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PRESTON, t.ATK OC THE GOVERNMENT SKRVK'E AT TORONTO. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. Duiltsficr in ©rlrmars to f^tr ittajestj?. 1840. I I Printed ty J, I . Cos and Sons, 75, Orcat Queen Street, Li. ;coIn's-Tnn Fields. ?vP "U PC pi ir.i PKEFACE. The powerful interest respecting the affairs of Canada, that has been lately re-awakened in the mind of the intelligent portion of the com- nnmity, as much by the revival of animated parliamentary discussions in relation thereto, as by the character of the dispute now pending between England and the United States, ha's induced me to give publicity to the followin.» pages, as a trifling contribution to the very scanty stock of accessible materials serving to elucidate the general subject-matter of the two- fold case at issue. Impressed with the conviction, that the results of long personal experience and observation in VI I'RKFACE. tile Canadian provinces, must prove a not un- welujine offbrino- to the British public at the pi-csent iuonicnt, let them originate in wj,at source they may, I have not hesitated to incur the risks and ,)erils of authorship; while, in- general )rojecte(l, ^t events h other, al order my own experi- my re- recent ?nce to n how espond / other PREFACE. IX Unbiassed by party f'eelin/r, or by party views, I have been actuated by the desire alone to ex- hibit to the best of my ability, and according to my conscientious belief, the wants of Canada in their real ligjit, and whilst tracing admitted evils to their primitive sources, to point out what have seemed to me the legitimate remedies for their radical cure ; endjivourir-'. moreover, to bear out by some practical illustration, the re- spective arguments adduced. As regards, generally, the political opinions, to which, whether relating to Canada or to the United Stater,, I have given utterawce, it is proper to state that, erroneous or correct, they are the result entirely of my past local expe- rience; in affirmation of which I may add that uiey substantially correspond with the sentiments recorded in a series of articles that I contributed, under a feigned signature, to one of the Canadian Journals, about eighteen months ao-o. The desire to give early publicity to this vvork —while serving to preclude the degree of ^ PREFACE. revision that I could have • ished, as regards its «tyle and coiTiposition,^has also compelled me to omit the discussion in it of some further points of interest than those actually brought under consideration ; but should circumstanls favour the design, I may possibly resume at a future opportunity, the task I have thus far performed. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAPTER I. Memorable Trans-Atlantio ^oyage.-Tncidents and penis thereof—American Pilot-boat.-Ameri- can Landlord • • • • CHAPTER If. Journey from Ne^v York to Canada.-U'inter Travelling Adventures by the way.-American Coachmanship.-Aspect of Lower Canada CHAPTER III. (Comparison of Montreal and Quebec-Quebec Ca hedral.-General Description of Lower Ca n;tda._State of Soeiety.-Freneh Canadians.- /":" ^"'^f^'--^' P'>P"'^tion.-I„surrections of IH37 and 1838.-Infl,.ence of the Priesthood _ Anu.s.n. Anecdote of a Parish Pastor.-Political Ketiections CHAPTER IV. K'inp... , Mackenzie's Outbreak. - Repeated false Alarms-Series of Invasions.-Affair of Hickory Island.-Consternation of the Kings ton.ans thereat.-Conversation with an old In- d.unW arrior.-Destruction of the British steam- Page 29 52 Xll CONTENTis. Page boat &r Robert P../.-F.rthcr Irruptions into the Province—Mission of the Earl of Durham. -American Conspiracy against Canada—Hun- ters' Association— Invasions at Prescott and V> indsor— Result thereof.-Final Disposal of the Prisoners— Remarkable Events of 1839 . . 125 CHAPTER V. General Review of the Conduct of the American Authorities throughout the pro^-eedings herein- before narrated— Development of the Designs of the Republic on British North America- Insidious Policy practised— Identific. tion of the Maine and Canada Questions, viev/ed in con- junction—Revelations regarding Implied In- trigues of Russia, in fomenting disturbances in Canada CHAPTER VI. Tlie Englishman's Political Reverie from the summit of Cape Diamond— Original Errors committed by British Statesmen i„ regard to Canada.— Restitution of Canadian Civil Law— Impolitic Division of the Province of Quebec into Upper and Louer Canada— Perversion of Elective System in the latter.-Character of Feudal Tenure— Legislative Union of the Pro- vinces.— Conclusions relative thereto . . 198 Page ns into urham. -Hun- tt and )sal of !39 .. 125 THREE YEARS' RESIDENCE IN CANADA, erican erein- esigns ica. — of the con- 1 In- ?es in ERRATA. Vol. I. page 135, line 12, for induced rcnrf introduced. Vol. II. — 196, — 22, for 1833 read 1825. — 24'2, — 15, for for read from. 198 the Tors i to iV. — shec n of • of Vo- 245 engaged my passage on boara a ^onuuu ..« New York liner, and sailed from Portsmouth towards the end of the uninviting month of November. Had the occurrences which marked my voyage across the broad bosom of the Atlan.i; bee,, of the usual ordinary character, I sl,o„ld abstain "■""' "■^" "" '-J'-i™ '" tlH-n, ; but, peculiar as vol. ,. _ Xll CONTENTS. hoatS^moben Peel.-.Fnrthcr Irruptions into the Province—Mission of the Earl of Durham. -American Conspiracy against Canada.-Hun- ters' Association—Invasions at Prescott and ^^ indsor.-Result thereof.