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LeMOINE, PUKSIDENT OF THE LITKBAHY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP QUEBEC; MEMBUB LIBRE DE LA SOClllTf; AMEUICAINB DB PRANCE, AC, 40. MONTREAL : DAWSON BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 1882. % FC ="*''^''=;;L"»iv.t°<5£e''i^srM!Lt„Ti;Su!:?e.--- OAZETTK PRINTING COMPANY. TO TII£ CITIZENS OF QUEBEC THIS VOLUME IS BY THE AUTHOR. lU i^« PREFACE. This volume, purporting to bo a sequel to "Quebec Past and Present," published in 1870, is intended to complete the history of the city. New and interesting details will be found in these pages, about the locality, where Samuel de Champlain located his settlement in 1608, together with a rapid glance at incidents, sights, objects, edifices, city gates and other improvements, both ancient and modern, which an antiquarian's ramble round the streets, squares, promenades, monuments, public and pri- vate edifices, &c., may disclose. It will, it is hoped, be found a copious repository of historical, topogi-aphical, legendary, industrial and antiquarian lore — garnered not without some trouble from authorities difficult of access to the general reader. May it prove not merely a faithful mirror of the past, but also an authentic record of the present ! The Sketch of the Environs of Quebec will take the tourist or student of history beyond the ramparts of Old Stadacona, to the memorable area — the Plains of Abraham — — where, one century back and more, took place the hard- fought duel which caused the collapse of French power in the New World, established British rule on our shores, and hastened the birth of the great Commonwealth founded by G-eorge Washington, by removing from the British Pro- vinces, south of us, the counterpoise of French dominion. VI PHEFACE. More than once French Canada had threatened the New England Settlements ; more than once it had acted like a barrier to the expansion and consolidation of the conquering Anglo-Haxon race. The Envihons of Quebec are, indeed, classic soil, trodden by the ibotsteps of many of the most remarkable men in American History: Cartier, Champlain, Phipps, d'Iberville, Laval, Frontenac, La Gralissonnere, Wolfe, Montcalm, Levis, Amherst, Murray, Guy Carleton, Nelson, Cook, Bougainville, .Tcrvis, Montgomery, Arnold, DeHala- berry. Brock and others. Here, in early times, on the shore of the majestic St. Lawrence, stood the wigwam and canoe of the marauding savage ; here, was heard the clang of French sabre and Scotch claymore in deadly encounter — the din of battle on the tented field ; here, — but no further — had surged the wave of American invasion ; here, have bivouaced on more than one gory battle-field, the gay warrior from the banks of the Seine, the staunch musketeers of Old England, the unerring riflemen of New York, Massa- chusetts and Rhode Island. Another spot calculated to interest us is the vast expanse from the Plains to Cap Rouge, round by Ste. Foye to the city, for which I intend to use its former more general name, Sillery : the ground is not new for us, as its annals and country seats furnished, in 1865, materials for sketches, published that year under the title oi Maple Leaves. These sketches having long since disappeared from book-stores, at the request of several en- lightened patrons, I re-publish from them some selections, with anecdotes and annotations. Several other sites round Quebec — Beauport, Charlesbourg, the Falls of Montmo- rency and of the Chaudiere, Chateau Bigot, Loretto and its Hurons — will, of necessity, find a resting place in this repertory of Quebec history, which closes a labour of love, the series of works on Canada, commenced by me in 1861. PitKFACR. Vll 111 order to (Mihaiir*. (li<. asduliuiss of ih , . , , . . i'^ work, exten- sive and varied historical matter has been included in Ih,. appendix for rei'erenee. To my many friends, whose notes and advi<-o have been so Ireely placed at my disposal, I return mv grateful thanks. * ° J. M. LeMoine. Spenceu Granoe, Decemher, 1881. i ii^ ' "h Wu CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. FIEST IMPRESSIONS OF QUEBEC. Quebec as seen by Tourists — Descriptions — by Francis Park- man — M. Sand — Eliot Warburlon — Thoreau — Mrs. Moodie— Charles Dickens — Marniier — Sir Cliarles Dilko — Henry Ward Beecher — Professor Siiliman — Charles Lever— Capt. Butler— Alfred Hawkins — Hon. P. J. O. Chauvcau PAGE CHAPTER II. FOUNDATION OF QUEBEC. Samuel de Champlain— i'^6 THE LOWER TOWN. Le Chien d'Or — The Elevator — Mountain Hill — Landing of the Marquis de Tracy — Landing of the Earl of Durham — The Inconstants — St. Peter Street — Jean Tacdid — The Chronicle Building — The Noptimo inn — Press Gangs at Quebec — Notre Dame Des Victoires — Notre Dame Street — Dalhousie Street — Public Whipping — Sous-le-Fort Street— The Cul-de-Sac— The King's Wharf— A Fight- ing Stevedore — M. Marmior — Sault-au-Matelot Street — Dog Lane — St. Paul Street — Pointe ii Carey — The Duke of Saxe Weimar 170 CONTENTS. XI. ST. ROCII'S SUBURBS. PAGE La Friponno — The rnleiKlaiit Bigol — The Intcndant's Palace — La Vachci-ie — Cole a Coton — St, Valior Street — The Blue House — Horatio XcIhou in Quebec — Dorchester Bridge — Crown Street — The Harbour Docks — The Graving Dock at Levis 212 THE (lATES OF QUEBEC. The New Gates— The Kent Gate — Tlie Citadel Gates— Theller and Dodge's h]scapo from the Citadel — The Men of '37 244 CHAPTER IV. 8UBURDB OF QUEBEC. St. Louis Eoud — Parliament Buildings — Bleak House — Mar- tello Towers — Buttcs-a-Nepveu — Wolfe's Landing Place — Ste. Foye Eoad — Association Hall 254 CHAPTER V. MODERN QUEBEC. City Government — Boundaries of the Wards — War Depart- ment Property 266 PART J I. THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. PAGE SiLLERY 273 Our Country Seats 300 The Plains OF Abraham ;!01 The Battle-field ;{04 Battle-field Park 311 The Duke of Kent's Lodge — Montmohenci 312 L'AsYLE CiLAJIpfiTRE 319 Marohmont — Anecdote of Wolfe's Army 323 f \i XII. CONTENTS. PAGE WoLFESFiELD — Cai'lylo'w Account of the Capture of Quebec. 327 Elm Grove 330 Thorniiilt 330 Spencer Wood — The l^orceviil Family — A Fgte Champetre in 1809 332 Spencer Grancje — Audubon at Quebec. . . , 344 Bagatelle Cottage 349 woodfield 350 Sous LES Bois 354 Sillery House 355 St. Michael's Church — Sillery 355 Mount Hermon 356 Bardfield — Tlio Mountain Family 361 Benmore — Tlie Sparrows and (Quails 363 Clermont 367 The Wild Flowers of Sillery 368 Beauvoir 373 Montague Cottage — The History of Emily Montague 375 Kirk Ella 378 Cataracoui 380 EosEwooD 381 E.AVEN8W00D 382 The Woods of Sillery 384 longwood 385 Meadowbanks — A Eaid in 1775 390 The Highlands 393 Winter Fox Hunting in Canada 394 Cap Rouge Cottage 397 Beausbjour 404 Belmont — Irish Kducation in the Olden Time 405 Holland Farm 410 The Holland Tree — A Scandal of the last Century 413 Hamwood 417 Bijou — Anecdote of Wolfe's Army 419 Morton Lodge 422 Westfield 423 Coucy-le-Castel 426 Ringfield — Joui'nal of Chevalier Johnstone 428 Castor ViLLE 434 The Joys of Winter 436 i I CONTENTS. xin. PAGE The Manor House — Beauport — The Inscription 43fl Mount Lilac — Beauport 448 A Visit to Indian Lorette 453 Tahourbnciie and the Hurons of Lorette 45G Indian Customs 4G0 Chateau Bioot — The Algonquin Maid — Marmette's Romance 4G7 The Falls OF the ChaudierI; 480 I appendix. PAaB Jacques Cartier's Officers and Crew 483 Jacques Quartler, the Pilot 484 Discovery of the Remains of Jacques Cartiei's Vessel 484 The Bronze Cannon 487 The French who remained after the Capitulation of 1629 488 The Arms of the Dominion 489 Militia Uniforms 491 Horses 492 Ship-huilding at Quebec under French Domination 493 The Conquest of New York 495 The French Refugees of Oxford, Mass 497 The Venerable Mother of the Incarnation 499 Variation of the Needle at Quebec 500 Our City Bells 501 General Wolfe's Statue 502 Vente d'une N6gre8se Ji Quebec 505 The Ice-Shove— April 1874 506 The Pistols and Sash of General Wolfe 507 The Post Office 508 Monument to the Victims of 1837-8 510 Fines for Duelling 512 Memorabilia 513 Executions at Quebec Gaol 514 Quebec Golf Club 518 Quebec Snowshoe Club 519 fl XIV. CONTENTS. PAGE French Governors of Canada 522 English Governors 523 MAPS, Plan of Quebec in 1759 To face titlo. Map to Illustrate the Siege of Quebec in 1759 To face p. 301 JMap to Illustrate Operations of fronerals tie Levis and Murray, 1759-GO To face p. 419 Plan of the Links— Quebec Golf Club To fiice p. 518 I ; K R li ATA. 1^ Page 6 Foot note, for •• 18G9 " read 1851. Page 27, line 31, for " 1872 " read 1873. Page 34, line 4, of foot note for » 1871 " read 1873. Page 107, line II (f) add a brother of de Longueuil. Page 158, line 18, for " 1872 " read 1873. Page 182, last line of note, leave out " resided at Quebec 1741-46." Page 186, line 34, for "belonged," read, is said to have belonged. Page 214, line 4, for " 1775 " read 1757. Page 262, line 13, read " contains several windows." Page 263, foot note, read " Kibk Ella, the property of Charles Ernest Levey, Esquire, Meadowbank the summer residence of Lt.-Col. Andrew Stuart." Page 299, line 1 3, for " Sames " read Samos. Page 316, line 20, for •' Sarnoe " read Darnoe. Page 331, line 18, for " Shears " read Stuart. Page 337, line 30, for " Taihereau " read Taachereau. Page 463, line 26, for " none " read some. Page 438, line 35, for " Heure " read Hector. Page 467, line 32, for " Benj-" read Benson J. Page 470, line 4 from bottom for " 15,000 leagues " read 15,000 arpents. The description of AtiVLK CiiAMPiruE was written by Dr. P. Bender, the biogriiplier of Jo.seph Perrault, the founder of Abylk Uhamp4tkk. PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. CHAPTER 1. FIRST IMPUESSIONS OF QUEliEC. Quebec, Ibunded by Samuel de Champlain, in 1608, has certainly much to rei^ommend her, by her monuments, her historical memories and her scenery, to the traveller — the scholar — the historian. The vvinterini'- oi' the venture- some Jacques Cartier on the banks ol' the St. ('harles in 1585-6, by its remoteness, is an incident ol' interest, not only to Canadians, but also to every deni/t^n of America. It takes one back to an era nearly coeval with the discovery of the continent by Columbus — much anterior to the foun- dation of Jamestown, in 1607 — anterior to that of St. Augus- tine, in Florida. Quebec, has, then, a right to call herself an old, a very old, city of the west. The colonization of Canada, or, as it was formerly called. New France, was undertaken by French meri^hants en- gaged in the fur trade, close on whose steps followed a host of devoted missionaries who found, in the forests A i^^ f IP \ I PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Wi of this now and attractive country, ample scope for the exercise of their religious enthusiasm. It was at Quebec that these Christian heroes landed ; from hence they started for the forest primeval, the bearers of Ihe olive branch of Christianity, an unfailing token of civilization. A fatal mistake committed at the; outset by the French commanders, in taking sides in tlni Indian wars, more than once brought the incipient colony to the verge of ruin. During these periods, scores of devoted missionaries fell under the scalping knife or suHcrcHl incredible tortures amongst thi^ merciless savages whom they had com<^ to reclaim. Indian massacres became so frequent, so appall- ing, that on several occasions th»; French thought seriously of giving up the colony forever. The rivalry betwi'cn France and England, added to th«^ hardships and dangers of the few hardy colonists established at Quebec. Its environs, the shores of its noble river, more than once be- came the battle-lield of European armies. These are periods of strife, happily gone by, we hope, forever. In his " Pioneers of France in this New World" the gifted Francis Parkman mournfully reviews the vanished glories of old France in her former vast dominions in America : — " The French dominion is a memory of the past ; and when we evoke its departed shades, they rise upon us from their graves in strange romantic guise. Again their ghostly camp-tires seem to burn, and the fitful light is cast arounil on U)rd and vassal and blacki'obed priest, mingled with wild foi-ms of savage warriors, knit in close fellowship on the same stern errand. A boundless vision grows upon us: an unlamcd continent; vast wastes of . forest verdure; mountains silent in primeval sloop; river, lake, and glimmering pool; wilderness oceans mingling with Uie sky. Such was the domain which Franco concpiered for civilization. Plumed helmets gleamed in the shade of its forests ; priestly vest- ments in its dons and fastnesses of ancient barbarism. Men stooped in antique learning, pale with the close breath of tho cloister, hero spent tho noon and evening of their lives, ruled savage hoi-des with a mild, parental sway, and stood sorono before tho dii'ost shapes of death. Men of a courtly nurture, heirs to the polish of a far-reaching ancestry, here, with theh' dauntless hardihood, put to shame the boldest sons of toil." AS Sh'f'JN /!)■ TOVniSTS. 8 Of all this mighty ciripin^ ol' the past, Qiu'lu'c was tho uiulisputod capiial, the ibrtn'ss, Wu\ keystone. a curious study to [)lace in juxtaposition s [noducod ou Tourists hy tho viovv oi" It would tho impression Quebeo and its environs — Iroin the I'ra of .larques Oarlier, th«* discoverer of (Simula, down to thut of the Jilarl of DuH'evin, one of its truest friiMids. Champlain, La I'otherie, La llontan, Le Heau, l)u Creux ((^reuxius), Peter Kalni, Knox, Sillimaii, Ampere, Mrs, Moodie, ])ith hrave (Jenerals, and on whi(di their names an^joiidly written. " The city is rich in pulilic institutions and in Catholic churches and chai'ities, hut it is maiidy in the ])ros|)ect from the site of the Old (lovernnnMit. Ifousi^ and from the ('ita)'itish America, and the key of the St. Lawi'once, Quebec must possess interest of no ordinary char- acter for well-informed tourists. To the traveller, there are innumerable points and items vastly interesting^ and curioi's : — the citadel and forts of Cape Diamond, with their ini]ire,i,'nablo ramparts that rival (Jibraltar in strennth and endurance against siege; the old walls of the city and their gates, each of which has its legend of war and bloody assault and repulse; the plains of Abraliam, every foot of which is commemorated Avith blood and battle ; Wolfe's monument, where tho gallant and bravo soldier died with a shotit of victory on his lips; the iMartcllo towers, with their subterianean communications with the citadel; tho antique churches, paintings, and all their ])ara])heiiialia, ti-easures, and eui'iositics that arc religiously j)reseived therein; the falls of Montmorency; the natural steps ; Montcalm's house, and a thous- and other i-elics of the mysteiious past that has hallowed tliese with all tho mystic interest that attaches to anti(piity, great deeds, and beautiful memories. To see all these, a tourist requires at least two daj's' time; and siii'oly no one who pieteiids to bo a traveller, in these daj's of rapid transit will fail to visit Quebec, the best city, tho most hospitable place, and i-icher in its wealth of rare sights and grand old memorials, Fj'eneh peculiarities and English oddities, tha?) any otlior city on this broad continent." "Leaving the citadel, we are once more in the European Mid- dle ages. Gates and posterns, eraidcy steps that load up to lofty, gabled houses, with sharp Fi-eneh roofs of bui-nished tin, like those of Liege; processions of the Host; altars decked with flowers; statues of the Virgin ; sabots, blouses, and tho scarlet of tlie British lines-man, — all those are seen in narrow streets and markets that are graced with many a Cotentin lace cap, and all within forty miles of the down-oast, Yaidcee state of Maine. It is not far from New England to Old France There has been no dying out of the race among the French Canadians. They number twenty times the thousand that they did 100 years ]'j|' i( S ^ PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. ago. The American Hoil lias left physical type, religion, language, and laws absoliiloly nntoiichod. Thoy herd together in their rambling villages, dance lo the fiddle after Afass on Smidaj's, — as gayly as once did their Norman sires, — and keep up the fleur- de-li/s and the memory of Montcalm. More French than '' the French are the Lower Canada hahitans. The pulse-beat of the continent finds no eclio here." — (Sir ('harles DilUe.) In the rosy days oi' his ])uddi]it»- fainc, tho g-iftod Henry Ward Beecher discoursed as follows of the Rock City^: — "Curious old Quebec! — of all the cities on the continent of America, the quaintest It is a populated clitf. It is a mighty rock, scarped and graded, and made to hold houses and castles which, by a proper natural law, ought to slide off i'roni its back, like an ungirded load from a camel's back. But tliey stick. At the foot of the rocks, the space of several streets in width has been stolen from the river AVe landed "Away we went, climbing the stee]> streets at a cantei- with little horses hai-dly bigger than tlies, with an aptitude for climb- ing per])endicular walls. It was strange to enter a walled cit}' through low and gloomy gates, on this continent of America. Here was a small bit of mediieval Europe pei-ehed u))on a rock, and dried for keeping, in this north-east corner of America, a curiosity that has not its equal, in its kind, on this side of the ocean "We rode about as if Ave were in a picture-book, turning over a new leaf at each sti-eet! Tiie place should alwaj's be kept old. Ijct people go somewhei-e else i'or modern improve- ments. It is a shame, when (Quebec placed lierseH'far out of the way, up in the very neighbourhood of Hudson's Bay, that it should be hunted and hai-assed with new-fangled notions, and that all the chaiming inconveniences and irregulai-ities of narrow and toi'tuous streets, that so delight a traveller's eyes, should bo altei-ed to suit the fantastic notions of modern jieople "Our stay in (Quebec was loo short by fai-. But it was long enough to make it certain that we shall come back again. A summer in Canada would form one of the most delightful holidays that we can imagine. We mean to prove our sincerity by our conduct. And then, if it is not all that our imagination promises, we will write again and confess." Professor Benjamin Silliman discourses thus : — "A seat of ancient dominion — now hoary with the lapse of * The New Fork Ledger. AS SEEN BY TOURISTS. d more than two centuries — formerly the seat of a French empire in the west — lost and won hy the blood of i^allant armies, and of illnstrious commanders — Ihi-oned on a rock, and defended hy all the proud defiance of wai-! Who could approach such a ci(y without emotion ? Who in Canada has not Ionised to cast his eyes on the watei'-t^irt rocks and towers of (iuehec." — (Silliinan's Tour in Canada, 1819.) Charles l^over has h^l't a curious o-liini)S(» of Quebec from Diamoucl Harbour, as seeu by his iiicoinparaljh' Irish Gil Bias, Mr. Cornelius Cregau, the appreciated lodger of Madam Thomas John Davis at the " Hotel Davis." "As viewed fi-om Diamond Ilarliour, a more striking city than Quebec is seldom seen. The great rock rising above the Lower Town, and crowned with its batteries, all bristling with guns, seemed to my eyes the very realization of impregiuibilit}'. I looked upon the ship that lay tranquilly on tlie water below, and whose decks were thronged with blue-Jackets — to the High- lander who paced his short path as sentry, some hundred feet high upon the wall ol the fortress; and J thought to myself with such defenders as these that standard yonder need never carry any other banner. The whole view is ])anoramic; the bending of the river shuts out the ch.'innel by which you have made your approach, giving the semblance of a lake, on whose surface vessels of every nation lie at anchor, some with the sails hung out to di-y, gi-acefiilly di-ooping from the taper s])ars ; others refitting again tor sea, and loading the huge pine-trunks moored as vast rafts to the stern. There were ])eople everywhere; all was motion, life and activity. Jolly-boats with twenty oars, man-of-wai" gigs bounding rapidly ])ast them with eight; canoes skimming by without a j'ij)ple, and seemingly without im])ulse, till you caught sight of the lounging figure, wlio lay at full length in the stern, and whose red I'eatuivs were scarce distinguishable from the copi)er-coloured bark of his boat. Some moved upon the rafts, and even upon single trunks of trees, as, separated from the mass, they floated down on the swill current, boat-hook in hand to catch at the first object chance might offer them. The quays and the streets leading down to them were all thronged ; and as you cast j'our eyes u])wards, here and there above the tall I'oofs might be seen the winding of stairs that lead to the U])per Town, alike dark with the moving tide of men. On every embrasure and gallery, on ever}' tei'race and ])latfoi'm, it was the same. Nevei- did 1 behold such a human tide. "Now there was simiething amazingly inspiriting in all this, particularly when coming frosn the solitude and monotony of a \ I !.'( %' 10 PTOrURESQUE QUEBEC. long voyage.* The veiy voices that ye-ho6d ; tlic hoarse challenge oi" the isenlinels on the rock; the husy hum of the town — made delicious music to my ear; and I could have stood and leaned over the !)ul\varlv f'oi- hours, to gaze at the scene, f own no higher interest invested the picture — for 1 was ignorant of Wolfe. 1 had never heard of Montcalm — the phiius of " Ahr'am " were to me hut grassy slo|)es, and " nothing more*." It was the life and stir, — the tide ol' that human ocean, on which 1 longed m^'- self to be a swimmer — these were what charmed me. Nor was the deck of the old " llam})den" inactive all tlie while, although seldom attracting much of my notice: soldiers were mustering, knapsacks ])acking, rolls calling, belts butting, and coats brushing on all sides; incn gi'umbling; sergeants cursing; otlicers swear- ing; half-dressed invalids popping up their heads out of hatch- ways, answering to wrong names, and doctors ordering them down again with many an anathema: soldiei-s in the way of sailors, and sailors always hauling at something that intei'fered with the ins])ection-drill : every one in the wi'ong place, and each cursing his neighbour for stupidity. At last the shore-boats boarded us, as if our coni'usion wanted anj'thing to increase it. Eed-faced harbonr-niasters shook hands with the skipper and pilot, and disappeared into the "round-house" to discuss grog and the gales. Otticei-s from the garrison came out to welcome their friends — for it was the second battalion tVe had on board- of a regiment whose first had .been some years' in (Janada; — and then what a rush of inquiries wer(^ exchanged. "How is the Duke?" — " All quiet in England" — " No sign of war in Kurope !" — " Are the 8th come home 1" — '' Where is Forbes ?" — " JIas Davern sold out?" with a mass of such small interests as engage men who live in coteries." (Confessions of Con. Cregan, Chap XII 1.) There av(i y*^t anioiig- \\w li\'iiig' in Qiieboc many who can recall the g'ood olden limes when our t>arrison contained two re<>iments and more of Ihe red-coated soldiers ol' ]<]ngland, ai the beck of the " iron Duke" — him of Waterloo. A Haligonian tourist thus writes : — " Halifax, N. S., 1880. — 1 reached Halifax on the Saturday after leaving Quebec Nothing was wanting to make my im- pressions of Quebec perfect, but, a little more tin\e to widen, deepen and strengthen the friendships made; alas! to be severed •Bel'orc the era of tlie Allan line, sailing vessels used to land their living cargoes of forlorn emigrants iu the Lower Town, sometimes after a passage of fourteen weeks. AS SEEN nv TOURISTS. 11 (for a time) so soon. I went expceling to see a citj^ perched on a rock and inhr.bited by the de8ccn(hiiils of a conquered race with a chasm between tliem and every Kni^lislnnan in the J)()niini()n. In place of this, I found the cil_>' more jnctui'e.s(|ue, more odd, more i^rand, than I had ever imairined, and ])eopled by a race wlio, il' conquered in 1751*, have had sweet jevenife evei" since, by niaUint^ a con<]uest of every stranger wlio has entered (Quebec — tlirough his higher nature. It is no woiidei- that (Quebec has such a story of song and adventure. Thei'e is lonumce in the river and tragedy on the hill, aud while tlie memory of Wolfe and Montcalm is green, tin; city will be the Mecc-iof the Domi- nion. But kee]) the hand of the (Joth— the jtractical man — from touching the old historic, landmarks of the city. A curse has been i)ronounced on those who remove iheii- neighbours' landmark, but what shall be said of those who lemove the landmarks which separate century from century and jjcriod from perioii." (J. T. Bulmei'.) The rollovviiig" aHords a irood spt'ciineii ol" (Japt. W. F. Butler's pictorial «tyl«> : — " Spring breaks late over the j)rovince of (Quebec — that portion of America known to our fatlu^-s as Jjower Canada, and ot'old to the subjects of the (Irand iMonai'(jUe as the kingdom of New^ France. Hut when the young trees begin to ojxmi their lealy litis after the long sleep of M'inter, they do it quickly. The snow^ is not all gone before the maple trees are all green — the majtie, that most beautiful of trees ! Well has Canada made the symbol of her new nationality that tree whose green gives the spring itseai'liest freshness, M'hose autumn-dying tints are richer than the clouds of sunset, whose life-stream is sweeter than honey, and whose branches are drowsy through the long sumniei- with the scent and the hum of bee and flower ! Still tlic long line of the Canadas admits of a varied s])ring. When the trees ai-e green at Lake St. Claii", they are scarcely budding at Kingston, they are leafless at Montreal, and (Quebec is white with snow. Kven between iMont- I'eal and (Quebec, a short night's steaming, there exists a ditlerence often days in the opening of the summer. Hut late as comes the summer to (Quebec, it comes in its loveliest and most enticing form, as though it wished to atone for its long delay in baidshing from such a landscape tlu; cold tyranny of winter. And with what loveliness does the whole face of jilain, river, lake and mountain turn from the iron clasp of icy wiidei- lo kiss the balmy li)»s of returning summer, and to welcome his bridal gifts of sun and shower I Tlie fives open theii" leafy lids to look at him — the hi'ooks and sf reamlets break forth into songs of gladness — " the birch tree," as the old Saxon said, " becomes beautiful in I 1^ 12 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. its branches, and rustics sweetly in its leafy summit, moved to and fro by the breath of heaven " — the lakes uncover their sweet faces, and theii- mimic shoix's steal down in quiet evenings to bathe themselves in the ti'aMs])arent waters — far into the de])ths of the great forest speeds the glad message of returning glory, and graceful fern, and soft velvet moss, and white wax-liko lily peep forth to cover rock and fallen ti-ce and wreck of last year's autumn in one great sea of foliage. There ai'c many landscapes which can never be painted, photographed, or described, hut which the mind carries aAvay instinctively to look at again and again in the after-time — these are the celebrated views of the world, and thc3' are not easj- to find. From the (Queen's i-ampart, on the citadel of Quebec, the eye sweeps over a greater diversity of landscape than is prohably to be found in any one spot in the universe. Blue mountain, far-strctchi/ig river, foaming cascade, the white sails of ocean ships, the black trunks of many-sized guns, the pointed i-oofs, the Avhite village nestling amidst its fields of green, the great isle in mid-diannel, the many shades of colour from deep blue pine-wood to yellowing corn-field — in what other spot on the earth's bi'oad bosom lie grouped together in a single glance so many of these " things of beautj' " which the eye loves to feast on and to place in memory as joj's for ever?" {The Great Lone Land.) Let ns ('om]>lpt(' this mosaic of descriptions and literary gems,borrowed IVoin l<]nglish, French and American writers, by a sparkling tableau of the historic memories of Quebec, traced by a French ('anadian litterateur, the Honourable P. .1. O. C'hauveau : — "History is eveiywhere — around us, beneath us; from the depths of yonder valle3'S, from the top of that mountain, liistory rises up and presents itself to oui* notice, exclaiming : ' Behold me !' " Beneath us, among the capi'icious meanders of the River St. Charles, the Cahir-Coubat of Jacques Cartier, is the verj'^ place where he first planted tlie cross and held his first conference with the Seigneur Bonnaconn. Here, vciy near to us, beneath a vener- able elm tree, wliich, with much regret, we saw cut down, tradi- tion states that Champlain first raised his tent. From the very spot on which we now stand. Count de Frontenac returned to Admiral Phipps that proud answer, as he said, from the mouth of his cannon, which will always remain recorded by history. Under these ramparts are spread the plains on which fell Wolfe and where, in the following year, the Chevalier de Ldvis and General Murray fought that other battle, in memory of which the citizens of Quebec are erecting (in 1854) a monument. Before us, on the THE FOUNDING OF QUEBEC. li heights of Beauport, tho souvenirs of battles not less heroic, recall to our i-emembrancc the names of Longueuil, St. Hek>ne, and Juchercau Duchesnay. Below us, at the foot of that tower on which floats the British flag, Moiitgoniery ai d his soldiers all fell, swept by the grape-shot of a single gun pointed by a Cana- dian artilleryman. " On the other hand, under that projecting i-ock, now crowned with the guns of old England, the introj»id Dainbourgos, sword in hand, drove Arnold and his men Irom the houses in which they had established themselves. History is then everywhere around us. She rises as well from these ramparts, replete with daring deeds, as from those illustrious plains equally celebrated for feats of arms, and she again exclaims: 'Here I am!' " I ) CHAPTER II. QUEBEC FOUNDED, JULY 'A, 1603. Fancy })onie on the outspread wings of memory occa- sionally loves to soar o'er the dull, prosaic present, far away into the haunted, dream-land of a hazy ])ut hopeful past. Let us recall one year, in thi^ revolvini;' cycle of time — one day above all days — for dwellers in Cliani[)lain\s r'yry keeppn'-eminently sacred that auspicious ord of July, KiOH, when his trusty little hand, in all twenty-eight, founded the city destined soon to be the great Louis's jiroud forta- lice, — the Queen city of the French western world. On that memorable July day, would you, kind reader, like to ascend the lofty slope of Cape Diamond, at the hour when the orb of light is shedding his lierce, meridian rays on the verdant shores and glancing waters below, and watch with bated breath the gTadually increasing gap in the primeval forest, which busy French axes are cleaving i ^-JJJiUUH'l" 14 FfCrUHRSQUR Q UK BEG. ill ordor to locate tli*', i('sid(iii('«; — " iVabitation " — of a loved (•oiuiuaiidcr, HaiiiucI do (Muiiiiplaiu ? Or elfse would you, in your partiality lor the cool ol' the eveuinu', prel'er Ironi th(^ di//y suiinuil, where now stands our citadel, to t^n/e — which would he more roniaulic — over the (silent strand at your I'eet, pri'gjuuit with a mij^hty future, at th(? mystic hour of eve, when the pale heams of Diana will liMul incomparable witchery to this nov«'l scene. Few indi'ed the objects denoting' the unwi'lcome arrival of Euro])eans in this forest home of the red man : I he prise de jjossession by thi^ graspiui^' outer barbaiiaii — for such Cham- ])lain must have api)eared to llu' desceiulantsof kin<^l)onna- ' alolt its ponderous load of churches, convents, dwellings, rami)arls, and bullciics, — Ihcic was aii accessible point, a roug'h [)assii<4'e, giillicd downward where Prescott (late (in ISTl) opened on the Lower Tow.i. Mount to the hig'hest sununit, Caju' Diiimond,^ now /i'4-/ar^•(^ and steamer and gliding sail, and reared cities and villages on the site of forests ; but nothing can destroy the surpassing gramleur of the scene. (Irasp the savin anchored in the lissure, lean ov«'r the brink of the precipice, and look downward, a little to th«; left, on the belt of woods which covers the strand between the water and the basi^ of the clilfs. Here a gang of axe- men are at work, and Point Levi and (hleans echo the crash of falling trees. These axe-men were i)ioneers of an advancing host, — advancing, it is true, with feeble and umertain progress: ])riests, soldiers, peasants, feudal scutcheons, royal insignia. Not the Middle Age, but engendered of it by the stronger life of modern centralization ; shari)ly stamix'd with i)a- rental likeness, heir to parental weakness and parental force. A few weeks passt'd, and a [)ile of wood<'n buildings rose on the brink of the St. Lawrence, on or near the site of the market-place of the Lower Town of Quebec. The pencil of C'hamplain, always regardless of proportion and persi)eetive, has preserved its semblance. A strong woodeu t' l\ * Cliamplnin calls Cape Diamond, Mont du Gas (Guast), from the family name of Dc Mouts. Ho gives tlie name of Cape Diamond to Pointe k Pui- seaux. See map of Quebec (1613.) u * 1 i il ri ;! ' I 16 PICTVU KSQ UK Q UhJli EC. wall, siiririouiited by a i^allt'ry loop-hoU'd for mufsketry, ('ii(l(),s«'d threo hiiil(liiiu,s, coiilaiiiiiin' (|uart('r(s lor himself and his lucii, lo;:i,oth«'i- with a «()ur(-yard, from oiu' side of which rose a hill dove-cot, likeabellry. A moat surrounded the whole, and two or three small cannon were planted on salient platlurnis towards the river. There was a large mai«'a/ine lU'ar at hand, and a. part of the adjacent ground was laid out as a garden." {Pioneers of France in the New World, p. ;}0l.) ClUEF DONNACONA, On the 14th of Se])tember, 1585, under the head "Ship- ping- News, Port of Quebec," history might jot down some startling it«*ms of marine intelligence ; the arrival from sea of thiee armed vessels — the " Grande Hermine," the " Petite Hermine," and the " Emerillon." One would imagine their entrance in i>ort must have awakened as much curiosity among the startled denizens of Stadacona — the llurons of l5o5 — as did the anchoring in our har- bour, in August, 18tn, of C\ipt. Vine Hall's leviathan, the " (ireat Eastern." Wisre the French lleet thi; lirst Euro- pean keels which furrowed the Laurentian tide under Cape Diamond ? We like to think so. Let the IJascpies make good their assumed priority : let them produce their log- book, not merely for the latitude of Newlbundland or Tad(mssac, but also an undisputed entry therein, for the spot where, a century later, Samuel de Champlain lived, loved, and di«^d. Had the advent of the St. Malo vikings been heralded by watchful swift-footed retainers to swarthy king Donnacona, the ruler of the populous town of Stada- cona, and a redoubtable agouhanna of the Huron nation 'i 'Tis not unlikely. An entry occurs in the diary of Jacques Cartier, com- mander of the ilagship " Grande Hermine," to the effect that Donnacona, escorted by twelve canoes, had met the CHIEF DONNACONA. 11 fon'igii 1 liil't is»'V«'i'iil miles lower lluui QucImm-, whoiv he had parl<'y»'iiiinaiir^>^ nts glass beads, &e., when they regained their vess«ds. What took ])lace at the interview betweeii the Fren a,\tiit»'d the attachment ol' the early dwellers in (juehec to the hallowed old lioman I'aith which presided at their natal hour. One also linds here and thi're, in the nanu's ol' certai n thor OU! rhi; ires, trace s o 1' th« soiourn w ith 111 our walls o 1 popular (lovernors, t'amous Viceroys, long since gathered to their liithers, sii, Mope, Dalhousie, liichinond and Ayliner. A stiuh'iit of history, in the signhoards allixed to street corners, loves to light on the names of men whose memories avo fragrant for deeds of heroism, devotedness, patriotism or learning. ru'elMi'iif, ('hanijdain, DoUard, Ft^rland, (rarneau, ('hristie, Turgeon, I'lossis, and many others of blameless and t^\emi)lary life — each has his street. We know of a worthy and learned old anti<|uary whoso lore and advice has been more than once placed at our disposal in unravelling the tangled skein on vvhi«'h we arc engaged, who rejoices that his native city, unlike some of the proud capitals of lllurope, is free from vulgar names, such as "Tire-l>oudin," "P — t — au 1) le," in gay Paris, • Six French Governors died ami were buried in Quebec — Samuel de Cham- plain, Count de Frontenac, M. de Mesy, De Callieres, Marquis de la .Tonquifirc, and Marquis de Vaiidreuil. Two English Governors — Lieut. Gen. Hope and tlic Duke of Richmond. (1 i I 1 h li III ' I'l 20 PICTUHKSQ (7H Q UKIIKC. and "Crutrhod FriaiN," " I'till-Miill,' mid " Mary-li-lmih'," in ^Xiwi liOiidon. hi lari, docs not histoiy meet yoii at ««v*»ry turn ? Evory nook, every lane, every s(jiiiiie, nay, even Hie stones ami rocks, h;ive a slory io tell — ii recoid lo UMloid — a liile lo whisper ol' savage or eivili/ed warfare — a nienieiilo lo Ihrili the patriot — a legend ol' romaiiee or ol'dealli — war, i'aniiiie, lires, earlh(jiiakes, lund ami snow-slides, riot :* Is it not to iHMipin-elieiided thai in lime llie ininales oi" KUoh a city might become saliirated with the ov«'rpowering atmosphere ol" this romtinlic past — i'all a, prey to an over- weening love of old memories — become indillerenl, and deadened lo the leelings and reqniremenis ol'llie present ? This does not nec<'ssarily follow. We are, nevertheless, in- clined to believe that outward objects may act powerfully on one's inner nature : that the haunts and homes of men are not entirely foreign to the thoughts, pursuits and im- pulses, good or bad, of their inmates. Active, cultunMl, bustling, progressive citizens, we would fain connect with streets and localities partaking of that character, Just as we assijciate cheerful abodes with sun- shine, and rei)ulsive dwellings with dank, perennial shadows. Mr. N. l^egendre, in a small work intituled '' Les Evhos de Quebec," has grai>hi<'ally (h'lineated the leading features of several of our thoroughfai-es : — " In a lai'i^o city eacii slrcel lias its [H'culiar Icaluri!. Siicli a street is sacred to coinimMve — a private ri'sidoiice in it would appear out of place. Such another is devotc(l to iMiprelcudiiig- dwellini^vs: the modest grocery shop of the corner loolis conscious of being' theiv on sufferance only. Mere resides the \V(^ll-(o-ni('lliin<; illstimjm about it, and |)oo|)lu liun-y- ing |)!iHl a.sHumo a res|)ectrul boarin^. " In tbo noxt strci't, (In' carriai^*' standini; at liio floor is just as rich, but its pancllini^ is nn»ro i^andy — nioro slriivin^ in colour are the boi's»!s — more i^littcr — more |)roiusion about the silver harness niountin<^s. 'rhoni:;h the livery has more eclat, there seems to be less (listance between the social status of the groom and that of his master. " Walk on further — (he i)rivate carriage has n\erged into the public conveyance; si ill fiii-ther. and3'oii find but the \\\i{\\\calk'he. '' l''in:il!y, every kind of vehicle having disappeared, the house- doors aie left ajar; tin' inmates like to fiaterniso in the sti'eet. On lino evenings the footpath gets si rowed with chairs antl benches, o<'cnpied by men smoking — women (dialling til fresco unreservedly — laughing that loud laugh whii h says, " I don't care who hears (lav at foot-ball. i'assei oxcnaiiir - ., - ,-, emariv, chiitlron play at foot-bal., while the house-dog, exulting in the enjoyment of sweet liboi-ty, gambols in the very midst oi' the haj»p3' crowonn(lins^ in ji^ame. If (Jham plain, his brother-in-law, IJonlle, as well as his other friends of the Lower Town,^ had been less eager in hnnt- ing- other inhabitants of tht^ forest inlinitely more dreaded (the Iroquois), instead of sim])ly making- mention of th(^ foxes which j^rowled about the residency (rabitation), they M'ould have notiHl down some of the hunting- raids which were probably made on the wooded declivities of (^ape Diamond and in the t hi(!ket s of the: doteau Hainte (lenevieve, more espetdally when scurvy or the dearth of provisions rendered indispensable the use of fresh meats. We should have heard of grouse, woodcock, hares, beavers, foxes, cari- bou, bears, 8zc., at that period, as th(» i)robable denizens of the mounts and valleys of ainient Stadacona. In 1017 the t;hase had doubtless to give way to tillage of the soil, when the lirst resident of the Upper Town, the ♦ Uj) to 1617, and Inttr, Chaniplains residt'iice was in tlio Tjower Town, and stood nearly on tlie site of the Churcli of Notre- Dames dcs Vicioires. THE UPPKR TOWN. 23 apothecary Louis He])ert, osta])lishod his hearth and home there. " He presently," (lf>17) says Aldie Borland, " commonced to^rub up and cloai- the ground on tlio site on wliicli the lloinan Catholic eatliodral and llie Seminary adjoining now stand, and tliat portion of tlie npper town Avhi(di extends IVoni St Raniille Sti'eet up to the IJotel-Dieu. Jle constructed a house and a mill near that part of St. Joseph Street where it rc^ceived St. I'Vanc.'ois and St. Xavier Streets. These edifices a])pear to have been the tirnt which were erected in the locality now occupied by the upper town." At that period there <;onkl have existed none other than narrow paths, irrei^uhir av«'nues following- the sinuosities ol' the forest. In the course of time these narrow paths were levelled and widened. Champlain and Sir David Kirtk bothered themselves very little with im])roving' high- ways. OviM'seers of roads and Grand- Vot/ers were not then dreamed of in La Nouvelle France : those blessed institu- tions, mac-adami/ed^ roads, date for us from 1841. One of t! > lirst i)roje(ts of Governor de Montmagny, after having fortified the jilare, was to })repar(^ a plan lor a city, to lay out, widen and straighten the streets, assuredly not without need. Had h<^ further extended this useful reform, our Municipal C\)un(il to-day would have been spared a great amount ol" vexalion, and the publi(- in gene- ral much annoynine. On the I7th November, 1(!*28, a road- way or ascent leading to the upper town had been effected, less dangerous than that which had previously existed. "As late as 1682, as appears b}' an authentic record {prods- verbal) of the conflagration, this steep road was but fourteen feet wide. It was built of branclics, covered with earth. Having been * .lolin Loudon MacAdiiin, tlie invontor of iiKiciidatni/.od loiids, was Itorn in Ayr, Scotland, on tlio 21 at Sc'|)t('inlii!i-, 1756, and died at Moll'at on the 2f!tli November, 1830. Tho Parliament of (Jroat Britain voted .L'2,000 (o this bene- factor of tlu! linman race. Macadam izei\wi\hy Geo. Dpslmrats in 1874, under the supervision of tlu; leiiriicd Alilies Lavenlieit; and (-'asgiain, fioni the copy in the Archives of the (jiud)t'i' Scniiniiry, though fragmentary, throws valuahh^ light on many points in Canadian History. We clip the entry for 1st, January, 1C4C, as summarized in the (I'limpses of the {(Jrsuliiw) Monanlcri/, resixMling tiie eustom of New Year's visits and pr.'sents ; this eidry will further introduce us to some of the denizens of note in Qiiehec in I(i4(; : — We meet with the tirst ae«yH<'(/r of Heauport, Surgeon Rohert Gi Hard, who had settletl there in 1(;:!4 ; the Royal Engineer and Surveyor, .Iciin Rourdon ; .1. I'pte. (Jouillard, the an- cestor of the Quebec (.'ouillards, oi' late years connected by marriagi^ with the Quebec DeLerys; Mdlle. deRepentigny,a high-horn French lady ; thetbunder of the Ursuline Monastery, the benevolent Madame de la I'dtrie; the devoted Sillery missionary, F'alher de Quen ; without forgetting our old Scotch friend, Pilot Abraham Martin, who, from the nature of the gift bestowed, it seems, could relish his glass, and evidently was not then what we now call a " Neal Dow man." January Ist, 1G4<). — The soldiers went to salute the Governor with their guns; the inhabitants presented their compliments in a body. He was before- hand with us, and came here at seven o'clock to wish us a ' Hapi)y New Year,' addressing each of the Fathers one after another. I returned Ins visit after Mass. (Another time we must be beforehand with him.) M. (»iffard also came to see us. The hospital nuns sent us a letter of comj)linieut early in the morning ; the Ursulines also, with beautiful presents, wax candles, ro- saries, a crucifix, and, at dinner, twt> excellent pigeon-pies. I sent them two THE UPPER TOWN. Of, Although there were horned entile at Quebec in 1G23, oxen for the purpose of ploughinu,- ihe lund were first used on the 27th April, 1028. "Some aniniiilH — cowh, shoop, svvino, &c. — had been imported an early as IfiOS. In 1(12;), it is reeorded that two thousand bundles of fodder were hi-ouglit from the pasture i!;rounds at Cfl;j Tourmente to Quebec tor winter use." — (Miles.) On the Ulth of July, 1t><15,^ a l^'reuch ship brought twelve horses. These were doubtless the "mounts" of the brilliant stall' of the Marquis de Tracy, Viceroy. These dashing" military followers of Colonel de Salieres, this jeunessc doree of the Marquis de Tracy, mounted on these twelve French charg-ers, whirh the al)origines named "the moose-deer {orignaux) of lilurope," doubtless <'ut a great figure at QuebcM'. Did there exist Tandems, driving- clubs, in 1(]()5 ? Quien sabe ? A garrison life in l(Jtir)-7 and its amusemtMits must haAe been much what it was one century later, when the "divine" lilmily Montague f was corres- ponding with her dear "Colonel Kivers," from her Sillery abode in 1700 ; she then, amongst the vehicles in use, mentions caleches. X images, in enamel, of St. Ignatius and St. Franiois Xavier. We gave to M. GilVanl the 'Life of Oiir Lord,' Vty F. Bonnet; to M. d<'s Ciiutetets, a little volume of Drexellius on Kternity ; to RL I'ourdon, a teli'scopo and coniiia.ss, and to otheis, ieli<|uarie.'<, vosari<',s, uu-dalK, images, tde. We gave a crueilix to tlie woman who washes tin- ('huich linen, a liotlh; of nnn to .-Vliralianijand four liandkercliiefs to his wife ; some liot)ks of devotiftn to others, itnd two liandkerehiels to Uoiiert llaeht^ ; he asked for more and we gine them tn him. I went to see M. Gitfard, M. Conillard, ami Mademoiselle de Iteiientif^ny. The Ursulines sent to heg 1 would come and see tlu'ni helore the end ol tlie day. I went ; and paid my eonnilinients also to Madame di; la t'eltrie, who had sent us presents. 1 was near leaving this out, which would have heen a great over- siglit. At home, I gave to our Fathers and Iholhers what I thought they would like best. 1 had given beforehand to F. I>i^ Quen, for Silhuy, all lie chose to take from my room, and a choice present for Father Masse." — Journal, p 24. * Histoire de la Colonie Fran^aise en Canada. Vol. IIL, p. 384. f History of Emily Montague, 4 Vols., I7<17 — London. t The ''dear man,' in a concluding paragraph, dated 1st .luly, l7(iC, to John Temple, Es(i., Fall-Mall, London, says : '< Adieu I 1 am going ti> attend a very handsome French lady, who allows me the honour to drive her en ; ! I r 11 I 1 ! S8| PICTURESQUE QUETtKC. Thoy were not all saints such as Paul Dupuy,^ the ])al liavchal ... igneur ol' 1/e-aux-Oies, lh«'se military swells of Colonel (1<' Salieres ! Major LalVadiere, lor instance, might have vied with thc! most outrageous rake in th«? Guards oi' Queen Victoria, who served in the i-olony two ( enturies later. inhere were at Qiiehec twelve horses for the use of gentlemen, they were doubtless not suHered to remain idle in their stables. The rugged i)aths of the upper town were levelled and widened; the public highway ceased to be reserved for ]>edestrians only. This is what we wanted to arrive at. In reality, the streets of Quebec^ grew rapidly into im- portance in KXtf). Improvements eflectt^d during the administration of the Chevalier de Montmagny had been highly api)recia,ted The early French had their Saint Louis {Grande A/lee), Saint Anne, Richelieu, D'Aiguillon, Saint John, streets, to do honour to their Master, Louis XIII. ; his (^ui'en tln^ beautiful Anne of Austria; his astute Premier the (cardinal of Richelieu; his pious niece la Duchesse D'Aiguilhni ; his land surveyor and engineer .Tehan or .lean Bourdon. This last fun(^tionary had landed at Quebec on the Sth August, 1();54, with a Norman priest, the Abbe Jean LeSueur de vSaint-Sauveur, who left his surname (8t. SiUiveur) to the populous municipality ad- joining? f^t. Roch suburbs.! In the last and in the ])resent ccMitury, St. Louis Street was inhabited by many eminent persons. Chief Justice calashe to our Canadian H)'dt' Park, tl»e loiid to St. Poix, wlicre you will see forty or fifty oaliiHlies, with pretty women in them, parading every evening." — {llislory of Kmily Sloiitatjup, ToZ. /.,/<. 25.) TIk; handstimc (Colonel Kivers, whosofamied hiH drives on the Koye road in 17CC, tin; writer was told by Hon W. Sheppartl, was no other than tlit^ gallant Uoionel Henry Caldwtdl, WolfeV AKsistant Quartermaster-tJt^neral at llu: hattlt; of th(^ I'lains, in 1 75'.t — the " I^aird of Helmont" — who ilied at Qiiehec in 1810, a friend, no douht, of the clevtir Mrs. Brookes who wrote this novel. ♦ Histoiro de I'Hotel-Dieu de Quebec (Mi>re Juchereau, 511.) \ Hifitoire de I'Hfttel-Dieu, Casgrain, p. 81. THE UPPER TOWN. ST Sowell resided in the stately old mansion, np to June 1881 occnpied as Ihe Lientenanl-dovernor's ollices ; Ihis »aninent jnrist died in 18:)!>. "One l>rii>ht, IVosty ev i)acilic, rnshi'd in a noisy pro<'ession, led by a do/eii sindents vveinini>- Iri-coloured ribbons in their bntton-holes, jind sani'' the Marseillaise and the Parisienne under the windows oi' the C'hief .Inst ice, whose ear was little accustomed to such a concert." The ermined sagc^, 'tis said, was so startled, that he made sni'e a revolution was breakinieutenant-(Jlov»'ruor, enter in state this same former residiMuu' of Chi(d" .lust ice Jewell, whilst the cannon of Ihitain would roar n. welcome, the ling of England stream over his head, and a Ibitish regiment present arms to him." Smh, however, has Ix'en the fate of Sir Narcissus l^'ortunatus lielleau. The mansionofM.de Ijolbiniere, in St. Louis street, was the residence of Madimie Pean, th«^ rhere amis of M. Bigot the Intendant. The late Judge Elmsley resided there about the year 1813 ; (Jovernment subsequently ])urchiised it to serve as an oflicers' barracks. Nearly opposite the old Court-House (burned in 1H7'J), stands Ihe "Kent House," in which His lloyal Highness the late Duke of Kent re- sided in summer, 17lU-8.=^ No. 42 St. Louis Street is the * To Let. — TImt eligant house, No. Tort Louis Stifet, liitoly o((ui)iid J)y H.R.H. Prince Edward, and at present by tlie Lord ISiwhop of Quebec For particulars, apply to MIhs Mabant;, or to Munro & Bel!, Quebec. — 4tli March, 1794. {Quebec (Jazelle, 1794.) til ui : 28 PICTUHESQ UK Q UKItKC. hoiise'^ which beloiigod to tho cooper, Fraii9ois dobert ; it now has become histoiical. In it wen; deposited the re- mains ol'CriUieial Montgomery on the ;llst l)e( ember, 17 7;">. This summer it is h'asedby Louis ( jonzayue Baillarge, Ksq., the pro])rietor, to Widow Pigotl, \vhos«» late husband was in the " B " Battery. In the street sacred to Ijouis XIII., »St. Louis slreet, Messrs. Brownf & Gilmor established, in 1704,$ their print- ing- office I'or the Quebec Gazette, " two doors higher up than the Secretary's Ollice," wherever this latter may have stood. The Gazette olhce was subsequently removed to Parloir Htreet, and eventually settled down lor many a long year at the corner of Mountain Hill, hall-way up, lacing Break- Neck ste])s, — the house was, with many others, re- moved in 1 S50 to widen Mountain Street. According to a tradition published in the Gazette of the 2nd May, 1848, the prospectus ol" this pa])er had, it would api)ear, been printed in the ininting olhce of Benjamin Franklin. This veneral>le sheet, which had existed one hundred and ten years, when it was merged, in 1874, by purchase of the copyright, into the Morning Chronicle^ in its early days, was nearly the sole exponent of the wants — of the gossip (in prose and in verse) — and of the daily events of Quebec. As such, though, from the standard of to-day, it may seem quaint and imny, still it does not appear an untruthful mirror of social life in the ancient cajulal. Its centenary number of June, 18(!4, with the fyles of the Gazelle ior 1788, have furnished the scholarly author of the " rroi)hecy of Merlin," John S. Reade, with material lor an excellent * Montgomery's House is now a much fiequi nted stand for the sale of cigars, eanilios, newspapers, &i'., to tonrists. f William Bf^wn, uncle to the Neilsons, wasii Scotchman frf)m Philadelphia, who had been induced to print ."» Journal in Quebec from the representati(m8 and information he had collected from William Laing, a Qnebec merchant tailor, whom he had met in Scotland. } Twenty-four years in advance of the Lomon Times, founded in 177S, but twelve years after the Halifax (Jazeltc, published iu Halifax, N.S., in March, 1752, by one John Bushnell. THE UPPER TOWN. 29 sketch of this pioneer of Caiiadiiiii jouinalisni, of which our space will permit u.s to give but 8oni<' .short extracts : — ''The first number of the Quebec Gazette, Jiidi^ed by i\\o. facsimile before me, was a very unpretending^ pioduetion. It con-sistH of four folio p.'iges, two columns to eacli i»:ii:;e, with (he execjttion of the ' Printer'8 Address to the Publie,' which takes up the full width of the page, and is written in French and Kni^lish, tho matter in both laimuai;es beinji; (he same, with the exeej)tion of a 31asonic advertisement, which is in Knglish oidy. In the address, accuracy, freedom and impaitiality are pr;)mised in the conduct of the papei". The 4. "Tho news in the first number is all foreign. There are des- patches from Kiga, St. Petersburg, Rome, Hernianstadt, Dautzic, 1 1 (t,. ii k TT mmgfKfmBCSBOBS -BQH 30 PICTUltESQ UE Q UEBEC. Vienntv, Florence and IKrccht, tlie dateH ranging from the 8th of March to the 11th of April. There are also items of news from New York, bearing date the 3rd, and from Philadelphia the Yth of May. NewH-coUecting was then a slow process, by land as well as by sea. " Of the despatches, the following is of historical importance: 'London, March 10th. It is said that a scheme of taxation of our American colonies has foi' some time been in agitation, that it had been previously debated in the Parliament whothei- they had power to lay a tax on colonies which had no repi-esentative in Parliament and determined in (he allirmativc,' etc. The occasiftital insertion of a dash instead of a name, or the wary mention of a 'certain gi'eat leader' or 'a certain great personage' tell a simple tale of the jealousy with which the pi-ess was then regarded both in Eng- land and on the continent. The })rosccution of Smollett, Cave, Wilkes and othtM-s were still fresh in the minds of printers and writers. "Another despatch informs the readers of the Gazette oi' an arret lately issued for the barushinent of the Jesuits from France, and another of adeputation of journeymen silk weavers who waited on the King at 8t. James with a petition setting tbrth their griev- ances from the clandestine importation of French silk, to which His Majesty graciously replied, promising to have the matter properly laid before Parliament. " An extract from a letter from Vii-ginia gives an account of some Indian outrages, and there is some other intelligence of a similar nature. The other news is of a like temporary interest. " I have alreaily mentioned a masonic advertisement. I now give it in full NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, That on Sundui/, tlie 2 1th, being the Festival of St. J/ion (sic), such strange intETnuEN who may have a desire of joining the Merchants Lodge, No. 1, (,)Hf;66't', may obtain Liberty, by appl3'ing to Aides Prentles, at the Sun, in St. John Street, who has 'rickets, Price Five ShiUitujs, tor that Day. " One thing is evident, that a printing establishment of 1'764 had to be supplied with abundance of italics and capitals to meet the exigencies of the typograj)hic fashion of the time. " Of the two remaining advertisements, one is an order of the Collector of Customs for the prevention of composition for duties and the other gives a list of *an assortment of goods,' 'just im- Eorted from London, and to be sold at the lowest prices by John laird, in the uppci- part of Mr. Henry Morin's house at the entiy of the Cul de Sac ' — an assortment which is very comprehensive, ranging from leather breeches to frying-pans. From this and THE UPPER TOWN. 81 subsequent trade advertisemontH we arc able to gather some not unini])ortant information as to tlie manner of living of (he eitizenn of Quebec in those dayis."* / i William Ihovvn was succt'edt'd in the t'ditoviship and proprietor.ship of this veneral)lii shoot by his nephew, Saninel Neilson, the tdder brother of John Neilson, who for years was the trnsted ineniber Ibr the ( V)nnty t)f (^uebee ; as widely known as a journalist — a legislator — in 1H22 our worthy ambassador to h]n<»land — as he was resix'cled as a patriot. Samuel Neilson had died in 1793 ; — his young- brother and protege, John, born at Dornald, in Seotland, in 17*70, being, in 1703, a minor, the Gazette was conducted by the late Itev. Dr. Alex. Sparks, his guardian, until I7i><). AVhen John Neilson became of full age, he assumed tln^ direction of the paper for more than half a century, either in his own name or in that of his son Samuel. Hon. Jolui Neilson closed his long' and spotless career, at his country seat (Dornald), at C^ap Rouge, on the 1st In'bruary, 1848, aged 71 years. AVho has not heard of the Nestor of thi; C'aiuidian Press, hon«'st John Ni'ilsoii ? May his memcny ever remain bright and fragrant — a beacon to guide those tnniding- the intricate paths of Journalism — a shining light to genera- tions ytit unborn ! In a inetty rustic cemetery, tin; site of which was pre- sented by himself to the Presbyterian Church of Valcartier, near Quebec, were laid, on the 4th Fel)ruary, 1848, the * The first hooks printed in Quehec were : — " Ciit(!(hisini! Mont.ifinuis," iTtiT. " Lettro sur la Viih; dc Quohoc," 1774. " Cimtiquo de Marseilles," 177(). In Montreal : — " Rc'f^lenient do la Confrerie do I'Adoration Perpctuelle dn Saint Sacrement et de la Bonne Mort," Mesplet i^ Berger, 177(5. "'Jonathan and David, a tragedy, a book of 40 pages, Mesplet <$• Berger 1776. "Officium Sacerdotura," Mesplet .j- Berger, 1777. —{Montreal Prize Questions in Canadian Uisto' y.) ! f T^r- Brnmasmmmmmimmm 32 PfCTURESQUE QUEBEC. ivmaiiiKof thin i)iitrioti(' iiiaii — I'scorti'd by ritizon8of every orif^iii, iil'ttT an «'loqii<'nt addivss had Ixmmi delivered by the Ivev. Dr. .Fohii Cook, the present i)astor of 8t. Andrew's Chmrh. The Tiiterary and Historical Society of Quebec is indebted to his son John Neilson, of Dornald, for a precious reli<', the iron lever of the lirst Press used at (Quebec in 1*704 — pre- cious, indeed, as a souvenir of Caniidian .Journalism. There are inde«'d many Scotch names associated with the Quebec Press. Space precludes us from enlarging more on this subject. In alluding to notable Quebec Journalists we are bound to name Daniel Wilkie, LL.D., the editor of the Quebec S/ar, — a literary ga/ette — in IHIS — still better remembered as the esteemed instructor of Quebe(' youth for forty years. Dr. Wilkie was born at ToUcross, in Scotland, in 1777, one year later than John Neilson : he settled in QuebiM- in 1808, and died here on tln^ 10th May, 1S;")1. His pupils had the following truthful words inscribed on the monu- ment they erected to their patron in Mount Hermon cemetery : ! " IFc was .1 Icanit'd scholar And indcfatii^aliln student of pliilosopliy and letters, An alijc and successful instructor of youth, Of genuine uiirigiitness and guileless siini)licity A devout, benevolent and pulilic spirited man." The Abbe Vignal resided at the <'orner of St. Louis and I*ar- loir street, previous to joining the Sulpiciens. In October, 1()()1, he was roasted alive and partly eaten })y the Mo- hawks at Isle a la Pierre, la Prairie de la Magdeleine, near Montreal. In our day, the judiciid and ])arlia- mentary heads, and the liar have monopolized the street. In it have residi'd at various times. Sir N. F. Belleau, Chief Justice Duval, the Judges Tasche- reau, Tessier, Bosse, Caron, liouthier ; Hon. II. L, Lange- vin, P. Pelletier, M. P. ; Messrs. Bosse, Baby, Alleyn, Lan- guedoc, Tessier, Chouiuard, Hamel, Gauthier, Bradley, THE UPPER TOWN. 88 Dunbar, cum mu/tis aliis, some of whose, rustio clients are as early birds as those in the days of Horace, and scruple not to wake up their trusted advisers, '' stth f^alli cantum.''^ St. lx)uis street legal luminaries are careiul not to en- danger their hard-earned reputations by delivering their consultations with the oracular, Solon-likt^ gravity ol" the barristers who flourished in the palmy days ol" liortensius or Justinian. 'Twould be an anachronism. The tradi- tional lee, however, is rarely omitted. A busy day, indeed, in this neighborhood, watched over by the shades of Loviis XIII., St. Louis street, is, in each year, the 1st of Septem- ber, when the close of the sultry midsummer vacation brings round " the first day of term," then « (Slave gown.snit'ii, full of thouf^ht, to ' chaiiiliers hio, From loiirt to court, perplexed, iittorneys Hy ; each ! Quit k Kconrinj; to and thro', And wishing he conhl cut himself in two That he two places at a time might reach, So he could charge his six and eightpence each." —{The Bar, a Po^m, 1825.) Matters judicial, legal, financial, etc., have much changed — we are inclined to say, improved — in Canada, especially for the .fudges. "I will not say," writes the satirical La Hontan, " that justice is more chaste and dis- ! « •The mode of considting a Iloman lawyer whs this: the lawyer was placed on an elevated seat, the client, coming up to him, said, fjicet conmi/ere? The lawyer answered, cunsiile. The matter was then proi)osed, and an answer re- turned very shortly, thus : Quiero an cxistivtes, vel, id Jus est, nee ne? Secun- dum eu, quae proponuntur, exislimo. placet, puto. — (Adams' Knmiin Antiquities, 201 . T^awyers gave their opinions either hy word of mouth or in writing, com- monly without any reasons annexed, hut not always. The lawyers of these days do not, as a rule, see their clients quite so early in the morning as those of Home did. Agricolam laudat Juris legumque peritus Sub galli canttim, consultor ubi ostia pulsat. Kom% dulce diu fuit et solemne, reclusa Mane domo vigilare, clienti promere jura. C 111 il'i, 84 PICTUHESQ UK Q IJEHEC. interested here than in Fran< e ; but, at least, if she is sold, she is sold cheaper. \V«> do not pass through the clutches of advocates, the talons oi" nttorneys and the chivvs oi' clerks. These vermin do not infest Canada yet. Everybody pleads his own cause. Our Themis is prompt, and she does not bristle with lees, costs and charges. The judges have only four hundred francs a year — a great temi^tation to look lor law in the bottom of the suitor's purse. Four hundred I'rancs ! Not enough to buy a cap and gown, so these gentry never wear them."^ Justice is not now sold, either in Quebec or elsewhere, but judges, on the other hand, viz., in Ottawa, receive, not "four hun- dred francs," but thirty-five thousand francos (|7,000) a year, and have "enough to buy a cap and a gown," yea, and a brilliant red one, to boot. Voild un progres. On an old plan, in our possession, of the Cape and IMount Carmel, showing the whereabouts of lots and the names of their proprietors, drawn by Le Maitre Lamorille, a royal surveyor, bearing date 20th May, 17'")*), and duly sano tioned by the French Intendant Bigot on the 28rd Janu- ary, 1750, can be seen at Mont Carmel, 8t. Louis street, a lot marked " No. 16, M. Tean."! M. Pean, Town Major of Quebe<", a trusted confederate of the Intendant Bigot, the proprietor of this land, was the husband of the beautiful Angelique de Meloises, the inamorata of the voluptuous and munificent Intendant. In her youth she had been a pupil of the Ursuline nuns. In his *La Hontaii, I., 21 (Kd. 1705). In aonw. editions tlie abc)vpnhlished in 18.59, Col. Cockburn thus alludes to this St. Louis street house (now Dominion property, jukI oceiipied by Lt.-Col. Forest and Lt.-Col. D'Orsonnes) : " It .sometimes happened in those days, when a jrentleman possessed a very handsome wife, that the husband was sent to take charne of a distant post, where he was sure to make his fortune. Hijr-ot's chere amie was Madame P — , in < onsequence of which, as a mat- ter of rly of 1^'raser's Highland- ers (78th), but now of the 84th Royal Emigrants, Col. Al- lan McLean — who, on going his rounds between Ir and 5 in the morning, had passed the guard at St. Louis gate, and had noticed flashes like lightning on the heights with- oui the works. Convinced it was for an attack, he sent notice to all the guards, and ran down St. Louis street. •Smith's ilislory of Canada, Vol. II., p. 9'2. Diary of Sieye oj 1776. Lil. and lUal. Society J'ub.f/ourth aeries, p. 9. fHE UPPER TOWN. 3Y calling " Turn out " as' loud and as oftt a as he could. The alarm soon caught the quick ear of the General (Cfuy Carleton) and the picquet at the Recollets Convent was instantly turned out. Captain leaser's alarm was timely. Before eight o'clock on that memorable December morning', Benedict Arnold had been wounded, routed at the Sault au Matelot barricade, and 427 of his daring men taken prison- ers of war, whilst the Commander-in-C!hief, Brigadier-Gren- eral Richard Montgomery and thirteen followers were ly- ing dead in their snowy shrouds at Pres-de-Ville. The rest had taken tiight. The saddest sight ever witnessed in St. Louis street was that which heralded to its awe-struck denizens the issue of the momentous conhict on the adjoining heights in Sept. 1759. In the paper read by the writer before the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, on the 8rd of December, 1879, the mournful appearance of the French hero, Mont- calm, is thus described : — " The morning ui' the 13th September, 1759, has dawned ; an astounding rumour tills the air; the citizens of Quebec repeat with bated breath : Wolfe's army in at the gates of the city. " Hark ! What mean.s this deafening roar of artillery — tiiis hissing of shot and sliell — these rolling, murderous volleys of musketry in the direction of the heights of Abraham? " Hark ! to these loud (iheers — British cheers mixed with the discordant yells of those savage warriors, Eraser's Highlanders ! The fate of a continent has just been decided. The genius of William Pitt has triumplied, though victory was bought at a dear price. " Here comes from St. Louis gate* on his way to the Chateau, pale, but dauntless — on a black charger — supported by two gren- adiers, one on each side of his horse, a General otticer wearing the *ln iiccvptin^ iho. Chateau St. Louis as tin- spot wlii'ic Moiitculiii expired, we still wish to leave the question an open one. Did Montcdlni expire at the Chateau, under Dr. Arnoux's roof, at the (ieneral Hosjiitol, as averred hy Capt. John Knox, or, possibly, under his own roof on the ranjparts, near Hope Gate ? This point is not yet cleared up. See disijuisition in Album du Tour- iste " Oil est mort Montcalm?" n 1^ RonniBmm i 88 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. uniform which won at Fontenoy, won at Laufeldt, as well as at the Monongahela* and at Carilion.f A bloody trail crimsons the Grande AlUe, St. Louis street, on that gloomy September day. My friends, 'tis the life-blood of a hero. Drop in reverential si- lence, on the moistened earth, a sympathetic tear ; France's chi- valrous leader, the victor of many battle-fields, has returned from his last campaign. " Oh I mon Dieu ! mon Dieu I Le Marquis est tue " is repeated by female voices as the death-stricken but intrepid general glides past, to which he courteously replies, trying to quiet their fears, ' that he was not seriously hurt, and not to distress themselves on his account.' ' Ce n'esi rien ! ce n'est rien ! ne vous affligez pas pour moi, mes bonnes amies.' " You have all heard the account of the death-bed scene — of his tender solicitude for the good name of France — of his dying in- junctions to de Ramesay, the King's lieutenant in charge of the Quebec Garrison, and to the Colonel of the Roussillon Regiment. ' Gentlemen, to your keeping I commend the honour of f Vance. En- deavour to secure the retreat of my army to-night beyond Cape Rouge. As for mytelf, I shall pass the night loith God, and prepare for death.' " At nine o'clock in the evening of that 14th of September, 1759, a funeral cortege, issuing from the castle, winds its way thiough the dark and obstructed sti-eets to the little church of the Ursulines. With the heavy tread of the coffin-beai-ers keeps time the measured footsteps of the military escort. De Ramesay and the other oflScers of the garrison following to their resting- S'ace the lifeless remains of their illustrious commander-in-chief, o martial pomp was displayed around that humble bier, but the hero who had afforded at his dying hour the sublime spectacle of a Christian yielding up his soul to God in the most admirable sentiments of faith and resignation, was not laid in unconsecrated ground. No burial rite could be more solemn than that hurried evening servicte performed by torchlight under the dilapidated roof of a sacred asylum, where the soil had been first laid bare by one of the rude engines of war — a bombshell. The grave tones of the priests murmuring the Libera me, Domine were responded to by the sighs and tears of consecrated virgins, henceforth the guardians of the precious deposit, Avhich, but for inevitable fate, would have been reserved to honour some proud mausoleum. With gloomy forebodings and bitter thoughts de Ramesay and his com- panions in arms withdrew in silence. " A few citizens had gathered in, and among the rest one led * On the 9th July, 1755, De Beaujeu won tliisi brilliant victory. t The 8th July, 1758, has been rendered famous by Montcalm and his regulars and Canadian militia at Carillon. ' I SOCIETY UNDER EARLY ENGLISH RULE. 8@ by the hand his little daughter, who, looking into the grave, saw and remembered, more than three-fourths of a century later, the rough wooden box, which was all the ruined city cf)uld afford to enclose the remains of her defendei". " The skull of the Marquis of Montcalm, exhumed in the pres- ence of the Rev. Abbe Maguire, almoner, in 1833, many here present, I am sure, have seen in a casket, reverently exposed in the room of the preseut almoner of the Ursuline Convent. SOCIETY UNDER EARLY ENGLISH RULE. Under the sway of the English Groveniment, Canada soon recovered her w^onted gaiety, and the social con- dition of the country, following on so large an admixture of a ditterent nationality, is a subject stimulating inquiry. We cannot do better than have recourse again to Mr. Reade's graphic pen in an article on " British Canada in the Last Century," contributed to the New Dominion Monthly, and suggested by the Quebec Gazette of 1788, the tSt. Louis Street journal above quoted: — " If there were nothing left to the enquirer but the single advertisement of John Baird, which appeared in the tirst number of the Quebec Gazette, as the basis of information, he might, with a moderate power of inductiveness, construct a very fair account of the mode of living pursued at Quebec a hundred years ago. But the fact is he is overwhelmed with data, and his chief diffi- culty is to choose with discriminatiou. There is certainly ample evidence to show that the inhabitants of the ancient capital did not stint themselves in the luxuries of their day and generation. The amount of wine which they consumed was something enor- mous, nor are we wanting in proof that it was used among the better classes to an extent which public opinion would not allow at the present day. A correspondent, more inclined to sobriety than his fellow citizens, after complimenting (Quebec society for its politeness and hospitality — in which qualities it still excels — finds fault with the social custom by which ' men are excited and provoked by healths and rounds of toasts lo fuddle themselves in as indecent a manner as if they were in a tavei-n or in the most unpolished company.' In connection with this state of affairs it may be interesting to give the prices of different wines at that period : Fine Old JKed Port was sold at 17 shillings a dozen ; Claret at 12s.; Priniac at 17s.; Muscat at 24s. ; Modena at 278. ; Malaga at 17s. ; Lisbon at Hs, ; Fyall at 15s. h ; < ti iitl Ij 40 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. " Mr. Simon Frasei-, perhaps one of those converted Jacobites who scaled the height of Quebec, in 1759, turned civilian, gives us the price of tea: Single Green tea is ISs. a pound; Best Hyson, 25s.; liohea, (!/(»d. Pity that tea was so dear and wine so cheap ! Bread was very cheaj), and large quantities of wheat were exported — whereas now Jjowcr Canada has to import the most of its cereals. Great attention was paid to dress, and though no sumptuary laws were in force, the principle on which they were founded was still remembered, and attii-e bespoke the posi- tion of the wearer. The articles and styles advertised by drapers and tailors are, of course, in accoidance with the manufacture and fashion of the time. The lists of dr3' goods and fancy goods are very full, but to those engaged in the business now the antique nomenclature might bo puzzling. Irish linen was sold at from ]/6 to 7/0 per yard, and Jrish sheeting at from 1/G to 2/6. We are not told the prices of tammies or durants, romals or moUetons, cades or shalloons, but we are always carefuUj' informed that they may be had at the lowest prices. Pains are also taken, in many instances, to indicate the previous experience of the adver- tisers. Thus tailors and mantua-makers generally ' hail from' London. J\ir. Hanna, the watch-maker, whose time-keepers still tick attestation to his industry and popularity, is proud to have learned his trade by the banks of the Littey. Mr. Bennie, tailor and habit-maker, from Edinburgh, ' begs leave to inform the public that all gentlemen and ladies who will be so good as to favour him with their custom may depend u])on being faithfully served on the shortest notice and in the newest fashion for ready money or short credit, on the most reasonable terms.' There were peruke-makers in those days and they seem to have thriven well in Quebec, if we may judge by their advertised sales of real estate. Jewx'Uei-s also seem to have had plenty to do, as they advertise occasionally ibr assistants instead of customers. Fur- riers, hatters, couturieres and shoemakers also present their claims to public favour, so that there was no lack of pi-ovision for the wants of the outer man. '* From the genei-al tone and nature of the advertisements it is easily inferred that the society of Quebec soon after the conquest was gay and luxurious. We are not surprised when we find that a theatrical company found it worth their while to take up their abode there. Among the pieces played we find Home's ' Douglas ' and Ot way's ' Venice Pi-eserved.' The tloors were opened at five o'clock and the entertainment began at half-past six I The fre- quenters of the ' Thospian Theatre ' were a select and privileged class, and only subscribers were admitted. Private theatricals were much in vogue; and, indeed, there was every variety of amusement which climate could allow or suggest, or the lovers of frolic devise. Nor were bards wa;iting to celebrate these festivities, witness the following extract from a ' carioling song : ' . I, SOCIETY UNDER EArLY ENGLTSH RULE. 41 " ' Not all the fragrance of tlie sjjriiip, Nor all tht! tuneful birds tliat sinj^, Can to the J'luinn tin- ladies briug, So soon as ( arioling. '" Nor Venus with the winjiid Loves, Drawn by her sparrows or iier dovi^s, 80 gracefully or swiftly moves, As ladies cai idling.' " " Another poet, whose mind wjis evidently le.ss healthily braced by out-door exercise, given us a very ditt'ercnt picture of the recre- ations of the period. It occurs in the course of an essay in versi- tication called * Evening: ' " ' Now minuets o'er, the country dance is formed, fSee every little female jiassion rise ; By jealousy, by pride, by envy warmed. See Adam's child the child ot Kve despise. '" With turned-up nose Belinda Chloe eyes, Chloe Rlyrtilla with contempt surveys; " What! witli that creature dance ! '' Cleora cries, " That vulgar wretch ! 1 faint — unlace my stays." " ' Now meet in groups the phiIo8oi)hic band, Not in the porch, like those ot ancient Greece, But where the best Madeira is at hand From thou.ght the younger students to release. " ' For Hoyle's disciples hold it as a rule That youth for knowledge should full dearly i)ay; Wherefore to make young cubs the titter tool Presuming sense by Letheati drafts they slay. ♦ « • « « " ' With all the fury of a tempest torn, With execrations horrible to hear, By all the wrath of disai)pointmeut borne, The cards, their garments, hair, the losers teni.' "The winner's unl'eeling composure is described in another verse, and '< ' Now dissipation reigns in varied forms, Now riot in the bowl the senses stee]is, Whilst nature's child, secure from passion's storms, With tranquil mind in sweet oblivion sh.eps.' " It is to be hoped, for the honour o4' the ladies and gentlemen of old Quebec, that ' Asniodeus ' was under the malign influence of envy, hatred and all uncharitableness when he wrote those cynical vei'ses. If he wrote the trutli we cannot be too tliankful that the Chloes and Cleoras are dead and buried. i I ■- T 42 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. " Who was Miss Hannah MacOulloch ? She was a young lady and, if we may believe her panegyrist, was a beauty in her once day. The acrostic in her honoi* is anonymous, and occasion is taken in the course of it to almost mention some other young ladies by the way of making a climax of hei- charms. The poet seems to have been inspired by indignation at the insinuations of * Asmodeus,' for he begins thus : " ' Muses, bow oft dofs Satire's vengeful gall Invoke yotir powers to aid its bitter stiug ; ' and then he prefers his own claims to the favor of the Nine : " ' Sure you will ratber listen to my call, Since beauty and Quebec's fair nymphs I sing.' " It seems his petition was heard, for he forthwith begins his laudation : " ' Henceforth Diana in Miss S — ps — n see, As noble and majestic is her air ; Nor can fair Venus, W — Ic — s, vie with thee, Nor all her heavenly charms with thine compare. " ' Around the B — ch — rs Juno's glory plays, Her powei and charms in them attract our praise. Minerva, who with beauty's queen did vie And patronized all tbe finer arts, Crowned the McN — Is with her divinity, Crowned them the queens of beauty and of hearts. " ' Unto fair P — m — n now I turn my song, Lovely in all she says, in all she does; Lo ! to her toilet see each goddess throng, One cannot all, but each a charm bestows. Could all these beauties in one female be. Her whom I sing would be the lovely she.' " This effusion provoked moi-e criticism than many a book of poetry is subjected to nowadays, and the censors were in their turn criticized by others. Montreal even took part in this literarj'- tournament. But we are left in the dark as to its effect on the spirits, tempers or destinies of Miss MacCuUoch and her sister belles. " It would seem that the author was a young clerk or merchant of Quebec, as one of the critics spitefully tells him not to desert his shop. The ladies themselves do not escape, one writer sug- gesting that they are coquettish enough already without making them more so. The Montreal correspondent is warned off as an intruder, and told that he had better have saved his ninepence of postage money. Just imagine this silly acrostic furnishing gos- sip for Quebec and matter for the Gazette for two months I SOCIETY UNDER EARLY ENOLISB RULE. 43 " As another note of the state of society at that time may be mentioned occasional advertisements for the sale of negro hids and wenches, or or of rewai'ds for the recovery and restoration of missing ones. Slavei-y was not abolished in Lower Canada till 1803. In Upper Canjida, as a .separate province, it hardly ever existed. Did the manumitted blacks remain in Canada after their liberation, or did they seek a more congenial climate? " For education there does not seem to have been any public provision, but private schools for both sexes were numerous. These were probably expensive, so that the poorer classes were virtually debarred from the advantages of learning. The instruc- tion of Catholic children was in the hands of the clergy, and it may be that in some of the conventual schools a certain immber were admitted free of expense or at reduced rates, ft would ap- pear that some of the young ladies were sent to English boarding- schools, if we may judge by advertisements in which the advan- tages of these institutions are set forth. " A Miss or Mrs. Agnes Galbraith not oidy taught school, but also carried on the millinery business, to which she informs the public that she had sei-ved a regular apprenticeship, besides hav- ing been ' a governess for several years to a genteel boarding- school.' " The principal of a boys' school who resided at Three Rivers ' respectfully bogs leave to remark that he means to pi'esume no further than he is perfec^tly able to perform, and build his hope of encouragement on no other foundation than his assiduity to merit it.' His ' course ' is nevertheless a pretty full one, including English, French, Latin, Greek, writing in a natural and easy style after the best precedents; arithmetic, vulgar and decimal ; geography, with use of the globes ; geometry ; navigation with all the late modem improvements ; algebra, and every other useful and ornamental branch of mathematical learning. Some of the other male teachers write in a similar strain of their qualitications." " It may be inferred, then, that the wealthiei' classes of Can- ada in those days had much the same advantages of culture as their friends in England. Intercourse with the mother country was much more general and frequent than might be imagined, and, no doubt, many young gentlemen, after a preliminary train- ing at a colonial academy, were sent home to enter some of the English public schools or universities. From the highei- ranks downwards education varied till it reached the ' masses," with whom its index was a cipher. There is no reason to suppose, however, that the population of Canada, taken as a whole, was less cultivated during the last forty years of the eighteenth cen- tury than that of any European nation during the same period. From the consideration of education, one naturally passes to that of crime. Thefts were frequent, and sometimes committed on a , ( '1 ■v. I K|,:' 44 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. largo scale. The punishment was whipping at a cart-tail through the streets of the city — the culprits themselveH being whipped and whipsters in turn. Assault, stealing in private houses, and highway robber^' wei-e punished with death. The expiation for nuuislaughter was being branded in the hand which did the deed. Desertion Avas very frequent, especially among the Jlessians and Brunswickers then stationed in Canada. In some cases they were pi'oniised pardon if thej' returned to their regiments, but woe to them if they returned against their will ! Towards the end of the year 1788 ' Gustavus Leight, a German doctor, confined for i'elony, broke out of His Majesty's jail at Quebec' He was '25 years of age, about 5 feet high.' We are not told whether or not he was captured, as the advertisement is continued to the end of the year, but if he did not change his dress he could not have succeeded in baffling very long the keen eye of a detective, for " he had on, when he made his escape, a brown coat, red yjlush waistcoat, white stockings and cock'd hat.' If such a gentleman made his appearance in the streets of any Canadian city to-day, he would certainly be requested to ' move on,' or asked to ' ex- plain his motives.' One thing is certain, that prisoners for fe- lony in the year 1783 had not to submit to any arbitrary sumptu- ary arrangement — at least in the Quebec gaol (as it is always spelled in the Gazette ; perha])s because it is the goal of evil- doers). " The general state of society in Montreal, as well as in Three Rivers, St. Johns, L'Assomption, Terrebonne, Sorel and the other towns and villages in existence at the period which we are con- sidering was, in all probability, very like that of Quebec — the last-mentioned place having, of course, a certain prestige as the capital. " It would be futile to attempt to give an accurate picture of the ajjpearance of Montreal or Quebec at that distant date, and a description pretending to accuracy would not be possible without the collation of more ancient records than are easily' obtainable by o\w person. The names oi' some of the streets, as Notre Dame, St. Paul and St. Antoine in Montreal, and St. John's, Fabrique, St. Peter and others in Quebec, are still unchanged. Villages near these towns, such as Ste. Foye, Beauport, Charlesbourg, Sault aux Recollets, St. Denis, Ste. There.se, etc., are also fre- quently mentioned in the old Gazettes. Detroit and Niagara were places of considerable importance, and St. Johns, Chambly, Berthiei", L'Assomption, L'Acadie and other places were much moi'e influential communities in comparison with the population of the countr}' than they are to-day. The authorities at Quebec and Montreal were not wanting in endeavors to keep these cities clean, to judge, at least, by the published ' regulations for the police.' Every householder was obliged to put the Scotch pro- SOCFETY UNDEr EARf.Y ENGLrSH RULE. 45 verb in force, and keep clean and ' f'roe from filth, mud, dirt, rub- bish, straw or hay ' one-half ot the street opposite his own house. The ' cleaniDifs ' were to be (lei)Osited on the beach, as tln'V still arc ill portions of Montreal and (Quebec which border on the river. Treasiire-trov(^ in the shape of stray hojt^s could be kept by the finder twenty-four hours after the event, if no claim had been made in the meantime; and if the owner declared himself in person or through the bellman, he had to pay lOs. bef(jrc ho could have his }»o,rlv restored, l-'ive shillings was the penalty for a stray horse. The regulations lor vehicles, slaughter-houses, sidewalks, markets, etc., were equally strict. Among other du- ties, the carters had to keep the markets clean. The keepers of taverns, inns and cofiee-houses had to light the streets. livery one entering the town in u sleigh had to carry a shovel with him for the purpose of levelling cnhofs which interruptea his progress, ' at any distunco within three leagues of the town.' The rates of cabs and ferry-boats arc fixed with much jjrecision. No carter was allowed to plead a prior engagement, but was to go ' with the pers(m who first demanded him, under a penalty of twenty shillings.' The rate of speed was also regulated, and boys were not allowed to drive. Constant reference is made to the walls and gates of Montreal as well as Quebec, and there is reason to believe the smaller towns were similarly fortified. Ik-yond the walls, however, there was a considerable [xipulation, and many of the military otficeis, (iovenimcnt oiUcials and merchants had villas without the city. The area in Montreal which lies between Craig, 8t. Antoine and iSherbrooke streets was atU(Ulcd with country-houses with large gardens and orchards attached. The seigneurs and other gentry had also fine, capacious stone-built I'csidcnces, which much en- hanced the the charm of the rural scenery. Some of the estates of those days Averc of almost immense extent. The Kings of France thought nothing of granting a whole province, and, even in British times, there were gentlemen whose acres would have superimposed an Knglish county. The extraordi- nary donation of James I. of a large portion of North America to 8ir William Alexander was not long since brought before the public by the claims of his descendants. Large tracts of land were given away by Louis Xlll., Louis XIV. and other Freiuih kings ; by Oliver Cromwell and the Stuarts ; and the same exti-a- vagant system of entailing unmanageable wealth on companies and individuals was continued after the conquest. "It would bo interesting to know what was the kind of liter- ary fare on which the intellect of Canada subsisted in those days. It cannot bo supposed that the people spent all their time in busi- ness and social pleasure. There must have been readers as well as cariolers and dancers, and the literature of England and Franco ■) \ \ ) ■ r . II ^^"■^"^^w III li:l li 11 46 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. was by no means scanty. Great writers on every subject have flourished since that time, but some of the greatest that ever lived, some of those whoso productions are still read with the highest ploHHure, were the otl'spritig of the two centuries which preceded the conquest. No one will be surprised to find, then, that in the year 1783, a circulating library in Quebec numbered nearly 2,000 volumes. Nor is the enquirer left in the dark as to itH probable contents. In the Quebec Gazette of the 4th of De- comber, a list of books is given which ' remained unsold at M. Jacques Perrault's, very elegantly bound ' — and books were bound substantially as well as elegantly in those days. In this list are found ' Johnson's Dictionary,' then regarded as one of the wonders of the literary worki ; 'Chesterfield's Letters,' long the vade-mecum, of every young gentleman beginning life, and which, even in our own days (and perhaps still), were frequently bound along with spelling and reading books; the ' Pilgrim's Progress', which it is not necessary to characterize; Young's 'Night Thoughts;' the 'Spectator' and 'Guardian;' Eapin's 'English History,' ' Cook's Voyages,' Rousseau's ' Eloiso,' ' Telemaque,' 'Histoire Chinoise,' ' Ksprit des Croissades,' ' Lettrcs de Fernand Cortes,' ' Histoire Anciorine ' par Rollin, ' Grammaire Anglaise et Francaiwe,' ' Dictionnaire par I'Academie,' * Dictionnaire de Com- merce,' ' Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences,' 'Smith's House- wife,' ' The Devil on Sticks,' ' Voltaire's Essay on Universal His- tory,' 'Dictionnaire de Cuisine' and several others on various subjects, ' (Piuvres de Kabclais,' ' American Gazetteer,' etc. These, it will bo remembered, had remained unsold, but among the sold there must have been copies of the same. "It is, according to our notions of to-day, a meagre collection, but, no doubt, many families possessed good libraries, brought with them from over the sea, and the bookseller may not have kept a large stock at one time. It was the custom for merchants to sell off all their overlying goods before they went or sent to Europe for a reinforcement. " The following books were advertised as ' missing :' — Lang- horn's Plutarch, 1st vol. ; Thomson's Works, 4th vol. ; Gordon's ' Universal Accountant,' 1st vol. ; and Gray's Hudibras, 2nd vol. For each one of them there is offered a reward of tioo dollars ! Reading was expensive recreation in those times. " The reader, perhaps, has seen, or, it may bo, possesses one of those old libraries, of which the general public occasionally have a glimpse at auction rooms, composed of standard authors, and beautifully and solidly bound, which had adorned the studies of the fathers of our country. They contain all that Avas best in the French and English literature of the last centuiy — history, Eoetry, divinity, belles lettres, science and art. From these may e gathered what were the tastes, the culture and the thought of the Canadians of the last century. SOCIETY UNDER EARLY ENGLISH RULE. 47 "Music and painting were cultivated — the former being, as now, a necesHary part of female education. Of a festival given by the young laaies of a place called La Cote, neai- Quebec, in 1764, it is promised in the programme that " the orchestra and symphony will be composed of instruments of all kinds." It may interest some ladies to know that among the dances at the same entertainment are mentioned ' I'llarlequinade,' ' TiU Chinoise,' and ' La Matelote Hollandaiso ' — some relation, perhaps, to the < Sailor's Hornpipe' " The settlement in Canada of the United Empire Loyalists, after the peace of September, 1783, by which the independence of the revolted colonies was recognized, must have had a consid- erable influence on Canadian society, and more than atoned for sufferings inflicted on the colony during the progress of the war. Eepeated efforts liad been made by the Americans to engage the art'ections of the Canadians. Among those whom Congress had appointed commissioners to treat with the Canadian people on this subject was the renowned Dr. Benjamin Franklin, whose visit to this country was not the most successful portion of his career. Although in some instances there was a manifestation of disaffection to the British Government, the great bulk of the population remained unmistakably loyal. Tn the Quebec Gazette of October 23rd, 1783, is found the Act of Parliament passed in favour of the Loyalists, ii. which the 25th day of March, 1784, is fixed as the limit of the period during which claims for leliof or compensation for the loss of property should bo received. How many availed themselves of the provisions of this act it is not easy to say, but the whole number of .persons dispossessed of their estates and forced to seek another home in consequence of their continued allegiance, is set down at from 25,000 to 30,000. Of these, the great majority took up their abodes in the Canadas, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, while a few went to the West Indies, and others returned to Plngland. The biographies of some of these Loyalist settlers in British North America would bo full of interest and instruction. But records of family movements and vicissitudes are very rarely kept — most rarely in those cases in which adventures are most frequent and the course of events most changeful. 1 have, however, seen accounts of the early settlements in the Eastern Townships, P. Q., and in different portions of Ontario, which were full of the romance of faith, of courage, and of perseverance." THE ST. LOUIS HOTEL. A sketch of this fashionable thoroughfare — St. Louis street — the headquarters of the judiciary, barristers, politi- cians, etc., would be incomplete without a mention of the I ; 'wm. 48 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC, It chief trystinn^-placo of travellers and touristH for the last thirty yenrs — the leadimj; hostelry of Queber. St. Louis Hotel is made up of two or more private dwellings joined loycther. That ou the corner of Haldimand and St. liouis streets formerly was owned as a residence by the late IM- ward Hurrouj^hs, Ksq., P. S. V<. Next to it stood, in 1H87, Schlu«'i>'s Hotel — the (ilohe Hotel — kej>t by a (rerman, and where the niilitiiry swells in lS.'?7-H-(> and our Jolly curlers used to have reiherche dinners or their frun^-al "beef and greens" and lixings. In IH4H, Mr. Uurrouohs' house was rented toone Ivobert Hand)rick, who subsequently opened a sec(nid-< liiss hotel at the ( orner of Ste. Anne and (larden streets, on tln^ spot on which the Queen's |)rinter, the late Mr. (leorge Desbarats, built a stately oflice for tht^ printinoof the Canada Gazette — subsequently sold on the removal of the (Tovernment to Ottawa — now the Russellllouse. Thi> Globe Hotel belonged to the late B. C. A. (rugy, lilsq. II was purchased by the late Messrs. Lelic'vre & Angers, bar- risters, connected with two or three adjacent teneiments, and rented, about 1852, to Messrs. A/a'o and Willis Russell (represented now by the Uussell Hotel C-ompany) for th(> St. Louis Hotel. C'onnected by a door through the wall with the Music Hall, it is a notable landmark in St. Louis street and an objei^t of considerable interest to city cabmen as well, during the season of tourists. Its dining saloon, on the second floor, has witnessed many bountiful repasts, to celebrate social, military, political or literary events, none better remembered than that of the 17th of November, 1880, when the elite of Quebec crowded in unusual num hers — about one hundred and eighty citizens, l^lnglish French — to do honour, by a public- banquet, to the laun of the French Academy, M. Louis Honore Frechette,^ re- cently member of i^arliament for his native county, Levis, • Louis Ifonoro Frechette, born at the town of Levis, opposite to Quebec — went througii tt classical course at the Quebec Seminary — studied for the Bar, THB FKECHHTTE DINNER. 49 to celebrate his receiving?, in Auj^ust last, in Paris, from the Amdimie Frnnfaise, the unprecedented distinction, for ii colonist, of the (hand Prix Mnnlhyon (2.000 livres) for the excellence of his poetry. Subjoined will be found the names of some of those l)resent ; also, extracts from n few of the addresses deliv- ered. We regret much that want of space precludes us from addin*^ more of the eloqjient speeches delivered, because they throw li^'ht for En<]^lish readers on the hii,«'h degree of culture French literature has attained at Quebec. All, we are sure, will rejoice with us that, for the cause of letters, M. Fre(;hette was timely rescued from the quag- mire of political warfare and hustings promises. THE FfiECHETTE Df.VNEn, NOVEMRER 17, 1880. " ^[i-. L. 11. Frechette, the hiureate of the French Academy, was hist night the recipient of mai-ks of honor and esteem, in the shape of a ma<^niticent i)anqnet given him at the St. Louis Hotel, 1)}' the citizens of Quebec and vicinity. The tables wore laid in the large dining hall of tlie St. Louis Hotel, which was hand- Homcly decorated for the occasion. The walls were partially covered with French and English flags, and wreaths of evergreen surrounded all the windows. Behind the Chairman, on a bracket, was an excellent bust of the Canadian poet, having on either side paintings of scenes in Mr. Frechette's drama, 'Papinoan,' by Mr. E. W. Scwoll, Levis. "Over 125 gentlemen sat down to the banquet, amongs- whom we noticed: — The Honorable Judge Henri T. Taschereau; ^L Lefaivre, Consul of France; Count do Premio-Real, Consul. ■ eneral of Spain ; the Baron Bols, Consul-General of Belgium, >rnii)r Wasson, Consul of the United States; M. Thors, Hon. W. ijaurier, Hon. L Thibaudeau, Hon. C. A. P. Pellctier, C.M.G. under the present Tudge for the Kamouraska District, Hon. Henri Taschereau. Represented liis native county of Levis in the Commons Parliament from 1873 to t878. His poetical effusions were published, at Quebec, in 1863, in a small volii . intituled " Mes Loisirs " ; in 1877, a more extensive collection was publi- under the title of "Pele-Mele." He was awarde 1 in 1880, by the Acad' Fningaise of Paris, the Grand Prix Afon'hi/on, 2,000 francs. In April, 1 .uieen's College conferred on Mr. Frechette the degree of Doctor of Law. McG ill University also made him an LT^.D. Since his marriage in Montreal Mdlle Beaudry, the poet resides in that city. 1 1 s i 50 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. .i;l Hon. D. A. Ross, M.P.P., Achille Lunio, M.P., Charles Lanj^elier, M.P.P., Hon. IL a. Joly, ^[.P.P., Hon. F. Langolier, M.P.P., Hon. ArMiiii- Tnrcotto Spcakor of Mui Assoinhly, f)r. Rinfrcl, M. P.P., P. B. (ias^fniin, iM.T., Jainos Diinhai-, Esq., Q.C, Nazaii-o Tuivotto, Dr. Colin Sowcll, Oscar Dnini, (;. Antil, K. Ficdard, G. T. Davie, (J. I'are, llr;,ri Dclagravc, W. K. Brunei, K. VV. Sewell, K. X. Leniieii.v, Fiuiclier de ,St. Maurice, K. M. Dccliene, G. E. T. Hint'ret, O. D. liieliardson, Ijouis liilodeau, Oscar Lanctol, N. Le- vasseur, (Jeor^i^ vStcwarl, Jr., JMlward Thomas, D. Chambers, K. G. Gaulier, Paul de Ca/es, It. J. Bradley, D. .j. Montamhault, T. God- I'roy I'apineau, N.P., Montreal, De La Brcxjuerio Tache, C. Mas- siah, James AI. LeMoine, President Literary and Historical Society, W. J. W.>att, Alphonse Pouliot, Di-. L. La ftue, Colonel Rhodes, Dr. l\)nrtier,C Duquol, V. Belani,fer, Charles Lanij;lois, VV. C. Languedoe, AltVed White, Peter .AfcKwan, Geoi-ge Henry l\)\vell, A. P. Beanli"U, All'red licmieux, Elie Lachancc, Biehard L. Sulfur, Lieut.-Col. 'rurnhull, II. iM. Pi-ice, II. Si. B. Young, G. R. White, Captain (J/owsUi, ,1. U. Laird, (Jharles Fitzpati-ick, K. Swindell, H. .1. Hale, Cecil Kraser, Aug. Stuart, C. V. M. Temple, Timolaus Buaulieu, C. S. P>eaidieu. N. Lat<»-i'<>, (Jeorge Bouchai'd, L. N. Carrier, .J, B. Michaud, Dr. Lamontagiui. Dr. Collet, Arthur La- vigne, P. Boutin, M.B.B., K Fortier,' G. Bresse, J. S. C. Wurtelo, M.P.P., P. K. (iodhout, Paul Dumas, Jiieutenant Drury, Captain Wilson, H. G. She]»i)ard, J. B. Cliarleson, Dr. Hubert liaRue, H. J. J. B. Chouinard, Pnlsident de i'Listitut Catiatlien, H. J. Beemer, J. L. Renaud, K W. Methot, K (J. E. Gauthier, O. Leger, J. E. Pouliot, D. K. Barr}-, L. P. Lenuiy, Jac((ues Auger, Ernest Pa- caud, ,^ Allaire, N.P., T. G. Tremblay, N.P., J. J. Gahan, Joseph Blondeau, Thomas Potvin, J. B. Z. Dubeau, Frs. Bortrand, J. C, Hamel, Emile Jacot, John Buchanan, Antoine Carrier, William Broakey. ufi The Chair was occupieil by Hon. Judge IL T. Taschereau, having on his rights the guest of the evening, L. H. Frechette, the Count Premio-Real, Ib.n. C. A. V. Pelletier, Mr. W^asson, Hon. F. Langeliei", M. Thors of Paris, iVc., and on his left Ihe Consul-tien- eral for France, Hon, Mr. Laurier, Mr. Bols, Jlon. D. Ross, iS:c. " The bun((uet was given in the well-known e\cellent style of the Russell Hotel Comjjanj'-, which never leaves anything to be desireil. After full justice had been done the good things pro- vided for the occasion, silence was obtained, when the following resolution, presented to Mr. Frechette by tho Literary and His- torical Society of (Quebec, was read by the Secretary, Mr. Dela- grave : — "At a monthly general meeting of the Literary and Historical Society, held on the liJth October last : " H was proposed by Commander Asho, R.N,, seconded by R. McLcod, Esq., i'if »IM LOUIS HONORE FRECHETTE. fil "Tluit the Literary and Historicii S"oioty of Quebec has wit- nessed with the highest satisfaction (lie literary honours conferred in August hist, by i\w Academic Franraisc, on Monsieur Louis Honore Frechette, for the |)oeticai excellence of his two poems, ' Les Flours Boreales ' and ' Les Oiseaux de Neige.' "That the Academical crown, encircling the brow of a Cana- dian poet, ought to be as much prized by Canada as it must be dear to its gifted son, the Laureate of the Frcncdi Academy. "That such a signal distinction conferred by the highest liter- ary tribunal, whilst it. exhibits in such a favourable light the iidtd- lectual vigour of (he Pi-ovince of Quebec, cannot be othci-wise than a subject of legitimate pride to the Dominion of Canada. "That the President and Secretary of this Society be charged with the pleasant duty of conveying to Monsieur L. H. Frechette the expression of the sentinuits of admiration with which it views his literary success. (Signed,) J. M. LeMoine, President. Alex. Kobertson, Secretary. Quehec, 13th October, 1880. " The usual loyal toasts — the Queen and Governor-General — were given by the Chairman, ".Jid enthusiastically honoured. " The Chaii-man then proposud " France," the toast being re- ceived with the usual honours and responded to by M. Lefaivrc, the Consul-General Ibr France. " M. Lefaivre made an interesting speech, alluding to the past and ])resent of France, to the communication bclwetMi the France oftheUM Worlil and Iha Nonvct/e France of this Western hemi- sphere, dwelling U[)()n the honours achieved by the guest of the evening in Paris, and contending that literature was the soul of a nation. " The Chairman, Hon. Mr. Justice 11. Taschercau, then rose to propose the toast of the evening, being receiv(>d with loud and j)rolonged cheering. He said : — " (rKNTr.KMEN, — 1 liave now the honour to propos(> the toast of the evening — the health of oui* distinguished I'ellow-coiintryman, oiH- guest, ijouis llonori' Frechette, the poet of ( !anada, crowned by the Academy of France. Voii have beard, genllcm(!n, the loud hurrah of all Canatla in honour of one of \\rv cliildion, and here, perhajis, 1 might cease speak'ing. Nothing that I might miy coidd increase the glad strength of the general voice of the country, when the news arrived hei'e that the grand arena of literature, the French Academy, an institution whose life is counted by centuries, and which is without equal in the world, HMH 52 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. that great interpreter and infallible judge of the difficulties, the beauties and the genius of the French language, had given one of its annual prizes, and perhaps the finest of all — the prize of poetry — to one of our countrymen. 1 could never fittingly express or depict the sentiments of pride and joy felt by all lovers of litera- ture in this country — 1 maj-add of all good Canadi.vns — when the news came from beyond the ocean, from that sacred France, mo- ther of civilization ; from fairy Paris, capital of the Muses, that Mr. Frechette had been crowned ! But, as Chairman of this happy reunion, at the risk of but faintly re-echoing the general sentiment, I must at least try to express my feelings in propos- ing this toast. The emotions which I feel are of a dual nature, that of friendship and of patriotism, and, as friendship is nearer to the heart, so 1 gave that feeling the first place. The speaker here referred to his collegiate days in the Seminary of Quebec, where he met Mr. Frechette, and in preparing himself for the battle of life, had won the friendship of the Canadian poet. He alluded to Mr. Frechette's first efforts in verse, and had judged his early attempts, and in referring to his (the Judge's) own lit- erary works at the time, the speaker said that the line of Boileau might be applied to him, " ' Pour lui, PlioRbuK est soiird et ppgase est retif.' " At that time, Mr. Frechette had not reached the heights of Helicon, nor attained the regions wheiein the ' Boreal Flowers ' are gathered and the ' Snow Birds ' fly, but the little flowers he gathered in more modest fields had around them the perfume of genuine poetry, and the emerald, ruby and topaz of art already shone in the dainty plumage of his summer birds. Mr. Frechette published in a small journal in manuscript, called L'Echo, of which Judge Taschereau was then editor in the Semituiry, the first efforts of his muse. This souvenir of the past is now very precious to me, said the spcakei-, because it enables me to state that I was the first editor of our poet's works. Judge Taschereau further alluded to the time when, with Mr. Frechette, he studied law, that dry study, and though the poet was thus devoted to the goddess Themis, he nevertlieloss found time to worshij) at the shrine of song. How could the poet do otherwise? His fame had already gone abroad. The journals of the country were al- ready publishing his sonnets, odes and songs. His acrostics were s't^(y which is falhondess ! March on and sing ! We are proud of you, and we believe in your genius, crowned, as it is, by the ilighe^st litei'ary tribunal in the world — that of the Forty Immor- tals !' (Cheers.) " The utmost enthusiasm jjcrvaded those present, and when the poet laureate rose to reply, he was greeted with loud apjilause, which continued for several minutes. Mr. Frechette said : — '' Mr. Ciiaiuman and Gentlemen, — For some time jjast I have abstained from public sjieaking, and there are those amongst my best frieiu's who tell me that 1 have done well. To-day Mont- real-'' and Quebec seem to have cons])ired against me, to oblige me to make two speeches on the same subject. This, though flattering to me, is hardly fair. \i', having pleaded in one sense, 1 were asked to take the opposite ground, it might appear that such wotdd not embarrass a lawyei-, and one who has also been a politician, but in my present position 1 am called upon to treat the same cpiestion twice, and absolutely in the same sense. How can 1 discover something new to advance. Naturally, 1 felt embarrassed at the outset, but, at anj' risk, my duty is to respond to your flattering call, and thus to best avenge myself upon this conspiracy of my friends. It will not be surprising if I aflfirm that the occasion of this reunion has for me a character of especial solemnity. Seated at this festive board, I see the repre- sentatives of difiei-ent nations, who, in private capacities also, have won general respect. ' see, also, my fellow-citizons of Quebec and of Levis, my native )wn — the schoolmates of my earliest days — confreres in ])rofessional life and in the walks of literature — comrades of pas 1 political struggles — friends, ever indulgent and generous — political leaders of whom I have always been proud, and gentlemen of various origins, divergent opinions and different religious beliefs, all tendering me their warmest congratulations upon the success J have achieved in the literary world. No words * A maguificent banquet had just previously been given to IWr. Frechette. THE LAUREATE OF CANADA. 65 of mine aro adequate to express my feelings, nor can I sufticiently thank 3'ou all for this spontaneous and sym])atheti('. demonstra- tion in honour of one wiio regrets that lie is not more worthy of your favour. 1 can only acce])t your evidences of irienilshi]) with cordial emotion, thank you from the de|)th of my heart and Ixjar with me from this hall a proud memory which will unite with the i-emembrances of my youth, all eople of (Quebec, and, in so declaring, J am but assuring you that this remembrance will ever attend upon mo. The past vouches for this; for when my tent of exile shook in the winds I'rom oil' the great Western lakes, or slept on the bowery shores of Louisianian streams; when my traveller's skiff was rocked on the waters of the Southern gulfs, or was reflected on the blue waves ot the Loire; when 1 had be- fore me the wild majesty of Niagara, the immensity of the ocean, or when, filled with admiration, 1 paused to gaze upon the stupen- dous monuments of the Old World, my thoughts ever instinctively flew back to the good old city of Champlain, un|)aralleled in the world for the ])ictures(pie splendor of its site, and the ])()etry whicii no less issues from the very stones of its fortress, than it lingers upon every ]»age of its history. Yes I Old (Quebec! Jn all places 1 have cherished with devotion every memory of you, for within your walls my heart fii-st opened to the noble teaching of intellect! It is your lofty embrasures — your flag, bravely floating in the skies — your abrupt rock, ^our stretches of ram- j)arts, your brilliant steeples, reflecting their beauty on the lx)som o^'the 8t. Lawrence, mingh^d with the sails of your cosmopolitan navies, which, for the first time, awoke the poetic enthusiasm in my breast. Long ago 1 first saw these scenes from the win- dow of an humble cottage of Levis, half-hidden in a screen of foliage; and in my youngest days, ere I know the method or formation of a verse, I felt the fluttering against the cage of my heart of that golden bird, whose sonorous voice is styled Poetry. In fact, gentlemen, I was cari-ied towai'ds a literary caieer from the very outset, and in this connection you will permit me to re- late a little anecdote. You will pardon me if 1 appear egotistical, but your conJial reception warrants me in looking for your indul- gence. 1 had learned to read in a book full of reveries and senti- ment, entitled 'Letters of the poet Gilbei't to liis sister." Of course f understood but little of it, yet it made a deep imi)ression on my imagination. One day my lather, an honest man and good citizen, if there were ever any such, but who had nothing in com- mon with the Muses, asked m^' bi'other and I what professions we would adopt when we grew big. ' For me,' re|jlied ni}' happy- hearted brother Edmond, '1 will be a carter,' and '1 will be a poet,' 1 immediately added. T still remember my fathei-'s smile of aft'ectioiuite pity when he heard these unexpected declarations from the hopes of his declining years. "My poor children," 1:/. I I 56 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. :! ' : II said he, with a resigned air, " these two occupations will never lead you to wealth and fortune." Later I understood the wise I'cflection of my father ; but no one carves out his own destiny and he must submit to fate. 1 have vainly tried other careers but finally was obliged to i-eturn to this dream of my infancy. As the poet says : " Drive away the natural, and it returns at full speed." Yes, dear old City of Quebec, so old and so glorious,so beautiful in your ensemble and so characteristic in your details, so cordial and so hospitable, in presence of your noblest children assembled here to welcome me, within your old walls, let me give this testi- mony; that if 1 hja'e had the happiness of causing the Canadian name to be heard in the immoi-tal shrine of French literature it is to you I »nve it, and to yon is my gratitude offered. For I must tell you, gentlemen, that I loved Quebec too much, at the distance, not to hasten across the river, when the bird felt that his wings were strong enough to fly. At that time the greatest of the pools of Quebec, Octave Cremazie, sang the glories of our ancestors and the bi-ave deeds of old Fi-ance. His energetic and inspired voice excited youthful emulation. A group of budding writers surrounded him, but each one felt timid and hesitated to tune his notes amongst the loud echoes of his vigorous patriotism. Alas ! the star fled from our skies, another generation of enthusi- astic poets and wi-itcrs disputed the honour of seizing the lyi'c, so heavy for their fingers, which had been left on the rock of Quebec, by the author of the Flag of Carillon. O ! my old com- i-ades, do you think as frequently as do I, of those old days, when with hearts lull of poetic illusions, we united our talents, our hopes and I might add our poverty, to establish that spiritual association in which the beautiful was idolized, seekers as we were after the ideal, dealers in mental bijouterie, despised at first by some, but which succeeded more than once in directing the attention of literar}' France lo our shores ? Do you, at times, i-emember our joyful meetings, our interminable readmgs, our long hours of continued study and waking reveries in common — do you yet remember the bewildering evenings in which the glass of Henri Murger mingled its sonorous tinklings, bright and merry, to the love-song of our flowery youth ? We M-^ere all rivals, but " Our hearts, as our lutes, vibrated as one," and God knows that this rivalry never severed the bonds of affection which united us, and so was founded what has since been styled the Mutual Admiration Society, Mutual Admiration Society ! If wo wore to consider the number of books, dress-coats, gloves and other articles of more intimate character that were exchanged between us, it might more safely have been called the Society for Mutual Support. At all events, from the spectacle V THE LAUREATE OF CANADA. 