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r% 


Jtartoarti  College  liftrarg 


FROM  THE 

FRANCIS  PARKMAN 

MEMORIAL  FUND 

FOR 

CANADIAN  HISTORY 
Established  in  1908 


© 


AsUccC      HAWKINS'S 


PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC; 


WITH 


HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS. 


QUEBEC : 

PRINTED    FOR   THE  PROPRIETOR   HY   NEILSON    &    COWAN. 

1834. 


Harvrt.r:  Oulogre  Library 

3  driest  of 

FJlAtfCJIS   FARKM.AN 

1/  Jao.1894 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Provincial  Parliament  in  the  Office  of  the  Pro- 
thonotary,  Quebec,  5th  August,  1834. 


Entered,  August  29th,  1834,  in  the  Office  of  the  Clerk  for  the  Southern  District 
of  New- York. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
DEDICATION ▼«. 

Preface, ix* 

CHAPTER  L 
Introduction  of  the  subject • ••        1 

CHAPTER  II. 

Historical  sketch  of  discovery,  previous  to  the  time  of 
Jacques  Cartier. — Madoc,  Prince  of  Wales — Claim  of 
the  Norwegians — Period  of  Modern  Discovery — Co- 
lumbus— John  and  Sebastian  Cabot — Voyage  of  Cor- 
tereal — Discovery  by  the  French — Giovanni  Verazzano 
-  -Canon  de  bronze 8. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Historical  sketch  continued. — First  and  second  voyages 
of  Jacques  Cartier. — Discovery  of  Canada — and  of  Que- 
bec— Description  of  Stadacona,  and  the  harbor  of  St. 
Croix — Discovery  of  Hochelaga,  or  Montreal — Return 
to  St.  Croix — Disastrous  winter  of  1536 — Return  to 
France 34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Historical  sketch  continued. — Third  voyage  of  Jacques 
Cartier. — He  winters  at  Cap  Rouge — Voyage  of  Rober- 
val — Return  of  Jacques  Cartier  to  France — Fate  of 
Roberval 55 


IV, 

CHAPTER  V. 

Historical  sketch  continued. — Grand  project  of  Coligny 
— Settlement  in  French  Florida — Romantic  story  of  the 
Chevalier  De  Gourgues — His  speech  in  Champlain 
— Abortive  voyage  of  La  Roche — Other  voyages — 
Pontgrave— Chauvin 71 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Historical  sketch  concluded. — First  voyage  of  Champlain 
— Enterprises  of  De  Monts—  Foundation  of  Quebec...     89 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Etymology  of  the   words  Canada  and  Quebec. — The  Suf- 
folk Seal— Account  of  the  Duke  of  Suffolk 107 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Castle  of  St.  Lewis. — Foundation — Capture  by  Kertk 
— Remarkable  scene  therein — Described  by  La  Potherie 
and  by  Charlevoix — Destruction  by  fire — Stanzas 128 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Ancient  appearance  of  the  City. — General  description — 
The  Citadel— The  fortifications 149 

CHAPTER  X. 
Religious  establishments — Ancient  and  Modern. — Recollet 
Church   and  Convent — Jesuit's  College — Hotel   Dieu 
— Ursuline  Convent — Seminary  of  Quebec — General 
Hospital 175 

CHAPTER  XL 
Religious  establishments  concluded. — French  Cathedral 
Church  of  the  Congregation — St  Roch—  Notre  Dame — 
des  Victoires — Prophecy — English  Cathedral — Monu- 
ments— Other  places  of  worship — St.  Andrew's  Church 
—St.  John's— St  Patrick's— Wesleyan  Chapel 222 

CHAPTER  XII. 
lutendant*s  Palace. — Bishop's  Palace — Parliament  House 
— Court   House — Government  offices — Jail — Freeraa- 
sorV   Hall — Chien    d'Or — Montcalm  House — Marine 
Hospital— Chasseur's  Museum — Places  of  Education...  344 


V. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Monument   to  Wolfe  and    Montcalm. — Ceremony  on 
laying:  the  first  stone — Inscriptions — Stanzas — Captain 
Alexander 265 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Lower  Town — Earliest  notice — Trade— Manners — 
Climate  in  1700 — Description  in  1720 — Present  state 
and    public    buildings — Exchange — Trinity    House — 
Banks — Other  buildings — Corporation  Seal 282 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Sieges  of  Quebec. — Capture  in  1629 — Repulse  of  Phipps, 
in  1690 — Abortive  attempt  in  1711 — Expedition  in 
1759 — Preliminary  sketch — Convention  at  Albany — 
Governor  Pownall — General  Townshend's  Despatches 
— Battle  of  the  Plains — Death  of  Wolfe — Intended 
Monument — Death  of  Montcalm 298 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Sieges  continued. — Memorabilia  of  1759 — Fraser's  High- 
lander's— Anecdotes 373 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Sieges  continued. — Reception  of  the  news  in  England — 
Chronological  series  of  occurrences  there — Promotions, 
&c 399 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Sieges  continued. — General  Murray's  defeat — His  des- 
patches— Final  acquisition  of  Canada 410 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Sieges  concluded — Arnold's  expedition  in  1775— Siege 
and  storming  on  the  31st  December — Death  of  Montgo- 
mery   422 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Geology  of  Quebec  and  the  vicinity — General  character  of 
the  environs — Extract  from  Bouchette — Conclusion...  442 


TO 


THE    RIGHT  HONORABLE    GENERAL 


THE    EARL    OF  DALHOUSIE, 


KNIGHT   GRAND   CR08S  OP  THB  MOST  HONORABLE  MILITARY 
ORDER   OF  THE  BATH,    &C.   &C.   &C 


My  Lord, 

When  His  late  Majesty  King  George  the 
Fourth  was  graciously  pleased  to  confer  the  honor 
of  Commander-in-Chief  of  his  Armies  in  India,  on 
your  Lordship,  the  capital  of  the  British  dominions 
in  North  America  hailed  it,  amidst  regret  for  your 
departure,  as  a  proud  mark  of  the  Sovereign's  favor, 
and  approbation  of  your  Lordship's  long  and  ardu- 
ous administration  of  the  Government  of  this  part  of 
the  King's  dominions. 


nil. 

Convinced,  my  Lord,  that  whatever  relates  to  the 

renown  of  this  important  and  interesting  city  will  not 

be  unacceptable  to  yon,  I  beg  leave  to  dedicate  the 

following  pages  to  your  Lordship  :  they  may  serve 

to  recall  to  your  mind  the  portion  of  your  valuable 

public  life,  passed  in  this  quarter  of  the  world,  in 

which  the  honor  of  the  King  and  the  best  interests 

of  the  Province  were  so  conspicuously  upheld  by 

your  Lordship. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

My  Lord, 

Your  Lordship's, 

Faithful  and  devoted  Servant, 

ALFRED  HAWKINS. 
47,  St.  Lewis  Street, 

Quebec,  November  10th,  1834. 


PREFACE. 

Some  delay  has  unavoidably  taken  place  in  the  pub- 
lication of  this  work,  but  the  subject  is  so  full  of 
interest  that  it  was  found  impossible  to  confine  it 
within  the  bounds  originally  intended,  namely,  a 
volume  of  two  hundred  and  forty  pages. 

With  a  desire,  therefore,  of  embracing  the  most 
important  historical  facts  connected  with  this  city, 
I  have  availed  myself  of  the  valuable  information 
which  has  been  kindly  afforded  by  several  gentlemen 
conversant  with  the  early  history  of  this  coun- 
try ;  and  I  beg  to  express  my  acknowledgments  to 
those  gentlemen,  and  to  the  many  friends  who  have 
taken  an  active  interest  in  the  progress  of  this  work. 
I  should  be  wanting,  indeed,  in  justice,  if  I  did  not 
here  express  how  deeply  sensible  I  am  of  the  obliga- 
I  tions  which  I  owe  to  A.  Thom,  Esquire,  M.  A.  for 
the  original  Prospectus  of  this  work,  which  has  been 
duly  estimated  wherever  it  has  been  read ;  and  I  es- 
teem myself  particularly  fortunate  in  having  obtained 
the  assistance  of  J.  C.  Fisher,  Esquire,  L.  L,  D., 
who  arranged  and  classified  the  various  materials  sub- 
mitted to  him,  and  from  whose  classical  pen  the 
greatest  portion  of  the  following  pages  proceeds. 

A.  II. 


/ 


HEW 

PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC  } 

WITH 

HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTER  THE  FIRST. 

The  year  1759,  so  remarkable  for  the  successes  of 
the  British  arms,  and  which  reflected  such  lustre  up- 
on the  expiring  reign  of  George  the  Second,  found 
the  frontiers  of  Canada  the  chief  seat  of  war  between 
Great  Britain  and  France.  The  successful  result  of 
a  campaign,  planned  with  singular  skill,  and  executed 
with  equal  valour  and  conduct,  placed  the  whole  of 
the  French  possessions  in  America  under  the  standard 
of  Great  Britain.  The  capture  of  the  city  and 
Fortress  of  Quebec,  remarkably  strong  both  by  na- 
ture and  art,  was  an  achievement  of  so  romantic  a 
character,  so  distinguished  by  chivalrous  enterprise, 
and  so  fraught  with  singular  adventure,  that  the  in* 
terest  attending  it  still  remains  undiminished,  and 
its  glorious  recollections  unfaded.  By  the  subse- 
quent capitulation,  a  most  important  Province  was 
wrested  from  the  French,  and  reduced  under  the 
British  sceptre — the  population  of  which,  fostered  by 
the  strength  and  generosity  of  British  protection, 


2  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

has  grown  from  seventy  thousand  to  half  a  million 
of  souls,  enjoying  a  degree  of  rational  liberty  and 
happiness  unequalled  on  the  surface  of  the  globe. 
Not  less  in  an  historical  than  in  a  national  point  of 
view,  the  battle  of  the  Plains  of  Abraham  calls  up 
the  proudest  feelings  of  patriotic  exultation.  The 
various  advantages  derived  by  the  empire  from  the 
accession  of  so  large  a  territory,  are  not  more  obvious 
to  the  statesman,  than  the  virtue  and  heroism  of  the 
youthful  leader  of  the  expedition,  and  the  bravery 
of  his  troops,  are  themes  of  just  pride  to  the  lover  of 
his  country.  Young  in  years,  but  mature  in  expe- 
rience, Wolfe  possessed  all  the  liberal  virtues,  in 
addition  to  a  perfect,  an  enthusiastic  knowledge  of  the 
military  art ;  with  a  sublimity  of  genius  always 
the  distinguishing  mark  of  minds  above  the  ordinary 
level  of  mankind.  His  glorious  and  lamented  death 
in  the  arms  of  victory — together  with  that  of  his 
gallant  antagonist,  Montcalm,  by  whom  nothing  was 
omitted  in  the  power  of  an  able  and  zealous  officer 
to  perform, — have  thrown  a  classic  celebrity  around 
the  subject  of  the  present  volume,  and  render  Que- 
bec an  object  of  attention  and  curiosity  to  the  intel- 
ligent of  every  country. 

Whatever  may  be  the  future  destiny  of  this  re- 
markable city,  whether  as  the  Metropolis  of  the 
flourishing  Colonies  of  British  North  America,  *  the 
Royal  Standard  of  Great  Britain  shall  continue  to 
wave  for  ages  over  the  battlements  of  its  Citadel 
— rquod  sit  Diis  visum  ! — or  whether  in  the  course  of 
time  a  new  and  independent  empire  shall  spring  up 
on  this  Continent,  allied  to  and  connected  with 
Great'  Britain  by  the  remembrance  of  past  benefits, 
tffe ^enjoyment  of  free  institutions  and  of  reciprocal 
mercantile  advantages,  Quebec,  either  on  the  ground 


WITH  HI8T0BICAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  3 

of  its  ancient  historic  feme,  its  natural  sublimity,  or 
its  political  and  commercial  importance,  must  ever 
maintain  a  superior  rank  among  the  cities  of  the 
western  world*  Whatever  may  be  thy  future  destiny, 
no  generous  stranger  shall  hereafter  visit  thee,  Que-' 
bec,  or  wander  along  the  classic  shores  of  thy  Saint 
Lawrence,  and  not  gaze  on  the  prospect  before  him 
with  unrepressed  delight — no  liberal  mind  shall  be 
insensible  to  the  beauties  of  thy  locality — none  shall 
leave  thee  without  acknowledging  the  moral  and 
physical  grandeur  of  thy  associations,  and  without 
feeling  the  soul  elevated  by  the  recollection  of  thy 
bygone  glories,  both  of  religion  and  of  arms  ! 
While  history  blushes  for  the  cruelties  which  tar- 
nished the  Spanish  occupation  of  Hispaniola — and 
while,  in  Mexico  and  Peru,  Cortes  and  Pizarro  sul- 
lied their  glory,  and  moved  the  horror  of  Las  Casas, 
by  a  war  of  extermination  against  the  heathen 
tenants  of  the  soil — here  in  Quebec  was  established 
from  the  earliest  period  at  which  the  Colony  acquired 
strength,  an  organized  system  for  the  conversion  and 
civilisation  of  the  Aborigines,  by  means  of  the  Cross, 
not  of  the  sword*  Here  peaceful  pursuits  were 
chiefly  followed,  and  a  friendly  intercourse  maintain- 
ed with  the  savages  by  means  of  zealous  Priest?,  who 
plunged  fearlessly  into  the  trackless  forest,  imparting 
to  the  wild  hunter  the  practical  results  of  the  arts  of 
civilisation,  and  the  holy  inspirations  of  revealed  re- 
ligion. The  attachment  of  the  French  to  the  Indian 
tribes  among  whom  they  "were  thrown,  may  be  justly 
supposed  to  have  sprung  from  the  hospitable  recep- 
tion which  the  early  settlers  met  with  from  the  na- 
tives on  their  first  coming  to  the  land.  The  very 
earliest  record,  indeed,  places  them  in  the  '4ty|jtst 
amiable  light ;  and  leads  to  the  mortifying  conclu- 


4  NEW   PICTURE    OF    QUEBEC, 

sion,  that  Europeans,  generally  speaking,  either 
never  discovered  the  true  methods  of  conciliation,  or 
that  they  seldom  remembered  them  in  practice.  The 
incident  alluded  to  occurred  in  the  second  voyage  of 
Verazzano,  in  1525,  and  is  to  be  found  originally  in 
Ramusio,  Vol.  III.  p.  421.  At  the  desire  of 
Verazzano,  a  young  sailor  had  undertaken  to  swim  to 
land  and  accost  the  natives  ;  but  when  he  saw  the 
crowds  which  thronged  the  beach,  he  repented  of  his 
purpose,  and  although  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
landing  place,  his  courage  failed,  and  he  attempted 
to  turn  back.  At  this  moment  the  water  only  reach- 
ed his  waist ;  but  overcome  with  terror  and  exhaus- 
tion, he  had  scarcely  strength  to  cast  his  presents 
and  trinkets  upon  the  beach,  when  a  high  wave 
threw  him  senseless  on  the  shore.  The  savages 
ran  immediately  to  his  assistance,  took  him  up  in 
their  arms,  and  carried  him  a  short  distance  from  the 
sea.  Great  was  his  terror  when,  upon  recovering 
his  recollection,  he  found  himself  entirely  in  their 
power.  Stretching  his  hands  towards  the  ship,  he 
uttered  piercing  cries,  to  which  the  natives  replied 
by  loud  yells  intended,  as  he  afterwards  found,  to 
reassure  him.  They  then  carried  him  to  the  foot  of 
a  hill,  stripped  him  naked,  turned  his  face  to  the  sun, 
and  kindled  a  large  fire  near  him.  He  was  fully  im- 
pressed with  the  horrible  thought  that  they  were 
about  to  sacrifice  him  to  the  sun :  his  companions  on 
board,  unable  to  render  him  any  assistance,  were  of 
the  same  opinion.  They  thought,  to  use  Verazzano's 
own  words,  "  that  the  natives  were  going  to  roast 
and  eat  him."  Their  fears,  however,  were  soon 
turned  to  gratitude  and  astonishment :  the  savages 
dried  his  clothes,  warmed  him,  and  showed  him  every 
mark  of  kindness,  caressing  and  patting  his  white  skin 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS,  5 

with  apparent  surprise.  They  then  dressed  him,  con- 
ducted him  to  the  beach,  tenderly  embraced  him,  and 
pointing  to  the  vessel,  removed  to  a  little  distance  to 
show  that  he  was  at  liberty  to  return  to  his  friends. 
Tims  did  the  untutored  Indians  treat  the  first  European 
they  had  seen  with  true  Christian  charity — the  phi- 
lanthropist laments  to  add,  that  it  is  doubtful  whe- 
ther violence  was  not  offered  to  the  first  of  our  red 
brethren  who  fell  into  the  power  of  the  white  dis- 

rsers  of  civilisation.  The  efforts  of  the  Jesuits 
the  conversion  and  instruction  of  the  savages — 
the  universal  kindness  and  benevolence  of  the  Mis- 
nonaries  wherever  they  succeeded  in  establishing 
themselves,  perpetuated  this  friendly  spirit  towards 
die  French  among  the  neighboring  Indians,  so  often 
exemplified  in  the  annals  of  the  country,  and  which 
remained  after  the  cession  of  the  Province  in  1763. 
A  proof  of  this  feeling  may  yet  be  found  in  the  Hu- 
ron Village  and  establishment  of  Lorette,  where  the 
remnant  of  those  Aborigines  were  protected  by 
the  French ;  and  where  they  survive  at  this  day, 
shorn,  it  is  true,  of  their  ancient  power  and  domi- 
nion over  the  forest,  but  still  entertaining  friendship 
and  respect  for,  and  receiving  protection  from  those 
who  now  rule  the  land  of  their  forefathers.  It  may 
be  well  questioned,  whether  an  Indian  settlement  so 
situated,  under  the  very  walls,  as  it  were,  of  the  ca- 
pital, can  now  be  found  in  any  province  or  part  of 
the  western  hemisphere*.  These  are  some  of  the 
peaceful  and  moral  glories  which  throw  such  interest 
around  the  history  and  locality  of  Quebec.  As  to  her 
claims  to  military  renown,  it  need  only  be  remem- 
bered, that  it  has  been  the  peculiar  fortune  of  Que- 
bec to  be  the  arena  of  a  conflict  which  affected  the 
strength  and  influence  of  two  of  the  most  powerful 

a  2 


f 


6  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

and  highly  civilised  nations  of  the  old  world,  Great 
Britain  and  France.  Quebec  is  the  only  city  on 
the  North  American  Continent  which  has  been  re- 
gularly fortified,  and  which  has  resisted  the  sieges 
and  assaults  of  disciplined  troops.  When  it  last  fell, 
the  whole  French  system  of  colonial  empire  fell 
with  it — a  system  which,  had  it  been  followed  with 
vigor  equal  to  the  conception,  might  have  proved 
fatal  to  the  interests  of  the  English  colonists — and  a 
colonial  empire  which  extended  from  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  The 
result  of  this  conflict,  and  the  circumstances  which 
achieved  that  result,  render  Quebec  peculiarly  inte- 
resting to  every  true  Briton ;  while  the  conse- 
quences, so  favorable  to  the  liberty  of  the  subject, 
and  the  full  development  of  the  resources  of  the  co- 
lony, have  converted  the  field  of  military  defeat  into 
a  scene  of  civil  triumph  in  the  estimation  of  every 
loyal  Canadian.  To  either  race  the  ground  is  sa- 
cred. To  the  one,  the  Plains  of  Abraham  are  at 
once  the  Hastings  and  the  Runnimede  of  the  other. 
By  our  brethren  of  the  Union,  the  site  of  Quebec 
cannot  be  visited  without  peculiar  interest.  The 
great  event  which  consecrated  the  Heights  of  Abra- 
ham, while  it  for  ever  extinguished  French  domi- 
nion in  America,  established  the  security  of  the 
English  colonists  of  that  day,  and  eventually  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  present  gigantic  republic. 

The  scenic  beauty  of  Quebec  has  been  the  theme 
of  general  eulogy.  The  majestic  appearance  of 
Cape  Diamond  and  the  fortifications — the  cupolas 
and  minarets,  like  those  of  an  eastern  city,  blazing 
and  sparkling  in  the  sun — .the  loveliness  of  the  pa- 
norama— the  noble  basin,  like  a  sheet  of  purest  sil- 
ver,, in  which  might  ride  with  safety  an  hundred  sail 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS. 


of  the  line — the  graceful  meandering  of  the  River 
St  Charles — the  numerous  village   spires  on  either 
ride  of  the  St  Lawrence-— the  fertile  fields  dotted 
with  innumerable  cottages,  the  abodes  of  a  rich  and 
moral  peasantry — the  distant  Falls  of  Montmorency 
— the  park-like  scenery  of  Pointe  Levi— the  beau- 
teous isle  of  Orleans — and  more  distant  still,  the 
frowning  Cap  Tourment,  and  the  lofty  range  of 
purple  mountains  of  the  most  picturesque  forms 
which  bound  the  prospect,   unite  to  make  a  coup 
(fcoilj  which,  without  exaggeration,  is.  scarcely  to  be 
mipMBcd  in  any  part  of  the  world.    If  the  scientific 
tmveller,  amid  the  sensations  experienced  on  scan- 
ning the  various  beauties  of  the  scene,  should  recall 
to  mind,  in  ascending  the  highest  elevation  of  the 
promontory,  that  he  is  standing-  upon  the  margin  of 
tike  primeval    and   interminable  forest,  extending 
from  a  narrow  selvage  of  civilisation  to  the  Arctic 
regions,  he  will  admit  that  the  position  of  Quebec  is 
unique  in  itself  and  that  in  natural  sublimity  it 
tends,  as  to  the  cities  of  the  continent,  unrivalled, 
and  alone* 


8  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE  SECOND. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  DISCOVERY  PREVIOUS  TO  THE 
TIME  OF  JACQUES  CARTIER. 

Before  we  proceed  to  the  descriptive  portion  of 
our  volume,  it  has  been  thought  necessary  to  give  a 
sketch  of  the  progress  of  maritime  discovery  in  this 
part  of  the  continent,  with  historical  notices  and 
recollections  connected  with  the  capital  of  British 
North  America.  The  original  volumes  in  which 
the  voyages  of  the  discoverers,  and  the  early  annals 
of  the  country  are  to  be  found,  are  not  always  easy 
of  access  by  general  readers  ;  many  being  contained 
in  scarce  and  costly  works,  or  in  the  scattered  frag- 
ments of  more  recondite  authorities.  The  present 
essay  has  therefore  been  compiled  to  furnish  a  com- 
prehensive manual  of  the  progress  of  civilisation  in 
the  Province,  as  an  appropriate  introduction  to  the 
immediate  object  of  this  publication.  Although  this 
subject  has  been  treated  by  various  authors,  whose 
books  are  familiar  to  the  public,  we  trust  that  some 
new  matter,  or  some  facts  placed  in  a  novel  point  of 
view,  will  be  found  to  repay  the  reader  for  the  time 
bestowed  in  the  perusal  of  this  chapter. 

If  the  existence  of  the  New  World,  as  it  has  fre- 
quently been  called,  from  the  late  period  of  its  dis- 
covery, was  unknown  to  the  Ancients,  it  would  seem 
with  some  show  of  reason  to  have  been  not  altoge- 
ther unsuspected  by  them.     From  several  passages 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  9 

it  is  certain  that  an  idea  was  entertained,  that  it  was 
easy  to  sail  from  the  western  coast  of  Spain  to  the 
eastern  shores  of  India.     They  had,   however,  no 
idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  globe,  and  imagined 
that  a  few   days   would   be   sufficient  for   such  a 
voyage.     The  existence  of  an  immense  continent 
intervening  between  their  point  of  departure  and  the 
extreme  shores  of  India,  was  beyond  their  concep- 
tion, as  it  was  of  the  early  European  navigators. 
The   object  of  the  first  adventurers  of  whom  any 
tiling  certain  has  reached  us,  was  a  passage  to  India, 
and  it   may  be  said  that  they  stumbled  upon  Ame- 
rica in  their  route.     Aristotle,  Strabo,   Pliny   and 
Seneca    entertained  the   crude   opinion   mentioned 
above.     Strabo  alone  seems  to  have  imagined  the 
distance  between  the  two  continents,  when  he  says, 
that  the  ocean  encompasses   all  the  earth ;  that  in 
the  east  it  washes  the  coast  of  India,  and  in  the  west 
those  of  Africa  and  Spain,  and  that,  if  the  vastness 
of  the  Atlantic  did  not  hinder,  they  might  soon  sail 
from  the  one   to  the  other  upon  the  same  parallel. 
The   following  remarkable   passage   is   from  the 
Medea  of  Seneca,  the  Tragedian  : — 

Venient  annis 
Saecula  sens,  quibtis  Ocean  us 
Vincula  rerum  laxet,  et  ingens 
Pateat  tell  us,  Tiphysque  novos 
Detegat  orbee,  nee  sit  terris 

Ultima  Thule. 

"  There  will  come  a  time  in  after  ages,  when 
u  the  ocean  will  loose  the  bonds  of  matter,  and 
u  a  vast  country  will  be  discovered,  and  a  second 
u  Tiphys  will  reveal  new  worlds,  and  Thule  shall 
u  no  longer  be  the  extremity  of  the  earth."  And 
in  a  book,   ascribed    to    Aristotle,    the    Carthagi- 


10  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

nians  are  stated  to  have  discovered,  far  beyond  the  i 
pillars  of  Hercules,  an  Island  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  { 
of  great  extent  and  fertility,  watered  by  large  and  | 
magnificent  rivers,  but  entirely  uninhabited*     This  ; 
enterprising  people  are  said  to  have  planted  a  colony  i 
there,  which  was  afterwards  recalled,  owing  to  some  j 
political  objection,  which  forbad  distant  colonization* . :) 
The  Tyrians  are  also  said  to  have  evinced  some  in-  3 
tention  of  occupying  this  Island,  and  were  proceed*  4 
ing  to   carry  their  purpose  into   execution,   when  q 
they  were  prevented  by  the  jealousy  of  the  Cartha-  j 
ginians.     It  was  pretended  by  some  writers   that  : 
this  Island  was  Hispaniola,  by  others,  one  of  the  > 
Azores.     The  boldness  of  the  Carthaginian  naviga-  , 
tors  is  sufficiently  authenticated ;  and  however  we  , 
maybe  inclined  to  doubt  the  probability  of  their 
having  ventured  as  far  as  the  West  Indies  of  mo- 
dern days,  it  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  they 
had  acquired  some  imperfect  notion  of  Islands  and 
lands  in  the  western  hemisphere.     One  fact,  how* 
ever,  is  clearly  ascertained,  that  their  belief  in  the 
existence  of  such  Islands  or  continent  did  not  induce 
any  subsequent  colony  to  go  in  search  of  them  ;  nor 
is  there  any  reason  to  believe,  that  America  received 
any  portion  of  its   early  inhabitants  from  civilised 
Europe,  prior  to  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century. 

We  may  here  mention  a  curious  passage  in  the 
lost  writings  of  Cornelius  Nepos,  quoted  by  Pompo- 
nius  Mela :  "  A  king  of  the  Boii  made  Quintus 
"  Metellus  Celer  then  Proconsul  of  Gaul,  a  pre* 
"  sent  of  some  Indians  who  had  been  thrown  by  ft 
"  tempest  on  the  coast  of  Germany."  The  Roman* 
concluded  from  this  circumstance,  that  coming,  at 
these  savages  did,  from  India,  it  was  practicable  to 
make  the  tour  of  Asia  and  Europe  round  the  north* 


WITH  ttlSTOKlCAL  HfiCOlXICTtONS.  11  < 

by  traversing  the  imaginary  ocean  which,  as  they 
•opposed,  occupied  the  site  of  Siberia  and  of  the 
north  of  Russia.  This  explanation  cannot  now  be 
admitted  ;  but  the  feet  still  remains,  that  Indians,  or 
dsrk  eomplexioned  people  of  some  nation  or  other, 
actually,  reached  the  coast  of  Germany  or  Gaul, 
Maui  time  before  the  year  of  Rome,  694,  the  eom~ 
aencement  of  Caesar's  conquests.  In  all  probabi- 
lity, they  were  Esquimaux,  either  from  Labrador  or 
Greenland.  The  same  circumstance  again  occurred 
id  1680  and  1684.  In  Wallace's  Account  of  Ok- 
aey,  it  is  mentioned  that  some  Greenlanders  arrived 
there  in 'the  kind  of  boats  peculiar  to  them,  which 
we  preserved  in  the  Church  of  Barra,  and  in  the 
College  Museum  of  Edinburgh. 

MADOG,   PRINCE   OF  WALES. 

On  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus,  seve- 
ral prior  claims  were  attempted  to  be  put  in  by  dif- 
ferent nations,  founded  on   tradition  ;  and  stories 
were  revived  which  had  been  well  nigh  consigned  to 
oblivion.     The  claim  advanced  by  the  Welch  merits 
relation,  as  having  been  made  by  a  people  of  kin- 
died  stock  with  ourselves.     Their  tradition  respect- 
ing the  discovery  of  America  is,  that  about  the  year 
1170,  one  of  their  Princes,  Madoc,   son  of  Owen 
Guyneth,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  sailed  to  the  New 
World,  and  there  established  a  colony  of  his  coun- 
trymen.    The  cause  of  his  emigration  is  stated  to 
be  this  : — the  sons  of  Owen   disputed  the  division 
tf  their  father's  dominions,  and  Madoc  fearing  the 
consequences  of  the  disunion,  like  another  Teucer, 
(bote  to   seek  a  new  habitation  in  a  foreign  land, 
jj  other  than  to  hazard  the  dangers  of  civil  convulsion. 


12  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

He  is  said  to  have  steered  due  west,  leaving  Ireland 
on  the  north ;  and  thus  to  have  arrived  at  an  un- 
known country,  the  continent  of  America,  on  which 
he  landed.     He  afterwards  returned  to  Wales,  and 
took  thence  a  second  supply  of  people,  but  was  no 
more  heard  of.     The  objections  to  this  story  are  its 
improbability,   and  want  of    supporting   evidence. 
The  Welsh  were  at  no  period  a  naval  people  ;  and 
in  the  age  of  Madoc,  must  have  been  ignorant  of  all 
navigation,  but  that  of  rivers  and  coasts.     It  should, 
however,  be  mentioned  in  justice   to  the  claims  of 
our  Welsh  fellow  countrymen,  that  this  tale  was  by 
no  means  invented  after  the  real  discovery  of  Ame- 
rica, in  order  to  establish  a  fabricated  title.     Mere- 
dith Ap  Rees,  who  died  in  1477,  a  famous  Welsh 
poet,  composed  an   ode   ia  honor  of  this  Madoc,    i 
wherein  was  handed  down  the  tradition,  with  an  ac-    i 
count  of  his  discoveries,  several  years  anterior  to  the    ; 
time  of  Columbus.     Of  the  tradition  itself  there  can    * 
be  no  doubt.     Indeed,  in  an  American  publication  a   * 
few  years  ago,  we  have  seen  it  stated,  in  reference  to    i 
this  supposed  voyage  of  Madoc,  that  a  people  quite  f 
distinct  from  the  Aborigines,  both  as  to  language   - 
and  physiognomy,   had  been  lately  discoveredin 
Mexico,  and  were  supposed  to  be  descendants  from 
the  colony  of  Madoc.     Their  language  was  said  to  ? 
be  somewhat  similar  to  the  ancient  British,  or  Celtic;  te 
and  several  Celtic  words  have  also  been  traced  in  ~ 
the  Mexican  tongue.     The  Celtic  is  undoubtedly 
one  of  the  most  ancient  languages,  and  its  roots  may 
still  be  found  in  most  of  those  of  the  civilised  world,* 
from  the  Persian  to  the  Scottish,  Irish  and  Welsh* 
A  few  words  may  have  been  adopted  into  the  Mexi* 
can  ;  it  is  indeed  mentioned,  by  Vater,  that  he  hud  fi 
found  eighteen  Celtic  words  in  ten  American  lao-^ 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  13 

guages.  The  traditions  of  the  Celtic  nations,  and 
those  derived  from  them,  have  always  been  of  the 
most  marvellous  quality — witness  the  fanciful  Tro- 
jan origin  of  the  first  settler  in  Britain,  Brutus,  who 
kindly  Destowed  his  name  on  the  sea-girt  Island  ;  and 
the  derivation  of  the  Irish  Celts  from  positive  and 
direct  emigration  of  Egyptian,  Phoenician,  Greek 
and  Milesian  origin,  under  various  imaginary  lead- 
en, all  and  several  of  whom,  as  well  as  an  intermi- 
nable list  of  kings,  are  gravely  set  down  in  the 
veracious  Chronicles  of  Eri. 

CLAIM  OF  THE   NORWEGIANS, 

America  must  have  been  known  to  the  barbarous 
tribes  of  Asia  for  thousands  of  years  ;  but  it  is  sin- 
gular that  it  should  have  been  visited  by  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  nations  of  Europe,  nearly  five  cen- 
turies before  the  time  of  Columbus,  without  awaken- 
ing the  attention  of  either  statesmen  or  philosophers. 
The  Norwegians,  with  far  higher  pretensions  than 
the  Welsh,  founded  their  claim  to  the  early  disco- 
rery  of  America  on  their  well  known  voyages  to  Ice- 
land and  Greenland  in  the  tenth  and  eleventh  centu- 
ries ;  and  having  undoubtedly  penetrated  within  so 
ahort  a  distance  from  the  New  World,  they  may  fairly 
be  supposed  to  have  touched  on  some  part  of  that  Cott- 
le tinent  in  their  annual  voyages  for  nearly  three  cen- 
turies, distinguished  as  the  old  Northmen  were  by 
their  enterprise,  hardihood  and  love  of  adventure. 
In  the  year  1001,  Biorn  is  said,  in  Icelandic  manu- 
scripts of  good  reputation,  to  have  landed  on  the 
toast  of  Labrador,  where  he  met  with  the  Esqui- 
maux, whom  he  called  Skraelitigues,  from  their  very 
diminutive  stature.     In  the  following   year  it  has 

B 


14  NSW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

been  maintained,  on  reasonable  evidence,  that  they 
had  a  settlement  in  Newfoundland,  which  they  called 
Vinland,  from  the  vines  growing  there.  We  shall 
find  that  the  same  fondness  for  the  vine,  and  a  simi- 
lar abundance  of  that  tree,  induced  Jacques  Cartier 
to  give  the  name  of  "  Isle  of  Bacchus,"  to  what  is 
now  termed  the  Isle  of  Orleans.  They  passed  the 
winter  there,  and  found  that  on  the  shortest  day  the 
sun  rose  at  eight  o'clock,  which  fixes  the  place  of 
their  visit  to  the  49th  degree,  the  latitude  of  New- 
foundland, or  of  the  River  St.  Lawrence.  The  follow- 
ing story  is  amusing  : — One  day  a  German  sailor  of 
the  name  of  Tuckil  was  missing,  but  soon  returned 
shouting  and  leaping  for  joy ;  having,  as  he  said,  dis- 
covered the  intoxicating  grape  of  his  own.  country, 
the  expressed  juice  of  which,  according  to  the  story, 
had  had  its  usual  effect  upon  his  brain.  To  prove 
the  truth  of  his  assertion,  he  led  some  of  his  com- 
rades to  the  fortunate  spot,  and  they  gathered  seve- 
ral bunches  of  grapes,  which  they  presented  in  tri- 
umph to  their  commander,  who  called  the  country, 
in  consequence,  Vinland.  This  ancient  settlement, 
however,  after  some  years,  seems  to  have  been  relin- 
quished, although  it  is  believed  that  some  traces  of 
it  have  lately  been  discovered! 
'  We  find  it  mentioned  in  Haliburton's  History  of 
Nova-Scotia,  that  the  wild  vine  is  well  known  there ; 
and  all  New  England  abounds  with  the  wild  purple 
grape,  some  vines  of  which  are  very  prolific.  There 
id  the  best  evidence  that  it  may  be  turned  to  ac- 
count in  the  manufacture  of  wine.  An  American 
writer  observes,  that  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt 
that  this  vine  may  be  cultivated  so  as  to  yield  a 
thousand  fold  more  than  now,  of  large  and  finer 
fruit ;  and  the  product  will  be  abundant  of  almost 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  15 

any  flavored  wine  the  manufacturer  may  choose. 
The  pure  juice,  lightly  expressed,  and  somewhat 
sweetened  with  sugar,  will  furnish  a  wine  of  most 
delicate  flavor,  similar  in  color  and  taste  to  a  Fron- 
tignac  and  Muscat;  and  the  quality  may  be  changed 
by  a  stronger  expression  of  the  astringent  qualities 
of  the  skins,  until  the  wine  will,  in  that  respect,  run 
through  all  the  varieties  of  claret  and  port,  still  re- 
taining, however,  much  of  the  original  Muscat 
flavor. 

A  Danish  gentleman,  of  the  ,  name  of  Rafn, 
who  has  been  engaged  in  researches  respecting 
these  early  voyages,  has  ascertained  from  original 
documents,  various  facts  previously  unknown ; 
among  others,  that  America,  first  discovered  in  985, 
was  repeatedly  visited  by  the  Norwegians  in  the 
eleventh,  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries — that  the 
embouchure  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  in  particular  the 
Bay  of  Gaspe,  was  their  principal  station — that 
they  had  penetrated  along  the  coast,  as  far  south  as 
Carolina,  and  that  they  introduced  a  knowledge  of 
Christianity  among  the  natives.  We  understand 
that  he  is  preparing  a  work  on  this  subject.  And 
the  accounts  of  the  voyages  of  the  old  Scandina- 
vians to  America,  have  lately  gained  a  new  confir- 
mation, by  the  discovery  of  a  Runic  stone  :  which,  in 
the  year  1824,  was  found  under  73°  N.  latitude,  on 
the  coast  of  Greenland.  The  inscription  translated 
is  as  follows  : — "  Erling  Sigvalson,  and  Biorn  Hor- 
"  deson,  and  Endride  Addson,  Saturday  before 
*  Gagnday  (Rogation  Day)  the  25th  April,  erected 
"  these  heaps  of  stone,  and  cleared  the  place  in  the 
"  year  1135." 


16  NEW  PICTURE  OF    QUEBEC, 


PERIOD   OF  MODERN  DISCOVERY. 

We  now  come  to  a  period  at  which  may  be  dated 
the  real  discovery  of  the  American  Continent  The 
invention  of  the  compass  had  given  courage  to  the 
timid  navigators  of  the  fifteenth  century.  They  no 
longer  coasted  along  the  shores,  and  sought  popula- 
rity and  applause  by  visiting  Islands  adjoining  the 
continent  of  Africa.  The  discoverer  of  unknown 
regions,  ardent  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  of 
glory,  and  of  gain,  and  proud  in  the  patronage  of 
princes,  verified  die  description  of  Horace,  and 
launched  boldly  into  the  Atlantic  main : — 

llli  robur  et  ses  triplex 
Circa  pectus  erat,  qui  fragilem  truci 

Commisit  pelago  ratem 
Primus,  nee  timuit  praecipitem  Africum 

Decertantem  Aquilonibus, 

Nee  tristes  Hyadas,  nee  iabiem  noti ; 

#  #  #  # 

#  #  #  # 

Quern  mortis  timuit  gradum 
Qui  siccis  oculis  monstra  natantia, 

Qui  vidit  mare  turgidum  et 
Infames  scopules  ? 

Or  oak,  or  brass,  with  triple  fold 

Around  that  daring  mortal's  bosom  roll'd, 

Who  first  to  the  wild  ocean's  rage 

Launch'd  the  frail  bark,  and  heard  the  winds  engage 

Tempestuous,  when  the  South  descends 

Precipitate,  and  with  the  North  contends ; 

Nor  fear'd  the  stars  portending  rain, 

Nor  the  loud  tyrant  of  the  western  main. 

#  #  #  # 

#  #  #  # 

What  various  forms  of  death  could  fright 

The  man,  who  viewed  with  fix'd,  unshaken  sight, 

The  floating  monsters,  waves  infiam'd 

And  rocks  for  shipwreck'd  fleets  ill-fam'd  ? 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  17 


COLUMBUS, 

though  the  honor  of  the  discovery  of  the  New 
Id  may  be  divided  among  three  powers  of  Eu- 
,  and  each  be  content  with  a  share  of  the  fame 
3  West  Indies  having  been  discovered  by  the 
;  Columbus,  in  1492,  for  the  Spaniards — New* 
lland,  and  the  continent  now  called  the  United 
«,   by  the  English,  under  John  and  Sebastian 
t,   in    1497   and    1498 — and    Canada  by  the 
ch,  under  Jacques  Carrier,  in  1535,  we  are  ne- 
eless   disposed  to   claim  for   the    English  the 
ipal  merit  of  the  discovery.     We  contend,  that 
lendently  of  England  having  first  entertained 
ropositions  of  Columbus  in  1488,  the  absolute 
very  of  Newfoundland;  by  John  Cabot,  in  1497, 
it  before  Columbus  discovered  South  America 
»  mouth  of  the  Orinoco,  gives  to   the    English 
defeasible  title  to   the   first   discovery  of  the 
•ican  Continent,  although  no  steps  were  taken 
many  years  afterwards  to  establish  the  British 
dancy  over  the  countries  in  question, 
is  generally  known,  that  the  object  which  en- 
1  the  ambition,  excited  the  cupidity,  and  stimu- 
the  adventures  of  the  early  navigators,  was  the 
rery  of  a  passage  to  India  and  the  spice  coun- 
by  sailing  round  the  Southern  extremity  of 
%  ;    and  thence  taking  an  Eastern  course — a 
re  which  was  afterwards  successfully  effected  by 
>  de  Gama,  the  famous  Portuguese  navigator, 
97.     The  Venetians  are  said  to  have  had  some 
nation  about  the  West  Indies  in  the  year  1424. 
certain  that  about  the  year  1 474,  the  renowned 
abus,  Colombo,  or  Colon,  as  he  is  respectively 

b  2 


18  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

called,  a  native  of  the  Genoese  territory,  struck  out 
a  new  and  ingenious  theory ;  by  which  he  contended 
on  rational  and  philosophical  principles,  drawn  from 
the  sphericity  and  magnitude  of  the  earth,  which  at 
that  period  had  been  ascertained — that  a  shorter  and 
more  direct  passage  to  the  East  Indies  might  be 
found  by  steering  across  the  Atlantic  due  West 
After  first  offering  the  result  of  his  conviction  to  the 
Genoese  Republic,  his  native  land,  by  which  it  was 
neglected — afterwards  to  the  King  of  Portugal,  who 
basely  endeavored  to  take  advantage  of  the  project 
without  employing  its  author  in  the  execution — 
Columbus  proceeded  to  Spain,  having  first  sent  his 
brother  Bartholomew  to  England :  where,  after  resid- 
ing for  some  time  in  poverty  and  neglect,  owing  to 
his  capture  by  pirates  on  the  voyage,  he  succeeded 
in  completing  and  publishing  a  Map  of  the  World,, 
dated  21st  February,  1480,  which  he  afterwards 
found  means  to  present  to  the  King,  Henry  VIL 
The  following  lines  more  remarkable  for  their  subt 
ject  and  their  antiquity  than  for  any  poetical  merit, 
were  inscribed  upon  this  Map. 

Terrarum  quicunque  cupis  feliciter  oras 
Noscere,  cuncta  decens  docte  pictura  docebit, 
Quae  Strabo  affirmat,  Ptolemoeus,  Plinius  atque 
Isidorus ;  non  una  tamen  sententia  cuique. 
Pingitur  hio  etiam  nuper  sulcata  carinis 
Hispaaig  zona  ilia,  pnus  incognita  genti 
Torrida,  quae  tandem  none  est  notissima  mnltis. 

Pro  autore,  give  piotore. 

And  a  little  lower  were  these  additional  lines : 

Genoa  cui  patria  est,  nomen  cui  Bartholomew, 
Columbus  de  terrfc  rubra,  opus  edidit  istud, 
Londiniis,  An.  Dom.  1480,  atque  insuper  anno, 
Octava  decimaque  die  cum  tertia  mensis 
Febr.  Laudes  Christo  cantentur  abundd. 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  19 

The  sense  of  these  lines  is  to  this  effect:    "  Who- 

*  soever  may  desire  to  obtain  a  correct  knowledge 
u  of  the  coasts  of  countries,  may  learn  from  this 

*  elegant  engraving,  all  that  Strabo,  Ptolemy,  Pliny, 
u  and  Isidorns  assert  on  this  subject,  although  they  do 
"  not  agree  on  all  points.  Here  is  also  set  down  the 
"  Torrid  Zone,  formerly  unknown,  but  lately  sailed 
"  over  by  Spanish  ships,  and  now  known  to  many. 
u  A  Genoese  by  birth,  Bartholomew  Colombo,  of 
"  the  red  earth,  published  this  work  at  London,  on 
"the  21st  day  of  February,  1480.  Praise  be  to 
«  Christ" 

It  appears  that  in  consequence  of  this  application, 
the  King  was  desirous  of  having  the  subject  fully 
explained  to  him;  and  with  his  usual  sagacity  seeing 
the  merits  of  the  proposal,  he  assented  to  it,  and 
despatched  Bartholomew  in  search  of  his  brother 
Columbus,  with  an  invitation  to  the  English  Court. 
An  agreement  was  actually  entered  into  between  the 
King  and  Bartholomew  in  1488,  four  years  before 
the  voyage  of  Columbus  in  the  service  of  Isabella  of 
Castile.  The  latter  in  the  mean  time  was  engaged 
in  negociations  with  the  Spanish  Princes,  and  so 
continued  until  1492 ;  when  wearied  and  disgusted 
by  vexatious  delays,  he  was  on  the  point  of  returning 
to  England  and  availing  himself  of  the  patronage  of 
its  Monarch.  At  this  critical  juncture,  Isabella  de- 
termined to  patronise  and  forward  the  discoveries 
anticipated  by  Columbus,  out  of  her  own  resources, 
generously  offering  her  jewels  towards  defraying  the 
expense — while  her  thrifty  spouse,  Ferdinand  of 
Arragon,  refused  to  bear  any  portion  of  the  charges, 
which  were  supplied  from  the  treasury  of  Castile 
only.  Thus  it  appears  that  England  had  the  honor 
of  first  admitting  the  proposals  of  Columbus ;  and 


20  KEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

that  it  was  by  mere  accident  that  the  discovery  of 
the  West  Indies,  was  subsequently  made  by  Colum* 
bus  in  1492  under  Spanish,  and  not  under  British 
auspices. 

JOHN  AMD   SEBASTIAN   CABOT. 

Henry  VII.  having  been  thus  disappointed,  endea- 
vored to  procure  the  services  of  other  mariners  of 
experience,  for  the  purpose  of  making  discoveries  on* 
the  plan  submitted  by  Bartholomew  Columbus.     In  j 
the  year  1494,  two  years  after  the  discovery  of  the  ; 
West  Indies,  John  Cabot,  a  Venetian  Merchant,  was  - 
resident  in  Bristol  :  upon  whose  enthusiastic  spirit  3 
the  deeds  of  Columbus  had  made  a  deep  impression ;  \ 
and  who  thought  himself  capable  of  performing  ex*  *■■ 
ploits  as  a  seaman  equal  to  those  of  the  great  Genoese*'  \ 
Fired  with  this  ambition,  he  made  application  to  the'  ( 
King,  Henry  VIL,  who  readily  granted  him  Letters1  ■ 
Patent,  dated  March  5th,  1495,  authorizing  the  said  ^ 
John  Cabot,  or  Kabotto,  and  his  sons  Louis,  Sebastian*  t 
and  Sanchez,  to  sail  with  five  ships  for  the  discovery-  ^ 
of  unknown  regions  in  any  part  of  the  globe.     They-  ^ 
were  empowered  to  subdue  and  possess  them  as  the4  j, 
King's  Lieutenants,  stipulating  to  pay  to  the  Crowd  ^ 
one-fifth  part  of  the  net  profits  of  the  adventure,  and*^ 
to  return  with  their  vessels  to  the  port  of  Bristol :  ^ 
The  result  cf  this  voyage  was  without  doubt  the  dis-r  V 
covery  of  North  America.     On  the  24th  day  of  June,  j6 
1497,  they  discovered  the   coast  of  Labrador,  to  ^ 
which  they  gave  the  name  of  Terra  primum  visa,  \- 
or  Primavi8ta.    The  opposite  Island  they  called  St 
John's,  having  landed  there  on  St,  John's  day,  tha 
24th  June.     This  is  now  the  Island  of  Newfoundland* 
Prince  says,  that  the  land  discovered  by  Cabot 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  21 

latitude  45.  If  so,  it  was  in  the  peninsula  of 
ova  Scotia,  and  as  they  coasted  the  land  North- 
lid,  they  must  have  entered  the  Gulf  of  St  Law- 
nee  in  pursuit  of  the  Northern  passage.  John 
abot  returned  to  England  in  August,  1497,  and 
as  presented  with  ten  pounds  by  the  King  from  his 
ivy  purse  as  a  reward  to  him,  "  who  had  found 
te  new  Isle."  In  February,  1498,  new  style,  the 
ing  granted  to  the  same  John  Cabot  second  Letters 
latent,  with  authority  to  sail  from  any  port  in 
ingland,  in  six  vessels  of  not  more  than  two  hun- 
red  tons  each,  and  with  more  favorable  terms  than 
efore.  In  this  second  commission,  he  expressly 
mentions  "  the  lands  and  isles  of  late  found  by  the 

said  John  in  our  name  and  by  our  commandment." 
ibout  this  time,  however,  Sir  John  Cabot,  who  had 
scerred  the  honor  of  knighthood,  died  ;  and  in  the 
immer  of  the  year  1498,  Sebastian  Cabot,  his  son, 
[though  a  young  man  of  twenty  three  years  of  age, 
tts  promoted  to  the  command  of  the  expedition,  and 
died  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  in  search  of  a  north- 
rest  passage  into  the  south  seas.  He  soon  reached 
Newfoundland,  and  proceeded  as  far  as  the  56th  de- 
Tee  of  latitude  north  ;  whence,  being  unable  to  dis- 
over  any  such  passage,  he  returned  and  examined  the 
une  coast  towards  the  south,  until  he  came  to  the 
eautiful  country,  at  present  called  Florida.  Fabian 
tates,  that  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  Henry  VII. 
.499,  there  were  in  London  three  wild  men  brought 
y  Cabot  to  the  King,  "  taken  in  the  new  found 
sland."  They  were  clothed  in  the  skins  of  animals, 
od  eat  raw  flesh  :  they  spoke  in  a  strange  uncouth 
ongue,  and  were  very  brutish  in  their  behaviour. 
9e  adds,  however,  that  such  had  been  their  improve- 
lent  in  the  civilising  atmosphere  of  London,  that 


22  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

when  he  next  saw  them  two  years  afterwards,  dress 
in  English  habits,  he  could  with  difficulty  recogni 
them. 

In  claiming  the  merit  of  a  prior  discovery  of  Noi 
America  for  the  English,  it  must  be  obvious  tl 
there  is  no  intention  to  detract  from  the  fame 
Columbus.  It  is  difficult,  indeed,  to  repress  astonif 
ment  at  the  success  of  that  illustrious  navigator,  a 
at  the  magnitude  and  splendor  of  his  discovery.  V 
regard  the  great  Columbus  with  admiration  as  i 
first  who  conceived  and  executed  a  mighty  design,  a 
brought  about  the  revelation  of  anew  world— t 
must  not  deny  praise,  though  of  an  inferior  degree, 
those  gallant  spirits  who  followed  him  in  his  gloric 
career.  It  is  a  remarkable  historical  fact,  and  a 
highly  honorable  to  English  enterprise,  that  not  ot 
did  Henry  VII.  listen  favorably  to  the  propositic 
of  Columbus,  some  years  before  they  were  accept 
by  the  Spanish  Court,  but  that,  although  Columfc 
landed  in  Hispaniola  so  early  as  February,  1493, 
did  not  ascertain  the  existence  of  the  continent 
South  America  until  May,  1498— whereas  there 
certain  evidence  that  almost  a  year  before,  an  En] 
lish  vessel  had  reached  the  shores  of  the  North  Am 
rican  continent  Sir  John  Cabot,  therefore,  w 
undoubtedly  the  first  discoverer  of  this  continei 
which  Columbus  did  not  see  until  a  year  afterward 
while  his  son  Sebastian  was  the  first  discoverer 
Florida,  so  called  in  1512,  when  it  was  taken  posse 
sion  of  by  the  Spaniards  under  Juan  Ponce  de  Leo 
who  passes  with  many  as  the  original  discoverer. 

Neither  Cabot  or  Columbus   were  destined 
know  that  their  names  were  immortalised  in  those 
the  lands  they  had  discovered.      An  attempt  w 
lately  made  to  give  the  name  of  Cabotia  to  the  Britit 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  23 

Rffinces  of  this  continent — but  that  of  America, 
taken  from  the  spurious  pretensions  of  Amerigo 
Vopuccio,  a  drawer  of  charts,  has  by  an  unaccounta- 
ble caprice,  supplanted  the  noble  name  of  Columbia. 
He  bold  usurpation  of  a  fortunate  imposter  has 
nbbed  the  discoverer  of  the  new  world  of  a  distinc- 
twi  which  belonged  to  him  of  right ;  and  mankind 
■e  left  to  regret  an  act  of  injustice,  which,  having 
Wen  sanctioned  by  the  lapse  of  so  many  ages,  they 
•n  never  redress,  Columbus,  however  ungratefully 
tated,  has  been  redeemed  by  fame.  Sebastian 
&kot  lived  long  in  great  reputation.  He  entered  into 
ie  service  of  Spain,  but  returned  to  England,  and 
•dertook  a  third  voyage  in  1517,  which  it  is  unne- 
ftttry  to  touch  upon  in  this  place.  He  afterwards 
MAIed  in  London,  and  built  a  fine  house  at  Blackwall, 
•Bed  Poplar,  which  names  still  remain.  In  the  year 
1M%  he  was  made,  by  Edward  VI.,  grand  pilot  of 
England,  with  a  fee  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  six 

Cinds  thirteen  shillings  and  four  pence  per  annum, 
concluding  this  notice  of  Cabot,  we  may  mention 
Hat  there  are  at  present  in  Boston  and  Philadelphia, 
tepectable  families,  bearing  the  name  and  arms  of 
Cabot,  who  are  generally  considered  to  be  descen- 
dants of  the  great  navigator. 

VOYAGE    OF   CORTEREAL. 

The  next  voyage  in  the  order  of  discovery  was 
that  undertaken  in  1500,  three  years  after  the  re- 
tarn  of  Sir  John  Cabot,  by  the  Portuguese :  a  nation 
Is  whose  genius  and  perseverance  the  world  owes 
Ae  highest  triumphs  of  geography  and  navigation, 
hwas  conducted  by  Gaspar  Cortereal,  a  gentle- 
man who  had  been  educated  in  the  household  of  the 


24  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

King  of  Portugal,  and  who  is  represented  as  a  n 
of  enterprising  and  determined  character,  arden 
thirsting  after  glory.  Pursuing  the  track  of  Sir  Jc 
Cabot,  lie  reached  the  northern  extremity  of  Nc 
foundland,  and  is  considered  to  have  discovered  1 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  He  also  sailed  along  the  co 
of  Labrador,  northward  ;  and  appears  to  have  pei 
trated  nearly  to  Hudson's  Bay.  He  returned 
Lisbon  on  the  8th  October,  1500.  The  character 
this  voyage  was  less  honorable  to  the  cause  of  disco v< 
than  any  of  the  former  ;  it  having  been  undertake 
apparently,  rather  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  timl 
and  slaves,  than  for  the  advancement  of  the  cause 
science.  He  brought  back  to  Portugal  no  less  tb 
fifty  seven  of  the  natives,  who  were  coolly  destir 
to  slavery,  and  whose  superior  capability  of  lal 
appears  to  have  been  a  subject  of  gratifying  spe< 
lation.  In  a  letter  written  eight  days  after  their 
rival  by  the  Venetian  Ambassador  at  the  Court 
Lisbon,  these  unfortunate  persons  are  thus  describe 
"  they  are  extremely  fitted  to  endure  labor,  and  v 
"  probably  turn  out  the  best  slaves  which  have  be 
"  discovered  up  to  this  time."  Such  was  the  a 
blooded  speculation  of  avarice,  even  among  a  peoj 
so  renowned  for  honorable  achievements  as  the  P 
tuguese  of  that  day  !  It  has,  indeed,  been  conji 
tured  that  the  name,  Terra  de  Laborador,  was  giv 
to  this  coast  by  the  Portuguese  slave  merchants, 
consequence  of  the  admirable  qualities  of  the  natii 
as  labourers,  and  in  full  anticipation  of  the  futi 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  this  unchristian  traf 
These  cruel  designs  were,  however,  frustrated 
accumulated  distress  and  disaster.  In  a  second  vc 
age,  in  1501,  Cortereal  was  lost  at  sea;  and  a  thi 
undertaken  by  his  brother  Michael,  in  search  of  hi 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  25 

was  alike  unfortunate.  Neither  of  the  brothers  was  ever 
afterwards  heard  of.  The  King  of  Portugal,  feeling 
i  great  affection  for  these  gentlemen,  is  stated  to  have 
fitted  out  at  his  own  expense  an  expedition,  consisting 
of  three  armed  vessels,  which  returned  without  any 
information  as  to  the  manner  or  place  of  their  death. 
One  brother  still  remained,  who  was  anxious  to  re- 
new the  attempt  to  discover  their  fate,  but  was  over- 

i  riled  by  the  persuasion  of  the  king.  In  an  old 
map  published  in  1508,  the  Labrador  coast  is  called 

a|  Terra  Corterealis ;  and  the  entrance  into  the  Gulf  of 
St  Lawrence  was  long  known  to  the  Portuguese  by 
the  name  of  the  Gulf  of  the  Two  Brothers.  On  the 
strength  of  the  voyage  of  Cortereal,  the  Portuguese 
claimed  the  first  discovery  of  Newfoundland,  and  of 
the  adjacent  coast  of  America  ;  and  maps  were  ac- 
tually forged  to  support  these  unfair  pretensions. 

DISCOVERY   BY   THE    FRENCH. 

About  the  year  1504,  we  first  hear  of  any  attempt 
being  made  by  the  French  to  obtain,  if  not  a  footing 
io  America,  still  a  share  in  the  advantages  to  be  de- 
rived from  its  discovery.  At  this  date,  some  Basque, 
Norman,  and  Breton  fishermen,  commenced  fishing 
for  cod  on  the  great  bank  of  Newfoundland,  and  near 
the  adjacent  shores.  From  them  Cape  Breton  de- 
rives its  name.  In  1506,  Jean  Denys,  a  native  of 
*  Harfleur,  made  a  map  of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 
i  In  1508,  a  Pilot  of  Dieppe,  by  name  Thomas  Aubert, 
i  brought  into  France  some  natives  of  America,  who 
.\  naturally  excited  great  curiosity.  It  does  not  appear 
i  from  what  part  of  the  coast  they  were  taken,  but 
J    most  probably  from  Cape  Breton. 


i 


26  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 


GIOVANNI   VERAZZANO. 

Some  years  afterwards,  the  conquests  of  the  Spa- 
niards in  America  began  to  excite  the  attention  and 
cupidity  of  Europe,  but  the  further  progress  of  dis- 
covery in  those  northern  parts  of  the  continent  with 
which  the  French  fishermen  were  acquainted,  offer- 
ing no  prospect  of  inexhaustible  mines  of  gold  and 
silver,  such  as  were  found  in  Mexico  and  Peru — the 
French,  although  a  people,  undoubtedly,  of  the  high- 
est genius  and  enterprise,  evinced  an  unaccountable 
apathy  upon  this  great  subject,  and  for  several  years 
entirely  neglected  it.  At  length,  in  1523,  Francis  I. 
a  monarch  deeply  captivated  with  the  love  of  glory, 
wishing  to  excite  the  enterprise  and  emulation  of 
his  subjects  in  matters  of  navigation  and  commerce, 
as  he  had  successfully  done  in  the  sciences  and  fine 
arts,  caught  a  generous  enthusiasm  for  maritime  dis- 
covery ;  and  eager  to  vie  in  all  things  with  his  great 
rival  Charles  V.  fitted  out  an  armament  of  four  ships, 
the  command  of  which  he  entrusted  to  Giovanni 
Verazzano,  or  Verazzani,  a  Florentine  navigator  of 
great  skill  and  celebrity,  then  resident  in  France,  and 
willing  to  undertake  a  voyage  which  might  prove  no 
less  honorable  than  profitable  to  him.  Previously  to 
this  time,  a  bull  of  donation  had  been  issued  by  the 
too  famous  Alexander  VI.  then  Pope,  by  which  he 
had  conferred  the  new  world  as  a  free  gift  upon  the 
Kings  of  Spain  and  Portugal.  Neither  England  or 
France,  however,  acknowledged  the  inherent  right  of 
the  Pope  to  make  such  magnificent  gifts  of  an  un- 
known world.  The  English  sent  out  voyages  of  dis- 
covery without  demanding  leave  of  his  Holiness ; 
and  a   shrewd  observation  of  the  French  King  is 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  27 

handed  down,  showing  that  he  was  not  disposed  to 
acquiesce  in  any  division  made  exclusively  in  favor 
of  those  Princes.  "  What,"  said  Francis,  pleasantly, 
"shall  the  Kings  of  Spain  and  Portugal  quietly 
*  divide  all  America  between  them,  without  suffering 
"  me  to  take  a  share  as  their  brother  ?  I  would  fain 
"see  the  article  in  father  Adam's  will,  which  be- 
"  queaths  that  vast  inheritance  to  them." 

Verazzano  was  born  about  the  year  1485,  of  noble 
birth ;  and  from  his  letters  to  Francis  I.  giving  an 
account  of  his  voyage,  published  in  Ramusio,  which 
are  written  in  a  very  simple  and  elegant  style,  it 
would  appear  that  he  had  received  a  liberal  education. 
Of  his  reasons  for  entering  the  service  of  the  French 
Monarch  nothing  is  known.  Charlevoix  makes  a 
remark  worthy  of  remembrance,  that  it  was  greatly 
to  the  honor  of  Italy,  that  the  three  great  powers  who 
afterwards  divided  among  them  nearly  the  whole  of 
the  new  world,  owed  their  first  discoveries  to  the  skill 
and  conduct  of  natives  of  that  country — the  Spaniards 
to  a  Genoese — the  English  to  a  Venetian — and  the 
French  to  a  Florentine.  Another  Florentine  might 
have  been  handed  down  with  approbation  to  posterity, 
had  he  not  by  a  species  of  treachery  unworthy  of  a 
gentleman,  given  his  name  to  the  largest  quarter  of 
the  globe,  to  the  prejudice  of  the  great  discoverer 
and  master  spirit  of  the  age,  Columbus. 

Nothing  certain  is  known  of  the  particulars  of  the 
first  expedition  of  Verazzano.  He  commenced  his 
second  voyage  of  discovery  with  a  single  vessel,  the 
Dauphin,  about  the  close  of  1524,  or  the  beginning  of 
1525  ;  and  having  left  Madeira,  he  steered  in  a  wes- 
terly direction  for  nine  hundred  leagues,  until  he 
arrived  upon  a  coast,  which  he  declared  had  never 
before  been  seen  by  either  ancient  or  modern  navi- 


28  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

gators—"  una  terra  nuova,  non  piu  dagl'antichi  ne 
"  da  moderni  vista."  This  land  is  supposed  for  good 
reasons  to  have  been  in  latitude  32°,  and  is  now 
known  as  Savannah.  '  The  country  was  thickly  inha- 
bited, as  he  judged  from  the  number  of  fires  which 
were  burning  along  the  coast.  Of  the  beauty  of  the 
scenery  he  gives  a  very  glowing  description,  highly 
eulogizing  the  delightful  climate,  and  the  handsome 
stature  and  appearance  of  the  natives.  From  this 
spot  Verazzano,  with  indefatigable  zeal,  pursued  his 
course,  coasting  along  the  shores  and  narrowly  ex- 
amining every  inlet  in  hopes  of  a  passage  through, 
until  he  reached  the  land  discovered  bv  the  Bretons 
in  lat.  50  ,  which  is  evidently  Newfoundland  :  thus 
completing  the  survey  of  a  line  of  coast  extending 
for  seven  hundred  leagues,  and  embracing  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  United  States,  along  with  a  considerable 
portion  of  British  North  America.  In  none  of  the 
old  accounts  of  this  navigator,  has  justice  been  done 
to  his  great  services  and  zeal.  This  was  without 
doubt  an  enterprise  of  great  magnitude  and  deter- 
mination, well  deserving  to  be  carefully  recorded,  as 
comprehending  one  of  the  most  extensive  ranges  of 
early  discovery.  It  is  of  particular  interest  at  the 
present  day,  as  having  been  the  means  of  first  mak- 
ing us  acquainted  with  that  noble  country,  whose 
history  is  so  important ;  and  whose  destinies,  even 
after  a  progress  unrivalled  in  rapidity,  appear  at  this 
moment  to  be  scarcely  arrived  at  maturity. 

To  this  extensive  region  Verazzano,  as  he  was 
justly  entitled  to  do,  gave  the  name  of  New  France  ; 
and  on  his  return  laid  before  his  patron,  Francis  I. 
a  plan  for  its  further  and  complete  survey,  together 
with  a  scheme  for  the  establishment  of  a  colony 
therein.     We  are  not  informed  what  part  of  the 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  29 

continent  it  was  the  intention  of  Verazzano  to  select 
for  colonization  ;  but  it  is  most  probable  that  the 
scene  of  his  operations  would  hare  been  chosen  on  the 
Atlantic  shore  of  one  of  the  southern  United  States. 
Nor  does  it  require  the  aid  of  imagination  to  con- 
ceive, how  different  would  have  been  the  historic 
detail  of  events,  and  how  changed  the  condition  of 
the  whole  of  North  America,  had  he  been  enabled 
to  carry  his  grand  project  into  full  and  successful 
execution.  He  was  not  permitted  by  Providence 
to  do  so  ;  and  his  future  proceedings  are  enveloped 
in  a  mystery  which  it  is  now  vain  to  attempt  to  pe- 
netrate. It  is  related  that  he  actually  sailed  on  his 
third  expedition  with  the  full  intention  of  founding 
a  colony,  and  that  he  never  more  was  heard  of. 
Hakluyt  says,  that  he  made  three  voyages,  and  pre- 
sented a  chart  of  the  coast  to  Henry  VIII.  Ramu- 
sio,  the  publisher  of  the  most  ancient  and  perhaps 
the  most  valuable  collection  of  voyages  extant, 
could  not  discover  any  particulars  of  this  last  expe- 
dition, or  even  ascertain  the  year  in  which  it  took 
place.  It  is  most  probable,  if  we  divest  the  story 
and  the  supposed  fate  of  Verazzano,  of  the  fable  and 
romance  in  which  they  have  been  involved  by  the 
lapse  of  ages,  and  the  perpetuation  of  error — that 
finding,  on  his  return  to  France,  his  patron  Francis  I. 
a  prisoner  at  Madrid,  in  the  hands  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V. — having  been  taken  at  the  memorable 
battle  of  Pavia  on  the  25th  February,  1525,  and 
detained  in  captivity  until  the  18th  March  in  the 
following  year — and  seeing  no  chance  of  further  em- 
ployment, he  left  the  service  of  France,  and  de- 
pended on  his  own  resources.  It  would  sufficiently 
account  for  his  never  afterwards  having  been  heard 
of^  if  he  withdrew  from  the  observation  of  French 

c  2 


30  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

nautical  men,  and  retired  to  private  life  in  his  native 
country. 

Although  there  is  no  evidence  that  Verazzano 
even  approached  any  part  of  Canada,  we  have  been 
more  diffuse  in  our  notice  of  this  navigator,  from 
the  circumstance  of  a  tradition  extant  in  this  coun- 
try from  an  early  period,  that  the  River  St.  Law- 
rence was  the  scene  of  his  death.  It  certainly  has 
always  been  asserted,  and  believed  down  to  our  own 
times,  that  his  third  voyage  proved  fatal  to  him  and 
his  crew.  The  truth  is,  that  no  account  of  the  de- 
tails of  his  third  voyage,  if  indeed  it  was  commenced, 
which  is  rather  doubtful — and  least  of  all  any  relation 
of  the  manner  or  place  of  his  death  can  now  be 
discovered :  for  the  best  of  all  possible  reasons,  as 
will  be  presently  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
reader.  The  story  of  his  having  been  massacred 
with  his  crew,  and  afterwards  devoured  by  the  sa- 
vages, is  an  absolute  fable  ;  and  it  is  rather  hard, 
without  a  shadow  of  evidence,  to  fix  upon  the  red 
inhabitants  of  this  continent  the  character  of  An- 
thropophagi. The  Baron  La  Hontan,  who  visited 
Quebec  in  1683,  repeats  the  fable,  and  observes : 
"  Verazzano  was  the  first  who  discovered  Canada, 
"  but  to  his  cost,  for  the  savages  eat  him."  La 
Potherie,  who  was  here  in  1698,  says  nearly  the 
same  thing  : — Le  Beau,  who  arrived  in  Canada  in 
1729,  speaking  of  its  discovery,  says,  that  "  Veraz- 
"  zano  took  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name 
'*  of  Francis  I.  that  he  had  the  misfortune  to  be 
"  devoured  by  the  savages,  without  having  pene- 
"  trated  as  far  as  Jacques  Carrier."  He  gives  no 
authority  for  this  assertion  ;  and,  doubtless,  only  re- 
peated the  tradition  of  La  Hontan,  who  after  all 
seems  to  mention  it  more  in  jest  than  as  really  be- 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  31 

lieving  it  Charlevoix,  with  better  taste,  repudiates 
the  story  as  altogether  fabulous.  His  words  are  ; 
u  Je  ne  trouve  aucun  fondement  a  ce  que  quelques 
"  uns  out  public,  qu'ayant  mis  pied  a  terre  dans  un 
"  endroit  ou  il  voulait  batir  un  fort,  les  sauvages  se 
"  jeterent  sur  lui,  le  massacrerent  avec  tous  ses  gens 
"  et  le  mangerent."  With  respect  to  the  tradition 
itself,  if  derived  from  the  Indians,  it  is  not  improba- 
ble that  it  had  reference  to  the  manner  of  the  death 
of  Gaspar  Cortereal,  who  perished  on  his  second 
voyage  ;  and  who,  from  his  previous  cruelties  to- 
wards the  natives,  may  be  said  to  have  provoked  his 
fete. 

LE    CANON   DE   BRONZE. 

A  few  years  ago  an  ancient  cannon  of  peculiar 
make,  and  supposed  to  have  been  of  Spanish  con- 
struction, was  found  in  the  River  St.  Lawrence,  op- 
posite the  Parish  of  Champlain,  in  the  District  of 
Three-Rivers.  It  is  now  in  the  Museum  of  Mr. 
Chasseur,  and  will  repay  the  visit  of  the  curious 
stranger.  The  ingenious  writer  of  the  Treatise 
upon  this  piece  of  ordnance,  published  in  the  second 
volume  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Literary  and 
Historical  Society  of  Quebec,  has  endeavored  to 
show  that  it  belonged  to  Verazzano — that  the  latter 
perished  before  the  second  voyage  of  Jacques  Car- 
tier,  either  by  scurvy  or  by  shipwreck,  on  his  way 
up  the  river  towards  Hochelaga.  He  also  endea- 
vors, with  great  stretch  of  fancy,  to  explain  and 
account  for  the  pantomime  enacted  by  the  Indians 
in  the  presence  of  Jacques  Carrier,  in  order  to  dis- 
suade him  from  proceeding  to  Hochelaga  so  late  in 
the  season,  by  their  recollection  of,  and  allusion  to 
the  death  of  Verazzano,  some  nine  or  ten  years  be- 


82  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

fore.  But  if  they  had  really  known  any  thing  i 
pecting  the  fate  of  this  navigator— and  it  musth 
been  fresh  in  their  memory  if  we  recal  to  mind  1 
comparatively  short  a  period  had  elapsed — is  it 
most  likely  that  they  would  have  found  met 
through  the  two  native  interpreters,  to  communic 
it  to  Carder  ?  Yet  it  appears  that  the  latter  ne 
so  much  as  heard  of  it,  either  at-  Hochelai,  now 
Richelieu,  where  he  was  on  friendly  terms  with 
chief  of  that  village— or  at  Hochelaga,  where  it  n 
have  been  known — or  when  he  wintered  at  St.  Cr< 
in  the 'little  River  .St.  Charles — or  yet  when 
passed  a  second  winter  at  Carouge  !  The  best  < 
dence,  however,  that  the  Indian  pantomime  had 
reference  to  Verazzano,  and  to  disprove  at  o 
the  truth  of  the  tradition  respecting  his  death  in 
part  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  is  to  show,  which  we  s 
do  on  good  authority,  that  at  the  very  time  w 
Carrier  was  passing  the  winter  at  St.  Croix,  Vei 
zano  was  actually  alive  in  Italy.  From  a  lette 
Annibal  Caro,  quoted  by  Tiraboschi,  an  autho 
undoubted  reputation,  in  the  Storia  della  Lett* 
tura  Italiana,  Vol.  VII.  part  1,  pp.  261-262,  ii 
proved  that  Verazzano  was  living  in  1537,  a  y 
after  the  pantomime  at  St,  Croix  ! 

While  von  the  subject  of  the  Canon  de  Bronz< 
may  be  noticed  that  Charlevoix  mentions  also  a 
dition,  that  Jacques  Cartier  himself  was  shipwrec 
at  the  ritouth  of  the  river  called  by  his  name,  with 
loss  of  one  of  his  vessels.  From  this  it  has  b 
supposed  that  the  Canon  de  Bronze  was  lost  on  1 
occasion  j  and  an  erroneous  inscription  to  that 
feet  has  been  engraved  upon  it.  In  the  first  pi 
the  cannon  was  hot  found  at  die  mouth  of  the  Ri 
Jacques  Cartier,  but  opposite  the  Parish  of  Ch; 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  33 

plain  :  in  the  next,  no  shipwreck  was  ever  suffered 
t>y  Jacques  Carrier,  who  wintered  in  fact  at  the 
mouth  of  the  little  River  St  Charles.  The  tradi- 
tion as  to  his  shipwreck,  and  the  loss  of  one  of  his 
vessels,  most  probably  arose  from  the  well  known 
circumstance  of  his  having  returned  to  France  with 
two  ships,  instead  of  three,  with  which  he  left  St. 
Malo.  Having  lost  so  many  men  by  scurvy  dur- 
ing his  first  winter  in  Canada,  he  was  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  abandoning  one  of  them,  which  lay  in  the 
harbour  of  St.  Croix.  The  people  of  Scitadin  hav- 
ing possessed  themselves  of  the  old  iron  to  be  found 
in  the  vessel,  it  of  course  soon  fell  to  pieces  ;  and  in 
process  of  time  arose  the  tradition  that  Jacques  Car- 
tier  had  been  shipwrecked.  The  removal  of  the 
scene  of  his  supposed  disaster,  from  the  St.  Charles 
to  the  River  Jacques  Carrier,  was  an  error  of  Char- 
levoix. 

Before  we  conclude  this  notice  of  Verazzano,  it 
may  be  mentioned,  that  in  the  Strozzi  Library  at 
Florence  is  preserved  a  manuscript,  in  which  he  is 
said  to  have  given  with  great  minuteness,  a  descrip- 
tion of  all  the  countries  which  he  had  visited  during 
his  voyage  ;  and  from  which,  says  Tiraboschi,  we 
derive  the  intelligence,  that  he  had  formed  the  de- 
sign, in  common  with  the  other  navigators  of  that 
era,  of  attempting  a  passage  through  those  seas  to 
the  East  Indies.  It  is  much  to  be  desired,  that 
some  Italian  Scholar  would  favor  the  world  with  the 
publication  of  this  manuscript  of  Verazzano. 


34  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE  THIRD. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  CONTINUED. — FIRST  AND  SEC 
VOYAGE  OF  JACQUES  CARTIER. 

In  the  year  following  the  supposed  loss  of  Vc 
zano,  Stephano  Gomez,  the  first  Spanish  navig 
who  came  upon  the  American  coast  for  the  pur 
of  discovery,  sailed  from  Spain  to  Cuba  and  Fl< 
— thence  northward  to  Cape  Razo,  or  Race,  in 
tude  46°,  in  search  of  a  northwest  passage  to 
East  Indies.  We  have  not  been  able  to  find 
particulars  of  this  voyage.  It  establishes  the  pr 
bility  of  the  coasts  of  the  Gulf  having  been  vi 
by  the  Spaniards  before  the  time  of  Jacques  Car 
a  tradition  which  is  mentioned  by  Charlevoix, 
says  that  the  Baye  des  Chaleurs,  so  called  by 
tier,  had  previously  borne  the  name  in  old  map 
Baye  des  Espagnols. 

The  French  were  partially  deterred  by  the  ill- 
cess  of  their  endeavors  to  profit  by  the  discoveri 
Verazzano  ;  but  after  the  interval  of  a  few  j 
they  resolved  to  make  a  new  attempt.  The  ad 
tages  of  the  establishment  of  a  colony  in  the  n 
discovered  country  were  represented  anew  to 
King  by  Philippe  Chabot,  Admiral  of  France  ; 
the  project  was  again  favorably  entertained  by  I 
cis  I.  The  Admiral  introduced  to  His  Maj 
Jacques  Quartier,  or  Cartier,  an  experie 
navigator  of  St  Malo,  as  a  person  eminently  q 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  35 

to  conduct  the  enterprise ;  and  lie  was  accord* 
y  appointed  to  the  command.  He  received  his 
ructions  from  Charles  de  Mouy,  Knight,  Lord  of 
illeraye,  and  Vice  Admiral  of  France ;  and  the 
iptains,  masters  and  mariners  having  sworn  to 
ave  themselves  truly  and  faithfully  in  the  service 
lie  most  Christian  King  of  France,  under  the 
rge  of  the  said  Cartier,  upon  the  20th  day  of 
■5,  1534,  they  departed  from  the  port  of  St  Malo, 
i  two  ships  of  three  score  tons  a  piece  burthen, 
sixty  one  well  appointed  men  in  each*'1  See  die 
;  relation  of  Jacques  Cartier  in  Hakluyt,  vol.  III. 
SOI.  .  On  the  tenth  of  May,  they  arrived  at  New- 
ndland;  and  made  Cape  Bonavista,  which  still  bears 
same  name,  in  latitude  48°,  30'  according  to  the 
te  relation.  Undine  the  coast  there  completely 
bound,  they  sought  for  anchorage;  and  found 
i  the  harbor  of  St  Catherine,  now  Catalina,  four 
ive  leagues  to  the  south  east.  Here  they  remain- 
Jen  days,  and  on  the  21st  May,  sailing  towards  the 
th,  they  came  to  the  Isle  of  Birds,  which  must 
no  means  be  confounded  with  Bird  Island  in  the 
If  of  St  Lawrence  ;  but  is  supposed  to  be  Funk 
tnd,  about  fourteen  leagues  from  Cape  Freels,  the 
rest  land.  After  some  curious  accounts  of  the 
Is  which  he  found  there,  Cartier  indulges  us  with 
tory  of  a  bear,  which  we  shall  extract  for  the 
osement  of  our  readers.  "  Albeit  the  said  Island 
fourteen  leagues  from  the  main  land,  notwith- 
lding  bears  come  swimming  to  eat  of  the  said 
Is  ;  and  our  men  found  one  there  as  great  as  any 
r,  and  as  white  as  any  swan,  who  in  their  presence 
ped  into  the  sea ;  and  upon  Whitsun  Monday, 
[lowing  our  voyage  towards  the  land,)  we  met  her 
the  way,  swimming  towards  land  as  swiftly  as  we 


36  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC,  ] 

i 

could  sail.  So  soon  as  we  saw  her,  we  pursued  fct* : 
in  our  boats,  and  by  main  strength  took  her,  whoM  •, 
flesh  was  as  good  to  be  eaten  as  the  flesh  of  cattle  of  '■ 
two  years  old." 

Carrier  in  this  voyage  appears  to  have  made  a , 
pretty  accurate  survey  of  nearly  the  whole  of  New-  ^ 
foundland,  having  almost  circumnavigated  it,  passing  \ 
through  the  Straits  of  Belleisle.    Changing  his  course  \ 
somewhat  to  the  south,  he  traversed  the  Gulf  of  St  1 
Lawrence,  then  for  the  first  time  known  to  European*,  j 
unless  we  admit  the  tradition  respecting  the  prior  j 
visit  of  the  Spaniards ;  and  approaching  the  continent ■ 
on  the  9th  July,  he  came  to  the  Baye  des  Chaleuri, 
so  called  from  the  great  heat  of  the  summer  at  that  \ 
place.     It  has  kept  the  name  to  the  present  day.  , 
Here  he  was  delighted  with  the  beauty  of  the  country; 
and  with  the  friendly  and  peaceable  behaviour  of  the  , 
natives,  with  whom  he  established  a  kind  of  traffic 
The  following  description  of  the  Indians  is  worth  i 
copying  in  the  quaint  words  of  Hakluyt :     "  We  saw 
certain  wild  men  that  stood  upon  the  shore  of  a  Lake, 
who  were  making  fires  and  smokes ;  we  went  thither 
and  found  there  was  a  channel  of  the  sea  that  did  en- 
ter into  the  Lake,  and  setting  our  boats  at  one  of  the 
banks  of  the  channel,  the  wild  men  with  one  of  their 
boats  came  unto  us,  and  brought  us  pieces  of  seals 
ready  sodden,  putting  them  upon  pieces  of  wood : 
then,  retiring  themselves,  they  would  make  signs  unto 
us,  that  they  did  give  them  us." — "  They  call  a  hat- 
chet in  their  tongue,  cochi ;  and  a  knife,  bacon.     We 
named  it  the  Bay  of  Heat." 

From  this  hospitable  place,  where  the  natives  seem 
to  have  displayed  some  of  the  politesse  of  modern 
society,  Jacques  Cartier  proceeded  to  Gaspe,  or 
Gachepe  Bay  :  where  on  the  24th  July,  he  erected  a 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  817 

3S  thirty  feet  high,  with  a  shield  bearing  the  three 
urs-de-Lys  of  France,  thus  taking  possession  in 
name  of  Francis  I.     Here  he  remained  about 

days  ;  and  on  the  25th  July,  he  commenced 
return  to  France.  As  the  two  natives  whom  he 
ried  off  from  Gaspe  acted  a  conspicuous  part  in  the 
ond  voyage,  we  shall  extract  the  account  of  their 
iture.  The  Indians  seem  to  have  evinced  some 
lousy  at  the  erection  of  the  cross,  which  they 
htly  interpreted  into  a  claim  of  authority  over  their 
ive  country  ;  and  their  Chief,  clad  in  bear's  skin, 
(approached,  but  not  so  near  as  usual,  to  the  ships, 

the  purpose  of  remonstrating  in  a  long  oration, 
e  French  used  the  following  stratagem  to  induce 
a  to  draw  nearer.  "  His  talk  being  ended,  we 
>wed  to  him  an  axe,  faining  that  we  would  give  it 
n  for  his  skin,  to  which  he  listened,  for  by  little 
d  little  he  came  near  to  our  ships.  One  of  our 
lows  that  was  in  our  boat,  took  hold  on  theirs,  and 
jdenly  leaped  into  it,  with  two  or  three  more,  who 
forced  them  to  enter  into  our  ships,  whereat  they 
?re  greatly  astonished.  But  our  Captain  did 
aightways  assure  them,  that  they  should  have  no 
rm,  nor  any  injury  offered  them  at  all ;  and  enter- 
ned  them  very  freely,  making  them  eat  and  drink, 
lien  did  we  show  them  with  signs,  that  the  Cross 
is  but  only  set  up  to  be  as  a  light  and  leader  which 
iys  to  enter  into  the  port ;  and  that  we  should 
ortly  come  again,  and  bring  good  store  of  iron 
ires,  and  other  things.  But  that  we  would  take 
'o  of  his  children  with  us,  and  afterwards  bring  them 

the  said  port  again — and  so  we  clothed  two  of 
em  in  shirts,  and  coloured  coats,  with  red  caps,  and 
it  about  every  one's  neck  a  copper  chain,  whereat 
ey  were  greatly  contented  :  then  gave  they  their 

D 


88  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

old  clothes  to  their  fellows  that  went  back  again,  an 
we  gave  to  each  one  of  those  three  that  went  bad 
a  hatchet  and  some  knives,  which  made  them  ver 
glad.  After  these  were  gone  and  had  told  the  new 
unto  their  fellows,  in  the  afternoon  there  came  to  oc 
ships  six  boats  of  them  with  five  or  six  men  in  ever 
one,  to  take  their  farewell  of  those  two  we  had  dc 
tained  to  take  with  us  ;  and  brought  them  some  fisl 
uttering  many  words  which  we  did  not  understanc 
making  signs  that  they  would  not  remove  the  Croc 
we  had  set  up."  From  the  25th  July  to  the  15th  An 
gust,  Cartier  coasted  along  the  northern  shores  of  th 
Gulf,  and  would  seem  to  have  entered  the  mouth  c 
the  St.  Lawrence  ;  but  meeting  with  boisterous  wea 
ther,  without  further  delay  he  made  sail  for  Franc* 
and  passing  again  through  the  Straits  of  Belleisk 
he  arrived  in  safety  at  St.  Malo  on  the  5th  Septem 
bar,  1534. 

HIS  SECOND  VOYAGE,  AND  DISCOVERY  OP  CANADA. 

Tbe  Report  of  Jacques  Cartier,  and  the  relatio: 
of  his  successes  and  projects,  highly  calculated  a 
they  were  to  stimulate  the  nascent  spirit  of  entei 
pfise,  induced  the  French  Court  to  resolve  upon  th 
establishment  of  a  colony  in  New  France.  The  na 
vigator  himself  was  treated  with  great  favor  and  dia 
tinction  ;  and  through  the  influence  of  his  patro; 
Charles  de  Mouy,  Sieur  de  Meilleraye,  Vice  Admi 
ral  of  France,  he  obtained  from  Francis  I.  a  nei 
commission  with  more  ample  powers  than  before 
together  with  a  considerable  augmentation  of  fore* 
When  every  thing  was  prepared*  for  the  sailing  c 
the  expedition,  the  favor  of  the  Almighty  was  in 
yoked  upon  the  undertaking.     By  the  express  com 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  39 

mand  of  Carrier,  who  appears  to  have  been  devoutly 
disposed,  the  whole  company,  having  first  confessed, 
and  received  the  sacrament  in  the  Cathedral  Church 
of  St.  Malo,  on  Whitsunday,  May  16th,  1535,  pre- 
sented themselves  in  the  Choir,  and  received  the  be- 
nediction of  the  Lord  Bishop,  in  his  full  pontifical 
robes.     On'  the  Wednesday  following,   May   19th, 
Cartier  embarked  with  a  fair  wind,  and  made  sail 
with  the  following  armament  under  his  command  : — 
the  Great  Hermina,  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons, 
on  board  which  was  Cartier  himself,  and  several  gen- 
tlemen volunteers — the  Little  Hermina  of  sixty  tons, 
— and  the  Hermerillon,  of  forty  tons  burthen.     The 
:    number  of  their  respective  crews  is  not  given.     On 
the  very  next  day  after  putting  to  sea,  the  weather 
proved  contrary,  and  the  little  fleet  was  tossed  about 
|    for  more  than  a  month  without  making  much  pro- 
*    gress.     On  the   25th   June  they   parted  company, 
each  endeavoring  to  make  the  best  of  the  way  to  the 
place  of  rendezvous,  on  the  coast  of  Newfoundland. 
The  General's  vessel,  as  Cartier  was  called,  arrived 
first  at  Newfoundland  on  the  7th  July  ;  and  awaited 
t    the  arrival  of  the  others  at  the  appointed  spot.     It 
••    was  not,  however,  until  the  26th  of  the  same  month, 
-    that  the  three  vessels  were  re-united.     After  taking 
rj  in  necessary   stores  of  wood  and  water,   they  pro- 
i-J  ceeded  together  to  explore   their  way  through  the 
-"■    Gulf,  but  about  the  1st   August  were  forced   to  put 
:>   into  a  harbor,  which  they  called  St.  Nicolas  ;  and 
e*   where  Cartier,  as  before,  took  possession  of  the  coun- 
try by  erecting  a  cross.     Charlevoix  says,   this  har- 
bor was  on  the.  north  shore  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Sl  Lawrence  ;  and  he  describes  it  as  being  in   lati- 
tude 49°  25",  and  as  the  only  place  which  preserved 
d  to  his  time  the  name  originally  given  by  Jacques 


C: 


40  NEW  PICTUftE   OF  QUEBEC, 

Carder.  Leaving  this  haven  on  the  7th,  and  coast- 
ing along  the  north  shore,  on  the  tenth  day  of 
August,  a  day  ever  memorable  in  the  annals  of 
Canada,  they  came,  in  the  words  of  Hakluyt,  to  a 
"  goodly  great  gulf,  full  of  Islands,  passages  and  en- 
trances towards  what  wind  soever  you  please  to 
bend."  In  honor  of  the  Saint  whose  festival  is  cele- 
brated on  that  day,  Carrier  gave  the  name  of  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  Gulf — or  rather  to  a  bay  between' 
Anticosti  and  the  northern  shore,  whence  the  name- 
was  extended  in  the  course  of  time  not  only  to  the' 
whole  of  this  celebrated  Gulf,  but  to  the  magnificent 
River  of  Canada,  of  which  this  is  the  embouchure. 

The  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  which  Jacques  Carrier 
had  now  traversed,  and  to  which  he  had  given  ite 
enduring  name,  is  about  eighty  leagues  in  length; 
and  in  modern  navigation,  with  a  favorable  wind  and 
current  may  be  sailed  over  in  twenty-four  hours. 
The  French  were  necessarily  a  much  longer  period 
in  crossing  it,  exploring  as  they  proceeded  princi- 
pally the  northern  shore.  The  breadth  of  the  Gulf 
seems  to  have  been  accurately  determined  by  Car- 
tier,  who  states  the  distance  "  between  the  southerly 
lands  and  the  northerly,"  to  be  about  thirty  leagues. 
Cape  Rosier,  a  small  distance  to  the  north  of  the 
point  of  Gaspe,  is  properly  the  place  which  marks 
the  opening  of  the  gigantic  river  ;  and  it  is  thence 
that  the  breadth  of  its  mouth  must  be  estimated  at 
ninety  miles.  Measured  from  the  eastern  extremity 
of  Gaspe,  its  width  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles* 

Leaving  the  Bay  to  which  they  had  given  the 
name  of  St.  Lawrence  on  the  12th  August,  they  dis- 
covered, on  the  15th,  an  Island  towards  the  south,  to 
which  Carrier  gave  the  name  of  the  Assumption,  in 
lionor  of  the  day.    The  English  afterwards  called  it 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  41 

Anticosti,  as  being  somewhat  similar  in  sound  to  its 
Indian  name,  Natiscotec.  From  this  Island  Cartier 
continued  his  course,  like  an  experienced  mariner 
closely  examining  both  shores  of  the  river ;  and 
when  practicable,  opening  a  communication  with  the 
inhabitants.  On  the  1st  September  he  entered  the 
mouth  of  the  River  Saguenay,  which  is  accurately 
described  ;  and  which  must  have  given  him  an  ex- 
alted idea  of  the  country  he  had  thus  discovered. 
On  the  6th  he  reached  the  Isle  aux  Coudres,  so 
called  from  its  filberts,  which  he  describes  as  "  big- 
ger and  better  in  savour  than  the  French,  but  some- 
what harder." 

In  the  second  relation  of  Jacques  Cartier,  pub- 
lished in  Hakluyt,  which  we  have  taken  as  the  basis 
of  this  account,  it  is  stated,  that  he  obtained  consi- 
derable information  respecting  the  country  he  was 
approaching,  from  the  two  natives  whom  he  had  taken 
to  France  from  Honguedo,  or  Gaspe,  on  his  previous 
voyage  ;  and  who  having  been  several  months  in 
that  country,  were  no  doubt  able  to  act  the  part  of 
interpreters  between  Cartier  and  the  natives,  in  his 
ascent  of  the  St,  Lawrence.  It  would  appear  from 
this,  that  Canada  for  an  immense  extent  must  have 
been  peopled  by  one  widely  scattered  Tribe  of  Abo- 
rigines— since  the  language  spoken  from  Quebec  to 
Gaspe  was  either  the  same,  or  so  nearly  allied,  as  to 
enable  the  interpreters  to  be  serviceable  in  their 
capacity.  The  French,  however,  from  their  own 
ignorance  of  the  Indian  tongues,  could  not  detect 
imposition,  if  any  was  practised  or  intended;  and  judg- 
ing as  they  did  from  their  own  momentary  impressions, 
it  is  evident  that  they  were  prepared  to  receive  as 
entitled  to  credit  all  that  these  men  told  them.  For 
instance,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  suppose  that  the 

d  2 


) 


42  MX*  WCTtfRB  Of  gUBSEC, 

two  interpreters  could  have  been  not  only  personally 
known  to  the  natives  of  the  shore,  as  they  landed  it 
their  boats  in  various  places,  but  also  to  those  of  die 
St.  Charles,  near  Quebec  It  is  clear  that  the 
Indians  must  have  spoken,  as  they  always  do 
figurately  ;  and  that  the  French  understood  thett 
literally.  At  the  entrance  of  the  River  Saguenay  the 
following  incident  happened  : — "  We  met  with  font 
boats  full  of  wild  men,  which  as  far  as  we  could  per- 
ceive, very  fearfully  came  towards  us,  so  that  some 
of  them  went  back  again,  and  the  other  came  as  near 
us  as  easily  they  might  hear  and  understand  one  of 
our  wild  men,  who  told  them  his  name,  and  then  took 
acquaintance  of  them,  upon  whose  word  they  came 
to  us."  Again,  on  coming  to  anchor  between  the 
Isle  of  Orleans  and  the  north  shore,  Jacques  Carrier 
says,  "  We  went  on  land  and  took  our  two  wild 
men  with  us,  meeting  many  of  those  country  people 
who  would  not  at  all  approach  unto  us,  but  rather 
fled  from  us,  until  our  two  men  began  to  speak  unto 
them,  telling  them  that  they  were  Taignoagny  and 
Domagaia  ;  who  so  soon  as  they  had  taken  ac- 
quaintance of  them,  began  greatly  to  rejoice,  dancing 
and  showing  many  sorts  of  ceremonies  :  and  many 
of  the  chiefest  of  them  came  to  our  boats,  ana 
brought  many  eels  and  other  sorts  of  fishes,  with  two 
or  three  burthen  of  great  millet,  wherewith  they 
made  their  bread,  and  many  great  musk  melon* 
The  same  day  came  also  many  other  boats,  full  of 
those  countrymen  and  women  to  see  and  take  ac- 
quaintance of  our  two  men."  That  the  mere  enun- 
tiation  of  their  names  by  the  interpreters  should  have 
proved  a  talisman  of  such  power  is  scarcely  credible* 
if  we  regard  these  names  merely  as  proper  to  the  in* 
dividuals  before  their  first  adventure  with  Jacques 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  48 

Cgrtier  in  tbt  Bay  of  Gaspl.  But  the  irresistible 
supposition  is,  that  these  names,  which  seem  to  have 
produced  every  where  sack  extraordinary  effect, 
most  have  been  altogether  special  and  peculiar, 
adopted  by  the  interpreters  themselves,  according  to 
the  Indian  custom,  as  designating  the  most  remarka- 
ble event  in  their  lives — namely,  that  they  had  been 
taken  away  from  their  own  to  a  foreign  land  by  white 
strangers,  whence  they  had  returned  in  safety.  In 
this  view  only,  is  it  easy  to  account  for  the  apparent 
effect  of  the  names  when  heard ;  and  for  the  anxiety 
of  the  Indians  of  the  St  Lawrence  to  "  take  ac- 
quaintance" with  their  travelled  brethren, 

HE  DISCOVERS  QUEBEC* 

Panning  his  voyage  which  was  now  becoming 
more  and  more  interesting,  Cartier  left  the  Isle  aux 
Coudres,  and  soon  reached  an  Island,  which  from  its 
beauty  and  fertility,  as  well  as  from  the  number  of  wild 
vines  which  grew  there,  he  called  the  Isle  of  Bacchus. 
It  is  now  the  Island  of  Orleans,  and  greatly  enhances 
the  beauty  of  the  prospect  from  the  high  grounds  of 
Quebec*  Here,  on  the  7th  September,  he  opened 
a  friendly  communication  with  the  natives  ;  and  on 
the  following  day,  "  the  Lord  of  Canada,  whose 
proper  name  was  Donnacona,"  came  with  twelve 
canoes  full  of  his  people,  eight  being  in  each,  to  visit 
the  strangers  as  they  lay  at  anchor  between  the  Is- 
land and  the  north  shore.  Commanding  the  attendant 
canoes  to  remain  at  a  little  distance,  Donnacona,  with 
two  canoes  only,  approached  close  to  the  smallest  of 
the  three  vessels.  He  then  commenced  the  usual  ora- 
tion, accompanying  it  with  strange  and  uncouth  ac- 
tion ;  and  after  conversing  with  the  interpreters,  who 


44  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

informed  him  of  their  wonderful  visit  to  France,  and  tlw 
kindness  with  which  they  had  been  treated  by  the  whiM 
men,  penetrated  apparently  with  awe  and  respect,  1m 
took  the  arm  of  Carder,  kissed  it,  and  placed  it  upog 
his  neck,  an  expression  of  feeling  eloquent  of  amitj 
and  confidence.  Nor  was  Carrier  backward  in  ex 
changing  friendly  salutations  :  he  immediately  wen 
into  the  canoe  of  the  chief,  and  presented  him  and  hi 
attendants  with  bread  and  wine,  of  which  they  par 
took  together,  and  "  whereby  the  Indians  wen 
greatly  content  and  satisfied."  He  then  parted  witl 
them  on  the  most  satisfactory  terms.  At  this  dis 
tance  of  time  it  is  impossible  not  to  feel  great  in  teres 
in  Carrier's  first  interview  with  the  Chief  of  a  countr] 
discovered  by  his  perseverance  and  skill,  and  destinec 
afterwards  to  be  so  celebrated  in  the  annals  both  o 
France  and  England.  As  we  have  before  mentions 
the  devout  character  of  Carrier,  it  is  not  improbahh 
that  some  strong  religious  feeling  may  have  promptec 
his  conduct  on  this  occasion.  It  is  also  remarkable 
and  seems  to  corroborate  the  observation,  that  in  thii 
first  interview  he  gave  them  no  presents,  reserving 
that  for  a  future  opportunity. 

Donnacona  departed  with  the  same  state  in  whicl 
he  came  :  while  Carrier,  having  so  far  prosperous!} 
advanced  towards  the  interior  of  an  unknown  country; 
became  desirous  of  finding  a  safe  harbor  for  his  ves- 
sels, then  at  anchor  near  the  east  end  of  the  Isle  ol 
Orleans,  He  accordingly  manned  his  boats,  and 
went  up  the  north  shore  against  the  stream,  until  h< 
came  to  "  a  goodly  and  pleasant  sound,"  and  a  "  little 
river  and  haven"  admirably  adapted  for  his  purpose. 
In  this  spot,  after  some  necessary  preparations,  he 
safely  moored  his  vessels  on  the  16th  September  \ 
and  according  to  his  devout  and  grateful  custom,  fc< 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  45 

imed  the  place  the  Port  of  St.  Croix,  in  honor  of 
tk  day  on  which  he  had  first  entered  it ;  and  here 
Doonacona,  with  a  retinue  of  five  hundred  persons 
fattened  to  pay  him  another  friendly  visit,  to  welcome 
his  arrival  in  the  territory. 

DESCRIPTION  OF   STADACONA,    AND   THE   HARBOR 

OF  ST.    CROIX. 

As  this  event  forms  one  of  the  most  important 
epochs  in  the  ancient  history  of  the  country,  we  shall 
be  more  particular  in  our  account  of  the  proceedings 
of  Jacques  Carrier  ;  and  our  sketch  will  now  assume 
"  a  load  habitation.1'  familiar  to  all  who  at  the  pre- 
sent day  are  acquainted  with  the  scene,  and  equally 
interesting,  we  trust,  to  the  intelligent  antiquarian. 
There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  the  "  goodly  and  plea- 
lant  sound,"  above  mentioned,  was  the  beautiful 
basin  of  Quebec;  and  that  the  place  selected  by 
Cartier  for  laying  up  his  vessels,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of Port  dt  St  Croix,  and  wherehe  afterwards  win- 
tered was  in  the  Little  River  St.  Charles,  to  the  north 
of  the  city — which  name  it  afterwards  received,  ac- 
cording to  La  Potherie,  in  compliment  to  Charles  des 
Boiies,  Grand  Vicar  of  Pontoise,  founder  of  the  first 
mission  of  Kecollets  of  New  France.  The  old  writers, 
and  Charlevoix  himself,  as  has  been  mentioned  above, 
have  unaccountably  mistaken  the  locality  of  the  har- 
bor chosen  by  Cartier  ;  and  misled  by  the  name, 
lave  asserted  that  it  was  at  the  entrance  of  the  River 
now  called  Jacques  Cartier,  which  flows  into  the 
St  Lawrence,  about  fifteen  miles  above  Quebec. 
But  it  has  been  well  observed,  that  although  three 
centuries  have  elapsed  since  the  incidents  we  are 
recording  took  place,  the  localities  still  remain  un- 


46  KEW   PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

changeable,  and  may  be  easily  recognised.  The  port 
of  St.  Croix  is  thus  described  by  Cartier  himself* 
"  There  is  a  goodly,  fair,  and  delectable  bay,  Of 
creek,  convenient  and  fit  to  harbor  ships  ;  hard  bjfj 
there  is  in  that  river  one  place  very  narrow,  deep} 
and  swift  running,  but  it  is  not  the  third  part  of  I 
league,  over  against  which  there  is  a  goodly  high 

piece  of  land,  with  a  town  therein, that  is  the 

place  and  abode  of  Donnacona :  it  is  called  Stadaconft 
....  under  which  town  towards  the  north,  the  river 
and  port  of  the  Holy  Cross  is,  where  we  staid  from 
the  15th  September  until  the  6th  May,  1536  ;  and 
there  our  ships  remained  dry."  There  cannot  be  a 
more  accurate  description.  The  "one  place"  in  the 
River  St.  Lawrence,  "  deep  and  swift  running," 
means  of  course  that  part  immediately  opposite  die 
Lower  Town  ;  and,  no  doubt,  it  appeared  by  compa- 
rison "  very  narrow"  to  those,  who  had  hitherto  seen 
our  noble  river  only  in  its  grandest  forms.  The  towfl 
of  Stadacona,  the  residence  of  the  Chief,  stood  on 
that  part  of  Quebec  which  is  now  covered  by  the 
Suburbs  of  St.  Roch,  with  part  of  those  of  St.  John, 
looking  towards  the  St.  Charles.  The  area  or  ground 
adjoining  is  thus  described,  as  it  no  doubt  appeared 
to  Cartier  three  centuries  ago  :  "  as  goodly  a  plot  of 
ground  as  possible  may  be  seen,  and  therewithal  verf 
fruitful,  full  of  goodly  trees  even  as  in  France,  suck 
as  oaks,  elms,  ashes,  walnut  trees,  maple  trees,  vines, 
and  white  thorns,  that  bring  forth  fruit  as  big  as  any 
damsons,  and  many  other  sorts  of  trees,  under  which 
groweth  as  fine  tall  hemp  as  any  in  France,  without 
any  seed,  or  any  man's  work  or  labor  at  all."  The 
exact  spot  in  the  River  St.  Charles  where  Cartier 
moored  his  vessels,  and  where  the  people  passed  the 
winter,  is  supposed  on  good  authority  to  have  bee* 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  47 

ike  site  of  the  old  bridge,  called  Dorchester  Bridge, 
where  there  is  a  ford  at  low  water,  close  to  the  Ma- 
ine Hospital.  That  it  was  on  the  east  bank,  not  far 
rom  the  residence  of  Charles  Smith,  Esquire,  is  evi- 
ent  from  the  river  having  been  frequently  crossed  by 
lie  natives  coming  from  Stadacona  to  visit  their 
rench  guests.  To  all  who  witness  the  present  state 
f  Quebec — its  buildings,  population  and  trade,  em- 
loying  a  thousand  vessels — these  early  accounts 
anded  down  from  the  first  European  visitor  must  be 
ill  of  interest,  generally  accurate  as  they  are  in 
ascription,  but  falling,  how  far,  short  of  the  natural 
eauty  of  the  position  ! 

DISCOVERT   OF   HOCHELAGA   OR  MONTREAL. 

The  relations  between  the  French  and  Donnacona 
ontinued  of  the  most  friendly  character,  and  not  a 
ay  seems  to  have  passed  without  some  communica- 
!on  between  them.  But  the  object  of  Jacques  Car- 
er was  by  no  means  attained,  or  his  ambition  satis- 
ed  with  the  knowledge  of  Stadacona — he  had  re- 
eived  from  the  interpreters  information  of  the 
xistence  of  a  city  of  much  greater  importance,  the 
apital  of  an  extensive  kingdom,  as  they  described 
t,  situate  at  a  considerable  distance  up  the  River  of 
'anada.  Thither  he  determined  to  proceed  at  all 
tazards,  considering  his  voyage  limited  only  by  the 
liscovery  of  Hochelaga.  Undeterred  by  the  late- 
less  of  the  season — deaf  to  the  dissuasions  of  Don- 
kacona  and  the  interpreters,  with  one  of  whom  he 
ad  every  reason  to  be  dissatisfied,  he  having  refused 
o  accompany  him  further — the  Indians  had  recourse 
o  a  device,  a  kind  of  masquerade,  or  pantomimic  re- 
presentation, intended  to  produce  fear  in  his  mind  as 


46  new  picture  cnr  Quebec, 

to  the  result  of  his  expedition,  either  from  the  had 
*  lily  of  the  natives  of  Hochelaga,  the  dangers  of  tk 
river,  or  the  inclemency  of  the  winter  which  was  fa 
•approaching.  This  ridiculous  mummery  was  treati 
by  Carrier  with  merited  contempt.  Charlevoix  seei 
to  think,  that  Donnacona  was  influenced  by  jealous; 
lest  he  and  his  people  should  be  deprived  of  the  ai 
vantages  of  an  uninterrupted  communication  with  tl 
white  strangers,  from  whom  the  Indians  had,  doub 
less,  obtained  several  presents,  some  of  utility,  othe 
gratifying  to  their  personal  vanity.  It  is  by  i 
means  improbable,  however,  that  the  Indians,  wl 
had  given  Cartier  no  reason  to  suspect  their  go< 
faith,  were  perfectly  sincere.  An  amusing  incidei 
is  thus  told  in  Hakluyt : — "  Donnacona  desired  o\ 
captain  to  cause  a  piece  of  artillery  to  be  shot  ol 
because  Taignoagny  and  Domagaia  made  grei 
brags  of  it,  and  had  told  them  marvellous  thing! 
and  also  because  they  had  never  heard  nor  seen  an 
before  :  to  whom  our  captain  answered,  that  he  wj 
content,  and  by  and  by  he  commanded  his  men  i 
shoot  off  twelve  cannon  charged  with  bullets,  ini 
the  wood  that  was  hard  by  those  people  and  ship 
at  whose  noise  they  were  greatly  astonished  an 
amazed,  for  they  thought  that  heaven  had  fallc 
upon  them,  and  put  themselves  to  flight,  howlinj 
crying  and  shrieking,  so  that  it  seemed  hell  ha 
broken  loose." 

On  the  19th  September,  Cartier  commenced  h 
voyage  to  Hochelaga  with  his  pinnace,  the  Hermi 
rillon,  and  two  long  boats,  capable  of  holding  thirtj 
five  persons  with  arms,  ammunition  and  provisions 
leaving  his  two  larger  vessels  in  the  harbor  of  S 
Croix,  well  protected  by  "  poles  and  pikes  drive 
into  the  water  and  set  up" — but  better  by  the  stoi 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  49 

hearts  of  their  gallant  crews.  His  ascent  of  the  river 
was  prosperous,  and  he  speaks  of  the  scenery  on  both 
sides  as  extremely  rich  and  beautifully  varied,  the 
country  being  well  covered  with  fine  timber  and 
abundance  of  vines.  The  natives,  with  whom  he  had 
frequent  communication,  are  represented  as  kind  and 
hospitable,  every  where  supplying  him  with  all  they 
possessed,  the  taking  of  fish  being  their  principal 
occupation  and  means  of  subsistence.  At  Hochelai, 
now  the  Richelieu,  they  received  a  visit  from  the 
chief  of  the  district,  who  also  attempted  to  dissuade 
them  from  proceeding  further,  and  otherwise  showed 
a  friendly  disposition  :  presenting  Cartier  with  one 
of  his  own  children,  a  girl  of  about  seven  years  of 
age,  whom  he  afterwards  came  to  visit,  together 
with  his  wife,  during  the  wintering  of  the  French  at 
St  Croix.  On  the  28th  they  came  to  Lake  St* 
Peter,  where,  owing  to  the  shallowness  of  the  water 
in  one  of  the  passages  between  the  Islands,  they 
thought  it  advisable  to  leave  the  pinnace.  Here 
they  met  five  hunters,  who,  says  Cartier,  "  freely 
and  familiarly  came  to  our  boats  without  any  fear, 
as  if  we  had  ever  been  brought  up  together.  Our 
boats  being  somewhat  near  the  shore,  one  of  them 
took  our  captain  in  his  arms  and  carried  hi.n  on 
shore,  and  lightly  and  easily  as  if  he  had  been  a  child 
of  five  years  old,  so  strong  and  sturdy  was  this  fel- 
low." 

On  the  2nd  October  they  approached  Hochelaga, 
and  were  received  by  the  natives  there  with  every 
demonstration  of  joy  and  hospitality.  "  There  came 
to  meet  us,"  says  the  relation,  "  above  one  thousand 
persons,  men,  women  and  children  ;  who  afterward 
did  as  friendly  and  merrily  entertain  and  receive  us 
as  any  father  would  do  his  child,  which  he  had  not 

E 


/ 


50  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

of  long  time  seen Our  captain  seeing1  their 

loving  kindness  and  entertainment,  caused  all  the 
women  orderly  to  be  set  in  array,  and  gave  them 
beads  made  of  tin,  and  other  such  trifles  ;  and  to 
some  of  the  men  he  gave  knives.  Then  he  returned 
to  the  boats  to  supper,  and  so  passed  that  night,  all 
which  while  all  those  people  stood  on  the  shore  as 
near  our  boats  as  they  might,  making  great  fires,  and 
dancing  very  merrily." 

The  place  where  Carrier  first  touched  the  land, 
near  Hochelaga,  appears  to  have  been  about  six 
miles  from  the  city,  and  below  the  current  of  St 
Mary.  On  the  3rd  October,  having  obtained  the 
services  of  three  natives  as  guides,  Carrier,  with  his 
volunteers  and  part  of  his  men,  in  full  dress,  pro- 
ceeded to  visit  the  town.  The  way  was  well  beaten 
and  frequented  ;  and  he  describes  the  country  as  the 
best  that  could  possibly  be  seen.  Hochelaga  was 
situated  in  the  midst  of  large  fields  of  Indian 
corn ;  and  from  the  description,  must  even  then 
have  been  a  very  considerable  place,  and  the  metro- 
polis of  the  neighboring  country.  The  name  is 
now  lost,  but  on  its  site  stands  the  rich  and  flourish- 
ing city  of  Montreal.  It  was  encompassed  by  pali- 
sades, or  probably  a  picket  fence  in  three  rows,  one 
within  the  other,  well  secured  and  put  together.  A 
single  entrance  was  secured  with  piles  and  stakes ; 
and  every  precaution  adopted  for  defence  against 
sudden  attack  or  siege.  The  town  consisted  of  about 
fifty  houses,  each  fifty  feet  in  length  by  fourteen  in 
breadth,  built  of  wood  and  covered  with  bark,  "  well 
and  cunningly  joined  together."  Each  house  con- 
tained several  chambers,  built  round  an  open  court 
yard  in  the  centre,  where  the  fire  was  made.  The 
inhabitants  belonged  to  the  Huron  tribe,  and  appear 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  51 

to  have  been  more  than   usually  civilised.     They 
were  devoted  to  husbandry  and  fishing,   and  never 
roamed  about  the  country  as  other  tribes  did,  al- 
though they  had  eight  or  ten  other  villages  subject 
to  them.     Carder  seems  to  have  been  considered  in 
die  light  of  a  deity  among  them  ;  for  they  brought 
him  their  aged  king,  and  their  sick,  in  order  that  he 
might   heal   them.     Disclaiming   any   such   power, 
Carder,  with  his  accustomed  piety  prayed  with  them, 
and  read  part  of  the  gospel  of  St.  John,  to  their  great 
admiration  and  joy.     He  concluded  by  distributing 
presents  with  the  utmost  impartiality.    On  reading  the 
whole  account,  we  cannot  but  be  favorably  impressed 
by  the  conduct  and  character  of  those  Indians,  so  diffe- 
entfrom  that  of  some  other  tribes,  or  the  generality  of 
lavages.     It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  fighting 
men  or  warriors  of  the  tribe  were  absent  on  some  ex- 
pedition,    Cartier  appears  to  have  behaved  on  the 
occasion  with  great  discretion,  and  to  have  shown 
himself  eminently  qualified  for  his  station.     After 
having  seen  all  that  was  worthy  of  note  in  the  city, 
he  set  out  to  examine  the  mountain,  which  was  about 
three  miles  from  Hochelaga.     He  describes  it  as 
tilled  all  round  and  very  fertile.     The  beautiful  view 
from  the  top  does  not  escape  his  notice,  and  he  states 
that  he  could  see  the  country  and  the  river  for  thirty 
leagues  around  him.     He  gave  it  the  name  of  Mont 
Royal,  which  was  afterwards  extended  to  the  city 
beneath,  and  the  whole  of  the  rich  and  fertile  Island, 
now  Montreal. 

RETURNS   TO   ST.    CROIX. 

Carrier,  having  accomplished  his  object,  returned  to 
his  boats  accompanied   by  a  great  multitude,  who 


59  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

when  they  perceived  any  of  his  men  fatigued  with 
their  Ion?  march,  took  them  upon  their  shoulders  and 
carried  tnem.  The  natives  appeared  grieved  and 
displeased  with  the  short  stay  of  the  French ;  and  on 
their  departure,  which  was  immediate,  they  followed 
their  course  along  the  banks  of  the  river.  On  the 
evening  of  the  4th  October,  they  came  to  the  place 
where  they  had  left  the  pinnace ;  and  having  made 
sail  on  the  5th,  they  returned  happily  to  St.  Croix, 
rejoining  their  companions  on  the  1 1th  of  the  month. 
The  mariners  who  had  been  left  behind  had  had 
the  precaution,  during  the  absence  of  Carrier,  to 
entrench  and  fortify  their  vessels  so  as  to  defy  attack. 
On  the  day  after  their  return,  Carrier  was  visited  by 
the  Chief,  Donnacona,  who  invited  the  French  to 
visit  him  at  his  village  of  Stadacona.  Accordingly, 
on  the  13th,  Carrier  proceeded  with  all  his  gentlemen 
and .  fifty  mariners  to  their  town,  about  three  miles 
from  the  place  where  the  ships  were  laid  up.  The 
houses  were  well  provided,  and  full  of  all  things 
necessary  for  the  approaching  winter :  the  inhabitants 
seemed  docile,  and  in  the  words  of  Jacques  Carrier, 
"  as  far  as  we  could  perceive  and  understand,  it  were 
a  very  easy  thing  to  bring  them  to  some  familiarity 
and  civility,  and  make  them  learn  what  one  would." 
The  country  around  is  stated  to  be  well  tilled  and 
wrought,  and  these  Indians  seem  to  have  been  by 
no  means  ignorant  of  agriculture,  or  deficient  in 
energy  to  clear  the  land;  for  it  is  mentioned  that 
they  had  "  pulled  up  the  trees  to  till  and  labor  the 
ground." 


with  mmromoAL  awuixAgnoNs.         f* 


mumunm  wnrraB,  of  1536— astum  to  * &jtutat> 

Hn  whole  voyage  of  Carrier  had  been  ia  fer  pre* 
temus*  but  the  winter,  new  to  Europeans,  was  Vet  40 
he  experienced*    Their  want  of  fit  clothing'  ami  ttt* 
customed  nourishment  was  probably  die  reason  why 
they  were  attacked  with  sentry,  which  first  showed 
itself  in  the  month  of  December.    In  March,  1590^ 
oat  ef  one  hundred  and  ten  persons,  twenty-fire  were 
dead,  aad  not  three  remained  in  health.    Great,  in- 
deed* as  mast  hare  been  their  sufferings,  their  eon- 
rage  seems  never  to  hare  deserted  them  ;  and  ther 
precautions  taken  by  Carrier  to  conceal  his  loss  and 
the  extreme  weakness  of  the  garrison,  as  we  may  call 
the  entrenchment  round  the  ships,  were  well  eon* 
ceived  and  proved  quite  successful.     At  length  they 
were  persuaded  to  use  a  decoction  of  the  spruce  fir  ; 
aad  the  effect  was  so  instantaneous  that  in  six  days  all 
were  recovered. 

The  following  facts,  relative  to  the  climate  during' 
this  winter,  are  gathered  from  the  "  Fastes  Cbrono- 
logiques,"  and  are  worthy  of  notice.  On  the  15thr 
November,  1535,  old  style,  the  vessels  in  the  River 
St  Charles  were  surrounded  by  ice ;  and  the  Indians 
informed  Carder,  that  the  whole  river  was  frozen 
over  as  far  as  Montreal.  On  the  22nd  February, 
1536,  the  River  St  Lawrence  became  navigable  for 
canoes,  opposite  to  Quebec,  but  the  ice  remained 
finn  in  St  Croix  harbor.  On  the  5th  April,  however, 
his  vessels  were  disengaged  from  the  ice.  To  obtain 
the  modern  dates  of  these  occurrences,  it  will  be  ne- 
cessary to  add  eleven  days  to  each  period. 

On  the  21st  April,  Cartier  seems  first  to  have  en- 
tertained suspicion  of  the  intentions  of  the  Indians, 

£  2 


54  HEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

from  the  circumstance  of  a  number  of  "  lusty 
strong  men  whom  they  were  not  wont  to  see/' : 
ing  their  appearance  at  Stadacona.  They  were 
bably  the  young  hunters  of  the  tribe  who  had 
out  during  the  winter,  in  search  of  deer  ;  and 
had  not  previously  fallen  under  the  observation  < 
French.  Cartier  having  determined  on  an  imme 
return  to  France,  resolved  to  anticipate  the  n 
ments  of  the  Indians  by  a  coup  de  main  on  his 
and  accordingly  on  the  3d  May,  and  in  a  m; 
which  not  even  the  extreme  urgency  of  the  case 
excuse  or  palliate,  he  carried  his  plan  into  execu 
and  seized  Donnacona,  the  interpreters,  and 
other  Indians  of  note,  for  the  purpose  of  prese 
them  to  the  King.  They  were  treated,  ho\* 
with  much  kindness,  and  seem  to  have  been  soc 
conciled  to  their  lot. 

Nothing  now  remained  but  to  make  sail  for  Fi 
which  they  did  on  the  6th  May.  They  were 
pelled  to  remain  by  contrary  winds  at  the  Isl< 
Coudres  until  the  2 1st,  and  afterwards  coasting  s 
along,  they  finally  sailed  from  Cape  Race  on  the 
June ;  and  arriving  at  St  Malo  on  the  6th  July, 
they  concluded  this  important  voyage. 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  65 


CHAPTER  THE  FOURTH. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  CONTINUED. — THIRD  VOYAGE  OF 
JACQUES   CARTIER — AND    OF   ROBERVAL. 

If,  among  the  perilous  and  adventurous  occupa- 
tions of  active  life,  there  is  one  requiring  more  energy, 
skill,  courage  and  patient  endurance  than  another,  it 
is  when  man,  in  a  fragile  skiff,  comparatively  a  nut- 
shel — subject  to  dissolution  and  destruction  from  a 
thousand   unforeseen   accidents — not   only   entrusts 
himself  to  the  mighty  and  mysterious  deep,  a  slave  to 
the  elements  and  the  sport  of  the  waves ;  but  fired  by 
love  of  science  and  ambition  of  discovery,  tempts  the 
secret  dangers  of  an  unproved  climate,  and  commits 
himself  to  the  natives  of  a  barbarous  shore,  where  a 
single  act  of  indiscretion  on  his  part,  or  of  suspicion  on 
theirs— either  open  violence  or  secret  treachery,  would 
be  alike  fatal  to  his  return  !  How  long  is  the  catalogue 
of  scientific  and  enterprising  travellers  who   have 
fallen  victims  to  the  cause  of  discovery  !     Cook — 
Park — Belzoni — Burckhart — Denham — Clapperton, 
and  Laing  have  perished  for  science  and  for  fame  ; 
but  in  a  great  soul  it  is  the  cause  which  conquers  all 
personal  considerations — and  though  the  lives  of  dis- 
coverers are  sacrificed,  science  is  still  on  the  advance. 
New  competitors  spring  up,   undeterred  by  the  fate 
of  those  who  went  before,  and  rivals  of  their  fame  ; 
and  as  if  it  were  destined  that  the  unknown  of  the 
world  should  be  revealed — the  present  age  has  wit- 


50  NSW  PICTURE  OF  gUBBtC, 

nessed  with  admiration  the  intrepid  Lander,  and  the 
patient,  highminded  Ross,  penetrating  with  equal  de- 
termination into  the  Arctic  highlands,  and  the  torrid 
shores  of  Africa  !  A  race  of  people,  living  in  a  fro- 
zen region,  and  under  a  degree  of  cold,  once  suppos- 
ed to  be  fatal  to  vegetation  and  to  life,  yet  possessing 
all  the  affections  of  humanity,  has  been  discovered  by 
the  one — while  a  new  outlet  for  the  fructifying  com- 
merce of  Great  Britain  is  likely  to  be  afforded  by 
the  operations  of  the  other. 

To  return  from  this  digression.  Notwithstanding 
that  in  the  discovery  of  Canada  by  Jacques  Cartier, 
the  love  of  science  had  but  little  share,  the  operation* 
of  which  we  are  treating  undoubtedly  applied  a  stimu- 
lus to  geographical  researches,  and  were  decisive  of 
future  improvement.  But  although  really  of  such 
magnitude  and  importance,  their  result  does  not  seem 
to  have  satisfied  general  expectation  on  the  part  of 
the  French  nation.  The  common  people  affected  to 
treat  lightly  the  acquisition  of  a  country  whence  nei- 
ther gold  or  silver  could  be  extracted — but  for  the 
honor  of  the  French  name  and  of  science,  there  were 
persons  attached  to  the  Court  who  thought  differently, 
and  who  were  not  to  be  deterred  by  the  failure  of  one 
or  two  attempts.  They  justly  considered  that  the 
possession  of  New  France  was  not  to  be  lightly  relin- 
quished— and  they  listened  favorably  to  the  accounts  ; 
given  by  Cartier,  who  always  represented  the  lands 
as  highly  fertile,  the  climate  salubrious,  and  the  in- 
habitants docile,  kind  and  hospitable.  He  represen- 
ted above  all,  what  had  the  most  powerful  influence 
upon  his  own  mind,  the  glory  of  converting  the  na- 
tives to  the  true  faith  ;  as  worthy  of  a  Prince  whtf 
bore  the  titles  of  the  most  Christian  king,  and  of  the?  . 
eldest  son  of  the  Church.    The  presence  of  the  Indian 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  57 

chief,  Donnacona,  and  his  companions,  no  doubt 
greatly  aided  his  representations.  The  reader  will  be 
anxious  to  know  the  fate  of  these  Indians  after  their 
arrival  in  France.  It  appears  that  they  were  bap- 
tised at  their  own  desire  and  request ;  and  having 
been  introduced  at  Court,  produced  an  extraordinary 
sensation.  Cartier  states,  that  Francis  I.  frequently 
conversed  with  Donnacona,  who  appears  to  have  cor- 
roborated all  that  had  been  stated  respecting  the 
country.  These  natives,  however,  were  not  long 
lived  :  they  pined  away  in  the  new  state  of  society 
in  which  they  were  placed ;  and  of  ten  in  number 
whom  Cartier  brought  over,  all  died  in  Brittany,  save 
one  little  girl.  Probably,  the  change  of  diet,  rather 
than  of  climate,  proved  fatal  to  them :  as  it  did  recently 
in  England  in  the  case  of  the  King  and  Queen  of 
the  Sandwich  Islands. 

