LIBRARY OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

AT URBANA-CHAMPAICN

IN MEMORY OF

STEWART S. HOWE

JOURNALISM CLASS OF 1928

STEWART S. HOWE FOUNDATION

917.1
Smlc
1867
cop. 3
T.H>ii

H.

Old Trapper,

v. Photo,

THE

CANADIAN HANDBOOK

AND

Tourists Guide

GIVING A DESCRIPTION OF

CANADIAN LAKE AND RIVER SCENERY AND PLACES
OF HISTORICAL INTEREST

WITH THE BEST SPOTS FOR

Fishing and Shooting.

MONTREAL :
Published by M. Longmoore & Co.,

Printing House, 6y Great St. James Street,
- 1867.

Entered according to the Act of the Provincial Parliament, in the year
one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, by John Taylor, in the
Office of the Kegistrar of the Province of Canada.

0

1 /?./■■

/ % . . • ■

THE

CANADIAN HANDBOOK

AND

TOURIST'S GUIDE.

INTRODUCTION.

The Nooks and Corners of Canada, and. more especially
of the Lower Province, in addition to the interest they
awaken as important sources of Commercial and Agricultural
wealth, are invested with no ordinary attraction for the
Naturalist, the Antiquary, the Historian, and the Tourist in
quest of pleasure or of health. We have often wondered why
more of the venturesome spirits amongst our transatlantic
friends do not tear themselves away, even for a few months,
from London fogs, to visit our distant but more favoured
clime. How is it that so few, comparatively speaking, come
to enjoy the bracing air and bright summer skies of Canada ?
With what zest could the enterprising or eccentric among
them undertake a ramble, with rod and gun in hand, from
Niagara to Labrador, over the Laurentian Chain of Moun-
tains, choosing as rallying points, whereat to compare notes,
the summit of Cape Eternity in the Saguenay district, and

6 Introduction.

the Peak of Cap Tourmente, or the Cave of the Winds under
Niagara Falls. We imagine the atmosphere of those airy-
positions is as brisk, to say nothing of the diverse incidents
of travel and of sport combined, as that in the fiords of
Norway, or as the heath-clad peaks of the Dovre-feld afford
to so many an English Tourist and Sportsman.

Volumes have been written to make known the inexhaust-
ible mineral, agricultural, industrial, and commercial wealth
of this Colony, but few efforts have yet been made to lay
before the public, or rather the travelling portion of the
public, the natural beauties of its scenery, — its streams,
rivers, lakes and forests, — lakes that in beauty, number,
and variety of size, no other country in the world can vie
with, — replete with fish of every description, within access
alike of the million and the millionaire. To the Botanist,
during the summer months, perhaps no country offers such
varied inducements, — plants flourishing here of almost every
class, from the Lichens and Mosses of the Arctic Zone, to
the Azalia, Kalmia, and Lady's Slipper of the Sunny South.
The very woods are sacred to Flora, and here may be culled
specimens of plants within a day's journey of civilization,
that 'erst have led the adventurous seeker after Nature's
gems to wander for days away from the beaten track, in the
far-off prairies of the West, or the tangled swamps and
thickets of the South. To the Ornithologist, the Geologist,
or the Student of any branch of Natural History, we would
say, take a run through the Canadas to increase your
collection. Does not almost every British Mail bring out
enquiries and orders for the finest specimens of our Fauna
and Flora ? If weary of naturalizing during the July and

Introduction. • 7

August heats, steam down and take a briny dip at Murray
Bay, or Kakouna, or Tadousac. Do you fancy Canadian
Highlands ? — seek the pleasant shades of Cap a 1'Aigle,
or Pointe a Pie. Are you inclined for French gaiety and
killing toilets ? — steer for Kakouna. Do you prefer the
grand monde, the fashionable place pa? -excellence f — then try
Tadousac. Each and all of these localities we will en-
deavour to lay alike before you, with their associations, their
scenery, their attractions, and their inducements for the
traveller to linger on his journey, and enjoy what he might
otherwise pass by, in search of some wider known and less
gifted place. Every traveller in Canada from Baron La
Hontan, who "preferred the forests of Canada to the

Pyr£n£es of France," to the Hon. A. Murray, Charlevoix,
Lanman, Peter Kalm, Isaac Weld, Heriot, Silliman, Rameau,
Augustus Sala, have united in pronouncing the landscape of
Lower Canada so majestic, so wild, so captivating withal, as
to vie in beauty with the most picturesque portions of the
Old or New World ; and though we have no ivied ruins
dating back to mediaeval times, no moated castle or battle-
mented tower, — though we have no Chatsworths, nor
Blenheims, nor Woburn Abbeys, nor Arundel Castles,
embellishing the landscape with their architectural beauty, —
yet in Lower Canada especially, most of our nooks and
corners are hallowed by associations destined to remain
ever memorable amongst the inhabitants of its soil.

In the days of yore the Summer Tourist through the
Country had no easy means of access to the quiet nooks in
the " back country," or the many pleasant resorts our rail-
ways have opened out. The old hackneyed journey was as

8 Introduction*

follows : — A few days at Niagara Falls, a hurried trip through
the " ambitious little city of the West," Hamilton, a cursory
glance at Toronto, a night on Ontario in the close state-room
of a steamer, a hurried run through the Lake of the Thousand
Islands, a day or two in Montreal and Quebec, omitting more
than half the surroundings of the latter city, and the Cana-
dian Tour was considered complete. But now, thanks to the
iron horse and its accessories, wild forest-lands, smiling
villages beside rivers teeming with the finny tribe, the
scenery of Superior and Huron, the Saguenay, the St. Fran-
cis, the St. Maurice, all are easy of access — all worthy of a
visit, and only awaiting some painter's hand to bring them
prominently forward in their beauty. The facilities about to
be offered to pleasure-seekers, through the arrangements
the celebrated Thomas Cook, of European Tourist fame, has
made, to organize excursion parties to and from this country,
will doubtless cause hundreds to avail themselves of the op-
portunity of visiting, at a moderate cost of time and money,
this, the hitherto Ultima Thule of travel. The trips which
have been conducted by him in Europe, have obtained the
highest encomiums from all who have participated in them ;
and as it is his purpose now to extend them through the
United States and Canada, such intercourse will be of real
service in opening International courtesies and mutual hos-
pitalities.

We commence with the City of Quebec as being the first

place that the Tourist will reach in Summer by Ocean

i
Steamer ; it is the centre of much beautiful and varied

scenery, and affording in its vicinity sporting of almost every

description.

QUEBEC AND ITS ENVIRONS.

The City of Quebec, excelling in its fortifications any other
city on this continent, has justly been styled the Gibraltar
of America. From the natural advantages of its position,
surmounting the summit of a promontory 350 feet in height,
whose ridge extends from Cap Rouge, the western ex-
tremity, to Cape Diamond the eastern end, scarcely any
more suitable locality could have been found for a fortress.
It is washed on the one side by the waters of the St. Law-
rence, whose bosom is here freighted with the ships of all
nations, and on the other by the placid waters of the St.
Charles. Its innumerable and valuable timber coves or
berths, extending some miles in length, are crammed with
elm, oak, spruce, pine, tamarack, &c, furnishing an export
trade of $5,000,000 per annum, and we can at once com-
prehend why in 1608 Champlain should have selected it as
his capital. From the circumstance of quartz crystals,
sparkling like diamonds, being found in the dark-coloured
slate of which the Cape is composed, it has acquired the
name of Diamond. Quebecers ought to be proud of their
scenery, and of the " historical ivy " which clings to the
old walls of Stadacona, its original Indian name. In 1629
it was taken by Sir David Kirke, but restored in 1632. In
1690 it was unsuccessfully besieged by Sir Wm. Phipps. It
was finally captured by Wolfe in 1759, after a heroic defence
by Montcalm. The Americans attacked it in 1775, but they
were repulsed, and their General, Montgomery, was slain.
Neighbouring cities may grow vast with brick and mortar ;
their commerce may advance with the stride of a young
giant ; their citizens may "sit in the high places among the

io Quebec and its Environs.

sons of men," but can they ever compare with the fortress of
Quebec for historical memories or beautiful scenery ? Look-
ing from the Citadel, having at its feet a forest of masts, the
landscape is closed by Cap Tourmente and by the cultivated
heights of the Petite Montague of St. Fereol, exhibiting in
succession Beauport, L'Ange Gardien, the green slopes of
the Island of Orleans, the Heights of Abraham, the Coves
with their humming busy noise, St. Michael's Cove especially
forming a graceful curve from Wolfe's to Pointe a Ruissemix.
Within this area thrilling events once took place, and round
these diverse objects historical souvenirs cluster, recalling
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 the revolution, which
gave birth to the adjoining Republic. Each square inch of
land of these localities, in fact, was measured by the footsteps
of some of the most remarkable men in the history of
America ; Jacques Cartier, Champlain, Frontenac, Laval,
Phipps and Iberville, Wolfe, Montcalm, Arnold, Montgomery,
have each at some time or other trod over this expanse.
Close by the spot where now stands the English Cathedral,
under an elm-tree only recently cut down, tradition states
that Champlain first raised his tent. From the Castle of
St. Louis in the Citadel, unfortunately destroyed by fire in
1834, Count Frontenac returned to Admiral Phipps that
proud answer, as he said, " by the mouth of his cannon,"
which will always remain recorded in history. On the Plains
of Abraham, where Wolfe and Montcalm fell, may be said to
have been decided the fate of French dominion in Canada.
At the foot of the Citadel stands a tower, where now floats
the British flag, where Montgomery and his soldiers all fell,
swept by the grape-shot of a single gun manned by a Canadian
artilleryman. Again, in Sault-au-Matelot Street, the intrepid
Dambourges, sword in hand, drove Arnold and his men
from the houses in which they had established themselves.

Quebec and its Environs. II

" History is everywhere around, — she rises from the ramparts
replete with daring deeds, and from the plains equally cele-
brated for feats of arms, and she again exclaims 'here I am.'"

Quebec is divided into the Upper and Lower Town, the
ascent from the latter being by a very steep and winding
street through Prescott Gate. The site of the Lower Town
may be regarded as almost entirely the creation of human
industry, having been gained by excavation from the base of
the impending precipice, or redeemed from the river by
building out into its waters. The wharves are, generally
speaking, carried out upwards of 200 yards into the river.

Skirting the bank of the St. Charles, called by Jacques
Cartier Port Ste. Croix, a continuation of Lower Town is
called St. Rochs, from which, in a circuitous manner, the
city ascends to the very border of the Citadel and the
Ramparts, the principal access being through Palace Gate.
The city is remarkably irregular, and the streets extremely
narrow, following the example of all the old French towns ;
but, from the massive wails and antiquated appearance of
many of its buildings, its appearance is picturesque and
romantic. Here and there flights of steps lead the passenger
from one street to another, reminding the tourist forcibly of
the streets in the islands of Guernsey or of Malta. The
fortifications cover an area of forty acres, and beneath them
are many spacious and gloomy vaults for the reception of
ammunition and stores during a time of war. The tourist,
with proper introductions, or if a foreigner, with a note
from his Consul, will find no difficulty in obtaining a
pass from the military authorities to view them, and will
be well rewarded with the sight. The finest prospect that
can be enjoyed in the city is obtainable on the ramparts, and
though at the signal house a higher altitude can be obtained,
yet to lean upon the balustrade of "the platform" in the
promenade, just below the Citadel, and gaze over the
Lower Town, where the hurry of business is ^ofog on, and

12 Quebec and its Environs.

the ships discharging their cargoes, and yet only hear a
confused hum,— to see the sailor tugging away, perhaps at
the mast-head of his ship, far below you, and yet only hear
his loud, clear shout stealing upward in the air, is something
unique and attractive. Here near this promenade, between
the gardens attached to the old Castle of St. Louis, stands
an obelisk to the memory of Wolfe and Montcalm.

The religious establishments and buildings are very nu-
merous, ancient, and well endowed ; among the most im-
posing of all is perhaps the Laval University and Seminary,
the Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, and the Church and
Convent of St. Ursula. In the Lower Town is a Chapel
noticeable on account of its antiquity and the origin of its
name — Notre Dame des Victoires. It was built and used as
a Church before 1690. In that year Sir Wm. Phipps, in
attempting to capture Quebec, was defeated, and in con-
sequence the fete of Notre Dame de la Victoire was instituted
in this Church for annual celebration. After the shipwreck
and destruction of the English fleet under Admiral Walker
in 171 1 on Egg Island Rocks, which was regarded by the
inhabitants not only as a second victory, but as a miraculous
interposition in their favour, the present name was imposed
on the Church, in order that both events might be com-
memorated at once. In the growing suburbs of St. John's
and St. Rochs, are several handsome and substantial eccle-
siastical structures. In 1845 Quebec was visited at an
interval of four weeks by two most calamitous fires ; but as
there is seldom any evil out of which good does not arise, so
in this case many old wooden buildings were swept away,
which have been replaced by more substantial brick and
stone. Amongst the curiosities which will attract the at-
tention of the visitor, is the Golden Dog, " Le Chien
dOr" This is the figure of a dog in a crouching position
rudely sculptured in relievo, and richly gilded, which stands
above the entrance of an ancient house, which was built by

Quebec and its Environs. 13

M. Phillibert, a merchant of the city, in the days of Intendant
Bigot. It was, a few years ago, the chief entrance to the
City Post Office. Connected with it is the following curious
story : — M. Phillibert and the Intendant were on bad terms ;
but under the system then existing, the merchant knew that
it was in vain for him to seek redress in the Colony, and
determining at some future period to seek redress in France,
he contented himself with placing the figure of a sleeping
dog in front of his house, with the following lines beneath it,
in allusion to his situation with his powerful enemy :

" Je suis un chien qui ronge l'os,
En le rongeant je prends mon repos —
Un jour viendra qui n'est pas renu
Que je mordrai qui ni'aura ruordu."

This allegorical language, however, was too plain for Bigot
to misunderstand it, and, as the reward of his verse, poor
Phillibert received the sword of an officer of the garrison
through his back when descending the Lower-Town Hill.
The murderer was permitted to leave the Colony unmolested,
and was transferred to a regiment in the East Indies, but
was pursued thither by a son of the deceased, who, meeting
him in the streets of Pondicherry, avenged his father's death.
The environs of Quebec are highly interesting, and we
will take a few of the most prominent in turn. ChatcaiL-
Bigot, some five miles north of Quebec, an antique and
massive ruin, standing in solitary loneliness in the centre of
a clearing, at the foot of the Charlesbourg mountain, is well
worthy of a visit. Those who wish to go there, are strongly
advised to take the cart-road which leads from Charles-
bourg Church, turning up near the house of a man named
Charles Paquet. Pedestrians will prefer the other route ;
they can, in this case, leave their vehicle at Airs. Huot's
boarding-house, a little higher than the Church, and then
walk through the fields, skirting during the greater part of
the road a beautiful brook. But by all means let them take

14 Quebec ana its Environs.

a guide with them. A tragical occurrence enshrines the old
building with a tinge of mystery, which only awaits the pen
of a novelist to weave out of it a thrilling romance. The
legend may be condensed as follows : — Somewhere about
the year 1757, the French Intendant, Bigot, who had charge
of the public funds of Canada, attempted to lead here the
same dissolute life which the old Noblesse of France led
before the French Revolution, and built this country seat
in which to seek relaxation from the cares of office. Hunt-
ing was a favourite pastime of this old noble, and this
indefatigable Nimrod on one occasion, tracking a deer which
he had wounded, strayed far away from his chateau, and was
overtaken by the shades of evening in the midst of a dense
forest. Exhausted with hunger and fatigue, he sat down to
ponder on what course he should pursue, when, startled by
the sound of footsteps, he perceived before him a light
figure, with eyes as black as night, and raven tresses flowing
in the night wind.. It was an Algonquin beauty, one of
those ideal types whose white skin betray their hybrid
origin — a mixture of European blood with that of the
Aboriginal race. It was Caroline, a child of love, born on the
banks of the Ottawa, a French officer her sire, and the
Algonquin tribe of the Beaver claimed her mother. Struck
with the sight of such beauty, he requested her guidance to
his castle, as she • must be familiar with every path of the
forest. . . . The Intendant was a married man, but his
lady seldom accompanied her lord on his hunting excursions,
remaining in the Capital ; but it was soon whispered abroad,
and came to her ears, that something more than the pursuit
of wild animals attracted him to his country seat. Jealousy
is a watchful sentinel, and after making several visits to the
castle, she verified her worst fears. ... On the night of the
2nd July, when every inmate was wrapped in slumber, a
masked person rushed upon this "fair Rosamond," and
plunged a dagger to the hilt in her heart. The whole

Quebec and its Environs. 15

household was alarmed ; search was made, but no clue to
the murderer discovered. A variety of reports were circu-
lated, some tracing the deed to the late Intendant's wife,
others alleging that the avenging mother of the metisse was
the assassin. A mystery, however, to this day surrounds the
deed. She was buried in the cellar of the castle, and the
letter C engraved on a flat stone, which, till within the last
few years, marked her resting-place. The chateau at once
fell into disuse and decay ; and a dreary solitude now sur-
rounds the dwelling and the tomb of that dark-haired child
of the wilderness, over which green moss and rank weeds
cluster profusely. Such is the legend of Chateau-Bigot.

The Hotels in Quebec, of which the St. Louis and Russell's
are the principal, are very good, and moderate in their terms ;
carriages are easily procured anywhere, and street cars
have lately been introduced into the city. The principal
buildings are the Custom House, the Marine Hospital, the
Parliament Buildings, and the different gates, which were
formerly the only entrances to the city. To Spencer Wood,
the residence of the Governor-General, is a very pleasant
drive, and the view thence is magnificent..

The Ste. Foy Monument stands in an open field, on
the brow of a cliff, from which the view is beautiful in
the extreme, and is reached after a five or six minutes' walk
from the Ste. Foy Toll-gate, through an avenue bordered
on either side by handsome villas, and fine gardens, and
half-shaded by over-arching trees. As you turn towards
the monumental pillar, you have before you the valley of
the St. Charles, along which the populous suburbs of St.
Roch and St. Sauveur are gradually making their way. Be-
yond the limit of the level ground, the hills rise up terrace-
like, bright with verdure, and rendered still more attractive
by the endless succession of villas, farm houses, and villages,
which dot the rising ground at intervals, until they are lost
in the distance, far away behind Lorette and Beauport, where

1 6 Quebec and its Environs.

the blue summits of the Laurentian range rise to the skies.
The monument is decidedly the handsomest public monu-
ment in or near the city. Of bronzed metal, standing on a
stone base, and surmounted by a bronze statue of Bellona, it
is a most prominent object in the landscape. The face of
the pedestal fronting the Ste. Foy road has the simple inscrip-
tion, surrounded by a laurel wreath, "Aux Braves de 1760,
erigeparla Soci^te St. Jean Baptiste de Quebec, i860." On
the face looking towards the city is the name " Murray," on
an oval shield surmounted by the arms of Great Britain and
Ireland, and supported by British insignia. On the other
side is a shield bearing the name " Levis," surmounted by
the arms of France under the Bourbons, the crown and the
lilies, with appropriate supporters. In rear, looking towards
the valley, there is a representation of a wind-mill in bas-
relief — in allusion, we suppose, to the wind-mill which was
an object of alternate attack and defence to both armies on
the occasion of the battle. This portion of the column also
bears the national arms of Canada. — The idea of erecting a
monument here was conceived many years ago. For a long
time the plough of the farmer and the shovel and pick-axe of
the workman, as he labored at the foundation of new build-
ings along the Ste. Foy road, turned up human remains —
evidently the relics of the slain. Rusty, half-decayed arms,
accoutrements and buttons, bearing the arms of the French
and British regiments, told to whom they belonged. In
1853-4 an unusual number of these bleached fragments of
humanity were found, and the St. Jean Baptiste Society con-
ceived the idea of having them all interred in one spot.
They were accordingly collected, and the Christian intention
of the Society was carried out on the 5th June 1854, when
the national societies, troops, volunteers, public bodies, &c,
followed in procession a magnificent funeral car containing
the bones of the slain to this their last resting place. — The
battle of Ste. Foy was one of no ordinary character, being

Quebec and its Environs. 17

the first and only action which was fought in the course of
the De Levis' bold attempt to wrest the Fortress City from
the British, and was also the last victory won by French
arms on Canadian soil. Quebec, during that winter, was
held by but a handful of British troops, and the occasion
seemed most auspicious for the French. The battle lasted
one hour and three-quarters, and from accurate data about
4000 corpses strewed the environs of the spot where the
monument now stands.

Stretching southwards, the next object of historical interest
is the expanse of table land known as The Plains of
Abraham, celebrated in history as being the death scene
of Wolfe and Montcalm. The battle ground presents almost
a level surface from the brink of the St. Lawrence to the
Ste. Foy Road. The Grande Allee, or Road to Cap Rouge,
running parallel to that of Ste. Foy, passes through its centre.
On the highest ground, considerably in advance of the
Martello Towers, not far from the fence which divides the
race-ground from the enclosures on the east, are the remains
of a redoubt, close by which, a rock is pointed out as marking
the spot where Wolfe actually breathed his last, and in one of
the enclosures near to the road is the well whence they
brought him water. Montcalm, who survived some twelve
hours, was buried in an excavation made by the bursting of
a shell within the precincts of the Ursuline Convent, — a fit
resting place for the remains of a man who died fighting for
the honor and defence of his country ; but England, jealous
of the ashes of Wolfe, laid them beside his father's at Green-
wich, the town in which he was born. The skull of Mont-
calm was exhumed some ten or twelve years ago, and placed
in a glass case in the Convent, where the curious in relics
can see it on application to the chaplain there. The monu-
ment in Quebec, common to Wolfe and Montcalm, — the stone
placed in the Ursuline Convent in honor of the latter, — and
the smaller column, on the plains dyed with the blood of

B

1 8 Quebec and its Environs.

Wolfe, form a complete series of testimonials, honorable to
the spirit of the age, and the distinguished individuals under
whose auspices they have been erected. The memorial
on the Plains bears the following inscription: "Here died
Wolfe; victorious; 1759."

A ride to The Falls of Montmorenci, seven miles
down the river, will abundantly repay the tourist for any
trouble or expense to which he may be subjected. The
Montmorenci itself, so called after a French Admiral of
that name, is an inconsiderable stream, — but having made a
leap of two hundred and fifty feet, is quite deserving of its
reputation. The sheet of water comes over the precipice in
an unbroken mass, discharging its translucent treasure into
a pool below, which boils and foams as if venting its wrath at
having been tossed about, till in a few moments it glides
onward in peace, to mingle with the current of the St. Law-
rence. The narrowness of the fall, being only 50 feet in
width, when compared with its height, perhaps, causes the
latter to seem greater than it really is. The whole of the
scenery on the road through Beauport and back again by an
interior road is full of interest. About two miles above the
fall is a curious formation on the river bank called The Natural
Steps ; these are a series of layers of the limestone rock, each
about a foot in thickness, forming the river bank, and, for
about half a mile, receding one above the other to the height
of about 20 feet as regularly as if framed by the hand of man.
They are an object of curiosity, and being so near the fall,
should be included in the visit. Facing the roaring cataract
stands the " Mansion House," the summer residence of an
English Prince, the Duke of Kent, in 1791. The main
portion of the "Mansion House," is just as he left it; the
room in which he used to write is yet shown ; a table and
chair, part of his furniture, are to this day religiously
preserved, and access can be had to view the place through
the kindness of the proprietor, G. B. Hall, Esquire, whose

Montmorenci — Quebec.

KnTM *N. Pft >fat

Quebec and its Environs. 19

saw-mills lie just below the falls. Montmorenci Falls in
winter are a favorite resort for the residents of Quebec, who
drive there, warmly wrapped up in buffalo robes, in their
light carioles or sleighs ; and carrying with them a basket
well stocked, enjoy what is unknown elsewhere in mid-
winter, a picnic on the snow. The foam and spray rising
from the foot of the falls accumulate in the shape of ice,
forming a cone sometimes nearly 100 feet high. A second
one of less size is also formed, which is greatly (the higher
cone, only by the more hardy and venturesome) made use
of by visitors for " coasting " and " toboggining ; " that is,
having ascended to the summit, they entrust themselves to
their small sleigh or toboggin, as the case may be, and slide
down at full speed, gaining a velocity every instant, which
carries them sometimes half a mile or more on the surround-
ing level ice. It requires, however, the expertness of boys
used to " coasting" to steer straight down the incline, and it not .
unfrequently happens that two or three upsets, though gener-
ally without any serious consequences, take place. The cold
is not felt by those engaged in the sport, so thoroughly does
the exercise warm the blood. We do not know of any
exercise more invigorating than guiding a toboggin at full
speed down an incline of 45 ° when two or three ladies are
clinging on behind, and we recommend all who have never
enjoyed this sport, to try their hands, if only for once, at this
entirely Canadian amusement. A toboggin is a light Indian
sleigh made of very thin wood and curled over in front, and
used chiefly by pleasure parties in sliding down hill sides
covered with crusted but lightly packed snow — small sleighs
with runners are chiefly used at the ice cones. From the
summit of the large ice-cone, the glassy sides slope down
evenly in all directions ; one, leading down swift into the huge
boiling caldron at the foot of the cascade, the other, the side up
which we climb. A few years ago the soldiers of the garrison
held a picnic here in winter, when the cone was excavated

20 Quebec and its Environs.

into a grotto and alcoves, which, when illuminated at night,

presented a most beautiful sight, conveying an idea of the

winter palace of St. Petersburg on the Neva.— -To those

who have not resided in Quebec during the winter, it is

hardly possible to convey an idea of the interest which is felt

in the formation of an "ice-bridge." When the ice does not

take between the two shores, there is often much difficulty

in crossing the river. The stream is then full of masses of

floating ice, varying in size from a few feet square to many

hundred feet, through and over which the traveller is taken

in a canoe. Should the boatmen be fortunate enough to

strike a good crossing, and get clear water, the journey is

quickly made, and is not unpleasant. This, however, is not

always the case, and sometimes the victim of circumstances

is carried about for hours on the ice, and landed at last

some miles from the place he set out for. Despite the

apparent danger of the traverse, we very rarely hear of a

canoe being lost, and we have never heard of any fatality

resulting from an accident The "ice-bridge" generally

holds till the latter end of April, and breaks up all at once.

As pleasant a drive as the stranger can have in the
environs of Quebec is, taking the Cap Rouge Road, out by
St. Lewis Gate, and returning by the Ste. Foy Road, nine
miles or more. This- drive takes us through Sillery, a
place of great historical interest. Here De Maisonneuve
passed his first winter with the colonists intended to found
Montreal. A chapel, missionary residence, hospital, fort,
and houses, were all substantially built in this spot, and
twenty years ago Abbe Ferland saw a portion of the church
walls standing. At the centre of Sillery Cove is a cape, not
very high, but with its sides perpendicular. This was' the
fort; on the left is the missionary's house, now converted
into a residence for the clerks of H. LeMesurier, Esq. The
building has been kept in repair, and is still in a good state
of preservation. In a line with it, can be discovered the

Quebec and its Environs. 21

foundation of the church. In this neighbourhood is situated
Mount Hermon Cemetery; it lies on the south side of
the St. Lewis Road, and slopes irregularly, but beautifully,
down the cliff overhanging the St. Lawrence. It was laid out
by Major Douglas, the engineer who designed Greenwood
Cemetery, New York. A drive, upwards of two miles in
extent, affords access to all parts of the grounds. Many
beautiful monuments adorn them, and in the front stands
the handsome temple called St. Michael's Chapel, which is
weekly attended by the Sovereign's representative and suite,
and rank and fashion of the city. Leaving this spot, the
ride continues through the woods on the edge of the banks
rising from the shore. On the south side are distinguished
the embouchures of the Etchemin and Chaudiere pouring
in their tribute of waters. The view from Pointe a. Ruisseaux
is worthy the attention of any artist. A little further on are
the ruins of what was once a large stone chapel. A visit to
the Church of Ste. Foy, from which is seen, below, the
St. Charles, gliding smoothly through its valley, with the
villages of Lorette and Charlesbourg in the distance, must
not be omitted.

The other Cemeteries worthy of a visit are Belmont, on
the Ste. Foy Road, and St. Charles on Little River Road,
each about three miles from the city.

The Indian village of Lorette is nine miles, Lake St.
Charles twelve miles, and Lake Beauport eighteen miles
from Quebec. Each repays the visitor in beauty. But by
all means make a downward voyage from Lake St. Charles
to the Lorette Falls in a birch canoe, for the sake of getting
even but a glimpse of Castorville, a forest-wild, through
which the St. Charles, mantled over by a dense growth of
spruce and fir trees, intersected by a maze of avenues, glides,
having passed through a distance of eight miles of perfectly
fairy navigation. The mansion lies on a point formed by
the Grand Desert and St Charles streams : along the banks

22 The Lower St. Lawrence.

are little bowers of birch-bark, and boats and canoes anchored
around, close by a veritable wigwam. This is the home of
the Hon. L. Panet, whom the Lorette Huron Indians have
elected as their honorary chief

There is a remarkable echo at Lake St. Charles, which,
unlike other echoes, tarries some few seconds before repeat-
ing the sound uttered ; and this in its turn is re-echoed from
another quarter, as though the nymph of the Lake were
summoning the dryads of the neighbouring woods to join in
the sport.

THE LOWER ST. LAWRENCE.

Thirty-six miles below Quebec lies a small group of islands,
of which the largest — Crane Island — is only six, and Goose
Island four and a half miles in length. They are united by
a belt of low land, covered with most luxuriant hay, and are
the resort of myriads of geese, ducks and teal ; and not only
in the fall and spring do they congregate there, but they
make it also their breeding place. The high tides of spring
and fall wash the foot of the rising ground on which the
manor house of these islands stands, and at such times the
game, such as ring-plovers, curlews, sea-snipe, sand-pipers,
&c, alight within a few rods of the house. To the north of
Crane Island lies a smaller one, which the tide covers daily ;
that is the Dime, well known to Canadian Chasseurs as abound-
ing with Canadian geese, (putardcs) snow-geese and ducks.
"Every day in May and September," says Le Moine, "you
may see a flock of snow-geese and outardes feeding there,
some three thousand in number, beyond a rifle's range, or
winging their rapid, noisy, wedge-like flight towards the
muddy St. Joachim flats opposite." On the long sand-bar

The Lower St. Lawrence. 23

known as Batture mix Comeillcs, you may at times see a
dense vapor, to all appearance, hovering over it, that you
might take for a squall of rain or hail, but soon the snowy
breasts of myriads of chubby little northern strangers, the
ring-plovers, are to be seen settling on the sand ; now is
your time, — enfilade their ranks ; fire low — one shot suffices ;
to fire again, would only cause .unnecessary carnage. The
Seigneury of these islands belongs to the McPherson family,
who, to their praise be it said, are indefatigable in enforcing
the game laws and punishing trespassers ; but their permis-
sion is easily obtained for a day's shooting, by a true sports-
man. Within the last five years, two guns in two days killed
fifty wild geese there. Crane Island has its legend attached
to it. More than a century ago a French officer left Old for
New France, as Canada was then called. He obtained the
grant of a Seigneury comprising a group of islands called
the Ste. Marguerite, including Goose and Crane Islands, and
thereon he built, not a baronial castle, not a crenelated tower,
but a plain, massive, stone house- — a prison, as it proved sub-
sequently, for himself — or for his son ; tradition has failed to
elucidate the point. There for many a long year a solitary
prisoner was immured. His keeper, perhaps his friend, his
relative — was a woman of rank and wealth. The prisoner, it
was said, was insane. The question was often asked, Were
there no lunatic asylums in France fit to receive him ?
Dark surmises were circulated. Who was this new Masque
• de Fer ? Why was he thus immured ? The name of the
fair occupant of the manor was Madame de Granville ; the
prisoner was . . . her brother — sisterly love made her his
jailor — she said so. Years rolled on, the captive died, and
though till recently the ruins of the grim old house were
standing, on its site a modern structure has been erected.
It required great effort to disjoint the masonry of the old
walls.

Steaming down the North Channel after passing Chateau

24 The Lower St Lawrence.

Richer, the pretty little Church of Ste. Anne, nestling under
the brow of a steep hill, forms one of the most attractive
features of the landscape. Hither annually repair the blind,
the lame and the halt, to invoke the interposition of the
Saint to make them whole. A number of crutches left
behind by persons cured, were formerly hung up in the church,
but within late years they have been removed to the sacristy.
The inside walls are adorned with strange paintings, of a
primitive nature, with singular explanations difficult to be
understood. The environs are very pleasing ; the neat
white cottages ever and anon peering out from a dense
covert of evergreens, maple or birch. Many places of no
little interest abound in the neighbourhood, such as the Falls
.of Ste. Anne, the Fereol Falls, and the Seven Falls. In fact,
there is scarcely to be found in the world a bolder or finer
ravine than that through which the Ste. Anne finds its way
down from the mountains to the St. Lawrence. It is as well
or better worth seeing than Niagara, without its renomme'e.
From the top of the hill overhanging the village, the view is
extensive, taking in the whole northern shore of the Island
of Orleans, with Grosse Isle, (the Quarantine Station,) loom-
ing up in the distance.

The Chateau Richer swamps, in spite of the indiscriminate
slaughter of birds, still furnish some 3,000 or 4,000 snipe
per season. The Bijou marsh, under the Ste. Foy heights,
formerly an excellent hunting ground, still furnishes snipe
enough to make a good day's sport ; but only in certain states
of the weather can it be relied on : when a north-east or
east wind blows heavily, birds may be met with abundantly.
Woodcock are numerous at C6te-a-Bonhomme, near Charles-
bourg, at La Baie du Febvre, Les Salines, and in almost
any part of the thick cedar swamps which lie over five miles
away from the city. Large game in the vicinity is scarce.
A curious incident, however, recently occurred to a sporting
member of the Quebec bar, whom the summer vacation had

The Lower St. Lawrence. 2$

seduced away from his Blackstone and Coke, to the swampy
Chateau Richer flats. He was bagging a few birds leisurely,
when on firing his first shot, he heard a rustling in the
bushes, and out stepped — a bear. Sympathy for a fellow-
sportsman ought to have saved Bruin's life ; not so, however ;
his presence on the swamp was construed by the disciple of
St. Hubert into a clear case of trespass. A heavy charge at
close quarters, and Bruin was no more.

Tlie shores of the whole of the Lower St. Lawrence are
probably unequalled in the world for the numbers and
variety of wild-fowl which frequent them. In the fall of the
year especially, they literally swarm with ducks, teal, and
other sea-fowl. September brings forth from their breeding
places in the barren wilds of Labrador, and secluded lakes and
islands of the North, myriads of sand-pipers, curlew, plover,
&c. At the entrance of the Gulf, the Bird Rocks are
tenanted by large numbers of gannets, puffins, guillemots,
auks and kittiwakes, and their eggs are an article' of traffic to
some of the neighbouring coasters, Capt. Fortin, four years
ago, having come upon several schooners loading up with
eggs at these islands. Here the egg collector may supply his
collection with many rare specimens. The largest of them,
Or, as it is also called, Gannet Rock, is the easiest of access,
the southerly side being the only place where a boat can land.
But the ascent cannot be made from here ; the only spot
whence that can be accomplished is from a rocky point on
the north-west, and then it is very difficult, as it is necessary
to jump from a boat, thrown about by the surf, on to the
inclined surface of a ledge, rendered slippery by the fuci that
cover it. The landing once accomplished, the first ascent is
easy, but the upper part both difficult and dangerous, as the
rock is so soft it cannot be trusted to, and, in addition, ren-
dered slippery from the constant trickling from above, and
the excrements of the birds that cover it in all directions.
We have ourselves seen thousands of water-fowl gobbling up

2° The Lower St. Lawrence.

the shell-fish, barnacles, &c, which cling to the shelving
rocks round Plateau and Bonaventure Islands at Gaspe.
We have watched the gannet, the herring-gull, the cormorant,
hovering in clouds over Perce Rock, on whose verdant sum-
mit they build and find an asylum secure from their great
destroyer — man. We have seen their young shot by thou-
sands for food in the month of August. It is not an uncom-
mon thing in the fall of the year for the Gaspe fishermen to
kill as many as twenty ducks at one shot in the air-holes
among the ice, down which the hungry birds crowd to feed.

Where is the Canadian sportsman who would not give
almost the world for a week on the Mille Vaches shoals in
September ? Where is the fowler who has not heard of the
sport which Jupiter River, on Anticosti, affords ?

Father Point, lower down than Rimouski, during strong
easterly winds, affords capital sport ; Canada geese, Brent
geese and ducks, are perpetually hovering over the extreme
end of the point ; the fowler, carefully concealed, pours a
deadly volley into the flock, and his faithful Newfoundland
dog springs into the surf and fetches out the dead birds.

The Perroquet Rocks, at the entrance of the Straits of Belle
Isle, which have acquired an unenviable notoriety by the loss
of the North Briton, abound in puffins or sea-parrots, pretty
little web-footed birds about the size of pigeons, and marked
with variegated colours, — hard to kill and tough to eat.

Six miles further down the coast is the Hudson Bay Com-
pany's Post, at the mouth of the celebrated salmon river
Mingan. The resident agent there was a leader of one of the
exploring parties for Sir John Franklin. Any sportsman
whose ardour leads him to these sequestered haunts, will find
in Mr. J. Anderson a most hearty friend.

Seal Rocks, in the Traverse, a broad reach in the river,
about 1 8 miles in length, are a delightful small game preserve,
so bountifully stocked with ducks, teal, and plover, that a
club of chasseurs of St Jean Port-Joli have leased it from

The Lower St. Lawrence. 27

government ; a rare thing in Canada, for natives to pay for
the privilege of shooting game.

Grouse shooting also affords amusement on the wooded
slopes of the hills ; but go into the interior about forty miles,
in September, and the whirring of the grouse from every
covert will amply repay your toil ; perhaps too you may be
lucky enough to have a shot at the king of birds, the golden
eagle or his pilfering compeer the bald eagle, soaring high
above your head among the crags. And if perchance camped
for the night in a deserted sugar-hut, you hear the horrible
hooting of the great horned owl, fear nothing ; wait until the
nocturnal marauder lights on the large tree near your resting
place, and by the light of the moon you will soon add to your
museum, one of the noblest andfiercest birds of the Canadian
fauna.

That portion of the St. Lawrence extending between Goose
Island and the Saguenay River, is about twenty miles wide.
The spring tides rise and fall a distance of eighteen feet ; the
water is salt, but clear and cold, and the channel very deep.
Here may be seen abundantly the black seal, the white por-
poise, and the black whale. The white porpoise yields an oil
of the best quality, and the skin is capable of being tanned into
durable leather. It is far from being a shy fish, and when
seen in large numbers, presents a beautiful and unique
appearance. There are two methods used for capturing it,
the first of which affords most exciting sport. A boat is used
with a white bottom, behind which the fisherman tows a
small wooden porpoise, painted of a dark slate color, in
imitation of the young of this species. With these lures the
porpoise is brought into the immediate vicinity of the
harpoon, which is then thrown with fatal precision. The
other method is by fencing them in. Tins fish is fond of
wandering over the sand bars at high water, for the purpose of
feeding. The fishermen enclose one of these sandy reefs
with poles set about fifty feet apart, and a net stretched

28 The River Saguenay.

across. They leave an appropriate opening for the por-
poises, which enter at high water, and owing to their timidity,
are kept confined by the slender barrier until the tide ebbs,
when they are destroyed in great numbers with very little
trouble.-

— When in Quebec the tourist should by all means take a
run down to the Saguenay. This he can do by taking the
railway at Pointe Levi for Riviere du Loup, and there crossing
by steamer ; or during the summer months he can take
steamer to the Saguenay, from Quebec. How is it, many
are led to inquire, that so little has been known of the
Saguenay and its surroundings, until quite recently ? Two
reasons may be assigned for this ; it is a portion of that
vast territory which has been under the jurisdiction of the
Hudson Bay Company, — and the wilderness through which
it runs is of such a character that its shores can never be
greatly changed in appearance. Only a small proportion of
its soil can ever be brought under cultivation, and as its forests
are a good deal stunted, its lumbering resources are by no
means inexhaustible. The wealth it contains is mineral, of
which iron is abundant ; and that it would yield an abundance
of fine marble, the observant eye can judge for itself, as it will
frequently fall upon a broad vein of that rock as pure as
alabaster. The Saguenay is the largest tributary of the great
St. Lawrence, and unquestionably one of the most remarkable
rivers on the continent. It is the principal outlet of Lake
St. John, which is its head-water ; a lake about forty miles
long, surrounded with a heavily timbered and rather level
country ; its waters are remarkably clear, and abound in a
great variety of uncommonly fine fish. Eleven large rivers
fall into it, yet it has only this one outlet. Into this lake there
is a noteworthy Curtain Fall of two hundred and thirty-six
•feet, so conspicuous as to be seen at forty or fifty miles distant
— the Indian name of which is " Q-?at Chouan," or " Do you

>

§

The River Sagaenay. 29

see a fall there ? " The climate in the vicinity of the lake is
said to be preferable to that of the~.sea coast. The Jake lies
about 150 miles north-east of the St. Lawrence and nearly-
due north of Quebec. The original Indian name of the
Saguenay was Chicoutimi, signifying deep water ; but the
early Jesuit missionaries gave it the name it now bears,
said to be a corruption of St. Jean Nez. The scenery here
is wild and romantic in the highest degree. The first half
of its course averages half a mile in width, and runs through
an untrodden wilderness ; it abounds in falls and rapids, and
is only navigable for the Indian canoe. A few miles below
the southern fall on the river is the village of Chicoutimi, at
the junction of a river of the same name, which is the outlet
of a long lake named Kenocami, with the Saguenay. Here
is a range of rapids which extends ten miles. The Indians
say there is a subterranean fall above the foot of the rapids
which they call " Manitou," or the " Great Spirit." To avoid
these falls there is a carrying place called " Le Grand
Portage." An extensive lumber business is transacted here ;
the village has an ancient appearance, and contains about
five hundred inhabitants. The only curiosity is a rude
Catholic Church, said to have been one of the earliest
founded by the Jesuits. It occupies the centre of a grassy
lawn, surrounded with shrubbery, backed by a cluster of
wood-crowned hills, and commands a fine prospect, not only
of the Saguenay, but also of the spacious bay, formed by the
confluence of the two rivers. In the belfry of this venerable
church hangs a clear-toned bell, with an inscription upon it
which has never yet been translated or expounded. From
ten to twelve miles south of Chicoutimi, there recedes from
the Saguenay, to the distance of several miles, a beautiful
expanse of water called Grand, or Ha ! Ha ! Bay. The
village of Grand Bay, 132 miles from Quebec, is the resort
of those who want to remain any time here. The name Ha !
Ha ! is said to be derived from the surprise which the French

30 The River Saguenay.

experienced when they; first entered it, supposing it still the
river, until their shallop grounded on the north-western
shore. At the northern head of it is another settlement
called Bagotville. Between these two places the Saguenay
is rather shallow, (when compared with the remainder of its
course,) and varies in width from two and a half to three
miles. The tide is observable as far north as Chicoutimi,
and this entire section of the river is navigable for ships of
the largest class, whose legitimate home is the ocean, but
which ascend thus far for lumber.