67 before me this evening I gather that this Society of Mutual Admiration, if admiration it must be termed, has taken a singular development since I had the honour of assisting so frequently at its meetings, and there is nothing surprising in this, since one of the most distinguished of the founders of tiiis society, Mr. Faucher de St. Maurice, informed me the other day that the society in question was about to annex the Frencli Academy. (Laughter.) But to be serious, allow mo to recount another anecdote. There was a time, gentlemen, when our Mutual Admiration was far from being so ambitious as to dream of having a succursale under the rotunda of the French Institute. But if our pi'oductions were meagre, our revenues were still more so, and famine often reigned in the cliests of the confraternity. However we had our own days of abundance when there was corn in Egypt. The first Quebecer who understood that poetry, unlike perpetual motion, could not feed itself, was a brewer, whose memory is now legendary and who was known by the harmonious name of McCallum. Arthur Casgrain, who in a couple of years afterwards we sorrowfully bore to the cemetery, had thought of composing an Epic on the Grand Trunk. This was called called "La grande Tronciade!" Well in one of the twelve parts of this production, so very original, there were thi-ee remarkable lines. " Buvous, buvoiiH, amis, de i.e bun muccalloun', Venant directement du biasseur qu'il dcnomu I C'est ca qui vous retape et vous rufait un liornme ?" The efiect was magical, The heart of the brewer was touched. A long waggon on which we could read the eloquent words "pale ale and porter " stopped next day before our door. For twenty minutes a man with burthened step climbed the Jacob's ladder which led to the poet's attic, and one hundred and forty-four > jtles of inviting appearance I'anged themselves around the chamber. I cannot picture the joy of the happy recipient. In his enthusiasm he offered me a community in his good fortune — of course under a pledge of inviolable secrecy. But as I felt the im- perious necessity of communicating my emotions I was as wanting in discretion as he had been, and that evening all the Bohemians, students and literary friends even to the remotest degree followed in the wake of McCallum's bottles, and invaded the attic cnamber of poor Arthur (your good-natured cousin, Mr. President.) There wo had French, English, Latin and Greek speeches in prose and in verse. Arsene Michaud has oven prejnired a story lor the occasion. In brief, the hecatomb was made; the libation was Olympic, the twelve dozen disappeared and on the morrow poor Casgrain showed me with a sad face the Homeric remains of his one day's wealth, and in a lamentable tone of despair he exclaimed : " I will have to write another poem." Gentlemen, that was the first time in Canada that poetry made a return to its author, and • il III H 58 I'lCTURESQVE QUEBEC. i ■ ■ ! I in tasting these deliciito viands which the hospitable city of Quebec now otters to one of those early Bohemians in recognition of his literary success, I could not fail to recollect with emotion this amusing circumstance now enveloped, with other scones of youth, sometimes glad — sometimes sorrowful, in the shadowy robe of past recollections. Another story just suggests itself to my mind. Lusignan and I occupied the attic of an old house in Palace street. Our room was heated by a stove-])ipo, which reached from the lower apartments. One day I had published in Le Canadien — Tempora Mutantur — a little poem in which was the following line : " KliiveiinK in my attic poor." The next day a sui-prise awaited us. A dumb stove had re- placed the mere stove-pipe, and while holding our sides from laughter we heard this sjjeech : "Gentlemen, we are xcvy indul- gent, considering your noisy meetings — we are not very particular when rent-day ai-rives — antl if you so shivered in your room, it would have been better to have said so privately, than to have com])lained of it in the newspajiers." (Laughter.) Poor Mrs. Tessier, our landlady — she was not well acquainted with tigures of speech, but she has been the Providence ol' many of the destitute, and more than one who hears me now can say as 1 do, that no better or more obliging heai't ever beat in a more pitiful bosom towards purseless youth. And who knows, it is perhaps due to this sympathetic leeling of its population towards literary men and writers that this city of Quebe(! has seen such an array of talent within her bosom, such a succession of Pleiades of dis- tinguished litterateurs, who have glorified her name and that of all m their countiy. For the last fifty years, men eminent branches of literature have made a gorgeous and resplendent aureole around the city of Qiiebec. In the generation immediately preceding us, we see Petitclerc, Parent, Soulard, Chauveau, Garneau, L'Ecuyer, {'"erland, Bartheand Eeal Angers, these grand pioneers of intellect, who in history, poetry, di-ama and romance, made such a wide opening for the generation which followed them. Then we have I'Abbe Laverdiere, I'Abbe Casgrain, LeMoine, Fiset, Tache, Plamondon, LaRue, and the first among all Octave Cremazie, who coming at different times bravely and constantly continued the labours of their predecessors, until we reach the brilliant phalanx of contemporary writers, Lemaj^, Fabre, I'Abbe Begin, Routhier, Oscar Dunn, Faucher de St. Maurice, Buies, Marmette and Legendre, all chai-ged with the glorious task of preserving for (Quebec her legitimate title of the Athens of Canada. And how could it be otherwise? Is not Quebec the cradle of our nationality — the spot whereon Is engraved the most illustrious pages of our history — heroic annals, touching souvenirs, all combining with the marvels of nature to speak here the soul of the historian and of the poet. What a THE LAUREATE OF CANADA. 59 flourishing field for the historian and pool is not the talc of tliat handful of Breton heroes, who, three ciMiturieH ago, planted on tlie rock of Quebec the flag of Christianity aiuj civilization ! What innumerable sources of" inspiration laii \vc not find in our majestic i-iver, our gigantic lakes, our grand cascades, our lofty mountains, our impenetrable foi-ests and in all that grand and wild nature, which will ever he the characteristic feature of our dear Canada. Oh ! our history, gentlemen! Oh, the pictiires(|UO beauties of our country! Two marvellous veins — (wo mines of precious matei'ial open at our feet. The Kui-opean writers ai-e ever sti'iving to discover something fresh. Having t^xhansted all kinds of themes, they ai-e now stoo])ing to the dust to iind an originality which seems to fly from them. Well, this freshness, this originality, so coui-ted and so rai-e now-a-days, may be found within our gi'asp, — it is there in our historical archives — in our j)atriarchal customs — in the many characters of a people young and thirsting for independence — a robust and healthy jxKitiy, floats on our breezes — breathes in our ])opiilar songs — sings in the echoes of our wild forests, and opens graceful and pn»ud her white wings to the winds of the free aspirations of the new world. To us this virgin field belongs, gentlemen ! Take from Kurope her form and experience, but leave to her, her old Muses. Let us be true to oiirselve.s ! Be Canadians and the futui-e is ours. "That which strikes us most in your j)oems" said a member of the French Aciulemy to me, " is that the modern style, the Parisian style of your verses is united to something strange, so particular and singular — it seems an exotic, dist^ng.'iged from the entire." This perfume of originality which this wiiler discovered in my writings was then uidvnown to myself. What was it? It was the secret of their nationality, — the certificiite of their origin, their Canadian stamp! And it is important for us, gentlemen, never to allow this character to disapjjcar. Let our young writei-s stamp it broadly on their pages and then advance io their task, they need no longer fear the thorns on the way. The path is wide open and millions of readers await their ettorts. To the work then; France offers us her hand, and now that we have renewed the bonds between us and our illustrious and well-beloved mother country — bonds broken by the vicissitudes which occur in the life of peoples, we shall be enabled once more to prove the great truth enunciated by Bulwer Lytton in " Richelieu" that " The pen is mightior than the sword." The Chairman called upon Hon. Wilfred Lauriei- to projxjse the next toast. Hon. Mr. Laurier, on being called on to propose the toast of the Academy of France, was loudly cheered on rising, and the enthusiasm became the greater as he advanced, showing the many claims the great French tribunal of letters had upon the attention i i !ii K. 60 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. 1 1 ! ' ' 1 'i ■ ' !' ^ r ; i' of the learned world. Tie spoke of the old ties which bound France and Canada, and alluded to the argument of Doucet, the French Academician, in favour of the iulmisHion of Frechette to the French concours, viz., that when France was in the throes of agony, the voice of French (Janada spoke out its loutl attachment to the cause of the ancient mother country. In such action was the forgotten daughter restored to its sorrowing mother. The hon. gentleman then in language of forciijle eloquence i-eferred to tiie jjleasuro shown by English-Canadians at the success of Mr, Frechette, and concluded a highly intellectual and eloquent speech, amidst the reitei-ateil cheers of tiie whole assemblage. The Chairman then proposed the toast of English and French literature. Mr. George Stewart, jr., who on rising was greeted with cheers, said : — Mr. Chairman and Centlkmen: — I must thank you for the very enthusiastic manner in which you have just drank to this toast, and for the coi-diality with which you have been good enough to i-eceive my name. Before asking you to consider with me the subject which has just been so happily proposed from the chair, I would ask your permission to say how gratified I am at being present, this evening, to assist you in paying homage to one whom we all delight to honour, and at whose feet it is our special privilege to sit. (Cheers.) It is all of seventeen years since Mr. Frechette gave to the public, in a little book, the best fruits of his youthful muse, but those early efforts of his mind gave abundant pi-omise of future excellence and hope, — a promise which has since been admirably and delightfully fulfilled. I can- not tell you how proud we all feel, — we who speak the English tongue, alike with you who utter the liquid and mellow language of Be ranger and JL)e Musset, — that the ''Forty Immortals" of Mother France, recognized in Mr. Frechette, — what all of us knew before, — that he was a tender and graceful poet, and that his work is as pure and sweet as aiivthingto be found in the lyric poetry of our time. (Cheers.) Mr. Frechette had not to go abroad to find that out, but it is pleasing to us all to find our opinions confirmed and ratified by the highest authority in France. I again thank you, gentlemen, for the privilege which you have afforded me of saying these few words regarding our laurel- crowned poet and guest. (Applause.) With regard to the subject which has brought me to my feet, what am I to say? I might dilate upon the beauties of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, or Edmund Spenser's immortal Faerie Queene, or Shakesjjeare's tender women, the Juliet we love, the Kosalind who is ever in our hearts, the Beatrice, the Imogen, gentle Ophelia, or kindly but ill-starred Desdemoua, or the great heroes of t]"agedy, Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet or Othello, or I might ask you to hear a word about Ben Jonson, " rare Ben," or poor Philip Massinger who so de " u THE LAUREATE OF CANADA. 61 died a stranger, of the Puritan Milton, the great Catholic Dr3'den, or Swift, or Bunyun, Defoe, Addison, Popo and Biirke and grim Sam .TohnHon wiio made the diction.iry and wrote Rassolas. the Prince of Abyssinia, but there is not timet lor us to go into tlu' Hubject as minutely as that. At a dinner of this kind, which is HO rich in every delicacy which the most sensitive palate could desire, and which boasts wines as delicate and as fragrant in bouquet as one of Mr. Frechette's sonnets— (Cheers) — and I might add also, as one of my friend fjcMay's hopefnilest lyrics — (Cheei's), it would be ungenerous of me to keep you very long. I will content myself therefoi'o with a i-cniark or two regarding the peculiar I'eaturcs which seem to in8])irc our literature, at the ])resent time, and by our literature; 1 mean Knglish literature in its broadest sense and amplest signiticance. Perhaps at no period of letters, in the whole history of litcratiiie from the days of Chaucer and Jiaicigh, ti-om the renaissance, thi'ough the classic period, to more modern timt^s, to our own day in fact, has the cultured world seen such a brilliant array of brilliant men and women, who write the English prose which delights our tire-sides, and enriches our minds at the preseiit time. The world has never presented to mankind before, in all its 3"ears of usefulness, such a galaxy of great essaj'ists and novelists as we have enjoj-ed and enjoy now, within a period of fifty or sixty years, and which propci'ly belong to our own age. The era is rich in stalwart minds, in magnificent thiidcoi-s, in splendid souls. Carlyle, Kmerson, Wilson, Morley, Froudc, Holmes, Harrison, Darwin, Huxley, S])encer, Mill, Buckle, Lewes, in fiction the list is too long for mention, but, in passing, I may note George Eliot — a woman who writes as if her soul had wings, William Black who paints almost as deftl}- as Walter Scott, Thomas Hardy, Anthony Trollope, Thackeray, Dickens, Eeade, William Howells, who has not forgotten to write of the grandeur of the Saguenay, and William Kirby whose Clv'cn d'Or will sei've to keep a memory green in many a Quebecer's heart. I need hardly name more. The list could, lam well aware, be extended indetinitely, and as each of you doubtless has youi" favourite novel- ist, I need n(jt waste your time by the simple enumeration of men and women who have from time to time, beguiled away the hours with their stories of the heart, or of ])urpose, or of endeavour. We get blase now and then perha))s tlu-ough the reading of so many moderns, but the cure for that lies within easy range. We can take a peej) at those old fellows in old- fashioned bindings, who xised to delight our grandfathers in the " brave days of old," when Pichardson told the storj- of " Pamela," and "Clarissa Harlowe," when Fielding wrote "Tom Jones," and Smollett narrated the history of " Humphrey Clinker," and the career of "Tristram Shandy" found a truthful historian in that mad parson Lawrence Sterne. Wo might even read those ancient 111 H li I 62 PICTUHEHQUE QUEBEC. ii> ' iiuthocH, anciont in styh^ at IohhI, for a (^lianjro, and still ho read- ing- Mntflisli litcraturo in its truest and widest sonso. But it is loss with (ho fiction-wriloi's that wo havo to deal, than with tho IhinUors who havo ;^ivon (o hdlea-lettim in this a^o, its rohiistnosH and viii;()iii'. In political oc<)norny, in sciontitic thoiii^ht, in history, in moral philosophy and in polite loarniriir, and in criticism, I thiidv our day has |uoducod iho i^rc^atost (oachors, as woll as tho lai'i^cst numltor of thom since tho Kufflish toui'uo iiad a litora- (iiro olilsown. (A|»plauso ) This is tnio at loastin pr<»so writing'. 1 know that in poetry wo arc surpassed in ;^rand(!Ui' and majosty l»y (ho hards ol' othor poi'iods of our montal activity, I know that wo iiavo not produced a Milton yet, noi-a J)r3don, nora Pope — 1 loavo Shakospoart^and t'haucor out of tho (piostion, nor a Sponsoi*. We have very man}' inoi'o than our share of roally tuneful singers and lino poi«ts lik«( Tennyson and Longfellow, i^^o^ris and Swin- hurne, the Arnolds and Lowell — ^all of thom sweet and in every way charining, none of them grand and magniticont like tho sons of song ot tho groat days of poesy. Wo havo singers and singers, minoi' pools ami minor poets, all engaged in weaving for our delight Vi^vy many pretty fancies; graceful Hlory-tolloi's in vorso, if you will, l)Ut our ehiol strength lies in i>roso, soher, scholarly and healthful prose. Our fame will rest on that hranch of tho service. (Applause.) Turning to Canada, I might say that our meidal outfit is by no means bcggai-ly. \u fiction wo have produced, and 1 confine myself particularly to those who havo written in Knglish, Judge Halihurton, James DeMillo, AV^m. Kii'hy, John Lesporanco. (Applause.) In poetry, Iloavysoge, JohnKoailo, i^>horts, Charles Sangster, Wm. Murdoch, Chandler, Howe; in history, Hoamish Mui'doch, Todd, Morgan, Hannay, Mr. LoMoino — (A|)plauHe) — whom 1 see pi-esent here to night; Dr. Miles, Mr. Harper the efliciont Rector of our High School, and othoi's of more Ol- less re|)ute. In 8eienco. Di*. Dawson and Sir Wu). Logan; in logic, Wm. Lyall; in rhetoric, James DoMillc. l\\ political and essay writing we have a good list, the niost prominent names being CJoldwin Smith, whom we may fairly claim, Eourinot, Jlalil>urton, Todd, Jlowe, Kldor, KIlis, (Jriffin, Anglin, Dymond, McDougall, White. (Cheers.) And here I would just say to you — for I havo spoken longer than i intended — ovor-ta.xed your patience [ fear very much — that wo must, if wo would ever become great in helping to form current thought and the intellectual movement of tho day, renounce all sectionalism in letters, and go in for the great goal which all may aspire to who wish. When tho French Academy hailed our friend Frechetlo as a brother poet, the act was not done because ho was a Canadian, but because ho was a ])Oot, writing and speaking the French tongue. (Applause,) There is no such thing really as Canadian literature or American literature. It is all English literature, and we should all strive to add to the glory of that THE LAUREATK OF CANADA. 68 literature. We can do it, in oiii- way, as well as Mooro and Lovor and Ticvcr and Cai'leton and ]\r((ieo did, when they adilod (he splondid work <»l' (In-ir ^fnins to Imild up the renown and prestige of (ho parent slock. (Aj)plaiise. ) As S<'o(t and Mnrns, Danhar and Ilec(or McNeill, and 'I'aniiahill and .lames lloiift;- and bluir "Kit North;" all ol iSeotland, did (o make the l';n.i;lish literatiii'o massive and s[»iri((Ml and i^rand. (Applause.) As Hawthorne and Lon.'^lellow, Holmes :ind Ihyant, Cooper and Irvini;', and Motley tlifl, and as our own .lohn Keade (cheers) and Charles Koherls, a new poet whose star has just arisen, and Boiirinot — (cheers) — -and the rest of them are doiui;' now. VVe must forget (he small localism which can do us no yood, and join the great brotherhood of letters which writes (ho world over, in (he Knglish tongue. Krance, (Jerinany and [{ussia, Ilal_>- and Spain (com wi(h (he grand work of their children. \Ve who speak and write in the English language must not he inimimKul ol" our several duties. We must, woi'lc for the attainment of the great cnntly. (Jjoud continued cheering.) Mr. Lemay, in re[»lying for Prench literatui'o, said — ft is particularly agreeahle to he called on to speak on this occasion hecause it affords me the opportunKy to render to our host an evidence of (he admiration and friendship whicdi I hear towards him (his evening. It is now over twenty yeai's since we were together at ('ollege, and the same tastes which pleased us then govei-n us now. The same destiny whi( h UmI us towards (he bar guided UH also on the paths of litei'ature. The speaker here impi'oviseda magrMticen(. ad\hich a grateful country offers this night t(> its gifted child, Alas! had not the relentless hand* of death - had not a self imposed fate, darker even than death, removed from (mm- midst, another ' mind pregnant with celestial fire," Canada this night might pos:- jiy have counted two laurel- crowned poets — Louis Ilonon' Frechette and C^ctave Ci'cmazie. For 1 am not one of those who refuse to rocogniKO Canadian talent; on the contrary, I feel myself moved to ivjoico in our wealth of intelloct. I am romindod to be brief; around me there is a surging stream of eloquence ready to burst through its flood- gates, r must give way. With y;)ur permission, 1 shall theie- fore merely ask a question. What ])r<)pilious turn of fbrtune ? which of the benign fairies who watched over his natal hour has Mr. Frechette to thank for his present success? How came it to pass that, though ho was burn a poet, he should have to undergo an ordeal like another great poet (whom posterity may specially claim as an historian) the author of tl e " Lays of Ancient Eome," • The greatest of Froncli Caiiada'8 poets died at St. Mftlo, Fiuucc, in Juii<^ 1880, an exile — aiuU'iigitivo from .lustice. il 11! iJ THE LAUREATE OF CANADA. 66 o^ emancipating him«clt' from his earthy — at one time not hurdensome — thraldom hofore ,s(>aring on the wingis of poesy to that lofty region, where Ids chisKii diction and lyric power attracted the attention of those worthy hut fastidious gentle- men, ycdept "The Forty Jmmoitals of the I'rench Academy." I hav(( mentioned a very illustrious name in the Republic of Letters, — a name as dear to Britain as that of our liaureate ought to ho to (-anada — that of Macaulay — historian, essayist, poet. You all kiunv how his parliamentary d(>feat as candidate for Edinburgh in 1847, lescuedhim foi'overfrom the "dismal swamp" of politics, providinghis wondrous mind, with leisure toexpand and mature, in the green lields of literature. If XewFi-ance has not yet produced such u gorgeous geiuus as he, of whom all those who speak Chatham's tongue are so justly proud, it has however out of its sparse population of one million, put forth a i-epresentative whom 0I<1 France with its thii-ty-cight millions has deemed a tit subject to honour in an unmistakable way. Shall I tell you how, figuratively, if you i^hould pi'cfer, ended foi- Frechette the "day of tumult"? That Ignis Falxus, ambition, has allured, as you are aware, more than one youthful fowler to an uncertain swamj)y hunting ground, called " politics." Mr. Frechette was one of the un- fortunate. This game preserve, \ pronounce "uncertain" be- cause owing to several ine.Kplicable eventualities sportsmen innumerable, therefrom returii empty handed, whilst others, Mr. Chairman, make u)), we know, pretty good bags. The Son of Apollo, whilst thus hunting one gruesome, windy morning, fortu- nately for us, sank in a boggy, yielding quicksand. Luckily he extricated himself in time, and on reaching the margin of the swamp, there stood an old pet of his tethered as if waiting for its loved rider, a vigorous Norman or l^ercberon steed. Our friend bestrode him, cantered off, and "never drew rein until he stood, panting perhaps, but a winner in tiio race, on the top of a mount, distant and of access arduous, called Parnavssus." In cuticUision, Mr. licMoine quoted the memorable lines from Macaulay, written the night when his parliamentary defeat at Kdinburgh, in 1847, restored him to letters: — • Tlif, (lay i)f tumult; sirifr. tlctoat, was o'er, Worn out with toil, iiiul nuiw', and scorn, antl KpiiPii. I Hhinibci'eci, and ii; slumb'Tsaw once more A loi ra 10 an nld iimiision, loriK unseen. , ; h, That inoiii, ni'/thought, was iMiitaiii'd from (In light; Yet tlirougii tlie t urtains shone the moon's i old ray Full on a erndk, where, in linen wliit<>, Sleeping life « first sleep, an infant Iny. E :'! ' 1 ' 1 ' \ 1 1 1 1 ^ i I ii : 66 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Am] lo! thf fairy queens whf> rule our birth Drow iiifihto spe!ii< tht; ni;w-l)oni liaby's flcioni : With ridiseleKS sti^p, which left no trace oti earth, From Klld disdain. The Queen ot I'owi'r tossed liigli her Jewelled liead And o'ta' her shoulder threw a wrathful frown. 'I'lu! Queen of Pleasure on th(^ pillow shed Scarc«! f)ne stray rose-leaf from her fragrant i lown. Still fay in lf)ng procession followed fay; And still the little couch remained unbleKt : But, when those wayward sprites had passed away, Came One, the last, the mightiest, and the best. Oh ! glorious lady, with the eyes of light. And lainels clustering round thy lofty brow. Who by the cradle's side didst watch that night, Warbling a sweet strange music, who wast thou ? " Yes, darling ; let thcni go, " so ran (he strain : " Yes ; let them go, gain, fashion, jdeasure, power, And all the busy elves to who.se domain Belongs the nt'thei- sphere, th(^ fleeting hour. •' Without one tmvious sigh, one anxious scheme, The nether sphere, the fleeting hour assign. Mine is the world of thought, the world of dream. Mine all the past, and all the future mine. li li " ( .' the, fair brotherhood who share my grace, r, from thy natal flay, pronounce thee free ; And, if for some I keep a nobler place, I keep for none a happier than for thee. '■' No ; when on restless night dawns cheerless morrow, When weary soul and wasting body pine, Thine am I still in danger, sickness, sorrow. In contiict, obloquy, want, e.xile, thine ; " Thine where on mountain waves the snowbirds >cr»'ani, Where more than Thule's winter barbs the breeze. Where scarce, through lowering clouds, ont^ sickly gleam Lights the drear May -day of Antarctic seas ; " Amidst the din of all things fell and vile. Hate's yell, and envy's hiss, a d folly's bray, Kemember nie ! '' CHATEAU ST. LOVFS. 67 FORT ST. LOniS. CHAT f:\lT ST. hOUrS, HALDIMANn CASTLE. rilATh.M' ST. r.OflS. In Professor KalmV. sanntAn- round Quebec, his descrip- tion of the public edifices in 1749, is worthy of note. "The Palace (C'luUeau 8aiii'. Louis) says he, is situated on the west or steepest side of the niimntain, just ;ibove the lower city. It is not properly a |)alace, but a large buihling of stone, two Htories high, extentliiig north and south. On the west side of it is a court-yard, sui'r(Minded partly with a wall, and partly with houses. On the east side, or towards the rivei', is a galleiy as long as the whole building, and about two fathom:;, broad, paved with smoooth tlags, and included on the outside by iron rails, from whence the city and the river exhibit a charming prospect. This gallery serves as a very agreeable walk after dinner, and those who come to spefk with the (iovernor-General wait here till he is at leisure. The palace is the lodging of thf. (Tovoriioi-- General of Canada, and a number of soldiers mount the guard be- fore it, both at the gate and in the court-yard; and when the Governor, or the Bishop comes in or goes out, the}^ must all appear in arms and beat the drum. The Gover:ior-General has his own chapel where he hoars prayers; however, he ofton goes to Mass at the church of the Mh-ollets, which is very rear the palace." 8uch it seemed, in 1749, to the learned Swedish naturalist and philosopher Peter Kalm. How many rainbow tints, poetry and romance can lend to the same object, we may learn from the brilliant Niagara novelist, William Kirby ' In his splendid historical novel • Le Chien d'Or," whilst venturing- on the boldest flights of imagination, he thus epitomises some striking historical features of the state residence of the French Viceroys of Canada. "The gri..it hall of the Castle of St. Louis was palatial ir. its dimensions and adornment. The panointmei»t, and the attorney-general also had his place at the board. As La llontan says, they were not in judicial robes, but in their ordinary dress and all but the Bishop wore swords. The want ol" the cap and the gown greatly disturbed the Intendant iVleules, and he begs tlie Minister to consider how important it is that the councillors, in order to inspire respect, should appear in pub'ic in long black robes, which on occasions of ceremony they should exchange for robes of red. He thinks that the principal person^ of the colony should thus be induced to train up their children to so enviable a dignity; "and " he concludes, " as none of the counciiiuva can atford to buy red robes, I hope that the King will vouchs.'fe to send out nine such ; as for the black robes, they can furnish those themselves." " The King did not respond, and the nine robes never arrived. The official dignity of the Council was sometimes exposed to trials against which even red gowns might have proven an insutficient protection. The .same Intendant urges that the tribunal ought to be provided immediately with a house of its own.' " It is not decent," he says, " that it should sit in the Governor's antechamber any longer His guaj-ds and valets make such a noise, that we cannot hear each other speak. I have continually to tell them to keep quiet, which causes them to make a thousand jokes at the councillors as they pass in and out. As the Governor and the council were often on ill terms, the official head of the colony could not always be trusted to keep his attendants on their good behaviour." (Parkman's Old Regime, p. 273) At other times, startling- incidents threw a pall over the old pile. Thus in August IGGG, we are told of the melan- choly end of a famous Indian warrior: "Tracy invited the Flemish Bastard and a Mohawk chief named Agariata to his table, when allusion was made to the murder of Chasy. On this the Mohawk, stretching out his arm, exclaimed in a braggart tone, " This is the hand that split the head of that young man." The indignation of the company may be imagined. Tracy told his insolent guest that he should never kill anybody else ; and he was led out and hanged in presence of the Bastard. =*^ % I * Parkman s Old Uegiuie, p. 192. ^■■i nm TO PIGTURESiQUE QUEBEC. Varied in language and nationality were the guests of the Chateau in days of yore: thus in 1G93, the proud old Governor h'rontenac had at one and the same time Haron 8aint (-astin's Indian I'ather-in-law, Mado(;awando, from Acadia, and " a gentleman of Boston, .lohn Nelson, captured by Villebon, the nephew and heir of Sir Thomas Temple, in whose right he claimed the proprietorship of Acadia, under an old grant of (Jliver Cromwell." (Park- man's Frontenac, p 357) FORT sr. LOVIS. Ere one of the last vestiges of the ancien regime, Haldi- mand Casthi, disapjjears, a lew details culled from reliable sources may not be unacceptable, especially as by hre, repairs and the vicissitudes of time, the changes are so great, as to render difficult the delineation of what it originally formed part of in the past. G-rave misconceptions exist as to whai ^constituted the stately residence of our former Go\ta-nor!5 Many imagine that the famous Chateau St. Louis, was but one structure, whilst in reality, it was ('omposed at one time of three, viz : — Fort St. l ouis. Chateau St. Louis and Haldimand Castle, the present Normal School. The writer has suc- ceeded in collecting together nine views of the Fort and Chateau St. Louis since the days of Champlain down to modern times. Champlain's " brass bell " is conspicuous in more than one of the designs. According to Father DuCreux, the first fort erected by Champlain on the crest of the promontory, arx aedificala in promontarii cuspidine, \ ot placed on the site of DufFerin Terrace, but at the soi h-east ])oinl oi' the area, which is now occupied by the Grand Battery, north-east of the present PoHiament building and lookinc,' down on Sivalt- au-Matelot street. Champlain subsequently removed it to a still more elevated site ; its bastiont, towers and ram- 'tfc-V FORT ST. LOUrS. 71 parts surrounded the space on which the former Crovev- nor's residence, soldier's ))arrjicks, niagazine, iSrc, \vere constructed. "The fortress, says Houchette, (Foi-t) of 8t. Louis covered about four acres of ffround, and formed nearly a parallelogram ; on the Avc'^tern sir six foiitt' longe, a piece l)elonging to tlie Kinge ; five or six thousard leaden buUetts, plate and bars of lead lielonging, sixty corsellettB whereof two arecompleatand pistoll proof; two great brasse pieces weighing eighty lbs, one pavilion U< lodge about twenty men belonging to the Kinge, a smith's fordge with appurtenances, all necessaries for a carpenter, all appurtenances of iron work for a windmill ; a handmill to grind (.'orn ; a lirass bell belonging to the said merchants, and about 2,500 tn 3 0(iO beaver Jikins in the magazines, and some cases of knives, uvd the lorte belonging to the Kinge, and the habitations and houses tlien belonging to the said mer- chants were all left standing. • . • » » . • • . "That tht-re were not any victualls or ordinance, sustenance for men in the said forte at the time of taking it, the men in the same having lived by the space of two months before upon nothing but rootes (The Conquest of Cahaoa, 162», by Kirke, p. 76-7.; I > ■ Mi 72 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. describes minutely, the armament and belongings of Fort St. Louis, on the 9th August 1629, when he surrendered it to the Kirkes : cannon such as they were, and ammunition he seems to have had in abundance, without forgetting what he styles " the murderers with their double boxes or charges," a not excessively deadly kind of mitrailleuse or Gatling gun, we should imagine ; the Fort also contained " a smith's forge, carpenter's tools, machinery for a wnnd- mill, and a handmill to grind corn, a brass bell — probably to sound the tocsin, or alarm, at the approach of the marauding savages of Stadacona, the array of muskets — (thirteen complete) — is not formidable. Who was the maker of his pistol-proof coats-of-mail ? l^EW i'HATKAV sr. LOUIS. " Such dusky grandeur clotlied the height Wht^e the huge castle holds its state, And ill! till' steep slopH down Whose ridgy baclt heaves to the sliy, Piled deep and massy, close and high Mine own romantic town." (Scott's Marmion.) " Few circumstances of discussion and enquiry, says Hawkins, are more interesting than the history and fate of ancient build- ings, especially if we direct our attention to the fortunes and vicissitudes of those who were connected with them. The temper, genius and pursuits of an historical era are frequently delineated in the features of remarkable edifices, nor can any one contem- plate them without expressing curiosity, concerning those who tirst formed the plan, and afterwai-ds created and tenanted the structure. These observations apply particularly to the subject of this chapter. The history of the ancient Castle of St. Louis, or Fort of Que- bec, for above two centuries the seat of Government in the Pro- vince (of Quebec), affords subjects of great and stirring interest during its several periods. The hall of the old Fort dui-ing the weakness of the colony was often a scene of terror and despair at the inroads of the persevering and ferocious Iroquois, who, having passed or overthrown all the French outposts, more than once threatened the fort itself and massacred some friendly Indians within sight of its walls. Here, too, in intervals of peace, were FEALTY AND HOMAGE. 73 laid those benevolent plans tor the religious instruction and con- version of the savages which at one time distinguished the policy of the ancient governors. At a later era, when, under the pro- tection of the Fi-ench kings, the jirovince had acquired the rudi- ments of militaiy strength and power, the Castle of St. Louis was remarkable as having been the site whence the French governors exercised an immense sovei'cigiity, extending from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, along the shores of that noble rivci-, its magnificent lakes^, and down the coui-se of the Mississippi tu its outlet below New Orleans. The banner which first streamed from the battlements of Quebec was displayed from a chain of forts which protected the settlements throughout this vast extent ofcountiy, keeping the English colonies in constant alarm, and securing the fidelity of the Indian nations. During this period the council-chamber of the castle was the scene of many a mid- night vigil* — many a long deliberation and deep-laid project to free the continent from the inti usion of the ancient rival of France aiid assert the supremacy of the Gallic lily. At another era, sub- sequent to the surrender of Quebec to the British armies, and until the recognition of the independence of the United States, the extent of empire of the government of which the Castle of Quebec was the principal seat, comprehended the whole Ameri- can continent north of Mexico. Jt is astonishing to i-efiect for a moment, to how small, and, as to size, comparatively insignificant an island in the Atlantic ocean this gigantic territoiy was once subject. Here also was rendered to the representative of the French king, with all its ancient forms, the fealty and homage of the noblesse and military retainers, who held possessions in the province undei- the crown. A feudal ceremony, suited to early times, which imposed a real and substantial obligation on those who performed it, not to be violated without forfeiture and dis- honour. The king of Great Britain having succeeded to the rights of the French crown, this ceremony is still retained. "Fealty and homage is rendered at this day (1834) by the seigniors to the Governor, as the repi'esentative of the sovej-oign, in the following form : His Excellency being in full di-ess and seated in a state chair, surrounded bj' his staff, and attended by *^ o Attorney-General, the seignior, in an ivening dress and weai- :ig a sword, is introduced into his presence by the Inspector Gen- eral of the Eoyal Domain and Clerk of the Land Jioll,and having delivered up his sword, and kneeling uj)on one knee before the Governor, places his right hand between his and repeats the ancient oath of fidelity ; after which a solemn act is di-awn up in a register kept for that purpose, which is signed by the Governor •A detailed ao(;ouut of the picturesqiie interview between Count de Froute- uar and Sir Wm. Fhipps' envoy in 1690, will be tound in (Quebec Fast and F regent, p. 122. i; I i ■i 74 PrCTUHESQUE QUEBEC. I I and tlie Hui^iiior, and counlorsigned by the proper officers." — (Htiwkin'.s Picture of Qneber.) Tlie liiHtoi'ian, Fcrluiid, Notes siir les Regisfres de Notre IJaiiie de Quebec, rt'hites one of the (^arlic'st in.sliinces (1(I.'j4) of the niuiitier the/o/ et honimage was rendered. It is that of'. lean Guion (Dion ?) vassal of J{ob(!rl (jill'ard, seigriioi- of Beaii])orL ; "(Juion jji'osent.s himself in (he ))roHence oi'a nolary, a( the principal door of the nianoi'-house of Beanport; havint;; knocked, one Houlle, farrne)- of (jiirt'ard, opened the door and in rtiply to (iuioti's question, if the seignioi- was at home, replied that he was not, huttliat he, lioulle, was empowered to receive acknowledgments and ii(jmage for tiie vassals in his name After the which reply, the said (luion, be- ing at the ])rincipal door, placed himself on liis knees, on the ground, with bare liead and without sword or .^purs, and said tliree times these words : ' Monsieur de Fieauport, Monsieur (ie Beauport, Monsieur dc Beauport, I bring you the faith and homage which I am bound to bring you on account of my //e/ DuBuisson, which I hold as a man of faith of your seigniory ol' Beauport, de- claring that 1 otter to paj' my seigniorial and feudal dues in their season, and demanding of you to accejjt me in faith and homage as aforesaid.'" (Parliman's Old Regime, p. 24G.) " Of these buildings (says Bouchette), the Castle of St. Louis be- ing the most prominent object on the summit of the rock — will obtain the first notice. " rt is a handsome stone building seated neai' the edge of a pi'ecipice, * * and supported towards the steep by a solid work of masonr}^ rising nearly half the height of the edifice, and sur- mounted by a spacious gallery, * * * i The whole pile is 162 feet long by 45 feet broad, and three stories liigh * * * Each extremity is terminated by a small wing, giving to the wliole an easy and regular character. " It was built shortly after '/ /A Hiotographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ f; ! i ill •76 PICTURESQUE QUE2EG. *rol of the ^xt year m to fault-finding. " The so-called chateau," he says (1685), " is built of wood, and is dry as a match." There is a place where with a bundle of straw it could be set on fire at any time, some of the gates will not close ; there is no watchtower, and no place to shoot from." — (Denonville au Ministre, 20 Aout, 1685). When Frontenac resumed the Government, he was much dis- turbed at the condition of the chateau, and bogged for slate to cover the roof, as the rain was coming in everywhere. At the same time the Intendant Champigny reports it to he rotten and ruinous. This was in the year made famous by the English attack, and the dramatic scene in the hall of the old building when Frontenac defied the envoy of Admiral Phipps, whose fleet lay in the river below. In the next summer, 1691, Frontenac again asks for slate to cover the roof, and for 1 5,000 or 20,000 francs to repair his mansion. In the next year the king promised to send him 12,000 francs, in instalments. Frontenac acknowledges the favour; and says that he will erect a new building, and try in the meantime not to be buried under the old one, as he expects to be every time the wind blows hard. — {Frontenac au Ministre, 15 Septembre, 1692). A misunderstanding with the Intendant, who hau xp money, interrupted the work. Frontenac writcb that he had been obliged to send for carpenters during ,e night, to prop up the chateau, lest ho should be crushed under the ruins. The wall of the fort was, however, strengthened, and partly ."e- built to the height of sixteen feet, at a cost of 13,629 francs. It was a time of war, and a fresh attack was expected from the English. — {Frontenac et Champigny au Ministre, 4 iVov., 1693). In the year 1854, the workmen employed in demolishing a part of this wall, adjoining the gai*den of the chateau, found a copper plate bearing an inscription in Latin as follows : — D. 0. M. Anuo reparatffi salutis MilleBimo gexcentesimo nonagesimo tertio Regnante Augustissimo Invictissimo ac Christianissimo Qalliae Rege Rege Ludovico Magnn XI III Excellentiesimus ac llluBtriBsimus DnCks Dims Ludovicus de Buadc Comes de Frontenac, totius Novae Francis Semel et iterum Pro vex, Ab ipsomet, trienuio ante rebellibus Novae Angliaa incolis, banc civitatem Quebecensem, Obsidentibus, pulsis, fusis ac penitus Devictis, Et iterum hocce supradicto anno obsidionem Miuitantibus, Hanc arcem cum adjectis muuimeutis In totius patriae tutelam populi galutem THE NEW CHATEAU. 77 Nee non in perfidas, turn Deo, turn suo Regi Lcgitimo, gcntis iterandiim confiisionem KunaptibuR regies oidiHcaii Cnravit, Ac primai'inm hiinc lapideni I'osiiit, .lOAXNKH SOULLARD, ScilIpSlt. {Translation.) " In the year of Redemption, 1693, under the rei^n of the Most August, Most Invincible, and Most Christian King of France, Louis the Great, fourteenth of that name, the Most Excellent Louis do Buade, Count of Frontenac, Governor for the second time of all New France, seeing that the rebellious inhabitants of New England, who three years ago were repulsed, routed, and completely vanquished by him, when they besieged this town of Quebec, are threatening to renew the siege this very year, has caused to be built, at the expense of the King, this Citadel, with the fortilications adjoining thereto, ibr the defence of the country, for the security of the people, and for confounding again that nation perfidious alike towards its God and its lawful King, and he (Frontenac) has placed hero this tirst stone." A year later, the rebuilding of the chateau was '^egun in earnest. Frontenac says that nothing but a miracle has saved him from being buried under its ruins; that he has pulled every- thing down, and begun again from the foundation, but that the money has given out. — Frontenac au Ministre, 4 JVov., 1694) Accordingly, he and the Intendant sold six licenses for the fur trade, but at a rate unusually low, for they brought only 4,400 francs. The King hearing of this sent 6,00(1 more. Frontenac is pro- fuse in thanks, and at the same time begp- for another 6,000 francs, ** to complete a work which is the ornament and beauty of the city" (1696). The Minister sent 8,000 more, which was soon gone; and Frontenac drew on the royal treasurer for 5,047 in addition. The Intendant complains ot his extravagance, and says that he will have nothing but perfection; and that besides the chateau, he has insisted on building two guard-houses, with man- sard roofs, at the two sides of the gate. " I must do as he says," adds the Intendant, " or there will be a quarrel." (Champigny au Ministre, 13 Oct., 1697). In a letter written two days after, Frontenac speaks with great complacency of his chateau, and asks for another 6,000 francs to finish it. As the case was urgent he sold six more licenses at 1,000 francs each; but he died too soon to see the completion of his favorite work (1698). The new chateau was not finished bofore 1700, and even then it had no cistern. In a pen sketch of Quebec, on a manuscript map of 1699, preserved in the Depot de Cartes de la Marine, the new chateau is distinctly represented. In front is a gallery or balcony s ' < I) / 78 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. resting on a wall and buttresses at the edge of the cliff. Above the gallery Ih a range of high windows, along the face of the building, and over those a range of small windows and a mansard roof fn the middle is a jiorch opening on the gallery, and on the left extends a battery, on the ground now occupied by a garden along the brink of the cliff. A water-colour sketch of the chateau taken in 180i, I'rom the land side, by William Morrison, Jr., is ill my posKessi«m.* The building appears to have been com{)letcly remodelled in the interval. It is two stories in height, the mansard roof is gone, and a row of attic windows surmount the second story. In l8tJ9 it was again remoflelled at a cost of ten thousand pounds sterling, a third story was added, and the building, resting on the buttresses which still remain under the balustrade of Durham (Dufferin) Terrace, had an imposing effect when seen from the river. It was destroyed by tire in 1834." — (Parkman's Old Regime.) HALDIMAND CASTLE. iiii^ After sketching Fort St. Loiiis, begun in 1624, — a refuge against the Iroquois, and whose bastions rendered useless disappeared shortly after the conquest, as well as giving the history of the (^hateau St. Louis proper, destroyed by fire 23rd January, 1884, it behoves us to close the narrative with a short account of the origin of the wing or new building still extant, and used since 1871 as the Normal School. This structure generally, though improperly styled the Old Chateau, dates back to the last century. On the 5th May, 1784, the corner stone was laid with suitable cere- monies, by the Grovernor-General, Sir Frederick Haldimand ; the Chateau St. Louis had been found inadequate in size for the various purposes required, viz. : a Vice-regal resi- dence, a Council room for the Legislative, the Executive and Judiciary Councils, &c. The Province was rapidly expanding, as well as the Viceroy's levees, official balls, public receptions, &c. ; suites of rooms and stately chambers, became indispensible. / *ThiR sketch of the old Chateau in 1804, now forms pail of the histuricnl ^ album of the writer, through the kindness of Mr. Parkman. HALDIMAND CASTLE. t9 The following incident occurred during its construction : — On the 17th September, 1 784, the worl^men at the Chateau in levelling the yard, dug up a large stone with a Maltese cross engraved on it, bearing the date "1647." One of Wolfe's veterans, Mr. James Thompson, Overseer of Public Works, got the masons to lay the stone in the cheek of the gate of the new building. A wood-cul of the stone, gilt at the expense of Mr. Ernest Gagnon, City Councillor in 1872, appeared in the Morning Chronicle of the 24th June, 1880. Let us hope when the site shall be transferred, that the Hon. Premier will have a niche reserved for this historic relic as was so appropriately done by Sir H. L. Langevin, for the "Chien d'Or" tablet when the new city Post Office was built in 1871-3. Haldimand Castle soon became a building of note. On the 19th January, 1787, the anniversary of the Queen's Birthday — Charlotte of Mecklenburg, consort of Oeorge III., the first grand reception was held there. In the following summer, the future monarch of Great Britain, William IV., the sailor prince, aged 22 years, visited his father's loyal Canadian lieges. Prince William Henry had then landed, on 14th August, in the Lower Town from H.M. frigate " Pegasus." Traditions repeat that the young Duke of Clarence enjoyed himself amazingly among the beau monde of Quebec, having eyes for more than the scenic beauties of the "Ancient Capital," not unlike other worthy Princes who came after him. " He took an early opportunity of visiting the Ursulines, and by his polite and atfablo manner quite won the hearts of those worthy ladies." — (Histoire des Ursulines, vol. Ill, p, 183.) Sorel, in honour of his visit, changed its name into Fort William Henry. Among other festivities at Quebec, Lord Dorchester, Governor-General, the successor to Sir Fred- erick Haldimand, on the 2l8t August, 1787, treated H. R. Highness to a grand pyrotechnic display. " Prince William ! ■ if : ! ill I i< 'r ' i.'^ " TT ! I.: 80 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Henry and his company, being seated on an exalted plat- form, erected by the Overseer of Public Works, James Thompson, over a powder magazine Joining the end of the new building (Haldimand Castle), while thehreworks were displayed on an eminence fronting it below the old Citadel." — ( Thompson's Diary.) THE QUEBEC AOH/CULTUHAL SOCIETY. In the stately reception room of the Castle was founded, in 1789, the Quebec Agricultural Society. " On the 6th April, the rank and fanh ion, nobility and clergy of all denominations, us well as commonerH, crowded at the Chateau St. Louis, to enter their nsimcH as subscribers to the Quebec Agri- cultural Society, warmly patronized by his Excellency Lord Dorchester; Hon. Hugh Finlay, Deputy Postmaster-rteneral, was chosen Secretary. The Quebec Gazette of the 23rd April, 1789, will supply the names ; the list is suggestive on more points than one. Rev. Philip Tosey, Military Chaplain. T. Monk, Atty.-Gonl. G. E. Taschereau, Esq. Peter Stewart, Esq. Malcolm Eraser, Esq. William Lindsay, Esq. J, B. Descheneaux, Esq. John Lees, Esq. John Renaud, Esq. John Young, Esq. Mathew Lymburnei", Esq. John Blackwood, Esq. M. L. Germain, file. A. Panet, Esq. P. L. Panet, Esq. A. Gaspe, Esq., St. Jean Port Joly. M. Ob. Aylwin. The Canadian Bishop. M. Bailly, Coadjutor. T. Mervin Nooth, Dr. Henry Motz, Dr. Jenkins Williams. M. Pierre Florence, Riviere Ouelle. T. Arthur Coffin. Capt. Chas. St. Ours. Aug. Glapion, Sup. Jesuitos. A. Hubert, Cur^ de Quebec. Juchereau Duchesnay, Esq. L. de Salaberry, Esq. P. Panet, P.C. M. Grave, Superieur, Seminaire. John Craigie, Esq. Berthelot D'Artigny, Esq. Perrault I'Aine, Esq. George Allsopp, Esq. Robert Lester, Esq. Alex. Davidson, Esq. The Chief Justice (W. Smith). Hon. Hugh Finlay. Hon. Thos. Dunn. Hon. Edw. Harrison. Hon. John Collins. Hon. Adam Mabane. Hon. J. G. C. DeLery. Hon. Geo. Pownall. n\ II THE LOYAL LEAGUE. 81 Isaac Ogden, Judge of Admir- alty. Messire Panet, Cur 1 1 jlll' ■' I 84 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. cropped up again more than a century later, in the days when Sergeant Jas. Thompson, one of Wolfe's veterans, was overseer of Eublic works at Quebec — (he died in 1830, agod 98.) We read in is unpublished diary. " The cross in the wall, September 17th, 1784. The miners at the Chateau, in levelling the yard, dug up a large stone, from which I have described the annexed figure (identical with the present), I could wish it was discovered soon enough to lay conspicuously in the wall of the new building (Haldimard Castle), in order to convey to posterity the antiquity of the Chateau St. Louis. However, I got the masons to lay the stone in the cheek of the gate of new miilding." Extract from James Thompson's Diary, 1759-1830. Col, J. Halo, grandfather to our esteemed fellow townsman, E. J. Hale, Esq., and one of Wolfe's companions-at-arms, used to tell how he had succeeded in having this stone saved from the dfifcnsof the Chateau walls, and restored a short time before the Duke of Clarence, the sailor prince (William IV.), visited Quebec in 1787. Occasionally, the Castle opened its portals to rather un- unexpected but, not the less welcome, visitors. On the 13th March, It 80, His Excellency Jjord Dorchester had the satisfaction of entertaining a stalwart woodsman and ex- pert hunter, Major Fitzgerald of the 54th Regiment, then stationed at St. John, New Brunswick, the son of a dear old friend, Lady Emilia Mary, daughter of the Duke of Richmond. This chivalrous Irishman was no less than the dauntless Lord Edward Fitzgerald, fifth son of the Duke of Leinster, the true but misguided patriot, who closed his promising career in such a melancholy manner in prison, during the Irish rebellion in 1798. Lord Edward had walked up on snowshoes through the trackless forest, from New Brunswick to Quebec, a distance of 1*75 miles, in twenty-six days, accompanied by a brother officer, Mr. Brisbane, a servant and two " woodsmen." This feat of endurance is pleasantly described by himself. Tom Moore, in his biography of this generous, warm- hearted son of Erin, among other dutiful epistles ad- dressed by Lord Edward to his mother, has preserved the following, of which we shall give a few extracts : — h K I LORD EDWARD FITZGERALD. 85 Quebec, March 14, 1789. Dearest Mother, — I got here yostei-day after a very long and, what some people would think, a veiy tedious and fatiguing journey ; but to me it was, at most, only a little fatiguing, and to make up for that, it was delightful and quite new. We were thirty days on our march, twenty-six of which we were in the woods, and never saw a soul but our own party. You must know we came through a part of the country that had always been reckoned impassable. In short, instead of going a long way about, we determined to try and get straight through the woods, and see what kind of country it was. I believe I mentioned my party in a letter to Ogilvie (his step-father) before I left St. Anne's or Fredericton : it was an officer of the regiment, Tonny, and two woodsmen. The officer and I used to draw part of our baggage day about, and the other day steer (by compass), which we did so well, that we made the point we intended within ten miles. We were only wrong in computing our distances and making them a little too great, which obliged us to follow a new course, and make a river, which led us round to Quebec, instead of going straight to it. * * * I expect my leave by the first despatches. * * * I shall not be able to leave this part of the world till May, as I cannot get my leave before that. How I do long to see you. Your old love, Loi-d Dorchester, is very civil to me. I must, though, tell you a little more of the journey. After making the river, we fell in with some savages, and travelled with them to Quebec; they were very kind to us, and said we were " all one brother," " all one indian." They fed us the whole time we were with them. You would have laughed to have seen me carrying an old squaw's pack, which was so heavy I could hai"dly waddle under it. However, I was well paid whenever we stopped, for she always gave me the best bits and most soup, and took as much care of me as if I had been her own son ; in short, I was quite V enfant chiri. We were quite sorry to part : the old lady and gentleman both kissed me very heartily. I gave the old lady one of Sophia's silver spoons, which pleased her very much When we got here, you may guess what figures we were. We had not shaved nor washed during the journey; our blanket- coats and trousers all worn out and pieced ; in short, we went to two or three houses and they would not let us in. There was one old lady, exactly the hotesse in Gil Bias, elle meprit la mesure du pied jusqu'd la tSte, and told me there was one room, without a stove or bed, next a billiai*d room, which I might have if I pleased ; and when I her told we were gentlemen, she very quietly said, " I dare say you are," and off she went. However, at last we got lodgings in an ale house, and you may guess ate well and slept well, and went next day well dressed, with one of Lord Dor- chester's aide-de-camps to triumph over the old lady ; in short, exactly the story in Gil Bias. !i l< .: i 111 TT I !l 11 .' {ii; 8(> PJCTUHESQUB QUKBUC. We are quite curiosities here after our journey ; some think we wore mad to undertake it; some think wo were lost; some will have it we wore starved; there were a thousand lies; but we are safe and well, enjoying rest and good eating, most completely. One ought really to take these fillips now and then, they make one enjoy life a great deal more. The hours here are a little inconvenient to us as yet; whenever we wake at night we want to eat, the same as in the woods, and as soon as we eat we want to hleep. In our journey we were always up two hours before day, to load and get ready to march ; wo used to stop between throe and fbui-, and it generally took us from that till night to shovel out the snow, cut wood, cook and get ready for night, so that immediately after our suppers we wero asleep, and whenever any one awakes in the night, he puts some wood on the fire, and eats a bit before he lies down again ; but for my part, 1 was not much troubled with waking in the night. "1 really do think there is no luxury equal to that of lying be- fore a good fire on a good spiuce bed, after a good suppei*, and a hard moose chase in a fine clear frosty moonlit stai-ry night. But to enter into the spirit of this, you must understand what a moose chase is : the man himself runs the mooae down by pursuing the track. Your success in killing depends on the number of people you have to pursue and relieve one another in going first (which is the fatiguing part of snow-shoeing), and on the depth and hai'd- ness of the snow, for when the snow is hard and has a crust, the moose cannot get on, as it cuts his legs, and then he stops to make battle. But when the snow is soft, though it be above his belly, he will go on three, four or five days, for then the man cannot get on so fast, as the snow is heavy and he only gets his game by perseverance — an Indian never gives him up." Then follows a most graphic description of a hunt — closing with the death of the noble quarry. " Pray," continues Lord Edward, " write to uncle Richmond, I would write if there was time, but I have only time to fill up this. ' Tom Moore adds, that the plan of Lord Edward's route through the woods was forwarded from Quebec to the Dukeof ilichmond, by Mr. Hamilton Moore, in a letter dated Quebec, May 22nd, 1789, this letter closes with the following : — " Lord Edward has mot with the esteem and admiration of all here." In a subsequent epistle to Mr. Ogilvie, his step-father, dated "Quebec, 12th April, 1789," Lord Edward mentions the death of the Lieut.-Govornor of Quebec (Major Patrick Bellow). " It is a placeof £1,600 a year, and I think would do well for Charles. The day before he died I was in treaty for his Liout.-Colonelcy in the 44th Begiment." Later, on 4th May, 1789, he writes from Montreal, and speaks gratefully of the open-handed hospitality extended to him, and of the kind lady friends he met at Quebec. (Page 67.) LADY SARAH LEXyoX. 87 Alas! generous youth, what foul fiend, 1 iree years later, inspired you, with Tom Paine as your adviser, to herd at Paris with the regicide crew, and howl the " Carmagnole " and " Qd Ira,'' with the hideous monsters who revelled in Wood under the holy name of liberty ? Again, one follows the patriotic Irish nobleman, in 1793, plighting his faith to a lovely and noble bride, Pamela Sims, the youthful daughter of the Duke of Orleans, by Madame de Genlis. A few short years and the ghastly phantom of death, in a dismal prison, in the dearly loved land of his birth, spreads a pall over what might have been to his unfortu- nate country, a career full of honour. Alas ! brave, noble Edward ! Poor, pretty little Pamela, alas ! The Castle had its sunshine and its shadows. Many still survive to tell of an impressive, and gloomy pageant. On the 4th September, 1819, previous to their transfer to the chancel of the Anglican Cathedral, were exposed in state in the Chateau, the mortal remains of the late G-ov ernor-G-eneral, His G-race Charles G-ordon Lennox, Duke of Richmond, Lennox and Aubigny, who, on the k8th August, 1819, had died of hydrophobia. The revolving wheel of time ushers in, with his succes- sor, other actors, and other scenes. One likes to recall the pre- sence there of a graceful and noble Chatelaine, his daughter, Lady Sarah Lennox, the devoted wife of the administrator of the Government of Lower Canada, Sir Peregrine Mait- land, " a tall, grave officer, says Dr. Scadding, always in military undress, his countenance ever wearing a mingled expression of sadness and benevolence, like that which one may observe on the face of the predecessor of Louis Philippe, Charles the Tenth," whose current portraits recall, not badly, the whole head and figure of this early G-overnor of Upper Canada. " In an outline representation which we (Dr. Scadding) accid- entally possessed, of a panorama of the battle of Waterloo, on m \:i • i y\ H i l< I ■ . ■ *■ I t i ! r i 1 TP^MCWWSWW I ijmaiMWMm !'i •« I! I ! < 88 PICTURESQUE QUE BBC. exhibition in London, the IsL Foot Guards were conspicuously to be seen, led on by ' Major General Sir Peregrine Maitland.' "* With persons of wider knowledge, Sir Peregrine was invested with further associations. Besides being the royal representative in these parts, he was the son-in-law of Charles Gordon Lennox, fourth Duke of Richmond, a name that stirred chivalrous feelings in early Canadians of both Provinces ; for the Duke had come to Canada as Governor-in-Chief, with a grand reputation acquired as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and great benefits were expected, and probably would have been realized, I'rom his administration, had it been of long continuance. Eut he had been suddenly removed by an excruciating death. Whilst on a tour of inspection in the Upper Province, he had been fatally attacked by hydrophobia, occasioned by the bite of a pet tbx. The injury had been received atSorel; its terrible effects were fatally experienced at a place near the Ottawa river called Richmond. Some of the prestige of the deceased Duke continued to adhere to Sir Peregrine Maitland, for ho had married the Duke's daughter, a graceful and elegant woman, who was always at his side here (York, now Toronto), and at Stanford Cottage across the lake. She bore a name not unfamiliar in the domestic annals of George IIL, who once, it is said, was enamored of a beautiful Lady Sarah Lennox, grandmother, as we suppose, or some other near relative of the Lady Sarah Lennox here before us. How- ever, conversationists whispered about (in contidence) some- thing supposed to be unknown to the general public, that the match between Sir Peregrine and Lady Sarah had been effected in spite of the Duke. The report was that there had been an elopement, and it was naturally supposed that the party of the sterner sex had been the most active agent in the affair. To say the truth, howeve)*, in this instance it was the lady who precipi- tated matters. The affair occurred at Paris, soon after the Waterloo campaign. The Duke's final determination against Sir Peregrine's proposals having been announced, the daughter sud- denly withdrew from the father's roof, and fled to the lodgings of Sir Peregrine, who instantly retired to other quarters. The upshot of the whole thing, at once romantic and unromantic, in- cluded a marriage and a reconciliation, and eventually a Lieu- tenant-Governorship for the son-in-law, under the Governorship- in-Chief of the father, both despatched together to undertake the discharge of vice-regal functions in a distant colony. At the time of his marriage with Lady Sarah Lennox, Sir Peregrine had been for some ten years a widower.f After the death of the Duke of •" Toronto oj Old," H. Scaddiug, D.D., Toronto, 1873, p. 122-3. fThe name of Lennox in 1819, was indeed a familiar one in the highways and byways of old Stadacona. There were three brothers, we are told, sons of SIR PEREGRINE MAITLAND. 89 Richmond, Sir Peregrine became administrator, for a time, of the general government of British North America. One of the Duke of Richmond's sons w as lost in the ill- fated steamer President in 1840. In December, 1824, Sir Peregrine revisited Quebec with Sir Francis Burton, Lieutenant-Grovernor, in the Swiftsure, steamer escorting some very distinguished tourists. A periodical notices the arrivals at the old Chateau as follows : — "Sir Peregrine is accompanied by Lord Arthur Lennox, Mr. Maitiand, Colonels Foster, Lightfoot, Coffin and Talbot, with the Hon. E. G. Stanley (from 1851 to 1869 bJarl of Derby), grandson of Karl Derby, M. P. for Stockbridgc; John K. Denison, Esq., (subsequently Speaker of the House of Commons), M. P. for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and James S, Wortley, Esq. (afterwards Lord Wharnclitte), M. P. for Bossiney in Cornwall. The three latter gentlemen are upon a tour in this country from England, and we are happy to learn that they have ex- pressed themselves as being highly gratified with all they have hitherto seen in Canada." — (Canadian Eevieiv, 1824.) Quebecers will be pleased to learn that the name of Sir Peregrine Maitiand is pleasantly preserved by means of Maitiand Scholarships in a grammar school for natives at Madras, and by a Maitiand Prize in the University of Cambridge. Sir Peregrine, as patron of education, opened an era of progress which his successors Lords Elgin, Dufferin and Lome have continued in a most munificent manner. A curious glimpse of high life at Quebec, in the good old days of Lord Dalhousie, is furnished in a letter addressed to Delta, of Blackwood's Magazine, by John (lalt, the novelist, the respected father of our gifted statesman, Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt.^ >i I ! ! |:ir'* ' I'l the Duke ; Lord Charles, Lord William Pitt, Lord Arthur Lennox ; more than one of them are said to have had a hand in some of the practical Jokes so much to the fancy of Quebec military men, barristers, &c., in 1819, some of whom still survive, demure grandfathers, at present. *John Oalt, novelist, dramatist, historian, the genial author of " Lawrie Todd," " Annals of the Parish," " The Laird," « Stanley Buxton," " The Radical," « £ben Erskine," " The Stolen Child," •' Majolo, ' •< Omen," « Kathe- i i ■ 1! ■ J ! i! ■ i i iUyii i ! I, 90 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. t ', ':■'. \ i li'iiiii x/ The talented author of the " Annals of the Parish,'' after expatiating on the dangers he had that day incurred in crossing over from Levis to Quebec in a canoe, among the ice-floes, thus alludes to the winter amusements : — Quebec, 22nd February, 1827. My Dear Sir, — I am under very great obligations to you. A copy of the " Laird " having come to the castle from the New York publishers. Lady Dalhousie lent it to me. * * * I am much pleased with Quebec. It is at present filled with Highland regiments, in which I have many acquaintances and the hospitality of the other inhabitants is also unbounded, for the winter suspends all business, and pleaj-ure is conducted as if it were business. The amateurs have a theatre, and I wrote a piece for them, in which a Londoner, a Glasgow merchant, an Irish girl, a Yankee family and a Highlander were introduced. It was adapted entire- ly to the place, and in quiz of a very agreeable custom — of every- body calling on strangers. Dr. Dunlop performed the Highlander beyond anything I ever saw on the regular stage. The whole went off with more laughter than anything I have ever seen, for the jokes being local and personal (supplied by upwards of thirty contributors), every one told with the utmost effect." " This farce, says Delta, composed at Quebec by J. Gait, and per- formed there before the Earl of Dalhousie (then Governor-Gen- eral), was named " The Visitors, or a Trip to Quebec," and was meant as a good humoured satire on some of the particular usages of the place. An American family figured as the visitors ; and the piece opened with a scene in an hotel, when a waiter brings in a tea-tray loaded with cards of callers, and the explanation of the initials having had reference to people, many of whom were present at the performance, tended much to make the thing pass off with great eclat. It seems that a custom prevails there to a punctilious extent, of all the inhabitants of a certain grade calling upon strangers and leaving their cards. " This flash of harmless lightning, however, assumed somewhat of a malignant glare when seen from the United States. The lun," "Riagan Qilhaize," «' Spaewife," "Sir Andrew Wylie," "Provost," " Entail," " Steamboat," " The Life of Byron," and other works. Born at Irvine, in Ayrshire, on the 2nd May, 1779, died at Oreenock, 11th April, 1839. He came to Canada in 1827, as {Secretary to the Canada Land Company, which he had originated, and one of the five Commissioners (Colouel Cock- burn, Sir John Harvey, John Oalt, Mr. McUillivray and Mr. Davidson) named by England for the valuation of the Province of Upper Canada." This re- markable man was the founder of Oalt, Goderich, Ouelph, and other western cities, and was the father ot three sons, John, Thomas and Sir Alexander Tilloch, the last at present our ehargi d^t^alret in London. LORD DORCHESTER. 91 drift of the performance was, it seems, hideously misrepresented by some of the newspapers, and it was said that Mr. Gait had un- gratefully rid'culed the Americans, notwithstanding the distinc- tion and hospitality with which the}' had received him. It thus came to pass that he promised, when next in New York, to write another farce, in which liberty as great t^hould be taken with his own countrymen. " An Aunt in Virginia" was the product of this promise, and with the alterations mentioned and a change of scene from New York to London, it was published under the name of "Scotch and Yankees." A volume would not suffice to detail the brilliant re- ceptions, gay routs, levees, state balls given at the Castle during Lord Dorchester's administration — the lively dis- cussions — the formal protests originating out of points of precedence, burning questions dej'upons between the touchy magnates of the old and those of the new regime. Whether la Baronne de St. Laurent would be admitted there or not ? Whether a de Longueuil's or a de Lanaudiere's place was on the right of Lady Maria, the charming consort of His Excellency Lord Dorchester — a daughter of the great English Earl of Effingham ? Whether dancing ought to cease when their Lordships the Bishops entered, and made their bow to the representative of royalty ? Unfortunately Quebec had then no Court Journal, so that following generations will have but faint ideas of all the witchery, the stunning head-dresses, the decoUetees, high-waisted robes of their stately grandmothers, whirled round in the giddy waltz by whiskered, epauletted cavaliers, or else courtesying in the demure vienuet de la cour. In August, 1796, when Isaac Weld, Jr., visited Quebec, he describes the old part of the chateau as chiefly taken up with the public offices, all the apartments in it, says he, are small and ill-contrived ; but in the new part (Haldi- mand Castle) which stands in front of the other, facing the square (the ring), they are spacious and tolerably well furnished, but none of them can be called elegant. This part is inhabited by the G-overnor's family. * * * # t I, I ' ,1 I ' l : i 1 i ' i i 92 PICTURESQUE QOEBEG. Every evening during summer, when the weather is fine, one of the regiments of the garrison parades in the open place before the chateau, and the band plays I'or an hour or two, at which time the place becomes the resort of numbers of the most genteel people of the town, and has a very gay appearance." {Weld's Travels through the States of North America in 1795-6-7, vol. 1, p. 351. In 1807, when the deadly duel between England and Imperial France was at its height, Grreat Britain sent New France as her Viceroy, a military Governor, equally re- markable for the sternness of his rule and for his love of display ; hence the name ol " Little King Craig," awarded to Sir James Craig. To meet his requirements the House of Assembly voted in 1808, a sum of ^£7,000 to repair the Chateau St. Louis. Sir James took up his quarters in the in- terim, in Castle Haldimand. The Chateau St. Louis received an additional story and was much enlarged. In 1812 an additional sum of je7,980 19s 4d was voted to cover the deficit in the repairs. Little King Craig inhabited Chateau St. Louis during the winters of 1809-10-11, occupying Spencer Wood during the summer months. The Chateau stables were subsequently converted into a riding school ; afterwards into a theatre, where the exhibition of Harri- son's Diorama caused the awful tragedy of 12th June, 1846.=*^ The Earl of Durham, in 1838, struck with the commanding position of this site, had the charred ruins of the old Chateau removed and erected a lofty platform which soon was called after him " Durham Terrace." In 1851-2-3-4, Haldimand Castle was repaired at a cost of $13,718.42. In 1854, Hon. Jean Chabot, member for Quebec and Commissioner of Public Works, had Durham Terrace much enlarged ; the adjoining walls were repaired at an expense of $4,209.92. More expenditure was in- curred in 1857. When the Laval Normal School was in- *See Quebec, Fait and Preient, page 464. DUFFERTN TERRACE. stalled there, Bishop Langevin, then Principal, had the wing erected where the chapel stands. The vaulted room used as a kitchen for the Laval Normal School, was an old powder magazine; it is the most ancient portion of the building. The present Castle was, by Order in Council of 14th February, 1871, transferred by the Dominion authorities to the Grovernment of the Province of Quebec, together with Durham Terrace, the Sewell Mansion, facing the Esplanade (Lieutenant-Governor's office), also, the site and buildings of the Parliament House, on Mountain Hill. The extension of this lofty and beautiful Terrace, sug- gested to the City Council by the City Engineer in his report of 1872, necessarily formed a leading feature in the splendid scheme of city improvements, originated by the Earl of Dufferin, with the assistance of Mr. Lynn, an eminent Irish engineer, and of our City Engineer, le Chevalier Bail- lairge. An appeal was made by a true and powerful friend to Quebec (Lord Dufferin) to our gracious Sovereign, who contributed munificently from her private purse, lor the erection of the new gate, called after her late father, the Duke of Kent — Kent Grate, in remembrance of his long sojourn (1791-4) in this city. Large sums were also granted by the Dominion, it is thought, chiefly through the power- ful influence of Lord Dufferin, seconded by Sir H. L. Langevin ; an appeal was also made for help to the City Council and not in vain ; it responded by a vote of $7,500. The front wall was built at the expense of the Dominion Government, and occupies part of the site of the old battery, erected on that portion of the chateau garden granted to Major Samuel Holland in 1766. The length of Dufferin Terrace is 1420 feet, and it is 182 feet above the level of the St. Lawrence. It forms part of the city fortifications. The site can be resumed by the Commander of the Forces (the Governor-General) when- ( ;! .ili:l \\ it. i< i! i '1 i< I ! I! ! ' !■ i ■ 94 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. ever he may deem it expedient for objects within the scope of his military authority. Durham Terrace, increased to four times its size, now forms a link in the DuflPerin plans of city embellishment, of which the corner stone was laid by the Earl of Dufferin on the 18th October, 1878, and was authentically recog- nized as " Dufterin Terrace " in April and May, 1879, in the official records of the City Council ; several iron plates were inserted in the flooring with the inscription, " Dufferin Terrace, H. Hatch, contractor, C. Baillairge, engineer''' But a famous name of the past, which many loved to connect with this spot — that of Louis de Buade, Count de Frontenac, was not forgoten. The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, on the 18th April, 1879, pre- sented to the City Council a petition, asking among other things, that one of the handsome kiosks on the Terrace should bear the name of Frontenac ; their prayer was granted, and by a resolution moved on 9th May, 1879, by Mr. P. Johnson, C.C, and seconded by Alderman Rheaume, the five kiosks of Dufferin Terrace were named Victoria, Louise., Lome, Frontenac, Plessis. It is the site of the present Normal School, adjacent to this historic spot, which has been selected for the palatial hotel in contemplation. !! nv \- 11 ,11 ? i:i LA visa OF CORNER STONE OF DUFFERIN TERRACE. " The laying of the corner stone of Dufferin Terrace took place the same day (18th Oct., 1878) as that of the two city gates, the St. Louis and the Kent Gate. The ceremony was performed in the presence of thousands. His Worship the Mayor (E. Chambers) received His Excellency the Earl of Dufferin, and with him were present many of the Aldermen and Councillors, with the City Engineer and contractors, the members of the Judiciary, Consul- General of Spain, Consuls of France, Belgium and the United States, Dean Stanley, of London, England ; Mrs. Stevenson, sister to the Countess of Dufferin, Messrs. Russell Stevenson, R. R. Dobell, Simon Peters, Dr. Maveden,' Jas. Motz, many ex- Aldermen ST. LOUIS GATE. 95 and ex-Conncillors, Alexander Woods, Chairman of the Harhour Commission, W. S. Desbarats, W. G. Sheppard, Wm. White, Very Revd. H. Hamel, His Lordship Judge Taschereau, late of the Supreme Court, Hon. Judge H. Taschereau, Judge of the Superior Court, &c. A handsome trowel and mallet were handed to His Excellency the manufacture of Mr. Cyrille Duquet. On the face of the trowel a splendid likenessof the Governor-General was embossed, and an appropriate inscription was engraved thereon. On the plate of the foundation stone the inscription reads as follows: — " Duiferin Terrace, laid by His Excellency the Earl of Duflferin, Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada, on the 18th day of October, 1878, in presence of the Dominion and city authorities and dignitaries, and an immense concourse of people from all parts of Canada, also His Honor Luc Letellier de St. Just, Lieut.- Governor of the Province of Quebec, R. Chambers, Esq., Mayor of the city of Quebec. City Aldermen — Hon. John Hearn, Patrick Henchey, Louis Bourget, R. F, Rinfret, Francois Gingras, J. P. Rheaume, Germain Guay, F. O. Vallerand, Esqs. City Council- lors — Onesime Beaubien, Andrew Hatch, Guillaume Bouchard, F. X. Langevin, Jean Docile Brosseau, Francis McLaughlin, John C. Burns, William McWilliam, William Convey, J. F. Peachy, John Dolaney, F. W. Roy, Peter Johnston, Willis Russell, Charles Brochu, Richard Turner, Esqs. City Clerk — L. A. Cannon, Esq. City Treasurer — C. J. L. Lafrance, Esq. City Accountant — M. F. Walsh, Esq. City Legal Adviser— L. G. Baillairge, Esq. City Notary — A. G. Tourangeau, Esq. Owen Murphy, Esq., ex-Mayor; Chas. Baillairge, Chevalier, City Engineer." In the leaden box, placed within the stone, were laid memen- toes of the occasion, similar to those placed in the proper I'ecep- tacle in the stone laid in the morning at St. Louis Gate, with the addition of beautifully executed portraits of Lord and Lady Dufferin, from the studio of Messrs. Ellison & Co. His Excellency having given the coup de grace to the founda- tion stone with the silver mallet, the proceedings were closed. — (Morning Chronicle, 19th Oct., 1878.) The new city gate erected on the site of the old St. Louis Grate, instead of being called Dufferin Gate, as it had been contemplated, was allowed to retain its time-honored name, St. Louis G-ate ; the public of Quebec, however, were resolved that some conspicuous monument should recall to Quebecers the fragrant memory of its benefactor, Lord Dufferin ; on the visit in June, 1879, of His Excellency ! J m 1 1 i i ■I'll « ■ ■ 1 H ^ ■ r "T'Tr^'flH 96 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Ijord Lome and H. R. H. the Princess Louise, a request was made on them by the citizens, through their chief executive officer, the Mayor of Quebec (R. Chambers), to name and open to the publi*' our world-famous Terrace. On the 9th June, 1879, our distinguished visitors per- formed this auspi<;uous ceremony in presence of thousands, and in the following words confirmed the name previously entered in the Corporation records : — it ) I ISACGVRATION OF DVFFERIN TERRACE. 9lh JUNE, 1879. " According to notice previously given, the inauguration of Dufferin Terrace occurred at half-past two o'clock in the after- noon. When that hour arrived a mass of people variously esti- mated at from eight to fifteen thousand, but probably containing about ten thousand, occupied the Terrace. The appearance from an elevated place of this sea of humanity was indeed wonderful. The band pavilion in the centre of the garden had been reserved for the Viceregal party, and was covered in carpet and scarlet cloth, with two chairs of state. The entrance to the pavilion was kept by the City Police, while " B " Battery furnished the band and guard of honour, and played the National Anthem as the dis- tinguished party arrived on the field. The Mayor and members of the City Council had previously walked in a body to the pavilion from the City Hall, and now IJis Worship conducted His Excellency and Her Eoyal Highness to the dais, and addressing himself to the Governor-General, said : — " May it Please Your Excellency. — On behalf of the Cor- poration and citizens of Quebec, permit me to thank Your Excel- lency for acceding to our request that you would be pleased to open in person this public promenade, and also Her Royal High- ness for graciously honouring us by her presence. '* The corner stone of this structure was laid by Your Excel- lency's predecessor, the Earl of Dutferin (l8th Oct., 1878). " It will be gratifying to the noble Lord to learn that the work in which he took so lively an interest has been inaugurated by Your Excellency, and that the ceremony was graced by the presence of Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise. " I have, therefore, respectfully to request that Your Excel- leucy may be pleased to give the name which the Terrace is henceforth to bear, and to signify if it is the pleasure of Your Excellency that it be opened to the public." ■ 'U BEV. DR. SPARKS. 97 His Excellency replied : — " I am happy to accede to your re- quest, to signify that this Terrace shall bo called after your late Governor-General, Dufferin, and that it is now open to the public." Bounds of applause followed His Excellency's remarks, and loud cheers were given for the Earl of Dutt'erin, HerEoyal High- ness and His Excellency." (Morning Chronicle, lOth Jime, 1879.) Parallel with Ste. Anne street, and terminated by Dauphin street, a tortuous, rugged little lane, now known as St. Andrew's street, leads past St. Andrew's schoolhouse, to the chief entrance of the Presbyterian house of worship ; a church opened at i]w beginning ol the century, repaired and rendered quitt^ handsome a few years ago, but much damaged by fire on the 30th April, 1881. In connection with the erection of this structure, a document was re- cently exhumed from the archives of thr Literary and His- torical Society, which throws much light on an important section of the former population of the city. It is a memorial to His Majesty George III., signed at Quebec on the 5th October, 1802, by the Rev. Dr. Sparks' congregation and by himself. The first incumbent of St. Andrew's Church — commenced in 1809, and opened for worship on the 30th November, 1810 — was the Reverend Doctor Alexander Sparks, who had landed at Quebec in 1780, became tutor in the family of Colonel Henry Caldwell at Belmont, St. Foye road, and who died suddenly in Quebec, on the 7th March, 1819. Dr. Sparks had succeeded to the Rev. George Henry, a military chaplain at the time of the conquest ; the first Presbyterian minister, we are told, who officiated in the Province, and who died on the 6th July, 1795, aged 86 years. One hundred and forty-eight signatures are affixed to this dusty document of 1802. A carefully prepared petition — it seems — to the King, asking for a site in Quebec whereon to build a church — and suggesting that the lot occupied by the Jesuits' Church, and where until 1878, stood the Upper Town market G I ' I I 11 '!r W Ml 1 If! 1 1 i i ■ •■51 I r 98 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. shambles, be granted to the petitioners, they being without a church, and having to trust to the good will of the Gov- ernment for the use, on Sundays, of a room in the Jesuits Barracks, as a place of worship.* Signatures to Memorial addressed to George III., asking/or land in Quebec to build a Presbyterian Church : — Alex. Sparks, Minister, JaB. Thompson, Jr., Fred. Grant, Jno. Greenshields, Chas. G. Stewart, Jamets Sinclair, John Urquhart, William Morrin, Jno. Eifland, John Barlie, Geo. McGregor, Wm. Holmes, Tames Ward, Jno. Purss, Ann Watt, J. Brydon, Jno. Frazer, James Somervillo, J. A. Thompson, Wm. Hall, Wra. Thompson, Sr., D. Monroe, J. Blackwood, M. Lymburner, Francis Hunter, W. Eouburgh, John McCord, J. G. Hanna, J. McNider, Adam Lymburner, Jno. Lynd, Peter Stuart, William Grant, J. A. Todd, John Mure, A. Ferguson, Robert Eglison, Robt. Cairns, William A. Thompson, Wm. McWhirter, John McDonald, John Auld, Bridget Young, Jno. Shaw, Charles Hunter, Geo. Black, W. G. Hall, J. Gray, F. Leslie, Robt. Wood, Lewis Harper, Mary Doyle, A. Anderson, John Anderson, Robt, Ross, Wm. Fraser, Wm. Hay, Wm. McKay, Robt. narrower, James TuUoch, Samuel Brown, Isaac Johnstone, Peter Leitch, Henry Baldwin, Daniel Forbes, William Jaffray, J. Hendry, John Thompson, George Smith, Wm. Reed, • For full particulars about St. Andfew's Church, see " Quebec^ Past and Present" pages 404-6. THE LYMBVRNERS. 90 John Patterson, John Crawfoi-d, John Hewison, David Douglas, George Wilde, Fred, Petry, James Hose, David Stewart, John Yule, Angus Mclntyro, John Mackie, John Purss. Johnston, Wm. Thomj)Hon, Jr., Con AdaniHon, Geo. Morrison, J no. Goudie, G. Sinclair, "Walter Carruthers, Wm. Petrio, John Ross, Wm. McKoiizie, ThoB. Suul, J Eoss, Jr., Ann Eoss, Jamos Mitchell, Geo. King, Alex. Thompson, James Orkney, J. Neilson, Daniel Fi'aser, Quebec, 5th October, 1802. Alexander Harper, Rt)bort Marshall, William White, Thomas White, John Taylor, Adam Eeid, James Irvine, John Munro, Alexander Munn, Alexander Eou, James KImslie, Charles Smith, HixMiezor Baird, Ijuwrence Kidd, James McCallnm, John Burn, Joanna George, Miiya Darling, William LindHa^-, Janet Smith, William Smith, Henriottu Sewell, Jane Sewell, C. W. Grant, Robert Ritchie, George Pyke, Joseph Stilson, Henry Hunt, George Thompson. "i 1 1 ■- \ r i '\ 1 : ; M Some of these signatures are suggestive. The most notable is probably that of old Adam Lymburner, the cleverest of the three Lymburnors, all merchants at Quebec in 1775.^ Adam, according to the historian Garneau, was more distinguished for his forensic abilities and knowledge of constitutional law, than for his robust allegiance to the Hanoverian succession at Quebec, when Colonel Benedict *Adain, the oldest ; John loBt at sea on his voyage to England, in the fall of 1775 ; and Matthew, who, later on, we think was a partner in the old firm of Lymburner & Crawford, came to bis end, in a melancholy manner at the Falls of Montmorency, about 1823. Were tbey all brothers ? we cannot say. Adam and John were. fill !|.,»: 100 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Arnold and his New Englanders so rudely knocked at our gates for admission in 1775. According to Garneau and other historians, in the autumn of that memorable year, when the fate of British Canada hung as if by a thread, Adam Lymburner, more prudent than loyal, retired from the sorely beset fortress to Charles- bourg, possibly to Chateau Bigot, a shooting box then known as the " Hermitage," to meditate on the mutability of human affairs. Later on, however, in the exciting times of 1701, Adam Lymburner was deputed by the colony to England to suggest amendments to the project of the con- stitution to be promulgated by the home authorities. His able speech may be met with in the pages of the Canadian Review, published at Montreal in 1826. This St. Peter street magnate attained four score and ten years, and died at Russell Square, London, on the 10th January, 1836. Another signature recalls days of strife and alarm : that of sturdy old Hugh McQuarters, the brave artillery sergeant who, at Pres-de- Ville on that momentous 31st December, 1775, applied the match to the cannon which consigned to a snowy shroud Brigadier-Greneral Richard Mor.tgomery, his two aideSy McPherson and Cheeseman, and his brave, but doomed followers, some eleven in all ; the rest having sought safety in flight. By this record, it appears Sergeant McQuarters had also a son, in 1802, one of Dr. Sparks' con- gregation. Old Hugh McQuarters lived in Champlain street, and closed his career there in 1812. Another autograph, that of James Thompson, one of Wolfe's comrades — "a big giant," as our old friend, the late Judge Henry Black, who knew him well, used to style him, awakens many memories of the past. Sergeant James Thompson, of Fraser's Highlanders, at Louisbourg in 1758, and at Quebec in 1759, came from Tain, Scotland, to Canada, as a volunteer to accompany g, friend — Capt. David Baillie, of the 78th. His athletic frame, courage, integrity and in- J -, SBRJ. JAMES THOMPSON. 101 telligence, during the seventy-two years of his Canadian career, brought him employment, honour, trust and attention from every Grovernor of the colony from 1759 to 1830, the period of his death ; he was then aged 98 years. At the battle of the Plains of Abraham, James Thompson, as hospital sergeant, was intrusted with the landing, at Point Levi, of the wounded, who were crossed over in boats ; he tells us of his carrying some of the wounded from the crossing at Levi, up the hill, all the way to the church at St. Joseph, converted into an hospital, and distant three miles from the present ferry ; a " big giant " alone could have been equal to such a task. In 1775, Sergeant Thompson, as overseer of Gov- ernment works, was charged with erecting the palisades, fascines and other primitive contrivances to keep out Brother Jonathan, who had not yet learned the use of Parrot or Gatling guns and torpedoes. Later on, we find the sturdy Highlander an object of curiosity to stranj/ers visit- ing Quebec — full of siege anecdotes and reminiscences — a welcome guest at the Chateau in the days of the Earl of Dalhousie. In 1827, as senior Mason, he was called on by His Excellency to give the three mystic taps »7ith the mallet, when the corner stone of the Wolfe and Mont- calm monument was laid, in the presence of Captain Young of the 79th Highlanders, and a great concourse of citizens. About New Year's day, 1776, Mr. Thompson became possessed of Gen. Montgomery's sword ; it has since passed to his grandson, James Thompson Harrower. Mr. James Thompson left several sons, some of whose signatures are affixed to the document before us. John Gawler was Judge for the District of Gaspe from 1828 to 1865 ; George received a commission in the Royal Artillery ; a third was Deputy Commissary General James Thompson, who died in this city in 1869. Old James Thompson expired in 1830, at the family mansion, St. Ursule street, novi occupied by his grandson, Mr. James Thompson Harrower. r (1 ji i^i ■RHR i! I ;i .• ■! ■V t.i ! !i [. 102 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. When we name J ohn Grreenshields, D. Munro (the part- ner of the Hon. Matthew Bell), J. Blackwood, Matthew Lymburner, Peter Stuart, William Grant, John Mure, John McNider, J. G. Hanna, John Crawford, David Stewart (the David Stewart of "Astoria" described by Washington Irving?) James Orkney, Robert Wood, Alexander Munn, James McCallum, Thomas White, Fred. Petrie, Robert Ritchie, we recall many leading merchants in St. Peter street, Notre Dame street and the old Cul-de-Sac. " Ebenezer Baird," we take to have been the progenitor of a well-remembered Quebec Barrister, James E. Baird, Esq., the patron of our city member, Jacques Malouin, Esquire. George Pyke, a Halifax barrister, had settled here. He rose to occupy a seat on the judicial bench. Robert Harrower, was doubtless the father of Messrs. Robert, David and Charles Harrower, of Trois Saumons, County of L'Islet. Honorable James Irvine, in 1818, a member of the Legislative Council, was the grandfather of the Hon. G. Irvine, of this city. The Hon. John Jones Ross, the present Speaker of the Legislative Council, Que- bec, traces back to the " James Ross" of 1802, and the Hon. David Alex. Ross claims for his sire that sturdy Volunteer of 1759, under Wolfe, "John Ross," who made a little fortune ; he resided at the house he purchased in 1765, near Palace Gate within. He held a commission as a Captain in the British Militia in 1775, under Colonel Le Maitre; we can recollect his scarlet uniform which he wore in 1775, also worn in 1875, by his grandson, our worthy friend, Hon. D. A. Ross, at the ball of the Cen- tenary of the repulse of Brigadier-General Richard Mont- gomery, 31st December, 1775. He had three sons, David was Solicitor-General at Quebec ; John was a lawyer also, and Prothonotary at Quebec (the signer of the memorial of 1802) ; the third died young; of three daughters, one was married to the Rev. Doctor Sparks, already mentioned ; a JAMBS QEOROE. 103 second was married to Mr. James Mitchell, A. C. G., and the third to an army surgeon. John Ross, Sr., died at an advanced age. Charles Grey Stewart, our Comptroller of Customs died in 1854 ; he was the father of Messrs. McLean, Charles, Alexander, Robert and John Stewart, of Mrs. William Price, of Mrs. William Phillips, of the Misses Ann and Eleanor Stewart. "Joanna George" the mother of an aged contemporary, Miss Elizabeth George, and of* Miss Agnes George, the widow of the late Arch. Campbell, Esq., N.P., and grand- mother ot the present President of the St. Andrew's Society, W. Darling Campbell, died about 1830. "Maya Darling" was another daughter, and wife of Capt. Darling. " John Burn," also one of the signers of the Memorial, and who afterwards settled in Upper Canada, was the son of " Joanna George" by another marriage ; the eccentric and clever Quebec merchant, Mr. James George, was another son. He was the first who suggested in 1822, a plan of the St. Charles River Docks — the first who took up the subject of rendering the St. Lawrence Rapids navigable higher than Montreal. The idea seemed so impracticable, and what was still worse, so new, that the far-seeing Mr. George, was at the time branded as non compos ! and still for years the " Spartan," " Passport," " Champion " and other steamers have safely ran these rapids daily every season ! James George had also suggested the practicability of Wooden Railways or Tramways, with horses as locomotive power, forty years before the Civil Engineer Hulburt built the Gosford Wooden Railway, with steam as locomotive power. " William Grant, of St. Roch's, after whom Grant street was called, was member for the Upper Town of Quebec, m u •Mrs. Widow Arch, Campbell closed her long career at Quebec, in Novem- ber, 1880. il' r t |!f I j li •I If 1 « .; I U. 1, il Lii i i ;.u.: : :1 i 104 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. during our two first Parliaments, from 17th December, 1792, to 29th May, 1800, and from 9th January, 1805, to period of his death at St. Roch in 1805. An enterprising and important personage was the Hon. Wm. Grant, the Receiver General of the Province in 1770. He had married the widow of the third Baron de Longueuil. "John Mure" represented the County of York (Vaudreuil) in three Parliaments, from 9th January, 1805, to 26th Feb- ruary, 1810, and was member for the Upper Town of Que- bec, from 1810 to 1814. A man of intelligence, he also, though a Presbyterian, became a benefactor to the R. C. Church, having, in 1812, given to the R C. parishioners of St. Roch's, a site whereon to erect their church in that thriving suburb. " John Blackwood" also represented the Upper Town in two Parliaments, from 9th April, 1809, to 20th February, 1810. "Jane Sewell" was the wife of Stephen Sewell, Solicitor- (ieneral of Lower Canada, brother to Chief Justice Sewell. "Henrietta Sewell," one of the signers, survived ten years her husband, the late Jonathan Sewell, Chief Justice for Lower Canada, who died in Quebec in 1839. Chief Justice Sewell left a numerous progeny. =*<= " William Lindsay" was the father of the late William Burns Lindsay, for years Clerk of the Legislative Assembly •Jt)hn Sewell, Capt. in 49th (Brock's Regiment), and Lt.-Col.Volunteers in 1837. William Smitb Sewell, late Sherift uf Quebec, died Ist June, 1866. Edmund Willoughby Sewell, Clerk in Holy Orders. Kobert Shore Milnes Sewell, Advocate, died 9tli May, 1834. Maria May Livingstone Sewell, widow of Major Henry Temple, 15th Regi- ment, died at Quebec in April, 1881. Henrietta Sewell, wife of Rev. Dr. Frs. J. Lundy, died 17th Mov. 1847. Henry Doyle Sewell, Clerk in Holy Orders. James Arthur Sewell, M.D., Professor ot Laval University. Montague Charles Sewell, died 28th February, 1859. Charlotte DeQuincy Sewell, died 31st December, 1826. : Fanny Ueorgina Sewell, wife of Capt. Trevor Davenport, Ist "Royals," ' Eliza Janet Sewell, wife of John Ross, Esq., died 8th May, 1875. Algernon Robiusou Sewell, Lt.-Col. 15th Regiment, died lOth January, 1876. Il PARLOin STREET. 105 of Lower Canada, and of our venerable fellow-citizen, Errol Boyd Lindsay, Esq., Notary Public, now more than four score years of age ; he seems to have taken his surname from Capt. Errol Boyd, in 1798, commander of the well re- membered Quebec and Montreal trader, the " Dunlop." " William Smith," one of the last among the signers of the memorial, the brother of Henrietta Smith, wife of Chief Justice Sewell, was the Hon. William Smith, Clerk of the Legislative Council, and who, in 1815, published his History of Canada, in two volumes, a standard work ; he was a descendant of the Hon. William Smith, a noted U. E. Loyalist, who wrote the history of the State of New York, and landed at Quebec, 23rd October, 1786. As a re- ward for his loyalty he had been made Chief Justice of Lower Canada, 1st September, 1785 ; he died at Quebec, 6th December, 1793. The names of six signers of the Memorial to the Kin»;, appear on the list of the jury empanelled to try, in 1797, before Chief Justice Osgood, David McLane for high treason, viz. : John Blackwood, John Crawford, David Munro, John Mure, James Irvine, James Orkney. George Pyke was the Counsel named ex officio, together with M. Franklin, to de- fend the misguided Yankee. The Jury stood thus ; — John Blackwood, John Crawford, John Painter, David Monro, John Miiro, John JoiiOH, James Irvine, James Orkney, James Watson Goddard, Henry Cull, Robert Morro;^h, George Symes. Parloir street, well leavened with lawyers, leads to the parloir of the Ursulines. Here resided the late Judge de Bonne, at the dawn of the present century. The locality is alive with memories of this venerable seat of education, and with saintly and heroic traditions of Madame de la Peltrie, Mere de I'lncarnation — Montcalm. " There exists," says the ^ i-t ! 1 ( 1 a ( M -JBIUM ,. I 1 11 !h;! i ■ li : ![ ' 106 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Abbe Casgraiu, " in the Ursuline Nunnery, a small picture, which portrays a touching- tradition of the early days of Canada : a painting executed by a Canadian artist, from old etchings, preserved in the monastery. ^ ^ The canvas represents the forest primeval, which mantled the promon- tory of Quebec, at the birth of the Colony. In the centre of the picture may be seen, amidst the maples and tall pines, the first monastery,. founded in 1641 by Madame de la Peltrie. On its front stands forth in perspective the dwelling which the founder had erected for her own use, three years later on. The area comprised between these two edifices, is occupied by a clearing, surrounded by a palisade, whereon are seen grazing a flock of sheep. On the left side of the picture a broad avenue leads through the forest : — the Grand Allee — later on St. Louis street, which leads to the village of Sillery. Two horsemen, habited a la Louis XIV, meet on this avenue, the one Monsieur d'Ailleboust, the Grovernor of the Colony, the other is Monsieur DuPlessis Bochard, the Grovernor of Three Eivers. In the midst of their interview, they are interrupted by an Indian Chief, who offers them a beaver skin. A few steps from her residence, Madame de la Peltrie is standing close to another Indian Chief, who, with head inclined, seems in the atti- tude of listening to her in the most respectful manner, whilst she, dignified and composed, is expounding to him the sacred truths of faith. This scene presents an admir- able contrast, with another taking place close by ; an Indian warrior is seen giving, imperiously, his orders to a squaw, — his wife mayhap — but who, from her downcast and hum- ble look, seems more like his slave. A short distance from this group, a missionary, (Father Jerome Lalemant) after visiting some wigwams, erected around the house of Madame de la Peltrie, is threading a narrow path leading to the depths of the forest. The most attractive feature about the painting is a group of young children, listening attentively to the teachings of a nun, seated on the right, Mil! ST. GEORGE STREET. 107 under the shade of an ash tree. The impression created by this antique painting, is the more delightful and vivid, because on turning one's gaze, at present, from the picture, to the interior of the cloister, may still be seen the hoary head of an old ash tree, under which tradition shows us the vener- able Mother de rincarnaiion, catechising the Indian <*hildren and teaching the young girls of the colony."^ After more than two centuries of existance, the old ash tree succumbed lately to a storm. Laval, Attorney-Greneral Ruette D'Auteuil, Louis de Buade, Ste. Helene (f) seem to come back to life in the ancient streets of the same name, whilst Frontenac, Iber- ville, Fiedmont, are brought to one's recollection, in the modern thoroughfares. The old Scotch pilot, Abraham Martin, (who according to the Jesuits^ Journal, might have been a bit of a scamp, although a church chorister, but who does not appear to have been, tried for his peccadiloes,) owned a domain of thirty-two acres of land in St. John's suburbs, which were bounded towards the north, by the hill which now bears his name {La Cote d' Abraham.) Mythology has exacted a tribute on a strip of ground in the St. Louis suburbs. The chief of the pagan Olympus boasts of his lane, " Jupiter street," so called after a cele- brated inn, Jupiter's Inn, on account of a full sized statue of the master of Olympus which stood formerly over the main entrance. In the beginning of the century, a mineral spring, of wondrous virtue, attracted to this neighbour- hood, those of our bon vivant& whose livers were out of order. Its efticacy is now a thing of the past ! That dear old street, — St. George street formerly, — now called after the first settler of the Upper Town in 1617, Louis Hubert, by the erection of the lofty Medical College and Laval University, for us has been shorn of its name — •Histoirede Marie de I'lncaraation, par I'Abbe H. R. Casgrain. ,i I m ■ w i) m: 1 • h' 108 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. its sunshine — its glory, since the home* of our youth, at the east end, has passed into strange hands. It is now Hubert street, by order of the City council. Opposite to the antique and still stately dwelling, lately owned by Jos. Shehyn, M.P.P., is a house formerly tenanted by Mr. J. Dyke. In the beginning of this century it was occupied by an old countryman, remarkable, if not for deep scientific attainments, at least for shrewd common sense and great success in life — Mr. P. Paterson, the proprietor of the extensive mills at Montmorency — now owned by the estate of the late G-eorge Benson Hall, his son-in-law. Peter Paterson, about 1790, left Whitby, England, to seek his fortune in Canada. His skill as a ship builder — his integrity of character and business habits, pointed him out as a fit agent — later on as a partner in a wealthy Baltic firm of London merchants who still have repre- sentatives in the colony. At the time of Napoleon's con- tinental blockade, the English Government, seeing that the Baltic was closed for the supply of timber for the navy, gave out a large contract to Messrs. Henry and John Usborne — of London — for masts and oak. Usborne & Co., employed Mr. P. Paterson to dress and ship this timber. A timber limit license, of portentous import, authorizing the cutting of oak and masts for the navy in all British North America, was issued. Under authority ot this license, Mr. Paterson partly denuded the shores of Lake Champlain as well as the Thousand Islands, of their fine oak. Mr. Paterson was the first to float oak in rafts to Quebec. He built a large mill at Montmorency, having exchanged his St. George street house for the mill site at Montmorency. His mills have since attained to great importance. •The old homestead, successively owned by Messrs. Timothy H. Dunn and Joseph Shehyn, M.P.P., and now by Mr. J. 0. Valli^res, was erected in 1812 for Capt. Benjamin LeMoine, Canadian Militia, the writer's father. LAVAL UNIVERSITY. 109 In rear of (St. Greorge — now) Hebert street loom out the lofty walls of the Laval University, which re- ceived its Royal Charter in 1852.=^ THE LAVAL UNIVERSITY. The main edifice is 298 feet in length, five stories high ; a plain, massive structure of cut-stone, much improved in ap- pearance since the addition, in 1876, of the present super- structure, which relieves the unbroken monotony of its form. The work is a great ornament not only to the immense build- ing itself, but to the city. The task of designing the super- structure was entrusted to the taste and talent of J. F. Peachy, architect. The superstructure is in the French man- sard roof style, with handsome cupolas on the east and west ends, surmounted with flag-staffs and weather vanes. In the centre towers a dome far above all, surmounted by a gilt-iron cross in the modern Grecian style — the upright shaft and arms being formed at four right angles. The crown ornaments on the centre top and ends of the arms are all of wrought iron and weigh about 700 lbs. The base is strongly braced and bolted to an oak shaft, secured to the truss work of the dome so firmly as to resist the fiercest gale of wind or any other powerful strain. It is 11 feet six inches in height and the arms are 7 feet six inches across. Mr. Philip Whitty, iron worker and machinist, of St. James street, was the builder of this cross, and its handsome design and solidity reflect credit upon his taste and workmanship. AVe believe that it is in- tended to have a picture gallery in the superstructure under the central dome. The entire roof is strongly trussed and braced with iron bolts. This portion of the work was done under the superintendence of Mr. Marcou. We understand that it is also the intention to erect ♦;wo *A detailed sketch of this great educational institution, descriptive of its origin and constitution, galleries of paintings, museum, library etc., appears at page 361 of " Quebec, Past and Present," to which the reader is referred. We purpose to note the changes which have taken place since the publication of that work only. I \ ' \ \\ 'V 110 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. ! ; I. r i| V \ balconies on the eastern end, fronting the St. Lawrence — these balconies to be supported by Corinthian columns. From the base to the present superstructure, the building was originally 80 feet high ; it now stands 202 feet high from the base to the top of the cross on the central dome. In 1880, another important addition, involving a heavy outlay, was planned. A lofty wing, 265 feet in length has been added to this imposing pile of buildings; it covers a large area in the seminary garden and connects on each story with the main structure, from which it stands out at right angles. Both build- ings are intended to form but one, and seen from Levi or from the Eivcr St. Lawrence, it looks like an extension ol the Laval University itsell". The edifice is fireproof, its internal division walls are of brick, its rafters of iron ; the floors are brick lined with deals as a preventive against dampness. The iron rafters were wrought at Lodelinsart, near Charloroi, Belgium ; they weigh 400 tons, and cost laid down lucent per lb. The basement and the ceiling of the first flat arc vaulted over; The refectory takes up a whole wing of the first stor}'. The masonry of the upper corridors rests on eighteen cast iron columns, weighing 3,000 lbs. each. The ceiling of the refectory is ex- ceedingly strong and handsome ; every story, in fact, is vaulted from top to bottom. A corridor eight feet wide and two hundred and sixty-five feet long, intersects the centre of each stoiy. All the vestibules, cor- ridors and passages are paved with ceramic squai'e blocks brought from Belgium. The most notable part of the structure is the main staircase, entirely of iron and stone ; it contains 120 steps 8 feet long, 16 feet broad, 5 inches high, each step hewn out of a single block. The iron material weighs about 3*7,000 lbs. There is also another flight of steps made of iron. A hydraulic elevator in the centre of the building will provide an easy access to every story. The roofed galleries, eight feet wide, attached to each story on the front, present promenades and views unrivaled in the city looking towards Levi and the Island of Orleans. On a large stone or. the loftiest part of the front wall, over the window, is inscribed — Conditum, 1880. The arch of the entrance to the Court House burnt in 1872, which, it was said, had formed part of the old EecoUet Church, destroyed by fire on 6th Sept., 1796, has been used to build the arch of the porch which leads from the seminary garden to the farm-yard in rear. There are 230 windows in this new wing which has a mansard roof. It is computed that 4,000,000 bricks have been employed in the masonry. The architect is J. F. Peachy. LAVAL UNI VERS ITT. STAFF OF THE LAVAl UNIVElil, was called Ste. Famille street from its vicinity to the Cathedral, which, as the parish church of the (utizens of Quebec, was formerly called the Ste. Famille Church. On the east side, half way up the hill still exist the ruins ol the old homestead of the Seigneurs H I '"' ir ! I \\ !lJ. 114 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. \\\ Hi I . deL^ry — in 1854, occupi«Hl by Sir K. P. Tache, simc, sold to the Qu«»ber Sominary. A lofty feme on the stiv«»t hides from view the hoary old poj)lar tn'es which of yore decked the front of the old miinor. On the opposite side, a little hiprher up, iilso survives the old hous«i of Mr. .lean Ijanffevin, fsither of the Hishop of Rimouski, and of Sir II. \j. Lanji^evin Here in the closing? days of French Dominion lived the first Acadian, who brouf^ht to Quebec the news of the dispersion of his compatriots, so elo- quently suns' ^y Longfellow, Dr. Lajus, of FrtMich extrac- tion, who settled at Quebec and married a sister of Bishop Hubert. On the northern angle of this old tenement you now read " *S/e. Famille street." St. Stanislas street, the western boundary of the ancient estate of the .Tt^suits — on the eastern portion of w^hich their college was built in 1687 — owes its saintly nomenclature to the learned order — no doubt desirous of handing down to posterity an enduring souvenir of a valiant ascetic, though youthful member of the fraternity. Its northern end reaches at right angles to Ste. Helene street in a line with the old tenement recently occupied by the late Narcisse Constantin Faucher, Esq., Barrister — recently leased by the late Lieut-Col. John Sewell, one of Sir Isaac Brock's officers at Queenstown Heights in 1812. In 1835 it was the home of a Mrs. Montgomery. That year it was burglarized in a somewhat romantic — shall w^e say — humane manner by Chambers' murderous gang ; the aged and demure mistress of the house and her young maid servant being rolled up in the velvety pleats of the parlor carpet and deposited gently, tenderly and unharmed in the subterranean and discreet region of the cellar, so that the feelings of either should not be lacerated by the sight of the robbery going on above stairs. Who will dare assert that among the sanguinary crew who in 1836, heavily ironed, bid adieu to Quebec forever, THEATRE ROYAL. 