine through which it passes ; on our return, we follow- ed this ravine, and rividet, through the greater part of their course, till they united with the Hudson river. Farm houses are dispersed, here and there, over the field of battle, and the people often find, even HOW, gun-barrels and bayonets, cannon balls, grape shot, bullets, and human bones. Of the three last. I took from one of these people, some painful speci- mens ; — some of the bullets were battered and mis- shaped, evincing that they had come into collision with opposing obstacles. Entire skeletons are occasionally found ; a maa told me, that, in ploughing, during the late summer, he turned one up ; it was not covered more than three inches with earth ; it lay on its side, and the arms were in the form of a bow ; it was, probably, s'ome solhary victim, that never was buried. Such are the n^.emorials stili existing, of these great mill- I'OUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 113 tary events ; great, not so much on accoiiDt of the numbers of the actors, as from the momentous inter- ests at stake, and from tlie magnanimous efforts to which they gave origin. I would not envy that man his state of feeling, who could visit such fields of battle without emotion, or who, (being an American,) could fail to indulge admi- ration and affection, for the soldiers and martyrs of liberty, and respect for the valour of their enemies*. GENERAL FRAZER'S GRAVE. Having taken my guide home to breakfast, we made use of his knowdedge of the country, to iden- tify with certainty, the place of General Frazer's interment. General Burgoyne mentions, tv/o redoubts, that were thrown up, on the hills behind his hospital; they are both still very distinct, and in one of these, which is called the great redoubt, by the officers of General Burgoyne's army. General Frazer was bu- ried. It is true, it has been disputed, which is the redoubt in question, but our guide stated to us, that within his knowledge, a British Sergeant, three or four years, after the surrender of Burgoyne's army, came, and pointed out the grave. We went to the spot; it is within the redoubt, on the top of the hill, nearest to the house, where the General died, and corresponds with the plate in Anbury's travels, tak- en from an original drawing, made by Sir Francis 114 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (iUEBEC. Clark, aid to General Burgoyne, and with the state- ment of the General in his defence, as well as with the account of Madam Reidesel. General Frazer, when dying, sent with the ** kind- est expression of his affection, for General Burgoyne, a request, that he might be carried w^ithout parade^ by the soldiers of his corps, to the great redoubt, and buried there.'- The circumstances of this memorable interment, have been often mentioned. The body, attended by General Burgoyne, and the other principal officers of the army, who could not resist the impulse to join the procession, moved winding slowly up the hill, within view of the great- er part of both armies, while an incessant cannonade from the Americans, w^ho observed a collection of people, without knowing the occasion, covered the procession with dust ; — the clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Brudencl, went through the funeral service, with perfect composure, and propriety, notwithstan- ding the cannonade, and thus the last honors were paid one of the chiefs of the British army. The Baroness Reidesel, who w-as a spectator, speaks of the funeral service, as being " rendered unusually solemn and awful, from its being accom- panied by constant peals from the enemy's artillery," and adds — •' many cannon balls, flew close by me, but 1 had my eyes directed to the mountain, where my husband was standing amid>t the fire, of tVf »^no- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD ANL> Q,UEBEC. 1X5 my, and of course, I could not think of mj own danger." General Burgoyne's eloquent delineation of the same scene, although often quoted before by oth- ers, is too interesting to be omitted on the pres- ent occasion: — "The incessant cannonade, during the solemnity ; the steady attitude and unaltered voice, with which the clergyman officiated, though frequently covered with dust, which the shot threw upon all sides of him; the mute but expressive mixture of sensibility and indignation, upon every countenance; these objects will remain, to the last of life, upon the mind of every man who was present. The growing duskiness, added to the scenery, and the whole marked a character of that juncture, that would make one of the finest subjects for the pencil of a master, that the field ever exhibited. To the canvass and to the page of a more important histo- rian, gallant friend ! I consign thy memory. There may thy talents, thy manly virtues, their progress and their period, find due distinction; and long may they survive ; long after the frail record of my pen shall be forgotten." The place of the interment, was formerly desig- Hated, by a little fence, surrounding the grave. I was here in 1797, twenty-two years ago, the grave was then distinctly visible, but the remains have been since dug up, by some English gentlemen, and car- ried to England, 11(5 TOUR BLTWilEN HA11TF0R15 AND QUEBEC, The circumstances of the British were now very distressing, and they constantly expected a renewed attack from the Americans. Speaking of the death of General Frazer, General Burgoyne remarks: " The whole of the 8th of October was correspond- ent to this inauspicious beglnnmg. The hours were measured by a succession of immediate cares, in- creasing doubts and melancholy objects. The ene- my were formed in two lines. Every part of their disposition, as well as the repeated attacks on lord Balcarras' corps, and the cannonade from the plain, kept the troops in momentary expectation of a general action. During this suspense, w^oimded officers, some upon crutches, and others even carri-^ ed upon hand barrows, by their servants, were o<:-« casionally ascending the hill, from the hospital tents, to take their share in the action, or follow the march of the army. The Generals were emploj-ed in exhorting the troops." That commander, who, in the commencement of the campaign, had uttered in his general orders, the memorable sentiment — "this army must not re- treat," was now compelled to seek his safety by stealing away in the night, from his victorious eO^e- mv. Numerous fires were lighted — several tei*s left standing, and the retreat was ordered to be coji- ducted with the greatest secrecy. The army com- menced its retrograde motion at nine o'clock on the night of the eighth, pursuing the river road, through the meadows. It moved all night j but the TO¥R BETWEEN HAUTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 11"? succeeding day was excessively rainy, and the roads so bad, that they did not reach Saratoga, a distance of only six miles, till the evening of the ninth. The rains had so swelled the Fishkill, that they did not pass that rivulet till the morning of the tenth, when, finding their enemies already in possession of the fords of the Hudson, they took up a strong position which proved their final one. General Burgoyne left his hospital, containing more than three hundred sick and wounded, to the mercy of General Gates, who in this, as in all other instances, exhibited towards the enemy, the great- est humanity and kindness. Swords' house, where Mr. W. and myself lodg- ed, was the centre of this military hospital, and was occupied by the wounded officers, while the com- mon soldiers were comfortably accommodated, in the vicinity, in tents. The researches and observations of the morning had detained us till rather a late hour, when, taking leave of our venerable guide/' we proceeded north- ward on our journc^y, pursuing exactly the roiite of the retreating British army. ■■ I must not, bvovvever, leave him vvilhout rneriiioriiag that he was wounded in this campaign: he bared his aged breast, and shewed me where a builet had raked along superfjcialiy cutting the outer integuments of the thorax, and carrying with it into the wound; portio'ns of his clothes. 11 i Itt TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD A^D Ht^i^^i-^^- THE LAST ENCAMPxMExNT. Six days more of anxiety, fatigue and suffering, remained foi the British army. They had lost part of their provision batteaux, when they abandon- ed their hospital, and the rest being exposed to im- minent danger, the small stock of provisions re- maining was landed under a heavy fire, and hauled up the heigths. On these heights, close to the meadows bordering on the river, they formed a for- tified camp, and strengthened it by artillery. Most of the artillery however, w^as on the plain. Gener- al Gates' army soon followed that of Burgoyne, and .=:tretched along south of the Fishkill, and parallel to it; the corps of Colonel Morgan, lay west and north of the British army, and General Fellow^s with three thousand men, was on the east of the Hud- son, ready to dispute the passage. Fort Edward was soon after occupied by the Americans — a fortified camp was formed on the high ground, between the Hudson and Lake George, and parties were stationed up and down the river; thus, the desperate resolu- tion which had been taken in General Burgoyne's camp, of abandoning their artillery and baggage, and (with no more provisions than they could carry on their backs,) forcing their w^ay by a rapid night march, and in this manner gaining one of the lakes, was rendered abortive. " TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEO. IIB Every part of the camp of the royal army was exposed, not only to cannon balls, but to rifle shot ; not a single place of safety could be found, not a cor- ner where a council could be held, a dinner taken in peace, or where the sick, and the wounded, the females and the children, could find an asylum. — Even the access to the river was rendered very haz- ardous by the numerous rifle shot ; and the army was soon distressed for want of water. General Reidesel, and his lady and children, were often obli- ged to drink wine instead of water, and they had no way to procure the latter, except that a soldier's wife ventured to the river for them, and the Americans, out of respect to her sex, did not fire at her. To protect his family from shot, General Reide- sel, soon after their arrival at Saratoga, directed them to take shelter, in a house, not far off*. They had scarely reached it, before a terrible cannonade was directed against that very house, upon the mis- taken idea, thut all the Generals were assembled in it. " Alas," adds the Baroness, " it contained none but wounded and women ; we were at last obliged to resort to the cellar for refuge, and, in one corner of this, I remained the whole day, my children sleeping on the earth, with their heads in my lap, and, in the same situation, I passed a sleepless night. Eleven cannon balls passed through the house, and we could distinctly hear them roll away. One poor soldier, who was lying on a table, for the purpose of having his leg amputated, w^as struck by J 20 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORB AND ^UEBEi . a shc^ which carried away his other ; his comrade.- had left him, and when we went to Iiis assistance, we found him in a corner of the room, into which he had crept, more dead than alive, scarcely breath- ing;. My reflections on the danger to which my husband was exposed, now agonized me exceed- ingly, and tlie thoughts of my children, and the ne- cessity of struggling for their preservation, alone sustained me." A horse of General Reidcsel was in constant readiness for his lady to mount, in case of a sudden retreat, and three wounded English of- ficers, who lodged in the same house, bad made her •I solemn promise, that they would, each of them, take one of her children upon a horse, and fly with them, when such a measure should become necessa- ry. She was in a state of wretchedness on account of her husband, who was in constant danger, exposed all day to the shot, and never entering his tent to sleep, but notwithstanding the great cold, lying down whole nights by the watch fires. **In this horrid situation," they remained six days, till the cessation of hostilities, which ended in a convention, for the .surrender of the army ; the treaty was signed on the sixteenth, and the army surrendered the next day.* On the present occasion, I did not visit tli€ Brit- i;>h fortified camp. When I was here, in 1797, I examined it particularly. It was then in perfect preservation, (I speak of the enca*iipment of the Rar^ncs'J RcifJesel'* Narraiiv*^, in WjlkiosenV Memoir? TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND q,LEBEC. 121 British troops, upon the hill, near the Fii^hkill,) the parapet was high, and covered with grass and shrubs, and the platforms of earth to support the field pieces, were still in good condition. No devas- tation, of any consequence, had been committed, ex- cept by the credulous, who had made numerous ex- cavations in the breast works, and various parts oi the encampments, for the purpose of discovering ■die money, which the officers were supposed to have buried, and abandoned. It is scarcely neces- sary to add, that they never found any money, for private property was made sacred by the conven- tion, and even the public military chest was not disturbed : the British retained every shilling that It contained. Under such circumstances, to have buried their money, would have been almost as i^reat a folly, as the subsequent search for it. This infatuation, has not however gone by, even to tliis hour, and still, every year, new pits are excav'ated by the insatiable money diggers.^* THE FIELD OF SURRENDER. We arrived at this interesting spot, in a very fine jnorning ; the sun shone, with great splendor, upon ^ This appears to be a very common popular delusion ;, in niaiiy places, on the Hudson, and about the lakes, where armies had lain, or moved, we found money-pits dug 5 and, in one place, Ihey told us, that a man bought of a poor widow, (he right of di.iTging in her ground for the hidden treasure .122 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QtEBKC. the flowing Hudson, and upon tlie beautiful heights, and tlie kixuriant meadows, now smiling in rich vei- diire, and exhibiting images of tranquiUty and loveli- ness, very opposite to the horrors of war, which were once witnessed here. The Fishkill, swollen by abundant rains, (as if was on the morning of October 10th, 1777, when General Burgoync passed it with his ariillery,) now poured a turbid torrent along its narrow channel, and roaring down the declivity of the hills, hastened to mingle its waters with those of the Hudson. It was upon the banks of the Fishkill, that the British army surrendered. We passed the ground, where stood the tents of General Gates, and whero he received General Burgoyne, and the principal oflicers of his army. General Wilkinson's account of this interview is interesting : "Early in the morn- ing of the 17th, I visited General Burgoyne in his tamp, and accompanied him to the ground, where his army was to lay down their arms, from whence we rode to the bank of the Hudson's river, which he surveyed with attention, and asked me whether it was not fordable. ' Certainly, Sir; but do you ob- serve the people on the opposite shore ?' ' Yes, (re- plied he,) I have seen them too long.' He then proposed to be introduced to General Gates, and 'we crossed the Fishkill, and proceeded to head -quarters. General Burgoyne in front, with his adju- nmt-General Kingston, and his aids" de camp Cap- lain lord Petersham, and Lieutenant Wilford behinti TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORt) AND CtLEEEC. 123^ lilm ; then followed Major General Phillips, the Baron Reidesel, and the other General officers, and their suites, according to rank. General Gates, ad- vised ofBurgoyne's approach, met him at the head of his camj), Burgoyne in a rich royal uniform, and Gates in a plain blue frock ; when they had ap- proached nearly within swords' length, they reined up, and halted, I then named the gentlemen, and General Burgoyne, raising his hat most gracefully, said ' The fortune of war. General Gates, has made me your prisoner ;' to which the conqueror, return- ing a courtly salute, promptly replied, ' I shall al- ways be ready to bear testimony, that it has not been througli any fault of your excellency.' Major General Phillips then advanced, and he, and Gene- ral Gates saluted, and shook hands with the famil- iarity of old acquaintances. The Baron Reide- sel, and the other officers, were introduced in their turn." We passed the ruins of General Schuyler's house, which are still conspicuous, and hastened to the field where the British troops grounded their arms. Al- though, in 1797, I paced it over with juvenile en- thusiasm,* I felt scarcely less interested on the present occasion, and again w^alked over the whole Tract. It is a beautiful meadow, situated at the in- tersection of the Fishkili with the Hudson, and north of the former. There is nothing now to distinguish * In company with (he Hon. John Elliott, now a Senator fi'om Ccorgia, and John Wjon Esq. from the same State. 12-1: TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND flUEBEC. the spot, except the ruins of old Fort Hard}', buih durifig the French wars, and the deeply interesting historical associations which w^ill cause this place to be memorable to the latest generation. Thousands and thousands, yet unborn, will visit this spot, with feelings of the deepest interest, and it W'ill not be forgotten till Thermopyke, and Marathon, and Ban- nockburn and Waterloo, shall cease to be remem- bered. There, it will be said, were the last en- trenchments of a proud invading army; on that spot stood their formidable park of artillery — and here, on this now peaceful meadow, they piled their arras ! their arms, no longer terrible, but now converted into a glorious trophy of victory ! REFLECTIONS AND REMARKS. I have adverted but little to the sufterings of the American army, because but little, comparatively, is known of what they individually endured. Except- ing the inevitable casualties of battle, they must have suffered much less than their enemies ; for they soon ceased to be the flying, and became the attacking and triumphant party. Colonels Colburn, Adams, Francis and many other brave oflicers and men, gave up their lives, as the price of their country's liberty, and very many carried away with them the scars produced by honourable wounds. The brave- ry of the American army was fuily acknowledged by their adversaries. TOUR BETWKEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. i25 ** At all times," said Lord Balcarras, " when I was opposed to the rebels, they fought with great courage and obstinacy." " We were taught by ex- perience, that neither their attacks nor resistance was to be despised." Speaking of the retreat of the Americans, from Ticonderoga, and of their behav- iour at the battle of Hubberton, Lord Balcarras adds : " circumstanced as the enemy were, as an army very hard pressed, in their retreat, they cer- tainly behaved with great gallantry ;" of the attack on the hnes, on the evening of the 7th of October, lie says : " the lines were attacked, and with as much fury as the fire of small arms can admit." Lord Balcarras, had said, that he never knew the Americans to defend their entrenchments, but ad- ded : "the reason why they did not defend their en- trenchments was, that they always marched out of them and attacked us." Captain Money, in an- swer to the question, whether on the 19th of Sep- tember, the Americans disputed the field with ob- stinacy, answered, '' they did, and the fire was }iiuch hotter than I ever knew it any where, except at the affair of Fort Anne," and speaking of the bat- tle of October 7th, and of the moment when the Americans, with nothing but small arms, Avere marching up to the British artillery, he adds : " I was very much astonished, to hear the shot from the enemy, fly so thick, after our cannonade had lasted a quarter of an hour." General Burgoyne gives it as liis opinion, that as rangers, " perhaps 126 TOUR BETWEEN UARTFORD AND QUEBEC. there are few better in the world, than the corps of V'irginia riflemen which acted under Colonel Mor- gan." He says, speaking of the battle of September 19th, that, "few actions have been characterised by more obstinacy, in attack or defence. The British bayonet was repeatedly tried ineffectually.'- Remarking upon the battle of the 7th of Octo- ber, he observes : " if there be any persons who continue to doubt that the Americans possess the qualiti/ and facuhy of fighting, call it by whatever term tliey please, they are of a prejudice, that it would be very absurd longer to contend with ;'* he says, tliat in this action the British troops " retreat- ed hard pressed, but in good order," and that " the troops had scarcely entered the camp, when it was stormed with great fury, the enemy rushing to the lines, under a severe fire of grape shot and small arms." In a private letter, addres?ed to Lord George Germain, after the surrender, he says, " I should now hold myself unjustifiable, if I did not confide to your Lordship, my opinion, upon a near inspec- tion of the rebel troops. The standing corps that I have seen, are disciplined. I do not hazard the term, but apply it to tlie great fundamental points of military institution, sobriety, subordination, regu- larity and courage." It is very gratifying to even- real American to find, that for so great a prize, his countrymen, (their enemies themselves bein^ judges,) contended so TULIl BETWEEN HARTFORD AND qCEBEC. 12T aobly, and that their conduct for bravery, skill and humanity, will stand the scrutiny of all future ages. From the enemy it becomes us not to withhold the commendation that is justly due; all that skill and valour could effect, they accomplished, and they were overwhehiied at last by complicated dis- tresses, and by very superior numbers, amounting at the time of the surrender, probably, to three for one, although the disparity was much less, in the two great battles. The vaunting proclamation of General Burgoyne, at the commencement of the campaign ; some of his boasting letters, written during the progress of it, and his devastation of private property reflect no honour on his memory. But, in general, he ap- pears to have been a humane and honourable man, a scholar and a gentleman, a brave soldier and an able commander. Some of his sentiments have a higher moral tone than is common with men of his profession, and have prpbably procured for him more respect, than all his battles. Speaking of the battle of the 7th, he says, " in the course of the ac- tion, a shot had passed through my hat, and another had torn my waistcoat. I should be soiry to be thought, at any time, insensible to the protecting hand of Providence ; but I ever more, particularly considered (and I hope not superstitiously) a sol- dier's hair breadth escapes as incentives to duty, a marked renewal of the trust of being, for the pur- poses of a public station ; and under that reflection^ 128 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. to lose our fortitude, by giving way to our aii'eo lions ; to be divested by any possible self-emotion from meeting a present exigency, with our best fac- ulties, were at once dishonour and impiety/' Thus have I adverted, I hope not with too much particularity, to some of the leading cir- cumstances of the greatest military event which ha? ever occurred in America ; but compared with the whole extent and diversity of tliat campaign, the above notices, however extended, are few and brief. I confess, I have reviewed them with a very deep in- terest, and have been willing to hear some of the dis- tinguished actors speak in their own language. — Should the notice of these great even:s tend, in any instance, to quench the odious fires of party, and to rekindle those of genuine patriotism — should it re- vive in any one, a veneration for the virtues of those men who faced death, in every form, regard- less of their own lives, and bent only on securing to posterity, the precious blessings, which we now en- joy; and above all, should we thus be led to cher- ish a higher sense of gratitude to heaven, for our un- unexampled privileges, and to use them more tem- perately and wisely, the time occupied in this sketch, will not have been spent in vain. History presents no struggle for liberty, which has in it more of the moral sublime than that o( the Ameri- can revolution. It has been, of late years, too much forgotten, in the sharp contentions of party, and he wlio endeavours to witlidraw the pubijc mind TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (tl'^EBEC. 129 from those debasing conflicts, and to fix it on the grandeur of that great epoch — which, magnificent in itself, begins now, to wear the solemn liver}/ of an- tiquity, as it is viewed through the deepening twilight of almost half a century , certainly performs a meri- torious service, and can scarcely need a justification. The generation that sustained the conflict, is now al- most passed away ; a few hoary heads remain, seam- ed with honourable scars — a few experienced guides can still attend us to the fields of carnage, and point out the places where they and their companions fought and bled, and where sleep the bones of the slain. But these juen will soon be gone ;* tradi- tion and history, will, however, continue to recite their deeds, and the latest generations will be taught to venerate the defenders of our liberties — to visit the battle-grounds, which w^ere moistened with their blood, and to thank the mighty God of battles, that the arduous conflict, terminated in the entire establish- ment of the liberties of this country. * I cannot suppress, the expression of the pleasure, with which, a few days since, I observed his Excellency Governor Brooks, still vigorous and alert, occupying a station of useful and honourable eminence, and receiving a voluntary tribute of respect from his fellow citizens at Boston, almost forty three years after he so gal- lantly carried the camp of Colonel Breyman, on the evening of Oc- tober 7, 1777, and contributed, most essentially, (as well as on many other occasions) to the happy issue of the campaign,— (June, 1620.) 12 130 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC STILLWATER TO SANDV-HILL. This ride of twenty-two miles we took before din- ner. After viewing the field of surrender, which is seven miles above Stillwater, and thirty-two above Albany, w^e passed on two miles farther, to the bridge, at Fort Miller, where we crossed to the eastern side of the Hudson. On coming near the head waters of this river, we begin to tread on ground famous, not only in the war of the revolution, but, in those numerous and bloody campaigns, of a still earlier date, in which ihe French and the savages carried fire and slaugh- Ter, into the vast frontier of the northern English Colonies. The contests then sustained, were dis- tinguished by immense sacrifices, efforts and suflfer- ings on the part of the English Colonies ; sacrifices, efforts and sufferings, which, notwithstanding tlie great aids, occasionally received, from the mother country, scarcely admitted, for a long course of years, of any serious and permanent intermission. Fort Miller was one of the posts established in those wars, and formed a link in the chain, which con- nected the upper waters of the Hudson with those of the lakes George and Champlain, and of course, with Canada. Fort Miller, is completely levelled, and I know not of any particular event, of signal importance, connected with its history, except that here, or a little way below. General Burgoyne, TOril BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 1^1 when proceeding to Stillwater, on the 13th and 14th of September, 1777, passed most of his* army over the Hudson. From this place we pursued our journey, along the left bank of the river, lo Fort Edward, and San- dy Hill. In the whole distance, from Albany to the latter place, (nearly fifty miles.) there is scarcely a hill, even of moderate elevation, and the scenery is ex- tremely similar to that which, I have already de- scribed. The river, sprinkled wuth islands, flows through beautiful meadows, and apj^ears, in many places, smooth and glassy as a mirror, and its motion is scarcely perceptible, either to sight or hearing ; again, it is agitated, and with ripples and waves, is urged over a shallow and rocky bottom, or, dashes rapidly, down a more sudden and more rocky de- clivity ; but, in every variety of surface, it forms al- ways, a pleasing and interesting object, GEOLOGY. It was not in my power, to make many very pre- cise observations on the nature of the hills, by which the meadows are bounded. On Bemus' heights, the soil and forest, hid almost every rock from view ; the solitary projections were, however, gen- erally slaty, like the rocks along the river, which, with very few exceptions, were slate — of the trarts- 132 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC*. ition class, (as I suppose ;) the direction of the stra- ta was, more 2;enerally, hke that of the other great rock formations of the north : that is, somewhat to the east of north, and to the west of south ; their dip appeared extremely variahle, hut I believe the}' were never flat, nor vertical, and the structure of the >waiiffli!iifflimi!iSitiiiiBliiu TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND q,UEBEC. 149 clivity, by which we ascend from the lake, to the old fort, upon the walls of which we are supposed to stand, and they, of course, are not in view. On the very shore, we observe one of the old barracks, formerly belonging to the fort, now exhibiting a tavern sign, and, till within a few years, constituting the only place of accommodation to those who vis- ited Lake George. At this place, although princi- pally covered by the water, are the ruins of the old military quay or pier, formerly extending a good way into the lake, and affording important facilities to the numerous expeditions, that have sailed upon Lake George. REMARKS ON LAKE GEORGE AND ITS ENVIRONS. Every one has heard of the transparency of the waters of Lake George. This transparency is, in- deed, very remarkable, and the same, (as we might indeed well suppose it would be,) is the fact with all the streams that pour into it. After the day light became strong, we could see the bottom per- fectly, in most places where we rowed, and it is said, that in fishing, even in twenty or twenty-five feet of v/ater, the angler may select his fish, by bringing the hook near the mouth of the one which he prefers. Bass and trout are among the most celebrated fish of the lake ; the latter were now in season, and nothing of the kind can be finer ; this beautiful fish, 150 TOLR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^UEBl^C'. elegantly decorated, and gracefully formed, shy of observation, rapid in its movements, and delighting, above all, in the perfect purity of its element, finds in Lake George, a residence, most happily adapted to its nature. Here it attains a very uncommon size, and exhibits its most perfect beauty and symmetry. The delicate carnation of its flesh, is here also most remarkable, and its flavour exquisite. If the lovers of the sublime and beautiful, visit Lake George, for its scenery, and the patriotic, to behold the places where their fathers stemmed the tide of savage invasion ; the epicure also, will come, not to cherish the tender and the heroic, nor to ad- mire the picturesque and the grand, but to enjoy the native luxuries of the place. The lake is about a mile wide near its head, and is sometimes wider, sometimes narrower than thisy but rarely exceeding two miles, through its length of thirty-six miles. It is said to contain as many islands, as there are days in the year. I had scarcely any opportunities of observing the mineralogy and geology of this region. The beautiful crystals of quartz, which all stran- gers obtain at Lake George, are got on the islands in the lake ; one about four miles from its head, (and called, of course, the diamond island,) has been principally famous for affording them ; there is a solitary miserable cottage upon' this island, from which we saw the smoke ascending; — a woman, who lives in it, is facetiously called " the lady of the TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 151 lake," but, probably no Malcolm Greme, and Rhod- eric Dhu will ever contend on her account. Crystals are now obtained from other islands, I believe, more than from this, and they are said no longer to find the single loose crystals in abundance on the shores, but break up the rocks for this pur- pose. Poor people occupy themselves in procur- ing crystals, which they deposit at the public house, for sale. The crystals of Lake George, are hardly surpass- ed by any in the world, for transparency, and for per- fection of form ; they are, as usual, the six-sided prism, and frequently terminated at both ends by six-sided pyramids. These last must, of course, be found loose, or, at least, not adhering to any rock ; those which are broken off, have necessarily only one pyramid.* I procured specimens of the rocky matrix, in which the crystals are formed ; it is of quartzoze nature, and contains cavities finely stud- ded with crystals. The crystals of Lake George frequently contain a dark coloured foreign substance, enclosed all around, or partially so; its nature, I believe, has not been ascertained ; it may be manganese, titanium, or iron. I had no opportunity to see the rocks, except those on which Fort George stand, and which form * I b.Rve a crystal from Lake George, obtained by a soldier, and presented to tlie late President Dwight, wbicli is between five and six inches long,' by three broad, and is perfectly limpid, and well ^.rysta'.ized. 152 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. the barrier of the lake, at its head; they are a dove- coloured, compact lime-stone, of a very close grain, and smooth conchoidal fracture ; they very much resemble the marble of Middle bury, (Vermont,) and, I suppose, belong to the transition class. I could get no view of the rocks of the two lateral barriers, but, from what I afterwards saw, I con- clude they are primitive, and probably (at least the eastern one,) gneiss.* The vulgar, about the lake, say, that in some places, it has no bottom ; by which, doubtless, ought to be understood, that it is in some places so deep as not to be fathomed by their hues ; I know of no attempts to ascertain its greatest depth. The mountains are extensively, or rather almost universally in dense forest ; rattle snakes and deer abound upon them, and hunting is still pursued here with success. I was credibly informed, that, a few years since, there was a man in this vicinity, who had the sin- gular power, and the still stranger temerity, to catch living rattle snakes with his naked hands, without wounding the snakes, or being wounded by them; he used to accumulate numbers of them in this manner, for curiosity, or for sale, and, for a long ♦Dr. Meade (Experimental Enquiry, &,c. p. 6,) remarks, that the eastern side of Lake George is composed of transition rocks ; the head of this lake appears, indeed, to be transition lime-stone, and possibly its bfJ may be the same ; although the quartz from the islands, (which I have not visited,) gives a different indica tion ; boih barriers are, however, undoubtedly primitive. •i;OUR BETWEEN HAKTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 153 lime, persisted, uninjured, in this audacious prac- tice ; but, at last, the awful fate, which all but him- self, had expected, overtook him ; he was bitten, and died. Surely no motive, except one spring- ing from the highest moral duty, could have justifi- ed such an exposure. In some places, the mountains, contiguous to the shores, are rocky and precipitous. Tradition re- lates, that a white man, closely pursued, in the win- ter season, by two Indians, contrived to reach the ice, on the surface of the lake, by letting himself down one of these precipices, and, before the In- dians could follow, ho was on his skaits, and dart- ing, " swift as the winds along," was soon out of their reach. I am not informed that the height of tlie moun- tains, about Lake George, has ever been measured ; \hej appeared to my eye, generally, to exceed one thousand feet, and probably the highest may be fif- teen hundred, or more. The wreck of a steam-boat, recently burnt to the waters edge, lay near the tavern : it gave great fa- cility in going up this beautiful lake to Ticondero- ga ; parties and individuals, were much in the habil of making this tour; and, were there a good road, instead of a v^ery bad one, from Glenn's falls to Lake George, and were the steam-boat re-establish- ed, it must become as great a resort, as the lakes of Westmoreland and Cumberland, or as Lock Ka- trin, now immortali^^ed by the muse of Scott. 14 lo4 TOUR BETWEKN HARTFORD AND QUKBEC. The viUage of Caldwell, built entirely since tlie American war, contains five or six hundred inhabit- ants, with neat buildings, public and private, and a very large coujuiodious public-house, well provided and attended, so that strangers, visiting the lake, can have every desired accommodation. This village, 1 am informed, has arisen principally from tlie exer- tions of one enterprising individual, from whom it de- rives its name, as w oil as its existence. He has lived to see his laboui*s crowned w iih success, and a pretty village now smiles aj the foot of the western barrier of liake George, on ground where the iron i-amparts of war are still visible ; for, on this very ground, tlie Marquis Montcalm's army was entrenched, a' the sies:c of Fort William Heniv, in 1757. BATILES OF LAKE GEORGE. Ja iiie wars of this country, Lake George has long been conspicuous. Its head waters formed the shortest, and most convenient coimexion, between Canada, and the Hudson, and hence the establish- ment of Fort Wilham Henry, in 1755, and, in more recent times, of Fort George, in its immediate vi- cinity. This most beautiful and peaceful lake, environed hv mountains, and seeming to claim an exemption from the troubles of an agitated world, has often bristled with the proud array of war, has wafted its :no$t formidable preparations on its b<^som, and has TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND *^UEBEC. ICkO repeatedly witnessed both the splendors and the havoc of battle. Lar2;e armies have been, more than once, embark- ed on Lake George, proceeding down it, on their way to attack Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; this was the fact with the armv of Abercrombie, con- sisting of nearly sixteen thousand men, inchiding nine thousand troops from the colonies, and a very formidable train of artillery, which, on the fifth of July, 1758, embarked at the south end of Lake George, on board of one hundred twenty-five whale boats, and nine hundred batteaux. What an armament for that period of this coun- try I What a spectacle, on such a narrow quiet lake ! It is said by an eye witness, to have been a most imposing sight. Little did this proud army imagine, that within two days, they would sustain, before Ti- conderoga, a most disastrous defeat, with the loss of nearly two thousand men, and of lord Howe," one of their most beloved and promising leaders, and that they would so soon return up the lake, in discomfiture and disgrace. In July, of the next summer, (1759,) Lake George was again covered with an armament, little inferior in numbers, to that o( General Abercrombie, but vastly superior in suc- cess ; for Ticonderoga and Crown Point, were abandoned at its approach, and General Amherst, ^ Father o\ the Howe, who figured so much during the revolir- ; omrv war 156 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC » its fortunate leader, obtained an almost bloodle^ii victory.