That portion of the Saguenay extending from Ha ! Ha !
Bay to the St. Lawrence, a distance of from fifty to sixty
miles, is greatly distinguished for its wild and picturesque
scenery. The shores are composed principally of granite,
and every bend presents to view an imposing bluff, the
majority of which are from eight to fifteen hundred feet
high. And generally speaking these towering bulwarks are
not content to loom perpendicularly into the air, but they
must needs bend over, as if to look at their own features
reflected in the water below. Awful beyond expression is it
in sailing along the Saguenay, to raise the eyes heavenward,
and behold, hanging directly overhead, a mass of granite
apparently ready to totter and fall, and weighing perhaps a
million tons. Nowhere else have we ever experienced such
a sense of human littleness, unless it be at the base of Table
Rock at Niagara. Descending from Ha ! Ha ! Bay, a per-
pendicular rock, nine hundred feet high, is the abrupt
termination of a lofty plateau called The Tableau, a column
of dark-coloured granite, 600 feet high by 300 wide, its sides
as smooth as if they had just received the polishing stroke
from the artisan's chisel. Statue Point is another gem of
scenery; but what pen can describe the stupendous pro-
monotories, Trinity Point and Cape Eternity ? The water
is as deep five feet from their base, as it is in the centre of
the stream, and from actual measurement, many portions of

The River Saguenay. 31

it have been ascertained to be a thousand feet, and the
shallowest parts not less than a hundred ; and from the over-
hanging cliffs, it assumes a black and ink-like appearance.
Cape Eternity is the most imposing, and with it is associated
the following : — An Indian hunter having followed a moose
to the brow of the cliff, after the deer had made a fatal spring
far down into the deep water, lost his foothold and perished
with his prey. Two or three years ago two. fine specimens
of the bird of Washington, that rare eagle, were shot here,
according to Le Moine, in his Oiseaux du Canada; and ever
and anon the flight of the bald-headed eagle along the sum-
mits of these beetling cliffs, — the salmon leaping after its
insect prey, — or the seals bobbing their heads out of the
water, — continually attract the sportsman's eye. The village
of St. Jean, or St. Johns, is a small lumbering village,
similar to the few other settlements in this section, and
possessing no peculiar attraction except the bay on which
it stands, and which appears perhaps more beautiful than it
really is, from contrast with the bold shores encircling it.
Nearing the St.- Lawrence we pass two hills called the
Profiles, from their strong resemblance to human features,
and Tete de Boule, a remarkable, round mountain, as stu-
pendous as Capes Trinity or Eternity, meets the view. The
current of the Saguenay flows in some places at the rate of
seven miles an hour, but when there is any wind at all, it
generally blows quite heavily from the north or south. To
the European tourist, the appearance of the whole of this
river must strongly remind him of the fiords of Norway,
only on a gigantic scale. For the benefit of summer tourists
we would mention the fact that during the " season," or
about two months in summer, a steamer from Quebec makes
weekly trips, by way of Riviere du Loup, to the Saguenay.
Tadoussac, which of late years has come into notice as a
place of summer resort, 140 miles below Quebec, lies a little
above Pointe aux Vaches, at the east entrance of the Sa-

32 The River Saguenay.

guenay, about five miles from its confluence with the St. Law-
rence, and is situated on a semi-circular terrace at the top of
a beautiful bay with a sandy beach, hemmed in by mountains
of solid rock, thus presenting a secure retreat from almost
every wind. Tadoussac, apart from its pleasant situation as
a watering place, is interesting from the circumstance of its
having been at an early -period the capital of the French
settlements, and for a long time was one of the chief fur-
trading posts. Here are the ruins of a Jesuit religious estab-
lishment, which are considered the great curiosity of this
region. Their appearance is not imposing, ' as you can
discover nothing but the foundations upon which the ancient
edifice rested ; but it is confidently asserted that upon this
spot once stood the first stone and mortar building ever
erected on the Continent of America — the home of Father
Marquette, who subsequently explored the waters of the
Mississippi. From the very centre of the ruin has grown
up a cluster of pine trees, which must have existed at least
two hundred years. The fate, and the very names of those
who first pitched their tents in this wilderness, and here
erected an altar to the God of their fathers, are alike un-
known. Charlevoix, in 1720, thus speaks of it : "Most of
our geographers have placed a town here, where there never
was but one French house and some huts of savages, who
resorted hither annually to trade with the French when the
navigation was free ; the missionaries made use of the oppor-
tunity, and when the trade was over, the merchants returned
to their homes, the savages to their forests, and the Gospel
labourers followed the last."

Although the salmon is met with in all the streams below
Quebec, it is most abundant on the north shore of the St.
Lawrence, and in those waters which are beyond the juris-
diction of civilization. It usually makes its appearance about
the 20th May, and continues in season for two months. It
is an important article of export from this region, and together

The River Saguenay. 33

with trout, affords excellent sport to the visitor at Tadoussac.
The Ste. Marguerite,which is one of the chief tributaries of the
Saguenay, and can be reached in a boat after a few hours'
pull from Tadoussac, abounds with fish, and if the tourist
desires remaining on its banks for a few days, he can get
accommodation (rough but clean), at the little hamlet of Ste.
Marguerite. Another river which affords good fishing in this
region is the Esquemain, which empties into the St. Law-
rence about twenty miles east of the Saguenay. It is a cold,
clear, and rapid stream, abounding in rapids and deep pools,
and although there is a saw mill at its mouth, (the enemy of
the salmon,) yet its water- works are so arranged as not to
interfere with the running of the salmon. The best spot here
is at the foot of the fall, which forms a sheet of foam, about one
mile above its mouth. Up the stream, owing to its bushy
shores, you must fish standing on boulders in the water, and
after hooking a fish plunge into the current, which is not
deep, and trust to fortune. But the sport these waters
afford is more than counterbalanced by the black fly and
musquito which swarm here. To ward off their attacks, we
would recommend the fisherman to hang a gauze veil over
his neck and face, or carry with him some oil of rosemary,
which is a sure preventive to the bites of these merciless
marauders. The mouth of the Saguenay itself is hemmed in
with barriers of solid rock, and when the tide is flowing in,
first-rate sport may be obtained from one of these points ;
but we must warn the stranger to be carefully on his guard,
lest, engrossed with his rod and fly, the incoming tide, which
rises very suddenly, surrounds the rock on which he stands,
and he be necessitated to swim through the cold and turbu-
lent current till he reach the main shore. Next to the salmon,
the finest game fish here are trout, which are taken in both
the fresh and salt water, and possess a flavor which the fish of
the western rivers and lakes do not possess. They run from
two to fifteen pounds in weight in the Lower St. Lawrence

c

34 The River Sagucnay.

and all its tributaries. Those of the Saguenay, however, are
the largest, most abundant, and of the finest quality. Almost
every bay or cove is crowded with trout, and, generally
speaking, the rocks upon which you have to stand afford an
abundance of room to swing and drop the fly. Besides this,
fishing in this region possesses a charm which the angler
seldom experiences elsewhere, viz. : the uncertainty as to
the character of the prize before it is landed, as it may be a
common, or salmon-trout, or a regular-built salmon. It is
reported of a celebrated Quebec sportsman, that he captured
in one week on the Esquemain seventy salmon, and upwards
of a hundred trout. Between this river and the Marguerite
are the branches of the Bergeronne, which also afford excel-
lent sport. [At the end of this article the tourist will find a
list of salmon and trout rivers.] Seal-hunting is a favourite
sport with those who resort to these shores ; this animal is
found in great abundance, and several varieties are here met
with. The usual method is to start from Tadoussac with a
yawl and canoe, and steer for a spot in the St. Lawrence
where the waters of the Saguenay and the flood-tide come
together, causing a great commotion. The seal seems to
delight in frequenting the deepest water and most turbulent
whirlpools, and the object of using the canoe is to steal
upon him in the most successful manner. As the seal makes
its appearance, the hunter throws a harpoon, to which is
attached a line with a buoy ; great dexterity is requisite not
to upset the canoe ; in the event, however, of such an acci-
dent, the yawl is at hand to pick up the swimmer, as well
as to receive the animal when dead. Another method of
capturing them is to pass over in a canoe to a sandy point
called " aux Alouettes," and secreting yourself among the
rocks, await the game. Hither they resort in great numbers
to sun themselves, and they can be picked off by the hunter
quite leisurely, provided he does not show himself. Again,
if sufficient time is allowed for the tide to ebb a considerable

The Lower St. Lawrence 35

distance from the spot on which they are basking, the sports-
man may cut off the retreat of several by running between
the water and them, and with a sharp blow on the snout
they are easily despatched. Opposite to Tadoussac lies Red
Island Reef, a treacherous ledge of rocks, dreaded by inward
bound vessels, memorable as being the scene of the ship-
wreck of Ed. De Caen in 1629, and subsequently in, 1848
for the loss of the Gaspe" Packet.

— Perhaps the tourist may have a desire to continue his
trip down the Gulf and visit Gaspe. If so, his best plan
would be to take passage in a steamer from Quebec to Perce,
and coast along upwards as opportunity offers. For those
who purpose visiting this part of the Province, we give the
following description of places most worthy of notice : —

The peninsula of Gaspe, the land's end of Canada toward
the east, from its geological formation of shale and lime-
stone, presenting their upturned edges to the sea and
dipping inland, forms long ranges of beetling cliffs running
down to a narrow strip of beach, and affording no resting-
place even to the fishermen, except where they have been
cut down by streams, and present little coves and bays
opening back into deep glens, affording a view of great
rolling wooded ridges that stand rank after rank behind the
steep sea-cliff, though with many fine valleys between. The
inland country is but little settled, but every cove and ravine
along the shore is occupied by fishermen, who either per-
manently reside here, or resort to the coast in summer.
This bold and picturesque coast, after running down to the
low point of Cap Rosier, on which stands an imposing white
brick tower, falls back to the southward and then stretches
out into the narrow promontory of Cape Gaspe. Here it
was that stout old Jacques Cartier, after battling many days
off this cape against the autumnal north-westers, on his
first voyage, called a council of his officers, and though

36 The Lower St. Law7'ence.

anxious to see what lay beyond, bore away on his return to
France. When he returned, and at last made land, he found
here a tribe of Indians, who appeared to him the rudest he
had ever seen ; a branch of the Micmac tribe ; and from then-
language is derived the name Gaspe, which is stated to mean
as nearly as possible the " land's-end." The whole of Gaspe
is essentially a fishing district. To the sportsman fond of
adventure nothing could be better adapted than a few weeks
in Gaspe in the summer, where, with cod, halibut, and
mackerel fishing, he could while away the hours, or inter-
sperse his amusements occasionally with the more exciting
chase of the whale, the seal and the dolphin. The most
abundant of the whale family here is the black whale or
" black fish." Formerly these were very numerous, but
being timid, and not prolific, the fishermen have already
driven them to the north shore of the Gulf, and will pro-
bably soon have to follow them farther. Mackerel fishing,
when the fish are plentiful, affords great amusement ; two or
three fish are cut up in very small pieces, and thrown on the
surface of the water from the boat ; the fish, allured by this,
rise to the surface in myriads. The hooks are then baited
with a piece of fresh mackerel or shark, and the line is held
either in the hand, or fastened to a rod, and the hauling of
them in becomes at last quite laborious. Cod and halibut
fishing from boats is performed much in the same way,
with the exception of the bait lying on the bottom, the
best bait being a small crab. Small boats can be had from
any of the fishermen on the coast, but we would recommend
the sportsman to join a party in a yawl, and proceed on a
fishing excursion for a few days at a time, as he, by that
means, will probably come in for the different kinds of fishing
in the same trip, to say nothing of the probabilities of a whale
or seal hunt, and an occasional shot at some passing sea-bird
to add to his collection. Gaspe Bay, to the naturalist, is
rich in specimens fantastic in form and curious in structure.

The Lower St. Lawrence. 37

The mud which lies thickly at the mouth of many of the
streams is rich in foraminifera; on the sandy bottom, flat,
cake-like shells called the "Dollar-fish" ( Echinarahnius At-
lanticus) abound. On the more rocky grounds, are immense
numbers of various species of zoophytes and bryozoa. Just
off the mouth of Gaspe Basin, on a gravelly bank, every
stone is coated with millipores ; and starfish, echini, chitons
and sea-anemones, in addition to numerous shells, strew the
sand-bars and spits in great profusion. The interior of Gaspe
has not yet been explored or surveyed ; we must, therefore,
content the reader with a description of such places on the
coast as are most picturesque and deserve a passing notice.

Cap Desespoir, a rugged, bold promontory, lashed by the
full sweep of the Atlantic, is perhaps the most dangerous
spot on this coast; here it was that in 171 1 eight English
transports, with eight hundred and eighty-four officers,
soldiers, and seamen, belonging to Admiral Walker's squad-
ron, met with an awful fate; and the hull of an old wreck
is still pointed out, as having belonged to that ill-fated
expedition. It is said that fragments of the vessels were
driven by the surf on rocks several feet over the level of the
sea, so violent was that storm. The spirits of the departed
are said to be still seen by mariners flitting about the shores
at dusk ; ignes fatui of the muddy pools. But probably the
sea-weed covered rocks, slimy with the confervce of the ocean,
and apparently swaying to and fro, from the ebb and flow of
the tide moving the weed, together with the frowning preci-
pice above, and the solitude and silence, unbroken save by
the swell of the ocean, contribute a weird appearance to the
scene. The nearest village is St. Michel, some seven or
eight miles distant.

Close to the redoubted reefs of Cap Rosier, before alluded
to, formerly stood " Ship Head," or " The Old Woman,"
as mariners called it — a fantastic boulder surrounded by
deep water, and looming out in calm weather so as to

38 The Lower St. Lawrence.

resemble a large ship under full sail, — a veritable phantom
ship ; hundreds have been deceived by the optical illusion.
This well-known land-mark has, however, recently disap-
peared and toppled over from its base ; yet a strange
configuration of rock still exists near the shore to which the
name of " The Old Man" is given.

In the distance one discerns the fanciful mass called Perce
Rock, containing a natural arch, under which a fishing smack
of ordinary dimensions can pass in full sail. It formerly
consisted of two arches, the support of one of which however
fell in 1846, resolving the two into one. The summit of it
is inaccessible, and nothing but the snowy gannet, the black
cormorant, or the silvery gull, has ever sought a footing on
this lofty rock. Yet a romantic story is told by the fisher-
men residing at Perce, about a phantom having been seen
during a storm on this rock. It is known as Le Genie de lisle
Perce', and the date of its existence runs beyond the memory
of man. It is likely that the foundation for this legend can
be traced to the vapoury or cloud-like appearance the vast
flocks of water fowl assume when seen at a distance wheeling
in every fantastic shape through the air, previous to alighting
on the summit. The rock is a few miles from Perce, a large
fishing village, and one of the chcf-licux of the country.

Where La Madeleine runs into the Gulf, horizontal layers
of limestone, fretted away all around their base, by the action
of the tides and waves, assume the most fantastic shapes —
here representing ruins of Gothic architecture, there forming
hollow caverns into which the surf rolling, produces a moan-
ing sound, like an unquiet spirit seeking repose. To this
spot is attached a legend that in some awful shipwreck here,
a father and mother found a watery grave, but their infant
son was washed ashore alive, the sole survivor. His infant
waitings, blended with the swelling storm, struck the ears of
some belated fishermen, who rescued him. Hence the name
"Le Braillard de la Madeleine." The noise is still heard in

The Lower St. Lawrence. 39

stormy weather ; and it, together with the evil repute the
whole of this coast lies under, causes the superstitious sailor
to the present day to give it a wide berth.

Returning up the Gulf we pass on the south shore, Metis,
some 200 miles below Quebec, where is the largest and
longest of the government wharves. Here the inhabitants,
in addition to the more common kinds of fish, do a small
but thriving business in the way of capturing whales, which
are of the hump-back species, yielding from three to eight
tons of oil ; they are hunted in schooners and harpooned
after the fashion of the regular Arctic whalers. From Metis
there is a trail (for road it can scarcely be called) to the
Restigouche River in New Brunswick. Metis is a thriving
town, and if the Ocean Steamers should eventually call there
(as proposed,) it will doubtless become a place of some
importance. There are, however, no hotels there as yet.

Proceeding upwards, we come to Rimouski, 180 miles
from Quebec, which also has a very extensive government
wharf, extending some distance into the river. This village
contains an unusual number of handsome houses, and the
hotel, kept by one St. Laurent, is first-rate in every respect.
The extensive saw-mills and ship-yards give the place a
thriving appearance ; but the lover of scenery and angling
will not remain quiet till he explores the valley of the
Rimouski River. As a stream for trout it is unapproachable.
A nameless tributary about twenty miles from its mouth, not
more than twelve miles long, running through four or five
beautiful little lakes, literally swarms with fish, many of them
over two pounds in weight. The mountains that hem it in
are covered with thick woods, and belong to that range
which here boldly swoops down to the St. Lawrence, and
form a head-land resembling the beak of an eagle, known .by
the name of

Le Bic, nine miles from Rimouski. Here is a small
village of the same name as the promontory, opposite to an

40 The Lower St. Lawrence.

excellent old harbour, where the troops were landed from
England in the winter of 1 86 1.

•In its vicinity is a small island, which for two centuries has
borne the name of L'Islet au Massacre. A deed of blood
marks the spot, and history furnishes the details of the scene.
Two hundred Micmac Indians were camping there for the
night ; their canoes had been beached, and a neighbouring
cavern offered an apparently secure asylum to the warriors,
their wives and children. Wrapped in sleep, they quietly
awaited the return of day to resume their journey. But
duririg the still hours of night the Iroquois had compassed
his slumbering foe. Laden with birch bark, faggots, and
other combustibles, the Iroquois silently surrounded the
cave ; the faggots were piled around it ; the torch applied.
The Micmacs, terror-stricken, seize their arms and prepare to
rush through the flames and sell their lives as dearly as
possible. But a shower of poisoned arrows mows them down,
the tomahawk completes the scene, and history mentions
but five, out of the two hundred, who escaped with their lives.
The blanched bones of the warriors strewed the cave, and
were seen by the Abbe Ferland a few years ago. It has
been the subject of an interesting legend by M. J. C. Tache,
in the Soiries Canadiennes.

Trois Pistoles, 140 miles from Quebec, is a place to
which the tourist must pay his compliments in passing, not
so much on account of its charming scenery and location, as
for the pretty river of the same name, where, from a canoe,
he will have the satisfaction of seeing half-a-dozen fish at
once dart after his fly, the moment it touches the water.
About a couple of miles from the shore is a rocky islet called
the Isle of Rosade, upon which is a wooden cross, with a
memorial in French under, a glass cover, of the deliverance
of forty persons, who, having been attracted on the ice (which
very unusually had taken between the island and the shore)
by the huge quantity of seals basking there, were cut off

The Lower St. Lawrence. 41

from the main land and the island by the breaking up of the
ice field with the ebbing of the tide, which commenced to
hurry them, near the close of a short December day, down
the Gulf, till a bold fisherman, launching a frail canoe at the
peril of his own life, rescued them four at a time, and hap-
pily succeeded in saving all. The cross was erected by
the inhabitants of Notre Dame des Anges, as a silent wit-
ness of God's mercy in the hour of peril.

Journeying on, 114 miles below Quebec lies Riviere du
Loup (en bas). This is the eastern terminus of the Grand
Trunk Railway, and is another favourite summer resort for
sea-bathing and fishing. It is very prettily situated at the
confluence of the Du Loup with the St. Lawrence, and con-
tains a more general mixture of English, Scotch and French,
than is usually found in the smaller towns of Lower Canada.
It commands an extensive prospect of the St. Lawrence,
which is Jiere upwards of twenty miles wide, and studded
with islands ; ships are constantly passing and re-passing, and
when, from their great distance, with the mountains in the
back ground, all these objects are enveloped in a gauze-like
atmosphere of summer haze, there is a magic influence in
the scenery. The principal local attraction is a water-fall,
about a mile in the rear of the village. At this point the
waters of the rapid and beautiful Du Loup dance joyously
over a rocky bed, until they reach a picturesque precipice of
perhaps 80 or 100 feet, over which they dash in a sheet of
foam, and after forming an extensive and shadowy pool, glide
onward placidly to mingle with the mighty river. The
traveller who wishes to go from Quebec to Halifax, must
come to this point to take the Grand Portage Road, which
commences here and extends to Lake Temiscouata, a distance
of thirty-six miles. The first ten miles of this road are
dotted with the cottages of the Canadian peasantry ; but the
rest of the route leads up mountains and down valleys, as
wild and desolate as when first created. The streams, which

42 The Lower St. Lawrence.

cross the road continually, abound in trout. On this road
is a great curiosity of a geological character, which will
repay the curious for their visit. Crossing the road and
running in a northerly direction, extending to the width of
about two miles, is a singular bed of granite boulders, of
every size and form, and while from a portion of them rises
a scanty vegetation, other portions are destitute of even the
common moss. The appearance it presents is that of the
bed of a mighty river, whose fountains have become for ever
dry. It has probably been the grounding place of some
mighty glacier in an early era of the world's history. The
Grand Portage Road is all that could be desired, and at the
termination of it is the small hamlet of Temiscouata, on the
lake of the same name, signifying winding water. This is a
beautiful sheet of water, of a serpentine course, about twenty-
four miles long and from two to three wide. On it are some
lovely views, but with the exception of the cluster of houses
that forms the hamlet, there is not a single cabin on the
whole lake, and the surrounding mountains are the home of
solitude and silence. A canoe can readily be had from any
of the villagers, and the lake abounds with trout and perch.
The outlet of the lake is the Madawaska River which is a
tributary of the St. John.

Returning to Riviere du Loup and descending the St.
Lawrence about six miles we find Kakouna, or as it is com-
monly spelled Cacouna, the well-known and fashionable
watering place, being to the Canadians what Newport or
Long Branch is to New Yorkers. It is one of the finest
villages on the St. Lawrence ; and from its elevated position,
large and comfortable hotels, together with the picturesque
scenery in its vicinity, it is visited during the summer season
by many thousands of strangers, from the United States and
all parts of Canada, in order to enjoy its fine climate, as well
as its facilities for sea-bathing.

From Riviere du Loup, thrice a week, a stage runs to

The Lower St. Lawrence. 43

Grand Falls, on the River St. John, which there makes a
sudden turn, and becoming contracted to the width of about
fifty yards, makes a plunge of perhaps forty feet, mostly in
a solid mass. Below this and extending for perhaps a mile,
is a succession of falls, which make the entire descent some
eighty feet. The water rushes through what might be termed
a winding chasm, whose sides are perhaps 150 or 200 feet
high, perpendicular, and composed of a bluish slate. Gen-
erally speaking, the entire distance from the first fall to the
last, presents a sheet of foam, though around every jutting
point is a black, and apparently bottomless pool, teeming
with fish. There is a comfortable stopping place here kept
by a Mrs. Russell. A trip to the falls and back is an agree-
able diversion to the sojourner at Kakouna, and will occupy
about three days.

On the north shore of the river, some twenty-five or thirty
miles from Riviere du Loup, is Murray Bay, a small quiet
watering place, flanked with frowning hills and wild scenery,
with good fishing in a river of the same name. It is a place
well adapted to those seeking quiet enjoyment and society
during the summer, and owing to its easy access from Quebec
is much resorted to. The steamer "Magnet" touches here.

On the north shore of the River St. Lawrence, eight
leagues below Murray Bay, is a very lofty cape at a place
called La Baie des Rochers. On its summit, on which
the foot of man never trod, there has existed from time im-
memorial, in a fissure of the rock, a raven's nest, which is
said to have been noticed by the first missionaries who came
to Canada. The spot is well worthy of a passing notice from
its height and rugged boldness. Leaving this cape behind,
we take a glance at Pointe aux Iroquois (near which is a
swamp abounding with blueberries of the finest quality),
Cap au Diable, and Riviere Ouelle (or " Houel," as it was
formerly called) on the southern shore, all interesting in their
natural beauty, and possessing each their own legend in the

44 The Lower St. Lawrence.

career of the Ghoul of the St. Lawrence (who after all was
nothing but a diabolical old Iroquois squaw.) Riviere Ouelle,
a station on the Grand Trunk, takes its name from Madame
Houel, the wife of a French Controleur General, who was
captured by Indians with her little son on their return trip
from Quebec in the 17th century. Here are also visible
three curious and inexplicable snow-shoe tracks deeply in-
crusted in the solid rock on the beach. Another singular
appearance was till recently visible- there, though now almost
effaced by the action of the tide ; it was the marks of the
anterior part of two human feet and hands on the rocks.
These alone have afforded important aid to the legends of
the coast. Similar appearances are stated to exist on the
Jacques Cartier River, near Quebec.

Passing by Hare Island, a small rocky island of pictur-
esque appearance, and Seal' Rocks, alluded to as affording
such excellent shooting, we come to Kamouraska, 90 miles
from Quebec, a fine flourishing village, containing a gaol
and court house ; it is pleasantly situated, and was formerly
a resort for sea-bathing, but is now eclipsed by other more
favored localities.

Malbaie, opposite to it, on the north side of the river,
is another large village with no striking features or attrac-
tions except its sea-bathing.

L'Islet, forty-eight miles from Quebec, a large village,
and station of the Grand Trunk, doing an extensive business
in lumber, is the next place of any importance. Here there
is an excellent Government wharf stretching out into the
river.

All these places on the river, but more especially on the
south shore, afford numerous specimens of sea-shells, and
will furnish the Conchologist with several varieties peculiar
to the Gulf.

Grosse Isle, twenty-nine miles below Quebec, is a small
island of about two and a half miles in length, but well-known

Salmon and Trout Rivers. 45

# as being the Quarantine Station, where all emigrant vessels
are rigorously compelled to stop. To visit this island a
written pass must be obtained from the Superintendent or
the head Emigration Agent. A small steamer belonging to
the Commissioners plies between Quebec and Grosse Isle,
and a pass will convey the tourist by it to his destination.

Isle aux Coudres, a pretty well wooded island, where
Jacques Cartier anchored on his first voyage, and gave it its
present name from the number of filberts growing wild
there, and the Island of Orleans, within a few miles of
Quebec, styled by Jacques Cartier the Isle of Bacchus, from
the numerous vines upon it, called now from its fertility the
Garden of Lower Canada,' and celebrated as having been
formerly used as a place of banishment, are the last islands
we pass, and the traveller once more finds himself in the
City of Quebec.

LIST OF SALMON AND TROUT RIVERS BELOW QUEBEC.

For the benefit of Sportsmen and Tourists we append a
list of the principal Salmon and Trout Rivers below Quebec,
with their distance from each other, and such information as
may be useful concerning their character and condition.
This information is trustworthy. The system of protection
adopted by the Commissioner of Crown Lands is not only
greatly increasing the number of the salmon, but also en-
abling them to attain to a larger size : —

From Quebec to Murray Bay is ... 78 miles

(The river furnishes a few salmon and many fine trout)

From Murray Bay to the Saguenay is . . . 44 "

(The fishing here as well as in the Marguerite has been described. )

River Escoumain 23

( Between it and the Saguenay are two branches of the Bergeronne, both furnish-
ing a few salmon and many trout. )

46 Salmon and Trout Rivers.

River Portneuf *•;.'.. 20 miles

(Plenty of trout and salmon.)

Sault au Cochon . . . . . ^ 9 "

(Impassable for salmon, but full of trout.)

La Val j . .. . 2 "

(Superior salmon and trout fishing.)

Bersemis ........ 24 "

(In all its tributaries many fine salmon ; between it and La Val are the
Columbia, Plover, and Blanche, but all are poor salmon streams.)

River Outardes . . . . . . .11 miles

Manicouagan 16 "

Mistassimi 12 "

Betscie 3 "

Godbout 15 "

(A celebrated salmon river, one of the best in the Province.)

Trinity . . 15 "

(Good salmon and trout.)

Little Trinity 10 "

Calumet 3 "

Pentecost "* 14 "

(Not a salmon river.)

St. Margaret ....... 36 (i

(One of the best salmon and trout rivers.)

Moisie .23 "

(Fine large salmon are taken in thia river, and it is widely celebrated.)

Trout 7 "

Manitou 35 "

(Good trout fishing ; salmon are obstructed by falls.)

Sheldrake 16 "

Magpie . . ... . . . 22 "

(Furnishes only a few salmon. )

St. John '5 "

(An admirable salmon stream.)

Mingan 16 "

(Probably the best river in the Province for salmon and excellent for trout. )

The streams emptying into the St. Lawrence from the
south shore, are not worth mentioning as salmon rivers,
having been ruined by mill-dams, except those that empty

Eastern Townships* 47

into Gasp6 Basin, but they all afford superior trout fishing.
To Americans wishing to reach this section of country we
would say, take the route that will bring you to Boston before
half-past seven A.M., for at that hour the boat leaves for St.
John, New Brunswick. If you are too late, you may by cars
intercept the same boat at Portland, or on its arrival there
take steamer to Calais, and thence by rail to Woodstock —
where stages connect by the Grand Portage road with Riviere
du Loup, and so with all the Lower St. Lawrence. The
Boston boat reaches St. John in about 32 hours — fare six
dollars, meals extra — consequently extra good.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS.

Leaving Point Levi for a trip through the Eastern Town-
ships, the traveller may look forward to enjoying as beautiful
a tract of country as perhaps any on the continent, both with
regard to mountain and lake scenery, beautiful rivers and
fertile valleys. The mountains, wooded generally from base
to summit, repose in majesty; and as the mists, with which
their summits are not unfrequently crowned, withdraw them-
selves in folds along their sides, they reveal still more of the
beautiful and sublime. Chasms, ravines, and precipices are
there, and among their solitudes sublimity reigns. Beautiful
lakes lie scattered over the face of the country, bordered here
by gentle slopes, there by precipitous cliffs ; cultivated fields
and wide-spread pastures, with woods interspersed ; valleys
and plains adorned with farm houses, single or in groups,
and beautiful villages. The rocks of the Eastern Townships,
geologically speaking, are confined to the two lower series of
the Palceozoic era. These in Western Canada, from their

48 Eastern Towns/rips.

quiescent condition, give a flat surface ; but here, being dis-
turbed and corrugated, they give origin to a surface beauti-
fully varied with hill and valley. The physical structure of
this part of Canada ;s thus exceedingly complicated. The
rocks of which the district is composed abound in mineral
ores, and many beautiful varieties of marble. The lakes,
however, are its great glory. By them the glens, the moun-
tains and the woods are illumined ; reflected in this pure
element the great and stern objects of Nature stand out "a
second self." . The first settlements in the Townships were
made about 1795 by families from Massachusetts, Vermont,
and New Hampshire ; and to those enterprising and adven-
turous pioneers is due, in a great measure, the prosperity
their descendants now enjoy. Then "tall pines, blackened
by fire, stood as monuments of the prevailing loneliness," and
the forest closed like a fortress round the first settler, whose
only hope against its shutting him in for life, was his axe.
How well that has been wielded, what hardships have been
undergone, what fortitude shewn, the smiling homestead and
thriving villages of to-day full truly record ; and the nearer
we approach the frontier lines, the more do the evidences of
prosperity increase, as it was there the first settlements were
made. The noble River St. Lawrence sweeps past in its
course to the ocean, on the north-west of these Townships.
Its banks still retain that remarkable boldness which they
possess at and near Quebec, till after passing Craig's Road,
where there is a remarkable cliff called the Devil's Bit, they
lose gradually the boldness of their features till they sink
into the flats of La Baie du Febvre. Soon after crossing
the Chaudiere, the line recedes from the banks of the St.
Lawrence, running through the heart of the Townships, and
the country begins to assume a peculiarly picturesque aspect.
On the upper waters of the pretty river Nicolet we come to
Becancour and Somerset, forty-one and fifty miles respec-
tively from Quebec, south of which places, in the Townships

Eastern Townships. 49

of Inverness and Halifax, exist a chain of small lakes, not
remarkable for their scenery, but very romantic withal from
their diversity of hill and dale ; these lakes are connected
with one another by short rivers and rapids. Lake Joseph
is in Inverness, on the road to Halifax, a small village
twelve miles from Somerset Station, which lies on Lake
William, opposite to the village of St. Ferdinand. This
lake is about four miles long and one wide ; it is separated
from Trout Lake by a deep, crooked river, navigable for
canoes only. There is excellent fishing in all these waters ;
trout of all sizes, white fish, very large eels and pike are
abundant. The only accommodation to be had is at St. Fer-
dinand, where there is no difficulty in obtaining the use of a
boat. Near Trout Lake is the small village of Maple
Grove, connected with B6cancour Station by a daily stage.
The river connecting these lakes has no name, until a little
below Lake Joseph, it takes the name of Thames, which
again further down at Lloyd's Falls — a romantic spot, and
where good trout fishing is to be had — is called the Becancour.
Each branch of the Nicolet River is supplied from a lake
among the mountains, and throughout this vast tract of
country there can be found numbers of streams affording
water power which might be turned to profitable account with
no great outlay of capital. At a distance of sixty-four miles
from Quebec is Arthabaska, the junction of the Three
Rivers branch of the Grand Trunk Railway, near which, at
Chester, are two mines very rich in copper ore, and alsp a
lead mine, whilst in South Ham, still further south, is a
valuable antimony mine and a lovely lake abounding with
trout, called Lake Nicolet. Ten miles from the station, in
Chester, is situated Rouillard Mountain, forty miles
distant in a direct line from the St. Lawrence : yet from the
summit of the mountain, on a clear day, that river can be
distinctly seen with a glass ; the forest between the mountain
and the river forms to the eye a most beautiful variegated

t

50 Eastern Townships.

landscape, and in the months of June or October it appears
like a rich green or variegated carpet. Looking towards the
south you see a country much resembling North Wales or
Switzerland, in regard to scenery ; the mountains being
a continuation of the great Appalachian chain, and the
waters of Lakes St. Francis and Aylmer are clearly
visible. Lake St. Francis, whence issues the river of that
name, is about forty miles north-east of Sherbrooke. It is
about fourteen miles long, and from one to two wide ; the
country around is very sparsely settled, and the lumberer is
the chief pioneer of civilization in this part of the Townships.
Great quantities of valuable lumber are obtained yearly
throughout the whole of this region, and the principal part of
the lumber sawn at Brompton Falls, by C. S. Clark & Co., in
their extensive mills, is obtained from the forests about this
lake. Quite contiguous is Lake Aylmer, through which the
waters of the above lake pass on their course down the river
St. Francis ; this is also a pretty expanse of water. About
twenty miles south of these lakes, and about forty south-
east of Sherbrooke, near the boundary line of the State of
Maine, is Lake Mcgantic, the source of the Chaudiere River,
whose banks have gained notoriety from the gold discoveries
recently made there. The lake is about sixteen miles long,
and two in breadth ; the country around it is not much
settled yet ; and still sufficiently remote from the haunts of
civilization for the beaver to be found on its tributaries.
The St. Francis Indians frequent this section of country, as
affording them good hunting grounds, and the lake itself
abounds with fish, their principal article of food. This
region, however, from the richness of its soil, must soon
become peopled. The mountains in the vicinity of the lake
have a considerable altitude, but their general aspect is not
so picturesque as that of the shores of some other lakes
hereafter to be described. The Chaudiere River, which
issues from this lake, passes through a valley of about 100

Eastern Townships. 51

miles in length, by about thirty miles in breadth ; thus, in
its course, draining about 3,000 square miles of land of its
redundant waters. Its breadth varies from 400 to 600 yards ;
its course is frequently interrupted by small, picturesque
islands, covered with hardwood timber, which add con-
siderably to its beauty. The banks of the Chaudiere are, in
general, high and precipitous, — thickly clothed with verdure.
The bed of the river is rugged, and often much contracted
by rocks jutting out from the banks on either side, which
occasion violent rapids. Near the mouth of it are the cele-
brated falls described elsewhere. This stream has been
brought into notice within the last few years, from the
discoveries that have been made of gold in its bed, and the
washings of its sand-bars and bends. Gold has been known
to exist in the region through which it flows for some time,
but it never, till within the last three years, was thought to
exist in paying quantities. It exists in the quartz rocks
scattered through the country, and in alluvial and diluvial
deposits. As to the richness of the mines, Sir William
Logan says, " the deposits will not, in general, remunerate
unskilled labor, and that agriculturists and others engaged
in the ordinary occupations of the country would only lose
their labour by turning gold hunters." In some places,
however, gold has been found sufficiently plentiful to pay
the cost of procuring it. Several Companies are organized,
and have procured a considerable quantity of the precious
metal. Lake Megantic, or Chaudiere Pond as it was then
called, has been rendered memorable in history, as the route
by which Arnold, in 1775, accomplished his perilous march
through the wilderness up the Kennebec, through Lake
Megantic, and down the Chaudiere River to Quebec. The
account of his dreary march, and the perils that beset him,
are admirably set forth in the " Life of Arnold," by J. Sparks.
We are told that a few French were settled some thirty
miles from the lake on the river, whose good wishes Arnold

52 Eastern Townships.

assiduously courted, encouraging them . to rally round his
standard, and to this day some few of the " oldest inhabitants"
recount to their children, probably handed down by their
fathers to them, the story of the " descent of the Bostonians,"
as the only great public event that has ever occurred to vary
the monotonous incidents of the sequestered and beautiful
valley of the Chaudiere. Years before, in 1723-' 24, the
Indians made all their incursions and ravages upon the
eastern part of Massachusetts Bay by this route, making a
portage from the head of the Chaudiere to the head waters
of the Kennebec.

Leaving Lake Mdgantic, and going due West through a
section of country rapidly filling up with thriving home-
steads and substantial settlers, we come to Coaticooke, on
the Portland branch of the Grand Trunk Railway, nine miles
from the boundary line between the United States and Ca-
nada. On the river, which gives its name to the village, are
a most romantic series of falls, or cascades, extending over a
mile in length ; these may be reached by leaving the high-
way between Compton and Coaticooke, at a point of the
road distant a mile from the latter village. The river runs
through a chasm of eighty or ninety feet deep, the rocks of
which are fringed with tangled masses of shrubs and trees,
hemlock and spruce predominating, which grow from every
crevice and rent in the rocky walls. The falls impress the
beholder with sublimity and awe, not a little heightened by
the darkness and gloom the chasm adds to the scene. A few
miles west of Coaticooke, in the southern part of the Township
ofBarnston, we come upon a small lake, not generally
marked on any of our maps, called Little Baldwin or Pinnacle
Lake. This latter name it takes from a peculiar eminence
rising abruptly from the north-east shore of the lake to the
height of 1,000 feet, nearly perpendicularly from its base.
This is called "Pinnacle Mountain"; it is wooded for
nearly two-thirds of its height, but the remainder, up to- its

Eastern Townships. 53

very summit, is entirely destitute of trees, and nearly so of
vegetation. The portion that is bare presents little else to
the view than great masses of granite rock, thrown together
apparently in one of Nature's wildest convulsions. No view
in the whole Eastern Townships presents so singular an ap-
pearance as this comparatively unknown spot. The bluff,
that rises perpendicularly from the water, seems, with its
storm-scathed brow, to prop the very heavens, its gray
shadows strongly contrasting with the deep blue sky ; when
seen at sunset through a hazy atmosphere and with a rich
glow of yellow and crimson, with clouds touching the out-
line of the distant hills, it recalls memories of Italian
landscapes, and paintings of the fancy viewed in boyhood's
days. In the distance the wood-crowned hills fade away ; in
the foreground the reflection of the mount on the lake renders
by contrast the height ten-fold. About ten miles west of this
lake lies Stanstead, more familiarly known as Stanstead
Plain, a very busy, thriving town, and the business centre
of this part of the country. It is beautifully situated on a
plain, whence its name, and commands a great range of
mountain scenery, extending along the Green Mountains of
Vermont, and their continuation into Canada. Rock-Island
is a village situated so near as to form part of Stanstead,
although out of the municipality. It is about equi-distant
(twenty miles) from five different railway stations, viz. :
Waterville, Compton, Coaticooke and Island Pond, on the
Grand Trunk ; and Barton, Vt, on the Conn, and Pass.
Railroads : the latter line, it is expected, will be completed
to Newport, Vt., within seven miles, thus affording easier
access, although stage connection to all parts from here is
very good. The Stanstead, SherTord and Chambly Railroad,
Whose terminus is now at Waterloo, when extended here will
form a link, the want of which is much felt. A stage
running from here to Compton, on the Grand Trunk Railway,
passes through Hatley, about a mile from which place lies

54 Eastern Townships.

the lovely little lake of Massawippi, or Tomifobi, about nine
miles long, and from one mile to one mile and a half wide.
The scenery of this lake is very picturesque, and a greater
variety of fish is to be taken here than in any other lake in
the Townships. " Here are to be found," says Hunter,
" maskinonge, rock bass, black bass, the sucker, mullet, ■
common pike, pickerel, trout, the eel, and others of less
consequence." The access for fish through its outlet, the
River Massawippi, which connects the lake with the St.
Francis River at Lennoxville, being free from obstacles,
may account for the numbers with which it abounds. The
shores of this lake are richly wooded, and indented by
winding bays and points jutting into the lake, and by arrest-
ing the violence of the winds, cause it to present a continuous
mirror-like appearance. On the right bank of the lake is a
considerable elevation called Blackberry Mountain, a great
resort during the season for parties blackberry picking, that
fruit growing there very abundantly. A few miles west of
Massawippi is Lake Memphremagog, about thirty miles
long by a breadth of about two, though in some places it
widens into three or four miles. This lake, the lake of the
Townships, which has been not inaptly styled the Geneva
of Canada, lies in a semi-circular form, partly among the
mountains, and partly in the valley beyond, which obliquely
crosses the northern portion ; stretching its southern ex-
tremity into the State of Vermont ; about one-third of the
lake belongs to the United States. Its Indian name was
" Memplowbowque," signifying a beautiful expanse of water.
The bosom of the lake is everywhere studded with islands,
generally covered with woods to the water's edge. The
boundary line crosses the lake, running through an island
known as Province Island. To do full justice to the scenery
of the lake, would require a small volume. The aspect
from the water of some of the mountains, which stretch
along its western shore, prominent among which is " Owl's

Eastern TowtisJiips. 55

Head," with its conical outline, gives a truly Alpine character
to the scene. This mountain is well worthy of an ascent,
which takes about two hours, and is a comparatively easy
matter. Its height is 2,500 feet above the lake. The top
once gained, the toil is never regretted, from the magnificent
view obtainable from that elevation. The lake, with all its
beauty, lies spread out beneath in a grand panoramic view,
and in the far-off south we catch a glimpse, if the sky is
clear, of Willoughby Notch, in the State of Vermont. Near
Owl's Head are several islands, each of them named after
some natural peculiarity, or from some event connected with
their history. Of this latter class is Skinners Island, which
l^es on the eastern shore opposite the mountain. This
takes its name, so tradition goes, from a celebrated smuggler
in 1812, who, though the object of continual pursuit, in-
variably disappeared at this point, and being one day hard
pressed, the custom house boat, after a long chase, managed
to find his empty skiff concealed amongst its rocky shores.
No trace, however, could be found of the man ; the boat
was cut adrift, and he was seen and heard of no more. Ten
years later a fisherman, surprised by a sudden squall, was
compelled to seek refuge on the island, and so coasted along
the shore till he arrived at its northern point, close to
which he saw, as the wind tore away the entangled foliage, a
large fissure in the rocky side. Mooring his boat he entered
it ; the cave was some ten feet high, and extended about
thirty feet inwards. The first thing that met his eyes was
a skeleton, the remains of Skinner, who doubtless sought
refuge here, and could not get away again, as his boat had
been set adrift. Trailing shrubs and dense underwood had
probably covered the entrance, and the spot was com-
paratively unknown. The cave is an object of interest to
tourists, but difficult of access when the wind b^ows from the
west. Another favourite height with tourists is the Sugar
Loaf Mountain, from the summit of which the view over

56 Eastern Townships.

Hatley, Stanstead and Magog Townships, with their nume-
rous farm houses, and patches of woodland here and there,
presents a scene most decidedly English in appearance.
Directly below the mountain are seen Whetstone Island,
Round Island, and Magoon's Point, with its shores beautifully
skirted with woods, and its background finely diversified
with meadows. The whole eastern shore of the lake, with
its gentle slopes and cultivated farms, presents a pleasing
contrast to the bold, mountainous aspect of the west. A
great resort of families coming to " the lakes" is the pretty
village of Georgeville, rendered more agreeable by the daily
plying of the little steamer " Mountain Maid." The Camper-
down House is the principal hotel ; but if accommodation
can be procured (and it generally may be had) at a farm
house, by all means give it the preference ; for however
good an hotel may be, and however attentive the host, there
is a restraint and a certain feeling of uneasiness, which at
once- vanishes in a quiet, country homestead. The lake
empties itself into the beautiful River St. Francis at Sher-
brooke, by means of the River Magog, on which the water
power is very great. At the outlet of the lake is the pretty
village of Magog, where, in the rapids and pools of the
stream, the disciple of old Izaak Walton will find splendid
trout fishing, the fish weighing from one to six pounds, and
he can here, without any inconvenience, throw the fly, which
the generality of trout streams debar the use of, from the too
close growth of the trees of the forest. A live minnow is
also an excellent bait where the rapids are not too strong, and
a good, lively worm seldom fails to attract ; but the trout is
proverbially one of the most skittish of all the finny tribes,
though when hungry he is fearless as the hawk. The tyro at
the sport will often find his gut snapped, his jointed rod
broken in pieces and rendered useless, while the simple
country urchin at his side, with a coarse line five or six feet
long, tied to a short stick, will jerk them out as rapidly as

Eastern Townships. 57

his clumsy hook touches the water. This village, Magog,
will shortly be very easy of access, as it is the intention of
the Stanstead and Shefford Railway Company to extend their
line to this place, connecting, by means of Lake Memphre-
magog and the steamer "Mountain Maid," with the contem-
plated terminus of the Conn, and Pass. Railway at Newport,
Vt, as well as a direct land connection between the roads,
which will be made at Stanstead, thus furnishing another
means of communication for the travelling public, between
Montreal, the White Mountains, Boston and New York,
either for business or for pleasure.

Near the northern extremity of the lake to the west is
Orford Mountain, the highest elevation in the Townships,
being about 4500 feet in height. From its summit the view
may be almost called unique, as you may see the waters of
eighteen lakes. At its own base the waters of Orford Lake
assume a dark and dreary appearance, probably from the
shade of their overhanging mountain, and although there
are the same natural accompaniments of scenery as the other
lakes possess, yet there is a dreary, desolate appearance about
this spot, heightened perhaps by the seemingly interminable
forest of pines, which gives an idea of isolation.

