Quebec, however, the first settlement, was not found-
ed till 1608. For a considerable period subsequent to
this the colonists appear to have been engaged in a
series of sanguinary conflicts with the native Indian
tribes, and to have been often on the brink of being
extripated : the strife, however, ultimately terminated
in a friendly compact, which converted the Indians
into available auxiliaries against the English. Que-
bec was taken by the British forces under General
Wolf, in 1759, and the whole territory formally ceded
by the Treaty of Paris, in 1763. The seignorial
rights, the various holdings and tenures under them,
and the endowments of the Catholic church, were
left undisturbed : and all the estates, including all
the unappropriated lands in the province, held at thi^
142 CANADA.
period by the French king, became vested in the
British crown. In the years 1812-13-14, the lakes,
and especially the shores of Niagara, were the scene
of a succession of severe contests ; and the militia
on either side being engaged in them, near relatives
were found often contending in opposite ranks, so
that common was aggravated to civil warfare ; and In.
dians also were employed, and increased its horrors.
The grievances and complaints of Canada first
obtained the attention of parHament in 1828, when a
select committee of the H. of C. reported on them.
The legislative assembly's claims were, — the right of
appropriating all the crown revenues as they pleased,
and also all those accruing from parliamentary and
provincial statutes, and the settlement and alienation
of all the wild lands of the province ; but the most im.
portant point, without which the rest would be con.
ceded in vain, according to their statement, was, that
the legislative council should be elected by the people,
and thus assimilated to the senate of the United States.
Another H. of Commons report led to the nomination of
Lord Gosford (who was also appointed governor) and
two other commissioners, and five reports and ap-
pendixes, pubhshed in 1837, are the only result of
their labors. In the divisions which took place in
the House of Assembly, the British party divided from
8 to 11 in house of 88 members. The grievances of the
western province were set forth in the report of a
committee of their House of Assembly, v/ho adopted
it, and laid it before the king. The extent and abase of
the crown patronage ; the virtual irresponsibility of
the executive ; the mode of conducting the business
of the provincial post-office; the management of the
Toronto College ; the provision made for the ecclesi-
astical establishment, and for the maintenance of
certain sects only (the House say they " recognise no
particular denomination as established in Canada
■with exclusive claims, powers, or privileges";) the
partiality shown in the choice of magistrates ; the
MONTREAL. 143
absence of control over the crown revenues ; and the
failure on the part of the local, to carry into effect the
recommendations of the general, government, are the
most prominent of the grievances set forth. Subse-
quent to this, Sir F. Head replaced Sir J. Colborne
as governor, in 1836 ; and during his government the
outl)reak under Mackenzie and others took place;
which ultimately led to* the suppression of the con-i
stitution, and the union of the two provinces under
one government.
MONTREAL.
A tov/n and river port of British America, and the
second city and chief seat of the commerce of East
Canada ; on the S. side of the island of Montreal, in
the St. Lawrence, 150 miles in a direct line S. W. of
Quebec ; lat. 45° 30' W., long. 73° 25' N. Popula-
tion, with its suburbs, in 1840, 27,297. Its site is
not so com»ianding as that of Quebec, but it is in
every '^cfter respect superior to that city. It is not so
crowded ; and some even of its oldest streets are of
colerable breadth. Montreal is divided into the Up-
per and the Lower Town ; the difference in their
elevation is but slight, but the former being the more
modern is the handsomer division. It has several
suburbs, including which it stretches along the river
for 2 miles from N. to S., and has for some distance
a nearly equal breadth inland. The battlemented
wall with which it was formerly surrounded, has long
fallen into decay, and it is no^v entirely open, the
wooded heights around being covered with villas and
pleasure grounds. In the Lower Town, Paul street,
the chief commercial thoroughfare, extends parallel
with the river the whole length of the city ; and in the
Upper Town several streets proceed in the same di-
rection, communicating with Paul street by cross
streets. In the Upper town and suburbs, which are
mostly inhabited by the principal merchants, many of
144 MONTREAI;.
the houses are handsomely and solidly built in the
modern style ; but in the Lower town they are prin-
cipally of a gloomy looking grey stone, with dark iron
window-shutters and tinned roofs. Along the bank
of the river is an extensive line of quays and ware-
houses. Many of the houses in the suburbs are built
of wood, but there are no wooden buildings within the
space once encompassed by the walls ; and this city
and Quebec have more of the aspect of old European
towns than any other towns in America.