* FORT WILLIAM HENRY. The remains of this old fort are still visible ; they are on the verge of the lake, at its head ; the \val]s> the gate, and the out-worI;s, can still be complete- ly traced ; the ditches have, even now, considera- ble depth, and the well that supplied the garrison, is there, and afibrds water to this day ; near, and in this fort, much blood has been shed. In August, IToS, General, afterwards Sir Wil- liam Johnson, lay at the head of Lake George, with an army, about to proceed to the attack of Crown Point ; they were troops raised by the northern colonies. Baron Dieskau, who commanded the French forces in Canada, leaving Ticonderoga, came down Lake Champlain, through south bay, and was pro- ceeding to the attack of Fort Edward, which con- tained not five hundred men, and had been reported to Dieskau, to be without cannon. To the succour of this fort, GeneralJohnson detached one thousand men, and two hundred Indians, under Colonel Wil- liams of Deerfield. * Colonel Roger Townshend was killed by a cannon shot, while reconnoiierinar, on almost the same spot, where lord Howe was killed, the year before ; he is said to have resembled him mnch. ♦= in birth., age, qualifications, and character. "' TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 157 Dieskau's army, having in the mean time, learn- ed, that there were cannon at Fort Edward, and being assured that General Johnson's camp was w^ithout artillery or entrenchments, importuned their General to change his purpose of attacking Fort Edward, and to lead them northward, to assail Johnson's camp. Dieskau yielded to their wishes, and turned his course accordingly. The moun- tains, which form the barriers of Lake George, con- tinue to the south, after they leave the lake, form- ing a rugged, narrow defile, of several miles in length, most of which was then, and still is, filled with forest trees. In this defile, about four miles from General John- son's camp. Colonel Williams' party, which left the camp, between eight and nine o'clock in the mor- ning, of September 6, 1755, very unexpectedly fell in with the arioy of Baron Dieskau ; the two armies met in the road, front to front; the Indians of Dieskau's army were in ambuscade, upon both de- clivities of the mountain, and thus it was a complete surprise, for Colonel Wilhams had unhappily neg- lected to place any scouts upon his wings. A bloody battle ensued, a deadly fire was poured in upon both flanks. — Colonel Williams* endeavouring to lead * I am informed by General Hoyt, of Deerfield, that Colonel Williams' remains, (or such as are believed to be his,) have recent- ly been found, with (he skull perforated by a ball. l( I mistake not, the observation was made by, or under the immediate direction of General Hoyt, who has taken much pains, bv accurate and minute examinaiions, conducted by himself on 14* 153 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^iUEBEC . his men against the unseen enemy, was instantly shot through the head, and he, and hundreds of his party, inchuling old Hendrick, the chief of the Mo- hawks, and forty Indians were slain. The remain- der of the party, under the command of Colonel Whiting, retreated into the camp. They came run- ning in, in the utmost confusion and consternation, and perhaps owed their safety, in a great measure, to anotlier party, which, when the firing was heard, and perceived to be growing louder and nearer, was sent out to succour tliem. Judge Kent informed me, that old Mr. Van Skoik, of Kinderhook, has recently related to him that, arri- ving the next day, on the ground where the battle was fought, he saw three hundred men, dead on the spot, and Baron Dieskau lying, mortally wounded, in the Ens;lish cauip, on the bed of General Johnson. This wound was received in a second, and still greater battle, fought the same day. Dieskau, after the retreat of Williams' party, marching on with spirit, attacked General Johnson's entrenched camp, the «pot, to investigate the precise facts, as to the places and cir- cumstances of some of our most interesting military events — Purely, it is iiigh tiaie that similar efforts were made in all similar places; nOer the prescijt generation is gone, original witnesses can no loiifi;or he found ; and there are few immediate incentive? to patriotism, that are more efTectral, than such exact local hislo- rles, of great military events, and particularly, of the catastrophes of distinguished men, who have died for their country. 1 trust General Hoyt will pardon me for tliis public mention of him, and jor the einression of my wish that his interesting researches may not be withheld from the public. — June, 1S20. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 159 and altliougb he fought with long and persevering valour, his army, in a great measure deserted by the Canadians and Indians, was repulsed with immense slaughter. Dicskau, wounded in the leg, and un- able to follow his retreating army, was found leaning against a tree ; he began to feel for his watch, in order to deliver it up to the soldier, who was ap- proaching him ; but the soldier supposing him to be searching for a pistol, unhappily fired a charge into his hips which caused his death. Nor did this battle terminate the fighting of this bloody day. The remains of Dieskau's army re- treated, about four miles, to the ground where Colo- nel Williams had been defeated in the morning, and the rear of the army were there sitting u^>on the ground, had opened their knapsacks, and were re- freshing themselves, when Captain McGinnies, \yl\o with two hundred men, had been dispatched from Fort Kdward, to succour the main body, came up with this portion of the French army, thus sitting in se- curity, and attacked and totally defeated them, al- though he was himself mortally wounded. Thus w^ere three battles fought in one day,* and almost upon the same ground. This ground I went over. Remains of the encampment are still to be found, in the woods. The nciglibouring mountain, in which the French so suddenly made their appear- ance, is, to this day, called French Mountain, and ■* Sniollel and same other writer? place this last battle on the next dxv. IGO TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. this name, with the tradition of the fact, will be sent down to the latest posterity. I was shewn a rock by the road at which a considerable slaughter took place. THE BLOODY POND. Just by the present road, and in the midst of these battle grounds, is a circular pond, shaped exactly like a bowl ; it may be two hundred feet in diame- ter, and was, wiien I saw it, full of ivatei', and cov- ered ivith the pond lilJy. Alas ! this pond, now so peaceful, was the common sepulchre of the brave ; the dead bodies of most of those who were slain on this eventful day, were thrown, in undistin- guished confusion into this pond ; from that time to the prcsen!, it has been called the hloody pond, and there is not a child in this region, but will point you to the French mountain, and to the bloody pond. — I stood with dread, upon its brink, and threw a stone into its unconscious waters. After these events, a regular fort v/as constructed at the head of the lake and called Fort William Henry. MASSACRE OF FORT WILLIAM HENRY. The three battles of September 6th, were not the end of the tragedies of Lake George. The Marquis de Montcalm after three ineffectual attempts upon Fort William Henry, made great efforts to besiege it in form, and in August, 1757, X:OUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEB£C. 161 having landed ten thousand men near the fort, sum- moned it to surrender. The place of his landing was shewn me, a little north of the public house ; the remains of his batteries and other works are still visible ; and the graves and bones of the slain are occasionally discovered. He had a powerful train of artillery, and although the fort and works were garrisoned by three thou- sand men, and were most gallantly defended by the commander, Colonel Monroe, it was obliged to capit- ulate ; but the most honourable terms, were granted to Colonel Monroe, in consideration of his great gal- lantry. The bursting of the great guns, the want of ammunition, and above all, the failure of General Webb to succour the fort, although he lay idle at Fort Edward with four thousand men, were the causes of this catastrophe. The capitulation was, however, most shamefully broken ; the Indians attached to Montcalm's army, while the troops were marching out of the gate of the fort, dragged the men from the ranks, particu- larly the Indians in the English service, and butch- ered them in cold blood — they plundered all with- out distinction, and murdered women and little children, with circumstances of the most aggravated barbarity.* The massacre continued all along the * Men and women had their throats cut, their bodies ripped open, ai)d their bowels, with insult, thrown in their faces. — In- fants and children were barbarously taken by the heels, and their brains dashed out against stones and trees. The Indians pursued the English nearly h^lf the way to I'ort Edward, where th«j greatest number of them arrived in a most forlorn condition. 162 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 1-oad, through the defile of the mountains, and for many miles, the miserable prisoners, especially those in the rear, were tomahawked and hewn down in cold blood ; it might well be called the bloody defile, for it was the same ground that was the scene of the battles, only two years before, in 1 755. It is said that efforts were made by the French 10 restrain the barbarians, but they were not restrain- ed, and the miserable remnant of the garrison with tlifficulty reached Fort Edward pursued by the In- dians, although escorted by a body of French troops. I passed over the whole of the ground, upon which this tragedy was acted, and the oldest men of the country still remember this deed of guilt and infamy. Fort WiUiam Henry was levelled by MontcahD, and has never been rebuilt. Fort George was built as a substitute for it, on a more commanding; scite, and although often mentioned in the history of subsequent wars, was not I believe the scene of any very memorable event. It was the depot for the stores of the army of General Burgoyne, till that commander relinquish- ed his connexion with the lakes, and endeavoured to push his fortunes without depending upon his magazines in the rear. Having occupied a very busy morning in visiting iiic memorable places at the head of Lake George, and having procured specimens of the mineral pro- ductions of this region, I proceeded on my journey to Fort Anne. JVIr. H , my obliging •ompan- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 163 ion, attended me, and we were necessitated to re- turn some miles through the gorge of the moun- tains, and again to view the bloody pond, the French moimtain, and the bloody defile. Rarely, I pre- sume, have such scenes of horror been exhibited so often, within so narrow a space. We may confi- dently trust, that they will never be repeated ; that Lake George, traversed no longer by armies, its forests and its mountains undisturbed by the roar of cannon, and its waters polluted no more \\y blood ; but visited in peace, by the lovers of the sublime and beautiful, and arrayed in its own gran- deur and loveliness, will hereafter exhibit the tra- gical history of other times, only to impart a pen- sive tenderness and a moral dignity to the charm- ing scenes with which the story of these events is .associated. As we emerged from the defile, and turned to the left, around the base of the mountains that form the eastern barrier of Lake George, we had many opportunities of admiring the grandeur of that bar- rier, and of contemplating all that wildness of land- scape, which, it may be presumed, has undergone little change, since it was traversed by the prowling savage, intent on the chase, or on his more beloved employment, the destruction of his fellow creatures-. In this dreadful occupation he has, however, been more than rivalled by'the polished nations of Amer- ica and of Europe ; who, if they do not pursue war with the atrocity of the savage, seem to have fol- 1G4 TOUR BETWEEN BARTFORD AND QUEBEC. lowed it with all his eagerness, and have often iden- tified themselves with his most horrid cruelties, by calling him in as an ally and a friend, and marching by his side to slaughter those who are connected by the common, (it ought to be by the sacred) lie of Christianity. In the progress of our ride, we emerged from mountain scenerv, and saw many a^ood farms, and much arable and pasture land. The country be- came much less rug2;ed, although the roads were little improved by art ; for they were common and often obscure cross roads. We met with no adventure, and the failure of one of 01.U' waggon wheels, which obliged us to walk, and to sustain the machine for tlie last two miles, did not prevent our arriving at the appointed hour of dinner at old Fort Anne, w hich ^Ir. Wads- worth had already reached before me. Fort Anne was another post established in the French w-ars. It stood about midway between Fort Edward and tlie most southern point of Lake Champlain, and at the head of batteaux navigation on Wood Creek. I did not go to its scite, the ruins of which, I am told, are almost obliterated ; its well, however, is still to be seen. There is a con- siderable village here, which bears the name of the Fort. TOrR BFTWELN HARTFORD AND ecto ration. He informed .<-, luat hii father, driven out of France, by religious persecution, fleJ to Amster- dam; by his account, it must have been on account of the persecutions of the French protestants, or 174 TOrR BF-TWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC* Hugoiiot5, in the latter part of tiie reign of liOuis XIV. At Amsterdam, his father married his moth- er, a Dutch woman, five years before he was born, and, before that event, returned with her, into France. When he was five vears old, his fatliei* again fled on account of ** de rehgion,'' as lie expressed it, (for his language, although very intel- ligible Enghsh, is marked by French peculiarities.) He says, he well remembers their flight, and that it was in the winter ; for, he recollects, that, as tliey were descending a hill, which was covered with snow, he cried out to his fiithor, *' O fader, do go back and get my little carriole,"* — (a htile boy'$ sliding sledge or sleigh.) From these dates we are enabled to fix the time of his birth, provided he is correct in the main fact, for he says he was present at Queen Anne's coronation, and was then sixteen years old, the 31st day of May, old style. His father, (as he asserts,) after his re- turn from Holland, had again been driven irom France, by persecution, and the second time took refuge in Holland, and afterwards in England, whore he resided, with his family, at the time of the coronation of Queen Anne, in 170-2. This makes Francisco to have been born in 16S6: to have been expelled from France in 1691, and therefore, to have comoletod his hundred and thirtv-third vear on the eleventh of last June ; of course, he is now more than three montlis advanced in his hundred and thirty-fourtli year. It is aotorious, that about thi k;^ laUR BETWEtN HARTFORB ANP ^Ut.Bl:C. 173 Lmo, multJtiuios of French protestants tied, on ac- count of the persecutions of Louis XIV, resuhing from the revocation of the edict of Nauiz, which oc- curred October 12, 1685, and, notwithstanding the guards upon the frontiers, and otiier measures of precaution, or rigor, to prevent emigi ation, it is well known, that for years, muhiiudes continued to make their escape, and that thus Louis lost six hundred thousand of his best and most useful subjects. I asked Francisco, if he saio Queen Anne crowned ; he replied, with great animation, and witli an ele- vated voice, " Ah I dai I did, and a fine looking wo- iuan she was too, as aiiy you dai will see now a- days/'* He said he fought in all Queen Anne*s wars, lind was at manv battles, and under manv command- ers, but his memory fails, and he cannot remember their names, except the Duke of Midborough, who was one of them. He has been much cut up by wounds, which he sliewed us, but cannot always give a very distinct account of his warfare. He came out, with his father, from England, t%> New- York, probably early in tlio last century, but cannot reme^inber the date. He said, patheticuJJv, when pressed for accountij of his military experience, '* ^j I ^vas in all Queen Anne's wars ; I was at Niagara, at Oswego, on the * For^n unlettered man. he l^a^ very few gallic pacuJitrities^ «T»J rbo5e the coutsoa ones, ""c** ** d l«r tb, &u:. 176 TOIR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. Ohio, (in Braddock's defeat, in 1755, where he was wounded.) I was carried prisoner to Quebec, (m the revolutionary war, when he must have been at least ninety years old.) I fight in all sorts of wars, all my life ; I see dreadful trouble ; and den to have dcm, we touirht our friends, turn tories ; and the British too, and ti^ht ajrainst ourselves, O, dat was de worst of all." He here seemed much afiected, and almost too full for utterance. It seems, that, during tlie revo- lutionary war, he kept a tavern at Fort Edward, and he lamented, in a very animated manner, that the tories burnt his house, and barn, and four hundred bushels of grain ; this, his wife said, was the same year that Miss M'Crea was murdered. He has had tw o w ives, and twenty-one children ; the youngest child is the daughter, in whose house he now hves, and she is fifty-two years old ; of course, he w as eighty-two when she was born ; they suppose several of the older children are still living, at a very advanced age, beyond tlie Ohio, but they have not heard of them in several years. The fam- ily were neighbours to the family o{ Miss M'Crea, and were acquainted with the circumstances of her tragical death.. They said, that the lover, Mjr. -Jones, at first, vow- ed vengeance against the Indians, but, on counting the cost, wisely gave it up Henry Francisco has bcou, all his life, a very ac- tive and energetic, although i^gt a stout framed man. TOUR iJi ;T\vi:r.N Hartford and qieufx. HT He was formerly tbnd of spirit?, and did, for a cer- tain period, drink more than was proper, but tlint habit appears to hai e been long abandoned. In other respects, he has been remarkably ab- •itemiousj eatins; bnt Httle, and partlcuhirly, abstain- ing, ahiiost entirely, from animal food ; his favonr- lie articles being; tea, bread and bntter, and baked apples. His wife said, that, after such a breakfast, he would go out and work till noon ; then dine up- on the same, if he could get it, and then lake the same at night, and particularly, that he always drank tea, whenever he could obtain it, three cups at a time, three times a day. The old man manifested a great deal of feeling, nnd even of tenderness, which increased, as we treated him with respect and kindness ; he often shed tears, and particularly, when, on coming away, we gave him money ; he looked up to heaven, and tervently thanked God, but did not thank us ; he how- ever pressed our hands very warmly, wept, and wish- ed us every blessing, and expressed something seri- ous with respect to our meeting in another world. He appeared to have religious impressions on his mind, notwitiistanding his pretty frequent exclamations, when animated, of Good God ! O, my God! which appeared, however, not to be used in levity, and were probably acquired in childhood, from the al- most colloquial '•\MonDieu,*'&:c. of the French. The oldcbt people in the vicinity, remember Francisco, as being always^ from their earliest recollection, 16 its TOUR BETWEEN JIARTFORD AN© (^UiiBEC. much older than themselves; and a Mr. Fuller, who 1 recently died here, between eighty and ninety years of age, thought Francisco was one hundred and forty. On the whole, although the evidence, rests, in a degree, on his own credibility, still, as many things corroborate it, and as his character appears remark- ably sincere, guileless, and affectionate, I am inchn- ed to believe, that he is as old as he is stated to be. He is really a most remarkable and interest- ing old man ; there is nothing, either in his person or dress, of the negligence and squalidness of ex~ treme age, especially when not in elevated circum- stances ; on the contrary, he is agreeable and attrac- tive, and were he dressed in a superior manner, and placed in a handsome and well furnished apartment, he would be a most beautiful old man. Little could I have expected to converse, and shake hands with a man, who has been a soldier in most of the wars of this country for one hundred years — who, more than a century ago, fought under Malborough, in the wars of Queen Anne, and who, (already grown up to manhood,) saw her crowned one hundred and seventeen years since ; who, one hundred and twenty-eight years ago, and in the century before the last, was driven from France, by the proud, magnificent, and intolerant Louis XIV, and who has lived a forty -fourth part of all thetim-^ that (he human race have occuined this globe! iOIJR BETWEEN RARTFORB AND (QUEBEC. 179 What an interview ! It is like seeing one come back from the dead, to relate the events of centuries, BOW svv'allowed up in the abyss of time ! Except his cough, which, they told us, had not been of long standing, we saw nothing in Francisco's appearance, that might indicate a speedy dissolution, and he seemed to have sufficient mental and bodily powers^ to endure for years yet to come. PASSAGE DOWN LAKE CHAMPLAIN. The carriage and horses w^ere received on board the steam-boat at Whitehall, an accommodation which we had not expected ; and thus we avoided the inconvenience, of having them go around by land, to Burlington in Vermont, to wait our return from Canada. The steam-boat lay in a wild glen, immediately under a high, precipitous, rocky hill, and not far from the roaring outlet of Wood Creek ; w^e almost drop down upon the port all, on u sudden, and it strikes one like an interesting discov- ery, in a country, so wild, and so far inland, as to present, in other respects, no n-autical images, or realities. We left Whitehall between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, in the Congress, a neat and rapid boat, and the only one remaining on the lake, since the late awful catastrophe of the Phoenix. The lake, for many miles, after it receives Wood Creek, is, in (net, nothing more, than a narrow slug- 180 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. gish river, passing, without apparent motion, amon^ high, rocky, and even mountainous ridges, be- tween whose feet, and the lake, there is, generally, a considerable extent of low, wet, marshy ground, of a most unpromising appearance, for any purpose, but to produce fever and ague, unless by and by, it should, by dykeing and ditching, be rescued, like Holland, from the dominion of the water, and converted to the purposes of agriculture. The channel, through which we passed, is, for miles, so narrow, that the steam-boat could scarcely put about in it, and there seemed hardly room for the passage of the little sloops, which w^e frequently met going up to Whitehall. At the very head of this natural canal, lie moored, to the bank, stem and stern, the flotillas''^ of Macdonough and Downie, now, by the catastrophe of battle, united into one. As we passed rapidly by, a few seamen shewed their heads through the grim port-holes, from which, five years ago, the cannon poured fire and death, and we caught a glimpse of the decks, that were then covered with the mutilated and the slain;, and deluged with their generous blood. ^* It \va? a great [Accn of .seh'-denial to mp, not to go on board of this flotilla, but, (a clrcurastanco. which I shonKl uot othervvise mention,) I was, all the time we were at Whileliall, and indeed all the way to Montreal, in a stcite of severe suffering, from an ague in my face and head, wliich obliged me to avoid the damp air, and the damp meadow?, where the flotilla lay. moored to (Rife natural bank of the creek. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND q,irEBE<5. 181 Sparless, black and frowning, these now disman- tled ships, look like the coffins of the brave, and will remain, as long as worms and rot will allow them, sad monuments of the bloody conflict. Our passage down the lake presented nothing particularly interesting, except the grandeur of the double barrier of mountains, which, although much inferior in height to those of Lake George, are still very bold and commanding. It seems as if the lake had been poured into the only natural basin, of magnitude, which exists in this mountainous region, and as if its boundaries were irrevocably fixed, by the impassable barriers of rocks and alpine land. The mountains, particularly on the eastern side, presenting to the eye their naked precipitous clifFsj composed of the edges of the strata, were evidently, (almost without exception,) gneiss. This was the fact also, from Lake George to Lake Champlain, and at Whitehall, notwithstanding the assertion of a late English traveller,"* that they are lime-stone. At Whitehall, the rocks have a very beautiful strati* fication ; the hills appear as if cracked in two, and one part being removed, we have a fine vertical sec- tion; both their horizontal and perpendicular divis- ions, resemble a regular piece of masonry, and this is the prevailing fact, as we pass down the lake. * Lieutenant Hall, whose book is generally a manly and interest- ing performance,, but sometimes inaccurate on geological topfts. 16* IS2 TOUll BETWEKN HAllTFOIt© AN© QUi:BLC. Tlie dip of these strata of gneiss, which is the east, is very moderate, not exceeding a few degrees, and this appeared to be the general fact. On our ride from Fort Anne to Whitehall, the road passed down one of the natural declivities, formed by the dip of the rock ; for several hundred feet, to the right and left, and in the direction of the road, the carriage rattled over this perfectly naked and smooth natu- ral pavement. I had, to-day, no opportunity to land, to inspect the rocks, hut, as the boat often passed very near tlie cliffs, so)netimes within a few yards, I was sufficiently satisfied, concerning their general nature, and that the country was highly primitive. During our passage of twenty-five miles, to Ti- condcroga, we had a fine descending sun, shining in full strength, upon the bold scenery of the lake, and that I might enjoy it, undisturbed by the bustle of a crowded deck, I took my seat in the carriage, where I was protected equally from the fumes of the boat, and the chill of the air, and could, at my leisure, catch every variety of images, and all the changes of scenery, that were passing before me. It was with very great regret, that I found we could not stop, even for a moment, at Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; and it was not till! had devised and dismissed several abortive plans for leaving the boat" and getting on afterwards, or in some other way, that I submitted to pass these interesting places. Tlio sun, setting in splendor, shot his last beams over Mount Defiance, as we came in sight of it, and TUUll BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEC. 133 the commencing twilight, softened by the first ap- proaches of evening, which was not yet so far ad- vanced, as to throw objects into obscurity, cast a pensive veil over the scite and ruins of TICONDEROGA. The remains of this celebrated fortress, once so highly important, but no longer, an object either of hope or fear, are still considerably conspicuous. As we came up with, and, from the narrowness of the lake, necessarily passed very near them, I was grat- ified, as much as I could be, without landing, by a view of their ruins, still imposing in their appear- ance, and possessing, with all their associations, a high degree of heroic grandeur. They stand on a tongue of land, of considerable elevation, projecting south, between Lake Cham- plain, which winds around and passes on the east^ and the passage into Lake George, which is on the west. The remains of the old works are still conspicu- ous, and the old stone barracks, erected by the French, are in part standing. This fort was built by the French ; and Lord Howe, and many other gallant men, lost their lives in the attempt to storm it, in 1758. From this fortress, issued many of those fero- cious incursions of French and Indians, which for- merly distressed the English settlements ; and its 184 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^tlEBKC . fall, in 1759, when, on the approach of General Amherst with a powerful army, it was abandoned by the French, without fighting, filled the northern colonies with joy. In 1777, great hopes were reposed upon this for- tress, as a barrier against invasion } it was regarded as being emphatically the strong hold of the North ; and when General Burgoyne, with astonishing ef- fort, dragged cannon up the precipices of Mount Defiance, and shewed them on its summit, Ticonde- roga, no longer tenable, was precipitately abandoned. Mount Defiance stands on the outlet of Lake George, and between that and Lake Champlain, and most completely commands Ticonderoga, w^hich is far below, and within fair cannon shot. On the .slightest glance at the scene, it is a matter of utter astonishment, even to one who is not a military man, how so important a point came to be over- looked by all preceding commanders : probably it arose from the belief, which ought not to have been admitted till the experiment had been tried, that it was impossible to convey cannon to its summit. — On the right is Mount Independence, where there was a formidable fort at the time of General Bur- goyne's invasion. The shadows of the night were descending on the venerable Ticondcroga, as we left it, and when. I looked upon its walls and environs, so long and so often clustering with armies — formidable for so great a length of time in all the apparatus and prepara- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 186 .tions of war, and the object of so many campaigns and battles ; but now, exhibiting only one solitary smoke, curling from a stone chimney in its half- fallen barracks, with not one animated being in sight; while its massy ruins, and the beautiful green de- clivities, sloping on all sides to the water, were still and motionless as death, I felt indeed that I w^as be- holding a striking emblem of the mutability of power, and of the fluctuations of empire. Ticonderoga, no longer within the confines of a hostile country — no longer a rallying point for ferocious savages and for formidable armies — no more a barrier against invasion, or an object of seige or assault, has now become only a pasture for cattle. At Ticonderoga, the lake takes a sudden but short turn to the right, and forms a small bay, with Mount Defiance on the left. Mount Independence on the right, and Ticonderoga in front. This scene is very fine, and the whole outline of the spot — the mountains near, and the mountains at a distance — the shores — the bay — and the ruins, all unite to >hake a very grand landscape. Night was upon us, before we were up with Crown Point, that other scarcely less celebrated, or less important fortress. The moon served only to enable me dimly to see undefined masses of stone and earth, as a bystander observed, " there are the ruins of Crown Point !'• Almost every thing that has been said historical- ly of Ticonderoga, h applicable to Crown Point, ' ^80 XOUll BETWEEN HARTFORD AND qULEEV'* only there has not hc(Mi much bluod slicd before its walls. This fortress also, was built by the French; it was equally aiuioying to the English (.'oloiiies as Ticonderoga ; its reduction was as ardently desired, i\nd as ninny campaigns were undertaken for this purpose. Like Ticonderoga, it was retained by the French till 17.59, when it was quietly abandon- ed by them, and Lord Amherst, on taking posses- sion of it, built an entire new fortress of stone, and made it much jnore formidable than before. A NICJIIT ON J.AIvn CMAMl'LAIN. The recent loss of the Phaniix, and the tragicol events by which it was accompanied, might well have caused us some anxiety, in the prospect of a night passage on the lake ; but the weather was fine, and the water smooth, and we had a good boar, furnished with a gentleman's cabin on deck. A^ I was, however, scarcely able to sleep at all, I passed most of the night in the carriage, both as being a pleasant situation, and as affording me some opportunity of observing the fire, the man- agement of which I was willing enough to see. I am sorry to say, that I was disappointed in not ob- serving that anxious vigilance, which, after the late dreadful occurrence, wc should naturally expect to find. Large piles of pine wood, very dry, of course, and also very hot, from their being placed near the fiu-nace ^\\k\ boilers, occupied the middle rOUK BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 187 6f the vessel. A candle was placed by one of the people on a projecting end of a stick of this wood. It had burned nearly down, and a fresh north wind blew the flame directly towards, and almost against the pine slivers, which were very dry and full of turpentine,' and thereiore in a condition to catch fire with the greatest ease. Happily, from the contig- uous carriage window, Mr. W observed this threatening candle, and after some importunity with the people, (who seemed very indifferent to the danger,) succeeded in having it removed. It might, ?ery naturally, have caused the Congress to share the fate of the Phoenix, which was burnt, by a can- dle placed in a situation of less apparent danger ; that is, near a shelf in a closet, where it communi- cated fire to the board.* We found one other unpleasant circumstance : the boat stopped, several times, at different placco. on the two shores of the lake, to deliver and re- ceive freight, and our Captain being extremely dil- atory, we were delayed one and two hours at a place. 3CENKRY, PLATTSBURGH, he. At three o'clock in the morning we stopped at Burlington, and left the carriage and horses, with *0n our return, we fou-nd the Congress under a new Captain, and a much oiore strict police, which left no farther ropna ta romplain of negugence. 18S TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. the young man to take care of them, till our return from Canada. It was day light before we left this place, and the morning presented a scene so similar to Long Island Sound, that we could hardly per- suade ourselves that we were on fresh water. Al- though the weather was fair, and we could see the most distant shores, the high mountains were hardly distinguishable, being shrouded in vapour. Early in the forenoon we were in Plattsburgh Bay, and passed over the scene of Commodore Macdonough's brilliant victory ; an event singularly decisive in its circumstances, momentous in its re- suits, and honourable in the highest degree to that able and gallant commander. At this memorable place, (the only one since we left Ticonderoga and Crown Point, where a long delay would have been grateful.) we had time only to walk a little way towards the village, and to visit one of the batteries, signalized in September, 1814, in repelling the enemy from the passage of the Sar- anac. Dr. L. Foot- of the army, caused the little time we had to spend, to pass both agreeably and usefully ; but we were soon again under way, and doubling Cumberland Head, round which the brave but unfortunate Commodore Downie sailed, to de- feat and death, we left the beautiful bay of Platts- burgh, with all its grand and interesting associa,- tiOHS. * A friend, atid for several years a pupil. TOUR BETWELN HAKTFUKM AN» Q,UEBEC. 189 ENTRANCE INTO CANADA. Our passage down the remainder of the lake was very rapid, and we soon arrived at the American Custom-house ; the boat was visited, but our bag- gage was not examined, and we were treated with the greatest civility. This ceremony, (for it was a ceremony, merely,) being over, we were very soon abreast of the great stone castle, resembling that on Governor's Island, at New-York. It was erected by the American Government, on Rouse's Point, upon the western side of the entrance into the river Sorel or Riche- lieu, and was designed to command the communi- cation between that river and Lake Champkin. In consequence of a late determination that the boun- dary line (the 45th degree of latitude,) passes a httle south of this castle, it now falls to the British Gov- ernment. The current favoured our progress, and we pushed on very impetuously through the quiet wa- ters of this very considerable river, whose smooth surface was thrown into waves by our rapid course. The country on both sides is the most uninteresting that can be well imagined. It is a low wet swamp, not redeemed like Holland, but, to a considerable extent, too much covered by water to admit of immediate cultivation. A few patches of clear and dry land, and a few poor hamlets appear liere and there., but there is no village worth mea- 17 190 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC tioning in the whole distance of twenty miles to St. John's. The land appears to the eye as if it were even lower than the water, and we naturally think of fevers and agues, which, however, are said to be of rare occurrence, and are probably prevented by a temperate climate. At some future day, should this country become populous, this low marshy land, which is probably fertile, may be rescued from the water, by the same means which have caused such scenes of richness and beauty to be exhibited in Holland. The only very interesting object in the river, is the Isle aux Noix, eleven miles from the frontier, and eight or nine from St. John's. Tlie glitter of arms — the splendor of the British uniform — the im- posing appearance of ramparts and cannon — the beauty of the log barracks of the officers, painted in stripes — and the bustle of military activity, of course excited a degree of interest, and afforded an agree- able relief from the dull scenes of forests and swamps. The Isle aux Noix is important in time of war, as being the frontier British post, and has been many times, a point of rendezvous for armies and flotillas, not only for the invaders, but for the defenders of Canada. We both left and received passengers at this Tsl- and, but without going ourselves on shore, and less than one hour from the time we left it brought us to the wharf at St. John's, in Lower Canada : we TOLR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (iUEBEC. 