The Town of Sherbrooke, the metropolis of the Town-
ships, is situated at the confluence of the Magog and St.
Francis Rivers. The position of the town, rising from the
beautiful valley of the St. Francis, on a series of falls, three-
quarters of a mile in length, and having a total height of 100
feet, is most romantic, and lying as it does almost equidistant
from Montreal, Quebec, and Portland, on the great artery, the
Grand Trunk Railway, it is destined to reach a high position
of prosperity. Owing to its splendid water-power a number
of factories and industrial works are in operation here. Sher-
brooke is the most important way station of the Grand
Trunk Railway between Montreal and Portland ; and from
its happy position near to and amidst fine scenery, a very

58 Eastern Townsliips. .

considerable stream of pleasure travel passes through it dur-
ing the summer months, — a daily stage connecting it with
Memphremagog, sixteen miles distant. The jail and court
house here are fine buildings, occupying a commanding site.

The St. Francis River, which we touched on before at its
source in Lakes St. Francis and Aylmer, receives as tribu-
taries, before reaching Sherbrooke, the Salmon, the Eaton, the
Coaticooke, Massawippi, and Magog Rivers, and henceforth
assumes more of the character of a river winding on its
northward course through a lovely expanse of country to
empty its waters into the St. Lawrence, at the head of Lake
St. Peter. At East Sherbrooke its banks are sloping, of but
a slight elevation, clothed with rich meadow land, and skirted
by beautiful elms, overhanging the river side. As we follow
its course (and the railway runs beside it up to Richmond)
we here see a valley, whose fertility greatly contrasts with
the forest we have left. At certain points the level ground
is limited to the breadth of the road ; on one side we see
hundreds of feet below us ; on the other we are closed in by
a precipice high over our heads. Emerging from a defile
we come in full view of the river, on one side a farm-house
or little hamlet, on. the other a cascade, a factory, or mill,
around which are tasteful dwellings, and frequently a pretty
village church. From its source to its termination it exhibits
•one continued series of the most delightful and varied scenery.
No one who has ever seen it can»forget the valley of the St.
Francis, yet among the numbers who yearly perambulate
Canada in quest of scenic beauty, how few visit this pictur-
esque spot.

South of Sherbrooke some three miles is Lennoxville,
where the Massawippi joins its waters to the St. Francis,
and well known as being the seat of Bishops' College, the
Oxford of Canada, an excellent Episcopalian institution, pro-
vided with a staff of thoroughly sound professors, both in
the college and grammar school attached to it, which may

Eastern Townships. 59

not inaptly be called the Eton or Rugby of Young Canada.
Near Lennoxville there are some rich copper and lead mines,
which have added materially to the increase and prosperity
of the village within the last few years.

Brompton Falls, seven miles from Sherbrooke, on the
St. Francis, is important principally on account of its large
lumbering operations and saw-mills; the establishment of
C. S. Clarke & Co. here being one of the largest in the
country, and rivalling any of those on the Ottawa. There
are a number of other small lakes lying in this vicinity, such
as Brompton Lake, Stukely, Brome, &c. ; but the scenery of
all is so similar, that to enumerate their beauties would be
but to reiterate what has already been said, both with regard
to their localities and the fishing they afford.

At the junction of the Quebec and Portland branches of
the Grand Trunk is situated Richmond, ninety-six miles
from Quebec and seventy-six from Montreal. It is a place
that does not seem to have thriven equally with the other
towns of this part of Canada, and yet the whole township in
which it lies possesses numerous mill-sites, and there are
some valuable copper mines and slate quarries in its imme-
diate vicinity. The Balrath copper mine is only five miles
distant, and is in full operation ; several others also have
lately been opened, and the whole range of rocks here seem
highly metalliferous. St. Francis College, standing as it
does on a hill, is a building that attracts notice from which-
ever side you approach Richmond. There is nothing of
architectural beauty about it, but its prominence brings it to
the notice of every passer by. The institution was founded
and is carried on, on unsectarian principles, and has been
affiliated with McGill College. Opposite to Richmond, across
the St. Francis, and one mile distant, connected by a covered
bridge, is the village of Melbourne. The river is here
characterized by the same beauty which distinguishes it at
Sherbrooke, its continuous windings adding so much to the

60 Eastefn TowiiShips.

scene, and the contrast between the uninteresting flat coun-
try from St. Hyacinthe to this point, where the traveller
coming eastwards first strikes this river, is the more pleasing.
From hence the St. Francis pursues its northerly course,
and the railway leaves its valley and stretches at right
angles, east and west, for Quebec or Montreal.

On the Quebec branch, eight miles east of Richmond, is
Danville, around which the country is of a highly agricul-
tural nature. Although it is but a small village, there is an
academy here fitted up with complete astronomical and
philosophical apparatus. The view from the village square
looking eastwards towards Tingwick is park-like and hand-
some. From "Claremont Hill," one mile distant, the pros-
pect is beautiful, and at sunrise is perfectly magnificent. A
cone-shaped hill called " The Pinnacle," three miles from
the village, rises iooo feet, nearly perpendicularly above the
plain, over which it towers, a landmark to be seen for miles
distant. From it Sherbrooke, thirty-six miles distant, can
be easily seen with a glass. Kingsey Church, twelve miles
distant, is visible to the naked eye ; — this mountain is a
favourite resort for pic-nic parties. A visit to Nicolet Falls,
two miles, and Kingsey Falls, seven miles distant, will afford
a pleasant excursion, to say nothing of the fish to be found
there. From a high ridge on the highway leading from
Shipton to Danville, the view perhaps is equal to any in the
Townships. Slate quarries have been recently opened in
the Township of Kingsey, and the slate is said in composi-
tion to resemble the finest Welsh slate.

Leaving Richmond westwards we come to Acton or
Acton Vale, twenty miles distant, where are very rich copper
mines, the produce of which is valued at $150 per ton; the
facilities for the transportation of the mineral to any part
from here are excellent, and these mines rank next in pro-
ductiveness to the Copper districts of Lake Superior
Roxton Falls, six miles distant, connected by a daily

Eastern Townships. 61

stage, is a very pretty place, the Black River passing directly
through the village, and affording great water-power; it is
noted for its manufacture of sole leather, of which laree
quantities are annually exported. Traces of gold have been
found at Acton, but in too small quantities to repay the
search. Upton, six miles further on the railroad, has noth-
ing of any interest, except a number of small rapids on the
White Run, one mile distant, where there are abundance of
trout. The only other feature of interest that we meet with
now, the whole country here being very flat, is St. Hy^-
cinthe, 35 miles from Montreal. This is one of the four
cities of Lower Canada, situated on the Yamaska River,
which divides it into two parts, and it is possessed of a large
local trade. There are a number of really elegant public
buildings here, of which the college is the most deserving
of notice. It is a handsome cut stone building, over 700
feet in length, and surmounted by a well proportioned cupola,
from the top of which a fine view is to be had. The course
of studies here is said to be only equalled by the best Jesuit
Colleges in France. The chemical laboratory, physical and
astronomical apparatus and library, are of the highest order,
and every facility is offered for a thorough university educa-
tion. The Cathedral here is also a fine building. The
annual autumn meeting of the Montreal Turf Club is held
here, and the pleasure grounds of the Hon. M. Laframboise
are a favorite resort for pic-nic parties. The section of
country from St. Hyacinthe to Montreal is essentially French
Canadian, and the provincial word habitant is said to be more
strictly applicable to the inhabitants here than in any part of
Canada ; the proper interpretation of this word, the people
who ctdtivate small farms, is fully exemplified here ; and from
spots by the roadside marking the boundaries of parishes, or
perhaps with some trifling legend attached to them, being
rendered prominent by large wooden crosses, the mind at
once distinguishes the gradual change from the English set-

62 Montreal.

tlements of the Eastern Townships to the French localities
and French farming. As the traveller nears Montreal the
towering hills of Belceil, Yamaska, Rougemont, Mount John-
son and Boucherville diversify the view, till, passing through
the Victoria Bridge, he finds himself in sight of, and almost
at the foot of, that well-known landmark, *ihe mountain of
Montreal.

MONTREAL

Montreal, the metropolis of British North America, is
situated on an island of the same name, about thirty miles
long and ten in the extreme breadth, which is formed by a
branch of the Ottawa on the north and the St. Lawrence on
the south. It is the head of ocean navigation, and the com-
mencement of lake and river communication. The city lies
at the foot of a mountain, to which Jacques Cartier, in 1535,
surveying with delight the magnificent prospect, gave the
name of Mont Royal. An Indian village existed here at his
first visit, called Hochelaga, which he described as being
encompassed by three separate rows of palisades, having
only one entrance, and that "guarded by pikes and staves,
as a means of defence against hostile tribes." It first began
to be settled by Europeans in 1542, and exactly one century
after, the spot destined for the city was consecrated with
due solemnities, commended to the " Queen of the Angels,"
and called Ville-Marie, a. name which it retained for a long
period. Passing down the stream of time to 1760, the date
of British possession, we find Montreal a well peopled town,
"of an oblong form, surrounded by a wall, flanked with,
eleven redoubts, — a ditch about eight feet deep and of a.

Montreal. 63

proportionable width, but dry, and a fort and citadel." Follow-
ing down another century of time the change is still greater ;
industry, intelligence, labour, and capital have produced
at the present time still more remarkable changes. The
city of to-day as seen from any approach, with the mountain
in the back-ground, together with its beautiful villas, its
glittering roofs and domes (all the latter being covered with
tin) tall spires and lofty towers, presents to the beholder a
vast and picturesque panorama. It extends in frontage
on the St. Lawrence about three miles, and is remarkable
for its excellent quays and esplanade or terrace, built of
limestone, and presenting, together with the cut stone locks
of the Lachine Canal, a display of continuous masonry un-
equalled on this continent. In this way the city is protected
from the annual phenomenon arising from the breaking up
of the ice, which frequently is piled up mountains high, and
departs en masse, crushing against the unyielding quays.
The appearance the river presents at that time is very impos-
ing and the sight is unique, for there is no other place where
the packing and shoving of the ice are so grandly displayed.
For the benefit of those who have never witnessed this
.spectacle we will attempt to describe it. When the ice has
become stationary at the foot of the St. Mary's current
(about a mile below the city) the water quickly rises above ;
and the confined nature of this part of the channel affords a
more ready resistance to the progress of the floating masses.
It is at this period that the grandest movements of the ice
occur. From the effect of packing and piling and the freezing
of the whole into a solid body, it sometimes attains a thick-
ness of from ten to twenty feet : when a sudden rise in the
waters lifting up a vast expanse of the whole covering of the
river, so high as to free and start it from the many places
where it rests on the bottom, the vast mass is set in motion
by the whole hydraulic power of this gigantic stream.
Proceeding onwards, it piles up over every obstacle it

64 Montreal.

encounters, and when forced into a narrow channel the
lateral pressure it there exerts, drives the bordage up the
banks, where it sometimes accumulates forty or fifty feet
high. Broken by the massive revetment wall of the quays,
the ice piles on the street or terrace surmounting it and
there stops ; but before the wall was built the sloping bank
guided the moving mass to the walls of gardens and houses
in a very dangerous manner, and many accidents used to
occur. It has been known to pile up against the side of a
house more than two hundred feet from the margin of the
river, and there break in the windows of the second floor.
The "ice-shove" is a sight that a stranger may see only once
in a lifetime ; and to such as may be visiting the city at the
end of March or beginning of April, we would urge a con-
tinuous look out as the thaw sets in, to get a glimpse of this
grandest of ice movements.

The slopes of the mountain in rear of Montreal are wooded
nearly to. the summit ; but towards the base the forest trees
have given place to orchards, that produce apples, pears and
plums of the choicest kind. A drive round the mountain is
one of the most delightful imaginable, commanding a view
of the city and the valley of the St. Lawrence on the one
side, and on the other, of the flat country that stretches
northward to the confines of the island, washed by the " Back
River" or Ottawa, and studded with pinnacles and towers
of convents and religious houses. Diverging from this drive
the tourist should visit the Protestant or Mount Royal
Cemetery on the St. Laurent side, and the French Cemetery
on the Cote des Neiges side, near where the road crosses the
spur of the mountain that overlooks the city. In the former
especially there are some fine monuments, the Molson Mau-
soleum attracting especial notice ; the whole cemetery is
tastefully laid out, and from its natural position is one of the
most beautiful in Canada.

Montreal abounds in public buildings: the principal of

Montreal. 65

which is the Cathedral of. Notre Dame. This is said to be
the largest building in the New World, being 255 feet long
and 135 broad ; its two towers are each 220 feet high ; and
its great bell weighs 29,400 pounds. In the north-east tower
are a chime of bells, while the north-west one contains the
monster bell, which is named "Gros Bourdon," from its deep
bass tone. This tower is always open to the public, on pay-
ment of a small fee, and from the summit a most magnificent
prospect is obtained. In the far distance the blue hills ol
Vermont tower up; a magnificent plain, stretching miles
and miles 0 1 either hand, studded with cultivated farms ;
the splendid River St. Lawrence, two miles wide, interven-
ing, crossed by the tubular bridge, and stretching away like
a silver thread in the far off distance. The cost of the
edifice was ;£ 100,000. The ground floor is covered with
pews capable of seating 8000 persons, and the galleries will
hold about 2000 more. To see this church crowded, as is
the case at the Fejte Dieu or Corpus Christi, or on any par-
ticular holiday, is a most imposing sight, and one that will
never be forgotten by the spectator.

The Bonsecour Market is the next most imposing building,
being erected at a cost of .£75,000. It has a front of three
stories, the upper part being occupied by the various offices
of the city. The market is remarkably spacious and con-
venient in its arrangements, eclipsing anything of the kind
on the continent.

The Hotel DieiL, in the northern outskirts of the city,
near the village of Mile-end, is well worth seeing ; the Con-
vents of Notre Dame, and the Grey Sisters, with St. Anne's
Church, St. Mary's College, and the new Church of the
Jesuits on Bleury Street, the English Cathedral, the new
Trinity Church on St. Denis Street, McGill College, the
Court House, Molson's Bank, and Bonsecour Church (the
oldest in the city) are all worthy of a visit. The Museum
of the Natural History Society, near the Crystal Palace,

. E

66 Montreal.

is well worth seeing, to which admission can be had on pay-
ment of 25 cents. The birds here are very well arranged
and present a very good collection of Canadian species ;
and the "Ferrier Collection" of Egyptian antiquities is as
perfect as perhaps any on this continent. The whole insti-
tution reflects great credit on the Society and the Curator.

But the lion par excellence of Montreal, the eighth wonder
of the world, is the Victoria Bridge, the link in the Grand
Trunk Railway, connecting (for railway purposes only) the
City of Montreal, on the island, with the mainland to the
south, giving Montreal an unbroken railway communication
of 1 100 miles in length, besides connections. It is of iron,
on the tubular principle, and is the most remarkable stmicture
of the kind in the world. The bridge has two long abut-
ments and twenty-four piers of solid stone masonry. In
the whole history of engineering, no other so truly gigantic
an undertaking is met with. It is the creation of the same
genius that spanned the Menai Straits ; Mr, Robert Stephen-
son and Mr. A. M. Ross being the engineers of this great
work. Each buttress is calculated to withstand the pressure
of seventy thousand tons of ice when the winter breaks up
and the large ice-fields come sweeping down the St. Law-
rence ; and the western faces of the piers, that is, those
towards the current, which flows through them at a rate
varying from seven to ten miles an hour, terminate in a
sharp pointed edge, and the fore part of each presents two
beautifully smooth beveled-off surfaces. They are so shaped
in order to offer the least possible resistance to the ice.
The stone used in the construction of the piers and abut-
ments is a dense blue limestone, partly obtained from a
quarry at Pointe Claire, eighteen miles above Montreal, and
partly from a quarry on the borders of Vermont, about forty
miles distant. The blocks of stone are bound together not
only with the best water cement, but each stone is clamped
to its neighbor in several places by massive iron rivets,

Montreal. 67

bored several inches into each block, and the interstices
between the rivet and the block made one solid mass by
means of molten lead. The two centre piers are each 18
feet wide — the centre span 330 feet wide, and each of the
other spans 242 feet. The total length of the bridge is 9194
feet ; the centre tube 60 feet from the surface of summer
water ; the aggregate length of solid abutments 2600 feet ;
iron tubing 6594 feet ; cost of the bridge $6,300,000. The
floor of the bridge rises one foot in 112 from extremities to
centre.

Every tourist ought to visit the bridge before leaving
Montreal, and if possible go through it on foot. The in-
terior,'when viewed by the dim light of a lamp or lantern, —
the opening by which you entered growing smaller and smaller
in the distance as you approach the middle till it only shines
faintly like a pale blue star, — the hoarse rumbling and vibra-
tion caused by the slightest sound, striving for escape from
its hollow prison, — inspire a feeling almost of awe and
reverence. To look from one of the openings in the centre
piers on to the St. Lawrence rushing past in one grand
stream far below, sweeping under the bridge in eddies and
whirlpools, or bursting into little spirts of angry foam as they
touch the sharp edges of the masonry — to look along the
sides of the iron tube, which taper away at each end in the
distance till it seems a mere reed of metal, one cannot but
be astounded not only how such a design was ever carried
out, but how it could ever have been conceived as practicable.

The Grand Trunk Railway is entitled to notice in
connection with the bridge, both on account of its magni-
tude and importance. Portland, New York and Boston by
its means are brought into daily communication with Mont-
real ; while to the West, unbroken connection with the
Western States, and every place of importance on the lakes,
is afforded. The village of Point St. Charles, the original
depot of the Grand Trunk for the city, has entirely grown

68 Montreal.

up in connection with the works and factories of the Com-
pany ; and with its library and reading room open to its
employes, its church and its school house,, perhaps no other
public body pays so great a regard to the welfare of its
dependants. Allans' line of ocean steamers, carrying the
mails weekly, connects Montreal with Liverpool, loading in
Montreal and sailing from Quebec in summer and Portland
(Maine) in winter ; and during the season of navigation
steamers ply daily to all the principal cities and towns in the
Province situated on the lakes and rivers. If the traveller,
in the height, of summer, fancies that, from the absence of
vessels from the harbor at that period, trade is declining, he
must bear in mind that the main commerce is in the spring
and fall, when the so-called spring and fall fleet arrive, dis-
charge, take in cargo, and are off again ; the shortness of
the summer season rendering haste indispensable; conse-
quently, the middle of summer sees the harbor comparatively
empty of sea-going vessels, but the trade going on is internal.

At Point St. Charles, on the eastern side of the abutment
of bridge, is a curiously shaped massive stone, resting on a huge
rock, the whole from fifteen to eighteen feet high, and enclosed
with a neat white railing, covering about half an acre in
extent ; this was erected by the workmen of the bridge to
commemorate the spot where some 6,500 victims of the Irish
ship fever were buried in the fatal summer of 1847, the huts
or sheds for the shelter of the emigrants during that season
having been erected on the common there. In the small
bay below, during the drought of summer, the naturalist will
find the small pools abounding with fresh water shells,
several species of unio, limncea, etc., not commonly met with,
being very numerous here.

One of the best views of the city is to be obtained from
the Reservoir behind McGill College, and a visit to the
Water Works, near the little River St. Pierre, is a plea-
sant excursion. A drive out to Lachine by the Upper

Montreal, 69

Road, through the Tanneries, where is a regular old fashioned
French Church, returning by the Lower Road, past the
rapids (to be presently described) is very pleasant, both
roads being in excellent condition. Lachine is said to have
taken its name from the fact of Champlain in 161 3 having
applied it to the river above the rapids, meaning to
point out that it was the way to China, so firmly was he
convinced of this in his own mind. It is a pretty little
village, divided into Upper and Lower Lachine, and is a
great resort in summer for the business people of Montreal,
who find it easy of access. There is excellent boating to be
had here, and boats can always be procured at the Ottawa
Hotel, kept by Mr. Laflamme.

Another beautiful drive is out to the Back River by the
Mile-end road, to the village of St. Vincent de Paul and the
Sault au Recollet and Priests Island, a lovely spot, framed
for pic-nics, well wooded and close to a picturesque old mill,
where certain conveniences requisite for parties "outing"
can be had. From whatever side .we approach the city on
our return, the scene is magnificent ; but perhaps from the
river, taking in at one view, the splendid towers of the
Cathedral, the tall spires of Christ Church Cathedrai, St.
Patrick's Church, &c, the elegant front of Bonsecour Market,
and the noble old mountain in the background, the tout en-
semble is perhaps scarcely equalled in America.

The Champ de Mars, in front of the Court House, is a
splendid parade ground, and kept in excellent order ; and
the -visitor should not fail to view the exercise and parade of
the different regiments in the garrison, which daily takes
place here in summer. At night, too, there is generally a
military band playing here, and on certain days in McGill
College grounds and Viger Square, making those places a
fashionable lounge, with its enlivening strains.

Perhaps no other city of its age and size possesses so few
historical attractions. In 1668, a party of Iroquois Indians.

70 Montreal

the inveterate enemies of the French, stealthily landed their
canoes on Montreal Island, and massacred indiscriminately,
men, women and children, to the number of about 2,000.
It, however, was soon peopled again, and continued for a
long time the headquarters of the French forces in Canada.
After the peace in 1763, it was surrendered to the English,
who held it until 1775, when it was taken by the Americans
under General Montgomery. In 1763 and 1766, the city
suffered from two severe fires, the first destroying 108 houses,
the other 90. In 1776 Montreal was again surrendered to
the British, reinforcements under General Burgoyne having
driven the Americans from the Province. The old fortifica-
tions were a substantial quadrangular stone wall, fifteen feet
high with battlements, having six or seven gates, and a
bastion and redoubt called the citadel, on what is now Dal-
housie Square. The name, however, now only remains,
Fortification Lane having probably run at the foot of the
walls. The water front of the Quebec Gate barrack is
supposed to be built upon a part of it, and is the only portion
left, being, with the old barrack on Water Street, near the
Military Hospital, the only vestige remaining of French mili-
tary power in the city. St. Helen's Island has now taken the
place of a citadel, and being not only a strong military camp,
but also beautifully wooded, should be visited by the tourist
if possible, an order being easily obtainable on application
to the Military Secretary or the Town Major.

The immediate vicinity of Montreal affords very little
sporting. There is pretty fair pike fishing directly after the
break up of the frost at St. Lambert's, opposite the city, and
an occasional bass and dore may be taken during the summer ;
but the incessant traffic of steamers, together with the
destruction of fish during the spawning season, has made
the fish very scarce. At the foot of Lachine Rapids good
fly fishing may be had in summer, but only for white fish
and chub, which rise eagerly at a fly. The Back River, eight

Montreal. 71

miles north of the city, affords fair pike fishing in spring, and
bass fishing in August ; but for a thorough day's sport we
would recommend our traveller to take the morning train
to Lachine, have a boat ready for him there, or at Caughna-
waga, and an Indian to paddle him up to the mouth of the
Chateauguay River ; there he will find fish enough to fill his
basket and afford him all the sport of this part of the St.
Lawrence waters, from a maskinonge to a goodly sized perch.
No other good fishing ground is to be met with nearer than
Boucherville or St. Johns, and for trout than New Glasgow,
some twenty-seven miles northwards.

The shooting, too, in the vicinity is one of the things that
were. A few snipe are to be had near the Water Works and
in the swamps along the River St. Pierre ; also on the road to
the Back River, near a place known as Bougies Comers, there
is good snipe ground. Woodcock are plentiful in some
seasons in the cedar swamps of the island, but the nearest
good cock shooting to the city is at St. Andrews, on the
Ottawa, and at Norton Creek. A few ducks may be had in
the spring and fall near Lachine, taking the islands on the
Caughnawaga side ; but the islands at Boucherville afford
excellent sport. The absence of any really good sporting
on the island, however, is compensated for in the Montreal
Fox Hounds, a subscription pack, which would do credit to
any Leicester field, and which are ably managed and hunted
as long as the season permits. They seldom or never fail to
"find," and, meeting always within easy distance of the city,
they afford a healthy means of exercise to the lover of the
chase. Since the garrison has been here of late years, the
races and steeple chases have become quite an institution ;
and snow shoe clubs, skating rinks (of which the Victoria
carries the palm) cricket and base ball, afford plent of amuse-
ment to the less ardent admirer of sports. Unenticing as
the word " Rink" may be to strangers, few places are more
fondly regarded by the youthful portion of the community

72 Montreal

during winter. Those unacquainted with the glorious
Northern sport of skating, can form no idea of the fascina-
tion it exercises over those who indulge in it. After once
the frost sets in sufficiently severe to form the ice, the rink
is seldom empty. At " The Victoria," military bands per-
form frequently, and fancy-dress entertainments take place
two or three times during the season, which are thronged by
enthusiastic skaters and spectators. The effect of this stir-
ring crowd, with the inspiring music, brilliant lights, and
extra illuminations, render it more like a palace of fairy land
than of earth. At Guilbaulf s Garden, on Upper St. Law-
rence Street, there is a very good menagerie of wild beasts,
and the garden is pleasantly laid out and well worth the
entrance fee of 25 cents. With regard to game, great thanks
are due to the "Fish and Game Protection Club," for their
active exertions in endeavouring to enforce the laws, and it
is to be hoped that the fish will again return to their old
haunts in the course of a few years.

The visitor must not leave Montreal without paying a
visit to the Rapids, and coming over or "shooting" them, as
it is called. For this purpose he must take the early train
to Lachine, take one of the boats that touch there at about
eight a. m., and having accomplished his object, he finds
himself again in Montreal by nine, with an appetite for break-
fast improved by his morning's outing. The sensation of
shooting the Rapids being associated with danger, may deter
invalids or nervous ' persons from attempting the feat ; we
therefore give a description for the benefit of those who
cannot enjoy the scene themselves : —

After taking passage on the steamer at Lachine, the best
position the traveller can take is on the upper deck, beside
the wheel-house, as being able to view from thence, without
being wet by the spray, the whole scene. The steamer will
lie to opposite Caughnawaga for two or three minutes, wait-
ing for an Indian pilot to come on board. As great nerve

Montreal. 73

and force and precision are required in piloting, few but
Indians can be had willing to undertake the perilous task,
which, however, is to them a matter of every day occurrence ;
use is second nature, and so with them ; the hawk's-eye glance
of the pilot, when at his post, and the stern determination
on his features, are a picture that want the pen of a Cooper
to describe. As soon as the vessel feels the influence of
the rapids, in an increased swiftness, steam is shut off, and
she is carried onwards by their force alone. Suddenly a
scene of wild grandeur bursts upon the eye; waves are
lashed into spray and into breakers of a thousand forms by
the submerged rocks which they are dashed against in the head-
long impetuosity of the river. Whirlpools, a storm lashed
sea, the chasm below Niagara, all mingle their sublimity in
a single rapid. In an instant you are in the midst of them.
Now passing with lightning speed within a few yards of rocks,
which, did your vessel but touch them, would reduce her to
an utter wreck before the crash could sound upon the ear ;
did she* even diverge in the least from her course — if her
head were not kept straight with the course of the rapid,
she would be instantly submerged and rolled over and over.
And here is shown the necessity of enormous power over
her rudder. Before us is an absolute precipice of waters ;
on every side of it breakers, like dense avalanches, are
thrown high into the air. Ere we can take a glance at the
scene, the boat descends the wall of waves and foam like a
bird, and in a second afterwards you are floating on the calm
unruffled bosom of "below the rapids." Unlike the ordinary
pitching and tossing at sea, this going down hill by water
produces a peculiar sensation, which, as the vessel glides
from ledge to ledge of rock, feels like settling down. The
traveller who runs the rapids for the first time, is almost
sure to involuntarily hold his breath at this feeling. Occa-
sionally, too, the yessel seems to be directly running on a
ledge of rocks, and you feel certain she will strike ; but the

74 Montreal to Lake Champlain

skilful hand at the helm suddenly whirls you into a different
channel, and in an instant more it is passed in safety. Such
is "shooting the rapids;" but no words can convey a fitting
idea of the thrilling excitement that is felt during the few
moments of the passage. It is one of the sublime experiences
which can never be forgotten, and never adequately described.
It is in the highest degree creditable to the skill and care of
all connected with this branch of river navigation, that no
accident of any consequence has ever happened, nor has a
single life been lost in this beautiful but dangerous spot.

FROM MONTREAL TO LAKE CHAMPLAIN
AND THE RIVER RICHELIEU.

A trip from Montreal to Lake Champlain is a pleasant
change, and to the fisherman it always affords pleasing re-
miniscences. Taking the Grand Trunk Railway, the first
place worthy of note which we stop at, after passing through
the Victoria Bridge, is St. Johns, twenty-six miles distant,
situated at the foot of the navigable waters of Lake Cham-
plain, on the River Richelieu. As far as wood and water can
contribute to it, nothing can exceed the beauty of its banks
here. A splendid bridge spans the river to St. Athanase,
over which, at a distance of six miles, a capital road, through
a finely cultivated country, leads to Scotch Mountain, a re-
gular cone, from whence can be obtained a magnificent view
through the Townships and far into Vermont. For those
seeking either pleasure or health, St. Johns is one of the
nicest resorts. The fishing here is good ; pike, perch, bass,
chub, and dore" are abundant ; boats are plentiful and charges

And the River Richelieu 75

moderate. In the spring and fall of the year there is good
duck shooting, and woodcock are abundant in their season.
Passing on we reach Stottsville, a small station, near which,
in the middle of the Richelieu River, is an island, containing
about two hundred acres, and occupied solely by military,
no civilian residents being allowed. This is Isle aux Noix,
the British frontier military post, strongly defended by a fort
called Fort Lennox, garrisoned by some of the R. C. Rifles
and Royal Artillery. This was a British naval station and
garrison in 1812; and the hulks of ships and gunboats used
there at that time are still lying there, and can be seen by
the visitor. It was from this station that two American
armed vessels were gallantly captured on Lake Champlain
23rd June, 1 812. Four miles further on we come to Lacolle,
five miles distant from the boundary line, and lying about
two miles from Lake Champlain itself. Here may be
obtained sturgeon, maskinongd, pickerel, pike, black and
rock bass, eels, shad, mullet, catfish of large size, chub, ling,
perch, etc. It is an excellent spot for still fishing, but trout
and salmon are not found here. The shooting is good, in-
cluding duck, woodcock, snipe, plover and partridge. Close
to the station is the battle-ground of Lacolle Mill, where
the American army, commanded by General Wilkinson, in
the spring of 18 14, numbering upwards of 3000, attacked
and completely invested Lacolle Mill, which was defended
by Major Handcock with about 180 men, who finally repulsed
and drove them back within their own territory. Here
also is the Odelltown Chapel, celebrated in our local
history as the spot where a small band of loyal volunteers
defeated four times their number of rebels in 1838, which
happened somewhat as follows: — About 4000 insurgents
were concentrated at Napierville, a small village, four or
five miles distant, whence they opened communication with
the sympathizers in the United States. A number of their
body, however, being captured en masse by this mere hand-

y6 Montreal to Lake Champ lain

ful of loyalists, the latter threw themselves into this church,
where they awaited the approach of Dr. Nelson, the leader
of the revolt, from Plattsburg, with the Napierville party,
which they finally repulsed with heavy loss. About four
miles distant is the American stronghold, Fort Montgomery,
which for some years belonged to Canada, but by the Ash-
burton Treaty was given up to the U. S. ; it completely
defends the pass of the lake. Lake Champlain is so called
after the celebrated French explorer of the same name, who
sailed through it into Lake St. George in 1608. It is one
of the most picturesque of inland waters, being 120 miles in
length. Almost the whole of it is in the U. S. territory,
with the exception of a bay, or rather arm of it, stretching
to the north-east, called Missisquoi Bay. The same de-
scription applies to it as has been given to the whole lake.
* It usurps the business of the canal ; floats its heavily laden
boats; mirrors numberless hills covered with pine, maple
and oak, as well as many farms, all richly cultivated ; rolls
under a picturesque bridge (the R. R. Bridge of the Vermont
Central) ; enriches broad meadows ; laves the threshold of
rural cabins, with children sporting beside them in wild
glee ; yields its treasures to the fisherman ; wears upon its
bosom the most charming islands ; perpetuates in its colour
the emerald of summer ; receives into its flood a hundred
laughing brooks, teeming with trout ; and finally waters a
broad valley (the valley of the Richelieu) where the yeoman
tills his soil in peace, while from many a grove is heard the
pleasant singing of the birds." Westward from Rouse's
Point some ten or twelve miles, and at a distance of thirty-
six miles from Montreal, is Hemmingford, where there is
a remarkable huge rent or cleft in a flat rock called "the
Gulf" at the top of Covey Hill. This chasm is about one
hundred feet deep, and about one hundred rods wide ; at the
bottom of it flows a river, whose water has an inky black-
ness in appearance, as you look at it over the precipice.

And the River Richelieu. 77

There is also a small lake orfthe hill, which" is well worth
visiting. From the top of Covey Hill there is a beautiful
panoramic view of the surrounding country, the spires of Mon-
treal being visible with a good glass on a clear day. There are
traces of mineral springs in the vicinity, containing sulphur
. and iron, pointing to extinct volcanic agency. Returning east-
wards, and after lingering on the banks of the Missisquoi Bay,
the next object of interest in this section is BromeLake ; lying
some sixty miles from Montreal, in a lovely section of country.
Near the head of this lake is situated Knowlton, a place
which bids fair to become a permanent summer residence of
some of the Montreal bon ton; and certainly a more seques-
tered and yet accessible spot could scarcely be had. Access
is had from Montreal by rail to Waterloo, and thence five
miles by daily stage. The fishing in the place is magnifi-
cent ; and for shooting, the ample cover afforded by the
dense growth of reeds at its outlet, with here and there a
still deep pool hemmed in with willows and low shrubs,
barely admitting passageway for a dug-out canoe to enter,
till the lake suddenly expands, showing its surface covered
with duck and teal, — altogether make it a most delightful
retreat.

Returning again to St. Johns, and taking the course of the
Richelieu, — which river differs from almost all others, in
becoming narrower the further you descend it, till it dis-
charges itself into Lake St. Peter, after a course of about
seventy miles, — we come to Chambly Canton, lying between
the rapids of the Richelieu river, and the Chambly and St.
Johns Canal, distant from St. Johns about twelve miles.
This is an old military station, the fort here having been
erected by the French in 171 1. It is now manned by a few
of the Canadian Rifles and the Artillery, but is a great resort
for the troops in summer from the garrison of Montreal for
target and other practice. Chambly Village is one mile
distant, an old and pleasant village, on the west side of the

78 Montreal to Lake Champ lain

river, which at this place widens into what is almost a beau-
tiful lake. Although only eighteen miles distant from
Montreal by land, yet from the easterly course of the Riche-
lieu, before its junction with the St. Lawrence, the means of
water communication are nearly 90 miles! The expansion
of the river is called Chambly Basin, nearly of a circular
form, embellished by several little islands covered with ver-
dure and fine trees, as ornamentally disposed as if regulated
by art. From this basin to its mouth the river retains a
uniform width of about 250 yards, and its banks are from
eiffht to twelve feet high. In the vault of the Roman Catholic
Church here some of the heroes of the battle-field of Cha-
teauo-uay lie buried ; and Colonel DeSalaberry, called after
that memorable engagement the " Canadian Leonidas,"
Seigneur of Chambly, sleeps his last sleep here. A few miles
further we come to the little village of St. Charles, memor-
able for being the spot where in '37 a cap of liberty and pole
were erected, and where the insurgents had assembled and
fortified their position so obstinately, that the works had to
be stormed, and every house in it but one was burned.
St. Denis, a little further, has obtained unenviable notoriety
from the murder of Lieut. Weir, who had been sent over-
land to Sorel from Montreal with despatches, and wishing
to join his regiment, which was on its route to St. Denis, in
ea«-er haste, arrived there too soon, and thus fell a prisoner
into the rebels' hands, who barbarously and brutally murdered
him, and threw his body into the Richelieu.

The tourist now directs his steps to a mountain which he
has seen towering up ; this is Belceil Mountain, twenty-
one miles below Montreal, and about twelve from Chambly,
and three miles from the Belceil station on the G. T. R. It
is known also as Rouville, and Mount St. Hilaire. The
village of Belceil is situated on the north shore of the Riche-
lieu, which having been crossed, a very picturesque road
conducts the traveller to the southern base of the mountain.

And the River Richelieu. 79

The road winds through a deep grove of maples, and the
ascent has been so far improved as to admit of ladies accom-
plishing it with ease. Soon the traveller reaches a lake of
singular formation, to which, though there is an outlet,
through which the water., is constantly flowing, so as to turn
several mills, there is no perceptible inlet. It is supposed
to be the crater of an extinct volcano. The lake abounds
with fish, of which perch of a goodly size are the most
numerous ; but fishing is difficult there on account of the
scarcity of boats. The best method is to construct a float
of branches and brushwood, from which to fish on the mar-
gin of the lake. At a short distance onwards commences
the ascent of the peak, which is studded at intervals by
fourteen wooden crosses, each of which bears an inscription
having reference to our Saviour's journey to the place jof his
crucifixion. Some years ago a dignitary of the Church of
Rome, the Bishop of Nancy, visited Canada, and caused a
small oratory to be erected on the very crest of the moun-
tain ; this was surmounted by a huge cross, covered with
bright tin and thus rendered visible from a great distance.
It was destroyed, however, a few years ago, but is again to
be erected. From the summit of the mountain, whose
height is from 1,100 to 1,400 feet above the river, when the
state of the atmosphere is favorable, the visitor can see about
sixty miles in each direction ; and the windings of the St.
Lawrence, the shining waters of the Richelieu and Lake
Champlain, and the distant range of the Green Mountains,
present a panorama that amply repays the beholder for all
the fatigue he has undergone. A large hotel, capable of
accommodating 200 guests, was built here by the enterprising
Seigneur, Major Campbell, but, unfortunately, was totally
destroyed by fire.

Trains from Montreal stop at Belceil Station, several times
a day, so that there is no difficulty in returning to the city if
desirable, or of leaving for some other direction.

8o Montreal to Quebec.

FROM MONTREAL TO QUEBEC.

There is very little really worthy of notice, and very few
objects that attract the attention on the trip from Montreal
to Quebec. As the steamers always leave, however, in the
evening, it is better for the tourist to choose a moonlight
night for what little there is to see. Leaving Montreal to
proceed down the river we pass Longueuil, a small village, on
the south bank, and the summer residence of many of the
citizens of Montreal, with which it is connected by means of
a ferry-boat. It is memorable in history for the repulsion of
General Carleton in 1775 ; and a little further on the north
shore is Longue Pointe, where is a fine building, the Convent
of the Sceurs de la Providence. At a distance of nine miles
from the city we see Pointe atix Trembles, founded in 1674 ;
here is one of the old French Churches, built in 1704 ; — soon
afterwards we find ourselves among the islands of Boucher-
ville. These islands are mostly low and flat, with very
shallow water among them, and a thick growth of reeds and
other water weeds, affording excellent duck shooting and
pike fishing, but wanting in scenery from their extreme
flatness ; here it is that the ice grounds or settles on the
break up of the winter, causing the inundation which almost
always annually takes place above ; — and at a distance of 1 5
miles we pass Varennes, one of the most prettily situated
places between Montreal and Quebec ; it lies with the St.
Lawrence in front and the Richelieu in its rear. A steamer
runs between it and Montreal four times a week, and it is
rising into notice from the mineral springs situated about a
mile from the village. At a distance of forty miles we pass
BcrtJiicr, on the north shore, opposite to the entrance of the
Richelieu and to numerous islands similar to those of Bou-
cherville, till five miles further down, at the junction of the
Richelieu, we arrive at Sorel, which, though a small town,

Montreal to Quebec. 81

is the first stopping place for steamers to Quebec. This
place is also called William Henry, after William IV, who,
when in the navy and lying off Quebec, visited this place,
coming up in his vessel to Lake St. Peter, whence he took a
small boat upwards. It is built on the site of a fort, con-
structed in 1665 by De Tracey, and was for many years the
summer residence of successive Governors of Canada. This
is the wintering place of most of the river craft and steamers
that ply between Quebec and Montreal. There is splendid
snipe shooting in the neighbourhood in October, and very
good'fishing all through the year among the numerous islands
which here stud the surface of the river. About five miles
further down the river expands into a vast sheet of water,
about twenty-five miles long and nine miles broad, which is
known as Lake St. Peter. It is for the most part quite
shallow, except in a narrow channel, which has been artifi-
cially deepened, so that the largest sailing vessels and the
Canadian and Liverpool steamers pass up and down without
difficulty. This channel, however, is very intricate, and re-
quires to be marked out with buoys, and fir-poles stuck in
the mud, with part of the green tuft left on their tops. It
affords very good pike fishing, and enormous quantities of
eels can be taken here ; there is also good duck shooting
along the margin of the lake in the bayous or inlets, which
are numerous on its shores. Lake St. Peter in stormy weather
is a dangerous place, both for rafts, which are apt to get
broken up here and their timbers parted asunder by a storm,
and for large vessels, from its shallowness, in event of their
getting out of the channel. In passing through this lake the
traveller will be almost sure to see several rafts on their way
downwards, floating lazily along with the current, or, if there
be any breeze, with two or three huge pieces of canvass
spread out . from an upright fir-pole in lieu of mast or sail.
On each of these rafts a shed is built, or "shanty," as it is
called, for the raftsmen's sleeping quarters, several weeks

F

82 Montreal to Quebec.

not unfrequently passing before the raft reaches its destina-
tion. Some of the men rig out their huge unwieldy craft
with gay streamers, which flutter from the top of the poles,
presenting a rude gala appearance. When a number of
these rafts arc lashed together, belonging perhaps to the
same owner, they make as it were a floating island half a
mile wide and a mile long, forming a very picturesque
appearance ; and when the voices of these hardy sons of the
forest and the river join in some of their Canadian boat
songs, really " keeping time" with their oars, the wild music,
borne by the breeze over the water to the traveller's ear, as
his steamer threads its way past them, has a charming
effect. Passing the mouth of the River St. Francis, which
flows in from the Eastern Townships, and near which is a
settlement of the Abenaquis Indians, we arrive at the City
of Three Rivers, situated on the north shore of the St.
Lawrence, at the mouth of the St. Maurice River, which
here separates into three channels (whence the name of the
city is derived) and lying about mid-way between Quebec
and Montreal, being about ninety miles from either of these
two places. It ranks the third city in the eastern section of
the Province, and carries on a very extensive trade in lumber ;
the Government improvements on the St. Maurice River of
late years having given great advantages to the lumbermen,
in obtaining an easy access to market. The River St.
Maurice and its tributaries wTater a territory of over 50,000
square miles, exceedingly rich in lumber. Large quanti-
ties of sawn lumber are manufactured here for the West
Indian trade. There are also foundries, or as they are
called "forges," in full operation here, which have turned out
excellent railway car wheels, and are celebrated for their
box-stoves. The iron used is principally bog-iron, and one
of the foundries, known as the " St. Maurice Forges," a few
miles back of the city, on the right bank of the river, has
been in operation for over one hundred years. They were

Montreal to Quebec. S3

established by the French in 1737 ; at the conquest of the
Province the right of the French King devolved on his
Britannic Majesty, and these forges have been let to private
parties, who have worked them very successfully. Three
Rivers is the See of a Roman Catholic Bishopric, and the
Cathedral is a stately edifice and one of the finest in Canada,
well repaying a visit. Comparatively little is known of the
St. Maurice, or of the country through which it flows, but
in the section of country lying between it and the Saguenay
innumerable quantities of small lakes occur, varying from
two to a hundred square miles. A trip up the river will
amply repay the tourist, both for scenery and for sport, the
waters teeming with fish, and the woods with game of every
description. The banks of the river are generally high.
About thirty miles up, the River Shawenegan joins the St.
Maurice, and a little above its confluence, though on the St.
Maurice, the stupendous Falls of the Skaiveuegau are met with,
one hundred and fifty feet perpendicular, and second only to
Niagara. The general mode of accomplishing a visit to them
is by engaging a canoe with voyageurs at Three Rivers.
They will ascend as far as the Portage des Grais, where the
tourist, having arrived by vehicle, will meet them, as a boat
at the spot without previous arrangement cannot always be
relied on. After entering the canoe, the Isle aux Tourtes is
passed, and on approaching within about a mile of the fails,
they can be distinctly seen through the tops of the highest
trees. Notwithstanding the numerous rapids below the
falls, there is much less difficulty in ascending than might
be expected ; for while a current runs down the mid-
channel, at the rate of five or six miles an hour, there are
opportunities of taking advantage of an eddy on either side
running up, by shooting rapidly across the main stream.
When the water is high in April and May, there are three
distinct falls unconnected with each other, and meeting in a
large basin. The rocks that separate the fall are respectively

84 Montreal to Quebec.

called "La Grand- Me re" and " Le £>onkomme." In the
chasm below, where the waters of the different falls meet,
the scene is sublime and terrific, giving the appearance of
an enormous mass of snow violently agitated. There are
large fissures in the precipitous rock, into which the waters
are driven with great force, and which rebound again in
sheets of spray with a deafening sound. Immediately above
the falls the current is unbroken and quiet, though very
rapid, as may be observed on seeing a huge log suddenly dip
one end and wholly disappear on approaching the edge of
the precipice. These falls have been rendered memorable
for the melancholy drowning of the son of the late Governor
General, which took place there a few years ago. Proceed-
ing up the river the traveller arrives at the Portage des Hetres,
or Beech Portage, where he has to leave the canoe and walk
round the rapids ; resuming it again, a few miles will bring
him to the Falls of the Grand-Mere, which, though
not equal to those below them, are well worthy of a visit.
The length of the St. Maurice is estimated at about 400
miles, though nothing definite is known respecting its head
waters. From Grandes Piles to La Tuque there is a
steamboat plying, but above that, some seventy or eighty
miles from Three Rivers, so many rapids and cascades occur
that, with the requisite portages, the navigation becomes
tedious and dangerous. The forests abound with deer and
caribou, and good sport can be relied on by those desirous
of hunting ; but the disciple of St. Hubert must be prepared
to make his couch of hemlock boughs, and bid farewell to
civilization for the time being. Several Indian hunters of
the tribe of the Algonquins can be obtained at Three Rivers,
who for a gratuity will take the sportsman safely through
the otherwise inextricable mazes of the bush ; and a week
of this life late in the fall or early in the spring will amply
repay in 'game the hardships of a " tramp in the woods."
It is not improbable that the sportsman may, in the proper

Montreal to Quebec. 85

season, and with proper Indian guides, meet with the largest
of the deer tribe — the Moose (Cervus A Ices. J The chase
after this animal affording such excellent sport, and withal
leading through the wildest and most sequestered fastnesses
of the woods, we cannot omit a slight description of the sport.
It is generally hunted when the snow is deep, and sufficiently
crusted with ice to bear the weight of a dog, but not of a moose
itself. Five or six men provided with knapsacks, containing
food for as many days, and all necessary implements for "camp-
ing" out at night, set out in search of their game. Having found
their animal they will wait till day-break, when the dogs are
laid on, and the hunters wearing large snow-shoes follow as
closely as possible. The deer does not run far before the
crust on the snow, through which he breaks at every step,
cuts his legs so severely that the poor animal stands at bay,
and endeavors to defend himself by striking with his fore-
feet, till the arrival of the hunters ends his career. "Frank
Forrester," the great authority on American sport, cites an
instance of a friend of his "killing seven of these glorious
animals on the River St. Maurice, in the rear of the pretty
village of Three Rivers, all of which he ran into upon snow
shoes, after a chase of three days." The following descrip-
tion of a hunting party's encampment is so spirit stirring
that we cannot pass it by: — "The first thing to be done on
a tramp is to encamp the first night, since it is rare that a
single day's march carries the sportsman to the scene of
action. The arms are stacked, or hung from the branches
of the giant pines around the camp; the snow is scraped
away from a large area, and heaped into banks to windward ;
a tree or two is felled and a huge fire kindled; beds are
prepared of the soft and fragrant tips of cedar and hemlock
branches ; and the party gathers about the cheerful blaze,
while the collops are hissing in the frying pan, the coffee
simmering in the camp kettle, and the fish or game — if the
Indians have found time to catch a salmon-trout or two

86 Montreal to Quebec.

through the ice, or the sportsmen have brought down a
brace or two of Canada grouse — is roasting on wooden spits
before the fire, with the rich gravy dropping on the biscuits,
which are to serve thereafter as platter's for the savory broil.
Then comes the merry meal, seasoned by the hunter's
Spartan sauce — fatigue and hunger ; and when the appetites
of all are satisfied with forest fare, the composing fumes of
the hunter's pipe succeed, replenished with the Indian weed
'that briefly burns,' and such yarns as are spun nowhere,
unless it be in a forest camp, are told. It is a sport for men,
not to be essayed by babes or sucklings. No particular
fitness is required, except stout thews and sinews — to be
long-winded — and accustomed to field exercise."