The most remarkable pubhc edifice is the Roman
Catholic cathedral, opened in 1829, and superior to
any other church in British America. It is of Gothic
architecture, 255i feet in length by 134^ in breadth.
It is faced with stone, and roofed with tin, and has 6
towers, of which the three belonging to the main front
are 220 feet in height. On the roof is a promenade,
76 feet in length by 20 in breadth, elevated 120 feet.
The principal window is 64 feet m height, and 32 in
breadth. The interior is capable of accommodating
from 10,000 to 12,000 persons, who may cll»perse by
numerous outlets in 5 or 6 minutes. It comprises 7
chapels, and 9 spacious aisles. There are several
other Roman Catholic churches, mostly belonging to
the order of St. Sulpice ; to the members of which
Montreal chiefly owed its foundation, and who still
hold the seignory of the island upon which it stands.
The seminary of St. Sulpice, a large and commo-
dious building adjoining the cathedral, occupies three
sides of an oblong area, 13'3 feet in length by 29 deep,
and is surrounded by sp cious gardens. A hand-
some additional building, 210 feet by 45 feet, has
been lately erected, at an expense of ^£10,000. In
these establishments, students in most of the higher
branches of learning are taught at very moderate
charges. The principal English church is a hand-
some building, in the Grecian style, surmounted by a
high and beautiful spire. It has also a Scotch kirk,
an American Protestant church, and chapels belong-
MONTREAL. 145
ing to the Methodists and Scotch dissenters. The
Montreal General Hospital, erected in 18:21-2 by vol-
untary subscription, a large and well-built edifice, is
said to be one of the best regulated institutions of
the kind in America. A large conventual structure,
the Hotel Dieii, occupied by a superior, matron and
thirty-six nuns, is appropriated to the reception of the
sick and indigent ; and the convent of the Grey
Sisters partly serves as an asylum for the aged and
infirm, the insane, foundlings, &c.
The SoBurs Noires, have an extensive convent,
founded in 1650;' its inmates consist of a superior
and 60 nuns, whose duties are directed to the edu-
cation of young girls. The court-house and prison
are substantial buildings, occupying the site of the
former college of the Jesuits. The government house,
bank, barracks, ordnance office, and 4market.houses
are among the remaining principal buildings. In one
of the squares is a colossal statue of Nelson, placed
on a Doric column, the pedestal of which has bas-
reliefs representing his principal actions. Besides
the educational establishments noticed above, Mon-
treal has a college, with a principal and 4 professors, a
royal grammar school, parochial, union, national, Sun-
day, and other public schools ; and many good private
French and English seminaries. The university of
iM'Gill college, endowed by a citizen of Montreal, in
1814, with a valuable estate, and c€10,000 in money,
was chartered in 1821, and is conducted on a hberal
and enlarged scale. Montreal has a penitentiary, a
house of industry, a savings bank, a natural history so.
ciety, a mechanics' institution, a central auxiliary soci-
ety for promoting education and industry, bible and
tract, agricultural and horticuUural societies, several
public libraries, an excellent news-room, &c. Several
newspapers and other periodical publications issue
from the presses of the town. The position of Montreal
at the head of the ship navigation of the St. Lawrence,
and near the confluence of that river with the Ottawa,
13
I4ff MO^'TRfcAL.
as well as its situation with respect to the United States,
necessarily make it one of the greatest emporiums of
America.
The harbor, though not large, is secure, and vessels
drawing 15 feet water may lie close to the shore. Itst
general depth of water is from 3 to 4^ fathoms. Ita
chief disadvantage consists in the rapid of St. Mary's
about 1 mile below, which vessels often find it diffi-
cult to stem. To obviate the obstructions in the nav-
igation above Montreal, the La Chine canal, 9 miles
long, 20 feet wide, and 5 feet in depth, was undertaken
in 1821, and coanpleted at an expense of i^l30,000.