19J arrived before night on the 30th of September, ten days from our leaving Hartford.^ ST. JOHN'S, AND DEPARTURE FOR MONTREAL St. John^s. — I scarcely saw any thing more of this httle town, than what might be observed in passing to the Inn, where we found attention and kindness, but a house so crowded, that we were very wilhng to leave it on our way to Mont- real. We did not go witli most of our steam boat com- panions in the stage, which went on in the night, to La Prarie, but the next morning were furnished with an extra conveyance, in which we proceeded on our journey. There are good stages at St. John's, exactly like the most common kind of American stage coaches, or rather stage waggons, and they are furnished with good horses. Indeed, we were informed that these establishments were set up by Americans, whose enterprize and activity are re- markably contrasted with the unvarying habits of the native Canadians. The private carriage in which we travelled, was an old fashioned hack, such as might have been seen in American towns twenty or twenty-five years ago; the canvass curtains, (without windows,) were torn, had few or no strings to secure them in place, * Such is the expedition of the public vehicle^i that this dis- tance may be travelled in three dav? 192 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. arid flapping in a brisk head wind, they served t% let in, rather than to exclude the cold air, and very imperfectly screened us from a driving rain. Our coachman was a Vermont lad, who had emigrated in childhood, along with his parents, but he had not caught the Canadian tardiness of movement, for he drove us at a great rate, over a road very level, but by no means smooth ; we were, however, willing to bear pretty severe jolting for the sake of expedi- tion. We had an interesting ride of twelve miles, on the left bank of the Sorel river, which murmured along by our side, and were charmed with the pret- ty comfortable white cottages, constructed very neatly of hewn logs, and forming apparently dry •and warm dwelhngs. Almost every moment we met the cheerful looking peasants, driving their lit- tle carts, (charrettes,) drawn by horses of a diminu- tive size. The men were generally standing up in the body of the cart, with their lighted pipes in their months, and wore red or blue sashes and long conic- al woollen caps of various colours. These carts were furnished with high rails, and occasionally with seats, occupied by females and children : they ap- peared, (like our one horse waggons,) to furnish the most common accommodation for transporting botli commodities and persons. We gave our horses a few moments of rest at Chambly, but w^ere prevented by the rain from leav- ing our Inn. I regretted this, however, the less. TOTR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 193 as we expected to return through the same place, and might be more favourably situated. We lost no time in resuming our journey, and drove in less than three hours to Longueil, through a perfectly level country, well cultivated, fertile, considerably populous, and furnished with very neat and comfortable white houses, constructed of hewn logs, like those on the Sorel river. The barns, frequently of a large size, were usually built in the same manner ; but the want of good frame work was very obvious in their frequently distorted ap- pearance. FIRST GLIMPSE OF MONTREAL. At the village of Longueil, or a little before ar- riving there, we caught the first view of Montreal. The first impression of this city is very pleasing. In its turrets and steeples, glittering with tin ; in its thickly built streets, stretching between one and two miles along the river, and rising gently from it ; in its environs, ornamented with country houses and green fields ; in the noble expanse of the St. Law- rence, sprinkled with islands ; in its foaming and noisy rapids ; and in the bold ridge of the moun- tain, which forms the back ground of the city, we recognize all the features necessary to a rich and magnificent landscape, and perceive among these indications, decisive proofs of a flourishing inland f*mporium. 17^ 194 TOUR BETWKKN UAHTtORD ANB ^iUKBEt. PASSAGE OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. If we experienced some elevation of feellns; at the first view of the St. Lawrence, we were not likely to have our pride cherished by the means which conveyed us over this mighty river. Two Canadian boatmen ferried us over in a canoe, hol- lowed out of a single log. Our baggage being duly placed, we were desired to sit, lace to face, on some clean straw placed on boards which lay across the bottom of the boat ; we were situated thus low, that our weight might not disturb tlie balance of the canoe, and we wore requested to sit perfectly still. Our passage was to be nearly three miles obliquely up stream, and a part of the way against some pow- r?rful rapids. Between us and Montreal, considerably up the stream, lay the brilliant island of St. Helena. It is elevated, con.mands a fine view of the city, is strongly marked by entrenchments, is fertile, and covered in part wiih fine timber. It is a domain, and we were much struck with the beautiful situa- ilon of the house on the south. side of the island, be- longing to the Baroness Lonqueil. ^^ ith the island and river, it would form a fme subject for a pic- ture. Our boatmen conveyed us, without much ditficul- IV, to the southern point of this island, between which, and the city, owing to tlie compression of the river by the island, a powerful rapid rushes TUUtt BETWEEN HARTFORD AND t^UEBEC. 195 along, with much agitation, and a current, which it is very difficult to stem. At the point of the isl- and, particularly, ahranch of the river, confined by rocks, dashes along, almost with the rapidity of wa- ter, bursting from a flood gate. Through this strait, it was necessary to pass, and, for some time, the boat went back, and even after landing us on the island, the canoe was coming around, broadside to the current, when we were apprehensive that our baggage must be thrown into the river ; but, by main strength, they pushed the boat through this torrent, and along the shore of the island, till the rapid became so moderate, that they ventured again I to take us in, and push for the city. It took these poor fellows a toilsome hour to convey us over, and they demanded but a pittance for their services. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MONTREAL. We mounted a steep slippery bank, from the river, ani. . .jnd ourselves in one of the principal streets of the city. It required no powerful effort of the imagination, to conceive that we were arrived in Europe. A town, compactly built of stone, without w^ood or brick, indicating permanency, and even a degree of antiquity, presenting some hand- some public and private buildings, an active and numerous population, saluting the ear with two lan- guages, but principally with the French — every thing 190 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. seems foreign, and we easily feel that we are a great way from home. ACCOMMODATIONS OF A PUBLIC HOUSE. We were no sooner ushered into the mansioa house, a vast building, constructed of hewn stone, than we could easily imagine ourselves in one of the principal coffee-houses of London. Assiduity, kind- ness, quiet, and, in a word, domestic comfort, in ev- ery particular, except the absence of the family cir- cle, were at once in our possession. The master of the house was an Enghshman, and, having been brought up in a London coffee- house, he very naturally transferred all that it is de- sirable and comfortable, in tiie habits of those es- tablishments, to his own, in Montreal. Being worn out with suffering, from the cause which I mentioned at Vv^hitehall, I was obliged to betake myself immediately to my room and bed ; but, I was not permitted to feel that I was a stran- ger ; so kind were the attentions, and so appropri- ate the various little comforts and refreshments, that were provided and administered. The next morning, having obtained complete re- lief, from what I had not expected, superior surgic- al skill,* I was enabled to begin to enjoy, as well as to see the new objects around me. *rn a mode snfficieatly curious and original; which I shall men- tion furHicr on. rOUR BETWEEN HAHTFORD AND QUEBT^C. 197 MANNERS OF THE GUESTS. Dinner here, is at five o'clock ; soup was ready, however, at almost any previous hour, and we par- took of this refreshment, not having been recently accustomed to so late an hour for dinner. We found at table, a small party of very respectable men, ap- parently Englishmen ; and we were particularly and agreeably struck, with the gentlemanly manners of every individual at table, where, although the guests were strangers to us, and probably most of them to each other, all were polite, attentive, and sociable, without that selfish indifference, or rude familiarity, so common at some public tables, where a correct medium seems hardly to be understood. The manners of this circle were particularly contrasted with those of a certain group, which we had encountered during our tour, and from which it was impossible, at the time, to make our escape. They were noisy, drinking, swearing, card-playing gentlemen ; and of all ages, from twenty to sixty, but in their manners so alike, that youth and age were fitly associated. We began, at evening, to receive the calls of those to whom w^e had letters, particularly of ■^ome of our own countrymen, and obtained at once, all the local information, which we needed, to direct our immediate movements, and to enable u^ iO form and mature our plans. 198 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. EVENING SCENES ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. The weather being mild and fine, parlour fires were not yet kindled in Canada, but, as we prefer- red a fire for ourselves, we retired at candle lighting, into a very large and well furnished room, with a bow end, and overlooking a terrace, thirty feet wide, and one hundred and forty-four long, which is the length of the house. This terrace is thirty feet above the river, immediately on its brink, and com- mands a view of it, for many miles up and down the stream, and of the country on the other shore, thus presenting a most delightful prospect. This room was our parlour, while we remained in the house, and we were particularly fond of viewing from its windows, and from the terrace below, the fine scenes of twilight and evening, on the St. Lawrence. We had anticipated some inconvenience, in vis- iting Canada, so late in the season, on account of the shortness of the days ; but the long and bright twilight, both at morning and evening, made us am- ple amends, and we found as much light as we left behind us, although less of sunshine. At half after five, with the sun down, and the moon at the full, in the firmament, we sit at the dinner table, apparently in broad day light. From the moment the sun is down, every thing becomes silent on the shore, which our windows overlook, and the murmurs of the broad St. Law- rence, more than two mile? w^ide, immediately be- TGUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 199 fore us, and a little way to the right, spreading to five or six miles in breadth, are, sometimes for an hour, the only sounds that arrest our attention. Ev- ery evening since we have been here, black clouds and splendid moonlight have hung over, and embel- lished this tranquil scene ; and, on two of those evenings, we have been attracted to the window, by tlie plaintive Canadian boat song. In one instance, it arose from a solitary voyager, floating in his light canoe, which occasionally appeared and disappear- ed on the sparkhng river ; and, in its distant course, seemed no larger than some sporting insect. In another instance, a larger boat, with more nume- rous, and less melodious voices, not indeed in per- fect harmony, passed nearer to the shore, and gave additional life to the scene. A few moments after, the moon broke out from a throne of dark clouds, and seemed to convert the whole expanse of water into one vast sheet of glittering silver, and, in the very brightest spot, at the distance of more than a mile, again appeared a solitary boat, but too distant to admit of our hearing the song, with which the boatman" was probably solacing his lonely course. DAY SCENES ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. The mere contemplation of a river, presenting ^uch a broad expanse of water, at the distance of tire hundred miles from the ocean, is interesting and pleasing. At this season it is a tranquil scene, but 200 TUUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. the river presents very considerable diversity. On our right, it spreads into a broad lake, generally smooth, but, in numbers of places, it is ruffled by rapids, and broken by ledges of rocks ; on the left, it runs with great rapidity, between the island of St. Helena and the city, and presents, at all times, a lively and magnificent water course. Occasionally, sloops, ships, and steam boats are seen on the river, either passing rapidly down, or struggling against the current, but the most com- mon craft of the river, is of every size, from a small canoe, to the largest boats that are built without decks. The margin of the river, adjoining the city, is, at most places where there are no wharves, lined with floating rafts and separate logs, intended both for fuel and for timber. A scene of considerable activity is exhibited im- mediately before our terrace, by the carts and horses, which are driven into the river, as far as is necessary, and frequently till the horses can hardly keep their feet ; the object is to obtain the wood, which is thus conveniently loaded, as the body of the cart is as low as the surface of the river ; and single sticks, too large for the carts, are drawn out seperately by the horses. The carts are also used for the conveyance of water casks to supply the city ; the horses are driven into the water, and the casks are filled, very conveniently, without remov*- iug them from the cart. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q^UEBEC. 201 We frequently observed, on the Sorel river, the French women, washing at the river's edge. The same employment is seen here before our windows. Sometimes the clothes are placed on boards, in the jriver, and pounded; and, at other times, the wo- men dance on them, dashing the water about like ducks, and seemingly as much for frolic as for work. All these employments, are attended with much vociferation, and contribute to give life and interest to the quiet scenes of a great inland water. Some of the circumstances which I have just mentioned, are, it is true, trivial, but still, they tend to characterise the country and its inhabitants. PASSAGE TO QUEBEC. I purposely omit to make any other remarks on Montreal, till our return from Quebec, when we ex- pect to pass several days more in this city, and the observations of both residences may be so blended, as, in a good degree, to avoid repetition. We remained in Montreal three days and a half, and went on board the steara-boat to lodge, on the night of the fourth. We lay quietly at the wharf till one o'clock, in the morning of the fifth ; and whea day hght was fully disclosed, we had passed many miles down the river, and v/ere impelled rapidly forward by the united force of steam and current. The weather, which, the day before, had been cold. 18 202 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QLEBL%, became delightful, with a mild soft air, and a bril- liant sun. Nothing, for a tame scene, could be finer, than the one which surrounded us after sun rise. The flat shores are every where studded with white-washed cottages, appearing (like those which we had seen, when travelling by land,) to be all warm and comfortable ; and, at the distance of everj^ two 1 or three miles, appeared a little snowy village, with Its glittering tin spire ; if it included a house, a little superior to the cottage, tliat was also covered with the same material. TOWN OF 50REL. Early in the forenoon, we were at the town of Sorel, at the mouth of the river of the same name. This is the point of communication between Lake Champlain, and the St. Lawrence, and is, of course, a station very important to the countries on these great waters. At this place, we were detained an hour to take in wood, which is here, as in the United States, dry pine. The shore is so bold, that the boat lies at the bank, and this is so high, that the wood was thrown down upon the deck, with a good deal of violence, so as to endanger, and actually to break, some of the glass in the skv Ii2:ht5. We went on shore, and walked through the prin- cipal streets of the town. TOL'R BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 20.3 The town of Sorel, or, (as it is sometimes called,) William Henry, stands " on the scite of a fort built in the year 1665, by order of Mons. de Tracy ;" it was intended as a defence against the incursions of the Indians, and received its name of Sorel, from a Captain of Engineers, who superintended its con* struction. The present town was begun about the year 1785, by some loyalists and disbanded soldiers, and it continues to be the residence of many old military pensioners. Although the plan of the town occupies about one hundred and twenty acres, the number of hous- es does not much exceed one hundred and fifty, exclusive of stores, barracks, and government build- ings. The plan is regular, and the streets intersect at right angles, leaving a central square of more than five hundred feet on a side.* The town is built prin- cipally of wood, and the aspect of many of the buil- dings is more like that of an Anglo-American town, than any thing that we have seen in Canada. The population is about fifteen hundred. The churches are of stone. We visited that of the Catholics, which is somewhat ornamented with pictures, but cannot be considered as particularly handsome. We found people at their devotions, and a priest in af- CBndance. *Bouchctte 204 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QL'EBEC. Sorel was occupied by General Thomas in May. 1776, with the greater part of the American army, on their retreat from before Quebec. Here Gene- ral Thomas died of the small pox. The river Sorei is two hundred and fifty yards broad, opposite to the town, but it presents a singu- lar example of a river much narrower at its embou- chure, than at its origin : it is more than four times as wide at St. Johns, as at Sorel, and continues to widen all the way up the stream, to the Lake Champlain ; from St. Johns, there is also a ship navigation into the lake ; but, from the town of So- rel, vessels of one hundred and fifty tons, ascend only twelve or fourteen miles.* From the town of Sore], we proceeded among a great many islands, and, after passing a few miles, entered that great expanse of the river, which is ten miles wide, and twenty miles long, and is called the Lake of St. Peter. It has, indeed, a very great resemblance to a lake, being smooth, and without apparent motion. We felt as we had done in Lake Champlain, that this must be Long-Island sound, and here indeed, the resemblance is much greater, as the water is green, like the ocean. The water is, of course, shallow, and some caution is necessary, to avoid running aground. The shores are very fiat and swampy, and, in a hot climate, would probably be sickly. =• Bouchette •JOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEflEC. 205 At the large town of Three Rivers, where we ar- rived by three o'clock in the afternoon, and which is halfway between Montreal and Quebec, we stop- ped in the stream, a few minutes, to take in passen- gers. There were some ships lying at this place, but there is no harbour, other than the stream, nor did I observe any accommodations for ships, except the naked banks of the river. This town is the third in the province, but very far behind the other two ; it contains about three hundred and twenty houses, and two thousand five hundred inhabitants ; it extends about one thousand three hundred yards along the river, and was founded in 1618.* Proceeding down the river, we continued to en-» joy a delightful day's sail, with a perfect Indian summer. Mr. W and myself had a large state room to ourselves, where we could retire in perfect se- clusion, whenever we did not choose to be among the passengers, who, however, were few and civil, and, as the boat was very large, we had none of the in- conveniences of a crowd. I occupied a good deal of the day in writing, as the scenery had a very great degree of sameness, and from the windows I could catch a ghmpse of its changes, so as to go seasona- bly on deck, and not to lose any important object. Towards evening, when we were just above the Richelieu Rapids, and the surface of the river ex- tremely smooth, the Captain pointed out a large *Boucbetfe. 18* 208 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. seal, sleeping on the water, at the distance of per- haps two or three hundred yards. He fired at it five or six times, without effect; we could see the balls strike the water, very near the seal, but the ani- mal did not even awake, or change its position. As tlie rapids of Richelieu, where the river is very narrow, and the current rushes tumultuously ovef . a rocky bottom, are esteemed dangerous for night navigation, and as it was already evening, we cast anchor to wait the return of day. This was just what we could have wished, for, had we continued on our course, we must have arrived at Quebec in the night, and thus have lost the noble scenery of the approach to this city. We had also the addi- tional advantage of a night of perfect quiet and se- curity, undisturbed by the jar of the machinery, or the trampling of the people. Indeed, had we been in motion, we should have felt very secure at night,t for the fire and the boiler were as far from us, as the whole length of a common European ship, and no accident has ever happened in this river. In the morning we were again under way, as soon as we could see sufficiently to avoid the rocks, which are so numerous here, that day light is almost indispen- sable to a safe passage. It was a perfect May morning, with the finest softest splendor of an Indian summer, so that we had every inducement, and every oppor- tunity to observe the various interesting objects that occurred. By this time we had become famihar^ and acquainted v;ith several of our fellow passeu- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC 207 ^ers, among whom, were Englisb military and na- val men, Quebec merchants, and a Roman Catholic Ecclesiastic. The latter came on board at the Three Rivers, and appeared a mild and amiable man. From our other companions, to whom we made known our country, and our views in travel- ling, we received every desired information, and the most obhging civilities. The military gentle- men particularly, were very courteous, and, as they were not only acquainted with Canada, but had seen much of other countries, and of foreign military ad- ventures, they were very interesting and instruc- tive. One of them had witnessed in person, some of Wellington's victories, and another, a man of most original and attractive character, and appa- rently of warm piety, had been not less occupied, in the East-Indies, in promoting schemes of benevo- lence, than in the pursuits of arms. Having been warned that Quebec would burst upon us, all of a sudden, and that we were drawing near to it, our eyes now gazed in no other direction, and out thoughts became entirely fixed upon that object APPROACH TO QUEBEC. Oct. 6. — This seat of ancient dominion- — now hoary with the lapse of more than two centuries — formerly the seat of a French empire in the west — lost and won by the blood of gallant armies, and of illustrious commaaders— throned on a rock, and 308 TOUR BETWEEN H XRTFORn t \ .^ v^^ -KUrC. defended by all the proud defiaiioe of war — who could approach such a city without emotion? — Who ill America has not lonsred to cast his eves on the water-girt rocks and towers of Quebec I On approaching this city, about the middle of the day, we enjoyed the most propitious circum- stances of light and weather. From Cape Rouge, on our left, (seven miles above Quebec,) there is an uninterrupted range of high ground, rising even into hills and precipices. Cape Rouge is so called, from its rod colour — the precipitous bank being stained, probably, by oxid of iron, so as to give it, for miles, a reddish hue. The land grew higher and higher ; we passed the mouth of the Chaudiere river, six miles from Quebec, on our right, where a number of ships were waiting to take in timber, and we watched eve- ry moment, for the appearance of the great fortress of the north, while one of our military acquaintances pointed out to us the various interesting objects, as we came up with them in succession. At lengili we descried the towers of Quebec, standing on a rock of three hundred and forty feet in height, measured from the river. I have already remarked that the banks (espe- cially the north one) are for miles above the city, very precipitous, and they grow more so the nearer we approach. About two miles from Quebec we were shewn Sillery river and cove, and within one mile, or a mile and a half of tlie city, Wolfe's cove, TOIH BETWEEN HARTFORD AND CiUEBEC. ^Od now filled witli lumber and ships. This name has been derived, from the fiict, that here General Wolfe, under cover of night, landed his army, un- perceived by the French, and clambering up the precipice, gained the heights of Abraham. Three round towers of stone, mounted with can- non and standing on these heights, in advance of the other works of Quebec, are the first objects that strike the eye ; then the high walls of stone, cover- ed with heavy artillery, and which, as we come nearer to the city, we perceive to extend ail along, upon the verge of the precipice, of naked rock, of more than three hundred feet in height, which divides the lower from the upper town. On our right, was the ground on the south eastern side of the river, called point Levi. This also is a precipice of rock, but rather less elevated than Cape Diamond, on which the citadel of Quebec is built. Point Levi is now covered with brilliant white houses. Li the year 1759, General Monck- ton, by order of General Wolfe, erected his batteries' ihere, to bombard Quebec. rniNT NO. 5. This sketch, taken by Mr. W , from the >tcam boat, was commenced, about three or four miles above the city, and when we were passing every moment, rapidly along. It was unavoidably subjected to the disadvantage of constant change ' of position : but, as it fortunately happened, tliis cir- 210 TOm BETWEEN HARTFORB AND QUEBEC. ciimstance rather augmented the distinctness, tbar> shored the relative position of the principal objects. On the right, is exhibited part of tlie promontory of Point Levi, witli a ghmpse of a few of the hous- es and ships at its foot. In the remote view, down the river, are seen some of the highlands, beyond the falls of Montmorenci, on tlie left bank of the river, and at the distance of from ten to fifteen miles. Immediately before the obser\-er, is the smooth ex- panse of the river, with some of the numerous ships and boats that adorn its surface. On the left, and nearest at hand, a beautiful €opse of wood, with some buildings at its feet, just intercepts the view of Wolfe's cove, which lies be- tween this strove and the hi?h bank on which stands the nearest round tower ; only the opening of tlie cove is seen. Then come the heights, on which are the plains of Abraham, and upon them tlie Mar- lello towers, two of which only are from this posi- tion visible ; the view of two others is cut off by the intervening heights. Further on, appears Cape Diamond, composed of almost perpendicular pre- cipices of naked rock, tliree hundred and tbrty- five feet in tlie greatest height. The walls and towers of massy stone, pierced and cut down for embrasures, and crowned with the flag staff and colours tliat appear on this Cape, constitute the Citadel of Quebec. Immediately at the foot of this precipice, is the commencement ,^' the lower town, which is coHtinued around tlie toot of the fm i^^ YGUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 211 rock ; only a very small part of it, and no portion of the houses of the upper town is visible from this point of view. * * * * * * * Arrived in the bay of Quebec, we found it swarming with ships, and presenting every appear- ance of a great seat of commerce. The bay is a beautiful piece of water, looking like a perfect lake, with most nobly formed swelling shores.— It is bounded by the ground just mentioned — by the Isle of Orleans, four miles down the river, and by a delightful country, on the north and north east, intersected by the Montmorenci and St. Charles' rivers, which fall into the bay ; the ground slopes v/ith charming declivity to the w^ater^ around which it sweeps gracefully like a bow, and presents in a long circuit, so many snow white cottages — handsome country houses, and fine popu- lous villages, that it seems for leagues, almost one continued street. The land is finely cultivated, and even now, is covered with the deepest verdure and sprinkled with dandelions in full bloom. Back of this fine amphitheatre of rural beauty, ranges of mountains, stretch their shaggy summits and limit the view. The harbour is one of the grandest im- 1 aginable, and the whole scene resembles extremely the pictures of the bay of Naples, to which it is said by competent judges, to bear a strong resemblance. 2VZ TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. We had scarcely time to admire this fine scene, be- fore we were moored at the dock in the lower town, in the midst of all the din of a crowded port. — While we were waiting for the necessary arrange- ments to land, we had a few moments to contem- plate the new scene before iis. Contiguous, was the lower town, skirting the upper, and embracing the feet of its rocky precipices. It makes a circuit of, I should imagine, almost two miles, and is crowded in the most compact manner possible, on a narrow strip of land, between the precipices and the St. Lawrence. The houses are so far below tlie walls of the upper town, that a stone could be dropped into the chimnies of the nearest, and it would in most places fall two or three hundred feet in the air before it reached its object. One of the most striking objects before our eyes was the Castle of St. Louis — the residence of the Governor. It is a hundred and sixty-two feet long, forty-five broad, and three stories high. It stands (almost impending over the lower town) up- on the very verge of the giddy precipice of t^vo iiundred feet in height, and lofty pillars are built up from the rock below to support its gallery, which runs the whole length of the building. It is a plain yellow structure of stone, and now exhibits no ap- pearance of a Castle although it was a fortress un- der the French government. From the Castle an observer may look down per- pendicularly upon the houses of the lower town an(^ iOVR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 213 e all the confusion, even to the motion of a dog ; all the offensive as well as agreeable objects of a crowded port — the grotesque assemblage of build- ings, peculiar (as is said) to an old French town ; he may hear the rumbling of carts and drays and the jargon of different languages, and he will inhale the smoke and gases from a crowd of chimnies, rising to the foot of the building on which he stands. On the right of the Castle, the massy walls ap- pear again, and the black artillery, pointing over the parapet, look like beasts of prey, crouching and ready to leap upon their victims. We soon landed, under the auspices of Captain , (our newly acquired military friend) who politely shewed us our lodgings, in St. John's street, had our baggage conveyed to them, by his own ser- vant, and called soon after to enquire for our wel- fare. PRINT NO. 6. This view was taken from the steam boat, while still other steam boats and vessels were between it and the wharf, and they are the nearest objects which we observe at the bottom of the picture.* — Then come the buildings in the most crowded and bustling psirt of the lower town, which may be con- sidered (v/ith a considerable omission of houses fur- ther to the left,) as a continuation of the commence- * The wall and arched passage, on the nearest part of the shore. ] are not copied, but are from fancy. 19 214 TOUR BKTWKEN HARTVORl^ AND ^rCBt«. ment of the lower town, seen at the foot of Cape Diamond, in Print No. 5. In the present print we see, immediately before us, confused piles of houses and stores, built, in many instances, in the old French style, with sleep high roofs, having; two or more rows of dormant windows. On the highest poim of the extreme left, is Cape Diamond, with a part of the Citadel in view, crgwn- ed with the Hag and telegraph. On the right of these, are a few of the houses of the upper town, and almost immediately before us, the elevated Castle of St. Louis, witk its gallery, supported by high pillars of stone, springing fix)m the rocks below. Still further on the right, we observe other hous- es in the upper town, (only the nearest edge of which is however visible.) and on tlie exirerae right is a spire of one of the Catholic churches. ENTRANCE INTO QVEBEC. As we passed along the streets of the lower town, I could well have thought that we were in the Wap- ping of London. A swarming population, among whom sailors were conspicuous ; llie cheering heigho ! of the latter, working in the ships ; the va- rious merehandize, crowded into view, in front ol tlie shops and warehouses : the narrow compact streets, absolutely full of buildings : the ratding of i >-vjmoraMe carts and dray?, and all the jarcon of \ 2 rOUR BETWEEN UAllTFORD AND QUEBEC. 215 discordant voices and langua2;es, would scarcely permit us to believe that we were arrived in a ;t- mote corner of the civilized world. We did not feel so absolutely like strangers, as we should have done, without the countenance of the Captain. I have already mentioned, that n fortuitous acquaintance whh this gentleman, on board the steam boat, and an incidental disclo- sure to him of our views in visiting Canada, led to a good deal of mutual kindness, and on his part to offers of service. He is a Captain of the grena- diers ; is still a young man, and being open, frank, and friendly in his deportment, he won our confi- dence, and did not withhold his own. We learned, that he served in the Peninsular war, both under Sir John More, and under Wellington ; he was with the former when he fell, in the flight of the British army from Corunna, and with the latter at St. Se- bastian's, at the battle of Vittoria, and on various other distinguished occasions. His wife, a very fine young woman, who, with another lady, had come to the wharf to receive him, joined us, and with this pleasant little party, we en- tered Quebec. The first street of the lower town, along which we passed, came to an abrupt termination, the last house standing at the foot of the precipice, when, turning suddenly to the right, into a street, one of whose sides was overhung by the frowning rock, wo soon came to a foot passage of stairs, made of plank. 216 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. very steep and high, nnd furnished with iron rail- ings ; tliis passage terminated in Mountain street, as it is called, from the steepness of the ascent. It is the only passage from this side into the upper town, and it was by no means an easy task to ascend it, even on a good foot pavement. In the mean time, we admired the strength and agility of the httle Canadian horses, which, with heavily loaded carts at their heels, perseveringly scramble up tliis arduous ascent, and with still greater care and firmness, sustain their ponderous vehicles when descending, and prevent them from hurrying themselves and their burdens, headlong, down llie steep. The Castle of St. Louis, (literally a castle in the air,) was now seen immediately above our heads, on the left, at the distance of two hu.ndred and fit\y feet. It is completely on the edge of the precipice, which overhangs the lower town, and from its dangerous pre-eminence, appears ready to participate in the destruction which it seems threatening to all below. We now passed the grand Prescot Gate, under ponderous arches of stone, of great thickness and weight, and entered the upper town. The impression of every thing was completely foreign from any thing that we see in the United States. Buildings of v.ood, and even of brick, are almost entirely unknown. Stone, either rough from the q'larry. or covered with wliite cement, or hewn Hccordins: to the ta-te and condition of the nroprie- TOUR BETWEEN UARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 217 tor, is almost the only material for buildins; ; roofs, ill many instances, and generally on the better sort of buildings, giittcring with tin plate, with which they are neatly covered ; and turrets and steeples, pouring a flood of light from tlie same substance : these are among the first things that sLi'ikc the eyes of a stranger entering the city of Quebec. If from the United States, he sees a new popula- tion, and, to a great extent, a completely foreign people, with French faces and French costume ; the French language salutes his car, as the common tongue of the streets and shops ; in short, he per- ceives that even in the very capital, tliere is only a sprinkling of English population ; it is still a French city ; and the Cathedral, the extensive College of the Jesuits, now used for barracks, and most of the public buildings and private houses, are French. He sees troops mingled, here and there, with the citizens ; he perceives the British uniform, and the German in the British service, which remind him that tlie country has masters different from the mass of its population, and although the military are, ob- viously, not subjects of terror to the citizens, the first impression borders on melancholy, when wo see these memorials of an empire fallen, and of an empire risen in its stead. Sixty years have done little towards obliterating the Gallic features of the country, and with a pleasure very rarely experien- ced, in similar cases, we involuntarily revolve in our 19* 218 TOUK BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEHEC. minds, here is a country conquered, although not oppressed. Trumpets, and bugles, and French horns now §tartie us with a sudden burst of martial music, and we cnn hardly believe that we are not arrived in a fortified town of Europe. ***** -x- ^e It was a fine morning, (October 7th,) and, as we were about to avail ourselves of this favourable weather, to visit some parts of the environs of Que- t»ec, I will first describe our carriage, which was THE CANADIAN CALASH. This is not unlike an American chaise or gig, but is built much stouter, and with or without a top; the horse is much farther from the body of the carriage, and this allows room for a driver, whose seat rests on ihe front or foot board, of that part of the vehi- cle in which we ride ; this foot board, after sloping, in the usual manner, then rises perpendicularly, to such a height as to sustain the seat; high sides are also furnished to the part where the feet rest in a common chaise, and thus children and ba2;2;a2;e are secured from falling out. The calash carries two grown persons on the seat within, besides the driver, who is often a man ; his seat, and the board which sup- ports it fall, by means of hinges, when the passengers are to get in, and tlie board and seat are then hook- TOUR BETWEEN HAKTFORD AKD QUEBEC. 