Opposite to Three Rivers is Doucet's Landing, the ter-
minus of the Arthabaska and Three Rivers branch of the
Grand Trunk Railway, thus keeping this section of country
easy of access when the frost of winter has closed the river
to all navigation.

Three Rivers may be said to be at the head of tide-
water. In winter great quantities of "torn-cod," a small
and very palateable fish, are taken through holes cut in the
ice, near the city, in baskets let down and baited with offal ;
these being suddenly drawn up at intervals of a few min-
utes, enclose some ten or a dozen of the fish, which are
particularly numerous here, probably from the junction of
the fresh and tide-water, affording fine feeding-ground.
Continuing our journey down the river, we pass Batiscan,
Ste. Anne, and the Jacques Cartier River (formerly a good
salmon river, and beginning, under the auspices of the Fish
and Game Glub of Quebec, to again furnish sport), we find
the land rising on the river banks, presenting a more bold
and picturesque appearance as we near Quebec. St. Au-
gustin and St. Antoine, two pretty villages, are soon passed,
and the mouth of the Chaudicre is the next object of inter-
est Here, some twelve or fifteen miles from Quebec, in

Mo?itreal to Quebec. 87

tne deep seclusion of a thick wood, are the Falls of the
Chaudiere, a river which, flowing through the auriferous
district of the Eastern Townships, and abounding during its
course of one hundred miles in rapids, precipitates itself
upwards of a hundred feet into a rocky and chaotic basin,
where, during the spring freshets, the roaring of the waters
and the fantastic cliffs and ledges on either side combine to
make a very deep impression on the mind. In consequence
of the cavities and chasms in the rocks, the foaming fury of
the fall is increased, and the spray evinced by this produces
all the colours of the rainbow in the sunshine. The deep
green foliage of the woods overhanging, the roar of the
cataract, and the solitude of the place, especially as you
emerge suddenly from the forest fastnesses, on the scene,
produce a strong and vivid impression, not soon to be
forgotten.

Below this, and nearly opposite to Queoec, we pass Point
Levi, or Levis, on the Lauzon or southern shore, with its
river Bruyante (so called from its roaring being heard in
Quebec before a south-easterly storm), or Etchemin, as is its
proper name. Levis has grown into importance within the
last few years, as being the depot of the Grand Trunk Rail-
way for Quebec. The difficulty of crossing the river in
winter from this point, has also greatly contributed to ren-
der this place worthy a passing notice. To those who do
not know Quebec in winter, it is scarcely possible to convey
any idea of the interest that is felt in the formation of the
" ice bridge" from Point Levi to the city. When the ice
docs not take between the two shores, there is often much
difficulty in crossing the river. The stream is then full of
masses of ice, varying in size from a few feet square to
many hundred feet, through which the traveller is taken in
a heavy canoe. Should the boatmen be fortunate enough
to strike a good crossing and get clear water the journey is
quickly made, and is not unpleasant. This, however, is not

88 Montreal to Quebec.

always the case, and you may be tossed about for hours on
the ice, landing at last far from your destination. But, with
all these perils, it is seldom a canoe is lost, and a fatality on
the passage is hitherto unknown. This "canoeing" employs
numbers who would otherwise be idle, and is quite a science
of its own. When the ice bridge takes, a road across is
soon formed, which generally holds till April. The old
means of transit by canoe, however, is almost one of the
things of the past ; a strong iron-plated steamer, the Arctic t
having been built specially for use as a winter ferry when
the ice bridge is not formed. During the summer months
the ferry boats make continuous trip6. The town originally
was named after Henri de Levis, Due de Ventadour, a lineal
descendant of the house of Israel, if a family picture quoted
by l'Abbe Ferland in his " Cours cTHistoire die Canada' is
evidence of such matters. The churches, both English and
Roman Catholic, nestling up among the hills, give a pleasing
and finished appearance to the scene. It has been noticed
in history as the point from which Quebec was assailed
several times, though unsuccessfully.

M. De Gaspe in his " Les Anciens Canadiens" has ren-
dered this spot noteworthy, from a tradition respecting an
iron cage which was dug up here and exhibited in 1850, fall-
ing eventually into the hands of Barnum, in whose museum
the "Point Levi relic," as it was styled, remained on view
a long time, where next to the woolly horse, the Aztecs, and
other modern wonders, it attracted considerable attention.
It is supposed to have been the instrument in which Marie
Corriveau, the poisoner, called by LeMoine the Canadian
Lafarge, expiated her crimes in 1763 by being publicly
starved to death, fastened in this cage to a gibbet erected close
by the spot where the temperance monument now stands.

Another mile and the traveller finds himself in Quebec,
ready for another tour, which can be taken from Point Levi
through the Eastern Townships back to Montreal again.

Montreal to Quebec. 89

A peculiar feature of the scenery on the river, the whole
way down from Montreal to Quebec, and still further as far
as Riviere du Loup, are the numerous white cottages dotting
its banks at a few arpents distance from each other, while
behind them in the background the woods and hills stand
out in almost their primeval state. These are the dwellings
— the little farms of the Canadian habitant ; the principal
roads of each parish run parallel with the river, and are com-
pletely lined with these rural dwellings. As a class the
habitants are devoted to agriculture ; entirely destitute of
enterprise they tread in the steps of their fathers. There is
perhaps no more cheerful, happy or contented being in
existence than the habitant ; his little farm supplies him with
enough to live upon, and he never gives himself anxiety about
to-morrow. The men like the old French peasantry wear the
old fashioned capot, and on their feet mocassins made of cow-
hide,— the women jackets of bright colors, and on their heads
either a cap or* straw hat, made in the gipsy fashion. They
are fond of social intercourse, and spend a goodly portion of
their time in visiting each other. Those who live in the
vicinity of Quebec or Montreal, partly supply those markets
with vegetables ; and it is not an unusual thing for the
tourist in perhaps one of the remotest nooks he may be
penetrating in search of scenery, and thinking himself far
removed from man, to come suddenly upon one of this race,
trudging along staff in hand, and a bundle of baskets on his
back, which he will shortly fill with berries — raspberry, blue-
berry, or strawberry, to be taken perhaps many a mile to
market, and happy in his simplicity humming to himself the
burden of some old Norman song brought here by his fore-
fathers years ago. In the habitant's house the walls are al-
ways well whitewashed — the place scrupulously clean, with
flowers in the window. You may speak execrable French
— many English unfortunately do — and make mistakes that
would excite the risibilities of a saint, yet you never see a

go . Wild Flowers of Loiver Canada

smile on his face, nor on the faces of his children. For
generations their character has undergone no change, their
cheerfulness and primitive simplicity have been equally en-
during. Truly it is pleasant to study the sunshine of the
human heart, which beams out on these rugged spots of
Nature's handiwork.

THE WILD FLOWERS OF LOWER CANADA.

The quantity of wild flowers to be found in. the environs
of Quebec, rich in perfume and wild beauty, are a miniature
collection of the genera distributed through the Lower Pro-
vince generally. They have been so ably dwelt on in works
more especially devoted to the natural history of the Province,
that we could not do Nature justice by enumerating them
here ; but we quote from that pleasant writer, Mr. Lemoine,
the following: "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 ; — the
Trillium, for which I paid three shillings and sixpence when
in England, positively growing wild. I could scarcely believe
that I had a right to gather it ; having paid so much for one,
I felt that it was property, valuable property, running wild."
After the Purple Trillium has done flowering we have the
Painted Trillium in the woods : the Trillium grandijlorum is
abundant at Grosse Isle. The spotted leaves and the bright
yellow flowers of the Dog-tooth Violet, fully recurved in the
sunshine, contrast beautifully with the fresh green grass of
the banks on which they are usually found. The Smilacina
bifolia, sometimes erroneously called the White Lily of the

Wild Flowers of Lower Canada. 91

Valley, the Smilacina trif olia, the Dentaria, and the Strep topus
7-oseus or Twisted Stem, a rose-colored flower, bearing red
berries in the fall, are abundant. There are also the May-
flower, the Hcpatica, and Symplocarpus, — thickets crowned
with Rhodoras in full bloom — a bush a few feet high with
superb rose-colored flowers ; — the Kalmia angustifolia or
American Laurel, and the Cypripedum kumile, the beautiful
Ladies'-slipper Orchis, the Bunch or Pigeon-berry, the Brook-
lime Speedwell, the Blue-eyed Grass, the Herb Bennet, the
Labrador Tea, the Oxalis stricta and Oxalis acctosella (Wood-
sorrel) one with yellow, the other with white and purple
flowers ; — the Ragwoot, the Anemone, so famous in English
song, principally represented by the A. Pennsylvania, bear-
ing large white flowers ; — the Corydalis, the Smilacina
racemosa, resembling Solomon's Seal. Here we light upon
a lovely tulip bed ; no, 'tis that strangely beautiful flower the
Pitcher Plant, Sarraccnia purpurea, so effective in the cure
of small-pox ; — the Forget-me-not, CEnothera or Evening
Primrose, the False Hellebore, the one-sided Pyrola, the
Bladder Campion, the Sweet-scented Yellow Mellilot, the
White Yarran, the Prunella with blue flowers, the St. John's-
wort with its yellow clusters, the object of fair maidens'
pursuit on midsummer eve ; — the Willow Herb, the Yellow
Lily, the Partridge-berry, the Indian Pipe, the Ladies' Tresses,
the Purple Eupatorium, the Snake's Head ; — and hundreds
of other most beautiful flowers, each of which could hold a
place in an English conservatory or. flower garden, are
scattered over the sequestered heights and swampy marshes
of the woods of Lower Canada.

9? Up the Ottawa.

UP THE OTTAWA.

Leaving Lachine in the steamer " Prince of Wales, ' on
the arrival of the early morning train from Montreal, we
pass, about two miles up the bay, the Isle Dorval, formerly
the residence of Sir George Simpson, the Governor of the
Hudson Bay Company, and latterly of General Williams ;
we then steam along the north shore of an expansion of the
St. Lawrence, called Lake St. Louis, into which, through a
narrow passage, part of the waters of the Ottawa flow ; and
it is curious that the waters of the two rivers for some dis~
tance run side by side, as if refusing to mingle, and the line
of demarcation can be clearly traced ; the St. Lawrence being
of a greenish hue, while the Ottawa furnishes a slightly olive
brown tint. The junction of the two mighty rivers seems to
have caused the formation of the Island of Montreal, and the
others adjacent to it. Two distinct branches of the Ottawa
winding between Isle Jesus, Isle Bizarre, and the main con-
tinent, rejoin the St. Lawrence at Repentigny, whilst another
and the greatest, rushing among a cluster of islets and rocks,
lying in the channel between Isle Perrot and St. Annes,
mingle with the waters of Lake St. Louis.

The Ottawa or " Uttawas," has never been explored up to
its head waters. It is known to flow from Lake Temisca-
ming, and to have a course thence of at least five hundred
miles, but how much further north it takes its rise is un-
known. Formerly from forty to fifty canoes proceeded
yearly from Lachine with articles of traffic, and ascended the
Ottawa for about 300 miles, whence they were carried by
portages, and then passed through French River to Lake
Huron. Here they were met by messengers called " Coureurs
des Bois," who brought the furs from the Indian hunting-

Up the Ottawa. 93

grounds, and exchanged the peltries, as they were called, for
European goods. The Ottawa was the grand route of these
fur- traders, and was little known, except to those employed
iii that business.

At the end of the lake, or rather at the entrance of the
Ottawa, lies the picturesque village of Ste. Anne, distant
twenty-one miles from Montreal, clustering round an old
church, which owes its existence and support to the contri-
butions of the Canadian voyageurs, who never omit to pay
their offerings to the shrine of St. Anne, before engaging in
any enterprise. Here it was that Tom Moore composed the
popular Canadian Boat Song, and many who have never seen
and never will see " Uttawas tide'* have sung about it till it
has become almost a household word. A massive bridge
crosses the river here, supported on sixteen stone piers, and
built for the central section of the Grand Trunk Railway,
which has a station here. There are also a set of locks here
for vessels to avoid the rapids, which are formidable, more
from their shallowness than their velocity. A number of
small islands are scattered about, and there is excellent
shooting and fishing in the vicinity ; here also is the favorite
resort of yachts from the Lachine or Beauharnois Clubs, the
expanse of Lake St. Louis affording ample room for their
movements, and the head of it, Ste. Anne, an excellent
rendez-vous for the crews.

Proceeding onwards, about two miles, at the western ex-
tremity of the island of Montreal, we see the ruins of two
old towers or forts, constructed, to keep off the attacks of
hostile Indians, and near them the remains of a larger fort
taken from the French, and bearing the marks of war in its
walls. The expansion of the river here, probably caused by
the narrowness of its outlets, bears the name of Lake of
the Two Mountains, and the hilly character of the scenery ^
clothed to the water's edge with the richest verdure, presents
more the appearance of an inland lake, than the banks of a

94 Up the Ottawa.

river. The higher of the two hills, from which it obtains its
name, is called Calvary, and is held sacred by the Canadians
and the remnant of the Indian tribes living at its base, con-
sisting of Iroquois, Algonquins, and Nepissings. Near this
lake, on the north-east, are St. Eustache, St. Benoit, and
Ste. Scholastique, all of them, but especially the former,
celebrated in the history of the rebellion of '37, as being one
of the points at which the rebels made their headquarters.
Sir John Colborne attacked it, and was completely successful,
though with great destruction of life and property. The
handsome church was burnt, the presbytere and about sixty
of the principal houses. One of the leaders was killed near
the church, and numbers fell, burnt, suffocated, or shot. At
St. Benoit, the people profiting by the destruction of St.
Eustache, advanced with a flag of truce, and 250 of the in-
surgents unconditionally surrendered, and wrere paroled.
This may be said to have terminated the insurrection, as far
as Lower Canada was concerned. The banks of the Ottawa
River, generally speaking, are low, with hills rising in the
distance some three or four miles inland ; and from Lake St.
Louis up to Carillon the banks are higher than elsewhere, if
we except Grenville, to which place from Carillon runs a
canal formed to overcome the impetuous rapids called the
Carillon, "the Chute a Blondeau," and "Long Sault." Op-
posite to Carillon, twenty-seven miles from Ste. Anne, at
Point Fortune, is the diverging point of the boundary line
between Upper and Lower Canada, the Ottawa from here
upwards being the natural division between the Provinces.
Two miles from here lies the pretty village of St. Andrews
on the North River, and LaChute, seven miles further
east. These villages seem to have taken theirnames
from Fort Carillon and its surroundings near Lake Cham-
plain.

At Carillon the traveller leaves the " Prince of Wales" and
is conveyed by railway through a prettily wooded tract of

Up the Ottawa. 95

country, twelve miles to Grenville, where the land becomes
very hilly, rising abruptly from the water's edge. Opposite
to this village, at the head of the Long Sault rapids, is
Hawkesbury, where we meet with the first of the large
lumber establishments, which have been the means of
developing the whole upper portion of the Ottawa, whose
waters would probably otherwise have rolled for years to
come through a dense wilderness. These mills, which are
three in number, are principally supplied from the Rivers
Gatineau and Roii^re, and manufacture on an average
27,000,000 feet, board measure, per annum. To give an
idea of the vastness of these lumbering establishments to
those unacquainted with that line of manufacture, we
append a description of these mills; for the description
of one answers for all others in its general outline. They
belong to the Hon. John Hamilton & Brother, who have
paid the greatest care to secure the comforts of the people
under their control, and the whole village bears signs of
opulence and order. The dock is capable of containing
40,000 saw logs ; the mills contain ninety-two vertical saws,
nineteen circular saws, fourteen butting saws, driven by
sixty-three water-wheels ; fifteen hundred saw-logs are man-
ufactured in twenty-four hours, and one hundred and sixty-
five men and boys are employed in and about the mills.
These are divided into day and night workers, alternately
working for twelve hours each, so that during the summer
months the mills never cease running. Of agricultural pro-
duce there is expended 750 tons of hay, 25,000 bushels of oats,
5,000 bushels of turnips, 6,000 bushels of potatoes, 1,000 bar-
rels of pork, 9,000 barrels of flour, and 2,000 barrels of oatmeal
in the woods. So that 2,000 tons of agricultural produce is
consumed by this firm alone. This shows what an import-
ant branch in the industrial economy of the Province the
lumber business is, and what vast resources are yet to be
developed and applied. The lumberers are a race of men

g6 Up the Ottawa.

peculiar to Canada, Maine, and New Brunswick. , In the
depth of winter their work in the backwoods begins. It is
then they set forth to fell the huge white and red pines, which
are drawn out of the snow by oxen and piled on or by the
side of the frozen rivers, till the return of spring gives them
an opportunity of floating them down in rafts and masses
which fill all the surface of the streams in May for miles and
miles. By hauling the pine logs over cliffs and dragging
them down ravines the lumberers before the thaw sets in
manage to collect along the banks of the various tributaries
of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence some millions of cubic feet
of timber, and when the ice-bound streams are free once
more, their more arduous and dangerous labour recommences.
Loosely joined together in huge, rough, uncouth rafts, the
logs are set adrift, and with a few poles and misshapen oars
to guide them, the lumberer goes in charge down currents
and rapids of deep rivers, swollen and flowing fiercely with
the waters from the melting snow. As long as the logs hold
together all is well, but hurried and tumbled over rapids
they often break up, and woe betide the unhappy lumberers
who are on them when the great logs come rolling in fierce
confusion one over the other, and go" smashing down the
rapids from rock to rock till they are all cast adrift in some
open reach. When such accidents occur, as they do fre-
quently, it sometimes happens that the logs get so wedged
and bound together on the brow of some strong rapid that
they remain immovable, and all the miles of logs which are
following them are stopped at once. It then becomes neces-
sary to cut the obstructing logs or " timber jam," as it is
called, with axes. Only the bravest, coolest, and most ex-
perienced of the lumberers can attempt this most dangerous
of all their tasks, for when once the logs which bar the passage
are half cut through the might of the press behind breaks
them like straws, and some 10,000 trunks of trees come
plunging down with a rush and confusion that but too often

Up the Ottawa. 97

renders all the coolness and activity of those who are trying
to escape the avalanche of no avail.

Taking the steamer " Queen Victoria" at Grenville, which
is always waiting, on the arrival of the train, the route lies
through a densely wooded country, in many places in as
primitive a state as when the Jesuit missionaries first sailed
up this river ; the current is gentle, and the scenery is
diversified by numerous islands, the foliage of whose trees
seems almost to touch the water, and by the glimpses which
are obtained of the infant settlements upon the skirts of the
forest and the margin of the stream. Six miles from Gren-
ville the steamer touches at the small town of L'Orignal,
on the Upper Canada side. This is the stopping place for
those who wish to visit Caledonia Springs, nine -miles
distant. The medicinal qualities of these springs (the " Plan-
tagenet Water" of commerce) have of late years attracted
considerable attention, especially among those who are
troubled with rheumatic or cutaneous affections. It is said
the medicinal properties of these springs were first discovered
by pigeons flocking in large quantities to them ; and the well
known penchant of that bird for any salt substance led to an
investigation, which resulted in the waters being brought
into notice. The "season" here, which may be styled the
Canadian Harrowgate, is during the heats of August ; and to
the invalid seeking a quiet locality, with agreeable society,
this place will afford both. Nothing further of note occurs
till we pass Thurso, a flourishing village, doing a large busi-
ness in lumber, and Buckingham, near the junction of the
River du Lievre. The latter is a village of about 2,000
inhabitants, five miles from the Ottawa River, mostly con-
nected with the lumber trade, a very large quantity being
floated down the river which runs through the village, the
mills there employing a large number of hands, and turning
out about 40,000,000 feet per annum. Buckingham, within
twenty miles of Ottawa, is a very picturesque village, there

G

98 Up the Ottawa.

being in it two waterfalls, called the Upper and Lower Fall,
the former about forty feet in height, though, from its incline,
beins: so broken, it assumes more the form of a rapid ;
the latter has a height of about seventy feet, and falls into a
basin so hemmed in that it creates a perfect whirlpool before
its waters can find an outlet to the channel about ten feet
below. The timber as soon as it leaves the mills is conveyed
through slides (the river being unnavigable from rapids)
four miles to "the basin," where it is made up into rafts and
floated to its market. The River du Lievre is a very beau-
tiful river and well worthy of a visit. Good accommodation
can be had at McKnight's private hotel, whence the tourist
can start by vehicle for the High Falls, some twenty-five
miles up the river, or else take a canoe (which is by far the
most preferable method of travelling, in consequence of the
bad roads) and so combine journeying through pleasant
river scenery, and trolling at the same time, as the river
abounds with pike and an occasional large trout, which readily
take a spoon. These High Falls are a magnificent clear fail
or chute of water over a precipice of about 150 feet in height,
and in the spring, when the water of the river is high from
the melting of the snow, present a magnificent appearance.
From their distance from the settlements and difficulty of
access, these falls are comparatively unknown ; but as the
Government employes at Ottawa will probably be on the
look-out for summer resorts, this locality cannot long remain
unvisited. The falls in their appearance very much resemble
Montmorenci, though having more of the Horse-shoe form.
Still further on is White Fish Lake, a great resort for fisher-
men, but most unceremoniously given up to the torch and
the spear in the fall; it being no unusual thing for residents
of Buckingham to spear there in two or three days one
or even two barrels of large fish. The scenery on this lake
is very beautiful, and a remarkable cave exists there called
"the Church;" the roof of it is dome-shaped, and at the

Up the Ottawa. 99

extremity of the cave is a curious raised mass of stone, called
the " altar," from its strange resemblance to such ; the floor is
strewed with beautiful fine white sand ; and as the entrance
to it is very small, it is used frequently by hunters as a
camping place. Probably if it could speak it could reveal
tales of Indian warfare and stratagem. In the lake is an
island very rich in metallic ore ; in fact the whole range of
mountains which traverse these backwoods teems with mine-
ral wealth. About five miles north-east from Buckingham,
and between it and Thurso, lie some newly worked plum-
bago or black-lead mines, which are very prolific; and
antimony is said to have been discovered at Lake Donaldson,
a few miles distant.

One mile below Ottawa City the River Gatineau, which
has a course of 350 miles, and is the largest and most
important tributary of the Ottawa River, joins it. Seven
miles up occur the " Farmer's Rapids and Falls," and for
the next three and a half miles, four or five rapids and
cascades occur, presenting to' view a most picturesque por-
tion of this extraordinary river. On this river, forty miles
up, is Lake St. Mary's, — Pemachunga — and "Thirty-one-
mile-long Lake" — all splendid fishing places, but deep in the
solitude of the forest, no settlements being near them.

About 6 p.m. the " Queen Victoria" arrives at her wharf
at Ottawa, and as this city has received the notoriety of
being the Capital of Canada, as well as from the beautiful
scenery in its vicinity, the traveller will probably remain
here some little time, and we will endeavour to give a short
description of the city and its surroundings. Ottawa, or
as it was originally called, Bytown, 126 miles from Montreal,
was laid out under the command of Col. By, of the Royal En-
gineers, who constructed the Rideau Canal, and forms three
districts, viz. : Lower Town on the east ; Central Town on
the west, and Upper Town on the north-west. All of them,
however, are on the south-west side of the Ottawa River,

ioo Up the Ottawa.

and so in Canada West. The streets are all wide and
regularly laid out, and it reflects great credit on the engineer-
ing skill employed. Most of the buildings in the town are
exceedingly plain, but substantially built, and being of grey
limestone, much resemble in appearance some of the streets
of Montreal. From Barrack Hill, the highest elevation of
the town, the view is one of surpassing grandeur and extent,
combining in it a trinity of river, landscape, and water-fall
scenery, which few places can boast of. In the North- West,
towards Chelsea, is a range of hills, one of which is conspi-
cuous as towering above the others, and remarkable for its
naked summit, locally called "Bald Mountain," looming up
in the distance, all of which add to the beauty of the scene.
Here many of the names seem associated with Quebec, for
instance, the Chaudiere Falls, and the divisions into Upper
and Lower Town — probably from the intimate connection
between the two cities, induced by the lumber trade, these
affinities of names have sprung. Barrack Hill is in many
respects a counterpart of the citadel of Quebec ; in the rear
is Central Town, whilst Upper and Lower Town are com-
pletely commanded by it on each side ; in front is a precipi-
tous embankment, running down almost perpendicularly to
the river, thus completely sweeping it and the opposite shore
north, south, and east. From this Ottawa may be said to
occupy one of the finest natural positions, and in that respect
is the key to an immense territory of back country, valuable
in wood and minerals. This hill, the site of the Government
buildings, rises almost perpendicularly from the river about
250 feet, and the group of the buildings forms a most pictur-
esque object from every approach to the city. The structure,
consisting of the Parliament and Departmental Buildings^
forms three sides of a large square, facing the city, and from
its position it overlooks most of the houses. The whole is
in the Italian Gothic style, and built of a stone found in the
vicinity, two colors being used, a warm tint set off with

Up the Ottawa. ioi

lighter dressings, which gives a rich and ornate appearance
and the stones being undressed reflect the light and give \
sparkling effect in the sun. The Parliament Building is
about 475 feet in length, the body of it 40 feet high, with
slanting roofs. The Legislative Halls, one on each side of
the interior court, are as large as those of the British Parlia-
ment, being 90 feet long and 45 feet in breadth. The library-
is capable of holding 300,000 volumes. The principal tower
is not yet at its full height of 180 feet. The grounds in front
will be laid out in terraces, with lawns, fountains, &c. ; and
when completed the beauty of the situation and elegance of
the buildings, will enable the capital to compare with any in
the world.

Besides the Parliament Buildings, several of the Depart-
mental Offices, such as the Queen's Printing House, and
numerous churches, among which the Roman Catholic
Church may be mentioned as one of the handsomest in
Canada, add greatly to the stable appearance of the city.

Ottawa is connected with Lake Ontario by means of the
Rideau Canal, the entrance of which is at Kingston, ninety-
five miles distant. It was originally constructed by the
Imperial Government for military purposes, and has in it
forty-seven locks, but it is now the outlet for a great amount
of the local traffic. This means of communication is more
correctly a succession of raised waters by means of dams,
with natural lakes intervening, than a canal, properly speak-
ing. Lake Rideau is the summit pond, and the waters which
burst out at the White Fish Falls flow into the Gananoque
River, which is the waste-weir for regulating the water in
Lake Rideau. Thus the water in the whole canal, whether
in times of flood or drought, is kept at a steady height. In
Ottawa eight magnificent stone locks empty the canal into
the river, and a massive cut stone bridge crosses it. At the
western extremity of the city are the Chaudiere Falls, a
scene of imposing grandeur and beauty, and in the opinion

102 Up the Ottawa.

of many second only to the Falls of Niagara. They are
forty feet in height and over two hundred in width, they are
situated near the centre of the river, and the waters that
flow over them are strongly compressed by rocks that stretch
out and impede tljem. In the great Chaudiere (or Caldron)
the sounding line has not found bottom at 300 feet. It is
supposed that similarly as at Niagara, there are subterranean
currents, which convey the immense mass of waters beneath
the river. In fact half a mile lower down it comes boiling
up again from the Kettles, which never freezes in the coldest
weather. Immediately below the falls the river is spanned
by an elegant and durable suspension bridge, which con-
nects Upper and Lower Canada, and from which a splendid
view of the foaming chasm is obtained. At the north-east
end of the city, are two other falls, over which the waters
of the Rideau River pour themselves with wild impetuosity
into the bosom of the Ottawa ; and although inferior to
the Chaudiere in point of sublimity and grandeur, they are
not without many attractions to the admirer of Nature's
works. Altogether the scenery round the city is of unsur-
passed beauty — wild, romantic, and picturesque, presenting
a variety rarely to be met with in any other part of the
Province. The commerce of Ottawa is constituted almost
wholly of lumber, both square and sawn, which passes
through the city from the forests in the rear. At this point
are the great timber slides, invented by the late Ruggles
Wright, Esq., of which we append the following description :
When a quantity of lumber is brought down to the falls,
a special contrivance called a "slide" or "shoot" is necessary
to get it past them, as the result of getting it over the falls
themselves would be simply to destroy the logs. For this
purpose then, a certain portion of the river is dammed off,
and turned into a broad wide channel of timber, and down
which artificial but most rapid of all rapids in America the
waters of the Ottawa rush at terrific speed. The head of

Up the Ottawa. 103

this slide is placed some 300 yards above the falls, and ter-
minates after a run of about three-quarters of a mile, in the
still waters of the river below. As, however, a raft on such
a steep incline, and hurried along by such a mass of water,
would attain a speed which would destroy itself and all upon
it, the fall of the shoot is broken at intervals by straight
runs, along which it glides at comparatively reduced speed,
till it again drops over, and commences another headlong
rush. Some of these runs terminate with a perpendicular
drop of some four or five feet, over which the raft goes head-
long and wallows in the boiling water beneath, till the current
again gets the mastery, and forces it on faster and more
furiously than before. More than 20,000,000 cubic feet of
timber come down the shoots of the Ottawa in this manner
each year. " The rafts are generally made of from fifteen to
twenty trees, with two transverse ones to secure them at
each end, and a kind of raised bridge for the lumberers to
stand upon, who without 'such aid would be washed off it,
as the mass drops from shoot to shoot down these rapids
and disappears some few feet under water each plunge.

To go down the rapids of the St. Lawrence is compara-
tively nothing ; but to go down the rapids of a timber shoot*
to keep pace with the flying waters, and to see them hissing
and rushing up over the raft beneath your feet, is the most
exhilarating adventure in all the repertoire of American
travels. It is something which partakes of flying and swim-
ming ; the immense speed of the whole mass, — the rush of
the water, — the succession of shoots stretching out before
you like sloping steps of stairs, — the delight of flying over
these with the easy skim of a bird, — the rough long straights
in which the raft seems to dive and founder, letting the
water up beneath, and over it behind, till it is again urged
forward; and then comes another incline of water, which
you whirl madly down as if you were in a swing. To steady
yourself on the narrow plank amidships, and hold on with

104 Up ^ie Ottawa.

might and main as the timber snaps and groans and works
like a bundle of reeds, getting a momentary rest with each
incline, and again thumping over the straights, with sharp
uneasy struggles, is to experience such sensations as neither
balloon nor diving bells afford, such a whirl as only three-
quarters of a mile down the great timber shoots of the
Ottawa can ever give. We would recommend all travellers
desirous of novelty, by all means to make one of these trips,
which can easily be done by making application to any of
the large lumbering establishments, and judiciously dispos-
ing a trifling "backsheesh" among the voyageurs them-
selves.

It will be easily seen that with such a manageable motor, with
navigation at its foot, both from Lake Ontario and the River
St. Lawrence, Ottawa is, as it ought to be, the emporium of
the truly Canadian staple — lumber — and the supply furnished
here, is the main dependence of the spring and fall fleets of
shipping which arrive in this country, for return cargoes to
Europe, as also to a large extent for the market of the United
States, in which the demand is constantly increasing. The
Hull Iron Mines, distant from the city about seven miles, on
the Lower Canada side, promise to be a source of consider-
able wealth; and in the event of the Ottawa Ship Canal
being carried into effect, Ottawa will stand on the great
water highway to the West. By it a navigable communica-
tion, far removed from the frontier, will be opened between
Montreal and Lake Huron. Even as a military work, this
would be important, as by means of it gunboats could be
taken to the Upper Lakes in the event of war. The distance
between Liverpool and Chicago would be shortened 760
miles more than by the Erie Canal and New York as its
outlet ; and the Western and North-Western States would
be brought into a greater union of common interests. There
is very good partridge-shooting all around in the neighbour-
hood, and ten or twelve miles back bears and deer are numerous.

Up the Ottawa. 105

The hotels are well kept, and moderate in their charges, and
for healthiness in the summer few cities can boast its equal.
Its only drawback is the want of water works, which, however,
will doubtless soon be supplied.

The following account of the founding of Ottawa or Bytown
is related as a fact : — About the close of the last century, a
Mr. Wright, of Boston, having obtained a grant of a large
tract of land upon both sides of the river, below the Chaudiere
Falls, and deciding that the south-side was unfit for settle-
ment, fixed upon what is now called Hull, as the site of a
village, which, from the pine lumber floated by him down to
Quebec and Montreal, soon became the nucleus of a lum-
bering population. As cash was scarce, wages were then
paid in either goods, rum, or land. In course of time, having
to settle with his teamster, named Sparks, for some $200
due to him, he prevailed on him, after much grumbling, to
take the hills on the southern side (now Ottawa) in payment,
throwing in, in the bargain, a yoke gf oxen. Years after-
wards, the Canadian authorities wishing to find a channel in
the interior for the conveyance of the munitions of war to the
Upper Lakes, as the St. Lawrence was too much exposed to
the assaults of the Americans, inaugurated the scheme of the
Rideau Canal. Mr Sparks, one day in 1823, was much sur-
prised at seeing a crowd of engineer officers and soldiers
advancing to these sandy bluffs, and taking possession of
them as the Ordnance property of the British Crown, under
an officer named By ; the work progressed, and as the neces-
sary shops and shanties were erected on either side the hills,
they were called by way of joke upper and lower town ;
finally, a bridge was thrown across the Fall connecting Hull
or Wrightstown with Bytown, and as the latter slowly grew,
the other remained stationary. Money flowed in on Mr.
Sparks ; he sold lots, and was eventually reputed worth half
a million of dollars, and the long despised hills eventually
were decided upon by the Queen to sustain the Parliament

io6 Up the Ottawa.

Buildings of United Canada. Sparks Street, named after the
founder, is now one of the principal streets of Ottawa.

One mile and a half above Ottawa we come to the " Little
Chaudiere Falls," a pretty fall of thirteen feet, and two miles
above that the rapid known under the name of "The Re-
moux," between which and the Little Chaudiere the river
expands into wide lake-like basins. Four and a half miles
above this are the De Cheine rapids, opposite the Village of
Britannia, formed by a ridge of limestone crossing the course
of the river, and having a fall of about nine feet. Above
this, nine miles from Ottawa, on the Lower Canada side, is
Aylmer, situated on a splendid open reach of the river,
twenty-six miles in length, called Lac de Chcinc, and naviga-
ble for vessels of the largest class. Proceeding onwards we
come to the celebrated Chats Portage or Chats Falls,
which are a series of cascades, of about twenty feet high,
extending for about three miles, broken by islands, along
the edge of which the*steamer runs, covered with hemlock,
cedar, pine, many of them unvisited by man, with about a
dozen deep channels, presenting a most remarkable appear-
ance, not unlike the Lake of the Thousand Islands in minia-
ture. At one point no less than thirteen falls are visible at
once. A tramway of four miles in length connects the
navigable reaches above and below. An attempt was made
by the Provincial Government to construct a canal for the
purpose of overcoming these falls and rapids, which have an
aggregate height of fifty feet ; but after nearly all the exca-
vation was complete, and a large portion of" the stone for the
lock prepared, the work was suspended in 1857, and is now
lying unprofitable and useless, leaving a monument of ill-
directed efforts, painful to contemplate. Above the rapids
the magnificent Lake des Chats, is about twenty miles
long and one mile wide, though its spacious bays extend it
to three miles. On the south shore is Kinnel Lodge, near
Arnprior, at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa

Up the Ottawa. 107

Rivers, belonging to the Highland Chief McNab, who first
settled this portion of the Upper Ottawa, about the year
1824, but it was not regularly laid out till 185 1, when the
property came into the hands of D. McLachlan, Esq., who
had the honor of entertaining the Prince of Wales, while on
his tour on the Ottawa. Here His Royal Highness planted
a young oak in memorial of his visit, which may be seen by
the tourist. Arnprior is forty miles from Ottawa City, and
a station on the Ottawa & Brockville Railway, whence the
tourist may take the cars on his return trip to Montreal ;
but while up here we would recommend him by all means
to proceed about twenty miles further to Portage du Fort,
where several islands divide the river into a number of
channels, and it is crossed by a reef of crystalized limestone,
forming the Portage die Fort Rapids, or more properly
speaking, Falls. At the head of the largest island is situated
the village, named after the rapids, on the Canada side, which
is one of the principal business places for lumbermen. The
whole distance lies through magnificent scenery : river, lake,
plain, rapid, and mountain succeed each other, and form a
fairy landscape of varied interest and beauty. Nature has
been no niggard of her benefits to this section of the Ottawa
Valley. The soil is rich in production, and the hills abound
in minerals. This is the belt of country where the change
from the gneiss and primitive to the metamorphic limestone
rock occurs, and it is at such points that these productions
are to be with certainty looked for. For some distance the
banks of the river are composed of white marble. Between
Portage du Fort Village and the head of the Calumet Falls,
a distance of seven miles, by a good macadamized road, the
tourist reaches the next navigable point of the Ottawa,
which is open to the Chapeau Rapids, on the north side of
Alumette Island, opposite to, but five miles from Pembroke,
on the south, or by the south channel and Westmeath to

108 Up the Ottawa.

Hawley's Island, two and a half miles below the latter town.
In addition to the scenery, one object of historical interest
presents itself, respecting which we quote Dr. Tache : — " In
ascending the great River Ottawa, one has to stop at the rock
of the high mountain, situate in the middle of the portage of
the seven chutes, at the foot of the island of the Grand
Calumet. It is here lies Cadieux s tomb, surrounded to this
day by a wooden railing. Each time the Company's (Hudson
Bay) canoes pass the little rock an old voyageur relates to
his younger companions the fate of the brave interpreter."
His history is somewhat as follows :— Cadieux was a roving
interpreter, who had married a young Algonquin girl, and
purchased at this portage furs for the traders. After a winter
thus passed he ascertained that a party of Iroquois were
waiting to pounce on the canoes. To prevent this, he and
a young brave endeavoured to inveigle the Iroquois into the
woods, while the canoes descended the rapids, and by a cir-
cuitous route himself rejoin the voyageurs. He succeeded in
the first part of his design ; but when thirteen days had
elapsed, and Cadieux had not been heard from, a party was
sent to scour the woods, who found a small hut of boughs,
and the corpse of the interpreter half covered with green
branches. His hands were clasped over a large sheet of birch
bark, on which was scribbled his tale of exhaustion, hunger
and death. The piece of bark on which his death song was
written (for Cadieux was a poet) was brought to the post of
the Lake of the Two Mountains, and the voyageurs of to-day
have set it to a plaintive melody, which is much in the style
of the old Norman ballads.

At Pembroke, seventy miles from Ottawa, the last link of
the steamboat navigation of the Ottawa commences, ending
at Des Joachim, forty miles higher up the stream, passing
through the Upper and Lower Alumette Lakes with all
their soft and romantic beauties, and through the stern and

Brockville. 109

gloomy grandeur of the Deep River, whose mountains of
600 feet in height rise from the water's edge, the depths of
which are little less in profundity.

Des Joachim, the last of steamboat navigation, is fifty
miles from the mouth of the River Matawan, the connecting
stream between the Ottawa and Lake Nipissing, through
which the proposed Ottawa and Lake Huron navigation is
destined to run. Above the Falls and Portage "des Alu-
mettes" one hundred miles up the river from Ottawa, there
are few or no settlements ; and the shanty of the lumberman
or the hunter are the only marks of civilization that break
the monotony of the forest. The lakes which abound
throughout this back country are not only too numerous to
mention, but their names in the Indian language are almost
unpronounceable.

Returning down the river, where splendid pike fishing is
to be had, and an occasional salmon-trout, the tourist will
meet the train either at Sandpoint, the terminus of the
Brockville Railroad (a pretty little village), or proceed five
miles further to Arnprior, whence the cars start daily for
Brockville. Brockville is one of the pleasantest villages
in the Province, situated on an elevation of land which rises
from the river in a succession of ridges ; the houses are built
with considerable taste, and joined with the terrace-like
formation of land, it has an appearance of elegance and ease
not often met with in Canada. It contains about 5000
inhabitants, and, being the junction of the Ottawa Railway
and Grand Trunk, has a good deal of local traffic ; it was
named after General Brock; it is a good stopping-place for
sportsmen, being at the foot of the Lake of the Thousand
Islands, and so affording accommodation to those who are
attracted to this spot either for shooting or for scenery. A
small sheet of water, Charleston Lake, lies 17 miles back,
whose scenery is lovely. Fish abound in it, and it is not
unusual for the sportsman to take one hundred bass with a

no Kingston.

single line in one day. The boating on it in summer is ex-
cellent ; the shore is lined with boat-houses, and there are
several handsome steam and sail yachts on it. A ferry-boat
plies every half-hour between Brockville and Morrisburg, in
New York State, almost opposite, two or three miles from
which is a spot where a view of one hundred islands can be
gained at one time.

Leaving Brockville by the evening train for Kingston, 47
miles distant, we arrive there at midnight ; and this being
the point where we purpose taking steamer to come down
the St. Lawrence and enjoy the scenery of the " Thousand
Islands," Rapids, &c, it is as well to take a day or two to see
the city and its environs.