Among  those  who  were  anxious  to  make  another 
attempt  to  establish  a  colony  in  Canada,  was  Jean 
Francois  de  la  Roque,  Lord  of  Roberval,  a  gentleman 
of  high  reputation  in  his  native  province  of  Picardy ; 
and  who  appears  to  have  been  familiarly  known  to 
and  distinguished  by  Francis,  as  a  man  of  bravery 
and  talent.  He  solicited  and  obtained  from  the  King, 
letters  patent,  dated  the  15th  January,  1541,  appoint- 
ing him  to  the  command  of  an  expedition  of  discovery, 
under  the  high  sounding,  but  empty  titles,  of  Viceroy 
and  Lieutenant  General  in  Canada,  Hochelaga,  Sa- 
guenay,  Newfoundland,  Belleisle,  &c;  and  conferring 
upon  him  in  those  countries  the  same  powers  and 
authority  which  he  himself  possessed.  Cartier  was 
named  second  in  command,  with  the  title  of  Captain 
General  and  leader  of  the  ships.  Their  instructions 
were  "  to  discover  more  than  was  done  before  in  the 
former  voyages,  and  attain,  (if  were  possible,)  unto 


58  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

the  knowledge  of  the  country  of  Saguenay,"  whe 
the  French  still  fondly  hoped  that  the  precious  mete 
might  be  discovered.  The  port  of  St.  Malo,  when* 
the  two  former  voyages  had  been  undertaken,  w 
again  chosen  for  fitting  out  the  expedition.  It  h 
been  stated  in  a  recent  publication,  that  "  the  kii 
would  listen  to  no  proposals  for  the  establishment 
a  colony ;"  and  that  it  was  reserved  for  "  priva 
adventure  to  accomplish  that  which  had  been  negle 
ted  by  royal  munificence."  We  find,  however, 
Hakluyt's  account  of  the  third  voyage  of  Jacqu 
Carrier,  direct  evidence,  tending  to  vindicate  Fran< 
I.  who  had  hitherto  been  the  constant  friend  of  m 
ritime  adventure,  from  the  charge  of  apathy  ai 
indifference  on  this  occasion.  "  The  king,"  sa 
this  relation,  "  caused  a  certain  sum  of  money  to  ' 
delivered,  to  furnish  out  the  said  voyage  with  fi 
ships,  which  thing  was  performed  by  the  said  Mo 
sieur  Roberval  and  Carrier ." 

The  latter,  having  with  all  diligence  fitted  out  t 
five  vessels  at  St.  Malo,  expected  the  coming 
Roberval  with  arms,  ammunition  and  other  stoi 
which  he  had  engaged  to  provide  elsewhere.  Tl 
gentleman,  who  was  opulent,  had  indeed  contract 
to  furnish  two  other  vessels  at  his  own  charges,  to 
fitted  out  at  Honfieur  :  whither  he  proceeded  in  ord 
to  expedite  the  equipment.  Another  proof  of  t 
interest  taken  by  the  King  in  this  expedition  is  fou 
in  the  fact,  related  by  Carrier,  that  while  he  * 
waiting  the  coming  of  Roberval,  at  St.  Malo, 
received  a  positive  command  from  Francis  to  dep 
immediately  without  the  Viceroy,  on  pain  of  his  d 
pleasure.  Accordingly,  Roberval  gave  him  full  po* 
and  authority  to  act  as  if  he  himself  were  presec 
and  promised  to  follow  with  all  necessary  suppli 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  M 

i  Honfleur.  Having  victualled  tke  fleet  for  two 
«,  Carder  sailed  on  the  23d  May,  1541  ;  but  as 
re,  storms  and  contrary  winds  dispersed  the  ships, 
jh  nevertheless  at  the  end  of  a  month  reached  the 
e  of  rendezvous  on  the  coast  of  Newfoundland, 
e  they  delayed  so  long  in  expectation  of  being 
ed  by  Roberval,  that  it  was  not  until  the  expira- 
of  three  months  from  the  time  of  sailing,  that  he 
hed  his  former  station  in  the  harbor  of  St  Croix, 
noe  he  had  taken  Donnacona  a  few  years  before* 
tost  all  the  old  accounts,  which  are  singularly  con- 
d  and  incorrect,  mention  that  Carder  fixed  his 
blishment  on  his  third  voyage  in  Cape  Breton  ; 
they  Are  silent  as  to  this  his  second  visit  to 
ada»  But  the  third  relation  of  Jaeques  Carder, 
e  found  in  Hakluy t,  is  conclusive  on  this  point : 
Ve  arrived  not,"  says  he,  "  before  the  haven  of 
Croix,  in  Canada,  (where  in  the  former  voyage 
bad  remained  eight  months,)  until  the  23d  day  of 
rust."  Nothing  can  be  clearer  than  this  descrip- 
:  indeed  there  is  no  part  of  the  ancient  history 
lie  country  better  developed,  than  the  proceedings 
harder  on  his  third  voyage.  He  constantly  refers 
le  experience  he  had  gained,  and  to  circumstances 
ch  happened  on  his  former  visit ;  so  that  it  is 
ter  of  surprise  that  any  misconception  should  have 
fted  as  to  the  scene  of  his  last  operations  in  the 
Lawrence. 

mmediately  on  the  arrival  of  the  French  at  St. 
ox,  the  Indians  thronged  to -see  them ;  and  appa- 
tly  welcomed  them  with  every  token  of  satisfaction, 
e  person  who  had  succeeded  to  the  dignity  of 
ef,  paid  Carder  a  visit  of  ceremony  with  seven 
toes,  and  made  enquiries  after  the  absent  Don- 
iona.      The    Captain  readily  acknowledged  the 


60  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

death:  of  that  chief  in  France,  but  from  prudenti 
motives,  concealed  that  of  the  other  Indians :  accoun 
ing  for  their  absence  by  saying,  "  that  the  rest  sta 
there  as  great  lords,  and  were  married,  and  would  n 
return  back  unto  their  country."  Although  no  em< 
tion  of  anger  or  surprise  was  perceivable  in  tl 
countenance  or  manner  of  the  Indians,  on  receivin 
this  information — and  it  would  have  been  derogatoi 
to  their  character  to  evince  any — it  was  evident  th; 
they  began  from  that  time  to  regard  their  forinc 
friends  with  distrust  and  dislike.  They  natural! 
anticipated  that  a  fresh  supply  of  natives  would  1 
required  by  these  insatiable  strangers — that  the  seen 
of  the  capture  of  Donnacona  would  be  repeated — an 
they  looked  forward  to  the  result  with  dismal  fore 
bodings. 

Cartier,  having  for  some  reason  become  dissatisfie 
with  his  former  position  at  St.  Croix,  probably  frw 
the  altered  behaviour  of  the  natives  of  Stadacons 
selected,  on  the  26th  August,  another  station  at  th 
mouth  of  a  little  river,  between  three  and  four  league 
higher  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  where  he  laid  up  tire 
out  of  the  five  vessels  he  had  brought  with  hit 
from  France.  Here  he  gave  directions  for  construct 
ing  two  forts,  one  at  the  bottom  of  the  cliff,  on  a  leV€ 
with  the  water  ;  and  another  on  the  high  land  o 
point  above,  with  a  communication  by  means  of  stair 
cut  in  the  solid  rock.  This  fort  he  called  Charles 
bourg  Royal.  The  other  two  vessels  remained  n 
the  road  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  until  the  2nd  Sep 
tember;  when  they  sailed  for  St.  Malo,  under  tqi 
command  of  his  brother-in-law  and  nephew,  botl 
excellent  pilots.  By  them  he  transmitted  letter* 
informing  the  King  of  what  had  been  done,  and  of  tita 
non-arrival  of  Roberval.     Having  witnessed  the  coirf 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS,  61 

mencement  of  the  two  forts,  and  appointed  the 
Viscount  de  Beaupre*  to  the  command  in  his  absence, 
Carrier  resolved  to  carry  into  effect,  as  far  as  possible, 
the  ulterior  objects  of  the  expedition  ;  and  he  accord- 
ingly proceeded,  on  the  7th  September,  with  two  boats, 
for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  Saults  or  Rapids 
above  Hochelaga,  which  he  believed  were  to  be 
passed  on  the  way  to  Saguenay — "  in  order  that  he 
might  be  the  readier  in  the  spring  to  pass  farther, 
and  in  the  winter  time  to  make  all  things  needful  in 
readiness  for  the  business."  On  his  way  up  the  River 
St  Lawrence,  he  did  not  fail  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
hospitable  chief  of  Hochelai,  now  the  Richelieu,  to 
whom  in  remembrance  of  his  former  friendship  and 
services,  among  other  presents,  he  gave  two  young 
boys,  that  they  might  learn  the  language.  With  a 
fair  wind  they  arrived  at  the  first  Sault  above  Hoche- 
laga on  the  I  lth  September  ;  and  having  in  vain 
endeavored  to  pass  it  in  one  of  the  boats  doubly 
manned,  they  landed  and  found  a  portage,  which 
conducted  them  to  the  second  Sault.  These  Saults 
are  described  as  three  in  number ;  and  form  what  is 
now  called  the  Sault  St.  Louis,  between  Montreal 
and  Lachine.  They  found  the  inhabitants  well  dis- 
posed and  hospitable,  serving  them  as  guides  and 
supplying  them  with  pottage  and  fish.  Having  ob- 
tained all  the  information  he  could  extract  by  signs 
as  well  as  words,  and  having  been  told  of  a  great  Lake 
above  the  Saults,  Carrier  returned  to  the  place  where 
he  had  left  the  boats  at  the  commencement  of  the 
first  rapid.  Here  they  found  a  large  concourse  of 
the  natives  to  the  amount  of  about  four  hundred, 
who  treated  them  in  a  friendly  manner  ;  and  with 
whom  they  exchanged  presents.  Carrier,  however, 
appears  now  to  have  distrusted  the  Indians  whenever 

F 


63  NSW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

they  appeared  in  numbers;  and  satisfied  with 
knowledge  he  had  acquired  of  the  rapids,  he  prepa 
to  return  to  the  winter  quarters  at  Charlesbo 
Royal.  On  the  descent  of  the  river,  he  again  stop] 
at  the  dwelling  of  the  Chief  of  Hochelai,  who 
absent  at  Stadacona;  whither,  as  Cartier  afterw* 
found,  he  had  proceeded  to  concert  with  the  ot 
tribe  what  they  should  do  against  the  French. 

HE  WINTERS   AT   CAP   ROUGE. 

We  now  come  to  another  highly  interesting  pon 
of  local  history.     It  has  been  stated  that  the  old 
.torians  were  apparently  ignorant  of  this  last  voy 
of  Cartier.     Some  place  the  establishment  of  the 
at  Cape  Breton,  and  confound  his  proceedings  \ 
those  of  Roberval.     The  exact  spot  where  Car 
passed  his  second  winter  in  Canada  is  not  mentio 
in  any  publication  that  we  have  seen.      The 
lowing  is   the   description  given  of  the  station 
Hakluyt :     "  After  which  things,  the  said  cap 
went  with  two  of  his  boats  up  the   river,  bey 
Canada" — the  promontory   of  Quebec   is  meai 
"  and  the  port  of  St,  Croix,  to  view  a  haven  ai 
small  river  which  is  about  four  leagues  higher ;  w] 
he  found  better  and  more  commodious  to  ride 

and  lay  his  ships,  than  the  former The 

river  is  small,  not  .passing  fifty  paces  broad,  and  si 
drawing  three  fathoms  water  may  enter  in  at 
sea  ;  and  at  low  water  there  is  nothing  butachai 

of  a  foot  deep  or  thereabout The  mouth  of 

river  is  towards  the  south,  and  it  windeth  northv 
like  a  snake ;  and  at  the  mouth  of  it  towards  the 
there  is  a  high  and  steep  cliff,  where  we  made  a 
in  manner  of  a  pair  of  stairs,  and  aloft  we  mat 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  68 

fort  to  keep  the  nether  fort  and  the  ships,  and  all 
things  that  might  pass  as  well  by  the  great  as  by  this 
naall  river."  Who  that  reads  the  above  accurate 
lescription  will  doubt,  that  the  mouth  of  the  little 
iver  Cap  Rouge  was  the  station  chosen  by  Jacques 
harder,  for  his  second  wintering  place  in  Canada? 
IThe  original  description  of  the  grounds  .and  scenery 
m  both  sides  of  the  River  Cap  Rouge  is  equally 
aithful,  with  th^t  which  we  have  extracted  above." 
rhe  precise  spot  on  which  the  upper  fort  of  Jacques 
Dartier  was  built,  afterwards  enlarged  by  Roberval, 
las  been  fixed  by  an  ingenious  gentleman  of  Quebec, 
it  the  top  of  Cap  Rouge  height,  a  short  distance 
irom  the  handsome  villa  and  establishment  of  Henry 
Atkinson,  Esquire.  There  is  at  the  distance  of 
ibout  an  acre  to  the  north  of  Mr.  Atkinson's  house 
i  hillock  of  artificial  construction,  upon  which  are 
rees  indicating  great  antiquity  ;  and  as  it  does  not 
ippear  that  any  fortifications  were  erected  on  this 
spot,  either  in  the  war  of  1759,  or  during  the  attack 
rf  Quebec  by  the  Americans  in  1775,  it  is  extremely 
probable  that  here  are  to  be  found  the  interesting  site 
md  remains  of  the  ancient  fort  in  question. 

On  his  return  to  the  Fort  of  Charlesbourg  Royal, 
the  suspicions  of  Carder  as  to  the  unfriendly  dispo- 
sition of  the  Indians  were  confirmed.  He  was  in- 
formed that  the  natives  now  kept  aloof  from  the 
fort,  and  had  ceased  to  bring  them  fish  and  provisions 
as  before.  He  also  learned  from  some  of  the  men 
who  had  been  at  Stadacona,  that  an  unusual  number 
rf  Indians  had  assembled  there — and  associating,  as 
he  always  seems  to  have  done,  the  idea  of  danger 
with  any  concourse  of  the  natives,  he  resolved  to 
take  all  necessary  precautions,  causing  every  thing 
k  the  fortress  to  be  set  in  order. 


64  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

At  this  crisis,  to  the  regret  of  all  who  feel  an  inte- 
rest in  the  local  history  of  the  time,  the  relation  of 
Carder's  third  voyage  abruptly  breaks  off.  Of  the 
proceedings  during  the  winter  which  he  spent  at  Cap 
Rouge,  nothing  is  known.  It  is  probable  that  it 
passed  over  without  any  collision  with  the  natives, 
although  the  position  of  the  French,  from  their  nu- 
merical weakness,  must  have  been  attended  with 
great  anxiety. 

VOYAGE  OF  ROBERVAL — RETURN  OF  JACQUES 

CARTIER  TO  FRANCE. 

It  has  been  seen  that  Roberval,  notwithstanding 
his  lofty  titles,  and  really  enterprising  character,  did 
not  fulfil  his  engagement  to  follow  Cartier  with  sup- 
plies sufficient  for  the  settlement  of  a  colony,  until 
the  year  following.     By  that  time  the  Lieutenant 
General  had  furnished  three  large  vessels  chiefly  at 
the  King's  cost,  having  on  board  two  hundred  persons, 
several  gentlemen  of  quality,  and  settlers,  both  men 
and  women.     He  sailed  from  Rochelle  on  the  16th 
April,  1542,  under  the  direction  of  an  experienced  ; 
pilot,  by  name  John  Alphonse,  of  Xaintonge.     The 
prevalence  of  westerly  winds  prevented  their  reach- 
ing Newfoundland  until  the  7th  June.     On  the  8th  ; 
they  entered  the  road  of  St.  John,  where  they  found  i 
seventeen  vessels  engaged  in  the  fisheries.  During  his  ; 
stay  in  this  road,  he  was  surprised  and  disappointed  by  , 
the  appearance  of  Jacques  Cartier,  on  his  return  from  ^ 
Canada,  whither  he  had  been  sent  the  year  before  ^ 
with  five  ships.     Cartier  had  passed  the  winter  at  the  ,; 
fortress  described  above;  and  gave  as  a  reason  for  ^ 
the  abandonment  of  the  settlement,  "  that  he  could  ,, 
not  with  his  small  company  withstand  the  savage*  ^ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RICOLLECTION8.  66 

which  went  about  daily  to  annoy  him."  He  con-* 
tinued,  nevertheless,  to  speak  of  the  country  as  very 
rich  and  fruitful.  Carrier  is  said,  in  the  relation  of 
Roberval's  voyage  in  Hakluy t,  to  have  produced  some 
fold  ore  found  in  the  country,  which  on  being  tried 
in  a  furnace,  proved  to  be  good.  He  had  with  him 
also  some  diamonds,  the  natural  production  of  the 
promontory  of  Quebec,  from  which  ihe  Cape  derived 
its  name.  The  Lieutenant  General  having  brought 
so  strong  a  reinforcement  of  men  and  necessaries  for 
the  settlement,  was  extremely  urgent  with  Carrier  to 
go  back  again  to  Cap  Rouge,  but  without  success.  It 
is  most  probable  that  the  French,  who  had  recently 
passed  a  winter  of  hardship  in  Canada,  would  not 
permit  their  Captain  to  attach  himself  to  the  fortunes 
and  the  particular  views  of  Roberval.  Perhaps,  the 
fond  regret  of  home  prevailed  over  the  love  of  adven- 
ture ;  and  like  men  who  conceived  that  they  had 
performed  their  part  of  the  contract  into  which  they 
had  entered,  they  were  not  disposed  to  encounter  new 
hardships  under  a  new  leader.  In  order,  therefore, 
to  prevent  any  open  disagreement,  Carrier  weighed 
anchor  in  the  course  of  the  night,  and  without  taking 
leave  of  Roberval,  made  all  sail  for  France.  It  is 
impossible  not  to  regret  this  somewhat  inglorious 
termination  of  a  distinguished  career.  Had  he  re* 
turned  to  his  fort,  with  the  additional  strength  of 
Roberval,  guided  by  his  own  skill  and  experience,  it 
is  most  probable  that  the  colony  would  have  been 
destined  to  a  permanent  existence.  Carrier  under* 
took  no  other  voyage  to  Canada  ;  but  he  afterwards 
completed  a  sea  chart,  drawn  by  his  own  hand,  which 
was  extant  in  the  possession  of  one  of  his  nephews, 
Jacques  Noel,  of  St.  Malo,  in  1587  :  who  seems  to 
kave  taken  great  interest  in  the  further  developement 

f  2 


66  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 


of  the  vast  country  discovered  by  his  deceased  uncle. 
Two  letters  of  his  have  been  preserved,  relating  to 
the  maps  and  writings  of  Cartier  :  the  first  written 
in  1587,  and  the  other  a  year  or  two  later,  in  which 
he  mentions  that  his  two  sons,  Michael  and  John 
Noel,  were  then  in  Canada,  and  that  he  was  in  ex- 
pectation  of  their  return.  Cartier  himself  died  soon 
after  his  return  to  France,  having  sacrificed  his  for- 
tune in  the  cause  of  discovery.  As  an  indemnification 
for  the  losses  their  uncle  had  sustained,  this  Jacques 
Noel  and  another  nephew,  De  la  Launay  Chaton,  re- 
ceived in  1588,  an  exclusive  privilege  to  trade  to 
Canada  during  twelve  years;  but  this  was  revoked  four 
months  after  it  was  granted. 

Roberval,  notwithstanding  his  mortification  at  the 
loss  of  Carrier's  experience  and  aid  in  his  undertaking 
determined  to  proceed  ;  and  sailing  from  Newfound- 
land about  the  end  of  June,  1543,  he  arrived  at 
Cap  Rouge,  "  four  leagues  westward  of  the  Isle  of 
Orleans,"  towards  the  end  of  July.  Here  the  French 
immediately  fortified  themselves,  "inaplace  fit  to  com- 
mand the  main  river,  and  of  strong  situation  against 
all  manner  of  enemies."  The  position  was  no  doubt 
that  chosen  by  Jacques  Cartier  the  year  previow. 
The  following  is  the  description  given  in  Hakluytof 
the  buildings  erected  by  Roberval :  "  The  said  Gene- 
ral on  his  first  arrival  built  a  fair  fort,  near  and  some- 
what westward  above  Canada,  which  is  very  beautifal 
to  behold,  and  of  great  force,  situated  upon  a  high 
mountain,  wherein  there  were  two  courts  of  building!, 
a  great  tower,  andanother  of  forty  or  fifty  feet  longfc.! 
wherein  there  were  divers  chambers,  an  hall,  a  khV  : 
chen,  cellars  high  and  low,  and  near  unto  it  were  an  , 
oven  and  mills,  and  a  stove  to  warm  men  in,  and  a  « 
well  before  the  house.    And  the  building  was  situated 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  67 

ipon  the  great  River  of  Canada  called  France-Prime 
yy  Monsieur  Roberval.  There  was  also  at  the  foot 
>f  the  mountain  another  lodging,  where  at  the  first  all 
tor  victuals,  and  whatsoever  was  brought  with  us  was 
lent  to  be  kept,  and  near  unto  that  tower  there  is 
mother  small  river.  In  these  two  places  above  and 
>eneath,  all  the  meaner  sort  was  lodged."  This  fort 
iras  called  France-Roy ;  but  of  these  extensive  build- 
ings, erected  most  probably  in  a  hasty  and  inartificial 
manner,  no  traces  now  remain,  unless  we  consider  as 
such  the  mound  above  mentioned,  near  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Atkinson,  at  Cap  Rouge. 

On  the  14th  September,  Roberval  sent  back  to 
France  two  of  his  vessels,  with  two  gentlemen,  bearers 
of  letters  to  the  King ;  who  had  instructions  to  return 
die  following  year  with  supplies  for  the  settlement. 
The  natives  do  not  appear,  by  the  relation  given,  to 
have  evinced  any  hostility  to  the  new  settlers.  Unfor- 
tunately, the  scurvy  again  made  its  appearance  among 
the  French  ;  and  carried  off  no  less  than  fifty  dur- 
ing the  winter.  The  morality  of  this  little  colony  was 
not  very  rigid — perhaps  they  were  pressed  by  hunger, 
and  induced  to  plunder  from  each  other — at  all  events 
the  severity  of  the  Viceroy  towards  his  handful  of 
subjects  appears  not  to  have  been  restricted  to  the 
male  sex.  The  method  adopted  by  the  Governor  to 
secure  a  quiet  life  will  raise  a  smile  :  "•  Monsieur 
Roberval  used  very  good  justice,  and  punished  every 
man  according  to  his  offence.  One  whose  name  was 
Michael  Gaillon,  was  hanged  for  his  theft.  John  of 
Nantes  was  laid  in  irons,  and  kept  prisoner  for  his 
offence  ;  and  others  also  were  put  in  irons,  and  divers 
were  whipped,  as  well  men  as  women  :  by  which 
means  they  lived  in  quiet." 


68  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBXC, 

We  have  no  record  extant  of  the  other  proceeding! 
of  Roberval  during  the  winter  of  1543.   The  ice  broke 
up  in  the  month  of  April ;  and  on  the  5th  June,  the 
Lieutenant  General  departed  from  the  winter  quar* 
ters  on  an  exploring  expedition  to  the  Province  of 
Saguenay,  as  Carrier  had  done  on  a  former  occasion* 
Thirty  persons  were  left  behind  in  the  fort  under 
the   command   of  an   Officer,   with  instructions  to 
return  to  France,  if  he  had  not  returned  by  the  1st 
July.     There  are  no  particulars  of  this  expedition, 
on  which,  however,  Roberval  employed  a  considera- 
ble time.     For  we  find  that  on  the  14th  June,  four  of 
the  gentlemen  belonging  to  the  expedition  returned 
to  the  fort,  having  left  Roberval  on  the  way  to  Sa- 
guenay ;  and  on  the  19th,  some  others  came  back* 
bringing  with  them  six  score  weight  of  Indian  com  J 
and  directions  for  the  rest  to  wait  for  the  return  of  the 
Viceroy,  until  the  22d  July.     An  accident  happened 
in  this  expedition,  which  seems  to  have  escaped  thf 
notice  of  the  author  of  the  treatise  on  the  Canon  <k 
bronze,  which  we  have  noticed  in  a  former  chapter* 
It  certainly  gives  an  authentic  account  of  a  shipwreck 
having  been  suffered  in  the  St.  Lawrence :  to  which, 
perhaps,  the  finding  of  the  cannon,  and  the  tradition 
about  Jacques  Cartier,  may  with  some  probability  bft 
referred.     The  following  is  the  extract  in  question  i 
"  eight  men  and  one  bark  were  drowned  and  lost* 
among  whom  were  Monsieur  de  Noire  Fontaine,  and 
one  named  La  Vasseur  of  Constance."     The  error  , 
as  to  the  name  might  easily  arise  :  Jacques  Cartier  j 
having  been  there  so  short  a  time  before,  and  his  ce-  ! 
lebrity  in  the  country  being  so  much  greater  than 
that  of  Roberval,  or  of  any  of  his  companions. 

The  rest  of  Rober vat's  voyage  is  wanting.     Ha 
must  have  acquired  a  very  general  knowledge  of  the  ; 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  69 

,  coast,  if  we  rely  upon  the  account  published  by  his 
fc  pilot  Jean  Alphonse,  who  also  gives  a  tolerably  accu- 
;  rate  description  of  the  River  St  Lawrence,  and  of  the 
channel  from  sea.  He  is  said  to  have  examined  the 
coast  of  North  America  as  high  as  latitude  52°,  in 
search  of  a  passage  to  the  East  Indies. 

We  have  already  said  that  great  uncertainty  and 
contradiction  exist  in  the  different  historical  accounts 
of  Carder's  third  voyage,  and  the  expedition  of  Ro- 
bervaL     Our  account  is  founded  on  the  relation  of 
these  two  voyages  in  Hakluyt's  collection,  carefully 
examined  and  compared  with  other  authorities.     The 
|  antiquarian   will   be  satisfied  with   the   earlier  no- 
tices of  Canada ;  but  it  is  to  be  lamented  that  the 
accounts  of  the  two  last  winters,  passed  among  the 
Indians  by  Cartier  and  Roberval,  have  not  been  pre- 
served.   Up  to  this  time  no  progress  whatsoever  seems 
to  have  been  made  in  the  civilisation  of  the  country  ; 
and   the  different  expeditions  appear  to  have  been 
limited  to  the  occupation  of  a  particular  spot  during 
the  winter,  and  a  fruitless  exploration  of  the  route  to 
the  imaginary  golden  region,  during  the  period  of 
open  navigation. 

Roberval  returned  to  France  in  1543 ;  and  ani- 
mated by  the  duty  which  he  owed  to  the  King,  on 
the  war  again  breaking  out  between  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.  and  Francis  I.  his  active  disposition  led 
him  back  to  the  profession  of  arms.  He  distinguished 
himself  in  this  war,  as  he  had  done  on  many  previous 
occasions. 

After  the  death  of  his  royal  Patron,  in  1547, 
having  got  together  a  band  of  enterprising  men,  he 
embarked  again  for  Canada  in  1549,  with  his  brother 
Acbille,  who  was  reputed  one  of  the  bravest  warriors 
in  France,  and  who  was  honorably  named  by  Francis  I. 


70  HEW  PICTUBE  OV   QUEBEC^ 

Le  Gendarme  (TAnnibaL  In  this  voyage  all  these 
gallant  men  perished,  or  were  never  afterwards  heard 
of ;  and  with  them  says  Charlevoix,  fell  every  hope 
of  an  establishment  in  America,  since  no  one  could 
flatter  himself  with  the  expectation  of  being  more 
fortunate  than  these  two  brave  adventurers. 


r 


\ 
k 


i* 


1 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  71 


CHAPTER  THE  FIFTH. 

rORICAL    SKETCH    CONTINUED. GRAND   PROJECT 

?COLIGNY. SETTLEMENT    IN    FRENCH    FLORIDA 

-ROMANTIC   STORY   OF     DE     GOURGUES. VOYAGE 

?   LA    ROCHE — PONTGRAVE*. 

'he  gallant  and  enterprising  spirit  of  Francis  I.  no 
jer  predominated  in  the  French  Court  and  coun- 
That  monarch  died  in  1547,  two  months  after 
death  of  his  friend  and  rival,  Henry  VIIL,  of 
;land.  He  was  succeeded  by  Henry  the  II.,  in 
>se  reign  commenced  the  civil  and  religious  trou- 

arising  from  the  persecution  of  the  Huguenots, 
nestic  convulsion  is  always  favorable  to  maritime 
loit ;  and  owing  to  the  internal  condition  of 
nee,  America  continued  to  be  regarded  with  at- 
tion.     Checked,   however,   by  the  ill-success  of 

adventurers  in  the  north,  the  French  began  to 
ct  their  views  towards  a  more  southern  latitude, 
nenced  by  the  reports  of  some  French  sailors,  who 

made  a  voyage  to  Brazil,  the  riches,  beauty  and 
ility  of  which  country  they  greatly  vaunted.  The 
ibrated  Gaspard  de   Coligny,  early  attached  to 

Huguenot  doctrines,  had  been  appointed  Admiral 
'Vance,  by  Henry  II.,  in  1552.  With  the  political 
N  of  aggrandizing  the  power  of  France,  and  of 
ending  her  name  and  institutions  abroad,  he  corn- 
ed a  patriotic  desire  to  secure  her  tranquillity  at 
tie.  He  saw  no  readier  means  of  accomplishing 
h  these  ends,  than  to  found  a  series  of  colonies 


72  NEW   PICTURE   OP   QUEBEC, 

composed  entirely  of  persons  of  his  own  persuasion, 
where  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformed  Church,  pro- 
scribed and  persecuted  in  France,  might  be  perpetu- 
ated in  a  new  world  ; — and  where  a  place  of  refuge 
might  be  secured,  should  the  political  persecution  of 
the  age  compel  him  to  relinquish  his  native  land. 
There   is  every  reason  to  believe  that   this  grand 
scheme  extended  to  the  projected  colonization  of  the  ' 
shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence  on  the  one  hand,   and  of 
the  Missisippi  on  the  other.     The  political  effects  of 
such  a  plan,  if  it  were  possible  to  carry  it  into  execu- 
tion, might  have  been  well  anticipated  by  Coligny: 
a  single  glance  at  the  map  of  North  America  will  show 
with  what  a  gigantic  grasp  a  colonization,  gradually  ! 
extending  itself  along  the  banks  of  those  two  great 
rivers,  would  have  hemmed  in  all  the  future  settle*  : 
ments  on  the  Atlantic  shores,  between  the  Gulf  of  | 
St  Lawrence  and  that  of  Mexico. 

Giving  way  to  the  prejudice  in  favor  of  Brazil,  ! 
Coligny  at  first  proposed  to  the  King  the  establish- 
ment of  a  colony  upon  that  coast.  The  project  was 
approved,  and  Nicholas  Durand  de  Villegagnon, 
Knight  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  and  Vice  Admiral 
of  Brittany,  was  appointed  to  the  command.  This 
expedition  entirely  failed  ;  but  amidst  the  raging  of 
the  civil  wars  of  France  under  the  reigns  of  Francis 
II,  and  Charles  IX.,  Coligny,  who  had  put  himself 
at  the  head  of  the  Calvinists,  found  leisure  to  resume 
his  project  of  a  settlement  in  America.  He  now 
turned  his  attention  to  Florida,  which  had  been  seen 
by  Verazzano  ;  and  where  the  fertility  of  the  soil, 
and  the  goodness  of  the  climate  held  out  every  pros- 
pect of  success.  The  River  Mississippi  had  been 
discovered  by  Ferdinand  de  Soto,  about  the  period 
of  the  last  voyage  of  Jacques  Cartier  ;  and  the  Spa- 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  73 

rds    claimed   the  territory.      Coligny,   however, 
)ut  the  year  1562,  obtained  permission  from  Char- 

IX.  to  make  an  attempt  towards  establishing  a 
ony  in  Florida,  which  the  King  was  the  more 
dy  to  grant,  inasmuch  as  the  Huguenots  were  his 
terest  enemies  ;  and  he  hoped  thus  to  free  himself 
m  some  of  the  turbulent  spirits  of  the  age.  Ac- 
dingly,  on  the  18th  February,  1562,  Jean  de 
baut,  a  zealous  Huguenot,  sailed  from  Dieppe  with 
o  vessels,  and  a  chosen  crew.  Having  arrived  on 
\  coast  of  Florida,  about  St.  Mary's  River,  he  suc- 
>ded  in  establishing  a  settlement,  and  built  a  fort. 
ro  years  afterwards,  Coligny  sent  out  a  reinforce- 
nt  under  the  command  of  Rene  de  Laudonniere, 

which  Charlevoix  takes  care  to  record,  there  was 
t  a  single  catholic.  It  appears  from  different  au- 
>rities  that  Coligny  had  the  great  project  we  have 
uded  to  much  at  heart;  but  although  the  settlement 
Florida  was  the  only  part  of  the  scheme  which  was 
•ried  into  effect,  it  was  after  a  few  years  abandoned, 
rhaps  in  consequence  of  Coligny's  death.  The 
rvivors  of  this  colony,  after  sanguinary  wars  with 
*  Spaniards,  accompanied  by  various  romantic  in- 
tents, finally  returned  to  France  in  1568.  Although 

attempt  was  made  to  colonize  any  part  of  Canada 
ring  nearly  fifty  years  after  the  loss  of  Roberval,  in 
50, — with  the  exception  of  the  fishing  voyages  to 
2  banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  that  of  the  two 
and  nephews  of  Jacques  Cartier  in  1588 — there 
n  be  no  doubt  that  the  project  of  Coligny  outlived 
it  distinguished  patriot,  that  it  had  been  commu- 
jated  to  the  principal  Calvinists  of  France,  and  was 

no  means  lost  in  oblivion.  We  shall  find  that 
;eral  of  the  leaders  of  the  subsequent  expeditions 
trade  and  discovery,  both  to  Canada  and  Acadie, 


WITH  HISTORICAL  EECOLIJECTIONS.  75 

Exoidai  in*  diet  myo,  ne  potters  oredant 
taenia! 

Let  this  pernicious  hoar 

8Und  aye  acenned  in  the  calendar ! 

ROMANTIC  STORY  OF  THE   CHEVALIER  DE 

GOURGUE8. 

Although  an  account  of  the  settlements  made  by 
»  French,  under  the  encouragement  of  Coligny,  on 
j  coast  of  Florida,  does  not  strictly  belong  to  the 
Kent  subject,  it  would  be  unpardonable,  in  our  his- 
ical  recollections,  to  pass  oyer  the  singular  and  chi- 
Irous  story  of  the  Chevalier  be  Gourgues  :  which 
much  less  generally  known  than  it  deserves,  as  ex- 
iting all  the  devotion  of  ancient  heroism,  and  as  a 
iking  example  of  the  ruling  passion  surviving  the 
Itening  operation  of  time,  and  triumphing  finally 
er  every  impediment. 

The  French  and  Spaniards  had  been  long  at  bitter 
mity  ;  and  the  wars  between  them  were  carried  on 
th  all  the  exasperation  of  ancient  rivalry  and  mutual 
fared.  The  encroachments  of  the  former  upon  the 
•ri tones  claimed  by  the  Spaniards  in  Florida,  raised 
5  liveliest  indignation  in  the  minds  of  a  people  not 
is  martial  and  chivalrous  than  the  French ; — and 
ten  we  add  that  these  encroachments  had  been 
iefly  made  by  the  Huguenots,  a  race  held  in  sove- 
ign  detestation  by  the  Catholic  Spaniard,  and  per- 
muted to  a  degree  of  intensity  by  Philip  II.,  the 
Sht  of  animosity  to  which  they  were  excited  can 
y  be  conceived.  Nor  were  the  French  less  sus- 
ptible  of  angry  and  vindictive  feelings  ;  to  which 
iy  be  added  the  poignant  stings  of  offended  na- 
»nal  pride.     They  had  never  forgiven  the  captivity 

g  2 


76  NEW   PICTURE    OP   QUEBEC, 

of  their  popular  and  gallant  Prince,  Francis  I. ; — the 
memory  of  this  supposed  disgrace  still  rankled  in  the 
population — nor  was  it  ever  wholly  eradicated,  until 
adequate  reparation  was  made  to  the  national  honor, 
by  the  accession  of  a  French  Prince  to  the  throne  of 
Spain,  many  years  afterwards.  Notwithstanding  a 
short  cessation  of  the  warfare  between  these  two  great 
powers,  the  passions  we  have  attempted  to  describe 
remained  in  full  force. 

Laudonniere  passed  the  winter  of  1564  in  the 
fort  which  he  had  built  near  the  mouth  of  St.  Mary's 
River,  and  which  he  called  La  Caroline.  In  August 
1565,  having  experienced  the  mutinous  disposition  of 
part  of  his  force,  superadded  to  the  horrors  of  famine, 
he  was  preparing  to  abandon,  the  enterprise,  and  to 
return  to  France,  when  he  was  joined  by  Ribaut  with 
seasonable  supplies.  On  the  4th  September,  they 
were  surprised  by  the  appearance  in  the  road  of  six 
large  vessels,  which  proved  to  be  a  Spanish  fleet, 
under  the  command  of  Don  Pedro  Menendez,  Hos- 
tilities were  immediately  commenced;  and  the  French, 
having  an  inferior  force  of  four  vessels,  were  obliged 
to  put  to  sea,  chased  by  the  Spaniards.  The  former, 
however,  being  the  better  sailors,  after  distancing 
their  opponents,  returned  to  the  coast,  and  re-landed 
their  troops  about  eight  leagues  from  the  fort  of  La 
Caroline.  Three  of  the  Spanish  vessels  kept  the 
open  sea,  while  the  others  lay  in  the  road  watching 
an  opportunity  to  attack  the  French  fort  Ribaut, 
who  was  a  brave  but  obstinate  man,  persisted  in  his 
resolution  to  put  out  to  sea  again  for  the  purpose 
of  meeting  and  fighting  with  the  Spanish  vessels. 
The  season  was  extremely  tempestuous,  and  Laudon- 
niere, having  first  vainly  endeavored  to  dissuade 
his  colleague  from  the  rash  attempt,  fortified  himself ; 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  77 

r 

ind  made  every  preparation  to  resist  the  attack  which 
le  anticipated.  At  length,  notwithstanding  the  very 
teavy  and  long  continued  rains,  the  Spaniards  were 
escried  by  the  French  sentinels  advancing  to  the 
ssault  on  the  20th  September.  The  ramparts,  main- 
ained  with  spirit  by  a  small  force,  were  soon  sur- 
mounted and  carried — the  gallant  defenders  slain  in 
he  breaches.  Laudonniere,  fighting  his  way  bravely, 
ras  the  last  to  leave  the  fort,  and  succeeded  in  escap- 
ag  to  the  woods ;  where  he  rallied  a  few  of  his 
traggling  countrymen,  and  whence  he  ultimately 
eturned  to  France.  The  remainder,  with  the  fort, 
ell  into  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards.  Nor  did 
be  disasters  of  the  French  end  here.  The  vessels 
ommanded  by  Ribaut  were  driven  on  shore  by  the 
tonus  then  prevalent — many  of  the  people  lost — the 
nrvivors  and  their  commander  became  prisoners 
o  the  Spaniards.  The  French  were  cruelly,  and 
nth  bitter  taunts,  put  to  death.  Several  were  hung 
rom  the  neighbouring  trees  with  this  insulting  legend 
— "  Ceux-ci  n'ont  pas  ete  traite  de  la,sorte  en  qualite  de 
Franfois,  mais  comme  heretiques  et  ennemis  de  Dieu! ' 
Ample  chastisement  was,  however,  about  to  be  in- 
licted — Champlain,  who  writes  of  this  transaction 
rith  the  blunt  and  honest  indignation  of  a  soldier,  in 
lis  own  familiar  and  quaint  style  observes, — "  Ceux- 
ci  furent  payes  de  la  meme  monnoye,  qu'ils  avoient 
payes  les  Francis" — "  they  were  repaid  in  the  same 
coin  with  which  they  had  paid  the  French."  So 
Shakspeare  truly  says, 

* 

In  these  cases, 
We  still  have  judgement  here  :  that  we  but  teach 
Bloody  instructions,  which,  being  taught,  return 
To  plague  the  inventor.     This  even-handed  justice 
Commends  the  ingredients  of  our  poison'd  chalice 
To  our  own  lips. 

G  3 


78  NEW  PICTURE   OP  QUEBEC, 

This  outrage  excited  the  deepest  indignation  in 
France  ;  but  the  avowed  hatred  of  the  Court  towards 
Coligny  and  the  Huguenots  prevented  public  satis- 
faction being  demanded  from  Philip  II.     The  instru- 
ment of  a  just  retribution  was  not  wanting  to  the 
emergency  ;  but  it  was  reserved  for  a  private  indivi- 
dual to  redeem  the  honor  of  the  French  name.    "  En 
Tan  1567/'  says   Champlain,  "  se  presenta  le  brave 
Chevalier  de  Gourgues,  qui  plein  de  valeur  et  de 
courage,   pour  venger  cet  affront  fait  a  la  nation 
Franchise,  et  recognoissant  qti'aucun  d'entre  la  no- 
blesse, dont  la  France  foisonne,  ne  s'offroit  pour  tirer 
raison  d'une  telle  injure,  entreprint  de  le  faire  :"— 
"  In  the  year  1567,  there  presented  himself  the  brave 
Chevalier  de  Gourgues,  who  full  of  valor  and  courage 
to  avenge   the  insult  on  the  French  nation,  and  ob- 
serving that  none  among  the  nobility,  with  whom 
France  abounded,  offered  to  obtain  satisfaction  for    ; 
such  an  injury,  undertook  himself  to  do  so."     He    I 
was  a  gentleman  of  Gascony,  and  there  were  at  that    \ 
period  few  inferior  officers  in  France,  or  perhaps  in    i 
all  Europe,  who  had  acquired  a  more  brilliant  repu-    \ 
tation  in  war,  or  had  undergone  greater  vicissitudes.    ■ 
When  very  young  he  had  served  in  Italy  with  honor;    > 
and  on  one  occasion,  having  the  command  of  a  small   > 
band  of  thirty  men,  near  Sienna  in  Tuscany,  he  was   j 
able  for  a  considerable  time  to  withstand  and  repulse  jj 
the  assault  of  a  part  of  the  Spanish  army  :  until,  all   ? 
his  men  being  slain,  he  yielded  himself  prisoner. 
Contrary  to  the  usage  of  war  among  generous  foes, 
he  was  sent  to  the  gallies  in  chains,  as  a  robber-slave.    . 
The  galley,  to   which  the   indignant  De  Gourgues 
was  condemned,  was  afterwards  captured  by  the  Turks  r 
on  the  Sicilian  coast,  and  sent  into  Rhodes.     Again  i 
putting  to  sea  with  a  Turkish  crew,  it  was  encoun-  . 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  79 

»d  and  taken  by  the  gallies  of  the  Knights  of 
Ita ;  and  De  Gourgues  recovered  his  liberty  and 
sword.  He  afterwards  made  several  passages  to 
ail,  and  the  coast  of  Africa,  still  treasuring  up 
geance  on  the  Spaniards  ;  and  he  had  just  return- 
»  France  from  one  of  his  voyages,  with  the  repu- 
im  of  the  bravest  and  most  able*  among  her 
igatora,  when  he  heard  of  the  disastrous  tale  of 
Caroline,  and  the  disgraceful  manner  in  which) 
countrymen  had  been  put  to  death  by  the  Spa^ 
•ds.  Like  a  patriot,  he  felt  keenly  for  the  honor 
lis  country  ;  and  as  a  man,  he  burned  for  an  op- 
tunity  of  satiating  his  long  dormant  revenge  on 
perfidious  Spaniards,  for  their  unworthy  treatment 
imself*  At  this  time  too  there  was  circulated  in 
nee  a  narrative  intituled,  the  "  Supplication  of 
widows  and  children  of  those  who  had  been  mas- 
red  in  Florida,'9  calculated  to  rouse  the  national 
ing  to  the  highest  pitch.  These  united  motives 
ed  De  Gourgues  to  a  chivalrous  undertaking — no 
than  to  chase  the  murderous  invaders  from 
coasts  of  Florida  at  the  sword's  point,  or  to  die  in 
attempt.  He  accordingly  proceeded  to  make  his 
parations,  which,  however,  were  concealed  with 
at  skill  and  address.  He  raised  a  considerable 
i  by  selling  his  property,  and  by  loans  obtained 
a  his  friends ;  and  disguising  his  real  purpose, 
e  out  that  he  was  bound  as  before  to  the  African 
st.  The  squadron  consisted  of  three  vessels,  with 
rts  amounting  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  souls, 
>ly  provided  for  twelve  months.  Thus  equipped 
jailed,  on  the  23d  August,  1567,  from  Bordeaux  ; 
after  some  time,  began  to  unfold  his  real  design, 
atiating  in  glowing  language  on  the  glory  of  the 
mpt,  and  the  righteousness  of  the  quarrel. 


80  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 


SPEECH    OF   DE    GOURGUES,    FROM    CHAMPLAIN. 

"  Mes  compagnons  et  fideles  amis  de  ma  fortune, 
vous  n'estes  pas  lgoorans  combien  je  cherisles  bravee 
courages  comme  vous,  et  l'avez  assez  tesmoign£  par. 
la  belle  resolution  que  vous  avez  prise  de  me  suivre 
et  assister  en  tous  les  perils  et  hazards  honorables 
que  nous  aurons  a  souffrir  et  essuyer,  lorsqu'ils  se  pre- 
senteront  devant  nos  yeux,  et  l'estat  que  je  fais  dela 
conservation  de  vos  vies ;  ne  desirant  point  vous. 
embarquer  au  risque  d'un  enterprise  que  je  69aurau 
reussir  a  une  ruine  sans  honneur  :  ce  seroit  a  mpy 
une  trop  grande  et  blasmable  temerite,  de  hazarder 
vos  personnes  a  un  dessein  d'un  accez  si  difficile  ;  ce 
que  je  ne  croy  pas  estre,  bien  que  j'aye  employ^  une 
bonne  partie  de  mon  bien  et  de  mes  amis,  pour  , 
equiper  ces  vaisseaux  et  les  mettre  en  mer,  estant  le 
seul  entrepreneur  de  tout  le  voyage.  Mais  tout  cela 
ne  me  donne  pas  tant  de  sujet  de  m'affliger,  comme 
j'en  ay  de  me  resjouir,  de  vous  voir  tous  resolus  a  une 
autre  entreprise,  qui  retournera  a  votre  gloire,  S9avoir 
d'aller  venger  l'injure  que  nostre  nation  a  receiie  des 
Espagnols,  qui  ont  fait  une  telle  playe  a  la  France, 
qu'elle  saignera  a  jamais,  par  les  supplices  et  traicte- 
mens  infames  qu'ils  ont  fait  souffrir  a  nos  Francois, 
et  exerce  des  cruantez  barbares  et  inoui'es  en  leur. . 
endroit.  Les  ressentimens  que  j'en  ay  quelquefois, 
m'en  font  jetter  des  larmes  de  compassion,  et  me. 
relevent  le  courage  de  telle' sort,  que  je  suis  resoltt 
avec  l'assistance  de  Dieu,  et  la  vostre,  de  prendre  une. 
juste  vengeance  d'une  telle  felonnie  et  cruant£  Ee-. 
pagnolle,  de  ces  coeurs  lasches  et  poltrons,  qui  ont..  | 
surpris  mal-heureusement  nos  compatriotes,  qu'ib ;.■ 
n'eussent  ose  regarder  sur  la  defense  de  leurs  armes., 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  81 

t  assez  mal  logez,  et  les  surprendrons  aisement. 
es  horames  en  mes  vaisseaux  qui  cognoissent 
sn  le  pais,  et  pouvons  y  ajlez  en  seurete.  Voicy, 
ompagnons,  un  subject  de  relever  nos  courages, 
paroistre  que  vous  avez  autant  de  bonne  vo- 
i  executer  ce  bon  dessein,  que  vous  avez 
bion  a  me  suivre  :  ne  serez  vous  pas  contents 
iporter  les  lauriers  triomphans  de  la  despouille 
ennemis  ?" 

Dmpanions,  and  faithful  friends  of  my  fortunes, 
e  not  ignorant  how  highly  I  value  brave  men 
ourselves. — Your  courage  you  have  sufficiently 
.  by  your  noble  resolution  to  accompany  me  in 
dangers  which  we  shall  have  to  encounter,  as 
iccessively  present  themselves — my  regard  for 
have  shown  by  the  care  I  have  taken  for  the 
of  your  lives.  I  desire  not  to  embark  you  in 
terprise  which  may  result  in  dishonorable  fai- 
it  would  be  in  me  a  far  too  great  and  blameable 
fcy  to  hazard  your  safety  in  any  design  so  dif- 
)f  accomplishment,  which,  however,  I  do  not 
>r  this  one  to  be  ;  seeing  that  I  have  employed 
good  part  of  my  own  fortune,  and  that  of  my 
,  in  equipping  these  vessels,  and  putting  to 
vself  being  the  sole  undertaker  of  the  voyage. 
.  this  does  not  give  me  so  much  cause  for  regret, 
ive  reason  to  rejoice,  seeing  you  all  resolved 
nother  enterprise,  which  will  redound  to  your 
-namely — to  avenge  the  insult  suffered  by  our 
from  the  Spaniards,  who  have  inflicted  an 
ble  wound  upon  France,  by  their  infamous 
ent,  and  the  barbarous  and  unheard  of  cruelties 
lave  exercised  upon  our  countrymen.  The 
)tion  of  these  wrongs  has  caused  me  to  shed 
f  pity  ;  and  inspires  me  now  with  such  deter- 


1? 


82  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

mination,  that  I  am  resolved  with  the  assistance  of 
God  and  your  aid,  to  take  a  just  revenge  for  this 
felonious  outrage  on  the  part  of  the  Spaniards — those  ^ 
base  and  cowardly  men,  who  unhappily  destroyed  our  & 
friends  by  surprise,  whom  with  arms  in  their  hands  ;j 
they  dared  not  to  have  looked  in  the  face.  The  enemy  ( 
is  poorly  lodged,  and  may  be  easily  surprised.  I  have  ^ 
on  board  persons  who  know  the  country  well,  and  we  ,| 
can  reach  it  in  safety.  Here,  my  dear  companions,  here  \ 
is  a  subject  to  rouse  our  courage  !  Let  me  see  that  5. 
you  have  as  good  will  to  perform  this  noble  design  i 
as  you  had  affection  to  follow  my  person  !  Will  yot  F 
not  rejoice  to  bear  away  triumphant  laurels,  bought  L 
by  the  spoil  and  ruin  of  our  enemies  ?"  ^ 

This  enthusiastic  speech  produced  its  full  effect'  ^ 
Each  soldier  shouted  assent  to  the  generous  proposal* 
and  was  ready  to  reply  with  Euryalus, 

Est  hie,  est  animus  lucis  contemptor  ;  et  istum 
Qui  vita  bene  credat  emi,  quo  tendis,  honorem  ! 

Like  thine,  this  bosom  glows  with  martial  flame, 
Burns  with  a  scorn  of  life,  and  love  of  fame — 
And  thinks,  if  endless  glory  can  be  sought 
On  such  low  terms,  the  prize  is  cheaply  bought. 

Having  thus  obtained  the  full  co-operation  of  hit 
gallant  band,  De  Gourgues  steered  for  the  coast  of 
Florida  ;  and  passed  some  time  in  reconnoitering  the 
position  of  the  Spaniards,  and  in  acquiring  from  the  jj 
Indians  full  particulars  of  their  strength  and  resources*  _ 
These  were,  indeed,  sufficiently  formidable,  amount- 
ing to  four  hundred  fighting  men,  provided  with 
every  munition  of  war.  No  way  discouraged  by  thk 
superiority  of  numbers  and  of  position,  De  Gourguei  j 
made  a  furious  attack  upon  the  two  forts,  on  the  daj* 
before  the  Sunday,  called  Quasimodo,  in  April,  1566 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RE  COLLECTIONS.  $3 

nding  to  capture  them  by  escalade.  The  Spa* 
ds  offered  a  very  gallant  resistance ;  but  the  fury 
impetuosity  of  the  French,  stimulated  by  national 
pathy,  by  the  particular  nature  of  the  revenge 
ch  they  contemplated,  and  fired  by  the  valor  and 
sonal  example  of  their  heroic  chief,  soon  sur* 
inted  all  opposition.  "  Nostre  genereux  Cheva- 
de  Gourgues,"  says  Champlain  exultingly,  "  le 
telas  a  la  main,  leur  enflamme  le  courage,  et 
lme  un  lion  a  la  teste  des  siens  gaigne  le  dessus 
rampart,  repousse  les  Espagnols,  se  fait  voye  parmi 
: :" — "  our  brave  Chevalier  de  Gourgues,  sword 
land,  inflames  their  courage,  and  like  a  lion  at 
head  of  his  troop,  mounts  the  rampart,  overthrows 
Spaniards,  and  cuts  his  way  through  them."  The 
i  of  the  Spaniards  was  sealed — many  were  killed 
the  forts — the  rest  taken,  or  put  to  death  by  the 
lians.  De  Gourgues,  thus  crowned  with  victory, 
1  having  fully  succeeded  in  an  enterprise  which 
him  seemed  so  truly  glorious,  brought  all  the  pri- 
ters  to  the  spot  where  the  French  had  been  mas- 
red,  and  where  the  inscription  of  Menendez  yet 
nained.  After  reproaching  his  fallen  enemies  with 
ir  cruelty  and  perfidy,  he  caused  them  to  be  hung 
m  the  same  trees,  affixing  this  writing  in  the  place 
the  former.  "  Je  n'ay  pas  fait  pendre  ceux-ci 
mme  Espagnols,  mais  comme  traitres,  voleurs, 
meurtriers  :"  "  I  hang  these  persons  not  as 
ing  Spaniards,  but  as  traitors,  robbers  and  mur- 
rers." 

De  Gourgues,  on  developing  his  real  design  and 
stination  to  Florida,  which  he  did  in  the  first  in- 
mce  to  his  chosen  friends,  had  pathetically  com- 
uned  that  ever  since  he  had  heard  of  the  Spanish 
itrage  at  La  Caroline,  he  had  been  unable,  however 


84  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

wearied  with  toil,  to  obtain  his  usual  rest  by  n 
— that  his  imagination  was  ever  occupied  by 
semblance  of  his  countrymen  hanging  from  the  t 
of  Florida — that  his  ears  were  startled  with  pier 
cries  for  vengeance  ; — and  that  sleep,  "  nature's 
nurse,"  would  never  visit  him  again, 

No  more  would  weigh  his  eyelids  down, 
And  steep  his  senses  in  forgetfulness — 

until  he  had  won  her  offices  by  a  full  and  exqu 
revenge  on  the  Spaniards  !  The  accomplishn 
of  his  cherished  purpose  must  have  been  a  high 
vivifying  relief  to  an  ardent  spirit  like  De  Gourg 
He  now  declared  with  exulting  delight,  that  sleep, 
"  balm  of  hurt  minds,"  had  once  more  deigned  to ' 
his  couch  ;  and  that  his  rest  was  now  sweet,  like 
of  a  man  delivered  from  a  burthen  of  misery  too  g 
to  bear  ! 

Having  accomplished  this  remarkable  expedit 
and  inflicted,  in  a  spirit  accordant  with  that  of 
times,  a  terrible  retribution  on  the  Spaniards, 
Gourgues  sailed  from  the  coast  of  Florida  on  the 
May  ;  and  arrived  in  France  on  the  6th  June,  wl 
he  was  received  by  the  people  with  every  toke: 
joy  and  approbation.  In  consequence,  however 
the  demand  of  the  King  of  Spain  for  redress, 
was  compelled  to  absent  himself  for  some  time,  u 
the  anger  of  the  Court  permitted  him  to  reapp 
The  narrative  of  this  expedition  was  long  preser 
in  the  family  of  De  Gourgues. 

Champlain,  in  whose  Voyages  this  romantic  stor 
to  be  found,  seems  to  have  been  a  passionate  adm 
of  the  conduct  of  De  Gourgues,  and  thus  enthus 
tically  concludes  his  account  of  the  expedition 
"  Ainsi  cp  genereux  Chevalier  repara  l'honneur 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  86 

a  nation  Fran^oise,  que  les  Espagnols  avoient  offen- 
i£e  :  ce  qu'autrement  east  £te  un  regret  a  jamais 
pour  la  France,  s'il  n'eust  vengg  1'affiront  receu  do  la 
nation  Espagnolle.  Entreprise  genereuse  d'un  gen- 
ilhomme,  qui  l'exlcuta  a  ses  proprea  oousts  et  dee- 
pens, settlement  pour  l'honneur,  sans  autre  esp&rance : 
ce  qui  lui  a  r6ussi  glorieusement,  et  ceste  gloire  est 
plus  a  priser  que  tous  les  tresors  du  monde  :*  "  Thus 
did  this  brave  Knight  repair  the  honor  of  the  French 
nation,  insulted  by  the  Spaniards  ;  which  otherwise 
had  been  an  everlasting  subject  of  regret  to  France, 
if  he  had  not  avenged  tne  affront  received  from  the 
8panish  people.  A  generous  enterprise,  undertaken 
by  a  gentleman,  and  executed  at  his  own  cost,  for 
honor's  sake  alone,  without  any  other  expectation  ; 
and  one  which  resulted  in  obtaining  for  him  a  glory 
Cur  more  valuable  than  all  the  treasures  of  the  world" 

ABORTIVE  VOYAGE  OF  LA  ROCHE. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Norman,  Basque  and 
Breton  fishermen  continued  their  occupation  on  the 
great  Bank,  and  alone  the  shores  of  Newfoundland. 
By  degrees,  they  established  a  sort  of  barter  with  the 
natives ;  and  the  traffic  in  furs  soon  became  an  ob- 
ject, which  the  love  of  novelty,  the  facility  of  the 
trade,  and  its  profitable  nature  soon  rendered  of 
greater  interest  than  the  precarious  life  of  a  fisher- 
man. Many  of  the  masters  of  the  fishing  vessels 
became  fur  dealers  ;  and  carried  home  skins  of  great 
rarity  and  value. 

At  length,  after  half  a  century  of  civil  discord, 
France  having  recovered  her  former  peace  and  pros- 
perity under  the  auspices  of  Henry  IV.,  the  greatest 
of  her   Kings,    the  taste    for  colonial  adventure 

H 


86  NEW   PICTURE   OP   QUEBEC,  r 

revived  ;  and  the  Marquis  De  la  Roche,  a  native  •: 
of  Brittany,  obtained  from  the  King  a  commission  i 
similar,  and  powers  equal   to  those  possessed  fbiv  £ 
merly  by  Roberval.      These   Letters  Patent  were   t 
dated  on  the  12th  January,  1598  ;  and  contained  the  •$ 
first  establishment  of  the  feudal  tenure  in  this  coon-  -i 
try.     Authority   was   given   to   La  Roche,   as  the  * 
King's  Lieutenant,  "  to  concede  to  gentlemen  landi  ^ 
in  Fiefs,  Seigniories,  Counties,  Viscounties  and  Baro*  tr, 
nies,  and  other  dignities  holding  from  the  king — and  £ 
to  those  of  lower  degree,  subject  to  such  charges  and  ^ 
annual  payments,  as  he  might  think  proper  to  im-  $[ 
pose."     To  this  extensive  commission,   neither  the  4* 
preparations  nor    the   result   bore  any  proportion;  > 
La  Roche  contented  himself  by  fitting  out  a  single  j* 
vessel,  which  he  put  under  the  command  of  Chedote&  ^ 
an  experienced  pilot  of  Normandy;  and  embarked5  *- 
himself  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  the  countries  *. 
under  his  government.     The  whole  conduct  of  this  v 
expedition  was  so  devoid  of  foresight,  that  it  would  not 
be  worthy  of  mention,  but  as  forming  a  link  in  the  .^ 
historical  chain.     The  first  fault  committed   by  L»*5= 
Roche  was  the  reinforcing  his  crew  by  the  admission 
of  forty  convicts  taken  from  the  prisons — the  next  was  s 
the  place  chosen  for  his  temporary  settlement.     This 
was    Sable    Island,    about   twenty-five  leagues  to  j- 
tbe  South  East  of  the  Island  of  Cap  Breton  :  a  spot V- 
since  remarkable  only  for   the  number   of  vessels^  . 
shipwrecked  upon  its  dangerous  sands  and  shores, '^ 
La    Roche  was   probably   induced   to   select  Sabllt 
Island   from  its  vicinity  to  the    coasts  he  wished  rf= 
explore  ;  and  from  the  tradition  that  the   Baron  dm 
Lery  had  intended  to  establish  a  colony  there  sc£_  - 
early  as  1518.     Having  disembarked  the  unfortunattp 
convicts,    whose  destiny  proved   still  more  misen£ 


WITH  HISTORICAL  BEC0LLECTI0N8.  82 

le  than  if  they  had  remained  in  their  former  cell* 
-»La  Roche  proceeded  to  survey  the  adjacent  coasts  ; 
ad  returning  to  take  off  the  people  left  on  Sahle 
iland,  was  so  lone  prevented  by  continued  gales,. 
utf  hie  was  .constrained  t>  leave  them  to  their  fate,, 
nd  set  sail  for  France.  The  poor  wretches  under? 
rent  every  kind  of  hardship  in  their  inhospitable*. 
Bodence-Hm  the  course  of  seven  years  but  twelve 
f  the  forty  remained  alive,  when  a  vessel  sent  at> 
pt  to  their  relief  took  them  back  to  France,  just  as 
be  survivors  were  giving  way  to  utter  despair. 
[be  King  bad  the  curiosity  to  see  them  in  their 
rild  dress  of  skins  as  they  landed,  and  presented. 
aph  of  them  with  fifty  crowns*  and  full  pardon  of 
mpy  offence.  Smith  adds,  that  some  of  their  skins. 
fsre  of  great  value,  and  were  seized  by  the  Captain. 
II  a  reoompence  for  his  {rouble.  On  their  arrival  in 
ftance,  however,  they  compelled  him  by  legal  means 
o  return  their  property,  and  to  pay  them  heavy 
lamages.  La  Roche,  who  was  overwhelmed  with 
relations  arising  from  lawsuits,  and  the  expenses  of 
us  useless  expedition,  soon  after  died  broken  hearted. 

OTHER   VOYAGES— PONTGRAVE* — CHAUVIN. 

Notwithstanding  the  failure  of  La  Roche's  expedi- 
tion, and  the  repeated  ill  success  which  had  attended 
all  previous  efforts  to  establish  a  colony  in  Canada, 
the  eager  anticipation  of  a  mine  of  commercial 
wealth  to  be  found  in  the  prosecution  of  the  fur 
bade,  with  which  the  French  began  to  be  more 
favorably  impressed,  urged  on  new  adventurers  to 
i&e  attempt.  Although  an  exclusive  privilege  had 
fWcn  granted  to  La  Roche,  private  speculators  began 
It  trade  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  without  notice  on  the 


88  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

part  of  the  Government  A  considerable  merchant 
of  St.  Malo,  by  name  PonTgrave',  distinguished 
himself  by  making  several  voyages  to  Tadoussac, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Saguenay,  whence  he 
returned  with  furs  sufficiently  valuable  to  induce 
him  to  persevere.  He  soon  perceived  the  possibi- 
lity of  making  this  traffic  extremely  lucrative,  if  it 
could  be  brought  to  flow  through  one  authorised 
channel ;  and  accordingly  persuaded  M.  Chauvin, 
a  captain  in  the  navy,  to  make  application  to  the 
King  for  an  exclusive  privilege,  and  for  powers  simi- 
lar to  those  conferred  upon  La  Roche,  Chauvin  was 
a  calvinist,  and,  in  fact,  of  the  same  name  as  the  great 
reformer,  Calvin  being  merely  the  Latin  name  of 
Chauvin.  He  was  jointly  concerned  with  Pontgravl; 
and  attempted  without  success  to  establish  a  trading 
post  at  Tadoussac.  After  making  two  voyages 
thither  in  1600,  and  the  following  year,  with  but  lit- 
tle profit,  Chauvin  died  as  he  was  preparing  for  a 
third. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  89 


CHAPTER  THE  SIXTH. 

HISTORICAL     SKETCH     CONCLUDED.  —  FIRST   VOYAGE 

OF     CHAMFLAIN  —  DE    MONTS FOUNDATION    OF 

QUEBEC. 

At  this  period  the  colonization  of  the  country  seems 
to  have  been  entirely  disregarded.  The  only  object 
of  these  frequent  voyages  was  the  prosecution  of  a 
petty  fur  trade,  M,  Chauvin  was  succeeded  in  his 
privilege  by  the  Commander  De  Chatte  or  De 
Chaste,  Governor  of  Dieppe  ;  who  founded  a  com- 
pany of  merchants  at  Rouen,  in  order  to  establish  the 
trade  in  a  liberal  and  efficient  scale.  He  equipped 
an  armament  under  the  command  of  Pontgrave  ;  who 
also  received  letters  patent  from  the  King,  authoriz- 
ing hina  to  make  further  discoveries  in  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  to  establish  a  settlement  on  the  coast. 

Here  a  new  epoch  in  the  history  of  Canada  may 
be  said   to  present  itself.     Colonization,  under  the 
auspices  of  a  man  of  talent,   energy  and  patriotism 
was  about  to  assume  a  new  aspect;  and  after  seventy 
years  of  mismanagement  and  disaster,  was  for  the 
first  time  to  be   attended   with   success.      Samuel 
Champlain,  a  gentleman  of  Saintonge,    Captain  in 
the  Navy,  arrived  in  France  from  the  West  Indies, 
where  he  had  been  employed  nearly  three  years,  and 
had  acquired   the  reputation  of  a  brave  and  expe- 
rienced officer.     The  Commander  De  Chatte,  anxious 
to  engage  the  services  of  an  officer  of  such  merit, 

h  3 


90  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

immediately  proposed  to  Champlain  to  tahe  a  com-  ; 
mand  in  the  expedition  destined  for  the  St  Lawrence;.  < 
and  the  King's  consent  having  been  obtained,  the  - 
appointment  was  accepted.  Champlain  and  Pont-  , 
grav£  accordingly  set  sail  in  1603,  laid  up  their  vea-  ' 
sels  at  Tadoussac  ;  and  in  a  light  boat  with  a  crew  : 
of  only  five  persons,  ascended  as  far  as  the  Sault  St  = 
Louis,  which  had  been  discovered  by  Jacques  Carder.  \ 
It  is  said  that  on  this  first  voyage  Champlain  was  > 
struck  with  the  appearance  of  Quebec,  and  first  form*-  ■ 
ed  the  idea  of  selecting  it  as  a  site  for  a  future  ? 
colony.  j 

The  Indian  settlement  of  Hochelaga,  which  in  our  i 
account  of  Carder's  visit,  we  designated  by  the  im-  t 
posing  name  of  a  city,  from  its  comparative  impor- 
tance and  population,  had  dwindled  at  the  time  of 
Champlain  to  a  place  of  no  moment.  He  does  not 
even  notice  it,  not  having  thought  it  necessary  to  go 
on  shore,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  it. 

Champlain  made  an  exact  chart  of  the  coasts  he 
had  seen,  together  with  a  description  of  the  country ; 
which  on  his  return  to  France  he  submitted  in*  person 
to  the  King,  who  avowed  his  intention  of  patronising 
his  future  endeavors.  The  death  of  De  Chatte,  which 
they  learned  on  their  arrival  at  Honfleur,  was  matter 
of  deep  regret  to  Champlain,  on  account  of  his  high 
personal  qualities,  and  the  confidence  reposed  in  him 
by  Henry. 

ENTERPRISES    OP  DE  MONTS. 

After  the  death  of  De  Chatte,  Pierre  du  Guast, 
Sieur  de  Monts,  a  townsman  of  Champlain,  gen- 
tleman of  the  Chamber  in  ordinary  to  His  Majesty, 
and  Governor  of  Pons,  obtained  the  most  extensive 


WITH    HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  91 

commission  yet  granted  by  the  King,  reaching  from 
Virginia  to  the  Esquimaux  River,  or  from  latitude  40° 
to  54°.  This  gentleman  had  already  made  one  voyage 
with  Chauvin  as  a  volunteer.  He  had  also  the  power 
of  conceding  lands  between  latitude  40°  and  46°, 
together  with  the  usual  titles  of  Viceroy  and  Lieu- 
tenant General.  De  Monts  was  a  Calvinist,  and 
obtained  the  free  exercise  of  his  form  of  ieligion  for 
himself  and  all  his  friends ;  but  on  the  condition  that 
he  should  establish  the  catholic  worship  among  the 
natives.  He  reposed  the  utmost  confidence  in  the 
integrity  and  skill  of  Champlain ;  and  to  this  gentle- 
man, and  his  predecessor,  M.  de  Chatte,  belongs  the 
credit  of  associating  in  their  enterprises,  the  cele- 
brated founder  of  Quebec — who  by  his  personal  qua- 
lities, high  character  and  valuable  services,  greatly 
contributed  to  render  Canada  an  object  of  lasting 
interest  to  France  and  to  European  Christendom. 

De  Monts  continued  the  company  established  by 
his  predecessor,  and  reinforced  it  by  the  addition  of 
several  considerable   merchants   from    the   different 
ports  of  France,  particularly  Rochelle  :  so  that  he 
was  enabled  to  fit  out  a  very  complete  armament* 
He  sailed  from  Havre-de-Grace  on  the  7th  March, 
1604,  with  four  vessels,  of  which  two,  under  his  im- 
mediate command,    were  destined  from  Acadie,  or 
Nova  Scotia.     He  was  accompanied  by  Champlain, 
and  by  a  gentleman  named   Poitrincourt,  who  had 
left  France  with  the  design  of  making  a  permanent 
settlement  with  his  family  in  the  new  world.     A  third 
vessel  was  despatched  under  Pontgrav6  to  the  Strait 
of   Canso,    for   the  purpose  of  preventing  any  en- 
croachment by  other  parties  on  the  exclusive  rights 
of  De  Monts.     The  fourth  was  ordered  to  Tadoussac, 
and  was  destined  to   carry   on  the   fur   trade  with 


92  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

that  post.  On  the  6th  May,  De  Monts  arrived 
at  a  harbor  on  the  coast  of  Acadie,  where  he  com- 
menced the  rigid  assertion  of  his  privilege  by  seizing 
and  confiscating  an  English  vessel.  As  a  singular 
recompense  for  the  loss  of  his  ship,  he  called  this 
harbor  Port  Rossignol,  from  the  name  of  the  master, 
which  was  Nightingale*  Thence  they  sailed  to  the 
Island  of  St.  Croix,  about  twenty  leagues  to  the  west- 
ward of  the  River  St.  John,  where  De  Monts  disem- 
barked the  people,  and  passed  the  winter.  Finding 
the  place  inconvenient,  in  the  spring  of  1605,  he  ■ 
removed  the  establishment  to  Port  Royal,  now  An- 
napolis, discovered  by  Champlain,  who  had  been 
diligently  employed  in  surveying  the  coast.  Here  a 
fort  was  built,  of  which  Pontgrave  was  at  first  ap- 
pointed Lieutenant ;  but  De  Monts  soon  afterwards, 
bv  virtue  of  his  commission,  conceded  the  whole 
establishment  of  Port  Royal  with  a  large  domain  to 
M.  Poitrincourt ;  which  grant  was  a  few  years  after 
recognized  and  confirmed  by  Letters  Patent  from  the 
King,  being  the  first  concession  made  in  North 
America.  De  Monts  returned  to  France  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1605  :  when  he  found  his  influence  at  Court 
on  the  wane,  heavy  complaints  having  been  made 
against  him  by  the  persons  interested  in  the  Fisheries, 
who  belonged  to  every  port  in  the  Kingdom.  They 
represented  with  considerable  unanimity,  if  not  with 
truth  and  justice,  that  under  pretence  of  preventing 
their  trade  with  the  Indian  hunters  for  furs,  he  had 
thrown  every  impediment  in  the  way  of  their  lawful 
occupation  in  the  fisheries,  to  their  great  injury,  and 
to  the  prejudice  of  the  Revenue.  These  statements 
were  listened  to  at  Court,  and  De  Monts  was  depriv- 
ed of  the  exclusive  privilege,  which  had  been  granted 
to  him  for  ten  years.     Not,  however,  disheartened 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  93 

* 

by  this  reverse,  he  entered  into  a  new  engagement 
with  M.  Poitrincourt,  who  had  followed  him  to 
France  ;  and  equipped  a  vessel,  which  sailed  from 
Rochelle  on  the  13th  May,  1606,  for  the  purpose  of 
succouring  the  people  left  at  Port  Royal.  This  Co- 
lony, considering  itself  forgotten  by  the  founders, 
was  on  the  point  of  returning  to  France.  Thus  op- 
portunely reinforced,  however,  it  speedily  encreased 
in  prosperity  under  the  able  management  of  Poitrin- 
court, who  appears  to  have  been  a  person  of  superior 
talents  and  resources.  He  was  here  joined  by  his 
friend  Marc  Lescarbot,  an  Advocate  of  Paris,  who, 
urged  by  an  eager  desire  and  curiosity,  unusual  with 
persons  of  his  profession,  had  left  the  practice  of  the 
Courts  to  examine  the  new  world : — 

fenotis  errare  locis,  ignota  videre 
r  lamina  gaudebat. 

This  gentleman  proved  of  the  greatest  service  in 
meliorating  the  condition  of  the  settlement.  He  is 
described  as  now  piquing  the  pride,  and  now  animat- 
ing the  drooping  spirits  of  the  settlers  ;  by  which 
means,  added  to  indefatigable  exertion  in  his  own 
person,  he  succeeded  in  gaining  the  love  of  all. 
Every  day  his  ingenuity  was  successfully  put  to  the 
test,  by  some  invention  of  utility  to  the  people  ;  and 
he  afforded  an  eminent  example,  how  advantageous 
to  a  new  settlement  are  the  resources  of  a  mind 
cultivated  by  study,  and  guided  by  zeal  and  reflexion. 
It  is  to  this  learned  and  ingenious  person  that  we  are 
indebted  for  an  excellent  history  of  New  France, 
published  in  1609.  We  must  acknowledge  in  him 
an  accurate  and  judicious  author,  equally  capable  of 
establishing  a  Colony,  of  regulating  its  internal  eco- 
nomy, and  of  writing  its  natural  and  political  history. 


94  MEW   PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

M.  Poitrincourt  maintained  possession  of  Port  Royal 
for  several  years,  until  he  was  dispossessed  by  the 
English,  who  finally  acquired  the  sovereignty  of 
Nova  Scotia. 

The  enemies  of  De  Monts  still  persevered  in  their 
misrepresentations,  and  at  length  succeeded,  to  the 
great  indignation  of  Champlain,  in  depriving  him 
altogether  of  his  commission,  a  very  trifling  indem- 
nification only  being  allowed  to  him  in  return  for  his 
extensive  disbursements.  The  next  year,  in  1607, 
he  solicited  his  re-appointment — but  only  obtained  a 
renewal  of  his  former  privilege  for  one  year,  on  con- 
dition of  forming  a  settlement  on  the  River  St.  Law- 
rence ;  to  which,  by  the  advice  of  Champlain,  the 
King  had  lately  turned  his  serious  attention. 

Neither  the  company  to  which  De  Monts  belonged, 
or  the  associates  of  his  voyages,  had  abandoned  him 
in  his  adversity.  Two  vessels  were  fitted  out  at 
Honfleurin  1608,  under  the  command  of  Champlain 
and  Pontgravc  for  Tadoussac,  and  the  St.  Lawrence, 
while  De  Monts  remained  in  France  endeavoring  to 
obtain  an  extension  of  his  Patent,  but  without  suc- 
cess. This  failure,  however,  did  not  prevent  him 
from  afterwards  fitting  out  some  vessels,  by  the  aid 
of  the  company,  and  without  any  commission,  in  the 
spring  of  1610 — for  the  River  St.  Lawrence,  under 
the  same  able  command. 

Champlain,  who,  as  stated  above,  was  a  zealous  | 
catholic,  makes  great  objection  to  the  employment  [ 
and  admixture  of  the  Huguenots  in  these  expeditions 
of  De  Monts.  Indeed  he  prognosticates  ill  success 
to  every  undertaking  where  so  preposterous  an  union 
was  permitted.  The  following  story  is  told  in  his 
peculiar  style  : — the  parties  must  have  been  com- 
posed, according  to  the  poet,  of  that  stubborn  crew, 


\ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  95 

Of  errant  Saints,  whom  all  men  grant 
To  be  the  true  Church  militant ; 
And  prove  their  doctrine  orthodox 
By  apostolic  blows  and  knocks. 

"  II  se  trouve  quelque  chose  a  redire  en  ceste 
entreprise,  qui  est,  en  ce  que  deux  religions  con- 
traires  ne  font  jamais  un  grand  fruit  pour  la  gloire 
de  Dieu  parmy  les  infideles,  que  Ton  veut  convertir. 
J'ay  veu  le  Ministre  et  nostre  cure  s'entre-battre  a 
coups  de  poing,  sur  le  differend  de  la  religion.  Je 
ne  s^ ay  pas  qui  etoit  le  plus  vaillant,  et  qui  donnoit 
le  meilleur  coup,  mais  je  sr;ay  tres  bien  que  le  minis- 
tre se  plaignoit  quelquefois  au  Sieur  de  Mons  d'avoir 
este  battu,  et  vuidoient  en  ceste  fafon  les  poincts  de 
controversde.  Je  vous  laisse  a  penser  si  cela  estoit 
beau  a  voir  ;  les  sauvages  estoient  tantostd'un  coste, 
tantost  de  l'autre,  et  les  Francois  meslez  selon  leur 
diverse  croyance,  disoient  pis  que  pendre  de  Tune  et 
de  l'autre  religion,  quoy  que  le  Sieur  de  Mons  y 
apportast  la  paix  le  plus  qu'il  pouvoit.  Ces  inso- 
lences estoient  veritablement  un  moyen  a  l'infidele 
de  la  rendre  encore  plus  endurcy  en  son  infidelite  :" 
c<  Some  fault  is  to  be  found  in  this  enterprise,  and 
hat  is,  that  two  opposite  religions  can  never  produce 
food  fruit,  to  the  glory  of  God,  among  the  infidels 
vho  are  to  be  converted.  I  have  seen  the  Huguenot 
Minister  and  our  Cure  engage  at  fisticuffs,  upon  the 
lifference  of  religion.  I  know  not  which  was  the 
>etter  man,  or  who  gave  the  harder  blows  ;  but  this 
[  know  very  well,  that  the  Minister  sometimes  com- 
plained of  having  been  thrashed,  and  thus  they  set- 
tled their  points  of  controversy.  I  leave  you  to 
determine  if  this  was  decent  to  behold  :  the  natives 
were  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other ;  and  the 
French  took  part  according  to  their  respective  creed, 


96  NEW  PICTURE   Of  QUEBEC, 

abusing"  each  other's  religion,  although  De  Mont 
did  all  in  his  power  to  keep  the  peace.  These  follie 
were  truly  a  method  of  rendering  the  infidel  mor 
hardened  in  his  infidelity." 

FOUNDATION   OF   QUEBEC. 

Om  the  13th  April,  1608,  Pontgrav6  having  beei 
already  despatched  in  a  vessel  to  Tadoussac,  Cham 
plain,  who  had  obtained  the  commission  of  Lieute 
nant,  under  De  Monts,  in  New  France,  set  sail  fron 
Honfleur,  with  the  express  intention  of  establishing 
a  settlement  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  above  Tadoussa< 
at  which  post  he  arrived  on  the  3d  June.  After 
short  stay,  he  ascended  the  River,  carefully  examin 
ing  the  shores  ;  and  on  the  3d  July,  reached  the  spc 
called  Stadacona,  now  Quebec,  rendered  so  reman 
able  by  the  first  visit  of  Jacques  Cartier  in  153! 
Champlain,  whose  ambition  was  not  limited  to  mer 
commercial  speculations — actuated  by  the  patriotic 
and  pride  of  a  French  gentleman,  a  faithful  servan 
of  his  King,  and  warmly  attached  to  the  glory  of  hi 
country, — thought  more  of  founding  a  future  empir 
than  of  a  trading  post  for  peltry.  After  examininj 
the  position,  he  selected  the  elevated  promontorj 
which  commands  the  narrowest  part  of  the  grea 
River  of  Canada,  the  extensive  basin  between  it  an 
the  Isle  of  Orleans,  together  with  the  mouth  of  th< 
Little  River  St.  Charles,  as  a  fit  and  proper  seat  fb 
the  future  metropolis  of  New  France,  and  there  law 
the  foundation  of  Quebec,  on  the  3d  July,  1608 
His  judgment  has  never  been  called  in  question,  o: 
his  taste  disputed  in  this  selection.  Its  commanding 
position,  natural  strength,  and  aptitude  both  for  pur- 
poses of  offence  and  defence,  are  evident  on  the  firs 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  97 

view — while  the  unequalled  beauty,  grandeur  and 
sublimity  of  the  scene  mark  it  as  worthy  of  extended 
empire : 

hoc  regnum  gentibns  esse, 

8i  qua  fata  sinant,  jam  torn  tenditqne  fovetque. 

This  noble  site,  prove  fate  hereafter  kind, 
The  seat  of  lasting  empire  he  designed. 

Here,  on  the  point  immediately  overlooking  the  ba- 
sin, and  on  the  site  reaching  from  the  grand  battery 
to  the  Castle  of  St  Lewis,  he  commenced  his  labors 
by  felling  the  walnut  trees,  and  rooting  up  the  wild 
vines  with  which  the  virgin  soil  was  covered,  in  order 
to  make  room  for  the  projected  settlement  Huts 
were  erected,  some  lands  were  cleared,  and  a  few  gar- 
dens made,  for  the  purpose  of  proving  the  soil,  which 
was  found  to  be  excellent  The  first  permanent  build- 
ing which  the  French  erected  was  a  store  house,  or 
magazine  for  the  security  of  their  provisions.  Cham- 
plain  thus  describes  his  first  proceedings,  which  will 
be  read  with  interest  by  the  inhabitant  at  the  present 
day :  "  J'arrivay  a  Quebec  le  3  Juillet,  ou  e stent, 
je  cherchay  lieu  propre  pour  nostre  habitation ;  mais 
je  n'en  peus  trouver  de  plus  commode  n'y  mieux 

scitue  que  la  pointe  de  Quebec laquelle  estoit 

remplie  de  noyers  et  de  vignes.  Aussi  tost  j'em- 
ployay  une  partie  de  nos  ouvriers  a  les  abbatre ;  pour 

y  faire  nostre  habitation La  premiere  chose  que 

nous  fismes  fut  le  magazin  pour  mettre  nos  vivres  a 

convert,  qui  fut  promptement  fait Proche  de 

ce  lieu  est  un  riviere  agreable  ou  anciennement 
hyverna  Jacques  Carder  :" — "  I  reached  Quebec  on 
the  3d  July,  where  I  sought  out  a  proper  place  for 
our  dwelling  ;  but  I  could  not  find  one  better  adapted 
for  it  than  the  promontory,  or  point  of  Quebec, 

i 


98  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC) 

which  was  covered  with  walnuts  and  vines.  As  sooi 
as  possible,  I  set  to  work  some  of  our  laborers,  to 

level  them,  in  order  to  build  our  habitation Hm 

first  thing  which  we  did  was  to  build  a  store  house  tc 
secure  our  provisions  under  shelter,  which  was  quieklj 

done Near  this  spot  is  an  agreeable   river, 

where  formerly  wintered  Jacques  Carrier."  A  tem- 
porary barrack  for  the  men  and  officers  was  subse- 
quently erected  on  the  higher  part  of  the  positions 
near  where  the  Castle  of  St  Lewis  now  stands.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  at  the  time  of  the  landing 
of  Champlain,  the  tide  usually  rose  nearly  to  the  base 
of  the  rock,  or  c6te ;  and  that  the  first  buildings 
were  of  necessity  on  the  high  grounds.  Afterwards, 
and  during  the  time  of  Champlain,  a  space  was  re- 
deemed from  the  water,  and  elevated  above  the 
inundation  of  the  tide  ;  on  which  store  houses,  and 
also  a  battery  level  with  the  water  were  erected,  hav- 
ing a  passage  of  steps  between  it  and  the  fort,  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Mountain  Street,  which  was  first 
used  in  1623. 

Champlain  had  now,  humble  as  they  were,  sue* 
cessfully  laid  the  foundations  of  the  first  French 
Colony  in  North  America.  One  hundred  and  sixteen 
years  had  elapsed  since  the  discovery  of  the  net 
world ;  and  it  was  only  in  the  year  previous,  thai 
on  the  whole  continent,  north  of  Mexico,  a  European 
nation  had  at  length  succeeded  in  establishing  any 
settlement  This  was  effected  by  the  English  undet 
Captain  Christopher  Newport,  who  laid  the  found* 
tion  of  a  settlement  at  Jamestown,  Virginia,  on  the 
13th  May,  1607,  two  hundred  and  twenty  seven  yean 
ago.  The  chivalrous  character  and  adventures  oi 
Captain  John  Smith,  and  the  interesting  story  oi 
Pocahontas,  have  conferred  a  peculiar  interest  oc 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  99 

he  early  history  of  this  colony.  It  may  be  noted 
is  a  singular  contrast  with  the  growth  of  the  English 
colonies  afterwards,  that  at  the  death  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  in  1603,  there  was  not  a  European  family 
in  all  the  northern  continent :  at  present  the  great 
State  of  Virginia  alone, — of  which  the  germ  was 
a  colony  of  one  hundred  souls,  of  whom  fifty  died 
daring  -  the  first  year  ;  and  which,  as  described  by 
Chalmers  in  his  political  annals,  "  feeble  in  num- 
bers and  enterprise,  was  planted  in  discord,  and 
new  up  in  misery/' — numbers  upon  its  soil  no 
teas  than  twelve  hundred  thousand  inhabitants !  The 
disappearance  and  eradication  of  the  Indians  has 
been  still  more  extraordinary.  Of  the  countless 
tribes  who  filled  up  the  back  country  of  Virginia 
at  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  by  the  English,  it 
appears  by  the  census  of  1830,  that  there  existed  only 
forty-seven  Indians  in  the  whole  State  ! 

The  summer  was  passed  in  finishing  the  necessary 
buildings  ;  when  clearances  were  made  around  them, 
and  the  ground  prepared  for  sowing  wheat  and  rye  : 
which  was  accomplished  by  the  15th  October.  Hoar 
frosts  commenced  about  the  3d  October,  and  on  the 
15th  the  trees  shed  their  leafy  honors.  The  first  snow 
fell  on  the  18th  November,  but  disappeared  after  two 
days.  Champlain  describes  the  snow  as  lying  on  the 
ground  from  December  until  near  the  end  of  April,  so 
that  the  favorite  theory  of  those  who  maintain  the 
progressive  improvement  of  the  climate,  as  lands  are 
cleared  in  new  countries,  is  not  borne  out  by  the 
evidence  of  Canada.  From  several  facts  it  might  be 
shown  that  the  wintry  climate  was  not  more  inhos- 
pitable in  the  early  days  of  Jacques  Cartier  and 
Champlain  than  in  the  present     The  winter  of 


100  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

1611  and  1612  was  extremely  mild,  and  the  river 
was  not  frozen  before  Quebec. 

From  the  silence  of  Champlain  respecting  the 
hamlet  or  town  of  Stadacona,  which  had  been  visited 
by  Cartier  so  often  in  1535,  it  would  seem  probable 
that  it  had  dwindled,  owing  to  the  migratory  predilec- 
tions of  the  Indians,  to  a  place  of  no  moment*  He 
certainly  mentions  a  number  of  Indians  who  were 
"  cabannez,"  or  hutted  near  his  settlement ;  but  the 
ancient  name  of  Stadacona  never  once  occurs.  It 
will  be  recollected  that  Cartier  spoke  of  the  houses  of 
the  natives  as  being  amply  provided  with  food  against 
the  winter.  From  the  evidence  of  Champlain,  the 
Indians  of  the  vicinity  appear  to  have  degenerated  in 
this  particular.  They  are  represented  as  having  ex- 
perienced the  greatest  extremities  for  want  of  food 
during  the  winter  of  1608;  and  some  who  came  over 
from  the  Pointe  LeVi  side  of  the  river,  were  in  such  * 
state  of  wretchedness,  as  hardly  to  be  able  to  drag 
their  limbs  to  the  upper  part  of  the  settlement  They  [ 
were  relieved  and  treated  with  the  greatest  kindness 
by  the  French. 

The  ice  having  disappeared  in  the  spring  of  1609, ' :, 
so  early  as  the  8th  April,  Champlain  was  enabled  to   ■_ 
leave  the  infant  settlement  of  Quebec,  and  to  ascend 
the  river  on  the  18th,  for  the  purpose  of  further  ex- 
ploring the  country.     He  resolved  to  penetrate  into 
the  interior;  and  his  mingled  emotions  of  delight 
and  astonishment  may  easily  be  conceived,   as  he 
proceeded  to  examine   the   magnificent  country  of 
which  he  had  taken  possession.     During  this  summer,   a 
he  discovered  the  beautiful  lake  which  now  bears  hit  m 
name ;  and  having  returned  to  Quebec  in  the  autumn,  _. 
he  sailed  for  France  in  September  1609,  leaving  the  Z 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  101 

settlement  under  the  command  of  Captain  Pierre 
Chauvin,  an  officer  of  great  experience. 

Champlain  was  well  received  on  his  arrival  by 
Henry  IV.,  who  invited  him  to  an  interview  at 
Fontainebleau  ;  and  received  from  him  an  exact  ac- 
count of  all  that  had  been  done  in  New  France,  with 
a  statement  of  the  advantages  to  be  expected  from 
the  new  establishment  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  — at  which 
recital  the  King  expressed  great  satisfaction.  De 
Monts,  however,  by  whose  means  the  settlement 
of  Quebec  had  been  formed,  could  not  obtain  a 
renewal  of  his  privilege,  which  had  now  expired  : — 
notwithstanding  which,  he  was  once  more  enabled 
by  the  assistance  of  the  company  of  merchants,  to 
fit  out  two  vessels  in  the  spring  of  1610,  under  the 
command  of  Champlain  and  Pontgrav6.  The  latter 
was  instructed  to  continue  the  fur  trade  with  the 
Indians  at  Tadoussac,  while  Champlain,  having  with 
him  a  reinforcement  of  artisans  and  laborers,  was  to 
proceed  to  Quebec.  He  sailed  from  Honfleur  on  the 
8th  April,  and  arrived  at  Tadoussac  in  the  singu- 
larly short  passage  of  eighteen  days.  Thence  as* 
cending  the  river  to  Quebec,  he  had  the  gratification 
of  finding  the  colonists  in  good  health,  and  content 
with  their  situation.  The  crops  of  the  previous  year 
had  been  abundant,  and  every  thing  was  in  as  good 
order  and  condition  as  could  be  expected. 

To  pursue  further  the  proceedings  of  Champlain, 
and  his  discoveries  in  the  interior,  does  not  properly 
&11  within  the  scope' of  this  work,  but  belongs  to  the 
History  of  Canada.  It  may  be  well,  however,  to 
observe  in  this  place,  that  owing  to  the  political  error 
committed  by  this  otherwise  sagacious  chief,  when  he 
taught  the  natives  the  use  of  fire-arms,  and  joined 
them  in  an  offensive  league  against  the  Iroquois, 

i  2 


i 


102  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

who  were  at  first  supported  by  the  Dutch,  and  after- 
wards by  the  English   Colonists   of  New- York, — 
Champlain  not  only   laid  the  foundation   of  that 
predatory  and  cruel  warfare  which  subsisted  with  lit- 
tle intermission  between  his  countrymen  and  the  fire 
nations,  notwithstanding  the  conciliatory   efforts  of  , 
the  Jesuits — but  he  may  with  reason  be  considered   , 
as  the  remote,  although  innocent  cause,  of  the  ani-   . 
mosity  afterwards  engendered  between  the  Provin-   :- 
cialists  and  the  French,  owing  to  the  excesses  of  the   .. 
Indians  in  the  interest  of  the  latter,   and  of  a  war   5 
which  terminated  only  with  the  subjugation  of  Canada  ■[ 
by  the  British  arms  in  1760.  \t 

Champlain,  who  made  frequent  voyages  to  France   * 
in  order  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  rising  Colony,   j; 
and   who  identified   himself  with  its  prospects  by  J; 
bringing  out  his  family  to  reside  with  him,  was  wisely   jt 
continued,  with  occasional  intermission,  in  the  chief  \: 
command  until  his  death.     In   1620,  he  erected  a 
temporary  fort  on  the  site  of  the  Castle  of  St,  Lewis; 
which  he  rebuilt  of  stone,  and  fortified  in  1624%     At 
that  time,  however,  the  Colony  numbered  only  fifty 
souls.     It  appears  from  the   Parish  Register   then 
commenced  to  be  regularly  kept,  that  the  first  child  . 
born  in  Quebec  of  French  parents  was  christened 
Eustache  on  the  24th  October,  1621,  being  the  son  „ 
of  Abraham  Martin  and  Margaret  L'Anglois.    In  _. 
1629,  Champlain  had  to  undergo  the  mortification  of 
surrendering  Quebec  to  an  armament  from  England 
under  Louis  Kertk,  who  on  the  22d  July  planted 
the  English  Standard  on  the  walls,  just  one  hundred    . 
and  thirty  years  before  the  battle  of  the  Plains  of   , 
Abraham.      Champlain  was  taken  as  a  prisoner  of 
war  to  England,  whence  he   returned   to    France, 
and  subsequently  to  Canada  in  1633*     The  inhabi-  c 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  103 

tants  were  well  treated  by  Kertk,  who  was  himself  a 
French  Huguenot  Refugee,  and  none  of  the  settlers 
left  the  country ;  which  was  restored  to  France  by 
the  treaty  of  St  Germain-en-Laye,  on  the  29th 
March,  1632. 

Champlain,  who  combined  with  superior  talents 
and  singular  prudence  a  temperament  of  high  courage 
and  resolution,  after  a  residence  in  New  France  of 
nearly  thirty  years,  died  full  of  honors,  and  rich  in 
public  respect  and  esteem,  in  the  bosom  of  the  set- 
tlement of  which  he  was  the  founder,  about  the  end 
of  December,  1635.  His  memoirs  are  written  in  a 
pleasing  and  unaffected  style  ;  and  show  that  he  was 
deficient  in  none  of  the  qualities  which  are  so  essen- 
tial in  the  leader  of  difficult  enterprises,  and  the  dis- 
coverer of  new  countries.  His  obsequies  were  per- 
formed with  all  the  pomp  which  the  colony  could 
command ;  and  his  remains  wer?  followed  to  the  grave 
with  real  sorrow  by  the  Clergy,  Officers,  and  the  civil 
and  military  inhabitants,  Father  Le  Jeune  pronounc- 
ing an  appropriate  funeral  oration. 

At  the  death  of  Champlain  the  French  possessions 
in  Canada  consisted  of  the  fort  of  Quebec,  surrounded 
by  some  inconsiderable  houses,  and  barracks  for  the 
soldiers,  a  few  huts  on  the  Island  of  Montreal,  as 
many  at  Tadoussac,  and  at  other  places  on  the  St. 
Lawrence,  used  as  trading  and  fishing  posts.  A  set- 
tlement had  just  been  commenced  at  Three  Rivers  ; 
and  in  these  trifling  acquisitions  were  comprised  all 
that  resulted  from  the  discoveries  of  Verazzano, 
Jacques  Carder,  Roberval,  Champlain,  and  the  vast 
outlay  of  De  la  Roche,  De  Monts,  and  other  French 
adventurers.  At  the  time  we  are  writing,  the  Colony 
or  Province  of  Lower  Canada  contains  nearly  six  hun- 
dred thousand  inhabitants — Quebec  possesses   over 


104  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

three  thousand  houses,  and  a  population  of  near  thirty 
thousand  souls.  That  of  Montreal  is  as  numerous ; 
and  Three- Rivers  is  progressively  improving  in 
wealth  and  resources.  The  social  and  commercial 
intercourse  between  these  flourishing  towns  is  main- 
tained by  means  of  magnificent  steamboats  of  un- 
rivalled safety  and  expedition — those  floating  palaces, 
in  which  a  thousand  human  beings  are  often  trans- 
ported from  city  to  city.  The  trade  of  the  Province, 
instead  of  being  limited  to  a  few  small  craft  engaged 
in  the  fisheries  or  the  fur  trade,  employs  more 
than  a  thousand  vessels  of  burthen,  enriching  the  Pro- 
vince with  an  annual  immigration  of  from  twenty-five 
to  fifty  thousand  souls,  the  aggregate  of  whose  capital 
is  immense ; — and  conveying  in  return  the  native  pro- 
duce of  the  Canadas  to  almost  every  part  of  the  empire. 
Pitt  must  have  been  prophetically  inspired  when  he 
gave  to  the  great  seal  of  Canada  its  beautiful  legend, 
for  nothing  could  be  more  applicable  to  the  double 
advantages  of  one  extensive  branch  of  its  commerce 
— the  Timber  trade — 

ab  ipso 

DUCIT  OPES   ANIMUMQUE  FERRO— 

Gains  power  and  riches  by  the  selfsame  steel. 

Instead  of  a  few  huts  on  the  River's  side,  the  country 
on  each  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence  has  been  long 
divided  into  rich  Seigniories,  and  the  fertile  soil  cul- 
tivated by  an  industrious,  a  virtuous  and  contented 
population* — by  a  people  to  whom  foreign  dominion, 
instead  of  deteriorating  their  former  condition,  has 
been  the  herald  of  all  that  can  render  life  precious. 
It  has  given  to  them  the  unrestricted  enjoyment  of 
their  rights,  language  and  religion — protection  against 
external  foes,  together  with  the  full  security  of  their 


with  wnmucif.  apoepjwnoHWi  ipfc 

•tic  mkg*,\  totUm*)  laws  and  profttrty-~per- 
aeiapla^  &^  the  burthens  of  taxation,  and  a 
of  rationl  happiness  and  political  freedom  un- 
tied on  the  fece  of  the  globe.  .  The  following 
kiful  passage,  from  Virgil  will,  strike  every  one, 
(gnlarlv  applicable  to  the  condition  of  the  Ca- 
in fanner,  Or  habitant : 

Q  fatnnstos  nimium,  sns  si  boss  nAriot, 
'  Agriootss  !  qofboa  ips*^  promt  ditcordibot  sntais#   ' 
Fu**fe  basso  Jaoilem  victoai  jostissiam  tolls*,  i 

8t,  bjs*  ingests*)  foribos  dttaos.  alts  saptflbis  > 

Msae  s§  latsntnai  totis  ▼omit  ssdibas  aaosm  |  ■. 


At  sseora  quiet,  et  nescis  faUere  Tits, 
Dives  spom  variarum  ;  st  lads  otia  fundi*, 

8 feloness,  vivique  lacas  ;  at  frigida  temps* 
ugitusque  boom,  mollesque  sob  arbors  soma! 
Non  sbtont.    Ulic  saltus,  et  lustra  feraram, 
Et  patient  operant,  parvoque  assueta  juventus, 
Sacra  Deom,  tanctiq  ue  patres.    Extrema  per  illot 
Jnttitia  excsdens  terris  vestigia  fecit. 

O  happy,  if  he  knew  his  happy  state, 

The  twain,  who  free  from  discord  and  debate, 

Receives  hit  easy  food  from  nature's  hand, 

And  jntt  returns  of  cultivated  land. 

No  palace  with  a  lofty  gate  Jie  wants, 

To  admit  the  tides  of  early  visitants ; 

• 
# 

Bat  easy  quiet,  a  secure  retreat, 

A  harmless  life,  that  knows  not  how  to  chest. 

With  homebred  plenty  the  rich  owner  bless, 

And  rural  pleasures  crown  his  happiness. 

Cool  grots  are  his,  and  living  lakes,  the  pride 

Of  meads,  and  streams  that  through  the  valley  glide ; 

And  shady  groves  that  easy  sleep  invite, 


106  NEW  PICTURE   OF   gUCTEC, 

And  after  toil  a  soft  repose  at  night 
Wild  beasts  of  nature  in  his  woods  abound ; 
And  youth,  of  labor  patient,  plough  the  ground, 
Inured  to  hardship  and  to  homely  fare ; 
Nor  venerable  age  is  wanting  there, 
In  great  examples  to  the  youthful  train ; 
Nor  ought  is  there  religion  to  profane. 
From  hence  Astroea  took  her  night,  and  here 
The  prints  of  her  departing  steps  appear. 

Having  thus  conducted  the  reader  to  the  founds-  . 
tion  of  Quebec,  we  conclude  the  historical  sketch  of  i 
the  progress  of  early  discovery  and  settlement  in  this 
part  of  the  North  American  continent 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  107 


CHAPTER  THE  SEVENTH. 

ETYMOLOGY    OF    THE  WORDS   CANADA   AND   QUEBEC 

THE    SUFFOLK   SEAL. 

There  are  few  subjects  on  which  greater  ingenuity 
has  been  displayed,  and  more  time  and  labor  expend- 
ed, than  on  etymology.     Every  votary  of  this  study 
has  a  favorite  theory — the  fancy  runs' wild,  and  even 
the    gravest   writers    have  indited  most  deliberate 
nonsense,  when  led  astray  by  the  ignis  fatuus  of 
etymological  research.     The  vulgar  signs  of  obscure 
taverns  and  ale-houses  have  not  been  rejected  as 
subjects  for   the  lucubrations  of  antiquaries  ; — and 
such  uncourtly  and  degenerate  phrases  as  "  The  Bull 
and  Mouth,"  and  "  The  Bag  o'  nails,"  have  been 
restored  by  antiquarian  lore  into  the  historic  and 
classic  appellations  of  "  Boulogne  Mouth,"  and  "  The 
Bacchanals."     Even  the  Spectator  has  elevated  the 
old  hostelry  of  Isabella  Savage  into  that  of  "  La 
Belle  Sauvage."     Taking  a  bolder  range,  Vallancey 
has  demonstrated,  at  least  to  his  own  satisfaction,  that 
thespeech  of  the  Phoenician  in  the  Pcenulus  of  Plautus 
is  pure  Irish ;  but  the  climax  of  absurdity  was  reached 
by  an  author  of  the  name  of  Lemon,  who,  in  1783, 
published  an  "  English  Etymology,"  the  avowed  aim 
of  which  was  to  prove,  that  almost  all  English  words 
are  of  Greek  origin.     This  author  says,  with  all  the 
gravity  of  a  man  in  full  possession  of  his  senses, — 
"  There  are  many  words  in  our  language  that  con- 


108  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC,     . 

tinue  to  wear  so  strange  and  uncouth  an  appea 
as  would  require  more  than  CEdipus  to  develop 
disentangle  from  their  present  intricate  and  eni 
tical  disguises.  Thus  the  expressions  hot-co 
scratch-cradle,  link-boy,  bogle-boe,  haut-gout,  ban 
kickshaws,  Crutched-Friars,  and  innumerable  c 
can  only  be  explained  by  their  etymologies,  ever 
of  which  is  Greek  !  ! 

The  force  of  nonsense  could  no  further  go- 
the  reader  may  be  assured,  that  the  whole  work 
strict  conformity  with  this  extract :  the  writer 
vertheless,  was  a  beneficed  clergyman,  and  a  m 
letters. 

The  etymology  of  the  names,  "  Canada" 
"  Quebec,"  has  been  disfigured  and  encumber* 
definitions  equally  puerile.  Such  fancies  were  j 
liar  to  the  times,  which  followed  the  discovei 
America.  Innumerable  were  the  conceits  ol 
Elizabethan  age — the  learned  plunged  without 
pass  into  the  unknown  seas  of  etymological  discos 
and  even  the  wise  Bacon,  and  the  severe  Coke 
addicted  to  this  pursuit.  In  the  age  before 
during  the  time  of  the  bluff  King  Harry,  "  th 
vereignest  thing  on  earth"  was  a  name  convey 
a  rebus  ;  and  such  devices  are  still  seen  on  the 
and  mouldings  of  the  most  celebrated  of  die  En 
Cathedrals.  B ut  the  sagacious  etymologists  of  fo 
days  by  no  means  recognised  the  necessity  ol 
quaintance  with  the  primitive  language  of  whic 
words  they  undertook  to  explain  were  comp 
They  pursued  a  "  royal  road"  of  their  own  ; 
undertook  to  discover  in  the  Spanish  tongue  the 
of  phrases  which  existed  only  in  the  aboriginal  sp 
of  the  Indian  native.  Thus  the  etymons  of  Ca 
and  Quebec  have  been  sought  for,  where  there 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  109 

:  probability  of  finding  them  than  in  the  languages 
Tapan  and  Otaheite  ! 

ather  Hennepin,  one  of  those  etymological  savans, 
>se  labors  it  were  great  pity  should  be  lost,  tells 
that  the  Spaniards  were  the  first  discoverers  of 
iada ;  and  that  finding  in  it  nothing  worthy  of 
ir  cupidity,  they  bestowed  upon  it  the  negative 
ellation  of  "  El  capo  di  nada," — "  Cape  Nothing" 
rhence  by  corruption  its  present  name.  La 
;herie  follows  in  the  same  track,  and  with  more 
ticularity  recites  the  same  derivation.  Charlevoix 
es  the  same  story  with  a  little  variation.  He  tells 
that  the  natives  of  Gaspe  frequently  repeated  the 
•ds,  "  Acanada" — "Nothing  here," — to  the  French 
ler  Jacques  Cartier,  words  which  they  had  received 
n  the  Spaniards  who  had  visited  them  before  his 
e.  Charlevoix  supposes  that  the  French  were 
s  induced  to  consider  it  the  name  of  the  country  ; 
;  in  a  note  he  adds,  with  some  hesitation,  another 
inition,  to  which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  return, 
amplain  contents  himself  with  using  the  word 
Canada"  very  sparingly,  without  any  notice  or 
)othesis  as  to  derivation,  the  appellation  of  the 
intry  being  in  his  time  New  France.  In  the 
Beautes  de  Fhistoire  du  Canada,"  published  in 
ris,   the  same  fanciful  etymology  is  given  ;  but 

preferable  definition,  noticed  oy  Charlevoix,  is 

ced  first  in  order,  as  deserving  greater  attention. 

e  derivation   of  the  name    "  Canada,"   as  given 

►ve,  is  clearly  fanciful.     It  does  not  appear  in  the 

writers,  and  was  a  weak  attempt  to  derive  from 

Spanish  a  word  of  evident  Indian  origin.  It  is, 
reover,  extremely  uncertain  whether  the  Spaniards 
r  touched  at  Gaspe,  or  on  any  part  of  the  con  ti- 
lt ;  and  it  seems  highly  probable  that  the  tradition 

K 


HO  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

itself  received  currency  from  the  spurious  etymology, 
which  rendered  it  necessary,  for  the  sake  of  probabi- 
lity, to  show  that  the  Spaniards  had  readied  the 
coast  previous  to  the  coming  of  the  French. 

Having  thus  discussed  the  fanciful  derivation  of  the 
word,  let  us  consider  its  more  probable  source  and  ety- 
mology. Carrier,  in  whose  narrative  there  is  no  men- 
tion of  the  words  "  Aca  nada,"  as  used  by  the  native* 
of  Gasp£,  or  Baye  des  Chaleurs,  gives  the  name  of 
"  Canada"  indifferently  to  the  whole  region  which 
he  discovered  from  the  Sault  St  Louis  to  the  Golf 
of  St.  Lawrence — to  the  great  River  itself — and  alio 
to  the  immediate  portion  of  the  country  in  which  be 
wintered,  and  of  which  Donnacona  is  stated,  in  page 
forty-three,  to  have  been  Lord,  And  he  does  tins 
on  the  authority  of  the  two  native  interpreters 
whom  he  had  originally  taken  from  Gaspl.  We 
conceive  it  utterly  irrational  to  suppose  that,  at  that 
early  period,  the  name  of  Canada  was  extended  over 
this  immense  country.  The  migratory  habits  of  the 
Aborigines  would  effectually  prevent  such  a  con- 
clusion. They  usually  distinguished  themselves  by 
their  different  Tribes,  called  from  the  name  of 
some  wild  animal ;  but  not  by  the  country  which 
they  inhabited  or  hunted  over  ad  libitum,  and  with 
all  the  independence  of  savage  life.  They  gave 
rather  a  name  to  the  locality,  than  adopted  their 
own  from  any  fixed  place  of  residence.  Thus, 
the  Iroquois  and  the  Ottawas  added  their  appella- 
tions to  the  Rivers  which  ran  through  their  hunting 
grounds  ;  and  the  Huron  Tribe,  who  gave  their 
name  originally  to  the  Lake,  on  the  downfall  of  their 
ancient  dominion — even  when  confined  within  the 
limits  which  their  too  powerful  enemies  had  imposed, 
and   living  in   the   midst   of  another  people— still 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  Ill 

proudly  distinguished  themselves  as  the  Hurou  In- 
lians  of  Lorette ;  and  their  habitation,  under  the 
same  of  the  Huron  Village,  is  visited  with  interest 
and  curiosity  to  the  present  day.  It  has  never  been 
pretended  that  any  tribe  of  Indians  bore  the  name  of 
Canada,  which  must  inevitably  have  been  the  case, 
had  that  extensive  region  been  so  called  by  the  Abo- 
rigines, as  Cartier  supposed.  The  natural  conclu- 
sion is,  that  the  word  "  Canada"  was  a  mere  local 
appellation,  without  reference  to  the  country — that 
each  Tribe  had  their  own  ".  Canada,"  which  shifted 
its  position  according  as  they  migrated  either  from 
caprice,  or  from  the  necessity  of  acquiring  new  hunt- 
ing grounds — in  short,  that  the  suggestion  contained 
in  the  note  of  Charlevoix,  Nouvelle  France,  volume 
the  first,  page  nine,  of  the  quarto  edition,  and 
repeated  in  "  Beautes  de  l'Histoire  du  Canada," 
affords  the  real  solution  of  the  difficulty  :  "  Quel- 
qu'uns  derivent  ce  nom  du  mot  Iroquois  Kannata, 
qui  se  prononce  Cannada,  et  signifie  un  amas  de 
cabaries  ;" — "  Some  derive  this  name  from  the  Iro- 
quois word  Kannata,  pronounced  Cannada,  signifying 
a  collection  of  huts."  The  adoption  of  this  name 
by  the  French  under  Cartier  was  natural.  Where- 
ever  they  found  any  collection  of  huts  in  their  inter- 
course with  the  natives  from  Gaspe  to  the  Sault  St. 
Louis,  they  met  with  the  word  "  Canada"  in  answer  to 
their  enquiries  ;  and  they  accordingly  believed  it  to 
be  the  name  of  the  country,  instead  of  the  particular 
village  which  they  had  discovered. 

Father  du  Creux,  who  arrived  in  Canada  about  the 
year  1625,  in  the  preface  to  his  Historia  Canadensis,  a 
quarto  volume  written  in  elegant  latin,  gives  the  name 
of  Canada  to  the  whole  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
confessing,  however,  his  ignorance  of  the  etymology  in 


112  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

the  most  ingenuous  manner :  "  Porro,  de  etymologii 
vocis  Canada  nihil  satis  certi  potui  comperire  :  pris- 
cam  quidem  esse,  constat  ex  eo,  quod  illam  ante 
annos  prope  sexaginta  passim  usurpari  andiebam 
puer.  At  Marcus  quidem  Lescarbotius  fluvium  S. 
Laurentii  vocat  identidem  Magnum  fluvium  Canada?, 
seu  latina  appositione,  Magnum  fluvium  Canadam, 
nee  de  vocis  origine  quicquam  prodit :" — "  I  have 
been  able  to  discover  nothing  certain  respecting  the 
etymology  of  the  word  Canada ;  but  it  is  evident  that 
it  is  an  old  name,  because  when  a  boy,  more  than 
sixty  years  ago,  I  heard  it  every  where  used.  Mark* 
Lescarbot  always  calls  the  River  St,  Lawrence  the 
great  River  of  Canada,  but  mentions  nothing  con- 
cerning the  origin  of  the  words."  It  will  be  .recol- 
lected that  Lescarbot,  who  was  a  man  of  learning 
and  talent,  published  his  book  in  1609. 

From  a  paper  among  the  unpublished  transactions 
of  the  Literary  and  Historical  Society  of  Quebec,  we 
gather  that  the  Indian  word  "  Canada,"  which  is  pro- 
nounced as  if  written  thus,  Kaugh-na-daugh,  is  a  com- 
bination formed  of  the  first  syllables  of  two  distinct 
words,  implying  a  collection  of  huts.  This  comprehen- 
sive method  of  forming  a  word  from  the  first  syllables 
of  other  words  is  usual  with  the  Indians,  accustomed  to 
vary  their  definitions,  according  to  every  impres- 
sion made  upon  their  senses  and  powers  of  perception. 
The  first  of  these  syllables  is  met  with  in  several 
Indian  names  at  present  existing  ;  as  in  Kaugh-na- 
waugh-a9  or  the  Village  of  the  Rapid,  an .  Indian 
settlement  nearly  opposite  to  Lachine ;  and  in  the 
word  Kaugh-yu-ga,  or  Cayuga,  one  of  the  five  nations 
or  Iroquois.  The  latter  is  found  in  the  name  Oncm- 
daugh-a,  Onondaga,  another  of  the  five  nations; 
and  both  occur  in  the  same  word  in  Kaugh-na-dawjhr 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  118 

e,  or  Canandaigua,  in  the  Gennessee  country, 
harlevoix  also  mentions  that  the  Kennebec  Indians 
ere  called  Canibas,  Kaugh-ni-bas;  and  that  the 
iver  Kennebec  was  originally  called  Canibequi. 
he  intermediate  and  connecting  syllable  na  is  very 
obably  the  particle  of, — as  in  Irish  Celtic  we  find 
[ac-na-mara,  Son  of  the  sea,  Con-na-mara,  Head  of 
e  sea,  or  a  promontory.  Without  falling  into  the 
ror  of  the  fanciful  etymologists  of  whom  we  have 
oken  above,  it  may  be  remarked,  that  this  peculiar 
rmation  of  the  Indian  compound  may  possibly  exist 
every  language,  as  part  of  the  original  process  of 
eir  invention.  There  are  certainly  some  traces  of 
discoverable  in  the  Latin,  a  few  of  which,  for  the 
ausement  of  the  curious,  we  subjoin  : 

Malo  is  formed  of    .     .     .     Magis  volo. 

Nolo Non  volo. 

Macte        .....     Magis  aucte. 

Nubo     .....        Nube  eo. 

Caveo       .  Catus  eo. 

Tuens,  tueor     .       •       •        Tutus  ens,  tutus  eo. 

Aucupo         ...         .    Avem  capio. 

Manceps,  mancipium    .    ,     Manu  capio. 

Duco         Duo  cum  eo. 

Contraho Con-trans-habeo. 

Traho Trans-habeo. 

That  the  Indian  solution  of  the  disputed  etymology 
Canada  is  the  correct  one,  has  been  lately  sup- 
>rted  in  so  remarkable  a  manner  by  the  authority  of 
native  Indian,  that  it  may  now  be  considered  conclu- 
rely  established.  Duponceau,  in  the  transactions  of 
e  Philosophical  Society  of  Philadelphia,  states  in  a 
te  his  conjecture  as  to  the  origin  of  the  name  of 
lnada,  founding  it  upon  the  fact  that  in  the  trans- 
ion  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  into  the  Mohawk 

k  2 


114  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC , 

tougue,  made  by  Brant  the  Indian  Chief,  in  the 
upper  Province,  the  word  Canada  is  always  used  to 
signify  a  village.  The  mistake  of  the  French  who 
thus  took  the  name  of  a  part  for  that  of  the  whole  k 
quite  pardonable  in  persons  ignorant  of  the  Indian 
language.  They  afterwards  endeavored  to  substi- 
tute the  name  of  New  France,  but  without  success. 

We  now  approach  a  subject  of  considerable  inte- 
rest and  no  slight  difficulty — namely,  the  etymology 
of  the  name  of  Quebec.  The  Indians  at  the  time  of 
Jacques  Cartier  uniformly  called  it  Stadacona. 
That  name  had  perished  before  the  time  of  Champlaio, 
owing,  probably,  to  the  migration  of  the  briginal 
tribe,  and  the  succession  of  others.  Indeed,  the  place 
itself  has  been  shown  to  have  been  inconsiderable  at 
his  day,  both  as  to  importance  and  population.  The 
Indians  of  Carrier's  time  were  probably  the  Mon- 
tagnez,  or  inferior  Algonquins,  who  afterwards  retired 
to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Saguenay :  at  the  period 
of  the  arrival  of  Champlain,  Quebec  was  possessed 
by  a  kindred  tribe,  or  Upper  Algonquins. 

La  Potherie  has  furnished  a  derivation  of  this  word, 
as  fanciful  as  that  which  he  had  already  given  of 
Canada,  without,  however,  vouching  for  its  proba- 
bility ; — "  On  tient,  que  les  Normands  qui  etoient 
avec  Jacques  Cartier,  a  sa  premiere  decouverte,  ap- 
pendant au  bout  de  PIsle  d'Orleans,  un  cap  fort 
eleve,  s'ecrierent  Quel  bee  I  et  qu'a  la  suite  du  terns 
le  nom  de  Quebec  lui  est  reste.  Je  ne  suis  pas 
garand  de  cette  etymologie  :" — "  It  is  said,  that 
the  Normans  with  Jacques  Cartier  at  his  first  dis- 
covery, perceiving  from  the  end  of  the  Isle  of 
Orleans  a  lof  cy  cape,  exclaimed,  Quel  bee  !  what  a 
promontory  !  and  that  in  the  course  of  time  the 
name  of  Quebec  remained  to  it.     I  do  not  vouch  for 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  1 15 

s  etymology."  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  ob- 
ve  that  this  derivation  is  entirely  illusory  and  im- 
>bable  ;  although  it  must  be  confessed  that  the 
rd  itself,  according  to  its  present  orthography, 
uld  lead  us  to  consider  it  of  Norman  origin  ;  and 
nay  generally  be  admitted,  that  in  newly  disco- 
id lands  almost  all  names  are  taken  from  some 
ticular  quality,  or  else  transfered  from  another 
in  try.  The  associations  which  give  rise  to  this 
ictice  are  perfectly  natural — they  are  connected 
;h  the  finest  feelings  of  human  nature,  and  founded 
on  the  love  of  country.  It  has,  indeed,  been  inge- 
►usly  argued,  that  Quebec  was  so  called  after 
ne  spot  on  the  River  Seine,  probably  Caudebec ; 
)ught  to  the  remembrance  of  the  first  discoverers 
the  apparent  resemblance  of  the  locality. 
We  have  seen  that  the  first  Indian  name  of  Que-* 
c  was  Stadacona,  given  to  it  by  the  tribes  pos- 
sing  this  portion  of  the  country  previously  to  the 
irons.  The  Huron  name  is  Tia-ton-ta-rili, 
iich  signifies  the  place  of  the  strait.  Any  one 
10  observes  the  narrowing  of  the  river  at  Cape 
iamond,  and  its  contraction  to  less  than  three  quar- 
ts of  a  mile  in  breadth,  will  admit  that  it  presents 
striking  natural  feature ;  and  it  would  be  peculiarly 
parent  to  the  eye  of  a  savage,  whose  perception  of 
ery  change  in  the  natural  economy  and  physical 
pearance  of  objects,  possessing  the  highest  interest 
being  connected  with  his  sole  pursuits  of  hunting 
d  war,  is  wonderfully  acute.  All  the  Indian  names 
places  are  descriptive  ;  and  the  same  name,  or  one 
aring  the  same  sense,  in  two  different  languages  or 
ilects,  will  not  appear  to  have  any  recognisable 
semblance  to  him  who  does  not  understand  both, 
is  highly  probable,  then,  that  Stadacona  was  of  the 


116  MEW   PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

same  import  as  the  name  given  by  the  Hurons,  and 
meant  the  place  of  the  strait. 

In  the  earlier  period  of  the  history  of  this  country, 
when  many  of  the  inhabitants  were  familiar  with  the 
Indian  tongues,  and  when  the  import  of  the  last 
Indian  name  was  well  known,  the  singular  error  was 
fallen  into  of  supposing  that  Quebec  was  the  Indian 
word  which  signified  the  place  of  the  strait.  Char- 
levoix is  the  writer  on  whose  authority  this  error,  as 
we  conceive  it  to  be,  has  been  transmitted  ;  although 
it  has  been  somewhat  inconsiderately  thrown  back 
upon  Champlain,  who  wrote  more  than  a  century 
before  Charlevoix.  The  latter  says  in  his  third  letter, 
speaking  of  the  River  St.  Lawrence  :  "  Au  dessns 
de  Tlsle  d'Orleans,  il  se  retrecit  tout  acoupde  cette 
sorte,  que  devant  Quebec  il  n'a  plus  qu'une  mille 
de  largeur ;  c'est  ce  qui  a  fait  donner  a  cet  endroit  le 
nom  de  Quebec,  qui  en  langue  Algonquin  signifie 
retrecissement  .•" — "  Above  the  Island  of  Orleans,  it 
suddenly  narrows,  and  that  to  such  a  degree  as  to  be 
no  more  than  a  mile  wide  opposite  to  Quebec  ;  from 
which  circumstance  this  place  has  been  called  Quebec, 
which  in  the  Algonquin  tongue  signifies  a  strait!1 
That  this  statement  was  made  to  Charlevoix  upon  the 
spot,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt ;  but  it  may  have 
arisen  from  error,  and  was  probably  founded  on  the 
Huron  name,  the  import  of  which  was  the  place  of 
the  strait.  The  latter  being  familiarly  known,  owing 
to  the  residence  of  the  Hurons  at  Lorette,  and  Que- 
bec having  been  considered  an  Indian  word,  in  the 
course  of  time  it  came  to  be  regarded  as  of  the  same 
meaning,  although  no  such  import  can  at  the  present 
day  be  traced.  Thus  Quebec  was  handed  down  as 
the  place  of  the  strait  by  Charlevoix  :  one  writer 
repeated  it  after  another, — 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  117 

Mensuraque  ficti 
Crescit,  et  auditis  aliquid  novus  adjicit  auctor. 