219 ed up again to their place, when the driver mounts. In such a niacliinc, which is the most common vehi- cle of the country, and is sometimes, as in the pre- sent instance, made clumsily handsome, we made our first excursion from Quehec. Our driver was Michael Gouvan, a very intelli- gent and oblis^ing youna; man, a French Canadian, who spoke both English and French; and his horse, (an iron grey.) was one of that small, but hardy breed, which being, in this country, left in their natural state, are extremely stout aud courageous, and carry the heavy calash, and three men, appa- rently with more ease, than our horses draw our chaises, and two grown persons. EXCURSION TO BE AUPORT AND MONTMORENCT. I have already observed that it was a very fine morning ; the temperature was mild, and the skies bright, with a balmy softness in the atmosphere, ac- companied by a slight haziness ; it is exactly like our Indian summer, and indeed, they here call this kind of weather by the same name ; we could not have had a more acceptable time for our little jour- ney of nihe miles, to the fails of Montmorenci. We passed out at the gate St. John, on the north western side of the town ; it stands at the head of the street of the same name, and leads to a very ex- tensive and populous suburb, situated entirely with- out the walls. This suburb exhibits many new and 220 TOUR BBTWEKN IlARTFORD AND QUEBEC. good buildings, and appears modern. We soon reached the beautiful meadows, north-east of Que- bec, through which flows the river Charles. On our left, was an extensive nunnery, quite by itself, in the fields; it appears to be the same described by Charlevoix, nearly a century ago, under the name of the hospital. For four miles, we passed through some of the most beautiful meadows w4iich I have ever seen ; they were neatly divided into small enclosures, by stakes driven into the ground, and secured at top, by a rail, fastened with withes; the meadows were cover- ed with thriv^ing cattle : they were still rich in deep verdure, and would have adorned the banks of the Connecticut, or of the Thames. The road through them, was much cut up by wheels, as this is a great thorough-fare into Quebec, and the land is natural- ly moist and rich. Houses were scattered here and there, upon the meadows, and when we began to ascend the rising ground, we entered the extensive village of Beauport. This village, consisting of sixty or seventy hous- es, is built principally on one street, of four or five miles in length, and extends quite to the river Montmorenci ; it is one of those, which I mention- ed as making so brilliant an appearance from the bay of Quebec. The farms and garden grounds of this village are '* all in a flourishing state, and the orchards, and occasional clumps of trees, combine to render it one of the pJeasantest roads in the envi- TOUK BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 221 i^ons of Quebec. This village is the residence of raany families of respectability."* The houses are generally of stone, covered with a cennent, and white washed, roof and all ; this gives them a very neat appearance, and makes them look very brilliant, even at a considerable distance ; com- monly they are of one story, sometimes of two, and inside they appeared very comfortable. The win- dows, as is generally the fact in the French houses, are divided, up and down, in the middle, and swing, like doors on hinges. There is in this village, a large and showy church, with three steeples, and, on entering it, we found solitary individuals at their private devotions, cross- ing themselves with holy water, and silently moving their lips. This church contained a number of pictures, and they were ornamenting its ceiling with golden roses. Our driver left his calash, went into the church, fell on his knees, and said his prayers with much apparent seriousness. The Montmorenci is a small, but rapid river, rolling tumultuously, over a very rocky bottom, and just above the falls, is considerably smaller than the Housatonuck, at the falls of Salisbury, in Connecti- cut. Leaving our calash and driver on the high hill, which forms the western bank of the river, we cross- ed a bridge, and passed down the eastern side of the Montmorenci, which is also very high ground, *Boucbette. 2^ TOUR BETtTEKK HAKTFOHA AND qCJLBEC. and, as we approach the St. Lawrence, it rises, so as to be even siiil liisiher than the opposite sliore. From this ele\~ation, the beautiful island of Orleans, which is twenty railes lonsE, and (ive wide., was in fyil view before us. h is well cultivated, contains about four Uiousand^ inhabits uis, and, next to Mool^ real, is ilie most important island in the riven On llie side coaticuous to where we were, it slopes to the water's eds^e, and terminates in a handsome beach of sand. A similar beach, corresfv>nds to ilj on the main: the ship ch;\nnel is on tho otIut side of the island. As we passed along ihrous^h the fields, we fotmd a man and boy ploughing. The oxen wer>? yoked* not as with us, by the shoulders aud neck, but hjf ikt Aonu, A kind of yoke lay upon their necks, and was fastened, by leather stn\ps, to the boms ^ but no bow, or other contrivani'^% |x^ssed around the neck ; thus the oxen draw entirely by their horns ; and 1 am told that the French farmers cannot be in- duced to adopt our method, although it is obvious that the animal is thus sadiy embarrassed, and can exert very iiitle power. I saw, however, one yoke in ainotlier field, haruess.ed in our way. Gr.OI.OOT There is very iuiie variety m the Geology be- tween Quebec and Montmorenci. AlW Uavin^ "le city, die first objects that strike the eye, whore the screen slopes of the hills have boon exeau^tod, in quarryinaj, are numerous black rocks, very resju- liirly straiitied, and lookiuii: almost like Ecreat beds of oal. Those rocks, w hich prevail throu£;b the vil- ia«:e of Beauport, are black fetid limestone, in stra- ta nearly horizontal, and presenting in the section of the hills, a remarkivble rcjrularity, almost archi- octural. The strata, being; divided by seams, both \ony.ontal and vertical, look as if they had been laid up by the skill of a mason. The houses in Beau- port, are generally built of liiis stone, and the peo« L>le burn it into lime at their very doors. Its jjreat regularity, and the ease with which it divides, must make it an excellent building stone ; while the com- bustible substance w hich it contains, will also aid, very materially, in burning it into quick lime. — Those strata appear to be secondary hme stone. The strata, over which the Afontmorenci falls, seem to be, (for I could not get near enough to be quite certain.) of the same description. I am fa- voured by Dr. John I. Bigsby, of the Medical staff of the British army in Canada, with the following facts, as to iJie ** succession of the strata a few^ yards ;^bove the bridge, at the falls of Montmorenci, on the west side of the river :" " The lowest nsible rocks, rising six or eight feet from the bed of the river, are dough shaped mounds of granite, vertical, with a south-west direction, with many irregular quarti veiiis, h«lf a foot tliick. On 224 TOUR BETWEEN MAKTFOR£) AND QUEBEC. it, lies a perfectly horizontal sand stone, so coarse as to resemble conglomerate, (I suspect tliis sand stone is a coarse grey wacke.) It is four feet tliick, and weathered red and white. Upon this rests light nair brown, highly crystalline lime-stone, very fetid, full of shells, vegetable filaments, massive blende, and a mineral, like brown spar. This gradually be- comes dull, less crystalline, and at length, at the top of the bank, is nearly a common blue lime (stone,) with a conchoidal fracture, and still here und there containing small crystals of carbonates. The whole height here, is perhaps, forty feet." As we walked along upon the eastern bank of the Montmorenci, and approached the St. Lawrence, we found ourselves on the verge of a precipice, of three hundred feet in height : this terminates at the St. Lawrence, or very near it, in an almost perpen- dicular promontory, down which, with some diffi- culty, we wound our way to the bed of the great river. The strata of rock here, run parallel to the St .Lawrence, and at right angles to the Montmo- renci ; as these strata are very soft, and easily de- composed and disintegrated, the Montmorenci, which rolls its rapid and turbulent waters across tliem, has evidently, by long continued attrition, worn them away, so that in the bed of this small river, at the falls, these rocks have receded about one sixth of a mile from the St. Lawrence. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBKC. S25 THE FALLS OF MONTMORENCL The destructive action of the river itself, u])oti the rocks which form its hed, and its banks, has produced in the long course of time, a deep bay, or indentation, shaped nearly like a parabola, or a horse-shoe magnet ; it recedes from two hundred and eighty, to three hundred yards,'^ from the St. Lawrence, and its almost perpendicular banks, are in different places, from two to three hundred feet liigh ; they are composed apparently, of fetid lime stone, very much decomposed, which, on the eastern side, resembles extremely a tine grained slate, or sand stone. The crumbled and broken parts, be- come fetid by friction or percussion. At the upper end of this bay, the Montmorenci, after a gentle pre- vious dechvity, which greatly increases its veloci- ty, takes its stupendous leap of tw^o hundred and fortyf feet, into a chasm among the rocks, where it boils and foams in a natural rocky basin, from which, after its force is in some measure exliausted in its own whirlpools and eddies, it flows away in a gentle stream, towards the St. Lawrence. The fall is near- * Houcliette. f It is astonisliiiig (hat Cliarlevoix states (he fall of Montmo- rctici as beitig thirly fetU wide, and only forty high. I cannot hut think (hat there mus( have been a typographical ciinr in (he omission of two hundred, before forty, especially, as C'harlevoix. states the lieisi;ht of the Niagara falls very nearly us (hoy are now estimated. It is not probable that a century has made much dif- ference with either. 20 226 TOUK BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. ]y perpendicular, and appears not to deviate more than three or four degrees from it. This deviation is caused by the ledges of rock below, and is just sufficient to break the water completely into foam and spray. The width of the stream, at the mo- ment of its fall, is apparently, fifty or sixty feet ; it may be seventy when the river is swollen by rains, or by the melted snows. The effect on the beholder is most delightful. The river, at some distance, seems suspended in the air, in a sheet of billowy foam,* and, contrast- ed, as it is, with the black frowning abyss, into which it falls, it is an object of the highest interest. As we approached nearer to its foot, the impres- sions of grandeur and sublimity were, in the most perfect manner imaginable, blended W'ith those of extreme beauty. This river is of so considerable magnitude, that, precipitated as it is, from this amazing height, the thundering noise, and mighty rush of waters, and the never ceasing wind and rain, produced by the fall, powerfully arrest the attention : the spectator stands in profound awe, mingled whh delight, espe- cially when he contrasts the magnitude of the fall, with that of a villa, on the edge of the dark preci- pices of frowning rock, which form the western bank, and with the casual spectators, looking down * It has been compared to a white ribbon, suspended in the air , this cor!)parison does justice to the delicacy, but not to the gi-pn .tlenr ot this cataract. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 227 from the same elevation. But, these impressions are not sufficient to overpower the dehcate beauty of this cataract. The sheet of foam, which break? over the ridge, is more and more divided, as it i? dashed against the successive layers of rock, which it almost completely veils from view ; the spray be- comes very dehcate and abundant, from top to bot- tom, hanging over, and revolving around the torrent, till it becomes Hghter and more evanescent, than the whitest fleecy clouds of summer, than the finest attenuated web, than the lightest gossamer, consti- tuting the most airy and sumptuous drapery, that can be imagined. Yet, like the drapery of some of the Grecian statues, which, while it veils, exhibits more forcibly, the form beneath, this does not hide, but exalts the effect produced by this noble cat- aract. The rain-bow we saw in great perfection ; bow within bow, and (what I never saw elsewhere, so perfectly,) as I advanced into the spray, the bow became complete, myself being a part of its circum- ference, and its transcendent glories moving with every change of position. This beautiful and splen- did sight was to be enjoyed only by advancing quite into the shower of spray ;* as if, in the language of ancient poetry, and fable, the genii of the place, pleased with the beholder's near approach to the seat bt their empire, decked the devotee with the * Which was vory copious, anH, (if not averted by an umbrti la,) would soon wel the observer through his clothes. 223 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. appropriate robes of the cataract, the vestal veil of fleecy spray, and the heavenly splendors of the bow. The falls of Montmorenci have been often de- scribed, and we had obtained tolerably definite and correct ideas of them, but their entire impression on us was beyond our expectations. Those who visit this place in the winter, see one fine feature added to the scene, although they may lose some others. The spray freezes, and forms a regular cone, of sometimes one hundred feet in height, and standing immediately at the bottom of the cataract. It is even said, that some are har- dy enough to clamber up this icy tower. Captain — - informs us that he has performed this giddy f«8.t. PRINT, NO. 7. In this view, on the right, are seen the rocky stra- ta, rising from the St. Lawrence, and presenting their broken edges; higher up, the precipice is cov- ered with sand, gravel, and ruins of the rocks, and with some poor verdure, and stinted shrubs. This high bank, here terminating abruptly on the great river, is continued around to the fall, forming the right side of the great curve, in the center of which, appears the cataract. In the picture, the spray is but partially represented, and is less copious, and rises to a less considerable height, than in the scene itself. Just where the river commences hs leap, some rocks are seen, breaking the current. ii TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 229 Immediately in front, nearest to the observer, and just where some spectators are placed, the fall is seen with great advantage ; perhaps, it is more beautiful there, than any where else ; the views of it are, however, very fine at every position, as we advance towards it, (although the impending banks of ruinous and decomposed rock, look rather alarm- ing, as we pass along.) At the foot of the cataract, on the right, we perceive a projection of rock, half veiling the bottom of the fall from view ; this rock is constantly wet and slippery, with the spray, and the observer scrambles up its sides, with some diffi- culty, but, when arrived there, he is fully compen- sated by the grandeur of the scene ; if he advance over the other declivity of the rock, the bow attends his every step, and, at some places, two or three concentric bows are seen. If w^ilhng to be thor- oughly wet, and possessed of a little of the spirit of adventure, he may, by persevering in his advances even gain a peep behind the cataract. On the left, is seen the other side of the bay ; it is composed of perpendicular ledges of black stratified rock ; (I presume it is the same fetid hme stone, which con- stitutes the basis of Beauport,) and, on its summit, a little removed from the edge, is a handsome villa. Almost exactly on the edge, and resembhng a low fence, is seen an aqueduct, which diverts a part of the river, just above the fall, and conducts it to a saw mill at the bottom of the bank. The tranquil basin, below the fall, at low water, presents to view, 20* 230 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. portions of the rocky strata, which form its bed, and it is then fordable, and also for some time, during t-he latter part of the ebb, and the beginning of the flow of the tide. ******* SAW MILLS AND LUMBER. Just below the falls, on the right bank of the Montmorenci, at its confluence with the St. Law- rence, is the great establishment of Mr. Patterson, for sawing lumber. The mills, which are probably as extensive as any in the world, are fed by a s^tream, directed (as already mentioned in the de- scription of print 7,) from the Montmorenci, just ahove the falls. It is conducted along, on the high bank, in a large artificial channel, of plank and tim- ber, till, rushing down the inclined plane, formed by the great natural descent of the hill, it acquires a prodigious velocity, and, falling upon the water wheels, in the mill, at the bottom of the bank, it imparts an impulse, sufficiently powerful, to turn the machinery of a vast establishment, and performs a very great amount of labour. Nor does it injure the cataract, as Lieutenant Hall, in his travels, sup- poses it would ; for, it is no more missed from the stream of the Montmorenci, than a pebble would be from its banks. Contiguous to these mills, is a vast deposit of lumber ; much of it is afloat, and is guarded from r S2 I fs TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QTEBEC. 231 floatins; quite away, by wharves and pillars, and by very extensive artificial dams, running out a great way into tlie St. Lawrence, and formins; a larse ba- sin. I cannot say with confidence, how manv acres it appeared to cover ; ray elevation on the contiguous bank, was so great, that I might be much deceived ; but it served, togetlier with tiie deposits which we had seen at the Chaudiere, at Sillery, in Wolfe's cove, and other places, to give us a strong impres- sion ot'the magnitude of the Canadian lumber trade; it is, in fact, die principal business of the country ; and the ships waiting to receive it, are very nume- rous. A good deal of tliis lumber, as we were as- sured, comes from Vermont, and is rafted down Lake Champlaiu, and through the rivers Sore! and St. Lawrence. To us, who had never seen any thing to compare witli the exhibition of lumber, on the waters around Quebec, this sight, and the other similar ones, ap- peared very remarkable. The number, and size of the ships, also, tliat are waiting to receive it, far ex- ceeded our expectations, and evinced, that, if Great Britain cannot supply herself with lumber, on good terms, from any other source, this colony must, for this reason alooe. be very important to her ; and, indeed, it has obviously this great advantage, as a source of supply, tliat it is, in a great measure, in- dependent of the contingency of war. As an article of trade, however. I am aware that lumber, from its great bulk, and low value, makes ^ 232 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. much greater show, than a commerce in many com- modities, which, in a much more snug way, may imply a vastly greater amount of capital, and of profits. The lumber rnfts on the St. Lawrence, well de- serve to be mentioned among the curiosities of the river. We found some of them around us in the morning, as we were coming down to Quebec, and were amused with the view of these anomalous floating communities. Some of them occupied thousands of square feet on the water, and exhibit- ed an active, grotesque population, busy in steering these ponderous misshapen piles, down the current of the river ; they erect huts upon them, and con- trive to concentrate upon the rafls, the few and coarse accommodations, which their frugal habits, and their tardy inland voyage may demand. We did not expect to find oppressively hot weath- er in Canada, so late as the 7th of October, but, in clambering the precipices about the falls of Mont- morenci, we experienced a degree of heat, like that of the middle of July. VIEW OF QUEBEC, AND OF ITS ENVIRONS, FROM BEAUFORT. From the river Montmorenci, the ground gently descends towards the St. Lawrence, and towards Quebec, but, as the distance is considerable, the el- evation is sufficient to afford a good view of that "citv . TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND HULBEC. 233 Approaching it by water, from Montreal, we liave only a glimpse of the upper town, but, from the Beauport side, we see it perfectly. Most of the upper town is built upon a side hill, sloping rapidly to the north and east, and the view from Beauport, gives the idea of a fine city, of considerable magni- tude. The roofs and spires, covered with tin, glittered to-day, in the bright meridian sun. The towers and turretted walls, completely encircle the upper town, although they exclude the lower ; and the suburbs, now become almost as extensive and handsome, as the city itself, are also in full view, with a conside- rable part of the lower town, and most of the ships in the bay and river. The opposite shores of the island of Orleans, and of Point Levi, with the numerous farm houses and villages, that are conspicuous all around, and thi^ luxuriant meadows, intersected by the Charles, ad- ded to the beauty of the prospect. Indeed, Quebec and its environs, present as mag- nificent scenery as can w^ell be imagined. Towers and spires — walls and rocks — cascades and precipi- ces — swelling hills, and luxuriant vallies, and woody mountains — beautiful villages, and numberless sol- itary villas, and white cottages — with grand rivers, and crowding fleets, are all united to delight the spectator. Such scenes would be esteemed very fine in any country. 234 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^UEBE.Cv' PRINT, NO. 8. This print, although the scene is principally the same, does not exhibit exactly the view, from Beau- port, which was last described. The observer is not in Beauport, but is standing on the eastern side of the Montmorenci, on the bank, which is exhibit- ed on the right of print 7. Immediately before him, is the saw mill of Mr. Patterson, with floating lum- ber, and a ship, waiting to receive it. On the right, is the high promontory, situated on the western side of the Montmorenci, and constituting the counter part to that exhibited in the last print ; the ship, and saw mill, and two adventurers, on the top of the precipice, give some idea of its height. From the mill, we see the aqueduct passing along the hill ; after it begins to descend from the heights, it Is covered on the top, with thick plank, strongly bound by timber, to prevent the water from over- flowing, for the stream is so copious, as completely to fill this hollow box, through which the water is hurried with a frightful velocity. On the left, is Point Levi, opposite to Quebec, and distant from the observer five or six miles ; at the. foot of this promontry,we see a little settlement, a port in minia- ture, and numbers of ships contiguous. In the ex- treme distance, are the hills about the mouth of the Chaudiere river, and beyond it ; they are from twelve to fifteen, and even twenty miles distant, and are situated on the right l>ank of the St. Lawrence. u u TOtJIl BETWEEN HARtFORD AND Q,UEBEC 235 In the middle of the view, on the right, is the city of Quebec, exhibiting a part, both of the upper and lower tow^n. This view may be considered as be- ing, in this respect, a continuation of that, exhibited in prints No. 5 and 6 5 and, as beginning nearJy where the latter leaves off. We see the upper town, with its crowded show of houses and spires, and with the flag and telegraph on Cape Diamond, surround- , ed by its military wall, and distant four or five miles ; 1 the wall passes along upon the very edge of the I precipice of naked black rock. Immediately at the j foot of this precipice, is a continuation of the lower I town, with its wharves, ships, and ware houses, and, on its extreme right, we see the steep ascent to the I palace gate. The promontory, on the right of the j Montmorenci, intercepts the view of Beauport, and I of the beautiful slope from it to the St. Lawrence ; ^ nor do w^e see the declivity of the city of Quebec to the north and west; from the highest parts that I are in view, it declines very rapidly in that direc- I tion, towards the Charles river; and this partis ex- tensive and populous, and includes the fine sub- urb of St. Johns. I In order to understand this print, and No. 5 and 6, it must be remembered, that the front of the town, towards the St. Lawrence, is circular, pre- senting its convex side to the rivers, in the form of the exterior curve of an amphitheatre. * -^f * * * * * 236 TOUU BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. BATTLE OF MOiNTMORENCI. The roar of the cataract — the beauty of the re- volving spray, and the splendors of the rainbow, have not always been observed, in tranquility, at Montmorenci ; for the flash, and the smoke, and the thunder of artillery, have, at a former period, overwhelmed these milder beauties, and the banks, and the waters of these rivers have, at their conflu- ence, been stained with blood. On the 27th of June, 1759, General Wolfe, ar- riving in the St. Lawrence, with an armament equip- ped expressly for the reduction of Quebec, estab- lished his army upon the island of Orleans, while Admiral Saunders, with the fleet, occupied the chan- nels and the bay of Quebec. On the 29th, General Wolfe detached General Monckton, with four bat- talions, to drive the French force from Point Levi, the promontory opposite to Quebec, and to occupy that place, a service which was successfully execu- ted. The French soon after, passed over from Que- bec, with one thousand six hundred men, to attack General Monckton, but fell into confusion — fired on one another, and retreated back to the city.* Gen- eral Monckton severely cannonaded and bombard- ed the city, from this point, and although his fire was quite destructive to the lower town, and very injurious to the buildings in the upper it made no serious impression on its defences, and left the place * General Wolfe's dis^iatch to hi* government. TO&R BETWEEN HARTFORD AND nearly as tenable as ever. Indeed, it is o from mere inspection, that were the works of Que- bec, on the side next to Point Levi, all destroyed, rftill it would be of little avail, towards an escalade of the precipices of naked rock, in some places more than three hundred feet high, on which the walls and towers are built. For many miles above the city, the left bank of the river is a mere precipice, or ad- mits of easy and effectual defence, by a small num- ber of troops, judiciously stationed. The only ac- cessible ground, in the immediate vicinity of Que- bec, is the graceful declivity between the river St. Charles, which washes the north eastern part of the city, and the Montmorenci. This is the fine natur- al slope, tliat appeared so bcauliful as we entered the bay of Quebec, and stretches four or five miles, along the river, from Beauport to the St. Lawrence. Near Montmorenci, this declivity becomes very steep and of arduous ascent. This ground v;ould, of course, invite a landing, but the Marquis de Mont- calm, had occupied every part of it, with an en- trenched camp ; batteries of cannon were placed at every accessible point, and his rear was defended by a thick forest. Still, General Wolfe, seeing no prospect of re- ducing Quebec, except by first defeating the army by which it was defended, and perceiving no possi- bility of attacking that army, except by occupying this ground, took measures to effect that object. 24. rWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. the night of July 9th, he passed his army over the north channel, between the island of Or- leans and the promontory represented on the right of print 7. He wished next to pass the Montmoren- ci above the falls, and to attack the enemy in the jj rear, but, there was no ford nearer than three miles up the river, and the opposite bank was entrenched, and so steep and v/oody, that it could not be suc- cessfully attacked. He had occupied with cannon, the precipice be- low the fails, which forms the right of the curve, in print 7 ; it is higher than the opposite side, to which the left of the French camp extended, and the vigor of the fire from this battery, under the direction of General Townsend, prevented the French from erecting a corresponding battery, near the place where the aqueduct is represented, in the left of the picture ; this battery was therefore unopposed, and considerably annoyed the French camp, We saw the remains of the English battery ; they are still distinctly visible on the heights, north-east of the bay, below the falls ; the bank has now crum- bled so much, that the entrenchments are close to the edge of the precipice, and the observer, on ac- count of the frail support below, should be on his guard in approaching the brink. It has been already mentioned, in the description of print 7, that the bay below the falls is fordable, ocar, and at low water. General Wolfe determined = nvailhimself of this facility, and to attack the en- TOUR BETWEEN HAHTFOKD AMJ ^ULBLC. 23*j emy in front, in their entrenchments ; to enfilade and batter these, a great quantity of artillery was placed upon the eminence, and was served with much effect. It became necessary to pass the ford on the rocks j and then to go around the point by the 'saw mill ; which is exhibited on the right of print 8. The promontory there represented, immediately above the saw mill, cuts off, in a great measure, the view of the ground occupied by the French camp, and also the view of the beach where the English troops were to form. It w^as on the morning of the 31st of July, that the grenadiers, in the boats of the squadron, sup- ported by a part of General Monckton's corps from Point Levi, who were also in boats, proceeded for the shore ; they were thrown into some confusion, and detained a good while by accidentally ground- ing, so that it was late in the afternoon, before they effected a landing on the beach, above the saw mill. The enemy had precipitately abandoned a redoubt, close to the shore; the corps of Generals Townsend and Murray) vrhich were to ford the Montmorenci, and come round to the beach, to unite in the attack, were on their way, and in good order, but the corps of General Monckton were not yet landed. The grenadiers, consisting of thirteen companies, aided by two hundred royal Americans, had orders to form in four distinct bodies, and to proceed to the attack as soon as they could be supported by 240 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,lTEBEC. Monckton's corps, and aided by the troops from the ford of the Montrnorenci. But, before Monckton's corps were landed, and before the other troops were at hand to support ihem, and, without waiting to form, they rushed im- petuously forward, running towards the " enemy's entrenchments, in the utmost disorder and confu- sion."* Their courage proved their ruin ; they were cut down in great numbers, by a very hot and well directed fire, and, being unable to form, they retreated behind the redoubt, which the French had abandoned, leaving their dead to be plundered, and numbers of their wounded to be murdered and scalped by the savages. General Wolfe now drewofF his grenadiers, to form them behind General Monck- ton's corps, which was by this time drawn up on the beach in " extreme good order." But it was now near night — a sudden thunder storm came on — the tide Ibegan to make — and the attack was abandoned, after the loss of between five and six hundred brave men, of the flower of the army, and, Wolfe, fearing that, if he persisted any longer, his retreat might be cut off, quietly retreated again to his camp, across the Montmorenci. This attack has often been censur- ed as rash, and, after viewing the ground, I presume most persons would pronounce that judgment to be correct. General Wolfe himself, sjiys : " The ene- my were indeed posted upon a commanding emi- nence. The beach, upon whjch the troops were " Wolfe's Irflf »• to Mr. Pitt TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC, 241 drawn up, was of a deep mud, with holes, and cut by several gulHes. The hill to be ascended, very steep, and not every wiicre practicable. The ene- my numerous in their entrenchments, and their fire hot. If the attack had succeeded, our loss must certainly have been great, and theirs inconsiderable, from the shelter which the neighbouring woodg af- forded them. The river of St. Charles still remain- ed to be passed, before the town was invested. All these circumstances I considered ; but, the desire to act in conformity to the king's intentions, induced me to make this trial, persuaded that a victorious army finds no difficulties."* General Wolfe expected, (had he succeeded,) to have penetrated the left of the French camp, where his artillery, from the opposite heights, had made an impression. Without claiming to have any mili- tary knowledge, I may perhaps, be allowed to say, that, after toiling up this hill, on foot, and finding it an arduous undertaking to one entirely unmolested, it ap- pears next to madness, to lead columns of men up a long and steep ascent, where, especially in a hot summer's day, they could not, for many minutes, proceed upon the run, without being put out of ^.breath, and where the well directed fire of deeply entrenched troops, aided by artillery, must speedily cut down, (as it actually did,) one half of those who made the rash attempt, while they, in turn, could do their enemy little or no harm. » Wolfe'3 letter to Mr. Pitt. 21^ 242 TOUK BETWtKN HARTFORD AND Q,LI.Bi:c (t was an affair, extremely like Bunker's hill, in al- most all its circumstances, except that the French pos- .^essed regular entrenchments, abundance of cannon, and experienced commanders and troops, while tht- Americans, at Bunker's Hill, had nothing more than a small redoubt, and a very imperfect breast work, throjvn up in one night, and made, to some extent, of rail fence and hay, and were almost without can- non, and with commanders and troops, most of whom had never been in battle before. Had they been situated at Bunker's Hill, as the French were, at Montmorenci, they would, without doubt, have finally repulsed the assailants. If General Wolfe nad lived, and ultimately failed in the campaign, he would probably have been censured, with much more severity, especially had he been frustrated in the attempt to gain the plains of Abraham, which he certainly would have been, had the French com- mander been as much on his guard there, as at Montmorenci. la the recital of the horrors of war, we view them with wonderful apathy, for the very reason, that ought to excite the deepest interest, because the re- sults are given by hundreds and by tkou^ajids. In this vast aggregate of human woe, we forget the par- liculav sufferings, and are much less affected, (a** has often been remarked by moral writers,) by the accounts of the slaughter of armies, than we should be by the detailed exhibition, of the sufferings of a sinsle soklif i But we ©usht to' remember that ev- iOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 24 s, where the wall ap- peared to be fifty feet thick, and nearly as high ; this was the judgment we formed, without inquiry — I need not say, without measurement.^' A deep ditch succeeds, and then there is an exterior, but lower wall, and another ditch, both of which must be scaled, before the main wall can be approach- ed. A storming party would be dreadfully ex- posed, while moujiting this exterior wall. The avenue to the gate, is bounded on both sides, by a high wall, and makes several turns, in zig zag. At every turn, cannon point directly, at the approach- es; and generally, dov/n every ditch, and in every possible direction, where the w alls can be approach- ed, great guns are ready to cut down the assailants.- * We were afterwards irjformed by a Briti.sk officer, that adual measurement gave this result. 