The communication with the opposite sides of the
river is carried on by several steam and other vessels ;
and during the summer, a regular steamboat commu-
nication is kept up with Quebec. At this season,
vast rafts of timber come down, and pass the city for
Quebec ; and scows, bateaux of about 6 tons, and,
Durham boats, bring to Montreal the produce of the
Upper Country. Neither is the trade of Montreal sus-
pended in winter, like that of Quebec. Thousands
of sledges may then be seen coming in from all di-
rections with agricultural produce, frozen carcasses
of beef and pork, firewood and other articles. Mon-
treal is the centre of the commerce between Canada,
and the United States, carried on by Lake Champlain
and the Hudson ; and not only is it the dep6t of all
the adjacent country, but most of the business done
in Quebec is carried on by branches from the Mon-
treal houses. In 1838, 98 ships, of the aggregate
burden of 22,289 tons, entered, and 99 ships, burden
21,901 tons, left the port. Formerly this city was the
head quarters of the fur trade, but its interest in it
has greatly declined. It has, however, cast-iron foun-
dries, distilleries, breweries, soap, candle and tobacco
manufactories, several ship building establishments,
and machinery for steam-engines. Various articles
of hardware, linseed oil, floor-cloth, &c., are made in
the town. The markets are abundantly supplied with
MONTKEAL. 149'
good butchers' meat, fish, poultry, fruit, vegetables,
&c. About three-fourths of the population are of
French descent; the remainder, consisting principal-
ly of emigrants from the United Kingdom, Americans,
and Iroquois Indians. Montreal, originally called
Villemarie, was talien from the French, in 176©.
The environs of Montreal also present many objects
worthy a stranger's attention: as the " Mountain," La
Chine Canal, and the Rapids, which it is designed to
overcome: those of the Cedres, &c. ; indeed the
entire island is replete witli interesting objects, an in-
spection of which will amply repay the time devoted
to it ; and, more remote, are the celebrated Caledo-
nia Springs, which, though known and resorted to
by the Indians of the neighborhood for many years
past, have but lately received that attention from the
public which their medicinal and healing qualities de-
mand. They are situated about 70 miles nearly due
west from Montreal, at the head of a small affluent of
the Ottawa, in Caledonia township, where a town has
been laid off, and buildings erected for the accom-
modation of visiters. The chief of these springs are
designated as the "white sulphur,''^ *^ saline" and
^^gas" springs, respectively. The latter emits an in-
flammable gas, probably carburetted hydrogen, which
answers the purpose of lighting some of the buildings.
The route commonly taken from Montreal to the
springs, is by the villages of St. Eustache, Point For-
tune, Hawkesbury, L'Original, &,c. A water route,
which increases the distance somewhat, is afforded
by the Ottawa, which conducts to L'Original, whence
passengers are conveyed in stages, a distance of 8
miles, to the springs.
JRoute from Montreal to Quebec, hy steamboat.
On leaving Montreal, the first village that presents
itself is Boucherville, nearly opposite the lower suburb
©f Montreal ; which, like most of the Tillages that lixu^
148 ROUTE PROM
the shores of the St. Lawrence, presents a remark,
ably neat appearance. Indeed the entire bank is
occupied by a continued succession of villages, with
their churciies and tiii covered houses, or cottages,
which add hfe and animation to the natural scenery,
which is beautiful to a high degree. The rapids of
St. Mary's, about 2 miles below the city, serve to in-
crease the speed of the steamer, which soon reaches
Varennes. — A beautiful village, nearly opposite
the north point of Montreal island. Ten miles farther
on is St. Sulpice, then Valtrie, both on the left.
After proceeding some 5 or 6 miles, the pretiy little
town of Noraye comes in view ; it is on the left bank
of the St. Lawrence, which is here broken by several
small islands, nearly opposite to which is William
Henry, a small fortress situated at the confluence of
the Richlieu, the outlet of lake Champlain, with the
St. Lawrence. Immediately on leaving AVilliam
Henry, Lake St Peter is entered through a perfect
labyrinth of islands. It is an expansion orthe St.
Lawrence, about 10 miles in width, and 20 in length.
The rivers St. Francis and Yaynasca enter it from
the south-east. At the mouth of the latter is the neat
village of Yamasca; then follow those of Baie, St.
Isabelle, and Gregoire, all on the right bank of the
lake; which, at the latter village, contracts to the width
of one mile. Point du Lac, another pretty village, is
situated at the point where the St. Lawrence emerges
from the lake, and from which is seen the ancient
town of Three Rivers, the half-way station between
Montreal and Quebec. This tov/n, which is third in
point of j:ize in Canada, is situated on the nortli bank
of the St. Lawrence, where it is joined by the St.
Maurice. It derives its name from two small islands
at the mouth of the St. Plaurice, which divides it into
three channels ; but the town is on the west bank of
that river. The situation is pleasant, though the town
itself, which is one of the oldest in Canada, is less
attractive. It contains about 450 dvvelling houses.