Kingston, called by the Indians " Cataraqui" was the
original capital of Upper Canada. A settlement was begun
here by the French, under De Courcelles, as early as 1672,
under the name of Fort Cataraqui, and the fort subsequently
received the name of Fort Frontenac, in honor of the French
Count of that name. This fort was afterwards in the posses-
sion of the French and the Indians, until it was destroyed by
the expedition under Colonel Bradstreet in 1758. In 1762
the place fell into the hands of the British, from whom it
received its present name. The advantageous position of
this city, from being at the outlet of Lake Ontario into the
St. Lawrence, and at the junction of the waters of the Bay of
Oiiinte and the great Cataraqui Creek, together with the
Rideau Canal, has made it a place of considerable commercial
importance. As a military station, its defences are only
second to Quebec. About half-a-mile to the east is a low
peninsula, ending in Point Frederick, which, with the other
parallel one terminating in Point Henry, encloses Navy Bay,
the depot for the maritime armament of Britain on the lakes
during the war of 1812. On an eminence of the peninsula
is Fort Henry, commanding the entrance to the lake : this,
together with large substantial martello towers, has complete

Kingston. 1 1 1

command of the harbour. Point Frederick is connected with
the town by a wooden-bridge, 600 yards in length, across
Cataraqui Bay. It is solidly constructed, and near it are the
the Marine Barracks. The harbour of Kingston is formed
by Wolfe and Garden Islands lying across the bay, three
miles distant : this is a beautiful sheet of water, and a com-
modious safe refuge for ships of the largest class. Ship and
boat-building is carried on at Kingston to a great extent, and
vessels for both lake and ocean navigation are built and fitted
out complete.

About a mile to the west of the city lies the Provincial
Penitentiary, a large and massive stone building, surrounded
by a high and most substantial wall, with towers at the
corners. The arrangements are so complete that escape for
the convicts, under any circumstances, seems impossible.
The cells are so arranged that each keeper has a great num-
ber of prisoners, apart from each other, completely under his
eye in his rounds, and can, at all times, ascertain without
being perceived what is going on. The different trades all
find employment in different workshops, and those who enter
without a trade are immediately put to learn one. The silent
system is pursued except in necessary intercommunication
at work. The whole arrangements are conducted upon the
principle of the U. S. State prisons ; and to those who have
never been through a place of convict confinement, we would
by all means recommend a visit. Near the Penitentiary are
baths and mineral springs, which have been of late years and
are still much frequented. The public buildings of the city
are very fine, the principal of which is the Market House,
so-called, above which is the Town Hall, and from the dome
surmounting it a very extensive view is obtained. Here, also,
are two colleges — Queen's and Regiopolis, both conspicuous
structures.

Leaving Kingston by one of the steamers from the West,
early in the morning, the tourist will get one of the finest

H2 Down the St. Lawrence.

views to be met with in Canada, and one which, like Niagara,
though often described in various ways, is really indescribable
to do it justice, — The Lake of the Thousand Islands.

The river issuing from the eastern extremity of Lake On-
tario is now, for the first time, called the St. Lawrence. This
name was given to the mighty river by Jacques Cartier,
who began to explore it on the festival of that martyr. In
the course of a few miles the channel becomes so wide, and
so full of islands, that it has obtained the name of " The
Lake of the Thousand Islands." These islands, which
have obtained a world-wide celebrity, consist of fully 1800
in number, of every imaginable shape, size, and appearance,
some of them barely visible, others covering many acres ;
some only a few yards long, others several miles in length ;
some presenting little or nothing but bare masses of rock,
whilst others are so thickly wooded over, that nothing but the
most gorgeous green foliage in summer is to be seen, whilst
in autumn, the leaves present colours of different hues of
light crimson, yellow, purple and other colours scarcely
imaginable. They are truly " emerald gems in the ring of
the wave," and their broken outline presents the most, pic-
turesque combinations of wood and water. The first or
largest of these islands is Grand or Wolfe Island, containing
about 9,000 acres, to which there is a ferry-boat constantly
plving from Kingston ; it is of an irregular shape, and in-
dented by numerous bays. Betwixt its western shore and
the city of Kingston lies Garden Island, containing about 30
acres, belonging to a firm largely engaged in the rafting
business. They employ a large number of vessels in bringing
staves from the western portion of the Upper Province to
the island, where they are made into rafts for the voyage to
Quebec. The boundary line between the United States and
the British dominions extends along the middle of the south
channel of the St. Lawrence, passing by Cape Vincent on
the American shore (a pretty little village), the terminus of

Down the St. Lawreiice. 113

the Watertown and Cape Vincent Railroad, and afterwards
passes between "Duck Island" and the "Galops Islands."
Westward, though scarcely one of the thousand islands, lies
Amherst Island, the original French name of which was the
" Isle of Tanti": it now belongs to the Earl of Mountcashel ;
5,000 acres of it are under good cultivation. The channels
between the extremities and the mainland are called the
Upper and Lower Gaps. As a fishing ground for pike,
maskinong<£, black bass, dore, &c., no part of the St. Law-
rence can compare with the shores of these islands. The
largest-sized maskinonge are taken here, not with an ordinary
bait, for they scorn the small bait that is so tempting a morsel
to their kindred pike ; " but," says Weld, a good fishing
authority, speaking of this locality, " I have invariably taken
them with fish of a large size, such as no other angler' would
ever think of putting on his line." Forty or fifty pounds is
not an unusual weight for them, and instances are not wanting
where much larger ones have been caught. Lanman, in his
" Wanderings," makes mention of a maskinonge he took here
which weighed 49 lbs., was nearly 8 feet in length, and took
one hour and a quarter to land after he was first hooked.
(Vide " Small's Fresh-water Fish," p. 45.) There is also very
good spearing here at night, and a week or two spent on
either of these islands will amply repay the fisherman, besides
giving him the invigorating benefits resulting from the lake
breeze. There is no difficulty in getting canoes or accom-
modations at any of the farm-houses, but hotels are few and
far between. The whole channel of the Lake of the Thousand
Islands is a famous spot for sporting ; myriads of wild fowls
of every description may be found here, and the facilities for
coming upon them round some interposing point, by sud-
denly rounding one of the many islets, or, again, by lying
concealed on one of the islets and taking them on the wing
in their flight past, make this amusement more varied than
in most other shooting grounds. It is necessary to have a

H

1 14 Down the St. Lawrence.

good Newfoundland dog or retriever when shooting from the
shore. These islands, too, have been the scene of thrilling
romance. From their great number and labyrinth-like chan-
nels among them, they afforded an admirable retreat for the
insurgents in the last Canadian insurrection, as well as for
the American sympathizers with them, who, under the ques-
tionable name of patriots, sought only to embarrass the British
Government. In 1838, a band of men, headed by one Johnson,
took refuge among these islands, setting all authorities at
defiance, and provided with boats of surprising lightness,
they committed the most audacious outrages both up and
down the river, and baffled all pursuit. The story is told of
them, when he was obliged, from close pursuit, to separate
from his band, his daughter, with a devotedness and courage
that was inimitable, supplied him herself with the necessaries
of life in these solitary retreats, and rowed him in her canoe
from one island to another under cover of night.

The passage through the " Thousand Islands" by steamer
is generally made in the early morning, leaving Kingston
about daylight. You pass close to, and near enough often
to cast a pebble from the deck of the steamer on to them,
cluster after cluster of circular little islands, whose trees,
perpetually moistened by the water, have a most luxuriant
leaf, their branches overhanging the current. Again, you
pass little winding passages and bays between the islands,
the trees on their margins interlacing above them, and form-
ing here and there natural bowers ; yet the waters of these
bays are so deep that steamers might pass under their shade.
Then opens up a magnificent sheet of water, many miles
wide, with a large island apparently dividing it into two great
rivers ; but as you approach it, you discover that it is but a
group of small islands, the river being divided into many parts,
looking like silver threads. Again, the river seems to come
to an abrupt termination four or five hundred yards in ad-
vance of you, but as you approach the threatening rocks, a

Down the St. Lawrence. 115

channel suddenly opens out on the right, you are whirled
suddenly into it, and the next moment a magnificent amphi-
theatre of lake opens out before you. This, again, to all
appearance, is bounded by a dense green bank, but at your
approach the mass is moved, as if in a kaleidoscope, and a
hundred -beautiful little isles appear in its place. Such, for
upwards of forty miles, is the scenery through which you
glide. Once seen, the remembrance of them is never for-
gotten ; and when seen under the bright rays of an early
summer dawn, it seems a glimpse of fairy land. Emerging
from this beautiful scenery, we come suddenly upon Brock-
ville (before mentioned), and, proceeding onwards, nothing
further of note occurs till we come to Prescott, i 2 miles
down the St. Lawrence, which is a very thriving town. This
is the terminus of the Ottawa and Prescott Railroad, a road
doing a large business, as Prescott, being opposite to Og-
densburgh, in New York State, and connected with it by
means of two ferry-boats, is the place of transhipment for
most of the American goods purchased by the dwellers on
the Ottawa, as well as for the export of cattle and Canadian
produce. This road was built for the purpose of counteract-
ing the stagnation of trade resulting from the construction
of the Rideau Canal between Kingston and Ottawa, which
diverted the carrying trade previously enjoyed by Prescott ;
and this shows how one enterprise stimulates another. The
view from the town is exceedingly picturesque, embracing
the villa residences, spires, lighthouse, and miniature docks
of Ogdensburgh ; and as all passing steamers call at the one
place or the other during the summer, while in the winter a
passage is kept open by the heavy railroad steamer, it wears
continually an aspect of stir and business. The country
around is very pleasant and healthy. Fort Wellington
here is a military position of importance, and forms an
object of considerable attraction. About a mile below
Prescott are the ruins of an old stone windmill, at

n6 Down the St. Lawrence.

a place called Windmill Point, in which, as well as an
adjoining stone house, in 1838 (the second insurrection), a
body of Americans, numbering about 400, who had sailed
from the vicinity of Sackett's harbour under Von Shultz, a
Polish exile, and landed at Prescott, took refuge when attacked
by Colonel Young ; here they defended themselves bravely,
and killed eighteen of the British. The walls were too strong
to be reduced without cannon, and some guns and additional
troops were brought up. An attack was then made, when
the party in the mill tried to escape, but 156 were taken
prisoners and sent to Kingston for trial. Two miles east
is the quaint old town of Johnstown, formerly the county
town of Leeds and Grenville. At Spencerville, a small
village eight miles distant, the sportsman may find plenty
of deer. About five miles below Prescott is Chimney Island,
on which are to be seen the remains of an old French fortifi-
cation. At this island is the first rapid on the river. Opposite
to Prescott is Ogdensburgh, on the American shore, at the
mouth of the Osgewatchie, on its west bank. This is a place
of some importance, a railway to Rouse's Point connecting
it with Boston and Montreal. The remains of the original
fort called " La Presentation," and built in 1748, are still to
be seen. Twenty-one miles further on we pass Morrisburg,
at the foot of the Rapide de Plat, a thriving town, a short
distance below which lies Chrysler s Farm, where, in 1813,
a battle was fought between the English and the Americans.
The former were commanded by General Morrison with 800
men ; the latter, who were the elite of the army, under Gen.
Boyd, were defeated yith great slaughter, forced to retire
to their boats, and ultimately reached Plattsburg. Thirty
miles below Ogdensburgh is Louisville, whence stages run
to Massena Springs, seven miles distant. These springs
are five in number, on the banks of the River Racket. The
largest is called St. Regis Spring, in honour of the tribe of
Indians of that name who discovered its virtues, and long ago

Down the St. Lawrence. 117

used its medicinal waters. Massena is a place of popular
resort among the northern New Yorkers and Vermonters, and
of late years numbers of Canadians have visited the springs :
and from their beautiful surroundings and vicinity to the Long
Sault Rapids, only four or five miles distant, they are a very
pleasant summer watering-place. The United States Hotel
is a large first-class, house, where may be had good horses
and carriages, boats and fishing tackle. Visitors coming from
Montreal can take the Montreal steamers to Louisville Land-
ing, and by stage, or via Rouse's Point and Potsdam Junction.
Proceeding onwards we come to Dickinson's Landing, 77
miles from Montreal, a station on the Grand Trunk, and lying
at the head of the Cornwall Canal and the Long Sault Rapids.
These rapids are nine miles in length, divided in the centre
by several islands in a continuous line. Both the north and
south channel can be used, but the south is generally pre-
ferred ; the velocity of the current here is exceedingly swift,
a raft drifting through in forty minutes. The Cornwall Canal,
built to avoid these rapids, is the longest of all the St. Law-
rence canals, being 11 J miles : it is only needed for vessels
bound up the river, as from the size and regular inclination
of the rapids steamers and other vessels have no difficulty in
descending the river. The scenery of the Long Sault Rapids
is excitingly beautiful ; here and there the surging waters
present all the appearance of the ocean in a storm, in other
places their surface is perfectly unruffled, — a deceptive still-
ness from their very velocity ; and the raft that meets the
eye in its passage over, apparently doomed to destruction,
swiftly rounds some threatening obstacle, leaving it far in its
wake. Great strength, dexterity, and courage, are required
and employed in passing them. The voyageurs who man the
rafts are a peculiar class, and a slight description of them will
not be amiss here. Gay and mirthful by nature and habit,
patient and enduring at labour, seeking neither ease nor
wealth — they let the morrow take care of itself. When

n8 Down the St. Lawrence.

enduring the severest hardships they will joke and laugh, and
sing their Canadian songs, the majority of which are extem-
poraneous, and of a rude character.

At the lower end of the Long Sault Rapids, the two cur-
rents of the north and south channels meet and dash against
each other with great impetuosity, forming what is called the
" Big Pitch." This is almost directly opposite the pleasant
and stirring town of Cornwall, sixty-eight miles from
Montreal, which, though very lively from the constant
transit of steamers, &c, through the canal, has little other
trade than that of being the county town. Excellent duck-
shooting is to be had in the fall of the year here, the birds
staying at the foot of the rapids for several weeks on
their passage, southwards ; canoes can always be had in
the town with an Indian attendant, who, with a good sports-
man, will thoroughly enter into the excitement of the
sport, and guide him to the favourite resorts of the teal,
the mallard, and widgeon. Nearly opposite to Cornwall,
situated partly in the United States and partly in Canada,
for the boundary line of 45 ° strikes the St. Lawrence there,
is the Indian village of St. Regis. Here, on a small portion
of the hunting-grounds of their once powerful nation, a set-
tlement of Iroquois exists. The number of British and
American Indians is about 900. Many of the men continue
to procure a precarious subsistence by hunting, and the
women employ themselves in making up the skins of animals
killed in winter into mitts and moccasins, and in manufac-
turing splint baskets and brooms. There is a large stone
church here, with a steeple and two bells, respecting one of
which is the following history : — Purchased in France by
means of furs sent out by themselves, it was captured by an
English cruiser, taken to Salem, Mass., and afterwards pur-
chased for the church at Deerfield. Their priest, hearing of
this, excited them to a crusade for its recovery, and they,
coming suddenly on that village under cover of darkness,

Down the St. Lawrence. 119

slew and took prisoners all the inhabitants ; then, fas-
tening the bell to a long pole, it was carried on their
shoulders 150 miles, and buried in the woods near what is
now Burlington, Vermont, whence, in the following spring, it
was safely conveyed to the belfry built for its original recep-
tion. After passing St. Regis, the St. Lawrence flows
unrestrictedly through British dominions. At a little distance
below Cornwall the river expands into a lake, five and a half
miles in width, and twenty-five miles long, called Lake St.
Francis. The surface of this lake, especially near the foot
of it, is interspersed with a great number of small islands,
which add to the beauty of the expanse of waters ; — it is a
noticeable fact that at the foot of almost all the rapids, the
river widens considerably, as if to show by contrast how
smooth and placid its waters might be, after their wild and
tumultuous course in the narrow passes. Passing the village
of Lcmcaster, on the north shore of the lake, about midway,
we come to Coteau du Lac, 30 miles from Cornwall, at the
mouth of the River Delisle ; this is a small village, and the
name as well as style of the buildings denote its French
origin. Being, however, at the head of the Coteau Rapids,
it is a very pretty stopping-place, and affords excellent fishing
and water-fowl shooting. Nine miles from it is the village
of " Cedars," which gives its name to a part of the rapids.
In fact, the eleven miles of incline here, over which the water
rushes, is divided into three sections, called, respectively,
Coteau, Cedars, or Split Rock, and Cascades. The latter
name probably has been given from the water falling over
several ledges of rock one after the other, giving it the ap-
pearance of cascade over cascade, and causing a peculiar
sensation in coming down it as the vessel glides from ledge
to ledge of rock. At the foot of the Cascades on the south
bank is the village of Beauharnois, 27 miles from Montreal,
where vessels bound upwards enter the canal to pass round
these rapids. The Beauharhois Canal is 1 1 \ miles long. The

120 Down the St. Lawrence.

»

village is very prettily situated at the head of a bay, formed
by a point of land stretching out on the west, on which is a well
wooded and pretty spot called " The Grove," a favorite resort
for pic-nics from Montreal. From here a fine view can be
had of Montreal Mountain in the distance. Leaving Beau-
harnois, we find ourselves on the south side of Lake St. Louis,
another expansion of the River St. Lawrence, whose north
shore we sailed up on the upward journey to Ottawa city.
About five miles from Beauharnois is Nun's Island, a high
mound of peculiar shape, which has doubtless been an Indian
post and burial-ground : it is beautifully cultivated, and belongs
to the Grey Nunnery, Montreal. Near this, at the mouth of
the Chateauguay River (an excellent fishing-ground), is the
village of Chateauguay, one mile from which is the celebrated
battle-field of Chateauguay, memorable for the victory gained
there by Colonel De Salaberry, in 1 8 1 3, over the American
troops under General Hampton, who were repulsed with con-
siderable loss, and obliged to fall back upon Plattsburg.
Proceeding onwards we pass opposite to Lachine, ten miles
from Montreal, the Indian village of Caughnawaga (pro-
nounced Cok-na-wau-ga.) This consists of nothing but a
number of Indian huts or cabins, occupied by a portion of
the once powerful and ferocious tribe of. the Six Nations,
who subsist by navigating steamers, boats, and rafts over the
rapids in summer, and in the winter by the profits arising
from the sale of snow-shoes, moccasins, &c. There are about
1 100 of them in number, and they are remarkable for their
orderly and quiet behaviour. In early times they were
distinguished for their predatory incursions upon their
neighbours in the New England provinces, and the bell that
now hangs in their church was the proceeds of one of these
excursions. They behaved nobly during the rebellion of
'37-8. While attending worship on the morning of the 4th
November, '38, a party of insurgents surrounded the church ;
the Indians immediately turned out, and the Chief, setting

Kingston to Toronto. 12 1

v>

an example tnat was promptly followed by all, raised the war
whoop, seized the person next him, and wrested the musket
out of his hands. The others, panic-stricken, immediately
surrendered, and, tied with their own sashes, were taken
prisoners to Montreal ; for this act they have received special
marks of Her Majesty's favour. Opposite to Caughnawaga
is Lachine, whence the tourist can return to Montreal by
cars, or, shooting the rapids of Lachine (before described),
pass under the Victoria Bridge, and so land at the wharf in
the City of Montreal.

FROM KINGSTON TO TORONTO.

Travelling westward from Kingston nothing worthy of
note attracts the attention till arriving at Napanee, whence
we for some time journey along the margin of the beautiful
Bay of Quinte, — a bay which might with more propriety be
called an estuary, it being the mode of exit of the Trent
River. By means of it on the one side, and Lake Ontario
on the other, is formed the peninsula of Prince Edward
County. At Tyendinaga, on the northern shore, is a set-
tlement of the Indian tribe of Mohawks, who separated from
their nation in the State of New York about 1784. They
had embraced Christianity long previously, and as far back
as the reign of Queen Anne were presented with a service
of plate for their communion. They are Episcopalians, and
their place of worship having become too small for its con-
gregation, they built out of their own means a commodious
stone edifice.

Belleville, forty-eight miles from Kingston and one
hundred and twelve from Toronto, at the mouth of the River

122 Kuigsto7i to Toronto.

Moira, a first-class station on the Grand Trunk, is a thriving
place and well worthy of a visit. The vicinity of Belleville
affords several beautiful views of the bay, one especially,
about four miles below the town, where the promontory of
Ox-point jutting out a long distance towards an opposite
headland, Massassaga-point, on the south shore, causes the
channel to contract to less than half its ordinary width.
The saw-mills and piles of lumber detract considerably from
the picturesque appearance of the harbour, on a near view ;
but the town itself presents an imposing aspect from the
water, rising as it does gradually from the edge of the bay
to the point of a high bluff, where the fine spire of St.
Michael's Church forms a fitting apex to the view. The
position of Belleville is very healthy, the heat of summer
being tempered by fine westerly breezes, which prevail
throughout the summer months, generally setting in about
10 a. m., and continuing to blow briskly till sunset. This
may be attributable to its vicinity to Lake Ontario. This
place has good communication both by rail and steam with
various places of interest, the steamers that visit the port
affording facilities for a trip to Picton, the Lake of the Moun-
tain, Kingston, &c. This " Lake of the Mountain" is a
remarkable curiosity. About four and a half miles from Belle-
ville, in the 2nd concession of Ameliasburgh, on the farm of
D. Gibson, Esq., there exists a most perfect and unique
example of a volcanic upheaval, known in the neighborhood
as "The Mountain," which consists of felspar and gneiss,
rising almost vertically from the plain to a height of about
eighty or a hundred feet. It is about 250 yards long and
half that in breadth, affording a complete exemplification of
the class of natural phenomena to which it belongs. On
this eminence is a remarkable, deep, and black looking
lake, probably the crater of an ancient volcano ; it is a
favourite place of resort for pic-nic parties. The botanist
will also be richly repaid in the surrounding country,

Kingston to Toronto. 123

which contains several rare plants. The Bay of Quinte is
finely adapted for boating, either rowing or sailing, for a
distance of about twelve miles to the westward and about
forty miles in an easterly direction. There is very good
fishing, especially for the troller ; pike, bass, dore, perch,
Oswego bass or sheepshead, and chub, being the principal
fish. The bass and chub, which latter attain a larger size
here, readily rise to the fly, and very good sport may be had
with them if the day is at all cloudy. The most attractive
fly in these waters seems to be an artificial bumble-bee or
grasshopper. For large bass, which abound here, but are
very wary, a large white moth in the dusk of the evening is
a never failing bait, and the fly called the sturgeon fiS
seldom (ails to attract. Good duck shooting may be had
here on the bay, and in the marshes at Ox-point, as well as
in Ameliasburgh, at the outlet of Roblin Lake. Woodcock
and snipe are plentiful in the late summer and early fall, and
plover abound along the shore and in the marshes. Occa-
sionally a fox hunting party is got up with beagles, and a
good run may occasionally be had, Ox-point never failing to
furnish a brush. Belleville is the southern terminus of the
Hastings Road, which extends north to the Madawaska
River, and there will no doubt be an increased settlement
along the upper part of it, as the country of the Upper
Ottawa becomes more thickly populated, which it cannot
fail to do if the proposed Lake Huron Canal be carried out.
About twenty-six miles north of Belleville lie Belmont,
Madoc, and Marmora, all of them townships rapidly rising
into note from their iron mines and fine white marble
quarries. This marble is of a pure whiteness, and admits
of a very high polish. It is of first rate quality, and is pro-
nounced by competent judges to be hardly if at all inferior
to the celebrated Italian Carrara marble. The quarries and
iron mines have both been lying in a quiescent state for
some time, until recently some eminent capitalists from

124 Kingston to Toronto.

Cleveland, U. S., took a large amount of stock in the united
companies. They have amalgamated with the Cobourg &
Peterboro' Railway, so that by boat on Rice Lake, and train
from Harwood on the above mentioned road, access to the
mines is made easy. The operations they intend carrying
on will be on a very extensive scale, as they purpose getting
out ioo to 150 tons of the ore daily, as soon as they have
all their "plant" thoroughly established. Eleven miles west
is Trenton, backed by a good agricultural country, and from
its position, offering great advantages of water-power ; if an
outlay were made in the construction of dams, machinery
enough could be put in operation to supply every article of
manufacture. It must eventually become a manufacturing
town.

Twenty-one miles west of Belleville is the prettily laid
out town of Brighton, remarkable for its natural harbour of
refuge, one of the best on Lake Ontario, called Presqu' Isle
Bay. This is formed by a narrow peninsula stretching out
in front of the village, forming a perfect lagoon on the
east, enclosed on three sides and a half, so that whatever
winds may blow, the vessels lying here are comparatively
safe.

Ninety miles west of Kingston we come to Cobourg, a
very busy town and prettily situated withal on the lake. It
ranks only second to Toronto and Hamilton in a business
point of view, from its comparative nearness to Rochester
and Oswego, which are brought into daily communication
with it by means of steamers. The soil around Cobourg,
and in fact from here westwards, is very fertile, producing
great quantities of wheat, and of a very good quality — large
quantities of which find their way to Rochester, and are
there mixed with American wheat, passing for Genesee
flour. It is also possessed of very superior water-power, and
can boast of manufactures in the shape of cloth and tweeds,
which successfully compete with those of any other place

Kingston to Toronto. 125

for durability and quality. Here is situated Victoria College,
built by the Wesleyan Methodist body, attended by about
150 students. It is a fine handsome edifice, and has a good
high school in connection with it. Cobourg possesses one
of the finest town halls in Canada, containing the best pro-
portioned ball-room in the Province, and honored by the
Prince of Wales on his visit. The gaol here is also a strong,
massive and imposing building.

This place has the advantage of a large and well settled
back country, which brings a considerable amount of busi-
ness to the front ; and the Cobourg & Peterboro' Railway
bids fair to do a large amount of business in bringing out
lumber, which is largely manufactured on the Otonabee
River and connecting waters of a chain of lakes some fifteen
miles north. The nearest of these to Cobourg is Rice
Lake, twelve miles distant, so called on account of the large
quantities of that grain which grow there in a wild state on
its banks and in its marshy edges ; this the Indians gather
in the fall of the year, by laying the stalks over the edges of
their canoes, and then beating out the grain with a rough
wooden mallet or billet of wood. This lake is nearly thirty
miles long, and only seven miles wide, well studded with
islands, which cause it to present a most picturesque ap-
pearance. The Otonabee River falls into it at the north
from Peterborough, and the Trent River issues from its
eastern extremity, falling into the Bay of Quinte, making
through its irregular course a length of nearly one hundred
miles. The Otonabee River connects it with a chain of
lakes still further to the north ; these as well as Rice Lake
and the Otonabee River are but expansions and channels of
the Trent itself, just as Lake St. Peter, Lake St. Francis,
&c, are of the St. Lawrence. The names of the principal of
these lakes in the Colborne district are Trent, Shebauticon,
Balsam, Bobcaygcon, CJicmong, Pigeon, Sturgeon, Mud, Cam-
eron, and a host of other smaller ones. Describe one and

126 Kingston to Toronto.

you describe all. All of these lakes abound with fish, and
to say which of them affords the best fishing ground would
be a very difficult matter. We will commence with Rice
Lake, in which maskinonge of the largest size have been
caught, and it was only last year (1865) an American visitor
from Rochester caught one that weighed upwards of 30 lbs.
Black bass and perch of a large size are found. Perhaps
the best fishing spot on this lake is at the mouth of the
Otonabee River, on the north side, and alongside the abut-
ments of the bridge at Harwood and Keene. There is an
Indian village here, whose inhabitants are very thrifty and
industrious; they belong to the tribe of the Mississaga
Indians (one of the first that held Upper Canada) ; they are
ardent lovers of the chase, and well acquainted with the best
fishing and shooting places in the vicinity : on this account
they are repeatedly engaged by parties who camp out in
pursuit of the pleasures of the rod or gun.

At Gore's Landing, which is reached by a stage running
tri-weekly, there are two comfortable inns, the only ones in
the vicinity, and boats and canoes (flat-bottomed boats are
the best, being less likely to upset, as well as affording more
room) can be obtained from any of the residents on the lake
shores, who are always glad to see the beauties of the lake
appreciated by strangers, and who are very hospitable to all
visitors. Harwood is situated at the present terminus of
the Cobourg & Peterboro Railway, to which place during
the summer three or four trains are intended to be regularly
run daily.

In the fall of the year Rice Lake is the resort of thousands
of wild ducks of every species, partridges, quail, and game
birds of every description, which flock here to feed on the
wild rice. As might be expected from the abundance of
their food they are in excellent condition. Here may be
seen the Virginia Rail in large numbers, excessively plump,
and very good eating ; the Bobolink having doffed his summer

Kingston to Toronto. 127

plumage and put on his russet coat is here as much the
rice bird as when he reaches the swamps of Carolina a few
weeks later. Bittern are numerous in the reeds, and an
occasional heron may be seen standing on one leg like a
statue, intent on the motions of the finny tribe, though too
wary to admit of the sportsman's near approach. Snipe
abound for a few weeks only, though a few remain to breed ;
wouZcock breed here also and are numerous. There are
several shooting boxes here and there along the south shore
belonging to gentlemen in Cobourg, but most parties prefer
camping out, being thus able to move from place to place
according as the ducks, &c, are more or less plentiful.
Decoys in October, when the fall ducks come in, are essen-
tial.

Proceeding up the Otonabee River, at a distance of 30
miles from Cobourg is Peterboro', connected with it and
Port Hope by rail. Till the completion of these lines it was
almost cut off during the winter from communication with
the front, but now all seasons of the year are alike in afford-
ing access to it. Most of its trade lies in lumber ; and the
various places scattered along this chain of lakes, such as
Fenelon Falls, &c., situated as they are in the midst of a
good pine country, intersected by numerous small streams,
and with such a facility for shipment of their produce either
by land or water to the lake shore, whence they mostly find
their way to Oswego or Rochester, afford the greatest
facilities for lumbering. Fenelon Falls villagers on the
Trent, between Cameron and Sturgeon Lakes, and is a very
pretty picturesque spot ; taking its name from a fall 20 feet
high and 300 feet in width, of the horse-shoe form. A
steamer from Lindsay plies daily to and fro during the sum-
mer, thus enabling the traveller to make the entire round
of these lakes and return to the Trent. The town of Lindsay
is situated on Lake Scugog, and like the other places here
is dependent on lumber for its principal trade, though a great

128 Kingston to Toronto.

w

deal of local traffic is done, it being the centre of a pretty
well settled district. It is 40 miles from Port Hope. The
tourist may go east from Fenelon Falls by steamer to
Bobcaygeon, through Pigeon Lake, Buckhorn and Chemung
Lakes to Bridgenorth, and if he takes canoe at the Indian
village between the two latter lakes, he can go through
another chain of waters which for beauty of scenery can
scarcely be surpassed. Lakefield, on. the Otonabee River,
at the south-end of KaJi-cha-wan-oo-kah Lake, is the residence
of a number of English gentlemen who have taken up their
abode there chiefly on account of the attractions these back
lakes afford. Strangers visiting this place meet with every
civility and attention, and could never be at a loss to find
abundant means of conveying themselves to the chain of
beautiful lakes stretching northward half-way to the Arctic
ocean. Lake Scugog, on which it is situated, is an ex-
tremely pretty sheet of water ; in form it is, as it were, a
double lake, being nearly divided longitudinally by a
peninsula from the south ; on its banks are several vil-
lages— Port Perry, Scugog, &c. The most curious
feature about this lake is the large quantity of swamped
timber that lines its bays; huge trees, whose lifeless
branches look like spectres of the forest, stand immersed
with their roots from eight to ten feet under water.
This has been caused by the erection of the Government
dam at Lindsay for facilitating the lumber trade, throwing
the waters back and submerging the sides of the lake,
especially towards its head or southern shore. But as there
is no evil without some good, so these unsightly trunks and
roots afford a most secure retreat for the wild fowl, which
breed here undisturbed ; and the largest black bass may be
seen lying under the twisted roots, safe in the intricacy of
the flood-wood. There is excellent night spearing on the
shallows near Scugog village, the fish coming on to the
feeding grounds at dark. The whole region on the south is

Kingston to Toronto. 129

woody, low and marshy ; the water is clear, the bottom
muddy. Trolling with a good sized bright spoon, and a
thick line, never fails to secure some fine maskelonge" and
black bass. A short distance from Scugog village is a small
island called Bald Point Island. This has been an Indian
burying ground, — tradition asserts the scene of a furious
contest between two hostile tribes. Great quantities of
bones, teeth, pottery, and arrow heads strew the beach, and
can be picked out of the clayey banks after the winter's
thaw has loosened a fresh stratum of mould. It is a lovely,
secluded spot, with a gravelly shore, where the water shoals
gradually, making a splendid bathing ground, and save the
kingfisher and occasional passing flight of the duck hawk,
or the mud turtle sunning itself on the beach, of which
there are numbers here, and of very lafge size, there are no
signs of animal life. There are no trout to be found in
these lakes or in the streams running into them, probably
from their muddy and sluggish nature ; the whole channel
of the river and lakes being a slow, deep, and still stream.
In the streams south, running into Lake Ontario, trout are
numerous, but the only fly-fishing is in the mill-ponds,
which are now, as a general thing, well protected. For-
merly, in the Trent, below Rice Lake, salmon used to
be abundant, but the sawdust of the mills, and the wanton
destruction of the fish, have driven them from their old
haunts, probably not to revisit them again, unless artifici-
ally hatched and turned into them. Splendid duck-shoot-
ing can be had near Scugog village, by getting out on a
swamped log or tuft of reeds, sending the canoe away for
a couple of hours to beat among the sunken timber, and
take the teal or ducks on the wing as they fly past your
hiding place. From its easy access and nearness to civili-
zation, this spot affords a more than usual attraction, and
only requires to be seen to be appreciated. From the village
there is a tri-weekly mail cart to Bowmanville, twenty miles

130 Kingston to Toronto.

south, a station on the Grand Trunk Railway, and the
steamer from Lindsay touches at the little wharf every
alternate day, so that if preferable you can proceed thither
and take rail for Port Hope. This is a very pretty town,
lying in a valley on the edge of Lake Ontario, with a very
good harbour ; the hills rise gradually at the back of it, slop-
ing up to the pine ridges of Orono, and abounding with
partridge, hares, and the woodchuck or ground-hog. In the
country back of Port Hope, excellent deer-shooting is to be
had. The following routes are recommended by a well
known sportsman of that district : " Port Hope to Lind-
say per rail ; Lindsay to Fenelon Falls ; portage on to
Cameron Lake, and you have the shooting on Cameron and
Balsam Lakes, and up the banks of Burnt River." Again,
" via Peterboro' to Sttmey Lake 1 7 miles — carry your canoes
in wagon, — but the country very wild all through the town-
ships of Anstruther and Chandos, though there is abundance
of deer." In deer-shooting like this, you must have a good
tent, with all the necessary cooking things, and at least two
Indian or white attendants ; three or four good hounds are
essential, and of the breed between a foxhound and a harrier ;
this is considered the best for the purpose, as being generally
more compact, and carried in canoes easier and better.
Here may be enjoyed to the full by the sportsman the ex-
citing method of still-hunting, peculiar to the summer season.
When a herd of deer has been discovered feeding upwind, the
hunter stations himself in close ambush well downwind, and to
leeward of their upward track, and then sends off an attendant
in a wide circle well to leeward, till he has got a mile or two
ahead of the herd, when very slowly, observing the pro-
foundest silence, he cuts across their direction, and gives
them his wind, as it is technically called, dead ahead. This
is the crisis of the affair ; if he gives the wind too strongly,
if he makes the slightest noise, they scatter in an instant,
and away. But if he give it slightly, not fancying themselves

tM

S^

loronto to LoUingwood. 131

pursued, but simply approached, they merely turn away from
it, working their way downwind to the deadly ambush, of
which their keenest scent cannot, under such circumstances,
inform them. Of all woodcraft, none is so difficult, none so
exciting, and none requires so rare a combination as this, of
quickness of sight, wariness of tread, and perfection of judg-
ment. From Port Hope, with the exception of Oshawa,
near which there is a large marsh and bayou called " Hall's
Marsh," a great resort for ducks, there is nothing of any
importance till passing the Scarboro' Highlands and round-
ing " the Island" with its sandy ridge and belt of scanty
trees, we reach Toronto.

FROM TORONTO TO COLLINGWOOD.

Toronto, the chief city of Upper Canada, lies on the
north-west shore of Lake Ontario, facing a very spacious
bay, somewhat oval in form, formed by a sand bar or spit,
some seven miles in length, .stretching out to the west, and
terminating in what is called Gibraltar Point, forming a well
sheltered and yet accessible harbour. This sand bar has
no doubt been caused by the action of the lake water when
agitated, meeting the current of the River Don, which enters
the bay on the east, and thus, one counteracting the other,
they precipitate whatever each holds in solution. Toronto,
or as it was styled till 1834, York, was founded by Governor
Simcoe in 1793, who, having formed extensive plans for the
improvement of the colony, resolved on laying the founda-
tion of a provincial capital, and caused the spot where it
now stands to be surveyed. It soon grew into a flourishing

132 Toronto to Collingwood.

town, enjoying every prosperity till the war of 18 12. In the
subsequent year it was captured by the American army
under General Pike, who lost his life at the storming of the
fort, which was destroyed by an explosion, causing great loss
of life. General Sheaffe, who commanded the British troops,
was forced to retire towards Kingston. It was held, how-
ever, but a few days, while in the meantime the Government
House, the public buildings, and the spoils which could not
be carried away were burned. The ground upon which the
city is situated is nearly level, sloping gently up from the
water's edge to the rear, called Davenport Hill, where from
several points good views of the city, lake and bay may be
had. This range of hills bears evidences of having been a
former margin of the lake, when the waters stood much
higher than at present, and the flat site of the city was
probably a marsh or shallow. Owing to this flatness of
country on the site of the city, Toronto presents at a dis-
tance no striking aspect. It is connected by railroad and
steamers with all the principal places in Canada and the
neighbouring Union. The Grand Trunk Railway, the
Great Western, and the Northern, connect it at all seasons
of the year with all places of importance, and the country
round is fertile and productive in the extreme. The
public buildings of the city are numerous, and many
of them really very handsome. First and foremost
among them is the University, standing amidst the quiet
retreats of the University Park, with its splendid avenues
leading into two of the main thoroughfares, neatly planted
and well attended to. This building, about which many
party differences have risen, is Norman in style ; its walls
are built of white stone from Ohio, and its columns, capital,
&c, are composed of stone brought from France. The
chief facades of the building are to the south and east, — the
former of great and massive elevation for distant effect from
the lake and bay, with a massive Norman tower in the

Toronto to Collingwood. 133

centre, 120 feet in height. Part of the grounds are appro-
priated to the purposes of a botanical garden, and close by
are the buildings of the magnetical observatory, whose
apparatus is very complete. The whole building with its
museum will well repay a visit. Trinity College, on Queen
Street West, standing in a spacious park of twenty acres, is
another beautiful building, presenting from the lake and bay
a splendid appearance, with its dark background of noble
trees. It is of white brick, with stone dressings, designed
in the style of pointed English architecture, with bay win-
dows and ornamented gables and turrets. The Normal
School Buildings, with their beautifully laid out grounds,
are one of the most attractive spots in the city, and the
building is said to be the largest of the kind in America.
St. yames Cathedral, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of
St. Michael, are both handsome buildings, and when their
towers or spires are completed will add not a little to the
appearance of the city from a distance. Osgoode Hall, con-
taining the Courts of Law, is a fine building ; and the
Provincial Lunatic Asylum, at the western extremity of the
city, is well worthy of a visit by the curious in such matters.
It is kept in admirable order; and though it is a painful
sight at all times to be brought in contact with "humanity
so fallen," yet it is pleasing to see the degree of comfort
many of the patients seem to enjoy. There is no difficulty in
obtaining permission to view it. The Merchants' Exchange
also reflects great credit on the skill and plans of the archi-
tect. One of the principal thoroughfares, called Yonge
Street, extends northwards under that name through a rich
and prosperous agricultural dictrict about thirty-six miles ;
probably the longest street in the world, with the exception
of the old Roman roads in England

Young as Toronto is in years, it has none of the associa-
tions which render Quebec almost classic, yet it is as proud
of its beautiful bay and aquatic sports as the latter of its

134 Toronto to Collingwood.

ancient walls and citadel. One great drawback its citizens
have to contend with, in regard to their public buildings, is
the absence of any stone quarries in its neighborhood, thus
compelling them to either have resort to brick, or bring at
an increased expense stone from a distance. There is a
total absence too of any beautiful scenery around the city,
the only really pretty drives being out on the lake shore
road, over the River Humber, and up to Dundas Street, re-
turning through Mimico Village ; — up by the Don and
Danforth Plank Road, on the edge of the Don River, pass-
ing the cemetery, going through Yorkville, and returning
down the Davenport road; or up Yonge Street, past the
romantic dell of Hogs Hollow, celebrated in the rebellion of
'37 as being the rendezvous of Mackenzie's party at Mont-
gomery's tavern, still existing, near which, in some gravel
pits, good fossils of the tertiary formation can be found.
Shooting in the neighborhood, except in the spring and fall,
when a few ducks, and they very wild, may be had on the
bay, is not worth looking after. At the mouth of the Etobi-
coke River, some ten miles west, there is a large bayou
affording good duck shooting, but there is (or till quite
recently was) only one boat there, and that not easily obtain-
able. On the Northern Railway, some thirty miles distant,
is a " Pigeon Rookery," at a place called Harrison's crossing.
Here in certain seasons the passenger pigeon congregates
in thousands to breed, and is the object of pursuit to who-
ever is master of even a rusty firelock. April is the month
in which to go out after them. You may leave Toronto by
the morning train, get off at Gilford or Lefroy, enjoy a day
among the birds, and return with a well filled bag the same
evening. But it is only in certain seasons, about once in
four or five years that they are numerous; probably the
abundance of beech mast the previous year, their principal
food, attracting them, and its absence compelling them to
seek other quarters. Of fish, the only kind to be met with

Toronto to Collingwood. 135

here are perch, pike, and a few bass (none exceeding two
lbs. in weight) in the pools round the island ; eels are abun-
dant, which are taken by night lines ; but the sportsman
need scarcely unpack his rod while staying here. To make
up in some measure for this deficiency in sport, the boating
here is excellent, and there is also a very good yacht club in
existence.

Very good snipe-shooting is to had in the peat-bogs on the
Holland River marsh. You go by rail to Bradford, 38 miles,
and within three miles of the station good sport may be had.
The marsh is 25 miles long. Above the bridge, on the west
branch, birds are always to be found in season. There is
plenty of sport all the way up to the forks of the river, five
miles distant from Holland Landing, and eight miles from
Bradford.

About the pleasantest trip to take from Toronto is to
visit Orillia, a village prettily situated on Lake Couchich-
ing, a small lake of about 12 miles in length, connected with
Lake Simcoe by a narrow channel, called the " Narrows."
The scenery on this lake is very romantic. To reach it,
you must leave Toronto by the early morning train for
Bell-Ewart, on Lake Simcoe, taking the steamer "Emily
May," which connects daily with the morning train. The
sail on this lake is very pleasant. .It is much indented with
bays, Cook's inlet at the south, and Kempenfeldt Bay on
the north-west, being the largest. On this latter is situated
Barrie, sixty-four miles from Toronto, quite a large town.
Very fine white fish and maskelonge" are taken in this lake,
which in winter is completely frozen over, and passable for
sleighs. On its shores may be picked up many beautiful
cornelians and agatesv It is studded with a number of beau-
tiful islands, on one of which, Snake Island, is a small Indian
settlement. On the opposite side to Barrie is Beaverton,
a pretty village, at the mouth of the Beaver River, where
the steamer also touches. But for scenery in its native

136 Toronto to Collingwood.

beauty, wild yet soothing to the eye, — lake, river, hill, rock,
and forest, all combined— Orillia is the spot,— to say nothing
of the fishing to be had there. This village was first settled
by the Indians, but they were subsequently removed to
Rama, on the opposite side of the lake. They support
themselves principally by hunting and fishing, and the
handiwork of the squaws, consisting of birch-bark orna-
ments, baskets, &c. The latter are made from the inner
rind of the basswood and white ash. They are used greatly
by the settlers, being excellent substitutes for wicker-work,
though not so durable. A visit to their village is a pleasing
change to the traveller. In lake Couchiching there are lots
'of good trout and black bass, as well as pike and maskinonge ;
and here you may get night-spearing with good success.
This is a romantic and exciting sport ; each canoe should con-
tain not more than three persons, — one to paddle the others,
who are to do the work of execution ; and the flood of light,
thrown from the "iron jack" in the bow of the boat, and fed
with pine knots, familiarly called "fat pine," or with birch-
bark, over the otherwise solemnly dark face of the water,
lighting up here and there some scathed trunk on the shore,
whose bleached branches give a weird appearance to the
scene. The wild shores of a dark lake, with the broad glare
of the torch — with one figure noiselessly plying an oar, and
the animated attitude of another, relieved against the fire-
light and peering into the water, — form a contrast of light
and shade that Rembrandt might have envied. There is
no difficulty in getting either boats or accommodations at
Orillia, though the latter for a place of such resort are but
passable. In the way of birds, especially the larger birds,
there are to be found here a great variety. The Bald-headed
Eagle, the Duck Hawk, the Snowy Owl, et hoc genus om?ie,
are numerous ; among them, too, is that most mysterious
and poetical creature the Loon, or Great Northern Diver,
whose mournful and wolfish wailing is so closely identified

Toronto to Collingwood. 137

with dark and tranquil waters, and grand old hills, with
silence and solitude, whose supposed spirit is feared and
venerated by the red men, and whose matted feathers ac-
complish so much good in keeping warm the hunters of the
north. Here also are to be found plenty of deer ; these are
during the summer months killed when they come into the
water at night to cool themselves, or to get away from the
flies. You cannot see the deer itself probably, but you will
see the light reflected on his eyes, like two balls of fire, as
he stands gazing stupefied at the torch, when a well directed
shot seldom fails to secure the prize. The deer range
through the pine woods at night for the purpose of feeding,
remaining hidden in the swamps during the day. They are
more tame in summer than in winter, and are fond of feed-
ing upon the young green corn in the clearings.