-Final Disposal of Page The Ji.ngiisnman s runuva. summit of Cape Diamond— Original" Errors committed by British Statesmen in regard to Canada.-Reslitution of Canadian Civil Lau — impolitic Division of the Province of Quebec into Upper and Louer Canada— Perversion of Elective System in the latter— Character of Feudal Tenure— Legislative Union of the Pro- vinces.— Conclusions relative thereto 245 ns into jrham. -Hun- t and sal of Page THREE YEARS' RESIDENCE IN CANADA, (1837—39.) rors I to V, — ibec lof of ro- 245 CHAPTER I. Me,„orable Trans-Atlantic voyage.-Ineidentsand perils the. eof.-A,nerican Pilot-boat.-Ameriean LandLd In the winter of 183G, circumstances havin.. required that I should proceed to Canada I engaged my passage on board a London and New York liner, and sailed from Portsmouth towards the end of the uninviting month of November. Had the occurrences wl)ich marked my voyage across the broad bosom of the Atlanti^ been of ti^e usual ordinary character, I should abstain ^-- even an allusion to them; but, peculiar as VOL. ,. . ^ 2 PERILOUS VOVAGK. they were, i cannot resist the opportunity of narrating them ; and their indelible impression on my memory ensures their being rendered with at least fidelity. The ship in which I embarked seemed to have been singled out by the elements, from the very liour of her departure, as a special object of assault : peradventure, in derision of the war- like appellation which graced her bows, or be- cause she appeared an antagonist worthy of their strife. If the latter were the cause of joining issue, correct judgment on the part of the ele- ments must certainly be recorded, for never did assailed vessel sustain her ordeal better; though many were the occasions during the progress ''of the voyage, when even her experienced captain, revealed by his demeanour, to a watchful eye, his secret apprehension that the unequal contest must eventually prove fatal both to her and her living cargo, numbering altogether about one Imndred persons, of whom rather less than a fifth part were cabin passengers. After the prelude of much rough skirmishing, during which Nature failed not to exact her usual TEMPEST. g trib,„o n-om most on boary our ignorance of our precise position ; for although we knew we were in the « whereabout" of the chops of the Channel, when the tempest niet us, the compass alone did not enable us to i 6 TKMPK.ST. !K a.«crtai„ tho exact point towrds which we had since been driven. The fierce howling of the wind, coming, as 't did, net in gusts, but in one dense body, as though compressed into solidity, before it burst upon us; tiiebreakingof thegiantwav:.a,a;nst the quivering stern posts of the ship -, the rush <>f water through the companion and the hatch- way, or, as it rolled to and fro, knee-d^p upon the deck, staving in the bulwarks; the horrid creakmg of the masts, as though in very agony • the souna of the captain's and the mate's voices' which, deadened by the blast, came wafted to our ears like whispers of the unblest; the dreadful pitch and rolling of the ship; the sFctacle of the uncontrollable fear of some ; the silent agony of others, and the despair depicted upon every countenance ; formed a combination of terrors well-calculated .o unstring the stout- est heart, and to fill the sternest mind with deso- lation. The utter nothingness of man, and the awful power of his Creator were here, side by side apparent. Internal prayer was the only refuge • I'aoilUtTKD VOVAGE. 7 '";""= ""«= (I »l-«l"'y."y own) were ,„„ l"gh-wrought to find ve„. in „„rd„ „„j „,^ alone appreciable by a. nutual glance of ,l,e eye or pre^ure of .he han.l, „„ Jifc, ,„, ,^ ^„^_ ".on«.o„fc„,f„,j„,^_^^^^^ '"""^'■•""W.'lin.ly-ligb.ed cabin! The reader ,ray gather some fain, idea of the ■"""nence of our peril, from the observation maJe .0 us by the captain when we could talk over the occurrence, that during .he long perio to mn.h at the Azores for that purpose. He, however, either could not, or would not make those islands, SMORTNUSS OV PROVISION*. B "'"''"'''"*"■""'■'-"'""""« to |„.c.vail, it ..,„..,, ■>» tl,o„sl, „.,. ,„i^,|„ ,K,»sil,iy have to suffer »„„. tl.",«w„«ti,a »l.il.wr„.k,„n.ltlK.(i,h«,„i«l„ '"" ''" ""• ""'y Vnnk; ,ii,u|,,.,i„t„l „f thoh- prcv ■"«ed foci. Such a c,„,ti„(,.„ey „, dyi„,, „,• »'arv„ti„„ on board a New V.,,k pacUt-shi,, «as, like the crime of parriei.lc a. A.hen, i„ ,]„. palmy day, of Solon, a .hin.^ nnheard of, and moH certainly not ,„r,„i,ed by any one of n, when we paid the sun, „f thirty-live guineas for '""• '"'™' "■■■'' '"'Si'-S. whilst in a state of tran- situ between the two hemispheres ! The fact of the matter was, that, fro.n some cause unoKplaine,!, the ship had |„,„ i„„,,^ <|l.ately victualled for a voyage even of the ave- rage duration; hence it resulted, that before the expiration of a n.onth from the day of saih-ng, we «re gra,lual!y ,n.,t, „ necessitate, u,„„ short allowance; being, .thermore, curtailed of one iHcal altogether. I^>>t if tl,e condition of the ca!,in denizens proved such, how infinitely n.ore deplorable was tl^at of th. steerage passe.o,., J Many of these Ji3 II 10 DISTRESS IN THE STEERAGE, poor people (in so far emulating the captain, or his steward) had laid in a stock of provisions scarcely sufficient for a month^s consumption, and were now, consequently, in a very distressed state; while others, miscalculating the chances of the voyage, had been at first too lavish of their edible store, and were constrained not only