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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


1.0 


I.I 


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"  IIM    IIIIIZ2 

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2.0 


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1.6 

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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

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CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
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I I    Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pellicul6e 

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filmage. 


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whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^'  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


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different     ducfion  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
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right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
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method: 


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A.  HOOK   FOU  TOLUlIfc*T8 


MAPLE 


L  II  A  V  E  S 


CANADIAN  HlsrORV— LITERATURE— SPORT 


QUEHEC 
PHINTEI)  UY  AUGUSTIN  COTti  A  C' 

1873 


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MAPLE 


LEAVES 


CANADIAN  rtlSTORY-LITERATURE— SPORT 


NEW  SERIES 


"  Like  a  virgin  goddess  In  a  primeval  world,  Canada 
still  walks  In  unconscious  beauty  fiinong  her  golden 
woods  and  along  the  margin  of  her  trackless  streams, 
catcliing  but  broken  glances  of  her  radiant  majesty, 
as  mirrored  on  tholr  surface,  and  scarcely  dreams 
as  yet  of  the  glorious  future  awaiting  her  in  the 
Olympus  of  nations.  "-(i>Vo»»  Lobd  DurFKKiN'ii 
apeach  at  Bel/tut,  lUhJum,  1872.) 


By  J.  M.  LeMoine 

AUTHOR  OF   "l'aLBUM   DU   TOURISTE. 


QUEBEC 
PRINTED  BY  AUGUSTIN  COTft  4  C» 

WTO 


\7^ 


291287 


Spi 


'mity 
1873, 


TO  HER  EXCELLENCY  • 


THE  COUNTESS  OF  DUFFERIN 


" THESE  SKETCHES" 


ARE,    KY    PKRMISSION,  MOST  RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED 


BT   TBI 


AUTHOR 


Spekcer  Qranqk, 

SlUery,  aoth  Sept,  187& 


f  ^ 


INTRODUCTION 


In  offering  to  our  patrons,  a  new  seriew  of  Papers 
on  Canadian  History,  Literature  and  Sport,  a  few 
explanatory  remarl^s  may  not  be  out  of  place. 

It  wan  in  18G3,  that  for  the  first  time,  appeared  in 
book  form,  the  several  Canadian  sketches,  previously 
published  in  the  Canadian  Reviews  and  Magazines, 
under  the  emblematical  name  of  Maple  Leaves. 

Their  success  led  to  the  perpetration  of  a  second 
volume  in  1864—  descriptive  of  our  battle  fields.  A. 
third  Series  followed  in  1860,  depicting  the  environs 
of  Quebec. 

Since  the  latter  date,  no  other  series  was  published. 
It  is  now  proposed  to  collect  in  the  present  volume, 
some  of  the  best  sketches  and  detached  Papers  of  the 
author,  contributed  since  1865,  to  the  various  Cana- 
dian periodicals,  and  also  to  reprint  with  them  four 
or  five  of  the  most  popular  papers  of  the  preceeding 
Se)ie8f  now  out  of  print. 


VI 

It  ia  unnecessary  here  to  enlarge  on  the  aim  anH 
contents  of  the  volume  :  the  title  of  th  wo" 
cates  that  sufficiently.  '"^'" 

Should  the  author  succeed  in  amusing  and  instruct- 
ng  the  general  reader-let  it  be  ever  so  little-his 
task  IS  accomplished,  ample  his  reward. 

Spencer  Grange,  ^"^  Author. 

SiLLERY,  20lh  Sept.,  1873. 


and 
indi- 

ruct- 
-his 

R. 


D'lEEETILLE. 


THE    CID    OF    NE"W    FRANCE. 


1642- 1706. 


We  purpose  sketching  here  biitfly,  a  Canadian  worthy, 
viho  once  tilled  the  two  hemispheres  with  the  gloiy  of  his 
name — the  naval  hero  d'lhervilhi:  LeMoine  d'Iberville  who 
triumphantly  hoie  the  banner  of  France,  from  Hudson  Hay  to 
the  Mexican  Gulf,  at  the  cK>seof  the  seventeenth  century.  At 
the  period  in  (|ueslioii,  Quehc^c  was  the  key  to  the  extensive 
transatlantic  possessions  of  Louis  the  Great ;  it  was  the  fulc- 
rum which  moved  the  vast  military  power  that  so  ellectually 
kept  in  check  the  Eniilish  Provinces  beyond  its  border.  On 
the  loftiest  peak  of  Cape  Dinmond,  floated  a  royal  banner, 
"Nvhose  lord  could  trace  his  lineage  beyond  the  crusades, 
beyond  Charlemagne,  up  to  the  fourth  century.  From  the 
stalely  council-chambers  of  the  Chateau  St.  Louis,  issued  those 
dread(Hl  decrees  which  presaged  war  or  peace;  from  the  shores 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  fertile  valley  of  Ohio,  or  the  green 
banks  of  (he  Mississipi.  The  capital  of  the  French  King  in 
New^  Franci!  was  indecnl  animpoitantcily  in  those  days,  filled 
with  a  warlike  race,  which  needed  not  consciiption  to  push  its 
squadrons  across  the  border,  whose  martial  ardor  was  dimned 
neither  by  arctic  cold  nor  by  tropica!  heats.  A  most  resolute 
nobleman  held  his  courlalthe  Od^'aw  5/.  Louis — Count  de 
Frontenac.  Never  did  the  Gibraltar  of  America  appear  so 
imiwsing  as  when  the  lion-hearted  de  Frontenac,  in  1090, 


it 
it 


2 


D  inERVILLE. 


warned  off  so  summarily  Sir  William  Pliipp?,  who,  in  tho  name 
of  King  \S1iliam  111,  lliroatcned,  unless  (he  place  surrcndod 
within  an  hour,  to  bombard  it  with  his  powerful  fleet,  which 
lay  moored  in  view  of  its  battlements.  The  Count's  reply 
to  the  British  Admiral  has  been  preserved  in  history.  (1 )  There 
were,  also,  brave  men  amongst  the  garrison  ready  to  make 
good  the  warlike  answer  of  their  valiant  commander. 

Foremost  amongst  the  defenders  of  Quebec  was  dlberville, 
oneof  deLongueil's  (2)  illustrious  brothers.  To  Montreal  is  due 
the  honor  of  having  given  birth,  in  1042,  to  this  sludry  sea- 
captain — one  of  eight  brothers  destined  to  shed  lustre  on  the 
French  aims,  by  land  and  by  sea,  for  more  than  half  a  centuiy. 
IVIberville  may  be  counted  the  representative  man  of  de 
Fronlenac's  glorious  administration.  More  fortunate  than 
other  Canadian  worthies,  whose  merit  has  been  sedulously 
ignored  in  the  mother  country,  under  French  and  under 
English  rule,  d'lberville's  fame  was  proclaimed  far  and  wide, 
all  over  Europe  ;  national  vanity  prompting  the  French,  if 
they  even  did  feel  inclined  to  drop  the  colonist,  to  remember 
the  great  sea-captain  who,  in  so  many  instances,  had  humbled 
the  old  foe.  Our  own  historians  have  minutely  described  the 
feats  of  d'Iberville ;  some,  however,  may  say  these  accounts  are 
too  flattering,  and  liable  to  be  doubted.  Let  us  then,  borrow 
the  text  of  reliable  foreign  writers  of  the  present  day.  Pierre 
Margry,  for  many  years  and  still  in  charge  of  the  French 
Archives  de  la  Marine,  in  Paris,  in  his  researches  on  the  part 
taken  by  the  early  travellers  from  Normandy  in  discovering  and 
colonizing  the  valley  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi,  sets  forth 

(1)  •'  I  do  not,  "  said  de  Frontonao,  "  acknowledge  King  WiHiam  ;  I  weU 
know  that  the  Prince  of  Orange  is  an  usurper,  who  has  violated  the  most  sacred 
rights  of  blood  and  religion.  I  will  answer  your  master  by  the  mouth  of  my 
cannon."  To  this  Phipps  replied  by  sending  a  tremendous  broadside  into  tho 
town.  But  de  Frontenao  did  answer  by  the  mouth  of  his  cannon  ;  and  his  reply 
was  found  so  much  to  the  point  that,  notwithstanding  the  advantage  gained 
under  Major  Walley's  detachment,  lauded  at  Beauport,  Phipps,  on  the  11th  Oc- 
tober, set  sail  at  night  for  Boston,  where  ho  arrived  on  the  10th  November 
following,  mtJius  nine  ships  wrecked  in  a  storm. 

(2)  On  a  recent  visit  to  Montreal,  the  writer  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  in  the 
late  Jacques  Vigor's  Album,  a  good  drawing  of  the  ruins  of  Baron  de  LongueU'a 
manor  at  Longueuil ;  lot  us  hope  it  will  yet  figure  in  the  ANTIQUARIAN. 


well 
sacred 
of  my 
nto  tho 
reply 
ained 
th  Oe- 
ember 

in  the 
lueil's 


THE  CID  OF  NEW  FRANCE.  3 

most  ably  the  doings  of  d'Ibcrville  and  his  brothers.  There 
is  also,  amongst  other  books,  a  beautifully  illustrated  work, 
«  Les  Navigateurs  Franoais  par  Leon  Guerin, »  in  which  an 
ample  sketch  of  the  celebrated  Monlrealer  is  contained.  As 
this  account,  written  in  France,  is  new  to  most  of  our  readers, 
we  will  attempt  to  render  it  in  English  for  their  information. 

«  At  the  time,  w  says  L.  Guerin,  «  when  Louis  de  Biiade, 
Count  de  Frontenac,  was  administering  so  gloriously  New 
France,  eight  Canadian  brothers,  whose  ancestors  came  from 
Rouen,  in  Normandy;,  were  vieing  to  excel  one  another  in  feats 
on  land  and  on  the  sea — equally  at  home  on  both  elements — 
ever  ready,  brave,  active,  venturesome,  under  the  impulse  of 
national  honor.  They  rendered  the  country  (France)  services 
the  more  honorable  and  meritorious  that  they  fought  far  away 
from  the  eye  of  the  court,  with  little  prospect  of  obtaining  the 
great  rewards  they  might  merit,  and  which  they  did  not  obtain 
in  the  proportion  due  to  them. 

«  These  eight  brothers,  whom  it  would  be  proper  to  call 
eight  heroes,  were  d'Iberville,  de  Saintellelene,  deMarieourt, 
de  Longueuil,  de  Serigny,  de  Chateauguay,  and  the  two  de 
Bienville.  The  second,  d'Iberville,  was  one  of  the  greatest 
and  most  skilful  sea-captains  France  has  ever  had.  Margry 
calls  him  «  une  especc  de  Jean  BartCanadienw  ,  the  historian, 
Ferland,  awards  him,  the  title  of  «  Le  Cid  du  Canada.)) 

The  company  which  had  then  recently  been  formed  in  con- 
nection with  Hudson's  Bay  having  applied  to  King  Louis  XIV, 
to  be  protected  against  the  usurpation  of  the  English  of  Fort 
Bourbon, — called  by  them  Fort  Nelson, — a  decree  of  the  20th 
May,  1683,  vested  in  it,  the  property  of  the  river  Ste.  Therese; 
without  delay  an  expedition,  commanded  by  the  Marquis 
d'Enonville,  Governor  General  of  New  France  in  the  absence 
of  Frontenac,  was  fitted  out  to  repel  the  English  during  the 
short  but  glorious  peace  of  Nimeguen.  D'Iberville,  Sainte 
Helene,  and  Maricourt  went  the  year  following  under  the  Che- 
valier de  Troyes,  a  captain  of  infantry,  serving  at  Quebec,  and 
chief  of  the  expedition,  to  capture  the  Forts  Monsipi,  Rupert, 
Kichichouami,  which  the  English  had  built  on  the  Bay.  They 
left  Montreal  by  land  in  March,  1685,  drawing  their  canoes 


DIBERVILLE. 


and  supplies  over  the  snow  and  swamps,  the  roads  being 
nearly  impassable.  They  travelled  thus  until  the  20lh  June, 
enduring  hardships  and  fatigue  almost  intolerable  wilh  a 
courage  and  spirit  of  which  Canadians  only  are  able,  and  the 
party,  eighty-two  strong,  arrived  at  Monsipi,  at  the  southern 
extremity  of  Hudson  Bay,  at  that  part  since  called  James'  Bay. 
"Without  losing  a  moment,  preparations  were  made  to  attack 
the  Fort — a  square  redoubt  surrounded  by  palisades  sixteen  or 
seventeen  feet  high,  and  flanked  by  four  bastions,  on  the  top 
of  a  moimd,  thirty  yards  from  the  edge  of  the  river.  A  guard 
was  left  in  charge  of  the  canoes  ;  two  merely  were  drawn, 
loaded  with  provisions,  shovels,  pics,  gabions,  and  a  battering- 
ram.  D'Iberville  and  de  Sainte  Helene  made  the  assault  on  one 
side,  whilst  the  Chevalier  de  Troyes  and  Maricourt  attacked 
the  other,  and  were  battering  in  the  main  entrance  of  the  Fort 
with  the  ram.  Followed  by  five  or  six  men,  they  scaled  the 
palisade,  opened  a  door  which  looked  on  the  forest,  and 
reached,  in  order  to  destroy  it,  an  outer  door  of  a  redoubt, 
built  in  the  centre  of  the  Fort ;  at  the  same  time,  the  Chevalier 
de  Troyes  rushed  into  the  interior  of  the  redoubt,  whilstd'Iber- 
ville  and  de  Sainte  Hclene,  and  their  followers  kept  up  a  brisk 
fire  on  all  the  apertures.  An  Englishman  having  rashly  replied, 
declining  all  offers  of  quarter,  de  Sainte  Helene  shot  him  dead 
at  the  gun  he  was  pointing  towards  the  French.  Soon  the  ram 
was  brought  to  bear  against  the  door  of  the  redoubt,  but  as  the 
door  was  still  held  up  by  one  hinge,  an  Englishman  from  the 
interior  closed  it,  leaving  all  in  darkness.  D'Iberville  might 
have  considered  his  case  desperate,  but,  retaining  his  pre- 
sence of  mind,  he  kept  striking  even  in  the  darkness,  and 
hearing  some  one  decending  a  stair-case,  he  fired  at  him  at 
random.  In  the  meantime,  the  ram  had  re-commenced  bat- 
tering in  the  door.  It  fell  and  allowed  free  ingress  to  the 
French  who  hurried  to  the  assistance  of  d'Iberville.  The 
English,  having  scarcely  had  time  to  dress — (the  attack  was 
at  midnight) — so  sudden  had  been  the  assault,  asked  for 
quarter.  It  was  granted,  and  the  Fort  handed  to  the  French, 
he  victorious  party  then,  following  the  sea-shore,  took 
,«.«;  direction  of  Fort  Rupert,  situated  forty  leagues  further 


THE  cm  OF   NEW  FRANCE. 


on  ;   whilst  a  suitable  boat,    accompanied  them,  mounted 
with   two  guns   taken   at   Fort  Monsipi.     After   five  days 
marching,    the   party  arrived  during  the  night  of  the  1st 
of  July,  before  Fort  Rupert,  of  which  de  Sainte  Helone  made 
a  reconnoissance,  favored  by  night.     The  English  had  an 
armed  vessel  there  to  protect  it.    D'Ibervillc  and  his  brother 
Maricouil,  aided  by  nine  men  in  two  bark  canoes,  were  entrusted 
with  the  boarding  service.     The  enemy  being  taken  unaware, 
the  boarding  party  noiselessly  and  at  leisure  got  on  board,  and 
stumbled  over  the  man  of  the  watch  fast  asleep  in  his  hamac. 
He  received  a  blow  just  as  he  was  preparing  to  alarm  the  crew ; 
d'Ibervillc,    striking  the  deck  as  is  customary  when  it  is 
intended  to  give  the  alarm  to  those  on  ship-board,  split  open 
the  head  of  the  first  man  who  attempted  to  venture  on  deck.  The 
next  sailor  shared  the  same  fate,  and  they  then  attacked  the 
cabin  with  axes,  until  diberville  considered   that  his  party 
was  numerous  enough  to  hold  out  against  all  comers.    The 
vessel  once  captured,  he  gave  quarter.  Amongst  the  prisoners 
was  the  Governor   of  Hudson  Bay.     "Whilst  this  sea-fight 
was  going  on  under  the  lead  of  Iberville,  the  Chevalior  de 
Troves  was  beating  in  by  force  the  door  of  the  Fort,  and  en- 
tering in  with  drawn  cutlass.     Grenades  were  used,  causing 
dreadful  havoc  amongst  the  besieged.     A  redoubt,  which  had 
been  also  built  atMonsipi,  in  the  centre  of  the  Fort,  after  having 
been  battered  with  a  ram,  was  on  the  eve  o:  being  blown  up 
with  powder,  when  the  enemy,  seeing  that  no  hope  remained 
sued  for  mercy.     All  the  prisoners  were  then  placed  on  board 
of  a  sloop  which  was  aground  at  some  distance  from  the  Fort ; 
as  it  would  have  required  more  men  than  could  be  spared 
to  garrison  the  place,  the  palisades  were  destroyed  and  the 
Fort  blown  up.     Diberville  and  de  Sainte  Ilelene  remained 
there,  however,  a  few  days.     The  en|j;lish  armed- ship  was 
sent  to  Monsipi,  and  was  soon  followed  by  the  lugger,  which 
had  been  repaired.     The  Chevalier  de  Troyes,  who  had  re- 
turned to  Monsipi,  was  desirous  to  close  the  campaign  by  the 
capture  of  Fort  Kichichouami.    None,  however,  knew  exactly 
the  geographical  position  of  this  English  Fort,  and  the  roads 
were  impassable ;   these  obstacles  were  insufficient  to  stop 


i 


* 


6 


D  IBERVILLE. 


the  Canadians.  It  was  necessary  to  carry  the  canoes  when 
the  tide  did  not  answer,  or  when  ice  or  points  of  land,  inter- 
fered. The  parly  had  been  for  a  long  time  (ravelling  in  this 
manner,  wiliiout  having  the  means  of  knowing  whether  they 
would  reach  the  object  of  their  search,  when  the  report  of 
eight  guns  suddenly  broke  on  their  ears.  Kichichouami 
must  be  close  by,  and  some  festivity  going  on  there.  On  de 
Sainle  llelcne,  devolved  the  task  of  reconnoitring  the  position 
of  the  Fort.  D'Iberville  had  had  much  trouble  to  ponolrate 
through  the  ice  with  the  prize,  containing  the  flags  of  the 
English  company.  He  entered  the  river  without  accident* 
and,  during  the  night,  landed  ten  guns.  After  some  useless 
proposals  to  the  governor  of  the  place,  the  ginis  were  placed 
in  positic.i,  and  aimed  at  the  very  room  he  occupied.  A  masked 
battery  on  a  wooden  height,  got  up  such  a  cannonade  that 
more  than  forty  discharges  took  place  in  an  hour  and  a  quarter, 
riddling  the  enemy's  work  Soon  melancholy  voices  issued 
from  the  subterranean  passages,  sueingforquarler.  No  English- 
man had  shown  himself  to  strike  the  flag,  and  soon  alter  the 
Fort  capitulated,  de  Sainle  Ilelene  entered  it.  D'Iberville 
removed  on  board  of  his  prize  the  governor  and  his  suite  to 
the  Island  of  Charleston,  to  wail  for  English  ships,  in  conform- 
ity with  the  terms  of  the  surrender.  The  remainder  of  the 
English  were  sent  to  Monsipi.  The  Clh  August  following,  the 
Chevalier  de  Troyes  returned  to  Montreal  to  enjoy  his  success  ; 
d'Iberville,  who  had  left  his  brother  Maricourt  in  charge 
at  Iludiion  Bay,  arrived  at  Montreal  two  months  after. 

«  War  re-commenced  in  Europe,  and  spread  to  America.  DT- 
berville  was,  by  deFrontenac,  re-appointed  naval  commander 
in  New  France,  and  specially  intrusted  with  guarding  Hudson 
Bay.  Two  English  men-of-war  had  appeared  before  Fort 
Kichichouami,  whose  name  he  had  altered  to  that  of  Fort 
Sainte  Anue,  and  where  he  commanded  in  person.  He  cajv 
tured  them,  and  conducted  triumphantly  the  largest  to  Quebec, 
whilst  his  Lieutenant,  La  Ferle,  was  making  a  prisoner  of  the 
English  (loveinor  of  Fort  New  Haven,  who  had  been  sent  from 
London  by  the  Company  to  proclaim  William  III,  who  pre- 
tended he  was  sole  proprietor  of  Hudson  Bay.    D'Iberville 


THE   CID  OP  KEW   FRANCE. 


iilc 


relumed  at  the  commencement  of  the  following  year,  1690, 
in  [hti  s\\\[i  Sainte  Anne,  togclher  with  the  ship  Annes  de  la 
Compagnie,  Capt.  llonavonlure  Denis,  with  the  view  of  expel- 
ling the  English  from  Forts  New  Haven  and  Nelson,  which 
they  still  occupied.  He  anchored,  on  the  241  h  September, 
close  to  the  river  Sainle  Therese,  and  came  ashore  wilh  ten 
men,  intending  to  make  a  few  prisoners  and  find  out  the  stale 
of  the  Fort.  A  sentry  saw  him,  and  the  English  instantly 
despatched  a  vessel  of  30  guns  to  intercept  the  retreat  (»f  the 
French,  but  without  success.  D'lberville  got  on  boai'd  of  his 
boat,  made  his  way  in  spite  of  pursuit  to  his  vessel,  and  made 
sail.  The  fall  of  the  tide  having  caused  the  English  vessel  to 
get  aground  on  some  rocks,  the  French  commander,  in  order 
to  mislead  the  enemy,  steered  as  if  he  intenled  to  leave  the 
Bay  ;  but  altering  his  course,  he  came  to  the  Kouachaouy 
river,  and  there  found  a  ship,  the  Saint  fran^ois,  com- 
marided  by  Maricourt.  The  two  brothers  left  for  New  Haven, 
an  English  Fort,  situated  thirty  leagues  from  Foit  Nelson. 
The  English  then  found  themselves  under  the  nectissily  of 
burning  it  down  and  breaking  it  up.  D'lberville,  however, 
secured  a  quantity  of  provisions  and  fuis,  which  he  conveyed 
to  Fort  Saiule  Anne.  He  wintered  there  with  his  ship,  the 
Sainte  Anne,  whilst  Maricourt,  with  the  Saint  Fran[oifi, 
sought  winter-quarters  at  Rupert,  after  having  relieved  Fort 
Monsipi.  The  ship  Annes  de  la  Compa</nie  was  anchorod 
at  Charleston  Island.  D'lberville  was  on  his  way  to  Quebec  in 
October,  1090,  when  his  brother  de  Longu;.'uil  sent  him  word 
at  Coudres  Island,  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  that  an  English  lleet 
was  laying  siege  to  the  capital  of  Canada.  The  forces  being 
unequal,  he  determined  to  sail  for  France,  laden  with  English 
spoils  ;  bi>'  previously  to  leaving,  he  despatched  a  boat  to  do 
Fronteuac  to  inform  him  of  the  success  of  his  expedition  to 
the  north.  At  this  period,  several  of  d'Iberville's  brothers 
were  keeping  up  the  honour  of  the  family  by  valiantly  defend- 
ing Canada.  All  New  France  was  in  a  blaze.  The  English  hud 
excited  the  Iroquois  tribes  to  rise,  as  well  as  other  Indian  tril)es 
who  had  recently  been  allies  of  France.  They  were  helping 
tliem  to  attack  the  west  of  Canada  by  Montreal,  whilst  a  lleet 


8 


DIDERVILLE. 


at  Qufibcc,  under  (Sir)  William  Pliipps,  Ihrcalenod  the  east- 
ern section.  Fortunately,  there  had  recently  been  re-appointed 
Governor-General  in  New  Fiance,  a  chief  gifted  with  all  the 
attributes  of  a  great  man,  firmness  which  ensures  command, 
with  kindliness  which  inspires  love.    De  Fronlenac  was'great, 
generous,  magnificent  like  a  king.     lie  was  at  Quebec,   the 
worlliy  representative  of  what  Louis  XIV  was  at  Versailles. 
A  word,  a  glance  of  his  eye.  electrified  Ihe  Canadians,  always 
ready  to  fight.     lie  was  the  love  and  delight  of  New  France, 
the  terror  of  the  Iroquois,  the  father  of  the  tribes  who  were 
allies  of  the  French.     His  activity  was  only  equalled  by  his 
courage.  After  having  pacified  the  country  round  Montreal,  and 
slain  a  considerable  number  of  the  Iroquois,  he  had  sent  three 
detachments  to  attack  the  English  of  New  York.     De  Sainte 
Ilelene,  in  company  with  his  relative,  deMartigny,  and  leading  , 
a  party  of  French  and  Indians,  two  hundred  and  ten  in  num- 
ber, alter  a  tramp  of  twenty-three  days,  through  snow  and 
ice,— sometimes  wading  in  water  up  to  their  knees, — had 
arrived  at  Fort  Corlard,  which  they  captured,  after  slaying  the 
whole  garrison.     Marligiiy  had  been  wounded  twice  during 
this  expedition.     Another  captain,  named  de  Portneuf,  had 
compelled  Fort  Kaskebe  to  capitulate  ;  and  a  third,  called 
Hertel,  alter  a  march  just  as  fatiguing  as  that  of  de  Sainte 
Ilelene,  had  taken  possession  of  Fort  Semenlals,  in  Acadia. 
At  the  same  time,  Fronlenac  had  undertaken  prodigious  works 
to  fortify  Quebec,  which,  though  thickly  peopled,  had  no  for- 
tifications which  it  could  depend  on.    He  had  dispersed,  with- 
out striking  a  blow,  an  army  of  English  and  Iroquois,  who 
were  advancing  from  Lake  St.  Sacrament,  and  had  been 
enabled  to  devote  himself  entirely  to  the  defence  of  his  capital. 
The  fortifications  which  de  Fronlenac  had  built  began  at  his 
palace  (1)  and  then  ascended  towards  the  upper  town,  which 
tliey  surrounded,  and  ended  at  the  brink  of  a  mountain  at  a 
spot  called  Cape  Diamond.  The  openings  where  there  were  no 
gales  were  barricaded  with  timber  and  puncheons  filled  with 
stones  and  surrounded  with  earth.     The  avenue  from  the 


(1)  Where  the  Queen's  wood-yard  now  stands. 


TIIE   CID  OF  NEW   FRANCE. 


9» 


lower  lo  the  upper  town  was  intersected  by  three  entronch- 
menls,  made  with  punclieons  and  bags  of  earth.  Numerous' 
batteries  had  been,  mounted.  The  Nxholc  soon  presented  a 
respeclable  system  of  defenses. » 

We  shall  pass  over  the  incidents  of  the  gloi'ious  siege  of 
1690,  related  by  us  elsewhere  (I).  D'Ibcrville  was  intnisledby 
gov*;rnment  with  a  small  fleet,  and  hoisted  his  flag  on  the 
Pelican.  His  mission  was  to  harass  the  English  wherever 
he  could  meet  them.  lie  obtained  some  important  successes ; 
but  the  spot  where  fortune  seemed  always  to  favor  him  was 
Hudson  Bay,  where  the  English  had  re-captured  Fort  Nelson. 
He  look  a  signal  revenge  by  the  capture  of  the  place,  in  1696, 
for  the  death  of  his  brother  Chateauguay,  killed  in  1694  whilst 
defending  it.  He  also  had  the  satisfaction  of  securing  as  a 
prize  the  English  frigate,  the  Hudson  Bay.  But  his  own 
vessel,  the  Pelican,  was  nearly  in  a  sinking  stale.  Having 
manned  his  prize  with  a  portion  of  the  crew  of  the  Pelican^ 
he  was  preparing  to  attack  the  enemy  when,  in  a  furious  storm, 
and  notwithstanding  his  skill  as  a  mariner,  both  vessels  were 
driven  ashore.  Nothing  daunted,  the  brave  commander, 
having  waited  for  the  arrival  of  some  other  vessel  of  his  fleet, 
succeeded  in  capturing,  a  second  lime,  Fort  Nelson,  which 
gave  France,  for  several  years,  the  possession  of  the  northern 
part  of  North  America. 

Peace  being  signed  at  Ryswick,  d'Iberville  took  advantage 
of  it  lo  press  on  his  government  to  resume  the  project  of  dis- 
covering the  mouth  of  the  Mississipi.  He  sought  as  a  compa- 
nion the  brave  Chaleau  Morand,  worthy  nephew  of  the  great 
Tourville.  Both  sailed  from  Rochfort  in  October,  1698,  with 
two  ships.  They  anchored  at  St.  Domingo  ;  and  having  left 
that  place  on  the  1st  December,  they  came  in  sight,  on  the 
27 Ih  January,  1699,  of  Florida.  They  sailed  as  close  lo  the 
land  as  prudence  would  allow,  and  sent  one  of  their  officers 
to  hold  parley  with  the  inhabitants.  That  officer,  on  return- 
uig,  staled  that  the  ships  were  Ihen  opposite  to  a  bay  called 
Pensacola,  where  three  hundred  Spanish  had  recently  settled 


(1)  See  Second  aeries  of  Maple  Leaves. 


iO 


D  IBERVILLE. 


in  anticipalion  of  French  selllcrs.  On  (he  31st  Janunry, 
d'lberville,  whose  ship  had  outsailed  the  oilier  to  reconnoitre 
the  coast,  anchored  at  the  south-east  of  the  enslern  point  of 
the  nv(M'  Mobih;,  which  runs  parallel  with  the  Mississipi.  On 
the  2n(l  February,  he  landed  on  an  island  close  to  it,  and  four 
leagues  round.  It  had  then  a  harbor  tolerably  commodious, 
which  has  since  been  obstructed  by  sand.  D'lberville  called 
it  iMassacre  Island,  from  having  noticed  towards  the  south- 
west point,  a  large  quantity  of  human  heads  and  bones.  From 
Massacre  Island,  whose  name  was  soon  to  be  changed  to  that 
of  Dauphin  Island,  the  great  mariner  crossed  over  to  the  main 
land,  and  having  discovered  the  river  Pascagoula,  he  left  it,  in 
company  with  his  young  brother  de  Dienville,  Ihc-n  an  ensign, 
and  lorly-eight  men,  in  two  long  boats,  carrying  provisions 
for  twenty  days,  to  find  Uie  Mississipi,  of  which  the  aborigines 
had  made  mention  to  him  under  the  name  of  the  Malbouehia, 
and  the  Spaniards,  under  that  of  the  Palisade  river.  He  entered 
the  mouth  of  the  river  on  the  2nd  March.  In  prosecuting  his 
discovery,  d'lberville  arrived  at  the  village  of  the  Dayagoulas, 
composed  of  seven  hundred  huts,  amongst  which  could  be 
distinguished  the  temple  of  these  savages,  filled  with  smoked 
furs,  olfered  to  propitiate  their  fantastic  gods.  The  French 
discoverer  ascended  as  high  as  the  Oumas,  w  here  he  began  seri- 
ously to  doubt  whether  it  was  the  Mississipi.  However,  a 
letter,  found  by  an  Indian  chief  in  a  tree,  handed  to  his 
brother  de  Dienville,  soon  dispelled  all  doubts  on  this  point. 
It  was  dated  April,  1083,  and  bore  this  address  : — «  To  mon- 
sieur de  la  Sale,  Gouverneur  de  la  Louisiane,  de  la  part  du 
Chevalier  de  Tonli.  »  Tonti  had,  in  his  fruitless  search  of  La 
Sale,  deposited  this  letter  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree.  D'lberville, 
re-assured,  then  sojourned  in  the  Day  of  Diloxi,  situated  bet- 
ween the  Mississipi  and  Mobile  rivers ;  built  a  fort  there,  where 
he  left  de  Dienville  as  his  lieutenant,  and  then  returned  to 
France  in  January.  On  the  8th  January,  1700,  d'lberville 
returned  to  Diloxi.  In  170G,  he  got  together  a  small  squadron 
and  attacked  the  English  island  of  Nevis,  and  captured  it.  On 
the  9th  July,  1700,  this  successful  sea-captain  died  at  Havana, 
whilst  commanding  the  vessel  Le  Juste.    The  eldest  of  the 


THE  CID  OF  NEW   FRANCE. 


11 


brotliors,  dc  Bienville,  lind  been  killoil  in  an  nltnck  on  a  fort. 
Mnricoiirt,  an  ensign,  ^vas  burnt  to  death  in  u  house  with  forty 
I'lviich,  in  1704,  by  the  Iroquois.  Dc  Seiigny  and  Ihi;  second  of 
the  do  llieiiville  brothers,  died  whilst  coinnmiiding  vessels.  Do 
Loiigiieuil,  the  eldest  brother,  di(!d  in  1718,  Ciovcrnor  of  Mon- 
treal. In  1722,  when  the  East  India  Company  laid  the  found- 
ation of  New  Orleans,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississipi,  to  be  the 
centre  and  capital  of  Louisiana,  it  was  a  son  of  de  Chaleau- 
guay  who  was  second  in  command  iu  this  vast  country  which 
had  originated  so  many  bright  dreams.  After  serving  at  Mar- 
tinif|uo,  he  was  Governor  of  (luyanna.  The  Treaty  of  Utrecht, 
in  1713,  had  deprived  the  French  of  Hudson  Day,  Newfound- 
laud,  and  Acadia.  To  compensate  this  loss,  they  immediately 
set  about  to  colonize  Cape  Dreton,  called  He  lloyale,  \>!iero 
they  founded  Fort  Dauphin,  I'ort  Toulouse,  Ntrika,  ajul  chiefly 
Louisbourg,  and  her  arsenal.  De  Cliateauguay,  junior,  was 
called, — from  17ia  to  1717,  when  he  died — to  defend  this 
key  to  Canada,  and  did  so  successfully. 

«  Thus, ))  concludes Guerin,  «  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence 
to  that  of  Mexico,  from  equinoctial  France  to  New  France, 
continued  to  shine  with  undimmed  splendour,  probably  Uio 
most  glorious  family  which  ever  existed  in  the  French  colo- 
nics. » 

D'lberville  had  thus  closed  at  Havana  his  brilliant  career, 
after  gatheiing  laurels  at  Quebec,  on  the  frozen  shores  of 
Hudson's  Day,  on  the  coast  of  Acadia,  in  the  Mississipi,  at 
New  Oileans,  and  in  the  West  Indies.  Pierre  Margry  is  then 
justified  in  describing  the  illustrious  Montreaier  as  «  Uno 
espece  de  Jean  Dart  Canadien.  »  Mr.  Morgan  has  ably  sum- 
med up  dTbcrville's  career  in  his  work  intituled  ctCELLBii.vTED 
Canadians.  » 


BOLLARD  DES  ORMEAUX. 


THE  CANADIAN   LEONIDAS. 


1660. 

The  memories  of  brave  deeds — of  sacrifice  of  self  for  the 
general  good  ;  instances  of  extraordinary  endurance  for  some 
noble  end,  >vhilst  they  chullcnge  the  admiration  of  the 
palriolic  or  the  reflective  man,  afford  wholesome  teachings  for 
all.  In  placing  them  before  the  eye  of  un  enlightened  public, 
no  apology  is  needed. 

The  wave  of  time,  for  twenty-three  centuries,  has  rolled 
over  the  feat  of  the  champions  of  Thermopylw :  has  the  deed 
lost  aught  of  its  fragrance  ?  My  friend  I  My  fellow-toiler,  all  is 
not  hollow — a  sham — a  lie  here  below  ! 

The  lion-hearted  crusader,  Richard  of  England — the  Suisse 
patriot  Tell — the  Maid  of  Orleans,  or  she  of  Saragossa,  will  be 
remembered  with  respect,  nay  with  veneration,  so  long  as  brave 
men,  so  long  as  heroic  women  shall  endure — beacons  from 
above  lighting  up  this  dismal  vale  of  sorrow — heaven  born, 
lasting  witnesses  to  some  of  the  noblest  instincts  the  Deity  has 
implanted  in  the  human  breast. 

Elsewhere,  we  took  pleasure  to  state,  with  a  feeling  not 
unmingled  with  pride,  that  the  early  history  of  our  own 
country  exhibited  several  of  these  traits,  which  men  delight  to 
honor.  Let  us  now  unveil  in  a  few  words,  the  career  of  a 
youthful  Canadian  hero,  as  yet  but  little  known  to  fame. 

Fellow  countrymen,  keep  fresh  his  memory  ! 

To  our  mind,  the  whole  story  of  the  chivalrous  commander 
of  the  Montreal  garrison  in  1660,  whose  name  prefixes  this 
sketch,  reads  more  like  one  of  those  thrilling  romances  pecu- 
liar to  the  era  of  the  crusades,  than  anything  else  we  know  of 
in  Canadian  annals. 


14 


DOLLARD  DES  ORMEAl'X. 


Tlioufih  llic  records  of  beleaguered  cili;'S  occasionally  depicl. 
cases  of  despairing  bul  dauntless  men  rushing  to  certain  death 
to  snatch  trembling  mothers,  chaste  wives — tender  infants  from 
the  edge  of  the  s>vord,  we  seldom  read  of  a  youth  coolly  and 
premeditativcly — without  the  spur  of  imminent  danger — 
cheerfully  resigning  all  which  makes  life  attractive  :  position, 
nay  existence  itself,  sacrificing  all  to  a  mere  sense  of  duty. 
Nor  are  we  called  on  here,  to  comlemplate  a  mere  ti-ansienl, 
impulsive  act  of  devotion  suggested  by  exti'aordinary  peril,  or 
the  olTspring  of  high  wrought  feeling.  It  is  a  rarer  spectacle 
which  awaits  us  :  it  is  the  relleclion  of  mature  age  in  youth  ; 
the  earnest  young  christian,  who,  ere  he  steps  forth  of  his  own 
accord,  towards  that  mysterious  land  of  shadows,  beyond  the 
grave,  deliberativcly  settles  all  his  sublunary  affairs,  solemnly 
makes  his  peace  with  his  creator  and  his  fellow-men,  and  then 
quietly  and  with  much  afore  thought,  at  the  head  of  compa- 
nions as  intrepid,  as  devoted  as  himself,  binds  himself  and  them 
by  a  fearful  vow,  such  as  in  his  opinion,  tlie  welfare  of  his 
country  requires — «  not  to  take,  nor  grant,  any  quarter.))  All 
this  and  more  do  we  find  in  the  act  of  the  youthful  commander  of 
the  Montreal  garrison  in  IGGO — Dollard  des  Ormeaux.  Though 
noted  by  Ferland,  it  is  specially  to  the  abbe  Faillon  (1 ),  we  are 
indebted  for  acquainting  us  so  minutely  with  the  history  of  the 
gallant  youth,  aged  then  twenty-live  years^  whose  name  still 
clings  to  the  street,  he  once  inhabited  (2).  The  elaborate  His- 
toircde  la  Colonie  Fran^'aise  en  Canada,  or  rather  the  history  of 

(1)  IfUtoirc  de  la  Colonie  Fran<;iilsc  en  Amdrtquc.  Vol.  IIj  P. 

(2)  "  Docs  any  ono  whoso  business  docs  not  call  him  daily  along  St.  James 
street,  know  whore  Dollard  street  is  ?  And  of  those  who  do  know  that  it  is  bounded 
atone  end  by  the  \Vitncs8  oQico,  and  at  the  other  by  a  saloon,  how  many  know  after 
whom  it  is  called,  if  after  any  ono  at  all  ?  Most  people  think  it  is  a  misprint  for 
Dollar.  Such  is  fame.  A  dirty  narrow  lane,  frequented  by  gaming  newsboys, 
and  an  entry  in  the  parish  register  of/lOGO  are  all  that  remain  to  remind  us  of 
Adam  Dollard,  siour  DesOrmeaus,  better  known  as  Daulac. 

Tho  early  history  of  Montreal  is  as  full  of  romance,  of  suffering,  and  of  heroio 
achievement  as  the  most  sensational  could  desire.  Those  deeds  aro  far  better 
authenticated,  too,  than  the  legends  of  the  Drachonfols,  or  tho  talcs  of  prowess  of 
tho  Crusaders.  Only  it  is  not  the  thing  to  weep  or  thrill  over  the  achievements  of 
a  handful  of  emigrants  who,  two  hundred  years  ago,  were  scalped  and  massacred 
and  burned  alived  within  gunshot  of  St.  Catharine  street.  We  reserve  such  tri- 
butes fur  the  woes  of  the  oreatious  of  Miss  Braddou  or  Mrs.  Henry  Wood.  (Allid.) 


TlIE   CANADIAN    IE0NIDA3. 


15 


of 
io 


d 

i- 

) 


tlio  colt^bralcd  order  of  5»//)j"cj>»»s,  in  Canada,  to  which  Iho  learn- 
ed alhe  belongs,  is  cerlainly  a  historical  monument  of  which 
]\Ionlreal  may  well  he  proud  :  the  ahhe  Faillon  has  compiled 
the  details  he  luruishes  about  Doli.aud  i>es  Ormeaix,  from  the 
liislory  ol  Montreal  by  Dollieu  de  Casson  ;  Lcs  Icltres  dc  la 
Mere  (le r Incarnation;  from  the  Relatione  iles  Jmiites  and  from 
the  Iti'gialrea  dea  baptvmes,  mariagvs  el  si'pnllures,  for  ICOO. 

It  is  not  (hen  a  romance  >vhich  is  here  presenb'd  to  the 
reader,  but  a  plain,  unvarnished  tale  of  christian  heroism,  of 
Avhich  Montreal  was  once,  the  theatre. 

In  order  to  understand  thoroughly,  the  precarious  footing  of 
French  Colonists  at  Montreal  in  ICOO,  it  is  necessary  to  fami- 
liarize one  self,  with  its  liis  history,  since  its  foundation  in 
1012,  and  for  several  years  later  on. 

The  annalist  can  note  year  after  year  the  struggles,  some- 
times the  bloody  defeats,  oft'  the  merciless  revenge  sutTered  or 
inllicted,  by  the  pent-up,  despairing  colonists  :  the  blood 
thirsty  Iroquois  had  vowed  to  exterminate  the  last  of  the  pale 
faccn  who  came  from  beyond  the  sea  ;  they  very  nearly  succeed- 
ed. A  constant  slale  of  warfare — ambushes  by  day — midnight 
raids  :  such  were  the  ever-recurring  incidents  which  marked 
the  existence  of  the  sparce  population.  At  page  123  of  the 
second  volume  of  the  history,  the  Abbe  tells  how  the  alarmed 
residents  scaicely  ever  left  the  Fort  unarmed,  not  even  on  the 
Sabbath,  to  attend  to  their  devotions. 

On  Sunday,  the  18th  May,  1051,  four  colonists  were  sur- 
prised between  the  Fort  and  Pointc  St.  Charles,  on  their  re- 
turn from  the  morning  service.  Overwhelmed  by  the  savages, 
they  took  refuge  in  a  rude  redoubt,  and  commenced  liring  so 
briskly  on  their  pursuers  that  the  crack  of  their  muskets  at- 
tracted the  notice  of  the  people  of  the  Fort.  Out  ran  a  stout- 
hearted fellow,  named  Urbain  Tessier  dit  Lavigne  to  their 
relief ;  and  although  sixty  shots  were  aimed  at  him  from  the 
distance,  he  escaped  them  all.  M.  de  Maisonneuve,  the  Gov- 
ernor, immediately  sent  reinforcements  to  the  besieged,  and 
after  a  sharp  skirmish,  in  which  thirty  savages  bit  the  dust, 
the  rest  retired  to  the  shades  of  the  forest.  Some  years  pre- 
viously, directions  had  been  issued  that  no  man  should  leave 


16 


DOLLARD   DEB    ORMEAI'X. 


the  Fort  singly,  and  that  those  tilling  the  soil  should  return 
«ach  day  in  a  body,  well-armed,  within  its  wails,  at  the  sound 
of  the  bell.  Various  were  the  artifices  employed,  says  Dollier 
de  Casson,  to  abate  the  Iroquois  nuisance.  The  Governor 
soon  saw  that  the  days  of  his  colonists  were  numbered,  if 
these  savage  beasts  of  prey  were  allowed  to  roam  any  longer 
round  Ihe  settlement.  They  must  be  got  rid  of.  The  inhabi- 
tant of  Bengal  beats  the  jungle  for  tigers  and  lions  ;  Ihe 
French  colonists  must  beat  up  the  thickets  and  woods  round 
Montreal  for  foes  as  merciless — the  skulking  Iroquois.  Mastilfs 
were  brought  out  from  the  mother-country,  and  battues  organ- 
ized. These  sagacious  animals  were  broken  in  to  hunt  for 
the  savages,  and  Father  Lalemanl  tells  of  a  remarkable  mas- 
tiff slut,  called  ((Pilot,))  who,  in  1647,  used  to  load  to  the 
woods  a  litter  of  fierce  pups,  and  took  a  ramble  each  morning 
in  the  under-brush,  scouring  carefully  every  bush  round  the 
Fort ;  if  she  noticed  any  of  her  whelps  shirking  his  work,  she 
would  worry  and  bite  him.  It  was  wondei  ful,  says  the  same 
writer,  to  witness  her  return  from  the  hunt,  baying  fiercely 
when  she  had  discovered  a  marauding  savage,  to  proclaim  the 
presence  of  danger.  Nor  could  you  have  said  of  her,  what 
Coleridge  wrote  of  Sir  Leoline's  dog : 

A  toothless  mast iir,  which 

From  her  kennel  beneath  the  rock 
Maketh  answer  to  the  clock 
Four  for  the  quarters,  and  twelve  for  the  hour  I 
Ever  and  aye,  by  shine  and  shower 
Sixteen  short  howls,  not  over  loud  ; 

History  tells  of  the  ardor  of  the  Montreal  NImrods  of  that 
day,  to  bag  the  big  game,  and  how  often  they  used  to  go  to 
Governor  deMaisonneuve  asking  him  beseechinj^ly,  ((  Shall  we 
then  never  be  allowed  to  go  and  hunt  our  foes  ?  »  You  read 
next  the  animated  description  of  one  of  these  hunts,  or  fights ; 
a  party,  headed  by  the  Governor  himself,  and  by  M.  D'Aille- 
boust,  against  the  Iroquois.  The  unfortunate  but  spirited 
colonists  barely  escaped  annihilation  in  this  skirmish,  and  it 
did  seem  at  one  time  likely  that  the  scalp  of  M.  de  Maison- 
neuve  would  shortly  grace  the  belt  of  a  famous  chief,  bent  on 


IHE  CANADIAN   LEONIDAS. 


17 


lil 
In 


capturing  his  fleet  Excellency.  However,  when  escape 
appeared  hopeless,  brave  de  Maisonnciive  drew  a  pistol  on  his 
pursner,  and  fired  ;  it  flashed  in  Uk;  pan,  and  the  colony  was 
nearly  lost ;  but,  recovering  himself,  he  drew  another  pistol, 
and  shot  the  red-skin  dead  :  and  the  colony  was  saved. 

In  those  days  the  country  round  Montreal  certainly  swarmed 
with  this  sort  of  game  ;  its  Nimrods  were  just  as  spirited  as 
those  of  the  present  day  :  the  dogs,  of  sure  scent,  and  the 
quarry,  wary  and  wild,  amidst  imp(MiPtral)le  forests.  Times 
are  changed  now  ;  elegant  villas,  fragrant  conservatoiies, 
landscape  gardens,  adorn  the  green  slopes  of  the  Royal  Mount, 
which  once  resounded  to  the  war  whoop  or  expiring  groan  of 
the  lithe  savage.  Peaceably  inclined  are  the  royal  snccessois 
of  this  warlike  M.  de  Maisonneuve  :  on  his  hunting  grounds 
now  stands  the  great  metropolis  of  Canadian  trade.  They 
were  fiery  hunters,  the  men  oi  IGGO,  spreading  with  their 
mastiffs  amidst  the  thickets,  peihaps  to  the  joyful  notes  of  the 
French  horn,  or  carolling  a  hunting-song: 

II  passe,  il  passe,  le  clairon  du  Roi,  in»;s  lanios. 

These  sturdy  Nimrods,  subjects  of  the  Grand  Monarque, 
are  replaced  by  a  milder  race.  Out  of  the  same  thickets,  on 
a  fine  September  morning,  two  centuries  later,  you  may  have 
seen  equally  spirited  dogs  issue  with  a  band  of  gaily  dressed 
and  well-mounted  sportsmen  ;  Messrs.  Davidson,  Alloway, 
Lorn  McDougall,  Thorne,  Rimmer,  Crawford  ct  alii.  Rut  fear 
them  not  ;  you  might  with  impunity  confront  them  in  lull 
Indian  dress,  and  wearing  as  man  [dumes  in  your  hat  as  the 
proudest  Iroquois  chief  ever  bore.  You  are  perfectly  safe, 
unless  taken  for  a  fox. 

Sporting  readfT,  f"rgive  our  digression.  We  have  told  you 
of  the  scenes  of  blood  with  which  our  lathers  were  so  familiar. 
Their  fiery  disposition  had  grt»wn  with  danger  ;  on  the 
authority  of  Abbe  Faillon,  we  can  say  that  even  the  sav- 
ages were  impressed  with  awe  when  dealing  with  them  ; 
the  Iroquois  cadet  was  gravely  told  to  beware  of  these 
men  whom  they   called  «  des  diables, »  nor  to  presume  to 

attack  them,  unless  well  prepared  for  a  fight. 

2 


18 


DOLLARD  DES    ORMEAtX. 


The  savages  were  increasing  each  year  in  numbers  and 
audacity.  In  the  year  1658  and  1659,  they  had  been  cons- 
piring secretly.  About  a  thousand  of  them  had  resolved,  by 
a  coup  de  main,  to  strike  terror  at  the  same  time  at  Montreal 
and  at  Quebec,  of  which  latter  place  M.  d'Ailleboust,  the 
Governor  was  to  be  beheaded.  Some  inkling  of  the  dark 
deeds  in  contemplation  had  spread  amongst  the  helpless  and 
sparce  populalion  of  the  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Those 
residing  under  the  cannons  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  at  Quebec,  were 
safe  ;  but  what  hope  was  there  for  the  unfortunate  peasant 
outside  of  Quebec  ?  The  dismay  had  become  very  great ; 
public  prayers  had  been  otfered  in  the  churches.  Nor  was 
the  excitement  in  the  Montreal  district  at  all  less.  Unless 
Providence  specially  interposed,  the  colony  was  threatened 
with  utter  ruin. 

These  reflections  had  occured  to  every  colonist.  None  had 
pondered  over  them  more  earnestly  than  the  young  Com- 
mander of  the  Montreal  garrison,  Bollard  desOrmeaux,  called 
by  some  historians  Daulac.  Though  of  French  origin,  he  was 
intimately  acquainted  with  Indian  waifare,  and  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  a  blow  struck  at  the  proper  time  might  disor- 
ganize the  machinations  of  the  enemy,  and  gain  delay  until 
the  reinforcements  arrived  from  France;  He  thought  that  an 
ambush  might  be  planed  ;  that  a  small  party  of  good  marks- 
meuj  such  as  Montreal  then  could  provide,  in  a  very  short 
time  might,  by  taking  advantage  of  the  ground,  slay  so  many 
of  the  enemy,  that  a  precipitate  flight  would  take  place, 
before  the  Montreal  Indians  could  join  their  forces  to  those  of 
the  Quebec  and  Three  Rivers  settlements.  The  plan,  though 
it  savored  a  little  of  desperation,  when  the  number  of  com- 
batants on  both  sides  were  compared,  had  much  to  recommend 
il.  By  the  latter  end  of  May,  1660,  Bollard  had  succeeded  in 
working  up  the  enthusiasm  of  the  Montreal  youth  to  the  same 
pitch  as  his  own.  Sixteen  promised  to  follow  where  their 
commander  would  lead,  provided  the  Governor  of  the  colony, 
M.  de  Maisonneuve,  approved  of  the  expedition.  One,  how- 
ever, reconsidered  his  determination,  and  did  not  go.  The 
remainder  made  their  wills,  received  the  last  rites  of  the 


THE  CANADIAN    LEONID  AS. 


19 


church,  and  took,  in  presence  of  the  altar,  a  vow  to  fight  until 
death  or  victory  crowned  their  career,  without  sueing  for,  or 
granting,  any  quarter. 

Several  other  colonists,  such  as  Major  Lambert  Closse,  Picot6 
de  Beleslre,  Charles  LeMoyne,  also  olfered  their  services  for 
this  important  expedition.  They,  however,  were  of  opinion 
it  might  be  delayed  until  the  corn-fields  were  sowed  ;  but  to 
a  mind  constituted  like  Dollard's,  delay  was  impossible,  and 
the  miraculous  escape  from  death  of  these  three  latter  brave 
and  indispensable  men  showed,  as  the  Abb^  Faillon  remarks, 
that  the  hand  of  Providence  was  there.  Montreal  could  not 
have  afforded  to  lose  such  colonists.  Had  the  spirited  com- 
mander deferred  the  departure  of  the  expedition,  as  he  was 
requested  to  do,  the  500  Iroquois,  who  had  ensconced  them- 
selves at  the  islands  of  the  River  Richelieu,  would  have  had 
time  to  be  joined  by  the  500  savages  who  were  coming  down 
the  Ottawa,  and  the  blow  would  have  fallen  on  Three  Rivers 
and  Quebec.  The  brave  warriors  launched  their  canoes  on 
the  waters  of  the  great  river.  They  met  the  enemy  sooner 
than  they  expected,  and  seem  to  have  closed  with  them  at  the 
He  St.  Paul,  close  to  Montreal.  The  first  encounter  took  place 
on  the  19lh  April,  1660,  the  Europeans  having  the  better  of 
the  fight,  but  losing  three  of  their  party,  viz.,  Nicholas  Duval, 
Blaise  Juillet  dit  d'Avignon,  and  Mathurin  Soulard, — the  two 
latter  having  been  drowned  in  the  attack.  The  savages  took 
to  the  woods,  leaving  behind  an  excellent  canoe,  which  Bol- 
lard subsequently  put  to  good  use. 

This  brilliant  hand-to-hand  fight  produced  a  good  effect  at 
Montreal,  and  the  recusant  colonists  who  had  left  Bollard  at 
the  beginning,  returned  to  fight  under  him.  They  were 
detained  eight  days  at  the  end  of  the  Island  of  Montreal,  at  a 
rapid  which  they  had  to  cross.  They  crossed,  however,  and 
on  the  1st  May,  they  were  at  the  foot  of  the  Long  Sau/f,  on  the 
Ottawa,  eight  or  ten  leagues  higher  than  the  Isle  of  Montreal, 
and  lower  down  than  the  Sault  de  la  Chaudiire.  Bollard  there 
discovered  a  small  fort,  which  the  Algonquins,  the  fall  preced- 
ing, had  built  with  pickets.  There  they  decided  to  make  a 
stand.    They  were  then  reinforced  by  four  Algonquin  and 


20 


DOLLARD   DES   ORMEAUX. 


forty  Huron  Indians,  the  flower  of  the  tribe,  who  had  marched 
up  from  Quebec  during  the  winter,  intending  to  attack  the 
Iroquois  when  returning  from  their  hunting  grounds.  These 
wairiors  had  obtained  a  written  authority  from  M.  de  Maison- 
iieuve,  Governor,  to  take  part  in  the  campaign,  unwilling 
though  he  was  to  grant  it.  Nor  had  they  long  to  wail  for  the 
returning  Iroquois  canoes.  The  French  strengthened  as 
much  as  possible  their  pallisades,  with  earth  and  branches, 
and  valiantly  repulsed  the  first  assault.  The  Iroquois'  ferocity 
increase  with  each  repulse.  Their  numbers  allowed  them  to 
invest  closely  the  rude  fort,  to  burn  the  canoes  of  the  French 
and  to  prepare  torches  to  burn  the  fort  ;  but,  finding  all 
their  plans  frustrated,  they  sent  a  deputation  to  the  500  Iro- 
quois camped  on  the  Richelieu. 

But  there  was,  inside  of  the  fort,  an  insidious  enemy,  more 
to  be  feared  than  the  blood-thirsty  Iroquois.  The  water  failed, 
and  thirst  soon  troubled  the  beleaguered  Montrealers.    By 
dint  of  boring,  they  came  to  a  small  gush  of  muddy  water,  in- 
sufficient to  alley  their  thirst.    They  had,  under  the  fire  of 
these  insurgents,  to  go  and  fetch  water  from  the  river  close 
by.     The  Iroquois,  seeing  their  straits,  look  occasion  to  re- 
mind the  Ilurons  of  the  uselessness  of  their  defence,  and  that, 
unless  they  surrendered,  they  would  be  so  closely  invested, 
that  they  would  die  of  thirst  and  hunger.    These  savages 
decided  to  surrender  in  a  body.     All  did,  except  their  cou- 
rageous chief,  Anahonlaha,  who,  on  seeing  their  determina- 
tion, seized  a  pistol,  and  atlemped  to  shoot  his  nephew,  who 
was  amongst  the  fugitives.     The  fort  contained  in  all,  Ana- 
honlaha, the  four  Algonquins  and  their  chief,  and  the  Fi'ench. 
Soon  the  four  hundred  Iroquois  arrived  from  the  Richelieu 
encampment,  and  during  three  days  a  new  attack  was  made 
every  hour,  but  unsuccessfully.     The  enemy  then  tried  to  fell 
some  large  trees,  in  order  that,  by  their  fall,  they  might  in- 
commode the  daunlless  garrison.     Some  prodigies  of  valor  at 
last  induced  the  Iroquois  to  believe  that  the  garrison  must  be 
more  numerous  than  they  had  been  led  to  credit ;  they  delibe- 
rated whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  raise  the  siege  ;  and 
a  detachment  having  come  closer  than  usual  to  the  redoubt, 


THE    CANADIAN   lEOMDAS. 


2i 


the  garrison  received  tliem  with  such  a  iniirderons  fire,  that 
they  were  again  completely  routed.  On  the  eighth  day,  the 
Iroquois  were  meditating  their  departure  ;  but,  on  being  as- 
sured that  the  fort  only  contained  seventeen  French  and  six 
Indians,  they  thought  that,  should  they,  with  their  overwhel- 
ming nambers,  give  up  the  contest,  it  would  reflect  eternal 
shame  on  their  character  as  warriors.  They  then  resolved 
to  die  to  the  last  man,  at  the  foot  of  the  fort,  or  conquer. 

Accordingly,  in  advancing,  they  took  to  cutting  junks  of 
wood,  which  they  carried  in  front  of  their  bodies — a  rude 
species  of  helmet,  ball-proof.     The  French  muskets,  well- 
aimed,  mowed  them  down  by  the  dozen  ;  but  numbers  re- 
placed the  fallen  warriors,  bent  on  escalading  the  redoubt ; 
and  Bollard  saw  that  in  a  few  minutes  the  sword  and  the  axe 
must  be  his  last  resort,  before  the  close  of  an  unequal  con- 
test, the  issue  of  which  could  not  be  much  longer  doubtful  : 
so,  loading  to  the  muzzle  a  large  blunderbuss,  and  retaining  in 
his  hand  the  fusee,  he  attempted  to  let  this  instrument  of  des- 
truction fall  in  the  midst  of  the  carnage,  hoping  that,  by  its 
sudden  explosion,  it  might  terrify  the  enemy.     As  bad  luck 
would  have  it,  the  branch  of  a  tree  intervening,  it  fell  inside 
of  the  redoubt,  and  spread  death  amongst  the  exhausted  gar- 
rison. The  enemy,  taking  courage  from  this  incident,  charged 
afresh.     Dollard  received  his  death-blow,  but  despair  firing 
the  expiring  elTort  of  the  remainder,  all  seemed  doleimined 
to  sell  dearly  their  lives  ;  and  with  the  sword  or  axe,  each 
man  flinging  himself  in  the  melee,  struck  unceasingly,  until 
he  fell.     The  Iroquois,  collecting  their  courage  for  a  final 
assault,  rushed  on,  and,  bursting  open  the  door  of  the  redoubt, 
crowded  in,  when  the  few  survivors,  plying  well  and  fatally 
their  hunting-knives,  were  massacred  to  the  last  man.    Euro- 
peans, and  their  Indian  allies,  all  behaved  nobly. 

The  news  of  the  carnage  was  taken  to  Montreal  by  some  of 
the  Ilurons  who  had  surrendered  in  the  beginning.  The  num- 
bers of  dead  Iroquois  left  on  the  battle-field,  and  the  severe 
lesson  they  thus  received,  made  them  return  hcstily  to  their 
own  country. 
Thus  fought  and  perished  seventeen  of  the  bravest  men  of 


22 


DOLLARD  DES    ORMEAVX. 


Montreal,  in  1660,  as  the  Abb^  Faillon  correctly  remarks, 
without  that  incentive  to  heroism,  the  hope  of  immortalising  one- 
self, which  spurred  on  the  Grecian  or  Roman  warrior  in  his 
career  of  glory.  They  could  count  on  no  poets,  no  historians,  to 
commemorate  the  brave  deed  !  The  devotion  of  the  Christian* 
the  spirit  of  the  soldier,  alone  animated  these  French  colonists, 
it  was  by  mere  chance  that  their  glorious  end  was  made 
known  to  their  fellow-colonists. 

The  parish  Register  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Ville- 
Marie  (Montreal),  furnishes  the  names  and  ages  of  these 
seventeen  heroes,  as  follows  ; — 

Adam  Bollard  (sieur  des  Ormeaux),  aged  25  years ;  Jacques 
Brassier,  aged  25  years  ;  Jean  Tavernier  dit  la  Hocheliere, 
aged  28  years  ;  Nicholas  Tillemot,  aged  25  years  ;  Laurent 
Hebert  dit  la  Riviere,  aged  27  years  ;  Aloni6  de  Lestres,  aged 
31  years  ;  Nicolas  Gosselin,  aged  25  years  ;  Robert  Juree, 
aged  24  years  ;  Jacques  Boisseau  dit  Cognac,  aged  23  years  ; 
Louis  Martin,  aged  21  years  ;  Christophe  Auger  dit  Desjardin, 
aged  26  years  ;  Etienne  Robin  dit  Desforges,  27  years  ;  Jean 
Valets,  aged  27  years  ;  Rene  Doussin,  soldiers,  aged  30  years  ; 
Jean  Lecomte,  aged  25  years  ;  Simon  Grenet,  aged  25  years  ; 
Francois  Crusson  dit  Pilote,  aged  24  years ;  Anahonlaha,  Hu- 
ron chief ;  Metiwemeg,  Algonquin  chief ;  and  then  their  fol- 
lowers, &c.  :  Nicholas  Duval,  Mathurin  Soulard,  and  Blaise 
Juillet,  who  died  in  the  first  skirmish  near  Montreal. 


DE  BREB(EUF  AND  LALEMANT. 


THE  SHORES  OF  LAKE  SIMCOE. 


(1649. 


I  sing  the  raen  who  left  their  home. 
Amidst  barbarian  hordes  to  roam, 
Who  land  and  ocean  crossed,— 
Led  by  a  load  star,  marked  on  high 
By  Faith's  unseen,  all-seeing  eye — 
To  seek  and  save  the  lost ; 
Whereer'  the  curse  on  Adam  spread. 
To  call  his  offspring  from  the  dead. 

(MONTOOHEBT.) 

The  Indian  missions,  (1)  which  formerly  existed  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Lake  Simcoe,  will  be  ever  memorable,  as 
furnishing  to  the  historian  the  materials  for  one  of  the  most 
thrilling  pages  of  the  early  history  of  the  colony  :  indeed,  it 
may  be  safely  asserted,  that  nowhere  on  this  continent  has 
christian  heroism  shone  with  brighter  lustre.  The  reader  is 
doubtless  aware  that  many  of  our  early  missionaries  have 
sealed  their  faith  with  their  blood.  Foremost  in  this  devoted 
band,  stand  out  two  men,  distinguished  alike  by  birth  and  by 
the  extraordinary  amount  of  physical  suffering  which  precede(| 
their  death. 

Let  us  place  before  the  reader  a  truthful  sketch  of  these  two 
Christian  heroes,  whose  fate,  as  Canadians,  as  Christians,  and 
as  men,  is  equally  creditable  to  Canada,  to  Christianity  and  to 
manhood.    Let  us  watch  them  leaving  behind  t1ie  gaieties  of 

(1)  According  to  recent  researches,  the  St.  Ignnce  mission  would  have  been  in 
the  township  of  Medonte  ;  the  St.  Louis  mission  in  the  township  of  Tay.  Until 
recently,  there  existed  ruins  of  the  St.  Mary  mission,  on  the  banks  of  the  ilivor 
Wye.  The  present  village  of  Coldwator  must  be  in  the  vicinity  of  these  ancient 
Huron  missions.  All  these  localities,  according  to  Mr.  Devin's  map  of  1859,  must 
be  included  in  the  county  of  Simooe. 

See  Bressani,  page  304,  for  several  interesting  details  about  Nicholas  Viel — 
Jean  De  Brebceuf — Anne  do  Noue — Antoine  Daniel — Chs.  Garnier — Isaac  Jo- 
gae6 — B^n^  Menard — No^fl  Chabanel— Gabriel  Lalemant. 


24 


DE   DREBOEDP   AND   LALEMANT. 


Parisian  lifo,  tho  nltribnlcs  of  birlli,  the  advantages  of  science 
ami  nit'iilal  culliire,  in  orilor  lo  tlivo  lliroiigh  the  pathless  forest 
in  (luiisl  of  the  red  man  of  the  woods, — the  bearers  of  a  joyous 
messagt', — with  iirivalion  and  siin\;ring  as  a  certainly  before 
thim,  find  generally  a  horrible  death  as  the  crowning  reward  : 
perchance,  the  speclablt;  of  self-sacrifice  may  slill  awaken  an 
echo,  even  in  an  age  in  whit h  seilishness  and  th(;  almighty 
dollar,  seem  to  lule  siipriime. 

(iabriel  Lahmianl  was  born  in  Paris  ;  some  of  Ihx;  members 
of  his  family  had  allained  eminence  at  the  French  bar;  he 
Inmself,  had  discharged  for  several  years  the  duties  of  a  pro- 
fessor of  languages.  Of  a  delicate  frame,  he  had  attained  his 
Ihirly-ninlh  year  when  he  landed  in  Canada. 

His  colleague,  Jean  De  llnibceuf,  on  Iho  other  hand  >vas  a 
person  of  most  commanding  mien,  endowed  wilji  colossal 
strength  and  untiring  endurance.  Like  the  brave  Dr.  Kane  in 
our  own  day,  ho  was  not  long  before  discovering  that  no  truer 
way  existed  to  secure  the  respect  of  the  savage  hordes  he  had 
to  deal  with,  than  by  impressing  them  with  an  idea  of  physical 
superiority.  With  this  object  in  view,  he  never  hesitated 
when  a  portage  oecured,  to  carry,  unassisted,  the  travelling 
canoe  heavily  laden,  accomplishing  also,  with  ease,  a  variety 
of  other  feats  indicative  of  extraordinary  muscular  strength  : 
the  llurons  would  look  with  awe  on  the  blackrobed  giant. 
Himself  a  man  of  education  and  literary  taste,  hewas  the  uncle 
of  the  poe'  De  Drebceuf,  who  versified  in  French  Lncian's 
poem  of  Pliarsalia  :  it  has  also  been  staled  that  from  his  family 
sprung  the  English  house  of  Arundel. 

In  1048,  these  two  men  undertook  the  spiritual  charge  of 
the  five  missions  or  residencies  in  the  Huron  country,  on 
IMatchedache  Pay,  near  Lake  Simcoe  :  these  five  settlements 
were  but  a  few  miles  apart  from  each  other.  A  deadly  hatred 
at  that  lime  existed  between  the  Hurons  and  Iroquois  or  five 
nations.  In  the  fall  of  1618,  a  thousand  Iroquois  warriors, 
\>ell  provided  with  fire-arms,  procured  chiefly  at  the  Dutch 
settlements,  resolved  to  exterminate  entirely  the  Hurons:  they 
accordingly  spent  the  winter  hunting  in  the  woods,  stealthily 
diaw ing  nearer  and  nearer  to  their  foes  ;  they  thus  advanced. 


THE    SHORES   OF   TARE   SfMCOE. 


2r> 


unporcftivnd,  some  three  Inindrod  miles.    On  the  ICth  March, 
1049,  they  had  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  St.  I^naco 
selllonicnt,  which  they  roconnoilred  during  the  night  timt\    A 
deep  lavine  protected  throe  sides  of  the  residency,  the  fourth 
side  being  surrounded  with  a  pahsade  fifteen  or  sixteen  feet 
high.  At  one  point  uk)ne  the  place  was  accessible,  and  Ihcro 
at  the  break  of  day  the  attack  commenced.     Operations  had 
proceeded  so  noiselessly,  that  th(^  place  was  in  possession  of 
the  en«;my  before  the  garrison  had  time  properly  to  provide 
lor  its  defence  :  this  was  owing  to  the  few  warriors  left  in 
charge,  the  bulk  having  gone  up  on  a  distant  hunt  and  war 
expedition.  The  assailants  lost  but  ten  men  :  mostly  all  the 
inmates  were  scalped,  these  were  the  best  off ;  horrible  tor- 
tures awaited  those  whose  lives  were  spared.    The  attack 
having  taken  place  at  night,  the  only  survivors  who  escaped 
were  three  llurons,  who  made  their  way  over  the  snow  to  the 
next  residency  in  a  state  bordering  on  complete  nudity.    The 
tidings  they  brought  created  the  utmost  consternation  :  close 
on  their  heels  the  blood  thirsty  Mohawk  followed,  hurrying  on 
before  the  enemy  could  prepare  :  they  arrived  at  the  next 
settlement,    the  St.    Louis  residency,   about  sunrise  :    the 
women  and  children  had  barely  the  time  to  quit,  ere  theysur- 
I'oiinded  it.  Kighly  stout  llurons  rushed  to  the  palisades  to 
conquer  or  die.    They  actually  succeeded  in  repelling  two 
attacks  and  in  killing  thirty  of  the  foe,  but  overpowering  num- 
bers prevailed.  With  axes  the  besiegers  cut  down  the  slakes 
or  palisades,    rushed   through    the   breach.      An    indiscri- 
minate slaughter  look  place  inside.    Fire  was  then  set  to  the 
fort,  and  the  smoke  and  flames  soon  warned  the  inhabitants 
of  the  third  settlement, — the  St.  Mary's  residency — distant 
but  Ihiee  miles,  that  the  Iroquois  were  butchering  their  com- 
rades. Some  few  had  fled  from  the  St.  Louis  furl,  in  which 
Lalem;mt  and  De  Drebceuf  were  located  :  they  were  not  the 
men  to  fly  from  death.  De  Brebajufs  herculean  form  might  be 
seen  close  to  the  breach,  admonishing  the  fallen  warriors  how 
to  die,  and  encouraging  them  in  their  last  moments.  Duthwere 
seized  and  marched  prisoners  to  the  St.  Ignace  settlement. 
Scouts  were  immediately  sent  out  to  ascertain  whether  the  St. 


..  .«...«JO.-V* 


26 


DE  DREBOEUP  AND   LALEMANT. 


Mary's  sottlcmcnt  could  stand  an  assault.  On  their  report 
a  war  council  decided  on  attacking  it  the  next  day  ;  amongst, 
the  inmates  of  this  fort  were  some  Europeans,  who  where 
determined  to  sell  dearly  their  lives.  The  Ilurons  then  num- 
bering ab(^ut  two  hundred,  had  to  retreat  for  shelter  into  what 
remained  or  the  St.  Louis  settlement.  Several  engagements 
followed,  and  fmally  the  Iroquois  remained  in  possession  of 
the  Held  of  battle,  having  lost  about  one  hundred  of  their 
bravest  men. 

The  Indians,  who  had  got  possession  of  Fort  St.  Ignaee, 
hurried  to  prepare  the  two  missionaries  to  undergo  the  usual 
tortures  reserved  to  prisoners.  De  Brebocuf  had  previously 
staled,  on  his  arrival  in  the  colony,  that  he  expected  to  be  soon 
put  to  death,  nor  was  he  long  kept  in  suspense  ere  he  saw 
his  prophecy  verified. 

A  large  Ore  was  lit,  and  an  iron  caldron  placed  over  it ;  the 
prisoners  were  then  stripped  and  tied  to  a  post  erected  near 
each  fire  ;  they  were  first  beaten  with  sticks ;  then  a  necklace 
was  made  of  war-axes  heated  in  (he  fire,  and  this  was  applied 
roiind  their  neck.  Bark  thongs  were  also  tied  round  Ihem,  on 
which  rosin  and  pitch  was  smeared,  and  then  set  on  fire.  In 
derision  of  the  holy  rites  of  Christian  baptism,  the  savages 
then  poured  boiling  water  on  their  heads.  Amidst  these  hor- 
rible sufferings,  Lalemant  would  raise  his  eyes  towards  heaven, 
asking  strength  and  courage  to  endure  Ihem.  De  Breboeuf 
seemed  like  a  rock,  perfectly  insensible  to  pain  ;  occasionally 
he  moved  his  lips  in  prayer  ; — this  so  Incensed  his  execu- 
tioners that  they  cut  off  his  lips  and  nose,  and  thrust  a  red 
hoi  iron  down  his  throat.  Firm  and  resigned,  the  Christian 
giant,  of  a  whole  head  taller  than  his  torturers,  would  look 
down  on  them  ;  even  in  his  agony,  he  seemed  to  command  to 
his  executioners.  The  implacable  savages  then  unbound  Lale- 
manl,  much  younger  and  more  delicate  than  De  Breboeuf ;  he 
threw  himself  or  fell  immediately,  at  the  feet  of  his  intrepid 
colleacue,  praying  earnestly  to  the  Almighty  for  help.  He 
was  then  brought  back  and  tied  to  his  post,  covered  over  with 
birck  bark,  and  soon  became  a  mass  of  living  flame  :  the 
smell  of  blood  awakening  the  ferocity  of  these  cannibals,  they, 


TBI  SHORES  or  LAKE  SIMCOB. 


17 


>vilhout  wailing  till  his  flesh  was  baked,  cut  out  with  thoir 
hunting  knives  largo  slices  out  of  Ihc  fleshy  part  of  his  arms 
and  legs  ;  then,  amidst  horrible  yells,  they  devoured  greedily 
the  reeking  repast.  They  then  substituted  burning  cools  for 
pupils  in  his  eye  sockets.  De  Dreboeuf  s  sulTerings  lasted  threo 
hours  ;  his  heart  was  extracted  after  death  and  eaten.  Lale- 
mant  was  less  fortunate  ;  life  was  not  extinct  till  next  day  ;  a 
savage  more  humane  than  the  rest,  put  an  end  to  his  existence 
by  cleaving  open  his  skull  w  ith  his  tomahawk ;  at  the  departure 
of  the  ennemy,  the  mutilated  and  charred  remains  of  (he  two 
missionaries  were  found,  and  christian  burial  given  to  them  on 
the  21st  March,  1649. 

De  Drebccuf's  skull  was  taken  to  Quebec  :  his  family  sent 
out  from  France  a  silver  case,  in  which  it  was  placed,  and  it 
remained  in  the  Jesuits^  College  (now  the  Jesuits'  Barrack, 
Upper  Town  Market  place),  until  the  last  of  the  order,  Father 
Jean  Joseph  Gasot,  of  Suiss  descent,  whodied  in  1800,  presented 
it  a  short  time  before  his  dealh^  to  the  Religious  Ladies  of  the 
Hotel-Dieu  Nunnery,  where  it  can  be  seen  to  this  day.  Amongst 
the  numerous  witnesses  of  the  Gospel  put  to  death  by  the 
Indian  tribes  of  Canada,  none  fell  more  heroically  than  De 
Drebceuf  and  Lalemant.  (1) 

(1)  Vide,  in  Canrer'a  Tr&vels  in  America,  in  1728,  page  340,  a  remarltable 
instance  of  cruelty. 

See  Breggani's  Mii»ion»  de»  Jlauifcs  dans  la  Nouvella  France,  from  page  309 
to  page  319,  for  gome  curious  and  instructive  data  relative  to  tlio  peregrinations 
of  those  unlucky  Hurons — once  a  powerful  race  amongst  savages.  After  the 
brealcing  up  of  the  settlement  hereinbefore  described,  on  Lake  Simcoe  in  1649,  we 
find  them,  located  under  the  very  guns  of  the  ChiUeauSt,  Louis,  in  1658  ;  knoobed 
about  from  post  to  pillow — tracked,  persecuted  and  hunted  by  their  impla- 
cable foes.  In  1667,  they  founded  four  miles  and  a  half  from  Quebec,  the  mission 
of  Notre-Dame  de  Foye,  since  corrupted  into  Village  de  Ste.  Fox.  On  the  29th 
December,  1693,  they  left  the  spot,  for  Ancienne  Lorette,  thus  named  from  the  Caia 
Sancta  of  Loretto  in  I  taly.  Several  years  later  on,  they  moved  to  the  village  called 
Jeune  Lorette,  whore  their  descendants  still  survive. 


:j«^ 


1 


THE  BELL  OF  SAINT-REGIS. 


FACT  AND  FICTION. 


Let  US  lell  of  the  peregrinations  of  the  Bell  of  St.  Regis, 
and  see  how  some  very  airy  fictions  have  become  incorpo- 
rated wilh  solid  hisloncal  facts. 

We  shall  not  do  our  readers  the  injustice  to  suppose  that 
any  one  of  them  is  not  minutely  conversant  wilh  all  the  parli- 
culars  of  the  great  Lachine  massacre,   perpetrated  by  the 
Iroquois  (the  allies  of  the  New  Englanders),  on  the  ^olh  April, 
1689,  a  few  miles  only  from  the  centre  of  the  spot  where  now 
stands  the  proud  city  of  Mount  Royal    The  scalping,  burning, 
and  disembowelling  of  soir.e  200  men,  women,  and  children, 
and  the  entire  conflagration  of  their  once  happy  homes,  during 
profound  peace,  ant  without  a  moment  of  warning,  was  cer- 
tainly a  deed  calcula.jd  to  call  down  on  the  Indian  tribes  the 
Ilcrceslretribution,  especially  when  it  became  known  that  these 
hideous  b>tcheiies  where  to  have  been  repeated  at  Quebec  and 
at  Three  Rivers,  to  please  their  New  England  allies  ;   a  con- 
summation which  a  merciful  Providence  alone  averted.   Ma- 
rauding excursions  on  both  sides  of  the  border  were  then,  the 
order  of  the  day.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  expeditions  of 
these  times  was  that  of  Roiivillo,  undertaken  shortly  after  the 
English  had  ravaged,  by  fire  and  sword,  the  country  of  the  Abe- 
naquis  Indians.   M.  de  Vaudreuil  sent,  during  the  winter  of 
1704,  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  under  the  command  of  Hertel 
de  Rouville,  who,  followed  by  his  lour  brolheis,  bade  fair  to 
replace  his  brave  father,  then  too  stricken  in  years  to  share 
the  dangers  of  such  a  service.  The  expedition  ascended  Lake 
Champlain,   and,  by  way  of  Onion  river,  soon  struck  Con- 
necticut river,  which  it  followed  over  the  ice  until  it  reached 
the  habitation  nearest  to  the  Canadian  border,  Deerfield.  This 
plac(?  was  surrounded  by  some  outer  works  of  defence,  which 
the  snow  covered,  and  Governor  Dudley  had  placed  there  about 


30 


THE   BELL   OF   ST.    REGIS. 


twenty  soldiers  to  assist  the  inhabitants  in  defending  them- 
selves. Uouville  invested  the  place,  unperceived,  during  the 
night  of  the  29lh  February.  Guards  had  been  patrolling  the 
streets  during  that  night,  but  had  retired  to  rest  towards 
morning.  Two  hours  before  day-break,  the  French  and  their 
Indian  allies,  not  hearing  any  stir,  scaled  the  walls,  and,  des- 
cending into  the  settlement,  surprised  the  inhabitants,  rapped 
in  sleep.  Little  resistance  was  offered.  Forty-seven  persons 
were  slaughtered  ;  a  large  number  of  prisoners  taken,  and  the 
settlement  given  to  the  flames.  A  few  moments  after  sunrise, 
Rouville  was  retracing  his  steps  towards  the  Canadian  frontier, 
taking  with  him  one  hundred  and  twelve  prisoners.  Pursuit 
was  organized  against  the  spoilers,  but  without  success.  Rou- 
ville escaped,  with  the  loss  of  three  Frenchmen  and  some 
savages,  but  he  himself  was  wounded.  The  party  was  twenty- 
five  days  returning ;  their  provisions  were  merely  the  wild 
animals  they  killed  in  the  cha?e.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Williams, 
Pastor  of  Deerfield,  and  his  daughter,  were  amongst  the  pri- 
soners brought  to  Canada.  Several  of  the  young  girls  were 
place  in  the  Ursuline  Convent  at  Quebec,  and  at  Throe  Rivers. 
Miss.  Eunice  Williams,  daughter  to  the  Pastor  of  Deerfield, 
having  subsequently  married  a  christianized  Iroquois,  settled 
at  Sault  St.  Louis.  (1)  Such,  the  outline,  fournished  us  by 
historians,  of  this  memorable  Canadian  raid.  Cut  there  are 
some  unwritten  particulars  of  interest  handed  down  to  us,  by 
tradition,  for  instance  :  the  peregrinations  of  the  Bell  of 
St.  Regis,  or  rather  of  Sault  St.  Louis.  We  find  this  incident 
alluded  to,  in  a  correspondence,  in  the  Erie  Despatch,  dated 
«  Massena  Springs,  24th  July,  1865  :  » — «  St.  Regis  contains 
a  small  Catholic  Church,  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  line, 
built  about  the  year  1700.  When  completed,  the  priest  in- 
formed the  Indians  that  a  bell  was  highly  important  to  their 
worship,  and  they  were  ordered  to  collect  fuuds  sufficient  to 
purchase  one.  They  obeyed, and  the  money  was  sent  to  France 
for  the  purpose.  The  French  and  English  were  then  at  war. 
The  bell  was  shipped,  but  the  vessel  that  conveyed  it,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  English,  and  was  taken  to  Salem  in  1703. 

(1)  Ferland's  HiBtory  of  Cftudft. 


FACT   AND   FICTION. 


31 


i 


The  bell  was  purchased  for  a  small  church  at  Deerfielil,  on  the 
Connecticut  river,  the  pastor  of  which  was  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Williams.  The  priest  of  St.  Regis  heard  of  the  destination  of 
his  bell,  and,  as  the  Governor  ot  Canada  was  about  to  send  an 
expedition  against  the  colonies  of  New  England,  he  exhorted 
the  Indians  to  accompany  it,  and  get  possession  of  Ihe  bell.  » 
The  particulars  of  Ihe  Rouville  expedition  are  then  given  in  the 
Erie  Despatch.  «  The  only  house  left  standing  at  Deerfield  was 
thatofCapt.  Seldon,  which  Ihe  assailants  themselves  occu- 
pied after  securing  the  prisoners.  It  was  still  standing  near  the 
centre  of  the  village,  in  1850.  The  bell  was  conveyed  through 
the  forest  to  Lake  Champlain,  to  a  spot  were  Burlington  now 
stands,  and  there  they  buried  itwith  the  benedictions  of  Father 
Nicholas,  the  priest  of  St.  Regis,  who  accompanied  them. 
Thus  far  they  had  carried  it  by  means  of  poles,  upon  their 
shoulders.  They  hastened  home,  and  returned  in  early  spring, 
with  horse  and  sledge,  to  convey  the  sacred  bell  to  its  desti- 
nation, r  The  Indians  of  the  village  had  never  heard  the  sound 
of  a  bell,  and  powerful  was  the  impression  on  their  minds, 
when  its  deep  tones,  louder  and  louder,  broke  the  silence  of 
the  forest  as  it  approached  the  village  at  e^ening,  suspended 
upon  a  cross-piece  of  timber,  and  rung  continually  by  the 
delighted  carriers.  It  was  hung  in  a  frame  tower,  separate 
from  the  church,  with  solemn  ceremonies.  Some  years  after  it 
was  removed  to  the  tower  of  the  church.  The  old  bell  was 
cracked  by  some  means,  and  last  year  it  was  sent  to  Troy, 
N.  Y.,  and  Ihe  material  re-cast  into  the  new  one  which  they 
now  have.  » 

To  an  inquiry,  addressed  by  me  to  the  Rev.  R.  C.  clergy- 
man of  St.  Regis  anent  the  bell,  in  order  to  reply  to  a  ques- 
tion submitted  by  a  member  of  the  Historical  Society  of 
Massachusetts  (Mr.  Davis),  I  have  received  the  following 
courteous  answer  : — 

«  Saint-Regis,  nth  Nov.,  1867. 

«  J.  M.  LeMoine,  Esq.,  Quebec. 

«  Sin, — The  history  of  the  aforesaid  bell  iscorrect,  with  the 
exception  that  it  was  brought  back  by  the  Indians  of  Sault  St. 


32 


THE  DELL  OP   ST.   REGIS. 


Louis,  for  which  mission  il  was  destined,  and  not  lo  SI.  Uegrs. 
Saull  St.  Louis  is  a  >iliage  situate  on  the  s-hore  opposite  to 
Luchine.  The  version  in  favor  of  St.  Uegis  was  propagated  in 
the  United  Slates  by  a  young  lady  who  wrote  a  legend,  in 
\erse,  on  this  famous  bell.  I  have  forgotten  the  name  of  the 
writer.  The  best  proof  Ihat  it  could  not  be  St.  Uegis  is,  that 
St.  Regis  was  founded  in  1759  by  a  Jesuit,  >\ilh  a  paily  of 
Indians  from  Sauil  St.  Louis  ;  and  tliat  in  1704  it  was  but  a 
wilderness  were  the  Indians  came  to  bunt  ;  so  that  this  bell 
was  conveyed  lo  its  place  of  destination,  Sault  St.  Louis — 
now  known  as  Caughna^^aga,  which  is  a  corruption  furKakna- 
v>aka,  \Nhich  means  «  Th(!  Rapids  » — about  55  years  belore 
the  first  settlements  at  St.  Regis. 

«  Yours  truly,  » 


«  (Signed) 


Frs. 


Marcolx,  Ptre.  » 


The  pnblicalion  of  these  details  brought  to  the  front,  a 
Portland  Antiquarian  of  note — Hon.  Geo.  N.  Davis,  who  whilst 
on  a  visit  to  Quebec  in  1869,  honored  me  with  a  call  and  sub- 
sequently investigated  the  story  of  the  mysterious  Rell  ;  the 
result  of  his  investigation,  as  communicated  to  the  Historical 
Society  of  Massachusetts,  of  which  he  was  a  members  runs 
thus  : 


THE  SATNT-UKGIS  BELL. 


On  the  29th  of  February,  1703 — 4,  the  town  of  Deerfield,  in  Massachusetts,  was 
sacked  and  burned  by  a  jjarty  of  two  hundred  French  and  one  hundred  and  forty- 
two  Indians,  under  Major  Hertel  do  Rouville,  and  one  hundred  and  twelve  men, 
women,  and  children  wore  carried  into  cajitivity,  including  the  Rev.  John  Wil- 
liams, and  his  wife  and  children.  A  full  account  of  this  ruid  is  given  by  Iloyt,  in 
his  book  on  "  Indian  Wars,  "  published  in  firecnficld  in  1824.  In  that  book,  as 
I  believe,  appeared  the  first  printed  statement  in  relation  to  what  has  been  sinco 
commonly  known  as  the  story  of  the  "  Boll  of  St.  Regis.  "  That  story  has  sinco 
been  the  basis  of  many  publications  in  poetry  and  proso,  and  has  invariably  been 
led  by  my  own  inquiries  as  to  its  authenticity. 

Hoyt,  who  is  a  perfectly  honest  and  truthful  historian,  states  that  Eunice,  a 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Williams,  never  returned  from  her  captivity,  but 
married  an  Indian  ;  and  he  adds  that  "  recently  one  of  the  great  grandsons  of  Mr. 
Williams,  under  the  name  of  Eleazor  Williams,  has  been  educated  by  his  friends 
in  New  England,  and  is  now  employed  as  a  missionary  to  the  Indiana  at  Qroen 
Bay,  on  Lake  Michigan.  "  Hoyt  goes  on  to.say  as  follows  ; — 

"In  a  recent  visit  to  Montreal  and  Quebec,  Mr.  Williams  made  some  osertiona 
to  seoure  doouments  relative  to  his  anoeiton,  partioalarly  on  bis  graadmothet'4 


FACT   AND  FICTION. 


33 


Bide. ...  Ho  found  a  Bible,  which  was  the  property  of  his  great  grandfather,  the 
Rev.  John  Williams,  in  which  is  the  date  of  purchase  with  his  name;  also  the 
journal  of  Major  Rouville,  kept  on  the  expedition  against  Doerfield  in  1704,  in 
which  he  frequently  mentions  John  Williams  as  '  an  obstinate  horetiok.  '  From 
the  journal,  it  appears  that  Rouvillo's  French  troops  suffered  extremely  from  a 
want  of  provisions  on  the  march  to  Deerfiold,  and  wore  in  a  mutinous  state  when 
they  arrived  before  the  place;  but  were  kept  to  their  duty  by  the  Indians,  who, 
from  their  greater  facility  in  procuring  game  in  the  woods,  and  superior  hardiness, 
were  faithful  to  the  commander.  Mr.  Williams  has  also  procured  the  journal  of 
the  commanding  officer  on  the  expedition  against  Schenectady,  in  1690.  These 
journals  were  obtained  at  one  of  the  principal  convents,  where  copies  were  re- 
quired to  be  deposited  on  the  return  of  the  commanders  of  parties,  as  well  as 
with  the  government.  Mr.  Williams  states  that  when  Deerfield  was  destroyed,  tho 
Indians  took  a  small  church  bell,  which  is  now  hanging  in  an  Indian  church  in 
St.  Regis.  It  was  conveyed  on  a  sledge  as  far  as  Lake  Champlain,  and  buried, 
and  was  subsequently  taken  up,  and  conveyed  to  Canada.  Mr.  William's  father 
and  other  Indians  at  St.  Regis,  are  well  acquainted  with  the  facts  relating  to  the 
bell,  as  well  as  the  destruction  of  Deerfield.  " 

Uoyt  adds  in  a  note,  "  Communicated  by  Col.  Elihu  Hoyt,  who  recently  con- 
versed with  Mr.  Williams.  " 

It  will  be  observed  that  Hoyt,  born  in  Deerfield,  and  always  residing  there, 
does  not  suggest  the  existence  of  any  tradition  or  record  in  Dectield,  bearing  upon 
this  subjeoc ;  nor  does  he  appear  to  have  seen  the  journals  spoken  of  by  Eleazer 
Williams. 

The  evidence,  traditional  or  documentary,  existing  in  Deerfield  in  relation  to 
the  matter,  is  fully  and  fairly  stated  in  a  letter  dated  Feb.  21,  1870,  addressed  to 
me  by  Mr.  George  Sheldon,  of  Deerfield,  who  has  devoted  much  time  to  the  inves- 
tigation of  the  history  of  Deerfield,  and  whose  statements  are  worthy  of  full  credit. 
He  writes  as  follows  : — 

"  This  romantic  legend,  so  often  repeated,  has  at  length  come  to  be  accepted 
by  most  people  as  an  historic  fact.  As  a  student  of  the  early  history  of  my  native 
town,  the  bell  story  has  become  to  me  a  subject  of  intense  interest.  In  the  course 
of  my  investigation,  from  a  firm  believer  I  became  an  utter  sceptic,  but  at  pre- 
sent am  all  out  to  sea.  If  there  exists  any  satisfactory  evidence  anywhere,  it 
would  seem  it  must  be  lodged  in  the  old  convents  or  churches  in  Canada.  In  ac- 
cordance with  your  desire,  I  will  give  some  of  the  reasons  fur  the  lack  of  faith 
which  is  in  me.  .  .  .  While  not  one  particle  of  evidence  has  been  found  (by  me, 
at  least)  to  support  the  statement  of  Mr.  Williams,  on  the  other  hand  nothing 
better  than  negative  evidence  has  been  found  to  disprove  it ;  but  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  that.  The  town  records,  covering  a  period  of  twenty  years  before  the 
event,  are  complete,  but  give  not  the  slightest  hint  that  there  was  ever  a  bell  ia 
town.  Town  and  parish  where  then  one.  In  the  '  Redeemed  Captive,  '  a  minute 
narrative  of  the  events  of  the  assault,  the  march  to  Canada,  and  of  the  captivity, 
and  the  repository  of  many  reflections  on  the  conditions  of  his  church  and  people, 
Mr.  Williams  gives  us  no  hint  that  a  bell  over  summoned  his  flock  to  wership. 
His  son  Stephen  has  left  us  another  account  of  the  same  events,  entering  into  par- 
ticulars, even  more  minutely  than  his  father,  and  it  seems  almost  impossible  that 
the  bell  from  his  father's  church  could  have  been  conveyed  by  the  party  either  on 
poles  or  men's  shoulders,  or  drawn  upon  a  sledge,  without  so  attracting  hin 
hoyish  notice  as  to  leave  some  trace  upon  his  Journal ;  but  we  get  no  hint  from 
him,  though  be  was  carried  to  St.  LouiB,  aod  lived  there  long  enough  to  learn  the 
language. 


34 


THE  DELL    OF    ST.    REGIS. 


"  Aaron  Denio,  who  was  born  in  Canada  of  parents  captured  by  Rouvillo  at 
Dcerficld  in  1704,  was  a  very  prominent  man,  and  lived  to  a  good  old  ago  in  the 
town  of  flroenfield.  Many  stories  are  told  of  him  to  this  day,  but  none  of  them 
convey  the  faintest  tone  of  a  bell.  Much  is  known  and  told  of  the  Kellogg  boys 
and  girls,  who  grew  to  be  men  and  women  amongst  the  Caughnawagas,  and  who 
figure  largely  in  the  history  of  this  part  of  the  colony  as  ofScers  and  interpreters, 
but  not  tho  faintest  tinklo  of  the  bell  can  wo  wring  from  them.  There  lives  in  this 
town  a  bright,  smart  woman  of  eighty-eight  years,  with  an  astonishing  memory, 
who  tolls  many  stories  of  her  grandmother,  who  was  born  loss  than  thirty  years 
after  the  massacre,  and  whom  she  remembers  perfectly  ;  but  not  the  faintest 
murmur  of  the  bell  is  heard  in  them  all. 

"  The  church,  at  Deorfield,  was  square,  with  a  four-sided  roof,  from  the  centre 
of  which  sprung  the  centre  belfry,  which  must  have  been  fully  exposed  in  every 
direction  ;  at  a  distance  of  about  eight  rods  stood  the  house  of  Benoni  Stebbins, 
which  was  successfully  defended  to  the  last  by  a  party  of  sharpshooters,  and 
several  Indians  and  at  least  one  Frenchman  were  killed  by  their  fire.  A  party  in 
the  belfry,  it  would  seem,  must  be  at  their  mercy.  A  service  of  such  a  peculiar 
nature,  in  the  face  of  such  imminent  danger,  could  hardly  have  been  accomplished 
without  leaving  some  mark  on  the  traditions  of  the  times,  but  none  have  been 
discovered  as  yet.  The  field  of  inquiry,  in  this  region,  seems  to  be  about  ex- 
hausted ;  and  I  earnestly  hope  that  some  interested  antiquarian,  qualified  for  the 
■work,  will  unearth  those  musty  records,  which  are  said  to  be  deposited  in  convents 
or  churches  in  Canada,  and  set  the  matter  at  rest,  one  way  or  the  other.  " 

In  further  illustration  of  the  diSicalties  which  the  attacking  party  would  have 
found  in  carrying  away  an  article  so  cumbrous  as  a  bell,  I  annex  a  copy  of  a 
petition,  of  which  the  original  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Massachusetts  Archives,  with 
the  legislative  order  indorsed  on  the  original  paper. 

To  his  Excellency  the  Governor  togfther  with  the  Hon,  Council  and  Representatives 
met  in  the  Great  and  General  Assembly  at  Boston,  May  31,  1704, 

The  humble  petition  of  Jonathan  Wells  and  Ebenezer  Wright  in  the  behalfo  of 
the  company  who  encountered  the  French  and  Indians  at  Deerfield,  Feb.  29, 
1704,  sheweth  : 

1«(.  That  we,  understanding  the  extremity  of  the  poor  people  at  Deerfield, 
made  all  possible  haste  to  their  relicfe,  that  we  might  deliver  the  remnant  that 
Were  left,  and  doe  spoil  on  the  enemy. 

idly.  That,  beingjoyned  with  a  small  number  of  the  inhabitants  and  garrison 
aouldiors,  we  forced  the  enemy  out  of  town,  leaving  a  great  part  of  their  plunder 
behinde  them,  and  pursuing  them  about  a  mile  and  an  halfe,  did  great  execu- 
tion upon  thorn.  We  saw  at  the  time  many  dead  bodies,  and  we  and  others  did 
afterwards  see  the  manifest  prints  on  the  snow,  where  other  dead  bodies  were 
drawn  to  a  hole  in  the  river. 

Zdly.  That  the  enemy  being  reinforced  by  a  great  number  of  fresh  men,  we 
were  overpowered,  and  necessitated  to  run  to  the  fort ;  and,  in  our  flight,  nine  of 
the  company  were  slain,  and  some  others  wounded  ;  and  some  of  U8  lost  our 
npper  garments  which  we  had  put  off  before  in  the  pursuit. 

itUy.  That  the  action  was  over,  and  the  enemy  withdrawn  about  fourscore  rodi 
from  the  fort,  before  any  of  our  neighbours  came  into  the  fort. 

Wherefore  we  doe  humbly  supplicate  the  Hon.  Assembly,  that  according  to 
their  wonted  justice  and  bounty,  they  would  consider  the  service  we  have  done  in 
preserving  many  lives  and  much  estate,  and  making  a  spoil  on  the  enemy,  the 
haizard  that  we  run,  the  losses  ve  sustained,  the  afflicted  condition  of  luoh  M 


FACT   AND   FICTION. 


35 


hftvo  lost  near  relations  in  this  encounter,  nnd  bestow  upon  us  some  proportion- 
able recoinpenco,  that  wo  and  others  may  be  inpounigcd  upon  such  <ci"i»?ion»  to 
be  forward  and  active  to  repell  the  enemy,  and  resi'iic  siioh  as  shall  bo  in  dis- 
tresso,  though  with   the   utmost  peril   of  our  lives,   and   ^our  pctitionora  shall 

pray,  ic. 

Jonathan  AVkm,9, 

Ebknkzkh  Wkfcjht, 

In  the  name  of  the  resU 

In  the  House  of  Representatives.  Read  a  first  time,  June  2,  1704. 
In  the  Ilfinie  of  Representntivei,  June  8,  1704. 

In  answer  to  the  petition  on  the  other  side, — 

Retiohed,  That  the  losses  of  the  petitioners  be  made  good,  and  paid  out  of  the 
pnbliok  Treasury  to  such  as  sustained  them,  according  to  their  account  herewith 
exhibited,  amounting  to  the  sum  of  thirty-four  pounds  and  seventeen  shillings. 

That  the  sum  of  five  pounds  bo  paids  to  each  of  the  widows  of  those  slain, 
mentioned  in  the  list  annexed,  being  four  in  number. 

And,  although  but  one  scalp  of  Indians  slain  by  them  is  recovered,  yet,  for 
their  encouragement,  that  the  sum  of  sixty  pounds  be  allowed  and  paid  to  the 
petitioners,  whoso  names  are  contained  in  the  said  list  annexed  as  surviving,  for 
scalp-money,  to  be  equally  divided  amongst  theui,  together  with  all  plunder 
whereof  they  give  account. 

James  Converbr,  Speuker 

Sent  up  for  concurrence,  June  9,  1704. 


In  Council. 


Read  and  passed  in  concurrence. 


Isaac  Addington,  Secretary. 


In  following  up  this  inquiry,  it  seemed  important  next  to  ascertain  what  evid- 
ence of  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  the  story  could  be  found  at  St.  Regis.  No  long 
investigation  was  needed  there,  as  it  appears  that  St.  Regis  did  not  exist  in 
1704,  nor  till  some  half  century  afterwards.  Rev.  F.  Marcoux,  now  resident  priest, 
at  St.  Regis,  fixes  it  in  1759.  Rev.  B.  F.  De  Costa,  in  an  article  on  the  St,  Regis 
bell,  in  the  "  Galaxy  "  for  January,  1870,  fixes  it  in  1770.  And  Dr  F.  B.  Hough, 
in  his  history  of  St.  Lawrence  and  Franklin  Counties,  states  that  the  Indians 
from  St,  Louis  settled  there  in  1760,  and  that  their  priest,  Anthony  Gordon,  then 
gave  it  the  name  of  St.  Regis, 

That  these  dates  are  not  precisely  correct,  may  be  inferred  from  a  letter  which 
is  to  be  found  in  the  Massachusetts  Archives,  which  seems  to  be  a  translation 
from  an  original  letter  by  one  T.  R.  Billiard.  This  le'ter,  to  which  my  attention 
was  first  called  by  Mr,  Sheldon,  seems  to  fix  the  settlement  of  St.  Regis  as  early 
as  1754, 

To  Monseigneur  the  Keeper  of  the  Seals,  Minuter  of  the  Marine. 

MoNSKiGNEUB,  —  The  Iroquois  Indians  of  the  P»lls  of  St,  Louis,  nenr  Montreal, 
in  Canada,  are  of  the  Iroquois  Agniers  (Mohawks),  who  formerly  left  their  coun- 
try to  come  and  settle  along  the  river  St.  Lawrence.  Those  of  them  that  remained 
in  the  place  of  their  nativity  presently  cme  under  the  dominion  (if  the  English, 
being  in  the  neighborhood  of  Albany,  while  the  others    became  the  allies   of  the 


^a 


THE  DELL  OF  ST.    REGIS. 


Fronoh.  Ar  the  people  of  the  two  villages  are  relations,  we  hare  seen  from  time 
to  time  of  those  that  were  settled  round  Albany  reunito  with  their  brethren  of 
the  Fall  of  St.  Levis.  Mens.  Duque8ne,<>ovornor-Qeneral  of  Canada,  who  por- 
oeirod  their  inclinations,  has  always  treated  thorn  with  great  icindnoss,  and  has 
privately  engaged  them  to  come  and  settle  near  hiui,  knowing  well,  by  expe- 
rience in  the  last  war,  that  they  were  the  only  Indians  to  be  feared  on  the  side  of 
Fort  St.  Frederic  and  Lake  Champlain. 

A  great  number  of  them  are  determined  in  consequence  of  this,  and  it  is  im- 
possible the  rest  should  stand  out  a  grout  while.  In  the  moan  time,  the  village  of 
the  Fall  of  St.  Louis  being  very  numerous,  is  too  much  crowded  ;  and,  moreover, 
the  quality  of  the  land  not  permitting  them  to  push  out  further  there  because  of 
the  marshy  places  that  are  throughout,  several  families  of  the  Fall  of  St.  Louis, 
with  a  great  number  of  Iroquois  Agniors,  have  desire  to  make  a  now  settlement 
tn  a  place  where  the  land  was  more  fertile  :  in  the  first  place,  for  the  convenience 
of  life  ;  and,  next,  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  drunkenness,  to  which  the  nearness  of 
Mountroyal  exposed  them  ;  and  the  readiness  of  the  French  to  sell  them  brandy, 
notwithstanding  the  severe  prohibitions  of  the  Oenerals.  Agreably  to  this  pro- 
jection, they  have  made  choice  of  a  place  in  the  King's  territories,  situated 
towards  ths  south  at  the  entrance  of  Lake  St.  Francis,  half-way  between  the 
mission  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Louis  and  that  of  ths  Presentation.  As  this  place  ap- 
pears to  have  all  the  properties  for  making  a  solid  and  advantageous  settlement 
for  the  Indians,  I  came  here  with  them  ;  and  it  is  actually  the  mission  which  I 
have  now  the  charge  of,  under  the  title  of  St.  Regis.  But  as  the  Agniers  desire 
to  have  the  peaceable  possession  of  said  territory,  I  take  the  liberty  to  ask  in  their 
name, — 

Ist,  That  they  have  granted  to  them  the  property  of  the  territory  lying  south, 
at  the  entrance  of  Lake  St.  Francis,  between  two  rivers  ;  one  to  the  north-east, 
called  Nigenteiagoo  ;  the  other  south-west,  called  Nigentsiagd  ;  being  in  flront 
six  leagues,  comprising  the  two  rivers,  together  with  the  islands  thnt  lie  towards 
the  shore,  for  the  said  Indians  to  hold  so  long  as  their  village  shall  there  subsist, 
upon  condition  that  if  the  mission  is  dissolved,  the  said  hands  shall  to  the   King. 

2nd,  That  the  Jesuites  missionaries  be  authorized  under  the  title  of  feoffees  in 
trust  to  make  the  partition  of  said  land  among  the  Indians,  and  amicably  decide 
any  controversies  that  may  hereafter  ensue  relating  to  this  matter  ;  and  to  ma- 
nifest that  the  said  missionaries  in  no  wise  seek  their  own  interest  in  this,  they 
desire  it  may  be  expressly  prohibited  both  now  and  hereafter  to  make  any  grant 
to  the  French,  as  likewise  to  reserve  for  themselves,  the  missionaries,  in  said 
place  any  land  for  ploughing  ;  and  then  the  distance  of  the  French  will  take 
away  from  the  Indians  the  opportunity  of  copying  their  faults,  and  ruining  them- 
selves with  strong  drink. 

3rd,  That  you  would  please  to  favor  the  good  dispositions  of  the  Oovernor- 

General  by  giving  orders  that  they  may  have  some  assistance  in  this   settlement, 

advantageous,  at  the  same  time,  to  the  interest  of  religion  and  the  good  of  tha 

colony. 

P.  R.  BiLLiABD,  Juuit*, 

Miuionary  to  the  Iroquois  of  the  Mietion  of  St.  Regie, 

St.  Regis,  Dee.  7, 1754. 

Under  date  of  "  St.  Regis,  lat  April,  1870,  "  Rer.  F.  Maroonz  favors  me  with 
information  ai  follows  :— 

"  I  will  further  add  the  tradition  on  the  testimony  of  the  most  ancient  inha- 
bitants of  this  place,  of  whom  some  are  almost  contemporary  with  th«  foundation 


FACT   AND    FICTION, 


37 


Iwith 

Lha- 
Ition 


•of  thoir  villngo  in  ]7fiO,  .  .  .    that  from  1760  down  to  1835,  there  have  boon  but 

two  bells  in  8t.  Kc)»i»  ;  ono  came  from  the  Catholic  Chiirrh  of  Fort  Frontenne 
(now  KiD;,'-(o;i,  Ontario),  and  was  given  to  thorn,  at  thoir  roquost,  by  ono  of  tho 
first  governrrs  of  Quebo  •,  after  tho  conquest ;  tho  other  wn»  purchased  lit  Albany 
in  1802.  Tln'S"  two  bolls,  having  been  erackod,  were  carried  to  Troy,  N.-Y.,  in 
1S'<5,  and  re-cast  into  a  single  boll.   This  is  the  tradition  of  St.  Regis.  " 

It  lias  nioru  recently  boon  stated,  however,  that  the  tradition,  though  untrue  a« 
to  St.  Ucjxis,  is  in  fact  true  of  a  boll  which  is  hanging  in  St.  Louis  (now  Caugh- 
•nawaga),  a  )placo  situated  on  tho  south  8i<le  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  about  nine 
miles  above  Montreal.  In  Hough's  "  Hii>tory  of  St.  Lawrence  and  Franklin 
Counties,  "  i>ublishod  in  1853,  tho  statement  is  luado  as  follows  : — 

"  While  on  a  visit  to  Caughnawnga  in  October,  1852,  tho  author  found  in  the 
village  a  dircc!  and  consistent  tradition  of  tho  boll,  which  is  still  used  in  their 
church  ;  and  among  tho  records  in  the  hands  of  tho  priest,  a  manuscript,  in  tho 
French  InuL^uapo,  of  which  wo  shnll  give  a  translation.  The  bell  is  a  small  ono, 
and  once  jiosscssed  an  inscription,  which  has  been  effiioed.  The  legend  purports 
to  hiive  been  found  some  tiftoon  years  since  in  an  old  English  publication,  and  is 
regarded  by  tiiu  prie?t  of  the  missiiin.  Rev.  .Joseph  Mnrcoux,  who  has  for  many 
years  resided  there,  as,  in  the  main  points,  reliable.  " 

Tho  Rev.  Francis  Marcoux,  of  St.  Regis,  has  also  expressed  his  full  belief  in 
tho  existence  and  authenticity  of  the  tradition  as  applied  to  the  bell  of  St.  Louis. 

I  am  fully  assured  that  tho  negative  evidence  wliich  1  have  produced  is  suffi- 
cient to  show  that  the  tradition,  if  ever  it  existed,  could  have  had  no  foundation 
in  trutli  ;  and  I  have  a.'-  yet  not  discovered  any  precise  and  detailed  evidence  of 
the  existence  of  this  stoiy  before  tho  preparation  of  lloyt's  book,  nearly  fifty  years 
ago. 

Tho  "  legend,  "  of  which  i'r.  Hough  gives  a  translation,  is  calculated  to  cause 
doubt  rnlhor  than  belief.  It  does  not  profess  to  be  founded  on  tradition,  but  is 
said  to  have  been  tal<on,  some  fifteen  years  before  1854,  from  an  old  English 
book  ;  and  Hoyt's  book  is  the  only  one  we  know  of,  from  which  its  leading  facts 
could  have  been  taken.  This  "  legend  "  describes  the  St.  L  ns  Indians,  living 
nine  miles  from  the  church  bells  of  .Montreal,  as  having  never  heard  the  sound  of 
a  bell,  and  getting  their  first  idea  of  its  tones  from  the  account  of  their  priest,  and 
going  out  in  procession  to  wreathe  it  with  flowers,  and  overcome  with  rapture  in 
hearing  it  for  tho  first  time.  It  seems  to  bo  simply  a  magazine  story,  in  which  a 
few  well-known  historical  facts  are  decked  with  the  orcnments  of  fiction. 

Strong  circumstances  of  suspicion  attach  to  the  story  as  first  jiublished  by  lloyt. 
As  publlslied,  it  purported  to  ooin«  from  Rev.  Eleazer  Williams,  who,  at  the  time 
of  the  publication,  was  a  clergyman  in  good  standing,  wlmso  statements  of  fact 
•would  be  likely  to  be  received  wilh  iuijilicit  belief.  There  were,  without  doubt, 
certain  defects  and  improbabilities  in  the  story  as  he  told  it.  Ho  ppoke  of  obtain- 
ing liouvillc's  journal,  and  another  of  the  same  kind,  "  from  ono  of  the  jirincipal 
Convents,  were  copies  were  required  to  be  dcjiosited  on  tlie  return  of  the  com- 
mander of  parties.  "  I  am  iufonned  by  gentlemen  accustomed  to  investigations 
among  Canadians  records,  (I)  that  they  know  of  no  convent  where  manuscripts  of 
■that  description  were  recjuired  to  be  deposited,  or  can  now  bo  found,  lie  says  that 
Do  llouville,  in  his  journal,  describes  Rev.  John  Williams  as  an  "obstinate 
herctick.  "  As  Do  llouville  himself  is    described   by   Abb(5    Ferland    (following 

(1)  One  of  these  gentlemen  is  Mr.  J.  M.  Le  Moine,  of  Quebec,  who  has  given 
great  attention  to  the  early  history  of  the  Dominion,  and  to  whoso  intelligent 
Jciudncss  I  am  much  indebted. 


38 


THE   BELL   OF   ST.    REGIS. 


Cliark'voix)  ns  a  ITitgiicn'it,  tt  is  not  probable  that  ho  would  haro  usod  this  par- 

ticiiliir  term  of  rsj  rmith.  (I) 

The  ftilililional  (nvt  tliiit   Williams   fixed    upon  an    inijjosHiblo   lonile   for  tho 

rueting-placo  of  the  boll,  raisojt  a  titrung  Huspiclun  that   hu    invonti.'d    tho   nholc 

story. 

All  that  is  known  of  Mr.  Williams  goes  to  confirm  this  guspifion.   lie  could  not 

resist  any  ti"in]ptiition  to  mystify  tho  i)iil)lic.  At  ono  time  ho  cnmo  to  a  distin- 
giiichcd  iintiiiiiary,  now  living  in  Now-Ymk,  and  told  him  that  tho  |irie.-t's  house 
in  Cauglinawiiga  had  bnoii  left  fur  somh;  tinio  untenanted,  had  boon  blown  down  by 
a  tom)io.*t,  and  that  ho  had  then  disoovorod,  in  a  recess  thus  revealed  in  a  chim- 
rcy,  a  number  of  Indian  nirtniisi.^ri|)ls,  which  ho  had  taken  away  with  him  to 
Green  Hay  in  Michigan.  Imiiiiry  was  immediately  instituted,  audit  was  ascor- 
taincd  that  tho  house  had  neither  been  left  untenant"d  nor  been  blown  down,  and 
that  tho  whole  story  was  lictitiiHis.  lu  ISj.'i,  very  general  attention  was  ex'jited 
by  two  articles  published  in  "  Putniim's  .Magazine,  "  asserting  his  claims  to  bo 
considered  the  son  of  Louis  XVI.  of  France.  In  ono  of  those  j)aiicrs  ajipearcd  his 
account  of  an  interview  with  tlio  I'rinco  do  Joinvilto,  in  which  tho  jirince  wa» 
represented  as  making  him  larf^o  pecuniary  (jflers  if  ho  would  sij^n  an  instrument 
releasing  his  <'laim  to  the  throne  of  France.  To  this  proposition,  a<'ciprding  to  his 
own  statement,  ho  returned  an  irutignnnt  refusal.  This  statement,  being'  brought 
to  tho  notice  of  tho  princo,  was  publicly  contradicted  by  him  as  "  a  work  of  tho 
imagination,  "  and  "  a  speculation  upon  public  credulity.  " 

Nothing,  then,  seems  to  mo  more  likely  than  that  Williams  invented  tho  alleged 
tradition  of  the  Docrfield  or  .St.  Kegis  bell  ;  but,  howcrer  originati'd,  it  seems 
quite  clear  to  mo  that  the  truth  of  the  story  is  not  sustained    by  tho  evidence  now 


(1)  Since  the  above  was  written,  iiowcvcr,  I  learn  that  a  communication  by  Mr. 
Fnuclicr  dc  St.  Miiurice  bus  a|ipc!ircil  in  a  Canadian  paper,  in  which  it  is  claimed 
that  tho  Do  llouvilles  wore,  in  fact,  Catholics. 


THE  BAKON  0¥  LOXiJUElL 


"  Tho  naraos  and  nioraorics  of  gront  nion  nro  thu  Jowory  of  a  nation.  They  ar« 
the  salt  of  the  earth,  in  death  as  well  a.«  in  life.  WliMt  thuy  did  once,  their  do8- 
ooudauts  have  still  and  always  a  right  to  do  after  thorn.  " — Dlarkicood. 

Faciiif,'  Villo  Mane,  (I)  on  Ihc  spol  on  \vliich  now  stands  the 
Lonf?ueil  II.  C,  templo  of  AVorship,  Uicre  existed  some  two 
hundred  years  au;o,  a  piivalo  individual's  homestead  to  wit  • 
«  a  Fort  supported  by  four  strong  towers  of  stone  and  mason- 
ry, with  a  guard  house,  several  large  dwellings,  a  fine  church, 
with  a  farm  yard,  a  dovecot  and  a  large  retinue  of  servants, 
horses  and  equipages  all  within  the  area  of  such  Fort.  »  This 
is  a  show  of  aflluence  and  strength  rather  unusual  for  a  Cana- 
dian peasant  of  those  rude  titries. 

It  is  not  the  dwelling  and  belongings  of  a  peasant,  but  (he 
secure  and  magnificent  abode  of  a  Montreal  grandee — one  of 
the  bravest  men  of  the  period — one  in  fact,  whose  devotion  to 
his  country,  and  prowess  in  war  have  caused  to  be  styled  by 
old  writers,  the  «  Macuabeus  of  Montheal.  » 

Nor  is  the  fame  of  this  fii;hling  colonist  confined  to  Canada  ; 
the  trumpet  tongue  of  renown  has  proclaimed  it  on  the 
distant  banks  of  the  Seine ;  an  edict  will  go  forth  from  the 
Gra/u/il/onar^uc,  transforming  his  loyal  subject  into  a  baron, 
and  his  Fort  and  its  massive  stone  towers,  into  a  Baronial 
Castle.  Hence,  the  title  of  Baron  of  Longueil,  conferred  by 
Louis  XIV  on  Charles  Le  Moyne.  Hence,  the  origin  of  the 
curious  ruins,  which  the  famous  antiquary  Mr.  Viger, 
scanned  more  than  once,  and  which  the  building  of  the 
Longueil  church  has  since  ol)literated. 

The  Canada  of  the  past,  had  then  its  nobles  ?  Yea,  but  it 
was  a  nobility  of  merit  only. 

A  young  barrister,  snatched  too  soon  from  fame  and  friends^ 
thus  embodied  in  verse,  Canada's  motto  : 

(1)  Montreal's  first  name  was  Ville  Marie. 


40 


THE   BARON   OF   LONGUEIL. 