115 leaviii'? their country tor thoir country's y-ood — in the British Hrio- Cere;^, all boiiiul as permanent settlers \^^ Van Dieman's Land, who will dare assert there was nc)t some Jaek Sheppard, with a lender spot in his heart towards the youthlul Brisiis who aekiiowledncd Mrs. Mont- j]fomery's g-entle sway. A el the "Theatre Royal," opened l.")th iM'bruary,^ lH;i:I, where the Siddons, Keans and Keml)les held forth to our admiring" fathers. Church and theatre U)th owed their ])irth to the late ('hief .Iusti < I ; f I ' < > i ■ I i (I li !■ \ l i i ■ i ii' i !' i is ' ii i. 1 1 ' ' IUll^. 124 PICTURESQUE QUIiBEC. gathering of the Veterans of 1775 : — " Thursday last being the anniversary of the 31st December, a Day which will be ever famous in the annals of this country for the defeat of Faction and Eobellion, the same was obsei'vod with the utmost festivity. In the evening a ball and cold Collation was given by the gentle- men who composed the Garrison in the winter of 1775, to His Excellency and a numerous and brilliant assembly of Ladies and Gentlemen; the satisfaction every one felt in Commemorating so. Glorious an event, strongly appeared by the joy which was visible in every contenance." In 1790, according to the Quebec Herald, the annual dinner was held at the Merchant's Coffee House, by about 30 survivors of the Veterans, who agreed to meet twice a year, instead of once, their joviality apparently increasing with their age. In 1794, * the Gazette acquaints us that the Anniversary Dinner was to be held at Ferguson's Hotel, on the 6th May. f We find both nationalities fraternising in these loyal demonstra- tions. M. DeBonne (afterwards Judge DeBonne) taking his place next to loyal John Coffin, of Pres-de-Ville fame, and probably Simon Fraser and the Hon. Hugh Finlay, will join Lieutenant Dambourg^s and Col. Dupr^, in toasting King George III. under the approving eye of Lt.-Col. Caldwell, Wolfe's Deputy Quarter-Master General. Col. Caldwell, lived to a green old age, and expired in this city in 1810. Our esteemed fellow-citizen, Errol Boyd Lindsay, remembers him well, and in front of whom I stand, a stalwart Volunteer of 1837, Col. Gugy, is now relating how when a lad he once dined with Col. Caldwell, some seventy years ago, at Belmont, amidst excellent cheer. The Quebec Gazette teems with loyal Knglish and French songs of 1775, for a quarter of a century ; and for more than twenty- five years the anniversary banquet, ball or dinner was religiously kept up. But we must hie away from these "junketings " — these festive • Extract Jrom the Quebec Oazette, May lit, 1794. " Club." "The Gentlemen who served in the Garrison of Quebec in 1776-76, are acquainted that their Anniversary Dinner will be held at Ferguson's Hotel on Tuesday, 6th May. Dinner to be on Table at half-past-four o'clock. The Honble. A. de Bonne, "| J. Walker, I Esquires. Simon Fraser Senr , ^ James Frost, Quebec, 25th April, 1794." t Date of departure of invaders in 1776. Stewards, John Collin, junr., Secretary. JUDGE BENE V. 125 boards, which our loyal ancestors seem to have infinitely enjoyed. Wo must hie away : the long wished for" snow-storm," the signal of attack has come. 'Tis five o'clock before dawn. Hark to the rattle of the alarm drum. Hark! Hark to the tolling of every city bell (and you know Quebec bells are numerous), louder! louder even than the voice of the easterly storm. To arms ! To arms! resounds in the Market Place — the Place d' Amies — and in the streets of our slumbering city. Instead of giving you my views on the attack, I shall summon from the silent, the meditative past, one of the stirring actors in this thrilling encounter, an intrepid and youthful Volunteer, under Arnold, then aged seventeen years, John Joseph Henry. Ho will tell you how his countrymen attacked us. «' It was not," siiyn Jiulge Hoiivy. iiDtil the night ot Uw :tlst DucenihtT, ITTS, that such kind of weather unsued as was considered favorahh; for the assault. The fore part of the night was admlrjibly enlightened by a luminous moon. Many of us, officers as well as privates, had dispersed in various directions among the farm and tippling houses of the vicinity. We well knew the signal for rallying. This was no other than a " snow-storm." About 12 o'clock, P. M., the heaven was overcast. We repaired to quarters. Hy 2 o'clock we were accoutred and began our march. The storm wis outrageous, and the cold wind extremely biting. In this northern country the snow is blown horizontally Into the faces of the travellers on most occasions — this was our case. When we came to Craig's house, near Palace Gate, a horrible roar of cannon took place, and a ringing of all the bells of the city, which arc very numerous, and of all sizes. Arnold, leading the forlorn hope, advanced, perhaps, one hundred yards, before the main body. After these followed Lamb's artillerists Morgan's company led in the secondary part of the column of infantry. Smith's followed, headed by Steele ; the Captain, from particular causes, being absent. Hendrick's company succeeded, and the eastern men, so far as known to me, followed in due order. The snow was deeper than in the fields, because of the nature of the ground. The path made by Arnold, Lamb, and Morgan was almost imperceptible, because of the tailing snow. Covering the locks of our guns, with the lappets of our coats, holding down our heads (for it was impossible to bear up our faces against the imperious storm of wind and snow), we ran along the foot of the hill in single file. Along the first of our run, from Palace Gate, for several hundred paces, there stood a range of insulated buildings, which seemed to be storehouses ; we passed these quickly in single file, pretty wide apart. The interstices were from thirty to fifty yards. In these intervals, we received a tremendous fire of musketry from the ramparts above us. Here we lost some brave men, when powerless to return the salutes we received, as the enemy was covered by his impregnable defences. They were even sightless to us ; we could see nothing but the blaze from the muzzles of their muskets. A number of vessels of various sizes lay along the beach, moored by their hawsers or cables to the houses. Pacing after my leader. Lieutenant Steele, at a great rate, one of those ropes took me under the chin, and cast me head long down, a declivity of at least fifteen feet. The place appeared to be either a dry-dock or a saw-pit. My desicent was terrible ; gun and all was involved in a great depth of snow. Most unluckily, however, one of my knees received a violent contusion on a piece of scraggy ice, which was covered by the snow. On like occasions, we can scarcely expect, in the hurry of attack, that our , i ' 1 I 1 !M >\ ; I i II! I' i!h 1 ! 1 ,- 1 '/ y 1 ' 126 PrCTVRESQUE QUEBEC. ! I :i intitnatos should attend to any other than their own roncern. Mine went ftom mo, regardloHfi of my fate. ScramhliriK out of the cavity, withorit aHsiHt- anre, diveKtinf; my {xsrHoti and gun of the Htiow, aiul limpinf; int<) the line, I atteni|ited to asKimn! a station and preseivo it. These were none ot my fri(^nds — they knew me not. I had not },'one twenty yards, in my l.ohblinp; Rait, before! I was tlnown out, and c ompelhid to await the arrival of a chasm in the line, when a new place might hr obtained. Men in affairs suchas this, seem in the main, to lose the compassionatti feeling, and ari! averse from l)eing dislodged from their original stations. We proceeded rapidly, exposed to a long line of fire from the garrison, for now we were unprotected by any buildings. The fin; had sluckeiuid in a small degree. 'F'he enemy had been partly called off to resist the (leneral, and strengthen the party opposetl to Arnold in our front. Now we saw Colonel Arnold returning, wounded in the leg, and supported by two gentlemen ; a parson. Spring, was uxw, and, in my belief, a Mr. Ogden the other. Arnold called on the troops, in a cheering voice, as we passed, urging us forward, yet it was observal)le among the soldiery, with whom it was my misfortune to be now placed, that the Colonel's retiring damped their spirits. A cant term " We are sold," was repeatedly beard in many parts throughout the line. Thus proceeding, enfiladed l>y an animated but lessened tire, wt; came to the first barrier, where Arnold had been wounded in the onset. This contest had lasted but a few minutes, and was somewhat severe, but the energy of otu' men prevailed. The erabrasines were entered when the enemy were discharging their guns. The guard, con- sisting of thirty persons, were either taken or tied, leaving their arms behind them. At this timtMt was discovert;d that oingims were useless, because of of the dampness. The snow which lodged in our fleecy coats was melted by the warmth of our bodies. Thence came that disaster. Many of the party, knowing the circumstanc*;, threw aside their own, and seized the British arms. These were not only elegant, but were such as befitteci the hand of a real soldier. It was said, that ten thousand stand of such arms had been received from England, in the previous summer, for arming the Canadian militia. These people were loath to bear them in opposition to our rights. From the first barrier to the second, there was a circular course along the sides of houses, and partly through a street, probably of three hundred yards or more. This second barrier was erected across and near the mouth of a narrow street, adjacent to the foot of the hill, which opened into a larger, leading soon into the main body of the Lower Town. Here it was, that the most serious con- tention took place : this became the bone of strife. The admirable Mont- gomery, by this time, (though it was unknown to us) was no more : j'ct, we expected momentarily to join him. The firing on that side of the fortress ceased, his division fell under the command of a Colonel Campbell, of the New York line, a worthless chief, who retreated, without making an effort, in pursuance of the general's original plans. The inevitable consequence was, that the whole of the forces on that side of the city, and those who were opposed to the dastardly persons employed to make the false attacks, embodied and came down to oppose our division, ilere was sharp-shooting. We were on the disadvantageous side of the barrier, for such a purpose. Confined in a narrow street, hardly more than twenty feet wide, and on the lower ground, scarcely a ball, well aimed or otherwise, but must take effect upon us. Morgan, Hendricks, Steele, Humphrey's, and a crowd of every class of the army, had gathered into the narrow pass, attempting to surmount the barrier, which was about twelve or more feet high, and so strongly constructed, that nothing but artillery, coidd effectuate its destruction. There was a construction, fifteen or twenty yards within the barrier, upon a rising grounde, the cannon of which much overtopped the height of the barrier, hence, we were assailed by grape shot in abundance. This erection we called the platform. Again, within the barrier, and close into it, were two ranges of musketeers, armed .1 RSOL D'f! ASS A VL T. 127 with mufiket and bayonet, ready U\ iccpivo tlioKo who miKht venture the dan- gerous leap. Add to nil thiw, that tht^ enemy oiciipied the npfier (lianihfTw of the hoiiKes, in the interior of the Imrrier, on lioth sides of the street, from the windowH of which w;ood order. When we took possession of the houses, w(> had a gre. .ngo. Our opportimities to Itill, were enlarged. Within one hundred yards, every man must die. The British however were at hnme — they could easily drag their dead out of sight, and bear their wounded to tlie Hospital. It was tlu; reverse with us. ('aptain Prentis, who commanded the provost guards, would tell me of seven or eight killed, and fifteen or twenty wounded ; opposed to this, the sentries, (who wen? generally Irishmen, that guarded us with much simplicity, if not honesty,) frequently admitted of forty or fifty killed, and many more wounded. The latter assertions accorded with my opinion. The reasons for this belief are these : when the dead, on tho following (lays, were transported on the carioles which passed our halr*'ition for deposition in the '' dead house," we observed many iiodies, of whi( h nont! of us had any knowledge ; and again, when our wounded wer9 years of age. The Journal des Jesuites does not say that he was interred in the chapel, but it is easy to infer the fact from the two private masses said in presence of the body, and also because the entry of his burial does not appear in the parish register. Moreover, it is also the opinion of liev. Messrs. Laverdiere and Casgrain, as published in the Journal des Jesuites. On the 15th November, 1665, arrived at Quebec, coming from the Eichelieu Eiver, a vessel bringing the body of Father Fi"an§ois du Peron, who died on the 10th at Fort St. Louis (Chambly). The body was exposed in the Chapel of the Congregation, and 'on the 16th, after the service at which the Marquis de Tracy assisted, it was interred in the vault ot the chapel towards the confessional on the side of the street,' and Father le Mercier, who wrote the foregoing, adds that 'there remains room only for another body.' " From the preceding, it appears that three interments took place in the Jesuits' Chapel (the only ones mentioned in the Journal des Jisuites), and it is probable that the place remaining for only one more body was never filled. The remains of three bodies having been found, it seems to me therefore reasonable to conclude that \\\\: THE JESUITS' BARRACKS. 135 they are those of Bi other Liegeois and Fathers de Quen and du Peron. It is true only two skulls have been recovered, but it must be remembered that Brother Liegeois had his head chopped oft' and left upon the spot, as remarks the text, so that it is easy to conjecture that the Iroquois dragged his body further off", when it was found in a headless condition and thus buried. With re- spect to the site of the chapel, the text already cited relative to Father du Peron indicates sufficiently that it was alongside the street ; and a reference to the map of Quebc? in 1660 shows in fact the street skirting the Jesuits' property as it does to-day. Further, the excavations which, at the request of P^re Sachez, Dr. Larue and others, Hon. Mr. Joly, with a good will which cannot be too highly praised, has ordered to be made, have al- ready laid bare the foundations of a well outlined building upon the very site where tradition locates the chapel and where the bones have been found. "As it was stated at the time of the finding of the skeletons that one of them was supposed to be that of a nun of the Hotel Dieu, Mr. Bedard appliea to the authorities of that institution for information on the subject and received an answer fi'om the i-e- cords which conclusively proves that the nun in question was buried in the vault of the Jesuits' Church and not in their Chapel." Though a considerable sum had been granted to foster Jesuit establishments at Quebec by a young French noble- man, Rene de Rohault, son of the Marquis de Gramache, as early as 1626, it was on the 18th March, 1637, only, that the ground to build on, " twelve arpents of land, in the vicinity of Fort St. Louis" were granted to the Jesuit Fathers. In the early times, we find this famous seat of learning playing a prominent part in all public pageants ; its annual examinations and distribution of prizes called together the Mite of Quebec society. The leading pupils had, in poetry and in verse, congratulated Grovernor d'Argensonon his arrival in 1658. On the 2nd July, 1666, a public examination on logic brought out, with great advantage, two most promising youths, the famous Louis JoUiet, who later on joined Father Marquette in his dis- covery of the Mississippi, and a Three Rivers youth, Pierre de Francheville, who intended to enter Koly Orders. The learned Intendant Talon was an examiner ; he was re- II !!! H; \:\'\ m JTT^ IH ] Hi 136 PICTURESQUE QVKBEC. marked for the erudition his Latin questions displayed, Memory likes to revert to the times when the illustrious Bossuet was undergoing- his Latin examinations at Navarre, with the Great Conde as his examiner ; France's first sacred orator confronted by her most illustrious general. How many thrilling memories were recalled by this grim old structure V " Under its venerable roof, oft had met the pioneer missionaries of New France, the band of martyrs, the geographers, discoverers, savants and historians of this learned order : Dolbeau, de Quen, Druilletes, Daniel, da la Brosse, de Crepieul, de Carheil, Breboeuf, Lallemant, Jogues, de None, Raimbeault, Albanel, Chaumonot, Dablon, Menard, Le.Teune, Masse, Vimont, Ragueneau, Charlevoix,* and crowds of others." Here they assembled to receive from the Genjral of the Jesuits their orders, to compare notes, mayhap to discuss the news of the death or of the success of some of their indefatigable explorers of the great West ; how the " good word " had been fearlessly carried to the distant shores of Lake Huron, to the bayous and perfumed groves of Florida, or to the trackless and frozen regions of Hudson's Bay. Later on, when France had suppressed the order of the Jesuits, and when her lily banner had disappeared from our midst, the College and its grounds were appropriated to other uses — alas ! less congenial. The roll of the English drum and the sharp " word ol command" of a British adjutant or of his drill sergeant, for a century or more, resounded in the halls, in which Latin orisons were formerly sung ; and in the classic grounds and grassy court,! canopied by those stately oaks and elms, which our sires yet remember, to which the good Fathers retreated in sweet seclusion, to " say " their *Faucher de Saint Maurice. fA memorable Indian Council was held in the court of the Jesuits' College, on 3l8t August, 1666. TffE JESUITS' BARRACKS. 137 Breviaries and tell their beads, might have been heard the coarse joke of the guard room and coarser oath of the trooper. It had been claimed as a "magazine for the army con- tractor's provisions on 14th November, 1700." On the 4th June, 1765, His Excellency General James Murray had it surveyed and appropriated for quarters and barracks for the troops, excepting some apartments. The court and garden was used as a drill and parade ground until the departure of Albion's soldiers. Here was read on the 14th November, 1843, by Major-Cleneral Sir Jas. Hope's direction, the order of the day, at the morning parade, con- gratulating Major Bennet and the brave men of the 1st Royals, whom he was escorting to England in the ill-fated transport " Premier," on the discipline and good conduct manifested by them during the incredible perils they had escaped at Cape Chatte when the Premier was stranded. How singular, how sad to think that this loved, this glorious relic of the French r^^ime, entire even to the Jesuit College arms, carved in stone over its chief entrance, should have remained sacred and intact during the century of occupation by English soldiery — and that its destruction should have been decreed so soon as the British legions, by their departure, in 1871, had virtually handed it over to the French Province of Quebec ? The discovery of the 28th August, 1878, of human remains beneath the floor of this building — presumed to be those of some of the early missionaries — induced the authorities to institute a careful search during its demoli- tion. These bones and others exhumed on the 31st August, and on the Ist and 9th ^September, 1878, were pronounced by two members of the Faculty, Drs. Hubert Larue and Chas. E. Lemieux, both Professors of the Laval University, (who signed a certificate to that effect) to be the remains 'I i ; ! : i II I I ill 1 ■ 1 1 ,i 1 '■ 1 ; ! . il S| ' 1 1 1 - ] i ^ ' 1 I !: t : 1 i i :; ; : I ; 1 1 m I • r ^ L i 188 PrCTURESQUE QUEBEC. of three* persons of the male sex and of threef persons of the female sex. Some silver and copper coins were also found, which with these mouldering remains of humanity, were deposited under lock and key in a wooden box ; and in September, 1878, the whole was placed in a small but substantial stone structure, in the court of the Jesuit •Mr. Faucher de Saint Maurice iiaving been, in 1878, cliarged by the Premier, Hon. Mr. Joly, to watcli the excavations and note the discoveries, in a luminous report, sums up the whole case. From this document, among other things, we glean that the remains of the three persons of male sex are those of : 1. P6re Fran9oi8 du Peron, who died at Fort St. Louys (Chambly) 10th November, 1665, and was conveyed to Quebec for burial. 2. Pfere Jean de Quen, the discoverer of Lake St. John, who died at Quebec, on 8th October, 1659, from the effects of a fever contracted in attending on some of the passengers brought here that summer by the French ship " Saint Andre." 3. Fr^re Jean Liegeois, scalped 29th May, 1655, by the Agniers at Sillery — (the historian Ferland assigns as the probable spot, the land on which the late Lieutenant-Governor Caron built his mansion " Clermont," now occupied by Thomas Beckett, Esquire.) The remains of this missionary, when ex- cavated, were headless — which exactly agrees with the entry in the Jesuits^ Journal, May, 1655, which states that Jean Liegeois was scalped — his head cut off and left at Sillery, while his mutilated body, discovered the next day by the Algonquins, the allies of the French, was brought to Sillery, ^^probably the Jesuits' residence, the same solid old structure clo^e to the foundations of the Jesuits' chapel and monument at the foot of the Sillery Hill, which many here have seen), from whence it was conveyed to the Lower Town in a boat and escorted to the Jesuits' College, with the ceremonies of the R. C. Church. fThree Nuns of the Hotel-Dieu Convent, according to authorities quoted by Mr. Faucher, were buried in the vault (caveau) of the Jesuits' Chapel. The sisterhood had been allowed the use of a wing of the Jesuits' College, where they removed after the conflagration of the 7th June, 1755, which destroyed their hospital. 4. Mire Marie Marthe Desroches de Saint-Fran(;oi8-Xavier, a young woman of 28 years, who succumbed to small-pox on the 16th August, 1755. 5. Mire de I'Enfant-Jesus, who expired on the 12th May, 1756. 6. MireAe Saint-Monique, who died in July, 1756, the victim of her devo- tion in ministering to the decimated crew of the ship " Leopard," sunk in the port by order of Government to arrest the spread of the pestilential disease which had raged on the passage. Mr. Faucher closes his able report with a suggestion that a monument ought to be raised, to commemorate the labours and devotion of the Jesuits, on the denuded area on which stood their vener- able College. Relation de ce qui s'est passi lors des Fouilles faites par ordre du Oouvernement dans une partie des fondationt du CoLLioE dks JfiauiTKS de QuSbec, pricidie de cer- taines observations par Faucher db Saint Maurice. Quebec. C. Darveau — 1879. THE RJtcOLLET CONVENT. 189 Barracks, known as the " Regimental Magazine," pending their deHvery for permanent disposal to Rev. Pere Sachez, Superior of the Jesuits Order in Quebec. In May, 1879, on opening this magazine, it was found that the venerable bones, box and all had disappeared, the staple of the padlock on the door having been forced. By whom and for what purpose, the robbery ? THE RECOLLET CONVENT. Let us walk on, and view with the Professor's eyes the adjoining public edifice in 1749, the Recollet Convent, •' a spacious building," says Kalm, " two story high, with a large orchard and kitchen garden." It stood apparently on the south-eastern extremity of the area, on which the Anglican Cathedral was built in 1804, across what is now the southern prolongation of Treasury Street ; it is said its eastern end occupied a portion of the site now occupied by the old Place dArmes — now the Ring. Its church or chapel was, on 6th September, 1796, de- stroyed by fire ; two eye-witnesses of the conflagration, Philippe Aubert DeGraspe and Deputy-Commissary-G-eneral James Thompson, the first in his Memoires, the second in his unpublished Diary, have vividly portrayed the accident. " At the date ol the conflagration of the Recollets Church, 6th September, 1796, the bodies of those who had been interred there were taken up. The remains of persons of note, those among others of Count de Frontenac, were re-interred in the Cathedral (now the Basilica), it is said, under the floor of the Chapel N. D. of Pity. The leaden coffins, which, it appears, had been placed on iron barH in the Recollets Church, had been pai'tially melted by the fire. In Count de Frontenac's coffin was found a small leaden box, which contained the heart of that Governor. According to a tradition, handed down by Fr^re Louis, the heart of Count de Frontenac was, after his death, sent to his widow in France. But the haughty Countess refused to re- ceive it, saying that ' she did not want a dead heart, which when beating did not belong to her.' The casket containing the heart was sent back to Canada and replaced in the Count's coffin, where it was found after the fire." {Abbe H. B. Casgrain.) ' 3 I ■I i I I J I M ill \ '\l 1 f S ! i . 't tl''N! !i, m 140 PtCTVRESQVE QUEBEC. The Church faced the King and the old Chateau ; it formed part of the Recollet Convent, " a vast quadrangular building, with a court and well stocked orchard" on Q-arden Street; it was occasionally used as a state prison. The Huguenot and agitator, Pierre DuCalvet,* spent some dreary days in its cells in 1781-84 ; and during the summer of 1776, a young volunteer under Benedict Arnold, John Joseph Henry, (who lived to become a distinguished Pennsylvania Judge), was immured in this monastery, after his capture by the British, at the unsuccessful attack in Sault-au-Matelot Street, on the 31st December, 1775, as he graphically relates in his Memoirs. It was a monastery of the Order of Saint Francis. The Provincial, in 1793, a well-known, witty, jovial and eccentric per- sonage. Father Felix DeBerey, had more than once dined and wined His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the father of our gracious Sovereign, when stationed in our garrison in 1791-4, with his regiment, the 7th Fusiliers. The Recollet Church was also a sacred and last resting place for the illustrious dead. Of the six French Governors who expired at Quebec, four slept within its silent vaults, until the translation, in 1796, of their ashes to the vaults of the Basilica, viz : (1) Frontenac, (2) de Callieres, (3) Vau- dreuil, (4) de la Jonquiere.f Grovernor de Mesy had been • Pierre DuCalvet was sent under warrant of Gen. Haldimand, a prisoner on 29th September, 1780, on boaid the " Canceaux" He was then removed on 14th November, 1 780, to the Military prison in Quebec, where he remained until the 13th December, 1781, when the Provost Martial, Miles Prentice, placed him at the Franciscan convent, under the charge of Father DeBery, where he remained until the 2nd May, 1784. He followed Governor Haldimand who had sailed in the " Atalante" on the 26th November, 1784, to England, to sue him in an English Court of Justice for illegal arrest, and was lost at sea in the " Shelburne " on his return to Canada. fThe following inscription was on the cofiSn plate : (1) Count Frontenac — " Cy gyt le Haut et Puissant Seigneur, Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, Qouverneur-Gen6ral de la Nouvelie-France. Mort k Qu6bec, le 28 novembre 1698."— (//w<. of Canada, Smith, Vol. 1, P. 133.) (2) Gov. de Callieres. — "Cy gyst Haut et Puissant Seigneur. Hector de Callieres, Chevalier de Saint-Louis, Gouvemeur et Lieutenant-G6n§ral de la Nouvelie-France, d6c6d6 le 26 mai 1703."— (/Wd, P. 148.) THE PALACE. 141 buried in the Hotel-Dieu Cemetery, and the first Governor, de Champlain, it is generally believed, was interred near the Chateau Saint Louis, in a " sepulchre particulier," near the spot now surmounted by his bust, on which, in 1871, was erected the new Post Office. On the south-west side of the Chateau, on the site where stands M. A. Berthelot's old dwelling- on St. Louis Street, now owned by James Dunbar, Esq., Q.C., could be seen a building devoted to the administration of Justice, La Senechaussre (Seneschal's Jurisdiction), and which bore the name of " The Palace." It was doubtless there that, in 1664, the Supreme Council held its sessions. In 1665 it was assigned to the Marquis de Tracy, for a resid«Mice whilst in the colony. From the Place d'Arrnes, the higher road {Grande Allee) took its departure and led to Cap Rouge. On the right and left of this road, were several small lots of land given to certain persons for the purpose of being built upon. The Indian Fort was that entrench- ment of which we have spoken, which served as a last hiding place to the sad remains of the once powerful Huron nation, forming in all eighty four souls, in the year 1665. It had continued to be occupied by them up to the peace with the Iroquois. After the arrival of the troops, they took their departure in order to devote themselves to the cultivation of the lands. Besides the buildings of the Reverend Jesuit Fathers, those of the Ursulines (nuns), and those of the Hospital (3) Gov. de Vaudreuil. — " Cy gist Haut et Puissant Seigneur, Messire Philippe Rigaud, Marquis de Vsudreuil, Grande Croix de I'Ordre Militaire de Saint-Louis, Gouverneur et Lieuteuant-General de toute la Noiivelle-France, dec6dc lo dixi^me octobre 1725."— (/6irf., P. 190.) (4) M. de la Jonqui6re. — " Cy repose le corps de Messiro .Jaoijues-Pierre de Tattanel, Marquis de la .Tonquiere, Baron de Castlenau, Seigneur de Hardars- magnas et autres lieux, Commandeur de I'Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint- Louis, Chef d'Escadre des Arinees Navales, Gouverneur et Lieutenant-G6neral pour le Roy en tout la Nouvelle-France, terres et passes de la Louisiana. Decede tV Quebec, le 17 mai 1752, h. six heures-et-demie du soir, flge de 67 ana."— (/Wrf., P. 222.) 'I 142 PWTVREF!QVE QUEBEC. I I I: m % (Hotel Dieu), in the Upper Town, could be seen a house situated behind the altar part of the Parish Church, where dwelt Monseigneur de Laval. It was, prol)ably, what he called his Seminary, and whor»» he caused some youngr men to be educated, destined afterwards for the priesthood. It was at the Seminary the worthy prelate resided with his priests, to the number of eight, which, at that period, comprised all the secular clergy of Quebec. There, also, was the Church of Notre Dame, in the form of a Latin cross. =<<= Couillard Street calls up one of the most important per- sonages of the era of Champlain, Gruillaume Couillard, the ancestor of Madamt» Alexandre de Lery nie Couillard. It would fill a volume to retrace the historical incidents which attach themselves to " La Grande Place du Fort," which in the early part of the century was known as the " Grand Parade " before the Castle, and is now called the Ring. We have pointed out a goodly number in the first pages (10-16) of the "Album du Touriste." To what we have already said we shall add the following details : THE UNION HOTEL. It would appear that the site upon which the Union Hotel was built f (1805), and where previously stood the •Faillon, Vol III, p. 372. fThe laying of the coiner 8tone of this lofty building whose proportions niubt have seemed colossal to our fathers, was done with grand masonic honors on the 14th August, 1805, hy the Hon. Thos. Duun, President of the Province of Lower Canada, finil iidminiHtiator of the Government, assisted by William Holmes, Esq., M Free-Masons. Several ■ Amongst the mein r- Claude Pene< -iic, the architect i^^ 1 Cat rence and Jaii Oanaon delivered a spit . lid orati^ August, 1806. Hujusce Fori Municipmiti, Anglic^ Union Half, consulto erecti, Thomas Dunn Vir Honorabills Provincia; Prcetec Adstautibus et Curatioribn Hon. John Young Praese, Hon. John Ante Bogatore. md Master of Ancient and Accepted iirn were deposited under the stone. tiud the names of Joseph Bouchette, us Shaw, Thomas Place, David Monro, II, grand-lather of Messrs. Ed. J. Law- u- esi. cmed fellow-citizens ; Rev. Dr. Sparks to be found in the Quebec Mercury, of l7th ex Senatus provincialis I'ulitiaeque Administrator. ectis. tnel Comitiee Provincialis THE AMERICAN PRISONERS. 143 dwelling of Dr. I^ngmore, Staff' Medical Officer, now occu- pied by the offices of the Journal de Quebec^ Sfc.^ was owned by Governor D'Ailleboust, about the year IHoO. He had re- served to himself, on the 10th January, 1H4!^ the strip of ground comprised between Fort and Treasury Streets on the one side, and the streets Buade and Ste. Anne on the other side. At the corner of Treasury and Buade Streets, on the west, Jean Cote possessed a piece of ground {emplace- ment) which he presented as a dowry in 1649, to his daughter Simonne, who married Pierre Soumandre. The grounds of the Archbishop's Palace formed part of the field possessed by Couillard, whose house stood in the now existing garden of the Seminary, opposite the gate which faces the principal alley, the foundations of which were discovered and brought to light by the Abbe Laver- diere. in 1866. The Union Hotel was for years the meeting place of our festive ancestors, when the assembly balls brought together the Saxon and the Graul ; it also recalls warlike memories of 1812. THE AMERICAN PRISONERS. In looking over old fyles of our city journals, we find in the Quebec Mercury of 15th September, 1812, the following item : " On Friday, arrived here the detaiuod prisoners taken with Jonathan Sewell Armigero Cognitore Regio, John Painter et John Blackwood, Armigeris, PacJM Cuiatoribus ; Joseph Bouchette Armigero Mensorum Priiuipali, John Caldwell, Claude Den6chaud, John Coltman, John Tai/lor. Joserh PlarUe, Angus Shaw, Thomas Place et David Monro, de Quebec Armigeris, Nee non et multis Latomorum hujuH UibiH, quorum Wtlltam Holmes Armiger, M D fuit 8ummu8 Magister Deputatus, adjuvantibus, hunc primum Lapidem potiuit, dei XIV. Mensis Sextilis, Anno Salutis MDCCCV. Nummi quoque Regis Regnantis GEORGE III. iSuppositi sunt, Videlicet. Nummus Aureus Anglice Quinea, aureum etiam Dimidium ejus et Tridns ; Nummus argeuteus solidos quinque Angiicos valaus, solidus dimidium Bolidi, et qHarta pars ; nummus .£ranus denarios duos Angiicos valens ; denarius obolus ; et quadrans. Edward Cammon, Architectus. ii 1 \ 1 I " I 144 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Gen. Hull, at Detroit. The non-commissioned officers and pri- vates immediately embarked on board of transports in the har- bour, which are to serve as their jjrison. The commissioned officers were libei-ated on their parole. They passed Saturday morning at the Union Hotel, where they were the gazing-stock of the multitude, whilst they, no way abashed, presented a bold front to the public stare, puffed the smoke ot be held in readiness to march on active service early in the spring. 15th February, 1813. — Orders received to add 25 dismounted men to the Troop. Mdstek Roll. gUEBEC LIOHT CAVALRY, BELL'S TROOP. 1st March, 1813. Officers. Captain (Commandant) Matthew Bell. Lieutenant Edward Hale, Cornet W. G. Sheppard, Quarter- Master Benjamin Racy, (from the Ste. Marie, Nouvelle Beauce Battalion), attached to the Troop. N. C. Oficers. Sergeant Hammond Gowan,* Corporal Ciiarles Hall, " Wm. Henderson, " Wm. Sheppard, " Alex. Gowan,* "1. .. " G. Wilson, " James Heath, f^^^^^S- Trumpeter Thos. Pearson. Private". On the full establishment, furnishing horse, clothing, &c. : — • William Turner, John Stansfield, •James Capper, *Wm. Thomas, James McCallum, Robert Page, •John Patterson, John Connolly, John White, William Price, Peter Burnet, William Hoogs, John Dempster, •James Dick, J. G. Clapham, •John Campbell, James Henderson, George Chapman, Andrew Moire, George Co8,sar, 'James Black, James Oliver, *John McQuay, William Henderson, John Racy, Archibald Campbell, *Amos Priest, William Moore, James George, James McCallum, • David Robertson, Webb Robinson, John McCallum, James Whyte, Daniel Buckley, Frank Bell. Dismounted Party. Age. Ft. In. James Winton .'fO 5 10 •Frederick Retry 1 !) 5 10 • George Burns 19 fi 10 Henry Connolly I (! .0 1 o •Francis Martineuu Daniel Baker James Stewart 19 5 9 Frederick Wyse i!7 5 9 John Menzies 27 5 9 David Flynn 29 5 8J •William Graves 21 5 8 •Richard Burns 22 5 8 '"il •Reside in Upper Town. m^ is i I'l m ' (, '• h h\\\ il I 160 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Dismounted Party. Age. Ft. In. •James Loan 23 5 7 J Alexander Russell •William Parker •Charles Gethings 19 6 7 •Thomas Burney 21 5 7 John Chillas 'Id 5 7 George C. Ross 17 5 8 •Godfroi Langlois lio 5 10 George Patterson Peter Legget J. Dion t David Deuuy Wm. Hobb Troop Order, 1st Maich — Foot drills on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Riding House at 12 o'clock till further orders. 8th March — The Captain commanding desires that the following articles be provided as soon as possible by each person in the Troop, to enable him to comply with the General Orders of the Commander-in-Chief, dated 19th December last, viz : Helmet ; blue cloth forage cap ; black silk handkerchief or stock ; dress jacket, undress jacket (plain), plain linen jacket (stable) ; a pair of brown linen trowsers ; a pair of grey cloth overalls ; a pair of grey cloth or stockinett pantaloons ; a pair of half boots and spurs ; two flannel shirts ; two pair flannel drawers ; three pairs of stockings ; one pair of shoes ; one razor ; one knife ; one brush ; one curriecomb, brush and mane comb ; one linen haversack ; one linen nose-bag ; one linen bag for necessaries. The dismounted men may make their undress jacket of strong brown linen if they prefer it. Quarter-Master Racy will shew patterns and give any information that may be required. The Captain wishes the diffierent articles to be good and strong, but not of an expensive kind. 28th March — A detachment was ordered on service to Ste. Marie Nouvelle Beauce and St. Joseph, returning on the 3l8t under the command of Lieuten- ant Hale, consisting of two officers, two sergeants, one corporal, 18 privates; total, 23. At right anH-^s from Buade Street, oppof'^^e the wallf • Reside in UpiJ own. fA Monument of thk Oldkn Time. — Inserted in the wall enclosing the lot of ground between Buade street and the Basilica, about midway from the front entrance of the church, is to be seen a slab of very tine marble, bearing the following inscription. It is the only one in the plate : — " In memorv of Mary, wife of Thomas Ainslie, Esq., Collector of His Majesty's Customs of Quebec, who died March 14th, 1767, aged 25 years. If Virtues Charms had pow'r to save Her tiaithful votaries, from the grave ; With Beauty's ev'ry form supply'd The lovely Ainslie ne'er had died. RUE DU TK^SOR. 161 which surrounds St. Joseph Cemetery, enclosed between the Basilica and the street, there exists, since the earliest times, a short, narrow street — more properly a lane — Treasury Street. The French know it as Rue du Tr^sor, because under French rule, the Government Office, where public monies were paid out, stood in the vicinity. Until the departure of the English garrison and removal of the Commissariat Staff, in 1871, Treasury Street was one of the avenues which led contractors and others to the Royal Commissariat Department, at the east end of St. Louis Street. Here, for years, were dealt out lavishly either the old French or Spanish piastres during the war of 1812-14, the proceeds of the army bills, and later on, English sovereigns, guineas and doubloons, &c. The Commissariat office was situate facing the Ring, and after the departure of the British troops, about 1871, was used as the office and dwelling of the Deputy Adjutant General of Militia. The lot, which, with the garden in rear, reaches to Mount Carmel Street, had been bought by the Ordnance from Mr. Peter Brehaut in the early part of the century. Prince Edward had brought to Quebec from Gibraltar, in 1791, as his Secretary, Capt. John Hale, 2nd Queen's Regiment. Capt. Hale was th(i eldest son of Brevet Major John Hale,^ of the 47th, who served under General Wolfe at Quebec. Major J. Hale subsequently became General Hale. Capt. John Hale, after stopping at Quebec with the Prince, subsequently returned to Halifax with him. He was afterwards appointed by the Imperial authorities Deputy Paymaster General lo the Forces in Canada. He, it was, who owned the lot on which the Commissary- General's office stood. This occurred previous to 1812. •John Hale who died in 1842, had six sons : 1st, Edward, who died at at Quebec in May, 1874; 2nd, Jeffery Hale; 3rd, Miss Hale; 4th, Bernard Hale, now in England ; 5th, Kichard Hale, late 81st; 6th, William, late Capt. 62nd, who died at Ste. Anne, district of Three Rivers, about 1845 ; 7th, Mrs. Hotham; 8th, George Hale ; 9th, Miss Elizabeth Harriet Hale, who in 1838 married Commander John Orlebar, R. N. ( ,f m am ! f'i>T ' T •n II t IHif '. '■ 1 1 152 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. He sold the property to Peter Brehault, who had come out to Canada as an employe to John Muire, Esq. Mr. Brehault resold it to the Imperial Government, the Paymaster's Olhee beinjr merged into the Commissariat Office. The TJrsuline nuns have named, after their patron Saint, Ste. Ursule, the lirst street to the west, which inter- sects at right angles, St. Louis and Ste. Anne streets. Ste. Ursule and Ste. Anne streets and environs seem to have been specially appropriated by the disciples of Hippo- crates. Physicians'^ and surgeons there assuredly do con- gregate, viz. : Dr. .Tames Sewell, his son. Dr. Colin Sewell, Drs. Landry, Lemieux, Simard, Belleau, Russell, Russell, Jr., Grale, Ross, Baillargeon, Roy, Fortier, LaRue, Parke, Rowand, Henchey, Vallee, Marsden, Jackson — dis- tinguished physicians. Notwithstanding that it is the abode of so many eminent members of the Faculty, the locality is healthy ; nay, conducive to longevity. The streets Aylmer, Burton, Bagot, Craig, Carleton, *We are indebted to Professor H. LaRue, M.D., for the following notes relative to an address delivered by him at a dinner given by the Notaries Public in 1872 : — " The tirst physician who entered Quebec narrowly escaped being hung," says Dr. LaKue. " 1 .said that he had narrowly escaped the gallows ; had he been hung 1 would not say it. It occurred thus : — Champ- lain had just landed in the Lower Town and had laid the foundation of his abode, when some of his followers hatched a plot against his life. The scheme leaked out, the ring leader was arraigned, found guilty and hung ; so far as I know, this was the first execution which took place in Canada. Some how or other, Surgeon Bonnerme, one of Champlain's followers, was mixed up in the matter, imprisoned, but his innocence having shortly after been established, he was acquitted. Dr. Bonnerme died the following year (1609) at Quebec, of scurvy. If Bonnerme was the first physician who came to Quebec, he was not, lor all that, the first medical man who landed in New France ; another had preceded him : Louis Hebert, the lirst citizen of Quebec and of all Canada. Before Hebert's day the French who came to Quebec came there for no other object than barter, huntiiig and fishing ; none had thought of settling permanently there. Louis Hebert was the first proprietor in Quebec, the first land owner in Canada ; as such, liistorians recognize him as the first Citizen of Quebec — the Jirst Canadian : a surgeon, let ns bear in mind. Louis Hebert visited New France in 1606, two years before the foundation of Quebec. He spent the winter of 1600-7 — a merry one — at Port Royal, Acadia, in the company of Samuel de Champlain and Lescarbot. Les- carbot was the first lawyer who found his way to New France ; Lescarbot was the first historian of the country ; he was gifted with wit — a proclivity to mild satire ; each page of his history reveals the lawyer familiar with the h if Royal notaries. 153 Dorchester, Dalhousie, Haldimand, Hope, Metcalf, Murray, Prevost, Richmond, perpetuate the memory of thirteen English Governors, while four French Governors have left their names on as many thoroughfares — liuade, Champ- lain, d'Aillebout, Montmagny. Many of the luxurious dwellings on the Cape date back to 1840 or so ; this now aristocratic neighborhood, after the conquest and until 1830, was occupied by carters, old French market garden- ers and descendants of French artisans, ike. — such were the early tenants of Des Carriers, Mont Carmel, Sie. Gene- vieve, St, Denis, Des Grissons streets. — " Mais nous avons change lout re/ a.' A few years since, the Town Council, on motion of Councillor Ernest Gagnon, whose name is identified with our popular songs,^ disturbed the nomenclature of that part of D'Aiguillon street, extra muros, by substituting the name of " Charlevoix." To that section of iSt. Joseph street, intra muros, was conferred thenameof our respected historian, F. X. Garneau.f To St. Fran9ois street, the name Bar and its lively forensic display. The winter of 1606-7, at Port Royal, waa remarkable for good cheer ; appetising repasts, the product of the chase or of the sea, were the order of the Uay tc, that extent that, Lescarbot declared that Port Royal fare was as rfcherch''' an that of Rue aux Ours, in Paris— apparently the " Palais Royal " of the Prencli capital in those times. The third or fourth physician of New France was Robert Gift'ard, Seignior of Beauport, who aI.so was the first settler in tliat parish ; not only was Gitt'ard the first resident of Beauport, but, I have reason to believe, he was also the first settler — habitant — of the rural districts in Canada. Thus, the first citizen of ail Canada would appear to have been a physician ; thus, after Champlain the two founders of the colony would have been physicians. tJiffard's Lodge was situated on some portion of Col. Gugy's farm ; the leading families of Canada look to Gittard as one of their progenitois ; Archbishop Taschereau is one of his descendants. "Tlic first Royal Notary — NoUtire. Royal — of Canada was M. Audouard, whose first minute rests in tiie vaults of the l*rotl;onotary of (juebec. But two deeds at least had been executed before this first minuti\ The deed of />orta(;« of the Hebert family (1634), and the last will of Champlain (1635.) These two instruments were executed before Metres Duchaine and De la Ville, yrejjiers: the grelfiers were Nolaires also. Another fact worthy of note is that the first time a Notary's services were put in requisition was at the instance of the heirs of Hebert, the physician." — Morning Chronicle, 12th April, 1881. *CTansonsjBo;>M^aj>es c?M Cawatia, &c., par Ernest Gagnon, 1865. fThe father of French-Canadian history ; born in 1809, died in 1866. ^ ) f I I ■ 1 Ml If '> I III I mmmmmmmmmtmm wm*^ m ■ : .nJ iJIHMff 164 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. of the historian, Ferland, was awarded ; the historian, Kobert Christie,* has also his street. This met with general approval. " On ascending," says Abbe Faillon, " from the Lower to the Upper Town by a tortuous road, contrived betwixt the rocks, and on the right hand side, we reach the Cemetery.f This road, which terminated at the Parish Church, :j: divided itself into two, — on one side it led to the Jesuits (Jesuits' College) and to the Hospital (Hotel Dieu) ; •The tablet on his monument, in Mount Hermon Cemetery, bears the following inscription : — In Mbhort of Robkrt Christie, Esq. A native of Nova Scotia, he early adopted Canada as his country, and during a long life laithtully served her. In the War in 1812 as a Captain, 4th Batt., he defended her frontier ; in peace, during upwards of 30 years, he watched over her interests as member of Parliament for the County of Gaspe ; and in the retirement of his later years recorded her annals as her historian. lie died at Quebec on the 13th October, 1856, aged 68, leaving behind him the memory of a pure career and incorruptible ciiaracter. Integer oilee scelerisque purus. The iuscription, which we think worthy of commendation for the chaste- ness and conciseness of its style, is from the pen of (the late) J. B. Parkin, Esq., advocate, of this city ; the most lasting monument, however, of the honoured deceased is that which was the product of his own brain, his History oi Canada. This work is unfortunately incomplete, though the materials of a posthumous volume are still extant; but it is to be regretted that Mr. Christie's widow has been robbed, and that by the hand of no common thief, of some most important documents collected by and belonging to her late husband. — Quebec Mercury, 5th Nov , 1859. t Opposite to Mr. Narcisse Turcotte, jeweller, on Mountain Hill. X The Basilica Minor, or Bomau Catholic Parish Church, built in 1647, re- stored after the siege of 1759, was consecrated by Bishop Laval on the 18th July, 1666, under the name of the Church of the Immaculate Concep- tion. It is the oldest church in North America. Its length is 216 feet by 108 in breadth, and is capable of containing a congregation of 4,000 persons. >' It originated in a gift, in 1 644, on the part of Couillard and tiuillemette Hebert, his wife, of 80 perches of land in superficies, for a parish church, on condition on the part of the Fabrique, or church authorities, that they would furnish a pew in perpetuity in said church for them and their successors, on their paying them a sum of 30 livres, tournois, at each mutation. The Church was begun in 1644 and 1645, on this spot, out of collections made in the years 1643 and 1644 together, until the price for wrhich were sold 1,270 beaver skins — worth about 8,000 livres — was given by the Quebec merchants. The partners of the India Company piesiuted the church with a btll.'' — Miitoire abregee de PEglise de Quebec. ST. JOHN STREET. 155 and on the other, to the Indian Forf*^ and to the Castle of Saint Louis. The Castle and King's Fort, guarded by soldiers night and day, under the orders of the Governor, was of an irregular shape, Hanked by bastions, ibrtilied by pieces of artillery, and contained in its interior several suites of apartments separated one from the other. At the distance of about forty toises (240 feet) i'rom the Castle was seen, on the south side, a small garden, fenced in, for the use of the Governor, and in front, towards the west, was the Place d'Armes (now the Ring), in the form of a tra- pezium." St. John street, for years without a rival as chief commercial thoroughfare for retail trade in dry goods, sees its former busy aspect daily fleeting since the inva- sion of that bitter foe to wheeled vehicles — the street rail- way. Its glory is departing : the mercer's showy counter and shelves are gradually replaced by vegetable and fruit stores. Stately shops on Desfosses, Crown and Craig streets are rapidly diverting the Pacto/us of the city custom north- wards. In the dark ages of the Ancient Capital, when this lengthy, narrow lane was studded with one-story wooden or stone tenements. Old Sol occasionally loved to look down and gladden with his rays its miry footpaths. To our worthy grandfathers 'twas a favorite rendezvous — the via sacra — the Regent street — the Boulevard des Ital- iens — where the beau monde congregated at 4 P.M., sharp ; where the merry jingle of the tandem grelots invaded the frosty air in January ; where the freshest toilettes, the daintiest bonnets — those "ducks of bonnets" invented fifty years ago by Mrs. T =^ =* d — ensnared admirers ; where marten or " silver fox " muffs of portentous size — * The Indian Fort (^Fort des Huronn) was built to protect tlu' unfortunate Hurons who, after the butchery of 1648-49, had sought refuge at (Juebec. It is conspicuous on an old plan of Quebec of 1660, republished by Abbe Faillon. It stood on the northern slope of DuU'erin Terrace, on the side to the east of the present Post Office, south-east of the Roman Catholic Parish Church. % i| (f i' I ! J' if I (0 1 150 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. all the vai^e then — kept warm and coursing the stream of lite in tiny, taper hands, (-old, alas! now in Death's piti- less grasp ; where th(» old millionnaire, George I'ozer, chinked his English guineas or i)iled up in his desk his army bills. Alas ! Jean Bourdon, the pioneer oi" our land surveyors, you, who, more than two centuries ago, left your name to ihis vaunted locality — your street as well as your name are getting to be things of the i>as< ! Shall we bid adieu to this oft travi'Ued over thoroughfare without deigning a parting glan(;e, as we saunter on, at that low, old-fashioned house, No. 84, on the north side ot the street, where, for a quarter of a century and more, Monsieur Charles Plamel's book and church ornament emporium held its own against all the other book stores ? It is now occu- pied as a dwelling and a notarial office by an ex-Mayor and late member for the city, P- A. Tourangeau, Esq., N.P. Vividly, indeed, can we recall the busy aspect of its former counter, studded with gilt madonnas, rosaries, some in brass mountings, variegated Job beads for the million ; others set in ebony and silver for rich devotes, flanked with wax tapers, sparkling church ornaments, bronze crucifixes — backed with shelves of books bearing, some, the visa of Monseigneur de Tours — the latter for the faithful ; others in an inner room, without the visa — these for city litterateurs ; whilst in a shady corner-cupboard, imported to order — sometimes without order — stood a row of short- necked but robust bottles, labelled " Grande Chartreuse " and " Benedictine,'^ for the especial delectation of a few Quebec Brillat-Savarins — the (Gourmets ! Monsieur Hamel, a sly, courteous, devout old bachelor, had a honied word, a holy, upturned glance, a jaunty welcome for all and every one of his numerous " devotes " or fashionable pratiques. A small fortune was the result of the attention to business, thrift and correct calcula- tions of this pink of French politeness. Monsieur Chas. Hamel, honoured by his familiars with the sobriquet "Lily " LE CLUB DBS ANCIENS: 157 Hamel," possibly because his urbanity was more than masculine, in t'iut, quit*' lady-like — \\wcrrme de la crente of commev«ial sunvity. This stand, rre<|ucnted l)y (he (Quebec g-entry IVoni 1S40 to iHlir), had gradually become a, lavourite stopping' place, a kind oi" hall-way hous*', when' many aged valetudinarians tarried a lew minutes to gossip with friends equally aged, homt^ward bound, on briglit winter aflernoons, direct from their daily "constihiHoii.r' walk, as far as the turnpike on »St. .lohn's road, i'lofossor Hubert Larue=^ will introduce us to some of the habitiiei of this little club, which he styles Le Club des Auriens, a venerable brotherhood uniting choice s])irit.< nnong city litterateurs, antiquarians, superannuated Militia oliicers, retired merchants: Messrs. Henry Forsyth, Long John Eraser, Lieut.-Colonel Benjamin LeMoine, F. X. Garneau, Gr. B. Faribault, P. A. De Gaspe, Commissary-General Jas. Thompson, Major Lalleur, Chs. Pinguet, the valiant Captain of the City Watch in 1887. The junior members counted from fifty to sixty summers ; their seniors had braved some sixty or sciventy w^inters. After discussing the new^s of the day, local antiquities and improvements, there were certain topics, which possessed the secret of being to them eternally young, irresistibly attractive : the thrilling era of Colonel He Salaberry and General Sir Isaac Brock ; the Canadian Voltigeurs,^ the American War of 1812-14, where 'Voyage Sentimental — LaRue, page y6. t '• The VoLTiGKL'us, 1812. — This corps, now lormiiiimnder the comnifind of Major Du Salaberry, is coiupleting with a duspiitch worthy of tlie ainient war- like spirit of the country. Capt. PerraiiltK company whs tilled up in 48 hours, and was yesterday passed by His Excellency the Governor ; and the companies of Captains Duchesnay, Panel and L'Ecuyer have nearly tlieir complement The young men move in solid columns towards the ejilisting officers, with an expression of countenance not to be ndstaken. The Cana- dians are awakening from the rept)se of an age secured to them liy good government and virtuous habits. Their aniji'r is fresh, the object of their preparations simple and distinct. They are to defend their King, known to them only by acts of kindness and a native country, long since made sacred by the exploits of their forefathers." — (Prom the Montreal Canadian Courant, 4th May, 1812.) Does the sacred fire still burn as bright? We hope so. h. ■ii> ' ; 1^ 11' ] i ( i i 1 '■ n ill ■l 1 i i -i 1 ! ( i lil'^ Mil 158 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. a few of these veterans had clanked their sabres and sported their epaulettes, &c. With the exception of an esteemed and aged Quebec merchant, Long John Fraser, all now sleep the long- sleep, under the green sward and leafy shades of Mount Hermon or Belmont cemeteries, or in the moist vaults of some city monastery. On revisiting lately these once famous haunts of our forefathers, the new proprietor, ex-Mayor Tourangeau, courteously exhibited to us thi^ antiques of this heavy walled tenement, dating back possibly to the French regime, perhaps the second oldest house in St. John street. In a freshly painted room, on the first story, in the east end, hung two ancient oil paintings, executed years ago by a well-remembered artist, Jos. Ijegare, for the owners, two octogenarian inmates — his friends, Messrs. Michel and C'harles Jourdain, architects and builders. They were charged some seventy years ago with the construction of the District Court House (burnt in 1872) and City Jail (now the Morrin College.) Messrs. Jourdain had emigrated to Canada after the French Revolution of 1789. They had a holy horror of the guillotine, though, like others of the literati of Quebec in former days, they were well acquainted with the doctrines and works of Voltaire, Diderot, and d' Alembei't. One of the Jourdains, judging from his portrait, must have been a shrewd, observant man. liater on, the old tenement had sheltered the librarian of the Legislative Council, Monsieur Jourdain — a son — quite a mvant in his waj^, and whose remains were escorted lo their last rest- ing place by the elite of the Canadian population. It is a mistake to think that culture and education were unknown in those early times ; in some instances the love of books prevailed to that degree that, in severa' French-Canadian families, manuscript copies then made at Quebec exist to this day, of the Latin and French classics from the ditficulty of procuring books ; there being little intercourse then with I'aris book-stores, in fact, no importations of books. Among i LE CRUCIFIX OUTRAGE- 159 many quaint relics of the distant days of the Messrs. Jouidain and of their successor, Monsieur Audiverti dit Romain, we saw a most curiously inlaid Marqueterie table, dating, we might be tempted to assert, from the pre- historic era! Innumerable are the quaint, pious or historical souvenirs, mantling like green and graceful ivy, the lofty, fortified area, which comprises the Upper Town of this ■' walled city of the North." An incident of our early times — the outraged Crucifix of the Hotel Dieu Convent,=^ and the Military Warrant, appropriating to urgent military wants, the revered seat of learning, the Jesuits' College, naturally claim a plac^e in these pages. The Morning Chronicle will furnish us condensed accounts, which we will try and complete : — LE CRUCIFIX OUTUAGE. " An interesting episode in the history of Canada (hiring the last century attaches to a relic in the possession of the Reverend Ladies of the Hotel Dieu, or, more properly, " the Hospital of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ," of which the following is a synopsis taken from I'Abbo H. G. Casgrain's history of the institution : — " On the 5th October, 1*742, it was made known that a soldier in the garrison in Montreal, named llavard de Beaufort, pro- fessed to bo a (sorcerer, and, in furtherance of his wicked preten- sions, had profiined sacred objects. He had taken a crucitix. and having besmoamd it with some inflammable substance — traces of which are still to be seen upon it — had exposed it to the flames, whilst ho at the same time recited certain passages of the Holy Scripture. The sacrilege had taken place in the house of one Charles Robidoux. at Montreal. Public indignation at this pro- fanation of the sacred symbol and of the Scripture was intense; the culprit was arrested, tried and convict<';! of ' Qi'Kbbc Past and .■ I 160 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Ill Hi li things " (^Profanateur des choses saintes), in front of the parish church in Montreal, and being placed on his knees, he made the amende honornble to (Jod, to the King and to Ju.stice, and declared in a loud and intelligible voice that ho had rashly and wickedly desecrated the sacred image of Jesus Christ, and had profaned the words of Holy Scripture. He was then brought to all the cross-roads of the town, where he was scourged by the public exeeutio'ier, and afterwards lodged in prison to await the sailing of the vessel which wis to convey him to France, where he was to undergo the remainder of his sentence. The Bishop of Quebec, (whose vast diocese then included all of North America) imme- diately wrote a letter to Montreal, iiiviting the people to make rejiaration by jienances and public prayers foi- the outrage com- mitted, and ordering a public procession from the j>arisli church to that of JMotre Dame do Bonsecours, where the veneration of the cross took place. H( ;hen obtained the crucitix from the magistrates, and forwardi;d it to the I'cverend ladies of the Hotel Dieu in Quebec, accompanied b}' a letter in which he directed that it should be placed in their chapel, and that on a certain day the veneration of it should be made in reparation of the insult ottered the Saviour of the world in his sacred image on the cross. The nuns placed it in a reliquary, and to this day it occupies a prominent position on the high altar. In virtue of a brief of His Holiness the Pope, dated the 15th December, 1782, a plenary indulgence w^as granted to any one who. having I'ultilled the usual conditions, should visit the Hotel Dieu chapel on the first Friday in March cf each year. By an indult of the Supreme Pontiff, dated 21st March, 1802, this indulgence was transferred to the first Friday of October, when the veneration of the i-elic takes place annually. The cross is of some sort of dark wood, about five or six inches long, bearing a brass figure of our Saviour, with the inscription I. N. R. 1. (Jesus Nazarene Rex Judiwrum) overhead and the skull and cross-bones beneath. Attached to it is the certificate of authen- ticity and the seal of the Bishop, Monseigneur de Ponfbriand. In accordance with this ai"rangement, public service was held in the chapel of the hospital yesterday. The crucifix, enclosed in a goi'geous reliquary and surrounded with a number of lighted tapers, flowers and other ornaments, was placed on one of the lateral altars. )h'mn mass was sung at eight oVlock by the liev. Mr. Eheaume, of the Seminai'v, the musical portion being rendered in a most impressive manner by the reverend mothers, to organ accompaniment. In the afleni. >n, at two o'clock, solemn ves])ers weie chanted by the community, ai'U'i- which an eloquent and impj-ossivo sermon was ])reached by liav. l^'ather Lepinto, S.J., tbllowed by the benediction of the Blessed Sacra- ment, which was given by Rev. Mi'. Fraser, of the Seminary, who luid previously read a solemn form of "Reparation " in the THE JESUITS' BARRACKS. 161 name of all present, and in which all joined. The Tantum Ergo and other hymns were sunc: by the nuns, and after the chanting of the CXVr. Psalm, the relio was venerated, each one devoutly kissing it, during which the choir of nuns sang the Crux fidelis. Altogether the ceremony was a very impressive one, as was evi- denced by the solemn, subdued manner of the large congregation assembled — {Mornmg Chronicle, 2nd Oct., 1880.) M D lif: THE JESUITS' BARRACKS. "Ac the present moment, in 1871, when, it is said, the Jesuits' Barrack is on the eve of being returned to the Quebec authori- ties, our readers will no doubt be pleased to learn how and when this valuable property came into the possession of the Military Government. We are indebted to J. M. LeMoine, Esq., Presi- dent of the Literary and Historical Society, for a copy of the ukase of Governor Murray converting the old College of the Jesuits, on the Upper Town Market Place, into a barrack, which it has remained ever since. It is extracted from some rare old manuscripts belonging to that institution. The orthographical mistakes exist in the original, and we have allowed them to re- appeai" : — By His Excellency the Hon. James Murray, Esq., Capt, General and Governor-in-Cliief of the Province of Quebec and the terri- tories thereupon depending in America, Vice-Admiral of the same, Major-General of His Majesty's Forces, and Colonel Com- mandant of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal American Regiment of Foot, &c., &c., &c. To Captain James Mitchelson, Captain William Martin, Lieut. Smith, Messieurs Amiot, Boisseau and Moore : Whereas it appears to mo that proper Quarters and Barracks are much Avanted for the officers and troops in this garrison, and it being apprehended that the Jesuits' College may be fitted up for that purpose — You are hereby authorized and impowered to survey the same, calling to your assistance such number of tradesmen as you may judge necessaiy, in which survey, regard is to be had to a sufficient number of Fire Places and Chimneys, to ascertain with precision the numbor of officers and private soldiers the said College will contain, and to make an estimate of the ex'ponse that will attend the repairs thereof And whei-eas the Conrructors' provisions are at ])resent lodged in the said col- lege, othei' magazines should be found to k)dge the same. You are therefore lurther impowered to ins])ect and survey that building knc/wn by the name of the Intoiulant's Palace, and to ascertain also the charges that will attend the tiffing up the same to contain th<3 quantity of six thousand barrels, reporting I I 'A 162 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. i: , ! to me on the back hereof your proceedings upon the warrant, which shall bo to you and every of you sufficient authority. Given under my hand and seal at Quebec, this 4th day of June, 1*765. (sd) Jas. Murray. By His Plxcellency's command. (Coun- ters'd,) J. GoLDFRAP, D. Sectry. General Arnold's soldiers having during the winter of IT'ZS established themselves in and near the French Intendant's Palace, facing the St. Charles, Governor Carleton decided to sacrifice the stately pile of buildings in order to dislodge the enemy. A lively fire was in consequence opened from the guns on the ram- parts, near Palace Gate, and the magnificent structure was soon riddled with shot. It stood in rear of Vallierc's furniture factory and Boswell's brewery. Thus was acquired the .Tesuits' Barrack, and thus perished the Intendant's Palace." — {Chronicle, 21th Dec, 18*71.) D'Auteuil street, bounded to the west by an open space — the Esplanade — lined on one side by shade trees, on the other by the verdant slopes of the glacis and city walls, deserves a passing- notice. Bonchette describes it thus : — "The Esplanade, between vSt. Louis and St. John's Grate, has a length of 273 yards, by an average breadth of 80, except at the Ste. Ursula bastion, where it is 120 yards. It is tolerably level, in some places presenting a surface of bare rock. This is the usual place of parade for the troops of the garrison, from whence every morning in summer the different guards of the town are mounted ; in winter the Jesuits' Barracks drill ground is generally used for parades. The musters and annual reviews of the militia belonging to the city are held there. "^ The Esplanade is still used as a parade gi-ound, if not by our city militia by our provincial troops. Right well can we recall the manly form of the Commander of the " B " Battery, Lieut.-Colonel T. B. Strange, bestriding a noble charger, putting his splendid, though not numerous corps, through their drill on the Esplanade. We have also some- times caught sight there of our gay Volunteers. Occa- sionally these grounds are used by the divers lacrosse •Bouchette's British Dominione in North America, 1832, p. 254. THE GARRISON IN OLDEN TIMES. \m clubs for their athletic games — the doyen of our city litterateurs, the Hon. V. J. 0. Chauvean, in a j^raphic portraiture of the " Quebec of the Past," has most feelingly retraced the A'anished glories, the military pageants, the practical jokers, the City Watch, the social gatherings, which his youthful eyes witnessed of yore on the Esplanade and on Durham Terrace. We hare attempted to render in English a striking chapter of this sparkling effusion : — OLDEN TIMES IN THE ANCIENT CAPITAL. " There Ih not only the quaint, city of Chrimplain — of Montma.cjny — of Frontenac — of Bishop Laval — of Governor dc Vaiulreuil and Montcalnn — of Lord Dorchester and Colonel Dambour^es — that is rapidly fadins; away; thert- is not merely the £^rim fort- ress of the French rirjime., the oity of early En,<:::lish rnle, dis- appearing piecemeal in the dissolvini?^ shadows of the past. A much more modern town — newer even than that so ii;raphically pictured by our old friend Monsieur de Gaspe — the Quehec ol Our boyhood — of our youth — the Quebec embalmed in the haunted chambers of memory prior to 1837 — it also each day seems retreating — crumbling — evanescing. Where are those dashing I'egiments which every Sunday at 4 p.m. (we were not such Puritans then as now) paraded in the open space facing the Esplanade Avails, under the approving eye of the beauty and fashion of all Quebec, assembled from outside {.\nd from inside of the walls — the men proud of their bottle- i^reen or dark-blue coats and white duck pants — all the vo the softer sex and Juveniles were apparelled in the gayest of toilettes — brightest of colors — loudest of contrasts : white — pink — green! How densely packed, our Esplanade! Little boys and girls crowding in every corner of the lovely precipitous lawn which, amphitheatro-liko, stretches down — a hanging garden of verdure and beauty. The splendid regimetital bands of music, the gaudily uniformed staff officers curvetting on their chargers, with nodding plumes and heavy, ijjlitteiMnfr epau- lettes (alas ! the navy now seems to have monopolised the u^old lace for their shoulder-straps), and those irresistible sappers with their bushy beards heading the pac;eant, and those incomparable drum-majors, who could flini!; high in the air their batons, and catch them so i;-racefully in their descent. IIow their ^-littering coats did enrapture the crowd! All these wondrous sights of our youth, where will we now find them? The mounting guard, the Grand Rounds at noon, when one of the regimental bands (there were here nearly always two, and ( ^ ■!l II r I ' I fWJ^ n 164 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. .|M an honorable rivalry existed between them) struck up a martial strain, whiLst every sentry in the city was relieved. What a treat this was to every one, without forgetting the Seminary Externes (pupils), with their blue coats and sashes of green or of variegated tints. More than one of those lithesome j-ouths came to grief for having rushed away from the Grwius ad Parnasmm to those Elysian Fields, ostensibly to hear the band — poss'bly to cast a sly glance at " sweet sixteen " chatting with the Militaires off duty. Here, too, was the spot where amateurs came to hear new pieces of music — the latest from London. Durham Terrace was the favoured locality from whence the new waltz — the fashion- able march — the latest ojyerti — wa^ launched into city existence ; frona thence it found its wa^' to the salons of the wealthy : such the history of Di tanti palpiti and other sweet emanations of great masters. Where, now, are those squads of jolly tars, in navy blue, irre- pressible in their humors when on shore, far fi'om the quarter- decks of the trim frigates anchored under Cape Diamond : upsetting the cake-stands, the spruce beer kegs — helping open- handed to the contents the saucy street urchins, or handing round, amidst the startled waj'farers, pyramids of hor^ e cakes, trays of barley-sugar and ])eppermints, lil" real princes dis- pensing the coin of the realm. Where are those noisy gangs of swaggering i-aftsmen — those voyageurs from the pays d'en haut, with their glittering costumes — hats festooned with red or blue ribbons, sashes of variegated colors, barred shirts — tightly wedged, three by three, in caleches, like Neapolitans — patrolling the streets — interlarding a French song occasionally with an oaih, tolerably profane — at all times to be met, whether in the light of day or the still hours of night. No ])olico in those halcyon days ; but, with the thickening shades of evening issued forth that venerable brotherhood, the City Watch. The watch, did we say? Where are now these dreamy wan- derers of the night, carolling forth, like the muezzin in Eastern cities, their hourly calls, '• All's well !' I me night!" Bad weather !" as the case might be — equally ready with their rattles to sound tne dread alarm of ^re, or with their long batons to cap- ture belated midnight brawlers, that is, when the}' saw they had a good chance of escaping captui-e themselves. Their most for- midable foes were not the thieves, but the gay Lotharios and high-feu swells of the time, returning IVom late dinners, and who made it a duty, nay, a crowning gkny, to thrash the Watch! Where now are those practical jokers who made colh'itions of door-ki'ockers (the house-bell was not then known), exchanged sign-boirds from shop-doors, played uncoiiscionablo tricks on the simple-minded per. -W r f 'i t ! ■ 1 I H, 1 l1 !! 1. 1 .1) 1) 'H .•A . ! ' 1, L Am 168 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Ii|s t . I through expansion. The mountain tops, wood-crowned, where the light and shadow appeared to be struggling for mastery, stood out in relief from the white plain, and stretching away in indistinct, dreamy distances finally seemed to blend with the painted skies. The ice-covered bay was lit up with glowing shades, in contrast with the deep blue of the clear water beyond ; from which the island rose, and into which the point jutted with grand pioturesqueness ; the light played through the frost- adorned, but still sombre pines, and spread out over deserted fields. Levis and the south shore received not so much of the illumination, and the grimness of the Citadel served as a contrast and a relief to the eye bewildered with the unaccustomed grandeur. But as the sun sank deeper behind the eternal hills, shadows began to iall, and the bright colours toned down to the grey of dusk ; stars shone out, the grey was chased away, and the azure, diamond-dotted skies told not of the glory of sunset which had so shortly before suffused them." — {Morninu. Chronicle.) We have just seen described the incomparable pano- rama which a winter sunset disclosed from the lofty promenade, to which the Earl of Dufferin has bequeathed his name. Let us now accompany one of our genial summer butterflies, fluttering through the mazes of old Stadacona escorting a bride; let us listen to "W. D. Howells in the Wedding Journey. " Nothing, I think, more enforces the illusion of Southern Europe in Quebec than the Sunday-night promenading on the Durham (now Dufferin) Terrace. This is the ample span on the brow of the cliff" to the left of the Citadel, the noblest and most commanding position in the whole city, which was formerly occupied by the old Castle of St. Louis, where dwelt the brave Count Frontenac and his splendid suc- cessors of the French resrivie. The castle went the way of Quebec by tire some forty years ago (23rd January. 1834), THK TERRACE PROMENADE. 1(39 and Lord Durham levelled the site and made it a public promenade. A stately arcade oi" solid masonry supports it on the brink of the rock, and an iron parapet incloses it ; there are a few seats to lounge upon, and som«^ idl" old guns for the children to clamber over and play with. A soft twilight had followed the day, and there was just enough obscurity to hide from a willing eye the Northern and New World facts of the scene, and to leave in more romantic relief the citadel dark against the mellow evening, and the people gossiping from window to window across the narrow streets of the Lower Town. The Terrace itself was densely thronged, and there was a constant coming and going of the promenaders, and each formally paced back and forth upon the planking for a certain time, and then went quietly home, giving place to new arrivals. They were nearly all French, and they were not generally, it seemed, of the first fashion, but rather of middling con- dition in life ; the English being represented only by a few young fellows, and now and then a red-faced old gentle- man with an Indian scarf trailing from his hat. There were some fair American costumes and faces in the crowd, but it was essentially Quebecian. The young girls walking in pairs, or with their lovers, had the true touch of pro- vincial unstylishness, the young men had the ineffectual excess of the second-rate Latin dandy, the elder the rude inelegance of a bourg'eoisie in them ; but a few better- figured avocats or notaires (their profession was as unmis- takable as if they carried their well-polished door-plates upon their breasts), walked and gravely talked with each other. The non-American character of the scene was not less vividly marked in the fact, that each person dressed according to his own taste, and frankly indulged private shapes and colours. One of the promenaders was in white, even to his canvas shoes ; another, with yet bolder individuality, appeared in perfect purple. It had a strange, almost portentous effect when these two startling figures !■ I i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 2.2 2.0 in 14 III 1.6 '^. o 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation V <^ ^ <> tV <> O^ ^1> <^ ■J *. 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ) ^ €^ <> w nn =!!) 170 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. met as friends and joined with each other in the promen- ade with united arms ; but the evening was beginning to darken round them, and presently the purple comrade was merely a sombre shadow beside the glimmering white. The valleys and the heights now vanished; but the river defined itself by the varicolored light of the ships and steamers that lay, dark, motionless hulks upon its broad breast ; the lights of Point Levis swarmed upon the other shore ; the Lower Town, two hundred feet below them, stretched an alluring mystery of clustering roofs and lamp-lit windows, and dark and shining streets around the mighty rock, mural-crowned. Suddenly a spectacle peculiarly Northern and characteristic of Quebec revealed itself ; a long arch brightened over the northern horizon ; the tremulous flames of the aurora, pallid violet or faintly tinged with crimson, shot upward from it, and played with a vivid apparition and evanescence to the zenith. Whilo the stranger looked, a gun boomed from the Citadel, and the wild, sweet notes of the bugle sprang out upon the silence." a THE LOWER TOWN. On bidding adieu to the lofty plateau which constitutes the Upper Town, on our way to an antiquarian ramble in the narrow, dusty, or muddy thoroughfares of the Lower (as it was formerly styled) the Low Town, we shall cast a glance, a glance only, at the facade of the City Post Office, on the site of which, until razed in 1871, stood that legendary, haunted old house, "Le Chien d'Or." Having fally described it elsewhere,'i<= let us hurry on, merely looking up as we pass, to the gilt tablet and inscription and its golden dog, gnawing his bone, pretty much as he * " Le Chieu d'Or— thtt Hintory of aD Old House."— Mafle Lkaves, 1873, p. 89, LE CBIEN D'OR. 171 appeared one hundred and twenty-two years ago, to Capt. John Knox, of the 43rd Regt., on his entering Quebec, after its capitulation on the 18th September, 1759. History has indeed shed very little light on the Golden Dog and its inscription since that date, but romance has seized hold of him, and Kirby, Marmette, Soulard and others have enshrined both with the halo of their imagination. In 1871 the corner stone of the " Chien d'Or " was unearthed ; a leaden plate disclosed the following inscription : — " NICOLAS lAQUIN Dit PHILIBER, i/'a itose u 2e Aomt, 1735." We clip the following from Knox's Jotjrnal of the siege of Quebec in 1759, at which he was both an actor 2C^\ Ml eve-witness: — "Ou . J right of the descent, leading to the low town, standa a stately old house, said to be the first built of stone in this city (Quebec), and over the front door of it is engraved a dog gnaw- ing a large, fleshy bone, which he has got under and between his fore-feet, with the following whimsical inscription : — •' Je suis le chien qui longe I'os, Sans en perdre im seul morceau ; Le temp viendra, qui n'est pas venu, Je mordrai celui, qui m'aura mordO.'' " The true meaning of this device I never could learn, though I made all possible inquiries, without being gratified with the least information respecting its allusion. I hove been informed that the first proprietor of the house was a man of great natural abilities, and possessed a plentiful fortune, which he, after many disappointments and losses in trade, had sci-apcd together by means of the most indefatigable industry. Now, whether the foregoing device had any reference to these particulars of his own private affairs, or that we may rather suppose the bone with flesh on it to resemble Canada, and the dog an emblem of fidelity, to represent the French settled there as if determined faithfully to defend that colony for their King and countxy against the savage natives, who may perhaps be alluded to by the two last lines of the inscription, I will not take upon me to determine, but submit it to the more penetrating capacity of the curious reader." — (Knox's Journal, Vol. II., p. 149.) li ■\ II w I it 1 ^ i 1 ' H 1 i ' 172 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. There are two ways of arriving at this El Dorado of com- merce : an easy, expeditious, and, it is believed a safe passage, originated by our enterprising fellow-townsman, W. A. Gr. Griffith, Esq. — the Terrace Elevator. The ascent or descent by the elevator occupies fifty seconds of time, at the moderate cost of three cents per head. The elevator, opened to the public on 10th February, 1880, was erected at a cost of about $30,000. Whether it is placed in the most suitable spot remains to be seen. THE ELEVATOR. " The elevator is worked by the weight of water ; this neces- sitates there always being a sufficient supply in the tank at the top of the incline, which is pumped by a 12-horoe-power steam pump from a large tank at the foot. The modus operandi is as follows : Suppose a person enters the carat the foot of the incline to be carried to the top, the bell-boy at once rings a bell to notify the brakesman to go ahead ; weight is required to bring the car and passenger from the foot to the top, and both cars being built on tanks with necessary valves for the entrance of the water from the upper tank and for the exit of the same water when it reaches the bottom of the track, which the large tank below receives, the brakesman proceeds to open one of the water valves and allows sufficient water to enter the car tank until it out- weighs the car and passengers at the foot ; the cars are now sup- posed to be in motion, with the bell-boy at the foot and brakes- man at the top of the incline, who duties are to watch that everything runs smoothly and that the track is clear of all obstructions. Nothing can happen inside the cars during the transit that is not noticed by the employes ; now let us sup- pose that while in motion one of the cables breaks, there is a second cable to take all the strain, which is never over five tons, and each cable will lift at least 30 tons, but should it happen by some extraordinary oversight that there existed flaws in the cables which had not been noticed, so that first one cable broke and then the second also broke, it would probably be thought that an accident must occur. No such catastrophe would hap- pen, because under the cars and out of sight there are two enor- mously strong chisels bolted to the iron tank, and running with- in half an inch of the trestle work ; immediately the strain is taken off the cables, or immediately the two cables break, the two chisels would enter the strong wooden beams that support the iron rails and hold the cars firmly in position. Finally, let MOUNTAIN HILL. 173 US suppose that these chisels also gave way, it must be said surely an accident is now inevitable ; but no, for at the top as well as at the foot of the track there are two air buffers, against which the cars strike on their ascent and descent. So nicely adjusted are they, and so ingeniously are thoy constructed, that although the cars may descend with groat force against these air buffers, the resistance being gradually developed as the air compresses, there will be but little, if any, extra shock. Should the brakes- man happen to bo absent from his post, we are informed by the Manager that no irregularities would occur in consequence, as a governor regulates the speed at which the cars are to go, and on their arrival the air buffers come into play and receive them. So well has the brakesman the cars under his control that at one stroke of the bell ho can stop them instantaneously wherever they may be on the track. The brakes are arranged in such a way that it would seem to be quite impossible for both of them to be out of order at the same time ; but even if they were, nothing could happen, as ths air buff'ers would check the force of any extra shock. It may bo thought that an enormous quantity of water must be used to work this machinery, seeing that there is a 6,000 gallon water-tank at the top of the incline and a 10,000 gallon tank at the root, but such is not the case ; the water which is pumped up from the lower to the upper tank returns again to the lowei" one, and so the same water is used over and over again ; indeed, the amount of water wasted is not nearly as much as is consumed by a private family. In coutirmation of this state- ment, only a half-inch tap is used to supply the tanks, and the Manager informs us that frequently for days together the tap is not turned on either at night or day." 11 How our worthy grandfathers would have shrugged their shoulders had such an innovation been mooted eighty years ago. The other mode of penetrating into the Lower Town is through that steep and tortuous hill — called Mountain Hill by the English, Cote de la Montague by the French. This is the hill which has re-echoed the tread of so many regiments, on which so many Grovernors, French and English, have, on divers occasions, heard themselves enthusiastically cheered by eager crowds ; the hill which Viceroys of France and of England, from the ostentatious Marquis de Tracy to the proud Earl ot Durham, ascended on their way to Government House, surrounded by their 'i 174 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. i 1 1 ! i; ■• ■ M \ \ H i i ' "1 ,1 '1 i ilLl brilliant staffs and saluted by cannon and with warlike flourish of trumpets ! In earlier times the military and religious display was blended with an aroma of literature and elaborate Indian oratory, combining prose and poetry. Francis Parkman will tell us of what took place on the arrival, on the 28th July, 1658, of the Viscount D'Argenson, the Governor of the colony : — " When Argenson arrived to assume the government, a curious greeting had awaited him. The Jesuits asked him to dine ; vespers followed the repast ; and then they conducted him to a hall where the boys of their school — disguised, one as the Genius of New France, one as the Genius of the Forest, and others as Indians of various friendly tribes — made him speeches by turn, in prose and in verse. First, Pierre du Quet, who played the Genius of New France, presented his Indian retinue to the Governor, in a complimentary harangue. Then four other boys, personating French colonists, made him four flattering addresses, in French verse. Charles Denis, dressed as a Huron, followed, bewailing the ruin of his people, and appealing to Argenson for aid. Jean Francois Bourdon, in the character of an Algonquin, next advanced on the platform, boasted his courage, and declared that he was ashamed to cry like the Huron. The Genius of the Forest now appeared, with a retinue of wild Indians from the interior, who, being unable to speak French, addressed the Governor in their native tongues, which the Genius proceeded to interpret. Two other boys in the character of prisoners just escaped from the Iroquois, then came forward imploring aid in piteous accents ; and in conclusion the whole troop of Indians from far and near laid their bows and arrows at the feet of Argenson, and hailed him as their chief. Besides these mock Indians, a crowd of genuine savages had gathered at Quebec to greet the new " Ononthio." On the next day — at his own cost, as he writes to a friend — he gave them a feast, consisting of seven large kettlesful of THE MARQUIS DE TRACY. 175 Indian corn, peas, prunes, stur«^eon, eels and fat, which they devoured, he says, after having first sung me a song, after their fashion." Probably one of the most gorgeous displays on record was that attending the arrival of the great Marquis of Tracy, in 1665. He came with a brilliant staff, a crowd of young nobles ; and accompanied by two hundred soldiers, to be followed by a thousand more of the dashing regiment of Carignan-Salieres. He sailed up the St. Lawrence, and on the 30th of .Tune, 1665, anchored in the basin of Quebec. The broad, white standard, blazoned with the arms of France, proclaimed the representative of royalty ; and Point Levi and Cape Diamond and the distant Cape Tour- mente roared back the sound of saluting cannon. All Quebec was on the ramparts or at the landing place, and all eyes were strained at the two vessels as they slowly emptied their crowded decks into the boats alongside. The boats at length drew near, and the Lieutenant-Greneral and his suite landed on the quay with a pomp such as Quebec had never seen before. Tracy was a veteran of sixty-two, portly and tall, "one of the largest men I ever saw," writes Mother Mary (Marie de rincarnation, but he was sallow with disease, for fever had seized him, and it had fared ill with him on the long voyage. The Chevalier de Chaumont walked at his side, and young nobles surrounded him, gorgeous in lace and ribbons, and majestic in leonine wigs. Twenty-four guards in the King's liv^ery led the way, followed by four pages and six valets ; * and thus, while the Frenchmen shouted and the Indians stared, the august procession threaded the streets of the Lower Town, and climbed the steep path- way that scaled the cliffs above. Breathing hard, they reached the top, passed on the left the dilapidated walls of the Fort and the shed of mingled wood and masonry * " His constant attendance when he trent abroad," says M^ro Jucherean. : ( . i 1 1 wjy i h 176 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. which then bore the name of the Castle of St. Louis ; passed on the right the old house of Couillard and the site of Laval's new Seminary, and soon reached the square betwixt the Jesuit College and the Cathedral. The bells were ringing in a frenzy of welcome. Laval in pontificals, surrounded by priests and Jesuits, stood waiting to receive the Deputy of the King, and as he greeted Tracy and offered him the holy water, he looked with anxious curiosity to see what manner of man he was. The signs were auspicious. The deportment of the Lieutenant-General left nothing to desire. A prie-dieu had been placed for him. He declined it. They offered him a cushion, but he would not have it, and fevered as he was, he knelt on the bare pavement with a devotion that edified every beholder. Te Deum was sung and a day of rejoicing followed.* In our day, we can recall but one pageant at all equal : the roar of cannon, &c., attending the advent of the great Earl of Durham,! but there were noticeable fewer " priests," fewer " Jesuits," and less "kneelinjr" in the procession. There was something oriental in the vice-regal pageantry. Line-of-battle ships — stately frigates, twelve in number — the Malabar, Hastings, Cornwallis, Inconstant, Hercules, Pique, Charybdis, Pearl, Vestal, Medea, Dee and Andro- mache visited that summer our shores, a suitable escort to • The Old Rigime in Canada, p. 177-9. t John George Lambton, Earl of Durham, was born at Lambton Castle, in April, 1792, and died at the Isle ot Wight, on the 28th July, 1840, broken- hearted at the apparent failure of his Canadian mission. " Lord Durham," says Justin McCarthy " was a man of remarkable charac- ter. It is a matter of surprise how little his name is thought of by the present generation, seeing what a strenuous figure he seemed in the eyes of his con- temporaries, and how striking a part he played in the politics of a time which has even still some living representatives. He belonged to one of the oldest families in England. The Lambtons had lived on their estate in the north in uninterruptfid succession since the Conquest. The ma'e succession, it is stated, never was interrupted since the twelfth century. They were not, however, a family of aristocrats. Their wealth was derived chiefly from coal mines, and grew up in later days ; the property at first, and for a long time, THE LADIES' ADDRESS. 177 the able, proud, humane,* but unlucky Viceroy and High Commissioner, with his clever advisers — the Turtons, Bullers, Wakefields, Hansomes, Derbyshires, Dunkins, cum muftis aliis. The Dictator was determined to " make a country or mar a career." He has left us a country. That warlike, though festive summer of 1838, with our port studded with three-deckers and spanking frigates, was long remembered in the annals of the bon ton. Some men-of-war were in especial favour. A poetical lament by the Quebec ladies was wafted to the departing officers of H. M. frigate Inconstant, the words by the Laureate of the period, George W. "Wicksteed, of Ottawa. This effusion includes the names of every vessel in the fleet in italics, and of several of the officers. THE LADIES' ADDRESS TO THE INCOSSTANTS. Written hy G. W. Wickiteed. We stt y the Hastings hasting off, And never made a fuss. The Mulabar's departure waked No malady in us. We were not piqued to lose the Piqtie ; Each lady's heart at ease is, Altho' the Bees are on the seas, And gone tlie Hercules — es. Our parting with the Andromache Like Hector's not at all is ; Nor are we Washingtons to seek To capture a Cornwallis. was of inconsiderable value. For more than a century, howevei-, the Lamb- tons bad come to take rank among the gentry of tlie country, and some member of the family had represented the city of Durham in tiio House of Commons from 1727 until the early death of Lord Durham's father, in December, 1797, William Henry Lambton, Lord Durham's fatlier, was a staunch Whig, and had been a friend and associate of Fox. Jolin George LambtDU, the son, was born at Lambton Castle, in April, 1792. Before he was quite twenty years of age, he made a romantic nuvrriage at Gretna Grtieii with a lady who died three years after. He served for a short time in a regiment of Hussars. About a year after the death of his first wife, he mar- ried the eldest daughter of Lord Grey. In 1828 he was raised to the Peerage with the title of Baron Durham." — History of Our Own Times, page 9 — Justin McCarthy. • I use the term advisedly, for had he followed out the Colborne policy and gibbetted the " Bermuda exiles," he would have had one sin less to atone for, at the hands of Lord Brougham and other merciless enemies in England. M ( ! R. I I '\ \ ' II I m 1 1 •'f. i !■■■ ■ I ■ \ 1 u vkim : ' rllii 1 1 '! 1 i il- llijilli) I:- 178 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. And no Charyhdia ever caught Our hearts in passion'R whirls ; There's not a girl among us all Has ever fished for Pearls. The Vestalt with their sacred flame Were not the sparks we wanted ; We've looked Medeat in the face, And 3'et were not enchanted. But when our dear IneonitanU go, Our grief shall know no bounds, The dance shall have no joy for uk, The song no merry sounds. All dismal then shall be the waltz. The dull quadrille as bad. And wearily we'll hurry through The joyless galopade. We'll gaze upon each changeful cloud As through the air it skims ; We'll think of fickle fortune's wheel. And fashion's turns and whims- Sweet emblems of Inconstancy In each of these we'll find, And our Inconstants constantly We'll fondly bear in mind. And spite of Durham's fetes and balls. We'll pine and mourn and mope Our long, long winter season through. As girls without a Hope. And when the spring shall come again, Our hearts, to pleasure dead. Shall sigh for spring without an S, And wish for Pring instead. Unless, indeed, sweet spring with Hope Those hearts again should bless, And bring our dear Inconstants back. And spring without an S. Quebec, 6th July, 1838. (From Wa\fs in Verse, by G. W. Wicksteed, Q.C., Law Clerk, House of Com- mons of Canada, 1878.) To which melting address the " Inconstants," on their way to Britain, feelingly replied. Our space allows us to insert but a few stanzas of this poetical lament. All language fails to tell how much We value your address. Or say how deeply we partake The feelings you express. THE LYMnVRi\ERS. 170 Those Hatting* are a hsHty set, And left you in a hurry ; ThoHe Malabam are malapert, And hot as Indian curry. B«' true, and then the breath of May Shall till our Hails and brin;; Our willinfi: Hteps and eager heartH, And Spring — and Pring — and King. And each of you for one of ours Shall change her maiden name, And aH we are all Ineon»tanli, you Of courHe will be the Hame. Kamouraflka, August, 1838. Here we stand on the principal artery oi' the rommerce of the city, St. Peter street, having a width of only twenty-four feet. St. Peter street is probably not so ancient as its sister, Sault-au-Matelot street. St. Peter street was so named in memory of Messire Pierre le Voyer d'Argen- son, who, in 1658, t;ame to Quebec as successor to M. de Lauzon. M. d'Arg-enson was, in 1661, succeeded by the Baron d'Avaugour. On the site on which the Quebec Bank * was erected in 1863, there stood the offices, the vaults, and the wharf of the well-known merchant, John Lymburner. There were three Lymburners : John, lost at sea in the fall of 1775, Mathew, and Adam, the most able of the three ; they • Thanks to the late Mr. J. B. Martel, then Secretary of the Harbour Com- miBsion, Quebec, we may desiRnatc in a few words the site which the Quebec Bank now possesses. This extent of ground (at that period a beach lot), whs conceded to the Seminary by the Marquis de Denouville in 1687, and con- firmed by the King, the 1st March, 1688. The 25th August, 1750, Messire Christophe de Lalane, Directeur dii SLiniiiiiiredes Missions Etrangeres ii Paris, made a concession of it to Mons. Nicholas Rene Levasseur, Inginieiir, formerly chief contractor of the ships of " His Most Christian Majesty." On the 24th June, 1760, a deed of sale of this same property, to .loseph Brassard Descheneaux, consisting of a two-story house and a wharf {aver leu peinturex itu-dfiums (le la parte.) On the 8th September, 1764, a deed of sale to Alexanrii-r McKenzie, purchase money, $5,800. On the I9th April, 1768, Joseph Descheneaux assigned his mortgage to Mr. John Lymburner. On the 11th AuL'Ust, 1781, a deed of concession of the beach in the rear, to low water mark, by the Seminary to Adam Lymburner. The 5th November, 1796, a deed of sale by the attorney of Adam Lymburner. Subsequently Angus Shaw became the proprietor in consideration of $4,100. On the I7th October, 1825, a judicial sale, to the late Henry Atkinson, Esq. I 1 I i ^^ ^:\ J 1^ ! 1 1 1 1 1 ■ i i I 180 PICTURESQUE QUEHEC. were, no doubt related to earh other. The loyalty of Adam, towards the Hritish Crown, in 177"), was more than sus- pected; his oratori<'al powers, howtner, and his knowledge of constitutioiuil law, made him a lit delegate to England in 1701, to plead the cause of the colony before the Metro- politan authorities. His speech on the occasion is reported in the Canadian Review, published at Montr«»al in 1826. Colonel Henry Caldwell states that, in 177.^, (Jovernor Guy (^arleton had ordered a «annon to be pointed from the wharf on which stood J^ymburncr's house, with the inten- tion to open lire upon the Bostonais, should they attempt a surprise on the Sault-au-Matelot quarter. Massive and strongly built stone vaults (probably of French origin), are still extant beneath the house adjoining, to the south of this last, belonging to the heirs Atkinson. On the site of the oliices of Mr. McGie stood, in 1759, the warehouse of M. Perrault, I' dint' ; from a great number of letters and invoice-bills found in the garret, and which a frieud=''= has placed at our disposal, it would seem that M. Perrault had extensive commercial relations both in Canada and in France. A curious letter to M. Perrault, from Bigot's notorious councillor, Estebe, then in Bordeaux, was found in this tenement. It discloses a sad state of things in Old France. This old document dates of 24th February, 1760, a few months subsequent to the Battle of the Plains and a few weeks prior to that of Ste. Foye, in April, 1760. " To Monsieur Perrault, " Bordeaux, 24th February, 1760. Quebec : " SiH, — It was with lieartfelt pleasure I reoi'ived your favour of the 7th November last, since, in spite of your misfortunes, it apprized me of the tatt that both you and your lady were well. " I feel grateAil for the sympathy you express in our troubles during our passage from Quebec to Bordeaux. I wish I could as easily forget the mis- fortunes of Canada as I do the annoyances we suffered on the voyage. " We learned, via England, by the end of October last, the unfortunate fate f Quebec. You can imagine how we felt on hearing of such dreadful news. Il III! t Hon. D. A. Ross. DESPONDENCY IN J?fiO. 181 1 could contain neither my tears nor my rcgr<'tn on Icnrning the Iohs of a rity iind oonntry to wliich I owe I'verytliinn, and to wiiicii I am iih sincerely attached as any of tlie natives. \V'.•); we knew that our troops followed them closely wherever they attempted lo land. We have erred like you in the hopes we cherished. What fat4ility. what calumily and how many events unknown to us have led to yoiu' downfall ? You do not know, my dear Sir, of the extent of your misfortunes. Yon imagine that the loss of the remainder of the colony is close at hand. You are right. TIds cannot be otherwise, since the relief which is sent to you from France otnntjt prevent that. The small help which Canutlians expected from the payment of some Treasury notes is taken away from them ; none are paiti since the ir)th of October last. This, then, is the overwhelming blow to all our hopes ! The Treasury notes of the other colonies are generally in the same predicament; the King pays none, and the nation groans under hixation. No credit, no lontidence, any- where ; no commerce nor shipments; u general bankruptcy in all tlie cities of France. The kingdom is in the greatest desolation possible. Our armies have been beaten everywhere; our navy no more exist.s — our ships have been either captured or burnt on the coasts where the enemy has driven them ashore, Adndral de ConHaus liaving Iteen defeated in getting out of the har- bor of Brest. In one word, we are in a state of misery and humiliation with- out precedent. The finances of the King are in fearful disorder ; he has had to send his plate to the Mint. The Seigneurs have folloved his example, and private individuals are compelled to sell their valuables in order to live and pay the onerous taxes which weigh on them. At the present moment, by Royal order, an inventory is being taken of the silver of all the churches of the kingdom. No doubt it will liave to be sent to the Mint, and payment will be made when that of the Treasury notes takes place — that is, when it pleases tlod. Such is a summary of what now occurs here. How J regret, my dear Sir, the merry days I spent in Canada ! I would like to be there still if matters were as formerly. 1 could own a turn-oid there, whereas I go on foot, like a dog, through the mud of Bordeaux, wliere I certainly do not live in the stvle I did in Quebec. I'lease God this iron age may soon end! We flat- tered ourselves this winter that pet'ce would soon be proclaimed ; it is much talked of, but 1 see no signs of it. It will, it is said, re(i M I* H !l'i Mi ; 1 V\ 188 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. ladies of the Ursulines, in 1639, found a refuge in a humble residence, a sort of shop or store, owned at that period by the Sieur .Tuchereau des Chatelets, at the foot of the path {senlier), leading up to the mountain (foot of Mountain street), and where the then Governor, M. de Montmagny, as is related, sent them their first Quebec meal. The locality possesses other pleasant memories : the good, the youthful, the beautiful Madame de Champlain, about the year 1620, here catechised and instructed, under the «hade of the trees, the young Huron Indians, in the principles of Christianity. History has related their sur- prise and joy on seeing their features reflected in the small mirror which their benefactress wore suspended at her side, " close to her heart," as they said, according to the then prevailing custom. In 1682 a conflagration broke out in the Lower Town, which, besides the numerous vaults and stores, reduced into ashes a considerable portion of the buildings. Denon- ville, on the 20th August, 1685, wrote to Paris, asking His Most Christian Majesty to contribute 200 crowns worth of leather fire-buckets, and in 1691 the historical Dutch pump was imported to throw water on fires. At a later period, 1688, " Notre Dame de la Victoire " Church was begun on part of the ruins. Let us open the second volume of the " Cours d'Histoire du Canada,'' by the Abbe Ferland, and let us read : " Other ruins existed in 1684, in the com- mercial centre of the Lower Town ; these ruins consisted of blackened and dilapidated walls. Champlain's old warehouse, which, from the hands of the Company (Com- pagnie de la Nouvelle France), had passed into those of the King (Louis XIV.), had remained in the same state as w hen left after the great fire which, some years previously, had devastated the Lower Town." In 1684 Monseigneur de Laval obtained this site or DALHOUSIE STREET. 189 emplacement from M. de la Barre for the purpose of erecting a supplementary chapel for the use of the inhabitants in the Lower Town. This gift, however, was ratified only later, in favor of M. de St. Valier, in the month of Sep- tember, 1685. Messieurs de Denonville and de Meules caused a clear and plain title or patent of this locality to be issued for the purpose of erecting a chun^h which, in the course of time, was built by the worthy Bishop and named " Notre Dame de la Victoire." The landing for small craft, in the vicinity of the old market (now the Fin lay * Market), was called " La Place du Uebarquement," or simply " La Place." It is in this vicinity, a little to the west, under the silent shade of a wood near the garden which Champlain had laid out, that the historical interview, in 1608, which saved the colony, took place. The secret was of the greatest import- ance ; it is not to be wondered at if Champlain's trusty pilot. Captain Testu, deemed it proper to draw the founder of Quebec aside into the neighbouring wood and make known to him the villanous plot which one of the accom- plices, Antoine Natel, lock-smith, had first disclosed to him under the greatest secrecy. The chief of the conspiracy was one Jean du Val, who had come to the country with Champlain. In rear of and parallel to St. Peter street, a new and wide street, called after one ol the Governors of Canada — Dalhousie street — was opened recently, and promises to be before long the leading commercial artery. Several extensive warehouses have been erected on Dalhousie street since it was opened to the public, in 1877, by the city Corporation purchasing from St. James street to St. Andrew's wharf a strip of land, of 60 feet in breadth, from * William Flnlay, an eminent merchant of Quebec, and one of its chief benefactors, made several bequests which the city authorities invested in the purchase of this market. Mr. Finlay died at the Island of Madeira, whether he had gone for bis health, about the year 1831. 1 j 1 \ ^'!i 1 1 ; f :\ i- ■% - 1) !^^ yi 190 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. If ,, I the landed proprietors of this neighbourhood. At the south-western extremity a noble dry goods store has just been erected by Mr. George Alford ; it is four stories high, 155 feet long and 72 feet wide, and faces on Dalhousie, Laporte, Union Lane and Finlay Market. It is occupied by a wealthy and ancient dry goods firm, founded in Mon- treal about 1810, with a branch in Quebec, in 1825. The original founders were Messrs. Robertson, Masson & Larocque ; this firm was subsequently changed to Robert- son, Masson, Strang & Co., to Masson, Bruyere, Thibau- deau & Co., to Langevin, Thibaudeau, Bruyere & Co., to Thibaudeau, Thomas & Co., to Thibaudeau, Genereux & Co., and finally to Thibaudeau Freres & Co., at Quebec ; Thibaudeau Bros. & Co., Montreal ; Thibaudeau Bros. & Co., London, Manchester and Manitoba. In the early days of the colony, the diminutive market space, facing the front of Notre Dame Church, Lower Town, as well as the Upper Town Market, was used for the infliction of corporal punishment, or the pillory, or the execution of culprits. On the area facing the Lower Town Church on Notre Dame street, the plan of the city, drawn by the engineer, Jean Fran9ois or Jehan Bourdon, in 1641, shows a bust of Louis XIII., long since removed; this market, which dates from the earliest times of the colony, as well as the vacant area (until recently the Upper Town market, facing the Basilica), was used as a place for corporal punish- ment, and for the exhibition in the pillory of public malefactors. "Among the incidents," says Mr. T. P. Bedard, "which claimed the privilege of exciting the curiosity of the good folks of Quebec (then 1680, inhabited by 1,345 souls,) was reckoned the case of Jean Rathier, charged with murder- ing a girl ol eighteen — Jeanne Couc. The case had been tried at Three Rivers, and Rathier sentenced to have his i'- ! I JUDICIAL EXECUTIONS. 