24 274 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEU. I have several times remarked, that the promon- torv of rock, which constitutes the loftiest point of the upper town, is called Cape Diamond, and that, upon this, is erected the famous citadel of Quebec. This is not, as one might suppose, a building, or cas- tle, covered with a roof; it is open to the heavens, and differs from the rest of the works, only in being more elevated, stronger, and therefore more com- manding. The highest part of the citadel, is Brock's batte- ry, w'hich is a mound, artificially raised, higher than every thing else, and mounted with cannon, pointing towards the plains of Abraham. It was named after General Brock, who fell at Queenstown, and was erected during the late war, about the time that Montreal was threatened, by Generals "Wilkinson and Hampton. This commands every part of the works on that side, and is intended, I presume, be- sides the general objects of defence, to operate, in the last resort, on an enemy who may scale all the other walls. The citadel is forbidden ground, and, by rule, no person, not belonging to the military, or the supreme government, is admitted into it. By special iavor, however, we enjoyed this grati- fication ; the sentry, at first, refused to let us pass, al- though under patronage, which commanded his re- spect, but at length, with much reluctance, he yield- ed. This course of conduct is usual in such places, and may be judicious here, as preventing numerous TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 275 and troublesome visits, but it appears very unneces- sary in a military point of view, for, the more the strength of the citadel is made known, the less dis- posed, I am persuaded, will any enemy be to attack it. Commodore Bainbridge, during his recent vis- it here, (I understand,) was freely shewn the citadel, and every part of the fortifications; and I heard a British officer say, that^ in his view, it was quite ri- diculous to pursue any other course, and to pretend to any secrecy about the thing. Still, however, I suppose the officers have orders from their superiors, not to introduce persons here, for the day after we had b(;en in the citadel, I was with two British military men. of considerable personal and official influence, and, while they were shewing me some apartments, contiguous to the citadel, I hinted a wish to see it, if it could be permitted, but was answered politely ^ although decidedly, that it could not. I did not tell them that I had already seen it. Every other part of the fortifications maybe free- ly visited by every body, but, on the side next to the St. Charles river, the sentry refused to permit me to approach the embrasui'e ; I wished to see how high the wall was at that place. From the citadel, the view of the river, of the town, and of the surrounding country, is, of course, extreme- ly grand and beautiful, but, in this instance, the rapid advance of evening, rendered the distant objects indis- tinct. We were, however, very forcibly struck with the formidable preparations, which seem on all sides. 276 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. to render an attack upon the place a hopeless enter- prise. Within the walls, are numerous magazines, furnished with every implement and preparation, and more or less proof against the various missiles of war. Piles of cannon balls are every where to be seen, and, I presume there are some hundreds of heavy cannon mounted on the walls, and in the va- rious defences. About forty acres of ground, with- in Cape Diamond, are reserved for military works.* Beyond the walls, on the plains of Abraham, are the four Martello towns, already mentioned ; they are solidly constructed of stone, and appear to be forty feet high, and, at the base, have probably a diameter not much inferior ; as they have cannon on their tops, they, of course, sweep the whole plain, and effectually command it; the particular object of their construction, was to prevent an ene- my from occupying the high ground, on the plains of Abraham. These towers are very strong, on the side farthest from the town, and weaker on the side next to it, that they may be battered from it, should an enemy obtain possession of them. On the whole, as long as the river is in possession of those who defend the town, and as long as the latter is sufficiently furnished with men, and other means necessary to render its fortifications efficient, there appears little hope of taking it at all, and certainly not without such an expense of blood, as it is very painful to contemplate. * Bouchetle. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,tJEBEC. 277 An officer of the garrison informed us, that it took him one horn' and a half, merely to visit all the sentinels on duty, upon the various stations on the walls ; this appeai*s' to evince, that the walls cannot be much less than three miles in circuit ; and the same military man gave it as his opinion, that it would require at least ten thousand men for a com- petent garrison. The cold is so intense in the winter nights, par- ticularly on Cape Diamond, that the sentinels can- not stand it more than one hour, and are reheved at the expiration of that time. It is in vain to attempt to conceal, that the Cana- dians, and the government, in their various defen- ces, (and it is said that still more expensive works are in contemplation,^*) have reference to danger from only one source. It is to be hoped that the attempt to take Quebec by force, will never again be made, for, if it has al- ready cost so much blood, with defences compara- tively weak, what would it not cost now ?f * We are recently informed, by the newspapers, that these new works are going on very rapidly. July, 1820. t Going into a book-store in Quebec, I observed in one of the Gazettes of the city, a paragraph, copied from a recent American paper, to this effect, thai, if it should be ever desirable to take Que- bec, it could, at arty time, be easily done, in two nrionlhs, aithc 'point of the bayonet. Surely such a remark i? indecent, with respect to a people, with whom we are now in amity ; and, to any one who has ev«r seen Quebec, it appears superlatively ridiculous, and on- ly exposes us to contempt : an effort to take the moon ai the jpoini of the buyonel, would be almost equally ratiormi, 24* 278 TOF2 BETWi^HS HJL&TrOK.D A«il> qCE^£.C« GEOLOGICAL RUMARkS. The limited opportunities which I have eojoyed, of examinine the cec^ogy of this ricinity, hare led, rather to isokted, than to connected obsenrations. It has not been in my power to ascertain the bear- log and relations of these &cts, and thb I regret the more, as it is probable diat interesting results would be obtained, by a more extended and connected surrev. In s[>eakin«c of the oMHitb of the Chaadiere rirer, I have ah^ady observed, that greywacke forms the di^ on the eastern side. It has nerer before faCefi to my loi, to observe this rock on so great a scale . It occurs in a schistose form, at the £dls of the Chaadiere, and constitutes the principal part of the barrier, orer which the torrent is precipitated. On the road from Point Leri to the Chaadiere river, and for several miles before we arrire at the kner, vast ledsres of common srevwacke, rise above the surface of the ground, and form a coolinued chain of rocks, of a ver}- peculiar physiognomy, and very different £rom those rocks, with which I have been most familiar. This greywacke is of a most indubitable character, and varies from coarse to fine grained ; in the coarsest kind, the individual por* tioas are not larger than peas« and I have observed a very fine grained kind, with which they pave some i^f the stre€t^ in Quebec : its gfain is so smalk as to TOCm •ETWEES RiL«TrOmi> AXD qCXBEC. 27S be tkiK>>t trapei>cepubie. I did not leani wiience k is broQ^t. At PoiDl Levi. i::e r?ii ? : ::;::. .: :> Ac rirer's dice, is ciii \v~ii. -■ difi of slate, rery ''~'£' ' — ed, aad contmiaiBs; i peired to me like that of tbe tnxiatioB das^; ^ut mv examinaidQa was reiy hasrr and slight. Ii is vefy proMile tfaat this fomutioo exttSMb ■Bda* ihe bed of the nrer , aod subsUntiaOj up- peais ^sin m tbe precipioes of Qoebec, whidi I ibiBid an ojpportiiintj to esanuBe with sone atten- tXMI. TIk oaaie of Cape IHtmoao, is deciTed 6001 ibe htit, that vhat the coauofm pe<^le ef^enr where caD dimmomds^ or, ia other wonls rock ciysials are ^Msid in this rock and at its foot. I Tcalked around these precipices, with mj hant- «eff in my hand, and ohscnred the c^^als in dieir phces ; they occjt in reins, in ai^fllke or slate, a^oo* with crysnlized carbooat of lime. I passed thnmgh the Hope saie, ee the nor& east, and de- scended the ol^que road, which leads to the loirer viWB ; this street is, in a manner^ est oat of tbe 101^ strata, and I had Tery good f^poitonaies to ohsenre them; I continoed ray e^Laminalioo aBOond at the foot of the precipices beyond Cape DiaoKMid, and ahnost to the plans of AbiahaB. Tbe lbrti6catioBS of Qoebec^ stand pnndpa}- ly upon, and are composed chie£j of slaie roci 280 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. and of the fetid limestone ; the slate is high- ly inclined, and is sometimes remarkably twis- ted and irregular in its arrangement ; the colour is dark — almost black, and it is often fetid when struck. This is explained by its association with compact fetid limestone, which abounds in many parts of these ledges, and is replete with veins of w^hite or slightly coloured calcareous spar — some- times fibrous in its structure and sometimes distinct- ly crystalized. I observed the same rocks appear- ing in the upper town, in various places, and espe- cially where they were cutting a drarn near the prison. Dr. Wright, the Inspector General of Hospitals at Quebec, was kind enough to shew me a collection, which he is forming, of the rocks and minerals of the country, and among them were a good many specimens from Upper Canada. I was much gratified to see such a beginning in Quebec, and from the zeal and intelligence of Dr. Wright and of Dr. Bigsby* of the same department — may we not hope that w^e shall become much more ex- tensively informed than now, as to the mineralogy and geology of the Canadas ? The very highly inclined position, sometimes al- most vertical, and the contorted structure of the slate of Quebec — with the abundance of perfectly limpid quartz crystals, occasionally an inch in length, that are sprinkled between the layers of •♦ This summer acting with the commissioners of boundaries on the great lakes. « TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND H^EBEC 281 slate, giving it often an elegant appearance, seem to forbid our regarding it as secondary, notwithstand- ing its association with the black, compact, fetid limestone, and its being itself (occasionally at least) fetid, on percussion. I am told, that both the slate and the limestone, as well as strata of wacke, (grey- wacke ?) are subordinate to gneiss mountains, which run east south-east, and east north-east, dipping southerly at a very elevated angle. On the whole, as the slate is the prevailing rock and as the region on the other side of the St. Lawrence, is decidedly a transition formation, I am inclined to refer the rock of Quebec to the same class. The crystals of quartz were formerly more abundant, and proba- bly, more beautiful, than at present. I found numbers however, that were not only transparent and beautiful, but crystalized all around. As I was hammering upon a rock, to which I had climbed, so far up one of the precipices, that I was above the chimnies of the houses, in the contiguous parts of the lower town, a man came running out, and w^ith a French accent, and much vehement ges- ture and expostulation-, conjured me to desist, un- less I meant to bury him and his house in ruins, by causing the rocks to fail. I saw no danger, as the rocks appeared tolerably firm, but of course desist- ed, and came down. Indeed, so large a number of the houses in the lower town are built against the foot of the precipice, or very near it, that the rocks k)ok as if they might at any time fall and crush 282 TCrUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC, them ; it would seem as if they must of course do so, should any of them give way. We were in- formed that a great mass fell, recently, and much endangered many houses, hut happily missed them ; ,^ne house is said to have been crushed last winter, but I did not hear that any life was lost. I examined the rocks on the plains of Abraham, and particularly near where General Wolfe died, for there was an open quarry at that place ; they were slate of the same description with the preci- pices, at Cape Diamond, and I observed no other on the plains, and none in the rocks of the town, hut slate and the fetid limestone ; these two stones are almost exclusively employed in building, and the walls, as already observed, are constructed prin- cipally of them. DEATH OF GENERAL MONTGOIVIERY. Every American, on visiting Quebec, of course, inquires for the place, where Montgomery and his associates fell. This question I proposed many times, without being able to obtain a satisfactory an- swer, till, in my miner-alogical visit to the lower town, in which I knew that the event occurred, I repeated my inquiries, till I ascertained the street, which, as described by historians, passes at the foot of Cape Diamond. Many persons in Quebec, know little or nothing »f the event, and many more feel no interest in the TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 283 topic. I inquired in vain, at several houses and shops, within a few hundred yards of the place, till at last, I was so happy as to find an individual, who appeared to be perfectly acquainted with the whole transaction, and from the precision and distinctness of his story, and the clear views he had of the ground, and of the event, I have no doubt that his informa- tion, as to the place, was correct. He was confident that he shewed me the exact spot where the barrier stood, from which the fatal shot was fired, and the precise place where Montgomery and his companions were cut down. The place is immediately under Cape Diamond, and was, at thai time, as it is now, a very narrow pass, between the foot of the impending pre- cipice, and the shore ; vessels then weve moored to rings fixed in the rock, some of which rings still re- main, although wharves have been since constructed at the water's edge ; now there is a road just wide enough for a cart ; it has been cut out of the solid rock. The American camp was on the plains of Abraham. Four points of attack were agreed on — two feints against the walls of the upper town, one at St. John's gate, and the other near the citadel^ w'hile two real assaults, were to be directed against two other points, both in the lower town, but situ- ated on opposite sides. General Arnold led a party from the plains of Abraham, around by the river Charles, and assault- ed the lower town on that side. In the mean time, General Montgomery, approached under Cape Diamond. 2S4 TOTR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. The pass at the foot of Cape Diamond, was probably, then much narrower and more difficult than at present. The attempt was made at five o'clock, on the morning of Dec. 31, 1775, in the midst of a Canadian winter, and of a violent snow storm, and of darkness. The path, narrow and dif- ficult at best, was then so much obstructed by enor- mous masses of ice, piled on each other, as to render the %vay almost impassable.^ Mont- gomery's party were therefore obliged to proceed in a narrow file, till they reached a picketted block house, which formed the first barrier. The Gene- ral assisted with his own hands, in cutting down and removing the pickets, and the Canadian guard, stationed for its defence, having thrown away their arms, fled, after a harmless random fire. The next barrier was much more formidable ; it was a small battery, whose cannon were loaded with grape shot, and as General Montgomery, with Captains Cheesman and ?vIacpherson, the latter of whom was his aid, and others of the bravest of his party, were pressing forward towards this barrier — a dis- charge of grape shot killed the General, and most of those near his person, and terminated the assault on that side of the town. It is said that this second barrier had also been abandoned, but that one or two persons returning to it, seized a slow match, and applied it to the gun, when the advancing par- ty were not more than forty yards from it. This * Marshall. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFOHD AND QUEBEC. 265 occurrence has been sometimes difFereiitiy related. Some American gentlemen who were at Quebec about sixteen years since, saw a man, who asserted *hat he was the person who touched off the cannon, and what is very remarkable, he was a New-Eng- lander. He related, that the barrier w^as abandon- ed, and the party who had been stailoned at it, were in full flight ; but as it occurred to him, that there was a loaded cannon, he turned, and discharg- ed it at random, and then ran. This anecdote I had from one of the gentlemen who conversed with this man. That there was some such occurrence, appears probable, and the following circumstances, having a similar bearing, were related to me by the person who shewed me this fatal ground. The spot may be known at the present moment, by its being some- what farther up the river, than the naval depot, where great numbers of heavy cannon are now lying. The battery stood on the first gentle declivity, be- yond this pile of cannon, and the deaths happened on the level ground, about forty yards still farther on. My informant stated, that the people in the block house, as he called it, loaded their cannon over night, and retired to rest. It so happened, (and it was perfectly accidental) that a Captain of a vessel in the port, lodged in the block house that night. He was an intemperate man, half delirious even wlien most sober, and never minded any one, or 'vaa much listened to by others. Early on the fatal 25 286 TOUK BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. mornjng, before it was light, he exclaimed, all of a sudden — " they are coming, I s r they are coming !" no one regarded him, but he got the iron rods, which they used to touch off the cannon, heated them, and fired the pieces. Immediately, rockets were seen to fly into the air, which were signals to the party of Arnold, that all was lost. When light returned. General Mont- gomery, his aids, and many others, in the whole, twenty-seven, (as he stated,) were found either" dead or grievously wounded. Thus, I have had the melancholy satisfaction of seeing both where Wolfe and Montgomery fell. Had the latter succeeded, his enterprise would have been regarded as more gallant than even that of Wolfe. Probably the situation of the defences was very different then from w^hat it is now ; at present, such an attempt would be perfectly desperate, and could deserve no name but rashness. The memory of the transaction appears, in a great measure, to have passed by, at Quebec, and I can even conceive that in twenty years more, it may be difficult to have the place, accurately desig- nated. It would be easy now, with permission of the government, to have an inscription, cut upon the neighbouring precipice of rock, which is not six feet from the place, and I presume, were the request properly preferred, no objection would be made^ TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 287 *' Ail eiimity to Montgomery expired with his life, and the respect to his private character pre- vailed over all other considerations ; his dead body received every possible mark of distinction from the victors, and was interred in Quebec, with all the military honom-s due to a brave soldier." " The most powerful speakers in the British Parliament, displayed their eloquence in praising his virtues and lamenting his fate. A great orator and veteran fel- low soldier of his, in the late war, shed abundance of tears, whilst he expatiated on their past friend- ship and participation of service in that season of enterprise and glory. Even the minister extolled his virtues."* During our visit to the citadel, the place of his interment was pointed out to us. His bones (as is well known) were recently transferred to New- York, more than forty years after their original in- terment, and now lie buried, contiguous to the mon- umen., erected by Congress, in front of St. Paul's Church. GENERAL ARNOLD'S PARTY In the existing accounts of the attack made by General Arnold's division, it is not easy for a person who is unacquainted with Quebec, to understand, precisely where the scene of operations lies, nor how there was to be a co-operation with General Montgomery. Perhaps the following remarks may * Annual Register, for 1776. 288 TOUa BETWEEN HAHTFORD.AND QUEBEC. have a tendency to render this scene intelh'gible, ■and especially to those who may seek for informa- tion on the spot. General Arnold's party entered through the suburb of St. Rooh. which lies on the river St. Charles, north west of Quebec, without the walls, and is an appen- dage of the lower town. Having been obliged to abandon the only cannon which they had, they pass- ed, through the street St. Roch, which leads in a south west direction, towards the wall, and then turning to the left, by the Intendant's Palace, pro- jeeeded on, towards the St. Lawrence, parallel to the city wall, and at a small distance from it. Here it was, that during a march of nearly half a mile, the party, with very little injury, sustained the 6re on their right flank, from the walls. With" out regarding this heavy fire, they pressed on towards the enemy's first barrier, which was in the street called Saint des Matelots.* This street commences in the lower town on the St. Law-* vence, a few hundred yards from the passage up mountain street ; passing down that street, and turning to the left or north, we come to that of the Matelots, (or sailors, this being the part of the town which they frequent) this street runs in a strait direction, for some way, and then turns sud- denly, by a very narrow path, only twelve feet v/ide, and cut out of the rock, around that angle of • See Colonet Boiichette's plan of Quebec, in his tnpocrrnphical itiap oT T./>vvei Canada. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 289 the precipice, and of the grand battery, which looks down the bay of Quebec ; it then proceeds west without turning. At the time of the attack, this passage, around the foot of the precipice, was exceedingly narrow, and much obstructed by cakes of ice. Coming from the suburb of St.. Roch, the first barrier occurred, before arriving at the angle of the street, and of the precipice ; the second after passing it. Arnold being severely wounded, in the approach to the first barrier, it was stormed and carried, by Captain Morgan of the Virginia riflemen, although it was defended by two twelve pounders, loaded with grape shot ; one of these pieces was discharged, but killed only a single man, and before th-e second was fired, the barrier was passed, by scaling ladders, and its defenders fled. It was still dark — a violent snow storm prevailed, and Morgan and the other officers, being ignorant of the streets and of their defences, did not attempt the oth- er barrier, till the day dawned. They then turned the angle of the street, which brought them in front of the St. Lawrence and of the next barrier, which last was entirely invisible till they had made this turn, when, they were instantly exposed lo a tremendous fire of musketry from the barrier, and from the houses on both sides of the street ; a few of the bravest mount- ed the barrier with ladders, but saw on the other side, double rows of soldiers, with their guns fixed on the ground, and presenting nothing but points of bayonets to receive them, should they leap to the 25 * 290 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. ground. Their retreat was in the meantime cut off, by a party of two hundred men, who, with several field pieces, issued from the palace gate, in their rear, and thus they were completely surrounded — the unconquered barrier was in front — the city wall and precipice on one side, and the St. Lawrence and St. Charles on the other. It was a most daring attack. I passed several times through the street of the Matelots, and wonder that any of the party should have escaped death. We can now understand, how the party of Mont- gomery and that of Arnold, would, if successful, have co-operated. At the time of their repulse, they were making directly towards one another, and but for that event, would have met in mountain street, and probably have attempted the Pres- cot gate in concert ; or possibly, being in pos- session of the lower town, they might have assail- ed the Palace gate which Arnold had passed, after leaving the suburb of St. Roch, At pres- ent, either of these attempts would appear prepos- terous, and it would seem that they could scarcely have proved succesful then, unless the enemy had been taken by surprise. Judge Marshall's inter- esting account* of this assault will be perfectly in- telligible, if it be remembered that the scenes of both tragedies are in the lower town, and the catas- trophes of both in front of the precipice, bordering on the St. Lawrence. Montgomery fell on the ex- * Life of Washington, Vol. ii, p. 332. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 291 treme left, as represented in the vignette — the repulse of Arnold's division was on the extreme right, and none of either party entered the upper town, till Arnold's troops, having, (after they were sur- rounded, and all hope of escape was at an end,) fought for three hours, finally surrendered. Rarely has more personal hravery been displayed, than in this transaction. CASTLE OF ST. LOUIS AND THE LATE DUKE OF RICHMOND. The situation, and dimensions of this building, have been already mentioned, (page 212.) On its scite, and on the contiguous ground, the French had a fortress, called St. Louis ; it covered four acres, and formed nearly a parallelogram. The present castle is a part of the curtain, connecting two of the bastions of the fort, or, at least, it is in the same place, for, I am not certain that it has not been rebuilt, since the destruction of the ancient fortress. This castle had been suffered to go to decay, but, in 1808, seven thousand pounds were voted for its repair and embellishment, and an additional sura at a subsequent period. Sir James Craig first oc- cupied it, after this resuscitation. The entire establishment forms a square, of which the present castle is the front, and the other parts are occupied by public offices, ball rooms, he. and 292 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. there are stables, a guard-house, and a riding room, besides extensive gardens.'^ Without introduction, we went to the castle of St. Louis, and, as strangers, preferred our request to see the interior. The sentinel, and the servants, gave us a ready admission. We were civilly con- ducted through its various apartments. They are numerous, but generally plain ; some are large and handsome, but they are inferior, in elegance, to the rooms in many private houses. The furniture, with some exceptions, is far from being splendid. Some articles are rich, but many are hardly worthy of the distinguished place which they occupy. Among the curiosities of the place, is a famous round table, or rather half of a round table, with a circular place cut in the middle. This, it seems, is occupied by the host, when he drinks wine with his friends, who are arranged around him. That there may be no impediment to conviviality, not even the usual trouble of circulating the bottle, there is an ingenious machine of brass, shaped a little like a sextant, which can, at pleasure, be attached to the table, or removed ; the center embraces a pivot, on which it moves, and the peri- phery of the circle, sustains the bottle ; the ma- chine revolves in the plane of a horizontal circle, in other words, on the circular table ; this is effected merely by touching a spring ; the contrivance is cer- tainly as important as it is original. "^ Boachette. TOUR BETWEEN MAJRTFORD AND QUEBEC. 293 I am not certain, however, to whom the honor of the invention belongs, lor we were assured in the castle, that the furniture descends, not as public, but as private property, and is paid for by each suc- cessive governor. This, (if correctly stated,) does not correspond with the usual munificence and dig- nity of the British government. The duke of Richmond, the late Governor-Gene- ral of the Canadas, is stated not to have been rich ; indeed, in Canada, the remark is made on all hands, that he was poor. Still, we were repeatedly assured, that the duke's plate, which was lately sent back to England, was insured at forty thousand pounds, a snug fortune in itself, for a private man, if not for a nobleman. We were introduced into the duke's private study and library ; the latter was not extensive, although the books were good ; we saw also his bed room and bed, and, in short, all the apartments of the family. We asked for some personal relic of the duke, and they presented to us a thermometrical register, kept by him, during the first seven months of the present year, and the first half of August, ending with the time, (I presume,) when he set forward on the journey, during which he died. The register is said to be in his own hand writing. As it is not of- ten that we obtain a document respecting Canadian temperature, and, as this is interesting, on account of its origin, I will present an abstract of it, in the form of results. 294 TOUll BETWKEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. Average tempera- A. D. ttire at 1819. noon,. Jan. 17° ab. o'jan. 14 Coldest day! Hottest day at noon, i at noon. 6^ bel. OlJan. 23 4lCab.O Feb. 25 3Iarch 25 April 43 May June July Ano^. (first 15 days) 78 5h 66 75 .a jFeb. 24 13 iMarch 6 2 April S 32 May 25 36 June 1 52 July 28 65 The average of the three Aug. 8 72 ' winter, ^ spring, S- summer, \ ab. a (( a a a I Feb 9 42 iMarch 21 37 'April 29 64 72 90 84 May 4 June G jjuly 24 Aug. 7 and 10 86 months C2i ^51 22^ above js <; 55 " (To In January, the thermometer, at noon, on the 5th^ ^th, and 29th, was 4^ below 0. I have thrown away fractions of a degree. The thermometers, with which the observation? were made, still hung in the room. It is well known that the duke died of hydropho- bia ; and, it seems impossible to obtain in Canada, nay, even in Quebec, and in the palace itself, a cor- rect account of the circumstances that attended the calamity. As the subject, being of very recent oc- currence, has been much spoken of in our presence, and in all circles, I trust it will not be indelicate w^ith respect to the friends of the deceased, or to the people recently under his government, if I pro- ceed to repeat some of the statements which we havo heard. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 295 The person who shewed us the castle, and who, as we were informed, belonged to the duke's house- hold, gave us the following account. It seem? •hat the duke had a little dog, to which he was im- moderately attached ; the dog's name was Blucher, and Blucher, we were told, was caressed with such fondness, that he slept with his master, and •as affectionately addressed, by the appellation of • ray dear Blucher." This idolized animal was bitten in the neck oy another dog, afterwards ascertained to be mad — ijie rencounter took place in the coml-yard of the palace, and the duke, in whose presence it occurred, full of compassion for his poor dog, caught him up in his arras, and applied his own hps to the part bitten ; others, as well as this man, have xuformed us, that it was thus the duke imbibed the poison, some say through a cut in his lip, made by his razor, or through an accidental crack. The duke continued to sleep with the dog, which had not then, however, exhibited signs of madness. There are other persons, and, among them, some highly respectable men, attached to the army, v.ho deny the above, and say that the duke was bitten by a rabid fox, on board the steam-boat ; the fox and dog, it is said, were quarrelling, and the duke interfered, to part them. Others assert, that the duke put his hand into the cage, where the fox was confined ; and all who impute the event to the fox, declare that tlie hurt, which was on a finger, was so 296 TOWR BETWEEN HARTFOKD AND Q,UEBEC. extremely slight, as not to be noticed at the time, nor thought of afterwards, till the hydrophobia came on. * At the mansion house in Montreal, where the duke always lodged, when in that, city, we were assured by a respectable person in the house, that the duke certainly got his poison from his own dog ; that this story was told him by the servants of the duke, when they returned with the dead body ; and, what is more, that he saw the letter which the duke wrote to his ow^n daughter, the lady Mary, after his symptoms, had manifested themselves, and when he w^as in immediate expec- tation of death. In this letter, the duke reminded his daughter of the incident which was related to us at the palace. Which ever story is true, it would appear that the duke came by his death in conse- quence of his attachment to his dog, and, surely never was a valuable life more unhappily sacrifi- ced.* The duke was up the country, near the Ottawa river, when the fatal symptoms appeared, but he persevered in his expedition — travelled thirty miles on foot, the day before he died — concealed his com- plaiat, and opposed it as long as possible — wrote * I have never had it in my power lo see (he official arcouiils of the duke's death, as published in England. I am (old they differ in some measure, fiom ilie preceding statements, but I cannot (ell in vvliaf particulars. AH 1 can say, is, thai I give the reports as I beard 'hern TOUK BETWEEN HARTFORD AND q,UEBEC;. 297 his final farewell to the lady Mary, and the other children, in a long letter, which contained particular directions as to the disposition of the family — and met death, we must say, at least, like a soldier, for a soldier he had been the greater part of his life. His complaint manifested itself, in the first in- stance, by an uneasiness at being upon the water, in the tour which he was taking into the interior, and they were obliged to land him. A glass of wine, presented to him, produced his spasms, although it is said, that, by covering his eyes with one hand, and holding the glass with the other, he succeeded in swallowing the wine ; but afterwards, he could bear no hquids, and even the lather used in shaving, distressed him. In the intervals of his spasms, he was wonderfully cool and collected — gave every necessary order to his servants, and to the officers of his suite — oppos- ed the sending for a physician, from Montreal, be- cause, he said, the distance from it to Richmond, where he died, being eighty miles, he should be a dead man, before the physician could arrive, and seemed to contemplate the dreadful fate before him, with the heroism, at least, of a Martyr. In his turns of delirium, instead of barking and raving, as such patients are said usually to do, he employed himself in arranging his imaginary troops, forming a line of battle, (for he had been present at 26 2t9S TOUK between HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. many battles, and, last of all, at Waterloo"^ itself,) and gave particular commands to a Captain in the navy, who was not present, but whom he called by name, to fire — and the command was often, and ve- hemently repeated. In a soliloquy, overheard but a few minutes before his death, he said, " Charles Lenox, duke of Richmond ! — die like a man ! — Shall it be said, that Richmond w^as afraid to meet death — no, never !" I know not what were his grace's views on top- ics, more i)nportant at such a crisis, than what our fellow men will think of us ; but, there was a degree of grandeur, of the heroic kind, in finding a military nobleman, cool and forecasting, in contemplation of one of the most awful of all deaths, and, even in his moments of delirium, like king Lear, raving in a style of sublimity. We w^ere informed, that, even in death, he did not forget Bkicher, but ordered that he should be caged, and the event awaited. The dog was carried away with the family, when they sailed for Eng- land, although he had previously began to snap and fly at people. The duke appears to be remembered with af- fection ; he was regarded as a very warm friend to Canada, and all here, believe that he had its in- terests much at heart, and was actively engaged in promoting them. * I was informed by a British officer, that the duke was not ac- tually in the bloody field, but somewhere in the immediate viciri- ity. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 299 His family, consisting principally of daughters, young and unmarried, with very slender resources, and in a foreign land, received the appaling new's at the castle of St. Louis, and soon the sad tidings were followed by the breathless body. One daughter is married to Sir Peregrine Mait- land. Governor of Upper Canada, and the lady Ma- ry, the eldest of the remaining daughters, is spoken of (although without any intended disparagement to the other children,) in the highest terms. We saw fire screens, prettily inscribed with verses, and orna- mented by her hand ; and the person who attended us, gave each of us a walking stick, cut by the duke's own hand, in his last excursion. There was a large bundle of them done up by strings, and it seems it was the duke's custom, when he saw a stick that pleased him, to stop and cut it. Sir Peregrine Maitland, and his lady and family, lodged in the same house w^ith us, at Montreal, and appeared plain, unassuming people. While there, they received the calls of the principal military and civil officers, and of the most distinguished private in- dividuals 5 among the rest, came the veteran soldier of Wolfe, dressed in his scarlet uniform, and in the fashion of other days. Before leaving the palace, we wrote, by request, our names and residence, a requisition frequently made in similar places in Europe. From the gallery, in front of the castle of St. Louis, we had a most magnificent view of the river, 300 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. and of the siuTOunding country, while the lower tows lay directly at our feet, but was rather a blemish, than a beauty, in the prospect. The castle is, at its foundation, more than two hundred feet higher than the river, and in summer, must be a most charming cool spot, but in winter, a very bleak one. The duchess of Richmond is in Enscland, and has never been in America. GENERAL REMARKS Oi\ QUEBEC. A stranger's residence of a few days, in a foreigL city, is hardly sufficient to give him any thing more than general views. Such views, accurately sketch- ed, are, however useful, although forming but an outline. Quebec, at least for an American city, is certain- ly a very pecuhar place. A military town — containing about twenty thou- sand inhabitants — most compactly and permanently built — stone its sole material — environed, as to its most important parts, by walls and gates — and de- fended by numerous heavy cannon — garrisoned by troops, having the arms, the costume, the music, the discipline of Europe — foreign in language, fea- tures, and origin, from most of those whom they are sent to defend — founded upon a rock, and, in its highest parts, overlooking a great extent )f country — between three and four hundred miles TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 301 from the ocean — In the midst of a great continent — and yet displaying fleets of foreign merchantmen, in its fine capacious bay — and shewing all the bustle of a crowded sea-port — its streets narrow — populous and winding up and down almost mountainous de- clivities — situated in the latitude of the finest parts of Europe — exhibiting in its environs, the beauty of an European capital — and yet, in winter, smarting with the cold of Siberia — governed by a people, of different language and habits, from the mass of the population — opposed in religion, and yet leaving that population without taxes, and in the full enjoy- ment of every privilege, civil and religious ; such are some of the most prominent features, which strike a stranger in the city of Quebec. As to its public buildings, besides the Castle of St. Louis, which has been mentioned, there is the Hotel Dieu, the Convent of the Ursulines, the Mo- nastery of the Jesuits, now used for barracks, the Cathedrals, Cathohc and Protestant, the Scotch Church, the lower town Chnrch, the Court House, the Seminary, the new Goal, and the artillery bar- racks : there arc also a Place D'Armes, a Parade, and an Esplanade."