Note 47 — PETER KALM’s TRAVELS. (continued 2)

The recollets are the third class of clergymen in Canada. They have a fine large dwelling house here, and a fine church, where they officiate. Near it is a large and fine garden, which they cultivate with great application. In Montreal, and Trois Rivieres, they are lodged almost in the same manner as here. They do not endeavour to choose cunning fellows amongst them, but take all they can get. They do not torment their brains with much learning; and I have been assured, that after they have put on their monastic habit, they do not study to increase their knowledge, but forget even what little they knew before. At night they generally ly on mats, or some other hard matrasses; however, I have sometimes seen good beds in the cells of some of them. They have no possessions here, having made vows of poverty, and live chiefly on the alms which people give them. To this purpose, the young monks, or brothers, go into the houses with a bag, and beg what they want. They have no congregations in the country, but sometimes they go among the Indians as missionaries. In each fort, which contains forty men, the king keeps one of these monks, instead of a priest, who officiates there. The king gives him lodging, provisions, servants, and all he wants; besides two hundred livres a year. Half of it he sends to the community he belongs to; the other half he reserves for his own use. On board the king’s ships are generally no other priests than these friars, who are therefore looked upon as people belonging to the king. When one of the chief priests47 in the country dies, and his place cannot immediately be filled up, they send one of these friars there, to officiate whilst the place is vacant. Part of these monks come over from France, and part are natives of Canada. There are no other monks in Canada besides these, except now and then one of the order of St. Austin or some other, who comes with one of the king’s ships, but goes off with it again.