191 legs broken * with an iron bar, and afterwards to be hung. Judgment had been confirmed. An unforseen hitch arose : the official hangman was dead ; how then was Rathier to be hung? The officers of justice cut the Gordian knot, by tendering to Rathier, in lieu of the halter, the position, little envied, of hangman. He accepted. Some years after, the wife and the daughter of Rathier were accused and found guilty as accomplii es in a robbery ; the daughter, as the receiver of the stolen goods, was sen- tenced to be whipped, but in secret, at the General Hospital by the nun appointed Provost Marshal {Mai tress de Dis- I if 1 I * " RoMPD ViF," 1752. — A good deal of patriotic indignation has been bubbled over at the mention of what was termed the Old World mode of punishing high treason against the State. With respect to the atrocious sentence pronounced by Chief Justice Osgood, at Quebec, in 1797, carried out on the criminal David McLane, the " disembowiing and hanging " particulars (so well related by an eye-witness, the late P. A. DeGaspe, Esq.,) ought not to be considered such a novelty in Canada. A Montreal antiquary, Mr. P. S. Murphy, has unearthed a sentence pro- nounced at Montreal in the good old Bourbon times, 6th June, 1752, which shows that the terrible punishment of " breaking alive " (rompu vif) was in force under the French regime. " Belisle," says Mr. P. S. Murphy, " was condemned to ' torture ordinary and extraordinary,' then to be broken alive on a scaffold erected in the market place. The awful sentence was carried out to the letter, his body buried in Guy street, Montreal, and a Red Cross erected to mark the spot." Translation. — Extract from the requisition of H. C. Majesty's Attorney : — « I require for the King that Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle be arraigned and convicted of having wilfully and feloniously killed the said Jean Favre by a pistol shot and several stabs with a knife, and of having similarly killed the said Marie-Anne Bastien, wife of the said Favre, with a spade and a knife, and of having stolen from them the money that was in their house ; for punishment of which that he be condemned to have his arms, legs, thighs and backbone broken, he alive, on a scaffold, which shall be erected for that pur- pose in the market place ot this city, at noon, then on a rack, his face turned towards the sky, he be left to die. The said Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle, being previously put to the torture ordinary and extraordinary, his dead body shall be carried by the executioners to the highway which lies between the house lately occupied by the said accused and the house lately occupied by the said Jean Favre and his wife. The goods and chattels of the said Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle confiscated to the King, or for the benefit of those who may have a right to them, or of those not liable to confiscation, the sum of 300 livres fine being previously set apart, in case that confiscation could be made for the benefit of His Majesty. " (Signed), Facchbr. « Done at Montreal, the 6th June, 1752." f li If! 192 PICTVRESQl'E QVKBEC. i ! «i^, cipline), and the mother was also adjudged to be whipped, but publicly in the streets of the city. This incident fur- nished the singular and ludicrous spectacle of a husband publicly whipping his wife with impunity to himself, as he was acting under the imthority of justice." — {Premiere AdminUration de Frontenac, p. 39.) The whip and pillory did not go out with the old r6gime. The Quebec Gazette of 19th June, 1766, mentions the whip- ping, on the Upper and Lower Town markets, of Catherine Berthrand and .Teanotte Blaize, by the hand of the execu- tioneer, for having " borrowed " (a pretty way of describing petty larceny), a silver spoon from a gentleman of the town, without leave or without intention of returning it. For male reprobates, such as Jean May and Louis Bruseau, whose punishment for petty larceny is noted in the Gazette of 11th August, 1*766. the whipping was sup- plemented with a walk — tied at the cart's tail — from the Court House door to St. Roch and back to the Court House. May had to whip Bruseau and Bruseau had to whip May the day following, at ten in the morning. Let us revert to Captain Testu's doings. The plot was to strangle Champl«iin, pillage the warehouse, and after- wards betake themselves to the Spanish and Basque vessels, laying at Tadousac. As, at that period, no Court of Appeals existed in " la Nouvelle France " — far less was a " Supreme Court " thought of — the trial of the chief of the conspiracy was soon dispatched says Champlain, and the Sieur Jean du Yal was " presto well and duly hanged and " strangled at Quebec aforesaid, and his head affixed to " the top of a pike-stafF planted on the highest eminence of " the Fort." The ghastly head of this traitor, on the end of a pike-staff, near Notre Dame street, must certainly have had a sinister effect at twilight. But the brave Captain Testu, the saviour of Champlain and of Quebec — what became of him? Champlain has llill: jiiip ROMRARDMENT OF /?r,n. 193 done him the honour of naming him ; here the matter ended. Neither moniiment, nor poem, nor page of history in his honour ; nothing was done in the way of com- memorating his devotion. As in the instance of the illus- trious man, whose life he had saved, his grave is unknown. According to the Abbe Tanguay, none of his posterity exist at this day. During the siege of 1759, we notice in Panel's Journal, " that the Lower Town was a complete mass of smoking ruins ; on the 8th August, it was a burning heap {brainier). Wolfe and Saunders' bombshells had found their way even to the under-ground vaults. This epoch became disastrous to many Quebecers." The English threw bombs {poh a feu) on the Lower Town, of which, says Mr. Panet, " one fell on my house, one on the houses in the Market place, and the last in Champlain street. The fire burst out simul- taneously, in three different directions ; it was in vain to attempt to cut off" or extinguish the fire at my residence ; a gale was blowing from the north-east, and the Lower Town was soon nothing less than a blazing mass. Be- ginning at my house, that of M. Desery, that of M. Maillou, Sault-au-Matelot street, the whole of the Lower Town and all the quarter Cul-de-Sac up to the property of Sieur Voyer, which was spared, and in short up to the house of the said Voyer, the whole was devastated by fire. Seven vaults ^ had been rent to pieces or burned : that of M. Perrault the younger, that of M. Tache, of M. Benjamin de la Mordic, of Jehaune, of Maranda. You may judge of the consternation which reigned ; 167 houses had been burnt." One hundred and sixty-seven burnt houses would create • The most spacious, the most remarkable of these substantial vaults of French construction, are those which now belong to the Estate Poston, on the north side of Notre Dame street, nearly opposite the church Notre Dame des Victoires. It is claimed that these vaults were so constructed as not only to be fire proot but water-proof likewise at the seasons of high water, in spring and autumn. This vault is now occupied by Messrs. Thompson, Codville val-looking bit of military architecture. The heavy stone gateway is black with age, and the gate, which has probably never been closed in our century, is of massive frame, set thick with mighty bolts and spikes The wall here sweeps along the brow ol' the crag on which the city is built, and a steep street drops down, by stone- parapeted curves and angles, from the Upper to the Lower Town, when, in 1775, nothing but a nai*row lane bordered the St. Law- rence. A considerable breadth of land has since been won from the river, and several streets and many piers now stretch between this alley and the water ; but the old Sault-au-Matelot still crouches and creeps along under the shelter of the city wall and the overhauging rock, which is thickly bearded with weeds and grass, and trickles with abundant moisture. It must be an ice pit in winter, and I should think it the last spot on the continent for the summer to find ; but when the summer has at last found it, the old Sault-au-Matelot puts on a vagabond air of southern leisure and abandon, not to be matched anywhere out of Italy. Looking from that jutting rock near Hope Gale, behind which the defeated Americans took refuge from the tire of their enemies, the vista is almost unique for a certain scenic squalor and gypsy luxury of colour — sag-roofed barns and stables, and weak- backed, sunken-chested workshops of every sort, lounge along in tumble-down succession, and lean up against the cliff in every imaginable posture of Avorthlessness and decrepitude ; light wooden galleries cross to them from the second stories of the houses which back upon the alley; and over these galleries flutters from a labyrinth of clothes-lines a variety of bright- coloured garments of all ages, sexes and conditions, while the footway underneath abounds in gossiping women, smoking men, idle poultry, cats, children, and large, indolent Newfoundland dogs." — (A Chance Acquaintance, p, 175.) Adventurous tourists who haA'^e risked themselves there in the sultry days of July, have found themselves dazed at I* I i ' 1' i I M I '■'I I I 1 ■( f 1 1 1 1 t f 1, 1 i 1 t . !■ ■ 1 !|i ■» ( ;i \ ■'■ 206 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. the sight of the wonders of the place. Among other in- digcMious curiosities, they have there noticed what might be taken for any number of aerial tents, improvised no doubt as jirotcction from the scorching rays of a meridian sun. Attached to ropes stretched from one side of the public way to the other, was the family linen, hung out to dry. When shaken by the wind over the heads of the passers-by, these articles of white under-clothing {chemisettes), Hanked by sundry masculine nt^ther-garments, presented a tableau, it is said, in the highest degree picturesque. As regards ourselves, desirous from our earliest days to search into the most recondite an-'awa of the history of our city and to portray them in all their suggestive reality, for the edification of distinguished tourists from England, France and the United States, it has been to us a source of infinite mortification to realize that the only visit which we ever made to Dog Lane was subsequent to the publication of the Album du Touriste ; a circumstance which explains the omission of it from that repository of Canadian lore. Our most illustrious tourists, =^ the eldest son of the Queen, the Prince of Wales, his brothers, the Princes Alfred and Arthur, the Dukes of Newcastle, of Athol, of Manchester, of Beaufort, of Argyle, of Sutherland.Generals •Canada's Royal Visitors — who have been here since 1787. — " Canada has been honoured with visits from the following Royal personages : — His Royal Highness Prince William Henry (afterwards William IV.) uncle of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, landpd in Quebec in 1787. H.R.H. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria, visited Canada in 1791, four years later than his brother. H. R. H. Albert Ldwaid, Prince of Wales and heir apparent of the British Crown, was in this country in 1860, and laid the corner-stone of the Parliament Buildings at Ottawa. H. R. H. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, was here in 1861, H. R. H. Prince Leopold in May, 1880. H. R. H. Prince de Joinville, son of Louis Phillippe, King of France, was in Canada the same year as Prince Alfred. Prince Napoleon Bonaparte, cousin of Napoleon III., Emperor of France, also in 1861. H. R. H. Prince Arthur, third son of the Queen, in 1869. H. R. H. the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, in 1871. H. R. H. Dom Pedro, Emperor of Brazil, in 1876 (Centennial year); and Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise and H. R. H. the Duke of Edinburgh (his second visit), in 1878. It will thus be seen that Queen Victoria's father, uncle and five of her children have been in Canada." ! ! m SOUS-LE-CAP SITREET. 207 Grant and Shorman, and Prince Napoleon Bonaparte, it is said, tookthoir leave of Quebec without haviiiff visited that interesting locality, "/a Ruel/e dex Chienit," Sous-le-('ap street, probably unconscious of its very exist*'nce ! Never- theless, this street possesses f^reat historical interesl. It has re-echoed the trumpet sounds of war, the thundering of cannon, the briskest musketry ; there fell liris^adier- General Arnold, wounded in the knee : carried olf amid the despairing cries of his soldiers, under the swords of Dambourges, of th«» fierce and stalwart Charland, of the brave Caldwell, followed by his friend Nairn and their chivalrous militiamen. Our friends, the annexationists of that period, were so determined to annex (Quebec, that they threw themselves as if possessed by the evil one upon the barriers (there were two of them) in Sous-le- Cap street and in Sault-au-Matelot street ; each man, says Sanguinet, wearing a slip of paper on his cap on which was written " Mors aut Victoria,'' " Death or Victory ! " One hundred years and more haA'e elapsed since this fierce struggle, and we are not yet under Republican rule ! A number of dead bodies lay in the vicinity, on the 31st December, 1775 ; they were carried to the Seminary. Ample details of the incidents of this glorious day will be found in " Quebec Past and Present," It is believed that the first barrier was placed at the foot of the stone demi- lune, where, at present, a cannon rests on the ramparts ; the second was constructed in rear of the present offices of Mr. W. D. Campbell, N.P., in Sault-au-Matelot street. Sault-au-Matelot street has lost the military rencvvn which it then possessed ; besides the offices of M. Ledroit, of the Morning Chronicle, and of the timber cullers, it now is a stand for the carters, and a numerous tribe of pork merchants, salmon preservers and coopers, whose casks on certain days encumber the sidewalks, St. Paul street does not appear on the plan of the city of Quebec of 1660, reproduced by the Abbe Faillon. This I I 11, ^■^ i ! ii> 208 prrruRES'QUR Quebec. quarior of the Low('r Town, so populous undor tho, Fre nrh rrffime, and wh«'r«N according' to MouHi;[^n«'ur do Laval, i\n'Vo. was, in UIHl, " mar^nus numerus civium,'" continued, until about 1882, to represent the hurry-scurry of affairs and the r«'sidences of the principal merchants, one of the wealthiest portions of the city. There, in 1793, the father of our Queen, Colonel of the 7th Fusiliers, then in j^arrison at Quebec, partook of the hospitality of M Lymburner, one of the merchant princes of that ])eriod. Was the chere ainie, the eleffant Barnnne dc SL Laurent , of the party *. We found it impossible to ascertain this from our old friend, Hon. William 8heppard, of Woodfield, near Quebec (who died in lS(i7), from whom we obtained this incident. Mr. Sheppard, who had frequently been a guest at the most select drawiui^-rooms of the ancient capital, was himself a contemporary of the generous and jovial Prince Edward. The Sault-au-Matelot quarter, St. Peter street, and St. James street, down to the year 1832, contained the habita- tions of a great number of persons in easy circumstances ; many of our families of note had their residences there : John Wm. Woolsey, Esq., in 1808, and later on first President of the Quebec Bank ; the millionaire auctioneer, Wm. Burns, the god-father to the late Greorge Burns Symes, Esq. ; Arch- bishop Signal — this worthy prelate was born in this street, in a house opposite to La Banque Nationale. Evidences of the luxuriousness of their dwelling rooms are visible to this day, in the panelling of some doors and in decorated ceilings. Drainage, according to the modern system, was, at that period, almost unknown to our good city. The Asiatic cholera, in 1832, decimated the population : 3,500 corpses, in the course of a few weeks, had gone to their last resting place. This terrible epidemic was the occasion, so to speak, of a social revolution at Quebec ; the land on the St. Louis and Ste. Foye roads became much enhanced in value; the wealthy quitted the Lower Town. Commercial ro/NT-A-cARrr. 200 affairs, fiowever, still continued to ho transacted tfiere, but thie residences of merchants were selected in the Upper Town or in the country parts adjacent. Thii Fief SauU-au-31ate/ut, whhh at present btdoni^s to the Seminary, was granted to Guillaume Hehert on the 4th February, 1G23, the title of which was ratified by the Due de Ventadour on the last day of l^'ebruary, 1<)32. On the ground reclaimed from the river, about 1815, MesKVs. Munro and Jkdl.eraim'nt merchants, built wharves and ! ome large warehouses, to which lead ' Bell's lane," (so named after the Honorable Matthew Bell) *^ the streets St. James, Arthur, Dalhousie and others. Mr. Bell, at a later period, one of the lessees of the 8t. Maurice Forges, resided in the house — now St. I^awrence Chambers — situate at the corner of St. James and St. I'eti'ir streets, now belonging to Mr. John Greaves Clapham, N.P. Hon. Matthew Bell commanded a troop of cavalry, which was much admired by those warlike gentlemen of 1812 — our respected fathers. He left a numerous family, and was related by marriage to the families Montizambert, Bowen, &c. Dalhousie street, in the Lower Town, probably dates from the time of the Earl of Dalhousie (1827), when the " Quebec Exchange " was built by a company ol merchants. The extreme point of the Lower Town, towards the north- east, constitutes " La Pointe a Carey," named after Carey Pages, who succeeded to the office of " Guardian of the Harbor," held in 1713 by Louis Pratt. In the offing is situated the w'harf, alongside of which the stately frigate Aurora, Captain De Horsey, passed the winter of 1866-7. The wharves of the Quebec docks now mark the spot. The expansion of commerce at the commencement of the present century and increase of population rendered it very desirable that means of communication should be ':'\ u i Opened by him iu 1831. I^i"^ i \ : ,.i , ! i V i ! \ 1 1 1 i 210 PICT URESQ UE Q UEB HC. established between the Lower Town and St. Roch, less rugged and inconvenient than the tunnel — Sous-le-Cap lane — and the sandy beach of the river St. Charles at low water. Towards 1816 the northern extremity of St. Peter street was finished ; it was previously bounded by a red bridge, well remembered by our very old citizens. The Apostle St. Paul was honoured with a street, as was his colleague, St. Peter. Messrs. Benj. Tremaine, Budden, Morrisson, Parent, AUard and others acquired portions of ground on the north side of this (St. Paul) street, upon which they have erected wharves, offices and large ware- houses Renaud's new block now occupies a portion of the site. The construction of the North Shore Railway will have the effect, at an early date, of augmenting, in a marked degree, the value of these properties, the greater portion of which now belong to our fellow citizen, M. J. Bte. Renaud, who has adorned this portion of the Lower Town with first class buildings. Let us hope that this quarter ma/ flourish, and that our enterprising fellow citizen may prosper in consequence. Let us join a party of distinguished strangers v/ending their way through our muddy streets, following a titled tourist, His Highness the Duke of Saxe- Weimar This noble visitor's rank seems to have been fully recognized, since he was escorted by a guard of honour furnished by the Lt.-Governor, and saluted on his departure by 21 guns. After fifty-five years, the Duke's utterances have yet interest for us, though he seems to have judged harshly the absent Grovernor-G-eneral, the Earl of Dalhousie. "About eight o'clock in the evening of the 3rd of September, 1825, we embarked at Montreal on board the steamer Lady Sherbrooke for Quebec. The banks, which as fiir as Trois Rivieres are pretty low, become higher and more rocky, particularly on the left side. The neighborhood is remarkably handsome and [II Travels through North America during the years 1825-26." By Carl Bernhard, Duke of 8axe- Weimar Eisenach.] THE DUKE OF SAXE-WEIMAR. 211 picturesque. The majestic stream with its pleasant banks, and the view of the distant blue mountains near Quebec, produce an indescribable effect. The weather was favourable, — a clear, sunny- sky and not very warm ; in this northern latitude you can perceive the approaching autumn by the coolness of the nights and morn- ings. We reached Quebec at 10 o'clock in the evening. This city consists of two parts, the Upper Town, which is built on a rock, and the Lower, which Is pressed in between the river and and the rock. The lights in the Lower Town and the fortifications had an elegant appearance, when contrasted with the dark rock. The first coup doeii, which was by night, reminded me of Namur, as it is seen from the right bank of the Maas. In the river were many vessels ; mostly used for carrying wood. It was already late, and we should have found difficulty in transporting our baggage by night, besides other inconveniences in finding lodgings for the ladies, so we spent the second night also on board the steamboat, where we were very comfortable and found it cleanly. " The next morning, after dismissing the guard which the Governor appointed to escort us, we went to our lodgings in the upper part of the town. The lower town is very narrow, and has a filthy appearance. The streets are not paved, and badly provided with sidewalks. The road which loads to the uopor part of the town is very steep. It stands on a rocky g lund, and its fortifications are elevated 300 feet from the level ol the ocean. The upper is separated from the low^er town by a stone wall, which has the form of a horn- work. Through this wall is a gate, (1) which has a guard ; the guard-room is opposite the gate, and by means of a portcullis defends the entrance. For the convenience of foot-passengers there is a door (2) near the gate, with wooden stairs, by ascending which you reach the upper town. On the right of the gate is a building which resembles a chapel, (3) and serves for the House of Commons of Canada. In oi-der to get home we wore obliged to go round part ofthe walls of the town. Even here you have an indescribably beautiful view of the Bay of Quebec and the right bank of the river, which has the appearance of a cape, called Point Levi. " Shortly after our arrival, I received a visit from Colonel Duchesnay, First Adjutant of the Governor-General, and from (4) Colonel Burnford, Director of Engineers. The first gentleman came to bid me welcome in the name of the Governor, and the (1). Prescott Gate levelled in ISTl. (2). These steps went into Prescott Gate. (3). The R. C. Bishop's Palace, on whoso site the present brick striutiire. Parliament House, was since erected. (4). Bleak House, on the St. Louis Heights, was, until 1871, the quarters of the Colonel of Engineers. 1' 't A w ? I ) . 212 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. latter begged to show mc the fortifications. Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of all British jiossessions in North America, was at that time in England, but was expected daily. During his absence, the Government Avas under the direction of the Ll.- Governor, Sir Francis Burton, brother of Lord Conyngham. Ho is a civilian, but is said to till his high post with credit. The good spirit the inhabitants are in, and the harmony that exists in the colony, are mostly owing to his good management and his humane and friendly deportment towards them. It is said of Lord Dalhousie that he has estranged the hearts of the people from himself and the Government, through his haughty and absolute deportment, and the Opposition party in the Canadian Parliament has thereby been strengthened. "The upper part of the town is very old and angular; the streets are muddy, and many not paved. Both towns contain about 25,000 inhabitants. The Catholic Cathedral is quite a handsome building ; it has three altars, and paintings of but little value. It is near the Seminary, an old French building, with massive walls, having four corners like a bastion. In this Seminary resides the Bishop of Quebec. We had already been introduced to Bishop Plessis, in the house of Sir Francis Burton, and found him a very agreeable and well-informed man. He is the son of a butcher of Montreal, and has elevated himself by his own merit. *' On the second and last day of my sojourn in Quebec 1 went to the parade, escorted by Colonels Durnford and Duchesnay. I was pleasantly taken by surprise when I found the whole garrison under arms. The commanding officers wished to show me their corps. On the right wing stood two companies of artillery, then a company of sappers and miners, after this, the Sixty-Eighth, and lastly, the Seventy-First Eegiment of Infantry. The last is a light regiment, and consists of Scotch Highlanders ; it appeared to be in particularly good condition. This regiment is not dressed in the Highland uniform, which was only worn by some of the buglomen. It has a very good band of buglemen, Avho wear curious caps, made of blue woollen, bordered below with red and white strii)es. The troops defiled twice before me. " On the 6th of September Ave set out in the steamboat for Montreal. Sir Francis sent us his carriage, which was very useful to the ladies. On the dock stood a company of the Sixty- Fifth Regiment, with their flags dis])layed as a guard of honour, which I immediately dismissed. The fortifications saluted us with 21 guns ; this caused a very fine echo from the mountains. Night soon set in, but we had sufficient light to take leave of the magnificent vicinity of Quebec. St. Vallier street is sacred to Monseigneur de St. LA FRIPONNE. 213 Vallier; his name is identified with the street which he so often perambulated in his visits to the General Hospital, where he terminated his useful career in 1729. His Lordship seems to have entertained a particular attachment for the locality where he had founded this hospital, where ho resided, in order to rent his Mountain Hill Palace to Intendant Talon, and thus save the expense of a chaplain. The Greneral Hospital was the third asylum for the infirm which the Bishop had founded. Subsequently, came the Intendant de Meules, who, toward 1684, endowed the eastern portion of the quarter with an edifice (the Intendant's P?lace) remarkable for its dimensions, its magnificence and its ornate gardens. Where Talon (a former Intendant) had left a brewery in a state of ruin and about seventeen acres oi land un- occupied, Louis XIV., by the advice of his Intendant de Meules, lavished vast sums of money in the erection of a sumptuous palace, in which French justice was adminis- tered, and in which, at a later period, under Bigot, it was purchasable. Our illustrious ancestors, for that matter, were not the kind of men to weep over such trifles, imbued as they were from infancy with the feudal system and all its irksome duties, without forgetting the forced labour (corvees) and those admirable "Royal secret w^ar- rants," (Jeitres de cachet). What did the institutions of a free people, or the text of Magna Charta signify to them ? On this spot stood the notorious warehouse, where Bigot, Cadet and their confederates retailed, at enormous profits, the provisions and supplies which King Louis XV. doled out in 1758 to the starving inhabitants of Quebec. The people christened the house " La Ftiponne' (The Cheat ! .') Near the sight of Talon's old brewpry which had been converted into a prison by Frontenac, and which held fast, until his trial in 1674, the Abbe de Fenelon (2) now stands the " Anchor Brewery (Bos well's). (2) The Abbe do Fi'n61o» was the half-brother of tlie illustrious Arch. i|'« '1 l< ^^^ i I' 'il 214 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. We clip the following from an able review in the Toronto Mail, Dec, 1880, of M. Marmette's most dramatic novel, " rintendant Bigot " : " In the year 1775 a grievous famine raged, sweeping off large numbers of the poor, while the unscrupulous Bigot and his satellites wore revelling in shameless profligacy. It is midnight of Christmas, when an old officer, M. de Eochebrune, pressed with cold and hunger to the last point, resolved to pawn his St. Louis Cross of gold at the Intendant's Palace stores. On the way thither the officer and his young daughter, a young girl of four- teen, are startled at the blaze of light illuminating the Palace windows, during one of the Intendant's festivals. The pleasures of the evening are suddenly interrupted and shaded by the entry of the aged, suffering M. de Eochebrune and his wan-visaged but beautiful daughtei*. Words of galling truth are addressed to Bigot before his painted courtezans and his other depi'aved atten- dants, whose hearts are too hard and whose consciences are too seared to be tortured by either misexy or reproof, and the ruffian varlets eject both father and daughter to the furies of the mid- night blast. The ball ended. Bigot leads Madame de Pean to her vehicle, when she tumbles over an object which, when torches are brought, was found to be the corpse of the suppliant rebuker of a few hours previous, alongside of which lay the unconscious form of his daughter, half buried in the drifting snow. ' Mon Dieu,' exclaimed Madame de Pean, * 11 ne dormira pas de la nuit, c'est Men sur.' This tragic event is narrated with thrilling effect, in the author's best style." P. B. In a paper read by us before the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, 3rd December, 1879, we alluded in the following terms to the history of the " Friponne " and the infamous entourage of Intendant, Bigot in the second part of our lecture : thr first part related to Kalm's ramble round the city in 1749. bishop of Cambray, the author of " Telemachus." He was tried by Frontenac and the Superior Council for having, at the preceding Easter, preached at Montreal a Violent sermon against the corvies (enforced labor) to build up Fort Frontenac, Ac. He refused to acknowledge the competency of the tribunal to try him, appeared before it with his hat on, &c. Frontenac had him committed for contempt. Altogether it was a curious squabble, the decision of which was ultimately left to the French King. (Parkman's Frontenac, p. 37 ; M. Faillon, La Colonie Francaiae, Vol. III., pp. 616, 517. THE INTEND ANT BIGOT. 215 I Prepare, now for othei* — dark — far less pleasant scenes. The bright sky of old Stadacona will rapidly lower ; leaden clouds, pregnant with storms are hovering over head. The simplicity of early days is getting obsolete. Vice, gilded vice, flaunts in the palace. Gaunt famine is preying on the vitals of the people, 'Tis so at Versailles ; 'tis so at Quebec. Lust — selfishness — rapine — public plunder everj'^where — except among the small 1>arty of the HonnHes Gens : * a carnival of pleasure, to be fol- owed by the voice of wailing and by the roll of the muffled drum. In 1748, the evil genius of New France, "La Pompadour's proUgS" Fran9oi8 Bigot, thirteenth and last Intendant, had landed at Quebec. Born in Guienne, of a family distinguished at the bar, Bigot, prior to coming to Canada had occupied the high post of Intend- ant in Louisiana. In stature, he was small — but well formed ; — active — full of pluck — fond of display and pleasure — an inveterate gambler. Had he contined his operations merely to trading, his commercial ventures would have excited little blame, trading having been a practice indulged in by several other high colonial officials. His salary was totally inadequate to the importance of his office, and quite insufficient to meet the expenditui'e his ex- alted position led him into. His speculation?, his venality, the extortions practised on the community by his heartless minions: this is what has surrounded his memory with eternal infamy and made his name a by-word for scorn. There existed, at Quebec, a ?'ing composed of the Intendant's secretary, I)6schenaux ; of the Commissary General of Supplies, Cadet ; of the Town-Major, Hugues P^an ; of the Treasurer- General, Imbert. Pdan was the Chief and Bigot the Great Chief of this nefarious association. Between Bigot and P^an, another link existed. Plan's favour at Court lay in the charms of his wife. Madame P^an, nie Ang^lique De Meloises, was young, pretty, witty and charming ; a fluent and agreeable speaker — in fact so captivating that Francois Bigot was entirely ruled by her during all his stay at Quebec. At her house in St. Louis street he spent his evenings ; there, he was sought and found in May, 1759, by Col. deBougainville returning from Paris, the bearer of the dispatches, announcing the coming struggle. Would you like some of the pen-photographs which a clever French contemporary f has left of the corrupt entourage of the magnificent intendant : here ai"e a few : " Brassard Deschenaux, the son of a poor cobbler, was born at •Montcalm, deVaudieuil, dcLongueuil, deBougainville, LaCorne, deBeau- jeu, Tache, deLery, deSt. Ours and others constituted this party of honourable men. jMbhoirbs sur lea affaires du Canada, 1749-60. , i I i ( II M Ij - i ■ 1 i : : ^ .1 ■■■ . ; \ ( 1 n ! 1 1 ' 216 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Quebec. A notary who boarded with Deachenaux, senior, had taught his son to read. Naturally quick and intelligent, young Deschenaux made rapid progress and soon found something to do in the office of Intendant Hocquart where Bigot found him and succeeded in having him appointed clerk in the Colonial Office at Quebec. Industrious, but at heart a sycophant, by dint of cringing ho won the good graces of Bigot, who soon put \in- limited trust in him, to that degree as to do nothing without Deschenaux's aid ; but Deschenaux was vain, ambitious, haughty and overbearing and of such inordinate greed, that he was in the habit of boasting ' that to get rich he would even rob a church.' " Cadet was the son of a butcher. In his youth he was employed to mind the cattle of a Charlesbourg peasant; he next set up as a butcher and made money. His savings, he invested in trade; his intriguing spirit brought him to the notice of the Intendant Hocquart, who gave him contracts to supply meat for the army. Deschenaux soon discovered that Cadet could be useful to him ; he made him his friend and lost no opportunity to recommend him to the Intendant. He was accordingly often employed to buy the supplies for the subsistence of the troops, in verity, there were few men moi-e active, more industrious, more com- petent to drive a bargain. The King required his services and secured them, by having Cadet named Commissary General. He had his redeeming points — was open-handed in his dealings — of a kindly nature and lavish even to excess." The worthy Commissary General, like P^an, was blessed with a charming wife, whom Panet's Diary stylos " La Belle Amazone Aventuri(^re." Probably like her worthy spouse, — of low ex- traction ; " elle n'(5tait pas sortie do la cuisse do Jupiter," to use a familiar French saw. She certainly was not, like Cresar's wife "above suspicion." Madame Cadet, later on, transferred her allegiance from the rich butcher Cadet, to one *' Siour Joseph Euffio" ; but let us draw the veil of oblivion over the short comings of another age. " Capt. Huglios P^an, Chevalier de la Livaudiere, was Town Major of Quebec, aide-Major des 'Troupes." He was not long in discovering that with an intendant like Bigot, he could dare any- thing. Had he not without any trouble netted a gain of 50,000 half crowns? A large qantity of wheat was required for Govern- ment; he was charged with the purchase. There was a fat job in store for the Town Major. How was his master the Intendant to manage the matter for him ? Bigot was a man of resource, who never forgot his friends. First, he provided Pdan with a large sum out of the Treasuiy to buy the wheat as low as pos- sible for cash ; and then his complaisant council passed an order [il ; LA FRIPONNE. 21*7 or Ordonnance fixing the price of grain much higher than that at which P^an had purchased. The town Major charged it to the Government at the rate fixed hy the Ordonnance ; the difference left him a handsome profit. He thought he would next try his hand at building coasting craft, which he could manage to keep constantly in commission for Government ; this also was luci-a- tive. Other devices, however, were i-esorted t(>; a secret part- nership was entered into between Cadet and a person named Clavery, who shortly after become store-keeper at Quebec. Cadet was to purchase wheat in the parishes, have it ground at a mill he had leased, the flour to be sent abroad, secretly. Pdan, too, had large warehouses bull*". — at Beaumont some say. Cargoes of grain were thus secretly shipped to foreign ports in defiance of the law. Br^ard, the Comptroller-General, for a consideration winked at these mal-practices, and from a poor man when he landed in Canada, he returned to France in affluent circum- tances. The crowning piece of knavery was the erection of a vast shop and warehouses near to the Intendant's Palace. Clavery had charge of this establishment, where a small retail business was carried on as a blind. The reul object was to monopolize the trade in pi-ovisions and concentrate it here. Clavery was clerk to Estebe, Royal store-keeper at Quebec. In this warehouse were accumulated all su(di provisions and supplies as were wanted an- nually, and ordered from France for the King's stores at Quebec. It was the practice of the Tntendant to send each summei- the requisitions to Paris. Bigot took care to order from France less supplies than were required, so as to have an excuse to order the remainder in times of want, at Quebec. The orders were sent to Clavery's warehouse, where the same goods were sold twice over, at increased rates. Soon the people saw through the deceit, and this repository of fraud was called in consequence La Friponne, " The Knave." Want of space prevents me from crowding in photos of the other accomplished rogues, banded together for public robbery during the expiring years of French domination in Canada. It is sin^rular to note how many low-born * parasites and I' H flatterers surrounded Bigot. In 1755, the wheat harvest having failed, and the produce of former years having been carried out of Cansida or else stored in the magazine of Bigot's ring, the people of Canada were reduced to starvation : in many instances they had to subsist on horse flesh and decayed codfish. Instead of having recourse to the * Servants, lackeys and nobodies were named store-keepers, " leur ignorance et leur baasesae tie font point un obstacle," say the Mimoires, 1749-60. . j H !;< n^^^ 1 1. 218 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. wheat stored here, the Intendant's minions led him to believe that wheat was not so scarce as the peasantry pretended — that the peasants refused to sell it, merely in anticipation of obtaining still higher rates; that the Tntendant, they argued, ought to issue orders for domiciliary visits in the rural districts ; and levy a tax on each inhabitant of the country, for the maintenance of the residents in the city, and of the troops. Statements were made out, shewing the rations required to prevent the people from dying of hunger. Cadet was charged with the raising of this vexatious impost. In a very short time, he and his clerks had overrun the country, appropriating more wheat than was neces8ar3^ Some of the unfortunate peasants, who saw in the loss of their seed wheat starvation and death, loudly complained. A few called at the Intendant's Palace, but the heartless Deschenaux, the Intendant's Secretary, was ever on the watch and had them questioned by his employes, and when the object of their visit was discovered, they were ushered into the presence of Deschenaux, who insulted them and threatened to have them imprisoned for thus presuming to complain to the Intendant, Bigot was afterwards advised of their visit, and when they appeared before him they were so maltreated and bullied that they left, happy in the fact that they had not been thrown into prison ; soon, none dared to complain. Bread was fetting scarcer every day. The Intendaut had named persons to istribute the bread at the baker's shops, the flour being furnished by Government. The people crowded the bakeries on the days fixed ; the loaves were taken by violence ; mothers of families used to complain that they could not get any; they used occasionally to besiege the Intendant at his Palace with their lamentations and complaints, but it was of no avail ; the Intendant was sur- rounded Dy a crowd of flatterers, who on retiring, gorged from his luxurious board, could not understand how the poor could die of hunger. Land of my fathers reclaimed from barbarism at the cost of so much blood — so much treasure; bountifully provided with nobles — priests — soldiers — fortifications by the great Louis ; sedulously — paternally watched over by Colbert and Talon : to what depth of despaii, shall we say, degradation are thou sunk! Proud old city, have you then no more defenders to put forth, in your supreme hour of woe and desertion I Has then that dauntless race of Gentilshommes Canadiens, d'Iberville — Ste. H^lene — de Rouville — de B^cancourt — de R^pentigny, disap- peared without leaving any successors ! And you stern old de Frontenac, you who replied so eflfectually to the invader through the mouth of your cannon, is your martial spirit quenched forever, in that loved fortress in which rest your THE INTEND A NT BIOOT. 219 venerated remains, you who at one time (1689) were ready, at the head of your Regulars and fighting CanadianH,* to carry out the rash scheme, hatched by deCallieres: the conquest of New York and destruction of the chief settlements in New p]ngland, a scheme which involved the dispersion of more than eighteen thousand people, as sixty-six years later (in 1755), a British Commander tore from their homes the peaceable Acadians of Orand-Pre. f I could enlarge to any extent the gloomy picture which the history of tliis shameful period discloses. Two skilful novelists, the one in the English language, Wm. Kirby, % Esq., of Niagara, the other in the French, Joseph Marmette,^ of Quebec, have woven two graphic and stirring historical romances, out of the materials which the career of the Intendant Bigot and the desertion of the colony in its hour of trial, by France — so abundantly supply. * " He (deCallieres), says Parkmim, laid before the King a plan, which had, at least, the recommendation of boldness and cheapness. This was to conquer New York with the forces already in Canada, aided only by two ships of war. The blow, he argued, should be struck at once, and the English taken by surprise. A thousand regulars and six hundred Canadian Militia should pass Lake Champlain and Lake George, in canoes and bateaux, cross to the Hudson, and capture Albany, where they would seize all the river-craft, and descend the Hudson to the town of New York, which, as Calli^res states, had then about two hundred houses and four hundred fightiner men. The two ships were to cruise at the mouth of the Harbour, and wait the arrival of the troops, which was to be made known to them by concerted signals, where- upon they were to enter and aid in the attack. The whole expedition, he thought, might be accomplished in a month, so that by the end of October, the King would be master of the country It will be well to observe what were the instructions of the King towards the colony which he proposed to conquer. They were as follows : If any Catholics were found in New York, they might be left undisturbed, provided that they took an oath of allegiance to the King. Officers, and other persons who had the means of paying ransoms, were to be thrown into prison. All lands in the colony, except those of Catholics swearing allegiance, were to be taken from the owners, and granted under feudal tenure to the French officers and soldiers. All property, public or private, was to be seized, a portion of it given to the grantees of the land, and the rest sold on account of the King. Mechanics and other workmen might, at the discretion of the commanding officer, be kept as prisoners to work at fortifications and do other labor. The rest of the English and Dutch inhabitants, men, women, and children were to be carried out of the colony, and dispersed in New England, Pennsylvania or other places, iu such manner, that they could not combine in any attempt to recover their property and their country. And that the conquest might be perfectly secure, the nearest settlements of New England were to be destroyed, and those more remote, laid under contribution. — Count Frontenac and New France under Louis XIV, p. 187-9.) \ See Appendix, verbo " Conquest in Nbw York." % The Chien d'Or a Leobnd of Quebec. § L'Intendant Bigot. \ t III! rr j i i. 'HI 220 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. One redeeming fw<^, one flash of sunshine lights U]> the last hour of French domination : the devotion of the Canadian militia to- wards their oblivious mother-country; their dauntless courage at the Beauport engagement — after the battle of the Plains, 13th Sept., 1759 — and at the battle of Ste. Foyo, on the 28th April. 17<»0, a day glorious to French arms, but at best a useless victory. RVtNH OF THE INTENDA^Ta PALACE. "It is the voice of years that are gone I they roll before me with all their deeda." — OSSUN. " * The descriptions, or perspective sketches,' says Mr. Walkem, * according to the fancy or whim of the artist or the photographer, ol" what is left of the ruins, convey no adequate idea of its real capacity and magnitude in length, breadth or height. My present object, therefore, with your permission, is to supply this deficiency from plans and elevations drawn to a scale of feet about the year 1770 — when some repairs were effected by the Military Engineers, — five years before its destruction in 1775. And more especially do I feel it my duty to submit this plan, &c., for publication since it has become part of the military history, not of Quebec only, but of Canada. " The following is an extract from the Centenary report : ' This once magnificent pile was constructed under the French King's directions in 1084, under Intendant de Meules. It was burnt in 1712, when occupied by Intendent B^gon, and restored bj^ the French Government. It became, fi'om 1748 to 1759, the luxurious resort of Intendant Bigot and his wassailers. Under English rule it was neglected, and Arnold's men having, from the cupola, annoyed Guy Carleton's soldiers, orders were given to destroy it with the city guns.' '"Skulking riflemen in St. Roch's, watching behind walls to ' kill our sentries, some of them fired from the cupola of the 'Intendant's Palace. We brought a nine-pounder to answer them.' — (^Extract from a journal of an officer of the Quebec Garrison. " For those who may not be familiar with the meaning of the term ' Intendant,' and the official duties of his office, the follow- ing remarks are submitted from the most authentic sources. It was one of civil administration, direction management, superin- tendence, &c., and next to that of Governor-General, the office of Intendant was one of the greatest importance and celebrity in Quebec. It was established by the proclamation of the King of France in 1663, — creating a Sovereign Council for the affairs of the Colony — viz: the Governor-General, the Bishop, the Intendant and four Councillors, with an Attorney-General and Chief Clerk. The number of Councillors was afterwards increased to twelve. THE INTENDANTS PALACE. 221 " The authority of the Intondant, oxcopt in his oxecutivo capacity, was indeed little inferior to that of tlio Governor iiin\- welf. Ho had the suporintendonoe of four deparLmonts, viz : JuHtice, Police, Finance, and Marine. The tirst intendant named under the proclamation of 1G(!I{ was M. Eobert; but ho never camo to Caiuula to fill his otUco, and it was not till the summer of lt)55 that Joan do Talon an-ivod at Quebec, as the first real Intondant, with the Viceroy doTracy, and theCarignan Regiment. The building in which the Sovereign Council first held their meetings would appear to have sUmmI on the south side of Fabriquo street westward (?) of the Jesuit College, known at that time as the ' Treasury.' " During the Intendancy of M. do MouIoh, in luS4, that gentle- man, at his own expense, endowed the eastern portion of the St. Eoch's suburbs with an edifico henceforth known as tho ' Intcn- dant's Palace ' (* Lo Palais '), remarkable for its dimensions, magnificence and general appearance ; it included also (according to old plans) about tetj acres of land contained probably between St. Rochs and St. Nicholas streets, having the River St. Charles in front, and afterwards laid out in ornamental gardens. The Palace was described by La Potherie, in 1698, as consisting of eighty toises, or 480 feei of buildings, so that it appeared a little town in itself. The King's stores were also kept there. "In 1712, Intendant B^gon, with a splendid equipage and retinue, arrived in Quebec from France, and took up his residence at tho Palace. On the 5th of January, 1713, the entire building and premises unfortunately wore destroj'od by fire, and such was tho rapidity of tho flames that tho Intondant and his wife escaped with great difficulty. Madame Bdgon was obliged to break the panes of glass in her apartment before she had power to breathe. The young lady attendants were burned to death. The Inten- dant's valet de chamhre, anxious to save some of his master's wardrobe, also perished in the flames. His Secretary, passing barefooted fi'om the Palace to the river front, was so much frozen that he died in tho Hospital of the Hotcl-Biou a few days afterwards.* " Tho Palace was afterward rebuilt under the direction of M. B^gon at tho oxjjense of His Majesty, and of which the plans and elevation now presented are presumed to bo a correct and faithful illustration. The principal entrance appears to have been from that side next the cliff, opposite the ' Arsenal,' — or from the present line of St. Valier street — with large store buildings, magazines, &c., on either side of tho entrance, and in the rear of • For the names of the victims and further particulars, vide 2ad Volume du Dictiounaire Genealogique, par I'Abbe languay. ( i > ! ^S \ I 1 ) 1 L^ I I' J I I I i I 222 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. that Htood the building kriown as the ' Prison.' It would appear tlmt La Potherie's remark, in 1698, of the Hrst (^onsti-uction rosembliii<^ a little town in itself, would also apply to the ^roup of the second construction — as no loss than twenty in number are shown on some of the old plans of this period. From ske*f*beH taken on the spot by an officer of the Fleet in Wolfe's oxpet of 1759, and publisiied in London two years afterwards, thoi ^n bo little doubt, for want of room elsowhoro, that the Palace was converted into barracks and occupied immediately after the sur- render of Quebec by the troops under General Murray, and continued to bo used as such until it fell Into the hands of the American insurgents under Arnold, in 177'), and was destroyed by the cannon from the ramparts. The assumption is litrengthenea, if not confirmed, by the occupation of the Jesuit College as barracks the following year theamount of accommodation in both cases, a full rcgiment^ — would be the same ; hence the comfortable quarters in the 'Palais ' by the rebel force under Arnold, which would accommodate the most of his mon. " The appearance of this once celebrated structure in its general aspect was more imposing from its extent than from any archi- tectural ornate embellishments. The style was the Fn '^•.h domestic of that period, of two clear stories in heighth e extreme frontage was 260 feet, with projecting wings at end of 20 feet (vide plan), the depth from the front of the wu.^s to the rear line 75 feet, and the central part 58 feet ; the height from the site level to the apex of roof about 55 feet, and to the eaves line about 33 feet ; in the basement there were no less than 9 vaults, 10 feet high to the crown of the arch running along the whole front, as shown in the elevation. The apartments in the two stories are divided longitudinaly by a wall from one end to the other, and comprise altogether about 40 in number, allotted into barrack-rooms as per original military plans. " The roof is plain and steep, and only broken by the pedimented wings at each end of the building, with chimney stacks and stone coping over the transverse tire walls, and otherwise relieved by a small octagonal cupola of two sections placed in the centre of the roof. The approach to the building in front is by two flights of steps, an enclosed porch forming a central feature to the main entrance ; the basement windows are shewn in the elevation above the ground line. The walls were substantially built of black slate rock peculiar to Quebec and must have taken much time in the erection judging from its tenacity, and the hardness of the material still remaining. No doubt the walls, as was the prac- tice in those days, were built of dry masonry, a few feet at a time, and then grouted with mortar in a thin semi-fluid state, composed of quicklime and fine sand poured into the interspaces of the stone-work, filling every cavity, excluding the air, and 'U\ iii I THE INTENDANrS PALACE. 223 left to dry before commenriiii^ the next course. The wrought Htono at tlio quoirirt and angles appear to have heon ([uarried at P(»int-aux-Treinl)los, or more liUoly at Hoauport ; while the sides of the doors and windows wore faced with hard Flemish brick, still inta .■ I» i M ' r 1< ■ 1 r] :■(! k J 224 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. other liquors, and storage generally to the inhabitants of the city, and the roof was shingled or otherwise covered in on several occasions by the Government. '• In the great fire of St. Roch's (1845) the Fuel Yard, about four acres in extent, with some hundreds of cords of wood ])iled there, and a very large quantity of coalw in a ' lean-to-shcd ' against the Palais walls were consumed — the coals contiimed to burn and smoulder for nearly six months, — and notwithstanding the solidity of the masonry, as already described, portions of it, with the heat like a fiery furnace, gave way. Upon this occasion an unfortunate woman and two children were burned to death in the Fuel Yard. Great efforts were made by Mr. Bailey, a commissariat officer, and Mr. Boswell. owner of the brewery, to save the lives of the victims, but unfortunately without success. These gentlemen, after their coats had been burned off their backs, and the hair from their heads and eyebrows, had to fly at last to save their own lives. ''On the withdrawal of the Imperial troops in 1870-71, the whole of ' Le Palais ' property was handed over to the Dominion Government. " Charles Walkem, " (Late R E. Civil Service Staff" in Canada.) " Ottawa, 24th July, 1876." Doubtless to the eyes of the "free and independent electors " of La Vacherie, in 1759, the Intendant's Palace seemed a species of " eighth wonder." The eighth wonder lost mach of its eclat, however, by the inaugura- tion of English rule, in 1*759, but a total eclipse came over this imposing and majestic luminary when Guy Carleton's guns from the ramparts of Quebec began, in 1*775, to thunder on its cupola and roof, which ottered a shelter to Arnold's soldiery : the rabble of " shoemakers, hatters, blacksmiths and innkeepers," (says that savage old Tory, Colonel Henry Caldwell), bent on providing Canada with the blessings of Kepublicanism. A century and more has passed over the gorgeous Palace — now a dreary, moss- covered ruin, surrounded in rear by coarse grass, fallen The Jesuit College had been occupied as a barrack, under the warrant of General J. Murray, in 1765. (J. M. L.) LA VACHERIE. 225 stones : Bigot — his wassailers, — the fair but frail Madame de Pean, like her prototj ne of Paris, Madame de Pompadour, have all fleeted to the land of shadows ; and tourists, high and low, still crowd to glance meditatively at those fast fading traces of a guilty past. It was in October, 1879, the special privilege of the writer to escort to these ruins one of our Sovereign's gentle and accomplished daughters, H. R. H. the Princess Louise, accompanied r)y H. E. Lord Lome, as he had done the previous autumn with regard to the learned Dean of Westminster, Revd. A. P. Stanley : proud he was to think that though Quebec had no such attrac- tions like antique, like classic England, — turretted castles, moated granges, or even " Old pheasant Lords, " Partridge breeders of a thousand years," — its romantic past was not without pleasing or startling or interesting memories. We have just mentioned " La Vacherie " ; this consisted of the extensive and moist pastures at the foot ol Coleau Sainte- Genevieve, extending towards the Greneral Hospital, where the city cows were grazed ; on this site and gracing the handsome streets " Crown " " Craig " and " Desfosses," can now be seen elegant dry-goods stores, vying with the largest in the Upper Town. Had St. Peter street, in 1775, been provided with a regular way of communication with St. Roch ; had St. Paul street then existed, the sun of progress would havi^ shone there nearly a century earlier. " For a considerable time past, several plans of ameliora- tion of the City of Quebec," says the Abbe Ferland, " were proposed to the Ministry by M. de Meules. The absolute necessity of obtaining a desirable locality for the residence of the Intendant, and for holding the sessions of the Council ; the Chateau St. Louis being hardly sufficient to afford suitable quarters for the Governor and the persons who formed his household. M. de Meules proposed P 1 'm. ' f i ^.^■■ 1 ! It ■' ! ' 1 " i « i I'M ■ iHt 226 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. purchasing a large stone building which M. Talon had caused to be erected for the purpose of a brewery, and which, for several years, had remained unoccupied. Placed in a very commodious position on the bank of the river St. Charles, and not many steps from the Upper Town, this edifice, with suitable repairs and additions, might furnish not alone a desirable residence for the Intendant, but also halls and offices for the Supreme Council and the Courts of Justice, as likewise vaults for the archives and a prison for the criminals. Adjacent to the old brewery, M. Talon owned an extent of land of about seventeen superficial acres, of which no use was made in M. de Meules' plan ; a certain portion of this land could be reserved for the gardens and dependencies of the Intendant's Palace, whilst the remainder might be portioned off into building lots {emplacements), and thus convert ii into a second lower town, and which might some day be extended to the foot of the Cape. He believed that if this plan were adopted, the new buildings of Quebec would extend in that direc- tion, and not on the heights almost exclusively occupied by the Religious Communities.^ We perceive, according to Mr. Panet's Journal, that Saint Roch existed in 1*759 ; that the women and children, residents of that quarter, were not wholly indifferent to the fate of their distressed country. "The same day (31st July, 1759)," says Panet, " we heard a great uproar in the St. Roch quarter — the women and children were shouting, ' Long Live the King ! ' " f "I ascended the height (on the Coteau See. Genevieve) and there beheld the first frigate all in a blaze, very shortly afterwards a black smoke issuing from the second, which blew up and afterwards took fire." On the 4th August several bomb-shells of 80 lbs. fell on St. Roch. We read, that on the 31st August, two soldiers • Cours d'Biatoire du Canada, Vol. II., p. 140. t Louis XV. COTE A COTON. 227 were hanged at three o'clock in the afternoon, for having stolen a cask of brandy from the house of one Charland, in the St. Roch quarter. In those times the General (or the Recorder) did not do things by halves. "Who was this Charland of 1750 ? Could he be the same who, sixteen years afterwards, fought so stoutly with Lieut. Dambo urges at the Sault-au-Matelot engagement ? Since the inaugu- ration of the English domination, St. Roch became peopled in a most rapid manner ; we now see there a net-work of streets, embracing in extent several leagues. The first steep hill past the Y. M. C. Association Hall — formerly Grallows Hill, (where the luckless David McLane was disembowelled, in 1797, for levying war against the King of Great Britain), and leading from St. John street without to that not over-straight thoroughfare, named after the second Bishop of Quebec — St. Vallier street — borrows its name from Barthelemy Coton, who in days of yore closed his career in Quebec at the advanced age of 92 years. Can anyone tell us the pedigree of Barthelemy Coton? To the French portion of the inhabitants it is known as Cdte d Colon, whilst the English portion still continue to surround it, unopportunely we think, with the unhallowed traditions of a lugubrious past and call it Gallows Hill. Cote a Coton debouches into St. Vallier street, which on your way takes you to Scott's Bridge, over the Little River St. Charles. Across St. Vallier street it opens on a rather magnificent street as to extent — Baronne street, — commemorating the souvenir of an illus- trious family in colonial History, represented by Madame la Baronne de Longueuil, the widow of the third Baron, who had, in 1770, married the Honorable. "Wm. Grant, the Receiver-General of the Province of Quebec, who lived at St. Rochs, and died there in 1805. On M. P. Cousin's plan of Quebec, published in 1875, parallel to St.Vallier street to the south, and St. Fleurie street to the north, half way between, is laid down Baronne street. IB i! % m w^ y \ V{ i|ll i '' 1 1 1 228 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. The most ancient highway of the quarter (St. Roch) is probably St. Vallier street. " Desfosses " street most likely derives its name from the ditches (/os.ses) which served to drain the green pastures of La Vacherie. The old Bridge street dates from the end of the last century (1789). " Dorchester " street recalls the esteemed and popular administrator, Lord Dorchester, who, under the name of Gruy Carleton, led on to victory the militia of Quebec in 1*775. " Craig " street received its name from Sir John Craig, a gouty, testy, but trusty old soldier, who administered the Government in 1807-9-10 ; it was enlarged and widened ten feet, after the great fire of 1845. The site of St. Paul's Market was acquired from the Royal Ordnance, on 31st Julv, 1831. A former Quebecer wi-ites Ottawa, 17th May, 1876. " At the beginning of this century only eighty square-rigged vessels entered the Port of Quebec. There were then in Quebec only nine importers, and half a dozen master mechanics, one shipyard (.John Black's, where one ship was launched each year), one printing office and one weekly paper. " The tide then washed the rear walls of the houses on the north part of Sault-au-Matelot street. The only deep water wharves were Dunieres, after- wards Brehaut's, Johnson & Purss', and the King's Wharf. There were no dwelling houses beyond Dunieres' Wharf, but a few liuts were built at the base of the cape. A black man was the solitary inhabitant on the beach, and all the way to Sillery the woods extended to the water's edge. A lease of this beach miglit then have been obtained for X'50 a year. " In St. Uoch's Suburbs there was no house beyond the Manor House near the Intendant's Palace, save a few straggling ones in St. Vallier and St. Roch's streets. The site of the present Parish of St. Roch was mostly occupied by Grant's Mills, by meadows and farms. " In St. John Suburbs there were only a few houses on St. John and St. George's streets and St. Louis Suburbs which, in 1775, contributed but three militia-men, viz : Jean Dobin, gardener ; Jos. Provcau, carter, and Jacques Dion, mason, could boast of only one house, and the nearest one to it was Powell Place, Spencer Wood. " On the St. Foy Road there was no house beyond the mineral well in St. John Suburbs, until you came to the Haut Bijou— Mr. Stewart's. Tlie population of the city was then estimated at 12,000. " I wonder if your friend Col. Strange is aware that his old friend Sergt. Hugh McQuarters, of 1775 fame, was led captive to Hymen's altar by the winning smiles and bright eyes of a belle Canadienne, Mam'sclle Victoire Frechette. She died on the 12th October, 1812. " Not having seen a copy of the address of Henri Taschereau, Esq.^ M.P. i i ST. ROCH'S SUBURBS. 229 before the Canadian Institute on the American InvtiRion of '75, I ara not aware if he alluded to the fact that Captain and Paymaster Gabriel Elzcar Taschereau took part in the ' Vaffaire du Sault-au-Matelot.' " Thus, by degrees, you see some little odds and ends of Quebec history are coming to light. " I remain, "(Signed,) C. J. O'Lbary. "J. M. LeMoine, Esq." In the present day the prolongation of the wharf has left no trace of it ; the Station of the North Shore Railway covers a portion of this area. " Church " street (la rue de I'Eglise), doubtless owes its name to the erection of the beautiful Saint Roch Church, towards 1812, the site of which was given by the late Honorable John Mure, who died in Scotland in 1823. Saint Roch, like the Upper Town, comprises several Fiefs, proceeding from the Fief of the Seminary and reach- ing as far as the Gras Wharf ; the beaches with the right of fishing belonged originally to the Hdtel-Dieu by a concession dated the 31st March, 1(J48, but they have since been conceded to others. The Crown possesses an important reserve towards the west of this grant ; then comes the grant made, in 1814 or 1815, to the heirs of William Grant, now occupied by several ship-yards. Jacques Cartier who, in 1535-6, wintered in the vicinity of Saint Roch, left his name to an entire municipal division of this rich suburb, as well as to a spacious market hall. (The Jacques Cartier Market Hall.) The first secular priest, who landed in Quebec on the 8th August, 1634, and who closed his days in the Hotel-Dieu on the 29th November, 1668, Jean le Sueur de Saint Sauveur, left his name to what now constitutes the populous municipality of Saint Sauveur. (Casgrain, Historie de C Hotel-Dieu, p. 81.) On the spot on which the General Hospital (Jonvent was erected, in 1691, the four first Franciscan Friars, Peres Jamay, D'Olbeau, LeCaron and Frere Pacifique Du Plessis, who had landed at Quebec on the 2nd June, 1615, soon set to work to erect the first Church, the first Convent and \ ! .' i !■ il. i i i 1 j J 1 i r. 1 230 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. the first Seminary in New France, and on the 3rd June, 1620, Father d'Olbeau, in the absence of Father Jamay, the Superior of the Mission, placed the first stone of the churchy under the name of Notre Dame des Anges, on the 25th May, 1625. This was on the bank of the river which Jacques Oartier had called the River Ste. Croix, because he had landed there on the 14th September, 1535, the day of the exaltation of the Holy Cross : the Friars changed the name to that of St. Charles, in honor of " Monsieur Charles de Boues, G-rand Vicaire de Pontoise'' one of the most distinguished benefactors of their Order. St. Vallier street, leading to ancient and Indian Lorette, over the Little River Road, at present so well built up and echoing to the shrill whistle of the Q. M. O. & O. Railway, until a few years back was a lone thoroughfare, beyond the toll-bar, lined with bare, open meadows. Here, also, has been felt the march of progress. In the genial summer months passers-by are admonished by a pungent, not unhealthy, odor of tannin, an effluvia of tamarac bark, that tanners and curriers have selected their head-quarters in St. Vallier street. History also lends its attractions to the venerable thoroughfare. Our forefathers would tell of many cosy little dinners, closed, of course, with whist or loo — of many recherche pic-nics in days of yore, kept up until the " sma' hours " at two renowned hostelries, only recently removed — the Blue House and the Red House, — chiefly at that festive and crowning season of the year, when " The snow, the beautiful snow," called forth the City Driving Club and its silvery, tinkling sleigh bells. A steward — once famous as a caterer — on closing his term of service at the Chateau, with a departing Grovernor, more than a century back, was the Boniface at the Blue House : Alexandre Menut. A veritable Soyer was Monsieur THE BLUE HOUSE. 231 Menut. During the American invasion, in the autumn of 1775, Monsieur Menut, owing to a vis major, was forced to entertain a rather boisterous and wilful class of customers : Richard Montgomery and his warlike Continentals. More than once a well-aimed ball or shell from G-eneral Carleton's batteries in the city must have disturbed the good cheer of the New York and New England riflemen lounging about Menut's, a great rebel rendezvous in 1775-6, we are told, visible from afar, * " with its white flag flying on the house. Arnold's head-quarters being close to the St. Charles, where Scott's Bridge was since built, the intervening space between the city and the General Hospital was daily swept by Carleton's artillery. The Page Diaries abound with details of the casualties or narrow escapes of the invading host. A few quotations will suffice : " 8th December, 1775. Mr. (Brigadier-General) Montgomery visited Menut's to-day ; a few minutes after he got out of the cariole, a cannon ball from the city walls killed his horse. " 18th December. Some shells were thrown in to-day, and we threw some into St. Eoch's : very few of the enemy seen any- where to-day. A man was shot through the head from St. Eoch ; would it were destroyed ; it serves as a secure cover to the I'ebels. " 2()th January, 1776. Eighty loaded sleighs passing towards Menut's. Two field-pieces placed at the door ; people passing and repassing between that house and the General Hospital; some of our shots went through Menut's house ; we fired a long time at that object ; at last we perceived a man coming towards the town in a cariole, carrying the old signal ; he passed their guard-house and waved with his handkerchief; wo took no notice of him, but fired away at Menut's; he turned about and went back Perhaps they find Menut's too hot for them. — {from Journal of an officer of the Quebec Garrison, 1775-6, quoted in Smith's History of Canada, Vol. II.) " 2l8t February, 1776. Fired at their guard-house and at Menut's. "23rd February. About four this morning we heard the * Smith's History of Canada, Vol. II., p. 105. 1 1' Ml tr ifi ■'\ w 1 ^ I i 1 ■ i ! i ' , 1 232 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. enemy's drum at Menut's, St. Foix. night." Sentries saw rockets in the Prince Edward street, St. Roch, and " Donnacona " street, near the Ursulines, the latter thus named about 1840 by the late Rev. Messire Maguire, then Almoner of the Ursuline Convent, bring up the memory of two impor- tant personages of the past, Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, an English Prince, and Donnacona, a swarthy chief of primitive Canada, who welcomed Jacques Cartier. The vanquisher of Montcalm, General Wolfe, is honoured not only by a statue, at the corner of Palace and St. John's streets, but again by the street which bears his name, Wolfe street. In like manner, his illustrious rival Mont- calm claims an entire section of the city, " Montcalm Ward." Can it be that the susceptible young Captain of the Albemarle, Horatio Nelson, carried on his flirtation with the captivating Miss Mary Simpson, in 1782, in the street which now rejoices in his name ? NELSON IN QVEBEG-m2. " C'est Tamour qui fait le tour de la ronde."— Old Song. "Though the "Ancient Capital," ever since 1764, rejoiced in an organ of public opinion — a chronicle of daily events, fashions, city gossip, the Quebec Gazette, — one would look in vain, in the barren columns of that journal, for any intelligence of an incident, in 1782, which, from the celebrity in after-life of the chief actor, and the local repute of the reigning belle of the day, must have caused a flutter among the F. F. Q. of the period : we mean the tender attachment of Horatio (Lord) Nelson, commanding H. M. frigate Albemarle, 28 guns then in port, — his romantic admiration for Miss Mary Simpson, the youthful and accomplished daughter of Saunders Simpson (not " James," as Dr. Miles asserts), the cousin of James Thompson, Sr., one of Wolfe's veterans. Tradi- tions, venerable by their antiquity, told of the charms divine, of the conquests of a marvellously handsome Quebec beauty in the latter part of the last century : the Catullus of 1783 thus begins his inspired \a,y in the Quebec Gazette of that year : NELSON CONQUERED AT QUEBEC. 233 < Sure you will rather listen to my call, Since beauty and Quebec's fair nymphH I sing. Henceforth Diana in Miss S — ps — n see, As noble and majestic is her air ; Nor can fair Venus, W — Ic — s, vie with thee, Nor all thy heavenly charms with thee compare.' " It was our fate first to attempt to unravel the tangles of this attractive web. In the course of our reading.s, in 1865, our attention had been drawn to a passage in the life of Nelson by the Laureate of England, Eobert Southey,* and enlarged on by Lamartine in the pleasant sketch he gave of the naval hero. Our investigations were aided by the happy memory of an old friend, now deceased : the late Lt.-Col. John Sewell, who had served in the 49th under General Brock, and whose birth was nearly contemporary with the visit of Nelson to our port in September, 1782. It was evident the chief biographers of the gifted sea captain ignored the details of his youthful attachment on our shores. "'At Quebec,' says Southey, 'Nelson became acquainted with Alexander Davison, by whose interference he was prevented from making what would have been called an imprudent marriage. The Albemarle was about to leave the station, her Captain had taken leave of his friends, and was gone down the river to the place of anchorage; when the next morning, as Davison was walking on the beach, to his surprise he saw Nelson comir)g back in his boat. Upon inquiring the cause of his re-appearance, Nelson took his arm to walk towards the town, and told him he found it utterly itapossible to leave Quebec without again seeing the woman whose society contributed so much to his happiness, and then and there offering her his hand.' 'If you do,' said his friend, 'your utter ruin must inevitably follow.' 'Then, let it follow,' cried Nelson; 'for I am resolved to do it.' 'And I,' replied Davison, 'am resolved you shall not.' Nelson, however, on this occasion was less resolved than his friend, and suffered himself to be led back to the boat.' " This led us to prepare a short ' Novelette' on the subject in the Revue Canadienne, in 1867, subsequently incorporated in the Maple Leaves : amended and corrected as new light dawned upon us in the Tourists' Note Book, issued in 1876, and Chronicles of the St. Lawrence, published in 1878. " Whether it was Alexander Davison, his tried friend in after- life, as Southey suggests, or another Quebecer of note, in 1782, Matthew Lymburner, as Lt.Col. John Sewell, on the faith of Hon. William Smith, the Historian of Canada, had stated to us, is Life qf Lord Nelion, by Robert Southey, L.L.D, 1 J w^ I I ■I m\ ; I m ' \ ;-5? V r 'U ' ■ 1 V i 'f fel 1 1 234 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. of minor importance : one thing is certain, some thoughtful friend, in 1782, seems to have extricated tlie impulsive Horatio from the ' tangles of Neaera's hair ' in the port of Quebec : the hand of fate had marked the future Captain of the Victory, not as the Romeo of a Canadian Juliet, but as the paramour of Lady Emma Hamilton. Alas! for his fair fame! It seems certain that the Commander of the Albemarle, during his repeated visits to our port, in July, September and October, 1782, became acquainted, possibly at some entertainment at Freemason's Hall, — the ' Windsor ' of the period — with ' sweet sixteen ' (he himself was but twenty-four) in the person of Miss Mary Simpson, the bloom- ing daughter of an old Highlandman, Sandy Simpson, a cousin to Mr. James Thompson, then overseer of works, and father of the late Judge John Gwalor Thompson, of Gaspe, and of late Com.- General James ThompbOn, of Quebec. Sandy Simpson was an habitui of this historical and, for the period, vast old stone mansion where Captain Miles Prentice,* as ho had been styled in 1775, hung out, with good cheer, theolive branch of Freemasonrj' and of loyalty to his Sovereign. The bonne socieU of Quebec, in 1782, was limited indeed: and it was not probable the arrival from sea of one of H. M.'s ships of war, the Albemarle, could escape the notice of the leading men in Quebec. " If the Quebec Gazette of 1782 and Quebec Herald, published in 1789-90, contain no mention of this incident, several passages in the correspondence f exchanged by the Thompson family with the early love of Nelson, when she had become a stately London matron, as spouse of Colonel Matthews, Governor of the Chelsea Hospital, throw light on his previous career in Quebec. " The question as to whether Nelson's charmer was Miss Prentice or her cousin, Mary Simpson, which we submitted in the Tourists' Note Book in 1876 (see pages 26 and 36), we had considered as settled, in 1878, in favour of Miss Simpson, as the following passage in the Chronicles of the St. Lawrence shows : " Here anchored (Island of Orleans), it would seem, Nelson's sloop of war, the Albemarle, in 17H2, when the love-sick Horatio returned to Quebec, for a last farewell from the blooming Miss Simpson, a daughter of Sandy Simpson, one of Wolfe's Provost Marshals. Miss Simpson afterwards married Colonel Matthews, Governor of the Chelsea Pensioners, and died speaking tenderly of her first love, the hero of Trafalgar,' (Chronicles of the St. Lawrence, p. 198.) * See Judge Henry's Diary of the Siege of 1775. t The friends of the history will, no doubt, rejoice to learn that the Literary and Historical Society has acquired the interesting diaries and correspondence of Mr. James Thompson. THE VICTOR IDENTIFIED. 235 " This iclaircissement, as to dates, is not out of place, inasmuch as one of our respected historians. Dr. Ily. Miles, in a scholarly article, published March, 1879, three years after our mentioning Miss Simpson, labours under the idea he was the tij-st to give hor name in connection with Lord Nelson. Several inaccuracies occur in his interesting essay. Miss Simpson is styled the daughter of ' James ' Simpson, whereas she was the daughter of Saunders Simpson, a cousin of James Thompson, who had married a niece of Miles Prentice. In afoot note ap])ended to his essay the Doctor states that 'just befoi-e the depai-ture of our late popular Governor-General (Lord Dutferin), at a breakl'ast at the Citadel, where His Excellency entertained the Captains of the British war vessels Bellerophon and iSirius (he means the Argus and the Sirius), then in port, at which we were present, the conversation having turned on foi-mer visits of commanders of ships-of-war, when. Nelson's name being brought up, the Earl remarked that Mr. LeMoine (then pi-esent) was able to afford some information about him.' ' Mr. LeMoine,' adds Dr. Miles, ' at His Excellency's request, related what he had previously written, much to the satisfaction of his hearers. ' Mi-. LeMoine's account of the affair, however, as it is based on the now exploded doctrine that the heroine was one of the nieces of Mrs. Miles Prentice, was not, as has been shown in the foregoing article, the correct one, however gratifying to the distinguished listeners to its recital on that occasion.' " As the correctness of the information wo were asked to impart on this occasion is impugned by the learned historian, we will, we hope, be pardoned for setting this point at rest. Dr. Miles has committed some egregious, though no doubt uninten- tional, error. The publication in our Tourist's Note Book, in 1876, of the name of Miss Simpson, in connection with Captain Nelson, three years before the appearance of Dr. Miles' essay, which was published in March, 1879, and its repetition, as pi-eviously shown, in the Chronicles of the St. Lawrence, issued in the beginning of the year 1878, can leave no doubt as to our knowledge of this incident, and disposes of the Doctor's statement. The name furnished by us was that of Miss Simpson, and no other. The bi-eaktiast in question took place on the 18th October, 1878 : there were present Lord Dufferin, Mrs. Eussell Stephenson, Mrs. J. T. Harrower,Very Rev. Dean Stanley, the Commander of H. M. S. the Sirius, Capt. Sullivan, the Captain of H. M. S. the Argus, Capt. Hamilton, A.D.C., and the writer." Several streets in the St. Louis, St. John and St. Roch suburbs bear the names of eminent citizens who have, at different periods, made a free gift of the sites, or who, by ii ( I '■1 II IM Hi i 1 h Us 236 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. their public spirit, have left behind them a cherished memory among the people, such as Berthelot, Massue, Boisseau, D'Artigny, Grey, Stewart, Lee, Buteau, Hudon, [Smith, Salaberry, Scott, Tourangeau, Pozer (1), Panet, Bell, Robitaillt?, Ryland (2). St. Ours (3), Dambourges (4). Laval, Panet, Plessis, Seguin, Turgeon streets perpetuate the names of eminent Roman Catholic Bishops. Jerome street took this name from one of the ablest preceptors of youth the Quebec Seminary ever had — Messire Jerome Demers. " Dorchester " Bridge was constructed in 1822, and took the place of the former bridge (Vieux Pont), on the street to the west, built by Asa Porter in 1789, and called after Lord Dorchester the saviour of Quebec. Saint Joseph street, St. Roch, was named after the eminent Roman Catholic prelate, Mgr. Joseph Octave Plessis, Bishop of Quebec, who, in 1811, built the church of St. Roch's suburbs, on land donated by a Presbyterian gen- tleman, John Mure, and dedicated it to St. Joseph, the patron saint of Canada. At one period it had "a width of only twenty-five feet, and was widened to the extent of forty, (1) Named after George Pozer, an aged Quebec milliounaire, who for years resided in the house subsequently occupied as a book-store by the late Chas. Hamel. This eccentric old German was a native of Wesel, Germany. He had emigrated in the last century to New York, from thence to London, Eng- land, from thence to Quebec. He died here in 1840, immensely wealthy, the cause of his death being a cold he caught in attending Pailiament, at Kings- ton, to remonstrate against what he considered the encroachments of the City Council, at Quebec, who, to remove obstructions in the public sfnM f Imil forcibly done away with the projecting steps of " Freemasons Chien d'Or building, for years the property of George Po/':i. ' was the grandfather of Hon. M. Pozer, the portly Senator (or P' (2) Ryland street recalls the astute and able secreta maii Governors, the Hon. Herman W. Ryland, who died in ., at Mo . Lilac, Beauport. (3) St. Ours street reminds the student of history of that bi vc French brigadier who on the glorious battle-field of the 13th Septembei i i59, shed his blood to uphold the lost cause of France. (4) Dambourg^s street perpetuates the name of the intrepid Lieutenant (afterwards Colonel) Dambourg^s, who, on the 31st December, 1775, in the Sault au Matelot engagement, helped so zealously to uphold the flag of Old England. " The progress made with our Harbour Improvements, year by year, foi-ms part of the history of our times, so far, at least, as the annals of this most ancient city of Quebec are concerned. The first stone of the Graving Dock at Levis was laid on Monday, the 7th June, 1880, by His Excellency the Governor- General, and the tablet stone, with the name of " Louise " graven on it, on Thursday, the 2nth of July. Thenceforth the Harbour Works in the River St. Charles became " The Princess Louise Embankment and Locks," and the woi'k in progress on the Levis or south side of the St. Lawrence " The Lome Graving Dock," thus naming the entrance approaches to our cliff-bound city after our present popular Vice-Regal rulers." 1 , To the address presented to His Excellenc^y the Grovernor-G-oneral on this occasion, the following reply was made : — Mb. Phesident and Gentlemen (if the Board of the Qdbbkc Harbouk Com- missioners, — It is with a full sympaihy for you in tho hopes wliidx iiave guided you to the construct ioti of this great work that the I'rincess comes to-day to lay this stone, commemorating an important stage in tiie completion of your labours. She desires that her name, graven on tliis wall, shall serve to remind your citizens, as well as all who prolit by the excellence of the accom- modation here given to vessels of great burden, of iier interest in your for- tunes, and of her assoiiation with you in the speeding of an undertaking designed to benefit at once a great port of the new world and many of the communities of Europe. Access to Quebec is easy now to the largest ocean-going vessels. Your city has the railways far advanced, which will pierce to the heart of the granary of the world — the great wheat centres of the Canadian North- West. The very might and grandeur of the stream on which Quebec is built is in :i Ij 240 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. i:-: I I! I" 1 i t 1 i ! f ! I: i her favour as compared with other centres of commerce, for her visitors have but little tax to pay when a favouring wind fails them, whiie steam must be employed against the strong currents of the upper river. The gigantic quays and the feeding lines of rail stretching inwards unbroken to the prairies must, in all human probability, in the future, ensure to the ancient capital a place among the most flourishing cities of the conti- nent. Even without the aid which science is now bringiag to her support look at the strides which have been made in her prosperity within the last century. Old pictures will show you the hillside above us bare of all but the houses necessary tor the garrison of a fortress, whose hard fate it had been to be the place of contention of rival armies, while beneath the ramparts or within their walls were to be seen only a few of the buildings now devoted in far greater numbers to the purposes of religion and of charity. The banks of the 8t. Charles possessed then only a few store-houses such as would not now be thought sufficient for one of our fifth-rate towns. Now the whole of the slope is covered by the homes of a thriving, increasing and industrious population, while, over the extending limits under the rule of the municipality, learning looks down from the stately walls of Laval, and the members elected by your free and noble province will pass the laws, whose validity is guaranteed by our federal constitution, in a palace reminding one of the stately fabric which holds the art treasures of France. None can observe the contrast without seeing that your progress, although it has partaken of no magic or mushroom-like growth, has been most marked and promising. If commerce seeks for her abode the head of navigation, there are many instances to show that she loves also to keep her ships to their native tides. An instance well known to us may be cited in the case of Glasgow and of Greenock, cities which have risen to their present prosperity so quickly that they rival in that respect many in America and in Canada. Greenock has not been killed by the enormous rise in the importance of the commercial capital of Scotland. A.ssuredly we may believe that Quebec, with a far greater coun- iij at its back, may be enabled, with the aid of proper communications, to pour forth every summer from her lap much of our wealth, of which Europe is so eager to partake. These are the aspirations we share with you, and we wish to give effect to them by drawing the attention of those beyond the seas to the practical invi- tation you extend to them by the facilities afforded by your docks and wharves, and v. aovt join with you in the trust that ample repayment will be yours for th„ energy and engineering skill you have lavished on the public works, v'hich are comparable to any designed for a similar purpose. LORNE. The drapery by which it had been concealed having been rdraoved, the tablet Htone was discovered suspended over the place it was intended to occupy in the wall. The attendant masons having performed their part, a silver trowel was handed to the Princess. This was a handsome piece of workmanship, beautifully chased and set in a rosewood handle, and bore the following inscription : — " To II. E. H. Princess Louise, this trowel was presented by the contractors of the Quebec Harbour Works, on the occasion of her laying the tablet stone of the Princess Louise Embankment and Docks, River St. Charles, Quebec July 29, 1880." Her Royal Highness, with this splendid implement, dug right lustily into the cement, and having pre- pared the bed, drew back to allow the ponderous storr to bo TEE HARBOUR OF QUEBEC. 241 he •e- be lowered thereinto. This done, a beautifnl mallet of polished oak having been presented, the mass received two or three blows, and was then declared to be well and trul}' laid. The Vice-Regal party almost immediately afterwards regained the Druid, which swiftly conveyed the members thereof to terra Jirma, the police yacht Dolphin being in attendance. Of the other steamers, the Clyde and North, after a short sail round the harbour, landed their passengers at the Grand Trunlc Railway wharf; the Brothers wont down to St. Joseph, and gave to those on board an oppor- tunity of noticing the progress made upon the new Graving Dock there. The troops and privileged guests having been conveyed to and from the scene by the Montreal Harbour Com- missioners' boat John Young. IlAIWOUlt AND DOCK WOUKS. Before describing these vast and important structures, calculated to afford such boundless facilities to ocean shipping freque^^ting our port, it may not be without interest to note the efforts made at various times I'ov tht»ir construction. In his excellent work, " British Dominions in North America," Vol. 1., p. 263-264, Col. Bouchette thus deals with the subject in 1832 — the far-seeing but mis- understood Mr. James George, however, as early as 1822, had conceived in his teeming brain the whole scheme. " The construction of a pier across the estuary of the St. Charles is a measure of the greatest practicability, and of pronounced importance in every aspect, and a subject that was brought under the notice of the Legislature in 1829, when it received the most serious consideration of the committee, and was very favourably reported upon ; but no bill has yet (1832) been introduced tending to encourage so momentous an undertaking. The most judicious position contem])lated lor the erection of such a pier is decidedly between the New Exchange and the Beauport Distillery and Mills,^ a direct distance of 4,300 yards, which, with the exception merely of the channels of the St. Charles (that are neither very broad nor deep * ReuHud & Brown's Millis at present. If li ^"1. Q J I 1 ' 242 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. J I! nor numerous), is dry at low water, and affords every advantage calculated to facilitate the construction of a work of that nature. It appears that, anterior to the conquest, the French Government had entertained some views in relation to so great an amelioration; but the subject seems to have never been properly taken up until 1822, when the project was submitted to the Grovernor-in- Chief of the Province by James George, Esq., a Quebec merchant, conspicuous for his zeal and activity, as well in promoting this particular object as in forwarding the views of the St. Lawrence Company, an association formed avowedly for the improvement of the navigation of the St. Lawrence. Of the benefits to be derived from thus docking the St. Charles no one can doubt, whether the undertaking be considered in a local, municipal or commercial point of view. As a means of extending the boundaries of the Lower Town, and bringing under more immediate im- provement the extensive branches of the St. Charles, it is of the greatest consequence. Commercially considered, this pier (which would at first form a tide-dock, that might eventually be converted into a wet-dock) would be of incalcuable advantage from the great facilities it would offer to the general trade ol the place, and especially the timber trade, which has frequently involved its members in much perplexity, owing to the deficiency that exists of some secure dock or other similar reservoir where that staple article of the colony might be safely kept, and where ships might take in their cargoes w^ithout being e; • osed to the numerous difficulties and momentous losses often sustained in loading at moorings in the coves or in harbour. By buildnig the outward face of the pier in deep water, or projecting wharves from it, an important advantage would also be gained, affording increased conveniences in the unloading and loading of vessels. In fact, it would be impossible, in summarily GRAVING DOCK. 243 noticing the beneficial tendency of this great work, to particularize its manifold advantages ; they are too weighty to be overlooked, either by the Legislature or the comun- ity at large, and will doubtless dictate the expediency of bringing them into effectual operation. The different modes suggested of raising the capital required for the undertaking are : 1st. From the Provincial revenue by the annual rate of a loan ; 2nd. By an Act vesting it in the City of Quebec, by way of loan to the city, to be refunded by the receipts of rents and dock dues arising from the work; 3rd. By an Act of Incorporation, the Province taking a share in the stock, and appointing commissioners ; 4th. By an Act of Incorporation only." The Wet-Dock quay wall was to have been completed by the 1st of October, 1880. but delays have taken place, and the much-desired Tide Harbor of 20 acres, entering from the St. Lawrence, with a depth of 24 feet at low water, together with a Dock of 40 acres, having a perma- nent depth of 27 feet, will require another year before it is finally completed. GRAVING BOCK. LEVIS. An important portion of our Harbour improvements are located on the opx)osite shore of the St. Lawrence at Levis, and the sums voted by the Parliament of Canada (38 Vic, chap. 56), or granted by the Imperial Government to con- struct a graving dock in the Harbour of Quebec, were used in this structure, located by Order-in-Council, dated May, 1877, at St. Joseph de Levis. " The dimensions ot' the dock are : Length 500 foet Extreme width 100 " Depth 25.5 " Width of entrance 62 " " The designs and specitications were prepared by Messrs. Kiuuipple & Morris, Engineers, Westminster and Greenock. , ft i,Ji IT 1: -1 : 1 Nil: 244 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. " The Graving Dock of St. Joseph dc L^vis, Parish of Lauzon, Quebec, was commenced by the Quebec Harbour Commissioners, under the Resident Engineei-, Woodford Pilliington, M.I., C.E., in Novembei", 1877, and was cari-ied on previous to tenders being invited for the present conti-act, to the month of March, 1878, during which time the sum of $0,21)8.20 was expended in excava- tion on the site of tlie Dock, whicli work was afterwards taken over by Messrs. Larkin, Connolly & Co., as an executed part of their conti'act, signed August 17th, 1878, and the above sum deducted from the contract amount of their tender for the exca- vations given in the bills of quantities nndei" this head ; the Harbour Commissioners being afterwards re-credited with this amount of expenditure undei" the first certificate. The work of excavating for and building this Graving Dock was taken in hand under contract with the Quebec Harbour Com- missioners, by Messrs. Larkin, Connolly &. Co., on the 17th August, 1878, for the lump sum of $330,953.89. The works to be delivered over to the Quebec Harboui- Commissioners, finished complete, on the 1st day of June, 1882.* if^ifjl y\ll i1n '• ^' : THE GATES OF QUEIiEC. It seems superfluous to I'urnish a detailed description of the fortifications and citadel of Quebec. After the lengthy account given in " Quebec, Past and Present," pages 348-60, the following sketch, which we borrow, written previous to the erection of the new St. Louis and Kent G-ates.t corrected to date, throws additional light on this part of the subject. " Of all the historic monuments connecting modern Quebec with its eventful and heroic past, none have deservedly held a higher place in the estimation of the antiquarian, the scholar and the curious stranger than the former gates of the I'cnowncd fortress. These relics of a by-gone age, with their massive pro- 1)ortions and grim, medieval architecture, no longer exist, lowever, to carry the mind back to the days which invest the oldest city in North America with its peculiar interest and attraction. Nothing now remains to show where they once i-aised their formidable barriers to the foe, or opened their hospitable portals to friends, but graceful substitutes of modern construction or yawning apertures in the line of circumvalla- • Report No. 3 of Commissioners of the Harbour of Quebec, f Queen's Birthday, Brochure, 1880. TEE GATES OF QUEBEC. 245 tion where until 1871 stood Prescott and Hope Gates which represented tlie later defences of the place erected under British rule. Of the three gates — St. Louis, St. John and Piilace — which originally pierced the fortifications of Quebec under French dominion, the last vestige disappeared many years ago. The structures with which they were replaced, together with the two additional and similarly guarded openings — Hope and Prescott gates — provided for the public convenience or military require- ments by the British Government since the Conquest, have experienced the same fate within the last decade to gratify what are known as modern ideas of progress and improvement — vandalism would, perhaps, be the better term. No desecrating hand, however, can rob those hallowed links, in the chain of re- collection, of the glorious memories which cluster around them so thickly. Time and obliteration itself have wrought no diminution of regard for their cherished associations. To each one of them an undying history attaches, and even their vacant sites appeal with mute, but surpassing eloquence to the sympathy, the interest and the veneration of visitors, to whom Quebec will be ever dear, not for what it is, but for what it has been. To the quick comprehension of Lord Diifferin, it remained to note the inestimable value of such heirlooms to the world at large. To his happy tact we owe the revival of even a local concern for their preservation ; and to his fertile mind and testhotic taste, we are indebted for the conception of the noble scheme of restoration, embellismcnt and addition in harmony with local requirements and modern notions of progress, which is now being realized to keep their memories intact for succeeding generations and retain for the cradle of New B^-ance its unique reputation as the famous walled city of the New World. It has more than once been remarked by tourists that, in their peculiar ibndness for a religious nomenclature, the early French settlers of Quebec must have exhausted the saintly calen- dar in adapting names to their public highways, places and institutions. To this pardonable trait in their character, we must unquestionably ascribe the names given to two of the three original gates in their primitive lines of defence — St. Louis and St. John's gates — names which they were allowed to retain whoi the Gallic lilies drooped before the v'ictorious flag of Britain. The erection of the original St. Louis gate undoubtedly dates back as far as 1(594. Authentic records prove this fact beyond question ; but it is not quite so clear what part this gate played in subse- quent history down to the time of the conquest, though it may be fairly presumed that it rendered important services in connection especially with the many harassing attacks of the Iroquois tribes in the constant wars which were waged in the early days of the infant colony with those formidable and savage foes of the French. One thing is certain, however, that it was if ii I 1 i i; M ,i h WW I i ^.h 1M' I 1 1 i J ■ ^ m PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. one of the gates by which a portion of Montcalm's army, after its defeat on the Plains of Abraham, passed into the city on its way back, via Palace gate and the bridge of boats over the St. Charles, to the Beauport camp. In 1791, after Quebec had fallen into British hands, St. Louis gate was reported to be in a ruinous condition, and it became necessary to raze it to the ground and rebuild it. Between this date and 1823, it appears to have undergone several changes ; but, in the latter year, as part of the plan of defence, including the Citadel, adopted by the Duke of Wellington, and carried out at an enormous cost by England, it was replaced by another structure, retaining the same name. About this time seem to have been also constructed the singularly tortuous outward opproaches to this opening in the western wall of the citj^ which were eventually so inconvenient to traffic in peaceful days, of whatever value they might have been from a military stand-point in trying hours half-a-century ago. These were also removed with the gate itself in 1871. On the vacant wite of the latter, in accordance with Lord Dutferin's improvment project, a magnificent memorial gate, which the citizens had unanimously agreed to call '"The Lufferin gate," is now ( 1880) erected. The intention of naming it " The Duflferin gate," however, was abandoned. H. R. H. the Princess Louise, in deference to its traditions and with a graceful appreciation of the feelings of the French element of the population, having recently expressed the desire that it should be allowed to retain its original appellation. Before their departure from Canada, Lord and Lady Duflferin had the pleasure of assisting at the ceremony of laying the cor- ner stone of this new gate, as well as of the new terrace, which bears their name, and of fairly starting those important works on the high road to realization. As an interesting link between the present and the past, St. John's gate holds an equally prominent rank and claims an equal antiquity with St. Louis gate, its erection as one of the original gates of the French fortress dates fi-om the same year and its history is very much the same. Thi-ough it another portion of Montcalm's defeated forces found their way behind the sheltei- of the defences after the fatal day of the Plains of Abraham. Like St. Louis gate, too, it was pulled down on account of its ruinous condition in 1791 and subsequently rebuilt by the British Govern- ment in the form in which it endured until 1865, when it was demolished and replaced, at an expense of some $40,000 to the city, by its present more oi-nate and convenient substitute, to 7neet the increased requirements of traffic over the great artery of the upper levels — St. John street. St. John's gate was one of the objective points included in the American plan of assault upon Quebec on the memorable 3l8t December, 1775; Col. THE GATES OF QUEBEC. 247 Livingston, with a regiment of insurgent Canadians, and Major Brown, with part of a regiment fcom Boston, having been detailed to make a false attaclc upon the walls to the south of it and to set tiro to the gate itself with combustibles prepared for that purpose — a scheme in which the assailants were foiled by the depth of snow and other obstacles. This gate, being of quite recent construction and of massive, as well as passably handsome, appearance, is not included in the general scheme of improve- ment. The erection of a life-size statue of Samuel Champlain, the founder of Quebec, upon its summit, is, however, talked of. Palace or the Palais gate is the third and last of the old French portals of the city, and derives its title from the fact that the highway which passed through it led to the palace or residence of the Intendants of New France, which has also given its name to the present quarter of the city lying beneath the cliff on the northern face of the fortress, where its crumbling ruins are still visible in the immediate neighborhood of the passenger terminus of the North Shore Eailway. Erected under French rule, during which it is believed to have been the most fashionable and the most used, it bade a final farewell to the last of its gallant, but unfortunate French defenders, and to that imperial power which, for more than one hundred and fifty years, had swayed the colonial destinies of theCanadas and contested inch by inch with England, the supremacy of the New World, when a portion of Montcalm's defeated troops passed out beneath its darkening shadows on the fatal 13th September, 1759. After the capitulation of Quebec, General Murray devoted himself at once to the work of strength- ening the defences of the city, and the attention in this respect paid to Palace gate appears to have stood him in good stead during the following year's campaign, when the British invaders, defeated in the battle of St. Foye, were compelled to take shelter behind the walls of the town and sustain a short siege at the hands of the victorious French under deLdvis. In 1791, the old French structure, now a decayed ruin, was razed by the English, but, in the meanwhile, during 1775, it had gallantly withstood the assaults and siege of the American invaders under Montgomery and Benedict Arnold. The somewhat ornate sub- stitute, by which it was replaced is said to have i-esembled one of the gates of Pompeii, and seems to have been erected as late as the year 1830 or 1831, as, in the course of its demolition, in 1874, an inscription was laid bare, attesting the fact that at least the timbers and planking had been put up by local workmen in 1831. It is not intended to rebuild this gate under the DufFerin plan, on account of the great volume of traflBc, more especially since the completion of the North Shore Eailway, to whose terminus the roadway which leads over its site is the most direct route. To mark that memorable spot, however, it is intended )r t H i ( ( n^9 \ 248 PICTURESQUE QUI'lliEC. I :i ■ ! i to flank it on either sido with picturesque iNorman turrets rising above the line of the fortification wall. Hope Gate, also on the northern face of the i-amjiarts, was the first of the two purely British gates of (Quebec, and was erected in 1786 by Colonel Henry Hope, CommandaTit of the Fo)'Ccs and AdministJ-ator of the Province, from whom it takes its ;iame. It was demolished in 1874 for no especial reason, this gate being no obstacle whatever to the growing requii'ements of traffic, as will be readily understood from its situation. Like Palace Gate, too, it is not to be rebuilt — its approaches being easily commanded and its position on the rugged, lofty cliff being naturally ver}' sti'ong. Its site, however, will be marked in the carrying out of the Dutterin improvements by flanking Norman turrets. The last of the city gates proper, wholly of British origin, but the flrst that grimly confronted in by-gone days the visitor approaching the city from the water-side and entering the for- tress, is, or rather was, Prescott Gate, which commanded the steep approach known as Mountain Hill. This gate, which was more commonly known as the Lower Town gate, because it led to that part — the oldest — of the city known by that name, was erected in 1797, ( to replace a rough structure of pickets which existed at this point from the time of the siege by the Americans in 1775 ) by General Robert Prescott. who served in America during the revolutionary war, and, ai'Viv further service in the West Indies, succeeded Lord Horchostcr as the Bi-itish Governor- General in Lower Canada in 1790, dying in 1815, at the age of 89 years, and giving his name to this memento of his adminis- tration, as well as to Pi-escott, Ontario. Old Prescott Gate was unquestionably a great public nuisance in times of peace, its demolition, in 1871, consequently provoked the least regret of all in connection with the oblitei'ation of those cui'ious relics of Quebec's historic past. For reasons, which are obvious, it would be impossible to replace Prescott Gate with any structui-e of a like character, without impeding seriously the flow of traffic by way of such a leading artery as Mountain Hill. It will, howevei", be i-eplaced by a light and handsome iron briilge of a single span over the roadway with flanking Norman turrets. KENT OATE. For the information of our visitors and strangers generally, we may explain that, a few years since, the western fortification wall between St. John's gate and the military exercising ground in past years, known as the Esplanade, was cut through to form a roadway communicating between the higher levels of the Upper Town and the St. Louis suburbs, now styled Montcalm Ward. d a THE CITADEL GATES. 249 It consequently became necesHary, in keeping with the Jt'sthetic Hpirit of the whole Durt'crin scheme, to till up in ssomo way this unsightly gap without interfering with the tiattic. It was tinally decidt'(l to erect here one o\' Lno proposed memorial gates, which is altogether therefore an addition to the numbei- of the existing gates or their intended substitutes. This edifice, has been designed to do homage to the jneinory of Kdward, Duke of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria. This gate will be the most impos- ing of all in tlie entire circuit of the fortitications, while it has had the signal honour of further being reserved Ibi- a handsome subscription towards its cost from Jler Majesty's privy purse and dedication at the hands of H. li. H. the Princess, who laid its corner stone with appropriate ceremonial during the mouth of June, 1879. THE CITADEL GATES. Besides the foregoing, however, the fortress possesses in reality two other gates of much interest to the stranger. When the famous Citadel, commanding the entire harbour and surrounding country, was constructed on Cape Diamond, the number of existing gates was increased from five to seven by the erection of the Chain and Dalhousie, or Citadel gates, leading to that great fortalice of British power, which may be a])tly styled the sunimum opm of the magnificent but costly system of strategic works that has earned for Quebec its title of the Gibraltar of America. But, as these belong to the Citadel, which is an independent sti'onghold of itself, rather than to the defensive woi'ks of the city proper, it suffices to mention that they were erected under the administration of the Karl of Dalhousie, in 1827, and that they ai-e well worthy of a visit of inspection — the one being a handsome and formidable barrier of its class and the other of very massive construction and considerable depth. The proposed Chateau St. Louis or Castle of St. Louis, must be regarded as the crowning feature of the Dutferin scheme of em- bellishment and was designed by the late Governor General to serve as a vice-regal residence during the sojourn of the repre- sentative of the Crown in Quebec, as well as to revive the historic splendors of the ancient pile of that name, which formed the abode of the early Governors of New France. Of course, this noble structure only exists as yet on paper ; but, should it ever be erected, it will be a striking object from any point whence the Citadel is visible as it will rise to a considerable height above its highest battlements, standing out in bold relief to the east of the building known as the Officers' Quarters, with a frontage of 200 feet, and an elevation partly of tlO and partly of 100 feet, with a basement, two main storicj, and mansard roof and two towers of different heights, but of equally charming design — the il Mis I ill H L II! It 1 ■* 250 PICTURESQUE QUEREC. stylo of architecture of the whole bein^ an apfreeable m^lan^e of the ])icture8(iuo Norman and Elizabethan. TIIF.LLFM AND DODGE'S KSCAPE FROM THE CITADEL. The Citadel has been described in detail elsewhere;* it is, therolbre, unnecessary to allude to it further than recording here a startling episode in which it played a conspicuous part in those days of i'oes and alarm, during the Insurrection of 1838 : — "After tlic affair of St. DeniH," RiiyH Ro^er,! "the mnrtler of Lieiitetmnt Weir, tlie mutter of St. Chiirlcs, the Htorni and capture of the Chiircli of St. KiiRtaehe, and the hattle of Toronto, tiiere were filibustering attempts to invade Canada, neither recognized hy tiie Government of the United States nor l)y the built of the people, but indulged in by a party, sentimental with regard to liberty, and by others to whom plunder and e.xcitement were con- genial. In one of these filibustering expeditious, 'General' Sutherland, 'Brigadier General' Theller, Colonel Dndge, Messrs. Brophy, 'J'hayer and other residents, if not citizens, of the United States, sailed from Detroit in the schooner Anne for Hois Blanc, which having been seized, an attack was made on Fort Maiden on the 8th of January, 1838, terminating in the capture of Theller, Dodge, Brophy and some others ; General Sutherland having been afterwards captured on the ice, at the mouth of tht- River Detroit, by Colonel John Prince, of the Canadian Militia. The prisoners, after having been for a time in gaol at Toronto. wer6 transferred, some to Fort Henry, at Kingston, and others, among whom were Sutherland, Theller and Dodge, to the Citadel of Quebec, which was then occupied by a battalion of the Guards, and there iraprisonid, but treated with consideration and courtesy. It was not, how- ever, unnatural that they should endeavor to escape. They were taken out of their prison-house daily for an airing, in charge of a guard, and, as it would appear, were not altogether denied the opportunity of conversing with per- sons who were friendly to them. Theller, in an account of the Rebellion in Canada, edited, it is said, l>y General Roberts, of Detroit, himself minutely details the nature and manner of his intercourse with a Mr. P. S. Grace, while under the charge of the military in Cape Diamond ; how he succeeded in bribing soldiers' wives, and in cultivating the fiiendship of ofticers, non- commissioned officers and men of the Guards, much of which is exaggerated, and some of which is untrue. Some of the sergeants, for small presents, Theller asserts, did whatever he required in the way of bringing books and newspapers from town and articles of food and drink from the canteen, which is undoubtedly true, but no man in the regiment, either directly or indirectly, connived at the escape. It was the result of clever management on the part of Theller, Dodge and his companions, and of unsuspecting stupidity on the part of the sentry who guarded the door of the prison, and, indeed, of all who Beemed to h.ave had intercourse with the j)risonerH. The escape was thus effected : — On a dark, rainy night, late in October, 1838, an iron bar having been previously cut through with a file given them from without, the sawing having been effected during performances on the shrill fife of one of the fifers of the garrison, which a prisoner had borrowed for the purpose of passing away the time and keeping up the spirits of his companions in misfortune, some of whom were despondent, Theller's conversation seduced a sentry into * QoKBHO Past and Present, p. 353. t QuEBBC AS IT Was and as it Is. — Chas. Roger, 1864. TIIELLER AND DODOF'S! ESCAPE. 