"  8ur  ootto  torro  oncor  sauvngo 
Ii<'s  vii'iix  lilrps  sonl  iiicnrirnis  ; 
La  nohli!PHi»  est  dans  lo  courage, . 
Duns  lo8  taluiils,  iluus  los  vcrliis.  " 

F.  H.  ANf.Ens. 

"We  nro  coiitc-iit  to  aceopi  lliis  niullo. 

True  nubility  slinll  consist,  for  iis,  in  coiirngo,  lakMit  and 
virtue  ;  such,  wt;  consider  liie  ^eiiuini'  guinea's  stamp  ;  the 
rest,  is  all  plated  ware,  which  odcc  tarnished  by  ui - 
worthy  sentimmls,  not  all  the  blue  blood  of  all  the  Howards 
shall  rescue  from  contempt  No,  not  even  th(!  profound 
peace  and  sense  of  security  (Mijoyed  I'oi'  a  century  under  the 
arm  of  a  mighty  and  free  powisr,  in  these  evcntlul  times; 
not  even  the  gratitude  towards  a  strong  prol(!ctor  sliall  make 
us  willingly  kneel  to  a  title  unreeomjnended  by  merit  or  by  vir- 
tue ;    and  s!ill  Canada  is  essentially  monarchical. 

For  a  long  time  tocome,  no  coininunily  of  feeling  shall  exist 
between  our  republican  neighbors  and  the  majority  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Lower  Canada,  alien  in  lace,  religion  and  lan- 
guage. Strong  iuleresl  however,  on  our  pari  and  repeated 
taunts  from  the  mother  conntry.  nny  induct;  ns  Ihi!  weaker 
party  to  cast  our  lot  with  the  stronger,  our  mighly  neighbors. 

On  one  point,  tln!  Latin  and  tlu;  Teuton  of  Canada  East  do 
seem  lo  understand  oneimolher  thoroughly,  \iz.,  in  their  esti- 
mate of  monarchical  ideas.  They  respecl  the  sovereign,  they 
honor  his  chief  men,  the  no!ile> — not  men  of  [il(>asure  such  as 
those  with  whom  Louis  XV,  surrounded  his  throne  and 
oppressed  his  subjects,  but  honorable  men  such  as  Victoria 
and  the  Kngllsh  people  are  proud  of;  men  well  represented  by 
that  aristocracy  (tf  merit  u  specially  charged  to  peipetuate 
traditions  of  chivalry  and  honor,  »  whose  door  Is  open  to  the 
peopl(»,  as  the  highest  recognition  of  popular  merit ;  whose 
worth  is  testified  to,  by  IheKnglishas  well  as  by  the  French  ;  who 
are  eulogized  in  lolly  terms  by  men  of  commanding  intellect, 
such  asMonti'squleu.  .Montalemberl,  Guizot,  Chateaubriand  (1). 

(1)  "  The  nobility  of  Great  Britain  is  the  finest  modern  society  since  the  Ro- 
man Patriciate, "  said  ths  illustrious  Chateaubriand.  His  vast  rescarchoi, 
his  presence  at  the  English  court  as  French  ambassador  in  1822,  had  gireu  him 
Ample  opportunity  of  judgi'ig. 


CANADIA?i    NOBILITY. 


41 


Iflby 

jale 

the 

lose 

l^vlio 

iCt, 

1(1). 

Ro- 
him 


Merit  is  (lion  the  toudi-slono  wiiichon  trinl,  wiiing  from  llicso 
bi'illianl  writiMs  llio  uii(|iialiihMl  piuise  llicy  beslowud  on  lliu 
nobility  of  uld  Eni^land. 

Lot  us  see  whether  we  can  apply  this  test  to  one  of  the 
okb.'st  and  most  iionon^d  names  in  our  own  history — we  mean 
that  of  tlie  Haron  do  Loii;;noil. 

In  lornuM'  times,  too,  we  had  bloody  wai's  to  wage  ;  merci- 
less I'oL's  existed  on  our  frontiers  ;  the  soil  th.-n  found  gene- 
I'ous  and  l)i'ave  soidiijrs  to  defend  it  .  men  who  went  forlh 
cachday  with  their  lives  in  their  hands,  ready  to  shed  the 
last  drop  of  blood  for  all  Ihey  held  dear  :  their  homes,  their 
wiv(!s,  lh(!ir  children,  lias  the  stout  race  ul  other  days  dege- 
nerated, j^rown  callous  to  what  ils  God,  its  honor,  its  country 
may  conimaud  in  the  hour  of  need  ?  ^Ve  should  hope  not.  We 
said  the  IJaronMe  Lonj^ueil. 

\Mio  was  the  Baron  do  Longueil  ?  Willi  your  porniission, 
kind  reader,  lei  us  peruse  together  the  royal  patent  erecting 
the  seijiiiiory  of  Longueil  into  a  barony  :  it  i  ■  to  be  found  in 
the  Register  of  the  pioceediugs  of  llie  SU|  rior  Council  ot 
Quebec,  letter!},  page  131,  and  runs  thus  : 

«  Louis,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  Kingof  I'lauce  and  Navarro,  to 
all  present,  Greeting :  It  being  an  attribute  ofourgreatness  and  of 
our  justice  to  reward  those  whose  courag(i  and  merit  led  them  to 
perfoiui  great  deeds,  and  taking  into  coiisideiali(Hi  the  services 
which  have  been  rendertjd  lousby  the  lal(i  Charles LeMoyne,  (i) 
Ksipiire,  Seigneur  of  Longueil,  who  left  France  in  1640  to 
reside  in  Canada,  where  his  valour  and  fidelity  were  so  often 

This  estimate  does  not  quite  agree  with  that  of  the  author  of  "  Ropro- 
gentative  .Men,  "  R.W.  Einorson  :  "  Twenty  thousiind  tiiievos  landed  at  Ilnstings. 
These  founders  of  the  House  of  Lords  were  greedy  and  ferocious  dragoons, 
sons  of  greedy  and  ferocious  pirates.  Tliey  were  aU  alilco  ;  they  took 
everything  thoy  could  carry.  They  hurned,  harried,  violated,  tortured  and 
kiUod,  until  everything  English  was  brought  to  the  verge  of  ruin.  Such, 
however,  is  the  illusion  of  antiquity  and  wealth,  that  decent  and  dignified  men 
now  existing,  boast  their  descent  from  those  petty  thieves,  who  showed  afar  justor 
conviction  of  their  own  merits,  by  assuming  for  their  types,  the  swine,  goat,  jackal^ 
leopard,  wolf,  and  snake,  which  they  severally  resembled. 

"  It  took  many  generations  to  trim,  and  comb,  and  perfume  the  first  boat-load  of 
Norse  pirates  into  royal  highnesses  and  most  noble  knights  of  the  garter  ;  but 
every  spark   of    ornament  dates  back  to  the  Norse  boat." — Enr/lUlt  Traitt. 

(1)  He  was  nephew  to  the  celebrated  Surgeon  Adrien  Duchesno. 


42 


THE  BAnON   OF   LONGUEIL. 


£J 


conspicuous  in  the  wars  against  the  Iroquois,  that  onr  go- 
vernors and  lieulouanl-goVL'rnors  in  tliat  country  emjtloyod 
him  constantly  in  ovory  military  expedition,  and  in  every 
negocialion  or  trcaly  of  peace,  of  all  which  duties  he  acquitted 
himself  to  their  entire  satisfaction; — that  after  him,  Charles 
LeMoyne,  Esquire,  his  eldest  son,  desirous  of  imitating  the 
example  of  his  father,  bore  arms  from  his  youth,  cither  in 
France,  where  he  served  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  Regiment  de 
St.  Laurent,  or  else  as  captain  of  a  naval  detachment  in 
Canada  sinc(;  16S7,  where  he  had  an  arm  shot  oO"  by  the 
Iroquois  when  figliling  near  Lachine,  in  ^^hich  combat  seven 
of  his  brothers  were  also  engaged  ; — that  Jacques  LeMoynede 
Ste.  Ilelene.  his  brother,  for  his  gallnitry,  was  made  a  captain 
of  a  naval  d(  achment  in  a  colonial  corps,  {I )  and  afterwards  fell 
at  the  siege  of  Quebec,  in  ICO'V  leading  on  with  his  elder 
brother,  Charles  Le  Moyne,  the  Canadians  against  Phipps, 
when;  his  brother  was  also  wound;'d  ;  that  another  brother, 
Pierre  Le  Moyne  dlberville,  captain  of  a  sloop  of  N^ar,  served 
on  land  and  on  sea,  and  captured  Tort  Corlard  in  Hudson's 
Bay,  and  still  commands  a  frigates  ;  that  Joseph  Le  Moyne  de 
Bienville,  was  commissioned  an  ensign  in  the  said  naval  de- 
tachment, and  was  killed  by  the  Iroquois  in  the  attack  on  the 
place  called  Uepentigny  ;  that  Louis  Le  Moyne  de  Chaleau- 
guay,  when  acting  as  lieutenant  to  his  brother,  dlberville^ 
also  fell  in  the  taking  of  Fort  Bourbon,  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  ; 
that  Paul  Le  Moyne  de  ]\Iaricourt  is  an  ensign  in  the  navy,  and 
captain  ot  a  company  in  the  naval  detachment,  acting  in  the 
capacity  of  ensign  to  his  brother  d'lberville  ;  that,  in  carrying 
out  our  inteidions  for  settling  Canada,  the  said  Charles  Le 
Moyne,  the  eldest  son,  has  spent  large  sums  in  establishing 
inhabitants  on  the  domain  and  seigniory  of  Longueil,  which 
comprises  about  two  leagues  in  breadth  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  three  leagues  and  a  half  in  depth,  the  whole  held  from  us 
with  haute,  moycnne  et  basse  justice,  wherein  he  is  now  striving 
to  establish  three  parishes,  and  uhereal,  in  order  to  protect 
the  residents  in  limes  of  war,  he  has  had  erected  at  his  own 


(1)   Trnufies  de  hi  marine  and  troupen  de  lu  cnlnnie,  meant  the  sauio  :  tUo  Frciich 
Minister  uf  Marino  liad  charge  of  both  Departments. 


CAlSADIAPf    NOr.ILITT. 


43 


Le 

ling 

us 
ring 

L'ci 

Iwn 

luch 


'I 


cosi,  a  fort  snpportfrd  by  four  strong  towers  of  ston"  and  ma- 
sonry. ^vilh  a  guard   house,   several   large  dwellings,  a  fine 
clnircli,  bearing  all  the  insignia  of  nobility  ;  a  spacious  farm 
yard,  in  which  there  is  a  barn,  a  stable,  a  sheep  pen,  a  dove 
«ot,  and  other  biiiltlings,  all  of  which  are  wilfiin  thearea  of  the 
snid  fort  ;  next  to  which  stands  a  haual  mill,   a  fine  brewery 
of  masonry,  togolher  with  a  large  retinue  of  servants,  hoises 
and  cqiiipnges,  the  cost  of  which  buildings  amount  to  some 
GO^OOO  livres  ;  so  much  so  that  this  si'igniory  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  of  the  \%hole  country,  and  the  only  one  fortified 
and  built  up  in  this  way  ;  tliat  this  bas  powerfully  contributed 
to  protect  the  inhabitants  of  Ibe  neigbboring  seigniories  ;   that 
this  estate,  on  account  of  the  extensive  land  clearings  and 
work  done  and  to  be  done  on  it,  is  of  great  value,   on  which 
thirty  workmen  are  employed  ;    that  the  said  Charles  Le 
]\b)yne  is  now  in  a  position  to  hold  a  noble  rank  on  account  of 
bis  virtueand  merit:  For  which  consideralioiis  we  have  thought 
it  due  to  our  sense  of  justice  to  assign  not  only  a  title  of  Inuior 
to  the  estate  and  seigniory  of  Longiieil,  but  also  to  confer  on 
its  owner  a  proof  of  an  honorable  distinction  which  will  pass 
to  posterity,  and  which  may  appear  to  the  children  of  tliesaid 
Charles  Le  >b)yne  a  reason  and  inducement  to  follow  in  their 
father's  footsteps  :  For  tb'  - .  causes,  of  our  special  grace,  full 
power  and  royal  auth'^i'*),  we  Ijave  created,   erected,   raised 
and  decorated,  ahtl  do  create,  erect,  raise  and  decorate,  by 
till!  present  patent,  signed  by  our  own  hand,  the  said   estate 
and  seigniory  of  Lonj;ueil,  situate  in  oiu'  coinitry  of  Canada, 
into  the  name,  titlt;  and  dignity  of  a  barony  ;  the  same  to  bo 
P'  acefully  aiid  fully  enjoyed  by   the  said  Sieur  Charles  Le 
Moyne,   his   diildren  and  heirs,   and  the  descendants  of  the 
same,  born  in  legitimati^  wedlock,  ln'ld  undisr  our  crown,  and 
sidijtset  to  fealty  {fni  et  liommage  avec  (h'no)nl>rctnen()  according 
to  the  laws  of  our  kingilom  ami  the  custom  of  I'aris  in  force  in 
C mada,  together  with  the  name,  title  and  dignity  of  a  baron  ; 
— it  is  our  pleasure  he   shall  designate  and  qualify  himself 
baron  in  all  deeds,  judgmeiUs,  &c.  ;  that  he  shall   enjoy  the 
right  of  arms,  heraldry,  hon(us,  prerogatives,  rank,   preced- 
ence in  lime  of  war,  in  meetings  of  the  nobility,  &.,  hkc  the 


44 


THE  BARON   OF  LONGUEIL. 


other  barons  of  our  kingdom — that  the  vassals, arricr«ras.saMx, 
and  olhoi's  depending  of  Iho  said  scigiiiury  uf  Loiigueil,  noble- 
ment  et  en  roture,  shall  acknoN>ledgo  the  said  Cliarh'sLcMoyne, 
his  heirs,  assigns,  as  barons,  and  pay  them  the  ordinary  feudal 
homage,  which  said  lilies,  &e.,  it  is  our  pleasure,  shall  l)e 
inserted  in  pioccjedings  and  sentences,   had  or  rendered  by 

courts  of  .justice,  without,  however,  Ihe  said  vassals  being  held 

to  perform  any  greater  homage  than  lliey  are  now  liable  to 

This  deed  to  be  enregistered  in  Canada,  and  the  said  Charles 
Le  Moyne,  his  children  and  assigns,  to  be  maintained  in  full 
and  peaceful  enjoyment  of  the  rights  herein  conferred. 

«  Thus  done  at  Versailles,  the  27th  January,  1700,  in  the 
fiftieth  year  of  our  reign. 


« (Signed), 


Louis.  » 


We  have  here  a  royal  patent,  convoying  in  unmistakable 
terms  on  the  Great  Louis'  loyal  and  brave  Canadian  subject 
and  his  heu's,  rights,  titles,  prerogalives,  vast  enough  to  make 
€ven  the  mouth  of  a  Spanish  grandee  water.  11  is  a  little  less 
comprehensive  than  the  text  of  the  parchment  creating  Nova 
Scotia  knights,  but  that  is  all. 

The  claims  of  the  Longueil  family  to  the  peaceable  enjoy- 
ment of  their  honors  are  set  forth  so  lucidly  in  the  following 
document,  that  we  shall  insert  the  manuscript  in  full  ; — it 
was  written  in  Paris  by  an  accomplished  English  gentleman, 
M.  Falconer. 

t  Wlicn  I  was  in  Canada,  in  1842,  a  newspaper  in  Montreal,  contained 
some  weekly  abuse  of  the  Baron  Grant  do  Longueil,  on  account  of  liis 
assuming  the  lillo  of  Baron  do  Longueil.  It  appeared  tome  to  be  some- 
what remarkable  that  a  paper  which  very  freely  abused  people  for  being 
republicans,  and  a[recte<I  a  wonderful  reverenco  for  mnnarcliial  institu- 
tions, should  make  the  possession  of  monarchial  honors,  in  a  country 
professedly  governed  by  monarchial  institutions,  the  ground  of  frequent 
personal  abuse,  and  was  certainly  a  very  inconsiderate  line  of  conduct. 

«  But  it  was  in  fact  the  more  blameable,  as  the  possession  of  that  honor 
by  Baron  de  Longueil  is  connected  with  some  histerical  events  in  which 
every  Cana<Iian  ought  to  feel  a  pride,  as  being  part  of  the  history  of  his 
country. 

1 1  can  of  cours-^  only  give  a  short  note  of  the  family  of  Longueil. 

•  In  the  early  settlement  of  Canada,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
an  the  service  of  Government  was  Charles  Le  Moyno  ;  he  was  in  the  war 


CANADIAN    NOBILITY. 


45 


ming 


Itaincd 
of  his 
sonie- 
I  being 
isUlii- 
buntry 
[([uent 
lot. 
1011  or 
.'hich 
Df  hia 


men 
war 


with  the  Iroquois,  and  contributed  very  materially  to  the  pacification  of 
the  country  aud  the  defence  of  the  frontier.  He  had  eleven  sons  and  two 
daughters  ;  the  names  of  the  sons  were — 

I  1st.  Sieur  Charles  Le  Moyne,  Baron  de  Longueil.  Ho  was  Lieutenant 
du  roi  de  la  ville  et  gouvernement  de  Montreal.  He  was  killed  at  Saratoga, 
in  a  severe  action. 

I  2nd.  Sieur  Jacques  Le  Moyne  do  Sainte-Helf  ne,  bom  16th  April,  1659, 
borrowed  his  surname  from  the  island  opposite  Montreal,  which  was,  until 
lately,  part  of  the  property  of  the  family.  He  fell  at  the  siege  of  Quebec,  in 
1690,  aged  31  years  and  was  hurried  in  the  Hotel-Dieu  at  Quebec. 

(  3rd.  Pierre  Le  Moyne  d'lberviUe,  who  was  born  at  Montreal,  in  tG62, 
was  the  third  son.  He  made  his  first  voyage  to  sea  at  fourteen  years  of 
age.  In  16S6,  ho  was  in  an  expedition  to  Hudson's  Bay,  under  Sieur  de 
Troves.  In  the  same  year  the  Marquis  de  Denonville  made  him  com- 
mander of  a  fort,  established  in  this  expedition,  and  for  his  conduct  in 
this  post  he  received  the  thanks  of  the  Governor  of  Canada.  In  16'JO,  with 
his  brother,  De  Sainte-Helene,  he  attacked  some  Iroquois  village,  and  pre- 
vented the  attack  of  some  Indians  on  Lachine  and  La  Chenaye.  He  was 
made  captain  of  a  frigate  in  1692— his  instructions  being  dated  11th  April 
of  the  same  year.  In  1694  he  made  an  attack  on  B^ort  Bourbon,  where  his 
brother,  De  Chateauguay,  was  killed — but  the  fort  was  taken.  On  the2l3t 
October,  1695,  M.  de  Pontchartrain  w^ote  to  him  a  letter  of  commenda- 
tion. In  1696  he  carried  troops  to  Acadia.  He  visited  France  in  1698.  He 
left  it  with  three  vessels,  in  order  to  make  a  settlement  in  the  Mississii)pi ; 
he  was  the  first  person  of  European  origin  who  entered  the  Mississippi 
from  the  sea  ;  ho  ascended  the  river  nearly  one  hundred  leagues,  esta- 
blished a  garrison,  and  returned  to  France  m  1699;  in  consequence  of 
this  success,  he  was  decorated  with  the  cross  of  the  order  of  Saint  Louis. 
In  1699  he  was  again  sent  to  the  Mississippi ;  his  instructions  were  dated 
22nd  Septempber  of  the  same  year,  and  directed  him  to  make  a  survey  of 
the  country  and  endeavor  to  discover  mines  ;  this  voyage  was  successful, 
and  he  returned  to  France  in  1700,  and  was  again  sent  to  the  Mississippi 
in  1701,  his  instructions  being  dated  August  27th,  of  that  year;  he  return- 
ed to  France  in  1702,  and  was  made  '  Capitaine  de  vaisseau.  '  On  July 
5th,  1706,  he  again  sailed  for  the  Mississippi,  charged  with  a  most  iuiiior- 
tant  command  ;  but  in  1706,  on  July  9th,  this  most  distinguished  dis- 
coverer and  navigator  died  at  Havannah  He  was  born  at  Montreal,  and 
obtained  an  immortal  reputation  in  the  two  worlds. 

t  4.  Paul  Lo  Moyne  de  Marecourt,  capilaine  d'une  compagnie  ds  la 
marine.  He  died  from  exhaustion  and  fatigue  in  an  expedition  against 
the  Iroquois  (t). 

(1)  We  read  in  Batekin't  picture  of  Quebec,  page  139,  that "  Sir  William 
Phipp'a  flag  was  shot  away  by  a  French  officer  named  Marioourt,  and  having 
been  picked  up  by  some  Canadians,  was  hung  up  as  a  trophy  in  the  Cathedral 
Church,  where  it  probably  remained  until  the  capture  in  1759. " 

The  piolting  up  of  it,  led  to  an  interesting  swimming  feet,  performed  in  view  of 
the  City  of  Quebee,  most  graphically  described  by  our  Dovelist  Marmette,  in  his 
norel, "  Fbamoou  oi  BiMTtLLi. " 


46 


Tnr    .URON  OF  LONGUEIL. 


<  5th.  Joseph  Le  Moyne  de  Serigny,  who  served  with  his  brother, 
D'lberville,  in  all  his  naval  expeditions;  we  subsequently  lind  iiim  hold- 
ing a  lieutenant's  commission  in  the  navy  at  Rochelort.  (lJic<l  Governor 
of  Rochefurt  in  1734.) 

I  6lh.  Francois  Le  Moyne  de  Bienville,  officier  de  la  marine.  The  Iro- 
quois surrounded  a  house  in  which  he  ami  forty  others  were  located,  and, 
setting  lire  to  it,  all  except  one  perished  in  the  (lames,  in  1G91 ;  died  aged  25 
yt-ars. 

«  7th.  Louis  Le  Moyne  de  Chateauguay,  o^c/rr  dela  marine.  lie  was 
killed  by  the  English  in  1G94,  at  Fort  Bourbon — ul'ierwards  called  by  the 
English  Fort  Nelson. 

«  8th.  Gabriel  Le  Moyne  d'Assigny— died  of  yellow  fever  in  St.  Domin- 
go, where  he  had  been  left  by  his  brother,  D'lberville,  1701. 

•  9lh.  Antoine  Le  Moyne,  died  young. 

I  lOlh.  Jean  Baptiste  Le  Moyne  de  Bienville, '  Knight  of  the  Ordt^r  of 
St.  Louis,'  whose  name  is  still  remembered  with  honor  among  the  jieople 
of  New  Orleans  ;  he  was,  with  his  brother,  a  founder  of  that  city,  and 
Lieutenant  du  Roi  a  la  Louinane,  in  the  Government  of  the  Colony.  (Died 
in  Paris,  in  1768,  at  the  ripe  age  of  87  years.) 

I  llth.  Antoine  Le  Moyne  de  Chateauguay,  second  of  the  name,  Capi- 
tainc  d'une  compagnie  de  la  Marine  a  la  Louisianc.  He  married  Dame 
Marie  Jeanne  Emilie  des  Fredaille*. 

«  Such  are  the  names  of  eleven  sons  ;  ten  of  whom  honorably,  and  with 
distinction,  served  in  the  government  of  their  country,  receiving  in  the 
new  coloni-'s  the  honors  and  rewards  of  the  King,  who  made  no  distinc- 
tion between  the  born  Canadian  and  the  Europt^an. 

I  There  were  two  daughters,  sisters  of  the  above  ;  the  eldest  married 
Sieur  de  Noyan,  a  naval  officer,  and  the  second,  Sieur  de  hi  Chassagi.e. 

I  In  a  memorial  of  M.  de  Bienville,  dated  New  Orleans,  January  25th, 
1723,  after  setting  forth  his  services,  he  describes  himself  as  Chevalier  of 
Ihe  order  of  St.  Louis,  and  Commander  General  of  the  Province  of  Louis- 
ianna  ;  he  states  in  it,  that  of  eleven  brothers,  only  four  were  then  surviv- 
ing :  Baron  de  Longueil,  himself  Bienville,  Serigny  and  Chateauguay, 
and  that  they  had  all  received  the  cross  of  Knights  of  St.  Louis. 

«  The  patent  creating  ihe  Seigniory  of  Longueil  into  a  barony  is  dated 
19th  May,  1699.  It  relates  that  the  late  Charles  Le  Moyne,  Seigneur  of 
Longueil,  emigrated  from  France  to  Canada  in  1640,  and  had  highly  dis- 
tinguished himself  upon  many  occasions — tliat  his  son,  Charles  LeMoyne, 
had  borne  arms  from  an  early  age,  and  thai  Jacques  Le  Moyne  de  Sainte 
Ilelene,  was  killed  by  the  English  at  the  head  of  his  company  when  Que- 
bec was  attacked,  by  Sir  William  Phipps,  (the  ancestor  of  Constantino, 
Henry  Phipps,  the  late  Viscount  of  Normanby),  on  which  occasion,  the 
said  Charles  Lo  Moyne,  leading  on  the  Canadians,  was  also  wounded.  It 
also  names  with  honor  D'lberville,  Do  Bienville,  De  Chateauguay,  De  Ma- 
ricourt.  The  patent  then  slates  that  on  account  of  the  services  rendered 
by  the  family,  Louis  XIV,  had  determined  to  give  to  the  Seigniory  of 
Longueil,  as  well  as  to  the  said  Charles  Le  Moyne  himself,  a  title  of  honor, 
in  order  that  an  honorable  distinction  should  pass  to  posterity,  and  be  an 


CANADIAN    NOBILITY. 


47 


arried 

'25111, 
ior  of 
ouis- 
rviv- 
uay, 

[lated 
Lr  of 
dis- 

[lyne, 
lie 

i)iie- 
ino, 
the 
It 
I  Ma- 
rred 

|y  o*" 

lor, 
an 


object  of  emulation  to  his  children  to  follow  the  example  which  had  been 
sot  to  Ihcm.  It  therefore  created  and  erected  the  Seigniory  of  Loiigueil 
into  a  barony,  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  said  Charles  Le  Moyno,  his  children 
and  successors,  el  ayanl  cause,  and  that  tliey  should  enjoy  the  honors, 
rank  and  precedence  in  the  assembly  of  nobles,  as  are  .enjoyed  by  other 
barons  of  the  kingdom  of  France. 

•  This  patent  is  remarkable  therefore  for  creating  a  territorial  barony — 
that  is,  whosoever  possesses  Longueil,  eillior  male  or  female,  is  entitled  to 
the  title  and  distinction  of  a  baron  of  the  kingdom  of  France.  1  had 
some  doubt  if  it  was  so,  but  submitted  the  case  to  a  very  eminent  lawyer, 
at  Paris,  who  assured  me  that  there  can  be  no  dispute  on  the  subject. 

I  There  was  another  barony  erected  in  Canada  in  1671,  in  favor  of  Mr. 
Talon,  the  Inte:idant  of  the  Province  :  it  was  called  '  La  Terre  des  Islets, ' 
which  I  believe  is  at  this  time  owned  by  some  religious  community.  How- 
ever, I  have  pointed  out  above,  the  title  which,  under  a  monarchy,  this 
family  has  to  dislinction  in  Canada. 

•  The  cession  of  Canada  by  France  to  England  made  no  change  in  the 
legal  right  to  hold  honors,  and  a  title  to  honors  is  as  much  a  legal  right 
as  a  title  to  an  estate. 

<  No  person  by  the  cession  was  deprived  of  any  legal  right.  At  Mal- 
ta, the  titles  of  honor  are  respected,  and  the  Queen  recognizes  them,  in  the 
commissions  issued  in  her  name  in  Malta.  Whatever  right  French  noble- 
men had  in  Canada  under  the  French  government,  continues  at  this  time  ; 
in  this  instance  the  honor  is  greater  than  most  titled  European  families 
can  boast  of. 

I  It  is  not,  however,  as  a  family  matter  I  regard  it.  I  wish  you  to 
remark  that  it  was  a  Canadian  who  discovered  the  Mississipi  from  the  sea, 
(La  Salle  having  failed  in  this,  though  he  reached  the  sea  sailing  down  the 
Missis<:ipi),  and  also  that  the  first  and  most  celebrated  Governor  General 
of  Louisiana  was  a  French  Canadian. " 


We  Ihink  he 


who  origin- 


Here,  ends  M.  Falconer's  ably  written  paper, 
has  made  out  a  case  for  an  old  Norman  house, 
ally  descended  from  the  Count  of  Salagne,  en  Biscaije,  and 
who  enlisted  on  the  side  of  Charles  Yll,  in  1428,  This  count 
married  Marguerite  de  la  Tremouille,  daughter  of  the  Count 
de  Guines,  and  Grand  Chambellan  de  France,  one  of  the  old- 
est families  of  the  Kingdom.  Whether  or  not  a  fair  case  has 
been  made  out,  we  must  now  leave  to  our  readers  to  decide, 
and  we  are  willing  also  to  accept  for  the  house  of  Longueil  (1) 
the  motto  : 

(1)  The  Baron  de  Longueil  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Charles,  born  18th  Octo- 
ber, 1657.  He  served  quite  young  in  the  army,  when  he  distinguished  himself, 
and  died  Governor  of  Montreal,  I7th  of  January,  1755 — he  was  the  fatjier  of  up- 
wards of  flfte«D  children.    Th«  third  Baron  of  Longueil  was  Charles  Jacquea 


48 


TIIE  BARON  OF  LONGUEIL. 


"  Sur  cette  terre  encor  sauvage 
Les  vioux  litres  sont  inconiius  ; 
La  noblesse  est  clans  le  courage, 
Duns  les  talents,  dans  les  vertus. 


Le  Moyne,  born  at  the  Castio  of  Longueil,  26th  July,  1724— ho  commanded  the 
troopa  at  tho  battle  of  Monongahela,  5th  July,  1755.  He  was  also  made  Cheva- 
lier de  St.  Louis  and  Qovcrnor  of  Montreal,  and  died  whilst  serving  under  Baron 
Dioskau,  as  the  Marquis  of  Vaudreuil  states  in  one  of  his  dispatches,  the  8th 
September,  1755,  ut  'dl  years  of  age,  the  victim  of  Indian  treachery  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Lake  George.  His  widow  was  re-married  by  special  license,  at  Montreal, 
on  the  11th  September,  1770,  to  the  Hon.  William  Uraut,  Iloceivor-Goneral  of 
tho  Province  of  Canada ;  there  was  no  issue  from  this  second  marriage,  and  on 
tho  death  of  the  third  buron  the  barony  reverted  to  his  only  daughter,  Mario 
Charles  Josephte  Le  Moyne  de  Longueil,  who  assumed  the  title  of  baroness  after 
tho  death  of  her  mother,  who  expired  on  the  25th  February,  1782,  at  the  age  of 
85  years.  She  was  married  in  Quebec,  on  the  7th  May,  1781,  to  Captain  David 
Alexander  Grant,  of  the  94th,  by  the  Rev.  D.  Francis  de  Monmoulin,  chaplain  to 
tho  forces.  Capt.  Grant  was  a  nephew  ef  the  Honorable  William  Grant;  his  son, 
tho  Honorable  Charles  William  Grant,  was  fourth  baron,  a  member  of  the 
Legislative  Council  of  Canada,  and  seigneur  of  the  barony  of  Longueil.  He  as- 
sumed the  title  of  Baron  of  Longueil  on  the  death  of  his  mother,  which  event  oo- 
oured  on  tho  17th  February,  1841.  lie  married  Miss  N.  CoQin,u  daughter  of  Admiral 
Sir  Isaac  CoOin,  and  died  at  his  residence,  Alwing  House,  at  Kingston,  5th  July, 
1848,  aged  68.  His  remains  irore  transferred  for  burial  in  his  barony.  The  fifth 
baron  who  assumed  the  title  married  in  1849,  a  southern  lady,  and  now  resides  at 
Alwing  House,  at  Kingston.  The  house  of  Longueil  is  connected  by  marriage 
with  the  Baby,  Do  Beaujou,  Le  Moines,  De  Montenach,  Delanaudi^ro,  De 
Gasp6,  Delegorgendi5re,  and  several  other  old  families  in  Canada. 

"  The  race  of  Le  Moyne  de  Longueil  which  bad  ceased  to  exist  in  Canada,  still 
survives  in  France,  in  the  descendants  of  the  two  sons  of  the  Governor  of  Roche- 
fort :  Jean-IIonord  and  Henri-Honor6 ;  one  of  the  grand  sons,  Amdd6  Honord- 
Ferdinand-Marie  Le  Moyne  de  Serigny,  expired  within  the  walls  of  his  castle  at 
Luret  in  1843.  Two  other  grand  sons  of  this  hero  still  survive  :  Pierre -Auguste 
Le  Moyne,  the  Laird  of  a  chateau  in  Perigord  ;  Joseph-Louis-Auguste,  at  La 
Rochelle,  an  other  member  of  this  illustrious  family,  distinguished  himself  in  tho 
French  expedition  to  Algiers  in  1830.  Charles  Le  Moyne  de  Longueil  had  two 
daughters,  Catherine  Jeanne,  who  became  the  spouse  of  Pierre  Payen,  seigneur 
de  Noyan,  eapitaine  dana  le  dipartement  de  la  Marine,  and  Marie-Anne  who  was 
united  in  wedlock  on  the  28th  October,  1699  to  M.  Bouillet  de  la  Chassagne, 
Governor  of  Montreal,  Chs.  Le  Moyne,  appears  to  have  been  closely  related  to 
Jean  Le  Moyne,  the  ancestor  of  the  Le  Moyne  family  of  Quebec  "  (and  of  Chateau- 
Richer.)     (^HiHoirt  dea  Ur»ulinu  de  Quibec.) 


THE  HEROINE  OF  VERCHERES. 


Whouver  glancos  over  the  early  annals  of  Canada,  will  be 
struck  with  the  romantic  incidents  which  at  every  turn  open 
on  the  view  :  feats  of  endurance — of  cool  braver  y  ;  christian 
heroism,  in  its  grandest  phases  ;  acts  of  savage  treachery,  of 
the  darkest  dye  ;  deeds  cf  blood  and  Indian  revenge  most 
appalling ;  adventurous  escapes  by  forest,  land,  and  flood, 
which  would  furnish  material  for  filly  most  fascinating  ro- 
mances. No  greater  error  ever  was  than  that  of  believing  that 
few  reliable  records  exist  of  the  primitive  times  of  Canada. 
Had  we  not  the  diaries  of  Jacques  Carlier ;  the  Routier  of  Jean 
Alphonse  deXainlonge;  the  Fo»/agfes of  Champlain, Charlevoix, 
Du  Creux,  Bressani,  Sagard,  Hennepin,  LaPotherie,  &c.,  we 
still  would  have  the  Relations^  and  that  admirable  Journal  of 
the  Jesuits,  written  up,  day  by  day,  for  so  many  years,  conlaining 
such  a  minute  record  of  every  event  which  transpired  in  New 
France.  The  Jesuits /ouma/ and  the  Relations  are  likely  to 
remain  the  fountain-head  not  only  of  early  Canadian  history  but 
frequently  of  American  History.  One  can  readdy  enter  intothe 
meaning  of  one  of  our  late  Governors,  the  Earl  of  Elgin,  who, 
in  one  of  his  despatches  to  the  Home  GovenimenI,  in  speaking 
of  the  early  days  of  the  colony,  described  them  as  « the  heroic 
times  of  Canada  ;  »  the  expression  was  as  eloquent  as  it  was 
beautiful.  There  is  but  little  doubt  Ihalourdesccndanlswillbe 
just  as  familiar  with  the  beauties  of  Canadian  history,  as  the 
great  bulk  of  the  present  generation  are  ignorant  of  ihem.  The 
gradual  diffusion  of  knowledge  ;  the  spirit  of  research  and  im- 
provement to  which  everything  tends  in  the  Dominion,  mark 
that  period  a-*  not  very  far  dislant.  DIberville,  Mile.  De 
Vercheres,  Latour,  Dollard  des  Ormeaux,  Lambcsrt  Closse,  may 
yet,  some  day  or  other,  under  the  magic  wand  of  a  Canadian 
Scott,  be  invested  with  a  halo  of  glory  as  bright  as  that  which 
surrounds,  in  the  eyes  of  Scotia's  sons,  a  Flora  Mclvor,  a 
Jeaimie  Deans,  a  Claverhouse,  or  a  « Bonny  Dundee.  » 


50 


THE  HEROINE   OF  VERCIliRES. 


However  in  order  to  fully  undorslaml  the  motives  wliioli 
prompted  the  acts  of  our  respected  French  and  English  ances- 
tors, the  reader  must  conslanliy  have  before  him  the  hostile 
doings  and  revolutions  in  the  old  vsorUI.  But  more  on  this 
theme  hereafter. 

Let  us  present  to  the  readers  view,  one  of  the  graceful  fi- 
gures while  marked  one  of  the  proudest  epochs  of  Canadian 
history,  the  era  of  Frontcnac. 

It  will  be  remenbered  that  the  Marquis  of  Tracy,  in  1C63, 
was  escorted  to  Canada  by  one  of  the  crack  French  corps  of 
the  day — the  regiment  of  Carignan.  Four  companies  (some 
600  men)  were  shortly  after  disbanded  in  New  France :  the 
officers  and  privates  were  induced,  by  land  grants  and  provi- 
sions, horses,  and  other  marks  of  royal  favour,  to  marry  and 
settle  in  the  new  world.  One  of  the  officers,  M.  de  Ver- 
cheres,  obtained  in  1672,  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  where  now 
stands  the  parish  of  Yerchtires,  a  land  grant  of  one  league  in 
depth,  by  one  league  in  length.  The  following  year,  his  do- 
main received  the  accession  of  Ik  a  la  PrUne  and  lie  Longne, 
which  he  had  connected  by  another  grant  of  one  league  iii 
length.  There,  did  the  French  officer  build  his  dwelling,  a  kind 
of  fort,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  day,  to  protect 
him  against  the  attacks  of  the  Iroquois.  «  These  forts,  »  says 
Charlevoix,  «were  merely  extensive  enclosures,  surrounded 
by  palisades  and  redoubts.  The  church  and  the  house  of  the 
seigneur  were  within  the  enclosure,  which  was  sufficiently 
large  to  admit,  on  an  emergency,  the  women,  children,  and 
the  farm  cattle.  One  or  two  sentries  mounted  guard  day  and 
night ;  and  with  small  field  pieces,  kept  in  check  the  skulking 
enemy,  warning  the  settlers  to  prepare,  and  hasten  to  the 
rescue.  These  precautions  were  sufficient  to  prevent  attack, » 
—not  in  all  cases,  however,  as  we  shall  soon  see. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  absence  of  M.  de  Verchferes,  the 
h'oquois  drew  stealthily  round  the  fort,  and  set  to  climbing 
Over  the  palisades  ;  on  hearing  which,  Marie  Magdeleine 
de  Verch^res,  the  youthful  daughter  of  the  laird  seized  a 
gun  and  fired  it  off.  Alarmed,  the  marauders  slunk  away ; 
but  finding  they  were  not  pursued,  they  soon  returned  and 


THE  HEROINC  OF  VEIlCnfcllES. 


51 


says 

[►unded 

of  the 

iienlly 

in,  and 

ly  and 

Lulking 

jlo  llie 

|lack,  y 

3S,  the 
^mbing 
leleine 
lized  a 
laway ; 
]d  and 


spent  two  days,  hopelessly  wandering  round  the  fort  with- 
out daring  lo  enter,  as,  ever  and  anon,  a  bullet  would  strike 
some  of  them  down,  at  each  attempt  they  niadtj  to  escalade 
the  wall.  What  increased  their  suprise,  they  could  detect  in- 
side no  living  creature,  except  a  woman  ;  but  this  female  was 
so  intrepid,  so  active,  so  ubiquitous,  that  she  seemed  to  be 
everywhere  at  once.  She  never  ceased  to  use  her  unerring 
fire-arms  until  the  enemy  had  entirely  disappeared.  The 
dauntless  defender  of  fort  Vereh^res,  wasM'lle  de  Verch^res  : 
the  brave  deed  was  done  in  1690. 

Two  years  subsequently,  the  Iroquois,  having  returned  in 
larger  force,  had  chosen  the  moment  when  the  settlers  were 
engaged  in  the  fields  with  their  duties  of  husbandry,  to  pounce 
on  them,  bind  them  with  ropes,  and  secure  them.  M'lle  Ver- 
cheres,  then  aged  nearly  fourteen,  was  sauntering  on  the 
banks  of  the  river.  Noticing  one  of  the  savages  aiming  at  her, 
she  eluded  his  murderous  intent  by  rushing  towards  the  fort 
at  the  top  of  her  speed  ;  but,  for  swiftness  of  foot  the  savage 
was  a  match  for  her,  notwithstanding  that  terror  added  wings 
to  her  flight,  and  with  tomahawk  upraised,  he  gradually  closed 
on  her  as  they  were nearing  the  fort.  Another  bound,  however, 
and  she  would  be  beyond  his  grip ;  he  sprang  and  caught  the 
kerchief  which  covered  her  throat  seizing  it  from  behind.  Is 
it  then  all  up  with  our  resolute  child  ? — quick  as  thought,  and 
while  the  exulting  savage  raises  his  hand  to  strike  the  fatal  blow, 
the  young  heroine  tears  asunder  the  knot,  which  retained  her 
garment,  and  bounding  like  a  gazelle  within  the  fort,  closes  it 
instanter  on  her  relentless  pursuer,  who  retains  as  an  only 
trophy  the  French  girl's  kerchief. 

To  ARMS !  TO  ARMS !  instantly  resounds  within  the  fort ;  and 
without  paying  any  attentions  to  the  groans  of  the  women, 
who  see  from  the  fort  their  husbands  carried  away  prisoners, 
she  rushed  to  the  bastion  where  stood  the  sentry,  seizes  a 
musket  and  a  soldier's  hat,  and  causes  a  great  clatter  of  guns 
to  be  made,  so  as  to  make  believe  that  the  place  is  well  de- 
fended by  soldiers.  She  next  loads  a  small  field  piece,  and 
not  having  at  hand  a  wad,  uses  a  towel  for  that  purpose,  and 
fires  off  the  piece  on  the  ennemy.    This  unexpected  assault 


»s 


THE  HEROINE  OF  VERCUERES. 


inspired  terror  to  the  Indians,  who  saw  their  warriors,  one 
after  Ihe  other,  struck  down.  Armed  and  disguised,  and 
having  but  one  solditir  with  her,  she  never  ceased  firing.  Pre- 
seiilly  the  alarm  reached  the  neighbourhood  of  Montreal,  when 
an  intrepid  officer,  the  Chevalier  de  Grisasi,  brother  of  the 
Marquis  de  Grisasi,  then  Governor  of  Three  Rivers,  rushed  to 
Verchcres,  at  the  head  of  a  chosen  band  of  men ;  but  the  sa- 
vages had  made  good  (heir  retreat  with  their  prisonners.  After 
a  three  days'  pursuit,  the  Chevalier  found  them  with  their 
captives  securely  entrenched  in  a  wood  on ,  the  borders  of 
Lake  Ghamplain. 

The  French  officer  prepared  for  action,  and  after  a  mostbloody 
encounter  the  redskins  were  utterly  routed^-cut  topiece8,except 
those  who  escaped  ;  but  the  prisoners  were  released.  The  whole  of 
New  France  resounded  with  the  fame  of  M'lle  Verch6res's  cou- 
rage ;  she  was  awarded  the  name  of  the  « Heroine  of  Ver- 
ch^res, »  a  title  which  posterity  has  ratified. 

Another  rare  instance  of  courage  on  her  part  crowned  her 
exploits,  and  was  also  the  means  of  '^settling  her  in  life.    A 
French  commander,  M.  de  Lanaudi^re  de  la  Perade,  was 
pursuing  the  Iroquois  in  the  neighbourhood,  some  historians 
say,  of  the  river  Richelieu,  other  say  of  the  river  St.  Anne, 
when  there  sprang  unexpectedly  out  of  the  underbrush  my- 
riads of  these  implacable  enemies,  who  rushed  on  M.  de  la 
Perade  unawares.  He  was  just  on  the  point  of  falling  a  victim 
in  this  ambuscade,  when  M'lle  de  Yerch^res,  seizing  a  musket 
and  heading  some  resolute  men,  rushed  on  the  enemy,  and 
succeeded  in  rescuing  the  brave  officer.  She  had  indeed  made 
a  conquest^  or  rather  became  the  conquest  of  M.  dela  Perade, 
whose  life  she  had  thus  saved.    Henceforward,  the  heroine 
of  Yerch6res  shall  be  known  by  the  name  of  Madame  de  La- 
naudi^re  de  la  Perade,  her  husband  a  wealthy  ^et^neur.  Some 
years  later,  the  fame  of  her  daring  acts  reached  the  French 
king,  Louis  XIY,  who  instructed  the  Marquis  of  Beauharnais, 
the  Governor  of  Canada,  to  obtain  from  herself  a  written  report 
of  her  brave  deeds.    Her  statement  closes  with  most  noble 
sentiments,  denoting  not  only  a  lofty  soul,  but  expressed 


THE  HEROINE  OF   VERCnfeRES.  gg 

Auf  CTrat  i^  |.!r„^  tSn  «  ""  "■«  ^'-  Of 

She  is  one  of  the  ancestor,  of  .h!  J  """"''^^'''• 

duslrie  near  Montreal  .l!ii  '      '"'  ^'^'»"'""'  <'<>  i'fn- 

forefathers  fort^     ^      """, ^"'l'''':'',''"  '"'"""aiero,  «.ho^ 

11.0  battle-fields  of  Calt  '" '''"""' '"  "'^  ^"""'o  <«•  on 

Mdlle  Verch6res'  carer  c«l.ii,ii. 
seni™enls«hichinspit;,;e  "T"''  T''"''  "'  "'« 


M.\JOR  HUBERT  STOBO,  H) 


1727-I7«0 


i    I\KVIE\V. 


Anna,  Virumque. 

On  Hk' 3i'(l  of  .Inly,  A.  1).,  17o'k  oiU!  luiiulnHl  and  sivlccH 
yoais  iiiii).  Iliiit  is,  in  lIj(3oi;-'lilli  Nciirol"  IlKislnm^lolM'lwoen  llie 
Kni^lLsli  iiiiel  French  in  liu!  N(!\v  World,  lwt»  lidshiiics  and  \>i'\- 
sontjrs  (»r  wiii'  mi^lil  Ikinc  been  seen  su^l•u^\lully  niari-hin;,' 
towaids  llic  fialos  of  Furl  IJii  Ui"'>i'<'.  vxlioro  now  sUinds  llie 
lluivin;,'  Aniurican  cily  ul"  rillslmig.  Not  all  Hk;  genius  of 
Colonel  Goorgi;  Wasliin^lon.  Itja(liii,u  on  his  a  sell-willed  and 
nii|i()vei'iialilt'  »  Yiij^inians,  jiad  siil'lieed  lo  save  llie  English 
forces  beleaguered  in  Fori  .Nei-c^sily.  Terms  of  siiirender  were 
proposed  by  Ih''  French,  and  readily  accept  d  by  the  disheart- 
ened liritish.  On  thai  inemorabh;  .'Ird  tl  July,  1754,  the 
English  garrison  Avilhdrew  fi(»ni  the  basin  of  Ihe  Ohio,  and 
lIuMi,  in  the  eloqncnl  language  of  IJancrolt,  «  In  llie  ^^llole 
valltjy  of  the  Mississippi  lo  its  head  >piingsin  Uk^  Allegliani(!s, 
110  standard  floaled  but  that  of  l"ran(('.  »  Tlic-e  weie  glorious 
limes,  indeed,  for  lh(!  Honrbuu  Hii(!s  ;  tliijy  weie  not  lo  last 
forevei". 

(laplain  Jocob  Yan  Ihaam,  a  Dulchnian,  >vas  one  of  the 
hostages  ;  Caplain  Uoberl  Slobo,  a  Si'dtchiiian,  a  favorite  of 
(loveriior  Dinwiddle,  of  Virginia,  and  lirst  captain  of  a  Vir- 
ginian regiment  just  raised,  was  the  other.  To  reviewing 
succiii'  'v  the  chequered  career  of  the  lalt(!r,  as  disclosed  to 
us  in  I  Memoirs  before  us,  \\e  shall  lor  the  present  conlini! 
our       A. 


(1)  ;      noire  of  Major  Robert  Stobo,  of  the  Virginia   Regiment — by  a   Con- 
rtoniporu  _>■ — 92  Pages — Pittsburgh,  ISii. 


5G 


MAJOR    ROBERT    STOBO. 


llobcrl  Slobo  vas  born  at  Glasgow,  A.  D.,  1727.  His  father, 
Williani  Slobo,  was  a  cilizcii  ul  nolo  and  a  sncpisslul  Glasgow 
morcbant.  Of  a  dolicalo  constilitioii,  young  Stubo,  at  an  iiarly 
a.^o,  we  are  told  by  bis  biographer,  betrayed  a  turn  for  arms, 
«  cmployinii  his  play-hoiirs  at  school  in  drum-beating,  iniisler- 
jiig  and  exercising  his  comrades  wi'h  great  ah'rtness,  » — a  not 
unappropriatf  prelude  to  the  warlike  and  hair-breadth  adven- 
tint's  which  awaited  th(»  dauntless  captain  on  the  green  banks 
of  the  Ohio,  and  those  of  the  Si.  Lawnnice  at  Quebec. 

The  mode  of  campaigning  df  this  Virginian  officer  was  not 
without  its  altriiction.  He  started  with  a  retinue  of  « ten 
servants,  »  wliom  he  had  transformed  into  soldiers,  «  kept  an 
open  table  in  the  wilderness,  which  was  plentifully  supplied 
with  the  game  which  the  woods  alTorded,  »  such,  no  doubt, 
as  wild  turkeys,  prairie  hens  and  grouse,  with  occasion;dly 
the  tail  (da  beaver,  or  tid  bits  qf  red  deer  venison.  He  was 
provided  at  «  bis  first  setting  out  with  a  wt'.ole  bull  ofMadeira 
wine.  » 

With  sni'h  a  larder,  such  a  cellar,  who  would  not  occa- 
sionally like  to  go  campaigning  as  the  captain  of  a  Virginian 


regiment. 


"  In  th(!  zeazon  of  the  year  ' 


The  forc(!  to  which  tlie  famed  Georgi;  Washington  had  to 
capilidale  at  the  Great  Meadows,  not  far  from  the  Appalachian 
Moiinlaius,  on  the  3rd  July,  1754,  was  a  large  party  of  French- 
Canadians  and  harbai  ians.  As  there  are  no  French  mentioned, 
acc<uding  to  the  Memoirs,  wt;  are  free  to  undeistaud  that  the 
I'ri'nch  coiislituled  the  w  barhniians.  »  The  parly,  however, 
was  commanded  by  Coulon  l)e  Villiers,a  captain,  in  the  French 
King's  troops.  It  was  for  the  performance  of  the  articles  of 
this  capitulation  that  Van  llrnaui  an<l  StoUo,  were  delivered  to 
the  French  Commander  as  hostages.  'Ibis  reveise  induced 
Captain  St(d)o  to  present  'he  lit;utenanl  uf  his  company  with 
bis  sword,  as  be  bad  then  no  fmlber  use  for  it  ;  be  begged  he 
woidd  not  spare  it  vvhtMi  opportunity  oflered  to  draw  it  in  be- 
half of  his  country  ;  and  which,  notvvilhstanding  that  gentle- 
man fell  with  tlie  unfortunate  General  Braddock,  was  restored 


i 


A  HOSTAGE   OF   FORT   NECESSITY. 


57 


to 

nan 

^ch- 

Icd; 

Ithe 

^er, 

ich 

of 

to 

2cd 

lilh 

Ihe 

)e- 

1(3- 

[cd 


to  its  pristine  owner  long  after  he  Iiad  escaped  from  Quebec, 
when  detained  there  as  a  prisouL-r,  the  biographer  adu^,  «  and 
the  Major  (Slobo)  now  wears  it  with  singular  esteem.  » 
Whether  it  be  of  Damascus  steel,  or  an  Andrea  Ferrara,  (1) 
the  history  of  this  famous  blade,  traced  from  the  surrender  of 
Fort  Necessity,  through  the  sickening  horrors  of  the  Fort 
William  Henry  massacre  in  1757,  back  to  England,  then  at 
Loiiisboiirg,  and,  finally,  during  Wolfe's  campaign  at  Quebec, 
when  it  was,  according  loKnox,  restored  to  its  lawful  owner, — 
its  history,  we  say,  might  adorn  a  tale. 

.We  have  to  view  our  hero,  now  a  hostage  of  war,  in  a  tdtally 
diiferent  light.  The  gay,  generous,  convivial  Captain,  sur- 
rounded with  veterans  and  friends,  dining  on  wild  turkey,  ve- 
nison, and  Madeira,  with  possibly  partridges  and  claret  cup  for 
supper,  is(!clipsed  t'/Uoio;  his  biographer  exhibits  instead  a  gaimt 
form  «  in  a  dungeon,  lying  on  a  bag  of  straw,  with  a  morsel  of 
bread  and  a  pan  of  cold  water  by  his  side, — the  cold  earthen 
floor  for  his  table.  No  cheerfid  friend  to  pledge  him  in  a  glass 
or  other  guest  came  there,  except  a  mouse  ran  past  his  meagre 
fare.  »  This  «  running  mouse  »  wc  take,  however,  to  have 
becm  introduced  by  Stobo's  quaint  biographer  and  friend  as  a 
meretricious  ornament.  A  «  hungry  rat  »  we  woidd  not  object 
to,  as  niling  to  compli'lt;  the  tableau  of  dungeon  horrors  ;  inan 
emergency,  it  might  be  made,  failing  other  viands,  to  nibble 
at  the  prisoner's  nether  extremities.  lU;  this  as  it  may,  we 
shall  not  quarrel  with  Stoho  or  his  biogiapher,  about  that 
«  nuining  mouse,  »  provided  it  is  not  allo\\ed  to  run  any 
more. 

It  is  curious  to  watch  next  llic  process  ofroasoniiig  by  which 
the  biographer  atlenipts  to  justify  the  manner  in  which  his 
heio — an  hostage  and  a  [msowt'v  pa )ole(l  «  to  go  and  come  as 
he  pleased  all  about  the  country  » — after  spying  out  the 
nakedness  of  the  laiul,  sets  to  communicate  inlelligence  to  the 
enemy,  «  deeming  himself  entirely  absolved  from  all  obliga- 

(1)  Colonel  John  Sowcll,  late  of  the  4!lth,  and  who  served  under  his  old 
Colonel,  the  gallant  Brock,  at  Queenstown,  in  1812,  has  tola  us  that  ho  had  seen 
a  nuiiibor  of  English  swords  of  the  era  of  the  coiinue.st,  which  were  all  Andrea 
Perruras. 


58 


MAJOR    ROBERT    STOBO. 


lions  of  honor.  »  "We  thus  find  him  preparing  «  a  plan  of  Fort 
lUi  Ouesno  Willi  all  ils  approaches,  »  which  he  succeeded  in 
hnviiiLT  sccrelly  conveyed  lo  Gcuijie  Wasliinylon.    The  Irnin  of 
reasoning  lent  by  ihe  considerale  biographer  lo  his  prisoner, 
would  have  gladderu'd  Ihe  heart  of  an  Escobar  or  a  Torqne- 
mada.  This  plan  and  the  letters,  having  fallen  with  General 
Braddock's  papers  into  the  hands  ol  the  French,  will  hereafter 
rise  in  judgment  against  Ihe  paroled  prisoner.    «  Soon,  »   the 
writer  observes,    «  the  French  removed  their  hostages  from 
one  fort  lo  another,  through  Ihe  whole  chain  of  them,  from 
Fort  Du  Qifisne  down  lo  Qnebec,  which  is  distant  about  three 
hundred  leagues  with  the  advantagi^  lo  hinisell",  that  he  had 
liberty  to  go  and  come  as  he  pli-ased,  all  about  the  country. 
At  first  he  was  at  a  great  loss  from  his  not  knowing  the  French 
tongue,  to  acquire  which  was  his  first  study,  in  which  iiursuit 
he  was  gen(>rally  assisted   by  the  ladies,  »   who  took  great 
]»leasMre  in  hearing  him  aga'n  a  child,  and  learning  to  pro- 
nounce his  syllables.   «  His  manner  was  still  open,  free  and 
easy,  which  gained  him  ready  access  into  all  their  com|iany.» 
11    would    appear    even,   that    a    reunion    was  consideied 
incomplete,    without  the    handsome    Captain,    «  in    whose 
appearance  there  was  sonietliing  veiy  engaging;  he  had  a 
dark  brown  conijilexion,  a  penetrating  eye,  an  aquiline  nose, 
round  face,  a  good  cheerful  countenance,  a  very  genteel  per- 
son, rather  slender  than  robust,   and  giacefnl  in   his  whole 
deportment.  »  Amongst  the  delicate  attentions  of  his  amiable 
jailt'i's,  one  notes  the  honor  bestdwcd  on  him,  when  instalbid 
an    Indian  chief.    The  ceremony  of  iiistnllalicm  was  more 
painful  than  picturesque.    11  was  pe>  i'ormed  with  some  sharp 
fish-bones,  dipped  in  a  liquid  w''-    i  leaves  a  blackness  under 
Uie  skin  which  nt'ver  wears  ofi',  «  ap|)lied  on  the  leg  above  the 
garter,  in  form  something  like  a  diadem.  »    We  are  unfortu- 
nately left  in  the  dark  as  to  whether  this  handsome  Scot,   in 
order  to  display  with  advantage!  his  insignia  as  a  Knight  of  the 
fJarter,  took  to  wearing  Kilts  or  not.  In  order  tocarryontmore 
efiectually  his  plans,  he  set  to  studying  Fiench most  earnestly. 
Ihil  an  untoward  event  threatened  lo  cut  short  his  adventu- 
rous careei'.  The  French  (Jovermnenl  having  obtained  posses- 


A   HOSTAGE   OF   FORT    NECESSITY. 


59 


sion  6T  the  letters  and  plans,  Stobo  had  secretly  conveyed  to 
the  enemy,  issued  a  memorial,  describinj;  Stobo,  as  a  spy  in 
Fort  Du  Quesne,  who  had  commiinicaled  valuable  information 
to  the  British  authorities.  Upon  this  discovery,  Stobo  was  com- 
mitted a  close  prisoner  nt  Uncboc,  and  hardly  used,  we  are 
told.  His  dungeon  is  most  dismal  and  dark,  but  by  degrees  his 
eyesight  became  so  sharp  he  could  discern  a  « running 
mouse  »  on  the  floor.  It  is  to  be  hopi.'d  this  is  the  last  of  these 
running  mice. 

These  credentials  against  him  were  remitted  to  Paris 
by  the  very  first  opportunity,  and  the  next  year,  a 
commission  was  sent  out  to  Vaudreuil,  the  (iovernor  of 
Canada,  to  try  the  prisoner  for  his  life.  Some  time,  in  17oG,  he 
effected  his  escape  from  prison.  A  n^ward  of  0,000  livres 
having  been  olfered  for  hisre-caplure,di'adoralive,  thousands 
scoured  the  woods  for  him  ;  he  was  soon  replaced  in  his 
confinement — a  most  dismal  dungeon,  from  which  on  the  28th 
November,  he  was  dragged  bcfon;  the  M;u(]uis  of  Vaudreuil.  As 
president  of  the  court-mai  tial,  lh(^  Marquis  sentenced  him  to 
death  for  violating  the  law  of  nations  by  breach  of  faith  and 
treasonable  practices  against  the  govermnent  which  held  him 
as  a  ho-tage  ;  the  Governor  referred  to  F/ance  to  havethesen- 
tence  confirmed  ;  the  hapless  prisoner  with  his  arms  well 
tightened  down  with  conls,  by  \\ay  of  consoling  himsidf,  used 
to  say,  that  he  hoped  the  day  woiilil  come  whcm  he  could 
twist  otf  the  noses  of  those  who  caused  him  such  disgrace. 
His  motto  however  was  :  lortuna  favct  fortilnii ;  so  he  had  soon 
contrived  a  plan  of  escape,  which  instead  of  landing  him  in 
Virginia,  took  him  only  to  the  Falls  of  MoiilnKtnMicv,  where  he 
was  re-arrested  on  the  3rd  May,  17o7,  and  recoiiveyed  to 
his  prison.  His  new  misfortune  is  bewailed  by  his  biographer 
in  alfecting  language.  The  evil  day  however  cannot  last 
forever.  There  were  then  in  Quebec, — there  are  still,  ladies 
with  marriageable  daughters.  Let  us  allow  Stobo's  words  to 
speak  out  : 

«  There  dwelt,  by  lucky  fate,  in  this  strong  capital,  a  lady 
fair,  of  chaste  renown,  of  manners  sweet,  and  gentle  soul.  » 

This  lady  fair  thus  addressed  the  proud  Canadian  Viceroy  : 


m 


MAJOR  ROBERT    STOBO. 


— «  Mighty  Cousin,  our  good  Canadian  Court  most  sure"  were 
right  when  Ihoy  condt.Mniied  this  haughty  prisoner  to  lose  his 
forfeited  life  to  our  Grant  Monarch,  (Louis  XIV)  whose  great 
benevolence  gives  peace  to  mankind,  his  mighty  arms  give 
empire  to  the  world.  » 

Now,  dear  reader,  shall  we  confess  it  ?  wo  have  grave,  very 
grave  doubts  that  the  court  cliaimcrs,  in  Bigot's  frolicsome 
days  at  Quebec,  pleaded  the  cause  of  distressed  cavaliers,  in 
such  «  hifalutiu  »  accents. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  Stobo,  then  very  weak  and  ill  by  close 
confinement,  was  allowed  to  take  up  his  quarters  on  the  ram- 
parts with  the  «  sweet  hostess  and  her  yet  sweeter  daughters.  » 
Amongst  the  English  prisoners  of  Quebec,  there  was  a  Lieu- 
tenant Steveftson,  of  Roger's  Rangers,  and  one  Clark,  a 
Scotchman,  from  Leilh,  a  ship-carpenter  by  trade,  with  his  wife 
and  two  small  children ;  he,  to  improve  his  prospects,  had  be- 
come a  Roman  Catholic.  A  plan  of  escape  between  them  was 
agreed  on,  and  carried  out  on  1st  May,  1759.  Major  Stobo 
met  the  fugitives  under  a  wind-mill,  probably  the  old  wind- 
mill on  the  grounds  of  the  Goueral  Hospital  Convent.  Having 
stolen  a  birch  canoe,  the  party  paddled  it  all  night,  and,  after 
incredible  fatigue  and  danger,  they  passed  Isle  aux  Coudres, 
Kamouraska,  and  landed  below  this  spot,  shooting  twoliidians 
in  self-defence,  whom  Clark  buried  after  having  scalped  them, 
saying  to  the  Major  :  «  Good  sir,  by  your  permission,  these 
same  two  scalps,  when  I  come  to  New-York,  will  sell  for 
twenty-four  good  pounds  :  with  this  I'll  be  right  merry,  and 
my  wife  right  beau.  »  They  then  murdered  the  Indian's  faith- 
ful dog,  because  he  howled,  and  buiied  him  with  his  masters. 
It  was  shortly  after  this  that  they  met  tho  laird  of  the  Kamou- 
raska Isles,  le  Chevalier  de  la  Dui'an  '  /e,whosaid  thatthebest 
Canadian  blood  ran  in  his  veins,  and  that  he  was  of  kin  with 
the  mighty  Due  de  Miiapoix.  Had  the  mighty  Duke,  however, 
at  that  moment  seen  his  Canadian  cousin  steering  the  fuuroared 
boat,  loaded  with  wheat, '  he  might  have  felt  but  a  very  quali- 
fied admiration  for  the  majesty  of  his  demeanor  and  his 
nautical  savoir  (aire  Stobo  took  possession  of  the  Chevalier's 
piimace,  and  made  the  haughty  laird,  mlms  volens^  row  him 


A  HOSTAGE  OF  PORT  NECESSITY. 


di 


ired 

iali- 

his 

;r's 

lini 


with  the  rest  of  the  crew,  telling  him  to  row  away,  and  that, 
had  the  great  Louis  himself  been  in  the  boat  at  that  moment, 
it  would  be  hie  fate  to  row  a  British  subject  thus.     «  At  these 
last  mighty  words,  »  says  the  Memoirs,    «  a  stern  resolution 
sat  upon  his  countenance,  which  the  Canadian  beheld  and 
with  reluctance,  temporized.  »  After  a  series  of  adventures, 
and  dangers  of  every  kind,  the  fugitives  succeeded  in  captur- 
ing a  French  boat.  Next,  Ihey  surprised  a  French  sloop,  and, 
after  a  most  hazardous  voyage,  they  finally,  in  their  prize, 
landed  at  Louisbourg  to  the  general  amazemeut.  Stobo  missed 
the  English  fleet ;  but  took  passage  two  days  after,  in  a  vessel 
leaving  for  Quebec,  where  he  safely  arrived  to  tender  his  ser- 
vices to  the  immortal  Wolfe,  who  gladly,  availed  himself  of 
them.  According  to  the  Memoirs,  Stobo,  used  daily  to  set  out 
to  reconnoitre  with  Wolfe  ;    in  this  patriotic  duly,  whilst 
standing  with  Wolfe  on  the  deck  of  a  frigate,  opposite  the  Falls 
of  Montmorency,  some  French  shots  were  nigh  carrying  away 
his  decorated  and  gartered  legs. 

We  next  find  the  Major  on  the  21st  July,  1759,  (1)  piloting 
the  expedition  sent  to  Deschambault  to  seize,  as  prisoners,  the 
Quebec  ladies  who  had  taken  refuge  there  during  the  bom- 
bardment— «  Mesdames  Duchesnayand  Decharnay ;  Mile.  Couil- 
lard  ;  the  Joly,  Mailhiot  and  Magnan  families. »  Next  day  in 
the  afternoon,  ks  belles  captives,  who  had  been  treated  with 
every  species  of  respect,  were  put  on  shore  and  released  at 
Diamond  Harbour.  The  English  admiral,  full  of  gallantry, 
ordered  the  bombardment  of  the  city  to  be  suspended,  in  order 
to  alford  the  Quebec  ladies  time  to  seek  places  of  safety. 

Stobo  next  points  out  the  spot,  at  Sillery,  where  Wolfe 
landed,  and  soon  after  was  sent  with  despatches,  via  the  St. 
Lawrence,  to  General  Amherst ;  but,  during  the  trip,  the 
vessel  was  overhauled  and  taken  by  a  French  privateer,  the 
despatches  having  been  previously  consigned  to  the  deep. 
Slobo  might  have  swung  at  the  yard-arm  in  this  new  predica- 
ment, had  his  French  valet  divulged  his  identity  with  the  spy 
of  Fort  Du  Quesne  ;  but  fortune  again  stepped  in  to  preserve 

(1)  See  Journal  du  Si4ge  d«  Quibee,  1750  ;  J.  Q.  Panet  :  p.  16. 


ilrstfaS 


62 


MAJOR    ROBERT    SipDO. 


the  adventurous  Scot.  There  were  already  too  many  prisoners 
on  board  of  the  French  privateer.  A  day's  provisions  is  allowed 
the  English  vessel,  which  soon  landed  Slobo  at  Halifax,  from 
whence  he  joined  General  Amherst,  «  many  a  league  across  the 
country.  »  «  He  served  under  Amherst  on  his  Lake  Champlain 
expedition,  and  there  he  finished  the  campaign;  which  ended, 
he  begs  to  go  to  Wi'liarasburgh,  the  then  capital  of  Virginia. » 

It  seems  singular  that  no  command  of  any  importance  ap- 
pears to  have  been  given  to  the  brave  Captain  ;  but,  possibly, 
the  part  played  by  the  Major  when  under  parole  at  Fort  Du 
Quesne,  was  weighed  by  the  Imperial  authorities.  There  cer- 
tainly seems  to  be  a  dash  of  the  Benedict  Arnold  in  this  trans- 
action. However,  Stobo  was  publicly  thanked  by  a  Committee 
of  the  Assembly  of  Virginia,  and  was  allowed  his  arrears  of  pay 
for  the  time  of  his  captivity.  On  the  30th  April,  1756,  he  had 
also  been  presented  by  the  Assembly  of  Virginia  with  £300, 
in  consideration  of  his  services  to  the  country  and  his  sufferings 
in  his  confinement  as  a  hostage  in  Quebec.  On  the  19th  No- 
vember, 1759,  he  was  presented  with  £1,000  as  «  a  reward 
for  his  zeal  to  his  country  and  the  recompense  for  the  great 
hardships  he  has  suffered  during  his  confinement  in  the 
enemy's  country.  »  On  the  ISth  February,  1760,  Major  Stobo 
embarked  from  New  York  for  England  on  board  the  packet 
with  Colonel  West  and  several  other  gentlemen.  One  would 
imagine  that  he  had  exhausted  the  vicissitudes  of  fortune.  Not 
so.  A  French  privateer  boards  them  in  the  midst  of  the  En- 
glish channel.  The  Major  again  consigns  to  the  deep  his 
letters,  all  except  one,  which  he  forgot,  in  the  pocket  of  his 
coat,  under  the  arm  pit.  This  escaped  the  general  catastrophe ; 
and  will  again  restore  him  to  notoriety  ;  it  is  from  General 
A.  Monckton  to  Mr.  Pitt.  The  passengers  of  the  packet  were 
assessed  £2,500  to  be  allowed  theii  liberty,  and  Stobo  had 
to  pay  £125  towards  the  relief  fund.  The  despatch  forgotten 
in  his  coat,  on  delivery  to  the  great  Pitt,  brought  back  a  letter 
from  Pitt  to  Amherst.  With  this  testimonial,  Stobo  sailed  for 
New  York,  24th  April,  1760,  to  rejoin  the  army  engaged  in 
the  invasion  of  Canada  ;  here  end  the  Memoirs. 

Though  Stobo's  conduct  at  Fort  du  Quesne  and  at  Quebec, 


A   HOSTAGE   OF  FORT   NECESSITY. 


63 


can  never  bo  dcfcmded  nor  palliated,  all  will  agree  that  lie 
exhibited  during  his  eventful  career,  most  indomitable  forti- 
tude, a  boundless  ingenuity,  and  great  devotion  to  his  country 
—the  whole  crowned  with  final  success. 

«  It  has  been  suggested,  »  say,  the  Memoirs  «  that  Major 
Stoho  was  Smollet's  original  for  Captain  Lismahago,  in  the 
adventures  of  Humphrey  Clinker.  It  isknown  by  a  letter  from 
David  Hume  to  Smollet,  that  Stobo  was  a  friend  of  the  latter 
author,  and  his  ren^arkable  adventures  may  have  suggested 
that  character.  If  so  ;  the  copy  is  a  great  exaggeration.  » 

The  Memoirs  of  3Iajor  Robert  Stobo,  printed  at  Pittsburgh 
in  1854,  were  taken  from  the  copy  in  the  British  Museum, 
chiefly  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  James  McHenry,  an 
enterprising  Liverpool  merchant.  Mr.  James  McHenry  is  a  son 
of  Dr.  McHenry,  the  Novelist  and  Poet,  formerly  of  Pittsburgh. 

Robert  Stobo  is  a  name  which  must  find  its  place  in  our 
annals. 

What  a  hero,  for  a  Canadian  Novel  I 


'mmm'^mmmmmmimm 


CADIEUX,  THE  OLD  VOTAGEUR 


'f,iii;)  J 


Utawa's  tido  I  this  trembling  moon 
Shall  see  U8  float  over  thy  surges  soon. 
Saint  of  this  green  isle  I  hear  our  prayers, 
Oh  I  grant  us  cool  heavens  and  favouring  airs. 
Blow,  breezes,  blow,  the  stream  runs  fast, 
The  Rapids  are  near,  and  tho  daylight's  past. 

int.,  r,i  ■Moo*-'- 


Every  country  has  its  legends,  its  wild  stories  of  love  or 
revenge  ;  Its  traditional  accounts  of  heroes  ;  of  battles  won  or 
lost ;  of  brave  men  saved  from  certain  death  by  some  unac- 
countable superhuman  agency  ;  of  wicked  ones  summarily 
punished.  Poets,  chroniclers,  and  historians  mould  these  me- 
mories into  more  or  less  attractive  form,  throw  light  or  shade 
on  the  picture,  as  suits  them  ;  surround  it  with  the  halo  of 
genius,  or  leave  it  a  dreary  record  of  the  past.  It  were  strange, 
indeed,  if  our  own  inland  seas,  (1)  ourwild  lakes,  our  romantic 
forests — which  for  centuries  resounded  with  the  tread  or 
echoed  the  warwhoop  of  the  innumerable  Indian  tribes  bent  on 
exterminating  one  another,  and  equally  hostile  to  the  white 
man — rshould  be  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.  There 
is  indeed  an  ample  harvest  awaiting  the  future  Walter  Scotts, 
the  Washington  Irvihgs,  or  the  Coopers,  whom  Canada  may 


produce. 


•I'-fuiil  mi  Jtitil  ^u  rttioi   ,!'.w)\n-.\tiH    i'i  KVhW.nii'x 


(1)  Lake  Superior  according  to  U.  S.  Surveys  is  367  miles  in  extreme  length  ; 
gieatest  breath,  159  miles ;  me$xx  depth,  1,000  feet ;  elevation  above  sea  level,  627 
feet;  area,  10,665  miles. 

Lake  Michigan  :  extreme  length,  860  miles  ;  extreme  breath,  108  miles ;  mean 
depth,  iK)0  fe<i  ;  elevation,  587  feet ;  area,  ^,676  miles. 

Lak^  ^UI|on ;;  ex^eme  length,  201  miles  ;  extreiAe  brj^atl^i  ^58|  miles  ;  mean 
depth,  300  feet:  elevation,  574  feet;  area,  6,67^  miles. 

Lake  Erie :  bxtiriBi^e  length',  249  miles  ;  extreme  breath,  81  miles ;'  mean  depth, 
200  ;feet ;  elievntUn  450  f^et ;  area^  '^,850  miles.      ■  .■■    ' 

La>lfe Ontario  :  extreme  length,  ^QO;  utiles;  extzems  breath,. 6<6  miles;  moaa 
depth,  500  feet ;  eievation  260  feet ;  area,  098  miles. 

Total  length  of  the  five  Lakes  :  1,350  miles— total  area,  28,863  miles. 

5 


66 


CADIEL'X,    THE  OLD  VOYAGEUR. 


AVe  shall  in  this  paper  select  for  our  Ihcme,  one  of  those 
ancient  trudilions,  carefully  collated,  and  divested  of  many 
of  its  marvellous  episodes. 

Amongst  the  numerous  songs  yihkh  old  Voyageurs  and 
Northwesters  were  in  the  habit  of  singing  a  few  years  ago,  after 
the  toil  of  the  day  was  over,  and  when  the  aroma  of  the  weed 
rose  in  circles  round  the  camp-fire,  few  had  a  wider  range  of 
celebrity  than  one  generally  known  as  the  a  Gcmplainte  de 
Cadieux  ;  »  it  portrayed  in  simple  but  vivid  language  the  sin- 
gular fate  of  an  educated  and  roving  Frenchman,  of  which 
class  the  Baron  dc  Saint  Castin  is  the  truest  type  ;  Cadieux  was 
his  name  ;  the  banks  of  the  Ottawa  River,  close  to  Portage  du 
Fort,  the  theatre  of  his  exploits  and  unhappy  end.  But  I  fancy 
I  hear  an  inqiiisive  lady  friend  ask  :  «  "Who  was  Cadieux  ? 
"What  brought  him  out  to  Canada  ?  "Was  it  to  escape  a  leltre  de 
cachet,  or  was  he  a  blase  Court  roii(4,  or  a  disappointed  lover, 
seeking  oblivion  or  concealment  in  the  fastness  of  a  Cana- 
dian forest,  like  the  old  Hermit  of  the  Island  of  St.  Barnab^, 
of  whom  you  have  given  us  so  glowing  an  account?))  Lady 
fair,  I  cannot  say  ;  I  can  only  translate  for  you,  the  history  of 
the  solitary  tomb,  which  you  can  visit  any  day  you  like,  near 
Porlaop.  du  Fort,  as  Dr.  Tache  has  related  it. 

Evidently,  Cadieux  must  have  united  to  bravery,  and  to  a  ro- 
mantic mind,  a  poetical  genius  :  he  finds  his  place  amongst 
that  resolute  band  of  intelligent  pioneers,  the  Marsollets,  Mar- 
gueries,  Hertels  ;  the  Coutures,  the  Nicolets,  &c.,  who  were 
sometiines  employed  by  government,  sometimes  by  the  mis- 
sionaries, to  interpret  the  various  Indian  dialects.  Dr.  Tache, 
to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  narrative  of  Cadieux  in  his 
Forestiers  et  Voyageurs,  tells  us  that  he  himself  had  fre- 
quently, in  the  course  of  his  travels  in  Iha  back-woods  of 
Canada,  heard  detached  stanzas  of  this  mysterious  wail  of 
suffering  and  death  ;  until  recently,  the  singular  tradition, 
as  embodied  in  poetry,  had,  as  a  whole,  coostanlly  eluddd  his 
grasp.  Nor  was  he  alone  in  his  efforts  to  rescue  it  from  obli- 
vion ;  an  indefatigable  searcher  of  the  past,  the  vene- 
rable Abi)^  Ferland,  had  diligently  set  to  work,  making  enquiry 
in  every  quarter,  writing  even  to  the  Red  River  settlements  for 

2 


C\D1EUX,    TOE   OLD   VOYAGEUR. 


67 


inroimalion.  To  llie  ploasing  author  of  Les  Foretiliers  et 
Voyayeurs,  was  reserved  the  salisfaclion  ofgiaphically  record- 
ing lli(!  old  Iradilion.  Audubon  liiniself,  when  he  discovered 
Ihe  nia^iiilicenl  eagle  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  IheBmitOF 
Washington,  did  not  experience  keener  pleasure  than  Dr. 
Tache  on  receiving  from  the  lips  of  his  old  Indian  guide  Mo- 
rache,  Ihe  whole  complaiute  or  song  of  (ladieiix. 

«  In  ascending,  »  says  he,  «  the  great  River  Ottawa,  one 
has  to  stop  at  the  rock  of  the  high  mountain,  situate  in  the 
middle  of  the  portage  of  the  seven  falls  at  the  foot  of  the 
island  of  the  Grand  Calumet :  it  is  there  that  lies  Cadieux's 
tomb,  surrounded  to  this  day  by  a  wooden  railing.  Each  time 
th(;  (liuupany's  canoes  pass  the  little  rock,  an  old  Voyageur 
relates  to  his  younger  companions  the  fate  of  the  brave  inter- 
preter. 

«  Cadieux  was  a  roving  interpreter,  who  had  married  a 
young  Algonquin  girl :  he  generally  spent  the  summer  hunt- 
ing, and  in  winter  he  purchased  furs  for  the  traders. 
After  a  winter  thus  passed  by  Cadieux  at  the  portage,  where 
he  and  the  other  families  had  their  wigwams,  it  had  been 
decided  in  May,  to  wail  for  other  Indian  tribes  who  had  furs 
for  sale,  and  then  all  were  to  come  down  to  Montreal.  Profound 
peace  existed  in  the  settlement,  when  one  day  a  young  Indian, 
who  had  been  roaming  about,  close  to  the  rapids  lower  down 
than  Ihe  portage,  rushed  back  out  of  breath  and  shouted  like  a 
death  kneli  amongst  the  alfrighted  occupants  of  the  huts  : 
Nattaoue  !  Nattaoue  I  !  The  Iroquois  '  the  Iroquois  I  ! 
'  «  There  was  in  reality  at  that  moment,  lower  than  the  rapids 
of  the  Seven  Falls,  a  parly  of  Iroquois  warriors,  waiting  to 
pounce  upon  the  canoes,  one  which  generally  descended  at  that 
season  loaded  with  skins.  One  chance  only  of  escape  remained : 
to  risk  running  the  canoes  through  the  rapids — a  hopeless  pro- 
ject, though  it  had  ever  been  considered.  Nor  was  this  all  ;  it 
would  be  necessary  to  station  some  parlies  in  the  woods  in 
order,  by  firing,  to  draw  off  the  attention  of  the  Iroquois  from 
the  desperate  attempt  which  would  be  made  to  shoot  through 
the  rapids  and  prevent  pursuit.  Cadieux,  being  the  ablest  and 
most  resolute  of  the  tribe,  choose  a  yyung  Algonquin  wariior 


■i 


^ 


08 


CADIEUX,    THE  OLD   VOYAGlPAn. 


to  s(>con<l  liim  in  lliis  perilous  survive  :  il  >vns  soUIimI  Ifiat 
once  llio  inlcrproUM'  and  his  comrade  should  have  sui;cecded 
to  inveigh;  Ihe  Iroquois  in  (he  woods,  lliey  would  try  u  eir- 
cuilous  route,  and  alleinpt  to  join  their  own  friends  who  were 
to  send  after  them,  should  they  he  too  lon^  absent. 

«  I'reparalions  having  been  nmde  for  a  slarl,il>\  as  settled  that 
C.adieiix  and  the  Alj^'onquin  wariior,  well  armed,  should  ad- 
vatico  towards  the  Iroquois  encampment,  and  that  Ihcsi^n  for 
the  eanoesto  break  cover  and  venture  on  their  learfid  race,  would 
))e  the  (iring  of  their  guns.  Soon  the  report  of  a  fire-arm  was 
heard  in  the  dfslance  ;  it  was  followed  by  three  or  four  others 
in  ()nick  succession  ;  on  went  the  frail  birch  canoes,  amidst 
the  foam  and  rocks,  skimming  like  s(>a  birds,  over  the  boiling 
caldron  ;  it  was  a  race  for  dear  life,  Iht;  extraordinary  and 
superhuman  skill  of  the  red  skins  alone,  under  Provid(!nce, 
saving  them  from  death  in  a  thousand  forms. 

«  '  1  saw  nothing  during  our  passage  over  the  rapids,  '  said 
Cadieux's  wife,  a  pious  \Aomen,  '  but  the  form  of  a  tall  lady  in 
uhilc  hovering  over  the  canoes  and  showing  us  the  way.  ' 
They  had  invoked  Sainte  Anne,  the  patron  saint  of  the  mariner. 

«  The  canoes  escaped  and  safely  arrived  at  the  Lake  of  Two 
Mountains  ;  but  Cadieux  and  his  devoted  follower — what  had 
become  of  them  ?  This  was  ascertained  some  time  after  by 
the  party  sent  to  their  rescue,  and  from  the  Iroquois  them- 
selves. 

«  Cadieux  had  quietly  watched  for  the  Iroquoisattheporfa^e, 
placing  himself  about  an  acre  from  his  colleague,  allowing  the 
Iroquois  scouts  to  penetrate  to  the  centre  of  the  portage, 
he  wailed  until  he  heard  the  death  yell  of  one  of  them,  shot  by 
his  helpmate,  and  then  marking  his  victim  fired  with  unerring 
aim  :  the  war  whoop  resounds,  and  the  Iroquois  fancying  that 
they  are  attacked  by  a  large  parly  of  warriors,  separate  and 
chai  ge  in  .difi^tirent  directions.  11  is  supposed  that  the  young 
Algonquin  fell  here  in  attempting  to  pin  Cadieux^  as  was 
agreed  on.  For  tbiee  days  the  blood-thirsty  aborigines  scoured 
the  woods  to  find  out  traces  of  the  encampment,  never  think- 
ing for  a  moment  that  the  enemy  had  been  fool-hardy  enough 
to  attempt  descending  through  the  rapids.  For  three  days  and 


CADUXX,    THR   OLD    VOYAGEUR. 


CO 


llircenij^lils  Ihcy  senrdicd  forCadioiix — ;  llicse  wnro  sleepless 
mollis  for  llic  uhitc  mail!  Mnl'lli'd,   llioy  relnct'd   llioir  s(('ih 
and  rctiirjicd  to  llicif  canoes.  Si'\(>ral  (I;iys  liad  elapsed,   and 
as  iiu  tidings  of  C.adieiix  eaine,  a  party  ^^il^  ioiined  and  >eiit  to 
his  reliel' ;  traees  of  the  Iroquttis  were  tiiiniij'takrable,  and  in- 
dications also  of  llio  presniee  of  (!adi(Mix  in  llio  vieinily.     At, 
the  Portn<jc  des  Sept  Chulea.  Iliey  not'ced  a  small  luit  of  bran- 
dies >vliieli,  appnretilly,  liad  l)ren  abandoned;    tliey  passiul 
on,  alter  (!\aniining  il  and  eoiiliniied  llieir  route,  tb'iikin^'  that 
perbaps  Cadieiix  might  have  b'cn  eom])elIed  to  aseond  the 
Ottawa  and  take  refuse  with  lln;  Indians  of  the  island.     Two 
days  later — it  was  the  tiiirleeMlli    alter  the  skitniisb — they 
notiet'd,  with  surprise,  on  their  relnry,  on  repassing  what  had 
provionsly  appeared  to  them  an  abamloniied  hiit,a  smalleross. 
It  stood,  on  iIk!  snrl'aee,  at  the  head  of  ji  IVe«.hly  made  grave  ; 
in  it,  was  deposited  the  corpse,   still   Iresli   of  (ladienx,   half 
covered  with  green  branches.    Ills  hands   were  claspi'd  over 
his  chest,  on  wliicli  rented  a  large  slKii't  of  biicli  bark.     The 
general  opinion  was,  on  reading  the  writing  seril)bled  on  the 
bark)  and  from  other  ijltendant  ciii'iimstanees,  that  (xbaiis- 
tion,  hiing(!r,  and  anxiety  had  jirodnced  on   the  nnroilnnat;' 
interpreter  that  kind  of  mental  Hbcialion   or  hallneinalion 
which  tlie  French  (lanadian^  call,  la  folie  des  hois ;  one  of  its 
pecnliarilie>, being  the  piopensity  its  viclims  have  of  walking 
in  thew'(K)ds,  imiiitentionally  in  a  circle  witbonl  making  any 
progress,  Cadieux  had,  imdiably   lived  on  wild  fruit,  never 
daring  to  light  a  lire,  for  fear  of  betraying  bis  place  of  con- 
cealmtMil  to  bis  merciless  foes.  lie  bad  iiiown  weakt  r  daily  ; 
when  the  relief  parly  had  passed  the  li  il  two  days  pre\ioiislN, 
he  had,  il  would  seem,   recognized  tliein   as  friends,  but  lb  ; 
:sudden  joy  at  the  [trospect  of  a  speedy  deliverance  was  so 
^real  that  he  fell  to  the  earth  speeeliless  and  iiia;iitnale  ;    that 
when  they  passed  him,  seeing  llie  last  lio|ie  \iinish,and  feeliim 
his  strength  fail,  he  bud  scribbled  bis  adieux  to  the  livin.  and 
then  prepared  his  last  resting  place  ;    this  done,   and  the 
cross  erected,    he    laid    himself    down    to   sleep   the    long 
«limiber  covering  his  body  as  best  he  could  with  spruce 
houghs.  Cadieux  was  a   Voyageur,   a  poet,   and  a  waiiior. 


70 


CADIEIX,    THi:   OLD   VOVAGfXK, 


^^IlJ(l  Ii(!  Lad  wiiUon  Oil  lilt,'  biicli  Itaik  \mis  liis  dir^e,  lifs 
I'lnuM'cal  cliaimt.  Hofoio  lyiii^  hinisclf  down  lo  rosi,  li(!,\v!iost^ 
Miui^iiialioii  liad  for  so  loii^',  revelled  in  naluro's  grand  scenery, 
and  who  eoi'.ld  write  .so/t/y.s /"o?' ro^fif/t'f/r.s,  reeling'  a  Kitnrn  of 
the  sacred  tire,  emhodied  in  verse  Ids  own  dii'^e, 

«  This  lay,  by  its  siini)licilv.  is  very  alliaeiive;  it  is  much  in 
th  >  slyl(M)f  the  old  Norman  «Lameiils  »  iiiiiiorlediiilhecolony 
by  tin;  lirsl  settlers,  wilh  a  dash  of  for.'s'i  life  superadded.  Th(^ 
(lyin)4  hard  addresses  himself  lo  th((  ohjeds  which  snrroiind 
him,  tel|i:.g  them,  of  his  rrgrel  for  (|iii!tiiii;  ;  fe  ;  Iheii,  phy- 
sical |iain  wiiiif^s  from  liiin  a  pman  of  anguish  >vhich  is. 
fodowed  by  a  sori'owfiil  Ihonglit  ai  the  loss  of  those  iieaiest 
and  dearest  to  bis  heart.  Anon,  he  expresses  liisap|)i(di-'nsion 
on  wilii'ssing  smo'.e  rise  near  bis  hut  pni  far  dislau! — theij, 
l(!lls  of  lh(?  int(!n  ■(!  joy  be  experiiiiced  on  ivco^ni.dng  'he 
ieatiip.  s  of  frieiids  in  the  party  sent  out  to  r(!sc,ue  him — of  his 
shout  oil!  Avliere  lie  is — and  of  Uienans  which 


ly 


I' 


«i 


ieir  linal  de[)artnre  »;ost  him.  Cadi(Mi\  n'xl  sees  a  wolf  and  a 
rav(m  prowling  ronnd  his  emaciated  frame  ;  the  ardor  of  the 
bimler  and  of  t.lie  backwoodsman  tires  bis  eye  for  a  S(H'ond. 
lie  threatens  lo  sbool  one  ;  lo  the  other,  hi;  cries  avaiint  !  go 
and  feast  on  the  bodies  of  the  Iroqinds  1  have  slain  near  by. 
II  •  then  chai'ges  tfu;  song  sj)arrow  (f.e  l\ossigno!)  to  coiivev 
bis  adieiix  lo  bis  wife  anil  bis  '  well-belowd  children,  nnaliy 
winds  lip  by  an  invocation  lo  the  Virgin  Mary  The  pieci;  of 
bark  on  which  (ladieiix's  (b'alh-son,;  was  wrilfen  was  brought 
l»y  the  itdief  parly  lo  the  post  of  the  l.al.e  of  Two  Moiiiilains. 
The'  Voijajctm  have  set  il  lo  a  plainti\('  melody,  well  suited 
to  a  lay  intended  lo  portray  the  arduous  lite  of  u  bunler  and 
Indian  warrioi.   ll  runs  thus  : — 


Tctit  roolicr  ilc  i;i  Hniile  i'i(inli7;^ne, 
,hi  vioiiH  liiiir  'km  oetto  i-iiiiiiiii^iH;  ! 


All  1  (loux  {■■oliofi,  cnteiul 


(!Z  luos  stmims 


1' 
Ell  liiiigui.ssnnt,  je  vai.-f  bii;iiU>t  iiioiuir. 


Pctits  oiacaiiA,  vosi  iluucos  lutrinunios, 
QutiticI  rolls  rhnntoz,  nu;  ntthielient  ?l  Inrie  r 
Ah  1  i^i  j'avai:?  doti  alios  coniine  voiia, 
Jo  s'rais  houruux  uvaut  (jiril  I'ut  deus  juura  t 


CADIEIX,    THE   OLD    VOYAGEIR. 

Soul  en  cos  boi&,  que  j'ai  cu  do  soucia  ! 
Ponsant  toujoiirs  i\  mos  si  chors  amis  ; 
Je  demandais  :  1161a8  1  sont-ils  noyds  7 
Leg  Iroquois  los  auraiont-ils  tuds  7 

Un  de  ees  jorrs  quo  m'6tant  (Eloign*?, 

En  revenant  jo  vis  uno  fuiiirt-  ; 

Jo  mo  suia  dit  :  ••  All  1  grand  Diou  qu'cst  coci  7 

Leg  Iroquois  m'ont-ils  jiris  mon  logis  7  " 

Jo  me  suis  mis  un  pou  i  I'ombassado, 
Afin  do  voir  si  o'<?tait  embusoado  ; 
Alors  jo  vis  trois  visages  fran(;ais, 
M'out  mis  lo  ciBur  d'uno  trup  grando  joio  1 

Mos  gonoux  pliont,  ma  t'aiblo  voix  s'arrSf.e  ; 

Jetombo Helaa  !  h,  partir  ils  s'aitpprOtont 

Jo  rcsto  foul Pas  un  qui  mo  oonsolo, 

Quand  la  mort  vicnt  par  un  si  grand  ddsolo  ! 

Un  l(,u|>  hurlant  viont  prt^s  do  macabano, 
Voir  si  inon  fou  L'avait  plus  de  boucano  ; 
Jp  lui  ai  dit  :  Reliro-toi  d'ioi ; 
Car,  par  ma  foi,  jo  porcerai  ton  liabit ! 

Un  noir  corboau,  volant  h  I'aventuro, 
Viont  so  porcher  tout  pri^s  do  ma  iuiture  ; 
Jo  lui  ai  dit  :  Marigour  de  ohairo  humaino, 
Va-t'oa  chorcLer  autre  viande  quo  luienno  ; 

Va-t'en  l,\-bas,  dans  oca  boisetniarais. 
Til  trouvcrao  plusicurs  corps  Iroquuis  : 
Tu  trouvoias.  dcs  ohairj,  auasi  dos  os  ; 
Va-t'en  plus  loin,  laisso-iaoi  on  ropos  I 

Rossignolet,  va  dire  H  ma  inaitrcssc,  (1) 
A  mos  onfaiits  qu'un  adieu  je  lour  laisse. 
Quo  j'ai  gat'le  iiion  amour  et  mn  fui, 
Et  d':'sormaia  i'aiit  rouoncer  a  moi  ! 

Cost  done  ici  ({uo  lo  mond'  m'abandonne, 
Mais  j'ai  scours  en  vous,  Siiiivour  do.--  Immmes  ! 
TrOs-Sainte  Viorgo,  all  !  in'Mbandonncz  pas, 
rermettez-moi  d"iiiOurir  cutro  vos  htn^  1 


7i 


(1)  Thig  word,  in  old  Canadian  songs,  is  used  for  wife  or  betrothed. 


^tf'li. 


'I  Vii..  ■      .;.,  .    ■    .1,. 


I  I 


•  A  SELECT  TEA  PARTY  AT  THE  GENERAL  HOSPITAL  '  ' 

CONVENT  IN  1759. 

j, ' 


Tea-drinking  in  modeialion  is  condueivo  to  lieallii  ;  who 
daro  gain-say  ?  To  some  il  is  exhilarating — to  others  calm- 
ing in  its  efiecfs.  Nay,  according  to  Waller — it  upes  to  inspi- 
ration, the  portals  of  the  soul  : 

'.   I   ,  The  mind's  friend,  lea,  dons  our  fancy  aid,  ' 

;  Hepress  those  vapours  whicli  oui  Ljad  juvade.         ,      ,, 

U  counteracts  the  ctTects  of  alcohol — prevcnis  gout  and  (1) 
calculus.  What  a  hiessing  thou  art,  cele>lial  heverage  of  the 
celestials,  taken  at  all  limes  :  as  Gay  has  it  :—  ■ 

■   .  ,  -     ,  ,.^  '      ,      - 

,  ,,|      ,     At  noon  (Iho  lady's  nialin  hour)  ,r         ,, 

I  s\])  tea's  delicious  llowr.  i        . 

Nor  is  tea-drinking,  as  some  incorrigihlc  topers  basely  pre- 
tend, necessarily  associated  in  one's  mind  with  scandal — 
vinegar-faced  old  crones — spinsters  of  an  nnceilain  age. 

Prelty  Peg  Woffinglon,  mixing  for  Garrick  and  Dr.  Jolmson 
a  cup  of  the  celestial  beverage,  does  not,  in  the  least  d(!gree, 
appear  before  the  mind's  eye  as  a  «  scandal-munger.  »  «  I  re- 
member, ))  says  the  old  buHcr,  «  drinking  tea  v.ilh  him 
(Garrick)  long  ago,  when  Peg  WoHinglitn  made  it,  ;ind  '■'^. 
gi  iimbled  at  her  for  making  il  loo  sti'oiig.  » 

«  In  IGGO,  ))  writes  old  Pcpys,  »  I  did  send  for  a  cup  of  lea 
(a  china  drink)  of  which  I  had  never  drank  before.  »  Seven 
years  later,  the  h(Mi)  had  found  its  wiiy  into  his  own  house. 
((Home,  and  then;  lind  my  wife  making  of  lea,  a  drink  for 
her  cold  and  delhixions.  »  Good  Mrs.  P(  pys  serving  up  her 

(1)  That  ExeoUont,  nnd 'iy  aU  Phj'sioians  nppri'Ved  China  Drink  naUed  by 
the  ('hineiins  Tcha,  by  other  nations  Tay  alids  Teo,  iH  uohl  (it  llie  ,SultuneiiH  Jlead, 
Cojihee  IIouw,  iu  Swcetinr/'a  routs,  by  t'.ie  lloi/dl  Kjnhnn'j-  Londmi. 

(^Mcrcui-iwi  Politicus,  .September  30th,  1C68.) 


74 


A   SELECT   TEA  PARTY 


frst  «  dish  »  of  Bohoa — there  is  a  subject  for  a  painter  !  But 
let  us  hie  from  the  busy  banks  of  the  Thames  and  attend  one 
of  the  first  lea-parlies,  of  which  we  have  a  record,  on  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence  ;  if.  we  do  not  hear  much  about 
tea,  we  shall  at  least  mix  wilh  several  of  the  elite  of 
the  period.  Follow  Capl.  John  Knox,  then,  into  the  spa- 
cious refectory  of  the  General  Hospital  Convent,  on  the  11th 
October,  1759.  This  is  an  eventful,  very  eventful  year,  for  all 
Canada — nay,  for  North  Ameiica  in  general.  The  worthy 
British  ollicer,  you  know,  holds  an  important  command, 
in  the  victorious  army — ;  he  has  devoted  two  quartos 
to  chronicle  his  North  American  campaigns  ;  in  which, reader, 
you  will  find  details  ample  and  true,  of  thai  momentous  era  of 
our  history. 

The  General  Hospital  Convent  was  founded  as  an  hospital  for 
the  sick,  by  Bishop  St.  Valier,  in  1690.  The  grounds  on  which 
this  ancient  pile  is  situate  cover  an  extensive  area  on  the  shores 
of  the  meandering  St.  Charles,  about  two  milesfrom  the  city  of 
Oiiebec,  in  a  westerly  direction.  They  belonged  to  the  Uecollet 
Fathers,  who  exchanged  them  for  a  lot,  in  the  Upper  Town, 
of  Quebec,  in  1690  ;  whereon  they  built  a  church  and  monas- 
tery :  both  these  buildings  were  utterly  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1796.  Their  site  is  now  occupied  by  the  English  cathedral  and 
the  Place  d' Amies,  or  ring.  The  French  king  had,  previous  to 
1759,  endowed  this  institution  with  ^  bounteous  salary  for  the 
support  of  physicians,  surgeons,  directors,  clerks,  stewards, 
inspectors,  as  also  officers  o'"  the  troops  labouring  under  any 
infirmity.  The  mother  abbess,  that  year,  was  Mere  Sainte 
Claude,  the  fiery  and  haughty  sisl(!r  of  Chevalier  de  Ramsey, 
during  the  siege,  commander  and  governor  of  Quebec.  Mere 
Sainte  Claude,  though  a  humble  and  devoted  nun,  could  not 
forget  the  noble  blood  which  coursed  in  her  veins.  Her  par- 
tiality to  the  French,  during  their  fallen  fortunes,  called  forth 
about  that  period  the  wrath  of  General  Muriay,  the  English 
governor  of  the  city.  The  testy  general,  in  a  fit  of  temper,  in 
order  to  rebuke  elfectually  her  interference  in  mundane  mat- 
ters, vowed  he  would  confer  on  her  the  first  vacant  sergeant's 
commission  and  put  her  on  active  duty,  for  which  her  stature, 


AT    THE   GENERAL    HOSPITAL   CONVENT. 


75 


par- 
Ifoith 
fcilish 
in 
Imat- 
uit's 
lure, 


bearing  and  martial  laslcs,  in  liis  opinion,  eminently  fittetllier. 
Crowded  with  the  sick  and  the  dying  (1)  (hiring  the  summer  of 
1759.  The  General  Hospital  was  a  great  place  of  rendez-vous 
for  the  high  officials  of  Qnebec — civil,  military,  and  ecclesias- 
tical. It  stood  nearly  in  a  line  with  the  bridge  of  boats,  over 
the  St.  Charles,  with  which  Montcalm  communicated  with  the 
city  and  with  his  camp  and  army,  at  lieauporl. 

TIkho  is  something  eminently  touching,  shall  I  say,  dra- 
matic, in  the  simple  words  in  which  the  nun,  who  wrote  the 
siege  narraliv(»,  chronicles  the  arrival  of  the  English  guard, 
during  that  «  night  which  greatly  added  to  our  fears,  »  when 
these  delicate,  unprotected  women  «  prostrated  themselves  at 
the  foot  of  the  altar  to  implore  Divine  n  ercy.  » 

«  The  consternation  which  prevailed  was  suddenly  inter- 
rupted by  loud  and  repeated  knocks  at  our  doors.  Two  young 
nuns  who  were  carrying  broth  to  the  sick,  unavoidably  hap- 
pened to  be  near  when  the  door  was  opened.  The  palor  and 
fright  which  overcame  them  touched  the  offlcer;  he  prevented 
the  guard  from  entering  ;  he  demanded  (he  superiors  and 
desired  them  to  assure  us  of  protection  :  he  said  that  part  of 
the  English  army  would  return  and  take  possession  of  the 
house,  apprehending  tha'  our  army  (the  French),  which  was 
not  distant,  might  return  and  attack  them  in  their  entrench- 
ments. »  This  was,  no  doubt,  the  Captain  and  guard  which 
Brigadier  Towushend  had  posted  there  on  the  14th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1759.  |,,,^;,  :t:.uJi)iv 

Thu  (leueial  Ilospitai  was  also  the  theatre  during  the  strug- 
gle, of  Bishop  Pontbriand's  devoted  and  incessant  ministra- 
tions to  the  sick  and  dying.  The  Bishop,  with  his  chapter,  had 
retired  early  in  the  summer  of  17o0,  to  Charlesbourg,  opposite 
Quebec.  We  shall  now  allow  gallant  Captain  John  Knox  to  tell 

(1)  Wc  were  in  the  midst  of  the  dead  and  the  dying,  who  were  brought  to  us 
by  hundreds,  many  of  them  our  close  connections  ;  it  was  necessary  to  smother 
our  grief  to  relieve  them.  Loaded  with  the  inmates  of  three  convents,  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  neighbouring  suburbs,  which  the  approach  of  the  enemy 
cau.-^ed  to  fly  in  this  direction,  you  may  judge  of  our  terror  and  confusion.  The 
enemy,  master  of  the  field,  and  within  a  few  paces  of  our  house,  exposed  to  the 
fury  of  the  soldiers,  we  had  reason  to  dreaii  the  worst. 

(iVi  •'  ative  of  the  Siege  of  1759,  iy  a  Nun  of  the  General  Hospital,  Quebec.) 


76 


A.   SELECT   TEA   PARTY 


how  matters  went  on  at  the  General  Hospital,  on  the  161h 
October,  and  how  h«  enjoyed  the  sel(3ct  lea-party  ho  alleiidi'd 
there.  «  1  was  sent  on  a  week's  eoniniand,  this  diiy.  to  llie 
convent  of  the  Augiislines,  or  General  lIos|iital  ;  n»y  orders 
were  '  to  prevent  soldiers  and  others  from  phindering  or  ma- 
rauding in  tlial  neighbourhood  ;  to  protect  the  house,  with  all 
its  inhabitants,  gardens,  and  enclosures  from  insult  ;  to 
examine  all  persons  that  arrive  fiom  the  countiy  ;  to  give  im- 
mediate notice  to  the  garrison,  if  any  number  of  m(!n  should 
appear  in  arms,  either  by  detaching  a  sergeant,  or  firing  three 
distinct  muskets  ;  '  and  if  not  instantly  answered,  must  be  re- 
peated, nor  to  suffer  any  luggage,  horse  or  cart  loaded  to 
depart  the  hospital  without  a  positive  order  or  passport  ;  to 
s(!ize  all  fire-arms,  ammunition,  or  whatever  may  be  useful  to 
the  enemy,  which  may  happen  to  be  in  the  environs  of  the 
guard,  and  finally  to  gtani  i)ermits  to  surgeons,  mates  or 
domestics  belonging  to  the  convent,  when  they  are  nec(;ssi- 
tated  to  pass  towards  the  town  on  their  lawful  occasions.))  (1) 
1  lived  there,  at  Ihe  French  king's  table,  with  an  agrceabli!, 
polite  society  of  officers,  directors  and  commissaries  ;  some  of 
the  gentlemen  were  nuirried,  and  their  ladies  honoured  us 
with  their  company  ;  they  were  generally  choerlul,  except 
whcui  we  discoursed  upon  th(!  late  revolution,  and  the  aHairs 
of  the  campaign  ;  then  they  seemingly  gave  way  to  grief  ut- 
tered by  profound  sighs,  and  followed  by  an  0  man  Dicuf  The 
officers  soon  perceived  that  though  I  did  not  express  myself 
with  great  facility  in  their  laugu.ige,  I  perfectly  understood 
them,  and  therefore  they  agreed  to  conveis(i  in  Latin  ;  which, 
though  far  from  being  consistent  with  their  boasted  politessc, 
did  not  affect  me  so  as  to  be  oireud(!d  ;  for  I  was  more  upon 
an  equality  with  them  in  that  tongue,  especially  as  they  spoke 
it  with  less  fiuency  than  their  ovmi.  They  generally  coueluded 
with  some  rapturous  sentences,  delivered  Ihealrically,  such 
as  : 

Per  mare,  per  terras,  per  lot  discrimina  re'riim 
Nos  palriamftifjiniiis,  Jios  diilcia  linquimus  ana  : 

— at  length,  after  racking  my  memoiy  for  a  distich,  or  a  line 

(1}  Knox's  Journal,  Vol,  II.,  p.  171. 


AT   THE  GENERAL   HOSPITAL   CONVENT. 


77 


applicable  to  the  times,  I  interrupted  them  with  this  citation 
from  Virgile : 

0  Melibiv,  Deus  nobis  hxc  otia  fecit .' 

which  so  surprised  Iht^m,  ihat,  having  stared  at  each  other 
for  some  moments,  one  of  them  approached  me  and 
asked  if  I  couhl  speak  Latin.  Thus  ended  the  Latin 
speeches.  We  dined  every  day  between  eleven  and  twelve, 
and  afterwards  were  respectfully  served  with  a  cup  of  laced 
cofl'ee  ;  our  dinners  were  generally  inditlerent,  but  our  sup- 
pers (what  they  call  grand  repas,  or  best  meal)  were  plentiful 
and  elegant.  I  was  at  a  loss  the  lirst  day,  as  every  person  was 
obliged  to  use  his  own  knife,  and  wine,  there  being  only  a 
spoon  and  a  four-pronged  fork  laid  with  each  napkin  and 
plnle  ;  however,  in  the  evening  my  servant  attended  me  with 
some  excellent  port,  a  goblet,  knife  and  fork  ;  the  latter  being 
ditTcnMit  from  theirs,  particularly  the  knives'  being  round,  and 
not  sliarp-poiuted,  together  with  the  superior  strength  of  my 
wine  (which  they  by  no  means  disliked)  to  their  poor  sour 
stuff,  afforded  us  a  copious  subject  for  agreeable  conversation, 
with  variety  of  opinions  aud  remarks  upon  the  different  cus- 
toms of  countries.  Each  person  here  produces  an  ordinary 
clasped  knife  from  his  pocket  which  serves  him  for  every  use  ; 
when  they  have  dined  or  supped,  they  wipo.  and  return 
it  :  the  one  1  had,  before  I  was  provided  with  my  own,  was 
lent  me  by  the  Frenchman  who  stood  at  my  chair,  and  it  gave 
my  meat  a  strong  flavour  of  tobacco.  *  *  *  •  xhe 
hour  for  supper  was  between  six  and  seven  in  the  evening.  As 
we  dined  so  early,  I  gave  myself  no  trouble  about  breakfast  ; 
but  after  being  there  two  or  three  days,  one  of  the  nuns  deli- 
vered me  a  polite  billet  from  Madame  St.  Claude,  the  Mother- 
abbess,  requesting  my  company  to  partake  of  an  English  break- 
fast as  she  called  it,  to  which  the  bearer  added  :  «  If  you  are 
ready,  sir,  I  will  do  myself  the  honour  to  show  you  the  way.  » 
I  instantly  followed  my  conduclBess  to  a  spacious  apartment, 
where  I  found  the  lady  with  several  of  the  sisters  employed  at 
needle-work.  A  table  was  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
on  "which  stood  two  large  silver  coffee-pots,  one  quart  and 
one-pint  mug,  a  plentiful  loaf  of  bread,  a  plate  of  butler  and  a 


78 


A   SELECT   TE\  PARTY. 


knife  ;  on  another  plate,  lay  five  or  six  slicos  of  bread,  not 
less  than  an  inch  thick  each  and  half  the  circumferenciTof  the 
loaf,  covered  with  a  profusion  ol  hulter.  Upon  my  entering.^  I 
paid  my  compliments  to  the  eldest  of  the  ladies  (in  m\w\\  I 
happened  to  be  right,  she  being  the  Ciouvcrnantt')  and  then  to 
the  others  ;  two  chairs  were  immediately  set  to  the  table  and 
Madame  St.  Claude  desiring  I  would  take  my  place,  we  both 
sat  down.  She  then  pointed  to  the  coffiM'-nots  telling  me  one 
contained  tea,  the  other  milk  ;  but,  perceiving  it  was  not  to 
my  taste,  for  the  tea  was  black  as  ink,  she  assured  me  there 
was  half  a  pint  in  the  pot,  and  it  had  been  well  boiled  with 
the  water.  I  told  her  that  it  was  rather  too  good  for  me,  and 
that  I  should  make  a  goi.d  repast  of  bread  itnd  milk.  Hereupon 
I  was  not  a  little  incommoded  with  apologies,  and  1  remember 
she  observes,  '  thai  they  arc  not  accustomed  to  such  diet,  for 
that  they  never  drink  tea,  except  in  cases  of  iiulisposition,  to 
work  as  an  emetic,  when  it  is  always  boiled  in  water  to  render 
it  as  strong  as  possible.'  •****!  ftn-ed  exceedingly 
well  upon  the  other  provision  that  was  made  for  me,  and  spent 
nearly  two  hours  most  agreeably  in  «  the  society  of  this  an- 
cient lady  and  her  virginal  sistei-s.  » 

•    All  this  at  Quebec,  on  the  1 1  th  of  October,  1 759.     ' 

:'),■  •  \,.. 

m\\\'.)"i   hivv.  tkijiT   7'jdl   Jj*i(j<]n- 

-T./r   jMWo   {n\   tili/f  i»*.i»i/n'!(j  «frw  I  ;noS'»d  .tiofi.  1  \\ 

5'Vf:y  Ji  Imn  .-lind;*  nn  hi  Iiool;^  o(|«  nv,m\'nv.n'\  -  ift  /(f  <\u\  \(\:A 
nii'f     *     *     *     *     .i;.'«'»fi<iHl  1m    MHiMin  ,;i 

hA  .iitJirt/'MHlt  ai  f)n/Mr?  bun  x(3  n;t'j//l'tc!  :  ii;Oti 

;  r^r.Un.'ul  liiodr,  ;.l(|fi(y!?  ntt  1fu*<{in 'j/r.j?  i  .\:  .•;.;,(>(..'/ 

-ii'il)  ^jjim  ruli  h»  'Miy't  ,>  ■ '  -ill  -JO  o//l  !.n;ui)  „iiif.i  I'lJIij  Jiiu 
-'I'uiiol'. 'Jfil  ,.'il*ifi;r>    ''•■  ''"•'■'  ■*  \'>\VsA  ftjiJi'C]  r/'uu  h')'!!)/ 

vi»3  U'l'f  11  >>  :  b'jhiw!  -iMfr.'sd  odj  ibid'J?  .••.!  ,Ji  li;)fl(.';  •MVr'.hi',  Jriol 
«  .'{G7^'>dJ  i»(j{  #/'»d>!  ol  luouod  i>dj  ll'.t','{m  ob'iii//  I  .'li^  Mnvn 
^Jfiomhuqri  >f(t()i->6<{«  jj  i\i  n<{i-i\'M,him>  nn  bM//ollot  yJiiwUK.ui  I 
Jfil'Tf  «t'{''t'>  ^T'l-:i^ '■  'iii'il  f  tn'jil// 

.tuuoi  ■  ^      ■    -il 


If, 


.:  1.  ,.:     ,  1 1 1 : 1 


THE  LOST  OF  THE  "  AUGUSTE- " 


j^iii  '(lii  iHii 


iWjU  i>. 


FRENCH  REFUGEES,    r 


It  was  on  the  22nd  February,  1762  ;  night's  silent  shades 
had  long  since  closed  round  the  grist  mill  of  S(.  Jean  Port 
Joly,  County  of  L'Islet ;  the  clock  had  just  struck  nine,  when 
a  tall  man,  in  tattered  garments,  walked  in  and  begged  for  a 
night's  rest.  Captain  d'Uaherville,  as  he  was  wont  lodo,  when 
unoccupied,  was  sealed  in  a  corner  of  the  room,  his  head 
depressed,  evidently  a  prey  to  sombre  thoughts.  It  requires 
considerable  resolution  to  reconcile  with  poverty  he,  who  was 
previously  cradled  in  ease  and  luxury,  especially  when  a 
numerous  family  depends  on  that  man  ;  still  greater  courage 
is  needed  to  bear  up  with  fate  when  mistortune  cfnnot  be 
traced  to  improvidence,  expensive  habits,  prodigality,  bad 
conduct,  but  is  simply  the  result  of  unconlrolable  events.  The 
man  whose  folly  cau  "s  his  own  downfall,  whilst  smarting 
under  remorse,  if  he  is  reflective,  soon  discovers  the  expe- 
diency of  speedily  submitting  to  circumstances. 

Captain  d'Haberville  felt  no  remorse  ;  in  the  solitude  of  his 
heart,  he  would  occasionally  repeat  to  himself  :  «  I  cannot 
think  1  deserved  sucb  "  heavy  blow.  0  heaven  !  grant  me 
strength  ;  give  me  ;uruge,  since  it  has  plca.sed  you  to  smite 
me  down,  w  .'■  ,"!i  ?  \i"r'^  'M^'h-  '■r^^'Vi^  Ir-  ,(  i<t  '■■•;  ■  -ir 

The  voice  of  the  stranger  had  caused  the  captain  a  thrilling 
emotion.  Why  ?  he  did  not  know.  Pausing  a  second,  he 
said  : 

«  My  friend,  you  are  welcome  to  stay  here  over  night ;  you 
will  also  have  your  supper.  My  miller  will  provide  you  with  a 
resting  place  in  the  mill.  » 

«  Thanks,  »  replied  the  stranger,  a  but  I  am  very  ex- 
haqsted  ;  pray,  give  me  a  glass  of  spirits. » 


80 


THE   LOST   OF   THE   AUGl'STE. 


D'llnbcrvillc,  feeling  little  inclined  to  divide  with  the 
unknown  the  scanty  supply  of  brandy  he  kept  on  the  pre- 
mises, in  case  of  sickness,  said  he  had  none. 

«  If  you  only  knew  who  I  am,  d'llaberville,  »  listlessly  re- 
joined the  stranger,  «  you  would  give  me  the  lust  drop  of 
brandy  you  have  in^our  house.  » 

The  captain  fell  indignant  at  being  thus  familiarly  addressed 
by  a  mere  vagrant  ;  still  there  was  something  in  the  man's 


accent  which  convulsed  him  with  emotion,  and  the 


indignant 


rebuke  ready  to  escape,  died  on  his  lips. 

At  this  moment  Blanche,  his  daughter,  entering  the  room, 
with  a  lighted  candle,  the  whole  family  were  struck  with  unut- 
terable horror ;  motionless,  there  stood  in  their  presence  a 
veritable  skeleton,  in  height  a  giant,  a  hideous  giant,  whose 
bones  seemed  ready  to  burst  through  the  skin.  An  emaciated 
countenance  ;  bloodless  veins,  from  whence  vampires  seemed 
to  have  sucked  the  stream  of  life  ;  leaden  pal(?  eyes,  like 
those  of  Banquo's  ghost,  without  speculation,  such  was  what 
remained  of  the  Chevalier  LaCorne  de  Saint  Luc,  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  distinguished  men  in  the  colony,  under 
French  rule.  One  moment  more  and  Captain  d'Haberville  flew 
into  his  arms. 

«  What,  you  here,  my  dear  De  Saint  Luc  ;  why,  the  sightof 
my  bitterest  foe  would  cause  me  less  horror  !  Sp6ak,  speak,  I 
beseech  you.  Tell  us  how  our  relatives,  our  dear  friends  have 
exchanged  the  deck  of  the  Auguste  for  the  insatiable  deep, 
whilst  you,  the  sole  survivor,  are  now  here  to  announce  the 
harrowing  tale. » 

The  unbroken  silence  of  De  Saint  Luc,  his  downcast,  sor- 
rowful countenance,  revealed  more  than  words  could  utter. 

