PETER KALM’s TRAVELS. (continued 2)

The town is surrounded on almost all sides by a high wall, and especially towards the land. It was not quite completed when I was there, and they were very busy in finishing it. It is built of the above mentioned black lime-slate, and of a dark-grey sand-stone. For the corners of the gates they have employed a grey lime-stone. They have not made any walls towards the water side, but nature seems to have worked for them, by placing a rock there which it is impossible to ascend. All the rising land thereabouts is likewise so well planted with cannon, that it seems impossible for an enemy’s ships or boats to come to the town without running into imminent danger of being sunk. On the land side the town is likewise guarded by high mountains so that nature and art have combined to fortify it.

Quebec was founded by its former governor, Samuel de Champlain, in the year 1608. We are informed by history, that its rise was very slow. In 1629 towards the end of July it was taken by two Englishmen Lewis and Thomas Kerk, by capitulation, and surrendered to them by the above mentioned de Champlain. At that time, Canada and Quebec were wholly destitute of provisions, so that they looked upon the English more as their deliverers, than their enemies. The abovementioned Kerks, were the brothers of the English admiral David Kerk, who lay with his fleet somewhat lower in the river. In the year 1632, the French got the town of Quebec, and all Canada returned to them by the peace. It is remarkable, that the French were doubtful whether they should reclaim Canada from the English or leave it to them. The greater part were of opinion that to keep it would be of no advantage to France, because the country was cold; and the expences far exceeded its produce; and because France could not people so extensive a country without weakening herself, as Spain had done before. That it was better to keep the people in France, and employ them in all sorts of manufactures, which would oblige the other European powers who have colonies in America to bring their raw goods to French ports, and take French manufactures in return. Those on the other hand who had more extensive views knew that the climate was not so rough as it had been represented. They likewise believed that that which caused the expences was a fault of the company, because they did not manage the country well. They would not have many people sent over at once, but little by little, so that France might not feel it. They hoped that this colony would in future times make France powerful, for its inhabitants would become more and more acquainted with the herring, whale, and cod fisheries, and likewise with the taking of seals; and that by this means Canada would become a school for training up seamen. They further mentioned the several forts of furrs, the conversion of the Indians, the ship-building, and the various uses of the extensive woods. And lastly that it would be a considerable advantage to France, even though they should reap no other benefit, to hinder by this means the progress of the English in America, and of their encreasing power, which would otherwise become insupportable to France; not to mention several other reasons. Time has shewn that these reasons were the result of mature judgment, and that they laid the foundation to the rise of France. It were to be wished that we had been of the same opinion in Sweden, at a time when we were actually in possession of New Sweden, the finest and best province in all North America, or when we were yet in a condition to get the possession of it. Wisdom and foresight does not only look upon the present times, but even extends its views to futurity.

In the year 1663 at the beginning of February, the great earthquake was felt in Quebec and a great part of Canada, and there are still some vestiges of its effects at that time; however, no lives were lost.

On the 16th of October 1690, Quebec was besieged by the English general William Phips, who was obliged to retire a few days after with great loss. The English have tried several times to repair their losses, but the river St. Lawrence has always been a very good defence for this country. An enemy, and one that is not acquainted with this river, cannot go upwards in it, without being ruined; for in the neighbourhood of Quebec, it abounds with hidden rocks, and has strong currents in some places, which oblige the ships to make many windings.

The tide goes far beyond Quebec in the river St. Lawrence, as I have mentioned above. The difference between high and low water is generally between fifteen and sixteen feet, French measure; but with the new and full moon, and when the wind is likewise favourable, the difference is seventeen or eighteen feet, which is indeed very considerable.

The Europeans have never been able to find any characters, much less writings, of books, among the Indians, who have inhabited North-America since time immemorial, and seem to be all of one nation, and speak the same language. These Indians have therefore lived in the greatest ignorance and darkness, during some centuries, and are totally unacquainted with the state of their country before the arrival of the Europeans, and all their knowledge of it consists in vague traditions, and mere fables. It is not certain whether any other nations possessed America, before the present Indian inhabitants came into it, or whether any other nations visited this part of the globe, before Columbus discovered it. It is equally unknown, whether the Christian religion was ever preached here in former times. I conversed with several Jesuits, who undertook long journies in this extensive country, and asked them, whether they had met with any marks that there had formerly been some Christians among the Indians which lived here? but they all answered, they had not found any. The Indians have ever been as ignorant of architecture and manual labour, as of science and writing. In vain does one seek for well built towns and houses, artificial fortifications, high towers and pillars, and such like, among them, which the old world can shew, from the most antient times. Their dwelling-places are wretched huts of bark, exposed on all sides to wind, and rain. All their masonry-work consists in placing a few grey rock-stones on the ground, round their fire-place, to prevent the firebrands from spreading too far in their hut, or rather to mark out the space intended for the fire-place in it. Travellers do not enjoy a tenth part of the pleasure in traversing these countries, which they must receive on their journies through our old countries, where they, almost every day, meet with some vestige or other of antiquity: now an antient celebrated town presents itself to view; here the remains of an old castle; there a field where, many centuries ago, the most powerful, and the most skilful generals, and the greatest kings, fought a bloody battle; now the native spot and residence of some great or learned man. In such places the mind is delighted in various ways, and represents all past occurrences in living colours to itself. We can enjoy none of these pleasures in America. The history of the country can be traced no further, than from the arrival of the Europeans; for every thing that happened before that period, is more like a fiction or a dream, than any thing that really happened. In later times there have, however, been found a few marks of antiquity, from which it may be conjectured, that North-America was formerly inhabited by a nation more versed in science, and more civilized, than that which the Europeans found on their arrival here; or that a great military expedition was undertaken to this continent, from these known parts of the world.