251 conversation, next to nniokc a pipe, then to drink n tumhlpr of London porter, drugged witli rather more thiin ' tliree times sixty (imps' of landantmi. The sentry struggled hard to prevent the drowsiness that was stealing over him ; he spoke thick, and muttered that he had nevtr hefore drank anything so good or so strong. He walked atiout in the rain to ke(;p himself awal\e, and staggered a little. * • • It resulted in the escape of Doreadth escapes and hazardous incidents, k)und themselves outside of their old quarters." " The escaping party,' adds Hoger, " moved cautiously forward, at respectahle distances from each other, along the canteen, and then got out into tht; middle of the great square to elude the sentry at the magazine. While there a sergeant came rushing from the guard-room towards tlie ofHcers' quarters, the red, or as they appeared dark, stripes heing visible on a white undress jacket. It seemed to he an alarm. There were only three sentinels lietween tiie escap- ing party and the flagstaff, where the descent was intended. Abreast was one wliose duty was to guard the back part of the magazine and a pile of firewood which was there corded up, and also to prevent soldiers from going to the canteen. Anotlier stood opposite tlie door of the officers' me.^s-ioom. There was room enough in the darkness to pass these sitntineis, and Tlielier and his companions no longer crawled, but walkeil upright, one by one, (juietiy, but passing along as quickly as possibh;. Parker, however, after the sergeant passed, became much excited and terrified, and lost his way. He made some noise, and a sentry challenged, but without answering, the rest hurried towards the half-moon battery where the flagstaflf is. Passing round the old telegraph post on one side, near the stabling attached to the officers' quarters, a sentinel there with side-arms only, or, as he is technically termed ' a flying Dick,' cliallenged, and Theller asserts he promptly answered, 'Officer of the guard,' when the countersign being demanded, he muttered, ' teen,' having learned during the confinement that the countersign of tin; Guards ordinarily ended so — seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, or such like — and the sentry, fancy- ing from from the cap with a gold lace band on it, which, having undone his cloak, Theller placed upon his head, that he was one of the officers, sutt'ered him to pass. Parker had got among the firewood, and was making a noise. Dodge was running about on the top of the wall, making signals for (irace and other friends who were to be outside, hut could see no one there. The haulyards of the flagstaff were then partially cut down with a penknife. An alarm was now given by an officer of the garrison who accidentally came upon Culver, one of the escaping party, and in a moment the drums beat and the guard turned out. The officers rushed out of the mess-room. An artil- leryman detected Parker, and the cry arose that the American prisoners were loose and escaping. Some immediately ran towards the prison, whilst others dragged Parker to the guard-room, and yet others began to search about for the 'General,' Colonel Dodge, Culver and Hall, whom Parker intimated, in reply to a question put to him by an officer, had not come out. There was no alternative but to jump from the wall to the flat part of the precipice below, on which the wall is built, what Theller first did. For an instant he hung by his hands, then dropped, and aliglited on his feet on the solid rock, falling back on his head. He was stunned, and lay a minute or two unconscious. When he came to himself, he heard Dodge inquiring if he was hurt, and replied in the negative, telling him to throw down the bundle of cloaks and leap upon them. Theller had broken the outer bone of his leg and dislocated his right ankle joint, hut had been so stunned that he scarcely felt any pain. Culver descended next, and was stunned, the blood gushing from his nose and mouth ; he had, it is said, also fractured his leg. Culver was more fortunate, as he alighted on a pile of cloaks, and was little, if av all, hurt. Dodge then, throwing down the piece of rope which he had cut from the haulyards to be used in the next descent, also slipped down the wall upon (; I ■'i i lit' 1 ] n » ■' 't !■:• 252 PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. the pile of cloaks, and was unhurt. The second descent was made with the aid of the rope, the end of which was lield by two of the party, while Theller with his wounded leg slipped down over ii piece of cedar post which had been accidentally placed against the wall of the ditch. Culver followed, then Hall held the rope alone for Dodge, and afterwards descended himself as all had done on the first leap, caught as he came to >he ground, however, by the rest of the party. Dodge, in saving Hall from falling after or as he leapetl, sprained his wrist. The whole party, however, managed to crawl up the outer wall of the ditch, which was faced with dry stone, by inserting their hantl., in the interstics and using their feet as well as they could. They rested on the summit of the glacis for a moment, and saw the search that was being made for them inside by lights that were Hashing about into every nook and cranny." It would take us too far to describe the subsequent incidents of this clever plan of escape. The patriots of St. Koch, Dr. Rous- seau, Grace, Hunter and others, provideci means of escape for the "sympathisers" which battled all the inj2;enuity of the Command- ant of the Quebec gai-rison, an old Waterloo hero, Sii- James Macdonald, who certainly spared neither time, men nor trouble to recover the Citadel prisoners, but in vain. We must 'ind room here for another singular incident in con- nection with the Citadel and the Insurrection of 1837-8 ■ — " THE MEN OF '37." THE iEClii:T SOCIETY (>!■' THE •' CI{ASSt:UHS"-Ii::Ci)I.LKCTIONS OF A VETEIiAN- PUOPOSED CAVTVllK OF O.UJWEC. " A representative of the Montreal Witness, in a conversation with Mr. Ronillaid, Inspector of Buildings, ascertained that he had taken a somewhat prominent part in the stirring scenes of the Rebellio.. of 1837. The old g»;ntleman's eyes lit up with the fire of youthful enthusiasm when recounting the deeds of the ■' Sous of Liberty," and the secret society of the "Uhasse'u-s." "I was vigorous and strong in those days, and from my mother inherited an ardent love for the country in which I was born. Her letters in those days so magnetized nic with patriotism that I could willingly lay down my life for the cause. I can only,IioAvever, give you a mere sketch to-day of some of the incidents and adventures through which I passed. The ' Sons of Ijiberty,' in Quebec and Alontrcal, numbered over 20,000 men, but within this body tnere was a secret society called ' Les Chasseurs,' all picked and trustworthy men. They formed a secret society and had their signs and passwords. It is singular that, though many of those men were placeil in perilous positions when the revelations of our secrets would huve saved them, not one traitor was found to betray the cau.-ic, and even to this day the secrets of the fraternity arc unknown. Not r(;ry long ago I hai occasion to go to Quebec, and was introduced to one of the Provincial ministers. I gave the sign of the ' t^hasseurs ' of forty-three years ago. He looked uj) surprised and icturned ?he countersign. VV( hiul not met since the memorable emeule in the stable yard on St. James street. "We used to meet for diilland pistol practice in the upper story of the house still standing on the corner of Dorchester and Sanguinet streets. Ti>e y I remember one of our leaders harangued us. He is still alive, and Montteal's citizens know him well, lit urgtil us to be brive and show no mercy a sweeping every obstacle froic cur path, and when we gained our THE CHASSEURS OF '.'fi 253 liberty we would have ' ample time for — tenrs, repontance and rfgret.' There used to be a loyal association called ' Tn'' Doric Club,' which met on Great St. James street near our rendezvous. Our men and the members of this club used to have many rencontrea, until it culminated in a challenj;e from the 'Chasseurs' who sent a cartel i(M\w sixty memi.' rs of the Doric Club, offering to meet them with thirty of tlieir picked ?nen. 'J'he President of the Doric Club sent back a cold formal reply to the effect that they wished to have nothing to do with traitors and rebels. ''Our secret society had formed the daring design of seizing the ( itadid of Quebec on the same plan as Wolfe's Uighlauders. We had our rendezvous within a short march of Quebec and on the eventful night numliered about 1,500 men, two hundred of whom liad corue from Montreal and the rest from St. Jerome, Tliree Rivers antl otlier places. Each man was armed with a pair of pistols and a bowie-knife, and carried on his shoulders a bundle ot straw. They had thirty ladders which wens to be used in scaling the narrow glacis which led to the citadel. The object was to make a regular roadway ot these ladders, almost like a trellis work bridge, up wliicli the patriots might easily pass. Tlie night was dark ami stormy. We had been waiting in the cold in our white blanket coats and white tu(|ues, to assimilate to the color of the snow, when the order arrived to jirepare to march. The second sign^ 1 came at half-jiast eleven, anil (everything was in readiness tor the attack. At a quart(!r to twelve the chief came in as pale as death and gave the older to dislian !| li. by Henry Diiinin"-, Esq. The roof and facade of a Chalet Suisse would much enhance its appearant^e. The adjoining- rang'e of heights, occupied by the Martello Towers, the Garneau and Bilodeau Terraces, tScc, were called the But les-d-Nepveu, after on(» of their lirst French owners- " It was h(>re that Murray took his stand on the morning of April 28th, IV60, to resist the advance of Levis, and here commenced the hardest-fought, the bloodiesi action of the war, which Jerminated in the defeat of Murray, and his retreat within the city." The Martello Towers are bomb- proof, they were four ^ in numl)er, and formed a chain of forts extending along the ridge from th*; St. Lawren<'e to the River St. Charles. The fact that this ridge commanded the city, unfortunately induced Munay to leave it and attempt to fortify the heights, in which he was only partially successful, owing to the frost being still in the ground. The British Government were made aware of the fact, and seeing that from the improved artillery the city was now fully commanded from the heights, which are about seven hundred yards distant, decided to build the Towers. Arrangements were accordingly made b^'^ Col. Brock, then commanding the troops in Canada. In 1 806 the necessary materials were collected, and in the following year their construction commenced. Tliey wi>re not, however, com- pleted till 1812. The original estimate for the four was .£8,000, but before completion the Imperial Government had expended nearly £12,000. They are not all of the same size, but, like all Martello Towers, they are circular and bomb-proof. T^ i-xposed sides are thirteen feet thick and gradually dini v .i like the horns of the crescent moon, to seven feet in the ceiitr(» of the side next the city walls. The first or lower story contains tanks, store-rooms and magazine ; the second has cells for the garrison, with • Three only now exist. BUTTES-A-NEPVEU. 259 port-holes for two guns. On the top there used to be one 68-pounder carronade, two 24 and two 0-pounders. A party of Arnold's soldi(»rs ascended these heig-hts in November, 1775, and advanced quite close to the city walls, shouting defiance at the little garrison. A few shots soon dispersed the invaders, who retraced their steps to Wolfe's Cove. At the BuUes-d-Nepveu grt^^at criminals were formerly executed. Here, La Corriveau, the St. Vallier Lalarge, met her deserved fate, in 17H8, after being tried by one ol" Governor Murray's Courts-martial for murder- ing her husband. .4fter death she was hung in chains, or rather in a solid iron cage, at the fork of four roads, at Levi, close to the spot where the Temperance Monument has since been built. Tht? loathsome form of tin* murderess caused more than one shudder amongst the peaceable pea- santry of Levi, until some brave young men one dark night, cut down the horrid cage, and hid it deep under ground, next to the cemetery at Levi, where, close to a century after- wards, it was dug up and sold to Barnum's agent for his museum. Sergeant .Tas. Thompson describes in his diary, under date 18th Nov., 17^2, another memorable execution : " This day two fellows were execut(>d for the murder and robbery of C^ipt. Stead, C^ommander of one of the Treasury Brigs, on the evening of the -Hst De<-., 1770, between the Upper and Lower Town. The criminals went through Port St. Louis, about 1 1 o'clo«-k, at a slow and doleful pace, to the place where justice had nllotted them to suffer the most ignominious death. It is astonishing to see what a crowd of people followed the tragic scene. Even our people on I he works (Cape Diamond) prayed Capt. Twiss for leave to follow the hard-hearted crowd." It was this Capt. Twiss who subsequently furnished the plan and built a temporary citadel in 170-). In 1703, we have also recorded in history, another doleful procession of red-coats, the Quebec Garrison, accompanying I ( 'r" T^ 1 t 1 i ■■ 260 PfCTURESQUE QUEBEC. i M If \y I I i to the same place of execution a mess-mate (Draper), a soldier ol" the Fusileers, then commanded by the young Duke of Kent, who, after pronouncing the sentence of death, as (!ommander, over the trembling- culprit kneeling on his collin, as son and representative of the Sovereign, exercised the Royal prerogative of merely and pardoned poor Draper. Look down Perrault's hill towards the south. There stands, with a few shrubs and trees in the foreground, the Military Home, — where infirm soldiers, their widows and children, could find a refuge. It has recently been pur- chased and converted into the " Female Orphan Asylum." It forms the eastern boundary of a large expanse of verdure and trees, reaching the summit of the lot originally intended by the Seminary of Quebec for a Botanical Grarden ; subsequently it was contemplated to build their new seminary there to afford the boys abundance of fresh air. Alas ! other counsels prevailed. Its western boundary is a road leading to the new Dis- trict Jail, — a stone structure of great strength, surmounted with a diminutive tower, admirably ada)/ted, one would imagine, for astronomical pursuits. From its glistening cupola. Commander Ashe's Provincial Observatory is visible to the east. I was forgetting to notic.e the substantial building, dating from 1855 — the Ladies' Home. The Protestant Ladies of Quebec have here, at no small expense and trouble, raised a useful asylum, where the aged and infirm may find shelter. This, and the building opposite, St. Bridget's Asylum, with its growing fringe of trees and green plots, are decided ornaments to the Grande Alice. The old burying ground of 1832, with all its ghastly memories of the Asiatic scourge, has assumed c^uite an ornate, nay a respectable aspe(;t. Close to the toll-bar on the Grande Alh'e, may yet be seen one of the meridian stones which serve to mark the western boundary of the IS ail on Uaii the WOLFE'S LANDlNdPLA CE. 201 city, beyond the Messrs. Lampf^on's mansion. On the adjoining- domain, well named " liattlelield C^ottage," Ibr- merly the ])ropevty of Col. Charles C^implx'll, now owned by Michael Connolly, Es(j., was the historic well out of which a cup of water was obtained to moisten the parched lips of the dying- hero, James Wolfe, on the l-Sth tSeptem- ber, 17r)9. The v/ell was lilled in a few years ago, but not before it was nig-h proving- fatal to Col. Cami)beirs then young son, — (Arch, (/ampbell, Esq., of Thornhill.) Its site is close to the western boundary fence, in tht? garden behind "Battlelield Cottage." Here we are at those immortal plains — the Hastings of the two races once arrayed in battle against one anotlier at Quebec. The western boundary oi' the Plains is a high fence enclosing Marchmont, for years the cherished family seat of John Grilmour, Esc[., now occupied by Col. Fred. Turnbull, of the Canadian Hussars. On the north-east corner of the Belvidere Road, may be seen a range of glass houses, put up by J. Doig, formerly gardener at Benmore. A few minutes more brings the tourist to the Hon, D. Price's villa, Wolfe-Held, where may be seen the precipi- tous path up the St. Denis ])urn, by which the High- landers and British soldiers gained a footing- above, on the 13th September, 1759, and met in battle array to win a victory destined to revolutionize the New World. The British were piloted in thc^ir ascent of the river by a French prisoner brought with them from l^ngland — Denis de Vitre, formerly a Qucibecer of distinction. Their landing place at Sillery was selected by ^lajor Robert Stobo, who had, in May, 1759, escaped from a French prison in Quebec, and joined his countrymen, the ll^nglish, at Louisbourg, from whence he took ship again to meet Admiral Saun- ders' ileet at Quebec. The tourist next drives past Thorn- hill, for years owned by Arch. Campbell, Esq., P. S. C, Sir Francis Hinciks' old home when Premier to Lord Elgin. ■ < 1 i 1 1 ii; ] ! 1 1 ■ ir« t l! i!' I ; M"[ 202 I'ICTVHESQVE QUEBEC. Opposite ajjpear the leafy glades of Spencer Wood, so j^ate- I'ul a summer retreat, that Lord lillgin used to say, " There he not only loved to live, but woidd like to rest his bones." Next comes Spencer (irange, the seat of J. M. J^eMoine, Esq.; then Woodiield, tlnf homestead of the Hon. Wm. Sheppard''^ in 1847, later on of Messrs. .lohn Lawson and Jas (jribb.f b'acing the Woodiield property, on the (lomin Road, are visible the «'xtensive vineries and peach housc^s of Hon. Geo. Okill Stuart, Judge of the Vi(;e-Admiralty Court. The eye next dwells on the rustic; church of St. Michael, embowered in everi>'recns. This handsome little temple of worship where the Governors of Canada usually attended, when living- at Si)encer Wood, contain several memorial window. Southwards looms out. a1 Sous-Zes- Bois, the stately convent of Jrsus-Marie ; on the edge of the bank, to the south-east, at Poin/e-n-Pizean, stands the It. C. Church of St. Colomb de Sillery, in a most com- manding position ; on the Sillery heights, north-west of the Church of St. Michael, the late Bishop George. I Moun- tain owned a delightful summer retreat, recently sold to Albert H. Furniss, Esq. ; then you meet with villas innu- merable — one of the most conspicuous is Benmon^ House, Col, Rhodes' country seat. Benmore is well worthy of a call, were it only to procure a bouquet. This is not merely the Eden of roses ; Col. Rhodes has com])ined the farm with the garden. His undergiound rhubarb and mush- room cellars, his boundless asparagus beds and strawberry plantations, are a credit to Quebec. Next come Clermont,:}: Beau voir, || Kilmarnock, § Catara- •My old friend died in 1867 — regretted as a scholar, an anti(|uarian and tlie type of the old English gentleman. fThis realm of I'airy land, so rich in natnrc's graces, so profusely embel- lished by the late James Gibb, Esq., Treh-ident of the Quebec Bank, was recently sold for a rural cemetery. } The stately home of Thomas Beckett, Esq. IIThe picturesque villa of B. B. Dobell, Esq. § A mossy old hall founded by Mr. McNider in the beginning of the cen- tury ; now occupied by the Graddon family. ^iii THE STE. FOYE ROAIK 263 qui,=* Kil" *'i'' to]) ol" Cnj) Ron'^e promontory. There, many indications yet mark the si)ot where Ivobervul's ei)hemeral colony wintered as I'ar back as 1") 4 "J. You can now, il' you like, return to the city by the same route, or select the Ste. lM)ye Road, skirting- the classi<' heio-hts where (leneral Murray, six months after the lirst battle ol' the I'lains, lost the second, on the "isth April, 17t»<> ; the St. Iu)ye Church was then occupied by the r)ritish soldiers. Heausejour is a beautit'al demesne, wher«' M. Ls. Hilodeau has several reservoirs, tor the ])ropas >^ y Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 &?, .) Citadel — Glacis and Town Works, as far as St. Louis Gate, Engine-r Yard, Ac. — Chiefly by right of conquest and military appropriation. Town Works, Artillery Barracks, Glacis, &c., between St. John's Gate, Palace Gate and St. Valicr street — Chiefly by concjuest and military appro- priation. Lots in St. Valier street, purchased in 1846-7. Mount Carmel, a commanding eminence, and site of the Windmill Redoubt or Cavalier, formerly a portion of the defenses of Quebec. — Acquired by purchase, 25th Nov., 1780. J. Plinguet, N. P. Officers' Barracks, Garrison Hospital, &c., fronting on St. Louis street, and in rear by St. Genevieve street — Acquired by purchase, 5th April, 1811. Commissariat Premises, opposite old Court House, on St. Louis street, and in rear by Mount Carmel street. — Acquired by purchase, Uth August, 1815. Jesuit Barracks, with other buildings and land attached, fronting on St. Anne street and Upper Town market square. — By right of conquest and military appropriation, occupied as Infantry Bariacks, &c. The Town Works, along the top of the Cape (Cime du Cap), between the King's Bastion of the Citadel and Prescott Gate, Mountain Hill, including site of old Fort St. Louis, Government Garden, &c. — Part of the Crown Domain by conquest and military appropriation, with small portions at either end acquired by purchase in 1781, and about 1827-29. Near Grand Battery, East end of St. George street. Magaisine F., and Ordnance stores, &c. — By right of contiuest and military appropriation. Magazine E., Hotel Dieu, on Rampart street, between Palace and Hope Gates. — Acquired by purchase, 17 th June, 1809. The Defences along the Ramparts between Prescott Gate, Grand Battery, Hope Gate and Palace Gate (Upper Town). — By right of conquest and military appropriation (including Rampart street and clitf underneath). Inclined Plane Wharf and land to the Cime du Cap (top of the cliff) on Champlain street, S. E. of the Citadel. — Acquired by purchase, 24th Sept., 1781, afterwards used in connectitm with the Citadel. Queen's Wharf premises, and small lot opposite, on Cul-de-Sac street — Formerly a part of the defences of Quebec, site of a battery. — Acquired by right of conquest, &c. Land at the foot of the cliff in La Canoterie and St. Charles streets, as a Glacis in front of the Town Works. — Acquired by purchase in 1846-7, to prevent buildings against the defences. Commissariat Fuel Yard, Ac, on Palace Harbor, St. Roch's. — Part of the Intendant's Palace property, held by conquest. 8EI0NI0RY OF NEUVILLE, COUNTY OF POHTNEUF. {Site qf Fort Jaequei-Cartier.) A strong defensive position, on the right bank of the River Jacques Cartier, about 30 miles above Quebec. — Acquired by purchase froqi the Seignior, 26t^ June, 1818. THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. INTRODUCTION. " Oh give me a home where the maple and pine Around the wild heights so miijestically twine ; Oh give me a home where the blue wave rolls free From thy bosom, Superior, down to the sea." " Could you not write the history of ' Our Parish,' and also sketch briefly our country seats, marking* out the spots connected with historical events ?" Thus discoursed one day to us, in her blandest tones, a fair denizen of Sillery. There was a poser for a galant homme ; a < rusher for the first litterateur oi the parish. In vain did we allege we were not a " Christopher North," but a mere retiring " antiquaire " — a lover of books, birds, flowers, &c. The innate civility of a Frent^hman elicited from us an unre- flective affirmative reply. Thus, compassionate reader, was entrapped, caught and committed the lirst litterateur of Sillery — irrevocably handed over to the tender mercies of all the critics, present and future, in and out of the parish. Oh, my friends, what a crunching up of literary bones in store ! what an ample repast was thus prepared for all the reviewers — the Jeffteys and LaHarpes — in and out of the parish, should the luckless litterateur fail to assign fairy scenery — important historical events — great battles, not only to each renowned spot, but even to the merest potato- patch, turnip-ground or cabbage-garden within our cor- porate limits ? Yes, tremble for him. Joking apart, is there not a formidable difficulty besetting our path — the insipidity and monotony inseparable from n ";■) j f ; :l ' "li, I ! II ': ! il ,! ! i p^ I l-l . .. Hi « iiiti 272 THE ENVlRONf! OF QUEBEC. the necessity which will devolve on us of having constantly to discover new beauties in spots identical in their main features ; and should we, in order to vary the theme, mix up the humorous with the rural, the historical, or the anti- quarian style, may not fun and humour be mistaken for satire — a complimentary notice for flattery, above all others, a thing abhorrent to our nature i But 'tis vain to argue. That fatal " yes " has been uttered, and no true knight goes back from his plighted word. There being no help, we devoutly commend our case to tSt. Columba, St. Joseph, and the archangel St. Michel, the patrons of our parish, and set to our task, determined to assume a wide margin, draw heavily on history, and season the whole with short anec- dotes and glimpses of domestic life, calculated to light up the past and present. O critic, who would fain seek in " Our Parish " — in our homes — great architectural excellence, we beseech you to pause ! for the majority of them no such pretension is set up. Nowhere, indeed, on our soil are to be found ivied ruins, dating back to doomsday book, moated castle, or mediaeval tower. We have no Blenheims, no Walton Halls, nor Chatsworths, nor Woburn abbeys, nor Arundel castles, to illustrate every style of architectural beauty, rural em- bellishment, and landscape. A Dainpierre, a Rochecotte, a LaGraudiniere, may suit old France : they would be lost in New France. Canadian cottages, the best of them, are not the stately country homes of " Old pheasant-lords, .... Partridge-breeders of a thousand years," typifying the accumulated wealth of centuries or patrician pride ; nor are they the gay chateaux of La Belle France. In the Canada of the past, we could — in many instances we had to — do without the architect's skill ; nature having been lavish to us in her decorations, art could be dispensed with. Our country dwellings possess attractions of a higher SILLERY. 273 class, yea, of a nobler order, than brick and mortar moulded by the genius of man can impart. A kind I'roWdence has surrounded them in spring, summer and autumn with scenery often denied to the turreted castle of the proudest nobleman in Old England. Those annind Quebec arc^ more particularly hallowed by associations destined to remain ever memorable amongst the inhabitants of the soil. Some of our larger estates, like Belmont (comprising 450 acres,) date back more than two centuries, whilst others, though less ancient, retrace vividly events glorious in the same degree to the two races, who, after having fought stoutly for the mastery, at last hung out the olive branch and united long since, willing partners, in the bonds of a common nationality, neither English nor French, though participatin- largely of both, and have linked their destin- ies together as Canadians. Every traveller in Canada, from Baron La Hontan, who " preferred the forests of Canada to the Pyrenees of France," to the Hon. Amelia Murray, Char- levoix, LaCralissoniere, Peter Kalm, Isaat* Weld, John Lam- bert, Heriot, Silliman, Dickens, Lever, Ampere, Marmier, Rameau, Augustus Sala, have vmited in pronouncing our Quebec landscape so wild, so majestic, and withal so cap- tivating, as to vie in beauty with the most picturesque portions of the Old or the New World. Let us first sketch " Our Parish," the home of our fore- fathers — the home of our children SILLERY. Henry IV. of France had for his chancellor, in 1607, Nicholas Brulart de Sillery, a worthy and distinguished magistrate, who, as state councillor, ever enjoyed the con- fidence of his sovereign until death closed his useful career in 1627, at the ripe age of 80. He was the eldest brother : his father had also for years basked in the smiles of good King Henry IV. for his unwavering adherence to his for- tunes. To this eminent lawyer and statesman was bom a S hvM "\ I HT ■-! r h. I>9 I • :i t I -^^ ilk 274 r//js; ENVIRONS of Quebec. patriarchal family of sons and daughters. The youngest of his sons, Noel Brulart de Sillery,* having brilliantly (ompleted his studies at Paris in the classics, entered, at the age of 18, the military order of the Knights of Malta, and resided twelve years in that island as a knight ; his martial bearing and ability, modesty, and uniform good conduct soon paved the way for him to the highest dignities in this celebrated Order. Soon the Grand Master appointed him " Commandeur de Troyes "; this preferment yielded him 40,000 livres per annum. On his return to Paris in 1607, the favour of the court and the protection of Marie de Medicis were the means of having him nominated Knight of Honour. His talents^ birth, deportment and position soon procured him the appointment of French Ambassador to the Court of Spain in 1614, which high position he left for that of Ambassador at Rome in 1622, where he replaced the Marquis of Coeuvres. He spent two years in the Eternal City, and subsequently acknowledged that it was there that he conceived the idea first of embracing Holy Orders ; Cardinal de LaValette re- placing him at the Roman Court as French Charge d' Affaires. From what can be gleaned in history, this distinguished personage led a princely life, his enormous rent-roll furnish- ing the means for a most lordly establishment of retainers, liveries and domains.! His fancy for display, great though •A. Brulart de Sillery, Marquis de PniBieux, was Minister of Foreign Affairs in France from 1747 to 1751. — O'Callaghan's Paris Document Table, vol. x. t His career furnishes a curious instance of the lavish expenditure which ambitious sovereigni formerly required on such grand occasions. Let us quote his biographer's own words: "Son entree dans Rome fut superbe; il etait dans un carcsse ouvert, en forme de caleche, tout brillant d'or, meme jusqu'aux roues qui etaient dorees. Sea chevaux etaient ferres avec des plaques d'argent qui ne tenaient que par un seul clou, afin que, venant a se detacher, elles fuBsent ramassees par les pauvres, a qui, outre cela, il faisait jeter quantite d'ari^ent. Son carosse etait entourc de douze gentilshomme bien montes et superbement vetus ; et de douze valets de pied d'une rich livree, suivis des caroBses que le Pape avait envoye pour lui faire honneur. Sa Saintete fut isur un balcon pour voir son entree. M. I'ambasBadeur etait vetu en Chevalier de Malte, avec sa croix enricbie de diamante. Ce fut dans ce superbe equipage qu'il fit les visites des cardinaux." ktfairs X. I which i quote |il etait ni'aux rgent t, elles jiantite ites et iris des Jfut bur liter de luipage SILLHRY. 275 it was, never, however, made him lost' siffht of tht- poor, nor turn a deaf ear to the voiendiz, p. 300. > t III I ? n M I II ,1; ll 27o THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. at the request of the Indians, the settlement became, in 1638, more extensive, and comprised also the residence of the christianized Indians. Negabamat and Nenasesenat were the first to establish their families there. On the last day of June, 1665, we will find the eloquent Negabamat, then a resident of Quebec, sent by his tribe to harangue and compliment the great Marquis of Tracy on his arrival at Quebec. {Relations, 1665,;?. 4.) Father Le.Teune, a learned Jesuit, had charge and control over the workmen who were sent out from France at the expense of the Commandeur de Sillery ; and on the 22nd February, 1639, a permanent bequest was authentically recorded in favor of the mission by the Commandeur placing at interest, secured on the H6tel-de-Ville at Paris, a sum of 20,000 livres tournois. Palisades had been used orginally to protect the settlement ; in 1651, the Grovernor of Quebec, Jean de Lauzon, strength- ened the palisades and added redoubts.^ In 1647 the church of the mission had been placed under the invocation of St. Michael the Archangel ; hence Sillery Cove, once called St. Joseph's, was, in 1647, named St. Michael's Cove. The Commandeur de Sillery extended his munificence to several other missionary establishments in Canada and other places. What with the building of churches, monas- teries and hospitals in Champagne, France; at Annecy, Savoy ; at Paris, and elsewhere, he must, indeed, have been for those days a veritable Rothschild in worldly wealth. This worthy ecclesiastics died in Paris on the 26th Sep- tember, 1640, at the age of sixty-three years, bequeathing his immense wealth to the Hotel-Dieu of that city. Such was, in a few words, the noble career of one of the large- llili il * II y Rvait (des petits forts) i\ Sillery, Hiir les fiefs Saint Michel, Saint Francjois, Saint Sanvenr, k Beanport, i\ I'llo d'OrleanK. " Les Iliroquoie.y (lit la m^re de I'lnoarnation, " criiignent cxtreinement les cannons ; ce qui fait qu'ils n'osent s'approcher des forts." Les habitants, afin de leur donner la chasse et de la terreur, ont des redontes on leins maisons pour se defendre avec de petites pieces. — AbM Ferland's Notes, p. 92. II u SILLERY xni jre- aint (lit fait sr la id re 277 minded pioneers of civilization in primitive Canada, le Oommandeur Noel Brulart de Sillery — such the origin of the name of " Our Parish," our sweet Canadian Windermere. One of the first incidents, two years after the opening of the mission, was the visit paid to it by Madame de la Peltrie, the benevolent founder of the Ursuline Convent at Quebec. This took place on the 2nd August, 1639, the day after her arrival from Dieppe and stately reception by the Governor, M. deMontmagny, who had asked her to dinner the day previous. This same year the nuns called Hospita/ieres (Hotel-Dieu) opened a temporary hospital at Sillery, as the inmates and resident Indians suffered fear- fully from the ravages of small-pox. In attempting a sketch of the Sillery of ancient days, we cannot follow a truer nor pleasanter guide than the old historian of Canada in the interesting notes he published on this locality in 1855, after having minutely examined every inch of ground. " A year after their arriA^al at Quebec," says Abbe Ferlaud, " in August, 1640, the Hospitalieres nuns, desirous of being closer to the Sillery mission, where they were having their convent built according to the washes of the Duchess D'Aiguillon, left Quebec and located themselves in the house of M. de Puiseaux. They removed from this house at the beginning of the year 1641 to take possession of their convent, a mile distant. During that w^inter no other French inhabitants n sided near them except the missionaries, and they suffered much from cold and want. But the following year they had the happiness to have in the neighbourhood a good number of their countrymen . M. de Maisonneuve, Mile. Mance, the soldiers and farmers recently arrived from France, took up their abode at M. de Puiseaux. . . . They spent the winter there, and paid us frequent visits, to our mutual satisfaction." ^ The mission of St. Joseph at Sillery being constantly • Hiitory of the Hotel-Dieu, M6re Juchereau. \ 1 ■ ' i 1 ! 1 ( ■ ^ i I . i I .1 '1. s; H ( J 1 ,i ' ,'! ii ! . ;'|: . ■: .'U 1 ' ■•tv| : . i Li '"!'' 278 r/ZiS; ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. threatened by the Five Nations, the HospitalUres ladies were compelled to leave their convent and seek refuge in Quebec on the .19th May, 1644, having thus spent about three years and a half amongst the savages.^^ The locality where they then resided still goes under the name of " Con- vent Cove." " Monsieur Pierre Puiseaux, tSieur de I'habition de Sainte Foye, after whom w^as called Pointe-d-Pizeau, at tSillery, seems to have been a personage of no mean importance in his day. Having realized a large fortune in the West Indies, he had followed Champlain to Canada, bent on devoting his wealth to the conversion of the aboriginal tribes. His manor stood, according to the Abbe Ferland, on that spot in St. Michaels Cove on which the St. Michael's Hotelf — long kept by Mr. W. Scott — was subsequently built, to judge from the heavy foundation walls there. Such was the magnificence of the structure that it was reckoned " the gem of Canada " — " Une maison regard^e dans le temps comme le bijou du Canada,'' says the old chronicler. Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve having arrived, in 1641, with colonists for Montreal, the laird of Ste. FoyeJ gene- rously tendered him the use of his manor. Under the hospitable roof of this venerable old gentleman, M. de Maisonneuve, Mile. Mance, the founder of the Hotel Dieu Hospital at Montreal, and Mdme. de la Peltrie spent the winter of 1641-2, whilst the intended colonists § for Ville- • Alibe Faillon's Uiatoire de la VoLonie Francaise en Canada, vol. ii., p. 28. j The hotel was later kept by one Pierre Letarte. X Fuilloii cautious students to be careful uot to confound the name of the parirtb of hte. Foye with the name " Sainte Foix " which M. Puiseaux had given to his manor, higher up than Quebec on the shore of the St. Lawrence. —Ibid, vol. iii., p. 319. §" Jacques Brassier, Jean Tavernier, Nicholas Josselin^ Etienne Robin dit Desfor>» 1 !' 1 . J 1 , i ■ Mi: . 1 ^•1 '1 If : 1^. 282 THE ENVIRONS! OF QUEBEC. "We read in history* how, on one Sunday morning in 1652, the Sillery Indians being all at mass, a beaver skin was stolen from one of the wig-wams, on which a council of the chiefs being called, it was decided that the robbery had been committed by a Frenchman,! enough to justify the young men to rush out and seize two Frenchmen then accidentally passing by, and in no wise connected — as the Indians even admitted — with the theft. The Indian youths were for instantly stripping the prisoners, in order to com- pel the Governor of the colony to repair the injury sulFered by the loss of the peltry. One of them, more thoughtful than the rest, suggested to refer the matter to the missionary father, informing him at the same time that in cases of robbery it was the Indian custom to lay hold of the first individual they met belonging to the family or nation of the suspected robber, strip him of his property, and retain it until the family or nation repaired the wrong. The father succeeded, by appealing to them as Christians, to release the prisoners. Fortunately, the real thief, who was not a Frenchman, became alarmed, and had the beaver skin restored. Old writers of that day occasionally let us into quaint glimpses of a churchman's tribulations in those primitive times. The historian Faillon tells some strange things about Bishop Laval and Grovernor D'Argenson : their squabble about holy bread. {Histoire de la Colonie Franfaise en Canada,Yo\. ii., p. 467.) At page 470, is an account of a country girl, ordered to be brought to town by Bishop Laval and shut up in the Hotel-Dieu, she being considered under a spell, cast on her by a miller whom she had re- jected when he popped the question : the diabolical suitor was jailed as a punishment. Champlain relates how a pugnacious parson was dealt with by a pugnacious clergy- * Relations de» Jesuites, 1652, p. 7. t Hittoire du Canada — Ferland. Vol. I, page 109. SILLERY. 283 ' \\W\ > ■ h: man of a different persuasion respecting some knotty con- troversial points. The arguments, however irresistible they may have been, Champlain observes, were not edifying either to the savages or to the French : " J'ay veu le ministre et nostre cure s'entre battre a coup de poing sur le ditlerend de la religion. Je ne scay pas qui estait le plus vaillant et qui donnait le meilleur coup ; niais je scay tres bien que le ministre se plaignoit quelque fois au tSieur de Mons (Calviniste, directeur de la compagnie) d'avoir este battu et vuoidoient en ceste faccon les poincts de controverse. Je vols laisse a penser si cela estait beau a voir ; les sauvages estoient tantot d'un cote, tantot de I'autre, et les Francois meslez selon leur diverse croyance, disaient pis que pendre de I'une et de I'autre religion." The lighting parson had evidently caught a tartar. However, this controversial sparring did not take place at Sillery. The winter of 1666 was marked by a novel incident in the annals of the settlement. On the 9th of January, =^'= 1666, the Governor of the colony, M. de Courcelles, with M. du G-as as second in command, and M. de Salampar, a volunteer, together with two hundred colonists who had volunteered, and three hundred soldiers of the dashing * '< Monsieur de Courcelles, qui en fut le chef (de I'expedition), y apporta toute la diligence possible, de sorte qu'il se trouva pret i\ partir le 9 Janvier, 1666, accompagne de M. duGas, qu'il prit pour son lieutenant, deM.de Salam- par, gentilhomme volontaire, du F6re Pierre Katteix, Jesuite, de 300 hommes du Regiment Carignan Sali^res et de 200 volontaires, habitants des colonies fran^aises, chacun ayant aux pieds des raquettes, dont iis n'etaient pas ac- coutumes de se servir et tous sans en excepter les chefs et M. de Courcelles m6me etant charges chacun de 25 ou 30 livresde biscuit etc. A peine pourrait on trouver dans t&utes les histoires une marche plus difficile et plus longue, que le fut telle de cette petite armee, et il fallut un courage francjais et la con- stance de M. de Courcelles pour I'entrependre * * * il fallait faire trois cent lieues sur les neiges, traverser continuellement sur la glace des lacs et des rivieres en danger de faire autant de chfites que de pas, ne coucher que sur la neige au milieu des for^ts, ot souffrir uu froid qui passe de beaucoup la rigueur des plus rudes hivers de I 'Europe. " Cependant nos troupes estant allees le premier jour k Sillery, pour re- commander le succ^s de leur entreprise u I'Archange Saint Michel, Patron de ce lieu IJi, plusieurs eurent des le troisi^me jour, le nez, les oreilles, les genoux et les doigts, ou d'autres parties du corps gelees et le reste du corps convert de cicatrices." — Relations de» Jetuites, 1666, page 6. i A:, \% I I t 1 : . JUk jd mm w i ' 284 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. regiment of Carignan,* which the viceroy, the proud Mar- quis de Tracy, had brought over from Europe, after their return from their campaign in Hungary, sallied forth from the capital on snow-shoes. A century and a half later one might have met, with his gaudy state carriage and out- riders, on that same road, another viceroy — this time an English one, as proud, as foud of display, as the Marquis de Tracy — with the Queen's Household Troops, the British Grenadiers, and Coldstream Guards — the Earl of Durham, one of our ablest, if not one of the most popular of our administrators. Let us now follow the French Governor of 1666, heading his light-hearted soldiers along the St. Louis road, all on snow-shoes, each man, His Excellency included, carrying on his back from 25 to 30 lbs. of biscuit, &c. The little army is bound towards the frontiers of New Holland (the State of New York) on a 900 miles' tramp (no railroads in those days), in the severest season of the year, to chastise some hostile Lidian tribes, after incorporating in its ranks, during its march, the Three Rivers and Montreal reinforce- ments. History tells of the intense sufferingf experienced during the expedition by these brave men, some of them more accustomed to Paris salons than to Canadian forest warfare on snow-shoes, with spruce boughs and snow-drifts for beds. But let us not anticipate. We must be content to accompany them on that day to the Sillery settlement, ♦ This crack regiment had covered itself with glory at the battle of St. Gothard in 1664, when 80,000 Turks had been cut to pieces by the army of Count Coligny. — {Uistoire de la Mhre de V Incarnation, Casgrain, p. 425-6.) t " Le vingt-cinq Janvier," says Ferland, " ils etaient sur les glaces k I'entree du lac Saint Pierre. Le froid etait plus vif, que les jours precedents ; des glai^ons accumulfes barraient presque la route qu'ils suivaient. Les volontaires accoutumes de longue main i\, rencontrer ces difficultes savaient les surmonter ; ils etaient vfitus h lamanidre du pays, et portaient habits, bonnets et chaussures de peaux de betes ; aussi ils peuvaieut sans danger braver le froid. II n'en ^tait pas ainsi des soldats fran^ais, encore pen habitues Maseverite du climat, et qui n'etaient pas pourvus de couvertures sufHsantes. L'on fut contraint de reporter aux Trois Riviferes plusieurs d'entre eux dont les uns s'^taient blessls sur les glaces, et les autres avaient les mains, les bras et les pieds geles." — (Court d'Hiitoire du Canada, vol. ii., p. 467.) !S :' < tv SILLER y. 285 a march quite sufficient for us degenerate Canadians of the nineteenth century. Picture to yourself, our worthy friend, the hurry and scurry at the Missionary residence on that day — with what zest the chilled warriors crowd round the fires of the Indian wigwams, the number of pipes of peace they smoked with the chiefs, the fierce love the gallant French- men swore to the blackeyed Montagnais and Algonquin houris of Sillery, whilst probably His Excellen(;y and staff were seated in the residency close by, resorting to cordials and all those (feature comforts to be found in monasteries, not forgetting Grande Chartreuse, to restore circulation throuffh their benumbed frames ! — flow the reverend fathers showered down the blessings of St. Michael, the patron saint of the parish, on the youth and chivalry of France! — How the Sillery duennas, the Capitainesses, closely watched the gallant sons of Mars lest some of them=^ should attempt to induce their guileless neophytes to seek again the forest wilds, and roam at large — the willing wives of white men ! We shall clip a page from Father Barthelemy Vimont's Journal of the Sillery Mission, (Relations des Jesuits, 1643, pp. 12, 13, 14) an authentic record, illustrative of the mode of living there ; it will, we are sure, gladden the heart even of an anchorite : — " In 1643, the St. Joseph or Sillery settlement was com- 1 '■ ■■:\W 1 1 'V i ' i ■t i i 1 1 Hi : 1 * Baron Vincent Saint Castio, was from Oleron, in Beam. Originally a Colonel in the King's Guards, he came to Canada in 1665, a Captain in the Carignan Regiment. He was, in 1680-1, in command of Fort Penobscot in Maine. He married Matilda, the daughter of Madockawando, Sachem of the Penobscots, by which tribe he was adopted and elevated to the rank of Chief. H.'' played a conspicuous part in the wars of that day, signed treaties with the Governors of New England. Having amassed a property of 300,000 crowns, he retired eventually to France, where he had an estate. He was succeeded by his son in the Government of Penobscot. His daughters married advanta- geously in the colony. We find one of them, Mademoiselle Brigitte de Saint Caslin, amongst the pupils ot the Ursuline Nuns at Quebec, about the begin- ning of the last century. — " Les Gouverneurs Generaux du Canada le menagent et eeux de la Nouvelle Angkterre U craignent, says La Hontan. i il \ . J * A fJBWP^ 286 il. li i - THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. i posed of between thirty-five and forty Indian families, who lived there the whole year round except during the hunting season ; other nomadic savages occasionally tarried at the settlemeiii to procure food, or to receive religious instruction. That year there were yet but four houses built in the European fashion ; the Algonquins were located in that part of the village close to the French resi- dences ; the Montagnais, on the opposite side ; the houses accommodate chiefs only, their followers reside in bark huts until we can furnish proper dwellings for them all. In this manner was spent the winter season of 1642-3, the Fn lich ships left the St. Lawrence for France on the 7th October, 1642 ; a period of profound quiet followed. Our Indians continued to catch eels, (this catch, begins in Sep- tember) — a providential means of subsistence during winter. The French settlers salt their eels, the Indians smoke theirs to preserve them. The fishing having ended about the beginning of November, they removed their provisions to their houses, when thirteen canoes of Atichamegues Indians arrived, the crews requesting per- mission to winter there and be instructed in the Christian religion. They camped in the neighborhood of the Mon- tagnais, near to Jean Baptiste, the chief or captain of these savages, and placed themselves under the charge of Father Buteux, who undertook to christianize both, whilst Father Dequen superintended the religious welfare of the Algon- quins. Each day all the Indians attended regularly to mass, prayers, and religious instruction. Catechism is taught to the children, and the smartest amongst them receive slight presents to encourage them, such as knives, bread, beads, hats, sometimes a hatchet for the biggest boys. Every evening Father Dequen calls at every hut and summons the inmates to evening prayers at the chapel. The Hospitalieres nuns also perform their part in the pious work ; Father Buteux discharged similar duties amongst the Montagnais and Atichamegues neophytes. The Ati- SILLERY. 287 chamegues have located themselves on a small height back of Sillery. ' When the Reverend Father visits them each evening, during the prevalence of snow storms, he picks his way in the forest, lantern in hand, but sometimes losing his footing, he rolls down the hill.' Thus passed for the Sillery Indians, the early portion of the winter. In the middle of January they all came and loc^ated them- selves about a quarter of a league from Quebec, to make tobogins and began the first hunt, which lasted about three weeks. Each day they travelled a quarter of a league to Quebec to attend mass, generally at the chapel of the Ursuline Convent, where Father Buteux and also the nuns instructed them. In February they sought the deep woods to hunt the moose." " On my return to Sillery," adds Father Vimont, " twelve or thirteen infirm old In- dians, women and children, who had been left behind, followed me to the Hospital, where we had to provide for them until the return, at Easter, of the hunting party." Whilst the savage hordes were being thus reclaimed from barbarism at Sillery, a civilized community a few hundred miles to the east of it were descending to the level of savages. We read in Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts Bay, of our Puritan brethren of Boston, occasionally roast- ing defenceless women for witchcraft ; thus perished, in 1645, Margaret Jones ; and a few years after, in 1656, Mrs. Ann Hibbens, the lady of a respectable Boston merchant. Christians cutting one another's throats for the love of G-od. O, civilization, where is thy boast ! During the winter of 1656-7, Sillery contained, of In- dians alone, about two hundred souls. Let us now sum up the characteristics of the Sillery of ancient days in a few happy words, borrowed from the Notes^ published in 1855 on that locality, by the learned Abbe Ferland. * Notes on the. Environs of Quebec, 1856. ill ! I ■'i < i 1 ■ i 1 I i THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. 288 " A map of Quebec by Champlain exhibitH, about a league above the youthful city, a point _juttiu namii oi Puiseaux, from the first owner of the Fief St. Michael, bounded by it to the southwest. =**= On this very point at present stands the handsom<^ St. Columba churi^h, surrounded by a village."! "Opposite to it is the Lau/on shore, with its river BniyanteX (the ' Etchemin ') its shipyards, its numerous shipping, the terminus of the Orand Trunk Kailway ; the villages and churches of Notre Dame de Levis, St. Jean Chrysostome and Saint Ilomuald. To your right and to your left the St. Lawrence is visible for some twelve or fifteen miles, covered with inward and outward bound ships. Towards the east the landscape is closed by Cap Tourment, twelve leagues distant, and by the cultivated heights of the Petite Monta«;neoi St. Fereol, exhibiting in succession the CdtedeBeaupre, (Beauport), (L'AngeOardien, ^c.) the green slopes of the Island of Orleans, CUipe Dia- mond, crowned with its citadel, and having at its feet a forest of masts, Abraham's Plains, the Coves and their humming, busy noises, St. Michael's Coves forming a graceful curve from Wolfe's cove to Pointe a Puiseaux. Within this area thrilling events once took place, and round these diverse objects historical souvenirs cluster, re- calling some of the most important occurrences in North America; the contest of two powerful nations for the sovereignty of the New World ; an important episode of • Occupied by Michael Stevenson, Esq. f The temple for Catholic worship, erected at Pointe ii Puizeaii about 1854, is very picturesquely located ; its stained jj;las8 windows, its graceful new spire, frescoed ceilings, add much to its beauty. Tlio Rev'd Messire George Drolet has succeeded to the Rev. Fathtr Haritin, who had been in charge ever since the late Abbe Ferland was appointed secretary to the Arch- bishop of Quebec and Military Chaplain to the Forces. For some time in 1877, St. Columba Church was in the spiritual charge of Monseigneur de Persico. X From the noise it makes before easterly gales. ^^-|■ Sn^LERY. 289 in 81 re ill [•ch- in de the revolution whiih «^ave birth to the udjoiiiinj^- Repul)Iic. Such were some ol' the events of which these iocalities were the theatre. Each square inch ol' land, in I'act, was measured by the lootsleps of some ol' \\u\ most remarkable men in the history ol' America: .lacqucs ('artier, Cham- plain, Frontenac, Laval, Phipps, d'lb«u'ville, Wolfe, Mont- calm, Arnold, Montgomery, have each of Ihcm, ai some time or other, trod ov»n" this expanse. "Close by, in St. Michael's Cove, M. de Maisinineuve and Mademoiselle Mance passed tlu'ir iirst ('anadian win- ter, with the colonists intended to found Montreal. Turn your eyes towards the west, and although the panorama is less extensive, still it awakens some glorious memories. At (;ap Rouge, Jacques Caitier established his (piariers, close to the river's edge, the second winter he speni in Canada, and was succeeded in that spot by Kol)ervaj, at the head of his ephemeral colony. Near the entrance of the Chaudiere river stood the tents of the Abnoquiois, the Etchemins and the Souriquois Indians, when they came from the shores of New England to smoke the calumet of peace with their brethren the French ; the river Chaudiere in those days was the highway which connected their country with Canada. Closer to Fointe a Puiseaux is Sillery Cove where the Jesuit Fathers w^ere wont to assemble and instruct the Algonc^uin and Mon- tagnais Indians, who were desirousi of becoming Christians. It was from that spot that the neophytes used to carry the faith to the depths of the forest ; it was here that those early apostles of Christianity congregated before starting with the joyou.s message for the country of the Hurons, for the shores of the Mississippi, or for the frozen regions of Hudson's Bay. From thence went Father P. Druilletes, the bearer of words of peace on behalf of the Christians of Sillery, to the Abnoquiois of Kennebeki, and to the puri- tans of Boston. Near this same mission of Sillery, Friar Liegeois was massacred by the Iroquois, whilst Feather T t'\ ^ 1 ( 1 ! rl ! 1 ( ; ; iiF^iTi 290 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. Poncet was carried away a cai)tive by these barbarous tribes. " Monsieur de Sillery devoted large sums to erect the necessary edifices for the mission, such as a chapel, a mis- sionary residence, an hospital, a Ibrt, houses lor the new converts, together with the habitations for the French. The D'Auteuil family had their (country seat on the hill back of Pointe a Puiseaux ; and the venerable Madame de Mon(;eau, the mother-in-law of the Attorney-Greneral Ruette D'Auteuil, was in the habit of residing there from time to time, in a house she had constructed near the chapel." In 1643, Father Bressani having been taken prisoner by the Iroquois, and having heard them discuss a plan to seize on the white maidens of Sillery (su(,'h were the names the Nuns went by) ; wrote it on some bark, whi<;h a Huron Indian having found, took it to Grovernor Mont- magny. The Governor then organized a guard of six soldiers, who each day relieved one another at Sillery, to watch over the village — the incursions of the savages in- creasing, the soldiers refused to remain any longer, and Grovernor Montmagny gave the Ilospitalicres the use of a small house on the beach of the river in the lower town. (Hist, de I'Hotel-Dieu, p. 50.) Francis Parkman furnishes interesting details of the arrival of Piesharit, a famous Indian chief, at Sillery in 1645, and of a grand council held by deMontmagny, in the Jesuits House, which exists to this day, probably the oldest structure of the kind in C^inada, dal ing from 1637. "As the successful warriors approached the little mission settlement of Sillery, immediately above Quebec, they raised their song of triumph and beat time with their paddles on the edges of their canoes ; while, from eleven poles raised aloft, eleven fresh scalps fluttered in the wind. The Father Jesuit and all his Hock were gathered on the strand to welcome them. The Indians fired three ■■ SILLERY. •291 guns, and screeched in jubilation ; one Jean Baptiste, a Christian chief of Siller y, made a speech irom the shore ; Pisharet repeated, standing upright in his canoe, and to crown the occasion, a squad of soldi(?rs, marching in haste from Quebec, fired a salute of musket rv% to the boundless delight of the Indians. Much to the surprise of the two captives, there was no running of the gauntU^t, no giiawing off of finger-nails or cutting off of lingers; but the scalps were hung, like little Ihigs, over the entrance of the lodges, and all Sillery betook itself to feasting and rejoicing. One old woman, indeed, came to the Jesuit with a pathetic appeal : " Oh, my lather ! let me caress these prisoners a little : they have killed, burned, and eaten my father, my husband and my children." But the missionary answered with a lecture on the duty of forgiveness. On the next day, Montmagny cam«^ to Sillery and there was a grand council in the house of the .T(»suits. Pisharet, in a solemn harangue, delivered his cajitives to the Governor, who rejilied with a, speech of compliment and an ample gift. The two Iroquois were present, seated with a seeming imj)erturbability, but great anxiety of heart ; and when at length they coinpn-hended that their lives were safe, one of them, a man of great size and sym- metry, rose and addressed Montmagny."=^ It would be indeed a pleasant and easy task to recall all the remarkable events which occurred in this neighbor- hood. One thing is certain, the cool retreats studding the shores of the tSt. Ijawrencc were equally sought for l)y the wealthy in those days as they have been since by all those who wish to breathe pure air and enjoy the scenery. The Sillery settlement commenced to be deserted about the beginning of the last century. After the cession of Canada the care of the buildings was neglected, and they • The Jesuits in North America, Parkman — pages 282-3. Vimont, Relation, 1645, 2-22. ii^ 1 1 1 li ■,y J ..p^i;"',- r JP P ij 2fl2 r^ff ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. soon fell to ruins ; but the residence of the missionary fathers was preserved, and the ruins of the other struc- tures remained standing long enough to be susceptible of identification with certainty. Several of the old inhabi- tants recollect having seen the church walls demolished, and they were of great solidity. Abbe Ferland himself, twenty years ago, saw a portion of those walls standing above ground. The ruins of the hospital and the convent were razed about fifty years ago, and in demolishing them several objects were discovered, some of which must have belonged to the good ladies, the Hospita/ieres nuns. For the benefit of those who might feel inclined to ex- plore the remaing vestiges of M. Sillery's foundation, I shall furnish some details on the locality. About the centre of Sillery Cove can be seen a cape, not very high, but with its sides perpendicular. The position of sur- rounding objects point it out as the spot on which stood the fort intended to protect the village ; there also, in a dry soil, stood the cemetery, from which several bodies were exhumed in the course of last summer (1854). At the foot of the cape, on your left, is the missionaries' house now converted into a residence for the clerks of Messrs. E. R. Dobell & Co. This building has been kept in repair, and is still in a good state of preservation. In a line with it, and nearest the St. Lawrence, can be discovered the foundation of the church. This edifice stood north-east and south-west. Near the wall closest to the river ran a spring of water, perfectly clear, and, no doubt, used for the wants of the church and of the presbytery. Several other streams of excellent water run down the hill and intersect the grounds in all directions. No misconception can exist as to where the chapel stood, as there are still (in 1855) living several persons who saw the walls standing, and can point out the foundations which have since been identified and en- closed by stone pillars and chains. To the right of the StLLERY. 293 small cape, and on a line with the chapel, stood the hos- pital, now deserted for more than two centuries. Over its foundation an elm has grown, — 'tis now a handsome and large tree ; six feet from the ground its circumference measures two fathoms (12 feet), which makes its diameter about three and a half Heriot thus describes the locality in 1806 :— " From hence to Cap Rouge the scenery, on account of its beauty and variety, attracts the attention of the pas- senger. At Sillery, a league from Quebec, on the north shore, are the ruins of an establishment which was begun in 1637, intended as a religious institution for the conver- sion and instruction of natives of the country ; it was at one time inhabited by twelve French families. The build- ings are placed upon level ground, sheltered by steep banks, and close by the borders of the river ; they now only consist of two old stone houses, fallen to decay, and of the remains of a small chapel (the chapel has of late been repaired and fitted up for a malt house, and some of the other buildings have been converted into a brewery).^ In this vicinity the Algonquins once had a village ; several of their tumuli, or burying places, are still discoverable it?-1 the • Breweries, however, and other manufactories had been in operation in the colony as early as 1668, as we glean from the following entry in the Jesuits' Journal: "Et parce qu un pais ne pent pas se former entiisrement sans lassistance des manufactures, nous voyons deji\ celle des souliers et des chapt^aux com- mencee, celle des toiles et des cuirs projetee, et on attend que la multiplica- tion qui se fait des moutons, produise suffisement des laines pour iutroduire cello des draps, et c'est ce que nous esperons dans pen puisque les bestiaux se peuplent assez abondamment, entr-autres les chevaux qui comnienceut i\ dis- tribuer dans tout le pais. La brasserie que Monsieur Talon fait construire, ne servira pas peu aussi pour la commodite pablique, soit pour I'epargne des boissons enivrantes, qui causent i(^i de grands desordres, auxquels on pourra obvier par cette autre boisson qui est trt^s iiaine et non malfaisante, soit pour conserver Targent dans le pais qui s'eu divertit par I'auhat qu'on fait en France de tant de boissons, soit enfln pour consumer le surabondant des bleds qui si sent trouves quelquefois en telle quantite que les laboureurs n'en pouuaient avoir le debit." — Helations des JesuUes, 166, p. 3. On the site of Talon's brew- ery, was built the Intendant's Palace, in the rear of Boswell's Brewery. M ( i^ i il H in, if '^7^^ W ■ I f I; -1 \\ s^m. 294 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. ill the woods, and hieroglyphics cut on the trees remain, in some situations, yet unaffected."* On the 6th June, 1865, we determined to afford our- selves a long-promised treat, and go and survey, with Abbe Ferland's Notes on Sillery open before us, and also the help of that eminently respected authority in every parish, the " oldest inhabitant," the traces of the Sillery settlement of 1637. Nor had we long to wait before obtain- ing ocular demonstration of the minute exactitude with which our old friend, the Abbe, had investigated and measured every stone, every crumbling remain of brick and mortar. The first and most noticeable relic pointed out was the vei'itable house of the missionaries, facing the St. Lawrence, on the north side of the road, on Sillery Cove ; it was the ])roperty of the late Henry Le Mesurier, Esquire, of Beauvoir. Were it in the range of possible events that the good fathers could revisit the scene of their past apostolical labours and view their former earthly tene- ment, hard would be the task to identify it. The heavy three-feet-thick wall is there yet, as perfect, as massive, as defiant as ever ; the pointed gable and steep roof, in spite of alterations, still stands — the true index of an old French structure in Canada. Our forefathers seemed as if they never could make the roof of a dwelling steep enough, doubtless to prevent the accumulation of snow. But here ends all analogy with the past ; so jaunty, so cosy, so modern does the front and interior of Sillery " Manor House" look — thus styled for many years past. Paint, paper and furniture have made it quite a snug abode. Nor was it without a certain peculiar feeling of reverence we, for the first time, crossed that threshold, and entered beneath those fortress-like walls, where for years had re- sounded the orisons of the Jesuit Fathers, the men from *Heriot's Travels, 1806, p. 98. The .Jesuit, Father Ennemond Masse died at Sillery, 12th May, 1646, aged seventy-two. .1:1 i SILLERY. 295 aged whose ranks were largely recruited our heroic band of early martyrs — some of whose dust, unburied, but not unhonoured, has mingled for two centuries withi ts parent earth on the green banks of Lake 8imco(», on the borders of the Ohio, in the environs of Kingslon, Montreal, Three Rivers, Quebec — a fruitful seed of Christianity scattered bountifully through the length and breadth of our land ; others, whose lifeless clay still rests in yon sunny hillock in the rear, to the west of the " Manor House " — the little cemetery described by Abbe Ferland. Between the "Manor House" and the river, about forty feet from the house, inclining towards the south, are the remains of the foundation walls of the Jesuit's church or chapel, dating back to 1(!40. On the 18th .Fune, lGo7, lire made dreadful havoc in the residence of the Jesuits {Relations, for 1657, p. 26) ; they stand north-east and south-west, and are at present flush with the greensward ; a large portion of them were still visible about thirty-live years ago, as attested by many living witnesses ; they were converted into ballast for ships built at this spot, and into materials for repairing the main road by some Vandal who will re- main nameless, b^om the Manor House you notice the little cape to the south-west mentioned in Abbe Ferland's Notes, though growing smaller and smaller every year from the c[uantities of soil and stone taken from it, also to repair the road. The large elm pointed out by the Abbe as having grown over the s])ot where the hospital stood is there yet, a majestic; tree. The selection of a site for the little cemetery is most judicious ; several little streams from the heights in the rear iilter through the ground, pro- ducing a moisture calculated to j^revent decomposition and explanatory of the singular appearanC'e of the l)odies disinterred there in 1855. Every visitor will be struck with the beauty, healthiness and shelter which this sequestered nook at Sillery presents for a settlement, and with its adaptability for the pvirposea for which it was j 1 \ i 'il Li^^ H ( 296 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. 11 "i 'I U chosen, being quite protected against our two prevailing winds, the north-east and south- west.with a warm southern exposure. Many years after the opening of the Algonquin and Montagnais school at Sillery, the Huron Indians, after being relentlessly tracked by their inveterate foes, the Five Nations, divided into five detachments ; one of these hid on the Great Manitoulin Island, others elsewhere ; a portion came down to Quebec on the 26th July, 1650,* under the direction of Father Ragueneau, and, on the 28th July, 1650, settled first on the Jesuits land at Beauport ; in March, 1651, they went to Ance du Fort, on the lands of Mademoiselle de Chandmaison, on the Island of Orleans, liut the Iroquois having scented their prey in their new abode, made a raid on the island, butchered seventy-one of them, and carried away some prisoners. The unfortunate redskins soon left the Island in dismay, and for protection, encamped in the city of Quebec itself, under the cannon of the fort, constructed by Grovernor d' Aillebout to receive them, near the Jesuits College (at Cote de St. Michel) ; in 1667, they settled on the northerly frontier of Sillery,! in Notre Dame de Foy [now St. Foye] ; restless and scared, they again shifted they quarters on the 29th December, 1693, and pitched their erratic tents at Ancienne Lorette, which place they also abandoned many years afterwards to go and settle at Jeune or Indian Lorette, where the remnants of this once warlike race % (the nobles amongst Indian tribes) exist, now crossed with their Caucasian brethren, and vegetate in obscurity — exotic trees trans- planted far from their native wilds. Shall we venture to assert that Sillery equals in size * Jiistoire de la Colonie Franqais', en Canada, vol. II, p, 115. t /V«7/on, vol. Ill, p. 318. t In 1684, at the review of French troops at Fort Fontenac, appear amon^ others Caplaines de la Cote ; the Captain de la Cote de Beauport, Dncheanay, Lafert6 and Meseray, of Cap. Rouge. (Paris Documents, vol. IX, p. 234.) li SILLERY. 29t some of che German principalities, and that, important though it be, like European dynasties, it has had its periods of splendor succeeded by eras of medieval obscurity. From 1700 down to the time of the conquest, we appeal in vain to the records of the past for any historical event connected with it ; everywhere reigns supreme a Cim- merian darkness. But if the page of history is silent, the chronicles of the ton furnish some tit-bits of drawing-room chit-chat. Thus, as stated in Hawkins' celebrated His- torical. Picture of Quebec,^ the northern portion of the parish skirting the St. Foye road " was the favorite drive of the Canadian belle." In these few words of Hawkins is involved an intricate question for the salons, a problem to solve, more abstruse than the one which agitated the Grecian cities respecting the birth of Homer. Who then was the Canadian Belle of former days ? The Nestors of the present generation still speak with admiration of a fascinating stranger who, close to the end of the last cen- tury, used to drive on the St. Foye road, when a royal duke lived in the city, in what is now styled " The Kent House," on St. Louis street. The name of this distinguished traveller, a lady of European birth, was Madame St. Laurent ; but, kind reader, have patien<;e. The Canadian belle who thus enjoyed her drives in the environs of Quebec was not Madame St. Laurent, as it is distinctly stated at page 170 of Hawkins that this occurred before the conquest, viz., 1759. Might it have been that vision of female loveliness, that spotless and beautiful Mrs. De Lery, whose presentation at court, with her handsome husband, shortly after the conquest, elicited from His Majesty George IIL the expression which history has pre- served, " If such are all my new Canadian subjects, I have indeed made a conquest ;" or must we picture to ourselves " Along thin road was the favorite drive of the Canadian belle." — Hawkins' Picture of Quebec. 1^ i ' ^ . jin I H I ( 1 1 i 1 1 , i i^k U^J t li ■^ f Xa I l! I i If i 1 ! :| 1- . i ' f ' |i k 1 1 r 298 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. as the Canadian belle that peerless beauty, that witty and aspiring Madame Hughes Pean, Intendant Bigot's fair charmer, mysteriously hinted at, in all the old Quebec guide books, as " Mrs. P ." Madame Hughes Pean,* whose husband was Town Major of Quebec, owned a seigniory in the vicinity of the city — some say at St. Vallier, where Mons. Pean used to load with corn the vessels he dispatched elsewhere ; she also was one of the gay revellers at the romantic Hermitage, Bigot's shooting lodge at Charlesbourg. Old memoirs seem to favour this version. Be this as it may. the St. Foy road was a favorite drive even a century before the present day ; so says Hawkins' historical work on Quebec — no mean authority, consider- ing that the materials thereof were furnished by that accomplished scholar and eminent barrister, the late Andrew Stuart, father of the present Judge Stuart, and compiled by the late Dr. John Charlton Fisher, one of the able joint editors of the New York Albion, and father of Mrs. Ed. Burstall, late of Sillery. Who was the reigning belle in 1V59, we confess that all our antiquarian lore has failed to satisfactorily unravel. The battles of 1759 and 1760 have rendered Sillery, St. Foye, and the Plains of Abraham classic ground. The details of these events, hav- ing appeared elsewhere,! the reader is referred to them. Those of the present day desirous to ascertain the exact spot in the environs of Quebec where past events have taken place, ought to be careful not to be misled by sub- sequent territorial divisions for municipal or canonical purposes. Many may not be aware that our forefathers included under the denomination of Abraham's Heights that plateau of comparatively level ground extending in • Madame Pean's house in St. Louis street stood where the Ofldcers Barracks have been since built. We take her to have been that pretty Aug. De Meloises, a pupil of the Ursuline Nuns, mentioned in the Histoire des Unu- lines de Quebec. t Quebec, Past and Present ; Maple Leaves — 1865. SILLER Y. 290 a south-easterly direction from the Coteau Ste. Genevieve towards the lofty banks which line the River St. Lawrence, covering the greatest part of the land on which subse- quently have been built the St. Lewis and St. John's suburbs, the hilly portion towards the city and river, where stands the Asile Champ6tre ; thence south-east, being then called Buttes a Nepveu ; the land close by, between the Plains and Pointe a Puiseaux, as Cote St. Michael ; the ascent from the valley of the St. Charles towards this plateau was through the hill known as Cote d' Abraham. The locality afterwards known as Woodlield and Spencer Wood, in the hef of St, Michael, was designated as the wood of Sames, thus called after a celebrated French eccle- siastic of Quebec, Bishop Dosquet, who owned there a country seat in 1733 — then known as Sames — later on, as Wocdfifld. To the west lay the Clomin Wood — which had taken its name from a French botanist. Dr. Gomin^ who had located himself on land on which it is said, Coulonge Cottage was subsequently built in order to study the Flora of Sillery, which is very varied and rich. The old Sillery settlement, which lay within the limits of the parish of Ste. Foye, was, in 1855, placed under the distinguished tutelage of a Saint, dear to those who hail from the Emerald Isle, and called St. Columba of Sillery. Thus the realms heretofore sacred to the Archangel, St. Michael and to St. Joseph, have peaceably passed under the gentle sway of St. Columba, despite the law of pre- scription. The British residents of Sillery — and this ought to console sticklers for English precedents and the sacn-ed- ness of vested rights — did not permit the glory of the Archangel to depart, and soon after the erection of St. Columba into a parish, the handsome temple of worship called St. Michael's church, came into existence.^ THE SILLERY MONUMENT. •The monument erected by the inhabitants of Sillery, to the memory of the Bevd. Pere Ennemuud Masse, 8. J., first Missionary to Canada, was inaugu- W^'Ul 1 i M ( 1 1 i JiliJfl 1 1 ,-;[■'' W^ m ijii OAA Tjy^ ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. OUR COUNTRY SEATS. In the preceding paper a general sketch has been at- tempted of that portion of the St. Lawrence highlands adjoining Quebec to the west — a locality remarkable for the numerous residences it contains of " the nobility of commerce," as a contemporary facetiously styles our mer- chants. We shall, in the following go over a great por- tion of the same ground, delineating, first the land area west of Quebec; proper, where was fought the battle of the 13th Sept., 1759, the Plains of Abraham, and next detail. rated on Saturday afternoon, the 26th June, 1870, in presence of the inhabi- tants of Sillery, and of several literary gentlemen of the environti. Pevd. G. V. Cazeau, addressed those present, and was followed by the Abbes Laverdiere andCasgrain, and by Hon'l P. C. A. Chauveau and Mr. R. K. Dobell. Mr. Dobell delivered a lengthy and able address on the worth of the good missionary, but dwelt chiefly on the career of the benevolent Commander Brulart de Sillery : At our suggestion, the monument was made by its inscriptions to com- memorate the merit of both : "The speakers all paid a high tribute to the researches of the Revd, Abbes Laverdiere and Casgrain, through whose labors the resting place of the Revd. Pere Masse were discovered, and with whom originated the idea of erecting this monument. The ground upon which the monument stands was given by Mr. Henry Lemesurier : and Mr. R. R. Dobell has nobly assisted Messrs. Laverdiere and Casgrain in carrying out the project. The monument is plain but elegant, and altogether about 20 feet high. It is of cut-stone, with four marble tablets, surmounted by a marble cross. One of the tablets bears the following inscription: The Inhabitants of Sillery Have erected this Monument to the Memory of PERE ENNEMOND MASSE, S. J., First Missionary in Canada, Buried in 1646, In the Church of Saint Michel, On the Domain of Saint Joseph of Sillery. On another tablet was inscribed : The Church of Saint Michel, Which formerly stood on this spot, , Was built by The Commander of Sillery, Pounder (in 1637) of the St. Joseph Domain. The ceremony throughout was of a most interesting character, serving to mark an important event in the history of Canada. I ; I ( '1 ' h i I t ! i; '1 '1 THF PLAINS OF AH li Alt AM. m sptMaHcally, tho moHt attractive of I h«»s«' country residences, eulargin^- our «auvass, however, so ns to «'oinprise also descriptions of rural homes beyond the li'.aits of Sillery. Many other abodes we would also desire to lake in Iheso paj^es, but space [)recluroject : i'ar is it from our int»Mition to write a i)anegyric of individuals or a p;ean to success, althou<»'h sketches of men or domestic recollections may frequently lind their place in the description of their abodes. No other desire prompti'd us but thatof attemi)t- ing to place prominently before the public the spots with which history or natur«! has more specially enriched Quebec. Quebecers oug'ht to be proud of their scenery and of the historical ivy which s to the old walls of Stadacona. Neighbouring- cities may grow vast with brick and mor- tar; their commerce may advance with the stride of a young giant ; their citi>cens may sit in high places among the sons of men, but can they ever compare with our own fortress for historical memories or beautiful scenery ? We shall assign the lirst place to the mansion which still crowns the Montmorenci Falls, once the abode of the father of our Sovereign ; we shall then view ths residences on the St. Lewis road in succession, then those along the St. Foy road, and finally close this paper with the descrip- tion ol' other remarkable spots in the neighborhood of Quebec. — Lorette, Chateau Bigot, Montmorency Falls, Chaudiere Falls. ( ■ THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM. " Aiix plaines d'Abraham, rendez-vous des batailleH, revcnoz voir ces lieux, oh ! rcvenez encore, officiersdu Grand Roi, vavanQr^ tons aussi, La Barre, Frontcnac, Denonville, Tracy ! alignez vous, soldats, Carignan ot Guienne, appuyoz, Languedoc et Eearn ot la Eeine." — Alp, de Puibusque. " Among modern Battle-fields," says Col. f now Lt. General) Beatson, " none surpass in romantic interest the Plains or Heights of Abraham." < ( i I DEFENCES of QUEBEC MTTSIUKS tforcuHS man* ATlu CvUuUl 9 B.1kt, CUfffyenBarUUa' U S C. Sculoru leaf* 7 : O D. TluHa^Uaiy % \o RAneyrSaiUfyorertMt: . nt0.manMti> ' G.IfewBaUay attheufper ■ ■ partoftAeKmg»Ycu^ i : o HJftw BalUjj alifts lo\0»r . parloPlh* KmcftVu-dA 3.0 J.RoyalBtnUery io o K Dcmphuit^BaUery lo- o ^hfetv^BaUerr r . *VW, -.7.,*. -Vv. ,';.^./, • ■ • Ah K A" '^'te^^iii'''^y-^-' >..., I br ^1 JSL/LV ntn rjM^i awi* ?^ 'cssi ^ ..•.tS^ .. i-. •'"» — •"»■ PLAN OP THJE RIVER ST LAWRENCE SiJlery to the FaII erf ilCoiit#nareiu?y^' ■nitb the Opemitans of the SiBGE or QCTKBEC,1750 SJ \\c -4£n9l.llUM MJ I *! m^^' >: f '■; ■ • ( '' I ' ;i' > • ■ i ■ 11 V, 302 rirff ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. No Quebecer would have tho hardihood to challenge the asser- tion of this able engineer officer, stationed herefrom 1849 to 1854, and who spared neither time nor pains, with the assistance of our historians and antiquarians, Ferland, Faribault and McGuire, to collect authentic information on this subject. Col.Beatson com- piled a volume of historical notes, which he published in 1858, when stationed at Gibraltar. * The Plains of Abraham will ever be famous, as having witnes- sed, more than one century back, the deadly encounter of the then two leadiug nations of Europe — England and France — to decide the fate of Canada — one might say (by the series of events it led to) the destinies of North America. Of this mighty duel, which crimsoned with human gore these fields one murky September morning, in 1759 — Smollett, Carlylo, Bancroft, Hawkins, Smith, Garneau, Ferland, Miles and other historians have vied with one another to furnish a graphic account. Of the origin of the name, none until lately could tell. "Notwithstanding" adds Col. Beatson, " the world-like celebrity of tliese Plains, it was not until very recently that the derivation of their name was discovered ; and as it is comparatively unknown, even in Canada, the follow- ing explanation of its origin will doubtless possess attractions for such as are fond of tracing to their sources the names of celebrated localities, and who may be surprised to learn that upwards of a century previous to the final con- quest of Canada by the British arms, the scene of the decisive struggle for national supremacy in the northern (jivision of the New World had derived its name from one who, if not a Scotchman by birth, would seem to have been of Scottish lineage. This apparently improbable fact will, however, appear less extraordinary when it is known that he was a sea-faring man ; and when it is considered how close was the alliance and how fi'equent the intercouise which, for centuries before that period, had subsisted between France and Scotland. " This individual, whose name was Abraham Martin, is described in a legal document, dated the 15th August, 1646, and preserved among the archives of the Bishop's Palace, at Quebec, as (the King's) Pilot of the St. Lawrence ; an appointment which probably ar un ancien mimonaire, at page 193, P6re Martin notices the discrepancies between the various writers whom he bad consulted. " It is difficult at the present day, to decide with certainty as to the numbers cf the two armies who met on the Plains of Abraham ; an- cient writers are no more in accord than modern. Here are some of the estimates : French. English. L'intendant Bigot 3,500 3 to 4,000 Montreuil, Major G6n6ral, 4,500 Doreil, Commissaire, 3,000 6,000 Colonel Fraser, 5,000 4,000 (Sullivan says the forces were equal, but that Wolfe's soldiers were disci- plined veterans, and that the half of Montcalm's were militia and Indians.) Hawkins , 5,000 4,800 Bancroft, 5,000 6,000 Garneau, 4,500 8,000 Beatson, 7,500 4,828 Dussieux, 4,500 5,000 The estimates given by Garneau, of the English, and by Lt. Col. Beatson, of the French, are evidently exaggerated. The estimates of Knox and Ferland deserves also notice, even if only from the discrepancy they present." t Montcalm, when he heard that the English had ascended the hill and were formed on the high ground at the back of the town scarcely credited the intelligence but he was soon undeceived. He saw clearly that the Englif h fleet and army were in such a situation that the Upper and Lower Town might be attacked in concert, and that nothing but a battle could save it. Accordingly he determined to give them battle. The Annual Register Jor the year 1759. ti^ I \ I I 1 ' \\\ I ■ H 1 jli, I ' a i,:; J I V 308 rJM? ENVIRONS OP QUEBEC. national honour, wonld permit him to betray a consciousness of wealcness by declining the combat, on finding himself unexpectedly confronted by the whole of Wolfe's army. Relying, doubtless, on the prestige of his victories during the campaign of the preceeding year (1758) in which he had been uni- formly successful, and in which at Ticonderoga, with four thousand men he had defeated General Abercromby at the head of nearly four times that num- ber — he endeavoured by a confident bearing and encouraging expressions* to animate his troops with hopes which he hims6lf could scarcely entertain ; and though almost despairing of success, boldly resolved to attempt, by a sudden and vigorous onset, to dislodge his rival before the latter could in- trench himself in his commanding position, and it is surely no blot on his fame that the superior discipline and unflinching steadiness of his opponents, the close and destructive volleyf by which the spirited but disorderly advance of his battalions was checked, and the irresistiblet charge which completed their confusion, rendered unavailing his gallant effort to save the colony ; for (to borrow the words of the eloquent historian of the Peninsular War), " the vicissitudes of war are so many that disappointment will sometimes at- tend the wisest combinations ; and a ruinous defeat, the work of chance close the career of the boldest and most sagacious of Generals, so that to judge a commander's conduct by the event alone is equally unjust and un- philosopfaical." In the remarkable letter said to have been addressed to his cousin, M. de Mole, Prisident au Parlement de Paris, and dated /row the camp be/ore Quebec, 22nd August, 1759," — a fortnight before the battle — Montcalm thus patheti- cally describes how hopeless would be the situation in the event of Wolfe effecting a landing neai the city ; and, with a firm heart, foretold his own fate, " Here I am, my dear cousin, after the lapse of more than three months still contending with Mr. Wolfg, who has incessantly bombarded Quebec with a fury unexampled in the attack of any place which the besieger has wished to retain after his capture. " Nearly all the whole of Lower Town has been destroyed by his batteries *Local tradition relates that, on receiving, about 8 o'clock in the morning of the 13th September, the startling intelligence that the English were in pos- session of the Plains, Montcalm (hitching up his breeches with both hands, as was his custom) briskly exclaimed, " if that be the case it is time we were hasten- ing thither ; /or we must drive them into the river be/ore noon." R.S. B. f " The English troops were exhorted to reserve their fire ; and they bore that of the enemy's light troops in front (which was galling though irregular) with the utmost patience and good order, waiting for the main body of the enemy which fast advanced upon them. At forty yards distance our troops gave their fire, which took place in its full extent, and made a terrible havoc among the French." The Annual Register for 1759. << General Wolfe ordered the men to load with an additional bullet which did great execution. " As soon as the French came within musket-ahot they began to fire, but the British reserved their fire until the enemy were within twenty yards." Beation's Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain fr6m 1729 to 1790. \ Tbe Canadian militia (of which more than half of Montcalm's forces con- •iated) were without bayonets. Montcalm s Letter of 24:. spared ground, once moistened by the blood of heroes, when the citizens of Quebec spontaneously came to the rescue. No plan suggested to raise the necessary funds obtained more favour than that of planting it with some shade-trees, and converting it into a Driving Park. This idea well carried out would, in a measure, associate it with the everyday life of all citi- zens of all denominations. Its souvenir, its wondrous river-views alone would attract thousands. It would be open gratis to all well-behaved pedestrians. The fatigued tradesman, the weary labourer, may at any time saunter round and walk to the brink of the giddy heights facing Levi ; feast their eyes on the striking panorama unrolled at their feet ; watch the white winged argosies of commerce float swan-like on the bosom of the mighty flood, whilst the wealthy citizen, in his panelled carriage, would take his afternoon drive round the Park enpayant. The student, the scholar, the traveller might each in turn find here amusement, and fresh air and shade, and with sketch book and map in hand, come and study or copy the furmation of the battle-field and its monument ; whilst the city 6e//e on her palfrey, or the youthful equestrian, fresh from college, might enjoy a canter round the undulating course in Sept- ember on all days, except that Autumn week sacred to the turf, ever since 1789, selected by the sporting fraternity. In November, 1876, an association was formed, composed as follows: His Honour the Lieut.-Governor, His Worship the Mayor, Chief Justice Meredith, Hon. Judge Tessier, Hon. E. Chinic, Hon. D. E. Price, Chs. E. Levey, Hon. P. Garneau, Col. Rhodes, John Gilmour, John Burstall, Hon. C. C. DeLery, J. Bte, Renaud, Jos. Hamel, J. M. LcMoine. Hon. Thos. McGreevy, Hon. C. Alleyn, C. F. Smith, A. P. Caron, Thos. Beckett, James Gibb, R. R. Dobell, with E. J. Meredith, Secretary. Hon. E. Chinic, and Messrs. C. F. Smith, and R. R. Dobell were named Trustees to accept for the nominal sum of $1, the lease held by the City Corporation, the Corporation continuing liable for the annual rent of $200. Though the late period of the season prevented the association from doing anything, beyond having the future Park suitably fenced in, the praiseworthy object in contemplation has not been lost sight of, and active measures in furtherance of the same will yet be taken. ( ( J ■ if HI 312 THK ENVIRONS OF QUKRRO. i It would be iinjiiHt to clone thiH huHty sketch without Hwardinjj a word of praise and encoiiraKtiinent to one of the most iictive pronioiiTH of the Bchume, U.K. Dobell, Esq., of Beanvoir, Sillery. (TluHe iinehiieiincd in 1H76, we recall this day, with regret, tiie excellent idea of Battlein Id I'lirk liaving fallen through, on the promoters discovery that the 99 years lease, grantecl by the Ursuliue Nuns would expire in a very few years, when the >' oidd resume the site). I p II Its THK injKE OF KENT'S LODnF-MoNTnrOIIENVI. " Oh I give me a Lome where the cataract's foam Is admired by the poor and the rich, as they roam By thy banks, Montmorenci, so placid and fair, Oh I what would 1 give, could I find a home there." The Montmoi'enci hoi/?htH and benches have become famouH on account of the nuccesHful defence made there dui-ing the whole Hummer of 1759, by Montcalm, against the attackn of Wolfe'w veterans. Finally, the French lines having been deemed im- pregnable on the Beauport side, a fort and barracks* were repeatedly talked of at Jsle aux Coudros, to winter the troops. Wolfe was, however, overruled in his councils, ar •» spot near Sillery pointed out for a descent, possibly by a F renegade, Denis de Vitrd,f probably by Majoi* Stobo, who, u^ g allowed a good deal of freedom during his captivity, knew the locality well. Stobo had been all winter a prisoner of war in the city, having been sent down from Fort Necessity, on its surrender, to Quebec, in 1754, by the French, fi-om whom he escaped in the beginning of May, 1759, and joined Durell and Saunders' fleet long before it reached Point Levi. These same heights, celebrated for their scenery, were destined, later on, to acquire additional interest from the sojourn thereat of a personage of no mean rank — the future father of our august Sovereign. • Knox's Journal, Vol. ii., pp. 14, 21, 24,28, Aug. 21. "The project of erecting a fortress on the Island of Coudres, for a garrison of three thousand men, is laid aside for want of proper materials, and the season being too far advanced for such an undertaking. The enterprise of storming Quebec is also given up ns too desperate to hope for success." P. 28. t Denis de Vitre, then a prisoner of war in England, had been induced to come to Canada, partly by threats, partly l)y promises, to pilot the English fleet. According to the Diary of old J«me8 Thompson, both Cugnet and Davis had indicated the spot when Wolfe landed at Sillery. Stobo claimed the cmdit of it, and according to Panet's Diary, it was on his advice, that on the 2l8t July, 1759, was undertaken the expedition to Deschambeauli and neigh- boring parishes, where 100 Quebec ladies of respectability secreted there — had been captured and brought back. THE nUKE OF KEffrS LODGE. 318 Facing the rourin^ cuturuet of Montnioroiiei .stnudH the " Mftn- Hion House," built by Sir Kmiei-ic! Iluldimaiid, CH.,* wIumi Governor of the Piovi nee — hero Sir Frederic eiitortiiined, in HHli, tl>e Huron nessJtedesdulo, the wife of the lirunswiciv (Jenerul, who had eoine over witli liur^oyne to ti^iit liie contincntiils in 1775, — u pluin-looking lodji^e, Htill exiHting, to which, Honie years hack, wings have been added, malting it considerably hirger. Tliis was the favourite summer abode of an Knglisli I'rince. His J{oyal Highness Kdv/ard Augustus, Colonel of tlie lioyal Fu«ileers, sub- sequently Field Marshal the Duke of Kent, " ha(i landed here," says the i^uejec. Gazette oi' the iHth August, 1791, from H. M. ships Ulysses and Resistance, -f in seven weeks from Gibraltar, with the 7th or Eoyal Eegiment of Fusileers." The J^rince had evi- dently a strong fancy for country life, as may be infen-ed by the fact tluvt, during his prolonged stay in Halifax, as(Jommander-in- Chief of the Forces, he owned also, seven miles out of the city, a similar rustic lodge, ol' which Haliburton has given a charming description. 'Twas on the Uth of August the youthful colonel, with his tine regiment, landed in the Lower Town ; on the 12th was held in his li-»nour, at the Chateau St. Louis, a levee, whereat attended the aiuliorities, civil, military and clerical, together with the gentry. In the afternoon " the ladies were presented to the Prince in the Chateau." Who, then, attended this levee ? Did he dance? H'so, wlio were his partners? No register ol" names ; no list of Edward's partners, such as we have of the Prince of Wales. :{: No Court Journal! Merely an entry of the • " For sale, the elegant villu of the late Sir Frederic Haldiruand, K.B., de- lightfully Hituated near the Falls of Montmorency, with the farm-house. — (Quebec, 1st December, 1791." — Supplement to the Quebec Gazette 22nd Dec, 1792. t Our port must have presented quite a warlike aspect — over and above the Viysies and Meaistance frigates there had preceded the Prince's arrival, the following ships of war, lormiug part of Commodore Sawyer's squadron : The tiag ship Leander, 50 guns, Capt. J. Bevelay ; the Resource, Commander Paul Miuihiu ; the Ariadne, Commander Osburn ; the Thisbe, Capt. Cothu, was also arrived from a cruise, and four transports, one named tlie Lord Mulgrave, with detachments of tbe 5tb, 26 th and 54th 'i;giments, were anchored before the city. X The list of the partners of Prince Edward's grandson H. H. H. the Prince of Wales, at the ball, etc., given in his honour in Quebec, by the Mayor and citizens, at the Music Hall, on the 21st August, 1860, comprises: 1. Mrs. Langeviu (wife of Sir H. L. Langevin, M.P.P., and Mayor of Quebec) ; 2. Mrs. h^n ! ■J 1 , 1 J ■ 1 ''\ H I 1; i : li ' I ■I n 314 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. names of the signers of the address in the Quebec Gazette of the 18th August, 1791. Can we not, then, re-people the little world of Quebec of 1791 ? — bring back some of the principal actors of those stormy political, but frolicsome times? Let us walk in with the " nobility and gentry," and make our best bow to the scion of royalty. There, in full uniform, you will recognize His Excellency Lord Dorchester, the Governor-General, one of our most popular administrators ; next to him, that tall, athletic military man, is the Deputy Governor-General, Sir Alure:J Cl'"rk. He looks eager to grasp the reins of office from his supe- rior, who will set sail for home in a few days. See how thought- ful the Deputy Governor appears ; in order to stand higher with his royal English master he chuckles before-hand over the policy which gives to many old French territorial divisions, right Eng- lish names — Durham, Suft'olk, Prince Edward, York, Granville, Buckinghamshire, Herefordshire, Kent. The western section of Canada will rejoice in the new names of Hesse, Luneberg, Nassau, Mecklenburg, That Doputy Governor will yet live to win a baton^ of Field Marshal under a Hanoverian sovereign. He is now in close conversation with Chief Justice William Smith, senior. Round there are a bevy of Judges, Legislative Council- lors, Members of Parliament, all done up to kill, a I'anciennemode, by Monsigneur Jean Laforme,f court hair-dresser, with powdered Cartier (wife of Sir George Etienne Caitier, Attorney General ; 3. Miss Irvine (daughter of Colonel Irvine, then Provincial Aide-de-Camp) ; 4. Miss Price : 5. Miss LeMesurier (since married to Capt. Carter) ; 6. Miss Derbyshire (Mrs. J. Adamsou) ; 7. Miss Clementina Sewell ; 8. Miss Caron (daughter of Hon. Justice Caron, and now wife of Mr. Justice Tacliereau ; 9. Lady Milne; 10. M' ■ Napier, of Montreal (since murried to Capt. Bell); 11. Mrs. Serocold (.^e of Captain Serocold and daughter of the Hon. Chief Justice Duval); 12. Miss Dunscomb (daughter of the Collector of Customs at Quebec). 13. Miss Fischer (daughter of the Attorney General of New Brunswick) ; 14. Miss Mountain (daughter of the late Bishop of Quebec); 15. Miss Agnes An- derson; 16. Mrs. Koss ; 17. Mrs. Alex. Bell; 18. Miss Tilley (daughter of Sir Leonard Tilley ; 19. Mrs. K. H. Smith. *He was created Field Marshal in 1827. t Monsieur Jean Laforme was, indeed, a high authority on hair dressing. Our youthful grandmothers of 1791 would have no other than Monsieur La- forme to dress their hair for the Chateau balls. A memorable instance has been handed down to posterity of the awful dilemma in which, either a press of engagements or an oversight, placed the Court peruquier, from which his genius alone extricated him. The beautiful Mrs. P 1, the consort of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 179--, had to attend at a ball at the Castle St. Louis. Unfortunately she had omitted engaging in time Laforme 1 1 i , i 1 1 .1^ THE DUKE OF KENT'S LODGE. 315 periwigs, ruffles and formidable pigtails. Here is Judge Mabane, Secretary Pownall, Honorable Messrs. Finlay,* Dunn, Harrison, Holland, Collins, Caldwell, Fraser, Lymburner; Messrs. Lester, Young, Smith Junior. Mingled with them you also recognize the bearers of old historic names — Messrs. de Longueuil, Baby, de Bonne, Duchesnay, Duni^re, Gueroult, de Lotbiniere, Eoc de St. Ours, Dambourg^s, de'Eocheblave, de Eouville, deBoucherville, Le Compte, Dupre, Bellestre, Taschereau, de Tonnancour, Panet, de Salaberry, and a host of others. Were these gentlemen all present ? Probably not, they were likely to be. Dear reader, you want to know also what royal Edward did — said — was thought of — amongst the Belgravians of old Stadacona, during the three summers he spent in Quebec, '> How he looked when he danced, when he wat at his ease. When his Highness had sneezed, or was going to sneeze." Bear in mind then, that we have to deal with a dashing Colonel of Fusileer.s — age twenty-tive — status, a prince of the blood; add that ho was ardent, generou.'; impulsive, gallant ; u tall, athletic fellow; in fact, one of George III.'s big, burly boys — dignified in manner — a bit of a statesman ; witness his happy and successful speechf at the hustings of the Charlesbourg election, and the bit- ing rebuke it contained in anticipation — for Sir Edmund Head's unlucky post-prandial joke about the superior race. Would you to arrange her hair for the evening in question ; and every hour of the day on which the ball was to take place, being bespoken, the hair-dresser at his wit's ends said that he would guaranteee that she would yet go to the ball, but she must place herself entirely in his hands. " .Toll," said the i,as contained in the Maple Ijeavm for lfi65, seems to have obtained the full approbation of the distinguished liltcrateur now engaged in writing the life of the Duke : "South Ke.v.sixgton, London, May 30, 1874. Dear Sir, — If my note on Miss Nevill's incident* clears up any point hitherto obscure of Canadian life, use it by all means for your ('anadian sketches. During my searches consequent to elucidate the Duke's sojourn in Canada, many curious stories came under my eye, wliiili have never, as i am aware, been yet published in Canadian histories, when the Prince was sta- tioned at Quebec. The Loudon pens were in the habit of publishing from time to time incidents of considerable interest bearing on forgotten periods of the early British Constitutional History of (Janada — parliamentary. My in- tention is to note them in the life of H. R. IL, as he was present when the King granted a lower Chamlier to the two provinces in 1791. From this cir- cumstance he based his firm adberi;nce to a constitutional Government as the safest mode to ensure freedom to all patties interested therein. My work on the Duke of Kent would have been published ere this, but I am awaiting the correspondence promised me by Lord B addressed to Lord L _, and that also to Sir H Douglas, formerly Lieutenant-Governor of . Your suggestion will not be lost sight of. Maple Leaver have been fully culled for infoiiiiation concerning the Prince. Holland Farm and the Duke sit Moutmorenci give a correct picture of life in Quebec in 1791 — information unknown to Rev. Mr. Ncale in 1850. If not too much trouble, could you let me know >vhether these works, of which I enclose a list, mention the Duke in Canada, for the British Museum does not possess these publications, wliich obliges me to seek information from such a person as yourself, who is versed in Canadian aftairs. I am anxious to give a correct account of the Duke in Canada. This period of his life has escaped all the biographers of the Prince, Philippart and Neale, &c. If I should meet any striking incident relative to Canadian affairs, I shall for- ward it to your address." — b'rom. {Quebec Morning Chronicle. VASYLE CHAMPETRE. Founded by Joseph Fi-ancois Perruull, the pioneer of lay educa- tion in the Province of Quebec. "In these djiys of ambitious, showy villas and grand mansions, *Thi8 curious Incident is mentioned in the Maple Leaven for 1865, in con- nection with a mess dinner, when a gentleman friend of one of the young Hollands was proved to be a beautiful female in disguise, who afterwards married the brother of an English nobleman. I I 1- >h. ;■! Ill !> It) A\ !^H 111 : 320 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. whose lofty and imposing proportions, elaborate architectural ornaments, conspicuous verandahs and prominent sites are all designed, not only to gratify the taste and pride of their owners, but to impress with wonder and admiration the ordinary obser- ver, it may be interesting to give a description of Mr. Perrault's residence, a fair specimen of a comfortable and well ordereil dwelling of the olden time. My object, in describing it, is to convey to the present generation some idea of the taste and do- mestic architecture of our ancestors, especially to those who, in culture and social influence, might truly be regarded as repre- sentative men. For a similar purpose, 1 have thought of present- ing such social pictures of the good old times, of his habits and practices, as marked his connection with his relatives and neigh, bors, and in this way an instructive lesson may be learned. Mr. Perrault's abode was a building of one storey, with attics in front and two in I'ear, in the style of the eighteenth century, on the north side of the St. Louis Eoad, on the spot known to his- torians as les buttes a nepveu, to-day, as Perrault's Hill, upon which the residence of Mr. Henry Dinning now stands. As all students are aware, this is classic ground ; hero was fought the main struggles of the battles of the Plains of Abraham and of St. Foy; Murray's troops having entrenched themselves hereon the eve of the engagement with de Levis. A stone wall with an ele- gant railing divided the pioperty from the main road, near which was a graceful little nestled summer house, overgrown with creepers and vines ; through an avenue with flowery borders, between lines of lofty vases, tilled with blooming plants, the visi- tor reached the house, which occupied the centre of a garden of ibur acres. Above the door, at the summit of a flight of steps, was inscribed in gilt letters, Asyle ChampUre. It was a double house with a conservatory at each end, the tirst erected in Cana- da, tilled with exotic and native plants, at some distance on either side were miniature Norman turrets. Mr. Perrault had selected this favourable site for his residence, carefully noting all its advantages. The rays of the rising sun flashed through the front windows, cheering him in his morning labours, while as the day wore on, a flood of mellow light suffused the western por- tion of his chamber. From such vantage ground, Mr. Perrault, of an evening, could observe the movements of the heavenly lud Uife^ It, Af!YLE CHAMPETRE. 321 bodies, the position of the planets and the various phenomena of the firmament ; the study of which had ^roat attractions for him, and created in his mind a gratitude to the great architect for all His vast works and beneficent care. On entering the visitor found himself in the reception room, of about twenty-four feet square, with a large bay window towards the north, and used as a drawing room and study. In whatever directioi) one looke(i, the view was attractive; to the south, the commanding heights of Point Levi, with the chasm between, where i-oUed by the great St. Lawrence ; to the east, the picturesque island of Orleans, divid- ing the river into two cha!)nels, and the imposing old Citadel, or martial ci-own of the city on Cape Diamond ; to the north, the meandering river in the beautiful valley of St. Charles, the heights of Charlesbourg and Lorette, the shore of Beauport, the faint trace of the embouchure of the Montmorenci, and the gi-and Laurentian mountain range in the distance; and to tiie west, the battlefields of 1759 and (JO, memorable for their heroic deeds and momentous results — views most charming, exquisite and impressive. The front grounds were utilized as a model garden and orchard, in which every improvement in horticulture had been adopted and were laid out in plots and gravelled vvalks. In rear of the house was a miniature pond, enlivened by waterfowl and turtles, and whoso banks were adorned with water plants and ferns, and receding thence were plateaux, covered with flowers of every description. In addition to the picturesque appearance and commanding position of Mr. Perrault's house, the internal arrangements of the apartments deserve notice, particularly as in them often met the leading men of Quebec, where they discussed the fluctuations of the public mind, benevolent enterprises and matters of general interest. The parlor in the Asyle. Champetre was well known to the ^lite and leaders of society of that day ; elegantly, but not luxuriously, furnished ; the (carpet was made of flax, sown and grown on the grounds adjoining his schools, and woven by the pupils ; the walls were hung with valuable paintings and orna- mented by objects of virtA artistically arranged. From the centre descended a lustre of six candles; at the rear angles were large circular mirroi-s, one concave and the other convex, with lights on each side, reflecting every object in movement in the apartment. V il I ( iii H., ^^. f' ! ■\ ': m 322 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. Two bronze statues, ox* candelabra, with lights, guarded either side of the hall door, in keeping with the Hurroundings; the hangings and furniture were^in the stylo of Louis XIV., in which the colours harmoniously blended. On the left hand of this apartment was Mr. Perrault's library, in which was a choice collection of Greek, Latin, English, French and Spanish works, on philosophy, his- tory and les belles lettres. No one had a higher respect for the classics than he ; the odes of Horace, the poems of Virgil and the orations of Cicero were as familiar to him as the best sermons of Bossuet or the tragedies of Racine. On the right was another room, with a piano and organ, to which the family de- voted much attention, and lovers of music w^ere certain of hear- ing there excellent performances and well-cultivated voices. Those who had the privilege of enjoying his hospitality on or- dinary occasions, could never forget the hearty welcome of their whole-souled entertainer; and on two particular days, the first of January and i\ief6te de St. Joseph, his patron saint, they had still better reason for its remembrance. These social gatherings were for months looked forward to as the events of the season, and for many a day subsequently they recalled most agreeable recollec- tions. As was then the custom, the guests arrived early in the afternoon and took their departure at the unfashionable hour of nine, and in the interval engaged themselves in dancing,^ in games, in listening to brilliant executions on different musical instruments and the rich melody of well-trained voices, in ballad and song, clever repartees and intellectual conversation, while the supper table, laden with all the delicacies procurable, was a continual feast from the opening to the close of the entertain- ment. The guests were escorted down the avenue by their host and his familj", and as he bade them good night, the shouts and merry laughter of the younger ones rang joyfully in the night air, -startling the passers by with their frolicsome hajipiness. Mr. Perrault's table had a wide reputation, and although he never issued general invitations, it was rarely without two, or more, guests, for those who happened to be at the Asyle at meal time were cordially invited to join in the family repast. From taste and habit, his board ever presented a tempting display ; but, as regards himself, he was most abstemious, partaking spar- ingly and of but few dishes, while to his guests his hospitality MARCBMONT. 828 of meal From )lay; spar- ality was unbounded. His old cook sometimes found her task hard, or pretended to ; and on one occasion, returning from confession, she remarked that she had said^to'M. le C\i\'6, when he counselled patience and submission, ";e voudrais bien imis y voir," (I would like to see you in my place). F]ven in those days cooks were testy, for, when Mr. Perrault found fault with her, she would an- swer as impertinently as one could in these days : " voulez-vous que je vous (Use (avinU ? Vous commencez a etre di smash them ) 1" said he, by way of keeping his people in heart. And he marches uj) beautifully skilful, neglecting none of his advantages. His numerous Cana- dian sharpshooters, preliminary Indians in the bushes, with a provoking fire. ' Steady 1' orders Wolfe ; • from you, not one shot till they are within thirty yards 1' And Montcalm, volleying and advancing, can get no reBpoose, more than from Druidic stones ; till at thirty yards, the stoueB become vocal — and \i ' J , I "'W ¥ il Mi 11 I ■^!' 