«  Accursed,  then,  be  the  tyrant »  (1),  roared  out  d'Haber- 


(1)  We  give  above  a  thrilling  chapter  of  the  ''  Canadians  of  old.  " 
Not  the  least  interesting  patt  of  Mr.  DeGaspd's  work  are  the  notes.  "  I 
have,  "  says  he,  "  attempted  in  this  book  to  portray  the  misfortunes  which  the 
conquest  brought  on  the  greater  portion  of  the  Canadian  nohleste,  whose  descen- 
dants, now  forgotten,  languish  un  the  very  soil  whioh  was  once  defended  and 
soaked  with  the  blood  of  their  ancestors.  Let  those  who  say  they  were  deficient  in 
ability  or  energy,  remember  that  their  education  and  habits  having  been  totally 
mUitary,  it  was  not  easy  to  exchange  them  for  new  oocupatioM. 


PRENcn   REFUGEES. 


81 


leep, 
the 

sor- 
ir. 
Iber- 


viHo,  »  accuisfid  bo  Ihu  man  who,  tliroiigh  hatred  of  the 
French,  has  been  the  means  of  wilfully  consigning  to  a  watery 
grave  so  many  brave  hearts,  by  compelling  them  to  depart  in 
the  most  stormy  season  of  the  year,  in  an  old,  unseaworthy 
vessel.  )) 

« Instead  of  vonling  curses  on  your  enemies,  »  said  do 
Saint  Luc,  in  a  harsh  tone,  « thank  heaven,  thatGeneral  Murray 
has  granted  you  and  yours^  a  reprieve  of  two  years  to  dispose 
of  your  properly  and  to  relurn  to  France.  » 

The  Chevalier  then  related  all  thai  had  happened  since  the 
Augusle  had  sailed  from  Quebec,  on  the  15lh  October  ;  how, 
afler  a  succession  of  storms,  shipwreck,  on  the  15th  Novem- 
ber, had  finally  consigned  to  the  depths  of  the  ocean,  the 
passengers  and  the  crew,  except  six  sailors  ;  how,  the  seven 
survivors  had  to  dig  graves  for  the  unfortunate  exiles,  on  the 
shores  of  Cape  Briton,  where  the  ship  was  stranded, — in  all 
one  hundred  and  fourteen  corpses  ;  how,  in  the  depth  of 
winter,  half  clad  and  starving,  he  had  travelled  some  sixteen 
hundred  miles  on  snowshoes,  afler  successively  tiring  out 
several  Indian  guides. 

The  reader  will  have  recognized  in  this  extract  a  translation 
of  a  passage  from  that  charming  volume,  I,eSi4ncie«sCanarf»en5, 
published,  in  1863,  by  our  respected  townsman,  P.  A.  DeGaspe, 
Esq.,  Seigneur  of  SI.  Jean  Port  Joly  :  himself,  not  a  bad  per- 
sonification of  the  courteous,  well-bred,  feudal  dignitary  of 
former  times.  The  loss  of  the  ship  which  was  conveying  back 
to  Fiance,  the  expatriated  Canadians,  and  the  melancholy 
death  of  so  many  distinguished  inhabitants,  whom  Governor 
Murray,  it  is  said,  had  compelled  to  sail  in  the  Auguste,  natu- 
rally created  considerable  excitement  amongst  the  friends  and 
relatives  of  the  victims,  and  contributed  powerfully  to  render 


"I 

the 

Iscen- 

and 

But  in 

btaUy 


"  The  old  families  who  remained  in  Canada  after  the  conquest,  used  to  say 
that  General  James  Murray,  through  hatred  of  the  French,  had  insisted  on  their 
iminoJiate  expulsion  ;  that  he  had  them  put  on  board  of  an  old  condemned 
vessel,  and  that  before  they  sailed  ho  was  constantly  repeating,  with  an  oath,  "  It 
is  impossible  to  distinguish  the  victors  from  the  vanquished  when  you  see  theso 
damned  Frenchmen  pass,  wearing  their  uniforms  and  swords.  "  Such  was  the 
tradition  in  my  youth.  Uappily,  these  times  are  far  away  and  forgotten.  " — 
(P.  A.  DeQ.) 


' 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


'■'>       ^      -fe    ^^ 


1.0 


I.I 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


" 


^ 


82 


THE   LOST   OF   THE   AUGUSTE. 


the  English  governor,  odious  to  the  colonists.  Amongst  the 
victims,  were  Madame  de  Mcziere, — a  grand  aunt  of  Mr.  l)e 
Gaspe,  and  a  daughter  of  the  Baron  de  Longueil — ;  she  perished 
with  her  child. 

Mr.  DoGaspo  also  furnishes  a  lively  account  of  the  interview 
of  the  Chevalier  de  la  Corne  with  the  governor^of  the  colony, 
in  the  Chateau  St.  Louis.  (1)  How  Governor  Murray  was 


(1)  The  compilers  of  JTawl-ln'a  Picture  of  Quebec,  the  lato  gifted  Andrew 
Stuart  and  tlie  late  Dr.  J.  C.  Fisher,  thus  graphically  describe  the  Chateau  St. 
Louis  : — "  Few  circumstances  of  discussion  and  enquiry  are  more  interesting 
than  the  history  and  fate  of  ancient  buildings,  especially  if  we  direct  our  atten- 
tion to  the  fortunes  and  vicissitudes  of  those  who  wore  cnnnectcd  witli  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  ex- 
periencing juiiosity  concerning  those  who  first  formed  the  plan,  and  aff-jrwards 
created  and  tenanted  the  structure.  These  observations  apply  particularly  to  the 
Bubjeot  of  this  chapter. 

The  history  of  the  ancient  Castle  of  St.  Lewis,  or  Fort  of  Quebec,  for  above  two 
centuries,  the  seat  of  government  in  the  province,  affords  subjects  of  great  and 
Btirring  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  inroads  of 
the  persevering  and  ferocious  Iroquois  ;  who,  having  passed  or  overthrown  all  the 
outposts,  more  than  once  threatened  the  fort  itself,  and  massacred  some  friendly 
Indians  within  sight  of  its  walls.  There,  too,  in  intervals  of  peace,  were  laid 
those  benevolent  plans  for  the  religious  instruction  and  conver:jion  of  the 
savages,  which  at  one  time  distinguished  the  policy  of  the  ancient  Qovernors.  At 
a  later  era,  when,  undei  the  protection  of  the  French  Kings,  the  Province  had 
acquired  the  rudiments  of  military  strength  and  power,  the  Castle  of  St.  Lewis 
was  remarkable  as  having  been  the  site  whence  the  French  Governors  exorcised 
an  immense  sovereignty,  extending  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  along  the 
ahoroB  of  that  noble  river,  its  magnificent  lakes, — and  down  the  course  of  the 
Mississippi,  to  its  outlet  at  New  Orleans.  The  banner  which  first  streamed  from  the 
battlements  of  Quebec,  was  displayed  from  a  chain  of  forts,  which  protected  the 
Battlements  throughout  this  vast  extent  of  country  :  keeping  the  English  Colonies 
in  constant  alarm,  and  securing  the  fidelity  of  the  Indian  nations.  During  this 
period,  the  council  chamber  of  the  castle  was  the  scene  of  many  a  midnight 
vigil, — many  a  long  deliberation  and  deep-laid  project,— to  free  the  continent 
from  the  intmsion  of  the  ancient  rival  of  France,  and  assert  throughout,  the  su- 
premacy of  the  Oallio  lily.  At  another  era,  subsequent  to  the  surrender  of 
Quebec  to  the  British  arms,  and  until  the  recognition  of  the  independance  of  the 
United  States,  the  extent  of  empire,  of  the  government  of  which  the  Castle  of 
Quebec  was  the  principal  seat,  comprehended  the  whole  American  continent, 
north  of  Mexico  I  It  is  astonishing  to  reflect  for  a  moment,  to  how  Bmall,  and,  as 
to  Bice,  comparatively  insignificant  an  island  in  the  Atlantic  ocean,  thiB  gigantic 
territory  was  once  subject  I 

Here  also  was  rendered  to  the  representative  of  the  French  King,  with  all  its 
ancient  forms,  the  fealty  and  homage  of  the  noblesse,  and  military  retainers,  who 
held  poBBesBions  in  the  province  under  the  Crown— a  feudal  ceremony,  Buitod  to 


igst  the 
Mr.  l)e 
)crished 

jtcrvicw 

colony, 

'ay  was 

d  Andrew 
iftteaii  St. 
interesting 
our  uttcn- 
;hom.  The 
ated  in  the 
fithout  cx- 
afHrwards 
larly  to  the 

:  above  two 
great  and 
during  the 
I  inroads  of 
rown  all  the 
le  friendly 
were  laid 
ion   of  the 
ernors.  At 
ivinoe   had 
St.   Lewis 
exercised 
along  the 
se  of  the 
d  from  the 
itected  the 
Ih  Colonies 
luring  this 
midnight 
continent 
the  su- 
'ender  of 
loe  of  the 
Castle  of 
|oontinent, 
.,  and,  as 
gigantio 

all  iU 
len,  who 
luitod  to 


FHEMII    hllt'.F.ES. 


83 


niovod  lo  pily  by  IIk;  siulit  [)i\  S.iinl  Luc's  omaciatod  form  piv- 

sciilfd.  How  li«  gtadiitlly  safi  iifd  lowaids  tlio  porlioii  of  llio 

o/(/ HoWcss*^  VNliirl/ rcinaiui'd  in  tin*   I'oiiiiliy,   and   cvoiiliiaily 

Ixcanie  llii'  Iricnd  of  Ilic  cliivalicr.  This  inlorvicw  of  1)(!  Saint 

Liu;  (I)  and  Capliiin  dllidjervili.'  is  not  an   iinii;;inary  occni- 

Vi'iiM  :  it  rctractis  whiil  n-ally  did  lake  place  bclwcen  .Mr.   1).^ 

(iaspc's  grandlallicM',  l;^naci!  Aid)  Ml  D.Gaspe,   at  one  limn  a 

c'aplain  in  till' Innili  iiiivy,  and  IIk^  (iKJvaliiT,  as  relaled  lo 

Mr.  Dc'diispe,  some  filly  years  iv^o,  Ity  his aniil,  Madame  IJailiy 

de  Messein,  >\lio  was  ahonl  liftecn   years  of  H'^a  when  Ihis 

oeenred. 

We  are  llnis  hronghl  face  lo  face  >Nilli  those  fieri'e  S|!iri!s  vt 

\h{i  amieumjime,   who,   like  Ihe  Sewells,  ()gdens,   Smilhs, 

Robinsons,   Jarvisscs,    and  other  Uniled  Empire  Loyalists, 

laler  on,  had  preferred  renoinicinj^^  fortune,  posilion,  and 

early  times,  which  imposed  a  real  and  giibftaiitiiil  obligation  nn  thnso  who  per- 
formed it,  not  to  be  vinliitoJ  without  rorfeiture  ami  dishnnor.  The  King  of  (Jreat 
Britain  having  8U"i  ■-.  .1  ^il  to  the  riglits  of  the  Frcni-h  ctown,  this  ceremony  is  still 
(in  1S34)  maintained. 

Fealty  and  homage  is  loi.  jrcd  at  this  day  by  the  Seigniors  to  the  (Jovornor,  as 
the  representative  of  the  Sovereign  ii.  tl»o  following  furm  ;  His  Kzcellcucy  being 
in  full  dress  and  seated  in  a  state  cliair,  eiirroiiDiIed  by  his  statf,  and  Hitended  by 
the  Attorney  General,  tlin  Seignior,  in  an  evuning  dress  and  wearing  a  swonl,  is 
introduced  into  bis  proserico  by  the  Inspector  (Jencral of  the  lloyal  Domain  and 
Clerk  of  the  Land  Koll,  and  having  delivered  up  his  sword,  and  kneeling  up>in 
one  knee  before  the  Governor,  plaeen  his  right  hand  between  bi»,  and  repeats  tlie 
ancient  oath  of  fidelity  ;  after  wliii-b  a  solemn  act  is  drawn  up  in  a  register,  kept 
for  tliat  purpose,  whit-h  is  signed  by  the  Governor  and  Seignior,  and  countcrsignud 
by  the  proper  officers. 

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

The  (.'astio  of  St.  Lewis  was  in  early  times  rather  a  strong  hold  of  defence,  than 
an  embellished  ornament  of  royalty.  Seated  on  a  tremendous  precipice, — 
On  a  rock  wIio.kc  haughty  brow 
Frown'd  o'er  St.  Lawrences  foaming  tide — 
and  looking  defiance  to  the  utmost  boldness  of  the  assailant,  nature  lent  her  aid 
to  the  security  of  the  position.  The  cliff  im  which  it  stood  rises  nearly  two  hundred 
feet  in  perpendicular  height  above  the  river.    The   Castle   thus   commanded  on 
every  side  a  most  extensive  prospect,    and    until    the   occupation  of  the    higher 
ground  to  tiie  south-west,  afterwords  called  Cape  Diamond,  mn£t  have   been   the 
principal  object  among  the  buildings  of  the  city. 

(I)  We  follow  in  history  and  in  old  memoirs  the  subsequent  career  of  the  Che- 
valier de  la  Corne,  and  find  him  serving  under  General  Bufgoyne.  There  is  a 
spirited  letter  still  extant  of  the  Chevalier  to  the  General,  in  wbiob  he  tells  him 
hard  truthsr.which  will  appear  elsewhere. 


84 


THE  LOST   OP  THE   AlCl'STE. 


IVionds,  to  accepting  a  foreign  yoke.  It  would  be  ciirions  (o 
follow  up  the  destinies  of  the  Canadiiin  exiles  :  some,  impli- 
cated in  the  Bigot  frauds,  returned  to  the  mother  country,  to  rot 
in  the  Bastile  ;  others,  such  as  the  DeLerys,  culled  laurels  and 
titles  in  the  wn»'s  of  the  Republic  and  of  the  first  Empire  (1) 
Possibly  some  of  their  grandchildren,  now  counts  or  barons 
under  the  new  regime,  (1863)  enjoy  the  distinguished  honor  of 
an  entree  to  the  cerde  imperial,  together  with  the  privilege  of 
mingling  «£n  Salambo, » in  the  mazy  wallz  under  the  approving 
eye  and  bewitching  smile  of  llie  Grandes  Dames  de  la  Cour,  whilst 
others  again  remained  in  the  colony  and  are  now  allii.'d  by 
marriage  to  some  of  England's  best  blood.  (2) 

(1)  Some  formed  part  of  the  distin;;uishcd  Canadians  who,  on  the  8th  Juno,  1775, 
ofTored  their  serrices  to  Major  Preston,  at  Montreal,  tc  take  and  hold  Fort  St. 
John,  from  the  Americans,  andeffoctuaUy  did  so,  on  the  10th  June,  placing  it  into, 
the  hands  of  a  detachment  of  the  7th  Reg.  or  Royal  Fusileers,  under  Capt. 
Kineer.  They  were  the  Chevalier  de  Belestre,  d«  Longueil,  de  Lotbinit^re,  do 
Rouville,  de  Bouchorrille,  de  la  Corne,  de  Labrudre,  de  St.  Ours,  Perthuis,  Her- 
Tieux,  Gamelin,  de  Montigny,  d'EschambauU  and  others.  For  this  serrice,  Oeneral 
Carleton  publicly  thanked  them.  In  September  of  the  same  year,  this  party,  with 
the  assistance  of  a  number  of  Quebec  and  Three  Rirers  Tolunteers,  viz  :  Messrs. 
de  Montesson,  Duchosnay,  de  Rigouville,  de  Salaberry,  de  Tonancour,  Beaubien, 
Demusseau,  Moquin,  Lamarque,  Faucher  and  others,  started  for  St.  Johns,  near 
Montreal,  to  relieve  a  detachment  of  the  7th  and  26th  regiments,  then  in  chargv 
of  the  fort,  and  who  expected  a  siege,  but  Hfter  being  beleaguered,  the  fort  !>ur- 
rendered  on  2nd  November  to  General  Montgomery.  The  Canadians  and  the 
•oldiers  were  carried  away  prisoners  of  war — Cungiess  refusing  to  exchange  the 
Canadians,  "  they  being  too  muck  nttnchtd  to  the  Emjlith  yovernment  and  too  in" 
/luentitd  in  their  own  country.  "  Two,  Messrii.  Deuiontesdon  and  de  Rigouville, 
died  prisoners  of  war ;  de  la  Corne,  Perthtiis  and  Cenubien,  had  been  killed  dur- 
ing the  siege;  da  Lotbini^re  bad  an  arm  shot  off;  de  Salaberry  was  twice 
wounded. 

"  Amongst  those  who  garrissoned  Fort  St.  John,  was  the  unfortunate  but 
brave  Major  Andr£,  of  the  26tb  or  Cameronian  Re^'imeut.  "  Tbe  fort  waa 
besieiged  by  a  strong  American  force,  under  the  gallant  General  Montgomeryr 
and  during  November  of  1775,  Preston  defended  himself  vigorously,  amid 
severe  snow  storm8,till  he  was  compelled  to  capitulate,  but  upon  honourable  terras,  " 
nearly  700  men  surrendered  ;  but  they  were  allowed  their  baggage  and  effects, 
tbe  officers  to  retain  their  swords,  the  arms  of  the  soldiers  to  be  put  in  arm-chests 
and  restored  to  them  when  the  troubles  were  over.  Andr^,  with  all  the  other  pri- 
soners, was  sent  up  the  Lakes  by  the  way  of  Tioonderoga  inland  ;  but  be  boob 
after  effected  an  exchange,  though  Major  Preston  would  seem  to  have  returned 
homo.  He  was  subsequently  hanged  as  a  spy,  by  orders  of  Washington's  Court 
Marshal  at  Tappan,  in  the  State  of  New  York,  on  the  2nd  Oct.,  1780,  when  only 
in  his  twenty-ninth  year.  "  (Army  and  Navy,  Review  for  Feby.  1804,  p.  33.) 

(2)  "  A  Montreal,  le  26  aoftt  1863,  demoiselle  Mari«-Charlott«  Lennox,  fille  d« 
feu  John  Lennox,  <oayer,  major  du  premier  bataillon  da  60mt  regiment  de  S» 


TRENCU   nEFl'GEES. 


8$ 


led* 


W(;  arc  not,  howevor,  prepartMl  lo  assert  whelhcr  llio  d()- 
[iiuliiri'  of  lliesfi  prou«l  arisloerals,  tainted  by  the  impure  ox- 
li.ilnlio.is  of  liiu  French  coiirl  of  the  day,  to  whom  Magna 
(!h.'ii  la  and  the  institutions  of  a  free  people  were  unknown — 
we  are  no{,  we  repeat,  ready  to  say  whether  their  vohinlary 
<;\ile  was  not  a  hli.'ssiuf?  instead  <tf  a  loss,  to  the  country.  For 
the  Soke  of  the  family  lionor,  we  hope  and  trust  our  ancestors 
were  all  they  are  ciack(!d  up.  (I) 

Let  i^s  thank  that  old  hand  which  has  seen  seventy-eight 
summe's  and  \>hi<h,  its  owner  says,  «  must  soon  be  colder 
even  than  Canada's  winters,  »  for  having  assisted  in  thus 
raising  the  veil  on  times  little  known,  and  graphically  deli- 
neated the  doings  and  sayings  of  the  Mun  ays,  (2)  the  Carletons, 

MaJo8t<$,  et  dc  dame  Maric-Magueritc  la  Cornc  de  Chapt  de  Saint-Luc,  sun 
4<]iou8e.  Cette  ilcinoisello  etail,  coiniuo  rinJiquent  cog  nuins,  d'uno  origino  ex- 
trfimemeut  di8tingu<-e,  tiiiit  du  cote  patcrnel  par  Icquel  die  se  rattachait  h  In 
noblciise  anglaisu,  que  dii  ouK?  dcsa  mtsre  qui  dusuoudait  dcs  moillcnres  fauiiikd 
do  la  noblesso  ciinadienno-franfaise. 

Le  . Major  Lennox,  sou  p^re,  t-lait  en  effct  flls  de  Lord  Alexander  Lennox  ot 
Comte  LeuDox  et  de  Jlarche,  et  Ic8  families  histuriqucs  de  Boucher  de  Bouchcr- 
villc,  de  L.ipcrrivre,  de  Contropceur,  de  Lavaltric,  de  Lanaudi6re,  etc.,  dtaicnt 
led  nlli^'-oii  do  iM.  la  Corue  de<-hapt  de  Saint-Lue,  I'ancfitre  inaternel  do  Mile. 
Lfinox.  Devi'iiui'  ve'ivc,  Madame  Lennox,  dont  le  souvenir  n'egt  pin  encore  perdu 
dans  la  boirnc  f)«MM>''t<'-  do  Montri'al  vl  de  tout  le  Canada,  t^pousa  en  secondos  nocog 
fell  M-  lo  {'•omiuanclf.ur  Jaoqut-.s  Vi;ier,  )>rcinier  Maire  de  .\:ontr(5al,  et  si  bien 
e(rnnu  dun?  la  littiT:    (ire  panaflienne  cotiiiiie  arcli<>ologHc.  " 

II  est  cxtrOiiiemoit  p*^iiiblo  pour  n<iuR  d'avoir  k  cnregister  la  perte  do 
qiiolquo  rejtiton  de  "fF  noblos  rnmlllex  <}iii  ont  jet6  tant  dc  gloire  sur  nutre  jmys, 
<:t  qui  font  iiiijourd'hui  la  riche«^e  ue  iwtre  histnire. 

{('ourn'er  du  Cnntid'i,  23  aoOt  1863.) 

(1)  Mr.  Scnccal,  ('iio  of  tlie  crntributors  to  the  f!<;viic  f^nntidiennr,  writes  as  followe 
to  .Mr.  F.  X.  (iarni'iiii,  of  liucbiMi  .• — In  a  loilor  which  M.  lo  Comte  de  Mr-nta- 
k'liibert  did  inc  the  hotH'r  to  write  nic  on  the  subject  of  tiie  lleowe  Cnwidienne, 
the  fdllowiiijf  pn.-Fin^((  occurs  :  "  I  wiis  inirtici.laily  iHruck  with  a  work  entitled 
I'm  t'oticlii^inn  <{" Hi>'i'ii)f,\)y  Mr.  (»aiiir;iu.  I  tihiill  willinply  say  with  that 
patriiili'.'  writtcr  "  U'f  tlio  Ciiniiiliiin.s  I'c  fiitbful  to  thcmiiclvcs!  "  and  I  shall  add  ; 
Let  tticiu  CMiiMitc  ilico'..'^clv(;.s  t'>  r  the  foimiation,  by  the  fortune  of  war,  from  the 
in(!thur-o<Min  tiy,  v.itb  ilic  K'lln'tit  11  tiii't  thi.s  fi'iniration  pave  them  rights  and 
lilicrtics  which  Kr:nii'e  t new  lo.t  In  w  to  praet'oo.  to  preseivc,  nor  to  regret.  " 

(^'J.)  I.*  (iicre  Mil  liduic  iurtcctiraoy  in  tlie  opinion  here  conveyed  of  the  conduct 
and  ciriracter  of  Uiip  iilicr  (Jiiieral  .Mniray  ?  1 1  is  possible  that,  like  many  others, 
•  In-  (iciicia!  uiay,  on  hi.-'  arrival  in  ».  aiiacla,  have  been  misled  in  judging  of  the 
}'reu'.!h  t'anadians  :  but  tlic  State  fa|i<vs  he  addressed  to  the  imperial  authorities 
in  1 76(5,  show  wliat  a  favi'i'.'-.tili.' opiui(>n  he  thun  entertained  of  the  fidelity  and 
tiouor  of  tbc  Cunailian  ui'lirvie. 

Air  Du  lu  luinu  llim^<.'.':'  in  hi.s  Journal  states  that  on  his  arrivlDg  at  Quebec 


8G 


Tin:   LOST   OF   THE   AlJGl'STE. 


the  Ilnldiinniuls,  as  well  ns  llioso  (»f  ll»o  <lo  Lmniid'orps,   \ho 
lii  roiiies,  llio  Habye,  the  LoiigiiiMls,  tlio  Diiiiiorcs,  &c.,  may 

"  Le  (Jonural  Murray  nonsy  ro^iit  nvei  toiito  1ft  politosso  itnaj^iiiiiblo  ;  il  n'opargna 
ri"n  poiir  nous  reiidro  la  trarcrs(''o  a.jr(''ablo;  nous  IViinos  emiibli'"*  Ue  jiri)iiios«cs  ot 

(I'l'iri't!'  ilo  8a  jinrt jc  jirdpnsai  an  (ii'nf'Tal  .Mijnay  ilo  luiicr  iin  batimont  pour 

moll  jirojtro  ctmiple,  co  qu'il  mo  ret'iuii  piir  un  iinitif  dn  gi-rK'Tdcitt'.  " 

TIk'sc  DatinnnI  untipatbios,  which  (Vc.tiinatt'ly  aro  fii.-<t  ili'Siippi.Mriii)?,  fcriiifrly 
manifustoil  tlii'in.-xilvei',  .xometiinos  very  ludifiini^ly.  In  thu  ftor!!iy  (!:iy.s  of  tbo 
N'.i!(!ty-lwo  lle^olutioiii',  wbrn  tliL'  (•!•  niicnt  loa'iiT  if  the  ('(uutiK'ii:'  of  ('ana  Ui' 
L-iuis  Jii.-ii![)h  I'apinoaii,  was  ni^'iMy  (!  :riioil  Ii.imo  !ii  triumph  to  his  hotol,  un  tho 
shouMors  (if  an  enthusiastic  crowil,  there  wt.-ro  also  in  piirliairieiit  Muri'liildi'iis 
and  Larwills,  inen  of  iiri;|inal  view.-,  but  bettor  a  ^ijuiiintod  with  tlio  ])lougli  orlho 
anvil  thiiii  with  tlio  aiiioiiitii'S  of  .^i.fi.il  intcri'onv.'p,  and  ever  ro;id.y  to  f id) cy  them- 
selves [iliohieil.  It  is  related  that  an  M  V.  ]'.,  imiMi'd  Beaudoin,  hiivini;  re-eivop 
a  car<l  to  a  Chateau  ball,  inado  it  bis  liusiiioss  to  attend  ;  tlie  cveiiin;»  wiii' sultry, 
and  ice-cream  in  corresponding,'  deinaiid.  Tho  rustic  l('gi>lator,  whoso  palate  had 
never  coino  in  contact  with  the  frij^'id  delicacy,  soon  camp  to  tho  conclusion'  that 
Tiliat  every  one  apkeil  for,  niupt  be  very  V  siraldc.  '•  Waiter,  "said  he,  "  «yo(oW<'7 
moi,  eumiiinit  (ifiilrr.-iiiv^  <■".  i'-e-vrime  '  "  "  Yes  sir,  "  replied  laecjcey  ;  and 
instanter,  tho  (.'aniulian  Solon  was  provided  with  an  am]  lo  plate  of  ice-creatn, 
from  whiih  lie  transferred  to  his  unsuspecting  jiulnte  a  larjjo  spoonful.  15ut,  0 
horror  I  liis  tijelli  imiucdiately  chattered  IVnui  i!old,  as  if  iio  had  a  fit  of  agno. 
lioiling  over  with  pntrictio  riii^c,  ho  roared  to  tlio  scaled  waiter,  "  Pexdnril  f 
«i  c'eut  4i(  }>nnr  vn  Aif/'iiii,  In  I'lniniin  fuit  rhmiflcr  !  "  •'  You  aboininablo 
raical  !  bad  you  intended  this  for  an  Knt^li.'-iininn,  you  wiuild  have  taken  tho 
cliill  oiri"  Tho  company  from  Jlis  E.xcellency  dowi. wards,  were  convulsed 
with  lau^^hter. 

.Some  of  my  readers  may  not  ho  conversant  with  tho  origin  of  the  pictiire?qu» 
Fren'di  oxjirossic^n,  respeotin,^  lloirstbcij  umlcrdone.  "  I)u  Ixruf  qui  beuii/e  ri:eoie,  " 
tlio  following  may  throw  lij^'it  on  it.  Tho  ancestor  of  n  respected  Senator, 
Mr.  IJadelart,  was  ono  day  dining  at  the  Cli;\toftii  St.  Louis.  His  birth  and  educa- 
tion, were  such  that  ho  could  not  b.liav«  otherwise  than  like  n  polite  rrenrhman. 

Whetiior  His  Kxcellency  wished  t')  enjoy  a  quiet  joke,  or  whether  he  wanted  ti> 
treat  his  guest  to  tho  most  juicy  tid-bit  on  the  di.-h,  he  h:id  set  a.-i  le  for  >ii  iitucnr, 
a  slice  of  very  rum  beef — which  lie  waruily  recoumieuded.  "  Mdnjezilunc ;  nmrnjiz 
done,  mon  uini"  said  llis  K.xecUeucy,  r',:ii  f.ryiii\-.  " 

Monsieur  liadclart,  who  appears  to  have  been  but  one  degree  less  polite  Iban 
the  jiolitost  man  in  Lower  Canada,  the  late  .Jiid^o  A.N.  .Morin,  who  on  leaving  tho 
bench  ono  sunny  day,  is  said  tu  h:ivo  b"gged  tho  jKirdou  (d'  the  Chief  Justice,  his 
collea'^ue,/oc  fiavinij  Irodiieii  dti  hii  ihinidon-,  replied.  "  Oui,  nui,  milord,"  le  Ixruf 
est  tX(jHii  :  c'eut  un  jtlat  de  roi.  II  fnlt  hmiinur  <'u  Ciiiin<l«,  ct  il  enlrc  luisiiiUr," 
and  then  bending  towards  bis  neighbor  with  a  ])ained  expression  of  counteuuneo, 
ho  groaned,  then  whispered  in  his  car.    11  i'!u<ile  tnron;  I 

The  following  humourous  oocurrenoo  dates  fronj  tliat  pastoral  perioii 
previous  to  the  insurrection  of  IS'57-S.  Let  us  hear  Mr.  H.  Fabro  :  "  Thirty  odd 
years  ago,  when  Parliament  sat  during  tho  summer,  the  (Jiilf  members  came  up 
to  Quebec  in  schooners,  and  lodged  in  tho'u  all  through  tho  sossicni.  At  about 
tho  same  period,  a  truineaw  loaded  with  trunks  and  parcels  arrived  at  tho 
Parliament  Uuuse,  one  fine  day,  just   prcviuis  tu  thu   ujiening  of  tho   session. 


FRENCH   REFUUEES. 


87 


it  bo  sparerl  some  limo  longer,  and  fiiniisli  us  with  more  of 
those  hle-hke  sketches  of  «  Ancient  Canadians. » 

{Written  in  18C3.) 

and  from  it  dosconded  a  stout  countryman  and  hia  wife,  who  carefully  examined 
the  twonty-four  winduws  of  the  buildings,  and  finally  decided  to  rap  at  the  door, 
which  wiia  immediately  opened  by  onu  uf  the  moa?ongcra.  The  countryman  therc- 
ii|)(pn  presented  his  compliments,  stated  that  he  was  the  (iieiM))er elect  for  the  county 
uf  Berthier;  that  ho  had  come  with  his  wife  to  take  his  seat;  and  that  he  had  brought 
hid  winter's  |)ruvisiona  with  him.  Ho  was  consequently  fully  provided,  but  only 
wanted  a  cooking  stove,  and  hoped  that  there  would  be  one  in  his  room.  The  mes- 
senger  immediately  saw  through  the  primitive  simplicity  of  his  visitor,  and  gra- 
dually "  drew  him  "  out.  He  ascertained  that  the  member  for  Berthier  expected 
to  find  a  room  already  prepared  for  him  in  the  Parliament  House,  in  which  he  and 
his  wife  C(mld  live  throughout  the  winter,  and  subsist  upon  the  provisions  ho  had 
brough*.  from  his  native  village.  The  messenger  grinned,  you  may  bo  certain,  and 
was  finally  forced  to  avow  that  there  was  no  bed-rooms  in  the  Parliament  House 
for  inombers.  "  The  monibor  for  Berthier  "  thereupon  gave  his  horse  a  smart 
lai-h  with  the  whi])  and  indignantly  and  forever,  turned  his  back  upon  the  Legis- 
lative Halls  of  the  Province.  " 

To  which  let  us  add  :  «t  non  vero,  e  bene  trovato. 


1 

r 

M 

11 

Ol 


m 
di 
in 
th 

ou 


'•  LE  CIIIEN  IVOR. " 


THE  HISTORY  OF  AN  OLD  HOUSE. 


Jo  suis  iin  chion  qui  rnnge  I'os, 
En  lo  rongpanl  jo  prends  mon  mpos, 
Un  jour  vieridra  (\\n  nVsl  pas  veiiu, 
yue  jo  murdrai  qui  ni'diu-a  mordu. 

1736. 

On  the  site,  wore  now  looms  oiil  so  majt'slically  thu  glider- 
ing  new  Post  Officu,  stood  in  1871,  an  antiquated  and  massive 
stone  structure  ;  a  capacious  building  of  an  unpretending, 
nay  au  austere  style  of  architecture,  used  since  1845  as  the 
city  Post  Office.  \l  did  not  in  the  remotest  degree  remind  you 
of  a  palace,  but  seemed  eminently  adapted  for  a  Haunted 
House.  The  legendary  ivy  which  had  mantled  round  it  from 
its  birth,  with  the  lapse  of  lime  had  overshadowed  its  walls 
\vith  a  most  luxuriant  growth. 

Siruclures,  hoary  with  years,  gel  to  assume  a  grave,  an 
impressive  aspect  ;  in  their  old  walls,  possibly  may  nestle  the 
germ  of  more  than  one  curious  legend.  Somt  of  them  aie  rith 
in  that  peculiar  attraction — I  he  halo  of  mystery,  the  echo  of  a 
ftu'gotten  past. 

To  their  ruins,  the  shadowy  duslofagns  adhtjres;  thatdust, 
when  disturbed,  resembles  in  some  shape,  the  destiny  of 
things  human.  What  detaches  ilstilf  reverts  to  mystery,  and 
oblivion  ;  dissolves  ilscll'  inlo  impalpable  air. 

Undoubtedly,  the  house  <if  the  (luldcn  Dog  was  one  of  llie 
most  rcmarkabli!  of  the  many  historical  houses  of  Quebec.  The 
dissimilarity  of  the  periods  it  recalled  ;  the  events  which  had 
marked  the  now  distant  era  of  French  Dominion,  as  well  as 
the  painful  and  dark  memories  surviving,  of  (France)  one  of 
our  former  mother-countiies  :  all  conlributed  to  lend  to  llie 


90 


LE   ClIIKN    U  on. 


hoiistf  of  lh<»  (Joldi'ii  Doij,  a  ctTliiinpicliircsqiin  firnco.  lis  ViTv 
sill!  Mils  liisloririil.   II  slnod  «iii   IIm!   iiorlhiin  jini'linn  of  tli(> 
(iraiith'  Plan  or  llspkimuk  ihi  Fort.  [\w  s(nilli\v('>t('ni   pnrl  of 
>vliit'li  iio>v  coiihliliilcs  IIk;  J'lave  ilAnnes  or  liitig.    Tlio  direct 
Mliicli  il  liiKMl — Hiiitdi?  stri'il — look  its  iiiuiic  IVoin  Imius  tie 
JiiiaJe,  llii!  slunly  old  Count  dL\Froiiltna«',  \>lio  in    l(j!U),   in- 
hnl>il('(!  IIk;  iidjoinmu  Taslh;  St.  Louis,  fnr  in\;iy   IVuin  coiirl 
iiili-i^ut!s.  Sfaiidiil  liiid  :isso(-inl*>d  Ids  iianii',  in  youth  with  one 
ol  llinpcci'lcsslicfuilics  ol  tlii!  riiMuli  t^oiiit,  Mi>daini'd(!  Mon- 
t<!S|ian^  auii  Irs  old  a,ui>,  willi  ditsi-ilion  on  hclialf  nf  his  pi'oud, 
licailli'ssaiid  hi'aiilifid spouse,  Anncdi^  la  (iran^c-Triniioii !  (1) 
On  lh(!  (irnmh'  Phtce,  in  l(>."»S,  tlio  I'liW  doouK^l  Ihnons,  >vlio 
had   cscapi'd  lin!  drcadrul  h.itcln.'ry  ol"  UI'iO,  on  L;d\(i  Siinciic, 
Jiad  aski-d  andi>l)taiiu>d,  \v\\\{\  toi-ncainp.  solhattli(!f.'inis<d'  lluf 
Toil  should  prolccl  Ihcin  a|:aiiist  IIk;  loniahawk  of  Ihcir  mw- 
tiliissloL's — the  lro(|uois.  TIumj  cann'M  di'rd  of  blood  ofrinieii 
laler  dale.  Tht;  assassination  of  IMiililu'rl  hy  do  llcpfHiIigny  ;  it 
carries  us  also  bark  lo  lln;  cpocli  \\\\{\\\  our  foro-falhcns  flour- 
islicd  under  the  lily-spangird   banner  of  the  Jiourbons.    It 
opened  out  vistas,  as  well  suited  to  the  pen  of  the  novelist,  as 
Ihey  were  prei,'nanl  of  research   for  the  antupiarian.     The 
ronianee,  as  composed  by  Augiiste  Soulard,  t!S(juin;,  aiul  pub- 
lished in  the  lirperloirc  yallonal,  was  a  graceful  and  fanciful 


(1)  Curious  stories  according  to  Saint  Simon,  Mar^ry,  &o.,  oiroulntod  in  France, 
m.^iiffltiiif^  a  lim'ii'in  ol'tlio  Count,  ivlu-n  yi'Uiig  «'itli  tiio  Itnyal  fuv  jrito,  Minlaiuodo 
MontoSj  i>n,  when  slie  wns  known  as  Mdllc.  do  Murtcinnrt.  1  e  Frtiitinae  was 
sent  out  to  Canada  ;  in  exile,  some  s^aid,  a:<  thu  Freiudi  King  did  not  Ul<o  to  bavo 
near  !iim,  a  successful  rival  in  love.  Louis  XIV  bo  it  iciucinlicicd,  was  not  only 
le  linml  M'ln'if'iw;  hut  iit  one  time,  was  coiLxitk-riMl  tho  hiiiidsoini':?t  man  in 
Franco.  Was  it  surprisinj;  ho  should  be  viiin  of  his  lnoks  and  io'i'if* /■"•/unci  / 
The  Countess  do  Frontcnac,  had  refused  to  nceonii)any  her  liege  Lord,  who  braved 
out  his  destiny  in  sombre  granJeur,  ut  tlie  ChAtuau  St.  Louis,  iiniil  death  released 
him  in  1008.  "  His  body  was  cnterrcd  in  the  Kccollet  Church  near  the  riaee 
d'Aniws  ;  on  the  Cth  Sept.,  17it6,  this  buililing  became  the  jirey  of  fire  and  some 
of  tilt!  leaden  coffins  of  the  great  folks  it  contained,  having  been  molted  by  the  flames, 
in  one,  within  a  small  leaden  box,  was  found,  the  heart  of  the  Count.  According  to 
a  tradition,  snys  Fri'^ro  Louis,  tho  proud  Countess,  refused  to  receive  this  he;irt, 
which  was  sent  to  her  in  Franco,  after  her  husband's  deatti  saying  :  that  she  did 
not  wish  to  own  dead,  u  heart  which  when  alive  belonged  to  an  other.  It  was 
consequently  sent  back  to  Canada,  and  jilacod  in  tho  Count's  ooffin.  (^AObi 
Camjrain.) 


TIIK   IlISTOnY   OF    AM    OLl»    HOISK. 


91 


rlTiis"nn  (I)  This  willy  nmrislor  cut  oIVm)  pri'iiiiiliircly  in  llic 
jii'vtl.iy  of  liis  success,  cspt'i^iiijly  as  a  litlnutcur,  slill  lives 
a^ii't'ahjy  in  llii!  mcinory  ol'  liisro/z/h'/vs.  Tlicrt'  arc  lew  uii- 
at  (|iia'iih'(l  willi  li's  «r>i"r/<'//f,  vliihl  liis  ciilic,  Mr.  .laciiiirs 
Vi^er,   lius  (xliiljik'il   rcniaikiiblc  acumen  aiul  a  deep  uc- 


(1)   Wo  itlmll  innrnly  givo  tlio  oonulusion  : 

Nli'i'lii.s  Jin(|iiiii  i"iiilil>ui't,  wnx  a  ijiicln-c  iiionliiint,  soinoli.  w  f.r  otlmr  ho  liii'l 
iniviiru'l  till'  (li»|ilr:i.'<ui'i'  ut' tin-  Inlciilnit  IJijjiit,  |U'iliii|i»  for  rtlM^iii};  to  aid  liiiii 
iu  hi.''  iM.M'iiliit'.iiii.-  and  oxtnrtloiis.  Thu  Iiili'ii<liiiit,    in   i.rilcr   t<>   iitiiiny    I'liilibcrt, 


h  it  Mlluto  I  tr 


111  n,  ill)  1    orlurod    n    FriMV'lj    lioutiMiint    liv    ii.ti 


V 


1<")^  ird','!ir,    ■-ioiir  du    11  •))  Miti;^i)y,    to   .|iiiirti)r   on   tlii;    (i.H'l)uo    inon-liiinf.    Thi< 


in''eni^('(l  M.    I'liililivit  very  inni'h,  iind  wli 


the   liuutcniint    iit(ei>i|iU'd   tu  onU' 


thi)  hiiiifo  with  fho  "idor,  I'liililuTt  iliji'i'tccl,  tinyln^  lio  wmiM  Iiutc  i)!<>  crdor  ro- 
c'llli '1,  III  wliii'li  do  Kejiontiijiiy  rL|plit'd,  •'  \c.ii  urn  ii  ("lA.  "  A  hlmv  trnni  ii  w.ilK- 
iii^' .-ti'!;,  wiw  tlio  :in-»vor.  Tho  oflii-cr  tliun  dri  w  lii.i  mvuiJ,  und  iriflicl<'d  mi  hi.* 
('].|niii(.'iit  II  wiriiiiij,  i.t"  uhitdi  lie  died  in  tlin  'Jlst  Jiiniiiiry,  I'H.  Tlio  di'inlly 
thrn.^t  i.*  sii|»|nisod  tu  Iiutm  hiu^ii  given  on  tht-  Vfry  etvyn  nf  Iho  (  Iiicn  iJ'Or  l>uild- 
in^;,  whiih  ho  (ii-uu|iied.  bn  llcionti^jny,  in  ouioi  tu  oludo  a  I'liii.intil  priiiiocutii  ii, 
csiMiiud  iViitii  "iui'lii'.',  and  retiiod  ill  Ni)Va  Sdtia,  tlion  milled  AmJir,  whtro  ho 
njijiliod  to  Lonis  XV  for  his  (larJun.  Lt'tters  cf  n-jiriovo  and  ]iiirdun  woic  sent 
out  friiiii  I'uriH,  and  do  Kt'|u;iiti^iiy  rctiiinfd  tu  t^m-hfo  in  \'H'.i  with  tlioso  lottin;', 
in  ord  r  tu  moot  any  ii]i|,u»itii  n  whiidi  tiit.'  widuw  Thilihcrt  iiii;;ht  uiKc,  wiion  ho 
thuiild  ajiply  tu  tlio  Sii|i.'iiur  Coiinoil  of  the  oulony  tu  havo  thoin  n'j.'i.-tt'rcd,  Mrs. 
I'hiliboit  having  bcc-n  indcimiillcd  hy  ]iccnniary  cuniiicnsati"n  fur  the  losx  i.f  hoi" 
Lufhaud,  did  nut  (j|ipoiio  thu  ri');istratiun  <d'l)o  Kcin'iitijjiiy'ii  Ittttrf  of  indemnity. 
The  Frcni'h  lieutenant  remained  in  the  coli  iiy,  and  liiid  been  |prorriutod  to  a 
capliiiiic)'  in  ITCiO,  nt  tho  time  i\hen  ho  wa.i  .forvin^  under  the  (.'lii'\  alur  do  I.i'vi.". 
Everytliihjr  seemed  to  I're.f.i^.i  to  de  l!e|ientiuiiy  furKctfiili.e.'i.«  of  tlio  |oi!-t,  and  a 
piuinisini;  futiiro  :  every  one  .•'oeniod  tu  li:ivp  furgutteii  I'hilibert'ji  iintitnoly  end, 
a!i  i  huw  liio  family's  re.-iiortid  riiii.'f  hml  bei.ii  eut  ulf  in  Iho  )iiinio  of  niaiihuu.l, 
and  it.i  I  ru8|ie;t.-j  bli/hfed  ln!('vi;r,  liy  tlie  ilM.'-tiirdly  aetuf  oiuj  uf  tho  In'eiid;int'.< 
miiiiuiis.  AH  .-ooMied  Vi  h..ve  fM>;i  tten  llieso  tiietj'  ;  all,  favo  one"  jierson,  and  thi« 
w:!.'*  a  yuiin^  man  wliu  had  juft  .■■■een  tweiity-threo  funimer.'f  ;  his  uaino  was 
J'iorro  .\ii'liulM-i  I'hilibert.  i^oveio  in  his  d"  riieiinipr,  stod:i  ii.<  and  reserved  in  hi.s 
habit.«,  yoiinj;f  I'hilibert  hnd  ^ruwn  i:)i  tu  nuinhuud,  tho  eliief  Hiipjii'rt  and  n  n.^u- 
latiun  iif  hid  wiiluwed  mctlior.  At  tiiiics,  several  hud  remaiked  in  his  an.stcro  but 
bOiiitifiil  f.ioo,  a  .luMibro  exjirc^-iun,  wlii'di  wuiild  iinmodiately  niult  into  a  siib- 
d.iol  sadness,  tho  real  oauso  of  whii'h  few  ."eemed  to  an.spcet.  IJeluved,  a.-  ho 
certainly  was,  by  all  who  knew  him,  it  was  a  mournful  day  for  tho  forlorn  widi-w, 
when,  fullowed  by  soiuo  friends,  she  oseorted  hor  oldest  sun  to  tho  Lower  Town 
wharf,  on  his  way  to  old  Franco  to  obtain  a  coaimissiou  in  the  army.  AVhother  ho 
Buoeoeded  or  not,  does  not  ajijiear. 

Ten  months  after  his  departure,  Madame  Philibert  one  morning  received  a 
letter  ;  it  caino  from  Europo.  On  breaking  the  seal,  the  lint  words  which  mot  her 
eye  were,  as  follows  :— 

"  My  Dearest  Mother, — Wo  are  avenged  ;  my  father's  murderer  is  no  more.  " 
Tho  two  had  met  at  Pondichorry,  in  the  East  Indies.  De  Repcntigny  had  fallea 
under  a  sword  wound  which  youug  Philibort  kud  iullictod  on  hiui  iu  a  duel. 


LE  CIIIEN   DOR. 

qiiniiitnncc  y,\[)\  dotes  :  tlin  only  point  woriliy  of  rcmnik,  is 
thai  the  urave  nilic  appenrs  to  have  taken  the  novel  for  his- 
tory aiul  crilised  i(  accordingly.  (1) 

As  apiiears  liy  the  corner  stone  recently  found  at  the  Chien 
d'Or,  it  was  Nicholas  .lacquin  IMiiliherl  who  cans  -d  this  house 
to  bo  erected,  tin;  2()lli  Aiignst,  17.'jii.  This  corner  stone  i-  a 
lingular  relic.  IJiider  the  dale  17:t.'>  can  Im;  see  (he  two  capital 
letters  V  and  H  ;  the  space  between  the  li^lters  is  taken  up  with 
a  (ireek  or  a  St.  Andrews  cross,  engraved  in  the  stone  and 
colored  in  red. 

On  the  stone  was  fonnd  a  lead  plate  with  the  following 
inscription  : 

MCOLAS    lAOVIX 

DIT  IMIILinKU 

M'AlUSKLK2oAUYST 

173j. 


There  were  traces  of  the  inipn;ssion  of  coins  on  the  lead, 
bill  these  coins  have  not  hecn  found  :  either  the  masons  en- 
{^iiged  in  the  laying  o(' llu;  sloni;  abstracted  them,  or  some  of 
those  later  since,  en,uagod  in  repairing  or  altering  tlx^  building 
may  have  done  so.  The  lead  plate,  with  the  corner  stone,  are 
now  de|)osiied  in  the  office  of  Mr.  1'.  (iaiivrcan,  Inspector  of 
I'nbliv.  \Vorks,  I'arliament  Ilonse.  On  the  stone  wlujre  the 
date — 173G — stands,  under  the  insciiplion  of  the  Golden  Dog, 
can  be  seen  traces  of  letters,  with  a  ciMnent  adiiereing,  imi- 
tating thegrey  colour  of  the  stone.  It  has  been  found  impos- 
sible to  reunite  and  reform  the  inscription,  wliicli  nuisl 
originally  have  been  placed  (»n  this  stone.  According  to  Mr.  .1. 
Viger,  the  21sl  of  January,  1748,  Nicholas  Jaccinin  dit  IMiili- 
berl  quarrelled  wilh  Pierre  Lcgardenr,  Sieur  de  Rcpenligny, 
respecting  a  mililary  ordeV  billetting  him  on  I'hil  bcrl.  From 
words  came  blows,  and  de  Repentigny  wounded  bis  adversary 
mortally. 

(1)  Thoro  wcro  also  apparent  traces  of  fire,  on  the  walls  wbon  tUc^-  were  re- 
cently removed. 


THE   HISTORY   OF  AN    OLD  IIOUSK. 


n 


load, 
«;n- 


In  those  fli^liliiig  dnys  of  nilv«;nti]rcs  aiul  duels,  when  du(>dft 
ofwor,  niidai'ily  or  Vidoiir,  made  or  uiiinado  men,  the  blood 
of  n  ftjllow-ciealure  wns  easily  atoned  for,  especially  if  Ihe 
traiisuressur  bnro  a  iiublu  name  and  stood  well  at  Court. 

I)e  HepiMili'n'ny  reeeivcul  the  year  f(dlowing  a  |Mirdon  from 
Kini,'  Louis  XV,  and  ri>lurn(>d  from  Acadia,  >vhi(her  he  bad 
rrlired.  Pliilibeil  biH'ore  dyiii^  bad  forgiven  his  murderer. 
The  iiami!  of  this  same  Pierre  Legardeur.  8ieur  de  Ucpentigny 
occurs  amongst  those  officers  serving  under  (dievalier  de  Levi, 
al  the  batlle  of  St.  Foye,  on  28th  April,  1760.  In  Uawkint 
Jlislorical  Picture  of  Quebec,  published  in  1834,  occurs  a  plau- 
sible (ixplanalion  of  Ihe  enigmatical  verses  inscribed  on  the 
stone  hasso-relievo  of  the  Chien  d'Or.  Mj.  fiegon,  Intcndant  in 
New  Fnniee,  formerly  a  merchant  in  Bordeaux,  had  arrived  in 
Quebec  in  1712.  Philibiut  quarrelled  with  him  touching  some 
claims  which  he  had  preferred  against  Government.  Failing  to 
make  them  good,  Philibert  caused  the  following  words  to  b<j 
engraved  ovi^r  the  front  of  his  residence,  beneath  the  likeness 
of  a  Dou  G.NAWiNu  a  Bone  : 


Je  Svis  Vn  Cliien  Qvl  Honge  Lo, 
en  le  rongeanl  Je  prend  monRepo», 
Vn  terns  vieiidni  qv'  n'est  pas  venv, 
qve  je  morderay  (|vi  m'avra  inordv. 
173G. 


bni 


The  artist,  says  Mr.  Iluot,  who  carved  this  dog  was  not  a 
master  in  the  art.  We  can  safely  pronounce  him  anything  but 
n  Praxitiles.  Possibly  he  might  have  experienced  surprise,  had 
it  then  b;en  predicted  to  him  that  his  work  would  descend  to 
posterity.  The  dog  in  the  attitude  of  gnawing  his  bone,  seems 
to  have  much  loo  placid  a  countenance.  Philibert  more  than 
lik«Hy  found  the  emblematic  chitn  much  deficient  in  sullen 
fierceness,  when  the  sculptor  had  given  him  the  finishing 
touch. 

If  we  are  lo  credit  some  vague  traditions,  it  was  Philibert'9 
w  idow,  Marie  Anne  Guerin,  the  wife  he  had  wedded  on  the  2.3rd 
Nov.,  1733 — who  caused  the  sculptured  stone  and  inscription 
to  be  affixed  to  the  front  of  the  house. 


94 


LE  cii;en  d  or. 


Sonin  fanciful  writor«liavo  gone  sliil  furlhorand  hnvo staled 
that  a  son  of  IMiilibi.Tl  had  gone  to  Kiirupt;  to  tight  a  diKd  willi 
liis  father's  mnrderer  and  that  lie  had  been  killed  hy  di 
Uepenlijiiiy.  II  any  siieh  dtnd  took  place,  ileoiild  nolhavt;  heen 
prior  to  17(iO,  since  at  that  date  de  Uepenlii:ny  \\us  still  in 
New  Trance. 

It  s(U!ms  impossible  to  unearth  the  truth,  frnin  und(!r  these 
old  tra(lili('ns.  Here  rests  a  store  most  ample  of  nuUerials  for 
the  ntiv  'list. 

Time  lends  to  legendary  lore,  a  most  fragrant  aroma,  spreads 
flowers  over  tombs  and  gleams  of  poetry  over  common- place 
things  long  since  forgotten.  Alexandre  Humas  who  wcaved  a 
beautiful  romance  about  the  Tower  of  Nesle,  could  have  found 
hertj  the  groundwork  for  an  exciting  tale,  whei-ein  that  war- 
like period — the  eighteenth  century — with  its  dark  deeds  of 
blood  and  revenge,  woidd  have  stood  out  in  bold  reliif.  If,  on 
one  hand,  I'iiilibert  is  a  viitim  whi(;h  moves  us  to  pity  ;  on  the 
olher.itsi'ems  incomprehensible  that  deUi'pentiguy  should  have 
drawn  his  sword  about  such  an  insignificant  (piaind.  Was  it 
merely  an  ordinaiy  instance  of  soldieilike  brutality  ?  Was  it  a 
deed  of  personal  revenge,  or  els.',  was  de  Uep.'iUigny  mei-ely 
the  instrument,  the  sycophant  ot  a  niighliiu-  man  ?  What  eviu* 
we  choose  to  suppose,  that  drop  of  blood,  lights  up  wilh 
sinister  glare,  tlie  gloom  of  years  which  oversliadows  the  old 
structure.  So  much  for  romance. 

From  1775  to  1800,  the  Chien  d'Or  went  under  the  name  of 
((Freemason's  Hall.  »  In  1775,  Widow  I'renlice,  whose  late 
husband,  Miles  Prentice  was  of  the  iMasoiiic  crafi,  and  a  ser- 
geant in  Wtdfe's  army,  kept  there  a  cidcbrated  Viif've  House, 
frequented  by  the  swells  of  the  period.  This  is  the  same  Miles 
Prentice  who,  as  Prevost  Marshal,  was  charged  wilh  arresting 
that  dauntless  agitator,  the  Huguenot  DuCalvet,  who  patrioti- 
cally claimed  for  his  fellow  subjects  the  whole  of  the  privileges 
of  British  subjects.  Ducalvel  was  confined  in  a  cell  in  the 
Recollet  Convent,  then  used  asa  prison  for  jiolilical  ofl'endeis 
— (the  Recollet  Convent,  burnt  in  1706,  stood  partly  where 
the  English  Cathedral,  built  in  1804,  now  stands  )  Miles 
I'renlice  had  either  a  daughter  or  a  niece  of  wondrous  bcauly, 


THE   HISTORY   OF  AN   OLD    HOUSE. 


9o 


and  in  lli(!  bloom  of  youth.  TIk;  immortal  Nelson,  tlien  tlio 
youthful  Commanilor  of  llio  .IZ/'cmrtr/c,  a  friuato  of  20  guns, 
couvcyod  somo  merchanlnuMi  ti»  ijut  Ixrc  in  1782,  and  was  ono 
of  the  habitues  of  I'renlice's  Hotel.  He  was  so  smitten  \\illi  the 
Quebec  «  muftiu,  -»  that  he  olfered  her  marriage,  and  (innly 
declared  he  would  leavothe  service  rather  than  be  separated 
from  his  charmer. 

Read  in  Sonthey,  (I)  and  Lamartine's  Biographies  of  the 
Naval  Hero,  the  liveiv  concern  experienced  by  his  Qucbi'c  fi  i(Mid 
A.  Davidson,  (some  say  Lymburnei),  when  .\  'Ison  made 
known  his  rash  resolve. 

Had  love  prevailed,  and  marriage  followed,  wi!h  a  n^iire- 
menl  from  Ihe  navy,  would  Nelson's  destiny  have  been  the 
same  ?  Would  he  have  inmiortalised  his  nami^  at  Aboukirand 
Trafalgar?  Would  he  have  been  known  to  succeeding  ages  as 
the  bulwark  of  England  on  the  ocean  ?  Would  Napoleon's 
supremacy  on  land  have  extended  to  the  sea  ? — for  Hie  most 
trivial  incident  makes  or  unmakes  great  men. 

We  read  in  Ihe  old  numbers  of  the  Quebec  Gazette^  and 
later  on,  in  1700,  in  the  Quebec  Herald,  (2)  with  what  zest 
our  patriotic  fathers,  the  Yolimtc^er  and  Militia  oflicers  of  177o, 
used  to  celebrate  each  year  the  glorious  anniversary  of  31st 
Dec,  1775,  when  a  handful  of  Drilish  and  French  Canadians 
with  a  few  regulars  repulsed  Arnold  alSault-au-Matelot  street, 
and  Montgomery  at  Pres  do  Ville.  They  styled  themselves  the 

(1)  Robert  Southey  thns  describes  this  cnrioiis  incident  in  the  Hfe  of  his  hero: 
"  At  Quebec,  Nelson  became  acquainted  with  Alexamler  Davidson,  by  whoso 
interference  bo  was  prevented  from  making  whiit  woiilj  be  caUed  an  iinprmlent 
marriage.  The  Albemarle  was  about  to  leave  the  stittion,  her  captain  had  taken 
leave  of  friends,  and  was  gone  down  the  river  to  the  place  of  anchorage,  when 
the  next  morning,  as  Davidson  was  walking  on  the  beacli,  to  his  surprise  he  saw 
Nelson  coming  back  in  his  boat.  U]ion  inquiring  flie  cause  of  his  re-appearance, 
Nelson  took  his  arm,  to  walk  towards  the  town,  and  told  him  he  found  it  utterly 
impossible  to  leave  Quebec  without  again  seeing  the  woman  whose  society  had 
contributed  so  much  to  his  happiness  there,  and  offering  her  his  hand.  '  If 
you  do,  said  his  friends,  your  utter  ruin  must  follow.  '  '  Then,  let  it  follow  '  cried 
Nelson, '  for  I  am  resolved  to  do  it  ' — '  and  I, '  replied  Davidson,  •  am  resolved 
you  shall  not.  '  Nelson,  however,  upon  this  occasion  was  less  resolute  than  his 
friend,  and  suffered  himself  to  bo  led  back  to  the  boat. — (,Li/«  of'  Lord  Nelnon,  by 
Rob.  SoHthey  L.  L.  D.) 

(2)  Knox's  Journal,  vol.  11,  p.  149. 


90  LE  CHIEN  DOR. 

« 

Veterans'  and  hold  Ihoir  annual  dinner  at  the  Merchants 
Coffee  House.  We  are  inclined  to  believe  Prentice's  Hotel, 
where  Nelson  and  Montgomery  had  lounged,  had  also 
amongst  its  habitues,  its  fair  share  of  veteran  and  military  swells 
of  the  period. 

Our  ol<l  friend  Mr.  DeGasp6  used  to  tell  of  a  most  singular 
suicide  which  took  place  in  a  room  on  the  lirst  story  of  the 
venerable  Hall.  A  highly  respectable  and  well-to-do  merchant 
of  Three  Rivers  of  the  name  of  Bndeau,  spending  a  few  days  in 
the  city,  had  put  up  at  the  Chien  d'Or.  Whether  it  was  during 
those  gloomy  November  days — that  season  specially  set  aside 
by  Englishmen  to  cut  their  throats — we  cannot  say.  One 
morning  the  Trifluvian  was  found  stone  dead,  hung  by  the 
neck  to  a  large  nail  affixed  to  the  wall ; — 

And  there  he  hung  till  he  was  dead, 

As  any  nail  in  town, 
For,  though  distress  had  cut  him  up  ; 

It  could  not  cut  him  down. 

The  ominous  nail,  when  the  building  was  recenllypulled  down, 
was  saved  as  a  relic  and  is  still  in  the  possession  of  W.  Sheppard, 
esquire.  Post  Office  Inspector.  The  true  cause  of  his  death  re- 
mains to  this  day  unexplained.  Here,  resided  also  at  the 
beginning  of  the  century,  Henry  Blackstone,  Coroner  of 
Quebec,  the  talented  son  of  that  great  english  jurist,  Sir  Wil- 
liam Blackstone. 

Subsequently,  we  find  the  old  house  occupied  as  an  auction- 
mart,  next  as  a  place  of  worship  ;  afterwards,  rented  for  the 
office  of  the  Mercury  newspaper  and  by  the  Quebec  Provident 
and  Savings  Bank.  Dr.  Marsden  and  Dr.  Rees,  both  held  sur- 
geries there.  The  Mechanic  Institute,  had  their  rooms  in  the 
second  flat,  whilst  the  basement,  was  used  as  a  Confectioner's 
stand,  by  Henry  Eaton,  the  son  of  the  celebrated  pedestrian. 
It  had  formed  part  of  the  Pozer  estate,  and  the  old  mil- 
lionaire, George  Pozer,  having  resolved  not  to  comply 
with  the  new  municipal  regulations  and  remove  the  stone 
steps  which  encroached  on  the  street,  stood  protracted  litiga- 
tion on  this  point ;  he  spent  six  months,  attending  (he  sittings  of 


THE  BISTORT  OF  AM  OLD   HOUSE. 


97 


lion- 
the 

Ident 

Isur- 

thc 

ler's 

pan. 

Imil- 
iply 
lone 

Mga- 
zsof 


Parliament,  in  Kingston,  to  seek  Legislative  redress ;  there,  he 
caught  the  cold  which  eventually  carried  him  ofT-— but  his 
valued  steps  were  doomed  ;  they  were  removed. 

In  1853,  Government  purchased  it,  for  £4,000  from  Geo. 
Alford,  esquire,  for  a  Post  Office.  Over  the  chief  entrance, 
as  of  yore,  we  still  see  the  mysterious  golden  dog  crunching 
his  bone,  just  over  the  bust  uf  the  founder  of  the  city,  Samuel 
de  Champlain,  and  the  busy  crowd  flowing  daily  past,  to  or 
from  Mountain  Hill,  continues  to  gaze  inquiringly  at  the 
emblematical  dog,  just  as  Captain  John  Knox,  (1)  gazed  and 
wondered,  at  the  inscription  when,  on  the  18lh  September, 
1759,  de  Ramsey's  capitulation  opened  the  city  gates  to  British 
valor.  Who  will  solve  the  mystery  of  the  Golden  Dog  ? 

(I)  Thursday  last  being  the  Slst  of  December,  the  Vetkbans  held  their  annual 
dinner  at  the  Merchant's  Coffee  House,  all  of  whom  that  health  would  permit 
were  present,  to  the  number  of  about  30.  Songs,  toasts,  &o.,  of  course.  Informa- 
tion likewise  adds,  the  worthy  veterans  have  established  themselves  as  a 
■ooiety ;  the  officers  appointed,  we  learn,  are  four  stewards  and  a  secretary  ;  and 
that  they  conclude  in  future  to  meet  twice  a  year. — Qutbe*  Herald,  4th  January, 
1790. 


TIDBITS  OF  FEUDAL  CUSTOMS  AND  RIGHTS- 


(WritUninlStZ.) 


Amongst  the  innumerable  feudal  burthens  and  medieval 
cobwebs  which  time  or  legislation  have  successively  swept 
away  in  European  communities,  Ihere  existed  a  lordly  privi- 
lege satyrised  by  Sterne,  and  of  rather  doubtful  propriety. 
Traces  of  it  were  to  be  (ound,  not  only,  in  the  realms  of  good 
Kings  Evenus  and  Malcolm,  in  Scotlaud,  and  in  the  Welsh 
Chronicles,  but  also  in  France,  Germany,  England,  Italy,  Bel- 
gium, &c.  It  was  one  of  those  rights  which  one  would  be  more 
apt  to  look  for  under  the  heading  of  Droits  IlonorifqueSf  than 
under  that,  of  Z)rot/s  Utiles.'  French  writers  designate  it  as 
Droit  lie  Jambage,  Prelibation,  &c.,  and  as  I  do  not  care  to  be 
too  explicit  in  describing  it,  it  will  suffice  to  say  that  it  had  for 
its  object,  as  many  pretend,  to  conler  on  the  lord  of  the 
manor  the  same  eights  which  some  royal  I  olharios  in  France 
claimed  in  those  marriagi'  contracts  «  oule  Roi  a  signe.  »  No 
data  havft  v«'|  lieen  found  wlierebv  to  establish  that  it  ever 
oxisloti  \ho  c<ilony  :  Ihe  chiinces  are,  that  had  its  introduc- 
tion ';i  11  place,  'he  Canadian  Seigneur  would  have  fared  as 
baJi.  a ^thosti  I'i 'dcnoiilestj  nobles,  who,  for  a  like  attempt 
w»M'i',  acC'  rdinu  loGuyol,  (1)  summarily  hooted  out  of  the 
Kingdom.  (2)  That  this  liiiht — high  prerogative,  if  you  prefer 
— which  might  have  suited  old  King  Solomon,  appears  in 

(1)  Quyot  goes  on  to  gay  that  in  times  gone  by,  the  clergy  claimed  an  indem- 
nity for  commuting  this  feudal  custom.  Despeisses  also  mentions  a  singular  case. 
If  we  accept  their  authority,  how  thankful  we  must  feel  to  know  that  feudalism 
is  dead  and  buried  for  ever.  What  a  scandal  it  would  be  through  the  cirilised 
world,  if  even  the  bare  possibility  could  exist  that  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
for  instance,  might  claim  so  many  "  fat  capons  "  at  Michaelmas  for  refusing  to 
arail  himself  of  such  aright  t 

(3)  See  Bo<ithiu8.  Seotorum  Hutorim,  George  Buoannaa  ;  Rtrum  SeotUorum 
Bittoria, 


100 


TlD-BiTS  OF  FEUDAL 


charters  and  grants,  there  can  be  no  doubt :  and  although  we 
do  not  see  that  the  Seigniorial  Tenure  Commissioners  paid 
much  attention  to  it,  \shen  they  recently  sifted  the  matter, 
taking  in  consideration  the  manner  in  which  existing  rights 
have  been  dealt  with,  we  may  make  ourselves  quite  easy  that, 
if  it  did  exist,  the  $800,000  provided  in  the  budget  of  1862,  to 
indemnify  seigniorial  rights  will  be  properly  applied  and  dis- 
tributed. 

This  right,  it  has  been  pretended,  is  inserted  in  the  land 
patent  of  the  representatives  of  a  very  illustrious  Canadian 
house  ;  I  rumly  believe,  however,  that  never,  even  in  his  pal- 
miest dpys,  did  this  Seigneur  think  of  availing  himself  of  it. 
Anomalous  as  the  right  may  appear,  was  it  a  whit  less  intoler- 
able than  several  of  the  manifold  exactions  which  (1)  free-born 


(1)  I  can  searolj  forbear  a  gmile  when  I  hear  the  word  mentioned,  from  its 
being  connected  with  a  very  ludiorous  recent  inoident.  A  aporting  gentleman 
owning  the  fishing  limits  of  the  Jacques  Cartier  river,  in  order  to  secure  efficient 
preeorvation  of  the  inmates,  imported  an  English  game-keeper.  The  sturdy  old 
Saxon  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  John  Crisp.  Mr.  Crisp  was  indeed  a  character 
tie  was  a  hard  hitter,  a  pugnacious  soul, — the  type  of  the  sturdy  race  which 
the  Norman  dulte  had  mercilessly  crushed  under  his  iron  heel  at  Hastings  :  John 
camo  in  this  country  with  the  feelings  not  of  an  equal,  but  of  a  conqueror,  and 
concluded  that  as  such,  he  would  be  exposed  to  the  ill  will  and  vengeance  of  the 
discendants  of  Frenchmen  ;  he  depicted  to  himself,  the  peaceful  habitant,  as  a 
Mood-thirsty  savage,  the  sworn  enemy  to  his  race.  Distended  with  english  preju- 
tlicet),  nothing  in  Canada  was  as  it  ought  to  be.  Even  the  ale  was  poisonous  : 
lie  vowed  that  without  bis  usual   supply  of  London  Stout,  he  would  pine  and  die. 

Squire  Crisp  had  to  be  watched  each  week.  Mr.  Crisp,  to  use  his  exprestiion 
would  "  cook  the  gonge  Saturday  and  drink  the  grovy  on  Sunday  " — which  meant 
that  he  made  himself  very  drunk  at  his  Saturday  dinner  and  carried  the  spree  over 
the  Sunday.  His  disordered  imagination  gave  way  to  dispondency  and  tinally  to 
dilerium  tremens.  One  thing  however  he  took  kindly  to,  that  was  the  wine  of  th* 
rountry,  50,  0.  P.  Whiskey.  One  of  his  hallucinations,  was  that  Canada  being  an 
old  Norman  Colony,  and  the  Norman  race  in  the  ascendant,  a  Saxon  must  neces- 
sarily be  oppressed. 

The  absence  of  "  London  Stout  "  so  depressed  the  spirit  of  John,  that  he  bad 
to  resort  to  the  toine  of  the  country,  to  keep  them  up,  but  all  in  vain  ;  he  unstrung 
his  nerves  and,  under  incipient  d...t...,  he  once  rose  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
nnd  discharged  his  fowling  piece,  at  two  gate  posts  near  his  dwelling,  swearing 

horribly  at  thorn,  and  calling  them  "  D d  French  Canadians.  "   At  last  he 

became  quite  dangerous,  and  his  loyalty  to  the  Queen  was  one  morning  abruptly 
interrupted  by  one  of  his  English  masters,  with  the  help  of  some  habitant  clap- 
ping handcuffs  on  him,  and  picketing  him  for  an  hour  before  his  tent,  with  a  rope, 
iiiitil  he  could  be  removed.  His  imprecations  then  became  sublime.  "  To  think, " 
he  would  exclaim,  "  of  a  free-born  Briton,  picketed  before  a  tent,  with  manaclei 


CUSTOMS  IND  BIGHTS. 


101 


presiiion 
meant 

free  over 

jnally  to 
of  th* 

^eing  an 
neces- 


he 


had 

[Strung 

night 

earing 

ast  ho 

Tuptly 

olap- 

rope, 

ink," 

aolei 


Britons  quietly  endured  at  home,  and  abroad  in  their  colonies, 
where  they  imported  their  institutions  ?  Take  Massachusetts 
and  the  other  New  England  states,  for  instances  ;  whatwould 
a  citizen  of  the  model  republic  now  say,  were  it  attempted  to 
resuscitate  the  ancient  order  of  things  ?  What  would  be  the 
feelings  of  a  Nova  Scotian,  were  his  legislators  to  revive  the 
tenure  under  which  were  originally  granted  the  broad  acres  on 
w  hich  he  prides  himself  to-day  7  On  the  other  hand,  what  a 
glorious  field  for  law-suits,  what  green  pasturage  for  Chancery 
lawyers  the  revival  of  these  old  land  charters  would  open  ! 
Why !  it  would  be  a  perfect  California  for  us,  gentlemen  of  the 
long  robe. 

I  shall  now  submit  in  a  condensed  form,  an  extract  from  an 
English  royal  charter  ;  it  is  a  most  dainty  tid-bit,  which  I  can 
commend  to  the  admirers  of  legal  lore.  Every  one  has  heard 
of  Nova  Scotia  knights  ;  indeed,  if  I  am  well  informed,  we 
have  one  at  present  (1863)  within  the  precincts  of  this  city, 
(Sir  J.  D.  H.  Hay.  4)  Few  are  aware  of  the  marvellous  array  ot 
rights  and  privileges  contained  in  the  charter  creating  them, 
granted  in  1621  by  James  I.  of  England,  and  confirmed  and 
re-enacted  by  Charles  I.,  in  1625,  in  favor  of  Sir  William 
Alexander  de  Menntrie,  subsequently  made  Earl  of  Sterling. 
This  precious  document,  written  in  Latin,  covers  twenty-four 
quarto  pag^s.  Afler  enumeratinn  the  titles  of  the  earl's  lands 
in  Nova  Sc(»tiii.  &;c.,  it  descends  into  the  most  minutes  parti- 
culars  concerning  the  rights  vested  in  him  over  his  vassulsand 
tenants  in  his  extensive  domain,  which  comprised  Nova 
Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  Cape  Breton,  St.  John,  Newfoundland, 
and  even  the  Gaspe  district.  This  royaf  grant  divided  Nova 
Scotia  int3  one  hundred  and  fifty  fiefs  or  seigniories,  and  con- 
ferred on  the  mighty  chieftain  (who,  by  the  bye,  was  also  a 


on  hii  arms,  like  a  felon,  in  a  Canadian  wilderness.  "  Colonial  habits  did  not  suit 
Mr.  John  Crisp,  and  after  a  short  time,  the  Atlantic  steamer  re-conreyed  him  to 
the  land  of  the  free. 

(4)  Sir  James  D.  Hamilton  Hay,  for  many  years  an  attache  of  the  Adjutant- 
General's  branch  of  the  Militin  Department,  died  30th  July  in  the  73rd  year  of 
his  age.  He  will  be  succeeded  is  the  baronetcy  by  his  son,  Mr.  H.  C.  Hay,  of  Uie 
Customs  Department. 

iOUatea  Timet,  Ju'y,  1873.) 


102 


TID-BITS  OP  FEUDAL 


poet)  tho  power  to  knight  any  one  who  would  become  the  pur- 
chaser of  any  of  his  lots,  which  he  valued  each  at  two  hundred 
pounds  sterling.  How  pleasant  it  must  have  been  for  the  land 
speculator,  on  signing  his  deed  of  sale,  to  have  the  auspicious 
words  tingling  in  his  ears  :  «  Rise,  Sir  N.  Fortunatus,  »  &c., 
or  other  words  to  I  he  same  effect.  It  has  often  been  my  lot  to 
hear  intelligent  Dritons  commiserate  most  feelingly  on  the 
intolerable  hardships  which  French  charters  imposed  on  the 
benighted  French  Canadians,  but  I  have  not  yet  had  the  good 
fortune  to  light  on  a  French  land  patent  embodying  a  greater 
number  of  exactions,  restrictions  and  privileges  in  favor  of 
the  lord  of  the  manor  than  the  following  charter,  sanctioned 
by  two  English  monarchs  : — 

«  We  also  grant  the  possession  of  houses,  buildings  erected 
and  to  be  erected,  gardens,  valleys,  woods,  swamps,  roads, 
cross  roads,  ponds,  streams,  meadows,  pasture  lands,  mills, 
the  exclusive  right  to  t^riml  corn,  liic  shooting  of  birds  and 
Aviid  animals,  Hie  rijiht  to  jisli,  the  right  to  tmf  and  turf  lands, 
coal  and  coal  pits,  lahbils  and  war-ruiis,  do^s  and  dovo  rots, 
workshops,  forges,  heaths,  wlieal  fields,  forests,  merchantable 
timber,  small  trees,  qiiarrii's,  limestone,  courts  of  justice  and 
their  di'pendencies,  tin*  right  lo  remit  sentences,  the  rifiht  ot 
ri'eeiviog  g'fis  in  marriagi'S,  (he  ri^ihl  to  cM'ect  gallows  and 
gibltels.  IIk!  right  of  cul  de  fosse.  Ilic  riiilil  ol  fninchc  court,  of 
snknvn  nf  sak.  of  thole,  of  Ihaic,  of  .|'an,i;tlii  f,  of  oxlhnn?- 
t'     I'.  ,  il  of  ou'wark.  of  .  avi.  of  u\'  k  of  veiiysoiie,  of  p  I  ai  d 


i.'i  r 


;:.  .ln,.s,  ))  &(■  .  &r..  &i'.  i  iio  l-or.i  liavo  iMcrcy  on  III  ■  ] 
..-sal  Ol  t;  iiiinl  who  liail  lo  ('t»!iii)lv  v. !l!i  all  !h  -sc  exfu  ;  en  ! 
i;  tniis!  liavti  b  ;t'n  doubilMJ  lo  him  wlielh'r  hi  soul  a-  >\  ii  a-. 
his  liody  did  not  l)elon.;  to  the  carl,  his  omnipol -nl  master. 

So  much  for  English  charters.  I  shall  now,  in  order  lo 
illustrate  one  of  iht;  pecul  ar  institutions  of  tho  country,  and 
for  the  benefit  of  non-legal  readers,  insert,  as  a  sample,  a 
donation  entrevifs,  in  plain  English,  a  deed  of  annuity,  which 
I  shall  translate  from  a  city  paper,  the  Courrier  du  Canada. 
This  form  of  donation  was  formerly  and  is  still  used  by  some 


(1)  This  reminds  one  of  the  prerogatives  of  the  Baron  of  Bradwardine. 


CUSTOMS  AND  BIGHTS. 


103 


•t,  or 

ll  a!  <l 

;w,  !• 

|r|)     ! 
ii    a.^ 

|r. 

|r  lo 
I  and 
.,  a 
liich 
tda. 
)me 


country  notaries.  It  is  unnecessary  to  remark  what  a  fruitful 
source  of  litigation  its  contradictory  stipulations  must  have 
furnished. 

Before  giving  this  legal  gem,  I  shall,  as  aprelimlnary,  relate 
in  a  few  words  what  occurred  to  a  wealthy  Englishman  who 
had  acquired  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  country  parts  of 
Canada,  and  who  wanted  more.  Nothing  was  requisite  to  round 
off  his  estate  but  a  small  farm,  owned  by  a  very  ancient  Cana- 
dian lady  ;  sell,  she  would  not;  but  she  agreed  lo  dispossess 
herself  if  her  rich  neighbour  would  allow  hor  an  annuity  of 
about  £50  ;  (his  amount  was  not  to  be  paid  in  money  ;  it 
was  to  be  represented  by  the  ordinary  condilionsofu</ona/i'on 
entre  vifs,  the  preparing  of  which  was  left  to  the  village  notary, 
(1)  as  is  usual  in  such  cases.  When  the  French  document  was 
read,  John  Hull  could  make  neither  head  nor  tail  of  it,  and 
instructed  the  notary  to  hav(!  a  literal  translation  made  ;  it 
was  not  quite  Addisonian  English,  but  it  could  be  understood  ; 
the  choleric  Englishman  restrained  himsolf  until  the  notary 

(1)  The  Boston  Pott,  notices  a  castom  as  existing  in  Canada,  of  which  oer- 
taiul;  little  is  over  heard,  if  it  does  exist: 

UUNNIXO  TUE  lOXOLEK. 

Canada  is  the  refuge  of  French  antiquities  driven  from  their  native  land  by  a 
relentless  and  radical  civilization,  among  which,  is  the  custom  of  "  running  the 
Ignoloe,  "  whicli  originated  twonty-fivo  hundred  years  ago.  Though  this  cere- 
mony, whicli  is  druidical,  would  haidly  be  expedited  to  wear  so  well  in  a  land  that 
])rofcsse8  to  be  Christian,  it  nevertheless  was  this  year  as  sacredly  observed 
among  the  French  Canadians  of  the  rural  districts  as  two  hundred  years  ago.  Only 
a  few  years  since  it  was  allowed  in  Montreal,  but  the  late  influx  of  outside  in- 
fluence has  smothered  it  there.  Freya,  the  wife  of  Odin,  the  Saxon  Qod,  made  all 
things  swear  not  to  harm  Balder,  the  Sun,  except  the  mistletoe,  a  plant  so  dimi- 
nutive that  she  didn't  think  it  worth  noticing.  Lake,  god  of  evil,  found  out  his 
weak  point,  however,  and  tearing  up  the  mistletoe  gave  it  to  Oder,  the  blind  god, 
who  with  it  fatally  pierced  Balder.  That  was  the  fable,  and  it  was  to  prevent 
Lake  from  slaying  Balder  that  the  Druids  solemnly  sought  the  oak  trees  and 
gathered  the  mistletoe  fromtheir  boughs  with  the  Joyous  cry, "  Auguil'anneufl" 
of  which  "  La  Ignoloe  "  or  "  Guillannee  is  a  corruption,  meaning  the  mistletoe— 
the  New  Tear.  A  company  of  young  men  now  meet  and  serenade  every  house 
with  a  fanfaronade  of  tin  horns  and  horse-fiddles.  After  greeting  the  host  and 
hostess,  the  singers  and  instrumentalists  beg  a  piece  of  ham  with  tail  attached, 
called  a  "  chignee,  "  threatening  in  the  event  of  a  refusal,  to  take  the  oldest  child 
of  the  family  to  the  forest  and  roast  it  under  the  oak  tree,  where  the  dove  and 
cuekoo  sing.  Drnidism  was  introduced  into  Gaul  seven  hundred  years  befor*  the 
birth  of  Christ,  and  its  still  vigorous  rites  show  tiiat »  heftthen  plaoi  may  flourisii 
in.Christian  soil. 


104 


TUHBITS  or  ntlDAL 


public  arrived  at  that  stipulation  in  the  deed,  whereby  the 
donee  (the  Englishman)  was  required  to  «  bind  himself  to 
harness  the  donor's  (the  old  lady*s)  horse  and  drive  her  to  the 
parish  church,  »  when,  quietly  rising  from  his  chair,  he  col- 
lared the  notary  and  kicked  him  out. 


All  OLD  FRENCH  DONATION. 

«  Amongst  other  thingfi,  the  donor  reserves  for  his  use,  an 
immortal  horse,  a  cow  which  will  never  die,  a  ewe  which 
renews  herself  forever,  at  the  will  of  the  donor;  twenty 
minots  of  royal  and  merchantable  wheat,  good  measure,  made 
into  fluur,  together  with  the  bran,  to  be  deposited  in  the  garret 
of  the  donor  and  nowhere  else  ;  a  reasonable  (1)  pig  weighing 
200  lbs.,  without  legs  or  head,  but  with  its  fat,  and  if  any 
should  be  wanting,  it  shall  be  taken  from  another  reasonable 
pig  of  the  donee,  where  the  fat  is  the  thickest  and  where  there 
are  no  bones  ;  also  15  lbs.  of  herbs  sailed,  at  proper  season, 
and  placed  in  a  suitable  cask  ;  also  each  year  the  young  of  the 
cow  and  of  the  ewe,  whether  they  have  any  young  or  not.  The 
horse,  cow  and  ewe  will  be  renewed  when  it  is  necessary,  ac- 
cording to  the  wish  and  will  of  the  donor,  expressed  or  not 
expressed.  The  donee  will  wait  at  all  times  on  the  donor,  in 
sickness  and  in  health,  whether  the  donor  asks  him  to  do  so 
or  not ;  will  go  and  fetch  the  priest  and  the  physician  in 
extremis — will  drive  them  back,  even  should  the  donor  die. 
The  horse  will  be  harnessed  becomingly  to  a  suitable  vehicle 
with  cushions  and  furs,  in  winter  as  well  as  in  summer  ;  the 
donee  will  be  bound  lu  drive  the  donur  to  church  on  Sundays ; 
the  donor  shall  also  have  a  quarterof  beef,  or  cow  meat  which 
the  donee  will  kill  himelf,  also  a  dead  lamb,  with  its  depend- 
encies, just  as  if  it  were  alive.  The  donor  also  reserves  a  bed ; 
but  when  he  dies,  he  leaves  the  enjoyment  thereof  to  the 
donee  who  will  be  bound  to  keep  it  neat  and  clean.  »  The 

(I)  "  Un  eoehon  raiionnable.  "  Very  warm  diseusaions  used  to  tnane  between 
donor  and  donee  ;  one  inaisted  on  »  fat  pig  ;  the  other  reiolutely  reaiated  the  in- 
troduction of  thia  clauae,  from  the  great  expense  and  trouble  to  fatten  the  grunter ; 
the  notai7  would  then  propoae,  by  way  of  eompromiie,  to  ina ert  a  **  naaonable 


Ct'STUMS   AiND   lUGIIlS.  105 

plirascology  of  French  Donations  has  been  modernized,  >vo 
subjoin  an  in^lance  in  point.  (I) 

(1)  FIERI  FACIAS. 

Circuit  Court — Dintrict  o/ Juliette, 


DiiUiot  of  Juliotto,  to  wit 

Mo.  820. 


:  I  piKUUK  VENNE,  faimtT  of  tlio  parish  of  St. 
)  '  .Tii'viiics,  in  tlu-  coniity  (if  .Nri>t\tna!iii,  in  the  dis- 
trict of  Joliottrj.  I'laintilT ;  vn.  EIISEIJK  nKAUCiCAMP,  farmor,  of  tho  parish  of 
St.  A!u.\id,  (llatriut  afuruBuid,  L>ofuiidiint,  and  iMossrs.  Gudin  ic  UoatwUon,  pluin- 
tifl'd  attoruuyd. 

A  f:irin  sitiintn  and  ticino;  in  tho  jiarisli  of  St.  Alexis  aforesaid,  contiiining  thrno 
arpent"  and  a  lialf  in  front  by  twonty-two  arponts  in  depth  ;  boiuidcd  in  front  liy 
tho  liiif  IJayoiil,  in  roar  by  I'laoido  I'inault,  on  ono  nido  by  tioloraon  Chaput,  and 
on  the  cither  I>y  Ihu  heirs  uf  the  lato  Luui:j  Kiupol — with  a  huuso,  barn  aud  othur 
iMiil  linjrs  tliiii'iin  erected. 

Said  farm  being  8ii))joct  to  tho  clauses,  conditions  and  charges  horeinaftor 
montiiinod,  in  faviir  of  Dame  Mario  Anno  Bour^^ooif;,  widow  of  tho  into  Jusepli 
Loaiiclianip,  in  his  life  tiiiio,  I'linuer  (if  tho  ]lHli^h  of  St.  Alu.\id  uforodaid,  tiiu 
aniiuiil  and  life  rent,  j/vnniun  rlnjiri:,  oaeli  ye.ir,  i-oiupused  of  what  follows  :  Toii 
bushels  (if  w!icat,  V.\i:  Iialfof  a  fit  pi;,',  said  half  n, it  to  weigh  loss  than  ahiindrod 
pound.',  with  tlio  lard  (/'">i'i'),  a  lamb  .'it  her  ehoioo  out  of  tlio  purchaijer'ii  liook 
OTury  year,  a  cow  at  tho  choice  of  tlio  said  Daiuo  Mario  Auuo  liourgoois,  thu  lirat 
thiit  til  ill  have  calvod,  to  bo  returned  when  sho  runn  dry,  and  to  be  kept  during 
tho  winter  and  pastured  by  tho  purcliaser,  replaced  by  another  in  tho  event  of  her 
death,  sickness  or  illness  such  as  to  deprive  the  said  Damo  Mario  Anno  Bourgeois 
of  tho  bcnollt  of  her  ;  a  half  bushel  of  good  peas  for  soup  ;  four  pounds  of  rice, 
three  pounds  of  tea,  twelve  pounds  of  candles  to  tho  said  Danio  Mario  Anno 
Bourgeois,  a  half  pound  ground  popper,  a(iuartor  of  a  pound  of  cinnamon  and  of 
allspice,  a  half  pound  of  .toda,  four  jtouuds  uf  spring  wool,  as  long  as  the  said  Dame 
Marie  Anno  Bourgeois,  will  bo  able  to  work  thu  same  hor«olf,  six  ells  of  home- 
mado  linen,  eight  buahols  of  good  sound  potntoes  fit  to  oat ;  fifteen  cords  of  cord- 
wood,  good  ar  1  sound,  whereof  five  coi  Js  must  bo  of  hard  wood  and  ton  cords  of 
soft  wood,  split  and  put  into  tho  said  Dame  Mario  Anno  Bourgeois  house,  as  re- 
quired by  hor,  tlroo  loads  of  dry  wood  for  tho  oven,  split  into  smalt  pio<?69,  a 
horse  harncssod  and  uiharnossod,  with  suitable  vehicles  for  tho  diiferont  seasons 
of  tho  year,  with  robes  and  ouiihions  sufflciont,  .and  oven  to  havo  hor  driven  by  a 
prudent  porson  when  she  may  dosiro,  and  to  gn  wherever  sho  may  feel  inoliuod 
and  to  take  with  h(  r  whomsoever  alio  may  wi.<h  to  hrini^  ;twonty-fivo  pound''  if 
maple  sugar,  a  gallon  of  good  mnplo  syrup,  seven  and  a  half  pounds  of  buttor, 
six  pounds  of  Canadian  poap,  throo  chickonH,  six  di^ou  of  og,:^,:,  throo  quarters 
of  a  Inishel  (jJiuKJ/)  of  fait ;  a  good  jloak  of  suitable  atulT,  woll  linod,  a  printed 
calico  drcfcd,  a  oobourg  dross  at  hor  choice,  two  pairs  of  calfskin  bootJ,  every 
year,  two  pocket  handkorehiofs  a  year,  a  bonnet  ai  tjroi  dc  xV*/-'' "f,  two  mnnlUri, 
two  aprons,  two  woollen  nock  handkerchiefs,  ono  cotton  nock  handkoroliief  every 
year,  muslin  caps  (^cnlines  de  mallemoUii)  every  year,  two  cotton  chemises. 

The  said  articles  to  bo  of  suitablo  quality  and  delivered  to  tho  said  D^mo 
Marie  Anno  Bourgeois,  as  demanded  and  required  by  her,  tho  said  rent  payable  at 
Michaelmas,  of  every  year,  and  at  the  dead  of  tho  said  Dame  Mario  Anno  Bour- 
geois, tho  said  rent  iliall  be  entirely  extinct  and  amortized  ;    and  the  arrears 


106 


TID-DITS  OP  FEUDU  CUSTOMS  ANn  illCnTS. 


As  I  do  not  wliish  the  reader  to  be  carried  away  with  the 
crrunoous  idoa  of  the  French  Canadian  notaries  have  the  mo- 
nopoly of  bad  grammar  and  luubarons  pliroseology,  I  shall 
close  this  hasty  sketch  with  n  curious  but  Hlteral  quotation 
from  ii  lii^h  En^lisli  authority  on  the  Law  of  Contracts  ;  il>viil 
serve  to  illiistrule  what  extraordinary  gibl)erish  the  learned 
ancestors  of  Englishmen  used  to  convey  their  ideas  in,  and 
exceeds  in  quaintnoss  the  clauses  of  a  Donation  enlre  vifs.  (t) 

«  Si  jeo  vend  chivall  (jue  ad  null  oculus,  la  null  action  gisi, 
autcrment  lou  il  ad  un  counterfeit,  fau  et  bright  eye  !  »  This 
being  interpreted,  means  :  «  If  I  sell  a  horse  that  has  lost  un 
eye,  no  action  lies  against  me  for  so  doing  ;  but  if  1  sell  him 
with  a  false  and  counterfeit  eye,  then  an  action  lielh.  » 

thoroof  shall  belong  to  tho  laid  parohasor  without  hii  being  held  to  account 
therefor  to  any  porson. 

To  bo  sold,  subjoot  ai  aforof  aid,  at  tho  oburoh  door  of  the  parish  of  St.  Alexii, 
district  aforesaid,  on  WEDNESDAY,  tho  TWENTIETH  ciay  of  PEBRUAUY,  at 
ELEVEN  o'clock  in  tho  forenoon.  Tho  laid  writ  returnable  on  the  twenty-fourth 
day  of  February  next. 

B.  n.  LEPROnON, 
BhuriiT's  OfCce,  ShorifT. 

Jolietto,  16th  October,  1871. 

(Quebec  Offieinl  Gatctte),  2l8t  October,  1871. 

(1)  Southorne  vs.  Howe,  Addison  on  Contracts  ;  American  Edition,  page  54, 
tho  note. 

It  would  take  nso  too  long  to  show  how,  under  this  apparently  inoongruoui 
tenns,  a  groat  deal  of  sound  meaning  was  conveyed. 


Ih  tho 
c  mo- 
[  shall 
olation 
;  iUvill 
learned 
n,  and 

)n  gisl, 
»    This 

lost  an 

cU  him 

,0  account 

St.  Alexia, 
.UAllY,  at 
Bnty-louttb 

:oN, 

Sheriff. 

page  64, 
noongruoua 


"LE  DKOIT  DE  (H(Ex\OUILLA(IE,» 


AND  OTllEll    ItlGlITS. 


(WrUlenin  1863.) 


"  £t  lo  dit  Siour,  on  aa  quality  do  gontilhommo,  a  ddolar6  no  aavuir  algner.  " 

In  nolinj;  (liemnrchof  civihsalioninlhis,  ouryoiingcoimlry, 
Iho  palriol  and  lh»<  historian,  amidst  some  causes  of  re{,'rot, 
will  find  more  tlinn  one  subject  of  loRilimate  pride.  Canada,  it 
cainiot  he  denied,  in  the  race  of  progress,  op(;n  to  all  nations  has 
in  more  cases  than  one,  a«siimed  a  proud  place,  over  some  very 
boastful  communities  of  the  Old  and  the  proudest  of  the  Now 
World. 

Long  beforiH 829,  at  Ihe  time  when  an  Important  por- 
lion  of  the  subjeels  of  Britain,  as  Roman  Catholics,  wero 
gro.ming  under  disabilities  and  penal  statutes,  an  Iri>hman 
in  Canada  might  be  a  man  and  a  citizen,  though  he  had  the 
misfortune  of  bi-'ing  a  U.  C.  The  laws  of  Canada  made  no 
(liffercnce. 

Thus  again,  the  Colony  had  poaceiibly  obliterated  as  early 
as  1803,  the  foul  stain  of  dome^jlic  slavery — ;  it  took  sixty 
years  more,  for  ourerdiglilened  neighbors  amidst  scene  of  blood 
and  fratricidal  war  to  stamp  out  from  their  free  constiluliun 
this  plague  spot. 

Thus  agaii!,  ill  1832,  a  Canadian  Parliament  had  decreed 
that  a  Jew  was  a  man  and  a  citizen,  not  only  as  a  financier  but 
civilly — this  latter  fact,  all  the  hoary  wisdom  of  Great  Britain 
had  not  until  lately,  been  able  to  discover  ;  and  a  Jew  was  a 
pariah  in  the  Council  Chamber  of  the  nation — though  he  might 
be  a  Lord  Mayor  of  London. 

The  early  PYonch,  and  afterwards  the  early  English,  allowed 
lis  true,  to  grow  on  the  trecofournationality,  branches,  which 
Nvitli  lime  assumed  proportions  altogether  too  vast  and  which 


LE   DROIT   DE   fiRENOT'ILLAGE 


cast  a  (Inrksomo  shade  all  around  :  the  Feudal  Tenure  and  the 
Clergy  Reserves. 

The  good-sense  of  Hie  people  guided  by  wise  polilical  leaders 
such  as  Lal'onlnine,  Rnldwin.  Drnmmondj  rid  the  country  of 
this  incubus  iu  I8;)i. 

Let  :is  not, however,  be  looswcepinginourcondemnalionof 
the  Seigniorial  Tenure.  Tlionii:h  bnrlhcnsome  to  s  country  fully 
developed,  some  of  its  obligations  were  highly  beneficial  to  a 
sparsely  popnlated  country — a  poor  community  such  as  that  of 
New  France,  at  its  birth.  Who  else,  amongst  (he  poor 
pciasantry,  but  the  sei(]neur,  \ho.  Laird,  could  have  built  the 
banal  mill  for  the  parish? 

This  obligation  was  quite  in  favor  of  the  ceniHairc. 

Some  of  these  rights,  which  came  in  the  country  with  the 
Gallic  Lily  were  curious  in  their  rise  ;   curious,  in  Heir  fall. 

We  are  led  to  thi'  present  inrpiiry  by  the  perusal  of  a  cle- 
verly written  book,  compiled  by  Louis  Vciiillot,  ex-r  Jlarlenr 
of  the  r/H'j'f/'.s,  a  Paris  newspaper  I'oeiMitly  suppressed  liy 
Napoh'on  111,  Hie  elect  of  thirty-two  millionsof  freemen,  either 
b(!causu  his  people  were  not  sufllcien'ily  advpjieed  to  have  a 
fi'ee  press,  or  that  a  free  pi-ess  was  a  malum  per  sc. 

But  says  llu^  clilitarian  praclicallv,  what  have  we  in 
Canada  to  do  with  Louis  Yeu'llo!  "r  his  liook  ?  N(»t!iing.  cei- 
triinly,  nn.tre  than  this  :  il  cout;<i::s,  o\<'r  aiul  e.l»o\e,  a  most 
inl(!resting  conli'oxeisy  wa^ed  1)\  iiie  eliani|'ion  ol  tlie  nllra- 
moutane  parly  in  Krnnce  and  the  Inle  Ailiu'uey  (omi'^'tiI  ami 
present  Pre-idenl  of  the  Tour  de  Cassation,  Mr  Dupii;,  on  this 
occasion,  the  nio:ilii-piee(!  of  tiie  Fiiuieji  Lilieral  parly — a  new 
conlirmalion  of  an  opinion  IVer[iieully  set  forili  lieri\  vi/,  :  Ificit 
the  feudal  Teiiiiye,  in  //.s  luilde.^t  form  only,  uas  inliudnccd into 
Canada,  although  France,  England  and  (ierniany  for  centuries 
groau(!d  undtu"  it,  in  its  most  obnoxious  lealuies. 

According  to  Veuillot  those  r.'udal  barons,  whom  we  depict 
to  ourselv(!s  so  intent  on  (»|»pres>ing  and  so  r<'ady  lor  Irivi.d 
olTences,  to  roast  and  (piarter  their  nntoi'lu'iate  serfs,  were  in 
very  many  cases  the  very  reverse  of  cruel  ;  nay,  soiui;  were 
humane  and  considerate  to  a  d(!uree.  lie  tells  of  some  being 
quite  satisfied  with  the  gift  of  a  pig,  a  goose,  a  sheep,   for  the 


AND   OTHER    RIGUT8. 


109 


right  to  pasture  the  whole  flock  on  the  domain  of  the  landlord  ; 
sometimes  their  eccentric  humors  betrayed  Ihem  into  strange 
fancies,  lie  shows  us  a  seigneur  in  France,  to  whose  manor 
the  peasantry  drove  each  year,  in  a  vehicle  drawn  by  four 
horses,  a  lark  ;  in  another  locality,  an  egg  was  substituted. 
We  are  also  told  that  at  Bouloj^iu;  the  rieiiediclinu  monks  of 
Saint  Prtculus  exiiited  fruni  lliusi;  who  had  lease-hold  pro- 
perly under  lluMn,  the  slea,n  uf  a  boiled  capun  ;  the  operation 
was  perfurmed  Ihus  :  on  a  (ixed  day  in  each  year,  the  tenant 
drew  near  the  table  of  the  seigneur,  bearing  theboilcd  chicken 
between  two  dishes,  when  I'le  upper  dish  was  removed  to 
allow  the  fumes  to  escape  ;  this  done  he  would  remove  the 
dish  and  the  chicken.  (1)  lie  had  accpiilted  Ids  feudal  service. 


(1)  Wo  find  several  in.itnncos  of  toniirci' oq'inlly  sin(:;nlar  in  England: — "  A. 
farm  at  J3rookhou?o,  in  Iiang.'ott,  in  the  parish  of  Poniston,  and  couiity  of  York, 
pays  yearly  to  (lodtVcy  Uosvillc,  Edij.,  a  sno\  ball  iUjUiidsummur  auJ  a  rod  roBO 
at  Christmas.  " 

William  do  Albomarlo  Iiold.i  tho  manner  of  Iioston  "  by  tho  porvico  of  finding 
for  his  lord  tho  kiu;.;,  two  arrows  and  a  loaf  of  o'lt  broad,  when  ho  should  hunt  in 
tho  forest  of  Dartmore. 

Solomon  Attot'uld  licld  land  at  Ucporland  nnd  Atborton,  in  tho  ('()unty  of  Kent, 
upon  condition  "  thiit  as  often  as  our  lord  tho  king  would  ero?!)  tho  son,  tho  said 
Solomon  and  heirs  outflit  to  yo  with  him  to  hold  his  head  on  tho  sea  if  it  was 
needful.  " 

John  roinpos  h:id  thi"  mnnor  of  lMnohiii,L;lield  j^ivou  hira  by  King  Edward  Til, 
for  tho  sorvioo  of  turninj;  iho    pit  iit  his  t-oroniitiun.  " 

tieollVy  Fiui.ilmnd  io'ia  .«i.\ty  ikmcs  of  land  in  Wiiij^liold,  in  the;  county  of 
Sull'ilk,  by  tlu;  toivico  "l'  i)aying  to  our  lord  tho  Uinj;  tfr,,  ii'hilv  dn-f,,  yearly. 

J('lir'  do  l{o''h"?  iiojd--  till,'  miiuor  of  W'iiiterslow,  in  V/i'tshire,  by  tho  sorvioo 
that  when  tlio  UiuL,'  siiouid  abide  nt  Olnrondon,  ho  should  j^o  into  tho  butlory  of 
tho  iviug"s  Palaco  there,  and  draw  out  of  wiiii.t  vessel  ho  chooses,  as  uiuch  Hvino 
as  sli./ulJ  bu  iicedfil  f.r  aiakiu^  <t  jilu-iu,-  .,/  d<in-t,  whieh  h.)  slij;il.l  uiako  ac  tho 
kin;;'s  exjieufc  :  and  tliat  ho  sliouM  serve  tlio  kincj  with  a  eup,  and  should  havo 
tho  vesool  wheuoo  he  to(.k  tho  wine,  with  nil  tho  wine  then  in  it,  together  with 
tho  cup  whenc  >  the  king  sauulu  drink  tlio  clartL. 

The  town  if  Yarnioutli  i^,  by  r'larter,  bj'.uid  to  .-(uul  tho  shcrilT  of  Xorwiek  a 
hundred  Jicvrhii/i,  which  uro  to  bo  Iiaked  in  t>i-cntij-jour  picf  or  pnt'uK,  and  deli- 
vered to  the  lord  of  tiie  manor  of  15ast  Onrlto-;,  wlio  ]■>  to  oiuivey  thorn  to  tho  kini^. 

At  tho  coronation  of  James  II.,  the  lord  of  the  manor  of  lleydoii,  in  Essex, 
claimed  to  hold  the  hwiin  and  cirer  to  tlie  Icing  by  virtue  of  one  moiety,  and  tho 
towrl  by  virtue  of  tho  other  moiety  of  tho  same  manner,  whenovor  tho  kinf]f  washed 
before  dinner,  but  the  claim  was  allowed  only  as  to  the  towel. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  gives  tho  following  anoodoto  relative  to  James  V.  of  ?fotlnnd  : 
"Another  adventure,  which  had  nearly  cost  James  his  lifo,  is  said  to  havo 
taken  place  at  tho  village  of  Cramond,  near  Edinburgh,  where  ho  had  rendered 
his  addrcasos  acceptable  to  a  pretty  girl  of  the  Io»v..>r  iunk.    I'our  or  five  peraons. 


110 


LE  DROIT  DE   GRENOUILLAGE 


Now  we  do  not  uish  to  spoak  ill  of  Benedictine  or  any  oilier 
monks,  but  we  do  slate,  without  fear  of  contradiction,  even 
by  M.  Veuillol,  that  at  that  remote  period  there  existed  many 
abbes,  whose  appetite  was  not  salislied  merely  from  inhahng 
the  steam  of  a  boiled  chick(!n. 

Some  of  these  feudal  land  owners,  however,  were  right  good 
fellows.  It  is  recoided  that  before  the  year  1450,  the  peasan- 
try of  Vaulx,  ill  Normandy,  residing  within  live  miles  of  the 
Abbey  of  the;  Holy  Trinity  of  Caen,  were  annually  treated,  on 
the  fete  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  to  a  substantial  repast  within  the 
walls  of  the  monastery  The  carte  de  cuisine  stood  thus: 
«  They  wijii;  (list  to  wash  their  hands  (not  altogether  a  super- 
lluous  preliminary  fui-  laboring  men)  ;  then  all  sat  down,  a 
cloth  was  spread  before  tlicm  ;  to  each,  was  served  out,  a 
sniall  loaf  of  biead  weighing  from  twenty  to  twenty-two 
ounces,  a  square  piece  of  pork  six  inches  long,  after  which 
came  a  slice  of  grilled  ham  {une  rihelelle  de  lart  routy  sur  h 
gfrci/),  a  paiiikin  of  bread  and  milk,  and  cider  and  ceivoesie 
ad  libitum  during  a  four  hour's  silting.  With  such  royal  cheer 
and  such  considerate  masters,  it  is  not  at  all  surprising  to  hear 

whi'thor  relations  or  Ifiveri!  of  hi?  rtiistroRS  is  uncertain,  bosot  the  disfjuised  mo- 
narcli,  as  ho  returned  from  his  rcndez-vous.  iS^ituraMy  giilliint,  and  an  admirable 
niiidtor  cf  liit:  weajjon,  the  liin}^  took  ]iost  on  t!io  higli  and  narrow  bridge  i  vor  the 
Almoud  rivnr,  nnd  (k'fendcd  liiti'?clf  brnvoi.v  with  liis  sword.  A  (iRisant,  who  was 
thrashing  in  a  ncighborinGf  bnrn,  come  out  upon  the  noise,  iind  whether  moved  by 
comiiassi.in  or  )iy  natural  gallantly,  took  tliu  weaker  side,  and  laid  about  with 
liifi  llail  So  effeotiially,  as  to  dirjjersc  tlic  a?:>ailiiiita,  well  llirai-Led,  even  aeeor<ling 
to  the  letter.  lie  then  i-nndiii'tcd  the  king  into  hifj  barn,  where  his  giie?treqiirptcd 
a  basin  and  towel,  to  remove  the  stains  of  the  broil.  Tliis  bcin;^  procured  with 
diflieulty,  James  employed  hini.-;elf  in  learning  wliat  was  the  sunimit  I'f  the  deli- 
verer's earthly  wishes,  and  found  tliat  they  were  bounded  by  the  desire  of  posses- 
sing, in  property,  the  fiirm  of  Bracheail,  iijion  wliiidi  he  l.'iboured  as  a  bondsman. 
The  lands  ehanoed  to  belong  to  the  crown,  and  James  directed  him  to  conio  to  the 
Palace  of  IIolly-Rood,  and  enquire  for  the  gooiloman  (i.e.  farmer)  ofBallangeich, 
a  name  by  which  he  wns  known  in  his  excursions,  iuid  which  answered  to  II 
/i'mil'ictnii  i)(  Unxoun  Alraschild.  lie  presented  liiniself  accordingly,  and  found 
with  due  astoni.-bment  tliat  he  had  saved  his  monarch's  life,  and  that  ho  was  to 
be  gratified  with  a  crown-cli.u'tcr  of  tiio  lands  of  Braeliead,  under  tho  sorvico  of 
presenting  an  ewer,  b:isin,  and  towel,  for  the  king  to  wash  his  hands,  when  ho 
shall  ha])]ien  to  pass  the  Bridge  of  Cramond.  In  1822,  wlien  (loorgo  IV,  came  to 
Hcotlnnd,  the  descendant  of  this  John  Ilowison  of  Braekcad,  wlio  still  j)03sosse3 
tho  estate  which  was  given  to  his  ancestors,  apjioarcd  at  a  soloniu  festival,  and 
otr^'rod  his  ?Tnj'"ity  water  from  a  silver  ewer.  "  This  gave  rise  to  the  old  song 
"  \Ve'iI  g!i,o  nao  niair  a  roving.  " 


AND   OTHER    RIGHTS. 


lil 


n 

|nd 
to 
lof 
Iho 
Ito 

lid 

PS 


a  king  of  Franco — Louis  X. — in  1315,  after  publishing  odicis 
to  libnralo  his  siihjccls  from  Ihe  fouilnl  sorvitudo,  complain 
that  fjomo  of  his  pooph',  hoing  ///  advised,  preferred  to  remain 
as  Ihey  were,  to  Ix^coming  fre(>.  A  Icnniod  writer,  D(disio,  from 
these  and  other  inslanees,  concludes  that  several  of  the  customs 
which  now  appear  to  us  as  the  most  obnoxious,  were  th(;  very 
ones  which  in  tli(!  teud.il  limis  were  considered  Ihe  lighlcst, 
astheir  performance  was  attonded  with  no  trouble.  And  lo 
this  class  bidontred  Ihe  f  mniis  Droit  de  (irenouiltage,  lh((  sub- 
ject of  Messrs.  I)u  in  and  Michtlel's  irreverent  mirth.  These 
writers  had  perversciv  I'urbisJKid  up  some  old  worm  eaten 
charters  on  whose  aulhoritv  they  tax(Ml  the  landed  aristocracy 
of  the  middh;  ages  with  Ixuii;,'  in  Ihe  habit  of  compelling  Iheir 
serfs  to  turn  out  on  the  wedding  night  of  l!i(!  lord  of  IIk;  manor, 
to  beat  the  frog  ponds,  in  order  thai  his  lordship's  rest  on  such 
an  auspicious  occasion,  juight  not  be  disturbed  by  the  noisy 
croakiiigs  of  the  frogs  ;  and  wliiit  was  worse  in  the  eyes  of 
Veuillot,  c{;rtain  jolly  I'riais,  su(;li  as  the  Ahbe  de  Luxeuil  and 
the  Abbe  de  I'riim,  stood  also  charged  with  having  re([iiired 
the  perfurmaiice  of  this  sardauapaliun  service,  not  of  course 
on  their  wedding  iiigiil,  [Un-  none  hut  bad  xil)l>cs  marri(id  in 
those  times),  but  whenever  they  resideil  in  t'leir  domains,  as 
the  following  lines  showijd  : — 

«  Pa  I  I'a  !  raiiioUe,  I'a  I  (silence,  frogs,  silence  ') 
«  Voici  monsieur  I'abbe  (jut!  Dieu  ga.  (Near  you  rests,  mon- 
sieur I'abbe,  whom  may  heaven  watch  over.)  » 

Not  only  were  the  peasanlscompelled  to  beat  the  frog  ponds, 
but  during  the  operation  in  order  to  keep  themselves  awake, 
they  were  expected  lo  croak  out  (in  asubdiiedvoice,  we  should 
imagine)  this  cabalistic  lormida.  The  performance  of  the 
croaking  service  was  confined  to  those  vassals  whose  land  had 
on  that  ciuidilion  been  freed  I'roui  terciludc.  A  large  poriitui 
of  th(!  volume  before  us  is  taken  up  in  discussing  this  custom, 
of  which  few  instances  can  be  fu:;iid  ;  amongst  others,  tho 
case  of  a  drowsy  (lerman  empei'or  is  addiictjd,  who  having  to 
sojourn  over  night  in  the  village  of  Kreinsenn,  was  threateuijd 
with  being  kept  awake  by  the  concerts  of  frogs  ;  fortunately 
for  his  llighniiss,  the  peasantry  mustered  in  lime  and  com- 


112 


LE  DROIT  DF,   GRENOtllLLAGE 


pclbd  A.ristophanes  ;  noisy  horoos  to  knock  under,  on  whicli 
Ihe  mighty  emperor  freed  his  considerate  vassals.  Although 
it  is  said  that  at  one  time  it  was  considered  a  special  seigniorial 
privil  ge  for  a  haronia!  ben;Mlict  to  sleep  soundly  on  his  wed- 
ding night,  nothing  exists  to  sliuw  that  this  is  the  real  cause 
why  Mynheer  Deutchman  had  so  higldy  prized  his  uninter- 
rupted nap  ;  the  probahiliLy  is  that  lie  felt  lired  after  travelling 
and  wanted  more  than  « forty  winks.  »  (1) 

Mr.  VeuilJot  thinks  that  this  Droit  de  Grenouillage  was  not 
a  whit  more  humiliating  than  the  obligation  the  ordinary  sei- 
gnior was  under,  to  poor  out  drink  for  his  superior,  and  his 
superior  did  not  consider  himself  degraded  for  havini  to  hold 
the  shirt  of  his  royal  mnst(T  when  dressing.  Counts  and  barons 
stood  protracted  law  suits  to  enlorce  their  rights  to  do  homage 
to  those  above  them,  and  th(^se  slr'gglerl  as  hard  to  get  rid  of 
an  homage  too  expensiv<^  for  them  to  keep  up.  When  the 
Count  of  Cahors,  who  was  also  a  bishop,  approached  his  chief 
city,  the  I^aron  of  Cessac  was  wont  to  precede  him  to  a  certain 
spot,  indicated  in  old  titles,  where  he  was  bound  to  meet 
him.  Once  there,  ho  would  dismount,  and  having  saluted 
tlie  prelate  with  bis  hat  oif,  his  right  leg  bare  and  wearing  a 
slipper^  he  would  take  the  bishop's  mule  by  the  bridle  and 

(1)  I'ity  it  is,  tho  Broit  de  (rrenauiUaije  should  bo  obsolots,  cspociiiUy  in  such 
a  locality  us  Lako  Boauport,  where  bull-t'iogs  of  fabulous  size  occasiouullyiuaiio 
tho  night  slcoplops  with  their  l(i<>min<is.  The  reader  is  roiniudod  not  to  confound 
those  plethoric  individuals  with  t'.ic  ore  inarj  pipirg  frog,  rnna  pipieni,  whoso 
shrill  stiucak  ooa'cs  about  the  iJlst  of  Juno  of  oaoh  year,  and  who  caused  tho 
cockney's  uiistako  :  '  My  dear  parients,  "  wrote  young  hopeful  to  his  relatives, 
in  Cockneydoni,  tho  <l!iy  after  his  arrival  in  Quoboo,  "  Canada  is  a  strange  plaeo  : 
tho  country  is  swarming  with  papists.  Gentleman  loavo,  on  thoir  residoncos  out 
of  the  city,  a  great  deal  of  fine  lire  and  furniture  wood  uncut.  There  is  one  pecu- 
liarity which  struck  mo  :  tho  bird.s  are  not  nuniorons,  but  somo  h;ive  a  singularly 
loud  song,  and  sing  all  night.  Of  this  class  is  t';o  Canadian  nightingitlo,  who.so 
shrill  note  kept  mo  awake  all  last  night.  I  hopo,  however,  to  got  accustomed  to  it 
in  time.  I  am  spending  a  day  or  two  ut  a  place  called  Lako  Beuuport.  Youj. 
dutiful  3on.  " 

Tho  most  grotisquo  French  jja/ow,  I  over  heard  was  uttered  on  tho  OaspC-  coast 
where  Jersymen  miiFt  congregate  :  "  Cimmnnm,  cev  ^m  me  haiUcr  cte  hr{o(h<; 
que  vlil,  "  onoc  was  adressod  to  mo  by  a  dashing  young  fisherman,  asking  mo  for 
the  loan  of  a  pocket  knife — The  veriest  London  clipper  of  /ii,  could  not  boat  that 
I  thought — "  I  would  like  to  know  if  a  h  and  a  ho  and  a  har  and  a  hvn  doos  not 
spell  orsc.  I  am  blowed  what  does." 


AND  OTHER  RIGHTS. 


113 


in   such 
Uy  luaKO 
lunfound 
whoso 
ised  the 
olativos, 
c  place  : 
icos  out 
pccii- 
;iilarly 
whoso 
i>cd  to  it 
Youj- 

|p<?  coast 
lirioch'i 
mo  for 
Lit  that 
loos   not 


thus  lead  it  towards  the  cathedral,  from  thence  to  the  epis- 
copal palace,  where  he  would  wait  on  the hishopduriiig dinner 
time  ;  this  performed  he  would  retire,  taking  wilh  Itim  llit^ 
hishop's  mide  and  silver  plale.  This  ceremony  took  place  as 
late  as  1004,  fur  the  Bishop  Etienne  de  Poppiaii  ;  it  rusulUul 
in  a  law  suit,  which  was  adjudicated  on  by  the  paiiianicnl  of 
Toulouse.  The  complaint  prefei  rtul  by  llic  Haron  de  (lessae 
was  that  the  silver  plale  used  on  this  occasion  was  notsuitabh! 
to  the  status  of  the  parlies  concerned,  nor  in  acconiaiici!  wilh 
the  terms  of  his  charter.  The  court  condemned  tlio  count  to 
provide  the  baron  with  a  gilt  set  of  silver  plate,  or  else  its  legi- 
timate value  tt  dire  d'e.vperls,  due  regard  b(iiiig  had  to  the 
quality  of  the  individuals  and  to  the  graiideui'  of  the  occasion. 
The  experts  decided  that  the  value  of  the  plate  was  3,12!{ 
livres.  Etienne  de  Poppian's siu'.cessor,  Pierre  de  llabcil,  tried 
to  enter  the  city  in  1627  uilhout  notifying  the  Uaroii  de 
Cessac  ;  the  latter  sununoued  him  ;  the  bishop  pleaded  that 
he  was  not  liable  ;  that  it  was  optional  with  the  seignior  to 
require  the  presence  of  his  vassal  at  any  ceremony  whalevei'  ; 
thalthe  attendance  herein  alluded  to,  was  particidarly  lunnbling 
for  the  vassal,  lor  which  reason  he  had  dispiuisi'd  hiu)  with  il. 
The  Baron  de  Cessac  replied  that  il  was  a  special  prerogaliv  > 
of  his  to  be  allowed  to  attend  on  the  count  on  his  entry  in  his 
chief  town,  quoting  various  old  Uoman  customs  and  Latin 
texts  in  support  of  his  position.  The  bishop  lost  his  suil  in  Ilia!, 
court  and  in  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  by  decree  [ornH)  of 
the  lOlh  July,  lOHO,  th(^  baron  was  maintained  in  his  clin- 
ished  homage  toward  the  count  Mr.  Veuillot  having  show  it 
pretty  conclusively  that  all  feudal  rights  and  ser\ices  \ver(;  iidi 
necessarily  oppressive  and  odious,  discusses  wilh  his  usn;! 
eloquence  another  feudal  custom,  which,  if  well  aulheuticahui, 
is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  gravest  charges  against  tlii;  moraiiiy 
of  those  times.  This  custom  is  known  lo  ohl  Ereiich  wiiteis 
as  the />rot7  (/«  Jambage;  the  apologist  of  the  middle  ag 
calls  it  simply  Droit  du  Seigneur  ;  he  simimons  to  his  aid  n 
his  erudition,  all  his  ingenuity,  to  explain  clV  the  arrets  ai  I 

9 


cs 
II 


114 


LE  DROIT  DE  GRENOUILLAGE. 


passages  invoked  by  Messrs.  Dupin  and  Miclielet,  with 
what  degree  of  success  the  reader  ef  his  book  can  judge  for 
himself. 