All those who had made long journies in Canada to the south, but chiefly westward, agreed that there were many great plains destitute of trees, where the land was furrowed, as if it had been ploughed. In what manner this happened, no one knows; for the corn-fields of a great village, or town, of the Indians, are scarce above four or six of our acres in extent; whereas those furrowed plains sometimes continue for several days journey, except now and then a small smooth spot, and here and there some rising grounds.

August the 8th. This morning I visited the largest nunnery in Quebec. Men are prohibited from visiting under very heavy punishments; except in some rooms, divided by iron rails, where the men and women, that do not belong to the convent, stand without, and the nuns within the rails, and converse with each other. But to encrease the many favours which the French nation heaped upon me, as a Swede, the governor-general got the bishop’s leave for me to enter the convent, and see its construction. The bishop alone has the power of granting this favour, but he does it very sparingly. The royal physician, and a surgeon, are however at liberty to go in as often as they think proper. Mr. Gaulthier, a man of great knowledge in physic and botany, was at present the royal physician here, and accompanied me to the convent. We first saw the hospital, which I shall presently describe, and then entered the convent, which forms a part of the hospital. It is a great building of stone, three stories high, divided in the inside into long galleries, on both sides of which are cells, halls, and rooms. The cells of the nuns are in the highest story, on both sides of the gallery; they are but small; not painted in the inside, but hung with paper pictures of saints, and of our Saviour on the cross. A bed with curtains, and good bed-clothes, a little narrow desk, and a chair or two, is the whole furniture of a cell. They have no fires in winter, and the nuns are forced to ly in the cold cells. On the gallery is a stove, which is heated in winter, and as all the rooms are left open, some warmth can by this means come into them. In the middle story are the rooms where they pass the day together. One of these is the room, where they are at work; this is large, finely painted and adorned, and has an iron stove. Here they were at their needle-work, embroidering, gilding, and making flowers of silk, which bear a great similarity to the natural ones. In a word, they were all employed in such nice works, as were suitable to ladies of their rank in life. In another hall they assemble to hold their juntos. Another apartment contains those who are indisposed; but such as are more dangerously ill, have rooms to themselves. The novices, and new comers, are taught and instructed in another hall. Another is destined for their refectory, or dining-room, in which are tables on all sides; on one side of it is a small desk, on which is laid a French book, concerning the life of those saints who are mentioned in the New Testament. When they dine, all are silent; one of the eldest gets into the desk, and reads a part of the book before mentioned; and when they are gone through it, they read some other religious book. During the meal, they sit on that side of the table, which is turned towards the wall. Almost in every room is a gilt table, on which are placed candles, together with the picture of our Saviour on the cross, and of some saints: before these tables they say their prayers. On one side is the church, and near it a large gallery, divided from the church by rails, so that the nuns could only look into it. In this gallery they remain during divine service, and the clergyman is in the church, where the nuns reach him his sacerdotal clothes through a hole, for they are not allowed to go into the vestry, and to be in the same room with the priest. There are still several other rooms and halls here, the use of which I do not remember. The lowest story contains a kitchen, bake-house, several butteries, &c. In the garrets they keep their corn, and dry their linen. In the middle story is a balcony on the outside, almost round the whole building, where the nuns are allowed to take air. The prospect from the convent is very fine on every side; the river, the fields, and the meadows out of town, appear there to great advantage. On one side of the convent is a large garden, in which the nuns are at liberty to walk about; it belongs to the convent, and is surrounded with a high wall. There is a quantity of all sorts of fruits in it. This convent, they say, contains about fifty nuns, most of them advanced in years, scarce any being under forty years of age. At this time there were two young ladies among them, who were instructed in those things, which belong to the knowledge of nuns. They are not allowed to become nuns immediately after their entrance, but must pass through a noviciate of two or three years, in order to try, whether they will be constant. For during that time it is in their power to leave the convent, if a monastic life does not suit their inclinations. But as soon as they are received among the nuns, and have made their vows, they are obliged to continue their whole life in it: if they appear willing to change their mode of life, they are locked up in a room, from whence they can never get out. The nuns of this convent never go further from it, than to the hospital, which lies near it, and even makes a part of it. They go there to attend the sick, and to take care of them. I was told by several people here, some of which were ladies, that none of the nuns went into a convent, till she had attained to an age in which she had small hopes of ever getting a husband. The nuns of all the three convents in Quebec looked very old, by which it seems, that there is some foundation for this account. All agree here, that the men are much less numerous in Canada, than the women; for the men die on their voyages; many go to the West-Indies, and either settle, or die, there; many are killed in battles, &c. Hence there seems to be a necessity of some women going into convents.