So  the  story  grew, 
And  each  narrator  added  something  new. 

lmplain,  the  earliest  and,  doubtless,  the  best  au- 
ity  on   the   subject   has  also  been  adduced  in 
>ort  of  this  opinion,  in  a  note  to  Smith's  History 
anada,  page  16  :    "  Quebec,  in  the  Algonquin 
uage  signifies  a  strait.     Champlain,  vol,  1.  115." 
the  words  of  Champlain  by  no  means  prove  the 
rtion  here  made.     He  says,  in  page  115,  "  Trou- 
;  un  lieu  le  plus  estroit  de  la  riviere,  que   les 
tans  du  pays  appellent  Quebec,  je  fis  bastir,  &c. :" 
finding  a  place  where  the  River  was  narrowest, 
;h  the  inhabitants  call  Quebec,  I  began  to  build." 
in,  at  page  124,  we  find,  "  La  pointe  de  Quebec, 
i  appelle  des  sauvages :" — "  The  point  of  Quebec, 
ailed  by  the  savages."     This  is  all  that  Cham- 
q  says,  and  it  is  by  no  means  conclusive.     There  is 
certainty  from  this,  that  the  name  of  Quebec  was 
;n  to  this  place  by  the  Indians,  prior  to  the  foun- 
on  of  the  city,  from  the  mere  circumstance  of  its 
ig  the  narrowest  part  of  the  River :  the  gramma- 
1  construction  of  the  first  quotation  by  no  means 
icates  that :  on  the  contrary,  it  would  appear  from 
second  quotation  that  it  was  the  point,  at  the 
fluence  of  the  Little  River  St.  Charles  with  the 
Lawrence,  to  which  the  savages  gave  the  name 
Quebec.     There  being  nothing,  therefore,  in  the 
lority  of  Champlain  decisive  of  Quebec  being 
Indian  word  for  a  strait,  it  may  be  added,  that  its 
;  has  never  yet  been  discovered  in  any  Indian 
ruage  ;  and  that  in  the  opinion  of  persons  well 
minted  with  the  native  dialects,  Quebec  has  not 


118  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

to  the  ear  any  sound  of  an  Indian  word.  The 
Algonquin  tongue  is  of  singular  softness  and  sweet- 
ness, and  may  be  considered  as  the  Italian  of  the 
North  American  languages.  Quebec,  originally  so 
written,  is  a  harsh,  abrupt  sound,  of  which  no  parallel 
can  easily  be  found  in  any  of  the  Indian  tongues, 
least  of  all  in  the  Algonquin  ;  in  which  the  sound  P 
was  always  substituted  for  that  of  B,  while  in  the 
Huron  language  the  latter  consonant  is  altogether 
rejected.  Both  these  facts  throw  considerable  dif- 
ficulty around  the  supposed  Indian  derivation  of  the 
name,  with  its  present, orthography.  I 

On  the  other  hand^-  tne  word  bears  intrinsic  evi-  | 
dence  of  Norman  origin.-  Tbe&s't  syllable  is  French} 
and  the  last,  bee,  was  obifonj^ly  applied  by  them  to 
designate  a  prom&rttor^Mjr  cap6,  of  wWch  abundant 
instances  may  T>e  addu&d  froifl . their  ancient  maps* 
But  evidence  has  latettt^&h  discovered,  which  esta- 
blishes, beyond  doubt/ttet  the  word  is  of  European 
origin,  supposed  on  the  best  grounds  to  be  Norman; 
and  that  it  Was  a  placto^of  sufficient  importance  to  give 
one  of  his  tulei  to  a  cRitiuguudied  statesman  and 
warrior,  so  -early  at Jthe  7th  Jfcar  of  the  reign  of 
Henry  V.  of  England*  the.  hew  of  Agincourt. 

On  the  opposite  side  is  airengraving,  which  accu- 
rately represents  the  impression  of  the  seal  of  Wil- 
liam de  la  Pole,  Earl  of  Suffolk,  a  person  of 
historical  celebrity  during  the  reigns  of  Henry  V, 
and  VI.  The  arms  on  the  shield,  the  supporters, 
the  helmet,  and  a  representation  of  the  Earl  with  the 
cap  of  maintenance  upon  his  head,  and  ruff  around 
his  neck,  are  quite  perfect.  The  legend  which  is 
mutilated  may  thus  be  supplied  :  "  Sigillum  Wil- 
lie lmi  de  la  Pole,  Comitis  Suffolchi^i  Domini 
de    Hambury  et   de  Quebec."      It  is  probablti 


S.miam.^^ltDm.de'Mmiaiy: 


^Jnno/'M.my. 


for  tfax>&i*iS3  Brt&refQutStr. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  119 

from  the  space  that  a  third  word  intervened  originally 
between  the  two  latter  titles.  The  plate  is  copied 
from  one  in  Edmonstone's  Heraldry,  and  proves  be- 
yond doubt  that  Quebec  was  a  Town,  Castle,  Barony 
or  Domain,  which  the  powerful  Earl  of  Suffolk 
either  held  in  his  own  right,  or  as  Governor  for  the 
King  in  Normandy,  or  some  other  of  the  English 
possessions  in  France.  The  orthography  of  the 
name,  corresponding  literally  with  the  present,  ren- 
ders its  identity  with  that  of  the  capital  of  British 
America  indisputable.  The  date  of  the  seal,  as 
given  in  Edmonstone,  is  the  7th  Henry  V.,  or  1420, 
the  year  of  that  King's  nuptials  with  Catharine  of 
France,  daughter  of  Charles  VI.,  who  by  her  second 
marriage  was  grandmother  of  Henry  VII.  of  Eng- 
land. 

ACCOUNT   OF    THE   DUKE   OF   SUFFOLK. 

William  de  la  Pole,  Earl,  Marquess  and  Duke 
of  Suffolk,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  personages  of 
the  time  of  Henry  V.  and  VI.,  was  grandson  of 
Michael  de  la  Pole,  first  Earl  of  Suffolk,  Lord  High 
Chancellor  of  England,  during  the  reign  of  Richard 
II.,  1386.  The  first  Earl  presents  a  remarkable 
instance,  in  the  days  of  feudal  and  baronial  splendor, 
of  an  individual  rising  from  comparatively  humble 
life  to  the  highest  office  of  the  state.  He  was  the  son 
of  Michael  de  la  Pole,  an  eminent  merchant  in  Hull, 
who  had  been  ruined  by  lending  money  to  King 
Edward  III.  during  the  French  wars.  William  de 
la  Pole,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  is  spoken  of  by 
Hume  as  a  person  of  the  greatest  capacity  and  the 
firmest  character  ;  and  is  classed  among  the  many 
renowned  generals  who  distinguished  themselves  in 


120  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

the  French  wars.  He  was  constantly  employed  in 
enterprises  of  the  greatest  trust;  and  was  equally 
efficient  in  the  cabinet  and  in  the  field.  It  was  his 
elder  brother,  who  is  introduced,  as  having  fallen  in 
the  glorious  battle  of  Agincourt  together  with  the 
Duke  of  York,  in  the  beautiful  episode  of  Shaks- 
peare,  King  Henry  the  fifth,  Act  fourth,  Scene 
sixth : 

From  helmet  to  the  spur,  all  blood  he  was. 
In  which  array,  brave  soldier,  doth  he  lie, 
Larding1  the  plain  ;  and  by  his  bloody  side, 
(Yoke fellow  to  his  honor-owing1  wounds,) 
The  noble  Earl  of  Suffolk  also  lies. 
Suffolk  first  died,  and  York,  all  haggled  over, 
Comes  to  him,  where  in  gore  he  lay  insteep'd, 
And  takes  him  by  the  beard — kisses  the  gashes, 
That  bloodily  did  yawn  upon  his  face, 
And  cries  aloud —  Tarry,  dear  cousin  Suffolk  / 
My  soul  shall  thine  keep  company  to  Heaven  : 
Tarry,  sweet  soul,  for  mine,  then  fly  a-breast, 
As,  in  this  glorious  and  well-fouyhten  fitld, 
We  kept  together  in  our  chivalry  J 
Upon  these  words,  I  came,  and  cheer'd  him  up : 
He  smiPd  me  in  the  face,  raught  me  his  hand, 
And,  with  a  feeble  gripe,  says, — Dear  my  lord, 
Commend  my  service  to  my  sovereign. 
So  did  be  turn,  and  over  Suffolk's  neck 
He  threw  his  wounded  arm,  and  kissed  his  lips  ; 
And  so,  espous'd  to  death,  with  blood  he  seal'd 
A  testameut  of  noble-ending  love. 
The  pretty  and  sweet  manner  of  it  forc'd 
Those  waters  from  me,  which  I  would  have  stopp'd ; 
But  I  had  not  so  much  of  man  in  me. 
But  all  my  mother  came  into  my  eyes, 
And  gave  me  up  to  tears. 

In   1423,  William  de  la  Pole,  in  a  fierce  and  * 
well  disputed  action,  defeated  the  Scottish  and  Frenek 
army   commanded   by    John    Stuart,    Constable  of  ^ 
Scotland,  and  the  Count  de  Ventadour,  before  Cre-.  ^ 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  121 

yant  in  Burgundy,  taking  those  generals  prisoners, 
and  leaving  Sir  William  Hamilton  and  a  thousand 
men  dead  on  the  field.  This  victory  was  of  the  greatest 
importance  to  the  successful  issue  of  the  war,  and  the 
'  operations  of  the  Regent,  Duke  of  Bedford.     In 
1428,  he  commanded  die  English  forces  at  the  fa- 
mous siege  of  Orleans,  where  he  displayed,  under 
difficult  circumstances,  talents  and  qualities  of  the 
highest  order.     At  this  siege  he  had  a  train  of  artil- 
lery with  him,  which  about  that  time  was  first  con- 
sidered of  military  importance.    It  was  here  that  the 
celebrated  Joan  of  Arc,  commonly  called  the  Maid 
of  Orleans,  made  her  first  appearance  upon  the 
scene ;  and  effected  by  means  of  superstition  what 
the  arms  of  France  had  in  vain  attempted.     She 
succeeded  in  raising  the  siege  in  1429,  and  Suffolk 
was  compelled  to  retreat  with  his  panic-stricken  army 
to  Jergeau,  where  he  was  besieged  by  the  irresistible 
Joan ;  and  after  a  gallant  defence  forced  reluctantly 
to  capitulate.     Suffolk  was  obliged  to  yield  him- 
self prisoner  to  a  Frenchman  named  Renaud  ;   but 
before  he  submitted,  he  asked  his  adversary  whe- 
ther he  were  a  gentleman  ?  on  receiving  a  satisfactory 
answer,  he  demanded  whether  he  were  a  Knight  ? 
Renaud  replied,  that  he  had  not  yet  attained  that 
honor.  "  Then  I  make  you  one,"  replied  Suffolk  : 
upon  which  he  gave  him  the  blow  with  the  sword, 
which  dubbed  him  into  that  fraternity ;  and  he  imme- 
diately surrendered  himself  his  prisoner. 

Suffolk's  disgrace  and  misfortune  were  soon  com- 
pensated. Having  effected  his  liberation  by  the 
is*.  Payment  of  a  large  ransom,  he  was  again  at  the  head 
fyl  «an army;  and  in  conjunction  with  the  powerful 
#1*;  «ly  of  England,  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  he  laid  siege 
1$$  to  Compiegne  in  1430,  the  garrison  of  which  was 

L 


122  NEW  PICTURE   Of  QUEBEC, 

commanded  by  the  Maid  of  Orleans  in  perso 
Here  the  fortune  of  Joan  of  Arc  deserted  her ;  < 
according  to  common  opinion,  she  was,  through  jc 
lousy  on  the  part  of  some  French  officers,  purpose 
left  unprotected  in  a  sally  which  she  had  orderc 
and  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Burgundians.  H 
subsequent  fate  was  a  foul  blot  upon  the  character 
the  age  t  after  some  time  passed  in  prison  and 
fetters,  she  was  burned  as  a  sorceress  in  the  mark 
place  of  Rouen,  in  1432. 

At  the  Congress  held  at  Arras,  in  1435,  Suffoi 
was  owe  of  the  English  Commissioners,  together  wi 
the  Cardinal  of  Winchester,  to  whose  party  in  tl 
state  he  had  attached  himself,  in  opposition  to  tl 
Good  Duke  Humphrey  of  Glocester.  The  Cardinal 
party  were  desirous  of  peace  with  France,  at  almo 
any  sacrifice  ;  and  as  they  prevailed  at  court,  Sui 
folk  was  despatched  to  Paris,  in  1443,  and  conclude 
a  truce  for  two  years  with  the  French  King.  One  • 
the  consequences  of  this  truce,  the  marriage  of  Hem 
VI.  with  Margaret  of  Anjon,  became  so  unpopular  wil 
the  nation,  that  it  ultimately  caused  the  ruin  of  tl 
Minister  by  whom  it  had  been  brought  about.  Sqj 
folk,  who  was  the  agent  in  this  affair,  is  generall 
supposed  to  have  had  a  tender  interest  in  the  regard 
of  Margaret ;  and  his  influence  became  paramour 
in  the  state,  bringing  with  it  all  the  ills  which  en 
compass  the  perilous  station  of  a  royal  favorite  i 
rude  and  factious  times.  After  the  King's  marriag 
he  was  created  Marquess,  and  first  Duke  of  SuffoU 
and  he  even  received  a  vote  of  thanks  from  the  Pai 
liament.  The  entire  loss  of  France  a  few  years  ai 
terwards,  which  was  commonly  attributed  'to  th 
treachery  t>f  the  Duke  of  Suffolk,  on  account  < 
his   supposed  attachment  to   the   Queen   and  th 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  123 

French  interest,  exasperated  the  minds  of  the  people 
and  he  was  impeached  by  the  Commons,  in  1450. 
The  charges  against  him,  which  are  to  be  found  at 
fall  length  in  the  Rolls  of  Parliament  of  that  reign, 
28th  Hen.  VI.  would  not  probably  bear  any  strict  scru- 
tiny; bet  as  he  was  besides  suspected  by  the  people  of 
having  been  implicated  in  the  cruel  murder  of  the  Good 
Duke  Humphrey,  the  favorite  of  the  nation,  the  tide 
of  unpopularity  was  too  powerful  for  him  to  stem. 
Then,  as  now,  there  were  few  to  aid  a  falling  Minis- 
ter.    The  Duke,  indeed,  faced  his  accusers  with  great 
constancy,  and  made  a  bold  and  manly  defence  in  the 
House  of  Peers,  insisting  upon  his  innocence,  and 
even  upon  his  merits,  and  those  of  his  family  in  the 
public  service.     He  stated  that  he  had  served  his 
country  in  thirty-four  campaigns — that  he  had  been 
employed  for  the  King  in  France  for  seventeen  years 
without  once  returning  to  his  native  land — that  he 
had  been  himself  a  prisoner,  and  had  only  regained 
his  freedom  by  the  payment  of  an  exorbitant  ransom. 
His  father  had  died  of  fatigue  at  the  siege  of  Har- 
fleur — his  eldest  brother  had  been  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Agincourt — two  others  had  perished  at  Jergeau 
where  he  had  been  taken  prisoner — and  his  fourth 
brother,  who  had  been  his  hostage  while  he  was  em- 
ployed in  procuring  ransom,  had  also  died  in  the  hands 
of  the  French.     He  complained  that  after  his  long 
services,  after  having  repeatedly  received  the  thanks 
of  his  sovereign,  and  of  the  Commons,  after  having 
been  for  thirty  years  an  unspotted  Knight  of  the  Gar- 
ter, he  should  at  length  be  suspected  of  having  been 
debauched  from  his  allegiance  by  that  enemy,  whom 
he  had  opposed  with  the  utmost  zeal  and  fortitude  ; 
•  and  of  betraying  his  royal  master,  who  had  rewarded 
his  services  by  the  highest  honors  and  greatest  offices 


124  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

that  it  was  in  his  power  to  confer.  This  speech  only 
the  more  exasperated  his  enemies  ;  and  in  order  to 
save  him  from  their  fury,  Suffolk  was  sent  by  the 
King  into  banishment  for  five  years,  in  the  hope 
that  he  might  then  return  to  court  without  danger. 
But  his  inveterate  foes  were  not  to  be  so  baffled: 
they  employed  a  fast  sailing"  vessel  to  intercept  him 
in  his  passage  to  France,  which  came  up  to  him  near 
Dover.  His  head  was  immediately  struck  off  on  the 
side  of  the  vessel,  and  the  body  'cast  into  the  sea. 
This  nobleman  is  one  of  the  Dramatis  Persons  of 
Shakspeare,  in  the  first  and  second  parts  of  King 
Henry  VI.  The  dying  scene  is  thus  given  in  the 
second  part,  Act  the  fourth,  Scene  the  first. 

Whitmore  :  I  lost  mine  eye  in  laying  the  prize  aboard  ; 
And,  therefore,  to  revenge  it,  shalt  thou  die. 

Suffolk  :       Look  on  my  George,  I  am  a  gentleman ; 

Rate  me  at  what  thou  v  ilt,  thou  shalt  be  paid. 

Whitmore :  And  so  am  I :  my  name  is — Walter  Whitmore— 
How  now  ?    why  start'st  thou  ?   what,  doth 
death  affright  ? 

Suffolk :        Thy  name  affrights  me,  in  whose  sound  is  death. 
A  cunning  man  did  calculate  my  birth, 
And  told  me — that  by  water  I  should  die  : 
Yet  let  not  this  make  thee  so  bloody  minded, 
Thy  name  is  Gualtier,  being  rightly  sounded— 
Stay,  Whitmore ;  for  thy  prisoner  is  a  Prince, 
The  Duke  of  Suffolk,  William  de  la  Pole. 

Captain:       Convey  him  hence,  and  on  our  long  boat's  side 
Strike  off  his  head  ! 

Gentleman :  My  glorious  lord,  entreat  him,  speak  him  fair. 

Suffolk :        Suffolk's  imperial  tongue  is  stern  and  rough, 
Us'd  to  command,  untaught  to  plead  for  favor. 
Far  be  it,  we  should  honor  such  as  these 
With  humble  suit :  no,  rather  let  my  head 
Stoop  to  the  block,  than  these  knees  bow  to  any, 
Save  to  the  God  of  Heaven,  and  to  my  King ; 
True  nobility  is  exempt  from  fear  : — 
More  can  I  bear,  than  you  dare  execute. 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  125 

Some  of  the  charges  preferred  by  the  Commons 
against  Suffolk  seem  to  afford  a  distant  clew  to  the 
word  "  Quebec,"  which  appears  upon  his  seal.  He 
was  accused  of  having  acquired  for  himself,  and  be- 
stowed upon  his  creatures  and  friends  large  posses- 
sions in  France,  to  tlje  prejudice  of  the  Crown  : — his 
unbounded  influence  in  Normandy  was  complained 
of,  where  it  appears  he  lived  and  ruled  like  a  mo- 
narch ;  and  where  he  had  so  far  acquired  the  affec- 
tions of  the  inhabitants,  that  when  they  threw  off  their 
allegiance  to  England,  the  vulgar  attributed  it  to  the 
disaffection  of  Suffolk  himself,  through  the  interest 
of  the  Queen.     Having  shown,  therefore,  that  this 

Eeat  nobleman  had  been  closely  connected  with  the 
aglish  possessions  in  France  for  so  many  years,  it 
is  not  unreasonable  to  conclude,  that  during  his 
long  services  he  had  acquired  the  French  title  of 
"  Quebec,"  in  addition  to  his  English  honors.  Many 
of  the  English  Peers,  distinguished  in  the  wars  of 
France,  received  titles  of  honor  in  that  country  ;  as 
did  the  great  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  "English  John 
Talbot,"  who  was  created  Earl  of  Valence  by 
Henry  VI.  We  have  not  been  able  to  find,  in  the 
libraries  to  which  we  have  access,  any  enumeration  of 
the  several  titles  of  honor  borne  by  the  Duke  of  Suf- 
folk ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  such  may  be 
discovered  in  the  British  Museum,  or  the  Herald's 
College.  Whenever  such  discovery  is  made,  the 
precise  character  of  the  place  whence  he  took  his 
title  of  "  Quebec,"  which  must  have  been  of  some 
importance,  since  it  is  introduced  on  his  seal  of  arms, 
will  no  doubt  be  satisfactorily  explained.  That  such 
a  name  existed  nearly  two  centuries  before  the  found- 
ation of  this  capital,  bearing  the  self  same  orthogra- 
phy,  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  a  striking  and 

l  2 


126  NSW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

remarkable  circumstance.  Even  as  a  mere  coined 
dence,  it  is  curious,  and  altogether,  we  think,  eon 
elusive,  that  "  Quebec,"  so  written,  has  no  claim  U 
the  character  of  an  Indian  word.  The  earliest  writer 
Champlain,  and  those  who  followed  him,  gave  it  tin 
present  mode  of  spelling.  Father  du  Creux,in  order  to 
adapt  the  word  to  the  Latin,  uniformily  writes  it,  "An 
Kebeccensis,  Kebeccum  ;"  and  in  the  Latin  inscrip 
tions  which  have  been  found  in  the  foundations  o 
the  Recollet  Church  it  is  written  with  a  K.  Heno 
the  initials  in  the  French  Cathedral,  P.  K.,  fo: 
"  ParoBcia  Kebeccensis."  In  Major  Walley's  jour 
nal  of  the  expedition  against  Canada  under  Sft 
William  Phipps,  in  1690,  it  is  caUed  "  Cabeck.' 
With  these  exceptions  it  has  uniformly  preserved  th< 
Norman  orthography,  as  given  in  the  Suffolk  seal 
Granting,  then,  the  Norman  origin  of  the  word,  i 
may  be  asked  how  we  dispose  of  the  positive  evidence 
of  Champlain,  who  tells  us,  that  the  "  point  o: 
Quebec  was  so  called  by  the  savages  ?"  This  is  no! 
so  difficult  as  at  first  view  it  may  appear.  We  lean 
from  La  Potherie,  that  the  little  River  St.  Charlef 
was  called  by  the  natives,  Cabir-Coubat,  on  account 
of  its  serpentine  course.  "  II  y  a  une  riviere  a  une 
petite  demie  lieue  de  la,  appel£e  Cabir-Coubat  psi 
leg  sauvages,  a  raison  des  tours  et  detours  qu'elh 
fait :"  Voyage  de  PAm6rique,  Tom.  1.  p.  134 
Here  then  is  an  entire  change  in  the  Indian  descrip- 
tion, equally  accurate,  but  taken  from  another  feature 
of  tie  locality.  •  We  had  before,  the  "  place  of  thfi 
strait :"  we  have  now,  "  the  winding  river."  It  has 
been  stated  that  there  is  no  proof  that  the  name  oi 
"  Quebec,"  heard  by  Champlain,  was  descriptive  oi 
the  former  appellation  :  there  is  every  probability 
that  it  was  taken  from  the  latter.    We  believe,  then 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTION'S.  127 

that  the  word,  Coubat,  was  the  sound  heard  by 
Ghamplain,  as  applied  by  the  natives  to  the  "  point,'9 
where  the  little  river  flows  into  the  St  Lawrence  ; 
and  which  spot  was  chosen  by  him  for  his  first  settle- 
ment. The  time  and  quantity  of  the  words  themselves 
correspond :  the  number  of  the  syllables  and  letters 
is  the  same,  while  the  initial  breathing  is  exactly 
similar.  One,  pronounced  by  an  Indian,  might 
easily  be  mistaken  for  the  other.  Let  any  one 
slowly  repeat  the  Indian  name,  Coubat,  several  times, 
always  remembering  the  Italian  softness  of  pro- 
nunciation which  distinguished  the  Algonquin  dialect; 
and  he  will  not  find  it  difficult  to  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion, that  he  has  at  last  found  the  true  origin  of  the 
celebrated  name,  which  in  the  mouths  of  the  French, 
already  familiarised  to  the  present  termination,  ac- 
cording so  well  with  the  locality,  soon  assumed  the 
form,  orthography  and  pronunciation  of  Quebec. 

The  result  of  the  foregoing  observations  amounts 
to  this :  That  the  etymology  of  the  word  Canada 
is  proved  to  be  the  Iroquois  word  Kannata,  signifying 
a  collection  of  huts,  or  a  village ;  while  there  are 
strong  grounds  for  believing  that  the  name  Quebec, 
per  se,  is  in  fact  a  Norman  word.  That  some  Indian 
name  which  resembled  it  in  sound  was  heard  by 
Champlain,  and  considered  to  be  that  of  the  place 
where  he  settled — that  this  Indian  word  was  most 
probably  the  latter  division  of  their  name  for  the 
River  St.  Charles,  Cabir-Coubat  ;  and  that  from 
this  word,  it  gradually  acquired  its  present  appella- 
tion. 


128  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE  EIGHTH. 

THE  CASTLE  OF  ST.  LEWIS — ITS  FOUNDATION— -CAP 
TURE  BY  KERTK — REMARKABLE  SCENE  THBREH 
DESCRIBED  BY  LA  POTHERIE — AND  BY  CHARLE- 
VOIX— DESTRUCTION   BY    FIRE. 

Few  circumstances  of  discussion  and  enquiry  are 
more  interesting  than  the  history  and  fete  of  ancient 
buildings,  especially  if  we  direct  our  attention  to  the 
fortunes  and  vicissitudes  of  those  who  were  connected 
with  them.  The  temper,  genius  and  pursuits  of  an 
historical  era  are  frequently  delineated  in  the  features 
of  remarkable  edifices :  nor  can  any  one  contemplate 
them  without  experiencing  curiosity  concerning  those 
who  first  formed  the  plan,  and  afterwards  created  and 
tenanted  the  structure.  These  observations  apply 
particularly  to  the  subject  of  this  chapter. 

The  history  of  the  ancient  Castle  of  St.  Lewis,  or 
Fort  of  Quebec,  for  above  two  centuries  the  seat  oi 
government  in  the  Province,  affords  subjects  of  greal 
and  stirring  interest  during  its  several  periods.  The 
hall  of  the  old  Fort,  during  the  weakness  of  the  colony 
was  often  a  scene  of  terror  and  despair  at  the  inroadi 
of  the  persevering  and  ferocious  Iroquois  ;  who,  hav 
ing  passed  or  overthrown  all  the  French  outposts,  mor 
than  once  threatened  the  Fort  itself,  and  massacre 
some  friendly  Indians  within  sight  of  its  walls.  There 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS  129 

too,  in  intervals  of  peace,  were  laid  those  benevolent 
plans  for  the  religions  instruction  and  conversion  of 
die  savages,  which  at  one  time  distinguished  the  policy 
of  the  ancient  Governors.     At  a  later  era,  when, 
under  the  protection  of  the  French  Kings,  die  Pro- 
vince had  acquired  the  rudiments  of  military  strength 
and  power,  die  Castle  of  St.  Lewis  was  remarkable, 
as  having  been  the  site  whence  the  French  Gover- 
nors exercised  an  immense  sovereignty,  extending 
from  the  Gulf  of  St  Lawrence,  along  the  shores  of 
that  noble  river,  its  magnificent  lakes, — and  down  the 
course  of  the  Mississippi,  to  its  outlet  below  New 
Orleans.     The  banner  which  first  streamed  from  the 
battlements  of  Quebec,  was  displayed  from  a  chain 
of  forts,  which  protected  the  settlements  through- 
out this  vast  extent  of  country  :   keeping  the  Eng- 
lish Colonies  in  constant  alarm,  and  securing  the 
fidelity  of  the  Indian  nations.     During  this  period, 
the  council  chamber  of  the   Castle  was  the  scene 
of  many  a  midnight  vigil, — many  a  long  deliberation 
ttd  deep-laid  project, — to  free  the  continent  from  the 
intrusion  of  the  ancient  rival  of  France,  and  assert 
tboughout  the  supremacy  of  the  Gallic  lily.     At 
toother  era,  subsequent  to  the  surrender  of  Quebec 
to  the  British  arms,  and  until  the  recognition  of  the 
^dependence  of  the  United  States,  the  extent  of  em- 
pire, of  the  government  of  which  the  Castle  of  Quebec 
*as  the  principal  seat,   comprehended   the   whole 
American  continent,  north  of  Mexico  !     It  is  asto- 
nishing to  reflect  for  a  moment,  to  how  small,  and,  as 
*o  size,  comparatively  insignificant  an  island  in  the 
Atlantic  ocean,  this  gigantic  territory  was  once  sub- 
let ! 

Here  also  was  rendered  to  the  representative  of 
the  French  King,  with  all  its  ancient  forms,  the  fealty 


130  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

and  homage  of  the  noblesse,  and  military  retaini 
who  held  possessions  in  the  Province  under 
Crown — a  feudal  ceremony,  suited  to  early  tux 
which  imposed  a  real  and  substantial  obligation 
those  who  performed  it,  not  to  be  violated  with 
forfeiture  and  dishonor.  The  King  of  Great  Brit 
having  succeeded  to  the  rights  of  the  French  Croi 
this  ceremony  is  still  maintained.* 

In  England^  it  is  also  still  performed  by  the  Pe 
at  the  coronation  of  our  Kings,  in  Westminc 
Abbey,  although  the  ceremony  is  much  curtailed 
its  former  impressive  observances. 

The  Castle  of  St.  Lewis  was  in  early  times  rat! 
a  strong  hold  of  defence,  than  an  embellished  or 
ment  of  royalty.  Seated  on  a  tremendous  pre 
pice, — 

On  a  rock  whose  haughty  brow 

Frown'd  o'er  St  Lawrence'  foaming  tide— 

and  looking  defiance  to  the  utmost  boldness  of 
assailant,  nature  lent  her  aid  to  the  security  of 
position.     The  cliff  on  which  it  stood  rises  nea 
two  hundred  feet  in  perpendicular  height  above 


*  Fealty  and  homage  is  rendered  at  this  day  by  the  Seign 
to  the  Governor,  as  the  representative  of  the  Sovereign  in 
following  form  :  His  Excellency  being  in  full  dress  and  sa 
in  a  state  chair,  surrounded  by  his  staff,  and  attended  by 
Attorney  General,  the  Seignior,  in  an  evening  dress  and  weai 
a  sword,  is  introduced  into  his  presence  by  the  Inspector 
neral  of  the  Royal  Domain  and  Clerk  of  the  Land  Roll, 
having  delivered  up  his  sword,  and  kneeling  upon  one  k 
before  the  Governor,  places  his  right  hand  between  his,  and 
peats  the  ancient  oath  of  fidelity  ;  after  which  a  solemn  ac 
drawn  up  in  a  register,  kept  for  that  purpose,  which  is  sig 
by  the  Governor  and  the  Seignior,  and  countersigned  by 
proper  officers. 


With  historical  recollections.        131 

•  The  Castle  thus  commanded  on  every  side  a 
extensive  prospect,  and  until  the  occupation  of 
higher  ground  to  the  south  west,  afterwards 
i  Cape  Diamond,  must  have  been  the  principal 
rt  among  the  buildings  of  the  city, 
lien  Champlain  first  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
,  in  1620,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  St.  Lewis, 
evident  that  he  was  actuated  by  views  of  a  po- 
ll, not  of  ^  commercial  character.  His  mind  was 
etter  keeping  with  warlike  enterprises  than  the 
irement  of  wealth,  either  for  himself  or  his  fol- 
rs.  He  was  perfectly  disinterested  in  all  his 
eedings  ;  and  foreseeing  that  Quebec  would  be- 
3  the  seat  of  dominion,  and  invite  a  struggle  for 
Future  possession,  he  knew  the  necessity  of  a 
ig  hold,  and  determined  to  erect  one,  in  oppo- 
n  to  the  wishes  of  the  company  of  merchants, 
tells  us,  that  on  his  return  from  France,  in 
,  1620,  having  read  the  King's  commission,  and 
n  possession  of  the  country  in  the  Viceroy's 
e,  by  his  direction  — "  Part  of  the  laborers 
oienced  a  fort,  to  avoid  the  dangers  which 
it  occur,  seeing  that  without  one  there  could 
10  security  in  a  country  removed  by  its  dis- 
e  from  all  hopes  of  assistance.  I  placed  this 
ling  in  an  excellent  situation,  upon  a  mountain 
jh  commanded  the  passage  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
of  the  narrowest  parts  of  that  River  ;  and  yet 
e  of  the  company's  associates  were  able  to  per- 
e  the  necessity  of  a  strong  hold,  for  the  preserva- 
of  the  country,  and  of  their  own  property.  The 
*e  thus  built  afforded  no  satisfaction  to  them  ;  but 
that  matter,  I  felt  it  my  duty,  nevertheless,  to 
y  into  effect  the  commands  of  the  Viceroy  ;  and 
is  the  real  way  to  avoid  receiving  an  affront,  for 


132  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

an  enemy,  who  finds  that  there  is  nothing  to  b 
gained  but  blows,  and  much  time  and  expense  to  b 
thrown  away,  will  be  cautions  how  he  hazards  his  ve* 
sels  and  their  crews.  This  shows  that  it  is  not  alway 
the  thing  to  follow  the  passions  of  men,  which  obfci 
sway  only  for  a  time — we  ought  to  have  some  con 
sideration  for  the  future."  In  1621,  Champlai 
received  from  the  King  a  supply  of  arms  and  ammo 
nition  for  his  garrison ;  which,  however,  he  complain 
of  as  inadequate  to  the  defence  of  the  Fort.  In  162S 
the  barrack,  or  building  for  the  soldiers  and  people 
fell  into  such  a  state  of  decay,  that  it  was  determine 
to  construct  a  new  one  of  stone  ;  and  the  site  chosei 
for  this  building  appears  to  have  been  within  th 
ramparts  of  the  Fort,  nearly  on  the  brink  of  th 
precipice,  and  where  the  Castle  of  St  Lewis  not 
stands.  Its  design  is  thus  described  by  Cham 
plain  as  having  been  drawn  by  himself :  "  I  mad( 
the  plan  of  a  new  building,  which  was,  to  throw  dowi 
all  the  old  one,  except  the  magazine,  and  in  a  lint 
with  that  to  erect  other  considerable  buildings  a 
eighteen  fathoms,  with  two  wings  of  ten  fathoms  <a 
each  side,  and  four  turrets  at  toe  four  angles  of  th< 
edifice  :  with  also  a  ravelin  before  it  commanding  th< 
River,  and  the  whole  inclosed  with  ditches  and  oral 
bridges."  This  description  would  give  a  front  of  tw 
hundred  and  twenty  eight  feet ;  but  it  is  most  pro- 
bable, that  it  was  never  finished  to  that  extent.  AI 
the  necessary  materials  were  carefully  collected  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1623,  by  the  eighteen  laborers  whott 
Champlain  had  at  his  disposal ;  and  every  one  wtf 
kept  in  full  employment.  The  inconvenience  of  at1 
cending  the  mountain  from  the  water  side  to  the  Fort 
induced  him,  this  winter,  to  make  a  more  commo- 
dious ascent  by  means  of  a  winding  pathway,  whicb 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  138 

first  opened  on  the  29th  November.  This 
1  was  afterwards  widened,  by  removing  portions 
le  rock  ;  and  a  row  of  houses  was  built  upon  it, 
nee  it  derived  its  modern  name  of  Mountain 
et,  leading  from  Prescott-Gate  to  the  Lower  Town 
ket-place,  through  Notre  Dame  Street,  which 
the  original  course  of  the  serpentine  ascent  made 
Champlain.  The  square  or  market-place  in  the 
rer  Town,  was' not  built  upon  until  many  years 
rwards ;  and  was  originally  called  La  place  de 
re  Dame  de  la  Victoire,  the  Church  having,  been 
jecrated  in  honor  of  the  Virgin,  by  that  title,  in 
sequence  of  a  vow  made  during  the  siege  of  Que- 

by  Sir  William  Phipps,  in  1690.  This  title 
afterwards  changed  to  Notre  Dame  des  Victoires, 
:onsequence  of  the  shipwreck  of  the  English  fleet 
1711,  which  was  considered  a  second  victory. 
)n  the  20th  April,  1624,  a  violent  gale  of  wind 
v  off  part  of  the  roof  of  the  Fort  St.  Lewis,  carrying 
lirty  paces  over  the  rampart.  This  was  caused  by 
oo  great  height,  and  the  second  story  was  con- 
lently  taken  down.  It  will  be  recollected  that  a 
ilar  accident  happened  only  a  few  years  ago,  n ou- 
tstanding that  the  building  was  substantially  built 
tone,  and  the  roof  strongly  covered  with  tin.  On 
1st  May,  Champlain  marked  out  the  line  of  the 
r  buildings,  and  began  to  sink  the  foundation  in 
rock.  Following  the  custom  usually  observed 
similar  occasions,  he  took  care  to  deposit  a  stone 
i  an  appropriate  inscription,  commemorative  of 
occasion  ;  an  account  of  which  merits  to  be  tran- 
bed  in  the  words  of  the  original  narration  :  "  Le 
e  Mai,  Ton  commen<ja  a  ma^onner  les  fondements, 
s  lesquels  je  mis  une  pierre,  ou  estoient  gravez 
armes  du  Roy,  et  celles  de  Monseigneur,  avec 

M 


184  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

la  <Inttc  du  temps,  et  mon  nom  escrit,  comme  Lien* 
tenant  tie  mon  dit  Seigneur,  aii  pais  de  la  nouveUq 
France,    qui  estoit  une   curiosite  qui  me  semble 
nVstre  nullement  liors  de  propos,  pour  un  jour  i 
I'udvcuir,  si  le  temps  y  eschet ;   monstrer  la  posset- 
■ion  que  le  Uoy  en  a  prise,  comme  je  Pai  fait  en 
quolques  endrous,  dans  les  terres  que  j'ay  d£coih 
vertes  :** — u  On  the  6th  May,  we  commenced  the 
mason  work  of  the  foundation,  under  which  I  depo» 
sited  a  stone,  on  which  were  engraved  the  arms  tf 
the  Kin^  and  of  the  Viceroy,  with  the  date  and  my 
own  name  thereon,  as  Lieutenant  in  the  country  of 
New  France,  which  would  hereafter  prove  a  piece  rf 
antiquity  by  no  means  out  of  place,  should  the  tim 
over  come,  in  order  to  show  the  possession  which  the 
Ktii£  had  taken  of  the  country  :  a  proceeding  thflt 
I  have  adopted  in  other  countries  which  I  have  dis- 
covered."     The  structure  of  which  Champlain  hen 
apeaks  was,  in  all  probability,  the  original  on  which 
the  present  Muscle  was  afterwards completed  ;  andai 
the  old  foundations  must  still  remain,  it  would  be 
proper,  —on  clearing-  away  the  present  mass  of  ruiofc 
preparatory  to  ciie  erection  of  anew  residence  for  the 
(Jovcrnor-iu-Cliier  or  l>ritish  North  America,  worthy 
of  llio  *iu\    -to  nuke  careful  search  for  this  stone* 
which  would,  indeed*  be  a  curiosity  of  great  local  in- 
lcrc*t.     It  will,  most  probably,  be  found  not  far  froa 
the  iiorth-cu^c  an^le  or  the  main  building.     In  order 
to  a\oid  confusion  bee  ween   the  terms  Castle,  ni 
Koit,  of  St.  Lewis,  ic  should  be  explained,  that  thai 
were  icparutc  structures*  che  one  wichiu  the  Iimitsrf 
tin*  oilier  ;  and  that  in  addition  to  the  Castle*  lit 
tort  contained  several  ocher  buildings,  such  as  a* 
fcjuitus  guard-room,   aud  barrack  for  the  sol&ijt™  p 
together  with  a  considerable  area,  the  whole  enetawfj^A 

Ca 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  18fl 

a  a  rampart,  built  originally  of  logs ;  and  looking, 
ther  da  Crenx  observes,  "  towards  the  con* 
t,"  that  is,  from  the  River,  or  towards  the  city, 
front  towards  the  River  is  sufficiently  protected 
i  lofty  and  rugged  eminence.  The  site  of  the 
■V>rt  is  understood,  from  the  description  of  Father 
•eux,  to  have  been  at  the  south-east  point  of  the 
id  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  grand  battery, 
)lace  called  the  Sault-au~Matelot,  from  a  favorite 
f  that  name  which  there  threw  itself  over  the 

Champlain  afterwards  removed  it  to  a  situation 
vhat  more  elevated ;  and  the  ramparts  enclosed 
>ace  occupied  at  present  by  the  various  buildings 
taining  to  the  Castle,  and  fronting  towards  the 

(TArmes.  The  street  leading  from  the  latter 
>untain  Street,  is  still  called  Fort  Street;  and 
n  the  Lower  Town,  immediately  under  the  Cas-> 
jars  the  appropriate  name  of  Sous-ie-Fort  Street 
the  death  of  Champlain,  it  appears  from  Father 
reux,  that  his  successor,  Montmagny,  put  the 
into  complete  repair.  A  rampart  was  made 
ds  the  Place  cFArmes,  of  oak  and  cedar  filled 
th  earth,  and  cannon  were  mounted  on  the  top. 


(  Ad  laevam  fluit  aranis   S.  Laurentii  ;   ad  dextram  S. 

fluviolus.  Ad  confluentem,  Proraontorium  assurgit, 
t  nautoe  vulgo  vocant,  ab  cane  hujus  nominis,  qui  se  alias 
loco  praeci  pi  tern  dedit.  Hujus  in  promontorii  crepidkie 
diticata.  Et  initio  quidem,  ut  tenuia  sunt  rerum  vel 
irum  primordia,  vallum  potius,  quam  Arx  fuit,  stipitibus 
que  inter  se  commissis,  extgii&que  gleba  coalitis,  operft, 
tie  Cample nii  :  quae  moles  rudis,  indigestaque,  cum  ad 
annum  perstitisset,  a  Montemagnio  re,  virisque  paulo 
)re  paulatira   disjecta,  cessit  ei  raunitioni  quae  nunc  est 

firmior  eadem,  et  ad  artis  regulam,  normamque  exactior ' 
ria  Canadensis,  p.  204. 


136  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

It  had  also  a  covered  way  for  the  protection  of  the 
garrison  :  the  whole  being  surrounded  by  a  dry 
ditch. 

England  and  France  being  then  at  war,  Cham- 
plain  received  information,  in  July,  1629,  of  the 
arrival  of  an  English  squadron  at  Pointe  L£vi*  That 
an  attack  should  be  made  so  late  in  the  season  was 
entirely  unexpected,  and  Champlain  was  nearly  left 
alone  in  the  Fort,  his  men  having  been  detached  on 
various  duties.  This  English  armament  had  been 
despatched  by  Sir  David  Kertk,  who  then  lay  at 
Tadoussac,  and  was  under  the  command  of  his  brother 
Thomas,  as  Vice- Admiral.  Another  brother,  Louis,' 
had  the  command  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty, 
soldiers.  In  his  weak,  and  really  helpless  condition, 
which  is  feelingly  portrayed  in  his  narrative,  Cham* 
plain  had  no  alternative.  He  was  compelled  to 
capitulate.  A  white  flag  was  therefore  hoisted  at 
Fort  St.  Lewis,  in  answer  to  one  which  had  been  dis- 
played by  the  English  ;  and  an  officer  coming  on 
shore,  the  terms  of  surrender,  which  were  generous 
on  the  part  of  the  assailants,  were  agreed  upon  and 
signed  on  the  20th  July,  1629.  On  the  22d,  Louis 
Kertk  planted  the  English  Standard  on  one  of  the 
bastions  of  the  Fort,  with  all  ceremony.  A  feu  de 
joie  was  fired  by  the  troops,  drawn  out  upon  the 
ramparts ;  and  salutes  from  the  cannon  of  the  Fort, 
which  were  answered  by  the  shipping  ia  the  harbor. 

Champlain,  who  expresses  himself  satisfied  with 
the  generous  conduct  of  Kertk,  arrived  at  Plymouth, 
as  a  prisoner  of  war,  on  the  20th  October  in  the  same 
year.  In  1632  he  published  his  "  Voyages,"  or 
personal  memoirs  ;  and  resumed  the  government  of 
the  Colony,  which  had  been  restored  to  the  French, 
in  1633. 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  137 

In  1,690,  a  remarkable  scene  occurred  in  the  Castle 
'  St.  Lewis,  which  at  that  period  had  assumed  an 
ipearance  worthy  of  the  Governors  General,  who 
ade  it  the  seat  of  the  Royal  Government  This 
gnity  was  then  held  by  the  Count  de  Frontenac, 
lobleman  of  great  talents,  long  services,  but  of  ex- 
3me  pride.  He  had  made  every  preparation  that 
ort  notice  would  permit  for  the  reception  of  the 
nglish  expedition  against  Quebec,  under  Sir  Wil- 
un  Phipps,  which  came  to  anchor  in  the  basin  on 
e  £th  October,  old  style.  Charlevoix,  using  the 
sw  style,  makes  the  date  the  16th.  The  English 
id  every  reason  to  expect  that  the  city  was  without 
»fence,  and  that  they  might  capture  it  by  sur- 
mise. An  officer  was  sent  ashore  with  a  flag  of 
uce,  who  was  met  half  way  by  a  French  Major ; 
id,  after  a  bandage  had  been  placed  before  his  eyes, 
as  conducted  to  the  Castle  by  a  circuitous  route, 
at  he  might  hear  the  warlike  preparations  which 
ere  going  on,  and  feel  the  number  of  obstructions 
id  barriers  of  chevaux-de-frise  which  were  to  be 
issed,  in  the  ascent  to  the  Upper  Town.  Every 
?ception  was  practised  to  induce  the  Englishman  to 
jlieve  that  he  was  in  the  midst  of  a  numerous  gar- 
son  ;  and  some  of  the  contrivances  were  ludicrous 
aough.  Ten  or  twelve  men  were  instructed  to 
leet  him,  to  cross  his  path  at  different  places,  and 
►  pass  and  repass  constantly  during  the  way.  The 
ery  ladies  came  out  to  enjoy  the  singular  spectacle 
fa  man  led  blindfold  by  two  Serjeants  in  this  manner, 
id  bestowed  upon  him  the  nickname  of  Colin  Mail- 
vrd.  There  can  be  little  doubt,  however,  that  he 
arceived  the  trick  played  upon  him.  On  arrival  at 
le  Castle,  his  surprise  is  represented  to  have  been 
ttreme,  on  the  removal  of  the  bandage,  to  find  him- 

m  2 


138  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

self  in  the  presence  of  the  Governor  General, 
Bishop,  the  Intendant,  and  a  large  staff  of  Fr< 
officers,  arrayed  in  full  uniform  for  the  occasion,* 
were  clustered  together  in  the  centre  of  the  g 
hall.  The  English  officer  immediately  presente 
Frontenac  a  written  summons  to  surrender,  in 
name  of  William  and  Mary,  King  and  Queei 
England  ;  and  drawing  out  his  watch  and  placin 
on  the  table,  demanded  a  positive  answer  in  an  1 
at  furthest  This  last  action  completed  the  ex 
ment  of  the  French  officers,  who  had  been  with 
ficulty  able  to  restrain  themselves  during  the  deli 
of  the  summons,  which  the  Englishman  read  in  a 
voice,  and  which  was  translated  into  French  on 
spot.  A  murmur  of  indignation  ran  through, 
assembly  ;  and  one  of  the  officers  present,  the  £ 
de  Valrenes,  impetuously  exclaimed,  "  that  the  i 
senger  ought  to  be  treated  as  the  envoy  of  a  cot 
or  common  marauder,  since  Phipps  was  in  i 
against  his  legitimate  sovereign."  Frontenac,  al  the 
his  pride  was  deeply  wounded  by  the  unceremon 
manner  of  the  Englishman,  conducted  himself  i 
greater  moderation  ;  and,  without  seeming  to  h 
heard  the  interruption  of  Valrenes,  made  the  follow 
high-spirited  answer  :  "  You  will  have  no  occas 
to  wait  so  long  for  my  reply.  Here  it  is.  I  do 
recognise  King  William,  but  I  know  that  the  Prii 
of  Orange  is  an  usurper,  who  has  violated  the  id 
sacred  ties  of  blood  and  of  religion  in  dethroning 
King,  his  father-in-law ;  and  1  acknowledge  no  ot 
legitimate  sovereign  of  England  than  James  the  ! 
cond.  Sir  William  Phipps  ought  not  to  be  surpri 
at  the  hostilities  carried  on  by  the  French  and  tl 
Allies — he  ought  to  have  expected  that  the  Ki 
my  master,  having  received  the  King  of  Engli 


WITH  HISTOKICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  189 

i  toder  his  protection,  would  direct  me  to  make  war 
a  ipon  people  who  have  revolted  against  their  lawful 
i  Prince.  Could  he  imagine,  even  if  he  had  offered 
$  M  better  conditions,  and  even  if  I  were  of  a  temper 
&  to  listen  to  them,  that  so  many  gallant  gentlemen , 
21  wraU  consent,  or  advise  me  to  place  any  confidence 
h  kthat  man's  word,  who  has  broken  the  capitulation 
A  vfcichhe  made  with  the  Governor  of  Acadia  ? — who 
J  m  been  wanting  in  loyalty  towards  his  sovereign — 
iff  *ko  has  forgotten  all  the  benefits  heaped  upon  him, 
ijj  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  a  stranger,  who,  while  he 
Ira  •wore  to  persuade  the  world  that  he  has  no  other 
aj  wjwtin  view  than  to  be  the  deliverer  of  England 
&t  ^defender  of  the  faith,  has  destroyed  the  laws  and 
l!  privileges  of  the  kingdom,  and  overturned  the  Eng- 
i  *■  Church — crimes,  which  that  same  divine  justice, 
ec  wrick  Sir  William  invokes,  will  one  day  severely 
J  PW»h.w 

i  rf  The  Englishman,  hereupon,  demanded  that  this 
t;w  ^plyshould  be  reduced  to  writing:  which  Frontenac 
i<$  Pwemptorily  refused,  adding, — "  I  am  going  to  an- 
•lits  iter  your  master  by  the  cannon's  mouth.  He  shall 
o %  »* taught  that  this  is  not  the  manner  in  which  a  person 
W  '^yrank  ought  to  be  summoned."  The  bandage 
eg  hnng  been  replaced,  the  English  officer  was  re-con- 
irf  ducted  with  the  same  mysteries  to  his  boat ;  and  was 
ir  bo  sooner  on  board  the  Admiral's  vessel,  than  the  bat- 

-  ■■  I80*  began  to  play  eighteen  and  twenty-four  pound 
3  slot  upon  the  fleet.  ISir  William's  own  flag  was  shot 
r*  away  by  a  French  officer,  named  Maricourt ;  and 
y  kfing  been  picked  up  by  some  Canadians,  was  hung 

-  nP  as  a  trophy  in  the  Cathedral  Church,  where  it 
ft  probably  remained  until  the  capture  in  1759.  The 
i.  English  bombarded  the  town,  which,  in  spite  of  the 
..  bold  front  of  Frontenac,  was  in  a  terrible  state  of 


140  NEW  PIGTUAE   OF  QUEBEC* 

confusion  and  alarm ;  and  did  some  damage  t 
public  buildings. 

Charlevoix  seems  to  admire  greatly  the  hai 
bearing  of  Frontenac  on  this  occasion  :  it  is  bu 
to  remark,  however,  that  by  his  Own  showing 
Englishman  executed  his  mission  with  the  gr 
coolness  and  presence  of  mind  ;  and  that  the 
he  received  was  little  creditable  to  those  who 
not  how  to  respect  a  flag  of  truce. 

Sir  William  Phipps,  ancestor  of  the  present 
of  Mulgrave,  was  generally  blamed  for  the  fail 
this  expedition,  perhaps  unjustly.  Finding  the 
on  its  guard  and  prepared  to  receive  him,  it  ^ 
have  been  madness  to  have  commenced  a  re 
siege,  at  that  advanced  period  of  the  season, 
was,  he  lost  several  of  his  vessels  on  his  passage 
to  Boston.  It  should  be  remembered  also,  tl 
was  Quebec  against  which  he  was  sent,  itself  a 
ral  fortress,  and  when  defended  by  a  zealous 
rison,  almost  impregnable.  And  it  is  admitte 
Charlevoix,  that  had  Sir  William  Phipps  not 
delayed  by  contrary  winds  and  the  ignorance  c 
pilots, — nay,  had  he  even  reached  Quebec  three 
sooner,  he  would  have  completely  accomplish  e 
object,  and  Quebec  would  have  been  capture 
fore  it  could  be  known  in  Montreal  that  it  was 
in  danger. 

There  were  great  rejoicings  at  Quebec  for  the 
tory ;  and  the  King  of  France  ordered  a  medal 
struck,  with  this  inscription  :  "  Francia  in  novo 
victrix.  Kebeca  liberata  M.  DC.  XC."  The  C 
de  Frontenac  was  certainlv  one  of  the  most  d: 
guished  of  the  French  Governors.  He  died  in  < 
bee  in  1698,  and  was  buried  in  the  Recollet  Chi 
which  formerly  stood  near  the  site  of  the  pr< 


with  riitfdftiuutr  BftCOi&fctriiOta  WtJ 

fusn  QHHKuBtfKM  -Tiw  on?  lAeintivitt '  bf -  otM"  iif 
ibeei  is  to  be  found  in  the  Street  wWch  was  called 
i  Mi  firtnay  inline,  Bttade  Street 
*  ■  Hcflhriir,  wito  was  in  Quebec  during  the  time 
be  eiegrfib  WBOi  in  an  engraved  view:  of  the  erty 
Us  woik;  ftfati  the  Castle  only  one  story.  La 
HHBBiti  ^Eo.wae  here  in  1698,  gives  abo  a  view 
ferity  a*  it  then  appeared.  The'  Gastle  *f  St' 
ris  is  rtpreeented  as  two  stories  high,  and  with  * . 
jTa^tie  %  fbrining  a  very  conspicuous  object  To 
left  is  sefcn  the  square  incloeure*  in  which  m  nbW 
ted  the  obefiak  erected  to  the  memory  of  Wolfe 
1  MoKTcmc. :  It  was  then  a  garden,  apparently 
boat  tries.-  Of  the  Castle  itself,  he  gives  the  fol- 
ifi£  description  : :  "It  stands  upon  the  brink  of 
fst  MS;  oner  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high*  Its 
ikaAi&tm  are  irregular,  having  two  bastions  on  the 
'  ride,  without  any  ditch.  The  house  of  the  Go- 
ner General  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long* 
wrnt  of  which  is  a  terrace  of  eighty  feet,  which 
riooks  the  Lower  Town  and  (he  channel.  The 
Beef  is  pleasing,  both  as  regards  its  interior  and  ex- 
ier,  on  account  of  the  wings  which  form  the  build- 
;  in  front  and  rear.  It  is  two  stories  high,  and 
re  is  still  wanting  a  wing  of  thirty-three  feet  long, 
i  the  side  of  the  house  there  is  a  battery  of  twenty- 
)  embrasures,  partly  inclosed  in  the  building,  and 
rt  without,  commanding  the  Lower  Town  and  the 
for.  At  four  hundred  paces  above  is  Cape  Dia- 
led, four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high,  upon  which 
tods  a  redoubt  which  commands  the  Upper  Town 
i  the  adjacent  country." 

Charlevoix,  who  arrived  in  Quebec,  in  1720, 
toifthes  an  account  nearly  similar,  though  not  so 
Ifae.    He  says,  "  The  Fort  or  Citadel  is  a  fine 


I4fi  NEW  PICTURE   OV  QUEBEC, 

building,  with  two  pavilions  by  way  of  wings ; 
enter  it  through  a  spacious  and  regular  court,  b 
has  no  garden  belonging  to  it,  the  Fort  being  1 
on  the  brink  of  the  rock.  This  defect  is  snpplic 
some  measure  with  a  beautiful  gallery,  with  a  bale 
which  reaches  the  whole  length  of  the  building 
commands  the  road,  to  the  middle  of  which  one  i 
be  easily  heard,  by  means  of  a  speaking-tromf 
and  hence,  too,  you  see  the  whole  Lower  Town  mi 

Jrour  feet.  On  leaving  the  Fort,  and  turning  to 
eft,  you  enter  a  pretty  large  esplanade,  and  b] 
gentle  declivity  you  reach  the  summit  of  Cape  £ 
mond,  which  makes  a  very  fine  platform." 

Such  was  the  state  of  the  Castle  of  St  Lewis,  i 
occasional  reparations  and  additions,  until  near 
close  of  the  last  century ;  when,  from  its  tendenq 
decay,  it  was  found  necessary  to  erect  a  new  bmra 
for  the  residence  of  the  Governor,  on  the  opposite! 
of  the  square.  This  structure  has  no  pretension 
beauty  or  style  of  architecture,  but  contains  se 
ral  well-proportioned  rooms.  The  ancient  Cm 
notwithstanding,  continued  to  be  occupied  by 
officers  of  government  until  1809,  during  the  ad 
nistration  of  General  Sir  James  Henry  Ciu 
Knight  of  the  Bath ;  when  it  was  put  into  comp 
repair,  at  an  expense  of  ten  thousand  pounds 
third  story  superadded,  and  it  recovered  its  fori 
honors  as  the  residence  of  the  Goverj*or-in-Cb 
of  Lower  Canada.  Thus  renovated,  it  acquii 
insensibly,  the  name  of  the  New,  while  the  bn 
ing  opposite  obtained  that  of  the  Old  Chafe 
By  popular  error,  therefore,  as  is  not  unfrequei 
the  ca9e,  the  attributes  of  these  two  buildings  * 
reversed.  In  the  latter  continue  to  be  held^ 
Levees  on  state  occasions ;  and  there  are  sptci 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  143 

,  mi  convenient  rooms  of  reception  for  public  enter- 
v  feuments,  with  apartments  for  the  residence  of  one  of 
f,  the  officers  of  the  Governor's  personal  staff.  In 
:l.  Ail  building  are  to  be  seen  two  paintings  of  lasting 
.-„  interest,  being  the  likenesses  of  Their  Majesties, 
~.  King  George  the  Third,  and  Queen  Char- 
J.  lorn,  painted  by  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  and  present- 
3  ed  by  His  MajJbsty  to  this  Government  To  those 
.,  *ho  remember  the  venerable  Monarch  in  his  latter 
r  fcys,  this  picture,  taken  in  early  manhood,  will  as- 
•  Hue  the  character  almost  of  antiquity.  In  the  ball- 
|  Upon,  there  is  also  a  good  copy  of  Sir  Thomas 
Ltwrence's  full  length  portrait  of  King  George 
ipi  Fourth. 

The  length  of  the  modern  Castle  of  St  Lewis,  in- 
cluding the  wings,  was  more  than  two  hundred  feet ; 
•nd  that  was  the  extent  of  the  gallery  in  front,  com- 
feuding  one  of  the  most  beautiful  views  in  the  world. 
Tie  depth  was  about  forty  feet.  Its  exterior  was  plain 
and  unassuming,  the  interior  well  arranged,  and  ap- 
parently well  adapted  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
wngned.  The  apartments  on  the  first  floor,  in  which 
the  family  of  the  Governor-in-Chief  resided,  were 
brnished  in  an  elegant  and  tasteful  manner,  orna- 
mented by  valuable  paintings,  drawings  and  prints, 
•nd  various  objects  of  vertu.  Although  by  no  means 
*rge,  or  equal  to  those  found  in  the  private  residences 
rfthe  nobility  generally,  they  presented  a  very  pleas- 
to|C  coup  (Tail,  when  thrown  open  to  those  who  were 
honored  with  the  entree.  Here  were  given  the  pri- 
tote  entertainments  of  the  Governor,  to  which  the 
fcntry  of  the  city  and  vicinity  were  freely  invited 
Jjrinjr  the  winter,  always  the  season  of  hospitality  in 
Canada. 


144  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

We  have  now  to  record  the  destruction  of  th 
edifice,  over  whose  historical  glories  we  have  dwc 
with  so  much  pleasure.  About  noon,  on  Thursda; 
the  23d  January,  1834,  an  alarm  of  fire  was  gin 
— the  tocsin  sounded — and  to  the  eager  and  anxioi 
enquiries  of  the  citizens,  running  to  and  fro,  the  a] 
palling  answer  was  given,  "  To  the  Castle,  tl 
Castle  !"  On  hurrying  to  the  scene,  volumes  < 
black  smoke,  rolling  from  the  roof,  told  the  fearf 
truth.  The  fire  was  first  discovered  in  a  room  c 
the  upper  story,  and  having  spread  through  its  who: 
extent,  and  taken  hold  of  the  rafters  which  support! 
the  massive  roof,  it  burned  downwards  with  irrepre 
sible  fury,  until  it  triumphed  over  the  entire  builj 
ing.  As  no  flame  was  apparent  from  the  outside  fi 
a  considerable  space  of  time,  it  was  scarcely  believf 
by  the  anxious  spectator,  that  the  whole  pile  was  m 
dangered.  Vain  hopes  were  even  entertained  th 
the  lower  ranges  of  apartments  might  be  saved.  J 
last,  the  devouring  element  burst  its  way  throug 
the  strong  tinned  roof  with  tremendous  force,  ai 
the  flames,  thus  finding  a  vent,  spread  with  dreadfi 
rapidity  through  every  part  of  the  building  :-— 

Toto  descendit  corpore  pestis : 

Nee  vires  heroum,  infusaque  flumina  prosunt 

Every  possible  exertion  to  subdue  the  conflagn 
tion  was  made  by  the  different  Fire  Companies,  tl 
troops  of  the  garrison,  and  inhabitants  of  all  classe 
Some  of  the  most  respectable  citizens,  of  every  pn 
fession,  were  seen  busily  occupied  in  removing  tfc 
valuable  furniture  and  effects ;  and  others  assisted  1 
conveying  to  a  place  of  safety  some  of  the  ornamen 
of  the  dinner  table,  which  was  laid ;  and  at  which,  t 
invitation,  they  were  to  have  been  partakers  tb 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  145 

y  day,  of  the  Governor's  hospitality.  On  a  pedes- 
which  stood  at  the  head  of  the  principal  staircase, 
le  to  the  entrance  of  the  first  drawing-room,  was 
eed  a  bust  of  the  immortal  Wolfe,  bearing  the 
owing  elegant  inscription  : 

Let  no  vain  tear  upon  his  tomb  be  shed, 
A  common  tribute  to  the  common  dead ; 
Bat  let  the  good,  the  generous  and  the  brave, 
With  godlike  envy  sign  for  soch  a  grave ! 

is  invaluable  bnst,  in  the  melSe  and  confusion,  would 
bably  have  been  destroyed,  had  not  a  gentleman 
de  it  his  first  care  to  rescue  it,  and  to  convey  it,  like 
ither  Palladium,  to  a  place  of  safety* 
Hie  intense  cold  of  the  day  added  considerably  to  the 
iculty  of  suppressing  the  flames*  In  the  morning 
■  thermometer  indicated  twenty-two  degrees,  and 
ring  the  day  from  four  to  eight  degrees  below  zero, 
;h  a  cold  and  piercing  westerly  wind.  The  engines 
re,  therefore,  soon  frozen  up,  and  could  only  be 
idered  serviceable  by  constant  supplies  of  warm 
ter.  At  length  it  became  too  apparent,  that  any 
jcessful  attempt  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  flames 
s  hopeless — all  efforts  to  save  even  a  portion  of 
3  building  proved  ineffectual — and  the  morning 
closed  to  the  sight  of  the  inhabitants  a  mass  of 
oking  ruins,  to  remind  them  of  the  loss  which  the 
ovince  and  the  city  had  sustained. 
Apart  from  the  painful  sense  of  the  destruction 
this  ancient  and  celebrated  building,  so  iden- 
ed  with  our  colonial  history,  the  sight  itself  was 
•ougkout  the  day  deeply  impressive — at  night 
!,  grand  in  the  extreme.  The  extent  of  the 
ucture*  the  numerous  windows  and  openings,  its 
?at  elevation  and  peculiar  position  as  to  the  Lower 

N 


146  KBW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

Town,  actually  overhanging  its  streets,  so  that  the 
burning  flakes  fell  upon  the  roofs  of  the  houses  below, 
combined  to  make  this  mastery  of  the  flames  almost 
an  object  to  be  admired.  The  scene,  from  the  Lower 
Town,  was  truly  picturesque;  and  at' a  distance, 
the  view  of  the  fire,  and  its  reflection  on  the  ice  and 
snow,  have  been  described  as  singularly  beautiful. 

The  Provincial  Parliament  being  then  in  session, 
His  Excellency  the  Governor-in-Chief  sent  down 
the  following  message,  on  the  24th  January,  1834 : — 

"  Aylmer,  Governor-in-Chief. 
"  It  is  with  regret  that  His  Excellency  feels  him* 
self  under  the  necessity  of  informing  the  House  of 
Assembly,  that  the  ancient  Castle  of  St,  Lewis,  which 
he  occupied  as  his  official  residence,  caught  fire  yes- 
terday about  noon,   and  that  notwithstanding  the 
efforts  of  His  Majesty's  troops,  of  his  Honor  the 
Mayor  of  Quebec,  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Seminary, 
of  the  firemen  and  the  crowd  of  citizens  of  all  classes, 
who  had  hastened  to  the  spot,  and  exerted  themselves 
unceasingly  to  save  that  public  edifice,  it  has  entirely 
become  a  prey  to  the  flames. 

"  Castle  of  St.  Lewis, 
"  Quebec,  24th  January,  1834." 

This  was  replied  to  in  the  Legislative  Council 
by  a  loyal  address  of  condolence,  and  an  expression 
of  readiness  on  their  part  to  unite  in  any  appro- 
priation which  might  come  before  them,  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  a  suitable  residence  for  the  Gover- 
nor-in-Chief of  these  Provinces.  It  has  been  generally 
regretted  that  the  House  of  Assembly  did  not  proceed 
upon  this  message  ;  but  it  is  to  be  hoped  and  expect- 
ed on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the  Province,  that 
another  session  will  not  be  allowed  to  pass  over  with- 


WTTH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  147 

oat  an  appropriation  being  made  by  their  represen- 
tatives, for  an  object  so  necessary  and  indispensable, 
and  at  the  same  time,  so  independent  of  party  feeling 
and  prejudice.  The  beauty  of  the  vacant  site,  and 
the  extent  of  the  area  will  afford  an  opportunity  of 
erecting  an  edifice  worthy  of  its  ancient  fame,  honor- 
able to  the  Province,  and  ornamental  to  the  city  of 
Quebec,  as  yet  too  deficient  in  public  buildings 
where  taste  in  architecture  is  displayed. 

Such  is  a  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  Castle  of 
St  Lewis,  for  above  two  centuries  the  seat  of  colonial 
government.  It  is  now  a  heap  of  blackened  ruins. 
Relics  like  these,  however,  at  once  engage  the  at- 
tention by  recalling  images  of  past  grandeur,  of 
names  once  illustrious,  and  of  deeds  that  still  adorn 
the  historic  page.  Nor  is  there  any  mental  associa- 
tion productive  of  so  much  melancholy  pleasure,  as 
that  which  unites  the  idea  of  those  who  tenanted  an 
ancient  edifice  in  its  prosperous  day,  with  the  con- 
templation of  the  solitude  and  ruin  to  which  the  pile 
has  since  been  doomed. 


146  NSW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 


THE    RUINED    CHATEAU. 

Here,  from  these  storied  walls,  in  ancient  day 
By  Champlain  raised,  the  patriot  and  the  brave — 

The  Gallic  Lily  once  claimed  regal  sway, 
Where'er  St.  Lawrence  rolls  his  mighty  wave ! 

Thy  latest*  Chief,  who  ne'er  from  honor  swerv'd, 
With  ebbing  life  resigned  his  pride  of  place— 

Thy  fealty  changed,  thy  glories  all  preserved, 
The  British  Lion  guards  thee  from  disgrace ! 

Long  shall  thy  gentler  triumphs  be  our  theme, 
Thy  beauteous  dames,  thy  gallant,  plumed  train : 

The  great  and  good  flit  by  me  as  a  dream, 
Who  once  kept  here  their  hospitable  reign  ! 

Here  has  the  table  groaned  with  lordly  cheer — 
Here  has  the  toast,  the  dance,  the  well-trilPd  song, 

Welcomed  each  coming  of  the  infant  year, 
And  served  the  festive  moments  to  prolong ! 

Still,  midst  these  luined  heaps,  in  mental  pain, 
Does  faithful  memory  former  years  restore— 

Recall  the  busy  throng,  the  jocund  train, 
And  picture  all  that  charmed  us  here  before  ! 

Yet  now,  how  changed  the  scene  !     'Tis  silence  all- 
Save  where  the  heedful  sentry  steps  his  round  I 

We  may  not  look  upon  that  ruined  hall, 
Nor  venerate  the  site  so  long  renown'd  ! 


*  Montcalm. 


WITH  HOTOBICAX.  MC6LLKCTI0KS,  140 


CHAPTER  THE  NINTH. 

ANCIENT   APPEARANCE  OF  THE  CITY— GENERAL  DES- 
CRIPTION— CAPE  DIAMOND — THE  FORTIFICATION*. 

The  settlement  of  colonies  has  always  been  a  sub- 
ject of  deep  historical  interest  and  research.  Their 
8accessful  establishment  has,  indeed,  been  attended 
with  the  happiest  results  to  mankind.  By  them  new 
worlds  have  been  peopled — languages  perpetuated 
—commerce  extended,  and  the  art  of  navigation 
brought  to  its  present  state  of  perfection.  The  bles- 
sings of  true  religion  have  been  communicated  to 
man,  redeemed  from  his  savage  state ;  while  cities  and 
turretted  walls  have  supplanted  the  solitude  of  the 
desert  and  the  forest,  or  taken  the  place  of  the  pri- 
mitive caves  and  wigwams  of  the  aboriginal  inha- 
bitants. By  colonies  the  face  of  the  earth  has  been 
cultivated,  and  the  produce  of  the  soil  rendered  the 
means  of  subsistence  and  social  happiness. 

The  principal  design  of  the  French  settlements  in 
Canada, — after  the  trade  in  peltry  had  proved  suf- 
ficiently attractive  to  the  associated  merchants  of 
France,  to  induce  them  to  maintain  their  property  in 
the  country — was  evidently  to  propagate  the  Chris- 
tian religion  as  professed  by  the  founders  of  Quebec, 
to  tame  and  civilize  the  heathen,  and  to  bring  him 
to  the  worship  of  the  true  God.     It  was  a  common 

n  2 


150  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC 

saying  of  Champlain,  "  That  the  salvation  of  one 
soul  was  of  more  value  than  the  conquest  of  an  em- 
pire !"  Their  next  object  was  of  a  more  mundane 
and  political  complexion,  namely,  to  acquire  a  prepon- 
derance on  the  American  continent  by  means  of  their 
priesthood, — and  through  the  influence  which  gra- 
titude for  their  services  had  procured  them  among 
the  Indian  tribes,  to  whose  temporal  and  spiritual 
wants  they  had  rendered  themselves  nearly  equally 
necessary,  and  whose  affections  they  left  no  meant 
unattempted  to  engage  and  retain. 

This  policy,  long  acted  upon,  influenced  every 
part  of  their  system.  It  extended  even  to  the  cha- 
racter of  the  earliest  edifices  which  they  erected  iri 
this  country.  *  The  only  permanent  buildings  wen 
those  devoted  to  the  purposes  of  war  and  religion. 
The  irregularity  of  the  lines  of  the  different  street! 
in  Quebec  is  attributable  to  the  same  remote  cause. 
Any  one  who  examines  the  site  of  the  city  will  per- 
ceive at  once,  that  the  greater  portion  of  the  area 
was  occupied  from  the  first  by  its  public  buildings. 
To  show  this  more  clearly,  let  us  take  a  brief  survey 
of  the  ancient  city. 

The  space  occupied  by  the  buildings  of  the  ancient 
Fort,  afterwards  the  Castle  of  St.  Lewis,  was  very  ex- 
tensive, reaching  from  Prescott-Gate  to  the  commence* 
ment  of  the  acclivity  of  Cape  Diamond,  and  including 
the  large  open  space  where  Wolfe's  column  now 
stands.  Formerly  there  were  no  houses  between  the 
Castle  and  the  Cape,  and  St.  Lewis  Street  was  merely 
a  military  road.  Immediately  in  front  of  the  Castle 
was  an  esplanade  or  open  space,  still  called  the 
Place  (FArmes,  on  one  side  of  which  stood  the'  Church 
and  Convent  of  the  Recollet  Monks.  Their  build- 
ings, with  the  garden,  occupied  the  whole  site  on 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  151 

ch  stand  the  Court  House  and  the  English  Cathe- 
L  They  possessed  the  entire  area  between  St. 
ae  and  St.  Lewis  Streets,  aqd  gave  the  modern 
le  of  Garden  Street  Not  far  from  the  corner  of 
Place  (TArmes,  in  St.  Anne  Street,  there  stands 
lin  the  precincts  of  the  Church  close,  a  venerable 
,  the  last  relic  of  those  which  once  shaded  the 
jollet  fathers — a  touching  monument  of  olden  time 
erhaps  the  last  tenant  of  the  primeval  forest, 
ier  this  tree  or  on  its  site,  tradition  relates  that 
implain  pitched  his  tent,  on  landing  and  taking 
lession  of  his  new  domain.  Here  he  lived  until 
habitation,  which  he  was  building  near  the  brink 
the  rock,  was  ready  for  the  reception  of  his  little 
d.  In  the  rear  of  the  Recollet  Church,  at  a  short 
ance  from  it,  was  the  Ursuline  Convent,  still  oc- 
jring  with  its  garden  a  considerable  space  enclosed 
lin  St.  Anne,  St.  Lewis  and  St.  Ursule  Streets. 
rond  the  latter  were  the  ancient  ramparts  of  the 
.  St  Anne  Street  divided  the  possessions  of  the 
uline  Nuns  from  those  of  the  Jesuits.  The  Col- 
2  of  the  latter  stood  in  a  considerable  square,  now 
market-place  ;  and  was  surrounded  by  a  garden, 
ited  with  lofty  and  umbrageous  trees,  extending 
n  St  Anne  to  St.  John  Streets.  The  French  Ca- 
Iral,  occupying  one  side  of  this  square,  and  its 
ched  buildings  covered  a  space  reaching  to  Fort 
Bet,  and  was  divided  from  the  Place  d'Armes  by 
tad,  which  was  afterwards  Buade  Street.  At  the 
sent  into  Mountain  Street,  the  buildings  belong- 
to  the  French  Cathedral  communicated  with  the 
occupied  by  the  Bishop's  Palace  and  gardens, 
;hi ng  to  the  edge  of  the  rock.  The  ancient  Palace 
lid  to  have  been  equal  to  many  similar  establish- 
its  in  France.     From  the  French  Cathedral  to  the 


152  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

Grand  Battery,  the  site  is  covered  with  the  buildings 
and  garden  of  the  Seminary,  bounded  also  by  Hope 
Street,  formerly  Ste.  Famille  Street,  and  St  George's 
Street.  The  Seminary  garden  overlooks  the  Lower 
Town,  near  the  place  formerly  called  the  Sautt-<tu~ 
Matelot.  At  a  short  distance  from  it  are  the  grounds 
belonging  to  the  Hotel  Dieu,  which  extend  along 
the  summit  of  the  cliff  from  Hope-Crate,  and  are 
bounded  irregularly  by  Palace  Street  and  Couillard 
Street.  The  different  buildings  above  enumerated 
with  their  spacious  gardens,  added  to  the  sites  occu- 
pied by  the  magazines,  and  other  government  build- 
ings, together  with  the  spaces  reserved  for  military 
purposes,  occupied  nearly  the  whole  of  the  level 
ground  within  the  ramparts.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  the  early  inhabitants  had  no  alternative ;  and 
were  compelled  to  build  in  directions  leading  from 
one  of  these  public  buildings  to  another,  or  around 
their  precincts.  Those  who  came  to  settle  in  Quebec 
were,  doubtless,  attracted  by  the  neighborhood  of 
the  different  churches,  and  the  protection  afforded 
by  the  Fort.  They  erected  their  small  and  tempo- 
rary habitations  as  near  as  possible  to  the  con- 
vents, whence,  in  times  of  scarcity  or  sickness  they 
received  support  and  medical  aid.  Hence  the  wind*  j 
ing  and  irregular  character  of  some  of  the  smaller 
streets,  particularly  of  those  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Hotel  Dieu  and  the  Ursuline  Convent 

The  nature  of  the  ground,  or  rather  rock,  on  which 
the  city  is  built,  effectually  prevented  any  regularity 
of  design.  The  most  level  site  was  the  easiest  aid 
cheapest — strait  lines  were  disregarded  in  comparison 
with  present  convenience — consequently,  a  house 
was  built  only  where  a  level  foundation  could  best 
be  found  ;  and  those  places  which  were  rugged  And 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  153 

jcipitous  were  left  unoccupied,  until  some  one, 
re  enterprising  or  with  better  means,  overcame  the 
iculty,  and  succeeded  in  establishing  his  edifice, 
iring  the  first  fifty  years  after  the  foundation  in 
)8,  the  houses  were  extremely  small,  mean  and 
»rly  furnished ;  partly  from  want  of  means,  and 
tly  from  fear  of  the  Iroquois,  whose  incursions 
)t  the  inhabitants  in  constant  dread,  and  prevented 
r  expense  being  incurred  in  these  particulars, 
tie,  however,  sufficed  for  the  first  colonists:  all 
y  required  was  shelter  and  warmth  during  the 
iter.  The  summer  was  passed  chiefly  in  the  open 
As  an  example  of  the  want  of  furniture  and  con- 
dences  in  the  old  habitations,  it  may  be  mentioned 
t  when  the  Ho&pitcdiires  arrived  in  Quebec  in 
39,  for  the  purpose  of  founding  the  Hotel  Dieu, 
y  were  lodged  in  a  house  belonging  to  the  com- 
ly  of  Merchants,  lent  to  them  by  the  Chevalier  de 
wtmagny,  who  succeeded  Champlain  in  the 
rernment.  The  house  is,  indeed,  described  as 
ring  four  rooms  and  two  closets ;  but  the  only  fur- 
ure  in  it  for  the  accommodation  of  these  ladies  was 
ide  kind  of  table  made  of  boards,  and  two  benches 
the  same  material !  The  absence  of  architectural 
tbellishment  must  always  be  lamented  ;  but  a  suf- 
nt  apology  for  the  want  of  symmetry  in  the 
ildings  of  Quebec,  may  be  found  in  the  peculiar  cir- 
mstances  of  the  early  settlers,  and  the  subse- 
lent  history  of  the  colony.  Even  now,  no  degree 
taste  is  discernible  in  the  public  buildings, — 
ie  architects  have  had  principally  in  view  strength 
ad  durability — utility  has  rather  been  consulted  than 
ymmetry  of  construction.  Almost  all  the  houses 
within  the  works  are  built  of  stone,  either  rough  as  it 
^e  in  masses  from  the  rock,  or  hewn  into  shape 


a 


i 


j 


154  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

at  the  fancy  of  the  architect,  and  afterwards  covered  i 
with  paint  or  cepient.  * !  « 

The  capital  of  the  Province  of  Lower  Canada,  aal  t 
the  principal  seat  of  British  dominion  in  Amerio^  a 
cannot  be  approached  by  the  intelligent  Strang*  i; 
without  emotions  of  respect  and  admiration.     Itif  i 
situated  on  the  north-west  side  of  the  great  River  SB 
Lawrence,   in   latitude  46°  59'  15",  and  longitodft 
71°  13\     A  ridge  of  high  land  commencing  at  Gill 
Rouge,  and  extending  for  about  eight  miles  along  ijb 
bank,  terminates  at  the  eastern  extremity  in  a  lotif 
promontory,  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  abffltf 
the  water,  rising  in  front  of  the  beautiful  basin  fonnel 
by  the  confluence  of  the  little  River  St  Charles 
the  St.  Lawrence.     There  stands  Quebec,  form 
the  seat  of  the  French  empire  in  the  west — pure 
ed  for  England  by  the  blood  of  the  heroic  Wo 
shed  in  the  decisive  battle  of  the  Plains  of  Ah 
A  commodious  harbor,  which  can  afford  a  safe  ancho- 
rage for  several  fleets — a  magnificent  river  whose 
banks  are  secured  by  steep  cliffs — a  position  on  a, 
lofty  rock,  which  bids  defiance  to  external  violence^ 
together  with  extraordinary  beauty  of  scenery, 
some  of  the  natural  advantages  which  distinguish 
City  of  Quebec.     The  River  St.  Lawrence,  wl 
flows  majestically  before  the  town,  is  one  of  di 
greatest,  most  noble  and  beautiful  of  rivers  ;  and#  ^ 
the  same  time,  the  furthest  navigable  for  vessels  «; 
a  large  size  of  any  in  the  universe.     From  its  imnA  .5 
in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  the  harbor  of  Qfl^rj 
bec  is  three  hundred  and  sixty  miles  ;  and  varf 
from  Europe  ascend  to   Montreal,  which  is  <fl      . 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  higher  up  its  course.     •*&  t 
precipice  of  naked  and  rugged  rock,  nearly  Amlfl 
hundred  feet  high,  divides  the  Upper  from  the  Lowrf/^ 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  155 

i.  The  latter,  embracing  the  foot  of  the  pre- 
!,  and  skirting  the  base  of  the  promontory  to  a 
ierable  extent  on  both  sides,  is  the  mart  of  fo- 
trade  and  the  principal  place  of  business.  It 
It  on  ground  made  partly  by  excavations  from 
>ck,  or  redeemed  from  the  water  ;  and  contains 
rous  and  convenient  wharfs  and  store  houses,  for 
ccommodation  of  trade  and  navigation.  The 
lei  before  the  town  is  rapid — its  breadth  is  about 
a  hundred  and  thirty-four  yards.  The  depth 
*  river  opposite  the  city  is  about  thirty  fathoms 
good  anchorage  is  every  where  to  be  found. 
Upper  Town  presents  the  picturesque  ap- 
ace of  a  fortified  city — whose  houses  rise  gra- 
f  above  each  other  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre 
ibellished  and  diversified  by  large  buildings  and 
spires,  pouring  a  flood  of  light  and  splendor 
their  bright  tinned  roofs. 

THE   CITADEL. 

i  the  extreme  left,  on  the  highest  point  of 
promontory,  is  Cape  Diamond,  rising  three 
red  and  fifty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river, 
terminating  towards  the  east  in  a  round  tower, 
ice  is  displayed  the  national  standard  of  Eng- 
Immediately  in  the  rear  is  the  cavalier  and 
rraph,  and  adjoining  may  be  seen  the  saluting 
»y.  The  fortress  on  Cape  Diamond,  or  Cita- 
ov  Quebec,  is  a  formidable  combination  of 
erful  works ;  and  while  it  is  admitted  that 
*e  is  no  similar  military  work  on  this  continent, 
ws  been  considered  second  to  few  of  the  most 
Crated  fortresses  of  Europe.  It  has  frequently 
ft  called  the    Gibraltar   of   America  ;    and 


166  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

it  is,  indeed,  worthy  of  the  great  nation,  w 
feme  and  enduring  renown  are  reflected  in  this 
(fteuvre  of  nature  and  of  art — constructed  at  the 
pense  of  Great  Britain  for  our  defence — at  on 
monument  of  her  own  power,  and  a  pledge  of  pr< 
tion  to  one  of  the  most  valuable,  although  reu 
possessions  of  the  British  Crown  !  Quebec  is 
of  the  strongest  and  most  distinguished  of  t 
"  military  posts,"  which  are  alluded  to  in  the  folic 
beautiful  passage  from  a  speech  lately  pronounce 
the  Honorable  Daniel  Webster  in  the  Sena 
the  United  States,  which  we  extract  as  pecul 
applicable  to  our  present  subject ;  and  as  deri 
weight  and  interest  from  the  splendid  talents 
long  established  fame  of  the  eloquent  orator. 
Webster  eloquently  describes  Great  Britaii 
"  a  power  to  which,  for  purposes  of  foreign  cone 
and  subjugation,  Rome,  in  the  height  of  her  g] 
is  not  to  be  compared  ;  a  power  which  has  dc 
over  the  surface  of  the  whole  globe  with  her  po* 
sions  and  military  posts,  whose  morning  drum-t 
following  the  sun,  and  keeping  company  with 
hours,  circles  the  earth  daily  with  one  continuous 
unbroken  strain  of  the  martial  airs  of  Englai 
And  truly,  when  we  look  to  our  own  country,  \ 
just  cause  of  pride  and  dignity  do  we  behold  !  ' 
halcyon  days  of  peace  have  long  returned— the  t 
pie  of  Janus  is,  we  trust,  for  ever  closed — yet,  w 
the  storm  of  war  was  at  the  highest,  never  did 
eagle  wing  of  England  soar  more  loftily,  never 
her  star  beam  in  brighter  splendor  !  Then,  a 
the  ruin  and  the  wreck  of  demoralized  nations, 
stood  forth  the  firm  and  generous  pilot — when  otl 
slept,  and  were  worn  out  with  their  woe,  she  c 
watched  at  the  giddy  helm- — her  sT^atnesa  grew  * 


m 


WITH    HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS  157 

madness  of  the  gale — her  swiftness  hung  on  the 

igs  of  the  storm — her  proud  pendants  floated  aloft 

ler  course  was  steady — her  track  was  secure ;  and 

still  pointed  to  that  beacon  where  peace  and 

ration  showed  their  hallowed,  but  expiring  flame  ! 

Dape  Diamond  is  composed  of  dark  colored  slate, 
which  are  found  perfectly  limpid  quartz  crystals, 
veins,  along  with  crystallized  carbonate  of  lime. 
>m  these  crystals,  which  are  certainly  extremely 
mtiful,  and  sparkle  like  diamonds,  came  the  name 
tears.  Professor  Silliman  considers  the  prevail- 
;  rock  to  be  of  transition  formation,  from  the  cir- 
nstance  of  the   region  on  the  other  side  of  the 

Lawrence  being  decidedly  of  that  class.  The 
rks  upon  the  summit  are  nearly  complete,  according 
the  most  approved  laws  of  fortification  ;  and  will 
hly  repay  the  visits  of  those  who  are  admitted  to 
amine  them,  both  as  to  external  beauty  and  interior 
cellence.  The  approach  to  the  Citadel,  which  is 
arly  two  hundred  feet   higher  than  the   ground 

which  the  Upper  Town  is  situated,  is  by  a 
nding  road  made  through  the  acclivity  of  the 
tei*,  from  St.  Lewis-Gate,  and  commanded  every 
nere  by  the  guns  of  the  different  bastions.  This 
ads  into  the  outward  ditch  of  the  ravelin,  and  thence 
'to  the  principal  ditch  of  the  work,  built  upon  both 
des  with  walls  of  solid  masonry,  and  extending 
ong  the  whole  circumference  of  the  Citadel  on  the 
rod  and  city  sides.     The  main  entrance  is  through 

massive  gate  of  admirable  construction,  called 
'Alhousie-Gate,  a  view  of  which  is  given  on 
ta  other  page.  Within  the  arch  of  the  gate  are 
"e  Main-Guard  rooms,  for  a  detachment  and  an 
®cer,  who  are  relieved  every  day  ;    and  in  front  of 

o 


158  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

it  is  a  spacious  area, — used  as  a  parade  ground,— or 
rather  an  enlargement  of  the  ditch  formed  by  the 
retiring  angles  and  face  of  the  bastion.     This  is  a 
splendid  work,  presenting  a  most  august  appearance,    I 
and  combining  strength  and  symmetry  with  all  the    ! 
modern  improvements  in  the  art  of  fortification.    It    . 
is  named  Dalhousie-Gate  and  Bastion,  in  lienor    , 
of  a   distinguished   nobleman   and  gallant  officer,    ! 
Lieutenant  General  the  Earl  of  Dalhousie,  G. 
C.  B.  ;  who  succeeded  the  Duke  of  Richmond,  as   I 
Governor-in-Chief  of  these  Provinces,  in  1820.    In 
the  face  of  this  bastion  are  loopholes  for  the  fire  of 
musquetry  from  within  :  on  the  top  are  embrasures 
for  the  cannon.      The  loopholes  serve  also  for  the 
admission  of  air  and  light  into  the  casemated  barracks 
within  for  the  troops  composing  the  garrison.    Hey 
are  commodious  and  well  adapted  both  for  comfort 
and  safety,  being  well  ventilated,  and  proof  against 
fire  and  missiles  of  every  description.     These  bar- 
racks are  at  present  occupied  by  the  Thirty-Second 
Regiment  of  the  line,  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Colonel  the  Honorable  John  Maitland,  third  son  of 
the  Earl  of  Lauderdale.     On  the  top  of  Dalhousie 
Bastion  is  an  extensive  covered  way,  or  broad  gravel 
walk,  with  embrasures  for  mounting  cannon,  com- 
manding every  part  of  the  ditch  and  glacis,  and  every 
avenue  of  approach  to  the  citadel.     From  this  ele* 
vated   spot   is   obtained   a   delightful   view  of  the 
surrounding   scenery   and   the   harbor — the  whole 
forming  a  panorama  that  has  been  pronounced  hy 
competent  judges  not  inferior  in  beauty  to  the  cele- 
brated Bay  of  Naples.     An  equally  magnificent 
view  is  also  commanded  from  the  summit  of  the  to* 
valier,  on  which  stands  the  telegraph,  at  the  eastern 
extremity  of  the  Citadel ;  as  well  as  from  the  obser- 


5;*a 

^ 

I  " 

I 

fct-:', 

ft 

} 

tv 

ft 
J 

1 

WITH    HISTORICAL    RECOLLECTIONS.  159 

ry  of  Mr.  Watt,  on  its  western  point  towards  the 
ins  of  Abhaham.  Within  the  Citadel  are  the 
ous  magazines,  storehouses,  and  other  buildings 
lired  for  the  accommodation  of  a  numerous  gar- 
n  ;  and  immediately  overhanging  the  precipice  to 
south,  in  a  most  picturesque  situation  looking 
Dendicnlarly  downwards  on  the  river,  stands  a 
titiful  row  of  buildings  with  a  paved  terrace  in 
it,  built  of  cut  stone,  and  containing  the  mess 
ns  and  barracks  for  tlie  officers  of  the  garrison, 
r stables  and  spacious  kitchens.  The  roof  of  this 
,(iing  is  covered  with  bright  tin,  and  from  it%  de- 
id  site,  it  is  a  heautifol  and  conspicuous  object 
a  Lorette  and  the  road  to  Lake  St.  Charles, 
Ibout  midway  between  the  officers'  barracks  and 
observatory  of  Mr.  Watt,  is  a  building  containing 
Winery  worked  by  steam,  by  which  large  trucks 
ding  masses  of  stone,  cannon,  stores,  and  all 
vy  weights,  are  easily  drawn  up  by  means  of  a 
way  on  an  inclined  plane)  from  the  wharf  at  the 
:er's  edge  to  the  summit  of  Cape  Diamond.  There 
ilso  an  artificial  descent  of  near  six  hundred  steps, 
ich  conducts  the  workmen  safely  in  a  few  minutes 
ra  the  garrison  to  the  Lower  Town.  The  inclined 
ne  is  about  live  hundred  feet  long  ;  and  is  reserv- 
for  the  use  of  Government  only. 

THE    FORTIFICATIONS. 

Without  presuming  to  give  a  technical  description 
(his  noble  fortress,  it  may  be  said  to  combine  every 
'ration  and  precaution,  that  science  and  art  could 
rise  and  execute  for  the  protection  of  the  city,  and 
*  teenrity  of  the  garrison. 


160  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

From  the  earliest  times,  Quebec  may  be  said  to 
have  been  a  fortified  town.  The  incursions  of  the 
Iroquois  soon  compelled  the  French  to  construct 
defensive  fortifications  at  some  distance  from  the 
Fort,  which  the  nature  of  the  ground  permitted  diem 
to  do,  without  any  very  great  labor.  The  city  is 
defended  on  every  side,  except  the  south-west,  by 
its  natural  elevation  and  almost  inaccessible  crags, 
varying  in  height  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  water.  All  that  was  necessary,  therefore, 
was  to  erect  defensive  works  extending  from  Cape 
Diamond  on  the  south,  to  the  River  St  Charles  on 
the  north,  and  facing  towards  the  west.  These, 
doubtless,  supplied  the  original  outline  and  design 
of  every  subsequent  defence,  and  of  the  elaborate 
works  and  ramparts  which  now  protect  the  city  on 
that  side.  The  first  defences  were  very  imperfect  as 
fortifications,  consisting,  most  probably,  of  palisades; 
with  an  embankment  of  earth.  It  has  been  shown 
that,  in  1629,  Charaplain  had  no  means  of  de- 
fence against  the  English  ;  nor  is  it  probable  that 
the  works  extended  beyond  the  site  of  the  Fort 
Afterwards,  it  was  found  necessary  to  enclose  the 
the  various  charitable  and  monastic  institutions  with 
a  rampart,  in  order  to  protect  them  against  the  sud* 
den  inroads  of  the  Iroquois  :  thus  the  city  gradually 
improved  in  resources  and  in  efficient  means  of  de- 
fence, until  Quebec  was  made  the  seat  of  the  Royal 
Government  in  1663. 

After  the  death  of  Champlain  in  1635,  his  succes- 
sor, Montmagny,  entirely  rebuilt  the  Fort.  He 
made  a  rampart  towards  the  Place  cFArmes  of  oak 
and  cedar  filled  up  with  earth,  and  strong  enough  to 
allow  him  to  mount  cannon  upon  it  Stone  bastioiH 
were  afterwards  constructed,  one  at  each  angle  front- 


wits  aounrojticAir  mcollecwons.         161 

*g  tlie  «Uy9  connected  by  a  curtain.  The  Fort 
ten,  according  to  Colonel  Bouchette,  "  covered 
boot  four  acres  of  ground,  and  formed  nearly  a  pa* 
ftllelograHL.  Of  these  works  only  a  few  vestiges, 
amain,  except  the  eastern  wall,  which  is  kept  in 
olid  repair*  It  is  stated  by  the  same  author,  that 
be  building,  where  the  public  entertainments  are 
■■ally  given,  once  constituted  "  part  of  the  curtain 
hat  ran  l>etween  the  two  exterior  bastions  of  the  old 
brtress  of  St  Lewis." 

At  the  period  of.  the  fruitless  attack  upon  Quebec 
ly  £Sr  William  Phipps,  in  1690,  the  fortifications 
lad  assumed  considerable  military  consequence.  By 
he  indefatigable  activity  of  the  Count  de  Frontenac, 
the  chy  was  defended  by  eleven  stone  redoubts, 
wring  as  bastions,  and  communicating  with  each 
ttber  by  means  of  curtains  made  of  pickets,  ten  feet  in 
height,  strengthened  within  by  embankments  of  earth. 
The  following  is  Charlevoix's  description  of  the  works 
m  the  Upper  Town  at  this  time :  "  A  battery  of  eight 
pieces  of  cannon  was  commenced  upon  the  height  on 
one  side  of  the  Fort.  The  fortifications  began  at  the 
iBtendanf  s  Palace,  on  the  shore  of  the  Little  River 
St  Charles,'  ascending  towards  the  Upper  Town 
which  they  inclosed,  and  terminated  at  the  mountain, 
aesr  Cape  Diamond.  They  also  continued  from  the 
Mace  along  the  cliff,  in  the  form  of  a  palisade,  as 
far  as  the  fence  of  the  Seminary,  where  it  was  ter- 
minated by  inaccessible  cliffs,  called  the  Sault-au- 
Matelot,  on  which  there  was  a  battery  of  three  pieces 
i  cannon.  A  second  palisade  was  also  constructed 
ibove  the  other,  finishing  at  the  same  place,  and 
erring  as  a  protection  for  the  musqueteers.  The 
strances  of  the  city,  where  there  were  no  gates,  were 
uricaded  with  heavy  logs,  and  hogsheads  filled  with 

o  2 


162  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

earth.  Small  pieces  of  ordnance  were  mounted  i 
them.  In  the  course  of  the  siege  a  second  bat 
was  made  at  the  SauU-au-Matelot ;  and  a  third  a 

fate  leading  to  the  River  St.  Charles.  Cannon 
esides  mounted  all  round  the  Upper  Town, 
particularly  on  a  wind-mill,  which  served  as  a  c 
lier." 

In  1703,  the  Fortifications  were  restored  bj 
Chevalier  De  Callieres,  then  Governor,  who 
immediately  afterwards  ;  but  it  was  not  until  1 
that  the  city  was  fortified  in  a  regular  manner, 
ramparts  built  of  stone,  and  with  bastions  on 
south-west  front,  according  to  the  rules  of  art  C 
levoix,  who  was  in  Quebec  at  this  period,  in 
cribing  them  as  an  eye-witness,  refers  to  the 
sent  to  France  by  M.  Chaussegros  de  Lery, 
chief  Engineer,  to  be  deposited  in  the  Louvre, 
the  plans  of  other  fortified  places.     This  plan 
found  so  superior,  that  it  was  immediately  ado 
by  the  Court  of  France  ;  and  the  new  works  i 
commenced  in  June,  1720,  under  the  directio 
that  eminent  engineer.     He  was  descended  frc 
family  of  French  noblesse,  among  whom  they  reck* 
Jean  de  Lery,  who  accompanied Villegagnon  ir 
voyage  to  Brazil,  under  the  patronage  of  Coli: 
noticed  in  page  seventy-two  of  this  work.     This , 
tleman  was  a  Huguenot  Clergyman,  and  acte 
Chaplain  to  the  expedition.    He  published  an  ace 
of  this  voyage  in  1585,  dedicated  to  Coligny,  w 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Library  of  the  House  of  Asi 
bly.     The  descendants  of  this  family  hold  honoi 
stations  in  the  Province  to  this  day. 

On  the  occasion  of  taking  down  part  of  the  Fr 
works  on  Cape  Diamond,  in  1795,  for  the  pur 
of  rebuilding  them,  a  leaden  plate,  with  the  folio1 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  163 

inscription   was  found,    commemorating    tbe  com- 
mencement of  the  new  and  improved  fortifications  : 

Regnante  Ludovico  XV, 
Christianissimo  Gallorum  Rege, 
JEtatis  Suae  annum  agente  Xlum,  Regni  Vum  : 
Augustissimo  ac  Potentissimo  Principe, 

Dace  Aurelianensiura  Philippo, 
Regis  avunculo :  Regnura  Guberuante. 
JUlustiaissimo  ac  serenissimo  Principe, 
Ludovico  Alexandro  de  Bourbon, 
Tolosee  Comite, 
Concilio  Maritimo  Reique  maritimse  prseposito. 
Ulustrissimo  Joanne  D'Estree,  Francise  Marescallo, 
America)    Septentrionalis,  Meridionalisque  pro  Rege, 
Concilii  Maritimi  praeside, 
Ac  maris  prsefecti  Legato  : 
Philippo  de  Rigaud,  Marchione  de  Vaudreuil, 
Nova?  Francise  Gubernatore : 
bisce  Muniraentis 
Regiis  sumptibus  Conciliique  Maritimi  autoritate  extructis, 
Prima  haec  posuit  fundamenta, 
Michael  Begon : 
Civilis  Disciplines 
Rei  Judiciariae,  iErarise,  ac  Maritimse, 

atque  huj  us 'Colonise  prsefectus. 
Dingente  Gasp :  Chaussegros  de  Lery : 
Regio  bellicorum  operum  machinatore. 
Nonis  Junii.  An.  Dom.  MDCCXX. 

TRANSLATION. 

•  la  the  eleventh  year  of  the  life,  and  fifth  of  tbe  reign,  of 
Hit  Moat  Christian  Majesty  Louis  XV.,  King  of  the  French— 
tbe  most  august  and  powerful  Prince,  Philip,  Duke  of  Orleans, 
Unde  to  the  King,  being  regent  of  the  Kingdom — the  most 
illustrious  and  serene  Prince,  Louis  Alexaudre  de  Bourbon, 
Count  of  Thotilonse,  President  of  the  Maritime  Council  and  of 
Naval  affairs — the  most  illustrious  Jean  D'Estree,  Marshal  of 
France,  President  of  the  Maritime  Council  of  North  and  South 
America,  and  Vice- Admiral — Philippe  de  Rigaud,  Marquis  de 
w  Vaudreuil,  Governor  of  Netv  France — the  first  foundations  of 
tb*M  fortifications,  built  at  the  Royal  expense,  and  by  authority 


164  NSW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

of  the  Maritime  CoanHI,  were  laid  by  Michael  Begon,  Intendanf 
of  this  Colony,  and  of  its  civil,  judiciary,  fiscal  and  naval  affairs 
— under  the  direction  of  Gaapard  Chaussegros  de  Lery,  Military 
Royal  Engineer,  on  the  fifth  day  of  June,  MDCCXX." 

We  have  already  given  the  state  of  the  fortifications 
in  1690  :    the  following  is  the  description  of  the  de- 
fences in  the   Upper   Town,  as  they  appeared  to 
Charlevoix,   previous  to  the  improvements  of  De 
Lery,  in  1720  :     "  On  the  side  towards  the  gallery 
of  the  Fort  is  a  battery  of  twenty-five  pieces  of  can- 
non.    Higher  still  is  a  small  square  Fort,  called  the 
Citadel,  and  the  ways  which  communicate  from  one 
fortification  to  another  are  extremely  steep.     To  the 
left  of  the  harbor  quite  along  the  road,  as  far  as  the 
River  St.  Charles,  are  good  batteries  of  cannon,  with 
several   mortars.     From   the  angle  of  the  Citadel, 
which  fronts  the  city,  has  been  built  on  oreillon  of  a 
bastion,  from  whence  has  been  drawn  a  curtain  at 
right  angles,  which  communicates  with  a  very  ele- 
vated cavalier,  on  which  stands  a  wind-mill  fortified. 
As  you  descend  from  this  cavalier,  and  at  the  distance 
of  a  musket  shot  from  it,  you  meet  first  a  tower  for- 
tified with  a  bastion,  and  at  the  same  distance  from 
this  a  second.      The  design  was  to  line  all  this  with 
stone,  which  was  to  have  had  the  same  angles  with 
the  bastions ;  and  to  have  terminated  at  the  extremity 
of  the  rock,  opposite  to  the  Palace,  where  there  is 
already  a  small  redoubt,  as  well  as  on  Cape  Dia- 
mond." 

From  the  period  of  their  renovation  by  De  LeVy, 
the  fortifications  were  maintained  by  the  French  Go- 
vernors with  great  care,  until  the  capture  of  Quebec, 
in  1759.  They  were  then  repaired  by  the  English, 
and  again  at  the  time  of  the  memorable  siege  of 
the  Americans  in    1775  ;  since  which  period  they* 


WITH  ffmORIGAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  1*5 

m  iuuivulsadi  additions,  and  successive  repara- 
HWi  itngfriier  with  outworks  of  great  strength  on 
e  \wAwi&$  m  render  this  fortress  of  the  north, 
the  estimation  of  military  judges,  not  inferior  to 
iny-  afstfc*  net  celebrated  strong  holds  in  Eu- 


of  the  apace  within  the  Citadel,  whose 
otkraeefcpv  abomt  forty  acres,  the  fortifications  are 
mtiMediill  round  that  portion  of  die  city  which  is 
rated  thfc  Upper  Town.  They  consist  of  bastions, 
mamtHbf  lofty  curtains  of  solid  masonry,  and  ram- 
twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  in  height  and 
hi  thickness^  bristling  with  heavy 
towers,  loophojed  walls,  and  passive 
ig  at  certain  distances  in  the  circumfe- 
the  summit  of  the  ramparts  from  Cape 
the  Artillery  barracks  near  Palace-Gate* 
eerered  way,  or  walk,  used  as  a  place  of 
by  the  inhabitants,  and  commanding  a  most 
view  of  the  fertile  country  towards  the 
mt^iSSos  passes  over  the  top  of  St  John's,  and 
k.  EmfeGate,  where  there  is  stationed  a  Serjeant's 
wtti*  Above  St  John's-Gate,  at  the  end  of  the 
beet  M.  that  name,  devoted  entirely  to  business, 
ure  is  at  sun-set  one  of  the  most  beautiful  views 
ttgiaable*  The  River  St  Charles  gamboling,  as 
were*  in  die  rays  of  the  departing  luminary, 
it  still  lingering  on  the  spires  of  Lorette  and 
j,  until  it  fades  away  beyond  the  lofty 
Htantainsof  Bonhomme  and  Tsounonthuan,  pre- 
ut  an  evening  scene  of  gorgeous  and  surpassing 
plendor. 

The  city  being  defended  on  the  land  side  by  its 
ttUNurta,  is  protected  on  the  other  sides  by  a  lofty 
Wand  parapet,  based  upon  the  cliff  and  commenc- 


i 


166  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

ing  near  the  River  St.  Charles  at  the  Artillery  Bar- 
racks.    These  form  a  very  extensive  range  of  build- 
ings :  the  part  within  the  Artillery-Gate  being  occu- 
pied as  barracks  by  the  Officers  and  men  of  that 
distinguished  corps,  with  a  garden  and  mess-room.  .■ 
They  are  much  admired  for  their  apparent  comfort  ; 
and  neatness,  presenting  altogether  a  very  agreeable  " 
aspect.     The  part  without  the  gate  is  used  as  magft* 
zines,  store  houses,  and  offices  for  the  Ordnance  depart* 
ment.     These  buildings  were  erected  by  the  French 
before  1750,  on  the  site  of  others  which  had  formerly  i 
stood  there.     They  are  of  stone,  two  stories  high* 
well  secured  against  fire ;  and  are  nearly  six  hundred 
feet  in  length,  by  about  forty  in  depth.     Until  lately 
several  apartments  on  the  upper  story  were  occupied,  " 
as  an  armoury  ;    and  between  thirty  and  forty  thou*  . 
sand  stands  of  arms  of  different  descriptions  we*  " 
there  arranged  in  a  beautiful  and  imposing  mammr  J 
These  have   been  removed  to  the  Citadel,  as  their 
more  appropriate  place  of  deposit. 

Immediately  adjoining  the  Artillery  Barracks,  and  \ 
connecting  the  works  on  the  left  with  their  continua-  \ 
tion  along  the  St.  Charles,  stands  Palace-Gat^ 
having  a  guard-house  attached  on  the  right  Thk 
has  lately  been  rebuilt,  and  is  the  most  classical  and 
beautiful  of  the  five  gates  of  Quebec.  Though  per- 
fectly strong  for  all  purposes  of  defence,  it  has  a  light 
and  airy  appearance,  not  unlike  in  design  one  of  the 
gates  of  Pompeii.  It  stands  at  the  northern  extre- 
mity of  a  broad  and  well  proportioned  street,  called 
Palace  Street,  from  the  circumstance  that  it  led  tt> 
the  Intendant's  house  or  palace,  which  formerly  stood 
on  the  beach  of  the  St.  Charles  outside  the  gate  oil 
the  site  of  the  present    King's  wood  yard.     Tw 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  167 

lilding  was  destroyed  during  the  siege  by  the  Ante* 
can  troops  under  General  Arnold,  in  1775. 
From  Palace-Gate  the  fortifications  are  continu- 
d  along  the  brow  of  the  cliff  overlooking  the  mouth 
f  the  St.  Charles,  until  they  reach  Hope-Gate,  a 
fistanee  of  three  hundred  yards.  A  broad  and  level 
talk  divides  the  outward  wall  from  the  possessions  of 
ke  community  of  the  Hotel  Dieu.  The  wall  near 
9ok-Gate  and  guard-house  is  loopholed  for  mus- 
ketry ;  and  all  the  approaches  are  commanded  by 
pe  works,  which  here  present  a  lofty  and  formidable 
jppearanee,  projecting  over  the  rugged  cliff.  On 
fee  St  Charles  side,  midway  between  it  and  the 
pie,  a  very  picturesque  view  of  the  rock  and  the 
tatrks  may  be  obtained.  At  Hope-Gate  commences 
tie  gradual  elevation  of  the  ground  which  terminates 
it  the  eastern  point  of  Cape  Diamond.  Beyond  the 
pte  the  wall  is  continued  until  it  reaches  a  point 
epposite  St.  George  Street,  and  the  store  house  at  the 
angle  of  the  Seminary  garden.  Here  it  reaches  the 
perpendicular  cliff  called  the  Sault-au-Matefof,  on 
pert  of  which  Champlain  commenced  his  first  set- 
tlement, in  1608.  From  this  eminence  the  Grand 
Battery,  mounting  a  range  of  heavy  guns,  carrying 
klls  of  thirty-two  pounds,  commands  the  basin  and 
&e  harbor  below.  In  front  of  the  Grand  Battery 
thich  extends  to  the  Bishop's  Palace,  and  where  the 
escarpment  of  the  cliff  is  nearly  three  hundred  feet 
,  Aove  the  water,  the  stone  parapet  is  but  a  few  feet 
jlngh;  and  the  black  artillery,  as  Professor  Silliman 
I  ibeerves,  projecting  over  the  cliff,  "  look  like  beasts 
I  «f  prey,  crouching,  and  ready  to  leap  upon  their  vic- 
ltim8." 

|    Close  to  the   Bishop's  Palace,  long  used  as  the 
pUce  where  the  Sessions  of  the  Provincial  Legis- 


170  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

villas.  Along  this  road  was  the  favorite  drive  o 
Canadian  belle,  before  the  conquest,  in  1759. 
lace-Gate  and  Hope-Gate  both  open  to  the  E 
St  Charles  and  the  Lower  Town.  The  former  I 
also  to  the  new  market  on  the  St  Charles,  from  n 
there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  city  and  fortificatioi 
that  side.  Prescott-Gate  is  the  principal  thoro 
fare  to  the  Lower  Town  ;  and  notwithstanding 
steepness  of  the  ascent,  heavy  burthens  are  conv 
up  the  hill  with  comparative  ease  by  the  hardy 
horses  of  Norman  breed,  generally  employed  bi 
carters. 

Having  thus  made  the  circuit  of  the  fortificat 
it  is  necessary  to  notice  the  different  barracks 
military  buildings  for  the  accommodation  of  the  tr 
composing  the  garrison.  Besides  those  conta 
ivithin  the  Citadel,  and  the  Artillery  barracks, 
spacious  building  in  the  market-place,  formerly 
the  College  of  the  Jesuits,  has  long  been  occu 
by  the  King's  troops,  under  the  name  of  the  Jes 
Barracks.  This  edifice  is  of  stone,  three  stories  I 
and  measures  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  fee 
two  hundred,  being  in  shape  a  parallelogram, 
principal  entrance  into  the  barracks  is  from 
market-place,  opposite  to  the  French  Cathe< 
Through  a  lofty  passage  admittance  is  gained  in 
considerable  area,  the  buildings  around  which 
occupied  by  the  soldiers.  On  the  other  side  is 
arch  leading  to  the  barrack  yard  and  offices. 
the  left  of  the  great  entrance  is  a  large  door  oj 
ing  into  a  hall.  Here  is  the  room  set  apart 
the  Garrison  library,  the  property  of  the  milit 
containing  a  number  of  valuable  books  and  m 
The  barrack  yard  is  enclosed  by  a  wall  two  hum 
yards  long,  in  St.  Ann  Street,  in  which  is  the  1 


*   1                           Rr^Jl    ^P^ 

fij^ljpi    '  SKKm* 

ml 

WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS  171 

rate  and  main-guard.  This  was  formerly  the 
n  belonging  to  the  College.  A  little  beyond  the 
s  the  barrack  office,  a  neat  and  substantial  stone 
ng  standing  nearly  opposite  to  the  Scottish 
:h.  The  Jesuits  Barracks  are  at  present  occu- 
s  the  quarters  of  that  highly  distinguished  Re- 
it,  the  79th,  or  Cameron  Highlanders.     This 

of  the  few  which  wear  the  "  garb  of  old  Gaul ;" 
takes  a  picturesque  and  highly  military  appear- 
in  the  field,  very  attractive  to  the  numerous 
;ers  who  conclude  their  summer  tour  by  a  visit 

interesting  capital  of  Lower  Canada.     The 
Regiment  is  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
el  Duncan  Macdougall. 
;he  Place  (FArmes,  opposite  to  the  Court  House, 

Commissariat  Office,  where  the  business  of 
efficient  department  is  conducted.  Their  ex- 
e  stores  are  in  the  Lower  Town,  upon  the 
's  Wharf;  and  are  solely  appropriated  to  the 
ses  of  government.  They  are  of  stone,  two 
ed  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  with  corresponding 
,  and  were  erected  in  1821.  Opposite  to  the 
ind  entrance  into  the  King's  Wharf,  is  a  guard 

for  its  protection. 

St.  Lewis  Street,  about  half  way  between  the 
nissariat  Office  and  St.  Lewis-Gate,  is  a  stone 
ng  on  the  left,  occupied  as  quarters  for  those 
•s  of  the  garrison,  who  do  not  reside  in  the 
)el.  In  rear  is  the  spacious  mess-room  of  the 
•s  of  the  79th  Highlanders.  On  the  east,  and 
r  of  the  officers'  quarters,  at  the  end  of  a  court 
;nue  leading  out  of  St.  Lewis  Street,  is  the  Mi- 
:y  Hospital,  a  building  of  great  length,  and  com- 
y  provided  with  every  necessary  appointment. 

to  it  are  the  remains  of  an  old  military  work,  on 


172  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

an  eminence  nearer  the  Cape,  called  Mount  Cariol. 
In  the  print  of  the  ancient  city,  in  La  Potherie, 
Voyage  de  l'Amerique,  this  height  appears  to  hare 
been  surmounted  by  a  windmill,  which  was  fortified, 
and  was  probably  one  of  the  outworks  on  that  aide. 
On  it  stands  at  present  a  convenient  cottage  and 
garden,  the  property  of  government,  and  usually  ap- 
propriated to  the  residence  of  the  commanding  En- 
gineer of  the  District. 

Opposite  to  the  officers'  quarters  in  St.  Lewis 
Street  are  the  military  offices ;  in  a  private  house, 
rented  by  the  Government  for  the  purpose.  Adjoin- 
ing to  SL  Lewis-Gate,  and  fronting  to  the  Esplanade 
is  the  Royal  Engineer  Office ;  and  in  the  rear  are 
the  spacious  yard  and  work  shops  of  the  Royal  Sap- 
pers and  Miners,  a  detachment  of  which  corps  is 
always  stationed  in  Quebec.  The  officers  of  the 
Royal  Engineers  have  charge  of  the  Fortifications, 
and  of  all  military  works.  The  Government  labo- 
ratory, on  the  right  hand  of  the  road  leading  to  the 
Citadel,  opposite  to  the  Royal  Engineer  yard,  stands 
on  the  site  of  an  old  powder  magazine,  close  to  which 
the  remains  of  General  Montgomery  were  interred 
on  the  fourth  day  of  January,  1776. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  extensive  stores 
within  the  Citadel,  as  containing  all  the  matSrieloi 
war  for  a  numerous  garrison.     In  addition  to  these, 
and  to  the  stores   at   the  Artillery   Barracks,  the 
Ordnance  Department  has  a  spacious   building  of 
stone,   together   with  a   powder   magazine,    in  tbe 
bastion  between  St.  John's-Gate  and  the  Artillery 
Barracks.     In  various  parts  of  the  works,  they  hare 
also  large  depots  and  magazines  of  cannon,  gun  pow- 
der, carriages,  shot,  and  other  munitions  of  war,  for 
the  convenience  and  supplyof  the  garrison. 


>    WITH  HMTOftlOAL  HBCOLLECTIONS.  173 

It  iaS  been  seen  that  St*  Lewis  Street  is  jwrin- 
pally  the  site  of  the  offices  and  buildings  belonging 
the  military  departments.  This  street  wis  ofigi- 
Hy  a  military  road  from  the  Fort  to  the  outwork** 
i  tbenoe  into  the  forest  J  and  was  called  La  Grand 
lee. 

We  cannot  conclude  more  appropriately  than  by 
nscribing  an  elegant  peroration  from  the  pen  of 
ifessor  Sillimah,  who  visited  this  city  in  the  au- 
nn  of  1819  :— 

'  Quebec,  at  least  for  an  American  city,  is  eer- 
ily a  very  peculiar  place.  A  military  town — con- 
ling  about  twenty  thousand  inhabitants — most 
apactly  and  permanently  built — stone  its  sole  ma- 
ial — environed,  as  to  its  most  important  parts,  by 
lis  and  gates — and  defended  by  numerous  heavy 
inon— garrisoned  by  troops,  having  the  arms,  the 
tume,  the  music,  the  discipline  of  Europe — foreign 
language,  features  and  origin,  from  most  of  those 
om  they  are  sent  to  defend — founded  upon  a  rock, 

1  in  its  highest  parts,  overlooking  a  great  extent  of 
in  try — between  three  and  four  hundred  miles  from 

ocean — in  the  midst  of  a  great  continent — and 
;  displaying  fleets  of  foreign  merchantmen  in  its 

2  capacious  bay — and  showing  all  the  bustle  of  a 
wded  sea-port — its  streets  narrow — populous,  and 
iding"  up  and  down  almost  mountainous  declivities 
situated  in  the  latitude  of  the  finest  parts  of  Eu- 
)e — exhibiting  in  its  environs,  the  beauty  of  an 
iropean  capital — and  yet,  in  winter,  smarting  with 
e  cold  of  Siberia — governed  by  a  people  of  diffe- 
nt  language  and  habits  from  the  mass  of  the  po- 
rtion— opposed  in  religion,  and  yet  leaving  that 
pulation  without  taxes,  and  in  the  full  enjoyment 
every  privilege,  civil  and  religious  :  Such  are  the 

p  2 


174  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC} 

prominent  features,  which  strike  a  stranger  in 
city  of  Quebec  !" 

The  latter  part  of  the  above  extract  may  be  < 
sidered  a  just  tribute  to  the  merit  of  Great  Brit. 
from  the  pen  of  an  accomplished  and  liberal  mk 
foreigner,  equally  honorable  to  both. 


m 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  175 


CHAPTER  THE  TENTH. 

RELIGIOUS    ESTABLISHMENTS — ANCIENT   AND 

MODERN. 

^  The  totally  different  policy  observed  by  the  Eng- 
lish and  French  Governments,  as  to  the  religious 
establishment  of  their  Colonies  in  North  America, 
llthough  easily  assigned  to  the  opposite  motive  of 
-ach,  presents,  at  the  present  day,  a  very  interesting 
contrast.  The  English  Colonies, — founded  by  zeal- 
Jus  Dissenters,  or  by  persons  who  conceived  that 
ill  established  forms  of  religion  savoured  ojf  tyranny 
ind  oppression — soon  received  the  most  -judicious 
encouragement  from  the  Parent  State,  and  obtained 
advantageous  charters  from  the  Crown.  They  en- 
tered with  spirit  into  commercial  enterprises,  and 
made  rapid  advances  to  riches,  prosperity,  and  power. 
The  French,  on  the  other  hand,  were  established  by 
men  of  a  different  stamp,  attached  to  the  forms  of 
their  ancient  religion — who  sought  to  enhance  their 
own  reputation,  and  to  extend  the  glory  and  power 
of  their  country,  by  penetrating  among  the  savage 
tribes — by  converting  them  to  their  own  faith — by 
rigidly  excluding  what  they  considered  the  contami- 
nation of  calvinistic  doctrines — and  by  sending  among 
them  Missionaries,  in  order  to  establish  a  religious 
dominion  over  them.     Actuated  by  these  powerful 


176  OTEW  PICTURE   OF  gUEBBC, 

incentives,  they  commenced  by  keeping  good  faith 
with  the  savages, — they  cultivated  their  friendship, 
and  took  part  in  their  enmities  as  good  and  trusty 
allies.  Thus  they  soon  acquired  over  the  Indian 
mind  an  influence  far  more  extensive  than  any  other 
European  nation.  But  the  result  of  this  conduct 
was  not  politically  successful,  as  regarded  the  advance 
of  the  Colony.  By  far  too  great  a  portion  of  toil,  of 
zeal,  and  of  authority  seems  from  the  first  to  hare 
been  directed  to  the  Indian  tribes,  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  result  of  an  amiable,  though,  perhaps,  mis- 
taken policy.  The  subserviency  of  their  colonial 
system,  and  even  of  commerce  itself,  to  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  religion  of  the  state  is  apparent  through- 
out the  early  history  of  this  Colony,  and  hence  ill 
tardy  progress  under  the  French  Government ;  ani 
its  present  inferiority,  as  to  riches  and  population,  to 
the  English  colonies  planted  about  the  same  perWi 
Whatever  neglect,  however,  the  temporal  affair* 
of  New  France  might  have  experienced,  before  it  wei 
taken  under  the  protection  of  the  Royal  Government 
in  1663 — it  is  clear  that  nothing  had  been  left  unat* 
tempted  from  the  earliest  times,  to  provide  for  tbfl 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  settlers,  and  for  the  instrne* 
tion  of  the  neophytes  among  the  savages.  As  early 
as  1614,  on  the  formation  of  a  new  and  more  exten- 
sive company  of  merchants  trading  to  New  Franco, 
Champlain  had  the  devotion  to  introduce,  and  suf- 
ficient interest  to  obtain  the  passing  of  a  clause  intht 
articles,  by  which  they  engaged  to  defray  the  expeas* 
of  four  ecclesiastics,  who  were  to  be  sent  out  for  thi 
important  object  of  spreading  the  true  religion  among 
the  natives.  The  views  of  the  pious  founder  of 
Quebec  are  thus  explained  :  "  Seeing  that  we  had 
no  Priests,  we  obtained  some  through  the  interfereiK* 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  177 

the  Sieur  Houel,  who  had  a  peculiar  affection  to- 
rds  this  holy  design,  and  who  told  me  that  the 
icollet  Fathers  would  be  proper  for  this  purpose, 
th  to  reside  in  our  habitation,  and  to  convert  the 
idels,  I  agreed  in  this  opinion,  they  being  void 
ambition,  and  conforming  altogether  to  the  rule  of 
.  Francis.  I  spoke  of  it  to  My  Lord,  the  Prince, 
10  entered  into  my  views ;  and  the  company  offer- 
of  their  own  accord  to  support  them,  until  they 
old  obtain  a  Seminary,  which  they  hoped  to  do,  by 
ians  of  the  charitable  donations,  that  might  be 
stowed  upon  them  for  the  care  and  instruction  of 
nth."  Champlain  accordingly  sailed  from  Hon- 
or on  the  24th  April,  1615,  with  four  Recollet 
there ;  and  after  a  favorable  passage,  without  meet- 
j  ice  or  any  other  impediment,  they  reached 
doussac  on  the  25th  May,  where  they  returned 
inks  for  their  safe  arrival. 

The  first  establishment  of  the  religious  commu- 
tes of  Quebec,  has  a  peculiar  interest ;  and  it  is 
icnlt  to  determine  which  is  more  worthy  of  ad- 
ration,  the  liberality  of  the  design  on  the  part  of  the 
nders,  or  the  devotedness  and  fearlessness  display- 
by  those  appointed  for  its  execution.  The  early 
tory  of  Canada  teems,  indeed,  with  instances  of 
purest  religious  fortitude,  zeal,  and  heroism  —of 
mg  and  delicate  females,  relinquishing  the  com- 
ts  of  civilisation  to  perform  the  most  menial  offices 
rards  the  sick — to  dispense  at  once  the  blessings  of 
dical  aid  to  the  body,  and  of  religious  instruction 
the  soul  of  the  benighted  and  wondering  savage, 
ey  must  have  been  upheld  by  a  strong  sense  of 
y — an  overpowering  conviction  of  the  utility  of 
:r  purposes, — a  full  persuasion  of  their  efficacy, 
i  towards  their  own  eternal  salvation,  and  that  of 


178  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

their  newly  converted  flock.  Bat  for  such  im 
sions,  it  would  have  been  beyond  human  natn 
make  the  sacrifices  which  the  Hopitalieres  mad 
taking  up  their  residence  in  New  France.  Wit 
detracting  from  the  calm  and  philosophic  deme 
of  religion  at  the  present  day,  it  is  doubtful  wh< 
any  pious  persons  could  be  found  willing  to  und 
the  fatigues,  uncertainty  and  personal  danger,  e 
rienced  by  the  first  missionaries  of  both  sexes  in 
France.  Regardless  of  climate,  to  whose  ho: 
they  were  entirely  unaccustomed — of  penury 
famine — of  danger  to  the  person — of  death,  and : 
tyrdom  itself — they  pressed  onward  to  the  g« 
which  their  religious  course  was  directed — and 
tained  by  something  more  than  human  fortitude- 
divine  patience — they  succeeded  at  length  in  < 
blishing  on  a  firm  foundation  the  altars,  and  the 
of  their  country  and  their  God  !  For  ambit 
sake,  for  lucre,  for  fame — men  have  braved  da 
in  a  hundred  fights,  until  the  world  by  common 
sent  has  elevated  the  successful  tyrant  to  the  i 
of  a  hero  among  his  fellows — but  to  incur  the  hoi 
of  savage  life,  the  risk  of  torture  and  even  death 
a  word,  the  agonizing  suspense  and  constant  anxi< 
of  a  missionary,  for  no  other  reward  than  that  of 
approbation,  and  with  no  other  support  than  that  o 
ligion — requires  courage  and  devotion  of  a  far  hi] 
order,  and  merits  glory  of  the  most  enduring  cha 
ter.  The  labors  and  privations  of  the  first  relis 
communities,  who  established  themselves  even  wi 
the  walls  of  Quebec,  were  many — their  paths  i 
dark,  dreary  and  intricate  ;  but  the  bright  sta 
enthusiasm,  like  the  clew  of  Ariadne,  carried  t 
along — they  felt  that  if  one  glimpse  of  the  sa 
light  they  bore  could  be  brought  to  dawn  upon 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  170 

tarighted  souls  of  those  they  wished  to  save,  their 
leal  would  be  amply  rewarded,  and  their  labor  for- 
gotten. 