Want  of  space  compells  us,  albeit  reluctantly,  to  adjourn 
this  inquiry  into  the  institutions  of  limes  gone  by.  We  may 
again  le vert  to  it  hereafter,  but  before  concluding,  we  must, 
on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Veuillot,  and  \ve  do  so  with  pleasure, 
deny  I  ho  correctness  of  a  charge  frequently  made  respecting 
the  pmnnanship  of  our  ancestors,  as  embodied  in  the  words 
piefacing  this  sketch,  and  said  to  be  found  at  the  end  of 
several  old  deeds  and  charleiti  : — «  Le  dil  Sieur,  en  saqualite 
(le  genlilhomme,  a  declare  ne  savoir  signer.  »  A  careful 
examination  of  many  thousand  deeds  and  charters  enabled 
him  to  assert  Iho  contrary,  most  positively. 

Since  writing  the  foregoing,  a  friend  has  placed  inonrhands 
lli(^  l)nng(3nl  and  elaborate  reply  which  Mr.  Veuillot's  book 
has  elicited  from  a  Frencli  savant,  under  the  heading,  uRefu- 
lalion  du  Livrc  de  M.  Veuillot  sur  le  Droit  du  Seigneur.  Par 
Jules  Delpit))  (1),  a  most  wonderful  repository  of  feudal  lore. 

In  such  a  fiery  controversy  as  the  one  raging  between  the 
two  writers,  and  on  which  we  merely  look  as  disinterested 
outsiders,  it  would  be  prcsomptuous  for  us  to  decide  who  is 
right.  Veuillot,  as  a  pamphlet  writer,  a  publicist,  and  the  or- 
igan ol  what  is  ilenominaled  the  clerical  party  in  France,  is 
iir.iloubledly  a  great  name — a  tower  of  strength  to  his  party. 
On  the  ollK'r  hand,  the  confident  tone,  biting  irony,  and  formi- 
dabi(3  array  ofermlition,  law  quotations,  old  charters,  arrets, 
produced  by  his  adversary,  challenge  enquiry  and  investiga- 
tion. Jules  Delpit  asserts  positively  that  the  Droit  du  Seiyncur, 
in  itswoist  acceptation,  existed  in  several  European  kingdoms, 
(pioles  seventy-two  instances.  We  are  quite  satisfied,  in  ap- 
]iroucl)ing  this  subject,  which  to  us,  is  of  no  actual  moment,  to 
inscribe  over  both  combatants — 

Non  noitrum  inter  voa  tantaf  componcre  lites. 


(1)  Jules  Dolpit,  t'is  said,  is  tho  no»t  deplume,  under  vthieh  tho  celebrated  Mr. 
Duiiiu,  with  tho  aid  of  a  very  learuod  broUior,  replies  to  Mr.  VeuiUot. 


A  REPRESENTATIVE  MAN. 

1758.    • 


M.    Luc  DE  CiLiPT  DE  LA  CORNE  SaINT-LuC. 

If  there  be  an  era  in  the  primitive  times  of  Canada,  in  which 
the  mailial  spirit  of  its  inhabitants  shone  forth  more  brighlly 
than  al  others,  of  a  verity  it  is  that  war-like  period  which  im- 
mediately precluded  Ihi;  cession  of  the  conntry  by  the  ImtucIi 
Crown,  known  to  our  historians  as  the  «  Seven  years'  war.  » 
No  where  in  the  nnnals  of  Ihe  past,  did  the  Canadian  militia 
and  vohjuteers exhibit [,Tcatcr endurance, — morepeisevciance, 
— more  stout  and  successful  resistance  on  many  a  hard-fo!!'j;l!t 
battle  field.  Though  after  all,  it  must  have  ninttorcd  lilllo 
what  the  French  commanders  did  achieve,  having  at  their  dis- 
posal merely  a  handful  of  regulars,  aided  by  the  new  militia  of 
the  country  and  their  Indian  allies.  France  also  had  in  those 
days  itsGoIdwin  Smiths  :  the  colony  was  voted  a  bore  ;  and 
niggardly  reinforcements  sent  out  when  the  whim  of  \ho  mo- 
ment prompted — perhaps,  not  at  all.  Pitt  had  vowed  to  plant 
the  flag  of  England  on  the  summit  ofCapeOiamoiid.  Agigfintic 
army  for  those  times,  50,000  men — including  legnlars.  New 
England  militia  and  savages — were  to  invade  Canada  at  Unci! 
points  :  the  St.  Lawrence, — the  lakes, — Ihe  interior,  under 
the  guidance  of  Wolfe,  Amherst,  Ilaviland,  .lolmstou. 

Ardent  admirers  of  Gen(>ral  Levi,  the  victor  of  Murray,  have 
ventured  to  assert  thai  had  this  general,  who  bad  never  sullei- 
ed  defeat,  been  present  al  the  lirst  battle  of  tlui  Plains  df 
Abraham,  the  fule  of  the  colony  would  have  been  dilVenMil  ; 
however  great  the  military  genius  of  the  hero  of  St.  Foy  may 
have  been,  and  none  are  more  ready  than  ourselves  to  render 
itdue  hommagc,  at  best,  he  could  in  the  face  of  the  over- 
whelming forces  sent  m(M"ely  have  retarded  the  fall.  At  th(^  time 
to  which  we  allude  (1758),  with  much  larger  armies  in  the  Held, 
a  new  system  of  warfare  had,  lo  a  certain  extent,  superseded 


ilG 


A   REPRESENTATIVE  MAN. 


thooUl  desultory  moilo  of  altack  ;  the  midnight  raid  and 
murderous  assnult  of  former  limes — witli  Indian  allies  as 
guides  and  sliarp-slioolers — still  continued  for  both  comba- 
tants to  be  a  military  necessity  in  bush  fighting  ;  but  the  largo 
armies  of  Knropi'ans,  to  \\liom  iiie  savagiss  acted  as  pionetTs 
and  aiixiliarit.'s,  in  a  measure  sei  ved  as  a  cli'ck  on  the  atro- 
cious and  peculiar  system  of  fifiliting  of  the  latter,  although  a 
memorable  exception  to  the  ml"  occured  in  the  Fort  (Jeoige 
tragedy  ;  this  outrage,  however,  was  chiefly  traceable  lo  the 
elfects  of  the  ardent  spirits  purloined  by  the  redskins  from  the 
iMiglisli  camp.  Could  wt^  r(>asonably  hold  European  com- 
mamlers — Kiiglish  as  well  as  French — responsible  for  the 
nameless  horrors  perpetrated  on  our  soil  by  their  Indian  allies, 
one  would  be  inclined  to  believt;  our  European  forefathers  had 
left  their  humanity  at  home  lo  v.d  the  :-avage  on  our  shoi'es. 
Take  for  insiauee  the  great  Laei.iiie  massacre.  On  the  2;itli 
Apiil,  KiSl),  diu-ing  a  proloimd  peace,  I.'JOO  savages  stealthily 
siirroimd,  before  day-break,  tlii;  ha!)itatious  at  Lachine,  nine 
miles  from  .Montreal  ;  the  u!isus[ieeling  inmates  are  soon 
secunnl,  slaiiglii(!i'ed,  in  a  fi.'w  minutes  a  Itu'id  conflagration 
alone  marks  tlu!  spot  where  once  stood  a  smiling,  ha|»py 
villr.ge  ;  men,  wouKin  and  children  are  sacrilled  indiscrimi- 
nately. SoiU'-.  are  burnt  ;  others,  disend)owell"d  ;  mothers 
made  to  roast  their  live  infants  over  the  lire  and  to  luin  the 
si)it  ;  every  when;,  groans,  lorlines,  despair.  Two  hundred 
victims  butchered  in  cold  blood,  all  this  accomplished  in  less 
than  an  hour,  wlls  pousserent,  dil  C.iiarlevoix,  la  fiu-eur  meme 
a  (les  exces  d(»nl,  on  ne  les  avail  pascru  capables.  llsouvraient 
le  seiii  (les  fennnes  enceintes,  poiu'  arraclier  le  fruit  qu'elles 
portaient  ;  ils  mirent  des  enfanls  Ions  vivanis  a  la  broche  el 
contraigiiirent  les  nieres  d(!  les  tourner  pour  les  faiie  rotir. 
llsinventerenl  quanlites  d'autres  snpplices  inoui'sct  deux  cents 
jieisfumes  de  lout  age  el  de  lout  se.ve  perircnt  aiiisi  en  moins 
d'liiie  heure  dans  les  plus  aflreux  lourments.  » 

These  scenes,  Charlevoix  relates,  W(;re  repeated  within 
one  league  of  the  city  ;  only  when  these  infuriated  demons 
v.ere  satiated  with  lunnan  goie,  did  they  retire  with  two 
hundred  prisoners  whom  they  allerwurds  burnt.    The  island 


M.    DE  LA  CORNE  SAINT-LUC. 


117 


of  Montreal  romninod  in  their  possession  until  Ihn  fall  following. 
In  October,  an  Indian  ally  of  the  French,  whom  they  had  tor- 
tured and  mutilated,  oscaiK'd  and  apprised  the  French  that  the 
Indians  intended  reliiriiiiig  in  the  winter  to  haveart>p:'lillo!i  of 
th(!sc  sickening  horrors  at  the  town  of  Three  Iliviirs,  after  which 
Quohec  was  to  be  visited  on  Ihii  same  (M'raiid  ;  Ihat,  wlien  tiKsy 
would  have  extirpated  Ihe  Fr.iiich  settlers  lo  the  last  man, 
they  would  meet  in  the  following  spring  an  English  fleet  at 
Quebec,  (no  doubt  Pliipps'  ships  which  did  appear  before 
Quebec  in  October,  1000.)  Providence  frustrated  !heir  dire 
designs.  OfcoiU'se,  such  doings  were  not  conlined  to  the  allies 
of  the  New-Englanders.  The  savages  in  leaguewitlilhe  French 
carried  fire  and  the  sword  amidst  the  peaccifu'  dwellers  of  the 
adjoiningEnglish  provinces  ;  SehMiectady as  wolj  as  Lachiue 
has  its  bloody  records..  Oui'  early  liislory  teems  with  such  in- 
cidents. Happily  Ihe  extension  of  the  colony  in  I7'i'',  ajid  Ihe 
rapidly -increasing  power  of  Ihe  whiles  were  calculated  to  rendtir 
lh(!sc  scen(!s  less  frequi-nt. 

Apart  from  Ihe  several  Furopeancommauders  who  acquired 
fame  during  the  seven  vtsirs'  war,  some  of  the  settlers  or 
habitants  (1)  of  Canada  became  famous  in  bailie.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  soldiers  of  lliat  day  we  purpose  sket- 
ching heie — Morts.  Luc  de  la  C.orue  Sainl-Luc,  previously 
Introduced  lo  our  notice  in  Mr.  DiHIaspc's  book.  The  Cana- 
dians of  Old,  and  in  the  Maple  Leaves,  as  one  of  Ihe  few  sur- 
vivors in  the  shipwreck  of  thi!  Auijnste,  in  1701,  on  its  voyage 
to  France  with  tlu;  French  refug(!es.  The  careei'  of  de  la  Corue 
also  commends  ilself  to  our  atlenlion  from  its  analogy  to  that 
of  other  Canadians  of  lal(M'  days  :  lie  loughl  as  bravely  under 
the  Hag  of  St.  George,  when  it  liecami;  that  of  his  coimlry,  as 
he  had  done  previously  when  the  lily-spangled  banner  of  the 
French  monarch  waivcid  over  Ihe  houK!  of  his  youlli.  Ueing  no 
Utopian,  la  Corne  cheerfully  accepted  the  new  regime  under 
which  his  hilherto  distracted  country  was  destined  lo  enjoy 
peace,  liberty  and  progress.  IJeing  a  man  of  rank,  talent  and 

(1)  Ihhitrintii  :  horo  is  a  word  whoso  moaning  has  boon  singularly  porvortoJ. 
Hfilntant  meant  forinorly  tho  permanent  settler,  who  eiiino  to  hnhiier  lo  pny,  in 
contradistinction  to  tho  military  and  oivil  functionaries  who  wore  transient.  The 
riohoflt  merchant  might  bo  a  habitant :  that  is,  a  permanent  resident. 


118 


A  BEPRESENTATIVE  MAN. 


courage,  high  civil  and  military  honors  were  soon  wilhin  his 
roach.  We  purpose  in  this  paper  viewing  the  Chevalier  do 
la  Cornc  as  a  type  of  Iho  Canadians  of  Old,  the  representative 
mail  of  that  thrilling  era  of  1758 — Carillon  and  its  glories — 
^vh(Ml  every  Canadian  peasant  was  a  soldier,  the  stirring  times  of 
1 759  wh(Mi  octogenarians  flodvcd  to  the  loved  standard  of  France 
and  hoys  hogged  to  he  allowed  to  shoulder  the  musket,  when 
the  parishes  were  so  diaiiied  of  their  able-hodied  men  that 
the  duties  of  husbandry  devolved  entirely  on  the  icomen  and 
children.  History  makes  mention  of  two  la  Cornes.  Do  la  Come 
La  Culombiore,  who  commanded  in  Acadia,  and  foui:ht  with 
success  against  tlie  Eiiglidi  in  1756  ;  he  retnrncd  to  France  at 
Iho  lime  of  the  conquest  and  became  the  friend  and  com- 
panion of  the  famous  naval  commander,  de  SufTron,  in  his  sea 
voyages.  The  oHkm',  the  subject  of  this  notice,  la  Corne  de 
Saint-Luo,  «  a  Chevalier  de  Saitit  Louis,  »  Avas  a  most  inllu- 
cntial  personage  both  amongst  Iho  Canadians  and  amongst  the 
Indian  tribes,  under  French  and  niidor  English  rule  ;  one  of 
his  fnsl  ftjats  was  the  capture  (if  Fort  Chnlon  in  1717.  He  also, 
at  the  head  of  the  Canadians  and  Indians,  distinguished  him- 
self at  the  battle  of  Carillon  (Ticondoroga),  in  1758,  >Nhere 
Abercrombie  was  defeated  by  Montcalm  and  Levis  ;  la  Corne 
captured  from  the  English  general  one  hundred  and  fifty  wag- 
gons of  war  stores.  Allei-  st  i\ ing  through  the  hard-fought 
engagements  of  the  catupa^gn,  we  find  him  subscfpKjnIly  at 
the  llatlle  of  the  Plains  of  Abraham  ;  we  Ihenco  follow  him  to 
Montreal,  and  sec  him  under  rieneral  Levis  at  the  head  of  his 
old  friends,  the  Canadians  and  the  Indians;  in  April  following 
he  was  wounded  at  Murray's  defeat  on  the  St.  Foye  heights, 
and  took  a  promininil  part  in  the  last  victory  of  the  French  in 
Canada  ;  a  bailie  which  permilled  them,  on  leaving  the  coun- 
try, to  shake  haiuls  with  their  bravo  antagonists,  the  English. 
(1)  In  1761,  he  decided  to  return  with  his  brother,  his  children 


(1)  How  singular  tiro  tho  fortunes  of  war  !  Wolfo,  Amherst,  and  povcral  other 
English  oflicors,  who,  under  the  "  butcher  "  Cumberlnnd  and  under  Ligonier  had 
boon  disastrously  defeated  by  Marshal  Saxe,  at  Fontcnoy  and  Laufeldt,  met  on 
tho  Plains  of  Abraham  their  old  rivals,  ivith  Scotch  Jacobites  figliting  on  both 
side*.  A  few  months  later  and  the  second  battle  of  tho  Plains — a  brilliant  though 
bootless  victory — again  asserted  the  martial  qualities  of  the  French  legions. 


M.    DE  L\  CORNE  SAINT-LUC. 


110 


Jicrc 


and  nophfiws  to  France,  and,  havin,!:;  plenty  of  ready  money 
(some  j£6,000),  lie  was  on  the  ove  of  purchasing  a  vessel  at 
Quebec,  in  Sijptember  of  that  year  foi*  that  purpose,  when  the 
generosity  of  (li-neral  Murray  made  this  unnecessary,  and  the 
/lu^u^/e  was  fitted  up  at  (iovcninioiit  expense.  In  this  ill> 
starred  ship,  la  (loini^  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  of  the  chiff 
persons  hi  the  colony,  includiuj;  several  ladies,  officers  and 
soldiers,  sailed  on  the  I7lh  Dctober,  1701.  The  ehiivalier  has 
left  an  inlereslin^'  Journal  Kejtt  by  himself,  of  the  appalling 
disaster  which  befoU  the  Auyuale  (tn  tlu;  coast  of  Cape  Hrelon, 
where  the  ship  was  stranded  on  Ihi;  lijth  November,  1701. 
This  narrative  (1),  which  has  recciillv  Ixu'ii  published,  is 
alfecting  from  its  Iruthl'tilncss  and  simplicity  ;  no  boasting,  no 
flourishes  of  rhclorie  in  this  short  record  of  death  and  human 
sull'ering.  On  reading  of  tlii3  seven  survivyis,— out  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-one  suuls, — slowly  wending  their  way 
over  the  fog  and  snow-clad  sea  shore  of  Isle  lioyale,  occa- 
sionally one  droppingdown  benumbed,  fatigued  andexhausled, 
to  sleep  the  long  sleep  of  death,  one  is  reminded  of  another 
gallant  band  who  nearly  a  century  later  on,  a  few  degrees 
closer  to  tin;  pole,  could  Ix;  seen  equally  forlorn  ;  they  loo 
dropped  down  and  died  as  they  walked  along  the  ice-clad 
strand  ;  «  soim^.  were  buried  and  some  were  not,  »  as  the  old 
Esquimaux  woniiin  slated  to  McClinluck's  parly — the  latter 
band  was  Sir  Jolmb'rankiin's  devoted  but  despairing  followers. 
We  shall  condense  la  Coriio's narrative  of  the  shipwreck.  The 
ship  sli  lick  on  the  loth  November  ;  la  (  oriie  and  his  six  sur- 
viving comp;iiiiou«,  including  the  captain,  were  washed  ashore 
in  a  boat,  more  dead  than  alive  ;  the  10th  was  employed  in 
digging  graves  ;  none  of  his  children,  none  of  the  ladies  had 
been  saved  ;  the  young,  the  fair,  the  highborn  strewing  in 
hideous  confusion  a  rock-bounJ  coast  amidst  fragments  of  the 
wreck, — in  all  one  hundred  and  fourteen  corpses.  Such  were 
the  dismal  objects  which  met  the  gaze  of  la  Corne  and  of  his 
fellow-sulferers  on  the  morning  of  the  lOlh  November.  Amidst 
the  roar  of  the  sea  and  of  the  tempest,  the  last  rites  were  per- 

(1)  Journal  du  Naufrago  do  I'AutjnHe  par  M.  Luc  do  la  Corno  Saint-Luc  on 
1781— COt<S  et  Cie.,  Qu6beo. 


|8. 


i20 


k  REPRESENTATIVE  MAN. 


formed  by  Iho  sorrowing  pnroni ,  and  on  the  17lli,  with  a 
fooling  common  to  all  llioy  hurriod  from  aspotinwliichcvory- 
tliing  romindod  Ihoin  of  duatli,  «  plurima  mortis  imago,  »  and 
took  to  Iho  woods,  not  knowing  whoro  they  wore  ;  ontiiolTth 
a  snow  slonn  addod  to  their  niisory  ;  threo  of  tho  parly  horc 
gavo  out  through  fatigue,  Itul  la  Cornc,  who  all  along  appciirs 
as  tho  leading  spirit,  urgod  (horn  on,  and  with  sucecss  ;  on  tho 
25th,  hisJournal  mentions,  as  a  godsend,  thediscovery  of  some 
deserted  hnis  ; — in  them,  they  found  two  dead  men  ;  on  tho 
20lh  two  more  of  the  parly  gave  out,  and  wore  nHuctantly 
left  behind  with  some  provisions.  Twelve  inches  of  snow  had 
fallen  that  day. 

On  the  3r(l  December,  after  a  tedious  tramp  through  the 
forest,  not  knowing  where  lh(;y  were,  they  struck  on  the  sea 
coast  and  discovered  an  old  Ixtal,  uns(;aworlhy  ;  th(i  captain 
of  the  Augvste  set  to  work  to  caulk  her,  and  matters  seemed 
likely  to  assume  a  more  hopeful  aspoct,  when  a  fresh  snow- 
storm nearly  eauscMl  the  deslruetion  of  tli(5  whole  parly.  «Our 
provisions  rumiing  short,  »  adds  la  Come,  «  we  had  to  live  on 
wild  berries  and  sea-weed.  On  llic  4lh,  the  storm  having 
abated,  we  found  our  boat  imbedtul  in  lh(!  snow,  but  when  wo 
came  to  launch  her,  our  captain,  who  until  then  had  held  out, 
declared  he  could  uo  no  further  on  account  of  the  pains  and 
ulcers  he  labored  under  ;  the  three  others  mostly  as  bad,  sided 
with  him,  and  being  alonc^  1  was  compelled,  although  sulfer- 
ing  much  less,  to  remain  with  them,  I  did  not  like  to  deserl 
them,  and  we  trustcid  to  Providi^nce,  when  two  Indians  made 
their  appearance.  Our  men  liaileil  thinn  with  loiid  cries  and 
lamentations  ;  in  which  I  could  calch  the  words  '  have  mercy 
on  us.  '  I  was  then  smoking,  a  quiet  sptu'lator  of  this  sorrowfid 
scene.  Our  men  mentioned  my  name,  and  llie  Indians  greeted 
me  warmly.  I  had  on  several  occasions  rendered  service  to 
these  tribes.  T  learned  thai  \\\)  were  ninety  miles  from  Louis- 
bourg  (Cap  Breton),  They  told  me  they  were  ready  to  conduct 
me  to  St.  Pierre.  I  had  our  men  crossed  over  a  river  which 
was  there,  and  I  left  with  the  Indians,  for  their  wig-wani  about 
three  league-  distant.  They  gave  me  dried  meat,  and  on  the 
5th,  I  returned  to  my  friends. » 


M.    DE   LA   CORNE  SAINT-LL'C. 


121 


n  we 
I  out, 
and 
sidod 
ilV(T- 
csort 
nndo 
iuid 
LTcy 
wful 
etod 
e  to 
ouis- 
idiicl 
hich 
hout 
In  the 


Tlionco,  we  follow  the  liardy  adventurer  to  Saint  Pierre,  to 
Labrador  Hay,  and  linally  W(>  lind  him,  in  spite  of  all  reuion- 
lianee,  starting;  in  a  birch  eanoe,  in  that  inclement  season, 
with  two  young  men  whom  Ik;  had  templed  to  this  fool-hardy 
enterprise,  by  olTering  them  twenty-live  lonis  d'or  ;  they 
afterwards  landed  at  Cheda-iJoncton,  and  after  encountering 
great  privation,  fatigue,  and  divers  perilous  adventures,  he 
arrived  at  Tort  C.umbeiland,  formerly  Tort  lleausejour,  when 
after  a  short  rest  he  continued  his  journey  on  foot,  having  worn 
out  his  strength  and  his  snow  shoes.  The  Temiscouata  portage 
brought  him  subsequently  to  the  lower  parishes,  then  lo 
Kamouraska ;  and  the  night  he  spent  at  (he  Manor  of  Saint  Jean- 
J'ort-.Ioly  is  graphically  described  in  the  Canailiaits  ofiUd.  lie 
arrived  at  Quebec,  on  the  2;{rd  b'ebruary,  laid  an  .iccount  of 
his  shipwreck  bid'orc  (ieneral  Miuray,  and  left  for  Montreal  to 
see  (Ieneral  fJage.  This  iron-framed  man  closes  his.lournal  by 
staling  that  the  fatigues,  dangers  and  starvation  he  was  ex- 
posed to,  were  very  greal — that  the  circuitous  road  he  follow<!d 
led  him  lo  i)elievc  he  must  have  walked  at  least  lO.'iO  miles  in 
the  severest  season  in  the  year,  and  unprovided  with  any  suc- 
cour. (( I  used  to  see  my  guides  and  companions,  Ihe  Indians 
and  Acadians,  giving  out  after  eight  days'  marching,  and  often, 
less.  During  all  this  time,  I  enjoyed  excellent  heallh,  had  no 
dread  of  the  consequences,  and  foilunalely  withstood  this 
excessive  fatigue  ;  had  I  had  giudcs  as  vigorous  as  wiyself,  I 
would  have  saved  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  which  it 
cost  me,  and  I  would  have  arrived  earlier.))  (ieneral  Jell'. 
Amherst,  then  at  New-Voik,  wrote  to  the  chevalier  a  feiding 
letter,  dated  28th  March,  1702,  condoling  with  him  on  this 
melancholy  shipwreck.,,,, 

We  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  this  feat  of  human  en- 
durance, this  journeying  during  a  Canadian  wilder  through 
forests, — over  bays  in  a  frail  bark  canoe  and  over  a  wilderness 
of  snow  on  snow  shoes,  close  on  seventeen  hundred  miles,  is 
almost  without  a  parallel  in  modern  times,  and  that  we  would  be 
very  unwilling  to  accept  it  as  true,  were  it  less  authcnlicaUy 
recorded . 

The  loss  of  family  and  friends,  as  previously  stated,  seems 

10 


122 


A  REPnESENTATlVE  MAM. 


to  have  changed  entirely  the  future  plans  of  the  chevalier  ;  ho 
bid  adieu  to  La  Belle  France,  and  made  up  his  mind  to  live  in 
Canada, — a  British  subject.  We  fail  for  a  few  years  to  traco 
clearly  v/hal  occupations  were  followedby  this  singularly  hardy 
man  ;  probably,  with  his  compeers,  the  Rocheblave,  Do 
Rouvillc,  St.  Ours,  Dcschambault,  De  Belestre,  De  Lotbini^re, 
lie  look  part  in  politics.  At  the  arrival  of  General  Burgoyne, 
laCoriie  again,  although  close  on  seventy  years  of  age,  headed 
the  militia  and  the  Indian  tribes,  which  Sir  Guy  Garleton  sent 
to  assist  the  newly  arrived  general.  La  Come  was  present  at 
several  engagements  during  the  war  of  independence,  and 
probably  would  have  rendered  important  services  to  the  En- 
glish general,  but  Burgoyne  neither  understood,  nor  took  any 
pains,  to  understand  the  character  of  his  Indian  allies.  Matters 
went  on  tolerably  well,  so  long  as  the  English  commander  met 
with  success,  but  with  reverses,  discontent  got  to  such  a  pitch 
in  a  short  time,  that  the  Indian  tribes  and  the  small  number 
of  Canadians,  soon  absolutely  refused  to  be  led  on  by  a  general 
about  as  fit  to  handle  this  arm  of  the  service  as  Baron 
Dicskcan  under  French  Rule,  had  shown  himself  twenty  years 
before.  The  disgraceful  capitulation  of  the  English  army  at 
Saratoga  to  General  Gates,  was  the  crowning  feat.  In  vain  Bur- 
goyne (1),  on  his  return  to  England,  and  from  his  seat  in 
Parliament,  supported  by  a  host  of  powerful  friends,  tried  to 
irxplain  oif  the  shame  he  had  brought  on  his  brave  army,  by 
accusing  others  ;  his  violent,  artful  charges  called  forth  a 
spirited  letter  from  theChcvalier  de  la  Come,  which  appeared  at 

(1)  John  Burgoyne,  an  English  general  officer  and  dramatist,  connected  with 
this  country  in  the  former  capacity,  was  tho  natural  son  of  Lord  Bingley,  and  en- 
tered early  in  the  army.  In  1762  he  commanded  a  force  sent  into  Portugal  for  the 
defence  of  that  kingdom  against  the  Spaniards.  He  also  distinguished  himself  in 
the  first  American  war  by  the  taking  of  Ticondoroga,  but  was  at  last  obliged  to 
surrondor  with  his  army  to  General  Gates  at  Saratoga.  For  this  act  he  was  much 
consurod  and  condemned  by  all  the  English  people.  He  was  elected  into  tho  En- 
glish Parliament  for  Preston,  in  Lancashire,  but  refusing  to  return  to  America 
jtursuant  to  his  convention,  was  ignorainiously  dismissed  the  sonrice.  He  en- 
deavored to  exonerate  himself,  but  without  avail,  in  some  pamphlets  he  published 
ill  defence  of  his  conduct.  As  an  author,  he  is  more  distinguished  for  his  three 
(li  amas  of  the  Afaid  of  the  Oak*,  Bon  Ton,  and  The  Heirees,  aU  in  the  line  of  what 
is  usually  called  genteel  comedy,  they  forming  light  and  pleuing  specimens. 
{^[»rgan's  Celebrated  Canadian*.) 


M.   DE  LA  CORNE  SAINT-LUC. 


123 


the  time  in  the  English  papers  ;  it  being,  doubtless,  new  to 
many  English  readers,  a  translation  of  this  letter  may  prove 
acceptable : — 


with 
id  on- 
or  the 
If  in 
d  to 
much 
e  En- 
erica 
en- 
ished 
three 
what 
nens. 


LE  CHEVALIER  DE  SAINT.-LUC  TO  GENERAL  BURGOTNE. 

Quebec,  23rd  October,  1778. 

<(  Sir — ^I  cannot  say  whether  this  letter  will  reach  you  ;  if  it 
should,  it  is  written  to  express  my  surprise  at  your  lack  of 
memory,  concerning  myself  and  also  concerning  my  compa- 
nions-in-arms,  the  Canadians  and  the  Indians. 

« I  am  at  a  loss  to  guess  your  motive,  unless  it  be  to  bury 
my  name,  with  your  cwn,  in  obscurity — an  achievement 
beyond  your  power.  I  was  known  long  before  you  had  attained 
the  position  which  furnished  you  the  opportunity  of  ruining 
one  of  the  finest  armies  which  my  country  ever  saw. 

«  You  say,  sir,  that  I  was  unable  to  afford  you  any  informa- 
tion. I  am  glad  you  shoidd  be  the  means  of  informing  the 
public  that  you  never  sought  advice  from  me.  Allow  me, 
however,  to  tell  yi  '  that  I  have  served  under  general  officers 
who  honored  me  y>Ah  their  confidence  ;  men  worthy  of  the 
position, — able  to  maintain  their  dignity, — distinguished  by 
their  abi'ities. 

<(  You  also  charge  me  withhaving  withdrawn  from  the  army. 
You  will  permit  me  to  inform  you,  sir,  that  those  who,  like 
myself,  left  it,  did  not,  more  than  you,  dread  the  perils  of 
war.  Fifty  years'  service  will  dispose  of  this  charge.  You,  sir, 
better  than  any,  know  who  made  me  leave  the  army ;  it  was 
yourself. 

«  The  16th  August,  1777,  the  day  of  the  Bennington  affair, 
you  sent  m(i,  through  Major  Campbell,  an  order  to  hold  my- 
self in  readiness  to  start  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  with  the 
Canadians  and  Indians,  ahead  of  General  Eraser's  brigade,  to 
post  ourselves  at  Stillwater.  But  that  same  day  M.  de  Laiiau- 
di6re  (1)  informed  you  of  the  defeat  of  Lieut.-Col.  Baiun's 
detachment,  and  of  that  of  Lieut.-Col.  Breyman,  who  had 

(1)  Luo  de  La  Come  was  with  Ouy  Carleton  and  de  la  Naudiiro  in  the  abip 
coming  down  to  Quebec,  io  Nov.  1776,  the  Oatp4.—iSanguintt.) 


124 


\   IIEI'IIESEMATIVE  MAN. 


advanced  to  support  the  lallcr.  lie  apprised  you  llial  these  two 
delacliments  had  lost  at  least  seven  hundred  men.  You  ap- 
peared to  put  little  faith  in  his  slateniculs,  and  you  told  nie  the 
loss  did  not  amount  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  although 
the  real  figure,  showed  that  the  first  report  was  exact.  Counter 
orders  were  then  issued  to  the  wholearmy  which  iiad  intended 
to  march  on  that  day,  and  the  next  day  we  were  made  to  cross 
North  River,  and,  with  General  Fraser's  brigade,  to  camp  at 
lialtenkill.  The  Indians,  startled  by  your  grand manceuvres,  to 
which  they  were  not  accustomed,  had  noticed  that  you  had 
sent  no  force  either  to  collect  the  remnants  of  the  corps  dis- 
l»ersed  at  Bennington  (some  of  whom,  to  my  knowledge, 
returned  to  your  camp  \i\'e  days  after),  or  to  succour  the 
wounded,  of  which  a  portion  were  dying.  This  conduct  of 
yours,  sir,  did  not  convey  a  very  high  idea  of  the  care  you 
would  lake  of  those  who  might  fight  under  you.  The  indifier- 
♦Mice  you  exhibited  to  the  fate  of  the  Indians  concerned  in  the 
IJennington  encounter,  to  the  extent  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  had  disgusted  them  very  much  ;  a  good  number  of  them 
had  fallen  there,  together  with  the  irgreat  chief,  and  out  of  the 
sixty-one  Canadians,  forty-one  only  had  escaped. 

«  bear  in  mind,  sir,  so  that  you  may  not  form  an  erroneous 
opinion  of  this  matter,  what  passed  in  council,  when  you  re- 


presented our  loss 


as  trilling. 


I  told  you,  on  behalf  of  the 


Indians,  whose  interpreter  you  had  made  me,  that  they  were 
very  deserving.  They  said  many  things  which  it  would  have 
been  useless  to  repeat ;  amongst  others'^  that  they  wished  to 
speak  their  sentiments  to  you  in  plain  terms.  I  warned  you  of 
what  would  be  the  final  result.  Finally,  sir,  their  discontent 
became  such  that  they  left  on  the  spot,  although  you  refused 
to  allow  them  provisions,  shoes  and  an  interpreter. 

Two  days  subsequently,  you  had  seen  yourerror  ;  Brigadier 
Fraser  had  anticipated  what  would  be  the  consequences  of 
your  acts  towards  the  Indians.  You  then  sent  for  me,  and  I 
had  the  honor  to  meet  vou  in  the  tent  of  the  brigadier,  when 
you  asked  me  to  return  to  Canada,  the  bearer  of  despatches  to 
General  Carleton,  to  induce  His  Excellency  to  treat  the  Indians 
kindly  and  send  them  back  to  you.  I  did  so,  and  I  would  have 


M.    m   Lit  COUXK   SAINT-LLC. 


125 


oncous 
oil  re- 
of  Uio 
were 
have 
led  to 
you  of 
ontent 
efiised 


rojoined  (he  army,  11"  the  communication  had  not  hecu  cut  olT. 
After  lliat,  of  what  use  could  I  have  hecn,  I,  whom  you  liad 
represented  as  good  for  nothing,  and  as  one  of  the  Indians  who 
had  left  the  army.  Ah  I  sir,  having  ceased  to  he  a  general,  do 
not  at  least  cease  to  he  a  gentleman  !  On  the  latter  point,  I  am 
your  equal.  You  hear  the  rank  of  a  general,  and  I  may  not  he 
your  equal  in  talent,  hut  I  am  your  equal  in  birth,  and  claim  to 
he  treated  as  a  gentleman. 

«  He  that  as  it  may,  sir,  notwithstanding  my  advanced  age 
(07  years),  I  am  ready  to  cross  the  sea  to  justify  myself  before 
the  King,  my  master,  and  before  my  country,  of  the  unfounded 
charges  you  have  heaped  on  me,  but  I  am  quite  indilTerent  as 
to  what  you,  personally,  may  think  of  me.  » 

A  Legislative  Councillor  of  Canada,  in  1784,  we  find  this 
sturdy  old  soldier  at  the  ripe  age  of  74,  equally  ready  in  camp 
and  in  council, — manfully  battling  for  the  rights  of  his  country- 
men to  enjoy  all  the  privileges  of  Ihilish  subjects,  and  siding 
against  the  old  family  compact, — remonstrating  loudly  hut 
respectfully,  and  holding  forth  in  the  resolutions  he  proposed, 
in  favor  of  the  constitution  of  1771.  When  the  stern  old  llonian 
died  does  not  appear  ;  he  seems  to  have  attained  a  very  great 


age. 


hi  a  measure,  arc  we  not  justified  in  saying  of  him  what  Cla- 
rendon wrote  of  Hampden,  «  Ihat  he  was  of  an  industry  and  a 
vigilance  not  to  be  tired  on  tor  wearied  by  th(»  most  laborious, 
and  of  parts  not  to  imposed  on  by  the  most  subtle  and  sharp, — 
of  a  personal  coinage  e(pKd  to  his  best  parts.  »  ? 


ligadier 

Ices  of 

and  I 

when 

ches  to 

Indians 

Id  have 


1 

I 

r 

S 

Ji 

([ 

hi 

F] 

ba 

be 

els 

pa 

lod 

Jiii< 

all 

rea 

tclli 

Can 

com 

tot] 


(») 


U.  E.  LOYAIISTS. 


((Outline  OP  A  FEW  CONSPICUOUS!,  e.  loyalists,  who  fled  to  nova 

SCOTIA  AND  UPPER  CANADA  AFTER  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION  ( 1 783) , 

WITH  PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS.  » — Parlia- 
mentary Manuscripts  collected  by  Geo.  Coventry,  Esq. 
{Revieiced  in  1864.) 

The  foregoing  is  a  subject  about  which,  I  am  lolh  to  say,  tlie 
bulk  of  the  French  Canadians,  notwithstanding  their  know- 
ledge of  Canadian  history,  know  very  little  ;  in  fact,  those 
who  have  the  courage  to  be  candid,  will  promptly  admit  that 
in  their  minds  a  haze  of  uncertainty  has  hovered  for  a  long 
lime  over  the  exact  meaning  of  the  word  (( U.  £.  Loyalist,  » 
nor  do  they  clearly  understand  what  is  meant  by  (( Nova 
Scotia  Knights.  »  They  can  readily  tell  you  how  many  trips 
Jacques  Cartier  or  Champlain  made  to  New  France;  of  the 
thrashing  General  Levi  gave  General  Murray  on  the  Sic.  Foye 
heights,  in  1760  ;  of  the  harrowing  tale  of  the  shipwrecked 
French  refugees  on  Cape  Breton  in  1761  ;  of  the  arbitrai7 
banishment  of  the  Acadians ;  but  be  cautious  how  you  parade 
before  their  eyes  the  mystic  combii^tion  (( U.  E.  Loyalists ;  » 
else,  many  will  fancy  you  are  attempting  to  enlist  their  symr 
pathy  in  favor  of  some  new  Masonic  order,  mayhap  an  Orange 
lodge,  or  perchance  some  secret  political  organization,  possibly 
like  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  or  the  D.  M.  D.  (1)  With 
all  due  deference  to  their  historical  lore,  I  see  no  cogent 
reason  why  the  10,000  English  refugees  who,  Mr.  Coventry 
tells  us,  (( were  the  founders  of  the  present  prosperity  of  Upper 
Canada, »  should  be  more  ignored  in  the  annals  of  this,  our 
common  country,  than  were  the  French  refugees  who  returned 
to  the  parent  state  a  century  back.  At  their  removal,  honors 

(1)  Dafenderi  of  the  Monro*  Dootrine. 


128 


U.    E.    LOYALISTS. 


>vcrc  lavished  on  both  classes  by  their  respective  sovereigns, 
uiul  several  of  them  have  left  their  mark  in  history. 

Before  proceeding  further  in  this  inquiry,  let  us  award  our 
meed  of  praise  to  the  enlightened  statesmen  who  have  hcen 
instrumental  in  rescuing  from  oblivion  the  memories  of  the 
biave  and  honoiable  men  who,  at  the  close  of  the  American 
revolutionary  sliuggle,  made  the  western  portion  of  Canada 
their  home.  To  the  late  Hon.  William  Hamilton  Merritt  and 
to  the  Hon.  James  Morris,  the  descendants  of  these  worthies 
owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  having  procured  the  support  and 
sanction  of  the  legislature  to  the  measures  they  devised  in 
order  to  compile  the  important  parliamentary  papers  and  ma- 
nuscripts now  styled  «  The  Simcoe  Papers  and  Manuscripts 
relating  to  the  U.  E.  Loyalists  ;  »  and  if  I  should  venture  to  say 
that  what  has  been  collected  can  only  be  considered  as  a  first 
instalment,  it  is  not  with  the  view  of  disparaging  the  labours  of 
Mr.  Coventry,  the  gentlemen  employed  by  Parliament  to  trans- 
criber these  doGuments.  Far  from  that,  I  merely  wish  to  record 
my  opinion,  that  compared  to  the  rich  mines  of  historical  facts 
and  data  procured  at  government  expense  in  France,  in  the  Uni- 
ted States  and  elsewhere,  relating  chiefly  to  Lower  Canada,  the 
Coventry  Manuscripts  appear  but  the  forerunners  of  a  compre- 
hensive compilation  necessary  for  a  full  history  of  thai  pro- 
gressive western  portion  of  the  Canadas.  Any  one  viewing  what 
material  the  Archiven  de  la  (iuerre,  the  Archives  de  la  Marine, 
the  Albany  State  Documents,  the  parish  Registers  of  Lower 
Omada,  and  the  old  censuMables  of  France  have  furnished  to 
Mr.  Faribault,  Mr.  (larneau,  Mr.  Bibaud,  Mr.  Tauguay  and 
others,  for  the  history  of  Lower  Canada,  will  confess  that  our 
portion  of  the  country  has  been  dealt  with  most  liberally.  It  is 
not  every  day,  be  it  remembered,  that  a  Lower  Canadian  is 
warranted  in  saying  that  Lower  Canada  has  in  one  respect  had 
a  larger  portion  of  the  loaves  and  fishes  than  its  sister  pro- 
vince I 

To  prevent  disappointment,  let  us,  at  the  onset  stale,  forthe 
benefit  of  the  20,000  descendants  of  the  famous  10,000 
«  loundcrs  of  western  piosperity,  »  that  it  is  not  in  this  short 
sketch,  penned  by  a  French  Canadian  in  a  leisure  hour,  that 


BRITISH  REFUGEES. 


129 


they  are  to  look  for  the  whole  pedigree  and  domestic  history  of 
their  worthy  grandfathers. 

Should  the  nephews  of  U.  E.  Loyalists  be  a<!  kindly  treated 
by  the  government  of  Ihe  day,  when  Canada  will  be  received  as 
a  Sovereign  State^  in  the  great  Republic,  some  time  about  the 
year  1964,  as  their  fathers  were  by  the  house  of  Hanover  in 
the  last  century,  they  will,  indeed,  be  accounted  a  fortunate 
race. 

Let  us  now  hear  Mr.  Coventry,  without  adopting  all  his 
conclusions  : 

«  Upper  Canada  may  be  said  to  have  been  founded  by 
American  Loyalists,  who  were  driven  from  their  country  al  the 
Revolutionary  War.  The  whole  country  was  a  wilderness,  as 
the  French,  who  were  the  previous  occupiers,  had  taken  no 
pains  to  clear  or  colonize  it.  (1)  'Tis  true  that  at  Detroit,  where 
they  had  a  fort,  they  induced  a  few  individuals  to  settle  around, 
and  also  on  the  Canadian  shore,  the  descendants  of  whom  re- 
main there  to  the  present  day.  After  the  Britishflag triumphed, 
they  remained  unmolested,  as  well  as  those  who  chose  to  re- 
main in  the  Lower  Province. 

«  The  great  work,  therefore,  of  subduing  the  forests  and  of 
bringing  the  rich  tracts  of  land  under  cultivation,  was  left  to  the 
indomitable  courage,  energy,  and  perseverance  of  the  settlers, 
protected  and  encouraged  by  the  mother  country. 

«  The  principal  object  of  the  line  of  division  of  Canada,  as 
established  by  Mr.  Pitt's  Act,  was  to  place  them,  as  a  body,  by 
themselves,  and  to  allow  them  to  b«  governed  by  laws  more 
congenial  than  those  which  were  deemed  requisite  for  the 
French,  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 

«  This  decision  arose  from  the  tenor  of  the  Treaty  of  Capi- 
tulation at  Montreal,  which  was  on  so  liberal  a  scale  that  when 
finally  ratified  at  Fontainebleau,  the  French  (the  Canadians, 
Mr.  Coventry  means)  were  to  enjoy,  unmolested,  their  own 

(1)  It  is  only  necessary  to  refer  to  the  chronicles  of  the  past  to  ascertain 
whether  or  not  the  French  took  pains  to  colonize  Few  France. — J.  M,  L. 

"  If,  says  Warren,  the  French  did  not  take  particular  pains  to  colonize  Canada, 
they  did  not  however  by  legislative  enactment  declare  the  cultivation  of  the  soil 
a  felony,  as  the  English  did  in  New-Found-Land.  From  M.  H.  Warren's  Lecture 
on  the  Fitheriee,  p.  8. 

11 


130 


U.    E.    LOYALISTS. 


rc'liiiion,  thoir  own  Invs,  Ihoir  civil  rights,  to  retire  when  they 
ploasi'd,  iind  to  dispose  of  Iheir  estates  to  Drilish  siihjeels. 

«  Of  course  they  came  under  the  general  rules  laid  downhy 
the  Ihitish  riOvciiinnMit  and  (jovernor  ;  nor  were  Ihoy  entitled 
to  j^raiils  of  land,  which  were  so  freely  given  to  Loyalists  and 
soldiers  who  had  so  biavely  fou;;ht  under  the  British  flag. 
They  continued  to  pursue  Iht'ir  old-fashioned  way  of  living, 
and  for  many  years  gave  uo  political  trouble. 

«  Previous  to  Mr.  Pitt's  Act  coming  into  operation  in  1791, 
many  lar^^e  grants  of  land  were  madej  but  the  names  of  the 
parlies  were  not  registered  in  the  Crown  Laud  Department,  nor 
were  the  locations  known,  as  it  frequently  happened  that  such 
grants  were  sold  and  not  taken  up  until  many  years  alterwards. 
Const  qucntly  our  information  is  very  meagre  relative  lo  the 
pr()gr(!ss  of  the  colony  w  hilst  under  military  rule. 

'(  Thei'o  were  no  oflicial  siu'veys  of  lands  until  1792,  when 
about  20,000  acies  weie  surveyed  in  York,  Scarboro'  and 
Cramahe.  Old  settlers,  from  the  taking  of  Foil  Niagara  in 
1759  to  tlic  above  jieriod,  located  where  they  pleased,  with 
the  grant  of  «  Land  Warrants,  »  which  held  good  in  after  years 
by  proof  of  posses^itui  and  clearance. 

«  Some  of  the  old  settlers  in  the  Niagara  district  have  told 
mo  that  the  property  they  now  hold  has  not  been  registered  to 
this  day  ; — they  hold  possession  by  prescriptive  right,  having 
b(MMi  on  their  farms  for  upwards  of  eighty  years. 

«  As  our  enquiry  is  confini^d  to  Upper  Canada,  we  need  not 
vnW.v  upon  the  surveys  of  the  Lower  Province  ;  suflice  it  to 
say,  that  alter  the  Treaty  of  Fontainebleau,  in  1703,  the 
Crown  was  desirous  to  establish  the  boundary  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  grants.  Consequently  5,000  acres  were  awarded  to 
the  Seminary  Domain,  and  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of  Quebec 
parcelled  out  to  the  British  settlers  who  remained  with  the 
government.  Up  to  the  year  1780,  about  80,000  acres  were 
surveyed  by  order  of  the  British  governors,  part  of  which  the 
govtirnmeiit  retained,  and  the  remainder  was  given  to  the 
military.  The  rise  and  progress  of  a  newly-settled  country  is 
at  all  times  an  interesting  topic.  Nothing  atfords  so  much  en- 
tertaining information  lo  young  people  as  the  adventures  of 


BRITISn   REFUGEES. 


vs\ 


Robinson  Criisoo,  Uio  rosult  of  l)e  Foe's  friiilfiil  imagiiiiilion  : 
and  Ihfi  pleasing  picture  of  Paul  and  Virginia,  by  Rernadin  de 
St.  Pierre,  in  the  Mauritius,  will  bnhandiMl  down  to  succeeding 
generations  ;  the  result,  however,  of  such  nlopean  lives  is  of 
no  practical  use  to  families  in  the  present  organized  state  of 
society. 

«  Settlers  in  a  Canadian  wilderness  had  to  l)ear  the  j)urlhen 
and  heat  of  the  day  ;  had  to  exist  by  the  sweat  of  their  brow  ; 
to  nndergo  wonderful  privations  and  to  pass  through  realities 
which  would  scarcely  be  credited  in  a  work  of  llction.  Still  a 
century  has  passtid  and  proved  the  truth  of  the  assertions  of 
Macaulay,  that  the  British  Colonies  have  beconKs  far  niiglitier 
and  wealthier  than  the  realms  which  Corlez  and  Pizarro  had 
added  to  the  dominions  of  Charles  the  Fifth. 

a  The  history  of  the  country,  therefore,  during  the  last 
century,  is  eminently  the  history  of  physical,  of  moral  and 
intellectual  improvement. 

«  The  history  of  the  settlers  ;  the  progress  of  agriculture,  of 
horticulture,  of  the  useful  and  ornamental  ;  the  change  in  the 
habits  and  manners  of  the  people  ;  the  exchange  of  the  spin- 
ning wheel  for  imported  finery ;  the  daily  luxury  and  comforts 
of  the  inhabitants,  coiilrasted  with  the  privations  of  their  an- 
cestors, will  all  form  subjects  of  interesting  moment  in  the 
results  of  our  inquiries. 

«  The  people  having  their  daily  duties  to  perform,  with  h 
constant  succession  of  work  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  were  cut 
off  from  all  intercourse  with  th(!  world,  and  for  months  together 
never  saw  a  white  man's  footstep ajound  their  dwellings.  A 
solitary  Indian  occasionally  crossed  their  grounds  with  whom 
they  traded  for  skins  and  deer.  They  might  almost  lilerallybe 
said  to  have  existed  in  aslate  ofnnture  ;  old  associations  were 
their  thoughts  and  the  reflection  thai  they  were  laying  the 
foundation  of  prosperity  for  their  children.  The  IJible  they 
carried  with  them,  formed  their  principal  solace  and  consola- 
tion ;  and  their  endeavors  were  blessed.  The  superstition  so 
characteristic  of  the  aborigines  seemed  to  form  no  pari  of 
their  existence.  Their  minds  were  constantly  occupied  with 
some  useful  work  ;  as  the  shades  of  evening  drew  around 


132 


U.    E.   LOYALISTS. 


them,  they  retired,  and  in  such  sound  sleep  that  a  monarch 
would  have  envied.  At  that  period,  there  was  but  one  road 
through  the  country  ;  a  sort  uf  militai  y  highway  leading  from 
Toronto  to  Montreal,  and  an  Indian  path  leading  to  Fenetan- 
guishine,  where  a  fort  was  erected  and  garrisoned  by  a  few 
soldiers.  Between  these  two  points,  messages  were  sent  back- 
wards and  forwards  with  unerring  certainty  by  Indian  guides, 
similar  to  David's  and  Solomon's  running  footmen. 

«  There  was  no  money  except  that  which  Government  dis- 
p:>nsed  for  the  pay  of  the  troops. 

«  Those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  located  in  the 
vicinity  of  an  encampment,  or  a  fort,  were  liberally  paid  for 
their  produce,  and  the  cash  was  speedily  put  avvay  in  an  old 
stocking,  or  locked  up  for  posterity  to  gloat  the  eye  upon. 

«  Thieves  were  unknown,  and  crime  of  any  description  was 
a  rare  occurrence. 

«  The  (juvernment  was  as  liberal  as  the  most  fastidious  could 
desire.  It  gave  them  land,  tools,  materials  fur  building, 
the  means  of  subsisting  for  two  or  three  years,  and  to  each  ot 
their  children,  as  they  became  of  age,  two  hundred  acres  of 
land.  Families  at  the  present  day  speak  with  pride,  pleasure 
and  thankfulness  of  the  liberality  of  the  British  Government  in 
alTording  them  assistance  in  the  wilderness  ;  they  continued 
staunch  and  loyal  to  their  sovereign,  ever  ready  in  any  emer- 
gency to  preserve  untarnished  the  honor  of  the  country. 
'  Thank  God,  I  am  a  true  BritOxN  '  was  instilled  into  their  mind 
from  infiincy.  Intimately  connected  with  the  rise  and  progress 
of  Upper  Canada,  there  is  an  important  class  of  settlers  who 
demands  our  especial  attention.  I  allude  to  the  U.  E.  Loyalists. 

«  Those  extraordinary  men  underwent  the  severest  trials 
and  privations  for  their  determined  loyalty  to  the  House  of 
Uanover. 

«  No  one  can  have  the  slightest  conception  of  the  misery 
that  civil  war  entails  until  after  the  perusal  of  Mr.  Sabine's 
History  ;  every  refined  cruelty  of  which  the  human  mind  is 
susceptible  was  practised  on  those  upholders  of  the  cause  of  a 
liuiiled  monarchy. 

«  Doubtless,  retaliation  was,  in  a  measure,  the  order  of  the 


BRITISH  REFUGEES. 


133 


Igress 
who 

[lists. 

trials 
te  of 

[sery 
line's 
Id  is 
of  a 

llie 


day  ;  so  that  scenes  were  daily  witnessed  as  Imirowing  to  a 
plilanlliropist  as  during  the  reign  of  terror  in  France,  under 
Robespierre  and  Danton. 

«  The  lives  tliat  were  saerificod  during  the  seven  years' 
struggle  for  iudiipendence,  can  never  be  ascertained  ;  so  that, 
rather  than  prolong  the  war,  and  to  spare  the  further  efTusion 
of  blood,  the  Minister  adopted  the  humane  principle  of  com- 
pleting a  treaty  that  was  by  no  means  satisfactory  to  the 
greater  portion  of  enlightened  politicians. 

((  Those  who  are  interested  in  the  history  of  nations,  should 
by  all  means,  obtain  Mr.  Sabine's  useful  and  interesting  work; 
hut  as  it  is  now  scarce,  I  shall  subjoin  a  few  notices  of  ex- 
traordinary characters  who  figure  intlie  revolutionary  struggle, 
who  afterwards  took  refuge  in  Canada  and  Nova  Scotia, 
who  acted  as  pioneers  in  clearing  the  wildei nt'ss,  and  by  per- 
severance and  industry  reared  families  whose  descendants 
have  since  shone  consiiicious  lu  the  annals  of  the  country.  As 
Upper  Canada  had  few  actual  settlers  previous  to  the  termina- 
tion of  American  hostilities,  nor  any  accommodation  for  the 
reception  of  refugees,  we  have  to  trace  the  stream  of  loyalists 
who  made  their  escape  to  the  shores  of  New  Brunswick  and 
Nova  Scotia,  were  they  arrived  in  British  ships  by  thousands, 
and  afterwards  branched  out  in  divers  directions,  as  Ih'  y  ob- 
tained grants  of  land  in  various  sections  of  the  colony. 

«  Some  few  came  over  by  way  of  Niagara,  under  the  aus- 
pices of  Sir  William  John^on,  and  afterwards  under  the  admi- 
nistration of  General  Simcoe.  Their  history  is  extiemely  inte- 
resting, shewing  the  wonderful  vicissitudes  of  human  life,  and 
may  as  beacons,  help  on  those  grumblers  of  the  present  day, 
who  have  not  the  same  manliness,  fortitude  and  presence  of 
mind  to  meet  the  casualities  incidental  to  the  changes  that  at 
limes,  take  place  under  every  form  of  government. 

«  The  loyalists  oflicers,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  retired  on 
half-pay. 

«  This  stipend  they  received  during  life,  and  they  also  re- 
ceived grants  of  land  according  to  their  rank. 

«  Many  were  appointed  to  responsible  and  lucrative  civil 
offices,  and  some  even  administered  the  Government  of  the 


134 


U.    E.    LOYALISTS. 


colony  in  which  they  resided  :  General  Simcoo,  for  inslnnco, 
who  commanded  liie  Queon^B  Rangers  in  the  Revohiliotiary 
war.  Nolhing  in  the  history  of  ihose  extraordinary  men  is  so 
remarkable  ns  th(!ir  longevity.  Several  lived  to  enjoy  their  pay 
for  upwards  of  half  a  centnry  ;  so  eonnnon  among  them 
were  the  ages  of  eighty  and  eighty-five,  ninety  and  even  ninety- 
five,  that  the  saying  became  proverbial — '  Loyalist  half-pay 
officers  never  die.  '  So  courteous  and  liberal  was  the  British 
Government,  that  even  after  the  death  of  those  old  officers, 
many  widows  and  orphans  were  recipients  of  various  sums, 
amounting  to  between  i;20,000  and  £30,000  per  annum,  (aye 
and  as  much  as  jESO.OOO.) 

«  We  have  previously  remarked  that  those  who  arc  curious 
to  know  the  fate  of  from  7,000  to  10,000  loyalists  should  con- 
sult Mr.  Sabine's  valuable  work.  \  ^'\\ 

«  In  our  selection  we  shall  notice  a  few  conspicuous  fami- 
liei  who  fled  from  the  States  at  a  very  early  period  of  Upper 
Canadian  history.  » 

It  is  with  those  prefatory  remarks  that  Mr.  Coventry  ushers 
in  the  bright  galaxy  of  loyal  men  whose  allegiance  to  the  House 
of  Hanover  was  so  substantially  (1)  rewarded,  whose  orphans 
and  widows,  received  as  much  as  je30,000  per  annum  from  the 
British  Exchequer.  Good  olden  time,  Mr.  Coventry  !  Happy 
age  that  was  1  Let  us  not,  however,  dwell  on  the  sunny  pic- 
ture too  long,  lest  it  should  call  forth  an  invidious  comparison 
between  the  treatment  experienced  by  Governor  Simcoe's  and 
Sir  William  Johnston's  fi  lends,  and  that  meted  out  to  the  pa- 
triotic reformers  of  abuses,  in  1838-9,  in  Eastern  and  in 
Western  Canada.  They,  too,  Avere  the  sons  of  men  who  had 
stood  up  for  Britain's  flag  in  1775  and  1812  ;  but  wlet  the  dead 
past  bury  its  dead.  »  The  U.  E.  Loyalists  were  brave,  let  us 
honor  them  ;  they  sacrificed  their  comforts,  their  worldly 
means,  to  the  shrine  of  consistency,  and  consistency  is  a  jewel ; 
let  us  cherish  their  memory  ! 

(1)  The  wealth  and  ^['osition  of  the  colonists,  who  sacrificed  their  possessions 
in  the  Republican  States,  to  adhere  to  the  monarchy,  may  be  estimated  by  the 
fact,  that  claims  for  the  logs  of  property  were  allowed,  by  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment, to  3,000  heads  of  families — the  total  of  whose  indemnity  (apart  from  land 
grants)  reached  to  about  (en  miUiont  iterling  I  (Adolphut  Hiat.  of  England,  Vol. 
Ill,  p.  629.) 


RUtTlflll  REFUGEES. 


135 


But  how  shall  wo  bncomingly  recoiiiil  the  odyssny  of  Ihoir 
siiHorings  in  llie  wilds  of  Wostorn  Cnnndn  ?  How  shall  wo 
depict  their  valor  ill  war?  Let  Chrysler's  Farm,  let  Lundy's 
Lane,  lelQiieenslonlleiK^hls;  (I)  let  the  battle  fields  of  1812-13- 
14  unfold  (heir  honored  banners. 


^sessions 
by  tho 
I  Qovern- 
rom  land 
\nd,  Vol. 


The  Coventry  Mannscj-ipls  contain  sketches  of  the  following 
U.  E.  Loyalists  and  early  settlers  of  Upper  Canada  : 

The  Smiths,  Gambles,  Andersons,  .Tones,  Lynians,  Robin- 
sons, Ilaldwins,  Sir  Jumes  McCaulay,  Hon.  John  Wilson,  John 
Strachan,  Capl.  James  IJitlrick,  Roger  Rates,  Mrs.  White, 
Joseph  Branl,  Thomas  Horner,  Hon.  M.  DeBoncherville,  (2) 
Hon.  John  Stewart,  Hon.  W.  Morris,  Mohawk  Chief  Marlin, 
Hon.  Samuel  Crone,  Nicholas  Rrowse,  Jacob  DeWitt,  Hon. 
George  Crookshank,  Sir  Josejih  Brook,  Hon.  James  Crooks, 
George  Brouse,  M.P.P.  ;  Dr.  Schoelield,  Ibm.  John  Molson, 
Hon.  John  lAIcDonald,  Thomas  Mcrritt,  Jacob  Bowman,  Hon. 
Henry  Rutlan,  Hon.  John  Elmsley,  Chief  Just,,  ;  Hon.  Peter 
Russell,  Administrator  ;  Hon.  Henry  AllcocK,  Chief  Justice  ; 
W.  Weeks,  M.l'.P.  ;  John  While,  Attorney-General  ;  Mrs. 
Secord,  of  Chippewa  ;  Col  Clark,  Port  Dalhousie  ;  Hon.  W. 
Hamilton  Merrilt ;  Philemon  Wright,  the  pioneer  of  the 
Ottawa  ;  Rev.  John  Stuarf,  Fronlenac  ;  Tecumseh  ;  Mis. 
Clench,  of  Niagara  ;  Mrs.  John  Gibson,  of  Grantham  ;  John 
Kilburn  ;  James  Richardson,  of  Glover  Hill  ;  also  a  stalement 
of  the  sufferings  of  the  clergy  at  the  American  revolution.  » 
These  papers  seem  particularly  interesting. 

Out  of  such  a  rich  casket  of  historical  gems,  who  will  dare 
to  select '?  Here  is  a  lively  sketch  of  an  Indian  warrior,  Te- 
cumseh— the  genuine  product  of  an  American  forest :  as  such 
eminently  fitted  for  the  Maple  Leaves.  Here  again  arc  trails  of 
devotion  and  disinterestedness,  scraps  of  family  history,  feats 
of  personal  prowes^',  incidents  of  the  battlefield  ;  how  shall  I 

(1)  Accounts  of  these  battles  will  be  found  in  tho  Third  Series  of  "  Maple 
Leaves,"  published  in  1864. 

(2)  Hon.  Mr.  DoBoucherville  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  old  Gorernor  of 
Three  Rivers,  and  founder  of  the  village  of  DoBoucherville. 


136 


U.   E.    LOYALISTS. 


crowd  them  in  tlio  narrow  limits  of  this  record  of  Canadian 
wortii  and  Canadian  gallantry  ?  Yes,  how  ?  I  acknowledge  the 
idea  distresses  me  much  ;  enough  at  any  rate  for  to  day.  But 
hefore  closing,  listen  to  the  quaint  gossip  of  a  very  worthy  and 
ancient  dame  of  some  seventy-nine  summers,  Mrs.  \S'hite.  (1) 
«  The  Bay  of  Quinte  was  covered  with  ducks,  of  which  we 
could  obtain  any  quantity  from  the  Indians.  As  to  fish,  they 
could  be  had  by  fishing  with  a  scoup.  I  have  often  speared 
large  salmon  with  a  pitch  fork. »  «  Now  and  then  provisions 
ran  very  scanty  ;  ;>e  fared  no  belter  than  Frenchmen,  there 
being  plenty  of  bullfrogs .» 

Good  gracious  !  to  think  that  after  all  the  U.  E.  Loy- 
alists were — veritable  frog-eaters  !  «  Ealing  bullfrogs  a  sumi)- 
tuf  s  fare  !  »  Oh,  Mrs.  WMiite !  Mrs.  White !  However, 
there  was  just  as  excellent  a  reason  for  eating  bullfrogs 
in  Upper  Canada  in  1/88,  as  there  was  for  eating  horse 
flesh  (2)  in  Lower  Canada  some  thirty  years  previously  :  there 
was  nothing  else  to  eat.  (3)  Let  us  continue.  «This,»  says  Mrs. 

(1)  Reminiscences  of  Mrs.  White,  of  White's  Mills,  near  Cobourg. 

(2)  Montcalm  had  had  1500  horses  slaughtered  for  the  inhabitants  of  Canada 
in  1758. 

(3)  Dr.  Canniff,  of  Toronto,  in  an  interesting  work  furnishes  details,  on  the 
settlement  of  Upper  Canada,  fully  corroborating  what  is  here  stated  : 

"  Sometimes,  says  ho,  the  grain  was  crushed  with  an  axe  upon  a  flat  stone. 
Many  prepared  a  wooden  mortar,  by  cutting  a  block  of  suitable  length,  about 
four  feet,  out  of  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree,  oak  or  maple.  Sometimes  it  was  the 
stump  of  a  tree.  In  this,  a  cavity  was  formed,  generally  by  heating  a  piece  of 
iron,  and  placing  it  upon  the  end.  In  some  quarters,  a  cannon  ball  from  the 
garr'.;-on  was  used.  By  placing  this,  red  hot,  upon  the  wood,  a  hollow  of  sufficient 
dep^h  could  bo  made.  These  mortars,  sometimes  called  '  Hominy  Blocks  '  and 
sometimes  '  Plumping  Mills,  '  varied  in  size  ;  sometimes  holding  only  a  few 
quarts,  sometimes  a  bushel,  or  even  more.  The  pestle  or  pounder,  was  made  of 
the  hardest  wood,  six  or  eight  feet  long,  and  eight  inches  in  diameter  at  the  bot- 
tom end  ;  the  top,  sufficiently  small  to  be  spanned  by  the  hand.  The  pestle  was 
sometimes  called  the  stamper ;  and  the  stump  or  block,  with  the  pestle,  was 
called  the  stump-mortar.  Generally,  it  was  by  tbo  unaided  hand  that  the  grinding 
was  done  ;  but  after  a  time,  a  sweep  pole  was  arranged,  similar  to  a  well  pole, 
and  a  hard  weighty  substance  being  attached  to  the  pole,  much  less  strength  was 
required  to  crush  the  grain  ;  at  the  same  time,  a  large  quantity  could  be  at  once 
done.  The  work  was  generally  done  by  two  men.  The  grain  thus  pounded  was 
generally  Indian  Corn,  and  occasionally  wild  rice.  To  crush  wheat  required  much 
more  labour,  and  a  small  mortar.  The  bran  was  separated  from  the  flour  by  a 
horse  hair  siere,  one  of  which  generally  served  a  whole  community,  as  they  were 
posieiicid  only  by  a  few.  This  rude  method  continued  for  many  yeaii,  especially 


BBITISU   nEFUGKF.8. 


137 


)gS 


Canada 
on  the 


"White,  «  was  the  time  of  the  famine,  1  think,  in  1788 ;  ue  wore 
obliged  to  dig  up  our  seed  potatoes,  after  planung  them,  to  eat. 
"We  never  llioiight  of  these  privations,  but  were  always  happy 

in  thoje  township  remote  from  tho  flouring  mill!".  Frequently,  an  indiridunl 
would  possess  an  old  mortar  that  would  be  uRed  by  a  whole  neighborhood.  Mr. 
Diamond,  of  Belleville,  a  native  of  Fredericksburg,  remember?,  who*  a  boy,  to 
have  accompanied  hia  fiilher  '  to  mill.  '  Tho  mill  w,is  ono  of  these  larger  mortars, 
which  would  contain  a  bushel  of  grain  when  bein^  ground,  but  which  would  hold, 
even  measure,  two  bushels.  The  grain  was  crushed  by  a  sweep  with  a  weight 
attach  ad,  of  ten  or  twelve  pounds. 

"  Tho  year  of  the  famine  is  spoken  of  sometimes  as  the  '  sonroo  year,  '  some- 
times as  the  '  hungry  year,  '  or  tho  '  hard  summer.  '  The  extrosio  distress  seems 
to  have  commenced  in  the  year  1787.  With  some,  it  lasted  a  part  of  a  year  ;  with 
others  a  year,  and  with  others  upwards  of  a  year.  The  height  of  tho  distress  was 
during  the  spring  and  early  summer  of  1788.  But  plenty  to  all,  did  not  come  till 
the  summer  of  1789.  The  writer  has  in  his  possession  accounts  of  many  instances 
of  extreme  suffering,  during  the  famine,  and  for  years  after,  through  tho  ton 
townships.  A  few  will  here  bo  given,  as  briefly  as  may  h»  possible. 

"  One,  who  settled  in  the  sixth  township  (who  was  subsequently  a  member  of 
Parliament  for  twenty  yoars),  with  wife  and  children,  endured  great  suffering. 
Their  flour  being  exhausted,  he  sent  money  to  Quobeo  for  some  more  flour,  but  his 
money  was  sent  back  ;  there  was  none  to  be  had.  Tho  wife  tried,  as  an  oxperi- 
mont,  to  make  bread  outof  some  wheat  bran,  which  was  bought  at  a  dollar  a 
bushel.  She  failed  to  make  bread,  but  It  was  oaten  as  a  stir-about.  Upon  thisi 
with  Indian  Cabbage,  or  '  Cale,  '  '  a  plant  with  a  large  leaf, '  also  wild  potatoes 
or  ground  nuts,  the  family  lived  for  many  a  week.  In  the  spring  they  procured 
some  potatoes  to  plant,  but  the  potato  eye  alone  was  planted,  tho  other  portion 
being  reserved  for  food.  One  of  tho  daughters,  in  her  extreme  hunger,  digged  <ip 
for  days  some  of  the  potatoo  rir-i  and  ate  it.  One  day,  her  father  caught  her  at  it, 
and  seized  hold  of  her  arm  *v  ^  anish  her,  for  forgetting  the  requirements  of  tho 
future,  but  ho  found  h--.  r  ins  so  emaciated  that  his  heart  melted  in  pity  f(,r  the 
starving  child.  0*'..erR  used  to  eat  a  plant  called  buttor-nut,  and  another  pipf- 
weod.  Chil'^.on  would  steal  out  at  night  with  stolen  potatoes,  and  roast  them  at 
tiie  burning  log  heap,  and  consider  them  a  great  treat.  One  individual  has  loft 
tho  record  that  she  used  to  allay  tho  pangs  of  hunger  by  eating  a  littlo  salt.  But 
the  majority  of  the  settlers  had  no  salt ;  and  game  and  fish,  when  it  could  bo 
caught,  was  eaten  without  that  condiment.  Even  at  a  later  date,  salt  was  a  scarce 
and  dear  ar  :clo,  as  tho  following  will  show  : — •  Sydney,  20th  November,  17S'2 — 
Received  from  Mr.  John  Ferguson,  ono  barrel  of  salt,  for  which  I  am  to  jiay  nine 
dollars.  '  (Signed),  John  German.  Often  when  fish  or  game  was  caught,  it  was 
forthwith  roasted  without  waiting  to  go  home  to  havo  it  dressed.  As  spring  ad- 
vanced, and  the  buds  of  the  trees  began  to  swell,  they  were  gathered  and  eaton. 
Roots  were  digged  out  of  the  ground  ;  tho  bark  of  certain  trees  was  stripped  off 
and  oonsumod  as  food.  One  family  lived  for  a  fortnight  on  beech  leaves.  Every- 
thing that  was  supposed  to  bo  capable  of  alleviating  tho  pangs  of  hunger,  whether 
it  yielded  nutriment  or  not,  was  unhesitatingly  used ;  and  in  the  fifth  township 
some  were  killed  by  eating  poisonous  roots.  Beef  bones  were,  in  one  neighbour- 
hood, not  only  boiled  and  boiled  again,  but  actually  carried  from  house  to  house, 
to  give  a  little  taste  to  boiled  bran,  until  there  remained  no  taste  in  tho  boiling 
water.  In  the  fourth  township,  upon  the  sunny  side  of  a  hill,  was  an  early  field  of 

12 


138 


U.   E.   LOYALISTS. 


and  cheerful.  No  uiisetlled  minds;  no polilicalstrifenbout  church 
government,  or  squabling  municipal  councils.  We  left  every- 
thing to  our  failliful  Governor  (1).  1  liave  ollen  heard  my  father 

grain,  and  to  this  thoy  oamo,  from  far  and  near,  to  eat  the  milk-like  heads  of 
grain,  go  soon  as  thoy  had  sulTioiently  grown,  which  were  boiled  and  oaten.  The 
daughter  of  tho  mau  who  owned  the  field,  gladly  gave  to  all,  still  remains  with  us, 
then  she  was  in  the  freshness  of  her  girlhood  ;  now,  she  is  in  tho  autumn  of  a 
green  old  age,  neni-Iy  a  hundred.  She  remembers  to  have  seen  them  cutting  the 
young  succulent  grain,  to  use  hor  own  words,  '  as  thick  as  stumps. '  This  young 
grain  was  a  common  dish,  all  alon^  the  Bay,  until  it  became  lipo.  One  family 
lived  several  months  solely  oa  boiled  oats.  One  day,  a  man  oame  to  tho 
door  of  a  house  in  Adolphustown,  with  a  bag,  and  a  piece  of  '  oalamink, '  to  ex- 
change for  Sour.  But  tho  Hour  was  low,  and  the  future  doubtful,  and  none  could 
bo  spared.  Tho  man  turned  away  with  tears  of  anguish  rolling  dowu  his  face. 
The  kind  woman  gave  him  a  few  pounds  of  flour  ;  he  begged  to  be  allowed  to 
add  some  bran  lying  on  tho  floor,  which  was  permitted,  and  he  went  his  way. 

(1)  "  Let  us  do  justice  to  tho  momory  of  a  really  groat  man;  that  first  Go- 
vernor (Simcoe)  was  no  mere  soldier.  While  his  military  designs  entitled  him  to 
rank  with  Wolfo  and  Brook,  as  the  preserver  of  Canada  to  the  Crown  of  ^roat 
Britain,  his  largo  views  of  civil  policy  went  far  beyond  all  the  men — civilians  by 
profession — who  have  been  entrusted  with  tho  supremo  direction  of  affairs  in  this 
country.  I  was  glad  to  see  that  at  the  great  pioneer  festival  held  at  London  a  fow 
weeks  ftgii,  the  name  of  General  Simeoe  was  not  forgotten,  for  it  is  a  name  that 
must  always  remain  inscribed  on  tho  corner  stone  of  the  historj'  of  Western 
Canada.  I  do  not  know  a  more  interesting  or  instructive  picture  of  any  Canadian 
Governor,  not  even  that  which  Peter  Kalm  gave,  in  1745,  of  the  renowned  Marquis 
de  la  tiallissoniure,  than  is  given  by  tho  Duke  de  la  llochefoucault  Liencourt,  of 
Lieut-Governor  8imcoe,  in  his  travels  in  North  America  in  the  year  1795.  The 
French  Duke  found  Upper  Canada  '  a  new  country,  or  rather,  '  he  says, '  a  coun- 
try about  to  be  formed  ;  '  and  the  Governor, '  a  man  of  independent  fortune, ' 
whose  only  incitement  to  accept  tho  office  was  the  hope  of  thereby  rendering  a 
great  service  to  his  native  land.  '  Governor  Simcoe,  '  he  says, '  was  of  opinion 
that  not  only  would  Upper  Canada  be  found  quite  able  to  sustain  all  her  own  in- 
habitants, but  that  she  might  become  a  granary  to  England  ' — a  statesmen's  hope 
which  has  been  fully  realized  1  De  la  llochefoucault  describes  an  incident  of  his 
rule,  which  came  under  his  own  notice.  '  Wo  met,  '  he  says  (speaking  of  an  ox- 
onrsion  he  made  with  tho  Governor  beyond  Niagara),  '  an  American  family,  who, 
with  some  oxen,  cows  and  sheep,  were  coming  to  Canada. '  '  We  oome,  said  they 
to  the  Governor  ' — whom  they  did  not  know — '  to  see  whether  he  will  give  uy 
land.  '  '  Aye,  aye, '  the  Governor  replied,  '  you  have.tiredof  the  Federal  govern- 
ment ;  you  like  no  longer  to  have  so  many  kings,  you  wish  again  for  your  old 
father  :  '  (it  is  thus  the  Governor  calls  the  British  monarch  when  he  speaks  with 
Americans)  ;  '  you  are  perfectly  right ;  come  along,  w«  love  such  good  royalists 
as  you  are  ;  we  will  give  you  land.  '  Such,  sir,  was  the  spirit  of  the  founder  of 
Upper  Canada — such  was  the  beneticient  policy  which  breathed  into  that  soulless 
wilderness,  the  breath  of  life  :  and  lo  !  your  country  became  a  living  spirit. 
'  Come  along  !  we  like  such  good  royalists  as  you  are  ;  we  will  give  you  land  1 ' 
This  was  the  policy  of  Governor  Simeoa,  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago — a 
policy  which  rebuku  and  puts  to  shame  the  narrow,  illusory  and  vexatious  quao- 


BRITISH  REFUGEES. 


139 


and  my  mother  say  that  they  had  no  cause  of  complaint  in  any 
shape,  and  were  always  thankful  to  the  Government  for  its 
kind  assistance  in  the  hour  of  need.  Of  an  evening,  my  father 
would  make  shoes  of  deer  skin  for  the  children,  and  my  mother, 
make  home-spun  dressess.  We  had  no  doctors,  no  lawyers,  no 
slate  clergy.  We  had  prayers  at  home,  and  put  our  trust  in 
Providence.  An  old  woman  in  the  next  clearance  was  chief 
physician  to  the  surrounding  country,  as  it  gradiiallysettled.  A 
tree  fell  one  day  and  hurt  mother's  hack  very  much  ;  we  sent 
for  the  old  woman,  who  came,  steeped  some  wheal,  made  lye 
and  applied  it  very  hot  in  a  flannel ;  in  a  very  short  time  she 
was  as  well  as  ever.  Flax  was  cultivated  in  those  halcyon 
days.  One  year  we  grew  700  cwl.  ;  we  spun  and  wove  il  into 
wearing  apparel  and  table  linen.  It  lasted  a  long  time.  A  handy 
fellow  came  along  and  made  us  our  ehuniber  looms,  so  that  we 
might  work  away.  We  had  no  occasion  tor  imported  liniMy  ; 
— if  wo  had,  we  could  not  have  procured  any.  As  the  girls 
grew  up  and  seUlers  came  round,  a  wedding  occasionally  took 
place.  There  was  but  one  minister,  a  Presbyterian,  nained 
Hoberl  McDonald,  a  kind,  warin-h{;arled  man,  who  came  on 
horseback  through  the  woods  from  Kingston,  and  when  Ijesaw 
smoke  from  a  house  he  straight  made  up  to  the  residence, 
where  he  was  always  welcome.  He  had  a  mosl  powerful  voice  ; 
when  he  became  excited,  he  could  be  heard  a  mile  off.  All 
who  were  inclined  lo  marry,  he  splic(!d,  with  many  a  kind 
word  to  the  young  folks — ,  «  thai  they  were  sure  lo  prosper  by 
industry  and  perseverance.  »  lie  married  Mr.  While  and  my- 
self. 

M  When  the  other  girls  would  smirk  and  look  pleasanl  at 
him,  and  think  him  a  great  benelaelor,  he  would  chuck  them 
under  the  chin  and  say — ,  'I  will  soon  be  your  turn.  '  » 

Further  on  Mrs.  While  speaks  of  sleamboals  and  railroads, 
with  much  greater  respect,  however,  than  the  late  Mr.  Mar- 
childon,  M.P.P..  and  winds  up  Ihis  picture  of  a  Canadian 
Arcadia,  by  saying —  aGiveme  the  spinning  wheel  days,  when 


kcry  which  obstructs  tho  aetUemeut  of  our  remaining  land  at  this  moment,  and 
atauds  sentry  for  bnrbariam  in  the  Nortb-Wetit.  " — lion.  T.  B.  McQoe's  Lttter  to 
br.  Parker,  in  1863. 


140 


t.   E.   LOYALISTS. 


girls  were  proud  to  wear  a  home-spun  dress  of  Iheir  own  spin- 
ning and  wtiaving,  not  dreaming  of  high-heeled  boots,   (hin 
shoes,  hoops  and  urinoline,  and  salt-cellar  bonnets.  » 
We  shall  add  :  Grecian  Bcnds—Saratosa  waterfalls  and 


Chignons 


THE    «  V.   E.  »    LOYALISTS. 

"  A  Volunteer  "  writes  (^'fhe  Morning  Chronicle)  as  follows,  viz  :— 
"  Among  the  many  communications  which  hare  graced  your  journal,  and  for 
which  we  ax^  indebted  to  the  facile  pen  of  our  respected  townsman,  J.  M.  Le 
Muino,  there  are  few  who  possess  so  great  an  interest  for  us  Anglo-Saxons,  born 
on  the  soil,  as  the  subject  matter  of  Mr.  LeMoine's  letter  of  yesterday.  Our 
fathers,  through  good  and  through  evil  report,  stood  Urm  in  their  allegiance  to 
the  British  flag,  and  shed  their  blood  in  many  a  well -fought  field.  Is  there  no 
history  of  the  Provincial  corps,  raised  in  the  different  revolted  states,  which  fought 
by  the  side  of  the  British  regulars  ?  Are  there  no  returns  on  file  in  the  War 
Ofnco,  showing  when  and  were  these  dilTerent  corps  were  raised  ;  how  they  were 
commanded  and  ofhcered,  and  what  battles  they  fought  7  What  otBcers  survived 
tho  war,  and  chose  Lower  Cauadiv  as  their  homo  ?  Have  wo  no  Napier,  to  write  in 
full  the  history  of  tho  U.  E.  Loyalists.  ? 


r     ,/   •",■ 


FRASEK'S  HIGHUNDERS 


BEFORE  QUEBEC  IN  1759. 


The  reUirn  to  Quebec,  on  the  21st  July,  1867,  of  the  cele- 
brated 78lli — who  were  so  lavish  of  their  blood  in  securing 
the  supremacy  of  TJritain  in  North  America,  during  the  war  of 
1759,  must  necessarily  evoke  from  the  past  many  memoiies. 
A  short  sketch  of  the  career  of  the  corps  during  those  fijihting 
times,  is  likely,  we  believe,  to  possess  interest  not  only  for  the 
Regl.  itself,  but  also  for  the  public  at  large.  The  78th,  origi- 
nally formed  in  1757  (1)  was  disbanded  (1764)  after  the 

(1)  List  of  oQlcors  of  Fruser's  IlighlauJoN,  commissions  dated,  5th  January, 
1767  : 

Lieut.-Col.  Commandant. — Honorable  Simon  Fraser,  died   Lioutonant-Gonoral 
in  1782. 

Majors.— Jamos  Clcphano  ;  John  Campbell,  of  Dunoon,  afterwards  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Commanding  the  Campbell  Highlanders  in  Germany. 

Captains.— John  MacPherson,  brother  of  Clunio  ;  John  Campbell,  of  Balli- 
more  ;  Simon  Fraser,  of  Inverlochy,  killed  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham  in  1759  ; 
Donald  Alacdonald,  brother  of  Olanronald,  killed  at  Sillery  1760  ;  John  Alao- 
dunell,  of  Lochgarry,  afterwards  Licutenant-Coluuci  of  the  7Cth,  or  Macdonald's' 
Kegiment,  died  in  1789,  Colonel ;  Alexander  Cameron,  of  Dungallon  ;  Thomas 
Ross,  of  Culrossie,  killed  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham  ;  Alexander  B'rasor,  of 
Culduthol ;  Sir  Henry  Suton,  of  Aborcorn,  Baronet ;  James  Fraser,  of  Belladrum  ; 
Simon  Fraser,  Cniitain- LienleiKint,  died  a  Lioutonant-General  in  1812. 

Lieutenants. — Alexander  MacLeod,  Hugh  Cameron,  Ronald  Macdonald,  of  Kop- 
poch  ;  Charles  Macdoncll,  of  Glengarry,  killed  at  St.  John's;  Roderick  Mao- 
neill,  of  Bara,  killed  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham  ;  William  Miiedouoll;  Archibald 
Campbell,  son  of  Glenlyon  ;  John  Fraser,  of  Balnain  ;  Hector  Macdonald, 
brother  to  Boisdale,  killed  in  1759  ;  Allan  Stewart,  son  of  Innernaheill  ;  John 
Fraser  ;  Alexander  Macdonell,  son  of  Burri^dalc,  killed  on  the  Heights  of  Abra- 
ham ;  Alexander  Fraser,  killed  at  Louisbuur;  ;  Alexander  Campbell,  of  Aross  . 
John  Douglass  ;  John  Nairn  ;  Arthur  Rose,  of  the  family  of  Kilravoch  ;  Alexander 
Fraser  ;  John  Macdonell,  of  Leeks,  died  at  Berwick,  1818  ;  Cosmo  Gordon,  killed 
at  Sillery  in  1760  ;  David  Baillie,  killed  at  Louisbourg  ;  Charles  Stewart,  son  of 
Colonel  John  Roy  Stewart ;  Eweu  Cameron,  of  the  family  of  Glonevis  ;  Allan 
Cameron  ;  John  Cuthbert,  killed  at  Louisbourg  ;  Simon  Fraser,  Archibald  Mac- 
alistur,  of  the  family  of  Loup  ;  Jamos  Murray,  killed  at  Louisbourg;  Donald 
Cameron,  son  of  Fassafearn,  died  on  half  pay,  1817. 
Euijiguiii :  JohnChisholm  ;  John  Fraser,  of  Krrogie  ;  Simon  Fraser;  James  Mao- 


142 


FMSER  S  HIGHLANDERS 


capture  of  Quebec,  several  of  its  officers  obtaining  grants  of 
large  tracts  of  country,  Seigniories,  owned  to  this  day  by 
their  descendants; — Agreat  portion  of  the  soldiers  intermarry  cd 
and  settled  permanently  in  the  colony.  The  countless  clan  of 
Eraser's  all  over  the  Province,  retraces  back  to  that  source. 
The  Warrens,  McNicolls,  Nairns,  Campbells,  Macdonalds, 
llarveys,  MacLeans,  Blackburns,  MacNeils,  Camerons,  of 
Murray  Bay,  Isle  aux  Coudres,  Riviere  du  Loup,  Monlmagny, 
have  also  to  go  back  to  Eraser's  Highlanders  for  their  progeni- 
tors. The  regiment  was  again  raised  in  Scolland,  to  meet  the 
exigencies  of  the  American  rebellion,  in  1778,  by  the  restored 
Earl  of  Seaforth,  from  his  estates,  in  gratitude  for  the  favors 
conferred  upon  him  by  his  Sovereign.  About  a  thousand  men 
were  then  enlisted  in  Uosshire,  from  among  the  MacKenzios 
and  the  Macraes,  and  the  latter  clansmen  formed  so  large  a 
portion  of  the  corps  thai  it  became  known,  by  their  name. 
There  is  a  singular  story  told  respecting  the  enrolment  of  the 
regimcjnt,  illustrative  of  the  wild  independence  of  these  moun- 
taineers. It  is  called  the  «  AlTair  of  the  wild  Macraws.  » 
Want  of  space  prevents  its  insertion.  This  line  body  of 
men  were  again  disbanded,  we  are  told,  after  the  close  of 
Napoleon  the  I's,  great  continental  wars.  It  had  served  with 
distinction  in  many  part  of  the  world,  notably  in  India,  in  1781. 
lias  it  not  also  won  imperishable  laurels  during  the  late  India 
mutiny,  (1838)  under  the  gallant  Havelock  at  Cawnpore  and 
elsewhere  ?  Its  colors  bear  glorious  names.  Let  us,  however, 
Tiislrict  our  review  of  the  doings  of  the  regiment  to  its  feats  on 
Canadian  soil.  The  following  is  collated  from  the  most  reliable 
historical  sources,  for  the  period  in  question  : 

«  About  ten  5 ears  after  the  battle  of  Culloden,  which  termi- 
nated the  unlucky  rising  of  1745,  Mr.  Pitt,  observing  with  a 
liberal  and  statesmanlike  eye,  the  spirit  of  loyally  towards 
those  who  placed  confidence  in  them,  which  was  the  distin- 


kenzie ;  Malcolm  Frasor,  nfterwards  Captain  84th  Regiment,  or  Royal  Emigrants  ; 
Donald  MaoneiU,  Henry  Monro  ;  Hugh  Fra^er,  afterwards  Captain  84th  Kegt. ; 
Alexander  Gie^orson,  Ardtornish  ;  James  Henderson  ;  Robert  Monzios  ;  John 
Campbell. 

Chaplain,  Reverend  Robert  MaoPeraon;    Adjutant,  Hugh  Fraser;  Quater* 
master,  John  Fraser  {  Surgeon,  John  MoLean. 


BEFORE  QUEBEC   IN    1759. 


143 


giiishing  charncloristic  of  the  Highland  clans,  resolved  to 
employ  them  in  (he  fort!i|in  service  of  Great  Britain,  under  Iho 
command  of  oflicers  chosen  from  the  most  esteemed  Scotish 
families,  lie  knew  the  chiefs  could  be  depended  upon  where 
their  faith  was  engaged  ;  and  he  was  aware  of  the  devotion 
with  which  the  clansman  followed  the  fortunes  of  his  chief- 
tain. The  experiment  succeeded  to  the  fullest  extent ;  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  En- 
gland in  every  part  of  the  world.  Following  nplhisenlightened 
policy  in  1757,  the  Honorable  Simon  Fraser,  who  had  himself 
been  engaged  in  the  lebellion,  and  whose  father,  Lord  Loval, 
had  been  beheaded  for  high  treason,  on  Tower  Hill,  was  ap- 
pointed Lieutenant  Colonel  Commandant  of  a  Battalion,  to  be 
raised  upon  the  forfeited  estates  of  his  own  family,  then  vested 
in  the  Crown.  Without  estate,  money,  or  influence,  beyond 
the  hereditary  attachment  of  his  clan,  the  Master  of  Lovat 
found  himself  in  a  few  weeks  at  the  head  of  eight  hundred 
men,  entirely  recruited  by  himself.  His  kinsmen,  oflicers  of 
the  regiment  and  the  gentlemen  of  the  country  around,  added 
seven  hundred  more.  The  battalion  was  thus  formed  of 
thirteen  companies  of  one  hundred  and  five  men  each,  num- 
bering in  all  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  sixty  men,includ- 
iug  sixty-five  sergeants,  and  thirty  pipers  and  drummers — a 
splendid  body  of  men,  who  afterwards  carried  the  military 
r<!putation  of  the  nation  to  the  hightest  pitch.  In  all  their 
movements  they  were  attended  by  their  chaplain,  the  Reverend 
Robert  MacPherson,  who  was  called  by  them  CaipalMor,  from 
his  large  stature.  They  wore  the  full  Highland  dress,  with 
musket  and  broadsword.  Many  of  the  soldiers  added,  at  their 
own  expense,  the  dirk,  and  the  purse  of  Otter's  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.  Eagle's  or  Hawk's  feathers  were 
worn  by  the  officers.  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, 


144 


FRASER  S  HIGHLANDERS 


and  these  men  were  more  healthy  tlian  other  regiments  whicii 
wore  l)reeches  and  warm  clothing.  » 

During  the  winter  of  1759-00,  a  portion  of  Eraser's  lligh- 
hmders  were  quartered  in  the  Ursiilines  Convent.  Whether 
tlie  ahsence  of  breeches,  on  the  brawney  mountaineers  was  in 
the  eyes  of  llie  good  ladles  a  breach  of  decorum,  or  whethiT 
christian  charity  impelled  them  to  clothe  the  naked — especially 
dining  the  Janujiry  frosts,  is  hard  to  determine  at  the  present 
time  :  certain  it  is,  that  the  Nuns  generously  begged  of 
Governor  Muiray,  to  be  allowed  to  provide  raiment  for  the 
barelegged  sons  of  Caledonia. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  Scotchmen  were,  during  this  war, 
occupying  high  offices  in  (1)  both  armies.  General  Levi's  aide- 
de-camp  was  the  Chevalier  Johnstone.  The  French  had  also  a 
Scotch  officer  in  charge  of  one  of  the  Sillery  outposts,  of  the 
name  of  Douglass. 

Fraser's  Highlanders  higlily  distinguished  themselves  at  llic 
capture  of  Louisbourg,  in  1758  ;  at  the  bailie  of  Montmorency, 
31st  July,  1759;  and  that,  of  St.  Foye  or  Sillery,  281  h  April, 
1760  ;  a  fitting  tribute  was  rendered  lo  their  bravery  on  this 
occasion  by  the  eloquentMr.  P.  Chauvean,  at  the  inauguration, 
in  1855,  of  the  statue  of  Dellona,  sent  out  by  Prince  Napoleon 
lo  crown  the  monument  of  the  celebrated  ballle-field. 

At  the  batlhi  ol  the  Plains,  the  loss  of  Frascr's  Highlanders 
amounted  to  three  officers,  one  sergeant,  and  fourteen  rank 
and  file,  killed;  ten  officers,  seven  sergeants,  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty-one  rank  and  file,  wounded.  The  disproportion  in 
the  number  of  the  killed  to  that  of  the  wounded  must  be  as- 
cribed to  the  irregular  and  unsteady  fire  of  the  enemy,  which 
was  put  a  stop  to,  on  the  charge  of  the  British.  Of  the  conduct 
of  the  Regiment  on  that  eventful  13th  Siipt.,  an  eye  witness, 
Malcolm  Fraser,  then  a  Lieutenant  in  this  corps,  has  left  an 
excellent  (2)  narrative.  From  which  we  give  the  following 
extracts  :  «  After  pursuing  the  French  to  the  very  gates  of  the 


(1)  Several  of  the  Highlanders  enlisted  to  fight  the   French  in  America,   in 
order  to  retaliate  for  the  want  of  succour  sent  them  by  Franco,  in  1745. 

(2)  Manuscripts  published  under  the  auspices  of  the   Litrrart  and  Histo- 
BICAL   SociKTY  of  Queboo,  in  1867-8. 


BEFORE  QUEBEC   IN    1759. 


145 


war. 


inders 
rank 
id  red 

ion  in 
as- 

Ivliich 
iducl 
hess, 
|t  an 
|\ving 

in 

lISTO- 


town,  onr  Regiment  was  ordu'red  to  form,  fronting  the  town  on 
the  ground  whenjon  the  French  fornn-d  lir>l ;  at  this  time,  the 
rest  of  thi!  army  came  vip  in  good  ordi^r.  (ItMieral  Miinay 
havitig  thim  put  himsi'Ifal  the  head  of  <»ur  Regiment,  ordered 
them  !o  fidi  to  the  left  and  march  Ihrongh  the  bu'-^h  of  wood 
towards  the  fitmeral  Hospital,  where  they  2")l  a  great  gun  or 
two  to  play  npon  us  from  the  town,  which,  however,  did  no 
damage,  but  we  had  a  few  men  killed  and  officers  wounded  by 
some  skulking  fellows,  with  small  arms,  from  the  bushes  and 
behind  the  houses  in  the  suburbs  of  Si.  Louis  and  St.  John.  » 
We  shall  interrupt  this  quotation  of  Lieutenant  Phraser's 
journal,  to  insert  some  details,  very  recently  furnished  to 
us,  by  our  respected  townsman,  .lohn  Fraser,  esquire,  whose 
memory  is  still  excellent,  despite  advancing  years.  «  In  my 
youth,  »  says  Mr.  Fraser,  «  1  boarded  with  a  very  aged  mili- 
tiaman, who  had  fought  at  the  balile  of  the  Plains  ;  his  name 
was  Joseph  Trahn.  In  1759,  Trahan  was  aged  eighteen  years. 
Frequently  has  this  old  gossip  talked  to  me  about  the  incidents 
of  the  fight.  «  I  can  well  recollect,  old  Ti'ahan  used  to  say, 
how  Monlcalm  looked  before  the  engagement.  He  was  riding 
a  dark  or  black  horse  in  front  of  our  lines,  bearing  his  sword 
high  in  the  air,  in  the  attitude  of  encouraging  the  men  to  do 
their  duty.  He  wore  a  uniform  with  large  sleeves,  and  the 
one  covering  the  arm  he  held  in  the  air,  had  fallen  back,  dis- 
closing the  white  linen  of  his  risband.  When  he  was  wounded, 
a  rumor  spread  that  he  was  kitl>'d  ;  a  panic  ensued,  and  the 
soldiers  rushed  promiscuously  trom  the  Buttes  a  Nepveu  (near 
whereWie  AsyleChampetre, — nowMr.Dinning's  house— stands), 
towards  the  Cdteau  Sainte  Genevieve,  thence  towards  the  St. 
Chailes,  over  the  meadow  (on  which  St.  Roch  has  since  been 
built.)  I  can  remember  the  Scotch  Highlanders  flying  wildly 
after  us,  with  streaming  plaids,  bonnets  and  large  swords — 
like  so  many  infuriated  demons,  over  the  brow  of  the  hill. 
In  their  course,  was  a  wood,  in  which  we  had  some  Indians 
and  sharpshooters,  who  bowled  over  the  Sauvages  (TEcosse 
in  fine  style.  Their  partly  naked  bodies  fell  on  their  face, 
and  their  kilts  in  disorder  left  exposed  a  portion  of  their 

thighs,  at  which  our  fugitives  on  passing  by,  would  make 

13 


146 


FR\SER's   HIGHLANDERS 


Iiingcs  with  Ihoir  swords,  cutting  large  slices  out  of  the 
flcsliicst  portion  of  their  persons.  1  was  amoniisl  the  fugi- 
tives and  received  in  th(»  calf  of  the  leg  a  sp  inl  bullet,  which 
stretched  me  to  the  ground.  I  Ihuughl  it  was  all  over  with 
me  ;  but  presently,  1  rose;  up,  and  continued  to  run  towards 
the  General  llospitiil,  in  order  to  gain  the  Beaiiporl  camp  over 
the  brid^'e  of  boats.  On  my  way,  1  came  to  a  bake  house,  in 
which  the  baker  that  day  had  baked  an  ovenful  of  bread. 
Some  of  the  exhausted  fugitives  asked  him  for  food,  which  he 
refused,  wlnin  in  a  lilof  ra;;e  at  such  hearllessuess,  one  of  them 
lopped  olT  his  head  with  his  sword.  The  bjnody  head  was 
then  deposited  on  Ih",  top  of  the  pile  of  bread  Hunger  getting 
the  belter  of  me,  1  helped  myself  to  a  ktaf  all  sm;iared  with 
gore,  and  with  my  pocket-knife  removing  thecrust,  I  gree.lily 
devotireu  Am  crumb.  This  was  in  Ihe  afternoon,  and  the  s;ni 
was  dcsceudifig  iii  the  West.  » 

Such  arc  ''"'ails  furnished  by  old  Trahan  to  Mr.  John  Fraser. 
Let  us  now  resume  Ihethreail  of  Lieutimanl  Malcolm  Fraser's 
narrativ(i  wliere  we  left  it  off.  «  After  marching  a  shoit  way 
Ihrouuh  the  bushes,  Brigadier  Murray  thought  proper  to  order 
ns  to  return  again  to  the  high  road  leading  from  Porte  St. 
Louis,  to  Ihelleightsof  Abraham,  where  the  battle  was  fought, 
and  al'tcu-  niiU'ching  till  we  got  clear  of  the  bushes,  we  were 
ordered  to  turn  to  the  right,  and  go  along  the  edge  of  them 
tov\ards  the  bank,  at  the  descent  between  us  and  the  General 
Hospital,  under  which  we  understood  there  was  a  body  of  the 
enemy  who,  no  sooner  saw  us,  that  they  began  firing  on  us 
from  the  bushes  and  from  the  bank  ;  we  soon  dislodged 
them  from  the  bushes,  and  from  thence,  kept  firing  for  about  a 
quarb^r  of  au  hour  on  those  under  cover  of  the  bank  ;  but  as 
they  exceeded  us  greatly  in  numbers,  they  killed  and  wounded 
a  great  many  of  our  men,  killed  two  olficers,  which  obliged 
us  to  retire  a  little,  and  form  again,  when  the  58th  Regiment 
with  the  2ud  Batialion  of  Royal  Americans  having  come  up  to 
our  assistance,  all  three  making  about  five  hundred  men,  ad- 
vanced against  the  enemy  and  drove  them  first  down  to  the 
great  meadow  between  the  Hospital  and  town,  and  afterwards, 
over  the  River  Saint  Charles.    It  was  at  this  lime  and  while  in 


BEFORE   QUEBEC    IN    1759: 


\M 


on  lis 
lodged 
liboul  a 
I  but  as 
Lindcd 
Obliged 
kimutit 
up  to 
(n,  ad- 
lo  the 
krards, 
lile  in 


the  bushes  that  our  UegimenlsutTured  most :  Lieuteimnt  Utxit'- 
rick  McNeill  of  Hana,  and  Alexander  McDoiiell,  and  .lolin 
McDonell,  and  John  MePhorsoii,  volunteer,  with  many  ol'  oui- 
men,  were  killed  before  we  were  reinfoiced  ;  and  (!a|ilain 
Thomas  Iloss  having  gone  down  with  about  one  hundred  men 
of  the  3rd  Regiment  lo  the  meadow,  alter  the  enemy,  when 
they  were  out  of  reach,  ordered  me  up  to  desire  those  on  the 


md 


tin 


height  would  wail  till  he  would  come  i  _ 

I  did,  but  before  Mr.  Ross  could  gel  up,  he  unfurtu  aloly  was 

mortally  wounded  in  the  body,  by  a  cannon  b'lll  from  th(; 

hulks,  in  the  mouth  of  the  River  Saint  Charles,  of  which  he  died 

in  great  torment,  butwilh  great  resolution,  in  about  two  hours 

after. 

«  We  had,  of  our  Regiment  three  oflieers  killed  and  ten 
wounded,  one  of  whom  Captain  Simon  Fmser,  afterwards 
died.  Lieutenant  Archibald  Campbell  was  thought  to  have 
been  mortally  wounded,  but  to  the  surprise  of  most  |>eo|)le, 
recovered;  Captain  John  MeDonell,  thro',  both  things  ;  Lieut. 
Ronald  McDonell,  Ihro' till!  knee  ;  Lieutenant  xVlexandi^r  Camp- 
bell, thro'  the  leg ;  Lieutenant  Douglas,  thro'  the  arm,  who  died 
of  this  wound  soon  afttjrwards  ;  Ensign  Gregerson,  Ensign 
McKenzie  and  Lieutenant  Alexander  Eraser,  all  slightly  ;  I 
received  a  contusion  in  the  right  shoulder  or  rather  bieast, 
before  the  action  became  general,  which  pained  me  a  good 
deal,  but  it  did  not  disable  me  from  my  duty  then  or  after- 
wards. 

«  The  detachment  of  our  RegimtMit  consisted,  at  our  march- 
ing from  Point  Levi,  of  six  hundred  men,  besides  commissicm- 
ed  and  non  commissioned  ol'licers  ;  but  of  these,  two  olTiecrs 
and  about  sixty  men  were  hifl  on  board  for  want  (d'  boats,  and 
an  olficer  and  about  thirty  men  left  at  the  landing  place  :  bo- 
sides  a  few  left  sick  on  board,  so  that  we  had  about  live  hun- 
dred men  in  the  action.  We  sulVered  in  men  and  tl'iiciirs 
more  than  any  three  Regiments  in  the  field.  We  were  com- 
manded by  Captain  John  Campbell  ;  the  Colonel  and  Captain 
McPherson  having  been  unfortunately  wounded  on  the  25th 
July,  of  which  they  were  not  yet  fully  recovered. 

tt  We  remained  encamped  till  the — October,  when  the  army 


148 


FRASEU  K   IIIGIIL4NDERS 


marched  into  (own,  which  is  to  bo  our  quarters  for  the  win- 
ter ;  most  of  the  houses  are  deslroyccJ,  and  we  have  hut  a 
very  dismal  prospect  for  se\en  or  eiyhl  monlhs,  as  fresh  pro- 
visions arc  very  scarce,  and  every  other  tiling  exorbitantly 
dear. » 

The  record  of  Eraser's  Highlanders  at  the  battle  of  SI.  Foye, 
generally  callod  in  old  manuscripts  the  l)attle  of  Sillery  Wood, 
is  not  without  its  interest,  altho'  the  fight  ended  in  a  signal 
reverse.  The  Scotch  sutTered  fearfully  in  comparison  with 
their  numbers. 

«  We  had, »  again  says  Lieut.  Malcolm  Fraser,  «  about  sixty 
ki'ied  and  twenty  wounded,  and  of  thirty-nine  officers,  Cap- 
tain Donald  McDonald  who  commanded  th(;  volunteer  company 
of  the  army,  and  Lieutenant  Cosmo  Gordon  who  commanded 
the  light  inlanlry  company  of  our  regiment,  were  both  killed 
in  the  (ield ;  Lieutenant  Hector  McDonald  and  Ensign  Malcolm 
Fraser  died  of  their  wounds,  all  very  much  regretted  by  every 
one  who  knew  them. 

«  We  had  twenty-three  more  officers  wounded,  of  this  num- 
ber was  Colonel  Fraser,  who  commanded  the  left  wing  of  the 
army,  and  it  was  with  great  pleasure  we  observed  his  behaviour 
during  the  action,  when  he  gave  his  orders  with  great  coolness 
and  deliberation.  He  was  touched  at  two  ditferent  times  ; 
the  fii'st  took  him  in  the  right  breast,  but  having  his  cartouche 
box  slung,  it  luckily  struck  against  the  tar  ol  it  and  did  not 
penetrate  tho',  olherways,  it  must  infallibly  have  done  his  busi- 
ness. The  second,  he  got  in  the  retreat,  but  striking  against 
the  cue  of  his  hair,  he  received  no  other  damage  than  a  still- 
ness in  his  neck  for  some  days.  Here  I  cannot  help  observing 
that  if  any  unlucky  accident  had  befallen  our  Colonel,  ' 
his  regiment  must  have  sulfered  an  irreparable  los>  ,il  i 
think  1  can,  without  any  partiality  say,  it  would  have  biiun  a 
loss  to  his  country.  His  behaviour  tliis  winter  in  particular 
to  his  regirienl  has  been  such,  as  to  make  him  not  only 
esteemed  by  Ihem  but  by  (he  Garrison  in  general.  Captain 
Alexander  Fraser  of  our  regiment,  was  wounded  in  the  right 
temple,  and  thought  very  dangerously,  the  rest  are  mostly  flesh 
wounds.     I  received  a  musket  ball  in  the  right  groin,  which 


BEFORE  OVEBEC   IN    1759. 


149 


was  thouf^ht  dnngorons  for  three  or  four  days,  as  Iho  boll  was 
supposed  to  be  lodged,  but  whether  it  hns  wrought  out  in  walk- 
ing into  town,  or  did  not  pen(>trate  fur  (enough  at  tirsl  to  lodge, 
or  is  still  in,  I  cannot  say,  but  in  twenty  days  1  was  entirely 
cured,  and  (he  wound  which  was  at  first  but  small  was  entirely 
closed  lip. » 

On  that  unlucky  occasion,  (28th  April,  1760,)  the  pic- 
turesque locality  now  occupied  by  the  smiling  country  seats  of 
our  successful  merchants  on  the  Sle.  Foy  road,  wore  a  very 
dilTerenl  aspect ;  fields  strewed  with  corpses — bloody  pools 
on  all  sides  met  the  eye.  The  sava^^es,  coming  out  from  the 
bushes  where  they  had  been  lurking  during  the  combat,  set  to 
their  old  work  of  scalping,  if  we  are  to  credit  Lieutenant  iVial- 
colm  Fraser's  nanative  : 

« It  appears,  says  he,  the  allowed  the  savages  to  scalp  all 
the  killed  and  most  part  of  the  wounded,  as  we  found  a  great 
many  scalps  in  the  bushes. 

(( I  have  been  since  informed  by  Lieutenant  McGregor,  of 
our  regiment,  who  was  left  on  the  field  wounded,  and  narrow- 
ly escaped  being  killed,  having  received  two  stabs  of  a  bayonet 
from  two  French  regulars,  that  he  saw  the  savages  murdering 
the  wounded  and  scalping  them  on  all  sides,  and  expected 
every  momiMit  to  share  the  same  fate,  but  was  saved  by  a 
French  officer,  who  luckily  spoke  a  little  English.)) 

Scalping  was  not,  however,  confined  to  the  Indians;  thus  on 
referrin;^  to  Lieutenant  Malcolm  Fraser's  M.  S.  S.,  we  find  the 
British  on  the  23rd  July,  1759,  indulging  in  a  little  scalping  at 
St.  Joachim.  In  this  instance  Lieutenant  Richard  Montgo- 
mery, then  serving  in  the  17lh  regiment,  in  Western  Canada, 
is  made  to  bear  through  a  mistake  of  our  historians,  the  res- 
ponsibility of  the  acts  of  a  barbarous  namesake.  Captain  Alex- 
ander Montgomery,  of  Ihe  43rd.  « There  were,  says  Malcolm 
Fraser,  several  of  the  enemy  killed  and  wounded  and  a  few 
prisone'  -  taken,  all  of  whom  the  barbarous  Caplain  Montgo- 
mery, o  commanded  us,  ordered  to  be  butchered  in  a  most 
inhup  and  cruel  manner  ;  particularly  two,  who  1  sent  pri- 
sons V  a  sergeant,  after  giving  Ihem  quarter,  and  engaging 
that  tl    y  should  not  be  killed,  were  one  shot,  and  the  other 


150 


FR4SEIIS  HIGULANDERS 


knocked  down  with  a  tomahawk  (a  little  hatchet)  and  both 
scalped  in  my  absence,  by  the  rascally  sergeant  neglecting  to 
acquaint  Montgomery  that  I  wanted  Ihem  saved,  as  he,  Mont- 
gomery, pretended  when  I  (jneslioned  him  abont  il,  but  even 
that,  was  no  excuse  for  such  an  unparalleled  piece  of  barbarity. 
However,  as  the  allair  ronid  not  be  remedied,  I  was  obliged  to 
let  it  drop.  After  this  skirmish,  we  set  abont  burning  the 
houses  with  great  success,  setting  all  in  flames  (ill  we  came  to 
the  church  of  St.  Anne's,  wh(3re  we  put  up  for  the  night,  and 
were  joined  by  Captain  Ross,  with  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men  of  his  company.  »  Captain  J.  Knox,  in  his  journal, 
and  others,  mention  so  many  cases  of  scalping  amongst  the 
British,  that  il  was  apparently  as  much  an  institution  amongst 
"Wolfe's  soldiery  as  in  the  opposite  camp. 

With  these  deeds  of  blood  and  devastation  on  their  escut- 
cheon, it  is  not  at  all  surprising  if  during  the  war  of  the  cession 
of  Canada,  tht;  French  and  Ciuiadians  should  have  formed 
such  exagerated  notions  of  the  ferocity  of  Wolfe's  soldiers  ; 
as  for  the  Uighlandeis,  they  were  popularly  known  as  Les 
Petiles  Jupes,  on  account  of  their  kills,  which  they  wore  all 
winter  ;   they  also  were  called  Les  Sauvayes  tVJUcosse. 

The  following  was  one  of  the  most  acciedited  opinions 
amongst  the  Canadian  peasantry  in  1759  ; — cdhe  Iligldaiideis 
neither  would  give  nor  take,  quarter  :  they  were  so  nimble, 
that  no  man  could  catch  them,  so  nobody  could  escape  tht^m 
— no  one  had  a  chance  against  their  broad-swords — with  the 
ferocity  natural  to  savages^  they  made  no  prisoners,  and  spared 
neither  man,  woman,  nor  child. » 

As  previously  stated,  tin;  Highlanders  on  b'  ing  disbanded, 
settled  largely  in  Canada  and  Nova  Scotia,  nor  were  these  loyal 
men  recreant  to  the  call  of  duty,  when  the  invader  threatened 
their  adopted  country  ;  thus  in  1775,  they  huriied  under  the 
standard  of  one  of  their  old  officers,  Lieut. -Col.  McLean,  and 
formed  a  new  regiment,  the  84lli,  or  Royal  Emigrants.  They 
had  in  1759,  materially  helped  to  comjuer  Canada  ;  sixteen 
years  later,  they  and  the  Canadian  militia  niosl  materially 
helped  to  save  it,  for  tin;  Crown  of  England,  and  successfully 
repelled  Benedict  At  nold  and  his  coadjutor,  Richard  Montgo- 


BEFORE   QUEBEC   IN    1759. 


151 


Hgo- 


mcry,  who,  in  1759,  had  valiantly  done  battle  for  England,  in 
the  17lh  Rc},'im(Mit. 

We  havo  been  allowed  to  clip  a  few  pages  from  the  diary  of 
an  aged  Qiiebec(!r — Deputy  Commissary  (Jeneral  Thompson, 
whose  respected  father  had  served  in  the  Highland  Regiment 
until  it  was  disbanded.  Mr.  Thompson's  journal  bears  every 
impress  of  truth. 

MEMOIRS   REGARDING  FRASER's  niGlH.ANDERS  78tII  BOSS-SHlRE   BUFFS. 

Colonel  Simon  Fraser  was  authorised  to  raise  a  corps  for 
special  service.  They  were  recruited  in  the  town  of  Tain, 
Ross-shire,  Scotland,  in  tlio  short  period  of  four  days,  and 
they  nrmbered  upwards  of  fourteen  hundred  strong.  My  late 
father  joined  as  a  volunteer  in  order  to  accompany  a  particular 
friend  of  his  company,  Lieutenant  Das  id  Railie,  and  who  was 
killed  at  the  landing  at  Louisbonrg  ;  these  particulars,  my 
father  used  to  ndate  as  follows  : 

((The  bo  it  in  which  our  company  was  embarked,  was  towed 
by  a  second  boat  under  the  command  of  a  naval  officer.  The 
French  batteries  firing  grape  and  musket-balls  from  great  guns. 
Lieut(Miant  Railie  sal  opposite  to  me,  in  the;  stem  sheets  of  the 
boat  ;  observing  that  he  leaned  his  head  on  the  shoulder  of 
the  man  who  sat  next  to  him,  1  imagined  thai  he  did  so  in  or- 
der to  shelter  himself  from  the  enemy's  shot ;  but  he  was 
dead  !  The  shot  came  so  thick,  that  had  it  been  any  other  des- 
cription of  troops  they  must  have  gone  to  the  bottom,  but  the 
Highlanders  stopped  the  shot-holes  with  their  plaids,  and  thus 
kept  the  boat  from  filling.  The  shot  coming  so  thick  from  the 
French  batteries,  decided  the  naval  officer  to  cut  the  painter 
loose,  and  thus  leave  us  as  a  mark  for  the  French  to  fire  at. 
Numbers  were  killed  at  the  landing.  A  rel-hot  shot  came  in 
at  the  stern  of  our  boat,  and  killed  and  woimded  several.  It 
passed  under  my  « hams, »  and  scorched  me  to  that  degree 
that  it  was  near  twelve  months  belore  I  quite  recovered  from 
its  effects.  It  tore  away  the  sword-hilt  of  the  officer  who  was 
sealed  on  my  left,  and  carried  it  into  the  thigh  of  the  man  who 
was  at  the  helm,  and  the  shot  itself  stuck  fast  in  the  sternpost 
of  the  boat.    After  the  landing,  the  balls  were  collected,  and 


152 


FRASER  S   HIGHLANDERS 


measure  upwards  of  a  quart.  When  formed  into  line  of  bat- 
tle, one  of  Eraser's  HiglilamlerSj  Neil  McLeod,  seeing  the 
French  outside  of  their  forlificaiions.  he  Ihrew  down  his  fuzee, 
and,  drawing  his  broadsword,  he  left  the  ranks,  in  a  direction 
towards  the  French,  when  his  Captain  ordered  him  back. 
What,  said  McLeod,  am  I  to  stand  here,  and  sec  there  those 
rascals  of  French,  and  not  try  and  bring  away  a  prisoner  ?» 
He  went  forward,  and  was  followed  by  th;;  giealer  part  of  the 
regiment.  I  overheard  Colonel  Carleton,  Quarler-Mastcr-Gene- 
ral,to  say:  «  I  expected  nothing  less  of  those  Highlanders,  they 
are  a  set  of  rebels. »  However,  they  all  soon  returned,  each 
having  a  French  prisoner,  whom  he  held  by  the  « sknff  »  of 
the  neck,  and  some  of  the  Grenadiers  brought  in  two.  It 
afterwards  appeared  that  the  French  mistook  the  Highlanders, 
owing  to  their  peculiar  styh  of  dress,  for  savages.  They 
committed  the  same  act  of  insubordination  on  the  Plains  of 
Abraham,  the  13th  September,  1759  After  the  first  discharge 
on  the  part  of  the  French,  they  chased  them  with  their  broad- 
swords up  to  Saint  Louis  and  Saint  John's  Gates,  and  down  the 
bank,  opposite  the  Hospital  General  ;  one  poor  fellow  had  his 
left  cheek  severed  from  his  head,  by  the  cut  of  a  broadsword, 
and  it  was  hanging  on  his  shoulder,  suspended  by  the  skin. 
The  wounded  were  carried  down  the  bank  at  Wolfe's  Cove, 
embarked  in  boats,  and  taken  across  the  river,  to  Poinle  Levis 
Church,  (Saint  Joseph,)  which  was  converted  into  a  temporary 
hospital. 