to economize the scanty remnant thereof, but to share it with their destitute companions, from whom, in some instances, they exacted a pecuniary consideration in return. Potatoes, haviug held out the longest, were at a premium that would )iave made an Irishman's heart ache, to say nothing of the scarcity. But this arrangement also had its term ; the common stock itself was soon exhausted, and dur- ing the last fortnight of the voyage, the steerage passengers might literally be said to have been without the means of sustenance. The ship's stock of ^^ ater too was beginning to run very low. In this state of things, these poor people, driven to their last resource, sent a deputation to the captain, t!ie members of which, with \GE. e captain, or >f provisions consumption, ry distressed the chances oo lavisli of led not only ?reof, but to mions, from a pecuniary having held that would 'he, to say term ; the d, and dur- :he steeraffe have been ship's stock ■y low. 'or people, deputation liich, with DKPUTATIO^f. J J K'gard countenances and .ears Standing i„,h,i,, r "' "" '"^ ^"P-"'" -l>-l. they e„o. eousi, supposed .o be se. apar, t„ J ,^,,_ passengers. He e hi„,, „ ,,^^_ ,^^^ ^,_^ .^ ^^^^^ »te.e of the eabm larder effectually precluded acon,pliance.ltl..beirre,ues..bu.:jdedi h.s was a fact which transpired, b, the way for ' e firs. .™e), .ha. .here was a s.all ,uan ^ :!7:""-'''f-™"«P-of.hecrg„ "h.c they ,„i,h. have recourse, provided, hey could ra,se the wherewithal .o indemnify hi,n ": ; " ^"'"'^^"™ "f what their necessities might require. All, though equally willing, „ere „„. „,,■,.. ''''""'7'''-''"'""l™-„di,io„, „hiehou,d,. r ' T '"' ™"^'- "" '■- circumstances to ave been exacted. The cabin passengers were - appealed .0, and willingly can,e forward -">"-,r subscriptions, repeating the™ as „„,,. -'"needed, to supply, he deficily They had shortly to p„r,„llevv by this ti.,.c directly d.m^ the hay, and it was therefore resolve.! to ca.t anchor, until a steam-boat should arrive to tow her up. This happened on the 23d of January iSJi? bein^. the sixty-third day of the voya^r., I{.,th' the passen^rers aud crew exhibited a very dif. ferent appearance at the beginning and at the end of it, as n,ay very readily be iumgined. An.ong the steerage-i,as,sengers, in particular, bodily privation and mental anxiety had effec- tually acket. But so far from gaining by our impatience, we had well nigh paid dear for it ; and it was quite evident, that our old element was unwilling to * In u facetious assimilation of the inmates of the cabin drns, as they were termed, to the animals of a wandering menagerie, one gentlcmun, from his peculiar aj.pearance'', bad been designated the " bull-calf." The appellation given to the ladies was that of the " Gazelles."' ^rt n 22 I'lLOr UOAJ. !( part with us on tlu> easy terms we had pro- posed. By incessant tacking, and keeping close in- shore, Ave contrived to make some little jiro- gress; hut a sea at length struck our fragile craft, which made her quiver to her very cen- tre, half filled her with water, blew her every sail to ribands, and hurled the helmsman from his post. Her flush-deck, carrying it off" quickly, alone saved her from sinking beneath the weight of water with which she was oppressed. We were at this time about ten miles below the city. " Gentlemen," said the skipper, looking down into the confined space where w? were huddled like so many half-drowned rats, " 1 guess this won't answer ; I can't attempt to proceed fur- ther, and must lie to; but if, instead of remain- ing on board for an uncertain period, you like to try the chmice of gettmg ashore in the yawl, I will have it launched." Bad as was the alternative, we unanimously assented to the proposal, and the first boat- load dejiarted through a raging surf, for the fi CETTLVG ASHORE. 23 "••ly {.racticahle plm-c of la.uling, wl.ich was a wcKHlon jetty, projectin^r .H„ne distance into the ^'"y ; the si .e itself l,ei„g too ice-bound to ad- "Jit ofalK)at approaching it. The rest followed in parties of two and three scrand,ling with difficulty along the narrow' jetty, the surface of which was covered with a coat of ice, and over this tlie waves were inces- santly breaking; but we all ultin.ately gained the land in uifety. "uffetted by a pitiless hail-storm, and wad- ing through the deep sr.ow which lay upon the .-ound, we n,ade for, and successively read .d a house of entertainment about half-a-n,ile dis^ tant. The vanguard had already secured some rough means of conveyance to New York, whi ther the whole party forthwith proceeded, with the exception of one individual, an intelligent respectable An,erican gentleman, and myself, »>-th of us preferring to remain for the present where we were. Inquiring for the landlord, we were ushered 'nto the presence of a middle-aged, beetle-browed man, who was pac'.g up and down the room in I, 24 MKRCAN'JILE INQUIRY. which we found him, and who, immediately on hearing we were from the packet-ship below, without in the least heeding our request to be provided with accommodation, abruptly accosted me with the unlocked for question— " Pray now, what's the price of cotton ?" " Cotton ! " I replied, somewhat annoyed at the man's utter disregard of our pitiable condi- tion, but amused withal at the strangeness of the association;— "all, my friend, that I know about cotton is, that I have not a dry thread of it upon me, and if you will have the goodness to sell me a pair of stockings of that, or any other tex- ture, I shall be very much obliged to you." My interlocutor regarded me with a look of un- feigned astonishment at the profoundity of my ignorance, and the presumption of my request ; resumed his former promenade, and left us, with the utmost nonchalance, to shift for ourselves. " Pleasant landlord," whispered I to my com- panion. " Very," replied he. " I hope," I said, " he does not present a fair- specimen of the Bonifaces of your countrv.