IIONTREAI. TO qDEBEC. li^
mostly buJh of wood ; a handsome court-Loaee, a jaiU
a Caiholic and a Protestant church, an Ursulino
convent, founded in 1677, and some other public edi-
fices. Here the courts of justice for the district are
held ; and here, atone period, a great share of the fur
trade centered ; but its general trade i as been mostly
absorbed by Quebec and Montreal. Three Rivers
was once the capital of Canada. It. population is
ahout 4,000, mostly descendants of French, and the
names of its streets are nearly all derived from those
of Paris. It is 96 miles from Montreal, and 84 from
Quebec. Ten miles below Three Rivers, on the left,
is the village of Champlain, and 4 miles beyond is
that of Batiscon. St. Pierre next presents itself on
the right, and then St. Anne on the left ; these are
succeeded by Grondines on the left, Lotbiniere on the
right, and Dechamhault on the north bank; all re-
markably neat little hamlets, united together by &
string of white cottages, equally neat in their appear-
ance. About 7 miles below the latter, situated on the
south bank of the river is St. Croix, and immediately
opposite, is the village of Cape Sante; thence to St.
Augustine on the left and St. Nicolas on the right is
about 18 miles. The new town of Liverpool is next
reached, from which Quebec is in full view. The fact
of the near approach to a large city, is made abun-
dantly evident by the improved appearance of the
coltagps and seats which line both banks of the river,
increasing in number as the city is approached.
QUEBEC*
The city of Quebec is situated on the left or north-
west bank of the St. Lawrence, at the point where
it is intersected by the St. Charles, about 350 miles
from the mouth of the former. By a late census it
was found to contain 27,562 inhabitants, but its po.
pulation may be estimated at 30,000. The city oc-
13*
150 QUEBEC.
cupies the extremity of a ridge, terminating in the
angle formed by the junction of the two rivers, in the
point called Cape Diamond, rising to the height of
nearly 340 feet above the St. Lawrence. The cape
is surmounted by the citadel; and the town extends
from it, principally in a N. E. direction, down to ihe
water's edge. It is divided, from the difference of
elevation, into the Upper and Lower towns. The
old town, which hes wholly without the walls, partly
at the foot of Cape Diamond and round to the St.
Charles, has narrow and dirty, and, in parts, steep
streets. The ascent from the Lower to the Upper
town, which crosses the line of the fortifications, is by
a winding street, and by flights of steps. The streets
in the latter, though rather narrow, are generally
clean, and tolerably well paved, or macadamised.
Both towns are wholly built of stone; and the public
buildings, and most of the houses in the Upper town,
are roofed with tin plates, the glitter of which, in the
sun, has a brilliant and striking effec?^, but is destruc-
tive of every thing that Europeans have been accus-
tomed to call grand and venerable. In the Lower
town the houses are mostly covered with shingles.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS, &C.
Quebec Exchange, situated at the east end of
St. Paul street, is a fine stone structure, having a read-
ing room 50 by 30 feet in the second, and a public
hbrary in the third stories. The Quebec Board of
Trade have apartments on the same fioor with the
library. Several capacious warehouses have lately
been erected.
Trinity House, near the Exchange, is occupied
by an incorporated body, who is charged with the
supervision and regulation of the pilots who navigate
the river.
QUEBEC. 151
Custom House, is a neat stone edifice, well adapt-
ed to the purposes to which it is devoted. Adjoining
the Custom House is the
King^s Wharf, used as a place of landing and em-
barkation of the troops, &c. The immense ware-
house of the commissary stands near the wharf.
Hotel Dieu, one of the most extensive buildings
in Canada, is situated between Hope and Palace
gates. It is 390 feet in length, 51 in width, and 3
stories high, with a wing on the N. W. side 2 stories
high and 150 feet long. There are several fine pic-
tures here, chiefly by French artists. The Hotel Dieu
is a most valuable hospital. The nuns here not only
act as nurses to the sick who are admitted into the
establishment, but also as teachers of young females.
Ursuline Convent, is an appropriate structure, 114
by 40 feet, and two stories high, with extensive or-
namented grounds, inclosed within a stone wall : the
chapel, which is adorned by several valuable pictures,
is 95 by 45 feet, of plain exterior, but some of its in-
terior decorations are splendid. The remains of Mont-
calm, who was killed at the attack of Quebec, in 1759,
by General Wolfe, were interred near the chapel.