THE   RECOLLET   CHURCH. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  first  ecclesiastics  who 
ventured  to  the  unknown  regions  of  New  France 
were  R£eollets,  brought  out  by  Champlain,  in  1615. 
Hey  were  four  in  number,  the  Superior  of  the 
Mission,  and  Fathers  Joseph  Le  Caron,  Jean 
D'Olbeau,  and  Pacifique  Duplessis.  Father  Jo- 
seph is  stated  by  Charlevoix  to  have  accompanied 
Champlain  when  he  wintered  in  the  Huron  country, 
in  1616 ;  and  having  acquired  some  knowledge 
of  the  language,  he  even  at  his  first  visit  observed 
their  haunts,  and  fixed  in  his  own  mind  the  proper 
itation  for  evangelical  missions.  In  the  following 
fear,  the  alliance  between  Champlain  and  the 
Qurons  would  have  been  for  ever  interrupted,  but 
for  the  skill  and  penetration  of  Father  Pacifique 
Duplessis.  The  Hurons  had  murdered  two  French- 
men, and  fearing  the  vengeance  of  Champlain, 
Mime  evil  disposed  chief  suggested  a  dreadful  method 
rf  escaping  it,  by  the  extermination  of  the  whole 
French  settlement.  To  this  treacherous  proposal 
4ere  were  found  but  few  listeners  :  one  of  whom, 
afterwards,  in  a  fit  of  remorse  revealed  the  plot  to 
father  Pacifique.  By  dint  of  his  persuasions  and  in- 
laence  they  were  induced  to  renounce  their  sanguf- 
laiy  intention ;  and  Champlain,  having  been 
■formed  of  the  whole  proceeding,  accepted  the  me- 
Ijationof  the  R£collet,  and  adopted  a  middle  course 
etween  European  and  Indian  ideas  of  justice.  The 
plucky  affair  was  thus  compromised  :  one  of  the 


180  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

Huron  murderers  was  given  up  by  that  people,  i 
a  valuable  present  of  furs  appeased  the  relationi 
the  deceased — so  that  a  crisis  was  safely  passed,  wb 
might  have  proved  fatal  to  the  existence  oftheini 
colony. 

In  1620,  Champlain,  arriving  from  France  i 
three  additional  R£collet  Fathers,  learned  with  gi 
regret  the  death  of  the  good  Father  Pacifique. 
appears  that  the  original  habitation  of  these  eo 
siastics  was  on  the  border  of  the  River  St.  Char 
where  they  had  a  small  lodge  and  Seminary  ah 
half  a  league  from  the  Fort,  on  the  spot  where 
General  Hospital  now  stands.  It  was  comrnen 
before  the  year  1620 ;  and  in  1622  was  defended 
a  small  Fort  against  the  incursions  of  a  party 
Iroquois,  who  being  unable  to  effect  its  capti 
wreaked  their  vengeance  upon  the  Hurons,  sew 
of  whom  they  surprised  and  put  to  death. 

After  the  capture  of  Quebec  by  the  Kertks 
1629,  the  Recollet  Fathers  returned  to  France. 
its  restoration  to  the  French  Crown  in  1632, 
return  of  these  ecclesiastics  to  Canada  was  opposed 
the  Company,  on  the  ground  that  being  of  die  m 
dicant  order,  they  were  ill  adapted  to  the  wants  o 
new  country.  This  policy  prevailed  until  16 
when  they  obtained  from  the  King  of  France  an  e< 
for  their  re-establishment.  Father  Cesare'e  H] 
veau,  accompanied  by  two  other  Priests,  and  a 
brother,  accordingly  sailed  for  Quebec  on  the  li 
July  in  that  year ;  together  with  M.  Talon,  i 
Intendant,  and  a  portion  of  five  hundred  famili 
whom  the  King  was  about  to  send  out  as  settU 
This  vessel  having  been  obliged  to  put  into  Lish 
after  three  months  boisterous  weather,  in  returni 
to  Rochelle,  foundered  in  sight  of  that  harbor,  a 


WITH   HISTOBICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  181 

every  soul  was  lost.    In  May  1670,  Father  Ger- 
main Allard,  Provincial  of  the  Recollets,  embarked 
for  Quebec  with  M.   Talon,  three   other  eccle- 
siastics, and  a  Deacon   of  the  name  of  Brother 
Luke,  famous  for  his  skill  in  painting.     This  voyage 
was  prosperous,  and  the   Provincial  had  the  gra- 
tification of  seeing  his  brethren  once  more  placed 
in  possession  of  the  property  on  the   River   St. 
Charles,  which  they  had  held  before   the  capture 
of  Quebec  by  the   Kertks,   in    1629.     He   then 
returned  to  France.     The  Recollets  having  been 
thus  re-established,  rendered   by   their  piety  and 
example  the  greatest  services  to  the  colony,  where 
they  were  greatly  respected.     They  continued  to 
reside  on  the  River  St.  Charles  until  1690;   when 
Monseigneur  de  St.  Vallier,  then  Bishop  of  Que- 
bec, being  desirous  to  establish  a  General  Hospital, 
as  an  asylum  for  all  the  poor,  and  the  house  which 
was  occupied  by  the  Recollets  at  Notre  Dame  des 
dnges,  on  the  bank  of  the  St.  Charles,  appearing 
e?ery  way  convenient  for  that  object,  a  negociation 
was  entered  into  between  the  Bishop  and  the  Fathers 
far  the  transfer  of  their  property.  .  The   Recollets 
•ere  desirous  to  approach  nearer  to  the  scene  of  their 
duties  ;  and  the  proposal  of  the  Bishop  having  been 
Hade  acceptable  to  them,  they  ceded  their  property 
en  the  St.  Charles,  and  received  a  lot  of  land  imme- 
diately opposite  to  the  Fort  of  St.  Lewis,  between 
8t  Anne,  St.  Lewis,  and  Garden  Streets,  when  they 
loon  afterwards  erected  their  Church  and  Convent. 
La  Potherie  and  Le  Beau,  the  latter  of  whom 
"ended  with  the  Recollet  Fathers  for  a  year,  both 
peak  of  their  Monastery  and  Church  as  handsome 
ind  convenient.     Charlevoix  gives  the  following 

2 


182  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

description  of  it :  "  The  Fathers  Recollet  ha\ 
large  and  beautiful  Church,  which  might  do  ti 
honor  even  at  Versailles.  It  is  very  neatly  wains 
ed,  and  is  adorned  with  a  large  tribune  or  gal 
somewhat  heavy,  but  the  wainscoting  of  whicl 
extremely  well  carved,  and  in  which  are  inch 
the  confession  seats.  This  is  the  work  of  one  oft! 
brother  converts.  In  a  word,  nothing  is  wantinj 
render  it  complete,  except  the  taking  away  some 
tures  very  coarsely  daubed ;  Brother  Luke  has  pu 
some  of  his  hand  which  have  no  need  of  those  f 
Their  house  is  answerable  to  the  Church ;  it  is  la 
solid  and  commodious,  and  adorned  with  a  spac 
and  well  cultivated  garden." 

The  ancient  Church  and  Convent  of  the  R£co 
were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1 796,  and  on  the  site  ste 
now  the  English  Cathedral,  of  which  we  shall ; 
sently  make  more  particular  mention. 

The  following  inscriptions  were  discovered 
years  ago,  on  plates  deposited  in  the  corner  stone 
the  former  R£collet  Church  and  Convent, 
first  was  found  on  the  23d  July,  1824,  by  s< 
workmen  employed  in  levelling  the  Place  d'An 
on  part  of  which  those  buildings  stood  :  the  sec 
was  discovered  some  time  afterwards. 

D.  O.  +  M. 
Anno  Dni.  1693,  14  Jul.  Qusb 
Seraphici  Bonaventurje  festo  solemnis 
Agebatur,     Sedente  Innocentio  XII  ° .  sura  mo 

Pontifice, 
RegnaDte  Rege  Christianissimo 
Ludovico,  Magno  X1I1I ; 
Ad  perpetuam  Dei  Gloriara, 

Virginis  Deiparae  honorem, 
Seraphici  Patris  Francisci  laudem, 
Necnon,  Divi  Antomj  de  Padua 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  183 

Expressam  invocationem  : 
niastri88imii8  ac  Reverendissimus  Dnus.  Daus. 
Joannes  De  La  Croix  de  Saint  Vallier, 
Secundus,  Episcopus  Quebecensis, 
Re&dificandse  novae  ff  'um  mino  :  Kecollectoram 
Ecclesiffi  et  Domus  gratia  :  Joco  Conventus  antiqui 

nostra  Domiose  Angelorum. 
Eoramdem  flf'um,  ab  ipsomet  eximia  charitate 

et  pietate  in  xenodochium  mutuati  et 
mutati,  necnon,  sequanirai  pietate  et 

gratitudine,  ab  Iisdem  ff 'bus  libere  cessi : 
Hone  hujuRce  Ecclesia?  et  Conventus 
Sancti  Antonij  de  Padua, 
primarium  Lapidem 
admovit ; 

And  on  the  reverse  side  the  following : 

eidem  ministrabat 

F.  Hyacinth  us  Perrault, 

Commissarius  prov'lis  tot i us 

Missionis  Guardianus  dicti  contus, 

et  novi  ^Edificij  promotor  indignus. 

translated. 

To  God  the  best  and  most  high, 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1693,  14th  July, 

On  which  was  celebrated  the  festival  of  the  Seraphic 

Boua  venture, 

During  the  Pontificate  of  Innocent  XII.  Sovereign  Pontiff, 

In  the  reign  of  the  most  Christian  King 

Louis  the  Great  XIV. 

To  the  perpetual  glory  of  God, 

The  honor  of  the  Virgin  Mother  of  God, 

In  praise  of  the  Seraphic  Father  Francis, 

And  the  express  Invocation  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua  : 

The  Most  Illustrious  and  Most  Reverend  Lord 

John  de  la  Croix  de  Saint  Vallier, 

Second  Bishop  of  Quebec, 

In  order  to  the  rebuilding  a  new  Church  and  mansion, 

For  the  minor-brothers  Recollets, 


184  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

Instead  of  the  Ancient  Convent  of  our  Lady 
Of  Angels  belonging  to  the  same  Brothers,  which  he,  with  per- 
fect Charity  and  Piety  acquired  and  converted  into  an  asylum, 
and  which  the  same  Brothers  with  equal  piety  and  gratitude 
freely  surrendered,  hath  placed  this,  the  First  Stone  of  this 
Church  and  Convent  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua. 

On  the  reverse  side. 

Assisted  by 

Brother  Hyacinthe  Perrault, 

Provincial  Commissioner  of  the  whole  mission, 

Guardian  of  the  same  Convent, 

And  the  undeserving  forwarder  of  the  new  edifice. 

The  second  inscription  was  as  follows  : — 

D.  O.  +  M. 

Anno  Domini  1693, 14  Julii, 

Seraphim  sacra  die, 

illustri8simus  ac  nobilissimus  Dominus 

Dominus  Joannes  Bochart  de  Champigny 

Noray,  rei  judiciariae  civilis  necnon  aerarii 

regii  in  tota  nova  Francia  praefectus, 

concessis  a  se  fratribus  minoribus  Recoil :  missionum 

Canadensium,  pro  insigni  erga  ipsos  charitate, 

in  vicinio  suo,  terra  et  fundo,  eorum  Eremitor : 

Nostra  Dominse  de  Portiunculo  nuncupati, 

prope  Quebecum.in  memoriale  perenne  veteris 

eorum  Conventus,  tunc  usui  Pauperum  sacri, 

hujus  primarii  Lapidis  eorum  novae  sancti 

Anton  lj  de  Padua  Ecclesiae  et  Conventus 

Quebecensis  positione  munificentiam 

"  et  benevolum  affectum 

'  consignavit. 

TRANSLATION. 

To  God  the  best  and  highest, 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord,  1693, 14th  July, 

A  day  sacred  to  the  Seraphim, 

The  most  illustrious  and  noble  Lord 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  185 

John  Boohart  de  Champipny  Noray, 

Intendant  of  Justice  of  Police  and  of  the 

Royal  Treasury  in  all  New  France, —  # 

having  granted  a  lot  and  ground  on  his  premises 

to  the  minor  Brothers  Recollets  of  the  Canadian 

Missions— through  great  charity  towards  them, 

hath,  (by  placing  this  first  Stone  of  their 

new  Church  and  Convent  of  St.  Anthony 

of  Padua  at  Quebec)  recorded  the 

munificence  and  benevolent  Intent  of  those 

Anachorites  of  our  Lady  called  Portiunculam 

in  perpetual  memorial  of  their  ancient 

Convent  near  Quebec, 

at  that  time  sacred  to  the  use  of  the  Poor. 

THE   JESUITS'   COLLEGE. 

i  1624,  Champlain,  who  had  arrived  in  France 
i  Quebec,  found  that  the  Duke  de  Montmorency 
resigned  the  Viceroyalty  of  New  France  to  his 
hew,  Henry  de  Levy,  Duke  de  Ventadour,  a 
eman  of  great  piety,  who  had  retired  from  pub- 
iffairs,  and  devoted  himself  solely  to  spiritual 
ems.  His  object  was  to  use  the  weight  of  his 
ence,  and  all  the  means  which  he  possessed,  in 
conversion  of  the  Indians ;  and  having  continued 
government  of  the  country  in  the  hands  of 
mplain,  he  does  not  appear  to  have  further  in- 
ited  himself  in  its  temporal  prosperity.  He  was 
tly  attached  to  the  Order  of  Jesuits,  and  deter- 
;d  to  employ  them  in  the  execution  of  his  pious 
jns.  Accordingly,  three  Jesuits,  by  name,  Fa- 
i  Lallemant,  Le  Brebceuf,  and  Masse',  and 
Friars,  Francois  and  Gilbert,  embarked  with 
>aen,  in  1625,  and  arrived  safely  in  Quebec, 
e  they  founded  the  Jesuits'  mission.  They  were 
of  extraordinary  zeal  and  piety,  eminently  qua- 
for  the  undertaking,  and  were  all  afterwards 

o  2 


186  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

distinguished  in  the  history  of  the  country.  Father 
Breboeuf,  after  many  years  residence  among  the 
savages,  fell  at  last  a  victim,  by  an  excruciating  death, 
to  the  ferocity  of  the  Iroquois,  together  with  the 
Huron  tribe  with  whom  he  resided.  Champlain  am 
of  this  worthy  Priest,  that  he  had  a  peculiar  gift  in 
acquiring  languages,  and  that  he  had  learaecf  more 
of  the  Indian  tongues  in  three  years  than  others  had 
done  in  twenty. 

On  the  arrival  of  these  Jesuits  in  Quebec,  they 
were  hospitably  received  by  the  Recollets ;  and  were 
entertained  for  the  space  of  two  years  at  their  house 
on  the  St.  Charles,  until  they  were  able  to  establish 
themselves.  On  the  10th  March,  1626,  they  obtain- 
ed a  grant  of  the  Seigniory  of  Notre  Dame  des  Anga> 
one  league  in  front  by  four  in  depth,  in  which  wis 
situated  the  R£collet  Church  and  Fort 

On  the  15th  April,  1626,  Champlain  embarked 
for  Quebec,  and  with  him  three  other  Jesuits,  Fathers 
Noyrot,  De  La  Noue,  and  a  Friar.  They  arrived 
at  Tadoussac  on  the  29th  June,  and  at  Quebec  on 
the  5th  July.  In  the  vessel  with  the  Jesuits,  which 
was  freighted  by  themselves,  were  twenty  laborers, 
who  were  a  great  acquisition  to  the  colony  at  that 
time.  The  permanent  population  then  amounted  to 
only  fifty-five  souls  ;  and  the  ecclesiatics  were  scat- 
tered throughout  the  different  missions  in  the  country 
parts. 

From  what  is  stated  by  Champlain,  it  appeals  L 
that  the  Jesuits,  as  well  as  the  Rdcollets,  resided 
on  the  little  River  St.  Charles,  in  their  lately  acquired    . 
seigniory.       They  afterwards,    however,    removed    * 
into  the  city,  still  keeping  their  pastures  and  garden 
on  the  St.  Charles,  called  La  Vaeherie.     Champ- 
lain says,  in  1629  :     "  As  to  the  Reverend  Jesuit 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  187 

Fathers,  they  have  only  sufficient  land  cleared  and 
in  crop  for  themselves,  and  their  servants  to  the  num- 
ber of  twelve The  R6collet  Fathers  have  much 

more  land  cleared  and  in  crop,  and:  were  only  four 
in  number."  The  latter  had  however  only  between 
four  and  five  acres  in  cultivation. 

After  the  capture  of  Quebec  in  1629,  Louis 
Kertk  visited  the  habitation  of  the  Jesuits,  and  ac- 
cepted three  or  four  pictures  which  they  offered  him. 
The  English  Chaplain  also  took  some  books  which 
he  asked  from  the  Priests.  After  having  examined 
the  residence  and  clearance  of  the  Jesuits,  Kertk 
proceeded  to  visit  the  Recollets,  from  whom  it  does 
not  appear  that  he  received  any  thing,  probably  on 
account  of  their  well  known  poverty  and  self  denial. 
Their  pictures,  however,  were  at  that  day  famous, 
owing  to  the  skill  of  one  of  their  order,  Brother 
Luke.  It  must  not  be  concluded  from  this,  that 
either  the  Priests,  or  the  French  inhabitants,  gene- 
rally, were  ill-treated  on  this  occasion.  Champlain 
expressly  says  :  "  On  recevoit  toute  sorte  de  cour- 
toisie  des  Anglois."  The  only  complaints  he  made 
were  against  the  conduct  of  a  French  renegado  in 
the  English  service,  who  did  every  thing  in  his  power 
to  annoy  his  former  friends  and  countrymen. 

The  Jesuits,  as  well  as  the  other  ecclesiastics,  re- 
turned to  France  in  the  autumn  of  1629.  On  their 
embarkation,  however,  at  Tadoussac,  we  regret  to  / 
state  that  they  were  deprived  of  their  silver  chalices^ 
by  order  of  Sir  David  Kertk,  who  imagined  he  was 
performing  a  meritorious  service,  instead  of  laying 
himself  open  to  the  accusation  of  avarice  and  un- 
licensed plunder,  unworthy  of  the  doctrines  he 
professed,  and  the  country  whose  commission  he 
bore. 


188  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

The  following  curious  scene  occurred  at  Tadoua* 
sac,  before  the  embarkation  of  the  Jesuits.  One  of 
the  parties  was  the  celebrated  De  Breboeuf,  whose 
miserable  death  we  have  before  alluded  to — the  other 
was  Captain  Jacques  Michel,  a  French  Calvinist, 
who  held  a  command  under  Kertk,  and  was  reputed 
a  brave  and  experienced  officer. 

"  General  Kertk,  speaking  to  the  Jesuit  Fathers, 
observed,  '  Gentlemen,  you  had  certainly  some  bo* 
siness  in  Canada,  if  it  was  only  to  enjoy  what  belong* 
ed  to  M.  De  Caen,  of  which  you  have  dispossessed 
him/  '  Pardon  me,  Sir,'  replied  the  Father,  « it  was 
only  the  pure  intention  of  promoting  the  glory  of 
God  which  brought  us  here,  exposing  ourselves  to 
all  dangers  and  perils  for  that  object,  and  the  con- 
version of  the  savages  of  this  country/  Michel 
interrupting  him,  said  :  *  Aye,  aye, — convert  the 
savages  !  rather  to  convert  the  beavers  !'  Upon 
which  the  Father  promptly,  and  without  reflection, 
replied,  *  that  is  false.'  The  other  lifted  up  his  hand 
saying,  '  but  for  the  respect  due  to  the  General,  I 
would  strike  you,  for  giving  me  the  lie.'  The  Father 
rejoined  :  '  you  must  excuse  me,  I  did  not  intend 
to  give  you  the  lie.  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  do  so, 
the  term  I  used  is  one  in  use  in  the  schools,  when 
a  doubtful  question  is  proposed,  not  considering  it 
any  offence.  Therefore  I  ask  you  to  pardon  me, 
and  to  believe,  that  I  did  not  say  it  with  any  inten- 
tion of  offending  you.' " 

When  Champlain  resumed  the  Government  of 
New  France,  in   1633,  after  the  treaty  of  St  Ger- 
main-en-Laye,  he  was  accompanied  by  Fathers  De 
Breboeuf,  and  Masse.     Fathers  Le  Jeune  and  De  .  I 
No'rie  had  embarked  for  Quebec  the  year  previous.  '  ^ 
Father  Noyrot  had  perished  by  shipwreck  in  162&    * 

i 

i 


i 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  189 

lie  number  of  officiating  priests  in  Quebec,  in  1636, 
as  fifteen,  with  four  lay  brethern,  employed  in  the 
location  of  youth. 

Charlevoix  represents  their  Indian  allies  as 
ghly  gratified  at  the  return  of  the  French ;  and 
yes  an  amusing  description  of  the  impression  made 
)on  them  by  the  different  manners  of  the  English, 
iring  their  occupation  of  Quebec,  from  1629  to 
S33.  The  savages  were  much  disconcerted  when 
ey  found  the  new  comers  by  no  means  disposed 
allow  them  the  same  liberties,  which  the  French  had 
emitted  with  the  greatest  good-humor.  This  was 
id  enough,  but  matters  soon  became  worse.  The 
idians  had  been  accustomed  to  enter  the  houses  of 
eir  French  friends  and  protectors,  with  the  greatest 
sedom  and  absence  of  ceremony.  To  the  French, 
10  adapted  themselves  with  great  facility  to  any 
ie  of  conduct  which  was  likely  to  conciliate,  it  was 
gy  to  permit  this  familiarity.  But  it  was  widely  dif- 
rent  with  the  English.  They  by  no  means  tolerated 
e  intrusion  of  the  Indian,  whose  habits  and  feelings 
ey  little  understood  ;  and  at  last  became  so  much 
moyed  with  it,  as  to  chase  the  astonished  savage, 
4  expel  him  from  the  threshold,  as  Charlevoix  ex- 
esses  himself,  d  coups  de  batons.  The  consequence 
is,  that  although  the  Indians  continued  to  trade 
tth  the  English  in  furs,  they,  generally  speaking, 
isented  themselves  from  Quebec  during  the  stay 

Kertk ;  and  when  the  French  returned,  welcomed 
eir  re-appearance  with  every  sign  of  sincerity  and 
•ngratulation. 

The  Jesuits  adroitly  took  advantage  of  this  feel- 
g  and  began  to  establish  distant  missions.  Fathers 
•e  Brebceuf,  Daniel,  and  Davost  went  to  reside  in 
«  Huron   country  :   not,  however,  without  op- 


190  NEW   PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

position  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  chiefs.    After   I 
some  years  they  made  several  proselytes  among  the   1 
Hurons,  and  even  many  of  the  chiefs  came  and  de- 
manded the  rite  of  baptism. 

The  colony  was  now  encreasing  every  year  in 
population  and  resources  ;  and  it  began  to  oe  con- 
sidered, that  nothing  could  tend  more  favorably  to 
the  reformation  of  morals  and  the  diffusion  of  religion, 
than  a  College  for  the  instruction  of  youth.  In 
16*25,  on  the  first  coming  of  the  Jesuits  to  New 
France,  the  idea  of  forming  such  an  establishment 
captivated  the  imagination  of  Rene  Rohault,  eld- 
est son  of  the  Marquis  de  Gamache,  who  had 
become  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  His  refap 
tions  enabled  him  to  offer  six  thousand  crowns  of  gold 
to  the  General  of  the  Order,  in  order  to  effect  At 
foundation  of  a  College  in  Quebec.  The  donation 
was  graciously  accepted ;  but  the  capture  of  die 
place  by  the  English  necessarily  delayed  the  perfor- 
mance of  the  condition.  After  the  restoration,  it 
was  determined  to  prosecute  the  original  design* 

The  foundation  of  the  Jesuits'  College  was  ac- 
cordingly laid  with  great  ceremony,  in  December, 
1635.  The  site  was  the  same  as  that  which  die 
buildings  now  occupy,  on  the  other  side  of  the  squirt 
in  which  the  French  Cathedral  and  Seminary  weft 
afterwards  built.  Their  Church,  however,  stood  upon 
that  part  of  Garden  Street,  which  has  since  acquired 
the  name  of  the  Haymarket.  On  the  removal  of  de 
Church,  the  street  was  widened  to  its  present  breadlfc* 
Behind  the  College  and  Church,  were  the  extensive 
grounds  and  garden  belonging  to  the  order,  b 
1639,  the  Jesuits'  Church  served  as  the  Paroissedfe 
Quebec  :  it  is  described  as  being  then  a  handsome 
building  of  wood,  with  an  arched  roof  and  gallery? 


I 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS,  191 

ind  such  appropriate  decorations  as  gave  it  all  the 
tppearance  of  a  Church. 

In  1640,  on  the  14th  June,  the  College  and  Church 
f  the  Jesuits  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire  ;  and 
be  Fathers  were  accommodated  by  the  Hospitaliires 
f  the  Hotel  Dieu  with  the  loan  of  their  own  house. 
rhe  Chapel  of  the  Hotel  Dieu  then  became  the 
?arois9e  of  Quebec  ;  and  the  Hospitaliires  went  to 
eside  at  a  house  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  establishment  of  the  Jesuits'  at  Syllery  was 
ommenced  in  1637,  under  the  auspices  of  their 
mperior,  Father  Le  Jeune.  The  funds  were  sup- 
plied by  the  generosity  of  the  Commandeur  de 
Syixkbi,  who  sent  out  workmen  from  France  for  the 
ixpress  purpose.  The  site  was  chosen  by  Father  Le 
feiine*  about  four  miles  above  Quebec  on  the  north 
bore,  and  still  retains  the  name  of  the  founder. 
Sere  were  established  several  Indian  families  who 
lad  become  Christians — and  the  intention  was  by 
heir  proximity  to  Quebec,  to  preserve  them  from 
he  attacks  of  the  Iroquois — and  from  the  danger  of 
amine,  by  instructing  them  to  cultivate  their  own 
ands.  The  Hospitaliires,  who  arrived  from  France 
n  1639,  assisted  the  Jesuits  in  the  good  work ;  and 
luring  four  years  took  up  their  residence  at  Syllery, 
vhere  they  tended  the  sick  under  circumstances  of 
peat  privation,  self  denial,  and  fortitude. 

It  was  also  to  the  representations  of  the  Jesuits 
bat  the  subsequent  establishment  of  the  Hotel  Dieu 
ind  of  the  Ursuline  Convent  were  owing  : — the  for- 
tter  for  the  attendance  of  the  sick,  and  the  latter  for 
;be  instruction  of  female  children — both  objects  of 
die  greatest  importance  to  the  welfare  of  a  new  co- 
lony. 


192  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

The  following  is  the  account  given  by  La  Po* 
tkerie  of  the  old  College  and  Church  of  the  Je- 
suits : — it  must  be  observed  that  the  present  build- 
ings  were   erected  subsequently   to    the  visit   of 
Charlevoix  in  1720  : — "  The  College  was  founded 
by  Father  Gamache,  who  made  a  donation  thereto 
of  twenty  thousand  crowns.     The  Church  is  very 
handsome.  The  ceiling  is  in  compartments  of  square^ 
filled  with  various  figures  and  symmetrical  ornaments. 
The  garden  is  large,  having  a  small  wood  of  lofty 
trees,  where  there  is  a  very  pretty  walk."      Charle* 
voix  gives  a  less  favorable  description  :      M  The 
College  iq  some  sort  disfigures  the  city,  and  threaten 
falling  to  ruin  every  day.     Its  situation  is  for  fro* 
being  advantageous,  it  being  deprived  of  the  greatest 
beauty  it  could  possibly  have  had,  which  is  that  rf 
the  prospect     It  had  at  first  a ,  distant  view  of  tk 
road,  and  its  founders  were  simple  enough  to  imagine 
they  would  always  be  allowed  to  enjoy  it ;  but  tney 
were  deceived.     The  Cathedral  and  Seminary  now 
hide  the  view,  leaving  them  only  the  prospect  of  the 
square,  which  is  far  from  being  a  sufficient  compen- 
sation for  what  they  lost.     The  court  of  this  College 
is  little  and  ill-kept,  and  resembles  more  than  any    \ 
thing  else  a  farmer's  yard.     The  garden  is  large  and    . 
well  kept,  being  terminated  by  a  small  wood,  the    ; 
remains  of  the  ancient  forest  which  formerly  covered    \ 
this   whole   mountain.     The   Church  has"  nothing   . 
worth  notice  on  the  outside  except  a  handsome  stee- 
ple ;  it  is  entirely  roofed  with  slate,  and  is  the  only 
one  in  all  Canada  which  has  this  advantage  :  all  the 
buildings  here  being  generally  covered  with  shinglefc 
It  is  very  much  ornamented  on  the  inside  :  the  gat 
lery  is  bold,  light  and  well  wrought,  and  is  surround- 
ed with  an  iron  balustrade,  painted  and  gilt,  and  of  jj- 


K 


With  historical  recollections.  193 

excellent  workmanship  :  the  pulpit  is  all  gilt,  and 
the  work  both  in  iron  and  wood  excellent :  there  are 
three  altars  handsomely  designed,  some  good  pic- 
tures, and  it  is  without  any  dome  or  cupola,  but  a  flat 
ceiling  handsomely  ornamented.  It  has  no  stone 
pavement,  in  place  of  which  it  is  floored  with  strong 
planks,  which  makes  this  church  supportable  in  win- 
ter, whilst  you  are  pierced  with  cold  in  the  others." 
The  Jesuits'  College  was  afterwards  rebuilt  in  its 
present  form,  and  must  have  been  considered  at  the 
time  a  noble  edifice.  From  this  seat  of  piety  and 
learning  issued  those  dauntless  Missionaries,  who 
made  the  Gospel  known  over  a  space  of  six  hundred 
leagues,  and  preached  the  Christian  faith  from  the 
St.  Lawrence  to  the  Mississippi.  In  this  pious  work 
many  suffered  death  in  the  most  cruel  form  :  all  un- 
derwent danger  and  privation  for  a  series  of  years, 
with  a  constancy  and  patience  that  must  always  com- 
mand the  wonder  of  the  historian,  and  the  admiration 
of  posterity. 

The  property  which  the  Jesuits  acquired  by  pur- 
chase, by  grants  from  the  King,  and  by  donations 
from  individuals,  was  very  considerable.  In  the  year 
1764,  the  order  was  abolished  by  the  King  of  France, 
and  the  Members  of  the  Society  became  private  in- 
dividuals. The  last  Jesuit,  Father  Casot,  died  in 
1800,  when  the  property  of  the  Order  fell  to  His 
Majesty,  in  whom  it  is  still  vested. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Church  originally  stood 
in  the  Haymarket,  opposite  to  Garden  Street.  The 
College  has  been  long  appropriated  by  the  Imperial 
Government  as  a  barrack  for  a  Regiment  of  Infantry, 
which  has  always  been  quartered  in  the  city.  Until 
a  few  years  ago,  the  last  surviving  trees  of  the  forest 
were  to  be  seen  in  the  angle  in  the  rear  of  the  barrack 

R 


194  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

office.  They  have  since  perished,  or  have  been  i 
moved  ;  and  the  spacious  barrack  yard  now  occup 
the  site  where  the  Jesuits  once  rejoiced  in  th< 
umbrageous  walks,  and  were  wont,  like  the  Philoc 
phera  of  old — 

—  inter  sylvas  academi  qtuerere  vernm. 
THE   HOTEL  DIEU, 


We  have  already  mentioned  the  dangers  and  p: 
vations  endured  not  only  by  the  Missionaries,  w 
were  conducted  by  religious  fervor  into  the  recess 
of  the  forest,  far  from  the  habitations  of  civilis 
man — but  by  young  and  delicate  females,  sprui 
from  ancient  and  respectable  families,  who  flock 
to  New  France  as  to  a  glorious  field  of  Christi 
exertion.  Of  these  none  were  more  conspicuous  th; 
the  Hospitalieres,  or  religious  ladies  forming  tl 
community  of  the  Hotel  Dieu. 

One  of  the  first  objects  of  the  Colony  of  Chai 
plain  after  its  restoration  to  the  French,  in  163 
was  the  foundation  of  an  Hotel  Dieu  in  Quebe 
Europeans,  who  came  to  establish  themselves  in 
rude  and  untried  climate,  after  a  navigation  in  th<x 
days  both  long  and  perilous,  were  subject  to  frequei 
and  distressing  maladies,  particularly  during  the  wii 
ter ;  against  the  rigors  of  which  they  were  unprovidt 
both  as  to  clothing  and  diet.  To  alleviate  the  evi 
which  arose  from  the  general  want  of  those  comfor 
which  are  peculiar  to  a  state  of  advanced  civilisatio 
they  had  no  other  resource  than  in  public  and  chi 
ritable  foundations.  Nor  was  such  an  establishmei 
as  the  Hotel  Dieu  less  necessary  in  regard  to  tl 
Indians.     In  addition  to  the  absence  of  medical cai 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS*  195 

ong  themselves — their  ignorance  of  the  more  for- 
iable  diseases,  and  their  natural  dislike  to  witness, 
ch  less  long  to  tolerate,  even  their  nearest  con- 
dons  in  a  state  of  feebleness  and  sickness — ren- 
ed  them  insensible,  while  in  their  savage  state, 
the  delicacy  of  medical  attendance,  and  incapable 
providing  other  than  temporary  remedies  for  sick- 
js  or  accident.  To  the  Nuns  Hospitalieres  the 
ages,  who  were  overcome  by  sickness,  in  the 
ghborhood  of  Quebec,  owed  the  cure  of  their 
lies,  and  their  soul's  health — zeal  and  charity 
nbitied  to  render  such  proselytes  dear — and  Chris- 
lNity  must  have  appeared  to  the  converted  Indians 
its  most  attractive  and  endearing  aspect — not  only 
firing  happiness  in  a  future  state,  but  presenting 
mediate  consolation  and  relief  from  the  bitterness 
their  personal  maladies. 

The  colony  being  as  yet  too  poor  to  undertake 
s  necessary  establishment,  through  the  represen- 
ions  of  the  Jesuits,  the  subject  came  to  be  discuss- 
,  and  soon  to  be  popular  among  the  rich  and 
werful  of  the  mother  country.  In  1636,  the 
ichess  D'Aiguillon,  niece  to  the  famous  Car- 
nal De  Richelieu,  resolved  to  found  an  Hotel 
tEU  in  Quebec,  at  her  own  expense.  She  was, 
wever,  liberally  assisted  by  her  relative  ;  and 
ring  their  joint  lives,  they  continued  to  testify 
;ir  kindness  and  affection  towards  the  foundation. 
r  contract  passed  on  the  16th  April,  1637,  they 
ve  an  annual  rent  of  fifteen  hundred  livres,  on  a 
pital  of  twenty  thousand,  as  a  commencement  of 
?ir  laudable  and  benevolent  design  :  on  condition 
that  the  Hospital  should  be  dedicated  to  the  death 
d  precious  blood  of  the  Son  of  God,  shed  for  the 
jrcy  of  all  mankind  ;"  and  that  masses  should  be 


196  NEW  PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

said  forever  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  of  the  founders. 
This  donation  was  afterwards  doubled  in  amount — but 
the  revenues  appear  never  to  have  been  equal  to  the 
expenses  incurred ;  and  of  late  years  the  pecuniary 
aid  of  the  Legislature  has  been  frequently  bestowed 
upon  this  deserving  community. 

In  the  execution  of  the  foundation,  the  Duchess 
D'Aiguillon  obtained  from  the  Company  of  mer- 
chants a  considerable  concession  of  waste  lands, 
which  they  called  Ste.  Marie ;  and  a  grant  of  a  piece 
of  ground  within  the  precincts  of  the  city,  being  thfe 
site  now  occupied  by  the  Hotel  Dieu,  its  buildings 
and  spacious  garden,  covering  altogether  abont  twelvt 
acres. 

The  Duchess  had  proposed  to  the  Hospitalises  tf 
Dieppe  to  take  charge  of  the  new  foundation  at 
Quebec.  These  Nuns  joyfully  accepted  the  offer; 
and  three  of  their  community  eagerly  prepared  them- 
selves for  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  in  discharge 
of  what  they  considered  a  religious  duty.  The  eldest 
was  chosen  superior  :  her  age  was  twenty-nine — the 
youngest  was  only  twenty-two  years  old. 

The  fleet  for  New  France  at  that  time  had  its 
rendezvous  at  Dieppe ;  where,  amidst  the  encourage- 
ment and  congratulation  of  all  classes  interested  in  . 
the  design,  they  embarked  on  the  4th  May,  1639,  i 
accompanied  by  other  vessels,  having  on  board 
Madame  De  La  Peltrie,  and  three  Ursuline  Nuns, 
destined  for  a  new  Convent  at  Quebec — several  Je* 
suits,  and  other  Priests  for  the  different  missions. 
After  a  rough  passage,  and  some  danger  from  the 
ice,  they  arrived  safe  at  Tadoussac  on  the  15th  July. 
Here  they  remained  some  days,  subjected  to  much 
inconvenience,  until  they  found  a  small  vessel  to 
take  them  up  the  river  to  Quebec.     On  the  31st 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  197 

July,  they  approached  the  harbor,  but  the  tide  being 
against  them,  it  was  resolved  to  land  upon  the  Isle 
of  Orleans,   then  uninhabited.      They  passed  the 
night  in  wigwams  constructed  for  the  purpose,  one 
for  the  Nuns,  another  for  the  Priests,  and  a  third  for 
the  crew.     The  next  morning  they  prepared  to  de- 
part, having  first  ordered  the   muskets  to  be  dis- 
charged, and  fires  to  be  made  in  the  woods,  in  token  of 
their  joy  and  gratitude  for  their  safe  arrival  in  the  . 
land  of  promise — the  scene  of  their  Christian  labors.  / 
These  fires  being  observed  from  Quebec,  the  Che- 
valier de  Montmagny,  who  had  succeeded  Cham- 
plain   in   the  Government,  sent  forward  a  canoe, 
which  soon  returned  with  the  gratifying  intelligence 
of  the  arrival  of  the  Nuns.     The  first  of  August,  the 
day  on  which  these  ladies  arrived,  so  long  and  so 
ardently  desired,  was  thought  worthy  of  being  cele  • 
brated  as  a  Fete.     The  shops  were  closed,  and  all 
labor  suspended.     The  troops  were  under  arms,  and 
the  Governor  at  their  head  received  the  religious 
heroines  on  the  river  side,  under  a  salute  from  the 
Fort.     On   landing,   they  reverentially  kissed   the 
chosen   ground;    and  after  the   first  compliments, 
were  led  by  the  Governor,  amid  the  acclamations  of 
the  people,  to  the  Jesuits'  Church,  then  the  Paroisse,  f 
where  Tedeum  was  sung,  and  High  Mass  performed,  ' 
in  thanksgiving  for  their  safe  arrival. 

Notwithstanding  the  joyful  reception  which  these 
Nuns  met  with,  such  was  then  the  poverty  of  Que- 
bec, that  they  for  some  time  suffered  the  greatest 
privations,  even  to  the  want  of  necessary  food  and 
clothing,  until  they  were  permanently  established  in 
the  Hotel  Dieu,  which  did  not  arrive  for  many  years 
afterwards.  They  were  at  first  lodged,  as  has  been 
stated  elsewhere,  in  a  small  house  belonging  to  the 

r  2 


198  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC* 

Company,  where  their  only  furniture  was  a  tabl< 
two  benches.  They  were  even  indebted  to  the 
vernor  for  {heir  first  meal  in  New  France  ;  an 
their  baggage  was  still  on  board  their  vessc 
Tadoussac,  they  were  obliged  to  sleep  on  bran 
of  trees,  laid  upon  the  floor,  until  the  15th  Au| 
when  they  received  their  furniture  and  effects. 

After  taking  lessons  in  the  Algonquin  tongue  f 
Father  Le  Jeune,  they  commenced  their  labor 
receiving  several  sick  persons,  whom  they  tei 
with  great  care,  as  well  Indians  as  French, 
small  pox  broke  out  among  the  former  with  g 
virulence,  and  the  nature  of  their  employment  w 
have  been  intolerable  to  delicate  females,  had  ( 
,  not  been  supported  throughout  by  a  powerful  s< 
j.     of  religious  duty. 

In  1640,  they  gave  up  their  house  in  Que 
to  the  use  of  the  Jesuits,  whose  residence  had  1 
destroyed  by  fire  ;  and  retired  to  St.  Michel,  w 
had  been  lent  to  them  by  Monsieur  de  Puise 
As  the  site  of  their  grant  in  the  city,  on  which 
Hotel  Dieu  now  stands,  appeared  to  them,  in 
infancy  of  their  pecuniary  means,  every  way  in< 
venient  from  its  rocky  and  uneven  nature,  and 
deficiency  of  water,  which  could  only  then  be  obt 
ed  by  descending  the  steep  cliff  to  the  River 
Charles — they  determined  to  suspend  the  build 
which  had  been  commenced  upon  it,  and  to  ere 
stone  house  at  Sillery,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
establishment  of  the  Jesuits  there.  They  \ 
induced  to  do  this  the  rather,  as  the  Indians  gre 
preferred  a  residence  there  to  Quebec  ;  altho 
not  long  afterwards,  the  incursions  of  the  Iroqi 
rendered  Sillery  a  much  less  secure  position.  ' 
Hospitaliires  of  Quebec,  having  been  joined  in  1< 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  199 

two  additional  Nuns  from  the  community  of 
ppe,  making*  in  all  five,  laid  the  first  stone  of  their 
[dings  at  Sillery,  on  the  9th  July,  with  great  ce- 
tony ;  but  continued  to  reside  at  St.  Michel  until 
'as  habitable  in  1641.  Their  condition  on  taking 
session  of  this  house,  which  was  in  an  unfinished 
e,  was  uncomfortable  in  the  extreme.  They 
e  more  than  a  league  from  Quebec,  living  among 
ages,  with  no  other  French  protectors  than  the 
isionaries.  Here  they  passed  the  first  winter  in 
it  distress,  still,  however,  continuing  their  atten- 
i  to  the  savages,  converting  and  healing  them. 
;y  resided  at  Sillery  four  years,  after  which, 
og  to  the  frequent  incursions  of  the  Iroquois,  they 
e  obliged  to  return  to  Quebec, — where  they  resid- 
in  a  small  house  on  the  river  side,  lent  to  them  by 
Governor — and  resumed  their  building  on  the 
sent  site  of  the  Hospital.  They  were  at  this 
3  seven  in  number. 

ls  soon  as  a  portion  of  this  first  building,  which 
>d  upon  the  site  of  the  present  Hotel  Dieu,  was 
»red  in,  the  Hospitaliires  took  possession ;  and 
sonally  aided  the  workmen  in  completing  it  by 
r  manual  labor.  Their  Chapel  was  consecrated 
he  16th  March,  1646,  an  occasion  of  great  joy 
be  little  community,  which  consisted  at  this  time 
nly  five  professed  Nuns,  a  Chaplain,  four  boarders, 
male  domestic,  and  seven  laboring  men.  During 
year,  they  successively  administered  relief  to 
y-six  natives  of  France,  and  one  hundred  and 
nty  savages,  some  of  whom  remained  five  and 
months  in  the  Hospital.  They  had  moreover 
ler  their  constant  protection  a  wigwam  of  ten 
ages,  whom  they  maintained  all  the  year  round. 


200  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

It  appears  by  a  bargain  made  by  these  Nui 
the  clearance  of  the  ground  about  the  Hotel  I 
that  one  hundred  and  fifty  livres  per  arpent,  \ 
to  six  pounds  five  shillings,  Halifax  currency 
the  common  price  at  this  time  for  the  performai 
such  work. 

At  this  period  they  had  acquired,  partly  by 
chase  and  partly  by  concession,  the  farm  o 
Sauveur  ;  having  sold  their  lands  at  Sillery  t« 
D'Auteuil.  They  also  received  a  gift  of  the 
St.  Ignace,  half  a  league  in  front  by  six  in  depth, 
M.  Giffard,  Seignior  of  Beauport,  as  a  dowry  ft 
daughter,  who  took  the  veil  in  1648.  The  dre 
the  Iroquois,  however,  prevented  the  settlemej 
this  Seigniory  until  the  year  1662. 

Three  Nuns  having  arrived  from  France  in  1 
the  number  of  these  devoted  ladies  was  encr* 
to  nine.  About  this  time  a  number  of  fan 
came  out  from  France  to  settle  in  Quebec  ;  an 
these  the  kindness  and  attention  of  the  Hospital 
were  found  of  signal  benefit  immediately  after 
arrival. 

In  1649,  after  the  utter  destruction  by  the  Iro< 
of  two  Huron  Villages,  called  St.  Joseph  anc 
Ignace,  and  the  cruel  death  of  Father  de  Brel 
and  Gabriel  Lallemant,  the  Missionaries,  the  ui 
tunate  Hurons — broken  hearted,  and  utterly  ui 
to  bear  up  against  the  incessant  attacks  of  i 
hereditary  enemies — or  rather,  the  sad  remain 
that  once  powerful  and  interesting  people,  tool 
fuge  near  Quebec,  where  they  were  kindly  rece 
and  hospitably  treated  by  the  Hospitalises  and 
Jesuits.  The  descendants  of  these  Huron  refuj 
are  now  to  be  found  in  the  village  of  Indian  Lor 
— presenting  a  striking  and  melancholy  contrast  ? 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  201 

ieir  former  power  and  condition,  when  they  stepped 
j  lords  of  the  soil  over  the  magnificent  country 
Inch  borders  the  waters  of  Lake  Huron.  Relative 
d  the  massacre  of  St.  Joseph  and  St.  Ignace,  there  is 

picture  at  present  in  the  Chaplain's  room  of  the 
Iotel  Dieu,  which  derives  its  interest  from  its  sub- 
ect,  the  dreadful  death  of  the  Missionaries,  and  the 
orture  to  which  they  were  exposed  by  the  refined 
Tuelty  of  the  Iroquois. 

The  first  Hospital,  being  built  of  wood,  and  only 
burteen  feet  wide,  was  soon  found  too  limited  for  the 
iccommodation  of  the  numerous  applicants.  By  great 
ixertions,  and  by  the  donations  of  generous  individu- 
ils  both  in  the  colony  and  in  France,  the  Hospita- 
Hreswere  enabled  to  build  another,  more  commodious 
n  dimension,  and  far  more  solid  in  construction. 
Che  first  stone  was  laid  on  the  15th  October,  1654, 

5M.  De  Lauzon,  the  Governor,  in  presence  of  the 
ergy  and  principal  inhabitants.  The  new  buildings 
fhich  consisted  of  an  Hospital,  now  the  female  ward, 
i  choir,  and  a  Church  were  finished  in  1658,  and  the 
atter  was  consecrated  by  the  Abbe  de  Quelus, 
3rand  Vicaire,  on  the  10th  August.  Mass  was  first 
celebrated  on  the  15th  of  the  same  month. 

The  weakness  of  the  Colony,  and  the  defenceless 
fate  of  Quebec  in  1660,  may  be  imagined  from  the 
act,  that  such  was  the  dread  inspired  by  the  Iroquois, 
irho  hovered  around  to  the  number  of  seven  hundred 
warriors,  that  it  was  not  considered  safe  for  the 
EospitalieYes  and  the  Ursulines  to  remain  in  their 
ftipective  convents  during  the  night.  They  accord- 
%ly  removed  every  evening  to  the  Jesuits'  College, 
*fere  apartments  were  assigned  to  them.  Patroles 
*tte  established  at  night  to  protect  the  city,  which, 


802  NEW  PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

but  for  these  precautions,  would  assuredly  have  fc 
fired  by  their  daring  and  implacable  assailants.  "T 
state  of  alarm  continued  for  three  weeks  ;  when 
Iroquois  made  a  simultaneous  attack  on  all 
posts  between  Three-Rivers  and  Quebec,  kili 
no  less  than  eighty  French,  and  a  great  number 
Algonquins  and  Hurons.  They  established  the 
selves  in  the  Isle  of  Orleans,  whence  M.  De  Lau» 
son  of  the  former  Governor  of  that  name,  i 
his  own  valuable  life,  and  the  lives  of  his  fi 
lowers,  in  vainly  attempting  to  dislodge  them*  S 
tisfied  with  their  triumph,  they  at  length  retire 
leaving  Quebec  once  more  to  repose ;  and  restorii 
the  Nuns  to  their  accustomed  charitable  duties. 

In  1672,  the  Colony  "had  acquired  sufficie 
strength  to  ensure  its  security  from  the  Iroquois;  ti 
as  many  settlers  came  out  each  spring,  the  wants 
an  encreasing  population  rendered  the  augmented 
of  the  Hotel  Dieu  again  necessary  ;  and  under  tl 
liberal  patronage  of  M.  Talon,  the  Intendant,  wl 
may  be  called  the  Pericles  of  Quebec,  anoth 
ward  and  an  additional  wing  were  undertaken,  a 
first  stone  of  which  was  laid  on  the  5th  May,  167 
in  the  presence  of  trie  Bishop,  and  other  dignitarfc 
On  the  20th  of  the  same  month,  the  Intendant, 
order  to  show  the  respect  he  entertained  for  tl 
Duchess  D'Aiguillon,  the  original  founder  of  u 
Hotel  Dieu,  caused  a  brass  plate  to  be  insert 
into  the  foundation  stone,  bearing  the  arms  of  th 
illustrious  lady,  and  the  following  Latin  inscripW 
written  by  his  Nephew,  who  is  spoken  of  as  a  yotti 
man  of  much  promise  at  the  time : — 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  203 

— EPFUSO   CHRISTI  8ANGUINI  ET 
MI8ERICORDLE     MATRI,    SEDENTE 

Clemente  X. 
cgn&nte  invicto,  pacifico  Rege  Christianissimo,  Ludovico 
IV,  benedicente  Francisco,  primo  Canadensium  Episcopo, 
tprecaoto  Virginnm  Hospitalarium,  preside  Renata  a  Na- 
ntate,  complaudente  Colonia  universa :  nee  non  pro  siugulari 
tt  in  pauperes  et  segros  incolas  charitate,  procurante  illus- 
faiiBo  Viro  D.  D  Joanne  Talon,  JEnrm,  Jari,  ac  toti 
tKticn  Rei,  Novae  Gallia?  summo  Praefecto.  Quod  olim  pie 
■■Awi  Notocomium,  angescente  Colonia,  hoc  novo  liberaliter 
Dftt  Hospitio,  immortalis  memoriae  et  omni  laadum  genere 
wnentissimi  Ducis  Cardinalis  Armandi  superstes,  et  sorore 
•P&  dignissiraa,  Maria  &  Vigenerot  Ducissa,  cni  sal  us  et 
**wmpiteriWL    Anno  salutis  instaurata  M.D.CLXXII. 

TRANSLATED. 

To  the  honor  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  shed  for  mankind,  and 
•  Mother  of  Mercy,  in  the  Pontificate  of  Clement  X.  in  the 
K*  of  the  invincible,  peaceful  and  most  Christian  King 
fell  XIV.  with  the  benediction  of  Francis,  first  Bishop  of 
1  Canadians,  and  at  the  request  of  Rene  de  la  Nativite, 
perior  of  the  Nuns  Hospitalieres,  with  the  applause  of  the 
o]«  colony,  also  as  a  mark  of  his  peculiar  affection  towards 
'  poor  and  the  sick,  and  by  the  instrumentality  of  Jean 
U)n,  Intendant  of  Justice,  Police  and  Finance  in  New 
Uice — the  same  Hospital  which  she  had  originally  so  piously 
nded,  on  the  encrease  of  the  Colony,  was  augmented  by  a 
>nd  liberal  donation,  by  Maria  de  Vignerot,  Duchess 
Uguillon,  surviving  niece  of  the  immortal  and  most  eminent  . 
xlinal  Duke  Armand,  to  whom  be  health  and  everlasting  / 
ry.    In  the  year  of  salvation  MDCLXXII. 

In  1696  considerable  additions  were  made  to  the 
tidings  of  the  Hotel  Dieu,  which,  with  subse- 
ent  improvements  gradually  assumed  their  present 
aearance. 

The  present  edifice  is  a  substantial  and  capacious 
ilding,  three  stories  high,  standing  between  Palace- 
He  and  Hope-Gate.     Its  longest  portion  is  one 


£04  NEW  PICTURE   Of   gUEBEti* 

hundred  and  thirty  yards,  by  seventeen  in  de; 
On  the  north-west  side,  the  wing  is  only  fifty  y 
long,  and  two  stories  high.  Every  medical  care 
delicate  attendance  is  here  gratuitously  afforde 
the  afflicted  poor  by  the  religious  community,  wl 
consists  of  a  Superior,  about  thirty  three  Nuns, 
Novices  and  a  postulant./  The  Church  is  simple 
plain,  having  a  few  paintings  which  may  be  seei 
proper  application  being  made  to  the  Chap] 
Several  are  also  distributed  throughout  the  var 
rooms  and  wards.  Three  or  four  pictures  are  sU 
to  be  originals,  and  are  by  eminent  masters  :  as 
Nativity,  by  Stella,  a  French  painter  who  diet 
1661 : — The  Virgin  and  Child,  by  Coypel,  who  i 
in  1707,  and  St.  Bruno,  by  the  celebrated  Eusti 
Le  Sueur,  who  died  in  1655.  He  was  called 
Raphael  of  France,  and  his  principal  work  was 
life  of  St.  Bruno,  in  a  series  of  twenty-two  pictn 
preserved  in  the  Chartreux,  at  Paris. 

THE   URSULINE    CONVENT, 

This  Institution/as  well  as  that  of  the  Hotel  D 
owes  its  origin  to  the  powerful  representations  oi 
Jesuits  settled  in  New  France.  The  object  of 
latter  was  not,  however,  merely  to  provide  the  mi 
of  religious  instruction  and  education  for  the  fei 
children  of  the  French  residents.  They  cont 
plated  the  instruction  also  of  the  young  daughte: 
the  converted  Indian — so  extensive  and  philant 
pic  were  the  views  of  this  order.  The  Comj 
of  merchants  to  whose  direction  the  temporal  af 
of  the  Colony  were  confided, — men  of  worldly  vi 
and  more  anxious  for  a  good  return  of  furs, 
solicitous  of  extending  to  the  savage  benefits,  w 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  205 

seemed  to  them  unnecessary  and  premature — took 
no  steps  to  promote  the  settlement  of  the  Ursulines. 
In  justice  it  should  be  added,  neither  did  they  take 
measures  to  prevent  it. 

Several  unsuccessful  attempts  were  made  to  carry 
into  effect  a  foundation  so  desirable  as  that  of  the 
Ursulines,  whose  peculiar  province  it  was  to  devote 
themselves  to  the  education  of  female  children.  At 
length,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Hospitalieres,  it  was  re- 
served for  a  young  widow  of  Alenfon,  a  person  of 
rank  and  fortune,  named  Madame  De  la  Peltrie, 
to  surmount  every  obstacle ;  and  to  accomplish  her 
purpose  by  devoting  her  whole  fortune,  and  conse- 
crating even  personal  labor  to  the  good  work.  With 
two  Ursulines  from  Tours,  and  one  from  Dieppe, 
the  attended  the  rendezvous  of  the  Canada  fleet ; 
and  sailed  on  the  4th  May,  1639,  for  Quebec,  in 
company  with  the  Hospitalieres,  as  mentioned  above. 
The  courage  and  devotion  of  Madame  De  La 
Peltrie  have  been  highly  celebrated.  Persons  of 
similar  qualities  have  appeared  in  almost  every  age 
to  meet  the  wants  of  society — without  whose  energy 
and  self  denial  few  of  those  philanthropic  institu- 
tions, to  which  the  world  owes  so  much  at  the  present 
day,  would  have  been  matured,  and  successfully 
established*  This  devout  lady  give  up  all  to  carry 
into  effect  her  laudable  design ;  and  is  even  said 
to  have  at  one  time  worked  with  her  own  hands  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  ground,  on  which  the  Ursuline 
Convent  now  stands.  She  divested  herself  of  all 
superfluous  clothing,  and  parted  with  her  wardrobe 
to  supply  raiment  to  the  poor  children  of  the  colo- 
v  lifts,  whom  she  fed  as  well  as  clothed  :  her  whole 
u  life  indeed  was  a  series  of  charitable  deeds,  which 
t  lave  rendered  her  name  illustrious  in  the  religious 

s 


206  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

annals  of  Canada.  The  fruits  of  her  valuable  foun- 
dation are  to  this  day  experienced,  in  the  excellent 
education  which  is  afforded  to  young  females  in  the 
school  of  the  Ursuline  Convent 

The  reception  of  the  Urkulines  has  been  already 
described  under  the  Hotel  Dieu.  The  Hospttor 
lieres  went  immediately  to  Sillery — the  Ursulines 
were  established  in  a  small  house  on  the  river  side, 
most  probably  on  the  St  Charles.  Like  the  Ho* 
pitalieres  they  suffered  trials  and  privations  innume- 
rable. Scarcely  had  they  arrived,  when  the  small 
pox  broke  out  in  Quebec.  But  they  were  not  dis- 
concerted :  they  indeed  preserved  their  health,  and 
had  presence  of  mind  enough,  in  the  midst  of  death* 
to  employ  themselves  in  the  study  of  the  Indian 
languages,  in  order  to  render  themselves  more  use- 
ful to  the  community  among  which  they  had  begun 
their  pious  career.  It  has  been  stated  that  their  list 
intention  was  to  educate  the  female  children  of  the 
Indians.  Finding  this  to  be  inconvenient,  and  almost 
impracticable,  they  were,  after  some  years,  reluc- 
tantly compelled  to  abandon  that  part  of  their  de- 
sign. 

The  Ursulines  completed  their  first  Convent  in 
1641.     It  was  built  most  probably  of  wood ;  and 
stood  within  the  present  possessions  of  the  Commu- 
nity, between  St  Lewis,  Garden,  St  Anne,  and  St 
Ursule  Streets.     A  very  curious  pictorial  plan,  or  \ 
map,  of  the  original  Convent  is  still  in  existence,  j 
In  this,  St  Lewis  Street  appears  merely  a  broad  road  i 
between  the  original  forest  trees,  and  is  called  lA  \ 
Grande  Allie — without  a  building  immediately  o»  J, 
either  side.      At  a  little  distance  to  the  north  of  Z*  3- 
Grande  Allee,  is  a  narrower  path,  called  Le  Pd*  (, 
Chemin,  running  parallel  and  leading  into  the  fbrtffc  i; 


i 

i 


( 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  207 

3  smaller  path  went  exactly  through  the  choir  of 
present  Chapel ;  the  great  door  of  which  is  be- 
in  the  two  roads,  but  close  to  the  narrower  one, 
escribed  in  the  map.  A  small  brook  ran,  appa- 
ly  from  Cape  Diamond,  diagonally  across  both 
Grande  Allee  and  Le  Petit  Chemin  ;  and  thence 

Garden  Street.  Close  to  the  spot  where  the 
pel  now  stands,  and  nearly  in  front  of  the 
.t  door,  was  the  residence  of  Madame  De  La 
trie,  the  founder  of  the  Convent ;  which  is 
ribed  in  the  plan  as  occupying,  in  1642,  the 
er  of  Garden  Street,  nearly  opposite  to  the  classi- 
chool  and  residence  of  the  Reverend  D.  Wilkie. 

Ursuline  Convent  itself  stood  to  the  north- 
;  of  Madame  De  La  Peltrie's  house,  abutting 
rje  Petit  Chemin,  which  ran  parallel  to  St.  Louis 
et,  and  fronting  towards  Garden  Street.  It  is 
esented  as  being  a  well  proportioned  and  substan- 
building,  two  stories  high,  with  an  attic — four 
inies,  and  a  cupola,  or  belfry  in  the  centre.  The 
ber  of  windows  in  front  were  eleven  on  the  upper 
r ;  which  contained  the  parloir,  dormitory,  and 
mary.  On  the  lower  story  were  the  Chapel, 
other  necessary  apartments.  The  door  leading 
le  par  loir )  which  was  in  the  upper  story,  opened 
he  south  end  :  that  of  the  Chapel  was  in  front 
le  building.  The  Convent  was  surrounded  by  a 
t,  in  which,  according  to  the  ancient  plan,  was  the 
,  Several  female  children  are  represented  as 
ig  their  recreation  there  between  the  hours 
chool   attendance.     In  other  compartments   of 

singular  map  are  seen,  La  Mere  de  l'In- 
nation,  so  celebrated  by  Charlevoix,  instruct- 

the  young  sauvagesses,  under  an  ancient  ash 

;— Mire  St  Joseph,  going  to  teach  the  cate- 


208  KfcW  PICTURE   Of    QUEBEC, 

chism  to  the  Huron  and  Algonquin  neophytes  ; 
Mire  St  Croix,  accompanied  by  a  young  Cana 
boarder,  proceeding  to  visit  the  wigwams  of  the 
vages,  some  of  whom  are  represented  as  residin 
the   forest,    inclosed   within   the   precincts   of 
Ursulines.     With  the  exception  of  the  building 
the  Convent,  its  court  yard,  and  Madame  Di 
Peltrie's  house,  all  the  ground  including  both  i 
of  St.  Lewis  Street,  is  represented  in  the  pictui 
in  the  natural  state.     In  La  Grande  AlUe — the 
sent  St.  Lewis  Street — we  see  M.  Daillebout, 
Governor,  on  horseback,  riding  gently  along- 
has,   apparently,  just   been   conversing   with 
dame  De  La  Peltrie,  who  is  entering  her 
house,  conducting  a  young  female  by  the  nan d. 
Garden  Street  are  several  priests,  probably  Re< 
lets,  approaching  the  Convent. 

The  plan  we  have  attempted  to  describe  is  pri 
bly  the  most  ancient,  as  it  is  the  most  interest 
representation  extant  of  any  portion  of  Quebet 
its  early  days. 

In  1650,  the  Convent  was  destroyed  by  fire- 
enemy  which  proved  most  destructive  to  the  e 
establishments  of  Quebec.  The  fire  broke  out  on 
30th  December  ;  and  was  occasioned  by  some  c 
which  had  been  left  by  a  sister  employed  in  the  bi 
house,  which  was  in  a  cellar  at  the  north  end  of 
building.  The  Nuns  made  their  escape  by  the  < 
at  the  south  end,  which  led  by  a  staircase  to 
parloir  ;  but  the  building  was  entirely  consul) 
Its  inmates,  to  the  number  of  fourteen,  were  kii 
received,  and  hospitably  entertained  during  tl 
weeks,  by  the  Nuns  of  the  Hotel  Dieu.  On  the ! 
January,  1651,  they  removed  to  the  house  of  Mad 
De  La  Peltrie,  which  had  been  prepared  for  t 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  209 

option.  On  this  occasion  a  solemn  act,  or  conven- 
:,  was  drawn  up  and  executed  by  the  Superiors  of 
Ursulines  and  the  Hospitalieres,  the  purport  of 
ch  was,  "  that  in  order  to  preserve  a  perpetual 

indissoluble  union  and  love  between  the  two 
nmunities,  there  shall  exist  between  them  for  the 
ire  an  entire  friendship,  and  participation  of  spi- 
al  goods,  with  a  mutual  exchange  of  good  offices, 

prayers." 

n  the  plan  of  the  old  Convent  to  which  we  have 
ve  referred,  there  is  also  introduced  a  represen- 
>n  of  Sister  St.  Laurent,  a  woman  of  extraor- 
try  merit,  who  is  described  as  one  of  the  most 
ted  Nuns  the  Community  ever  possessed.  She 
itly  contributed  to  the  re-establishment  of  the 
suline  Convent,  after  this  fire,  not  only  by  her 
lligence  and  economy,    but  even  by  personal 

>n  the  21st  October,  1686,  on  the  Ftte  of  St. 
iula,  and  during  the  performance  of  high  mass, 
Convent  caught  fire,  and  was  a  second  time 
led  to  the  ground,  without  any  conjecture  as  to 
manner  in  which  the  accident  originated.  No- 
p  was  saved  from  the  rapidity  of  the  flames, 
tier  provisions,  or  linen,  or  any  other  clothing 

that  in  use  at  the  time.  Once  more,  the  Ur- 
nes  took  refuge  with  the  Hospitalises,  who 
ived  them  as  kindly  as  before,  to  the  number  of 
ity-five  ;  and  they  again  remained  for  the  space 
tree  weeks  under  the  roof  of  the  Hotel  Dieu, 
iving  every  possible  mark  of  attention  and  corn- 
ration  from  that  Community.  In  the  mean  time, 
.  was  the  utility  of  this  Institution,  that  every 
took  an  interest  in  the  reparation  of  the  disaster. 

Governor  and  the  Intendant,  the  Jesuits  and 

s  2 


* 


210  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

other  Communities  all  contributed  by  every  means  in 
their  power.  The  rebuilding  of  the  Convent  was 
soon  commenced  ;  and  a  small  bouse  was  hastily 
constructed,  in  which  they  passed  the  winter,  all  the 
necessary  furniture  and  utensils  having  been  gene- 
rously supplied  by  the  HospitaliSres.  It  was  singu- 
lar, that  on  the  very  day  on  which  the  Ursulines  Left 
the  Hotel  Dieu,  accompanied,  as  a  mark  of  respect 
and  friendship,  by  the  Superior  and  one  or  two  of  the 
Nuns  Hospitaliere^  the  latter  were  near  being  reduc- 
ed to  the  same  extremity  as  that  from  which  they  had 
relieved  the  Ursulines.  One  of  the  Hospitalitm, 
who  had  returned  much  fatigued,  after  passing  the  day 
in  assisting  the  Ursulines  to  establish  themselves  in 
their  temporary  residence,  fell  asleep  in  her  cell, 
leaving  a  candle  burning  in  the  socket,  which  soon 
communicated  to  the  furniture.  Fortunately,  the 
sister  whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  all  was  secure 
before  retiring  for  the  night,  discovered  the  accident 
in  time  to  save  the  life  of  the  careless  Nun,  and  pro- 
bably the  whole  building  from  destruction. 

The  Ursuline  Convent  of  Quebec  having  been 
found  of  such  utility,  the  inhabitants  of  Three- 
Rivers  made  application  to  Monseigneur  de  St 
Vallier,  then  Bishop,  for  a  separate  foundation  of 
Ursulines  for  that  Borough.  This  was  accomplish- 
ed in  1697,  when  the  Ursuline  Convent  was  esta- 
blished there,  depending  upon  the  Community  of 
Quebec  ;  and  uniting,  with  their  own  consent,  thfc 
office  of  Ursulines  with  that  of  Hospitalieres—at 
once  educating  the  female  children,  and  administer- 
ing to  the  wants  of  the  sick.  A  similar  union  of  the 
duties  of  these  two  Communities  was  found  convenient 
in  Louisiana,  where  the  Ursulines  were  established 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS  211 

ew  Orleans  in  1725,  and  combined  with  their 
*  occupations  the  care  of  the  Hospital, 
le  Nunnery,  which  with  its  garden  and  outbuild- 
occupies  seven  acres  of  ground  within  its  own 
of  St  Joseph,  is  a  plain  but  commodious  edifice 
roe,  two  stories  high,  forming  a  square  of  about 
jr-eight  yards  long,  by  forty  feet  deep.  The  rest 
e  site,  with  the  exception  of  the  court,  is  occu- 
by  a  productive  garden,  and  surrounded  by  a 
»  walL  The  Chapel  and  Choir  of  St.  Ursula 
inety-five  feet  long,  and  forty-five  feet  broad, 
e  plain  and  unpretending  without,  its  altars  are 
ly  adorned,  and  the  whole  interior  is  not  deficient 
renerable  and  religious  appearance.  Within  the 
ng,  it  is  connected  with  the  Convent ;  and  opens 
e  public  towards  Garden  Street  In  the  ancient 
above  mentioned,  the  exact  site  of  the  present 
is  accurately  laid  down,  as  we  have  described  it 
e. 

fithin  the  precincts  of  the  Convent  lie  buried  the 
tins  of  the  gallant  Marquis  De  Montcalm,  who 
mortally  wounded  in  the  eventful  battle  of  the 
as  of  Abraham,  13th  September,  1759.  A 
or  two  ago  a  plain  marble  slab  was  placed  in 
Ursuline  Chapel  to  the  memory  of  this  brave 
unfortunate  soldier,  by  His  Excellency  the 
i  Aylmer,  Governor-in-Chief  of  these  Pro- 
es.  The  following  is  the  simple  inscription  up- 
his  slab  : — 

Honneur 

Montcalm  ! 

Le  destin  en  lui  derobant 

La  Victoire, 

L'a  recompense  par 

Une  Mort  Glorieuse  ! 


212  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

The  Ursuline  Chapel  contains  several  good  pi 
tures,  which  may  be  examined  on  application  to  tl 
Chaplain.  Among  them  is  a  Mater  Dolorosa  1 
Vandyke  :  a  picture  on  a  religious  subject  by  tl 
celebrated  Le  Sueur  : — The  Capture  of  Christian 
by  Algerine  pirates,  by  Restout,  historical  painter 
the  King  of  France,  who  died  in  1753  : — Two  pi 
tures,  The  Saviour  at  meat  in  Simon's  house,  an* 
A  full  length  portrait  of  the  Redeemer 9  by  Champagu 
an  eminent  Flemish  painter,  who  was  afterwar< 
painter  to  the  Queen  of  France,  and  died  in  1674 

The  community  of  the  Ursulines  consists  of 
Superior,  forty-two  professed  Nuns,  and  some  novice 
Their  rules  are  rigidly  exclusive,  and  their  Convei 
is  not  open  to  public  inspection,  beyond  the  Park 
and  the  Chapel.  It  is  in  its  interior  neat,  wellai 
ranged,  and  tastefully  decorated.  The  Nuns  ai 
devoted  to  the  instruction  of  young  females  in  usef 
knowledge,  and  ornamental  education  when  require 
their  school  has  long  been  esteemed  one  of  the  besti 
the  Province.  The  paintings  executed  by  then 
selves  are  much  admired :  their  embroidery  and  fan< 
work  are  sold  at  high  rates.  The  proceeds  of  tl 
skill  and  labor  of  these  Nuns  go  to  augment  tl 
common  stock,  and  enable  them  to  extend  the 
usefulness  without  diminishing  the  fixed  property  < 
their  Community. 

THE   SEMINARY   OF   QUEBEC. 

This  highly  useful  and  meritorious  establishmei 
was  founded  and  endowed  by  Monseigneur  D 
Laval  de  Montmorency,  first  Bishop  of  Canada,  i 
the  year  1663.  It  was  intended  at  first  chiefly  a 
an  Ecclesiastical  Institution,  with  a  few  young  pupil 


with  Historical  recollections.  213 

)  were  educated  here  for  the  ministry. — At  the 
taction  of  the  Jesuits'  Order,  the  members  of  the 
ebec  Seminary,  although  the  institution  was  in 
ressed  circumstances,  threw  open  its  doors  to  the 
ith  of  the  country  generally.  Professorships  were 
kblished,  and  all  the  ordinary  branches  of  litera- 
5  and  science  began  to  be  taught.  The  buildings 
e  twice  burned  to  the  ground,  during  the  life  of 
renerable  founder,  who  had  resigned  his  Bishopric, 

retired  to  the  Seminary ;  where  he  spent  the  last 
nty  years  of  his  useful  and  pious  life — he  died 
the  6th  May,  1708.     The  first  fire  took  place  on 

15th  November,  1701,  during  the  absence  of 
it  of  the  priests.  The  Bishop  escaped  half  dressed, 
,  with  the  other  ecclesiastics,  was  received  into 
Bishop's  Palace.  Not  discouraged  by  the  des- 
tion  of  this  offspring  of  his  piety  and  munificence, 
letermined  that  no  means  should  be  left  untried 
ebuild  it  A  strong  representation  was  made  to 
Court ;  and  a  yearly  pension  of  four  thousand 
v  was  granted  as  an  aid  towards  its  re-establish- 
it  After  four  years  labor  had  been  bestowed 
n  it,  it  was  again  set  on  fire,  on  the  1st  October, 
5,  by  the  carelessness  of  a  workman,  whose 
j  communicated  to  some   combustible  matter. 

this  occasion  Bishop  De  Laval  retired  to  the 
lits*  College.    The  Seminary  was  rebuilt,  but 

destined  to  be  almost  totally  destroyed  during 
siege  of  1759,  previous  to  the  battle  of  the  Plains 
ibraham.  Its  disasters  were  even  not  yet  com- 
e,  for  it  was  once  more  partially  consumed  by 
in  1772. 

lie  authority  of  the  Seminary  resides  in  a  Board 
directors,  five  or  seven  in  number,  one  of  whom  is 
)erior,  elected  triennally.    The  other  officers  are 


^VEBEC, 


:■•.:  r  imi 

.:•;■•  -  'ne 

.:  .    r 
■r : 


-  »  -i 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  215 

to  which  must  be  added  lessons  in  Natural  History, 
Mineralogy,  Geology,  Drawing,  Music,  &c. 

The  collegial  course  is  divided  into  nine  classes, 
occupying  so  many  years — boys  who  can  read  and 
write  are  admitted  into  the  first  or  elementary  class — 
with  higher  qualifications,  they  are  allowed  to  enter 
Into  more  advanced  classes — boys  of  superior  talents 
will  of  course  complete  their  studies  in  less  time. 

In  this  Institution  no  payment  is  made  for  tuition 
— the  boarders  pay  £17  10s.  yearly,  but  of  that 
sum  a  deduction  is  made  for  all  absences  of  eight 
days  or  more.  The  day  scholars  pay  10s,  in  the  fall, 
and  a  like  sum  in  the  spring,  for  wood,  candles,  &c. 
A  small  salary  is  paid  to  professors  who  are  not  mem- 
bers of  the  establishment 

The  annual  public  exercises  are  very  splendid  and 
interesting — they  are  attended  by  crowds  of  the  most 
respectable  citizens — the  Governor-in-Chief,  if  not 
absent  from  town,  usually  assists  at  the  distribution 
of  prizes  with  which  the  exercises  close. 

The  commencement  or  vacation  takes  place  about 
the  15th  August.  The  pupils  return  at  the  expira- 
tion of  six  weeks. 

The  funds  of  the  Seminary  hardly  suffice  for  its 
support.  It  has,  however,  by  means  of  long  and  strict 
economy,  and  still  more  by  large  sums  of  money 
arising  from  the  sale  of  property  given  to  the  Institu- 
tion by  several  rich  individuals  in  France,  previously 
to  the  French  Revolution,  and  partly  recovered  since 
the  restoration  of  the  Bourbons,  been  rebuilt  upon 
a  much  larger  plan,  since  1820. 

The  Seminary  buildings,  including  the  Chapel, 
are  divided  into  four  wings,  three  stories,  and  in 
some  parts  four  stories  high.  Three  of  these  wings 
inclose  a  spacious  court,  where  the  pupils  spend  their 


216  KEW  PlCTURfi   O*   QUEBEC, 

hours  of  recreation.  The  fourth  wing,  instead  of  com* 
pleting  the  square,  turns  out  at  right  angles  with  the 
central  one,  and  faces  with  it  a  large  and  beautiful 
garden.  The  latter  is  one  hundred  and  seventy 
yards  long  and  two  hundred  broad,  containing  seven 
acres  of  ground.  It  faces  the  grand  battery  and 
overlooks  the  harbor.  It  includes  several  rows  of 
planted  fruit  trees,  lilachs,  &c. ;  a  bocage  of  forest 
trees,  and  a  terrace  from  which  the  view  of  the  basin 
and  of  the  surrounding  scenery  is  most  magnificent 

The  whole  length  of  the  Seminary  buildings  on 
three  of  its  sides  is  seventy  yards.  The  fourth  wing 
is  fifty  yards  long.  They  are  in  width  forty-two  feet, 
except  the  old  or  central  wing,  which  is  only  thirty 
feet  wide.  The  interior  is  traversed  at  each  story  by 
immense  corridors  leading  to  the  halls,  dormitories, 
refectories,  classes,  apartments  of  the  Priests  and  of 
the  Bishop,  who  resides  in  the  Seminary.  In  the 
Bishop's  antichamber  are  suspended  the  portraits  of 
his  twelve  predecessors. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Seminary,  the  vestibule  of 
which  is  at  the  grand  entrance  to  the  buildings  from 
the  Cathedral  and  market  square,  contains  the  best 
collection  of  paintings  to  be  seen  in  the  country,  of 
the  French  school  and  by  eminent  masters.  They 
are,  The  flight  of  Joseph  to  Egypt,  by  Jean  Baptiste 
Vanloo,  a  French  portrait  painter,  who  died  in  1746.  .. 
He  was  the  brother  of  Carlo  Vanloo,  in  great  esteem  j 
at  Paris.  Jean  Baptiste  Vanloo  was  painter  to  the 
King  of  France.  He  went  to  England,  and  became 
the  favorite  painter  in  London.  His  pictures  are 
natural,  thoroughly  finished,  and  in  no  part  neglect- 
ed. The  wise  men  of  the  East  adoring  the  Saviour, 
by  Bourieu ; — The  Saviour's  sepulchre  and  interment, 
by  Hutin  ; — The  Ascension  of  the  Lord  Jesus, — The 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  217 

\y  of  Pentecost, — and  St  Jerome  writing,  by  the 
)thers  Champagnes.  These  were  both  eminent 
ists,  uncle  and  nephew,  and  natives  of  Brussels  : 
ilip  was  a  landscape  painter  and  died  in  1674. 
i  was  painter  to  the  Queen  of  France,  and  mem- 
•  of  the  Academy  of  Painting.  He  designed  cor- 
ily,  had  an  agreeable  tone  of  color,  and  well 
derstood  the  principles  of  perspective.  His  ne- 
»w,  Jean  Baptiste  Champagne,  died  in  1688.  He 
i  a  good  artist,  and  studied  under  his  uncle.  He 
»  professor  of  the  Royal  Academy.  The  trance 
SL  Anthony,  by  Panocel  d'Avignes  : — Peter's  de- 
trance  from  prison,  by  Charles  De  la  Fosse,  a 
ench  painter,  who  died  in  1716.  He  was  a  dis- 
•le  of  Le  Bran,  and  was  sent  by  Louis  XIV.  to 
ish  Ids  studies  at  Rome.  He  imitated  Titian 
1  Paolo  Veronese,  and  became  an  excellent  colo- 
;.  He  was  fond  of  large  compositions,  and  much 
ployed  in  royal  palaces  and  public  buildings.  He 
s  invited  to  England  by  the  Duke  of  Montague, 
1  employed  by  him  in  ornamenting  his  townhouse, 
w  the  British  Museum.     The  Baptism  of  Christ, 

Claude  Guy  Halle  :  The  terror  of  St.  Jerome 
the  recollection  of  a  vision  of  the  day  of  Judgment, 

D'Hullin  :  The  Egyptian  Hermits  in  the  soli- 
\e  of  Thebais,  and  another  on  the  same  subject,  by 
lillot :     The   Virgin  ministered  unto  by   Angels, 

De  Dieu  :  The  Saviour,  and  the  Woman  of 
naria  at  JacoVs  well,  by  Lagren£e  :  A  large 
ire  of  the  Saviour  on  the  Cross,  by  Monet; — and 
ve  the  altar,  a  small  oval  picture,  representing 
>  Angels,  by  Charles  Le  Brun,  an  illustrious 
jnch  painter  of  Scottish  extraction,  who  died  in 
>0.  He  is  reported  to  have  drawn  figures  with 
rcoal  at  three  years  old.     At  twelve,  he  drew  a 


i 


218  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

picture  of  his  uncle,  which  is  even  now  considered  a 
fine  piece. 

A  very  beautiful  apartment,  adorned  with  modern 
Ionic  columns,  is  the  congregation  hall,  or  interior 
Chapel  of  the  Students.     The  library  contains  about 
8000  volumes.     In  the  Philosophical  Cabinet  are  to 
be  seen  a  very  valuable  collection  of  instruments, 
which  is  rapidly  increasing :   a  number  of  antiquities 
and  Indian  utensils, — a  small  mineralogical  cabinet, 
composed  at  Paris  under  the  direction  of  the  cele- 
brated Abbe"    Haiiy — some  geological    specimen*, 
fossils,  petrifactions,  &c. — numerous  specimens  of 
the  precious  and  other  ores  from  South  America- 
shells,  insects, — and  an  imitation  of  the   Falls  of 
Niagara. 

THE   GENERAL  HOSPITAL.     . 

It  has  been  stated  in  the  account  of  the  Recollet 
Convent,  that  this  extensive  establishment, — situate 
on  the  River  St.  Charles,  about  a  mile  from  the 
walls,  and  near  the  spot  where  Jacques  Cartier 
first  wintered  in  New  France — owes  its  foundation 
to  Monseigneur  de  Saint  Vallier,  second  Bishop  of 
Quebec,  who  bought  the  property  of  the  Recollets 
at  Notre  Dame  des  Anges,  and  procured  for  them  a 
site  opposite  the  Fort  of  St  Lewis,  on  which  at  pre- 
sent stands  the  English  Cathedral.  The  Bishop 
expended  a  very  large  sum  in  those  days,  one  hun- 
dred thousand  crowns,  on  the  buildings,  which  were 
intended  for  a  General  Hospital  for  invalids,  and 
as  an  asylum  for  persons  permanently  afflicted  with 
disease.  The  Hotel  Dieu  was  instituted  for  the 
care  of  incidental  maladies. 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  219 

Previously  to  the  foundation  of  the  General 
Hospital,  there  had  been  established  at  Quebec 
since  1688,  an  office  for  the  relief  of  the  poor,  Bu- 
reau despauvres,  to  which  every  colonist  and  com- 
munity was  bound  to  furnish  an  annual  sum,  to  be 
expended  under  the  management  of  Trustees.  The 
revenue  of  this  office  amounted  to  two  thousand 
twres  a  year,  which  were  sufficient  at  that  time  to 
relieve  the  helpless  poor,  and  to  prevent  mendicity, 
which  was  not  tolerated.  The  country  parishes  in 
the  same  manner  provided  for  the  maintenance  of 
their  poor.  The  Bishop,  having  undertaken  to  relieve 
the  city  from  the  support  of  its  helpless  and  infirm 
poor,  obtained  the  junction  of  these  funds  with  the 
revenue  of  his  own  foundation ;  and  the  Trustees  of 
the  Bureau  des  Pauvres  were  chosen  also  adminis- 
trators of  the  General  Hospital. 

The  foundation  was  at  first  under  the  charge  of 
the  sisters  of  the  Congregation  ;  but  afterwards,  in 
1692,  not  without  great  objection  on  their  part,  it 
was  placed  under  the  care  of  the  Hospitalidres,  re- 
ceiving from  the  community  of  the  Hotel  Dieu  its 
Supenor,  and  in  all  twelve  professed  Nuns.  In  1701, 
the  Nuns  of  the  General  Hospital  were  made  a 
separate  and  independent  community,  and  are  so  at 
thepresent  day. 

The  following  is  the  account  given  by  Charlevoix 
of  this  splendid  foundation  : 

"  At  the  distance  of  half  a  quarter  of  a  league  you 
find  the  H6pital-G&neraL  This  is  the  finest  house 
in  all  Canada,  and  would  be  no  disparagement  to  our 
largest  cities  in  France ;  the  Fathers  rt^collets  for- 
merly owned  the  ground  on  which  it  stands.  M. 
De  St.  Vallier,  Bishop  of  Quebec,  removed  them 
into  the  city,  bought  their  settlement,  and  expend- 


220  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

ed  a  hundred  thousand  crowns  in  buildings,  furniture, 
and  in  foundations.  The  only  fault  of  this  hospital 
is  its  being  built  in  a  marsh  ;  they  hope  to  be  able 
to  remedy  it  by  draining ;  but  the  River  St  Charles 
makes  a  winding  in  this  place,  into  which  the  waters 
do  not  easily  flow,  so  that  this  inconvenience  can 
never  be  effectually  removed. 

"  The  prelate,  who  is  the  founder,  has  his  apart- 
ments in  the  house,  which  he  makes  his  ordinary 
residence  ;  having  let  his  palace,  which  is  also  his 
own  building,  for  the  benefit  of  die  poor.  He  even 
is  not  above  serving  as  Chaplain  to  the  Hospital,  as 
well  as  to  the  Nuns,  the  functions  of  which  office  he 
fills  with  a  zeal  and  application  which  would  be  ad- 
mired in  a  simple  priest  who  got  his  bread  by  it 
The  artisans,  or  others,  who  on  account  of  their  great 
age,  are  without  the  means  of  getting  their  subsis- 
tence, are  received  into  this  hospital  until  all  the  beds 
in  it  are  full,  and  thirty  Nuns  are  employed  in  serv- 
ing them.  These  are  a  scion  or  colony  from  the 
hospital  of  Quebec ;  but  in  order  to  distinguish  them, 
the  Bishop  has  given  them  certain  peculiar  regula- 
tions, and  obliges  them  to  wear  a  silver  cross  on  their 
breast.  Most  part  of  them  are  young  women  of 
condition,  and  as  they  are  not  those  of  the  easiest 
circumstances  in  the  country,  the  Bishop  has  portion- 
ed several  of  them." 

The  General  Hospital  is  at  present  a  Nunnery, 
governed  by  a  Superior,  having  forty-five  professed 
Nuns,  a  few  Novices  and  Postulantes,  The  whole  ap- 
pearance, both  external  and  internal,  of  this  Hospital  is 
regular  and  pleasing ;  while  the  general  arrangement 
and  economy  are  highly  creditable  to  the  institution. 
Its  front  is  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  long 
— its  form  nearly  square.      The  main  building  is 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  221 

rty-three  feet  deep ;  but  on  the  south-west  side,  a 
je  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  long  has  fifty 
;  in  breadth. 

lie  Chapel  is  very  neat,  and  has  a  gallery  commu- 
ting with  the  Hospital,  for  the  use  of  the  indigent 
A  separate  house  is  appropriated  to  the  recep- 
of  the  insane  :  the  Province,  however,  requires 
stablishment  on  a  larger  scale  for  these  unfortu- 
8.  At  Three- Rivers  there  is  an  establishment 
he  insane  under  the  charge  of  the  Ursulines  of 
Convent. 

he  means  of  the  General  Hospital,  from  its 
stricted  character,  have  been  found  inadequate  to 
ly  the  expenses  of  the  establishment,  and  the 
iency  is  occasionally  supplied  by  grants  from 
Provincial  Parliament.  The  Nuns  are  distin- 
led  for  the  manufacture  of  Church  ornaments, 
for  their  skill  in  gilding.  The  produce  of  the 
of  these  works  becomes  part  of  the  general  fund 
e  Institution. 


t  2 


222  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE   ELEVENTH. 

RELIGIOUS  ESTABLISHMENTS  CONCLUDED— FRENCH 
AND  ENGLISH  CATHEDRALS — OTHER  PLACES  OF 
WORSHIP. 

The  rise  and  prosperity  of  the  Colony,  and  the 
improvement  of  Quebec,  may  be  dated  from  the 
period  when  it  became  the  seat  of  the  Royal  Govern- 
ment in  New  France.  The  Colony  began  imme- 
diately to  reap  the  fruits  of  the  change  of  system, 
which  followed  the  resignation  of  the  Company's 
charter  into  the  hands  of  the  King,  Measures  were 
adopted  to  infuse  a  more  liberal  spirit  into  the  Colo- 
ny, to  raise  the  quality  and  character  of  the  settlers, 
and  to  give  a  higher  tone  to  the  society.  The  King 
took  a  most  judicious  method  to  accomplish  this. 
He  resolved  to  confer  upon  the  Government  a  degree 
of  comparative  splendor,  worthy  of  the  great  nation 
of  which  it  was  a  dependency.  In  1664,  he  sent  out 
to  Quebec  the  most  brilliant  emigration  that  had 
ever  sailed  from  France  for  the  new  world.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  Viceroy,  a  Governor-General,  an  Inten- 
dant,  and  other  necessary  officers  of  the  Civil 
Government — the  Regiment  of  Carignan,  command- 
ed by  Colonel  de  Salieres,  and  officered  by  sixty  or 
seventy  French  gentlemen,  most  of  whom  were 
connected  with  the  Noblesse.     Many  of  these  gentle- 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  223 

settled  in  the  Province,  and  having  obtained 
ssions  of  the  waste  lands,  became  the  Noblesse 
e  Colony,  and  were  the  ancestors  of  the  best 
;h  families  of  the  present  day.  The  beneficial 
er  in  which  this  infusion  of  superior  blood,  edu- 
i  and  accomplishments  must  have  operated,  as 
is  the  social  and  domestic  manners  of  the  Colo- 
previously  devoted  to  the  humblest  occupations 
ide,  may  be  easily  imagined.  Liberal  tastes 
encouraged — sentiments  of  honor  and  genero- 
jervaded  the  highest  rank  in  society,  the  influ- 
of  which  was  speedily  felt  through  every  class 
\  inhabitants.  The  Marquis  de  Tracy,  who 
he  Commission  of  Viceroy,  staid  little  more 
i  year  in  the  Province.  He  made  a  successful 
lition  against  the  Iroquois,  and  returning  to 
;e,  carried  with  him  the  affections  of  all  the 
itants.  He  maintained  a  state  which  had  never 
3  been  seen  in  Canada,  rightly  judging,  that  in  a 
ly  at  so  great  a  distance  from  the  Mother  Coun- 
be  royal  authority  should  be  maintained  before 
iblic  eye  in  all  its  external  dignity  and  observan- 
3esides  the  Regiment  of  Carignan,  he  was  allow- 
maintain  a  body  guard,  wearing  the  same 
•m  as  the  Garde  Roy  ale  of  France.  He  always 
red  on  state  occasions  with  these  guards,  twenty- 
(i  number,  who  preceded  him.  Four  pages  im- 
tely  accompanied  him,  followed  by  six  valets, — 
hole  surrounded  by  the  officers  of  the  Carignan 
nent,  and  of  the  civil  departments.  M.  De 
celles,  the  Governor  General,  and  M.  De 
n,  the  In  ten  dan  t,  had  each  a  splendid  equipage, 
nentioned  in  an  interesting  French  manuscript, 
which  we  have  taken  much  valuable  informa- 
ever  before  published,  that  as  both  these  gen* 


224  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

tlemen  were  men  of  birth,  education,  handsome 
figure  and  accomplished  manners,  they  gave  a  most 
favorable  impression  of  the  royal  authority,  then  first 
personally  represented  in  New  France. 

Although  Quebec  at  this  period  contained  little 
more  than  seventy  private  houses,  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Seminary  it  was  found  necessary,  viewing 
the  march  of  improvement  which  had  just  commenced, 
to  construct  the  Cathedral  Church  on  a  scale  suf- 
ficiently large  for  the  encreased  population ;  and  with 
a  splendor  corresponding  with  the  new  prospects 
of  the  Colony  under  the  Royal  Government.  After 
about  three  years  labor,  the  French  Cathedral  was 
finished  on  its  present  site,  between  Buade  Street, 
the  Bishop's  Palace,  and  the  Seminary,  with  its  front 
towards  the  Jesuits'  College.  It  was  consecrated 
under  the  title  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  on  the 
18th  July,  1666,  with  all  the  imposing  ceremonies 
usually  observed  on  similar  occasions.  Before  this 
time,  the  Jesuits'  Church  had  been  used  as  the  Pa- 
roisse  of  Quebec. 

The  French  Cathedral  was  built  under  the 
auspices  of  Monseigneur  Francois  de  Laval,  first 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  to  whom  tne  Colony  was  also 
indebted  for  the  creation  of  the  Seminary. 

In  1659,  the  great  success  of  the  Missionaries  in 
converting  the  Indians  to  the  true  faith  induced  the 
Jesuits  to  recommend  the  appointment  of  an  Eccle- 
siastic of  superior  rank,  in  order  to  confirm  the  nascent 
piety  of  the  colony,  and  to  repress  any  disorders  in 
its  spiritual  government  which  might  arise,  without 
the  care  and  supervision  of  an  authorised  head  of  the 
Church.  At  their  instance,  Fran<jois  De  Laval, 
Abbe  de  Montigny,  of  the  noble  house  of  Montmo- 
rency, and  at  that  time  Archdeacon  of  Evreux,  was 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  225 

?ted  as  the  person  on  whom  the  Episcopal  dig- 
should  first  be  conferred  in  New  France.  He 
ed  in  Quebec,  according  to  Charlevoix,  on  the 
une,  1659,  with  the  title  of  Bishop  of  Petrjea, 
he  rank  of  Vicar  Apostolical,  accompanied  by 
al  Priests  and  Chaplains,  He  was  received 
every  mark  of  joy  and  distinction  in  his  new 
se,  as  the  first  Prelate  of  New  France ;  and  took 
is  residence  for  three  months  after  his  arrival  in 
ments  belonging  to  the  Nuns  Hospitalieres, 
ie  Hotel  Dieu,  The  first  Pontifical  Mass  is 
ioned  in  the  Jesuits'  Journal  to  have  been  per- 
id  on  the  29th  June  :  doubtless  in  their  own 
ch,  which  then  served  as  the  Paroisse.  Quebec 
not,  however,  erected  formally  into  a  Bishops' 
until  1670,  owing  to  some  difficulties  which 
.  It  was  to  hold  of  the  Pope,  but  to  be  attaeh- 
>  the  Archbishopric  of  Rouen.  In  order  to 
)rt  the  See,  the  King  conferred  upon  it  the 
Lues  of  the  Abbey  of  Maubec ;  which  in  the 
of  Monseigneur  de  St,  Vallier,  the  second 
>p,  were  augmented  by  those  of  the  Abbey  of 
vent.  The  Bishop  was  entitled  to  the  second 
n  the  Council,  or  that  next  to  the  Governor, 
chapter  originally  was  composed  of  the  Dean, 
d  Precentor,  Grand  Archdeacon,  a  Theologal, 
welve  Canons.  This  establishment  was,  how- 
afterwards  reduced,  for  want  of  sufficient  reve- 
The  Bulls,  and  other  necessary  and  expensive 
ilities  for  installing  the  new  Bishop  were  still  to 
tained,  and  they  required  his  presence  in  France; 
it  it  was  not  until  1674,  that  the  King's  Letters 
it  were  finally  issued,  and  the  See  was  officially 
tuted.  This  excellent  prelate  finding,  in  1684, 
is  strength  was  not  equal  to  the  fatigues  of  his 


226  NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

Diocese,  repaired  to  France ;  and  obtained  the  Kino's 
permission  to  retire.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Abb6 
De  St.  Valuer,  who  came  out  in  1685,  and  was  after* 
wards  consecrated  second  Bishop.  Bishop  Ds  Laval* 
as  stated  above,  retired  to  his  foundation  of  the  Send* 
nary,  where  he  lived  respected  and  beloved  until  hk 
death  in  1708,  at  an  advanced  age.  To  the  second 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  the  city  was  also  indebted  ft* 
the  establishment  of  the  General  Hospital,  where  he 
himself  resided,  having  let  the  Episcopal  Palace  fill 
the  benefit  of  the  poor. 

The  French  Cathedral  occupies  the  south  side 
of  the  market  square  in  the  Upper  Town,  and  im- 
mediately adjoins  the  Seminary.     It  is  distinguished 
rather  for  its  solidity  and  neatness,  than  for  splendor 
or  regularity  of  architecture.     The  aisles,  considera- 
bly lower  than  the  nave  of  the  Church — and  the  lofty 
tower  and  spire  built  without,  and  separated  from 
it  on  the  south  side — in   the   manner  of  the  round 
towers  which  are   seen  near  the  old  Churches  in 
Ireland  and  in  other  countries, — destroy  all  external 
symmetry,  yet  do  not  detract  from  the  religious  ap- 
pearance of  the  pile.     The  Cathedral  within  is  very 
lofty,  with  massive  arches  of  stone  dividing  the  nave 
from  the  aisles,  above  which  is  a  gallery  on  each  side 
running  the  whole  length  of  the  interior.      It  is  de- 
scribed by  Colonel  Bouchette,  in  his  statistical  work, 
as  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet  in  length,  by  one 
hundred  and  eight  in  breadth,     It  is  able  to  contain 
a  congregation  of  about  four  thousand  persons.    At 
the  east  end  are  the  grand  Altar  and  Choir,  superbly 
decorated.     There  are  also  four  small  Chapels  in  the 
aisles,  dedicated  to  different  Saints.     In  a  transverse 
gallery  at  the  west  end  is  the  Organ,  which  though 


With  historical  recollections.  2527 

>,  ui  by  no  means  so  powerful  in  tone  as  that  in 

English  Cathedral. 

Fhe  Church  suffered  severely  during  the  bom- 
dment  prior  to  the  battle  of  the  Plains,  in  1759. 
an  old  print  extant,  it  is  represented  as  almost  in 
is,  having  been  set  on  fire  by  shells  discharged 
En  Pointe  Levi.  The  consequence  was,  that  the 
s  pictures  and  other  ancient  ornaments  of  the 
khedral  were  mutilated,  or  entirely  destroyed. 
ose  which  are  now  seen  upon  the  walls  were 
ced  there  when  the  building  was  renovated,  after 

cession  of  the  Province  to  Great  Britain. 
Within  the  Choir,  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  Altar, 
,  marble  tablet  with  the  following  inscription  to 
memory  of  the  late  Bishop,  Monseigneur  Plessis, 
y  is  freshly  remembered  for  his  piety  and  virtue : 

D.     O.    Iff. 


Hie  Jacet, 

Ulust :  et  Rev :  J.  O.  Plessis, 

Episcopus  Quebecensis. 

Ingenio  perspicaci, 

Singulari  in  rebus  agendis  peritia, 

Constant!  tuendse  disciplinse  studio, 

Mnltisque  dotibus  aliis  ornatum  praeclaris 

Vix  parens  reperias. 

Eximia  pietate,  zelo,  summa  prucLentia 

Ac  doctrina,  necnon  eloquentiae  gravitate, 

Canadensi,  per  quatuor  lustra,  praefuit  ecclesia?. 

Scientiarum  studiis  honorem, 

Patrin  decus,  religion!  splendorem 

Attulit. 

Magna  raoliri,  ardua  vincere, 

Consiliis  adversa  suis  patienter  sustinere 

Ipsi  praeclara  laus  fait. 

Quera  iter  trans  mare  aggredientem, 

Quo  bonis  amplioribus  affluerent  oves  dilectae, 

Anxia  viderat, 


328'  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

Roma  redocem  post  13  menses,  et  votis  redditom, 

Tota  ci  vitas  exultans  recepit. 

Plurimisque  ma^nis  rebus  gestis,  majora  meditates, 

Vita?  laboris  et  gloriae 

Cursum  con  fecit, 

Anno  rep.  sal.  MDCCCXXV.  prid.  Non.  Decemb. 

Aetatis  suae  LXIII. 

Hie  ora,  Lector, 
Ubi  vivens  orabat. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  Co 
gregation  stands  on  the  hill  leading  from  t 
Esplanade  to  St  John's-Gate.  It  is  not  of  ancic 
construction,  and  perfectly  plain  in  its  interior,  '. 
spire  is  seen  immediately  above  the  ramparts. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Roci 
is  the  place  of  worship  frequented  by  the  inhabita 
of  that  populous  suburb.  It  is  also  a  modern  edif 
of  very  spacious  dimensions,  with  a  spire ;  and 
situated  in  an  open  space,  fronting  towards  1 
Vacherie*  or  former  possessions  of  the  Jesuits.  Il 
well  finished  within,  and  has  several  paintings, 
the  Sacristy  are  portraits  of  Pope  Pius  VII,  and 
Bishop  Plessis,  a  great  benefactor  to  this  Chun 
The  ground  on  which  this  Church  is  built  was  giv 
by  the  Honorable  John  Mure. 

The  Church  of  Notre  Dame  des  Victoires  is  t 
only  one  in  the  Lower  Town  belonging  to  the  Fren 
inhabitants.  It  stands  in  the  square,  or  mark 
place,  plain  and  substantial  within  and  without ;  a; 
possesses  claims  to  antiquity,  having  been  built  ai 
used  as  a  Church  previously  to  1690.  In  that  ye 
amid  the  joy  caused  by  the  defeat  of  Sir  Willia 
Phipps,  in  his  attempt  to  capture  the  Town,  the  Ft 
of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Victoire  was  established,  to  1 
annually  celebrated  in  this  Church  on  the  7th  Oct 


WITH    HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  229 

-that  being  the  day  on  which  the  first  intelligence 
e  coming  of  the  English  was  received.  On  that 
ion,  it  is  stated  that  M.  De  La  Colombiere,  the 
ideacon,  preached  an  eloquent  discourse.  After 
ihipwreck  of  the  English  fleet  in  1711,  which 
considered  by  the  inhabitants  as  a  second  victory, 
ittle  less  than  a  miraculous  interposition  in  their 
■,  this  Church  received  the  name  of  Notre 
le  des  Vicioires,  in  order  to  commemorate  both 
lions  at  the  same  time.  The  same  preacher,  M. 
La  Colombiere,  is  stated  in  our  French  manu- 
t  to  have  again  delivered  a  most  eloquent  ser- 
,  "  which  was  listened  to  by  the  auditors  with 
iports  of  joy." 

his  Church  was  also  destroyed  by  the  fire  from 
Pointe  Llvi  batteries  in  1759.  It  is  said  that 
retained  at  that  time  a  picture  representing  a 
■in  flames,  with  an  inscription  stating  "  that  in 
year  1711,  when  Quebec  was  menaced  with  a 
s  by  Admiral  Walker  and  General  Hill,  one  of 
Relig&uses  prognosticated  that  the  Church  and 
Lower  Town  would  be  destroyed  by  the  British 
^ration  before  the  year  1760."  We  know 
r  this  tradition  may  be  founded  on  fact  ; 
d  seem  that  the  inscription,  in  those  terms, 
t  been  placed  upon  the  picture  after  the 
was  accomplished.  The  story  is,  however, 
e  been  well  attested,  and  to  have  made 
lilt  impression  on  the  minds  of  the  people 
Uur  French  manuscript  mentions  the 
t  the  defeat  of  the  attempt  in 
a  allusion  to  the  supposed  pro- 


230  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 


CATHEDRAL  OF  THE    CHURCH    OF   ENGLAND. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Convent,  Church  and 
Garden  of  the  Uecollet  Fathers  occupied  the  site 
in  the  front  of  the  Castle  of  St.  Lewis,  as  far  as 
the  Ursuline  Convent  in  the  rear,  and  contained 
within  St.  Lewis,  St.  Anne  and  Garden  Streets. 
After  the  burning  of  the  Church  and  Convent  in 
1796,  the  buildings  were  razed  to  the  foundation] 
on  the  extinction  of  the  order,  and  the  ground  ap- 
propriated as  a  site  for  the  new  English  Cathedral. 
The  Court  House  is  also  built  on  part  of  the 
ground.  The  area  in  the  centre  of  the  Place  rf Amies 
was  not  always  so  large.  Until  a  few  years  ago  the 
foundations  of  the  Recollet  Church  were  to  be  traced 
upon  the  rocky  surface,  several  yards  in  advance  of 
the  present  boundary  on  the  western  side.  On  le- 
velling these  foundations,  and  the  rock  on  which  they 
stood,  two  plates  were  found,  the  inscriptions  on  which 
were  given  in  the  account  of  the  Recollet  Church. 
In  the  month  of  July,  1834,  on  sinking  one  of  the 
posts  which  surround  the  area  of  the  Place  cTArmes, 
some  human  bones  were  discovered  very  near  the 
surface.  As,  from  their  situation,  they  "must  have 
been  outside  the  Convent,  it  may  be  fairly  supposed 
that  they  were  the  remains  of  one  of  the  Aborigines, 
buried  there  before  the  coming  of  the  French. 

The  English  Cathedral  was  built  by  the  bounty  of 
Government,  upon  the  representations  of  the  first 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  and  consecrated  in  1804.  It  is  an 
edifice  of  regular  architecture  and  very  respectable 
appearance,  standing  in  a  spacious  area,  handsomely 
enclosed  by  iron  rails  and  gates,  and  planted  with 
trees.     Its  exterior  length  is  135  feet,  its  breadth 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  23 1 

73;  the  height  of  the  spire  above  the  ground,  152; 
from  the  floor  to  the  centre  of  the  arch  within,  41. 
The  communion  plate  of  this  Church  is  very  mag- 
nificent, and  persons  in  London  went  to  see  it  while 
making  in  the  hands  of  Rundell  and  Bridge.  This 
plate,  together  with  the  altar  cloth,  hangings  of 
the  desk  and  pulpit,  which  are  of  crimson  velvet 
and  cloth  of  gold,  and  books  for  divine  service,  was 
%  private  present  from  King  George  the  Third.  A 
£Ood  peal  of  eight  bells,  of  which  the  tenor  bell  is 
about  16  cwt,  was  procured  some  few  years  ago, 
by  the  subscriptions  of  the  congregation.  The 
Church  has  an  excellent  organ  and  a  regular  Cathe- 
Iral  choir,  but  no  Dean  and  Chapter.  It  serves  also 
is  the  Parish  Church,  until  such  an  edifice  shall  be 
erected,  with  a  reservation  in  favor  of  the  Episcopal 
rights.  Near  the  altar  is  an  elegant  font  of  white 
marble. 

Two  new  galleries  have  been  recently  constructed 
In  the  Cathedral,  thrown  back  on  each  side  of  the 
argan,  for  the  accommodation,  respectively,  of  the 
children  attending  the  male  and  female  National 
Schools — the  front  of  each  is  allotted  to  the  orphans 
of  the  Asylums,  in  their  distinctive  dresses. 

MONUMENT  TO  THE    LATE    LORD  BISHOP  OF  QUEBEC. 

A  beautiful  monument,  to  the  memory  of  the  late 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  the  Right  Reverend  Jacob 
Mountain,  D.  D.,  has  lately  been  erected  in  the  Ca- 
thedral Church,  within  the  rails  of  the  communion- 
table, immediately  over  the  spot  where  his  mortal 
remains  are  deposited,  occupying  the  lower  part  of 
the  space  of  which  the  remainder  is  appropriated  to 
the  second  table  of  the  commandments. 


232  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

The  dimensions  of  this  monument  are  eight  feet 
by  six,  and  its  weight  exceeds  two  tons.  The  work, 
which  is  executed  by  Nicholls,  is  of  white  marble, 
upon  a  marble  ground,  finished  off  in  a  semi-circular 
form  at  the  top.  The  execution  is  very  superior, 
the  whole  effect  extremely  striking,  and  the  likeness 
of  the  Bishop  most  satisfactory, — although  the  friends 
who  remember  him  in  this  country,  where  the  nature 
of  the  climate  induced  him  to  dispense  with  the  wig, 
regret  that  the  head  is  not  represented  with  his  own 
venerable  hair.  The  principal  object  is  his  bust  in 
the  episcopal  dress,  the  whole  head  inclining  forward 
and  standing  out  entire,  from  the  shoulders  upward. 
The  bust  rests  upon  a  pedestal  on  which  the  arms, 
surmounted  by  the  mitre,  are  carved,  and  below,  the 
inscription  is  engraved.  On  the  other,  a  full  length 
figure  of  Religion,  clasping  a  bible  to  her  breast,  with 
the  emblematical  appendages  of  the  cross  and  the 
crosier,  or  pastoral  staff. 

The  monument  forms  a  conspicuous  ornament  of 
the  church,  and  is  a  suitable  memorial  of  the  excellent 
prelate  who  was  the  first  occupier  of  the  see,  and 
procured  the  erection  of  the  building  itself.  It  is 
a  circumstance,  however,  which  ought  not  to  be  left 
unnoticed,  that,  upon  his  demise,  a  desire  was  ex- 
pressed by  his  clergy,  and  formed  the  subject  of  very 
gratifying  communications  which  passed  among  them, 
to  combine  in  paying  a  tribute  of  this  nature  them- 
selves to  his  memory,  if  not  rendered  unneces- 
sary by  the  proceeding  which  might  be  adopted  by 
the  family.  The  inscription  is  as  follows,  and  we 
are  sure  that  it  will  be  regarded  as  simple  and  mo- 
dest : — 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  238 


Hie  Jacet 

Vir  ad  mod  am  reverend  us 

Jacob  Mountain,   S.  T.  P. 

Episcopus  Quebeceosis, 

Ecclesiae  Anglicana?, 

in  Canadis  fundator, 

Qui  obiit  A.  S.  MDCCCXXV. 

-fitatis  su»  LXXV, 

Episcopatus  XXXIII ; 

Praesul  in  divino  munere  obeundo, 

Promptus,  fidelis,  indefessus  ; 

in  memoriam 

viri  egregi\, 

et  sibi  carissimi, 

hoc  marmor 

conjux  et  liberi 

8uperstites 

P.  C. 


The  remains  of  Charles  Lennox,  Duke  of 
Richmond,  Lennox,  and  Aubigny,  Governor 
General  of  these  Provinces,  are  interred  beneath 
the  altar.  He  died,  supporting  to  the  last  the  tor- 
ments of  hydrophobia  with  undaunted  constancy,  on 
the  fc28th  day  of  August,  1819.  No  monument  has 
yet  been  erected  to  his  memory,  although  no  man 
died  more  universally  beloved. 

The  following  are  the  inscriptions  upon  the  other 
monuments : — 

Sacred  to  the  Memory 

of  Lieutenant  General  Peter  Hunter, 

LieutenantGovernor  of  UpperCanada  and  Commander-in-Chief 

of  his  Majesty's  forces  in  both  the  Canadas, 

who  died  at  Quebec,  on  the  2 1st  August,  1805, 

aged  59  years. 

U  2 


234  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

His  life  was  spent  in  the  service  of  his  King  and  country. 
Of  the  various  stations,  both  civil  and  military,  wbicb  he  filled, 
He  discharged  the  duties  with  spotless  integrity, 
unwearied  zeal,  and  successful  abilities. 

This  memorial  to  a  beloved  brother,  whose 

mortal  part  rests  in  the  adjacent  place  of  burial, 

Is  erected  by  John  Hunter,  M.  D.  of  London. 


In  memory  of  Thomas  Dunn,  Esq.  of  Durham,  in  England, 
who  departed  this  life  on  the  15th  April,  A.  D.  1818. 
In  the  88th  year  of  his  age. 
During  his  long  residence  in  this  country, 
where  he  established  himself  soon  after  the  conquest, 
He  held  several  important  situations  under  Government: 
He  was  one  of  the  original  Members  of  the  Legislative 
and  Executive  Councils, 
In  which  last  capacity,  during  two  different  vacant  intervals, 
He  administered  the  Government  of  the  Province. 
His  known  integrity  and  goodness 
procured  him  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  community ; 
And  he  was  eminently  possessed  of  those  private  qualities 
Which  cause  men  to  be  beloved  during  life,  and  lamented 

in  death. 


"blessed  are  the  dead 
"which  die  in  the  lord." 

Sacred  to  the  Memory  of 
The  Honble.  Carleton  Thomas  Monckton, 
Fifth  son  of  Robert  Arundel,  fourth  Viscount  Galway, 
By  his  wife  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Daniel  Matthew,  Esquire, 

of  Felix  Hall,  Essex, 
And  great  nephew  of  the  Honble.  BrigadierGeneral  Monckton, 
who  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  British  army 
Upon  the  death  of  General  Wolfe,  at  the  splendid  victory 


j 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  235 

chieved  on  the  heights  of  Abraham,  13th  Sept-,  A.  D.  1759. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  entered  the  army  and  served  in  Spain, 

And  at  the  Battle  of  Waterloo  was  a  Lieutenant 

in  the  16th  Regt.  of  Light  Dragoons. 

He  some  years  afterwards  became  a  Captain 

q  the  24th  Regt.  of  Infantry,  which  he  accompanied  to  Canada, 

and  died  after  a  short  illness  at  Quebec,  on  the  10th  May, 

A.  D.  1830, 

In  the  34th  year  of  his  age,  beloved  by  his  brother  Officers, 

and  sincerely  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him. 

This  tablet  was  erected  by  his  sorrowing  brothers  and  sisters, 

as  a  testimony  of  their  fond  affection  to  one 

most  justly  dear  to  them, 

and  in  the  humble  hope  that,  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus, 

the  only  Saviour,  they,  together  with  him, 

may  be  blessed  as  are  those  that  die  in  the  Lord. 


Sacred  to  the  Memory 

of 

Captain  Thomas  Impett, 

late  of  the  32nd  Regiment, 

who  died  at  Quebec 

on  the  15th  February,  1833, 

aged  40   years  and  5   months. 

This  monument  was  erected  by  his 
Brother  Officers,  as  a  token  of  their  esteem  and  regard. 


The  dignitaries  of  the  Church  of  England  are  : 
The  Honorable  and  Right  Reverend  Father  in  God, 
Charles  James  Stewart,  Lord  Bishop  of  Que- 
iec,  attached  to  the  Province  of  Canterbury, 
ounger  brother  of  the  Earl  of  Galloway: — and  the 
ery  Reverend  George  Jehosaphat  Mountain, 
).  D,,  Archdeacon  of  Quebec,  son  of  the  first 
Bishop  of  the  diocese. 


236  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

There  are  four  Chapels  of  the  Church  of  England 
within  the  Parish  of  Quebec.  The  principal  of  these 
is  that  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  in  St.  Stanislaus  Street, 
Upper  Town,  which  is  a  private  chapel,  built  by  Chief 
Justice  Sewell  in  1824,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  late 
Bishop  of  Quebec,  to  provide  for  the  increase  in  the 
Cathedral  congregation.  It  is  a  handsome  building, 
with  a  front  of  cut  stone,  in  length  74  feet,  in  breadth 
48 — it  has  an  organ,  and  is  calculated  to  hold  700 
persons.  The  officiating  Clergyman  is  the  Reverend 
Edmund  Willoughby  Sewell. 

The  other  three  chapels,  which  are  small  and  with- 
out any  kind  of  architectural  pretensions,  are  St. 
Matthew's,  or  the  Free  Chapel,  in  St.  John's  Sub- 
urbs, fitted  up,  as  it  now  exists,  in  1828,  where  the 
services  and  the  accommodation  are  altogether  gra- 
tuitous:— St.  Paul's,  or  the  Mariner's  Chapel,  at  the 
base  of  Cape  Diamond,  close   to  the  place  called 
UAnse  des  Mires,  built  of  wood,   (over  a  school 
house  of  stone,  connected  with  the  institution,)  con- 
secrated in  1832,  and  served  without  additional  salary 
by  the  evening  lecturer  of  the  Cathedral ; — and  St. 
Peter's,  or  the  French  Protestant  Chapel,  now  fitting 
up  in  the  Suburb  of  St.  Roch,  in  the  upper  part  of 
a  building  recently  purchased  for  a  Male  Orphan 
Asylum.     It  is  called  the  French  Protestant  Chapel, 
because  it  is  in  part  designed  to  provide  a  service  for 
Guernsey  and  Jersey  families  resident  in  Quebec, 
some  of  whom  are  imperfectly  acquainted  with  the 
English  tongue.     The  orphans,  who  will  be  accom- 
modated below,  are  at  the  charge  of  the  Rector  and 
Church  Wardens  of  the  Parish,  and  their  mainten- 
ance is  defrayed  out  of  the  collections  made  weekly 
in  the  Cathedral,   which   also  provide  for   several 


WITH   HISTORICAL    RECOLLECTIONS.  237 

charitable  objects.  The  interior  economy  of 
astitution  is  confided  to  a  Committee  of  ladies, 
e  Female  Orphans  before  mentioned  occupy 
)oms  over  the  two  school  rooms,  in  the  National 
)l  house,  a  building  in  the  plain  Gothic  style, . 
St.  John's-Gate,  within  the  walls.  Both  the 
lal  fitting  up  of  the  rooms  for  the  Female  Or- 

Asylum,  and  the  maintenance  of  the  inmates 
been  solely  provided  for  by  means  of  the  annual 
jut  held  by  the  ladies  composing  the  Committee 
3  National  School,  who  also  assisted,  from  their 
Bazaar,  many  other  charities  in  the  place. 


CHURCH    OF   SCOTLAND. 

is  believed  that  a  regularly  ordained  Clergyman 
5  Church  of  Scotland  has  officiated  to  the  Pres- 
ians  of  that  persuasion  in  Quebec,  ever  since 
on  quest  in  the  year  1759  ;  but  it  is  certain  that 
apartment  was  assigned  by  the  King's  repre- 
tive  in  the  Jesuits'  College,  as  a  place  of  worship 
le  members  of  the  Scotch  Church,"  previous 
e  year  1767,  and  occupied  as  such  without 
ruption,  until  the  6th  October,  1807:  when 
lei  Isaac  Brock,  Commandant,  (His  Honor  the 
dent  having  declined  to  interfere  in  the  matter,) 
ssted  the  congregation  to  be  prepared  to  remove 
;e  "  on  the  shortest  notice,"  as  it  was  found  ne- 
ry  to  appropriate  it  to  the  accommodation  of 
roops. 

l  the  3rd  November,  1807,  the  Governor-in- 
f  commanded  his  Secretary  to  address  a  letter 
e  Clerks  of  the  Peace,  of  which  the  following  is 
ctract  : 


238  NEW  PICTURE    OP   QUEBEC, 

"  The  Governor~in-Chief  having  found  it  neces- 
sary to  appropriate  to  military  purposes  the  room  in 
the  Jesuits'  Barracks,  which  has  hitherto  been  made 
use  of  by  the  Presbyterian  congregation  at  Quebec^ 
as  a  place  of  worship,  I  have  it  in  command  from  Hit 
Excellency  to  desire,  that,  till  a  more  permanent 
provision  for  their  accommodation  can  be  made,  yon  • 
will  allow  the  said  congregation  to  assemble  on  the  \ 
Sundays  in  the  lower  room  of  the  Court  House,  in  < 
which  the  Justices  of  the  Peace  hold  their  Sittings.* 

On  the  30th  November,  1808,  letters  patent 
were  issued  by  His  Excellency  Sir  James  Henry 
Craig,  Knight  of  the  Most  Honorable  Order  of  the 
Bath,  granting,  as  a  place  for  the  erection  of  a  Church 
for  the  public  worship  or  exercise  of  the  religion  of 
the  Church  of  Scotland,  a  certain  lot  or  piece  of 
ground  in  St  Anne's  Street,  Upper  Town,  unto 
Alexander  Spark,  John  Blackwood,  John  Mure, 
David  Munro,  and  John  Paterson,  and  their  succes- 
sors, in  trust  for  ever. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1809,  the  Committee 
appointed  by  the  congregation  to  solicit  subscriptions, 
reported  that  the  sum  of  £1547,  currency,  had  been 
subscribed,  and  such  farther  subscriptions  expected, 
that  they  considered  themselves  authorized  to  contract 
for  the  building  of  a  Church  on  their  lot,  sixty  feet  by 
forty,  inside  the  walls — which,  being  finished,  was 
consecrated  and  set  apart  by  the  name  of  Saint 
Andrew's  Church,  for  the  ordinances  of  christian 
worship,  on  the  30th  November,  1810,  by  the  late 
Rev.  Dr.  Spark. 

Dr.  Spark  died  suddenly  on  the  7th  March, 
1819.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Harkness,  the  present  incum- 
bent, was  ordained  as  his  successor  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Ayr  in  Scotland,  on  the  7th  March,  1820,  and 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  239 

died  for  the  first  time  to  the  congregation  on 
Ith  June  following. 

the  year  1821,  the  Church  being  found  far  from 
uate  to  the  accommodation  of  its  members,  a 
ion  was  presented  by  the  Trustees  to  His  Ex- 
ncy  the  Earl  of  Dalhousie,  for  an  additional  space 
ound  to  enable  them  to  enlarge  it — with  which 
Excellency  was  graciously  pleased  to  comply, 
Uso  to  grant  an  aid  of  £300  currency,  out  of  the 
es  arising  from  the  Jesuits'  Estates,  besides  ge- 
usly  subscribing  £50  currency,  towards  carrying 
ame  into  effect. 

he  enlargement  was  completed  in  May,  1824, 
with  the  exception  of  the  above  mentioned  sums, 
the  congregation  by  voluntary  subscription  near- 
2300  currency.  The  Church,  as  it  now  stands, 
*  feet  by  48  inside  the  walls,  and  can  accommo- 

1300  sitters.  The  number  of  communicants 
eds  300  :  upwards  of  260  individuals  received 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  Church, 
le  2d  day  of  March  last. 

le  Trustees  are  incorporated  by  an  Act  of  the 
incial  Parliament,  which  was  assented  to  by  His 
?sty  in  Council,  on  the  31st  January,  1831, 
the  royal  assent  thereto  was  signified  by  the 
[amation  of  His  Excellency  the  Governor-in- 
f,  on  the  29th  April,  1831. 

school,  in  connection  with  the  Church,  was 
ted  by  the  Trustees  in  the  year  1831,  who  re- 
*d  in  aid  of  the  building,  the  liberal  sum  of  £400 
ency,  from  the  Provincial  Legislature.  The 
ol  is  under  the  management  and  direction  of  six 
ibers  of  the  Church,  chosen  annually  by  ballot 
k  general  meeting  of  the  congregation,  held  on 
first  Sunday  in  the  month  of  May,  in  the  Church 


240  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

immediately  after  divine  service  in  the  forenoon, 
when  a  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Committee 
for  the  previous  twelve  months  is  furnished  by  the 
Secretary.  The  number  of  scholars  now  in  atten- 
dance is  112.  The  present  teachers  are  Mr.  Seaton, 
and  his  assistant,  Mr.  Laurie. 

There  is  also  a  Sunday  School  in  connexion  witk 
the  Church,  which  meets  every  Sunday  at  half-part 
9  o'clock,  and  is  numerously  attended. 

The  late  Dr.  Spark  had  an  allowance  from  Go- 
vernment of  £50  sterling  per  annum,  which  has  been 
continued  to  his  successor.  This  is  the  only  pro* 
vision  as  yet  made  by  Government  for  the  Clergy 
of  the  Church  of  Scotland  in  Lower  Canada,  with 
the  exception  of  a  similar  sum  allowed  annually  to 
the  Senior  Clergyman  of  Saint  Gabriel's  Church, 
Montreal,  although  the  Presbytery  of  Quebec  con- 
sists, at  present,  of  twelve  regularly  ordained  Cler* 
gymen  of  the  Church  of  Scotland. 

In  1830,  the  congregation  of  Saint  John's  Church, 
(previously  an  independent  or  congregational  Cha- 
pel,) professing  themselves  to  be  willing  to  con- 
form to  the  doctrine,  discipline  and  laws  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland,  made  application  to  the  Glasgow 
Colonial  Society  for  Missionary  purposes,  to  send 
them  out  a  regularly  ordained  Clergyman  to  be  their 
Pastor,  and  in  consequence,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clugston 
was  ordained  to  that  Church  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Forfar  in  Scotland.  The  present  number  of  com- 
municants is  from  120  to   130, 

st.  John's  church. 

This  building  stands  in  St.  Francis  Street,  and  is 
without  ornament.    It  was  erected  in  the  year  1816, 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  241 

and  up  to  the  year  1830,  it  had  been  occupied  as  a 
flace  of  worship  by  Congregationalism.  It  is  now, 
jnd  has  been  since  the  date  last  specified,  a  place  of 
worship  in  connexion  with  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
and  is  named  St.  John's  Church.  The  Minister  and 
Trustees  of  St  John's  Church  were  incorporated 
by  Act  of  Parliament  in  the  year  1831. 


st.  Patrick's  church* 

The  Irish  Catholics  of  Quebec,  finding  by  the 
rapid  increase  of  their  number,  that  they  could  no 
longer  conveniently  assemble  for  public  worship  in 
the  small  Church  of  the  Lower  Town,  came  to  the 
spirited  determination  of  building  a  Church  on  an 
extensive  scale,  which  would  afford  accommodation  to 
all  the  Catholics  of  the  City  and  Suburbs,  using  the 
English  language.  To  effect  this,  they  called  a  ge- 
neral meeting  of  all  the  members  of  their  body,  and 
mmediately  opened  a  subscription,  which  to  the  ever- 
asting  honor  of  their  fellow  citizens  of  every  deno- 
nination,  met  with  the  strongest  marks  of  public 
ipprobation,  evinced  by  the  gratifying  circumstance, 
hat  many  of  the  most  generous  subscribers  to  the 
indertaking  were  Protestants. 