^ " liately on ip below, est to be ' accosted n ?" noyed at •le condi- ess of the ow about f it uj)on 5S to sell ther tex- you."— jk of 11 n- :y of my request ; us, with •selves, my coni- t a fair rv: 25 NKGOCIATION FOR A BED. "By no n,eans," was the rejoinder; "you will find theni very different at New York: but leave -e to deal with him; we must humour bin., or sliall get iiothinfT." By a brief recital of our n.isfortunes, my com. I>anio„ .o far thawed our host's inhumanity, a. "' ."duce him to have set before „s « comfort- "We substantial „,eal, to which, having first ''•■"-■A our saturated garments, it may readiiy W •■"agine.1 that we di.l an.ple justice, after our ;""f *''"^"« f™" ""y thing like whoIeso,„e rood. The next point was to get to rest, but here another contest arose; the landlord, to save him- -If trouble, though fully i„,,„di„g ,„ - the highest prices, signifying his intention to q>.arter us not only in the same dormitory, but al« in the same bed, a practice by no means un- common in the States. This we both stoutly resisted, declaring our intention to adopt in preference, the alternative of passing the night by the stove; so that, find, ing us inflexible, he at length agreed, though ^v>th a very ill grace, to accommodate us with VOL. I. J, 26 CONTRAST OF SITUATIONS. iii separate rooms. It wus not, however, to his after sense of propriety that we were indebted for this assent, but to his American pride^, my companion having hazarded the observation that I was a stranger^ unaccustomed to the usages of the country. They alone who have been in situations such as I have described, can appreciate the feeling of exquisite delight which is experienced on again reposing in a bed on shore; but, for my own part, I would not willingly incur the long privation for the sake of contrasting it with the after enjoyment. Throughout the night in question and the whole of the day following, which chanced to be Sunday, the storm raged with unabated fury, causing my companion and myself to feel the most intense anxiety for the fate of the ship and tliose we had left on board her : nor was that anxiety relieved until late on the succeeding Monday, when, on reaching New York, we found her in port, where she had but just ar- rived in tow of a steamer. We then learned that, in fulfilment of our ■r, to his indebted 3ride<, my ation that usages of ;ions such le feehng lenced on , for my the long with the and the iced to be ted fury, feel the ship and was that icceeding ork, we t just ar- t of our STEAM-SHIP. 27 apprehensions, the ship had been in the most --inent peril, having dragged her anchors "early three miles, and narrowly escaped being ''"ven out to sea, with only one meal's prov,^ sion on board, wliich 1><,A i ' ""''' ''"'I teen supplied by the -boone.. before we left. Her owners and .be Ne»Yorlnes will surely testify after you have journeyed some fifty miles • nnr ;= ,•<• vl . y "iiies , nor is it without its share of perils. It took us on this occasion, full ten days to reach Montreal, though the distance from Ne^ Vork thence is something under four hundre.1 miles. The journey to Poughkeepsie, or " Kipsy," 30 YANKKE ENTERPRISE. as the Americans call it, by way of elision, a small neat town, situated mid-way between New York and Albany, was performed on wheels, and we sleighed thence up the frozen Hudson to the latter city, agai- - r -Vrcing north-wester, which both driver an ..„es had the utmost difficulty in stennning. So regular a road had Ix^en formed along the ice, that at various places we found, much to our satisfaction, a hut erected, the interior thereof being Avell heated by means of a stove, and exhibiting an array of bottles, containing wherewithal to warm also the stomach of the traveller. This was a striking illustration of Yankee enterprise that could not fail to rivet one's attention. From New York to Poughkeepsie a conside- rable portion of the road winds over the Fish-kill Mountains, forming a series of alternate ascents and declivities, and frequently overhanging pre- cipices, the space between the edges of which and the wheels of the vehicle is sometimes barely a foot wide. Such roads, though bud enough at all times, are rendered next to impassable during the winter months, by floods and other elision, a ween New n wheels, ludson to th- wester, le utmost road had us places t erected, )y means bottles, stomach -istration to rivet conside- ^ish-kill ascents ng pre- f which s barely enough lassable 1 other RECKLKSS DHIVIAG. 31 casualties wMethe evil is increased by an „,.