Quebec Seminary, on Market square, is a three
story building, 210 feet in length and 42 feet in depth,
with rear projections 168 feet long. The hall, or
chapel, is decorated by Ionic columns. The bishop
of the diocese and his assistants reside here. The
library consists of nearly 10,000 volumes, and the cab-
inet embraces a fine series of mineralogical speci-
mens, fossils, &c., to which a choice collection of
paintings has been added.
Castle of St Louis, the government palace of former
times : of this once immense structure, nothing is now
to be seen but its blackened and naked walls. It was
destroyed by fire in 1S34
Govermnent offices, occupy an extensive building
on Front street, in which also is the museum of the
Canadian Society of Arts.
152 QUEBEC.
Monument to Wolfe and Montcalm, on Dea Cnr-
rieres street. Jesuit's Barracks, a quadrangular builds
ing of stone, formerly occupied by the Jesuits as a
college, is situated on the Market place, opposite the
French cathedral.
Parliament House, is a fine three story structure
of wrought stone, consisting of a main building, with
two wings. Its massive /ront is embellished by four
Ionic colums, with a pediment. The Colonial As-
sembly met here until 1841, when the constitution of
the province was abrogated.
Court House, a plain building of gray-stone, 13G
by 46 feet, is situated at the corner of St. Louis street
and the Place d'Armes. The building, which is sur-
rounded by an iron railing, is occupied by the vari-
ous courts, officers of the police, sheriff, &c.
Masonic Hall, opposite the post-office.
Marine Hospital, a beautiful Ionic structure, fouf
stories high and 206 feet long, is situated on the bank
of Charles river. Its grounds are extensive and
beautifully ornamented.
Among the places of worship, the following de-
serve notice : the French Eo7nan Catholic Cathe-
dral, east of the Market place, a neat building 216
by 108 feet, with a spire ; Catholic Church of the
Congregation, near the western termination of the
esplanade ; Notre Dame des Victoires, erected in
1690, on the Market place ; English Cathedral, 134
by 73 feet, with a chime of 8 bells ; Holy Trinity,
in Stanislaus street; St. Matthews, a free church;
St Paul's; St. Patrick's, St. Helen street; Scotch
Church, in St. Anne street; St. John's, in St. Fran-
cis street; Methodist Church, St. Anne street, and
another in Champlain street.
The Citadel, over Cape Diamond, includes an area
of about 40 acres ; and is formidable alike from its
position and the extent of its works, constructed on a
gigantic scale, and on the most approved principles.
The Citadel contains the armory, magazine, storehouse
QUEBEC. 153
and barracks for the officers. The line of the forti-
fications, which stretches nearly across the peninsula
on the west, and runs along a ridge between the Up-
per and Lower towns, is intersected by five gates,
and has an inner circuit of about two and a half miles.
On the west, beyond the ramparts, which are 25 or
30 feet in height, are the extensive suburbs of St.
Roche, St. Louis and St. John. Military parades
take place daily on the great plain within the ram-
parts.
Dalhousie Gate, is the principal entrance to the
citadel, which is 200 feet above the site of the Upper
town, and is approached by a winding road up the
glacis from St. Louis gate, which is defended by out-
works of great strength. The main guard-rooms are
immediately within the Dalhousie gate. From the
bastion, which affords a splendid view of the city and
its environs, cannon point in every direction.
Palace Gate, which is near the barracks, with a
guard-house adjoining, is a fine specimen of archi-
tecture.
Hope Gate conducts to the ascent of Cape Dia-
mond on the east, on which point is the great battery
of 32 pounders, which commands the basin and har-
bor. This point is upwards of 300 feet above the St.
Lawrence.
Prescott Gate, on Mountain street, is the barrier
between the Upper and Lower towns. It is connected
with the castle of St. Louis.
St. Louis' Gate opens the way to the Plains of
Abraham, which are reached by a beautiful avenue,
well lined with fine buildings.
St. John's Gate leads to the suburb of St. John.
Public Promenade, on the summit of the ramparts
of Cape Diamond, is a wide covered way, which af-
fords' a magnificent viev/ in all directions.
Governor's Gardens, south-west of the ruins of St.
Louis, occupy a field 540 by 210 feet, which is de-
fended by a small battery.
154 QUEBEC.
Among the establishments for educational purpo«
ses, the first place is due to the French college. It
has a principal, and professors of theology, rhetoric,
and mathematics, with 5 regents for the Latin and
Greek classes. Here is, also, a royal grammar
school, a classical academy, a national school, and
many French and English private schools. A royal