In  the  fall  of  1831,  a  spacious  lot  of  ground  in  rear 
>f  Palace  Street  was  purchased  for  the  sum  of 
£2,300 ;  and  in  the  month  of  June  following,  the  cor- 
ner-stone of  St.  Patrick's  Church  was  laid  with  the 
usual  ceremony.  This  circumstance  took  place  just 
at  the  ever  memorable  time  when  that  dreadful 
scourge,  the  Cholera  Morbus,  first  burst  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  Quebec.  The  spirit  and  zeal  of  the 
Congregation  on  this  trying  occasion  are  beyond  all 

x 


242  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

praise,  for  their  persevering  magnanimity  in  prose- 
cuting the  undertaking  through  all  the  unforeseen 
difficulties  which  arose  out  of  the  panic  created  in 
the  public  mind  by  that  desolating  pestilence— w 
that  in  the  short  space  of  twelve  months  the  building 
was  ready  for  dedication,  which  ceremony  took  place 
on  the  first  Sunday  in  July,  1833,  amid  the  hearty 
rejoicings  and  thanksgivings  of  a  generous  people. 

St.  Patrick's  Church  is  a  fine  substantial  stone 
building,  covering  an  area  of  136  feet  by  62.    It 
fronts  St.  Helen  Street,  and  is  entered  by  three  well 
moulded  doors,  the  largest  of  which  is  in  the  tower, 
the  other  two  in  the  side  aisles,  besides  the  two  en- 
trances to  the  east  and  west      It  is  lighted  on  each 
side  by  a  double  tier  of  windows  well  made  and  in 
admirable  proportion.      The  roof  and  galleries  are 
supported  by  massive  pillars  with  bases  and  capital* 
The  ceiling  is  to  be  48  feet  high,  richly  embossed  1 
and   ornamented   with   scriptural   emblems.      The 
steeple  is  handsome  and  well  proportioned,  and  stands 
120  feet  from  the  ground  to  the  ball  which  supports 
the   cross.     There   are   very   extensive  and  mag- 
nificent galleries  round  the  inside,  terminating  over 
the  Sanctuary,  furnished  with  a  triple  range  of  ele- 
gant pews,  which,  with  those  of  the  ground  flat,  are 
calculated  to  accommodate  an  immense  congrega- 
tion. 

The  interior  of  this  Church  when  finished,  com- 
prising pillars,  columns,  arches,  ceilings,  the  grand 
variegated  altar,  tabernacle  and  canopy,  the  adorned 
Sanctuary,  the  flank  and  end  windows,  organ,  &c. 
with  all  their  varied  tracery,  will  present  a  coup  (Fail, 
to  strike  the  beholder  with  religious  awe  and  admira- 
tion. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  243 

'here  is  attached  to  this  Church,  under  the  patro- 
e  of  the  Pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr,  McMahon,  a 
istian  Doctrine  Society,  whose  duty  it  is  to  in- 
ct  the  youth  of  the  congregation  in  the  principles 
duties  of  their  religion.  The  members  of  this 
iety  have  founded  a  circulating  library,  consisting 
iligious  and  moral  works,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
;regation,  a  circumstance  highly  creditable  to  the 
and  public  spirit  of  the  Irish  Catholics  of  Que- 


WESLEYAN     CHAPEL. 

he  Wesleyan  Methodists  have  a  Chapel  situated 
t.  Anne  Street  in  the  Upper  Town.  This  build- 
svas  erected  in  1816,  and  is,  both  in  the  exterior 
interior,  extremely  plain.  The  congregation  is 
rally  as  large  as  can  be  comfortably  accommo- 
d ;  and  it  has  been  in  contemplation  to  remove 
present,  and  erect  a  larger  edifice  in  the  same 

hey  have  also  a  smaller  Chapel  in  Champlain 
et  in  the  Lower  Town.     This  was  built  in  1830, 

was  intended  to  afford  the  means  of  grace  to 
of  the  sailors  who  visit  this  port  during  the 
oner,  as  were  disposed  to  attend  divine  worship, 
here  are  two  Sabbath  Schools  connected  with 
3  Chapels ;  and  the  number  of  children  attending 
,  with  the  attention  they  give  to  the  instruction 

which  they  are  furnished,  afford  much  encou- 
ment  to  those  by  whom  they  are  conducted. 


244  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 


/ 


CHAPTER  THE  TWELFTH. 

THE  INTENDANT,S  PALACE — THE  BISHOP'S  PALACE 
— THE  PARLIAMENT  HOUSE — OTHER  REMARKABLE 
BUILDINGS. 

Next  to  that  of  the  Governor  General,  the 
office  of  Intendant  was  of  the  greatest  importance 
and  celebrity  in  Quebec.  It  was  established  by  the 
Proclamation  of  the  King  of  France,  in  166% 
erecting  the  Sovereign  Council  for  the  affairs  of  the 
Colony ;  which  consisted  of  the  Governor  General, 
the  Bishop,  the  Intendant,  four  Councillors,  to  be 
named  by  the  preceding,  with  an  Attorney  General 
and  chief  Clerk.  The  number  of  Councillors  was 
afterwards  encreased  to  twelve. 

The  authority  of  the  Intendant  was,  indeed,  little 
inferior  to  that  of  the  Governor,  except  in  being 
judicial,  not  executive.  He  had  the  superintendance 
of  four  departments  ;  namely,  of  Justice,  Police, 
Finance  and  Marine.  The  Intendant  was  declar- 
ed to  be  President  of  the  Sovereign  Council,  leaving, 
however,  the  first  place  to  the  Governor,  and  the 
/  second  to  the  Bishop.  This  caused  great  displea- 
sure to  the  Governor,  on  whose  continued  repre- 
sentations it  was  afterwards  ordered,  in  1680,  that 
the  Governor  and  Intendant  should  assume  no 
other  quality  in  the  Council  than  that  of  their  re- 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  245 

pective  offices.  La  Potherie,  who  visited  Quebec 
a  1698,  says,  that  the  Governor  was  then  merely  an 
xmorary  Councillor.  He  sat  at  the  upper  end  of  a 
ound  table,  meaning  most  probably  at  the  part 
arthest  removed  from  the  door.  The  Bishop  sat  on 
lis  right,  also  an  honorary  Councillor,  and  the 
Intendant  on  the  left.  The  latter  performed  the 
office  of  President,  although  he  had  not  the  title* 
Fhe  Councillors  themselves  were  seated  according  to 
seniority,  and  all  wore  their  swords.  The  Inten- 
dant collected  the  votes,  beginning  with  the  junior 
Councillor,  and  finishing  with  the  Governor  Ge- 
neral. He  then  gave  his  own  opinion,  and  pro- 
lounced  the  judgment  of  the  Council.  In  Le  Beau's 
ime,  who  visited  Quebec  in  1729,  the  arrangement 
f  the  seats  was  somewhat  different.  The  Council- 
>rs  were  then  twelve  in  number,  nearly  all  merchants 
f  the  Lower  Town.  "  The  Intendant,"  he  says, 
claimed  the  right  of  presiding  in  the  Council ;  but 
le  Governor  General  took  his  seat  in  the  Hall 
f  Justice,  in  such  a  situation  as  to  be  opposite  the 
attendant,  with  the  Councillors,  or  Judges,  arranged 
i  either  side  :  so  that  they  both  seemed  to  preside 
i  an  equal  degree."  The  Intendant  named 
riginally  by  the  King  was  M.  Robert,  whose  com- 
tission  was  dated  21st  March,  1663.  This  gentle- 
lan,  however,  never  arrived  in  Quebec  ;  and  the 
rst  Intendant  was  M.  De  Talon,  who  arrived  in 
665,  with  the  Marquis  DeTracy,  and  the  Carignan 
legiment.  Of  this  gentleman  the  most  honorable 
lention  is  made  in  the  annals  of  the  country.  The 
allowing  anecdote  has  been  handed  down,  of  his  first 
rrival  in  Quebec  Previous  to  his  leaving  France, 
le  Superior  of  the  Hotel  Dieu  had  written  to  him, 
'commending  that  Community  to  his   protection. 

x  2 


246  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

On  the  next  day  after  his  arrival,  with  the  true  gal- 
lantry of  a  French  gentleman,  he  determined  to 
assure  her  in  person  of  his  good  wishes,  but  first  put 
in  practice  a  little  ruse,  which,  as  the  story  runs, 
redounded,  in  the  denouement,  both  to  his  own  and 
to  the  credit  of  the  Superior.     Coming  to  the  Nun- 
nery,  without   equipage   and  plainly   dressed,  be 
requested  to  speak  with  the  Superior,  without  giving 
any  name.     The  Superior  approached,  accompanied 
by  a  Nun,  the  Mother  Marie  de  la  Nativite, — when 
assuming  the   character  of  his  own  gentleman  or 
valet,  he  assured  them  in  the  most  polite  and  well 
conceived  terms  of  the  respect  and  interest  which 
M.  De  Talon  had  always  felt  towards  their  Commu- 
nity, and  promised  on  his  part  that  nothing  should  be 
wanting  to  promote   their  welfare.     As  he  spoke 
admirably,   with  great  confidence  and  earnestness 
of  manner,  the  other  Nun,  who  was  a  person  of  saga- 
city, making  a  sign  to  the  Superior,  replied,  that  she 
was  not  deceived  in  believing  him  to  be  of  higher 
rank  than  that  which  he  chose  to  assume.     On  M.  De 
Talon's  requesting  to  be  informed,  what  there  was 
about  him  to  induce  her  to  entertain  such  an  opinion, 
the  clever  Nun  made  answer,  that  there  was  that 
in  his  language  and  appearance  which  convinced  her 
that  she  had  the  honor  of  speaking  to  the  Intendant 
himself.     On  this  he  acknowledged  his  attempt  at 
dissimulation,  and  his  great  satisfaction  at  receiving 
so  elegant  and  so  obliging  a  compliment.     It  may  be 
imagined  that  the  result  of  this  interview  was  a  last- 
ing friendship  between  the  Intendant  and  the  Com- 
munity.    He  was  mainly  instrumental  some  years 
afterwards,  in  rebuilding  the  Hotel  Dieu  on  a  more 
extended  scale,  as  described  in  our  account  of  that 


"WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  247 

tfablishment ;  and   was  besides  distinguished  for 
is  liberality  on  many  other  occasions. 


THE   INTENDANT'S   PALACE. 

Immediately  through  Palace-Gate,  turning  to- 
wards the  left,  and  in  front  of  the  Ordnance  buildings 
ad  storehouses,  once  stood  an  edifice  of  great  extent, 
urrounded  by  a  spacious  garden  looking  towards  the 
Uver  St  Charles,  and  as  to  its  interior  decorations, 
ir  more  splendid  than  even  the  Castle  of  St  Lewis, 
t  was  the  Palace  of  the  Intendant,  so  called,  because 
ie  sittings  of  the  Sovereign  Council  were  held  there, 
(iter  the  establishment  of  the  Royal  Government 
i  New  France.  A  small  district  adjoining  is  still 
ailed,  Le  Palais,  by  the  old  inhabitants,  and  the 
ame  of  the  Gate,  and  of  the  well  proportioned  street 
rhich  leads  to  it,  are  derived  from  the  same  origin. 

The  Intendant's  Palace  was  described  by  La  Po- 
lerie,  in  1698,  as  consisting  of  eighty  toises,  or 
>ur  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  of  buildings,  so  that  it 
Dpeared  a  little  town  in  itself.  The  King's  stores 
ere  kept  there.  Its  situation  does  not  at  the  pre- 
;nt  time  appear  advantageous,  but  the  aspect  of  the 
iver  St  Charles  was  widely  different  in  those  days. 
he  property  in  the  neighborhood  belonged  to  the 
rovernment,  or  to  the  Jesuits — large  meadows  and 
3wery  parterres  adorned  the  banks  of  the  river,  and 
cached  the  base  of  the  rock  ;  and  as  late  as  the  time 
•  Charlevoix,  in  1720,  that  quarter  of  the  city  is 
token  of  as  being  the  most  beautiful.  The  en- 
ance  was  into  a  court,  through  a  large  gateway,  the 
ling  of  which,  in  St.  Vallier  Street,  still  remain, 
'he  buildings  formed  nearly  a  square — in  front  of 


248  NEW   PICTURE   O*    QUEBEC* 

the  river  were  spacious  gardens,  and  on  the  sides 
the  King's  store  houses.  Beyond  the  Palace,  to- 
wards the  west,  were  the  pleasing  grounds  of  the 
Jesuits,  and  of  die  General  Hospital, 

This  building,  like  most  of  the  public  establish- 
ments of  Quebec,  went  through  the  ordeal  of  fire, 
and  was  afterwards  rebuilt  with  greater  attention  to 
comfort  and  embellishment.  In  September,  171% 
M.  Begon  arrived  as  Intendant,  with  a  splendid 
equipage,  rich  furniture,  plate  and  apparel  befitting 
his  rank.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  a  young 
lady  lately  married,  whose  valuable  jewels  were  the 
general  admiration.  A  fire,  which  it  was  found  im- 
possible to  extinguish,  broke  out  in  the  night  of  the 
5th  January,  1713  ;  and  burned  so  rapidly,  that  the 
Intendant  and  his  lady  with  difficulty  escaped  in  their 
robes  de  chambre.  The  latter  was  obliged  to  break 
the  panes  of  glass  in  her  apartment,  before  she  had 
power  to  breathe,  so  as  to  attempt  her  escape  through 
the  smoke  with  which  the  passages  were  filled.  Two 
young  French  women,  who  attended  Madame  Begon, 
perished  in  the  flames — the  Intendant's  valet  anxious 
to  save  some  of  his  master's  clothes,  ventured  impru- 
dently within  the  burning  chambers,  and  was  con- 
sumed by  the  flames — his  secretary,  desirous  of 
rescuing  some  valuables,  passed  several  times  through 
the  gardens  towards  the  river  in  front  of  the  house, 
without  shoes,  and  was  frozen.  He  died  in  the  Hotel 
Dieu,  a  few  days  afterwards.  The  loss  of  the  Inten- 
dant was  stated  at  forty  thousand  crowns  :  his  lady 
lost  her  jewels  and  rich  dresses.  Such,  however, 
were  the  resources  of  M.  Begon,  that  he  is  said  to 
have  lived  with  as  much  state  in  the  Bishop's  Palace, 
where  he  established  himself,  as  he  had  maintained 
before  the  fire.      On  this  occasion,  the  papers  and 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  249 

cords  of  the  Treasury  were  lost,  as  well  as  the  regis- 
re  of  the  Council,  and  other  valuable  documents 
rlonging  to  the  King  op  France,  The  Palace 
is  afterwards  rebuilt  in  a  splendid  style  by  M. 
boon  at  the  Kino's  expense.  The  following  is  its 
gcription,  given  by  Charlevoix,  in  1720,  a  few 
an  afterwards ;  "  The  Intendant's  house  is  called 
e  Palace,  because  the  Superior  Council  assembles 
it  This  is  a  large  pavilion,  the  two  extremities  of 
kich  project  some  feet ;  and  to  which  you  ascend 
r  a  double  flight  of  stairs.  The  garden  front  which 
ees  the  little  river,  which  is  very  nearly  on  a  level 
th  it,  is  much  more  agreeable  than  that  by  which 
u  enter.  The  King's  magazines  face  the  court  on 
5  right  side,  and  behind  that  is  the  prison.  The 
te  by  which  you  enter  is  hid  by  the  mountain  on 
ich  the  Upper  Town  stands,  and  which  on  this 
e  affords  no  prospect,  except  that  of  a  steep  rock, 
fremely  disagreeable  to  the  sight.  It  was  still 
rse  before  the  fire,  which  reduced  some  years  ago 
i  whole  Palace  to  ashes  ;  it  having  at  that  time  no 
er  court,  and  the  buildings  then  facing  the  street 
ich  was  very  narrow.  As  you  go  along  this  street, 
to  speak  more  properly,  this  road,  you  come  first 
ill  into  the  country." 

Fhe  Intendant's  Palace  was  neglected  as  a  place 
official  residence  after  the  conquest  in  1759. 
1775,  it  was  occupied  by  a  detachment  of  the 
lerican  invading  army,  and  destroyed  by  the  fire 
the  Garrison.  The  only  remains  at  present  are 
rivate  house,  the  gateway  alluded  to  above,  and 
eral  stores  belonging  to  Government,  formed  by 
airing  some  of  the  old  French  buildings.  The 
trie  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  the  King's  wood- 
d. 


250  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 


THE   BISHOP'S   PALACE. 


This  is  one  of  the  ancient  buildings  of  Quebec* 
having  been  erected  soon  after  the  establishment 
of  the  See  ;  and  possesses  a  degree  of  historical 
interest,  standing  on,  probably,  the  first  cleared 
land  in  this  part  of  the  continent.  Nothing  contt 
be  more  beautiful  than  the  site  chosen.  It  is  at  the 
south-eastern  extremity  of  the  grand  battery,  be* 
tween  it  and  the  descent  into  the  Lower  Town  bf.  '■) 
Mountain  Street  It  is  believed  that  here  was  toe 
first  clearance  made  by  Champlain,  who  commenced  : 
his  labors  at  the  end  of  St  George  Street,  near  the 
stone  store  of  the  Ordnance  department,  and  continue 
ed  them  as  far  as  the  Recollet  Convent  and  the  Plact  \ 
(FArmes.  He'  built  his  first  Fort  nearly  on  the  site 
of  the  Bishop's  Palace.  It  was  afterwards,  as  has 
been  mentioned  in  another  place,  removed  to  a  more 
commanding  position,  that  of  the  Castle  of  St. 
Lewis. 

The  Bishop's  Palace  commands  an  extensive 
prospect  towards  the  north,  with  a  delightful  view  of 
the  basin,  and  of  Pointe  Levi.  The  garden  was  for-  n 
merly  inclosed,  reaching  to  the  brow  of  the  precipice  \ 
called  the  Sault-au-Matelot.  It  was  divided  from  .j 
that  of  the  Seminary  by  a  wall,  as  at  present ;  and  ■< 
another  wall  ran  along  the  ascent  from  the  Lower  < 
Town.  A  gateway,  which  was  nearly  opposite  the  % 
rear  of  Mr.  Clouet's  house,  gave  admittance  to  the  ^ 
Eveche,  or  the  official  residence  of  the  Bishop,  to 
which  it  has  been  customary  to  apply  the  title  of 
Palace. 

It  was  originally  intended  that  the  Bishop's  Pa- 
lace should  make  in  figure  an  oblong  square,  the 


h 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  251 

fourth  side  bounded  by  a  wall  fronting  the  ascent  from 
Mountain  Street  The  Chapel,  left  centre,  and  one 
wing  towards  the  south-west  were,  however,  the  only 
buildings  that  were  finished.  With  the  exception  of 
the  Chapel,  which  was  lately  pulled  down  to  make 
way  for  the  loftier  fa  fade  of  the  new  House  of  As- 
iembly,  these  buildings  remain  as  they  were  originally 
finished.  They  are  of  cut  stone  ;  and  although  the 
Palace  was  little  more  than  half  executed  on  the 
original  plan,  it  must  have  been,  even  so,  an  elegant, 
ipadous  and  not  unworthy  residence  for  the  Bishops 
Of  New  France.  The  first  Prelates,  however,  do 
not  appear  to  have  made  much  use  of  this  habitation. 
Bishop  De  Laval  retired  to  the  Seminary,  and 
Bishop  De  St.  Vallier  to  the  General  Hospital. 
In  1713,  it  was  occupied  by  the  Intendant,  M. 
Begon,  after  the  destruction  of  his  house  by  fire. 

La  Potherie,  after  giving  an  accurate  descrip- 
tion of  the  Palace  as  it  appeared  then,  says :  "  There 
are  few  Episcopal  Palaces  in  France  which  would 
equal  this  in  beauty,  if  it  were  finished.  All  the 
Cures  from  the  country  Parishes,  who  have  business 
in  the  city,  are  here  accommodated  with  lodgings, 
and  generally  dine  with  the  Bishop,  who  is  almost 
constantly  in  the  Refectory."  Charlevoix  mentions: 
w  In  the  Episcopal  Palace  there  is  nothing  finished 
but  the  Chapel,  and  one  half  of  the  building  project- 
ed by  the  plan,  according  to  which  it  is  to  be  an 
oblong  square.  If  ever  completed,  it  will  be  a  mag- 
nificent edifice.  The  garden  extends  to  the  brow  of 
the  rock,  and  commands  the  prospect  of  all  the  road." 

When  its  present  Constitution  was  given  to  this 
Province,  the  Bishop's  Palace  was  chosen  as  the 
place  for  the  sittings  of  the  Legislative  Council 
rod  Assembly.     The  Bishop  received  in  lieu  of  it 


252  NEW  PICTURE  OF   QUEBEC, 

an  annuity  from  the  Imperial  Government  The 
Chapel  of  the  Palace  was  fitted  up  as  a  Chamber 
for  the  Provincial  Assembly.  It  was  sixty-five  feet 
long  by  thirty-six  wide,  and  in  this  building  the  Ses- 
sions continued  to  be  held,  until  it  was  removed  to 
make  way  for  the  new  edifice. 

The  Legislative  Council  Chamber  is  at  present 
in   that  part  of  the    Bishop's   Palace  which  im- 
mediately adjoins  the  new  building  ;  commanding 
from  the  windows  in  the  rear  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
views  imaginable.     The  Chamber  is  fitted  up  in  an  . 
appropriate   manner.      At  the   upper   end   is  the 
Throne,  from  which  His  Excellency  the  Gover-  J 
nor-in-Chief  addresses  the  two  other  branches  of  I 
the  Legislature,  at  the  opening  and  close  of  the 
Session.      It  is  of  crimson  and  gold,  surmounted  by 
the  Imperial  Arms.     On  the  right,  is  a  full  length 
picture  of  His  Majesty  George  III.,   after  Sir 
Joshua  Reynolds : — on  the  left,  one  of  His  late  Ma- 
jesty George  IV.,  after    Sir  Thomas  Lawrence, 
This  building,  together  with  the  south-western  wing, 
contains  the  Library,  Speaker's  Room,   Committee 
Rooms,  and  Offices,  belonging  to  the  Legislative 
Council.    In  the  vaulted  rooms  below,  which  are  spa- 
cious and  airy,  receiving  light  from  the  east,  are  the 
offices  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Province.      These 
formed  once  the  Refectory  of  the  Bishop's  Palace, 
where  the  Prelate  showed  daily  hospitality  to  the 
Cures,  who  came  to  visit  him  from  the  country  pa- 
rishes. 

The  reader  is  referred  to  the  Plate  representing 
Prescott-Gate.  On  the  right  he  will  find  a  south 
view  of  the  Bishop's  Palace,  which  has  remained  in 
the  same  state,  with  the  exception  of  the  loop-holed 
wall  in  front,  since  its  first  erection. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  253 


THE    PARLIAMENT   HOUSE. 

The  Plate  on  the  opposite  side  represents  the 
'arliament  House,  as  finished,  on  the  site  of  the 
hsHOP's  Palace.  The  centre  and  north-western 
ring  are  only  completed,  so  that  the  whole  build- 
ng,  including  the  old  part,  now  for  the  first  time 
las  assumed  the  figure  intended  at  the  original 
oundation.  The  union  of  the  old  and  the  new  parts 
f  this  building,  while  it  speaks  by  contrast  the  great 
dvance  of  the  Province  in  resources  and  population, 
orms  an  interesting  link  between  its  ancient  and 
oodern  history.  The  venerable  Palace  of  the 
Bishops,  neglected  without,  but  useful  and  com- 
modious within,  rears  its  modest  front  by  the  side  of 
be  massive  fa  fade  of  its  less  unpretending,  but  more 
urable  successor  ;  affording  a  moral  lesson  of  the 
ise  and  decay  of  buildings,  of  empires,  of  man  him- 
elf,  and  of  the  mutability  of  all  sublunary  affairs. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  sittings  of  the  Provin- 
ial  Assembly  were  held  in  the  Bishop's  Chapel 
ntil  1834.  It  will  be  remembered,  that  the  House 
if  Commons  in  England  holds  its  sittings  in  what 
ras  once  the  small  Chapel  of  St.  Stephen,  West- 
iinster.  The  Bishop's  Chapel  stood  upon  the 
ite  of  the  central  part  of  the  new  Parliament 
louse,  the  facade  of  which  is  imposing  from  its 
trength  and  loftiness,  and  from  the  dome  and  spire 
nth  which  it  is  crowned.  Four  massive  cut  pillars 
upport  a  pediment,  within  which  will  be  contained 
he  "  Imperial  Arms  of  Great  Britain,"  as  repre- 
ented  in  our  Plate,  taken  from  the  original  design 
rith  which  we  were  favored.  "Within  the  facade 
$  the  new  House  of  Assembly,  a  spacious  Cham- 


254  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

ber,  seventy-nine  feet  long  by  forty-six  broad,  and 
twenty-eight  feet  high  from  floor  to  ceiling.  The 
interior  is  not  yet  finished,  but  it  will,  no  doubt,  be 
worthy  of  the  building  and  of  the  Province,  From 
the  dome  there  is  a  splendid  view  of  the  picturesque 
scenery  around,  which  is  gained  by  ascending  a  stair- 
case until  the  spectator  reaches  a  small  gallery  on 
the  outside,  and  encircling  the  dome,  at  the  base  of 
the  lantern.  The  whole  building  is  solid  and  sub- 
stantial, being  of  cut  stone.  The  remaining  apart- 
ments are  all  for  the  use  of  the  Assembly.  The 
Wardrobe  and  Library  are  large  and  in  due  propor- 
tion :  the  passages  and  staircases  wide  and  well  ven- 
tilated. Every  care  has,  in  truth,  been  taken  to 
meet  the  convenience  of  the  Members,  and  to  expe- 
dite the  business  of  the  Province.  The  centre  of  the 
New  Parliament  House  was  designed  by  Mr. 
Berlinguet,  the  wings  by  Mr.  Baillarge\  The  whole 
was  built  by  Mr.  Fortier,  Master  Mason  ;  and  the 
sums  voted  by  the  Legislature  to  defray  the  expense 
amount  to  £16,000. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  no  long  time  will  elapse,  ere 
the  liberality  of  the  Legislature  shall  have  provided 
for  the  completion  of  the  New  Parliament  House, 
as  represented  in  the  engTaving.  But  in  order  that 
the  building  should  be  seen'  to  advantage,  it  is 
highly  necessary  that  the  row  of  houses,  which  would 
seem  to  have  intruded  themselves  between  Freema- 
sons' Hall  and  the  Seminary,  should  be  removed  by 
an  Act  of  the  Legislature,  on  a  fair  compensation. 
When  these  improvements  are  made,  the  Parlia- 
ment House  will  appear  one  of  the  finest  buildings 
in  North  America. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  255 


THE    COURT    HOUSE. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Court  House  occu- 
pies part  of  the  site  once  belonging  to  the  Recollet 
Fathers,  and  forming  the  western  side  of  the  ancient 
Place  d'Armes,  immediately  opposite  to  the  Fort 
The  Court  House  stands  at  the  angle  of  St.  Lewis 
Street  and  the  Place  d'Armes,  to  the  south  of  the  Eng- 
lish Cathedral.  Its  front  is  on  the  north  side  of  St 
Lewis  Street,  looking  towards  the  Commissariat  Office 
across  an  open  space,  in  which  is  a  broad  walk 
of  stone  flags.  The  edifice  is  built  of  grey  stone, 
plain  and  substantial,  standing  within  an  area  inclosed 
by  an  iron  railing,  and  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-six- 
feet  long,  by  forty-four  feet  broad.  The  roof,  like 
that  of  most  of  the  public  buildings,  is  covered  with 
tin.  The  approach  from  St.  Lewis  Street  is  by  a  dou- 
ble flight  of  stone  steps,  leading  to  an  arcade,  or  ves- 
tibule ;  from  which  are  passages  leading  to  the  rooms 
below,  and  wide  staircases  to  the  Courts  above.  Im- 
mediately in  front  of  the  lower  story,  and  facing  the 
arcade,  is  the  chamber  in  which  the  Court  of  Quar- 
ter Sessions  is  held.  On  the  right  are  the  Police 
Office,  the  Justices'  Room,  and  Grand  Jury  Room.  On 
the  left,  the  Offices  of  the  Prothonotary  of  the  Court 
of  King's  Bench.  On  the  upper  floor  is  the  Court 
of  King's  Bench,  fitted  up  in  an  appropriate  manner, 
with  a  gallery  for  spectators.  Immediately  behind 
the  Bench,  as  in  the ,  Quarter  Sessions'  Room,  are 
the  Imperial  Arms.  To  the  left  of  the  Court  of 
King's  Bench  are  the  Judges'  Chambers,  and 
the  Court  of  Appeals  ;  and  on  the  right,  the 
Vice-Admiralty  Office,  the  Sheriffs  Office,  and  the 
Advocate's  Wardrobe.      The  Court  of  Vice-Ad- 


256  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

miralty  is  generally  held  in  the  Quarter  Sessions' 
Room.  In  the  basement  are  kept  the  records  of 
the  Courts. 

Previous  to  the  erection  of  the  Court  House, 
the  Judges  sat  in  the  Jesuits'  College.  The  Com- 
missioners appointed  for  the  work,  were  the  Honor- 
able Jonathan  Sewell,  now  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Province,  John  Mervin  Nooth  and  Amable 
Berthelot  Dartigny,  Esquires.  The  Court 
House  was  finished  in  1804,  at  an  expense  to  the 
Province  of  £30,000.  Though  entirely  void  of  orna- 
ment, it  is,  generally  speaking,  convenient,  although 
the  great  encrease  of  the  legal  business  of  the  Pro* 
vince  seems  to  require  greater  accommodation  as  to 
space. 


the  government  offices. 

These  Offices,  several  of  which  were  formerly  held 
in  the  lower  apartments  of  the  Bishop's  Palace,  and 
others  in  different  parts  of  the  Upper  Town,  are  now 
for  the  most  part  united  in  a  large  building,  which 
stands  on  the  north  side  of  the  Place  d'Armes,  and 
adds  considerably  to  its  general  appearance.  It  is  a 
well  proportioned  and  strongly  built  stone  house, 
three  stories  high,  eighty-six  feet  in  length,  and  forty- 
four  in  breadth.  It  was  built  in  1803,  by  a  joint- 
stock  company,  incorporated  by  an  Act  of  the 
Provincial  Parliament ;  and  was  originally  design- 
ed for  a  grand  hotel  for  the  reception  of  stranr 
gers  visiting  Quebec,  under  the  title  of  the  Union 
Hotel.  This  spirited  undertaking  did  not,  how- 
ever, answer  the  expectations  of  the  projectors;  and 
the   property   was   subsequently   offered  at  public 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  257 

,  and  purchased  by  His  Honor  the  Chief  Jus- 
:,  who  raised  an  additional  story.  It  is  rented 
i  this  gentleman  by  the  Province,  it  having 
1  found  most  convenient  to  concentrate  the 
es  of  Government  as  much  as  possible  under 

roof.  The  following  offices  are  at  present 
t  in  this  building  : — The  offices  of  the  Civil 
retary  of  His  Excellency  the  Governor-in- 
ef,  and  of  the  Assistant  Secretary  : — Of  the 
cutive  Council,  the  Commissioner  of  Crown 
ds,  the  Inspector  General  of  Public  Accounts, 

Surveyor  General,  the  Royal  Institution,  the 
atant  General  of  Militia,  and  the  Hydrogra- 
al  Office,  under  the  superintendence  of  Captain 
field,  R.  N. 

►n  the  first  floor,  in  front  of  the  principal  story, 
he  rooms  occupied,  with  permission  of  the  Go- 
ment,  by  the  Literary  and  Historical  So- 
y  of  Quebec,  founded,  in  1824,  by  the  Earl  of 
.housie,  Governor-in-Chief,  and  incorporated  in 
).  In  the  large  room  are  their  extensive  collec- 
i  of  mineralogical  and  other  specimens,  admira- 
arranged  and  scientifically  classed.  In  the 
ier  one  are  held  the  meetings  of  the  Society  ; 
here,  during  the  winter,  are  delivered  their  lec- 
i  on  classical  and  scientific  subjects. 


THE   JAIL. 

has  been  mentioned  that  under  the  early  French 
?rnment  the  public  Prison  was  situated  in  rear 
e  old  Palace  of  the  Intendant.  Fifty  years 
the  vacant  apartments  of  the  Recollet  Con- 
'  were  used  as  a  place  of  temporary  restraint  for 

y  2 


258  'NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

prisoners,  who  had  fallen  under  suspicion  of  treason- 
able practices ;  but  latterly,  the  common  Jail  was 
kept  in  part  of  the  range  of  buildings  which  now 
adjoin  the  Artillery  Barracks,  at  the  east  end. 

The  present  Jail  was  erected  during  the  admhnV 
tration  of  Sir  James  Craig,  and  was  first  occupied 
in  1814.  The  cost,  to  the  amount  of  £15000,  was 
defrayed  by  a  vote  of  the  Legislature.  It  is  one 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length,  by  sixty-eight  feet 
in  breadth.  Behind  it,  in  a  separate  building,  is  the 
House  of  Correction  for  females;  and  between  the 
two  is  the  court  yard  of  the  male  prison,  in  part  of 
which  the  inmates  are  allowed  to  take  exercise  under 
certain  regulations. 

The  situation  of  the  Jail  is  advantageous  as  to 
elevation  and  airiness,  being  at  the  top  of  St  Stanis- 
laus Street,  in  a  line  towards  the  north  with  tk 
Scottish  Church.  There  are,  however,  strong  ob- 
jections to  its  position  in  the  heart  of  a  populous 
city.  Its  interior  is  under  the  best  regulations,  and 
is  remarkable  for  cleanliness  and  general  salubrity. 
For  some  years  past  an  useful  society  of  gentlemen, 
among  whom  are  numbered  the  heads  of  the  Clergy,  i 
have  met,  by  permission  of  the  Sheriff,  in  the  Chapel  !■ 
of  the  Jail,  once  a  week,  where  any  prisoner  may 
state  any  peculiar  hardship  that  may  attach  to  his 
case.  It  is  called  the  "  Quebec  Jail  Association," 
and  its  objects  are  to  promote  education,  industry, 
and  moral  improvement  among  the  prisoners.  It 
is  supported  by  donations  and  annual  subscriptions. 

freemasons*  hall. 

This  building  is  immediately  opposite  to  the  Ge- 
neral Post  Office,  situated  in  Buade  Street,  near 


\ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  259 

steps  leading  through  Prescott-Gate,  to  the 
wer-Town.  The  house  formerly  had  an  uninterr 
ted  view  in  front  as  far  as  the  wall  of  the  Seminary, 

buildings  which  now  intervene  being  of  modern 
e.  It  is  remarkable  in  the  local  history  of  the 
r%  for  a  representation  in  stone  over  the  entrance 
in  Buade  Street,  of  a  dog  gnawing  a  bone,  with 

inscription  in  French.  This  having  been  al- 
ps gilt,  has  acquired  the  name  of  Le  Chien  (FOr  ; 
1  the  following  explanation  of  its  origin  has  been 
ided  down  to  the  present  day  : — 
Mr.  Philibert,  who  resided  in  this  house,  was  a 
>rchant  of  high  distinction  during  the  time  when 

Beg  on,  whom  we  have  mentioned  above,  was 
endant  of  New  France.  The  latter  had  formerly 
m  a  merchant  of  Bordeaux ;  and  came  to  Quebec 
1712.     Differences   occurred   between  him  and 

Philibert,  over  whom  superior  interest  and 
ver  gave  M.  Begon  every  advantage.  Unable 
>btain  redress  for  his  injuries,  real  or  supposed, 

Philibert  bitterly,  although  covertly,  expressed 
sentiments  under  the  image  of  the  Chien  cT Or,  to 
ich  he  added  the  following  inscription  in  old 
;nch  : 

Je  jsvis  vn  Chien  qvi  ronge  l'os. 

En  LE  RON6EANT  JE  PREND  MON  REPOS. 

Vn  tems  viendra  qvi  nest  pas  venv 
qve  je  mordray  qvi  mavra  mordv. 

Begon  determined  on  revenge,  and  M.  Phili- 
*t,  descending  the  Lower  Town  hill,  received  the 

>rd  of  M.  De  R ,  a  French  Officer  of  the 

rison,  through  his  body.  The  perpetrator  of  this 
rder  made  his  escape  and  left  the  Province ;  but 

crime  was  too  atrocious  to  be  forgiven.  The  bro- 


260  NEW   PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

ther  of  M.  Philibert  came  to  Quebec  to  settle  the 
estate,  with  a  full  determination  of  taking  nersonal 
vengeance  on  the  assassin.  So  determined  was  lie 
to  execute  this  part  of  his  mission,  that  having  as- 
certained that  M.  De  R had  gone  to  the  East 

Indies,  he  pursued  him  thither.  They  met  in  a 
street  of  Pondicherry— engaged  on  the  spot — and  the 
assassin  fell  mortally  wounded  under  the  sword  of 
the  avenger. 

The  Chien  (FOr  remains  to  perpetuate  this  tale  of 
bloodshed  and  retribution. 


MONTCALM   HOUSE. 

A  little  to  the  west  of  Hope-Gate,  within  the 
Fortifications,  and  immediately  adjoining  the  termi- 
nation of  the  garden  wall  of  the  Hotel  Dieu,  looking 
towards  the  north-east,  stands  the  building  once 
inhabited  by  the  brave  Marquis  De  Montcalm.  It 
is  now  divided  into  three  private  residences.  The 
entrance  appears  originally  to  have  been  through  a 
court  yard  in  the  rear ;  and  as  the  walls  of  the  build- 
ing next  to  the  fortifications  are  very  thick,  and  the 
foundations  massive,  it  is  very  probable  that  it  was 
once  intended  for  defence  on  the  side  looking  to  the 
basin. 

It  is  at  present  no  otherwise  remarkable  than  as 
having  been  the  residence  of  the  French  General, 
whose  fame  the  battle  of  the  Plains  of  Abraham  has 
perpetuated  in  the  same  scroll  with  that  of  his  suc- 
cessful and  lamented  antagonist. 


f       '  •  • 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  261 


THE   MARINE    HOSPITAL. 

Ths  building,  of  which,  as  it  will  appear  when 
lied,  a  view  is  given  on  the  other  side,  is  situated 
far  from  the  General  Hospital,  on  the  bank  of 
Little  River  St.  Charles  ;  and  nearly  opposite 
he  spot  where  Jacques  Cartieu  first  wintered 
585. 

i  1831,  it  was  resolved  to  erect  an  Hospital,  out 
le  city,  for  the  reception  of  sailors  and  persons 
ing  by  sea  who  might  be  afflicted  with  disease. 
H.  M.  Blaiklock,  Architect  and  Civil  Engineer, 
appointed  to  prepare  plans  and  estimates  under 
Commissioners,  Messrs.  Clouet,  Cannon  and  Dr. 
Tin,  which  plans  were  approved  by  the  Gover- 
-in-Chief.  The  estimated  cost  was  £23,000, 
the  expenditure  up  to  the  present  time  has  been 
,000,  defrayed  by  different  votes  of  the  Legisla- 
■ 

'he  Marine  Hospital,  when  completed,  will 
ain  upon  the  ground  or  first  story,  Catholic  and 
;estant  Chapels,  with  apartments  for  the  officiat- 
Ministers : — Housekeeper's  and  Steward's  apart- 
ts  and  store-rooms  : — Nurses'  apartments : — two 
2  kitchens  : — Wards  for  sixty  patients,  with 
ib  and  all  necessary  conveniences.  The  prin- 
1  story  will  contain  a  large  entrance  hall,  ap- 
ched  by  a  double  flight  of  stone  steps  on  the 
rior  : — a  Museum,  forty-five  feet  in  length  : — 
tments  for  the  Medical  Officers  : — examining 
as : — operating  theatres,  and  accommodations  for 
f  eight  patients.  The  third  story  will  have 
tments  for  the  chief  Nurses,  and  wards  for  one 
Ired  and  forty   patients.     The  upper   story   is 


262  NEW   PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC,' 

also  planned  as  a  Lj/ing-in  Hospital,  only,  for  tl 
four  patients,  and  the  attics  will  contain  sixty, 
ing  a  total  of  accommodation  for  three  hunflra 
sixty-two  persons.  Each  story  is  fitted  up  wit! 
cold  and  vapor  baths  ;  and  each  ward  has  fan 
to  three  ventilating  flues  to  convey  the  foul  i 
the  roof  of  the  building  by  machinery.  The 
used  is  drawn  from  the  River  St.  Charles,  fil 
and  conveyed  to  the  top  of  the  Hospital.  ] 
basement  story  are  extensive  cellars,  kitchens, 
dry,  and  other  domestic  conveniences. 

The  exterior  of  the  Marine  Hospital  is  < 
Ionic  order ;  and  the  proportions  are  taken  fro 
Temple  of  the  Muses  or  the  Ilissus  near  Ai 
With  the  wings  it  measures  two  hundred  and  si 
from  east  to  west  The  wings  are  one  hundre 
in  depth  ;  and  the  whole  premises  contain  an  a 
about  six  acres,  to  be  laid  out  in  gardens  anc 
menade  grounds  for  the  convalescents. 

The  ceremony  of  laying  the  first  or  centre 
took  place  amid  a  large  concourse  of  respectabl 
zens  on  the  anniversary  of  the  King's  birth  day 
May,  1832.  It  was  laid  by  His  Excellent 
Lord  Aylmer,  Governor-in-Chief,  and  a 
commemorating  the  occasion,  with  the  date 
name  of  the  Architect,  Mr.  Blaiklock,  and 
Commissioners,  was  deposited  with  the  usual : 

The  centre  and  west  wing  are  completed,  ai 
building  was  opened  as  an  Hospital  in  July,  1 

chasseur's  museum. 

In  St  Helen's  Street,  in  the  Upper  Town, 
yards  from  St.  Patrick's  Church,  is  the  resi 
of  Mr.  Chasseur,   formerly  Carver  and  Gil 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTION'S.  263 

8 city:  who  with  a  love  of  science  that  cannot  be 
much  applauded,  commenced,  in  1824,  to  employ 
leisure  in  making  a  collection  of  the  indigenous 
nab  of  Canada,  chiefly,  however,  limited  to  birds 
quadrupeds.  His  collection  of  birds  amounts  to 
at  five  hundred,  among  which  several  very  curi- 
ornithological  specimens  will  be  found.  His 
tions  have  so  far  met  with  the  approbation  of  the 
islature,  that  a  few  years  ago  a  pecuniary  aid 
voted  to  this  enterprising  zoologist,  who  has  cer- 
y  made  the  best  collection  of  natural  curiosities 
ut  in  the  Province.  He  intends  to  complete  the 
seum  with  an  enlarged  collection  of  all  our  native 
mis ;  and  is  daily  making  progress  in  his  lau- 
e  undertaking, 

1  this  Museum  is  to  be  seen  the  brass  cannon, 
vn  as  the  Canon  de  bronze,  which  was  found  a 
years  ago  in  the-  River  St.  Lawrence,  nearly 
)site  the  Parish  of  Champlain.  It  is  to  be  la- 
ted  that  there  is  upon  it  an  inscription,  err  on  e- 
y  stating  it  to  have  been  found  at  the  River 
[ues  Cartier,  and  to  have  been  once  in  the  pos- 
on  of  the  discoverer  of  New  France,  being 
eby  adduced  as  a  proof  that  Jacques  Cartier 
been  wrecked  at  the  mouth  of  the  River,  which 
s  his  name.  This  subject  has  been  treated  in 
is  thirty-one,  and  sixty-eight,  of  this  work. 


PLACES   OF   EDUCATION. 

esides  the  Quebec  Seminary,  these  are  the 
mmar  School  of  the  Royal  Institution,  con- 
;ed  by  the  Reverend  R.  Burr  age  :  the  Clas- 
L  School   of  the   Reverend   D.  Wilkie  :    The 


364  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

National  School,  already  mentioned :  the  Sc 
of  the  Quebec  Education  Society,  and 
British  and  Canadian  School*  The  three  lag 
chiefly  elementary.  There  are  also  several  pr 
Schools  for  both  sexes,  Sunday  Schools,  and 
useful  establishment  of  Infant  Schools  has  1 
been  successfully  introduced  into  this  city.  Ii 
Esplanade,  is  the  highly  valuable  establishme 
Mr.  McDonald  for  the  instruction  of  deaf 
dumb  children.  In  the  Parish  of  St  Koch  tb< 
also  a  School  supported  by  the  Roman  Cat 
Bishop  ;  and  in  the  Suburbs  of  St  Lewis  is  the 
ritorious  foundation  of  J.  F.  Perrault,  Esquire 
venerable  and  consistent  promoter  of  elementar 
struction  in  his  native  city. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  265 


CHAPTER  THE  THIRTEENTH. 

NUMENT  TO  WOLFE  AND  MONTCALM — CEREMONY 
)N  LAYING  THE    FIRST    STONE— INSCRIPTIONS. 

That  nearly  seventy  years  should  have  elapsed, 
hout  this  well  merited  tribute  to  the  military  vir- 
and  devotion  of  these  Heroes  having  been 
d  in  the  country  of  their  fame,  can  only  be  attri- 
ted  to  the  circumstances  of  a  gradually  rising 
lony,  whose  attention  to  the  Arts  and  to  architec- 
al  embellishment  could  only  be  expected  after 
irs  of  prosperity,  peace,  and  the  accumulation  of 
bes.  Pericles,  having  enriched  his  country  by 
irs  of  prosperous  administration,  civil  and  mili- 
y,  betook  himself  to  the  embellishment  of  his  na- 
e  city.  Rome  had  been  long  victorious  over  every 
3m y,  before  her  heroes  and  patriots  had  leisure 
m  the  camp  to  adorn  the  Forum  with  edifices, 
ose  magnificent  remains  are  the  admiration  of  all 
liolders.  The  family  De'  Medici  did  not  excel 
the  Arts,  or  contribute  to  the  classic  riches  of 
.orence,  until  a  long  course  of  commercial  enter- 
se  and  success  had  elevated  them  from  merchants 
the  rank  of  Princes.  So  it  has  been  in  all  ages, 
,t  the  Arts,  as  well  as  the  Laws,  have  been  silent 
ring  periods  of  war  and  commotion  ;  nor  has  their 
ce  been  listened  to,  except  under  circumstances 
en  the  human  mind,  withdrawn  from  the  turmoil 


I 


NEW  PICTURE  OF  QUEBEC, 

of  active  collision,  has  sought  repose  in  the  chanmBg 
studies  which  elegant  ease  alone  enables  men  tft 
pursue  with  steadiness  and  effect.     Amongst  tk 
eople  of  the  United  States,  it  is  only  within  i 
ew  years  that  any  public  tribute,  or  classic  memorial, 
has  testified  the  common  admiration  of  the  world 
directed   towards  the   memory  of    Washihgtoi.  |1 
The  chisel  of  Canova,  and  the  hand  of  Chantut 
have  still  more  recently  been  employed  on  natind 
monuments  to  his  honor.     Indeed,  there  is  soa» 
what  of  morbid  feeling  in  this  propensity  of  mankfoi 
to  neglect  the  offering  of  public  tokens  of  gratitude 
to  great  men,  during  the  age  which  witnessed  thsb 
deeds,  and  benefitted  most  from  their  services.    It  k 
the  consciousness  of  this  fact,  which  has  directed  tk 
views  of  illustrious  men  rather  to  the  certainty  d 
posthumous  fame,  than  to  the  rewards  of  pretest 
celebrity  and  popular  appla 


Sui  memore8  alios  fecere  merendo. 

And  this  feeling  is  part  of  the  divine  inspiration,  of 
that  immortal  breath,  which  more  or  less  is  the'ani- 
mating  principle  of  great  souls ; — but  which  the 
grosser  impressions  of  mankind,  in  the  main  envious 
and  detracting,  have  derogated  by  calling  it  ambi- 
tion. Memorials,  therefore,  of  a  purely  classical 
nature  have  generally  been  the  works  of  posterity; 
and  the  experience  of  time  demonstrates,  that  as 
there  is  nothing  more  honorable  to  the  age  which 
confers  them,  so  there  is  nothing  more  lasting  and 
perennial  than  the  feme,  which  is  handed  down  by 
such  monuments.  Well,  indeed,  did  the  Poet  feel 
this  truth,  and  it  must  be  given  in  his  own  language 
to  have  its  full  effect,  when  he  prophetically  enume- 


1 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  267 

,  among  the  means  of  immortality  to  illustrious 
>ns — 

INCISA  NOTIS  MARMORA  PUBLICIS, 

PER   QXJJE  SPIRITUS  ET  VITA  REDIT  BONIS 

POST  MORTEM   DUCIBUS. 

was  reserved  for  the  Earl  of  Dalhousie,  then 
ernor-in-Chief  of  these  Provinces, — a  noble  • 
whose  generous  spirit  and  munificent  patronage 
dready  been  evinced  in  the  foundation  of  the 
■ary  and  Historical  Society — to  bring  this  inte- 
ig  subject  before  the  public,  and  set  the  exam- 
n  raising  a  fit  monument  to  the  memory  of 
„fe  and  Montcalm  in  the  Metropolis  of  British 
h  America,  the  stake  for  which  these  gallant 
3rs  contended.  A  subscription  list  for  the  pur- 
was  accordingly  circulated  among  the  gentry  of 
bec,  under  the  auspices  of  His  Excellency  ; 
the  call  for  so  laudable  an  object  was  promptly 
nded  to.  Not  only  the  inhabitants  of  British 
i,  but  the  Canadian  public,  headed  by  the  Ro- 
Catholic  Bishop  and  several  of  the  Clergy, 
illy  contributed  to  the  erection  of  this  Monu- 


>0 


lis  praiseworthy  design  was  not  improbably 
ested  to  the  mind  of  the  Earl  of  Dalhousie,  by 
rusal  of  the  letter  of  Monsieur  De  Bougain- 
s  to  the  great  Earl  of  Chatham,  then  Secretary 
ate,  inclosing  a  copy  of  an  inscription  for  an 
ded  Monument  to  be  erected  at  Quebec  to  the 
ory  of  Montcalm  by  the  French  Government, 
answer  of  Lord  Chatham,  speaking  no  doubt 
entiments  of  the  youthful  Monarch,  was  con- 
d  in  the  most  generous  spirit.  The  marble 
with  the  inscription  was  engraved,  and  shipped 


268  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

for  Canada  ;  but  the  vessel  never  reached  her  des- 
tination. 

A  general  meeting  of  the  subscribers  to  the  in- 
tended Monument  was  held  at  the  Castle  of  St 
Lewis  on  the  1st  November,  1827,  His  Excellency 
the  Earl  of  Dalhousie  in  the  chair,  who  address- 
ed the  meeting  in  a  speech,  of  which  the  following 
is  an  extract : — 


"  Gentlemen,  I  feel  it  peculiarly  my  duty  to  address  this 
meeting  to-day,  as  having  taken  the  lead  in  proposing  for 
consideration  a  subject  chiefly  interesting  to  the  public  in  and 
near  Quebec. 

"  When  I  first  notified  the  proposal  of  raising  a  monument 
to  the  memory  of  Generals  Wolfe  and  Montcalm,  I  did  not 
presume  to  offer  any  advice,  nor  did  I  urge  feelings  that  bad 
prompted  to  my  own  mind  the  undertaking  of  such  a  work— 
these  I  was  sure  would  come  far  better  at  a  General  Meeting 
from  individuals  infinitely  better  qualified  than  I  am ;  and  it 
is  therefore  my  principal  object  in  calling  this  meeting  to-day, 
to  hear  the  opinions  and  suggestions  of  all  who  may  be  dis- 
posed to  express  them. 

"  In  the  first  place,  however,  1  beg  permission  to  present  to 
you  two  drawings,  or  designs,  which  are  the  performance 
and  composition  of  Capt.  Young,  of  the  79th  Regiment.  I 
think,  I  may  take  the  liberty  with  him  to  say,  that  these  are 
produced  from  repeated  conversations  he  and  I  had  on  this 
subject,  during  our  daily  walks  last  winter  :  they  are  subject 
to  revisal,  to  alteration,  and  even  to  a  total  abandonment  of 
them  for  others,  if  other  suggestions  shall  be  made,  or  larger 
means  than  we  have  calculated  upon  shall  be  found.  But  on 
this  point,  I  would  particularly  impress  upon  your  considera- 
tion, that  I  do  not  propose  any  splendid  trophy  equal  to  the 
great  names,  the  subject  of  it.  A  monument  worthy  of  Ge- 
neral Wolfe,  and  worthy  of  England,  has  been  placed  in 
Westminster  Abbey.  My  only  object  is  to  remove  a  subject 
of  general  regret,  *  that  in  Quebec,  nothing  is  found  to  honor 
the  memory  of  Wolfe,  nothing  more  than  if  his  great  achieve- 
ments had  been  effected  in  other  countries  distant  or  unknown 
to  us.' — Thus  limiting  our  views,  I  think  a  plain  Colo  mo, 
simple  and  unpretending  in  its  architecture,  the  most  fit,  and 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  269 

le  least  obnoxious  to  public  criticism  ;  I  think  it  the  most 
ecoming  a  private  subscription,  and  above  all,  most  likely  to 
e  immediately  accomplished — these  designs,  however,  are 
ow  submitted  to  you. 

*■  1  ought,  here,  to  state,  that  a  most  handsome  offer  has 
een  made  at  New  York,  to  contribute  to  the  subscription  list ; 
nd  although  it  had  not  been  intended  to  go  beyond  the  limits 
f  Canada  on  the  subject,  yet  I  have  accepted  the  offer  as  the 
rpression  of  these  liberal  feelings. 

"  There  remains  only  one  point  more  for  me  to  remark  upon, 
at  it  is  one  which  I  feel  as  peculiarly  calling  for  an  explana- 
on.  It  is  the  idea,  that  it  may,  by  some,  be  thought  great 
resumption  in  any  individual  to  stir  and  act  upon  a  matter  of 
ich  high  public  interest  as  this  is,  without  having  previously 
10 wn  that  the  public,  (I  mean  the  Legislature  of  this  Pro- 
inoe)  has  not  cnosen  to  undertake  the  work  ;  to  this,  Gen- 
emen,  I  have  only  to  say,,  that  it  is  my  intention  to  submit 
he  subject,  and  also  our  progress  in  it,  to  the  consideration  of 
tie  Legislature ;  but  f  would  also  prepare  the  -means  of  work- 
og  upon  the  smaller  funds,  should  my  public  recommendation 
f  it  mil  oa  the  greater  scale. 

M  I  shall,  by  and  by,  beg  leave  to  propose  a  small  Committee 
f  Management  in  all  minor  details,  but  always  with  the  idea 
f  renewing  my  calls  for  General  Meetings,  as  our  progress 
lall  advance. 
**  I  now  leave  the  subject,  Gentlemen,  to  yourselves." 
His  Excellency  then  named  the  following  Committee  ; 

The  Honorable  the  Chief  Justice, — Chairman, 

Mr.  Justice  Taschereau, 

Major  General  Darling, 

Lieut.  Colonel  Cockburn,  R.  A. 

Opt.  Young,  79th  Highlanders, 

Capt.  Melhutsh,  R.  £. 

Mr.  George  Pemberton. 

On  Thursday,  the  15th  November,  1827,  the  very 
mposing  and  interesting  ceremony,  of  laying  the 
rst  stone  of  the  Monument,  took  place  in  the  pre- 
snee  of  a  large  and  most  respectable  assemblage  of 
pectators.  The  troops  of  the  garrison,  consisting 
f  the  66th  and  79th  Regiments,  under  the  com- 
land  of  Colonel  Nicol,  66th  Regiment,  paraded 

z  2 


270  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

at  eleven  o'clock,  and  formed  a  double  line,  facing! 
inwards,  their  right  reaching  to  the  foot  of  the  Glacis,  I 
and  the  left  resting  upon  the  Castle  Guard-House,  1 
The  Masonic  procession,  with  Claude  Denechau,  ] 
Esquire,   Right  Worshipful  Grand  Master,  at  their  ! 
head,  the  Officers  composing  the  Grand  Lodge  is   < 
full  Masonic  costume,  the  Merchants  and  Frires  <ht 
Canada,  the  Sussex  and  St.  Andrew's  Lodges,  react- 
ed the  Castle  of  St.  Lewis,  preceded  by  the  Bandj^. 
the  66th  Regiment ;  and  entering  the  lower  garden 
through  the  Castle  yard,  lined  each  side  of  the  prin- 
cipal walk,  through  which  the  Countess  of  Dait 
housie,  and  a  party  of  ladies,   reached   the  spot 
where  the  ceremony  was  to  be  performed*     In  the 
mean  time  His  Excellency   the  Earl  of  Dal- 
housie,  attended  by  the  Chief  Justice,   the  Lord 
Bishop,  his  Staff,  and  the  Committee,  passed  through 
the  avenue  of  troops  from  the  Castle,  receiving  the 
usual  honors.     His  Excellency,  having  first  con- 
ducted the  Countess,  and  the  other  ladies,  to  a  sta- 
tion most  convenient  for  witnessing  the  ceremony, 
placed  himself  in  front  of  the  stone,  and  in  a  clear   (• 
and  audible  voice,  spoke  as  follows  : — 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Committee,  we  are  assembled  upon  an  ■, 
occasion  most  interesting  to  this  country — if  possible  more  80  j, 
to  this  city — We  are  met  to  lay  the  Foundation  of  a  Column  ij 
in  honor  of  two  illustrious  men,  whose  deeds  and  whose  fall  \ 
have  immortalized  their  own  names,  and  placed  Quebec  in  the 
rank  of  cities  famous  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

"  Before,  however,  we  touch  the  first  stone,  let  us  implore 
the  blessing  of  Almighty  God  upon  our  intended  work." 

The  Rev.   Dr,  Mills,  Chaplain  to  the  Forces, 
then  offered  up  the  following 

PRAYER. 

O  Almighty  Lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth  !  without  whose 
blessing  no  work  of  man  can  prosper,  look  down,  we  beseech 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  271 

|Thee,  with  an  eye  of  favor  upon  this  our  undertaking1.  We 
[know,  O  Lord !  that,  unless  Thou  buildest  the  fabric,  their 
[kbour  is  but  lost  that  build  it;  and  therefore  we  humbly  pray, 
t  that  this  Column,  which  we  are  about  to  erect  in  honor  of 

■  those  distinguished  Warriors,  whose  names  it  is  destined  to 
.  War,  may  transmit  their  Fame  to  distant  ages,  uninjured  by 

iood  or  by  flame,  unscathed  by  the  Thunder's  rending  bolt,  or 

the  mining  shock  of  the  Earthquake.    May  no  assault  of  fo* 

'_  M%n  foe,  no  dangerous  division  within  our  walls,  loosen  oue 

■  tone  from  the  structure  ;  but  may  it  long — long  rear  its  head 
_  Jiniiple  majesty,  the  brightest  gem  and  ornament  of  our  city. 
) r^lfnath  pleased  Thee,  O  Lord  I  in  thy  good  Providence,  in 
'  i great  degree  to  tranquillize  the  world  :  there  is  a  great  calm 
:  tithe  Universe:  Thou  hast  said  to  the  desolating  tide  of  hu- 

4an  Warfare — "  Peace,  be  still ;  hitherto  shalt  thou  come, 
hit  no  further,  and  here  shall  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed  1" 
We  pray,  O  Lord  1 — most  humbly  and  heartily  do  we  pray,— - 
that  this  happy  state  of  things  may  continue  and  abound  more 
*nd  more,  till  every  source  of  discord  dried  up — every  jarring 
interest  harmonized — the  heavenly  influence  of  the  glorious 
Gospel— that  Charter  of  Love  and  Mercy  to  the  whole  human 
**ce- — be  universally  felt  and  acknowledged  ;  till  the  glad 
t train  of  w  Peace  on  earth,  good  will  toward  men,"  which 
Ushered  in  the  Nativity  of  the  Saviour,  find  a  ready  echo  in 
every  bosom  ;  and  the  blessed  time  at  length  arrive,  when  the 
Bword  shall  be  turned  into  the  plough-share,  and  the  spear  into 
the  pruning-hook — when  nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against 
nation,  neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more.  But  of  this 
bour, — now  seen  afar  off  only  in  indistinct  vision,  knoweth  no 
man  :  in  the  mean  time,  O  Lord  !  the  wrath  of  man  shall 
praise  Thee,  while  the  remainder  of  wrath  it  is — and  will  be — 
thy  province  to  restrain. 

Meanwhile  also,  O  Lord  !  we  humbly  hope  and  trust,  that 
we  are  not  forbidden  to  pray,  even  amidst  all  the  pomp  and 

Stter  of  military  parade,  by  which  we  are  surrounded,  in  be* 
If  of  these  our  Brethren — with  an  anxious  concern  for  their 
honor  as  Soldiers,  while  we  feel  for  their  salvation  as  Men— 
that  the  great  examples  of  the  illustrious  dead,  whom  we  this 
day  hold  out  as  patterns  for  their  imitation,  may  now  and  ever 
be  regarded  by  them  with  an  ardent  desire  to  emulate  their 
worth.  Yes  I  Soldiers,  Friends  and  Brethren  !  we  implore 
the  God  of  Armies,  that  should  the  battle  once  more  be  set  in 
array  against  you,  you  may — each  of  you — buckle  on  your  har- 


374  Wrir  ncnrU  6*  BthEBfce, 

new,  in  humble — yet  weu-gronnded — confidence  in  the  Dtrin*  j 
protection — with  no  tenon  of  an  evil  conscience  to  appal  you 
in   too  hoar  of  peril — do  besetting  tin  to  unnerve  your  inn, 
and  raider  It  powerless  in  the  conflict     Thus  prepared— thai 


will  look  forward,  with  the  070 
■  brighter  crown — a  fairer  wreath,  then  Monar 
and  this  Faith,  triumphant  over  death  and  all  its  agonies,  will 
enable  yon,  more  than  any  thing  else,  to  evince,  even  amiiiil 
the  eeTere* t  struggles  of  expiring;  Nature,  the  same  heroic  re- 
signation, the  fame  loyal  devoted  new  to  your  King,  and  glov- 
ing attachment  to  yoar  Conn  try,  which  blazed  forth— like  the 
Son's  lait  flash  before  its  lotting — with  in  1  uueKtinguisliable 
lustre,  in  the  breast*  of  tbeae  departing  Warriors* 

Grant,  O  Lord  !  of  Thine  infinite  Mercy  grunt,  thatsndi, 

•■-reTer  duty  calls  them,  may  be  the  genuine  feelings  of  Bri- 

Soldiers  ; — that  their  Patriotism,  their  Loyalty  and  their 

'    '  unded  upon  Religion  as  :'■■■  :\    ■■•.   11  :  -  1.  ■ 

these  feeling*  deeply  rooted   in   our  01m 


wherever  duty  calls  them,  may  be  the  genuine  feelings  of  Bri- 
tiah  Soldiers  ; — that  their  Patriotism,  their  Loyalty  and  their 
Valour  may  be  founded  upon  Religion  as  the  best  and  surat 
basis  :  and,  with  these  feeling*  deeply  rooted  in  our 
breast*,  let  as  pray  for  our  Conntry— afj  great  and  glorii 
she  is — as* n red  that  they  that  love  her  shall  prosper,  i'eact 
bo  within  her  walls,  and  plenteonsness  within  her  palaces. 
For  our  brethren  and  companions'  lakes,  we  will  wish  her 
prosperity.  And  seeking — and  not  seeking  only,  hut  striving 
to  do  her  good  and  to  advance  her  glory  by  every  means  in  our 
power,  do  Thou,  O  Ood  !  prosper  the  work  of  our  handa  dpod 
us  :  O  prosper  Thou  our  handy-work  I     Amen  and  Amen. 

This  emphatic  prayer  concluded — His  Lordship 
thus  addressed  the  Masonic  Brethren  ; — 

"  Right  Worshipful  Grand  Master  and  Worshipful  Brethien 
of  the  Giand  Lodge,  1  crave  your  assistance  in  performing  Mi» 
sonic  Ceremonies  and  honors  on  this  occasion. 


The  R.  W.  Grand  Master,  supported  by  the 
R.  "W.  Dy.  G.  Mr.  Oliva  on  his  right,  and  P.  Dy. 
G.  Mr.  Thompson  on  his  left,  with  two  G.  Deacons 
took  his  station  on  the  east  side  of  the  foundation. 
The  Rt  W.  the  G.  Masters  and  Rt.  W.  the  G. 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  273 

lain  placed  themselves  on  the  opposite  sides, 
i  the  Corner  Stone  was  lowered  and  laid  with 
isual  Masonic  ceremony — the  G.  Master  sup- 
d  as  above  described,  then  advanced  towards 
lordship,  to  give  the  Three  Mystic  Strokes  on 
itone.  Daring  this  part  of  the  ceremony — the 
tfaster  repeated  the  following  short  Prayer, 
ly  this  undertaking  prosper  with  the  Blessing 
lmighty  God/' 

le  presence  on  this  occasion  of  Mr.  James 
&1PSON,  then  in  his  95th  year,  added  to  the  deep 
est  felt  in  the  scene.  The  venerable  companion 
ens  of  Wolfe  was  a  connecting  link  between  the 
;hat  witnessed  his  glory,  and  that  about  to  erect 
mument  to  his  fame.  While  one  remained  who 
uered  with  him,  the  age  of  his  glory  was  not 
*  extinct : — the  present  took  charge  of  the  de- 
,  and  pledged  itself  to  its  sacred  keeping,  by  the 
nony  which  we  are  now  describing, 
is  Excellency  turning  to  Mr.  Thompson,  re- 
ted  him  to  assist  in  the  ceremony,  in  these 
Is  : — 

if  r.  Thompson — we  honour  you  here  as  the  companion  in 
md  a  venerable  living  witness  of  the  fall  of  Wolfe,  do  us 
avor  to  bear  witness  on  this  occasion  by  the  mallet 
>ur  hand." 

!r.  Thompson  then,  with  a  firm  hand,  gave  the 
se  Mystic  Strokes  with  the  Mallet  on  the  Stone. 
be  following  appropriate  prayer  was  next  pro- 
iced  by  the  Reverend  Dr.  Harkness,  the  Pro- 
Lai  Grand  Chaplain  : — 

>st  Gracious  God  J  We  adore  Thee  as  the  Great  ArchU 
{  Nature.  In  the  beginning1  Tbou  laidest  the  foundations 
»  Earth — The  Arches  of  Heaven  are  the  workmanship  of 


974  raw  Heron  of  gunsc* 


Thjr  Hand,— and  by  Thee  was  the  Spirit  of  Maafocsaed 
him.    Thou  makest  the  Clouds  Thjr  Chariot— TTr 
upon  the  Wings  of  the  Wind— Thou  waterest  the 
Thy  Chambers,— and  the  Earth  is  satisfied  with  the  (hit 
Thy  Works.    Thou  causest  Grass  to  grow  for  the  use  ofGaV 
tlty-and  Herb  for  the  service  of  Bfao.    Thou  hast  spsobtoi 
the  Moon  for  seasons,  and  the  Sun  kooweth  his  jprinr  dw»,| 
O  Lord,  how  manifold  and  wondrous  are  Thy  Worka  I  la 
'Wisdom  hast  Thou  made  them  alt    The  Earth  is  foil  of  TV 
Riches*    Though  Thou  dwellest  on  high  in  light  iimoowswr 
and  full  of  dory,— -yet  we  rejoice  to  think,  that Thoo  heartiest 
Thyself  to  behold  every  thing  that  is  done  in  this  lower  wtrR 
And  we  fervently  and  earnestly  pray  that  Thou  wouMtt  now 
look  down  with  a  propitious  and  approving  eye  on  the  pretest 
undertaking  of  Thy  nmnble  Servants.    Hay  the  iw  M> 
tmment%  the  foundation  stone  of  which  has  nov,  been  kid,  gth 
on  and  prosper,  and  when  finished,  may  it  completely  answer' 
the  laudable  designs  of  those  by  whom  it  is  undertaken  sal 
promoted — We  intreat  Thee,  O  Lord,  to  give  each  of  usgrsee, 
that  we  may  be  enabled  in  oar  respective  spheres,  to  emolsti 
the  Virtues  of  those  Gnat,  and  Brave  and  Good  Jfta,tM 
Memory  of  whose  Heroic  Deeds  this  Column  is  intended  to 
perpetuate.    Enable  us  more  and  more  to  cherish  and  cultivate 
the  genuine  Spirit  of  Christian  Benevolence,  which  is  ever 
ready  to  pity  the  Objects  of  Misery  and  relieve  Subjects  of 
Distress — which  ever  fills  the  heart  with  the  tenderest  sympa- 
thy and  the  warmest  compassion, — and  which. ever  disposes  os 
to  regard  our  fellow-creatures  with  the  purest  sentiments  of 
affection  and  the  sincerest  dispositions  to  promote  their  wel- 
fare and  happiness — Whatever  diversity  of  religious  sentiment 
may  be  found  to  exist  among  us,  may  we  all  be  united  in  tan 
grand  essential  of  the  Religion  of  Jesus,  "  Charity  towards  a& 
Men,**    And  may  all  our  hopes  of  future  happiness  be  built 
upon  u  the  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jem 
Christ  himself  being;  the  Chief  Corner  Stone*1 

Grant,  O  Most  Merciful  Father  !  these  the  sincere  desires  sf 
our  hearts,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  and  Re- 
deemer.   Amen. 

^  Captain  Melhuish,  R.  E.  then  deposited  gold, 
silver  and  copper  coins  of  the  present  reign,  in  a 
cavity  prepared  in  the  foundation  stone,  over  which 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  275 

plate  with  the  following  inscription,  by  the  Rev. 
)r.  Mills,  was  firmly  rivetted  : — 

HUNC  LAF1DEM 

MONUMENTI  IN  HEMORIAM 

VIRORUM  ILLU8TRIUM 

WOLFE  ET  MONTCALM, 

FUNDAMENTUM 
P.   t\ 

GEORGIUS  COMBS  BE  DALHOUSIE) 

IN  8EPTENTRIONAL1S  AMERICA  PART1BUS 

AD  BRITANNOS  PERTINENTIBU8 

8UMMAH    RERUM    ADMIMSTRANS  ; 

OPUS  PER  BIULTOS  ANNOS  PRSTERMISSUfif, 

(QUID  DUCI  EGREGIO  CONVENIENTIUS  ?) 

AUCTOR1TATE  PROMOVENS,  EXEMPLO  STIMULANS, 

MUNlFlCENTia  FOVENS. 

Die  Noverubris  XVa. 
A.    S.    MDCCCXXVH. 

GEORGIO  IV  BR1TANNIARUM  REGE. 

Tlie  plan  and  elevation  of  the  intended  Monum- 
ent, designed  and  executed  with  equal  skill  and 
ste  by  Capt.  Young,  79th  Highlanders,  was  then 
esented  to  the  Countess  of  Dalhousie,  who  ac- 
pted  the  same  with  marked  satisfaction. 
The  ceremony  finished  with  a  feu  de  joie  from 
e  garrison,  after  which  the  regiments  presented 
ms,  the  Bands  playing  the  National  Air.  Three 
ritish  Cheers  then  rent  the  air,  given  by  the  troops 
id  spectators  to  the  memory  of  British  valor,  and 
rench  gallantry.  The  troops  on  their  return  to 
eir  Barracks  passed  the  Governor  in  Chief  in 
view  order,  which  concluded  the  ceremonies  of 
e  day. 

The  work  was  commenced  in  the  spring  of  1828, 
it  the  sums  subscribed,  although  extremely  liberal, 


276  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

amounting  to  near  seven  hundred  pounds,  were  faudji  x 
inadequate  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  Monument 


i 


What  was  wanting  was,  however,  supplied  by  uw  »c 
liberality  of  Lord  Dalhousie,  to  a  large  amonBt;|i 
who  continued  to  feel  the  deepest  interest  in  its  con-  \ 
pletion,  long  after  the  favor  of  the  Sovereign  had  $ 
placed  His  Lordship  in  the  supreme  military  com-  >c 
mand  in  the  East  Indies.  ^ 

The  memorial  in  honor  of  the  two  military  chiefs  ^ 
who  fell  at  the  head  of  the  opposing  armies,  in  that  l. 
decisive  battle  which  made  these  Provinces  a  portion  { 
of  the  British  Empire,  is  now  completed,  and  is  a  s 
conspicuous,  as  it  is  the  only  classical,  ornament  of  ^ 
the  city.      It  was  originally  designed  by  Captain,  r_ 
now  Major  Young,  of  the  79th,  or  Cameron  IliaH*  £ 
landers,  (then  on  the  personal  Staff  of  His  Excel- 
lency the  Earl  of  Dalhousie,)  an  officer  whose 
taste  had  been  greatly  cultivated  by  foreign  travel;  * 
and  is  a  combination  of  various  beautiful  proportions  1 
to  be  found  in  some  of  the  celebrated  models  of  and-  - 
quity.     It  stands  on  the  west  side  of  Des  Carriires  { 
Street,  leading  from  the  Place  d!Armes  to  the  glacis  j'; 
of  Cape  Diamond,  within  an  area  taken  from  the  '/ 
upper  garden  belonging  to  Government.      In  front 
is  a  broad  walk,  which  has  become  a  public  pro-  , 
menade,  overlooking  the  Castle  garden,  and  com- 
manding a  fine  vie  w  of  the  harbor,  and  the  beautiful 
scenery  beyond  it* 

The  Monument  is  a  conspicuous  object  from  the 
River;  but  on  account  of  the  numerous  spires  which 
rise  around  it  in  a  distant  view,  it  is  seen  to  the  best 
advantage  from  the  centre  of  the  channel  between 
the  Lower  Town  and  Pointe  Levi.  It  is  strictly 
classical  in  the  proportions  of  every  part  To  the 
top  of  the  surbase  is  thirteen  feet  from  the  ground. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  277 

this  rests  the  Sarcophagus,  seven  feet  three 
tes  high.  The  obelisk  measures  forty-two  feet 
it  inches,  and  the  apex  two  feet  one  inch,  mak- 
in  the  whole  an  altitude  of  sixty-five  feet  from 
ground.  The  dimensions  of  the  obelisk  at  the 
»  are  six  feet,  by  four  feet  eight  inches,  taper- 
conically  to  the  apex,  where  the  sides  are  dimi- 
led  to  three  feet  two  inches,  by  two  feet  five 
les.  This  classical  ornament  of  our  city  was 
shed,  with  the  exception  of  the  inscription,  on  the 
September ;  and  its  completion  was  witnessed  by 
zealous  patron  of  the  work,  the  Earl  of  Dal- 
jsie.  On  the  morning  of  that  day,  not  to  be 
gotten  by  the  numerous  friends  of  that  noble 
•d,  being  the  day  of  his  departure  from  the  Pro- 
se, the  Government  of  which  he  had  conscien- 
isly  administered  for  eight  years,  His  Lordship, 
ompanied  by  his  successor  in  the  Administration 
he  Government,  Lieutenant  General  Sir  James 
mpt,  G.  C.  B.,  and  attended  by  the  Staff,  several 
itary  officers,  and  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen 
he  city  and  vicinity,  proceeded  to  the  walk  in  front 
he  Governor's  garden,  to  witness  the  completion 
he  Monument.  A  few  minutes  after  eight  o'clock, 
apex,  or  cap-stone,  was  placed  upon  the  summit ; 
.  the  ceremony  of  tapping  it  with  the  mallet  was 
formed  by  his  nephew  and  Aide  de  Camp,  Cap- 
i  Fox  Maule,  79th  Highlanders,  as  proxy  for 
noble  Earl,  who  ascended  to  the  top  of  the  obe- 
:  for  that  purpose.  Thus  was  this  chaste  memo* 
to  Wolfe  and  Montcalm,  through  the  exertions 
Mr.  John  Phillips,  the  builder,  completed  during 
summer  of  lb28,  to  the  great  gratification  of 
5  Excellency,  who  had  all  along  expressed  the 

2    A 


278  NEW  PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

strongest  wish  for  its  completion  before  his  departure 
from  Quebec. 

A  prize  Medal  was  offered,  by  the  Committee  for 
the  erection  of  the  Monument,  to  the  person  who 
should  furnish  the  most  appropriate  inscription.  The 
author  of  "  Men  and  Manners  in  America," 
travelling  in  Canada,  has  thought  fit  to  object  to  the 
inscription  being  in  the  Latin  language.  He  has  also 
found  fault  with  the  Monument  itself,  as  copied  too 
closely  from  one  in  Italy.  To  this  latter  objection, 
it  has  already  been  replied,  when  it  was  stated  that  the 
Monument  is  a  combination  of  separate  beauties 
contained  in  distinct  works  of  art,  here  made  to  pro- 
duce the  happiest  effect,  and  possessing  the  most 
perfectly  classical  union.  It  is,  in  fact,  no  copy  of 
any  particular  Monument,  either  as  to  composition, 
or  geometrical  proportion.  In  answer  to  the  former 
objection,  it  is  sufficient  to  observe  that  to  have  adopt- 
ed an  inscription  in  either  French  or  English  might 
have  been  dissatisfactory  to  one  portion  of  the  inhabi- 
tants ;  and  that  by  selecting  the  Latin, — a  language 
common  to  every  civilised  nation,  to  all  scholars,  and 
almost  universally  adopted  on  similar  occasions, — all 
objections  seemed  to  be  obviated.  Of  the  many 
strangers  who  have  visited  this  Monument,  most  have 
expressed  decided  approbation  on  both  the  points, 
objected  to  by  Mr.  Hamilton.  Indeed  the  truly 
Attic  elegance  and  simple  grandeur  of  this  obelisk, 
together  with  the  chivalrous  generosity  and  ingenuous 
discrimination  of  its  erection  to  the  immortal  memo- 
ry of  both  of  those  heroes,  Wolfe  and  Montcalm, 
deserve  the  grateful  commemoration  of  every  liberal 
mind. 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  279 

The  Monument  presents  the  following  inscription 
oa  the  Sarcophagus,  or  Cenotaph  of  the  heroes.  On 
the  front,  in  large  letters : 

MORTEM.   VIRTVS.    COMMVNEM. 

FAMAM.    HISTORIC 

MONVMENTVM.   POSTERITAS. 

DEDIT. 

This  inscription  was  honored  with  the  prize  Medal, 
and  was  written  by  J.  Charlton  Fisher,  L.  L.  D. 
On  the  rear  is  the  following,  altered  from  that  which 
was  inscribed  upon  the  Plate  deposited  with  the 
foundation  stone : 


HUJDSCE 
MONUMENT!  IN  VIRORUM  ILLUSTRIUM  MBMOEIAM, 

WOLFE  ET  MONTCALM, 

FUNDAMENTUM  P.  C. 

GEORGIUS  COMES  DE  DALHOUSIE ; 

IN  8EPTENTRIONALJS  AMERICA  PART  IB  U8 

AD  BRITANNOS  PERTINENTIBUS 

SUMMAM  RERUM  ADMIN1STRAN8  J 

OPUS   PER  MULTOS  ANNOS   PRJETERMIS8UM, 

QUID  DUCI  EGREGIO  CONYENUSNTIUS  ? 

AUCTORITATE  PROMOVENS,  EXEMPLO  STIMULANS, 

MUNIFICENTIA  FOVENS. 

A.  S.  MDCCCXXY1L 

GEORGIO   IV.  BRITANNIARUM   REGE. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Sarcophagus,  looking  to  the 
country,  is  the  simple  word  "  Montcalm,"  in  large 
characters  ;  and  on  the  opposite  side,  that  towards 
the  River  by  which  he  reached  the  scene  of  his 
glorious  victory  and  death,  is  inscribed  the  name  of 
"  Wolfe." 


880  wnr  pictuu  or  gunsc,  ....  -P 

The  following  lines  were  written  en  the,  pcmioe 
ef  laying  the  first  stone  of  the  Monument :  the  Litk 
tetrastich  by  the  author  of  the  prise  incriptfee»*Mf 
the  English  ode  by  an  officer  of  the  66th  Regiiwafr; 

WOLFE—MONTCALM. 

HAVD  ACB8  SADKM— AST  EAttVM  FATAU9  AWtA— - 

Gosmroui  vwtvs— atots  perenne  decvs— 

TK3TBIX  CAVSA  PARSM  HERITIS  ET  TICTA  FAYOBEM 

VUDiCAir*-JRSBHCM  yivsre  fama  dedit. 

8? ANZAS  ■  ■  "'     «»•■  ••■■*■■' 

'.  I.   .  .  '■♦  I/- 

Appbeotd  to  Hif  Excellency  the  Earl  or  Dalhoghb,  . 


.•  ■  i 


I 


Shall  thousand  Cenotaphs  proclaim 
On  battle  fields  each  glorious  name, 

And  on  this  hallowed  spot— - 
These  smiling  Banks  his  valor  gain'd, 
Those  frowning  Heights  his  blood  hath  stain'd, 

Is  only  Wolfe's  forgot  ? 

Deeply  each  British  heart  hath  monrn'd 
His  dust  nor  tronhied,  nor  inurn'd, 

Unnoticed  and  unknown — 
Be  thine  the  stain  to  wash  away, 
Be  thine  thy  Country's  debt  to  pay, 

And  for  the  wrong  atone. 

And  thou,  brave  Veteran,  on  whose  breast 
Wolfe,  dirgM  by  Victory,  sank  to  rest, 

Come  consecrate  the  Pile  !— - 
Virtue  and  Valor  have  agreed, 
The  Christian  Priests  shall  bless  the  deed, 

And  Heaven  above  shall  smile, 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS*.  281 

Having  replied  to  the  somewhat  illiberal  censure 
f  the  author  of  "  Men  and  Manners  in  America" 
re  must  now  advert,  as  connected  with  the  too  hasty 
mpressions  and  frequently  erroneous  conclusions  of 
ravellers,  to  a  statement  contained  in  a  recent  pub- 
ication,  intituled,  "  Transatlantic  Sketches"  by  Cap- 
tain Alexander,  42d  Royal  Highlanders,  F.  R.  G. 
S.  and  M.  R.  A.  S.     It  is  known  to  all  residents  in 
Quebec,  that  at  the  corner  of  St.  John  and  Palace 
Streets,  there  is  a  public  house,  yclept  "  General 
Wolfe's  Hotel ;"  and  that  in  a  niche  at  the  angle  of 
the  wall,  there  has  long  been  a  diminutive  statue,  of 
painted   wood,   said   to  be  of  that  hero.     Captain 
Alexander  thus  gravely  introduces  it  to  his  readers : 
"  I  promenaded  about  the  city,  and  had  pointed  out 
tome  the  various  objects  of  interest,  particularly  the 
small  statue  of  Wolfe,  in  a  red  coat,  cocked  hat  and 
knee  breeches,  set  up  in  a  corner  of  a  street,  to  mark 
the  spot  to  which  the  conqueror  of  Quebec  pene- 
trated as  a  spy  previous  to  his  victory  !"      It  is 
certainly  true  that  this  statue  was  set  up  in  honor 
of  Wolfe,  after  the  conquest,  by  an  individual  of 
more  patriotism  than  taste ;  but  the  tale  of  his  having 
penetrated  into  St.  John  Street  as  a  spy  is  in  itself 
so  very  improbable,  and  is  besides  so  completely 
negatived  by  the  well  known  facts  of  his  attack  upon 
the  city,  that  it  is  really  surprising  how  a  traveller  of 
any  reputation  could  have  been  so  far  imposed  upon 
as  to  record  a  story  which  his  own  historical  infor- 
mation ought  to  have  warned  him  to  reject. 


2  Ad 


£82  MEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE  FOURTEENTH. 

THE   LOWER   TOWN — EARLIEST   NOTICE    OF    IT— US 

TRADE,    AND  MANNERS  IN  1700 DESCRIPTION  II 

1720 — PRESENT    STATE    AND    PUBLIC  BUILDINGS. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Lower  Town  of  Quebec 
is  built  principally  upon  ground  either  gained  by 
excavation  from  the  rock  on  which  the  Upper  Town 
stands,  or,  in  the  course  of  time,  redeemed  from  the 
water's  edge.  As  the  early  inhabitants  had  recourse 
to  neither  of  these  expedients,  the  site  of  their  build- 
ings in  the  Lower  Town  must  have  been  very 
confined.  Before  the  establishment  of  the  Royal 
Government  in  1663,  a  few  scattered  houses,  maga- 
zines and  stores,  occupied  all  the  River  side,  from 
the  foot  of  the  Sault-au-Matelot  to  the  base  of  Cape 
Diamond.  The  oldest  account  of  the  Lower  Town 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Latin  work  of  Father  Da 
Creux,  who  came  to  New  France  about  1625,  and 
whose  book  is  dated  in  1664.  He  says : — "  Below 
the  Citadel,  from  the  Sault-au-Matdot  to  Cape  Dia- 
mond, there  is  a  level  space,  convenient  for  landing 
merchandise,  and  the  cargoes  of  vessels.  This,  S 
protected  by  a  wall  of  masonry,  would  be  evidently 
well  adapted  for  a  harbor,  since  the  road  is  every 
way  proper  for  ships,  the  force  of  the  waves  being 
broken  by  the  interposition  of  the  Isle  of  Orleans. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  283 

On  this  level  space  are  the  magazines  of  the  French 
merchants :  at  some  distance  apart,  the  store-houses 
if  some  distinguished  French  gentlemen ;  and,  now 
ind  then,  some  habitations  of  Frenchmen,  who  have 
Exchanged  Old  for  New  France." 

In  the  Voyage  de  FAmerique  of  La  Potherie, 
vho  visited  the  Province  in  1698,  there  is  an  en- 
graved representation  of  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Town.  From  this  it  appears  that  the  River  then 
washed  the  foot  of  the  cliff  along  St.  Paul  Street ; 
and  very  few  houses  are  seen  from  the  Point  to  the 
centre  of  Sault-au-Matelot  Street.  The  greater 
number. are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Plate  de  Notre 
Dame,  or  Lower  Town  Market-place,  where  they 
were  rather  thickly  clustered.  Sous  le  Fort  Street 
is  plainly  delineated,  as  well  as  the  Queen's  Wharf, 
which  was  then  a  platform  planted  with  trees,  where 
there  was  a  battery  level  with  the  water.  Towards 
the  west,  the  buildings  extended  but  a  little  way 
beyond  the  King's  Wharf. 

TRADE    OF   QUEBEC   IN    1700. 

As  an  interesting  recollection  in  the  present  ad- 
vanced condition  of  Colonial  trade, — now  that  the 
commercial  character  of  the  British  population  is 
folly  developed, — we  shall  give  an  account  of  the 
early  traffic  of  the  Lower  Town,  on  the  authority  of 
La  Potherie.  The  houses,  in  which  the  merchants 
lived  for  the  convenience  of  business,  were  well 
built,  and  of  cut  stone.  All  persons,  except  the 
Clergy,  and  some  of  the  Officers,  Civil  and  Military, 
were  engaged  in  commerce,  the  revenues  of  their 
lands  being  insufficient  to  maintain  their  families ; 
ind  the  country  being  in  too  rude  a  state  to  supply 


/ 


184  MEW  ncrtTM  4f  £0ftttCr      ' 

all  the  conveniences  of  life.    The  prineipdl 
was  in  peltry,  which  chiefly  consisted  of  die 
ef*the  beaver.    Those  who  were  fortunate 
to  take  these  valuable  animals,  carried  thea*4*i 
Farmer's  Office,  Bureau  de  la  Ferine,  die 
of  which  paid  for  them  in  Bilk  of 
France.    In  1700,  these  Bills  amounted  to' 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand  tieres.    T!*e 
merchandise,  was  by  no  means  considerable! 
was  only  profitable  to  a  few  foreign  miiuihaiifaiWiij 
brought  with  them,  or  every  year  imported  ;f 
France,  goods  to  the  amount  of  seven  or  eight  ^ 
sand  franc*.    Some  few  imported  to  die 
twenty  thousand ;  but  they  found  it  difficult  4o 
a  sale  during  that  year.    Greater  sale*  wisre 
of  wine  and  brandy,  than  of  any  othe 

The  period  of  most  active  business  at  Quebec, M 
the  olden  time,  was  during  the  months  of  August, 
September  and  October,  in  which  the  vessels  arrived 
from  France ;  so  that  at  that  time,  one  passage  out- 
ward and  inward  was  all  they  were  able  to  accomp- 
lish. After  the  arrival  of  the  vessels,  there  was  a 
kind  of  fair  in  the  Lower  Town— every  shop  and 
store  displayed  newly  imported  treasures— and  no- 
thing was  heard  in  the  streets  but  the  bus  of  tke 
shopkeepers  recommending  their  wares,  and  of  cah 
tomers  endeavoring  to  make  the  best  bargains  they 
could.  About  the  end  of  October,  the  Habitant 
came  in  from  the  country  to  make  purchases.,  Every 
one  endeavored  to  arrange  his  business  before  the 
departure  of  the  vessels ;  as  the  Captains  nator*- 
ally  took  advantage  of  the  fine  weather,  fearfid 
of  a  gale  from  the  north-east,  which  generally  came 
a  few  days  before  or  after  Allsaints'  day.  They  con* 
sidered  that  by  postponing  their  departure  until 


WITH.  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  285 

lovember,  they  ran  some  risk  of  meeting  with  ice 
Uthe  River.  From  this  reasoning  of  the  shipmas-* 
Mrs  of  that  day,  it  would  appear  that  there  has  been 
m  change  in  the  climate  for  the  last  century,  since 
lie  Captains  at  present  always  hurry  their  departure 
iter  the  10th  November ;  and  various  proofs  might 
He  adduced  from  the  old  writers  to  show  that  it  was 
[pite.as  mild,  and  the'  spring  as  early,  in  the  time  of 
Jhamplain  as  at  present 

La  Potherie  remarks  the  change  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  Lower  Town  after  the  departure  of  the 
dripping :  "  The  road,"  he  says,  "  which  is  all  at 
wee  left  without  craft  has  somewhat  of  a  melancholy 
ippearance.  All  is  still,  and  we  are  left  in  the  situ- 
Ition  of  ants,  having  nothing  to  do  but  to  lay  in  our 
provisions  for  the  winter,  which  is  very  long." 


MANNER   OF   PAS3ING   THE   WINTER   IN    1700. 

CLIMATE. 

About  the  end  of  September  they  began  their  pre- 
parations by  preserving  vegetables  for  their  soup. 
Other  vegetables  and  sallads  were  arranged  in  their 
cellars,  which  appeared  like  so  many  kitchen  gar- 
dens. Every  one,  according  to  his  means,  provided 
himself  with  butchers'  meat,  poultry  and  game; 
which  when  frozen  they  preserved  all  the  winter. 
The  snow  fell  in  quantities  about  the  middle  of  No- 
vember— all  trade  was  at  an  end,  and  the  greatest  part 
of  the  shops  were  closed.  While  the  snow  continu- 
ed to  fall,  people  remained  at  home,  La  Potherie 
adds,  as  it  were  in  their  dens  ;  but  it  was  widely 
different  when  it  became  hard  on  the  surface. 
Then  every  body  was  in  motion,  carioles  began  to 


286  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

run,  vehicles  which  were  found  extremely  coma*  ji 
dious,  and  which  are  described  exactly  as  they  m  n 
used  at  present.  They  were  then,  perhaps,  baud-  m 
somer  than  now,  being  adorned  with  painting?  i*j  h\ 
j  armorial  bearings.  *f 

Advent  was  passed  with  all  the  observance!  p  p 
religion.  On  New  Year's  day,  they  interchanged  Ik 
visits  of  friendship  and  congratulation,  as  atpreW^V- 
The  visiting  season,  however,  than  extended  to ejjjkl  pi 
days,  during  which  time  everyone  wasinmoMjtf 
and  nothing  was  seen  but  gentlemen  on  foottaifpo 
in  carioles  running  from  house  to  house.  As  tkntl* 
was  no  business  to  do,  this  was  by  no  meansadfcp 
agreeable  method  of  killing  a  week  during  a  1<*H « 
winter — now,  it  would  be  found  difficult  to .  dewfrfc 
so  long  a  period  even  to  so  pleasant  an  employmeMM 
Until  Lent,  the  time  was  passed  agreeably  enougktk 
Joy  and  pleasure  held  undisputed  reign  :  handset 
entertainments  were  given  :  some  there  were  » 
aristocratic  and  exclusive,  that  persons  were  only 
invited  who  were  unexceptionable  as  to  havt  to* 
People  were  entertained  on  other  days  according  H 
their  rank  in  life  :  one  day,  Officers  of  Government  L 
and  their  Ladies — on  another,  Councillors  and  thdr  t 
wives — on  a  third,  the  citizens  generally.  The**1  u 
men  of  the  tiers  etat  in  those  days  are  represent*  \ 
very  favorably,  and  as  far  superior  to  persons  of  tkl  :« 
same  condition  in  the  Provinces  of  Old  France,u*  t 
even  in  Paris  itself.  La  Potherie  says,  theffo 
spoke  perfectly  well,  and  with  good  accent.  Tltff  p 
had  no  dialect,  which  indeed  is  generally  lost  * 
a  Colony.  They  had  wit,  delicacy,  good  voiced  % 
and  loved  dancing  to  excess.  They  were  naturattf  i 
prudent,  and  little  addicted  to  trifling — so  that  whet^ 


V: 


\ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  287 

Ley  admitted  the  addresses  of  a  lover,  it  was 
end  in  marriage. 

t  was  found  a  season  the  most  tedious  and  diffi- 
pass  of  any  part  of  the  year,  the  climate  dur- 
i  months  of  February  and  March  being  the 
svere  of  the  winter.  The  cold,  was  then  exces- 
ut  the  weather  nevertheless  fine,  and  the  sky 
a  Canadian  winter  possesses  indeed  this  dis- 
i,  that  there  is  very  little  foggy  weather,  so 
ery  one  preserved  their  health.  People  got 
med  to  the  cold  as  to  every  thing  else,  and 
;  wearing  too  many  clothes,  the  men  went  for 
•st  part  with  their  coats  open.  When  there 
ly  two  feet  of  snow  upon  the  ground  they 
it  a  very  mild  winter  ;  but  it  was  generally 
six  feet  deep,  especially  in  the  woods, 
long  duration  of  the  snow  rendered  it  im- 
i  to  commence  the  sowing  of  grain  before 
but  the  harvest  was  nevertheless  gathered  in 
the  months  of  August  and  September.  This 
nee  of  snow  was  like  manure,  enriching  and 
ig  the  soil.  If  the  winters  were  cold,  the  sum- 
rhich  in  point  of  fact  were  only  June  and  July, 
>t  less  insupportable.  The  heat  was  then  ex- 
,  more  so  than  in  the  West  Indies.  Like  the 
came  on  without  preparation,  as  it  were  tout 
No  spring  was  felt  bringing  on  the  warm 
by  imperceptible  gradations  :  the  thaw  came 
;  being  remarked,  and  there  were  no  de- 
f  rain  as  at  Paris.  Hard  frost  was  some- 
nown  in  the  mornings  of  August ;  but  it  used 
away  and  the  warm  days  to  return.  Thun- 
\  frequent  in  summer :  it  had  a  dull  and  hollow 
and  generally  fell  whenever  it  was  heard, 
the  thunder  in  the  West  Indies,  it  occurs  in 


888  vxw  norms  or  gtunnM^ 

Canada  in  extremely  close  weather,  wheal 
not  a  breadth  of  air*    It  is  then  thai  the  heat 
tolerable,  and  a  cold,  or  rather  a  hoarseness 
guarded  against 

DE8CRIPTIOK  IK   ITSOl         ' 


41 


Chariatoix,  speaking  of  the  harbor,  < 
"there  is  no  other  city  besides  this  in  the  kaomn 
that  can  boast  of  a  fresh  water  harbor  ana " 
and  twenty  leagues  from  the, sea,  and  that 
containing  an  hundred  ships  of  the  Knew  lt< 
stands  upon  the  most  navigable  river  in  4e! 
The  fottowinff  is  his  description  of  .the, 
Town  :  "  When  Ch  amflain  founded  this 
160%  die  tide  usually  rose  to  the  foes  of  tike 
Since  that  time  the  river  has  retired  by  fittla 
little,  and  has  at  last  left  dry.  a  large  piece  of  u 
on  which  the  Lower  Town  has  since  been  built,  aai 
which  is  now  sufficiently  elevated  above  the  watcrt 
edge,  to  secure  the  inhabitants  against  the  rounds* 
tion  of  the  river.  The  first  thing  you  meet  with,  OS 
landing,  is  a  pretty  large  square,  and  of  irregular 
form,  having  in  front  a  row  of  well  built  houses,  the 
back  part  of  which  leans  against  the  rock,  so  tint 
they  have  no  great  depth.  These  form  a  street  ef 
considerable  length,  occupying  the  whole  breadth  of 
the  square,  and  extending  on  the  right  and  left  SB 
far  as  the  two  wpys  which  lead  to  the  Upper  Town. 
The  square  is  bounded  towards  die  left  by  a  small 
Church,  and  towards  the  right  by  two  rows  of  hoosei 
placed  in  a  parallel  direction.  There  is  also  anothei 
street  on  the  other  side  between  the  Church  and  tin 
harbor,  and  at  the  turning  of  the  river  under  Cap 
Diamond,  there  is  likewise  another  pretty  long  fligh 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  289 

>uses  on  the  banks  of  a  creek  called  UAnse  des 
?8.  This  quarter  may  be  reckoned  properly 
gh  a  sort  of  Suburb  to  the  Lower  Town.  Be- 
q  this  Suburb  and  the  great  street,  you  go  up 
e  higher  town  by  so  steep  an  ascent,  that  it  has 

found  necessary  to  cut  it  into  steps.  Thus  it 
possible  to  ascend  it,  except  on  foot.  But  in 
r  from  the  square  towards  the  right,  a  way  has 
made,  the  declivity  of  which  is  much  more  gen- 
nd  which  is  lined  with  houses.  At  the  place 
e  these  two  ways  meet  begins  that  part  of  the 
$r  Town  which  faces  the  River,  there  being 
ler  Lower  Town  on  the  side  towards  the  Little 
r  St.  Charles.  The  first  building  worthy  of 
e  you  meet  with  on  your  right  hand  in  the  for- 
>f  those  sides,  is  the  Bishop's  Palace  ;  the  left 
f  entirely  occupied  with  private  houses." 
lis  topography  of  Charlevoix  is  perfectly  cor- 
and  intelligible  at  the  present  day,  very  little 
ition  having  taken  place.  It  will  be  remem- 
1  that  there  was  then  no  Gate  near  the  Bishop's 
ice — a  simple  barrier  of  pickets  was  all  the  de- 
• ;  and  so  it  remained  at  the  capture  in  1759, 
shown  by  an  ancient  print  with  which  we  have 

favored.  It  has  been  noticed  in  a  former  place, 
the  path,  afterwards  called  Mountain  Street, 
made  by  Cham  plain  after  building  the  first 
It  is  most  probable  that  the  descent  into  the 
ie-Sac9  by  the  steps  opposite  to  Mr.  Neilson's 
ting  Office,  was  the  most  ancient  way  to  the 
er  Town,  and  was  the  one  made  by  Champlain. 

other  descent  for  carriages  was  made  subse- 
tly,  and  is  spoken  of  by  Le  Beau,  who  was 
(uebec  nine  years  after  Charlevoix,  as  being 
is  time  extremely  difficult  for  carriages.      It 

2    B 


290  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

was  so,  indeed,  until  macadamized  a  few  years  ago; 
and  even  now  it  is  very  steep. 

Until  the  year  1682,  the  houses  in  the  Lower 
Town  were  of  wood.  On  the  5th  August,  in  that 
year,  a  fire  took  place  which  consumed  the  whole  of 
the  buildings,  except  one  house.  All  the  merchan- 
dise in  the  stores,  which  were  full,  was  destroyed ; 
and  as  expressed  in  our  French  manuscript,  "  they 
lost  that  night  more  valuables  than  all  Canada  at 
present  possesses."  The  house  which  escaped  the 
flames  belonged  to  M.  Aubert  De  Lachenaye. 
He  was  a  rich  and  generous  merchant,  and  liberally 
assisted  his  countrymen  with  his  power  and  means 
in  rebuilding  their  houses.  He  lent  his  money  so 
freely  that  there  was  scarcely  a  house  in  the  Lower 
Town  which  was  not  mortgaged  to  him  ;  and  this 
he  did  for  no  sordid  purpose,  but  for  the  good  of 
the  Colony,  and  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

The  Lower  Town,  as  might  be  expected,  suffer- 
ed greatly  from  the  fire  of  the  British  batteries  in 
1759.  We  have  seen  an  old  print  representing  the 
state  of  the  Place  de  Notre  Dame,  or  Lower  Town 
Market  Place,  drawn  upon  the  spot,  in  1761.  The 
Church  was  entirely  destroyed,  nothing  remaining 
but  the  walls  very  much  shattered.  The  houses  in 
Notre  Dame  Street,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
square,  appear  untenanted,  many  of  them  roofless, 
and  all  in  the  vicinity  more  or  less  injured.  The 
size  and  height  of  the  houses  are  the  same  as  they 
are  now  :  that  on  the  south-west  angle  of  the  square 
appears  exactly  as  at  present.  This  print  is  inte- 
resting, as  showing  the  substantial  and  convenient 
manner  in  which  the  best  houses  in  the  Lower  Town 
had  been  rebuilt,  after  the  great  fire  mentioned  above, 
in  1682.     In  point  of  appearance  they  were  little 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  291 

ferior  to  the  buildings  at  present  on  the  site  :  ma- 
f9  no  doubt,  are  the  same,  having  been  substantially 
•paired  after  the  cession  of  the  Province. 


PRESENT  STATE   AND   PUBLIC  BUILDINGS. 

The  Upper  and  Lower  Towns  of  Quebec,  toge~ 
ter  with  the  Suburbs,  occupy  a  site  which  may  be 
escribed  as  a  triangle,  the  Banlieu  line  being  the 
ase,  the  Rivers  St  Lawrence  and  St.  Charles  form- 
lg  the  sides,  and  the  Point,  at  the  confluence  of 
hose  Rivers,  being  the  apex.  The  Lower  Town 
deludes  all  the  extent  of  buildings  underneath  the 
liff,  from  the  spot  where  the  Banlieu  line  strikes  the 
St.  Lawrence  on  the  south,  to  the  King's  wood-yard 
in  the  St.  Charles,  towards  the  north.  Beyond  the 
rood-yard  is  the  populous  Suburb  of  St  Roch.  The. 
louses  in  Mountain  Street  below  Prescott-Gate 
ire  also  in  the  Lower  Town. 

Owing  to  the  great  increase  of  late  years  in  the 
irade  of  the  Province,  several  new  wharfs,  on  which 
ire  extensive  storehouses,  have  recently  been  con- 
structed on  lots  redeemed  from  the  water,  particularly 
n  the  neighborhood  of  the  Quebec  Exchange. 
8ut  although  very  considerable  improvements  have 
teen  made  in  the  extent  of  its  mercantile  accommo- 
lation,  the  Lower  Town  is  still  too  much  confined 
or  the  convenience  of  the  trade.  Several  counting 
ouses  and  mercantile  establishments  are  still  obliged 
o  be  kept  at  such  a  distance  from  the  centre  of  bu- 
iness,  as  to  be  extremely  inconvenient  during  the 
irgency  of  the  navigable  season.  During  the  last 
rear  above  one  thousand  vessels  arrived  in  this  port, 
nd  this  season  the  number  will  probably  be  as  great. 


292  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

One  consequence  has  been,  a  very  great  influx  of  emi- 
grants from  the  mother  country,  who  arrive  in  vessels 
engaged  in  the  timber  trade  ;  and  who  during  their 
stay  in  the  harbor,  and  in  their  transit  through  the 
Province,  expend  in  the  aggregate  a  very  large  sum 
of  ready  money,  out  of  the  capital  which  they  bring 
with  them  for  agricultural  and  other  purposes.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  these  Provinces  will  long  continue  to  be 
annually  enriched  by  the  immigration  of  an  indus- 
trious and  moral  population  from  the  mother  country. 
In  noticing  the  subject  of  immigration,  it  would  be 
unpardonable  to  omit  the  conveniences  afforded  to 
settlers  and  travellers  by  the  numerous  steam-bouts 
on  the  St  Lawrence,  originally  established  by  the 
enterprise  of  the  Honorable  John  Molson,  of  Most- 
real.  Their  safety,  speed,  and  general  excellence 
are  universally  acknowledged  by  the  numerous  stran- 
gers who  visit  this  Metropolis. 


THE   QUEBEC   EXCHANGE. 

As  a  building  devoted  to  general  mercantile  pur- 
poses, this  institution  demands  particular  attention. 
The  first  institution  of  this  description  in  Quebec  is 
dated  in  1817.  It  was  established  in  a  house  at  the 
south  end  of  St.  Peter  Street,  whence  it  was  removed, 
in  1822,  to  a  handsome  room  in  the  new  building 
erected  by  the  Fire  Assurance  Company.  An 
annually  encreasing  subscription  list  led  eventually 
to  the  erection  of  the  present  commodious  edifice  of 
cut  stone.  The  ground  on  which  it  stands,  a  water 
lot,  was  purchased  in  June,  1828,  and  contains  ten 
thousand  superficial  feet.  The  Honorable  Matthew 
Bell,  from  whom  the  site  was  purchased,  gave,  in 


with  historical  recollections.         29$ 

lie  most  handsome  manner,  as  his  subscription  to 
le  undertaking,  a  fifth  part  of  the  purchase  money, 
is  donation  amounting  to  two  hundred  pounds.  The 
>ublic  spirit  of  the  projectors  of  this  undertaking  was 
ruly  commendable,  and  liberally  supported  by  the 
>ublic.  One  thousand  pounds  was  soon  subscribed 
o  erect  the  building,  and  the  income  being  conside- 
able,  arising  from  annual  subscriptions  to  the  read- 
ng  room,  no  difficulty  was  found  in  raising  the  funds 
lecessary  for  its  completion.  The  first  stone  was 
laid  with  Masonic  ceremonies  on  the  6th  September, 
18Q& 

The  edifice  is  situated  at  the  east  end  of  St.  Paul 
Street ;  and  has  answered  the  most  sanguine  expec- 
tations of  the  Proprietors,  who  were  incorporated  by 
Act  of  the  Provincial  Parliament  in  1830. 

The  lower  part,  or  ground  floor,  was  intended  for 
an  Exchange,  "  where  merchants  most  do  congre- 
gate," and  make  engagements  for  the  transaction  of 
business.  The  centre  story  contains  the  excellent 
Reading  Room,  fifty  feet  long,  thirty  broad,  and 
sixteen  in  height ;  the  windows  of  which  command 
a  complete  view  of  the  basin  and  river.  The  upper 
part  is  occupied  at  present  by  the  Board  of  Trade  ; 
but  by  an  arrangement  between  the  respective  pro- 

frietors,  it  is  generally  understood  that  the  Quebec 
jbrary  will  be  removed  from  its  present  situation 
on  the  1st  May  next,  to  a  spacious  room  on  that 
itory. 

The  excellent  arrangement  of  the  Reading  Room 
was  mainly  owing  to  the  ability,  zeal,  and  intel- 
ligence of  the  late  Mr.  Henry  Thompson,  who  had 
for  several  years  been  the  Keeper  of  the  Exchange. 
He  fell  a  victim  to  the  Asiatic  Cholera,  after  a  few 
hours  illness,  in  July,   1834,  greatly  esteemed  and 

2b3 


294  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

lamented  by  all  who  knew  him*  The  establishment 
is  at  present  under  the  judicious  management  of 
Mr.  R.  Roberts,  late  merchant  of  this  city. 


THE   TRINITY   HOUSE. 

This  is  a  corporate  establishment  for  the  due  re- 
gulation of  the  Pilots  who  ply  in  the  River  St 
Lawrence,  and  for  their  charitable  support  after  they 
are  disabled  by  age,  accident,  or  infirmity.  There  is 
also  a  fund  for  the  relief  of  their  widows  and  chil- 
dren. It  is  governed  by  a  Master,  Deputy  Master, 
and  Wardens,  who  are  generally  Merchants  of  Que- 
bec. The  business  of  the  Corporation  is  transacted 
in  a  house  in  St.  Peter  Street,  not  far  from  the 
Quebec  Exchange. 

This  establishment  was  no  doubt  founded  in 
imitation  of  similar  institutions  in  England.  In 
the  reign  of  Henry  VII I.,  certain  officers  were  incor- 
porated by  the  name  of  Master  and  Wardens  of  the 
Holy  Trinity  :  "  they  were  to  take  care  of  the 
building,  keeping  and  conducting  of  the  Royal 
Navy."  This  Corporation  had  a  foundation  at  Dept- 
ford,  in  Kent,  containing  fifty-nine  houses  for  de- 
cayed Pilots  and  Masters  of  Ships,  or  the  widows  of 
such;  and  the  men  were  allowed  twenty,  and  the 
women  sixteen  shillings  per  month.  There  is  also 
a  noble  establishment  of  this  kind  at  Hull,  in  York- 
shire. 

the  banks fire  assurance  company. 

The  Quebec  Bank  occupies  the  lower  story  of 
the  handsome  stone  edifice  built  by  the  Quebec 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  295 

FifcE  Assurance  Company,  fronting  in  St.  Peter 
Street.  It  was  incorporated  in  1822,  and  is  a  Joint 
Stock  Company. 

The  Quebec  Fire  Assurance  Company's  Office 
is  on  the  second  story  of  the  building.  This  is  also 
b  corporation.  Above  is  the  Quebec  Library,  a 
large  and  valuable  collection  of  books  amounting  to 
iipwards  of  six  thousand.  The  property  is  vested  in 
Trustees,  elected  annually  by  the  proprietors,  and 

Srsons  are  also  received  as  yearly  subscribers.  This 
brary  was  founded  in  the  year  1779,  during  the 
administration  of  His  Excellency  General  Haldimand, 
who  liberally  contributed  one  hundred  volumes  of 
valuable  works  towards  its  formation. 

The  Office  for  Discount  and  Deposit  for  the 
Montreal  Bank,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  parent 
Bank  in  that  city,  is  situated  at  the  corner  of  St.  Peter 
Street  and  St.  James's  Street,  not  far  from  the  Ex- 
change. It  was  also  incorporated  in  1822,  and  is  a 
Joint  Stock  Company. 


king's  wharf  and  custom  house. 

The  King's  Wharf  has  already  been  mentioned 
as  appropriated  to  the  purposes  of  Government ;  and 
as  having  upon  it  the  extensive  stores  belonging  to 
the  Commissariat  Department.  Here  is  a  battery 
level  with  the  water  ;  and  the  wharf  itself  is  the 
place  of  embarkation  and  landing  of  the  King's 
troops,  for  the  Governors,  and  Officers  of  the  Navy 
and  Army. 

Immediately  adjoining,  on  the  west,  is  the  New 
Custom  House,  which  has  so  far  been  lately  com- 
pleted.    It  is  a  plain  stone  edifice,  well  and  substan- 


$9$  mw  ncruuf  op  ftDWWf 


If.':  TW 


tially  built  The  interior  is  well ,  gdaptfd  far,  fl$ 
Convenience  of  business,  ud  the  long  roonvhaa  bftgt 
generally  admired,  .  ...    '•    ,^ 

...  Very  nearly  opposite  to  the  Cuatom  ^opfV*M^ 
flood  anciently  a  barrier,  where  the  two  ways  di?c» 
one  to  the  steps  leading  to  the  Upper  Town*  a&4j|{ 
Other  to  the  harbor.  It  was  near  this  spqt.^ 
the  American  General  Montgomery,  and  other 
officers,  were  killed  by  the  discharge  of  a  cannon,  it 
his  daring  attack  upon  the  Lower  Town,  on  the  last 
day  of  December,  1775. 

At  some  distance  beyond  this  remarkable  spot,  at 
the  foot  of  Caps  Diamond,  is  the  inclined  piano 
from  the  Citadel,  which  has  been  previously  men- 
tioned; and  further  still  is  Wolmis  Cots,  when 
that  intrepid  leader  performed  his  extraordinary  ex- 
ploit, and  to  the  astonishment  of  the  French,  suc- 
ceeded in  ascending  the  cliff,  and  in  forming  hi 
army  in  battle,  array  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham. 

Among  the  recent  improvements  in  the  Lower 
Town,  a  spacious  market  for  cattle,  hay,  wood,  and 
other  articles  of  country  produce,  was  opened  during 
the  last  year,  at  the  west  end  of  St.  Paul  Street, 
near  the  King's  wood-yard. 

The  city  of  Quebec  was  incorporated  by  Act  of 
the  Provincial  Parliament  in  1833.  It  is  divided 
into  ten  wards.  The  Common  Council  consists  of 
twenty  members,  from  whom  the  Mayor  is  annually 
chosen.  The  first  Mayor  was  Elzear  Bedard,  Es- 
quire ;  and  for  the  current  year,  Edouard  Caeon, 
Esquire. 

The  Corporation  seal  represents  a  female  figure, 
in  a  sitting  position,  leaning  upon  a  shield,  on  which 
is  a  lion  passant,  holding  a  Key.  Above  is  a  cor- 
nucopia, and  on  the  side  a  bee-hive.     At  her  feet 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  297 

seen  a  beaver.  The  figure  points  to  the  river, 
here  there  is  a  ship  at  anchor.  In  the  back  ground 
i  a  representation  of  Cape  Diamond.  The  follow- 
ag  are  the  legends  on  the  seal,  above — Natura 

ORTIS,     INDUSTRIA    CRESCIT  : — below — CoNDITA 

Juebecense,  A.  D.  MDCVIIL  Civitatis  Regi- 
hne  Donata,  A.  D.  MDCCCXXXIII. 


298  NEW  PICTURE   OP    QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE  FIFTEENTH. 

THE   SIEGES    OF    QUEBEC. 

One,  who  is  conversant  only  with  the  petty  and 
broken  lines  of  European  geography,  cannot  form 
any  adequate  conception  of  the  political  importance 
of  our  impregnable  fortress.  Placed,  as  if  by  the 
most  consummate  art,  at  the  very  lowest  point  that 
effectually  commands  the  navigation  of  the  largest 
body  of  fresh  water  in  the  world,  Cape  Diamond 
holds,  and  must  for  ever  hold,  the  keys  not  only  of  all 
the  vast  and  fertile  regions,  drained  by  our  magnificent 
river,  but  of  the  almost  untrodden  world  between 
Lake  Superior  and  the  rocky  mountains. — On  one 
side  the  icy  barriers  of  the  north,  on  the  other,  the 
dangers,  delays  and  distempers  of  the  Mississippi  will 
for  ever  secure  an  almost  exclusive  preference  to  the 
great  highway  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  In  Quebec  and 
Montreal,  respectively,  must  centre  the  dominion  and 
the  wealth  of  half  a  continent. 

Quebec  has  been  styled  the  Gibraltar  of  America 
— a  comparison  that  conveys  a  more  correct  idea  of 
its  military  strength  than  of  its  commercial  and  po- 
litical importance.  Let  the  European  reader  com- 
plete the  comparison  by  closing  the  Baltic,  the  Elbe 
and  the  Rhine,  turning  the  Danube  westward  into 
the  English  channel,  and  placing  Gibraltar  so  as  to 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  299 

command  that  noble  stream's  navigation  of  two  thou- 
sand miles. 

Quebec,  moreover,  derives  a  vast  degree  of  relative 
importance  from  its  being  almost  the  only  fortified 
spot  in  North  America.  Over  the  whole  continent 
nature  has  not  planted  a  single  rival ;  while  art  in 
the  more  level  districts  of  the  south  was  in  a  great 
measure  suspended  by  swamps  and  forests. 

The  spirit  of  the  French  system  of  American  colo- 
nization appreciated  fully  the  unrivalled  advantages 
of  Quebec,  and  made  Cape  Diamond  the  fulcrum  of 
a  lever  that  was  to  shake  the  English  colonies  from 
their  foundations.  Every  page  of  the  earlier  history 
of  these  regions  forces  on  the  reflecting  mind  a  fun- 
dunental  distinction,  between  the  English  and  the 
French  colonies  in  North  America.  The  former 
were  planted  by  an  intelligent  people  ;  the  latter 
were  founded  by  an  ambitious  government. 

The  English  settlements,  forming,  as  it  were,  so 
many  mutually  independent  states,  directed  their 
Unfettered  energies  into  the  natural  channels  of  agri- 
culture and  commerce. — The  French  ones,  entangled 
in  the  meshes  of  a  net  of  unparallelled  extent,  were  but 
the  inert  parts  of  a  political  machine,  powerful,  indeed, 
but  unwieldy,  expensive  and  unproductive.  The 
French  sought  dominion  in  military  power — the 
English  cherished  the  spirit  and  enjoyed  the  bless- 
ings of  freedom.  Their  fundamental  distinction, 
while  it  gave  France  a  temporary  preponderance, 
could  not  fail  to  secure  the  ultimate  triumph  of  her 
more  enlightened,  though  less  crafty,  rival. 

From"  the  struggles  between  these  hereditary  rivals 
sprung  most  of  the  eventful  scenes,  which  form  the 
subject  of  this  chapter  ;  and  one  cannot  but  wonder 
that  Quebec,  the  source  of  all  the  evils  that  afflicted 


300  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

the  English  settlements,  was  not  more  frequently 
the  main  object  of  attack. 

Sieges  are  from  various  causes,  such  as  the  vicis- 
situdes of  fortune,  the  concentration  of  interest,  the 
pre-eminent  display  of  valour  and  generosity,  and 
other  popular  virtues,  the  most  spirit  stirring  occur- 
rences in  warfare  ;  but  one  of  the  sieges  of  Quebec 
is  peculiarly  interesting  and  important,  from  its  cot* 
ting  off  the  contending  commanders  in  the  decisive 
hour  of  victory,  changing  the  civil  and  political  con- 
dition of  vast  and  fertile  regions,  and  bringing  to  * 
dose  the  European  warfare  which  had  rendered  the 
basins  of  the  St  Lawrence  and  the  Mississippi  one 
vast  field  of  blood  and  battle. 

Many  years,  however,  before  the  political  jealousies 
of  France  and  England  rendered  Quebec  the  object 
of  unremitting  and  vigorous  contention,  several  Ifi- 
dian  tribes,  influenced  partly  by  a  natural  dislike  of 
foreign  intruders,  and  partly  by  hereditary  hostility 
towards  the  native  allies  of  the  strangers,  had  at- 
tempted to  sweep  away  the  scarcely  formed  germs  of 
our  ripe  and  rich  metropolis.  In  the  year  1621, 
when  the  whole  population  of  Quebec  fell  short  of 
three  score  souls,  the  Five  Nations,  or,  as  they  are 
often  termed,  the  Iroquois,  surrounded  a  fortified 
post  on  the  shore  of  the  River  St.  Charles,  but  fear- 
ing the  consequences  of  an  actual  assault,  turned 
their  murderous  wrath  on  the  chief  objects  of  their 
vengeance,  the  Indian  allies  of  the  colony.  It  is  but 
just  here  to  offer  the  tribute  of  applause  to  the  supe- 
riority of  the  French  over  the  English  in  conciliating 
the  aboriginal  savages  of  the  North  American  con- 
tinent. 

While  the  English  fought  their  way  by  inches  in 
almost  every  settlement,  the  French  generally  lived 


F 


o 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  301*. 

in  fraternal  terms  with  their  immediate  neighbors,' 
ind  engaged  in  hostilities  with  distant  tribes  rather 
u  allies  than  as  principals.  The  Indian  wars  of  the 
English  were  generally  civil  ones;  those  of  the 
French  were  almost  universally  foreign. — In  the  in- 
cursions, of  which  we  have  instanced  one,  the  aim  of 
the  Iroquois  was  not  so  much  the  French,  as  the 
Hurons  and  the  Algonquins. 

.  After  a  lapse  of  eight  years  of  dubious  security, 
Quebec,  as  if  in  anticipation  of  its  final  and  perma- 
nent destiny,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  hereditary 
enemies  of  France. 

In  the  preceding  year,  that  is  in  1628,  Sir  David 
Kertk,  accompanied  by  William  de  Caen,  a  traitor 
o  his  country,  penetrated  as  far  as  Tadoussac  with 
i  powerful  squadron,  and  thence  summoned  the 
governor  of  Quebec  to  an  immediate  surrender. 
2h  am  plain,  who  had  founded  the  colony,  and  whose 
lame  will  live  for  ever  in  a  Lake  rich  in  historic 
ecollections,  had  at  that  time  the  command  of  Que- 
bec. The  gallant  commander,  relying  perhaps  as 
iiuch  on  a  bold  front,  as  on  the  strength  of  the  de- 
ences  or  the  prowess  of  the  garrison,  saved  the  set- 
lement  from  Kertk's  irresistible  force  by  the  spirited 
eply  of  himself  and  his  companions. 

In  July  following,  an  English  fleet  under  two  bro- 
kers of  Sir  David  Kertk,  who  remained  himself  at 
Tadoussac,  anchored  unexpectedly  before  the  town. 
Those,  who  know  the  difficulty,  even  in  the  present 
lay,  of  conveying  intelligence,  between  Quebec  and 
be  lower  parts  of  the  river,  will  not  be  surprised  that 
bis  fleet  should  have,  almost  literally,  brought  the 
xst  intelligence  of  its  own  approach. 

The  brothers  immediately  sent,  under  the  protec- 
ion  of  a  white  flag,  the  following  summons,  which 

2   c 


1 


! 


S02  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

breathes  at  once  a  consciousness  of  strength  and  a 
feeling  of  generosity. 

July  19th,  1629. 
Sir, 

Our  brother  having  last  year  informed  youth! 
sooner  or  later  be  would  take  Quebec,  he  desires  u 
to  offer  you  his  friendship  and  respects,  as  we  ato 
do  on  our  part,  and  knowing  the  wretched  state  of 
your  garrison,  we  order  you  to  surrender  the  Fort 
and  settlement  of  Quebec  into  our  hands,  offering 
you  terms  that  you  will  consider  reasonable,  and 
which  shall  be  granted  on  your  surrender. 

Champlairi8  answer. 

Gentlemen, 

It  is  too  true  that  owing  to  the  want  of  succour  I 
and  assistance  from   France,   our  distress  is  very  |; 
great,  and  that  we  are  incapable  of  resistance— I 
therefore  desire  that  you  will  not  fire  on  the  town, 
nor  land  your  troops  until  the  articles  of  capitulation 
can  be  drawn  up. 

Articles  of  Capitulation  proposed  by  Champlain. 

That  Messieurs  Kertk shall  produce  the  Kingof  Eng- 
land's Commission,  by  virtue  of  which  they  summon 
the  place  to  surrender,  as  an  evidence  that  war  had 
been  declared  between  France  and  England.  That 
they  should  also  produce  authority  by  which  they 
were  empowered  by  their  brother  David  Kertk,  Ad- 
miral of  the  Fleet.  That  a  vessel  should  be  furnished 
for  transporting  to  France  all  the  French,  without 
excepting  two  Indian  women. 

That  the  soldiers  should  march  out  with  their  arms 
and  baggage. 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  308 

That  the  vessel  to  be  provided  to  carry,  the  gar- 
ison  to  France  shall  be  well  victualled,  to  be  paid 
for  in.  peltries. 

.That  no  violence  or  insult  shall  be  offered  to  any 
person*  : 

•That  the  vessel  to  be  procured  shall  be  ready  for 
Leparture  three,  days  after  their  arrival  at  Tadoussac, 
Hid  that  they  shall  be  transported. 

Answer  of  the  Kertks. 