330 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. continued so at a dreadful rate ; and, in a Bpace of seventeen minutes, have blown Montcalm's regulars, and their second in command, and their third in- to ruin and destruction. In about seven minutes more the army was done ' English falling on with bayonet, Highlanders with claymore' ; fierce pursuit, rout total : — and Quebec and Canada as good as fin:' shed. The thing is yet well known to every Englishman ; and how Wolfe himself died in it, his beau- tiful death." ELM GROVE. Elm Grove, until recently owned, though not inhabited, by the Marquise de Bassano, will be familiar to many, from having been the residence during the summer of 1878, of His Holiness the Pope's Apostolic Ablegate — Bishop Conroy. This eminent prelate, pi-ematurely struck down by death at Newfoundland, in the midst of his mission of peace and good will to all men spent many busy, let us hope pleasant, hours in this cool retreat. The plantation of elms from which this seat takes its name, to- gether with other trees, conceals the dwelling so entirely from the road, that unless by entering the grounds no idea can be formed of their beauty and extent ; amidst the group of trees there is one of lordly dimensions, in the centre of the garden. The new dwelling at Elm Grove is a stately, substantial structure; its in- ternal arrangement and heating apparatus, indicate comfort and that bien-itre for which Quebec homes are proverbial. A wind- ing, well-wooded approach leads up to the house from the por- ter's lodge and main road. From the upper windows an exten- sive view of Charlesbourg, Lorette, Beauport, Point Levi and sur- rounding parishes may be obtained. Elm Grove, owned for many years by John Saxton Campbell, Esq., was purchased in 1856 by J. K. Boswell, Esq., who resided there for nearly twenty years. John Burstall, Esquire, late of Kirk Ella, has within a few months acquired it from Madame la Marquise de Bassano, and it bids fair ere long to take its place among the first and best kept country seats in the environs of the city. THORN HfLL. " let US pierce into the midnight depth Of yonder grove, of wildest, largest growth, That, forming high in air a woodland quire, Nods o'er the mount beneath." There is a peculiar feature noticeable abou*^ Quebec country BeatB which speaks volumes for their attractiveness as healthy »^i^^^ TBORNHILL. 331 and pleasant retreats ; not only have they been at all times sought after by wealthy and permanent residents, Canadian born, but also by men of European birth, holding for the time being the highest position in the country, both undei- the PVench and under the English monarchs. Thus the celebrated Intendant Talon was the first owner of Belmont; Intendant Bigot had his luxuri- ous chateau at Charlesbourg ; Attorney General Ruette D'Auteuil used, near two centuries back, to spend his summer months at Siller}', where, later on, Bishop Dosquet, a French ecclesiastic, had his pretty villa at Samos (Woodfield). Vaudreuil was also a Canadian land-owner. Later on Governor Murray purchased ex- tensively on the St. Foy road, amongst others, Belmont and the " Sans Bruit" farm ; Governor Haldimand must have his lodge at Montmorenci Falls, subsequently occupied by the father of our august Queen ; Hector Theophilus Cramahe (afterwards Lieut.- Governor), in 1762, had his estate — some 500 acres of coi-nfieid and meadows — at Cap Rouge, now Meadowbatik, owned by Lt.- Col. Chs. Andrew Shears. The Prime Minister of Canada, in 1854, and a late Governor of British Guiana, Sir Francis HincUs, following in the footsteps of Sir Dominick Daly, must needs lo- cate liimself on the St. Lewis road, and in order to be close to his chief, the late Karl of Elgin, then residing at Spencer Wood, the Premier selected and purchased Thornhill, across the road, one of the most picturesque country seats in the neighbourhood. You barely, as you pass, catch a glimpse of its outlines as it rests under tall, cone-like firs on the summit of a hillock, to which access is had through a handsomely laid out circuitous appi-oach between two hills. An extensive fruit and vegetable garden lies to the east of the house; a hawthorn hedge dotted here and there with some gracefnl young maple and birch trees, fringes the roadside; a thorn shrubbery of luxuriant growth encircles the plantation of evergreens along the side of the mound which slopes down to the road, furnishing a splendid croquet lawn. One of the chief beauties of the landscape is the occasional glimpses of the Grande All(5e and Spencer Wood, obtained from the house. The dwelling was erected many years ago by Alexander Simp- son, Esq., then Manager of the Bank of Montreal, at Quebec. Forming a portion of it to the west, and looking towards Charles- bourg, there is a snug English-looking little nest, " Woodside," H T^if 332 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. m with the prettiest of thorn and willow hedges. Thornhill has exchanged hands, and been for many years the seat of Archibald Campbell, Esq., P.S.C., at Quebec. SPENUEB WOOD. On the South side of the St. Louis road, past Wolfe and Mont- calm's famed battle-field, two miles from the city walls, lies, em- bowered in verdure, the most picturesque domain of Sillery — one might say of Canada — Spencer Wood.* This Celebrated Vice-Eegal Lodge was (1780-96) known as Powell Place, when owned by General Henry Watson Powell. It took its name of Spencer Wood from the Eight Honorable If n i i 1 i:i! I i * We give here the poetical tribute paid by Adam Eidd to a spot where he appears to liave tjpent many huppy hours, as a guest of the Percevals, toge- ther with his notes to the poem: — UPENCEU WOUV. Through thy groeu groves and deep receding bowers, Loved Spencer Wood ! how often have I strayed, Or mused away tlio calm, unbroken hours. Beneath some broad oak's cool, refreshing shade. There, not a sound disturbed the tranquil scene, Save welcome hummings of the roving bee. That quickly flitted o'er the tuit«d green. Or where the squirrel played from tree to tree. And I have paused beside that dimpling stream, Which slowly winds thy beauteous groves among Till from its breast retired the sun's last beam, And every bird had ceased its vesper song. The blushing arbors of those classic days. Through which the breathings of the slender reed, First softly echoed with Arcadia's praise. Might well be pictured in this sheltered mead. And blest were those who found a happy home It I'ly loved shades, without one throb of care — No m .murs heard, save irom the distjint foam That rolled in column's o'er the great Chaudi^re. And I have watched the moon in grandeur rise Above the tinted maple's leafy breast, And take her brillaiit pathway through the skies, Till half the world seemed lulled in peaceful rest. Oh 1 these were hours whose soft enchanting spell Came o'er the heart in thy grove's deep recess. Where e'en poor Bhenstone might have loved to dwell, , Enjoying the pure balm of happiness I SPENCER WOOD. 333 Spencer Pei'ceval,* the illustrious relative of the Hon. Henry Michael Perceval, whose family possessed it from 1815 to 1833, when it was sold to the late Henry Atkinson, Esquire, an eminent and wealthy Quebec merchant. Hon. Mr. Perceval, member of the Executive and Legislative Council, had been H. M.'s Collec- tor of Customs at Quebec for many years and until his death which took place at sea, 12th October, 1829. The Percevals lived for many years in affluence in this sylvan retreat. Of their ele- gant receptions Quebccors still cherish pleasant reminiscences. Like several villas of England and France, Spencer Wood had its periods of splendor alternated by days of loneliness and neglect, short though they were. Spencer Wood, until 184-9, comprised the adjoining property of Spencer Grange. Mr. Atkinson that year sold the largest half of his country seat — Spencer Wood — to the Government, as a gubernatorial residence for the hospitable and genial Earl of Elgin, reserving the smaller half (now owned by the writer)'on which he built conservatories, vineries, a pinery, orchid house, &c., far more extensive than those of Spencer Wood propel*. Though the place was renowned for its magnificence and pi'incely hospitality in the days of Loi-d Elgin, there are amongst the living plenty to testify to the fact that the lawns, walks, gar- dens, and conservatories were never kept up vv ith the same intel- ! " h But soon, how soon, a diflferent scene I trace, Where I have wandered, or oft musing stood ; And those whose cheering looks enhanced the place, No more shall smile on thee, lone Spencer Wood ! " This is one of the most beautiful spots in Lower Canada, and the pro- perty (1830) of the late Hon. Michael Henry Perceval, who resided there with his accomplished family, whose highly cultivated minds rendered my visits to Spencer Wood doubly interesting. The grounds and grand walks are tastefully laid out, interspersed with great variety of trees, planted by the hand of nature. This scenery is altogether magnificent, and particularly tow- ards the east, where the great precipices overhang Wolfe's Cove. This latter place has derived its name from ti.e hero, who, with his British troops, nobly ascended its frowning clili's on the 13th September, 1759, and took possession of the Plains of Abraham." — Adam Kidd, 1830. (The Huron Chief and other poems — Adam Kidd.) ■» ' • The illustrious Chancellor of the Exchequer, Spencer Perceval, assassi- nated by Bellingham on the 11th May, 1812, probably took the name of Spen- cer from the Earls of Egmont and Northampton, connected with the Perce- vals. » ,i I f! igi: M'i 1 i. , 'ir y ■'■ ^'■■i i :, i 'I V: 1 334 THE ENVIRONS OF QOEBEC. ligent taste and lavish expenditure as they were during the six- teen years (1833-1849) when this country seat owned for its master Mr. Atkinson. THE LATE HONORABLE MRS. M. H. PERCEVAL. FOKMEBLY OF SPENCER WOOD, QOEHEO. Through the kindness of Mrs Peter Sheppard, of Quebec, we are enabled to furnish soint; further particulars touching the estimable and accomplished lady who, during the protracted sojourn of her family at Spencer Wood, seems to have won the hearts of all those admitted to her charmed circle some fifty years a^o. Mrs Sheppard * not only renders to the worth of her lamented friend a merited tril)ute, she also furnishes a curious page of Quebec history, Quebec festivities in the olden times, which may interest our readers. " The Honorable Michael H. Perceval was closely connected with the Earl of Egmont's family, who were Percevals. The " Spencer" was borrowed from the Earl's eldest son •' Spencer ;" the name was given t<.> their beautiful domain purchased from old LeHouUier about 1815, as well us to their eldest son. Col. (now Major General) Spencer Perceval, who was here in garrison in 1840, in the Coldstream Guards, as well as his uncle. Col. Perceval, also serving in the Guards. When a girl in my teens, many happy days did I spend in the Perceval family, who were as passionately fond of music, as I then was. They had "at homes" every Monday, one week for dancing, the next for music, (the latter I never missed attending, to play on the harp,) they had also grand dinners de ceremonie. Amongst the habitue's I can yet recall some names ; Hon. Mathew Bell and lady, (Mrs. B. was a Miss McKcnzie, of Three Rivers,) Miss Bell (Mrs Walker,) Sir John Pownal, the Montizam- berts. Judge Kerr and Misses Kerr, Miss Uniacke, the Duchesnays, the Vanfel- 8ons, De Gaspes, Babys and others. (I may be wrong in quoting some names after half a century.) Mr. Perceval, was a member of the Legislative Council, as well as Collector of Customs, an imperial appointment which yielded him £8000 in fees per annum. English and French society were equally welcome under his hospi- table roof. His beautiful and accomplished wife, was the eldest daughter of Sir Charles Flower, Lord Mayor of London, in 1809 — had filled the position of Lady Mayoress, when 18 years of age, her father being a widower ; siie brought her husband £40,000 and subsequently inherited £100,000. She was eminently fitted to grace Spencer Wood — her beauty, her refined and cordial manners made her receptions eminently attractive. Her education was per- fect, she was mistress of four languages, English, French, Italian and Latin, which studies she took great trouble in keeping up and which she herself taught to her children, ten in number, besides teaching them the piano, the harp and drawing. Instead of fancy work the young ladies were taught to repair their clothes and do plain sewing ; this did not prevent them from making most brilliant matches. The family left Spencer Wood in 1828, to spend a year in Italy, at Florence, intending to return, but the Hon. M. H. Perceval, died at sea on the 12th Oct., 1829, and the family never returned. The daughters married as follows : the eldest, Eliza, was wedded to Sir George Dunys, Bart. ; the second, Caroline, to Col. Alexander Houstouu, of Clerkington ; the third, Isabella, to a wealthy French nobleman, Baron de Veauce ; the fourth, Mary Jane, to Sir James Matheson, Bart. ; the fifth died at the age of 18. The eldest son f "Spencer" is a General officer. There were • Mrs P. Sheppard died 28th August, 1877. t Died July the 7th, 1878. ^i\^f: SPENCER WOOD. 335 several other sons : George RamRay, who entered the army, Michael Henry and Col. Charles Perceval. 1 can recall the time also when Lady Dalhousie and Mrs. Liheppard, of Woodfleld, would come to Spencer Wood, in their botanizing excursions. Spencer Wood, later on, was also a favorite resort of Lady Aylmer, in 1832, whilst at an earlier period, the Duke of Richmond's family, in 1818, used to come and ramble about the grounds, lunching there with all the junior folks. This charming and beloved lady, my old friend, Ann Perceval, died at Lewes Castle, Stornaway, Scotland, the seat of her son in law, Sir James Matheson, on the 23rd Nov., 1876, most deservedly regretted, at the very advanced age of eighty-seven years." — 24 January, 1877. Spencor Wood garden is described in Loudon's Encyclopedia of Gardening, page 341, and also in the Gardener's Magazine for 1837, at page 467. Its ornate style of culture, which made it a show-place for all strangers visiting Quebec, was mainly due to the scientitic and tasty arrangements of an eminent landscape gardener, M. P. Lowe, * now in charge of the Cataraqui conservatories. Well can wo recall the time when this lordly demesne extended from Wolfefield, adjoining Marchmont, to the meandering Belle- Borne brook, which glides past the porter's lodge at Woodtield, * Mr. P. Lowe, during many years in charge of the conservatory, furnished us with the following note : — " The hot-houses beIouj;ing to Henry Atkinson, while in my charge, consisted of pinery, stove and orchid house. In the pinery were grown specimens of the Providence, Enville, Montserrat and Queen pines— a plant of the latter variety, in fruit, being exhibited at the Horticultural Exiiibitioii, Montreal, in September, 1852, the fruit of which weighed between five and six poimds, being the first pine-apple exhibited of Canadian growth, but not the first grown at Spencer Wood ; it was noticed in the Illustrated London News. The following are the names of a few of the plants grown in the stove-house : — Ardisia; Alamanda; Amaryllis, Achimenes ; Aschynanlhus, Asclepias, Begonias., Crinums, Cenlradinias ; Calumnias, Drymonias ; Euphorbias, Franciscia ; (loldjussia ; Gesneras, in twelve varieties ; Gloxinias, in twenty-four varieties; Gloriosa; Gardenias; Htbicsus ; Inga; Ipomma ; Justicia ; Lasiandra ; Legastrema ; Musa-Cavendishii, which we fruited — the only one fruited in the province to this day, to my knowledge — the bunch of fruit weighed ninety pounds; Maranta ; Melastomas, Mfunetties ; Nyinp:.ias ; Os- beckias, I'enteas, Passijiora ; I'eideuin ; Stephenotis, Strelitzias ; Russellea ; Ruel- lea ; Kondditia, Tabernaemunana ; Tradescantia ; Vinca ; Clerodendrons, &c., &c. In the orchid house, the following are a portion of the names of plants grown be me : — Bletia ; Bolbophyllum ; Cyppripedium ; Cymbedium ; Catasetum ; Cal- tleya ; Brossavoleas, Dendrobiums, Epidendrons, A^rides ; Gongora ; Gomezia ; Maxillaria ; Oncidium, Plurathalis ; Fholidota ; Physosiphon ; Plurathalles ; Peristerias, Ripsalis, Stanhupeas ; Zygopetalum, &c., &c. The houses containing the above were heated by hot-water pipes for atmospheric heat and open tanks for bottom heat ; they were the most complete of the kind I have seen either in Canada or Great Britain — so much so, that, during my stay with Mr. Atkinson, wo used to produce for Christmas and New Year's Day pine-apples, cucumbers, rhubarb, asparagus and mushrooms, all in the same house." '» ' 1 ; . >;: J.. ( fl^ m^ r*. ) ,'• If ^'1 IJ i 336 THK ENVIRONS! OF QUKBEC. due west, the historic stream Ruisseau Saint Denis, up which clambered the British hero, Wolfe, to conquer or die, intersecting it at Thornhill. It was then a splendid old seat of more than ono hundred acres, a fit residence for the proudest nobleman England might send us as Viceroy — enclosed east and west between two streamlets, hidden from the highway by a dense growth of oaki maple, dark pines and firs — the forest primeval — letting in here and there the light of heaven on its labyrinthine avenues; a most striking landscape, blending the sombre verdure of its hoary trees with the soft tints of its velvety sloping lawn, fit for a ducal palace. An elfish plot of a flower garden, alas ! how much dwarfed, then stood in rear of the dwelling to the north ; it once enjoyed the privilege of attracting many eyes. It had also an extensive and well-kept fruit and vegetable garden, en- livened with flower beds, the centre of which was adorned with the loveliest possible circular fount in white marble, supplied with the crystal element from the Belle-Borne rill by a hidden aqueduct; conservatories, graperies, peach and forcing houses, pavilions picturesquely hung over the yawning precipice on two headlands, one looking towards Sillery, the other towards the Island of Orleans, the scene of many a cosy tea-party ; bowers, rustic chairs perdues among the groves, a superb bowling green and archery grounds. The mansion itself contained an exquisite collection of paintings from old masters, a well-selected library of rare and standard works, illuminated Roman missals, rich portfolios with curious etchings, marble busts, quaint statuettes, medals and medallions, objets de vertu purchased by the mil- lionaire proprietor during a four years' residence in Italy, France and Germany. Such we remember Spencer Wood in its palmiest days, when it was the ornate home of a man of taste, the late Henry Atkinson, Esquire, the President of the Horticultural Society of Quebec, May I be pardoned for lingering lovingly on this old spot, recalling " childhood scenes" of one dear to me and mine I The following, written by a valued old friend of Mr. Atkinson, is dated Brighton, England : On a sketch of Spencer Wood sent to the writer (Miss A.), with her album, Oct. 18, 1848. Dear Spencer Wood ! What a group of pleasing remembrances are clustered around me as I g&ze upon this visible image and type of thee. Thy classic «• I W 'I SPENCER WOOD. 337 lawn, with its antiquated oaks and solemn piues; thy wood-crowned cliffs and promontories, with the sparkling sunlight reflected on a thousand sheaves from the hroad surface of Jacques Cartier's river, liundreds of feet helow. And then the quiet repose of tliy ample mansion, witli its stores of art and models of taste within and without ; thy forest shades, thy gardens, thy flowtrs and thy fruit. But most of all, thy gay and happy inmates, their glad and joyous hearts beating with generous emotions, and their coun- tenances brightened with the welcomt; smile. Ah ! how I seem to hear, as in time past I have heard, their lively prattle, or their merry laiigii echoing across the lawn, or through the flower garden, or along the winding paths down the steep slope to the pavilion. And can it be that I shall never again realize these happy scenns! I would fain hope otherwise ; but life is a chaugelul drama, and time fleeting ; this world is not our home. Adieu, then, dear friends. May God's blessing ever rest upon you ; and should it be His providence that we meet not again here, may we all so use His dealings with us in this disciplinary stiite that we may Ix* sure to meet. Brighton, Dec. 20th. lu memory of some pleasant moments. £. E. Douglass. kpot, Ison, Ibum, In the beginning of the century Spencer Wood, as previously stated, waw known as Powell Place. His Excellency Sir James Henry Craig spent there the summers of 1808-9-10. Even the healthy air of Powell Place failed to cure him of gout and dropsy. A curious letter from Sir James to his secretary and ckargi d'affaires in London, H. W. Ryland, Esquire, dated " Powell Place, 6th August, 1810," has been, among others, preserved by the historian Robert Christie. It alludes in rather unparliamen- tary language to the coi//> d'^to^ which had on the 19th March, 1810, consigned to a Quebec dungeon three of the most prominent members of the Legislature, Messrs. Bedard, Tachereau and Blanchet, together with Mr. Lefrancois, the printer of the Cana- dien newspaper, for certain comments in that journal on Sir James' colonial policy. Sir James had spent the greatest part of his life in the army, actively battling against France; a French- man for him was a traditional enemy. This unfortunate idea seems more than once to have inspired his colonial policy with regard to the descendants of Frenchmen whom ho ruled. Born at Gibraltar, of Scotch parents, James Henry Craig entered the English service in 1763 at the age of 15, and on many occa- sions distinguished himself by his courage. During the war of the American revolution he served in Canada, and was present at the unfortunate affair of Saratoyia. •■ I I ( W I ! it If fl m 338 3r//i; ENvntoNS of Quebec. tilU JAMUS CltMO TU Mlt. llYLAiW. (JuEUEc, I'owell Plucf, Otb Augiibt, 1810. My Dear ilylaud, — Till 1 took my pun in my hand I tliought I hi\d a great dual to bay to you, and now I am moHtly at a loss for a subject. • • • • We have remained very quiet ; whatever is goiug on is silently. I have no reason to think, liowever, that any change has taken place in the puhliu mind ; thai I believe remains in the same state. Bishop Plessis, on the return from his tour, acltnowledged to me tliat he hud reason to think that some of his cures had not behaved (juite as they ought to have done ; he is now liuisliiug the remainder of his visitations. Bhuichette and Tachereau are both released on account of ill-health ; the former is gone to Kumouraska to bathe, the latter was only let out a few days ago. He sent to tlio Cliief Justice (Suwell) to ask if he would allow him to call on him, who answered, by all means. The Chief Justice is convinced he is perfectly converted. He assured him that he felt it to bo his duty to take any public occasion, by any act whatever that he could point out, to show his contrition and tlie sense he entertained of his former conduct. He told the Chief Justice in conversation that lilanchetto came and con- sulted him on the subject of publishing the paper, " I'renez vous par le bout du nez," and that having agreed that it would be very improper th.it it should appear, they went to Bedard, between whom and Blanchette there were very high words on the occasion. I know not what Panet is about, I have never heard one word of or about him. In short, I really have nothing to toll you, nor do I imagine that I shall have, till I hear from you. You may supposo how anxious I shall be till that takes place. We have fixed the time for about the 10th September ; till then I shall not come to any final resolution with respect to the bringing the three delinquents to trial or not. I am, however, inclined to avoid it, so is the B- the C. J. is rather, I think, inclined to the other side, tliough avvarc of the inconvenience that may arise from it. Blanchette and Tachereau have both, in the most unequivocal terms, acknowledged the criminality of their conduct, and it will bo hinted that if Bedard will do the same it may be all that will be required of thorn ; at present his language is that he has done nothing wrong, and that ho does not care how long he is kept in prison. We have begun upon the road to the townships (the Craig Road, through the Eastern Townships) ♦ « • We shall get money enough, especially as we hope to finish it at a third of what it would have cost if we would have employed the country people. (It was made by soldiers.) The scoundrels of the Lower Town have begun their clamour already, and I should scarcely be surprised if the House sliould ask, when they meet, by what authority I have cut a road without tlieir permission. The road begins at St. Giles and will end at the township of Shipton. Yours most faithfully, (Signed,) J. H. CRAIG. (History of Canada, Christie, vol. VI., p. 128.) Very different, and we hope more correct, views are now pro- mulgated on colonial matters from Powell Place. If Sir James, wincing under bodily pain, could write angry letters, there were occasions on wliicli the " rank and fashion" of SPENCEH WOOD. aao »• I ^ the city roooivod from him tho ^4Wooto^^t opistloM imiiijimiblo. Tho 10th of August of oiKth your (lii.s l)irththiy, porhup.s) uh ho informs uh in unothor lottor, vvjih Hucrotl to rustic; ciijoymoiit, con- viviality uiid tiio oxchuiigi) of usual courtosios, which iiouo knew bettor how to dispense than tho sturdy old soldier. The Kiiglish tnivoller, John Liimbert, thus notices it in his in- teresting niirrative in IHOS : — "Sir James Craig resided in sum- mer at a country house about four or five miles from (Quebec, and went to town every morning to transact business. This residence is called Powell Place, and is delighttully situated in a neat plan- tation on the bm'der of the bank which overlooks the St. Law- rence, not far from the spot where (ieneral Wolfe landed and ascended to tho heights of Abraham. Sir James gave a splendid breakfast alfresco at this place in IHOl) to all the principal iidiabi- tants of (Quebec, and the following day ho allowed his servants and their aecpiaintances to partake of a similar entertainment at his expense." — (Lambert's Travels, 1808, ]>. 310.) Spencer Wood has over been a favourite resort for our Crovernors — Sir James Craig — Lord J'ilgin — Sir Kdmund Walker Head — Lord Monk — Lord Lisgar, and Lord Diitt'erin on his ui'rival in 1872; none prized it so highly, none 'endered it more attractive than the Earl of Elgin. Of his/eto champetres, recherchis dinners, chateau balls, a pleasant remembrance still lingers in the memory of many Que becors and others. Several circumstances added to the charms and comfort of Spencer Wood in his day. On one side of St. Louis Road stood the gubernatorial residence ; on tho opposite side atThornhill, dwelt the Prime Minister, Sir Francis Ilincks. Over the vice-regal " walnuts and wine," how many krujtty state questions have been discussed, how many despatches settled, how many political [)oints adjusted in tho stormy days which saw tho abolition of the Seiguioral Tenure and Clergy Ite- serves. At one of his brilliant postprandial speeches, — Lord Elgin was much happier at this style of oratory than his succes- sor. Sir Edmund ilead, — the noble Earl is reported to have said, alluding to Spencer Wood, " Not only would 1 spend here the rest of my life, but after my death, I should like my bones to rest in this beautiful spot;" and still China and India had other scenes, other triumphs, and his Sovereign, other rewards for the success- ful statesman. fn ^^' ii! i 1' h ! 840 TllfJ ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. " liil 1 \x I: I \ \ ' t i !i| 1 Sir Edmund Head's Mojourn at Sponcer Wood was marked by a grievous family borouvemont ; his only son, a promising youth of nineteen summers, was, in 1858, accidentally drowned in the St. Maurice, at Three liivers, while bathing. This domestic affliction throw a pall over the remainder of the existence of His Excel- lency, already darkened by bodily disease. Seclusion and quiet were desirable to him. A small private gate still exists at Spencer Grange, which at the request of the sorrowful father was opened through the ad- joining property with the permission of the proprietor. Each week His Excellency, with his amiable lady, stealing a few mo- ments from the burthen of ati'aira of State, would thus walk through unobserved to drop a silent tear on the green grave at Mount Hermon, in which wore entombed all the hopes of a noble house. On the 12th March, 1860, on a wintry evening, whilst the castle was a blasse of light and powdered footmen hurried through its sounding corridors, to relieve of their fur coats and mufflers His Excellency's guests asked at u state dinner that night — Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Geo. E. Cartier, Mr. Penne- father and others — the alarm of tire was sounded, and in a couple of hours, of the maguiliccnt pile a few charred ruins only re- mained. There was no State dinner that night. One of the last acts of the Ministry in retiring in 1561, was the signing of the contract to rebuild Spencer Wood. The appropria- tion was a very niggardly one, in view of the size of the structure required as a vice-regal residence. All meretricious ornaments in the design were of course loft out. A square building, two hundred feet by fifty, was erected with the main entrance, in rear, on the site of the former lovely flower garden. The location of the entrance and consequent sacrifice of the flower garden for a court, left the river front of the dwelling for the private use of the inmates of the Chdteau by excluding the public. Lord Monk, the new Governor-General, took possession of the new mansion and had a plantation of fir and other trees added to conceal the east end from public gaze. Many happy days were spent at Spencer Wood by His Lordship and family, whose private secre- tary, Denis Godley, Esq., occupied the picturesque cottage " Bagatelle," facing the Holland Road, on the Spencer Grange property. If illustrious names on the Spencer Wood Visitor's i! ■^FT^ fiPENfJER WOOD. 841 ro- Bogistor could enhance the intercut the place may possess, fore- most, one might point to H. R. IT. the Prince of Wales, visiting in 1860 the site probably more tlinn once surveyed and admired, in 1791-4, by his grand-father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, ii\ his drives round Quebec, with the fascinating Baroness do St. Laurent. Conspicuous among all those familiar with the portals of Spencer Wood, may be mentioned other Royal Princes — the DuUe of Edinburgh and Prince Arthur, Princess Louise, Prince Leopold; with Dukes and Earls — the Duke of Newcastle, Man- chester, Buckingham, Argyll, Athol, Sutherland, Prince Napoleon, Generals Grant, Sherman, &c. Since Confederation, Spencer Wf^od has been successively ten- anted by Sir. N. F. Belleau, Lieutenant-Governor Caron, Lieuten- ant-Governor Lotellier de St. Just, and Lieutenant-Governor Robitaille, the present occupant of the seat. To the late Licut.-Governor Lctellier is due the initiation of the soirees Utteraires, which united under his hospitable roof the lite- rary talent of the Ancient Capital, and his successor, Lieut.- Governor Robitaille, not only followed this enlightened course, but also added soirees musicales and artistigues. Spencer Wood was not included in the schedule and division of property handed over by the Dominion Government to the Province of Quebec — it was, however, about that time presented as a gift to our province, solely as a gubernatorial residence — as such to be held, and consequently cannot be sold by the Govern- ment of the Province of Quebec. Henry Watsov Powell was commissioned a Lieutenant in the 46th Foot, itlarch 10th. 1753. He was promoted to a captaincy in the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Foot, September 2nd, 1750, but upon that battalion's being detached from the 11th and renumbered in 1758, his refcimental number became the 64th. He served in the expedition np;ainst tlie French West India Ishindsin 1759, and went with his regiment to America in 1768. June 2nd, 1770, he became Major of the 38th Foot, and July 23rd, 1771, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 53rd Foot, which was then stationed at Minorca. He accompanied his corps to Canada in the spring of 1770, and on June 10th of that year, a few days after his arrival, Sir Guy Carleton appointed him a Brigadier General and assigned liim to the 2nd Brigade, which consisted of the 34th, 53rd and 20th Regiments. Wlien Gen. Gordon's brigade was broken up on the death of that officer, August Ist, 1776, the 62nd was added to Powell's brigade, and in November of that year, upon General Nesbit's death, Gen. Powell was transferred to the command of the Ist Brigade, consisting of tiie 9th, 47th, 3l8t and 2 let Regiments, save that the 53rd was substituted for the 21st. Gen. Powell served under Gen. Carleton in 1776, and the next year accompanied Burgoyne. In organizing the troops for Burgoyne'a expedition in 1777, Gen. Powell was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, consisting of the 20tb, 21st and 62nd . ;, ri . ; , * ;- — * "^^ ■: 342 r//fi KNVTRONS OF QUEBEC. '(I n^ II Reg'-nents. Tliu 62iid was left at TicoiHifiOf^a, liowever, with Prince Frodericlt's (German) Repiment unci a jjortiuri ol Captain EortllwicK'^< com- pany of tlie Royal Artillery, July 5tli, when the AnKiricans evacuated that fort; and August lotli Cion. I'owell was scii». hack to assume command of that post, his ruf^iment, the r)3nl, ln'inf^ also oidercd torelieve the G'Jnd. Thou»(h he successfully repellcil the Armriian (Jol. Jirown's attack on Tioondcroj^a and tor four days niaintained a piUant defci»c(!, the enemy retreating fSeptcui- her 22n(l, yet ii.asmuch as a coiisidcrahle j)art of four companies of the 5;^rd were surprised in the old French lin(ss and at the outposts by the American advance, and a number of American prisoners were recaptured, the aflair was not one of unmixed safislaction to either side. When the toils of arepare with vigour to j)Ut th ; place in such a situiLtion as to be able to make tin; longest and most resolute defence, or that you prepare in time to a.ban sold it to Francis Lehoullier. This place was subseqiieutly l' during three ay their respects to His Excellency. Those who do not intend to ''trip the light fantastic toe ' take seat:- on the platform wherc^ his Excelleui y sits in state, an A,D.C, calls ont. ;/■ titlemet, take t/our /jartnc rs, and the danc3 begins. "Close on sixty winters have run by since that day, when I, indefatigable dancer, ligured in ii country daiice of thirty cunples. My footsteps, which now sefjm to me like lead, .scared} (hen left ;i trace behind them. All the yoiini; hearts who enlivened tliih gay meeting ot other dnys are mouldering in then tombs, even she, the most be.' itiful of them all, la hrlle Jes belles — she, the partner of my joys and of my sorrows — she who on that day accepted in the circling dance, for the first time, this hand, which two years after was to lead lier to the hymeneal altar — yes, even she has been swept away by the T^: ' IV- i« )} 1 1 if I 344 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. tide of death.* May not I also say, with Ossiau, ' Wliy art thou sad, son of Fingall Why grows the cloud of thy kouI ! the sons of future years shall pass away, another race shall arise! The people are like the waves of the ocean ; like the leaves of woody Morven — they pass away iu the rustling blast, and other leaves lift their green heads on high.' "After all, why, indeed, yield up my soul iu .sadness ? The children of the coming generation will pass rapidly, and a new one will take its place. Men are like the surges of the ocean ; the}' ri'scmble the leaves which hang over the groves of my uuinor; autumnal storms cause them to fall, but new and equally green ones each spring replace the fallen ones. Why should I sorrow ? Eighty-six children, graud-chiklnii, nuil gn^at-grand-childrcn, will mourn the fall of the old oak when the breath (■! the Almighty shall smite it. Should I have the good fortune to hnd mercy before the Sovereign .Judge : should it be vouchsafed to me to meet again the angel of virtue who cheered the few happy days I passed in this vale of sorrow, we will both pray together for the numerous progeny we left behind us. But let us revert to tlie merry meeting previously alluded to. It is halt-past two in the afternoon; we are gaily going through the figures of a country-dance, " Speed the jjlough" perhaps, when the music stops r.iiort ; <;veryone is taken aback, and wonders at the cause jOl interruption. The arrival of two prelates. Bishop Plessis and Bishop Mountain, gave us the solution hlc, canopied with green boughs, groaning under the weight of dishes, struck on their view — a grateful oasis in the desert. Monsieur Petit, the chef (Je cuisine, had surpassed himself; like Vatel, 1 imagine he would have committed suicide had he failed to achieve the triumph by which he intended to elicit our praise. Nothing could exceed in magnificence, iu sumptuousness this rejjast — such was the opinion not only of Canadians, for whom such displays were new, hut also of the European guests, though tliere was a slight drawback to the perfect enjoy- ment of the dishes — tlie materials u'Inck coiiijiosed them wc coidtl not reccynize, so great was the artistic skill, so wonderful the manipulations of Monsieur Petit, the French cook. "The Bishops left about half an hour alter dinner, when dancing was resumed with an increasing ardor, but the cruel mammas were getting conierned respect- ing certain sentimental walks which the daughters were enjoying after sun- set. They ordered them home, if not with their menacing attitude with which the goddess Calypso is said to have spoken t< her nymphs, at least with frowns ; 80 said the gay , young cavaliers. By nii^e o'clock, all had re-entered Quebec." tIPEXCEH Git. \ SHE. "Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books." — Thomson. When .Speiicei' Wood l)ecaine flu: ,i',ubenuitorial fcHidiMice, ilti owner (the late Hy, AtkiiiHon) reHerved tlio .Minalloi- liall, .Speneer * Mr. DeGaspe married, 1811, Susanna, daughter cif Thos. Allison, Esq., a captain of the 6th Regiment, infantry, and o*" Theresse Baby ; the latter's SPENCER ORANOE. 345 3lf; to Grange, some foviy acres, divided off by a high brick wall and fence, and terminatijig to the eawt in a river frontage of one a(?re. A yrnall latticed bower facing the St. Lawrence overhanj^>;d the elitt, close to where the Belle Borne rill — nearly dry during.' the summer months — rushes down the bank to Spencer t'ove, in spring and autumn, — a ribbon of tleecy whiteiiess. To the south, it is bounded by Woodlield, and reaches to the north at a point opposite the road called Stuui-t's load which intersects Holland farm, leading froui the St. Lewis to the Ste. Foye highway. The English landscape style was adopted in the laying out of the flower liHi'den and grounds ; some majestic old trees wei'e left here aud there through the lawns; three clumps of maple and red oak in the centre of the meadows to the west of the house grouped for effect ; fences, carefully hidden away in the suj-rounding copses; hedges, buildings, walks and trees brought in here and there to harmonize with the eye and furnish on a few acres a perfect epitome of a woodland scene. The whole place is gii-t round by a zone of tall pine, beech, maple and red oaks, whose deep green foliage, when lit up by the rays of the setting or rising sun, assume tints of most dazzling brightness, — emerald wreaths dipped into molten gold — overhanging under a leafy arcade, a rustic walk, which zigzags round the property, following to the southwest the many windings of the Belle Borne streamlet. This sylvan region most congenial to the tastes of a naturalist, echoes in spring and summer with the ever-varying and wild minstrelsy of the robin, the veery, the songsparrow, the red-start, the hermit-thrush, the red-eyed flycatcher and other feathered choristers, while the golden-winged woodpecker or rain fowl, heralds at dawn the coming rain of the morrow, and some crows, rendered saucy by pi'otection, strut through the sprouting corn, in their sable cassocks, like worldly clergymen computing their tythes. On the aforesaid walk, once trodden over by the prince of American natui-alists, the great Audubon, whilst on a visit to Mr. Atkinson at Spencer Wood, was conferred the name of Atidvbon Avenue, by his Sillery disci])lp, the author of the /iirds of Canada. The y-rand river views of Spencer Wood, ar 'V two brother officers, Captains Ross Lewin unci Bellingham, alter wardH Lord Bi'llingham, uiarritd at Detroit theu forming part of Upper Cauadu, two sisters, daughteiH of the Hou. Jacques t'aperon Baby. V I J'"'j:iHargest owl of th(^ Pyrenees, resem- bling much our Virginian species, — a donation from a French mtvant, Le Fr^re Og6rien. The owls have ever been to me a deep subject of study ; their defiant aspect, thoughtful countenances, in which lurks a .iou/i(ion of rapacity, remind me of a mayor and town council bent on imposing new taxes without raising too much of a row. A gaudy and sleek bird of Paradise had been donated by Miss C'aron, of the adjoining chateau. There was also a newly-])atentt'd bird-trap, sent by a New York firm, in the days of Boss Tweed, Conolly, Field and other birds of prey. I noticed boxes for sparrows to build in, designed l.)y Col. W. Rhodes. On the floor lay a curious lample of an Old World man-trap, not sent from New York, but direct from England, a terror to poachers and apple stealers, French swords and venomous looking bayonets, of very ancient design ; a rusty, long Indian musket barrel, tol' of pine. For groves of pine on either hand, To break the blast of winter, stand ; . And furllier on the hoary channel Tumbles a breaker on chalk and sand." The poet has sometimes received as well as sent out poetical invitations. Here is one from AV^ater Savage Landor. " I entreat you, Alfrc iu 1725, purchased Samos from NichohiB dc la ^ ( I WOODFIELD. 351 rcsiclenco near the brow of tho hill, ovorlookin^ tho St. Luwrenco — u one story house — with u high pouivcd roof, long and luirrow, after tho mode of building in those days, sonietliing in the style of the manor house at Beauporl. The name of Samos is now superseded by that of Woodtiold, yet it is still in use as applied to the high road passing on its western side, commeneing at the termination of the road leading from Quebec in that direction, called theGrand Allde, where it forks into the Samos road and the Chimin Gomin at Spencer Wcjod. It is not known how long Bishop Dosquet occupied his estate. " Soon after the cession of Canada to the liritish Crown, this property passed into the hands of Judge Mabane,* by purchase, from the reverend proprietors of the seignioiy. Mr. Mabane changed the nanie to Woodtield, and made extensive alleratiuns to the house, adding to it a second story, giving it by other ad- ditions a more imposing appearance from the river, and adiling two pavillion wings, connected with the house by corridors. In 1775-() it was converted into an hospital lor American soldiers, "About the year 1807, the late Honorable .Matthew Jk'll pur- chased Woodtield from Miss Mabane, the Judge's sister. Mr. Bell occupied the house as a summer dwelling only, audit is n(jt known that he improved the estate to any extent, unless if- were the garden, which he enlarged and stocked with choice fruit trees. Previous to the purchase of Mi\ Eell, Woodtield was occupied as a dwelling during several years (171)5-1802) by Bishop Mountain, the tirst Protestant Bishop of (Quebec, During his occupation ho removed a bridge which spanned Bell Borne Brook, with tho inteutionof cutting off communication with Powell Place (Spencer Wood), the neighboring estate, for reasons which it is not now necessary to enter into. The bridge was subsequently restored by the sons of Sir Iv. S. Milnes, Governor Croneral, and was known by the name of Pont Bunvoisin. '• In 1816 Woodtield passed into the possession of Mr. William Shoppard, by purchase, from Mr. Bell. Mr. Sheppard improved the house and grounds greatly, erecting vineries and a large con- Nouillcr, ill 1731, whcro he built a country housu in 1732. Sold it some years afterwards to tlie Quobec Seminary, visited Prance in 1733 and resigned his see and left the country in 1730 and died in Paris in 1777. * Judge Adam Mabauu died iu 17U2. i' ! I 352 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. A « l\k i ■} I ;, I servatoiy ; changing the front of the house so as to look upon a rising lawn of good extent, interspersoil with venerable oaks and pine, giving the whole a striking and pleasing aspect The alter- ation in the house gave it a very pictucesque appearance, as view- ed from the foot of the old avenue, backed by sombre pines. Mr. Sheppard added to the estate abdut sixty acres of land on its southern side, it being now bounded by the road leading to St, Michael's Cove. During the alterations made in the house, a leRden foundation ))lale was discovered, stating that the house was built in 1732, by liishop Dosquet. This plate was deposited for safe keeping in the Afuseuni of the Literaiy and Historical Society, where (if still extant) ii. may lu; comsuUcmI. •' In December 1842, the house was unfortunately destroyed by fire, and with it a valuable library of some three thousand volumes, many of them costly illusti'ated works on Naturiil His- tory and other sciences. Shortly aftei-wards a new house was built on a more desirable and commanding site, in the midst ol" splendid old oaks and pines, looking down iijion an extensive lawn, with the St Lawrence in the middle distance, the view terminated by the South Shore, studded with cheerful-looking cottages. To suit the new site Mr. Sheppard laid out a new ap- proach, placing the entrance somewhat nearer Quebec, than the old avenue, following the roundings of Belle Borne Brook, and leaving it with a striking sweep, among groups of trees, to the house. This approach is one of the greatest attractions of the place. He also built a large conservatory in connection with the house. "Woodfield changed hands in 1847, having been purchased by Thos. Gibb, Esq., who exchanged it with his brother, Jas. (iibb, Esq., a wealthy merchant of Quebec, president of the Quebec Bank, who added much to the beauty of the estate.* Woodfield, with the improvements and embellishments made by the pre- ceding proprietor is one of the most imposing and showy places in Canada, well worthy the encomiums passed upon it by J. Jay Smith, Esq., of Philadel])hia, editor of the Horticulturist, who, with a party of friends, visited it in 1857. He says, in that work ; •A fairy plot of a flower garden was laid out neai* tlie edge of the cliff to the north-east, with a Chinese Pagoda enclosintr the truDk of a large tree at one side, and a tiny Grecian temple at the other. I! wonnFiFLD. 353 ' James (ribb, Esq., at Woodfiold, poaso.^ses one of the most charm- ing pla^ew 0!i tho American continent. Thoroughly Knglish in its appurtenances, and leaving out its views of tho St. Lawrence, its lawns, trees, and superb garden, are togetiier, a model of what may be accomplished. The whole scene was enchanting. Tho traveller felt as if ho was transported to tho best pai-ts of Eng- land, our whole party uniting in an exclamation of pleasure and gi-atitication. Here is everything in tho way of well-kept lawns, graperies anrl greenhouses, outhouses for every possible contingency of weather, gardens, redolent of the finest flowers, in which bulbs of the best lilies make u conspicuous figure, and everj' species of fruit that can bo grown. Tho'travellor who doe« not see Woodtield has not seen Canada in its best trim.' "Tho remains of one redoubt* are visible near Belle Borne Brook, just above Pont Bonvoisin, or Bridge of Fi'iendship, no doubt intended to guard the approach to Quebec by the footpath from Pointe a Puisoaux. Another lai'gc ono was on the west side of Samos road, nearly opposite tho entrance gate of the new approach to Woodtield ; it commanded the Samos road, "Woodfiold once could boast of a well-stocked aviary. The garden, of large extent, has always been celebrated for its fruit and flowei's ; for the taste in which it was laid out, and for tho beautiful prospect obtained from it of the Citadel of Quebec, of the intervening portion of the St. Lawrence, with the numerous shipping in the harbour busily engageil in taking in their return cargoes of the staple article of expoi'tation." Since this sketch was published in the Maple Leaves for 1865, death has borne heavily on the estimable Gibb family we then knew at Woodfiold ; and in 18Y0, Mr. John Lawson Gibb sold the old homestead as a site for an ornate rural cemetery. " WooDFiELD CoNSEnvATOBY. — On 1 0th Feby, 1869 we availed ourselves of the opportunity alTorded to the public of visiting this celebrated conservatory, and f((astinq our eyes on tho immiaisw mass of floral treasures which it contains. Flora's rarest gifts from every quarter of the clobe are here in full bloom. The Indian Azaleas are magnificent beyond description — lue one near the • Probably the foiu-giin battery mentioned in the account of the Battle of the Plains. We al.so find in a diary of the siege operations on the same day, "A mortir and some IR-pounders were carried to Samos, three quarters of a league from the town. Batteries were erected there, which fired before night on the man-ot-war that had come to anchor opposite, LAnce du Foulon, which was forced to sheer off." IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 In mm |5 IIM 112 2.2 1^ li£ lllllio 1.8 1.4 1.6 C^- T <9^m vi^' /. "'^ '"l /(S 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 iV -<\ •sj :\ \ 6^ '1 " '^^ « 'I* ! 'I lil-il ' iiil' : 1 'i^H : M 1 354 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. entrance called « Criterion" is exquisitely beautifal ; Roi Leopold, purpurea and alba are also very handsome. The Dielytra, or Bleeding Heart, is chaste and beautiful : the Joy plant (Chorozema) from the Swan River, struck us as par- ticularly interesting, the colours of the flower are so harmoniously blended ; the Golden-leaved Geranium (Cloth of Gold) — well worthy the name, with intense scarlet flowers, is very pretty. Numerous Camelias of every shade and colour ; these, we think, may well be called the Queen of winter flowers, rivall- ing in beauty thu famous '< rose." The Cinerarias and Cape cowslips are very fine, and so are the Acacias. Many beautiful and interesting Ferns, the most remarkable being the elks-horn, walking-fern, hearts-tongue, maiden-hair and silver-braken." — Morning Chronicle. BOVB LES BOIS. This country seat, two miles from the city limits, stands in view of Pointe k Puiseaux, at Sillery, exactly fronting the mouth of the Etchemin Eiver. Imagine a roomy, substantial, one-story cottage equally well protected in winter against the piercing north, east and west winds, surrounded by largo oaks and pines to temper the rays of an August sun, and through whose foliage the cool river-breeze murmurs in the vernal season, wafting pleasure and health to the inmates. Add one of those unrivalled river landscapes, peculiar to Sillery, well-cultivated fruit gardens, pastures, meadows, and lawns intersected by a long curving avenue, fringed with single trees at times, at others tastefully concealed in a'clump of overgieens, and leading to the house by a circuitous approach, which hides the mansion until you are a few feet of it. Place in it a toiling professional man, eager, after a dusty summer day's work in St. Peter street, to breathe the coolness and fragrance of his rustic homestead, and enjoy the presence of his household gods ; again, add to it the conviction in his heart that country life has increased the span of his existr tence by twenty years, and you have a faint idea of one of our many Canadian homes, of Sous les Bois the former residence of Errol Boyd Lindsay, Esq. one of the few remaining Quebecors who can recall the festivities of Powell Place, when Sir James Craig flourished there in 1809. In 1870, Sous les Bois was disposed of Ibr educiitional purposes. The flourishing Jesus Mario Academy, with its shiny dome and lofty walls, looms out in the very centre of the demesne. The Lindsay manor, at present, is the hospitable lodge of the devoted and talented almoner of the Convent, Rev. Abb^ Octave Audette. i^ii't •If -ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, SILLER Y. 355 SILLEIiY HOUSE. This handsome dwelling, in Hituatod at the foot of the Cape, close to the Jesuits' old house, on a line with the river : it stands in the centre of an extensive garden, with liere and there some large forest trees inters|)ersod. The residence was huilt a few years back by the late John Sharpies, Esquire, of the tirm of Sharpies & Co., vliose vast tim- ber coves ai'e in view from Sillery house. ST. MICHAEL'S CHOllCH. aiLLKHY. " A rural rhapel neatly dreHs'd, In covert like a little nest ; And tbither young and old repair This Sabbath day, for praise and prayer." — The White Doe oj RyUlone. St. Michael's Ciiu ''.h was built by some spirited parishioners, in front of Mount llermon Cemetory ; a not inai»pro])riate monument on their part to the memory of the ancient and worthy ])ati'on of the parish. St. Michael's Church was weekly honoured hy the attendance of the Sovereign's representative and mite when inhabiting Spencer Wood ; and on tine summer days by the rank and fashion of the neighbouring metropolis. It is a handsome cut-stone church, in the Gothic style. The incumbent for many years has been the Rev. Anthony A. Von Ifttand. This neat Gothic structure was erected in 18.54, at a cost of $12,400, the proceeds of the muniticeut donations ot sovoral members of its rongregation and «)tlierK. *l'he ground on which it stands was presented, as a gift, by Mrs. Jas. Morrin. Several handsome stJiined-glass windows, representing scrijjtural scenes, have been recently added. We read, amoUfist others, the following names on the list of subscribers to the foundation of the chapel, parsonage and school-house : — Sir Edmund Head. Colonel Khodes. Ed. Burstall. Captain lletallack. J. Walker. Miss Mountain. Miss Cochran. F. Burroughs. Wm. Petry. W. Price. T. K. liamsuy. Lord Monck. Henry Lemesurier. Charles E. Levey. Captain Pemberton. E. Jackson. D. D Young. Uev. A. Mountain. W. P. Wood. Honorable W. Walker. Michael Stevenson. Mrs. Helmuth. The Lord Bishop Mountain. Denis Godley. .)os. B. Forsyth. Colonel Boomer. F. H. Andrews. C. N. Montizambert. Mrs. Carroll. Robert Hamilton. Mrs J. Gibb. Major H. W. Campbell. Okiii Utuart. I' ;f- i u I 356 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. V ,i 1 1 1 Lieut.-Cdlonel Mountain, flon. Henry Black. Miss Gueroiit J. F. Taylor. G. Alford. N. H. Bowen. Charles Hamilton Rich. Tremain. Miss Taylor, Dr. Boswell. Char leg Wilson. Preston Copeman Thomas Beckett. Mrs. Montizambert. Mrs. Forsyth. G. Hall. J. K. Boswell. T. G. Penny. W. Drum. W. Herring. John Giles. Thomas Nelson. Barthy W. Goff. G. B. Symes k Co. C, Coker. H. S. Scott. Mrs. G. R. Mountain. James Gibb. J. H. Oakes. Mrs. Woodbury. Miss George. Charles O'Neill. Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge. John Jordan. Through the aid and efl'orts of the late Charles E. Levey, Esq., of Cataracoui, a handsome organ was subscribed for in England, and now graces St. Michael's Chapel. MOUNT HERMOX. A SPOT DEAR TO QDRBECERS. Oh, Hermon ! oft I wander o'er, , Thy silent records of the past, In fancy, when the storm and roar Of icy winter holds thee fast ; But, when the gentle spring-time tells 'Tis time to rove amid the flow'rs, I love to walk amid thy dells, And dream once more of happy hours. All seems a dream I thy lovely slopes, O'ershadowed with primeval trees. Are rich with many blighted hopes. And ceaseless tuars. He only sees. What broken hearts, and scatter'd homes, And grief of mourners ne'er since met, One pictures by these solemn tombs, This scene of parting and regret 1 Bless 'd spot I though long, long years ago That loving one was buried here, My soul still ever seeks to know When once again we shall be near ! A day ne'er pass'd in foreign climes. At home, or on the restless sea. But I have sought thee many times, Oh, Hermon I ever dear to me. S. B. F. In this neighbourhood is situated Mount Hermon Cemetery. It is about three miles from Quebec, on the south side of the St. Lewis road, and slopes irregularly, but beautifully, down the cliff which overhangs the St. Lawrence. It is thirty-two acres in extent, and the grounds wore tastefully laid out by the late Major Douglas, U. S. Engineers, whoso taste and skill had been pre- 'i i L Lidik tl ^•f 'f ^ MOUNT HERMON. 357 viously shewn in the design of Greenwood Cemetery, near New York. A carriage drive, upwards of two miles in extent, affords access to all parts of the grounds, and has been so arranged as to aifoi-d the most perfect view of the scenery The visitor, after driving over the smooth lawn-like open surface, finds himself suddenly transferred by a turn of the road into a dark avenue of stately forest trees, from which he emerges to see the broad St. Lawrence almost beneath him, with the city of Quebec and the beautiful slopes of Point Levi in the distance. Many beautiful monuments now adorn the grounds, some of which are from Montreal and some from Scotland ; but the great majority are the productions of Mr. Felix Morgan, of Quebec, and do credit to his taste and skill. Many of them are beautiful and costly structures of Italian marble. The Aberdeen and Peterhead granite is much used at present for monuments to the departed. A neat gothic lodge at the entrance of the grounds contains the office and residence of the .superintendent. In the former, a complete plan of the grounds is kept, every separate grave being marked upon it with its appropriate number, so that at any future time, on consulting it, the exact spot of interment can bo ascer- tained, and the Register which is also kept, affords information respecting the places of birth, age, and date of death. There are few sites round Quebec more attractive to visit, especially during the month of September, than the last abode of the departed, crowning the green banks of the St. Lawrence at Sillery — the Cemetery of Mount Horraon. Apart from possessing some of the most picturesque scenery in America, this spot borrows from the glorlesof autumn tints of a fairy brightness. In providing for the repose of the desid, the citizens of all denomina- tions seemed to have vied to sui-pass one another. Scarcely had the skilful designer. Major Douglas, U.S.E., completed the laying out of the Mount llermon grounds, when a strong desire was manifested in all quarters to do away with intra mural burials. In a very short time, the Eoman Catholics had selected as a cemetery the lovely old seat of the late Mr. Justice P. Panot, on the banks of the St. Charles, whilst a iQw years later the shady groves of Belmont, on the Ste. Foye road, were required for a similar object. The ornamentation of a necropolis must naturally 1: ff ■\ { > 'A IS 1 ! ■ ; ''1 i 1 ,1 1 t i r " i ■| '■ ^r :^ ■■r ■ * 1 1 ' it * 358 ri?;? ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. bo a work of time ; trees do not spring up in one summer, nor do lawns clothe themselves with a soft, green velvety surface in one season ; and if the flowei'S in Mount Hermon are so beautiful and so well attended to, the secret in a measure possibly rests with the landscape gardener located at the entrance, and who professes to furnish flowers for the adornment of cemetery lots, and to plant and keei> them fresh during the summer. The St. Charles, St. Patrick and Belmont Cemeteries, which do not enjoy in the same measure these facilities, cannot be expected to possess all the rustic adornments of their elder brother. One may safely predict that ere many summers go by our public cemeteries, by their natural beauty, are likely to attract crowds of strangers, as Greenwood and Mount Auburn do in the States, Chaste monu- mental marbles, on which can be detected the chisel of English, Scotch and Canadian artists, are at present noticeable all over the grounds ; tastefully laid out and smiling parterres of annuals and perennials throw a grateful fragrance over the tomb where sleeps mayhap a beloved parent, a kind sister, an affectionate brother, a true friend, a faithful lover. How forcibly all this was brought to our minds recently on strolling through the shady walks of Mount Hermon. Under the umbrageous trees, perfumed by roses and lilies; tombs,* silent, innumerable tombs on all sides; on marble, the names of friends, kindred, acquaintances; solemn stillness all round us ; at our feet the placid course of our majestic flood. There were indeed many friends round us, though invisible; nay, on counting over the slumberers, we found we had more, though not dearer friends, in this abode of peace than within the walls of yonder city. Overpowered by mournful, though sooth- ing thoughts, we walked along pondering over those truthful reflections of Washington Irving : — '< There is a voice from tlie tomb sweeter than song ; there is a recollection of the dead to which we turn ever from the charms of the living. Oh, the gravel the gravel It buries every error, covers every defect, extinguisheK * " Who can viwit the sylvan abode, sacred to the repose of the departed without noticing one tomb in particular in the enclosure of Wra. Price, Esq. we allude to that of Sir Edmund Head's gifted son? "The troubled waters of the St. Maurice and the quiet grave at Sillery recall as in a vision, not only the generous open-hearted boy, who perished in one and sleeps in tbe other, but they tell us also of the direct line of a good old family cut oflf^a good name passing away, or if preserved at all, preserved only on a tombstone." — Notmaris Britiah Amerieant. ^^^p^ MOUNT HERMON. 359 every resentment. From its peaceful bosom spring none but fond regrets and tender rt'collections. • • • Tlie grave of tiiose we loved — wliat a place for meditation. Tbere it is that we call u|) in long review the whole history of virtut; and gentleness, and the thousand i-ndrarments lavished upon us almost unheeded in the daily intercourse of intimacy ; there it is that wo dwell tipon the tenderness, the solemn, awful tenderness of the partini,' scene ; the bed of death with all its stifled grief; its noiseless attendants; its mute, watchful assiduities; the la-^t t(!stimonies of expiring love; the feeble, falter- ing, thrilling (oh, how thrilling !) pressure of the hand; the last fond look of the glazing eye, turning upon us from the threshold of existence; the faint, faltering accents struggling in death to give oni;e more assurance of affection I aye, go to the grave of buried love and meditate! There settle the account witii thy conscience for every past benefit inirequited, every past endearment unregarded of that being wlio can never, nev 1 ■ hi 360 THE ENVIRONS OP QUEBEC. iii- i H- P whoiie death was occasioned by his noble offorta to arrest the prngretis of the calamitous fire which, on the 14th Oct,, 1866, destroyed a large portion of the city. Born at Shrewsbury, England, April 4, 1840. Died at Quebec Oct. 27, 1866. Surmounting the epitaph is the coat of arms of the Royal Artillery, chiselled out of the solid block by the hands of a Anished artist, with the motto of the regiment in a scroll underneath — '< Quo fas el gloria dueunt." The erection of this monument to the memory of the brave but unfortunate young officer is a noble tribute of gratitude on the part of our citizens, and in en- trusting its execution to our talented fellow-townsman, Mr. Morgan, the com- mittee has shown a wise discretion that makes the completion of their task one upon which they may heartily congratulate themselves." A VOiCK FltOM MOUNT IIERMON. UBDIOATEU TO MRS. HAINKS, IIY MRS. A. CAMPBELL. My dust lies sleeping here, Mother dear ! In this far off distant land, Away from your little band, And the touch of loving hand, Your boy lies sleeping here, Mother dear I The Ocean rolls between Mother dear I You and your own boy's grave_ And the distant rush of wave. On the pebbly shore to lave, Is the requiem sung between, i Mother dear 1 Mine is a sweet green si)ot, Mother dear I And the song of the bird Is ever heard In the trees that gird Us, in this quiet upot, Mother dear And echo answers here, Mother dear ! The tinkle of chapel bell, And the murmur of its knell, And the mourners " It is well," Echo answers here, Mother dear I To picture my last home. Mother dear ! I am laid me down to rest. Where " Our Father" saw 'twas best ; In this quiet little nest, For my last home, Mother dear I BARDFIELD. Aud my upirit in with HUu, Mother dear I In the precious bome above, Where nil is light and love, There reHts your own dear dove, Now with Him, Mother dear ! Through Jesus' blood I'm here, Mother dear ! In this happy, heavenly land, One of a glorious band, Touched by His healing hand, Through Jesus I am here. Mother dear t So dry that bitter tear, Mother dear I 'Twill not be very long Ere with Jesus you'll sing the song. Sung by those who to Him belong. And wipe that bitter tear — Mother dear I 361 BAROFIELU. THK LATU BISHOP MOUNTAIN'S COUNTKY SBAT. '> Far from me and my friends be that frigid philosophy, which can make us pass unmoved over anv scenes which have been consecrated by virtue, by valour, or by wisdom." — Johnson. Pleasant the memories of our rustic homes I 'Tis pleasant, after December's murky nights, or January and February's inexorable chills, to go and bask on the sunny banks of our great river, under the shade of trees, in the balmy spring, and amidst the gifts of a bountiful nature, to inhale fragrance and health and joy. Pleasant, also, to wander during September in our solemn woods, " with footsteps inaudible on the soft yellow floor, composed of the autumnal sheddings of countless years." Yes, soothing to us are these memories of home — of home amusements, home ploasui-os, and even of homo sorrows. Sweeter still, even though tinged with melancholy, the remembrance of thedej)urted friends, — those guardian spirits we once saw moving in some of our Canadian homes in the legitimate pride of hospitality — surrounded by young and loving hearts — enshrined in the respect of their fellow men. Oft has it been our privilege at that festive season of our year, when a hallowed custom brings Canada's sons and daughters together with words of greeting and good-fellowship, to wend our ;.^ ' ' i] 1 ! '-? 1 Or j 1 ' L ■ i rpmm i .it. ■? ' I. 'ii i ; 1 ■ i ■ 362 THE ENVIRONS OF QUKBEC. way to Bai-dfield, high on the breezy hills of Sillery, and exchange a cordial welcome with the voneiablo man who had dwelt in our midHt for many long years. Seldom has it been our lot to approach one who, as a scholar, a gentleman, appelate, or what is more than all those titles put together, a truly good man, im- pressed himself more agi-eeably on our mind. Another revolution of the circling year and the good pastor, the courteous gentleman, the learned divine, our literary* friend and neighbour, the master of Bardfield, had been snatched from among us and from an admiring public. Where is the Quebecor who has not noticed the neat cottage on the north of the St. Lewis road, where lived and died the Lord Bishop Mountain ? As you pass, you see as formerly, its lovely river view, gravelled walks, curving avenue, and turfy lawns, luxuriant hedges designed by a hand now cold in death. Bard- field continues to be occupied by Miss Mountain and other mem- bers of the late Bishop's family. A school house, in the rural Gothic style, quite an ornament to Sillery, has been erected by His Lordship's family, as a memorial of the sojourn at this spot of this true friend of suffering humanity and patron of education. Bardfield, founded about forty years ago by an eminent merchant of Quebec, Peter Burnet, Esquire, was recently purchased by Albert Furness, Esquire and by him leased to Charles Earnest Levey, Esquire, until Kirke Ella, the property of Mr. Levy, is rebuilt. THE FAMir.r OF MOUNTAm. The family of Mountain, wliich is a very old Norman family, and therefore of French extraction, originally wrote their name" de Montaigne," from the name of their estates at Perigord, near Bordeaux, and[art stated in the life of one of its members, the well-known Michael Seigneur de Montaigne, the; essayist and philosopher, " This race was noble, but noble without any great lustre till his time, whicli fortune showed him signal favours, and, together with honorary and titular distinctions, procured for him the collar of the Order of St. Michael, which at that time was th(! utmost maik of honour of the French noblesse, and very rare. He was twice elected mayor of Bordeaux, his father, a man of great honour and equity, having formerly also had tlie same rlignity." Michael left only a daughter — Leonor or Leonora, who by marrying a distant cousin of the same name, preserved the estates in the family, as they had been for more than a century before they were inherited by her father. These • The late Bishop is the author of a collection of poems known as the Sonffs of the Wilderness, many of the subjects therein having been furnished in the course of his apostolic labours in the Red River settlement. ^vvip^ BENMORE. 368 ■\ m^ remained in posBeBBion of the senior branch until the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, when, having espoused the Protestant cause, they were forced to sacrifice them and quit the country in 1685, with what ready money they could hastily get together. With this they purchased an estate in Norwich, England ; from which in after generations Hcveral of the family went out to Canada, and among them the late Bishop of Quebec. To him, likewise I have heard attributed the irreverent piece of wit alluded to by the Witnen; but with equal injustice, as his son, the late Bishop ot Quebec assured me. It is one of those sayings evidently made up for people whose names or position suit for hanging them on. George Mountain, D.D., Archbishop of York, was a contemporary of Michael de Montaigne, and a scion of the same family, though through a younger branch, which appears to have crossed over from France about the time of the massacre of 8t. Bartholomew in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and for the same reason that the elder branch did afterwards, namely, because of their religious tenets. It is not by any means improbable that by this separation from the rest of his family, who were Ktill adherents of the Roman Catholic faith, and the con- sequent abandonment of worldly prospects for the sake of religious principles, the Archbishop's progenitors may have been reduced in < ircumstances, but only comparatively with what he had lost before, for history shows that the Archbishop himself was born at Callwood (-astle, educated at Queen's College, Cambridge, chosen a Fellow in l.''>91, and Junior Proctor of that University in 1600, Dean of Westminster in 1610, Bishop of Lincoln in 1617, Bishop of London in 1621, Bishop of Durham in 1627, and Archbishop of York in 1628. Jacob J. C. Moontain, Formerly of Coteau de Lac, Canada ; now Vicar of Bulford, England. BuLFORD Vicarage, Amesbury, Salisbury, May 30, 1877. BENMORE. We like to portray to ourselves our energetic neighbour of Benmore House, such as we can recall him in his palmy, sporting days of 1865 ; we shall quote from the Maple Leaves of that year: " It will not be one of the least glories of ' Our Parish,' even when the Province will have expanded into an empire, with Sillery as the seat (jf Vice Eoyalty, to be able to boast of possess- ing the Canadian, the adopted home of a British officer of wealth * The following is the extract from the True Wittiest referred to : " In the reign of George II, the see of York falling vacant. His Majesty being at a loss for a fit person to appoint to the exalted situation, asked the opinion of the Rev. Dr. Mountain, who liad raised himself by his remarkable facetious temper to the See of Durham. The Dr. wittily replied , ' Hadst thou faith, thou wouldst say to this mountain (at the same time laying his hand on his breast) be removed and cast into the sea (see).' His Majesty laughed heartily, and forthwith conferred the preferment on the fitcetious doctor. 1 i ■ •■ ; : I i! I ill h ii ■Hi I: 864 TEE UNVIRONS OF QUEBEC. and intelligence, known to the sporting world as the Great Nor- thern Hunter. Who had not heard of the battues of Col. Bhodes on the snow-clad peaks of Cap Tourment, on the Western Prairies, and all along the Laurentian chain of mountains ? One man alone through the boundless territory extending from Quebec to the North Pole, can dispute the belt with the Sillery Nimrod; but then, a mighty hunter is he; by name in the St. Joachim settle- ment, Olivier Cauchon ; to Canadian sportsmen known as Le Roi des Bois. It is said, but we cannot vouch for the fact — that Cauchon, in order to acquire the scent, swiftness and sagacity of the cariboo, has lived on cariboo milk, with an infusion of moss and bark, ever since his babyhood; but that this veiy winter (1865) ho killed, with slugs, four cariboo at one shot, we can vouch for. A few weeks since, a habitant with a loaded sleigh passed our gate ; on the top of his load was visible a noble pair of antlers. " Qui & tu6 — ces cariboo ?" we asked. Honest John Baptiste replied, " Le Colonel Rhodes, Monsieur." Then followed a second — then a third. Same question asked, to which for reply — " Le Colonel Rhodes, Monsieur." Then another sleigh load of cariboo, m all twelve Cariboo ; two sleighs of hare, grouse and ptarmigan ; then a man carrying a dead carcajou; then in the distance, the soldier-like phiz of the Nimrod himself, nimbly following on foot the cavalcade. This was too much ; wo stopped and threatened the Colonel to apply to Parliament for an Act to protect the game of Canada against his unerring rifle. Were we not fully aware of the gratifying fact that, under recent legislative enactment, the fish and game of Canada have much increased, we might be inclined to fancy that the Colonel will never rest until he has bagged the last moose, the last cariboo in the country. Benmore nestles cosily in a pine grove on the banks of the great river, the type of an English Country gentl^iman's homestead. In front of the house, a spacious piazza, from which you can watch the river craft; in the vast surrounding meadows, a goodly aiTay of fat Durhams and Ayrshires ; in the farm-yard, short- legged Berkshires squeaking merrily in the distance ; rosy-cheeked English boys romping on the lawn, surrounded by pointers and setters : such, the grateful sights which, greeted our eyes one lovely June morning round Benmore House, the residence of the President of the Quebec Game Club, and late member of Parlia- ment for Megantic." (Written in 1866.) i i \ Ik 1 ! ! IMPOHTATION OF lilRDS. 365 Sixteen yoarH have elapsed since these lirjon were penned, and the Coh)nol has devoted much time, spotit a hir^o amount of capital on his vegetable fai-ni and his green houses. Agricul- turalists and naturalists will know him as the introducer of the English nparrow and the Messina quail. !i ' THE SPARROW ASD if V All.. Information for Mr. Lenioinc on the importation of tiio European hoiim sparrow an;rt'at com- plaints all over the Unitod St^ittis of the ravapix of insuc tH and particularly of caterpillars, air.onf;st street and f)ark trees and their visihle deHtriiction, it was generally recommended to girdle tlie trees with tin trouglis containing oil or some liquid, also to pick the insects oil' the infected trees. This course had been followed to a very consideralih? extent, when it struck me the importa- tion of the common house sparrow would meet the dillitulty. In 1854 I imported sparrows. I tinned loose si.x hinls at Portland, Maine, and brought about as many more to Quebec. On turning the birds loose at Portland, I wrote a letter to the Portland Adi'ertiter. recommending the Bhiglish sparrow as an insect destroyer, especially in the eat ly spring months when the native birds are away on their migiations. This idea of picking off insects with birds commended itself to the municipal authorities of Boston and other large cities, who made large importations of sparrows, with the result of saving their ornamental trees from destruction. The first colony of sparrows failed at Quebec. I therefore made two more importations, succeeding at last by wintering over thirteen birds. This occurred about ten years ago ; there are now house sparrows all over Canada, our French Canadians say " Ceslun oiwan qui suit la Religion," frequenting chur(;hes, convents and sacred places, and it is considered a privilege to have so good a bird about the bouse. The sparrow lives rea 1 • ^ 1 If - i 1- :' 1 . 1, ; t'. i ' \ > I . Il^ 'ft V 368 THE ENVIRONS OF Q UEBEC. toriane, the Abb^ Ferland, as the spot where one of the first Sillery missionaries, Frer^ Liegeois met with his end at the hands of some hostile Indians. This occurred in the spring of 1655. The missionary at the time was helping the colonists to build a small redoubt to protect their maize and wheat fields from the inroads of their enemies. On viewing, at Sillery, in 1881, Claremont the luxurious country seat of a successful merchant, memory reverts to the same locality two centuries back, when every tree of the locality might have concealed a ferocious Iroquois bent on his errand of death. From the cupola of Claremont. a wondrous vista is revealed. The eye gazing north. 'ard, rests on the nodding pinnacles of the spruce, hemlock and surrounding pine. Towards the south-east and west you have before you nearly every object calculated to add effect to the landscape. Far below at your feet, rushes on the mighty 8t. Lawrence, with its fleet oi merchantmen and rafts of timber; the church of St. Romuald, halfway up the hill; facing you, the Etchemin stream, its mills, its piers, crowded with deals ; to the west, the roaring Chaudiere, " La Riviere Bruyanto " of early times ; in the remote distance, on a bright morning, are also plainly visible, the hills of the White Mountains of Maine. THE WILD FLOWERS OF SILLERY. " Everywhere about us are they glowing, Some like stars, to tell us spring is born ; Others, their blue eyes, with tears o'erflo wing, Stand like Ruth amid the golden corn." Are you an admirer of nature, and sweet flowers ? Would you, most worthy friend, like to see some of the bright gems which spring, whilst dallying over the sequestered, airy heights and swampy marshes of our woods drops along our path ? Follow, un frfere Jesuite avait voulu engager les Algonquins k faire la garde chacun letu- tour et pour leiir donner I'cxample, lo bon Fr6re avait voulu otro la premiisro sentinelle. II s'etait done avancr en explorant dans les bois (c'etait dans le Toisinage de la proprietc actuelle de M. le.Tuge Caron, sur la Chemin du Cap Rouge), tout & coup le Frdre recjut deux coups de feu qui I'^tendirent k terre gri^vement blessc, et en meme temps deux Iroquois, sortant d'un tailllK, I'assommferent et lui enlevcrent la chevclure. (Cours d'histoire de I'Mbb6 Ferland k I'Universit^ Laval). Page 4, Journal de S Instruction Publique, pour Janvier, 1866." THE WILD FLOWERS OF STLLERY. 369 then, sketch book and pencil in hand, the fairy footsteps of one of the most amiable women which okl England ever sent to our climes, accompany the Countess of Dalhousie on a botuniziiif^ tour through Sillery woods; you have her note book, if iujI her- self, to go by. For May, see what an ample store of bright flowei's scattered around you; fear not to lose yourself in thickets and underbrush ; far from the beaten track a noble lady lias i*an- sacked the environs over and over again, sometimes alone, some- times with an ec^ually enthusiastic and intelligent friend, who hailed from Woodfield * ; sweet flowers and beautiful ferns attract other noble ladies to this day in that wood. Ai-e you anxious to possess the first-born of spring? Whilst virgin snow still whitens the fields, send a young friend to pluck for you, from the willow, its golden catkins: — "The first gilt thing Decked witli the earliest peiirls ot spring." TheGorain Wood will, with the dawn of May, afford you ma- terials for a wreath, rich in perfume and wild in beauty. The quantity of wild flowers, to be found in the environs of Quebec has called forth the following remarks from one of Flora's most fervid votaries, a gentleman well known in this locality: — "A stranger," says he, '' landing in this country, is much surprised to find the flowers which he has carefully cultivated in his garden at home, growing wild at his feet. Such as dog-tooth violets, trilliums and columbines. I was much excited when I discovered them for the first time ; the trillium, for which I had paid three shillings and six-penee when in England, positively growing wild. 1 could scarcely believe that I had a right to gather them; having paid so much for one, 1 fell that it was [n'opeily, valuable pro- perty running wild, and no one caring to gather it. Xo one? Yes! some did, for we carried all that we could find, and if the reader will strol! along the hedges on St. Lewis road lie will find them in abundance: dark purple flowers, growing on a stalk naked to near the summit, where there is a whorl of three leaves, its sepals are three, petals three, stamens twice three, *The Hon. Wm. Sheppard, then President of the Literary and Historical Society ot yiiel)ec. Lady Dalhousie had presented to this Society, founded by her hudband in 1824, her herbarium (see Vol. I Tranmclioni, Literary and His- torical Society, page 255). !': I.li n rr (• ft lij : 1 ' \' 1 1 Hi 1 3t0 TBE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. I l.'lil II fl and its stigmas three, hence its name of trillium. We have a few of the white varieties. After the purple trillium has done flowering, we have the painted trillium of the woods; the trillium grandiflorum is abundant at Grosse Isle. The dog-tooth violet early arrested my attention; the spotted leaves and the bright yellow flowers, fully recurved in the bright sunshine, contrasted beauti- fully with the fresh green grass on the banks on which they are usually found ; the bulbs are deep-seated, and the plant will at once, from the general appearance of the flower, be recognized as belonging to the lily ftimily. "The marsh marigolds, with the bright yellow buttercup-look- ing flowers, are now in full luxuriance of bloom in wet places near running vrater; they may not be esteemed beautiful by all, and yet all God's works, and all his flowers, are good and beauti- ful. Let any one see them as I have seen them, a large flower- bed of an acre and more, one mass of the brightest yellow, a crystal stream meandering through their midst, the beautiful Falls of Montmorenci across the river I'olling their deep strains of Nature's music, the rising tide of the St. Lawrence boating with refreshing waves at their feet, and a cloudless azure sky over head, from which the rosy tints of early morn had hardly disap- peared and if his soul be not ready to overflow with gratitude to the Supreme Being who has made everything so beautiful and good, I do not know what to think of him. I would not be such a man, 'I'd i*athor be a dog and bay the moon.' " The whole Gomin bog is studded with Smilacina Bifolia, some- times erroneously called the lohite lily of the valley, also the Smila- cina Trifolia, the Bentaria, the Streptopiis roseus or twisted stem, a rose-colored flower, bearing red berries in the fall. There are also in this wood, trillium, the May flower, Hepatina and Symplo- carpus, thickets crowned with Rhocbras in full bloom — a bush a few feet high with superb rose-colored flowers — the general ap- pearance of a cluster of bushes is most magnificent. In the same locality, further in the swamp, may be found the Kalmia anytisti- fol> "ing very pretty compact rose-colored flowers like small cu v'lded into five lobes, also the beautiful Ladies' Slipper Orchis (Cypripedum humile) in thousands on the borders of the swamp, — such is Sillery wood in May. The crowded flora of June is the very carnival of nature, in our climes. " Our Parish " is TBE WILD FLOWERf! OF SILLERY. 371 no exception. The Ladies' Slippers, Kalmia Smifarina, etc., may still be gathered in the sji-eatest abundance throughout most of this month. Here is also the bunch of Pigeon berry, in full bloom, theBrooklimo Spedwell, the Bluo-oyed-grass, the herb Bonnet, the Labrador Tea, the Oxalis Stricta and Oxalis aretosdla, one with yellow, the other with white and purple flowers : the first grows in ploughed fields, the second in the woods. " Our sensi- tive plant; they shut up their leaves and go to sleep at night, and on the approach of rain. These plants are used in Europe to give an acid flavor to soup." Here also flourishes the Linnea Borealis, roseate bells, hanging like twins from one stalk, downy and aromatic all round. In the middle of .Tune, the Ragwort, a composite flower with yellow heads, and about one-half to two feet high, abounds in wot places by the side of running streams, Also, the Anemone, so famous in English song, principally re- presented by the Anemone Pennsylvanica, growing on wet banks, bearing large white flowers ; add the Corydalis, Smilacina race- mosa resembling Solomon's Seal. Here we light on a lovely Tulip bod ; no, — 'tis that strangely beautiful flower, the pitcher plant (Saracenia Purpurea). Xext we hit on a flower not to be for- gotten, the Myosotis palustris or Forgot-me-not. Cast a glance as you hurry onwards on the (Enothera pumila, a kind of evening primrose, on the false Hellebore — the one-sided Pyrola, the Bladder Campion — silene inflata, the sweet-scented yellow Mellilot, the white Yarran, the Prunella with blue labrate flowers the Yellow Rattle, so called from the rattling of the seeds. The per- forated St. John's Wort is now coming into flower everywhere, and will continue until late in August; it is an upright plant, from one to two feet high, with clusters of yellow flowers. The Germans have a custom for maidens to gather this horb on the eve of St. John, and from its withering or retaining its fresh- ness to draw an augury of death or marriage in tho coming year. This is well told in the following lines : — '< The young maid stole through the cottage door, And blushed as she sought the plant of power ; Thou silver glow-worm, lend me thy light, I must gather the myatic St. John's Wort to-night, The wonderful herb whose leaf must decide If the coming year shall make me a bride. And the glow-worm came With its silvery flame, m ■ ^ i ' i '■I I > ; ■ 1 ■ \ i 5 i i I -' 11 i! 372 THE EyVf RONS OF QUEBEC. And sparkled and shone Through the night of St. John ; While it shone on the plant as it bloomed in its pride, And soon haw the young maid her love-knot tied. With noiseless tread To her chamber she sped, Where the spectral moon her white beams shed. " Bloom here, bloom here, thou plant of power, To deck the young bride in hiT bridal hour ; But it dropped its head, the plant of power, And died the mute death of the voicelrss flower And a withered wreath on the ground it lay, And when a year had passed away, All pale on her bier the young maid lay ; ^nd the glow-worm came. With its silvery flame. And sparkled and shone Through the night of St. John ; And they closed the cold grave o'er the maid's cold clay, On the day that was meant for her bridal day." Let X18 see what flowers sultry July has in store for us in her bountiful cornucopia. "In July," says a fervent lover of nature, " bogs and swamps are glorious indeed," so look out for Calopo- gons, Pogonias, rose-colored and white and purple-fringed Orchises, Ferns, some thirty varieties, of exquisite texture, " In the cool and quiet nooks. By the side of running brooks ; In the forest's green retreat, With the branches overhead. Nestling at the old trees' feet. Choose we there our mossy bed. On tall cliflFs that won the breeze. Where no human footstep presses. And no eye our beauty sees. There we wave our maiden tresses." the Willow-herb, the true Partridge-berry, the Chimaphila, Yel- low Lily, Mullein, Ghost Flower, Indian Pipe, Lysimacha Stricta, Wild Chamomile. August will bring forth a variety of other plants, amongst others the Spirantes, or Ladies' Tresses, a very sweet-scented Orchis, with white flowers placed as a spiral round the flower stalk, the purple Eupatorium, the Snake's head, and crowds of most beautiful wild flowers, too numerous to be named here.* (From Maple Leaves, 1865). •For anything good in this short sketch of our Wild Flowers, the reader is indebted to Mr. S. S. Sturton, whose paper on the Wild Flowers qf Quebec was our guide — J. M. L. lij * BEA UVOllt. 373 I BEA UVOIK. "The merchant has his snug retreat in the vicinity of the metropolis, where he often displays as mucli pride and z^al in the cultivation of his flower garden, and the maturing of his tVuits, as he does in the conduct of his business, and the success of a commercial enterprise. — Rnral Life in England — Wdskinifton Irving. Situated on the left bank of the Rivei- St. Lawrence, about four miles from the city, on the Sillory heights, and overlooking the river. The site was selected about half a century back bj'^ the late Hon. A. N. Cochrane, who acquired the proi>crty in Septem- ber, 1830, and after holding it for nineteen years sold it to the Hon. John Stewart, who built the residence, which was occupied for a number of years by the late Henry LeMesurier, Esq., and was finally destroyed by fire in 1866. It was subsequently re- built, and afterwards purchased by the present occupant K. R. Dobell, Esq., who has since added considerably to the building and extended the property by the addition of about twelve acres purchased from the Graddon estate, and about the same quantity purchased from Mr. McHugh, the whole now comprising about thirty-five acres. The grounds are beautifully wooded and descend by a series of natural terraces to the river, on the banks of which are the extensive timber coves and wharves known as Sillery Cove, with the workmen's cottages, offices, &c., fringing the side. There is also telegraphic communication between this cove and the city. Here too is the site of the ancient church of the Eecollet Fathers, within the precincts of which lie buried the remains of Eev. Ed. Mass^, one of the earliest missionaries sent from France to Canada by the Jesuits, the expense of the mission was chiefly borne by the Chevalier Brulart de Sillory. Here also is the old Mansion House, and a little higher up the cliff is the ancient burial ground of the Huron Indians, whore the remains of many of this tribe can still be found. The property is bounded on the west by the historical stream of St. Michaels brook, so often mentioned in the narratives of the seige of Quebec in 1759. This stream used to be well stocked with trout, and promises to regain its former character in this respect, as the present proprietor intends to re-stock it. Mr. Dobell has collected here some very fine specimens of Ca- ¥ 4 iii\ n- Mi,i i li t 374 TBB ENVIRONS OF QVKBEC. nadian Gkme, which the art of the taxidermist ham rendered very life-like. His oil paintings are deserving of notice and attracted attention at a recent exhibition of art, &c., at the Morrin College, they appear iu the printed catalogue as follows : — A Scene in Wales, (Morning) by Marcham. A Scene in Wales, (Evening) " Reading the Bible, *' Our Saviom*, — an old painting on copper Dead Canary, S.M.Martin. Fox and Ducks, " Prairie Hen " View of Quebec, Creswelir* Egyptian Interior "Kornan Dead Game " Two Oil Paintings, after Guido Reni. Girl and Birdcage, — a-Dutch painting... Prisoners, by Jacobi. Flower Piece Victor Pandora and Ca8ket,^-old pai nting The chief charm of Beauvoir is in its beautiful level lawn and deep overhanging woods, recalling vividly to mind the many beautiful homes of merry England. Mr. Dobell the proprietor is largely engaged in mercantile operations, and for many years past has curried on the most extensive business in the lumber trade. In 1865 we alluded as follows to this bright Canadian Home, which the shadow of death was soon to darken : " Crowning a sloping lawn, intersected by a small stream, and facing the Etchemin Mills, you notice on the south side of the St. Lewis road, next to Clermont, a neat dwelling hid amongst huge pines and other forest trees ; that is one of our oldest English country seats. Family memories of three generations consecrate the spot. Would you like a glimpse of domestic life as enjoyed at Sillery ? then follow that bevy of noisy, rosy-cheeked boys in Lennoxville caps, with gun and rod in hand, hurrying down those steep, narrow steps leading from the bank to the Cove below. How they scamper along, eager to walk the deck of that trim little craft, the Falcon, anchored in the stream, and sitting like a bird on the bosom of the famed river. Wait a minute and you will see the mainsail flutter in the breeze. Now om* rollicking young fj'iends have marched past ruins of " chapel, convent, hoa- j - \ i! ! MONTAGUE COTTAGE. 876 pital," &c., on the beach; you surely did not expect thorn to look glum and melancholy. Of course they knew all about "Monsieur Puiseaux," " le Chevalier de Sillery," " the house where dwelt Emily Montague " ; but do not, if you have any respect for that thrice happy age, the halcyon days of jackets and frills, befog their brains with the musty records of departed years. Let the lads enjoy their summer vacation, radiant, happy, heedless of the future. Alas! it may yet overtake them soon enough ! What care could contract their brow ? Have they not fed for the day their rabbits, their pigeons, their guinea-pigs ? Is not that faithful Newfoundland dog ■' Boatswain," who saved from drowning one of their school-mates, is he not as usual their com- panion on ship-board or ashore ? There, now, they drop down the stream for a long day's cruise round the Island of Orleans. Next week, peradventure, you may hear of the Falcon and its jolly crew having sailed for Portneuf, Murray Bay, the Saguenay or Bersimis, to throw a cast for salmon, sea-trout or mackerel, in some sequestered pool or sheltered bay. " Tbero we'll drop our lines, and gather Old Ocean's treasures in." Are they not glorious, handsome, manly fellows, our Sillery boys ? No wonder we are all proud of them, of the twins as much as the rest, and more so perhaps. " Our Parish " you must know, is renowned for the proportion in which it contributes to the cen- sus: twins — a common occurrence; occasionally, triplets. Such we knew this Canadian home in the days of the late Heniy Lemesurier. I' 1 ■, : MONTAGUE COTTAGE. " I knew by the smoke which so gracefully curled, Above the green wood that a cottage was near." — Moore's Woodpeckgr. Pacing Sillery hill, on the north side of " Sans Bruit," formerly the estate of Lieut-Col. the Hon. Henry Caldwell, Mr. Alfred P. Wheeler,* the Tide Surveyor of H. M. Customs, Quebec, built in 1880, a comfortable and pleasing little cottage. He has called it * Mr. Wheeler is a younger brother of J. Talboys Wheeler, the eminent writer ou the claasics, but better known Utterly as the Historian of India. I ■ r I !i 876 THE ENVrRONS OF QUEBEC. Montague Cottage* in memory of Wolfe's brave ansistant Quarter- Master General Col. Caldwell, of Sans Bruit, the Col. Elvers of " The Novel " iind the preferred suitor of Emily Montague who addrcMsed her romantic '-Silleri" letters to Col. Rivers from a house not far from the Hill of Sillery. It is stated in all the old Quebec Guidc-Books that the house in which the '-divine" Emily then dwelt stood on the foot of Sillery Hill, close to Mrs. Gruddon'.'i property at Kilmarnock; her friend Bella Fermor probably lived near her. Vol. I. of the Work, page 61, states: " I am at present at an extremely pretty farm on the banks of the River St. Lawrence ; the house stands as the foot of a steep mountain covered with a variety of trees forming a verdant sloping wall, which rises in a kind of regular confusion, shade above shade, a woody theatre, and has in front this noble river, on which ships continually passing present to the delighted eye the most charming ])icture imaginable. 1 never saw a place so formed to inspire that pleasing lassitude, that divine inclination to saunter, which may not improperly be called the luxurious in- dolence of the country. I intend to build a temple here to the charming goddess of laziness. A gentleman is coming down the winding path on the side of the hill, whom by his air I take to be your brother. Adieu ! 1 must receive him ; my father is in (Quebec. ' ' << Yours, Arabella Fermor." My i t i^ : \ l": : I : ' 1P ■ \ i 'i» ' j m > THE HISTORY OF EMILY MONTAGUE. On the 2'2nd March 1769, a novelist of some standing, Mrs. Frances Brooke, an otlicer's lady,t author of Lady Julia MandeviUe, published in London a work in four volumes, which she dedicated to His Excellency the Governor of Canada, Guy Carleton, afterwards Lord Dorchester, under the title of the History of Emily Montague^ being a series of letters addrL-8>ed from Sillery by Emily Montague, the heroine of the tale, to her lively and witty friend, Bella Fermor — to some military admirers in Quebec, Montreal, and New York — to some British noblemen, friends of her father. This novel, whether it was through the writer's entourage in the world or her entree to fashionable circles, or whether on account ^of its own intrinsic literary worth, had an immense success in its day. The racy description itcon- *The History of Emily Montague, by Mrs. Brooke, London, 17G9. fit has been excessively difficult to procure even one copy of this now old book, the edition being out of print more than sixty years ago. The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, is indebted to Edwin King, Esq., Post Office Inspector, Montreal, for the only copy I ever saw. Tradition recalls that Mrs. Brooke the novelisf, was the wife of a military Chaplain, stationed in Que- bec, in 1766. •' 1 EMILY MONTAOUE. 377 tains of Canadian scenery, and colonial life, mixed with the fashionable gossip of our Beljjravians of 1766, seven yiars after the conquest, caused seTerai English families to emigrate to Canada Home settled in the neighborhood of Quebec, at Sillery, it is said. Whether tiicy found all things cou/eur-e, as the clever Mrs. Brooke had described thc^m, — whether they enjoyed as much Arcadian bliss as the Letters of Emily MonUnjne. had promised — it would be very ungallant for us to gainsay, seeing that Mrs. Uiooiie is not present to vindicate herself. As to the literary merit of the novel, this much we will venture to assert, that setting aside the charm of association, we doubt that Emily Monlague, if republished at present, would make the fortune of her pub- lisher. Novel writing, like other things, has considerably changed since 176 f \ \ I ; ; ' ^ i: ■i . . ; ' L i 380 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. Kirk Ella, after paying his devoirs to the youthful Chatelain and Chatelaine, can admire at leisure Mr. Levey's numerous and ex- pensive stud: " Lollypop," " Bismark " "Joker" "Jovial," " Tichborne," " Burgundy," "Ciitch-him-alivo," a crowd of fleet steeds, racing and trotting stock, — surrounded l)y a yelping and frisky pack of" Peppers," "Mustards," "Carlos," "Guys," "Jose- phines," " Pidiers ;" Mastid's, French Poodles, Fox Terriers, Bull- dogs, — Kirk Ella is a perfect Elysium for that faithful though noisy friend of man, the dog. CATAKACOm. The conflagration of Spencer Wood, on the 12th March, 1860, made it incumbent on the Provincial Government to provide for His Excellency Sir Edmund Head a suitable residence. After ex- amining several places, Cataracoui, the residence of Henry Bur- stall, Esquire, opposite to Kirk Ella was selected, and additions made, and still greater decorations and improvements ordered when it became known that the First Geutleman in England, our Sovereign's eldest son, was soon to pay a flying visit to Her Majesty's Canadian lieges. Catai-acoui can boast of having har- bored two princes of the blood royal, the prince of Wales, and his brother Alfred; a circumstance which no doubt much enhanced its prestige in the eyes of its owner. It was laid out about 1836 by Jas. B. Forsyth, Esq., the tirst proprietor, and reflects credit on his taste. This seat, without possessing the extensive grounds, vast river frontage, and long shady walks of Spencer Wood, or Woodfield, is an eminently picturesque residence. A new grapery with a lean-to roof, about ninety feet in length, has just been com- pleted: the choicest* varieties of the grape vine are here culti- vated. Several tasty additions have, also, recently been made to the conservatory, under the supei-intondence of a Scotch landscape gai'di^ner, Mr. P, Lowe, formei-ly in charge of the Spencer Wood conservatories, ttc. We had the pleasure on one occasion to view, •Tlie vinery contains tlic following; new vurietiefi, cto : — Black Alicante Foster's Seedling, Wliite, Mrscat Itamburt;, Lady Downs, Golden Hanil)urj,', also the oiumon Blaciv Hamburg, .Joslyn St. Albans. Muiscat of Alexandria, Sweet Water, BlacI? St. Peter's, &c'. &c. Tiie conservatory is stocked witli seventy Camellia Japonica of the newest varieties, twenty varieties of choice Azelias ; Choroisemas, Heaths, Epacris. Dillwynia, Eriostemon, Acacias, Geraniums, Puchiaa, with a large collection of creeping plants, &c. ROSEWOOD. 381 on a piercing winter day, from the drawing room of Cataracoui, through the ghiss door which opens on the conservatory, the rare collections of exotics it contains, — a perfect grove of verdure and blossoms, — the whole lit up by tho mellow light of the setting sun, whose rays scintillated in every fantastic form amongst this gorgeous tropical vegetation, whilst the snow-wreathed evergreens, surrounding the conservatory waved their palms to tho orb of day in our clear, bracing Canadian atmosi)here — summer and winter combined in one landscape; tho tj-opics and their luxuri- ant magnolias, divided by an inch of glass from the realms enfold king frost and his hardy familiars, the pine and tiie ma|)lf. Charming was the contrast, furnishing a fresh proof of the com- fort and luxury with which the Kuropeaii merchant, once settled in Canada, surrounds his home. What, indeed, can bo more grat- ifying, during the arctic, though healthy, temperature of our winter, than to step from a cosy drawing-room, with its cheer- ful grate-tire, into a green, floral bowei-, and inhale the aroma of the orange and the rose, whilst tho eye is charmed by the blossoming camellia of virgin whiteness ; the wisteria, spirea, azalea, rhododendron, and odorous daphne, all blending their perfume or exquisite tints. Cataracoui has been recently decor- ated, we may say, with regal magnificence, and Sillery is justly proud of this fairy abode, for yoai-s the country seat of the late Charles E. Levey, Psq., and still occupied by Mis. Levey and familv. iiosf:wooD. '• Along their bluRliinj? bordurs, l)rif;ht with dew, And in yon niinj^le'd wihiciiR'ss ot flowers, Faii-lmn(h'd fS|»rin{;; unbosonis every grace ; TiirowH out the snow-drop and tlie crocus tirst ; The diiisy, primiose, vi lavish stock that scents the tifU'ilen roinid ; Fruui the solt winy of vernal hreezeo shed, Anemones; anricnlas, ciirich'd With shining meal o'er all tli(;ir velvet leaves; And full ranunculas, of glowint; red Then cumes the tulip race, where beauty plays Her idle freaks ; from family diffiis'd To family, us flies the father dust, The varied colors nm ; and while they break On the charm'd eye th'exniting florist marks, With Hweet pride, the wonders of his hand. Hi I f 382 THE hJNvmom of Quebec. No ffrftdual bloom is wanting ; from the bud, First-born of sprinp, to Rummer's musky tribes Nor hyacinths, of purest virgin white, Low bent, and blushing inward; nor jonquils Of potent fragrance ; nor narcissus fair. As o'er the fabled fountain hanging still ; Nor broad carnations, nor gay spotted pink ; Nor, shower'd from every bush, the damask rose." A tiny and unostentatious cottage buried among the trees. All around it, first, flowers ; secondly, flowers ; thirdly, flowers. The garden, o. network of walks, and spruce hedges of rare beauty ; occasionally you stumble unexpectedly on a rustic bower, tenan- ted by an Apollo or Greek slave in marble, or else you find yourself on turning an angle on the shady bank of a sequestered pond, in which lively trout disport themselves as merrily* as those gold- fish you just noticed in the aquarium in the hall hung round with Krieghoff^s exquisite "Canadian scenery." You can also, as you pass along, catch the loud notes issuing from the house aviary and blending with the soft, wild melody of the wood warblers and robin ; but the prominent feature of the place are flowers, swoot flowers, to charm the eye and perfume the air. Do not wonder at that; this was the summer abode of a gentleman whose name usually stood high on the Montreal and Quebec exhibition prize list, and who was as succesful in his commercial ventures as he had been in the culture of carnations, zenias', gladiolus, roses and dahlias. Wo remember seeing six hundred dahlias in bloom at Kosewood at the same time ; the coup d'ceil and contrasts be- tween the varieties were striking in the extreme. This rustic cottage was the summer residence of the late J as. Gibb, Esq., of the old firm of Lane, Gibb & Co., a name remem- bered with gratitude, in several educational and charitable insti- tutions of Quebec for the munificent bequests of its owner. RAVENSWOOD. • Near some fair town I'd have a private seat. Built uniform, nor little, nor too great ; Better if on a rising ground it stood, — On this side fields, on that a neighboring wood ; A little garden, grateful to the eye. Where a cool rivulet runs murmuring by." In the year 1848, Mr. Samuel Wright, of Quebec, purchased from John Porter, Esq., that upper portion of Meadowbank (the RAVEySWOOD. 383 old estate of Lieutenant Governor Ciamahe in 1762), which lies to the north of the Cap Rouge or St. Lewis road, and built a dwelling thereon. In 1846 Mr. Wright's pi-operty was put in the market, and Ravenswood acquired by the present owner, Wil- liam Herring, Esq., of the late firm of Charles E. Levey & Co. No sylvan spot could have been procured, had all the woods around Quebec been ransacked, of wilder beauty. In the centre, a pretty cottage ; to the east, trees: to the west, trees ; to the north and south, trees — stately trees all around you. Within a few rods from the hall door a limpid little brook oozes from under an old plantation, and forms, under a thorn tree of extraordinary size and most fantastically shaped limbs, a reservoir of clear water, round which, from a rustic seat, you notice speckled trout roam- ing fearlessly. Here was, for a man familiar with the park-like scenery of England, a store of materials to work into shape. That dense forest must bo thinned ; that indispensable adjunct of every Sillery home a velvety lawn, must be had ; a peep through the trees, on the surrounditig country, obtained ; the stream dammed up so as to produce a sheet of water, on which a birch canoe will be launched ; more air let in round the house ; more of the forest cut away ; and some fine beech, birch, maple, and pine trees grouped. The lawn would look better with a graceful and leafy elm in the centime, and a few smaller ones added to the perspective. By dint of care, elms of a goodly size were removed from the mountain brow. The cfibrts of the proprietor to plant large trees at Ravenswood have been eminently successful, and ought to stimulate others to add such valuable, such permanent elements of beauty, to their country seats. One plantation, by its luxuriance, pleased us more than any other, that which shades both sides of the avenue. Few of our places can boast of possess- ing a more beautifully- wooded and gracefully-curved approach to the house than Ravenswood. You see nothing of the dwelling until you emerge from this neat plantation of evergreens. We once viewed it under its most fiascinating aspect; 'tis pretty in the bright, effulgent radiance of day, but when the queen of nightsends forth her soft rays, and allows them to slumber silently on the rust- ling boughs of the green pines and firs, with the dark, gravelled avenue, visible here and there at every curve, no sounds heard ex. cept the distant murmur of the Chaudiire river, the effect is striking. i P ! ! i ' - i '!M 11^' 384 K i^i "!'l In i 1 : i £ ' '■ Li ' ' riri? ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. THE WOODS OF SILLERY. I know each lane, and ^very valley green, Dingle, or bushy dell, of this wild wood ; And every bosky bourn from side to side, My daily walks and ancient neighborhood. — Comus, Shakespeare. " You, doubtless, imagine you have now seen Sillery under every aspect; there never was a greater mistake, dear reader. Have you ever viewed its wood" in all their autumnal glory, when September arrays them in tints of unsurpassed loveliness? We hear yon say, no. Let us then, our pensive philosopher, our romantic, blushing rose-bud of sweet sixteen, our 6toe-travel- ler, let us have a canter over Cap Rougo road, out by St. Louis gate, and re- turning by the St. Foy road, nine miles and more; let us select a quiet after- noon, not far distant from the Indian summer, when The gentle wind, a sweet and passionate wooer, Kisses the blushing leaf, and stirs up life Within the solemn woods of ash, deep crimsoned, And Silver beech, and maple yellow-leaved," and then you can tell us whether the glowing description below is overdrawn : "There is something indescribably beautiful in the appearance ot Canadian woods at this season of the year, especially when the light of the rising or setting sun falls upon them Almost every imaginable shade of green, brown, red and yellow, may be found in the foliage of our forest trees, shrubs, and creeping vini'S, as the autumn advances ; and it may trtily be said that every backwood's home in Canada is surrounded by more gorgeous colourings and richer beauties than the finest mansions of the nobilitv of England. " Have our readers ever remarked the peculiarly beautiful appearance of the pines at this season of the year ? When other trees manifest symptoms of withering, they appear to put forth a richer and fresher foliage. The inte- rior of the tree, when shaded from the sun, is a deep invisible-green, approach- ing to black, whilst the outer boughs, basking in the sunlight, show the rich- est dark-green that can be imagined. A few pine and spruce trees scattered among the more brightly-colored oaks, maple, elms and beeches, which are the chief denizens of our forests, give the whol(! an exceedingly rich appearunce. Among the latter, ev(?ry here and there, strange sports of nature attract atten- tion. A tree that is still green will have a simple branch, covered with red and orange leaves, like a gigantic bouquet of flowers. Another will have one side of a rich maroon, whilst the other gide remains green. A third will pre- sent a flounce or ruttle of bright butf, or orange leaves round the middle, whilst the branches above and below continue green. Then again some trees which have turned to a rich brown, will be seen intertwined and festooned by the wild vine or red root, still beautifully green ; or a tree that is still green will he mantled over by the Canadian ivy, whose leaves have turned to a deep reddish-brown. In fa';t, every hue that painters love, or almost could imagine, is found standing out boldly or hid away in some recess, in one part or another of a forest scene at this season, and all so delicately mingled and blended that human ait must despair of making even a tolerable imitation. And these are beauties which not even the sun can portray ; the photographer's art has not ynt enabled him to seize and fix them on the miiror which be holds up to nature. Uu can give the limbs and LONG WOOD. 885 outward flourishcH, but not the soul of such a Mcent\ HiH roj)rt'seufciti()ii bears tho same relation to the reality Miat a l)eautiful corpse does to the Hash- ing eye and glowing cheek of living beauty." — (From " Maple Leave",'' 1865.) LONG WOOD. TUB CorNTIlV SKAT UV THK IIOV. WM. SMITH y * (17H9— 1H47.) Here there was laut;hing of old, th«!re was weeping, Haply of lovers none evt^r will know, Whose eyes went seaward a hundred sleeping Years agt». The ghost of a ganlen fronts the s«'a, A girdle of brushwood and thorn encloses The square slope of the blossond;s; those and several other circumstances surround the memory, haunts and times of tho Laird of Lon;ladden his aijod eyes. Ho then bid juliou forever to the cherished old spot and retired to his town house, now the residence of Hon. Chas. Alleyn, Shoritt' of (Quebec,* where those he lovotl received his last farewell on the 7th December, 1847, be([ueathing Loni^wood to his son Charles Webber Smith, who livetl sotno j'oars there as a bachelor, then docked out his rustic homo for an hjiiglish brido and retired to Englaiul where he died in 187I>. Desolation and silence has reigned in tho halls of Longwood for many a long day, and in the not inappropriate words of Swinburne, Not a tiower to 1)0 prest of tho toot tluit falls not. As the heart of a d(iad man tho sued plots are dry ; From the thickets of tliorns wlicnco tho nightiupilo calls not, Could she call, there wore never a rose to reply. Chief Justice Smithf, (concerning house-keeping, house-furniish- *A plan drawn hy Jeroniiah SlcCartiiy, I*. 1j. S., dated 180'2, shows what was tho iSmith estate on St. Lonis Street, in tho early part of tho ceutnry, f rnifit JirsTicK wfLLiAM sMini. (17'28-1793.) Chief Justice William Smith was tho eldest son of of William Smith, who was a member of His Majesty's Conncil, and afterwards .liidg(! of tho Kiii;;'s I'onch for tho State of New York. He was born at New York, 18th Juno, 1728. In his yonth, he was sent to a grammar school, and afterwards to Yale College, Connecticut, where he greatly distinguished himself by his learning. He was an excellent Greek and Hebrew scholar, and a thorough mathemati- cian. He was appointed Chief Justice of New York, 24th April, 1780. At the I ' 1 I' ti ; 388 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. \\\\r, chateau ceremonies, etc., at Quebec in 1786, wrote thu« in a letter to hin wife : QtJKBKC, loth Dec, 1786. Mrs. Janet Smith, New York. My dear Janet, " Not a line iVom you yet! so that our approach to within 600 miles is less favourable to me hitherto, than when the ocean dividetl us by three thousand. It is the more ve.