„ •i-egard to the improvement „f their co„.liti„„ -.ngt„,l,eHudson.rvi„gas the great northern l"Slnvay for travelling during three-fourths of the year. Down ,„ch declivities as I have mentioned rather than describe, the horses of our con- veyance would be propelled at the top of their »peed, with the usual reckless daring of Yankee dnvers, as though to compensate for the delav of the previous wearisome ascent; but in many cases because, paradoxical as it may seem, a slow descent would have been far less safe. 1, was surprising ,o see the skill with which the animals were guided, when the least diverging «.her of them or the vehicle, to the right o'r eft of t e crumbling narrow road-way, would have hurled us to destruction. Being seated on the box, which station I selected to obtain an unobstructed view of the magnificent wintry -ene exhibited around me, now catchin! gltmpses of the partially ice-bound Hudson^ now lo.ng all traces of its track, I had ample opportunities of judging for myself of the pro- 32 SMART JEHU. ceedings of those to whom our safety was en- trusted. One of these knights of the whip, a smart, (lashing person, wlio proved to be the owner of the team of fine white horses he was driving, exhibited such consummate coachmanship, at a very dangerous and intricate pass, that I could not help complimenting him on his dexterity, assuring him of my conscientious belief that no coachman in my country would dare attempt a feat similar to that he had achieved. This effectually wound me into his o-ood graces ; but I Jiad some reason to repent my candour, since, whenever afterwards he had the opportunity of proving himself, as he con- jectured, worthy of my commendation, he would give each of his horses a knowing touch, grasp his reins with a steadier hand, compress his lips, plant himself firmly in liis seat, and hurry on his former wild career ; eyeing me askance, with a smile of humour upon his countenance, at the conclusion of every such performance, as much as to say, " There, stranger, what do you think of that ?" fl ACCIDENT. 33 I dill not care to tell him what I thought ; but if truth must be revealed, he was fast bring! ing me to the conclusion, that I had escaped from Scylla only to full into Cliarybdis ; and was inducing me to draw involuntary comparisons between tlie wide sea-room of the Atlantic Ocean, (bad as I thought the situation at the time) and the narrow space of my present « whereabout," very much to the disparagement of the latter. We resumed sleighing from Albany, but, the roads not being at all times adapted to it, we proceeded very slowly, suffering much from cold, and the violent jerking induced by the inec,uali' ties of the track. At day-break one bleak morning, the vehicle suddenly stopped in the midst of a wild desolate- looking country, and the driver, opening the door, " guessed " that some one must come to his assistance, as one of his horses had dropped upo,. the road, and he could neither raise nor disen- tangle him. I immediately volunteered my services, and, on alighting, found the poor animal in its last agonies, evidently the effect of being over-dri ven : c 3 ail 'i s 34 DEAD HORSE. |('1I a result at which but littli" surprise need be felt, considering that he had completed a stage of about twenty-four miles. The driver, however, thought differently ; railed at the defunct, as a a lazy « crittur,'' and declared, that there was never any work to be got out of hini. I reminded hi)n that, however this might have been, his working days were now clearly over, and that judging by appearances, the remain- ing trio were not very far distant from the same goal; thus effectually refuting the imputation cast upon their fallen companion. To this there was n( answer, and his sophism was apparent to himself. The dead horse being, alter some difficulty, disentangled, was left upon the road, and the other jaded creatures had vet to drag us nearly four niiles before they could be relieved ; but there was no help for it, and they were goaded forward. Getting into conver- sation with the driver (by whose side I had seated myself, in anticipation of a further de- mand for my services, but which did not, happily, occur), I represented to him the inhumanity of driving horses with such a h,^>ivv draught so 111 I SLEIGH CAPSIZED. 36 long a distance, and suggested, that it would l,e greater economy in the end t<, work theni less at a stretch, us their hves would be prolonged : a ^vas well aware, that any argun.ent involving a question of gain, was the best to use with an American. He pondered son.e time, and at length quaintly demanded, "Who's fault's that, ^,-.^,. ,. the owner's or the driver's?" " Oh ! the owner's, of course," I rejoined. " Well, stranger," he said, « I gu'ess you're n^l.t; we do drive 'em tarnation inhuman that's a fact." On the evening of the fifth day we reached the neat, quiet town of Burlington, the capital of the state of Vermont, and situated at the head of Lake Champlam, then completely fro>^en over. Here we Imlted for the night; starting at 'Jay-break the next morning, in the course of winch we met with two adventures, which are well worthy of relation. The snow had fallen heavily during the nio-ht S(^ that our driver, who proved besides to be a •lovice, after proceeding a few miles, became 36 JIF.UOINES. I>ewildere(l, wniulerod from tlic main road, and 'inally up.st't tlio vehicle, lieavily laden with passennrers and lu/r-rafre, dow,, the side of a sUvp dedivity, where it lay flat npon its side; but the dead- wei/rht had the good eflect of bring- ing the horscr to a stand still. We escaped with a few severe bruises, with the t'X(e|)tion of an American lady, who, being on the leeward side, had her face severely cut, tiiough what concerned her most was the destruc- tion of a new bonnet of some gay colour, which, for greater security forsooth, she had been oar- rying on her lap. She cried and lamented bit- terly ; not so our little countrywoman, who be- haved like a heroine; and wlien her first natural alarm for her own and her husband's safety had subsided, laughed heartily at our misadventure. Being uppermost, I had the advantage of the party, and having crept through the open space above me, I perched myself astride it, and j- ceeded to assist my companions. The first IJished up was the English lady, who emerged from her prison-house shoeless, so that, before I could aid the rest, I had to devise the m^ns of disposino- i SI.EK/U HKIIITED. 