That  they  had  not  the  commission  from  the  King 
of.  England^  but  that  their  brother  had  it  at  Tadous- 
sac, that  they  were  empowered  by  their  brother  to 
treat  with  Mr.  Qhamplain. 

That  a  vessel  would  be  provided,  and  if  not  suf- 
ficiently large,  they  would  be  put  on  board  the  ships 
of  the  fleet  of  England,  and  from  thence  sent  to 
France. 

That  the  Indian  women  could  not  be  given  up  for 
reasons  to  be  explained  when  they  met. 

That  the  officers  and  soldiers  should  march  out 
with  their  arms,  baggage  and  other  effects. 

Champlain's  own  proposals  of  capitulation  satis* 
fiactorily  demonstrate  that,  down  to  1629,  France  had 
hardly  any  permanent  footing  in  the  country.  By 
stipulating  for  the  removal  of  "  all  the  French,"  in 
Quebec,  Champlain  seems  to  have  considered  that 
the  Province  was  virtually  lost  to  France  ;  and  the 
single  vessel,  which  was  to  furnish  the  means  of  a 
removal,  reduces  "  all  the  French"  in  Quebec  to  a 
very  paltry  number.  The  humanity  of  the  victors, 
however,  had  the  effect  of  inducing  most  of  the  colo- 
nists to  remain  under  the  English  Government. 


904  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

With  Quebec  fell  of  course  the  whole  of  Canada  fc 
into  the  power  of  England. 

Champlain,  with  the  partiality  of  a  father  for  his 
child,  strove  by  the  most  pressing  entreaties,  and  by 
the  most  natural  exaggerations,  to  make  his  country 
wrest  Quebec  from  England  by  negociation  or  by 
arms.  His  countrymen,  however,  did  not  unani- 
mously second  the  unsuccessful  commander's  blended 
aspirations  of  patriotism  and  ambition.  With  the 
exception  of  a  few  placemen,  and  of  a  few  zealots  for 
commercial  intercourse  and  maritime  enterprise, 
most  of  the  leading  men  of  France  considered  Canada 
merely  as  an  expensive  toy, — The  government, 
therefore,  permitted  three  years  to  elapse  without 
employing  any  active  means  of  recovering  the  lost 
colony,  and  at  last  adopted  the  alternative  of  nego- 
ciation, its  cheapest  and  most  powerful  weapon  against 
the  generous  prowess  of  England. 

In  1632,  France  recovered,  by  the  treaty  of  St 
Germain-en- Lay e,  Canada  along  with  the  Acadian 
Peninsula  and  the  Island  of  Cape  Breton. 

Connected  with  this  point  of  our  interesting  sub- 
ject, a  few  observations  on  the  colonial  supremacy  of 
Britain  may  not  be  deemed  impertinent  by  the  intel- 
ligent reader. 

Before  the  decay  of  the  feudal  system,  and  the 
establishment  of  standing  armies,  had  consolidated 
the  gigantic  kingdoms  of  Spain  and  France,  England 
was  more  than  a  match  in  a  fair  field  for  either  of  her 
more  populous  and  more  extensive  rivals.  Subse- 
quently, however,  to  the  introduction  of  those  politi- 
cal and  military  innovations,  England  was  induced 
as  well  by  necessity  as  by  inclination  to  cherish 
her  navy,  as  the  safest  and  most  efficient  means  of 
maintaining  her  high  position  among  the  powers  of 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  305 

Europe.  Not  only  has  her  navy  secured  to  her  the 
uninterrupted  blessings  of  national  independence,  and 
the  proud  rank  of  arbitress  of  Europe  ;  but  it  has 
enabled  her  to  reap  the  rich  fruits  of  the  colonial  en«? 
terprise  of  France,  Portugal,  and  Holland.  Sic  vos 
non  vcbi*,  would  have  been  the  appropriate,  though 
haughty,  inscription  of  her  omnipresent  and  omnipo- 
tent banner.  As  if  by  the  unerring  hand  of  destiny, 
colony  after  colony,  from  Ganges' banks  to  Erie's  side, 
has  been  made  to  submit,  notwithstanding  repeated 
restitutions,  to  the  permanent  dominion  of  the  British 
name;  and  a  nation  separated  from  all  other  nations, 
owes,  chiefly  to  that  very  separation,  the  mastery  of  a 
world,  far  more  extensive  than  the  "  whole  world,"  of 
the  Roman  bard.  But  however  humiliating  to  rivals 
may  have  been  the  colonial  conquests  of  England,  the 
conquered  colonies  have  found,  in  the  blessings  of 
political  liberty  and  comparatively  unrestricted  com- 
merce, an  ample  recompense  for  their  share  of  na- 
tional humiliation,  and  have  generally  acquiesced 
with  a  feeling  of  peaceful  gratitude  in  the  milder  and 
happier  order  of  things. 

Champlain  was  reinstated  in  the  government  of 
the  recovered  colony,  and  during  the  remaining  years 
of  his  honorable  life  was  exempted  from  the  troubles 
at  least  of  foreign  invasion. 

Quebec  seems  to  have  enjoyed  a  kind  of  dubious 
tranquillity,  untilabout  twenty  years  after  Champlain's 
death,  the  Five  Nations,  to  the  unusually  large  num- 
ber of  seven  hundred  warriors,  after  having  massacred 
the  natives  and  the  colonists  in  the  open  country,  and 
committed  the  most  cruel  devastations,  blockaded 
Quebec  for  several  successive  months. — Such  a  siege 
may  occupy  a  very  small  share  of  our  consideration; 
but  the  recollections  of  the  tomahawk,  and  the  knife 

2c  3 


9M  mew  fictuu  of  gurnet 

of  the  yelling  children  of  the  forest,  are  still 
enough  in  Canada,  to  rouse  pur  definite  lymfjftwi 
for  the  dangers  and  the  distresses  of  the  nnhitoy 
citizens.  Trie  scene  most  have  teemed  with  picb* 
resque  horrors ;  and  many  bold  and  thrilling  achieVf* 
ments  doubtless  deepened  its  terrible  interest  ' 

This  siege,  although  ultimately  baffled,  was  urt 
prejudicial  to  the  welfare  of  Quebec :  its  dangers  ins 
terrors  drove  many  of  the  settlers  to  France  ift  &Oh 
pair,  and  almost  led  to  the  ruin  of  the  colony;* 

After  a  lapse  of  about  thirty  years,  Quebec,  nadir 
the  command  of  the  gallant  Count  de  Frontenaty 
made  a  vigorous  and  honorable  defence  in  lMty 
against  the  forces  of  Sir  William  Phipps,  Governor 
of  Massachusetts. 

As  this  siege  in  addition  to  its  intrinsic  interest* 
was  the  fruit  of  the  colonial  system  of  France  pie* 
viously  noticed,  it  demands  a  fuller  and  more  cir- 
cumstantial detail  in  any  historical  sketch  of  Quebec 

For  some  years  before  the  date  of  this  siege, 'the 
French  had  vigorously  availed  themselves  of  their 
geographical  position  not  merely  to  harass,  but  to 
circumscribe  the  colonies  of  New  England  and  New 
York.  The  possession  of  Acadia,  which  had  been 
restored  by  England,  in  defiance  of  the  remonstrance 
of  the  neighboring  provinces,  enabled  France  to 
command  and  cripple  the  commerce  and  the  fisheries 
of  the  eastern  colonies ;  while  the  discovery  of  the 
Mississippi,  in  the  year  1673,  and  the  subsequent 
attempts  of  France  to  colonise  its  banks  excited  se- 
rious alarms  for  the  security  of  the  more  westerly 
settlements. 

The  English  colonies,  roused  to  a  sense  of  the 
impending  dangers,  made  unparalleled  exertions  both 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  307 

f  land  and  sea  to  deliver  themselves  from  their 
afty  and  restless  neighbours. 

In  1690,  they  took  Port  Royal  in  Acadia  with  a 
nail  force  of  seven  hundred  men  ;  and  in  the  same 
*ar  made  a  judiciously  planned  attempt  on  Quebec, 
ie  true  centre  of  the  French  power  in  America. 
'he  immediate  cause  of  this  attempt  was  the  cruel 
ivasion  of  the  state  of  New- York  by  the  French  in 
ie  beginning  of  the  year.  The  French  had  concerted 
a  attack  on  the  city  of  New- York,  to  be  made  si- 
raltaneously  by  sea  and  land  ;  but,  though  their 
lain  design  was  disappointed  by  unforeseen  circum- 
tances,  they  sent  forth  marauding  parties  to  the 
oath,  that  laid  waste  the  country  with  fire  and  sword, 
nd  murdered  in  cold  blood  the  unresisting  inhabi- 
ints  of  Schenectady  with  more  than  barbarian  fero- 
ity. 

The  English  colonists,  provoked  by  an  attack  so 
owardly,  so  atrocious  and  so  uncommon  even  in  the 
nnals  of  American  warfare,  and  haunted  by  unde- 
ined  terrors  of  future  encroachment  and  cruelty, 
etermined,  by  means  of  their  commissioners  assem- 
ledat  New-York,  to  carry  the  war  into  Canada  with 
11  possible  diligence.  Having  in  vain  requested 
rom  the  mother  country  a  supply  of  ships  and  am- 
aunition,  the  colonists  gallantly  resolved  to  bear  the 
rhole  burden  of  the  invasion,  and  to  extricate  them- 
elves  at  all  hazards  from  the  rapidly  closing  net  of 
he  French.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  had  their 
nvasion  of  Canada  been  successful,  they  would  have 
esisted  by  something  more  than  remonstrances  the 
estitution  of  the  Province  to  their  inveterate  and 
tnplacable  enemies,  and  have  anticipated  by  a  per- 
lanent  conquest  the  triumphs  of  the  immortal 
tfolfe. 


c 


IE 

L 


308  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

The  invading  forces  consisted  of  an  army,  that  wy 
to  cross  the  country  under  General  Winthrop,  ao4  F 
a  naval  squadron  under  the  command  of  Governor 
Phipps.  Of  the  army  nothing  more  needs  be  said, 
than  that  like  pvery  other  army  on  a  similar  errand, 
it  was  completely  unsuccessful;  to  the  squadron,  wind* 
conducted  the  siege  of  Quebec,  our  last  attention 
must  be  given. 

As  soon  as  the  Count  de  Frontenac,  who  had  tun- 
ed his  earliest  attention  to  the  operations  of  the  bund 
army,  was  apprised  of  its  retreat,  he  led  back  Hi 
troops  with  all  possible  diligence  to  reinforce  the  go* 
rison  of  Quebec,  having  ordered  the  governors  of 
Montreal  and  Three- Rivers  to  follow  him  with  their 
disposable  forces  of  militia  and  regulars. 

By  extraordinary  exertions,  the  gallant  Count  ptf 
the  city  in  a  state  at  least  of  temporary  defence*  f)fc» 
fore  the  arrival  of  the  hostile  squadron,  and  seems  to 
have  infused  into  his  soldiers  his  own  heroic  confi- 
dence of  success. 

Sir  William  Phipps  appeared  before  the  town 
on  the  5th  October,  old  style.  Charlevoix,  who  uses 
the  new  style  adopted  by  the  French  as  early  as 
1582,  calls  it  the  16th.  Although  he  was  certainly 
neither  a  traitor  nor  a  coward,  the  delay  and  irreso- 
lution of  the  General  were  afterwards  complained  o£ 
probably  owing  to  the  great  disappointment  of  the 
English  colonists,  at  the  failure  of  the  expedition  and 
the  fruitless  expense  which  had  been  incurred.  On 
the  6th  October  "  it  was  concluded,"  says  Major 
Walley  in  his  narrative,  "  that  a  summons  should  be 
sent  ashore,"  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy  : 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  309 


■  cc  To  Count  Frontenac,  Lieutenant  General,  and 
Governor  for  the  French  King  at  Canada,  or  in 
his  absence,  to  his  deputy,  or  him  or  them  in 
chief  command. 

u  The  war  between  the  two  crowns  of  England 
ttd  France,  does  not  only  sufficiently  warrant,  but 
Xe  destruction  made  by  the  French  and  Indians  un- 
er  your  command  and  encouragement,  upon  the 
arsons  and  estates  of  their  Majesties'  subjects  of 
Jew  England,  without  provocation  on  their  part, 
Bth  put  them  under  the  necessity  of  this  expedition, 
»r  their  security  and  satisfaction,  and  although  the 
ruelties  and  barbarities  used  against  them  by  the 
Tench  and  the  Indians,  might  upon  the  present  oc- 
asions  prompt  to  a  severe  revenge ;  yet  being  de- 
irous  to  avoid  all  inhumanity  and  unchristian-like 
ctions,  and  to  prevent  the  shedding  of  blood  as 
mch  as  may  be,  I,  William  Phipps,  Knight,  do 
ereby  and  in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  their  most 
zcellent  Majesties'  William  and  Mary,  King  and 
^ueen  of  England,  Scotland,  France  and  Ireland, 
efendersof  the  faith,  and  by  order  of  their  Majesties' 
aid  government  of  the  Massachusetts  colony  in  New 
England,  demand  a  surrender  of  your  Forts  and 
Nasties  and  the  things  and  other  stores,  unembezzled, 
dth  a  seasonable  delivery  of  all  captives,  together 
rith  a  surrender  of  all  your  persons  and  estates  to 
ny  disposal. 

u  Upon  the  doing  whereof  you  may  expect  mercy 
Torn  me,  as  a  christian,  according  to  what  shall  be 
Found  for  their  Majesties'  service  and  the  subjects'  se- 
curity, which  if  you  refuse  forthwith  to  do,  I  come 
provided,  and  am  resolved  by  the  help  of  God,  on 


whom  I  trust,  by  force  of  arms,  to  revenge  all  wrong)  P- 
and  injuries  offered,  and  bring  you  under  subjection  * 
to  the  Crown  of  Biiglrad  ;  and  when  too  late  Biah  * 
you  wish  you  had  accepted  the  favor  tendered. 

**  Your  answer  positive  in  an  hour — returned  with  c 
your  own  trumpet,  with  the  return  of  mine,  in  re  - 
quired  upon  the  peril  that  will  ensue." 

The  circumstances i  attending  the  reception  of  iht  ■ 
EiigKah  officer,  the  attempt  made  to  impose  upon  la  - 
imagination,  his  behaviour,  and  the  spirited  reply  el"  - 
Frontenac  will  be  found- i*  a  former  chapter,  in  our  ' 
account  of  the  Castle  of  St  Lewis. 

finding  the  place  prepared  for  defence,  S  i  it  Wn  - 
Iiam  after  a  fruitiest  attempt  to  capture  it,  on  the 
land  side,  by  an  attack  en  the  River  St.  Charlia 
contented  himself  with  a  bombardment  of  the  cfr  >  ' 
and  retired  after  staying  a  week  in  the  harbor.  All 
the  English  narratives  of  tlie  siege  plausibly  enough 
ascribe  the  defeat  to  Sir  William's  procrastinating 
disposition,  but  he  seems  on  this  occasion  at  least  M 
have  had  sufficient  justification  in  the  obvious  impro- 
priety of  attacking  a  city  almost  impregnable  by 
nature,  and  swarming  with  zealous  defenders. 

Charlevoix  mentions  that  he  was  delayed  by  heal 
winds  and  by  bad  pilots.  But  Sir  William's  delay, 
from  whatever  circumstances  it  sprung,  was  indubita- 
bly the  sole  cause  of  the  subsequent  disgrace  and 
disaster.  Had  the  English  forces  arrived  but  three 
days  sooner  they  could  not  have  failed  to  achieve  an 
easy  and  almost  bloodless  conquest :  but  during  that 

fieri  od,  time  for  defence  was  afforded,  and  M.  de  Gal- 
ieres,  Governor  of  Montreal,  had  reinforced  tht 
garrison  with  the  troops  of  the  upper  country,  and 
rendered  the  besieged  numerically  superior  to  tie 
besiegers.     But  even  in  this  apparently  untoward 


"WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  311 

rcumstance  Phipps  might  have  discerned  the  gleams 

5  certain  victory,  forN  the  increased  consumption  of 
ipplies,  originally  scanty,  would  soon  have  enlisted 

6  his  side  the  powerful  aid  of  famine. 

Oar  French  manuscript  clearly  shows  that  even 
fcfore  Sir  William's  hasty  departure,  the  garrison  had 
deply  tasted  the  horrors  of  famine.  The  Nuns  re- 
ricted  themselves  to  a  daily  morsel  of  bread ;  and 
10  loaves  which  they  furnished  to  the  soldiers,  were 
fepatiently  devoured  in  the  shape  of  dough — terror 
ad  distress  reigned  in  the  city,  "  for,"  in  the  simple 
ut  affecting  language  of  the  writer,  "  every  thing 
iminished  excepting  hunger."  To  add  to  the  ge- 
teral  confusion,  the  English  squadron  kept  up  a  tre- 
mendous cannonade  more  to  the  alarm  than  to  the 
DJnry  of  the  inhabitants.  Major  Walley's  Journal, 
tesides  being  too  prolix  for  our  limits,  is  less  likely 
o  interest  the  sympathies  of  the  reader  than  the  nar- 
ative  of  one  of  the  besieged.  We  therefore  take 
he  following  extracts  from  our  French  manuscript : 

"  It  is  easy  to  imagine  how  our  alarms  redoubled, 
rhen  we  heard  the  noise  of  the  cannon  we  were  more 
lead  than  alive,  every  time  that  the  combat  was  re- 
lewed.  The  bullets  fell  on  our  premises  in  such 
lumbers,  that  in  one  day  we  sent  twenty-six  of  them 
x>  our  artillerymen  to  be  sent  back  to  the  English, 
Several  of  us  thought  that  we  were  killed  by  them  ; 
lie  danger  was  so  evident  that  the  bravest  officers 
regarded  the  capture  of  Quebec  as  inevitable.  In 
ipite  of  all  our  fears  we  prepared  different  places  for 
the  "reception  of  the  wounded,  because  the  combat 
had  commenced  with  an  air  to  make  us  believe  that 
our  hospital  would  not  be  capable  of  containing  those 
irho  might  have  need  of  our  assistance  :  but  God 
•pared  the  blood  of  the  French ;  there  were  few 


iff 


t 


a 


312  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

wounded  and  fewer  killed.  Quebec  was  very  badly  a 
fortified  for  a  siege  ;  it  contained  very  few  arms  and  $ 
no  provisions ;  and  the  troops  that  had  come  from  |J 
Montreal  had  consumed  the  little  food  that  there  w* 
in  the  city."  "  The  fruits  and  vegetables  of  our  gar- 
den were  pillaged  by  the  soldiers  ;  they  wanned  5 
themselves  at  our  expense  and  burned  our  wood." 
"  Every  thing  appeared  sweet  to  us,  provided  we 
could  be  preserved  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  those 
whom  we  regard  as  the  enemies  of  God,  as  well  is 
of  ourselves.  We  had  not  any  professed  artillery- 
men. Two  Captains,  M.  De  Maricourt  and  M. 
De  Lorimier,  took  charge  of  the  batteries  and  point- 
ed the  cannon  so  accurately  as  hardly  ever  to  mis*.  ^ 
M.  De  Maricourt  shot  down  the  flag  of  the  Admiral, 
and,  as  soon  as  it  fell,  our  Canadians  boldly  ventured 
out  in  a  canoe  to  pick  it  up,  and  brought  it  ashore 
under  the  very  beard  of  the  English." 


ABORTIVE   EXPEDITION    IN    1711. 

The  defeat  of  Sir  William  Phipps  was  sensibly 
felt  by  the  people  of  New  England,  who  indeed 
were  called  upon  to  defray  the  expense,  amounting 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds.  They 
frequently  represented  to  the  British  Ministry  the 
commercial  advantages,  which  would  result  from  the 
total  expulsion  of  the  French  from  North  America. 
At  last,  in  1707,  during  the  military  glories  of  the 
reign  of  Queen  Anne,  distinguished  by  a  Marlbo- 
kough,  as  this  age  is  by  a  Wellington — the  Earl 
of  Sunderland,  Secretary  of  State,  determined  to 
make  another  attempt  to  dislodge  the  French  from 
their  almost  impregnable  position  at  Quebec    The 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  313 

armament  intended  for  this  object,  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  Macartney,  was,  however,  divert- 
ed from  its  destination,  and  ordered  to  Portugal, 
in  consequence  of  the  disastrous  condition  to  which 
the  affairs  of  the  Queen's  Ally,  Charles  III.  King 
of  Spain,  had  been  reduced  by  the  defeat  of  the 
allied  forces  at  Almanza. 

•  In  1711,  the  project  was  resumed,  only  to  result 
in  a  signal  and  mortifying  failure.  The  plan  of  this 
expedition  was  suggested  by  a  provincial  officer, 
General  Nicholson,  who  had  just  taken  possession 
of  Nova  Scotia,  on  which  occasion  he  had  given 
the  name  of  Annapolis  to  Port  Royal.  This 
officer  had  brought  to  London  four  Indian  Chiefs,  and 
had  the  address  to  persuade  the  Ministry  to  enter 
into  the  views  of  the  New  England  States.  The  ex- 
pedition consisted  of  five  thousand  troops  from  Eng- 
land, and  two  thousand  provincials,  under  Brigadier 
General  Hill,  brother  to  the  Queen's  favorite,  Mrs* 
Masham.  The  naval  force  was  very  strong,  and 
was  placed  under  the  command  of  Sir  Hovenden 
Walker.  The  fleet  met  with  constant  fogs  in  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  was  nearly  destroyed  on 
the  Egg  Islands  on  the  22d  August.  Despairing  of 
success,  the  Admiral  called  a  council  of  war,  and  it 
was  determined  to  return  to  England  without  mak- 
ing any  further  attempt.  Eight  transports  were  lost 
on  this  disastrous  day,  with  eight  hundred  and 
eighty ^our  officers,  soldiers,  and  seamen.  The  pro- 
vincial land  forces  under  General  Nicholson,  which 
had  advanced  as  far  as  Albany,  and  had  been  joined 
by  six  hundred  Iroquois, returned  to  their  respective 

Juarters  on  hearing  of  the  failure  of  the  naval  expe- 
ition.     It  is  remarkable  that  during  the  heat  of  the 
factions  of  that  day,  the  Whigs  affected  to  consider 

2   d 


&I4  •  wkw  wumxam  or 


this  attempt  on  Qnmo  eo  perfiscdwr 
undertaking,  that  it  was  made  one  off  the 
impeachment  against  Hamlet,.  EaeLa£  iQnoasyl)# 
►  bad  suffered  it  to 


^   **     -» ■  ■  —  *  -  _^s 
raseunr  .  Mi|NMMIV9 

oa*o£the,ar<s9l*jJM 


he  had  suffered  it  to  goon*  -rvi.i*  M*rf 

The  Marauis  Da  VAVMsmi*  ikm4!mmmk 

General  off  Gavada,  omitted  ne  date  ef a Jsm» 


The  Marauis  Da  Vabmehil,  thm  -4S**tM*tjt 
al  off  Guiada,  omitted  ne  data  < 
and  prudent  officer  on  thie  oenasion,    Th# 


and  prudent  officer  on  una  oananon,     ifieccpnsji 
at  Quebec  mere  aatamlly  mat  at  a*  sigsala 
Kverance;  and  the  Church  oi Notre  Hmiii  A  afcifti 
tolre  spoke  the  piaua  gratitude  ol  the  is%ios* 
inhabitants,  by  assuming  the  tide  itNetnDmm tin 
Victoirts.  .*..*  «■ 

npninnoi'Oi  17661 

If  k  be-  the  province  of  Hmramr  tahaetmfcgsjrt 
s^ons  and  glonous  aducvements,  thaaa  ^aaaaot^ 
a  nobler  subject  than,  this  expedition*  a*  elistas- 1 
guished  for  enterprise,  conduct  and  success,  fif 
the  common  consent  of  the  world,  Quebec  is  fa 
ever  identified  with  the  renown  of  the  two  great  na- 
tions who  contended  for  its  possession ;  and  the  his- 
tory of  this  period  will  always  be  referred,  to  ss 
equally  interesting,  attractive  and  important.  The 
varied  incidents  of  the  expedition— the  arrival  before 
the  town — the  attack  of  the  fire  ships— the  fruitless 
engagement  at  Montmorenci — the  bombardment 
from  Pointe-Levi— the  landing  under  the  heights 
of  Abraham — the  battle  of  the  Plains — the  death  ef 
the  two  heroic  leaders — the  surrender— the  subse- 
quent fight  at  Sillery — the  siege  by  the  French— 
and  the  arrival  of  the  English  fleet,  form  a  series  of 
spirit-stirring  events,  which  possess  the. mind  of. the 
reader  with  the  eager  interest  of  vicissitude*  as  they 
in  turn  develope  the  great  game  of  war,  played:  by 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  315 

the  motit  skilful  hands,  and  for  the  noblest  stake  ! 
The  scene  of  this  heroic  drama,  the  actors,  and  the 
fevent  will  be  for  ever  memorable.  The  tale  has  been 
handed  down  by  various  writers — but  to  do  justice 
to  the  narration  requires  the  pen  of  Wolfe  himself 
—whose  style  was  adorned  with  all  the  felicity  of 
Casar,  and  whose  celebrated  letter  to  Mr.  Pitt  is 
still  considered  unsurpassed  as  a  military  compo- 
sition. 

PRELIMINARY  SKETCH. 

A  brief  review  of  colonial  affairs  between  the  peace 
of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  and  the  commencement  of  the 
campaign  of  1759,  appears  a  necessary  introduction 
to  the  glorious  expedition  of  Wolfe.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  peace  of  Utrecht,  the  English  Colonists 
had  never  forgotten  the  defeat  of  Phipps  in  1690, 
or  the  failure  of  the  expedition  in  1711.  They  still 
smarted  with  the  irritation  occasioned  by  the  inroads 
rf  the  Indians  in  the  French  interest ;  and  although 
their  hopes  of  finally  curbing  the  encroachments  of 
the  enemy  had  been  often  excited  and  disappointed, 
they  were  far  from  being  extinguished.  The  erec- 
tion by  the  French  of  the  strong  forts  of  Niagara, 
Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point, — all  in  most  com- 
manding situations,  as  a  reference  to  the  Map  will 
demonstrate, — was  viewed  by  them  as  an  infringe- 
ment of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  which  provided  thatno 
encroachment  should  be  made  on  territories  belonging 
to  the  Five  Nations.  The  attempts,  also,  made  by 
emissaries  from  Canada  to  detach  those  Indians  from 
the  English  alliance,  naturally  exasperated  the  colo- 
nists, and  led  to  the  sanguinary  conflicts  which  were 
so  frequent  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. 


316  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

■ 

The  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  in  1748,  was  in 

one  sense  only  gratifying  to  the  colonists ;  inasmuch 
as  the  expense  of  the  successful  expedition  against 
Louisbourg  had  been  reimbursed  to  them  by  the 
British  Parliament.  But  they  were  disgusted,  and 
with  reason,  that  Cape  Breton,  "  their  own  acqui- 
sition," as  they  proudly  termed  it,  Jiad  been  restored 
to  France  by  that  treaty.  Very  soon  after  the  peace, 
however,  the  restless  Spirit  of  the  French  began  to 
display  itself.  The  American  continent  was  not 
destined  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  internal  tranquillity 
for  many  years  yet*  to  come.  The  Governor  of 
Canada  had  sent  a  message  to  the  Indians  on  the 
eastern  frontier  of  New  England,  dissuading  them 
from  any  peace  with  the  English  ;  and  on  the  other 
side  the  French  began  to  enlarge  their  own  and  to 
circumscribe  the  territories  of  their  rivals.  They  had 
constructed  a  chain  of  forts  at  the  back  of  Vir- 
ginia, Pennsylvania,  and  New  York.  An  Eng- 
lishman taken  in  Ohio  was  passed  along  from  fort  to 
fort  until  he  arrived  at  Quebec*  One  of  these  forts, 
that  of  Du  Quesne,  was  actually  in  the  territory  of 
Virginia.  Crown  Point  was  always  an  annoy- 
ance to  the  Colonists,  and  from  Ticonderoga  issu- 
ed those  ferocious  incursions  of  French  and  Indians 
which  spread  terror  and  desolation  throughout  the 
English  settlements.  So  great  was  the  dread  of 
this  fortress,  that  its  capture  by  General  Amherst, 
in  1759,  was  hailed  by  the  northern  colonies  with 
every  demonstration  of  joy. 

On  all  accounts  it  was  seen  in  America  that  the 
peace  could  not  be  of  long  continuance.  While  the 
Governor  General  of  Canada  continued  his  endea- 
vors to  seduce  the  Five  Nations, — he  was  evidently 
preparing  materials  for  a  war  which  terminated  in 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  317 

ike  lost  of  all  the  French  possessions  on  this  con- 
tinent 


CONVENTION  AT  ALBANY. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  in  1754,  when 
the  English  Minister  recommended  a  convention  of 
delegates  from  the  different  assemblies,  to  be  held  at 
Albany.  This  was  an  assembly  the  most  deserving 
rf  respect  of  any  which  had  ever  been  convened  in 
America*  The  erection  of  the  French  forts — the 
tending  out  of  troops  from  France — the  constant 
meroachments  of  the  Canadians  were  insisted  upon ; 
ind  in  language  not  altogether  unlike  the  groans  of 
he  ancient  Britons,  the  colonists  complained,  that 
rithout  strong  and  energetic  opposition,  they  were 
ikely  to  be  driven  at  last  into  the  sea  by  their  inde- 
itigable  enemies.  At  this  convention  appeared 
Jenjamin  Franklin,  who  produced  a  plan  for  a 
eneral  union  of  the  different  States,  and  for  esta- 
lishing  a  quota,  and  fixed  rule  for  levying  men 
nd  money  throughout  the  colonies.  This  paper 
ras  admirably  drawn  up,  and  presents  the  outline  of 

very  practicable  federal  union.  The  plan  was 
nanimously  voted  by  the  convention,  but  the  diffe- 
ent  states  were  not  disposed  to  entertain  it;  and  no 
otice  was  ever  taken  of  it  at  home. 

One  great  object  of  the  remarkable  convention,  held 
t  Albany  in  July,  1754,  was  to  establish  that  unity 
f  action  and  resistance  which  was  so  desirable  and 
o  necessary  in  the  operations  of  the  sister  colonies 
gainst  the  French.  The  English  colonies  were 
ulnerable  in  different  degrees, and  at  different  points, 
fhey  were  under  separate  local  governments.  The 
French  possessions,  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence 

2d3 


316  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

* 

to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  were  subject  to  one  Go* 
vernment ;  and  the  energies  of  the  whole  could  be 
directed  to  the  attack  of  any  particular  colony  that 
the  Governor  General  at  Quebec  might  choose  to  k 
select.  The  Legislature  of  each  particular  colony  & 
had  the  exclusive  control  of  its  own  militia ;— and  § 
the  contingents  of  men  and  money  to  be  furnished  » 
by  each  of  the  sister  colonies  in  aid  of  the  colony  as*  i 
sailed,  depended  upon  the  votes  of  each  particular 
Legislature.  Hence  there  was  a  great  difficulty  in 
obtaining  an  unity  of  action  on  the  part  of  the  whole 
of  the  British  colonies,  corresponding  with  that  which 
prevailed  in  the  French  North  American  posses- 
sions. 

THE  WAR  BREAKS  OUT. 

The  flames  of  war — the  last  war  in  America  be- 
tween the  natives  of  England  and  France, — a  war 
in  many  cases  of  extermination,  from  the  violence  of 
the  passions  excited,  and  the  employment  of  the 
Indians  on  both  sides,  were  kindled  in  1755.  We 
must  omit  the  details — the  unfortunate  expedition  of 
Braddock — and  the  victory  of  the  famous  Sir  Wil« 
liam  Johnson  over  Baron  Dieskau,  in  which  the 
former  was  wounded,  and  for  which  he  was  created  a 
Baronet.  The  three  following  campaigns  were  disas- 
trous to  the  colonists,  who  were  unable  to  make  any 
impression  on  the  Canada  side.  The  French  troops 
were  commanded  by  the  Marquis  De  Montcalm,  an 
officer  of  great  military  skill,  who  had  already  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  various  parts  of  the  world.  On 
tho  14th  August,  1756,  he  captured  the  Fort  of 
Oswego  ;  and  on  the  9th  August,  in  the  following 
year,  besieged  and  took  possession  of  Fort  William 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  319 

try,  defended  by  a  numerous  garrison,  and  com-* 
ded  by  officers  of  proved  courage  and  experience, 
atrocities  committed  by  the  Indians  in  the 
ich  interest,  upon  the  unhappy  and  defenceless 
ives  on  this  occasion,  showed  the  impossibility 
inducting  the  war,  with  such  allies,  on  European 
riples.  It  formed  no  part  of  the  Indian  warrior's 
I,  that  moderation  in  success  added  a  nobler 
th  to  the  victor's  brow,  nor  could  he  under- 
1  the  distinction, 

Parcere  subjectis,  et  debellare  superbos. 

7TCALM  had  no  participation  in  the  cruel  mas- 
5  of  part  of  the  captive  garrison  of  William 
try  :  he  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  to  restrain 
rury  of  the  Indians,  but  in  vain, 
ndismayed  by  the  result  of  three  unsuccessful 
>aigns,  the  colonists  were  determined  to  proceed 
eir  hostilities.  In  1758,  the  Earl  of  Loudoun, 
mander-in-Chief  of  the  Forces,  appointed  a  meet- 
>f  the  Governors  of  New  York  and  the  New  Eng- 
)  colonies  at  Hartford,  on  the  20th  February, 
ike  measures  for  another  campaign.  Nothing 
factory  was  concluded  at  this  assembly,  and  Lord 
doun  shortly  afterwards  returned  to  England. 
be  next  sitting  of  the  Massachusetts  Assembly, 
rs  were  received  from  Mr.  Pitt,  calling  upon 
Provincials  to  assist  in  the  reduction  of  Canada  ; 
so  popular  was  this  proposal,  that  no  less  than 
a  thousand  men  were  voted.  This  was  the 
test  exertion  ever  made  by  the  Province.  The 
uest  of  Canada  alone  could  ensure  the  colo- 
future  peace  ;  and  freedom  from  that  dis- 
which  they  were  liable  to  whenever  a  war 


• 

htfeke  oat  between  EiroLAif  i>.  and  FsttMsV  0 
were  a«v^  that  whenever  Noam  KuwmKkjkt 
be  united  under  ike  Barron  Grown*  there  wi 
be  no  longer  reason  to  dread  their  Frank 
Indian  enemies,  who  bad  been  a  eooargfrftti 
colonies  from  their  first  settlement.  It  wnLnsji 
therefore,  be  believed,  that  die  first  proposal  t£ 
Ministry  to  undertake  the  reduction  of:  CjdUBi* 
a*  expedition  on  a  grand  scale,  was  received  by 
colonists  with  joyful  co-operation. 

The  largest  army  that  had  ever  been  seen  in  A 
rica,  consisting  of  six  thousand  regular  troops 
nine  thousand  provincials,  under  General  Abkbcb 
bob,  embarked  on  the  placid  bosom  of  Lake  Get 
fbrTicoNDBMOGA,  July  5tfc,  176ft  only  tomeeti 
disgrace  and  disaster.  The  attack  upon  this  Fsst 
ed  completely,  with  the  loss  of  fifteen  hundred  i 
including  the  popular  and  gallant  Lord  Hows,* 
brother  of  the  Admiral,  and  of  Sir  William,  a  yc 
nobleman  of  the  greatest  promise.  The  Asset 
of  Massachusetts,  to  testify  their  respect  fo; 
merit  and  services,  voted  two  hundred  and  fifty  po 
for  the  erection  of  a  Monument  to  his  men 
which  was  put  up  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

As  some  compensation  for  the  ill-success  of  G 
ral  Abercrombie,  who  was  immediately  reca 
the  fortified  and  strongly  garrisoned  town  of  Lc 
bourg,  in  Cape  Breton,  was  taken  in  the  most 
lant  style  by  the  army  under  General  Amherst, 
Brigadier  General  Wolfe,  who  there  develops* 
extraordinary  bravery,  activity  and  military  quali 
Fort  Frontenac,  and  Fort  Duquesne,  near 
Ohio,  were  also  captured  by  the  colonists  ia 
campaign  of  1758. 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  321 

The  year  1759  foundthe  British  Government  still 
termined  to  prosecute  with  vigor  the  reduction  of 
Untada.  Mr,  Pitt  again  called  upon  the  colonists  to 
fee  the  same  number  of  men  as  in  the  year  before, 
omising  a  recompense  proportioned  to  the  extent 
their  exertion, 

The  plan  for  the  operations  of  1759  was  laid  with 
Bater  care,  and  had  better  chances  of  success,  from 
a  various  points  of  attack,  and  the  superior  cha- 
ster of  the  officers  and  troops  employed  in  its  ex- 
Qtion,  than  any  of  the  previous  campaigns.  There 
d  been  no  attack  of  Canada  by  the  River  St.  Law- 
bee  since  the  unfortunate  expedition  of  1711, 
tile  the  various  attempts  by  Lake  Champlain  had 
en  foiled  by  the  bravery,  vigilance,  and  good  for- 
ne  of  the  French  commanders,  who  were  far  supe- 
t  in  the  mode  of  warfare  required.  In  1759, 
irever,  it  was  determined  once  more  to  combine 
ral  with  military  operations  ;  and  to  found  upon 
f  plans  of  1690  and  1711,  a  better  combination, 
1  a  more  extended  system  of  attack. 

GOVERNOR  POWNALL'S  PLAN. 

The  first  idea  of  the  combined  operations  of  1759 
st  be  referred  to  the  convention  at  Albany,  in 
S4.  Mr.  Pown all,  afterwards  Captain  General 
Massachusetts  Bay,  whence  he  was  removed  to 
>  Government  of  South  Carolina,  was  present  at 
s  assembly  ;  and  laid  before  the  Commissioners 
reral  valuable  memorials  on  the  subject  of  the  Co- 
lies.  He  also  transmitted,  in  1754  and  1755,  to 
b  Earl  of  Halifax,  then  Secretary  of  State,  various 
ters  proposing  a  general  plan  of  operations  found- 
upon  the  nature  of  the  service  in  North  America. 


These  are  Btill  extant,  and  are  documents  of 
eminent  ability,  full  of  practical  wisdom  and 
combinations.  The  King  having  united  the  s< 
in  the  Colonies  into  one  power  of  action,  and 
one  direction,  by  appointing  a  Command er-in- 
over  all  North  America,  Mr.  Pownall  after 
condensed  the  substance  of  these  letters  into  i 
morial,  by  order  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberlanr 
presented  it  to  His  Knyal  Highness,  on  arrivi 
England,  in  17.56.  Mr.  Pownall  then  prepos 
the  Earl  of  Halifax,—"  That  after  the  Englis 
been  repeatedly  disappointed  in  their  attempts 
netrate  the  country  by  the  way  of  Crown  Poir 
Lake  Champlain.  and  bad  lost  Oswego  and  the 
mand  of  the  Lake  Ontario,  considering  the  i 
there  was  also  to  expect  the  defection  of  the  h 
in  consequence  thereof;  there  remained  no 
alternative,  but  either  to  make  peace,  or  toe 
the  ohjcct.  of  the.  war,  by  making  a  direct  attai 
lite  Hirer  St  Lawrence  Opon  Quebec  itself, 
to  a  radical  destruction  of  Canada."  He  n 
mended  the  necessity  of  two  fleets,  and  two  n 
one  for  the  attack  of  the  River  St  LawreW 
other  to  take  post  between  Albany  and  Mor 
s*  as  to  cover  the  English  Colonies.  One  f 
fleets  to  escort  and  convey  the  army  up.  the 
St  Lawrence,  and  the  other  to  cover  and  prote 
sea  line  of  the  Colonies.  Nothing  was  rloae, 
ever,  with  reference  to  this  plan,  in  1757  ;  i 
the  following  year  the  naval  operations  were  )i 
to  the  capture  of  Louisbourg.  ■ ' 

We  iearn  from  Governor  Pownall's  paper 
so  far  back  as  1676,  the  French  bad  a  brigan1 
ten  tons  on  Lake  Ontario,  and  in  the  year  folk 
a  vessel  of  sixty  tons  upon  Lake  Erie.     Hi 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  329 

Imirable  account  of  the  system  by  which  the 
ch  acquired  and  maintained  their  influence  over 
ndian  nations — their  policy  in  building  forts 
i  makes  a  distinction  between  the  English  and 
ch  settlements,  which  is  somewhat  curious.  He 
;s  of  the  English  lands  as  settlements,  and  of 
rench,  as  possessions :  the  English  having  merely 
d  without  possession,  as  farmers,  millers  and 
•men— whereas  the  French, made  not  only  actual 
jment,  but  took  military  possession  and  the 
Band  of  the  country.  Governor  Pownall  gives 
t  of  the  French  forts,  and  estimates  the  num- 
of  troops  in  the  different  posts  in  Louisiana 
ro  thousand;  whereof  there  were  at  New  Orleans 

hundred  and  seventy-five,  at  Mobile  four  hun- 
.  and  seventy-five,  in  the  Illinois  three  hundred, 
the  rest  detached  in  the  smaller  forts.     We  find 

that  in  consequence  of  his  recommendation,  that 
able  species  of  force,  called  "  Light  Infantry," 

first  employed  in  America,  in  the  year  1757. 
'as  originally  composed  of  provincials,  and  its  use 

qualities  in  American  warfare  are  admirably 
ribed. 
i  the  year  1 758,  Governor  Pownall  addressed  to 

Pitt  a  letter,  dated  from  Boston,  December  5th, 
ailed,  an  "  Idea  of  the  service  in  America  for  the 
"  1759,"  from  which  we  extract  the  following 
arkable  passages,  showing  the  extent  of  his  in- 
lation,  and  how  nearly  the  event  corresponded 
i  his  recommendations.  "  If  we  have  changed 
point,  and  brought  it  to  its  true  issue,  its  natural 
is,  whether  we,  as  provinces  of  Great  Britain,  or 
iada,  as  the  province  of  France,  shall  be  superior 
America ;  then  the  service  to  be  done,  is  a  general 
sion  of  Canada,  in  conjunction  with  the  European 


324  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

troops  and  fleet ;    then   is   our  national  strength 
employed,  and  we  must  consequently  be  natality 

superior."  "  The  road  to  Quebec,  up  theft 

Lawrence  River,  we  possess  by  superiority  qfot) 
marine  navigation.  There  is  neither  danger  nor 
difficulty,  nor  do  I  see  how  there  can  be  any  oppf 
sition  to  hinder  the  fleet  getting  up  to  the  blew 
Orleans  ;  and  a  superior  army  in  the  possession 4- 
that,  may,  by  proper  measures,  command  the  resttf 
the  way  to  Quebec.  If  our  army  can  once  set  do** 
before  Quebec,  it  must  take  it :  If  Quebec  betake^ 
the  capitulation  may  at  least  strip  Canada  of  all  w 
regulars,  after  which  the  inhabitants  might  possMj 

be  induced  to  surrender." "  But  although  th 

attempt  on  Quebec,  by  way  of  the  St  Lawrctf 
River,  may  be  the  only  real,  and  will  be  the  <*° 
effectual  attack  on  Canada:  yet  one  other,  if  not  t? 
false  attacks  will  be  necessary,  one  by  way  ,of  I-* 
Champlain,  the  other  by  way  of  Lake  Ontario.  1 
by  way  of  Lake  Champlain,  may,  as  far  as  C^*( 
Point,  be  offensive  ;  and  should  then  change  i*11 
defensive   measure,  by  taking  strong-  post  tl*e 

• "  A  number  of  provincials  will  certair*lj 

necessary,  and  these  such  as  are  used  to  the  %va 
and  marine  navigation  ;  for  such  will  be  of  the  ** 
essential  service  in  the  passage  of  the  armyfroffl 
lower  end  of  the  Isle  of  Orleans  to  Quebec,  tvh 
most  of  the  difficulty  and  danger  will  be" 

The  result  of  the  campaign  proved  the  fores/# 
of  Governor  Pownall.  Quebec  was  taken  as  soon  a 
the  army,  by  the  glorious  battle  of  the  Plains,  wa 
enabled  to  sit  down  before  it ;  and  the  operations  <« 
General  Amherst  were  limited  during  the  camp&p 
of  1759  to  the  capture  of  Crown  Point,  which  he  for- 
tified and  made  a  defensive  post.     The  operations  on 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  325 

e  Ontario  were  carried  just  to  that  effect  which 
led  the  way  for  the  next  campaign,  in  1760, 
in  General  Amherst  went  that  way  to  take  pos- 
ion  of  Canada. 

fte  project  of  the  campaign,  ultimately  adopted 
the  Ministry,  was  to  make  impressions  on  three 
erent  parts  at  once,  so  as  to  distract  the  attention 
I  divide  the  forces  of  the  French.  The  command 
phief  was  entrusted  to  General  Amherst,  who  with 
army  of  twelve  thousand  men  under  his  particular 
nmand,  was  to  reduce  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
ut  He  was  then  to  cross  Lake  Champlain,  and 
feeding  along  the  River  Richelieu,  was  to  reach 
St.  Lawrence,  and  unite  himself  to  the  army 
lined  to  attack  Quebec.  General  Prideaux,  with 
therarmy,  and  with  a  large  body  of  friendly  In- 
t  .under  Sir  William  Johnson,  on  whom  they 
'  relied,  was  ordered  to  capture  Fort  Niagara, 
h  commanded  the  interior  of  the  country,  and 
considered  one  of  the  most  important  of  the 
ch.  posts.  He  also,  if  successful,  was  to  descend 
ontreal,  and  undertake  the  attack  of  that  city, 
immediate  attack  from  the  sea  was  directed 
p  against  Quebec,  and  the  troops  were  placed 
r  the  command  of  Major  General  James  Wolfe, 
kictd  distinguished  himself  so  eminently  the  year 
^  at  the  siege  and  capture  of  Louisbourg,  and 
possessed  the  confidence  and  the  affections  of 
^Hay  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  The  Minister 
**  choice  of  the  youthful  General  regarded  merit 
*&•  He  required  a  man  on  whose  abilities  he  could 
f »  and  he  was  fully  persuaded  of  the  professional 
Hit  of  Wolfe,  and  of  the  immense  resources  of 
'Blind  and  character.  Patronage  Mr,  Pitt  disre- 
rte^as  the  General  was  undistinguished  by  family 

2  £ 


326  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

connexion  or  fortune  ;  although  those  who  were 
placed  under  his  command  possessed,  in  addition  to 
great  merit,  the  recommendations  of  high  birth  and 
ministerial  interest  It  is  understood  that  Wolfe  W 
the  selection  of  all  his  Staff  Officers  ;  and  if  so,  no- 
thing could  more  clearly  demonstrate  his  own  judg- 
ment than  the  admirable  selection  which  he  nub 
He  had  ample  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  every  it* 
partment;  for  never  was  a  General  served  witk 
greater  zeal,  courage  and  conduct. 

The  naval  forces  for  the  service  in  North  America 
consisted  of  twenty  sail  of  the  line,  two  ships  of  fifty 
guns,  twelve  frigates,  and  fourteen  smaller  vessel*. 
Transports  were  to  be  procured,  or  were  to  meet 
them,  at  Halifax  and  Louisbourg.  The  whole  waitt* 
der  the  command  of  Vice  Admiral  Saunders,  who  W 
under  him  Rear  Admirals  Philip  Durelland  Chad* 
Holmes,  all  officers  of  distinction  in  the  service  A 
their  country.  Admiral  Durell  had  wintered  at  ■ 
Halifax,  and  pursuant  to  instructions  sailed  for  the 
River  St.  Lawrence  as  early  as  the  state  of  the  n»" 
vigation  would  permit,  for  the  purpose  of  interrupt- 
ing the  early  convoys  from  France.  In  this  he  *W 
unsuccessful,  three  frigates,  having  in  convoy  seven- 
teen vessels,  with  provisions,  stores  and  a  few  recruify 
having  reached  Quebec  a  few  days  before  his  arrinl  [ 
at  Bic,  on  the  23d  May.  Here,  however,  he  per*  ^ 
formed  a  signal  service  to  the  expedition.  Having 
hoisted  French  colors,  the  pilots  in  the  River  think- 
ing his  a  French  fleet,  which  might  have  been  expect 
ed  at  that  time,  came  unhesitatingly  on  board,  and  ( 
were  detained  until  the  arrival  of  Admiral  Saunders 
and  the  troops.  They  were  then  compelled  to  piM 
the  fleet  up  to  the  Isle  of  Orleans,  which,  although 


* 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  327 

evously,  as  may  be  supposed,  against  their  will, 
jy  safely  accomplished. 

Rear  Admiral  Holmes  sailed  on  the  14th  Febru- 
r  for  Halifax,  with  orders  to  hasten  the  prepa- 
ions  there  and  at  Louisbourg ;  and  on  Saturday, 
J  17th  February,  Admiral'  Saunders  sailed  from 
ithead  with  General  Wolfe  and  the  troops  from 
igland.  The  rendezvous  was  appointed  at  Louis- 
org;  but  in  consequence  of  that  harbor  being 
►eked  up  with  ice,  the  fleet  proceeded  to  Halifax, 
are  every  exertion  was  made  to  forward  the  expe- 
ion;  and  General  Wolfe  obtained  the  admiration 
1  confidence  of  the  army  by  the  clearness  and  dis- 
ctness  of  his  orders,  as  well  as  by  his  personal 
ivity  and  zeal.  The  transports  having  been  pre- 
fed  for  sea,  the  fleet  sailed  for  Louisbourg,  where 
y  were  joined  by  the  regiments  in  garrison,  and 
other  reinforcements  from  the  Bay  of  Fundy, 
king  the  whole  force  eight  thousand  men. 
^n  the  6th  June,  they  got  clear  of  the  harbor  of 
aisbourg,  and  made  sail  for  the  River  St  Law- 
ce.  They  reached  Isle  aux  Coudres  on  the  23d, 
B*e  they  found  Admiral  Durell,  who  furnished  the 
*t  with  the  French  pilots  whom  he  had  detain- 
on  board  a  month  for  that  purpose.  Admiral 
*ell,  whose  force  was  augmented  with  some  of  the 
?sr  ships  of  war,  remained  at  Isle  aux  Coudres  by 
sr  of  Admiral  Saunders,  to  prevent  the  enemy 
3a  interrupting  the  siege  on  that  side.  On  the 
h  June,  the  fleet  and  transports  came  to  anchor 
the  Isle  of  Orleans. 

X  may  be  here  remarked,  that  as  if  the  destiny  of 

French  rule  in  North,  America  was  about  to  be 

amplished,  not  the  smallest  disaster  interrupted 

progress  of  the  English  fleet  and  army  up  the 


M&  vitr  picruftx  or  guttrtcc,    ' 

St  Lawrence.  fc  We  have  already  mentMded 
difficulty  with  which  Sir  William  Phipp«  ?d«d 
way  from  the  Gulf,  in  1690 ;  and  have  noticed 
shipwreck  and  destruction  of  part  of  the  4eet  i 
Sir  Horenden  Walker  in  1711.  Btfth  those* 
ditions,  however,  were  commenced  at  later  ^Je 
of  the  rieason,  when  the  navigation  of  the  St ! 
rence  is  not  altogether  certain.  Phippg  arrive 
fore  Quebec  in  tne  month  of  October,  tfntf  W 
was  shipwrecked  in  the  latter  end  of '  August, 
mini  Saunders,  in  addition  to  the  French  j 
whom  he  had  received  from  Ddrell,  at  Isk  tffcr 
dri*f  navigated  the  river,  by  the  assistance  o 
moat  accurate,  charts  then  m  existence  y  atw 
skill  of  Captain  Cook,  afterwards  so  eetebiafl 
a  discoverer^  was  advantageously  shown  ^iq 
occasion.*    The  buoys  in  the  Traverse  ~ 


*  Captain  James  Cook,  was  born  at  Marton,  in  the  ( 
of  York — the  parish  register  states,  that  he  was  baptise 
v ember  3,  1728,  his  father  was  day  labourer  to  Mr.  Nei 
In  the  year  1 745,  he  was  apprenticed  for  four  rears  to  a ; 
at  Snaitb,  about  ten  miles  from  Whitby — haying  disoov 
strong  propensity  for  the  sea,  bis  indentures  were  givei 
he  was  afterwards  bound  for  three  years, .  to  Mr.  Wal 
Whitby,  and  sailed  on  board  the  Freelove,  a  vessel  of 
four  hundred  tons,  engaged  in  the  coal  trade  between  Nen 
and  London— he  quitted  the  merchant  service  io  1758, ; 
order  to  try  his  fortune  as  he  expressed  it,  entered  on 
His  Majesty's  ship  Eagle,  of  28  guns — nothing  was  heart 
him  by  any  of  his  friends,  until  August,  1758,  when  a  lett< 
received  dated  on  board  the  Pembroke,  before  Louisbourf 
30,  1758,  in  which  he  gave  a  distinct  account  of  our  sua 
that  expedition — on  the  recommendation  of  Sir  Hugh  P 
he  received  the  appointment  of  Master,  and  on  the  1 0th 
1759,  joined  the  Mercury,  then  under  orders  for  Canada, 
Charles  Saunders,  at  the  siege  of  Quebec,  committed  to  hi 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  329 

Isle  of  Orleans  had  been  removed  by  the  French, 
(lit  the  passage  had  been  so  well  explored  by  Ad- 
Ibiral  Durell,  that  the  fleet  got  through  without 
Occident. 

Although  the  Marquis  De  Vaudreuil,  who  had 
keen  Governor  of  Louisiana,  was  at  that  time  Go- 
vernor General  of  all  New  France,  being  stationed 
Lt  Montreal  with  five  thousand  men,  the  military 
operations  and  defence  of  Quebec  had  been  entrusted 
40  the  well  known  talents  and  bravery  of  the  com- 
nander  of  the  land  forces,  the  Marquis  De  Mont- 
adm,  already  so  distinguished  by  his  former  cam- 
paigns. He  took  every  military  precaution  that  a 
Eealoiis  and  experienced  General  could  take,  to 
lefeat  the  enterprize  of  the  English,  and  to  pre- 
serve the  colony.  He  was  in  possession  of  a  com- 
manding situation,  of  strong  entrenchments,  of  a 
fortress  almost  impregnable — with  an  army  com- 
posed of  men  combating  upon  their  own  soil,  en- 
couraged by  the  veteran  troops  of  France,  and 
commanded  by  gallant,  zealous  and  distinguished 
officers.  In  a  military  point  of  view  the  chances  of 
war  were  all  in  favor  of  the  French.  But  the  Eng 
lish  were  commanded  by  one  who  was  a  Hero  in  the 
truest  sense  of  the  word,  undismayed  by  accumulated 
difficulties,  and  with  an  appetite  for  glory  which  no 
prospect  of  danger  could  affect  or  deter. 

We  can  imagine  the  feelings  with  which  Wolfe, 
having  safely  landed  his  army  on  the  27th  June, 


services  of  the  first  importance.  Lord  Colville,  and  Sir  Charles 
both  patronised  him,  and  by  their  recommendations  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  survey  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  the  coasts  of 
Newfoundland — he  received  a  commission  as  Lieutenant,  April 
1st,  1760,  and  was  made  Captain  25th  May,  1768. 

2  E  3 


330  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

near  the  Church  of  St.  Laurent,  on  the  Isle  of  Or-* 
leans, — where  they  encamped  in  one  line,  about  fr 
mile  from  the  shore — proceeded  to  the  west  end  of 
the  Island  to  reconnoitre  the  position  of  the  enemy* 
It  must  be  confessed  that  the  view  he  then  beheld 
was  most  magnificent  and  imposing.  Amidst  the 
native  beauty  of  the  scenery,  the  French  army  pre- 
sented its  formidable  front,  extending  along  the 
sloping  ground  upon  the  north  shore,  and  occupying 
the  heights  of  Beauport,  from  Quebec  on  the  right,  to 
the  cascade  of  Montmorenci  on  the  left*  The  vil- 
lage of  Beauport  rose  in  the  centre,  among  the  bat- 
talions of  Old  France — the  right  rested  upon  the  St 
Charles,  with  the  beautiful  village  of  Charlesbourg 
in  its  rear — the  left  extended  to  the  chasm  of  the 
FaHs.  The  whole  front  was  entrenched,  and  pro- 
tected from  the  English  cannon — while  all  accessible 
points  along  the  shore  were  occupied  and  defended 
by  batteries,  and  by  every  means  which  the  science 
of  war  provides.  Beyond  the  right,  a  bridge  had  beer 
thrown  over  the  River  St.  Charles,  in  order  to  com- 
municate with  the  town  and  garrison.  This  was  pro- 
tected by  teles  du  pont  and  strong  works  at  each 
end,  as  well  as  by  two  batteries,  of  eight  guns  each 
mounted  upon  hulks,  sunk  in  the  channel.  The 
enthusiastic  spirit  of  Wolfe  must  have  comprehendet 
all  the  strength  of  this  position,  and  all  the  glory  oi 
surmounting  it ;  nor  could  his  gentle  and  highlj 
cultivated  mind  have  been  insensible  to  the  extreme 
beauty  of  the  scene,  the  tranquillity  of  which  his 
operations  were  so  immediately  to  disturb.  Looking 
upon  the  calm  basin  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  how  aptly 
might  he  have  exclaimed  : 

Bella,  horrida  bella, 

Et  Tybrim  multo  spumantem  sanguine  cerno  I 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  SSI 

French  army  was  composed  of  about  thirteen 
sand  men,  six  battalions  of  which  were  regulars,, 
the  remainder  well  disciplined  Canadian  Militia, 
.  some  cavalry  and  Indians.  The  right  was 
er  the  command  of  Brigadier  General  the  Baron 
St,  Ours,  the  centre  of  Brigadier  General  De 
ezergues,  and  the  left  of  M.  Herbin.  The 
ison  was  commanded  by  M.  De  Ramezay. 
lthongh  the  fleet  had  safely  arrived  at  the  place 
lisembarkation,  no  sooner  were  the  troops  on 
e  than  it  met  with  one  of  those  storms  of  wind 
rain  which  are  frequent  in  the  River  St.  Law- 
e.  The  hurricane  was  of  such  violence  as  to  do 
t  damage  to  the  transports,  and  boats  of  the 
;,  by  their  driving  on  board  each  other.  The 
lent  of  fire  was  also  employed  for  its  destruction, 
happily  without  success.  At  midnight  on  the 
i  June,  the  enemy  sent  down  with  the  tide  seven 
ships,  whose  appearance  at  first  was  very  for- 
ible,  as  they  lay  in  the  proper  channel.  The 
ach  crews,  however,  being  anxious  to  get  to  land, 
I  the  trains  on  board  much  too  soon,  which  en- 
d  the  fleet  to  prepare  for  their  reception.  Ac- 
ingly  they  were  grappled  with,  and  towed  clear 
le  shipping,  with  the  characteristic  coolness  and 
aridity  of  British  sailors.  These  repeated  es- 
»  from  imminent  danger  seemed  to  afford  happy 
ages  of  ultimate  success  and  triumph. 
;  being  absolutely  necessary  for  the  combined 
'ations  of  the  two  services,  that  the  English  should 
ess  the  command  of  the  Basin,  General  Monck- 
,  second  in  command,  was  detached  on  the  night 
be  29th  with  four  battalions,  with  orders  to  land 
leaumont,  and  to  clear  the  south  shore  from  that 
ige  to  Pointe  Levi,  which  post  he  was  to  occupy 


883  NEW   PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 


and  fortify— a  duty  which  he  accomplished  wkl 
little  opposition.  Here  he  immediately  erected  bat 
teries  and  works,  the  remains  of  which  may-be  trac* 
at  the  present  day.  In  the  mean  time,  Colonel  Gin 
Carleton,  afterwards  Lord  Dorchester,  eite 
blished  himself  at  the  western  point  of  the  Isle  o: 
Orleans,  where  he  erected  works  for  the  defence  o 
the  magazines,  stores,  and  hospitals. 

Montcalm,  who  too  late  perceived  the  importance 
of  the  works  at  Pointe  Levi,  sent  a  corps  of  sixteei 
hundred  men  against  them  ;  but  these  troops  un- 
luckily for  themselves,  and  for  the  English  General 
who  was  anxious  to  defeat  so  large  a  detachment 
fell  into  confusion,  and  having  fired  upon  each  othe 
instead  of  upon  the  enemy,  returned  in  utter  discom 
fiture.  The  batteries  were  completed  at  interval 
from  Pointe  Levi  Church,  where  MoNCKTON'scam] 
was,  to  the  heights  immediately  opposite  to  thi 
Citadel ;  and  the  Lower  Town,  together  with  th 
principal  buildings  of  the  Upper  Town,  was  laid  ii 
ruins  by  their  fire.  After  the  surrender,  it  was  foun< 
that  upwards  of  five  hundred  houses  had  been  des 
troyed,  a  damage  the  more  to  be  regretted  as  it  fel 
upon  the  inhabitants  only,  very  little  injury  having 
been  done  to  the  defences  of  the  place. 

General  Wolfe,  perceiving  that  the  ground  tc 
the  eastward  of  the  Falls  of  Montmorenci,  on  whicl 
rested  the  left  flank  of  the  French  army,  was  highei 
than  that  on  the  enemy's  side,  determined  to  take 
possession  of  it ;  and  having  passed  the  north  chan- 
nel, he  encamped  there  on  the  9th  July,  not  without 
severe  skirmishing  and  considerable  loss.  Here  he 
erected  batteries  which  greatly  galled  the  left  of  the 
French  in  trench  merits.  He  was  aware  that  there 
was  a  ford  at  the  bottom  of  the  Falls,  through  which 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  383 

kike  habitans  pass  at  ebb  tide  ;  and  he  had  also  hopes 
that  possibly  means  might  be  found  of  passing  the 
River  Montmorenci  above,  so  as  to  fight  with 
Montcalm  on  terms  of  less  disadvantage  than  direct- 
ly attacking  his  intrenchments. 

Admiral  Saunders,  having  advanced  his  vessels 
nearer  to  the  city,  compelled  the  French  naval  force 
to  proceed  up  the  River  to  Batiscan,  leaving  their 
crews,  however,  who  formed  part  of  the  garrison  and 
were  useful  in  serving  the  artillery.  So  great,  in- 
deed, was  the  unanimity  between  the  two  services, 
and  the  desire  of  mutual  co-operation,  that  in  order 
that  General  Wolfe  might  carry  with  him  as  large 
a  body  of  troops  as  possible  on  landing  at  Montmo- 
renci, the  Admiral  ordered  all  the  marines  to  be 
landed  on  the  Isle  of  Orleans,  and  to  do  duty  in  the 
works  which  had  been  erected  there. 

On  the  18th  July,  at  night,  General  Wolfe  de- 
termined to  proceed  some  distance  up  the  river  for 
the  purpose  of  reconnoitring  the  banks  above  the 
town.  With  two  men  of  war,  two  armed  sloops  and 
some  troops,  he  safely  passed  the  batteries  of  the 
garrison  ;  and  after  a  close  observation  found  every 
accessible  landing  place  protected  by  the  enemy  from 
Cape  Diamond  to  Cape  Rouge.  He  could  not 
avoid  coming  to  the  conclusion,  that  even  if  he  should 
effect  a  landing,  the  body  first  put  on  shore  could  not 
be  reinforced  before  it  was  attacked  by  the  enemy's 
whole  army.  He  seems,  however,  to  have  almost 
determined  on  making  the  attempt  at  St.  Michel, 
about  three  miles  from  Quebec  ;  but  finding  the 
enemy  suspicious  of  his  design,  and  some  artillery 
having  been  brought  from  the  garrison  to  play  upon 
the  shipping,  he  was  forced  to  relinquish  his  inten- 
tion.    The  reader  will  find  that  circumstances  finally 


884  NEW   PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

compelled  the  army  to  adopt  this  mode  of  i 
although  at  this  period  the  General  did  not  co 
it  advisable  to  attempt  it  Colonel  Carleto 
ordered  to  land  at  Pointe  aux  Trembles  with  ad 
ment,  where  he  was  disappointed  in  finding  tl 
gazines  he  had  been  led  to  expect ;  and  bi 
away  only  a  few  prisoners,  for  the  sake  of  acq 
information. 

On  Wolfe's  return  to  Montmorenci,  h( 
ceived  the  design  of  attacking  the  French  ii 
entrenchments.  This  attack,  which  looking 
difficulties  of  the  ground,  appears  to  hare 
carefully  considered  and  planned  with  jud| 
took  place  on  the  3 1st  July.  It  failed  throng) 
of  caution  and  excess  of  courage  on  the  part 
grenadiers,  although  the  grounding  of  the  boat 
the  ledge,  some  distance  from  the  shore,  was, ' 
less  the  primary  cause  of  the  disaster.  Time, 
was  precious — since  the  tide  making  would  < 
their  retreat  by  the  ford,  if  unsuccessful — was 
sarily  lost  by  this  accident,  and  the  troops 
thrown  into  some  disorder.  As  soon  as  a  nevi 
of  disembarkation  had  been  found,  the  grenadi 
the  number  of  thirteen  companies,  supported  1 
hundred  of  the  second  Royal  American  Bat 
made  good  their  landing.  Before,  however, 
dier  General  Monckton's  corps,  designed  t 
port  them,  could  reach  the  shore,  the  grei 
rushed  forward  impetuously  to  the  attack  of  t 
trenchments  in  great  disorder  and  confusion, 
sioned  by  the  hurry  of  landing  ;  and  recei 
severe  a  check  from  the  enemy's  fire,  as  to  be  o 
to  take  shelter  in  a  redoubt  at  the  water's 
which  the  French  abandoned  to  them  on  tli< 
vance,  contenting  themselves  with  a  cannoi 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  885 

the  entrenchment  that  commanded  the  re* 
)t  In  this  situation  these  gallant  men  continued 
some  time  under  a  most  galling  fire.  Their 
era,  careless  of  their  persons  and  regarding  only 
r  duty,  fell  in  great  numbers ;  until  at  length 
eral  Wolfe,  finding  his  object  defeated,  called 
ke  grenadiers,  and  ordered  them  to  form  them- 
es behind  General  Monckton's  corps,  which 
landed  in  good  order.  The  whole  afterwards 
ibarked  without  further  loss  or  molestation, 
[any  affecting  incidents  occurred  on  this  occasion. 
English  Officers,  many  of  whom  were  unaccus- 
ed to  the  nature  of  the  warfare,  particularly  to 
Indian  mode  of  attack,  fell  easy  victims  to  the 
rring  rifle  of  the  latter ;  yet  never  forgot  their 
acter  as  soldiers,  or  their  honor  as  Englishmen, 
disgrace  attached  to  the  soldiers — some  instances 
avotion  occurred  which  would  have  done  honor 
icient  history. 

fter  the  failure  of  the  attack  at  Montmorenci, 
'  share  in  which  the  grenadiers  nobly  redeemed 
le  subsequent  battle  of  the  Plains,  Brigadier 
eral  Murray,  afterwards  Governor  of  Quebec, 
detached  up  the  river  with  twelve  hundred  men. 
r  two  unsuccessful  attempts  to  land,  he  effected 
lisembarkation  at  Deschambaud,  where  he  took 
r  prisoners,  and  burned  a  magazine,  full  of  stores, 
isions,  and  spare  clothing  for  the  French  army. 
a]  the  prisoners,  they  obtained  gratifying  intel- 
ice  from  the  army  of  General  Amherst,  who 
been  the  first  in  motion  of  the  three  separate 
es,  and  who  had  taken  possession  of  Ticonderoga. 
was  this  the  only  suceess.    They  also  learned 

Sir  William    Johnson  had  captured   Fort 
sara,  on  the  25th  July  previous.     The  month 


\ 


336  NEW   PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

of  August  was  passed  in  various  skirmishes,  and  in 
expeditions  on  both  shores  of  the  river,  rendered 
necessary  by  the  desultory  hostilities  of  small  parcel 
of  Indians  and  Canadians — in  the  conduct  of  which 
the  inhabitants  suffered  unavoidably  all  the  horrors 
of  war. 

The  despatches  of  General  Wolfe  and  of  the 
Admiral,  from  which  the  foregoing  particulars  are 
principally  taken,  were  dated  September  2d  and  5th. 
He  touches  with  delicacy  upon  his  own  severe  illnefl% 
and  describes  feelingly,  but  with  perfect  self  posses- 
sion and  confidence,  the  difficulties  which  he  expe- 
rienced : 

"  The  Admiral's  despatches  and  mine  would  have  gone  eight 
or  ten  days  sooner  if  1  had  not  been  prevented  from  writing  DT 
a  fever.    I  found  myself  so  ill,  and  am  still  so  weak,  thai  I 
begged  the  general  officers  to  consult  together  for  the  public 
utility.     They  are  of  opinion,  that  as  more  ships  and  provision 
are  now  yet  above  the  town,  they  should  try,  by  conveying! 
corps  of  four  or  five  thousand  men,  which  is  nearly  the  whole 
strength  of  the  army,  after  the  Points  of  Levi  and  Orleans  are 
left  in  a  proper  state  of  defence,  to  draw  the  enemy  from  their 
present  situation  and   bring  them  to  an  action.     I  have  ac- 
quiesced in  their  proposal,  and  we  are  preparing  to  put  it  in 
execution.     The  Admiral  and  I  have  examined  the  town,  with 
a  view  to  a  general  assault ;  but  after  consulting  the  chief  en- 
gineer, who  is  well  acquainted  with  the  interior  part  of  it,  and 
after  viewing  it  with  the  utmost  attention,  we  found  that, 
though  the  batteries  of  the  Lower   Town   might  be  easily 
silenced  by  the  men   of  war,  yet  the  business   of  an  assault 
would  be  little  advanced  by  that,  since  the  five  passages  leading 
from  the  Lower  to  the  Upper  Town  are  carefully  entrenched, 
and  the  upper  batteries  cannot  be  affected  by  the  ships,  which 
roust  receive  considerable  damage  from  them  and  from  the 
mortars.    The  Admiral  would  readily  join  in  this  or  any  other 
measure  for  the  public  service;  but  1  could  not  propose  to  him 
an  undertaking  of  so  dangerous  a  nature,  and  promising  so  lit- 
tle success. 

"  To  the  uncommon  strength  of  the  country,  the  enemy  ha?e 
added,  for  the  defence  of  the  river,  a  great  number  of  floating 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  937 

iftteritos  and  boats  ;  by  the  vigilance  of  these,  and  the  Indians 
mod  onr  posts,  it  has  been  impossible  to  execute  any  thing 
f  surprise.  We  have  had  almost  daily  skirmishes  with  these 
mages,  in  which  they  are  generally  defeated,  but  not  without 
m  dm  onr  side.  By  the  list  of  disabled  officers,  many  of 
from  are  of  rank,  yon  may  perceive,  8ir,  that  the  army  is 
inch  weakened.  By  the  nature  of  the  river,  the  most  for- 
jMable  part  of  this  armament  is  deprived  of  the  power  of  act- 
g,  yet  we  have  almost  the  whole  force  of  Canada  to  oppose. 
*  this  situation,  there  is  such  a  choice  of  difficulties,  that  I  am 
itself  at  a  loss  how  to  determi  ne.  The  affairs  of  Great  Britain, 
knew,  require  most  vigorous  measures ;  but  then  the  courage 
fa  handful  of  brave  men  should  be  exerted  only,  where  there 
i  tome  hope  of  a  favorable  event.  However,  you  may  rest  as- 
tred,  82r,  that  the  small  part  of  the  campaign  which  remains 
lull  be  employed,  as  far  as  I  am  able,  for  the  honor  of  His 
lajesty,  and  the  interest  of  the  nation,  in  whioh  I  am  sure  of 
naf  seconded  by  the  Admiral  and  by  the  Generals,  happy 
lifar  efforts  here  can  contribute  to  the  success  of  His  Ma- 
rty's Arms  in  any  other  part  of  America. 

I  have,  &c. 

James  Wolfe." 


Return  of  loss  at  the  battle  of  Montmorenci. 

Killed.  Wounded.  Missing. 

Officers, 11  46                 0 

8erjeants, 9  26                  0 

Drummers, 0  7                 0 

Rank  and  file, 162  571  15 

182  650  15 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   LANDING. 

To  the  council  of  war  alluded  to  in  the  above  ex- 
ract  from  this  famous  despatch,  it  is  generally  be- 
ieved,  on  contemporary  information,  that  Wolfe 
imself  proposed  a  second  attack  upon  the  entrench- 

2    F 


988  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

ments  between  Montmorenci  and  the  River  St. 
Charles.  However  gallant  such  a  design,  and  how- 
ever gloriously  the  martial  spirit  of  Wolfe  was 
displayed  by  the  proposal,  it  appeared  to  the  other 
general  officers,  who  had  never  flinched  in  the  hour 
of  duty,  so  fraught  with  ruin  and  so  big  with  dange- 
rous consequences,  as  rather  to  be  declined  than  car- 
ried into  execution.  They  protested,  therefore, 
against  that  design ;  and  in  their  turn  proposed  to 
Wolfe  to  attack  Quebec  in  the  unexpected  and 
surprising  manner  by  which  it  was  subsequently  ta- 
ken, and  which  will  be  admired  to  the  latest  posterity. 
The  honor  of  having  proposed  this  plan  in  the  coun- 
cil of  war  has  been  claimed  by  the  family  of  Gene- 
ral Townshend  for  their  distinguished  ancestor. 
Wolfe,  having  always  his  country's  interest  upper- 
most in  his  thoughts,  like  a  true  patriot  gave  up  his 
own  opinion,  or  rather  instantly  acknowledged  the 
splendid  design  which  had  been  suggested  to  him  ; 
generously  resolving  to  put  it  into  execution,  and  to 
place  himself  at  the  head  of  the  enterprise — well  as- 
sured that  he  would  be  nobly  seconded  by  the  other 
Generals.  Such  conduct  on  both  sides  was  highly 
honorable  to  the  officers  present  at  this  council,  all 
of  whom  were  young  men,  full  of  ambition,  and  the 
desire  of  personal  distinction. 

The  failure  at  Montmorenci  had  made  a  deep  im- 
pression upon  the  mind  of  Wolfe.  He  had  a  spirit 
impatient  of  anticipated  censure — unable  to  bear 
disappointment,  where  he  was  conscious  of  having 
deserved  success — and  he  cherished  an  eager  desire  to 
retrieve  the  laurels  which  he  feared  some  might 
think  had  fallen  from  his  brow.  His  situation, 
however,  was  such  that  he  despaired  of  finding  an 
opportunity ;  he  was  often  heard  to  sigh,  and  ob- 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  989 

d  to  betray  great  inward  agitation.  His  con- 
ion,  naturally  delicate,  gave  way  under  his 
ement ;  which  added  to  the  great  fatigues  he 
undergone,  brought  on  a  fever  and  dysen- 
and  for  some  time  totally  disabled  him.  Such 
the  affection  of  the  whole  army  for  Wolfe, 
his  sickness  made  a  general  impression  upon 
;  and  when  his  health,  after  ten  days  severe 
$s,  permitted  him  to  return  to  the  camp,  and 
more  to  visit  the  guards  and  posts  as  usual,  they 
the  strongest  proofs  of  the  most  heartfelt  joy, 
lis  presence  infused  fresh  spirits  into  the  troops. 
rith  a  view  to  the  ulterior  operations  above  the 
,  several  of  the  men  of  war  had  passed  the 
ries,  without  receiving  much  damage,  on  the 
,  29th  and  30th  August ;  and  on  the  1st  Sep- 
er,  the  sick  and  wounded  were  removed  from 
tmorenci,  to  the  Isle  of  Orleans.  By  the  4th 
ember,  the  whole  had  left  the  camp  at  Mont- 
nci  and  taken  post  at  Pointe  Levi.  This  move- 
;,  however,  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  Mont- 
i  ;  who  on  the  3d,  detached  two  large  columns  to 
lorthward,  with  the  apparent  design  of  crossing 
upper  ford,  and  of  either  attacking  General 
jfe  in  his  camp  with  diminished  forces,  part  of 
jmy  having  been  already  transported  to  Pointe 
— or  to  fall  upon  his  rear  as  he  was  quitting  his 
>,  and  incommode  him  in  re-imbarking  the 
>s.  Wolfe,  however,  had  so  well  digested  his 
,  that  his  operations  were  performed  without 
loss.  No  sooner  were  the  French  troops  ob- 
*d  in  motion,  that  General  Monckton  ordered 
ge  detachment  from  his  post  at  Pointe  L6vi  to 
irk  in  boats,  and  to  stand  towards  the  Beauport 
*.     This  feint  had  the  desired  effect,  and  Mont- 


340  NEW  PICTURE   OF    gUEBEC, 

calm  recalled  his  two  columns  in  haste.  In  tk 
mean  time  General  Wolfe,  having  withdrawn  liLa 
artillery,  set  fire  to  the  camp,  destroyed  the  wdtf  J^ 
he  had  erected,  and  re-imbarked  his  troops  withotf 
interruption,  most  of  whom  he  ordered  to  encamp  it 
Pointe  Levi,  the  remainder  on  the  Isle  of  Odea* 
The  latter  afterwards  joined  the  main  body  at  Poinfc 
L£vi. 

The  plan  for  landing  under  the  heights  of  Abba- 
ham  having  been  completely  digested,  a  series  of 
operations  took  place  upon  the  south  shore  for  the 
purpose  of  deceiving,  and  distracting  the  attention  of 
the  enemy.  In  this  they  were  quite  successful  On 
the  5th  September,  a  corps  of  six  hundred  men 
marched  up  the  south  shore  from  Pointe  Llvi,  aft- 
tended  by  sloops  carrying  one  month's  provision* 
On  the  6th,  the  main  body  received  orders  to  march 
above  the  town,  taking  with  them  only  one  spare 
shirt,  and  one  pair  of  stockings.  They  forded  the 
River  Etchemin,  and  proceeded  to  a  spot,  whence 
they  embarked  on  board  of  the  men  of  war  and  trans- 
ports, under  the  command  of  Admiral  Holmes,  who 
conveyed  then  some  distance  above  Cape  Diamond 
General  Montcalm  did  not  suspect,  from  the 
small  number  of  ships,  that  Wolfe  had  convey- 
ed his  main  body  up  the  river.  He  contented  him- 
self, therefore,  with  detaching  Bougainville  with 
two  thousand  men  to  Cape  Rouge  to  watch  their 
motions.  On  the  10th,  the  weather  being  wet, 
and  the  troops  much  crowded  on  board,  they  were 
landed  on  the  south  shore  for  exercise  and  refresh- 
ment, and  marched  to  the  Church  of  St.  Nicolas 
where  they  took  post,  all  their  movements  adding  to 
the  uncertainty  of  the  French  as  to  their  destina- 
tion.    Every  preparation  having  been  made — and 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  341 

Admiral  Saunders  having  engaged  to  co-operate 
>y  a  feint  attack  upon  the  entrenchments  at  Beau- 
•ort — the  eventful  day  approached  when  the  blow 
flas  to  be  struck.  Rear  Admiral  Holmes  had  the 
ommand  of  the  naval  force  employed  in  covering 
le  disembarkation,  the  immediate  management  of 
'hich  was  entrusted  to  Captain  Chads,  a  name  to  this 
ay  distinguished  in  the  Royal  Navy.  On  the  12th 
eptember,  General  Wolfe  issued  the  following 
rder : 


"ON  BOARD  HIS  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  SUTHERLAND." 

"  The  enemy's  force  is  now  divided  :  great  scarcity  of  pro- 
•ions  is  in  their  camp,  and  universal  discontent  among  the. 
madians.    The  secon  a  officer  in  command  is  gone  to  Montreal, 
St.  Johns ;  which  gives  reason  to  think  that  General  Amherst 
advancing1  into  the  colony.    A  vigorous  blow  struck  by  the 
ay  at  this  juncture  may  determine  the  fate  of  Canada.     Our 
ops  below  are  in  readiness  to  join  us  :  all  the  light  artillery 
1  tools  are  embarked  at  Pointe  Levi ;  and  the  troops  will 
d  where  the  French  seem  least  to  expect  it.      The  first 
\y  that  gets  on  shore  is  to  march  directly  to  the  enemy,  and 
ve'them  from  any  little  post  they  may  occupy.     The  officers 
st  be  careful  that  the  succeeding  bodies  do  not,  by  any  mis- 
e,  fire  upon  those  who  go  before  them.    The  battalions  must 
m  upon  the  upper  ground  with  expedition,  and  be  ready  to 
irge  whatever  presents  itself.     When  the  artillery  and  troops 
landed,  a  corps  will  bo  left  to  secure  the  landing  place,  while 
!  rest  march  on,  and  endeavor  to  bring  the  French  and  Ca- 
lians  to  a  battle.    The  officers  and  men  will  remember  what 
iir  country  expects  from  them,  and  what  a  determined  body 
loldiers,  inured  to  war,  is  capable  of  doing,  against  five  weak 
3Dch  battalions,  mingled  with  disorderly  peasantry.     The 
diers  must  be  attentive  and  obedient  to  their  officers,  and 
i  officers  resolute  in  the  execution  of  their  duty." 

The  plan  adopted  was,  that  the  troops  should  be 

nveyed  some  distance  up  the  river  for  the  purpose 

deceiving  the  enemy,  and  of  amusing  M.  De 

2f3 


348  nw  PICT0EE  o»  swmcv 

Bfcogaamlle*  They  war*'  afterwwds  in  th» 
to  drop  down-  with  the  tide,  and  to  land  ea  th%j 
■bote  about  a  mile  above  Cape  Diamond,  ift 
expectation  of  being  able  to  ascend  the  ~ 
Abraham,  and,  to  gain  the  open  ground 
the  city,  where  it  was  most  open  to  attach, 
could  be  more  hazardous  in  the  execution  fafc] 
this  design — the  slightest  accident  might 
the  whole  course  of  the  operation*— a  night 
was  always  liable  to'  mischance — yet  the  plan?  Jeff] 
carried  into  effect  not  only  with  complete  succeed 
but  with  singular  ease  and  good  fortune. 

On  the  evening  of  the  12th  September,  Adminl 
Saunders  ordered  all  the  boats  of  the  fleet  bale* 
the  town  to  rendezvous  astern  of  one  of  the  frigstsr 
Into  these  he  put  all  the  marines  he  could  sparer 
and  under  cover  of  some  frigates  and  sloops  of  wift; 
ordered  them  to  work  up,  and  just  at  break  of  daj, 
on  the  13th,  to  stand  over  to  the  Beauport  shore,  as 
if  intending  a  descent  there.  The  frigates  and  sloopt 
were  ordered  to  approach  as  near  as  possible,  and  to 
cannonade  the  French  lines.  This  feint  had  a  good 
effect,  as  it  compelled  Montcalm  to  leave  a  stronger 
body,  than  he  at  first  designed  for  that  service,  to 
protect  the  entrenchments :  at  the  same  time  that  it 
drew  off  his  attention  from  the  more  important  scene 
ol  action  above  the  town. 

At  night  on  the  12th,  the  main  body  quartered  eo 
the  south  shore  were  ordered  to  embark  in  flat  bot- 
tomed boats,  and  to  proceed  up  the  river  with  the 
tide  of  flood.  The  first  division  was  composed  of 
the  light  infantry,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel 
the  Honorable  William  Howe,  the  regiments  of 
Bragg,  Kennedy,  Lascelles  and  Anstruther,  with  a 
detachment  of  Highlanders,  and  the  grenadiers  of 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  343 

m  Royal  American  Regiment,  under  the  command 
:  Brigadiers  General  Monckton  and  Murray. 
ke  night  was  clear  and  star  light,  and  Bougain- 
liLB  perceiving  the  boats,  marched  up  the  north 
ttk  of  the  river  to  prevent  any  landing.  About 
i  hour  before  day  light,  the  boats  fell  down  the 
per  with  the  tide  of  ebb,  with  great  rapidity  by  the 
lp  of  oars,  and  keeping  close  to  the  shore.  They 
»re  followed  at  some  interval  by  the  shipping,  and 
th  luckily  escaped  observation.  About  day-light 
jy  arrived  at  a  cove  below  Sillery,  now  for  ever 
lebrated  as  Wolfe's  Cove,  which  was  the  place 
osen  for  the  disembarkation.  The  light  infantry, 
rich  had  been  carried  a  short  distance  below  by 
s  rapidity  of  the  tide,  were  the  first  that  landed, 
d  scrambling  up  the  woody  precipice — the  ascent 
which  was  so  difficult,  that  the  soldiers  were  oblig- 

to  pull  themselves  up  the  roots  and  boughs  of 
>es — displaced  a  French  guard  at  the  top,  under  the 
mmand  of  Captain  De  Vergor,  which  defended 
3  narrow  path,  and  thereby  enabled  the  rest  of  the 
rision  to  reach  the  summit.  The  boats  in  the  mean 
fie  had  returned  for  the  second  division  under 
dgadier  General  Townshend,  which  arrived  and 
ided  in  like  good  order.  General  Wolfe  was 
th  the  first  division,  and  he  was  one  of  the  first  on 
ore.  On  seeing  the  difficulty  of  ascending  the  pre- 
)ice,  he  observed  in  a  familiar  strain  to  Captain 
onald  McDonald,  a  very  gallant  officer  of  Fraser's 
ighlanders,  who  commanded  the  advanced  guard  of 
e  light  infantry  : — "  I  don't  believe  there  is  any 
>ssibility  of  getting  up;  but  you  must  do  your  en- 
?avor." 

The  exultation  of  Wolfe  on  thus  finding  himself, 
ith  scarcely  any  loss,  on  the  heights  of  Abraham, 


MA  nw  Heron  0*  Qtnmc,  -▼ 

may  easily  be  conceived.  ■-  After  -  nose  tfoa 
months  of  solicitude,  the  object  of  his  longandi 
wishes  was  before  him — his  only  remaining  hopr 
that  Montcalm  wfuld  give  him  battle-^of  thtrfj 
suit  he  entertained  no  doubt    The  hour  of 
so  long  sought  for,  so  eagerly  expected,  wasatll 
—he  was  determined  that  day  .to  decide  the 
macy  of  England  or  France,  in  America,  beto^l 
the wallsof  her  most  important  fortress.:  -j ■. 9 

»  '  ill* 

Coospioit  in  pianos  hostem  descenders  oanpoe,  ' 
Oblatumqtie  videt  Yotis  ribi  mills' petitam  '^ 

Itapua,  in  extremos  quo  mitteret  omnia 


.»! 


'■«■ 


The  first  care  of  General  Wolfe  was  to  csptsu 
a  four  gun  battery  on  the  left  of  the  British,  wbiA 
was  accomplished  by  Colonel  Hows — the  next,  W 
draw  up  his  little  army  to  the  best  advantage,  as  iKl 
regiments  landed,  in  order  to  meet  General  Most- 
calm,  who  was  observed  to  be  on  his  march  from 
Beauport. 

Montcalm  could  scarcely  give  credit  to  the  fint 
messenger  who  brought  him  the  news  of  the  successful 
landing  of  the  English.  Wolfe's  extraordinary 
achievement  had  indeed  baffled  all  his  plans,  and 
astonished  to  the  utmost  by  this  unexpected  event, 
he  yet  prepared  for  the  crisis  with  promptness  and 
courage.  He  immediately  adopted  the  resolution  of 
meeting  Wolee  in  the  field,  and  of  deciding  the  fate 
of  Canada  in  a  pitched  battle.  In  this  determination 
he  is  said  to  have  acted  against  the  opinion  of  the 
Governor  General,  the  Marquis  De  Vaudreuil, 
who  had  come  down  from  Montreal. 

About -nine  o'clock  the  enemy  advanced  in  three 
columns,  having  crossed  the  bridge  of  boats  on  the  St 
Charles.  Their  force  consisted  of  two  thousandregular 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  346 

•ops,  fire  thousand  disciplined  militia,  and  five  hun- 
*d  savages.  At  ten,  Montcalm's  line  of  battle  was 
•tried,  at  least  six  deep,  having  their  flanks  covered 

a  thick  wood  on  each  side — along  the  bushes  in 
>nt  he  had  thrown  about  fifteen  hundred  Canadians 
d  Indians,  whose  fire  was  as  galling  as  it  was  in- 
rsant,  until  the  battle  became  general. 
The  official  despatches  of  General  Townshbnd 
e  full  details  of  this  memorable  conflict,  and  of 

subsequent  surrender  of  Quebec.  To  them  we 
11  subjoin  several  authentic  and  interesting  par- 
liars,  which  have  been  collected  in  order  to  illus- 
;e  and  throw  into  the  clearest  light  the  glory  of 
i  achievement,  rendered  for  ever  illustrious  by  the 

of  the  two  leaders. 

lerfrom  the  Honorable  Brigadier  General  Monckton  to 
\e  Right  Honorable  Mr,  Secretary  Pitt,  dated,  Camp  at 
'ointeLevi,  September  15,  1759. 

I  have  the  pleasure  to  acquaint  you,  that,  on  the  13th  in- 
t,  His  Majesty's  troops  gained  a  very  signal  victoryover 
French,*,  little  above  the  town  of  Quebec.  General  Wolfe, 
rting  himself  on  the  right  of  our  line,  received  a  wound 
,ty  early,  of  which  he  died  soon  after,  and  I  had  myself  the 
it  misfortune  of  receiving  one  in  ray  right  breast  by  a  ball, 
;  went  through  part  of  my  lungs  (and  which  has  been  cut 
under  the  blade  bone  of  my  shoulder,)  just  as  the  French 
e  giving  way,  which  obliged  me  to  quit  the  field.  I  have 
efore,  Sir,  desired  General  Townshend,  who  now  commands 
troops  before  the  town,  (and  of  which  I  am  in  hopes  he  will 
oon  in  possession,)  to  acquaint  you  with  the  particulars  of 
;  day,  and  of  the  operations  carrying  on. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 

Rob.  Monckton. 

'.  S. — His  Majesty's  troops  behaved  with  the  greatest  stea- 

388  and  bravery. 

A.S  tho  Surgeons  tell  me  there  is  no  danger  in  my  wound, 

n  in  hopes  that  I  shall  be  boon  able  to  join  the  army  before 

town. 


946  HEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 


Utter  from  the  Honorable  Brigadier  General  Tome 
to  the  Bight  Honorable  Mr,  Secretary  Pitt,  dated, 
before  Quebec,  Sept.  20, 1759. 

8n, 

I  hare  the  honour  to  acquaint  yon  with  the  auooen 
Majesty's  Arms,  on  the  1 3th  instant,  in  an  action  w 
French,  on  the  heights  to  the  westirard  of  this  town. 

It  being  determined  to  carry  the  operations  above  th 
the  posts  at  Pointe  Levi  and  fide  <f  Orleans  being  seen 
General  marched,  with  the  remainder  of  the  force,  from 
Levi  the  5th  and  6th,  and  embarked  them  in  transports 
had  passed  the  town  for  that  purpose.  On  the  7th,  i 
9th,  a  movement  of  the  ships  was  m»de  op,  by  Admiral , 
in  order  to  amuse  the  enemy  now  posted  along  ihi 
shore ;  but  the  transports  being  extremely  crowded,  i 
weather  very  bad,  the  General  thought  proper  to  cant 
his  troops  on  the  south  shore;  where  they  were  refines) 
re-imbarked  upon  the  12th  at  one  in  the  morning.  T 
infantry,  commanded  by  Colonel  Howe,  the  regiments  ol 
Kennedy,  Lascelles,  and  Anstruther,  with  a  detach 
Highlanders,  and  American  Grenadiers,  the  whole  bein 
the  command  of  Brigadiers  Monckton  and  Murray,  w 
into  the  flat-bottomed  boats,  and  after  some  movemen 
ships  made  by  Admiral  Holmes,  to  draw  the  attentio: 
enemy  above,  the  boats  fell  down  with  the  tide,  and  la 
the  north  shore,  within  a  league  of  Cape  Diamond, 
before  day  break.  The  rapidity  of  the  tide  of  ebb  carri 
a  little  below  the  intended  place  of  attack,  which  obli 
light  infantry  to  scramble  up  a  woody  precipice,  in 
secure  the  landing  the  troops,  by  dislodging  a  Captai 
which  defended  the  small  intrenched  path  the  troops 
asceod.  After  a  little  firing,  the  light  infantry  gained 
of  the  precipice,  and  dispersed  the  Captain's  post ;  b 
means,  the  troops,  with  a  very  little  loss  from  a  few  Cc 
and  Indians  in  the  wood,  got  up,  and  were  immediately 
The  boats,  as  they  emptied,  were  sent  back  for  the  sec 
barkation,  which  1  immediately  made.  Brigadier  Mun 
had  been  detached  with  Anstrut tier's  battalion  to  at 
four  gun  battery  upon  the  left,  was  recalled  by  the  Gene 
now  saw  the  French  army  crossing  the  ftiver  SL 
General  Wolfe  thereupon  began  to  form  his  line,  ha1 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  347 

covered  by  the  Louisbourg  grenadiers  ;  on  the  right  of 
again  he  afterwards  brought  Q  (way's  ;  to  the  left  of  the 
liers  were  Bragg's,  Kennedy's,  Lascelles's,  Highlanders, 
inslrulher's  ;  the  right  of  this  body  was  commanded  by 
lier  Monchton,  and  the  left  by  Brigadier  Murray  ;  his 
ad  left  were  protected  by  Colonel  Howe's  light  infantry, 
as  returned  from  the  four  gun  battery  before  mentioned, 

was  soon  abandoned  to  him.  General  Montcalm  haying 
ed  the  whole  of  his  force  from  the  Beauport  side,  and 
;ing,  shewed  his  intention  to  flank  our  left,  where  I  was 
lately  ordered  with  General  Amherst's  battalion,  which 
ed  en  potence.  My  numbers  were  soon  after  increased 
arrival  of  the  two  battalions  of  Royal  Americans;  and 
s  was  drawn  up  by  the  General,  as  a  reserve,  in  eight 
isions  with  large  intervals.  The  enemy  lined  the  bushes 
r  front,  with  1500  Indians  and  Canadians,  and  I  dare 
1  placed  most  of  their  best  marksmen  there,  who  kept  up 
galling,  though  irregular,  fire  upon  our  whole  line,  who 

with  the  greatest  patience,  and  good  order,  reserving 
re  for  the  main  body,  now  advancing.     This  fire  of  the 

was,  however,  checked  by  our  posts  in  our  front,  which 
ted  the  forming  our  own  line.  The  right  of  the  enemy 
•niposed  of  half  the  troops  of  the  Colony,  the  battalions 
Sarre,  Languedoc,  and  the  remainder  of  their  Canadians 
dians.  Their  centre  was  a  column,  and  formed  by  the 
ons  of  Beam  and  Guienne,  Their  left  was  composed  of 
aaining  troops  of  the  colony,  and  the  battalion  of  Royal 
'Ion.  This  was,  as  near  as  J  can  guess,  their  line  of  bat- 
They  brought  up  two  pieces  of  small  artillery  against  us, 
q  had  been  able  to  bring  up  but  one  gun ;  which  being 
ibly  well  served,  galled  their  column  exceedingly.  My 
od  to  the  left  will  not  permit  me  to  be  very  exact  with 

to  every  circumstance  which  passed  in  the  centre,  much 

the  right ;  but  it  is  most  certain  that  the  enemy  formed 
d  order,  and  that  their  attack  was  very  brisk  and  aniraat- 
that  side.     Our  troops  reserved  their  fire,  till  within  forty 

which   was  so  well  continued,  that  the  enemy  every 

gave  way.  It  was  then  our  General  fell  at  the  head  of 
fs,  and  the  Louisbourg  grenadiers,  advancing  with  their 
ets.  About  the  same  time,  Brigadier  General  Monckton 
ed  bis  wound  at  the  head  of  Lascelles's.  In  the  front  of 
pposite  battalions  fell  also  Montcalm  ;  and  his  second  in 
and  is  since  dead  of  his  wounds  on  board  of  our  fleet. 
)f  the  enemy  made  a  second  faint  attack.    Part  took  to 


350  NSW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

1 1 
and  which  do  army  can  itself  solely  supply ;  the  immense  libs* 
in  artillery,  stores,  and  provisions ;  the  long  watchiagsanisV 
tendance  in  boats ;  the  drawing  up  our  artillery  by  the  seasNs) 
even  in  the  heat  of  the  action  ;  it  is  my  duty,  short  ss  ay 
command  has  been,  to  acknowledge,  for  that,  how  greats  ikan 
the  navy  has  had  in  this  successful  campaign. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  && 

Geo.  Townshend. 

Articles  of  Capitulation  agreed  on  between  General  Towkshekd  JA 
and  M.  De  Rauesay,  Commander  of  Quebec. 

Article  I.  M.  De  Ramesay  demands  the  honours  of  war  for  & 
his  garrison,  and  that  it  shall  be  conducted  back  to  the  army  ii  j 
safety  by  the  shortest  road,  with  their  arms,  baggage,  six  piece  2 
of  brass  cannon,  two  mortars  or  howitzers,  and  twelve  round* 

The  garrison  ofthetown%  composed  of  land  forces,  mans**, 
and  sailors,  shall  march  out  with  their  arms  and  baggage,  drum 
beating,  lighted  matches,  with  two  pieces  of  cannon,  and  twdm 
rounds,  and  shall  be  embarked  as  conveniently  as  possible,  in  of 
der  to  be  landed  at  the  first  port  in  France. 

II.  That  the  inhabitants  shall  be  maintained  in  the  posses* 
sion  of  their  houses,  goods,  effects  and  privileges. 

Granted,  provided  they  lay  down  their  arms. 

HI.  That  the  said  inhabitants  shall  not  be  molested  on  ac- 
count of  their  having  borne  arms  for  the  defence  of  the  town, as 
thev  were  forced  to  it,  and  as  it  is  customary  for  the  inhabitant* 
of  the  colonies  of  both  crowns  to  serve  as  militia.     Granted. 

IV.  That  the  effects  belonging  to  the  absent  officers,  or  in- 
habitants, shall  not  be  touched.     Granted. 

V.  That  the  said  inhabitants  shall  not  be  removed  nor 
obliged  to  quit  their  houses  until  their  condition  shall  be  settled 
by  a  definitive  treaty  between  their  most  Christian  and  Bri- 
tannic Majesties.     Granted. 

VI.  That  the  exercise  of  the  Catholic,  Apostolic,  and  Roman 
religion  shall  be  preserved,  and  that  safeguards  shall  be  granted 
to  the  houses  of  the  Clergy,  and  to  the  monasteries,  particularly 
to  the  Bishop  of  Quebec,  who  animated  with  zeal  for  reli<non, 
and  charity  for  the  people  of  his  diocese,  desires  to  reside  con- 
stantly in  it,  to  exercise  freely  and  with  that  decency  which  his 
character  and  the  sacred  mysteries  of  the  Catholic,  Apostolic, 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  351 

toman  Religion  require,  his  Episcopal  authority  in  the 
of  Quebec,  wherever  he  shall  think  it  proper,  until  the 
tsion  of  Canada  shall  have  been  decided  by  a  treaty  be- 
i  their  most  Christian  and  Britannie  Majesties. 
efree  exercise  of  the  Roman  Religion,  safeguards  granted 
religious  persons,  as  well  as  to  the  Bishop,  who  shall  be  at 
r  to  come  and  exercisefreely  and  with  decency  the  functions 
office  wherever  he  shall  think  proper,  until  the  possession 
lada  shall  have  been  decided  between  their  Britannic  and 
Christian  Majesties. 

[.  That  the  artillery  and  warlike  stores  shall  be  delivered 
tafide,  and  an  inventory  taken  thereof.  Granted. 
II.  That  the  sick,  wounded,  commissaries,  chaplains, 
jians,  surgeons,  apothecaries,  and  other  persons  employed 
hospitals,  shall  be  treated  agreeable  to  the  cartel,  settled 
en  their  Most  Christian  and  Britannic  Majesties,  on 
ary  6,  1759.     Granted. 

That  before  delivering  up  the  gate,  and  the  entrance  of 
wn,  to  the  English  forces,  their  General  will  be  pleased 
i  some  soldiers  to  be  placed  as  safeguards  at  the  Churches, 
>nt8,  and  chief  habitations.  Granted. 
That  the  commander  of  the  City  of  Quebec  shall  be  per- 
l  to  send  advice  to  the  Marquis  De  Vaudreuil,  Governor 
al,  of  the  reduction  of  the  town  ;  as  also  that  this  Gene- 
ill  be  allowed  to  write  to  the  French  Ministry  to  inform 
;hereof.     Granted. 

That  the  present  capitulation  shall  be  executed  accord- 
its  form  and  tenor,  without  being  liable  to  non-execution 

pretence  of  reprisals,  or  the  non-execution  of  any  pre- 
;  capitulation.     Granted. 

i  present  treaty  has  been  made  and  settled  between  us,  and 
ates  signed  at  the  Camp  before  Quebec,  September  18, 

C.  Saunders,  G.  Townshend,  De  Ramesay. 

ted  in  the  Battle  of  the  \3th. — One  General,  one  Captain, 

eutenants,  one  Ensign,   three  Serjeants,  forty-five  rank 

e. 

unded — One  Brigadier  General,  four  Staff  Officers,  twelve 

ins,  twenty-six   Lieutenants,  ten  Ensigns,  twenty-five 

ints,  four  Drummers,  five  hundred  and  six  rank  and  file. 

%g,  three  rank  and  file. 


352  NEW  PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

Artillery. — One  Engineer  wounded,  one  Gunner  killed,  out 
Bombardier,  one  Gunner,  five  matrasses,  wounded. 


An  Account  of  the  guns,  ^c.  found  in  Quebec  on  Us  surrender 
to  His  Majesty* a  troops: 

Brass  guns  6    pounder].    Brass  mortars  13  Inches     1. 

"  4        "         3.    Do.  howitzers  8        "         a     J* 

"  2        "         2.    Iron  mortars  13        «        9.      * 

Iron  guns  36        "       10.  "  10        u         1.      * 

«         24        "       45.  "  8        a         a      * 

"        18        *       18.  "  7        «         a      *4 

((        12        "13.     Shells  13  Inches      770  ** 

«  8        «       43.        "      10       "         150 

6        "       66.        «        8  and  >  ^  * 

"  4        •«       30.        «        6  J  w  * 

"  3        "         7.    Brass  petards  2  ■ 

«  2        «         3.  :: 

With  a  considerable  quantity  of  powder,  ball,  small  arms  and    f : 

intrenching  tools,  &c.  the  number  of  which  cannot  be  atce**  ^ 

tained. 

There  have  been  also  37  guns  and  one  mortar  found  on  sere- 
ral  batteries  between  St.  Charles  and  Beauport. 


Letter  from   Vice-Admiral  Saunders  to  the  Right  Honorable 
Mr.  Secretary  Pitt,  September  20, 1759. 

Sir, 


0 
''I 


4. 
I 


I  have  the  greatest  pleasure  in  acquainting  you,  that  the  \\ 
town  and  citadel  of  Quebec  surrendered  on  the  18th  instant,  \ 
and  I  enclose  you  a  copy  of  the  articles  of  capitulation.  The  ^ 
army  took  possession  of  the  gates  on  the  land  side,  the  same 
evening,  and  sent  safeguards  into  the  town  to  preserve  order, 
and  to  prevent  any  thing  being  destroyed;  and  Captain Palliscr, 
with  a  body  of  seamen,  landed  in  the  Lower  Town,  and  did 
the  same.  The  next  day,  our  army  marched  in,  and  near  a 
thousand  French  officers,  soldiers,  and  seamen,  were  embarked 
on  board  some  English  catts,  who  shall  soon  proceed  for 
France,  agreeable  to  the  capitulation. 

I  had  the  honor  to  write  to  >  ou  the  5th  instant,  by  the  Rod- 
ncy  cutter :  The  troops  mentioned  in  that  letter,  embarked  on 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  353 

sard  the  ships  and  vessels  above  the  town,  in  the  night  of  the 
th  instant,  and  at  four  in  the  morning  of  the  13th,  began  to 
nd  on  the  north  shore,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  town. 
-eoeral  Montcalm,  with  his  whole  army,  left  their  camp  at 
kauport,  and  marched  to  meet  him.  A  little  before  ten  both 
inies  were  formed,  and  the  enemy  began  the  attack.  Our 
oops  received  their  fire,  and  reserved  their  own,  advancing 
11  they  were  so  near  as  to  ran  in  npon  them,  and  push  them 
ith  their  bayonets ;  by  which,  in  a  very  little  time,  the  French 
ire  way,  and  fled  to  town  in  the  utmost  disorder,  and  with 
neat  loss  ;  for  our  troops  pursued  them  quite  to  the  walls,  and 
ilfted  many  of  them  upon  the  glacis,  and  in  the  ditch  ;  and  if 
le  town  had  been  further  off,  the  whole  French  army  must 
ave  been  destroyed.  About  250  French  prisoners  were  taken 
lat  day,  among  whom  are  ten  Captains,  and  six  Subaltern 
Dicers,  all  of  whom  will  go  in  the  great  ships  to  England, 

I  am  sorry  to  acquaint  you,  that  General  Wolfe  was  killed 
l  the  action  ;  and  General  Monckton  shot  through  the  body ; 
at  he  is  now  supposed  to  be  out  of  danger.  General  Mont- 
ilmy  and  the  three  next  French  officers  in  command,  were 
illed;  but  I  must  refer  you  to  General  Townshend  (who 
rrites  by  this  opportunity)  for  the  particulars  of  this  action, 
he  stale  of  the  garrison,  and  the  measures  he  is  taking  for 
eeping  possession  of  it  I  am  now  beginning  to  send  on  shore 
be  stores  they  will  want,  and  provisions  for  5000  men  ;  of 
rhich  I  can  furnish  them  with  a  sufficient  quantity. 

The  night  of  their  landing,  Admiral  Hobnes,  with  the  ships 
nd  troops,  was  about  three  leagues  above  the  intended  landing 
•lace :  General  Wolfe,  with  about  half  his  troops,  set  off  in 
>oats,  and  dropped  down  with  the  tide,  and  were,  by  that 
seans,  less  liable  to  be  discovered  by  the  French  centinels, 
totted  alt  along  the  coast.  The  ships  followed  them  about 
hree  quarters  of  an  hour  afterwards,  and  got  to  the  landing- 
tlaoe  just  in  the  time  that  had  been  concerted,  to  cover  their 
anding ;  and  considering  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  the 
apidity  of  the  current,  this  was  a  very  critical  operation,  and 
nary  properly  and  successfully  conducted.  When  General 
Wolfe,  and  the  troops  with  him,  had  landed,  the  difficulty  of 
pining  the  top  of  the  hill  is  scarce  credible :  It  was  very  steep 
n  its  ascent,  and  high,  and  had  no  path  where  two  could  go 
t-breast ;  but  they  were  obliged  to  pull  themselves  up  by  the 
tumps  and  boughs  of  trees,  that  covered  the  declivity. 

2g3 


354  NEW   PICTURE    OF    QUEBEC, 

Immediately  after  our  victory  over  their  troops,  I  sent  ip 
all  the  boats  in  the  fleet  with  artillery,  and  ammunition  ;  aw 
on  the  17th  went  up  with  the  men  of  war,  in  a  disposition  to 
attack  the  Lower  Town,  as  soon  as  General  Townshend&adl 
be  ready  to  attack  the  upper  ;  but  in  the  evening  they  seat  (Ml 
to  the  camp,  and  offered  terms  of  capitulation.  h 

I  have  the  farther  pleasure  of  acquainting  you,  that,  duriig  £ 
this  tedious  campaign,  there  has  continued  a  perfect  good  un- 
derstanding between  the  army  and  navy.  I  have  receives1 
great  assistance  from  Admirals  Dureli  and  Holmes,  &nd  from  all 
the  Captains ;  indeed  every  body  has  exerted  themselves  ii 
the  execution  of  their  duty ;  even  the  transports  have  willing  { 
assisted  me  with  boats  and  people  on  the  landing  the  troops, 
and  many  other  services. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 

Charles  Saunders. 


THE   BATTLE    OF  THE  PLAINS — DEATH    OF   WOLFE. 

Any  one  who  visits  the  celebrated  Plains  of  Abra- 
ham, the  scene  of  this  glorious  fight — equally  rich 
in  natural  beauty  and  historic  recollections — will 
admit  that  no  site  could  be  found  better  adapted  for 
displaying  the  evolutions  of  military  skill  and  dis- 
cipline, or  the  exertion  of  physical  force  and  deter- 
mined valor.  The  battle-ground  presents  almost  a 
level  surface  from  the  brink  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  to 
the  St.  Foy  road.  The  Grande- Allee,  or  road  to  Cape 
Rouge,  running  parallel  to  that  of  St.  Foy,  passed 
through  its  centre, — and  was  commanded  by  a 
field  redoubt,  in  all  probability  the  four-gun  battery 
on  the  English  left,  which  was  captured  by  the  light 
infantry,  as  mentioned  in  General  Townshend's 
letter.  The  remains  of  this  battery  are  distinctly 
seen  near  to  the  present  race-stand.  There  were 
also  two  other  redoubts,  one  upon  the  rising  ground, 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  355 

k  the  rear  of  Mr.  C.  Campbell's  house — the  death 
iene  of  Wolfe — and  the  other  towards  the  St.  Foy 
tod,  which  it  was  intended  to  command.  On  the 
£e  of  the  country  seat  called  Marchmont,  the  pro- 
erty  of  the  Honorable  J.  Stewart,  and  at  present  the 
esidence  of  Mr.  Daly,  Secretary  of  the  Province, 
lore  was  also  a  small  redoubt,  commanding  the 
itrenched  path  leading  to  the  Cove.  This  was  ta- 
en  possession  of  by  the  advanced  guard  of  the  light 
riantry,  immediately  on  ascending  the  heights.  At 
le  period  of  the  battle,  the  Plains  were  without 
mces  or  enclosures,  and  extended  to  the  walls  to 
he  St.  Lewis  side.  The  surface  was  dotted  over 
rith  bushes,  and  the  woods  on  either  flank  were 
lore  dense  than  at  present,  affording  shelter  to  the 
''rench  and  Indian  marksmen. 

In  order  to  understand  the  relative  position  of  the 
wo  armies,  if  a  line  be  drawn  to  the  St.  Lawrence 
pom  the  General  Hospital,  it  will  give  nearly  the  front 
>f  the  French  army  at  ten  o'clock,  after  Montcalm 
tad  deployed  into  line.  His  right  reached  beyond 
he  St.  Foy  road,  where  he  made  dispositions  to  turn 
he  left  of  the  English.  Another  parallel  line,  some- 
what in  advance  of  Mr.  C.  6.  Stewart's  house  on  the 
St.  Foy  road,  will  give  the  front  of  the  British  army, 
lefore  Wolfe  charged  at  the  head  of  the  grena- 
liers  of  the  22d,  40th,  and  45th  regiments,  who  had 
cquired  the  honorable  title  of  the  Louisbourg  Gre- 
iadiers,from  having  been  distinguished  at  the  capture 
rf"  that  place,  under  his  own  command,  in  1758.  To 
neet  the  attempt  of  M  ontcalm  to  turn  the  British  left, 
jreneral  Townshend  formed  the  15th  regiment  en 
wtence,  or  presenting  a  double  front.  The  light 
nfantry  were  in  rear  of  the  left,  and  the  reserve  was 


k 


't 


ft 


356  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

placed  in  rear  of  the  right,  formed  in  eight  sob-  PV 
divisions,  a  good  distance  apart. 

The  English  had  been  about  four  hours  in  posse* 
sion  of  the  Plains,  and  were  completely  prepared  to 
receive  them,  when  the  French  advanced  with  great  ¥ 
resolution.     They  approached  obliquely  by  the  left, 
having  marched  from  Beauport  that  morning.    Oi 
being  formed,  they  commenced  the  attack  with  great 
vivacity  and  animation,  firing  by  platoons.     It  was 
observed,  however,  that  their  fire  was  irregular  and  fc 
ineffective,  whereas  that  of  the  English  was  so  well  di-  & 
rected  and  maintained,  as  to  throw  the  French  into 
immediate  confusion.     It  must  be  stated,  that  al- 
though the  French  army  was  more  numerous,  it  was 
principally  composed  of  colonial  troops,  who  did  not 
support  the  regular  forces  as  firmly  as  was  expected  of 
them.    Montcalm,  on  his  death  bed,  expressed  him- 
self bitterly  in  this  respect.     The  English  troops,  on 
the  contrary,  were  nearly  all  regulars,  of  approved 
courage,  well  officered  and  under  perfect  discipline. 
The  grenadiers  burned  to  revenge  their  defeat  at 
MontmOrenci ;  and  it  was  at  their  head  that  Wolpi, 
with  great  military  tact,  placed  himself  at  the  com-  !■■(! 
mencement  of  the  action.  k 

About  eight  o'clock,  some  sailors  had  succeeded  k 
in  dragging  up  the  precipice  a  light  six-pounder,  £ 
which,  although  the  only  gun  used  by  the  English  in  i 
the  action,  being  remarkably  well  served,  played  p 
with  great  success  on  the  centre  column  as  it  ad-  ^ 
vanced,  and  more  than  once  compelled  the  enemy  to 
change  the  disposition  of  his  forces.  The  French 
had  two  field  pieces  in  the  action.  The  despatches 
mention  a  remarkable  proof  of  coolness  and  presence 
of  mind,  on  the  part  of  troops  who  had  no  hopes  bat 
in  victory,  no  chance  of  safety  but  in  beating  the 


t 


\ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  357 

y — for  had  they  been  defeated,  re-embarkation 
I  have  been  impracticable.  The  English  were 
ed  to  reserve  their  fire  until  the  French  were 
a  forty  yards.  They  observed  these  orders 
strictly,  bearing  with  patience  the  incessant  fire 
;  Canadians  and  Indians.  It  is  also  stated  that 
fe  ordered  the  men  to  load  with  an  additional 
i,  which  did  great  execution, 
e  two  Generals,  animated  with  equal  spirit,  met 

other  at  the  head  of  their  respective  troops 
3  the  battle  was  most  severe.  Montcalm  was 
e  left  of  the  French,  at  the  head  of  the  regi- 
3  of  Languedoc,  Bearne  and  Guienne — Wolfe 
e  right  of  the  English,  at  the  head  of  the  28th, 
he  Louisbourg  Grenadiers.  Here  the  greatest 
ions  were  made  under  the  eyes  of  the  leaders 
i  action  in  the  centre  and  left  was  comparatively 
mish.  The  severest  fighting  took  place  be- 
1  the  right  of  the  race-stand  and  the  Martello 
•s.  The  rapidity  and  effect  of  the  English 
laving  thrown  the  French  into  confusion,  or- 
ivere  given,  even  before  the  smoke  cleared  away, 
arge  with  the  bayonet.  Wolfe  exposing  him- 
t  the  head  of  the  battalions,  was  singled  out  by 

Canadian  marksmen,  on  the  enemy's  left,  and 
lready  received  a  slight  wound  in  the  wrist.  Re- 
ess  of  this,  and  unwilling  to  dispirit  his  troops, 
Ided  a  handkerchief  round  his  arm,  and  putting 
;lf  at  the  head  of  the  grenadiers,  led  them  on 
3  charge,  which  was  completely  successful.  It 
►ought,  however,  with  the  life  of  their  heroic 
r.     He  was  struck  with  a  second  ball  in  the 

;  but  still  pressed  on,  and  just  as  the  enemy 
about  to  give  way,  he  received  a  third  ball  in 
:east,  and  fell  mortally  wounded.    Dear,  indeed, 


i 


358  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

was  the  price  of  a  victory  purchased  by  the  death  of 
Wolfe— of  a  hero,  whose  uncommon  merit  wm 
scarcely  known  and  appreciated  by  his  country,  be- 
fore a  premature  fate  removed  him  for  ever  from  her 
service.  It  might  have  been  said  of  him,  as  of  Mar- 
cellus, 

Ostendent  terris  hunc  tantiim  fata,  neque  ultra 

Esse  sinent     Nimiam  yobis  Romana  propago  J& 

Visa  potens,  superi,  propria  b»o  si  dona  ruisaent 

He  met,  however,  a  glorious  death  in  the  moment 
of  victory — a  victory  which  in  deciding  the  fate  el 
Canada,  commanded  the  applause  of  the  world,  and 
classed  Wolfe  among  the  most  celebrated  Generak 
of  ancient  and  modern  times.  Happily,  he  survived 
his  wound  long  enough  to  learn  the  success  of  the 
day.  When  the  fatal  ball  took  effect,  bis  principal 
care  was,  that  he  should  not  be  seen  to  falL — "  Sap* 
port  me," — said  he  to  an  officer  near  him, — "  let  not 
my  brave  soldiers  see  me  drop.  The  day  is  ours, 
keep  it  !"  He  was  then  carried  a  little  way  to 
the  rear,  where  he  requested  water  to  be  brought 
from  a  neighboring  well  to  quench  his  thirst.  The  . 
charge  still  continued,  when  the  officer — on  whose  [ 
shoulder,  as  he  sat  down  for  the  purpose,  the  ■ 
dying  hero  leaned — exclaiming,  "  They  run  !  they 
run  !" — "  Who  run  ?"  asked  the  gallant  Wolfe, 
with  some  emotion.  The  officer  replied, — "  The 
enemy,  Sir :  they  give  way  every  where  !"— 
"  What  ?"  said  he,  "  do  they  run  already  ?  Pray, 
one  of  you  go  to  Colonel  Burton,  and  tell  hiin 
to  march  Webb's  regiment  with  all  speed  down  to 
St.  Charles  River,  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  fugi- 
tives from  the  bridge. — Now,  God  be  praised,  I  dib 
happy  !"  So  saying  the  youthful  hero  breathed  his 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  359 

1st.  He  reflected  that  he  had  done  his  duty,  and 
e  knew  that  he  should  live  for  ever  in  the  memory 
f  a  grateful  country.  His  expiring  moments  were 
keered  with  the  British  shout  of  victory, 

—  pulchrumque  mori  succurrit  in  armis. 

uch  was  the  death  of  Wolfe  upon  the  Plains  of 
lBRAHAM,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-two  years  !  It 
as  been  well  observed,  that  "  a  death  more  glorious 
ad  attended  with  circumstances  more  picturesque 
sd  interesting,  is  no  where  to  be  found  in  the  an- 
al* of  history."  His  extraordinary  qualities,  and 
ngular  fate,  have  afforded  a  fruitful  theme  of  pane- 
yric  to  the  historian  and  the  poet,  to  the  present 
ay.  How  they  were  appreciated  by  his  gallant 
>mpanions  in  arms,  may  be  learned  by  the  subjoin- 
i  extract  from  a  letter  written  after  the  battle  by 
reneral,  afterwards  Marquess,  Townshend,  to  one  of 
is  friends  in  England  : — "  I  am  not  ashamed  to  own 
>  you,  that  my  heart  does  not  exult  in  the  midst  of 
lis  success.  I  have  lost  but  a  friend  in  General 
Wovfb.  Our  country  has  lost  a  sure  support,  and 
perpetual  honor.  If  the  world  were  sensible  at 
ow  dear  a  price  we  have  purchased  Quebec  in  his 
eath,  it  would  damp  the  public  joy.  Our  best  con- 
olation  is,  that  providence  seemed  not  to  promise 
bat  he  should  remain  long  among  us.  He  was  him- 
elf  sensible  of  the  weakness  of  his  constitution,  and 
letermined  to  crowd  into  a  few  years,  actions  that 
rould  have  adorned  length  of  life."  The  feeling 
rod  affecting  manner  in  which  Wolfe  is  spoken  of 
n  this  letter,  and  its  elegance  of  expression,  confer 
jqual  honor  upon  the  head  and  heart  of  the  ac- 
complished writer.  The  classical  reader  will  agree 
irith  us  in  thinking,  that  he  had  in  his  mind  at  the 


time  the   eulogy   of  Marcellus   which   we  have  ' 
quoted  above. 

The  spot  consecrated  by  the  fall  of  General 
Wolfe,  io  the  charge  made  by  the  grenadiers  upon 
the  left  of  the  French  line,  will  to  the  latest  day  be 
visited  with  deep  interest  and  emotion.  On  tbe 
highest  ground  considerably  in  advance  of  the  Mir* 
tello  Towers,  commanding  a  complete  view  of  lit 
field  of  battle — not  far  from  the  fence  which  divides 
the  race-ground  from  the  enclosures  on  the  east, 
and  opposite  to  the  right  of  the  English — i 
remains  of  a  redoubt  against  which  the  attack  was  di> 
rected  which  Wolfe  so  gallantly  urged  on  by  his  per- 
sonal example.  A  few  years  ago  a  rock  was  pointed 
out,  as  marking  the  spot  where  he  actually  breathed  nil 
last;  and  in  one  of  the  enclosures  nearer  to  the  road  if 
the  well  whence  they  brought  him  water.  It  is 
tinned  in  the  statistical  work  of  Colonel  Bouchettf. 
that  one  of  the  four  meridian  stones,  placed  in 
17»0  by  Major  Holland,  then  Surveyor  General  o( 
CVnada,  "  stood  in  the  angle  of  a  field  redoubt  where 
General  Wolfe  is  said  to  have  breathed  his  last" 
As  lie  had  been  conveyed  a  short  distance  to  the  rent 
after  being  struck  with  the  fatal  ball,  it  must  be  pre- 
sumed that  this  redoubt  had  been  captured  ;  and 
that  the  grenadiers  were  pressing  on,  when  he  receiv- 
ed his  mortal  wound.  This  is  corroborated  by  a  letter 
which  we  have  met  with,  written  after  the  battle  by 
an  officer  of  the  28th  regiment,  serving  at  the  time 
as  a  volunteer  with  the  Louisbourg  Grenadiers  un- 
der Colonel  Murray.  He  speaks  of  the  redoubt  in 
question  as  "  a  rising  ground,"  and  shows  that 
Wolfe  was  in  possession  of  it  previously  to  his  last 
wound  i  "  Upon  the  General  viewing  the  position  of 
the  two  armies,  he  took   notice  of  a  small   rising 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  361 

ind  between  our  right  and  the  enemy's  left, 
zh  concealed  their  motions  from  us  in  that  quar- 
upon  which  the  General  did  me  the  honor  to 
,ch  me  with  a  few  grenadiers  to  take  possession 
lat  ground,  and  maintain  it  to  the  last  extremity, 
?h  I  did  until  both  armies  were  engaged,  and 
i  the  General  came  to  me  ;  but  that  great,  that 
*  memorable  man,  whose  loss  can  never  be  enough 
etted,  was  scarce  a  moment  with  me  till  he  re- 
ed his  fatal  wound." 

"he  place  is  now,  however,  about  to  be  marked 
osterity  by  the  erection  of  a  permanent  memorial, 
mission  has  been  given  to  the  writer  of  this  ac- 
at,  to  announce  the  intention  of  His  Excellency 
Lord  Aylmer  to  erect  a  small  column  on  the 
;  where  Wolfe  expired.  This  act  of  soldier-like 
erosity  will  be  duly  appreciated  ;  and  posterity 
have  at  last  amply  redeemed  their  long  neglect, 
wiped  away  a  reproach  of  more  than  seventy  years 
ition.  The  Monument  in  Quebec,  common  to 
>lfe  and  Montcalm — the  stone  placed  in  the 
uline  Convent  in  honor  of  the  latter — -and  the 
Her  column  on  the  Plains,  died  with  the  blood  of 
>lfe,  will  form  a  complete  series  of  testimonials 
onorable  to  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and  worthy  of 
distinguished  individuals  under  whose  auspices 
f  have  been  executed. 

7he  memorial  on  the  Plains  will  bear  the  follow- 
inscription  : 

HERE    DIED 

WOLFE  : 

IN     THE     ARMS 
OF 

VICTORY. 
H  2 


362 


NEW   PICTURE    OF    QUEBEC, 


DEATH    OF    MONTCALM. 