\iitious, as we arc daily visited by yoiu- Eastern neighbors, who, caring tiothiner for you, know nothing of you, and cannot toll nie whether McJoen's or the Sopy Packet is arrived. If the latter is not over, there will be cause for ill boding respecting Mr, Lauaudiere, who, I imagine, left the channel with the wind that brought us out. If the packet is on the way for Falmouth, got my letters into it for Mr. lUphbrigh, itcontjunsabill forX'300 sterling, to enable him to pay for what you order. You have no time to spare. A January mail often meets with east- erly winds off the English coast, that blows for months, and we shall be morti- fied if you arrive before the necessary supplies, which, to be in time, must come in the ships that leave England in March or on the beginning of April. I have found no hoiiso yet in my fancy. N om; large enoiigh to be hired. We shall want a drawing-room, a dining or eating-room, my library, our bed- room one for the girls, another for llalc and William and another for your house-keeper and hair-dresser. Moore and another man servant will occupy the eight. And I doubt if there is such a house to be hired in Quebec. To say nothing oi quarters for the lower servants who, I think, must be negroes from New York as cheapest and least likely to find difficulties. My Thomas's wages are 24 guineas and with your three from England will put us to XIOO sterling per annum. If you bring blacks from New York with you, let them be such as you can depend \x\io\i. Our table will always want four attendants of decent appear- ance. The hurry of the public arrangements prevents me fiom writing, as I intended, to my friends ua the other side of the water, nor even to Janet, upon the great wi»h of my heart, tell her so, but she will know what can be done in time for she cannot leave England till April or May, at any time before Au- gust to be h<;re in good season. 1 have written io Vernu>nt upon the subject of Moore Town and hear nothing to displease me, as yet, if no mischief has been done to our interests in that country, there will bo peace, I believe ; but of this more when 1 have their Governor's answer to my letters. They already ask favours and must first do justice. breaking out of the rebellion in 1775, he was a stiiunch Loyalist, and left New York in the same vessel with the King's hoops and !Sir Guy Carleton, and landed at Plymouth, 16th January, 1784. As a reward for his loyalty, he was made Chief Justice of Lower Canada, 1st September, 1785, and came to Canada in the Frigate <' Thistle " of 28 guns, with Lord Dorchester, the Governor-General of Canada, landing at Quebec, 23rd October, 1786. Chief Justice Smith was the author of the " History of the Province of New York, from the first settlement to the year 1732." He married, 3d November, 1752, Janet daughter of James Livingstone, Esq., of New York, and died at Quebec, 6th December, 1793. His lloyal Highness, Prince Edward, fourth son of King George III, with a num ;rous train of friends, followed the remains to the grave from his late dwelling on St. Louis street. He owned the land on which his son-in-law, Chief Justice Sewell, subsequently built his mansion, down, he the lot (inclusive) on which stood his dwelling, and where his son the Hon. William Smih, died in 1847. It is now the property of sheriff Chs. Alleyn. LONG WOOD. 889 Onr winter is commoncod and yet I was never less sensible of tlie frost. The stoves of Canada, in the passages, temper the air througii all the house. I sit oniinarly by a lomnjoii hearth whieh gives nie the therniomett-r at 71 or 72, nearly summer heat. The close eariole and fur cap and cloak is a lu.xiiry only used on journeys. Tlie cariole nUnw suliices in town. The J{ont of last Thin-sday dt-nionstrates this : 50 ladies in bright head dresses and not a lap- pet or frill discomposed. All English in the maimer, except tlit; ceremony of kissing which my liord U. (Uorchester) engrossed all to himself, llis aide- de-camp handed them through a room where \\v ami I were jtosted to receive them. Tiiey had given two cheek kisses and were led away to tlui back rooms of the chateau, to which we repaired when tin; rush was over. The gentlemen came in at another door. Tea, cards, etc., that till 10 o'clock and the ceremo- ny endet copse of evergreens and sugar inaple. It crowns a gi-aceful slope of undulating meadows and cornfields. Tho dwelling a plain, straggling white cottage, lies jDfir«!M among the green firs and solemn pines. Over the verd- ant groves, glimpses of the white cottages of Levi and New Liverpool occasionally catch the eye. This rustic landscape, pleasant at all times, becomes strikingly picturesque, at the " fall of the leaf" — when the rainbow-tinted foliage is, lit up by a mel- low, autumnal sun. Under this favoured aspect it was our hap- piness to view it in September, 1880. "Bright yellow, red and orange The leaves came down in hosts ; ' The trees are Jndian princes — But soon they'll turn to ghosts." In 17C2, this broad, wild domain was owned by Lt.-Gov. Hector Thcophilus Cramah^ of Quebec, and according to an entry in the Diary of Judge Henry, he apparently was still the proprietor in 1775, at the time of the blockade of (Quebec. In 1785, the land passed by purchase to one of Fraser's Highlanders, Capt. Cameron. It was from 1841 to 1875, the cherished abode of a cultured English gentleman, the late John Porter, the able secretary and treasurer of the Quebec Turnpike Trust. It did one good to see the courteous old bachelor, cosily seated in his ample, well select- ed library, surrounded by a few congenial friends, the toils of the i£«iod doHtniction in the diHaater of the wiidoriU'RH." At this time th«! Hnow lay three tetit deep over the whole ('onntry. One tine morning n tellow aiidresHed SlmpHon who wax tlie only offleer in (|iiarterrt and Hiiid "tliatal)ont two mileK np the St. Lawn^nee hiy a country Heatof (Sovernor (Iromic^'H (Cramalie?) Htorlied with many tliiiiKH they wanted and lie wonid ln! onr f;nide. CarioleH were imtnt^diately procured. The lioUKe, a neat l)o.\, was romantically sitnated ou the Ht(!ep l)anl; of the rivot displayed the eh^^ant tante and ahnndant wealth of the ownttr. The house was closi'd ; knocking, the hall tloor was opt^ned to us liy an Irishwoman who, of the lair sex, was the larj^est and most hrawny that ever eanii^ under my notice. She was tluisttiwardeHsof tlm house. Our (piestions were; answer- ed with an appantnt attaliility and frankness. Shr it tiMHiHiiiitltli part xo useful, did not (>Hcapc tlic all-KraKpiii^ iiiuids of lite Holdicry. In ii back aparlnicnt tlicn- HtiKxl a iiialioKany couch orHcttcc in a highly linislicd Ktylc. The woodwork «>f the conch waH raiHcd on all nidcH by cnxhionin^;, and coHtly covered liy a rioli ti^urttd nilk. 'J'his to ur wax Inniher, lienideH onr carioieH were full. Ilowovor, we ^rablied the mnttriiHK and palletK ail e(pially elegant ax tlie conch. Having, iiH wo tlionght, divested his KxcelhMicy of all the articles of prime necessity, we departed, ostcnsiidy and even andihiy iiccoinpanied hy (lie pious hiessings of the st<-wardeHs for our moderation. No douiit slur had her menial reservations; on snch hnsiness as this we regarded neither. Near the chapel wt! met a party of Morgan's men (onnng to do that whieii we had already done. 'rh(! otlicer appeare«l chagrined when he saw the extent of our plunder. Ho went on, and tinally ransacked the house, and yet a little more the MtithleH. 'J'h(t joy ot onr men, among whom the plunder was distriliuted in nearly erpial poitions waKi;xtravagant. Now an opitralion of the human minti, which c)ft«!n t.akt!H place in society, and is every day discirruihle )iy persons of (d)servation, hecauio clearly obvious. Ijct a man once with impunity desert the strict ride of rules, all suhsecjiient aggression ir not only increased in atrocity, hut is done with(Mit a <]ualm of conscienctr. 'I'liongh our company waH composed principally of freehoidisrs, or thtt sons of rucIi, hred at home under the strictures of religion and morality, yet when the reiuH of diM-ortnn were loostul and the lionorabh; feeling weakimed, it htuame impossible to ati- minister lestraint. 'I'he perHon of a Tory or his property bi^came fair game?, and this at the (hmoiniciation of mrmv base domestic villain. On the morning following December 13, the same audacious scoundrel again returned." and another marauding expedition stirtod under his guidance" to a farm " Raid to belong to (jov. (Jro)nie (Cramahe?) or some other inhabitant of Quebec. It was further than the former scene.'' The finni-honse, though low, l)eing but one Ktory, was capacious and tolerably neat. The barn built of logs, with a thrashing floor in the ci-ntn^, was from 7(> to 8i) feet in length. 'J'he tttnant, his wife and children shuddered u])on our approach. Assurances that they shoidd be unharmed relievc-d their fears. The tenant jiointed out to us the horned cattle, pigs and poultry of his landlord. TiicHe were shot ('own without mercy or drove before us to our quarters. Thus we obtaintid a toler- able load for our caravan, which consisted of five or six carioles. " With this diHreputable (ixploit marauding ceast^d. A nsturning senfie of decency and onler emanating from ourselves pr truly says, " /'our attraper la belt; faut etre plus Jin (ju^elle." ' A short sketch f of b Canadian Fox-liunt may not, therefore, prove uninter- esting. At the outset, let the reader hear in mind that Sir Reynard Canaden- sis is rather a rakish, dissipated gentleman, constantly turning night into day, in the habit of perambulating through the forests, the fields, and homesteads, at most improper hours, to ascertain whether, pcrcliance, some old dame i'art- lett, some hoary gobbler, some thoughtless motluir-goose, allured to wander over the farm-yard by the Jocund rays of a returning Marcli sun, may not Imve been outside of the barn, when tiic negligent stabhi-boy closed up for the night ; or else, whether some gay fiotharioofa hare in yonder thicket may not, by the silent and discreet rays of the moon, be whisptning some soft nonsense in the willing ear of some guileless doe, escaped from a i>arcnt's vigilant eye. For on such has the midnight marauder set his heart: afti;r such does noiselesHly prowl, favoured by darkness — the dissipated rascal — quereiis quern devoret — determined to make up, on the morrow, by a long meridian sit'sta on * AN KAKL UN FOX-HUNTING. The Earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham addressed the following letter to the Pull Mall Oazetl>; in May 1870 -.—Sir, — The fox is tolerated, nay preser- ved (under the penalty of conventional ostracism against his slayers.) because he is the only animal with whose intellect man may measure himself upon equal terms without i. overwlu^lming sense of the odds in his favour. The lion, the elephant, the .hex, the chamois, and (he red deer arc beasts of chase falling before man, but the fox ii\oiu'. can cope with him in point of intellect and sagacity, and put him to all his shifts. It is this ingredient in fox-hunting — viz : the consciousness of having to do with a foe worthy of him, which brings men of all ages, sorts, kind.s, intellects, characttn-s, and professions to the covert side, muting together occasionnaly as o his descendants of the third and fourth generation, to say — he was there I Villiers, (!holmondeley, and Fort^ster miule such sharp play, Not omitting Germaine, never seen till to-tlay : Had you Jug'd of these four by the; trim of their pace At Bib'ry you'd thought they had been riding a race. JiilU'sdon Coplow, " Their fame; lives still. I'ut what, () ye sentimenttilists ! wouhl ye prepare both for fox and fox-hunter? If the fox was not regarded as the only animal possessed of thest! talents and ca]>abilitie.>-', he must shortly rank as a sneaking little robber of hen-roosts, the foe of the good wife and gamekeeper, and become as extinct as a dodo. Were the fox himself considted, I am sure that he would prefer to this ignoble fate the present pleasant life which he is in the habit of leading upon the sole condition of putting forth all his talent and dying game when wanted." f lam indebted for a deal of information contained in this communica- tion to McPherson LeMoyne, Esq , Seigneur of Crane Island, F.Q.,and lately President of the Montreal Club for the protection of fish and game. F^ !i f i! ^ n i ; ,! I- 'i ill Ir 396 r/Z^ ENVfRONf^ OF QUERKC. the highest pinacle of a snow-drift, for the loss of liia niglit's rest. Should for- tune refuse the sly prowler the coveted hen, turkey, goose, or hare, warmly clail in his fur coat and leggings, with tail horizontal, lie sallies forth over the snow-wreathed fields, on tlie skirts of woods, iti search of ground mice, his ordi- nary i)roveuder. But, you will say, how can he discover them under the snow ? Hy that wonderful instinct with which nature has endowed the brute creation to provide for their sustenance, each according to its nature, to its wants. IJy his marvellously acute ear, the fox deteits the ground mouse under the snow, though he should utter a noise scarcely audiliht to a human ear Mr. Kox S(!t8 instantly to work, digs down the earth, and in a trice gohhles up mits, his wife, and young family. Should nothing occur t > tlistiirl) his arrangements, he devotes each day in winter, from ten or half-past ten in the forenoon, to repost! ; selecting tiie loftiest snow-bank he can find, or else a large rock, or perchance any other (jmintuice from which — '■ Monarch of all he surveys^' — he can command a good view of the neighborhod, and readily scent approaching tianger. Nor does he drop ofl' immediately in a sound sleep, like a turtle-fed alderman; but rather, like a suspicious, blood-thirsty land pirate;, as he is, ho first snatches hastily "forty winks," then starts up nervously, for several times, scanning all aroimd with his cruel, cunning eye — snutting the air. Should he be satisfied that no cause of alarm exi»ts, he scrapes himself a bed, if in the snow and, warmly wrapped in his soft fur cloak, he coils him- self up, cat-fashion, in the sun, with his brushy tail brought over his head, but careful to keep his nose to thst probable that the French, who had recently passed a winter of haniship in Canada, would not permit their Caplain to attach himself to (he fortunes and particular views of lioberval. Perhaps, the I'ontl regret of home |)revailcd over the love of adventure; and like men whth, some others came back, bi-inging with them some six score weight of Indian corn; and directions for the rest to wait for the return of the Viceroy, until the 22nd July. An incident happened in this ex- pedition, which seems to have escaped the notice of the author of the treaties on the canon de bronze (Amable Barthelot), which we have noticed in a former chapter. It certaiidy gives an authentic account of u ship wreck having been sutlered in the St. Lawrence, to which, perhaps, the finding of the cannon, and the tradition about Jac([ues Cartiei', may with some ])0ssibility be referred* The following is the extract in question : ' Eight men aud one bark drowned and lost, among whom were Monsieur de Noire Fon- taine, and one named La Vasseur of Constance.' The error as to the name might easily arise, Jacques Cartier having been there so short a time before, and his celebrity in the country being so much greater than that of Roberval, or ofany of his companions." Cap Eouge Cottage is now owned by James Bowen, Esq. \m wetr l\ I il I 1 ; 5 i 1 I Jf' 404 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. REA USEJO UR. Flooded in siinuy silcnco nlecp Iho kino ; In languid murmurs brooklets float and flow ; ' The quaint farm-^alihis in rich light shine And round them jasmined honeysuckles twine, And close beside Iheni sun-flowers burn and blow. About ono mile beyond the St. Foyo Churcli, there is a fer- tile farm of one hundred acres, lying chiefly on the north side of the road. The dwelling, a roomy, one story cottage, stands about two acres from the highway, from which a copse of trees interrupts the view. There are at present in this spot, several embellishments — such as trotit ponds — which bid fair to render it worth}^ of the notice of men of taste. It was merely necessary to assist nature in order to obtain here most gratifying results. Between the road fence and the dwelling, a small brook has worn its bed, at the bottom of a deep ravine, sweeping past the house lawn west- ward, and then changing its course to due north-west : the boun- dary in that direction between that and the adjoining propei-ty. The banks of the ravine are enclosed in a belt of every imaginable forest shrub,— wild cherry, mountain ash, raspben-y, blueberiy, in- terspersed here and there with superb specimens of oak, spruce, fir and pine. A second .avenue has been laid out amengst the trees between the road fence and the brook, to connect with the lawn at the west of the house, by a neat little bridge, resting on two square piers about twenty-five feet high : on either side of the bridge a solid dam being constructed of the boulders and stones removed from the lower portion of the propei-ty, intended to form two trout ponds of a couple of acres in length each ; a passage in the dam is left for the water-fall, which is in full view of the bridge. On the edge of the bank, overhanging the ravine, nature seems to have pointed out the spot for a pavilion, from which the disciples of Isaac Walton can throw a cast below. The green fringe of the mountain shrubs in bud, blossom or fruit, encircling the farm, materially enhances the beauty of this sylvan landscape, — the eye resting with particular pleasure on the vast expanse of meadowof vivid green, clothed in most luxuriant grass, some 10,000 bundles of hay for the mower, in due time. About two iii *•■-• BELMONT. 405 acres from the house, to the west, is placed a rustic seat, under two weather-beaten, though still verdant oaks, which stretch their boughs across the river : closer again to the cottage, the eye meets two pavilions. The now avenue, rustic bridges, ponds and pavilions, ace duo to the good taste of the present owner, Louis Jiilodoiiu, Esq. This rural home was for several years occu- pied in summer by Stephen Sewell, Esq., and does not belie its name — Beausdjour. BELMONT. Owners — Intcndant Talon, 1670; General James Murray, 1765; Sir John Caldwell, 1810 ; J. W. Dunscomb, Esquire, 1854-81. That genial old joker, Sir Jonas Harrington, in his Sketches, has invested the Irish homes and Irish gentry with featui-es certainly very original — at times so singular as to be difficult of acceptance. True, he lived in an age and amongst a people proverbial for gene- rous hospitality, for conviviality carried to its extreme limit. Gargantuan banquets he describes, pending which the bowls of punch and claret imbibed appear to us something fabulous. Irish squires, roystering Irish bari-isters, toddling home in pairs after having stowed away under their belts as many as twelve bottles of claret a piece, dui'ing a pi-olonged sitting, /. e., from p.m. to G A.M. Such intrepid diners-out were known as "Twelve bottle men ; " and, vorilj-, if the old Judge is to be credited, they might have been advantageously pitted oven against such a Homeric guz/Jer :ts history depicts Aurora Konigsmark's sturdy son, Mare- chal de Saxe, who, in his youth, 'tis said, tossed off, at one draught and without experiencing any ill-etfects, one whole gallon of wine. The first time our eye scanned the silent and deserted banquet- ting halls of Belmont, with their loft}^ ceilings, and recalling the traditional accounts of the hospitable gentlemen, whose joviality had once lit up the scene, visions of social Ireland of Barrington's day floated uppermost in our mind. We could fancy we saw the gay roysterers of times by-gone — first a fete champetre of lively French officers from Quebec, making merry over their Bordeaux or Burgundy, and celebrating the news of their recent victories at Fontenoj', * Lauflfeld or Carillon, to the jocund sound of Vive * The sanguinary battle of Fontenoy was fought on the 11th May, 1745. The Duke ol Cumberland, subsequently surnamed " the butcher," for his bru- V t 1 ; m »^ U M' 406 TrriS ENVlROm OF QURTiEC. la France ! Vire le. Marechai res, Tiymbui-nei's, Smiths, Kinlays, ('aldwells, Percevals, Jonathan Sewells? Alas ! like the glories of Belmont, departed, or livinuj in the realms of memo- ry only ! tiility at (hilloden, commanding tlid Knglish, &c. ; tlie French led by Manx-hiil deSiixe. This defeat,, which took |>lacc nndt r the eyeof IiOiiisXV.,cost tlie Brit- ish 4041, their allies the Hanoverians, 1702, and tin; Diitcli 1511 nuii. Success continuey the Jesuit Fathers to M. Godfroy. It passed over, in 1070, to the celebrated Intendant Talon, by deed of sale executed on the 28tli of September, 1070, before Romain Bccquet, Notaire Royal. Mcssire Jean Talon is described in that instrument as " Cotiseillei- du i-oi en sos conseils d'etat ct premier Intendant de justice, police ct finaiice de la Noii- velle Franco, Isle de Teri-eneuve, Acadic et pays de I'Americpie Septentrionale." Shortly after the coriciuest it was occupied by Chief Justice Win. (rregory. Ifi 1705 it was sold for £500 by X)avid Alves of Montreal, toOeneral James Mui-ray, who, after the first battle of the Plains, had remained (lovcrnor of Quebec, whilst his immediate suj)ei-ior, Brigadier Geo. Townshend, had hui-ried to Rngland to cull the laurels of victoi-y. In 1775, we find that one of the first operations of the American (icneral Montgomery was to take possession of " (Jenoral Murr;iy,s house, on the St. Foy road." (General Murray al.so, probably, ilien owned the pro- perty subsequently known as Holland's farn) where Montgomery had his headquarters. All thi-ough our histur^y the incidents, ac- tors and results of battles are tolerably well indicated, but the me suhsequenllj' owned by J. Thomson, Esq., and now by Hy. Atkins«)n, Es(]. The colonel was re-elected by the same constituency in 1805, and again inl809; lived in splen- dor at Belmont, as a polished gentleman of that age knew Low to live, and died there in 1810. Belmont is situated on the Si. Poye road, on its noi'th side, at the end of a long avenue of trees, distant three miles from Qnebec. The original man- sion, which was burnt down in j'7J^^^8, was rebuilt b}^ the Colonel in 1800 on plans furnished by an Engineer Officer of the name of Braba/on. Tt stood in the garden between the present house and main or St. Foye road. The cellar foi-ms the spacious root- house, at pi-esent in the garden. Col. CaldweM's exquisite entertainments soon di-ew ai-ound his table some of the best men of (Quebec, of the time, such as the gidlant (ien. Brock, John Colt- man, William Coitman, th" Hales, Foy, llaldimand, Di-. Beeby of Powell Place, J. Lestt:, John Blackwood. In 1810 Mi-. John Caldwell, son of the Colonel, accepted the succession with its liabilities, not then known. Wti however made the Lau/.on manor his residence in summer, and was also apj)ointed Receiver General. Tn 1817 Belmont was sold to the Hon. J. Iivine, M.P.P. , the grandfather of the ]uesent member for JMegantic, Hon. George J. Irvine. Hon. Mr. Irvine resided there ur.til 1831}. The beautiful row of trees which line the house avenue and othci- em- bellishments, are due to his good taste. In 1838 the property re- verted to the late Sir Henry Caldwell, the son of Sir John Caldwell, • The Bureau was at the foot of Mountain Hill, next to (the Old Neptune) Chronicle Ottice. ■p BELMONT. 409 who in 1827, hud inherited the title hy the d ath of an Irish rel- ative, Sir James Caldwell, the third Baronet (who was made a Count of Milan by the Empress Maria Theresa, descended by his mothers' side from the 20th Lord Kerry). John Caldwell of Lauzon, having become Sir John Caldwell, menait wajrahi train, as the old peasants of Jiltchemin i-epeat to this day. His house, stud and amusements were those of a baron of old, and of a hospitable Irish gentleman, spreading money and progress over the length and breadth of the land. At his death, which h:ip])ened at Boston in 1842, the insignificant Etchemin settlement, through his efforts, had materially increased in wealth, size and population. There was, however, at liis demise, an error in his (Tovernment balance sheet of £100,000 on the wrong side ! Belmont lines the St. Foye heights, in a most ]>icturesrjue situa- tion. Tiie view from the east and north-western windows is magnificently grand ; probably one might count more than a dozen church spires glittering in the distance — peeping out of every happy village which dots the base of the blue n.ountains to the north. In 1854 this fine property was purchased by .1. VV. Dunscomb, Esq., Collector of Customs, Quebec, who i-osided thei'e several years, and sold the garden for a cemetery to the Roman Catholic Church authorities of Quebec, reserving 400 acres for himself. IMie old house, H'ithin a few years, was purchased by Mr. Wakeham, th(! late managei- of the Boau- port Asylum. His siiccessl'nl ti'catment of diseases of the mind induced him to oj)en, at this hiialthy and secluded spot, under the name of thc^ " Belmont lietreat," a ]trivatt! Afaimn de Sant6, where wealthy j)atients are treated with that delicate care which they could not expect in a crowded asylum. The same success has attended Mr. Wakeham's entei'])rise at Belmont which crowned it at Beau port. AN IRISH JiliUVATION IN TIIK Vl.VKN TIMEH. Among the uld Htories liiiiided down in Cinndian lioiueH " III the long niglits of winter, Wlien the cold )ioith winds blow," of the merry gatherings and lopioim feastn of otlicr days, one is told of a memorable entertainment at Belmont, given a crowd of frienfls. Some assert it was the Belmont anniversary dinner of the battle o( Water- loo and bring in of course Blucher, Hougomont t BeJle-Alliance and what UJ,J!ipi ir.' n \ ' i ; 1 i ' i 410 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. iii m !^- • 1 i f- II 1 1 ::i; t* ■ " lii ; not. It is, however, more generally helievcd among the aged, judging from the copious libations and kindly toasts drank, that it partook of a more inti- mate character and was merely a Jele de famille, to commemorate the safe return of Hir John Caldwell's only son from Ireland, where he had just comj)letcd his collegiate course at Dublin ; be that as it may, it unquestionably was meant to solemnise an important family or national event. As was wont, in those hospitable times, the " landlord's flowing bowl," alas! had been emptied too often. Some of the " Barons of the round table " were in fact preparing for a timely retreat, before the city gates should be closed,* the genial host soon put a stop to such a treasonaltle practice; exclaiming that the sentry would let tliem pass at any hour, so they netd only follow the Commandant, their fellow guest, who of course had the countersign, closing his well timed remarks, by raising his voice and proclaiming in an authoro- tative tone " no heel taps here," tlie stately banquet liall re-echoed with cheers ; "a bumper, a bumper," resounded on all sides "to the future Sir Harry, who has just completed his Irish education." The future Sir Harry was soon on his legs, and in a voice mellow with old port, youth and lun, responded : " Friends, tcllow corintrymen, brothers, (this last expression was challenged as he was an only son) I am indeed proud of my Dublin education ; we have something, however better before us than a disquisition on the excellence of the various systems of continental courses ; to be brief, I now challenge any here present to meet me on the classics, astronomy, the cubic root or glass to glass ; you have your choice!." "Glass to glass," they one and all replied. Toasts, songs, healths of every member of the Koyal family, were gone through with anuizing zest -.as time advanced towards the small hours ot the morning, the guests, one l)y (uie disappeared fror i the banqueting room ; .some, alas I under the mahogany, more with the genial commander of the garrison, whilst the stalwart Irish student, still undaunted and meeting the foe, glass to glass — a veritable giant, fresher us he went on. Old Sir John, a well seasoned diner-out, at last found himself solitary at his end of the table, whilst his son adorned the other end defiantly. Looking round in dismay and fearing, if he continued the healths, to be unequal to (ope with such an intrepid Dublin student, he the last gave up, flinging himself majestically back in his chair, exclaiming "D n your Irish education ! HOLLAND FARM. Tliis estate, which formerly comprised two hundred acres of ground, extending from the brow of the St, Foje heights to St. Michael's Chapel on the Samos or St. Lewis road, possesses con- siderable interest for the student of Canadian history, both undei* French and JOnglish rule. The original dwelling, a long high- peaked Krench structure, stood on an eminence closer to the St. Foye road than does the ]n"csent house. It was built about the year 1740, hy a rich Lower Town merchant. Monsieur Jean Tach6,f who resided there after his marriage in 1*742 with * For many years, it was the practice to clo.se the gates of Quebec at gun fire (10 p.m.) for carriages, leaving the wicket open only for pedestrians; in the troublous days of 1837-8, the wicket at times was closed. f Mr. Jean Tache, the first owner of the " Old Neptune Inn," and of a poetical turn, wrote the first Canadian poem, intituled Tableau de la Mer. i i HOLLAND FARM. 411 Mademoiselle Marie Anne JoUict de Mingan, grand-daughter to the celebrated discoverer of the MisHissippi, LouIh JoUiet. Monsieur Jean Tache was also Sijndic des Miireluuvh, member of the 8uj)reme Council of (Quebec, and ancestor to Sir. E. P. Tache. lie at one time owned several vessels, but his floating wealth having, during the war of the conquest, l)ecome the pri/.e of English cruisers, the St. Peter street Nabob of 1740, as it has since happened to some of his successors in that romantic neigh- bourhood, — lost his money. Loss of fortune did not, however, im- ])ly loss of honour, as old memoirs of that day describe him, " Homme integre et d'esprit." He had been selected, in the last year of French rule, to go and lay at the foot of the French Throne the grievances of the Canadians. About this time, the St. Foye road was becoming a fashionable resort, Hawhins' Pic- ture of Quebec calls it '-The favorite ilrive oi' the Canadian Belle before the conquest." This is an interesting period in colonial life, but imperfectly known, — nor will a |)assage from Jetl'ery, an old and valued English writer, illustrative of men, manners and amusements in the Colony, when it passed over to th<3 English monarch, be out of place : — "The number of inhabitants being considerably increased, they pass their time very agreeably. The (rovci-nor (Icncral, with his household ; several of the noblesse of exceeding good families; the oHlcers of the army, who in France are all gentlemen ; the Intendant, with a Supreme Council, and the inferior magistrates; the Commissaiy of the Marine ; the (Jraiid Provost; the (Jrand Hunter; the Gi-and Mastei' of the VYoods and Porcsts, who has the mostextensivejurisdiction in the world ; rich merchaiifs, or such as live as if they were so ; the bisho])S and a numerous Seminary ; two colleges of Recollets, :is many of Jesuits; with three Nunneries; amongst all those you are at no loss to find agreeable company and the most entertaining conversation. Add to this the diver- sions of the place, such as the assemblies at the Lady (Joverness's and Lady Intendant's ; jtai-ties at cards, oi- of pleasure, such as in the winter on the ice, in sledges, or in skating; and in the sum- mer in chaises or canoes; also hunting, which it is impossible not to be fond of in a country abounding with plenty of game of all kinds. " It is remarked of the Canadians that their conversation is en- *l pWW' 7 1 412 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. :•! i- r^ 1 i I- i i: [ I li livened by an air of freedom which is natui-al and peculiar to them, and that they speak the French in the greatest purity and without the least ftilse accent. There are few rich people in that Colony, though they all live well, are extremely generous and hospitable, keep very good tables, and love to dress very finely. The Canadians have carried the love of arms and glory, so natural to their mother country, along with them War is not or\\y welcome to them but coveted with extreme ardor."* Dui-ing the fall of 1775, the old mansion sheltered Brigadier Eichard Montgomery,^ the leader of the American forlorn hope, who fell on the 31st December of that year, at Pr^s-de-Ville, Champlain street, fighting against those same British whom it had previously been his pride to lead to victory. About the year 1780, we find this residence tenanted by a worthy British officer, who had been a great favourite with the hero of the Plains of Abra- ham. Major Samuel Holland had fought bravely that day under General Wolfe, and stood, it is said, after the battle, close by the expiring warrior. His dwelling took the name of Holland House : he added to it, a cupola, which served in lieu of a^;ros- pect tower, whei-efrom could be had a most extensive view" of the suri'ounding (',ountr3^| The important appointment of Survej'or General of the Province, which was bestowed on Major Holland, together with his social qualities, abilities and education, soon gathered round him the elite of the English Society in Quebec at that time. Amongst the distinguished guests who frequented Holland House in 1791, wc find Edward, afterwards Duke of Kent. The immerous letters still extant addressed by His Eoyal Highness from Kensington Palace, as late as 1814, to the many wai'm friends he had left on the banks of the St. Lawrence, con- * History of French Dominion in North and South America Jeffery, Loudon, 17C0, page 9. t Montg(Hiiery Place, on the Hudson, is now tlie residence of Mrs. Ed. Liv- ingston, a country seat ot unrivalled beauty. — " It is," says Downing, " one of our oldest improved country /seats, having been originally th*? residence of General Montgomery, the hero of Quebec. On the death of his widow, it passed into the hands of her brother, Edward Livingston, Esq., the late Min- ister in France." — page 31. JMajor Samuel Holland was also a first rate Engineer. He was, says Abbe Bois, one of the legatees of the late Gen. Wolfe, and died at Quebec, 28th Dec , 180L THE HOLLAND TREE. 418 tain pleasant reminiscenes of his sojourn amongnt his royal lath- er's Canadian lieges. Amongst other frequenters of Flolland House, may also be noted a handsome stranger. \vh<» after at- tending — the gayest of the gay — the Quebec- Chateau Italls, liegi- mental mess dinners, Barons' Club, tandem drives, as the male friend of one of the young Hollands was, to the amazement of all, convicted at a mess dinner of being a lady * in disguise. A fracas of course ensued. The lady-like guest soon vamosed to England, where he became the lawful spouse of the Hon. Mr. C' , the brother to Lord F d. One remiumt of the Hollands long en dured ; the old fir tree on that portion of the property |)urchased by James CJreighton, farmer. Holland tree was still sacred (o the memory of the five slumberers, who have reposed for more than a century beneath its hoary branches. Nor has the recollection of the " fatal duel " faded away. Holland liirm, for many ^ears, belonged to Mr. Wilson of the (!ustorns Depailinent, (Quebec; in 1843 it passed by purchase to .Judge (Jeorge Okill Stuart, of (^tiie- bec; Mr. Stuart improved the place, removed the old house and built a handsome new one on a rising grounti in rear, which he occupied for several summers. It again became renowned for gaiety and festivity when subsequently owned by Robert Cassels, Esquire, for many years Manager of the F3ank of British North America at Quebec. Genl. Danl. Lysons had leased it in 18()2, for his residence, when the unexpected vote of the House of Assembly on the Militia Bill broke through his arrangements. Holland House is still the property of Mr. Cassels, r///v UOILAXU iUEE, (UV Tlir, AUTHOK OK " MAI'I.K I,KAVKS.'') " Woodman spare that tree." It has often been notiecd that one of the cliief nlories ol QiiehtK^ consisted in being surioiinded on all sides l)y sniiling coiuitiy seats, whi'h in the sum- mer season, as it were, encircle the brow of the old city like a chaplet of flowers; those who, on a sunny June moriiiut^, have wandered through the shady groves of Spencer Wood, Woodtield, Marchmont, Benmore, Kilmarnock, • My old friend, the late Wm. Price, Esq., of Wolfe's Field, to whost; literary tsste and happy memory, I am indebted for several incidents in these; pages, and whoso written statement I still hold, antjrit the mysterious strang- er could not at the time furnish me with her name, it had escaped his mem- ory, but, as he informed me since he had furnished it to Lady Head, bis ami- able neighbor of Spenser Wood. (Her name was Neville). 'I iwy fi- i'l ; 1 m 414 TBE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. » ■i^ni Kirk Ella, Hamwood, Beauvoir, Clormont, aiul fifty other old places, rendered voorter, Mr. Ihoadstrc^et liecame con- fident Nesbitt was a ^\\\ in disguise. Nesbitt diove t)ut after dinner to Hol- land House and Broadstreet told the joke all round. Nesbitt hearing of it, sent him, next day, a ci\allenge for originating such a re])ort. Mr. Broadstreet, not knowing how to act, applied to one of his superior officers— Capt. Doyle (subseipiently Geul. Doyle, who marrit^d at Qut^bec, a Miss ymith), for advice, saying: " How can 1 light a girl ?" to which ('apt. Doyle rejoined, " 1 will act as your second. Jf Nesbitt is a girl, you shall not fight him, and I t^ngage to provi; this fact.'' \h' then drove out t > Holland House, and found the gay Lothario Nesbitt tlirting with the young ladies. Fie observed him attentively, and having tried an experiment, calculated to (brow light on the mysterious foreigner, he went to complain direct to (he (Jovernoi' and Conunaiider in Chief, Lord Dorchester, who, on hearing the perplexity caused by Mr. Nesbitt, sent for Dr. Longmore, the military physician, and ordered him to investigate of what sex Nesbitt might be. Mr. Nesbitt stormed — refused to submit — vowed he would go direct (o Kng- lanl many a lovely brood. Tall trees, green arboiu's, and ground-flowers in docks And wild rose tiptoe upon hawthorn stocks, — Wordsworth. How many vicissitudes in tlio destinies of phicos, men, fami- lies, nation^! See yonder mansion, its vortlant leaves, with the leafy honours of nascent sprin^-encirclinij; it like agarland, exhal- ing the aroma of countless buds and blossoms, embellished by con- servatory, grapery, avenues of fruit and Horal trees. Does not every object bespeak comlort, rural felicity, cotnmercial success ! When you enter that snug billiard-room, lu.xurioiisly fitted up with fire place, ottomans, &c., or when, on a balmy summer even- ing, you are seated on the ample verandah, next to the kind host, do you not my legal friend, feel inclined to repeat to yourself " Commerce, commerce is the turnpike to wealth, to affluence, the B2 ^ !• 1 M ■| lliil f^^ 418 THE ENVIROm OF QUEBEC. path to consideration." But was the scene always so smiling, and redolent of rustic enjoyment. If so, what means yon stately column,* surmounted by its fat, helmetted Bellona, mysteriously looking round as if pregnant with a mighty unfathomable future. Ask history ? Open Capt. Knox's Journal of the Siege of Quebec, and read therein how, in front of that very spot where you now stand, along that identical road, over which you emerged from the city, war once threw her sorrows; ask this bravo British officer to retrace one of those win- ter scenes he witnessed here more than one hundred years ago : tlio howling blast of the north sighing through the few remaining gnarled pines and oaks spared by Albion's warriors: add to it tired teams of English troops, laboriously drawing, yoked eight by eight, long sledges of firewood for Murray's depressed, harassed garrison, and you have something like John Knox's tableau of St. Foye Koad on the Tth December, 1*759 : — " Our garrison, now undergo incredible fiitigue, not only within but also without the walls, being obliged to load and sleigh home firewood from the forest of St. Foy, which is near four miles dis- tant, and through snow of a surpassing depth; eight men are al- lowed to each sleigh, who are yoked to it in couples by a set of regular harness, besides one man who guides it behind with a long stout pole, to keep it clear of ruts and other obstructions. We are told that M. de L(5vis is making great preparations for the long-meditated assault on this place (Quebec) with which we are menaced. Christmas is said to be the time fixed for this en- terprise, and Monsieur says, ' if he succeed he shall bo promoted to be Marechal de France, and if ho fail, Canada will be lost, for he will give it up.' "* Do not, dear reader, however fear for the old rock ; it is tolei'- ably secure so long as Eraser's Highlanders and British Grena- diers garrison it. We have here endeavored to contrast the smiling present with the dreary past; peace, progress, wealth, as we find it today in this important appendage of the British Crown, ready to expand into an empire, with the dismal appearance of things when it was *The iron statue erected in 1863, to commemorate the Battle of St. Foye, foaght April 28th, 1760. *Vol. ii., p. 224. ii ii. : I V BIJOU. 4I!> scantily scttKvl, and in thosotlarlc days when war stalked through our land. liamwood takos its name from that oC the pati'rnal OHtato of tlio ILiniiltotis, coiiiity of Moath, Ireland, and without protendinic to architeetural oxeclleiu-e, it is one of the loveliest spots on i\w St. Foye road. It bolon<^.s to Robert Hamilton, Hs(|., a loading mercdmnt of (Quebec. nun u. And I have hoiinl the wliisporH of tht; tieeH, And tht) low l(Hi;;htt'r of tin; wiuidtiiiij; wind, Mixod witli tli(! hum of Koldcn-bt-lti'd Ihhk, And far away, dim ctlMH's, iii.dutintd, — That yet had power to thrill my listening lar, Like footHteps of the sprinf^ that ih so near. —{Wood Voices, Katk S. McL.) Shall WO confess that wo over had a fancy for historical contrasts? It is our weakness, perhaps our besettini^ sin; and when, on a balmy June day, at the hour when the kin^ of day is sippinjif the dew-drops fi-om the tlowors, wo ride past this unadorneil but charmin*^ little Canadian home, ne.\t to Westlield, on the St. Foye heif^hts, as it wore sunning itself amidst emerald Holds, fanned by the breath of the fragrant morn, enlivoned by the gam- bols of merry childhood; memory, in spite of us, hrings back the ghastly sights, the sickening Indian hori'ors, witnessed here on the 28th April, 1*760. There can be no doubt on this point; the mute but eloquent witnesses of tho past are dug up every day: shot, shell, bullets, old bayonets, decayed military buttons, all in the greatest profusion. The savages," says Garneau, "who were neai-Iy all in the vixmIs behind during the light, spread over the battle-lield hen the French were ])ursuing the enemy, any bullets. Tho patches of snow and icy [tuddles on the !_■■ nd were so reddened with tho blood shod, that tho frozen md refused to absorb, and tho wounded survivors of the batt. vore immersed in pools of gore and filth, ankle deep." M :! . 1 M » f I i » 1 V. i % '■ '1 i ; < ! ■- ■ 1 1 1 420 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. 1 1 t i i: i U ! i Such was the deadly strife in April, 1760, on the identical spot on which, I'cader, yuu and we now stand on the St. Foye hei<>htfl. Such is now the smiling aspect of things as you see them at Bijou, which crowns the heights ov^er the great Bijou marsh, etc., the dwelling of Andrew Thomson, Esq., (now President of the Union Bank of Quebec.) Some natural springs in the flower garden, in rear of the dwelling, and slopes of the ground, when turned to advantage, in the way of terraces and fountains, bid fair to enhance materially the beauty of this rustic spot. ANECDOTE OF WOLFE'S AliMY i^mi\)-QVEBEC. By a voluntuer (J. T.) " At the Battle of the Plains of Abialiam we had but oue Piper, and b- cause lie was not provided with Anus and the usual other means of defeuce, like the rest of the men, he was made tt) keep aloof for safety : — When our line advan- eed to the charge, General Townshtnd observing that the Piper was missing, and knowing well the value of one on such occasions, lie sent in all direc- tions for him, and he was heard to say aloud, "Where's the Highland Piper? and " Five pounds for a IMper ; " but dev'l a bit did the Piper come forward the sooner. However, the charge, by good chance, was pretty well efl'ected without him, as all those that escaped could testify. For this business the Piper was disgraced by the whole of the Regiment, and the men would not speak to him, neither would they sutler his rations to be drawn with theirs, but had them serv'd out by the Commissary separately, and he was obliged to shift for himselt as well as he could. The next spring, in the month ot April, wlien the Garrison of Quebec was so madly march'd out, to meet the J'rench, who had come down ngain to attack us, and while we were on the retreat back to the Town, the Highland- ers, who were a raw undiscipliu'd set, were got into great disorder, and had become more like a mob than regular soldiers. On the way I fell in with a captain Moses Hazeii, • a Jew, who commanded a company of Rangers, and who was so badly wounded, that Lis servant, who had to carry him away, was obliged to rest him on the grounds at every twenty or thirty yards, owing to the great pain he endured. This intrepid fellow, observing that there was a solid column of thi; French coming on over that hieh ground where Commis- sary General Craigie f built his house, and headed by an Ofiicc'r who was at some distance in advance of the column, he ask'd his servant if his fuzee was stil loaded I (The servant opened the pan, and found it is still prim'd) " Do you see," says Captain Hazeii, " that fellow there, waving his f 'Ord to encourage those other felb.)ws to come forward ? " — Yes, says the servar T do !Sir ; — Then, says the Captain again, just place your back against mine for one moment, 'till I see if 1 can bring him down, lie accordingly stretch'd himself on the ground, and, resting the muzzle of his fuzee on his toes, he let drive at the French Officer. ^ vvas standing close behind him, and I thought it jierfect madness to attc jpt it. However, away went the charge after him, and faith down he was in an Instant. Both the Capt^iin and myself were watching fur * Subsequently Col. of the American Rebel Regiment called the " Congress Own."— See Quebec Gazette, 1 March. 1838. t Bleak House, on the Ut. Louis Heights. ANECDOTE OF WOLFE'S ARMY. 421 some minutes, under an idea that altho' lie had laid down, he might perliaps take it into his head to get up again. But no. And the moment tliat he fell, the whole column that he was leading on, turu'd about and decamp'd oiT lea- ving him to follow as well as he might ! 1 coiild'nt help telling the Captain that he had made a v' pital shot, and I related to him the affair of the foolish fellow of our grenadiers who shot the savage at the landing at Louisbourg, altho' the distanie whs great, and the rolliug of the boat so mueh against his taking a .steady aim. " Oh ! yes, says Captain Hazen, you know that a chance shot will kill the Devil himself." But, to rettirn to the Highlandi^rs : so soon as the Piper had discovered that his men had scatter'd and were in disorder, he as soon recollected the disgrace thr.c still hung upon him, and he likely bethought to give them a blast of his Pipes. By the Lord Harry t this had the effect of stopping them short, and they allow'd themselves to be formed into a sort of order. Fur this opportune blast of his chanters, the Piper gaind back the forgiveness of the Regiment, and was allow'd to take his meals with his old messmates, as if nothing-at-all had happened. On the 6th Ma}', 1760, which was after we had been driven back to the town by the French, and while they yet lay in their trenches across that high ground where the martello tower now stands, there came a ship of war in sight, and she was for som(! considerable tiin(f tacking acro.ss and across bet- ween Pointo Levis and the opposing shore. We were at a loss to know the meaning of all this, when the commanding Officer of Artillery bethought him- self to go and acquaint General Murray (who had taken up his Quarters in Saint Louis Street, now (182S) the Officer's Barracks) of the circiinistan(;e : He found the General in a meditative mood, sitting before the fire in the chimney place. On the Officer acquainting him that there was a ship of war in sight, the General was (|uite eli'ctrif.c'ii! He instantly got up, and, in the greatest lury, order'd the Officer to hfivc the colours immediately hoisted on the citadel I Away he went, but d(!v'l a bit cf)uld the halliards iu; made to go free until at last, a sailor was got hold of, who soon s< rambl'd up the flagstaff, and, put all to rights in a jitfy. All this time the ship of war did not show her own colorus, not knowing whether the town was in the hands of the French or the English, but as soon as she perceived our Hag, she hoisted English colours, and shaped her course towards the town, and was sOon safe at anchor opposib^ o the King's Wharf, Our men had been all the winter in bad spirits from coughs and colds, nnd. their having been obliged to retreat from the French, rlid'nf help much to mend the matter. However, when they heard that an l']nglisli nian-o-war was come, it was astonishing how soon tliey Ixm iinic stout-hearted ; faith, they were like lions, .and just as bold ! The inan-o-war prov'd to be the " Lowe- stoft'e," which had been detached from the main fleet below, with orders to make the best of time tlirough the ice, and take up the earliest intelligence ni the approach of the fleet. Her sides were very much torn by the floatiiiLr ice. Our having hoisted colours for the first lime since the conquest, and a ship of war having made her appearance, led the French to imagine that there was something strange going on. Indeed they expected a fleet as well as oursel- ves, and this arrival brought them out of their trenches, as thick as midges ; they appeared to us like so many pigeons upon a loost ! wliilsf they w(>re gap ing at us in such an exposed position, they received a salute from the whole line of our guns, extending from Capi^ Oiamond down to the Harrark Bastion, and yet they went off' almost like a single volley. It was fearful enough to see how they tumbled down in their intrenchments, like so many sacks of wool I Their seeing soldiers passing ashore from our frigate, they thought that we were about to receive powerful reinforcements, and they scamper'd away, their killed and wounded men along with them. Our men soon were i . i i Ir ■J '1 :l ; li if i ?? • 422 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. allow'd to go out, and they regaled themselves upon the soup and pork which the French had left cooking on the fires. That single discharge disabled so many of our guns, that we had to get others then in the lower town, and our men were so weak that they could not drag them up, but which was at last done with the help of the sailors just arrived in the Fleet. In about tliree days alter the arrival of the " Lowestoft'e " the remainder of the Fleet came up to Quebec, and finding tliat the French had some ships lying above Wolfe's Cove, they went up to look after them. As soon as the French had seen them coming on, they slipp'd their cables, and endeavor'd to get out of tlie way with the help of the flood-tide, but the Commodoris's ship got upon a ledge of rocks, and stuck fast, and th(s crow took to the boats, and got asliore, leaving the ship to talic care of itself. Tiiero was found, on board of tliis siiip, one Mons. Cugnet and an Englishman call'd Davis, botli of whom had tlieir hands tied behind their back, and a rope about their neck, and they wore in- forni'd that they lotli wore to l)e Iiang'd at the yard-arm so soon as the ship's «;ompany had fiiash'd tiieir breakfast ! Monsieur Cufjnet was tlie person who, at tiie Island of Orleans, gave Gene- ral Wolfe the iiforniation where would be the best place to get up the bank above the Town, and Davis, who had Ijeen taken prisoner by the French, some years before, hid given some otlier kind of information, and they both were to bo punish'd as spies. However, they not only got ofl' with their lives, but were afterwards well rewarded by our Government. The former was appointed French-Translator to the Government OfMces, and something more, which ena- bled him to live res oeitably ; and Davis, wlio liad been a grenadier-soldier, got a pension of twen y five pounds a year : they botli lived a long time in the enjoyment «>•' U." MORTON LODGE. »«■ If The extensive gi'eon pastures which General James Murray owned, in 1708, on the St. Foy road, under the name of /Sans /jrwif,* form at present several minor estates. One of the handsomest residences of this well wooded region was Morton Lodge, on the south side of the highway, and bounded by the Belvidere road, — about thii'ty-two acres in extent. It was honored with this name by one of its former owners, the builder of the lodge, some sixty years ago — the late James Black, Esquire. Morton Lodge is built in the cottage style, with a suite of roomy apart- ments forming a spacious wing in rear; the lawns in front of the house, with a grove of trees, add mucii to its beauty; a handsome conservatory to the east opens on the drawing room; it is located in the centre of a flower garden. Tl\e additional attraction of *" Jolin King, living on General Murray's farm, at Sans ftruit, having the best pasturage for cattle in the neighborhood during the; summer, well watered by several runs, informs all those who may choose to send him their cows that they will be well taken care of, and that ho will send them cow-heidsto town every morning at six o'clock, who will bring them home every evening between five and six. The price will be two dollars for the summer, to be paid said King on ISt. Michael's day." — Quebec Gazette, 4th April, 1768. WEST FIELD. 423 this residence, when owned by the late David Douglass Young was an extensive collection of paintings, pux'chased at various times by the owner both in Canada and in Europe : the French, Flemish and Italian schools were well represented, as well as Kreigholf's winter scenery in Canada. Morton Lodge, for many years was the residence of David Douglass Young, Esquire, once President of the Quebec Bank, and formerly a partner of the late George B. Symes, Esquire. Mr. Young claimed, on the maternal side, as ancestor, Donald Fraser, one of Fraser's (78th) Highlanders,a regiment which distinguished itself at the taking of Quebec, whilst lighting under Wolfe, on these same grounds. Forming a portion of this estate, to the west, may be noticed a cosy little nest. Brace's Cottage, as it was formerly called — now Bannockburn — surrounded on all sides by trees, lawns and flowers. WES'fFIELD. "What, sir, said I," cut down Goldsmith's hawthorn bush, that supplies so beautiful an image in the Deserted Village ! ' Ma foy,' exclaimed the bishop (of Ardagh,) ' is that the hawthorn bush V then ever let it be saved from the edge of the axe, and evil to him that would cut from it a branch." — HowitCs Homes and Haunts of British Poets. At Mount Pleasant, about one mile from St. John's Gate, a number of agreeable suburban residences have sprung up, as if by enchantment, within a few years. This locality, fi'om the splendid view it affords of the valley of St. Charles, the basin of the St. Lawrence and surrounding country, has ever been appreciated. The most noticeable residence is a commodious cut-stone struc- ture, inside of the toll, erected there a few years back by the late G. H. Simard, Esq., member for Quebec, and later, purchased by the late Fred. Vaniiovous, Esq., Barrister. Its mate in size aiul appear- ance a few acres to the west, on the St. Fo^-e road, is owned by the Hon. Eugene Chinic, Senator. In the vicinity, under the veil of a dense grove of trees, your eyes gather as you drive past, the out- lines of a massive, roomj' homestead, ou the north side of the heights, on a site which falls off" considerably ; groups of birch, maple, and some mountain ash and chesnut trees, flourish in the garden which surrounds the house ; in rear, flower beds slope down in an enclosure, whose surface is ornamented with two tiny i! f I 1 ^ , ''■ |: '' ; 1 jl .sS "i ' i it ■ '- If ^ 1 f li rt i 424 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. reservoirs of crystal water, which gushes from some perennial stream, susceptible of great embellishment at little cost, by add- ing Jets d'enu. The declivities in rear seem as if intended by nature to be laid out into lovely terraces, with flowers or verdure to fringe their summits. In the eastern section of the domain stands, " The hawthorne busli, witli seats beneath the shade, For talking age and whispering lovers made." Whether it blossoms on Christmas Day, like the legendary White Thorn of Glastonbury, " which sprang from Joseph of Ar- imathea's dry staff, stuck by him in the ground when he rested there " deponent -layeth not. This majestic and venerable tree, branching out like a diminutive cedar of Lebanon, is indeed the pride of Westfield. It is evident!}' of very groat age, though each summer as green, as fruitful as ever; the oldest inhabitant cannot recall when it was smaller. If trees could reveal what has passed under their boughs, would not the veteran hawthorn tell of wounded men resting beneath it; of the strange garb and cries of combatants, English, French, Colts, Canadians and Indians, on that luckless 28th April, 1Y60, when Murray's soldiers, wei-e re- treating in hot haste from St. Foye and placing the city walls bet- ween them and Levi's victorious legions; of shot, shell and bullets,* whistling through its hoary branches, on that memorable 13th of September, 1759, when the Sauvages cVEcosse, with their reeking claymores, were slashing at, and pursuing the French, flying from the battle Held, over the St. Foye heights, to the French Camp on the north bank of the St. Charles, in a line with the Marine Hos- pital. Various indeed for us are the attractions of stately trees; we can understand why this one is the pi-ide of Westfield. To us, an old denizen of the country, a stately tree has ever been a com])anion- able ; in fact, a reverential object. In our eyes 'tis not only rich in its own native beauty ; it may ))erchaii' ^ also borrow interest from associations and [)ecome a part of <>>..• home — of ourselves: it may have overshadowed the rustic seat, where, in our infant years, one dear to us and now departed, read the Sunday hymn * Cannon balls, shot and shell, and rnsty bayonets have been dug up in the nt'igbborliood. Old nietiillie buttons, with the iigure XV., were picked up. showing that they once ornamented the scarlet uniforms of many gallant fellows of that XVth llegiraent, who, "at eight in the morning on the 28th April, iVfJO," had isstied triumpliantly from bt. John Gate — never to return. WESTFIELD. 425 or taught us with a mother's sanctifying love, to become a good citizen, in every respect worthy of our sire. Perchance it may have been planted on the day of our birth ; it may also commem- orate the natal hour of our first-born, and may it not like our- selves, in our early days, have required the fostering care of a guardian spirit, — the dews from heaven to refresh it and encour- age its growth. Yes, like the proprietor of Westtield, we dearly love the old trees of our home. We were invited to ascend to the loftiest point of this dwelling, and contemplate from the platform on the roof the majestic spec- tacle at our feet. Far below us waved the nodding pinnacles of countless forest trees ; beyond and around us, the site of the old battle-fields of 1759 and 1760 ; to the east, the white expanse of the St. Lawrence sleeping between the Beanport, Orleans and Point Levi shores; to the northwest, the snake-like course of the St. Charles, stealing through fertile meadows, copses of evergreens — until, by a supreme effort, it veers round the compass at the Marine Hospital ; there, at sunset, it appears as if gamboling in the light of the departing luminary, whose rays anon linger in fitful glances on the spires of Lorette, Charlesbourg and St, Sau- veiir, until they fside away, far away in the cerulean distance, over the sublime crags of Tsononthouan, — "of these our hills the last that parleys with the setting sun." or else gild in amber tints, the wooded slopes of the lofty i-idges to the west. Westfield, f)rms part of a larger expanse of land, formerly known as the " Upper Bijou," crowning the heights, overhanging the valley of the Si. Charles, where existed the " Lower Bijou," marshy and green meadows, once sacred to snipe, and on which the populous suburb St. Sauveur has recently sprung up. It was granted in free and common soccagc, to the late Charles Ctrey Stewart, Esq., in 18 — ; he I'esided there many years. In 1870, this lovely old homestead, became the property of the Hon. David Alex. Ross, Barrister, M.P.P. for the county of Que- bec, its present occupant. Several embellishments have been added to it by this gentleman and his lady ; at present, the views, groves, parterres of Westtield during the summer months are more attractive than ever. 1 I n- 1 ; i; I I ■ ♦ / 426 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. COVCY-LE-GASTEL. " Sol Canadien, terre ch6rie Par des braves tu fus peuple, lis fherchaient, loin de leur patrie, Une terre de liberty, Qu'elles sont belles, nos campagnes, Au Canada qu'on vit content ! About the year 1830 that portijn of the environs of Quebec watered by the Eiver St. Charles, in the vicinity of Scott's bridge, had especially attracted the attention of several of our leading citizens as pleasant and healthy abodes for their families. Two well known gentlemen in particular, the bearers of old and res- pected names, the late Honorable Mr. Justice Philippe Panet, and his brother the Honorable Louis Panet, Senator selected two adjoining lots covering close on eighty acres, on the banks of the St. Charles, the Cahire-Coubat of ancient days. The main road to the east intervenes between the Hon. Judge Panet's seat and the mossy old dwelling in which Col. Arnold had his head-quarters during the winter of 1775-76, now the residence of the Langlois family. Judge Panet built there an elegant villa on an Italian design, brought home after returning from the sunny clime of Naples ; the rooms are lofty and all are oval. Several hundred sombre old pines surround the house on all sides. The neighboring villa, to the west, was planted by the Honor- able Louis Panet, about 1830; also the grounds tastefully laid out in meadows, plantations and gardens, symmetrically divided off by neat spruce, thorn, and snowball hedges, which improve very much their aspect. One fir hedge, in particular, is of uncommon beauty. To the west an ancient pine, a veritable monarch of the forest, rears his hoary trunk, and amidst most luxuriant foliage looks down proudly on the young plantation beneath him, lend- ing his hospitable shades to a semi-circular rustic seat — a grateful retreat during the heat of a summer's day. Next to this old tree runs a small rill, once dammed up for a fish-pond, but a colony of muskrats having " unduly elected domicile thereat," the finny denizens disappeared as if by magic ; and next, the voracious rodents made so many raids into the vegetable garden that the legal gentleman, who was lord of the manor, served on them a notice to "P""^ COUCY-LE-CASTEL. 42*7 quit, by removing the dam. The ejected amphibii crossed the river in a body and " elected domicile " in the roots of an elm tree at Poplar Grove, opposite and in full view of the castle, probably by way of a threat. On the high river banks is a twelve-jiounder used formerly to crown a miniature fort erected over there. We remember on certain occasions hearing at a distance its loud boom. Coucy-le-Castel is surrounded on two sides by a spacious piazza, and stands on an elevated position close to the river bank. From the drawing-room windows is visible the even course of the fairy Cahirc-Coubat, hurrying past in dark eddies, under the pendulous foliage of some graceful elms which overhang the bank at Poplar Grove, the mansion of the late L. T. McPherson, Esq. Now and again from the small fort, amidst the murmur of rapids not far distant, you may catch the shrill note of the king-tisher in his hasty flight over the limpid stream, or see a lively trout leap in yonder deep pool ; or else, in the midsummer vacation, see a birch canoe lazily floating down from la iner Pacifiijiue, impelled by the arm of a pensive law student, dreaming perchance of Pothier or Blackstone, — perchance of his lady love, whilst paddling to the air : — " II y a longtcmps que je t'iiime Jamais je ne t'oublierai." The neighborhood of running water ; the warbling of the birds ; the distant lowing of kine in the green meadows ; the variety and beauty of the landscape, especially when the descending orb of day gilds the d k woods to the west, furnish a strikingly rural spectacle at Coucy-le-Castel, thus named from a French estate in Picardy, owned by the Badelarts, ancestors, on the maternal side, of the Panets. In 1861 Coucy-le-Castel was purchased by Judge Jean Thomas Taschereau, of Quebec, under whose care it is acquiring each 3'ear new charms. A plantation of deciduous trees and evergreens has taken the place of the row of poplars which formerly lined the ave- nue. The Judge's Chateau stands conspicuous amongst the pretty but less extensive surrounding country seats, such as the old mansion of Fred. Andrews, Esq., Q. C, the neat cottage of Fred. W. Andrews, Esq., Barrister, festooned with wild vines. ■Il 428 I i •pt ' ,, 'l '' 1 -1 1 ';■ 1 ' ' ' t ^i • : 4 ■ ( l\ it ■■ f Id': H i rJJJP ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. RINQFIELD. FRANCISCTJS PRIMUS, DEI GRATIA, FRANCORUM REX REGNAT. Inscription on cross erected 3d May, 1536, by Jacques Cartier. We will be pardoned for devoting a lai\i^er space than for other country seatH, in describing Ringfield, on account of the impor- tant events of which it was the theatre. Close to the Dorchester Bridge to the west, on the Charlesbourg road, there was once an extensive estate known as Smithville — five or six hundred acres of table land owned by the late Charles Smith, Esq., who for many years resided in the substantial largo stone dwelling subsequently occupied by A. Laurie, Esq., at pre- sent by Owen Murphy, Esq., opposite the Mai'ine Hospital. Some hundred acres, comprising the land on the west of the ruis- seau Lairet, known as Ferme des Anges, * were detached from it and now form Ringfield, whose handsome villa is scarcely visible from the Charlesbourg road in summer on account of the planta- tion of evergreens and other forest trees which, with white-thorn hedge, line its semicircular avenue on both sides. One might be inclined to I'egret that this plantation has grown up so luxuriantly, as it interferes with the striking view to be had here of the Island of Orleans, St. Lawrence, and surrounding parishes. Before the trees assume their vernal honours there can be counted, irrespective of the city spires, no less than thirteen steeples of churches in so many parishes. Ringfield takes its name from its circular meadow (Montcalm's horn work). In rear it is bounded to the west by the little stream called Lairet, with the ruisseau St. Michel in view ; to the south, its natural boundary is the meander- ing Cahire-Coubat. f Ringfield has even more to recommend it than the rural beauty common to the majority of our country seats ; here were enacted * Emery de Caen dined here with the Jesuits, 6th Augu8t, 1632. — Relations des Jesuites. t Cahire-Coubat (expressive of windings, says Sagard,) called by Jacques Cartier, the river Ste. Croix (of the Holy Cross), and subsequently denomina- ted the River St. Charles, in compliment says La Potherie, to Charles de Boues, Grand Vicar of Pontoise, founder of the first mission ot the Recollets in New France. R J NO FIELD. 429 scenes calculated to awaken the deepest interest ii» every student of Canadian history. On the banks of the lilver St. Charles, 15:^5-30, during his «ecoud voyage of discovery, Jacques Carticr, the intrepid navigator of St. Malo, more than three centuries back, it is now generally supposed, wintered. We have Charaplain's* authority for this historical fact, though Charlevoix erroneouwly asserts that the great discoverer wintered on the banks of the liiver Jacques Carticr, twenty-seven miles higher up than (Quebec. A careful examination ot'Leacarbot'sJournalofCartier's Second Voyufje^ and the investigations of subsequent historians leave little room to doubt Champlain's statement, f Jacques Cartier in his journal, written in the quaint old style of that day, furnishes us curious descriptions of the locality where he wintered, and of the adjoin- ing Indian town, Stadacon4, the residence of the Chief Donacona. The Abbd Ferland and other contemporary writers have assigned as the probable site of Stadacona that part of Quebec which is now covered by a portion of the suburbs of St. John, and by that part of St. Eoch looking towards the St. Charles. How graphically Jacques Cartier writes of that jiortion of the Uiver St. Lawrence opposite the Lower Town, less than a mile in width, "deep and swift running," and also of the " goodly, fair and delectable bay or creek convenient and tit to harbour ships," the St. Charles (St. Croix or Holy Cross) river ! and again of the spot wherein, he says, '* we stayed from the 15th of September, 1535, to the 6th May, 1536, and there our ships remained dry." Cartier mentions the * " Champlain a certaineinent jetc iin grand jour sur cette (juestion, en prou- vant aubsi bien qu'il iHait poKsible du le fahe, que Jacques Cartier avuit hiver- ne dans la riviere Saint Charles, et en taisant lui-meme des investigations sur les lieux. Seulement il pourraitbien se faire qu'on pris trop a lalettre un mot de son edition de 1032, oil il dit ijue les vaisseaux de Cartier hiverndient lii oil etait de son temps la demetire des Jesuites. Quant i\ Charlevoix, non-seulement il n'a pas eelairci la question, mais il n'a fait que remhrouiller. Tout ce qu'il dit la desHUS, i\ trt-s peu d'exeeption prus, est plein d'erreurs, et inconeiliable avec la situation et la conformation des lieux decrits par le lapitiiine Malotiin." f The late Aniable berthelot, one ot our antiquarians, in reviewing the pa- pers published by Mr. Jos. Hamel, in 1843, on the recent discovery of the wreck of the Petite IJermine, on the let me des Aiiaco — the Ilurons — dwindle down, through successive decay, to what now remains of them ? A drawing exists, copied from an engraving executed at Paris, the subject of which, furnished b}'' (J. J3. Faribault, Esquire, retraced the departure of the St. Malo mariner for Franco on the 6th of May, 153(J. To the right may be seen Jacques Cartier's fort, * built with stockades, mounted with artil- lery, and subsequently made stronger still, wo are told, with dit- ches and solid timber, with drawbridge, and rifty men to watch night and day. Next comes the Grande Hermine, his largest vessel, of about one hundred and twenty tons, in which Donacona, the interpreter, and two other Indians of note, treacherously seized, are to bo con- veyed to France, to bo presented to tho French monarch, Francis I. Close by, the reader will observe /'^men^ton, of about forty tons in size, tho third of his ships; and higher up, tho hull of a stranded and dismantled vessel, the Petite Hermine, of about sixty tons, intended to represent the one whose timbers wore dug up at tho mouth of the St. Michel in 1843, and created such excitement amongst the antiquaries of that day. On the opposite side of the river, at Hare Point, tho reader will notice on the plate, a cross, intended to represent the one erected by Cartier's party on the 3rd May, 1536, in honour of the festival of the Holy Cross ; at tho foot a number of Indians and some French in the old costume of the time of Francis I. So much for Jacques Cartierandhis winter quarters, in 1535-36. of 1632, on the Jesuits' property — it may, however, have been a few acres to the east or west of the spot generally indicated. * " Lo Capitaine tit renforcer lo Fort tout i\ I'entour dc gros fosses, larges, et protonds avee porte k pont-Ievis et renforts de rangs ou pans de bois au contraire des premiers, Et fut ordonne pour le guet de la nuit. . ..cinqnante hommes k quatre quarts, et & chacun changement des dits quarts les trompet- tes sonnantes ; ce qui fut fait selou la dite ordonnance." — Voyage de Jacques Cartier, page 52. ■ I'l'ih ' 1 ! ; i 1 i i 1 ■ j y ■ 1 ir il. M I 482 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. Two hundred and twonty-tluoo yetu'.s after this date wo find this locality again the arena of rneniorable events. In the diHorderly retreat of the Fi-eneh army on the l.'Jth of September, 1759, from the hei<^hts of Aliraiiam, the panir-tstriken s(|Uadronfs came pour- ing down Cote d'Abraham and Cote i\ Cotton, hotly pursued by the Highlanders and the 58th Jlegimont, hurrying towards the bridge of boats and tbllowing the shores of the Kiver 8t. Charles until the tire of the hulks anchored in the river stopped the pursuit. On the north side of the bridge of boats was a tetedepont, redoubt or hornwork, a strong work of pentagonal shape, well portrayed in Titt'ony's plan ot the Siege Operations before Quel)ec. This hornwork was partly wood, deleuded by palisades, and tow- ards Beaujiort, an earthwoi-k — covering about twelve acres; the remains (the round or ring tieM), ^standing more than lifteen feet above the ground, may be seen to this day surrounded by a ditch ; three thousand '■^' men at least must have been required to con- struct, in a few weeks, this extensive entrenchment. In the centre stood a house, visible on a plan of Mr. Parke's, in which, about noon on that memorable day, a pretty lively debate was taking place. Vaudreuil ami Home of the French ofHcers were at that moment and in this spot debating the surrender of the whole colony. Let us hear an eye-witness. Chevalier Johnstone, General de Levis' aide- de-camp, one of the Scotchmen lighting in Canada for the French king, against some of his own countrymen under Wolfe, after the disaster of CuUoden. It was our good fortune to ]nibli8h the recently-discovered journal of this Scotch officer for the first time in 1864. Chevalier Johnstone's description will strike every one from its singular accuracy : — " The French iiiiny in flight, Kcattend ami entirely dispersed, rushed towards the town. Few of them entered Quebec ; they went down tlie heights of • It is evident that the Beauport entrenchments were to be on a vast scale. In those days of corvees and forced lal)or, when it was merely necessary to command de par le roi, it was easy to bring together large bodies of men. ' M de Montcalm arrive \ Quebec (from Montreal), commanda tout le monde pour travailler a des retrenchements qui furent traces vers une paroissc nommee Beauport. Comme il pensait que ces ouvrages no seraient pas en itat avant I'arrivee des vaisseaux anglais, ce qui pourrait etred'uu jour ii I'autre, il envoyai un ordre a M. de Levis, qui etait i\ Montreal, de commander, general lenient, tous les hommos de ce gouvernement de descendre a Quebec, et qu'on avait besoin d'un coup de main. II envoya a cet egard des ordres precis etconformes, dans toutes les paroisses, qui mirent tout le monde en mouvement." (Memoires sur les affaires du Canada, 1749-1760.) Finally, Vaudreuil decided that Montreal would furnish 1,500 men only for this service. / , (1. .11 fck^Ti i. », u CAPITULATION OF VAUIHiEUIL. Am Abraham, oppunito the Intenclaiit'H I'ahu:*^ (paHt Kt. •lolm's \i\\iv), (liriHtin^ their course to the lioruwork, audt'ollowin^; the liordcrn <>t the iliver St. (Mmilcs. fcleeitiK the impouHihility i)f rally iiii; (iiirtri>(>|)K, I (letciiiiiiinl iiiy.selftoKoilown thu hill at tile windmill, near the liakc-hoimi',* and troiu tlieiice ai-rtisH nver the mcudowK to the horiiwork, resolvfd not to approach Qiiflice, troni my Rpprehi^nsion of liein^ tilxit up there with a part ot our army, which tiii^lit have been tiie case it the victors liad drawn all thi.' advant^iK*' they could huvi; reaped from oiu- defeat. It is true the death of the (ieneral-in-chief — an event which never fails to create the ^Tcatest disorder and confusion in an army — may ])leHd as an excuse for the English neglecting so easy an opi'ration as to take all our army ]irisoners. " 'riie hornwork had the Piver !St. Charles lietore it, ahout seventy paces broad, which served it Imtter than an artiticial ditch ; it-* tront facing the river and the heiuhts, was com|>osed ot strong, thick, and high palisades, planted perjxMidicularly, with guidioUis pierced for several pieces of large cannon in it ; the river is deep and only fordalile at low water, at a musket shot liefon^ tln! tort ; this made it more ditticult to he forced on that side than on its olhiir Bide of earthworks facing Heau{iort, which had a mijre formidahle appearance ; and the hornwork certainly on that side was not in the least danger of heing taken by the English, by an assault from the other side of the river. On the appearance of the English troops on the plain ot the bake-house, Montguet and La Motte, two old cai)t4iins in the Regiment of beam, cried out with vehemence to M. de Vaudreiul, 'that the hornwork would be taken in an instant, by an assault sword in hand ; that we would all be cut to pieces without ({uarter, and nothing else would save us but an imnnuliate and general cai)itu- Itttion of Canada, giving it up to thv; English.' " Montreul told them that ' a fortilication such as the hornwork was not to be taken so easily.' In short, theru arose a general cry in tlie hornwork to cut the bridge of boats. f It is worthy of remark, that not a fourth part of our army had yet arrived at it, ami the remainder, by cutting the bridge, would have been left on the other side of the river as victims to the victors. The regiment ' Royal Roussillon,' was at that moment at the distamc- of a musket shot from the hornwork, approaching to pass the bridge. As I had already been in such adventures, I did not lose my presence of mind, and having still a shadow remaining of that regard, which the army accorded me ou account of the esteem and confidence which M. deLevis and M. deMontcnIm had always shewn me publicly, I called to M. Hugon, who commaudtHl, for a pass in the hornwork, and begged of him to accompany me to the bridge. We ran there, and without asking who had given the order to cut it, we chased away the soldiers with their uplifted axes ready to execute that extravagant and wicked operation. " M. Vaudruuil was closeted in a house in the inside; of the hornwork with the Intendaut and some other persons. 1 suspected they were busy drafting the articles lor a general capitidation, and I entered the house, where 1 had only time to see the Intendaut with a \)im\ in his hand writing on a sheet of paper, wlien M. Vaudreuil told me I had no business there. Having answered him that wliat he said was true, I retired immediately, in wrath, to see them intent on giving up so scandalously ade|)endancy for the preservation of which so much blood and treasure had lieen expended. On leaving the house, 1 met M. Dalquier, an old, brave, downright honest man, commander of the regi- • This bake-house appears to have been somewhere at the foot of Abraham's hill. t It crossed the St. Charles a little higher tlmn the Marine Hospital, exactly at the foot ot Crown Street. c2 II ^ * ' i i i i\' 434 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. neat of Beam, with the true character of a good officer — the marks of Mars all over his body. I told him it was bcin;^ debated witliin the house to give 1 p Canada to the English by a capitulation, and I hurried him in, to stand up for tho King's cause, and advocate thi; welfare of liis country. I then quitted the hornwork to join Poularies at the Ravine * of Beauport, but having met him about three or four hundred paces fron' the hornwork, on his way to it, 1 told him what was being discussed tliere. He answered me, that sooner than consent to a capitulation, he vould shed the la st drop of his blood. He told me to look on his table and house as my own, advised me to go there directly to f'pose myself, and clapping spurs to his horse, he flew like lightning to the hornwork." Want of Hjjace precludes US from adding more from this very interesting journal of the Chevalier Johnstone, replete with curious particulars of the disordei'ly retreat of the French regiments from their Boauport rnrnp, after dark, on that eventful 13th September ; how they jssembled first at the hornwork, and then tiled off by detachmoats on the Charlesbourg road, thon to Ancient Lorette, until they arrived, worn out and disheartened without command- ers, at r^ay break at Cap Rouge. On viewing the memorable scenes witnessed at liiiigfieid, — the spot whore the French discoverer wintered in 1535-30, and also the locality, where it was decided to surrender the colony to England in 1759 — are we not justified in considering it as both the cradle and the to?nb of French Dominion in the new world? Ringfield has, for many years, been the family mansion of George Holmes Parke, Esquire. CASTOR VILLE. " In woods or glens I love to roam, « « « k « Or by the woodland pool to rest.' \i\ the deepest recesses of the Lorette woods, amongst the moat shady meanders of the sinuous Cahire Coubat, some five miles due north from Castel-Coucy, we know a bank, not pi'ecisely where " The wild thyme grows," but where you are sure, in spi'ing and sutnmer, to pluck hand- fuls of trilliums, wild violets, ferns of rarc> beauty, columbines, kalraias, ladies' slippers, ladies' tresses (we mean of course the * A small bridge supported on masonry has since been built on this spot, exactlj' across the main road, at Brown's mills, Beauport. i CASTOR VILLE. 485 floral .subjects). In this beauteous region, sacred to Pun, the Naiades, Dryades, and the daughtoi-s of Mnemosyne, you might possibly, dear reader, were you privileged with a pass from one ofour most respected friends, be allowed to wander ; or perchance in your downward voyage from Lake Charles to the Loretto Falls, in that vnde mecnm of a forester's existence — a birch canoe — you ntight, we repeat, possibly be allowed to pitch your camp on one of the mossy headlands of Castor Ville, and enjoy your luncheon, in this sylvan spot; that is, always presuming you were deemed competent to fully appreciate nature's wildest charms, and rejoice, like a true lover, in her coyest and most furtive glances. Castor Ville, a forest wild, where many generations of beavers, otters, caribou, boars, foxes and hares once roamed, loved and died, covers an area of more thati one hundred acres. Through it glides the placid course of the St. Charles — ^overhuiig by hoary fir trees — from the pai'cnt lake to the pretty Indian Loretto Falls, a distance of aboul eight miles of fairy scenery, which evory man of taste, vir^iting Lake St. Charles, ought to enjoy at least once in his life, it is all through mantled over by u dense second growth (if spruce and tir trees, intersected by a maze of avenues. The lodge sits graccl'ully, with its verandah and artillery, on a pen- insula formed by the Grand Desert and St. Charles streams. Vou «;an cross over iu a canoe to that porticMi of the domain beyond the river: along the banks, a number of resting places — tiny bovvers of birch bark — dingios and canoes anchored all round — hero and there a portage — close by, a veritable Indian wigwam— Or/a Sio'-^ by name. On a bright morning in early spring, you may chance to meet, in one of the paths, ov in hiseanoo, a white-haired hunter, the Master of Castor Villo, returning homo after visiting his hare, fox, or otter traps, proudly bearing Lepxis in his game bag, 'lext to which you may discover a volume 'A Moliere, Montaijne or Afontesquieu. On selling Caslle-Coucy, its loyal-hearted old ])ro- nrietor, taking with hitn the guns of the fort, retired to the jti'es- ent wild demesne, in which occasionally he passes, with his family, many pleasant hours, amidst books, friends and rural amusements, far from city noises and city excitement. * The Great River. Such was the uame the Lorette Huron IndianH pressed Hon. Mr. I'anet to take when tLey elected him tlieir honorary chief. r ! . ■-■■St'' t* '*'■■* rssssassmm ::(i! I 486 TUE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. ill ~' ii If i Castor Villc belongs to the Hon. Louis Panet, member of the Legislative Council of Canada." (Written in 1865.) Mil. e this little sketch was penned, sixteen years ago, the un- welcome shadow of years has crept over our old friend ; eighty- six winters and their frost has cooled the ardor of the Chaaseur ; Castor Ville for Mr. Panet has lost much of its sunshine. »■ — THE JOYS OF WINTER. '' Oh ! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the earth and sky below ; Over the house-tops, over the strent, Over the heads of the people you meet, Dancing, ITlirting, Skimming along ; Beautiful snow ; it can do no wrong, Flying to kiss a lady's cheek, Clinging to lips in a Irolicsome fr,;ak ; Beautiful snow from the heaven abovi-, Pure as an angel, gentle as love ! Oh ! the snow, the beautiful snow. How the flakes gather and laugh as they go ; Whirling about in the maiidening lun. It plays in its glee with every one, Chasing, Laughing, Hutryiug by ; It lights on the face and sparkles the eye ! And even the dogs, with a bark and a bound, Snap at the crystals that eddy around ; The town is alive, and its heart is aglow ! To welcome the coming of the beautiful snow. How the wild crowds go swaying along. Hailing each other with humour and song ; How the gay sledges, like meteors, pass by, Bright for the moment, then lost to the eye ; Ringing, Swinging, Dashing they go, Over the crust of this beautiful snow ; Snow so i)ure when it falls from the sky, To be trampled and track, -d liy the crowd rushing by, To be trampled and tracked l)y the thousands of feet. Till it blends with the lilth in the horrible street." Has it ever been your fortune, kind reader, to enjoy, in the depth of winter, a ramble in a Canadian lore!:-*, at the mystic hour when the Queeu of Night asserts her silent sway ? Have THE JOV^ OF WINTER. 437 you ever revelled in this feast of soul, fresh from the busy hum of city life — perchance strolling up a mountain path with un- dulating plains of spotless whiteness behind you, or else canopied b}' the leafy dome of odorous pines or green hemlock, with no other companion but your trusty rifle, nor other sound but the hoot of the Great Horned Owl, disturbed by the glare of your camp fire — or the rustle of the passing hare, skulking fox, or browsing cariboo? Have 3'ou ever been compelled, venturesome hunter as you are, with the lengthening shades of evening, after a tv/enty miles' run, to abandon the blood-stained trail, re- serving for the morrow the slaying of the stricken cariboo ? Can you i-ecall the sense of weariness with which you retraced your heavy steps to the camp — perspiring at every pore, — jjanting with thirst — famished — perhaps bewildered with the flakes of the gathering storm — yea, so exhausted, that the crackling of the pine faggots of your mountain hut — watched over in your ab- sence by your faithful Indian '' Gabriel " * — struck on your quickened senses amidst the winter gloom like heavenly music — sounds as soft, as welcome as the first April sunbeam? Mave you ever had the hardiness to venture with an Indian guide and toboggin on an angling tour far north in the Laurentian chain, to that Ultima Thule sacred to the disciples of old Isaac, Snow Lake, over chasm, dale, mountain, pending that month dear above all others to King Hiems — inexorable January ? If so. you can indeed boast of having held communion with the grim God of AVinter in some of his stern, though captivating, moods. Nor an these the only charms which the capi-icious monarch has in store. Never shall I forget, one balmy March morning, sauntering along the green uplands of Sillery, towards the city, while the " sun god" was pouring overhead waves of soft, purple light. The day previous, one of our annual, equiMocfial storms had careered over the country; lirst, wind and snow ; then wind and sleet, the latter dissolving into icy teai's, encircling captive Nature in thousands of weird, glossy crystals ; every tree of the forest, a'nording to its instinct, its nature, wiithing in the conqueror's cold embrace — rigid, crealcing, i-eady to >n!ip in twain I'ather than bond, as the red oak or sugar maple, or else meekly, submissively curving to the earth its tapering, frosted I , I A famous Chasseur of Lake St. Charles. !i».iM,j,jus»ii4A-"-i-- JiJ.'- 438 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. limbs, like the silver bix'ch — elegant, though fragile, ornament of the Canadian ])ark ; or else, rearing amid air a graceful ndt-work -waving, transparent sapphire-tinted arabesques, stretched on amber pillars; witness the Golden Willow. Each gleam of sun- shine investing this gorgeous tapestry with all the glories of Iris; here, rising above his compeers, a stately lord of the grove, hoary with frost and years, whose outspreading boughs are bur- nished, as if every twig had been touched by the hand of an enchanter; whilst there, under his shade, bends a mountain ash, smeared Avith the crimsoned berries of the preceding sum- mer, now ice-coated bon-bons eagerly plucked by troops of roseate grosbeaks resting on the whitened branches. How lovely the contrasts ! 8uch, the scene in the winsome light of da3^ But of those objects, viewed by moonlight, who would have dared becomingly depict the wild beauty ? The same incompjirable landscape, with Diana's silver rays softly sleeping on the virgin snow ; on each side, an avenue of oak, spruce and fir trees, the latter with their emerald boughs wreathed in solid ice, and to the earth gracefully bending in festoons — now and again kissed by the night wind; at each wavy motion disclosing their dark trunks, under the frozen foliage, like old Ocean's billows breaking on dark rocks ; the burnished gold of the morn changed into silver floss, twinkling with a mild radiance, under the eye of night, like diamond tiaras — a vista tit lor Queen Mab ! Of such, mayhap dreamed Moorish maid, undo- the portals of the Alhambra. Were Ai-mida's enchanted forests brighter ? Who can describe all thy witchery ? Thy nameless graces, who can compass, serene maj^'sty of Winter in the North ? And yet all these glories of frost and moon-lit snows we once did see round our Canadian Home. Wouldst thou fancy another view of winter less serene ; a con- trast such as glorious old Kit North would have revelled in ? Step forward, my witty, my sarcastic Iriend of the Evenement newspaper — by name Henri Fabre ! " The true season of Canada is winter; winter with its bright skies by day and its brighter stars by night. Of sjjring we have none. April is nothing better than a protracted thaw, with scenes of mud and melting snow. May, the month dear to poets, iiii THE MANOR HOUSE. 439 is frequently but an uninterrupted succession of showers to fecundate tlie cari.h; its symbol, an ai-ray of outspread umbrellas in our streets. As to our summer, it is but the epitome of the lovelj' summer of France and Italy for the use of new countries- Autumn is a shade better ; but anon, the first frost hurries on to blanch and disperse the leaves and dim the hues of mellowed nature. When the fields slumber under ten feet of snow ; when human noses freeze before Ihoir sneezing owners have time to utter a cry for help, then is the beau ideal of our climate. He who on such an occasion dares to sigh for the boasted shade of trees and the murmur of gushing waters, that man is no true Canadian. The searching wind, the cold, the northern blast,* are part and parcel of our country ; one is bound to love them. Should they increase in intensity, rub your hands, first to keep yourself warm, next to denote your patriotic joy!" But all this won't prevent us from exclaiming with a Canadian son of song : " Oh ! dear is the Northern forest home, Where the great pine shoots on high ; And the maple spreads its soft, green leaves In the clear, hlue, taintless sky ; Though the summer mantle paleth fast Into winter's virgin veil — There is health in the fierce, quick lightning blast, And strength in the icy gale ; And life glides on in a quiet calm. Like our own great river's flow; And dear to the hearts of her children all Is our own Fair Lan» of Snow 1" SiLLERY, near Quebec, 1881. THE MANOR HOUSE, BEAUPORT. Lot US view a remnant of feudal times. On the Beauport road, four miles from the city and about forty feet from the late Colonel B. C. A. (itugy's habitation, stood until 1879 an antiquated high-gabled French stone dwelling, very substantially put together. About thirty years back there was still existing close to and connected with it, a pavilion or Robert Buchanan's fine lines describe well the sudden coming of winter : " Then, with a gust, Old Winter tumbled shrieking from the hills, His white hair flowing in tiie wind." 440 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. II i! tower, used in early days aa a fort to protect the inmates against Indian raids. It contained the boudoir and sleeping apart- ments of some of the fair seignieuresses^ of Beauport in the house which Robert Giffard, the first seignor built there more than two centuries ago ; it is the oldest seignorial manor in Can- ada, Robert Gitfard's house — or, more properly, his shooting box — is thought to have stood closer to the little stream to the west. The first seignior of Beauport had two daughtei's who married two brothei's, Juchereau, the ancestors of the Duchesnays ; and the manor has been in the possession of, and occupied by, the Duches- naj's for more than two hundred years. Robert Giffard bad visited Canada, for the first time, in 1027, in the ca])acity of a surgeon ; and being a great sportsman, he built himself a small house on the banks of the Beauport stream, to enjoy to perfection, his favorite amusements — shooting and fish- ing. No authentic data exist of the capacity of Beauport for game in former days; we mei-ely read in the Relations desJdsuites that in the year 1(148. 1200 ptarmigan were shot there; we also know that the quantities of ducks congregating on the adjoining Hats caused the place to be called Xa Canardiere. There is a furi- ous old record in connection with this manor, exhumed by the Abbd Ferland ; it is the exact formula used by one of the tenants or cemitaires in i-endering/o/ e/ hommarjo, to the Lord of the Manor. Guion (Dion ?), a tenant, had by sentence of the Governor, Mont- magny, been condemned on the 30th July, 1640, to fulfil this feudal custom. The document recites that, after kno<;king at the door of the chief manorial entrance, and in the al>sence of the master, addressing the farmer, one Boulle, the said Guion, having knelt down bare headed without bis sword or spurs, repeated three times the words, — " Monsieur de Beauport, Monsieur de Jieauport, Monsieur de Bcuuport, Je vous fais et porte la foy et hommarje que je suis tenu de vous porter, a cause de mon Jief du B)iisson,'\ du/juel je suis homme de foy /-e'" • nt de votre seiyneurie de Beauport, lequel vi'appartient au mot, '-i contrat que nous (wom passe ensemble par devant Roussel u Mortagne, le 14 Mars, IGlil, vous declarant que je vous off re payer Les droits seiyneuriaux • Emma Dufhesnay, wife of Robt. LeMoine, Esq., Ottawa, was the last born then'. I Beauport Church, it in said, was built on this Fief du Buisson. It THE MANOR HOUSE. 441 et feodaux quand dns seront, vous requerant me recevoir a la dite foy et homage^ " Lord of Beauport, Lord of Beauport, Lord cf Beauport, T render 3-011 the fealty and homage due to you on account of my land du Buisson .... which be- lonjujH to me by virtue of the title-deed executed between us in presence of Roussel at Mortagne, the 14th March, 1634, avowing my readiness to i^cquit the seignorial and feudal rents whenever they shall be due, beseeching you to admit me to the said fealty and homage-" This Guion, a mason bv trade, observes the Abb<; Fei'land, was the man of letters and scribe of the parish. There is still extant a man-iage contract, drafted by him, for two par- ishioners; it is one of the earliest on record in Canada, beai'ingdate the 16th July, 1636. It is signed by the worthy Robert Giffard, the seignior, and by Francois Bellanger and Noel Langlois ; the other parties affixed their mark. It possesses interest as serving to illustrate the status and education of the early French settlers. In 1628, Robert Giffard had been taken a pi'isoner of war by the English, on board of Rocmont's fleet. On his return, and in ac- knowledgement of tbe services rendered by him to the colonial authorities, he obtained a grant of the seigniory of Beauport, to- gether with a large tract of land on the River St. Charles. For manj' long years the ancestral halls of the Duchesnays, at Beau- port, rang with the achievements of theii- warlike seigneurs. One of them, Nicholas Juchereau de St. Denys, ho distingui^iied him- self at the siege of Quebec in 1690, that his sovereign granted him " a patent of nobility." q" Le sieiir de St. Denys, seiyneur de Bean- port,'' says Cliarlevoix, " commandait ses habitants; il avait plus de soixante ans et combattait avec beaucoup de valeur, jusqu'a ce qu'il exit un b?'as casse d'un coup de feu. Le Roi recompensa pen de temps apris son zele en lui accordant des fettres de noblesse.'') His son distinguished himself in Louisiana. Two other members of the family won hiui-els at (Jhateaugay. A descendant, Lieut- Col. Theodore Uuchesnay, is Deputy Adjutant General of Militia. The late Col. Gugy, built himself, in 1865, close to the manor, a comfortable dwelling, wherein, amidst rural retii-ement, he divided his existence between literature, briefs and his stud, noted all over Canada. He had recently added to his domain, b}' purchase, a large tract of land from the adjoining property, the De Salabei'r\' homestead, where H. R. H, the Duke of Kent, the father of 442 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. , >[ i iii' ; \- M ^ ; i (I M, i ii ! our beloved Queen, in 1791 enjoyed more than ono petit souper. The broad acres which in 1750 resounded to the tread of Mont- calm's heavy squadrons, for years the quiet home of a bai-rister of note, now bear the name of Darnoc. Cedant anna toya'. Darnoc, since the death of Col. Gugy, in 1878, is occupied by Mrs. Gugy and Ilei-man Eyland, Esq., who married a daughter of the late proprietor. Tiie ruins of the Duchesnay Manor, more than once have been disturbed by the picU and shovel of the midnight seeker for hidden French piastres : Ihough loiigiously protected against outrage by Mrs. Gugy's familj-, and more especially watched over by the Genius Loci, the divining rod and a Petit Albert have recently found their way there; however successfully poised and backed by the most orthodox incantations and fumiga- tions, the magic rod has liiiled so far to bring to the surface either gold or silver coin. This was j)robably owing to the omis- sion of a very important ceremony: the production on the spot of "a candle* made out of the fat of an executed murderer, as the clock strikes twelve at midnight," undei- suitable planetary in fluence. The recent discovery of the corner stone of the old manor, and of an inscription dating back to 1634-, have given rise to a spicy newspaper discussion among our antiquarians. THESEIGNIOHIAL MANOU OF THE FIIiST SEIONEUR OF BEAUPOUT, lfi.l4. I.H.S. M.I.A. LAN 1634 LE NTE 25 IVILET.IE.ETE-PLA PREMIERE.P.C.GIFART 8EIGNEVR.DE.CE.LIEV lit ' In March 1881, the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, received from the widow of the late Col. K. C. A. Gugy, of Darnoc, Beauport, a lead plate, with the above quoted inscription, and a note, stating under what circumstances Col. Gugy's family became possessed of it. This lead plate, affords a written record of the laying of the foundation stone, on the 25th July, 1634, oithe his- torical homestead of the fighting Seiyneurs of Beauport : the Gifart, the Juchereau, the Duchesnay. •'< Une chandeile faite avec la graisse d'uD pendu." BEAUPOHT MANOR. 443 The massive old pile Jillegefl to have been the hcadquartci-.s of the Marquis de Montcalm, durini:; the sioji^o of Qiiehoc, iji 1759, and in which many generations of J)ueliesnays and some of (!ol. Gugy's children were born, became the prey of flames in 187!>, 'tis said, by the act of a Vandal. Thus perished the most ancient stronghold of the proud feudal Lnirds of Beauport, of the stone manor of Surgeon Kobert (jiitfard; the safe retreat against the Iroquois of the warlike .luchei-eau Duchesnays, one of whose ancestoi's, in 164r», had mari-ied Marie Gifart, or (JilVard, a daughter of the bellicose Escnlapius from Percho, France, — Sui'geon Eobei't Gifart, Grim and defiant the anti(j^iie manor, with its bigh-peaUed gables, stood in front of the dwelling (>)1. Gugy had erected, at .Darnoc, in 18()5 : it rather intercepted the view to be had I'rom this s])ot, of Quebec. One of the memorable landmarks of the ])ast, it has furnished a subject for the ])encil of Col. Benson J. Lossing, authoi- of the "American Hevolution," and '' Life of Washington," who, during his visit to Quebec, in Jul}', 1858, sketched it with y .some work- men, last .mmer, and only recently restored to the proprietors, is a circular plate of lead or pewter much injured by the fire which consumed the build- ing. Owing to the unwillingness of the men concerned to give any information, it is difficult to learn much about whereabouts in the building it was found, nor what other articles may have accompanied it, but as far as can be ascer- tained, this ovcil plate (about J of an inch in thickness) was rolled up and contained a few coins and some documents ; the first cannot be traced and are spoken of as " quejques sous ;" the latter, they say, crumbled into dust at once. 444 777a; environs of QUEBEC. The inscription, as well aR can be deciphered, is as follows • — I.H.S.M.I.A. LAN 1634 LE NTE 25 IVILKT.IE.ETE-PLA PREMIERE.P.C.GIFART SEIGNEVR.DE.CE.LIEV This is rudely hut deeply cut into the plate, and underneath may be seen in patches, traces of a fainter etching, part of which may be a coat of arms, but this is uncertain ; underneath can l)e seen a heart reversed, with flames springing from it upwards. All these are enclosed in a larger heart, point downwards. The enclosed rough simile may give an idea of the lettering at the top of the circle, the plate itself being about nine inches in diameter." (With Mrs. Gugy's compliments.) Darnoc, 26th March, 1881. n, ii THE BEA VPORT MASOIi TNSCRIPTION. ( To the Editor of the Morning Chronicle.) " Whilst regretting the loss of tht^ coins and document accompanying the inscription of the Bcauport Manor, on account of the light it might have thrown on this remote incident of Canadian history, let us examine the case as it stands. This rude inscription of 25th , July, 1634, gives priority as to date to the Beauport Manor over any ancient structure extant in Canada this day. The erection of the manor would seem to have preceded by three years the founda- tion of the Jesuits' Sillery residence, now owned l)y Messrs. Dobell and Beckett, which dates of July, 1637. Who prepared tiie inscription? Who engraved the letters ? Who oit on the lead the figure of the » flaming lieart ?" The stars ? Are they heraldic ? What did they typify ? Did tlie plate come out, ready prepared from France ? Had the Academic des Inscriptions, etc., or any other academie, any hand in the business? No, for obvious reasons. The lead-plate was imbedded in solid masonry. It is too rude to be the work of an engraver. Could it have been designed by Surgeon Gifart, the Laird of Beauport and cut on the lead-plate by the scribe and savant of the settlement, Jean Guion (Dion ?) whose penmanship in the wording of two marriage contracts, dating from 1636, has been brought to light by an inde- fatigable searcher of the past — the Abbe B'erland ? probably. But if the lettered Beauport stone mason, who never rose to be a Hugh Miller, whatever were his abilities, did utilize his talents in 1634, to produce a dur- able record in order to perpetuate the date of foundation of tiiis manor, he sub- sequently got at loggerlieads with his worth seignieur, probably owing to the litigious tastes which his native Perche had instilled in him. Perche, we all know, is not very distant from Normondy, the hot-b'd of feuds and litiga- tion, and might have caught the infection from this neighborhood. Governor Montmagny, in the space of eight short years, had been called on to adjudicate on six controversies which had arisen between Gifart and his vassals, touching boundaries and seigniorial rights, though the learned his- torian Ferland, has failed to particularize, whether among those controverted rights, was included the Droit de Ohapons and Droit de Seigneur ; could the nEAUPORT MANOR ISSCItlPTlON. 445 liitter unchaste, but cherifihcd right ot Homc Scotch and Oermiin feudal loitls, by II misa|)|)rL'hciision of our law, in the diirii diiys of tlio colony, liiivc bot-n cliiinird liy f-ucli un tjxuutin},' srjynior as M. dc (lifart ? One liopi's not. Jiu tliat as it may, tlie stone mason and .idvinit .Juan Union had refused to do feudal homafiu to " Monsieur de Licauiiurt," anil on the :i()tli .luly, KiKJ, six years after tliu date of the inscription, under sentence rendered by (lovciinor de Montmagny, he was made to do so. Who will decipher the I. H.S.— M.I. A. the letters at the top of the i)late ? Is there no tlesceiidant of the hau^dity Seignior of IJeauport, Hob. Gifart, to give us his biography, and tell us of bis sporting days ; of the black and grey ducks, brunt, widgeon, teal, snipe, and curlew, etc., which infested the marshy banks of the htream — the liuisxeuu ^ M .^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 >- m |50 '""^^ t^ III 3.2 ("J 2.5 2.2 ;; 1^ II 2.0 U ill 1.6 Va ^ /a #3 % ^ ?• ^>. / (9 / Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4503 fV iV n>' :\ \ o. ^9) V 6^ "% ) k^ FT,, i" ■ 1 'If : \ ■ i 1 J I lii ! 446 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. 8ur le cote ftaucbe, un bout de banderoUe, maiu I'artiate a dd abandonner sa premi6re idee, car le haut de la banderolle se perd dans les lignes du lambre- quin. J'ai lu dans la lettre qui accompagnait renvoi de Madame Gugy, que les ouvriers, qui avnient travaille aux ruines, disaient avoir trouve la plat^ue de plomb, roule'e avec certains documents qui seraient tombes en poussiero au toucher. La chose me parait impossible. Le deswous de la plaque indique qu'elle a etc posee ii plat sur un lit de mortier ; et la partie gravee, du moins celle oil sont gravees les armoiries, qu'une pierre pesante a ete plaeee dessus, et c'est par I'enfoncement de sa surface inegale que la plupurt des lignes gravees ont 6te dctruites. On voit encore dans le plomb oxide I'empreinte d'une coquille petrifiee qui se trouvait agregee au calcaire. En roulant le bloc superieur, les ouvriers ont pu plier le metal ; de Ms, I'erreur de croire que la plaque etait roulee ; elle a du, comme toutes choses de ce genre, etre plaeee dans une cavite comme fond, oil on avait depose le document tombe en poussiere ot lex " quelques sous " que ces honnetes ouvriers ont gardes nour eux, sans doute, sans en connaitre la valeur. Peu habitue k lire de telles inscriptions, niais connaissant la pietc des pre- miers colons du Canada, j'essayai de donner un sens courant i\ I'inscription et je trouvai qu'on pouvait lire cici : Jesu Ilominum Salvatore, Maria Immaculatd Auspice. (Sous les auspices ou la protection de Jesus iSauveur des hommes et de Marie-Immuculee.) L'an 1634, le 25 juillet — ^jc — 6te plantee premiere par (ou pour) C. (chirur.) Gifart, Seigneur de ce lieu. Jusqu'J present la chose se lit bien, le sens en est raisonable et positif- Supposant le chirurgien un homme iustruit et lettre, I'inscription latine se complete d'elle-meme. Mais, helas ! il y un mais, — la lettre C avant Gifart me trouble un peu. Comme je n'ai sous la main aucun volume, aucuue tradition du temps i\ consulter, je suis oblige de m'en tenir aux correspon- dances de journaux, et je trouve dans toutes le prenom do Robert — ce qui ne commence pas du tout par un C! * Mais le C, le malheureux C, ne serait-il pas I'initiale de Cloutier, le charpentier ou Teutreprenuur avec lequel Gifart avait fait un contrat ii Mortaigne, le 14 mars 1634, quatro mois ii peu pros avant la pose de la premiere pierre '.' Alors il faudniit lire : j'ai cti; plantee par Cloutier, Gifart etant seigneur de ce lieu Je m arrete, le souvenir de cerlaine inscription sur certain pont viont troubler toutes ces belles speculations. A force de vouloir 6tre savant, on pourrait fiftire dire h Robert Gilart des choses qu'il n'a jamais pensecs. Si, apr6s tout, ce Gifart n'etait pas savant, et qu'il eutvouludire par L H. 8., Jesus-Christ, et M. L A., Maria ; ce serait trop fort. — J'aimerais inieux la theorie de M. le Dr. Marsden, et de M, Bedard, Maria, Joachim, Anna. Le 25 juillet etant la fete de saint Jacques, et la vigile do saint Joachim, il serait plus raisonable de penser qu'on aurait mis la construction du premier Manoir cauadien sous la protection et les auspices du saint du jour. Keste a savoir si la Saint Jacques se fetait le 25 juillet, la Saint Joachim lo 26, en l'an de notre Seigneur 1634. Je laisso ii d'autres de mieux trouver. • Le mot chirurgien qui etait la profession de Gifart, se presente naturel- lement, mais I'article manque. . ..Oh 1 le C, si c'etait un R? plus de doute I'affaire serait claire. m BEAUPORT MANOR INSCRlPTfOS. 447 Quoiqu'il en soit, cette date 1634, est un ccntenaire memorable, car c'est en 1534 que Jacques Cartier, visita le golfe Saint- Laurent ut c'est en 1535, qu'il remonta notre beau Heuvc jusqu'a Hochelaga, cent ans avant la premiere concession seigneuriale de Beauport. J'ai I'honneur dYitre, Monsieur, votre humble servt., Cte. d'OuSONNENS. I/INSCRIPTION DD MANOIK DE HEAirPORT. Parmi une masse de vieux documents que Je possede, concernant la sei- gneurie de Beauport et ses seigneurs, j'ai trouve le re<;u suivant : "Je, soussigne, confesse avoir re<;u un billet de cent cinquante livres de monsieur de Beauport, pour ce qu'il m'avait promis pour faire sa batisse de logis de Beauport. " faict ce 2(ii6me juillet 1642. " P. Clust.', Cela donnerait peut-etre une explication dos abn'viations "P. C." de I'ins- cription trouvtie dans les ruines du vieux manoir. En effet, il est loisible de supposer que cet architecto a fait ce que ses con- freres modernes font encore, et qull a grave ses initlales sur I'lnscription comi. mo'-ative de la pose de la premiere pierre plnnlee dam la b&tisse de Beau^ rt. H. J. J. DUCHESNAY. La Beauce, 4 aviil, 1881. H. V'S LETTEU. * (ABsf: H. Vekreaij ?) Vne relique historique. La Minerve a public I'inscription de la plaque trouvee k Beauport. Le Journal de Quebec I'a reproduite aussi ; mais avec une certaine difference. Pour I'etudo des personnes eloignces et potu- I'utilito de la science, il est bien desirabie qu'on en prenne de nonibreuses impressions sur plutre. Si madame Gugy accorde la permission necessaire, elle meritera certainement la recon- naissance de ceux qui ctudient notre histoire. II parait que le dernier chiffre de la date se lit avec difficultc. II est toutefois trfss important de le determiner avec touto la precision possible. A mes yeux, la date du 25 juillet entraine plusicius consequences qui dis- paraissent avec un autre thiffre. I. Le 25 juillet est consacre i\ I'apotre saint Jauqiies-le-Majeur. Ne peut- on pas traduire le second groupo trilittere M. J. A. par Majnri Jacoho Apostolo. Le premier groupe, si connu d'ailleurs, etant latin, il est natnrel de supposer que le second I'est aussi. II. La fete de saint Jacques-leMajeur, (lui tombait un mardi en 1634, etait ch6mce ; par consequent les travaux serviles ont du etre suspendu ce jour-lt\. III. Le meme jour, 25 juillet 1634, Robert Gifart assistait k un mariage il Qu6bec, ce qui peut expliquer pourquoi il etait remplace k Beauport par son fils Charles. Mais la pose do la pierro angulaire d'une simple maison, un jour de grande fdte, me semble difficile k expliquer, qu'on veuille ou noa y faire intervenir les cercmoDies de la Religion. ;i IW Kii; ii<- r- I 448 Ti?^ ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. L'ezpression : Je He plantSe offre ausBi uue difidcultd. A cette dpoque on faisait de nombreuses fautes d'orthographe, mais on avait presque toujour^ le mot propre. II est bien vrai qu'en terme d'architecture, on disait planter un edifice pour Vasieoir sur la magonnerie de sea Jondements; maiH ju ne sacho pas qu'on ait dit : planter les pierres des fondements. Cette plaque n'aurait-elie pas 6t6 dustince iV unocroix planteeil I'endroit que GifFard voulait defricher ? II est d'autant plus naturel qu'il ait commence sus travaux par cet aute de foi qu'il devait songer ii faire biltir une eglise pres de sademeure. Dans cette supposition, on s'explique facilemeut que la croix ait ete plantce un jour de fete solennelle, oii tout le monde, surtout h, cette cpoque, devait vaquer k nes devoirs religieux. Je vols dans les Archives de Beauport, par Mgr. Langevin, que la maison de Giifard, d'apr^s M. Ferland, devait otre plus pr^s de la petite riviire que le manoir actuel. C. Giffard, qui est dcsigno comme seigneur de Beauport, est le fits de Robert. II etait ne en France et devait etre encore assez jeune. C'est de lui que parle le Journal des Jcsuiies en disant que le fils de M. Giffard passa en France, en 1646, avec d'autres jeunes gens " tons fripons pour la plupart qui avait fait «mille pieces h, I'autre voyage, et on donnait u tons de grands appointements." Ce 28 octobre, il etait parrain, et il s'embarquait le 31. II n'est plus question de lui apres cette date, soit qu'il ait renoncc au Canada, soit qu'il ait peri prematurement. Le p^re repris sa seigneurie de Beauport qu'il fit agrandir le mieux put. P. S. — En ccrivant ce qui precede, j'etais un peu presse ; j'aurais du rcniar- quer cependant, que sous la lettre C, les lecteuru ne pouvaient dcviner le prenom du jeune seigneur de Beauport. II s'appelait Charles, et devait etre ne en France comme sa soeur Mane, qui devint Madame de la Fertc. Dans I'interet de vos lecteurs je ferai remarquer que le Dicttonnaire Geneolo- gique renferme, ii Tarticle Giffard, certaines erreurs. Ainsi Fran^oise qui com- mence I'article est la mdme que Marie. Frangoise qui le termine : elle se fit religieuf-e b, I'HStel-Dieu. L'epouse de Jean Juchereau de la Ferte fut Marie, nee en France, puisque son contrat de mariage, en 1645, la dite " ag6e de 17 ans environ," ce qui reporte sa naissance vers 1628. Charles assiste et signe un contrat. Ce n'est pas Robert Oifard ; mais son Ills Joseph, dont le corps fut tiaasportc h. la cathedrale, le 31 decembre 1705. m ■ 111 MOUNT LILAC, BEAUPORT. Some thirty years ago, I saw, for the first time, the picturesque old manor of the Rylands at Beauport; this was in its chissicdays. Later on, I viewed it, mossy and forlorn, in what some might style its " iron age." Of this, hereaftei'. The Chateau stood embowered amidst lilac groves and other ornamental shrubs, so far as I can recollect, with a background of elms, white birch, spruce, &c. Its vaulted, lofty and well-propor- tioned dining-room, with antique, morocco-covered chairs, and carved buffets to store massive ])late, its spacious hall and gi-ace- ful winding staircase ; its commanding position on the crest of the Beauport ridge, affording a striking view of Quebec ; its well- MOUNT LILAC, BEAVPORT. 449 of stocked orchard, umbrageous plautations, and atnplo HtabloH, from which issued, among other clioico bits of blood, ia 1842, the cele- brated racer "Emigrant": several circumstances, in fact, con- spired to impress it favorably on my youthful mind. On that occasion, I found le milord aiujlais (as a vvaggish Canadian peasant called him) under his ancestral roof. Eocalling our parish annals of early times, I used then to think that 8hoi\ld England ever (which God forbid) hand back to its ancient masters " those fifteen thousand acres of snow," satirized by Voltaire, ridiculed by Madame de Pompadour, cruelly and basely deserted by Louis XV, in their hour of trial, here existed a ready-made manor for the Gitlards and Duchesnays of the future, where their descendants could becomingly receive fealty Jtnd homage (Joi et homaye) from their feudal retainers. There was, however, nothing here to remind one of the lordly pageantry of other times — the days of absolutism — of the dark era, the age of lettres de cachet, coroees, tods et ventes, and other feudal burthens, when the flag of the Bourbons tloatod over the fortress of New France. In 1846, at the time of ray visit, in vain would you have sought in the farm yard for a live seigniorial capon (un chapon vif et enplumes) though possibly in the larder, at Christmas, you might have discovered some fat, tender turkeys, or a juicy haunch of veni- son. Of vin ordinaire ne'er a trace, but judging from the samples on the table, perhaps much mellow Madeira, and " London Stout " might have been stored in the collars. Everywhere, in fact, was apparent English comfort, English cheer. On the walls of the ban- queting apartment, or within the antique red-leathered portfolios strewn round, you would have run a greater chance of meeting face to face with the portraits of Lord Dorchester, Genl. Prescott, Sir Eobert Shore Milnes, Sir James Craig, the Duke of Richmond, and other English Governors, the cherished friends of the Rylands, than with the powdered head of his most sacred Majesty, the Great Louis, or the ruffled bust and sensual countenance of the voluptu- Louis XV But lot us see more of Mount Lilac and its present belongings. Facing the glittering cupolas of Quebec, there is a fertile area of meadow and cornfield stretching from Dorchester bridge to the deep ravine and Falls over which the Montmorency, La Vache, hangs its milk-white curtain of spray. On the river shore, s2 i; \i-l lit ,5! l¥ m u ! ( i 450 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. I in 1759, stood Montcalm's earth and field works of defence. Pai*- allel to them and distant about half a mile, the highway, over which H. R H. Prince Edwai-d's equipage pranced daily, during the summers of 1791-3, now a macadamized road, ascends by a gen- tle rise, through a double row of whitewashed cottages, about seven miles, to the brow of the roaring cataract spanned over by a substantial bridge ; half way, looms out the Roman Catholic temple of worship — a stately edifice, filled to overflowing on Sundays, the parochial charge in 1841 of the Rev. Charles Chiniquy, under whose auspices was built the Temperance Monument on the main road, a little past the Beauport Asylum. This constitutes the parish of Beauport, one of the first settled in the Pi'ovince. It was conceded by the Company of New France, on the 3 Ist December, 1635, to a French surgeon of some note, " le sieur Robert Giffard." Surgeon GiflFard had not only skill as a chirurgoon to recommend him, he could plead services, nay captivity undergone in the colonial cause. An important man in his day was this feudal magnate Giffard, to whom fealty and homage were rendered with becoming pomp, by his consitaires, the Bellangers — Guions — Langlois — Parents — Mar- coux, of 1635, whose descendents, still bearing the old Percbe or Norman name, occujiy to this day the white cottages to be seen on all sides. On the highest site of this limestone ridge, a clever, influential, refined, and wealthy Briton, the Hon. Henry Wistius Ryland, for years Civil Secretary, Clerk of the Executive Council, a member of the Legislative Council, with other appointments, purchased from Col. Johnston, a lot, then a wilderness, for a country seat in 1805. Mr. Ryland had come out to Canada with Lord Dorchester in 1795, as his secretary, at the instance, we believe, of Lord Liverpool, his protector; at the age of 21 he was acting as Paymaster of two army corps, during the War of Independence in America. For more than thirty years, Mr. Ryland enjoyed the favour, nay the intimacy of every ruler (except Sir George Prevost) which this then mis-ruled colony owed to Downing Street. Antipathies of race had been on the increase at Quebec, ever since the parliamentary era of 1791 ; there was the French party, NoTB, — In a parliamentary Document of 1862, it is stated to bare been con- ceded on 16th January, 1634 MOUNT ULAC. 451 led by fieiy and able politicians, and the English oligarchy occu- pying nearly all the offices, and avenues to power. French armies under Napoleon I. swayed thedestinios of continental Europe; their victories occasionally must have awakened here a responsive echo among their down-trodden fellow-countrymen cowardly deserted by France in 1759, whilstNoison'svictoriesof the Nile, of Trafal- gar, of Copenhagen, and finally the field of Waterloo, had buoyed up to an extravagant pitch the spirits of the English minority of Quebec, which a French parliamentary majority had so often tram- melled. It was during the major part of that stormy period that Hon. Herman Wistius Ryland, advised by the able (yhief .Justice Jonathan Sewell, — was in reality entrusted with the helm of state. He was, as Christie the historian observes, considered the " Foun- tain head of power." This subtle diplomat (for such will be his title in history), however hostile in his attitude he might have appear- ed towards the French Canadian nationality, succeeded in retain- ing to the last the respect of the French Canjidian peasantry who surrounded him. Probably never at any time did he wield more power than under the administration of Sir James H. Craig. His views were so much in unison with those of Sir James, that His Excellency deputed him to England with a public mission threefold in its scope, the ostensible object of which waw first " to endeavor to get the Imperial Government to amend or suspend the Constitution; secondly, to render the Government independent of the people, by appropriating towards it the revenues accruing from the estates of the Sulpicians* of Montreal, and of the Order of the Jesuits ; thirdly to seize the patronage exercised by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Quebec, — the cm;ts or church livings in his diocese; contending that no Roman Catholic Bishop really existed in Canada, (but merely a superintendent of mir4s), none having been recognized by the Crown. It has been stated that he had a fair chance of succeeding on two points, had not the great Lord Chancelloi-, Kldon, intervened to thwart his scheme. The correspondence exchanged between Mr. Ryland and His Bxcclloncy, Sir James H. Craig, preserved in the F ♦ By an ordinance of the Special Council, obtained through Sir Poulet Thompson, in the troublous times of 1838-41, these gentlemen made safe their well-beloved charter. 452 THE ENVIJWNS OF QUEBEC. r -t sixth volume of Christie's History of Canada, exhibita Mr. Ryland at his best, and has led some to infer that, had he been cast in a different sphere, where his talents and attainments would have been more properly appreciated and directed, he would have played a very conspicuous part. We tind the Boauport states- man in 1810, in London,* consulted on Canadian affairs by the leading English politicians and some of the proudest peers. The honored guest of Enqlish noblemon,f he appears at no disad- vantage, sips their old port unawed, cosily seated at their mahogany. It must be borne in mind that, in 1810, Lord Castlc- reagh and Lord Liverpool had their hands pretty full with con- tinental politics, perhaps too much so, to heed poor distant Canada. Shortly after the arrival, at (Quebec, of the Earl of Durham, viz., on the 29th July, 1838, the Hon. H. W. Ryland expired at his country seat at Beauport, aged 78 years. Ho was born in 1760 at Northampton in England, of a very ancient Saxon family, dating back to Edward the Confessor, Wra. Eylaud his great grandfather having successfully defended Oxford against Oliver Cromwell, while his sons fought on the other side. * Mr. Ryland, writing to Sir James Craig iin.ier date 22nd August, 1810, thus describes bis interview with the Ministers of btate, the Earl of Liverpool, Lord Bathurst, Mr. Percival, Mr. Peel, Lord Camden, the Marquis of Wellosey, &c. " On entering tlie room I found it was a meeting of the Cabinet Ministers, eight in number ; Lord Liverpool desired me to tiike a seat between him and Mr. Percival I then repeated an observation I had made in my first interview with Lord Liverpool, concerning Bedard in particular as the leader of the anti-government party, who has now so committed himself as to render it impossible he be employed " H. W. RYLAND." (Christie's History of Canada.) t Mn. Ryland to Sir J. H. Ckaig, K. B. London, 14th August, 1810. " Dear Sir, — I yesterday had the honor to dine with the Earl of Liverpool at Coombe Wood ; the party consisted of His Lordship, Lady Liverpool, Lord and Lady Bathurst, Lord Ashley and his sister, I believe. Sir Joseph and Lady Banks, Mr. Peel the Under-Secretary of State, and a lady whose name I do not recollect. I had some conversation with Mr. Peel, before dinner, concerning the state of things in Canada, and I was mortified to find that he had but an imperfect idea of the subject He told me that he had read Lord Granville's despatch of October, 1789, to Lord Dorchester, which I had recommended to bis attention, and he seemed to think a re-union of the Provinces a desirable object H. W. BYLAND." (Christie's History of Canada.) THE INDIAN LORETTE. 453 Mount Lilac then reverted to his son, George Herman Ryland, Esq., now Registrar at Montreal, who added much to the charms of the spot. It was offered to Lord Metcalfe subsequently as a country seat, but for reasons which it is unnecessary to enter into, the negotiations fell through. Mr. Ryland occupied it till his removal from the Quebec to the Montreal Registry, Office. Some years back the property was purchased by Mr. James Dinning, Quebec, who reserved for him- self the farm, one hundred and five acres in extent, and sold in 1856, the house and twenty-three acres thereunto attached to a wealthy and whimsical old ironfounder of Quebec, Mr. John H. Galbraith. This thrifty tradesman, in order to keep his hand in order, like Thackeray's hero, continued the pursuit of his former occupation, the smelting of ore, even under the perfumed groves of Mount Lilac, and erected there an extensive grapery and conservatory, and a foundry as well ; the same furnace blast thus served to produce, under glass, fragrant flowers — exquisite grapes — melting peaches, as well as solid pig iron and first class stove plates. Mount Lilac owed a divided allegiance to Vulcan and Flora. Which of the home products pleased the most the worthy Mr, Galbraith ? is still an open question.* A VISIT TO THE INDIAN LORETTE. Of the many attractive sites in the environs of the city, few con- tain in a greater degree than the Huron village of Lorette during the leafy months of June, July and September, picturesque scenery, combined with a wealth of historical associations. The nine miles intervening between Quebec and the rustic auberge of the village, thanks to an excellent turnpike, can be spanned in little more than an hour. I shall now attempt to recapitulate some of the sights and incidents of travel which recently befell me, whilst escorting to Lorette an Old World tourist, of very high literary estate. With a mellow autumnal sun, just sufficient to bronze the • In 1871, Mr. John Henderson Galbraith expired at Mount Lilac, leavinp to hie widow his beautiful country-seat, on which he had expended some $26,000. The foundry or machine shop was closed, and under the intelligent care of Miss Elizabeth Oalbraith, Mount Lilac continues to produce each sum- mer ambrosial fruit and exquisite flowers. 454 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. n t Hombre tints, lingering at the close of the Indian summer, we left the St. Louis Hotel, the headquarters of tourists, and rapidly drove through Fabrique and Palace streets, towards the unsightly gap in our city walls, of yore yclept Palace Gate, which all Lord Dnfi'erin' a prestige failed to protect against vandalism, but which, thanks to his initiative, we expect yet to see bridged over with graceful turrets and Norman towers. A turn to the west brought us opposite to the scarcely percep- tible ruins of the Palace* of the French Intendants, destroyed by the English shells in 1775, to dislodge Arnold and Montgomery's New England soldiery. The park which intervened formerly between it and the St. Chai'les was many years back converted into a wood yard to store the fuel for the garrison ; a portion now is used as a cattle market ; opposite, stands the station and freight sheds of the Q. M. O. & O. Eailway; the road skirts the park towards the populous St. Roch suburbs, rebuilt and transformed since the great fire of the 28th May, 1845, which destroyed 1,600 houses, occupying the site of former spacious pasture grounds for the city cows, styled by the early French La Vacherie. In a trice we reach Dorchester bridge, the second one, built there in 1822, the first, opened with great pomp by His Excellency Lord Dorchester in 1789, having been constructed a few acres to the west, and called after him. The bridge, as a means of crossing from one shore to the other, is an undoubted improvement on the scow used up to 1789. One of the first objects on quitting the bridge and diverging west- ward to the Charlesbourg road, on the river bank, is the stately, solid, antique mansion of the late C. Smith, Esq., who at one time owned nearly all the broad aci*es intervening between the house and Gros Pin. It took for a time the name of Smithville and was inherited by several members of his family, who built cosy houses round it. These green fields, fringed with white birch and spruce plantations, are watered by the St. Charles, the Kahir-Koubatf of • Originally a brewery owned by Intendant Talon, and sold to the French King, in 1686 for 15,000 ^eus. Later on the Intendant's Palace, in magnifi- cence rivalled the Chateau St. Louis. f Kahir-Koubat " ameandering stream." Ahatsistari's house (formerly <■ Pop- lar Grove," the homestead of L. T. McPherson, Esq.), on the north bank of the St. Charles, was called Kahir-Koubat by N. Monpetit. Here formerly dwelt, we are told, Col. De Salaberry, the hero of Chauteauguay, until 1814. THE INDIAN LORETTE. 455 ancient days, In rear of one of the first villas Hingfield, owned by Geo. Holmes Parke, Esq., runs the diminutive stream, the Lairet, at the confluence of which Jacques Cartier wintered in 1535-6, leaving, there one of his ships, the Petite-Hermine, of 60 tons, whose decayed oak timbers were exhumed in 1843, by Jos. Ilamel, City Surveyor of Quebec. A very remarkable vestige of French domination exists behind the villa of Mr. Parke — a circular field (hence the name Ring-field) covering about twelve acres, surround- ed by a ditch, with an earth work about twenty feet high, to the east, to shield its inmates from the shot of Wolfe's fleet lying at the entrance af the St. Charles, before Quebec. A minute des- cription has been given by General Levi's aide-de-camp, the Che- valier Johnstone*, of what was going on in this earthwork, whore at noon, on the 13th Sept., 1759, were mustered the disorganized Fi-ench squadi-ons in full retreat from the Plains of Abraham toward their camp at Beauport. Here, on that fatal day, was debated the surrender of the colony — the close of French rule : here also, close by, in" 1535-6, was the cradle of French power, the first settlement and winter quarters of the French pioneers — Jacques Cartier's hardy little band. From this spot, at eight o'clock that night (13th Sept.), began the French retreat towards the Charlesbourg church; at 4 a.m. next day the army was at Cap Eouge, disordered, panic- stricken I Oh ! where was the heroic Levi I On ascending a hill (Clearihue's) to the north, the eye gathers in the contour of a dense grove, hiding in its drooping folds '* Auvergne," the former secluded country seat of Chief Justice Jonathan Sewell, now owned by George Alford, Esq. A mile to the north, in the deep recesses of Bourg-Royal, rest the fast crumbling and now insignificant ruins of the only rural Chateau of French origin round Quebec. Was it built by Talon, or by Bigot? an unfathomable mystery. Silence and desertion * Beyond the uumiHtakablc vestiges of its having been of early French con- struction, there is nothing icnown of the origin under French rule, of Bigot's little Chateau. History is replete with details ahout his peculations and final punishment in the Bastile of France ; possibly the legends in prose and in verse, which mantle round the time-worn ruin, have no other foundation than the fictions of the poet and the novelist. Thanks to Amedee Papineau, W. Eirby, Jos. Marmette, Beaumanoir, Bigot's Chateau, is now immortalized in BOQg. \ II ip" ? 1 !i I ill if k 45C THK ENVmONS OF QUKBKO.' reign supremo, where of yore Bigot's hoartlesH wassailers used to meet and gamble away King Louis's card money and piastres. " And Blink aro tlio voici , ^^^ I , s^ ^ .< la^^UJUBlk |!,i4 1 J^HK^lHi if ' ' IB i ' 'fit pi ■i M' \" i kiU^ 468 Tirar ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. Huron-Iroquois nation who, in 15.^6, were the enfants du sol at both places, and that in the interim the Algonquins had, after bloody wai-s, disperse*! and expelled the Huron-Iroquois. The savages with whom the early French settlers held intercourse f'n be comprised under two specific heads — the Algonquins and the Huron-Iroquois — the language of each difiFering as much, ob- serves the learned Abb^ Faillon, as Fi-ench does from Chinese. It would take us beyond the limit of this sketch to recapitulate the series of massacres which reduced these warlike savages, the Hurons, from their high estate to that of a dispersed, nomadic tribe, and placed the Iroquois or Mohawks, at one time nearly destroyed by the Hurons, in the ascendant. Their final overthrow may be said to date back to the great Indian massacres of 1648-9, at their towns, or missions, on the shores of Lakes Simcoe, the fii'st mission being founded in 1615 by the Friar LeCaron, accompanied by twelve soldiers sent by Champlain in advance of his own party. The Jesuit mission was attacked by the Iroquois in 1648; St. Louis,St. Joseph*, St.Ignacef , Ste. MarieJ, St. Jean||, successively fell, or were threatened ; all the inmates who escaped sought safety in flight; the protracted sufferings of the missionaries Bi-eboeuf and Gabrief Lallemant have furnished one of the brightest pages of Christian heroism in New France. Bi-ebceuf expired on the 16th March and Lallemant on 17th March, 1649. A party of Hurons sought Manitoulin Island, then called Ekaentoton ; a few fled to Virginia ; others succeeded in obtaining protection on the south shore of Lake Erie, from the Erie tribe, only to share, later on, the dire fate of the nation who had dared to incorporate them in its sparse ranks. Father P. Eagueneau (the first writer, by the by, who makes mention of N iagara Falls — Relations de 1648,) escorted three or four hundi-ed of these terror-stricken people to Quebec on the 26th July, 1650, and lodged them in the Island of Orleans, at a spot since called L'Anse du Fort, where they were joined, in 1651, by •The Mission of St. Joseph, composed of 400 Huron families, was suddenly attacked by the Iroquois on the 4th July, 1648. fSt. Ignace was surprised and taken on 16th March, 1649. }Ste. Marie mission-house was given to the flames by the Jesuits them- selves on 16th May, 1649. list. Jean was ravaged on 7th December, 1649. n THE HVRONS OF LORETTE. 459 a party of Hurons, who in 1649, on hearing of the massacre of their western brethren, had asked to winter at Quebec. For ten years past a group of Algonquins, Montagnais and Hurons, amidst incessant alarms, had been located in the picturesque parish of Sillery ; they, too, were in quest of a more secure asylum. Nego- tiations were soon entered into between them and their persecuted friends of the West; a plan was put forth to combine. On the 29th March, 1651, the Sillery Indians, many of whom were Hurons united with the western brethren, sought a shelter, though a very insecure one, in a fortified nook, adjoining their mission- ary's house, on the land of Eleonore de Grandmaison, purchased for them at VAnse du Fort, in the Island of Orleans, on the south side of the point opposite Quebec. Here they set to tilling the soil with some success, cultivating chiefly Indian corn, their numbers being occasionally increased during the year 1650, by their fugitive brethren of the West, until they counted above 600 souls. Even under the guns of the picket Fort of Orleans, which had changed its name to He St. Marie, in remembrance of their former residency, the tomahawk and scalping-knife reached them ; on the 20th May, 1656, eighty-six of their number were car- ried away captives, and six killed, by the fei'ocious Iroquois ; and on the 4th June, 1656, again they had to fly before their merciless tormentors. The big guns of Fort St. Louis, which then atood at the north-west extremity of the spot on which the Dufterin Terrace has lately been erected, seemed to the Hurons a more eff'ectual protection than the howitzers of Anse du Fort, so they begged from Governor d'Aillebout for leave to nestle under them in 1658. 'Twas granted. When the Marquis de Tracy had ar- ranged a truce with the Iroquois in 1665, the Huron refugees prepared to bid adieu to city life and to city dust. Two years later we find them ensconced at Beauport, where others had squatted on land belonging to the Jesuits ; they stopped there one year, and suddenly left, in 1669, to pitch their wigwams for a few years at Cote St. Michel, four and a half miles from Que- bec, at the Mission of Notre Dame de Foye, now called St. Foye. On the 29th December, 1673, restless and alarmed, the helpless sons of the forest sought the seclusion, leafy shades and green fields cA! Ancienne Lorette.* Here they dwelled nearly twenty-five ' 1 i I *Thi8 parish was called after the celebrated Church of iSanta Caia, of Loretto, in Italy. The Hurou Missiooary, Father Chaumonot, had arranged m\ «i n i \ ■ :i ■4 ■m 4 I I h * 460 r/Tff ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. yeai's. The youths had grown up to manhood, with the terrible memories of the past still fresh on their minds. One fine day, allured by hopes of more abundant game, they packed up their household gods, and finally, in 169*7, they went and settled on the elevated joZa^gau, close to the foaming rapids of St. Ambroise, now known as Indian, or Jeune, Lorette. 'Tis here we shall now find them, 336 souls all told,* living in comparative ease, successful traders, exemplary Christians, but fast decaying Hurons. " The Hurons," says Ahatsistari,f "are divided into four fam- ilies: that of the Deer; of the Tortoise ; of the Bear ; of the Wolf. Thus, the gix at Chief Francois Xavier Picai-d — Tahourenche — is a Deer, and his son Paul is &Tortotse, because (Her Highness) Ma- dame Tahourenche is a Tortoise; a lithe, handsome woman for all that. "Each family has its chief, or war captain ; he is elected by choice. The four war captains chose two council chiefs, the six united select a grand chief, either from among themselves or from among the honorary chiefs, if they think proper." We append a letter, from Sister Ste. Helene, discriptive of In- dian customs, in 1730. Civilization and Christianity have sensibly modified, some will say, improved the Eed Skins since then. TNDTAN DRESS-LOVE MAKmO -FEASTS-BURIALS. From a MS. Letter of Saeur Ste. Helene, published by Abbe Verrault. " Would you like to learn how they dress — how they marry — how they are buried ? First, you must know that several tribes go completely naked, and wear but tlie fig-leaf. In Montreal, you meet many stately and well-propor- tioned savages, walking about in this state of nudity, as proud in their boar- ing, as if they wore good clothes. 8ome have on a shirt only ; others have a their huts around the church, which he had erected in imitation of the Loretto Chapel in Italy, where he had seen a vision of angels. * A censtis of the settlement taken on 19th January, 1879, exhibits the population as composed of 326 souls, divided as follows: — Adult Males, 94; Adult Females, 137 ; Boys, 49 ; Girls, 56. Total, 336. 143 males to 193 females ; bachelors must have been at a premium in the settlement. We un- derstood that a complete history of the tribe is now in course of preparation by the Rev. Prosper Vincent, a son of Chief Vincent. fAn excellent sketch in French has been published of Tahourenche aad his tribe, in the Opinion Publique, under the nom cU. plume of Ahatiiatari, which we think ourselves warranted in crediting to the elegant pen of A. I^. ?lontpetit, one of their honorary Chief "^r INDIAN CUSTOMS. 461 covering negligently thrown over one shoulder. Christianized Indians are differently habited. The Iroquois put their shirt over their wearing apparel, and over the shirt another raiment, which encloses a portion of the head, which is always bare. The men generally wear garments over their shirts ; the latter, when new, is generally very white, but is used until itgets perfectly dark and disgustingly greasy. They sometimes shave a portion of their head, or else they comb one half of their hair back, the other half front. They oc- casionally tie up a tuft ot hair very tight on the top of the head, rising towards the skies. At other times some allow a long tress of hair to fall over their face, : it interferes with their eating, but it has to be put up with. They smear their ears with a white substance, or their face with blue, vermillion and black. They are more elaborate in their war-toilette than a coquette would be in dressing — in order to conceal the paleness which fear might en- gender. They are profuse of gold and silver brocade, porcelain necklaces, bracelets of beads — the women, especially in their youth. This is their jewellery, their diamonds, the value whereof sometimes reaches 1,000 francs. The Abenaqis enclose their heads in a small cap embroidered with beads or ornamented with brocade. They wrap their legs in leggings with a fringe three or four inches long. Their shoes consist of socks, with plaits round the toe, covering the foot. All this has its charm in their eyes ; they are as vain of drets as any Frenchman. The pagan tribes, whenever love is felt, marry without any ceremonial. The pair will discover whether they love one an- other in silence, Indian-like. One of the caresses consists in throwing to the loved one a small pebble, or grains of Indian corn, or e'se some other object which cannot hurt. The swain, on throwing the pebble, is bound to look in the opposite direction, to make believe he did not do it. Should the adored one return it, matters look well, else, the game is up. '< The Christianized Indians are married in face of the church, without any contract of marriage and without stipulations, because an Indian cannot own real estate and cannot bequeath to his children. The wealthiest is the mightiest hunter. This favored individual, in his village passes for a grand match. Bravery and great warriors they think much of — they constitute the latter their chiels. Poverty is no disgrace at the council board, and an orator in rags will speak out as boldly, as successfully, as it he were decked out in gold cloth. They come thus poorly habited in the presence of the Gover- nor, indulge in long harangues, and touch his hand fearlessly. When ladies are present at these interviews, they honor them thus — seize their hand and shake it in token of friendship. Before I became a nun I was present at some of these ceremonies, and having won their good opinion, they would extend to me a hand which was disgusting in the extreme, but which I had cheer- fully to accept for fear of offending them. They are sometimes asked to dine at the Governor's table. Unlucky are their neighbors, especially when they h.ippen to be ladies, they are so filthy in their persons. — 1730." — Reoue Cana- dtenne, page 108-9. Such the Montreal Indians in 1730. The Lorette Chapel dates back, as well as the Old Mill, to 1731. In 1862 the Chapel sutl'ered much by tire. The tribe oc- cupies land reserved by Government, under the regulations of the Indian Bureau of Ottawa. " Indian Lorette comprises from forty to fifty cottages, on the pic h of the falls— spread out, without design, over an area of a*". >venty square acres. In the centre runs the kings highway car half sloping down towai-ds the i i, F I! '> h J hf4i^ 1 ; a ill li t if- .,' ' #' - ^ 462 rfflS? ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. St. Charles. The most prominent objects are the church, a grist mill and Mr. Eeid's paper mill ; close by a wooden fence encloses 'God's acre,' in the centre of which a cross marks the tomb of Chief Nicholas."* It is indeed, "a wild spot, covered with the primitive forest and seamed by a deep and tortuons ravine, where the St. Charles foams, white as a snow drift, over the black ledges, and where the sunshine struggles through matted boughs of the pine and the fir, to bask for brief moments on the mossy rocks, or flash on the hurrying waters. . . . Here, to this day, the tourist finds the remnants of a lost people, harmless weavers of baskets and sewers of mocassins, the Huron blood fast bleaching out of them." Of " free and independent electors " none here exist; the little Lorette world goes on smoothly without them. " No Huron on the Keserve can vote. No white man is allowed to settle within the sacred precincts of the Huron kingdom, composed, Ist, of the lofty Pto^eaM of the village of Indian Lorette, which the tribe occupy. 2nd. Of the forty squai-e acres, about a mile and a half to the north-west of the village. 3rd. Of the Rocmont settlement, in the adjoining County of Portneuf, in the very heart of the Laurentine Mountains, ceded to the Hurons by Gov- ernment, as a compensation for the Seigniory of St. Gabriel, of which Government took possession, and to which the Hurons set up a claim. " In all that which pertains to the occupation, the possession •Probably the same as alluded to in a quaint old engraving, presented us by John Neilson, Esq., P.L.S., a son of the Hon. John Neilson, himself an honorary Chief of the Lorette Hurons. Under the portrait of tJhief Nicholas is printed " Nicholas Vincent. Isawanhoni," principal Christian chief and Captain of the Huron Indians, established at La Jeune Lorette, near Quebec, habited in the costume of his country, as when presented to his Majesty George IV. on the 7th of April, 1826, with three other chiefs of his nation, by Generals Brock and Carpenter; the chief bears in his hand the wampum or collar, on which is marked the tomahawk given by his late Majesty George III. The gold medal on his neck was the gift of his Majesty on this presen- tation. "They were accompanied and introduced into England on the 14 several thousands of pairs of snow-shoos, cariboo mocassins and mittens for the English regiments tenanting the Citadel of Que- bec, whose wealthy officers every winter scoured the Laurentine range, north of the city, in quest of deer, bear and cariboo, under the experienced guidance of Gros Louis, Sioui, Vincent, and other famous Huron Nimrods. The chronicles ofthe settlement proclaim the valour and wisdom of some of their early chiefs; conspicuous appears the renowned Ahatsistari, surnamed the Huron Saul, from his early hostility to missionaries ; death closed his career, on the verdant banks of Lake Huron, in 1642, a convert to missionary teachings. At tiie departure of the French, in 1759, a new allegiance was forced on the sons of the forest ; St. George and his dragon for them took the place of St. Louis and his lilies. The Deer, the Bear, the Tortoise and the Wolf tribe, however, have managed to live on most friendly terms with the Dragon. In 1776, Lorette sent its contin- gent of painted and plumed warriors to tight General Burgoyne's inglorious campaigns. The services rendered to England by her swarthy allies in the war of 1812-14 were marked; for years a distribution of presents took place from the Quebec Commissariat and Indian Department. Proudly did the Hurons, as well as the Abenaquis, Montagnais, Micmac and Malicite Indians bear the snow-white blankets, scarlet cloth and hunting-knives awarded them by George the King, and by the victors of Waterloo. Each yeai", at midsummer, the Indians in their canoes, with their live freight of hunters, their copper-coloured squaws and black-eyed papooses, rushed from Labrador, Gasp^, Resti- gouche. Bale des Chaleurs, and pitched their tents on a strip of land at L6vi, hence called Indian Covo, the city itself being closed to the grim monarchs of tl.ie woods, reputed ugly customers when in their cups. A special envoy, however, was sent to the Lorette Indians on similar occa- sions. The Indians settled on Canadian soil were distinguishei' for their loyalty to England, who has ever treated them raort mercifully than did " Uncle Sam." The war between England and the United States in 1812 brought the Lorette braves again to the front, and the future hero of Chateauguay, Col. De Salaberiy, was sent to enlist them. Col. De Balaberry attended in person on the tribe, at Indian THE HURONS OF LOHETTK. 465 lOl't J12 ire jm. lian Lorette. A grand pow-wow had been convoked. The sons of the forest eagerly sent in their names and got in readiness when the Colonel returned a few days later to inform them that the Govern- ment had decided +o retain them as a reserve in the event of Quebec being attacked from the Kennebec. Notwithstanding this announcement, six Hurons (among whom were Joseph and Stanislas Vincent) claimed with loud cries the right to accompany the Canadian Voltigeurs, commanded by the Colonel. At Chateauguay, where 300 Canadians so gloriously repelled 7,000 invaders, the brothers Vincent swam across the river to capture and make prisoners, the flying Yankees. These swarthy warriors had but u faint idea of what military discipline meant, and thinking that, the battle being over, they could return to Lorette, left accordingly. This was u flagrant case of desertion. Nothing short of the brave Colonel's earnest entrea- ties, sufficed to procure a pardon for the redskins. A letter was written to Col. De Salaborry by his father, late M.P. for the county, os this subject ; it has boon preserved. The Hurons attended at Boauport at the unveiling of the monument of De Salaborry on the 27th of June, 1880, and subs- cribed bountifully to the building fund. What with war medals, clothing, ammunition, fertile lands specially reserved at Lorette, on the Eestigouche, at Nouvelle, Isle Verte, Caughnawaga, St. Eegis, &c., the " untutored savage," shielded by a beneficent legislation, watched over by zealous missionaries, was at times an object of envy to his white brethren. Age or infirmity, seldom war, tore him away from this valo of sorrow, to join the great Indian " majority " in those happy hunting grounds promised to him by his Sachems. The Hurons were ever ready to parade their paint, feathers, and tomahawks, at the arrival of every new Governor at Quebec, and to assure Ononthio,* of their undying attachment and unswerving loyalty to their great father or august mother ** who dwells on the other side of the Great Lake." Those tradi- tions have descended even to the time when Ononthio was merely a Lieutenant-Governor under Confederation. We recollect i 1 i ' ! I t I', I'! * Ononthio means the Oreat Mountain, the name the Indians gave Oovernor de Montmagny and his successors. e2 > ! ,■ i I ^' ' i i Ijll J I 466 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. meeting, in Slst March, 1873, a stately deputation, composed of twenty-three Hurons from Lorette, returning from Clermont, the country seat of Lieutenant-Governor Caron, where they had danced the war-dance for the ladies, and harangued, as follows, the respected Laird of Clermont, just then appointed Lieutenant- Governor : — Ononthio : — Aisten tiothi nonSa * tisohon dekha hiatanonstati desonSaSen- dio daskemion tesontaria'i denonSa ation datitoSanens tesanonron- h8a nionde, aonSa desonSaSendio deSa desakatado; aSeti desanon- ronkSanion datitoSanens chia ta skenrale the kiolaoutouSison tothi chia hiaha aSeti dechienha totinahiontati desten de sendete ataki atichiai aSeti alatonthara deskemion ichionthe desten tiodeti aisten orachichiai. Eev. Prosper SaSatonen. The Memory Man. (Eev. Mr. Vincent, a chiefs son, then Vicaire at Sillery.) Paul Tahourenche, Ist Chief. The Dawn of Day. Maurice Agnolin, 2nd Chief. The Bear. Francis Sassennio. The Victor of Fire. Gaspard Ondiaralethe. The Canoe Bearer. Philippe TheonSatlasta. He stands upright. Joseph Gonzague OddO'Tohannin.. He who does not forget. Paul Jr. Theianontakhen. Two United Mountains. Honore Telanontouohe The Sentry. A. N". Montpetit Ahatsistari. The Fearless Man And others ; in all 23 warriors. [Translation.'] "The chiefs, the warriors, the women and children of our tribe, greet you. The man of the woods also likes to render homage to merit : he loves to see in his chiefs those precious qualities which constitute the statesman. " All these gifts of the Great Spirit, wisdom in council, pru- dence in execution, and that sagacitj we exact in the Captains of our nation, you possess them all in an eminent degree. " We warmly applaud your appointment to the exalted post of Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Quebec, and feel happy * The 8 is pronoaaced oui. \ CHATEAU BIOOT. 467 in taking advantage of the occasion to present our congratula- tions. "May we also be allowed to renew the assurance of our devo- tion towards our august Mother, who dwells on the other side of the Great Lake, as well as to the land of our forefathers. "Accept for you, for Mrs. Cai'on and your family, our best wishes." CHATEAU BIGOT. ITS HISTORY AND ROMANCE. " Ensconced 'mid trees this chateau stood — 'Mid flowers each aisle and porch ; At eve soft music charmed the ear — High blazed the festive torch. But, ah I a sad and mournful tale Was her's who so enjoyed The transient bliss of these fair shades — By youth and love decoyed, Her lord was true — yet he was false. False — false— as sin and hell — To former plights and vows he gave To one that loved him well," The Hermitage. From time immemorial an antique and crumbling ruin, standing in solitary loneliness, in the centre of a clearing at the foot of the Chai'lesbourg mountain, some five miles from Quebec, has been visited by the young and the curious. It was once a two stoiy stone building, with ponderous walls. In length it is fifty-five feet by thirty-five feet broad — pierced for six windows in each story, with a well-proportioned door in the centre. In 1843, at the date of my first visit, the floor of the second story was yet tolerably strong: I ascended to it by a rickety, old staircase. The ruin was sketched in 1858, by Col. Benj. Lossing, and reproduced in Harper's Magazine for January, 1859. The lofty mountain to the north- west of it is called La Montague des Ormes ; for more than a cen- tury , the Charlesbourg peasantry designate the ruin as La Maison de la Montagne. The English have christened it the Hermitage, whilst to the French portion of the population, it is known as Chateau-Bigot, or Beaumanoir ; and truly, were it not on account of the associations which surround the time-worn pile, few would take the trouble to go and look at the dreary object. ,1 I ■■■' ! i! Ml %' A 468 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. The land on which it stands war* formerly included in the Fiefde la Trinite granted between 1640 and 1650 to Monsieur Denis, a gentleman from La Rochello, in France, the ancestor of the numerous clans of Denis, Denis de la Eonde, Denis de Vitre, &c. The seigniory was subsequently sold to Monseigneur do Laval, a descendant of the Montmorency's, who founded in 1663 the Semi- nary of Quebec, and one of the most illustrious prelates in Now France: the portion towards the Mountain was dismembered. When the Intendant Talon formed his Baronie Des Islets* he an- nexed to it certain lands of the Fief de la Trinite, amongst others that part on which now stands the remains of the old chateau, of which he seems to have been the builder, but which he subsequent- ly sold. Bigot having acquired it long after, enlarged and im. proved it very much. He was a luxurious French gentleman, who, more than one hundred years ago, held the exalted post of Inten- dant or Administrator under the Fi-ench Crown, in Canada.f In those days the forests which skirted the city were abundantly stocked with game : deer, of several varieties, boars, foxes, perhaps even that noble and lordly animal, now extinct in eastern Canada, the Canadian stag, or Wapiti, roamed in herds over the Laurontian chain of mountains, and were shot within a few miles of the Chateau St. Louis. This may have been one of the chief reasons • May, 1675, Louis XIV. and Colbert granted Monsieur le Comte Talon, Intendant, the Seigniory des Islets, " together with those three neighboring villages to us belonging the first called Bourg Royal, the second Bourg La Beine, the third, Bourg Talon, subsequently changed into the Barony of Orsain- Y\\\e:'—{Ferland, Vol. II p. 59.) t I am happy to be able to throw some additional light on the early times of this mysterious ruin, which has much perplexed Quebec antiquaries. 'Tis probable this stately mansion was built by the great Intendant Talon as the baronial chateau, permitted by his grant, (see Setgnorial Documenti,\9b2, — page 444 and 488) according to which he was empowered to establish gaols, " a four- post gibbet. . . a post with an iron collar on which his arms should be engraved." Of all this redoubtable feudal pomp there are no vestiges now extant. How the chateau fared from Talon's time to Bigot's, remains a mystery. After the conquest, the land came by purchase into the possession of the Stewart family, lately represented by Charles Grey Stewart — a most interest- ing and lengthy letter from Charles Stewart, describing the winter months spent in the Hermitage in 1775-6, whilst Arnold held for Congress the envir. ons of Quebec, will bis given hereafter, Mr. Wm. Crawford the late owner of the land and ruins, having kindly allowed me the use of his title deeds. I find therein stated <■ Charles Stewart, avocat et notaire demeurant h, Quebec, pro- priStaire du fief de Grand PrS, autrefois dit De la Mistanguenne ou Mont Flaisir, k la Canardi €re par acte de vente du 26 Juin 1780, devant Jean Antoine »^*a CHATEAU BIOOT. 469 le Fiefde ar Denis, )i' of the ''itre, &c, I Laval, a ;he Semi- } in Now ombered. 3* he an- fst others latoau, of bsequont- [ and im. lan, who, of Inten- ada.f In undantly , perhaps 1 Canada, lurontian )8 of the f reasons ite Talon, jighboring Bourg La of Orsain- |ly times of •ies. 'Tis [Ion as the 152,— page Is, " a four- ngraved." Int. How Ion of the interest- br months the envir- owner of Ids. I find pbec, pro- |ou Mont Antoine why the French LucuUus erected the little cJiateau, which to this day bears his name — a resting place for himself and friends after the chase. The profound seclusion of the spot, combined with its beautiful scenery, would have rendered it attractive during the summer months, even without the sweet repose it had in store for a tired hunter. Tradition ascribes to it other purposes, and amusements less permissible than those of the chase. A tragical occurrence enshrines the old building with a tingo of mystery which the pen of the novelist has woven into a thrilling romance. Frangois Bigot, thirteenth and last Intendant of the Kings of France in Canada, was born in the Province of Guienne, and descended of a family distinguished by professional eminence at the French bar. His commission bears date " 10th Juno, 1747." The Intendant had the charge of four departments : Justice, Police, Finance and Marine. He had previously filled the post of Intend- ant in Lousiana, and also at Louisburg. The disaffection and revolt caused by his rapacity in that city, were mainly instru- mental in producing its downfall and surrender to the English commander, Pepperell, in 1745. Living at a time when tainted Panet, N.P., concede a titre de cens et rentes seigneuriales h. Monsieur Jean Lees, le Jeune, Simon Eraser, le Jeune, et William Wilson, n^gociant en cette viile, 10 arpents de front situ6s dans le fief Grand Pr6 ou Mont Plaisir ii la Canardi6re au lieu nomm6 la Montafi;ne ou I'Hermitage, prenant d'un bout, vers le sud aux terres de Joseph Bedard, et JeanBaptisteLe Roux dit Cardinal, et allant en profondeur vers le nord quatorze arpents ou environ, jusqu'ii la vieille cldture du verger, icelui verger compris en la presente concession et ventc, Ies dix arpents de front joignant du cut6 du Bud-ouest| ou fief de la Trinit6, appartenant au S6minaire, et du cote du nord-ouest ii la terre de Jean Chattereau, ensemble la maison ii deuxetages, une grange et un etable en bois, construits sur Ies dits dix arpents." [Tramlatioii.'i " Charles Stewart, advocate and notary, residing at Quebec, proprietor of the ^i^ Grand Pr6, formerly styled De la Mistanguenne or Mont Plaisir, at the Canardi^re, by deed of sale, bearing date the 26th June, 1780, before Jean Ant. Panet, N.P , conceded a titre de cejis et rentes Seigneuriales. ....... to Mr. Jean Lees, junior, Simon Fraser, junior, and William Wilson, merchants of this city, ten arper^s, in front, situated in the iie/ Grand Pr6, or Montplaisir, at the Canardi6re, at the place named The Mountain or the Hermitage, beginning on one side, towards the south, at the lands of Joseph Bedard and Jean Baptiste LeRoux dit Cardinal, and running in the depth towards the north, fourteen arpents or thereabouts, to the old orchard fence — said orchard included in this concession and deed of sale, the ten arpents in part joining towards the north- west, to the Fiefde la yrmiV^ belonging to the (Quebec) Seminary, and on the north-east side joining the land of Jean Chattereau, together with the two- story house, bam, wooden stable, built on the said ten arpents." The property was resold the 12th August, 1805, by John Lees, et al., to Char- les Stewart, Esq., Comptroller of Customs, Quebec. It is now owned by Leger BrooBseau, Esq. I I .J !S i\i % 410 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. morals and official corruption ruled at court, he seemH to have taken his Htandard of morality from the mother country ; his mal- versations in office, his extensive frauds on the treasury, more than £400,000; his colossal speculations in provisions and commiss- ariat supplies furnished by the French government to the colonists during a famine ; his dissolute conduct and tinal downfall, arc fruitful themes wherefrom the historian can draw wholesome les- sons for all generations. Whether his Charlosbourg (then called Bourg Royal) castle was used as the receptacle of some of his most valuable booty, or whether it was merely a kind of Lillipu- tian Pare au Cerfs, such as his royal master had, tradition does not say. It would appear, however, that it was kept up by the plunder wrung from sorrowing colonists, and that the large profits he made by paring from the scanty pittance the French govern- ment allowed the starving residents, were here lavished in gamb- ling, riot and luxury. In May, 1757, the population of Quebec was reduced to subsist on four ounces of bread per diem, one lb. of beef, horse-flesh or CODFISH ; and in April of the following year, the miserable allow- ance was reduced to one half. *• At this time," remarks our his- torian, Garneau, " famished men were seen sinking to the earth in the street from exhaustion." Such were the times during which Louis XV's minion would retire to his Sardanapalian retreat, to gorge himself at leisure on the life blood of the Canadian people, whose welfare he had sworn to watch over I Such, the doings in the colony in the days of La Pompadour. The results of this misrule were soon apparent: the British lion placed his paw on the coveted morsel. The loss of Canada was viewed, if not by the nation, at least by the French Court, with indifference ; to use the terms of one of Her Britannic Majesty's ministers, when its fate and possible loss were canvassed one century later in the British Parliament, " without apprehension or regret." Voltaire gave his friends a ban- quet atFerney, in commemoration of the event ; the court favourite congratulated His Majesty, that since he had got rid of these " fifteen hundred leagues of frozen country," he had now a chance of sleeping in peace ; the minister Choiseul urged Louis XV. to sign the final treaty of 1763, saying that Canada would be un embarras to the English, and that if they were wise they would CHATEAU nrooT. 471 have nothing to do with it. In the meantime the red cross of St. George was waving over the hattlementH on which the lily- spangled banner of the Bourbons had proudly sat with but one interruption for one hundred and fifty years, the infamous Bigot was provisionally consigned to a dungeon in the Bastille — subse- quently tried and exiled to Bordeaux ; his property was confisca- ted, whilst his confederates and abettors, such as Varin, Breard, Maurin, Corpron, Martel, Estebo and others, were also tried and punished by fine, imprisonment and confiscation : one Penisseault, a government clerk (a butcher's son by birth), who had married in the colony, but whoso pretty wife accompanied the Chevalier do Levis on his return to France, seems to have fared better than the rest. But to revert to the chateau walls as I saw them on the 4th of June, 1863. During a ramble with an English friend through the woods, which gave us an opportunity of providing ourselves with wild flowers to strew over the tomb of its fair " Rosamond,"* such as the marsh marigold, clintonia, uvularia, the star flower, veronica, kalmia, trillium, and Canadian violets, we unexpectedly stinick on the old ruin. One of the first things that attracted our notice was the singularly corroding eff^ect the easterly wind has on stone and mortar in Canada ; the east gable being indented and much more eaten away than that exposed to the western blast. Of the ori- ginal structure nothing is left now standing but the two gables and the division walls ; they are all three of great thickness ; certainly no modern house is built in the manner this seems to have been. It had two stories, with rooms in the attic, and deep cellars; a communication existed from one cellar to the other through the division wall. There is also visible a very small door cut through the cellar wall of the west gable ; it leads to a vaulted apartment of some eight feet square ; the small mound of masonry which covered it might originally have been eff'ectually hidden * The fascinating daughter of Lord CliflFord. famous in the legendary his- tory of England, as the mistress of Henry II. shortly before his accession to the throne, and the subject of an old ballad. She is said to have been kept by her royal lover in a secret bower at Woodstock, the approaches to which formed a labyrinth so intricate that it could only be discovered by the clew of a silken thread, which the king used for that purpose. Here Queen Eleanor discovered and poisoned her, about 1173 — (Noted names qf Fiction, 1175. See also Woodstock. — Waverley Novelt.) ,! ■. I ! m 472 THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. from view by a plantation of trees over it. What could this have been built for, asked my romantic friend ? Was it intended to secure some of the Intendant's plate or other portion of his ill- gotten ti-easure ? Or else as the Abbe Ferland suggests*: " Was it to store the fruity old Port and sparkling Moselle of the club of the Barons, who held their jovial meetings there about the begin- ning of this century?" Was it his mistresses' secret boudoir when the Intendant's lady visited the chateau, like the Woodstock tower to which Eoyal Henry picked his way through " Love's Ladder?" Quien sabe f Who can unravel the mystery ? It may have served for the foundation of the tower which existed when Mr. Papineau visited and described the place fifty years ago. The heavy cedar rafters, more than one hundred years old, are to this day sound : one has been broken by the fall, probably of some heavy stones. There are sevei-al indentures in the walls for fire-places, which are built of cut masonry ; from the angle of one a song sparrow flew out uttering an anxious note. We searched and dis- covered the bird's nest, with five spotted, dusky eggs in it. How strange ! in the midst of ruin and decay, the sweet tokens of hope, love and harmony ! What cared the child of song if her innocent offspring were reared amidst these mouldering relics of the past, mayhap a guilty past ? Could she not teach them to warble sweetly, even from the roof which echoed the dying sighs of the Algonquin maid ? Red alder trees grew rank and vigorous amongst the dis- jointed masonry, which had crumbled from the walls into the cellar ; no trace existed of the wooden staircase mentioned by Mr. Papineau ; the timber of the roof had rotted away or been used * I am indebted to my late old fiiend the Abbe Ferland for the following re- mark : " I visited Chateau Bigot during the summer of 1834. It was in the state described by Mr. Papineau in the interior, the walls were still partly papered. It must not be forgotten that about the beginning of this century a club of Bons-vivant used to meet hequently in the Chateau." Throe celebrated clubs flourished here long before the Stadacoua and St. James' Club were thought of. The first was formed in(juebec, about the begin- ning of thiK century. It was originally called (after its London prototype) says Lambert, the Beet Steak Club, which name it soon changed for that of the Barons C'ub. It consisted of twenty-one members, "who are chiefly the principal merchants in the colony, and are styled barons. As the members drop off, their places are filled by knights elect, who are not installed as barons until there is a sufficie?it number to pay for the entertainment which Is given on that occasion." John Lambert, during the winter of 1807, attended one of the banquets of installation, which was given in the Uuion Hotel (now the Journal de Quebec office, facing the Place d'Armes.) The Hon. Mr. Dunn, the If CHATEAU BIGOT. 473 for camp fires by those who frequent and fish the elfish stream which winds its way over a pebbly ledge towards Beauport. It is well stocked with small trout, which seem to breed in great num- bers in the dam near the Chateau — a stream, did we say ? << A hidden brook, In the leafy mouth of June, That to the sleeping woods all night Siugeth a quiet tune.'' " Enough ! enough ! cried my poetic companion. The fate of the fair maid, the song of birds, the rustling of groves, the murmur of yonder brook, — does not all this remind you of the accents of our laurel-crowned poet, he who sang of Claribel ?" Those who wish to visit the Hermitage, are strongly advised to take the cart-road which leads easterly from the Charlesbourg church, turning up. Pedestrians prefer the route through the fields ; they may, in this case, leave their vehicle at Gaspard Huot's boarding-house — a little higher than the church at Charlesbourg, — and then walk through the fields, skirting, during the greater part of the road, the trout stream I have previously mentioned ; but by all means let them take a guide with them. Let us now translate and condense, from the interesting narra- tive of a visit paid to the Hermitage in 1831, by Mr. Am^d^e Papineau and his talented father, the Hon. Louis Joseph Papi- noau, the legend which attaches to it : egin- says the the kbers irons ;iven le of the ,the CAROLINE. OR TBE ALOONQUIN MAW. (BY AMfcDilE PAPINEAU.) " We drove, my father and I, with our vehicle to the foot of the mountain, and there took a foot-path which led us through a dense wood. We en- President of the Province, and Administrator, during the absence of Sir Robert 8. Milnes, attended as the oldest baron. The Chief Justice and all the principal officers of the government, civil and military, were present. This entertain- ment cost 250 guineas. "The Barons Club," says W. Henderson, "was a sort of Pitt Club, — all Tories to the back-bone. It was a very select affair — and of no long duration. Among the members, if my memory serves me right, were John Coltman, George Hamilton, Sir John Caldwell, Sir George Pownall, Herman Wistius Ryland, George Heriott, (Postmaster and author) Hon. Matthew Bell, Gilbert Ainslie, Angus Shaw." (Notes of W. Henderson.) The other club went under the appropriate name of " Sober Club," — luctu a non lucendo perhaps : it flourished about 1811 ; we believe one of the By-laws enacted that the members were expected to get elevated at least once a year. It seems to be more than likely that it was the Club of Barons, and not the Sober Club, who caroused under the romantic walls of the Hermitage. The third Club flourished at Montreal in 1786 and later, it took the name of the Beaver Club, and was, I believe, composed of old Nortkmvtera. ii|i|| r^ iij i!<"' I I 4Y4 rF£? ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC. countered and crossed a rivulet, and then ascended a plateau cleared of wood, a most enchanting place ; behind us and on our right was a thick forest : on our left the eye rested on boundless green helds, diversified* with golden har- vests and with the neat white cottages of the peasantry. In the distance was visible the broad and placid waters of the St. Lawrence, at the toot of the cita- del of Quebec, an

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OS ►>•" .£3 SO o •"a f- n o • Q 11 SO 3 — *- o Ml WW IT ! 518 V :i APPENDIX. QUEBKC QOLF OL UB. The members of this Club had their annual meeting on Saturday last to com- pete for their " Handicap Medal " over the Cove Field, or Quebec links. The " Ancient gameof Golf " having only recently been introduced into the country it may not be uninteresting for the information of the uninitiated to give a general idea ot the game. It is played with a ball, weighing 1 J oz., made of " gutta percha" and a set of clubs of various construction suitable for the dif- ferent stages of the game ; the play is over an extended grass common or " Links." At St. Andrew in Scotland, for instance, the ground " Links " over which the game is played, extends in length about two miles and the circuit " out and home" is about four miles ; over this space, circular holes of about four inches in diameter are placed, in all eighteen holes, from a quarter of a mile to one-half or one-third of the distance apart. The game is interspersed with what in golfing language are called "hazards," that is sand bunkers and whins, and all the skill required is to avoid these, reach each hole, and hole the ball in the fewest possible number of strokes. Of course the distance and number of holes varies according to tlie extent of ground available for play in different locali- ties ; at Quebec, for instance, tlie " round " consists in 14 holes, extending from the racquet court westward to Perrault's Hill, and making a circuit back to the" home hole " or the point from which the game started. The game is played by two persons or by four (two of a side playing alternately. They commence by each party playing off from a place called a " tee " near the first hole; the ball must afterwards be played from wherever it lies and the hole is won by the party holing in fewest strokest ; hereafter the balls are again teed and so on at each hole over the whole course. All golf clubs as a rule have an annual competition for a medal or other trophy ; sometimes the rule is that all must compete on equal terms ; at others the players are handicapped, that is odds are given according to the player's supposed skill or want of skill, and in awarding the prize the odds thus given arc deducted from the aggregate score made by tlie player — thus, say a player is handicapped or receives the odds of ten strokes and holes the round in 80, his odds being deducted makes him stand 70 in the competition ; he therefore wins as against another competitor whose aggregate score is 71, but who received no odds. LIST OF MEMB ?S— QUEBEC OOLF CLUB. if i Patron : His Excellency, the Maki^uis of Lorne, Governor-General of Canada. Captain : C. Farquharson Smith. Racket Court and Club House Glacis Hole O Racket Court Hole O Fort Hole. O Valley Hole Ridge Hole. O rAl a Tow«r Hole. PLAN OF THE GOLF LINKS AT QUEBEC. 14 HOLES.-Long Hole, Fort Hole, Stevenson Hole, and Racket Court Hole being played over a second time to make 18 Holes the Round. m r ♦^ifi ! it. K i APPENDIX, 619 Committee , James Stevenson. Peter MacNaughton. H. Stanley Smith. Herbert M. Price. Secretary- Treamrer : William P. Sloane. Beckett, Thos. Campbell, Colin. ' Cook, William. Denistoun, A. Dobell, Richard R. DeWinton, Lt.-Col., F. W. Foote, John J. Griffith, W. A. Gibb, James. Gilmour, John D. Hale, E. I. Irvine, Hon. Geo. Irvin, Lt.-Col., D. T., R.A. Laird, Thomas U. Lindsay, Crawford. Machin, H. T. Moffat, W., jun. Meredith,Hon. Chief Justice W. C. Macpherson, William M. MacEwen, Peter Mac Kay, John Roberts, Jos. Ruthven, Hon. E. Richardson, D. B. C. Smith, C. Chaloner. Smith, R. H. Stikeman, H. Scott, T. M. Scott, A. P. Scarth, James L. Sheppard, H.C , A.D.C., Lt.-Gov. Thomson, Andrew. Thomson, Geo. H. Taylor, John. Hussey, George. Young, G. B. Symes. We may add that a certain historical interest attaches to the Game of Golf. It was played in early times by two Kings of Scotland, hence the preEx " Royal ;" honce also, perhaps, the custom of players wearing red coats while at play. In the " Memorials of Edinburgh in the olden time," by Dr. Daniel Wilson, President of the University College, Toronto, and Professor of History, we read that King Charles I was engaged in the game of Golf on Leith links when, in November, 1G41, a letter was handed to him which gave the first news le Rebellion in Ireland. On reading the letter, he suddenly called for his coach, and leaving a few of his attendants in great agitation, he drove to Holy- rood palace, from whence he set out ne.xt day for London. This was undoubtedly his last game in Scotland, ami probably the last game of Golf ho played. It will he observed that His Excellency the Marquis of Lome is Patron of the Quebec Club. His Excellency is not on the list as a mere figurehead ; he is a golfer, and plays an excellent game, as shewn in the Reports of medal day games. Colours QUEliEC SffO W-Sno E CLUB, KouiKled III IsTii. Red and Black. This Club, which counts upwards of GO members in its ranks, meets weekly during the snow-shoe season ; it has three rentlezvous, viz., at Hamels on the Cap Rouge Road, at Belleau's, on the St. Foye Road, and at Chamberlain's near s V. 520 APPENDIX. Beauport. At these tramps the meniberH amuRe themRelves with chesR, cards, draughts, singing, &e., to 1 1 p.m., when stippor is served. Tlie club w conducted on strictly temperance principles. The Annual Concert of the Club, usually held in the Music Hull, is looked for by the Quebec public with pleasure. In 1881,oneof the largt^st audiences ever collected in the Music Hall, attended the annual concert. The Hall was decorated with flags, devices, wreaths, snow-shoes most ingen- iously arranged. It was a most brilliant and enjo)'able xoiree. The various LaCrosse, the Golf and the Snow-shoe Clubs, tend very much to develop the muscle of our city youths, combining healthy exercise, with pleasure and health. Subjoined will be found the names of the Q. S. S. C, for 1881. Ashe, H. Ashe, F. Bell, J. L. Buchanan, A. H. Boswell, V. Boswoll, J. Buchanan, N. H. Brown, J., Jr. Bruneau, L. Bruneau, J. Burroughs, W. Campbell, K. Campbell, W. W. Campbell, W. N. Colley,A. W. Dunn, C. Dunn,T. Dunbar, J., Jr. Doucet, R. E. B. Pry, H., Jr. Forrest, S. Forrest, H. QuEBKc Snow-shoe Club. Fraser, D. Gingras, J. Green, J. A. Hollowuy, A. Hollo way, F. Holt, C. Hurst, II. Hague, L. Hemming, H. Harrison, K. M., Jr. Irvine, G. H. Joly, E. Judge, H. K. Jones, E,, Jr. King, Wm. Laird, J., Jr. Lelievre, S. Montizamberf, W, Meredith, ¥ . Mountain, A. H. Mountain, H. H . Myles, P. Peters, J. B. Peters, A . H . Phillips, C. W. Oliver, F. Richardson, J. 0. Roche, J., Jr. KaWHOii, Rev. C l{amsay, W. T. Scott, W. B. Scott, W . Scott, A. Smith, R. H., Jr. Scwartz, E. Sewell, R. L, Woods, W. C. Woods, H. Wilson, E. Welch, R. C. Whitehead, B. Wurtele, C. F. W. I Officers : R. H. Smith, Jr., President; A, Holloway, Vice-President; H. Woods, Secretary-treasurer. Committee : W. B. Scott, A. H. Buchanan, P. Myles. On the 24th March, 1881, a handsome gold locket and chain was jjresented to one of the most energetic promoters of the Club, Mr. A. Holloway, with the following addresss : — To Alfred Holloway f, Esquire, frovi the mevihers of the Quebec Snow-nhoe Club. Dear Sni, — We, your fellow-members of the Quebec Snow-Shoe Club, ac- knowledging the indefatigable zeal you have always shewn for the prosperity APPENDIX. 521 of the club, beg to oflfer for your acceptance the accompanying locket and chain m a small token of regard. It is the spontaneous tribute of the members in recognition of your many fine qualities as a companion, and to mark our appreciation of your eft'orts to make our meetings agreeable. The success and pleasure of the many winter tramps were in no small mea- sure due to the bright and cheerful manner you always displayed in encouraging and enlivening the journey, and thus your impromptu songs at our plaixs of meeting, on the route, were inimitable, and were, W(f assure you, thoroughly enjoyed. These pleasant and invigorating snow-shoe rambles and entertain- ments will ever remain a green spot in our memories. That the Quebec Snow-Shoe Club may long continue to enjoy the benefit and influence of your agreeable company is the heartfelt desire of us all. K. Harcoukt Smith, President. 14th March, 1881. Harry Woods, Secretary. The locket and chain which were presented to Mr. A. HoUoway were made by Mr. G. Seifert, tlie locket having upon it a pair of crossed snow-shoes and tuque with a monogram of the club beautifully raised on the one side, and on the back, were engraved the following words : " Presented to Mr. Holloway by the members of Q. S. S. C , 24th March, 1881." The address was handsomely illuminated by the Nuns of the Good Shepherd Convent, and reflects great credit upon them for the artistic manner in which it is got up. ' m • 522 APPENDfX. FRENCH OOVERNORS OF CANADA. (List pbbharbd by Frrd. A. McCord.) Date of Commission. N« Champlain, Samuel de , Champlain, Samuel de ((/).. .. Chateau fort, Maic Autoinu Bras-de-ter de (/<).... MoNTMAONY, Ciiailes Hnauit ■ de i D'AiLLEBOusT de Coulongc, \ Louis Lauzon, Jean de Lauzon-Charny, Cliai les de D'AillebouHt de Coulonge, j Louis D'Aroenson, Pierre de Voyer, ! Vicomte D'Avaugour, Pierre Dubois, Baron Mezy, Augustin de Sali'niy- . j CouRCELLES, Daniel de Remy i de(c) Frontenac, Louis de Buade, 1 Comte d(.' Palluau et de . La Barre, Le Febvre de (d) . . Oenonville, Jacques Rene de Brisay, Marquis de Frontenac, Louis de Buade, Comte de Palluau etde. Callieres, Louis Hector de. Cai.likres, Louis Hector de (f/) Vaudreuil, Philippe i APPENDIX. Englith Qovernors. — Continued. Roivan, Major Gen. William (m) Rowan, Lieut. Gen. William Head, Sir Edmnntl Walker Eyre, Sir William WillianiK, Sir William Fenwick Monck, Charles Stanley, Vistoiuit MoNCK, Charles Stanley, Viscount (o) Michel, Sir John Windham, Sir Charles Ash Yonnjj;, Sir John , YoiTNo, Sir John (p) Doyle, Sir Charles Hastings DuFFERiN, Sir F. T. Blackwood, Karl of .... , O'Grady Haly, Lieut. Gen. William O'Grady Haly, Lieut. Gen. William O'Grady Haly, Sir William Macdougall, Sir Patrick L , LoRNE, Sir John D. S. Campbell, Marquis of From To May •29 1849 May 30, 1849 Aug. 23 1853 June 10, 1854 Dec. 19 1854 Oct. 24, 1861 June 21 1857 Nov. 2, 1867 0(t. 12 1860 Feb. 22, 1861 Oct. 25 18«1 Nov. 27, 1861 Nov. •JH 1861 Nov. 13, 1868 Sep ■M) 1865 Feb. 12, 1866 Nov. 14 1868 Nov. 30, 1868 Dec. 1 1868 Feb. 1, 1869 Fel.. 2 1869 June •^1, 1872 June 22 1872 June 24, 1872 June 25 1872 Oct. 18, 1878 Oct. 12 1874 Nov. 2, 1874 May 15 1875 Oct. 22, 1875 Jan. 21 1878 Feb. 6, 1878 Oct. 19, 1878, Nov. 24, 1878 Nov. 25 1878 .■ I' Is 3 ,. t i f^ 'il NOTES. Names indented are those of administrators. Except in the case of administrator.*?, the date of the arrival at Quebec, wherever I have been able to ascertain it, is that given in the second column in the list of French Governors. (a) Quebec was held by the English, under Louis Kirke, from July 20, 1629, to July 13, 1632, when it was re.stored to France, The colony was then governed by Emery de Caen and Duplessis Bochart, until Champlain's return, May 23, 1633. (b) The date given in the second column is that of Champlain's death. Chateaufort's administration began on the day of the interment, probably the 28th. (c) The Marquis de Tracy, the King's Lieutenant-General in America, arrived at Quebec, June 30, 1665, and was virtually the Governor of Canada till his departure, August 28, 1667. (d) The date here given in the second column is that of the registration of the Governor's commission at Quebec. (e) La Galissonnidre was sent out to administer the Government during the captivity of La Jonqui6re, who, on his way from France, had been made prisoner by the English. (/) Although Amherst is usually placed first on the list of English Gov- ernors, it is well known that after the capitulation of Montreal he divided the Ari'Esnrx. 52B province into tiiree (,'ovornnientH or (listrictH, to each of which he appointed a Governor, and that he liiiUKelf very whortiy nftcrwurdu left the country iind did not return. Tlie GovernorH of these tliree diHtrictw, during wliat iH com- monly called the period of military rule, from Sei>t. 8, 1760, to Aug. 10, 1764, were aB follow k • District of Quebec, Gen. James Murray Sep. 1760 to Aug. I 764. District of Tliree Rivers, Col. Ralph Burton Sep. 1 760 to May 1 762. Col, Fred. Haldimand May 1762 to Mar. 1763. Col. Ralph Burton Mar. 1 763 to Oct. 1 763. Col. Fred. Haldimand Oct. 1 773 to Auk. 1764. District of Montreal, Gen, Thomas Gage Sep. 1 760 to Oct. 1 763. Col. Ralph Burton Oct. 1763 to Aug. 1764. (g) Guy Carletoii was niath) a Knight of the Bath on the 6th of July, 1776. (A) oir Guy Carletonwas named Lord Dorchester on the 2 1 st of August, 1 786. (i) Created a Baronet on the 14th of February, 1801 . (.;■) On the 12th of July, 1816, Sir John Sherbrookc took the oaths of oftice at Quebec, although he hud previously, on the 8th of June, been sworn in at Halifax. (k) Sir Peregrine Maitlaud, Governor of Upper Canada, was sworn in at Quebec, as Administrator of the Government of Lower Canada, on the 8th of February. He returned to Upper Canada next day; but came back to Quebec in March, and was again sworn in on the 17th. — Quebec Mi-.rcurii. (I) The Hon. C. Poulett Thomson was created Buroii Sydenham and Toronto in 1840. The date given in the Hrst column is that of his assuming the Governorship of Lower Canada, of which province he was the last Governor. He was sworn in as Governor of the Province of Canada, on the 10th of February, 1841, when Upper and Lower Canada were united. (m) Acted merely as Deputy of the Governor for the prorogation of parlia- ment. The name is retained because it appears on other lists. («) Sir Charles Metcalfe was created Baroii Metcalfe in January, 1845. (o) Lord Monck was Governor of the Province of Canada until the first of July, 1867. On that day, the Dominion of Canada was proclaimed, aud he was sworn in as the first Governor. (p) Sir John Young was elevated to the peerage, with the title of Lord Lisgar, on the 8th of October, 1870. » ■I ff : , I INDEX Abenaqj'i;; Indians, nia/cli witli Arnold co Quebec, 127. Abercrombie, General, defeated hy Mont- calm, 308, 406. Abraham, see Plains of Agariata, Mohawk chief hanged by De Tracy, 69. Agricultural society founded. So; names of members. So. Americans, invade Canada, uo; attack Quebec, 120; anniversary celebration of repulse of, ij^; centenary celebration, 120, I^S-IJI ; plan 1)1 attack upon (^cchec, 12S; taken at Detroit and sent to C^iebec, 145, 147; defeated at Detroit, 144. American tlair, historical notice of, 12.-. Arms of the Dominion describtd, 4S1). Arnold, Benedict, wounded, 37; centenary of defeat of, iju, ijH-131 ; carried .o Cien cral Hospital, 120; .iixcnnt of his assault (-n (^\"^bec, 120, 12s 12S; anniversary of h.s defeat, 124; accompanied by Ahciia- quis Indians, 127; imprisoned in Recollet Convent, 140; his head-quarters near the St. Charles, 2\t ; in possession of environs of Qiiebec, 476. Arnoux, ,1 French surj»eon, Montcalm ear- ned li his House. 15. Ashe, Comr. E. D., on variation of Com- pass at Quebec, i,:i!. Asylu'!-. !'"emaie Orphan, 260; Finlay, 264; St. Bridget's, ?.6o. Audubon, visits Qiiebec, ,^40. Aylmer, Lord, erects monument to Wolfe, 310; his tablet and epitaph to Montcalm, 310. Haine.s, Lieut., monument erected to, 359; verses by Mrs, Campbell, 360. Hanks : — .NlLrchants', 1S2; ^lontreal, 1S2; Natioiialc, i82;Qiicbec, 179, 1S2; Union, 182; British North America, 1S2. Baron de .Longiieuil, title rccojjnized bv I'^iigiaud, 112. li.isilica, llie, nrtice of, 154; oldest church in Xfirth .Ame.-^ica, it;4. Battlefield P.irk, a pru]ecl, 311. Beatson, Lt. Col., cited, 302-30(1 details of battle (st the I'lains, 5o<)-3io. Beauport, occu(ued by ,\mirican: , 122, entrenchmeipis constructed by Montcalm, 432, 454; first seigneur of, 134; Huron Indiauf move lo, ji/i, 450; early settle- ment of. 450; monument at, to D(it, L' fulfil Jaiil, a n i\ el, plot of, 470. Bishop, Komaii Catholic, ol t^jiebec, his power threatened, 451. Blanchet, Mr., imprisoned by .Sir Jas. Craig, 337.. ws. Blue House, the, a lauious inn, 230. Book:;, first printed in Canada, 31. Bouchette, foseph, cited, 71, 74, 162, 23S, -4'.4.S7- B'luchette, Captain, conducts Governor Carleton to (^lebec, 122, 1S2. Bougainville, .it Qiiebec, 19S. Boiille, brotber-iiilaw to Cliamplain, 22. Bressaui, Father, (.ipturcd by Iroquois, 290. Brewery, erected by 'lal'Mi, 213, 226, 293; C( nverted into prismi, 213; situate near site of Bosweli's brewery, 213, 293; at Sillery, 293. Bridge,' Dorchester, built, 237. British troops, departure of, 1^7, 311. Brown and Gilmore, founders of Quebec Ga/ette, id. Bruydiiie, Iliver, see Etchemin. Buliner, J. H., description of (^lebec, 10. Burgoyne, Captain, at (Quebec, 19S. Burton, Sir F. N., Lieut. -lioveriior, S9. Burying Ground, cholera, 260; Protestant, 264. See Cemetery. Uutler, Captain VV. F., description of Qiie- bec, 1 1 . Buttes a Nepveu, 257; scene of French vie tory, 258; criminals formerly executed there, 259; La Corrivi.iii executed there, -iSV- Cadkt, cne of Bigct's conledf rates, 213, 21s ; notice of, 216, Caldwell, Henry, Keceiver-General, 407. Caldwell, Sir J.ibu, Heceiver-General, 40S, 473, note; his mills ;it Etcbetiiin, 4S1. Cali^cbes, me.itioneil in 170 . 25. Canada, c( l.inization of, I , administration of justii c in, 33; silvery in, 43; society in the last century, .(4; invaded b\ Aineri. cans, i3o; Voltaire's allusion lo, 449, 470; its loss, how viewed In France, 470; arms of, 4S9; seal of. 41^; dates of events f >■ 528 INDEX. i 'If? in history of, 513; list of Governors of, Canadian writers, names of, 5S, 6i. Canadien, Le, newspaper, ils printer im- prisoned, 357. Canardiere, La, name yivcn to Heanporl Flats, 440. CunoK de Bronze, Le, 487. Cap Blanc, 199. Cape Diamond, called Mont du Gas, 15; Pointe a Puiseaux, so called by Champ- lain, 15. Cap Uoii)je, 2(K) ; Koherval winters at, ^),5, 2Sy, .VM ; Jac(iues Cartier winters at, 281^, 304; Cramahe resiiles at, 331. Carey, Pointe ii, 2(Kj. Carignan regiment, 175, ii\ ; its service in Hungary, 2S3. Cardlon, battle of, 38, 406. Carleton, Governor Guy, returns to Qiiebec, 122, 1S2. Carlyle, Thomas, describes capture of Que- bec, 329. Caron, Lieut. -Governor, receives address from Lorette Indians, 466. Cartier, Jacques, winters on banks of the St. Charles, i ; names of his ships, 16; met by Donnacona, 17; captures and takes to France, two Indians, 17; passes second winter at Cap Kouge, 289, 304,399; account of his voyage to Canada, 399403; his Journal cited, 430, 431 ; o\A print of his departure from l^iiebec, 431 ; list of his othcers and crew, 4S3; mentioned, 48 j; discovery of remains of Ins vessel, " La Petite Hermine," 429, 431, 455, 484, Cartier, Sir G. E., 340. Casgrain, Abbi*, cited, 106, 139, IS9) 229, 2S4. Cathedral, Roman Catholic, destroyed, 131. Cattle, exportation of, to Europe, .(92. Cavalry, Captain Hell's troop of, 147-149; muster roll of, 149; stateii?ent of last sur- vivor of, 14S. Cayugas, an Iroquois nation, 457. Cemetery, old, 154; cholera, 200; Mount Hermon, 356; St. Charles, 357; Behnuiit, 3S7- Centenary celebration of Montgomery's deteat, 120, 128-131. Cents Associes, Company of t!ie, 275. Chambly, Fort, surrendered to Americans, 121 ; formerly Fort St. Louis, 134. Champlain, Samuel de, founder of Qutihec, 1, 13; his dwelling, 14,22, 1S7; surrenders Quebec, 72; place of interiniMit, 141 ; plot against, 1S9, 192; returns to C^iiebec, 194; place of interment unkown, 199; cited,!2S3. Champlain Ward, 26S. Chapel, first which served as parish cliurch, 19S. Chandler, Ca|)tain, seigneur of Xicolet, 328. Charlesbourg, captured by Americans, 122; Americ.in prisoners at, 144; French re- treat towards, 455; tailed Hourg Koval, 470; several Quebecers retire to, in 1775, Charlevoix, cited, 441. Chateau Bigot, 455; described, 467; other names of, 467, 474, note; probably liuilt by Talon, 468; acqui.edby Bigot, 46S; subse- quent owners of, 468, note; present state of ruins, 471 ; how to reach, 473; Am^dee Papineau's account of visit to, 473; its legend, 474; ref.igies from Quebec at, in i7j9, 476; letter written from, during Americiui invasion, \jj. Chateau St. Louis, 67-70; described by Kalm, 67; by Kirbv,07; meeting place of Supe- rior Council, 6S: describefi in Hawkins* " Picture of tijielicc," 72; by Rouchctte, 74; by I'arliinan, 7'>-7'^; burnt, 78; loo small] 78; foundation ol' (i^icbec Agricul- tural Society in So; described by Weld, 91 ; repaired and enlarged, i^; lirsl inecl- ing of Literary and Historical Society held in, 118; proposed reci instruction, 249. Chauteauguay, battle of, 165. t'haudiere, FiUls of the, how reached, .(So; described, .(So; compared with Montmor- ency, (Si. (.'Iiauveau, I'. J. O., description of Qiiebec, a; tj^ielicc lilty years ago, 103; the hattles nf the IM.iins, 305. Ckien d'Or, Le, 170. Cholera, Asiatic, visits Quebec, 28; burying- ground, 260. Christie, Robert, cited, 14), 14O; his history noticed, 154; hisepitapli, 154. "Chronicle, (^lelxc Mcirning," building, 1S3, i8t. Church, first in C.iiiada built by Rci idlets, 230. Churches- — Uasilica, 131, 15).; Frencii Pro test^jui, 264; Jesuits', 131; Notre Dame, 142 \otre Dame des Angos, 230; Notre Dame de la Garde, 21x1; .N'otre Dame des Victoires, 187; llecollct. 140; St. Andrews, 97; St. Columba (Sillerv), 20.2, 2SS; St. John's, 20(; St. .M.ilhew's, 204; St. Michael's (Silleiy). Ji'i, 355; St. Koch's, 104, 23S; Trinily, no; Ursulines, 131. Citadel, escape ot Theller .ind Dodge from, 250; proposed capture ol, 252. Clavery, in charge of " La Friponne," 217. Clubs: — " Beefsteak," first in C^iebec, 472; name changed, 472; piominenl members of, 473, note, 47S, note; |)laces of .Meeting, 473, note; "Subci," 17;, note; " 'ieaver Club," at .Montreal, 473, note. Collin, Colonel, cited. 145. Conroy, Bisho)), the Pope's Ablegate, 330. Convent, first in Canada, 229; ot Jesus- Marie, 262, 354. Convent Cove, at Sillery, 278. Corriveau, La, hanged in iron cage, 259; cage sold to Barnuin, 259. Country seats about Quebec : Auvergne, 455. Bagatelle, 340, 349. Bandon Lodge, 254. Bannockburn, 423. Bardtield, 361. Battlefield Cotcage, 261. Beausejr.ur, 263, 404. Beau voir, 262, 373. Bellevue, 264. I-Selmont, 31,1, 405. Benmore, 202, 363. Bijou, 204, 419. Bleak House, 257. Cap Rouge Cottage, 397. Castor Ville, 435. Cataraqui, 202, 3S0. Clermont, 262, 307. Coucy-le-Castel, 426. Dornald, ii)^. Klni Grove, 330. Ferguson's irouse, 257. Hamwood, 264, 417. Highhi' Is, the, 393. Holland House, 263, 410. Kil|p:aston^ 263. INDEX. 529 Kilmarnock, 263. Kirkella, 263, 37S. L'Asyle Chanipctrc, 2J7, 319. Longwood, 3S5. Marchmont, 261, 323. Meadow-baiik, 263, 300. Montague Cottage-, 379. Morton Lodtfc, 422. Mount Lilac, 44S. Ravenswood, 203, 382. Redclyfle, 263. Rinf^held, 42^, 4SS. Rosewood, 3S1. Sans-Bruit, 264, 422. Sillery House, 355. Sous les Bois, 354, Spencer Granff'e, 263, 344. Spencer Wood, 262, 332. Thornhill, 2(3i, 330,339. Westfield, 2(i\, 423. Wolfesfieid, 261, 327. Woodtield, 262, 350. Woodside, 331. Court House burnt, 27, 34, 15;.; built, 34; temporary, 34. Crai^, Sir James, resides at Speiii cr Wood, 92, 337 ; noticed 357; corrcspondtnci; with H. W. Rylaiid, 33s, 452; deputes II. W. Ryland to" England, 451. Cramah^, Lieut.-Govi^mor, rrsidcnr.- at Cap Roujje, 331, 39a; plundered by American troops, 391. Crown Point, captured by Am('ricans, 121. C'^ucifix otitrai;e, in Hotel Dieu, 150; an- nual service in meTnory of, 160. Cugnet, informed Wolte liow to ascend to Plains of Abraliain, 422. Custom House, the old, 19S. D'AlLLEBOUT, Governor, builds fort tor Indians, 296; protects ttie Hurons, 459. D'Argenson, Governor, arrival of, 135, 174; quarrels with Laval, 2S2. Dauphin prison, American prisoners in, 120. D'Auteuil, Attorney-General 331. D'Avaugour, Governor, succeeds D'Argen- son, 179. Death sentences carried into effect iit Que- bec, 514. DeBerey, Father Felix, 140. UeBreb'oeuf, martrydom of 458. DeCaen, Emen,', 428. DeCallicres, Governor, buried in Qiipbec, 10, 140; epitaph, 140; plan for conquest of New York, 219. DeCourcelles, Governor, commands expe- dition against the Indians, 2S3. DeGasp^, P. A., description of frte chain- pitre. at Spencer Wood, 344. DeLery, old residence of seigneurs, 113; presented at Court, 297 ; saying of George HI., 297. DeMeules, Intendant, build-. Intendant's Palace, 213, 221, 225. Denonville, Governor, iSS. DeRamezay, commander of Qiiehcc, 38,23$; his Chateau in Montreal, 23S. DeSalabeiry, Colonel, in command of Vol- tiireurs, 157; residence on Bcauport roau, 454- Deaalampar. 1 i nnpanies DeCourcelles against Indi.iiis, iS3. Deschambault, French ladies captured by the English at, 312. j2 Deschenaux, secretary to Bigot, notice of, 215- \ De\'ergor, Captain, in charge of French post on Plains of Abraham, 306, 328; treason imputed to, 306. DeV'ilre, Denis, said to have pointed out Wolle's landing place, 312; pilots the English fleet to Quebec, 261, ,^12. Dickens, Charles, description ot Quebec, 5; C'.ted, 204. Dilkc, SirCharlcs, descriptionof Quebec,7. Dodge, escapes from Citadel, 250. J>ollard Desorineaux and his companions save the colony, 27S. Domagaya, an Indian kidnapped by Jacques Cartier, 17. Donnacoiia, Chief of Stadacona, meets Jacques Cartier, 16, 429. Dorchester Bridge built, 237, 4J4. Dorciiester, Lord, 70. Dosquel, Bishop, resides at Samos, 299, 331, 350; notice of, 350. Drill Shed, 257. DuCalvet, Pierre, imprisoned in RecoUet Church, 140; notice ol, 140. DuCreux, cited, 70, 203. Dueliinir, puni.,limeat of, under French rule, 512. Dulferin, Earl ot, plans fir improving Que- bec, 93, 245; lays corner stone of Dufferin Terrace, 94; at Spencer W(x>d, 339. Dullerin Terrace, length and height above river, 03; laying corner stone of, 94; inau- gurated. 913; comprises former siteof Fort .St. Louis, 459. DuGiis, acompanies DeCourcelles against Indians, 2S3. Dunn, Hon. Thomas, administrator, 472, note ; 47S, n ite. DuPeron, F.ilher Francois death of, 134. Durham. Earl of, notice of, .-67, 176; arrival of, 170,452; 2S4; 394. Durliain lerrace, erected by i'arl ot Dur- ham, 92, 167; enlarged, 92'; Iruisferred to Province of t^iebec, 93; extended, 03; winter view from, 1O7; promenade upon, 16S. DiiQiien, Fath'.-r, discovers Lake St. Jolin, Elevator, description of the, 172. Elgin, Earl ot', at Spencer Wood, 331, },i,i, F.m,rillot>, L\ one of Cartier's ships, ifl, 431- " Kmily Montague, the History of," a novel, 376; extracts froni.376-37S. Epitaphs —Dr. Wilkie, 32; Hon. Jonathan Seweil, 116; Frontenac, 140; DcCalliiires, 140; V'audreuil, 141 ; La Jonquiire, .41 ; Thomas Ainshe. 150; Robert Christi*;, 154; Father Massif, 300; Montcalm, 310; \Volfe, 310; Lieut. B.iines, 359; proposed to Montcalm, 496. Esplanade, flescnbed, 162, 163. Estebe, royal stue ..eeper at Quebec, iSo, 217; punishni' nt of,47i. EtelienMii river, e tiled Riviere Bruyante, 2SS; I. ills fit, 4.S1. Exchange, Merchants', established, 185, 209. Executions, 191; at liutte^ h Nepveu, 259; at Quebec, 514; LaCorrive.iu, 259. E.xportalion ol cattle to Europe, 492. l'"AftnE. Hector, description ol a Canadian winter, 438. 530 INDEX. % FaiUon, AbM, cited, J14, 378, 3S3, 430, 45S, 493- Famine in Quebec in 1757, 470. Faucher de St. Maurice, cited, 136, 138. Fin^lon, Abb^ de, trial of, ^14. Ferland, Abb*, cited, 74, 1S8, 376, 377, 279, 380,282, 284,287, 36S, 4S7, 47^- Feudal ceremony of fealty and homage, 73 ; form of, 74. Fiefs, several in Quebec, 269; de la Trinite, 468; Sault-au-Matelot, 309. Fires, in Lower Town, iSS; in St. Roch suburbs, 454. Fireworks in honour of Prince William Henry, 79. Fisher, Dr. John Charhon, Charles Dickens his guest, s; compiler of Hawkins' " Pic- ture of Quebec,' 29S. Fitzgerald, Lord Edward, his long walk yn snowshoes, 84, 85 ; entertained by Lord Dorchester, 84. Flag, American, historical notice of, 132. Flowers, wild, 368-372. Foi et hommage, how rendered, 73, 74. Fort St. Louis, where first erected, 70, 459; removal of, 70; disappears after the con- quest, 71 ; armament of, when surrendered by Champlain, 71 ; described bvParkman, 75; when begun, 7S. See Chateau St. Louis. Fort William Henry. See Sorcl. Fox-hunting- in Canada, 394. France, condition of, in 1760, 180. Franciscan Friars. See Recollets. Franklin, Benjamin appointed Conimitj sioner to Canada, 47 ; said to have printed prospectus of Q^jebec Gazette, 28; Deputy Postmaster-General for the British Colo- nies, 508. Fraser, Captain Malcolm, gives the alarm befo-e the American assault on Quebec, 36. Frechette, L. H., notice of, 48; account ot dinner given to, <^-66. French who remaine 1 in Quebec in 1639, aSS. French refugees of Oxford, Mass., 4^. French empire in Amei'ca, 2; victories pre- ceding conquest of Cauii 'a, 305. FripoHW, La, Bigot's wareliou'ie, ; 13 Krontenac, Governor, where ii.'^er-ed, 19, 139; his heart sent tti his widow, 139; ep.faph, 140. Galt, John, father ot Sir A. T. Gait, notice of, 89; cited, 90; founder of several cities, 00. Gas Company's wharf, a public promenade in 1750, 33S. Garneau, F. X., ifed, 419, ^96. Gat-« of Quebec, formerly closed at guu-fire, 410, Chain, 349; Dalhousie, 249; Hope, 113, 348; Kent, 248; Palace, 247; Prescott, 248; St. John's, 246; St. Louis, 245. Gazette, the Quebec, founded, 28; prospec- tus printed by Franklin, 28; first num her described, 29; centenary r.o"iber, 28; extinction ul, 2S; succesaive oiiitors, 31; relict of tirs^r press used by, 32. General Hospital founded, 112; Arnold carried to, 120; orectionot, 229. George, James, suggests Harbour improve- ment-., 103, 341. Giflard, first seigneur ol Boauport, 131,440; kessek, fashionable, in the last cen- tury, 314. Haldiinand Castle, corner stone laid, 78. used as a Normal School, 78; improperly styled the Old Chateau, 78; incident dur- ing its const-uction, 79; first grand recep- tion held i' ,79; remains of Duke of Rich- mond laia in state in, 87; described by Weld, gi ; repaired, 92; wing erected, 93; most ancient portion, 93; transferred to Province cf Quebec, 93. Haldiinand, Governor, departs for England, 140; residence at Montmorency, 313, 331. Hale, Major John, 32S. Harbor Works, suggested by James George, 241 ; by Hon. U. J. Tessier, 239. See Princess Louise Embankment, and Grav- ing Dock. Hawkins' Picture of Quebec, cited, 3, 7^, 297, 430; by whom written, ^98. Head, Sir Edmund, at Spencer Wood, >^}j^; his son drowned, 340. Hi-'berf, Louis, first resident inUpperTown, 22, 107. Heights ot Abraham. See Plains ot Abra- ham. Henry, Judge, account of Arnold's assault on Quebec, 125; imprisoned in RecoUcl Convent. 140; account of plunder of Cramah^'i residence, 391. Heriot, his desciiptien of Sillery, 293; De- puty Postmaster-General, 315, 509, 473, note. Hincks, Sir P'rancis, atThornhiU, 331, 339. Hochelaga, by whom inhabited, 457. Holland, — , and Miss Nevill, 31Q, 413, 416; his duel, 416. Holland Tree, 413. Holmes, Oliver Wendell, cited, 497. Hope, Lieut, -Governor, buried in Quebec, 19. Horses, first arrivals of, 24, 25, 281,493. Hospital, the General, founded, 113. Hospitaliferes Nuns, or Nuns of Hotel Dieu, 377; at Sillery, 277; removal to Quebec, 378. Hotel Dieu, /* crucifix outragi preserved in, 159; owns Fief de la Misericorde, 369; at jJlontreal, founded, 378. Howells, W. D., promenade on Durham Terrace, 168; descriptien of Dog Lane, JOS- Howells, W. C, historical notice of Ameri- can tla^, 122. Huioiis, inhabited Stadacona, 16; their fort at Quebec, 141, 155; defeated by Iroquois, 296, 45S; dispersion of, 296, 458, 459; elect lionorary chiefs, 435, 456, 462 ; their Chief Tahourenche described, 456, 459; former numbers of ,'^57 ; divided into four families, 460; at the battle of Chateauguay, 465; their address to Lieut.-Gov. Caron, 466. ICB-SHOVK, at Quebec in 18741 506. J', lii INDEX. 581 lie aux Coudres, proposed to fortify, 312. Inca, nation, Mother of the, 107, 4gp. ' "Inconstant," H.M.S., carries on Wolfe's statue, it,^; address of Qiiebec ladies to officers of, 177; reply of officers, 17S. Indi;ins, their fort at Qiiebec, 141, 155; expe- dition of DeCourcelles agfainst, 2^S.^; tlieir customs, dress, etc., in 17,^0, 460; allies of the French, 46V, the part they took in battles, 463; serve under English, 464; receive presents from Government, 464. Intendant, nature of the office, 230; first named, 221; first to come to Canada, 221. See Begon, Bigot, DeMeuJcs, Robert, Talon. Intendant's Palace, situation of, 162; de- stroyed. 162; by whom built, J13; histnr>' of, 220-234; description, 322; occupied by Arnold's soldiers, 224,454; ruins of, 454; originally a brewery, 454. Invasion of Canada by Americans, 122. Iroquois, murder of Jesuits by, 1,5,^, 2S0, 36S ; incessant incursions of, 281; c.Trry off two Frenchmen, 2?i ; dispute with, 2S2; cap- ture Fathers Poncet and Bressani, 290; plan the capture of Nuns at Sillery, 2qo; defeat the Hurons, 2()6, 4,8; nations com- posing, 457; derivation of name, 4^7. Irving, Washington, cited, jsS. Island of Orleans, oirupied ny Americans, 122; Hurnns remove 10,296,458; Hurons massacred at, 296, 459 ; name changed, 459. Jacques Cartier Ward, 36S. Jail, the old, built, 117; inscription over door of, 117, 260. Jeflery, his description of Quebec society before the conquest, 411. JesuitSj their residence burnt, 132, 1,5^; their chapels, 131, 132, 133; murdered by Iro quois, 133 ; aided by Rene de Rohault, 135 ; receive grant of hind, 133, 135; names of, m6; captureuntal du Sici^e iii- Sl"''f''<', 4.J2 , cited, 432; aide- de-camp to CJener.'U de Levis, 432, 455. lolliet, Louis, discoverer of Mississippi, 135. Joiiquiere, Governor de La, buried in Qiie- bee, 19, 140; epitaph, 141. Kalm, Peter, description of Chateau St. Louis, 67; mention of Jesuits'Chureh, 131 ; mention of Reeollet Convent, 139. Kent, Duko nl", at (^lebee, 27, 140; arrival from (iibr.iltrr, 151. 313: reception oi' 313; ixeicises p.eiog.itive of pardon, nxi\ his Slav in Canada, 313-319; his lodge at .Montmorency, 313, 317; his correspondence with DeSahiberrv fimily, 31S; frequent guest .at Hje Canadian writers. Longueuil, Baron de, title recognized by England, 112. Lorette, ^«ti>««^, occupied by Americans, 122; Hurons remove to, 21)6, 459; French retreat towards, 434; origin of name, 459. Lorette, Indian, remnants of Huron tribe at, 396; a vi^it to, 453, also called yeuite Lorette, 450; population, 460; Chapel and Old Mill' built, .|65; extent of village reserve, 461 ; how governed, .1.63. Lome, Marquis of, inaugurates Dufferin Terrace, 96. Lossing, 15. J., cited. 144. '4"' Louisbourg. Bigot Intendant at, 46((; sur- renders to the English, 469. Louisiana, Bigot Intendant of, 469. Lower Town, 170; great fire in, 18S; bom- barded and destroyed by English, 193,308. 532 rxnrjx. i^ I Loyal Leacrue, the, 8i ; names uf sub- scribers, 82. Lutheran minister imprisoned by Kirkc,4SS. Lymburner, Adam, 99; delejjate to Eng- land, 100, iSo. AfACADAMiZED roads introduced, i^,, ,^04. Macdonald, Sir John A., 340. Madocawando, an Indian cliiet', 70 ; his dau^-^litcr married to Baron St. Castin, Maisonneuvc, M. dc, arrivus with colonists for Montreal, J77, J7S; winters at Sillcry, 277, 3S9;dijrn:ulties witli Monlmagny, 279; G'lvernor of Montreal, 279. Maitland, Sir Peregrine, administrator, 87, SS; son-in-law of Duke of Kiclimond, 88; revisits '.Jiiebec, S9. Mancc, Mile., arrives from France, ^77: winters at SiUery, 377, 3S9; founder of Hotel Dieu at Montreal, 27'S. Manitoulin I: land, party of Hiirons retires to, 459; called Ekientolon, 45S. ^larket Hail, Chaniplain, built, 1 19, 19S; Fiulay, 1S9; Montcalm, 264. Marmette, Joseph, cited, 214; hir. novel, L'liilendanl Bis^'ol^ 479. Marmier, Xavier, debcrijjtion of Q^icbec, 6; 201 ; notice of, 301. Marquette, Father, discovers the Missis- sippi, 135. Martello 'I owers, 25S. Masse, Father Ennemond. dies at Sillery, 294; first missionary in Canada, 300; monument to, 300. Mc<'arthy, Justin, notice of Lord Durljam, 176. McClintock, Sir Leopold, .it Q^iebec, 198. McLane, David, tried for hitjli treason, 105. McQuarters, Hut;h, fired tjie canon which killed Montmmery, 100, 199. Memorial to the Kintf for site for Presby- terian Church, 97; siifnalures to, 9S; some of the si^'ners noticed, i;9-io5. Menut, Alexandre, proprietorof Blue House inn, 230; forced to entertain Montgomery, Merehants' Exchaniie established, 1S5. Mercury, the Qiiebec, cited, 143, 145, 154. Mesy, de, Goveruor, buried in Q^iebec, 19, 140, Miles, Dr. H. H., cited, 25; his statements cnncerninu: Miss Simpson referred to, 21,^. Militia uniforms, 491. Milnes, Sir R. S., 47;?, note. Minister imprisonei! by Kiike, 4SS. Alississippi, discovery of the, 135. Mohawks, kill Abbe Viijnal, 33; murder Chasy, 69; one of their chiels lianyed, 69; an Iroquois nation, 457. Monk, Lord, residence at Spencer Wood, 3.W. 340- Monongahela, battle of the, ^8. "Montai^ue, the History of Emily," a nov,. 376; extracts from, 376-378. Montcalm, Marquis de, place of deatl doubtful, 37; death and burial of, 37, 3S; defeats Abercrombie, 30S, 40;); letter said to have been written by, just lu-f ire his death, 308; application ol the French to erect a monument to, 310; mural tablet in Ursuline Chapel, 310; successfully defends Montmorency, 313; entrenched at Beau- port, 432; his held works at Montmorency, 450; proposed epitaph to, .\gj, Montcalm Ward, 267, Montgomery, Brigadier-General Richard, his remains laid in Gobert's house, aS; killed, 37, 100, igq; his sword, loi ; centen- ary celebration of his defeat, 120, 125-131 ; in the English armv, I2i ; anniversary celebration of his defeat, 133, 1*4", plan of attack upon Qiiebec, 138: spot where he fell, 199; head-quarters at Holland House, 263, 412; in possession of environs of Q^ie- bec, 476. Mgntniagny, Governor, builds road from Upper to Lovver Town, 25 ; receives Ursu- line Xuns, iSS; receives Madame de la Peltrie, 277; holds grand council at billery, 390, 201, 3^0 ; Indian name given to, 465. Montmorency, mill built by Peter Paterson at, loS; French victorious at, 312; resi- dence of Governor Haldimand, 313, 331 ; Montcalm's entrenchments at, 450. Montmorency Fall>. ciUed La Vache, 449 ; compared to Chaudiure Falls, 481. Monlpetit, A. N., honorary chief of Lorettc Indians, 456. Montreal, capitulates to Americans, 121 ; arrival of colonists for, 27S ; Hotel Dieu founded, 37S ; founded bv DeMaisonneuve, 379 ; •' Be.iver Hall " Club at, 473, note ; has largest bell in Ameri':a, 501. Monument, to Wolfe ami Montcalm, corner stone laid, lol ; restop d, 505, note; to Father Masse, Sm; to Muntcaim, applica- ti< n of French to erect, 310 ; erected where Wolfe fell, 310: ifi"; Bniihs, Prince Xa poleon Bonaparte presents sL;itue for, 263 : when erected, 4 iS : i/f la Temperance, 450 ; to victims of rebellion of 1S37. S'f- Moodie, Mrs., descriplien of Q^iebec, 4. Morrin College. 117. Morris, Jolin, Postmaster-General, 50<}. Mount Carmel, 3 j. Mount Hermon Cemetery, 356 ; monument to Lieut. Haine> i:;, 359. Blount Lilac, Beaupcrt, .44S. Mount.iin, lirst Protestant Bishop of Qiiebec, 3,^1 : the family of 3')2. Mountain Hill, constructed, 33; described, ^.)» '73' Murrav, General, appropriates Jesuits Col- lege tor barracks, 137: wan. mt issued by, 161 : detcat-;d by Levis. 3jS, 263 ; residenee at Belm 3nt, 33c ; served at Fontenoy, 406; Governor of Qjiebec, 407. Negro, sale of a, 197, 505. Xeilson, Hon. John, notice of, 31. Neilson, Samuel, 31. Xelson, Admiral, i". (^lehec, 1S7, 19S, 254 ; admirer of Miss Simpson, 332, 354. Xelson, John, nepliew of Sir T. Temple, 70. Xeptune Inn, 183; its statue of Xeptune, 1S6. Neaville, Seigniory of, 370. Xeville, Miss, 510,413, 41(1- .'ew York, plan for conquest of, 319, 495. Aewsjiapers, first in i^anada and Xova Scotia, 28. Xiagara Falls, earliest mention of, 45S. Xotary, first in Canada, 153- (>usi:kv.\tokv. Provincial, 2'jo. Oneidas, an Iroqimis nation, 457. OnondaLtas, an Iroquois nation, 457. Ononthio, meaning of, (61;. Orisrinal, L\ French ship sunk at Q^iebec, 199. Orph:ui Asylum, Female, 260. INDEX. 533 Oxford, Mass., French refugee? of, 497. of visit to whom •.siilincb ited in Palace Ward, 36S. Panet, Bishop, 112. Papincuu, Aindd(5e, account Chateau Hitfot, f7VJ7''>- Papineau, Hon. L. J., vi^its Chateau Bigot, P.irkman, I-'ranci--, de^leription of French empire in America. .: ; foundation of Qjie- liec, 14: session of Superior Council, (xS ; hantfintr of Mohawk Cluef, ix) : cited, 70 ; Kori and (.Chateau St. IwOui--, 75-7S : D'Ar- lienson'.- irrival, 174 : Tracv's arrivil, 17J ; DeCalliens' plan for conquest uf .New York, 219, 495 ; up; 291. Parliament fJuildinu', burnt, iii. 119; de- scription of the new, 2^5, ijo. I'aterson, Peter, notice of, lo*^. Pean, Captain Ilujiues, t,\, t,$ ; t marriiil, ,54 ; J15 ; notice of, 21O. Pean, Madame, 27, 31;, 1S4, 215, 20^ Peltrie, Madame de la, fonndei of I Convent, 1 p : her heart ilej) Jesuits' Church, 1 52. Perceval, M. H., Colli;ctur ot Customs, 333 ; owner of bi)encer Wood, 4^3. Perrault, Joseph F., pioneer of lay educa- tion, 319 ; description of his residence, 319- Perrault's Hill, 257. Petite Hi-nnine. Lt. one of Cartier's ships, 16,4:51 ; discovered, 420, 431, 4^5,484. Phipps, Sir William, defeated, 1S7. Physician lirst in Canada, iSf, 410. Piesk.irit, an Indian eliief, 29:2. Pillory, on the market place, 190. Pitt, William, cited, 327. Place d'Armes, 139, 142, 135. Plains of Ahrahain, former extent ot, 29S, 303; derivation of name, 332; ascent to, said to have been indicatcci bv DeVitre or Slobo, 312 ; bv Ciinnet, 422 : Wolfe's land, insr and f>ccupation of, ^2^;, 32S. Plains of Abraham, Battle of the, date of, Z20 : various estimates of troops en^.i^fed, 3"7 : position of forces. 310 ; anecdotes ot", 327, 420 ; 'I'scribed by Carlyle, 329 : tli^'lil of the Fr zh,424, 452. Plessis, Bisliop, builds St. Roch'r. Church, 238. Poem, first French, issued in Canada, 1S4, 410. Pointe a Carey. 209. Pointe a Puiseaux, called Cape Diamond by Champlain, 15 : after whom named, 37S, 3SS : view from, 2SS. Poncet, Father, ttaptured by Iroquois, 3S9. Post Office, demolished, 170 ; liistory of the Canadian, 50S. Postage, amount of, in 1774, 31?. Powell, IIenryW.,hioy:raphical sketch of, 341 Powell Place. See Spencer Wood. " Premier," transport, str.inded, 137. Presbyterian minister, lirst in Province of C^iehec, 97. Prescott, Governor, 24S. Pres-de-V'ille, Montgomery killed at, 37, 120; situation of, 129. Press-^an ••■; in C^^iebec, iS.v 1S7. Prince Kdwanl. .See Kent, Duke of. Prince of Wales, ball in honor of, ^13. Prince William Henry, afterwards William IV., visits Canada, 79; name of Sorel chanared in his honor, 79; festivities dur- ing his stay in Quebec, 79. Princess Louise embankment and docks, I tablet stone laid, 339. I Printing. See Newspapers and Books. Protestants, use Jesuits' Church, 133. Punishment of criminals, 190-192. (^:aii., imported from F.urope, 365. Q;i(!bec, described by Henry Ward Beeclier, S— J. T. Bulmer, 10— ("aptain Butler, 11 — P. T. O. fhanveau, 12 — Charles Dickens, 1;— f->ir Charles Dilke, 7— Hawkins, 3 — "Bisho)) Laval. 19).— Charles Lever, o — Marniier, 6— Mrs. Moodie, 4 — M. Sand, 3 — Duke of Sa\e- Weimar, 210 — Prof. Silli- man.S — Thoreau, 4— Lliot Warburton. 3; foundation of, i, 13; society in the last century, 39-47 ; old plans of city, 71 ; surren- dered by Champlain, 7^ : fifty years ago, 1O3 ; farewell of Kiiiy'sOwn Borderers, 166; pojiulution in 16S0, iSo ; inhabitants starved liy Bigot's rinii, 217, 470 ; extent at hegin- nini; of nineteenth century, 22S ; shipping anil business at that time, 229 : early city 1 government under the Enirlish, 366; in- corpr>r.ited, 266; first Mayor, 367 ; limits, 267: municipal divisions, 267: present city government, 269 ; Jtefs contained in, 369; War department property in, 369; cap- ture described by Carlyle, 329 : society before the Conquest, 411; arrival of British fleet, 421 : French who remained in, in 1629, 4^S : dates of events in history of, 513, 'Ijiehec Bank, history of site of. C^cen's wharf and stores, 19S. I I RAKFEix,F"ather, accompanies DeCourcelles j a-.rainst the Lidians, 3S3. 1 Raftsmen. 200. Rairuencau, F.ather. m.akes first mention of Xia<,^ara Falls, 4i;S ; accompanies defeated Hurnns to Quebec, 45S. Railway, Gosford, wooden, 103. Kazilly, Dr. influences M. de Sillery, 275. Reade, Johi. S., description of first number of Qiiebec Gazette, 29 ; account of Q^iebec society in the List century, 39-47. Rebellion of 1S37, monument to victims of, Sio. Recollets, Father DeBerey, provincial of the, 140: at I'^iebec, igS; first who arrived, 229 : build first church, convent and semi- nary, 33c, ; their _/?T, ; Hurnns Sfttle at, ao6, 459. St. Foye road, a favorite drive a century ago, ao7, 29S, 411. See Country Seats. St. roye. Battle of, date of, iza : an English defeat, 25S ; various estimates of troops engafjed, 307; position of forces, 310; anecdotes of, 326, 421 : massacre by In- dians, 419 ; retreat of the English, 434. St. Helen's Island, residence of Buronne de Longueuil, 112, 2,5.8. St. Tohn's, surrendered to Americans, lai. St. John's w.ard, 268. St, 'Louis hotel, 47. St. Louis road, 247. See Country Seats. St. Louis ward, a68. St. Peter's ward, 26S. St. Rochs, existed in 1759, 326; extent of ,it beginning of nineteenth century, 228: ward, 268 ; fire of, 454. St. Sauveur, origin of name, 26. 229. St. Valier, Bishop, founder of General Hos- pital, 112; builds N. D. des Victoires church, 187, 1S9; death of, 213. S«mos road, 299, ^51. Sand, Maurice, description of (Jiiehec, 3. Sault-au-Matelot, Americans defeated at. 37 ; situation of barriers, 207. Soxe-Weimar, Duke of, description of Qjie- bee, aiQ. Scott, Major Thomas, brother of Sir Walter, where buried, 364. Scott, General Wintield, a nrisonn- at C^uc- bee, 144 : courageous coniluct of, 1.(0. Seal of Canada, 4(». Seigniory of Neuville, 270. Seminary, American prisoners in, 120 ; first in Canada built by K(;collets,a29 ; intended site of new, 260; owns Jirf Sault-au- Matelot, 260. Seminary chapel, temporarily used as parish church. 131. Senecas, an Iroquois nation, 457. Senechaussde, La, 141. Sewell, Hon. Jonathan, founder of Trinity church, 116 ; his epitaph, 1 16 ; 451. Ship-building under French rule, 493. Sillery, Noel Brulart de, notice of, 274-276; founds Sillery mission, 275. Sillery, occupied by Americans, 123; first mission at, 271; ; visited by Madame de la Peltrie, 277; Hospital founded, 377: fir.st ssttlement, 280; expedition against Indians starts from, 2S3 ; early population, 2S7 : St. Columba church at, 288 ; Jesuits' House at, probably st huoldeilding in Canada, 290; grand council held at, 290, 291 ; settle- ment abandoned, 2pi ; site of settlement, 292 ; locality described by Heriot, 293 ; brewery at, 29-! ; visit to site of early settle- ment, 294; called St. Columba, 2i)t): monu- ment at, 299 ; woods of, 384. Sillery Cove, other names of, 276 ; Jer>uilM at, 3S9. Silliman, Professor Benj., description of ; Quebec, S ; 257. Simpson, Mary, admired by Lord NeUon, 33a. Simpson, Saunders, Provost Mamhal in Wolfe's army, 354. Skating Rink,' 254. Slave, sale of a negro, 107, 505. Slavery in Canada, .abolition of, 43, 107. Smith, Chief lusticc, notice of, 387 ; letter to his wife, 388. Smith, Hon. Win., cited, 231 ; notice of, 38'>. Snow-shoe club, 519. Society, in the last century, 39-47 ; before the Conquest, 411. Sorel, name changed to Fort William Henry, 79 ; taken by Americans, 121. Southey's Life of Nelson, cited, 333. Sparrows, imnorted fmm England, 365 ; appeal in behalf of, W\. Spencer Wood, Sir James Craig at, 92, 357, v?0 ; Lord Elgin at, 362, 331, 339; formerly called Powell Place, 332, 337 ; Kidd's verses upon, 332 ; origin of name. 3^2; at one time included Spencer Grange, 3 vi : garden and conservatories at, 335 ; residence of several Governors of Ciinada, 330; burnt, 340; re-built, 340; illustrious visitors, 341 ; residence of Lieut. - Governors of Qiiebec, 341 ; transferred by Dominion to Province, 341 : fetrchampHri- •"it, ,VU- Stadacona, former name of Qiiehec, 16 ; In- habited by Hurons, 16, 457 ; site of, 429. Stanley, Dean, atQiiebec, 225. " Star," the Quebec, 32. Statue of General Wolfe, peregrinations of, Stavner, Thomas Allen, Deputy Postmaster- General. tjOQ. Stewart, Charles, his letter from Chateau Bigot, 477. Stobo, .M;ijor Robert, made prisoner by the French, 312 ; escapes, 312 ; selects Wolff > landing jilacc, 261,312 ; advises expedition to Deschambault, 313. Streets of Qiieher, desiribeil. 20; oldest, Sous-lc-Kort, iry5 ; oldest in St. Roch's, .St. Valier, 33S ; Avlmer, i-;2; Ragol, 152; Baronnc, 327 ; Fiell's lane. 309,236; Bcr- llielot, 3V': Hoisseau, 336; Bridge, 33S ; Buade, 107, 1.153 ; Burton, 152 ; Buteau, 236 ; Canoterie hill. 303; C.arlcton. 152; Champ- lain, IS; : Charlevoix, 133 ; Christie, 154; C6tc,\Coton, 227; Cote d'Ab-.aham, 303 ; Couillard, 143; Craig, 152, 238; Crown, 2?7: Cul de Sac, 194: D'Aiguil^on, 26; IJ'Aillebout, 153; Dalhousie, 13 j, 1S9, J09 ; Dambour-is, 236; D'Artigny, 236; D'Au- teiiil, 107; DeSalaberrv, 231); Deslossds, 238 ; Des Prairies, 1 12; Dog lane, 204, 307 ; Donnacona, 133; Dorchester, 153, 22S; Ferland, 154; Kiedmont, 107; Frontenac, 107: Gallows' hill. 227: Garneau, 123: Grant, 105, 337; (irev, 336; Ilaldiniaud, 153: HdbeVt, 107; Henderson, 23S; Hope hiil, ij.^; Hudon, 236; Iberville, 107; leioine,' 336; jupiter, 107; King, 237; T.nval, 107, 236; Lee, 236 ; Longueuil, 33S ; Massuc, 236 ; .Metcalfe, 153 ; Moiitmaguy, 153 ; Murray, 153 ; Palace. 113; Panel, 336 ; Plessis, i\(y\ Pozer, 236; Pixvost, 153; Prince Kdwaid, 233 : Queen. 337; Ramsay, 2',S; Ricliardson. 337: Richelieu, 20; Richmond, 1-3; Uobitaille, 2^6; Rylnnd, 236; St. ,\iin. 20; St. Famille, 113; St. itelen, 107 ; St. James, 208 ; St. John, 36, 156; St. Io.-;eph,' 236; St. Louis, 26; St. <5urs, 236; St, Paul, 204, 307, 210; St. Peter, 179, ao8; St. Stanislas, 114; St. INDEX. (86 Urtule, 15» ; St. Valier, Ji3, jjo; Sault au-Matelot, 303 ; Scatt, 2.56; Seifuin, 2^6 ; Smith, 136; Sous le Cap, 304; Sous le Fort, 195 ; Stewart, 336; Touraii^eau, 23ft; Treasure, 151 ; Turgeoii, 236; \Volle, 2;,_'. Stuart, Andrew, materials tor Hawkins' " Picture of Quebec," turnished by, 29S. Sulpicians, of Montreal, 451. Suite, Benjamin, description ot Spencfi Granffe, ^48. Superior Council, session of, 6S ; wliereheld, &, 141. Sutherland, David, Deputy Postmaster- General, 509. •' Swiftsure," steamer, 89. Tachi, writer of first French poem iusuej in Canada, 1S4, 410. Taiguragny, Indian kidnappej by Cartier, Talon, Intendant, 135, 313, i2f> ; arrival at Quobec, 331 ; builds a brewery, 213, 336, 39J, ^54; first owner of Belmont, 331 ; seigniory granted to, 468 ; probable builder of Chateau Bigot, 468. Taschereau, Mr., imprisoned by Sir James Craig, 337, 33S. Terrace. See Durtenn and Durham. Tessier, Hon. U. J., suggests plan for Har bour Wo ks, 239, Theatre Royal opened, 115. Theller, escapes from Citadel, J50. Thompson, James, one of Wolfe's veterans, 79 ; extracts from his diary, 80,84, •'5''> -V*'. 430, 504 ; notici.' of, 100. Thoreaii, description of Quebec, 4. Three Rivers, taken by Americans, 131. Ticonderoga, taken by Americans, 121 ; Montcalm defeats Abercmnibie at, 30S. Tracy, Marquis de, Viceroy, 25 ; hangs a Mol'awk chief, 69; lays foundation stone of Jesuits' church, 131; residence, 141 ; arrival of, 175, 221,275; brings Carignan regiment to Canada, 2S4 ; 394 ; arranges truce with Iroquois, 459. Twiss, Captain, builds temporary Citadel, 359- Uniforms, Militia, 491 . Union hotel, 142, United Empire Loyalists settle in Canada, 47- Upper Town, 33-170; first resident of 33; partly destroyed by English batteries, 300. Ursuline churcli, temporarily used as parisli church, 131. Ursuline convent, old painting in the, 106; founded by Madame de la Peltrie, 133; mural tablet to Montcalm in chapel, 310. Vacherie, La, extent of, 225; 328; origin of name, 33S, 454. Variation of tlie compass at Quebec, 500. Vaudreuil, Governor, buried in Quebee, ly, 140; epitaph, 141; lyj ; 19S; at Ueaupori alter battle of the Plains, 433 ; prepnres to capitulate, 433, 455. Verazzani, 4S7. Vignal, Abb^, killed by -he Mokawks, ^i. Vimont, Fatlier, Jesuit missionary, 3S5 ; description ot lite at Sillery, aSj- Voltaire, his remark upon the loss ot Canada, 449. 47°- Voltigeuri Canadumi, tormation ot, 157. Voyageurs, 201. Walke.m, Charlen, history ot Intendant's palace, 220-324. Walker, Admiral, squadron dispersed by storm 1 87. Wapit!, extinct in Eastern Canada, 4(18. War Department property, 269. Warburton, Kliot, description ot Quebec, ;. Wards, boundaries of, 26S. Weld, Isaac, description ot Haldimand Castle, 1)1. Wild flowers ot Sillery, 308-372. Wilkie, Dr. Daniel, notice of, ^JS. Winter, the Joys of, .^30 ; in Canada, 438. Witchcraft, executions at Boston for, 2S7. Wolte, General, monument to, 101 ; statur of, 113 ; his landing place, 3O1 ; monument vhere he fell, 310 ; repulsed at Mont- morency, 312; proposes wintering at lie aux Coudres, 312; scales tlit Heights ot Abraham, 325 ; served at Fon^'^n'-'/, 40'); pistols and sash of, 507. Wooden railway, Gosford, 103. Woods of Sillery, 384. Writers, names of Canadian, 58, 62. Wyandoti. Sec Hurons. Voung Men's Chri^llan Association, build- ing, 364-260 ; history ot, in Quebec, 305.