37 "f '■"r. To this c.,ul, ,liscnla„gli„H » c„u,,It. of '""■'''<• '"'K..„i,spr<.a,li„K one of ,|,o,„ on ,1,. "'"""' ' '''"^l I"--- "P"" it, an,l onvc.|o,x,l her i„ "-'".cr. Thus ,q„„,,c.,|, ,,,„ rcemblod (wUh tl.e exception of her vk,«o) ,n, I.;s,,nin,„„x, o,. the ""'"""" ""■' '-'"'■»■"«•■ when he i, ropr,,en,ething. We Imd long passed the in.aginary boundary, line, ostensibly separating the two countries, before we ascertained that we were on Canadian «o.I, being first enlightened to the fact by the novel sound of the French language, and a dif- ference of appearance in our driver, who was now -lad m the not unpicturesque Canadian costume, -n.s,stingof a grey great-coat, with a sharp- ponued hood thrown over the head, trousers of tl^e san,e n.aterial, a crin.son sash round the waist, stocking-boots with red turn-over tops, and, finally, ^ pair of fur gloves. This is the genera] dress of the nude peasantry, '"■ ^'"^'''""' '' they are termed, though thJir appearance is in general much less gay than that of the class of persons of whom our Jehu was a specimen. The dotl, wl,c.,c.„f their outer garments are made, is for ,|,e ,„„st part horae-spu,,, a„d is. ill I ( 48 FIRST IMI'nESSIONS. in such cases, held in high estimation hy the wearers. The garb of the female peasantry has nothing characteristic about it, with tlie exception of the fur bonnet, but exhibits tl,e same tastelessness as the attire of corresponding classes in England. The permanent impressions, of whatsoever ten- dency, which are left upon the mind on our first visiting a foreign land, are not unfrequently in- fluenced, though, perhaps insensibly to ourselves, by the time and circumstances under which that visit may be made. For these reasons, I would counsel, on the strength of my own ex- l)erience, all those who, unaccpiainted with Clnnada, may design to visit it, not to do so in the winter season if they can possibly avoid it. A snow-storm in the wilds of Canada, can alone find a parallel for the intensity of its deso- lation in a winter hurricane on the Atlantic, or a whirlwind, with its accompanying sand-drift, on the great des.rt of Zahara, and equally with them is it to be dreaded. We were weather-bound at St. John's duriivr the next twenty-four hours, a beaw fall of snow 1 J SNOW DRIFT. 49 Having succoedod the fine clear weatl.er whid, l.ad preceded our urrivd. Our impatience to got forward induced us to n,ake several at- tc-M.pts to penetrate to Laprairie, distant some twenty niles, but ti.ey proved unavailing; and H-e were fain to retrace our steps, after being twjce or thrice dug out from a deep drift, in "'"^•1' sleigh, passengers, and horses were nearly buried. "^ On the ensuing day, a road having been formed, we again started, and were this time n.ore fortunate; reaching without accident, though tardily, the banks of the St. Lawrence ;vi"ch now lay before us in all the desolation of Its wintry grandeur. Viewed from Laprairie, you have son.e dif- ficulty ,n conceiving tliat water rolls beneath the noble river's white expanse, and still less that w-aterever held, orcould hold, the place of that snow-covered domain. In this respect, you ""ght indeed almost be pardoned for indulo-in..- m the scepticism of the Turk or the Hindoo (I fojtofwhichthestoryis told), who had equal difficulty in understanding that ice could be VOL. I. ^ 'm • ! 1 1:1 i ^^^1 m Ill r,o VIKW OFMONTllKAL formod out of water, t'vin tlu)ii<,'h tlio fact was illiistrutpd to liiin by artificial means. The width of the anecn worn down Hi m i f JHt; ST. LAVVivKNCE. 61 -'>at the French Cannclians tenn caAo/., a.ul c-ans,n^r our vehiV-k- co rebo.n.d from one alter- "ate eonvex point to the other, with an effect "I»>" us so.„ewhat resen.hhr.^r that produced by tl'^' passage of a vessel through a rough short sea. The sleigh, with its entire cargo, must have contamed a burden ofnot much less than a ton "• weight, and was drawn by a trio of horses driven tandem- fashion, tne leader of whieh would frequently turn short round, causing a ireneral entanglement, and look us ruefully in the face, as though in tacit reprouch of our ob- stinacy in urging bin, forward on a road-way so precarious. Nevertheless, we reached the northern bank >n safety, despite of even the driver's expecta- tion, and were at length, to my extreme satis- faction, comfortably housed in Montreal h o •■|u!i ll ) ' '\ 62 M I CHAPTER III. Comparison of Montreal and Quebec— Quebec Cathe- dral.— General Description of Lower Canada.— State of Society.— Fren^jh Canadians.— Town and Rural Population— Insurrections of 1837 and 1838.— In- fluence of the Priesthood.— Amusing Anecdote of a Parish Pastor.