^ The Court House is a modern stone building, one hundred and thirty-six feet by forty-four, witii a handsome and regular front. The Protestant Cathedral is seen in the vignette, l?eing farther to the left than any building that has a ■ Bouolietle 26* 302 TOLR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC* steeple. This is the handsomest modern building in the city ; it is of stone, and is one hundred and thirty-six feet long by seventy-five broad ;* it stands on ground nearly as high as any in the place, and is seen at a great distance. The Catholic Cathedral, seen on the right of the vignette, is built of stone ; it is two hundred and sixteen feet lojag, and one hundred and eight broad. It was the first pubhc building that we entered in Quebec. We found, as usual in such places, priests in attendance, and people at their devotions. The building is full of pictures and images, and has a venerable and ancient appearance. It can contain four thousand people. The Seminary was founded in 1663, for ecclesi- astical instruction only, but is not now confined to that profession, although, according to Colonel Bou- chette, its members must be Catholics. The building is of stone, forming three sides of a square, two hundred and nineteen feet long, and one hundred and twenty broad. The Hotel Dieu was founded in 1637, for the sick poor of both sexes. It includes the convent, hospital, church, court-yard, cemetery, and gar- dens. The principal building is three hundred and eighty-three feet long by fifty broad. This estab- lishment, conducted by nuns, is highly commended for the humanity, comfort, cleanliness, and good ar- rangement which prevail in it. "* All tho cliaieuiiions of the public hrnidings are talccn on the ani.horitv of Colonel Bouchetle TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC, 303 The Ursuline Convent is a square, whose side is one hundred and twelve feet; was founded in 1639 ; is devoted to female education, and is conducted by nuns. The Monastery, or College of the Jesuits, now used for barracks, is three stories high, and forms a parallelogram of two hundred and twenty-four feet by two hundred. It w^as a fine estabhshment in the time of the Jesuits, and judging from some of the apartments which I saw, it contains very com- fortable accommodations for officers and troops. I w^as particularly struck with the new Goal, which is a handsome structure of stone, standing on very elevated ground ; it is one hundred and sixty feet long by sixty-eight broad, and three stories high : the cost was over fifteen thousand pounds. The Bishop's Palace is one hundred and forty- seven feet by one hundred and eighteen, and stands in a very commanding situation, near the grand bat- tery. It is now occupied by the Provincial Parlia- ment, and for various public offices, and an annuity is paid to the Catholic Bishop. It is said to be in a ruinous condition. The artillery barracks were built by the French in 1750. They extend five hundred and twenty- seven feet by forty, and contain accommodations for the artillery troops of the garrison, work-shops, store-houses, &tc. and every variety of small arms for twenty thousand men, which are always kept fit tor immediate use, and are fancifully arranged. 304 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. Quebec is well paved with large stones, firmly fix- ed. Most of its streets are narrow ; the principal ones are thirty-two feet wide, but most of them on- ly from twenty-four to twenty-seven. The houses are of very unequal height, and generally have high sloping roofs, to enable them to sustain the ice and snow. The covering of the roofs with tin, or even with sheet iron, is by no means general ; most of them are still covered with shingles. Many of the modern houses, especially on the highest ground, are very handsome, and in the mod- ern style, and some new ones are in progress. The market place is, in its largest dimensions, two hundred and fifty feet by one hundred and six- ty-five. I saw it on Saturday morning, which is the best time, and never wish to see a market better supplied with meats, fowl, fish, and vegetables, and every thing in very good order. The prices we are told are not high. There are a great many dogs in Quebec, and they are not kept merely for parade : they are made to work, and it is not uncommon in Quebec, to see dogs harnessed to little carts, and drawing meat, merchandise, and even wood, up and down the hills; they pull with all their little might, and seem pleas- ed with their employment. Quebec was founded on the 3d of July, 1608, by Samuel de Cbamplain. Geographer to the Kinjr. TOUR BETWEEN HAE,TFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 305 His commencement was on Cape Diamond, on the scite of an Indian village called Stadacone. In 1629 it was taken by the English, but esteem- ed of so little value, that it was restored in 1632. It was in the hands of private adventurers or tra- ding companies till 1663, when it was made a royal government, and became a regular and important colony. In 1690, Sir William Phipps, with a great arma- ment from Boston, attacked and cannonaded Que- bec, and landed an army, but was repulsed, with 2;reat loss and disgrace. In 1712 the attempt was again made, by an Eng- lish fleet under Sir Hovenden Walker, who was cast away in the St. Lavv/rence, and lost seven of his largest ships and three thousand men, while General Nicholson, who v/as coming with an army by the way of Montreal, was obliged to retreat. In 1720 Charlevoix visited Canada, and it is in- reresting to compare his account of the appearance of Quebec, and of its environs, with its present situa- tion. It will be found that even then, not only the outlines of the place were formed, but that they were filled up to some extent. It then contained about seven thousand souls. He remarks, that it stands on the most navigable riv^er in the universe, and that there is no other city in the known world, a hundred and twenty leagues from the sea, whose harbour is capable of containing one hundred ships of the hne. He observ(.s that, as Paris 306 TOUlR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. was, for a long time, inferior to what Quebec then was, he anticipates the time when the latter will be equal to the former ; when " as far as the eye can reach, (on the St. Lawrence,) nothing w^ill be seen but towns, villas, and pleasure houses" — " when the shores shall discover fine meadows, fruitful hills, and fertile fields" — " when the whole road shall be faced with magnificent quays, and the port surround- ed with superb edifices, and when we shall see three or four hundred ships lying in it loaden with riches." All that Charlevoix anticipated a century ago, is not yet accomplished, but no contemptible part of it is already realized. He speaks of the beauty of the prospect from Cape Diamond, and of the purity of its air, and says, " you sometimes find a sort of diamonds on it finer than those of Alen^on" — " I have seen some of them, (says he,) full as well cut, as if they had come from the hand of the most ex- pert workman," and adds, that they have become very scarce. It is scarcely necessary to say, that he alludes to the crystals of quartz. He speaks of the church as being roofed with slate, and he says that it is the only building in all Canada which has this advantage, all the others being covered with shingles. He mentions the Governor's residence in the fort, and describes the front of it as having a gallery, exactly as the Castle of St. Louis standing in the same place, has now. He mentions the Jes- uit's buildings, the Hotel Dieu, the Intendant's Pal- ace, the Seminary or College, the Bishop's Palace, TOUH BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 30t and various other buildings and institutions, which evince great intelhgence and vigor, in the early French population. He says the tides rise twenty-five feet at the time of the equinox. This corresponds very nearly with the present estimate, which is from twenty-three to twenty-four feet, and seventeen or eighteen for com- mon tides : the greatest depth of water is twenty- eight fathoms, and he states it generally at twenty- five. The great rise of the tides at Quebec, causes at present a necessity for very high quays : when we landed from the steam boat, we ascended on a plank not less than fifty feet long, and laid from the boat to the wharf so as to form a rather steep in- clined plane. Charlevoix commends the society in Quebec ; he says, you find in it "the best company, and nothing is wanting that can possibly contribute to form an agreeable society" — that there are " rich merchants, or such as live as if they were 50," and " assemblies full as brilliant as any where." He states, that " they play at cards, or go abroad on parties of pleasure, in the summer time, in calashes or canoes ; in winter, in sledges upon the snow, or on skaits upon the ice" — that " the Creoles of Can- ada draw in with their native breath an air of free- dom, which makes them very agreeable in the com- merce of life, and no where in the world is the French language spoken in greater purity, there being not the smallest foreign accent in the pronun- ciation. J30S TOUR BETWEEN HAKTFORD AND QUEBEC. He says, that although there are no rich men, every body puts on as good a face as possible ; and that they make good cheer, provided they are able to be at the expense of fine clothes ; if not, in order to be able to appear well dressed, they retrench in the article of the table : that they have fine stature and complexions, a gay and sprightly behaviour, with great sweetness and politeness of manners, and that the least rusticity, either in language or behaviour, is utterly unknown, even in the remotest and most distant parts. It is surprising to see how little change there has been in these respects after the lapse of a century, and after sixty years of subjec- tion to a foreign power. Charlevoix's comparisons between the Canadi- ans and the New-Englanders are amusing : he re- marks, that in New-England and the other British Provinces " there prevails an opulence which they are utterly at a loss to use ; and in New France, a poverty hid by an air of being in easy circumstan- ces, which seems not at all studied." " The Eng- lish planter amasses wealth, and never makes any superfluous expense ; the French inhabitant again enjoys what he has acquired, and often makes a parade of what he is not possessed of." I will finish these citations by one which is in- deed most remarkable, and accounts for the dread- ful scenes of massacre and invasion, which the^ng- iish colonies so often and so long experienced from «he French. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 309 " The English Americans, (says Charlevoix,) are averse to war, because they have a great deal to lose; they take no care to manage the Indians, from a behef that they stand in no need of them. The French youth, for very different reasons, abominate the thoughts of peace, and hve well wnth the na- tives, whose esteem they easily gain in time of war, and their friendship at all times." With respect to the institutions^ of Quebec, most of which were founded by the French, the valua- ble statistical account of Canada, by Colonel Bou- chette, will supply every detail as to the nunneries, the hospitals, the college, the churches, catholic and protestant, the clergy, and every other important particular, which a stranger would desire to learn. This work, w^ith its grand topographical map, is however, I believe, little known in the United States, «nd is rather too expensive for general circulalion.f ^ After being so full in ray notices of scenery and historical events, in tlie vicinity of Quel>ec, n)ore might have been reasona- bly expected respecting its, institutions ; the omission was acci- dental ; for fear that our fine weather would fall us, we postponed these topics till the last, and then left Quebec, several days soonei* than we had expected or wished, wiiich deprived us of the op- portunity of making other observations. t Colonel Bouciiette is highly loyal, and his zeal (commenda- ble, without doubt, in the main) perhaps imparts a degree of as- perity, to some of his notices of the events of the late warfare, on the Canadian frontiers, and of the policy of the American government. These things however do not seriously impair the value of his great and laborious work, for which he deserves high commendation, 27 Besides ihe peouiiar, or at icast remarkabie fea- uires, which have been sketched, Quebec is certain- ly a very respectable city, and one of those places on tile American continent, most worthy of the curi- osity of an intelliiient stranger. Indeed, to have- seen Quebec and Montreal, and the intervening and surrounding country, is, in some degree, a substi- tute for a visit to Europe. The latitude of Quebec is 46^'' 48 39' n. THE KJVER e^T LAWRENCE. .MontrcaL October 12. — The mighty outlet of ihe most magnificent collection of inland waters in the world, tlie North American lakes — individually, like seas — coUectively, covering the area of an em- pire ; already enlivened bv the sails of commerce, and recently awed by the thunder of contending nav*ies ; bordered by thriving villages and settle- ments, and hereafter to be surrounded by populous Towns and cities, and countries : associated as tliis river is with such realities, and with such anticipa- tions, it is impossible to approach tlie St. Lawrence, with ordinary feelings, or to view it as merely a river of primary magnitude. Already, the two great cities of Canada iire erec- ted on its borders ; Europe sends her fleets to Que- bec, and even to Montreal ; nearly two hundred miles of intervening water, are now daily passed be- tween tlie cities, by steam boats, some of which are as large in tonnage as Indiamen, or sloops of war. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^^UEBEC. 3U [t is now, no very difficult task, to be wafted on ilie St. Lawrence from Lake Ontario to the Ocean, a distance of nearly seven hundred miles, or from Niagara, which difters little from one thousand, and tlie entire range from Lake Superior, is two thou- sand. In that part of the St. Lawrence, which, within a week, we have now twice passed, there arc fewer observations to be made than on many routes much less extensive, and on many rivers of much infe- rior magnitude. This arises from the great e^amc- ness, which prevails along the banks. They ap- pear to be very generally alluvial ; extensively they are so low that they seem, in many places, hardly to form an adequate barrii^r against the occasional swelling and overflow of the great river, which they limit ; indeed, it is difficult always to convince ones 9e\i\ that they are not, here and there, actually lower than the river ; of rocks, till we come within a few miles of Quebec, there are hardly any to be seen, and yet it is obvious that there are rocks in the vicin- ity, because the houses are often constructed of stone ; for many miles from Montreal, on the way to Quebec, the banks are little else than damp meadows, resembling Holland extremely ; some- times the shores recede in natural terraces, and re- tiring platforms, placed, one above another, till the last visible one forms a high ridge ; at other times, precipitous banks, cut down as it were by art, exhibit strata of £;ravel and clav and sand — forminc; distinct 312 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QCEBEC. and often variously coloured horizontal layers ; the forests are usually removed from the immediate margin of the river, and the verdure is in most places rich and lively. The average width of the river, between Montreal and Quebec, appears to be about two miles ; but it is extremely irregular ; sometimes it does not ex- ceed half a mile, or three fourths of a mile, but this is true only near Quebec and at a few other places ; at other times, it becomes two, three, or more miles wide. I have already mentioned, that in the Lake of St. Peter, as it is called, a few mile^; above the town of Three Rivers, an expansion of the river takes place, so that for more than twenty* miles, its breadth is nine or ten miles. The current is considerable — probably three miles an hour, generally, but in some places it ha? apparently, double that force, and the river, instead of flowing, as it commonly does, with an unruffled surface, becomes perturbed, and hurries along with murmurs and eddies, and in a few places, with foam and breakers. This is particularly the case at the Richelieu rapids, fifty miles above Quebec, where the river is compressed within half a mile, and the navigable part within much less ; numerous rocks, which ap- pear to be principally large rolled masses, form, when the water is low, as it was w^hen we passed, a * Colonel Bouchette states the length at twenty -five miles, but he iBcludes that portion which is full of islands TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 313 terrific reef, and when the river is up, a dangerous concealed enemy. Through these rapids, (as was mentioned on the passage down,) the steam boats dare not go in the night, and the instance in which it is said to have been done, was to carry to Quebec, the news of the Duke of Richmond's death. The speed of the steam boat had, however, been sur- passed by that of the land messenger, who had al- ready arrived with the gloomy news. At the lower end of the town of Montreal, the stream, compress- ed by the island of St. Helena, is so impetuous, that the steam boats, which everv where else can stem the current, are here obliged to anchor, and procure the aid of oxen ; four yoke w^ere employ- ed, whh a drag rope, to draw^ the Malsham — the boat in which we came up to Montreal, through this pass ; it is howev^er, not half a mile, that the river is so rapid, for after passing this place, steam carries the boats on again to their moorings, at the upper end of the town. It requires a very strong wind to carry vessels with sails against this current. I saw some vessels here which enjoyed this advantage, and for one hour, I could not per- ceive that they made any head way. The population on the river is very considerable, nearly all the way between the two cities, so that on both sides, houses or villages are almost con- stantly in view. There are, however, but two towns of any magnitude, both of which have been mentioned — Sorel, at the moulh of the river of the 27* 314 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFOKD AND QUEBEC, same name, and which connects Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence, forty-five miles below Mon- treal, andthe Trois Rivieres or Three Rivers,* half way between Quebec and Montreal. This large town derives its whimsical name, from the fact that the river St. Maurice, which empties here, is divi- ded at its mouth, by little islands, into three parts, so that there seem to be three rivers instead of one. Most of the houses on both banks of the St. Lawrence, as well as in the vicinity of Quebec, are white, roof and all ; the roofs of houses in Canada, being, frequently protected from fire, as well as beau- tified, by a white wash of salt and lime or of lime only, which is renewed every year. There are many villages on the river, some aie large and populous, and most of them are furnished with pretty, and a few with grand churches ; they have from one spire to three, and having generally a brilliant covering of tin, both on the roofs and spires, they blaze in the sun, and even at the dis- tance of miles, dazzle the eyes of the beholder. Some other public buildings, and the best private houses on the banks, are occasionally covered in the same manner. Most of the cottages are only one story high, and are small ; but, large and good iiouses, appearing like the residences of the seigneurs and other country gcndemen, are hardly ever out of sight. The banks of the St. Lawrence, thus verdant and beautiful from cultivation, and decked every where with brilliant white houses, and pretty • The tide cea.?es near (bis place. TOLtt BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC, 31 i villages, impress a traveller very pleasantly; although he finds but little variety In the views. 1 have omitted to mention, that from the rapids of Rlclie- llcu, going down the river, the banks almost imme- diately become considerably more elevated. STEAM BOATS. Although there are roads, said to be good, on both sides of the St. Lawrence, it was, till within five or six years, a considerably arduous undertaking, to travel, back and forward, between the two cities of Canada. By land, in the slow Canadian Calash, it was tedious, and although down the river from Montreal to Quebec, it was obviously no difficult thing to go with the current — to return by water, was always difficult. With head winds it was, of course, impossible to ascend, nor, with strong head winds could they always descend, even with the aid of the stream. Quebec and Montreal, were therefore a great way apart, as regarded facility of intercourse 5 now they are, in this respect very near, and it is possible to visit either city from the other, quite comfortably and at ease — to transact business and return, within the period of four days, although the distance is one hundred and eighty miles. This wonderful facility 1ms been imparted by steam boats, of which no fewer than seven, now ply between Montreal and Quebec — they are named, Malsham, Swiftsure, 316 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. Lady Sherbrook, Quebec, Telegraph, Car of Com- merce and Caledonia. The burden of the Malsham is over six hundred tons, and that of the Lady Sherbrook, was stated to us, at about eight hundred ; these are the largest, and most of the others are considerably smaller. They are built with deep holds for freight, which appears to be much more an object with them than passengers. Going down in the Swift- sure, of between three and four hundred tons, we had but about a dozen cabin passengers, and re- turning in the Malsham we had but four. The ac- commodations are good, and the provision for the table ample — for dinner it is luxurious — there is a lunch at noon, for dinner is at four o'clock, and tea at eight ; breakfast also at eight o'clock. The Captains of the boats partake in all the good things ; some of them at least, are convivial with their guests, and sit long to drink wine, which is the common practice in Canada. Some of them appear to be in danger from reple- tion ; they have but little bodily exercise, and swimming as they do in a sea of luxury, it is not extraordinary that they exhibit the physical effects of good living ; they are, however, very obliging and courteous to their passengers, who are made perfectly comfortable, on board of their boats. The machinery is situated deep in the hold, and appears but little above deck ; this circumstance, with the depth of the hull, and the burden of freight TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 317 which the boats carry, causes them to move much more steadily than ours do. On board the Malsham we could scarcely per- ceive the jar of the machinery ; there being no ladles on board, Mr. W and myself were per- jnitted to appropriate the after cabin, a very pretty room, where with a comfortable fire, we enjoyed oven domestic retirement, and were allowed to oc- cupy our time as we pleased. We were told, ^hat the Lady Sherbrook was the , finest boat in the line, but we were not on board of I her. ' The fuel for the boats costs about two dollars and I fifty cents the cord, and they stop twice, once at I Sorel, arid oac© at the Three Rivers, to take it in. The passage costs ten dollars down to Quebec, 1 and twelve returning ; we were on board two nights, and one day, in going down, and two days and three I nights in returning ; but a part of two of the nights, I in the last, and of one of them in the first, was spent in the dock. Steam boat business has been very profitable on this river, but is now said to be otherwise, owing principally to its being overdone. DANGERS OF STEAM BOATS. The catastrophes produced by the explosion of the boilers of steam boats, having now become rare, the attention of the public, in consequence of 318 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. several unhappy occurrences, and especially of the late dreadful one, on lake Champlain, has been di- rected to the dangers of fire. The active volcano which the steam boat necessarily carries in her bowels, seems sufficiently appalling, and few per- sons, when first beginning to travel in this way, can lie down to sleep, without deeply pondering, that a furious imprisoned enemy, is raging within the com- hustible vehicle, that bears them along, and that both fire and water, usually foes, but here leagued in unnatural alliance, may conspire for their de- struction. Rarely, however, does it appear to have occurred to the traveller, that the most serious dan- ger (as the thing is actually managed,) arises from just that neslij^ence, and presumption, and apathy, which destroy so many buildings, so much proper- ty, and so many lives on shore. I am sorry to say, that in the boats on these northern waters, there is not that degree of care and anxious vigilance which the case certainly demands, where so much property and so many lives are at stake. The Phoenix, as I have before observed, was, without doubt, destroyed by a candle ; still candles are negligently left on board of most of the boats in the northern waters ; fires and candles are not adequately watched on the St. Lawrence, and we have seen in one of the Canadian boats, a fire made in an open stove, standing without a chimney, on the naked deck, while the coals were every mo- ment blowing against pine spars, and falling on the TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 319 deck, which was made of dry pine and covered with pitch. We were also exposed to danger from a very unexpected INCIDENT. s On our passage up the river, in a northeasterly storm, just as we were entering the Richelieu rap- ids, where we needed all our power to stem the current, and any disaster would be pecuharly em- barrassing, we were pressing on, not only with pow- erful steam, but with a strong and fair wind, which strained every thread of our large square sail, the only one which we carried. Our mast, apparently about fifty feet high, and of proportionate diameter, was, it seems, only feebly braced from the bow, al- though perhaps sufficiently in the other direction. The Captain, having been up the preceding night., was asleep below : I was on deck, and observed that our mast, with its feeble shrouds, was strained to the utmost, and felt some anxiety lest it should fail. Gomg below, I was scarcely seated, before a crash and an outcry brought me again on deck. The wind, it appears, suddenly flirted around, and a violent squall from an angry cloud, instantly threw the sail all aback upon the mast ; there being no adequate stays or braces to sustain the solitary pine, it snapped, like a pipe's tail ; the two chimnies were a few yards behind ; the heavy spar which sup- ported the sail at top, falling violently across one of 320 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND lil/EBKl . the chimnies, was broken quite in two ; the mast, also, in its fall, broke the horizontal iron rods, which crossed each other and were fastened to some high frame work, to sustain the chimnies ; the sail fell over the months of both chimnies, and shut them up com- pletely, and from the top of one of them, sus- tained by the cords which fastened them to the sail, hung the two broken pieces of the yard, probably forty feet in length. The Captain could not be immediately found : the Canadian seamen wdio managed the boat, vocif- erated most furiously in French, but seemed utterly confounded, and without resource, and some feeble attempts which they made to disengage the sail from the chimnies, only pulled it more entirely over them. In the mean time, the wind, which continu- ed to blow violently, jerked the sail and its broken spars with so much force, that there was much dan- ger that the chimnies would go by the board ; in which case, our furnaces, being in full action below, would throw out their flame immediately upon the deck, and upon the tierces of gin, by which it was covered, even close to the chimnies. There ap- peared to be nearly one hundred of these tierces, and the explosion of any one of them, w^hich would probably occur if struck by the fire, would involve us in sheets of flame ; and should we even succeed in extinguishing the fire, our boat, without either steam or sail, would be completely unmanageable, and be Hable to be wrecked at the foot of the rapids. YOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. 321 In this moment of anxiety, (while a poor Scotcli emigrant, whose all was on board, was weeping and wringing his hands, and exclaiming that we should all be lost,) the Captain arrived on deck. The wind worried the sail across the top of one of the chimnies, w^hich was cut into points like a picket fence, so that the canvass was soon completely perforated, and the chinmey stood up through it, like a head in a pillory. The other chimney was so battered by the fall of the yard, that it could not pierce the sail, especially as it was guarded at that part by a strong rope, and every effort to dis- engage it failed. It was easy to foresee what must follow : the sail, which being wet with rain, for some time resisted the heat, now became so dried, that it took fire and blazed. The Captain sent up one of the sailors to cut it away, and the man, with sufficient hardihood, crawled up and worked where it was on fire all around him. At length, by burn- ing, it fell from the chimney, and we were extrica- ted from our unpleasant situation. If, however, the sail, the fuel on deck, and every part of the boat had been dry, and especially, had the accident oc- curred in the nighl, the consequences might have been very pain^l. But there was an eye superior to human vigilance, which watched over our safety. Immediately after this accident, we had a good })roof of the manner in v/nich science and art can sometimes triumph over the obstacles of nature. We entered the rapids of Richelieu, not only with 28 322 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. an opposing current of great strength, but with a stroflg head wind ; but still, by the force of steam alone, we fought our way through, and indeed the same wind continued through the remainder of our passage. A NIGHT SCENE ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. The long tvviliglit of this climate, which, (as ob- served at Montreal,) in a degree compensates for the shortness of the days, w^as exhausted ; the cot- tages and villages on shore cast their evening hght on the river ; the waning moon, reduced to less than half her full size, had just ris(m over our stern, and cast a feeble radiance on the flood and the shores ; the stars, unobscured by a single cloud, were bright as gems in the azure vault ; the galaxy was dehcately traced athwart the sky — all was still- ness, except the dashing of the water wheels, the cry of the steersman, and the occasional song of the Canadian boatmen ; when the aurora borealis ap- peared, under circumstances which I never before witnessed. Not only was there a delicate glow in the lower part of the northern portion of th^sky, similar to that seen through a transparency, but there were shoots of light darting upward like very feeble flames, now elongating, now receding, and chang- ing their places. After being a little while below, I w^as delighted, on returning, to see a zone of light passing through TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 323 the zenith, extending across the entire heavens, in- tersecting the milky way very obliquely, greatly surpassing it in brightness, and forming a beautiful glowing belt. At this moment, our two chimnies emitted vol- umes of smoke, succeeded by flame, and a long stream of brilliant sparks, carried far astern by the wind, illuminated the deck and the water. The Lady Sherbrooke going down the river, glowing with lamps, and streaming with fire, now moved majestically by us, and seemed a floating and illuminated castle. Loud vociferations of nau- tical French, from both boats, were soon lost in the rapidly increasing distance ; while the lovely belt in the heavens, beginning to break, and hanging here and there in pale patches of light, finally vanished, and resigned the sky to the moon and the stars. JVote. — July 31st, 1S20. The papers 'nave just informed us el the death of the celebrated Botanist, Frederick Pursh. IJe died at Montreal on tlie 11th inst. after a lingering illness. When the efforts and purposes of a man who has, by useful or splendid labours, attracted the attention of the world, are cut off by death, and his mortal toil is over, the mind dwells with an in- creased, interest on circumstances, which might not otherwise have attracted our attention. This is my apology for the follow- ing note. At the town of Sorel, when we were returning to Montreal in the steam boat, Mr. Pursh came on board, and was with us the remainder of the passage. His scientific labours are well known, and the public have pronounced their decided approbation of his beautiful work, the American Flora, published in London in 524 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. MONTREAL. St, Johns, Oct. 14th, 1S19. — On leaving the city, this morning, we passed again to Longueil, but not in so frail a bark, as before. We were conveyed in a horse boat, worked by ten horses, and which, when we entered, had just discharged sixteen carts and calashes, besides people and cattle, other than iS14. Mr. Pursh expressed himself very warraly, on the subject of the liberal aid which he received in Europe from scientific men, in the use of their libraries and their herbariums, and in the tendev of their private advice and information ; he men- tioned, particularly, his obligations to Sir Joseph Banks and PRESIDENT Smith. He informed me, that he contemplated an- other tour to Europe, for the purpose of publishing his Flora of Canada, upon which he had been already several years occupied, and expected to be still occupied for several years more. These researches led him much among the savage nations of the north west, and around the great lakes. He went first among them in company with the exploring and trading parties of the North West Com|)any, but tearing to be involved in the consequences of their quarrels, he abandoned their protection, and threw him- self, alone and unprotected, upon the generosity of the aborigines. He pursued his toilsome researches, month after month, travel- ling on foot, relying often on the Indians for support, and, of course, experiencing frequently the hunger, exposure, and perils of savage life. But such was the enthusiasm of his mind, and his complete devotion to the ru/i?2gjja.s5ion, that bethought little of marciiing, day after day, often with a pack weighing sixty pounds on his shoulders, throngli forests and swamps, and over rocks and mountains, provided he could discover anew plant ; great numbers of such he assured me he had found, and that he intended to pub- lish the drawings and descriptions o^them in his Canadian Flora. From the Indians, he said, he experienced nothing but kindness, and hp often derived from thera important assistance • he thought TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEB E€. 325 those belonging to these vehicles. We crossed lower down, and in deeper water, than we had pass- ed in the canoe. The view of the town, when we were receding, as well as when we were advancing, was very fine. It stretches about two miles along the St. Lawrence, and it scarcely equals half a mile in breadth. The bank of the river is considerably el- evated, and the ground, although not very uneven, rises gradually from the water, into a moderate ridge — then sinks into a hollow, and then rises again, that had they been treated with uniform justice and humanity by the whites, they would have always returned the same treatment. He said he ranch preferred their protection to that of the wan- dering whites, who, unrestrained by almost any human law, prowl through those immense forests in quest of furs and game. Possibly (without, however, intending any thing disrespectful by the remark,) some mutual sympathies might have been excited, by the fact that Mr. Pursh was himself a Tartar, born and edu- cated in Siberia, near Toboltski ; and, indeed, he possessed a physiognomy and manner different from that of Europeans, and jiighly characteristic of his country. His conversation was full of fire, point, and energy ; and, al- though not polished, he was good humoured, frank, and generous. He complained that he could not endure the habits of civilized life, and that his health began to be impaired as soon as he be- came quiet, and was comfortably fed and lodged. He said he must soon " be off again" into the wilderness. His health was then declining, and unfortunately it was but too apparent, that somt ot the measures to which he resorted to sustain il, must eventu- ally prostrate his remaining vigor. It is to be hoped that his unfinished labours will not be lost, and that although incomplete, they may be published ; since, if sufficiently matured, they must add to the stock of knowledge. 