A  death  no  less  glorious  closed  the  career  of  the  t 
brave  Marquis  De  Montcalm,  who  commanded  the  i 
French  army.      He   was   several  years   older  than  i 
Wolfe,  and  had  served  his   King  with  honor  and  ■■ 
■  success  in    Italy,  Germany,  and  Bohemia,      In  the 
earlier  campaigns  of  this  war  he  had   given  signal 
proofs  of  zeal,  consummate  prudence  and  undaunted 
valor.     At  the  capture  of  Oswego,  he  had  with  his 
own  hand  wrested  a  color  from  the  hand  of  an  Eng- 
lish oth'cer,  and  sent  it  to  be  hung  up  in  the   Cathe- 
dral of  Quebec.     He  had  deprived  the  English  of 
Fort  William  Henry  j  and  had  defeated  General 
Abekcrombie  at  Ticonderoga.     He  had  even  foil- 
ed  Wolfe   himself  at  MoNTMORENcr  ;   and   had 
erected  lines  which  it  was  impossible  to  force.  When, 
therefore,  he  entered  the  Plains  of  Abraham  at  the 
head  of  a  victorious  army,   he  was  in  all  respects  an 
antagonist  worthy  of  the  British  General. 

The  intelligence  of  the  unexpected  landing  of 
Wolfe  above  the  town  was  first  conveyed  to  the 
Marquis  De  Vaudkeuil,  the  Governor  General, 
about  day-break.  By  him  it  was  communicated  1 
without  delay  to  Montcalm.  Nothing  could  ei- 
ceed  the  astonishment  of  the  latter  at  the  intelligence 
— he  refused  at  first  to  give  credence  to  it,  observ- 
ing : — *•  It  is  only  Mr.  Wolfe  with  a  small  party, 
come  to  burn  a  few  houses,  look  about  him  and  re- 
turn." On  being  informed,  however,  that  Woife 
was  at  that  moment  in  possession  of  the  Plains  of 
Abraham.—"  Then,"— said  he,  "they  have  at  last 
got  to  the  weak  side  of  this  miserable  garrison. 
Therefore  we  must  endeavor  to  crush  them  by  oar 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  868 

ers,  and  scalp  them  all  before  twelve  o'clock." 
ssued  immediate  orders  to  break  up  the  camp, 
;d  a  considerable  portion  of  the  army  across  the 
•   St.  Charles,  in  order  to  place  them  between 
ty  and  the  English.     Vaudreuil,  on  quitting 
nes  at  Beauport,  gave  orders  to  the  rest  of  the 
i  to  follow  him.     On  his  arrival  at  the  Plains, 
rer,  he  met  the  French  army  in  full  flight  to- 
i  the  bridge  of  boats  ;  and  learned  that  Mont* 
had  been  dangerously  wounded.     In  vain  he 
ptedto  rally  them — the  rout  was  general —and 
>pes   of  retrieving  the  day,  and  of  saving  the 
'  of  France  were  abandoned. 
:>ntcalm  was  first  wounded  by  a  musket  shot, 
ng  in  the  front  rank  of  the  French  left, — and 
yards  by  a  discharge  from  the  only  gun  in  the 
ssion  of  the  English.     He  was  then  on  horse- 
directing  the  retreat— nor  did  he  dismount  until 
ad  taken  every  measure  to  ensure  the  safety  of 
smains  of  his  army.     Such  was  the  impetuosity 
which  the  Highlanders,  supported  by  the  58th 
lent,  pressed  the  rear  of  the  fugitives, — having 
m  away  their  muskets  and  taken  to  their  broad 
Is, — that  had  the  distance  been  greater  from  the 
of  battle  to  the  walls,  the  whole  French  army 
1  inevitably  have  been  destroyed.     As  it  was, 
roops  of  the  line  had  been  almost  cut  to  pieces, 
i  their  pursuers  were  forced  to  retire  by  the  fire 
the  ramparts.     Great  numbers  were  killed  in 
retreat,   which  was  made  obliquely  from   the 
r  St.  Lawrence  to  the  St.  Charles.     Some  severe 
ing  took  place  in  the  field  in  front  of  the  Mar- 
Tower,  No.  2.     We  are  informed  by  an  officer 
e  garrison,  that,  on  digging  there  some  years  ago, 
mber  of  skeletons  were  found  with  parts  of  sol- 


854  NEW    PICTURE    OF    QUEBEC, 

diers'  dress,  military  buttons,  buckles,  and  other  re- 
mains. 

It  is  reported  of  Montcalm,  when  his  wounds 
were  dressed,  that  he  requested  the  surgeons  in  atten- 
dance to  declare  at  once,  whether  they  were  mortal. 
.  On  being  told  that  they  were  so, — "  I  am  glad  of 
it," — said  he.  He  then  enquired  how  long  he  might 
survive.  He  was  answered, — "Ten  or  twelve  hours, 
perhaps  less."—"  So  much  the  better," — replied  he, 
— ™  then  I  shall  not  live  to  see  the  surrender  of 
Quebec."  On  being  afterwards  visited  by  M,  De 
Ramesay,  who  commanded  the  garrison,  with  the 
title  of  Lieutenant  de  Rot,  and  by  the  Commandant 
de  lioHSsillon,  he  said  to  them — "  Gentlemen,  I 
commend  to  your  keeping  the  honor  of  France. 
Endeavor  to  secure  the  retreat  of  my  army  to-night 
beyond  Cape  Rouge  :  for  myself,  I  shall  pass  the 
night  with  God,  and  prepare  myscif  for  death."  On 
M.  de  Ramesay  pressing  to  receive  his  commands 
respecting  the  defence  of  Quebec,  Montcalm  ei- 
claimerl  with  emotion  : — "  I  will  neither  give  orders, 
nor  interfere  any  further  :  I  have  much  business 
that  must  be  attended  to,  of  greater  moment  than 
your  ruined  garrison,  and  this  wretched  country.— 
My  time  is  very  short — so  pray  leave  me. — I  wish 
you  all  comfort,  and  to  be  happily  extricated  from 
your  present  perplexities."  He  then  addressed  him- 
self to  his  religious  duties,  and  passed  the  night  with 
the  Bishop  and  his  own  confessor.  Before  he  died, 
he  paid  the  victorious  army  this  magnanimous  com- 
pliment ; — "  Since  it  was  my  misfortune  to  be  dis- 
comfited and  mortally  wounded,  it  is  a  great  conso- 
lation to  me  to  be  vanquished  by  so  brave  and 
generous  an  enemy.  If  I  could  survive  this  wound, 
J  would  engage  to  beat  three  times  the  number  of 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  365 

Vuch  forces  as  I  commanded  this  morning,  with  a 
third  of  British  troops." 

Almost  his  last  act  was  to  write  a  letter,  recommend- 
ing' the  French  prisoners  to  the  generosity  of  the  vic- 
tors. He  died  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the 
14th  September ;  and  was  buried  in  an  excavation 
node  by  the  bursting  of  a  shell  within  the  precincts 
rf  the  Ursuline  Convent — a  fit  resting  place  for  the 
refrains  of  a  man  who  died  fighting  for  the  honor  and 
defence  of  his  country. 

Besides  the  similarity  of  their  fete,  there  was  a  re- 
markable coincidence  in  the  prominent  points  of  the 
characters  of  Wolfe  andMoNTCALM.  As  competitors 
Tor  victory  and  fame,  they  had  equal  merit ;  and  both 
eminently  possessed  those  military  qualities  which 
ire  necessary  to  attain  success.  Equally  gallant, 
sealous,  and  devoted  to  their  country — animated  with 
the  same  love  of  glory — they  were  in  other  respects 
similarly  situated.  Each  had  received  literary  cul- 
iration  before  he  entered  the  military  service. 
Wolfe  left  a  widowed  mother,  his  father  having 
died  in  the  same  year, — Montcalm  in  addition  to  a 
mother,  left  behind  him  a  widow  and  children. 
These,  with  an  attachment  to  his  unstained  memory 
which  cannot  be  too  highly  esteemed,  defended  the 
fame  of  Montcalm  from  the  insinuations  contained 
in  the  calumnious  defence  of  the  Intendant  Bigot, 
who  was  arraigned  for  the  mal-practices  of  his  finan- 
cial administration.  They  succeeded  in  fully  vin- 
dicating the  memory  of  their  son  and  husband  ;  and 
their  triumphant  refutation  was  made  by  the  French 
Government  as  public  as  were  the  calumnies. 

It  is  due  to  the  military  character  of  Montcalm 
to  state,  that  he  did  not  at  first  despair  of  the  French 
cause,  notwithstanding  his  own  wounds  and  the  loss 

2h  3 


8 


966  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

of  the  battle.  He  declared  to  the  council  of  war;  mm 
that  twelve  hours  would  suffice  to  re-assemble  the 
troops  at  Cape  Rouge,  and  others  scattered  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  field  of  battle — to  re-unite  them  to  Ifr 
the  beaten  forces,  and  to  those  who  had  not  been  en-  I* 
gaged — and  to  attack  the  victorious  army  with  far  *»■ 
superior  numbers,  before  they  had  secured  then- 
selves  by  entrenchments.  This  spirited  advice  mil 
not  acted  upon  by  the  council  of  war.  Vaudreuil 
commenced  a  disorderly  retreat  towards  Montreal,  is 
by  way  of  Indian  Lorette,  compelling  the  Huronsto  i 
accompany  him  ;  notwithstanding  which  apparent 
act  of  hostility,  the  Indian  Village  remained  unin- 
jured by  the  English. 

There  is  no  record  in  history  of  so  important  a 
victory  being  gained  with  so  trifling  a  loss  on  the 
part  of  the  conquerors.  The  English  had  only  forty 
five  rank  and  file  killed,  and  five  hundred  and  six 
wounded.  The  total  loss,  including  officers  of  all 
ranks,  was  six  hundred  and  sixty-four.  The  loss  of 
the  French  amounted  to  fifteen  hundred  killed,  wound- 
ed and  prisoners,  among  whom  were  many  officers. 

General  Monckton,  who  succeeded  to  the  com- 
mand on  the  fall  of  Wolfe,  was  almost  immediately 
shot  through  the  lungs,  at  the  head  of  the  47th  re- 
giment, where  he  had  been  greatly  distinguished. 
The  command  then  devolved  on  General  Towns- 
hend,  who  had  been  engaged  on  the  left.  Colonel 
Guy  Carleton,  Quarter  Master  General,  received 
also  a  severe  wound  in  the  head.  The  Adjutant 
General,  Major  Barre',  afterwards  Secretary  at  War, 
and  a  distinguished  member  of  the  British  Parlia- 
ment, was  also  wounded. 

The  French  General  Officers  were  even  more  un- 
fortunate.   The  Baron  De  Senezuerges,  second  in 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  367 

fcommand,  was  mortally  wounded,  and  being  taken 
prisoner,  died  on  board  the  fleet  the  next  day. 
The  Baron  De  St,  Ours  also  died  of  his  wounds. 

General  Townshend  had  the  honor  of  finishing 
the  battle  ;  and  preserved  such  an  appearance  of 
Rood  order  and  strength,  that  Bougainville,  who 
£ad  advanced  from  Cape  Rouge  with  two  thousand 
fresh  troops,  thought  it  most  prudent  to  retire.  The 
-battle  of  the  Plains  was,  therefore,  gained — the 
English  remained  masters  of  the  field.  Gene- 
rals Townshend  and  Murray  then  performed  the 
gratifying  duty  of  going  to  the  head  of  every 
regiment,  and  thanking  them  for  their  gallant  con- 
duct. The  following  days  were  employed  in  en- 
trenching the  camp,  and  in  erecting  batteries 
against  the  town.  On  the  17th,  however,  propo- 
sitions were  made,  which  were  accepted  and  ratified 
on  the,  18th,  and  Quebec  surrendered  to  the  British 
arms. 

The  same  day  Lieutenant  Colonel  Murray,  com- 
manding the  Louisbourg  Grenadiers,  with  three 
companies  of  his  battalion,  a  piece  of  cannon,  and  a 
detachment  of  Royal  Artillery,  took  possession  of  the 
Gates  and  of  the  Upper  Town.  The  British  stand- 
ard was  hoisted  on  the  highest  part  of  the  fortifica- 
tions. The  Lower  Town  was  occupied  by  Captain 
Hugh  Palliser,  and  a  body  of  seamen  detached 
by  Admiral  Saunders.  The  French  garrison  march- 
ed out  with  the  honors  of  war,  and  with  the  prisoners 
who  were  not  wounded,  were  embarked  the  next  day 
on  board  of  transports  for  France. 

Thus  was  effected  by  an  inferior  force,  and  without 
any  assistance  from  the  troops  under  General  Am- 
herst, the  surprising  and  almost  miraculous  capture 
of  Quebec, — a  fortress  nearly  impregnable — while 


968  *ct  ncnru  w  gtUfect 

i 

M»  De  Levi,  Governor  of  Moktkial,  was  stiH  •! 
the  heed  of  a  numerous  srmy^while  tbeisrtifisstis* 
were  uninjured,  and  while  the  garrison  ms  in  ctf*» 
munication  with  Bougainville,  and  in  daily  expec*  l^4 
tation  of  being  reinforced  with  men,  stores  and  pit*  1^^, 
visions  by  that  enterprising  officer*  \mi4 

Quebec  having  been  reduced,  General  Tow**  1^ 
Hilt d  sailed  on  his  return  to  England,  with  AdraW 
Saunders.  He  had,  indeed,  accepted  a  eomrii-  frf 
skm  only  to  serve  during*  the  campsjogn,  *nd  tmdat 
the  express  condition  of  returning  at  its  ternmutiot* 
On  their  arrival  in  the  channel,  Saunders.  rssatYsd 
intelligence  of  the  Brest  squadron  having  put  tout 
Instead,  therefore,  of  making  an  English  port,  1* 
hurried  to  reinforce  Admiral  Hawke  with  time  mA 
of  the  line,  in  which  spirited  resolution  he  was  joined 
by  Towhshend,  who  was  his  passenger. 

A  garrison  of  five  thousand  men,  well  fismkhid 
with  provisions  and  stores,  was  left  in  Quebec  under  \&m 
General  Murray. 

General  Monckton  soon  recovered  of  his  woaodi 
at  New- York,  whither  he  had  proceeded,  and  of 
which  he  was  soon  afterwards  Governor. 


LIST 

Of  the  Naval  and  Military  force  on  the  Expedition  agaiast 
.  Quebec,  together  with  the  General  and  Staff  Officers. 

Twenty  ships  of  the  Line,  two  of  fifty  guns  ;  eight  frigates; 
nine  sloops ;  three  ketches  ;  three  fire  ships ;  two  armed  ships; 
one  cutter ;  one  store  ship. 

Charles  Saunders,  Commander  in  Chief,  Vice  Admiral  of 
the  Blue. 

Philip  Durell,  Rear  Admiral  of  the  Red. 
Charles  Holmes,  Rear  Admiral  of  the  White. 


C*I 


■ 


Tt 


Te 

At 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  369 


LAND  FORCES. 


ijor  General  James  Wolfe,  Commander-in-Chief. 

C  Honble.  Robert  Monckton,     } 
Lionels  <  Honble.  George  Townshend,  >  Brigadier  Genls. 

(  Honble.  James  Murray.  ) 

sutenant  Colonel  Guy  Carle  ton,  Quarter  Master  General, 
ijor  Isaac  Barre,  Adjutant  General. 

.      (  Hervey  Smith,  >  Aides  de  Camp  to  the  Com  man 
*"*•  I  Thomas  Bell,     J      der-in-Chiefc 
C  Hi  chard  Guillem,  ") 

Pt8'  i  Hoho.  Srd  Maitland,  \™*™  rfBri^ 
sat.  Henry  Dobson,  J 

P*8*  >  Leslie^  '  \  As8'8tants  to  tne  Quarter  Master  Genl. 

ijor  Patrick  Mackellar,  Chief  Engineer. 

■st  Brigade,        ....    -        General  Monckton, 
Regiments.  Commanding  Officers. 

15th        ....      Major  Irvine, 
43d         -  •  Lieut.  Col.  James, 

48th        ....    Lieut.  Col.  Burton, 
78th        -  -  Lieut.  Coi.  Fraser, 

sond  Brigade,        -        -        General  Townshend, 
28th        -  -         -         Lieut.  Col.  Walsh, 

47th        ...       Lieut.  Col.  Hale, 
60th,  2d  Bat.       -     -  Major  Prevost. 

ird  Brigade,      -        -  General  Murray, 

35th        ....     Lieut  Col. 'Fletcher, 
58th        ...  Major  Agnew, 

60th,    3d  Bat.        -        -       Lieut.  Col.  Young. 

e  Grenadiers  of  the  above  ten  Hegiments,  Lt.  Col.  Carleton. 

n  c  t  •  v.*.  t  c    4.     c       )  Lt.  Col.  Hon.  Wni.  Howe, 

Corp*  of  L,eht  Infantry  from  (         h  R  d  ^ 

be  Repraents  of  the  Line.  $    J?hn  DJUng 
iorps  of  Rangers      •        -         Major  George  Scott. 


HIV   PICTURE    Of    QUEBEC, 


5-i.rI 


§131111111  i    sS 

£j3 


-  c  — oo*- 


■    HI8T0HICAL    RECOLLECTIONS. 


tAnma      W«|  |  - 

T)  »P«»PW      -paptinoAV 

- 

,• 

■3iJS  ■j'«W         p.>pun<.A\ 

- 

3 

-l™fl  "i'PV      -papuTio^ 

" 

M 

■|«.->;)  -H  -f»       1M9M*A 

- 

MsipiiSufl      Tvmjt 

■IiiJO-jepl               "pail'S 

"* 

- 

*WW0Jl»g|  1                    ■P3PaooAY  «*!H  |  * 

\ 

■KJdunno 

-pa||iS  o*i 

<M 

-jcqmnfl 

■papano^BUQ 

- 

■»I!J       1    ■>>  C--    I:   X  -   ^   i ■  *  !»  -  t-     1    S 

pat  jpnn  1  **<***■  *    ■■    sis 

-anmuiua  1  =  -^°«=>"-  =  co 

* 

*M»fa  1  '•»•»  "-  **»*  »*•* 

Si 

-sii.li  sir.| 

««osmo-»o«« 

2 

SI  nil '131  inn-] 

*—  ■*  OfO-  TOO  -Of 

=; 

■SIMEllllI^ 

i 

pun  *u>h 

Hjtrtssto  — occ^ot*rt 

5 

■Slllll.U'liK 

L'J 

luSntig 

qBCaatwil  1  "  ""  "  °  "  u  w      ' 

w 

■KniBjduj 

1 

*B(U3mi3ay 

; 

5 

I 

j 

on 

0 

F   QUEBEC, 

Strength  of  the  French  Army  at  the  Battle  of  Quebec, 
13th  September,  1759. 

Colony  troops 550 

Regt.  of  l.a  Sarre 500 

Reel,  of  T.aoguedoc 550 

Militia  and  1  six  pounder 400 

2000 

Regiment  of  Beam 3S0 

Guienne 360 

Militia 1200 

Regiment  Royal  Houssillon 650 

Colony  Troops C50 


Grand  Total  7520 


The  Natal  Force  of  the  French  consisted  of  the  followiaj 

:■  -t 
King's  Frigates.  Guns.  < 

L'Atalante 60'  '' 

La  Pomoue 32  ' 

MERCHANT    VESSELS.  ■ 

Le  Machault 84 

Le  Seneclere 24  " 

Le  Due  de  Frons&c 24  ',' 

Le  Bienfaisant... 24 

The  lovely  Nancy 84 

La  Chexine 22 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  373 


CHAPTER  THE  SIXTEENTH. 

In  order  to  do  ample  justice  to  the  interesting 
abject  of  which  we  now  treat,  and  satisfied  that  no- 
ling  which  tends  to  illustrate  the  glorious  campaign 
f  1759,  will  be  read  with  indifference  at  the  present 
ay,  we  devote  this  chapter  to  a  selection  from  the  va* 
ious  anecdotes  and  reminiscences,  which  have  been 
anded  down,  relative  to  the  chief  actors  in  the 
ventful  crisis  which  added  another  wreath  to  the 
ational  fame,  and  a  new  Province  to  the  British 
Umpire. 


MEMORABILIA  OF  1759. 

ANECDOTE   OF  MR.   PITT,   AFTERWARDS   EARL  OF   CHATHAM. 

The  following  anecdote  of  Mr.  Pitt,  the  Minister  who  se- 
ected  Wolfe  as  eminently  fit  for  the  command  of  the  expe- 
ition  against  Quebec,  was  communicated  by  his  under  Secretary 
4  State,  Mr.  Wood,  to  a  friend  of  his,  ana  is  a  striking  proof 
►f  his  honesty  and  energy  of  purpose. 

Mr.  Pitt  sought  out  merit  wherever  he  could  find  it ;  and 
cnowing  that  he  could  not  give  General  Wolfe  a  sufficient 
»omber  of  troops,  he  told  him  that  he  would  make  it  up  to  him 
8  well  as  he  could,  by  giving  him  the  appointment  of  all  his 
officers.  Wolfe  sent  in  his  list,  in  which  was  the  name  of  an 
'fficer,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Guy  Carleton,  who  had  unfortu- 
ately  made  himself  obnoxious  to  the  then  King,  by  some  un- 
°arded  expression,  concerning  the  Hanover  troops,  and  which 
ad,  by  some  officious  person,  been  repeated  to  His  Majesty. 

I  2 


9M  .         mr  ncrou  of  grant) 


Lord  Ligonier,  than  OHMiander-in-Chiaf  of  all  Hit  Majestj 
land  forces,  took  in  the  list  to  the  King,  who,  as  he  oxpecti 
made  objections  to  a  particular  name,  and  refused  to  sifi  ti 
commission.  Mr.  Prrr  sent  Lord  Ligonier  into  the  closet  a  f 
cond  time,  with  no  better  success.  His  Lordship  refused  to  go 
a  third  time  at  Mr.  Pitt's  suggestion,  He  was,  however,  ts 
his  plaoe  would  be  Tacant  if  he  did  not ;  and  that,  on  praseati 
the  name  to  the  sovereign,  for  the  third  time,  ho  should  t 
him  the  peculiar  situation  of  the  ataje  of  the  expedition.;  si 
that  in  order  to  make  an y  General  completely  responsible  I 
his  conduct  he  should  be  made  as  mnch  as  possible  inaxenst) 
if  ha  tailed ;  and  that,  in  consequence,  whatever  an  afin 
ontroatri  with  M J  sfrrice  of  conusance,  r<^n*ete4sbjaji 
possible,  be  complied  with.  Lord  Ligonior  wont  in  a  til 
time,  and  told  his  Sovereign,  what  he  was  directed  tossjf/tl 
good  sense  of  this  so  completely  disarmed  his  resentment  ta 
he  signed  the  partienlar  commission  as  be  was  requested.    ; 


GENERAL  WOLF&  '''* 

Otnnal  Jambs  Woxn  was  born  January  tniklTfJ^i 
the  Parish  of  Westerham,  Kent.  The  County  of  York  at 
claimed  the  honor  of  his  birth,  and  there  was  a  dispute  oaf) 
subject.  His  father  was  Lieutenant  General  Edward  Wolf 
who  died  Colonei-in-Chief  of  the  8th  Regiment,  on  the  271 
March,  in  the  same  year  with  his  illustrious  son.  Hecoi 
manded  that  Regiment  at  the  battle  of  Culloden,  in  1745.  B 
was  the  second  son — the  eldest,  Edward,  a  youth  of  great  pr 
mise,  also  entered  the  array,  and  died  young  in  Germai 
Another  brother,  younger  than  James,  is  mentioned  as  bafii 
been  at  Louisbourg. 

In  the  mismanaged  expedition  against  Rocbford,  under  8 
John  Mordaunr,  in  1757,  Wolfe  was  Quarter  Master  Geaef 
with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  in  the  army.  When  tl 
General's  conduct  came  under  examination,  he  was  called  ope 
as  an  evidence  by  both  parties.  The  candor,  precision,  a 
knowledge  of  his  profession,  with  which  he  delivered  it,gaiw 
him  esteem  ;  and  though  only  thirty  years  of  age,  his  miiitsi 
talents  in  conversation  appeared  with  such  lustre  as  reeoi 
mended  him  to  the  patronage  of  the  Ministry,  and  of  His  M 
jesty  George  II.  His  gallant  conduct  at  the  capture 
Louisbourg  completely  established  his  fame,  and  led  to  his  J 
pointment  to  the  command  of  the  expedition  against  Quebb 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  375 

In  personal  appearance  he  was  what  might  he  called  a  plain 
tan.  He  had  a  face  sharp  and  thin,  red  hair,  coarse  skin,  fair 
ttd  freckled.  His  eyes  were  blue  and  benignant,  he  had  a 
nailing  mouth,  and  a  manner  which  assured  you  of  the  plea- 
wt  and  happy  disposition  of  him  that  wore  it. 

Wolfe's  Physician,  Dr.  Hinde,  died  lately  at  Newport, 
Centucky,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years,  He  was 
epresented  in  some  of  the  pictures  of  the  death  of  Wolfe,  as 
seliog  the  fast  ebbing  pulse  of  the  wounded  hero.  General 
(foLFE  was  the  object  of  his  liveliest  recollection,  and  to  his 
atest  days  he  was  accustomed  to  describe  him  as  "a  tall  and 
■boost  person,  with  fair  complexion  and  sandy  hair,  possessing 
Looantenance  calm,  resolute,  confident,  and  beaming  with  in- 
telligence." 

General  Wolfe  was  to  have  been  married  on  his  return  from, 
Quebec  to  a  most  amiable  and  accomplished  lady,  Catherine, 
laughter  of  Robert  Lowther,  Esquire,  of  Westmoreland,  for- 
merly Governor  of  Barbadoes.  Six  years  after  the  death  of 
Wolfe,  she  became  the  wife  of  the  last  Duke  of  Bolton,  and 
lied  in  1809. 

The  letters  of  General  Wolfe,  amounting  to  more  than  two 
pondred,  passed  from  the  hands  of  his  friend  General  Ward, 
hthose  family  lived  at  Westerham,  into  those  of  Mr.  Southey, 
trho  has  written  the  life  of  Wolfe,  published  in  Murray's 
tamily  Library.  We  regret  that  this  work  has  not  yet  fallen 
Into  our  hands.  An  account  of  his  life  was  published  in  1759, 
Igr  Kearsley,  the  Bookseller,  written  by  J.  P.,  Master  of  Arts. 


THE  NIGHT  BEFORE  THE   BATTLE   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

m 

The  late  Professor  Robinson,  of  Edinburgh,  at  that  time  a 
Ifidshipman  in  the  Royal  Navy,  happened  to  be  on  duty  in  the 
%4atin  which  General  Wolfe  went  to  visit  some  of  his  posts 
the  night  before  the  battle.  The  evening  was  line,  and  the 
tone,  considering  the  work  they  were  engaged  in,  and  the 
dooming  to  which  they  were  looking  forward,  was  sufficiently 
impressive.  As  they  rowed  along,  the  General,  wkh  much 
feeling,  repeated  nearly  the  whole  of  Gray's  Elegy, — which 
bad  recently  appeared,  and  was  yet  but  little  known — to  an 
officer  who  sat  with  him  iu  the  stern  of  the  boat,  adding  as  he 
concluded,  %( that  he  would  prefer  being  the  author  of  that 
poem  to  the  glory  of  beating  the  French  to-morrow."  To- 
morrow came,  and  the  life  of  this  illustrious  soldier  was  glo- 


376  NEW   PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

riously  terminated  amidst  the  tears  of  his  friends,  and  the  shoots 
of  his  victorious  army  : — 

"  The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave  !M 

THE  LANDING  PLACE. 

It  appears  from  General  Townshend's  despatch  that  the 
landing  was  effected  somewhat  to  the  eastward  of  the  entrench* 
ed  path,  now  the  winding  road  from  Wolfe's  Cove.  This 
path  after  reaching  Marchmont.  crossed  the  Plains  and  joined 
the  St.  Lewis  road  where  the  entrance  is  at  present  to  the 
course.  The  light  infantry  having  ascended  the  precipice  below 
the  pathway,  dislodged  the  guard,  and  thus  enabled  the  first  ani 
second  divisions  to  make  use  of  the  path,  having  freed  it  from 
its  impediments.  It  was  very  fortunate  that  the  landing  was 
effected  below  the  spot  intended,  as  an  alarm  would  otherwise 
have  been  given,  and  greater  loss  would  have  been  sustained  in 
gaining  the  summit. 

The  following  anecdote  is  abridged  from  Smollett  : 
"  The  French  had  posted  sentries  along  shore,  to  challenge 
boats,  and  give  the  alarm  occasionally.  The  first  boat  bmxf 
questioned  accordingly,  a  Captain  of  Fraser's  Regiment,  who 
had  served  in  Holland,  and  was  perfectly  well  acquainted  with 
the  French  language  and  customs,  answered  to  Qui  vitt  which 
is  their  challenge  word,  La  France.  When  the  sentinel  de- 
manded, «  quel  regiment  ? — the  Captain  replied,  De  la  Heine, 
which  he  knew  by  accident,  to  be  one  of  those  commanded  by 
Bougainville.  The  soldier  took  it  for  granted  it  was  the  ex- 
pected convoy,  and  saying,  Passe,  the  boats  proceeded  without 
further  question.  One  of  the  sentries  more  wary  than  the 
rest,  running  down  to  the  water's  edge,  called  out,  Pourquoi 
est  ce  que  vous  ne  parlez  plus  haul  ? — to  which  the  Captain 
answered,  with  admirable  presence  of  mind,  in  a  soft  tone  of 
voice,  Tai  toi,  nous  serons  entendus.  Thus  cautioned,  the 
sentry  retired  without  further  altercation."  This  officer's 
name  frequently  occurs,  it  was  Captain  Donald  McDonald,  of 
Fraser's  Highlanders. 

ANECDOTE   OF  THE   MOTHER   OF   WOLFE. 

A  little  circumstance,  eloquently  related,  has  been  handed 
down,  which  shows  a  delicacy  of  sentiment,  and  a  justness  of 
thinking,  not  very  commonly  exceeded,  even  among  persons  in 
the  higher  walks  of  life. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  377 

The  mother  of  General  Wolfe  was  an  object  marked  for 
public  commiseration,  by  great  and  poignant  distress.  That 
which  gave  cause  of  general  exaltation,  could  not  but  pierce 
it  er  breast  with  peculiar  sorrow.  In  the  accomplished  officer, 
whom  the  country  and  the  world  admired,  she  had  lost  a  dutiful 
&nd  affectionate  son  ;  doubly  endeared  by  his  high  public  me- 
rit, and  by  the  amiable  virtues  that  adorned  his  private  life. 
Be  was  her  only  son  ;  and  within  a  few  months  she  had  lost 
llis  father  !  The  populace  of  the  village  where  she  lived, 
'Weaterham,  in  Kent,  unanimously  agreed  to  admit  no  illumina- 
tion or  firings,  or  any  sign  of  rejoicing  whatever  near  her  house, 
let*  they  should  seem  by  an  ill-timed  triumph,  to  violate  the 
Baeredness  of  her  grief. 

FUNERAL  CEREMONIES  OF  WOLFE. 

The  remains  of  the  lamented  Hero  were  brought  to  Eng- 
land for  interment,  with  all  houor  and  respect,  on  board  the 
JHoyal  WiUiam,  of  84  guns. 

At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  17th  November,  this 
vessel,  lying  in  Portsmouth  harbor,  fired  two  signal  guns  on 
the  removal  of  the  corpse.    At  eight  o'clock,   the  body  was 
lowered  into  a  twelve  oared  barge,  which  was  towed  by  two 
ether   twelve  oared  barges,  and  attended  by  twelve  more, 
to   the  end  of  the  point,  in  a  train  of  gloomy,  silent  pomp, 
"which  suited  the  melancholy  occasion.    During  the  solemnity, 
ail  the  honors  that  could  be  paid  to  the  memory  of  a  gallant 
officer,  were  rendered  to  the  remains  of  Wolfe.     Minute  guns 
were  fired  from  the  ships  at  Spithead,  from  the  time  of  the 
body's  leaving  the  ship,  to  its  being  landed  on  the  point  at 
Portsmouth,  which  was  one  hour.    The  Regiment  of  Invalids 
was  ordered  under  arms  before  eight  o'clock ;  and  being  joined 
by  a  company  of  the  train  in  garrison  at  Portsmouth,  marched 
from  the  parade  there  to  the  end  of  the  point  to  receive  the 
remains  with  military  honors.     At  nine,  the  body  was  accord- 
ingly landed,  and  placed  in  a  travelling  hearse,  attended  by  a 
mourning   coach,  and  immediately    proceeded  through  the 
garrison.     The  colors  in  the  Fort  were  struck  half  Hag-staff : 
the  bells  were  muffled,  and  rung  in  solemn  concert  with  the 
march.     Minute  guns  were  fired  from  the  platform,  from  the 
entrance  of  the  corpse  to  the  end  of  the  procession.    The 
company  of  the  train  led  the  van,  with  arms  reversed — the 
corpse  next — and  the  Invalids  followed  the  hearse.      They 
conducted  the  body  to  the  Land-port  gate,  where  the  train  open- 

2  i  3 


978  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

ed  to  the  right  and  left,  and  the  hearse  passed  through  then 
on  its  way  to  London. 

Although  there  were  many  thousands  of  people  assembled  oa 
this  occasion,  not  the  least  disturbance  happened.  Nothing 
was  to  be  heard  but  murmuring  and  broken  accents  in  praise 
of  the  dead  Hero.  The  corpse  was  privately  interred  it 
Greenwich,  in  the  family  vault,  on  the  20th  November. 

MONUMENT  ERECTED  TO   THE  MEMORY   OF  GENERAL  WOLFS, 

IN  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY. 

The  subject  is  the  tragic  story  of  the  General's  death  in  the 
very  moment  of  victory.  He  is  represented  in  the  last  agonies 
of  expiring  heroism,  with  his  hand  closing  the  wound  which 
the  ball  that  killed  him  had  made  in  his  breast,  and  falling  into 
the  arms  of  a  grenadier,  who  catches  and  endeavors  to  support 
him  on  his  haunches,  while  with  one  hand  he  holds  his  feeble 
arm,  and  with  the  other  points  to  glory,  in  the  form  of  an  Angel 
in  the  clouds,  holding  forth  a  wreath  ready  to  crown  bin. 
On  the  pyramid,  in  relief,  is  the  faithful  Highland  Serjeant  who 
attended  him,  in  whose  countenance  the  big  sorrow,  at  the 
mournful  sight  of  his  dying  master,  is  so  powerfully  and  pathe- 
tically expressed,  that  the  most  insensible  human  being  cannot 
look  upon  him,  without,  in  some  sort,  sharing  in  his  grief. 

This  monument  does  equal  honor  to  the  artist  who  designed 
it,  and  the  sculptor  by  whom  it  was  executed.  Every  part  is 
masterly.  The  lions  that  rest  upon  the  base,  and  the  wolves' 
heads  that  ornament  the  flanks,  are  animated  ;  but,  above  all, 
the  alt-relief  that  decorates  the  front, and  represents  the  landing 
at  Quebec,  conveys  such  a  lively  view  of  the  horrid  rocks  and 
precipices  which  the  soldiers  had  to  climb,  and  the  sailors  to 
surmount  with  the  cannon,  before  they  could  approach  to  attack 
the  enemy,  that  one  cannot  tell  which  most  to  admire,  the  bra- 
very of  the  troops,  who  could  conquer  under  such  difficulties, 
or  the  art  of  the  sculptor,  who  conld  make  a  representation  so 
striking.  The  inscription  carries  no  marks  of  ostentation,  but 
simply  records  the  facts  in  the  following  words  : 

To  the  memory  of 

James  Wolfe, 

Major  General  and  Commander-in-Chief 

Of  the  British  Land  Forces, 

On  an  expedition  against  Quebec ; 

Who  having  surmounted, 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  879 

By  ability  and  valour, 

All  obstacles  of  art  and  nature, 

Was  slain  in  the  moment  of  victory, 

On  the  13th  of  September,  1759. 

The  Kins:  and  Parliament  of  Great  Britain 

Dedicated  this  monument. 


MONUMENT   IN   WESTERIIAM  CHURCH. 

In  April,  1760,  a  plain  monument  to  the  late  General  Wolfe 
was  erected  in  the  Parish  of  Westerhara,  in  the  County  of 
Kent,  by  some  gentlemen  of  the  vicinity.  In  the  Inscription, 
which  is  here  given,  the  extraordinary  honor  intended  to  his 
memory  by  the  King  and  Parliament  is  alluded  to,  and  the  im- 
propriety of  a  more  expensive  monument  in  that  place  justly 
ihown. 

James 

Son  of  Col.  Edward  Wolfe  and  Henrietta  his  Wife, 

Was  born  in  this  Parish,  January  2nd, 

MDCCXXVII. 

And  died  in  America,  September  the  13th, 

MDCCLIX. 

Whilst  George  in  sorrow  bows  his  laurelled  head, 
And  bids  the  artist  grace  the  soldier  dead  ; 
We  raise  no  sculptur'd  trophy  to  thy  name, 
Brave  youth !  the  fairest  in  the  list  of  fame. 
Proud  of  thy  birth,  we  boast  th'  auspicious  year, 
Struck  with  thy  fall,  we  shed  a  general  tear ; 
With  humble  grief  inscribe  one  artless  stone, 
And  from  thy  matchless  honors  date  our  own  ! 

I  DECUS   I  NOSTRUM. 
CHARACTER   OF  WOLFE  BY   SMOLLETT. 

The  death  of  General  Wolfe  was  a  national  loss,  universally 
lamented.  He  inherited  from  nature  an  animating  fervor  of 
sentiment,  an  intuitive  perception,  an  extensive  capacity,  and 
a  passion  for  glory,  which  stimulated  him  to  acquire  every 
species  of  military  knowledge  that  study  could  comprehend, 
that  actual  service  could  illustrate  and  confirm.  This  noble 
warmth  of  disposition  seldom  fails  to  call  forth  and  unfold  the 
liberal  virtues  of  the. soul.    Brave  above  all  estimation  of  dan- 


380  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

ger,  he  was  also  generous,  gentle,  complacent,  and  humane: 
the  pattern  of  the  officer,  the  darling  of  the  soldier :  there  wv 
a  sublimity  in  his  genius  which  soared  above  the  pitch  of  ordi« 
nary  miuds  ;  and  had  his  faculties  been  exercised  to  their  foil 
extent  by  opportunity  and  action,  had  his  judgment  been  folly' 
matured  by  age  and  experience,  he  would,  without  doubt, 
have  rivalled  in  reputation  the  most  celebrated  Captains  of 
antiquity. 

CHARACTER  OF  MONTCALM. 

The  ensuing  sketch  of  Montcalm  is  extracted  from  Manuel'* 
L*  Annee  Francaise : 

"  Ce  sont  les  sacrifices  faits  a  la  societe  qui  donnent  dtf 
droits  au  souvenir  de  la  posterite  ;  elle  ne  peut  point  oublier  et 
General.  II  est  ne,  il  a  vecu,  et  il  est  mort  dans  les  camp? 
Son  education  n'en  fut  pas  moins  soignee.  II  apprit  la  langot ' 
d'Hom£re  avant  de  prendre  la  lance  d'Achille.  Son  esprit  M 
developpoit  comme  son  courage  ;  et  egalement  propre  aux  bfr 
failles  et  aux  academies,  son  tiesir  etoit  d'unir  aux  lauriersde 
Mars  les  palmes  de  Minerve.  Mais  la  guerre  occupa  presqae 
toute  sa  vie  ;  avec  des  talens  et  de  1'activite,  on  l'appeloit  par 
tout  ou  il  falloit  commander  et  se  battre. .  Chaque  grade  fut 
marque  par  des  blessures ;  et  en  tres  peu  de  terns,  il  merita 
d'etre  a  la  tete  des  troupes  dans  l'Amerique  septentrienale. 
C'est  la  que  se  sont  montrees  les  qualites  de  ce  Capitaine — c'est 
la  qu'il  a  fait  voir  a  quel  degre  il  reunissoit  la  bravoure  da 
soldat  et  la  grandeur  d'ame  du  heros,  la  prudence  du  conseilet 
la  celerite  de  l'execution  ;  le  sang  froid  que  rien  n'altere,  cette 
patience  que  rien  ne  rebute,  et  cette  resolution  courageuse  qui 
ose  repondre  du  succes  dans  des  circonstances  ou  la  tiraide 
speculation  aurait  a-  peine  entrevu  des  resources.  C'est  la 
qu'au  milieu  dessauvages  dont  il  etoit  devenu  le  pere,  on  l'avu 
se  plier  a  leurcaractere  feroce,  s'endurcir  aux  memes  travaux, 
et  se  restreindre  aux  aiemcs  besoins,  les  apprivoiser  par  la 
douceur,  les  attirer  par  la  confiance,  les  attendrir  par  tous  les 
soins  de  Phumilite,  et  faire  dominer  le  respect  et  I'amoursur 
des  aines  egalement  indociles  aujougde  l'obeissanceetau  freia 
de  la  discipline.  C'est  la  que  des  fatigues  et  des  dangers  sans 
nombre  n'ont  jamais  rallenti  son  zele ;  tantot  present  a  des 
spectacles  dont  1'  idee  seule  fait  fremir  la  nature  ;  tantot  expose 
a  manquer  de  tout,  et  souvent  a  mourir  de  faim.  Reduit 
pendant  onze  mois  a  quatre  onces  de  pain  par  jour,  mangeant 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  381 

hot  oheval  pour  donner  l'exemple,  il  fat  le  meme  dans  tous  les 
feint,  satisfait  de  toot  endurer. 

"  Un  des  Chefs  Canadians  etonne  que  celui  qui  faisoit  des 
Artodiges  fut  d'une  petite  taille,  s'ecria  la  premiere  fois  qu'il  le 
At-— •"  Ah !  que  tu  es  petit  !  mais  je  vois  dans  tes  yeux  la 
tetear  du  chene,  et  la  vivacite  des  aigles." 

translation  of  a  Letter  from  M.  de  Bougainville,  Member  of 
the  Academy  of  Sciences,  to  the  Right  Honorable  William 
Pitt. 


The  honors  paid,  during  your  Ministry,  to  the  memory  of 
Mr.  Wolfe,  give  me  room  to  hope  that  you  will  not  disapprove 
ftf  the  grateful  efforts  made  by  the  French  troops  to  perpetuate 
fche  memory  of  the  Marquis  de  Montcalm.  The  corpse  of  that 
General,  who  was  honored  with  the  regret  of  your  nation,  is 
buried  at  Quebec.  I  have  the  honor  to  send  to  you  an  Epitaph 
■rhieh  the  Academy  of  Inscriptions  and  Belles  Lettres  have 
wrote  for  him  ;  and  I  would  beg  the  favor  of  you,  Sir,  to  read 
it  over,  and  if  there  be  nothing  improper  in  it,  to  procure  me 
ft  permission  to  send  it  to  Quebec,  engraved  in  marble,  to  put 
orer  the  Marquis  de  Montcalm's  tomb.  If  this  permission 
thoald  be  granted,  may  I  presume,  Sir,  to  entreat  the  honor  of 
m  line  to  acquaint  me  with  it,  and  at  the  same  time  to  send  me 
a,  passport,  that  the  engraved  marble  may  be  received  on  board 
of  an  English  vessel,  and  that  Mr.  Murray,  Governor  of  Que- 
bec, may  give  leave  to  have  it  put  up  in  the  Ursuline  Church. 
I  ask.  pardon,  Sir,  for  taking  off  your  attention,  even  for  a  mo- 
ment, from  your  important  concerns  :  but  to  endeavour  to 
immortalize  great  men  and  illustrious  citizens,  is  to  do  honor 
to  you. 

I  am,  &c. 

BOUGAINVILLE. 

Paris,  March  24,  1761. 

Mr,  Pitt's  Answer. 
Sib, 

It  is  a  real  satisfaction  to  me  to  send  you  the  King's  con- 
sent on  such  an  interesting  subject,  a  very  handsome  Epitaph 
drawn  by  the  Academy  of  Inscriptions  at  Paris,  for  the  Marquis 
de  Montcalm,  which  is  desired  to  be  sent  to  Quebec,  engraved 
on  marble,  to  be  set  up  on  the  tomb  of  the  illustrious  warrior. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  383 

Hostis  acer,  Victor  Mansuetus. 

Fortuuam  virtute,  virium  inopiam,  peritia 

Et  celeritate  compensavit, 

Imminens  Colonise  Fatum  et  conditio  et  man  a  per 

quadriennium  sustiouit. 

Tandem  ingentem  exercitum  Duce  strenuo  et 

audaci, 
Claesemque  omni  bellorum  mole  gravem, 
Multiplici  prudentia,  diu  ludificatus, 
Vi  pertractus  ad  dimicandum, 
In  prima  acie,  in  primo  conflictu,  vulneratus, 
Religion?,  quam  semper  coluerat,  in ni tens, 
Magno  suorum  desiderio,  nee  sine  hostium 

moerore  extinct  us  est. 

Die  XIV.  Septem.  A.  D.  M.DCC.LIX. 

Mtat.  XLVIII. 

Mortales  optimi  Ducis  exuvias,  in  excavata  humo, 

Quam  Globus  bellicus  decidens,  desiliensque 

defoderat, 

Galli  lugentes  deposuerunt 

Et  geaerostt  Hostium  fidei  commendarunt. 

[TRANSLATION.] 

HERE  L1ETH, 

In  either  hemisphere  to  live  for  ever, 

Lewis    Joseph   de    Montcalm  Gozon, 

Marquis  of  St.  Veran,  Baron  of  Gabriac, 

Commander  of  the  Order  of  St.  Lewis, 

Lieutenant  General  of  the  French  army. 

Not  less  an  excellent  citizen  than  soldier ; 

Who  knew  no  desire  but  that  of  true  glory. 

Happy  in  a  natural  Genius,  improved  by  literature  ; 

Having  gone  through  the  several  steps  of  military  honors 

With  an  uninterrupted  lustre, 

Skilled  in  all  the  arts  of  war, 

The  juncture  of  the  times,  and  the  crisis  of  danger ; 

In  Italy,  in  Bohemia,  in  Germany, 

An  indefatigable  General : 

He  so  discharged  his  important  trusts, 

That  he  seemed  always  equal  to  still  greater. 

At  length  grown  bright  with  perils, 

Sent  to  secure  the  Province  of  Canada 

With  a  handful  of  men, 


384  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

He  more  than  once  repulsed  the  enemy's  forces. 
And  made  himself  master  of  their  Forts 
Replete  with  troops  and  ammunition. 
Inured  to  cold,  hunger,  watching*  and  labours, 
Unmindful  of  himself, 
He  had  no  sensation,  but  for  his  soldiers: 
An  enemy  with  the  fiercest  impetuosity; 
A  victor  with  the  tenderest  humanity, 
Adverse  fortune  he  compensated  with  valour ; 
The  want  of  strength,  with  skill  and  activity; 
And,  with  his  counsel  and  support 
For  four  years  protracted  the  impending 
Fate  of  the  Colony. 
Having  with  various  artifices 
Long  baffled  a  great  army, 
Headed  by  an  expert  and  intrepid  commander, 
And  a  fleet  furnished  with  all  warlike  stores, 
Compelled  at  length  to  an  engagement, 
He  fell,  in  the  first  rank,  in  the  first  onset, 
Warm  with  those  hopes  of  Religion 
Which  he  had  always  cherish'd ; 
To  the  inexpressible  loss  of  his  own  army, 
And  not  without  the  regret  of  the  enemy's. 
XIV.  September,  A.  D.  M.DCC.LIX. 
Of  his  age  XLVIII. 
His  weeping  countrymen 
Deposited  the  remains  of  their  excellent  General  in  a  grave; 
Which  a  fallen  bomb  in  bursting  had  excavated  for  him, 
Recommending  them  to  the  generous  faith  of  their  enemies. 


M.   DE   BOUGAINVILLE. 

This  gentleman,  having  served  with  much  reputation  under 
Montcalm,  afterwards  became  a  naval  officer,  and  will  be 
placed  by  impartial  posterity  in  the  first  rank  of  circumna- 
vigators. His  merits  have  been  considered  as  nearly  eqaal 
to  those  of  the  celebrated  Captain  Cook,  whose  precursor 
he  was.  He  was  scarcely  twenty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
the  surrender  of  Quebec,  although  at  that  early  age  in  com- 
mand of  nearly  two  thousand  men.  lie  was  warmly  attached 
to  Montcalm ;  which  was  evinced  by  his  well  known  applica- 
tion to  Mr.  Pitt,  respecting  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  that 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS  385 

General.  Bougainville  was  afterwards  Vice  Admiral,  a  Sena- 
tor ;  and  was  finally  killed  by  a  revolutionary  mob  at  Paris,  on 
the  10th  August,  1792. 

MARQUIS  DE  VAUDREUIL. 

This  nobleman's  father  had  also  been  Governor  General  of 
all  New  France.  The  son,  who  surrendered  Montreal  to 
General  Amherst,  had  been  a  Captain  in  the  Navy.  There 
was  a  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil,  who  commanded  the  French  fleet 
in  the  West  Indies,  about  1783,  to  whom  Admiral  Lord  Hood 
was  opposed.  If  this  was  the  same  person  with  the  Governor 
General,  he  must  at  the  latter  date  have  been  between  seventy 
and  eighty  years  of  age. 

GENERAL  M0NCKT0N. 

Brigadier  General  the  Honorable  Robert  Monckton  was 
the  second  son  of  the  first  Viscount  Gal  way,  by  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  John  Duke  of  Rutland,  who  died  in  1730,  at  the 
early  age  of  21,  leaving  four  children.  General  Monckton 
was  of  about  the  same  age  as  Wolfe. 

The  family  of  Monckton  is  of  great  antiquity,  having  been 

{possessed  of  Nun  Monckton,  in  Yorkshire,  near  Boroughbridge, 
ong  previous  to  1326,  when  it  became  a  Nunnery,  called  after 
the  family.  In  1454  they  acquired  the  Manor  of  Cavil,  which 
still  remains  in  the  family. 

General  Monckton  was  appointed  Governor  of  New- York, 
in  1761.  In  1762,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
eighteen  Regiments,  destined  for  the  attack  on  Martinique, 
which  was  reduced.  He  afterwards  possessed  himself  by 
capitulation  of  the  whole  of  the  Windward  Islands.  He 
died  in  1782,  a  Lieutenant  General  in  the  Army.  His  young  • 
er  brother,  the  Honorable  John  Monckton,  died  at  the  pa- 
triarchial  age  of  91,  at  his  seat,  Fineshead  Abbey,  Northamp- 
tonshire, on  the  2nd  January,  1830.  He  was  Colonel  in 
the  army,  and  was  dangerously  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
the  Plains,  under  the  immortal  Wolfe.  In  the  celebrated 
picture  by  West  of  the  death  of  General  Wolfe,  the  portrait 
of  Colonel  Monckton  is  represented  in  the  group  of  officers 
supporting  the  body  of  the  dying  General. 

2  K 


886  MEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

GENERAL  T0WN8HEND. 

The  family  of  General  Townshend  settled  in  England  doriig 
the  Reign  of  Henry  I. ;  and  obtained  the  Manor  of  Rayohtt, 
in  the  County  of  Norfolk,  which  has  ever  since  remained  thi 
chief  seat  of  their  descendants. 

•  General  George  Townshend,  was  the  eldest  son  of  Chirla, 
third  Viscount  Townshend,  and  was  born  on  the  28th  Febru- 
ary, 1724,  being  three  years  older  than  Wolfe.  He  had  send 
in  the  battles  of  Dettingen,  Culloden,  and  Lafeldt,  previously  to 
that  of  Quebec.  In  1767,  he  was  appointed  Lord  Lieutenant  of 
Ireland,  where  he  is  still  remembered  for  the  gaiety  of  bis 
court,  and  the  humour  and  kindness  of  his  disposition.  It 
1787,  he  was  created  Marquess  Townshend.  He  died  a  Field 
Marshal,  and  Colonel  of  the  2nd  Dragoon  Guards,  in  1807, 
aged  83. 

GENERAL  MURRAY. 

Brigadier  General  the  Honorable  James  Murray  was  of  so 
ancient  Scottish  family.  He  was  fifth  son  of  the  fourth  Lord 
Elibank.  After  the  capture  of  Montreal,  he  was  for  some 
years  Governor  of  the  Province.  His  published  documents 
show  hirn  to  have  been  a  man  of  keen  enquiry  and  observation, 
just  and  impartial  in  his  Government,  though  rather  hasty  in 
his  temper.  He  was  also  at  another  peiiod  Governor  of 
Minorca.  He  died  a  General  in  the  Army, in  June  1794,leav- 
ing  a  son,  Colonel  James  Patrick  Murray. 

COLONEL  CARLETON. 

Colonel  Guy  Carleton,  afterwards  created  Lord  Dor- 
chester, and  a  Knight  of  the  Bath,  was  descended  from  an 
Jrish  family  of  respectable  antiquity.  He  was  born  at  Newry, 
in  1722.  lie  was  many  years  Governor  of  this  Province,  ana 
is  remembered  with  the  greatest  esteem.  In  May,  1772,  he 
married  Maria,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Effingham,  and  died 
in  1808,  aged  86. 

ACCOUNT   OF  SIR   WILLIAM  JOHNSON. 

The  services  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  a  sell  taught  General, 
like  Lord  Clive,  were  equally  useful  and  important,  during 
the  many  campaigns  in  which  he  was  engaged  in  North  Anie- 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  387 

•  On  two  occasions  he  had  captured  the  commanders  of 
enemy  whom  he  fought,  and  had  materially  crippled  their 
per.  As  a  reward  for  these  great  services,  he  was  raised  to 
rank  of  Major  General  in  the  Army,  from  being  a  provincial 
ser,  and  received  a  Parliamentary  grant  of  £5000,  to  which 
;  Majesty  added  the  title  of  Baronet.  Throughout  the  war 
proved  himself  a  most  active  and  skilful  partisan,  display- 
peculiar  talent  for  that  species  of  warfare  best  calculated 
the  woods  and  swamps  of  America.  His  strict  integrity, 
ciliating  manners,  and  perfect  acquaintance  with  the  man- 
8  of  the  aborigines,  gave  him  great  influence  over  the 
liaas  and  provincial  troops,  whom  he  managed  so  as  to  ren- 
-  them  eminently  useful  to  the  service.  He  was  a  native  of 
land,  and  had  been  early  sent  to  America  by  his  uncle,  Sir 
fcer  Warren,  to  manage  an  estate  which  he  had  purchased 
re.     His  decendants  remain  in  this  Province. 


The  following  was  the  opinion  of  an  Indian  Sachem,  at  the 
se  of  the  campaign  of  1759  : — "  The  English,  formerly 
men,  are  now  turned  men  ;  and  are  thick  all  over  the  coun- 
as  the  trees  in  the  woods.  They  have  taken  Niagara, 
taroqui,  Ticonderoga,  Louisbourg,  and  Quebec,  and  they 
1  soon  eat  the  remainder  of  the  French  in  Canada^  or  drive 
m  out  of  the  country." 


POETICAL   TRIBUTES. 

Among  the  many  tributes  with  which  the  periodical 
blications  of  the  day  teemed,  we  have  extracted 
few  of  some  poetical  merit  : 

THE   TOMB   OF  WOLFE. 

Here  rests  from  toil,  in  narrow  bounds  confin'd, 

The  human  sh<4l  of  a  celestial  mind  : 

Who  once,  with  splendor,  fill'd  a  scene  so  large, 

And  took  the  fate  of  Empires  in  his  charge. 

A  Hero,  with  a  Patriot's  zeal  inspir'd — 

By  public  virtue,  not  by  passion  fir'd : 

A  Hero,  disciplin'd  in  wisdom's  school, 

In  action  ardent,  in  reflection  cool : 

In  bloom  of  years,  who  gained  a  glorious  name, 

And  reap'd,  betimes,  the  harvest  of  his  fame. 


388  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

Before  Quebec  he  charg'd  the  daring  foe, 
And  quick  as  lightning  struck  the  fatal  blow: 
By  active  valor  made  the  day  his  own, 
And  liv'd  to  see  his  country's  foe  o'erthrown. 
Crown'd  by  just  Vict'ry,  drew  his  latest  breath, 
As  wont  to  smile  on  danger,  smil'd  on  death  ; 
And,  having  bravely  for  his  country  fought. 
Died  nobly  as  he  wish'd,  and  calmly  as  he  ought, 
The  troops  around  him  shar'd*  a  glorious  grief, 
And  while  tbey  gather'd  laurels,  wept  their  Chief— 
Their  Chief !  to  whom  the  great  Montcalm  gave  way, 
And  fell,  to  crown  the  honors  of  the  day  ! 

acrostic. 

G  reatest  in  fame  !  and  to  thy  country  dear  ! 

E  ternal  honors  must  surround  thy  bier. 

N  o  power  of  language  can  thy  worth  express, 

£  nquiring  nations  hear,  admire,  and  bless  ! 

B  equiting  kingdoms  pour  the  loud  applause, 

A  nd  Bourbon  owns  in  sighs,  how  just  the  cause. 

L  et  France  exult  in  thy  too  hasty  doom, 

W  e'll  hang  immortal  trophies  o'er  thy  tomb. 

O  !  could  the  Muse  fulfil  her  high  desire, 

L  oud  to  rehearse  the  praise  thy  deeds  inspire, 

F  or  Britain's  glory  she'd  expend  her  breath, 

E  nraptur'd  sing  thy  life,  or  weeping  mourn  thy  death ! 


On  the  dispute  between  York  and  Kent  as  to  the  birth 

place  of  Wolfe. 

Around  the  world  when  Homer's  genius  shone, 
And  Ilium  stooped  to  Homer's  chief  alone  : 
When  peaceful  Ithaca  Ulysses  sought, 
And  spread  that  wisdom  which  the  Poet  taught — 
Contending  cities  then,  inspir'd  by  fame, 
To  Homer's  birth  advanc'd  their  eager  claim. 
.Not  with  less  pride,  each  county  now,  behold  ! 
Among  her  sons  has  gallant  Wolfe  enroll'd  : 
Was  there  a  bard  like  Homer  to  rehearse 
His  glorious  deeds — they  ask  no  meaner  verse — 
His  own  Achilles  rivall'd  he  might  tell, 
Whilst  in  Quebec  a  second  Ilium  fell  ! 


WITH   HISTORICAL    RECOLLECTIONS.  389 


FRASER'S   HIGHLANDERS,    OR   78TH    REGIMENT. 

There  are  in  Canada  so  many  interesting  recol- 
lections connected  with  the  78th  Regiment,  or 
Fraser's  Highlanders,  that  we  have  endeavored 
to  obtain  the  best  information  relative  to  this  gallant 
corps,  many  of  whom,  as  well  officers  as  men,  after- 
wards  settled  in  these  Provinces, 

About  ten  years  after  the  battle  of  Culloden,  which 
terminated  the  unfortunate  Rebellion  of  1745,  Mr. 
Pitt,  observing  with  a  liberal  and  statesman-like  eye 
the  high  spirit  of  loyalty  towards  those  who  placed 
confidence  in  them,  which  was  the  distinguishing 
characteristic  of  the  Highland  clans,  resolved  to 
employ  them  in  the  foreign  service  of  Great  Britain, 
under  the  command  of  officers  chosen  from  the  most 
esteemed  Scottish  families.  He  knew  the  chiefs 
could  be  depended  upon  where  their  faith  was  en- 
gaged ;  and  he  was  aware  of  the  devotion  with  which 
the  clansman  followed  the  fortunes  of  his  Chieftain. 
The  experiment  succeeded  to  the  fullest  extent ;  and 
Mr.  Pitt  had  the  merit  of  drawing  into  the  British 
service  a  hardy  and  intrepid  race  of  men,  who  served 
the  Crown  with  fidelity,  who  fought  with  valor,  and 
who  conquered  for  England  in  every  part  of  the 
world. 

Following  up  this  enlightened  policy,  in  1757, 
the  Honorable  Simon  Fraser,  who  had  himself  been 
engaged  in  the  rebellion,  and  whose  father,  Lord 
Lovat,  had  been  beheaded  for  high  treason  on 
Tower  Hill,  was  appointed  Lieutenant  Colonel  Com- 
tnandant  of  a  Battalion,  to  be  raised  upon  the  for- 
feited estate  of  his  own  family,  then  vested  in  the 
Crown.     Without  estate,  money,   or  influence,  be- 

2k3 


9M*        -■■■■■  imr  ntmnrr  -  rr  wrr— ti\  \  •■• 


yond  &e  hereditary  attachment  of  his  cb% 
Matter  of  Lotat  found  himself  ia  a  few: 
head  of  eight  hundred  men,  entirely  recruited  Mr! 
himself!  His  kinsmen,  officers  of  the  regiment,  m , 
the  tfentlemeA  of  the  country  around*  added*  amA] 
htrodred  more.  The  battalion  was  thus  fonmi^j 
thirteen  companies  of  one  hundred  and  five 
each,  making  in  all  one  thousand  four  hundted«i 1 
sixty  men,  including  tizty-fire  Serjeants,  and  tU# 
pipers  and  drummers. 

They  were  a  splendid  body  of  men, 
wards  carried  the  military  reputation  of  their  nattoft 
to  the  highest  pitch  ;  and  by  the  temperance  and  nA 
deration  of  their  general  behavior,  gave  every  whns 
B'favorable  impression  of  the  sons  of  the  monntaii 
and  the  flood.  In  all  their  movements  ther  waar 
attended  by  their  Chaplain— the  Reverend  nonklf 
Macphebsok,  who  was  called  by  them  Caipal  M$^ 
from  his  large  stature.  They  wore  the  fulllljgh* 
land  dress,  with  musket  and  broad  sword.  Many  of 
the  soldiers  added  at  their  own  expense  the  dirk,  and 
the  purse  of  otters'  skin.  The  bonnet  was  raised 
or  cocked  on  one  side,  with  a  slight  bend  inclining 
down  to  the  right  ear,  over  which  were  suspended 
two  or  more  black  feathers.  Eagles'  or  hawks'  fea- 
thers were  worn  by  the  officers. 

Fraser's  Highlanders  were  highly  distinguish- 
ed at  the  capture  of  Louisbourg,  in  1758 — at  the 
battles  of  Montmorenci,  and  the  Plains  of  Abraham, 
in  1759— and  of  Sillery,  in  1760.  At  the  battle  of 
the  Plains,  the  loss  of  Fraser's  Highlanders 
amounted  to  three  officers,  one  Serjeant,  and  four- 
teen rank  and  file  killed — ten  officers,  seven  Ser- 
jeants, and  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  rank  and 
file,  wounded.     The  disproportion  in  the  number  of 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  891 

;le  killed  to  that  of  the  wounded,  must  be  ascribed  to 
the  irregular  and  unsteady  fire  of  the  enemy,  which 
was  put  a  stop  to  on  the  charge  of  the  British. 

At  the  battle  of  Sillery,  in  1760,  fell  the  gallant 
Captain  Donald  McDonald,  who  had  been  so  high- 
ly distinguished  at  the  landing  at  Wolfe's  Cove,  and 
to  whose  presence  of  mind  and  knowledge  of  French, 
%VB8  in  a  great  measure  owing  the  success  of  the  at- 
tempt. He  was  brother  to  the  Scottish  Chief,  called 
the  Captain  of  Clanronald  ;  and  was  a  highly  ac- 
complished officer  and  gentleman.  The  regiment 
also  suffered  very  severely  at  the  battle  of  Sillery. 
Two  officers  and  fifty-five  non-commissioned  officers 
and  privates  were  killed — twenty-seven  officers,  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  non-commissioned 
officers  and  privates,  wounded.  * 

The  regiment  was  quartered  alternately  in  Canada 
and  Nova  Scotia,  until  the  conclusion  of  the  war, 
when  great  numbers  settled  in  the  Provinces.  From 
them,  in  1775,  were  raised  the  Highland  Emigrants, 
commanded  by  Colonel  Maclean,  a  regiment  which 
was  of  great  service  during  the  invasion  by  the 
Americans,  in  1775. 

During  six  years  in  North  America,  Fraser's 
Highlanders  continued  to  wear  the  kilt  both  winter 
and  summer.  They,  in  fact,  refused  to  wear  any 
other  dress,  and  their  men  were  more  healthy  than 
other  regiments  which  wore  breeches  and  warm  cloth- 
ing-   

The  French  had  formed  the  most  frightful  and  absurd  notions 
of  the  Sauvages  fPEcossetsis  they  called  them.  They  believed 
they  would  neither  give  nor  take  quarter,  and  that  they  were 
80  nimble,  that  as  no  man  could  catch  them,  so  nobody  could 
escape  them — that  no  one  had  a  chance  against  their  broad 
•words — that  with  a  ferocity  natural  to  savages,  they  made  no 
prisoners,  and  spared  neither  man,  woman,  nor  child. 


LIST 
Of  tht  Qffioers  of  Fbabbe's  HraauNMas, 

dated,  5th  January,  1757. 

LORrnofAirr  coram.  comujffDAlrr.  ■     :   •'" 
Honorable  8imon  Fraeer,  died  Lienteaaat  Oaooral,  \m  1MV 

MAJORS. 

James  Clephane. 

John  Campbell,  of  Dunoon,  ifternrii  Iieerteaaflt  Galad 
Coinmanding  tht  Campbell  Highlander*  in  Geraaany.        I  I) 

1 

CAPTAINS.  -    It 

John  MaePherson,  brother  of  Clunie. 

John  Campbell,  of  Baltimore,  ■  ..  <..r 

Simoo  Fraser,  of  Inverloeby,  killed  on  the  heights  of  Aka* 
ham,  1759. 

Donald  Macdonald,  brother  of  Claaronald,  killed  at  W*!% 
1760, 

John  iKaodontll  of  Lochfanr,  afterwards  lieatenaat  GeV 
nel  of  the  76th,  or  Macdonald**  Regiment,  died  in  lVa\ 
Colonel. 

Alexander  Cameron,  of  Dnngallon. 

Thomas  Ross  of  Culrossie,  killed  on  the  heights  of  Abrshf 

Thomas  Fraser,  of  Strui. 

Alexander  Fraser,  of  Culduthel. 

Sir  Henry  Seton,  of  Abercorn,  Baronet. 

James  Fraser,  of  Belladrum. 

Simon  Fraser,  Captain  Lieutenant,  died  a  Lieutenant  Geat- 
ral,  in  1812. 

LIEUTENANTS. 

Alexander  Macleod. 
Hugh  Cameron. 

Ronald  Macdonald,  of  Keppoch. 
Charles  Macdonel),  of  Glengarry,  killed  at  St.  John's. 
Roderick  Macncill,  of  Barra,  killed  on  the  Heights  of  Abra- 
ham. 
William  Macdonell, 
Archibald  Campbell,  son  of  Glenlyon. 
John  Fraser,  of  Balnaiu. 

Hector  Macdonald,  brother  to  Boisdale,  killed  in  1759. 
Allan  Stewart,  son  of  Innernaheill. 
John  Fraser.  h 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  393 

Alexander  Macdonell,  son  of  Barrisdale,  killed  on  the  heights 
P  Abraham. 
Alexander  Fraser,  killed  at  Louisbourg. 
Alexander  Campbell,  of  Aross. 
John  Douglass. 
John  Nairn. 

Arthur  Rose,  of  the  family  of  Kilravock. 
Alexander  Fraser. 

John  Macdonell,  of  Leeks,  died  at  Berwick,  1818. 
Goftmo  Gordon,  killed  at  Sillery,  1760. 
David  Baillie,  killed  at  Louisbourg. 
Charles  Stewart,  son  of  Colonel  John  Roy  Stewart. 
Ewen  Cameron,  of  the  family  of  Glenevis. 
Allan  Cameron. 

John  Cuthbert,  killed  at  Louisbourg. 
Simon  Fraser. 

Archibald  Macalister,  of  the  family  of  Loup. 
James  Murray,  killed  at  Louisbourg. 
Donald  Cameron,  son  of  Fassafearn,  died  on  half* pay,  1817. 

ENSIGNS. 

John  Chisholm. 
John  Fraser,  of  Erroggie. 
8imon  Fraser. 
James  MacKenzie. 

Malcolm   Fraser,  afterwards  Captain,  84th  Regimeut,  or 
lighland  Emigrants. 
Donald  Macneill. 
Henry  Munro. 

Hugh  Fraser,  afterwards  Captain,  84th  Regiment. 
Alexander  Gregorson,  Ardtornish. 
James  Henderson. 
Robert  Menzies. 
John  Campbell,  killed. 

Chaplain,  Reverend  Robert  Macpherson. 

Adjutant,  Hugh  Fraser. 

Quartermaster,  John  Fraser. 

Surgeon,  John  Maclean. 

ANECDOTE   OF  FRASER's   HIGHLANDERS. 

In  a  publication  of  the  day  it  is  stated,  that  an  old  Highlan- 
Ji%  a  gentleman  of  seventy  years  of  age,  who  accompanied 
laser's  Regiment  as  a  volunteer,  was  particularly  noticed  for 


394  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

the  dexterity  and  force  with  which  he  wielded  his  claymort, 
when  his  Regiment  charged  the   enemy.     On  two  occasieat 
small  parties  of  them  were  ordered,  at  the  battle  of  the  Plaiaa, 
to  advance,  sword  in  hand,  and  drive  the  sharpshooters  out  if 
some  brushwood  on  the  right,  from  which  they  galled  ourliaa.  L| 
It  was  from  the  right  that  General  Wolfe  was  first  wouoddL 
This  old  man's  conduct  particularly  attracted  the   notice  #i 
General  Tovvnshend,  who  sent  for  him  after  the  engagement, 
and  praising  his  gallaut  behaviour,  expressed  surprise  that  he 
should  leave  his  native  couutry  at  such  ac  advanced  age,  and 
follow  the  fortune  of  war.     He  was  so  struck  with  the  old 
man's  magnanimity,  that  he  took  him  to  England  along  with 
him,  and   introduced  him  to   Mr.  Pitt.     The  Minister  pre- 
sented him  to  the  King,  who  was  graciously  pleased  to  gilt 
him  a  commission,  with  leave  to  retire  on  full-pay.    This  ges- 
tlemau  was  Malcolm  Macpubrson,  of  Phoiness,  in  the  Count? 
of  Inverness.     A  long  and  ruinous  law  suit,  and  as  lie  himaeff 
said,  a  desire  of  being  revenged  on  the  French  for  their  trea- 
cherous promises,  in  1745,  made  him  take  the  field  as  a  soldier 
in  his  old  age.     A  near  relation  of  his  of  the  same  .name,  whet 
well  advanced  in  years,  (for  he  had  also  joined  the  Rebellion, 
in  1745,)  acted  nearly  in  a  similar  manner.     In  the  year  1770 
he  went  to  India  as  a  Cadet,  and  living  to  a  great  age,  attained 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant  General,  and  died  there  in  1815,  leav- 
ing a  handsome  fortune  to  his  relations  in  Badenoch. 


STORY   OF   LIEUTENANT   CHARLES   STEWART. 

The  officer,  who  was  wounded  at  Sillery,  had  been  engaged 
in  the  Rebellion  of  1745,  aud  was  in  Stewart  of  Appin's  Re- 
giment, which  had  seventeen  officers  and  gentlemen  of  the 
name  of  Stewart,  killed,  and  ten  wounded,  at  Culloden.  Char- 
les Stewart  was  severely  wounded  on  that  occasion,  as  he  was 
at  Sillerv.  As  he  lay  in  his  quarters  some  days  after  that  un- 
fortunate affair  under  General  Murray,  speaking  to  some  bro- 
ther  officers  on   the    recent  battles,  he  exclaimed, — "From 


I 


April  battles,  and  Murray  Generals,  good  Lord,  deliver  me!"  > 
He  alluded  to  his  wound  at  Culloden,  where  the  vanquished  A* 
blamed  Lord  George  Murray,  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 


Ff: 


rebel  army,  for  lighting  on  the  best  ground  in  the  country  for  |^, 
regular  troops,  artillery,  and  cavalry.     In  like  manner  he  al- 
luded to  General  Munay,  who  had  marched  out  of  garrison  to 
attack  an  enemy  treble  his  numbers, also  in  an  open  field.  Ooe  jty 


'( 


I 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  395 

those  story  retailers)  who  are  sometimes  about  head-quarters, 
Id  the  disrespectful  prayer  of  the  rebellious  clansman.  But 
raeral  Murray,  who  was  a  man  of  humor  and  of  generous 
nd9  called  upon  the  wounded  officer  the  following  morning, 
d  heartily  wished  him  better  deliverance  in  the  next  battle, 
■en  he  hoped  to  give  him  occasion  to  pray  in  a  different 
inner. 


ANECDOTE  OP  CAMPBELL,  YOUNGER  SON  OF  GLEN  LYON. 

This  gentleman,  a  Lieutenant  in  Fraser's  Highlanders, 
bad  been  out,"  in  1745,  as  had  his  father,  the  Laird  of 
lenlyoo,in  1715.  But  his  elder  brother  had  entered  the  Royal 
no  v,  and  was  a  Lieutenant  in  the  old  Black  Watch.    After 

•  father's  death,  in  1746,  the  Royalist  officer,  nowGlenlyon, 
as  ordered  with  a  party  of  men  to  garrison  his  own  house,  and 

•  aid  in  seising  all  concealed  rebels.  His  brother  was  iu  this 
tuation,  and  lying  hid  in  a  deep  den  above  Glenlyon  House, 
ring  supplied  with  provisions  by  his  sisters  and  friends.  On 
M  occasion,  owing  to  some  interruption,  he  had  not  seen  his 
•ters  for  two  nights  ;  and  leaving  his  hiding  place  rather  too 
irly  in  the  evening  of  the  third  night  under  the  influence  of 
nnger,and  in  the  hope  of  seeing  some  of  them,  he  was  observ- 
i  by  his  brother  and  some  English  officers,  who  were  walk- 
ig  about.  The  brother,  afraid  of  a  discovery,  pretending  to 
ive  the  alarm,  directed  the  officers  to  call  out  the  soldiers  im- 
aediately,  while  he  kept  the  rebel  in  sight.  He  ran  after  him, 
tnd  called  out  to  his  brother,  in  Gaelic,  to  run  for  his  life,  and 
9  take  to  the  mountains.  When  the  party  made  their  appear- 
race,  no  rebel  was  to  be  seen  ;  and  the  unfortunate  outlaw  was 
Bore  careful  in  future.  Ten  years  afterwards,  he  was  appoint- 
tftD  Fraser's  Highland  Regiment,  along  with  several  others 
silo  had  been  engaged  iu  the  Rebellion,  and  was  shot  through 
the  body  at  the  battle  of  Sillery  Wood,  iu  1760. 


The  following  interesting  and  honorable  anecdote  is  told 
f  Fraser'8  Highlanders.  It  is  related  from  the  words  of 
ta  venerable  Mr.  Thompson,  who  was  present  at  the  battle  of 
lontmorenci : 

M  General  Murray,  being  in  want  of  funds  to  'carry  on  his 
bTernment  during   the   winter,  summoned  all  the  officers 


396  NEW   PICTURE    OF   QUEBEC, 

and  enquired  if  they  had  any  money,  and  if  their  soldiers  had 
any  money  that  they  could  lend  to  the  Governor  until  the  m* 
plies  arrived  from  England  in  the  spring.  We  were  told  of  tM 
wants  of  the  Governor,  and  the  next  day  we  were  paraded, 
every  man,  aud  told  that  we  should  receive  our  money  baft, 
with  interest,  as  soon  as  possible  ;  and  in  order  to  prevent  uy 
mistake,  every  man  received  his  receipt  for  his  amount,  ami  far 
fear  he  should  lose  it,  the  Adjutant  went  along  the  ranks,  nd 
entered  in  a  book  the  name  and  sum  opposite  to  every  nut; 
and,  by  the  Lord  Harry  !  when  they  came  to  count  it  up,  the? 
found  that  our  regiment  alone,  Fraser's  Highlanders,  had 
mustered  six  thousand  guineas  !  It  was  not  long  after  we 
had  lent  our  money,  that  one  morning  a  frigate  was  sees 
coming  round  Pointe  Levi  with  supplies.  We  were  sooo  af- 
terwards mustered,  and  every  man  received  back  his  mosey 
with  twelve  months  interest,  besides  the  thanks  of  the  Gene- 
ral." 

BATTLE  OF  BIONTMORENCI. 

The  remarkable  story  of  Captain  Ochterlony  and  Lin- 
tenant  Peyton  of  the  Royal  American  Battalion,  tending  * 

happily  to  the   honor  of  British  sol<iiers,   has  been  often  pab- 
lished.     It  is  to  be  found  in  JSmoixett,  in  Smith's  Canada, and 
in  ^illiman's   Tour.     The  sequel  is  not  so  generally  known; 
and  is  here  related  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Thompson,  at  the  | 
time  belonging  to  the  Regiment :  J 

STORY    OF  SERJEANT    ALLAN    CAMERON.  j 

"  As  our  company  of  grenadiers  approached,  I  distinctly  saw  j 
Montcalm  on  horseback  riding  backwards  and  forwards.  He  « 
seemed  very  busy  giving  directions  to  his  meu,  and  I  heard  him 
give  the  word  to  lire.  Immediately  they  opened  upon  us,  and 
killed  a  good  many  of  our  men,  I  don't  recollect  how  many. 
We  did  not  fire,  for  it  would  have  been  of  no  use,  as  theytcert 
completely  entrenched,  and  we  could  only  see  the  crown  ofthtir 

heads." "  We  were  now  ordered  to  retreat  to  our  boats, 

that  had  been  left  afloat  to  receive  us ;  and  by  this  time  it  was 
low  water,  so  that  we  had  a  long  way  to  wade  through  the 
mud.  A  Serjeant  Allan  Cameron,  of  our  company,  seeing  a 
small  battery  on  our  left  with  two  guns  mounted,  and  appa- 
rently no  person  near  it,  thought  he  would  prevent  its  doingus 
any  mischief  on  our  retreat,  so  he  picked  up  a  couple  of  bayo* 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  397 

to  that  lay  on  the  beach,  and  went  alone  to  the  battery,  when 
lie  drove  the  points  of  them  into  the  vents  as  hard  as  he  could, 
-Mid  then  snapped  them  off  short. 

•    M  When  the  French  saw  us  far  enough  on  the  retreat,  ther 
■cent  their  savages  to  scalp  and  tomahawk  our  poor  fellows  that 
Jay  wounded  on  the  beach.    Among  the  number  was  Lieute- 
nant Pktton  of  the  Royal  American  Battalion,  who  was  se- 
verely wounded,  and  had  crawled  away  as  far  as  the  pains  he 
endured  would  allow.    After  the  savages  had  done  their  bu- 
aineee  with  the  poor  fellows  that  lay  nearest  to  the  French 
batteries,  they  went  back,  except  two  who  spied  Lieutenant 
Pktton,  and  thought  to  make  a  good  prize  or  him.    He  hap- 
pened to  have  a  doubled  barrelled  fusil,  and  ready  loaded,  and 
at  he  had  seen  how  the  savages  had  treated  all  the  others  that 
eame  into  their  clutches,  he  was  sure  that  if  they  got  the  better 
nf  him,  they  would  butcher  him  also.    Fortunately  his  pre- 
sence of  mind  did  not  forsake  him,  and  he  waited  until  the  first 
■avage  came  near  enough,  when  he  levelled  his  fusil,  and 
brought  him  to  the  ground  ;  the  other  savage  thinking  that 
the  Lieutenant  would  not  have  time  to  reload,  rushed  in  upon 
him  boldly  with  his  tomahawk  ready  to  strike,  when  Lieute- 
nant Peyton  discharged  his  fusil  right  into  his  chest,  and  he 
fell  dead  at  his  feet.    We  saw  no  more  of  the  savages  after 
that,  at  least  on  that  occasion ;  but  we  saw  enough  of  them 
afterwards. 

"  While  poor  Lieutenant  Peyton  lay  upon  the  ground  al- 
most exhausted  from  his  exertions  and  loss  of  blood,  he  was 
accosted  by  Serjeant  Cameron,  who  had  no  other  means  of 
helping  him  than  carrying  him  away  ;  and  he  was  well  able  to 
do  it,  for  he  was  a  stout,  strong,  tall  fellow.  He  slung  the 
Lieutenant's  fusil  over  his  shoulder  along  with  his  own,  and 
took  him  on  his  back,  telling  him  to  hold  fast  round  his  neck. 
As  he  had  a  long  way  to  carry  him,  he  was  obliged  every  now 
and  then  to  lay  him  down  in  order  to  take  breath,  and  to  give 
the  Lieutenant  some  ease,  as  his  wcund  was  exceedingly  pain- 
ful. In  this  way  he  got  him  at  last  to  one  of  the  boats,  and  lay- 
ing him  down,  said,  "  Now  Sir,  I  have  done  as  much  for  you  as 
lay  in  my  power,  and  I  wish  you  may  recover."  It  so  happened, 
that  in  returning  to  camp,  the  Lieutenant  was  taken  to  the 
Isle  of  Orleans,  and  Cameron  to  Pointe  Levi. 

"  After  some  time  Lieutenant  Peyton  was  considerably  re- 
covered from  his  wounds,  and  he  sent  an  officer  over  to  Pointe 
Levi  to  Cameron,  to  say  that  he  wished  to  see  him.    Cameron 

2  L 


told  tb#  oJaosr,  that  ha  would  oot  go,  *  Why  ?"  am  t» 
oJaosr,  to  Ganucon--"  Why,  *>  y«t  drink,  Sir,  I  woold  leui 
ounp  without orders T*  Thb  wasoat  of  deMoncy tohitfteV 
iafpk  Tha  offioer  then  procured  a  pasty  and  brought  fit-to 
Cameron,  who  at  last  oooaanUd  to  go  o?w  to  the  Jslsei 
lientanant  Perron  said  ho  was  extremely  glad  to  see  Aim 
aad.  to  thank  him  for  the  Tory  mat  serrioea,  ha  had  readsni 

;  and  that' ~ 


Jum  in  preserving  his  life ;  aad  that  if  erer  it  was  in  his  sow 
he  wonld  give  him  substantial  proof  of  tha.  obligation iaaar 
which  ha  lay.  Wu  wtra  order**  to  tha  rodaotion  of  MoatiW 
in  tha  spriiig  of  thenar!  year,  which  eapitalated  withontaar 
icing  a  shot  From  Montreal,  Cameron  was  ordered  to-Btv 
Ton,  whara  ha  reoeired  an  Bnsigacy  in  a  oorpaof  Jtanjon 
throogh  tha  means  of  liairtsnaat  FBraaif'a  frianda,9* 

~  TbeFinnehandlonnedt^ 

pftha6inwoya#<f£coaH,asthay  oJnfalAam.  Thaypehaiai 
ttey  wottl&neither  gite  nor  take  quarter*  and  that  jlhey*rmf 
so  nimble,  that  as  no  aaan  eonid-  oatoh  ti^am*  s*(  imbed*  *annV 
aasapa tham  that  no  one  bed  a  ohauos  aanine*  dmUnaeJ 
awocufr-**Jurt  with  Jinmoftp^^ 
prisoners,  and  spared  noithar  aaan,  women,  nor  eMd.     /v . 


i 

|d 
k 


\ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS  399 


CHAPTER  THE  SEVENTEENTH. 

ARRIVAL  OF  THE  NEWS  IN  ENGLAND — CRONOLOGICAL 

SERIES   OF   OCCURRENCES. 

The  public  mind  in  England,  which  had  been 
greatly  depressed  by  the  news  of  the  failure  of 
Wolfe  at  Montmorenci,  was  elevated  in  an  equal 
degree  by  the  intelligence  of  the  victory  of  the 
Plains,  and  of  the  subsequent  surrender  of  Quebec 
Colonel  Hale,  who  was  the  bearer  of  General 
Townshend's  despatches,  and  Captain  James  Doug- 
las, of  the  Alcide,  who  brought  those  of  the  Admiral, 
arrived  in  London  on  Tuesday,  16th  October.  It 
was  the  day  of  the  publication  of  the  London  Gazette, 
and  in  the  Extraordinary  of  that  date,  the  Ministry 
had  ordered  for  publication  the  previous  despatches, 
detailing  the  less  fortunate  operations  of  the  army, 
down  to  the  2nd  September,  which  had  been  receiv- 
ed only  two  days  before.  The  satisfaction  with 
which  they  received  the  glorious  accounts  brought 
by  Colonel  Hale,  on  the  same  evening  with  the  pub- 
lication of  the  Gazette,  may  be  well  imagined. 

The  first  feeling  which  pervaded  all  ranks,  and 
reached  every  part  of  the  kingdom,  was  that  of  joy 
and  exultation  at  the  success  of  the  British  arms 
-—the  next  was  a  deep  national  regret  at  the  fall  of 
the  accomplished  Wolfe.     Their  joy  was  shown  by 


400  NEW  PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 

the  most  splendid  public  illuminations — and  their 
mourning  by  wreaths  of  black  crape  intermingled 
with  the  laurel,  wherever  the  national  colors  were 
elevated.  Exactly  the  same  display  of  feeling  was 
made  on  the  death  of  the  immortal  Nelson,  in  1805, 
A  day  of  public  thanksgiving  was  set  apart  by  au- 
thority for  the  signal  success  of  His  Majesty's 
Arms.  Dr.  Louth  preached  before  the  King  at 
the  Chapel  Royal.  The  Sermon  before  the  House 
of  Lords  was  preached  by  the  Bishop  of  Wor- 
cester— before  the  House  of  Commons  by  Dr. 
Dayrell.  A  great  many  sermons  preached  on  this 
occasion  were  published  in  various  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. Addresses  of  congratulation  were  presented  to 
the  King  from  both  houses  of  the  English  Parlia- 
ment— from  the  Parliament  of  Ireland,  which  was 
first  in  Session — from  the  city  of  London  which  set 
the  example  on  this  occasion — from  the  Universities 
— and  from  the  principal  corporations  throughout  the 
kingdom.  The  House  of  Commons  addressed  His 
Majesty  to  erect  a  national  Monument  to  the  me- 
mory of  Wolfe,  in  Westminster  Abbey  ;  which 
was  carried  into  effect,  and  to  this  day  remains  an 
object  of  patriotic  interest  and  exultation.  The 
thanks  of  the  Commons  of  England  were  also 
voted  to  the  officers  and  men  engaged  in  this  memo* 
rabie  achievement.  Subscriptions  were  set  on  foot 
to  alleviate  the  distresses  of  the  widows  and  orphans 
of  those  who  fell  in  the  battle — a  life  of  General 
Wolfe  was  published  by  Kearsley — the  Muses 
were  invoked  to  celebrate  and  immortalize  the  hero 
himself — a  Greek  Ode,  EIIINIKIOS,  was  published 
— and,  in  short,  every  demonstration  of  national  pride 
and  gratitude  was  made  by  a  grateful,  an  exulting, 
and  highly  excited  people. 


I 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  401 

Captain  James  Douglas  received  from  His  Ma- 
jsstt  the  honor  of  Knighthood,  and  shortly  after- 
wards was  appointed  to  a  higher  command  in  the 
Leeward  Islands.  Colonel,  afterwards  General,  Hale 
obtained  a  commission  to  raise  a  regiment  of  Light 
Dragoons ;  and  each  received  a  gift  of  five  hundred 
pounds  to  purchase  a  sword.  Admiral  Saunders 
was  made  Lieutenant  General  of  Marines,  and  ap- 
pointed to  a  command  in  the  Mediterranean.  Ad- 
miral Holmes  received  the  command  of  the  Jamaica 
Fleet.  The  Generals  were  also  promoted — but  the 
scanty  rewards  of  that  period  are  not  to  be  put  in 
competition  with  the  liberality  which  a  long  and  glo- 
rious war,  has,  in  our  day,  in  a  manner  compelled 
the  nation  to  evince  in  the  distribution  of  honors  and 
rewards.  None  of  the  Generals  received  the  Order 
of  the  Bath, — which,  however,  was  soon  afterwards 
worthily  conferred  upon  Admiral  Saunders.  It  is, 
indeed,  apparent  from  contemporary  evidence,  that 
the  limited  rewards  of  the  Ministry  on  this  glorious 
occasion  excited  remark  at  the  time.  General  Blake- 
net  had  been  made  a  Knight  of  the  Bath,  and  an 
Irish  Peer,  with  a  pension  of  £1000  per  annum,  for 
giving  up  Minorca.  Prince  Ferdinand  had  been 
rewarded  for  the  battle  of  Minden  with  £2,500  per 
annum,  a  richly  ornamented  sword  of  great  value, 
besides  a  gratification  of  £20,000,  and  the  Knight- 
hood of  the  Garter.  It  is  remarkable  with  reference 
to  the  battle  of  Minden,  that  this  word  has  been 
lately  inscribed  upon  the  colors  and  appointments  of 
certain  Regiments  present  on  that  occasion  ;  while, 
we  believe,  no  Regiment  of  those  engaged  in  an 
achievement  as  glorious  to  the  British  Arms  as  any 
recorded  in  its  annals,  bears  among  its  insignia  the 
name  of  Quebec  ! 

2  k  3 


402  NEW  PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 


The  following  chronological  series  of  occurrences 
in  England  connected  with  the  acquisition  of  ike 
Province,  and  the  reception  of  the  news  during 
the  eventful  years  1759  and  1760,  has  been  extrac- 
ted from  contemporary  publications,  as  possessing 
considerable  interest  for  the  curious  reader  : 

OCCURRENCES   IN   ENGLAND    1759 — 1760. 

Wednesday,  \bth  February,  1759. 
Sailed  from  Spithead,  Admiral  Holmes,  in  the  Somerset, 
of  70  guns,  with  the  Northumberland  74,  Terrible  74,  Trident 
64,  Intrepid  64,  Medway  60,  and  the  Maidstone,  Adventure, 
Diana,  Trent,  Europe,  Vestal,  Euros,  Boreas,  and  Crescent, 
frigates,  with  60  sail  of  transports,  supposed  for  New-Yobk. 

Saturday,  17/A> 
Admiral  Saunders,  after  being  made  Vice  Admiral  of  the 
Blue,  and  hoisting  his  flag  accordingly,  sailed  from  Spithead 
for  Louisbourg,  having  in  his  squadron  the  following  ships  : 
Neptune,  90  guns,  Royal  William  84,  Shrewsbury  74,  Warspite 
74,  Orford  70,  Alcide  64,  Stirling  Castle  64,  Dublin  74,  and 
Lizard  20 ;  Scorpion  sloop,  the  Baltimore,  Pelican,  and  Race- 
horse bombs ;  and  the  Cormorant,  Strombolo,  and  Vesuvius 
fire  ships. 

Promotions  in  January,  1 759. 
Lieutenant  Henry  Caldwell,  of  Colville's  Regiment,  to  be 
Assistant  Quarter  Master  General  in  North  America. 

February,  1759. 

John  Hale,  Esquire,  to  be  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  47th 
Regiment  of  foot,  and  to  rank  as  Colonel  in  America  only. 

Paul  us  iBmilius  Irving,  Esquire,  to  be  Major  in  the  15th 
Regiment  of  foot. 

Colonel  George  Townshend,  to  be  Brigadier  General  in 
America. 

March,  1759. 
Hector  Theophilus  Cramahe,  Esquire,  to  be  Deputy  Judge 
Advocate  in  North  America. 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  403, 

April,  \7  59. 
Captain  Christie,  to  be  Deputy  Quarter  Master  General  in 
Ifortn  America,  with  the  rank  of  Major. 

Wednesday,  9Mh  September,  1759, 
The  last  advices  from  General  Wolfe's  Army,  are  dated, 
July  12th,  advising  :    "  That  he  had  landed  all  his  Army  at 
Pointe  Levi,  fronting"  the  upper  end  of  Quebec,  on  a  rising1 

Gound  :  at  the  extremity  of  which  point  he  had  erected  two 
tteries,  one  of  twenty  twenty-four  pounders, and  the  other  of 
eighteen  mortars.  These  batteries  overlook  the  Lower,  and 
are  npon  a  level  with  the  Upper  City,  distant  from  the  former 
three-fourths  of  a  mile.  The  camp  is  pitched  in  a  vale  at  the 
inner  part  of  this  point,  a  full  mile  from  the  batteries  ;  notwith- 
standing which  the  cannon  from  the  ramparts  of  the  Upper 
City  throw  their  shot  a  full  half  mile  beyond  their  tents.  The 
14th  July,  the  batteries  were  to  be  played  off,  and  three  sixty 
gun  ships  were  appointed  to  attack  a  small  encampment,  and 
some  batteries  and  outworks  at  the  lower  end  of  the  city,  whilst 
the  centre  of  the  place  is  entertained  with  three  three-deckers, 
and  two  bomb-ketches."  And  as  our  Commanders,  both  by 
sea  and  land,  are  men  of  merit  and  approved  courage,  little 
doubt  can  be  made  of  their  being  in  possession  of  that  city  long 
before  this  time. 

Promotions  in  September,  1759. 
Jeffrey  Amherst,  Esquire,  to  be  Major  General* 

Tuesday,  \6th  October,  1759. 

This  day  an  extraordinary  Gazette  was  published  containing 
letters  from  General  Wolfe,  dated  September  2nd,  and  from 
Admiral  Saunders,  dated  September  5th. 

The  same  evening  arrived  Colonel  John  Hale,  and  Captain 
James  Douglas  from  Quebec,  with  other  letters  to  Mr.  Secre- 
tary Pitt,  containing  an  account  of  the  surrender  of  Quebec. 

Wednesday,  1 7th. 
H.  R.  H.  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Royal  family,  with 
the  most  of  the  nobility  in  town,  waited  upon  His  Majesty  at 
Kensington,  to  pay  their  compliments  on  the  joyful  news  of 
taking  Quebec.  The  Park  and  Tower  guns  were  fired,  flags 
every  where  displayed  from  the  steeples,  and  the  greatest  illu- 
minations were  made  throughout  the  city  and  suburbs  that 
were  ever  known. 


4tt4  ifstr  picmmt  *t  QtmsEc, 

Daring  the  illuminations  this  evening,  the  following  iejeris* 
dons  appeared ;  \ 

The  only  fiver  of  Victory, 

The  renewed  lustre  of 
The  British  name.  '  * 

General  Jambs  Worn, 

who 

Dauntless,  but  deliberate, 

Under  numerous  difficulties* 

September  Soft,  1759.  : '£ 

Engaged  to  employ  bis  little  Amy,        

For  the  honor  and  interest    -    '  ' 
Of  hit  country ; 
And 
In  a  few  days  after,   ; 
Gloriously  fulfilled  his  promise, 

At  the  expense  of  his  life. 


**■' 


t  »■ 

t.r 


»-w 


\k 


Saturday,  20th. 

This  day  the  Bight  Honorable  the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen, 
and  Common  Council  of  the  City  of  London,  waited  on  .His 
Majesty,  and  being  introduced  by  the  Right  Honorable  Mr. 
Secretary  Pitt,  made  their  compliments  in  the  Address,  el  . 
which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

"  Above  all,  the  conquest  of  Quebec,  in  a  manner  so  glorioej 
to  your  Majesty's  Arms,  against  every  advantage  of  situation 
and  superior  numbers,  are  such  events,  as  will  for  ever  render 
your  Majesty's  auspicious  reign  the  favorite  era  in  the  history 
of  Great  Britain. 

"  But  whilst  we  reflect  with  surprise  and  gratitude  upon  this 
last  and  most  important  conquest,  permit  us,  Most  uracioot 
Sovereign,  to  express  our  great  regret  for  the  immense  (though 
almost  only)  loss  which  has  attended  it,  in  the  death  of  that 
gallant  General,  whose  abilities  formed,  whose  courage  attempt-  jE 
ed,  and  whose  conduct  happily  effected  the  glorious  enterprise 
in  which  he  fell,  leaving  to  future  times  an  heroic  example  ef 
military  skill,  discipline  and  fortitude." 


i; 


* 


h 


I 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  405 

Saturday  t 26th, 
A  proclamation  was  issued  for  a  Public  Thanksgiving,  to  be 
observed  on  Thursday,  the  29th  November  next,  throughout 
England  and  Wales. 

Tuesday,  30th. 
His  Majesty  has  been  pleased  to  order  a  present  of  £500  to 
ir  James  Douglas,  Captain  of  the  Alcide  man  of  war;  and  the 
sum  to  Colonel  Hale,,  who  brought  the  account  of  the 
"faking  of  Quebec, 


The  French  Ministers  are  in  such  dread  of  popular  resent- 

aaent,  that  they  have  recourse  to  the  grossest,  and  most  direct 

ialsehoods,  merely  to  conceal  for  a  time  what  cannot  fail  to  be 

known  at  last,  so  that  they  have  even  caused  Te  Deum  to  be 

gang  for  the  defeat  of  the  English  before  Quebec,  at  the  very 

time  they  knew  it  was  taken. 

Tuesday  >  November  13M,  1759. 

This  day  Parliament  was  opened  by  Commission.  In  the 
speech  the  capture  of  Quebec  was  alluded  to  in  these  terms  : — 
*  The  conquest  of  so  many  important  places  in  America,  with 
the  defeat  of  the  French  Army  in  Canada,  and  the  reduction  of 
their  capital  city  of  Quebec,  effected  with  so  much  honor  to 
the  courage  and  conduct  of  His  Majesty's  officers  both  at  sea 
and  land,  and  with  so  great  lustre  to  his  intrepid  forces.'' 

The  Addresses  in  answer  from  the  Jjords  and  Commons 
Marly  echoed  the  terms  of  the  speech  ;  but  the  Lords  added 
that  the  reduction  of  Quebec  "  has  exceeded  the  most  sanguine 
hopes  of  your  Majesty's  faithful  subjects." 

On  the  30th  October  the  Irish  House  of  Commons  also  voted 
n  Address 'to  the  King,  of  which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

••Witness  Quebec !  which  lately  beheld  a  youthful  warrior, 
with  unabated  order,  lead  on  a  few  selected  troops,  and  under 
the  influence  of  your  Majesty's  happy  auspices,  attack  and  de- 
feat her  numerous  bodies  of  regulars  and  Canadians,  supported 
by  her  auxiliary  savages. 

*  Pardon  us,  Most  Gracious  Sovereign,  if  we  suspend  awhile 
ear  otherwise  unclouded  joy,  to  lament  the  loss  of  that  gallant 
General.  How  gloriously  has  he  finished  his  short  but  bril- 
liant career,  and  left  a  name,  so  long  as  fame  shall  wait  upon 
aeroic  deeds,  consecrated  to  posterity,  and  an  example  as  dif- 
ficult as  it  is  worthy  of  imitation." 


406  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

Saturday,  17 th  November. 
This  day,  the  remains  of  General  Wolfe  were  landed  at 
Portsmouth,  from  on  board  the  Royal  William  man  of  war, 
During  the  solemnity,  minute  guns  were  fired  from  the  shipc 
at  Spithead  ;  and  all  the  honors  that  could  be  paid  to  the  me* 
mory  of  a  gallant  officer  were  paid  on  this  occasion. 

Ttesday,  20th. 
This  day,  the  corpse  of  General  Wolfe  was  interred  in  a 
private  manner,  at  night,  in  the  family  vault  at  Greenwich. 

Wednesday,  21st  November. 

The  House  of  Commons  "  Resolved,  That  an  humble  Addrew 
be  presented  to  His  Majesty,  most  humbly  to  desire  His  Mus- 
ty, that  he  will  be  graciously  pleased  to  give  directions,  that  a 
monument  be  erected  in  the  Collegiate  Church  of  St. Peter, West- 
minister, to  the  memory  of  the  ever  lamented  late  Commander 
in  Chief  of  His  Majesty's  land  forces,  on  an  expedition  agaioit 
Quebec,  Major  General  James  Wolfe,  who,  surmounting  by 
ability  and  valor,  all  obstacles  of  art  and  nature,  was  slain 
in  the  moment  of  victory,  at  the  head  of  his  conquering  troop*, 
in  the  arduous  and  decisive  battle  against  the  French  Army, 
near  Quebec,  fighting  for  their  capital  of  Canada,  in  the  year 
1759;  and  to  assure  His  Majesty,  this  House  will  make  good 
the  expense  of  erecting  the  said  monument." 

At  the  same  time  it  was  "  Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the 
House  be  given  to  the  Admirals  and  Generals  employed  in  this 
glorious  and  successful  expedition  against  Quebec." 

Friday,  23rd. 
Some  of  the  ships  from  Quebec  being  arrived  at  Plymouth, 
and  some  at  Spithead,  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  began  to  be 
in  pain  for  Admiral  Saunders,  when  they  received  a  letter  of 
excuse  from  him,  dated  in  the  channel,  acquainting  them  that 
as  he  had  heard  the  Brest  Squadron,  under  M.  Conflans,  had 
sailed  on  the  1 4th,  he  hoped  he  would  be  pardoned  for  going  to 
join  Admiral  Sir  Edward  Hawke,  without  orders.  In  this 
noble  enterprize  he  is  joined  by  General  Townshend,  who  was 
returning  home  on  board  his  ship.  Admiral  Saunders  had 
three  sail  of  the  line  with  him. 

Promotions  in  November,  1759. 
November  6th. — Brigadier  General  James  Murray,  to  be 
Colonel  of  a  Battalion  of  the  Royal  American  Regiment  vice 
Monckton. 


\ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  407 

Brigadier  General  Honorable  Robert  Monckton  to  be  Co- 
lonel of  the  17th  Regiment. 

Brigadier  General  Honorable  George  Townshend  to  be 
Colonel  of  the  28th  Regiment,  from  the  64th. 

Major  General  Barrington  to  be  Colonel  of  the  8th  Regi- 
ment,.m££  Lieutenant  General  Edward  Wolfe,  deceased. 

General  Gray,  to  be  Colonel  of  the  67th  Regiment,  vice 
Major  General  James  Wolfe,  killed  in  action  at  Quebec. 

Saturday,  December  15th,  1759. 
Admiral  Saunders  who  landed  at  Cork,  set  out  from  that 
port  and  arrived  this  day  in  Dublin.    At  night  being-  at  the 
Theatre,  he  was  saluted  by  the  audience  with  the  highest  de- 
monstrations of  applause.    He  arrived  in  London  on  the  26th. 

Monday,  24>th. 
A  subscription  was  commenced  in  different  parts  of  London, 
to  raise  a  sum  of  money  to  be  distributed  amongst  the  Infantry 
that  signalised  themselves  in  the  two  glorious  actions  of  Min- 
den  and  Quebec,  and  for  the  relief  of  the  widows  and  orphans 
of  those  who  bravely  lost  their  lives  in  those  ever  memorable 
days  of  action.  It  is  expected  that  the  same  will  be  imitated 
in  several  other  parts  of  the  kingdom. 

Monday,  31*/. 
*  The  Chezine,  from  a  place  twenty  leagues  above  Quebec, 
of  near  500  tons,  mounting  22  six  pounders,  with  one  hundred 
men,  and  six  English  prisoners,  was  sent  into  Bristol  by  the 
Bipon  man  of  war.  She  sailed  from  Quebec  with  four  or  five 
others :  the  forts  fired  at  her  as  she  passed  the  town,  but  did 
little  or  no  damage.  It  was  thought  impossible  that  they  could 
•scape.* 

'Promotions  in  December,  1759. 

The  King  has  been  pleased  to  appoint  Vice  Admiral  Saunders 
to  bo  Lieutenant  General  of  the  Marine  Forces. 

John  Hale,  Esquire,  to  be  Lientenant  Colonel  Commandant 
of  a  Regiment  of  Light  Dragoons,  now  raising. 

Brigadier  General  the  Honorable  James  Murray  to  be  Go 
vernor  of  Quebec. 

Wednesday,  23d  January,  1 760. 
Vice  Admiral  Saunders,  Rear  Admiral  Holmes,  and  Briga- 
dier General  Townshend,  being  come  to  the  House  op  Com- 


WEW    P1CTDRS    OP    QUEBEC, 


glTI  -.v 


acquainted  them  that  tbe  House 
nimouily  reeolred,  that  the  thanks  of  tbe  Bouse  bt 
tbe  Adndrala  and  Generals  employed  in  the  glorious 
fliilfal  ezpeditioo  against  Quebec,  and  Mr.  Speak < 
■—; j  *a — ^^Uw  thanks  ofthe  House  accordingly. 

Tutmtag,  VVIi  February. 
a  Wat  set  on  fool  at  Leeds,  for  the  relief  oCttt 
wioowe  ut  orphans  of  our  brave  countrymen  who  fell  before 
the  valla  of  Qiittfcc,  and  on  the  riaiiig'of  Minrien,  a  ch«i7 
Wghl y  dawning  ii  i ' , .  ; i  i . 

JHny,l76U 
-  Letter!  wwarejoeircd  from  Halifax,  stating  that  Lord  Car 
tuxb  had  tailed  from  that  port  with  all  hia  squadron  for  tat ) 
Bt.  Lawrence,  »o  that,  in  all  probability,  he  would  get  up  the  i 
'rtW  beta*  %  It-possible  for  any  vessels  from  Fiance  to  if 
tin.    ■ 

Am,  1760. 
■'.:■■     Lavrof  Regiments  in  North  America. 
Major  Gene        Amhi  :■■■.    Command er-in- Chief. 

lit  Royal  Scottish,  2nd  Batf. „^  3J    ' 

15th.  Major  General  Amherst, Quebec 

17th.  Brigadier  General  Monefctod 

82nd.  Brigadier  "encral  Win  (wore, Louuboon 

27th.  Lord  Blakeney 

28th.  Brigadier  General  Towuslieud Quebec 

35th.  Lieutenant  General  Olway, Quebec 

40tb.  (late)  General  Barringtoo'x Loaisboo/f 

42nd.  Royal  Highlanders,  Snd  Jlatt 

43rd.  Lieutenant  General  Kennedy Quebec 

44th.  Lieutenant  General  Abeicrombie,  ... 

46th.  Lieutenant  General  Warburtoo, I.eni»bour£ 

46th.  Lieutenant  General  Murray,. 

47th.  Lieutenant  General  Lam pI lei,, Quebec 

48th.  Major  General  Webb,  Quebec 

55th.  Colonel  Oughton 

58th.  Major   General  Anatruthrr's Quebec 

60th.  Royal  Americans,  Four  liatt 

77th    Highlanders,  Colour!  MiMit^omery,.,,    

78th      Ditto,  Colonel  Fraser, Quebec 

80th,  Brigadier  General  Gage 


WITH  HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  409 

Promotions  in  August,  1760. 
c_,      Honorable  Richard  Maitland,  to  be  Adjutant  General  to  the 
.  troops  in  Canada,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

Saturday,  October  Uh,  1760. 
This  day  Major  Barr6  and  Captain  Deane  arrived  express  in 
the  Vengeance  Frigate,  from  Quebec,  in  23  days,  with  the  news 
m.  of  the  surrender  of  Montreal  and  all  Canada. 


■?' 


Sunday,  5th. 
Early  this  morning  Mr.  Secretary  Pitt  waited,  upon  His 
Majesty  with  the  above  important  news.    At  noon  the  Park 
and  Tower  guns  were  fired. 

Wednesday,  15th. 

By  the  Union,  Dennis,  arrived  at  Portsmouth  from  Quebec, 
came  advice,  that  Colonel  Eraser  with  800  men  from  Quebec, 
invested  and  took  Fort  Jacques  Cartier,  September  9th,  before 
be  knew  of  the  surrender  of  Montreal.  It  was  defended  by 
the  Marquis  cTAlbergotti,  who  held  out  until  he  was  reduced 
to  thirty  pounds  of  powder. 

Thursday,]  6th. 
The  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Common  Council  of  Lon- 
don waited  upon  His  Majesty,  at  Kensington,  with  an  Address 
on  the  reduction  of  all  Canada.  The  honor  of  Knighthood 
was  conferred  upon  the  Sheriffs,  Alderman  Kite,  and  William 
Hart,  Esquire. 


2  M 


410  NEW    PICTURE   OF    gUEBEC, 


I^MJl 


CHAPTER  THE  EIGHTEENTH. 


the  sieges  continued. battle    near    siller* 

wood the  french  raise  the  siege general 

Murray's  despatch. 

It  has  been  stated  that,  on  the  fleet  under  Admiral 
Saunders  returning  home  after  the  successful  expe- 
dition of  1759,  General  Murray  was  left  Governor 
of  Quebec,  with  a  garrison  of  five  thousand  men. 
Other  accounts  make  the  number  sis  thousand,  which 
appears  more  nearly  correct.  They  were  first  employ- 
ed in  repairing  upwards  of  five  hundred  houses  which 
had  been  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  the  lire  of  the 
English  batteries  at  Pointe  Levi  ;  and  in  putting 
the  fortifications  in  a  condition  fit  for  defence.  Se- 
veral affairs  of  posts  occurred  during  the  winter, 
which  all  redounded  to  the  advantage  of  the  British. 
St,  Foy  and  Lorette  were  occupied  by  General 
Murray  as  outposts  ;  and  those  of  the  French  at 
Lake  Calvaire,  St.  Augustin,  and  Maistm  Brv- 
lee,  were  successively  attacked  and  dispersed. 

Owing  to  the  rigour  of  the  climate,  and  the  con- 
stant living  on  salted  provisions,  without  vegetables, 
the  scurvy — the  same  disease  which  had  proved  so 
fatal  to  the  little  band  of  Jacques  Cartier,  in 
1535 — broke  out  amongst  the  garrison  in  so  inveter- 
ate a  manner,  that  before  the  end  of  April  a  thou- 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  411 

sand  men  were  dead,  and  two  thousand  more  rendered 
unfit  for  service. 

The  main  force  of  the  French  army,  which  had 
been  cantoned  during  the  winter  between  Jacques 
Cartier  and  Three  Rivers,  was  in  the  spring 
collected  in  the  neighborhood  of  Montreal,  under 
the  command  of  M.  de  Levi,  an  officer  of  merit, 
activity  and  enterprise.  It  consisted  of  ten  battalions 
of  regular  troops,  making  about  four  thousand  five 
hundred  men — which  had  been  reinforced  by  six 
thousand  disciplined  Canadian  Militia — two  hiradred 
of  whom  were  mounted  and  acted  as  cavalry — and  by 
two  hundred  and  fifty  Indians — amounting  in  all 
to  ten  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  effective 
men.  This  statement  is  taken  from  the  French  ac- 
count :  the  English  accounts  at  the  time  stated  them 
to  be  fifteen  thousand  men.  The  first  intention  of 
M.  de  Levi  had  been  to  capture  Quebec  by  a  coup 
de  main  during  the  depth  of  winter  ;  and  to  that  end 
he  had  provided  snow  shoes,  scaling  ladders,  and 
fascines.  He  had  also  a  large  depot  of  provisions 
at  Pointe  Levi.  These,  however,  were  immediately 
captured  by  a  detachmeut  of  the  English  garrison, 
which  marched  across  the  ice  for  the  purpose.  Find- 
ing that  the  vigilance  of  General  Murray,  and  of 
his  outposts,  was  not  to  be  baffled,  the  French  com- 
mander altered  his  plans,  and  resolved  to  attempt 
the  reduction  of  Quebec  by  a  regular  siege,  which 
he  flattered  himself  he  could  bring  to  a  termination 
before  the  place  could  be  relieved  by  Lord  Col- 
ville's  Fleet,  then  lying  at  Halifax.  He  was 
favored  in  such  an  operation  by  the  absence  of  all 
British  naval  forces  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  while  he 
had  six  French  frigates  of  from  forty-four  to  twenty 


412  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

six  guns  each,  which  secured  to  him  the  command  of 
the  river  between  Montreal  and  Quebec. 

On  the  17th  April,  1760,  M.  de  Levi,  having 
embarked  his  baggage  and  military  stores  in  small 
craft  and  batteaux,  under  convoy  of  his  frigates,  reach- 
ed Pointe  aux  Trembles  with  his  army  by  land. 
The  stores  being  disembarked  at  St,  Augustin,  on 
the  27th,  he  arrived  at  the  Plains  of  Abraham  by 
the  way  of  the  St  Foy  road. 

The  French  accounts  state  that  the  advanced  post 
of  the  British  at  the  ford  of  Cape  Rouge  River,  con* 
sisting  of  the  Light  Infantry,  would  have  been  cut 
off  but  for  the  following  incident :     On  the  27th 
April,  a  sentinel,  on  board  the  Mace-horse  sloop  of 
war,  hearing  cries  upon  the  river,  informed  Captain 
Macartney  therewith ;  who  ordered  out  a  boat,  and 
brought  on  board  a  French  soldier,  belonging  to  the 
artillery,  who  had  been  floating  up  and  down  on  a 
field  of  ice.     The  poor  fellow,  although  treated  with 
all  humanity,  was  unable  for  nearly  two  hours  to  give 
any  account  of  himself.     He  then  stated,  that  he  had 
formed  one  of  the  crew  of  a  batteau  belonging  to  the 
French  Army  under  M.  de  Levi,   consisting  of  ten 
thousand  men,  who  were  advancing  to  the  attack  of 
Quebec.     On  this  information  it  is  said  that  the  post 
at  Cape  Rouge  was  called  in,  the  French  all  the 
while  pressing  close  upon  the  rear. 

General  Murray,  for  reasons  explained  in  his 
despatches,  resolved  to  hazard  a  battle ;  and  accord- 
ingly marched  out  of  Quebec  on  the  morning  of  the 
28th  April,  with  all  his  troops  fit  for  duty,  amounting 
to  no  more  than  three  thousand  men.  He  took  post 
on  the  celebrated  Plains  of  Abraham,  where  so 
many  laurels  had  been  gathered  the  year  before ; 
and  with  great  gallantry  made  a  powerful  attack  on 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  413 

the  French  centre,  posted  upon  some  rising  ground 
not  far  from  Sillery  Wood.  The  French  were 
well  commanded,  and  fought  so  well,  that  General 
Murray,  finding  it  impossible  to  avoid  being  sur- 
rounded by  a  body  three  times  as  numerous  as  his 
own,  was  forced  to  recal  his  men,  and  to  retire  af- 
ter sustaining  a  very  heavy  loss.  Far  from  being 
discouraged  by  the  loss  of  the  battle, — in  which  it 
must  be  acknowledged  that  his  troops  behaved  most 
admirably,  the  loss  of  the  French  being  admitted  to 
be  nearly  double  that  of  the  English — he  resolved 
to  trust  for  defence  to  the  fortificatiohs%  of  Quebec. 
By  alfnost  incredible  exertions,  he  built  two  cava- 
liers, and  mounted  upon  the  ramparts  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  pieces  of  artillery.  The  enemy  broke 
ground  before  the  place,  but  made  slow  progress  in 

String  up  their  artillery.  On  the  9th  May,  General 
urray  was  encouraged  by  the  arrival  of  the 
Lowestojfe  Frigate,  Captain  Deane  ;  who  informed 
him  that  Commodore  Swanton,  with  a  fleet  from 
England,  was  in  the  river.  Lord  Colville,  also, 
bad  sailed  from  Halifax  on  the  22nd  April,  and 
might  be  daily  expected. 

Although  M.  de  Levi  had  made  every  exertion  to 
commence  the  siege,  he  was  not  able  to  open  his 
fire  until  the  1 1th.  His  batteries  were  soon 'Silenced 
by  the  superior  fire  and  weight  of  metal  of  the  Eng- 
lish. On  the  15th,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  garrison, 
and  the  equal  discomfiture  of  the  French,  the  fleet 
under  Commodore  Swanton  arrived  before  the  city, 
and  Quebec  was  soon  delivered  from  the  presence 
of  the  enemy.  On  the  next  day,  two  men  of  war  were 
detached  against  the  French  naval  force  above  the 
town,  which  consisted  of  two  frigates,  two  armed  ves- 
sels, and  a  number  of  smaller  craft.     The  attack  was 

2m3 


414  NEW   PICTURE    OF    QUEBEC, 

completely  successful — one  of  the  French  frigates 
was  driven  upon  the  rocks  above  Cape  Diamond— 
the  other  ran  ashore,  and  was  burned  at  Pointe  mat 
Trembles — the  rest  were  taken  or  destroyed.  On 
this  occasion,  however,  the  Lowestoffe  was  lost,  hav- 
ing run  upon  some  hidden  rocks. 

M.  de  Levi,  concerned  at  the  loss  of  his  ship- 
ping, and  believing  the  *  vessels  which  had  already 
arrived  to  be  the  forerunners  of  a  larger  reinforce- 
ment, determined  forthwith  to  raise  the  siege.  He 
accordingly  broke  up  his  camp,  and  retired  with  such 
a  recipitation  towards  Montreal,  that  General  Mur- 
ray was  unable  to  come  up  with  the  rear  guard  before 
it  had  crossed  Cape  Rouge  River.  He,  however, 
captured  the  stores,  provisions,  and  artillery  of  the 
enemy,  together  with  all  the  entrenching  tools  used 
in  the  siege. 

On  the  27th  June,  the  following  despatch  was  re- 
ceived by  Mr.  Pitt  from  General  Murray  ;  to 
which  we  refer  as  containing  all  that  it  is  necessary 
to  preserve,  relative  to  the  siege  of  Quebec  by  the 
French  : 

Friday,  21th  June,  1760. 

This  morning  arrived  Major  Maitland,  and  Captain  Schom- 
berg,  with  the  following  letter  from  the  Hon.  James  Murray, 
Governor  of  Quebec,  to  the  Right  Honorable  Mr.  Secretary 
Pitt: 

Quebec,  May  25, 1760. 
Sir, 

"  Having  acquainted  General  Amherst,  three  weeks 
ago,  that  Quebec  was  besieged  by  an  army  of  15,000  men,  I 
think  it  necessary  to  do  myself  the  honor  of  addressing  direct- 
ly to  you,  the  more  agreeable  news  of  the  siege  being  raised, 
lest,  by  your  receiving  the  former  intelligence,  before  the  lat- 
ter, some  inconvenience  may  arise  to  His  Majesty's  service. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  415 

"  By  the  Journal  of  my  proceedings,  which  I  have  the  honor 
to  transmit  to  you,  you  will  perceive  the  superiority  we  have 
maintained  over  the  enemy  during"  the  winter,  and  that  all 
Lower  Canada,  from  the  Pointe  aux  Trembles  was  reduced,  and 
had  taken  the  oath  of  fidelity  to  the  King.  You  will  no  doubt 
be  pleased  to  observe,  that  the  enemy's  attempts  upon  our 
posts,  and  ours  upon  theirs,  all  tended  to  the  honor  of  His  Ma- 
jesty's arms,  as  they  were  always  baffled. 

"  I  wish  I  could  say  as  much  within  the  walls  ;  the  exces- 
sive ooldness  of  the  climate,  and  constant  living  upon  salt  pro- 
visions, without  any  vegetables,  introduced  the  scurvy  among 
the  troops,  which  getting  the  better  of  every  precaution  of  the 
officer,  and  every  remedy  of  the  Surgeon,  became  as  universal 
as  it  was  inveterate,  in  so  much,  that  before  the  end  of  April, 
1000  were  dead,  and  above  2000  of  what  remained,  unfit  for 
any  service. 

M  In  this  situation  I  received  certain  intelligence,  that  the 

Chevalier  de  Levi  was  assembling  his  army,  which  had  been 

cantoned  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Montreal  ;  that  he  had 

completed  his  eight  battalions,  and  40  companies  of  the  Troupes 

de  Colonie,  from  the  choice  of  the  Montrealists  ;  had  formed 

these  forty  companies  into  four  battalions ;  and  was  determined 

to  besiege  us  the  moment  the  River  St.  Lawrence  was  open,  of 

Which  he  was  entirely  master,  by  means  of  four  King's  frigates, 

and  other  craft,  proper  for  this  extraordinary  river. 

u  As  I  had  the  honor  to  acquaint  you  formerly  that  Quebec 
could  be  looked  upon  in  no  other  light  than  that  of  a  strong 
cantonment,  and  that  any  works  I  should  add  to  it,  would  be  in 
thai  style,  my  plan  of  defence  was,  to  take  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity of  entrenching  myself  upon  the  heights  of  Abraham, 
which  entirely  command  the  ramparts  of  the  place  at  the  dis- 
tance of  800  yards,  and  might  have  been  defended  by  our  num- 
bers against  a  large  army.  But  the  Chevalier  de  Levi  did  not 
give  me  time  to  take  the  advantage  of  this  situation  :  The 
23d,  24th,and  25th  of  April,  1  attempted  to  execute  the  project- 
ed lines,  for  which  a  provision  of  fascines,  and  of  every  neces- 
sary material  had  been  made,  but  found  it  impracticable,  as  the 
earth  was  still  covered  with  snow  in  many  places,  and  every 
where  impregnably  bound  up  by  frost. 

"  The  night  of  the  26th,  I  was  informed  that  the  enemy  had 
landed,  at  Pointe  aux  Trembles,  10,000  men,  and  500  barbarians. 
The  post  we  had  taken  at  the  embouchure  of  the  River  Cap 
Rouge,  (the  most  convenient  place  for  disembarking  their  ar- 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  417 

them  before  they  had  formed.  We  soon  beat  them  from 
ights  they  had  possessed,  though  they  were  well  disput- 
ld  Major  Dalling,  who  cannot  be  two  much  commended 
i  behaviour  this  day,  and  his  services  during  the  winter, 
their  corps  of  grenadiers  from  a  house  and  windmill 
ad  taken  hold  of  to  cover  their  left  flank :  Here  he,  and 
I  of  his  officers,  were  wounded ;  his  men,  however,  pur- 
he  fugitives  to  the  corps  which  were  now  formed  to  sus- 
iem  :  They  halted,  and  dispersed  along  the  front  of  the 
which  prevented  that  wing  from  taking  advantage  of  the 
ipression  they  bad  made  on  the  enemy's  left.  They  had 
lately  orders  given  them  to  regain  the  flank,  but,  in  at- 
ng  this,  they  were  charged,  thrown  into  disorder,  retired 
rear,  and  from  the  number  of  officers  killed  and  wounded, 
never  again  be  brought  up,  during  the  action.  Otway's 
stantly  ordered  to  advance  and  sustain  the  right  wing, 
the  enemy  in  vain  made  two  attempts  to  penetrate.  On 
KJcasions,  Captain  Ince,  with  the  grenadiers  of  Otway's 
listinguished.  While  this  passed  there,  the  left  was  not 
they  had  dispossessed  the  enemy  of  two  redoubts,  and 
led  with  unparalalled  firmness  the  bold  united  efforts  of 
amy's  regulars,  Indians  and  Canadians,  till  at  last  fairly 
;  down,  and  reduced  to  a  handful,  though  sustained  by 

battalion  of  Royal  Americans  from  the  reserve,  and 
>d  v's  from  the  centre,  where  we  bad  nothing  to  fear,  they 
ibiiged  to  yield  to  superior  numbers,  and  a  fresh  column 
issillon,  which  penetrated  them, 
le  disorder  of  the  left  was  soon  communicated  to  the 

but  the  whole  retired  in  such  a  way,  that  the  enemy  did 
nture  upon  a  brisk  pursuit.  We  left  most  of  our  cannon, 
roughness  of  the  ground,  and  the  wreaths  of  snow,  made 
>ssible  to  bring  them  off ;  what  could  not  be  brought 
>re  nailed  up. 

ar  killed  and  wounded  amounted  to  one-third  of  those  in 
Id  ;  that  of  the  enemy,  by  their  own  confession,  exceeds 
aen,  which  may  be  readily  conceived,  as  tbe  actioa  lasted 
ir  and  three  quarters. 

ere  I  think  it  my  duty  to  express  my  gratitude  to  the 
i  in  general,  and  the  satisfaction  I  bad  in  the  bravery  of 

troops. 

the  night  of  the  28th,  the  enemy  opened  trenches  against 
vn,  and,  at  the  same  time,   we  set  to  work  within,  to 

it,  which  we  never  had  in  our  power  to  attempt  sooner, 


418  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

from  the  severity  of  this  climate  daring  the  winter,  aodttepnc 

absolute  necessity  of  executing  works  of  more  immediate  ifpm 

portance,  last  autumn,  before  the  frost  set  in.      I  wanted  tWl^o 

assistance  of  Major  Mack  ell  ar,  the  chief  engineer,  dangerow^f  »< 

wounded  in  the  action  ;  his  zeal  for,  and    knowledge  in  ft™ 

service  is  well  known  ;  but  the  alacrity  of  the  garrison  madef 

tor  every  defect.  * 

"  My  journal  of  the  siege,  which  accompaiiies  this,  setofenV 

in  full,  what  was  done:  and  I  flatter  myself,  the  extraordim^ 

performances  of  the  handful  of  brave  men  I  had  left  will pkait  ||V1 

His  Majesty  as  much  as  they  surprised  us  who  were  eye-wfr 

nesses  to  them.  '  - 

"  Great  praise  is  due  to  Commodore  Swanton,  andtheGjpfa 

tains  Schombcrg  and  Deane  ;  I  have  not  words  to  express  ta fi 

readiness,    vivacity,  and  valour  they  showed  in  attacking1  asi  ■» 

destroying  the  enemy's  squadron.     Captain  Deane  has  lost  w 

ship,  but  it  was  in  a  good  cause,  and  be  has  done  honor  to  M 

country. 