To  return  to  Louisbourg  ;  it  was  entirely  subdued,  the  for- 
tifications blown  up,  and  the  garrison  dispersed.  They  were 
many  women  and  their  children  who  claimed  the  protection  of 
the  British  Army,  thei:  .nisbands  being  prisoners  of  war.  A 
Doctor  Lejuste,  of  the  French  Army,  with  an  Indian  as  guide, 
left  Louisbourg  immediately  after  its  capture,  and  traversed 
the  intervening  forest,  to  Quebec.  He,  it  was,  who  brought 
the  first  news  of  the  capture  of  Louisbourg. 

He  settled  in  Quebec,  and  was  our  family  physician.  He 
had  two  sons  and  a  daughter ;  both  the  son>  were  price's,  the 
elder,  Cur^  of  Beuuport.    The  daughter  wa£  married  to  Judge 


BEFORE   QUEBEC   IN    1759. 


153 


le  for- 
were 
lion  of 
Ir.  A 
jiiide, 
irersed 
I'ought 

He 

|s,  the 
ludge 


Bedard,  of  Three  Rivers.  »     Thus  much  from  my  father's 
journal.     I  will  state  the  following  from  my  recollections  : 

Of  the  Regiment  of  Fraser's  Highlanders,  who  remained  in 
O'iebec,  afterthe  conquest,  were  only  the  following  individuals 
of  which  I  have  a  knowledge  : 

Lieut.  John  Nairn,  who  obtained  a  grant  of  land  at  La  Mal- 
baie  ;  several  of  the  men  of  the  regiment  engaged  with  him, 
and  many  of  their  descendants  still  retain  their  primitive 
names,  but  they  all  speak  French.  A  son  of  Colonel  Nairn 
was  C;iptain  in  the  49lh  Regiment,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Chrysler's  Farm.  II th  November,  1813. 

Lieutenant  William  Frasvr,  who  obtained  a  grant  of  land, 
at  Murray  Bay,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  River  Murray.  Ho 
had  two  sons,  William  and  John  Malcolm  ;  at  the  decease  ot 
William,  who  married  Miss  Mathilda  Duberger,  and  not  having 
any  family,  the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  John  Mal- 
colm, who  is  since  dead.  The  seigniory  is  now  in  possession 
of  his  two  daughters,  the  eldest,  the  wife  of  Captain  (now 
Lieut.-Col.)  J.  Reeves,  late  of  79th  Cameronian  Highlanders; 
the  other,  the  wife  of  Major  Heigham,  of  the  17th  Foot. 

There  was  a  grant  of  a  third  Seigniory  soon  after  the  con- 
quest of  Quebec,  at  La  Beance,  and  these  three  were  the  oidy 
grants  under  the  seigniorial  tenure.  I  forgot  the  name  ot  this 
officer.  All  subsequent  grants  of  Crown  Lands  have  been  in 
free  and  common  soccage. 

Sergeant  Hugh  McKay,  who  kept  a  store  immediately  out- 
side (ff  Palace  Gate,  but  which,  with  all  those  beneath  the 
rock,  extending  as  far  as  Hope  (jate,  were  purchased  by  the 
military  government,  afi<'r  the  great  fires  of  1845,  as  being 
too  near  the  fortifications,  and  were  demolished.  He  held  th(i 
first  situation  of  Sergeant-at-Arms  of  the  first  House  of  Assem- 
bly. He  had  a  family  of  twenty-two  children,  two  only  of 
wh©m  were  boys,  and  both  studied  medicine,  and  went  to  the 
East  Indies.  One  of  tht»  girls  was  married  to  Mr.  John  Bent- 
ley,  organist  of  the  English  Cathedral  ;  one,  to  a  Sergeant  of 
Artillery  ;  all  the  rest,  dii'd  unmarried. 

John  McLeody  who  kept  an  hotel  opposite  the  Esplanade,  at 
that  time  the  only  house  along  thai  line.   He  had  no  family. 

14 


\u 


FRASEA  S   HIGHLANDERS 


Sergeant  James  Sinclair,  who  settled  on  a  farm  immediately 
on  the  north  side  of  Scott's  bri  Ige,  lliver  Saint  Charles.  He 
had  a  son  and  daughter.  His  daughter  was  married  to  Major 
Hope  of  the  26th,  or  Cami3ronian  Highlanders ;  she  who  was 
mother  of  «  litllo  Jemmie  Hope, »  who  received  the  (irst 
riidimiMits  of  his  education  at  Mr.  John  Fraser's  school,  in 
Garden  street.  He  left  Quebec  with  the  regiment,  and  returned 
to  Canada  with  the  rank  of  Brigadicr-Goneral.  In  1837,  he 
had  coirimand  '»f  the  Monln'al  District.  On  his  coining  over  to 
Chambly  with  his  Aide-de  Camp,  to  inspect  the  garrison,  he 
recognised  me. 

Lieut.  Colonel  Denny,  of  the  71st  Highlanders.,  having  no- 
ticed lh;il  the  General  and  myself  were  acciuaintiid,  I  was 
invited  to  diue  at  the  Regimental  Mess,  in  order  to  meet  him, 
th(!  General.  Mr.  Sinclair's  son  enlisted  in  the  Battalion  of  Royal 
Canadian  Volunteers,  under  command  of  Lieut. -Colonel  De 
Longiieil,  aud  was  made  sergeant.  Mr.  Sinclair  was  commis- 
sioned in  the  then  British  Militia.  He  died  in  the  house  of  Mr. 
Samson,  butchei',  (now  the  Livery  Stables  in  Sainle  Aune 
street,)  at  an  advanced  age.  At  his  funeral,  the  IVev.  Dr. 
Alexander  Sparks  oflicialed. 

Lauchlin  Smith — Who  kept  a  store  just  outside  of  Palace 
Gate,  next  to  Hugh  McKay.  He  accumulated  wealth,  and  be- 
came proprietor  of  the  Seigniory  of  Sainle  Anne,  below  Que- 
bec. He  had  two  daughters,  who  were  educated  at  Mr.  John 
Fraser's  school.  After  Mr.  Smith's  decease,  the  girls  married 
two  French  Canadians.  1  snppo^e  the  Seigniorie  to  be  still 
in  the  hands  of  their  descendants. 

John  Ross — "Who  kept  a  store  in  the  house  nearest  Palace 
Gale,  with  n.  He  became  wealthy,  and  was  a  commissioned 
officer  in  the  British  Mililii  inder  Colonel  Lemailre.  He  had 
three  sons  :  David  was  Sollicilor-General  at  Montreal  ;  John 
\\a<  a  lawyer  also,  and  Proihouotary  at  Quebec  ,  the  third, 
died  young.  Of  three  daughters,  one  was  married  to  the  Rev, 
Alexander  Sparks  ;  a  second  was  married  to  Mr.  James  Mit- 
chell, merchant,  and  the  third  to  an  Army  Surgeon.  Mr.  Ross 
died  at  a  very  advanced  age.  He  is  the  ancestor  of  David  A 
Kosb,  Ebq.,  Barrister,  of  this  city. 


BEFORE   QUEBEC   IN    1759. 


Da 


[iiately 
i.  He 
I  Major 
10  was 
e  lirst 
ool,  in 
Uurned 
i37,  he 
over  to 
ison,  he 


!ng  no- 

I  was 
;el  him, 
Df  Royal 
lonel  De 
comniis- 

-ti  of  Mr. 
lie  Aline 
IVev.  Dr. 

f  Palace 
and  be- 
low Qiie- 
»Ir.  John 
married 
be  slill 

It  Palace 
lissioiied 
He  had 

II  ;  John 
third, 

the  Rov, 
js  Mil- 
llr.  Ross 
iavid  A 


John  Frascr— He  received  a  severe  sabre  cut  on  the  foro 
head  in  the  battle  of  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  the  13lh  Sep- 
tember, 1759,  and  from  exhaustion,  he  had  sal  himself  iloun 
on  Ihe  grass,  leaning  his  back  against  th(i  fence.     A  Fr<inch 
Military  Surgeon,  seeing  that  the  Fremh  troops  were  giving 
way,  directed  his  steps  towards  the  rear,  where  he  met  John 
Fraser,  his  wound  bleeding  profusely.  The  doclor  immediately 
dressed  his  wound,  and  aftiTwards  gave  himself  up  lo  John 
Fraser  as  a  prisoner  of  war  ;  and  at  the  same  time  delivering 
up  lo  him  all  his  arms,  which  consisted  merely  of  a  1 0(  ket 
pistol,  double  barrelled,  handsomely  mounted  in  silver,  and 
having  his  initials  on  the  butt,  P.  B.,  (Philippe  Badelard.) 
John  Fraser  and  the  doctor,  ultimately  became  great  friends, 
and  were  near  neighbors  ;  the  former,  being  proprietor  of  that 
house  and  premises  olf  Garden  street,  where  Mr.  Hnrligan, 
painter,  now  resides,  and  the  laller,  being  owner  of  the  house 
next  to  that  of  Mr.  Charles  Panel  (Doctor  Badelard's  grandson), 
in  Saint  Louis  street,  and  both  lots  adjoining  each  other  in  rear. 
Here,  Mr.  John  Fraser  opened  the  first  English  school  in  Que- 
bec.    The  venerable  Miss  Napier,  who  laught  their  A  B  C's  to 
the  majority  of  !he  Quebec  young  ladies,  during  half  a  century, 
was  one  of  old  Mr.  Fraser's  pupils.  But,  lo  return  tollie  history 
of  the  Pistol,  Mr.  Fraser  returned  it  to  its  proper  owner.    In 
the  years  1810-11,1  became  the  tenant  of  Bernard  Panel, 
Doctor  Badelard's  grandson.  Judge  Panel  having  married  the 
Doctor's  only  daughter.     Bernard  and  myself  were  intimate 
friends.     He  made  me  a  present  of  his  grandfather's  pistol, 
the  pistol  in  question.     I  had  it  in  my  possession  47  years, 
when,  on  the  13lh  of  September,  1859,  the  (me  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  capture  of  Quebec,  I  made  a  restitution  of 
it,  to  a  descendant  of  the  Doctors,  in  the  person  of  Mr.  John 
Panel,  coroner  of  Quebec,  and  son  of  Bernard.     Both  Doctor 
Badelard  and  Mr.  John  Fraser  lived  to  a  very  advanced  age, 
and  ever  maintained  the  strictest  friendship  for  each  other. 
Doctor  Badelard  was  a  person  of  gentlemanly  aspect  ;  he  con- 
stantly wore  a  sword,  as  was  customary  with  the  bourgeoisie 
(te  Paris. 

Miles  Prentice — He  occupied  for  many  y<!ars  the  house  then 


i56 


FRASER  S   HIGHLANDERS 


known  as  «  Le  Chien  d'or, »  as  also  Freemason's  Hall,  as  an 
hotel,  where  he  died.  Mrs.  Prentice  continued  the  business 
for  some  years.  His  son,  Samuel  Walter,  obtained  a  commis- 
sion in  the  army.  A  niece  of  Mrs.  Prentice's,  Frances  Coo- 
per, was  my  father's  second  wife  and  my  mother.  Mrs.  Pren- 
tice idlimately  came  to  resid(!  in  our  family  residence,  Sainte- 
IJrsule  street,  where  she  died,  in  1792. 

Miles  Pn^nlice  was  the  Provost  Marshal  mentioned  by  Du 
Culvet,  as  beiny  the  person  who  in  1780arresled  this  haughty, 
clever  and  inllu(Mitial  agitator,  consigning  him  to  the  custody 
of  Father  DuBerey,  Superior  of  the  Franciscan  Friars,  in  Que- 
bec, in  the  cells  of  the  Recollot  Colhjge. 

This  old  pile  which  slood  on  the  site  on  which  the  English 
Cathedral  and  Court  Hoiis;;  have  since  been  erected, was  consu- 
med by  fire  on  the  6th  September,  1796.  The  fire  being  in  full 
view  from  the  windows  of  sergeant  Fraser's  school,  in  Garden 
street,  as  the  late  G.  B.  Faribault,  a  school-boy  of  Fraser's,  in 
1796,  used  to  take  pleasure  to  relate  in  after  life  ;  right  well 
did  he  remember  the  day,  he  used  to  say,  as  the  boys  in  conse- 
quence of  the  turmoil,  demanded  and  obtained,  a  holiday.  Mr.  De 
Gaspe,  in  his  Memoirs,  has  most  graphically  depicted  this  con- 
flagration which  had  originated  at  Judge  Monk's  house  in  Saint 
Lewis  street,  (now  the  officers'  barracks)  ;  he,  too,  was  an  eye 
witness.  A  most  comely  person  was  Mrs,  Miles  Prentice  ; 
her  daughter,  endowed  with  marvellous  beauty.  The  brave 
Nelson,  very  nigh  fell  a  victim  to  her  charms,  in  1786,  when 
[he  Albemarle,  sloop  of  war  which  he  commanded,  was  in  port. 
So  violently  was  the  youthful  hero  smitten,  with  the  divine 
phiz  of  this  Canadian  Helen,  that  having  resolved  to  marry 
her,  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  say  adieu  to  the  service,  re- 
nounce his  command,  fortune,  glory,  nay,  Westminster  Abbey. 
This  infatuation  was  frustrated  by  mere  chance  ;  his  trusty 
friend,  Alex.  Davidson  (a  Quebecer  lawyer,  we  believe),  in- 
terfered, says  his  biographer  Southey.  Another  version  attri- 
butes to  old  Lymburner,  a  Saint  Peter  street  magnate,  the 
credit  of  having  saved  the  young  commander  for  the  bright 
career  Providence  had  in  store  for  him.  It  appears  it  was 
necessary  to  use  violence  to  tear  the  enamored  son  of  Neptune 


^  BEFORE   QUEBEC   IN    1759. 


157 


from  the  blaiidisliments  of  his  fair  enslaver.  The  officers  and 
crew  of  the  Albemarle  came  on  shore,  instigated  by  Davidson  or 
Lymbiirner,  and  conveyed  him,  on  board,  forcibly.  A  most 
efleeliial  way,  il  must  be  aihnilled,  of  enforcing  English 
parental  advice  on  precocious  hopefidls  n  inclined  lo  marry  in 
the  colony. » 

The  land  lady  of  the  «Chien  d'Orw  also  claims  her  corner 
in  the  domain  of  Canadian  history.  Was  it  not  her,  who  was 
appealed  to  on  the  2iid  January,  1776,  lo  identify  the  sliffened 
and  froztMi  corpse  found  thai  morning,  imbedded  with  those  of 
Maepherson,  Cheosoman,  Wisaides.  andolhersinasnowdriflat 
Pres-de-Ville?  Thai  corpse,  good  reader,  was  that  of  a  brave 
though  misguided  spirit  ;  it  had  during  life  for  forty  long 
years  been  the  earlhly  tenement  of  a  being  to  whom  kindli- 
ness of  manner,  devotion  to  a  cause  and  indomitable  courage 
have  assigned  a  niche  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  country. 
11  was  the  inanimate  form  of  Brigadier  Richard  Montgomery, 
laid  low  by  a  shot  tired  by  a  French  CanaJian  (Chabot,)  and 
aimed  by  Englishmen,  John  Coffm  and  Captain  liarnsfare. 
Montgomery,  a  Lieutenant  in  Ihe  17lh  Fool,  in  1 759,  had  visiled 
Quebec,  alter  its  capture,  though  probably  not  during  the  siege, 
and  been  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  wChien  d'Or, »  the  rendez- 
vous of  our  jovial  ancestors,  Let  us  revert  lo  Mr.  Thompson's 
statement. 

Saunders  Simpson — He  was  Provost  Marshal  in  Wolfe's 
army,  at  Ihe  alfairs  of  Louisbourg,  Quebec  and  Montreal,  and 
cousin  of  my  father's.  He  resided  in  that  house  the  nearest 
to  Saint  Louis  Gale,  outside,  which  has  not  undergone  any 
external  alteration  since  I  was  a  boy. 

Volunteer  James  Thompson — Yuiiinleered  his  services  in 
Eraser's  Highlanders,  in  the  view  to  accompany  a  particular 
friend  of  his,  Lieutenant  David  IJaillie,  the  facts  being 
already  detailed.  After  the  capitulation  of  Montreal,  in  1760, 
he  received  from  General  Murray,  the  appointment  of  Overseer 
of  military  works,  lor  the  garrison  of  Quebec,  which  he  held 
until  his  decease,  in  1830,  a  period  of  69  years.  It  was  m 
his  capacity  of  master  mason,  and  his  having  been  the  last 
survivor  of  Wolfe's  army,  in  his  9olh  year,  that  he  was  called 


158 


Fn\f!ER  S   HIGHLANDERS 


upon  by  the  Earl  of  Dalhonsie  to  lay  the  chiof  corner  stone  of 
Uie  Monument  erected  in  the  Government  Garden,  to  the 
memory  of  Wolfe  and  Montcalm.  I  witnessed  the  imposing 
ceremony. 

My  father,  then  in  his  96th  year,  expressed  his  desire  to 
a^'ain  see  the  monument.  I  accompanied  him.  After  viewing 
it  for  some  time,  he  returned  to  his  residence  in  Ste.  Urside 
street,  much  exhausted  from  the  exertion,  and  the  effects  pro- 
duced on  his  mind  by  the  scene  he  had  jusl  \vilnessed.  He 
died  in  his  98th  year,  and  was  buried  with  military  honours, 
during  the  command  of  L'eut.  General  Sir  .lames  Kempt.  He 
was  twice  married.  Of  the  second  marriafjie,  there  were  nine 
children;  six  attained  to  maturity,  and  Ihnje  died  in  infancy. 
Myself,  the  oldest,  as  also  three  brothers  and  two  sisters,  all 
obtained  the  rudiments  of  our  education  at  the  school  of  Mr. 
John  Fraser,  already  named.  I  joined  the  Commissariat  in 
1798,  have  attained  to  the  rank  of  Deputy  Commissary. 

The  appointment  of  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court,  District  of 
Gasp6,  was  conferred  upon  my  brother  John,  by  the  Earl  of 
Dalhousie,  in  1828  ;  he  is  now  in  his  80th  year  Brother  Wil- 
liam was  an  Assistant  Commissary  General.  My  youngest 
brother,  George,  obtained  a  Commission  in  the  Royal  Artillery, 
under  the  patronage  of  my  father's  good  friend.  His  Royal 
Highness  Edward,  Duke  ol  Kent.  Immediately  on  appoint- 
ment, he  was  onleied  on  the  Walcheren  expedition,  under 
command  of  His  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  York.  He  died 
in  1817. 


? 


CANADIAN  NAMES  AND  SUKNAMES. 


A  Contributor  to  Blackwood  for  Nov.  1862,  under  the  head- 
ing «  The  Scot  in  France, »  reviewing  Mr.  Francisquc  Michel's 
book,  «  Les  Ecossais  en  France, »  graphically  delineates  the 
honorable  part  played  some  centuries  back  in  the  affairs  of 
France,  by  Scotchmen.  The  learned  critic,  amongst  other 
things,  successfully  traces  to  their  origin  several  modern 
French  names,  and  clearly  demonstrates,  after  divesting 
them  of  the  trnnsmogi  ifications  of  time  and  language, 
that  many  of  these  names  formerly  belonged  to  brawny, 
six  feet  Scotchmen,  whom  little  Johnny  Crapaiid,  out  of  spite, 
had  christened  on  account  of  their  aldermanic  appetites  and 
the  devastations  by  them  perpetrated  in  the  Vineyards  of 
sunny  France  «  wine  bags  »  ;  in  fact,  the  same  favored  class 
which  we,  moderns,  on  the  undoubted  authority  of  Judge  Jonas 
Barrington,  would  pronounce  «  Twelve  bottle  men,)) — select 
individuals  scarcely  ever  heard  of  in  these  degenerate  teetotal 
times,  and  of  which  class,  Marechal  de  Saxe,  Mdlle  Lecou- 
vreur's  friend,  was  in  the  last  century  a  pretty  fair  represent- 
ative. Might  it  not  also  be  worth  our  while  to  examine  into 
some  of  the  ludicrous  changes  to  which,  in  our  own  country, 
some  old  names  have  been  subjected  ? 

Every  one  knew  that  iNormandy  and  Brittany  had  furnished 
the  chief  portion  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  our  soil ;  the  exact 
proportion  in  which  this  emigration  took  place  cannot  at  pre- 
sent be  a  subject  of  debate,  now  that  we  have  in  piinl  the 
Abbe  Ferland's  laborious  rest^arches.  We  accordingly  find, 
in  the  appendix  to  the  first  volume  of  his  «  Cours  d'Hisloirc 
du  Canada,  »  a  list  and  address  of  all  the  French  who  settled 
in  Lower  Canada,  from  the  year  1615  to  1648.  No  one,  per- 
haps, except  a  searching  student  of  the  Abbe's  school,  would 
have  taken  the  trouble  to  trace  the  pedigree  of  all  the  families 
ill  Canada  ;  on  this  subject,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  the 
veteran  historiuii  is  u  living  cyclopedia.     It  is  true,  lie  had 


160 


CANADIAN   NAMES   AND   SURNAMES. 


ample  sources  of  information  at  eommam),  liaving  had  access 
to  the  wRogislor  of  Marriages,  Births  and  Burials  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Cathedral  at  Quebec,  »  and  these  took  him,  uninter- 
ruptedly, as  far  back  as  1040,  in  >>hich  year  they  wore  des- 
troyed by  fire,  and  restored  from  memory  ;  he  could  also  con- 
sult the  ample  details  of  the  several  census  tables,  compiled 
by  order  of  the  French  government,  yet  in  manuscript  in  our 
public  libraries. 

It  is  really  singular  to  notice  what  a  large  portion  of  settlers 
came  from  Normandy  to  New  France.  Almost  all  the  educated 
Frenchmen,  such  as  Messrs.  Rameau,  Ampere,  De  Puibusque, 
Aubry,  Fenouillcl  and  others  who  have  visited  Canada,  have 
been  struck  with  the  resemblance  between  the  customs,  man- 
ners and  language  of  the  French  Canadian  peasantry  of  this 
day,  and  those  of  the;  peasantry  of  Brittany  and  Normandy. 
All  of  them  admitted  that,  as  a  general  rule,  our  habitants 
spoke  better  French  than  the  same  class  in  the  coimtry  parts 
of  France.  Of  course,  it  is  not  pretended  that  even  the  edu- 
cated in  this  country  could  compare  for  purity  of  accent  with 
Parisians,  who  alone  claim  the  right  to  speak  pure  French. 
Parisian  writers,  on  this  point,  have  promulgated  canons  which 
SO' m  rather  absolute.  It  is  asserted,  for  instance,  that  the 
nicely  of  the  Parisian  ear  is  such,  that  even  a  Parisian  writer 
who  removes  for  four  years  from  his  native  city  to  the  pro- 
vinces, is  liable  to  be  detected  when  he  writes.  This  is  going 
far,  and  reminds  one  of  the  huckster-woman  of  Athens,  who, 
by  his  accent,  detected  Theophrastes  as  not  being  Attic  born, 
though  for  twenty-five  years,  he  had  lived  in  Athens. 

When  Mr.  Rameau  was  in  Quebec,  I  took  occasion  to  ask 
him  what  he  thought  ol  our  besl  writers.  «  Sir, »  said  he,  «let 
me  relate  to  you  what  occurred  to  me  in  Paris  last  winter.  I 
was  acquainted  with  Canadian  literature  before  1  came  here, 
and  in  order  to  test  the  correctness  of  my  own  opinion,  I  as- 
sembled some  literary  friends  and  told  them  that  I  intended 
reading  them  a  chapter  out  of  two  new  books  which  they  had 
never  seen  befere  ;  they  assented  ;  this  done,  and  replacing 
the  books  in  my  book-case,  I  requested  them  to  tell  me  can- 
didly where  they  could  have  been  written.     *  Why,  in  Paris, 


CANADIAN   NAMES   AND   SURNAMES. 


161 


where  else  ?  '  lliey  replied  ;  '  none  but  Parisians  could  write 
such  French. '  «  Well,  j;en(lenien,  »  said  I,  «  you  arc  much 
mislaken,  these  books  were  written  on  the  banks  of  the  Saint 
Lawrence,  at  Quoboc.  Flieiine  Parent  and  the  Abbe  Forlund 
are  the  wiilers.  »  My  friends  could  scarcely  credit  mc;.  I  feel 
pleased  in  recording  this  incident,  because  such  a  circumstaiico 
does  honor  to  the  country.  It  also  alTuids  me  particular  pleasure 
to  notice  this  fact,  bi.'cause  it  bears  effectually  on  a  stupid  asser- 
tion not  altogether  uncommon,  viz  :  That  French  Cauadiuus 
speak  nothing  but  patois ;  if  the  whole  truth  were  known, 
it  would  be  manif<»st  that  our  peasantry  talk  (1)  better  French 
than  does  one  half  of  the  rural  population  of  France  ;  in  fact, 
it  is  not  rare  to  find  the  French  peasantry  of  one  department 
scarcely  able  to  understand  the  idiom  of  the  corresponding 
class,  in  another  department.  Seveial  causes  may  be  ad- 
duced explanatory  of  this  singular  feature  ;  the  first  settlers  in 
Canada  had  left  Fnince  about  the  time  when  literature  was  at 
its  zenith,  and  when  the  language  was  singularly  beautiful. 
Whatever  success  may  have  been  achieved  in  literature  by 
modern  France,  no  writer  since  the  great  revolution,  has  sur- 
passed Corneille,  Racine,  Boileau,  Voltaire  orSevigii^,  in  each 
of  their  specific  departments  ;  the  language  of  the  peasantry 
in  New  France  has  remained  what  it  was  two  hundred  years 
ago  ;  it  may  not  be  purer,  but  it  is  just  as  pure.  If,  on  the 
one  hand  the  French  eUjment  in  Canada  has  escaped  the  dis- 
organizing influence  of  the  revolutionary  era  (2)  of  '89,  on 


(1)  In  connection  with  this  fact,  it  appears  that  the  French  Canadians  have 
alone,  retained  in  their  original  purity,  the  simple  old  Norman  songs  which  their 
ancestors  brought  into  the  country  ;  that  these  same  popular  ballads  have  bocomo 
so  altered  in  France  by  time,  that  a  request  has  been  sent  out  to  Canada  to  havo 
them  collected  in  their  original  purity.  An  eloquent  professor  of  the  Laval 
University  (Dr.  Larue)  has  turned  his  attention  to  the  subject.  (Since  this  wna 
written,  Dr.  L.  has  faithfully  redeemed  his  promise. — See  Foyer  Canadietx  for  Nov., 
1863.) 

(2)  Our  Canadian  ancestors  had  long  since  realised  the  difference  which 
english  rule  had  made  in  their  situation,  when  their  beloved  and  eloquent  pastor. 
Bishop  Plessis,  in  17U4,  from  the  pulpit  of  the  same  French  Cathedral,  which  now 
faces  the  Upper  Town  Market  place  in  Quebec,  publicly,  and  in  the  name  of  his 
flock,  thanked  Almighty  Qod  that  the  colony  was  English,  and  therefore  would 
be  free  from  the  horrors  enacted  in  the  French  colonies  of  the  day  ;  that  there 
were  no  human  butchers  in  Canada,  to  slaughter  nobles,  priests,  women  and 

15 


162 


CAWAPIAN   NAMES   AND  SmNAMES. 


Ihfi  othor  hnnd,  il  Iins  rocijlvcd  Ihn  Infusion  of  no  nnw  blood  ; 
tho  rnco  is  oswMilinlly  consiMvalivt',  too  much  po,  porhaps, 
according  to  nolionsol'thd  lOlh  century  ;  still,  ns  thocomponLMit 
pnrl  of  n  gn-nl  nationiility,  wlio  can  complain  of  its  boinf?  too 
cohnsivi» ;  who,  on  looking'  across  llic  lino,  and  viewing  demo- 
cracy with  all  its  disso'vin;;  elements,  who  wonid  not  prefer  at 
least  one  million  of  staunch  conservalivo  people,  who,  under 
proper  tn-almcnl,  would  und(!rslaiid  loyalty  to  their  sovereign, 
ns  the  Vendeens  did,  to  a  (lod-forsakeii  people,  worshipping 
no  other  deily  than  tlie  almighty  dollar,  as  exhibited  in  their 
Daily  Press? 

Hut  this  is  wandering  nwny  from  the  subject  which  h^nds 
this  sketch  ;  revenons  a  nnsmoutom. 

There  is,  in  this  country,  a  spice  of  drollery  about  some 
transformations  of  (I)  names  worthy  of  nolo.    These  rpieer 

ehildren. —  (Soo  tho  Funeral  oration  of  Bishop  Brinnd,  pronounced  on  tho  27th 
June,  171*4,  by  Monsoignour  Plcsfis. — Clirintie'n  JlUtttrj/  of  Caiuidn,  vol.  I,  pp. 
.356-7.)  Cniild  ho  hnvo  then  furusccn  what  happunod  Louisiana  Inter  on,  ho  might 
again  have  expro.'sod  his  thankfulne.ss,  that  Canada  did  not  bolon^j  to  France — 
nlse  it  might  hnvo  boon  included  in  the  deed  of  sale  and  bargain  executed 
between  Naj)oleon  the  Groat,  and  the  occupant  of  tho  White  House  in  1805. 
Verily,  colonists  nro  considered  small  fry  by  rulers  of  empires. 

Our  people  were  again,  in  forcible  tonus,  reminded  of  the  superiority  of  English 
over  Frunch  institutions,  when  civil  and  religious  liberty  is  at  stake.  Who  has 
forgotten  Revd.  Dr.  Cahill's  eloquent  appeal  1  "  Threo  Bishops,"  said  ho,  "  cannot 
dine  together  in  Paris  without  tho  porinission  of  the  police  ;  no  now  place  of  wor- 
ship can  bo  opened,  without  tho  consent  of  government.  Why  was  tho  charitable 
society,  the  fit.  Vincent  dc  Paul,  broken  up  ?  Why  were  Protestant  chapels  sum- 
marily closed  by  the  Pcjlioo  and  the  congregations  diipersod  ? — Why  is  tho  press 
muzzled  ?  Yes,  why  ?  Thnnk  your  stars,  "  said  tho  talented  lecturer,  "  that  you 
live  here  under  tho  British  flag  !  " 

See   Ohampfloury's  letter  to  Dr.  Laruo,  Foifer  Canadien  1864,  Appendix, 

(1)  I  have  exhibited  in  the  Album  du  Touristi;,  several  names  as  originating 
in  some  physical  deformity,  or  else  in  some  virtue  or  fault,  of  tho  owner. 

"  Lebol,  Lejusto,  Legros,  Lebon,  Lodoux,  Letondre,  Lamoureux,  Jolicoeur, 
Logrand,  Ledroit,  Losage,  Leclorc,  Leborgne,  Vadeboncoeur,  Bontemps,  Vieu- 
temps,  Boneau,  Bellchumeur,  Belleavanco,  Bellerivo,  Beaurivage,  Bonnochoso, 
Beauregard,  Beausoleil,  Sanspiti^,  Sansoucis,  Sansfafon,  Sanschagrin,  Sans- 
quartier,  Labontd,  Lavertu,  Lajoio,  Lajeunesse,  Ladouceur,  Lalibert^,  Lade- 
bauche,  Lavigueur,  Laioroe,  Lachaine,  Laponsde,  Lachanco,  L'heureux,  Lnmu- 
■ique.  " 

This  latter  cognomen  will  loom  out  grander  still,  with  its  adjunct — Portutjait : 
dit  Lamusique. 

Some  French  names  have  a  martial  ring  :  "  Taille-fer,  Tranche-montagne  "  : 
you  think  yourself  back  to  the  middle  ages. 


CANADIAN   NA.MKS  AND   SURNAMES. 


163 


blood  ; 
lorliaps, 
nponont 
oiuj;  too 
^  domo- 
ii'(.'f(!r  at 
),  mulor 
voroign, 
shipping 

in  tlvMi" 


h  hf'nds 

III  some, 
sc  qijijti' 

n  tho  27th 
vol.  I,  jip. 
n,  ho  might 
o  Frnnoe — 
a  executed 
10    in    1805. 

of  English 
Who  has 
10, "  cannot 
laoo  of  wor- 
charitablo 
ipels  gum- 
la  the  press 
that  you 

priginating 

Jolicoeur, 

hps,   Vieu- 

lonnochoso, 

|rin,   Sans- 

t16,  Lade- 

[ix,  Lnmu- 

'*oftu<jait  : 

Intagno  "  : 


cliangtis  du  not  necessarily  imply  nbjcct  ignorance  In  the  doss 
uhich  adopts  them.  We  may  have  in  this  country  liack- 
Nvoodsmen(l)  excessively  stupid  ond  ignorant,  but  whero 

Several  years  ago,  a  young  Italian  on  his  arrival  from  Rome,  settled  in  Qucboo. 
Ho  was  known  as  "  Audiverti  dit  Uomain.  "  The  name  8ooined  too  lunj;.  The  flrst 
half  was  dropped,  ho  was  called  Komain.  A  son  having  established  himself  in 
Toronto,  the  English  oar  required  than  an  "  e  "  be  added  to  his  foreign  name 
and  it  beoumo,  and  has  continued  to  this  day  Romaine. 

Colors,  Flowers,  Fruits,  Woods,  also  furnished  a  fair  allowance  :  Leblanc,  Le- 
noir, Lebruu,  Logris,  Loroux  ;  Laflour,  Lespervonchos,  Laroso,  Laviolotte,  Jas- 
min, Laframboise,  Lofraisior,  (Frasor)  ;  Oois,  Orosbois,  Doii<Joli,  Uoisvert,  Jio'is- 
brilliant;  Dupin,  Dutrenible,  Dufresne,  DuchuHue. 

Titles  or  dignities,  are  converted  into  family  names:  Leroy  or  Roy,  I'uo  or 
Leduc,  Marquis,  Cuinto  or  Lecomte,  Baron  or  Lebaron,  Chevalier  or  Lechovalior, 
Kundchal,  Eouyer  or  Leouyer,  Pago  or  Lopago. 

Owners  of  Castles  will  identify  thomsolvoa  with  them  ;  Chateaufurt,  Chateau- 
vert,  Chateaubriand,  Chatcaiinouf,  Chatoaurouge. 

Objects  met  daily,  will  furnish  a  large  contingent  :  Larue,  Lapierre,  Lafon- 
taine,  Latremouille,  Lnuhapello,  L'oiaoau,  Lerossignol,  Letourneau,  Lolievre, 
Lamontiigno,  Lavalido,  Larivii'ic,  Lngriinge. 

Let  us  pass  to  the  nauies  of  Provinces.  Normandy,  Provence,  Oascony,  I'rit- 
tany,  Lorraine,  Picardy,  Anjoci,  Poitevin,  tho  Basque  country,  will  be  represented 
by  very  familiar  names  :  Normiin,  Provencal,  LeGascon,  LeBroton,  Lorain  or 
Laurin,  Picard,  Angevin,  Poitevin,  LcBusquo. 

The  native  of  Tours,  Lillo,  Blois  and  Lyons,  responds  to  his  name,  when  called 
Toui'uiigoau,  Lillois,  Doblois,  Lyonnnis.  Sometimes  the  appellation  will  be  gene- 
ralized :  thus  Abrnhiim  Martin,  will  have  dit  I'EcoasaiH  ;  Jean  Salsrien,  will  have 
his  adjunct  also,  dit  I'AnijInin, 

Then  there  are  sonorous  names  for  Counties,  borrowed  from  Indian  dialects,  re- 
calling the  virgin  forest  :  Pontiac,  Ottawa,  Ilochelaga,  Kamouraska,  Ui- 
mouski,  Cacouna  ;  just  like  our  wild  euphonious  names  for  individuals — Poca- 
hontiis,  Captain  Smith's  dovotod  friund  :  Tuscarora  ;  Mincha  I  ha  1  (_Ltiughing 
Wuteri.) 

Sometimes  names  are  curiously  transformed:  thus  Bois  Brule  is  pawned  off  on 
us  as  Bob  Ridley. — 

Oh  1  Bob  Ridley  oh  ! 
Oh  1  Bob  Ridley  oh  ! 
In  Cap  Chat  or  Cap  Chntto,  would  there  be  a  Shaw  in  tho  case,   a  relative  of 
that  dreadful  attorney,  immortalized  on  stuno  : — 

"  Here  lies 

John   Shaw, 

Attorney  at  law, 

When  he  died, 

The   devil  cried, 

'  Give  us  your  paw 

John  Shaw, 
Attorney  at  law.  '  " 
(1)  "  Baokwoodmon,  "  A  worthy  but  eccentric   missionary,   once  enlivened   a 
stirring  appeal  he  was  making  to  the  synin"''''/  and  purse   of  a   Quebec   church 


i64 


CANADIAN  NAMES  AND  SUBNAMES 


(except  within  the  precincts  of  a  lunatic  asylum)  would  you 
find  even  a  brat  of  a  boy  who  would  give  thosame  reply  which 
the  free-born  Briton  gave  to  Lord  Ashley,  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners appointed  to  enquire  into  the  condition  of  the  working 
classes  in  England,  (1)  «  that  all  he  knew  about  God  was,  that 
he  had  often  heard  Uk;  workmen  say, God  damn  !  »  We  say  we 
thank  Provid 'ucc  for  this,  for  whatever  other  colonial  draw- 
backs we  may  labor  under,  and  they  may  be  numerous,  we 
are  spared  the  spectacle  of  extreme  social  degradation  side 


;( 


meeting  with  the  fullowing  anecdote,  illusf.ra^ive  of  the  multitudinous  hurdships, 
he  had  ox])eri8nced  in  tht  uourso  of  his  evangelizing  duties  in  the  backwoods  of 
Canada.  His  text  was  "  Alan  want?  but  little  here  below,  nor  wants  that  little 
long.  '■  The  holy  man  was  very  long  and  slender  in  the  legs.  "  It  was  once 
my  fate,  "  said  he,  "  to  put  up  lor  the  night  in  a  log  shanty,  the  dwelling  of  the 
headman  in  the  mission  ;  the  bud  did  indeod  i<cem  short,  '^ut  being  a  deal  one, 
nailed  to  thj  floor,  it  had  to  remain  whore  ii  was  ;  I  only  became  fully  awaro 
that  eithe'  I  was  too  long,  or  that  it  was  too  short  for  my  humble  self,  when  after 
extingu'f  iiing  my  caudle,  I  tried  to  extend  my  weary  limbs  j  m^  feet,  I  found, 
struck  tl.e  window,  which  was  nearly  smashed  by  the  operation.  In  despair,  I  got 
up,  and  after  cogitating  a  short  time,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  no  other 
alternative  existed  but  to  remove  the  obstruction  by  opening  the  window,  through 
which,  when  lying  down,  my  feet  protruded  some  eighteen  inches.  I  felt  it  ivasnot 
a  peculiarly  clerical  position  for  the  pastor  to  be  seen  by  the  flock,  but  what  else 
could  I  do.  I  slept  soundly  from  fatigue,  but  awoke  early,  feeling  a  great  weight 
on  my  feet;  on  raising  my  head  to  see  what  it  was,  I  found,  that  the  patriarch 
of  the  farm  yard,  a  very  large  turkey  cock,  had  made  roosters  of  my  nether  ex- 
tremities. "   lie  of  course  carried  his  point. 

This  reminds  one  of  the  Vermont  parson,  the  Rev.  Zeb.  Twitchel,  a 
methodist  preacher  in  Vermont,  most  noted,  for  shrewd  and  laughable  sayings. 
In  the  pulpit  he  maintained  a  suitable  gravity  of  manner  and  expression,  but  out 
of  the  pulpit,  he  overflowed  vfilh  fun.  Occasionally  he  would,  if  emergency  seemed 
to  require,  intrrduoo  something  queer  in  a  .sermon,  for  the  sake  of  arousing  the 
flagging  attention  of  his  hearers.  Soeing  once  that  his  audience  were  getting 
sleepy,  ho  paused  in  his  discourse  and  discoursed  as  follows  : — "  Br.ithreu,  you 
bavn't  any  idea  of  Iho  iiUlferings  of  our  missionaries  in  the  new  settlements,  on  ac- 
count of  the  mosquitoes,  in  some  of  these  regions,  being  enormous.  A  great  many 
of  Ihcm  would  weigh  a  pound,  anil  they  will  get  on  logs  and  bark  when  the  mis- 
Bionarios  are  going  past.''  \iy  this  time  all  ears  and  eyes  where  open,  and  he  proceed- 
ed to  finish  his  discourse.  The  next  day  one  of  his  hearers  called  him  to  account 
for  telling  lies  in  the  pulpit.  "  Therenevor  was  amosqaitoo  that  weighed  a  pound," 
he  said.  "But  I  didn't  say  ouo  of  them  would  weigh  a  pou.id,  I  said  a  (Teat 
many,  and  I  think,  a  million  of  them  would.  "  "  Butj-ou  said,  they  barked  at  the 
missiunarios.  "     "  No,  no,  bro'.her,  I  said  they  would  get  on  logs  and  bark.  " 

(1)  The  recent  census  of  Scotland  reveals  the  humiliating  fact  that  more  than 
one  per  cent  of  all  the  families  in  SjcotJand  were  found  last  year  (1807)  living  in 
single  rooms,  which  had  not  a  window,  and  that  thirty  •live  per  cent  of  all  tho 
familins,  or  Uiore  than  one- third,  wore  living  in  one  room. 


CANADIAN  NAMES  AND   SURNAMES. 


165 


tchel,    a 

sayings. 

,  but  out 

y  seemed 

using  the 

getting 

iireu,   you 

ts,  on  ao- 

eat  many 

the  mis- 

prooeed- 

account 

[I  pound," 

a   jjeat 

cd  at  the 

k.  " 

loro  than 
lis'iiig  in 
i  all  tUo 


by  side  willi  fabulous  weallh.  Now  to  the  point.  Did  you  ever, 
my  dear  reader,  know  from  vvlionce  the  lirsl  Know-Nolhiiig 
hailed  ?  Perhaps  you  will  meet  me  with  the  common-place 
reply,  cui  bono  ?  Is  not  Know-Nolhini^ism  dead  and  bnried  ? 
True,  I  reply  ;  so  is  the  builder  of  the  pyramids  dead,  (or  at 
least,  unless  he  can  beat  old  Melhusaleh,  he  ought  lo  be),  and 
still  the  enquiry  about  the  originator,  has  been  going  on  for 
a  long  lime,  and  is  hkely  to  continue,  although  for  any  prac- 
tical purpose,  tin;  origin  of  the  Pyraminds  or  of  Know- 
Nothingism  is  of  the  same  moment.  Well,  I  assert  clearly  and 
most  emphatically,  that  the  first  Know-Nothing,  nominally  de- 
signat(!d  as  such,  lived  al  Cacouna,  some  seventy  years  ago. 
Now  for  the  proof.  Abotil  the  end  of  the  last  century,  an  En- 
glish vessel  was  stranded  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  at  Bic  ;  the 
crew  had  lost  (everything,  and  as  in  those  nhsys  the  country 
below  Quebec  wos  thinly  populated,  they  had  to  travel  upwards 
on  foot.  Along  the  road  Ihiiv  obtained  their  food  by  begging  it 
from  the  Ficnch  Casiadian  peasantry,  and  of  course,  various 
questions  were  put  lo  them,  as  to  who  l\n\y  were,  where  they 
came  Irom,  where  they  were  going  ?  This  constant  ques- 
tioning became  troublesome  to  the  honest  tars,  who  knew 
naught  of  the  language  ol'  Louis  XIV.  The  llrst  eflorl  lliey 
made  was  to  attempt  to  say  that  they  could  not  undersland 
the  question  put,  and  in  a  very  few  days,  thie  slereolyp^d 
reply  to  all  enqu  iries,  w  as  « J'en  scais  rien.  »  «  /  don't  know.  » 
One  of  Ihem  was  rather  a  good-looking  fellow,  and  not  being 
accustomed  to  snow-shoes,  he  got  the  malderaquelle.  and  had 
to  stay  behind  :  a  weallhy  Canadian  peasant  look  pity  on  him^ 
and  admitted  him  under  his  lios|)itaV)le  roof.  Jack  was  not  long 
befoi'e  falling  a  victim  lo  the  tender  passion  ;  and  M  llle. 
Josephle,  the  daughter  of  the  h;in-^e,  havinu  sluewn  him  some 
nindtuiss  in  his  forlorn  slate,  the  gallant  liiiton  could  do 
nothing  short  of  laying  his  heart  al  her  feel. 

"  Amour,  tu  pordis  Troie  !  " 

as  old  Lafontainc  said  is  table  of  the  cocks  and  hens  ;  but  for 
Jack,  the  efleel  was  diametrically  opposite  ;  it  was  his  salva- 
tion, the  dawn  of  a  bright  future.  It  was,  however,  love  under 
difliculUes  in  the  beginning.  To  the  fail-  one's  enquiries,   the 


166 


CANADIAN   NAMKS   AND   SURNAMES. 


intorminable  reply  was  rolurned.  «  J'en  s^ais  rien.  »  Mdlle. 
Josephte  soo'i  began  to  lancy  Ihnl  the  words  sounded  musi- 
cally in  her  ears  ; — she  faceliously  christened  her  Saxon 
friend  J'ensfats  rien,  and  soon  the  cure  of  the  parish  was  called 
on,  to  pronounce  the  magical  «Conjungo  vos))  over  Mademoi- 
selle and  the  English  sailor.  The  union  of  (he  Norman  and 
the  Saxon,  >\hich  seven  hundred  years  before,  was  a  daily 
occurence  on  the  banks  of  Thames,  was  re-celebrated  on  the 
bank  of  the  Si.  Lawrence,  and  with  the  same  happy  results. 
In  the  course  of  time,  English  Jack  became  the  respected 
paterfamilias  of  a  patriarchal  circle  of  small  «Scaisriens, » 
genuine  Jean  Uaptislesin  every  respect,  except  that  Ihey  were 
handsomer  than  the  rest  of  the  children  of  the  parisli.  An 
addition  to  the  family  name  soon  took  place,  and  to  «J'en  scais 
rien,  »  was  affixed  Uie  words  dit  r Anglais,  [alias  the  Enylish- 
man.)  It  is  a  common  practice  amongst  the  French  Canadians 
to  have  this  addition,  for  inslanee  :  Talbot  dit  (I(!rvais  ;  San- 
souci  dit  L'Eveille  ;  Hhiis  dit  Lafrand)oise.  To  this  day  there 
is  a  large  progeny  of  wS^aisrien  dit  I'Anglais))  in  the  parish 
of  Cacouna.  Now,  reader,  if  1  have  made  out  my  case,  I  pi'ay 
for  a  verdict,  for,  verily,  this  is  the  lirst  mention  of  a  Know- 
Nothing,  I  find  in  history. 

There  is  a  very  worthy  N.  P.,  on  the  Island  of  Orleans,  a 
descendant  of  an  Englishman  or  Scotchman,  who^a  name  was 
Richard  somebody,  but  his  heir  has  never  been  able  to  clear 
up  the  point  ;  and  still  a  family  name  he  must  have,  by  hook 
or  by  crook  ;  so  the  Rielnid  was  made  into  Dick,  and  Mon- 
sieur le  Notaire  Jean  Dick,  son  of  Joseph  Aniable  Richard 
Dick,  is  now  known  all  over  the  island,  and  executes  deeds 
und(!r  that  and  no  olher  name.  I  do  not  believe  that  he  under- 
stands or  speaks  English  . 

A  locality  near  this  city,  Ihc  village  on  the  Si.  Lewis  Road, 
which  the  Hon,  Wm.  Shepherd,  formerly  of  Woodlield,  laid 
out,  has  undergone  several  strange  appellations. 

It  was,  of  course,  intend(!d  to  be  named  Shepherdville; 
it  did  at  one  time  bear  that  name,  under  which  several 
know  is  still  ;  a  number  of  Kiench  Canadians  having  r.etlled 
there,  considered  that  as  there  was  no  saint  in  the  calendar 


CANADIAN   NAMES  AND   SURNAMES. 


107 


[oad, 
laid 


hailing  under  the  name  of  Saint  Shepherd,  it  uas  not  right  to 
give  such  a  name  to  tlic  I'aiish  ;  however,  on  finding  out  that 
the  palish  was  nol  cnnonii'ally  eroded  hy  the  bishop,  they 
cons(3nted  to  leave  Ihe  original  name,  if  it  were  only  translated 
into  French,  and  Slieph(Md  meaning  Beiger,  why  they  would 
put  up, — iiiilil  ;<  saint  was  chosen, — with  BergervilJe  :  this 
was  considered  however^  such  a  concession  to  nnglificaiion, 
that  the  knowing  ones  suspected  that  had  not  the  Hon.  AVil- 
h'am's  ground  rent  agent  interfered,  holding  over  non-paying 
malcontents  the  fear  of  sundry  writs  of  ejectment,  the  Saxon 
name  woulii  have  been  swept  away  and  blotted  out  for  ever. 
Matters  were  going  on  smoothly  until  a  numberof  Irish,  hav- 
ing also  elected  domicile  in  Rergerville,  were  much  shocked 
at  the  liberty  the  French  Canadian  tenants  had  taken,  in 
daring  to  re-christen  Ihe  settlement;  they  were  of  opinion 
that  as  a  considerable  portion  of  Ihe  residents  would  not  bo 
out  of  place  in  St.  (iiles,  in  London,  it  might  be  more  suitable 
to  call  Ihe  place  Reggarville  (1),  and  not  liergorville;  and  just 
as  parly  denoujinaliuns  have  been  in  Fngland  in  time  of  yore, 
by-words  for  strife  between  the  rival  houses  of  York  and  Lan- 
caster, so  it  has  been  on  Ihe  estate  of  the  lion.  William,  on 
the  Saint  Louis  Road,  near  Qnebec  ! 

In  October  last  (1862),  TomEverell,  an  octogenarian  (ireen- 
wich  pilot,  died  al  Cape  Rouge,  near  Quebec.  Tom  was  well 
known  all  around  ;  he  had  many  years  before,  married  into  a 
French  Canadian  family,  andgrad  ually  lost  his  family  name  of 
Evercll ;  he  was  called  by  llu!  peasanti'v  «  Tom,  le  pere  Tom.  » 
He  left  several  numberof  children  ;  they  are  all  now  called 
Toms  :  Norbert  Tom,  Gisorge  Tom,  Ilcnrietle  Tom.  Jean  lUe. 
Tom.  As  a  comptMis.ition  to  this  loss  cf  nationality  in  his 
offspring,  a  glorious  distinilion  was  niiule  for  Ins  clues!  son, 
in  which  primogeniture  shines  Corth  ;  of  the  whole  family,  h(; 
alone,  is  allowed  to  bear  the  family  palronomicas  a  christian 


ille; 

vera  I 

Itled 

lidar 


(1)  Odd  names  seem  fashinnablo  in  thi?  viUago  ;  there  is  one  family  coraprifed 
of  nthletic  boys  ;  some  aro  very  hard  cn^eg  ;  one,  when  drunli,  combines  the 
vices  of  aU  the  re?t;  ho  is  singularly  vicious,  just  a  sliado   bettor   than   a   high- 

wayman  ;  he  goes  by  the  mime  of  i^ji-und  Pirf. ;  why  ?  i.  jcver  have  bren  able 

to  find  out.   Possibly  ,it  may  be  from    his  VieinK    supposed  to  unite   the   viooi"    of 
throe  generations  I 


168 


CANADIAN   NAMES   AND   SURNAMES. 


name  ;  Norborl  is  not  called  Tom  or  Thomas  Evcrell,  but  is 
recognised,  as  Evkrei.l  Tom. 

In  looking  over  English  periodicals,  1  find  Ihiif  the  Irnnsfor- 
malion  ol  names  is  nol.  m(>rely  coiirnied  lo  Scotchmen  in 
France,  or  lo  Englishmen  in  Canndn,  but  also  lo  Englishmen 
in  their  own  country.  The  Conihill  Magazine,  wilh  which  I 
shall  close,  Ihiis  holds  forth  : — 

«  Surnames  are  by  no  means  fully  established  in  some  parts 
of  England.  In  the  colliery  distiicts,  particularly,  hereditary 
designations  seem  to  be  the  exception  rather  than  the  rule.  A. 
correspondent  of  Knight's  Qualerly  Mayazine  say*  :  that  cler- 
^ymon  in  Stallordshire  have  been  known  lo  send  home  a  wed- 
ding party  in  despair,  after  a  vain  essay  to  gain  from  lh(^  bride 
and  bridegroom,  a  sound  by  way  of  name.'  Every  man  in 
these  colliery  fields,  it  seems,  bears  a  personal  sobri()uel, 
descriptive  of  some  peculiarity,  but  scarcely  any  person  has 
a  family  name  either  known  lo  himself  or  others.  A  story  is 
told  of  an  attorney's  clerk  who  was  professionally  employed 
lo  serve  a  process  on  one  of  those  oddly -named  persons, 
M hose  supposed  real  name  was  entered  in  the  instniment 
with  legal  accniaey  The  clerk,  after  a  great  deal  of  inquiry 
as  to  the  whiMcabouts  of  the  party,  was  about  to  abandon  the 
search  as  hopeless,  when  ayoun^  woman,  who  had  witnessed 
his  labors,  kindly  volunteered  to  assist  him.  '  Oy  say,  Bulhjcd,' 
cried  she,  to  Ihe  first  person  they  met,  '  does  thee  know  a  mon 
named  Adom  (Jreen?  The  bull-head  was  shaken  in  token  of 
ignorance.  They  Ihen  came  lo  another  man.  ^  Loy-a-hed, 
dostlhce?'  Loy-a-bed  could  not  answer  either.  Stumpij, 
(a  man  with  a  woodiMi  leg),  Cownkin,  Spindleshanks,  Cockeye, 
and  Pigtail  were  successively  consulted,  but  to  no  purpose. 
At  length,  however,  having  had  conversation  with  several 
friiMuls,  the  damsel's  eye  suddenly  brightened,  and  slapping 
one  of  her  neighbors  on  the  shoulder,  she  exclaimed — '  Dash 
my  wig!  whoy,  he  means moy  feylherl '  Then  returning  to  the 
asl(mished  clerk,  she  criiul — '  Vou  shoul'n  ax'd  for  Ode  Black- 
bird!'    So  it  appeared  that  the  old  miner's  name,  though  he 


CANADIAN  NAMES  AND  SURNAMES. 


169 


was  a  man  of  f-uhstance,  and  had  legal  battles  to  fight,  was 
not  known,  even  to  his  own  daughter.))  (9) 


lapping 
1'  Dash 
J  io  the 
iBlack- 
iigh  he 


(9)  A  very  slight  inveptigntion  hns  already  produced  a  lift  of  patronymics 
which  throw  all  Thnckory's  ideal  (mes,  grotesq^ue  and  clover  as  many  are,  into  hope- 
less distance.  In  proof  whereof,  a  correspondent  of  the  London  Titnrs  states  that 
a  friend  of  his  made  the  following  curious  selection  of  surnames  from  the  wills  in 
the  Prerogative  Court  is  Doctor's  Commons  : — Asse,  Bub,  Belly,  Boots,  Cripple, 
Cheese,  Cockless,  Dunce,  Dam,  Drinkmilke,  Def,  Fleshman  ;  Fatt,  Ginger,  Goose, 
Beaste,  Bearhead,  Bungler,  Bugg,  Buggy,  Bones,  Cheeke,  Clod,  Codd,  Demon, 
Fiend,  Funcke,  Froggo,  Ghost,  Gready,  Uag,  Humpe,  Holdwator,  Headache  ;  Jelly, 
Idle,  Knoebone,  Kidney  ;  Licie,  Lame,  Lazy,  Leakey  ;  Maypole,  Mule,  Monkey, 
Milksip,  jMudd,  Mug,  Phisike,  Pighead,  Pot,  Poker,  Poopy,  Prigge,  Pigg,  Punch, 
Proverb.  Quicklove,  Quash,  Radish,  Rurape,  Rawbone,  Rottengoose,  Swette, 
Shish,  Sprat,  Squibb,  Sponge,  Stubborne,  Swine,  Shave,  Shrimps,  Shirt,  Skim, 
Squalsh,  Silly,  Shoe,  Smelt,  Skull,  Spattull,  Shadow,  Snaggs,  Spittle  ;  Toato, 
Taylecoate  I  Villian,  Vittols,  Vile  ;  Whale. 

All  nature  seems  to  have  been  ransacked  for  the  purpose  of  producing  even  the 
abovelist,  which  is  no  doubt,  only  a  small  sample  of  that  which  s»rae  further  inves- 
tigation might  have  produced.  Earth  and  water  throw  in  their  ridiculous  contri- 
butions in  the  names  of  Asse,  Goose,  Beast  and  Gold  ;  and  the  mysteries  of  the 
unknown  world  are  represented  by  a  Shadow  and  a  Ghost.  And  Demon,  Fiend, 
uud  Ilagg,  find  also  their  nominal  representatives  on  this  upper  earth.  The  ideal 
is,  however,  by  no  means  alone  drawn  on,  for  wo  find,  in  a  auspicious  juxtaposi- 
tion— Jugs,  Punch,  Headache — This  combination,  it  must  be  conceded,  is  rational 
enough. 

The  History  op  Canadian  Geographical  Names. 

{ByJohi  Iteade.) 

"  Colonists  have,  moreover,  in  all  times  been  accustomed  to  call  their  new 
homes  after  the  scenes  whore  their  early  years  were  spent.  Of  this  mode  of  no- 
menclature, we  have  numerous  instances  in  the  settlements  made  by  the  Greeks 
and  Romans,  as  well  as  in  the  colonics  of  England  and  other  modern  Euroj)can 
nations.  The  name,  in  such  cases,  was  a  tender  bond  of  union  with  the  mother 
country,  besides  possessing  a  considerable  historical  value. 

In  many  cases,  a  place  took  the  name  of  its  discoverer,  as  Hudson's  Bay,  Van- 
couver's Island;  in  others,  it  was  called  after  some  event  or  personage  of  which 
the  day  and  month  of  its  discovery  bore  record;  as  tlie  St  Lawrence,  first  seen  on 
the  9th  day  of  August ;  the  St.  John's  river.  New  Brunswick,  discovered  on  the 
24th  of  June;  or,  it  was  named  from  the  weather,  or  some  other  transitory  cir- 
cumstance impressing  the  discoverers  on  fiist  seeing  it,  as  Cape  of  Storms,  Baio 
des  Chalours;  or  from  some  sovereign  or  other  groat  personage  directing  thepa»ty 
of  exploration ;  or,  in  honor  of  some  person  of  distinction  wholly  unconnected  with 
it — as  Virginia,  Baltimore,  Quoun  Charlotte's  Island,  Rupert's  Land.  The  na- 
tural configuration  or  the  first  object  which  attracted  observation,  or  some  aoni- 
modity  evidently  abundant,  or  some  obviously  marked  characteristic,  were  also 
frequently  productive  of  names,  as  Bay  Ronde,  Cap  Cod,  Mosquito  Bar,  Mariposa 
(California  "Butterfly  "),  Pearl  Island,  Serpent's  Mouth,  Tierra  del  Feugo  (land 
of  fire—  .'canic),  Blue  Mountains,  Isle  of  Desolation,  Isle  of  Bacchus  (the  Isle 
of  Orleni.a,  first  so  called  from  its  vine   productiveness),  Puntas  Arenas  (Sandy 


170 


CANADIAN    NAMES   AND   SIRNAMES. 


Point),  Florida  &a.  Biblical,  classical  or  fancy  names  have  also  been  frequently 
oin[iI(iyo(l,  ai  Salom,  Goshen,  Utica,  Syracuse,  Amaranth,  Avalon. 

In  nono  of  tliuso  cases,  is  tlioro  wanting*  an  interest,  if  not  a  benefit,  in  arriving 
at  a  linowledgo  of  tlie  circumstances  which  caused  or  the  motives,  which  led  to 
the  adojition  of  a  name.  We  need  mal^e  no  apology,  therefore,  for  siiondiu);  a 
while  in  seeking  the  origin  of  some  of  our  Canadian  guogra|iliical  or  topograjihioal 
names,  espouially  tlioso  which  contain  the  record  of  our  early  history, 

Tlio  names  of  jjlaoes  in  Canada  may  be  generally  divided  into  throe  classes' 
marking  three  stages  in  the  hi.story  of  the  country — the  aboriginal,  the  Frencii 
and  the  Biitish,  In  treating  of  the  subject,  however,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to 
adhere  rigidly  to  this  division,  nor,  indeed,  would  such  a  mode  of  treatment  bo 
historically  correct,  as  French  names  have  been  given  under  British  rule,  and 
Indian  names  under  the  ii'jime  of  buth  France  and  England. 

Canada,  for  instance,  was  not  used  in  its  present  signification  till  the  yonr 
]fi(57;  neither  was  Ontario,  nor  Manitoba.  If  Canada  be  an  aboriginal  wnr'i  and 
mean,  as  sumo  would  have  us  believe  "a  collcctiim  of  huts'" — iKMliiipai  the  des- 
criptive name  of  Stadacona  or  old  lloehclaga,— it  leads  us  back  to  the  very  beg- 
inning of  our  historj',  to  tlie  earliest  attemjits  at  Eunniean  ooluuizatioii  in  tliis 
part  of  the  continent.  Tliere  surely  must  have  been  some  good  reason  for  ]irc- 
ferring  Quebec  to  such  a  grandly  musical  name  as  Stadac(  na.  It  is  a  pity  that 
neither  the  latter,  nor  llnchelaga  was  brought  into  honorable  service  when  a  now 
designation  was  required  for  the  old  Province  of  Lower  Canada.  "  Kepeo  "  or 
"  Quebec  "  is  said  to  mean  a  "  strait"  in  the  Algonc^uin  dialect,  and  it  may  be 
thdt  Carkier  choose  lo  retain  it  as  indicating  the  narrowing  (jf  the  river  opposite 
Stadacona.  It  was  betiveen  the  Island  of  Orleans  and  the  Beauport  shore  that 
the  great  navigator  had  his  first  interview  with  the  Chief  Donnacona,  who  cnine 
with  twelve  canoes  of  eight  men  each  to  wish  liim  welcome.  The  village  of  Sta- 
dacona covered  the  site  of  the  suburbs  of  St.  Koch's  and  in  part,  of  St.  John's, 
and,  perhaj)?,  as  the  forts  which  formed  the  nucleus  of  Quebec  were  some  (;is- 
tance  from  it,  the  latter  name  came  to  be  adopted  by  the  French  settlers  ;  and 
when  the  city  was  formally  founded  in  1608,  although  Stadavona  had  then  disap- 
peared, the  rival  name  was  so  identified  with  the  new-comers  that  it  easily'  pre- 
vailed. However  that  bo,  it  is  certain  that  the  name  of  Quebec  has  won  its 
share  of  renown.     In  the  minds  of  strangers,  it  is  the  tyjiical  city  of  Canada. 

Wo  still  preserve  the  name  of  the  Iroquois,  and  r'uoriatiuns  of  which  they  were 
composed— the  Oneidas,  Tuscaroras,  Onondagas,  .^enecas  and  Cnyugas;  also,  of 
the  0  ttawas,  Chippowas  and  Missassaugas,  the  Fries  and  the  Ilurons,  the  Min- 
gans,  Nipissings  and  tribes.  In  Manitoulin,  we  have  enshrined  the  iiiumory  of 
their  primitive  faith  in  the  (treat  Spirit.  In  Gaspd  (Lands  End's),  Mackinaw 
(Great  Turtle),  Ontario  (Beautiful),  Saskatchewan  (Swift  Current),  and  many 
uihor  names  of  rivers,  lakes  and  localities  are  condensed  their  exact  or  figuriitive 
descriptions  of  external  nature.  AVith  the  exception,  however,  of  the  names  of 
Brant  ('fyondinaga),  Tocumseth  and  Poniiac  which  are  preserved,  the  Indians 
names  of  places  possess  littlo  known  historical  importance.  To  the  philologist, 
they  present  a  large  and  interesting  field  for  research  and  comparison. 

The  Indian  name,  "  Baccalaos  "  (cod-fish)  would  seem  to  have  boon  given  to  a 
part,  if  not  the  whole,  of  the  Island  of  Ne^^' •midland,  at  the  date  of  its  discovery 
by  John  Cabot.  In  a  corrupted  form,  it  is  still  given  to  a  small  island  (Bacaliou) 
otf  the  extremity  of  the  peninsula  between  Conception  and  Trinity  Bays.  The 
navigator  above  mentioned  called  the  Island  of  Newfi)undland  "Prima  Vista" 
as  being  the  land  first  seen  by  him.    For  the  same  reason  it  was  called  Kew- 


CANADIAN   NAMES   AND  SURNAMES. 


Mi 


frequently 

n  arriving 
liich  led  to 
gpoiidinf;  u, 
(igrajihieul 

rec  classes' 
:hc  Froncli 
oeosBiiry  to 
eatiDont  bo 
h  rule,  imJ 

1    the  y  j!ir 
111  wor'i  iinJ 
iji*  tlio  iks- 
0  vtry  lip;^- 
itiipii  in  this 
r-Miu  Cur  [iro- 
,s  a  pity  tliat 
wlu'ii  a  ni:w 
'  Ktiiec"  <ir 
id  it,  iiKiy  1)0 
ivor  (ijijiiisilo 
t  sliDVu   ttiat 
a,  wlu>  oamo 
lago  I  if  Sta- 
f  St.  John's, 
ro  Fomo  i!is- 
ttlers  ;  and 
tlicn  disap- 
It  easily  pro- 
las  won  ita 
iiiiada. 
h  they  vrcro 
lis  ;  also,  of 
IS,  the  Min- 
■liifniory  of 
Maclvinaw 
,  and  many 
•  figuriitive 
e  names  of 
ho  Indians 
hiliilogist, 


given  to  a 
|s  discovery 
5acaliou) 
Says.  The 
Ima  Vista" 
lalled  New- 


foundland, and  it  was  also  named  St.  John's,  from  having  been  discovered 
on  the  24th  of  June,  the  festival  of  John  the  Baptist.  In  a  manuscript  of 
the  time  of  Ilonri  VII.  in  the  British  Museum,  it  is  mentioned  as  the  "  New 
Isle."  There  are  traditions  of  sottlonicnts  made  by  Icelanders  or  Norwegians  in 
the  tenth  and  following  centuries,  and  by  thorn  it  is  said-to  have  been  designated 
"  llelluland." 

Conception  Bay  received  its  jiroscnt  name  from  Qaspar  Cortercal.  Besides  the 
Cafaots — John  and  Sebasti.in — the  Cortereals  and  Verazznni,  Jaenues  Cnrtior,  Sir 
ilumpliri-y  Oilbert,  Martin  t'robi.slior  and  Sir  Francis  Drake  took  a  greater  or  less 
interest  in  its  early  colonization.  Carlier's  jircsence  is  still  recorded  in  the  name 
"  Bonavista  "  (fine  view),  which  his  delight  with  the  scenery  induvjed  hiin  to  give 
to  the  portion  of  the  island  which  bears  that  name.  Sir  Walter  llaloigh  also  had 
a  shiire  in  tlie  scheme  of  settlement,  the  niaragoiiiont  of  which  was  undertaken 
by  iii.s  step-brotlier,  Gilbert.  He  v  <is  obliged,  through  illness,  to  return,  after 
the  little  squadron  had  set  .sail,  and  Gilbert  wa.s  drowned  off  the  Azores  on  the 
homeward  Voyage.  Tlie  city  of  St.  John's  recoids  the  eventful  day  when  the 
coast  of  Newfoundland  was  first  seen  by  John  Cabot. 

The  name  of  the  first  French  viceroy  of  Canada  sursives  in  a  little  village  or 
parish  in  the  County  of  (  liicoiitimi.  Tlio  Sieur  de  Koberval  received  his  commis- 
sion as  early  as  the  year  15  Id.  It  wa.s  at  St.  John's,  Tsewioundland,  that  he  and 
Cartier  met,  while  the  latter  was  returning  to  Franco.  In  1549,  lie  and  his  brother 
and  their  whole  ileet  wore  lust  on  tlieir  way  to  Caiiiida. 

If  there  were  any  danger  of  Canadians  forgetting  Champlain,  tliey  would  still 
be  reminded  of  him  in  tlie  county  ajnd  lake  which  bear  hi»i  name.  The  River 
Richelieu,  which  carries  tlio  superfluous  waters  (if  Lake  Champlain  to  the  St. 
Lawrence,  was  known  to  liim  as  the  river  of  the  Iroquois.  In  the  contests  bet- 
ween the  French  and  the  savages,  the  country  watered  by  this  river  was  long  the 
chosen  ri.-aili'z-niian  of  both  combattants.  M.  do  M"iitiii,igiiy,  who  succeeded 
Champlain,  after  a  brief  interval,  called  it  tlio  Richelieu,  after  the  distinguished 
ecclesiastic  and  statesman  of  that  name.  It  subsequently  re  •eived  tho  names 
of  Sorel  and  Chambly,  fioiii  two  ofiioors  of  the  Carignan  Iteginieiit,  but  these 
names  were  afterwards  given  to  forts,  iiiid  that  of  llichelicu  respired.  The  forts 
in  question  were  res])ectively  Fort  Richelieu  anil  Fort  St.  Louis,  now  Sorel  and 
Chambly.  The  Chevalier  .Moiitmagiiy  was  (as  far  as  the  Indians  are  concernci) 
the  eponymous  govciiiur  of  Canada,  for  it  was  liy  an  Iinlian  tnuslatiun  of  his 
name,  "Onontio  "  or  "  (ircat  .Mountain,"  lUul  .ill  his  successors  were  designated 
by  tie  native  tribes. 

Iberville,  a  county  in  the  province  of  Quebec,  recalls  the  name  of  a  distinguish- 
ed -Montrealer,  Pierre  LeMoyne  D'Ibervilla,  a  famous  naval  olficer  in  the  reign  of 
Louis  XIV.  He  laid  the  foundation  of  a  colony  in  Louisian.i,  and  his  bnither 
founded  the  city  of  New  Orleans.  The  county  and  town  of  Joliette  preserve  the 
name  of  another  distinguished  Canadian,  a  (juebecquoi*,  Louis  Joliette,  who  wa.-f 
chosen  by  Frontenac  to  accompany  Father  Marquette  in  his  exploration  of  the 
Mississippi.  As  a  reward  for  liis  .service.",  he  received  a  grant  of  the  island  of 
Anticosti,  a  metathesis  for  the  Indian  Natiscoti,  and  was  made  hydrcgraplmr  to 
the  king.  The  Due  de  Montmorency  has  left  his  name  in  a  county  and  in  tho 
beautiful  and  celebrated  river  and  falls  near  Quebec.  lie  was  the  friend  of  Cham- 
plain;  for  opposition  to  the  go-crnnicnt  of  Richelieu,  ho  was  executed  in  l(i.i2,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-seven.  Frontenac,  Vaudrouil  and  Boauharnois,  three  of  tho  most 
able  and  energetic  of  tho  French  Governors  of  Canada,  are  also  honored  in  the 
names  of  Canadian  counties,  as  are  also  Bishop  Laval,  Generals  .Montcalm  and 
De  Lovif,  Cardinal  Richelieu,  Charlevoix  and  other  celebrities  nf  the  old  rOjimt. 


172 


CANADIAN  NAMES  AND  SURNAMES. 


In  Carloton  County  and  Carleton  PI  loe  wo  celebrate  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  as  in 
Dorchester  wo  cominoinorate  the  titular  reward  of  his  well-used  talents.  In 
Cramahe,  Northumberland  Co.,  wo  hjnor  his  sometiino  succosaor,  and  General 
Ilaldimand,  Governor  Hamilton,  Governor  IIopo,  General  Presoot,  Sir  G.  Drum- 
mond.  Sir  J.  C.  Shorbroolio,  the  Duko  of  Richmond,  the  Earl  of  Dalhousie,  Sir 
James  Kempt,  Lords  Aylmor,  Qosford,  Durham  and  Sydenham  are  all,  more  or 
less,  localized  in  the  Provinces  of  Ontario  and  Quebec.  The  glories  of  the  horoio 
Brocl{  are  suggested  by  Broclcville.  Wo  have  the  history  of  Parliamentary  ropro- 
Bontdtion  in  Upper  Canada  in  the  name  of  Lake  Simcoe  ;  for  the  first  Parliament 
of  that  Province  was  opened  at  Newark,  or  Niagara,  by  Lieut. -Governor  John  G. 
Simcoe,  on  the  I7th  of  SepCember,  1792;  in  tho  counties  of  Elgin  and  Bruce  and 
the  village  of  Kincardine  ;  in  the  latter  wo  record  the  important  administration 
of  Lord  Elgin,  forgetting,  it  is  to  bo  hoped,  its  bitter  associations.  Sir  Charles 
Bagot  has  a  county  named  after  him,  Sir  Edmund  Head  a  township,  and  Sir 
Francis  Bond  Head  a  village. 

Halifax  was  so  named  in  honor  of  Lord  Halifax,  who,  at  tho  time  of  its  settle- 
ment by  Lord  Cornwallis,  in  1749,  was  President  of  the  Board  of  Trade  and  Plan- 
tations. Annapolis  (forti.?Hy  Port  Royal)  was  so  called  by  General  Nicholson, 
who  took  it  from  the  French  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anno.  Cape  Breton  tells  us 
that  its  early  settlers  were  chiefly  from  Brittanny.  Louisbourg  was  called  after 
tho  French  King,  Louis  XIV,  in  whose  reign  it  was  founded.  Princo  Edward's 
Island  was  named  after  the  Duke  of  Kent,  father  of  tho  Quoon  Victoria,  its  for- 
mer namo  having  been  St.  John's.  A  less  successful  change  was  that  of  Sorel 
into  William  Henry,  after  the  sailor  princo  William  IV.  The  origin  of  Nova 
Scotia  is  manifest.  Now  Brunswick  was  so  called  in  compliment  to  the  new  lino 
inaugurated  by  George  I. 

The  name  of  tho  first  Governor  of  New  Brunswick  is  preserved  in  Carleton, 
County  of  Kent,  and  Saumarez..  Blissvillo  and  Blissfield,  Harvey,  Manners,  and 
Sutton,  recall  other  gubernatorial  names. 

Indian  names,  of  a  longuage  different  from  any  found  in  Ontario  or  Quebec, 
perhaps,  Micmac,  abound  in  the  Maritime  Provinces.  Restigouche,  which  forms, 
in  part,  the  boundary  between  New-Brunswick  ana  Quebec,  is  said  to  moan 
•'  finger  and  thumb,"  a  name  given  from  the  supposed  resemblance  of  the  river 
and  its  tributaries  to  an  open  hand.  In  the  beginning  of  its  course  (for  150  miles 
or  so)  the  St.  John's  is  called  the  Wallooshtook,  or  "Long River."  The  Bay  of 
Fundy  is  a  corruption  of  the  French  "  Fond  do  la  Baio  "  which  is  found  on  old 
maps.  The  old  namo  of  Liverpool,  N.  S.,  was  Rossignol;  it  was  so  called  after  a 
French  adventurer  of  that  name,  and  has  no  association,  as  one  might  suppose, 
with  nightingale. 

In  Middlesex  County,  Ontario,  wo  discover  an  obvious  scheme  of  adopting  a 
eonsistent  English  nomenclature.  Wo  have  London,  Westminster,  St.  Pauls,  tho 
Thames;  but  such  a  plan  can  hardly  ever  succeed.  New  settlers  bring  with 
thom  new  associations,  and  the  old  charm  is  broken. 

In  the  County  of  Hastings,  Ontario,  we  have  a  repertory  of  history,  litteraturo, 
•cionoo  and  tradition,  in  Tudor,  Elzevir,  Wollaston,  HcrschLl,  Farady  and  Madoc, 
while  Limerick,  Carlow,  Mayo,  Dungannon  and  Cashel  have  the  full  flavor  of  tho 
"Emerald  Isle."  Ameliasburg,  Sophiasburg  and  Marysburg,  all  in  tho  county 
of  Prince  Edward,  seem  like  a  family  group.  Orangeville,  Luther  and  Molanc- 
thon  indicate  the  i)olitical  or  religious  bias  of  tho  sponsors.  Lutterworth  recalls 
Wickliffo.  Blenheim,  Trafalgar,  St.  Vincent,  Waterloo  and  Sebastopool  in  On- 
tarioi  and  Tewkesbury,  Inkerman  and  Alma  in  Quebec,  remind   us  of  famous 


ton,  as  in 
tents.    In 
1  Oeneral 
G.  Drum- 
lousie,  Sir 
ll,  more  or 
the  horoio 
ury  rojiro- 
•arliamont 
or  John  G. 
Bruoo  and 
inistration 
Sir  Charles 
ip,  and  Sir 

f  its  settle- 
and  Plan- 
Nicliolson, 
;on  tolls  us 
sailed  after 
5  Edward's 
ria,  its  for- 
lat  of  Sorcl 
^in  of  Nora 
be  new  line 

in  Carleton, 
mners,  and 

or  Quebec, 

icli  forms, 

to  mean 

|of  tho  river 

150  miles 

|The  Bay  of 

und  on  old 

led  after  a 

,t  suppose, 

[adopting  a 
1  Pauls,  tho 
[bring  with 

littoraturo, 
Ind  Madoc, 
lavor  of  tho 
(tho  county 
Id  Melanc- 
rth  recalls 
lool  in  On- 
of  famous 


CANADIAN  NAMES  AND  SURNAMES. 


173 


victories.  Thers  is  a  solemn  n^arch  of  heroes  and  poets,  philanthropista  and 
statesmen,  discoverers  and  martyrs  in  Milton,  Keppel,  Collingwood,  Wellington, 
Nelson,  Albomarlo,  Hampden,  Haloigh,  Palmerston,  Pitt,  Raglan,  Russell,  Ilar- 
voy,  Franklin,  Wilberfon  o,  Stephenson,  Macaulay  and  Burleigh,  all  Upper  Ca- 
nada names,  and  in  Chath.\m,  Arundel,  Newton,  Uavelook,  Canrobert,  and  others 
in  Quebec. 

London,  Paris,  Vienna,  Berlin,  Hamburg,  New  Edimburg,  New  Glasgow, 
Dunduo,  Dumfries,  Derry,  Enniskillen,  Southampton,  Scarborough,  and  innumer- 
able other  trans-atlantic  names  found  throughout  the  Dominion,  are  convincing 
proofs  either  of  patriotic  atTection  or  want  of  originality.  Wo  sometimes  see  this 
latter  quality  running  wild  in  such  extravagances  as  Flos,  Vespra,  Artemisia, 
Euphrasia,  Eutopia,  Aurora,  Asphodel. 

Occasionally  a  name,  such  as  "  Indian,"  as  applied  to  the  American  aborigines, 
or  Lachino  (China),  gives  a  key  to  tho  motives  of  early  exploring  entreprise. 
Such  names  as  Isle  Verto,  Isle-aux-Qrues,  Ilo-aux-Noix,  Pointo-aux-Tremblos, 
are  valuable  as  giving  an  opjiortunity  of  comparing  the  present  condition  of  the 
places  to  which  they  refer  to  what  it  was  in  the  past. 

In  tho  names  of  streets,  halls,  institutes,  and  associations,  their  is  ample  scope 
for  historical  enquiry.  A  good  deal  might  be  made  of  tho  street  names  of  Mon- 
treal alone,  quite  enough  to  make  a  separate  pajier.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
Quebec,  Toronto,  Halifax  and  tho  other  ancient  cities  of  tho  Dominion.  Into  this 
part  of  tho  subject,  however,  wo  cannot  enter  now.  It  may  sut&co  if  wo  have  in- 
dicated the  way  what  is  likely  to  prove  an  interesting  and  valuable  field  of  his- 
torical research. 

Probably  but  for  the  practice,  early  begun  and  still,  to  some  extent,  continued 
in  Lower  Canada,  of  giving  Saints'  names  to  places,  we  should  have  preserved  in 
our  local  names  much  more  of  tho  history  of  the  country.  The  Province  of  Quebec 
is  a  perfect  hagiology.  The  calendar  and  Acta  Sunctorum  seem  to  have  been 
ransacked  by  our  devout  i)redecessors,  and  not  even  the  most  obscure  result  of 
oannouization  has  escaped  this  forced  service.  The  origin  of  this  custom  is  found 
in  the  fsriuation  of  paii^hos  by  the  Church  first  established  here,  the  authorities 
of  which,  very  naturally,  pui  them  under  the  protection  of  their  saints,  martyrs  and 
confessors.  But  even  these  nam's,  apart  from  the  opportunity  which  they  afford 
for  the  study  of  early  and  nudioival  ecclesiastical  biography,  have  also  an 
historical  value,  for  they  tell  us  of  the  character  and  aims  of  those  who  had  most 
to  do  with  the  early  settlement  of  this  Province. 

Vfe  must  now  bring  this  littl"  sketch  to  a  close.  Its  ohief  object  has  been  to 
Buov  to  what  extent  tho  tea-'  ag  or  study  of  history  and  geography  may  be  com- 
bined in  a  very  simpl  r.  This  method  of  instruction  is  not  unknown  in 
schijols  whore  ancient  .  Hory  and  ancient  geography  are  taught.  It  might  bo 
made  equally  interesting  with  regard  to  the  modern  and  especially  in  colonies 
like  our  own,  where  tho  names  can  bo  generally  traced  to  their  origin.  A  single 
name,  such  as  Judea,  Athens,  Cornwall,  Montreal,  Florida,  might  thus  be  made 
tho  thetue  for  an  instructive  lecture,  which  would  also  be  valuable  in  more  ways 
than  that  of  merely  conveying  information,  by  training  the  mind  in  analytic  and 
inductive  thought.     {From  New  Dominion  Monthly.^ 


THE  GRAVE  OF  GARNEAU. 


TUE  UISTORIiN. 


Under  the  shade  of  lofty  pines,  close  to  the  famed  battle-fields 
of  the  past,  in  view  of  his  native  city,  now  rests  all  that  re- 
mains to  us  of  a  noble  minded  retiring  man  of  letters.  There 
lies  a  true  son  of  Canada,  though  the  influence  of  his  writings 
was  fi'lt  far  beyond  the  limits  of  his  country.  From  the  muse 
of  history  did  he  receive  his  inspirations, — by  her,  his  name 
will  bo  inscribed  in  the  temple  of  fame  with  those  of  Pres- 
colt,  Bancroft,  Parknian,  Jared  Sparks,  Sargent,  and  other 
kindred  spirits  of  the  land  of  Ihe  West.  Like  them,  Garneau, 
will  continue  to  light  up  the  path  of  literature,  teaching  love 
of  country,  marking  out  the  path  of  duly  to  generations  still 
unborn. 

Our  author  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  task  of  historian. 
A  lover  of  labour,  painstaking  to  excess,  born  with  a  mind 
remarkable  for  its  enquiring  turn,  of  a  breadth  and  liberality 
of  views  rarely  to  be  found,  the  historian  of  Canada  was  withal 
so  retiring  that  he  uniformly  refused  tempting  olTers  made  him 
to  take  part  in  the  politics  of  the  country.  We  will  pass  over 
the  early  part  of  his  career,  marked  like  the  rest  of  his  life, 
by  concientiousness  and  the  strictest  integrity. 

It  was  in  1840  that  Mr.  Garneau,  after  having  contributed 
several  light  poetical  effusions  to  the  literature  of  Canada, 
some  of  which  grace  the  pages  of  Huston's  Repertoire  Natio- 
nal, began  in  earnest  his  great  work.  The  three  years  he  had 
spent  in  England,  France  and  Italy  had  afforded  him  unques- 
tionable facilities  by  searching  the  public  archives— in  Paris, 
especially — to  collect  materials,  new  and  reliable  for  the  his- 
tory of  the  Colony.  Later  on,  he  went  to  Albany  to  study  the 
contents  of  the  valuable  state  papers  which  Dr.  O'Callaghan, 
of  Canadian  celebrity,  had  been  charged  by  the  State  of  New 


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176 


THE  GRAVE  OF  GARNEAU, 


York  to  compile,  with  the  permission  of  King  Louis  Philippe, 

in  the  French  archives. 

• 

Several  men  of  abiHty,  since  this  country  became  an  English 
colony,  have  devoted  themselves  to  write  its  history.  The 
first  by  order  of  date,  was  Wm.  Smith,  son  of  the  celebrated 
U.  E.  Loyalist,  and  historian  of  Ihe  Province  of  New  York. 
His  history,  in  two  volumes,  appeared  in  1815.  We  may  also 
mention  the  narrative  of  Mr.  Bibaud  and  Cours  d'Histoire  du 
Canada  of  the  late  Abbe  Ferland,  the  political  history  of  Ro- 
bert Christie,  and  a  most  elaborate  work  now  in  process  of 
publication  in  Paris,  Hisloire  de  la  Colonie  FranQaise  en  Ame- 
rique  by  the  Abb6  Faillon,  late  of  Montreal,  also  McMullen's 
History  of  Canada. 

These  writers  are  entitled  to  our  gratitude  for  the  time, 
research  and  capital  expended  by  them  in  revealing  lo  us  the 
primitive  as  Lord  Elgin  called  them,  Iho  heroic  limes  of  Canada ; 
but  lo  none  of  them  has  been  awarded  by  a  grateful  country 
the  lille  of  National  Historian.  This  dislinclion  was  reserved 
to  the  late  Mr.  Garneau,  though  there  are  many  disputed  points 
treated  by  this  distinguishod  man  on  which  subsequent  writers 
will  throw  new  light.  One  of  the  most  honoural)le,  the  most 
pleasing  testimonials  conveyed  before  his  death  to  the  late 
historian  is  contained  in  the  few  following  lines  of  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  him  by  Commander  de  Belveze,  Capt.  of  the  French 
frigate  Capricieuse^  sent  to  Quebec  by  the  French  Emperor  in 
1855,  to  establish  commercial  intercourse  with  Canada  : — 
(( It  is  mainly  to  your  book,  Sir,  that  I  owe  the  honour  of  being 
this  day  in  Canada.  *****  it  forms  the  chief  basis  of  the 
official  report  I  am  preparing  for  the  French  Government  on 
the  commercial  resources  of  your  fine  country.))  In  thus 
saying  that  the  literary  labours  of  Mr.  Garneau  obtained  recog- 
nition not  only  in  America,  but  also  in  Europe,  we  are  merely 
reminding  the  reader  that  several  eminent  French  and  Ameri- 
can historians,  by  the  copious  extracts  they  made  from  them 
showed  the  value  they  set  on  the  Canadian  writer  as  a  truth- 
ful narrator  of  events.     Foremost,  let  us  mention  the  Abbe 


THE  HISTORIAN. 


177 


recog- 
icrely 
imeri- 

them 
Itruth- 

Abbe 


Ferland  (1),  Bancroft  (2),  Parkman  (3),  Sargent  (4),  O'Callag- 
han  (5),  Rameaii  (6),  Diissieux  (7),  and  last,  though  not  least, 
the  learned  and  voluminous  French  historian  Henri  Martin  (8), 
whose  noble  sentiments  we  regret  to  have  to  forego  through 
want  of  space. 

The  singular  veneration  in  which  Mr.  Garneau's  memory  is 
hold,  can  only  be  an  enigma  to  those  who,  unversod  in  the 
language  in  which  his  works  are  written,  or  acquainted  with 
them  merely  through  the  travestie  and  the  truncated  English 
version  recently  published,  cannot  therefore  understand  the 
hold  which  he  had  taken  of  the  popular  mind  amongst  French 
Canadians.  No  lines  written  by  him  will  convey  a  better  idea 
of  the  spirit  which  animated  him,  than  the  concluding  reflec- 
tions of  the  third  volume  of  the  Histoire  du  Canada,  written 
in  1849,  and  though  subsequent  events  and  especially  the 
Confederation  of  the  British  Provinces  and  the  supremacy  con- 
ferred thereby,  on  the  French  race,  in  the  Province  of  Qut^bec, 
may  alter  is  h-nrlng  with  regard  to  the  other  races,  Mr.  Gar- 
neau^s  sentime.  t  iese.ve  still  to  be  echoed  amongst  his  fellow 
countrymen.  Mr.  Garreau,  a  French-Canadian,  does  not  of 
course  forget  the  proud  race  from  which  he  sprung ;  though 
hailing  from  the  Bourbons,  he  is  unlike  them  ;  he  has  learned 
something,  he  has  learned  to  appreciate  the  wisdom  of  the 
English  constitution  ;  he  calls  on  his  countrymen  to  shape 
their  conduct  on  English  precedents,  English  parliamentary 
usages.  Hark  to  his  stirring  appeal ;  listen  to  the  sentences 
of  this  believer  in  monarchy,  at  a  time  like  the  present  when 
the  elect  of  the  people,  our  leading  statesmen,  are  striving  to 
perpetuate  monarchical  institutions  amongst  us. 

«Our  pen  has  written  the  history  of  some  French  emigrants 
landed  at  the  most  northern  part  of  North  America,  there  to 
build  up  the  destinies  of  their  offspring.  Like  leaves  detached 
from  their  parent  tree,  the  winds  have  blown  them  to  a  new 

(1)  Coun  d'Hiatoire  du  Canada.  (2)  History  of  the  United  Statei.  (3)  His- 
tory of  the  oonspiraoy  of  Pontiao.  (4)  The  History  of  an  expedition  against 
Fort  Dnqnesne  in  1765,  under  Mi^or-Oeneral  Braddook.  (5)  Histoiy  of  New 
Ketherland.  (6)  La  France  anx  Colonies.  (7)  Le  Canada  sons  la  domination 
Fran^aise.    (8)  Histoire  de  France. 

17 


178 


THE  QBAVB  OF  GABNEiU, 


world,  to  be  tossed  about  by  a  thousand  storms  ;  the  baneful 
breath  of  barbarism, — the  scourge  of  mercantile  greed, — the 
tempest  caused  by  a  crumbling  monarchy — the  storm  of 
foreign  subjugation.  Scarcely  a  few  thousand  souls,  when 
this  last  disaster  befel  them,  they  ought  now  not  lo  be  too 
bitter,  against  their  ancient  mother  country,  since  the  loss  of 
this  noble  colony  was  one  of  the  decisive  causes  of  the  (French) 
revolution  ;  the  world  knows  what  dire  vengeance^  this 
polished  and  proud  nation  sought  at  the  hand  of  ail  those  con- 
nected directly  or  indirectly  with  the  Ministry  who  abandoned 
Canada  to  its  fate  in  the  hour  of  danger. 

« Notwithstanding  Canada's  past  trials,  a  few  hundred 
French  colonists,  (we  fear  being  guilty  of  exaggeration  in  saying 
a  few  thousand),  had  reached,  at  ''^e  era  of  the  conquest,  to 
tho  figure  of  60,000,  a  population  small  in  numbers  fur  an 
European  State.  To-day  (in  1849),  after  ninety  years,  these 
figures  have  reached  700,000,  and  the  tree  has  branched  out 
of  its  own  accord  and  without  external  help — strong  in  its  faith 
— strong  in  its  nationality. 

a  During  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  this  small  community 
has  done  battle  against  the  New  England  colonies,  thirty  or 
forty  times  more  numerous,  without  receding  a  step,  and  the 
pages  of  this  volume  show  what  its  conduct  has  been  on  the 
battle  field. 

Though  neither  affluent  nor  rich,  this  people  has  proved  that 
it  still  retains  something  of  the  great  nation  who  gave  it  birth. 
Ever  since  the  cession  (1763),  without  listening  to  the  captious 
arguments  of  the  would  be  sages,  to  the  dicta  of  those  writers 
who  obtain  the  ear  of  men  in  large  cities,  the  nation  has  built 
its  politics  on  self-preservation,  the  only  true  basis  of  national 
policy.  She  ha^  concentrated  herself  in  herself ;  she  has  ral- 
lied all  her  children  round  her,  fearing  to  drop  a  usage,  a 
thought,  nay,  shall  we  even  say  a  prejudice,  venerable  by  age, 
io  spite  of  the  scoffs  of  neighbours. 

«  The  result  has  been  that  down  to  the  present  day  the 
nation  has  preserved  its  faith,  its  language ;  nay,  more,  a  foot- 
hold for  England  in  America  in  1775  and  1812.  This  result, 
though  pernicious  it  may  appear  to  the  extension  of  the  Ame- 


TBI  niSTOBIAIf. 


170 


rican  Republic,  has  not  been  Accompanied  with  Uie  ieqaence 
it  might  have  entailed.  The  banner  of  monarchy,  floating  on 
Cape  Diamond  at  Quebec,  has  compelled  the  young  republic  to 
be  grave,  to  act  with  prudence,  to  expand  gradually,  and  not 
to  rush  headlong  like  a  fiery  steed  in  the  desert.  The  resiult, 
we  say,  has  been  that  the  United  States  have  become  great^ 
a  living  example  to  the  whole  world. 

«  The  Canadians  are  to-day  an  agricultural  people,  living  in 
a  severe  climate.  Theirs  are  not  the  elegant  and  luxurious 
wa  s  of  the  men  of  Southern  climes ;  theirs  is  not  that  idiom 
—the  offspring  of  a  light,  inexhniistible  nature,  unknown  in 
the  high  latitudes  of  the  globe.  But  they  have  in  their  charac- 
ter,  earnestness  and  perseverance.  They  have  shown  it  since 
they  are  in  America,  and  we  are  convinced  that  whoever  will 
read  the  history  of  this  people,  in  a  spirit  of  justice  and  good 
faith,  will  confess  it  has  shown  itself  worthy  of  the  two  great 
nations  to  whose  destinies  it  has  been  or  is  still  linked.  Nor 
could  it  have  been  otherwise  without  being  recreant  to  its  ori- 
gin. Hailing  from  Normandy,  from  Briltanny,  from  Touraine, 
and  from  Poitou,  the  race  descends  from  those  who  marched 
behind  William  the  Conqueror,  and  who  striking  subsequently 
deep  roots  in  England,  helped  to  make  of  that  small  island  one 
of  the  greatest  amongst  nations.  The  race  comes  from  that 
France  w.iich  heads  European  civilization  since  the  fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire — that  country  who,  in  her  bright  or  in  her 
dark  days,  is  always  respected ;  who,  under  her  Charlemagne, 
as  well  as  under  her  Napoleon,  dared  to  challenge  in  fight,  eo- 
alescod  Europe  ;  but  chiefly  has  the  race  sprung  from  that 
Vendee  of  Normandy,  of  Britlanny,  of  Anjou,  whose  un- 
bounded devolioiis  to  the  objects  of  her  roynl  or  religious 
sympathy  will  ever  command  respect ;  whose  admirable  cou- 
rage will  ever  wreath  in  glory  the  flag  which  it  has  raised 
admidst  the  French  revolution. 

«  Let  the  French-Canadians  be  true  to  themselves;  let  them 
be  prudent  and  persevering  ;  let  them  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the 
dazzling  novelties  of  social  or  political  theories.  They  are  not 
strong  enough  to  venture  alone  and  carve  out  for  themselves 
a  new  course.    They  can  acquire  fresh  liberty  sufficiently  in 


180 


THE  GRiVE  OF  GARNEAU, 


their  sphere.  For  us,  a  portion  of  our  strength  comes  from 
our  traditions  :  let  us  depart  from  them,  but  slowly.  We  will 
find  in  the  annals  of  the  metropolis;  in  the  history  of  England, 
good  examples  to  follow.  If  England  should  be  great  to  day, 
she  too  has  had  to  encounter  awful  storms,  foreign  conquest 
to  overcome,  religious  wars  to  subdue,  and  a  thousand  other 
troubles.  Without  pretending  to  a  similar  destiny,  wisdom 
and  union  amongst  us  will  soften  many  trials,  and,  in  awake- 
ning interest  towards  us,  they  will  render  our  cause  more  holy 
in  the  eyes  of  nations. » 


^1 


ADDRESS  OF  THE  HON.  P.  J.  0.  OHAUVEAU. 
[From  the  Quebec  Gazette,  Friday,  September  27th,  1867.] 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  the  15th  instant,  the  translation  of 
the  remains  of  the  late  Mr.  Garnuau,  from  the  private  vault,  in 
the  Belmont  Cemetery,  Ste.  Foye,  near  Quebec,  where  they 
had  been  deposited  last  winter,  to  the  recently  finished  tomb 
provided  for  them  by  public  subscription,  took  place,  in  con- 
formity with  the  public  notice  given  by  the  acting  President  of 
the  Committee,  J.  M.  LeMoine,  Esquire.  The  concourse 
of  persons  present  must  have  exceeded  3,000,  amongst 
whom  were  many  leading  citizens,  Judges,  Barristers,  and 
others.  The  burial  service  was  chaunted  by  the  Rev.  Messire 
Auclair,  Cure  of  Quebec,  and  the  ceremony  was  inaugurated 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Lieul.-Governor  of  Quebec,  who 
was  present  with  his  stafi  and  with  several  members  of  his 
Cabinet.  The  religious  portion  of  the  ceremony  being  over, 
the  Premier,  the  Honorable  P.  J.  0.  Chauveau,  standing  un- 
covered at  the  head  of  the  tomb,  gave  utterance  in  French  to 
the  following  eloquent  oration,  on  the  career  of  his  old  and 
true  friend,  the  gifted  historian  of  Canada.  Everything  seemed 
favorable  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  peculiar  duty  devolving  on 
the  honorable  speaker.  The  beauty  of  the  surrounding  woods, 
blazoning  with  the  bright  hues  of  September  ;  the  pensive 
quietness  of  the  Sabbath,  amidst  the  many  quiet  tombs  ;  the 
historical  memories  clustered  round  this  old  battle-field  of 


TBE  HISTORIAN. 


ISl 


ss  from 
^e  will 
(igland, 
to  day, 
)nq(iest 
d  other 
wisdom 
awake- 
)re  holy 


1 

lation  of 
irault,  in 
BFc  they 
ed  tomb 
I  in  con- 
ident  of 
ncourse 
imongst 
rs,  and 
Messire 
gurated 
}c,  who 
s  of  his 
ig  over, 
ing  un- 
ench  to 
)ld  and 
seemed 
ing  on 
woods, 
pensive 
s  ;  the 
iGeld  of 


1760,  so  graphically  described  in  the  works  of  both  Mr.  Gar^ 
neau  and  Mr.  Chaiiveau,  and  on  which  now  stands  the  new 
cemetery  of  Belmont ;  the  sweet,  though  mournful  office,  of  a 
man  of  letters  delegated  by  his  countrymen  to  honour,  in  a 
departed  friend,  another  man  of  letters — a  good  citizen — a 
true  patriot :  every  object  combined  to  prepare  the  heart  for 
soft  emotions.  Mr.  Chauveau's  beautiful  discourse  has  been 
rendered  in  elegant  English  by  a  young  barrister  of  this 
city,  John  O'Farrell,  Esquire,  for  whom  such  a  task  was 
in  verity,  a  labour  of  love.  (It  was  delivered  m  presence  of 
Sir  N.  F.  Belleau,  then  recently  named  Lieutenant-Governor 
for  the  Province  of  Quebec.) 

«  Your  Excellency  and  Gentlemen, — We  are  gathered 
around  the  grave  of  a  friend,  a  compatriot,  a  writer  whom 
any  country  might  well  be  proud  of, — a  man,  in  fine,  wholly 
devoted  to  our  own  beautiful  Canada.  In  bidding  a  last  farewell 
to  his  remains,  we  are,  it  seems,  but  fulfilling  a  pious  duty, 
not  to  ourselves  alone,  but  to  the  country  at  large. 

«  A  beautiful  and  patriotic  thought  it  was,  the  execution  of 
which  even  before  you  had  attained  the  fiist  dignity  of  our 
new  Province,  it  was  your  happy  lot  to  preside  over, — that  of 
nursing  the  fame  of  one,  who,  of  all  things,  gave  his  foremost 
thoughts,  to  the  glory  of  his  country. 

«  The  name  of  Frangois-Xavier  Garneau  is  known  wither- 
soever the  name  of  Canada  has  reached  ;  his  fame  is 
inseparable  from  the  fame  of  our  country  :  it,  therefore, 
would  have  been  a  very  regretful  event,  if  the  man,  who  had 
raised  for  our  native  land  its  most  splendid  monument,  had  no 
urn  on  that  soil  whose  beauties  he,  the  poet,  erstwhile  sang, 
and  whose  heroes,  he,  the  historian,  gave  to  fame. 

« Whether  as  poet,  traveller  or  historian,  Fran<?ois-Xavicr 
Garneau  was  alike  a  man  of  initiative  courage,  heroic  perseve- 
rance, indomitable  will,  disinterestedness  and  sacrifice  of  self. 
One  fixed  idea,  or  better  still,  a  great  mission  to  be  accom- 
plished had  seized  possession  of  his  soul ;  to  that  mission,  he 
gave  up  heart,  mind,  wealth,  health,  all  in  fine.  That  great 
task,  his  work,  was  a  national  monument  to  be  raised,  com- 


182 


THE  GBAVB  Of  6AMBAU, 


pleter],  retouched,  and  embellished  when  completed  ;  there^ 
in  his  eyes,  his  whole  life  centred. 

«  At  that  work,  Gentlemen,  he  toiled  beneath  the  midnight 
lamp,  without,  however,  encroaching  on  his  other,  morehumble, 
labors.  In  him,  were  united,  so  to  speak,  two  natures,  the 
one,  given  tohumble,  yetgraveand dirficult  occupations  follow- 
ed for  a  livelihood,  the  other  devoted  to  Fatherland,  Letters, 
the  Muses  aid  History  ;  and,  as  a  rare  incident  even  among 
the  rarest,  these  two  natures  were,  in  some  sort,  derived  the 
one  from  the  other,  and  almost  without  extraneous  aid.  Pos- 
sessed of  the  most  simple  rudiments  only  of  primary  instruc- 
tion, he  acquired,  preserved  and  perfected,  both  that  practical 
knowledge  required  of  the  bank- clerk,  the  notary  and  the 
municipal  officer,  and  that  literary  and  philosophic  training, 
which  goes  to  make  up  the  thinker  and  the  writer.  What  greater 
example  can  there  be  of  the  power  of  the  will  of  man  ?  What 
more  beautiful  lesson,  what  greater  teaching  can  be  bequeathed 
to  the  youth  of  our  country  ?  It  was  not  given  to  Mr.  Garneau, 
though  he  ardently  desired  it,  to  follow  a  collegiate  course  of 
study,  and  yet,  how  many  are  there,  who,  even  with  that 
poweiful  aid,  have  uiiderlaken  and  accomplished  a  task  the 
like  of  his?  Undoubtedly,  his  was  a  rare  ability,  a  rare  genius; 
but,  is  there  not  reason  to  fear,  that  many  intellects,  as  great 
as  his,  sustained  even  by  the  great  powers  derived  from  a 
regular  education  procured  at  will,  have  been  lost  to  society 
by  that  listlessness,  that  cowardly  subserviency  to  the  vulgar 
passions  so  frequent  and  so  brimful  of  devastation  around  us  ? 

« In  that  respect,  the  work  your  Excellency  has  been  pleased  to 
preside  over,  is  not  only  a  good  deed ;  it  is  a  beautiful  example. 
To  youth,  we  would  say:  « Canada,  like  other  countries, 
« begins  to  appreciate  works  of  intellect,  and  soon,  let  us 
(chope,  as  our  own  historian  in  one  of  his  eloquent  pages 
« has  said  :  A  time  tcill  comey  when  full  justice  shall  he 
«  dealt  out  to  those  toho  may  have  made  sacrifices  for  the  most 
a  beautiful  of  the  causes  tchich  can  engross  the  attention  of 
«  society. » 

a  Meanwliile,  let  us  not  require  each  one  to  undertake  so 


TBI  mSTORUM. 


183 


there, 

idnighl 
umble, 
es,  the 
follow- 
jetters, 
among 
ved  the 
.    Pos- 
nslruc- 
raclical 
ind  the 
raining, 
t greater 
I  ?  What 
ueathed 
iarneau, 
ourse  of 
ith  that 
ask  the 
genius; 
s  great 
from  a 
society 
vulgar 
ndus? 

iased  to 
(ample, 
mtries, 

let  us 

pages 

ihall  he 

\e  most 
lion  of 

lake  so 


great  a  work  ;  let  us  merely  say  to  all :  mDo  him  but  justice, 
by  reading  and  meditating  on  his  admirable,book. 

«  You  will  there  be  told  of  the  birth  and  growth  of  that  new 
nation,  which,  step  by  step,  advances  towards  her  allotted 
place  at  the  banquet  of  humanity.     There  you  may  witness 
Cartier  planting  the  lily-covered  cross,  by  the  margin  of  the 
river  which  flows,  beyond  there,  at  our  feet ;  you  will  also 
see  there  a  horde  of  bleeding  phantoms,  those  wandering 
tribes,  whose  destiny  it  was  to  yield  their  place  to  us.   There, 
you  may  look  on  Champlain  pitching  his  tent  beneath  those 
trees,  some  of  which  but  lately  sheltered  parts  of  that  great 
historic  city  we  have  just  left  behind  us, — Laval  casting  in 
Iheso  precincts  that  precious  sued  since  ripened  into  so  many 
benefits  for  us. — Mary  of  the  Incarnation  and  her  companions 
chaunting,  amidst  their  youthful  neophytes,  their  canticles 
beneath  the  double  and  awe-inspiring  vault  of  a  primitive 
forest  and  a  beautiful  Canadian  sky, — Maisonneuve  and  his 
brave  comrades  founding,  in  the  heart  of  (he  Iroquois  country, 
that  prodigious  colony  of  Montreal, — Mdlle  Mance and  Sister 
Bourgeois  penetrating  with  equal  intrepidity  into  those  inhos- 
pitable regions, — Frontenac,  at  length,  inspiiing  the  savage 
hordes  with  terror,  and  repelling  with  undaunted  courage  the 
fleet  of  Admiral  Phipps.     Then,  you  will  see  glide  past  you, 
that  long  train  of  French  gentlemen  and  peasants,  who  were 
our  sires,  those  hardy  pioneers  ever  ready  to  exchange  the  hoe 
and  plough  for  the  sword  and  guq,  those  gay  and  brave  adven- 
turers, donning  Indian  garb  and  customs  among  the  Indians, 
gliding  like  them  in  their  rapid  skiffs,  and  viuing  with  them  in 
skill  and  courage ;  those  intrepid  missionaries,  those  heroic 
martyrs,  those  pious  women,  and  also  those  h<>roines,  (hose 
Joans-of-Arc  of  our  history,  the  de  Verch^res  and  the  Dru- 
courts.  You  will  hear  the  recital  of  all  those  great  expeditions 
of  our  forefathers  ;  Lasalle  and  Joliette  discovering  the  Mis- 
sissipi ;  Bienville,  at  the  other  extremity  of  this  continent, 
founding  New  Orleans  ;  Rouville  and  his  followers  sacking 
New  England  ;  Nicolet  and  La  Yeyranderie  discovering  the 
vast  regions  of  the  West ;  De  Beaujeu  falling  with  Braddock 
on  the  batlle-fleld  of  the  Monongahela,  just  as  it  was  reserved 


184 


THB  GRAVE  OP  OARNEAU, 


for  WoKc  and  Montcnlm  to  perish,  ot  a  later  day,  beneath  our 
ramparts ;  Ibni'villo,  b«)aring  aloft  our  victorious  standard  from 
Mexico  to  Hudson's  Bay  ; — and  you  may  well  exclaim :  «  This 
«  whole  continent  has  been  but  one  vast  theatre  on  which  our 
«  sires*  exploits  have  bei^n  performed ! »  And  then, — after 
those  lengthened  struggles,  those  ever  recurring  wars,  that  long 
series  of  trials  of  every  kind,  famines,  epidemics,  fires,  mas- 
sacres, ill-administration,  insufflcient  immigration,  assistance 
no  sooner  promised  than  refused,  reverses  born  with  patience, 
but  of  an  occurence  too  frequent  for  the  honor  of  France  and 
the  success  of  the  colony, — the  momentous  day  shall  come, 
that  day  of  the  final  agony,  the  last  catastrophe,  when  New 
France,  exhausted  in  men,  provisions  and  munitions,  invaded 
on  every  side,  by  sea  and  land,  by  armies  and  fleets,  ever  van- 
quished, ever  re-appearing,  shall  extend  her  arms  in  vain  for 
a  succouring  hand  from  Old  France  ;  then  it  is,  that,  soaring 
with  his  subject,  the  Historian  shall  well  recount  lo  you  the 
last  misfortunes  and  the  last  triumphs  of  that  old  white  flag, 
with  the  golden  lilies,  on  the  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  He 
will  relate  to  you  the  courageous  efforts  of  the  Acadians,  strugg- 
ling to  the  very  last  hour,  and  finally  dispersed  over  this  con- 
tinent ;  he  will  shew  you  Louisbourg,  that  Quebec  of  the  Gulf, 
resisting  nobly  against  the  superior  forces  of  Wolfe,  and  even- 
tually succumbing,  the  victim  of  an  error  kindred  with  that 
which  caused  the  fall  of  our  fortress  ;  then  Montcalm  con- 
quering so  gloriously  with  an  inferior  force,  first  at  Carillon, 
and  once  again,  but  a  few  weeks  only  before  the  taking  of 
Quebec,  upon  those  tall  cliffs  of  Beauport,  where  Levis,  Juche- 
reau  and  Bourlamarque  so  well  seconded  his  bravery.  And, 
finally,  after  that  great  battle,  where  the  two  heroes,  the  Briton 
and  the  Gaul,  fell  together,  when  Quebec,  battered  by  cannon, 
shall  be  but  one  vast  ruin,  he  will  tell  you,  with  legitimate 
pride,  of  the  last  triumph  of  the  French  and  of  our  ancestors, 
that  last  victory  won  by  the  Chevalier  de  L^vis  over  General 
Murray,  on  the  very  ground  we  tread,  that  final  tahleau  of  the 
conquest,  and  which  he  was  the  first  to  bring  out  in  high  re- 
lief and  dedicate  to  posterity. 
«  Bowing  respectfully,  as  did  our  sires,  to  the  decrees  of 


TUB  UISTORIAN. 


185 


i>ath  our 
ird  from 
:  ((This 
hich  our 
I, — after 
that  long 
es,  mas- 
ssistanco 
patience, 
ance  and 
11  come, 
len  New 
invaded 
jver  van- 
I  vain  for 
,,  soaring 
you  the 
hitc  flag, 
nee.    He 
|s,  strugg- 
lis  con- 
he  Gulf, 
nd  even- 
vilh  that 
m  con- 
arillon, 
aking  of 
Juche- 
And, 
e  Briton 
cannon, 
gitlmate 
ceslors. 
General 
u  of  the 
igh  re- 

srees  of 


Providence,  he  will  once  more  resume  with  courage,  almost 
with  serenity,  the  recital  of  anoth(>r  struggle,  less  hioody,  hut 
not  less  interesting.  He  will  exhibit  to  you  Murray  and  Car- 
Icton  following  that  noble  advice  of  Virgil,  u  Parcere  mbjectis 
et  debellare  superbot, »  recognizing  the  merits  of  the  vanquished 
and  protecting  them  against  ignoble  porsccutors — England 
often  halting  between  the  coimscis  of  partiality  and  (hose  of 
justice  ;  Dambourges  and  the  Canadians  saving  Quebec  in 
1775  ;  Salaberry  driving  Hampton  back  in  1814,  at  the  close 
of  that  long  tyranny  of  Craig  ;  the  fidelity  of  our  countrymen 
placed  beyond  suspicion  ;  that  great  Bishop,  I'lessis,  teaching 
the  victors  to  respect  the  rights  of  religion,  and  saying  to  the 
Civil  Power :  « Thus  fur  shall  thou  go,  and  no  farther  !  w 
finally,  the  constitutional  liberties  granted  in  1791,  slowly 
developing  themselves  despite  the  efloils  of  an  oligarchy.  With 
what  tenderness,  not  unmixed  with  veneration,  has  he  not 
sculptured  those  grand  figures  of  that  parliamentary  struggle  : 
DeLotbini^re,  Panet,  Bedard,  Taschereau,  the  two  Papineaus, 
the  two  Stuarts,  Neilson,  Vallieres,  Viger,  Bourdages,  Lalon- 
taine,  Morin,  and  those  other  defenders  of  our  liberties  ? 

«  Then  coming  to  new  catastrophes,  at  the  close  of  another 
rule,  with  what  patriotic  fervor  has  he  not  related  the  sanguin- 
ary denouement  of  that  resistance,  at  the  close  of  which  the 
true  British  constitution  was  granted  us^  though  under  circums- 
tances so  replete  with  diftlcully  and  even  danger  to  us?  Hence 
it  isj  that,  in  reference  to  the  epoch  in  which  we  live,  what 
looks  of  anxiety  and  jealous  fears  for  our  nationality  he  cast 
upon  our  future  / 

((That  magnificent  work,  in  which,  to  borrow  from  his 
elegant  biographer  an  expression  that  struck  me,  « a  patriotic 
shiver  runs  through  its  every  page, »  soars,  in  its  first  volumis 
more  especially,  almost  to  the  level  of  the  highest  inspiration. 
A  fact  easily  explained :  our  History  is  worthy  of  an  epos,  and 
our  first  Historian  was  a  poet  above  all  things. 

«Yes,  he  was  a  poet ;  and  the  poet  it  was  who  impelled  the 
traveller,  created  the  Historian.  The  poet  it  was,  who,  dream- 
ing of  other  skies,  of  other  shores  than  those  he  had  admired 

so  much,  felt  smitten  with  the  desire  of  travelling  through 

18 


186 


THE   r.RAVE  OF  CARfltAU, 


America,  nnd  or  soeing  o  portion  of  that  old  Europe  which  was 
(hen  so  far  away  from  u.^.  A  glance  at  the  interesting  narra- 
tive h(;  has  given  us  of  his  lrnv(>lH,  siifdces  to  assure  one  that 
h<!  viewed  \«i(li  a  noble  jeolousy  the  glory  of  the  two  great 
nations  (o  which  the  inhal)ilants  of  Canndn  owe  their  existence, 
and  that,  while  he  was  not,  unmindful  of  our  past  and  of  our 
future,  he  admired  their  monuments,  and  said  within  himself: 

«<  If  I  may  not,  as  has  \M\i\\  dune  here,  engrave  on  brass  the 
combats  of  our  ancestors,  still  may  I  inscribe  them  on  the 
page  of  History  !  »  The  literary  and  patriotic  aspirations  which 
he  ninjady  felt,  became  so  many  realities,  in  presence  of  the 
great  men,  of  the  great  deiMls  of  the  old  woild  ;  the  love, 
tempered  with  fear,  that  hi;  fell  for  his  country — that  love, 
mellowed  by  sadness,  shrouded  in  dark  misgivings,  received  a 
fresh  impulse  from  hearing  Nemcewiecz  sing  the  woes  of 
Poland,  and  0'Cunn(3ll  thund  r  ni^aiust  the  wrongs  of  Ireland. 

«  His  work  was  not  writltMi,  as  many  olliors  have  been,  to 
gratify  a  passing  whim,  or  to  build  up  a  reputation  ora  fortune. 
It  was  a  great  imdiM'taking,  the  ntliabilitalion  of  a  whole  race, 
in  its  o\Mi  eyes,  and  in  the  eyes  of  other  races.  He  sought, 
above  all,  to  obliterate  the  insulting  terms  of  «  conquered 
race  »  and  «  vanquis^lied  people.  »  He  aimed  at  shewing  I  hit, 
considering  th(^eireunistances  of  the  struggle,  our  defeat  was 
morally  equivalent  to  a  victory.  Men  of  other  races,  destined 
to  inhabit  with  us  this  vast  and  magnificent  country,  shall  one 
day  thank  him  for  having  placed  truth  in  the  fullest  light :  for 
having  removed  unjust  prejudices,  for  having  made  us  their 
equals  in  our  eyes  and  in  theirs,  and  for  having,  by  Ihatmeans, 
given  one  pledge  the  more  for  (hat  harmony  so  essential  to  the 
fulfilment  of  our  common  destiny. 

a  Bound  in  ties  of  friendship  with  able  and  patriotic  writers, 
who  had  preceded  him,  with  untiring  seekers,  friendly  to  our 
history  and  its  antiquities,  he  planted  with  them  the  roots  of 
O'tr  budding  literature.  Soon  he  found  himself  surrounded  by 
competitors,  and  even  by  rivals.  To  him,  nevertheless,  belongs 
the  merit  of  initiative,  the  crown  of  the  first  triumph. 

«  At  the  expense  of  his  vigils  and  of  his  health,  of  his  rest, 
of  that  wealth  which  he  might  have  amassed  so  readily,  he 


TUK  UIHTORIAN. 