— Political Reflections. Montreal and Quebec have been too often and too well described to require further illus- tration; nevertheless, a passing observation in regard to them may not here be out of place. The more ancient parts of either city much resemble many of the old provincial towns of France; the modern parts, on the contrary, partaking more of an English style and charac- ter, in the greater width and cleanliness of the streets, and better construction as well as more comfortable aspect of the houses. The majority of the streets, however, as well of Montreal as of Quebec, are dark, gloomy, and narrow ; nmch of their sombre effect arising n : m TIN ROOFS— FIRES. t:i 53 from tlie dark-grey stone whereof the l,ou.es and edifices are built. The glittering tin roofs by uhich these are surmounted, afFord some little relief to tlie general monotony ; but the effect which they produce upon the eye when the sun is shining brightly on them, is very distressing, and when thereto is added the reflexion of the solar rays from the snow, the sight ha« to undergo a trying ordeal. A very scenic effect is produced by the agency of these tin roofs, if a fire (as is frequently tiie^case) ohance to take place at night in the winter season. Their glitter, in combination with the lurid glare of the flames, relieved by the surrounding snow, and a clear blue moon-lit sky, completes a tableau perfectly unique, such as it is well worth your while, how cold soever may be the temperature, to start from your bed to witness. But, in Montreal, there are two special prac- tices, which serve to disturb you in your bed without offering you any inducement to quit it, and break your rest for nothino-. The first is the incessant clamour of a bell, swinging in an old isolated turret, near the Ca' ^11 i' • « 'h mil !'f*li' I .'! I 54 CHARIVARI. tholic cathedral, the nugce canorce, of which, while serving to summon the faithful to their devotions, inflict a purgatorial punishment on all other hearers. The second practice is incident to the occa- sion of a, widow or widower being rash enough to re-enter the state of matrimony. When the fact becomes known, the young men of the town, disguising themselves in masks and the most grotesque attire, proceed on horseback, in large parties, to the dwelling of the happy couple, which they encompass, and forthwith greet its inmates and the whole neighbourhood with the most hideous noises produced by the agency of all sorts of instruments of discord. This superior sort of marrow-bones-and-clea- ver performance is termed a charivari, and takes place at all hours of the night. It has for Its object the levying of a pecuniary tax on the victims it selects, to be applied to some cha- ritable purpose. If the parties come forward voluntarily and liberally they are exempt from further annoyance, brt otherwise they are sub- jected to an indefinite repetition of the serenade, w QUEBEC AND MONTREAL. OJ at the will of their tormentors, who eventually succeed, in nine cases out of ten, in exacting the required tribute. Serious rows have sometimes resulted from these nocturnal celebrations, and the interposition of the authorities has occa- sionally been necessary. The practice, I believe, is a corruption of an old French local custom, on the occasion of second marriages, when (as I have understood) the bride and bridegroom were compelled to keep open house for a certain number of days, and to feast, ad libitum, all comers of their own sphere of life. Tlie signs of progression and of stationary habits are no where more strikingly conspicuous than at Quebec and Montreal ; and no where, perhaps, are domestic contrasts of almost every kind exhibited in more varied shapes. Side by side are seen the modern commercial store and the ancient secluded convent. Here appears the harbour enlivened by an array of Bri- tish shipping; there, the lingering remnants of primitive inactive life. Jostling each other on the narrow causeway, or grouped in the wider square !|M II iiiii ffl i linn : I ill 56 DOMESTIC COiNTRASTS. or market-place are the red-coated soldier of England and the cowled priest of France ; the antiquated hahiiant of the country in his home- spun suit of grey, and the spruce denizen of the town attired in the latest European fashion ; the swarthy Aborigine of the soil, enveloped in his blanket, with his squaw c arrying her papoose at her back (the little creature not always exhibit- ing in lineament a purity of race), and the British artisan or labourer in his peculiar garb ; while, to crown the whole, the alternate sound of two conflicting languages, breaking on your ear at every step you take, leaves you momentarily undecided as to whether you be not in some pro- vincial town of France or England; the first impression, moreover, being strengthened by the general appearance of the streets and houses ; and the last, by the British designation of many of the thoroughfares and the preponderance of Bri- tish names along their line of frontage. Upon the whole, and notwithstanding the greater severity of climate, I should give the preference to Quebec, over Montreal, as a place of fixed residence ; though, in a positive sense, I ill • the ' the jiace enso. TONE OF SOCIETY. .37 neither city holds out any allurements to a person who has been accustomed to a metropolitan life in Europe ; and as to means of intellectual en- joyment, there are few or none. The general tone of society is decidedly liigher at Queljec than at Montreal: a fact which may probably be accounted for, by the former having been so long the seat of govern- ment, and the great military station ; as also, perhaps, in some measure, by the circumstance that a more remote position has caused the habi.s and