In the early part of the spring, generally speaking, about
April, large quantities of maple sugar are manufactured in
this part of Canada ; and the whole sugar making season is
one of festivity. The sudden transition from winter to
spring is essential to its production, as the sap is then pass-
ing in large quantities from the roots. An incision is made
into the tree some three feet from the ground, and the liquid
that oozes out is received in a trough or vessel below. When
a frosty night is followed by a sunny day, three or four
gallons a day may be obtained from a single maple. The
Indians around Lake Couchiching make large quantities of
this sugar, and from the very nature of the business, the
making of it is carried on in an encampment where the
trees are plentiful. The hunting season is at an end, so
that the men are there as numerous as the squaws. Huge
fires are built in all directions, and over them are suspended
every variety of pot, pan and kettle. The men lounge about,
the main part of the work being performed by the females,
who not only attend to the kettles, but employ all their
leisure time in making the beautiful birchen mocucks or

138 Toronto to Colli?igwood.

cases for the preservation and transportation of the sugar
when made. The sap is brought from the trees to the
kettles by the boys. The length of the sugar season is
dependent on the weather; about three weeks generally
being as long as the sap will continue to run. We strongly
recommend every traveller in these parts to bring away at
least one mocuck of the sugar, both for his own special eating
as well as for those of his friends who may be unable to visit
these retreats. The Indians have some on hand more or less
throughout the summer, and a few fish-hooks are thought
more of than money by these children of the forest. The
waters of Lake Couchiching discharge themselves by means
of the River Severn, through beautiful scenery, into the
Georgian Bay ; and if the tourist wishes to extend his trip
into the genuine wilderness, he can take the steamer " Fairy,"
which connects here for the Muskoka Settlement, some
forty miles north-east, on a lonely lake of the same name,
rich in scenery and sport ; but here he must be prepared to
rough it with the lumberer or the pioneer of civilization, who
may be clearing for himself literally a home in the wilder-
ness ; — must be prepared to satisfy his hunger with salt pork,
and at night to be well acquainted with the yielding pro-
perties of a pine floor. From Orillia to Penetanguishene
the road lies through a thoroughly sylvan country, but this
place is well worthy of a visit, as being formerly both a mili-
tary and naval station. There is now a reformatory here
for juvenile criminals. The village lies on a small arm of
the Georgian Bay. The latter, indeed, might almost be
considered a separate lake, and not a part of Huron, extend-
ing as it does over one hundred miles in length, and being
separated from the main body of its waters by a range of
islands running parallel with its northern shore. There are
calculated to be upwards of 23,000 islands between Notta-
wasaga Bay and St. Marie River. The longest of these is
called the great Manitoulin Island, and is viewed by the

Toronto to Collingwood. 1 39

Indians with great awe and reverence, as being the abode of
the Great Spirit. The extreme point of the promontory
separating the lake from the bay is called Cabot's Head.
Towards the eastern extremity of the island, where the width
is greatest, two arms of the lake run so far into the land as
to approach within three miles of each other, thus forming
an isthmus, and nearly divide the island into two parts. On
this the large Indian reserve, the numbers of its aboriginal
occupants are annually getting thinner, and the day is not
far distant when the ploughshare of the Anglo-Saxon will
utterly have despoiled these once happy hunting grounds.
The land, however, is not very good here, being too stony
for arable purposes ; but as pasture land, it is very productive.
The village of Penetanguishene is sheltered by hills of sand
and rolled blocks, bearing evidence of the war of waters,
when this part of what is now dry land was covered with the
inland sea, upon the surface of which only occasional tops ot
mountains and lines of rocky ridges were to be seen like
islands studding the vast expanse, as the Manitoulin and its
adjacent islets stud the waters to the north.

Lonely Island, Squaw and Papoose Island, Clapperton,
Cockburn, and St. Joseph, are Jhe largest among the islands
which lie on the route, none of them remarkable except for
the wild scenery of the headlands, and the lofty mountains
of the mainland, make an appropriate back-ground.
After skirting St-. Joseph Island, Campement D'Ours is
passed, lying contiguous, where are several rocky islets
forming an intricate channel#called the Narrows. On these
islands are found beautiful specimens of copper ore, and
some most exquisite kinds of moss. The trees on these
islands are all scrubby and dwarfish, owing, doubtless, to the
scantiness of the soil. The whole of this group of islands,
forming a perfect archipelago, have all probably been at one
time part of the mainland ; but volcanic agency, some mighty
convulsion of nature, which seems to have exerted itself with

140 Toronto to Collingwood.

tremendous effect for hundreds of miles in this region, and
the denuding influence of the elements have placed channels
between them, that in some places are widening with every
wind that blows, and in others are filling up and forming
shoals. The Indians are reported to be harmless and indo-
lent, too often neglecting the cultivation of the soil for the
more uncertain pursuits of fishing and hunting, although a
considerably large clearing is to be seen indifferently culti-
vated.

In a group of islands lying in the Georgian Bay to the
north, called La Cloche, a peculiar kind of stone is found,
which emits, when struck sharply, a sound like a bell ; this
has probably given the name to these islands. Similar stones
are found in Scotland, and have been so arranged as to pro-
duce different notes in good harmony.

At about the southernmost portion of the Georgian Bay,
in the wide extent of it called Nottawasaga Bay, lies
Collingwood, the terminus of the Northern Railway, 94
miles from Toronto, and a place of great activity during the
summer, whence steamers run for Milwaukee, Chicago, Bruce
Mines, Sault St. Marie, Fort-William (one of the Hudson
Bay Company's stations), anjd other ports on Lakes Huron
and Superior. A steamer, the " Clifton," also runs to Owen
Sound. Ten years ago Collingwood lay only on the maps
of Surveyors, and what few houses there were lay in a small
pine clearing. Now it is a town, where shipbuilding is
carried on, large elevators have been erected for the tran-
shipment of grain, and huge quantities of freight to and from
the West may be seen piled upon its wharves. Here is a
pier 800 feet in length, a break-water, and a light-house.
There is nothing in the vicinity to attract attention save a
few rocky islets called the Hen and Chickens, and it is not
a desirable place to remain in, though good fishing may be
had in the waters of the Bay around it. Some idea of the
value and extent of the fishing operations promiscuously

Collingwood to Sarma. 141

pursued in Nattawasaga Bay may be formed from the know-
ledge that the average daily take exceeds 1,000 fish, weighing
from 1 to 40 lbs. each, and are carried principally to the
Toronto market. Most of the larger trout spawn about the
islands upon beds of calcareous rock, over which a shifting
drift of sand and gravel passes by the action of the waves,
where the water is shallow ; and from being exposed to the
sun, the temperature of the lake is warmer at these localities
than elsewhere.

The steamers leaving Collingwood for Mackinaw and
Chicago are of a large class, affording good accommodations
to travellers.

FROM COLLINGWOOD TO SARNIA.

From Collingwood the tourist, if desirous of seeing the
beauties of Lake Superior, than which, during the heats of
summer, there is no more pleasant tour, can take steamer for
Ste. Marie ; we, therefore, will give a cursory description of
the scenery on that Lake, which has several remarkable
features connected with it. Its waters are so perfectly tran-
sparent that they render the rocks at great depths distinctly
visible. The temperature of summer is never gained by
these waters, they being even at midsummer exceedingly
cold. A fathom or two below the surface, it is but a few
degrees above the freezing point in August. In the western
portion the water is much colder than in the eastern — the
surface flow becoming warmer as it advances to the outlet.
A mirage is of frequent occurrence, occasioned by the
difference between the temperature of the air and the lake.
Great difficulties are experienced from this cause in making
astronomical observations. Lanman states that its water is

142 Collingwood to Sarnia.

heavier than tnat of Huron, which, in turn, is heavier than
Erie, and that a loaded canoe will draw at least two inches
more water in Huron than Superior. A healthier region
does not exist on the face of the earth, the climate at
midsummer is delightful beyond comparison, the air is soft
and bracing at the same time, and there is not a single
individual who has made this a summer trip, whose breast
did not swell with a new emotion as he inhaled the air of this
northern wilderness.

On the south side of the lake, between Point Keweenaw
and the River St. Mary, are the Pictured Rocks, rising to an
elevation of from 150 to 300 feet high, without any beach
at their base. To the voyageur coasting along in his frail
canoe, they would at all times be an object of dread ; the
recoil of the surf, the rock-bound coast, affording for miles
no place of refuge. In the appearance they present from
their weather-worn aspects, being composed of a soft, friable
stone, it requires but little aid from the imagination to
discern in them castellated towers, spires and pinnacles, and
the various forms of architecture. They have been striped
with various colours by mineral drippings, and from this
probably has arisen their name. Beautiful caverns meet
the eye in every direction, and the water at their base is
of a deep green colour, and in many places almost fathom-
less close in-shore.

The prevailing tints consist of deep brown, yellow, and
gray — burnt sienna and French gray predominating. There
are also bright blues and greens, though less frequent. They
are not scattered indiscriminately over the surface of the
rock, but are arranged in vertical and parallel bands extend-
ing to the water's edge. All of the tints are fresh, brilliant,
and distinct, and harmonize admirably with one another,
which, taken in connection with the grandeur of the arched
and caverned surfaces on which they are laid, the deep and
pure green of the water which heaves and swells at the

Collingwood to Sarnia. 143

base, and the rich foliage which waves above, produce an
effect truly wonderful. The same general arched and broken
line of cliffs borders the coast eastward, culminating in Le
Grand Portail. This is a vast mass of rock projecting into
the lake about 600 feet, and rising to a height of about 200
feet. This has been excavated by the action of the water,
forming an arch 100 feet in height and 60 feet broad at the
water level. A little further on, in close proximity to Chapel
River, is the "Chapel," one of the most grotesque of nature's
handiworks. Unlike the other excavations which occur at
the water's edge, this has been made in the rock at a height
of 30 or 40 feet : it consists of an arched roof of sandstone
from 10 to 20 feet in thickness, and rests on four gigantic
columns of rocks finely stratified, and which have been worn
into curious shapes. At the base of one of them is an arched
cavity or niche ; if the whole had been adapted expressly for
a place of worship, and fashioned by the hand of man, it could
hardly have been arranged more appropriately. Being at
such an elevation, this excavation must be .referred to a
period when the waters of the lake stood at a higher level.

Those desirous of visiting this scene should take one of
the propellers which navigate the lake, and land at Grand
Island, from which he can proceed, if the weather is favour-
able, to make the tour of the most interesting points in one
day in a small-boat and return. The large vessels on the
lake do not approach sufficiently near the cliffs to allow the
traveller to gain more than a general idea of their outline
and position. To be able to appreciate their character, it is
indispensible to coast along in close proximity to the cliffs,
and pass beneath the Grand Portal, which is only accessible
from the Lake, and to land and enter within the precincts of
the Chapel. At Grand Island, boats, men, and provisions
may be secured without any difficulty. The island itself is
wild and romantic ; tl^e cliffs of sandstone, irregular and
broken into by the waves, form picturesque caverns, pillars.

144 Collingwood to Sarnia.

and arches of immense dimensions. There are several
romantic bays and inlets, protected from storms— which are
frequent in the vicinity, — where the brook trout are to be
taken of a large size. The forests on it also afford a delight-
ful retreat, while all nature seems hushed — save by the
moaning winds and billowy surges of the surrounding
waters. The distance from William's on the island to the
Chapel is about fifteen miles.

Near the western extremity of the lake are the Twelve
Apostles' Islands, which are evidently only detachments
of a peninsula known as La Pointe, rising from ioo to 200
feet above the waters, most of them clothed with a rich
foliage of forest trees. The waters around them teem with
white fish, trout, and ciscovet, which do not appear to
diminish after years of extensive fishing. For trout and
ciscovet, which are to be taken with a line in deep water, the
best ground of the neighbourhood is off Bark Point or Point
" Ecorce," of the French. There is a dreamy summer beauty
about these islands when everything else in summer is hot
and glaring, which gives one a wish to linger around them.
Near them is another cluster of pictured rocks, but only
about 100 feet high, composed of a deep sandstone. The
arches here are almost numberless, and exceedingly pictur-
esque; while from the caverns, "even in a calm," there
issues a sound like thunder, which must be terrific when a
storm is raging. The two most prominent peninsulas on
the north shore are called Thunder Cape and Cariboo Point.
The former is about 1400 feet high, and frowns upon the
waste of waters like a crouching lion, which animal it closely
resembles in its outline. Cariboo Point is less lofty, but is
far-famed on account of the hieroglyphics which have been
painted upon its brow, in years gone by, by an Indian race
now supposed to be extinct. In the vicinity of these bluffs
are found large and beautiful agates^ The Canadian shore
abounds in rocky islands, but there is only one deserving of

Collingwood to Sarnia. 145

particular notice, called Manitou Island. It lies in the north-
east part of the lake, and is undoubtedly the greatest natural
curiosity in this wilderness. It is about twenty miles from the
mainland, and about twelve in circumference. The shores are
of sandstone, and for the most part rise abruptly from the
water to the height of 400 or 500 feet. But the wonder is,
that in the centre of this island lies embosomed one of the
most beautiful lakes imaginable. It is about a mile long, and
the perpendicular cliffs which look down upon it are not less
than 600 or 700 feet high. It has an outlet which is impas-
sable for a canoe, on account of the rocks and trees that
have blocked up the narrow chasm ; and at the opening of
this outlet stands a column of solid rock which is estimated
to be Soo feet high. The base is probably 100 feet in
diameter, and it gradually tapers off to about twenty feet in
thickness, while the summit of this singular needle is sur-
mounted by a solitary pine. The lake is so hidden from the
outer world, that the passing breeze scarcely ever ruffles its
bosom, and the silence which reigns there, even at noon-day,
is intense. The lake seems to be destitute of fish, and the
island of animals ; but gulls of every variety and in immense
numbers hover about. The entire island is composed of
rocky material, and probably the scene of great volcanic
action ; it is everywhere covered with a stunted vegetation.
It is called by the Indians Manitou Island, and is held in
great awe by them, being the supposed abode of their
Great Spirit. The traveller through this region will find
but little use for his gun on the lake, as water-fowl are
not abundant, for the reason that the rocky bottom of the
lake affords no plants to supply them with food ; but he may
bring with him a quantity of fishing tackle, and his brightest
anticipations with regard to angling will be realized. Of the
game on the land to be found here, there are plenty of bears
and elk, and a few deer ; of the smaller animals, almost every
northern variety may be found.

K

146 Collingwood to Samia.

The largest island in Lake Superior belongs to the United
States, and is called Isle Royal. It is forty miles long, and
varies from six to ten in width. The northern side is bold
and rocky, but the southern has a number of fine bays and
natural harbours, noted for their superior fishing grounds.
All along the northern shore at intervals may be seen a line
of the smoothest beach, as if for the very purpose of affording
protection to the voyaging Indians when exposed to the
dangers of sudden storms, to which this lake is very subject.
About 100 miles from Sault St. Marie is Michipicoton
Island, containing two rich mines — one of copper and the
other of silver, — which are being very successfully worked.
The formation of this island and the adjacent coast is granite,
greenstone, porphyry, and sienite, presenting a beautiful
appearance. Near the small harbour of the island the land
rises 700 feet perpendicularly from the lake, and in Nipeegon
Bay, near by, it attains the height of 1000 feet, frowning
perpendicularly on the cold black water at its base.

The Cascade of La Portaille, on the south shore, is a
stream which precipitates itself from a height of 70 feet by
a single leap into the lake to such a distance that a boat may
pass between the fall and the rock perfectly dry. The sand-
stone of the rock has been worn away by the ceaseless action
of the water to such a degree that the superincumbent mass
rests upon massive arches, and is intersected in every
direction by caverns. No wonder that where nature has
been so lavish with her handiwork, every headland on Lake
Superior, and every river running into it, should be hallowed
in Indian story by some wild legend.

All the hills and mountains surrounding this immense
lake abound in valuable minerals, of which copper in every
form is the most abundant ; native silver is also found there,
but the resources of this section of the country are not yet
developed. One fact will strike the traveller at once on
nearing the mining districts, viz., that all the men, women,

Collingivood to Sarnia. 147

and children, without exception, have been crystallized into
finished geologists. The broken-down merchant, selling
whisky to the poor miner, strokes his huge whiskers, and
descants upon the black oxyde, the native ore, and the peculiar
formation of each hill-side. The great word in vogue among
them is "conglomerate," and this term is applied to every-
thing indiscriminately as a verb, adjective, noun or epithet.
It matters not how limited their knowledge of English may
be, " conglomerate" will leak out in some way or other.

The tributary rivers and streams, though none of them
are large, pour into the lake a greater volume of water than
what forms its exit at the only outlet — the Falls of St. Mary,
or, as it is more particularly known, Sault Ste. Marie.
This, probably, is owing to the immense evaporation going
on, and which would be much greater were it not for the
dense covering of wood and the long continuance of frost in
this region. The surplus waters of the lake enter near its
south-eastern extremity, into St. Mary's channel, which,
opposite the village of the same name, is about two miles
wide, rushing over a ledge of rocks in great fury, and presents
for the distance of nearly a mile a perfect sheet of foam.
The entire height of the Sault is about 30 feet ; the want of
elevation on either side has permitted the formation of a
number of islets, divided by channels, which are narrow 0 1
the left, but widen on the right hand. After the waters have
expressed, in a murmuring roar, their unwillingness to leave
the bosom of Superior, they finally hush themselves to sleep,
and glide onward, as if in a dream, among the picturesque
shores of a lonely country until they mingle with the waters
of Lake Huron. The village of Sault Ste. Marie, on the
Canada side, is a scattered settlement, where is located a
port of the Hudson Bay Company. Indians of the Chip-
pewa tribe reside in the vicinity in considerable numbers,
they having the exclusive right to take fish in the waters
contiguous to the rapids. They also employ themselves in

148 Collingwood to Sarnia.

running the rapids in their frail canoes, when desired by
strangers. The town of Sault $te. Marie, on the American
side, opposite to the one above described, is celebrated for
the Ship Canal, connecting the navigation of Superior with
the lower lakes, which, though only one mile in length, cost
one million dollars.

The principal fish of this region are trout and white fish,
which are here found in their greatest perfection. Of the
trout, the largest species is called the lake trout, varying
from 10 to Co lbs. in weight. Their flesh is similar to the
salmon in appearance, but not as delicious. The Indians
have a mode of taking them in the winter through the ice,
which is very successful. Over the hole they cut, they erect
a wigwam, in which they seat themselves for action ; and
attaching a piece of meat to a cord, which they pull up and
down for the purpose of attracting the trout, they pick
out the unsuspecting victim with a spear. An Indian has
been known to catch 1000 lbs.' weight thus in one day. The
trout of this section of the country consist of not only the
common lake or salmon-trout, but also, and which is most
numerous, the mackinaw trout, or namaycush of the Indians,
or longe ; it is the trout found in most of o.ur small northern
lakes. It is exceedingly voracious, and has been known to
attain the weight of 1 20 lbs. " When the steamer," says
Lanman, " runs into the crescent-shaped harbour of Macki-
naw, the visitor, when he discovers among the people on the
deck some half-dozen wheelbarrows laden with fish four feet
long, and weighing fifty and sixty pounds, must not be
alarmed at finding those fish to be Mackinaw trout, and not
sturgeon, as he might at first have imagined." The very size
of these fish is an objection to them, for, as they have to be
taken in deep water, and with a large cord, there-is far more
of manual labour than of sport in the capture of them. There
is also a fish of the trout genus, peculiar to these waters, called
the ciscovet, which is delicious. At the Sault, the common

Collingwood to Sarnia. 149

trout, varying from 10 oz. to 40 oz. in weight, abound, and what
is remarkable, are in season all through the year — a matter
not yet fathomed by naturalists, though probably the constant
icy coldness of the waters has much to do with it. The best
places in which to fish are at the foot of the rapids, casting
anchor from a canoe where the water is about 10 or 15 feet
deep, though, owing to its marvellous clearness, seeming not
more than three, and where the bed of the river is covered
with snow-white rocks. A fly or an artificial minnow is the
best bait ; with such you need never be disappointed in
catching a fine assortment. To pass a few hours in a canoe
anchored midway between the American and Canadian
shores, now looking with wonder at the wall of foam between
you and the mighty lake ; now gazing upon the dreamy-
looking scenery stretching on either side, and far down the
river ; and anon peering into the clear water to watch the
movements of the trout as they dart from the shady side of
one rock to another, — to enjoy all this in a July or August
day, away from city life and cares, is a treat that can only be
realized, never described. In the village of Ste. Marie accom-
modations and boats can be had, and a stranger is hailed in
this lonely country with a welcome seldom evinced in a more
frequented resort. Two or three miles from the village are
two streams called Carp River and Dead River, which also
afford capital trout-fishing ; but the black flies and mosquitoes
are intolerable on both of them. The white fish, the ciscovct,
and the lake trout are an article of export from this region,
and there is no doubt that the fisheries here will eventually
become quite extensive.

Some 36 miles below Ste. Marie, and opposite the lower
end of the island of St. Joseph, is the village of Bruce
Mines, the property of the Montreal Mining Company, and
a very thriving place ; this island is a frontier station for the
British, and Drummond Island, hard by, for the American
troops. Some of the ores obtained from the Bruce mines

15° Collingwood to Sarnia.

are very beautiful to the eye, resembling fine gold. Some
200 or 300 men are employed, all from European mines.
After being taken out of the shafts, which are twelve in
number, the ores are taken to the crushing-house, where
they are passed between large iron rollers, and sifted till
only a fine powder remains ; from thence to the "jigger"-
works, where they are shaken in water, till much of the
earthy matter is washed away, after which it is piled in the
yard ready for shipment, having more the appearance of
mud than copper. It is mostly shipped to Swansea, in
Wales, for smelting. To the south-west, laved by the waters
from Superior, and touching the eclge of Huron and Michigan,
lies the beautiful island of Mackinaw, which has given its
name to these straits. All the Detroit and Chicago steamers
stop here in passing to and fro, and usually tarry time enough
for their passengers to take a cursory glance over the island.
The scenery here is romantic in the extreme, and it has four
natural curiosities, either one of which would give a reputa-
tion to any ordinary island, viz., Arched Rock, which faces
the north, rising from the water to the height of nearly 200
feet — a superb piece of wave-formed architecture, appearing,
as you look through it, like the gateway to a new world.
Robinson's Folly, a picturesque bluff, also on the north
shore, taking its name from the summer residence of an
English tourist, which he would persist in building here,
despite the warnings of the Indians, and which was swept
with its occupant one night of tempest into the deep below.
On the western shore is the Cave of Skulls, where,
according to tradition, a party of Sioux were murdered by
the Ottawas 100 years ago. This is corroborated by Henry
the traveller, who, having to take refuge here after the mas-
sacre of Mackinack, found himself next morning " reclining
on a bed of human bones." The other curiosity is called
The Needle, or Sugar Loaf ; it is a lighthouse-looking
rock, overlooking the entire island, and throwing its shadow

Collingwood to Sarnia. 151

upon the ruins of Fort Holmes, which are now almost level
with the ground, and overgrown with weeds. From this
point of elevation, the scenery is extensive and beautiful.
Looking westwards is Point St. Ignace, the southernmost
portion of the upper peninsula of Michigan. Immediately
south of it are the straits, about four miles wide. Turning
our gaze to the south-east, we see the picturesque " Round
Island," as it were, at our feet. Look to the east, and there
lies the mighty Lake Huron. Directly north from our place
of observation are the " Islands of St. Martin," while beyond
them, in the bay, are two largje rivers — the Pine and Carp, —
which afford abundance of large-sized brook trout. And,
lastly, casting our eyes to the north-west, we see on the
mainland the two " Sitting Rabbits," — two singular-looking
hills or rocks, so called by the Indians from their resem-
blance at a distance to the animals in question. The
scene from here by moonlight is peculiarly beautiful ; out
on the lake in the direction of the moon, a broad road or
pathway of light trembling upon its bosom. A few sails of
small-boats, trying to catch the evening breeze, pass and
repass ; the vocal song is raised on the waters, and woman's
voice borne on moonlight beams to the listening ear, clearer
and stronger as the boats approach near, then, again, dying
away in the distance, they seem to merge into the mellow
rays of the moon. And while contemplating this scene,
perhaps a dark column of smoke, like the Genii in the
Arabian Tales, may be seen rising slowly out of the bosom
of Lake Huron, announcing the approach of the Genii of
modern days — the steamboat.

Mackinaw, during the season of navigation, is one of the
busiest little places in the world. But in winter, it is com-
pletely isolated and ice-bound. From having been the
Indians' congregating place, it will soon be a fashionable
resort for summer travellers. Its peculiar location, pic-
turesque scenery, and the tonic character of its climate, are

152 Collingwood to Sam in.

destined to make it one of the most attractive watering
places in the Great West. The roads or streets that wind
around the harbour or among the grove-like forests of the
island are naturally pebbled and macadamized ; the buildings
are of every style, from an Indian lodge to a substantial
English house. There are several large hotels, with atten-
tive hosts, ever ready to contribute towards the comforts of
their visitors. There are billiard-rooms and bowling alleys ;
in the stores are to be obtained Indian curiosities ; and the
Indians themselves who resort to the island, may be ranked as
curiosities to those who have ne^er before seen them. Taking
steamer here either for Sarnia or Goderich, on our return, we
enjoy a lovely sail down Lake Huron, the Canadian side of
which forms one of the finest" portions of America. The tract
of land called the Huron District, being the north-western
part of Canada West, is extremely fertile, and watered by
numberless streams, insomuch that in a tract south-east of
Goderich, within a space of 30 miles, eighty-seven rivers and
brooks take their rise, or nearly three to a mile. Yet the
whole southern portion of Lake Huron is deficient in good
harbours, the principal ones being Goderich and Saugeen.
Long sand bars are found across the mouths of the streams,
and this is especially noticeable at Aux Sables, the river
running parallel to Lake Huron for eleven miles, the space
between being only a sand bar. Geologists tells us the
cause of this is, that the prevailing wind, being from the
north-west, inclines the stream in the opposite direction at
its mouth, so that the waves of the lake being neutralized by
the force of the current, the sand or mud contained in both
naturally deposits itself in the still water. In the north-east
centre of this section of the country is an extensive swamp
of about 30 miles in length, lying on the very highest land
in the district, which feeds most of the streams that run in
either direction. This swamp is wonderfully productive of
cranberries, and quite a traffic is carried on in that article,

Collingwood to Scirnia. 153

which commands a high price in the markets of the United
States. The long peninsula stretching out between Lake
Huron and the Georgian Bay, terminating in Cabot s Head,
is an Indian reserve, where are some promising Indian
settlements ; but it seems a difficult matter for the children
of the forest to settle down at all to cultivate land, or practise
the arts of civilization. The whole shore, with the exception
of the two or three harbours alluded to, is very bold and
precipitous, with scarcely any beach at its base. What little
beach there is to be found is very gravelly, and the surf
beats upon it as violently as if it were the ocean itself, and
not a tributary reservoir. Storms are apt to rise on this
lake very suddenly, and from the great depth of its waters,
the waves attain a fearful size. Luckily the vessels in such
case can run into Goderich or Port Sarnia for shelter.

Goderich, 140 miles from Toronto, situated at the mouth
of the Maitland River, having a good natural harbour, and,
being one of the western termini of the Grand Trunk Rail-
way, offers great facilities for the transportation of goods and
grain to and from the West and North-Western States via
Chicago and Milwaukee. It is itself surrounded with a fine
wheat-growing country, which, together with the lake
fisheries, has materially helped the prosperity of that thriv-
ing town. Being situated on a high bank, 150 feet above
the level of Lake Huron, refreshed at all times by cooling
breezes, Goderich requires only to be known to become a
pleasant watering-place. All the streams in the vicinity
abound with brook trout, and are easy of access, good
carriage-roads extending in every direction ; and boats can
be had for lake-fishing without any difficulty. The railway
here connects with steamers for Chicago, Saginaw, Kincar-
dine, Saugeen, and the fishing islands of the Georgian Bay.
About ten miles distant, on the Bayfield River, is Clinton,
a small village with lovely scenery around it, and good trout
fishing in abundance ; also, excellent shooting, such as

154 Colluigivood to Sarnia.

partridge, snipe, plover, and quail — the latter are very
numerous here, and afford excellent sport. At Wingham,
some 20 miles distant, deer and bears are numerous, mink,
fisher, racoon, &c. Wild-cats are found in the cedar swamps,
and beaver and otter are numerous. All along the Bayfield
River beaver meadows are numerous, which give it a beauti-
ful appearance, much resembling English river scenery.

Proceeding down the lake, nothing of note occurs except
passing the mouth of the River Aux Sables, before alluded
to, till we reach Sarnia, a small town, the terminus of the
Sarnia branch of the Great Western Railway, as well as a
station of the Grand Trunk, which terminates at Point
Edward, two miles distant, connecting with the Detroit
branch by means of steam-ferry to Port Huron, directly
opposite. Sarnia is situated at the head of the River St.
Clair, near the confluence of Lake Huron, at the extreme
southern part of the lake, which is known as Gratiot's Bay.
The St. Clair River here is one mile in width, flowing down-
ward with a current of about six miles an hour. A mile and
a half north on the American shore is Fort Gratiot, built in
1814, at the close of the war, fully commanding the entrance
to Lake Huron, and is quite a landmark to mariners. In
both a military and commercial point of view, this place
attracts considerable attention. A ferry-boat plies here
across the river, which is only about 1,000 feet wide, and
runs with considerable velocity. During the season of
navigation, hundreds of vessels of every description pass
weekly on their way east and west. These vessels are taken
through by steam-tugs, so that every day may be seen
from this stand-point a miniature fleet on Lake Huron.
Here, also, is a large fishing establishment, where, on an
average, 1000 barrels of fish per annum are packed. Port
Huron is at the mouth of the Black River, which, running
through a pine country, brings down large quantities of logs
annually, employing eight steam saw-mills in this place

Lake St. Clair. 155

alone. In the township of Sarnia is a settlement of Chip-
pewa Indians, who reside in small log or bark houses of their
own erection, and employ their time, when not engaged in
lumbering or rafting, in the more precarious pursuit of game
and furs.

LAKE ST. CLAIR.

Lake Huron pours out its surplus waters at this southern
extremity, carrying in that direction the great chain of com-
munication by the River St. Clair. This river, which has
nothing remarkable about it, except the fertility of the
country through which it flows, expands into Lake St. Clair,
is about 26 miles long, and nearly the same in breadth. It
is a very shallow lake, but through it a ship-channel is cut,
and kept clear yearly, by dredging machines, from the
quickly accumulating alluvial deposit the river brings down.
The river discharges itself into the lake through six mouths,
each of them running lazily through long flats of mud,
clothed with a thick growth of every kind of aquatic and
swamp plant, whose roots, matting together, hold the mass
fast, and just make a consistency sufficient for the sportsman
to stand on, though the whole quivers and shakes with every
step. As may be inferred, the St. Clair flats afford one of,
if not the finest duck-shooting ground in the world ; there,
also, may be found the trumpeter swan, the teal, the mallard,
the canvass-back, the wood-duck, curlew, snipe, plover, and
the birds of prey that invariably hover round these delicious
morsels. But, as the best shooting is to be had when the
stormy weather has set in, the hunter must be a true disciple
of St. Hubert ; must be fortified against malaria, ague, and
swamp fever ; must be prepared to see no bed and enter no

156 Lake St. Clair.

house from the time of entering the flats till, satiated with
sport, he reluctantly turns the boat's head towards the set-
tlements ; running the boat, always a flat-bottomed one, up
at night on a bank of sedge, where the fire is built and the
meal prepared, he eats with a zest unknown to the denizen
of the town ; having supped, he inhales the fragrance of his
Indian weed, and prepares for the early dawn somewhat as
follows : He dons a thick flannel guernsey, two pairs of socks
and easy shoes, a warm long-waisted vest, and an oil-cloth
fisherman's coat at his side for any emergency. For his
arms, he has two single-barrelled duck guns, one loaded with
Eley's green wire cartridge, 4 oz. weight of B.B., the other
with loose shot, No. 40, capped with military caps. He sees
his traps all bestowed in the boat ; sees that it is clean and
empty, that the sedge or rushes at the bottom of it are dry,
and then takes advantage of his last contrivance for comfort.
This consists of a bag six feet long by three wide of buffalo
robe (fur inside), covered with drabbed oil-cloth on the out-
side, and provided with a running string at the mouth ;
getting into this, he ensconces himself up to the armpits,
reclines himself calmly on his back ; is towed to the ap-
pointed ground, and then, covered with sedge or reeds, lies
perdu, with his anchored stools or decoy-ducks around him,
nor moves, even to tremble with cold — for that he feels not, —
nor gives any sound or sign of life, except when the wedgy
squadrons sweep down, heavy flapping, to their wooden
congeners, hai'onking'hax& by his ambush, — when he springs
up erect on his nether man, and pours in with redoubled
roar the scattering volleys, which fill the air with fluttering
feathers, — falling birds.

To give some idea of the sport to be obtained on these
flats, the following extract from the Toronto Leader, of
November i860, speaks for itself: — "Captain Strachan and
Mr. Kennedy returned last evening from a fortnight's shoot-
ing in the St. Clair marshes, where they had excellent sport,

Sarnia to Toronto. 157

bagging, to the two guns, two swans, three snipe, five wild
geese, and five hundred and seventy ducks (black, mallard,
and gray), — weight, i,86olbs."

Again, the Essex Record, of the same date, says that
" Rob Renardson has just returned with two others from a
shooting expedition at Baptiste Creek. They have bagged
sixteen hundred ducks, two bugle swans (one weighing 35
and the other 40 lbs.), besides a variety of smaller game."

After such statements as the above, further comment is
unnecessary. Such sport may be called — sport in earnest.

FROM SARNIA TO TORONTO.

The principal of the islands at the mouth of the St. Clair
River are Walpole and St. Anne's ; all to the west of the
former belong to the United States. The channel separat-
ing them from the mainland is called " Ecarte," and that
running betwixt them, "Johnson's Channel." Walpole
Island, about ten miles long, and from three to four wide, is
occupied by parties of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawatomie
Indians, the settlement having been formed by a Colonel
McKoe, to whom the Indians gave the name of " White
Elk." At the south-western extremity of the lake is Peach
Island, or He la Peche, the home of the celebrated Indian
chief Pontiac, now used as a fishing station. Lake St. Clair
receives several rivers, the principal of which are the Thames
and the Great Bear River. The former winds for more than
100 miles through the richest and most fertile part of Canada,
on whose banks are situated London, Chatham, and several
other thriving places. From Lake St. Clair issues the
Detroit River, a spacious stream celebrated for its beauty

158 ^arnia to loronto.

and the fertile country on its banks, but, like its upper
waters, extremely shallow. At its head lie the towns of
Sandwich and Windsor, opposite to Detroit, the central
point of the Michigan Railways, and three miles below is
Fighting Island, used mostly for grazing, from the rich
growth of natural hay found there. After a course of 26
miles the Detroit opens into the grand expanse of Lake
Erie, remarkable for several projecting promontories, chief
of which are Pt. Pelee and Long Point. Near the exit of
the river, opposite to Amherstburg, where is a famed chaly-
beate spring, whose waters are said to resemble those of
Cheltenham, lies the long, narrow Bois Blanc Island, for-
merly well wooded, but whose timber was cut down during
the insurrection of '37-8, that the forts might better com-
•mand the channel on the American side. On the island are
three block-houses, and on the south point is a light-house,
commanding a fine view of Lake Erie. The country along
the whole length of the Detroit River bears a striking resem-
blance to Lower Canada. For twenty or thirty miles are to
be seen the village form of settlement, the neat church and
the habitant. The country is very picturesque, the banks,
unlike the St. Clair, high and cultivated, and the eye every-
where rests upon fertile fields, well-stocked gardens and
orchards, where the finest grapes, peaches, apples and pears
grow in profusion.

The whole of this section of the country was made histori-
cally memorable in the war of 18 12 and the insurrection of
'37. During the former General Hull crossed over from
Detroit with 2,500 men, and invited the inhabitants to join
his standard. The British force on the frontier was nominal,
and could offer little or no resistance ; but General Brock,
hastening westwards from Toronto, caused him to retreat
from Amherstburg across the river, and shut himself up in
Detroit, where, on the approach of the assaulting British foe,
he showed both the white flag and white feather, surrender-

Sarnia to Toronto. 159

ing the whole of his force. In the year following, the British
General Proctor was defeated here, and the Indians, fighting
on his side, sustained the loss of their Chief, Tecumseh,
distinguished for his bravery and eloquence. The main
object of his life had been to unite his followers in a grand
confederacy against the Americans. General Proctor was
compelled to retreat to Burlington Heights, where he could
only rally 200 men. In 1837-8, a party of insurgents seized
Fighting Island, and made ostentatious preparations for
remaining there. No sooner, however, did the troops ap-
proach them than they hurried away, leaving behind them
their arms and stores. Ensconcing themselves afterwards
in Pt. Pelee Island, they were then compelled either to fight
or surrender. Preferring the former, there was a sharp
resistance, but most of the insurgents were slain or taken*
prisoners. Another invasion from Detroit was made at
Sandwich, when the barracks and a steamer were fired, and
several persons killed in cold blood, till attacked by Colonel
Prince, the invaders were completely routed, and such ring-
leaders as were taken were executed, thus putting a stop to
these frontier invasions.

From Windsor, the terminus of the Great Western Rail-
way, between which place and Detroit three steam-ferries
are constantly plying, the traveller can take rail to London,
passing Chatham, the head of navigation on the Thames for
vessels of any size, and where numerous lake craft have been
built, the greatest part of the distance lying along the valley
of the Thames River, through a rich agricultural district.
Midway between Chatham and Sarnia is the village of Oil
Springs, in the Enniskillen district, a large and thriving
place, only laid out in i860, and owing its foundation and
progress to the great success that has attended the discovery
of petroleum or rock oil in the neighbourhood. There are a
large number of refineries in the place, and large quantities of
the oil are shipped to England and the United States. The

160 Sarnia to Toronto.

*

oil seems to be distributed over the whole of this section of
the country between Sarnia and the Thames, as wells are
being worked in many places throughout the district, and
prospecting is still going on. London, which has grown
from a wilderness in 1825, situated at the junction' of the
Port Stanly Railway, is a city of fine appearance, of wide
streets, running at right angles to each other, and with ex-
cellent buildings. The English Church here is one of the
few in this country possessing a peal of bells. London is a
sort of diverging centre of railways, it being the junction of
a branch of the Great Western to Sarnia from the main line,
the northern terminus of the Port Stanly road, and having
a branch of the Grand Trunk from St. Mary's, connecting it
with that line. It is 107 miles from Windsor, and 76 from
Hamilton. Paris, 30 miles from Hamilton, at the intersec-
tion of the Great Western and Grand Trunk Railways, is
quite an important place. Gypsum, or plaster of Paris, is
found in large quantities in the vicinity, and as the neces-
sity for this manure increases year after year, the trade in it
will probably become very large. Situated at the confluence
of the Nith with the Grand River, it possesses excellent
water-power. There are several petrifying springs on the
river banks, and a mineral spring lately brought into notice,
analogous to the Caledonia Sulphur Spring, bids fair to
attract considerable attention. From Paris we would re-
commend the sportsman to take a team to Simcoe, 28 miles,
and thence by a fresh team (21 miles) to Long Point, on
Lake Erie, a noted duck-shooting place in the fall. It is a
strip of land nearly twenty miles long, and from one to three
miles in width, covered for the most part with a stunted
growth of forest trees. It was formerly a peninsula, running
out from the land in an easterly direction, nearly half-way
across the lake ; but the water, having made a wide breach
across its western extremity, has converted it into an island.
On the east end is an important light-house, to guide the

Samia to Toronto. 161

mariner on his passage through the lake. As the direct
course for Buffalo and the mouth of the Welland Canal
passes this point, a fleet of vessels may daily be seen wend-
ing their way to and fro, and from the Point both shores of
the lake may be seen on a clear morning. A person going
here must procure a good punter, under whose charge he
must place himself entirely ; great sport is to be had here,
equalled only on the St. Clair Flats. Ducks of all kinds and
geese are to be met with ; occasionally, too, may be seen a
wild swan. All around the Point, good snipe-shooting also
is to be had. For duck-shooting, from a boat, a No. 10 bear
gun is the most deadly ; in fact, as a general thing, it is the
best size to use always. Immediately west of Long Point
are seen for some distance The Sand Hills, a long range of
mounds barely clad with vegetation, whose sand drifts about
with every wind-storm like snow. The Grand River, which
discharges its waters into Lake Erie, runs through a country
scarcely to be equalled in salubrity and loveliness, the land
being rolled and well cleared, and presenting more the ap-
pearance of " merrie England" than any other section of the
Province. The lands lying at the mouth of the river are low
and unhealthy. Brantford, on this river, 82 miles from
Goderich, and 78 from Buffalo, on the Grand Trunk Railway,
takes its name from Brant, the Indian warrior, the renowned
Chief of the Six Nations, who; with his tribe, steadily sup-
ported the British Crown during the American war. In
" Ga'trude of Wyoming" he is alluded to in disparaging
terms as "the fiend, the monster Brant"; but some years
after that production, Campbell (the poet) was obliged to
apologize to Brant's son, who happened to visit London, as
it appeared, on satisfactory evidence, that his father was not
even present at the horrible desolation of Wyoming. Brant-
ford, from its foundries, potteries, and machine-shops, has
been called the " Birmingham of Canada." Between
Brantford and Caledonia lies a tract of land called the

1 62 Sarnia to Toronto.

Indian Reserve, granted to the Six Nation Indians in 1784
for ever. A number of other tribes, or rather remnants of
tribes, have since joined the settlement, amongst whom are
the Cayugas, Onendagas, Delawares, &c, many of whom are
still heathens. The sportsman will here have splendid
opportunities of obtaining information in the adept cunning
of the Indian hunter ; and the fishing in the Grand River
and its tributaries is fair. Should the traveller possess any
degree of curiosity as to the manner and mode of life among
the Indians, he has every chance here of gratifying his
curiosity. Many of them keep up their old customs with
great strictness — such as the war-dance, the funeral dance,
the dog-feast, &c. The last is such a peculiar ceremony,
and attended with such revolting customs, that it is to be
hoped civilization will ere long put a stop to these proceed-
ings. The following description of it is from an eye-witness :
" The idea that' lies at the bottom of the rite is this, that by
eating of a dog's liver the heart is made strong. The first
step in the ceremony was for the Indians to seat themselves
in a circle around a large pole, and devote a few moments to
smoking. Suddenly a whoop was given, and the whole
party commenced dancing to the monotonous music of a
drum. Then broke upon the ear the howl, and in a moment
more the dying groan of a dog, from without the circle of
dancers. The carcass was then thrown into their midst by
a woman. A chorus of yells resounded through the air, the
dog was immediately opened, his liver taken out, suspended
to the pole by a string, and the dance resumed. A moment
had hardly elapsed, however, before the dancers, one after
another, stepped up and took a bite of the yet warm and
quivering liver. As soon as . this was eaten, the same
horrible ceremony was repeated, and so they continued
until the carcasses of several dogs were lying at the foot of
the pole in the centre of the dancing crowd." Here, too,
may be had an opportunity of witnessing the game of La

Samia to Toronto. 163

Crosse in all its elegance. The supple and athletic forms of
the men are brought by it into bold relief, the only ornament
worn being paint over the body, which, with the usual
exception, is entirely naked. The balls used are formed of
a deerskin bag, stuffed with the hair of that animal, and sewn
with its sinews. The clubs are about three feet long, and
have at the lower end a sinewy netting, not unlike a tennis-
bat. With these they catch and hold the balls, and though
not allowed to touch it with the hands, it is sometimes kept
from once touching the ground for a whole afternoon.

These Indians, perhaps, retain the customs of their
fathers to a greater extent than any other half-civilized com-
munities of them, and as guides with the rod or gun, they
are invaluable : they seem, however, to be yearning for the
hunting-grounds of the West, and we may probably, before
many years are over, hear that they have migrated in a body
beyond the Great Lakes.

Galt and Guelph, north-east of Paris and Brantford, are
thriving places, though with no speciality to attract atten-
tion. Five miles from Hamilton we come to Dundas, at
the head of the Desjardins Canal, which runs to Burlington
Bay. Dundas is celebrated for its manufactories, and for its
beautiful rural scenery. It is the seat of many private resi-
dences of the Hamilton merchants.