187 


which  was 
ng  narra- 

onu  that 

two  great 

existence, 

nd  uf  our 

II  himself: 

brass  the 

m  on  the 

ions  which 

ice  of  the 

the  love, 

that  love, 

received  a 

)  woes  of 

f  Ireland. 

!  heen,  to 

a  fortune. 

Iiolo  race, 

0  sought, 

conquered 

wing  Ihit, 

("feat  was 

,  destined 

shall  one 

ight :  for 

us  (heir 
lalmeans, 
dial  to  the 

ic  writers, 
lly  to  our 
roots  of 
unded  by 
s,  belongs 

> 

his  rest, 
ladily,  he 


bequeathed  to  us  very  great  things  ;  not  the  leust  of  which  are 
our  self-respect,  our  exalted  love  of  country,  and  faith  in  our 
destiny.  Assuredly,  we  had  given  him  but  liltitt  in  return,  had 
our  gratitude  been  limited  to  this  monument,  so  simple  and 
withal  so  touching,  (hough  still  so  insufflcient,  and  had  not  a 
grander,  a  more  benidiful,  and  imperishable  monument  been 
raised  to  him  in  (he  memory  of  a  whole  people. 

«  Wo  bewail  the  death  of  great  men ;  but  for  (hem,  more  than 
for  others,  is  it  not  well  that  this  miserable  life,  with  all  its 
reverses,  its  acts  of  injustice,  and  its,  at  least,  apparent  ca- 
prices, should  one  day  have  an  end  ?  For,  on  that  day,  be;;ins 
the  period  of  a  great  reparation. 

«  Their  glory  ascends  on  high  ;  higher  and  liigh(T  it  rises, 
like  unto  those  marvellous  edifices  which  the  Iravoller  sees 
overtopping  cilies,  as  he  leaves  them,  and  lo«es  sight  of  all 
that  surrounds  them. 

«  Succeeding  generalions  learn  theirnames,  and  repeat  them 
with  air«>c(ion  ;  and.  of  all  the  (urmoil,  the  ambidous  views, 
the  pre(entions  and  the  intrigues  of  socie(y,  (he  only  thing  thai 
remains  is  a  few  modestand  calmreputalioiis,  as  much  thought 
of  after  death  as  they  wore  neglecled  during  life. 

«  But  such  is  human  justice  ;  posteiily  has  its  caprices,  its 
forgetfulness,  its  unjust  disdain.  At  times,  in  the  memory  of 
nations,  as  in  (hat  of  individuals,  an  Egyptian  darkness  reigns. 
Times  breathes  his  mists  on  the  vast  ocean  of  ages,  and  rolls 
ulong  the  surface  the  dark  and  impenetrable  fog  of  forget- 
fulness.    *************** 

«  Alas  !  Gentlemen,  if  a  voice  of  higher  authority,  if  a  mi- 
nister of  religion  were  now  addressing  you,  he  would  lell  you 
of  another  immortality,  as  high  above  all  human  glory  as 
Ueaven  is  above  Earth  ! 

«  "We  may  not,  it  is  true,  diveinto  the  mysteries  of  that  other 
hfe  ;  but  faith  has  taught  us,  that  our  voices  may  yet  reach 
there,  that  prayer  does  not  ascend  in  vain  to  Heaven,  borne 
fhither  on  the  incense  that  ha^  just  mingled  with  the  tears  we 
have  shed  over  the  grave  of  a  friend,  that  the  strong  tieswhich 
bind  humanity  in  one  are  not  severed  by  death.  Thatadmirable 


r 


188 


THE  GRAVE  OF  GARNEAU, 


trilogy  of  the  Ciiurch  militant,  the  Church  suffering  and  the 
Church  triumphant,  which,  were  it  not  a  dogma,  might  yet 
have  been  the  most  beautiful  of  philosophical  conceptions,  and 
which,  by  linking  in,  one  world  with  another,  dispels  dark 
terror  and  sh(>ds  upon  the  dreadful  transition  the  mild  light  of 
iiope,  kindind  by  faith  and  kept  alive  by  charity. 

«  Our  friend  was  ^'ood,  retiring,  upright,  and  devoted  ;  his, 
was  a  christian  death  ;  hence  may  we,  with  confidence,  ad- 
dress to  him,  in  that  other  and  belter  country,  our  fond  fare- 
well. 

a  Adieu,  my  friend,  adieu,  in  the  name,  firstly,  of  our  pro- 
tracted friendship,  in  memory  ofthose  dear  gossipings  wherein 
you  loved  so  much  to  dwell  upon  the  future  of  our  own  dear 
Canada  !  Adieu  and  thanks  !  Thanks  for  the  fine  sentiments 
you  have  caused  to  germinate  within  onr  souls,  thanks  for  the 
good  you  have  done  onr  youth  ;  thanks  for  your  great,  your 
sublime  examples  ! 

«  Adieu,  in  the  name  of  that  family  to  whom  you  bequeath 
so  beautiful  a  name  ;  adieu,  in  the  name  of  those  you  loved  so 
well ! 

«  Adieu,  in  the  name  of  your  country.  Enjoy  in  peace, 
enjoy  your  two-fold  immortality.  In  the  midst  of  those  great 
destini(  s  now  expanding  before  her,  Canada  shall  not  forget 
you  ;  the  rival  races  which  surrounded  you,  shall  learn  from 
youi-  works  to  love  our  ancestors,  and  will  claim  a  share  of 
our  glorious  inheritance. 

«  Rest,  then  I  Happen  what  may  to  our  country,  our  beloved 
nationality  shall  never  deplore  the  want  of  defenders.  Thus 
much  we  promise  you,  in  the  name  of  this  youth,  this  reflective 
assembly  grouped  around  your  tomb.  And  then.  Heaven  is  no 
prison  !  This  homage,  paid  to  your  memory,  reaches  you  ; 
does  it  not  ?  Of  those  beautiful  sentiments  which  you  have 
sown,  you  will  behold  the  germination,  the  expansion  and  the 
development.  From  the  heights  of  immortality  you  shall  soar, 
beneficent  spirit,  above  our  nationality.  For,  thanks  to  holy 
prayer,  already  have  you  been,  or  soon  you  will  be,  greeted 
above  there  by  your  sire,  that  good  old  Canadian,   who, 


THE  HISTORIAN. 


189 


and  the 
light  yet 
ions,  and 
els  dark 
[|  light  of 

ed ;  his, 
nee,  ad- 
nd  fare- 

our  pro- 
i  wherein 
wn  dear 
iiitimenls 
ks  for  the 
lat,  your 

bequeath 
loved  so 

n  peace, 
se  great 
)t  forget 
rn  from 
hare  of 

beloved 
Thus 
eflective 
en  is  no 
s  you  ; 
Du  have 
and  the 
ill  soar, 
to  holy 
greeted 
,   who, 


with  his  handy  {{)  shaking  from  age,  yourself  have  told  us, 
pointed  out  to  you  the  scene  of  the  last  exploits  of  our  sires  ;  by 
that  father  who  gave  you  the  example  of  courage  and  of  indus- 
try ;  by  that  mother  so  good  to  you,  so  discreet,  so  virtuous  ; 
by  that  Mother  of  all  Catholics,  that  other  mother  of  ours,  her, 
whose  name  was  ever  rising  to  your  lips  during  the  trials  of 
your  cruel  malady  ;  by  all  those  Canadian  heroes  whose  deeds 
you  bi'ought  to  light.  You  never  knew  any  other  than  the  holy 
joys  of  home,  the  austere  pleasures  of  study,  the  peaceful 
triumphs  of  literature  ;  your  happiness  and  your  glory  should 
be  proportioned  to  your  sacrifices 

«  Here  your  remains  shall  rest,  beneath  this  tomb,  on  this 
battle-field,  which  you  made  famous,  and  nigh  unto  that  other 
monument,  which  you  had  the  joy  of  seeing  raised  to  our 
heroes  amidst  those  great  works  of  the  Creator,  which  you 
knew  so  well  how  to  appreciate.  Those  lofly  pines  around 
shall,  in  honor  of  you,  preserve  their  dark  verdure,  and 
our  winter  birds  (2),  the  subject  of  one  of  your  poetic  effusions, 
will  flock  above  your  tomb  and  gracefully  warble  there. 
Those  wandering  lights  of  our  (3)  northern  sky,  that  have  also 
been  noted  in  your  song,  shall  group  themselves  above  you  in 
crowns  of  many  colors.  The  remains  of  the  heroes  who  sur- 
round you,  shall  mayhap  start  at  the  vicinity  of  yours  ;  the 
last  aborigines  (4),  whose  plaintive  wailings  you  reproduced, 
shall  wander  around  this  precinct  ;  you  shall,  no  doubt,  hear 
strange  sounds,  and  again  you  will  say,  as,  in  your  harmonious 
verses,  you  once  said  — 

"  Perfide  illusion  au  pied  de  la  colline, 
C'esl  Vacier  du  fauchcur  !  " 

This  gathering,  filled  with  religious  emotion,  shall  pass 
away  ;  silence  shall  reign  here  ;  night  shall  fall  ;  but,  for 
you,  silence  and  night  shall  never  be  with  our  souls  ! 

Farewell,  once  more  !  Farewell  ! 

(1)  In  aUusion  to  the  naval  engagement  between  the  Englinh  and  French 
frigates,  in  May,  1760,  opposite  to  St.  Augustin,  and  witnessed  by  Mr.  Qarneau's 
grandfather,  a  native  of  that  parish. — (Eu.  Q.  Q.) 

(2)  Ze»  Oiteaux  Blanct  : 

(3)  h'Hivtr;  (4)  Lt  Dernier  Uuron,  (For  these  pieoes,  see  Reptrtoir* 
National.') 


a 


CANADIAN  HOMES. 


We  have  many  little  Edtai, 

Scattered  up  and  down  our  dalei ; 
We're  a  hundred  prettjr  hamleti, 

Nestling  in  our  fruitful  ralet  | 
Here  the  sunlight  lores  to  linger, 

And  the  summer  winds  to  blow ; 
Here  the  rosy  spring  in  April 

Leapetb,  laughing  from  the  snow. 

(bt  bkh  bbooki.) 

In  the  detached  papers  which  constitute  the  Maple  Leaves, 
it  has  been  our  aim,  amongst  other  things,  to  place  before  the 
render  the  early  history  of  Canada,  with  its  peculiar  institu- 
tions in  a  light,  readable  form — ever  and  anon  delineating 
men  and  events  under  their  representative  aspect — as  types 
and  exponents  of  epochs.  Luc  de  la  Corne  St.  Luc,  redolent 
of  the  memories  of  Carillon,  was  exhibited  as  the  stalwart 
defender  of  the  soil — true  to  his  country  under  the  rule  of  the 
Bourbons,  not  deserting  it  when  foreign  conquest  inaugurated 
a  new  regime ;  on  the  contrary,  taking  an  active  part  in  poli- 
tics, and  in  war,  under  General  Burgoynein  1776.  The  youthful 
and  self-sacrificing  Commander,  Dollard  des  Ormeaux,  shone 
forth  in  his  true  colours  in  1660 — a  verilable  Leonidas — the 
bulwark  of  Canada  against  Indian  ferocity. 

D'lberville,  the  Cid  of  New  France,  becomingly  typefied  the 
proud  era  when  lion-hearted  Frontenac,  reigning  in  solitary 
grandeur  at  the  ChAteau  St.  Louis,  warned  off  summarily 
Admiral  Phipps  and  all  such  invaders.  BreboeufandLalemant, 
wending  calmly  their  steps  through  trackless  forests,  to  cull 
the  laurels  of  martyrdom  on  the  fertile  banks  of  Lake  Simcoe, 
fittingly  portrayed  that  epoch  of  religious  enthusiasm  and 
ascetic  devotion  which  characteiized  the  seventeenth  century 
in  some  of  the  French  Colonies.  Representative  men  to  be 
found  everywhere  in  our  writings.  Following  on  the  same 
course,  we  purpose  here  depicting  the  home  surroundings  and 


192 


CANADIAN  HOMES. 


aspirations  of  a  progressive  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest 
feudal  houses  of  Canada — one  who  traces  back  to  the  four- 
teenth century,  as  calculated  to  open  out  unexplored  vistas  in 
the  history  of  the  Colony. 

POINTE  PLATON. 

One  balmy  afternoon  in  September,  \  868,  found  me  cosily 
seated  next  to  a  friend,  Fred.  0.  *  *  *  *  * ,  on  the 
upper  deck  of  the  little  steamer  Etoile,  en  route  for  Pointe 
Platon,  thirty-six  miles  higher  up  than  Quebec.  Rapidly  indeed 
did  steam,  wind  and  tide  waft  us  past  the  numerous  ships  in 
the  harbour,  amongst  which  loomed  out  several  men-of-war  ; 
first,  the  French  Corvette  D'Estrees,  next  H.  B.  M.  Paddle 
Steamer  ^aracou(tt,  commanded  by  courteous  Captain  Beavan, 
(1)  the  screw  gunboat P^iYome/,  the  majestic  Con^ifance,  Capt. 
Bourgoyne  (2) and  last,  the  pondeious (Iron-clad)  Royal  Alfred, 
Admiral  Sir  Rodney  Miindy — «  li  itons  amongst  minnows.  » 
On  we  shot,  under  the  overhanging  crags  of  Cape  Diamond, 
close  to  the  mossy  heights  of  dear  old  SilKjry,  just  then  don- 
ning their  gorgeous  russet  suit  of  autumn.  Soon  we  reached  the 
entrance  of  the  Cap  Rouge  river,  taking  in  at  one  glance  the  Cap 
Rouge  Dock  Company's  solitary  piers — and  calling  on  memory 
to  unveil  the  works  of  the  pass — huts,  forts,  towers,  earth- 
works, such  as  crowned  Charlesbourg  Royal  in  those  by-gone 
days  when  the  intrepid  St.  Malo  Mariner  wintered  there 
in  1340-41.  This  name  his  fellow  contryman,  Roberval 
changed  eighteen  months  afterwards,  in  1542,  into  France 
Roy,  in  honour  of  his  sovereign,  Frances  I.  How  graphically 
are  these  same  localities  described  in  Cartier  and  Jean  Al- 
phonse's  quaint  narratives  wrilfeu  more  than  throe  centuries 
ago  !  One  can  recognize,  to  this  day.  Cap  Rouge  and  St.  Au- 
gustin,  by  the  luxuriant  wild  wines  which  cluster  on  the  shores, 
and  the  undulating  green  meadows  and  serpentine  stream 
«  which  windeth  to  the  north, »  without  forgetting  the  forests 


(1)  Since  dead. 

(3)  Cape  Finisterre  reeently  law  the  sturdy  commander  of  the  iU  fated  turret 
■hip,  OiPTAiir,  disappear  with  600  brave  men  under  the  bilows  of  the  Baj  of 
Biaoay. 


POIKTE  PI.ATON  HOUSE. 


103 


of  oaks  and  pines  which  line  the  top  of  Cap  Roiii^c,  where 
stands  «  RedcIyfTe, »  the  seat  of  Joseph  B.  Forsyth,  Esq.,  and 
founded  by  Henry  Atkinson,  Esq.,  about  1820. 

In  a  few  minutes,  we  are  abreast  of  the  little  pointe  at  Saint 
Augustin,  where  sank  the  ill  stared  f^leamer  Montreal,  on  the 
26lh  June,  1857,  a  seething  mass  of  flames,  consigning  to  a 
watery  grave  some  two  hundred  human  beings,  whose  groans 
of  anguish  and  despair,  before  taking  the  fatal  plimge,  the. 
survivors  will  long  remember.  Nor  must  we  forget  as  we  steam 
past,  to  salute  Saint  Aus^ustin,  the  parish  which  gave  birth  to  the 
ancestors  of  ihct  historian  of  Canada,  F.  X.  Garneau.  Further 
up  a  few  miles,  Pointe  aux  Trembles  nestles  close  to  the  river's 
edge,  reflecting  its  shining  church  spire  far  across  the  blue 
waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  From  this  identical  spot  in  April, 
1760,  an  exciting  spectacle  was  witnessed  by  the  grand  father 
of  our  historian,  from  his  cottage  windows, — the  unequal  con- 
test of  the  French  Frigate  L  Alatanle,  commanded  by  Capt. 
de  Yauclain,  against  the  English  men-of-war  sent  to  destroy 
and  sink  the  French  ships. 

Next,  stands  in  bold  relief  at  the  entrance  of  the  river 
Jacques  Carlier,  the  blulT,  whereon  had  been  erected  in  1759, 
a  large,  solid  earthwork,  or  fort,  now  completely  destroyed, 
in  which  Levi's  jaded  squadrons,  after  their  hurried  flight  from 
the  camp  at  Beauport,  rested  their  wearied  limbs,  on  the  14th 
of  September  of  that  eventful  year — dispirited  but  unsubdued 
braveSy  longing  to  be  led  again  against  the  traditional  enemy, 
and  scenting  in  the  dislance  the  splendid  victory,  which  awaited 
them  on  the  Saint  Foye  heights,  on  the  28th  April  following.  A 
very  few  aci'es  to  the  east  of  this  Cape,  and  uncovering  at  each 
tide,  we  noticed  a  well  known  land  mark,  la  rorhed  Jacques 
Carlier,  on  which  Baquevilh;  de  la  Potherie's  boat  was  stranded 
in  1698,  and  whereon  according  to  him  and  to  Charlevoix, 
Jacques  Cartier  himself  came  nigh  finding  a  watery  grave, 
though  other  historians  and  Jacques  Cartier's  own  narrative, 
are  silent  as  to  this  latter  circumstanc(^ 

On  we  sped  on  the  bosom  of  the  famed  river,  until  the  pic- 
turesque horse-shoe  projection,  Pointe  Platon  was  in  view  : 

loud  sounds  the  steam  whistle,  and  the  Etoife  hugs  closelv 

10 


194 


CANADIAN  HOMES. 


Iho  wharf.  Three  hundred  and  thirty-four  years  ago,  from 
this  time  (1869)  day  for  day,  another  craft  carrying  the  desti- 
ni(?s  of  New  France,  VEmwillon^  Jacques  Cartier,  Commander 
of  40  tons  burthen,  was  spreading  her  while  wings  to  the 
breeze,  opposite  this  same  point,  then  known  as  Achelacy.  Gap- 
tain  the  Right  Honourable  Admiral  Cartier,  as  a  Cockney  ex- 
quisite once  persisted  in  styling  him,  tell  us  in  his  Diary  (pag<) 
40)  that  he  was  here  met  by  a  grand  Seigneur  du  pays,  who 
by  dint  of  « words,  signs  and  ceremonies  »  slrived  to  inform 
him  that  the  river  higher  up  was  dangerous  on  account  of  rocks 
and  rapids. 

It  was  our  friend's  good  fortune  and  our  own  to  be  welcomed 
rn/.obya  grand  Seigneur  du  pays,  who  neither  bywords,  signs, 
nor  ceremonies,  cautioned  us  ai,'ninst  ntlempting  the  rapids  or 
rocks  of  the  Richelieu,  (as  our  voyago  of  discovery,  unlike 
Jacques  Cartier's,  was  not  to  extend  further)  but  on  the  con- 
trary made  us  welcome  to  his  hospitable  manor,  and  for  the 
night  and  ensuing  day,  there  did  we  sojourn. 


POINTE   PLATON   HOUSE. 

The  time  was,  when  the  Province  of  Quebec  could  count 
many  old  manors,  whose  loop-holed  and  massive  stone  walls 
had  been  designed  as  much  to  protect  their  inmates  against 
maraudering  Indians,  as  they  helped  to  furnish  warm  lodgings 
during  January  frosts,  or  cool  letreats  pending  July's  tropical 
heats.  Of  this  class  was  the  old  manor  house  of  Beauport  (a 
portion  of  which  is  still  standing  south  of  Col.  Gugy's  residence). 
When  recently  sold,  it  was  remarked  that  for  two  hundred 
years,  it  had  been  in  the  occupation  of  the  warlike  race  of  the 
Duchesnays.  Cap  Sante,  Ste.  Marie,  Beauce,  Montmagny, 
have  also  their  old  seignioral  hails,  but  they  cannot  without 
repairs  hold  out  very  long  against  all-devouring  time.  Probably 
the  most  extensive  structure  of  this  kind  was  that  of  the  Baron 
of  Longueil — at  Longueil. 

On  reference  to  history  we  find  that  it  comprised  a  dwelling, 
armed  tower,  bakery,  brewery,  &c.  ;  all  these  old  piles  were 
located  less  with  an  eye  to  the  picturesque,  than  for  the  safety 
of  the  seignior  in  times  of  war,  and  war  was  the  order  of  the 


POIHTB  PLATON  HOUSE. 


195 


day  in  that  remote  period,  and  for  the  general  convenience  of 
the  cmsitaires  in  their  intercourse  with  the  Lord  of  the  Manor. 
Pointe  Piaton  House  does  not  belong  to  that  age.    It  is  a  mo- 
dern structure :  the  site  having  been  selected  by  I  he  respected 
father  of  its  present  occupant  solely  for  its  natural  beauty  : 
some  six  hundred  acres  of  corn  fields,  with  here  and  there 
groves  of  maple,  oak   and  fir.    Properly  speaking,  it  lies 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  populous  seigniory  of  Lotbinii^re, 
owned  by  its  occupant.    Three  cultivated  plateaux  descend 
from  the  heights  of  land  to  the  level  of  the  St.  Lawrence  ;  on 
the  centre  one,  stands  Pointe  Plutun  House — a  commodious, 
airy  dwelling — in  a  H  form,  looking  towards  the  St.  Lawrence. 
It  is  surrounded  by  ample  double  verandahs,  with  maple  leaves 
neatly  carved  or  fretted  iu  the  wood  work.     In  rear,  and  hid 
by  young  firs,  pine  and  mnple  trees,  stand  the  billiard-room, 
out-houses,  stables,  giainaries  in  which  are  stored  flax,  hemp, 
and  tobacco ;  the  cultivation  of  which  the  proprietor  has  taken 
much  pains  to  introduce  amongst  the  farmers — the  specimens 
of  each  exhibited  to  uf  were  of  marvellous  size.    In  front  of 
the  house,  is  a  sloping  lawn,  intersected  with  flower-beds,  and 
crowned,  directly  in  front  of  the  dwelling,  with  a  terraced  flower 
garden  separated  from  the  lawn  by  an  embankment,  surround- 
ed by  an  evergreen  hedge,  with  an  inner  zone  of  sweet  briar. 
'  A  perfect  warren  of  tame  rabbits,  some  erect  on  their  hind 
legs  are  trying  to  nibble  with  their  pink  lips,  the  buds  of 
the  forest  trees — others,  sunning  themselves  on  the  lawn  or 
gambolling  under  the  bushes  give  a  peculiarly  animated  ap- 
pearance to  this  portion  of  the  domain  ;  adjoining,  is  the  or- 
chard, fruit  and  vegetable  garden  ;  also  a  new  vinery,  which 
bids  fair  to  furnish  shortly  its  annual  tribute  of  ambrosial 
fruit ;  the  whole  skirled  by  a  tiny  lake,  fed  by  some  unseen 
perennial  springs ;  in  the  centre,  a  diminutive  green  islet  oflers 
a  refuge  to  yonder  quacking  squad  of  Aylesbury  ducks,  now 
convoyed  round  the  lake  by  a  pair  of  snow  white  Bremen 
geese.     A  wire  fence  shuts  out  from  the  «  romping  hopefuls  » 
of  the  chateau,  all  access  to  this  sheet  of  water  which  finds  its 
outlet  in  the  hill  skirting  the  garden.    From  the  house  veran- 
dah a  most  extensive  landscape  unfolds  on  all  sides.     To  the 


wm 


196 


CANAOliUI  HOMES. 


eastf  the  vast  Bay  of  St.  Croix,  expands  in  a  graceful  curve,— 
once  a  dreaded  locality  to  raftsmen,  in  their  downward  course, 
on  the  timber  cribs,  in  the  dark  days  when  steamers  lent 
them  not  their  aid.  To  the  west,  the  Parish  of  Cap  Sante  set- 
tles down  to  the  water's  edge  ;  next,  you  see  Portneuf  and  its 
spacious  temple  of  R.  C.  worship,  the  massive  pile  overshad- 
owing the  many  surrounding  roofs — like  a  mother  watching  over 
the  welfare  of  her  young.  Six  miles  further  to  the  east,  another 
sprightly  village,  Pointe  aux  TrembleSy  shoots  up  its  glit- 
tering spire.  In  the  full  blaze  of  the  setting  sun,  to  the 
west  of  the  dwelling,  sits  a  small  rustic  bower  with  a  flag- 
staff, crowning  a  blufl'  or  pointe,  known  as  Pointe  a  PapineaUy 
it  having  been  a  favourite  resort  of  the  Nestor  of  our  states- 
man, Hon.  Louis  Joseph  Papiiieau,  when  formerly  he  made 
his  annual  visit  to  Pointe  Platon  House,  in  the  days  of  the 
father  of  the  present  possessor. 

In  our  thousand  and  one  rambles  over  mountain  and  glen, 
many  a  gorgeous  panorama  has  been  unveiled  to  our  dazzled 
gaze,  in  this  our  sweet  land  of  Canada. 

Tea  :  oft  have  we  been  pleased 
To  roam  at  large  among  onpeopled  glens 
And  Monntainoui  retirements,  only  trod 
By  devious  footsteps  :  regions  consecrate 
To  oldest  time  1  and  reckless  of  the  storm 
That  keeps  the  raven  quiet  on  her  nest. 

Some  spots  in  their  hidden  beauty  seemed  exactly  as  if  they 
had  just  left  the  mould  ot  omnipotence;  fresh  in  their  perennial 
youth  and  majesty  ;  the  hand  of  man  had  altered  nor  defiled 
them.  Others  bore  in  every  lineament  the  impress  of  human 
ingenuity,  cultivated  taste,  wealth  and  embellishment.  The 
first,  in  (heir  solitary  grandeur,  we  liked  to  view,  like  altars, 
which  the  great  being  had  erected  for  his  especial  glory  ;  which 
we  could  approach  occasionally,  and  with  reverence.  The  others 
embosomed  in  rustic  loveliness,  associated  with  human  joys  and 
sorrows,  pregnant  with  family  memories,  health  producing 
health  restoring,  appeared  to  us  as  the  natural  abodes  of  men, 
far  from  the  pestilential  breath  of  the  crowded  city  ;  these 
sanctuaries  we  never  could  tire  of  seeing.  We  felt  the  better 


POINTE  HLATON  HOUSE. 


107 


frum  viewing  them — from  dwelling  in  their  midst.  Our  visit  to 
Poinle  Platoii  House  was  too  much  mingled  with  the  latter 
thoughts,  for  us  to  be  entirely  silent  on  this  score. 

Thus,  on  a  lovely  September  afternoon,  a  fe«ir  hours  berore 
sun  set,  we  stood  musing  on  the  spot  once  rendered  sacred  by 
the  presence  of  our  great  Parliamentary  Orator,  Louis  Joseph 
Papineau  ;  at  our  feet,  the  wide.,  azure  waters,  canUeum  marty 
laving  softly  the  foot  of  the  cape,  glorified  by  the  oblique  rays 
of  the  departing  orb  of  day — many  miles  of  molten  gold.  More 
than  three  centuries  ago,  a  white  peniionned  bark  was  haply 
doubling  at  the  same  hour  this  same  promontory.  What 
then,  were  the  thoughts — what  the  utterings  of  its  historic 
crew  ?  Were  they  pondering  in  their  minds  the  mysterious 
meaning  of  the  saiutiition  which  had  greeted  them :  A-ca-nada — 
There  is  nothing^  here  ?  Or  were  their  youthful  voices  making 
the  welkin  ring  with  amorous  ditties  in  honour  of  their  beloved 
King  and  master,  Francis  the  I,  the  royal  lover  of  the  beautiful 
Diana  of  Poitiers  ?  We  looked  in  vain,  in  our  reverie,  for  the 
Emerillon,  of  other  days :  aught  could  we  see,  except  the  black 
hull  of  a  Montreal  deal  bateau,  whose  lusty  sailors  wereshout- 
ing  like  Stentors,  as  they  purchased  the  anchor,  to  lake  ad- 
vantage of  the  rising  tide  : 

C'est  la  Belle  Frsii{oi8e  de  Longu6 1 

Towards  the  land,  our  eye  followed  the  successive  p/aWtu? 
which  close  in  with  the  beach ;  here  and  there,  green  meadows, 
or  fields  shorn  of  their  waving  harvest ;  to  the  east,  the  model 
barn  of  the  seigneur,  which  farmers  from  the  neighbouring 
counties  came  to  look  at,  and  wonder ;  the  last  p/a(eau  fringed 
with  lofty  forest  trees,  as  a  back-ground  to  the  scene.  Presently 
our  eye  caught  sight  of  a  horseman  cantering  in  the  direction 
of  the  manor.  It  was  the  seigneur,  whom  his  trusty  black  steed 
Corbeau,  was  carrying  homeward  from  his  daily  tour  of  inspec- 
tion of  the  farm,  where  extensive  subsoil  drainage  was  being 
carried  on .  A  few  strides  more  and  the  Laird  is  welcomed 
home,  by  la  Chatelaine  and  all  the  n  young  ho|iefuIs.  » 

Had  all  the  ancient  Canadian  seigneurs  lavished  as  much 
money  on  the  promotion  of  agriculture,  for  the  benefit  of  the 


198 


aMADlAM  BOMU. 


centitairetf  few  indood,  would  have  been  the  urfiy  hardy  enough 
to  ask  the  interference  of  tho  Legislature  against  feudal  bur- 
thens. The  Laird  of  Lotbini^re,  though  young  in  years,  hos 
already  represented  the  county  in  the  Canadian  Commons,  for 
several  Parliaments  :  a  two-fold  mandate  has  been  intrusted 
to  him  since  Confederation.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Local  and 
Dominion  Parliaments,  Chairman  of  the  Donrd  of  Agriculture 
for  the  Province  of  Quebec,  &c.  But  enough  has  been  said  to 
exhibit  progress  in  agriculture,  and  socinliy,  as  it  now  stands 
atLotbini6reand  Pointe  Plalon  ;  nay,  a  great  deal  too  much 
has  been  uttered  for  the  retiring  tastes  of  its  worthy  Seigneur. 

Henri  Gustavo  Joly,  by  his  mother,  Julie  dc  Lolbini6re,  is  a 
lineal  descendant  of  one  of  the  proudest,  wealthiest,  and  most 
distinguished  Canadian  houses,  that  of  Chartier  de  Lotbini^re. 
Let  us  open  tho  voluminous  (i)  compilation  oflheAbb^  Daniel,  a 
French  ecclesiastic,  now  residing  in  Montreal.  « This 
family,  »  says  the  learned  Abbi^,  ((connected  with  the  (French) 
families  of  Chateaubriand,  La  Rochefoucauld,  Polignac,  Mont- 
fort,  De  Vaudrcuil,  Dos  Meloises,  Soulanges,  Duchesnay,  as 
represented  amongst  us  by  the  Harwood  and  Joly,  is  one  of 
the  most  ancient  and  most  illustrious.  » 

Its  head  on  the  soil  of  Canada  was  Louis  Thcantre  Chartier 
de  Lolbini6re,  whose  first  French  ancestor  by  name  was 
Philippe  Chartier.  ((Recovcur  General  dos  Compl(;s))  in  i374. 
One  of  his  sons  became  Bishop  of  Paris — Alain,  the  fourth 
son,  was  the  most  illustrious  of  all.  He  was  Secretary  of  Slat(i 
to  Louis  VI,  who  granted  him  titles  of  nobility.  His  extraor- 
dinary eloquence  struck  so  forcibly  Margaret  of  Scotland,  the 
Queen  of  Louis  XL,  that  she  publicly  showed  him  tokens  of  her 

esteem One  of  his  sons,  Clement,  married  a  wealthy  heiress 

of  Dritanny  in  France,  Mile,  de  Chaleaubourg.  To  him  is  traced 
the  name  of  Lotbini^re  in  his  family.  Having  purchased  an 
estate  in  Maine,  called  Bini^res,  which  he  wished  to  dislin- 
,guish  from  another  which  he  owned  in  Dyonnais,  called 
Bignii^res,  he  added  the  world  Lot  to  the  name,  which  was  that 
of  a  species  of  fish  found  in  the  ponds  of  the  Chateau,  and 

(1)  EusiBR  SiviOAL,  MoKTBIAi.,  180T.— ifMlotr*  dea  OratuUs  Famillea  Frati' 
(a*«««  ({m  Canada. 


POINTE  PLATON  B0U8I. 


iOO 


'  enough 
IdI  bur- 
lars,  has 
ions,  for 
ntrusted 
lOcal  and 
riculture 
1  said  to 
w  stands 
loo  much 
Seigneur. 
ii6rc,  is  a 
and  most 
Qtbini^re. 
^Daniel,  a 
.     « This 
B (French) 
lac,  Moiil- 
esnay,  as 
is  one  of 

Charlier 
lame  was 
h  in  1374. 
ihe  fourth 
■y  of  Stale 
extraor- 
land,  tlic 
,ens  of  her 
|hy  heiress 
is  traced 
;hased  an 
to  distin- 
iis,  called 
;h  was  that 
teau,  and 


made  it  Lotbini6re.  A  few  years  subsequently,  this  domain  wai 
erected  into  a  Darony.  Clement  de  Lolbini^re  died  in  1560, 
aged  104  yoars ;  one  of  his  daughters  married  Joseph  de 
Chateaubriand,  an  ancestor  of  the  illustrious  author  of  the 
«  G^ie  du  CKrisdanisme.  »  He  liil't  three  sons,  of  whom  Alain, 
who  after  entering  the  army  and  subsequently  studying  for  the 
bar,  became  the  great  grand-fathor  of  the  founder  of  the  Lol- 
bini6re  familyin  Canada. 

Passing  over  a  portion  of  the  family  records,  we  find  in 
Canada,  about  1650,  Theantre  do  Lotbinii^re.   The  date  of  the 
concussion  of  his  seigniory  is  3rd  Nov.,  1672.  His  ability  soon 
brought  him  into  notice,  and,  ho,  was  made  a  LieuteMnt' 
General  el  Criminel  de  la  Prevoste  de  Quebec.  »    It  was  in 
1685,  that  his  son  Rdne  Chnrtier  de  Lotbini^re  obtained  the 
grant  of  the  seigniory  «  sur  la  riviijro  du  Chesne,  »  at  Lotbi- 
ni6ro,  which  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family.     This  old 
feudal  nabob  died  at  Quebec,  5th  May^   1710,  leaving  to  his 
son,  Eustache  Chnrtier  dcLolbinifsro,  extensive  territorial  pos- 
sessions. We  next  llnd  in  order  of  date,  as  his  successor,  Mi- 
chel Eustache  Gaspard  de  Lotbini^re,  a  distinguished  officer 
of  Engineers,  who  was  intrusted  with  the  building  of  Fort 
Carillon  (Ticonderoga).  He  distinguished  himself  at  the  memo- 
rable battle  of  Carillon,  whore  (Jeneral  Abercromby  with  some 
sixteen  thousand  men  was  repulsed  by  Montcalm  at  the  head  of 
less  than  one-fourth  of  that  number.  His  services  procured  him 
a  title  of  «  Chevalier  de  St.  Louis,  »  and  he  was  made  a  Mar- 
quis. When  these  honours  were  pouring  on  him,  he  was  the 
possessor  of  some  most  valuable  seigniories  on  Lake  Champlain, 
named  Allainville.   After  the  conquest,  he  acquired  the  seig- 
niories of  Rignud,  Vaudreuil  and  Lotbini^re,  in  the  district  of 
Montreal.     He  was,  however,   unjustly  dispossessed  by  the 
Anieiicnn  Government,  of  his  seigniories  on  Lake  Champlain, 
and  notwithstanding  repeated  demands,  his  claim  has  remain- 
ed in  abeyance  to  this  day.  He  died  in  1799. 

Eustache  Gasiard  Michel  Charlier  de  Lotbini6re  inherited 
from  his  father  the  estates  of  Vaudreuil,  Rigaud  and  Lotbi- 
ni6re,  as  likewise  the  title  of  Marquis,  which,  however,  he 
never  assumed.     He  took  an  active  part  in  favour  of  the 


S0(> 


CANADIAN    HOMEI 


nritishin  1775,  and  in  1793,  snccoodod  to  Mr.  Panel,  in  the 
Canadian  CommonH,  as  Speaker  of  Ihot  Mouse.  Ho  died  in 
his  seiKniory  in  1821  ; — his  lady,  gonerally  known  as  the 
Marquise  de  Loll)iiii6ro,  expired  in  1834,  leaving  to  transmit 
the  old  family  name,  vshich  had  seen  thirteen  generations,  no 
sons,  but  three  daughters.  The  eldest  married  in  1825,  the 
Hon.  Hobert  Unwin  Harwood,  a  member  of  the  Legislative 
Council.  The  second,  the  beautiful  Charlotte  de  Lotbini6re, 
became  thespouseuf,  and  married  in  1821  Williom  Bingham,  the 
weollhy  son  of  Mr.  Dingham,  of  Philadelphia,  a  senator, 
whose  daughter  married  Lord  Ashburton.  Mr.  Bingham  left 
two  sons,  who  died  young,  and  three  daughters.  Mdlle.  Louise, 
the  eldest,  married  Count  Abncr  Brian  de  Bois  Gilbert,  a  des- 
cendant of  the  famous  family  of  Brian  de  Bois  Gilbert,  the 
renowned  Templar  immortalized  by  Sir  Walter,  in  Ivanhoe. 
The  second  married  Count  de  Douay ;  Mdlle.  Georgiane,  the 
youngest,  wos  united  to  Count  Raoul  d^Epresmenil.  They  all 
three  reside,  in  France. 

The  youngest  daughter  of  the  Marquise,  Julie  de  Lotbini^re, 
an  aunt  of  the  three  young  ladies  just  mentioned,  married  in 
1830  a  French  gentleman,  Gustavo  .Toly,  who  died  in  France 
in  1866.  He  was  the  father  of  Henri  Gustavo  Joly,  the  present 
seignior  of  Lolbini^re,  and  member  of  Parliament  for  both 
Houses,  whilst  his  younger  brother,  Rdmond,  a  British  officer, 
fell  at  the  siege  of  Lucknow,  in  India. 

We  have  not  hesitated  in  entering  into  these  genealogical 
details,  which  may  appear  of  secondary  importance  to  some 
of  our  readers,  but  whicli  must  find  their  place  in  these  sket- 
ches of  Canadian  Homes,  as  their  subject,  in  this  instance,  is 
intimately  associated  with  the  early  history  of  Canada. 

iWritten  in  1869.) 


Bt,  in  the 
n  died  in 
n  as  the 
transmit 
itions,  no 
1825,  tiic 
legislative 
olbini6ie, 
ighnm.tho 
I  senator, 
igham  left 
i;.  Louise, 
jrt,  a  des- 
ilbert,  the 
n  Ivanhoe. 
;iane,  the 
They  all 

iOtbini^re, 
carried  in 
in  France 
e  present 
for  both 
ish  officer, 

|ncalogical 
to  some 
lese  sket- 
itance,  is 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CANADA- " 

A  POPULAR  LECTURE  FOR  THE  TOUAO — 1866. 

{Revised. ) 


Mr.  President.  My  yoimg  frionds  :  I  shall  (o-nighl  briefly 
dir^^ut  yournltention  to  a  study,  which  no  doubt  to  the  majority 
of  yon  here  present  has  proved  ever  fince  your  boyhood  an 
unfailing  source  of  plcnsure,  and  which,  1  have  no  hesitation  in 
saying,  will  afford  increased  gratification  the  more  it  is  followed. 
No  season  of  the  year  appeared  to  mo  more  propitious  for  bring- 
ing under  your  notic»»  the  feathered  race,  than  tin;  period  of 
the  spring  migration — those;  lovely  April  mornings,  when 
our  gardLMis,  our  fiolds,  our  forests,  resound  with  th(!  soft 
melody  of  hundreds  of  winged  choristers.  Natural  history, 
in  all  its  branches,  has  ever  been  reckoned  a  most  attractive 
subject ;  it  is,  however,  a  study  so  comprehensive,  that  I  find 
myself  to-night  under  the  necessity  to  take  up  one  department 
alone  :  let  it  then  be  the  most  interesting. 

We  shall  spend  a  social  hour,  and  hold  confab  with  the 
frionds  of  your  youth  and  of  mine — the  Birds :  nor  need  you 
doubt  me,  when  I  tell  you  that  it  is  not  in  the  spirit  of  exact 
science,  nor  with  the  pedantry  of  a  professor,  but  nther  with 
the  freedom  of  an  old  acquaintance,  that  1  shall  to-niglil  intro- 
duce to  you  some  of  the  denizens  of  the  woods,  some  minstrels 
of  the  grove — so  correctly  styled  «  the  accredited  and  authen- 
ticated poets  of  nature. »  Do  not,  then,  expect  a  set  discourse 
on  ornithology.  Stray  jottings — rambles  amongst  birds  and 
books — that  is  all  I  can  promise  you  at  present. 

*  The  substance  of  this  paper  was  delivered  as  a  leotnre,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
pupils  of  the  Quebec  High  School  and  other  public  institutions,  and  for  the 
object  of  making  known  the  contents  of  the  Museum  of  the  Literary  and  His- 
torical Society.  The  lecturer,  known  by  his  French  work,  "  Let  Oiienux  du 
Canada,  "  also  furnished  several  specimens  from  his  own  museum,  at  Spencer 
Orange.  The  lecture  applies  to  the  birds  of  the  provinces  of  Quebec  and  Ontario. 

20 


202 


OUR  EARLY  FRIENDS. 


That,  branch  of  zoology  which  treats  of  birds  is  denominated 
ornithology,  from  two  Greek  words— opviOo?,  a  bird,  and 
^0705,  a  discourse — a  discourse  on  birds,  the  history  of  birds. 
It  is  beyond  a  doubt,  that  this  department  of  the  animal  king- 
dom attracted  the  attention  of  mankind  in  the  remotest  ages  : 
several  birds,  as  yon  are  aware,  are  indicated  by  name  and 
their  peculiarities  alluded  to,  in  Holy  Writ.  Mention  is  fre- 
quently made  in  the  earliest  and  best  of  books,  the  Bible,  of 
the  soaring  eagU ,  the  dismal  raven,  the  tiny  sparrow,  the 
grave- looking  owl.  the  migratory  stork.  The  care  taken  of 
the  prophet  Elijah  by  our  sable  and  far-seeing  friend  the  raven 
you  all  remember  reading  of.  This  reminds  me  I  am  indebted 
to  my  neighbor,  Colomd  Rh'  des,  for  this  splendid  specimen  of 
the  raven,  shot  last  winter  whilst  cariboo-hunting  back  of  St. 
Paul's  Bay.  Like  the  poet  Montgomery's  friend  in  captivity, 
who  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  Ralp. 

He  is  a  raven  grim,  in  black  and  blue, 
As  arch  a  knave  as  o'er  you  knew. 

Of  that  incorrigible  corn  stealer,  the  Crow  (1),  I  have  little 
to  tell  that  you  do  not  already  know.  Though  the  bulk  of  the 
tribe  migrate  southward  in  October,  some  few — the  invalides 
and  octogenarians  perhaps — attempt  occasionally  to  brave  out 
the  winter,  in  Canada  East.  I  can  remember  a  large  barn,  on 
the  pointe,  at  St.  Thomas,  countv  of  Monlmagny,  in  which  the 
proprietor,  Mr.  William  Patlon,  an  old  friend  of  mine,  now  no 
more — used  to  sloie  a  great  deal  of  wheat.     Through  some 

(I)  Henry  Ward  Beeoher  says  of  crows  : — "  Aside  from  the  special  ques- 
tion of  profit  and  loss,  we  have  a  warm  side  toward  the  orow;  he  is  ao  much 
like  one  of  ourselves.  Ho  is  lazy,  and  that  is  human  ;  he  takes  advantage 
of  those  weaker  than  himself,  and  that  is  mankind ;  he  is  sly,  and  hides  for  to- 
morrow what  he  can't  eat  to-day,  showing  a  real  human  providence  ;  he  learns 
tricks  much  faster  than  he  does  useful  things,  showing  a  true  boy-nature ;  he 
likes  his  own  colour  best,  and  loves  to  hoar  his  voice,  which  are  eminent  traits  of 
humanity  ;  he  will  never  work  when  he  can  get  another  to  work  for  him,  genuine 
human  trait ;  he  eats  whatever  he  can  get  his  claws  upon,  and  is  less  mischievous 
with  a  belly  full  than  when  hungry,  and  that  is  like  man ;  ho  is  at  war  with  all 
living  things  except  his  own  kind,  and  with  them  ho  has  nothing  to  do.  No  wonder, 
then,  that  men  despise  crows  ;  they  are  too  much  like  men.  Take  off  their  wings, 
and  put  them  in  breeches,  crows  would  make  fair  average  meti.  Give  men  wings, 
and  reduce  their  smartness  a  little,  and  many  of  them  would  be  good  vnough  to 
be  crows." 


THE  BIRDS. 


ominated 
ird,  and 
of  birds, 
nal  kins- 
3:*t  ages  : 
ame  and 
ti  is  fre- 
Bible,  of 
TOW,  the 
taken  of 
he  raven 
indebted 
cimen  of 
ck  of  St. 
aptivity, 


203 


ave  little 
Ik  of  the 
nvalides 
rave  out 
barn,  on 
^hich  the 
now  no 
jh  some 

loial  ques- 
ig  ao  much 
advantage 
las  for  to- 
he  learns 
lature ;  he 
it  traits  of 
1,  genuine 
ischievoug 
^r  with  all 
If  0  wonder, 
leir  wings, 
nen  wings, 
enough  to 


flaws  in  the  foundation,  for  several  winters,  a  number  of  crows 
"sed  to  enter  and  feed  on  the  contents  of  the  gra,  arv 
farmers  might  forgive  the  crows-though  I  dont-were  they 
to  confine  Iheir  depredations  to  murdering  young  robins  ami 
other  insectivorous  b.rdsand  robbing sparroJs  and  thr'Ls^^^ 
their  eggs,  but  what  they  do  not  forgive  is  the  havoc  these  earJv 
rising,  watchful  thieves  commit  amidst  their  indian  corn  and 
-heat  lields.  Right  well  did  our  lamented  friend  Ta" 
McGee,  sing  of  that  bird  who  told  his  beads : 

"  In  penance  for  his  past  misdeeds. 

Upon  the  top  I  see. 

II 

Telling  his  beads  from  night  till  morn 

-ing  alas  and  woe  is  me  I 

In  penance  for  stealing  the  Abbot's  corn. 
High  on  the  hollow  tree. 

Sin  is  a  load  upon  the  breast. 

And  it  nightly  breaks  the  Raven's  rest 
High  on  the  hollow  tree. 

'"/''-'  '-    '  III 

The  Raven  pray'd  the  winter  thro'. 

Sing  alas  and  woe  is  me. 
The  hail,  it  fell,  the  winds,  they  blew. 

High  on  the  hollow  tree. 
Until  the  spring  came  forth  again. 

And  the  Abbot's  men  to  sow  their  grain 
f  ,  Around  the  Hollow  tree. 

IV 

Alas,  alas,  for  earthly  vows. 

Sing  altts  and  woe  is  rae 
Whether  they're  made  by  men  or  crows, 

High  ou  the  hollow  tree. 
The  Raven  swoop'd  upon  the  seed, 
And  met  his  death  in  the  very  deed 

Beneath  his  hollow  tree. 
(.The  Peniunthaven-Cauadian  Ballad,,  ma.) 

The  crow  is  to  be  found  in  every  part  of  the  globe  ;  a  crow 
and  a  Scotchman,  you  know,  are  ubiquitous.  I  have  mvself 
made  some  amusing  experiments  on  the  haired  entertained  bv 
eiows,  to  owls.  Few  school  boys  there  are,  unacquainted  with 
the  noisy  proceedings,  attending  crow  .veddings  or  the  mobbing 


!£04 


OUR  EARLY  FRIENDS, 


of  an  owl  by  Irate  crows.  You  can  read  In  my  Omithohgie  du 
Canada,  ati  account  of  a  trial  made  by  me  at  Spencer  Grange, 
in  iHQ\,  by  means  of  a  stuffed  owl. 

The  Raven,  whom  you  might  be  tempted  to  consider  the 
crow's  big  brother,  is  much  more  rare,  more  solitary  in  his 
haunts  than  Mr.  Jack  Corby.  It  occurs  more  frequently  in  the 
Niagara  District  and  Lower  St.  Lawrence,  than  round  Quebec. 
Its  hoarse  croak  occasionally  startles  the  echoes  on  the  north 
shore  of  thi;  St.  Lawrence ;  possibly,  this  may  account  for  its 
vernacular  name  amongst  the  French  Canadian  peasantry 
«  Corbeau  de  Mer.  » 

The  late  John  Nairn,  seigneur  of  Murray  Bay,  used  to  relate 
the  amusement  he  experienced  on  witnessing  the  alarm,  caused 
by  sounds  amid  air,  to  a  party  of  English  genlhjmen,  who  were 
travelling  by  land  with  him,  when  overtaken  by  the  dusk  of 
evening,  amidst  the  sublime  crags  of  La  Passe  des  Monts,  which 
at  a  height  of  fifteen  hundred  feet,  overshadow  the  mountain 
path,  in  the  Saguenay  district. 

Those  hoarse,  hollow  noises  or  groans,  were  emitted  by 
ravens,  hovering  in  thB  air,  at  a  great  height,  unseen,  close 
to  their  nests  located  in  these  crags,  and  which  sounded  most  un- 
earthly from  below.  Lower  down  than  Murray  Bay,  at  a  spot 
called  La  Baie  deS  Hochers,  on  an  inaccessible  peak  about  one 
hundred  and  lifly  feet  high,  the  ravens  have  a  nest ;  this  rock 
overhangs  the  St.  Lawrence  ;  the  foot  of  man  never  scanned 
it.  It  is  stated  that  these  birds  have  built  there  for  more  than 
two  hundred  years  ;  that  the  early  missionaries  of  Canada  had 
noted  the  fact. 

Alexander  Wilson,  the  naturalist,  says  that  where  there  are 
many  ravens  iliere  are  lew  crows  and  vice  versa ;  his  sojourn  on 
the  banks  of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  furnished  him  many  proofs 
of  the  fact.  Ravens  are  found  in  xNorway,  (ireeidand,  at  Kam- 
chatka— even  in  Siberia.  Lewis  and  Clarke  noticed  some  on 
the  17lh  December,  1804,  during  their  memorable  voyage — 
whilst  the  temperature  was  45  below  0.  White  ravens  have, 
t'is  said,  been  s(;eu  in  Ireland  !  1  The  country  also  produces 
Banshees  ?  an  other  rarety. 

I  will  close  these  details  about  ravens  with  the  anecdote  of 


THE  BIBDS. 


ao5 


dote  of 


that  Roman  raven  presented  to  Augustus  aner  the  battle  of 
Actium :  «  After  this  memorable  battle,  several  ravoiis  were 
sent  to  Augustus,  each  repeating  ihc  words  «  Ave  Cajsar,  Vic- 
tor, Imperalor ;  all  hail  to  you  Caesar,  victorious  emperor.  » 
Augustus  purchased  them.  A  poor  shoemaker,  attra'ted  by  the 
price  offered,  set  to  work  to  teach  a  raven;  he  had  to  repeat 
these  words,  but  as  the  bird  made  but  slow  progress,  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  winding  up  his  lesson  with  the  words  «  All  my  pains 
will  go  for  naught.  »  At  last  the  raven  managed  to  repeat  the 
complimentary  address  intended  lor  the  prince,  so  that  the 
owner  hastened  to  place  himself  on  the  passage  of  the  emperor, 
and  got  him  to  compliment  Augustus  in  the  usual  language  , 
but  Augustus  turned  short  and  said,  «I  have  enough  of  such 
courtiers  as  you  in  my  palace,  »  when  the  bird  added:  aAll 
my  pains  will  go  for  naught ; »  this  so  amused  the  victorious 
Ce^^ar,  that  he  paid  even  a  higher  price  for  the  shoemaker's 
raven. » 

The  dove  and  the  raven  were  both  honoured  with  important 
missions  by  that  distinguished  and  most  successful  navigator 
Capl.  Noah.  You  know  how  much  the  ibis  was  petted,  nay 
honoured,  in  Egypt :  the  white  ibis  was  embalmed  and  made 
a  God  of,  after  death.  The  stork  was  sung  by  Herodotus, — the 
swan  by  Virgil  and  by  a  host  of  other  poets.  Aristophanes, 
some  twenty-three  hundred  years  ago,  celebrated  not  only  the 
croaking  of  frogs,  but  also  the  melody  of  birds. 

It  was,  however,  reserved  to  one  ot  the  loftiest  minds  of 
antiquity,  Aristotle  of  Stagyra,  to  furnish  the  world  with  the 
earliest  methodical  information  on  zoology.  This  great  man 
was  the  first  to  observe  andattempt  to  explain  the  organization 
of  animated  nature.  His  tieatise,  irepi^wov  Icxopia?,  will  ever 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  masterpieces  of  antiquity.  The  gene- 
ration of  animals,  their  habits,  their  organs,  the  mechanism  of 
their  functions,  their  resemblances  and  differences  are  thorfin 
discussed  with  astonishing  clearness  and  sagacity.  Aristotle 
may  be  reckoned  as  having  established  a  solid  basis  for 
Natural  History  ;  and  his  principal  divisions  of  the  animal 
kingdom  are  so  well  founded,  that  almost  all  of  them  are  still 
substantially  admitted.  In  arranging  facts,  he  carefully  goes 
back  to  causes  from  general  results. 


206 


OUR  EARLY  FRIENDS, 


We  next  come  to  the  Roman,  Pliny  the  Elder,  born  A.  D. 
23,  who  died,  as  you  may  have  read,  in  the  year  79  of  our 
era,  from  Ihe  noxious  fumes  of  Vesuvius  during  llie  oiupliun 
which,  it  is  said,  destroyed  Herculanoum.  Having  the  charge 
of  a  Roman  fleet,  he  had,  in  attempting  to  succour  some  of  the 
unfortunate  inhabitants,  ventured  too  near  the  scene  of  th(! 
calamity  :  he  expired  during  the  following  night.  I  presume 
some  of  you  have  perused  the  very  interesting  letter  recording 
the  event,  written  by  IMiny  the  Younger,  the  nephew  and 
adopted  son  of  the  Roman  naturalist. 

As  a  laborious,  but  not  always  reliable,  compiler,  you  have 
heard  of  Aldrovandus,  born  about  1535.  I  said  not  always 
reliable :  to  illustrate  this  latter  point,  I  shall  now  quote  from 
the  Isl  vol.  Canadian  Naturalist,  an  extract  purporting  to 
describe  one  of  our  most  beautiful  winter  visitors,  the  Bohemian 
Chatterer,  or  Waxwing :  a  specimen  is  also  in  the  museum  of 
the  Literary  and  Historical  Society.  I  was  fortunate  enough  to 
snare  three  very  fine  birds  of  this  species  in  January,  1864 — 
often  have  others  been  seen  since,  round  my  house,  at  Spencer 
Grange,  i  kept  them  all  winter  in  my  aviary ;  they  soon 
became  so  bloated,  so  uncommonly  portly,  from  good  eating, 
that  they  were  struck  down  by  apoplexy,  and  one  after  an 
other,  died.  I  need  not  tell  you  the  sorrow  such  a  catastrophe 
brought  to  my  family  circle.  (1) 

«  That  the  Bohemian  Chatterer  was  known  to  the  ancients 
there  can  be  little  doubt  ;  a  great  deal  of  obscurity  pre- 
vails as  to  the  names  by  which  it  was  distinguished.  Some 
have  taken  it  to  be  the  Incendiaria  avis  of  Pliny  (bookx.,  c.  13), 
the  inauspicious  bird,  on  account  of  which  appearance,  Rome 
more  than  once  underwent  lustration,  but  more  especially  in 
the  consulship  of  L.  Cassius  and  C.  Marius,  when  the  appari- 
tion of  a  great  owl  {Bubo)  was  added  to  the  horrors  of  the  year. 
Others  have  supposed  that  it  was  the  bird  of  the  Hercynian 
forest  (book  x.,  c.  47),  whose  feathers  shone  in  the  night  like 
fire.  Aldrovandus,  who  collected  the  opinions  on  this  point, 
has  taken  some  pains  to  show  that  it  could  be  neither  the  one, 


(1)  Cuadiaa  Ifuturalist  and  Oaologiit,  I.,  p.  467. 


THE   BIRDS. 


207 


pre- 

Some 

C.13), 

Rome 

ially  in 

jppari- 

eyear. 

cynian 

ht  like 

point, 

leone. 


nor  the  other.  Tho  worthy  Italian  gravely  assures  his  readers, 
that  its  feathc'ps  do  not  shine  in  the  night ;  for  he  says  he  kept 
one  nlivc  for  Ihre  j  months,  and  ol)S(M'ved  it  at  all  hours 
{'  qudvisnoctis  hord  contemplalm  sum').  It  is  by  no  means 
improbable  that  this  bird  was  tho  gnaphalos  of  Aristotle  (Hist, 
anim.,  book  ix.,  e.  16.) 

«  The  geographical  range  of  the  Bohemian  Chatterer  is  ex- 
tensive, comprehending  a  great  portion  of  the  arctic  world.  It 
appears  generally  in  flocks,  and  a  fatality  was  at  one  lime 
believed  to  accompany  their  movements.  Thus,  Aldrovandus 
observes  thai  large  flights  of  them  appeared  in  February,  1530, 
when  Charles  V.  >\as  crowned  at  Bologna  ;  and  again  in  1551, 
when  theysjiread  through  the  duchies  of  Modena,  Piacenza, 
and  other  Italian  districts,  carefully  avoiding  thai  of  Ferrara, 
which  was  afterwards  convulsed  by  an  earthquake.  In  1552, 
according  loGesner,  they  visited  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  near 
Mentz,  in  such  myriads  that  they  darkened  the  air.  In  1571, 
troops  of  them  were  seen  flying  about  the  north  of  Italy,  in  the 
month  of  December,  when  the  Ferrnrese  earthquake,  accord- 
ing to  Aldrovandus,  look  place,  and  the  rivers  overflowed 
their  banks. 

«  Necker,  in  hi-;  memoir  on  the  birds  of  Geneva,  observes 
Ihat  from  the  beginning  of  this  century  only  two  cons'derable 
flights  have  been  seen  in  that  canton  :  one  in  January,  1807, 
and  the  other  in  1814.  when  they  were  very  numerous,  and. 
having  spent  the  winter  there,  took  their  depa'ture  in  March. 
In  the  first  of  those  years  they  were  scattered  over  a  consider- 
able part  of  Europe,  and  early  in  January  were  seen  near 
Kdimburgh.  Savi  observes  that  they  are  not  seen  in  Tuscany, 
except  in  severe  winters,  and  that  the  years  1806  and  1807 
were  remaikable  for  the  number  of  them  which  entered  Pied- 
mont, especially  the  valleys  of  Lanzo  and  Suza.  »  , 

I  could  dilate  at  length  on  the  history  of  this  mys- 
terious stranger,  who  appears  to  have  so  startled  antiquity. 
Here  is  the  ominous  individual  ;  see  how  silky  his  plumage  ! 
mark  the  lovely  wax-like  lips  of  his  wings  !  this  is  no  doubt 
the  portion  which  was  supposed  to  shine  at  night.  Be  careful, 
however,  not  to  confound  him  with  the  Cedar  or  Cherry  Bird 


208 


OUR  EARLT  FRIENDS, 


—our  Slimmer  visitor  :  he  resembles  him  much  in  plumage, 
but  is  twice  his  size. 

Nor  should  we  omit  the  names  of  Redi,  Swammcrdam, 
Willoughby,  John  Ray,  and  especially  of  Francis  Bacon, 
amongst  the  laborious  tillers  of  the  soil  of  Natural  History. 

Next  to  Aristotle  and  Pliny,  ranks  the  great  botanist  and 
naturalist  Linnaeus,  who  devoted  a  lifetime  to  reforming  and 
rearranging  the  history  of  all  natural  productions,  and  lived 
to  see  his  method  triumphant  and  almost  universally  received. 
Nor  was  he  a  mere  nomenclator  ;  his  vast  genius  led  him  to 
take  the  most  elevated  views  of  nature.  He  penetrated  with 
a  glance  into  causes  which  were  the  least  obvious  on  the 
surface.  Order,  precision,  clearness,  exactitude  of  descrip- 
tion and  accurate  knowledge  of  relations  in  detail  distinguish 
his  works.  He  it  was  who  sent  to  America,  to  Quebec,  the 
eccentric  Peter  Kalm  :  every  guide-book  reminds  you  of  the 
amusing  account  Kalm  wrote  of  Quebec  and  Montreal  society 
in  1749  ;  what  a  fine  fellow  Count  de  la  Gallissoniere,  the 
Governor  Gf^neral  in  those  days,  appeared  to  the  Swedish  tra- 
veller. How  our  respected  grandmothers  chatted,  frolicked, 
romped,  dressed,  danced  ; — how  well  he  n-lated  all  he  saw, 
and  somethings  he  did  not  see.  We  are  led  next  to  consider 
the  brilliant  career  of  a  French  naturalist,  an  elegant  writer 
and  profound  philosopher.  Count  Buflbn.  Possessed  of  a  vast 
fortune,  moving  in  the  highest  circles  of  a  nation  famous  for 
its  refinement  and  learning,  Buffon,  during  a  half  century, 
from  his  chateau  of  Montbard,  promulgated  his  canons  to  the 
scientific  world  :  he  t"lls  us  he  spent  forty  years  in  his  study, 
peifectJng  and  rounding  the  sentences  of  his  immortal  works  ; 
but,  when  bearing  in  mind  the  life-like  sketches  of  birds  writ- 
ten by  Buflbn's  successors  and  contradictors,  the  writers  of 
the  new  school,  such  as  Alexander  Wdson,  Audubon,  Chas. 
Buonaparte,  Baird,  one  is  inclined  to  regret  that  the  sedentary 
philosopher  should  have  spent  so  much  time  indoors  describing 
his  favourites,  instead  of  ransacking  the  forests,  the  fields,  the 
seashore, 

"  The  murmuring  streams,  their  banks  and  braes  " 

to  see  for  himself,  like   Audubon  and  Wilson,  how  God's 
creatures  lived,  loved,  sang  and  died. 


THE  BIRDS. 


209 


God's 


No  doubt,  my  young  frionds,  you  would  like  to  have  some 
details  of  the  career  of  the  two  celebrated  naturalists  just 
mentioned,  especially  as  their  fame  is  identified  x^ith  the  name 
of  America ;  both,  as  you  may  know,  visited  On''bec.  Alexan- 
der Wilson,  the  author  of  American  Ornithology,  was  born 
in  1766,  at  Paisley,  in  Scotland.  At  the  early  a^rtvof  thirteen, 
he  was  indentured  as  a  weaver  to  his  brother-in-law,  William 
Duncan.  His  parents  were  peasants.  A  few  years  after  we 
fmd  him  acting  as  a  pedlar  :  dealing  in  camhrics,  ?otton, 
calico  by  day  ;  poetry  and  natural  history,  by  r.ight  His  rest- 
less mind,  poetic  lerrperament  and  poverty  induced  him  lo 
seek  fortune  in  a  then  new  and  attractive  arena,  the  United 
States,  where  he  landed  on  the  14th  July,  1794.  In  179.S,  he 
again  took  to  the  pack,  and  next  became  a  teacher  shortly 
after.  In  1802,  he  accepted  a  situation  as  tutor  in  a  semi- 
nary, near  Philadelphia.  There  he  became  acquainted  with 
Mr.  William  Bartram,  the  naturalist  and  botanist,  who  encou- 
raged him,  and  lent  him  the  works  of  Catesby  and  Edwards 
on  Ornithology.  Space  prevents  ma  from  following  the  ardent 
admirer  of  birds  through  his  rural  peregrinations.  There  is 
an  interesting  episode  in  his  life  connected  with  the  refusal  of 
President  Jefterson  to  second  the  efforts  of  the  aspiring  natu- 
ralist. He  died  in  1813,  aged  47,  from  the  effects  of  a  cold 
caught  whilst  pursuing  some  rare  bird,  having  had  to  swim  a 
river  in  order  not  to  lose  sight  of  it.  Although  progress  has 
been  made  in  American  ornithology  since  the  days  of  Alexan- 
der Wilson,  his  treatise,  as  far  as  it  goes,  serves  yet  as  a  text- 
book to  naturalists  of  every  nation. 

How  can  I  becomingly  sketch  the  adventurous  existence  of 
the  Prince  of  American  naturalists,  John  James  Audubon? 
Who  can  do  justice  to  the  memory  of  this  noble-minded  son 

science,  whose  great  work,  The  Biuds  of  America,  is  likely 
.0  remain  in  succeeding'  ages — a  permanent  monument  of  the 
highest  order  of  genius,  celebrating  the  wonders  of  nature,  in 
the  denizens  of  the  air  and  songsters  of  the  grove  ? 

John  James  Audubon  saw  dayliulit  for  the  first  time,  in 
Louisiana,  in  1782  :  he  was  of  French  extraction,  and  was 
sent  to  Paris  to  complete  his  studies.  It  was  there,  he  learned 

21 


210 


OUR   EARLY   FRIENDS, 


(he  art  of  drawing  from  (he  celebrated  paintor  David.    On  his 
return  to  America,  at  tho  age  of  eighteitii,  he  lived  with  his 
fiilhcr,  near  Philadelphia,  on  a  beautiful  estate  surrounded  by 
parks,  lawns  and  gardens.  He  soon  had  to  give  himself  up  to 
commercial  pursuits;  with  that  object  in  view,  he  started  for 
Kentucky.  »  The  whole  of  his  books  teem  with  the  vivid  des- 
criptions of  his  forest  wanderings.     In  1810,  he  met,   for 
Ihe  first  time,  his  great  rival,  Aloxandur  Wilson.    In  1811, 
Audubon  said  good-bye  to  the  cash-book  and  ledger,  and,  gim 
and  sketch-book  in  hand,  he  dived  into  the  depths  of  the 
American  forests  in  quest  of  knowledge  and  materials  to 
achieve  his  great  undertaking.    In  1814,  he  was  favoured  with 
an  inlroducliou  to  Ihii  C(3lebrat(;.l  prince  of  C;»iii:io,  Charles  L'l- 
cien  Buonaparte,  a  close  relative  of  the  present  (1866)  French 
Emperor  and  author  of  most  valuable  treatis(!S  on  American 
birds  ;  some  of  which  you  will  lind  on  our  shelves.  After  visit- 
ing the  Stales  in  all  dirtu;tions,  Audubon  sailed  lor  Paris,  Lou- 
don and  lulimburg.     His  drawings  of  American  birds  had  al- 
ready attracted  abroad,  considrable  attention.  In  England,  he 
soon  became  acquainted  with  several  men  of  note  in  literature : 
Professors  Sedgwick,  Whewell,  Henslow,  Dr.  Thackeray,  Dr. 
Buckland,   IJr.  Kidd  ;    in  Paris,  Baron    Cuvier,   Swainson, 
(ieofl'roy  St.  Hilaire,  his  son  Isidore  ; — D'Orbigny,  Lesson, 
and  other  savants  showed  him  marked  attention.     The  sove- 
reigns of  England  and  France  patronised  the  enthusiastic 
disciple  of  BiitTon,  heading  with  their  names  the  subscription 
list  to  his  great  work.     I  wish,  my  young  friends,  I  could  gra- 
tify your  desire,  and  follow  step  by  step  this  wonderful  man  in 
his  oinithological  rambles  through  the  length  and  breath  of 
this  green  land  :  this  day,  you  might  be  ascending  with  him 
one  of  the  bayous  of  Florida,  to  watch  the  habits  of  the  scar- 
let flamingo,  and  next  month,  scaning  the  |)rairies  of  Kentucky 
to  catch  the  Wild  Turkey  on  her  nest ;  'he  season  following 
might  find  you  toiling  up  the  rugged  and  barren  uplands  of 
Labrador — a  locality  so  desolat«',  so  rocky,  so  inhospitable 
that,  to  use  the  words  of  the  late  abb<5  Feiiand,  « there  is  not 
enough  of  soil  to  bury  decently  the  unfortunate  traveller  who 
may  perchance  die  there.  »   Audubon  visited  Quebec  in  \S\'l, 


TUB  BIRDS. 


211 


.    On  his 
with  his 
unded  by 
?elf  up  to 
larled  for 
ivid  des- 
mot,  for 
In  1811, 
and,  gun 
IS  of  thu 
terials  to 
Lired  wilh 
irlos  Lii- 
5)  French 
Amnricaii 
fler  visil- 
iris,  Lon- 
Js  had  al- 
iglanii,  ho 
iterature : 
Loray,  Dr. 
iwainson, 
Lesson, 
10  sove- 
lusiastic 
kscription 
ould  gra- 
ma n  in 
realh  of 
wilh  him 
he  scar- 
entucky 
ollowing 
)lands  of 
ospitabio 
re  is  not 
llor  who 
in  18i-i, 


residing  several  wt^ks  with  a  Mr.  Marten,  in  St.  Peter  street, 
an  excellent  taxidermist  and  a  great  admirer  of  the  feathered 
race,;    on  his  departure,  Audubon    requested    him    to  ac- 
cept, as  a  token  of  reni(^mbranee,  a  copy  of  his  magnilicent 
work  on  (he  Birds  of  this  Continent.     There  are  yet  several 
amongst  us  who  can  recall  to  mind  the  dignified,  courteous, 
while-haired  old  gentleman,  with  black,  pieicingeyes^  eminent- 
ly handsome  in  person — one  of  nature's  true  nobienKui.  Spen- 
cer Wood  in  those  diiys  belonged  to  Ihe  lale  Hemy  Alkinson, 
a  warm  friend  of  the  gifted  naturalist    Many  tlie  strolls  did  the 
latter  enjoy  at  Spencer  Wood,  listening,  under  the  umbrageous 
pines  and  old  red  oakSj  to  the  flute- like  warble  of  th(!  Veery 
and  melullic  notes  of  the  Hermit  Thrush.   His  steps  occasionally 
wandered.Iamproudtosay,  over  that  portion  of  the  estate  which 
has  since  passed  to  me  ;  the  shady  avenue  consecrated  by  the 
presence  of  this  man  of  genius,  is  i!ow  known  to  my  children 
under  the  name  of  u  Audubon  Avenue.))     These  memories, 
which  to  some  may  a|)pear  commonplace,  I  recall  with  un- 
feigned pleasure  ;  and  whilst  there,  and  listening  to  the  liai- 
liingeis  of  spring,  or  poring  over  Audubon's  works,  I  am 
reminded  that  lht>re  once  breathed  and  stood  the  possessor  of 
one  of  the  most  honoured  names  in  natural  science — a  noble- 
minded  fellow-man — whose  glory  and  whose  fame  are  inse- 
parable from  that  of  Norlh  America.  Audubon  spent  more  than 
twenty  yeius  completing  his  superb  drawings  and  compiling 
the  Biography  of  the  Birds  and  Animals  of  America  ;  he  sank 
to  rest  in  18o2,  aged  seventy  years,  in  the  full  blaze  of  his 
glory. 

Next  to  Wilson  and  Audubon,  in  Ihe  field  of  Natural 
History,  I  shall  point  out  to  you  a  name  widely  respected  in 
America,  and  well  received  in  Europe — Professor  S.  K. 
Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  Washington  ;  he  is  spe- 
cially known  lo  us  as  the  chief  compiler  of  the  celebrated  9th 
vol.  of  the  Reports  of  that  Inslitutiun,  which  elaborate  book 
you  have  now  before  you  ;  he  was  ably  seconded  in  this 
laborious  undertaking  by  Mr.  Geo.  Lawrence,  of  New  York, 
and  Dr.  John  Gassin,  of  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Cassin  is  also  the 
author,  amongst  other  publications,  of  a  most  gorgeously  illus- 


212 


OUR  EARLY   FRI£^Dg, 


trat«!d  work  on  some  new  Western  birds,  niso  forming  part  of 
Iho  library  of  this  Society. 

Ill  Wilson's  Ornithology,  published  in  1814,  we  (Ind  men- 
tioned 284  sp(!cies.  Bitnapaite,  in  183H,  had  described  471. 
Auiliiboii,  wriling  in  1844,  brought  up  the  list  lo  506.  Kuird's 
Report,  which  appeared  in  1858,  enlarged  the  number  to  738, 
of  which  more  than  SOU  species  are  lo  be  fonnd  in  Canada, 
either  as  accidental  visitors  or  sedentary  species.  The  Smith- 
sonian report  divides  the  birds  into  six  orders,  viz  : — 

I.  Baptores Birds  of  Prey. 

11,  Scansores Climbing  Birds. 

III.  Insessores Perching     « 

IV.  Itasores Dusting       « 

V.  Grallatores Wading       « 

VI.  Natatores Web-footed  « 


Kach  of  these  orders  might  comprise  as  follows  :— 1st.  order, 
.36  ;  II.  18  ;  III.  120 ;  IV.  15  ;  V.  42  ;  VI.  69.  Canada,  not 
embracing  all  the  varieties  of  climate  and  temperature  which 
th(!  American  Union  does,  cannot  be  expected  to  unite  all  the 
varieties  of  birds  to  be  found  in  the  United  Stales.  The 
Cimadian  Fauna  is  nevertheless  very  beautiful  and  varied  in 
its  features,  including  a  numerous  collection  of  birds  of  prey. 
Th'>  web-looted  order  are  well  represented  here.  The  Wood- 
peitker  f.imily  comprises  some  brilliantly  habited  individuals. 
But  the  most  numerous  and  varied  in  plumage,  are  the  Perchers 
or  singing  birds.  Alex.  Wilson  spoke  eloquently  and  tridy, 
when  he  said,  «  The  ornithology  of  the  United  States  exhibits 
a  rich  display  of  the  most  splendid  colors  ;  from  the  green, 
silky,  gold-bospang!ed  down  of  the  minute  humming  bird, 
scarce  three  inches  in  extent,  lo  the  black  coppery  wings  of 
the  gloomy  condor,  of  sixteen  feet,  who  sometimes  visits  our 
northern  regions  ;  a  numerous  and  powerful  band  of  songsters, 
who,  for  sweetness,  variety,  and  melody,  are  surpassed  by 
no  country  on  earth  ;  an  everchanging  scene  of  migration 
from  torrid  to  temperate,  and  from  northern  to  southern  re- 
gions, in  quest  of  suitable  season^  food  and  climates,  and  such 


iig  part  or 

ind  mon- 
bed  471. 
[).  Buird's 
iv  to  738, 
Canada, 
hu  Srnilh- 


ey. 
irds. 

(( 

n 

a 

d(( 

1st.  order, 

nadO;  not 

ire  which 

e  all  the 

es.     The 

varied  in 

of  prey. 

le  Wootl- 

ividuals. 

ei'chers 

d  truly, 

exhibits 

green, 

ig  bird, 

wings  of 

isits  our 

)ngslers, 

ssed  by 

ligration 

lern  re- 

md  such 


tul;  birds. 


ii3 


on  amazing  diversity  in  habit,  economy,  form,  disposition  and 
laculties,so  unifuimly  h(M'edi(ary  in  each  species,  and  so  com- 
pli'lely  adiM|iiale  to  Iheir  peculiar  wauls  and  convenience,  as 
to  overwhelm  us  with  asionishmenl  at  the  power,  wisdom, 
and  bemdiciMice  of  the  Creator. 

«  In  proportion  as  we  bteonie  acrpiaiuted  with  these  parti- 
culars, our  visists  to,  and  residence  in  the  country,  become 
more  and  more  agreeable.  Formerly,  on  such  occa^^ions,  we 
found  ourselves  in  solitude,  or,  willi  respect  to  the  feathered 
tribes,  as  it  were  in  a  strange  couiili  y,  who"'e  the;  manners, 
laiijiuajie,  and  face  of  all  were  either  totally  overlooked,  or 
utterly  unknown  to  us  ;  now,  we  lliul  ourselves  amuiig  inter- 
esting ami  well-known  neighboins  and  ac(|uaintances,  and,  in 
the  notes  of  every  songster,  recognize  with  satisfaction  the 
voice  of  an  old  liiend  and  companion.  A  study  thus  tending 
to  multiply  our  enjoyments  at  so  cheap  a  rate,  and  to  lead  us, 
by  such  pleai^iiug  gradations,  to  the  contemplation  and  worship 
of  the  Great  First  Cause,  the  Father  and  Pi'eserver  of  all,  can 
neither  be  idle  nor  useless,  but  is  worthy  of  rational  beings, 
and  doubtless,  agreeable  lo  ihe  Deity.  » 

(The  lecturer,  by  means  of  the  diagiam  of  a  bird  draw n  on 
a  large  board  then  explained  the  dilVerenl  portions  :  Primaries. 
Secondaries,  Terliaries,  Scapulars,  Rhump  feathers,  Auriailurs, 
Tarsi,  Tibia,  Iris,  Mirror,  Total  lemjth,  Alar  extent,  and  a 
variety  of  other  technical  terms.) 

Linna3us,  in  his  Systema  Satune,  divides  the  class  of  birds 
into  six  orders.  IMumenbach  makes  nine  orders  ;  Cuvier, — 
six ;  Vieillot,  five  ;  Vigois,  five  ;  Timiminck,  in  his  Manuel 
d'Ornithologie,  sixteen  ;  Agassiz  and  (lould,  in  a  n.'cenl  work, 
recognize  only  four  orders.  Classiliealion  is  without  tloubl, 
one  of  the  most  important  portions  of  Urnilhology.  A  new  light 
has  dawned  on  this  science,  since  the  learned  researches  of 
Dr.  Thos.  Itrewer,  of  Boston,  and  other  American  and  Euro- 
pean savants  who  have  applied  oology  lo  the  classiliealion  of 
species  ;  thus,  severd  rare  hawks,  in  diderent  plumage,  have 
been  recognized  by  Iheir  eggs.  The  eggs  of  owls,  instead  of 
being  elliptical,  like  those  of  the  generality  of  birds,  are  spher- 
ical. Eggs  are  also  idenlilied  by  their  markings, — lines, — spots. 


u\ 


OUR  BAHLt  rRlENDS, 


stripes,— or  by  the  absence  of  them,  like  the  eggs  of  some  of 
the  thrushes.  Collecting  \iilil  birds' eggs  has  bi;camo  quite  a 
trade.  ScicntiOu  institutions  in  Rurope  have  given  as  much  us 
£15  stg  for  a  rare  e^g  (1).  Several  Canadian  inslitulion<i  have 
recently  added  to  thoir  mu^seums  collections  of  bird's  eggs  : 
the  Literary  and  Historical  Society,  the  Natural  History  Society 
of  Montreal,  the  Sulpician  seminary  of  that  city,  the  Laval 
University,  and  the  Normal  Schools,  in  Quebec  and  Montreal. 
The  conlribulions  of  friends  in  this,  as  in  the  departmetil  of 
birds,  have  induced  me  to  add  a  collection  of  eggs  to  my  spe- 
cimens. 

Before  we  examine  the  contents  of  the  collection  laid  before 
us,  let  me  point  out  to  you  one  particular  respecting  the 
birds  of  prey  :  the  female  in  general  is  nearly  one-third  larger 
than  the  male,  and  ditTerence  of  age  causes  such  changes  in 
the  plumage,  that  considerable  uncertainty  still  exists  in  iden- 
tifying the  Rapaces. 

The  vastncss  of  the  subject  now  before  us  is  such  that  I  am 
compelled  to  confess  how  rashly  1  would  have  acted  had  1  pro- 
mised you  a  discourse  on  the  ornithology  of  Canada.  It  would 
require,  at  least,  a  dozen  of  lectures  to  place  the  topic  before 
you  in  a  becoming  manner.  1  shall,  therefore,  content  myself 
with  familiarising  you  with  some  of  the  specimens  belonging 
to  our  museum.     Let  us  select  a  few  out  of  each  order. 

Here  is  the  King  of  Birds — a  fair  specimen  of  the  Bald 
Eagle.  Oh  1  you  proud,  overbearing  robber,  on  Ihe  watch  at 
noon-day  for  some  industrious  Osprey,  hurrying  to  her  moun- 
tain home,  with  a  lively  trout  in  her  beak  ;  or  else,  quoth 
Audubon,  keeping  with  your  male  a  sharp  look  out  for  an  un- 
suspecting swan,  a  fat  goose,  or  a  dainty  canvass-back.  Did 
our  shrewd,  far-seeing  neighbours,  really  intend  to  foreshadow 
the  career  of  the  Republic  founded  by  Washington  and  Frank- 
lin, when  they  chose  as  their  national  symbol  such  an  over- 
bearing, grasping  bully  ? 

The  Bald  Kagle  is  more  abundant  in  Western  than  in  Eastern 
Canada.  The  shores  of  Burlington  Bay  and  the  Falls  of  Niagara 
are  amongs  his  favourite  haunts.  Itis  there,  he  cait  be  seen  in  his 

(1)  The  egg  of  tba  Qreat  Ank. 


THE   BIRDS. 


215 


Raid 
ilch  at 
Imuun- 
quotli 
^n  II  n- 
Did 
liadow 
'lank- 
over- 

islern 

iagara 

in  his 


nalivograndiMir,  cl« cling  in  vast  spirals  over  the  seof  hing  walors. 
Th(5  fiolilen  Eajjjo,  another  l)eaiilifiil8|H!oic8(  I),  is  very  common 
round  Quebec.  Of  his  ferocity,  spirit  of  rnpino,  find  boldness, 
you  have  heard  : — of  litlle  chihiren  mysteriously  disappearing 
from  their  happy  liomes,  and  of  their  bleached  bones  being 
found  years  after  in  an  eajile's  eyrie,  hi^h  on  the  loftiest  ledge 
of  the  neighbouring  mountain.  Science  has  awarded  to  this 
fine  bird  Ihe  cognomen  of  «  Aquila  Caitadimia,n  and  Mere 
not  llial  our  Dominion  professes  lo  have  honesty  as  its  basis, 
and  were  it  not  for  the  sanguinary  instincts  of  the  Canadian 

(1)  Hark  to  McGilviiay's  Dkbokiptioh. 

"  Having  Kfoended  to  the  dummit  of  one  of  the  lofty  raoantatni  in  the  ForMt  of 
Harria  in  Roarch  uf  plants,  I  stood  to  admire  the  glorious  loene  that  pretentad 
itRelf,  and  enjoy  the  mof>t  intense  of  uli  dolii^hts — that  of  eommuninn  in  the  wil- 
derness with  the  God  of  the  Universe.  I  was  on  a  narrow  lodge  of  rooki,  covered 
with  the  iSileno  acaiilis  whoso  lovely  pink  blossoms  woro  itrewn  around  ;  on  one 
aide  was  n  rouKy  slope,  the  rusort  of  tho  ptarmigan;  on  the  other,  a  rugged  proci- 
pioe,  in  the  orevioes  of  which  hud  sprung  up  luxuriant  tufti  of  Rhodiola  ronea. 
Before  mo,  in  the  we^it,  was  the  Rini^gy  island  of  Scarp;  toward  the  south, 
stretched  the  rugged  coast-line  of  Harris,  margoned  on  the  headlands  with  a  lina 
of  white-foara  ;  and,  away  to  the  dim  horizon,  spread  out  the  vast  expanse  of  ths 
Atlantic  Ocean,  with  the  lovely  Isles  of  St.  Kilda  on  its  extreme  verge.  The  sun, 
descending  in  the  clear  sky,  threw  a  glistening  path  of  light  over  the  waters, 
and  tinged  the  Ocean  haze  with  purple.  Suddenly  there  arose  over  the  Atlantic  a 
mass  of  light,  thin  vapour,  which  approached  with  a  gentle  breeze,  rolling  and 
spreading  around  and  exhibiting  the  most  beautiful  ohana^es  of  tint. 

When  I  had  gazed  until  tho  fading  light  reminded  me  that  my  home  for  the 
night  was  four  miles  distant,  I  approached  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  and  bent 
over  it,  when,  from  the  distance  of  a  few  yards  beneath,  a  Qolden  Eagle  launched 
forth  into  the  air.  The  scene,  already  sublime,  was  by  Ihe  flight  of  the  eagle 
rendered  still  more  so,  and,  as  I  gazed  upon  the  huge  bird  sailing  steadily  away 
beneath  my  feet,  while  the  now  dense  masses  of  cloud  rolled  majestically  over 
head,  I  exclaimed  aloud  "  Beautiful  1  "  Tho  great  God  of  heaven  and  earth, 
myself,  his  perverse  but  adoring  subject  and  the  eagle,  his  beautiful  but  anen- 
during  creature,  were  all  in  the  universe  of  my  imagination.  Scenes  like  these 
niiglit  soften  the  obdurate,  elevate  the  grovelling,  convince  the  self-willed  and 
unbelieving,  and  blond  with  universal  nature  the  spirits  that  had  breathed  the 
chilling  atmosphere  of  settishness.  Verily,  it  is  good  fur  one  to  asoend  a  lofty 
mountain  ;  but  he  must  go  alone,  and  of  if  he  be  there  in  the  solemn  stillness  of 
midnight,  ay  I  have  been,  he  will  descend  a  better  and  a  wiser  man.  Beautiful 
truly  it  is,  to  see  the  eagle  sweeping  aloft  the  hill  side,  sailing  from  one  moun- 
tain to  an  other,  or  i-uaring  aloft  in  its  circling  flight  until  it  seems  to  float  in  the 
regions  of  the  then  white  cirri,  like  the  inhabitant  of  an  other  world  looking  down 
upon  our  rebel  earth,  as  if  desirous  to  visit  it,  but  afraid  to  come  within  its  con- 
taminating influence,  and  not  in  its  distant  flight  alone  is  the  Golden  Eagle  a 
beautiful  object ;  viewed  at  hand  it  cannot  fail  to  inspire  admiration,  but  then 
you  muit  see  it  seated  on  some  pinnacle  of  ite  native  rooks.  "  {Itapaeiout  Bird» 
•f  Grtat  Britain,  MeQUtray,  Page  90.) 


216 


OUR  EARLY  FRIENDS, 


Kaple,  one  would  moslly  wish  him  to  take  the  place  of  lh(i 
Beaver,  the  lloso,  the  Thistle  and  the  Shamrock,  as  (he  em- 
blem of  our  nascent  ompire.  A  pair  of  these  noble  birds  pur- 
chased by  me  recently,  were  kept  in  capture  at  Spencer  Grange, 
when  I  sent  the  follow ing  to  the  Quebec  Mercury  : 

«  One  by  one,  the  cherished  traditions  of  our  rosy  boyhood 
vanish.  Audubon,  Bull'on  and  \Yilson  had  let  us  to  believe 
that  the  king  of  birds,  the  royal  ea^le,  was  a  species  of  morose 
baron,  living  amidsl  inaccessible  fastnesses,  on  innocent  lamb- 
kins, leverets,  and  tender  chickiiis  ;  occasionally  varying  his 
diet,  by  making  a  repast  on  some  stray  infant,  carried  away 
holtis  bolus,  whilst  ils  negligent  nurse,  perchance,  had  beau 
seeking,  wandered  round  the  corner.  The  fujrce  marauder  sel- 
dom or  ever  visited  the  haunts  of  man,  except  for  mischief. 
The  loftiest  mountain  had  ils  eagle — one  only ;  at  most,  a  pair 
— averaging  in  age  one  hundred  years  or  so.  To  catch  a  live 
eagle  was  a  species  ot  impossibility  ;  in  fact,  if  you  saw  one 
alive,  once  during  your  lifetime,  you  might  consider  yourself 
fortunate. 

«  The  (Joldeu  or  Canadian  Eagle,  Aquila  Canadensis,  is  a 
beautiful  variety.  As  slated,  many  of  the  dreams  of  our  boy- 
hood, are  disproved  by  the  following  fact.  Eagles  seem  to  be 
as  common  as  barnyard  fowls  at  Baie  St.  Paul,  on  the  Lower 
St.  Lawrence  :  they  are  frequently  shot,  and  within  a  week,  a 
pair  were  trapped  under  a  crockery  crale  with  a  figure  four  trap 
baited  with  a  clucking  h(!U  and  her  chickens.  Their  appetite  was 
not  proof  against  while  meat.  Ilonci;  Iheirfa!!.  These  marauders 
had  already  paid  a  flying  visit  to  tht;  farmyard  and  abstracted 
a  large  goose,  in  spite  of  the  heart  rending  cries  of  th(;  guard- 
ian of  the  flock — ii  snow-white  gand  r,  more  majestic  in  gait 
than  the  Mayor  of  any  of  our  opulent  cities.  The  female  eagle, 
since  her  capture,  laid  an  egg  on  her  way  up  from  St.  Paul's 
Bay  :  unfortunately  this  prized  specimen  for  oologists  was 
ciushed  and  destroyed.  These  noble  birds  were  presented  to 
me  ;  and  mayhap  I  shall  have  a  treat  denied  to  the  greatest 
naturalists — xcitnessim;  eagles  breeding  in  captivity.  I  will  take 
care  to  advise  the  readers  oH\w  Mercuiy,  of  th'  birth  of  the 
first  chick,  should  such  an  auspicious  evetit  crown  the  connu- 
bial bliss  of  (be  royal  couple. » 


TUE   BIRDS. 


217 


\  of  lh(i 
the  ein- 
rds  pur- 
Grange, 

boyhood 
behove 
I'  morose 
nt  lamb- 
rying  his 
i3d  away 
lad  beau 
iider  sel- 
niscbief. 
>\,  a  pair 
;h  a  live 
saw  one 
yourself 

isis,  is  a 

oiir  boy- 

!m  lo  be 

le  Lowor 

week,  a 

bur  trap 

elite  was 

raiiders 

traded 

ijuard- 

c  in  gail 

0  eagle, 
.  Paul's 
sis  was 
e  II  led  to 
grealesl 
vill  take 

1  of  the 
cnniiu- 


These  eagles  were  kept  thirteen  months  ;  it  afforded 
me  ample  opportunity  to  study  their  habits  in  eapti- 
vily.  They  did  not  however  breed,  but  I  made  more  than  one 
experiment,  as  to  their  capacity  of  enduring  cold  and  hunger 
which  much  astonished  me.  Ever  patient,  cheerful ;  robust, 
in  excellent  temper  at  all  times,  they  seemed  indeed,  unlike 
any  other  member  of  the  feathered  tribe — Uight  well  is  the  eagle 
called  the  «King  of  Birds.))  Fearing  some  accident  might  befall 
my  children  who  were  frequently  moving  round  their  coop,  I 
ceeded  them  to  C^nt.  Rook  of  the  53rd  Foot,  who  took  them  to 
England ;  since  when,  I  learn,  they  have  figured  in  the  pages 
of  the  Field  Newspaper. 

Shall  we  quit  the  Eagle  tribe,  without  directing  your  notice 
to  that  majestic  Eagle  which  Audubon  discovered  whilst  as- 
cending the  Mississippi  in  1814  ;  his  attention  having  been 
directed  to  it  by  the  pilot  of  the  boat — a  Canadian.  This 
powerful  bird,  a  specimen  of  which,  he  shot  subsequently  in 
Kentucky,  measured  4o  inches  by  1 22 — that  is,  fiom  lip  to  tip  of 
wing,  ten  feet,  and  three  feet  seven  inches  from  the  end  of 
the  head  lo  the  tremity  of  the  tail.  But  one  specimen,  as 
yet,  exists  in  the  American  collections — that,  in  the  museum  of 
the  Natural  History  Society  of  Philadelphia.  It  is  well  lo  stale 
that  tills  gigantic  bird  which  Audubon  honored  with  Uie  name 
of  Bird  of  Washington,  has  much  exercised  naturalists  ;  some, 
protesting  that  it  was  merely  an  overgrown  individual  of  the 
Golden  Eagle,  whilst  others,  asserted  that  the  scuteUw  on  his 
larsi  denoted  a  distinct  species. 

At  least  twenty  varieties  of  the  Hawk  family  visit  our  Inli- 
tudes  ;  here,  is  the  delic.itely  spotted  Goskawk,  identical  with 
the  European  species  :  the  breast  is  of  a  lovely  ash  colour, 
with  peucilled  markings  ;  there  is  I  he  Rough-lciigod  Buz- 
zard ;  next,  the  Marsh  Hawk,  whom  1  am  sure,  on  viewing 
this  specimen,  you  all  recognize  as  that  unwelcome  prowler 
who  made  you  miss  by  his  swoop,  such  a  shot,  on  the  Chateau 
Richer,  Crane  Island,  Sorel,  Deschambault  or  Sle.  Clair  mar- 
shes, at  some  period  or  other  of  your  sporting  career  ;  there  is 
another  species  with  large  I'xpanse  of  wing, — the  Broad- 
winged  Hawkj  not  so  large  as  the  Goshawk,  and  of  pluniagi! 

22 


218 


OUR  EABLT  FRIENDS, 


less  bright ;  then  comes  the  Sharp-shinned  ;  next,  the  Pigeon 
Hawk  ;  lastly,  the  little  Sparrow  Ha^^k,  with  its  elegant 
cinnamon-coloured  back  and  black  bands  on  its  tail.  Admire 
this  keen  sporlsnaaii,  the  great  Duck  Hawk — BuWet-headed 
Hawk,  as  some  style  him — who  is  none  else  than  the  Noble 
Peregrine  Falcon  of  the  days  of  chivalry  ;  a  tolerably  common 
bird  in  Canada  West ;  he  can  strike  his  quarry  a  mid  air  with 
his  breast  bone,  so  as  to  cause  immediate  death.  The  limits 
of  my  discourse  prevent  me  from  quoting,  for  your  benefit, 
the  elegant  and  truthful  descriptions  of  the  Peregrine  and  his 
fearless  compeers,  as  sketched  by  Audubon.  Shall  we  leave 
this  fierce  band  of  day-robbers,  and  investigate  the  doings  of 
those  formidable  midnight  raiders,  the  Owls  ? 

"  T'it  the  middle  of  night  by  the  oastle  olook, 
And  the  owls  have  wakened  the  crowing  eook  : 
Tu-whit  I— Tu-whoo ! 


See  how  grave,  how  omniscient  they  look,  with  their  rolling, 
shining,  yellow  eyes,  their  velvety  plumage  and  their  warm  fur- 
leggings,  impervious  to  cold  the  most  intense !  There  he  sits,  on 
his  perch, — the  dignified  patriarch  of  the  whole  tribe :  the  Great 
Cinereous  Owl.  Look  at  him  well  ;  he  is  not,  mind  you,  an  every- 
day visitor  by  any  means — thelargestof  the  owls  ;  in  size,  he 
even  exceeds  that  white  and  fierce  marauder,  the  Snowy 
Owl — the  Great  Northern  Hunter,  as  he  is  aptly  styled.  As 
you  know,  he  is  frequently  shot  in  the  surrounding  country 
during  the  winter  months.  How  often  on  a  bright,  cold 
January  day,  have  1  noticed  him  skimming  mageslically  over 
the  vast  ice  (ields,  battures,  as  they  are  call  d  which  skirt  the 
Saint  Lawrence,  at  St.  Thomas,  county  of  Montmagny !  Nature 
has  wonderfully  adapted  these  birds  to  the  climates  they  in- 
habit. Th'-y  hunt  by  day  as  well  as  by  night,  and,  in  the  soft 
moonlight,  you  can  scarcely  hear  the  muffled  sound  of  their 
winged  paddles,  when  pursuing  hares  or  other  small  animals.  Of 
the  ferocity  of  the  Snowy  Ow  I,  unquestionable  proofs  exists.  The 
attack  of  a  Snowy  Owl,  rendered  desperate  through  hunger, 
on  a  Roman  Catholic  Missionary,  is  amusingly  related  in  a 
Journal  of  Travel,  on  the  Labrador  coast.  The  Reverend  Padrd 


THE  BIRDS. 


219 


^e  Pigeon 
s  elegant 
Admire 
jt-headed 
the  Noble 
y  common 
d  air  with 
rhe  limi's 
ir  benefit, 
le  and  his 
1  we  leave 
doings  of 


leir  rolling, 
r  warm  fur- 
i  he  sits,  on 
c :  the  Great 
J,  an  every - 
in  size,  he 
the  Snowy 
ityled.     As 
ng  country 
right,  cold 
ically  over 
Ich  skirt  the 
ny!  Nature 
les  they  in- 
in  the  soft 
id  of  their 
animals.  Of 
exists.  The 
gh  hunger, 
ilati'd  in  a 
Tend  Padre 


was  so  astounded  at  the  daring  of  the  bird  of  Minerva,  that 
he  sought  his  safety  in  flight.  Of  the  Virginian,  or  Great 
Horned  Owl,  there  are,  according  to  Baird,  five  varieties — 
Atlanticus,  Magellanicus,  Pacificus,  Arclicus,  Virginianus. 
Atlanlicus  and  Virginianus  alone  visit  Canada.  This  bird  is 
often  caught  in  the  steel  traps  baited  for  foxes ;  the  ferocious 
attitude  and  indomitable  courage  he  exhibits,  when  approa- 
ched by  dog  or  man,  is  wonderful  to  behold  ;  he  snaps  his 
powerful  beak,  rolls  his  bright  eyes,  and  erects  his  feathers — 
the  very  emblem  of  concentrated  rage.  I  have  not  heard  of 
any  successful  elTort  to  domesticate  the  Great  Horned  Owl. 
The  Barn  Owl,  highly  valued  in  some  countries  as  a  destroyer 
of  rats  and  mice,  does  not  inhabit  Canada.  You  remember  I 
am  sure,  the  lines  in  the  Fable  of  the  Butterfly  who  went  to 
consult  her  lawyer. 

Ivy  barn  was  tho  Chambers  of  CounoiUor  Owl, 
And  instantly  thither  he  flies. 
At  study  he  found  the  learned  fowl, 
His  face  half  hid  by  his  hooded  cowl, 

He  winked,  and  blinked  and  looked  very  wise. 

I  have  now  placed  before  you  in  a  row,  according  to  their 
size,  the  Owls  which  visit  us  ;  mark  the  gradation  from  the 
Great  Cinereous,  the  size  of  a  large  Turkey,  to  the  little 
Saw  Whet,  a  sweetly  pretty,  tiny  fellow,  not  much  bigger 
than  a  Snow  Bunting.  What  an  interesting  group  of  wiseacres 
they  all  seem  ?  Legislative  or  City  Councillors  in  conclave  ! 

You  see  in  the  Museum  of  our  Society  some  fair  represen- 
tatives of  the  web-footed  Order  of  Birds. 

First  amongst  them,  conspicuous  for  the  brilliancy  of  his 
plumage,  note  the  Wood  or  Summer  Duck,  A}ias  Sponsa  ; 
$ponsa  means  a  bride,  from  the  gay  colours  of  the  individual 
probably.  Here  is  the  Mallard,  the  Dusky  Duck,  the  Gadwall, 
the  American  Widgeon,  the  Green-winged  Teal,  the  Blue- 
winged  Teal,  the  Shoveller,  the  Canvass-back,  the  Redhead, 
the  Scaup,  the  Ruddy,  the  Pied,  the  Velvet,  the  Surf 
Duck,  the  Scoter,  the  Eider,  the  King  Eider,  the  Golden- 
eye,  the  Harlequin,  the  Long-tailed,  the  Tufted,  the  Red- 
breasted    Merganser,    the    Hooded    Mergansei,    and     tlie 


220 


OUR  EARLY  FRIENDS, 


Gooscander.   "What  a  noble-looking  fellow  the  great  Diver 
seQms,  with  his  speckled  robe  of  white  and  black  ?  But 
amongst  this  splendid  array  of  water-fowl,  as  I  previously 
said,  the  handsomest  is  the  Wood  Duck,    who   builds  in 
trees  at  Sorel,  Lake  Erie,  and  other  places  :  he  is,  indeed, 
of  the  whole  tribe  facile  princeps.    Those  feathered,  slim 
gentry  mounted  on  stilts,  you  lecognize  as  pertaining  to  the 
tribe  of  the  Waders  :  the  Bittern  you  all  have  seen  ;  many  of 
yon  may  not  have  viewed,  the  large  Blue  Heron,  oft  mistaken  for 
a  Crane.  Doubtless  you  number  amongs  your  acquaintances 
as  well,  the  curious  and  handsome  species  called  the  Night 
Heron  from  its  nocturnal  habits.  It  is  a  very  comely  bird  and 
the  long  feathers  on  its  head,  will  at  once  attracts  your  notice : 
Wilson  has  as  it  were,  photographed  this  bird.  There  are  a  few 
heronries  in  Canada ;  one  exists  on  Nuns  Island  near  Montreal. 
Have  you  ever  observed  how  those  long  leathers,  which  grow 
out  of  the  back  of  his  head,   tit  in  one  another  as  in  a 
groove  ? 

For  this  pretty  lillle  species,  called  the  Least  Bittern,  I  am 
indebted  to  a  Kingston  friend. 

You  can  read,   in  Charlevoix  and  Governor  Boucher,  that 
two  species    of  Cranes    visit  Canada — the  White  and   the 
Brown  Crane  :  Linn»us  and  Temminck  have  christened  one 
of  the  species,  Grm  Canadensis  ;  and  still  the  Crane  is  a  West- 
ern species,  and  ought  not  to  sojourn  often  in  our  Arctic  latitudes 
except  when  it  migrates  from  Florida  to  the  Arctic  wilds,  for 
the  incubation  of  its  eggs  and  rearing  of  its  young.   An  Island, 
once  dear  to  sportsmen,  thirty- six  miles  lower  than  Quebec, 
bears  the  name  of  Crane  Island.  You  have  not  forgotten  the 
mention  Horace  makes  of  the  migrating  Crane — Gruem  ad- 
venam.  And  shall  I  relate  to  you  the  nice  story  Herodotus  tells 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  death  of  Ibycus,  the  poet^  was 
avenged  by  a  flock  of  Cranes  ?  You  will  then  understand  why 
the  muse-loving  Greeks  had  such  a  veneration  for  Cranes  : — 
« The  lyric,  Ibycus  of  Rhegium,  went  to  dispute  at  the 
Olympic  Games  the  prize  of  poetry  :  he  came  on  foot,  with  no 
other  companion  than  his  lyre,  from  which  he  occasionally 
drew  a  few  soul-stirring  notes.  At  the  close  of  his  journey, 


i 


? 

i 


I 


THE  BIRDS. 


221 


eat  Diver 
Qck  ?  But 
»reviousIy 
builds  in 
,  indeed, 
red,  slim 
g  to  the 
many  of 
5taken  for 
aintances 
he  Night 
bird  and 
ir  notice: 
are  a  few 
Montreal, 
lich  grow 
as  in  a 

jrn,  I  am 

ler,  that 
and  the 
aned  one 
;  a  West- 
latitudes 
Ids,  for 
I  Island, 
Quebec, 
ten  the 
em  ad- 
us  tells 
t^  was 
lid  why 
nes  : — 
at  the 
ith  no 
ionally 
urney, 


I 


! 


musing,  he  lost  his  away  in  the  forest.  Two  men  rushed  out 
of  a  wood  and  struck  him.  The  poet  fell  to  the  earth,  and  cast 
an  expiring  glance  towards  the  setting  sun.  At  that  awful  mo- 
ment, he  saw  a  flock  of  Cranes  sailing  past :  *  Winged  tra- 
vellers, '  said  he,  in  an  expiring  breath,  '  behold  me  ! — make 
known  the  assassins  of  Ibycus  I  '  The  brigands  laughed  at 
these  words,  stripped  their  victim  and  disappeared. 

«  The  next  day,  the  games  began  at  Olympia  :  no  Ibycus 
appeared.  The  people  murmured  at  the  absence  of  the  Bard; 
— his  rivals  commenced  to  sing.  At  Ihat  moment  a  man  ar- 
rived in  hot  haste  bearing  a  broken  lyre,  all  bloody,  and  pro- 
nouncing the  name  of  Ibycus.  It  was  the  bard's  lyre,  found 
thai  morning  close  to  the  corpse  of  the  poet.  A  loud  and  deep 
wail  was  then  heard  in  the  amphitheatre  :  the  people  deplored 
the  premature  end  of  the  young  favourite  of  the  muses  ;  but 
the  multitude  is  as  easily  moved  to  sorrow  as  it  is  to  forget ; 
the  games  proceeded — the  memory  of  Ibycus  fading  away. 
Night  was  closing  in  and  would  soon  interrupt  the  amusements 
of  the  crowd,  when  a  flock  of  Cranes  flew  over  the  arena  ;  their 
loud  notes  attracted  general  attention  :  two  of  the  crowd,  in  a 
conspicuous  spot,  repeated  to  one  another,  in  a  jocular  way. 
*  There  go  the  Cranes  of  Ibycus  !  '  This  singular  remark  was 
overheard  by  others  :  the  sarcastic  tone  in  which  it  was  ut- 
tered, the  repulsive  appearance  of  the  utterers,  the  sudden 
and  mysterious  death  of  the  poet,  all  conspired  to  create  sus- 
picion. Jhe  murderers  were  arrested — questioned  separately 
—confessed  their  crime,  and  were  then  and  there  executed  ; 
so  that  the  avenging  mission  cunlided  by  the  dying  poet  to  the 
feathered  strangers  was  faithfully  and  speedily  discharged.  » 


By  long  and  cmlinued  efforts  on  behalf  of  some  enlightened 
friends  of  agriculture,  the  indisciiniinute  slaughter  of  insecti- 
vorous birds  in  the  spring  and  summer  has  been  eflectually 
slopped.  You  may  not  be  hung  for  killing  or  capturing  in 
Canada,  a  Robin  or  a  Tomlil  in  the  spring,  but  you  make 
yourself  liable  thereby,  to  ten  days  of  jail. 

I  like  the  old  English  and  French  custom  of  opening  the 


222 


OVn  EARLT  FRIENDS, 


game  season  by  rejoicings  and  eclat.  Why  should  not  Saint 
Hubert,  the  patron  suint  of  sportsmen,  have  a  day  sacred  to 
him  in  America  as  well  as  in  Europe  ? 

It  is  gratifying  to  see  that  if  our  powerful  and  progressive 
neighbours  have  so  many  things  to  be  proud  of,  there  is  one 
Canadian  institution  which  (hey  envy  us  ;  that  is,  our  Legis- 
lation for  the  protection  of  Fish  and  Game.  Mr.  Roosevelt 
(son  of  Judge  Roosevelt),  in  his  interesting  book  on  the  Salmon 
rivers  of  Canada,  «  The  Game  Fish  of  the  North,  »  testifies  to 
that  fact  repeatedly.  Though  as  a  sop  to  American  amour 
propre^  he  concludes  by  insinuating  that  it  is  aboutthe  only  sign 
of  progress  to  be  found  u  in  those  benighted  regions  known  as 
the  British  Provinces,  »  as  he  humourously  styles  them.  We 
\\\\\  allow  him,  unchallenged,  to  enjoy  his  illusions  on  this  as 
on  other  Canadian  topics,  for,  as  a  clever  writer  has  it,  «  Are 
not  illusions  the  best  part  of  youth  ?  »  and  Mr.  Roosevelt  is 
young. 

With  all  the  protection  the  law  could  lend  to  game  during 
th;3  period  of  incubation,  I  dare  not  however,  think  it 
possible  to  restore  to  the  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence  the 
myriads  of  ducks,  geese,  and  swans,  which  are  mentioned  by 
Ih )  old  writers,  such  as  the  Jissuits,  in  their  Relations,  Governor 
Bouclier,  in  his  Histoire  Naturelle  des  Oiseaux,  des  Animaux, 
et  rfes  Poissons  du  Canada,  wiitten  at  Three  Rivers  in  1663 — 
for  the  special  information  of  the  Grands  Seigneurs  of  the  Court 
of  Louis  XIV.,  his  friends.  The  account  of  the  game  met  by 
the  Jesuits  on  the  Crane  and  Goose  Island  beaches  in  1632  (5) 
apponrs  so  marvellous  as  to  be  mostly  beyond  belief.  The  very 
bene  !i  facing  this  city,  near  the  Rifle  range  at  Beauport,  took 
its  nime,  La  Canardiere,  from  the  legions  of  ducks,  Canarrfs, 
frciiiienting  it.  It  is  within  my  recollection  that  a  Crane  Island 
Chasseur  counted  he  had  had  but  poor  shooting  if  he  had 
bagged  less  than  one  hundred  Outardes  (Wild  Geese)  in  a 
season  :  now  fifty  are  accounted  a  good  bag. 

You  are  aware  that  the  most  numerous  order  of  birds  by  far 
is  that  of  the  Passeres.  It  would  require  a  great  many  lectures 


(6)  Sco  Matiotu^Vbn  Le  Jeune. 


THE  BIRDS. 


223 


not  Saint 
sacred  to 

progressive 
ere  is  one 
our  Legis- 
Roosevelt 
the  Salmon 
testifies  to 
3an  amour 
le  only  sign 
i  known  as 
them.  We 
on  this  as 
5  it,  «  Are 
oosevelt  is 

me  during 

,    think  it 

vrence  the 

ntioned  by 

Governor 

Animaux, 

in  1663— 

the  Court 

16  met  by 

1632  (5) 

The  very 

lort,  took 

Canards, 

ne  Island 

he  had 

3se)  in  a 

rds  by  far 
lectures 


to  initiate  you  into  their  habits  a  I  history.  Let  me  conse- 
quently direct  your  atti-ntion  merely  to  those  now  before  you, 
wearing  th(»  gaudiest  uniforms  :  there,  you  will  remark  the 
brightest  of  Canadian  birds,  the  Scarlet  Tanagor,  or  Summer 
Red  Bird  ;  how  gracefully  his  black  wings  do  fit  on  the  sur- 
rounding red  !  Hot  weather  alone  attracts  him  over  the  Cana- 
dian border  from  the  scented  magnolia  groves  of  Louisiana  and 
Florida.  The  peasant  lad,  meeting  him  in  our  own  green  woods, 
in  ecstacy  at  such  a  display  of  sphjudour,  hurries  home  to  tell 
his  mother  that  he  has  at  last  seen  «  Le  Rot  dts  Oiseaux,  »  for 
such  is  the  glorious  cognomen  the  Summer  Red  Bird  during 
his  July  visits,  enjoys  amongst  the  French  Cf«nadian  peasantry. 
What  a  stylish  fellow,  this  Louisiana  Piper  seems,  with  his 
bright  purple  manlle  and  red  Phrygian  Cap !  He  does  indeed 
sport  his  purple  robe,  like  a  true  Pi  iiice  of  the  Church  of  Rome. 
Lord  Baltimore's  feathered  friend  the  Oriole  assumed,  so  says 
Wilson,  the  name  of  his  Maryland  patron — the  French  call  him 
le  Baltimore  :  the  Americans,  the  Balliinore  Oriole — Why  not 
call  the  gaudy  Cardinal — aMerodeorcnAntonelli?  TheCardinal 
visits  the  southern  districts  of  Ontario — I  have  had  the  good 
fortune  to  capture  a  magnificent  Cock  Bird  in  my  garden  in 
August  1870,  and  kept  him  more  than  two  years.  His  song  on 
an  April  morning  was  delighfid  ;  some  violent,  storm  must  have 
blown  him  across  our  border,  as  hi;  was  certainly  extra-limital 
and  for  us  Quebecers,  a  foreigner  :  not  tlh)  less  welcome  for 
all  that. 

That  graceful  individual  with  a  cinnamon-coloured  back  and 
wings,  a  white  breast  and  long  rounded  tail  feathers  tipped 
with  white  outwardly,  is  the  Cuckoo  ;  his  shrill  note  K-K-K- 
Kow-ow-Kow-Kow-ow,  is  occasionally  heard  in  hed;.;<)s  round  the 
city.  Unlike  his  European  congener,  his  habits  as  a  juirent  are 
unimpeachable  ;  you  never  catch  h'm  depositing  cjigs  in  other 
birds'  nests, — waifs  at  olh(;r  in  lividuals'  doors ;  this 
shabby,  unnatural  practice  may  suH  his  Cockney  Cousin,  or 
our  Cow-pen  bird  ;  but  our  elegant.  Cuckoo  is  loo  excellent 
a  gentleman,  too  kind-hearted  a  fellow,  to  desert  his  ofispring. 
We  have  two  Cuckoos  in  Canada — the  Yellow-bill  jd  and  the 
Black-billed. 


224 


OUR  EARLY   PRiLNDS, 


An  American  writer  thus  describes  him  : — 

«  The  cuckoo  is  one  of  the  most  solitary  birds  of ourfuresls, 
and  is  strangely  tame  and  quiut,  appearing  equally  untouched 
by  joy  or  grief,  tear  or  anger.  Something  remote  seems  ever 
weighing  upon  his  mind.  His  note  or  call  is  as  (»f  one  lost  or 
wandering,  and  to  the  farmer,  is  prophetic  of  rain.  Amid  the 
general  joy  and  the  sweet  assurance  of  spring,  I  love  to  listen 
to  the  strange  clairvoyant  call.  Heard  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away, 
from  out  the  depths  of  the  forest,  there  is  something  pecidiaily 
weird  and  monkish  about  it.  Wordsworth's  lines  upon  the 
European  species  apply  equally  well  to  ours  :  » 

0  blithe  new-comer  I    I  have  heard, 

I  hear  thee  and  rejoice  : 

0  ouokoo  1  shall  I  call  thee  bird  ? 

Or  but  a  wandering  voice  ? 

While  I  am  lying  on  the  grass, 

Thy  loud  note  smites  my  ear  1 

From  hill  to  hill  it  seems  to  pass, 

At  once  far  off  and  near  I 


Thrice  wolcomo,  darling  of  tho  spring  ! 

Even  yet  thou  art  to  me 

No  bird,  but  an  invisible  thing, 

A  voice,  a  mystery. 


Next  to  him,  you  notice  a  bird  encased  in  a  sleek,  lustrous, 
black  uniform,  with  gold  and  crimson  shoulder-straps^  a  veri- 
table rifleman  amon^^sl  the  feathered  tribe  ;  that  is  the  Red- 
winged  Starling  :  is  he  not  a  jaunty,  military-looking  son  of 
song  ?  sporting  epaulettes,  he  ought  to  stand  well  with  the 
ladies.  Doubtless  his  name  of  Field  Officer,  is  due  to  the  ad- 
miration, by  of  some  old  dowager,  of  his  gaudy  uniform.  There 
sits  Robin  Redbreast ;  you  have  read,  my  young  friends,  of  the 
touching  legend,  explanatory  of  the  blood  red  line,  on  the 
breast  of  the  English  Robin  :  why,  should  it  not  be  applied  to 
our  Canadian  favorite,  «  the  bird  of  the  ruddy  breast,  towards 
whom  the  children  of  every  Canadian  house  yearn  with  na- 
tural love.» 

«.  It  was  on  the  day,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  felt  his  pain 
upon  the  bitter  cross  of  wood,  that  a  small  and  tender  bird, 
which   had  hovered  awhile  around,  drew    nigh  about  the 


TUE  BIRDS. 


22o 


our  forests, 
untouched 
leems  ever 
ne  lost  or 
,  Amid  the 
m  to  listen 
mile  away, 
gpeeidiarly 
s  upon  the 


[,  lustrous, 
pSy  a  veri- 
the  Red- 
ing son  of 
with  the 
0  the  ad- 
rm.  There 
nds,  of  the 
ne,  on  the 
applied  to 
,  towards 
with  na- 

t  his  pain 

ider  bird, 

bout  the 


seventh  hour,  and  nestled  upon  the  wreath  of  Syrian  thorns 
And  when  the  gentle  creature  of  the  air  beheld  these  cruel 
spikes,  the  thirty  and  three  which  pierced  that  bleeding  brow, 
she  was  moved  with  grief  and  compnssion,  and  the  piety  of 
birds  ;  and  she  sought  to  turn  aside,  if  btit  one  of  those  thorns, 
with  hi»r  fluttering  wings  and  lifted  feel !  U  was  in  vain  I  She 
did  but  rend  her  own  soft  breast,  until  blood  flowed  over  her 
feathers  from  the  wound  ?  Then  said  a  voice  from  among  th.i 
angels  '  Thou  has  done  well,  sweet  daughter  of  the  boughs  ! 
Yes,  and  I  bring  thee,  tidings  of  reward.  Henceforth,  from  this 
very  hour,  and  because  of  this  deed  of  thine,  it  shall  be  that 
in  many  a  land  thy  race  and  kind  shall  bearupon  their  bosoms 
the  hue  and  banner  of  thy  faithfid  blood  ;  and  the  children  of 
every  house  shall  yearn  with  a  natural  love  towards  the  birds 
of  the  ruddy  breast,  and  shall  greet  their  presence  with  a  voice 
of  thanksgiving  I  » 

What  strange  anecdotes  I  could  tell  you  about  him,  my 
familiar  friend,  who  returns  each  spring  to  nestle  in  a  bushy 
evertireen  under  my  library  window,  notwithstanding  several 
murderous  raids  made  in  the  vicinity,  at  day  break  by  Jack 
Corby,  or  in  the  dead  of  night,  by  some  marauderiiig  grimal- 
kin, when,  unfortunately  for  my  feathered  neighbour,  the 
trusty  guardian  of  the  grounds,  my  St.  Bernard  Wolf,  is 
wrapped  in  balmy  sleep?  You  can  fancy  what  a  lively  memory 
birds  retain  of  the  spots  in  which  protection  has  been  ex- 
tended to  them,  when  I  tell  you  that  for  several  years  past, 
I  have  protected  the  birds  building  on  my  property,  and  that 
they  have  multiplied  astonishingly  and,  each  spring  pun(  tunlly 
returned. 