manners of the people to be less imbued with the characteristic roughness of the neigh- bouring Republicans. This taint becomes, indeed, more sensibly ap- parent in proportion as you advance up the country from Montreal; and by the time you reach Upper Canada, you may not, in respect of language and behaviour, unaptly fancy your- self as being within the confines of the States. Let any one, for instance, who has had the mis- fortune to sojourn for a day at Cornwall, or at Prescott, say if I be not borne out in this con- clusion; while in various parts of the country 1)3 m% I II ffi 'fcs , i <>\tM I M i i I ■I ■ M 58 QUEBEC CATHEDRAL. you hear just as much "guessing," "calcu- lating," and " howing," (the execrable interro- gation for what) and encounter just as much ex- pectoration, and other repulsive habits, as you can possibly meet with in the New England States themselves. Next to the Cape and Citadel, the object at Quebec which most fixed my attention was the Catholic Cathedral on the market-place, or rather I should say the interior of it ; the com- pactness and style of which I thought infinitely superior to its more aspiring rival at Montreal. The gilded roof and ornaments within the Quebec Cathedral, combined with the general antique appearance which pervades the whole interior, imparted to the scene when I visited it, towards the close of a fine autumnal day, an effect which an artist would have been delighted to reproduce on canvas. There was about the place a refinement, an unpretending sanctity, a subdued tone of piety, forming a combination, though wholly undefinable, yet appealing at once to the feelings and inducing involuntary me- ditation. On the occasion mentioned, propriety NATURAL SCENERY. 59 or was not outraged by extortionate (lem-nds for the privilege of seeing what every one possesses an inherent right to see, the enforcement of which tribute at the shrine of niannnon forms, in exclusive England, a feature of such hideous prominence; but ingress to the Cathedral was quite as free and unimpeded as at any of tlie sacred edifices of continental Europe. For some miles bekw Quebec the country is extremely picturesque, but further on, it be- comes, though majestically grand, lude, wild, and barren; exhibiting a seri, s of bold precipi- tons rocks, rapid torrents, and uncultivated plains ; and offering, in fact, few or no attractions to the settler, or even to the tourist. The beau- tiful Falls of Montmorenci, about nine miles below the city, are a constant object of attrac- tion to the inhabitants of Quebec ; pic-nic par- ties in the summer, and sleighing parties in the winter, being frequently formed to visit them. Between Quebec and Montreal, the scenery itself along both lines of parallel, exhibits no- thing of a particular character, the country beintr almost one continuous flat, the general mono'^ •i| !J! ' iy ( -' ' i » i , i! A I I 'i' 60 CANADIAN VILLAGKS. tony whereof is reliovod only at wide intervals on the south shore, by the outlines of a few widely scattered mountains seen dimly in the distance. Nevertheless, the almost unbroken line of villages fringing either side of the St. Lawrence, almost down to the water's edge, is not without its charm, and lends a grace to the noble stream, fully equal in its kind to that im- parted to the Rhine by :is castellated towers ; to the Thames by the sweet domesticity of its scenery and villas; or to the Hudson by its ma- jestic highlands-its gorgeous array of wooded banks and variegated foliage. To a stranger unacquainted with the sta- tionary, unimproving iiabits of the French Ca- nadian peasantry, the appearance of these neat looking villages would indicate a much more advanced stage of progress tlmn in reality exists- while the fact is that, for the most part, they are but the screen to a comparatively enipty space beyond, extending as they do only a very little way inland. This is especially the case on both shores upwards, as far as the confluence on the southern side, of the . iers of the Richelieu witn those of the St. Lawrence; when the two I KICHRLIEU DISTRICT. t, , 61 .strean,s, diverging from each other, in the san.e manner that water is seen to separate when striking on a point, leave between then, a gradually increasing triar.gular space of very considerable dimensions at the base, which is probably the best cultivated part of Lower Canada, and forms indeed its granary. Almost every village, or settlement, within this district bears a saintly appellation ; but the patrons or patronesses seemingly exercise, i„ one sense, but little salutary influence over the n.inds of their devotees, who are as notoriously fertile of dis affection as is of grain (despite of a barbarous mode of husbandry) the soil they cultivate North of Montreal, and extending to the lake o. the twomountains, the country is tolerably well cultivated, as it is also from Montreal up- --Is to the borders of Upper Canada; and the scenery, when divested of its wintry dress (which qualification must be considered as of general application to any descriptions I may •-itten.pt), is in some parts very striking and pic turesque, thotigh quite dissimilar in character to the European style. 'r! i J]' i 'in ^2 l"ODES OF lUSBANDIlV. ScattcrcH throughout the s..ttl«l ^Mhs, are '"""7 "' ^""■»'' -S".. »l.o have ,,™,h,„„„ '"tr,Kluce,l the most ■,„pr„ve,l method, of cult,, vatmjt their hmds, whieh may at once h<. rea,lilv Astinguished from ,ho« of their Kreneh Cana-