The City of Hamilton is situated on Burlington Bay, at
the western extremity of Lake Ontario, and from its zeal
and eagerness has been named "the ambitious little city."
It was laid out and settled in 18 13 by a person of the name
of Hamilton. It is situated on a plateau of slightly elevated
ground, winding around the foot of a hilly range, which
extends from Niagara Falls, and which here receives the
name of "the mountain." It was of great importance, in a
military point of view, before commerce thought of it for- a
city. General Proctor, who was commanding the army of
the West in the war of 1812, made this spot a resting-place

164 Sawiia to Torojito.

after his defeat ; and General Vincent, after being driven
from the Niagara frontier, and previous to his brilliant
victory over the American army at Stony Creek, made his
rendezvous at Burlington Heights. General Drummond,
again we are told, retired after the attack on Fort Erie to
Fort George and Burlington Heights.

The streets of Hamilton are wide and well laid out, and
the buildings generally very elegant, being built principally
of white stone. An ample supply of this latter near the
city has afforded the citizen a means of embellishment not
possessed naturally by the sister City of Toronto. Burling-
ton Bay is a very beautiful basin, five miles long and two
wide, and navigable in all parts to within a few yards of the
shore, making one of the most commodious and safe har-
bours on Lake Ontario. It abounds in pike, bass, perch,
and eels. During the winter a number of spearing-houses
are erected upon the Bay, and a large haul of fish is annually
made. The method of catching fish by the spear is very
exciting ; the house is rendered impervious to the light, and
a circular hole of about a yard in diameter is cut in the ice ;
the house being dark, renders the water quite clear, and the
fisherman can see to the bottom. A small decoy fish made
of wood, and painted in bright brilliant colours, is properly
weighted and worked in the water by means of a string ;
around this the fish disport themselves, and the expert
spearsman can select the largest, and by a dexterous throw
of his spear pierce it with the prongs. Some of the finest
fish are caught by this means, as they fearlessly approach
the decoy, and appear unaware of the proximity of danger.
It is unlawful to catch any but bass, pike, and a few other
kinds of fish by this means, as it is very destructive. The
best day for sport is after a storm, with a south-west wind
blowing pretty stiffly, as then the fish are on the move. The
method of fishing with a spear is not so exciting as the fine
old sport of angling. It lacks that glorious uncertainty after

Sarnia to Toronto. 165

the prey is hooked, that nicety of handling, and the pleasing-
oscillation between hope and fear which charms the disciple
of the rod and line. When the spear is in the flesh of the
fish the battle is over, and it is only a question of sheer
strength to lift it out of the water. The spearing season
ends with February, after which the law imposes a fine on
any person caught taking fish by this means. Hamilton is
the chief city on the Great Western Railroad, of which the
head offices are erected here, and the terminus of the
Toronto branch of that line. On the approach from
Windsor is visible overhanging the Bay, Dundurn, the
handsome castle or seat of the late Sir Allan McNab,
formerly speaker of the House of Assembly.

There are several very pretty drives near the city, amongst
which are "to the beach " and "up the mountain." Either
of these on a sultry summer day, when scarcely a breath of
air is to be felt stirring in the streets, and a fine dust, which
is the peculiar property of the soil in this vicinity, pervades
every open space, hemmed in by the mountain heights, is
exceedingly pleasant and delightful ; the fresh pure air on
the top of the mountain, and the cool lake breeze obtainable
at " the beach," are highly beneficial not only to the invalid,
but to whoever is able to enjoy them. " Oaklands," also, is
a favourite summer resort, which, together with " the beach,"
are accessible by steam ferry-boats plying on Burlington
Bay. Watertown, six miles distant, and Flamboro' Heights,
Wellington Square, seven miles distant, " Burning Springs,"
Ancaster, &c., are all at a distance just far enough to be
pleasant, and the roads, which are excellent, run through a
well-farmed country.

Hamilton, being a city of such modern date, has no old
associations connected with it as a city ; the only historical
interest it possesses being centered in Burlington Heights,
and the places in the vicinity where skirmishing and battles
took place. But despite of this, though not equalling

1 66 Savnia to Toronto.

Chicago in its sudden growth and expanse, no city in
Canada has so quickly risen into such a permanent state of
prosperity as Hamilton ; and from its peculiar situation
on the lake, coupled with the splendid railway connection it
holds, it at some time bids fair to rival in prosperity the
" Queen City of the West" — Toronto. Too much praise
cannot be ascribed to its merchants and leading men, who
have contributed to place it in its present position.

South-west of Hamilton, some 18 miles, lies Grimsby, on
Forty-one Mile Creek, the scene of some hard righting in
I Si 2, and at Stony Creek, seven miles from the city, a small
body of British regulars and Canadian militia, numbering
700, under command of Sir John Harvey, thoroughly routed
in a night attack the American army, consisting of 3000
men, killing and capturing great numbers, and causing them
to beat a hasty retreat to Fort George, leaving the com-
munication with part of the Niagara frontier open to the
British, and eventually thus saving the Province.

The branch of the Great Western Railway to Toronto
runs most of the way near the lake. The whole length of
the line is flat and uninteresting, presenting at Oakville
and Port Credit glimpses of water scenery, and, when
nearing Toronto, running directly along the shore of the
Humber Bay, till passing near the Garrison and the old
Fort, it enters the new Station of Toronto.

North of Port Credit lies Georgetown, on the Grand
Trunk Railway. Half-a-mile east of the station is the
railway bridge over the Credit River, — perhaps the finest
structure of its kind west of Toronto. The head waters of
the Credit River and its tributaries swarm with speckled
trout. It is no uncommon thing for an expert to take from
100 to 300 in one day. The best ground is " the forks" of
the Credit and Shaw's Lake.

Many sportsmen think it necessary to go out for a fishing
excursion with their legs encased in high, cumbrous water-

Samia to Toronto. 167

proof boots or leggings. This is a great mistake. They are
the worst possible things for slipping on the stones and
rocks in brooks and rivers, and encumber the general
motions of the body. A good pair of dry worsted socks,
taken in the pocket to put on when the day's sport is over,
will prevent the chance of a cold, catarrh, or rheumatism.
When on a fishing expedition of several days, the sportsman,
living constantly in the open air, need not fear any of these
maladies. It is the change from a house to camp, or vice
versa, which is to be dreaded on this account. An Indian
will tell you that if he goes into a house and sits by the fire,
he is sure to catch cold ; so do you generally the first night
in camp, but by the next night it is all gone. The best
description of cloth of which the sportsman's clothes, whether
he be hunting or fishing, in winter or summer, should be
made, is the homespun cloth of the country. It is strong,
warm, and light ; and, when saturated with water, will dry
sooner than any other description. Flannel shirts form an
indispensable item in a wardrobe for the bush, whether in
summer or winter : but scarlet is a bad colour for any part
of a fishing costume. One of the best means of keeping off
flies and mosquitoes, is by wearing a veil of the finest gauze
fastened round the cap, and drawn in round the neck under
the chin. It forms a bag round the head, and even the
diminutive sand fly cannot penetrate its meshes, if the gauze
be fine. Old kid gloves, with the ends of the fingers exit off,
will be found useful in protecting the hands.

The shooting throughout the whole of this western section
of Canada is much the same in all its localities. In Septem-
ber and October excellent sport may be had with woodcock
in the clumps of thick alder bushes standing in the meadows,
and in the swampy ravines on the banks of creeks or springy
ground. It requires, however, a quick eye and a good shot
to kill three out of four woodcock put up in the dense and
tall swamps in which they find covert. A drive on a fresh

1 68 Sarnia to Toronto.

autumnal morning through the gorgeous scenery of the fall,
and then a day in covert, watching the motions of the lively
" cockers," returning in the evening to your stopping-place
with a bag containing eight or ten couples of plump cock,
conduce to render a day's sport with this game a delightful
change from the monotony of town life. The partridge or
pheasant, as it is not unfrequently called, the true name of
which is the ruffed grouse, is found in the woods all over the
country. It prefers hill-sides covered with groves of birch
or hemlock and spruce. It is by no means comparable to
the English partridge, and, eii passant, it eats better boiled
or stewed than in any other fashion.

Grouse or partridge shooting commences on the 20th
August. Wild pigeon shooting in April, and after July, in
certain districts, affords good sport ; in the Niagara district,
and in the central part of the Huron district, the passenger
pigeon still resorts in such quantities that Audubon's graphic
description of the flights of wild pigeons ceases to appear
overdrawn. The great advent of them takes place about
once in five or seven years, and it is a curious coincidence
that in the same seasons the black squirrels are most abun-
dant ; the devastation caused by these countless hosts in the
wheat-fields is very great, and the numbers that can be killed
in a few hours render it irksome to bring home the spoil.
For several weeks in the fall the large .open fallow grass-
fields are frequented by large flocks of golden plover, which
stop here to rest before proceeding further southward. It is
amusing near the towns to see the excitement attendant on
their arrival. Every man or boy who can muster up a fire-
lock is out on the commons to blaze away at them as they
pass, and bang ! go a dozen guns pointed at the dense flock ;
then there is a general scramble for the slain, and those who
have loaded with perhaps only a little loose powder claim as
many of the birds as they ought to have put shot in their
barrels. Snipe are plentiful on all the marshes in September

Sarnia to Toronto. 169

and October ; for success with them, you must rely on good
dogs and a sure aim, and a plethoric game bag will be your
reward. Curlew, teal, widgeon, hares, and in the forests of
the extreme south-west, where, . free from the growth of
underbrush, the mighty maples and walnuts remind us of an
English park or woodland, wild turkeys, will be the means
of varying your sport. But let the traveller take one piece
of solemn advice : adjure wasting powder and shot in the
neighbourhood of cities or towns ; spring shooting and pot-
hunters have for the most, part extirpated the game in such
localities.

A word or two as to the breed of dogs best adapted to
field shooting in Canada : — For snipe, quail, and woodcock,
the pointer has been decided to be the best ; they possess
more brain than setters, and consequently greater memory ;
the lattaer, in a dog, especially for Canadian use, is every-
thing, when we consider the long interval between our
shooting season, say from April to October, and November
to April again. Setters, from want of memory, get wild, and
require almost breaking again. Many persons assert that
the setter has more pluck, and that they can endure more
cold ; neither of these assertions, however, is correct. The
only other kind of dog useful in Canada for shooting pur-
poses is a well-bred retrieving spaniel. It is a remarkable
fact that in all pointers or setters imported from Great
Britain, however thorough-bred or thoroughly broken they
may be, they will for the first two or three years be good for
nothing here, shewing no keenness in ranging, and con-
stantly over-running the birds. This is attributable to the
dryness of the climate, and until they become acclimatized,
they are worthless except to breed from ; their issue will be
fit for work at ten months old.

In botanical productions, and especially ferns, Upper
Canada is still more productive than the Lower Province.
In addition to most of the flowers enumerated under the

i?0 Niagara Falls.

head of Quebec, we meet here with the Squill, the Canada
or Day Lily, the Turk's Cap Lily (in rich low grounds), the
Iris or Blue Flag, the Daphne, the Bindweed or Convolus
(equal almost to the garden variety), the Canada Water
Leaf, the Gerardia, the Azalea (wrongly called Honeysuckle),
the Prickly Pear-Cactus (found on the high ridges in Essex
and Lambton), the Meadow Sweet, Jewel- Weed, Cistus, the
Nymphcea or Water Lily (in great profusion), and the Sangui-
naria or Bloodroot, which, like the English Snowdrop, often
thrusts its delicate white blossom through a thin crust of
snow on some sheltered bank in spring, as if impatient to
meet the embraces of the sun, — each and all of these grow-
ing, not some here,' some there, but diffused universally, lend
a charm to the landscape, and afford treasures to the herb-
alist comparatively unknown in foreign climes.

NIAGARA FALLS.

From earliest childhood the name of " Niagara Falls " is
associated with everything that is sublime and grand in
nature ; but to attempt to describe it conveys no more idea
of the grand majesty of its beauty, than a painting of it does
of the sound produced by the falling of its waters. To the
traveller entering from the United States two of the grandest
wonders of the world of nature and of art simultaneously
burst upon the view — viz., the Falls of Niagara and the
Suspension Bridge. The latter being the connecting link
between the two countries of Canada and the United States,
and the means by which the traveller gains access to the
former, must first claim attention ; on the American shore,
at the commencement of the bridge, is Elgin, and on the

be

Niagara Falls. 171

Canada side Clifton Village, or the Village of the Falls, as it
is sometimes called, though the terminus of the Great
Western Railway is called Suspension Bridge, or Niagara
City. This village has grown up entirely with the erection of
the bridge. Near it is a mill, whose motive power is a wheel
below, requiring a shaft 280 feet long to communicate with
the mill on the top of the bank ; this is quite a curiosity in
its way. This International Suspension Bridge was thrown
across the Niagara River to connect the Great Western
Railway of Canada with the several lines of New York
State ; it is supported by four cables, each of which is nine
and a half inches in diameter, and composed of 8000 wires ;
the towers are 66 feet high, 15 feet square at the base, and
eight feet at the top : the span is 800 feet across. The
bridge is indeed a monument to the ingenuity and labour of
science. It has two floors — the upper for the railroad track
and the lower for pedestrians and carriages, a fee being
requisite before .passing ; and when half-way across the view
is most striking. Its tunnel-like form as you look through it
is most capacious. Looking up the river directly at the falls,
a mile and a half off — to see the water hurrying underneath
at a depth of 260 feet, flecked with the long and tortuous
lines of foam which have floated down from the cataract, and
compressed into a ridge-like rise in the middle, boiling and
leaping and foaming in its onward course to the whirlpool —
the precipitous banks of the river on either side, with a
luxuriant growth of pines growing on the debris at their
base — and, above all, the passage of the cars over the
tourist's head as he gazes, produce sensations of dread and
a nervous timidity. So solid is this bridge in its weight,
and its staying, that not the slightest motion is communi-
cated to it by the severest gales of wind that blow up through
the narrow gorge which it spans. Its equilibrium is less
affected in cold weather than in warm, and its elasticity is
such that after the passage of a train its equilibrium is at

172 Niagara Falls.

once restored. The cost of this mighty structure was only
$500,000.

The River Niagara, signifying, in the Iroquois language,
" Thunder of Waters" takes its rise in the western extremity
of Lake Erie, and, after a course of thirty-three and a
half miles, flows into Lake Ontario, which is 334 feet
lower than Lake Erie. At Fort Erie, the point where it
issues from Lake Erie, it is something more than three-
quarters of a mile in width, and the powerful current,
running on through a level country, embosoms two islands
about half-way in its course, to the Falls ; these are Grand
Isle, belonging to the United States, the original seat of Mr.
Noah's famous Jewish colony, containing 11,000 acres, and,
about ten miles lower down, Navy Island, opposite to the
village of Chippewa, — memorable as being the rendezvous of
the so-called Patriots in '38 under Van Ranselaer, and from
whence, with American artillery, they swept the Canadian
shore till dislodged and compelled to evacuate it, Jan. 14th,
by the superior weight of British metal. Here the two chan-
nels formed by these islands re-unite, and the river becomes
about two miles wide. A little lower down, at the mouth of the
Welland or Chippeway River, it suddenly contracts to less
than a mile, and its current rapidly increases from three to
seven or eight miles an hour. The course of the river in this
part is nearly due west, and its banks begin to rise, first to ten
or twelve feet, and soon to twenty, thirty, and fifty feet above
the surface of the water. This rising of the banks is not the
effect of a rise in the surrounding country, which, in fact,
preserves its level in a continuous plain, but it is owing to
the bed of the river descending an inclined plane. Here the
waters begin to fall back into curling eddies along the banks,
but the current in the centre flows smoothly, till suddenly
the powerful stream is thrown with accumulated swiftness
among broken rocks ; and as you watch it, looking from
below, it seems tossed with the first shock into the very sky.

Niagara Falls. 173

It descends in foam, and from this moment its agony com-
mences. t For three miles it tosses and resists, and racked
at every step by sharper rocks and increased rapidity, its
unwilling and choked waves fly back, to be again precipi-
tated onward with great force against the Canadian side,
where they are driven back by the high rocky bank ; for at
this point the river suddenly turns to a course east of north,
and immediately afterwards the % water is hurled down a
perpendicular height of 160 feet into a terrific gulf, 16 miles
above Lake Ontario. Goat Island divides the cataract into
two unequal falls, called respectively the American Falls
and the Canadian or Horse-shoe Falls. Its exact dimensions
can be only conjectural ; the American Fall is estimated at
164 feet, the Horse-shoe 150 feet. The latter is supposed
to be 1,900 feet across, the former 908. The Canadian
cataract rolls over a precipice projecting about fifty feet
beyond its base, and the falling waters form a curve, between
which and the rock itself persons may proceed thirty or forty
yards. The Rapids above the Falls are far from being
the least interesting feature of the scenery. There is a
violence and a power in their foaming career which is seen
in no other phenomenon of the same class. Standing on the
bridge which connects Goat Island with the mainland, the
throwing over of which was a work of noble daring, and
looking up towards Lake Erie, the leaping crests of the
rapids form the horizon, and it seems like a battle charge of
tempestuous waves, animated and infuriated against the sky.
No one who has not seen this spectacle can conceive with
what force the swift and overwhelming waters are flung
upwards. Nearer the plunge of the Fall the rapids become
still more agitated, and it is almost impossible for the spec-
tator to rid himself of the idea that they are conscious of the
abyss to which they are hurrying, and struggle back in the
very extremity of horror. But as they touch the emerald
arch, like the calm that follows the conviction of inevitable

x74 Niagara Falls.

doom, the agitation ceases, the waters pause, the foam and
resistance subside into a transparent stillness, ai^l slowly
and solemnly the doomed water drops into the abyss.

The best way to approach Niagara is to go upon the
American shore and cross at the ferry. The descent of
about 200 feet by the staircase brings the traveller, after
climbing over huge boulders, and the debris that has fallen ■
from above, directly under the shoulder and edge of the
American Fall, and within a few feet of the spot on which
the water is dashed and broken into spray — the most
imposing scene for a single object that he will ever have
witnessed. The long column of sparkling water seems,
as he stands near it, to descend to an immeasurable depth,
and the bright sea-green curve above has the appearance of
being let into the sky. The tremendous power of the Fall,
as well as the height, realizes here his utmost expectations.
He descends to the water's edge, and embarks in a ferry-
boat, which tosses like an egg-shell on the heaving and
convulsed water, and in a minute or two he finds himself in
the face of the vast line of the Falls, and then he sees with
surprise that he had as yet expended his admiration on but
a thread of Niagara, — the fractional part of its wondrous
volume and grandeur. The current at the ferry sets very
strongly down, and it is with difficulty that the boat is
propelled across the stream. Arrived near the opposite
landing, however, there is a slight counter-current, and
the large rocks near the shore serve as a breakwater,
behind which the boat runs safely to her moorings.

It is computed that 100,000,000 tons of water are dis-
charged over the precipice every hour ; and when we
consider that this river is the only outlet for all the waters
of Lakes Erie, St. Claire, Huron, Superior, and Michigan,
some conception may be formed of the immense volume of
water continually precipitating itself over these Falls. Major
Warburton thus speaks of it, and his description is most

Niagara tails. 175

accurate : " The mighty river comes rushing over the brow
of a hill, and as you look up to it, it seems as if coming to
overwhelm you ; then, meeting with the rocks as it pours
down the declivity, it boils and frets like the breakers of the
ocean. Huge mounds of water, smooth, transparent, and
gleaming like an emerald, rise up and bound over some
impediment, then break into silver foam, which leaps into
the air in the most graceful and fantastic forms."

The first impression formed at sight of the cataract from
the Canada side is amazement mingled with disappointment ;
this is invariably the case, and may be traced, in all proba-
bility, to the fact of the spectators looking down upon the
scene, and so being unable to grasp at a single glance the
majesty of the view; but by degrees, as the eye becomes
more accustomed to the sight, the mind, only wont to look
upon ordinary phenomena, feels a new train of thought
forced in an instant upon it. There is no time or coolness
for distinct impressions ; much less for calculations. But it
is from the foot of Table Rock, or rather what was Table
Rock (for it fell suddenly some years ago), that the mind by
degrees recovers from its amazement, and it is in this spot
that it shrinks at the littleness and helplessness of man, and
the insignificance of his pigmy efforts ; the mighty precipice
towering up above him, and overhanging, for it overtops its
base by many feet — the mass of rock appearing as if every
instant it would fall and crash him in its ruins — the thunder
of the waters — the spray which drifts around in eddies,
painted with rainbows, as the various currents of wind
engendered in the chasm waft it hither and thither through
the sunshine, like the mist on the mountains, or the finest
particle of the snow-drift — and, above all, the seeming soli-
tude of this spot, hidden from the busy world, — all and each
of these make an impression on the mind that no pen can
describe, and probably there is no other place on the whole
globe where such an impression of awe is left upon the

176 Niagara Falls.

mind, unless it be the beetling cliffs of the dark-rolling
Saguenay.

The water that comes over the Horse-shoe Fall has a
peculiar appearance from the light green or emerald colour
it presents ; and from the Horse-shoe Fall not being quite
circular, but marked by projections and indentations, which
give amazing variety of form to the mighty torrent, it falls
in the centre in one dense mass, calm, unbroken, and resist-
less, and the depth on the edge of the leap is computed to
be 25 feet ; at the edges and the projections it is broken
into drops, which fall like a shower of diamonds sparkling in
the sun, and at times so light and foaming, that it is driven
up again by the currents of air ascending from the deep below.
Descending by a circular staircase, after first paying 50 cents
at the Museum House directly opposite, where you obtain a
guide and a tarpaulin dress to avoid the wetting influence of
the spray, the tourist finds himself on a narrow ledge of rock
which leads into a cavern behind the sheet of waters called
the " Cave of the Winds." It is in the form of a pointed
arch, the span on the left hand being composed of rolling
and dark water, that on the right, of dark limestone rock, in
which are layers here and there of a shining white spar, of
which a specimen should always be brought away, if it be
but to show that you have been under Niagara ; the cave is
from fifty to sixty feet long, but from the obscurity that
surrounds it, together with the violent currents of wind
caused by the agitation of the air from the falling waters,
and the slippery state of the narrow ledge, beneath which is
a black yawning gulf too obscure for the eye to penetrate, it
is a difficult and dangerous undertaking, especially for the
young and those who are at all nervous. The depth of the
abyss into which the waters pour has never been, and
probably never will be, ascertained ; and the mind is left to
conjecture the fathomless cavern which the impetus of the
waters must, during the lapse o f ages, have worn. On the

Niagara Falls. \jj

very day on which Table Rock fell, and only an hour or two
previous to the catastrophe,, the engineer of the Victoria
Bridge, with several of his colleagues, was standing on the
spot it covered in its fall. Large masses still frequently
detach themselves in the spring from the projecting precipice
to the great danger of the traveller, unless attended by a
guide, who will have previously discharged a pistol shot or
two to loosen and bring down by the vibration of the air,
any mass that is detached or dangerous. From the site of
Table Rock, a gorgeous view lies outspread on every side.
Loud and voluminous as is the sound of this gigantic water-
fall which fills the air and ear with its ceaseless roar, there
is nothing harsh, discordant, or inharmonious ; the sound is
symphonious with the scene, full of majesty and overawing
like the distant thunder.

In winter the Falls present a remarkable appearance ; the
spray that settles on all the surrounding objects, and espe-
cially the trees, becomes immediately turned into a coating
of ice, which, in the bright sunshine, recalls some of the
"Arabian Nights" palaces, or fairy handiwork. The huge
massive pillars of ice also, which are formed by the continual
drippings on the precipices of the river banks, look like
emerald shafts. No traveller who passes by here in the
winter should fail to view the Falls at that season.

Of course, in such a resort for visitors as this, there are
any number of " hangers-on," eager and on the look-out to
ease the unsuspecting traveller of his money at every turn,
under pretence of showing this or that ; we would strongly
recommend him to take no notice of any such offers, and
for the service of guides rely on those furnished at the
Museum House or at the Clifton House : and before ensras:-
ing a carriage, let him by all means stipulate as to its cost
beforehand. The Clifton House on the Canadian, and the
Elgin House on the American sides, are both first-class
hotels, and private lodgings can be had if preferable ; and as

M

178 Niagara Falls.

the tourist ought to stay here some days to visit the places
of interest in the vicinity, perhaps the latter would be pre-
ferable. Good lodgings can be had at Drummondville, only
one mile distant, and at a more reasonable rate than at the
Falls.

Close by the Clifton House is a substantial dwelling of
stone, standing on the highest spot in a beautiful park of 20
acres, commanding a full view of all the neighbouring
scenery ; this was built and laid out by the late S. Zimmer-
man, Esq. The grounds are surrounded by a fine hedge of
privet, rendered impenetrable by the addition of a strong
wire fence. The lawn slopes beautifully towards the Falls,
neatly ornamented with forest ' trees and fountains, and is
surrounded by numerous gas-lights, which, when used,
present a lively appearance. This was the house at which
the Prince of Wales staid when on his visit here.

Goat Island, which divides the American from the
Canadian Fall, is a bold craggy spot, 330 yards wide, and
covered with vegetation, which has been artificially improved
by the laying out of winding roads and cultivation. The
island has been rightly named, for its precipitous ledges
suggest the idea that goats only could originally find a com-
fortable footing. From it to a small rock called Iris Island
has been thrown another rude bridge, and on that island
itself a tower has been built, called the Terrapin Tower,
from the summit of which a most magnificent view is
obtained, looking directly into the gulf of the main Fall.
Here, also, is a book for visitors to enter their names in,
which affords some interesting records of illustrious names
and their accompanying remarks. If this tower is visited at
sunrise, when the whole cavity is enlightened by its rays,
and the gorgeous bow trembles in the spray, nowhere else
in the world can such an imcomparable scene be beheld.
Within a few minutes' walk, on the American side, are to
be found all the bustle and activity of life ; hotels and

Niagara Falls. 179

mills of every description, and a busy town. The mills
materially mar the scenery by stopping the view, but their
commercial benefit to the neighbourhood makes up perhaps
for this fault. Contiguous to Goat Island, are Three Sister
Islands or Islets, breaking the current on the American
side.

After the American war in 18 12, three large British ships,
stationed on Lake Erie, were condemned, and permission was
obtained to send them over the Falls ; the first was torn to
shivers by the rapids, and went over in pieces, the second
filled with water before she reached the Falls, but the third
took the leap gallantly, and retained her form till lost in the
cloud of mist below ; one fragment only of her was afterwards
found, a foot in length, smashed as if in a vice, and its edges
notched like the teeth of a saw. The steamer Caroline,
which conveyed munitions of war to Navy Island during the
rebellion of '38, was, after her seizure, set on fire and suffered
to drift down the Falls in flames. This must have been a
grand spectacle to see in the dead of night, the consuming
element lighting up with lurid glare in its descent the abyss
which an instant after extinguished it, leaving the darkness
more impenetrable than before. No fragments of her were
ever found. It is said that the Americans were repeatedly
warned, that unless the Caroline was withdrawn from this
illegal traffic, she would be seized ; but as no notice was
taken of the order, the British gallantly boarded and took
her, whilst she was moored at Fort Schlosser. In trying to
tow her across the river, the current proved too strong, and
the only alternative was to set her on fire and cut her adrift,
which was done, and the blazing vessel, whirling over rapids
and falls, came to its doom.

About three miles below the Falls is a frightfully wild
spot called The Whirlpool. Here the current has formed
a circular excavation, the water rushing into the vortex with
furious impetuosity, sweeps wildly past the sides of the

i So Niagara Falls.

i

high and perpendicular banks, carrying round and round
with a circular, quivering motion trees, dead animals, &c,
that come within its reach. The rocks are steep, and no
boat dares approach it ; and -the corpse of a gentleman,
drowned while bathing not many years ago, was to be seen
for nearly three weeks making fearful and rapid gyrations,
suddenly disappearing at some point of motion, and again
emerging half its length above the flood, like a maniac
battling with his foe. Three and a half miles below the Falls
is a curious triangular shaped chasm in the bank of the river,
known as " The Devil's Hole." Into this falls a stream
called " The Bloody Run? Not a very classical name,
certainly, neither does tradition afford any clue as to its
origin, except in the fact of a body thoroughly rifled having
in the early days of Niagara been found there. More
probably it has been the scene of some Indian warfare, as
the same names, one a tributary of the Mississippi and
another of the Arkansas, had their origin from the indis-
criminate slaughter of buffaloes that took place there in days
of yore/ One tradition asserts that it took its name from a
detachment of British soldiers having been precipitated over
it in their flight from an attack by Indians during the old
French war in 1759. Below this the Niagara resumes its
soft and gentle beauty, flowing through a channel where
the rocks rise from 150 to 200 feet perpendicularly, pre-
senting an appearance as if the river had worn for itself
the channel it now uses. Seven miles down, the country
rises into abrupt and elevated ridges called Oueenston
Heights, and supposed to have been " the place of the
Falls" in former ages : it is said that the Falls recede
about a foot in a year, and Sir Charles Lyell, the
eminent geologist, thinks that thirty-five thousand years
must have elapsed since the time when Queenston Heights
frowned upon the Falls. It is, however, certain, that the
attrition of such a force of water must act upon the

Niagara Falls. 181

rock, which is only a limestone, and imagination is left to
conjecture the effect to be produced on the bed of Lake
Erie, should the course of time run long enough to admit of
the Falls receding to that point. The present rapids in the
St. Lawrence are thought by Sir Wm. Logan to be the
remains of cataracts long since worn away, and the formation
of their surrounding country furthers that idea. Queenston
demands a visit from the traveller both as being the scene
of the gallant defence made there by the British in 1812,
and for the view obtainable from this elevation. Here it was
that General Brock and his aid-de-camp, Lieut-Colonel
McDonnell, both fell mortally wounded, nth October, 18 12.
Brock was killed in the middle of the fight, while leading
on his men. His last words were, so history tells us : —
" Never mind the death of one man — I have not long to live."
A memorial pillar is erected, called Brock's Monument, — a
column 185 feet high, on the capital of which is a dome nine
feet high, reached by 250 spiral steps from the base inside.
Beneath, in massive stone sarcophagi, are deposited the
remains of both the heroes, who were interred first at Fort
George, but removed afterwards to the scene of their exploits
as a more fitting resting-place. History tells us that the
remains of the gallant commander were, during the funeral
service, honoured with a discharge of minute guns from the
American as well as the British batteries. On the summit
of the dome is a colossal statue of the General. This monu-
ment exceeds in height any other monumental column,
ancient or modern, with the exception of that on Fish Street
Hill, London, in commemoration of the great fire of 1666,
which, exceeds this one by 12 feet in height. The original
monument erected by the Provincial Government was
maliciously damaged in 1840 by a vagabond named Lett,
who had been compelled to fly to the United States for his
share in the rebellion of '37, and who thus sought to insult
the people of Canada by this atrocious deed. There is no

1 82 Niagara Falls.

place in the vicinity of the Falls better adapted for a pic-nic
than this spot ; at the foot of the Heights is the little village
of Oueenston, where the river again becomes navigable, and
on the opposite side lies the pretty town of Lewiston, nest-
ling in the hills. During the battle that took place here, the
Americans, under Captain Wool, having forced the Heights,
were unable to hold them, and before a charge of the British,
personally directed by Brock, they gave way and fled in all
directions, some concealing themselves in the bushes, others
throwing themselves down the precipice, most of them
being either killed by the fall, or drowned while attempting
to swim the river.

The vicinity of the Falls is rich in the classic ground of
battle-fields. Four miles distant is Chippawa, a pretty
village at the junction of the river of the same name with
the Niagara, whose waters being after rains of a muddy
colour, have the peculiarity of flowing, side by side with
those of the Niagara without mingling, like the Ottawa and
Sf. Lawrence. Here in 1814, after a severe engagement,
the British forces under General Riall were met by the
American under General Brown, and compelled to retire to
Fort George, whence, having received reinforcements, they
again, advanced, and the two armies met a second time in a
place called Luxdy's Lane, near Drummondville, where,
after fighting valiantly till midnight with various fortune, the
Americans were compelled to retire with heavy loss. It is
said that throughout the whole war no battle could compare
with this for the obstinacy and courage exhibited on both
sides, and though each party boasted a victory, altogether
too dearly bought, neither was disposed to renew the con-
flict. Fort Erie, nearly opposite Buffalo, is also memorable
in history for the assault made on it by the British in the
same year, but attended with great disaster, from the accidental
explosion of some ammunition, which resulted in a panic and
the loss of 900 men. The final consequence of this attack

3

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1 : r^

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lr

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Niagara Falls. 183

on Fort Erie was even more disastrous in its consequences
to the British than had been the attack on Toronto to the
Americans when a similar explosion took place. Fort
Niagara, on the right bank of the Niagara River where it
falls into Lake Ontario, at the same period fell by stratagem
into the hands of the British ; a very interesting and
detailed account of all these battle-fields will be found in the
Second Series of the " Maple Leaves," by J. M. Lemoine,
Esq., of Quebec. Fort Niagara has many interesting
associations connected with it, as being the scene of many
severe conflicts between the whites and Indians, and subse-
quently between the English and French : the village
adjacent to the fort is called Youngstown, and the fort on
the Canadian side " Massasanga? Near here is the quiet
town of Niagara, 16 miles from the Falls, noted for its
healthy position : and it is quite a resort for the pleasure-
seeker, the merchant, and the student, who come over from
Toronto on a Saturday, returning on the Monday by steamer.
The old historical name of the town was Newark.

Before leaving the Niagara district, the traveller should
pay a visit to the pretty and almost fashionable town of St.
Catharines, about nine miles from the Suspension Bridge.
The country through which the road winds affords a very
pleasant drive, or, if preferable, it can be reached by railway,
it being a station both on the Great Western and Welland
Railroads. It is beautifully situated on a tract of table land
above the valley through which the Welland Canal is cut,
and is surrounded by a section unsurpassed for fertility and
cultivation in the western part of the Province. Here the
peach, pear, and plum attain almost as great perfection as
in the peach-growing districts of the neighbouring States,
and from its productiveness, the Niagara District has been
styled " the Garden of Canada." St. Catharines is noted for
its mineral springs, which are very efficacious in rheumatic
affections, and it is quite a resort in summer for invalids

1 84 Niagara Falls.

from Northern New York and Canada*, many business men
sending their families there during August, as from its
position they are able, by various means of transit, to run
backwards and forwards themselves as business or duty
compels. The mineral spring has been brought before the
public by the indefatigable exertions of Mr. Stephenson-
The waters, which are raised from an Artesian Well of
nearly 600 feet through limestone rock into the substratum
beneath, have borne the test of many years, and their value
is recognized far and wide. The water, for use at a distance,
is evaporated by artificial heat, in the usual manner ; that
part which is composed of common salt first settles, and is
removed ; the remainder is dipped into vats, until the earthy
or useless foreign matter subsides, and the clear liquor is
then bottled off for use.

No place on the civilized earth offers such attractions and
inducements to visitors as Niagara and its surroundings.
The climate is in the highest degree healthful and invigorat-
ing. The atmosphere, constantly acted upon by the rushing
water and the spray, is kept pure, refreshing, and salutary.
There are no stagnant pools or marshes to send abroad their
fetid exhalations and noxious miasmas, poisoning the air and
producing disease. Wild flowers spring up spontaneously
on the sides and in the crevices of the giant rocks, and
luxuriant clusters of fir and aiders cover the islands and
banks of Niagara. There are no mosquitoes to annoy, no
reptiles to alarm, and no wild animals to intimidate, yet
there is life and vivacity. Varieties of water-fowl sport
among the rapids, the sea-gull and the swallow play around
the precipice, literally hovering in the mist, and the eagle in
majestic flight makes its home among the inaccessible islands
and their giant trees.

While curiosity remains and constitutes an attribute of
the human character, this resort will be frequented by
admiring and delighted visitors as one of the grandest
exhibitions in nature.

Conclusion. • 185

CONCLUSION.

And now in conclusion, for the benefit of the tourist and
non-resident in Canada, we would say a few words as to its
climate. The winter, which is generally considered by
travellers as an extension of that season at the poles,
though certainly severe, is not so unfavorable as it at first
sight appears, and its salubrity is proved by its elastic and
exhilarating atmosphere. Instead of altefnate rain, snow,
sleet and fog, with the broken-up roads of Europe, Canada
boasts of clear skies, and a bracing atmosphere, and the
"whole of the country is macadamized by nature." Few
who have enjoyed the merry winters, the hospitality and
pleasant society, the sleigh-rides and parties, the skating
rink and the "toboggin," can easily forget them. If
we seek European comparisons we find a parallel to a
Canadian winter at St. Petersburg, while the summer re-
sembles that of Paris ; but the sky rivals the former in
clearness. The advance in the temperature of the months
may be well illustrated by changes in the animal world ;
the song-sparrow sings in March, and the robin, while
the snow yet dapples the fields, will make frequent
attempts at a song. Wild geese visit the north about the
23rd of April, and in Eastern Canada the harsh, guttural
croak of the bullfrog is first heard in response to the music
of f4 merrie England" upon St. George's day. The transition
from winter to summer is so sudden, that it has been made
a subject of remark by all Europeans who visit the country.
With June comes the refulgent summer. The mean tem-
perature of that season ranges from 550 in the northern to
65 ° in the southern parts of the country, but the thermo-
meter often indicates a temperature more exalted than that
of the blood. The mean distribution of rain is 10 inches.

1 86 Conclusion.

But if the spring be short, Canada boasts of an autumn
beautifully mild, and lingering on with its Indian summer
and golden sunsets until the month of December. The
Indian summer is a period of variable duration and of un-
certain occurrence. The French habitan styles it —

"L'(§te St. Martin
De soir ail matin."

The highly stimulating properties of the atmosphere here,
which, all things being equal, bear a certain relation to vege-
tation, have not only been observed by meteorologists,
but also by travellers, especially arresting the attention of
George Combe, the author of " The Constitution of Man."
New-comers scarcely feel the changes of the seasons for a
year or two after their arrival, and the temperate liver may
expect to reach an advanced age, provided no accident
befall him.

Touching foreign travel, no quotation is more trite than
that of Horace, " Ccelum non animum mutant, qui trans
mare currunt." But the celebrated Dr. Arnold said, on
returning from his usual summer • continental trip, that he
had proved the shallowness and falsity of it, as he had found
a refreshment in drinking in every instant a sense of the
reality of foreign objects, and a mainspring given to his
thoughts and feelings which he could hardly have realized
from well worn and familiar English scenes. English and
American tourists have been too apt to think that they
could not go through the nooks and corners of Lower
Canada without a knowledge of the French language ; and
that has to some extent acted as a drawback to the beautiful
scenery there met with, for the strangeness of a tongue
which we cannot use causes more perplexity and discomfort
than persons readily acknowledge. But in the Lower Pro-
vince English and French culture amalgamate, and the
English language predominates ; all know it, except a few
of the peasantry.

Conclusion. 18?

As a whole, this country, with its moderated heats of
summer, and its facilities for winter travel to spots other-
wise inaccessible, which unfold scenery whose magnificence
is combined with the most delightful physical beauty ;
and the sport it offers to the votaries of Nimrod and the
disciples of Isaac Walton, cannot but meet the most san-
guine expectations of the traveller, the tourist and the
sportsman. To all such, and to whoever bend their steps
hitherward, either for residence or a visit, we offer

A HEARTY GREETING.

APPENDIX.

The following is a catalogue of the animals of British North
America, compiled from the most authentic sources : —

ZOOLOGICAL.

Scientific Name. Authorities. Common Name and Remarks.

Neosorex palustris Yenill. Shrew.

Sorex Fosteri Rich. " very rare.

" Platyrhinus Wagner. Eared Shrew, more common.

" Cooperi Bach. Cooper's Shrew.

" Thompsoni Baird. Thompson's Shrew, common.

Blarina Talpoides Gray. Short-tailed Shrew-mole.

" Angusticeps Baird. " " not common

Scalops Aquaticus Cuvr. Common Mole.

Condylura cristata DeKay. Star-nosed Mole.

Yespertilio jSToveboracensis.. . " New York Bat, occasional.

" Pruinosus " Hoary M not common.

" Subulatus " Little Brown Bat, everywhere.

" Noctivagans " Silver-Haired " rare.

Ursus Americanus Pallas. Black Bear.

Procyon Lotor Storr. Raccoon, Canada West.

Gulo Luscus Goodman. "Wolverine, Upper Ottawa.

Mephitis Mephitica (Ameri-
cana) Band. SkiAk.

Mustela Pennantii Erx. Fisher or Pennant's Martin.

" Martis •. . Tnrt. Pine Marten.

" Pusilla Bonp. Small Weasel, rare.

Putorius Cicognanii M " Crown Weasel, rare.

" Richardsonii " Little Ermine, common.

" Noveboracensis DeKay Ermine.

" Yison Rich. Mink, becoming scarce.

Lutra Canadensis Sab. Otter.

11 Destructor Barnston. " Northern Lakes.

190

Appendix.

Scientific Name. Authorities.

Vulpes Fulvus Rich.

" Decussatus and Argen-

tatus

Cards Occidentalis "

Felis Concolor DeKa

Lynx Canadensis Raf.

. " Rufus

Phoca Yitulina Linn.

" Grcenlandica Mull.

Stemmatopus Cristatus Gm.

Didelpliis Yirginiana DeKay.

Castor Canadensis Kuhl.

Fiber Zibethicus Cuvr.

Pteroinys Yolucella "

Tamias Striatns Baird.

Sciurns Carolinensis Gm.

" Niger , Baird.

" Hudsonicus Pallas.

Arctomys Monax Gm.

Mus Decumanus Pallas.

" Rattus Linn.

" Musculus

Hesperomys Leucopus "Wagner.

" Myoides Baird.

Hypudaeus Gapperi

Arvieola Riparia Ord.

Erethizon Dorsalis Cuvr.

Lepus Americanus Erx.

'« Sylvatius DcKay.

Alces Americanus Jardine.

Rangifer Caribou Aud. & Bach

Ccrvus Yirginianus Bodd.

Common Name and Remarks
Red Fox.

Silver and Black Fox.

Common "Wolf.

Catamount, Panther.

Loup Cervier, northern woods.

"Wild Cat, common.

Common Seal, Lower St.Lawrence

Harp Seal, Gaspe.

Hooded Seal, rare — Saguenaij,

Opossum, very rare, Canada West

Beaver.

Muskrat.

Flying Squirrel, Canada West.

Chipmunk.

Gray Squirrel.

Black " certain seasons.

Red

"Woodchuck, Canada West.

Brown Rat.

Black " rare.

Common Mouse.

Yfhite-footed Mouse.

Hamster "

Red-back " rare.

Meadow "

Porcupine, Canada West.

"White Rabbit or Hare

American Rabbit.

Moose.

."Woodland Caribou.

Deer.

ORNITHOLOGICAL.

Scientific Name. Authorities.

Falco Anatum Bon.

" Columbarius Linn.

Candicans (?) Gm.

" Sparverius Linn.

Astur Atricapillus .... Bon.

Common Name and Remarks.

Duck Hawk.

Pigeon Hawk, not very common.
Gyr-Faleon, only in winter — very
Sparrow Hawk. [rare.

Goshawk, common.

Appendix.

191

Scientific Name. Authorities.

Accipiter Cooperii Bon.

" Fuscus "

Buteo Borealis Yieill

" Pennsylvania^ Bon.

Bnreo Lineatus Jard.

Arcliibnteo Sancti-Johannis.. Gray

" Lagopus "

Circus Hudsonicus Vieill

Aquila Canadensis. « Cass.

Halicetus Lencocephalus Savig.

Pandion Carolinensis Bon.

Bubo Yirginianus "

Scops Asio "

Otus Yllsonianus Baird

Brachyotus Cassinii "

Syrnium Xebulosuni Gray

M Cinereuin And.

Xyetate Bichardsonii Baird

" Acadica "

Nivca....

Surnia Ulula Bon.

Coccygus Arnericanus "

Erythrophthalinus. "

Picus Yillosus Linn.

" Pubescens "

Picoides -Arctious Gray

Spbyrapicus Yarius Baird

Hylatomus Pileatus "

Picoides Hirsutus Gray

Melanerpes Erj^throcephalus . . Sev.

Colaptes Auratus "

Trochilus Colubris Linn.

Chaetura Pelasgia Steph.

Antrostomus Yociferus Bon.

Chorduiles Popetue Baird

Ceryle Alcyun Boie

Tyrannus Carolinensis Baird

Myia^chus Crinitus Cab.

Sayornis Fuscus Baird

Contopus Yirens Cab.

Turdus Pallasii

" Swainsonii Cab.

Migratorius. . .. Linn.

Common Name and Remarks.

Cooper's Hawk, rare — summer.

Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Bed-tailed Hawk, summer

Broad-winged " "

Red-shouldered Hawk, rare.

Black Hawk, very rare.

Kough-legged Hawk, not common.

Marsh Hawk.

Golden Eagle, rare — Saguenay.