Thereare  this  year,  upwards  of  forty  nests  of  birds  round  m.' ; 
one  palm  tree,  next  to  my  library  window,  contains  the  nests 
of  no  less  than  two  pairs  of  Chipping  Buntings,  that  friendly 
little  fellow  who  comes  on  the  very  house-steps  to  pick  up 
crumbs.  Close  to  it,  stands  a  small  soft  maple  tree  :  a  pair  of 
Black-cap  Titmice  have  been  industriously  scooping  a 
hole  out  of  the  heart  of  the  tree  for  a  week.  From  the  hab'ts 
of  this  bird,  which,  1  presume,  is  better  known  to  yo«i  under 
the  name  of  Chickadee,  none  do  I  prefer  to  see,  building  about 

23 


226 


OUn   EARLY    FRIE.NDS, 


my  garden  :  llio  (iiiantiiy  of  insncis  it  dostroys  in  catering  for 
ils  yoiin^,  is  really  prudi^'io-is.  About  hvo  acres  from  this 
spot,  another  fiimily  of  C.lrcKadees  seem  intent  on  applying  for 
a  loealion  tickel.  Wilson's  Snow  Bird  breeds  amongst  th(! 
grass,  and  is  as  careful  about  hilling  the  cradh  of  his  children 
as  the  Song  Sparrow,  llobins',  Redstarts,  and  Yellow  Birds' 
nests  are  in  course  of  construction  all  over  I  he  premises  :  the 
angle  of  a  siniclure  used  as  a  snow-slide,  has  been  taken  pos- 
session of,  by  a  pair  of  Robms  for  two  seasons  in  succession. 
Allow  me  lo  introduce  to  you  a  brave,  indomitable  fellow — the 
King  Bird  (Tyrant  fly-catcher)  ;  Ihe  peasantry  call  him  Tri-tri, 
from  his  rapid,  fpierulous  note  ;  schoolboys  known  him  as  the 
Crow-beater.  Observe  Ihe  little  orange  tuft  of  feathers  in  the 
centre  of  his  top-knot.  Next  to  him  you  notice  a  bird  with  a 
beak  notched  like  a  Falcon  :  take  my'  word  for  it,  that  is  a 
sanguinary  villain.  Naturalists  call  him  «  The  Shrike,  »  or 
Butcher  Bird,  from  the  remorseless  manner  in  which  he  deals 
with  small  birds,  whom  he  im|)ales  on  thorns  and  tears  lo 
pieces  ;  I  wonder  how  he  can  rest  at  night  after  such  enorm- 
ities. Fie,  fie !  Mr.  Shrike,  you  are  a  vile  fellow ! — as  vile 
nearly  as  a  schoolboy  who  robs  birds'-nesls.  Dare  not,  I  pray, 
show  your  face  on  my  premises  I  That  grey,  rough-coat(Ml 
bird  is  a  Canada  Jay  ;  the  lumberers  and  woodmen,  who  spy 
him  in  winter  rummaging  round  their  camp  for  scraps  of  pork, 
call  him  Whiskey  Jack  :  he  is  addicted  to  pilfering  ;  so  say 
his  enemies. 

There,  is  a  bird  whom  all  of  you  recognize,  the  Kingfisher 
— ladled  Kingfisher, — on  account  of  the  rust-coloured  badge 
encircling  his  throat  and  breast.  To  heathen  mythology  he  is 
known  as  Ceryle  Alcyone.  Alcyone  was  the  daughter  of 
j^iolus :  being  a  perfect  model  of  conjugal  lldelity,  she  was 
rewarded,  at  her  death,  by  being  metamoijiliosed  into  a  bird, 
and  the  heathen  god,  her  father,  whom  I  shicwdly  suspect  to 
have  been  in  Itjague  with  the  clerk  of  the  weather,  arranged 
matters  so,  that  in  midsummer,  a  succession  of  so  many  calms, 
halcydoma,  took  place  that  our  expert  fish- catcher  could  build 
her  nest  on  the  heaving  bosom  of  the  ocean,  and  rear  her 
young  undisturbed. 


THE  BIRDS. 


227 


Qtcring  for 
*  from  this 
pplying  for 
moiigsl  l,h(! 
lis  c'liildroii 
How  Birds' 
misos  :  llio 
taken  pos- 
succession. 
fidlow — tho 
lim  Tri-tri, 
I  liim  as  the 
hers  in  the 
bird  with  a 
it,  that  is  a 
(hriko,  »  or 
ich  he  deals 
ind  tears  to 
mh  enonn- 
kV  ! — as  vile 
not,  1  pray, 
)Ugii-coaled 
'n,  >vhu  spy 
ips  of  pork, 
ig  ;  so  say 

I  Kingfisher 
iired  badge 
iulo{^y  he  is 
augbler  of 
she  was 
nto  a  bird, 
suspect  to 
arranged 
ny  cahns, 
ould  build 
d  rear  her 


"  Perq\u  ditt  plaeidot  hihemo  tempore  tepttm, 
lacuhat  Ilulcyone  pendentibun  aquore  ntdi».  " 

Ovid.  Met.  lib.  XI. 

This  was,  to  say  the  least,  a  great  privilege.  Hence  the 
origin  of  halcyon  days — days  of  peace  and  prolonged  security. 
1  can  guarantee  this  fact,  on  the  faith  of  heathen  mythology  ! 

One  of  the  most  musical  groups  amongst  our  native  birds  is 
the  Thrushes  :  some  six  or  seven  varieties  ar*;  now  display(!d 
before  you.  First,  tlus  llobin,  or  Migratory  Thrusli ;  next,  the 
Catbird,  an  excentric  mimic,  whom  you  can  easily  distinguish 
from  the  rest  by  his  ash  colour  and  catlike  note  ;  then,  that 
beautiful  variely,  the  Golden  crowned  Thrush  ;  tho  Hermit 
Thrush,  which  is  attracted  to  the  cool  shad(!s  of  damp  woods, 
where  he  can,  imdistiirbed,  go  and  bathe  at  sunrise  and  sunset 
ill  some  secluded,  cool,  purling  stream, — how  oft  have  1  wat- 
ched him  I  One  of  the  sweetest  song  birds  of  Western  Canada  is 
the  Brown  Thrush,  or  Thrasher  :  here  is  a  good  specimen. 
You  will  notice  how  much  longer  his  tail  is  than  that  of  the 
Hermit  Thrush  ortiolden-crowned  Thrush.  The  Wood-Thrush, 
I  have  not  seen  in  our  Province  ;  and  1  am  inclined  to  helieve 
the  sweet  songster  who,  amongst  the  Canadian  peasantry,  is 
known  as  «  La  Flute  » — the  llnle — from  its  metallic  notes  re- 
sembling the  double-tongueing  of  the  German  flute,  is  Wilson's 
Thrush,  whilst  its  congener  the  Hermit  Thrusli,  is  known  to  the 
French  countrylad  as  «Le  Hautbois.  »  The  Thrush  family  in 
Canada  open  for  young  naturalists,  a  wide  field  of  enquiry. 

That  litth;  group  of  long-winged  individuals,  you  of  course 
recognise  as  Ihe  Swallows,  of  which  live  spi^cies  visit  Canada. 
The  first,  supposed  to  be  the  rea'  harbinger  of  spring  and  hot 
weather,  circles  over  our  heads,  with  its  crescent  wings,  for  t!ie 
first  time  each  year,  about  the  23rd  of  April.  The  Black  Chimney 
Swallow,  or  Swift,  who  dives  perpendicularly  down  our 
chimneys  to  build  its  nest,  forms  part  and  parcel  of  every 
Canadian  rural  home.  As  we  never  see  him  build  elsewhere 
than  in  chimneys,  will  Darwin  tell  us,  where  he  did  build 
before  the  invention  of  chimneys  ?  You  can  add  that  to  the 
other  hard  problems  with  which  your  painstaking  teachers 
try  your  ingenuity.     There  is  the  Purple  Martin — a  larger 


' 


228 


OUB   KAHI.T    rhlENDS, 


species :  (?ach  doy,  in  Jinn;,  when  I  pass  down  llie  Uppor 
Tuwn  niarkct-plncc>,  and  notice  the  gairulons  crowd  of  Martens 
twittering  round  the  northern  eaves  of  tiiu  old  Jesuit  Barracks, 
I  ask  myself  whether  they  arc  all  tlie  grand  children  of  those 
Purple  Martens  whose  ancestors,  Alexand(!r  Wilson  saw,  in  the 
beginning  of  llie  ciMitury  (1813),  »  in  great  nu  i,  at 
Quebec;  »  (1)  for  the  memory  of  locality  is  great  in  .vallows 
as  well  as  in  other  birds. 

That  broad-mouthed,  long  winged,  short-legged,  dark  bird 
squatting  on  the  ground,  with  white  badges  on  its  wings,  is 
the  Night  llnwk,  or  Goat  Suiker,  Caprimulgus.  You,  no  doubt, 
are  aware  why  he  is  so  persistently  calle  I  (loat  Sucker  by 
naturalists ;  it  is  because  he  nevijr  in  his  life  sucked  a  Goal — 
never  dreamed  of  it.  It  is  one  of  those  outrageous  fabrica- 
tions invented,  by  ignorance^  to  filch  a  poor  bird  of  his  good 
name,  and  fame,  and  which  took  root  only  because  it 
was  oFt  repeated.     In  the  days  of  Olaiis  Magnus,  Bishop  of 

(I)  Another  man  of  note,  Just  dead,  visited  Quebec  about  1824,  oentrio 

naturalist,  Ciiarles  Waterton,  the  digcovorer  of  the  WouruU  jioi»<  author 

of  several  works  most  amusingly  and  instructively  written.  CharKs  Waterton 
humorously  said  that  the  principal  blessings  the  House  of  Hanover  had  con- 
ferred on  the  English  people  wore  the  suppression  of  Popery,  the  creation  of  the 
national  debt,  and  the  introduction  of  tiio  brown,  or  Hanoverian,  rat.  Do  not  be 
surprised  if  the  passage  of  his  bouk,  relating  to  Quebec,  should  contain  some- 
thing eccentric  also  : — "They  are  making  tremendous  fortiHoations  at  Quebec. 
It  will  bo  the  Gibraltar  of  the  now  world.  When  one  considers  its  distance  from 
Europe,  and  takes  u  view  of  its  powerful  and  enterprising  neighbour,  Virgil's  re- 
mark at  once  rushes  into  the  mind, — 

"  Si(^  vo»  non  vobi»  nidi/icatU  aveii," 

"  I  left  Montreal  with  regret.  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  introduced  to  the 
Professors  of  the  College.  These  fathers  are  a  very  learned  and  worthy  set  of 
gentlemen;  and  on  uiy  taking  leave  of  them  I  felt  a  heaviness  at  heart,  in  re- 
flecting that  I  had  no  mure  time  to  cultivate  their  acquaintance.  In  all  the  way 
from  Buffalo  to  Quebec,  I  only  met  with  one  bug ;  and  I  cannot  even  swear  that 
it  belougod  to  the  United  States.  In  going  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  in  the  steam- 
boat, I  felt  something  crossing  over  my  neck;  and  on  laying  hold  of  it  with  my 
finger  and  thumb,  it  turned  out  to  be  a  little  half-grown,  ill-conditioned  bug. 
Now,  whether  it  were  going  from  the  American  to  the  Canadian  side,  or  from  the 
Canada  to  the  American,  and  had  taken  the  advantage  of  my  shoulders  to  ferry 
itself  across,  I  could  not  tell.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I  thought  of  my  Uncle  Toby 
and  the  fly ;  and  so,  in  lieu  of  placing  it  upon  the  deck,  and  then  putting  my 
thumb-nail  vertically  upon  it,  I  quietly  chucked  it  amongst  some  baggage  that 
was  close  by,  and  reoommended  it  to  get  ashore  by  the  first  opportunity." — Water- 
ton'$  Wanderingt,  p.  223. 


the  Uppor 
of  Mortens 
t  Rnrracks, 
an  or  those 
saw,  in  the 
1  ;,  at 
n .  .vallows 

I,  dark  bird 
s  wings,  is 
,  no  doubt, 
Sucker  by 
id  a  Goat — 
(US  fubrica- 
of  bio  good 
because  it 
,  Bisiiop  of 


1,  oentrio 

(  author 

arks  Watorton 
lovor  had  oon- 
croution  of  the 
at.  Do  not  be 
contain  gome- 
ma  at  Quebec, 
distance  from 
ir,  Virgil's  ro- 


[roduced  to  the 

worthy  set  of 

^t  heart,  in  re- 

[n  aU  the  way 

[on  swear  that 

in  the  steam- 

of  it  with  my 

|ditioned  bug. 

i,  or  from  the 

Iders  to  ferry 

Uncle  Toby 

putting  my 

>aggage  that 

ity."— If a<er- 


TIIE    BIRDS. 


229 


IJpsal,  in  Sweden,  few  dored  to  doubt  but  (hat  Swallows, 
instead  of  going  to  Senegal  and  the  Gold  coast  to  spend  theii' 
Christmas  and  Easter  holidays,  dived  before  winter  into  the 
bosom  of  Lukes,  and  hybernated  under  the  ice  till  spring,  with 
no  gayer  companions  than  a  few  meditative  trout  or  gudgeon. 
This  was  another  absurd  theory,  but  which  had  many  great 
names  to  prop  it  up.  The  Revd.  Gilbert  White,  in  his  History 
ofSelborne,  a  nicer  book  than  which  you  could  not  read,  elo- 
quently demonstrated  how  impossible  it  was  such  a  thing 
could  take  place. 

You  recognize  at  one  glance  that  little  fairy — dipped  in  a 
sunbeam,  begemmed  with  opals,  rubys,anc  living  sapphires — 
the  Ruby-throated  Humming  Bird.  One  species  only  frequents 
our  climes,  though  it  constitutes  a  numerous  family  in  South 
America  and  in  the  West  Indies.  How  oft  in  the  dewy  morn 
have  you  not  noticed  the  little  sylph,  ecstatic  with  delight, 
hovering  over  the  honeysuckle  and  bright  geranium  blossoms, 
and  inserting  in  their  expanded  corrollas  his  forked  tongue  in 
search  of  insects  and  honey.  Need  I  dwell  at  length  on  all  his 
loveliness,  his  incomparable  beauty,  when  you  can  refer  to 
the  glowing  descriptions  whicli  luw  great  masters,  Audubon  and 
Rufibn,  have  lt.'ft — A  udubon's  especially.  In  spite  of  his  finished 
elegance  of  diction,  the  sedentary  philosopher,  BuiTon,  must 
yield  the  palm  to  the  naturalist  who  studied  God's  creatures 
on  the  mountains,  prairies,  sea  shores,  plains,  fields  and  forests 
of  our  continent. 

I  now  hold  in  my  hand  a  most  gorgeously-habited  little 
songster,  who  pays  us  an  occasional  visit  in  July.  His  azure 
mantle  has  bestowed  on  him  the  name  of  Indigo  Bird.  BulTon 
calls  him  «Le  Ministre,))  probably  because  he  was,  like  the 
French  Ministers  of  Stale,  robed  in  blue :  our  own  Cabinet 
Ministers,  as  you  know,  on  the  recent  visit  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  chose  blue  for  their  yrande  tenue  officielle.  Never  shall 
I  forget  one  bright  July  morning  walking  in  my  garden,  shortly 
after  sunrise.  In  the  centre  there  stood  an  old  apple  tree, 
bearing  buds,  pink  and  white,  and  green  leaves ;  close  to  it  my 
children  had  grown  a  very  large  sunflower ;  its  corolla  was 
then  lovingly  expanding  to  the  orb  of  day,  whose  rays  streamed 


^ 


230 


OUR  EARLY   FRIENDS, 


'.'?'-  .i^' 


through  the  overhanging  canopy  of  |(lew-spangled  blossoms. 
In  the  fork  of  the  apple  tree  a  pair  of  Robins  had  bnild  their 
clay-cemented  nest,  in  which,  protected  by  soft  hay,  rested  the 
tokens  of  love,  four  emeralds  of  pure  sea-green,  whilst  the 
male  Robin  was  carolling  forth  his  morning  hymn  from  the 
loftiest  branch  of  a  neighbouring  red  oak.  I  was  in  the  act  of 
advancing  towards  it  and  peering  in  the  nest,  when  my  eye  was 
arrested  by  the  dazzling  colours  of  an  azure  bird  nestling 
in  the  sunshine  on  the  saffron  leaves  of  the  sunflower.  The 
brightness  of  the  spectacle  before  me  was  such,  its  contrasts 
so  striking,  that  I  paused  in  mute  astonishment  at  so  much 
splendour.  Was  it  a  realm  of  dream-land  spread  out  before 
me — a  vision  painted  by  a  fairy !  It  was,  my  young  IViends, 
only  the  Indigo  Bird  of  Canada,  in  his  full  nuptial  plumage, 
iieen  amidst  the  bright  but  every-day  spectacle  of  a  Canadian 
landscape. 

What  a  charming  musician,  the  Vireo  or  Red-eyed  Fly- 
c.'.lcher,  during  his  protracted  stay  from  May  to  September? 
scarcely  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  amidst  the  jTeen  boughs  of  a 
lofty  oak  or  elm,  he  warbles  forth  his  love  ditty  from  sunrise  to 
sunset?  How  eagerly  1  watched,  this  spring,  for  the  return 
from  the  South  of  the  Sweet,  Sweet  Canada  bird,  the  while- 
throated  SpaiTow — whose  clear,  shrill  clarion  resounds  even 
in  the  depth  of  night !  How  is  it,  he  did  not  accompany  this 
spring  his  congener,  the  Song  Spairow — the  Jiossignol — whose 
simple  but  soft  melody  is  so  dear  to  a  Canadian  heart. 

Have  any  of  you  ever  noticed  the  Redstart  darting,  like  an 
arrow,  after  the  small  flies,  then  relighting  on  the  twig,  uttering 
i.is  shrill,  increasing  note,  very  similar  to  that  of  that  pretty 
sii  'mer  Yellow  bird,  also  one  of  the  fly-catchers,  as  you  are 
aware — a  family  most  numerous,  and  if  not  generally  gil'led 
with  song,  at  least  wearing  a  very  bright  livery.  The  Redstart, 
the  male  bird,  is  easily  known  by  his  glcssy  black  plumage  ; 
when  he  is  flying,  he  discloses  the  under  portions  of  his  wings, 
which  appear  of  bright  maize.  The  female  is  more  an  olive 
hue,  and  does  not  resemble  at  all  her  mate  :  they  breed  all 
round  Quebec,  and  stop  here  about  three  months.  It  is  need- 
l(;ss  for  me  to  furnish  you  wilh  a  very  lenghty  description  of 


THE  BiHbS. 


231 


blossoms, 
build  their 
,  rested  Iho 
whilst  the 
11  from  the 
I  the  act  of 
my  eyo  was 
^d  nestling 
wer.  The 
s  contrasts 
at  so  much 
out  before 
iig  friends, 

plumage, 
)  Canadian 

-eyed  Fly- 
eptember? 
)oughs  of  a 
sunrise  to 
he  return 
he  while- 
mds  even 
|)any  this 
/ — whose 

1^,  like  an 
.,  uttering 
|at  pretty 
you  are 
ly  gifted 
ledstart, 
luniagc  ; 
Is  wings, 
Ian  olive 
[reed  all 
lis  need- 
>tion  of 


the  Blue  Jay :  you  are  all  acquainled  vilh  his  cerulean  plumage ; 
his  harsh  not,  especially  before  .ain,  is  familiar  to  every 
country  school  boy. 

1  must  not,  how(»ver,  forget  lo  point  out  to  you  that  gorgeously 
dressed  individual,  wearing  black  and  orange  badges  :  that 
is  the  Baltimore  Oriole.  He  visits  chiefly  the  Montreal  dislric!, 
and  Western  Canada.  Black  and  orange,  did  1  say?  why  that 
was  the  official  livery  of  a  great  English  landownei-  of  Mary- 
land, in  the  days  when  democracy  amongst  our  neighbours 
was  not.  We  have  il  on  the  authority  of  Catesby  and  Alexander 
Wilson,  high  authorities,  as  you  know,  thit  this  showy  July 
visitor  took  its  name  fioni  Lord  Baltimore,  on  whose  estates 
a  great  inimbor  of  Urioles  were  lo  be  seen.  It  is  satisfactoi'y 
to  iind  that,  even  in  llemocratic  America,  the  English  aristo- 
cracy is  becomingly  represented  not  only  at  the  White  House, 
but  also  in  the  corn  fields  and  green  woods  of  the  great  Re- 
public. The  Jiallimore  Oriole  is  a  tolerably  good  musician. 
You  can  see  how  brillunl  are  the  colours  of  these  Canada  birds 
now  exhibited  lo  you  ! 

1  think  you  will  all  agree  with  ni.',  in  saying  that  no  country 
can  furnished  a  group  of  brighter  onos  Ihan  those  now  exposed 
to  view,  and  composed  of  Canadian  birds  only  : — the  fJolden- 
winged  Woodpecker,  or  Rain  Fowl ;  Bbie  -lay  ;  Field  Officer  ; 
Maryland  Yellov  '.noat;  Wax  Wing;  Indigo  Bird  ;  Cocrulean 
Warbler,  B'^b'-throated  Humming  Bird;  Scarlet  Tanagcr  ; 
Baltirnure  Oriole  ;  Meadow  Lark ;  Pine  tiros  beak ;  Cardinal 
Grosbeak ;  Rosebreasled  Grosbeak  and  Towhe  Bunting. 

As  for  song,  we  may  safely  assert,  with  fue  saint!  Alexander 
Wilson  (7)  that  the  fauna  of  America  can  compete  with  that 

(7)  "  The  opinion,  says  Wilson,  which  sogcnerally  prevails  in  I'ln gland,  that  tho 
music  of  the  groves  and  woods  of  Amorioii  is  far  inferior  to  that  of  lOurope,  I,  who 
have  a  thousand  times  listened  to  both,  cannot  admit  to  be  conoer.  We  cannot, 
with  fairness,  draw  a  comparison  between  tho  depth  of  the  forest  in  America,  and 
the  cultivated  fields  of  Englands  ;  becans«  it  is  a  well-known  ficf,  that  singing 
birds  seldom  visit  the  former  in  any  country.  But  let  the  latter  i)tace  be  compared 
with  the  like  situations  in  the  Vnitcd  States,  and  tho  superiority  of  song,  I  am 
perfectly  persuaded,  would  justly  belong  to  t!ie  Western  contiin'nt.  The  few  of 
our  song  birds  that  have  visited  Europe  extort  admiration  from  tho  best  judges. 
'  The  notes  of  the  cardinal  grosbeak,  '  says  Latham,  '  are  almu.'<t  equal  so  these 
of  the  nightingale. '  Yet  these  notes,  clear  and  excellent  as  they  ure,   are  far 


232 


OUR  EARLY   FRIENDS,    THE  BIRDS. 


of  Europe  :  true,  we  have  not  the  Skylark,  nor  the  Blackbird ; 
and  our  Robin,  although  very  similar  to  the  later  in  note  and 
habits,  is  still  his  inferior  ;  but  we  have  the  Wood  Thrush, 
with  its  double-tongued  flute  notes,  Wilson's  Thrush,  the 
Brown  Thrush,  the  gingling,  roystering  Bobolink,  the  Cana- 
dian Goldfinch,  whose  warble  reminds  you  of  the  Canary.  Nor 
are  we  far  wrong  in  assorting  that  the  far-famed  European 
Nightingale  has  met  with  a  worthy  rival  in  the  American  Mock- 
ing Birds,  whose  extraordinary  musical  powers  have  been  so 
graphically  delineated  by  the  great  Audubon. 

My  young  friends, — I  was  thinking  of  introducing  you  into 
the  very  sanctum  of  Natural  History,  and  the  advanced  hour  of 
the  evening  compels  me  to  leave  you  merely  at  the  threshold. 
If  it  should  so  please  you,  we  may,  at  some  future  day,  resume 
the  investigation  of  this  subject.  I  thank  you  for  your  long  and 
constant  attention.  Au  revoir  I  J.  M.  LeMoine. 


inferior  to  those  of  the  wood  thrush  ;  and  even  to  those  of  the  brown  thrush,  or 
thrasher.  Our  inimitable  mocking  bird  is  also  aolinowledged,  by  themselves,  to 
be  fully  equal  to  the  song  of  the  nightingale  in  its  whole  compass.  Yet  these  are 
not  one  tenth  of  the  number  of  our  singing  birds.  Could  these  people  be  trans- 
ported to  the  borders  of  our  woods  and  settlements,  in  the  month  of  May,  about 
half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  such  a  ravishing  concert  would  greet  their  ear  as  they 
have  no  conception  of.  " — American  Ornithology,  vol.  u.,  p.  275. 


le  Blackbird; 
in  note  and 
►od  Thrush, 
Thrush,  the 
.  the  Cana- 
^anary.  Nor 
i  European 
*rican  Mock- 
ve  been  so 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CANADA. 

ARRANGED  BY  J.  M.  LrMOINE, 
Aecording  to  clarification  and  nomenclature  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

b/tli^nSZt  ll^sT  '''"'  ^"*'°^"'  "^^"'^'^  ^'""'-"  ^''^'  ^"^''«^«^ 


g  you  into 
iced  hour  of 
threshold, 
lay,  resume 
•ur  long  and 
LeIVIoine, 

Tn  thrush,  or 
hemselrea,  to 
Yet  these  are 
Jle  be  trans- 
'  May,  about 
sir  ear  as  thej 


ORDER   I. — BIBDS    OP   PRRT. 


Turkey  Buzzard, 
Duck  Hawk, 
Pigeon  Hawk, 
Jer  Falcon, 
Sparrow  Hawk, 
Goshawk, 
Cooper's  Hawk, 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk, 
Swainson's  Hawk, 
Baird's  Bazzard, 
Brown,  or  Canada  Hawk, 
Red-tailed  Hawk, 
Western  Red -tail, 
Red-Shouldered  Hawk, 
Broad-winged  Hawk, 
Sharp-winged  Hawk, 
Rough-legged  Hawk, 
Black  Hawk, 


1. 
5. 
7. 

11. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

17. 

18. 

19. 

21. 
23. 
24. 
25. 
27. 
38. 
30. 
31. 


Marsh  Hawk, 

Golden  Eagle  ;  Ring  taUed 

Northern  Sea  Eagle, 

Gray  Soa  Eagle, 

Bald  Eagle, 

Fish  Hawk, 

Great  Horned  Owl, 

Mottled  Owl, 

Long-eared  Owl, 

Short-eared  Owl, 
iGreat  Gray  Owl, 

Barred  Owl, 
Sparrow  Owl, 

(1)  Kirtland'B  Owl, 
Saw-whet  Owl, 
Snowy  Owl, 
Hawk  Owl, 


Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  69. 

Black-billed  Cuckoo.  70. 

Hairy  Woodpecker,  74I 

Downy  Woodpecker,  76. 

Three-toed  Woodpecker,  82. 

Banded  three-toed  Woodpecker,  83. 


ORDER   It. — CLJIIBKR8 


Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker, 
Black  AVoodpecker, 
Red-bellied  Woodpecker, 
Red-headed  Woodpecker, 
Yellow-shafted  Flicker, 


OBDKR   III.— PERCHKRS. 


Ruby  throated  Humming  Bird,     101. 

Chimney  Swallow,  109 

Chuck-Will's  Widow,  m.' 

Whip-poor-will,  112 

Night  Hawk,  114^ 

Belted  King-flsher,  117' 

King  Bird  ;  Bee  Bird,  124. 

Pewee,  135, 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  137. 

Wood  Pewee,  139. 


j Traill's  Flycatcher, 
Least  Flycatcher, 
Green-crested  Flycatcher, 
I'ellow- bellied  Flycatcher  (1^. 
lAVood  Thrush, 
Hermit  Thrush, 
Wilson's  Thrush, 
Olive-backed  Thrush 
'Robin, 
I  Varied  Thrush, 


38. 
Eaglo,  39. 
40. 
42. 
43. 
44. 
48. 
49. 
tl. 
53. 
63. 
64. 
65. 
56. 
67. 
61. 


85. 
90. 
91. 

94. 

y7. 


140. 
141. 
143. 
144. 
148. 
149. 
151. 

16;?. 

156. 
156. 


(1)  Thw  rare  Owl.  lost  sight  of  for  fifty  years  in  the  fauna  of  the  United  States 
.8  mentioned  by  Professor  Arch.  Hall,  of  Montreal -there  is  one  specimen  in   the' 
Mmeum  of  Natural  History,  of  Montreal ;  Thomas  Mcllwraith.  Esq.,  of  Hamiltor. 
owM  one.  and  I  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  capture  one  alive,   which   is   still 
(1M4)  ID  mj  poiitnion. 

U 


234 


THE   BIBDS  OF   CAN.VDA. 


(1)  Sto-j  <;hfct, 
Blur  xiird, 

Ruby-crowned  WroD, 
(JoMcn  crested  Wren, 
Cunur  Golden  Crest, 
Tit-lark, 

Long-billed  Creeper, 
Prothonotary  Warbler, 
Maryland  Yellow-throat, 
Mourning  Warbler, 
Connecticut  Warbler, 
Kentucky  Warbler, 
Onldon-winged  Warbler, 
Nashville  Warbler, 
Goldon-orowned  Thrush, 
Water  Thrush, 

Blank-throated  Blue  Warbler, 
Yellow-rump  Warbler, 
Blaokburnian  AVarblnr, 
Bay-broasted  Warbler, 
Pine-creeping  Warbler, 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler, 
Blue  Warbler, 
Black  Poll  Warbler, 
Yellow  Warbler, 
Black  and  Yellow  Warbler, 
Cape  May  Warbler, 
Yellow  Kod  Poll, 
Hooded  Warbler, 
Small-headed  Flycatcher, 
Green  Black  Cap  Flycatcher, 
Canada  Flycatcher, 
Redstart, 
Scarlet  Tanager, 
Summer  Rod  Bird, 
Barn  Swallow, 
Cliff  Swallow, 
White-bellied  Swallow, 
Bank  Swallow, 
Purple  Martin, 

(2)  Wax  Wing, 
Cedar  Bird, 
Great  Northern  Shrike, 
Whito-rumpod  Shrike, 
Red-eyed  I<lycatoher, 
Yellow-green  Vireo, 
Warbling  Vireo, 
Blue  headed  Flycatcher, 
Yellow-throated  Vireo, 


AVild  Pigeon, 
Common  Dove, 
Wild  Turkey, 
Spruce  Partridge, 
Prairie  lion. 


167. 

158. 

161. 

1«1. 

163. 

165. 

167«. 

169. 

170. 

172. 

174. 

175. 

181. 

183. 

186. 

187. 

193. 

194. 

196. 

197. 

198. 

200. 

201. 

202. 

203. 

204. 

206. 

208. 

211. 

212. 

213. 

214. 

217. 

220. 

221. 

225. 

226. 

227. 

229. 

231. 

232. 

233. 

236. 

238. 

240. 

241. 

245. 

260. 

252. 

IWIDKR    IV. — 

448. 
451. 
457. 
460. 
464. 


I  Cat  Bird,  264. 

j  Brown  Thrufh,  261. 

Long-billed  .Marsh  Wren,  268. 

House  M'ren,  270. 

Wood  Wren,  272. 

Winter  Wren,  273. 

American  Creeper,  276. 

Red-bellied  Nuthatch,  279. 

Black-ca]>  Titmouse,  290. 

Iludsonian  Titmouse,  296. 

Sky  Lark,  302. 

Blue  Grosbeak,  303. 

Pine  Grosbeak,  304. 

Purple  Finch,  305. 

Yellow  Bird,  313. 

Pino  Finch,  317. 

Rod  Crossbill,  318. 

White-winged  Crossbill,  319. 

Lesser  Red  Poll,  320. 

.Mealy  Hod  Poll  (?),  321. 

Snow  Bunting,  325. 

Lapland  Longspur,  326. 

Grass  Finchy,  337. 

White-crowned  Sparrow,  345. 

White-throated  Sparrow,  349. 

Black  Snow  Bird,  354. 

Tree  Sparrow,  357. 

Field  Sparrow,  358. 

Chipping  Sparrow,  359. 

Song  Spariow,  363. 

Swamp  Sparrow,  369. 

Fox-colored  Sparrow,  374. 

Black-throated  Buniing,  378. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  380. 

Indigo  Bird,  387. 

(3)  Cardinal,  390. 

Boblink;  Reed  Bird,  399. 

Cow  Bird,  400. 

Red-winged  Blackbird,  401. 

.Meadow  Lark,  406. 

Orchard  Oriole,  414. 

Baltimore  Oriole,  415. 

Rusty  Blackbird,  417. 

Crow  Blackbird,  421. 

American  Raven,  423. 

Common  Crow,  426. 

.Magpie,  432. 

Blue  Jay,  434. 

Canada  Jay,  443, 

GAI.r.IXACKOtS. 

I  Ruffed  Grouse,  465. 

Rock  Grouse,  468. 

American  Ptarmig.in,  470. 

Partridge;    Quail,  471. 


t: 


' 


(1)  I  insert  the  stonochat  and  the  blue  grosbeak  on  the  authority  of  Mr. 
William  Couper,  of  this  city, — who  was  presented  with  a  specimen  of  each,  shot 
in  Canada— Several  warblers  and  Flycatchers  found  in  Ontario,  do  not  reach 
Quebec. 

(2)  Care  ought  to  be  taken  not  to  confound  this  bird  with  its  small  summer 
iiongener — the  cherry  or  cedar  bud — the  wax  -wing  is  altogether  a  winter  visitor. 

(3)  A  most  brilliant  specimen  was  trapped  by  me,  in  my  garden,  at  Spencer 
Grunge,  August,  1869. 


THE   BIRDS  OF  CANADA. 


235 


154. 

361. 

208. 

270. 

373. 

373. 

375. 

879. 

290. 

290. 

302. 

303. 

304. 

305. 

313. 

317. 

318. 

319. 

320. 

321. 

325. 

326. 

337. 

345. 

349. 

354. 

357. 

358. 

369. 

363. 

369. 

374. 

378. 

380. 

387. 

390. 

399. 

400. 

401. 

406. 

414. 

415. 

417. 

421. 

423. 

426. 

433. 


465. 
468. 
470. 
471. 


ty  of  Mr. 
each,  shot 
not  reach 

I  summer 
»r  visitor. 
It  Spencer 


Sand-hill  Crane  (7). 
White  Heron. 
Great  Blue  Heron. 
Least  Bittern, 
Bittern;  Stalce  Driver, 
Green  Heron, 
Night  Heron, 

(1)  Glossy  Ibis, 
<}oIden  Plover, 
Kill-deer, 
Wilson's  Plover, 
Semipalmated  Plover;  Ring 

yQTf 
Piping  Plover, 
Black-bellied  Plover, 
Turnstone, 

(2)  American  Avoset, 
Northern  f  halarope, 
American  Woodcock, 
English  Snipe, 
Red- breasted  Snipe, 
Gray-back ;  Knot, 

American  Swa-j, 
Trumpeter  Swan, 
Snow  Goose, 

White-fronted  Goose  (?), 
Brown-fronted  Goose, 
Canada  Goose, 
White-cheeked  Goose, 
Hutohin's  Goose, 
Brant, 
Mallard, 
Black  Duck, 
Sprig-tail;  Pin -tail, 
Green-winged  Teal, 
Blue-winged  Teal, 
Read-breasted  Teal, 
Shoveller, 
Gadwall, 
Baldpate, 
Summer  Duck, 
Greater  Black-head, 
Little  Black-head, 
Ring-ueekod  Duck, 
Red-head, 
Canvas-back, 


OKDEB  V. — WADRRS. 


PIo- 


'•79. 
486. 
487. 
491. 
492. 
493. 
495. 
500. 
503. 
504. 
506. 

507. 
508. 
510. 
515. 
617. 
520. 
522. 
523. 
524. 
526. 

ORDKK   VI, 
561  a 

562. 

563. 

565. 

566. 

567. 

668. 

569. 

570. 

676. 

677. 

578. 

679. 

681. 

582. 

683. 

58-1. 

585. 

587. 

588. 

589. 

590. 

591. 

592. 


Jack  Snipe, 
'Least  Sandpiper, 
iSanderling, 

Semipalmated  Sandpiper. 
jWillet,  *^^ 

iTell-tale;  Stone  Snipe 
!  Yellow  Legs, 
jSolitary  Sandpiper, 
: Spotted  Sandpiper, 
Field  Plover, 
.Buff-broa.sted  Sandpiper, 
Marbled  Godwit, 
Hudson  Godwit, 
Long-billed  Curlew, 
lludsonian  Curlew, 
Esquimaux  Curlew, 
Clapper  Rail, 
Virginia  Hail,    ; 
Yellow  Rail,       ' 
Coot, 
Florida  Gallinule, 


i — PAI.MATED. 

Golden  Eye, 

Barrow's  Golden  Eye, 

Butter  Ball, 

Harlequin  Duck, 

South  Southerly, 
(Labrador  Duck, 
'Velvet  Duck, 
ISurf  Duck, 
Scoter, 
Eider  Duck, 
King  Eider, 
Ruddy  Duck, 
Black-masked  Duck, 
Sheldrake, 

Red-breasted  Merganser, 
Hooded  Jlorganser, 
Smew, 

(5)  American  Pelican, 
Brown  Pelican, 
Gannet, 

Cumuioii  Cormorant, 
Double -crested  Cormorant 
(1)  Leach's  Petrel  (?), 
Wilson's  Petrol, 


531. 
532. 
634. 

535. 

637. 

639. 

640. 

641. 

643. 

545. 

646. 

547. 

548. 

549, 

550. 

551. 

553. 

564. 

557. 

559. 

560. 


593. 

594. 

595. 

596. 

697. 

600. 

601. 

602. 

604. 

606. 

608. 

609. 

610. 

611. 

612. 

613. 

614. 

615. 

616. 

617. 

620. 

02;i. 

642. 

644. 


to  whom  I  am  also  indebted  for  a^  JS^'n'dVltg  "b  u  '  .n  .l'  "'  '''"'''"' 

under  Ite  6th  C  ^864 ''u  L'''';'""  .^'"7''-''  •"'  "'""i''"'".  '"  a  btter  to  n.e 
pelicans^-  ^'  '  "'"'  ''^^"''^'-■•^  '''«  '^-^^nt  appearance  of  a  tlock  of 

J.  M.  LeMoine.  Esq..  Quebec,  C.  E.  Hamilton,  Ma,  m,  186 1 

Saturday  morning  the  gunners  were  early  astir,  and  tinding  thVpeUcaM'^itHI 


236 


THE  BIIIDS  OP  CAN  AM. 


Mother  Gary's  Chicken, 

645. 

Marsh  Tern, 

% 

Greater  Shearwater, 

647. 

Caspian  Tern, 
Sooty  Tern, 

Sooty  Shearwater, 

648. 

088. 

Mauk'a  Shearwater, 

640. 

Wilson's  Tern, 

489. 

Dusky  Shearwater, 

650. 

Arctic  Tern, 

m. 

Cinereoui  Petrel, 

6ai. 

Roseate  Tern, 

69S. 

Pomarine  Skua, 

663. 

Least  Tern, 

094. 

Arctic  Skua, 

654. 

Loon, 

098. 

Olauoous  Winged  Gull, 

657. 

Red-throated  Diver, 

TOl. 

White-winged  Oull. 

658. 

Red-necked  Grebe, 

rot. 

Great  Black -backed  Gull, 

660. 

Crested  Grelu, 

703. 

Herring  Gull, 

661. 

Homed  Grebe, 

ro0. 

King-billed  Gull, 

664. 

Great  Auk, 

no. 

Laughing  Gull, 

667. 

Razor-billed  Auk, 

ni. 

Franklin's  Rosy  Gull, 

668. 

Arctic  Puffin, 

m. 

Bonaparte's  Gull, 

670. 

Least  Auk, 

TJ3. 

Kittiwake  Gull, 

672. 

Black  Guillemot, 

no. 

Ivory  Gull, 

676. 

Foolish  Guillemot, 

739. 

Swallow-tailed  Gull, 

679. 

Murre, 

780. 

Fork-tailed  Gull, 

680. 

Sea  Dove,    (1) 

788. 

there,  started  in  pursuit,  the  birds  seemed  unwilling  to  rise  from  the  water,  but 
not  at  all  disposed  to  admit  of  a  close  inspection,  and  so  vigorously  did  they  ply 
their  large  and  powerful  paddles  that  though  the  wind  was  high  and  fair,  it  was 
only  after  a  chase  of  about  two  miles  that  the  skiff's  got  sufficiently  near  to  risk  a 
long  shot,  which  crippled  two  of  the  number ;  one  was  wing- broken  and  could  not 
rise,  another,  though  evidently  hit,  kept  sailing  round  still  rising,  till  on  making 
a  sudden  turn  against  the  wind  to  join  his  companions,  the  fractured  pinion  gave 
way,  and  he  fell  from  a  great  height  into  the  water,  where  he  was  soon  secured. 
The  remainder  of  the  flock  returned  in  the  evening,  and  were  seen  for  two  or  three 
days  afterwards  evidently  seeking  their  companions,  but  were  extremely  wary  and 
could  not  again  be  approached  within  gunshot.  About  fifteen  years  ago  a  small 
flock  spent  a  day  or  two  about  the  bay,  and  one  was  shot,  which  is  all  I  have 
heard  of  being  observed  here,  though  there  is  no  doubt  that  like  other  migratory 
birds  which  breed  in  the  fur  countries,  they  must  pass  this  way  every  spring  and 
fall,  the  probable  reason  why  we  do  not  see  them  oitoner  is  that  when  migrating 
they  fly  at  an  immense  height,  and  may  perform  the  whole  journey  without  stop- 
page. The  individuals  procured  were  both  males  in  adult  plumage  ;  one  is  now 
etuff'ed  and  in  my  possession,  the  skin  of  the  other  has  been  sent  to  England. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  while  paddling  along  the  bay  shore,  I  observed  some 
strange  looking  birds  sitting  on  a  submerged  stump  about  100  yards  from  shore 
opposite  a  point  of  woods  which  runs  out  into  the  bay  ;  creeping  on  under  shadow 
of  the  trees,  I  found  the  group  consisted  of  five  cormorants,  three  large  and 
brownish  in  color,  and  two  smaller  and  darker.  I  watched  them  for  some  time, 
their  motions  wore  graceful  in  the  extreme,  as  they  sat  pruning  their  plumage, 
their  long  slender  necks  curving  in  every  conceivable  direction,  while  every  now 
and  then  one  of  the  number  would  dart  off  into  the  water  and  presently  return 
with  a  fish,  which  was  swallowed  with  no  ceremony  save  turning  the  head  down- 
wards. At  length  they  seemed  aware  of  my  proximity,  and  that  the  distance 
vas  diminishing.  I  was  anxious  to  secure  one  of  each  kind,  and  just  as  they  got 
up  made  use  of  the  meansi  in  my  power  to  accomplish  that  object,  but  was  only 
partially  successful,  as  the  larger  of  the  two,  though  evidently  struck  by  the 
shot,  managed  to  get  away,  the  other  was  a  fine  specimen,  and  agrees  in  every 
particular  with  Professor  Baird's  description  of  the  Florida  cormorant,  though  I 
would  scarcely  have  expected  to  find  that  bird  so  far  north.  It  may  be  that  being 
in  company  with  the  larger  species  which  breeds  in  the  north,  they  have  been  led 
away  from  their  usual  haunts. 

Regarding  the  glossy  Ibis,  I  may  mention  that  a  pair  of  these  birds  were  shot 
here  in  1857,  and  are  now  in  my  possession.  I  have  a  specimen  of  Kirtland's  owl, 
and  have  also  obtained  recently  a  fine  specimen  of  the  great  cinereous  owl. 

(I)  Nos.  Ill,  163,  493,  508,  562,  568,  582,  610,  616,  623,  647,  649,  650,  651, 
657,  067,  668,  679,  682,  088,  690,  692,  694,  703,  710,  729,  are  inserted  on  the  au- 
thority of  Dr.  A.  Ross,  of  Toronto.  (See  liirda  of  Crtnada,  by  Ross,  Toronto,  1872.) 


ffSl. 

683. 

«88. 

«89. 

000. 

692. 

694. 

698. 

701. 

702. 

703. 

706. 

710. 

711. 

716. 

723. 

726. 

729. 

730. 

738. 

the  waUr,  but 
r  did  they  plj 
id  fair,  it  was 
'  near  to  risk  a 
I  and  oould  not 
till  on  making 
id  pinion  gave 

soon  secured, 
for  two  or  three 
imely  wary  and 
'8  ago  a  small 
1  is  all  I  hare 
her  migratory 
spring  and 
len  migrating 

without  stop- 
one  is  now 

England. 

bserved  some 
from  shore 
under  shadow 
large  and 
some  time, 
eir  plumage, 
le  every  now 
ently  return 
head  down- 
the  distance 
as  they  got 
ut  was  only 
ruck  by  the 
BBS  in  every 
t,  though  I 
that  being 
ave  been  led 

ds  were  shot 
Hand's  owl, 
s  owl. 

9,  650,  651, 
on  the  au- 
onto,  1872.) 


FIN  AND  FEATHER  IN  CANADA,  d, 

1863. 

"  The  shootings  in  Breadalbane  and  Athole  are  leased  at  the  following  rents; 
Blair— Athole,  £3,485  ;  Fortingall,  £1,934  ;  Legierait,  £674  ;  Moulin,  £670  ; 
Little  Dunherld,  £1,432  ;  Dull,  984 ;  Weem,  £207  ;  Kenmore,  £300 ;  Killin, 
£984  }  Balquhidder,  £785.  iMaharajah  Dhuleep  Singh  has  sublet  the  shootings 
of  Auchlyne  and  Suic,  for  which  he  paid  £750,  and  has  taken  the  moors  of 
OrandtuUy,  where  he  will  shoot  this  season.  " — (Late  English  Papers — 1863.) 

Shooting  in  the  wilds  or  Canada,  does  not  much  resemble 
flushing  pheasants  or  partridges  or  starting  hares  in  the  woody 
old  parks  of  Britain,  or  popping  over  black  game  in  the  perfu- 
med heather  of  a  scotch  moor. 

Undoubtedly,  one  of  the  chief  pleasures  of  the  English 
sportsman  lies  in  beating  up  systematically,  with  his  steady 
well  trained  dogs,  the  game  preserves,  wether  wood,  stubble, 
swamp  or  moor,  each  year  when  September  brings  about 
its  long  looked  for  treat.  In  fact,  to  the  English  Nimrod,  the 
savoir  (aire  of  his  pointer,  his  hound  or  setter,  of  noble  descent 
afl'ords  unmitigated  pleasure  ;  in  Canada,  dogs,  even  the 
most  valuable,  except  in  snipe,  cock,  grouse  and  duck  shoot- 
ing, would  be  often  useless — not  unfreqiienlly,  a  bore.  Of  the 
many  thousand  deer  shot  in  Canada  from  1793  to  1801,  and 
from  an  authentic  lletiirn  (2)  now  before  us,  we  find,  that  by 
this  Return  the  skins  of  the  169,811  deers,  who  found  their 
way  across  the  Atlantic,  probably  not  two  were  hunted  with 
dogs. 

In  collecting  together  some  facts  relating  to  the  finned  and 
feathered  game  of  Canada,  we  thought  we  could  not  do  belter 
than  preface  this  short  sketch  with  accurate  data  and  figures, 
exhibiting  what  the  killing  of  a  few  deer,  hares,  grouse  and 

(1)  Reprinted  from  the  London  "  Canadian  News, "  with  corrections. 

(2)  The  following  statement  of  the  "  avsraga  number  of  peltries  cleared  at  the 
Custom  Ilouse,  Quebec,  for  England,  for  nine  years,  from  1793  to  1801  inclusive, 
with  a  calculation  of  the  duties  paid  thereon  on  their  landing  in  England,"  will, 
doubtless,  be  read  with  interest.  It  bears  the  evidence  of  having  been  compiled 
many  years  ago;  and  that  the  figures  given  below  do  not  cover  the  whole  of  the 
nine  years,  but  are  only  an  average  for  each  year  is  further  proved  by  the  endor- 
Bement  of  the  amount  of  duty  paid  "  annually." 

It  is  almost  startling  to  read  of  169,811  deer  skins  being  shipped  'each  year  ; 


238 


FIN   AND  FEATHER   IN   CANADA. 


pheasants  annually  costs  some  of  the  sporting  gentry  of  Bri- 
tain ;  indeed,  we  know  of  a  recent  instance,  in  which  three 
rich  young  sportsmen  of  llie  « land  o'cakes »  purchased  for 
£600,  the  right  to  shoot  on  some  of  the  moors  of  Scotland, 
and  actually  brought  home  two  brace  of  grouse,  each  ;  expen- 
sive sport,  was  it  not  ? 

What  hecatombs  of  deer,  what  pyramids  of  wild  turkey, 
what  hampers  of  snipe,  quail,  ducks,  grouse  and  pruie  h(ins, 
we  would  now  ask,  the  rental  of  a  Scotch  shooling  range,  such, 
for  instance,  as  Blair  Alhole,  viz.,  <£3,485,  would  procure  to  a 
score  of  Canadian  Nimrods  ?  Why,  to  use  a  metaphor,  which 
some  may  consider  as  savouring  of  the  Yankee  war  telegrams  of 
1863,  a  ship  a  trifle  smaller  than  the  Great  Eastern,  might  be 
freighted  with  the  proceeds  of  such  a  gigantic  hattue  I 

When  we  read  of  Lord  Dufferin's  (1)  pic-nic  to  Iceland,  in 


but  aoine  of  the  other  figures  giren  below  are  little  less  remarkable.    Our  readers 
will  remember  that  the  rate  and  amount  of  duty  are  in  sterling  money : 
Numhtr.  Duty. 

137,548  beaTer  skins Id  each £  573    2 

38,638  martins 55s  for  40  or  ]8  4Jdeaoh 2656    7 


18,349  otters Is  5d  each 

11,329  minks 16s  6d  for  40.. 

5,483  fishers Is  4jd  each. 

10,141  foxes 4jd  each 

19,386  bears 5s  7d  each 

169,811  deer 2d  each 

144,439  raccoons ISs  9d  for  100... 

12,200  casco  and  oppossum  oats  Ud  per  100.... 
943  elks 4d  each 


1298  14 

223  13 

399     6 

190     2 

5303  13 


6,886  wolves 

778  wolverines Ss  6d  each. 

819  oarcajoux 48  5d  each. 

219  badgers 7d  each 

'.1,130  kitts lis  per  100. 

1,<)78  seals 2d  each  

2,835  squirrels  and  hares lid  per  120. 

57,151  muskrata.. 
2  buffaloes... 
1  tiger 


1415 

993 

67 

14 

.6s  4deaoh 2189 


136 

143 

6 

50 

16 

1 

.13a  9d  for  100 392 


4 
3 
5 

6 
2 

10 
0 

10 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
6 
9 
3 
8 


1  10 
11     3 


0    2     9 


£16,071  15  4 
{Ottaicn  Timti)  —Morning  Chronicle,  9th  April,  1869. 

(1)  Singularly  enough,  this  invitation  extended  by  me  ten  years  ago  (when 
this  sketch  was  written)  in  the  name  of  Canadian  sportsman,  the  noble  Earl 
has  lived  to  accept,  though,  in  a  aense  and  for  an  object  very  different.  May  ho  tlou> 


FIN  AND  FEATBER  IN  CANADA. 


236 


try  of  Brl- 
;hich  three 
cliased  for 
'  Scotland, 
'h  ;  expen- 

ild  turkey, 
praie  hons, 
ange, such, 
)rocnrc  to  a 
ihor,  which 
telegrams  of 
n,  might  be 
ue/ 
Iceland,  in 

le.  Our  readers 
[oney : 


.£   573 

.  2656 

.  1298 

223 

3a9 

,.  1«0 

,.  5303 

..  1415 

..   «93 

67 

14 

„  2189 

136 

143 

6 

50 

16 

I 

392 


2  4 

7  3 

14  5 

13  6 

5  2 

2  10 

13  0 

1  10 

0  0 


0 
0 
0 
0 
6 
9 
3 
8 


1  10 
11  3 


0  2  9 


£16,071  15  4 
April,  1869. 

|ar8   ago  (when 

Ihe  noble   Earl 

it.  May  hu  Uou- 


the  Foam,  to  v.iiness,  among  other  things,  an  eruption 
of  Mount  Hecia  ;  vhen  we  hear  of  an  enterprising  young  En- 
glislimaii  having  recently  sailed  for  fireenlnnd  to  practice  rifle- 
shooting  on  walrussos,  we  naturally  wonder  why  more  of  the 
Vimturesome  spirits  amongst  our  transatlantic  friends  do  not 
tear  themselves  away,  even  for  a  few  months,  from  London 
fogs,  which  according  to  Sidney  Smith,  make  one  feel  like  «  on 
a  flne  day  looking  up  a  chimney,  on  a  dull  one,  looking  down» 
to  recruit  and  breath  our  bracing  air.  How  is  it  that  so  few, 
comparatively  speaking,  come  to  enjoy  the  scenei  y  and  bright 
summer  skies  of  Canada  ?  ^ 

«  Our  Laurentines,  with  their  thousand  streams  and  dark  pine, 
fir  and  beach  woods  have  few  rivals  in  the  world  for  sylvan 
beauty.  The  heights  are  sharp  and  bold  ;  the  torrents  are 
fo.imy,  and  wreathed  into  curling  waterfalls.  You  see  below 
tops  of  woods  and  forests  that  resemble  bandlels  of  shrubbery 
and  great  rivers  that  seem  ribbons  of  silver.  You  notice  around 
you  climbing  heights,  in  all  the  sullenness  of  undisturbed  na- 
ture— rich  with  every  tree  that  grows  and  echoing  the  shrill 
sounds  of  myriads  of  wild  birds.  Interesting  to  the  tourist 
and  lover  of  the  beauties  of  nature,  it  is  doubly  so  to  the 
sportsman  and  disciple  of  Isaac  Walton,  as  the  whole  country 
seems  to  be  Nature's  rich  preserve  for  game  of  all  sorts,  and 
the  waters  of  the  many  streams  that  empty  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence, teem  with  trout  and  salmon. » 

With  what  zest  the  enterprising  and  eccentric  Britons 
could  undertake  a  ramble  with  rod  and  gun  in  hand,  over  our 
majestic  chain  of  mountains  from  Niagara  to  Labrador, 
choosing  as  rallying  points,  whereat  to  compare  notes  and 
discuss  politics,  old  port  and  sandwiches,  the  summit  of  Cape 
Eternity,  in  the  Saguenay  district,  the  peak  of  Cape  Tourmente, 
and  the  Cave  of  the  Winds  under  the  great  cataracic,  after 
ransacking  for  fish  and  game  the  fifteen  hundred  intervening 
miles  of  coast !  We  fancy  that  the  atmosphere  of  those  airy 

riah  and  fill  an  ample  bag  on  the  Western  Prairies,  or  even  the  shores  of  Hudson's 
Bay,  should  the  shooting  on  the  St.  Claire  Marshes  or  at  Lanoachire  prove  in- 
sufficient I  may  the  shade  of  the  Great  St.  Hubert,  the  patron  of  all  Nimrods, 
borer  over,  to  protect  him  against  marsh  feaver,  ague  and  rhumatism  ? 


240 


FIN  AND  FEATHER  IN  CANADA. 


positions  is  as  brisk  as  that  of  Bon-Mnc-Dui  or  (laini-gorum, 
and  that  the  divers  incidents  of  travel  and  sport  which  would 
be  therein  combined,  ought  elTectualiy  to  (lis|iel  ennui  and  res- 
tore their  spirits  for,  as  the  author  of  Childe  Harold  truly 
says: 

"  There  is  a  ploasure  in  the  pathleia  wood, 
There  is  a  rapture  on  the  lonely  shore, 
There  is  society  where  none  intrudes 
By  the  deep  sea,  and  music^in  its  roar." 

If  this  were  insufficient  to  rouse  them,  a  smart  trudge  to 
the  shores  of  the  frozen  ocean  might  be  added  ;  our  disting- 


uished travellers  would  shoot,  on  the  route, 


ptarmigan, 


blue 


or  sooty  foxes,  arctic  hares,  polar  bears  and  the  musk  ox  after 
camping  on  the  shores  of  Ihe  Copper  Mine  and  the  Great  Slave 
Lake ;  the  parly  on  its  return,  might  now  and  again  lunch  at 
the  Hudson  Bay  posts,  in  the  absence  of  belter  fare,  on  pem- 
mican,  whale  or  walrus  steaks — and  who  can  say,  whether 
combining  with  amusement,  the  cause  of  humanity,  they 
might  not  be  fortunate  enough  to  elicit  further  tidings  of  the 
fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  gallant  band?  This  attractive  pro- 
gramme, however,  we  merely  display  to  tempt  the  most 
enterprising  among  the  English  sporting  world ;  as  for  us 
natives^  we  fiml  abundance  of  fish  and  game  without  venturing 
so  far. 

Volumes  have  been  written  to  make  known  the  inexhaustible 
mineral,  agricultural,  industrial  and  commercial  wealth  of  this 
colony,  but  little  etlbrts  have  yet  been  used  to  place  on  record 
the  noble  game,  the  inexhaustible  treasures  of  wholesome 
food  which  a  kind  Providence  has  ^tored  in  the  streams,  in 
the  rivers,  in  the  forests  of  this  magnificent  country,  for  the 
benefit,  for  the  daily  use,  of  the  million  as  well  as  of  the  mil- 
lionaire. Few — some,  through  interested  motives,  have  sup- 
pressed the  fact — few  have  published  to  the  world,  that  Canada, 
without  the  stringent  game  laws  of  England,  without  scarcely 
any  expense,  but  with  the  mere  consent  of  the  people  and  the 
fosteringcare  of  Ihe  government,  can  be  made  nearly  what  it  was 
formerly — one  of  the  most  favored  localities  on  the  earth  for 
game — yea,  a  veritable  Canaan— a  land  of  promise — abound- 


FIN   AND   FEATHER   IN   CANADA. 


241 


irii-gorum, 
\\\c\\  would 
ui  and  res- 
irold  truly 


•t  trudge  to 
)ur  disting- 
ligan,  blue 
sk  ox  aft(T 
ireat  Slave 
ill  lunch  at 

e,  on  pem- 

f,  whether 
mity,  they 
ings  of  the 
pctivo  pro- 

the  most 
as  for  us 
venturing 

ixhaustible 
ilth  of  this 

on  record 
Ivholesome 
[reams,  in 

',  for  the 
►f  the  mil- 
|have  sup- 
it  Canada, 
scarcely 
le  and  the 
^hatitwas 

earth  for 

-abound- 


ing with  the  «milk  and  honoy))  of  amusement  for  all  those 
who  rejoice  in  the  manly  and  exhilaraling  pleasures  of  Ihe 
chase. 

It  is  true  that  for  two  centuries  back  the  people  have  slruj^glcd 
hard  to  extirpat(t  (I)  its  fish  and  gnm>',  and  that,  had  the 
advice  of  the  sportsmen  not  been  heard  in  time,  (?vei  y  estuary 
in  the  piovince  would  have  been  depleted  ;  lh(!  forests, 
the  sea  shores,  the  whole  country,  instead  of  harboring  quan- 
tities of  luscious  game,  myriads  of  insect-devouring  birds, 
would  soon  hav(»  beconit;  a  kind  of  howling  wilderness.  Much 
harm  has  undoubtedly  been  done  ;  but  the  curing  of  the  evil 
is  fortunately  still  within  our  reach  (2).  Having  noticed  else- 
where the  glorious  results  which  have  crowned  the  protective 
policy  of  successive  administrations  towards  (3)  fl^haIld  game, 
we  shall  now  confine  ourselves  merely  lo  mentioning  suc- 
cinctly the  chief  hunting  grounds  in  the  province. 

Old  writers,  one  and  all,  have  spoken  with  astonishmenl, 
nay,  with  rapture,  of  the  abundance  and  vaiieties  of  Ihe  sea 
fowl  and  birds  frequcmling  the  shores  of  th(»  St.  Lawrence, 
and  we  all  know  how  thousands  of  the  aboriginal  races  for 


(1)  One  of  the  greatest  enormities  perpetrated  by  the  Indian,  is  the  extinction 
in  eastern,  and  in  the  greater  portion  of  western  Canada,  of  the  wapiti  or  Cana- 
dian stag,  the  noblest  «f  the  ypocies,  which  roamed  through  our  mountains— as 
large  as  a  horse,  with  round,  sharp  antlers  five  feet  high.  It  is  now  abundant  in 
the  western  prairies  and  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  from  tlie  Sfitli 
or  57th  parallel  of  north  latitude  to  Texas  In  the  Hudson  Bay  territories,  ac- 
cording to  Sir  John  Richardson,  its  eastern  limit  is  a  lino  drawn  from  the  south 
end  of  Lake  Winnepeg  to  the  Saskatchewan,  in  the  103rd  degree  of  longitude, 
thence  till  it  strikes  the  Elk  river,  in  the  Tilth  degree. 

(2)  The  increasing  and  successful  efforts  of  the  Quebec  and  Montreal  Fish  and 
Game  Protection  Clubs  must  necessarily  be  a  source  of  pleasure  to  the  many 
patriotic  sportsmen  interested  in  the  eauso  of  its  preservation.  Amongst  many 
siealous  members,  one  above  others,  in  my  opinion,  deserves  a  passing  word  of 
encouragement,  for  his  UNtiring  efforts  and  energy — poachers,  hucksters,  pot- 
hunters;  every  species  of  obstructive,  have  in  vain  tried  to  put  him  down 
— I  mean  F.  W.  Austin,  Esq.,  for  several  years  Secretary  to  the  Quebec  Fish  and 
Game  Protection  Club.  1863. — (Alas,  since  these  pages  were  written  the  angel  of 
health  has  deserted  our  active  secretary — For  his  fireside,  the  calamity  is  great ; 
for  the  unprotected  game,  it  is  greater  still.  1873.) 

(3)  With  this  object  was  written  my  small  volume;  "  L«'  Pechene»  du  Cn- 
nndn." 


25 


2i2 


PIN    AND   FEATIIEU   IN   CANADA. 


conliii'ios  siihsjstnd  oxclusivcly  on  th(;  produce  of  the  ohasO) 
llii-Mii<^rhi)iil  tht)  boiitidlnss  fontsts  of  Cnnnda  (1). 

Tlio  .Icsiiils,  ^ifMicrnlly  ncnirnln  in  Ihoir  stalemnnts,  in  dos- 
crihin;^',  in  1062,  llif;  Mini  Rocks,  at  Ihe  onlrnnco  of  the  gulf, 
say  thai  a  boat  rnifilil  )>o  easily  loaded  with  O'^^^b  of  (ho  sea 
fowl,  >vh()  biild  on  lli(;s(>  desolate  islands,  and  that  so  iiu- 
nKM'oiis  an;  lli>>y,  that  Iniinan  bi'inj^s  aseendin;^  these  rocks  are 
ill  dan,^e^  of  biting  pntstraled  to  the  f^round  by  the  flapping  of 
the  wings  of  these  feathert'd  denizens. 


(1)  To  illustrate  the  onorinoiifl  qiinntity  of  j^^ame  in  the  north  of  Canada,  and 
in  tlio  IIiidsDn  Bay  territory,  I  cannot  ilo  l)otfor  than  subjoin  the  following  extract 
from  a  valuable  paper  roiul  boforo  the  Montreal  Natural  Ilictory  Society,  by  Ooo- 
Barniitun,  Esi{.,  of  the  Hudson's  Uay  Company,  in  l.SKl.  A  long  ronidenoe  in  that 
territory,  and  a  patient  investijjation  of  the  game  it  contains,  renders  Mr.  Barn- 
ton's  statements  particularly  valuable. 

"  It  is  very  dlQioult,  "  says  ho,  "  to  form  anything  like  an  aoourato  idea  of  the 
varioti«H  of  goeso  that  have  Just  been  passed  in  review,  viz:  the  Canada  grey 
goose,  the  lessor  grey  gooso,  the  Brant  goose,  the  snow  goose,  and  the  white 
fronted  goose.  Of  the  ([uantity  shot  at  particular  jjoints  where  they  become  an 
article  of  provisions,  we  may  arrive  at  u  wide  but^till  a  better  estimate.  Hoventoou 
to  twenty  thousand  geese  are  sometimes  killed  by  the  Albany  Indians  in  the  au- 
tumn or  fall  of  the  year,  and  ten  thousand  or  more  in  the  spring,   making  a  total 

for  these  coast  Crees  alone  of  at  least .30,000 

Not  speaking  so  certainly  of  other   natives,   I   would   place   the   Moose 

Indians  as  killing  at  all  seasons 10,000 

Rupert's  River  natives K,000 

Eastmain  and  to  the  north,  including  Esquimaux 6,000 

The  Severn  coast  I  sannot  compute  as  yielding  loss  than 10,000 

The  York  Factory  and  Churchill  Indians,  with  Gsquimaux   beyond,    must 

dispose  of 10,000 

Making  a  total  of  geese  killed  on  the  coast,  of 74,000 

As  many  geese  must  die  wounded,  and  others  are  got  hold  of  by  the  foxes  and 
wolverines,  wo  may  snfely  allow  the  total  loss  to  the  floiks  while  running  the 
fiery  gauntlet  as  equivalent  to  80,000.  I  was  at  one  time  inoliiv'  '  '         '  it 

two-thirds  of  this  number  was,  or  might  bo,  the  proportion  fiv  ml, 

but  it  is  probably  nearer  three-fourths,  and  we  ham  thu-  >•>•  in- 

bers  brought  down  from  the  newly-fledged  flocks,  n  .ird  .  the 

bay.  I  have  lately  been  informed  by   an  old  and  riencr  i         .ter,       .it   he 

believes  that  for  every  goose  that  is  killed,  above  nty  tuns;  leave  the  bay 
without  scaith,  as  although  there  is  sometimes  deatructioo  dii  '  among  some  lots 
that  approach  the  gun,  and  that  feed  in  quarters  frequent.d  b,  'mnters,  yet  innu- 
merable families  of  them  alight  on  remote  and  quiet  fouding  grounds,  remain 
there  unmolested,  and  take  wing  when  the  cold  sets  in,  with  their  numbers  intaot. 
I  must  allow  the  correctness  of  this  remark,  and  the  deduction  to  be  drawn  from 
it  is,  that  1,200,000  geese  leave  their  breeding  grounds  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  line 
of  march  for  the  gonial  south.  Of  the  numbers  to  the  westward  along  the  arctic 


FIN    AND   FEATIIKR   iN    CANADA' 


243 


the  chase, 

lis,  in  dos- 
[)f  the  gulf, 
of  the  sea 
hal  so  iiu- 
?o  roi'ks  are 
flapping  of 


of  Canada,  and 
)llowingoxtrBot 
Society,  by  Uoo. 
urtidenoe  in  that 
iidoM  Mr.  Barn- 

arato  iJoa  of  tho 
ho  Canada  giey 
and  tho  white 
hoy  bocoino  an 
mato.  Soveutoon 
Hans  in  tho  au- 
making  a  total 

, 30,000 

Mooso 

10,000 

H.ono 

6,000 

10,000 

d,    must 

10,000 

74,000 

the  foxes  and 
lie  runninp    the 
it 
int. 
iin- 
ird :        ,•  the 
ter,       .il   he 
leave   tho   bay 
jinng  some  lots 
iters,  yet  innu- 
uunds,  remain 
umbers  intact. 
0  drswn  from 
son's  Bay  line 
ng  the  arctic 


We  subjoin  two  extracts  from  tlio  ReJaliuns  Jes  Jesuites^  in 
their  own  quaint  French.  (1) 

Although  eng-stoalors  (a  bad  set,  by  I  ho  by,  whose  opera- 
tions Audubon  proptM'ly  stigmatises)  h:iV(!con>iderably  Ihinnod 
their  numbi^rs,  Dr.  Hryaiil,  who,  in  1800,  mado  an  ornithologi- 


cal 


l- 


vey  of  Ihi'se  islands,  whom  I  had  IIk;  picasnrt;  of  jnec 
ing,  found  them  still  tonanlfd  by  largo  numbers  of  ganiiets, 
puflins, guillemots,  anks  and  killiwakes.  In  lhi>  fall  of  tliu  year  the 
shores  of  the  St.  Lawrenco  literally  swarm  with  ducks,  leal 
and  other  sea  fowl.  We  have  ourselves  counted  thousands 
busy  gobbling  up  the  shell -lisli,  barnacles  aiul  sea  weed  which 
cling  to  the  shelving  rocks  round  IMateau  and  llonaventiire 
islands,  at  (laspe.  We  have  watched  the  gaunel,  the  herring- 
gull,  the  cormorant,  hovering  in  clouds  over  Perce  Uuck,  on 
whose  verdant  summit  they  build  and  liud  au  as}lum  secure 
from  their  great  destroyer,  man;  whilst  their  discordant  voices 
are  heard  above  the  roar  of  the  surf,  miles  away.  We  have 
seen  their  young  shot  for  food  by  hundreds  in  the  month  of 
August. 
It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  in  the  tall  of  the  year  for  the 

coast,  that  wend  their  way  to  thoir  winter  quarters  straight  across  the  continent, 
we  can  form  but  a  very  vague  opinion,  but  computing  it  at  two-thirds  or  more  of 
the  quantity  supposed  to  leave  the  eastern  part  of  tho  arctic  coast,  we  cannot 
have  less  than  two  millions  of  goose,  composing  the  numerous  battalions  which 
pass  over  tho  continent  botwooii  tho  Atlantic  and  the  Rocky  Mountains,  borne 
aloft  generally  like  tho  scud,  and  as  swiftly  hastened  on,  by  tho  force  of  tho 
boreal  blast. 

"  I  ought  to  observe  that  the  Brant  geese,  Jierniclu  Hrenta,  aro  not  included  in 
the  above  estimate.  Thoy  nro  pretty  iiuinorous  on  tho  Atlantic  coast,  but  aro  quite 
neglected   by  tho  Indians  in  general  of  Hudson's  Bay.  " 

(1)  *'  A  I'ontr^'o  do  co  golfo  (do  St.  Luuront)  nous  viuies  deux  rochors,  I'un 
rond,  I'autre  quarr<;.  Vous  dirioz  que  Diou  les  a  jdantCs  tiu  milieu  des  caux 
comme  doux  colombiors  pour  sorvir  do  lioux  do  rctraito  aux  oiseaux  qui  s'y  reti- 
rent  en  si  grande  quantitt^,  qu'on  marcho  dossus  ;  ot  si  I'on  no  so  ticnt  bien  forme 
ils  g'^l^vent  en  si  grande  quantitd  qu'ils  renvorsont  les  porsonnes ;  on  en  rapporto 
des  chaloupes  ou  das  pctits  bateaux  tous  |)loin9  quand  lo  tumps  poniiot  qu'un  les 
abordo.  Les  Fran^ais  les  ont  nommds  les  lies  aux  Oisoaux.  "  (^Itelation  des 
J^axiiten.  he  Pfire  Paul  Le  joune.) 

"  L'Isle  aux  Coudres  et  I'Islo  aux  Dies  mdritent  d'dtre  nommdes  en  passant. 
La  premiere  est  souvent  remplio  dV'laus  qui  s'y  rencontrent;  la  seconde  est  peu- 
plde  on  son  temps  d'uno  multitude  d'oios,  d'outardes,  dont  Vile  qui  eat  plute  et 
charyie  d'herbe  comme  une  prairie  en  jjarait  loute  couverle.  Lea  lieux  circonvoiiina 
relentiiient  inceaaumment  dti  eria  de  ct*  oistaux,  " 


244 


FIN  AND  FEATHER  IN  CANADA. 


fiaspe  fishermen  to  kill  as  many  as  twenty  sea  fowl,  at  one  shot, 
in  the  air  holes  among  the  ice,  down  which  the  hungry  birds 
crowd  to  feed.  Where  is  the  Canadian  sportsman  who  would 
not  give  the  world  for  a  week  on  the  Mille  Vachos  shoals  in 
September  ?  Were  is  the  fowler  who  has  not  heard  of  the 
sport  which  Jupiter  river,  on  Anticosli,  affords,  over  and 
above  the  chance  of  putting  an  occasional  bullet  through  one 
of  the  many  bears  attracted  to  the  sea  shore  for  their  morning 
meal  of  kelp  and  seaweed,  in  the  absence  of  green  oats  and 
young  mutton,  their  favorite  provender?  It  would  bo  unfair, 
however,  to  lead  sportsmen  to  believe  that  one  has  to  go  as 
far  as  Anticosti  to  get  a  crack  at  «  Bruin,  »  when  there  are 
instances  on  record  of  snipe  shooters  killing  bears  on  the 
beaches  close  to  Quebec,  Let  us  mention  one  recent  occur- 
rence. A  sporting  member  of  the  Quebec  bar  (1),  whom  the 
summer  vacation  had  seduced  away  from  the  Pandects  and 
lilackslone,  to  the  swampy  Chateau  Richer  flats,  wasbaggingas 
usual,  a  few  dozen  snipe  before  breakfast.  On  firing  his  first 
shot,  he  heard  a  rustling  in  some  tall  rushes,  and  out  stepped 
leisurely  a — snipe  ?  no,  a  bear.  Sympathy  for  a  fellow 
sportsman  ought  to  have  saved  Bruin's  life.  Not  so  ;  his  pre- 
sence on  the  swamp  was  construed  by  the  disciple  of  St.  Hu- 
bert into  a  clear  case  of  trespass.  Nothing  could  be  more 
inconvenant^  one  will  admit,  than  for  a  bear  to  take  possession 
of  the  fi'eding  grounds  of  teal  and  snipe.  Qu'allait-il  [aire 
dans  cette  galore  ?  A  heavy  charge  at  close  quarters,  and 
Bruin's  spirit  was  wafted  to  where  all  good  bears  go. 

What  clouds  of  sand  pipers,  curlew  and  plover,  September 
brings  forth  from  their  brei'diug  pUuies,  in  the  bairen  wilds  of 
Labrador,  the  secluded  lakes  and  solitary  islands  of  the 
north,  up  to  the  frozen  occean  !  Look,  friend,  look  at  that 
dense  vapor  hovering  over  that  long  sand  bar,  La  Batture 
aux  Alouettes,  a  breast  of  Tadousac.  From  afar,  you  might 
take  it  for  a  cloud  of  hail  or  rain  ;  but  wail  a  minute,  until  the 
sun's  rays  light  up  the  picture.  Now,  see  the  snowy  breast  of 
myriads  of  chubby  lillle  northern  strangers,  the  ring  plovers  ; 


.1 


(I)  Richard  PeaUand,  Esquire. 


FIN    AND   LEATHER    IN    CANADA. 


245 


I,  at  one  shot, 
liungry  birds 
n  who  would 
PS  shoals  in 
loard  of  the 
Is,  over  and 
through  one 
heir  morning 
sen  oats  and 
d  be  unfair, 
lias  to  go  as 
en  there  are 
bi>ars  on  the 
•ecent  occur- 
),  whom  the 
Pandects  and 
bvas  bagging  as 
ring  his  first 
1  out  stepped 
for  a  fellow 
so  ;  his  pre- 
eof  St.  Uu- 
uld  be  more 
ie  possession 
illait-il  (aire 
iiarters,  and 

go- 

',  September 

iren  wilds  of 
ands  of  the 
ook  at  that 
La  Balture 
',  you  might 
ite,  until  the 
,vy  breast  of 

ing  plovers  ; 


i 


look  out  for  them  as  they  s(  tile  by  thousands,  on  the  sand  ; 
now  is  your  time.    Enfilade  their  serried  ranks,  fire   low  ; 
bang  '  One  shot  suflices,  you  have  one  hundred  victims  ;  to 
fire  again  would  only  cause  imnecessary  carnage.  Father  Point, 
lower  down  than  Rimouski,  during  strong  easterly  winds, 
affords  capital  sport.    Canada  geese.  Brent  geese  and  ducks 
are  perpetually  hovering  over  the  extreme  end  of  the  point  : 
the  fov\ler  carefully  concealed,  pours  a  deadly  volley  into  the 
flock,  and  his  faithful  Newfoundland  dog  springs  into  the  surf 
and  fetches  out  the  dead  and  wounded  birds.     You  can  either 
continue  to  beat  the  shore  or  cross  over  witii  us  to  Seal  Rocks, 
opposite  the  Traverse,  a  delightful  small  game  preserve,  so 
bountifully  slocked  with  ducks,  teal  and  plover,  that  a  club  of 
chasseurs  of  St.  Jean  l*orl  Joly  have  leased  it  from  government. 
A  rare  thing  in  Canada  for  natives  to  pay  for  the  privilege  to 
shoot  game;    it  is  so  plentiful  everywhere.    "We  are  now  at 
Crane  Island.    Quantum  mutata  ab  Hid  !  Night  shooting  has 
eifectually  scared  the  ducks  from  their  resting  places.    Of 
swans.  Lord  Dalhousie    seems  to  have  had  the  last.     As 
to  cranes,  two  only  have  been  seen  of  late  years.    This 
wary  stilted  stranger,  Gruem  advcnam^  can  only  be  an  acci- 
dental visitor,  as  its  range  is  considerably  more  to  the  west. 
How  often  have  we  seen  ils  solitary  figure  looming  up  at  low 
tide,  far  beyond  the  range  of  a  gun  ?  Where  is  the  time  when 
a  Crane  Island  chasseur  thought  he  had  had  a  poor  season  if  he 
had  bugged  less  than  one  hundred  oulardes  (Canada  geese), 
togelliei  with  a  few  dozen  snow-geese  ?  wary  in  the  extreme, 
are  those  noisy  swamp-feeders,  who  during  the  summer  months, 
wing  every  alternate  day  their  wedgelike  llight  from  the  St. 
Joachim  beaches,  to  the  Crane  Island  flato,  where  they  con- 
gregate at  low  water  mark,  some  3,000,  feeding  beyond  a  rifle's 
range.  We  know  of  a  hunting  ground  not  one  hundred  miles 
from  Quebec,  in  which  the   protection  of  game  is  strikingly 
exemplilied.  None  but  the  proprietors  have  access  to  this  pre- 
serve, in  which  outardes,  \\'\\i\  geese,  and  ducks  assemble  in 
astonishing  nnilliludes.  Recently  two  men  shot  fifty  wild  geese 
theie  in  two  days.  The  place  is  a  source  of  revenue  to  its 


S46 


FIN   AND  FFATUER   IN   CANADA. 


owners,  and  those  birds,  which  are  not  sent  to  market,  are 
sailed  and  preserved  for  the  farm  servants'  daily  use. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  us,  in  this  short  sketch,  to  name 
all  the  localities  where  game  is  to  be  had  in  Canada.  The  two 
shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  from  (iaspe  to  the  upper  lakes, 
and  the  larger  number  of  the  tributaries  of  the  graat  river, 
especially  in  the  Ottawa  district,  are  our  chief  shooting  grounds 
— some  seven  or  eight  hundred  leagues— plenty  of  elbow-room, 
as  you  may  see.  The  Chateau  Richer  swamp,  in  spite  of  the 
indiscriminate  slaughter  of  birds,  still  furnishes  some  3,000  or 
4,000  snjpe  per  season.  The  Bijou  marsh,  formerly  an  excel- 
lent hunting  ground,  undi'r  the  St.  Foy  heights,  is  from  cons- 
tant shooting,  pretty  well  destroyed  at  present  for  game  pur- 
poses. What  a  splendid  game  preserve  the  Bijou  would  become 
in  the  hands  of  a  sporting  millionaire  !  Woodcock  are  still  nu- 
merous at  C6te-a-Bonhomme,  near  Charlesboiirg,  at  La  Bale 
du  Febvre,  Les  Salines,  and  in  fifty  othei-  places.  Wild  pigeon 
shooting,  especially  in  western  Canada,  yields  an  abundant 
return.  This  bird  still  resorts  to  the  Niagara  district  in  such 
quantities  that  Audubon's  graphic  description  of  the  flights  of 
wild  pigeons  in  Kentucky  ceases  to  appear  overdrawn.  Until 
1854,  there  existed  in  the  woods  back  of  Chaleaiigiiay,  at  a  place 
called  the  Fire  Points,  a  pigeon  roost ;  the  deviislalion  caused 
by  this  countless  host  in  the  wheat  fields  became  very  great, 
but  in  presence  of  the  incessant  attacks  of  man,  a  general  pi- 
geon stampede  took  place  ;  the  roost  is  now  deserted. 

Grouse  shooting,  which  in  Canada  commences  on  the  20lh 
August,  aflords  also  some  amusements.  Grouse  and  partridge 
are  shot  and  snared  in  Canada,  the  (I )  Hon.  Grantley  F.  Berkley 
to  the  country  notwithr landing — not  poisoned  with  strychnine. 


(I)  We  find  in  the  London  Times  of  the  18th  September,  1863,  in  a  letter 
■ubsoribed  Grantley  F.  Berkely,  valuable  (?)  information  respecting  the  Canadian 
partridge,  and  the  mode  of  capturing  it : — "  The  Amorioans,  "  says  thin  learned 
Nimrod,  "  are  profoundly  ignorant  of  the  way  to  ihoot  winged  game  in  any  quan- 
tities, or  to  take  them  alive,  &nd  it  is  not  unlikely  they  have  adopted  strychnine 
as  a  mothod  of  death.  "  He,  further  on,  explains  why  they  poison  the  birds  they 
intend  for  food,  viz.,  for  "  the  love  of  the  almighty  dollar,  whiob  makes  men  not 
over  nice  in  the  means  they  take  to  get  it.  "  Mr.  Grantley  F.  B.'s  peouliar  insa" 
nity  li  becoming  chronio— In  Canada  we  should  try  the  cold  water  cure. 


market,  are 
use. 

tch,  to  name 
ida.  The  two 
upper  lakes, 
J  groat  river, 
oting  grounds 
'elbow-room, 
I  spiU;  of  the 
ome  3,000  or 
iriy  an  excel- 
is  from  cons- 
Dr  game  pur- 
vould  become 
k  are  still  iiu- 
;,  at  La  Baic 
Wild  pigeon 
an  abundant 
istrict  in  such 
the  flights  of 
hawn.  Until 
lay,  at  a  place 
tation  caused 
very  great, 
general  pi- 
tod. 

M  the  20Lh 
d  partridge 
l»/  F.  Berkley 
strychnine. 

p3,  in  a  letter 
|g  the  Canadian 
|.ys  tliia  learned 

I  in  any  quan- 

|ted   stryclinino 

fie  birds   they 

lakes  men  not 

I  peculiar  insa- 

'  cure. 


FIN  AND  FEATHIER   LN   CAt«ADA. 


247 


A  great  falling  off  is  certainly  now  i»!)servable  in  the  number 
of  birds,  in  consequence  of  the  wanluii  slaying  of  the  old  ones 
in  the  breeding  season  ;  but  dive  into  the  interior  about  forty 
miles,  at  the  time  when  the  maple  tree  is  docked  with  tints  of 
unsurpassing  loveliness,  and  the  let  us  hear  from  you.  We  re- 
member, one  balmy  September  morning,  beating  for  grouse  in 
the  wooded  slopes  of  the  Chateau  Richer  mountain,  just  at  the 
hour  when  the  rising  sun  was  pouring  forth  floods  of  golden 
light.  Never  before  had  we  seen  our  hardwood  trees  more 
gorgeously  decorated-  The  bright  red,  green  maroon,  and  the 
orange-colored  leaves  sparkling  willi  dew-d;ops,  and  bathed 
in  autumnal  sunshine,  recalled  to  our  mind  Tasso's  descrip- 
tion of  Armida's  enchanted  forest.  11  might  have  been  appro- 
priately compared  to  a  huge  flower-garden  in  full  bloom.  Oui* 
reverie  was  briskly  interrupted  by  the  whirring  sound  of  a 
grouse,  flushed  from  its  cover  bj  oui'  dog. 

Grouse  is  not  the  only  game  whi.li  you  meet  in  the  woods 
during  a  September  ranibh; ;  perhaps  you  may  be  lucky  enough 
to  have  a  shot  at  the  bird  royal,  the  goiden  eagle,  or  his  pilfering 
compeer  the  bald  eagh',  soaring  high  above  your  head  amongst 
the  crags.  Do  not  be  alarmed  if,  in  crossing  a  mountain  gorge, 
the  hoarse  croak  of  the  raven  shoult;  calch  vour  ear.  And  if, 
perchance,  camped  for  the  night  on  tht!  mountain  brow  in  a 
deserted  sugar-hut,  you  hear  the  horrible  hooting  of  the  great 
horned  owl,  fear  nothing  ;  it  is  not  the  evil  one.  Wait  unlil  the 
nocturnal  ma'auder  lights  on  the  large  tree  noxtloyonrresting 
place,  and,  by  th..'  light  of  the  mooii,  your  Maiiton  will  suon 
add  to  your  museum,  if  \oii  have  such  a  fancy,  one  of  the 
noblest  and  fiercest  birds  of  th<:  (Canadian  fauna. 

if  there  should  be  anything  of  the  Jules  Gerard  or  IheGordoii 
Gumming  in  your  composition,  and  you  have  a  liiuikeiing  for 
larger  game,  without  beingable  to  g(!l  lo  theHoely  >lonntains, 
go  and  ask  thai  Charle  bourg  peasant  in  the  maikri  place  the 
particulars  of  the  raid  N\hich  bears  have  recently  made  in  his 
oat-field,  after  dt-ciniatiug  his  flock.  Go  in  quest  of  th(;  sheep- 
slayer  ;  your  guide  will  take  you  uhere  bruin  ;;:id  her  cubs 
hold  their  nightly  rev(!ls.  Take  care  not  lo  miss  your  intended 
victim  ;  if  you  do,  or  oidy  wound  her,  she  won't  miss  you. 


248 


FIN  AND  FEATHER  IN  CANADA. 


When  yoii  are  tired  of  shooting  bears,  Canada  geese,  ducks, 
snipe,  woodcock,  pigeon  and  {grouse,  lake  the  train  for  the 
western  prairies  and  plains,  and  eight  or  ten  days  will  bring 
you  to  where  countless  hcids  of  buffalo  browse  ;  a  subject 
upon  which  the  Prince  of  Wales,  our  late  governor  general,  Lord 
MonckjLord  Mulgrave,  and  the  other  governors  of  British  pro- 
vinces, from  their  recent  visit,  are  now  in  a  position  to  speak 
ex-cathedra.  You  can  occasiona  ly  vary  your  spoit  by 
looking  after  wild  turkeys  and  prairie  hens  (1),  reserving  deer 
and  carioou  hunting  for  the  winti^r  season,  but  when  you 
get  there,  with  Mr.  Russell's  (2)  fate  b(?fore  your  eyes,  do  not 
desecrate  the  Sabbath.  Before  we  part,  let  me  give  you  a  so- 
lemn piece  of  advice.  By  the  mighty  shades  of  Hawker,  by  the 
ramrod  of  the  great  Saint  Hubert,  I  adjure  you  not  to  waste 
powder  and  shot  in  the  neighborhood  of  large  cities  !  Spring 
shooting  and  pot-hunters  have  for  the  most  part  extirpated  the 
game  in  such  localititjs.  Go  to  Sorel,  Deschambault.  Kamou- 
raska,  Mille-Vaches,  Lancaster,  Long  Point  on  Lake  Erie,  for 
ducks  ;  to  Chateau  llicher,[Grondines,  St.  Pierre-les-Becquets, 
for  snipe  ;  beat  C6te-a-Boidiomme,  the  whole  rang«  of  heights 
from  Charlesbourg  to  the  Jacques  Cartier  liver,  for  woodcock  ; 

but  if  you  wish  for  sport  in  earnest,  go  to  western  Canada,  to 
the  Saint  Clair  marshes,  (3)  where  you  will  And  swans, geese, 


(1)  Prairik  Chickkns  were  never  known  to  be  so  abundant  in  Iowa  as  the 
present  season.  In  Buchanan  and  Blackhawk  counties  they  can  be  killed  with 
stones  and  clubs,  and  hunting  them  with  guns  is  next  to  no  sport  at  all.  So  plenty 
are  they  that  the  farmers  importune  hunters  to  try  their  luck  on  their  grounds, 
and  in  some  instances  they  have  manifested  a  willingness  to  pay  for  the  killing. 

{Quebec  Mercury,  22nd  August,  1863.) 

(2)  My  Diary— North  and  South,  Page  202. 

(3)  We  read  in  the  Tore  ';  ^  Leader,  of  November,  1860  : — "  Captain  Strachan 
and  Mr.  Kennedy  returned  KoC  evening  from  a  fortnight's  shooting  in  the  St. 
Clair  marshes,  where  they  had  excellent  sport,  bagging,  to  the  two  guns,  two 
swans,  three  snipe,  five  wild  goese,  and  570  ducks, — black,  mallard  and  grey 
duoks— weight  1,860  lbs.  " 

"  Cols.  Rhodes  and  Boll,  of  this  city,  returned  to  town  recently,  from  a  hunting 
«xoursion  in  the  woods  north  of  Quebec.  During  their  trip  they  met  with  a  run  of 
good  sport,  having  killed  ten  caribous,  four  lynxes,  a  porcupine,  and  a  largo  num- 
ber of  white  partridges,  hares,  kc.  Such  an  amount  of  game  brought  down  by 
two  guns  must  be  considered  a  decidedly  good  hntme.  We  understand  that  one  of 


a  geese,  ducks, 
e  train  for  the 
Jays  will  bring 
se  ;    a  subject 
[>r  general.  Lord 
s  of  Brilishpro- 
silion  to  speak 
our   spoil    by 
reserving  deer 
but  when  you 
ur  eyes,  do  not 
jitive  you  a  so- 
EFawkor,  by  the 
not  to  waste 
lilies  !    Spring 
t  extirpated  the 
Jault.   Kamou- 
Lake  Erie,  for 
3-les-Becquets, 
ing«  of  heights 
for  woodcock  ; 
3rn  Canada,  to 
1  sw  ans,  geese, 


nt  in  Iowa  as  the 
m  be  killed  with 
rt  at  all.  So  plenty 
on  their  grounds, 
ly  for  the  killing. 
I  August,  1863.) 


^ 

( 


PIN  AND   FEATHER   IN   CANADA.  249 

congiegaled.  Kely  for  success  on  good  dogs,  a  fnislv  "iiJde  -i 

the  large  caribous  has  been  obtained  by  several  of11n«r,  „f  ,u 

purpose  of  being  sent  to  England    "~LZ    aI  J     ''"'   ^'"■"'"°   ^"^  '•>« 

1862.  J^nglftnd.     -Quebec  Mormng  Chronicle,  2yth  December. 

Y^k^'y"  «  r;F  "  '""'"^  ^"'  'J"""  ^"^  ^'^'PP-'  f-™   Chicago  to  New 

ing.  three  rods  ^^  ^S::^  z^rsii^r  r"';!"^'^^"^  •""^"- 

aee  we  ffht   ll  tn  17  ii>,,  j     ,  "iou.,,  viz.  ..la  salmon:  aver- 

Ihe  Essex  Record  says  that  "  Bob  Renanl^r.n  "  „.„i  .         ..  . 

......  o„  ..ighb^r.  d  h  I  ;i«  ibf ;  T"  """'"•''  """'"•  "•° ""«'" 

«« .....  C.P..  i=^.b.:r.rM,;r:;r;.;  :;:„™;„:r:;;:r.".''' 


Captain  Straohan 
loting  in  the  St. 
e  two  guns,  two 
nallard  and  grey 

ly,  from  a  hunting 
met  with  a  run  of 
and  a  largo  num- 
•rought  down  by 
rstand  that  one  of 


It 


THE  QUEBEC  VOLUNTEERS 

1837. 


A  CHRISTMAS  SKETCH. 


There  are  unquestionably  many  pages  of  our  history — some 
pregnant  with  especial  interest — yet  unwritten.  Of  the  latter, 
may  he  reckoned  those,  recording  the  great  civil  commotion 
inaugurated  by  Louis  Joseph  Papineau,  in  Eastern  Canada, 
and  by  William  Lyon  Mackenzie,  in  the  western  section  of  the 
Dominion.  (1) 

Despite  the  rancorous  feelings  engendered  at  the  time,  by 
this  social  upliea\ing,  the  day  <>annot  be  far  distant  when  the 
memories  of  this  fratricidal  strife  will  have  lost  much  of  their 
bitterness  ;  nay,  such  nnlooked  for,  such  momentous  events, 
have  crowded  on  us,  since  that  warlike  period,  that  an  utter 
revulsion  of  fueling,  in  many  eases,  has  been  the  result. 

The  sundering  of  the  colonial  tie,  for  attempting  which,  the 
«  Patriots  »  of  1 837  were  gibetled  by  the  score,  when  not 
exiled  or  plunged  in  dungeons,  seems  of  late  years  to  have 
been  considered  by  many  Imperial  statesmen,  but  a  question 
of  lime  or  expediency.  In  1837,  he  who  sat  in  slate  in  Iho 
Chateau  St.  Lo.i  s,  in  the  name  of  Majesty,  had  very  decided 
views  on  the  doctrine  of  colonial  independence.  His  Majesty 
William  IV's  Attorney-General,  Charles  Ogden,  held  it  to 
mean  a  hempen  collar.  Duquette,  DeLorimier,  Narbonne,  Ilin- 
delang,  and  twenty  others,  found  it  so,  to  their  cost ;  still 

(1)  The  New  York  Commercial  Advertiter  thui  notices  the  arrival  of  the  cele- 
brated agitator.  "  New  York,  March  10th,  (1838),  Lion  op  thk  North.  We  are 
enabled  to  state,  positively,  unequivocally  and  categorically,  that  the  Cincin- 
natus — the  Robert  Bruce,  the  Brutus-and-Cassius,  the  Hampden- and-Sidney,  of 
Canada,  nay,  the  personification  of  Minrrva  and  the  Qoddess  of  Liberty  them- 
selves, is  now  in  this  city,  in  the  illustrious  person  of  William  Lton  Mackenzir  I 
He  was  at  the  Exchange  reading-room  yesterday,  looking  over  tha  papers  witbn» 
mere  preteniiou  than  though  he  were  *  common  man.  " 


252 


THE   QUEBEC    VOLUNTEERS. 


ban^ly  a  goneration  has  passed  when  good  Queen  Vie,  know- 
ingly makes  a  belted  knight  of  the  most  prominent  champion 
of  independence  :  Sir  A.  T.  Gall :  Temporamutanlur. 

Without  pretending  to  anything  elaborate,  let  ns  collect  from 
the  lips  of  a  few  surviving  actors  of  this  strange  drama,  some 
lid-bits  of  information  and  gossip  anent  the  stirring  volunteer 
days  of  37-38,  prefacingour  sketch  with  some  general  remarks, 
calculated  to  make  it  more  intelligible  toour  enquiring  nephews. 

We  can  ourselves  well  remember  the  lime,  when  tolheexci- 
ted  vision  of  a  Quebecer  of  British  descent,  all  that  was  vile.un- 
principled,  treasonableand  wicked  might  be  summed  up  in  the 
one  word,  <(  Papineau,  »  Then,  indeed,  the  eloquent  leader  of 
the  Canadian  Commons,  could,  like  the  great  agitator,  O'Connell, 
have  boasted  that  he  was  u  the  best  abused  man »  in  the 
country.  A  superlatively  loyal  French  song  of  the  period,  after 
enumerating  the  calamities  of  every  hue,  which  could  be 
chni'ged  to  the  arch-agitator,  without  forgetting  cholera-morbus, 
earthquakes  and  the  potatoe  rot,  concluded  each  stanza  with 
the  well  remembered  words  :  «  Cest  la  faute  a  Papineau.  » 

A  dreaded  monster  was  he,  this  same  Louis  Joseph,  in  the 
eyes  of  superlatively  loyal  men,  such,  for  instance,  as  Bob 
Synies,  one  of  His  Britannic  Majesty'^  zealous  justices  of  the 

Peace,  ain  and  for  the  district  of  Quebec,))  in  the  year  of 

fuss  and  alarm,  1837. 

But  peace  to  Louis  Joseph's  ashes  !  may  they  continue  to 
rest  where  some  loving  hands  have  placed  them  on  the  24lh 
Sept.,  1871,  at  MoulcBello,  his  own  btMiulifiil  scat,  on  the 
greiju  banks  of  the  Ottawa.  Peace  to  his  memory  !  he  is  now 
before  a  higher  tribunal,  to  answer  for  his  deeds  in  the  llesh. 

If  one  reflects  how  fully  England  has  since  granted  the 
demands  oskiid  lor,  by  the  misguided  «  Patriots  »  of  1837,  as 
set  firth  in  lht!ir  «  Declaration  of  Independence,))  \iz  : 
«  abolition  of  the  seigniorial  dues  (though  we  must  denounce 
the  mode  by  which  it  was  to  be  brought  about  in  1837);  secu- 
larization of  the  Clergy  Reserves;  abolition  ofimprisonmentfor 
debt,  except  in  extreme  cases ;  freedom  of  the  Press  ;  trial  by 
Jury,  in  an  extended  form  ;  the  use  of  both  languages  in  public 
affairs  ;  the  control  of  the  Provincial  Revenue  and  Tariff ; 


I 


n  Vic,  know- 
ont  champion 
lantur. 

lis  colltici  from 
drama,  some 
ring  volunteer 
neralremarksy 
iring  nephews, 
len  tolheexci- 
alwasvile.un- 
imed  up  in  the 
luent  leader  of 
lor,  O'Connell, 
man»  in  the 
le  period,  after 
hich  could  be 
lolera-morbus, 
zh  stanza  with 
Papineau.  » 
Joseph,   in  the 
ance,  as  Bob 
iistices  of  the 
le  year  of 

Y  continue  to 
on  the  24th 
seal,  on  the 
!  he  is  now 
in  llu!  tlesh. 
granted  the 
»  of  1837,  as 
once,  »  \iz  : 
list  denounce 
1837);  sccu- 
risonmentfor 
re^s ;  trial  by 
ages  in  public 
and  Tariff; 


A  CHRISTMAS   SKETCH. 


253 


abolition  of  sentence  of  death,  except  in  cases  of  murder,  »  it 
seems  strange,  that  it  should  have  specially  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
French  Canadians  to  fight  to  the  death,  for  the  possession  of 
reforms  and  ch  inges,  many  of  them  so  peculiarly  British  in 
their  ring,  ami  to  achieve  which  they  incurred  such  a  liberal 
allowance  of  hanging  and  outlawry.  Was  the  real  issue  ever 
before  the  eyes  of  the  British  Canadian  in  1837  ?  We  opine 
not. 

To  return  to  Bob  Symes.  Who  then  was  this  incomparable  Ma- 
gistrate, this  dauntless,  ever  watchful  defender  of  the  Hano- 
verian succession  and  citadel  of  Quebec  ?  Has  he  too  been 
knighted  for  services  rendered  in  this  fair  portion  of  Victoria's 
realms  ? 

Rcho  pauses  for  a  reply.  Bob,  for  under  no  other  cognomen 
were  his  praises  weekly  sung  in  Mr.  Aubin's  witty  Journal, 
Le  Fantasque,  Bob  was  the  pink  of  civic  virtue — a  perfect 
pundit  in  constitutional  law — the  impersonificalion  of  loyalty. 
Robert  Syrres  discoursed  of  treason  while  awake,  to  dream  of 
it,  in  the  silent  hours  of  night.  Each  Monday  morning,  said 
Mr.  Aubin,  Bob  had  at  his  fingers  end  the  whole  ramification 
of  some  deep  hiid  plot  to  murder  His  Majesty's  lieges.  He 
denounced  rebels  the  last  Ihing  before  going  to  bed  ;  it  was  his 
first  thought  on  waking.  Bob  would  shake  hands  with  his  fellow- 
citizens  impressively,  and  Icll  Ihem  each  morning  to  be  thank- 
ful that  so  far  they  had  not  yet  been  shot,  or  piked,  or  hung  ; 
that  with  the  helping  iiand  of  Alty. -General  O^den  and  Ihe 
Volunteers,  thi.y  might  yet  escape  Ihe  devil  and  Papineau,  so 
said  Mr.  Aubin.  It  was  iiispiriling  to  witness  the  sight  ;  it 
did  one's  heart  good  to  see  bow  hiightly  in  every  bosom 
burned  the  sacred  lire  of  patriotism.  Far  bo  it  from  our  mind, 
however  to  impugn  the  motives  which  prompted  Mr.  Symes, 
acts :  on  more  occasions  than  one,  nid  he  evince  exquisite  purely 
in  his  judicial  conduct,  blended  with  a  buldog  courage,  which 
no  danger  could  appal  ;  witness,  the  services  he  rendered  at 
the  (irosse  Isle  quarantine,  during  the  revolting  horrors  of  ship 
feaver,  in  4847.  Another  trail  yet,  ere  we  dismiss  this  well  re- 
membered, over  zealous  Justice.  Bob  had  several  points  of  re- 
temblance  with  the  noted  Judge  Esgrove, of  Scotch  fame;  both 


254 


TUB   QUEBEC   VOLUNTEERS. 


had  refractory  tailors  to  deal  with,  but  Jolin  Teed,  of  Quebec, 
was  a  «  patriot,  »  whereas  he,  of  Edimburgh,  was  a  male- 
factor ;  in  this,  the  heroes  of  the  bodkin  widely  differed. 
Had  Teed  risen  in  arms,  which  ho  did  not,  and  injured  the 
body  or  uniform  of  any  of  Her  Majesty's  Forces,  Bob  Symes 
would  more  than  likely  have  selected  some  impressive  sen- 
timents, like  the  ermined  sage  of  Edimburg  is  reported,  by 
Coburn,  to  have  used  on  passing  sentence  on  the  Edimburg 
Tailor,  for  having  stabbed  a  British  soldier,  «  and  not  only  did 
you  murder  him,  but  you  did  thrust, — or  push, — or  pierce, — 
or  project, — or  propel  the  le-thal  weapon  through  the  belly 
band  of  his  breeches,  which  were  His  Majesty's.  » 

The  Canadian  Badamanlhus  could  be  (piiie  as  impressive, 
when  he  delivered  his  dreaded  rulings,  from  that  Bench  now 
occupied  by  Mr.  Justice  Doiicet.  He  had  at  timesa  picturesque 
way  of  giving  to  the  prisoner,  the  usual  jobation.  More  than 
one  practitioner  of  the  Police  Court  may  possibly  yet  remember, 
the  case  of  the  two  sailors,  who  refused  to  join  their  ship 
ready  for  sea,  on  the  ground  that  she  was  not  sea-worthy. 
The  salts  had  most  foi  bidding  countenances  ;  to  this  Bob 
Symes  seemed  fully  alive.  Throwing  himself  back  in  his  seat, 
ul  mos,  he  uttered  majestically,  the  following :  «  Go  on  board, 
my  men.  Go  on  board,  wilhoul  fear,  I  tell  you.  You  are  evi- 
dently born  to  be  hanged  and  never  cun  be  drowned.  (I) 

The  Quebec  and  Three  River  districts,  at  the  voice  of  their 
leaders^  political,  and  religious,  seceded  at  an  early  date  from 


(1)  In  a  situation  of  eminent  danger,  from  drowning,  it  was  once  my  fate,  to 
witness  the  calm  and  self  reliance  of  the  dauntless  Magistrate  and  to  ponder  in 
my  mind,  whether  it  prooeded  from  stoutness  of  heart  or  from  the  belief,  that 
like  the  two  teamen,  he  too  "  was  not  born  to  be  drowned.  " 

It  happened  on  the  l&th  Maroh,  1851 ;  the  St.  Lawrence  had  frozen  over  before 
the  city,  in  what  appeared  a  solid  sheet  of  glare  ice.  Hundreds  were  crossing  over 
to  Levis ;  I,  with  the  rest.  All  at  once,  we  became  painfully  aware,  that  the  whole 
ioe  was  on  the  move  with  the  ebb,  and  that  unless  we  reached  the  shore,  a  fair 
chance  of  perishing  amidst  the  thin  ice  lay  before  us. 

To  reach  the  Napoleon  wharf,  we  had  to  cross,  one  by  one,  over  a  belt  of  ice, 
whose  wavy,  yielding  motion  made  one's  hair  stand  on  end.  Bob  Symes,  said  he 
would  go  first.  "  I  could  hotforbear  recalling  to  my  neighbor  his  previous  saying, 
adding.  "  Evidently,  he  thinlcs  he  is  not  born  to  be  drowned. "  All  of  us  escaped, 
more  or  lets,  with  a  cold  bath,  except  one  poor  fellow — David  Bisset— who  after 
nasy  itragglei,  tank,  to  riie  no  more. 


id,  of  Quebec, 
was  a  male- 
dely  differed. 
J  injured  the 
1,  Bob  Symes 
ipressive  sen- 
;  reported,  by 
the  Edimburg 
id  not  only  did 
—or  pierce, — 
jgh  the  belly 

IS  impressive, 
liat  Bench  now 
sapicluresque 
I.  More  than 
yet  remember, 
oin  their  ship 
>l  sea-worthy. 

;   to  this  Bob 

ck  in  his  seat, 

K  Go  on  board, 

You  are  evi- 

ivned.  (1) 

voice  of  Iheir 
riy  date  from 

I  once  my  fate,  to 
land  to  ponder  in 
the   belief,   that 

Ifruzen  over  before 

rere  crossing  over 

^re,  that  the  whole 

the  shore,  a  fair 

^er  a  belt  of  ico, 

Synies,  laid  he 

previous  saying, 

U  of  U8  escaped, 

isset— who  after 


A  CHRISTMAS  SKVTCH. 


255 


the  armeti  resistance,  inaugurated  mthout  armsf  (1)  by  the 
Montreal  district  in  the  Richelieu  valley. 

In  the  counties  of  Champlain,  Portnenf,  Dorchester,  meet- 
ings were  held  in  November  and  December,  1837,  expressive 
of  loyalty,  though  advocating  reforms  by  constitutional  means; 
there  had,  however,  been  «  agitation  meetings,  »  in  Belle- 
chasse;  at  St.  Thomas  ;  at  the  St.  Paul's  Market,  St.  Roch's 
Church  door,|Glacis  School  House,  in  the  city  of  Quebec, — for- 
tunately of  no  real  importance.  In  this,  did  the  Quebec  district 
show  its  good  sense.  ^ 

The  frenzy  of  loyalty  and  martial  preparations,  in  the  city 
itself,  had  si  areoly  cool  reason  on  its  side.  The  wildest 
rumours  were  freely  circulated.  The  hatreds  and  national 
jealousies  of  the  period  had  amplescope.  More  than  one  alarm- 
ing canard  originated  amongst  the  frequenters  of  a  fashionable 
segar  store  in  St.  John  slreot,  kept  by  one  Peter  Delcourl,  or 
in  Schleiip's  hotel  ; — presto,  tin;  Police  was  dispatched  to 
search  for  concealed  arms,  cannon,  gimpowder.  However, 
these  ebullitions  sprang  in  many  cases  from  one  of  the  purest 
of  sentiments  :  patriotism,  civic  virtue,  as  such  deserving  of 
all  praise.  Though  the  French  Canadians,  as  a  people,  were 
true  to  one  another,  and  refused  to  enlist,  there  were  several 
offers  of  service,  in  the  Quebec  district,  from  that  class  ;  of 
which,  Government  declined  to  avail  itself. 

Political  discontent  was  not  confined  to  one  nationality. 
Amongst  the  most  noted  «  Rebs  »  there  were  several,  not 
bearing  French  Canadian  names.  In  the  district  of  Montreal ; 
Robert  Nelson,  Wolfred  Nelson,  E.  B.  O'Callaghan,  T.  S. 
Brown,  Hindenlang,  Girod  (2),  Wm.  Hay  Scott,  &c..  Dr. 
Newcomb. 

About  the  1st  November,  intelligence  was  received  of  the 
arrest  and  rescue  of  political  prisoners  ;  and  news  of  the 
shooting  of  Loyal  Canadians,  by  the  Insurgents,  on  the  5th  of 

(1)  We  say  vithout  armt,  advisedly.  Some  patriots  in  their  ardor,  turned  out 
with  pitchforks.  In  one  instance,  a  wooden  cannon  was  sent  forth,  encircled  with 
strong  iron  hoops,  says  Christie  ;  marbles,  were  found  in  the  pockets  of  the  slain 
patriots,  to  be  used  instead  of  leaden  bullets. 

(2)  Amaury  Qirod,  a  Swiss,  the  General  of  the  northern  army,  four  days  after 
the  affair  at  St.  Eustache,  blew  his  brains  out  with  a  pistol  on  the  18th  Pecember> 
1837,  at  Pointe>auz-Trembles,  below  Montreal. 


256 


THE  QUEBEC  V01UNTEF.B8. 


the  sami)  month.    The  excilnmnnt  this  caused  was  aiigmentnd 
by  an  official  report  of  (he  murder,  on  2nd  and  Srd  Nov.,  of 
Lieut.  Weir,  (!)  32nd  llt'gt.  and  defeat  of  Col.  Gore  at  St.  Denis, 
by  Ihe  insurgent  loader  Nelson.  These  deplnrable  events  pro- 
duced immodiato  and  cnergetie  action,  to  organize  a  system  of 
def(;nce.  On  tin;  27lh  of  November,  1837(2),  Civil  Secretary,  S. 
Wiilcotl,  by  Iftllor  dated  «  St,  Ltiwis  (laslle  »  addressed  on  be- 
half of  Iho  Earl  of  (losford,  to  Hon.  J.  M.  Kraser,  Wm.  Price, 
J.  B.  Forsyth,  W.  H.  JenVry,  T,.  II  Parke,  .las.  (i.  Koss,  M.  Ste- 
venson, Robert  Shaw,  and  other  miMi  of  note,  who  had  at  a 
public  meetingat  the  Quebec  Exchnnge,  offered  their  services,  to 
serve  as  Volunl(»ers,  in  order  to  supply  the  abseneo  of  the  re- 
gulars who  were  ordered  to  Montreal,  graciously  accepted  their 
offer.  Volunteering,  Drill  and  Parade  duties  were  soon  begun  in 
real  earnest.  Though  the  sinew  of  war,  had  to  be  provided  out 
of  raw  militia,  there  were  a  good  many  though  bits  of  fighting 
stuff  remaining, — Peninsidar  officers, — some  of  (Jenl.  Brock's 
veterans  and  regulars ;  enough  in  fact,  to  levcn  the  whole  mass. 
The  Earl  of  Gosford  had  selected  a  most  popular  head  :  Lt. 
Col.  Honorable  .las.  Hope,  of  the  Coldstream  Guards,  son  of 
Major  General  Hope,  who  was  severely  wounded  and  taken 
prisoner  at  a  sortie  from  Dayonne,  at  the  close  of  the  Peninsu- 
lar war ;  he  subsequently  became  Earl  of  Hopctoun,  to  which 
title  his  son  succeeded.     «  A  finer  man  or  bettor  soldier,  I 
never  met,  says  Lt.  Col.  Wiley, »  then  the  active  major  of  Bri- 
gade, of  the  Volunteer  Force.  In  1839,  a  dinner  was  given 
him,  by  his  ofllcers,  which  went  ofF  with  great  eclat ;  for 
those  were  festive  days  too,  those  Volunteer  limes  of  1837-8-9. 
Such  was  the  good  feeling  between  the  regulars  and  the 
citizen-soldiers,  that  when  Brigade  Major  Wiley,  appointed 
adjudant  to  the  1st.  Provincial  Hegt,  had  to  raise  men  for 
frontier  service  with  its  head  quarters  at  Philipsburg,  and 
having  succeeded  out  of  the  «  dijecta  membra  »  of  the  dis- 
banded Volunteers,  to  procure  in  48  hours  200  recruits,  he 
was  kindly  given  by  the  officers  of  the  Guards,  the  use  of  their 

(1)  Atty.-Qeneral  Ogden,  had  Capt.  Frangois  Jalbcrt,  indicted  for  the  murder 
of  Lioat.  Weir,  at  the  Montreal  assizes  of  Sept.,  1839;  the  jury  composed  of  9  French 
Canadians  and  3  old  countrymen  acquitted  him.  {See  Chri»ue'»  History,  vol.  V, 
pp.  10  and  291.) 

(2)  See  ChriitW*  HUtorj/,  vol.  V,  p.  m. 


as  nngmentod 
Srd  Nov.,  of 
root  St.  Donis, 
le  events  pro- 
Z(5  a  system  of 
I  S(;crelnry,  S. 
Iressed  on  be- 
r,  Wm.  Price, 
.  Ross,  M.SIe- 
who  had  at  n 
leir  services,  to 
Rtice  of  I  he  re- 
r  accepted  their 
1  soon  begun  in 
)e  provided  out 
bits  of  ri;j;hting 
fiJenl.  Brock's 
he  whole  mass, 
niar  head :  Lt. 
Guards,  son  of 
ded  and  taken 
the  Peninsu- 
oun,  to  which 
tor  soldier,  I 
e  major  of  Bii- 
ner  was  given 
•eat  eclat ;  for 
Bs  of  1837-8-9. 
ulars  and  the 
ey,  appointed 
raise  men  for 
lipsburg,  and 
;»  of  the  dis- 
)0  recruits,  he 
he  use  of  their 

ted  for  the  murder 
mposedofQFrenoh 
■«•»  Hiilory,  vol.  V, 


A   CIUU8TM4S   SKETCH. 


257 


splendid  drum  and  Hfc  corps,  to  play  him  and  the  men  under 
his  command,  to  the  steamer.  Capt.  (now  LI.  Col.)  JolinSewcll, 
late  ot  the  49th  (dcnl.  Druck's  Ue^t,)  was  appointed  with  Uk^ 
rank  of  Major,  to  take  command  of  the  Volunteer  lle^l.  Infan- 
try. This  active  and  iiitelliKenl  oflicer,  sncceiMlcd,  so  well  in 
imparting  military  knowledge  to  his  corpx,  which  had  been 
incorporated  in  a  Uatallioii,  that  in  the  month  of  l)i>cend)er 
1837,  the  Qiiisbec  Garrison  being  reduced  to  one  compiiny  of 
Royal  Artillery,  this  Batallion  was  placed  in  charge  of  that 
important  post,  the  citadel  of  Quebec.  Conspicuous  amonj^st 
the  Volunteers,  was  our  old  fellow  townsmen  Henry  LeMesn- 
rier,  for  many  years  one  of  the  magnates  of  St.  Peter  slie(!l,  and 
married  into  a  distinguished  French  Canadian  family  (to  Miss 
Guerout).  Mr.  LeMestirier,  by  his  standing,  genial  disposition 
and  military  experience,  was  a  valuable  addition  (o  the  force. 
Born  in  Guernsey  in  1791,  he  was  son  of  Commissary  GeniM'al 
Ilaviland  LeMesurier;  had  entered  the  English  army  in  181 1  ; 
served  under  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  in  the  Peninsular  cam- 
paign ;  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Salamanca,  and,  when 
bearing  the  colors  of  the  47th  Regiment,  his  right  arm  was 
carried  away  by  a  round  shot,  when  he  joined  the  Commissa- 
riat; served  during  the  war  in  Canada  in  1812,  retired  on 
half  pay  in  1818,  and  died  in  1861  a  Lieut. -Colonel  of  Militia. 
Our  worthy  old  friend  Major  Temple,  late  of  the  loth,  was, 
in  1837,  an  active  commander  of  the  Queen's  Own  Infantry. 
Other  veterans  had  also  offered  their  services,  viz.,  Lieut. - 
Colonel  Charles  Campbell,  late  of  the  99lh,  (recently  dead).  In 
1837,  the  Volunteers  were  gazetted  as  follows : 

QVMF.O    LIOHT   1.NFANTRT. 

Major  John  SeweU,  commanding. 

lit.  Company :  Captain,  J.  S.  CampbeU;  Lieut.,  Thorn.  Froste;  Ensign,  Paul 
Lepper. 

2nd.  Company  :  Captain  A.  Simpson;  Lieut.,  H.  Sharpies ;  Ensign,  E.  II.  David- 
ion. 

Srd.  Company,  (rifles)  :  Captain,  (Hon.)  John  Young;  Lieut.,  Hy.  J.  Noad ;  En- 
sign, W.  Paterion. 

4th.  Company:  Captain,  Jas.  Qillespie;  Lieut.,  W.  K.  Baird;  Ensign,  John 
Martyn. 

5th.  Company:  Captain,  Henry  LeMesurier;  Lieut.,  Andrew  McGill;  Ensign,  Alec. 
Bell.  Adjutant  of  the  five  oompanies.  Ensign  (now  Lt.-Col.)  Thomas  Wiley; 
Surgeon,  Geo.  M<  Douglas. 

27 


258 


THE  QtJEBEC  VOLUNiEEM. 


Uniform. — Company  No,  1  .•  White  blanket  ftoek  toat,  with  blu«  band,  blu*  »io«rf- 
f/er  ttrapt,  blur,  cuffs,  blue  breeehet,  dark  cap,  fiat  and  fur  band. 