28* 326 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBSTt with more rapidity, till it finishes, less than a mile and a half from the town, in one of the finest hills that can be imagined. This hill is called the moun- tain^ of Montreal, and indeed, from it the town de- rives its name; the words originally signified, as is said, the Royal Mountain. This mountain rises five hundred and fifty feet above the level of the river* It forms a steep and verdant barrier, covered with shrubbery, and crowned with trees, and is a most beautiful back ground for the city* Its form, as it appears from the river, is nearly that of a bow. We rode up, across the souths* end of it, behind the beautiful seat of the Hon. Mr. McGillivray. I afterv;ards ascended it on foot, in company with an English gentleman, and walked the length of its ridge. The view is one of the fin- est that can be seen in any country. Immediately at our feet, the city of Montreal is in full view, with its dazzhng tin covered roofs, and spires, and its crowded streets ; the noble St. Lawrence, stretch- ing away to the right and left, is visible, probably for fifty miles, and, on both sides of it, and for a very great w^idth, particulary on the south, one of the most luxuriant champaign countries in the world, is spread before the observer. Tlie mountains of Belseil, Chambly, and a few others, occur upon this " There are several springs near the lop of this mountain, and fi'omthenri the town is supplied with ^fater, by the usual means o*^ '^ubtprrsncan pipes TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 32*7 vast plain, but, in general, it is not interrupted, till it reaches the territories of the United States, in which we discern the mountains of Vermont and New-York. In our rear, we saw the Ottawa or Grand River, and its branches, which, uniting, and becoming blended with the St. Lawrence, divide the island of Montreal from the main. Nothing is w^anting, to render the mountain of Montreal a charming place for pedestrian excur- sions, and for rural parties, but a little effort, and expense in cutting and clearing winding walks, and ^^h removing a few trees from the principal points of view, (as they now form a very great obstruction ;) a lodge, or resting place, on the mountain, construct- ed so as to be ornamental, would also be a desirable addition. On the front dechvity of the mountain, is a beau- tiful cylinder of lime stone, or grey marble, erected on a pedestal ; the entire height of both appeared to be about thirty-five feet. It rises from among the trees, by which it is surrounded, and is a monu- ment to the memory of Simon McTavish, Esq. who died about fourteen years since, and was, in a sense, the founder of the North Western Compa- ny. Just below, i& a handsome mausoleum, of the same materials, containing his remains; and, still lower down the mountain, an unfinished edifice af atone, erected by the same gentleman, which, had he lived to complete it, would have been one of the 328 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEC, finest in the vicinity of Montreal. It is now fast becoming a ruin, although it is enclosed and roofed in, and the windows are built up with masonry. It would have been a superb house, if finished according to the original plan. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. The mineralogy and geology of this mountain, and of the island, I could wish to see thoroughly in- vestigated, as they appear to be interesting; the few facts which I had it in my power to observe, were as follow^s : The plain at the foot of the mountain, particularly at the race course, is compact, black lime stone, fetid, and containing organized remains ; its stratification is regular, and its position flat; it forms one of the most common building stones in Montreal. This rock seems to prevail half way up the mounta'in, and is followed, by what appeared to me, a hard, probably a sihceous slate, intersected by veins of trap. Higher up still, and on the north-east- ern end particularly, is a rock, inclined at an angle of 45°, which seemed to be a decomposed lime stone, of a light grey colour, and friable texture, at least where it was exposed to the weather. The very summit of the mountain, is a horn- blende rock, highly crystalline in its structure, and containing distinct crystals of both hornblende and augite. It is a striking example of the parasytical character of the hornblende and trap rocks, follow- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 329 ing no regular order of succession, but occasionally forming caps and ridges, on all sorts of rocks and mountains. There is found also on the island, within a short distance of the town, a lime stone, of a smoke grey, highly crystalline in its structure, nearly, or quite as much so as the decidedly primitive marbles ; when broken, it presents numerous and brilliant crystalline plates, and this is, in fact, almost exclusively its structure. Still, it contains numerous shells, and other or- ganized remains, of which the impressions and forms are very distinct. Shells, and organized re- mains, in a highly crystallized lime stone ! Is it transition lime stone, just on the verge of becoming primitive ? I had no time to visit the place whence it comes, but, in the piles of stone, about to be used in building, in the town, I observed this crystallized lime stone (and that in vast blocks, shewing the stratification, and evincing that it was not accidental) actually united into one piece, with the black com- pact kind, like the hone slates, of different colours, which are often exposed for sale. In other pieces, I saw fragments of the black compact kind, mixed ivith the crystallized ; and some large blocks of the latter were terminated by a black uneven surface, probably shewing the line of connexion witl^- the black kind.* * I thence infer, that they occur together, in immediate connex- ion, and probably the black compact kind will be found to Ke up ^Ti the other. 330 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. I have not seen enough of the vicinity of Mont- real, to venture to pronounce, confidently, concerning its geological classification ; it would appear, how- ever, that it is partly a transition, but principally a secondary region. I saw no proof that any part of it is primitive, and cannot hut wonder at the opin- ion entertained, as I am told, by many persons in Montreal, that the grey crystallized lime stone is granite. I saw no granite on the island. MODE OF BUILDING IN MONTREAL. Montreal has much the appearance of an Euro- pean town, particularly of a continental one. The streets are narrow, except some of the new ones ; the principal ones, are those parallel to the river, of which those of St. Paul, which is a bustling street of business, near the river, and Notre Dame street, on higher ground, and more quiet, more genteel, and better built, are the principal ; the latter street is thirty feet wide, and three fourths of a mile long. A few of those which intersect the above streets at right angles, are also considerable. The town has a crowded active population, and many strangers, and persons from the country, augment the activity in its streets. But the circumstance which assimilates it most to a continental European town, is its being built of stone. People from the United States, are apt to consider Montreal as gloomy, and, I presume it TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 331 arises from the fact, of its being built of stone, and principally in an antique fashion. The former is, however, in reality, a strong ground of preference over our cities, built of wood and brick. Stone is the best material of which houses can be construct- ed ; if properly built, they are not damp in the least ; they exclude both heat and cold, better than any other houses ; they will not burn,* except in part, and scarcely need repair, and they are easily made very handsome. Indeed, no other material possesses sufficient dignity for expensive public ed- ifices ; and we were sorry to see even a few private houses, in the suburbs of Montreal, built of brick, in the Anglo-American style. I was, I confess, much gratified at entering, for the first time, an American city, built of stone. The inhabitants of Montreal possess a very fine building stone in the grey lime stone already mentioned ; it is as handsome, when properly dressed, as the cel- ebrated Portland stone of England, and it is much superior to it in durability. A number of the mod- ern houses of Montreal, and of its environs, which are constructed of this stone, handsomely hewn, are very beautiful, and would be ornaments to the city of London, or to Westminster itself. Many of the houses are constructed of rough stone, coarsely pointed, or daubed with mortar, and have certainly an unsightly appearance ; others, * An advantage, which they obviously possess in common with brick. 332 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (iUEBEC. here, as well as at Quebec, and elsewhere in Cana- da, are covered with a rough cement, and look rude- ly ; it is perfectly easy to make both these kinds of houses handsome, as well as durable, as is seen in particular instances in Canada. Many of the houses, and stores, and ware-houses, In Montreal, have iron plate doors, and window shutters, fortified by iron frames ; this is obviously a precaution against fire, as well as robbery, and the tin coverings on the roofs of the buildings, are in- tended as a protection against the former. The tin is put on in an oblique direction to the cornice and ridge ; the nails are covered from view, and from the weather, by doubhng the tin over the heads of the nails, and the different rows of tin sheets are made to lap in the manner of shingles. It is by no means an easy thing, to put on a tin roof, so as to be made handsome and durable. Montreal is certainly a fine town of its kind, and it were much to be wished that the people of the United States would imitate the Canadians, by con- structing their houses, wherever practicable, of stone. ENVIRONS. The environs of Montreal are beautiful, but, al- though considerably cultivated and improved, they are far from being brought to the state of which they are capable. I TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 333 A number of handsome villas now make then- appearance around the town, and there are numer- ous scites, still unoccupied, which will probably be hereafter crowned with elegant seats. Few places in the world, possess more capabilities of this kind than Quebec and Montreal ; if the latter is less bold than the former, in its scenery, it possess- es much richness, and delicate beauty, which need nothing but wealth and taste to display them to advan- tage ; the former already exists in Montreal to a great extent, and there are also very respectable proofs of the existence and growth of the latter. RACE COURSE AND RACING. Near the city of Montreal, there is a race course, a circuit of about two miles. It happened that we were at this place at the time of the races, and in a ride around the environs, we came across the ground, at the time when the horses were about starting. The subject seemed to excite a good deal j of interest in the community. In the steam boat on lake Champlain, Canadians, anticipating the sports I of the ensuing week, were much occupied in discus- sing the merits of the different horses, and in pre- dicting the results. The same topic was the ruling one at the pub- lic houses, and, upon the turf, where we found I both the gentry and the common people of Montre- al. The latter were on foot, and the former were 29 334 TOLll BKTWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. either on horseback, or with elegant equipages, of which this city affords a few. Their number ap- pears not to be proportioned to the weakh of the place, for the obvious reason, that from the nature of the country, water conveyance, is principally used in travelling. Ladies were present in consid- erable numbers, and all were intent, while the judg- es mounted the stage — the horses were led forth, and the riders, in leather breeches, silk party colour- ed jackets, and jockey caps, mounted, and darted away at the appointed signal. Three times they coursed around the appointed circle, and twice, at least, must a horse come out ahead of his competitors before the prize is won. It was, in the present instance, obtained by a iiorse, famous, it seems, on this ground, for distan- cing all his compeers. His name is Democrat, and thus it has grown into a proverb that Democrat heats every thing in Canada, At Quebec there is also a race course, and races were held the day that we arrived. The course is on the venerable plains of Abraham, where we saw the ground, exhibiting marks of having been re- cently trod. How different a strife from that be- tween contending armies ! AVho would not wish to preserve these classical plains from such a de- gradation ! yi 'm TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 3.S5 IMPORTANCE OF MONTREAL. The point which connects the ocean, and of course Europe, and the rest of the world, with the countries bordering on the vast lakes of this conti- nent, and upon the various rivers which empty into them, cannot be otherwise than important. This is precisely the situation of Montreal and its loca- tion certainly evinces great good judgment on tht^ part of Jaques Cartier, who in 1635 or 36, first sailed thus far upon the St. Lawrence, and fixed upon this place as the scite for a town. It was then occupied by an Indian village. The city was be- i^un in 1640, by a few houses, compactly built, and was originally called Ville Marie. There seems, however, to have been one error in locating the fu- ture city. It was meant to be at the head of navi- \ t^ation ; it is literally so; and ships* can go up to vhe very city, although it is not usual to do it with vessels of more than an hundred and fifty tons. Vess(?ls drawing fifteen feet of water, can lie at Market gate, high up in the city ; the general depth of water in the harbour is from three to four and a half fathoms. Unfortunately, however, the rapid of St. Mary, at the extreme end of the town, or rather, near one of its suburbs, is so powerful an ob- stacle, that nothing but a very strong wind will force a vessel through, when not impelled by any other power. ' It is said even of six liundred tons. 336 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. Ships are sometimes detained here for weeks, only two miles below where they are to deliver their freight ; a canal is contemplated, to enable river craft to convey freight around the rapid. This is the rapid where the steam boats are obliged to anchor and procure the aid of oxen. It would appear that the town should have been built at this place, or a little below, and then the incon- venience would have been avoided. But as the buildings do now, in fact, extend to this place, it would be easy to establish a port here, and it will doubtless be done in time ; it would, however, great- ly forward the object, if a few spirited individuals would begin, by erecting stores and wharves, and it w^ould be easy to have the steam boats stop there ; easy I mean, as to every thing but the rival local interests which are usually in such cases arrayed against projected improvements. There are few cities in the world, especially of the magnitude and importance of Montreal, which, situated more than five hundred and eighty miles from the ocean, can still enjoy the benefit of a direct ship communica- tion with it. Montreal is evidently one of the three great channels by which the trade of North America will be principally carried on. It is obvious that New-York and New-Orleans, are the other two places, and it is of little consequence that other cities rnay engross a considerable share of trade, or »OUR BETWEEN HARTFORB AND Q,UEBEC. 337 that by canals and other internal improvements, smaller rills of commerce may be made to flow to- wards one city or another. The great natural ba- sins, and water courses and mountain ranges of this continent, will still control the course of trade, and direct its most gigantic currents, towards these three towns, one of which is already a great and noble city, and the two others are advancing with great rapidity. The sickly climate of New-Orleans, will somewhat retard its growth, but will not prevent it ; Montreal enjoys a climate extremely favourable to health, but it is locked up by ice four or five months in the year. The carriole however tri- umphs over the ice, and the Canadian, when he can no longer push or paddle his canoe, on the wa- ters of the St. Lawrence, gaily careers over its frost- bound surface, and well wrapped in woollen and in furs, defies the severity of winter. In 1815, Colonel Bouchette stated the popula- tion of Montreal at fifteen thousand ; no one now rates it, including the suburbs, at less than twenty thousand, and one intelligent inhabitant gave it as his opinion, that the population must, at present, equal twenty five thousand ; perhaps the middle number is nearest to the truth. Montreal has many good, respectable institutions, most of which are, however, French establish- ments, dating their origin under the French domin- ion, now sixty years extinct in this country. I must refer for an account of them as well as of those at 29^ 338 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC* Quebec to Colonel Bouchette's work which ougiit to be perused by every person who would obtain a competent knowledge of the Canadas. I shall presently quote from him the dimensions and ex- tent of some of the most important pubhc institu- tions of Montreal. The colleges or seminaries of Quebec and of Montreal, are considered as v^ry useful institutions, and the French is the colloquial tongue in both. A gentleman of New- York, who came on with us in the steam boat down Lake Champlain, brought three boys with liim — two of them his own chil- dren, and placed them at the seminary in Montreal. This institution is said to contain two or three hun- dred members ; both here and at Quebec, they are distinguished by a peculiar costume — a blue sur- tout, tlie seams of which are all ornamented with a white cord, and they are confined around the body> both summer and winter, by a large sash or belt, doubled around the bowels, and tied in a knot, it is of woollen and of many colours, and gives them -something of a milhary air. In winter, this appen- dage must be useful, but in summer, (and the Ca- rip.dian heat is very intense) it must be oppressive .if not injurious. Among the youths whom we saw in the streets, in the academic uniform, were some who were almost men, and others who appeared to have hardly escaped from the nursery. The mor- als of the boys are said to be very carefully watch- od, and the expences to be very moderate — two TOUR BETVVEEiV HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 339 points in which they are certainly very worthy of imitation. I did not go into the college buildings, but their exterior, which I saw, is rude, and the building is ancient. They have a fine garden and "buildings without the city, besides those that are within. The nunneries both here and at Quebec, are maintained in all their pristine dignity. We wer& too much occupied at Quebec, to see the nunneries even in the limited manner in which they are shewn, and at Montreal they are open, in a restricted sense, on Thursday only ; this happened, unfortunately, to be the only day in the week which we did not spend there. I went, however, into the Court yard of one of the principal nunneries, and saw one of the aged sisters with her veil lifted up ; she was busily occupied in feeding chickens. In the institutions called Hotel Dieu, both at Quebec and at Montreal, and in other hospitals, the nuns attend on sick and distressed persons, without Tegard to any distinctions, whether of religion or oth- erwise ; and their humanity, disinterestedness, and skilful kindness are spoken of in the highest terms of approbation. An opulent and highly respectable citi- zen, of Montreal, formerly from Massachusetts, said to us, " I shall always think highly of the nuns, and feel very grateful to them ; for when I first came to Montreal, poor and friendless, and became sick, I committed myself to the care of the nuns in one of the hospitals, and there I received, for months, 340 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. all the kindness of mothers and of sisters, till I was restored to health." Perhaps we ought not to censure with too much severity, the establishment of, here and there, an institution, where the unhappy, the bereaved and even the deserted and betrayed, especially when they are pe^^sons distinguished by meritorious pe- culiarities of character or situation, may find at least a temporary shelter from the gaze of an unfeeling world ; but it certainly is wrong, to make the de- sertion of the most interesting and important social relations a religious duty. It is however, a pleasing alleviation to find that any such persons make some amends to society for their derehction of its common duties and interests, by the gratuitous performance of difficult and painful offices of humanity. Montreal has a number of good public buildings. Besides the large Cathohc and English Cathedrals, nnd other churches, there are, the Court House, which is one hundred and forty four feet long, the Jail and the Banks, and various other public build- ings which do honour to the town. The Court House, Jail and English Cathedral particularly are modern, and very large and handsome buildings, constructed of the grey limestone, hewn and laid up with neatness and skill. The monument to Lord Nelson, in the principal market place, would grace any of the squares of , London. A figure of his lordship, crowns a high TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 341 column* of the grey limestone, which is sustained by a large pedestal on the sides of which are ex- hibited in alto relievo, the principal achievements of his lordship's life and an appropriate inscription, containing his last and very memorable public or- ders to the squadron before the battle of Trafalgar, *' England expects that every man will do his duty." MISCELLAxNEOUS REMARKS ON MONTREAL. This city is in latitude 45° 31' north, and in lon- gitude 73° 35' west from Greenwich. It covers one thousand and twenty acres — what was within the old fortifications was only one hundred acres. Its climate is very considerably milder than that of Quebec, and most persons would probably consider it as a more desirable residence. In regard to accommodations, it is so to a stranger, who will look in vain, in Quebec, for an establishment equal to the Mansion House. He will find indeed in Quebec a good table, but there are deficiencies on other topics, to which an American, from the United States, and still more perhaps an Englishman will not easily be recon- ciled. The following factsf as to the extent of some of the public establishments of Montreal, may be of "I have not beard its height mentioned, but should imagine U may be forty feet. t Bouchctle, 342 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. some use, towards a correct estimation of the pub- lic spirit of the country, especially of tliat which prevailed under the French dominion. The Hotel Dieu, founded in 1644, is three hun- dred and twenty-four feet in front, by four hundred and sixty-eight deep ; it is attended by thirty-six nuns, who administer to the sick and diseased of both sexes. The Convent of La Congregation de Notre Dame, forms a range of buildings, two hundred and thirty- four feet in front, by four hundred and thirty-three ; the object of this institution is female instruction. The general hospital or convent of the grey sis- ters, was founded in 1750 : it occupies a s})ace along the little river, St. Pierre, of six hundred and seventy-eight feet, and is a refuge for the innrni poor and invalids. The Cathedral of Notre Dame, is one hundred and forty-four feet by ninety-four ; this church we thought, in some respects, more splendid in the in- terior, but less grand, than that at Quebec. It con- tains, among other things, a gigantic wooden image of the Saviour on the cross. The Cathedral stands completely in the street of Notre Dame, across the place d'armes, and entirely obstructs tlie view up and down the street. This church is on the out- side rude and unsightly. The English Cathedral is the finest building in Montreal — its tower, which is unfinished, is still in progress ; this cliurch is very Targe, but I did not TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 343 learn its dimensions. Those whom we saw attend- ing worship in it, were persons of very genteel ap- pearance, inckiding many military men, but the church would have held ten times as many as were present. The seminary of St. Sulpice, occupies three sides of a square and is one hundred and thirty-tw^o feet by ninety, with spacious gardens. It was foun- ded about 1657. The new College or Petit Seminaire, is in tlie Recollet suburbs ; it is two hundred and ten feet by forty-five, w^ith a wing at each end of one hundred and eighty-six feet by forty-five ; it is an appendage of the other seminary, and designed to extend its usefuhiess, by enlarging its accommodations. There is near the mountain of Montreal, another appendage of the seminary. It appears to be about a mile from the town — it is a considerable stone building surrounded by a massy w^all, w^hich enclo- ses extensive gardens, he. This place was former- ly called Clateau des Seigneurs de Montreal, but now it has the appellation of LaMaison des Pretres. It is a place of recreation, resorted to, once a w^eek^ by both the superiors and pupils of the Seminary. There is no Enghsh College in Canada, but a foundation for one has been laid by a gentleman,* who died in 1814, and bequeathed ten thousand pounds, besides a handsome real estate at the mountain near Montreal, " for the purpose of en- *Hon. James M'Gill. 344 TOUIl BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. dowing an English College ; but upon condition that such an institution should be erected within ten years, otherwise the property was to revert to his heirs." I have not heard that the plan has ever been carried into execution. I know nothing that has excited my surprise more in Canada, than the number, extent and vari- ety of the French insthutions, many of them intrin- sically of the highest importance, and all of them (according to their views) possessing that character. They are the more extraordinary when we con- sider that most of them are more than a century old, and that at the time of their foundation the Colony was feeble, and almost constantly engaged in war. It would seem from these facts, as if the French must have contemplated the establishment of a permanent and eventually of a great empire in America, and this is the more probable as most of these institutions were founded during the ambitious, splendid and enterprising reign of Louis XIV. NORTH WEST COMPANY. We have heard in the United States, much of the contests of Lord Selkirk,* with the North West Company. Fortunately the Americans of the States are not involved in the quarrel, but it is solely an affair of Briton with Briton. * This nobleman it seems, has now terminated his contests and his mortal career TOUR BETWEExNT HARTFOKD AND QUEBEC 345 We were honoured with an introduction to Mr, Mc'Gilhvray, who since the death of Mr. Mc'Tavish, is the principal member of the North West Compa- ny. This gentleman, w^ith plain unassuming but courteous manners, and much good ' sense and worth, is highly esteemed in Canada. His villa, situated on one of the declivities of the mountain, about one mile and an half from the town —commanding a very rich and extensive prospect, is one of the most desirable residences, that I have ever seen, and appears to possess the charms of a fine English country seat, with a splendor and extent of prospect, of which, (in an equal degree,) England can rarely boast. Lord Selkirk, it appears, claims, under the old Hudson's Bay Company, a territorial right and ju- risdiction, over from one million to one million five hundred thousand acres of country, including the most important posts of the North West Company. This company, it seems, claims no territorial rights, except so far as to establish posts and depots, necessary to the carrying on of the trade in furs, which are their great object, and they entirely deny the right of Lord Selkirk, to assume, or of the Hud- son's Bay Company, to grant a territorial jurisdic- tion. The interfering views and arrangements of the tw^o parties, it is well known, have already pro- duced several severe conflicts, in which a good manv lives have been lost. Mr. Mc'Giliivrav in- formed us, that the thing, much to his satisfaction, 30 346 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. had at last got before parliament, and he hoped would now be arranged as it ought to be. We were informed that the quantity of furs fur- nished by the Indians, to the North West Company, is diminished one half, but Mr. Mc'Gillivray thought this rather fortunate than otherwise, because the im- poverishment of Europe, by its long continued course of wars, had so diminished the demand, that even now, it was fully supplied, and the only ef- fect of throwing more furs into the market, would be to diminish the demand, and of course the price. ABORIGINES. The native nations of this continent, it is true, were ferocious and cruel, and in this character, I have more than once, in the progress of these remarks, had occasion to stigmatize them. Yet it is an interest- ing, and at the same time a melancholy occupation, lo remember, that scarcely two centuries have elapsed, since this continent was occupied by its abo- riginal inhabitants ; heroic, lofty, free as the winds, and ignorant of any foreign masters. Now, the sword, and that still greater destroyer, which all their courage cannot resist, have almost exterminated these once powerful tribes. Their lands, it is true, jiave been in many instances sold, to the whites ; sold ! for what consideration ! — acres for beads and penknives — provinces for blankets, and empires for powder, ball and rum. Have they retired before TO^jR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND ^ViJKBLC. 347 ihe wave of European population, and do they now exist in remoter and more happy regions, where trader never came, nor white man trod ? No ! those who once occupied the countries which the whites now inhabit, are annihilated ; the blast of death has withered their heroic thousands ; as nations they have sunk forever into the grave, and their dust is mingled with the fields which we cultivate. In our older settlements, especially in the Atlantic cities, they are now almost as rarely seen, as a white man in Tombuctoo, and the few who remain, are miserable, blighted remnants of their ancestors, par- alysed and consumed by strong drink, squalid in poverty and filth, and sunk by oppression and con- tempt. Are there any tribes that retain their former ele- vation f A few of them remain in the forests of the west and of the north, and some of them find their way to the cities of Canada. In the streets of Montreal, we saw numbers of these people who had come down from the north west, and their appear- ance (although even they cannot refrain from intoxi- cation) is such, that one who had never seen any but the miserable beings who stagger about our At- lantic towns, would hardly conceive that they be- longed to the same race. Most of them, (females as well as males,) are dressed in blue cloth panta- loons, with a blue robe or blanket, thrown graceful- ly over the shoulders, and belted with a scarlet or party coloured girdle, around the waist. They wear hats with lace and feathers, and have a supe- 348 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QrEBEC. rior port, as if still conscious of some elevation of character. But these ill-fated nations will become extinct, notwithstanding the efforts of benevolent individuals, especially as manifested by the estab- lishments formed in the south-w^estern parts of the United States, to christianize and civilize them ; and a heavy reckoning rests on the heads of the civilized communities in America, for their cruel treatment of the American Aborigines, and of the not less injured Africans. PLOUGHING iMATCH. Within a few years, serious efforts have been made in Canada, to encourage its agriculture.-— Colonel Ogilvy, one of the British Commissioners, respecting the boundaries,* was among the first to encourage agriculture. The late Governors Sher- brook and Richmond, are also mentioned with great respect, as distinguished patrons of the same important interests. A society is now organised in Montreal, for the same purpose, and at their instance, a ploughing match was set on foot ; it occurred the day after our return from Quebec, and I rode out to see it. TweU'e pairs of horses, geared after the Enghsh manner, dragged as many ploughs, each moving in its appointed portion of a large smooth meadow. " Tlie news of whose unforlunato death, while engaged in the discliarge of the duties of that trust, reached Montreal while we were there, and created a stronaj sensation of e.rief. TOUR BETWEEN HAKTi'ORD A^D t^UEBEC. 349 Some of the ploughs were made entirely of iron, and had a very light and neat appearance. Tlie ploughing was very well performed — the furrows were almost mathematically strait, and the turf was handsomely laid over. I was informed that there were three premiums, the highest forty dollars, and that they were granted both to excellence and speed combined. AGRICULTURAL DINNER. A great dinner was provided at the Mansion House where we lodged, and the friends of agricul- ture assembled, to partake of its fruits. Dining in support of ones country ^ and of its important inter- ests, is a method of evincing patriotism, so general- ly approved, that it rarely wants adherents. Nearly forty gentlemen were assembled on the present oc- casion, and among them were some of the princi- pal people for wealth and influence. The dinner hour in Quebec and Montreal is five o'clock, but as it is always five till it is six, the time of sitting down is usually delayed to near the latter hour, and dinner is actually served, for the most part, be- tween six and seven o'clock. By invhation, we at- tended, and in the present instance, sat down at seven o'clock ; the dinner, however, with all its appen- dages, was not over till the next day ; viz. till be- tween twelve and one o'clock m the morning. I need hardly say, that we did not sit it out; we 30* 350 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,L*£BEC Stayed however long enough, to see the peculiari- ties of a great dinner, in Montreal. The tables were laid in a room of fifty feet in length, and we marched into it, to the music of a considerable band — piping and drumming, the fa- vourite air, " speed tJie plough ^ A large transparency, occupying the space from the ceiling of a lofty room, nearly to the floor, ex- hibited, behind the chair of the President, a view of Montreal and of its beautiful mountain. The table was spread and decorated in a very- handsome manner, and ail the meats, poultry, wild fowl, and vegetables, which are in season in the United States, at this time, were laid before us, in the greatest perfection, both in the articles them- selves and in the cookery. The desert was equal- ly handsome, and of the same kind as is usual in the United States. Who, however, that is unac- quainted with Canada, would expect to see the finest cantelopes, and the most dehcious grapes, the produce of the country, and that in the middle of October 't The grapes are raised in the open air, but in winter the vines are not only covered with straw, as with us, but with clay more than a foot thick, and, in the summer, a great proportion of the leaves, except near the cluster, is taken off, and the vines are prevented from running, by twist- ing them. Peaches from the Genesee country, were on the table, but they were not particularly good; ap- ples, however, cantelopes, and' grapes of the finest TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 351 kindf and in the greatest jjrofusion, hava been con- constantly before us in Canada, and have formed a part of almost every desert, even in the public houses and in the steam boats. " All the usual garden fruits, as gooseberries, currants, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots and plunis,^ are pro- duced in plenty, and it may be asserted truly in as much perfection as in many southern climates, or even in greater." It is said that the orchards pro- duce apples not surpassed in any country. The agricultural productions of the country are very fine ; in no respect inferior to those of the United States, and they are evidently raised, in Lower Canada, in greater profusion, and with great- er ease, than with us. The market in Montreal, is excellent — it contains, according to the season, all kinds of meats, with abundance of fowl, game, fish, and vegetables, in fine order. The fine champaign country, which occupies so large a part of Lower Canada, is exceedingly fer- tile/ and, although we are accustomed to consider the climate as very severe, it is evidently very healthy ; with the contrivances which exist here, for producitNg and preserving heat, and for excluding cold, the climate is, by ail accounts, very comforta- ble ; and it does not appear, that it prevents the in- habitants from enjoying nearly every production of the earth, which is known in the States bordering on Canada. Their potatoes and cauliflowers, are particularly good, and are raised with great ease* 352 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. The only article which we have found generally bad, in this country, has been bread. The best which we have seen, has been only tolerable, and most of it has been so sour, dark coloured, and bit- ter, that it took some time to reconcile us to it in any degree. We were, beyond measure, astonished at the badness of this article, especially as it is so good in England, and in the cities of the United States, and as so many of the Canadians are perfect- ly acquainted with both countries. This public dinner was conducted with great de- corum and civility. After dinner, toasts were drunk, with music ; the great personages of the empire, and of the North- American colonies, were, of course, toasted, and va- rious sentiments were given in honour of agriculture. Most of them were drunk* standing, and with cheers, three, six or nine, according to the intensity of feeling, or the dignity of the personages, or pop- ularity of the sentiment. * There was one circumstance m this dinner, which I have not elsewhere noticed. When the toasts were to be cheered, the Vice-President, after rising, (and the company with him,) cried out, very loud, and with very distinct articulation, and strong em- phasis, and k pause between the words — hip! hip! hip! hur- ra ! hurra I now ! now ! now : hurra ! again ! again '. again! hurra! hip! hip! hurra! hurra! hurra! he. — the company repeating only the hurra, to which the other words ap- peared to be only a watch word, that all might join in the hurra at once. Since this dinner, 1 am told by an Englishman, that this ceremonial is not uncommon at set formal parties in England, but 1 never heard of it while there. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 353 * The Canadians appear very loyal, and we cannot be a day in their country, without perceiving in the Janguage and manners of the people, that we are under a royal government. The mansion house, (originally built by Sir John Johnson,"^ son of Sir William Johnson, w'hose name was so famous in the colonies, during the French wars,) is the finest establishment of the kind in Can- ada, and would be considered as a fine one in Eng- land. The house, (as I remarked when here before,) is very large, with two wings, lately added, almost as extensive as the house itself, and contains ample accommodations for public or private parties, for balls and assem'blies, for individuals or families, and is delightfully situated, with its front upon the im- mediate bank of the St. Lawrence, where the river, and every thing upon it, and much of the surround- ing country, is in full view. !]ISTORY, Lc. Attei- the fall of Quebec, in September, 1759, Montreal became the rendezvous of the remaining forces of the French, and the Marquis Vaudreuille Governor-General of Canada, during the ensuing ummer of 1760, made every effort possible, to save ^ W ho is still living in Montreal, although now nn old mar. 354 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEG. the country. But, it was all in vain. The force which General Amherst commanded, was totally- superior to all that the French General could mus- ter. It was not, however, till September, that the conquest of Canada was fully accomplished. On the sixth of that month, General Amherst, with an army of more than ten thousand men, landed at La Chine, on the island of Montreal, having prosecuted his enterprise, under very great hardships and diffi- culties, through the wilderness, from Schenectady to Oswego, and down Lake Ontario, and the rapids of the St. Lawrence ; on the same day. General Murray arrived with his army, from Quebec, and the day after, General Haviland, with another ar- my from Lake Champlain, appeared at Longueil. Thus, by a singular concurrence, (devoutly regard- ed at the time, by the good people of the English colonies, as peculiarly the result of the favouring providence of God,) three powerful armies, amount- ing to more than twenty thousand men, arrived, al- most at the same hour, from regions widely remote, and after encountering peculiar, and great difficul- ties'. Nothing remained for the Marquis de Vaudreuille, surrounded, as he was, by an overwhelming force, but to capitulate. Accordingly, on the eighth, he •surrendered his army prisoners of war, and with them, the whole of Canada and its dependencies. The most honourable terms were granted to him, iU consequence of the signal gallantry, talent, perse- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q^UEBEC. 355 verance, and patriotism, which he had displayed. ** Thus, in little more than a century and an half from its first settlement, in the sixth year of the war, after six* general battles, this vast country was completely conquered by the conjoined armies of Great-Britain and her colonies. "f Montreal was taken by General Montgomery, on the thirteenth of November, 1775, but without op- position, except that a little before, Governor Carle- ton had been defeated at Longueil, by Colonel Warner, an event, which prepared the way for the dow^nfall of St. Johns, and of Montreal itself. This city has been, more or less, concerned in all the wars of this country, since its foundation ; but, I am not informed that any very memorable battle has been fought in its vicinity. It was never very strong- ly fortified, and, at present, there is not even the ap- pearance of fortifications ; the old walls and forts hav- ing been levelled, and even the Citadel-Hill, an artifi- cial mound, of commanding elevation, v/hich, with vast labour, the Prench had erected in the midst of the city, they are now in the act of removing, to make room for a reservoir of water. As at Quebec, I ob- served great piles of heavy cannon, but, probably they have reference principally to naval prepara- tions. * Those of Lake George, Ticonderoga, Niagara, MoutQiorenci, Quebec, and Silh-ry. tTrntnbnir.s History of Coiauecticut:. 356 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFOKD AND QUEBEC. There is a small body of troops here at present, and I had an opportunity of seeing some of them parade in the beautiful ground, called the Champs de Mars. There are extensive stone barracks on the St. Lawrence, at the lower end of the city ; they are occupied by the British troops, but, I presume, were erected by the French, as they are in their style of architecture. CAUXrON TO STRANGERS TN CANADA Soon after arriving on the St. Lawrence, almost every stranger finds his stomach and bowels derang- ed, and a diarrhoea, more or less severe, succeeds. The fact is admitted on all hands ; and sometimes the complaint becomes very serious, and is said, in a few cases, (very peculiar ones, I presume) to have become dangerous, and even fatal. It is imputed to the lime, supposed to be dissolved by the St. Lawrence, whose waters are generally used for culinary purposes. I have never heard that any chemical examination of the waters has been per- formed, but it is evident that it contains something foreign, because it curdles soap. It is said that boil- ing makes it harmless. The same thing is asserted of the waters of Holland, which produce similar ef- fects upon strangers. I have experienced it both in Holland, and in Canada ; and Mr. W was, in tlie latter country, more severely affected than myself. TOUR BETWEEN HAilTFORD AND which occupy almost the entire breadth of Ver- mont, and from which the state derives its name, to see the grand views which they present. There is, in fact, a succession of mountains, one, tw^o, three, and four thousand feet high; not here and there a single peak, but a vast billowy ocean, sw-elled into innumerable pointed waves, and bold ridges, and scooped into deep hollows. There were but few^ precipices of naked rock ; most of the sides of the mountains were in full for- est, and the varied hues of the leaves of the maple and oak, now beginning to receive the first influence of frost, w^ere finely contrasted with the bright ev- ergreens. *TheRev. Dr. Austin, TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEC. 383 According to the barometrical measurements of Captain Partridge, the Camel's Rump, twenty m.iles east by south from Burlington, is about four thou- sand"* feet high, and many others approach this ele- vation. The day was somewhat obscured by rain, mist, and clouds, which, while they did not screen the mountains from our view, added a gloomy grandeur to the scene, and seemed the appropriate drapery of such Alpine regions. Most of the country is still unsubdued by the plough. Innumerable stumps, the remains of tlie pristine forest, deform the fields — pines, and oth- er trees, girdled, dry, and blasted, by summer's heat, and winter's cold — scorched and blackened, by fire, or piled in confusion, on fields, cleared, half by the axe, and half by burning — numerous log houses, of a rude construction, and incompara- bly inferior to the snug cottages of the Canadian peasantry — all these, and many other objects, indi- * ate a country, in some parts at least, imperfectly subdued by man. Along the Onion river, however, and its branch- es, we found much clear, good land ; on the sides of the mountains, many fields fit for pasturage, and, almost every where, fine cattle and sheep, but very little ploughed land; every few miles also, we came to good houses, and a few villages, occurred on the journey. * Three llion;r courses along the alluvial bottoms, and, where ihey have w^ound around the hills, it is done with great skill and judgment. Very frequently, v/e rode for miles, on precipices, where the descent was, for a great many yards down, almost perfectly abrupt, and a slight deviation would have been fatal. When we arrived at the height of land, which was about sixty miles from the lake, the streams, now tending towards the Connecticut, indicated our course, and, for six or seven miles, w^e descended with great rapidity, the carriage almost constantly urging the horses forward, and, at last, we found lodgings in the beautiful valley of Chelsea, completely envi- roned by mountains, which, being free from wood, and prettily dotted, here and there, with flocks of sheep, reminded me powerfully of the Derbyshire ?cenery. The village was very neat, with one of the best inns which we had seen ; we were received with the kindness of a home, and with almost all its comforl^. 33* 386 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. The next day, (October 18th,) we arrived ai Hanover, in New-Hampshire, having crossed the Connecticut river, from the pretty town of Norwich, on a bridge. GEOLOGV. The geology of the region over which we had passed, is simple and grand. About seven miles east of the lake, the primitive country begins, and the fixed rocks, running in immense ledges, north- east, and south-west, often vertical, or highly in- clined in their position, and with a dip generally to the east, are principally mica slate, gneiss, clay slate, and chlorite slate. Mica slate is, far, the most, abundant. In some of these schistose rocks, hornblende prevails, but I observed no granite in place. Granite, however, in loose rolled pieces, some of them weighing many tons, prevails for the last forty miles ; there is enough to build several cit- ies; it is very handsome, has a fine grain, the feldspar is white, the quartz grey, and the mica black, and it is used along the road as a building stone ; but w^e can discern no source whence it was derived, nor could I learn that there were ruj Jixed rocks of the kind in this region. I am informed that the famous Chelmsford gran- ite, so much used in Boston, as a building stone, and which this Vermont granite strongly resembles, is found loose, like this, and that no quarry of it i? known. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 3ST In Vermont, these masses of granite have every appearance of having been brought down from more *^levated regions, for they are observed in deep val- lies, and on the ])anks, and in the beds of water courses, and on the declivities, and even high up on the sides of mountains. But they are rolled and rounded ; most of them approach the globular form, and all have their angles and edges worn away. Was this done in the primitive chaotic ocean, which alone could afford time for such an agency, and may they not even have been trans- ported from a distant region, and scattered over a country to which they are strangers f HANOVER. Oct. IS. — This handsome village, of about sixty liouses^ is an agreeable object to a traveller. It is built principally upon a small hollow square, which is a beautiful green. Most of the houses are very neat, and some are large and handsome. The great- er part are painted white, and have that lively ap- pearance, so common in the villages of New-Eng- land. DARTiMOUTH COLLEGE. This well known, and highly respectable and use- ful institution, founded in 1769, by royal charter, occupies one side of the square. The principal 388 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC, building, which is of wood, is one hundred and i\i\y feet by fifty, and three stories high ; it is painted white. Besides thirty-four private rooms for the students, it contains all the public rooms, except those for the medical lectures, and the chapel. — The latter is a small plain building, of wood, stand- ing in the position of a wing to the college. The medical lectures are given in a separate edifice, built of brick, a little out of the square, and devoted en- tirely to medical purposes. The building is not large, but sufficient for a school of fifty or sixty pu- pils, w^ho usually assemble here during the season of the lectures, which continues twelve weeks, from the first Wednesday of October. The building would receive more, so far as its public rooms are. concerned. The anatomical museum is small. The number of medical professors is, at present, three. There is the same number* in the academ- ical establishment, who, with the president,f and two tutors, constitute the faculty. The number of stu- dents at present, is about one hundred and fifty, and, since the termination of the recent contest, by which the old college has been confirmed in its powers, it appears to be flourishing more than before. During that contest, arid v/hile the buildings were in posses- sion of the other party, it is said that they were con- * If I am correctly informed, one other professorship is at pres- ent vacant. i August, 1820. — This institution has recently been deprived, by death, of its exoellent head} President Brown. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 389 siderably injured ; they are not now in the best state of repair, although it was stated that one thou- sand dollars had been expended upon them, since their restoration to their present possessors. The library contains about four thousand vol- umes. The apparatus of this institution is not the most extensive, but is competent to the most impor- tant purposes of instruction. There are two libra- ries, of about two thousand volumes each, belonging to private societies, among the students. There is a separate building for commons, but, at present, none are maintained ; the students board in the vfflage, and many of them occupy apartments in it. I was informed, that it is optional with them to have rooms in college, or out, but their rooms are, in both cases, visited by the faculty, and, ow- ing, without doubt, to the smaliness of the place, no in- convenience is experienced from the fact, that a part of them are in town, RIDE DOWN CONNECTICUT RIVER. Oct. 19. — We passed down the New^-Hampshire side of the river, eighteen miles, and then crossed into Vermont, at the beautiful town of Windsor, containing two thousand seven hundred fifty-seven inhabitants.* There was nothing particularly interesting in the intervening country. Windsor is built upon two * WorceslPr's Gazetteer. 390 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC. principal streets, parallel to each other, and to thfe river, and, in the lower street, shews something of the bustle of business; the upper street is very qui- et, and both are ornamented by very handsome houses, many of them of brick, giving an air of dig- nity and elegance to a small town. There are also two handsome churches, a court-house, an academy, and a state's prison. The town has a magnificent back ground, in the high mountain Ascutney, measuring three thousand three hundred and twenty feet, above the sea, and two thousand nine hundred and three, above the surface of the river.f The form of the mountain is hand- some, and presents naked rocks, at its summit. From Windsor, we passed down the Vermont side of the river, to Charlestown, where we again crossed into New-Hampshire. We saw, on our ride, the establishment of Mr. Jarvis, formerly a consul abroad. He has a very extensive farm, and an entire village, named Wetb- ersfield, is owned by him, and occupied by his ten- ants. We passed the night at Charlestown. This is another village remarkable for beauty. It is built upon one street, which is very wide, and, for nearly a mile, the houses are planted at distan- ces, convenient both for neighbourhood and accom- modation. t Accordins; to Cajitotii Partridge's megtsiitetnent. This gentle- man is establisliiiig a militiiry acrtdoiDy at Norwich, opposite to Hatiovcr, and a large bir!!(lii)§;.is now erectirjg for tliis j)urpose. TOUR BETWEEx^^ HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEC. 391 Here, as at Windsor, a large proportion are very handsome, and tiiere is an extreme degree of neat- ness in the fields, gardens, and door yards. The verdure being still fine, notwithstanding the period of the year, was charmingly contrasted with the bril- liant white of the houses. From Hanover to this place, the river Connecti- cut flows in a narrow channel, in most places so confined by very high ground, and sometimes by mountains, that it seems to run in the only possible place, and the channel appears, as if it had been cut by art, and laid with exquisite skill, through an al- most impervious country. Rarely do the precipi- tous banks retire, so as to leave any meadows, or llat lands upon the border, and the co^intry appears not remarkably fertile. The pines still occupy a considerable portion of it, but most of the large ones are cut away; here and there, an ancient tree, still raises its head to the winds, and towers above its compeers. In many parts of this region, very for- midable fences are made by pulling up the stumps of the gigantic pine trees, and arranging them in a row^, with their roots interlocked. GEOLOGY. The geology of this district is very simple. — At Hanover, the rocks appear to be a variety of gneiss, with so large a proportion of hornblende, as to become almost hornblende slate ; and doubtless, 392 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEe. in some instances, lliey become decidedly that rock; distinct veins of crystallized hornblende intersect the .rock, and it abounds in garnets remarkable for beau- ty ; their angles are extremely well defined— their surfaces highly polished, and their colour almost as fine as tiiat of the Spinelle Ruby. I have seen no such garnets, from the rocks of this country. From Hanover, w6 pass along in the direction of the ledges of rocks, which form the hills, bounding the river ; we no longer cross them, as in travelling over the green mountains, and it is not always easy, in driving rapidly by, or with the opportunity of only a very hasty examination, to pronounce confi- dently on their nature. This may, however, be said, without hazard, that ihey are all primitive slaty rocks, generally highly inclined, or vertical. Leaving Charlestown, we passed by its rich and extensive meadows, commencing just below the town, and extending nearly to Bellows Falls, a dis- tance of eight miles. They were still very verdant, and rich in herds of fine cattle. BELLOWS FALLS. This place is worth visiting, both for its bold and picturesque scenery, and for the interesting nature of its mineralogy and geology. On approaching Bellows Falls from the north, the traveller is first struck by the elegant appear- TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORi> AxVD Q^UEBiX. 59^ ance of the small village of Rockinghcim, situatetl on the Vermont side of the river, upon ground pleasantly elevated. A neat church, semi-gothic, and several seats of gentry, who have clustered about these falls, are finely contrasted with the wildness and rudeness of the surrounding scenery. On the N^ew-Hampshire side, a very high ridge of moun- tain rock, I presume five or six hundred feet above ihe level of the river, forms its immediate barrier, [here being only just room for a narrow road be- iween it and the Connecticut. Immediately at the "bot of this frowning and impending mountain, is an elegant establishment, belonging to a gentleman, tvho seems not to feel what every observer must Iread, that his house may be crushed by falling rocks. Bellows Falls are very much unlike any thing of ;be kind which we have seen on our journey. They ire rather a grand and violent rapid than a cataract, Droperly so called, for, in no place that I saw, did he water fall perpendicularly for any great distance, riie river is, at this place, very much compressed )etween ledges of rocks, and, for nearly a quarter >f a mile, it is hurried on w^ith vast rapidity, and tu- nult, and roaring. In the whole, it falls fifty feet,'^ )efore it becomes again placid. The bridge, which stands immediately over the alls, and at the most rapid, that is to say, at the larrowest place, is a handsome object. Its fouuda- ** Worcester's Gazetteer 34 394 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEC. tion is literally a rock, for it is erected not only up- on the precipices which form the banks, but upon the very ledges which interrupt the course of the river, and rise calmly, out of the turbulent scene that surrounds them. This is said to have been the earliest bridge erected over the Connecticut, and the view of the falls from it, is very interesting. The water, which for some way above, comes rush- ing over and among very rugged rocks, arrives in an extremely agitated state at the bridge, under which is the grand pass ; for the stream is here narrowed into the width of apparently twenty or thirty feet, and rushes through with great rapidity ; not, how^ever, in the compressed state described by the apocry- phal historian of Connecticut.* It is all foam, and both immediately above and below the bridge, re- sembles the most violent breaking of the weaves of the ocean, when dashed upon the rocks, by a furious tempest. A Httle below the bridge, the river is again hurried on, between two salient points of rock, in a place so narrow, that one may easily toss any thing to the other side : the angry surges here struggle through with vast commotion, and rise, in white crested waves, the very sight of which make? one's head giddy. Bellows Falls, as a piece of scenery, are peculiar, on account of a certain snugness, which marks the entire collection of mountains, rocks, and river-tor- * Peters : who says that the water is here so dense that it cjui- not be pierced by a crowbar. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 395 lent, and pretty houses, which are all approached without the shghlest inconvenience, and are com- prised within a very small compass. On the west side there is a canal half a mile long, around the falls ; it has nine locks. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. The rocks at this pass are sienite, mica slate, and a peculiar aggregate of mica and feldspar, very much resembling sienite. The strata run in the same direction as the great mountain ranges in th^ vicinity, only they are very low ; the torrent ap- pears as if it had once broken through, and very possibly there might, anciently, have been a lake above this place. I would strongly recommend a particular exam- ination of the rocks about Bellows Falls. The few moments which I had to spend, I occupied in in- specting the ledges on the Vermont side, and below the bridge. They appear to be sometimes over- flowed, for they contain numerous excavations, evi- dently worn by the water, agitating the pebbles and stones, and, as long as the freshet lasts, whirling them with incessant motion. Numbers of these cavities, both here and at the bridge, are of considerable di- mensions ; some are cylindrical, others are shaped like cauldrons, and are large enough to serve that purpose. In the rocks alluded to, there are numerous veins, some of them a foot wide or more. The veins are 396 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. quartz or feldspar, or more frequently, they are proper granite veins. In them I observed violet or rose coloured mica, and that of a straw yellow ; feldspar resembling tlie adularia ; garnet ; tourma- tin, both the common black schorl, and the indico- lite, and talc. In loose rocks there was also abun- dance of tremolite and of sappar. There can be httle doubt that a few blasts of gunpowder would uncov- er fine fresh specimens of these interesting miner- als. -X- * * jf * ■X' 4e From Bellows Falls, we passed down to Wal- pole. This is another handsome village ; some of the houses are splendid. Putney, on the Vermont side, presented nothing particularly interesting. We reached Brattleborough at evening, and there pabj'^d the night." In Dummerston I saw a great slate quarry : the strata were vertical, and the excavation was like a deep canal, so that as I walked into it, the perpen- dicular strata formed a perfect wall on both sides, and I trod on their edges. It was a fine example of primitive roofing slate ; and from this place and the vicinity, at Brattleborough, &ic. it is extensively quarried, and carried down the river. In speaking of the villages on Connecticut river, [ often use the epithets beautiful, handsome, &;c. till TOVR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 397 they are in danger of becoming trite. Stiil I must repeat them with respect to the eastern* village ol' Brattleboroiigh. This village is built principally upon one street, and contains very few houses or shops that are not an ornament to the place. The street is parallel to the river, and passes through luxuriant meadows, spreading into an extensive champaign, bounded by the Connecticut, which here, for miles, washes the base of a grand mountain-barrier, that limits the view on the east. This view was best seen in re- trospect, as we rose the hill, at the south end of the town. Thence we saw this mountain-range, prob- ably here one thousandf feet high, covered with the richest drapery of the forest, and stretching away to the north, while the Connecticut, gently washed its foot, and the pretty village, with its white houses and brilliant church, rose in the midst of a rich meadov\r. But, the most interesting object inBrattleborough, is its venerable pastor, with whom, at his pleasant rural abode, we had the honour of an evening in- terview. At the age of 75, he has recently return- ed from England, his native country, after a visit of eighteen months. He had been absent from Eng- land twenty-five years, and found, on returning to his native town, which, (except occasional visits,) * The other village I did not see. t This is a conjec'iure merely : I know not of any measure* ment. 34* 398 TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND Q.UEBEC« he left sixty-three years since, that hut one person remembered him. Even the monuments of his co- temporaries in the grave yard, vi^ere so moss-grown, that he could not read the inscriptions, and those of the persons who had died more recently, he did not know. He found, however, many friends in vari- ous parts of England, who remembered him with affection. The country appeared to him greatly improved, and to exhibit the most decided proofs of a thriving condition ; but his adopted country he greatly prefers, and gladly returned to end his days in it. The venerable man, at once an instructive and delightful Mentor, entertained us with many of the incidents of his tour, the relation of which was enlivened by the most interesting remarks. He is like the aged oak, whose boughs are still adorned w^ith leaves, and whose root is still firm in the ground, although it has endured the vicissitudes of many revolving summers and winters. ******* October 2\st. — We left Brattleborough in the morning, and eleven miles below, crossed the bridge into Northfield, in Massachusetts. Northfield is a neat village, on a wide street situ- ated on a hill, but the houses are plain ; the place had, however, an air of comfort and snugness. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC 399 GEOLOGY, &oC. In this street, a very interesting change was ob- served in the geology. Rocks occurred both loose and in place, composed of fragments ; they were of every size, from a foot or even several feet in diam- eter, down to small grains. These fragments were evidently the ruins of primitive rocks : — entire pie- ces of granite, with all its constituent parts distinct ; of gneiss, mica slate, chlorite slate, common slate, he. were interspersed, and the cement which bound them together, was merely the same materials, re- duced to a finer state. These rocks are very in- structiv^e. Coming immediately after the primitive country, and indeed in close connexion with it, and being composed of fragments of primitive rocks confusedly jumbled together, they appear to lay strong claims to a transition character. Passing down through Northfield into Montague, we came to extensive ranges of primitive rocks, chiefly gneiss ; but in them occurred great beds of granite, the first that I had seen in place on our whole journey. Primitive rocks continued to the upper lock of Miller's Falls : the canal here, is cut through a coarse conglomerate, composed of frag- ments of primitive rocks. The scenery at this place is handsome ; and at the confluence of Miller's River with the Connect- icut, the latter forms a great bow, and looks like a lake surrounded by high hills. 400 TOtTR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. Several miles below, we came to Miller's Falls. The river runs nearly north-west, and is precipitated over the strata, which at this place cross the river, and form a natural dam. In the middle of the riv- er, the rocks rise so high that they form an island, and the torrent is therefore divided, as at Niagara. Through the whole width, which is one thousand two hundred feet, there is an artificial dam of tim- ber, built upon the natural one. The fall thus be- comes thirty feet, and is. very beautiful in its kind. It is in fact, a vast mill-dam, and is said to be a very good miniature of Niagara. The whole scene is a fine one, and was so different from either of the other falls that we had seen, that it was an agreea- ble addition. The object of damming these falls, is to feed with water, the canal which is cut around them, and to render the current for three miles above, less rapid. This canal is two miles long, and we rode along its bank, to its junction with the Connecticut. The rocks which form the natural dam at Miller's Falls, are composed of fragments of primitive rocks; but generally these fragments are not large, rarely exceeding an inch or two in diameter, and general- ly smaller than that. The strata have an inchna- tion of forty-five degrees, and have every mark of the earliest class of fragmented rocks. Are they not a variety of Greywacke ? Their direction is nearly north-east and south-west. XOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND QUEBEC. 401 * * * * -5^ * * We crossed the Connecticut again, at the place where, by completing its great bend, it returns to its usual direction of north and south. We now arrived in the town of Greenfield, and on ascending the hill from the river, I saw, for the first time, in this part of the country, trap rocks in place. They here constitute an extensive range, ex- tremely well characterized, and, (agreeably to Mr. Hitchcock's excellent account of the geology of this vicinity,*) form, very nearly^ the northern extremity of the great trap ranges, which commence at New- Haven and cross completely both the States of Massachusetts and Connecticut.f The fragmented rocks, which in nearly the whole of this range, lie beneath the trap, I here had the pleasure of seeing emerge from under it, at a high angle of inclination, and at a high elevation, on the side next to the village of Greenfield. ******* From the hill in question, we had a fine view of this village, which stands principally on two inter- secting streets ; has a number of handsome houses, and, for a country town, an uncommon proportion * See American Journal of Science, vol. 1. f The same that, in sketching the scenery in the middle region •f Cofioecticut, were described early in this volume. 402 TOrR BETWEEN HARTFOKD AND QUEBEC. of brick buildings. Walpole also has a number, and Windsor a larger number than either. Greenfield stands two miles from Connecticut river, on a high plain, which declines gently to the west. It has handsome churches, a court-house, a jail, he, DEERFIELD. Just at evening, v/e drove over to Deerfield, a dis- tance of three miles, through the most luxuriant and beautiful country, that we had any where seen in our whole journey. This country is the fine allu- vial region, intersected by the Deerfield river, and probably formed by it, as the alluvial countries on rivers generally appear to be. Even now, in the latter part of October, the grass is most vividly green, thickly matted, and rich as the shag of velvet. The remains of the crops of corn, evinced also great productiveness, and seemed almost to re- alize the fables of the golden ages. We were comfortably lodged in a good inn, just in time to visit, before dark, a very interesting anti- quity in this town. In the early periods of the history of the New- England colonies, Deerfield, being for a long course of years, a frontier town, was very often attacked by the French and Indians from Canada, and its inhabitants were frequently slain, or carried into captivity. TOUR BETWEEN HARTFORD AND qUEBEC. 403 To guard against these attacks, an extensive fort was established, inckiding within its hoiiis, many of the houses, and forming a place of retreat and of security for the inhabitants. In February, 1704, this fort was, by the negli- gence of the sentinel, surprised and taken, just be- fore day light, and the inhabitants were aroused from their slumbers, by the furious attacks of cruel enemies, upon their defenceless dwelHngs. Most of the houses were burnt, and their wretched ten- ants were either dragged away into captivity, or slaughtered in their own habitations, or near them. Men, women, and children, were indiscriminately slain, and parents saw their little ones butchered be- fore their eyes. One house still remains, as a painful memento to posterity. The front door was hacked and hewn with hatchets, until the savages had cut a hole through it ; through this hole they fired into the house ; this door, which still bears its ancient wounds, and the hole, (closed only by a board, tack- ed on within,) remains now, as the savages left it, and is a most interesting monument. Through the windows they also fired, and one bullet killed the female head of the family, sitting up in bed, and the mark of that bullet, as well as of four others, is visible in the room ; in one of the holes in a joist, another bullet remains to this day. This family was all killed, or carried into captivity. 404 TOUR BETWEEN UARTFOKD AND ttUEBEt. In the same attack, the clergyman of the place, the Rev. John Williams, and his family, shared a similar fate. Two of the children were killed at the door, Mrs. Williams, their mother, in the mead- ows, a little way out of town, and Mr. Williams, and the rest of the family, were carried prisoners to Canada. We saw, in the museum, in Deerfield academy, the pistol which he snapped at the Indians, when they rushed into his bed room. Mr. Williams* lived many years after his return, and I saw his grave, and that of his murdered wife. On the latter, is a very proper inscription, which 1 regret that I omitted to copy. ****** * Deerfield is a plain venerable town, with good buildings, but not many of them are in the modern style ; this circumstance is, however, rather pleas- ing, than otherwise. Deerfield extends about a mile on one street ; it has a highly respectable academy, the finest mead- ows in New-England, and a very interesting ancient history, upon which I have no time to enlarge. ******* Oct, 22. — We left Deerfield on a fine morning, and extended our ride thirty-eight miles, to Spring- * The house of public worship, in whi field. We followed the Deerfield mountain — cross- ed the fatal, bloody, (or, as it is now called, muddy) brook, where, on the 12th of September, 1675, Captain Lathrop, with almost his whole company, of ninety or an hundred young men, the flower of that region, was cut off by the Indians, who, to the number of seven or eight hundred, attacked them by surprize, when, as is said, most of the party were engaged in gathering grapes. We rode down to the ferry at Sunderland, to ob- tain a good view of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, which is so well described hy Mr. Hitchcock,* that I have scarcely occasion to remark, that it is composed of conglomerate rock, and that the mountain back of it, is trap. W^e crossed through Hatfield, over to Hadley, and thence into Northampton, where w^e dined. — It is hardly necessary to say any thing of these scenes, which are so luxuriant, and so well known, that their beauty is quite proverbial. Hatfield and Hadley are neat and venerable pla- ces, and Northampton is one of the finest inland (owns in America. The great bends of the river here — the bold scenery of Mount Holyoke, and Mount Tom, and the rich and grand landscape, from their summits, particularly from the former, have been often dc- .-icribed, and can hardly be exaggerated. ♦American Journal of Seience. 35 406 TOUll BETWEEN HARTFORD AND (QUEBEC* At West Springfield, we called on the venerable Dr. Lathrop, now almost eighty-eight years old ; he will complete that age, he informed us, on the last day of this month. His sight is almost extinct, but his other faculties appear unimpaired. He is erect and vigorous, walks well, and his features are not in- jured ; his head is covered with fine white locks, and his whole appearance is very interesting. He is recently relieved from public duty by a colleague 5 and, after about sixty years of the most useful la- bours as a preacher, is well entitled to rest ; as a writer of sermons,* he has been excelled by few in this country. Oct. 23. — We passed the last night at Spring- field, which, in beauty, hardly yields to any town on the river. In the morning, I visited the United States armory, and was much gratified ; for order, neatness, and high excellence, in every department— under the able management of Colonel Lee, it mer- its the highest eulogium. We proceeded through Long Meadow to En- field, and, at the bridge, on the eastern side, I was pleased to observe the sand stone rocks, filled with the remains of vegetables, bituminized and car- bonized, and affording one indication, among many, of a region containing coal. This, and the contigu- ous places, should be more attentively examined. * Allnsion i.s liprc, of course, made lo the volumes of serniofls, which kf. has published. JUHsoma TOUR BETV/EEN HARTFORD AND Q,UEBEC. 407 Through Windsor, we proceeded to Hartford, and, arriving there before evening, almost five weeks from the time of our departure, found those in health and prosperity, who vi^ere most interesting to us ; and, in the retrospect, perceived much cause for satisfaction, and still more for gratitude, that, in trav- elling nearly twelve hundred miles, not one disaster, nor one serious disappointment, had given us occa- sion to regret the undertaking. REMARK. I have said very little of the public houses and accommodations, on the journey. Should this b© thought a deficiency, it is easily supplied ; for, we found them, almost without exception, so comforta- ble, quiet, and agreeable, that we had neither occa- sion, nor inclination to find fault. Great civility, and a disposition to please their guests, were generally conspicuous at the inns; almost every where, when we wished it, we found a private parlour and a separate table, and rarely, did we hear any profane or coarse language, or ob- serve any rude and boisterous deportment