Bald Eagle, abWtin tlie West.

Fish Hawk, common on coast.

Gt. Horn'd Owl, not uncommon.

Mottled Owl, not very common.

Long-eared Owl, "

Short-eared Owl,

Barred Owl, common.

Gt Gray Owl, very rare — winter.

Sparrow " not common.

Saw-whet Owl, common.

Snowy Owl, not common, winter.

Hawk Owl,

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, not com'' n

Black-billed

Hairy Woodpecker.

Downy "

Three-toed " not very common.

Yell'w bell'd "

Black Woodcock, rare,

Barred Three-toed Woodpecker.

Bed-headed

Golden-winged "

Humming Bird, from May to

Chimney Swallow. {Sevt.

YvTiip-poor-Will.

Xight-Hawk.

Belted Kingfisher.

King Bird.

Great Crested Fly-catcher, very

Pewee. [rare

"Wood Pewee, not common

Hermit Thrush.

Olive-backed Thrush.

Robin.

192

Appendix.

Scientific Xante. Authorities,

Sialia Sialis Baird

Regains Calendula Licht

Satrapa..N

Anthus Ludovicianus "

Mniotilta Yaria Yieill

Geothlypis Trichas Cab.

Contopus Borealis Baird

Ernpidonax Minimus "

" Fla ri ventris

Hdminthophaga Ruficapilla. . Baird.

Seiurus Aurocapillus Sw.

" Xoveboracensis Nntt.

Dendroica Yirens. Baird

u Canadensis. "

" Coronata Gray

" Blackbumice , Baird

" Castanea.... "

" Pennsylvanica "

Striata

(Estiva

Tigrina "

" Palmarum "

Myiodictes Pnsillus Bon.

Canadensis Aud.

Setopbaga Ruticilla Sw.

Pyranga Rubra Yieill

Hirundo Horreoruni Barto

" Lunifrons Say

Bicolor Yieill

Cotyle Riparia Boie

Progne Purpurea "

Dendroica Maculosa Baird

Parula Americana "

Ampelis Garrulus Bon.

Cedrorom Linn.

Coltyrio Borealis Baird

Yireo Olivaeeus Yieill

Solitarius

Mimus Caroliuensis Gray

Troglodytes Hyernalis Yieill

Certbia Americana Bon.

Sitta Carolinensis Gm.

" Canadensis Linn.

Common Name and Remarks.

Bluebird, in the West.
Ruby-crowned Wren, rare
Golden-crested "
Tit-lark.

Black and White Creeper.
Maryland Yellow-throat.
Olive-sided Flycatcher, rare
Least Flycatcher.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
Xashvillo Warbler, rare.
Golden-crowned Thrush.
Water Thrush.
Black-throated Green "Warbler

" Blue " rare.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackbumian "

Bay -breasted " rare.

Chestnut-sided '

Black-poll
Yellow

Cape May " very rare.

Yellow Redpole "
Wilson's Black-oap, rare.
Canada Flycatcher.
Redstart.

Scarlet Tanager, very uncertain.
Barn Swallow.
Cliff Swallow.
White-bellied Swallow
Bank

Purple Martin.
Magnolia Warbler, ran .
Blue Yellowback, "
Wax Wing "

Cedar Bird.
Shrike, Butcher Bird.
Red-eyed Flycatcher.
Solitary " rare.

Cat-bird.
Winter Wren.
Amer. Brown Creeper.
White-bellied Nuthatch.
Red-bellied

Appendix.

103

Scientific Name. Authorities.

Parus Atricapillus Lin.

" Hudsonicus Fors.

Eremophila Cornuta Boie

Pinicola Canadensis Cab.

Carpodacus Purpureus Gray

Chiysomitris Tristis Bon.

" Pinus

Curvivostra Americana ..... Wilson

" Leucoptera "

(Egiothus Linaria Cab.

Plectropbanes Nivalis Mey.

" Lapponicus Selby.

Passerculns Savana Bon.

Poaicetes Gramineus Baird

Coturnienlns Passerinus Bon.

Zonotrichia Leucophrys Sw.

" Albicollis Bon.

Yireo Gilvus "

Junco Hyemalis Sclat.

Spizella Monticola Baird

Socialis Bon.

Melospiza Melodia Baird

Palustris

Passerella Iliaca Sw.

Guiraca Ludoviciana "

•' Cserulea "

Cyanospiza Cyanea Baird

Dolicbonyx Oryzivoras Sw.

Molotbrns Pecoris "

Agelaius Pbceniceus Vieill

Sturnella Magna Sw.

Icterus Spurius Bon.

" Baltimore Daud.

Scolecophagus Ferruginous. . Sw.

Quiscalus Versicolor Vieill

Coitus Carnivorous Bart.

" Americanus Aud.

Cyanura Cristata Sw.

Perisoreus Canadensis Bon.

Ectopistes Migratoria Sw.

Zenaidura Carolinensis Bon.

Totrao Canadensis Linn.

Bonasa TTinbeUus Stepb.

Common Name and Remarks.

Chickadee.

Hudson Bay Titmouse, rare.

Sboro Lark, Lower St. Lawrence.

Pine Grosbeak.

Purple Fincb.

Yellow Bird.

Pine Fincb.

Eed Crossbill.

White-winged Crossbill.

Red-pole Linnet.

Suow Bird.

Lapland Longspur, occasional.

Savannab Sparrow.

Grass

Yellow-winged Sparrow, rare.

YvTiite-crowned " very rare.

White-throated

Warbling Yireo.

Blue Snow-bird.

Tree Sparrow.

Cbipping Sparrow.

Long "

Swamp "

Fox-colored Sparrow, rare.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, West.

Blue " rare

Indigo Bird, West.

Bobolink.

Cow Bunting.

Red Yf ing Blackbird.

Meadow Lark, West — common.

Orchard Oriole, West.

Baltimore "

Rusty Blackbird.

Crow

Raven.

Crow.

Blue Jay.

Canada "

Yfild Pigeon.

Carolina Dove, rare — West.

Spruce Partridge.

Ruffed Grousa

N

i94

Appendix.

Scientific Xame. Authorities.

Ardea Herodias Linn.

Botaurus Lentiginosis Stepb.

Butorides Yircscens Bon.

Kyctiardea Gardeui Baird

Cbaradrius Yirginicus Borck

CEgialitis Tociferas Cas.

" Melodus Cab.

" Semipalmatns .... '*

Squatarola Helvetica Cuv.

Strepsilas Interpres Illig.

Recurvirostra Americana Gm.

Eimantopus Xigricolbs Yieill

Pbalaropus Hyperboreus .... Ternm

" Fulicarius Bon.

Pbilobela Minor Gray

Galliwago Yfilsonii Bon.

Macrorampbus Griseus Leacb

Tringa Canutus Linn.

Arquatella Maritima Band

Actodrornas Maeulata Cass.

" Minutilla Cones.

" Bonapartii Cass.

Cabdris Arenaria Illig.

Ereunejes Pusilla Cass.

Sympbernia Semipalrnata Hart

Garnbetta Melanoleuca Bon.

" Flavipes Bon.

Ryaeopbilus Solitarius

Tringoides Maciilarius Gray

Pbilomacbus Pugnax

Actiturus Bartramius Bon.

Limosa Hudsonica Sw.

Xumenias Longirostris "Wilson

" Hndsonicus Latb

' Borealis

Porzana Carolina Yieill

Anser Hyperboreus Pall.

Bernicla Canadensis Boie

11 Brenta Stepb.

Anas Boscbas Linn.

" Obscura Gm.

Dafila Acuta Jenyn

Uettion Carobnensis Baird

Common Xame and Remarks.

Great Blue Heron.

Bittern.

Green Heron, rare.

Night Heron, West.

Golden Plover.

Killdeer "

Piping "

Ring

Black-bellied Plover, rare.

Turn stone, "

Avoset, "

Black-necked Stilt

jSortbcm Pbalarope.

Red "' rare

Yfoodcock.

Yfilson's Snipe.

Red-breasted Snipe

Asb-coloured Sandpiper.

Purple "

Jack Snipe, West.

Least Sandpiper.

Bonaparte's " rare.

Sanderling.

Semi-palmated Sandpiper.

Yfillet, rare.

Tell-tale.

Yellow Legs.

Solitary Sandpiper, rare.

Spotted

Ruff, (?) very rare.

Bartram's Sandpiper.

Hudsonian Godwit.

Long-billed Curlew.

Hudsonian " rare.

Esquimaux " M

Carolina Rail.

Snow Goose, rare.

Yfild Goose.

Brant.

Mallard.

Dusky Duck.

Pin-tail.

Green-winged Teal.

Appendix.

■9

Scientific Name. 'Authorities

Querquedula Discors Steph

Spatula Clypeata Boie

Chaulelasmus Streperus Gray

ilareca Americana Steph.

Aix Sponsa Boie

Fulix Americana Gm.

" Marila Baird

" Affinis

" Collaris

Bucephala Americana "

Islandica "

Albeola

Histriomicus Torquatus Bon.

Harelda Glacialis Leach

Camptolemns Labradorius. . . . Gray

Melanetta Velvetina Baird

Pelionetta Perspicillata Kaup.

Oidemia Americana Swains.

Somateria Mollissima Leach

" Spectabilis "

Erismatura Rubida Bon.

Mergus Americanus Cass.

Serrator Linn.

Lophodytes Cucullatus Reich.

Pelecanus Erythrorhyncus .. Gm.

Sula Bassana Briss

Graculus Carbo ' Gray

" Dilophus "

Thalassidroma Leachii Temm.

" Wilsonii Bon.

" Pelagica "

Puffinus Major "

Anglorum Temm

Fuliginosus Strick

Stercorarius Pomarinus ,. Temm

Parasiticus "

Cepphus Laur.

Larus Marinus Linn.

" Argentatus Brunn

" Glaucus "

" Delawarensis Ord

Chroecocephalus Philadelphia. Laur

Rissa Tridactyla Bon..

Common Name and Rematkb.

Blue-winged "

Shoveller Duck.

Gray Duck.

"Widgeon.

Wood Duck.

Coot.

Black-headed Duck, rare.

Little "

Ring-necked " rare.

Whistler or Golden Eye.

Barrow's " rare.

Buffle-head.

Harlequin Duck.

Old Squaw.

Labrador Duck, rare.

White-winged Coot. ,

Surf Duck.

Scoter "

Eider " Lower St. Lawrence.

King Eider Duck, only occas'nal

Ruddy " rare.

Sheldrake.

Red-breasted Sheldrake.

Hooded Merganser, rare.

Pelican, accidental.

Gannet.

Cormorant.

Double-crested Cormorant.

Leach's Petrel.

Wilson's "

Least "

Great Shearwater

Mank's

Sooty

Pomarine Jager

Arctic "

BufFon's Skua.

Black backed Gull, rare

Herring Gull.

Burgomaster, rare.

Ring-billed Gull.

Bonaparte's "

Kittiwake "'*

196

Appendix.

• Scientific Name. Authorities.

Sterni Wilsonii

" Macroura !N"aum.

Colymbus Torquatus....' Brunn.

" Septentrionalis Linn.

Podiceps Griseigena Gray

" Cristatns Lath

Podilymbus Podiceps Laur.

Utamama Torda Leacli

Mormon Arctica IlBg.

Uria Grylle Lath

" Troile Linn.

" Ringvia Brunn.

Merffulns Alle Vieill

Common Name and Remarks.

"Wilson's Tern.

Arctic "

Loon or Northern Diver.

Red-throated Loon, rare.

Red-necked Grebe.

Crested Grebe.

Pied-billed Grebe.

Razor-billed Auk.

Puffin.

Sea Pigeon.

Murre, rare.

rare.
Little Auk, winter only.

The principal part of the birds are migratory, though
some of the migratory dunk1* have been known to remain

through the winter.

ST. LOUIS HOTEL,

St. Louis Street,

AND

PALACE STREET,

QUEBEC.

WM. RUSSELL & SON,

Proprietors.

The above popular and universally recognized fashionable establishments,
have, during the past winter, been so thoroughly renovated and embellished
as to be replete with every known modern improvement, affording sumptu-
ous accommodation for 650 to 700 Guests.

Situated in the vicinity of Gardens and Terrace, the sight is continually
delighted with charming views of the magnificent scenery for which Quebec
is so justly celebrated throughout the world.

The proprietors, in returning thanks for past favors, beg to assure the
public that nothing will be wanting on their part that may in any way con-
duce to the comfort of their Guests.

CANADIAN INLAND STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.

ROYAL MAIL THROUGH LINE

FOR

Beauharnois, Cornwall, Prescott, Brockville, Gananoque,
Kingston, Cobourg, Port Hope, Darlington, Toronto,

and Hamilton.

D^*Direct Without Transhipment.

1867 t^^M^M 1867

This magnificent Line is composed of the following First Class Steamers, viz.:

SPARTAN (Iron) new - Capt. Howard

GRECIAN j" . " ,- - - - " Hamilton-

PASSPORT " - " Kelley

MAGNET " " Fairgrieve

KINGSTON, " - - - - " Dun-lop

CHAMPION «-'--■'- " Sinclair

BANSHEE (Rebuilt) - - - "

One of which leaves the CANAL BASIN, Montreal, at 9 o'clock every morning
(Sundays excepted) and LACHINE on the arrival of the Train leaving the
Bonaventure Street Station at noon for

HAMILTON AND INTERMEDIATE PORTS,
CONNECTING AT PRESCOTT AND BHOCKVILLE

With the Railways for

Ottawa City, Kemptville, Perth, Arnprior, &c.
At TORONTO AND HAMILTON

With the Railways for

Collingwood, Stratford, London, Chatham, Sarnia, Detroit,
Chicago, Milwaukee, Galena, Green Bay, St. Paul, &c.

And with the

STEAMER CITY OF TORONTO

For Niagara, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Cleveland,
Toledo, Cincinnati, &c.

The Steamers of this Line are unequalled, and from the completeness of the
arrangements, present advantages to Travellers which none other can atford.

They pass through all the rapids of the St. Lawrence and the beautiful
scenery of the Lake of the Thousand Islands by Daylight.

The greatest dispatch given to Freight, while the Rates are as low as by the
ordinary Freight Boats. Through Rates over the Great Western Railway given.

Through Tickets, with any information, may be obtained of D. McLean, at the
Hotels, Peter Farrell, at the Freight Office, Canal Basin, and at the Office, No. 73
Great St. James Street.

ALEX. MILLOY,

Montreal, 1st May, 1867. Agent.

1867

PLEASURE TRAVEL

1867

LAKE ONTARIO AND RIVER ST, LAWRENCE!

aMusaa imiss phjs inmm

The splendid Steamers of this Line having been refitted and refurnished,
"will during the season of pleasure travel, commence daily trips between

NIAGAKA FALLS, LEWISTON, TORONTO,

MONTREAL and QUEBEC.

FOR

RIVER SAGUENAY, TROY, ALBANY, PORTLAND & NEW YORK

Via Grand Trunk Railway. Lake Champlain, Lake George, White and Franconia
Mountains, and Lake Memphreniagog,

TOUCHING AT

CHARLOTTE, OSWEGO, KINGSTON, CLAYTON,

ALEXANDRIA BAY,

(Fishing Grounds of St. Lawrence,)

PASSING THE

Thousand Islands and Rapids of the St. Lawrence and Victoria

Bridge by Daylight.

TI3VCE T^BXjIE.

DON wards:

Leave Toronto, Daily, Sundays excepted, 6.00 A.M.

" Lewiston, Daily, " •' 10.30 A.M.

" Niagara, Daily, " " lO.a) A M.

I harlotte. Daily, " " 6. 0P.M.

Oswego, Daily, " " 11.00 P.M.

" Kingston, Daily, Monday excepted 4.00 A.M.

TOUCHING AT CLAYTON AXI) ALKX. IiAY.

l-'irhing Grounds of the St. Lawrence,
Leave Brockrille, Daily, Mondays excepted, R.00 A.M.
Arrive at Ogdensburgh at - " - - 9.00 A.M.
And at Montreal, same day, at - ■ - 6.00 P.M.

UPWARDS:

Leave Montreal, Daily, Sundays excepted 7.30 A.M.

Ogdensburgh, Daiiy, "" " 1.00 P.M.

" Prescott, Daily. " " 1.10 P.M.

" Brockville, Daily, " '* 8.15 P.M.

TOUCHING AT ALKX. BAY AND CLAYTON.

Fishing1 Grounds of the St. Lawrence

Leave Kingston, Daily, Sundays excepted, 10.00 P.M-

Oswego, Daily, " " 9.30 A.M-

" Charlotte, Daily, " " 6.00 I'M-

Arrive at Toronto at .... 5.00 A.M-

Lewiston at .... 9.30 A.M.

Trains leave NIAGARA FALLS and BUFFALO daily, and connect with
Steamers, both at Lewiston and Charlotte

Tickets can be purchased of M. B. Sheldon, No- fi Cataract Block, Niagara Falls,
M. Randall. 17 Exchange Street, Buffalo, and Clifton House, Niagara Falls, and Ticket
Office at Montreal.

W. B. PHELPS, Gen. Pas. Agent,

Oswego, X. Y.

H. N. THROOP, Gen. Supt,

Oswego, N. Y.

SUMMER ARRANGEMENT.

1867 ^^^^^ 1867

New York & Albany Day Line

OX THE

HUDS QTsT E I V E R .

The fast Steamboats C. VIBBARD and DANIEL DREW will resume their
trips for the season on Monday, May 13th, leaving Albany every Morning (Sun-
days excepted) from the foot of Hamilton Street, at 8.00 A.M., and New York
from the foot of Desbrosses Street, at ^.45 A.M.

Passengers leaving Montreal by this route can take the Evening Train con-
necting at Rouse's Point with Lake Champlain steamers and at Whitehall with
Renssalaer and Saratoga and Athens Branch of New York Central, and at Athens
with the Day Boats, arriving in New York at 5 P.M.

Passengers by this route can also take the Morning Train from Montreal,
remain over night at Saratoga or Albany, and take the Boats in the morning,
affording tourists a splendid opportunity of viewing the beautiful and unsur-
passed scenery along the route, and avoiding the dust usually attendant upon
Railroad travel at this season of the year.

Tickets can be procured at the Ticket Office in Montreal, on board the Lake
Champlain Steamers, and at the Offices of the Renssalaer and Saratoga Railroad.

Baggage checked through and transferred free of charge.

ALFRED VAN SANTVOORD, Manager,

Albany.

Only 10 Hours from Rochester to the Cana-
dian G-old Fields.

dOflBR*

\

GRRSTIft WM MM

The splendid Steel-plated steamer

CORINTHIAN

Leaves Brighton 4.30 A.M., Colborne 6 A.M., Cobourg 7 A.M., Port Hope (on
arrival of G. T. R. Morning Trains from Toronto and Montreal) at 9-30 A.M.
Connects at Rochester with Afternoon Express Trains for the East, West and
* South.

RETURNING

Leaves Port of Rochester (Charlotte) daily, on arrival of Evening Express
Trains at 10 P.M., Saturday 3 P.M.

Connects at Brighton and Colborne with Morning Stages direct for Campbel-
ford, Madoc, and the Canadian Gold Fidds ; at Cobourg with the Rice Lake
and Marmora Railway; at Port Hope with the Lindsay and Peterboro'
Railway and G. T. R. Morning Trains for Toronto and Montreal.

LIKE [IMPIIli

THE ELEGANT STEAMERS OF THE

CHAMPLAIN TRANSPORTATION CO.'Y

CANADA Capt. Wm. Anderson

UNITED STATES - - - - " J. C. Babbitt
ADIRONDAC (new) - " Wm. H. Flagg

WILL FORM TWO DAILY LINES BETWEEN

Leaving Rouse's Point on the arrival of the Morning and Evening Trains from
Montreal, and making close connections at "Whitehall with Trains for

SARATOGA, SCHENECTADY, JTROY, ALBANY & NEW YORK.

The Morning Boat will make close connections at TiCONDEBOGA with the
beautiful Steamer " Min-ne-ha-ha," passing through Lake George.

The splendid Scenery of Lake Champlain and Lake George no Tourist
should fail of enjoying.

Tickets can he procured at the Offices of the Grand Trunk Railway, on
board Lake Ontario Steamers, and at the Ticket Offices at Niagara Falls.

HIRAM TRACY,
Burlington, Yt., May, 1867. General Supt.

THE CANADIAN EXPRESS GOMF'T

Forward Merchandise, Money, and Packages of every description, Collect
Bills with Goods, Notes and* Drafts throughout the

Running daily (Sundays excepted) over the entire line of the

aH^LlSTD TRUNK RAILWAY,

THE GREAT WESTERN (Toronto and Hamilton),

PRESCOTT & OTTAWA, BROCKYILLE & OTTAWA, and PORT
HOPE & PETERBOROUGH RAILROADS,

In charge of Special Rlessengers.

Packages and Freights forwarded by the Montreal Ocean Steamship
Company to and from all parts of Europe.

Debenture Goods or Goods in Bonds will be promptly attended to, and
forwarded with despatch. Invoices should be sent with all Goods going to
the United States.

Montreal : T. D. Irish, Agent.
Portland: J. G. PsTNDLE,
Toronto: M. II. Irish.
Hamilton : J. D. Irwin, "
Liverpool, England: No. 22 Tower Buildings, Water Street, Alex. Blackwood, Agent.

Kingston: J. C. Clark, Agent.
Ottawa: W. H. Sawykr,
Quebec : W. C. Scott,

G. CHENEY, Svpt.

1867

1867

The new Steamer

Captaix FILGATE,
Will run daily (Sundavs excepted) between

MONTREAL & BEAUHARNOiS

She will leave BEAUHARNOIS at 6.00 A.M., and returning will leave the
CANAL BASIN, MONTREAL, at 1.00 P.M.

Charges for Passengers and Freight very Moderate.

'it J! J

Arrangements have been made by which Excursion Tickets are now issued

daily 4rom

HVTOlVETFLEJ-A.I-i to LjAOHIE

by Railway, and back by the Steamer Aurora.

The Train leaves Bonaventure Street Depot at 7.00 A.M. and connects at
Lachine with the Steamer, which leaves there at 8.00 A.M.,

SHOOTS THE LACHINE RAPIDS

(the finest of the St. Lawrence)

passes under the mammoth Victoria Bridge, and reaches Montreal a littlo

after 9.00 A.M.

THIS IS A DELIGHTFUL TRIP.

Tickets for the Kcmnd Journey 50 Cents,

to be obtained at the Grand Trunk Railway Ticket Office, Montreal,

1867.

PEOPLE'S LINE STEAMBOATS

BETWEEN

THE SPLENDID STEAMBOATS

ST. JOH

CAPTAIN TV. H. CHRISTOPHER

AND

CAPTAIN S. J. ROE

WILL LEAVE ALBANY EVERY EVENING

(Sundays excepted)
ON THE ARRIVAL OF TRAINS FROM THE NORTH AND WEST

AND

NEW YORK EVERT EVENINU

(Sundays excepted) at 6 o'clock, from the Steamboat Pier

No. 41 North Biver, foot of Canal Street,

(South side)
Connecting at Albany with Railroad Trains North, West and East.

RICHELIEU COMPANY
DAILY ROYAL MAIL r^slS USES OF STEAMERS

u?j m

RUNNING BETWEEN

THE IRON STEAMER

QUEBEC - - - Capt. J. B. LABELLE,

AND IRON STEAMER

MONTKEAL Capt, KOBERT NELSON

Leave Richelieu Pier, opposite Jacques Cartier Square, Montreal, alternately
every evening at seven o'clock during the season, for

CALLING AT INTERMEDIATE PORTS.

THE SPLEDID NEW BESSEMER STEEL STEAMER

will commence her DAY TRIPS between Montreal and Quebec about
the first of July.

And the Side Lines of Steamers running between

MONTREAL, THREE RIVERS, AND THE INTERMEDIATE PORTS

leaving MONTREAL every TUESDAY and FRIDAY :

Steamer COLUMBIA, Capt. Jos. Duval, between MONTREAL and
THREE RIVERS, calling at Sorel, Maskinonge, Riviere du Loup,
and Yamachiche.

Steamer NAPOLEON, Capt. Charles Davelut, between MONTREAL and
SOREL, calling at St. Sulpice, Lavaltrie, Lanoraie and Berthier.

Steamer CHAMBLY, Capt. Frs. Lamoureux, between MONTREAL and
CHAMBLY, calliug at Yercheres, Contrecceur, Sorel, St. Oai's, St.
Denis, St. Charles, St. Mathias, Beloeil, St. Hilaire.

Steamer TERREBONNE, Capt. L. II. Roy, between MONTREAL and
TERREBONNE, calling at Boucherville, Yarennes and Lachenaie.

Steamer L'ETOILE, Capt, P. E. Malhiot, between Montreal and
L'ASSOMPTION, calling at Bout de PIsle and St. Paul.

For further information apply at the Office,

203 COMMISSIONERS STREET,

J. B. LAMERE, General Manager.

THE OTTAWA RIVER

NAVIGATION COMPANY'S MAIL STEAMERS.

MONTREAL TO OTTAWA CITY DAILY,

[Sundays excepted,]

Stopping at St. Anns, Oka, Como, Hudson, Point-aux- Anglais,

Rigaud, Carillon, Point Fortune, Grenville, L'Orignal,

Major's, Brown's, Papineauville, Thurso, Buckingham.

The Splendid New Fast Sailing Steamers

PRINCE OF WALES, r^^fgj QUEEN VICTORIA,

Capt. H. W. Shepherd, illllilliSIIS!*- Capt. A. Bowie.

A train leaves the Bonaventure Street depot every morning [Sundays
excepted] at SEVEN o'clock, to connect at Lachine with the Steamer
" Prince op Wales," [Breakfast] for Carillon, passing through Lake St.
Louis, St. Ann's Rapids, and Lake of Two Mountains. From Carillon, by
Railroad, to Grenville, join the Steamer " Queen Victoria," [Dinner] for
Ottawa City.

Downward the Steamer " Queen Victoria " leaves Ottawa City at 6.30
a.m., passengers arriving at Montreal at 4.45 p.m.

The comfort and economy of this Line are unsurpassed, while the Route
passes through one of the most picturesque districts in Canada, and is the
most fashionable for tourists.

Parties desirous of a pleasant trip can obtain Return Tickets from Montreal
to Carillon, valid for one day, at single fares.

Passengers for the celebrated Caledonian Springs will be landed at L'Orignal.

PARCEL EXPRESS daily from the Office to Ottawa and intermediate
landings.

Further information, as well as Return Tickets, may be obtained at the
Office, Mercantile Library, No. 10 Bonaventure Street, at the Bonaventure
depot, or on board the Steamers. Excursion Tickets may be obtained at the
Office, or on board the Steamers.

Market Steamer, DAGMAR, Capt. McGowan-

Upwards : Leaves Canal Basin, Tuesdays and Fridays at Noon.
Downwards: Leaves Carillon. Mondays and Thursdays at 6 A.M.

R. W. SHEPHERD,

President.

MICHIGiN SOUTHERN RAILROAD.

THREE DIRECT LITSTES

DETROIT TO CHICAGO.
DETROIT TO TOLEDO*

AND

TOLEDO TO CHICAGO,

All of which connect with the Trains of the other Roads at above named

places forming the most Comfortable and Reliable links in the

great routes between the

E^lST and west,

SOUTH AJNTO NORTH-WEST.

DISTANCE, FARE AND TIME SAME AS COMPETING LINES,

and all the modern appliances for the

CONVENIENCE, COMFORT AND SAFETY

of Passengers. In use on all Trains

iLl©&BtT §&L@©N1 ca&CKts,
LUXURIOUS SLEEPING CARS AND SMOKING CARS,

with improved ventilators and dusters.

THROUGH TICKETS AND CHECKS FOR BAGGAGE
can be obtained at the principal Railroad and Steamboat Offices in the
United States and Canadas.

Chas. F. Hatch, Gen. Supt. Geo. EnEarl,

Chicago 111. Passenger Agt. for Canadas.

SAMUEL C. HOUGH,

Gen. Pass. Agt.

Chicago 111.

IKE mm & PRESCOTT MINI

THE ONLY RAILWAY ROUTE TO THE

r mm

the Capital and Seat of Government of Canada.

Distant from the St. Lawrence, at Prescott, opposite
Ogdensburg, 54 miles.

THE PARLIAMENTARY BUILDINGS,

just completed, both from their position and grandeur of the surrounding scenery, as
well as from the beauty of the architectural design, are well worthy the

attention of

THE TOURIST.

The scenery and natural curiosities of the Upper Ottawa,
the beautiful Falls of the Chaudiere and of the Rideau River,
the Timber Slides, the extensive Water-power, and the
Lumbering and other Mills, which are within easy reach of
the City, form a combination of attraction not easily equalled
and certainly not surpassed in Canada.

TRAINS ON THE

OTTAWA & PRESCOTT RAILWAY,

which run in conjunction with the Grand Trunk Railway and with the Railways of the
United States at Ogdensburgh,

LEAVE PRESCOTT AND OTTAWA

Respectively TWICE DAILY.

FOR PARTICULARS SEE PUBLISHED TIME TABLES.

GREAT CENTRAL ROUTE.

UT

AND

UMTED STATES MAIL ROUTE

From Detroit, Mich., to Suspension Bridge, Niagara Falls,

AND BRANCH ROADS FROM

Hamilton to Toronto ; from Harrisburg to Guelph ; and
from Komoka to Petrolia and Sarnia,

FORMING "WITH ITS CONNECTIONS THE

Shortest and Best Route to al! Points East and West.

THREE THROUGH EXPRESS TRAINS EACH WAY DAILY

Connecting at Detroit with the Michigan Central, Michigan Southern, and
Detroit and Milwaukee Kadroads for all points West, North- West and South-
west; at Suspension Bridge with the New York Central Railroad for all
points East, South-East and North-East; at Hamilton with the Royal
Mail Line of Steamers; and at Toronto with the Grand Trunk Railway
and the Royal Mail and American Express Lines of Steamers for all
points on Lake Ontario and the River St. Lawrence.

The only All Rail Route to Petrolia and Bothwell, the Oil Regions of
Canada, and the only Route via Niagara Falls.

The Direct Route from all Points East and West to Toronto
for Madoc and the Gold Mines of Canada.

LB M/W AS IT OVflQBS OSJIi

Pullman's Sixteen- Wheeled Palace Sleeping Cars

Run through between DETROIT and ROCHESTER, and DETROIT and
BUFFALO, WITHOUT CHANGE.

Smoking Cars writn. Ku.ch.re Tallies.

American Currency taken at Par for Through Fares and Sleeping Car Berths ;
also for Meals, &c, at Refreshment Saloons.

Trains are run by Hamilton time, which is 12 minutes faster than Detroit
time ; 25 minutes slower than New York Central Railroad time; and 30 minutes
faster than Montreal time.

Through Tickets by this Route are for Sale at all the principal Ticket Offices
in the United States and Canada.

THOMAS SWINYARD, General Manager, Hamilton, C. W.
JAMES CHARLTON. General Agent, Hamilton, C W.

DETROIT IRD MILWAUKEE IIIIIUD.

Tourists and Pleasure Seekers will find this a most agreeable Route

during summer.

TRAINS LEAVE DETROIT DAILY

FOR

Pontiac, Holly, Flint, Saginaw, Owosso, Lansing, Grand
Rapids, Grand Haven, Muskegon,

and points on the East Shore of Lake Michigan.

Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha, Prairie du Chien,

LaCrosse, St. Paul,

AND POINTS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

Two First Class Side-wheeled Steamers, the

DETROIT ----- Capt. McBride,

AND

MILWAUKEE - Capt. Trowell,

Built expressly for this Line, run between

GRAND HAVEN AND MILWAUKEE

In connection with Trains on Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad, and at Milwaukee with
Trains on Milwaukee and St. Paul, Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien, and Milwaukee
and Chicago Railroads.

GOING EAST

Trains make close connections with Great Western and Grand Trunk Railways fir all

parts of

CANADA AND EASTERN STATES ;

also with Line of Steamers for
OX.E^-BIL^ISriD, CIKTCHSTlNTATI, Sec.

^a* For particulars, see Company's Time .Tables to be had on application at any of

the Ticket offices.

General Offices, ? ^_ — — --

Detroit, 1867. $ THOS. BELL,

General Supt.

THE POPULAR ROUTE TO THE WEST

IS BY THE

1867

1867

FROM

DETROIT TO CHICAGO.

Four Express Passenger Trains Run Each Way Daily.

The Day Trains have Cars specially for Ladies,
and Smoking Cars for Gentlemen.

All the Cars have Six- Wheeled Trucks, aud are fitted up with every
improvement for the comfort of Passengers.

ISTIGMIT TRAINS

HAVE

PULLMAN'S PALACE SLEEPING & REFRESHMENT OARS

UNEQUALLED FOR COMFORT AND ELEGANCE.

The Ventilation and Bedding are Perfect.

HfS^FOR EMIGRANTS -SUT

This line possesses unequalled advantages for

CHEAP, SPEEDY AND COMFORTABLE TRANSIT.
Spacious Bathing Rooms on the Dock at Detroit,

And SPECIAL attention given to this class of travellers.

W. K. MUIR,

Asat. Gen. Supt., Detroit, Mich.

R, N. RICE,

Gen. Supt.

1867 TO TOURISTS AND TRAVELLERS. 1867

SUMMER ARRANGEMENT.

GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY

AND

CANADIAN INLAND STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY'S LINE

OF THROUGH STEAMERS-

NIAGARA FALLS TO MONTREAL

QUEBEC, WHITE MOUMT/iiMS,

PORTLAND. BOSTON, LAKE GEORGE. SARATOGA.

NEW YORK, THE RIVER SAGUENAY,

&C, <fec, etc.

H© TftA&SHSBPIIiSiaT AT 3533a33I!SS[a.

The only Line by which Passengers can retain their State Rooms, through the entire
Trip, and passing the scenery of the

Thousand Islands and Rapids of the St. Lawrence by Daylight.

^S^. This Route possesses peculiar advantages over any other, as by it parties hare
their choice of conveyance between Niagara Fall* and Quebec over the whole or uny
portion of it, without being obliged to decide when purchasing their Tickets, conse-
quently should the weather prove unfavorable Passengers may avoid Lake Ontario by
taking the Grand Trunk Road to Kingston, and from thence by one of the above
Steamers, makingclose connections. No extra charge for MEALS AND STATE ROOMS.

The only Route to the White Mountains by which parties can ascend the
far-famed Mount Washington by the Carriage Road.

AMERICAN MONEY TAKEN AT FAR FAR TICKETS

by this Line, which can be obtained at most of the principal Cities in the United States.

Arrangements have also been made with the Proprietors of tho Principal Hotels at
Toronto, Montreal and Quebec, to take American Money at Par, charging New York
Hotel Rates.

ALEX. MILLOY, Gen. Agent, £, B. BARBER,

C. J. S. >". STEAMERS jvint Age, d,

Office, Great St. James Street} Niagara Falls, N. Y.

Montreal.

C. J. BRYDGES,

Managing Director

GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY,

Montreal.

1867
Grand Trunk Line of Steamers

&& ^V^. BBC HSfl" 3C ^®l_ JBL-a IBC MT JO:

COXSISTIXG OF THK SPLEXDTD STEAMERS

B F. WADE , [CITY OF FREMONT. fSONTGOiflERY, SUN,

Capt. A. Gillies. I Capt. M. Barrett. ICapt^^NiCHOLSox. Capt. R. A. Joxes.
ONE OF THE ABOVE FINE STEA5TEBS* WILL LEAVE

SARMA FOil MACKINAC, MILWAUKEE AND CHICAGO

EVERT

TUESDAY, THTTB.SDATT AND SATURDAY EV&.

On arrival of the Grand Trunk Trains from the East, and Connect at Chicago and
Milwaukee with the various Railways for all Points in the AVest and North-West.

The following are the Days of Starting of each Steamer from Sarnia and Chicago :—

LEAVES SARNIA,

May 4, 14, 23 June 1 , 11, 20, 29

July 9, 18, 27 Aug. 6, 15, 24

Sept. 3, 12, 21 Oct. 1, 10, 19, 29

LEAVES CHICAGO,

May 9, 18, 28 June 6, 15, 25

July 4, 13, 23 Aug. 1, 10. 20, 29

Sept. 7, 17, 26 Oct. 5, 15, 24

CITY OIF FREMONT,

LEAVES SARNIA,
May 7, 16, 25 June, 4, 13, 22

July 2, 11, 20, 30 Aug. 8, ,17, ,2/

Sept. 5, 14, 24 Oct. 3, 12, 22, 31

LEAVES CHICAGO,
May 2. 11, 21, 30 June 8, 18, 27

July 6, 16, 25 Aug. 3, 13, 22. 31

Sept. 10, 19, 28 Oct. 8, 17, 26

MONTGOMERY,

LEAVES SARNIA,

May 9, 18, 28 June 6, 15, 25

July 4, 13, 23 Aug. 1, 10, 20, 29

Sept. 7, 17, 26 Oct. 5, 15, 21

LEAVES CHICAGO,

May 4, 14, 23 June 1, 11, 20, 29

July 9, 18. 27 Aug. 6. 15, 24

Sept. 3. 12, 21 Oct. 1, 10, 19, 29

SUN,

LEAVES SARNIA,

May 2. 11, 21, 30 June 8, 18. 27

July 6, 16, 25 Aug. 3. 13, 22, 31

Sept. 10, 19, 28 Oct. 8, 17, 26

LEAVES CHICAGO,
May 7, 16, 25 June 4, 13, 22

July 2, 11,20, 30 Aug. 8, 17, 27

Sept. 5, 14, 21 Oct. 3, 12, 22, 31

The " B. F. WADE" and " CITY OF FREMONT" call at Northport every trip.
These Steamers are acknowledged to be equal to any others on the Upper Lakes in
their equipment : and for Speed, Safety and Comfort are unequalled.

O-ocSLox-iola. Xiines

FOR NORTH SHORE PORTS ON LAKE HURON

The Fast Sailing-Steamer " SILVER SPRAY" will leave GODERICH for SOUTH-
AMPTON at 4 PS M. every TUESDAY, THURSDAY and SATURDAY calling , aj
Kincardine, Inverhuron and Port Elgin : and returning will leave SOUTHAMPTON
for GODERICH every MONDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAI .

The First-Class Steamer " W. R. CLINTON" will .leave GODERICH for SAGI-
NAW every MONDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY, and RETURNING will leave
SAGINAW for GODERICH every TUESDAY. THURSDAY and SATURDAY .

Passengers purchasing Tickets by the above Joint Railroad and Steamboat Lines
will save Time and Expense. .

The Boats can be relied upon to leave as advertised.

All First Class Tickets include Meals and State Rooms.

Passengers desiring to travel all rail can obtain Tickets via the Grank Irunk Kail-
way as cheap as by any other Route. . .

Close connections made at Detroit with all Lines.

At Refreshment Rooms American money is received at Par from Passengers holding
Through Tickets.

Superb Sleeping Cars on all Night Trains.

For Fares, Rates for Freight, and all other particulars, apply to the Agents s ol the
Grand Trunk Railway Company. C. J. BRlDGEb,

Montreal, M ay 1, 1867. Managing Director.

GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY

1867 i v^n !

1837

SEA. BATHING-

EXCURSION TICKETS.

TADOUSAC, RIVIERE DU LOUP AKD PORTLAND.

RETURN TICKETS, valid until November 1st, can now be obtained at the

following Kates, viz. :

4

From

To
Tadousac

and
Return.

To

Riviere du

Loup and

Re tin i).

To
Portland

and
Return.

SARN1A,

LONDON

$25.00
25.00
24.00
24.00
20.00
20.00
18.50
18.50
17.50
14.50
12.50
12.50
10.00
5.50

823.00
23.00
22.00
22.00
18.00
18.00
16.00
16.00
15.00
12-00
10.00
10.00
7.50
3.00

824.00
24.00

ST. MARY'S

23.00

JSTR ATFORD

23.00

TORONTO

20.00

WHITBY"

20.00

PORT HOPE

COBOUR.Gr

IS. 00
18.00

BELLEVILLE

18.00

KINGSTON

1G.00

BROCKV1LLE

14.00

PRESOOTT

14.00

MONTREAL

QUEBEC

10.50
13.50

The Boal for TADOTTSAC ia Bemi-weekly, leaving Riviere du Loup every
TUESDAY and FRIDAY AFTERNOON, at about 5 o'clock. Passengera
with Tadousac tickets have the privilege of stopping over at Riviere du Loup
as long as they desire during the season.

There is excellent Hotel accommodation at Cacouna and Tadousac. At
Cacouna the 'St. Lawrence Hall,1 kept now by Messrs. Hogan & Co., of
Montreal, and at Tadousac the ' Tadousac House, ' kept by Mr. Browning, of
Montreal. Charges are moderate.

For further information and Tickets, apply to the Agents of the Grand Trunk Rail-
way Company.

C. J. BRYDGES,
Montreal, June 1st, 1867. Managing Director,

LIFE AND ACCIDENT.

THE ORIGINAL

VM7HfclU18' ODSIMSrai (BDIMM

OF HARTFORD, CONN.,

INSURES AGAINST

ACCIDENTS

OF EVERY DESCRIPTION,
CAUSING BODILY INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE.

CASH CAPITAL - - - - $500,000

With a Surplus of over $100,000.

The Travellers' Insurance Company, of Hartford, Conn., was the first to
successfully introduce in this country the practice of Insurance against Accidents,
of whatever kind, whether they occur in travelling, or in hunting, fishing, sailing,
riding, skating, in the street, store, office, or while working in shop, mills, factories,
or on the farm.

A General Accident Policy covers every possible form of casualty, including the
risk in travelling, also all forms of dislocations, broken bones, ruptured tendons,
sprains, concussions, crushings, bruises, cuts, stabs, gunshot wounds, poisoned
wounds, burns and scalds, freezing, bites of dogs, unprovoked assaults by burglars,
robbers or murderers, the action of lightning or sun stroke, the effect of explosions,
chemicals, floods and earthquakes, suffocation by drowning or choking.

This Company has been in successful operation since April 1, 1864, and up to
April 1, 1866, had issued over forty-jive thousand policies, and paid over fourteen
hundred losses — in addition to the large sum of .s(J2,500 realized to twenty-nine
policy-holders, for $542 received in premiums.

J AS. G. BATTERSON, President.

RODNEY DENNIS, Secretary.

GEO. \Y. CAMPBELL, M.D., Montreal, Medical and Surgical Adviser for

Canada.

T. E. FOSTER, Montreal, General Agent for Canada.

ISP Agencies of the Travellers of Hartford in all principal towns and
cities of United States and Canada, where Policies can be obtained without
delay.

ST. LAWRENCE HALL,

GREAT ST. JAMES STREET,

H. IIOGA5T, ..... Proprietor.

This First-Class Hotel, the largest in Montreal, and which has long been re-
garded by the Travelling Public as the most popular and fashionable resort, is
situated opposite the Post Office, and contiguous to the Banks, French Cathedral
or Church Ville Marie, the Champ de Mars, where the Troops are reviewed, and
other Public Institutions. It has been under the charge of the present proprietor
for over fifteen years. A large part of the Hall was engaged by the Government
for the Suite of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wale*, on his visit to this city.
The Proprietor would take this opportunity of thaDking his numerous friends
for past favors and to inform them that he has during the past winter built a
large addition to the Hall, and hopes in future to be able to accommodate all
who may favor his establishment.

Telegraphic communication from the Hotel.

ESTiVSLISIfED 1818.

SAVAGE & LYMAN,

CATHEDRAL BLOCK, NOTRE DAME STREET,

iyxoNor*i)ei*x>,

MANUFACTURERS AND IMPORTERS OF

<r e"w:e llebt

In all its varieties and styles,

Electro-Plated Ware, Dressing Cases and Bags,

ALSO,

Silver Tea and Coffee Sets, Jugs, Pitchers, Cups, Trays and

Inkstands, Castors and Cake Baskets, Forks, Spoons,

&c, &c, Arc.

W. NOTMAN,

PHOTOGRAPHER TO THE QUEEN,

BLEURY STREET,

MONTREAL.

PRINTING HOUSE

^HE Undersigned have recently ijoen enabled to
make great additions to their printing machinery
and stock of tpye.

They have now FIVE STEAM PRINTING besides
other kinds of PRESSES, which enable them to strike
off a very large number of impressions, with the greatest
despatch.

Any orders sent by mail, from the country, will be
promptly attended to, and forwarded by mail or express.
They have the newest styles of types for handbills and
posters.

They will give particular attention to the printing of
legal, municipal and assessment forms, guaranteeing at
once despatch and correctness.

They have recently purchased one of the COUPON
PRESSES of Messrs. Sanford, Harroun & Co., the only
one of the kind in Canada, by means of which they are
enabled to print NUMBERED Railroad Tickets, Steamboat
Tickets, Concert Tickets, $c.

Remittances from the country in duly registered letters
will be at our risk.

M. LONGMOORE & CO ,
Printing House,
67 Great St, James Street
Montreal.