Uniform.— Com^jonie*  No.  2,  3,  and  5,  blue  coat,  buff  breechei.  No.  4,  Company, 
lehile  blanket  coat,  green  faeinge,  blue  breechei,  blue  cap  and  light  band, 

LUYAL   QUKREC    ARTIKICKBB   OK   PAUCH-A-BALLAUOHH. 

Captain,  John  C.  Nixon;  Liout.,  James  Thornton  ;  Ensign,  Riohard  Freemam. 
Uniform.— VTA »<«  blanket  coat,  red  tank,  green  hultone, — green  fneinge,  and  green 
teame  ;  high  cap  leilh  green  top  /tilling  over,  blue  breechei,  red  itripe, 

QUERN'a   OWN   UOHT   INPANTRT. 

Major,  Henry  TempU;  Lieut.,  Fred.  Wyse;  Ensign,  William  Clarke. 
Uniform. — White  blanket  coat  with  band  of  blue,  red  facing*,  blue  breechei,  red 
itripe,  higl  cap, 

ENGINRKR    RIFLK   CORPS. 

Major,  Goorgo  H.  Vincent  Whitmore  (Lieut.  Royal  Eigineers),  commanding 
the  two  companies  and  the  koyal  Aitificers. 
Ist  Company:  Ist  Captain,  Henry  M.  Blailclook;  2nd  Captain,  Francis  AVyatti 

l9t.  Lieutenant,  Charles  Jas.  Ciarke  ;  2nd  Lieutenant,  Fred.  W.  Blaikl^ck. 
nd  Con  pany  :  1st  Captain,  Frederick  Hacker;  2nd  Captain,  John  Phillips:  Ist. 
Lir.Jtonant,  Georgo  Brown;  2nd  Lieutenant,  Edward  J.  .  letciier;  Adjudant 
ill  the  two  companies  and  of  the  Royal  Arti6«ers,  William  Soott. 
niforni. —  While,  hlnnketfroi'k  eo«t,   red  ihordder  itrnpi,  collar  and  cuffi  blue, 
ap  blue,  with  red  band,  breechei  blue  and  red  itripe, 

ring's  rnd  voldktrkrs. 

Captain,  William  Pentland;  Lieut.,  C.  Pentland  ;  Ensign,  J»B.  Farley. 

ROTAt.   QURBKC   VOLU.NTKRK   ARTILLKBT. 

Ist  Company  :  1st  Captain,  William  Burns  Lindsay ;  3nd  Captain,  Oeorge  Des- 
baratR,  (acting  paymaster) ;  1st.  Lieut.,  W.  D.  Dupont  and  H.  II.  Wickstead ; 
2nd  Lieutenant,  McCireger  Pink. 

2nd  Company  :  Ist  Captain,  Edward  H.  Bowon;  2nd  Captain,  John  Blaok;  Ist 
Lieutenant,  Simeon  Le!i£vre  ;  acting  qunrter-m aster,  John  Pantt;  2nd  Lieu> 
tenant,  II.  LeMesurier. 

3rd  Company  :  Is^  Captain,  W.  K.  McCord;  3nd  Captain,  Andrew  Stuart,  lit 
Lieutenant,  Isaac  R.  Eokart;  Acting  Adjudant,  A.  J.  Maxham  ;  2nd  Lieute- 
nant, E.  J.  C^.  Hooper;  Paymaster,  Capt.  £.  Dupont;  Quartei -master,  Jas. 
Motz  ;  Surgeon,  Jas.  A.  Sewell,  M.  D. 
Uniform:  Identical  with  that  of  Boyal  Artillery. 

ROTAL   QUEBKG    VOLCMTEBBa. 

Colonel  James  Bai^d  (60th  Regiment)  commanding  ;  Major,  William  A.  Hale. 
Ist  Company  :  Capt.,  A.  Campbell ;  Lieutenant,  Charles  C.  Sheppard. 
2nd  Company  :  Captain,  J.  Dyde  ;  Lieutenant,  W.  A.  Cuppa,i;e ;  Ensign,  Autoine 

Viinfolscn. 
3rd  Company:  Captain,  W,   Power:  Lieutenant,  Joseph  P.  Bradley;   Ensign' 

Charles  Alleyn. 
4th  Company  :  Captain,  J.  G.  Irvine ;  Lieutenant,  E.  S.  Montitambert ;  Ensign, 

Colin  Bruce. 
5th  Company:    Captain,  T.  W.Lloyd:  Lieutenant, Hanry'Ball ;  Ensign,  Thomas 

A.  Cary. 


To.  4,  Company, 
ind. 


hard  Fraemaa. 
>»</«,  and  green 


larke. 

R«  bretehe*,  red 


),  commanding 

I'ranois  Wyattj 
iV.  Blaikluck. 
a  PhilUps  .•  iBt. 
iier;  Adjudant 
>tt. 
and  eufft  blue, 


arley. 


George  Dei- 
I.  Wiokatead ; 

BUok;  Ist 
let;  3nd  Lieu- 

Stuari,,  lit 
;  2nd  Liente- 
-matter,  Jas. 


tm  A.  Hale. 

d. 

eign, 

Aatoine 

ey; 

Eniign* 

ert; 

Eniign, 

ign, 

Tiiomae 

A  CHRISTMAS   SKETCH. 


259 


0th  or  (1)  Highland  Company,   (Megantic)  ;  Captain,    Arch.  McKillop;  Lieut., 

P.  McKillop ;  Eniign  ;  John  O.  Ciapham. 
7th  Company:  Captain,  J.  P.  O'Meara;  Lieutenant,  J.  H.  Kirby;  Ensign,  Ed. 

a.  Cannon. 
8th  Company,  (Qaeen'i  Peti) ;  Captain,  William  Rayside;  Lieutenant,  A.  C. 
Bucanan;  Eniign,  Walter  Douglai;  Paymaster,  William  Kemble;  Adju- 
dant, Thomas  Hamilton. 
Uniform :  Companiei  No,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  and  7,  2i/uc  looee  coat,  with  red  colUir, 
blue  bruchtt,  higk/ftr  cap  reith  long  ear*. 
Highland  Company  uniform.*  Rob  Roy  Tartan  Treioi,  Scotch  bonnet,  dark' /rock 

CviOt. 

The  8lh  Company  of  Quun'i  Pete  wore  long  blue  pea  Jacleett,  blue  breeches  ;  a  round 
fur  cap  with  long  ear*,  and  red  woollen  eravat  ;  their  armi  were  :  hone  pUtolt,  broad 
eutlaeie*  and  a  carronade. 

qVIBIC  TOLVN'TKEH  CATAtRT. 

Captain:  Darid  Burnet;  Lieutenant  (Judge),  Rob.  H.  Gardner ;  Cornet,  J. 
Bell  ;  sixty  troopers. 

The  writer  of  this  sketch,  though  very  young  at  the  time, 
can  well  recollect  an  episode  of  the  great  insurniclion.  It  look 
place  at  St.  Thomes,  where  resided,  one  of  the  most  energetic 
«  sympathizers  »  of  those  days.  Dr.  (since  Si:  E.  P.  Tache, 
aide-de-camp  to  the  Queen).  Evidently,  in  1837,  Dr.  Tache 
had  not  the  slightest  inkling  that  our  heloved  sovereign  would 
knight  him  and  make  of  him,  one  of  her  aide-de-camp ;  his 
denunciations  of  British  rule,  or  more  pioperly  misrule,  were 
loud  and  deep.  He  and  the  County  Member  Lelourneau,(Iapt.  Tetu 
and  others,  had  been  the  chief  originatois  of  the  enthusiaslic 
fete  champitre^  given  to  the  great  agitator,  Papincan,  solemn- 
ized with  spe(;ches,  cannnon  and  cavalry  at  the  this  de  Boulogne, 
at  St.  Thomas,  on  Saint  Jean  Bapliste  day,  1837.  Thnii;.'li  an 
ardent  patriot,  Dr.  Tache,  the  respected  village  physician,  was 
one  of  the  warmest  personal  friends  of  an  iiiieompromising  itld 
Loyalist,  a  near  and  dear  ndalive  of  mine,  Hk;  Inlo  Daniel 
McPherson,  J.  P.,  of  St.  Thomas.  Each  day  the  eloquent 
uoctor  stepped  over  lotreal  professionally  or  to  enliven  his  octo- 
genarian friend,  Mr.  McPherson,  wilh  items  of  news.  My  youth- 
ful fancy  had  never  yet  witnessed  the  spectacle  of  the  butiiing 
eloquence  and  patriotic  ardor  with  which  Dr.  Tache,  nanaled 
the  heroic  death  of  youngDr.Chenier,  at  St.  Eustaehc.  who  he 
said  had  died  «  comme  un  heros  digne  de  la  Grece  antique.  » 

(1)  This  fine  company,  b*d  boen,  we  believe,  mainly  raised  through  the  instru- 
vie«talitiy  of  the  County  momber,  J.  U.  (,'lapham^. 


260 


THE   QUEBEC   VOLUWTEBBS. 


One  of  llie  commanders  of  the  Volimteers,  Caplain  John 
Sewoll,  had  been  commissioned  to  lakesleps  to  walchoverllie 
safety  of  the  (1)  42nd  Regt.,  broughi  from  Halifax  to  Quebec, 
in  the  depth  of  winter ;  the  numbed  Britishers  were  packed 
two  by  two,  with  a  driver  in  front,  in  little  low  sledges  ;  the 
temperature  was  very  severe.  They  halted  at  St.  Thomas  for 
their  dinner,  and  our  house  being  considered  a  peculiary  loyal 
one,  a  bevy  of  stalwart  sergeants,  its  inmates,  anxious  to  get  as 
close  to  the  (ire  as  possible,  sat  me,  yoringster  as  I  was,  on 
their  knee,  scaring  me  with  their  dreadful  threats  as  to  what 

they  would  do  to  the  «b dy  rebels.  »  whilst  some  of  their 

officers  in  the  parlor  were  bountifully  provided  with  bread, 
cheese  and  porter  by  the  kind  old  Scotchman,  their  host. 

Neither  sliiill  I  forget  how  easy  it  would  have  been,  had  there 
been  any  wRebsw  abroad,  to  secrete  themselves  in  the  narrow, 
woody  defdes  of  Cap  St.  Ignace,  where  there  wasa  savane  Ihree 
miles  long,  and  shoot  down  the  helpless  and  frost  bitten  soldiers, 
who  would  have  been  struck  i)y  the  bullets  before  seeing theen- 
emy.  But  there  was  no  intention  to  rise;  nothing  existed  beyond 
a  patriotic  fervor,  either  in  the  breast  of  Dr.  Tache  or  any  one 
else.  The  Doctor  however  was  subjected, toamostuupleasani  do- 
miciliary visit, — a  search  for  firearms  and  a  cannon?  supposed 
to  be  hidden  underhis  winter  supply  of  potatoes,  in  the  cellar  of 
his  capacious  dwelling.  The  police  did  find  a  pair  of  duelling  pis- 
tols,— for  in  those  days,  the  doctor  was  not  a  man  to  be  withou-t 
this  very  indispensible  article  of  agentlenan's  wardrobe, — and 
a  small  camion  ;  but  this  «  Mons.  Megg  »  (2)  was  only  six  in- 
ches in  length  and  belonged,  it  was  satisfactorily  established, 

(1)  "This  regiment  had  received  a  few  hours' notice  to  start  for  Canada;  and,  in 
winter  vehicles,  proceeded  to  their  destination,  the  first  division  crossing  at  Point 
Levi  on  the  28tli  December.  It  was  an  interesting  sight  to  witness  the  longstrii  g 
of  fli.riole*  iia  thoy  came  over  the  hiU  of  the  opposite  ^ide  of  the  River  St.  Law- 
rence ;  and  thtm  the  crossing  over,  amidst  the  floating  ice,  in  wooden  canoes,  with 
tlag.«  gaily  flying  at  the  stern — the  landing  at  Quebec — the  weary  and  weather- 
buatfn  soldiers  as  fhey  quietly  fell  into  the  ranks,  and  answered  to  the  roll-call, 
marching  with  military  precision  up  Mountain  hill  to  their  quarters  for  a  brief 
rest,  preparatory  to  proceeding  to  the  seat  of  war."  (J.  V.  Pierce.) 

I  2)  The  iSt.  ThomaK  ])iece  of  ordnance  had  not,  lil<e  its  prototy|)e  of  Edinbro' 
in  174,'),  sung  by  Scott,  the  honor  of  removal  by  the  Government  to  the  Tower  of 
111  iiui,n  or  Citadel  of  Quebec.  This  was  probably  owing  to  the  circumstance  that 
it^did  not  "  crack  "  like  the  Big  ijoctoh  gun.—"  ijeout  mous  uieggA  orack»f««t." 


A  CHRISTMAS  SKETCH. 


261 


iplain  John 
Ich  over  Ibe 
to  Quoboc, 
are  packed 
ledges ;  the 
Thomas  for 
uliary  loyal 
us  to  get  as 
I  was,  on 
as  to  what 
me  of  their 
vith  bread, 
r  host. 
I,  had  there 
the  narrow, 
avane  three 
en  soldiers, 
leingtheen- 
>ted  beyond 
or  any  one 
leasaiildo- 
I?  supposed 
he  cellar  of 
elling  pis- 
be  wilhoU't 
be, — and 
ily  six  iii- 
lablished, 

lada ;  and,  in 
bing  at  Point 
pu  iongstrii  ^ 
irer  St.  Law- 
I  canoes,  with 
Ind  weather- 
Llie  rull-call, 
Is  for  a  brief 

of  Edinbro' 
Ihe  Tower  of 
listanoe  that 
Irackaivot." 


to  the  Dr's.  juvenile  son — the  present  worthy  Assistant  Com- 
missioner of  Crown  Lands.  Alas  I  Bob  Symes  and  you,  loyal 
Thomas  Ainslie  Youn;,%  you  were  at  fault  here  ! 

A  Rifleman  of  1837  (J.  V.  Pierce)  thus  describes  the 
Volunteers  : 

«  The  regular  troops  stationed  at  this  garrison  consisted  of  a 
few  regiments  of  the  line,  among  whom  the  gallant  32nd.  They 
were  immediately  ordered  to  proceed  to  that  portion  of  Lower 
Canada  where  hostilities  had  alnsady  commenced,  leaving  the 
strong  fortress  of  Quebec  in  charge  and  to  thedefence  of  a  volun- 
teer force.  The  militia  organization  was,  as  might  be  expected 
at  that  time,  very  incomplete  and  iniifficienl ;  the  roll  on  paper 
certainly  looked  very  formidable  with  a  long  array  of  co- 
lonels, majors,  captains,  lieutenants  and  ensigns,  but  their 
knowledge  of  military  discipline,  tactics  and  drill,  were 
thoroughly  imperfect  and  useless.  No  training  or  muster  of 
militia  had  taken  place  for  several  years,  many  of  the  men 
having  never  handled  a  musket. 

When  it  was  decided  to  withdraw  the  troops  from  the  garri- 
son, the  old  country  poilion  of  the  community  were  eniolled 
into  companies,  and  quite  a  martial  spirit  prevailed.  The  first 
paid  corps  raised,  consisted  of  laborers,  mechanics  and  trades- 
men, chiefly  Irish,  and  were  called  the 

PORK-EATEBS, 

forming  a  regiment  of  about  000  strong;  able,  resolute  fellows, 
who,  on  being  eqiiip|)ed,  at  first  presented  a  motley,  awk- 
ward squad.  After  a  period  of  thorough  drilling  by  the  non- 
commissioned officers  of  the  rciruiars,  and  snbjeclion  to  strict 
military  discipline,  they  became  efficient,  and,  before  many 
months  (dapsed,  presented  a  very  soldier-like  appearance 
going  through  their  evolutions  almost  as  well  as  the  regul'^rs, 
and,  had  occasion  required,  would  have  proved  a  formidable 
body  tor  an  enemy  to  encounter.  Coloin'l  Irvine  had  command 
of  this  regiment ;  Coloiud  Hope,  of  the  Grenadier  (iiiaids. 
was  the  Commander-in-Chic^f  of  the  uarrisin.  A  fine  cavalry 
corps  of  well-mounted  and  active  young  volunteers,  under 
Major  Burnet,  also  served  during  this  peiiod. 


262 


THE   QUEBEC   VOLUNTEERS. 


The  next  corps  was  a  unique  body  of  men  called  (he 

queen's  pets, 

comprising  the  seamen  and  seafaring  men  who  happened  lo  be  in 
the  port  of  Qnobec,  and  were  enrolled  under  the  command  of  Cap- 
tain Rayside,  a  veteran  naval  officer,  well  known  as  one  of  the 
captains,  of  the  Montreal  and  Quebec  steamers,  and  afterwards 
as  harbor- master  of  the  port.  Their  uniform  consisted  of  blue 
pea-jackets  and  trowsers,  equipped  with  pistols,  cutlasses,  and 
a  small  carronade.  Had  they  been  called  into  action,  either 
for  land  or  water  warfare,  they  would  have  proved  a  determined, 
brave  and  useful  means  of  defence.  Their  services  were  fre- 
quently brought  into  requisition  ;  hunting  up  concealed  arms, 
amunition  and  disaffected  parties,  accompanied  by  Robert 
Symes,  an  active  and  zealous  magistrate.  The  Queen's  Pets 
became,  for  a  long  time,  quite  a  household  word. 
The  next  arm  of  defence  was  composed  of 

the  volunteer  artillery, 

a  fine  set  of  men,  officered  like  the  infantry  by  young 
merchants  and  professional  men,  who,  after  being  instructed 
by  the  regulars,  acquired  groat  proficiency,  particularly  in  the 
art  of  gunnery,  and  handled  the  canon  around  the  battlement 
walls  in  a  most  creditable  manner,  forming  an  important 
branch  of  the  service  for  garrison  duty. 

citizen  volunteers. 

This  corps  was  made  up  of  Nos  I ,  t,  3,  4  and  5  companies ; 
they  were  unpaid  soldiers,  furnishing  their  own  uniforms — a 
blanket  frock-coat,  with  caps  and  leggins  of  the  same  material, 
with  red,  blue,  green  and  yellow  facings.  Each  company  was 
dislinguished  by  some  peculiar  cognomen,  one  of  which  was 
famous  as  the  faugh-a-Ballaghs.  iNo  3  Rifles  was  considered 
a  crack  corps  of  youn^'  merchants  and  clerks,  of  which  the 
wriler(Mi'.  Pierce)  wasafidlprivale.  This  company  wasofficered 
by  Captain,  now  Hon.  John  Young ;  Henry  J.  Noad,  Lieutenant ; 
and  William  Paterson,  Ensign.  They  acquired  great  proficien- 
cy in  drill,  especially  that  pertaining  to  i  ifie  movements  and 
skirmishing.    The  members  of  this  company  now  living  (alas ! 


A  CttRtSTMAS  SKETCH. 


263 


dthe 

med  lo  be  in 
nandofCap- 
s  one  of  the 
I  afterwards 
stcd  of  blue 
[lasses,  and 
lion,  either 
lelermined, 
!s  were  fre- 
^aled  arms, 
by  Robert 
leen's  Pets 


by  young 
instructed 
arly  in  the 
battlement 
important 


^mpanies ; 
iforms — a 

material, 
ipany  was 

liich  was 
on-iden.'d 
vhich  the 
5  officered 

iitenanl ; 
jrofi'jien- 
ents  and 

ug  (alas ! 


how  few !)  still  entertain  a  pleasant  regard  and  happy  remem- 
brance of  their  gentlemanly  and  eflicient  iiislruclor,  Mr.,  now 
Colonel  Wiley. 

THE   POT-BELLIES 

SVerc  composed  of  Lower-town  merchants  of  the  elder  class, 
who  turned  out  manfully  on  this  occasion,  and  subjected  them- 
selves to  the  drill  and  discipline  of  a  soldier's  life  with  becom- 
ing alacrity  and  good-will.  It  was  cheering  lo  witness  their 
portly  figures  as  they  marched  up  to  the  Citadel  armory,  and 
received  their  accoutrements  of  black  leather  belts  and  car- 
touch  box,  with  20  rounds  of  ball  cartridge,  and  a  flint  lock 
«  Brown-bess. »  And  oh  !  the  drilling !  «  Maik  time  » — «  Form 
fours  » — M  Eyes  right » — «  Left  » — «  Front  » — «  Dress  » — 
such  puffing  and  blowing  excited  many  a  good-humored  joke 
and  smile  as  they  moved  about  their  heavy  corporations  at  the 
word  of  command.  The  unpaid  volunteius  were  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  John  Sewell. 

GARRISON    DUTIES. 

To  garrison  the  fortress  of  Quebec  would  require  a  force  of 
several  thousand  soldiers.  Those  who  have  visited  the  Citadel 
and  traversed  the  walls  of  battlements,  and  entered  through 
the  ponderous  gates,  can  form  some  idea  of  the  vigilance  re- 
quired to  guard  the  several  points  around  the  city.  But  the 
present  mode  of  warftire  has  completely  changed  the  style  of 
fortifications  of  forcner  days,  the  strong  forts  on  the  heights  of 
Point  Levi,  now  (1809)  nearly  completed,  being  considered  as 
a  more  efficient  means  of  defence. 

THE   GUARD    ROOM 

to  the  soldier  is  a  place  replete  with  many  an  interesting  re- 
miniscence, and  proves  a  most  wel<;ume  resoit  to  the  weary 
sentry,  after  walking  for  hours  his  lonely  round.  Here  it  was 
that  we  ussemHed  lo  receive  the  orders  of  the  day,  and  lo  be 
told  off  to  our  several  duties,  some  to  the  Citadel,  some  to  the 
gates,  and  other  parts  of  the  garrison.  Those  who  have  passed 
fo  and  fro  as  sentry  in  the  Citadel  in  winter,  when  the  thermo- 
meter trt'irks  32  degrees  below  zero,  can  call  to  mind  the  soli- 


264 


THE  QU£BE<:    VOLINTBERS. 


tary  hours  before  being  relieved — the  officer  of  the  day  com- 
ing slealthily  along — I  he  challenge  :  «  Who  goes  Ihere  ?  » 
«  Rounds.  »  «  What  rounds  ?  »  «  Grand  rounds,  n  «  Stand, 
grand  roundoand  give  the  countersign.  »  «  Pass,  grand  rounds,  m 
«  All  right !  »  To  relieve  the  monotony  of  our  duties,  our  com- 
panions in  arms  would  gather  round  and  discuss  the  topics  of 
the  day,  or  some  subject  would  come  up  for  interesting  and 
animated  debate  :  song  and  storytelling  continuing  far  into  the 
night,  till,  becoming  weary,  we  turn  in,  on  the  soft  side  of  the 
planks  of  our  bunks,  and  sink  into  a  profound  slumber,  till 
aroused  by  the  beating  of  the  reveille. 

INCIDENTS. 

Business  was  generally  suspended,  and  rumors  of  various 
kinds  were  rife  concerning  the  Patriots,  both  in  Upper  and 
Lower  Canada,  which  kept  all  on  the  c^ni  v»r«  for  the  la!est  in- 
telligence. No  lightning  then  flashed  the  news  over  the  telej^raph 
wires  every  minute,  as  if  the  events  occuring  thousands  of 
miles  away  were  within  sight  and  hearing  distance  ;  no  rail- 
way to  transport  troops  in  a  lew  hours  to  the  remolosl  scene 
of  action.))     There  was  no  lack  of  jollity  (!)  hoW'  ver. 

Dinners  wen*  the  orderof  the  day.  On  th(i  2 1  st  Februai  y.  1 838, 
the  0M«*«c(ra3«ffe,  describes  a  grand  entertainment  at  Schluep's 
Globe  Hotel,  St.  Louis  street.     The  officers  of  the   Quebec 


(1)  St.  Andrew's  Dinxkb— Nov.  1837.  " 

Tha  Quebec  Gazette  of  lit.  Beo.,  1837,  sot8  aside  a  corner  of  its  fyle,  amidst 
the  general  "  clang  of  arms  and  wars,  and  ruiuurs  of  war,  "  wiiicb  enlivened  the 
streets  of  old  Quebec  on  the  1st  Dec  ,  1837,  to  luako  mention  of  a  jolly  St. 
Andrew's  Dinner,  under  the  Preiidency  of  the  eloquent  late  Andrew  Stuart  and 
Hon.  F.  W.  Primrose,  Vice-President.  "  Among  the  songs  which  enlivened  the 
hilarity  of  the  evening,  after  the  regular  toast?,  was  the  following  which  was 
sung  by  Mr.  Campbell,  Notary,  (the  late  Archibald  Campbell),  and  received 
with  universal  applause,  and  encored.  " 

ORIGINAL   .SONG, 

At  lung  by  Archibald  Campbell,  Esq.,  at  St,  Andrew'*  Dinner, 
AiB  :  "  Scott  loha  Hat.  " 


Men  of  Sootia's  blood  or  land, 
No  longer  let  u«  idly  stand, 
Our  "  origin  "  while  traitors  brand 
A«  "  foreign  "  here. 


We  scorn  to  wear  a  coward  mask  : 
And  when  the  yell'  w  Gaul  shall  ask 
Our  claim,  t'will  be  a  welcome  task 
To  bid  him  li'ar. 


A  CUUISTMAS   SRETOII. 


265 


(lay  com- 
Ihen;  ?  » 
»  « Stand, 
Jrounds4» 
f  our  com- 
e  topics  of 
ssting  and 
ar  into  the 
?i(ie  of  the 
iinber,  till 


)f  various 
Ipper  and 
!  latest  in- 
tele^rapli 
usaiids  of 
;  no  rail- 
esl  scene 
r. 

ryJ838, 
Schliiep's 
Quebec 


yle,  amidst 
livened  the 
ft  jolly  St. 
Stuart  and 
ivened  the 
w  hi  oil  wa» 
d  reoeived 


ik: 
all  ask 
task 


Light  Infantry,  presided  by  I  lie  Commander  of  the  Corps, 
Major  (now  Lt. -Col.)  John Sewell :  several  di^liiiguished  guests 
attend(?d. 

On  the  Isl March,  it  was  the  turn  of  th;!  Quebec  Royal  Volun- 
teers to  meet  convivialiy  at  the  fashionable  hotel  of  the  day, 
The  Globe,  St.  Louis  street.  Major  Wm.  Hale  presided.  Loyal 
toasts  were  drank  to  the  Queen  ;  Sir  John  Colborne — Col. 
Vt'ethorall  ami  Ihe  heroes  of  St.  Charles—the  guests  of  the 
t;v(!ning — Cols.  Baird  of  6Glh~Col.  Grierson  loth. — Capt. 
McKillop — Major  Ruxton  34lh.  Lt.  Col.  John  Sewell,  Major 
Temple,  Capl.  (Hon.)  John  Young,  Lt.  A.J  Maxhani,  Euirign  Chs. 
Allcyn,  Capl.  Thos.  W.  Lloyd,  Lieut.  E.  S.  Monlizamberl,  Dr. 
Jas.  A,  Sewell,  Quarler  Master  Jns.  Mntz,  H.  IL  Wicksteiul, 
Capt.  (Judge)  Andrew  Stuart,  Ensign  Rich.  Freeman,  Ensign 
(Lt.  Col.)  Wiley  and  a  few  others  still  survive  to  tell  of  the  jolly 
times,  &c. 

The  line  band  of  the  66th.  Regt.  att(!nded. 


"  On  the  crest  of  Abram's  heights, 

"  Victorious  in  a  thousand  fights, 

"  The  Scottish  broad-sword   won   our 

[rights 
"  Wi'  fatal  sweep. 

"  By  gallant  hearts  those  rights,  were 

[giiin'd, 
"  By  gallant  hearts  shall  be  maitain'd, 
E'en  tho'  our  dearest  blood  be  drain'd 
"  Those  rights  to  keep.  " 


Then  when  the  Gaul  shall  ask  again, 
Who  called  us  here  across  the  Main  ? 
Each  Scot  shall  answer,  bold  and  plain, 
"  Wolfe  sent  me  here  1  " 

Be  men  like  those  the  hero  brought. 
With   their  best    blood  tho    land   was 

[bought ; 
And  fighting  as  your  fathers  fought, 
Keep  it  or  die ! 


The  QiEBEC  Curling  Clib— IS.'JS. 

"  The  annual  match  between  the  married  men  and  bachelor?  of  the  Quebec 
Curling  Club  was  played  on  the  Ist  of  March,  tor  "  beef  and  greens,  "  when  tho 
following  was  the  result  of  the  game  : 

Married  men,  17  ;  Bachelors,  31. 

The  following  gentlemen  wore  players  : 

Married  men — .Messrs.  R.  H.  (Jairdner,  William  Patt<iii,  L.  T.  .McPherson,  Wil- 
liam Phillips  and  John  Dyde.  Baclielors — Messrs  .James  (iillospie,  John  P. 
Anderson,  George  Gillespie,  James  Burns  and  Thomas  Hamilton. 

The  dinner  of  "  beef  and  greens  "  with  some  other  good  things,  took  place  on 
Saturday  last,  at  tho  Globe.  Several  guests  wore  invited  to  partake  of  the  hos- 
pitality of  the  Club,  and  the  evening  was  spent  in  a  very  pleasant  manner.  " 


(Quebec  Oaxeiir,  12th  March,  IS.'^S.) 


28 


266 


THE   QUEBEC   VOLUNTEERS. 


ESCAPE   OP   GENEPAL   TIIELLER   AND   COL.    DODGE   FROM 
THE   CITADEL. 

The  sympathy  of  the  people  in  the  United  Slates  with  the 
Patriots  was  very  extensive  ;  and  no  doubt,  in  many  instances, 
really  sincere.  Their  own  struggles  for  freedom  and  indepen- 
dence ever  burning  fresh  in  their  minds,  naturally  leading  them 
to  entertain  perhaps,  exaggerated  notions  and  mistaken  views 
of  the  «  situation  »  of  their  neighbors,  caused  some  prominent 
parlies  to  aid  and  sympathize  with  the  Patriots  ;  men,  arms 
and  money  were  furnished,  to  some  extent  :  but  want  of  con- 
cert, and  the  partial  interference  of  the  United  States  troops, 
frustrated  their  designs  and  operations.  Among  those  who 
look  an  active  part  in  assisting  the  patriots  were  General  Thel- 
ler  and  Col.  Dodge,  both  professional  men,  who  were  taken 
prisoners  on  the  Detroit  frontier,  and  brought  down  to  Quebec, 
and  lodged  in  the  Citadel,  under  sentence  of  transportation. 
By  some  means,  communication  was  kept  up  frequently  during 
their  incarceration  with  French  Canadian  and  Irish  Patriots  in 
the  city.  The  Grenadier  Guards  occupied  the  citadijl  barracks, 
and  the  friends  of  the  prisoners  having  conveyed  to  them  some 
bottles  of  beer  or  porter  strongly  drugged,  the  sentry  was  in- 
duced to  partake  so  freely  that  he  fell  into  a  profound  sleep, 
and  they  walked  quietly  out  of  the  place  of  their  confinement 
to  the  bastion  tower,  on  a  dark  tempestuous  night.  Cutting  off 
the  ropes  of  the  flag-staff,  they  (with  three  others  :  Partridge, 
Parker  and  Culver)  let  themselves  down  on  the  glacis  below  ; 
but,  owing  to  some  mistake  of  preconcerted  plans,  they  found 
themselves  alone,  without  a  guide  or  direction  of  any  kind,  in 
a  strange  city  ;  and  after  wandering  about  for  some  lime,  met 
a  French-!  anadian  on  his  way  to  work,  by  whom  they  were 
taken  to  the  suburbs  of  St.  Roch  for  concealment.  In  the 
mean  time  the  alarm  had  been  given,  and  the  guard  ransacked 
the  city  in  every  direction,  the  gates  of  the  city  being  closed, 
and  every  person  scrutinized  as  they  passed  through  the  wicket ; 
but  the  vigilance  of  the  friends  of  the  Yankees  managed  to 
protect  them  from  discovery.  In  the  meantime,  horses  saddled 
nd  bridled  were  conveyed  by  the  ferry-boat  to  Point  Levi, 


A   CHRISTMAS   SKETCH. 


2«7 


FROM 


es  with  tho 

y  instaiicesi 

lid  indepcn- 

Bading  Ihem 

lak(Mi  viuws 

3  promiiiGiit 

men,  arms 

ant  of  con- 

ites  troops, 

those  who 

neral  Thel- 

were  taken 

to  Quebec, 

jsportation. 

inlly  during 

Patriots  in 

il  l)arraeks, 

them  some 

try  was  in- 

nd  sleep, 

)nrinement 

Cutting  otT 

'arlridge, 

is  below  ; 

ley  found 

ly  kind,  in 

lime,  met 

hey  were 

In  the 

ransacked 

ig  closed, 

le  wicket ; 

anaged  to 

!S  saddled 

)ini  Levi, 


ready  for  their  escape  ;  and  after  remaining  for  sevt^ral  days 
in  concealmeiil  at  Quebec,  they  crossed  over  the  river  in  a 
small  boat,  and  guided  to  the  place  of  rendez-vous,  jumped 
into  the  sadles,  and  riding  with  great  speed,  reached  the  1Init(>d 
Stales  in  safely.  (Parker,  Partridge  and  Culver  were  re-cap- 
tured.) 

AN   ALARM. 

By  a  preconcerted  plan  it  was  arranged  that  should  any  sus- 
picious demonstrations  be  made  by  the  Patriots  during  the 
nighl-time,  the  sentinel  on  duty  was  to  discharge  his  musket, 
two  discharges  of  cannon  would  follow  from  the  Citadel, 
and  one  from  the  artillery  barracks  at  Palace-gale,  being  the 
signal  for  the  troops  to  meet  at  the  rendez-vous  in  front  of  the 
Parliament  buildings. 

Having  retired  to  bed  one  night  at  my  own  dwelling,  with 
ray  accoutrements  and  «  Brown  Bess  »  placed  near  my  b(Ml- 
side,  I  was  aroused  at  early  dawn  by  the  booming  of  cannon  ; 
and,  hastily  donning  my  uniform,  and  taking  my  gun  with  fixed 
bayonet,  proceeded  to  the  appointed  rendez-vous,  where  the 
volunteer  troops  were  assembled  ready  for  action.  Scouts 
having  reiurued  from  a  look-out,  reported  the  cause  of  the 
alarm. » 

All,  however,  w  ire  not,  on  that  memorable  night,  like  our 
friend  the  rifleman  J.  V.  P.,  enjoying  that  «  sweet  restorer, 
balmy  sleep,  »  when  the  ominous  guns  sounded.  Some  were 
most  merrily  «  '-iiiping  the  lighl  fantastic  lot5,»  amidst  floods 

of  light  a         ..auty,  under  the  hospitable  roof  of , 

enjoying  wildly,  « the  ball  of  the  season.)) 

"  There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 

And  Canada's  capital  had  gather'd  then 

Her  beauty  and  her  ohivalry,  and  bright 

The  lamps  shone  o'er  fair  woomen  and  brave  men ; 

A  thousand  hearts  beat  happily;  and  when 

Music  arose  with  its  voluptuous  swell. 

Soft  eyes  look'd  love  to  eyes  which  spake  again, 

And  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell  ; 

But  hush  1  hark  1  a  deep  sound  strikes  like  a  riling  knell  ? 

Did  ye  not  hear  it  7  No;  t'was  but  the  wind 

Or  the  car  rattling  o'er  the  stony  street ; 


268 


THE   gUEBKC    VOLUNTEKRS. 


On  wUb  the  danoe  t  let  Joy  be  unoonflned  ; 

No  tleep  till  morn  when  youth  and  plenBuro  moot. 

To  ohaae  the  glowing  Hours  with  (lying  feet 

But,  hark  I — that  heavy  sound  breatcs  in  once  more, 

As  if  the  clouds  its  echo  would  repeat; 

And  nearer,  clearer,  deadlier  than  before! 

Arm !  arm  I  it  is — it  is — the  cannon's  opening  roar. 

II  was  iiol  quite  u  the  cannon's  oponing  roar»  but  the  pre- 
concorled  three  shots  the  signal  of  i  rising.  The  horizon 
nppenrt'd  all  around  in  a  blaze  of  light.  The  glare  of  the  con- 
flagration seen  from  afar,  proved  to  be  merely  the  blaze  of  a 
large  fire,  lit  at  dawn  of  day  to  singe  a  large  pig — killed  the 
day  before — 'n  the  yard  of  the  Ilotel-Diou,  near  Palace  Gate. 

The  morning  was  hazy,  with  a  light  sp ow  falling,  and  the 
sentinel  had  mistaken  the  reflection  of  the  blaze  for  a  signal  of 
general  rising  of  tht;  Patriots. 

There  were  more  than  one  droll  incident  of  this  bloodless 
campaign. 

During  the  winter  of  1838,  a  leading  merchant  of  St.  Peter 
street,  Henry  Atkinson,  Esquire,  when  not  at  his  beautiful  resi" 
deuce  at  Spencer  Wood,  occasionally  gave  recherche  dinners  to 
his  ...ercanlile  friends,  in  some  very  cosy  rooms  he  owned, 
adjoining  his  office  in  St.  James  street — occupied  now  by  the 
Inland  Revenue  Ofliccs.  Surrounded  by  many  choice  spirits,  he 
had  nearly  got  through  all  the  loyal  toasts  of  the  period,  no  heel 
taps  iheti;  happening  to  look  towards  his  wharf,  he  fancied  he 
saw  a  light,  round  the  bright  pine  deals.  Fearing  incendiarism, 
he  rushed  out  noiselessly,  in  his  dress  coal,  merely  taking  his 
cap,  but  was  promptly-seized,  by  a  Volunteer  sentry,  a  brawny 
Scolcliman  who  spoke  with  many  b-r-r-rs,  and  thrust  him 
unceremoniously  in  his  sentry  box,  despite  his  protestations  of 
loyalty. 

The  night  was  cold  and  the  Laird  of  Spencer  Wood,  besee- 
ched  his  remorseless  custodian,  to  allow  him  to  go  on  parole, 
to  his  office  and  get  his  groat  coal,  else,  he  would  certainly 
ugct  his  death  of  cold  »  but  stern  patriotism  and  love  of  disci- 
pline prevailed. — Mr.  Atkinson  seeing  his  case  hopeless,  pulled 
out  a  valuable  gold  Repealer  and  placing  itin  the  hand  of  the  grim 
Volunteer,  said  «  Keep  this  watch  until  1  return,  wont  this  do  ?  » 


» 


A    «:niUSTMAS   SKKTOII. 


im 


ut  the  prn- 
lie  horizon 
of  the  con- 
I  bhize  of  a 
—killed  I  he 
aince  Gate. 
ig,  and  the 
'  a  signal  of 

is  bloodless 


Qf  SI.  Peter 

auliful  resl- 

e  dinners  to 

he  owned, 

low  by  the 

spirits,  he 

iod,  no  heel 

fancied  he 

endiarism, 

taking  his 

a  brawny 

hnist  him 

lations  of 

od,  besoe- 
)n  parole, 
certainly 
0  ol'disci- 
3ss,  pulled 
jf  the  grim 
thisdo?)) 


«  No,  said  the  nncomiptible  son  of  Mars.  »  Do  yon  want  to  br- 
r-ribe  mo?  and  in  tlic  S(!ntry  box  he  kept  his  prisoner,  until 
released. 

Every  nationality  came  in  for  its  share  of  notice  on  behalf 
of  the  Loyal  Volunteers. 

A  well  remembered  old  country  merchant,  then  a  beardless 
lad,  recently  landed  from  the  land  o'cakes,  had  been  spending 
the  evening,  at  a  friend's  house,  on  the  Remparts.  On  his 
return  he  had  to  p;iss  a  sentry.  Robert  Symes  had  predicted 
an  undoubl;>d  rising  on  that  night.  Sentries  were  ordered  to 
challenge  indiscriminately  friend  or  foe.  The  yo'ith,  uncons- 
cious of  the  general  alarm,  was  merrily  tripping  homeward, 
when  a  stentorian  voice  rang  in  his  car  «  Who  goes  there?)) 
«  A  friend))  was  the  hurried  reply.  « Give  the  countersign)) 
was  the  rejoinder  ;  the  youth  alarmed  had  scarcely  time 
to  gasp  «I  am  Wee  Wullie  Ross,  fra'  Aberdeen, ))  when  Wee 
Wullie,  was  cabined,  cribbed  and  contincd  in  the  guard 
house,  until  morning,  fully  expecting  in  his  alarm,  to  be  mur- 
dered, at  each  change  of  sentry  :  Canada  was  then  such  a 
dreadful  country. 

On  the  night  of  the  Hotel  Dieu  scare,  Mr.  P —  P — ,  a  French 
Canadian  merchant,  whose  dwelling  was  close  to  the  House  of 
Parliament,  the  rende::-vous o{  tlu!  Volunteers,  incase  of  alarm, 
heard  thu  uproar.  Fearing  tha'  in  the  general  melee,  likely 
to  ensue,  his  throat  might  be  cut,  should  he  be  taken  for 
a  Tory,  he  had  only  time  to  rush  to  the  Parliament  House  in 
light  marching  order  as  to  unmentionables,  but  weaiing  a 
portentous  looking,  Rutl'alo  fur  coal,  with  a  double-barrelled 
fowling-piece,  minus  the  ramrod,  protruding  from  beneath  the 
skirts ;  a  sentry  had  been  placed  near  the  door  of  the  R.  C. 
Presbytere  who  hailing  her  Majesty's  portly  subject,  called  on 
him  in  English  «  Give  the  countersign, »  while  Monsieur  res- 
ponded in  most  I'mphatic  French  «  Sacre  countersign  ;  ,le  ne 
le  connais  pas,  jo  snis  loyal  »  When  Her  Majesty's  volunleer 
opening  the  porch  door  of  the  preshylere  said  :  «  Walk  in  thi'n, 
in  my  sentry-box,  »  and  Monsieur  had  to  do  as  he  was  bid. 
though  the  sentry  was  a  well-known  lower  town  merch.uil  and 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

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270 


TBI   QUEBEC   VOLUNTEERS. 


V 


friend  of  his ;  he  was  released,  however,  with  whole  bones,  an 
hour  later. 

Such  were  amidst  undisguised  alarm  some  of  the  humourous 
incidents  of  our  thrilling  Volunteer  days  of  1837- 3S.  Such  the 
Christmas  Sketch  offered  to  the  patrons  of  Maple  Leaves,  on 
this  joyful  Eve,  by  their  old  acquaintance. 

Spencsb  Grange, 
Christmas  Eve,  1872. 


le  bones,  an 

humourous 
i.  Suchlhe 
Leaves,  on 


OUR  NATIONALITY. 

ITS  COMPONENT  PARTS. 


{Written  \S%9.) 


"  We  hare  itrangety  nnited  together  all  the  original  element!  of  the  Brit- 
ish race.  We  have  the  Celt,  with  hii  traditions  of  "  good  Ring  Arthur  "  from 
whom,  through  her  ancient  British  anoeston  Her  Oractoui  ^iajesty  may  elsidi 
descent ;  we  have  the  Saxon  or  Teutonic  element,  and  in  Quebec  we  have  a  race 
that  hare  come  from  Normandy  and  Brittany,  the  one  the  land  of  the  Northerner 
or  Normans,  and  the  other  inhabited  by  a  Celtic  race,  cherishing  the  ancient 
British  traditions  of  King  Arthur  and  his  twelve  oompanioDS.  The  Norman 
French  of  Quebec  may  well  feel  proud  when  they  remember  that  they  can  claim 
what  no  other  portion  of  the  Empire  can  assert— that  they  are  govern  by  a  mo- 
narch of  their  own  race,  who  holds  her  sceptre  as  the  heir  of  Rollo,  the  norman 
•■km-Itiiitr  who  first  led  their  ancestors  forth  from  the  forests  of  the  North  to  the 
-•!»»•,«  of  Normandy.  " — "  The  men  of  the  North  and  their  place  »n  Hietory,"  A 
Lee.  :re  by  .R.  O,  Haliburton,  F.  S.  A. 

Tracing  the  origin  of  the  various  nationalities  who  inhabit 
British  America, — fixing  the  exactepoch, — descr'bing  the  true 
causes  of  their  migration  from  their  European  homes  to 
Western  soil, — determining  the  precise  proportion  in  which 
each  element  enters  into  the  formation  of  (he  composite  popu- 
lation of  the  Dominion, — this,  indeed,  would  be  a  theme  re- 
plete with  interest ;  on  which,  at  some  future  period,  one 
hopes  to  see  the  genius  of  some  of  our  leading  writers  exercise 
itself.  Many  eloquent  pages  would  this  study,  viewed  in  its 
muUifarioiis  phases,  furnish  for  philosophical  investigations. 
Nor  would  it  be  foreign  to  enquire  whether  the  various  types 
of  the  Caucasian  race,  to  be  found  in  the  new  world,  are  really 
undergoing  the  extraordinary  transformation  which  some 
savants  pretend.  GeofTrol  St.  Hilaire,  Edwards,  Smith,  Car- 
penter, certainly  hold  on  these  points  opinions  startling  in  the 
extreme,  and  calculated,  if  founded,  to  make  one  feel  at  times 
quite  nervous  and  uncomfortable.'  M.  A.  Quatrefages,  a  member 
of  the  Institul  de  France,  in  a  remarkab'e  book,  edited  in  Paris 


272 


OIH   NATIONALITY. 


in  1861,  LVnite  del'Esp^ce  Uumaine^  asserts  that  the  airurihis 
continent  produces  in  time  stran;,'e  modi  float  ions  in  the  striio 
tiirc  of  man.  The  human  body,  especially  the  neck,  elongates 
— the  oleagenous  tissues  diminish  ;  the  eye  is  more  sunk  in  its 
orbit,  &c.,  Smith  and  Carpii;iter  are  of  opinion  Ihat  the  Euro- 
pean left  to  himself  on  American  soil,  will  in  process  of  years, 
change  to  the  aboriginal  savage,  so  that  eventually  the  true 
Yankee  will  become  a  full  blooded  Huron,  a  fierce  Mohawk,  or 
a  blubberloving  Esquimaux,  according  to  his  habitat.  Did  we, 
men  of  th(  New  Dominion,  by  reason  of  our  superior  monar- 
chial  institutions  or  better  descent,  cherish  the  fond  delusion 
that  we  might  perchance  escape  this  formidable  though  \LVVk~ 
dual,  process  of  de-ategration.  Abbe  Brasseur  de  Bonrbourg,  a 
high  European  authority,  rudely  dispels  it.  Nay,  his  utterances 
are  so  positive,  that  at  the  very  time  we  imlite  these  lines,  an 
occasional,  a  grave  doubt,  now  and  again,  hovers  over  our 
mind,  list  we  should  already  in  our  tastes,  be  something  of  a 
Huron  or  a  Mohawk.  In  our  dark  moods,  we  take  to  thinking 
our  great  grand-children,  or  their  childrcMi,  may  turn  out  scalp 
hunters.  As  no  hypothesis  is  too  far  fetched  for  a  European 
savant,  doubtless,  erf  long,  we  will  be  told  that  the  exact 
epoch,  when,  it  can  be  pnignoslicated  this  m'^tamorphosis  will 
be  complete,  is  settled  on  undisputable  grounds.  As  Tom 
Hood's  «  Last  man  »  is  expected  to  flourish  in  the  year  2001 , 
would  it  then  be  premature  to  fix  the  year  1970  for  the  time 
when  the  progressive  native  of  the  Empire  Stale,  which  claims 
to  lead  on  all  points — will  take  to  carrying  tomahawks,  first  as 
a  substitute  for  a  black  thorn  or  a  revolver,  and  next  as  his 
natural  weapon  of  attack  ?  It  may  not  be  unreasonable  to  infer 
that,  thirty  years  after,  the  next  generation  will  think  it  dero- 
gatory to  close  up  a  social  gathering  without  the  war-dance  ; 
the  European  press  will,  about  that  time,  probably,  teem  with 
accounts  of  Yankee,  pardon  Indian,  f.'rocity  in  New-York  ;  such 
as  white  men  from  beyond  the  seas,  being  scalped  for  pre- 
suming to  enter,  without  permission,  the  precincts  of  Man- 
hattan for  purposes  of  barter.  Still  how  much  work  yet  to  be 
done  by  enterprising  Jonathan,  ere  this  comes  to  pass  :  the 
conquest  or  annexation  of  England  ;   the  dismemberment  of 


theairofthis 
ill  lliH  slnif- 
ck,  elongatos 
irosiink  inils 
latlhe  Euro- 
;ess  of  years, 
illy  Ihe  true 
!  Mohawk,  or 
lat.  Did  we, 
jrior  inonar- 
ond  delusion 
though  ^'ra- 
Boiirbourg,  a 
lis  ullerances 
ese  lines,  an 
ers  over  our 
melhing  of  a 
e  lo  thinking 
turn  out  scalp 
a  European 
ml  the  exact 
lorphosis  will 
Is.    As  Tom 
c  year  2001 , 
or  the  time 
which  claims 
lawks,  first  as 
next  as  his 
nable  lo  infer 
hink  it  dero- 
war-dance  ; 
y,  teem  with 
v-York ;  such 
ped  for  pre- 
cts  of  Man- 
ork  yet  to  be 
0  pass  r  the 
mbermcnt  of 


ITS  (COMPONENT  PARTS. 


273 


France,  of  Italy,  of  Germany,  &c.,  not  to  mention  a  variety  of 
minor  changes  in  the  map  of  the  globe  !  I  ! 

Yerily,  our  respect  for  savants,  great  though  it  be,  does  not 
permit  us  to  accept  (his  new  theory  of  races,  except  sous  bene- 
fice d'inventaire.  The  old  maxim  is  much  more  to  our  fancy. 

Non  animan,  sed  ooelum  mutant  qui  trans  mare  earrnnt. 

Our  brethren  of  «  Dear  Old  England,  »  as  our  French  Cana- 
dian lender,  Sir  George  E.  Cartier  quaintly  calls  her, — can 
breath  in  peace  for  a  time — a  long  (»ne  possibly,  as  this  dire- 
ful consummation  will  likely  be  coeval  with  the  conquest  of 
England  and  dispersion  of  the  Dritishers  by  the  Maories,  when 
Macaulay's  New  Zealander  will  stand  on  Blackfriars  bridge, 
surveying  complacently  the  ruins  of  London,  and  trying  by 
dint  of  a  native  interpreter  to  decipher  Milton's  Paradise  Lost. 
The  next  transformation  might  be  the  conquest  of  Europe  by 
Cossacks,  who  will  soon  after  cross  over  to  wrest  America  from 
th(!  Mohawks  of  Manhattan  !  !  ! 

But  let  us  revert  to  the  history  of  the  races  of  the  New  Domi- 
nion, as  we  find  them  at  present  and  examine  their  component 
parts.  This  disquisition  brought  to  a  successful  issue,  would 
involve  deep  research  ;  nor  are  we  sure  that  all  the  historical 
dala  required  are  readily  accessible.  Possibly,  an  abler  hand 
than  ours  may  weave  into  one  harmonious  whole,  the  silky  webs 
now  floating  about,  to  many  unnoticed.  May  this  soon  be  ! 
Until  the  task  be  completed,  we  ipay  be  allowed  to  oiTer  a  few 
desultory  thoughts,  which  have  occurred  to  us  in  the  course  of 
our  readings. 

For  the  Province  of  Quebec,  the  chief  fountains  of  such 
ethnological  knowledge  appears  to  us  to  be  : — 1st.  The  census 
tables  under  French  and  English  dominion.  2nd.  The  regis- 
ters of  marriages,  baptisms,  and  burials  of  the  diflercnt 
churches  (and  students  of  history  must  ever  feel  grateful  to  the 
Notes  already  published  on  this  subject  by  the  late  Abbe  Fer- 
land,  and  by  the  Bishop  of  Rimouski,  when  Pastor  of  Beau- 
port).  3rd.  The  biographical  dictionary  of  the  families  who 
emigrated  from  1600  to  1700,  the  fruit  of  the  long  and  patient 
researches  of  the  Abb^  Tanguay,  made  in  Canada  and  in 

29 


274 


OUR  NATIONALITY. 


France  ;  a  work  now  in  press.  Amongst  many  striking 
fealiires,  one  will  be  apparent  to  all, — the  preponderance  of 
the  military  element  in  the  population  of  the  colony.  Very 
diflerent,  indeed,  was  the  status  of  our  early  settlers,  when 
compared  to  that  of  those  who  settled  in  other  French  colonies, 
or  in  some  of  the  English  ones.  Canada  never  had  to  build  up 
her  fortunes  on  the  success  in  after  life  of  ex- convicts,  ex- 
garrolers,  or  ex-ticket-of-leave-men.  Hardy  farmers,  indus- 
trious mechanics,  officers,  soldiers,  adventurous  fishermen 
landed  in  crowds  on  the  shores  of  a  country  reported  to  contain 
something  more  than  fertile  fields ;  yea  mineral  wealth  in 
exhaustless  quantities.  The  ftrst  nobles  of  the  French  realm 
vied  with  one  another  in  finding  men  and  treasure  to  build  up 
this  New  France,  whose  future  so  flattered  the  vanity  of  their 
great  monarch.  High-born  women,  such  as  the  Duchesses  de 
Bouillon,  D'Aiguillon,  and  Madame  de  La  Peltrie,  undertook  to 
providu  virtuous  young  girls  to  go  and  seek  their  fortunes  and 
husbands  in  this  favored  land.  It  is  astonishing  to  see  with 
what  soliicitude  the  morals  of  these  emigrants  were  watched 
over  before  they  left  France,  until  they  landed  in  Canada.  In 
some  cases,  the  slightest  indiscretion  caused  them  to  be  sent 
back  to  were  they  came  from.  This  is  a  very  different  version, 
let  it  be  remembered,  to  that  circulated  by  Baron  Lahontan  ; 
it  is  nevertheless  a  true  one.  (1)  Retired  officers,  manyFrench 
gentlemen  of  ancient  lineage,  but  unable  to  maintain  their 
families  in  the  extravagant  spFendour  which  obtainnd  at  Court, 
asked  for  grants  of  lands  in  Canada.  The  progeny  of  some  of 
those — our  seigneurs — exist  amongst  us  to  this  day.  At  that 
period,  none  but  gentlemen  could  obtain  commissions  in  the 
French  army  ;  it  required  Court  influence  to  procure  these  ap- 
pointments. 


(1)  Father  Le  Jeune  says,  in  the  "  Rdatton  for  1A.36.  "  Maintenant  noua 
voyoDS  tous  les  ans  aborder  bon  nombre  de  tr^s  honorables  personnes,  qui  se  vien> 
nentjetor  dang  nog  grands  bois,  oomme  dans  le  sein  de  la  paix,  pour  rivre  iol 
avec  plus  de  pi^t^,  plus  de  franchise  et  plus  de  libertd." 

The  historian  Ferland  quotes,  as  a  striking  proof  of  the  purity  of  morals  in  the 
colony,  the  fact  gleaned  from  the  register  of  the  R.  C.  Church,  at  Quebec,  that 
outof  674  children  baptized  at  Quebec,  from  1621  to  1661,  ona  only  appears  to 
have  been  illegitimate. 


ITS  COMPONENT  PABTS. 


275 


any  striking 
mderance  of 
olony.    Very 
Itlers,  when 
nch  colonies, 
[1  to  build  lip 
jonvicls,  ex- 
mers,  indus- 
js  fishermen 
(ed  to  contain 
al  wealth  in 
'rench  realm 
e  to  build  up 
mity  of  their 
Duchesses  de 
,  undertook  to 
fortunes  and 
to  see  with 
vere  watched 
1  Canada.    In 
m  to  be  sent 
jreut  version, 
n  Lahontan  ; 
many  French 
laintain   their 
ined  al  Court, 
y  of  some  of 
ay.    At  that 
sions  in  the 
cure  these  ap- 


Maintenant  noui 
>nne8,  qui  le  vien- 
X,  pour  Tivre  loi 

y  of  morals  in  the 
at  Quebec,  that 
only   appeaii  to 


Canada  was  singularly  fortunate,  both  under  French  and 
under  English  rule,  in  the  class  of  settlers  attracted  to  it. 
Under  the  latter,  polUical  persecution  deposited  on  its  shores, 
the  cream  of  the  population  of  other  countries.  The  war  of 
Independence  in  the  New  England  provinces  brought  over  our 
border  crowds  of  the  most  educated,  influential  and  refined 
men  ;  their  descendants  exercice  a  powerful  influence  amongst 
us  to  this  day. 

The  historian  Ferland  has  devoted  the  first  fifteen  pages  of 
the  second  volume  of  his  excellent  work  to  vindicate  his  cotin- 
trymcn  from  the  aspersions  which  some  ignorant  writers,  such 
as  (1)  Lebeau  and  (2)  Lahontan,  had  attempted  to  fasten  on 
them.  The  antecedents  of  the  early  settlers  of  St.  Christo- 
pher, one  of  the  West  Indies,  may  have  been  doubtful  ;  but, 
on  reference  to  history,  nothing  of  the  kind  can  be  imputed  to 
New  France  (3)  From  1621  to  1641,  the  emigration  came 
plenlil'ully  from  Perche,  Normandy,  Ileaiice,  He  de  France, 
Saint  Onge,  Poitou  and  le  Pays  d'Aunis.  The  Ilu::u(?nols  were 
not  encouraged  to  settle,  for  fear  of  religious  strife. 

The  Company  of  Rouen,  and  that  of  M.  de  Monts,  which 
had  preceded  it  were  under  the  control  of  merchants  and 
traders,  who  resided  chiefly  in  Normandy.  It  is,  then,  not 
surprising  that  they  selected  [hew  employes  at  Rouen,  al  Dieppe, 
at  Cherbourg,  at  Fecamp  and  al  Ilonfleur.  These  employes 
became  familiarized  wilh  the  counlry  ;  and  when  England  re- 
turned it  to  France  in  1632,  and  France  appeared  inclined  to 
keep  it,  they  enticed  over  to  Caniida  their  friends  and  relatives, 
who  occasionally  sailed  for  Ameriea  wilh  their  whole  families. 
It  was  from  Dieppe  that  Champlain,  after  his  return  from  Eng- 
land, where  he  had  been  carried  a  prisoner  by  the  English, 
sailed  in  1633,  with  a  parly  of  ol'llcers,  missionaries  and  colon- 
ists. These  pioneers  had  doubtless  been  taken  from  Normandy 
and  the  Pays  de  Caux, 

In  1634,  arrived  Robert  Gifiard,  the  first  seigneur  of  Beau- 

(1)  Aventurei  et  VoyageB  au  Canada— 1727. 

(2)  NouT«auz  voyages  de  M.  le  Baron  Lahontan  dani  I'Am^rique  Septentrio* 
nale. 

(3)  FerlMtd'i  Court  d'Hiitoirc  da  Canada,  Vol.  I,  p.  274. 


276 


Otm  ffATlOlfALITT. 


port,  and  a  great  sportsman,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  children 
and  seven  other  large  families.  They  were  fioon  followed  by 
others  Trom  Perche,  who  took  lands  in  the  Cdle  de  Beattpri 
(Beauport,  Ange-Gardien,  &c.) 

Two  important  ramilies  landed  from  France  in  1636— named 
Le  Gardeur  and  Le  Nouf.  All  the  families  who  arrived  before 
1642  clustered  round  Quebec,  except  some  few  who  removed 
to  Three  Uivers,  to  lake  advantage  of  the  abundance  of  game 
(fish  and  fur)  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lake  St.  Peter. 

The  first  lands  cleared  and  conceded  at  Quebec^  were  the 
Coteau  Sle.  Genevieve  (SI.  John's  subuibs)  the  <^liores  of  the 
river  St  Charles  ;  the  seigneurie  Notre  Dame  dn  Anges,  west 
of  G.  H.  Parke's,  on  the  Charlesbourg  road  ;  the  little  village 
of  Fargy,  at  Beauport :  the  fiefs  St.  Michel  and  Sillery,  near 
Quebec.  Champlain  had  noticed,  long  before  this  date,  the 
beautiful,  natinul  meadows  of  Cape  Tourmenfe.  and  had  placed 
herdsmen  to  look  after  the  cattle  in  the  paslura;ge.  Some  people 
settled  there  in  1633  ;  in  1636,  Governor  Monlmagny  and 
Father  Te  Jeune  found  some  French  families  there,  which  the 
missionaries  visited  several  times  every  year.  Father  Le  Jeune 
— whom  we  may  call  one  of  our  most  demoted  missionaries — 
stales  why  the  place  is  named  Beauprif  «  car  la  prairies  y  sont 
belles  el  grandes  et  hien  unies. » 

After  1640,  the  stream  of  French  emi^nts  increased. 
From  1641  to  1655,  several  inhabitants  of  Brittany  came 
over.  The  registers  of  the  Quebec  Cathedral  $how  a  number 
of  persons  emigrating  from  Paris  ;  many  girls  taken  from  the 
royal  charitable  institutions.  ((Several  of  them, »  says  Revd. 
Mr.  Ferland,  « were  orphans,  whose  parenL«  had  died  poor 
whilst  in  the  King's  service ;  some  were  the  daii|hti&rs  of  French 
army  officers  ;  one,  for  certain,  was  the  child  of  a  former 
Governor  of  Nancy. »  About  1660,  the  children  bom  in  the 
country  began  to  count  in  the  population ;  hot  emigration 
continued,  composed,  as  Mr.  Rameau  (1)  obserres,  «  of  an 
importation  of  French  peasants,  peaceable,  laborioos  and  well 


(I)  FerUnd's  Coura  d'Hiitoir*  da  Cmuu!*,  YoL  JLtf.§,1. 


ITS  COMPOIfINT  PARTS. 


277 


rifef  children 
I  followed  by 
ede  Beaupri 

(S36— named 
irrived  before 
Kho  removed 
ance  of  game 
rler. 

lec,  were  the 
!^bo^es  of  the 
t  AngeSj  west 
ilillle  village 
1  Sillery,  near 
Ibis  date,  the 
nd  had  placed 
,  Some  people 
»nlmagny  and 
^re,  ikhieh  the 
liber  Le  Jeune 
Dii>»ionaries — 
ftrairies  y  $ont 

its  increased. 
kiltany  came 
low  a  number 
ikenfrom  the 
«  says  Hevd. 
lad  died  poor 
lers  of  French 
1  of  a  former 
en  bom  in  the 
at  emigration 
erfes,  «  of  an 
rioQs  and  well 


trained  under  their  feudal  seigneurs  »  (1).  In  1663,  the  famous 
regiment  of  Carignan,  commanded  by  Col.  de  Sallieres  accom- 
panied the  Marquis  of  Tracy.  A  couple  of  centuries  later,  in 
1838,  we  read  of  one  of  the  English  noblesse,  the  magnificent 
Earl  of  Durham,  obtaining  from  his  royal  mistress  the  distin- 
guished favor  of  bringing  out,  as  a  suitable  escort,  her  house- 
hold troops,  the  Coldstream  (iuards ;  but,  beyond  carrying 
away  in  legitimate  wedlock,  some  of  our  city  belles,  we  do  not 
find  the  population  of  Canada  afTecled  by  their  sojourn.  Not  so 
with  the  Carignan  regiment,  four  companies  of  which  were 
disbanded  shortly  after  their  arrival  in  Canada.  This  splendid 
corps  of  warriors,  with  laurels  fresh  from  European  battlefields, 
(2)  seems  to  have  been  victimized  en  masse,  by  the  Quebec 
fair.  Every  Josette  had  a  military  Joe ;  the  officers  made  fierce 
love  to  the  daughters  of  ihe  seigneurs,  of  the  Procureur  du  Rot, 
of  the  eonseillers  du  Conseil  Superieur,  &c.,  &c. ;  whilst  their 
gallant  men  vowed  undying  attachment  to  the  « black-eyed 

(1)  "  Lea  premiers  Canadiena,  semblent  dtre  en  quelque  fa^on,  la  population 
d'un  oanton  frangais  transplants  en  Am6rique  ;  le  fends  dominant  fut  toujour! 
une  importation  de  paysans  fran^ais,  paisiblea,  laborieux,  rSguIidrement  organi- 
§6»  80U8  leuia  aeigneura,  avec  I'aide  et  I'encoaragement  do  gouvemement. " 

Lea  campagnea  canadiennea  ont  toute  la  ruatioitS  de  nos  payaana,  moina  la  bru- 
talitd  de  leur  mat6rialiame (A.  Rameau,— Revue  Canadienne,  p.  287 — 1873.) 

It  aeema  atranges  that,  in  our  day,  one  should  still  have  to  reply  to  such  unmi- 
tigated nonaenae  aa  to  the  vigour  of  the  French  Canadiana,  aa  haa  been  more 
than  ouce  written  of  late  yeara,  by  intelligent  Europeans.  The  fecondity  of  the 
race  aurpaaaea  all  bounds.  If  we  had  not  the  atanding  fact,  that  the  French 
Canadian  race,  from  06,000  at  the  time  of  the  conqneat,  has  developped  itaelf  into 
nearly  one  million  and  a  half,  and  that,  by  shear  inhuront  vitality,  aa  it  haa  had 
until  1870,  acaroely  any  accession  whatever  from  Franco  by  emigration,  the  convic- 
tion would  be  thruatonua  more  than  once  by  incidents  in  the  surrounding  parishes. 
A  public  journal  in  April  last,  called  attention  to  the  celebration  of  no  less  than 
fourteen  golden  weddings  at  L'Assomption,  at  once ;  a  peasant  round  Quebec, 
had  his  thirtieth  child  christened  only  a  few  days  since,  and  twenty-six  living 
brothera  and  aistera  following  the  procession.  Families  of  twenty  children  are  not 
uncommon  in  the  parishes.  French  olement  in  Dominion  by  last  census  ia  1,082,040. 

The  T£tu,  of  Montmagny,  at  a  family  gathering,  recently  sat  down  to  table 
eighteen  grown  up  aona  and  daughtera,  to  celebrate  the  golden  wedding  of  their 
reapected  parenta.  The  Premier  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Honorable  Oedeon 
Ouimet  ia  the  twenty-aixth  ohild  in  hia  family.  How  doea  thia  look  compared  to 
New  York  familiea— where  barrenneaa  aeema  to  be  the  leading  feature  ?  Ih«  duty 
of  peopling  the  Northern  Statea,  aome  aay,  now  devolves  on  English,  Irish,  QermMi 
and  French  mothers. 

(2)  The  battle  of  St.  Gothard,  in  Hunguy,  Ac. 


i7b 


Ulii   NATIONALITY. 


Susans »  of  their  own  class.  The  natiirui  resull,  a  not  uticom- 
moil  one,  wa^,  that  ere  many  seasons  were  over,  the  curi 
and  his  vicairen  were  kept  busy  as  could  be,  christening  the 
numerous  young  Carignans,  whom  the  next  census  would 
claim.  (1)  The  sons  of  Mars  spread  over  the  country  :  some 
became  the  sires  of  most  patriarchal  families,  and  rose  to  be 
Governors — witness  Daron  Saint  Caslin,  in  Acadia ;  others 
obtainedgrantsof  soigiiorics.  and  built  torts  at  Ste.  Theresa, 
at  Chanibly,  at  Sorel, — such,  Col.  de  Sallieres,  Captains  de 
Chambly  and  de  Sorel.  Capt.  Du  Ciue  married  mademoiselle 
Moyen,  of  Goose  Island,  (county  of  Monlmagiiy,)  whose  sea- 
girl  home  had  been  burned  and  relatives  tortured  by  the  Iro- 
quois in  1653;  whilst  others,  either  returned  to  France,  or 
made  love-matches  or  marriages  de  convenance  with  Canadian 
hein;sses,  viz. :  Capts.  Saint  Ours,  De  Uerthier,  DeContrecceur, 
La  Yaltrie,  De  Meloises,  Tarieu  De  la  Perade,  De  la  Fouille, 
Maximin,  Lohiau,  Petit,  Rougemoni,  Traversy,  De  la  Molte, 
La  Combe,  De  Vercheres,  &c.  Several  of  the  domains  owned 
by  these  military  swells  arc  yel  in  the  possession  of  their  des- 
cendants. 

To  trace  step  by  step  the  career  of  the  issue  of  Ihc^se 
stalwart  colonists,  would  lake  ns  much  furlherlhan  the  limits 
of  these  historical  jottings  will  permit.  A  compendious  work, 
of  Slime  six  hundred  pages,  by  Abbe  Daniel,  a  French  eccle- 


(l)  *'  The  beneficial  manner  in  which  this  infusion  of  superior  blood,  operated 
on  the  education  and  domestic  manners  uf  the  colonists,  previously  devoted  to  the 
humblest  occupations  of  trade,  may  be  easily  imagined.  Liberal  tastes  were  en- 
oourngcd,  sentiments  of  honor  and  generosity  pervaded  the  highest  rank  in  society, 
the  infliienco  of  which  was  speedily  felt  through  every  class  of  the  inhabitants. 

".Measures  were  adopted  to  infuse  a  more  liberal  spirit  in  the  colony,  to  raise 
the  4unlity  and  character  of  the  settlors,  and  to  give  a  higher  tone  to  society. 
The  King  (Louis  XIV)  took  a  most  judicious  method  to  accomplish  this.  lie 
resolved  to  confer  upon  tho  Oovernment  a  degree  of  comparative  splendor,  worthy 
of  the  groat  nation  of  which  it  was  a  dependency.  In  1604,  he  sent  out  to  Quebec 
the  most  brilliant  emigration  that  had  ever  sailed  from  France  for  the  New  World. 
It  consisted  of  a  Viceroy,  a  Qovernor- General,  an  latendant  and  other  necessary 
officers  of  the  civil  Ouvernment,  the  regiment  de  Carignan,  commanded  by  Colo« 
nel  do  Salliires,  end  officered  by  sixty  or  seventy  French  gentleman,  mostof  whom 
were  connected  with  the  no6/e««e.  Many  of  these  gentlemen  lottled  in  the  Pro- 
vince, and,  having  obtained  conoeisioni  of  the  waste  lands,  beoame  the  Mo6/e*M 
of  the  colony,  and  wore  the  ancestors  of  the  be^t  French  ftmiliei  of  the  present 
i%y."—Ha\rkin*'  Netr  llittorieal  Pictur*  of  Qutbec. 


tT8  COMPONENT    l',VRT8. 


iV,) 


a  not  uiicom- 
ver,  Ihe  euri 
hrislcning  the 
census  vroiihl 
miilry:  some 
nd  rose  to  bo 
ladia ;  others 
Stft.  Therese, 
,  Captuins  de 
mademoiselle 
(T,)  whose  J^ea- 
ed  by  the  Iro- 
lo  France,  or 
jvith  Canadian 
)eContrec(£tir, 
De  la  Fouille, 
De  la  Molte, 
omains  owned 
u  of  their  des- 

»suo  of  those 
lan  the  limits 
endious  work, 
Kiench  eccle- 

or  blood,  operated 
ii8ly  deroted  to  the 
ral  tastes  were  en- 
est  rank  in  society, 
the  inhabitants, 
he  colony,  to  raise 
)r  tone  to  society, 
omplish  this.  He 
e  splendor,  worthy 
sent  out  to  Quebec 
for  the  New  World, 
nd  other  necessary 
■nmanded  by  Colo- 
ttnen,  most  of  whom 
lettled  in  the  Pro- 
■oame  the  nobltt** 
iei  of  the  present 


siaslic  of  the  Siilpician  Seminary  of  Montreal,  contains  a  mass 
of  malerial,  on  these  families  which,  some  day  or  other,  may 
be  wrought  into  shape.  (1) 

Fathers  Le  Clercq  and  Charlevoix  testify  in  glowing  terms  to 
Ihe  morality,  frugality,  bodily  slrenth,  and  courage  of  the  first 
settlers. 

«As  to  bravery,))  adds  M.  Aubert,  (2)  «even,  if  as  French- 
men, it  was  not  theirs  by  birthright,  themoileof  dealingwhich 
in  warfare  they  have  to  employ  towards  the  Iroquois  and  other 
savages,  who  generally  roast  alive  their  prisoners,  with  incre- 
dible tortures,  compels  th(>  Freiioli  to  look  on  death,  in  battle, 
as  prel'eiable  to  being  capluieil  alive  ;  they,  therefore,  fij,'hl 
like  desptM'ate  men,  and  with  very  great  indifference  to  life.)) 

That  our  French  ancestors  were  brave,  hardy,  devoted  to 
their  adopted  country,  and  moral  in  thitir  conduct,  history 
abundantly  proves ;  that  they  considered  themselves  of  goodly 
slock  and  ancient  descent,  seems  beyond  a  doubt;  that  their 
proud  monarch,  Louis  XIV.,  thought  the  same,  abundantly 
appears,  by  his  own  assertion,  that  «  New  France  contained 
more  of  the  best  blood  of  Old  France  than  all  the  other  numer- 
ous French  colonies  of  the  day  put  together.)) 

No  less  strenuous  efforts  were  then  being  made  as  well,  in 
the  neighboring  English  colonies,  to  obtain  colonists  and  colonis- 
ing malerial  .History  tells  how  matters  were  managed,  a  little 
south  of  Quebec.  In  1620,  piociiring  a  «  colonial »  wife  in  Vir- 
ginia, was  attended  with  some  cost.  Ninety  « slips  of  woman 
kind»  to  use  the  words  of  «good  M-  Oldbuck,))  all  u  young 
and  respectable))  delivered  at  Jamestown,  were  worth  each 
100  lbs.  tobacco  at  3s.  perlhs.=toS60.  Later  on  however, 
first  class  articles  being  scarce,  a  «  young  and  respectable  )) 
En Jilish  lassie  was  quoted  at  150  lbs.  tabacco, — tobacco  was 
then  the  current  coin  in  the  colony.  (3) 

(1)  Histoire  des  Prinoipales  Families  Franfaises  da  Canada.  Montreal:  Eusibo 
.S^ndcal;  18«3. 

(2)  M6moire  par  M.  Aabert. 

(3)  Un  deii  moyens  adopt^s  pour  augraenter  la  population  (de  la  Virginie)  fftt 
d'y  envoyer  une  eargaison  de  fliles,  jeunes  et  honnltes,  destindes  4  6pouser  das 
planteurs  ;  elles  furent  d^barqu^es  4  Jamestown  au  nombre  de  quatre-vingt-diz. 
La  eoropagnie  fixa  le  priz  de  ohaeune  k  cent  liTres  de  tabao ;  or  le  tabac  qui 


280 


OUR  NATIONALITY. 


We  regret  that  this  portion  of  our  subject  should  come  to  a 
close  ^ivithout  having  an  opportunity  or  referring  to  the  census 
tablos  kept  under  French  rule  in  Canada,  and  which  are  now 
to  bo  found  in  the  ParliamiMitary  Library,  at  Ottawa. 

The  arbitrary  and  inhuman  dispersion  of  the  peaceable  Aca- 
dians,  by  the  English,  in  Cape  Breton  in  1755,  brought  over 
to  the  colony  number  of  refugees,  whose  descendants,  to  this 
day,  flourish  in  every  corner  of  Canada :  A  Hard's,  Landry's,  Cor- 
mier's, Dugas,  LeBlanc's,  Arseneaux,  Boudreault's.TlieMagda- 
Icine  Islands  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  some  western 
counties  of  this  Province,  found  in  them  industrious,  athletic 
colonists,  just  as  friendly  to  there  English  masters  as  might  be 
expected.  One  county  «  Acadie, »  was  called  after  them.  Mr. 
Dugas,  a  member  of  our  Legislative  Assembly,  is  of  Acadian 
descent.  His  foie-falhers  were  transported  to  Boston  ;  their 
children  were  adopted  by  some  austere  Protestant  family, 
whoso  language  and  creed  became  their  own :  the  third  or 
faurth  generation  having  emigrated  to  Canada,  the  head  married 
an  Irish  R.  C.  wife :  their  descendants  are  now  R.  C,  their 
language,  French. 

The  proscribed  race,  from  30,000  souls  at  the  time  of  its 
dispersion,  has  grown  to  about  110,000  disseminated  all  over 
Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  Cape  Breton,  Prince  Edward 
Island,  New  Foundland,  Labrador.  New  Brunswick  is  however 
its  chief  location,  where  it  is  of  count,  m  the  political  arena. 

In  the  first  portion  of  this  sketch,  it  was  staled  that  the  mili- 
tary element  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the  component 
parts  of  our  nationality.  Let  us  then,  at  one  bound,  overleap 
a  century,  and  see  what  is  going  on  in  1764,  when  Lord 
Lovatts  celebrated  78th  Regiment,  ((Eraser's  Highlanders,)) 
were  disbandeo.  These  78th  men  spread  over  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land  Some  attracted,  no  doubt,  by  the 
name,  settled  in  (New  Scotland),  (1)  Nova  Scotia  ;  some  re- 
sult u  monnaie  oourante  de  la  Virginio,  valait  trois  ohelina  la  Urre;  deiorte 
qn'une  fenime  vendue  sur  lea  Ueuz,  oofitait  k  I'aoheteur  une  somme  de  quinze 
lottU.  BienMtle  nombre  de  fiUes  ayant  consid^rablement  diminu6,  il  faUut  aug- 
menter  le  prix  et  le  porter  h,  cent  oinquante  Hvres  de  tabao. 

(C'our*  d'Uiitoirt  du  Canada,  Ferland  Vol.  1,  P.  193. 
(1)  It  !■  stated  that  in  Nota  Scotia  alone  Uiere  are  at  present  more  than  9,000 
Fraieia. 


ITS   COMPONENT    PAHTS. 


281 


jI(1  come  to  a 
to  the  cenouB 
Mch  are  now 
awa. 

leaceable  Aca- 
brought  over 
dants,  to  this 
Landry's,  Cor- 
s.TheMagda- 
some  western 
IrioMS,  athletic 
!rs  as  might  bo 
ler  them.  Mr. 
is  of  Acadian 
Boston  ;  their 
Bstant  Tamily, 
;  the  third  or 
e  head  married 
w  R.  C,  their 

le  time  of  its 
inoted  all  over 
riiice  Edward 
ick  is  however 
itical  arena, 
that  the  mili- 
he  component 
lid,  overleap 
when  Lord 
lighlanders,)) 
T  the  length 
ioubt,  by  the 
some  re- 
la  llvre ;  de  lorte 
Isomme  de  quinxe 
lu6,  n  fallut  aug- 

ToM,  P.  193. 
more  than  9,000 


mninod  in  the  pnrishps  round  Qiftboc.  Tht;  Frnscr  (Ian  nlon;?, 
wilh  its  olfshonls  nt  Murray  Itny,  Krasprvilh',  SI.  Marc, 
St.  Andre,  St.  Thomas,  IhMumioiil,  Oiioluc,  Munlrciil,  Nova 
Scolia,  &(\,  has  attainnd  to  siH'h  dimt^nsions  that  an  enter- 
prising,'d(!scnndanl,  the;  Hon.  Jtthn  Krasor  de  Ilcrry,  L.  C, 
thoujjht  seriously  ol'  roconslrueling  the  clan  Inst  winter — 
tarlans,  claymore,  phillbe^,  kilts,  and  nil, — January  IVosis  to 
the  contrary  notwithstandin;,'.  Several  of  Wolfe's  followers  had 
also  become  Canadian  lnndliold(!rs,  viz.,  (Jenerol  .lames  Murray, 
the  distinguished  owner  of  Belmont,  on  the  SI.  Foy  Road, 
Quebet!, — wliich  on  his  return  to  England,  passed  over  by 
purchas(!  to  one  of  his  officers,  Col.  Ileiu'y  Caldwell,  who  bi*- 
camo  the  founder  of  a  Canadian  family  of  note,  and  was  llie 
father  of  Sir  John  Caldwell.  Another  of  (Jen.  Wolfe's  oITicjus, 
Major  Samuel  Hollninl,  purchased  an  ndjeinin;;  domain  of  some 
Ihree  hundred  acres,  which  to  this  day  is  known  as  Holland's 
Farm  ;  whilst  another  again.  Major  Moses  llazi'ii,  scjllhul  al  SI. 
.John's,  near  Montreal,  and  joined  Brigadicr-deu.  Monlgoim  ry 
in  his  unsuccessful  all((mpt  lo  coiupier  Canada  in  1775.  In 
1762,  we  also  fiud  Meadow  Bank  (1)  on  the  St.  Louis  Uoad, 
near  Onebec,  owned  by  lion.  Hector  Theopliilus  Crainahe, 
afterwards  Lieut. -Governor. 

The  idea  pervading  (ho  minds  of  Ihese  distinguished  men 
seems  lohavo  been,  that  those  bcauliful  sites  selected  by  lliem 
would  incr;>ase  rapidly  in  value,  by  the  introduction  of  Biitisii 
rule  in  Canadii,  and  become,  in  lime,  mines  of  ^^callll,  or 
happy  homes  for  Ihi'ir  children.  But  British  rule,  with  British 
freedt)m  left  out,  did  but  little,  either  for  Canadian  soil  or 
Canadians,  durin.' the  dark  poriod  wliicli  began  in  17o9  and 
closed  in  1841,  About  this  time.  Lord  Sydenham,  a  uiost 
astute  politician  and  ruler,  wi!h  the  view  of  nnglifying  (he 
French  Canadians,  united  the  Lower  to  the  l.pper  l*roviuc(! 
hoping  by  the  prepouderauee  of  the  Knglish  element  in  both 
Provinces,  to  swamp  and  kill  out  that  nationality  ichich  icouUI 
not  die.  The  new  constitution  had  a  most  seductive  name, 
«  Self-Government.  »  It  was  readily  accepted  by  LafontaiiiL' 

(1)  The  country  seat  of  John  Porter,  Esq. 

30 


282 


OUR  NATIONALITY. 


and  Baldwin,  as  it  conlainod  by  implication,  with  some  evil, 
a  principle  of  life,  "quality  to  all  races. 

Emigralion  from  France  mostly  ceased  from  1759  to  1841, 
Oiie-lialf  of  the  French  families  of  distinction,  who  could  sell 
their  lands,  left  the  colony  in  1760-1-2  (1),  rather  than  live 
under  British  rule  ;  though  several  again  returned  to  Canada 
from  France  about  1783  ;  one  of  our  respected  French  fami- 
lies, that  of  Col.  Dambourges  (2),  for  instance,  emigiated  to 
this  country  after  the  couqtiest.  The  emigration  however,  was 
in  the  main,  British  (until,  we  may  say,  the  year  1810) — of 
men  of  means  often ;  sometimes,  of  men  of  superior  education. 

The  closing  of  the  Baltic  to  english  ships  during  Napoleon's 
continental  wars,  by  creating  a  demand  for  Canada's  valuable 
woods,  opened  up  new  fields  of  enterprise.  Canadian  oak  and 
pine  became  so  sought  after  that  several  english  merchants  es- 
tablished themselves  at  Quebec  about  1810.  Thus  in  that  very 
year,  one  week  after  the  death  of  the  noted  Col.  Henry  Cald- 
well, assistant  Quarter  Master  to  General  Wolfe,  arrived  at 
Quebec,  William  Price,  Esq.,  the  respected  Laird  of  Wolfe's 
Field — better  known  fiom  his  extensive  Inmbereslablishmeuts 
and  mills  in  the  Lower  St.  Lawrence  and  in  the  Saguenay 
district,  as  The  Kiny  of  the  Saguenay  :  several  other  large 
Canadian  timber  fiims  trace  to  that  period,  their  origin.  To 
the  fust  Napoleon's  continental  blocade  and  closing  of  the 
Baltic,  we  owe  our  immense  lumber  exportation  business — 
which  for  Quebec  for  half  a  century  had  become  so  vast  as  to 
overshadow  all  other  commercial  or  manufacturing  enterprises. 
Surrounded  with  water  powers — with  oneof  the  finest  ports  in 
the  world,  treqiiented  animally  by  some  fifteen  hundred  ocean 
ships  and  steamers  ;  teeming  with  a  operatives,  as  yet  remu- 
nerated by   low    wages    (3),  Quebec  has  in   herself,    the 


(1)  Another  migration  to  France,  of  the  educated  and  wealthy  class,  took 
place  in  1763.  on  the  conclusion  of  the  Treaty  of  Paris,  (10th  February,  1763), 
which  ceeded  Canada  to  England, 

(2)  Dambourges' heroic  conduct  in  repelling  with  Capt.  Nairn,  the  attack  of 
Arnold's  soldiers,  at  Sault-au-Matelot  street,  Quebec,  31st  Dec,  1775 — merited 
for  him  more  than  empty  compliments  ;  as  braro  as  DeSalaberry,  his  heroism  was 
as  ill  quitod. 

(3)  What  was  true  in  1869,  is  getting  less  so  erery  day ;  combinations  to  coerce 


ilh  some  evil, 

759  to  1841, 
^'1)0  could  sell 
or  than  live 
!(1  to  Canada 
French  fami- 
emigialed  to 
lowever,  was 
ar  18 10)— of 
i)r  ediicalion. 

;  Napoleon's 

la's  valuable 

dian  oak  and 

icrchanls  cs- 

5  in  that  very 

Henry  Cald- 

I,   arrived  at 

d  of  Wolf(!'s 

tablishmenls 

he  Saguenay 

olher  large 

origin.   To 

)sing  of  the 

business — 

so  vast  as  lo 

enterprises. 

inest  ports  in 

ndred  ocean 

as  yet  remu- 

berself,    the 

thy  cUsB,  took 
ebrtiary,    1763), 

I,  the  attack  of 
,  1775 — merited 
,  his  heroism  was 

lations  to  coerce 


ITS  C0MP0Ni:.M   PARTS. 


283 


means  of  becoming  as  great,  as  prosperous  by  her  manufac- 
tures, as  she  can  expect  to  be  by  the  export  of  the  wealth 
of  her  forests — that  is,  whenever  her  Rip  Van  Winkle  capilalists 
wake  up  and  national  dissensions  sink  to  sleep. 

A  most  noticeable  element  of  prosperity  and  refinement, 
was  added  to  our  population  by  the  war  of  Independence, — 
the  United  Empire  Loyalists.  Some  10,0G0  staunch  adherents 
to  the  House  of  Hanover,  came  across  our  border,  or  pene- 
trated by  ship  to  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia.  Though 
"Western  Canada  benefitted  (he  most  by  the  exodus  from  the 
late  Brilish  Provinces,  Eastern  Canada  came  in  for  her  good 
share.  These  brave  men  had  sacrificed  fortune  and  position  to 
consistency,  and  their  allegiance  to  King  George  ;  and  King 
George,  as  a  good  and  paternal  sovereign,  indemnified  them 
by  pensions,  land  grants,  honors,  and  emoluments,  tolhebest 
of  the  ability  of  the  English  exchequer.  Of  such  were  the 
Ogdens,  Holts,  Sowells,  Smiths,  GaiibK's,  Andersons,  Jones, 
Robinsons,  Baldwins,  Sir  James  McCanley,  Hon.  John  Wilson, 
John  Slrachan,  Captain  James  Dellrick,  Roger  Bates,  Joseph 
Brant,  Hon.  John  Stewart,  Hon.  Samuel  Ciane,  Hon.  George 
Croukshank,  Sir  Joseph  Brook,  Hon.  James  Crooks,  Dr. 
Schofield,  Hon.  John  McDonald,  Thomas  Merrilt,  Hon.  Heniy 
Rultan,  Hon.  John  Elmesley,  Chief  Justice  ;  Hon.  Hector 
Russ!  II,  Administrator  ;  Hon.  Henry  Allcock,  Chief  Justice  ; 
John  WMiite,  Ally.  G.'neral  ;  Mrs.  Secord  ;  Colonel  Clark, 
Hon.  W.  H.  Merritt,  and  Philemon  Wright  ;  all  sons  or  des- 
cendants or  connections  of  the  gloriniis  10,000,  who  were 
aptly  enough,  vX  one  time,  denominated  by  Upper  Canadians, 
«  The  Founders  of  Western  prosperity.  »  To  follow  them  in 
their  after  fortunes,  and  desciibe  tlieir  brilliant  careers,  would 
lake  us  beyond  the  scope  of  this  paper. 

The  French  Revolution  was  the  means  of  providing  Western 
Canada  with  a  goodly  alloNNance  oi  nohU'sseilevuillesou€he{\). 

capital,  some  with,  some  without  Charts  of  Incorporati  »n,  are  rapidly  driving 
away  from  our  shores,  some  of  our  time  honored  sources  of  wealth,  our  shipping. 
la  the  statesman  born,  who  wiU  dare  grapple  with  this  formidable  evil  ? 

(1)  A  curious  fact  has  just  been  brought  to  light  through  the  researches  of  a  To- 
ronto antiquarian,  leading  to  believe  that  later  on,  an  unsuspected  element  of  refi- 


284 


OUn   NATIONALITY. 


We  next  have  lo  note  an  appreciable  increase  to  our  popula- 
tion, by  the  intermarriages  ol  the  oflicers  and  men  of  the  De 

nomont — no  loss  than  a  fair  sprinkling  of  the  French  nohleme,  had  once  its  place, 
in  v'liat  at  ono  time  appeared  as  a  city  thoroughly  British  in  its  foundation. 

In  the  December  (1872)  number  of  the  Canadian  Journal  of  Science,  edited  at 
Toronto,  there  appeared  a  very  interesting  paper  by  the  Revd.  Dr.  Soadding,  on 
('anadian  local  history.  Under  the  heading  "  Toronto  of  Old, "  page  451,  we  are 
apprised  of  the  settiemout  at  York  (Toronto),  of  a  tolerably  numerous  colony  of 
French  officers,  whom  the  prospect  of  the  guillotine,  sent  over  in  quick  haste,  from 
sunny  Frunc.e,  to  the  »<hore8  ii{ la pei-jide  Alltimi.  The  uncleared  lots  in  Canada  award- 
ed by  the  British  Government  to  this  fragment  of  French  noblcHse,  as  they  were  styled 
— several  in  number,  on  Yonge  street,  appear  in  an  old  map  of  1798,  bracketed 
and  marked  "French  Royalists,"  by  order  of  his  Honor  the  President,  Peter 
Russell."  The  names  of  the  grantees  arc  Michel  Saigeon;  Francois  Reneaux  ; 
Julien  le  Bugle;  Rene  Aug.,  Comte  de  ("halus  ;  Aiiibroiso  de  Farcy;  Quetton  St. 
(leorge;  Jean  Louis,  Vicomto  de  Chalus;  Auguslin  Boiton;  Le  Comte  de  Puisayo; 
LcChevalier  do  Marscuil;  Pierre  Letourneaux ;  Jean  Furon  j  these  well  known 
and  in  several  cases,  illustrious  names  take  one  back  to  Normandy  and  Brittunny. 

Le  Comte  de  Puisaye  quoted  in  the  Hiitoire  den  Girondim — by  Lamartino,  and 
by  Thiers,  in  the  Jlixtoire  de  la  Rivolution  t'rniiraiae,  ended  his  days  in  England, 
near  London,  in  1827.  Quetton  St.  (Jeorge  is  an  ancestor  of  well  known  and 
respected  Toronto  Wine  Importer.  Doubtless,  the  great  Edmund  Burke  had  in 
view  this  colony  of  French  nobles  when  he  alluded  to  the  "considerable  emigra- 
tion from  France,  who  quitting  that  voluptuous  climate  and  that  seductive  Cir- 
eiiiin  libci-t;;,  have  taken  refuge  in  the  frozen  regions,  and  under  the  British 
despotism  of  Cai.ada." — "  British  despotism"  is,  of  course,  ironically  said  and 
means,  in  reality,  British  constitutional  freedom." 

"  The  officers,  says  Dr.  Scadding,  styled  Comte  and  Vicomto  de  Chalus  derived 
their  title  from  the  veritable  domain  and  castle  of  Chains,  in  Normandy,  asso- 
ciated in  the  minds  of  all  young  readers  of  English  history,  with  the  death  of 
Richard,  Cueur  de  Lion.  Jean  Louis  de  Chalus,  whose  name  appears  on  numbers 
54  and  55  in  Markham  and  on  other  lots  was  a  Major  General  in  the  Royal  Army 
of  Brittanny.  At  the' balls  given  by  the  Governor  and  others  at  (Toronto) 
York,  the  jewels  of  Madame  la  Comtesse  created  a  great  sensation,  wholly  sur- 
passing everything  of  the  kind  that  bad  hitherto  been  seen  by  the  ladies  of  upper 
Canada.  Ambroise  de  Farcy  had  also  the  rank  of  General.  Augustin  Boiton 
was  a  Lieutenant-Colonel.     The  Comte  de  Puisaye  #  #  # 

figures  conspicuously  in  the  contemporary  accounts  of  the  Royalists  struggle 
against  the  Convention.  He  himself  published,  in  London,  in  1803,  five  octavo  vo- 
lumes of  memoirs,  justificatory  of  his  proceedings  in  that  contest.  Carlylo  quaintly 
tells  of  the  Count's  adventure  in  Brittanny  on  the  16th  July,  1793,  when,  to  escape 
the  Mountain  National  Forces  "  he  was  roused  from  his  warm  bed  in  the  Castle 
of  Brecourt  and  had  to  gallop  without  boots."  *  *  *  "  De 

Lamartine  describes  how,  prior  to  the  repulse  at  Chateau  Brecourt,  M.  de  Puisaye 
had  passed  a  whole  year  concealed  in  a  cavern  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  of  Brit- 
tany, where,  by  his  manoeuvres  and  correspondence,  he  kindled  the  fire  of  revolt 
against  the  Republic."— Dr.  Scadding.) 

At  the  present  moment  (June  1873),  Canada  is  receiving  instalment  No.  2  of 
Fnnch  ltef\ujee»,  fleeing  before  Prussian  despotism,  from  the  soft  climate  of  Alsace 
and  Lorraine  to  "  British  constitutional  freedom  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

stead  of  selecting  muddy  little  York  of  1798,  dear  to  Govoruor  Simcoe  and 


,0  our  popiila- 
loii  of  the  De 

ad  once  its  place, 
8  foundation. 
Science,  edited  at 
.  Dr.  Scadding,  on 

ptigo  451,  we  are 
umorous  colony  of 
quick  hasto,  from 
I  in  Canada  award- 
as  they  were  styled 
>f  17U8,  bracketed 
I  President,  Peter 
^ran(oi8  Ileneaux  ; 
^arcy;  Quetton  St. 
Jomte  do  Puisaye ; 

these  well  known 
idy  and  Brittanny. 
by  Lainartino,  and 
8  days  in  England, 
■  well  known  and 
lund  Burke  had  in 
nsiderable  emigra- 
thut  seductive  Cir- 

under  the  British 
•onically  said  and 

do  Chalus  derived 
1  Normandy,  asso- 
with  the  death  of 
ppears  on  numbers 
in  the  lloyal  Army 
lors  at  (Toronto) 
Isation,  wholly  sur- 
;ho  ladies  of  upper 
Augustin  Boiton 

*  * 

.oyalista  struggle 

03,  five  octavo  vo- 

|t.  Carlylc  quaintly 

3,  when,  to  escape 

bed  in  the  Castle 

*  "  De 

|urt,  M.  de  Puisaye 

the  forest  of  Brit- 

d  the  fire  of  revolt 

Lstalment  No.  2  of 
t  climate  of  Alsace 
J  the  St.  Lawrence, 
loruor  Siincoe  and 


ITS  COMPONENT   PARTS. 


285 


Walteville  and  Meiiroii  Swiss  Regiments  (1),  disbanded  in 
Canada,  after  the  war  of  1812.  The  descendants  of  the  De 
Monlenachs,  Lahrueres,  Diifresnes,  D'Orsonnens,  Genands  and 
others,  are  amongst  us  to  this  day. 

To  statists,  suc!i  as  our  Auditor-General,  and  his  able  assis- 
tants, we  shall  leave  the  congenial  lask  of  (ixiiig,  with  the  cen- 
sus tables  before  them,  th(i  exact  ratio  of  the  foreign  element, 
settling  of  late  years  in  our  midst ;  prominent  among  which 
must  of  course  appear  lh(!  Gcllic  nwo.,  whose  pndilic  nature 
does  not  seem  to  siiifer  in  tin;  leasl  IVom  lis  ptfrcnnia!  griev- 
ances (2)  ;  and  next  Ihi'  canny  Scot,  willi  whom  in  the  great 
race  uf  uonlly  weallh  f 'W  iiid.jid  can  kicp  pace. 

Some,  however,  of  the  best  and  l'ain!>l  ol  our  populalion, 
ami  we  say  it  with  a  fceliig  akin  lo  icgivl,  we  are  liiible  to 
lose,  and  do  lose,  by  causes  beyimil  Ihe  conlrol  of  legislalors  ; 
>ve  allude  lo  thai  not  inconsiilerable  poriion  which  annually 
carries  to  other  climes  its  youth,  its  freshness,  its  iclinement 
owing  to  that  nnaccoinitable  and  perverse  haiikiM ing  of  Itiiiish 
officers  to  rub  (lanada  of  her  bii^hlesl  gems, — her  f.iir  daugh- 
ters. Does  this  iKjcessaiiiy  prove  thai  tlic  beauty,  manners, 
and  accomplishments  of  the  colonial  las  are  superior  to  those 
of  her  English  sister  ;  or,  is  Ihe  Ganadian  IJeJle  cliiefly  sought 
for  in  marriage,  as  being  a  species  of  « forbidden  fruit,  »  labotid 
by  IJelgravian  mammas,  whose  « hopefuls »  are  serving  in 
the  colonies  ?  Quien  sabe  ? 

The  author  of  «  Ilocludaga,  »  Major  Eliut  Warburlon  thus 
testified  to  this  fact. 

President  Russcl — the  genial  preserve  of  another  colony  of  Refugees  essentially 
British,  the  11,  E.  LoynliitH— they  aro  instnllinfj  thoir  household  gods  amidst  tlio 
wooded  vales  and  pasture?  green,  trodden  by  the  feet  of  a  kindred  race,  near  Qiicbco, 
May  their  fortunes  prosper  more  than  those  of  the  Yongo  street  nobility  of  17981 

(1)  These  regiments,  we  thiuK,  bad  been  formed  in  England  froiii  French  olli- 
cers  and  soldiers  detained  as  prisoners  of  war,  and  who  had  betni  granted  their 
liberty,  on  agreeing  to  serve  against  all  the  enemies  of  lOngland,  cxoopt  thfir  own 
country — France.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  1812,  they  were  sent  out  to 
tight  the  armies  of  the  United  States. 

(2)  An  ingenious  barrister,  John  O'FarrcU,  Esq.,  in  a  humorous  address, 
road  before  the  St.  Patrick  f<ocicty,  in  Montreal,  loth  January,  1S72,  has  called 
attention  to  its  presence  on  Canadian  ?(>il  about  1758.  Should  his  novel  theory 
hold  water,  one  would  be  led  to  believe  that  ./mn /?";i(i»fc  is  not  a  Johnny  Cra- 
paud  after  all,  but  has  a  right  to  consider  Brian  Boru  as  one  of  his  ancestors 
and  luay,  on  the  24th  June,  associate  the  shamrock  with  the  Maple  Leaf. 


286 


OUR    NATIONALITY. 


«  The  officers  of  Ihe  army  show  themselves  very  sensible 
to  the  uttractions  of  the  daughters  of  Canada,  great  numbers 
marry  in  this  country  ;  no  less  than  four  of  one  regiment  have 
been  made  happy  at  Quebec  within  a  year  of  the  present  time. 
The  fair  conquerors  thus  exercice  a  gentle  retaliation  on  the 
descendants  of  those  who  overcame  Iheir  lore  fathers.  Nearly 
all  the  English  Merchants  also  have  married  in  this  counlry  ; 
and,  from  what  I  perceive,  those  who  slill  remain  bachelors 
are  very  likely  soon  to  follow  their  exemples. »  Hocuelaga, 
page  100. 

Capt.  R.  L.  Dashwood,  of  Ihe  XV  Regl.,  in  his  simple  but  in- 
teresling  skntch  of  Ciinada  sporls,  intituled  :  «  Cleptoquorgan 
or  Life  by  thu:  camp  fire,  »  thus  alludes  to  this  phase  of 
Colonial  Life  :  «  The  withdrawal  of  troops  from  Upper  and 
Lower  Canada  will  i-ause  an  unprecedented  fall  in  the  ma- 
trimonial market  of  those  «  sections  »  The  loss  of  so  many 
bachelois  in  the  shape  of  the  officers  of  the  army  will  be 
seriously  felt.  Canada  has  proved  more  fatal  to  celebacy 
than  any  other  country  where  troops  are  stationed,  including 
even  England  *****  The  reason  is,  the  propin- 
quity and  opportunity  that  is  alforded  where  people  are  congre- 
gated in  a  small  pace,  and  where  long  absence  from  home  ofien 
«  makes  the  heart  grow  fonder))  of  some  one  else.  »  Page  2il. 

Having,  as  we  hope,  fulfilled  the  promise  made  at  the  incep- 
tion of  this  paper,  of  furnishing  for  abler  pens  a  few  hints 
and  suggestions,  to  be  hereafter  enlarged  on,  we  shall  close  the 
subject  with  a  tabular  statement  compiled  especially  for  us,  by 
a  youthful  lady  friend,  with  a  penchant  for  ethnological  studies, 
— under  the  heading  Military  Marriages  in  Canada  of  late 
years  ;  it  helps  to  prove  some  of  our  propositions,  and  shows 
statistically  to  what  an  alarming  extent  the  union  sentiment, 
to  use  an  Americanism  of  the  late  wai',  prevailed  in  the 
Canadas. 

Let  us  hope  this  wholesale  immolation  of  Colonels,  Majors, 
Captains  and  Subs  on  (he  altar  of  hymen  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  removal  of  ih;  British  Troops  fiom  Quebec  ! !  ! 

Here  goes  this  precioi  s  document  which  we  fear,  is  very 
imperfect  : 


very  sensible 
great  numbers 

regiment  have 
Q  present  time, 
aliation  on  the 
ithers.  Nearly 
1  Ihis  connlry  ; 
nain  bachelors 

»       HOGllELAGA; 

simple  bill  in- 
Cleptoquorgan 
this  phase  of 
om  Upper  and 
all  in  the  ma- 
)ss  of  so  many 

army  will  be 
i\  to  celebacy 
)ne(l,  including 
is,  the  propin- 
ple  are  congre- 
om  home  ofien 
\e. »  Page  2il. 
le  at  (he  incep- 
is  a  few  hints 

shall  close  Ihe 
iaily  for  us,  by 
logical  studies, 
Canada  of  late 
ns,  and  shows 
ion  sentiment, 
availed   in  the 

lonels,  Majors, 
nothing  to  do 

ebec ! !  ! 
fear,  is  very 


ITS   COMPONENT   PARTS. 

BRITISH   OFFICERS    WHO   HAVE   HECENTLY   MARRIED 
IN   CANADA. 

{Prepared 'n  1869— flft-ifrf  in  1873.) 


287 


Hljlc  Briijadt. 

Earlof  Errol Mi-g  Gore. 

tth  UwifHrn. 

Col.  White        Miss  DeMontenack. 

Major  Campbell "    Duchesnay. 

13(A  Huntara, 

Capt.  Clarke Miss  Roge. 

Capt.  Joyce "    Austen. 

Liout.  Miles "    Esten. 

Dr.  Milburn "    Allan. 

Rot/al  ArtiV'ii). 

Col.  Shakspear Miss  I'nnet. 

"    Pipon "    Ashworth. 

"    FitzGerald "    LeMoine. 

"    CliflFord "    LoMesurier. 

"    Walker Mrs.  Bull. 

"    Uaiiltain Miss  Goidou. 

Capt.  Noble "    Campbell. 

"      De  WintoD....    "    Riiwson. 

Dr.  Duff "    Sewell. 

Dr.  Mcintosh "    Wood. 

Capt  Brackonbury..    "    Campbell. 

Lieut.  Irwin "    Hamilton. 

"      A.  W.  White    "    Young. 

"      Appleby "    MacOonald. 

"      Saiidilands ..    "    Stevenson. 

"      Brown "    Kirpatrick. 

Capt.  Uotham "    Halo. 

"    Turner "    Gzowski. 

"    Sandham «•    Mar'i  Gzowski. 

Col,  Mackay "    Wt /d. 

Royal  Engineem, 

Col.  Gallwey Miss  M'Dougall. 

"    Brown "    Hunt. 

"    Ford "    Kacoy. 

"    White "    Gibson. 

"   Boatson "    Gordon. 

"   Murray  .- "    Fisher. 

Capt.  Noble...' "    Lunn. 

Ca;  t.  JJe  Montmo- 
rency      "    Motz. 

Capt.  Mann "    Giddes. 

"      Burnaby "    Felton. 

Lieut.  Carlisle "    Phillips. 

"      Savage "    Joly. 

"      Turner "    Sprague. 

Grenadier  Guurdti. 

Lord  Abingor Miss  MacGruder. 

Capt.  Herbert "    LeMoine. 

Dr.  Girdwood "    Blackwell. 

Goldntream  Guardn. 

Oapt.  Clayton Miss  Wood. 

"    Kirkland "    Patorson. 

lit  Royalt. 
Capt.  Davenport.. ..Miss  Sewell. 
"     McNicol "    Wood. 


Tth  RoyiiJ  Futileert, 
Capt.  \\\  Pryce  Brown.Miss  Prior. 

Lieut.  Winter "    gowell. 

Wi\Re(j{ment. 
Capt  Straiibenzoe.Miss  Cartwright 

"     Terry "    Taylor. 

\&th  Ref/imenl, 
Lieut.-Col.  Nash.. .Miss  Nanton. 
Major  Temple  ...  .    "    Sewell. 

"      Eden "    Caldwell. 

16f/t  Rer/tmettt. 
Major  Lucas  Miss  McKenzie. 


Baker " 

Capt.  Carter " 

"     Lea " 

"     Piatt  " 

Dr.  Ferguson.. " 

Lieut.  Kane " 

I7th  Reyhnent. 
Capt,  Hoigham Miss  Frascr 


Cunningham. 
LeMesurier. 

Alloway. 
Howard. 
Alloway. 
Coursol. 


Jeffery. 

Burstall. 

Webster. 

Kroighoff. 

Mutz. 

Stevenson. 


Webber " 

Ultorson " 

"     Parker " 

Lieut.  Burnett " 

"      Lees " 

"      Torre Mrs 

"      Harris Miss  Motz. 

"      Pre.»grave....    "    Day. 

2:ird  Royal  Welsh  FuHleert. 

Capt.  Hopton Miss  Vaughan. 

Lieut.  Benyon •<    Allan. 

"      Rowley   «     HoUis. 

2bth  Borderem. 

Capt.  Smythe Miss  Perrault. 

Dr.  Gribben "    Allan 

Lieut.  Lees ••    Mn.\ham. 

26M  Ret/iment. 

Col.  Crespigny Miss  Buchanan. 

29/A  Rei/iment. 

Col.  Middleton Miss  Doucet. 

Capt.  Phipps "    Goddes. 

iiOth  Regiment, 
Col.  Atoherley  ....  Miss  Heward. 


Capt.  Moorson " 

"      Birch  " 

Dr.  Paxton <• 

"     Hooper <« 

Capt.  Clarkson " 

"      Glasscott " 

"      Nagle " 

Lieut.  Fleuiming...    " 
"      Charlewood ..    " 

32nd  Regiment. 

Dr.  M.  Healcy Migg  Smith. 

39fA  Regiment. 
Capt.  Dixon Misg  Antrobug 


McCutcheon. 

Vass. 

Murray. 

Dalkin. 

Coxwell. 

Cayley. 

Bell. 

Sewell. 

Poston. 


288 


OUR   NATIONALITY. 


Capt.  Hawtayno  ....Miss  IIoAley. 

"      Tryon  "    McLood. 

Linut.  Osborne  Smith. Misn  Smith. 

"      Iluaro  Mil's  Snott. 

■{7th  Ileiiiiiicnt, 
Liout.-Col.  Villiors.Miss  Shanloy. 
Capt.  Larltoii "    .Siivage. 

"      Bercltloy "    Dixon. 

Dr,  Jamioson "    Cartwright. 

Lt.  de  J.  Prevost...    "    Dow. 

Ens.  Dixon "    MoMiirray. 

53rrf  Regiment. 

Capt.  Brown iMiss  Dowar. 

Lieut.  Hitchcock...    "    Ferguson. 

&ith  Rer/iment. 
Capt.  Lake Miss  Phillips. 

"      Thomson "    Boxor. 

mh  Ri/les. 
Capt.  LoBrcton Miss  (leorgo. 

"      Hamilton "    Willan. 

"      Travors "    Johnson. 

"      Anderson "    Starnes. 

"     Worsoley "    Sieotte. 

"    Crosby "    Thompson. 

Lieut.  Mitchell  [nnos    "      Starnos. 
6rt//(  Reiiiment. 

Col.  Dames Miss  Komble. 

Capt.  Sorooold "    Duval. 

Capt.  Torrens "    Price. 

Lieut.  Oodby "    DosFossds. 

Dr.  Henry "    Omldos. 

Lieut.  Cunninf<hain    "    Robertson. 
()8'/(  R'"iimeiit. 

Col.  Rhodes Miss  Dunn. 

Capt.  Diirnforil "    .'^cweil. 

Capt.  Biirli'W "     Hcxer. 

Lieut.  Blown "    Stevenson. 

6'J//t  Rejiment. 
Capt.  Clarke 

"      Thorpe Miss  JefiFery. 

Lieut,  llouifs 

Lieut.  Glondonwyn.  Miss   M.    C.    H.   A. 
Cliiiuveau.  (I) 
Tilt  Roll  i  me  lit. 

Major  Denny Mi.-s  Richardson. 

Capt.  {jrott "    .stiivncr. 

"       Realy "     llinoks 

"      E.  Anirobns,  A.  D.  C.  "  Brohaut 
TAid  Rifjimeiit. 
Lieut.  Fitz(}"r:iM..\iiss  Hamilton. 

T\lh  Umjlmr.iit. 

Capt.  Austin     ...  ..Miss  Hall. 

Tnth  HliihliiinlirH. 
Capt.  Colin  .McKonzie.Miss  Falkenberg. 

Fraser  Mifs  l)upont. 

79(7*  Cameron  Iliijhlaaderg. 
Col.  Butt Miss  8ewoll. 


Major  Robs "    Lindsay. 

Capt.  t;umiMings...Mis3  ('oxworthy. 

"      Reeve "    Frascr. 

%'dth  Rfifimenf. 

Lieut.  Isaaos Miss  Cartwright. 

{I'.iril  Sutherliinil  lliiihliindcrt. 

Lieut.  Elliot Miss  Wood. 

100M  Reijimrnt. 

Capt.  Herring Miss  L.  Bell. 

Lieut.  Latouche "    Bouchetto. 

RlJIle  Rrifjnde. 

Capt.  Glynn Miss  Dowar. 

"      Kingscoto "    Stuart. 

"      Dalzel "    Harris. 

"      Swaino "    Reynolds. 

Lieut.  .Swann "    Price. 

"       Dillon "    Stanton. 

Dr.  Hunt "    Jeffery. 

"   AValters "    (Jeddes. 

Canadian  Rijllet. 

Col.  Moffatt Miss  Buchanan. 

"     Walker "    Yule. 

Major  Bernard "    Kingsmill. 

Capt.  Gibson "    (Jibb. 

Dunn  "    Gibb. 

"      Clark "    Howard. 

Rotjal  N'lv;/, 
Sir  J.  Westphall  ...Mrs  Gore. 
Commander  Ashe. ..Miss  Percy. 

Capt.  Orlebar "    Halo. 

"      Bayfield •'    Wright. 

Lieut.  Story "    Murray. 

.Mr.  Kni„'ht "     Poctter. 


('iii»miHHiir'i(tt  Department. 
Dop.  -  Com.     Ccx- 

w  rthy  ...Miss  Ooddard. 

I)(>p -('(I'll.   Webb..    "     Brndshaw. 
Coui -Gon.  Weir....     "    Stayner. 
Sir  Fiaudiilph  RiMith    ''    Taschoreau. 
Dep.  -  Com.  -  den. 

Kouth    "    Hall. 

Di-{).  -  Com.  -  Gen. 

Loonco  Kouth "    Pardey. 

Assi,<t.-Dop.-Com.- 

Gun.  Price "    AVatson. 

Sfaff. 

Col.  Pritchard  .Miss  Be  Montenach. 

Mvdleal  .N>"jf. 

Dr,  Woodman Miss  Stevenson. 

"     lla-ket  "    Uniacke. 

"     Henry "    Geddes. 

"    Blathorwick....    "    White. 
Oi'dnancf. 

.Major  Holwell Miss  Gibson. 

Lieut.  Bligh  "    Whale. 


NoTK. — One  glance  will  suffice  to  show  how  many  names  have  been  omitted  in 
the  above. 

(I)  Ere  six  weeks  wore  over,  the  cypress  had  replaced  the  orange  blossoms  on 
this  fair  younj;  brow.  Mrs.  Glondonwyn,  wedded  at  Quebec,  in  October,  died  at 
Boruuida.  on  the  17th  Dec,  1871,  agod  19.  An  oxqviisitely  sculptured  group, 
"  Faith,  Hope  and  Charity,"  by  the  London  artist  Marshall  Wood,  now  comme- 
morates in  Carara  marble  under  the  silent  oaves  of  the  TJrsulines  Chapel,  at 
Quebec,  the  early  demise  of  throe  of  the  Hon.  P.  J.  0.  Cbauveau'a  daughters. 
Alas  for  human  happiness  I 


"    Lindsay. 
*l'»3  Coxworthv, 

."    Praser. 
'/iment, 

—Miss  Cartwright. 
'«  IliUhlniidcrt, 

l'»s  h.  Bell. 

"    Bouchotto. 
''igncle, 
liss  Dowar. 
"    Stuart. 
"    Harris. 
"    RoynoldlB. 
''    Price. 

'Stanton. 
'  Jeffery. 
'  <}oddes. 
Rijilei,. 

ss  Buchanan. 

'■    Yulo. 

'    Kingsmill, 

Oibb. 

Oibb. 

Howard. 

Gore, 
s  Percy. 
Halo. 
Wright. 
Murray. 
Pocttor. 

'J'arfment, 

Goddard. 
fJrMd.shaw. 
St'tyner. 
Taschoreaii. 

Hall. 

Pardey. 

IVatson. 


f 


Montenach. 


'torenson. 
^niacko. 
eddes. 
rhite. 

ibson. 
hale. 


9n  omitted  in 

I  blossoms  on 
;obor,  died  at 
tiired  group, 
now  oommo' 
!  Chapel,  at 
8  daughters. 


INDEX. 

Page. 
Introduction 

DIberville— Tho  Cid  of  New  France . 

Dollard  des  Orraeaux— The  Canadian  Leonidas J3 

l)e  Brebaiuf  A  Laiemant n-j 

The  Roll  oCSainl-Rpgis— Fact.\:  Fiction 29 

The  Baron  of  Loiigueil  

The  Heroine  of  Vercheres 

49 

Major  Stobo 

bo 

Cadieux,  the  Old  Voyageur r-r 

A  select  Tea  Party  at  Quebec  in  1759 -3 

Tho  lost  of  the  1  Aiiguste  1— French  Refugees 79 

The  History  of  an  Old  House— Le  Chicn  d'Or. gg 

Tid-Bits  of  Feudal  Customs on 

«  Le  Droit  do  GrenouiIla?ei 

°        107 

Luc  de  hiCoriie  Saint-Luc— A  representative  Man 115 

TheU.  E.  Loyalists-British  Refugees ,07 

Frat^er's  Highlanders  before  Qutdjec,  in  1759 141 

C.inadian  Names  i<;  Surnames ,5g 

The  Oruvo  ofGarneau,  the  Historian |~- 

Cuiadian  Homes 

Our  E.irly  Friends,  tho  Birds '  oqj 

Synopsis  of  Canadian  Birds ..^„ 

Fin  A  Feather  ^ 

The  Quebec  Volunteers,  1837-38 251 

Our  Nationality,  ils  component  parts  071 

List  of  Bristish  O.ljcers  recently  marrieil  in  Canada 2S7 


I 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


ENGLISH. 


The  Leoknoary  Lore  of  the  Lower  St.  Lawrrnck  (1  vol.  in  3'2) 1862 

Maple  Leaves,  (IslSeries)  (1  vol.  in-8*) 1863 

I         I        (2nd  Series)  (t  vol.  in*8») 1864 

I         I        (3rd  Series)  (1  vol.  in-8'') 1865 

The  Tourist's  Note  Book  (t  vol.  in-64)  (by  Co8moj)olite) 1870 

The  Sword  of  Brioadieh  Gk.nehai,  Montgomery,  (A  Memoir) 

il  vol.in-64)  1870 

Jottings  from  Canadian  History  (Stewart's  Quarlfrly) 1871 

Trifles  from  my  Port-folio  (New  Dominion  Muntlily) 1872 

MAPLE  LEAVES  (New  Series) 1873 

FRENCH. 

L'Ornithologie  »u  Canada  (2  vols.  in>8°) 1860 

Les  P^cheries  du  Canada  (1  vol.  in-8<>) 1863 

La  M^moire  DE  Montcalm  VENGEE  (1  vol.  in-32) i805 

L'Alrum  Canaoien 1870 

L'Aldum  DU  Tourists  (1  vol.in-8<>) 1872 


R. 


in3'2) 1862 

1863 

1864 

18G5 

1870 

ir) 

I  vol.in-64)  1870 

1871 

1872 

1873 

. 1860 

i863 

1805 

1870 

1872