"  The  morning  of  the  17th  of  May,  I  intended  a  strong 
to  have  penetrated  into  the  enemy's  camp,  which,  from  thei 
formation  of  the  prisoners  I  had  taken,  and  the  concurrents 
count  of  deserters,  I  conceived  to  be  very  practicable. 

"  For  this  purpose  I  had  ordered  the  regiments  of  Amhers^ 
Townshend,  Lascelles,  Anstruther  and  Highlanders,  with  the 
grenadiers  and  light  infantry,  under  arms;  but  was  informed  by 
Lieutenant  M'Alpin,  of  my  battalion  (whom  I  sent  out  to 
amuse  the  enemy  with  small  sallies)  that  their  trenches  were 
abandoned. 

u  1  instantly  pushed  out  atthe  head  of  these  corps,  not  doubt- 
ing  but  we  must  have  overtaken  and  forced  their  rear, and m 
ample  revenge  for  the  28th  of  April  ;  hut  I   was  disappointed, 
for  they   had   crossed  the  River  Cap  Rouge,  before  we  could 
come  up  to  them.     However,  we  took  several  prisoners,  and 
much  baggage,  which  would  otherwise  have  escaped     They 
left  their  camp  standing  ;  all  their  baggage,  stores,  magazine! 
of  provision  and  ammunition,   34  pieces  of  battering  cannon, 
four  of  which  are  brass  12  pounders,  ten  field  pieces,  six  mor- 
tars, four  petards,  a  large  quantity  of  scaling  ladders,  and  en- 
trenching tools  beyond  number,  and   have    retired  to  their 
former  asylum,   Jacques  Cartier.     From    the  information  of 
prisoners,   deserters,  and   spies,  provisions   are   very  scarce; 
ammunition  does  not  abound  ;  and  the  greatest  part  of  the  Ca- 
nadians have  deserted  them.     At  present  they  do  not  exceed 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  419 

0  men.  The  minute  I  am  joined  with  that  part  of  my  gar- 
ni which  was  sent  from  hence  last  autumn,  I  shall  endeavor 
o»operate  with  Mr.  Amherst,  towards  completing  the  reduc- 

1  of  this  country ;  though,  if  rightly  informed,  he  can  hardly 
by  the  lakes  before  the  month  of  July,  of  which  I  am  the 
re  convinced,  because  from  the  intelligence  forwarded  to 
i  last  February,  of  the  enemy's  designs,  by  Lieutenant  Mon- 
K>r,  he  would  certainly  have  been  upon  them  before  now, 
I  it  been  at  all  practicable. 

r  Major  Maitland,  the  bearer  of  these  despatches,  who  has 
ad  as  Adjutant  General  this  last  winter,  is  well  acquainted 
•b  all  our  transactions  here  :  he  has  a  thorough  knowledge 
(be  country,  and  can  give  you  the  best  lights  with  regard  to 
>  measures  farther  to  be  taken,  relative  to  His  Majesty's 
wa  in  Canada. 

*  I  cannot  finish  this  long  letter,  without  observing  how 
i«h  I  think  myself  obliged  to  the  Lieutenant  Governor,  Co- 
ld. Burton;  his  activity  and  zeal  were  conspicuous  during 

*  whole  course  of  this  severe  winter's  campaign,  and  I  flatter 
neelf,  Sir,  you  will  be  pleased  to  lay  his  services  before  His 
ijesty. 

*  P.  S. — Since  I  have  wrote  the  above,  a  nation  of  Indians 
l  surrendered,  and  entered  into  an  alliance  with  us. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  regard, 
Sir, 
Your's,  &c. 

James  Murray. 

Admiralty  Office. — Captain  Schomberg arrived  with  des- 
efcches  from  Lord  Colville,  dated  at  Quebec,  the  24th  May, 
%ing  an  account,  that  having  on  the  14th  May  received  advice 
at  the  enemy  had  besieged  Quebec,  he  got  under  sail  with  the 
:most  despatch,  and  anchored  above  rointe  Levi  the  15th, 
fare  he  received  a  message  from  the  General,  earnestly  re- 
tanmending  the  speedy  removal  of  the  French  naval  force, 
misting  of  two  frigates,  two  armed  ships,  and  many  smaller 
tosels.  In  consequence  of  which,  he  ordered  Captain  Schom- 
arg,  and  Captain  Deane,  to  slip  the  cables  and  attack  the 
lemy;  but  they  were  no  sooner  in  motion,  than  the  enemy 
sd  in  hurry  and  disorder.  The  Pomona,  one  of  the  fri- 
Ites,  was  driven  on  shore  above  Cape  Diamond ;  the  Atalanta, 
le  other  frigate,  ran  ashore,  and  was  burnt  at  Poiute  aux 
Yemble,  about  ten  leagues  from  the  town  ;  and  most  of  the 


420  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

other  ships  and  vessels  were  likewise  driven  ashore,  ortf»| 
tually  destroyed. 

The  night  following,  the  enemy  raised  the  siege  of 
very  precipitately,  leaving  their  cannon,  small  arms, 
&c.  behind  them.    The  Lowtstoffe  ran  upon  some  on 
rocks,  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  and  was  irrecoverably  lost,) 
the  officers  and  men  were  saved. 

All  attempts  to  recover  possession  of 
having  thus  completely  failed,  the  Marquis  de  V 
dreuil  determined  to  take  his  last  stand  on 
of  French  dominion  at  Montreal.     To  this 
he  called  in  all  his  detachments,  and  here  he  coll 
and  concentrated  his  remaining  strength.      But 
net  was  fast  closing  around  him — the  fate  of  Can 
was  already  decided — General  Amherst  was 
proaching  from  Lake  Champlain — and  the 
from  Quebec  and  Lake  Ontario  having  arri 
on  the  same  day  before  Montreal,  a  capital 
was  signed  on  the  8th  September,  and  the  conqui 
of  Canada  was  completed  in  little  more  than  two 
years  from  the  reduction  of  Louisbourg. 

The  intelligence  of  the  surrender  of  Montreal 
and  of  the  whole  Province — which  was  looked  upon 
by  the  nation  as  a  worthy  termination  to  the  expe- 
dition of  Wolfe — was  received  in  London  on  the 
4th  October,  and  the  despatches  were  published  in 
the  London  Gazette  on  the  6th. 

His  Majesty  George  II.  outlived  the  glorious 
news  only  a  few  days.  On  the  lfeth,  he  received  an 
Address  of  congratulation  from  the  Lord  Mayor,  Al- 
dermen and  Common  Council-men  of  London.  Ob 
the  425th,  in  the  midst  of  the  hearty  rejoicings  of  the 
people  for  the*  acquisition  of  so  immense  an  extent 
of  Empire,  the  King  was  suddenly  seized  with  ill* 


( 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  481 

,  and  soon  expired  in  the  77th  year  of  his  age, 
the  34th  of  his  reign. 

[is  Majesty  George  III.  had  the  gratification 
*ceiving  the  homage  of  his  new  subjects.  In  the 
mer  of  1763,  the  Chevalier  Chaussegros  ds 
y  and  his  lady  were  presented  at  Court,  and 
j  the  first  of  His  Majesty's  Canadian  subjects 
had  that  honor.  The  young  and  gallant  Mo* 
h,  on  receiving  Madame  de  Lery,  who  was  a 
beautiful  woman,  observed  to  her, — "  If  all  the 
*s  of  Canada  are  as  handsome  as  yourself,  I  have 
ed  made  a  conquest." 


2  N 


422  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE  NINETEENTH. 

THE  SIEGES  CONTINUED. — ARNOLD'S  EXPEDITION  IK 
1775 — SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC — DEATH  OF  MONT- 
GOMERY. 

The  invasion  of  Canada  by  the  troops  of  the 
American  Congress  rendered  the  year  1775  remark- 
able in  the  annals  of  the  Province.  The  principal 
points  which  will  demand  our  attention  are  the  ex- 
pedition of  Arnold,  the  storming  of  Quebec,  and  the 
death  of  Montgomery. 

Canada,  supposed  to  be  perfectly  secure,  had  been 
left  almost  destitute  of  regular  troops,  nearly  all  of 
which  had  been  removed  to  Boston.  The  whole 
force  of  this  description  consisted  of  only  two  Regi- 
ments of  Infantry,  the  7th  Fusiieers,  and  the  26th, 
amounting  to  no  more  than  eight  hundred  men.  Of 
these  the  greater  part  were  in  garrison  at  St.  John's, 
the  rest  dispersed  through  the  various  posts.  The 
Province  was,  however,  extremely  fortunate  in  the 
character,  talents  and  resources  of  the  Governor, 
General  Carleton. 

On  the  17th  September,  1775,  Brigadier  General 
Richard  Montgomery,  who  had  formerly  been  in  the 
British  service,  appeared  at  the  head  of  an  army, 
before  the  Fort  of  St.  John's  ;  which,  after  a  gallant 
defence,  surrendered  on  the  3rd  November,  the  gar- 


tea. 

b 

a 
lis 
i 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  423 

ison  marching  out  with  the  honors  of  war.  Mon- 
real,  which  was  entirely  defenceless,  capitulated  on 
de  12th  November  ;  and  General  Carleton,  con- 
eivirig  it  of  the  utmost  importance  to  reach  Quebec, 
be  only  place  capable  of  defence,  passed  through 
le  American  force  stationed  at  Sorel,  during  the 
ight,  in  a  canoe  with  muffled  paddles  ;  and  arrived 
a  Quebec  on  the  19th,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  gar- 
ison  and  loyal  inhabitants,  who  placed  every  con- 
idence  in  his  well  known  courage  and  ability. 

While  the  Province  was  thus  threatened  with 
ubjugation  on  the  side  of  Montreal,  a  new  danger 
►resented  itself  from  a  quarter  so  entirely  unexpected, 
hat  until  the  particulars  were  ascertained,  the  fears 
,nd  superstitions  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  country 
parishes  had  ample  subject  for  employment  and  ex- 
aggeration. An  expedition  of  a  singular  and  daring 
inaracter  had  been  successfully  prosecuted  against 
Quebec  from  the  New  England  States,  by  a  route 
vhich  was  little  known  and  generally  considered  im- 
jracticable.  This  expedition  was  headed  by  Colonel 
Arnold,  an  officer  in  the  service  of  the  Congress ;  who 
arith  two  regiments,  amounting  to  about  eleven  hun- 
dred men,  left  Boston  about  the  middle  of  September, 
md  undertook  to  penetrate  through  the  wilderness 
to  Pointe  Levi,  by  the  means  of  the  Rivers  Kennebec 
and  Chaudiere. 

The  spirit  of  enterprise  evinced  in  this  bold  design, 
and  the  patience,  hardihood  and  perseverance  of  the 
new  raised  forces  employed  in  the  execution,  will 
forever  distinguish  this  expedition  in  the  history  of 
offensive  operations.  A  handful  of  men  ascending 
the  course  of  a  rapid  river,  and  conveying  arms,  am- 
munition, baggage,  and  provisions  through  an  almost 
trackless  wild — bent  upon  a  most  uncertain  purpose 


424  NEW  PiCTVRB   OF  QUEBEC, 

—can  scarcely  be  considered,  however,  a  regular 
•peration  of  war.  It  was  rather  a  desperate  attempt, 
suited  to  the  temper  of  the  fearless  men  engaged  in 
it,  the  character  of  the  times,  and  of  the  scenes  which 
were  about  to  be  acted  on  the  American  continent 
The  project,  however,  of  Arnold  was  by  no  means 
an  original  thought.  It  had  been  suggested  by  Go* 
vernor  Pownall,  in  his  "  Idea  of  the  sendee  of  Ame- 
rica," as  early  as  the  year  1758*  He  says, — "  The 
people  of  Massachusetts,  in  the  counties  of  Hamp- 
shire, Worcester  and  York  are  the  best  wood-heaters 

in  America. I  should  think  if  about  a  hundred 

thorough  wood-hunters,  properly  officered,  could  be 
obtained  in  the  County  of  York,  a  scout  of  such 
might  make  an  attempt  upon  the  settlements  by  way 
of  Chaudiere  River." 

On  the  *22nd  September,  Arnold  embarked  on  the 
Kennebec  River  in  two  hundred  batteaux ;  and 
notwithstanding  all  natural  impediments — the  ascent 
of  a  rapid  stream — interrupted  by  frequent  portages 
through  thick  woods  and  swamps — in  spite  of  fre- 
quent accidents — the  desertion  of  one -third  of  the 
number — they  at  length  arrived  at  the  head  of  the 
River  Chaudiere,  having  crossed  the  ridge  of  land 
which  separates  the  waters  falling  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence  from  those  which  run  into  the  sea.  They  now 
reached  Lake  Megantic,  and  following  the  course 
of  the  Chaudiere  River,  their  difficulties  and  priva- 
tions, which  had  been  so  great  as  on  one  occasion 
to  compel  them  to  kill  their  dogs  for  sustenance, 
were  speedily  at  an  end.  After  passing  thirty-two 
days  in  the  wilderness,  they  arrived  on  the  4th  No- 
vember at  the  first  settlement,  called  Sertigan,  twenty 
five  leagues  from  Quebec,  where  they  obtained  all 
kinds   of  provisions.      On  the  9th,  Colonel  Arnold 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  425 

arrived  at  Pointe  Levi,  where  he  remained  twenty-four 
hours  before  it  was  known  at  Quebec ;  and  whence  it 
was  extremely  fortunate  that  all  the  small  craft  and 
canoes  had  been  removed  by  order   of  the   officer 
.  commanding  the  garrison.     On  the  13th,  late  in  the 
evening,  they  embarked  in  thirty-four  canoes,  and 
very  early  in  the  morning  of  the  14th,  he  succeed- 
ed in    landing  five  hundred  men  at  Wolfe's   Cove, 
without  being  discovered  from  the  Lizard  and  Hun- 
ter, ships  of  war.     The  first   operation  was  to  take 
possession  of  what  had  been  General  Murray's  house 
on  the' St.  Foy  Road,  and  of  the  General  Hospital, 
They  also  placed  guards  upon  all  the  roads,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  garrison  from  obtaining  supplies  from 
the  couutry. 

The  small  force  of  Arnold  prevented  any  attempt 
being  made  towards  the  reduction  of  the  fortress  un- 
til after  the  arrival  of  Montgomery  from  Montreal, 
who  took  the  command  on  the  1st  December,  and 
established  his  head  quarters  at  Holland  House. 
Arnold  is  said  to  have  occupied  the  house  near  Scott's 
Bridge,  lately  inhabited  by  the  Honorable  Mr.  Jus- 
tice Kerr. 

The  arrival  of  the  Governor  on  the  19th  Novem- 
ber had  infused  the  best  spirit  among  the  inhabitants 
of  Quebec.  On  the  1st  December,  the  motley  gar- 
rison amounted  to  eighteen  hundred  men — all,  how- 
ever, full  of  zeal  in  the  cause  of  their  King  and 
country,  and  well  supplied  with  provisions  for  eight 
months.  They  were  under  the  immediate  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Allan  Maclean,  of  the  84th  Re- 
giment or  Royal  Emigrants,  composed  principally  of 
those  of  the  gallant  Fraser's  Highlanders,  who  had 
settled  in  Canada. 

2  n  3 


426  KBW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 


STATEMENT  OF  THE  GARRISON,    1ST  DECEMBER,    1775. 


70  Royal  Fneileers,  or  7th  Regiment. 
230  Royal  Emigrants,  or  84th  Regunent. 

22  Royal  Artillery. 
330  British  Militia,  under  Lt.  Col.  Caldwell. 
543  Canadians,  under  Colonel  Dupre\ 
400  Seamen  under  Captains  rhuniKoo  and  Maekeraie.      & 

50  Blasters  and  Mates.  i 

35  Marines. 
ISO  Artificers. 

1800  Total  bearing  anna. 

The  siege,  or  rather  the  blockade,  wat  maintained 
during  the  whole  month  of  December,  although  the 
incidents  were  few  and  of  little  interest.  The  Ame- 
ricans were  established  in  every  house  near  the  walls, 
more  particularly  in  the  Suburb  of  St.  Roch,  near 
the  Intendant's  Palace.  Their  riflemen,  secure  in 
their  excellent  cover,  kept  up  an  unremitting  fire 
upon  the  British  sentries,  wherever  they  could  ob- 
tain a  glimpse  of  them.  As  the  Intendant's  Palace 
was  found  to  afford  them  a  convenient  shelter,  from 
the  cupola  of  which  they  constantly  annoyed  the 
sentries,  a  nine  pounder  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  building ;  and  this  once  splendid  and  distinguish- 
ed edifice  was  reduced  to  ruin,  and  has  never  been 
rebuilt.  They  enemy  also  threw  from  thirty  to 
forty  shells  every  night  into  the  city  ;  which  fortu- 
nately did  little  or  no  injury  either  to  the  lives  or 
the  property  of  the  inhabitants.  So  accustomed  did 
the  latter  become  to  the  occurrences  of  a  siege,  that 
at  last  they  ceased  to  regard  the  bombardment  with 
alarm.  In  the  mean  time,  the  fire  from  the  garrison 
was  maintained  in  a  very  effective  manner  upon 
every  point  where  the  enemy  were  seen.      On  one 


WITH  HI8TOBICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  427 

occasion,  as  Montgomery  was  reconnoitring  near  the 
town,  the  horse  which  drew  his  cariole  was  killed  by 
I  cannon  shot. 

During  this  anxious  period  the  gentry  and  inhab- 
itants of  the  city  bore  arms,  and  cheerfully  perform- 
td  the  duties  of  soldiers.  The  British  Militia  were 
xmspicuous  for  zeal  and  loyalty,  under  the  command 
>f  Major  Henry  Caldwell,  who  had  the  Provincial 
-ank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel.  He  had  served  as  De- 
mty  Quarter  Master  General  with  the  army,  under 
General  Wolfe,  and  had  settled  in  the  Province 
ifter  the  conquest  The  Canadian  Militia  within 
the  town  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Le  Comte 
Dupr£,  an  officer  of  great  zeal  and  ability,  who  ren- 
iered  great  services  during  the  whole  siege. 

General  Montgomery,  despairing  to  reduce  the 
place  by  a  regular  siege,  resolved  on  a  night  attack, 
in  the  hope  of  either  taking  it  by  storm,  or  of  find- 
ing the  garrison  unprepared  at  some  point.  In  this 
design  he  was  encouraged  by  Arnold,  whose  local 
knowledge  of  Quebec  was  accurate,  having  been  ac- 
quired in  his  frequent  visits  for  the  purpose  of  buy- 
Lag  up  Canadian  horses.  The  intention  of  Mont- 
gomery soon  became  known  to  the  garrison,  and 
General  Carleton  made  every  preparation  to  prevent 
surprise,  and  to  defeat  the  assault  of  the  enemy. 
For  several  days  the  Governor,  with  the  officers  and 
gentlemen,  off  duty,  had  taken  up  their  quarters  in 
the  Recollet  Convent,  where  they  slept  in  their 
clothes.  At  last,  early  in  the  morning  of  the  31st 
December,  and  during  a  violent  snow  storm,  Mont- 
gomery, at  the  head  of  the  New  York  troops,  advanc- 
ed to  the  attack  of  the  Lower  Town,  from  its  western 
extremity,  along  a  road  between  the  base  of  Cape 
Diamond  and  the  river.     Arnold,  at  the  same  time, 


428  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

advanced  from  the  General  Hospital  by  way  of  St 
Charles  Street.  The  two  parties  were  to  meet  at 
the  lower  end  of  Mountain  Street,  and  when  united 
were  to  force  Prescott-Gate.  Two  feint  attacks  in 
the  mean  time  on  the  side  towards  the  west,  were  to 
distract  the  attention  of  the  garrison.  Such  is  the 
outline  of  this  daring  plan,  the  obstacles  to  the  ae-  ■ 
complishment  of  which  do  not  seem  to  have  entered 
into  the  contemplation  of  the  American  officers,  who 
reckoned  too  much  upon  their  own  fortune  and  the 
weakness  of  the  garrison. 

When,  at  the  head  of  seven  hundred  men,  Mont- 
gomery had  advanced  a  short  distance  beyond  the 
spot  where  the  Inclined  Plane  has  since  been  con- 
structed, he  came  to  a  narrow  defile,  with  a  precipice 
towards  the  river  on  the  one  side,  and  the  scarped 
rock  above  him  on  the  other.  1  his  place  is  known 
by  the  name  of  Pns-dt-J'Ule.  Here  all  further  ap- 
proach to  the  L^ver  Town  was  intercepted,  and 
tvinn.andcd  by  a  battery  of  three  pounders  placed  in 
a  han^ard  to  t/.e  «omh  of  the  pass.  The  Post  was 
entrusted  to  a  Ca;U;.in  of  Canadian  Militia,  whose 
force  consisted  or"  thirtv  Canadian  and  eight  British 
Militiamen,  with  r.ine  British  seamen  to  work  the 
guns,  as  artillerymen,  under  Captain  Barnsfare, 
A!a>ter  i»t  a  tra-^port,  laid  up  in  the  harbor  during 
the  winter.  At  Jay-break,  some  of  the  guard,  being 
on  the  look  our.  discovered,  through  the  imperfect 
liirht,  a  bodv  of  troops  in  full  inarch  from  Wolfe's 
Cove  upon  the  Post.  *l  he  men  Lad  been  kept  un- 
der arms  waiting  with  the  utmost  steadiness  for  the 
attack,  which  they  had  reason  to  expect,  from  the 
reports  of  deserters:  and  in  pursuance  of  judicious  : 
arrangements  which  had  been  previously  concerted,  \ 
the  enemy   was   allowed   to   approach    unmolested 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  439 

'Irithin  a  small  distance.  They  baited  at  about  fifty 
Jyards  from  the  barrier  ;  and  as  the  guard  remained 
~  ctly  still,  it  was  probably  concluded  that  they 
re  not  on  die  alert.  To  ascertain  this  an  officer 
seen  to  approach  quite  near  to  the  barrier.  Af» 
ter  listening  a  moment  or  two,  he  returned  to  the 
body  ;  and  they  instantly  dashed  forward  at  double 

Snick  time  to  the  attack  of  the  post  This  was  what 
te  Guard  expected :  the  artillery-men  stood  by 
vith  lighted  matches,  and  Captain  Barnsfare  at  the 
critical  moment  giving  the  word,  the  fire  of  the  guns 
fend  musketry  was  directed  with  deadly  precision 
against  the  head  of  the  advancing  column.  The 
aonsequence  was  a  precipitate  retreat — the  enemy 
sras  scattered  in  every  direction — the  groans  of  the 
Brounded  and  of  the  dying  were  heard,  but  nothing 
certain  being  known,  the  pass  continued  to  be  swept 
by  the  cannon  and  musketry  for  the  space  of  ten 
minutes.  The  enemy  having  retired,  thirteen  bodies 
were  found  in  the  snow,  and  Montgomery's  Orderly 
Serjeant  desperately  wounded,  but  yet  alive,  was 
brought  into  the  guard  room.  On  being  asked  if  the 
General  himself  had  been  killed,  the  Serjeant  evaded 
the  question,  by  replying,  that  he  had  not  seen  him 
for  some  time,  although  he  could  not  but  have  known 
ike  fact.  This  faithful  Serjeant  died  in  about  an 
hour  afterwards.  It  was  not  ascertained  that  the 
American  General  had  been  killed,  until  some  hours 
afterwards,  when  General  Carleton,  being  anxious  to 
ascertain  the  truth,  sent  an  Aide-de-Camp  to  the 
Seminary,  to  enquire  if  any  of  the  American  officers, 
then  prisoners,  would  identify  the  body.  A  field 
officer  of  Arnold's  division,  who  had  been  made  pri- 
soner near  Sault-au-Matelot  barrier,  consenting, 
accompanied  the  Aide-de-Camp  to  the  Prfo-de-ViUe 


480  nw  pictuwc  or  quibec, 

guard,  and  pointed  it  oat  among  the  other  bodies*  a? 
file  same  time  pronouncing,  in  accents  of  grieft 
ft  glowing  eulogium  on  Montgomery's  bravery  Sflft 
worth.  Besides  that  of  the  deneral,  the  bodies  4 
his  two  Aides-de-Camp  were  recognised  among  tfef 
shun.  The  defeat  of  Montgomery**  foWe  was  con£ 
plete.  Colonel  Campbell,  his  secoiid  in  commto^ 
immediately  relinquished  the  undertaking,  a&d  hi; 
back  his  men  with  the  utmost  precipitation. 

The  exact  spot  where  the  barrier  was  erected  be- 
fore which  Montgomery  fell,  may  be  described  si 
Grossing  the  narrow  road  under  the  mountain,  iduA£ 
diately  opposite  to  the  west  end  of  a  building^wUdf- 
tftands  on  the  south,  and  was  formerly  occupied  Vf 
Mr.  Racey  as  a  brewery.  It  is  now  numbered  flB 
At  the  time  of  the  siege  this  was  called  the  Pfaftlfc 
The  battery  extended  to  the  south,  add  neariy  ttlfct 
river.  An  inscription  commemorating  the  erettt 
might  properly  be  placed  upon  the  opposite  rock. 

Soon  after  the  repulse  of  the  enemy  before  the 
post  at  Pr£s-de-Ville9  information  was  given  to  the 
officer  in  command  there,  that  Arnold's  party,  from 
the  General  Hospital, advancing  alongthe  St.  Charles, 
had  captured  the  barrier  at  the  Sault-au-Mateht, 
and  that  he  intended  an  attack  upon  that  of  Prhr 
de-Ville9  by  taking  it  in  the  rear.  Immediate  pre- 
parations were  made  for  the  defence  of  the  Post 
against  such  an  attack,  by  turning  some  of  the  guns 
of  an  inner  barrier,  not  far  from  the  Custom  House, 
towards  the  town  ;  and  although  the  intelligence 
proved  false, — Arnold  having  been  wounded  and  his 
division  captured, — yet  the  incident  deserves  to  be 
commemorated  as  affording  a  satisfactory  contradic- 
tion to  some  accounts  which  have  appeared  in  print, 
representing  the  Guard. at  Pris-de-ViUe  as  having 


1 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  431 

been  paralysed  by  fear, — the  post  and  barrier  "  de- 
serted,"— and   the  fire   which   killed   Montgomery 
merely  "  accidental."     On  the  contrary,  the  circum- 
stances which  we  have  related,  being  authentic,  prove 
that  the  conduct  of  the   Pr£s-de-Ville   Guard   was 
firm  and  collected  in  the  hour  of  danger  ;  and  that 
by   their  coolness  and  steadiness  they  mainly  con- 
tributed to  the  safety  of  the  city.     Both  Colonel 
Maclean  and  General  Carle  ton  rendered  every  jus- 
tice to  their  meritorious  behaviour  on  the  occasion. 

In  the  meantime  .  the  attack  by  Arnold,  on  the 
north  eastern  side  of  the  Lower  Town,  was  made  with 
desperate  resolution.     It  was,  fortunately,  equally 
unsuccessful,  although  the  contest  was  more  protract- 
ed ;  and  at  one  time  the  city  was  in  no  small  danger* 
Arnold  led  his  men  by  files  along  the  River  St. 
Charles,   until  he   came   to   the  Sault-au-Matelot9 
where  there  was  a  barrier  with  two  guns  mounted* 
It  must  be  understood  that  St.  Paul's  Street  did  not 
then  exist,  the  tide  coming  up  nearly  to  the  base  of 
the  rock,  and  the  only  path  between  the  rock  and 
the  beach  was  the  narrow  alley  which  now  exists  in 
rear  of  St.  Paul  Street  under  the  precipice  itself. 
Here  the  curious  visitor  will  find  a  jutting  rock, 
where  was  the  first  barrier.     The  whole  of  the  street 
went  by  the  name  of  the  Sault-au-Matelot  from  the 
most  ancient  times.     Arnold  took  the  command  of 
the  forlorn  hope,  and  was  leading  the  attack  upon 
this  barrier,  when  he  received  a  musket  wound  in 
the  knee  which  disabled  him,  and  he  was  carried 
back  to  the  General  Hospital.     His  troops,  however, 
persevered*  and  having  soon  made  themselves  mas- 
ters of  the  barrier,  pressed  on  through  the  narrow 
street  to  the  attack  of  the  second,  near  the  eastern 
extremity  of  Sault-au-Matelot  Street.     This  was  a 


battery  which  protested  the  on*  of  «h*tw*str**i 
caMtd  St  Feter  Street  and  Sa&im-MaUht,  extent 
ing,  by  meant  ef  hangarde  meatited  with  cannot 
fan  the  rock  to  the  mar.    11a  Montreal  Beak, 
then  a  private  home,  had  aanea  aaqjeatinff  fian 
the  end  window*,  aa  had  a  home  aft  <be  end  miSaaU- 
mhMakbt  Street     Tbe  enemy  took  abeltar  in  tkt 
honaea  on  each  side,  and  in  the  narrow  pais  leafeg 
reand  the  bane  of  the  eKff  Umawii  Hepe*Gate,  whgi 
they  were  secured  by  the  angle  ef  Aa  nock  from  tk 
ire  of  the  gone  at  the  barrier.     Heat  the;  enemy 
■wt  wita  a  oexeruiUHNi  reauRanoe,  wniea  m  waauanr 
rfUe  to  ovcteemc  ;  and  General  Cnshitoa  kajjlg 
ordered  a  aortie  rrem  Anaee-Oata  an4nr*:QlpaBi 
Lnwe,  in  order  to  take  then  ia  the 
rear  guard,  <ander  Captain  Deerkern,  ha1 
aarreadcicd  -Ike  dmsk*  of  Arnold  ' 
ter,  and  were  brought  prisoner*  te  the  Upper  Tew* 
The  officers  were  confined  in  the  Seminary*    Tbe 
contest  continued  for  upwards  of  two  hours,  and  dw 
bravery  of  the  assailants  was  indisputable.     Through 
the  freezing  cold,  and  the  pelting  of  tbe  storm,  wf 
maintained  tbe  attack  until  all  hope  of  sacces  an 
lost,  when  they  surrendered  to  a  generous  enemy, 
who  treated  the  wounded  and  prisoners  with  huna- 
nity. 

The  Americans  lost  in  the  attack  about  ene 
hundred  killed  and  wounded,  and  six  officers  of 
Arnold's  party,  exclusive  of  the  loss  at  PrSs-de-Vilk. 
The  British  lost  one  officer,  Lieutenant  Anderson  of 
of  the  Royal  Navy,  and  seventeen  killed  and  wound- 
ed. The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  force  which 
surrendered : 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOiXECTIONS.  433 

1  Lieutenant  Colonel, " 

2  Majors, 

8  Captains, 

15  Lieutenants,  v  ,  ,   , 

1  Adjutant,  >  Not  wounded. 

1  Quarter-Master,       I 
4  Volunteers,  ) 

350  Rank  and  file,  J 

44  Officers  and  soldiers,  wounded. 

426  Total  surrendered. 

By  the  death  of  Montgomery  the  command  de- 
volved upon  Arnold,  who  had  received  the  rank  of 
Brigadier  General.  In  a  letter  dated,  14th  January, 
1776,  he  complains  of  the  great  difficulty  he  had  in 
keeping  his  remaining  troops  together,  so  dishearten- 
ed were  they  by  their  disasters  on  the  31st  Decem- 
ber. The  siege  now  resumed  its  former  character 
of  a  blockade,  without  any  event  of  importance,  until 
the  month  of  March,  when  the  enemy  received  re- 
inforcements that  encreased  their  numbers  to  near 
two  thousand  men.  In  the  beginning  of  April, 
Arnold  took  the  command  at  Montreal,  and  was  re- 
lieved before  Quebec  by  Brigadier  General  Wooster. 
The  blockading  army,  which  had  all  the  winter  re- 
mained at  three  miles  distance  from  the  city,  now 
•approached  nearer  the  ramparts,  and  re-opened  their 
fire  upon  the  fortifications,  with  no  better  success  than 
before.  In  the  night  of  the  3rd  May,  they  made  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  to  destroy  the  ships  of  war  and 
vessels  laid  up  in  the  CuL-de-Sac,  by  sending  in  a 
fire  ship,  with  the  intention  of  profiting  by  the  con- 
fusion, and  of  making  another  attack  upon  the  works 
by  escalade.  At  this  time  they  had  reason  to  expect 
that  considerable  reinforcements,  which  they  had  no 
means  of  preventing  from  reaching  the  garrison, 

2  o 


434  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

would  shortly  arrive  from  England  ;  and  giving  up 
all  hope  of  success,  they  became  impatient  to  return 
to  their  own  country.  A  Council  of  War  was  called, 
on  the  5th,  by  General  Thomas,  who  had  succeeded 
Wooster  ;  and  it  was  determined  to  raise  the  siege  at 
once,  and  to  retire  to  Montreal.  They  immediately 
began  their  preparations,  and  in  the  course  of  the 
next  forenoon  broke  up  their  camp,  and  commenced 
a  precipitate  retreat. 

In  the  mean  time  the  gallant  Carleton  and  his  in- 
trepid garrison  were  rejoiced  by  the  arrival,  early  in 
the  morning  of  the  6th  May,  of  the  Surprize  Frigate, 
Captain  Linzee,  followed  soon  after  by  the  Isis,  of 
fifty  guns,  and  Martin  Sloop  of  war,  with  a  rein- 
forcement of  troops  and  supplies.  Nothing  could 
exceed  the  delight  of  the  British  at  this  seasonable 
.  relief.  After  the  toil  and  privation  of  a  six  months 
siege,  it  may  be  imagined  with  what  feelings  the  in- 
habitants beheld  the  Frigate  rounding  Pointe  Levi, 
and  how  sincerely  they  welcomed  her  arrival  in  the 
basin.  The  Isis  was  commanded  by  Captain,  after- 
wards Admiral  Sir  Charles  Douglas,  Baronet,  father 
of  Major  General  Sir  Howard  Douglas,  the  late 
popular  Lieutenant  Governor  of  New-Brunswick. 
Captain  Douglas  had  made  uncommon  exertions  to 
force  his  ship  through  fields  of  ice,— having  by  skil- 
ful management  and  a  press  of  sail  carried  her  for  the 
space  of  fifty  leagues,  through  obstacles  which  would 
have  deterred  an  officer  less  animated  by  the  zeal 
which  the  critical  service  on  which  he  was  employed 
required.  The  troops  on  board  the  vessels,  consisting 
of  two  companies  of  the  29th  Regiment,  with  a  party 
of  marines,  amounting  in  all  to  two  hundred  men, 
were  immediatelv  landed,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Viscount  Petersham,  afterwards  General  the 


;  WITH    HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  435 

Earl  of  Harrington.     No  sooner  had  they  arrived  in 
L  the  Upper  Town,  than  General  Carleton,  who  had 
learned  the  retreat  of  the  enemy,  determined  to  make  a 
sortie  and  to  harass  their  rear.    He  accordingly  march- 
ed out  at  the  head  of  eight  hundred  men ;  but  so  rapid 
was  the  flight  of  the  enemy,  that  a  few  shots  only 
were  exchanged,  when  they  abandoned  their  stores, 
artillery,  scaling  ladders,  leaving  also  their  sick,  of 
whom   they  had  a  great  many,  to  the  care  of  the 
British.     The  humanity  with  which  they  were  treat- 
ed was  afterwards  commemorated  by  Chief  Justice 
Marshall  in  his  life  of  Washington. 
*       The  conduct  of  General  Carleton  throughout  the 
siege  was  beyond  all  praise.     He  always  wore  the 
same  countenance,  and  as  his  looks  were  watched, 
his  conduct  infused  courage  into  those  of  the  inha- 
bitants, who,  unused  to  a  siege,  sometimes  gave  way 
to  despondency.     He  was,  indeed,  a   man   of  true 
bravery,  guided  by  discrimination,  conduct  and  ex- 
perience.    During  the  attack  of  the  31st  December, 
he  had   taken  post  at  Prescott-Gate,  where  he  knew 
would  be  made  the  combined  attack  of  Montgomery 
and  Arnold,  had  they  succeeded  in  passing  the  bar- 
riers at  Pris-de-Ville    and    the   Sault-au-Matelot. 
Here  he  took  his  stand,  and  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that  he  would  have  defended  the  post  even 
to  death.     He  had  been  heard  to  say,  that  he  would 
never  grace  the  triumph  of  the  enemy,  or  survive 
the  loss  of  the  town. 

The  despatches  announcing  the  retreat  of  the 
American  forces  from  before  Quebec  were  taken 
home  by  Colonel  Caldwell,  who  received  the  usual 
present  on  the  occasion.  His  Majesty  immediately 
bestowed  the  Knighthood  of  the  Bath  upon  General 
Carleton.    The  following  extract  from  his  despatches 


436  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

to  Lord  George  Germaine,  Secretary  of  State,  shows 
his  own  sense  of  the  general  conduct  of  the  officers 
and  men  under  his  command.  Among  the  Canadian 
officers  who  particularly  distinguished  themselves, 
were  Colonel  Dupr6,  Major  Ecuyer,  and  Captains 
Bouchette,  Laforce  and  Chabot  of  the  Marine. 

*  Thtis,"  says  General  Carleton,  "  ended  our  siege  aid 
blockade,  during  which  the  mixed  garrison  of  soldiers,  sailors, 
British  and  Canadian  militia,  with  the  artificers,  from  Halifax 
and  Newfoundland,  showed  great  zeal  and  patience,  under 
very  severe  duty,  and  uncommon  vigilance,  indispensable  in  a 
place  liable  to  be  stormed,  besides  great  labor  necessary  to 
render  such  attempts  less  practicable. 

"  I  cannot  conclude  this  letter  without  doing  justice  to  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Maclean,  who  has  been  indefatigably  zealous 
in  the  King's  service,  and  to  his  regiment,  wherein  he  has  col- 
lected a  number  of  experienced  good  officers,  who  have  been 
very  useful.  Colonel  Hamilton,  Captain  of  His  Majesty's 
ship,  Lizard,  who  commanded  the  battalion  of  seamen,  his 
officers  and  men,  discharged  their  duty  with  great  alacrity  and 
spirit.  The  same  thing  must  be  acknowledged  of  the  masters, 
inferior  officers  and  seamen,  belonging  to  His  Majesty's  trans- 
ports, and  merchantmen,  detained  here  last  fall :  only  one  sea- 
man deserted  the  whole  time.  The  militia,  British  and 
Canadian,  behaved  with  a  steadiness  and  resolution,  that  could 
hardly  have  been  expected  from  men  unused  to  arms.  Judges, 
and  other  officers  of  government,  as  well  as  Merchants,  cheer- 
fully submitted  to  every  inconvenience  to  preserve  the  town  : 
the  whole,  indeed,  upon  the  occasion,  showed  a  spirit  and  per- 
severance that  do  them  great  honor. 

"  Major  Caldwell,  who  commanded  the  British  militia  all 
winter,  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  Commandant,  and  is  bearer  of 
these  despatches  to  your  Lordship,  has  proved  himself  a  faith- 
ful subject  to  His  Majesty,  and  an  active  and  diligent  officer. 
He,  and,  indeed,  almost  every  loyal  subject,  are  very  conside- 
rable sufferers  by  the  present  hostile  invasion." 

Having  thus  brought  to  a  close  our  account  of  the 
various  and  eventful  scenes  which  have  passed  under 
review,  it  may  be  observed,  that  Quebec  is  remark- 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  437 

able  among  North  American  cities,  for  having  been 
five  times  invested  by  regular  forces  : — First,  in 
1629,  when,  in  the  infancy  of  the  Colony,  it  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  English, — in  1690,  after  its  natural 
capabilities  for  defence  had  been  improved  by  the 
art  of  fortification,  when  it  successfully  resisted  the 
attack  of  Sir  William  Phipps, — in  1759,  when, 
after  the  battle  of  the  Plains,  it  was  once  more  won 
by  England, — in  1760,  when,  having  been  main- 
tained during  the  winter,  it  was  unsuccessfully  be- 
sieged by  de  Levi ; — and  lastly,  in  1775,  when  after 
having  been  stormed  without  success — after  having 
sustained  a  siege  and  blockade  of  six  months  dura- 
tion— the  enemy  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  camp 
in  despair.  Since  that  time  no  hostile  banner  has 
been  displayed  before  its  walls  ;  and  so  long  as  it  is 
defended  by  a  garrison,  loyal  and  resolute  to  do  their 
duty — so  long  as  England  maintains  the  glory  of  her 
Navy — Quebec  may  bid  defiance  to  external  attack 
and  foreign  violence.  May  the  "  time  honored"  stan- 
dard of  Great  Britain  continue  to  wave  from  the  bat- 
tlements that  crown  this  renowned  fortress,  never  to 
be  removed  but  by  her  own  act,  with  the  consent  and 
free  will  of  her  generous  people  !  Should  it  ever  be 
lowered,  may  it  be  only  in  the  spirit  of  honor  and 
benevolence,  in  order  to  promote  the  rising  destinies 
of  a  new  North  American  Empire,  called  into  exis- 
tence by  the  force  of  events,  and  by  the  operation  of 
those  progressive  changes  which  human  means  can 
neither  foresee,  or  prevent  from  occurring  in  the 
lapse  of  years,  and  in  the  fullness  of  time  ! 

But  it  is  not  our  province  to  indulge  a  presump- 
tuous speculation  into  futurity, — satisfied  that  the 
past  can  never  be  forgotten,  or  undone  ;  and  that 
whatever  may  be  its  fate  to  come,  "  so  long  as  fame 

2o3 


438  NEW   PICTURE   OF  gUEBEC, 

shall  wait  upon  heroic  deeds/'  the  renown  of  Quebec 
will  derive  its  chief  lustre  from  the  reflected  glories 
of  England,  her  might,  valor  and  enduring  genero- 
sity ! 

Pradena  fatari  temporis  exitum 

Caliginosa  nocte  premit  Deus  : 

# 


eras  vel  atra 


Nube  polum  Pater  occupato, 
Vel  sole  puro  :  non  tamen  irritum 
Quodcumque  retro  est,  efficiet ;  Deque 
Diffioget,  infectumque  reddet, 
Quod  fugiens  semel  bora  vexit. 

GENERAL   MONTGOMERY, 

Richard  Montgomery  was  a  gentleman  of  good  family,  is 
the  North  of  Ireland,  and  connected  by  marriage  with  Viscount 
Ranelagh  of  that  Kingdom.  He  had  been  Captain  in  the  17th 
Regiment  of  Foot,  and  had  fought  successfully  the  battles  of 
England,  nnder  the  immortal  Wolfe,  on  the  Plains  of  Abra- 
ham. He  afterwards  married  the  daughter  of  Judge  Livingston', 
of  Livingston  Manor,  on  the  North  River,  who  was  living  in 
1818.  Montgomery  imbibed  the  prevalent  politics  of  his 
father-in-law's  family,  and  joined  the  cause  of  the  Colonists 
against  the  mother  country. 

Marshall,  however,  in  his  life  of  Washington,  remarks, 
that,  '*  though  he  had  embraced  the  American  cause  with  en- 
thusiasm, he  had  become  wearied  with  its  service He  had 

determined  to  withdraw  from  the  army,  and  had  signified,  be- 
fore marching  from  Montreal,  his  resolution  to  resign  the  com- 
mission which  had  been  conferred  upon  him."  Marshall 
adds  as  a  probable  incentive  to  the  storming  of  Quebec  on  the 
31st  December,  1775,  "  the  desire  of  closing  his  military  career 
with  a  degree  of  brilliancy  suited  to  the  elevation  of  his  mind, 
by  the  conquest  of  Quebec,  and  the  addition  of  Canada  to  the 
United  States." 

The  excellence  of  his  qualities  and  disposition  procured  him 
an  uncommou  share  of  private  affection,  as  his  abilities  and 
services  had  of  public  esteem.  Soon  after  his  death,  the  Con* 
tinental  Congress  ordered  a  magnificent  Cenotaph  to  be  erected 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  439 

tm  bis  memory,  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  New- York,  with  the  fol- 
lowing inscription  ; 

Montgomery  falls  !   Let  no  fond  breast  repine, 

That  Hampden's  glorious  death,  brave  Chief,  was  thine. 

With  his  shall  Freedom  consecrate  thy  name, 

Shall  date  her  rising-  glories  from  thy  fame, 

Shall  build  her  throne  of  Empire  on  thy  grave — 

What  nobler  fate  can  patriot  virtue  crave  ! 

The  following  matter  of  fact  relating  to  the  disinterment  of 
the  remains  of  this  officer  is  unquestionably  authentic.     In  the 
year  1818,  a  request  having  been  made  to  the  Governor-in- 
Chief,  Sir  John  Sherbrooke,  for  leave  to  disinter  the  remains 
of  General  Montgomery,  in  order  that  they  might  be  conveyed 
to  New- York,  and  there  re-interred,  His  Excellency  acceded  to 
the  request,  which  came  to  him  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Montgo- 
mery, the  widow  of  the  General.     MrT  James  Thompson,  an 
old  gentleman  of  respectability,  serving  in  the  Engineer  De- 
partment at  Quebec,  (a  Serjeant  under  General  Wolfe  at  the 
conquest,)  who  bore  arms  during  the  siege  of  the  winter  1775-6 
in  defence  of  the  city,  and  on  the  morning  after  the  attack,  had 
found  the  body  of  the  deceased  General,  and  afterwards  saw  it 
interred  in  one  of  the  bastions  near  St.  Lewis-Gate,  by  order  of 
the  British  Commander,  was  now  ordered  to  explore  the  place 
of  interment  and  dig  up  the  remains.     This  he  accordingly  did* 
in  the  presence  of  one  of  His  Excellency's  Aides-de-Camp, 
-Captain  Freer  ;  and  although  the  spot  where  the  body  had  been 
deposited  was  entirely  altered  in  appearance,  from  the  demo- 
lition of  an  old  building  or  powder  magazine  which  was  near  it, 
-and  the  subsequent  construction  of  a  range  of  barracks,  he  hit 
upon  the  foot  of  the  coffin,  which  was  much  decayed,  but  of 
the  identity  whereof  there  could  not  be  a  doubt,  no  other  body 
-having  been  interred  in  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  except 
those  of  the  General's  two  Aides,  M(Pherson  and  Cheeseman , 
which  were  placed  on  each  side  of  their  master's  body,  in  their 
clothes,  and  without  coffins*     Mr.  Thompson  gave  the  follow- 
ing affidavit  of  the  facts  in  order  to  satisfy  the  surviving  rela- 
tions and  friends  of  General   Montgomery,  that  the  remains 
which  had  been  so  disinterred  after  the  lapse  of  forty-two  years 
by  the  same  hand  that  had  interred  them,  were  really  those  of 
the  late  General  : 

"  I,  James  Thompson,  of  the  city  of  Quebec,  in  the  Province 
of  Lower  Canada,  do  testify  and  declare— that  I  served  in  the 


MEW    PICTURE    07    QUEBEC, 

en  parity  of  an  Anistant  Engineer  during  the  siege  of  this  r.lr, 
invested  during  the  years  1775  and  I77C  by  the  Amrriicu 
forces  under  the  coin  111  and  of  the  late  Major  Genera!  Rkhibs 
Montijomeuv.  Thai  in  an  attack  made  by  the  American  troopl 
under  the  immediate  command  of  General  Montgomery,  ia  thi 
night  of  the  31st  IlccemW,  17V.,.  una  15riri-.li  jio-r.  at  tin 
aonthernmoM  extremity  of  (he  city,  near  l'r-:s-th-  Viltr,  \\\i 
General  received  a  mortal  wound,  and  with  him  were  tilled 
bis  two  Aidt'»-Jr>-<  'amp,  Mc  I  'tiifsnii  and  (.'hei-sf  man,  who  were 
found  in  the  morning  of  the  1st  January,  1 778,  almost  cowed 
with  wiow.  Thai  Mrs.  Prentice  who  kept  au  Hotel,  at  Que- 
bec, and  with  whom  General  Montgomery  had  prarioadi 
boarded,  wait  brought  to  view  the  body,  after  it  was  placed  in 
the  Guard  Rooni,  and  wliich  she  recognised  by  a  particular 
mark  which  in>  li.nl  mi  the  side  of  his  head,  fo  be  the  I i mural-. 
That  the  body  was  tlieu  couveyed  to  a  bouse,  (GohertV)' 
by  order  of  Mr.  Craroalie,  who  provided  u  ^cutcel  coffin  for  At 
General's  bodv,  which  was  lined  inside  with  flannel,  and  out- 
side of  it  with" black  doth.  That  in  the  night  of  the  4-tli  Janu- 
ary, it  was  conveyed  by  me  from  Gobert'l  bonsf,  and  wis 
interred  sis  feet  in  front  of  the  gate,  within  a  wall  that  sur- 
rounded a  powder  magazine  near  the  ramparts  bound  in; 
St.  Lewis-Gate.  That  the  funeral  service  was  perform, 
the  grave  by  the  Reverend  Mr.  de  Moiitmoliu,  then  Chaptiip 
of  the  garrison.  That  his  two  Aiiii's-d,!  Camp  were  buried  io 
their  clothes  without  any  coffins,  and  that  uo  penou  was  bu- 
ried within  twenty  .five  yards  of  the  General.  .  That  I  m 
positive  and  can  testify  and  declare,  that  the  coffin  of  the 
fate  General  Montgomery,  taken  up  on  the  morning  of  Ik 
16th  of  the  present  month  of  June,  1818,  is  the  identH 
ooffiu  deposited  by  me  on  the  day  of  his  burial,  and  tl 
the  present  coffin  contains  the  remains  of  the  late  General  I 
do  further  testify  and  declare  that  subsequent  to  the  findisf 
of  General  Montgomery's  body,  I  wore  hie  sword,  being  lighter 
than  my  own,  and  on  going  to  the  Seminary,  where  the  Ame- 
rican officers  were  lodged,  they  recognized  the  sword,  which 
affected  them  so  mnch,  that  numbers  of  them  wept,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  t  bave  never  worn  the  sword  since. 

"  Given  under  my  hand, at  the  city  of  Quebec,  Province  of 
Lower  Canada,  19th  June,  1818. 

"JAMES    THOMPSON." 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  441 


COLONEL  LE    C0*1TE   DUPRE\ 

This  gentleman  commanded  the  Canadian  Militia  during  the 
riege  of  1775-6.  He  had  first  received  a  commission  from  the 
Marquis  Duquesne,  Governor  General  of  Canada,  as  Captain. 
lit  June,  1755,  he  was  appointed  Major,  and  in  the  following* 
November,  Lieutenant  Colonel.  In  consequence  of  his  beha- 
viour during1  the  siege,  on  the  4th  March,  1778,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Colonel  Commandant  for  the  City  and  District  of 
Quebec,  by  General  Sir  Guy  Carleton.  He  continued  in 
this  extensive  command  for  more  than  twenty  years,  and  his 
oonduct  deservedly  obtained  the  friendship,  confidence,  and 
gratitude  of  all  the  Militiamen  of  the  District. 

The  following  anecdote  deserves  to  be  known,  it  occurred  in 
Kovember,  1775: 

-  The  enemy  was  at  the  gates  of  the  city,  when  three  Serjeants 
of  the  Canadian  Militia  formed  a  conspiracy  to  admit  the  Ame- 
ricans through  a  small  wicket  near  the  powder  magazine, 
where  one  of  them  commanded  a  guard.  Colonel  Dupre', 
going'  his  rounds  one  night  about  eleven  o'clock,  became  sus- 
picious, and  soon  discovered  this  plot,  and  communicated  it  to 
Lieutenant  Governor  Cramahe'.  The  Serjeants  were  secured, 
and  kept  in  prison  until  the  following  May.  They  were  then. 
tried,  and  admitted  that  the  city  had  been  saved  by  the  sagacity 
of  Colonel  Dupre'.  The  Americans,  enraged  at  the  discovery 
•f  the  plot,  did  all  the  damage  they  could  to  the  Colonel's  pro- 
perty. Four  hundred  were  quartered  at  his  house  and  land 
near  Quebec,  which  they  luined.  At  his  seigniory  they  des- 
troyed his  flour,  and  broke  in  pieces  his  furniture.  On  being 
offered  a  grant  of  land  as  a  reward  for  his  services,  and  as  a 
compensation  for  his  losses,  he  refused  to  accept  it,  saying,  that 
he  served  out  of  regard  to  his  country  and  his  king,  and  re* 
quired  no  remuneration. 


442  NEW   PICTURE   OF    QUEBEC, 


CHAPTER  THE  TWENTIETH. 

GEOLOGY. — GENERAL  CHARACTER  OF  THE  ENVIRONS. 

CONCLUSION. 

No  Picture  of  Quebec,  in  these  enlightened  days, 
will  be  considered  complete,  if  it  do  not  contain 
some  information  upon  the  geological  structure  of 
the  site  of  that  City  and  its  environs,  which  are  the 
subjects  of  its  delineations.  It  is  not  consistent 
with  the  nature  of  the  work,  to  enter  into  details; 
but,  avoiding  these,  we  propose  to  give  a  condensed 
outline  of  those  geological  features  which  will  be 
most  likely  to  come  under  the  observation  of  the 
intelligent  traveller.  As,  however,  it  it  is  usual  to 
introduce  geological  descriptions  by  a  topographical 
outline  of  the  country  they  embrace,  in  conformity 
with  that  custom,  the  following  slight  one  is  offered. 

The  site  of  the  metropolis  of  Lower  Canada,  when 
viewed  from  the  river,  must  in  all  times,  have  fixed 
the  eye  of  the  stranger,  whether  crowned  with  mo- 
dern architecture,  as  in  the  present  day,  or  by  the 
primeval  forest,  as  Champlain  first  saw  it ;  a  sight 
which  might  well  draw  from  his  followers  the  excla- 
mation of  Quel  bee,  whence  some  writers  derive 
Quebec.  * 


*  This,  however,  is  a  disputed  point.  It  appears  by  a  refe- 
rence to  pa#e  1 18  of  this  volume,  that  so  far  back  as  the  time 
of  Henry  V.  the  word  Quebec  occurs  in  the  Arms  of  the  Earl 
of  Suffolk.  This  interesting  fact  was  introduced  for  the  first 
time  by  A.  Stuart,  Esq.  into  a  paper  which  he  read  before  the 
Literary  and  Historical  Society  of  Quebec. 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS,  44 


o 


This  promontory,  which  forms  so  conspicuous  a 
feature  in  the  river  scenery  immediately  above  the 
Island  of  Orleans,  is  the  narrow  north-eastern  ter- 
mination of  an  oblong  tongue  of  land  which,  rising 
from  the  valley  of  Cap  Rouge,  about  8  miles  south- 
westward  of  Quebec,  attains  at  the  latter  place  its 
extreme  altitude  of  330  feet  above  the  St.  Law- 
rence, whilst  its  greatest  breadth,  which  lies  towards 
the  western  extremity  and  nearly  opposite  to  the 
parochial  church  of  St.  Foy,  is  about  2^  miles. 

The  whole  of  this  feature  is  insulated  by  a  valley 
out  of  which  it  appears  to  rise,  like  the  back  of  a 
leviathan  from  the  deep.  Through  the  southern 
branch  of  this  valley  flows,  between  rocky  preci- 
pices, the  noble  St.  Lawrence,  pressed  by  its  hun- 
dred wings  of  commerce,  and  here  attaining  an 
extreme  breadth  of  two  miles,  *  while  the  northern 
branch  spreads  out  into  low  alluvial  lands,  through 
which  meander  the  St.  Charles  and  St.  Michel 
rivers,  whose  waters,  though  from  western  and  north- 
ern sources  in  the  mountains  which  close  the  visual 
horizon  on  this  side  from  east  to  west,  become 
nearly  simultaneously  confluent  with  the  St.  Law- 
rence at  the  Vacherie. 

The  valley  of  Cap  Rouge,  which  breaks  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  tongue  of  land  before  mentioned  to 
south-westward,  is  in  the  present  day,  characterized 
only  by  an  insignificant  stream;  but  it  appears 
to  be  probable  that  the  St.  Lawrence  once  passed 
an  arm  this  way  round,  thereby  insulating  all  the 
land  to  the  right  of  it. 


*  The  breadth  of  the  river  from  the  Queen's  Wharf  across 
to  McKenzie'8  Wharf,  has  been  measured  on  the  ice,  and  found 
to  be  1133  yards,  2  feet  9  inches. 


444  NEW  PICTURE  tXF   QUEBEC* 

Casting  the  eyes  around  from  any  elevated  posi- 
tion in  this  metropolis,  they  will  pass  over  all  the 
four  Grand  Divisions  into  which  rocks  have  been 
divided,  viz. :  the  Primary,  the  Transition,  the  Se- 
condary and  the  Tertiary;  sometimes  naked  and 
prominent,  at  others  deeply  covered  by  alluvions, 
diluvions  or  vegetable  deposits. 

Primary  Bocks. 

The  Primary  or  .granitic  portion  of  our  forma- 
tions within  view,  is  confined  to  that  range  of  moun- 
tains and  its  lateral  spurs  which,  commencing  at 
•Cape  Tourment,  30  miles  below  Quebec,  on  the 
northern  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  where  it  forms 
a  conspicuous  dome-shaped  headland,  trends  away 
to  the  westward  in  a  series  of  consecutive  mom- 
tains  and  vallies,  the  former  holding  a  course  nearly 
parallel  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  preserving  an  ave- 
rage distance  from  it  of  ten  or  twelve  miles.  Beyond 
this  line  of  demarcation  to  the  northward,  for  manv 
miles,  no  "  Land  of  Promise"  for  the  settler  is  met 
with ;  and  the  semi-civilized  Indian  traverses  this 
inhospitable  region,  in  the  pursuit  of  the  moose 
and  the  caribou,  consoled  by  the  reflection,  that  I 
here,  at  least,  for  many  years  to  come,  his  wan- 
derings will  suffer  little  interruption  from  the  white 
man. 

The  highest  point  of  this  range  is  considered  not  ! 
to  exceed  2000  feet  of  altitude  above  the  St.  Law-  j 
rence,  but  usually  falls  much  short  of  it.  The  coun-  . 
trv  which  it  traverses  has  been  explored,  but  by  no  | 
individual  possessed  of  sufficient  geological  know- 
ledge  to  allow7  him  to  describe  the  rocky  masses  met  I 
within  language  sufficiently  scientific  to  be  intelli-   ii 


\ 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  445 

^ible  to  the  initiated.  However,  an  examination  of 
-those  off-spurs  and  boulders  which  lie  nearest  the 
town,  has  led  those  who  understand  the  subject  to 
infer,-  that  granite,  granitic  gneiss,  mica  slate, 
(rarely),  syenite,  syenitic  gneiss*  horneblende  slate, 
and  primary  greenstone,  are  the  species  of  rocks 
which  most  prevail. 

Transition  Books. 

The  term  Transition  in  Geology,  is  becoming  obso- 
lete ;  yet  it  is  one  of  great  convenience,  and  liable 
to  no  abuse  when  employed  by  those  who  study 
facts  more  than  theories.  We  will,  therefore,  con- 
tinue to  employ  it  in  the  designation  of  certain  rocks 
which  are  largely  developed  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  Quebec,  and  on  one  or  two  members  of 
which,  indeed,  we  consider  that  City  to  stand. 

When  placed  on  the  highest  summit  of  Cape 
Diamond,  350  feet  above  the  river  at  its  base,  all 
the  natural  stony  fixed  features  of  ground  around 
and  beneath  us  on  this  side  the  valley  of  the  St. 
Charles  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence, consist  of  Transition  rocks. — This  formation 
characterizes  both  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence  for 
some  distance  above  Quebec ;  but  below  it  appears 
to  be,  for  the  most  part,  confined  to  the  islands  and 
southern  shore,  which  it  exclusively  occupies  for 
many  miles. 

The  members  which  compose  this  formation,  in 
the  extent  to  which  we  now  limit  our  attention,  are 
the  following  : — Clay  slate,  grey wacke,  compact 
limestone  and  limestone  conglomerate:  the  two 
first  occur  in  very  subordinate  quantity,  while  the 
two  former  abound  and  frequently  alternate  with 

2p 


MS  .   MKV.,ttGTB9*  W.«WWft  .... 

each  other.  The  dip  of  the  stratification  of  these 
nicks,  which  shows  this  alternation,  is  usually  at  a 
high  angle  to  the  S.  E. ;  but  occasionally  the  reverse 
of  this  dip  is  noticed,  and  the  inclined  planes  of  the 
strata  front  the  N.  VV-,  the  hearing  of  N.  E.,  S.  W. 
remaining  generally  undisturbed. 

Cape  Diamond,  in  which  this  formation  attains 
its  greatest  height,  at  least  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Quebec,  consists  of  a  day  elate,  but  of  anomalom 
constituents,  among  which  are  to  be  reckoned  a  large 
portion  of  carbonate  of  Lime,  carbon  and  bitumen;* 
and  in  consequence,  the  rock  has  been  called  a  car- 
boniferous limestone  by  those  who  attend  more  to  tbe 
niineralogical  than  geological  character;  forg-umm; 
at  the  same  time,  that  tue  term  carboniferous,  im- 
plies bearing  carbon,  not  containing  it,  the  carboni- 
ferous being  the  lowest  rock  of  the  coal  formation. 
We  must  not  omit  to  state,  however,  that  it  is  a  ques- 
tion of  controversy  with  Geologists,  whether  carbon- 
iferous limestone  be  the  lowest  of  the  Secondary  or 
uppermost  of  the  Transition  class. — Be  this  at  it  may, 
the  dip  of  the  rock  in  question,  conformable  to  that 
of  the  series  iu  the  vicinity,  of  decided  Transition 
character,  together  with  the  rarity  (to  say  the  most) 
of  the  occurrence  of  fossils  in  it,  corresponds  so  well 
with  the  Transition  class  around,  while  these  charac- 
ters are  so  perfectly  at  variance  with  those  of  the  ho- 
rizontal fossil  bearing  |  strata  of  Beauport,  which  is 


*  The  abundance  of  quartz  crystals  also  with  which  it  ii 
studded,  and  to  the  presence  of  which  it  owes  its  name,  nnj 
he  likewise  considered  aa  an  anomalous  characteristic. 

f  We  do  not  know  of  any  positive  instance  of  the  occurrenre  of 
fossileiuthe  Black  Rock  of  Quebec;  butliivnUularirnpressieu 
have  sometimes  (though  rarely)  been  noticed  in  the  confonu- 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  447 

a 

really  conceived  to  be  carboniferous  limestone,  that 
we  have  no  hesitation  in  claiming  for  the  former,  both 
a  higher  degree  of  geological*  antiquity  and  a  distinct 
geological  epoch. 

Secondary  Rocks. 

The  Secondary  rocks  of  the  vicinity  next  come 
under  consideration:  they  consist,  almost  exclu- 
sively, as  far  as  we  have  yet  noticed,  of  a  limestone 
which  is  fetid,  fossilized  and  horizontally  stratified, 
holding  a  position  topographically  between  the  Pri- 
mary range  to  the  northward,  and  the  Transition 
masses  we  have  just  alluded  to  on  the  opposite  or  St. 
Lawrence  side  of  the  valley,  while  their  relative  geo- 
logical arrangement  is  either  over  the  edges  of  the 
highly  inclined  clay  slates  or  grey  wackes,  or  where 
they  basset  out,  abutting  against  the  planes  of  their 
stratification,  or,  when  these  rocks  are  absent,  com- 
ing into  similar  contact  with  the  primary  stratified 
formations  beneath,  or  simple  contact  alone,  either 
vertically  or  laterally,  with  the  unstratified  portion  of 
the  same :  in  short,  always  in  a  position  relatively  un- 
conformable to  those  rocks  we  have  stated  to  repre- 
sent the  Primary  and  Transition  classes  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 

The  localities  which  offer  the  best  sections  of  the 
limestone  we  are  discussing,  are,  the  village  of  Beau- 


ble  limestone  conglomerates  which  form  the  northern  preci- 
pice, from  the  corner  of  Peter-street  towards  No.  4  Tower.  It 
is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  planes  of  stratification  of  the  Black 
Rock  often  exhibit  continuous  markings,  analogous  to  trellis 
work,  which  have  a  high  relief,  as  well  as  a  anthracitic  lustre. 
It  has  just  been  discovered  that  this  rock  forms  by  the  usual 
process,  an  excellent  water  cement,  &c. 


446  mkw  ncrufts  of  gimQ 

pact  and  the  Moo  tmorend  river ;  the  former  an  arti- 
ficial quarry,  the  latter,  we  conceive,  the  result  oft 
natural  watery  erosion.  Both  there  sections  km 
been  closely  examined  by  Dr.  Bigsby,  who  bar  tbt 
credit  of  having  been  one  of  the  first  individuals  ii 
this  country  to  stir  up  a  taste  for  similar  investiga- 
tions; and  we  cannot  do  better  than  introduce  here 
an  extract  of  his,  taken  from  Professor  Sillimai's 
«  Tour  between  Hartford  and  Quebec,"  the  only 
tour  published  among  the  many  through  this  plae» 
jrhich  affords  accurate  geological  information  on  tie 
locale,  and  which,  in  other  respects,  is  a  work  s* 
pleasantly  (and  as  for  as  we  may  presume  to  judge 
correctly)  written— -breathing  throughout  sacha  tout 
of  conciliation  as  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  As 
reader  in  its  behalf,  whether  he  be  American  or  Brit- 
ish, while  k  tends  to  his  conviction  that  the  author 
is,  not  only  a  scholar,  but  also  a  liberal  minded  gen* 
tleman: — 

"  The  lowest  visible  rocks,  rising  six  or  eight  feet 
from  the  bed  of  the  river,  are  dough  shaped  moundf 
of  granite,  (gneiss?)  vertical,  with  a  south-west  directi- 
on, with  many  irregular  quartz  veins,  half  a  foot  thick. 
On  it,  lies  a  perfectly  horizontal  sand  stone,  so  coane 
as  to  resemble  conglomerate,  (I  suspect  this  sand 
stone  is  a  coarse  gray  wacke.)  It  is  four  feet  thick, 
and  weathered  red  and  white.  Upon  this  rests  light 
hair  brown,  highly  crystalline  lime  stone,  very  fetid, 
full  of  shells,  vegetable  filaments,  massive  blende, 
and  a  mineral,  like  brown  spar.  This  gradually  be- 
comes dull,  less  crystalline,  and  at  length  at  the  top 
of  the  bank,  is  nearly  a  common  blue  lime  stone, 
with  a  conchoidal  fracture,  and  still  here  and  then 
containing  small  crystals  of  carbonates.  The  whole 
height  here,  is  perhaps,  forty  feet" 


WITH    HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  448 

About  one  mile  above  the  place  of  which  the  fore- 
going extract  is  a  geological  description,  occurs  a 
gorge  or  deep  section  in  the  river  which,  from  the 
step-like  {placement  of  portions  of  the  horizontal 
strata  forming  its  sides,  has  been  called,  appropri- 
ately, "  The  Natural  Steps."  Here  is  met  with  a 
vfery  interesting  geological  section,  consisting  of  a 
succession  of  horizontal  strata  of  fetid  limestone, 
filled  with  the  "  Medals  of  Creation,"  as  fossils  have 
been  eloquently  called,  the  most  abundant  among 
which  are  othoceratites.  Near  the  base  of  this  sec- 
tion, a  little  above  the  river,  a  thin  stratum  may  be  no- 
ticed, which  is  literally  composed  of  ammonites  about 
there  or  four  inches  in  circumference ;  some  of  them 
very  perfect  and  beautiful.  This  stratum  is  pressed 
by  a  superincumbent  mass  of  limestone,  of  from  30 
to  40  feet  high.  Both  banks  of  the  river  here  ex- 
hibit much  the  same  appearances,  being  characte- 
rized by  the  same  fossils  and  limestone.  Among 
other  fossils  characteristic  of  the  carboniferous  lime- 
stone met  with  in  this  formation,  both  here  and  at 
Beauport,  are  certain  corallites,  trilobites,  encrinites 
products,  terbratulae,  conulariae  quadrisulcatae, 
(rare),  and  nautulites.  * 

Tertiary — Alluvial — Diluvial  Formations* 

We  class  all  these   hydraulic  deposits  together, 
because,  in  fact,  with  one  exception,  it  is  in  general 


*  Art.  9,  vol.  1.  Transactions  of  the  Literary  and  Historical 
Society  of  Quebec,  affords  good  Topographical  and  Geological 
Notes  on  the  country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Falls  of 
Montmorenci. 

2p  3 


4S0  ww  ptcroM  w  gram 

no  easy  matter  to  djitingmsli  tben*~-os*  this  C*sti- 
nent  at  least  They  towo  oil  erignated  in  the  mm 
oanse,  differing  only  as  to  its  antiquity  and  activity* 
The  exception  alluded  to,  embraces  certain  receH 
or  Modern  alluviums,  which  are  now  forming  in  esm> 
lies,  on  the  sea  shores,  and  at  the  mouths  and  on  ti* 
tanks  of  inland  rivers.  No  example  of  the  first  two 
actions,  of  course,  come  under  our  present  noma; 
but  as  wo  descend  towards  and  through  tho  GaK 
they  may  be  seen  constantly  in  unceasing  operatic* 
The  St  Charles  and  St  Michel  rivers  afford  gwd 
instances  of  tho  two  last;  and  the  Vaeherie,  in  sH 
probability,  owes  its  existence  to  the  mated  actios 
of  these  two  confluent  streams.  Pursuing  a  cow* 
nearly  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  they  traverse  fi* 
some  distance,  before  joining  the  St,  Lawrence,  4* 
the  way  from  their  western  and  norther*  soones,* 
country  covered  with  loose  or  plastic,  silicious  or  alht- 
minou8  deposits,  in  which  they  sometimes  form  deep 
sections,  and  in  which,  in  their  progress,  they  are 
constantly  producing  a  change,  either  in  the  way  of  ' 
abstraction  or  addition, — stealing  from  a  salient  angle 
what  they  restore  at  a  re-entering  one.  Now,  it  is  pre- 
cisely such  deposits  as  form  the  origmai  sections  of 
the  portions  of  these  rivers  we  allude  to,  that  puzzle 
the  Geologist  who  wishes  to  determine  whether 
they  are  to  be  considered  Alluvial,  Diluvial  or  Terti- 
ary. From  the  recent  or  modern  alluvium  just  de- 
scribed, they  are  easily  distinguished,  as  well  by  the 
superior  relative  altitude  at  which  they  are  found,  as 
by  the  fact  of  their  having  long  ceased  to  increase, 
the  cause  of  that  increase  being  no  longer  in  action 
on  the  spot  where  they  are  found.  But  it  is  quite 
different  as  regards  the  distinction  between  the  more 
ancient  deposits  we  are  discussing ; — here  is  no  well 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  451 

defined  geological  horizon ;  they  often  seem  to  mi- 
rage as  it  were,  or  merge  one  into  the  other. 

The  structure  of  these  deposits  may  be  best  seen 
on  the  St  Michel  and  Beauport  rivers.  The  former 
presents  us  witb  sections  of  sand  or  loam  bedded  on 
clay,  sometimes  containing  drift  wood  and  boulders, 
and  assuming,  occasionally,  a  stratified  arrangement 
The  latter  discloses  embaying  cliffs  and  heights  of 
plastic  clay,  surmounted  by  sandy  deposits,  and  in 
one  remarkable  instance,  by  an  entire  bank  of  ma- 
rine shells,  whose  greatest  depth  is  from  25  to  80 
feet  In  many  parts  of  these  cliffs  stratification  is  a 
distinct  feature,  and  towards  their  bases  it  assumes 
the  appearance  even  of  that  of  the  indurated  clay 
slates  of  the  neighbourhood ;  but  the  ease  with  which 
its  hardest  portions  may  be  moulded  under  the  ac- 
tion of  the  fingers  and  moisture  into  any  form,  is  a 
sufficient  distinction — a  distinction  which  has  proba- 
bly an  analogous  origin  to  that  which  exists  between 
loam  and  the  brick  which  is  made  from  it  This 
alluminous  substratum  we  are  disposed  to  class  among 
Tertiary  formations,  while  the  loose  and  more  silici- 
ous  materials  above,  including  the  fragments  of  pri- 
mary aggregates  imbedded  in  them,  we  would  re- 
er,  in  geological  strictness,  to  the  ancient  alluvium, 
not  but  what  (and  hence  arises  the  difficulty  of  distin- 
guishing them)  the  tertiary  formations  are  also  of  an 
alluvial  character,  and  may,  in  fact,  be  considered  the 
most  ancient  of  alluviums,  (the  Secondary  and  Tran- 
sition rocks,  which,  for  the  most  part  were  once  so, 
having  undergone  geological  changes  which  have 
removed  them  from  that  class,  the  most  striking  of 
which  changes  in  general  is  the  degree  of  induration 
they  have  acquired  and  their  fixture  in  water.)  But 
some  Geologists  attempt,  not  always  very  sueeesa- 


48§  •  »*  Kcnnv  0f  i^iBUW,  u^ 

folly,  it  mast  be  confessed,  to  establish*  iifmail 
between  ttin  trrtimy  formations  md  tfan  smiiniHinV 
lnviums:  It  it  mack  easier  to  ooooeiye  tike  4Mbw^ 
than  to  describe  in  what  it  oonsiftta,  ibpe««a||fe 
flame  analogy  exists  between  them  afl'-lfeiitpas*  ifci 
ancient  ana  recent  alluviums,  theonebiiii^  «A*fc 
caused  by  the  breaking  up  of  the  oth«ti»%^ -vr>>  ^n 
The  bank  of  shells  we  here  described  as  em* 
lying  in  one.  spot  the  plastic  clay  t»  &e  >depaV 
(a  maximum)  of  25  or  30  feet,  coaeisfes  of  anintot* 
mixture  of  silicious  sand,  and  for  the  maettpa&V 
bivalve  sheik)  stained  hers ;  and  then  with  the  ft**' 
oxide  of  iron.  The  shells  are  usually  hkadbodaa* 
brittle,  sometimes  exhibiting  a  pearly  naere,  and  *k 
ways,  we  conceive,  in  the  possession  of  a  fttttieiMai 
their  animal  gluten.  The  bivalve  dkefle  aaacarla 
be  the  following,  set  down  in  the  order  «f^tk«i^ 
abundance: — 

Hiatella  (arctica),  (in  the  largest  proportion.) 

Tellina  (  ?  ) 

Mya  (truncata.) 

Mytelus  (Borealis?) 

Pecten     (  ?  ) 

Terebratula  (psittacea.) 
Among  univalves  have  been  found — 

Natica. 

Fasciolaria. 

Melania. 

Buccinura  (undatum  ?) 

Fusus. 

Scalaria  (rare.) 
A  Mutivalve,  also  the  Balanus  tintinnabulus,  in 
fragments,  is  also  common. 

It  is  remarkable  in  this  bank,  that  the  two  largest 
genera  of  shells  found  in  it,  viz. :  the  Mya  and  the 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  453 

Pecten,  occupy  in  layers,  the  lowest  portion  of  it. 
Et  has  also  been  observed,  that  the  clay  here,  though 
rapporting  this  calcareous  burthen,  does  not  in  the 
east  effervesce  with  acids. 

If  much  diligence  were  used  in  the  research,  it 
night  be  possible  to  find,  perhaps,  as  many  more  as 
hose  enumerated  above,  differing  from  them  either 
n  genus  or  species ;  but  these  are  all  we  could  col- 
ect,  after  several  examinations  of  the  bank ;  and  hav- 
ng  little  information  on  the  subject  ourselves,  they 
mve  been  submitted,  in  the  first  instance,  to  the 
Dountess  of  Dalhousie,  and  subsequently  to  Mrs. 
Sheppard,  of  Woodfield, — two  females  whose  refined 
iastes  have  led  them  to  a  successful  cultivation  of 
more  than  one  branch  of  Natural  History  ;  and  to 
)ne  or  other  of  these  ladies  we  are  indebted  for  the 
ibove  quoted  names.  Mrs.  Sheppard  observes  on 
the  singularity  of  finding  a  fresh  water  shell  (mela- 
lia)  mixed  up  with  the  others  which  are  exclusively 
)f  marine  origin.  The  fact  would  seem  to  imply, 
hat  when  this  bank  of  shells  was  deposited  land  was 
lot  far  off. 

The  commonest  of  these  shells,  the  Hiatella  and 
"ellina,  have  been  traced  from  hence  to  other  places 
l  the  neighbourhood,  even  to  (  harlesbourg  and  In- 
ian  Lorette ;  but  they  are  far  from  occurring  in 
4ch  profusion  as  here.  The  fact  appears  to  be,  that 
xe  bank  suddenly  wedges  out  to  a  very  thin  stratum 
r  layer. 

Whether  this  bank  is  to  be  considered  a  member  of 
te  Tertiary  formation,  the  Pliocene  of  Lyell,  for 
istance,  or  an  ancient  alluvium,  in  the  strict  geolog- 
ical interpretation  of  the  term,  we  cannot  decide. 

Captain  Bayfield,  R.  N.,  is,  we  believe,  about  to 
•ansmit  to  Mr.  Lyell,  a  collection  of  specimens  from 


454  VIW  FICTUEE  or  qvmbec,  .     1 

this  locality,  which  will,  no  doubt,  enable  thebLttatelft 
afford  us  that  correct  information  on  the  sdHtftllt 
which  he  most  possess,  from  haying  so  deeply  staff!  I*; 
it  in  connection  with  its  European  developemt*i|l* 
in  the  mean  time,  we  recommend  a  visit  to  die  spslflto 
to  all  those  who  are  fond  of  casting  back  a  tetrapflOT 
tive  glance  to  the  days  which  have  left  no  other  if  In 
cords  behind  them  than  such  as  are  to  be  found Jiv 
the  materials  composing  these  ancient  deposits.  Tte|tl 
feelings  and  thoughts  which  such  a  visit  will  exriteJ 
may  be  somewhat  vague;  but  they  will  scarcely  falle 
to  prove  both  interesting  and  instructive. 


interesting 
before  we  bring  this  subject  to  a  conclusion,  scuei 
thing  must  be  said  of  a  portion  of  the 


P 

t 


i 


which,  as  yet,  has  obtained  only  an  incidental  us1 
tice.  It  is  manifest  that  the  fineness  or  coarseness  if 
the  deposits  which  accompany  an  alluvial  action,  mo* 

depend  upon  the  force  of  the  latter.  Where,  in  the 
present  day,  this  action  has  been  moderate  and  con- 
tinual, we  often  find  deep  deposits  of  the  finest 
materials.  In  places,  on  the  contray,  liable  to  a  vio- 
lent rush  of  waters,  these  materials  are  of  the  coarsest 
description.  Apply  this  remark  to  some  of  our  anci- 
ent alluviums,  and  it  will  appear  that  they  could  only 
have  been  deposited  by  the  action  of  a  deluge,  either 
rushing  suddenly  to  its  climax  or  as  suddenly  sub- 
siding from  it,  and  to  such  the  term  diluvium  is  ap- 
plied. They  are  to  be  found  at  all  levels — sometimes 
encumbering  the  surface  of  the  ground  in  large 
rounded  masses  (boulders,)  or  as  a  coarse  gravel,  con- 
trasting usually  both  mineralogically  and  geologically 
with  the  fixed  masses  of  rock  they  overlie. 

To  satisfy  one  self  that  water  has  been  in  general 
the  transporting  cause,  we  have  only  to  turn  our 
eyes  to  the  beds  of  some   of  our  rivers,   in  which, 


P 
i 
ml 

on 

k 
k 
to 
da 


S 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  455 

lumerically,  this  geological  feature  is  best  examined. 
It  is  not  pretended,  however,  that  the  velocity  of  the 
waters  which  now  pass  over  or  struggle  through  the 
ATgest  of  boulders  found  in  such  placss,  is  sufficient 
50  account  for  their  presence ; — undoubtedly  not— 
rhey  could,  in  general,  only  owe  their  position  to  the 
motion  of  an  immense  body  of  water  suddenly  sub- 
liding  to  a  lower  level  through  the  channels  in  which 
they  are  now  found. 

It  is  usual  to  attribute  the  position  of  large  bould- 
ers and  extensive  beds  of  coarse  gravel,  whether  in 
rivers,  flats  or  high  lands,  to  the  operation  of  the 
punitory  Deluge  of  Moses ;  and  there  is  no  doubt 
that  such  a  catastrophe  is  fully  sufficient  to  account 
for  much  that  is  actually  observed ;  but  the  study 
of  Geology  informs  us  that  the  Mosaic  Deluge  is  by 
Bo  means  the  only  one  which  has  visited  the  surface 
of  the  globe  since  its  creation.  On  the  contrary,  the 
Tertiary  and  even  Secondary  strata,  bear  witness  to 
.the  repeated  action  of  anti-diluvial  floods.  Besides, 
partial  floods  originating  in  the  bursting  of  lakes,  &c 
JtaVe  produced,  in  all  times,  individual  erosive  ef- 
fects over  a  comparatively  small  surface  equal  to  the 
greatest  we  notice.  Now,  let  it  be  borne  in  mind, 
[that  effects,  at  first  partial  as  to  extent,  become  gene- 
ifcal  to  the  whole  globe,  after  innumerable  repetitions 
Over  its  surface  !  Thus,  if  the  phenomenon  of  the 
emergence  of  a  mountain  in  the  flats  of  Flanders 
khould  be  repeated  every  century,  in  the  course  of 
time  that  country,  which  is  now  remarkable  for  its 
Uniform  level,  would  become  mountainous.  A  re- 
mark which  is  the  germ  of  modern  Geology,  the  va- 
>lie  of  which,  however,  depends  upon  not  being  re- 
stricted as  to  time. 


NEW    PICTURE    OF    QUEBEC, 

To  return  more  particularly  to  the  distribution  if 
boulders: — The  buoyancy  of  ice  has  been  calledi 
to  explain  it;  but  this  cause,  although,  no  donkt, 
entitled  to  some  attention,  particularly  in  climaW 
like  Canada,  can  have  been  but  in  partial  operation, 
and  cannot  certainly  aeeount  for  the  distribution  " 
boulders  under  the  tropics,  without,  indeed,  what 
very  improbable,  those  climes  onco  possessed  a  frigid 
atmosphere.  T  he  fact  appears  to  be,  that  no  one  net 
one  of  two  causes  will  answer  satisfactorily  for  tleii 
position,    which    has    been  influenced    probably  bf 

'I  he  neighbourhood  of  Quebec,  as  well  as  CanaA 
in  general,  is  much  characterized  by  boulders,  and 
the  size  and  position  of  some  of  them  is  very  strik- 
ing. There  are  two  crowning  the  height  which  over- 
looks the  Domain  Farm  at  Beauport,  whose  col- 
lective weight  is  little  short,  by  computation  of  forlf 
tons.  The  heights  of  Abraham,  also  are,  or  ratter 
were,  crowded  with  them;  and  it  should  never  be 
forgotten  that  it  was  upon  one  of  these  hoary  symbols, 
the  debacle  of  the  Deluge,  as  they  are  generally  es- 
teemed to  be,  that  the  immortal  and  mortal  parts  of 
two  rival  heroes  separated  from  each  other — the  for- 
mer to  unite  in  realms  apportioned  to  the  departed 
brave ! 

It  has  often  occurred  to  us,  that  one  of  the  most 
suitable  monuments  to  the  memory  of  Wolfe  and 
Montcalm  might  have  been  erected  with  these  masses, 
in  the  form  of  a  pyramid  or  pile  of  shot,  instead  of 
burying  them,  as  in  many  instances  has  been  done, 
in  order  to  clear  the  ground. 

It  is  true,  that  the  farmer  sees  no  beauty,  and 
feels  no  interest  in  these  mysterious  and  primeval 
intruders,   which  we   call  boulders.     He  naturally 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  45?. 

p* regards  them  with  a  feeling  similar  to  that  with 
e  which  he  views  the  unextracted  stumps,  that  for 
i  some  time  retard  the  progress  of  the  plough,   and 

•  impede  his  agricultural  improvements.  To  us,  how- 
p  ever,  they  are  far  from  unwelcome.  We  never  see 
i  one   without  the  excitement  of  curiosity,  and  the 

•  stimulative  of  research.  We  would  investigate, 
;  and  gladly  discover  its  age,   origin,   and  the  means 

whereby  it  occupied  its  present  position  upon  the 
otherwise  stoneless  surface — sometimes  indeed,  we 
yield  a  pardonable  indulgence  to  fancy  in  picturing 
the  extraordinary  events  which  might  be  disclosed 
in  the  "  Genuine  Memoirs  of  a  Boulder  !" 

[For  the  foregoing  Geological  account,  we  are  indebted  to 
Lieutenant  Baddeley,  R.  E.,  Member  of  the  Geology  Society 
of  France.] 


GENERAL   SKETCH, — THE   ENVIRONS   OF   QUEBEC. 

To  all  admirers  of  romantic  scenery,  and  to  the 
general  observer  of  manners  and  character,  a  visit  to 
the  interior  of  the  country  parishes  of  Lowbr  Ca- 
nada will  afford  objects  of  peculiar  interest  and 
attraction.  In  those  parts  of  the  Province,  where 
immigration  from  the  British  possessions  in  Europe 
has  taken  root,  no  perceptible  difference  of  man- 
ners is  to  be  expected.  The  same  industry,  and 
agricultural  improvement — the  same  national  varia- 
tions of  character  and  temperament  will  here  be 
found — softened,  refined  and  amalgamated  by  social 
intercourse  and  friendly  collision.  The  remark  is 
equally  good  as  applied  to  the  American  popula- 
tion.    But  in  the  same  degree  as  the  Artist  seeks  to 

22 


study  nature  i»,her  inqrfsiiiplo  gwe^tksraifcpt 
especial,  chapa .for  thnphilneophfo  spettatatf im&m 
simplicity  **4  oaturtkehamterrftfoJfobiimH^ 
French  peasantry. of th*frovi*ce«.  . All  iitisiUuNfci 
awl  almost  primiiive  people,  uninfluenced  4y~.fi* 
censes  that  are  every  day ,  working  imprrtikewh 
apttqg*  their  ileighbom,^and.whoee  dte*S;S^4i*t» 
lect  prove  their  identity,  with  the  racernttfattd)  .krft 
we  on-  the  shorn,  of  Nob*  ajwyt— can  Qever/bemlT 
interesting  i  to  the  contemplation  of  *he<<  ednsstafc 
tijaveUer*-  ■.  ii.-.  .■■■.*.■:  «n'*?  *f  |  j«.?v 

;  While  the  4otist  will  be  delighted  to  ind  the 
pictures  '  of i  hia  imagination  realised,,  in  the  motk 
oeautiful  combinations  that  rock,  wood  and  stream, 
can  be  supposed  to  produce— 4be  Tourist,  ia  paw- 
ing through  the  country  parishes,  will  be  strnck  with 
the  intelligent  eye,  the  gay  countenance  and  hospita- 
ble manners  of  the  inhabitants*  Their  address  is 
eminently  polite  ;  and  their  familiar  intercourse  is 
distinguished  by  personal  courtesy.  They  have  been 
emphatically,  and  truly,  called  unpeuple  gentilhomme. 
Respect  shown  to  a  superior,  when  free  from  fear 
or  servility,  and  founded  on  a  belief  in  the  connexion 
betweeti  a  higher  rank  and  moral  and  intellectual 
acquirements,  displays  the  genuine,  unsophisticated 
mind  of  him  by  whom  it  is  offered  ;  and  the  Tra- 
veller, as  he  returns  the  obeisance  of  the  peasant, 
is  pleased  to  reflect,  that  even  so  trivial  a  mark  of 
courtesy  would  scarcely  be  vouchsafed,  where  a  cor- 
rupted state  of  manners  had  confounded  the  dis- 
tinctions of  rank  : — or  where  the  lower  classes, 
uninstructed  in  the  rules  of  morality,  had  lost  their 
claim  to  regard  from  their  superiors. 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  give  a  separate  descrip- 
tion of  the  various  natural  beauties  which  present 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  459 

themselves  in  every  direction  near  Quebec.  There 
are  so  many  publications  which  embrace  such  des- 
criptions—amonjr  which  we  more  particularly  allude 
to  Professor  Silliman's  "  Tour  from  Hartford  to 
Quebec" — and  they  are  so  generally  known,  that 
any  minute  account  is  unnecessary  in  this  work, 
the  principal  aim  of  which  has  been  to  collect  and 
preserve  from  oblivion  the  historical  remains  and 
recollections  of  this  remarkable  city.  We  shall, 
therefore,  confine  ourselves  to  a  general  description  ; 
and  here  we  feel  great  satisfaction  in  availing  our- 
selves of  the  following  eloquent,  and  highly  attrac- 
tive extract  from  the  statistical  work  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Bouchette,  Surveyor  General  of  Lower 
Canada,  —a  production,  which,  in  the  words  of  a 
Report  of  a  Committee  of  the  Literary  and  His- 
torical Society  of  Quebec,  "from  its  minute- 
ness in  detail,  and  excellence  in  execution,  will 
remain  a  lasting  monument  of  the  ability  of  the  first 
native  Canadian  Geographer." 

Colonel  Bouchette  thus  expresses  himself  in 
respect  to  his  native  place  : — "  The  summer  sce- 
nery of  the  environs  of  Quebec  may  vie  in  exqui- 
site beauty,  variety,  magnificence,  sublimity,  and 
the  naturally  harmonized  combination  of  all  these 
prominent  features,  with  the  most  splendid  that 
has  yet  been  portrayed  in  Europe,  or  any  other 
part  of  the  world.  Towards  Beauport,  Charle- 
bourg,  and  Lorette,  the  view  is  diversified  with 
every  trait  that  can  render  a  landscape  rich,  full,  and 
complete ;  the  foreground  shows  the  River  St.  Charles 
meandering  for  many  miles  through  a  rich  and 
fertile  valley,  embellished  by  a  succession  of  objects 
that  diffuses  an  unrivalled  animation  over  the  whole 
scene.     The  three  villages,  with  their  respective 


the  dmnifo  ie*Ud  i«t?fgnlly  ifcftfc^  efninanoo^iqpi 
•biiJtwydbtmttyykiiMifyiBir^  thejnienrnli  hiiwwi 
A&m<ikfltitf  mamj:  of  the  met  etranglgr  aptffat 
aptocijMat  «f  IwMtvf  ceectjfe  tod.  tfa* 
rtoo«trjr<«var}r  where  juaeypiaraiiwi  of  ffrtilfry  v 
tfoodLerttiratwV'  ope*  whm  the  e  jre  mi  the  j^ecpjfc 
hmndeit  wkh'  jeiMaloiB  delight  Ae  the  frape* 
ffceedeelt  is  stiU  liefcMfttieg,  *he  UiuL  lung «« 
;datia»,  height  *w<;htigbt,  having  the,*Uirnd.1»- 
-twaeidocoeedibg  elevaHaoDS  filled  UB^rithfuimlNl 
-fbmte,' until  the  wholes  terminated  by  a'  etwpnadflg 
vidg*  of  monnUuMy  wheee  loftyfow  ere  daily  «m» 
jthrot£h*he  aerial  espeaaa.  The  .earn*  of  mooji 
gndted  to  the  utmost;  aad  the  epeotaier  wrer.ftu) 
fee  luni  wkh  ivgrct  fhnn  ithe  totttom^ 
-it  allowed  ^to  be  tone  of-  the  moat  seperb  views  avaa- 
lure. 

"  Nor  is  it  on  this  side  only  that  the  attention  is 
arrested ;  for  turning  towards  the  basin,  which  k 
about  two  miles  across,  a  scene  presents  itself  that  is 
not  the  less  gratifying  for  being  made  a  secondary 
one;  it  is  enlivened  by  the  ever  changing  variety  of 
ships  coming  up  to  and  leaving  the  port.  On  the 
right  hand,  Pointe  Levi,  with  its  church  and  group  of 
white  houses,  several  other  promontories  on  the  same 
shore  clothed  with  lofty  trees  ;  and  the  busy  anin*- 
tion  attendant  on  the  constant  arrival  and  departure  . 
of  ferry-boats;  in  front,  the  western  end  of  the  I 
beautiful  and  picturesque  Island  of  Orleans,  display-  f 
ing  charming  and  well-cultivated  slopes  down  almost  §< 
to  the  water's  edge,  backed  by  lofty  and  thick  woae}  n 
and  every  where  deeorated  with  neat  farm-house^  i  ^ 
present  altogether  an  interesting  and  agreeable  sab»j  %i 
ject  fo  the  observer,     {ft  fine  still  weather,  thei  ^ 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  461 

mirage,  or  reflects  of  the  different  objects  around  the 
margin,  in  all  their  variety  of  coloring,  are  thrown 
across  the  unruffled  surface  of  the  water  with  an  al- 
most incredible  brilliance.  On  the  Plains  of  Abra- 
ham, from  the  precipice  that  overlooks  the  timber 
grounds,  where  an  incessant  round  of  activity  pre- 
vails, the  St.  Lawrence  is  seen  rolling  its  majestic 
wave,  studded  with  many  a  sail,  from  the  stately  ship 
down  to  the  humble  fishing-boat;  the  opposite  bank, 
extending  up  the  river,  is  highly  cultivated,  and  the 
houses,  thickly  strewed  by  the  main  road,  from  this 
height  and  distance,  have  the  appearance  of  an  al- 
most uninterrupted  village,  as  far  the  eye  can  reach 
in  that  direction.  The  country  to  the  southward 
rises  by  a  very  gentle  ascent,  and  the  whole  view, 
which  is  richly  embellished  by  alternations  of  water, 
woodland  and  cultivation,  is  bounded  by  remote  and 
lofty  mountains,  softening  shade  by  shade  until  they 
melt  into  air.  Whoever  views  the  environs  of  Que- 
bec, with  a  mind  and  taste  capable  of  receiving  im- 
pressions through  the  medium  of  the  eyes,  will 
acknowledge,  that  as  a  whole,  the  prospect  is  grand, 
harmonious,  and  magnificent ;  and  that,  if  taken  in 
detail,  every  part  of  it  will  please,  by  a  gradual  un- 
folding of  its  picturesque  beauties." 


CONCLUSION. 

'  The  subject  of  which  we  have  treated  has  proved 
so  attractive — so  great  a  variety,  such  unexpected 
;  mines  of  historical  matter  have  been  discovered,  re- 
f  lative  to  the  ancient  establishments  of  Quebec — and 
so  many  reflections  of  great  and  diversified  interest 
have  occurred  in  the  progress  of  the  work — that  it 

2S3 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  463 

jurage  the  prosecution  of  labors  similar  to  the 
resent  among  many  native  writers,  but  on  the  larger 
nd  more  comprehensive  scale  of  a  general  History 
f  Canada.  For  ourselves,  attachment  to  the  coun« 
ry — an  admiration  of  its  scenery — an  ardent  curio- 
ity  respecting  its  early  history  and  ancient  vestiges 
-with  a  warm  respect  for  many  of  its  inhabitants, 
agpirited  us  to  accomplish  the  task  confided  to  our 
are ;  and  should  deficiencies  be  ascertained,  we  trust 
bat  we  shall  be  allowed  to  plead  these  motives  in 
litigation  of  critical  censure.  The  nature  of  the 
rork  is  so  generally  remote  from  subjects  of  party 
seling — or  at  least  is  so  when  conducted  with  an 
onest  intention — that  it  may  confidently  be  submit- 
3d  to  the  judgment  of  every  class  of  inhabitants  in 
lese  Provinces.  Our  humble  efforts  will  have  been 
rell  employed,  if  they  conduce  to  excite  literary  and 
istorical  enquiry  amongst  us ;  and  more  particularly 
f  they  assist  in  rendering  our  capital,  Quebec,  bet* 
er  known  as  to  its  local  interest,  more  frequently 
risited  by  learned  and  distinguished  men,  and  more 
luly  appreciated  by  the  people  of  that  magnificent 
Empire,  of  which  this  Province  is  so  valuable  an 
ippendage. 


u 
V 

ir»' 


NOTES 


[ft  i*,  indeed,  mentionedby  Voter,  Page  12.] 


Vhter  remarks,  in  liU  introduction  to  the  account  of  ta« 
American  language*,  that  they  have,  eomparati rely  speak 
■  MWtderaMe  number  of  wordi  in  common  with  the  Fiuniili. 
He  liniU,  however,  only  lil'ry-one  similar  words  where 
affinity  (haul  J  he  most  distinct,  namely,  in  all  the  languages  of 
North  America  and  Northern  Asia. 

Out  of  tit  American  language*,  chiefly  on  the  East  side, 
V  ater  fi>u  ii<  I '  iii/:  i  ii'onk  of  I'^imjiii'  origin,  Out  often  American 
la  nonages,  lie  found  i  iijhtteit  words  of  Celtic  origin. 

The  following  is  n  conifurison  of  six  Algonquin,  and  six  Jri'h 
or  Celtic  words,  admitting  the  specimen  to  be  lha  most  favor- 
able in  li: ;  tables  : 


Algonquin. 


Irith  or  Celtic. 


Inis 

An  Island 

Inis. 

Ga    - 

•     Falsehood 

-     Gai! 

Water 

Uttce. 

Boge 

-    Soft 

-     Bog. 

Ka-ke-li 

All    - 

Cac-uile. 

Kaki-na    - 

■      Each     - 

Cac-eiuf. 

Our  readers  may  remark  the  similarity  between  this  lasl 
word  andHt'iW.iinil  A'uliein/i.i  of  the  tiieek.also  a  Celtic  lan- 
guage.    Isca,  water,  was  the  name  of  the  River  Exe  in  Devon- 


Irish  word  for  water,  Vtice,  so  similar  to  the  Algonquin. 


WITH    HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  467 

NOTE   2. 

[Columbus — Page  17.] 

louse  is  still  shown  in  the  village  of  Cogoletto,  near 
i,  as  that  in  which  Columbus  was  born.  At  tho  door  of 
lilding  is  a  stone,  on  which  the  following  inscription  in 
i  has  been  inscribed  since  1650.  It  bears  the  name  of  a 
of  the  same  family.  The  two  other  inscriptions  in  Latin 
>een  recently  added.  Like  the  birth-place  of  our  own 
peare,  at  Stratford-on-Avon,  that  of  Columbus  is  visited 
curious  travellers,  who  regard  the  birth-place  of  the 
discoverer  of  the  New  World,  as  oue  of  the  most  inte- 
X  sites  in  their  route.  The  inscriptions  are  subjoined, 
mitations  in  English.  It  will  be  perceived  that  in  the 
i,  there  is  a  play  upon  the  meaning  of  Colombo,  which 
1  be  ineffective  in  the  translation. 

ELOGII. 

Cristoforo  Colombo,  scopritor  dell'  America  l'anno 
-scritti  nella  casa  di  sua  nascita,  nel  paese  di  Cogoletto, 
da  Giuggiolo — 

i. 

Con  generoso  ardir  dalP  area  all'  onde 
Ubbidiente  il  vol  Colombo  prende, 
Corre,  s'aggira,  terren*  scopre,  e  frond e 
D'olivo,in  segno,  al  gran  Noe  nerende. 
L'imitain  cio  Colombo,  ne  s'asconde, 
£  da  sua  patria  il  roar  solcande  fende  ; 
Terrenoal  fin  scop  rend  o  diede  fondo, 
Offrendo  al'  Ispano  un  nuovo  Mondo. 

Jl  2  Decern bre,  1650. 
Prete  Antonio  Colombo. 

II. 

Hospes  siste  gradum  ;  Fuit  H  I  C  lux  prima 

Colombo, 
Orbe  viro  majori,  Heu  !  nimis  arcta  Domus  ! 

III. 
Unas  erat  Mnndns  ;  Duo  sunt,  ait  1 8  T  E  ; 
fuerunt — 1826. 


468  K1W  PICTURE   OF   QUlSBtiC, 

The  above  imitated : — 

In  Praise 

Of  Christopher  Columbus,  discoverer  of  America  in  the 
year  1492 — written  in  the  bouse  of  his  birth,  in  the  country  of 
Cogoletto,  in  the  district  of  Giuggiolo. 

L 
Swift  from  the  Ark,  above  the  watery  waste, 
The  Dove,  obedient,  flies  with  generous  haste  ; 
Still  onward  speeds,  nor  pauses  in  her  flight 
Until  the  long-sought  land  relieves  her  sight — 
Thence  as  a  token  of  the  welcome  strand, 
An  olive  branch  she  bears  to  Noah's  hand  ! 
Like  her  Columbus  scorns  inglorious  ease, 
Far  from  his  country  ploughs  the  maiden  seas — 
Nor  casts  he  anchor,  nor  a  sail  was  furl'd, 
Until  to  Spain  he  gave  another  world ! 

IL 

S»lay,  traveller,  stay  !  before  these  narrow  walls 

Awhile  thy  weary  pilgrimage  restrain — 
Hero  first  Columbus  breath 'd  the  vital  air  ; 

This  roof  held  one — the  world  could  not  contain  ! 

III. 

The  World  was  one — Columbus  said,  they  are  two — 
He  found  a  World,  and  made  the  saying  true  ! 

note  3, 

[Port  of  St.  Croix— Page  46.] 

On  further  examination,  the  exact  spot  where  Jacques 
Cartier  wintered  may  be  fixed  a  little  way  above  Mr.  Smith's 
house,  where  the  small  River  Larrey,  whose  banks  are  clearlr 
traceable,  runs  into  the  St.  Charles,  from  the  north. 

note  4. 

Lander — Page  56.] 

While  this  work  was  in  press  the  intelligence  of  Lander's 
death  was  received.  He  adds  another  distinguished  name  to 
the  catalogue  in  the  text.     He  was  basely  murdered. 


WITH   HISTORICAL    RECOLLECTIONS.  469 

The  following  interesting  information  was  also  received  after 
this  chapter  was  printed  off: 

"  The  discovery  of  the  land  towards  the  South  Pole,  made 
by  Captain  Briscoe,  id  the  Brig  Tula,  accompanied  by  the 
Cutter  Lively,  both  vessels  belonging  to  Messrs.  En  derby,  ex- 
tensive owners  of  ships  in  the  whale  fishery,  has  been  commu- 
nicated to  the  Royal  Geographical  Society. 

"  It  is  supposed  that  the  land  forms  part  of  a  vast  continent, 
extending  from  about  longitude  47—31,  east,  to  longitude 
69 — 29  west,  or  from  the  longitude  of  Madagascar  round  the 
whole  of  the  Southern  or  South  Pacific  Ocean,  as  far  as  the 
longitude  of  Cape  Horn.  On  the  18th  February,  1832,  Captain 
Briscoe  discovered  land,  and  during  the  following  month  re- 
mained in  the  vicinity  ;  he  clearly  discovered  the  black  peaks 
of  mountains  above  the  snow,  but  he  was,  from  the  state  of  the 
weather,  and  the  ice,  unable  to  approach  nearer  than  about  30 
miles.  The  Stormy  Petros  was  the  only  bird  seen,  and  no  fish. 
It  has  been  named  Enderby's  land,  longitude  47 — 31  East,  la- 
titude 66 — 30  S.  An  extent  of  about  300  miles  was  seen. 
The  range  of  mountains  E.  S.  E." 

note  5.  , 

[Jacques  Cartier  at  Cap  Rouge— Page  63,] 

Having  visited  the  mansion  at  Cap  Rouge,  and  walked  over 
the  ground  with  Mr.  Atkinson,  since  this  volume  was  at  press, 
it  is  proper  to  add  that  the  "  trees  indicating  great  antiquity," 
mentioned  in  the  text,  have  been  lately  removed.  In  other  re- 
spects the  site  remains  as  before. 

A  few  months  ago  Mr.  Atkinson's  workmen  in  levelling  the 
lawn  in  front  of  the  house,  and  close  to  the  point  of  Cap  Rouge 
height,  found  beneath  the  surface  Some  loose  stones  which  had 
apparently  been  the  foundations  of  some  wall,  fortification  or 
building.  Among  these  stones  were  found  several  iron  balls 
of  different  sizes,  adapted  to  the  calibre  of  the  ship  guns  used 
at  the  period  of  Jacques  Carder's  and  Roberval's  visit.  On 
clearing,  also,  a  piece  of  ground  in  rear  of  the  garden,  iutended 
for  the  Bowling  green,  traces  were  plainly  discovered  of  ancient 
furrows,  showing  that  the  spot  had  been  once  cultivated  by 
Europeans.  Upon  the  whole,  the  evidence  of  the  presence  of 
the  French  at  Cap  Rouge  may  be  considered  conclusive.  Nor 
is  there  any  good  reason  to  doubt  that  Roberval  took  up  his 

2r 


nut  pi 


E 


PICTURE    OF    QUEBEC, 

mb  in  the  fort  which  Jacques  Cartier  had  loft.     Tii 
t»  of  the  early  writers  are  very  vugue  his  to  distance*  in 

ily  u  typographical  error  in  page  06,  Robert's]  is  said  to  hut 
Hailed  from  Newfoundland  "  alio  lit  1  lie  end  of  June,  ]"'"" 
The  year  should  be  IMt 

J»c<jtE*  Cahtieh  was  horn  at  St.  Malo,  about  1.500. 
(lav  .>!  Iii>  lii  i  lli  i  a  nil  or  he  ilisi'nvered,  nor  can  ilit-  lime  or  place 
of  hi*  dentil.  Most  probably  lie  finished  bis  useful  life  at  St. 
Main  ;  for  wc  find,  under  the  date  nf  the  :>!)lh  November,  15+9, 
that  the  celebrated  iwvijratui',  with  hi.,  ivite  Catherine  Des 
Granpes,  founded  on  obit  in  the  Cathedral  of  ^t.  Malo  assign- 
ing the  fium  of  four  francs  tor  that  purpose.  His  life  was  writ- 
ten by  the  Abbe  Monet,  but  we  have  nut  been  able  to  find  it  in 
thin  country.  The  mnituary  registers,  of  St.  Malo,  make  no 
mention  of  hi*  death,  nor  is  there  any  tradition  on  the  subject. 

NOTE  6. 

[Jloberval  on  the  way  to  Sogucnay — Page  6H.] 

This  must  Dot  lie  understood  as  the  river  of  that  name, 
hut  the  supposed  Province  of  ^a^'uenay,  which  was  to  be 
reached  by  ascending-  the  St.  Lawrence  tollochelago,  and  thence 
by  the  Ottawa 


\Champlain  token  a  prisoner  of  war  to  England,  p.  106.] 

This  is  incorrect :  be  was  taken  to  rngland  by  capitulation 
on  his  way   to  France,  hut  staid  voluntarily  Home  lime  in 


I  Quebec  has  not  to  tke  tar  any  sound  of  an  Indian  teord,p.  1 1IJ 

Since  this  chapter  was  at  press,  we  have  been  favored  wh« 
a  copy  of  Lee  Atanturts  de  Stair  Le  Beau,  who  arrived  in 
Quebec,  in  June,  1729,  a  few  years  after  Charlevoix.  L« 
Dean  gives  the  strongest  testimony  that  this  latter  writer 
was  entirely  misinformed  when  he  gave  to  the  word,  Quebec, 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  471 

an  Indian  derivation.  Le  Bean  says  :  "  Moreri  se  trorape 
fortement,  lorsqu'il  avance  dans  son  dictionnaire,  que  cette  ville 
se  trouve  ainsi  nominee  de  la  hauteur  de  sa  montagne,  parce 
que,  dit  cetauteur,  les  sauvages  appellent  Quebec,  les  hauteurs 
ou  Elevations  de  terrain  :  Ce  qui  me  parait  faux,  d'autaut  plus 
que  m'etant  informe  par  curiosite  de  l'Etymologie  de  ce  nom, 
aux  sauvages  memes  avec  qui  je  me  suis  trouve  dans  la  suite, 
et  qui  possedoient  differentes  langues  barbares,  ils  me  repon- 
dirent,  que  le  nom  de  Quebec  etoit  Francois  :  quUls  ne  connois- 
soient  aucun  mot  sauvage  qui  sonndt  de  cette  fagon%  et  qu'ils 
savoient  bien,  que  les  Algonkins,  les  Abenakis,  les  Iroquois,  et 
les  Hurons  appelloient  autre  fois  cette  montagne  Stadaka" 
This  is  the  best  evidence  yet  produced  on  the  subject,  and  esta- 
blishes that  Quebec  was  not  an  Indian  word.  Le  Beau,  for 
want  of  a  better,  adopts  the  derivation  from  Quel  bee  ! 

In  conclusion  of  the  suggestion  that  Quebec  was  adopted 
from  the  Indian  name  of  the  little  River  Coubat,  La  Potherie 
expressly  tells  us  that  it  was  the  Point  which  gave  the  name  to 
Quebec.  Speaking  of  the  Seminary,  he  says  :  "  II  est  sur  la 
plateforrae  de  la  Pointe  qui  donna  le  nom  de  Quebec"  Now 
this  Point  is  atjthe  confluence  of  the  little  River  with  the  St. 
Charles ;  and  it  was  on  this  Point  that  the  French  first  heard 
what  they  considered  the  name  of  Quebec.  They  might  easily 
have  mistaken  therefore  the  name  of  the  river  for  that  of  the 
Point, 

NOTE  9, 

[Michael  de  la  Pole,  an  eminent  Merchant  in  Hull,  p.  119.] 

The  father  of  the  first  Earl  of  Suffolk  was  a  M6rchant  at 
Ravensburg,  formerly  a  flourishing  town  of  trade  at  the  mouth 
of  the  H  umber ;  but  having  removed  to  the  new  town  of  King- 
ston-upon-Hull,  in  the  time  of  Edward  III.,  gave  that  Kimj  a 
magnificent  entertainment,  when,  in  the  sixth  year  of  his  reign 
he  even  mortgaged  his  estate  for  his  Royal  Master's  use.  Such 
services  could  not  go  unrewarded  by  so  generous  and  success- 
ful a  Prince.  Sir  William  was  made  Knight  Banneret  in  the 
field,  and  had  settled  on  him  and  his  heirs  lands  at  Kingston 
to  the  value  of  five  hundred  marks  a  year.  Upon  his  return 
to  England,  the  grant  was  made  a  thousand  marks  per  annum. 
He  was  finally  made  Chief  Baron  of  the  Exchequer. 

Sir  William  de  la  Pole  died  in  1356,  after  he  had  begun  a 
Monastery,  at  Hull,  for  the  Carthusians.  His  son.  Sir  Michael 


472  NEW   PICTURE   OF   QUEBEC, 

was  made  Lord  Chancellor  by  Richard  II.  He  finished  Um 
Monastery,  and  founded  likewise  the  Hospital  called  God's 
House.  He  built  also  a  stately  Palace,  on  being  created  Earl 
of  Suffolk,  which  honor  he  obtained  in  right  of  his  wife  Eliza- 
beth, eldest  daughter  of  Sir  John  Wingtield,  who  married  the 
heiress  of  Gilbert  Granville,  Earl  of  Suffolk.  In  1388,  he  was 
impeached  of  high  treason,  and  fled  for  his  life  to  France  where 
he  died.  His  grandson  was  the  possessor  of  the  seal,  of  which 
a  plate  is  given  at  page  1 18. 

John  de  la  Pole  married  the  sister  of  Edward  IV.  and  so  be- 
coming allied  to  the  Royal  blood,  was  by  that  means,  exposed 
to  varions  misfortunes. 

The  famous  Cardinal  de  la  Pole,  who  flourished  in  the  reign 
of  Mary,  descended  from  the  marriage  above  mentioned. 

The  old  Hospital,  at  Hull,  called  God's  House,  was  pulled 
down  in  1643,  and  rebuilt  in  1673.  The  arms  of  the  de  la 
Poles,  being  found  among  the  rains,  were  placed  oyer  the  door 
of  the  Hospital,  with  this  inscription  : 

DEO  ET   PAUPKRIBUS  POSUIT 
MICHAEL  DE  LA  POLE,    1384. 

NOTE    10. 

Champlain  arrived  at  Plymouth  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  p%  136.] 
See  Note  7. 


note  11. 

[Sir  William  Phipps— Page  140.J 

Most  of  the  Peerages  fall  into  the  error  of  stating  that  the 
family  of  Mulgrave  is  descended  from  Sir  William  Phipps, 
the  inventor  of  the  Diving  Bell,  who  in  reality,  as  we  find  on 
further  enquiry,  left  no  issue.  In  the  reign  of  Charles  1. 
Colonel  Phipps  raised  a  regiment,  on  his  estate  in  Lincoln- 
shire, joined  the  Cavaliers  and  fell  in  battle.  His  grandson, 
Sir  Constantino  Phipps,  was  Lord  Chancellor  of  Ireland  dur- 
ing the  latter  years  of  Queen  Anne,  and  his  great  grandson, 
Sir  Constantino's  son,  married  the  heiress  of  the  Duchess  of 
Buckinghamshire,  who  was  natural  daughter  of  King  James 
II.  Lady  Katherine  Phipps  succeeded  to  the  estates  of  her 
brother,  the  young  Duke  of  Buckinghamshire,  among  which 


WITH   HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  473 

was  Mulgrave  Castle  in  Yorkshire,  whence  the  subsequent 
title.  We  mention  this  for  the  sake  of  correcting1  the  error 
into  which  we  were  led  by  the  Peerage. 

note  12. 

[It  has  been  stated  that  there  are  five  gates — Page  169.) 

Before  the  conquest  there  were  only  three  Gates  to  the 
City  of  Quebec  :  St.  John's,  St.  Lewis,  and  that  at  the  end  of 
Palace-street ;  which  was  contrived  in  the  rock,  flanked  on 
one  side  by  a  bastion,  and  guarded  on  the  other  by  batteries 
erected  in  a  large  building,  which  was  used  as  a  Barrack,  now 
the  Ordnance  Stores.  Between  the  rock  in  Mountain-street 
and  the  flank  of  the  Bishop's  Palace,  there  was  a  Barrier  of 
pickets  only,  where  Prescott  Gate  now  stands  ;  and  the  same 
probably  at  Hope  Gate,  which  last  is  not  noticed  in  a  Plan  of 
Quebec,  dated  in  1752,  with  which  we  have  been  favored. 

note  13. 

\They  ceded  their  property  on  the  St.  Charles — Page  181.] 

From  General  Murray's  Report,  made  in  1762,  it  would 
appear  that  the  Recollets,  some  years  before  the  conquest,  had 
a  house  and  church  in  St.  Roch's,  on  the  site  of  which  part  of 
the  Inteodant's  buildings  was  erected.  The  Recollets  acted 
as  Chaplains  to  the  army. 

note  14. 
[The  Jesuits  were  deprived  of  their  silver  Chalices,  p.  187.] 

In  Rymer's  F&dera,  under  the  date,  5th  March,  1630,  in  the 
fifth  year  of  Charles  I,  is  this  entry  : 

"  Commissio  specialis  Hurafrido  May  et  aliis,  de  scrutinio 
faciendo  pro  Mercandisis,  Bonis,  &c.  captis  per  Capitaneum 
Kertke  &  Gallis  apud  Fortalitium  Kebec" 

note  15. 

[The  Isle  of  Orleans  then  uninhabited — Page  197.] 

The  Isle  of  Orleans  was  in  1676  created  an  Earldom,  by 
the  title  of  St.  Laurent,  which,  however,  hat  long  been  ex- 

2  R  3 


474  NEW  PICTURE   OF  QUEBEC, 

tinct    The  first  Comte  de  St  Laurent  was  of  the  name  of 
Berthelet. 

note  16. 

[In  1696  considerable  additions  were  made — Page  203.] 

General  Murray  mentions  in  his  Report,  that  the  Hotel 
Dieu  had  been  again  burned  a  few  years  before  the  conquest 

note  17. 

[The  Intendant's  Palace— Page  247.] 

The  last  Intendant  was  M.  Bigot.  His  estimate,  transmitted 
from  Canada  to  France,  on  the  29th  August,  1758,  for  the  ser- 
vice of  the  following  year,  amounted  to  from  thirty-one  to 
thirty-three  millions  of  livres.  Twenty-four  millions  were 
actually  drawn  for  before  the  taking  of  Quebec  in  September 
1759. 

NOTE    18. 

[Mr.  James  Thompson,  then  in  his  ninety-fifth  year.  p.  273.] 

Mr.  James  Thompson  was  not,  we  understand,  actually  pre- 
sent with  the  troops  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Plains,  being 
detached  on  duty.     He  was,  however,  Wolfe's  companion  in 
arms  at  Louisbourg  and  at  Montmorenci  ;    and  though  not  ac- 
tually on  the  spot,  was  doing  duty  with  the  army  which  cap- 
tured Quebec.     He  was  a  Serjeant  at  the  time.      Afterwards 
he  held  an  honorable  station  in  the  Engineer  department,  of 
which,  enjoying  perfect  health  and  the  possession  of  his  facul- 
ties, he  discharged  the  duties  to  the  last.     He  was  frank  and 
communicative,  and  every  way  an  interesting  old  gentleman. 
He  kept  a  Journal,  now  in  the  possession  of  his  family,  which 
must  contain  some  interesting  particulars   of  his  long  life* 
Lord  Dalhousie,  thinking  him  fully  entitled  at  this  late  period 
to  an  honorable  retirement,  with  characteristic  benevolence, 
signified  his  disposition  to  interest  himself  with  His  Majesty's 
Government  to  procure  Mr.  Thompson  a  pension  for  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.    The  old  gentleman  politely  acknow- 
ledged his  sense  of  His  Lordship's  kindness,  but  preferred  the 
continuance  of  his  duties  while  strength  remained  sufficient 
to  attend  his  office. 


WITH  HISTORICAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  475 

NOTE   19. 

[On  the  rear  is  the  following— p.  279.] 

This  inscription,  having"  been  found  to  require  too  large  a 
slab,  to  be  placed  on  the  rear  of  the  Sarcophagus,  has  been 
placed  in  front  of  the  surbase,  where  it  has  a  better  effect. 

The  several  inscriptions  were  completed,  and  finally  affixed 
on  Thursday,  the  6th  November,  1834. 

note  20. 

[Montcalm— Page  362.] 

The  following"  is  a  copy  of  a  certificate  in  the  possession  of 
Louis  Panet,  Esquire,  the  original  of  which  is  countersigned 
by  General  Montcalm  : 

"  Nous  officier  command  tun  detachement  a  l'Ange  Gardien 
"  Certifions  que  le  nome  Charles  Con  tin,  habitant  du  lieu, 
"  a  fourni  un  mouton  a  l'Ange  Gardien,  ce  26e  Aout,  1759. 

"  Hertel.' 
a  Vu,  Montcalm." 

note  21. 

[Quebec  having  been  reduced — Page  368.] 

Population  of  Quebec  in  1759 6700  souls. 

"  Three  Rivers 1500      " 

"  Montreal 4000      " 

Total  of  the  Militia  force,  from  the  age  of  sixteen  to  sixty, 
2700  men. 

note  22. 

[35th  Regt.  or  Otways,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Fletcher— p.  369.] 

At  the  late  presentation  of  Colors  to  the  35th  Regiment  in 
Dublin  garrison,  on  the  21st  July,  1834,  their  Colonel-in-Chief, 
Lieutenant  General  Sir  John  Oswald,  G.  C.  B.  mentioned  in 
the  course  of  his  address,  that  when  he  first  joined  the  Re- 
giment in  1791,  he  found  in  it  several  of  the  companions  of 
Wolfe.  "  The  Colonel-in-Chief  was  Fletcher,  of  a  distin- 
guished Scottish  family.    He  led  the  35th,  under  General 


Wrti.Fr,  through    the   surf  of  Lnuisbourg,   placed   Ihem  first 
after  the  British  Grenadiers  in  line,  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham, 

and  there  during  the  contest,  eh^iri'iu,'  t!i«  I  i  r.itrh  <  li-eiudier?, 
carried  ofl'tlis  n-hiti  /,/<:n„,  which  t\,r  half  a  century  this  bat- 
talion bore.  Hii  Majesty  George  III.  was  so  pleased  with 
Colonel  Fletcher's  conduct,  that  when  a  Lieutenant  Colonel 
■  gave  him   the  Colonelcy  in 


I  Puts*  ill.hrmi.ih  lis-:  Amo'irnn  force  stationed  at  Screl—ji.  ii'i.' 

Captain  Bouciiette,  of  the  Provincial  Navy,  father  of  the 
present  Surveyor  General,  succeeded  in  safely  conducting  Ge- 
iii-raL  Cnrl'.'EOu  through  the  enemy's  forces  oil  the  fiver  and 
banks  of  the  St  Lawrence  to  Quebec  in  1 775,  after  the  capture 
of  Montreal  by  Montgomery, 

NOTE    2*. 
ANCIENT  MAM,  PLUM  and  DKAWTKU. 

Among  the  many  sources  from  which  we  have  derived  va- 
luable information  in  the  course  of  this  work,  we  were  favored 
with  an  excellent  Plan  of  Quebec  on  a  large  scale  with  ite- 
rances, executed  iu  1752,  and  containing  a  perfectly  plain  deli- 
neation of  the  fortifications,  and  of  the  limits  of  the  different 
religions  establishments.     We  have  made  great  use  of  this. 

Frequent  reference  has  also  been  had  to  "  Twelve  views  of 
the  principal  buildings  in  Quebec,  from  drawings  taken  on  the 
■pot,  at  the  command  of  Vice  Admiral  Saunders,  by  Richard 
Short,  purser  of  His  Majesty's  ship  the  Prince  of  Orange. 
Published  in  1761,  price  two  guineas.  This  work,  complete, 
is  seldom  to  be  met  with,  although  detached  prints  are  in  exis- 
tence in  Quebec.  It  shows  the  damage  done  by  the  bombard- 
meat,  and  is  otherwise  curious.  Besides  the  views  of  Quebec 
as  a  whole,  it  possesses  different  views  of  the  Intendant's 
Palace — Treasury  and  Jesuits'  College — Inside  of  Jesuits' 
Chapel— The  Cathedral — Recollet  Fnars  Church — The  Ur- 
■uline  Convent — Bishops'  Palace,  with  a  wall  and  gate  in  front 
Place  and  Church  or  Notre  Dame  iu  the  Lower  Town,  && 

Another  scarce  work,  which  was  obligingly  lent  to  us,  is 
"  The  Natural  and  Civil  History  of  the  French  Dominions  in 


WITH   HISTORICAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  477 

■ 

North  and  South  America,  with  an  historical  detail  of  the 
acquisitions  and  conquests  made  by  the  British  arms  in  those 
parts,  illustrated  by  maps  and  plans."  Published  in  1761  in 
folio,  and  dedicated  to  General  Townshend. 

This  work  contains  an  official  Plan  of  the  City  of  Quebec, 
as  it  surrendered  in  1759,  giving-  the  fortifications  in  the  St. 
Charles  River  with  military  accuracy.  There  is  also  a  similar 
Plan  of  Montreal. 

We  have  taken  an  account  of  the  Field  of  Battle  and  the 
position  of  the  armies,  principally  from  a  plan  in  this  work  on 
a  considerable  scale,  made  by  an  officer  of  distinction  present 
thereat  We  have  used  also  another  plan  of  the  whole  opera- 
tions on  both  sides  of  the  river  from  the  camp  at  Orleans  to 
the  landing1  at  Wolfe's  Cove,  drawn  by  a  captain  in  the  navy. 

The  examinations  of  these  and  other  documents  has  enabled 
us  to  make  our  descriptions  both  exact  and  authentic  ;  and  as 
records  of  past  events,  and  of  ancient  boundaries,  the  docu- 
ments themselves  will  every  day  acquire  encreasing  value,  and 
will,  doubtless,  be  carefully  preserved  by  their  respective  pos- 
sessors. 


THE  END. 


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