The hospital, as I have before mentioned, makes a part of the convent. It consists of two large halls, and some rooms near the apothecary’s shop. In the halls are two rows of beds on each side, within each other. The beds next to the wall are furnished with curtains, the outward ones are without them. In each bed are fine bed-clothes, with clean double sheets. As soon as a sick person has left his bed, it is made again, in order to keep the hospital in cleanliness, and order. The beds are two or three yards distant, and near each is a small table. There are good iron stoves, and fine windows in this hall. The nuns attend the sick people, and bring them meat, and other necessaries. Besides them there are some men who attend, and a surgeon. The royal physician is likewise obliged to come hither, once or twice every day, look after every thing, and give prescriptions. They commonly receive sick soldiers into this hospital, who are very numerous in July and August, when the king’s ships arrive, and in time of war. But at other times, when no great number of soldiers are sick, other poor people can take their places, as far as the number of empty beds will reach. The king finds every thing here that is requisite for the sick persons, viz. provisions, medicines, fewel, &c. Those who are very ill, are put into separate rooms, in order that the noise in the great hall may not be troublesome to them.

The civility of the inhabitants here is more refined than that of the Dutch and English, in the settlements belonging to Great Britain; but the latter, on the other hand, do not idle their time away in dressing, as the French do here. The ladies, especially, dress and powder their hair every day, and put their locks in papers every night; which idle custom was not introduced in the English settlements. The gentlemen wear generally their own hair; but some have wigs. People of rank are used to wear laced cloaths, and all the crown-officers wear swords. All the gentlemen, even those of rank, the governor-general excepted, when they go into town on a day that looks likely for rain, carry their cloaks on their left arm. Acquaintances of either sex, who have not seen each other for some time, on meeting again salute with mutual kisses.

The Rein-deer Moss (Lichen rangiferinus) grows plentiful in the woods round Quebec. M. Gaulthier, and several other gentlemen, told me, that the French, on their long journies through the woods, on account of their fur trade with the Indians, sometimes boil this moss, and drink the decoction, for want of better food, when their provisions are at an end; and they say it is very nutritive. Several Frenchmen, who have been in the Terra Labrador, where there are many rein-deer (which the French and Indians here call Cariboux) related, that all the land there is in most places covered with this rein-deer moss, so that the ground looks as white as snow.

August the 10th. This day I dined with the Jesuits. A few days before, I paid my visit to them; and the next day their president, and another father Jesuit, called on me, to invite me to dine with them to-day. I attended divine service in their church, which is a part of their house. It is very fine within, though it has no seats; for every one is obliged to kneel down during the service. Above the church is a small steeple, with a clock. The building the Jesuits live in is magnificently built, and looks exceeding fine, both without and within; which gives it a similarity to a fine palace. It consists of stone, is three stories high, exclusive of the garret, covered with slates, and built in a square form, like the new palace at Stockholm, including a large court. Its size is such, that three hundred families would find room enough in it; though at present there were not above twenty Jesuits in it. Sometimes there is a much greater number of them, especially when those return, who have been sent as missionaries into the country. There is a long walk along all the sides of the square, in every story, on both sides of which are either cells, halls, or other apartments for the friars; and likewise their library, apothecary-shop, &c. Every thing is very well regulated, and the Jesuits are very well accommodated here. On the outside is their college, which is on two sides surrounded with great orchards and kitchen-gardens, in which they have fine walks. A part of the trees here, are the remains of the forest which stood here when the French began to build this town. They have besides planted a number of fruit-trees; and the garden is stocked with all sorts of plants for the use of the kitchen. The Jesuits dine together in a great hall. There are tables placed all round it along the walls, and seats between the tables and the walls, but not on the other side. Near one wall is a pulpit, upon which one of the fathers gets during the meal, in order to read some religious book; but this day it was omitted, all the time being employed in conversation. They dine very well, and their dishes are as numerous as at the greatest feasts. In this spacious building you do not see a single woman; all are fathers, or brothers; the latter of which are young men, brought up to be Jesuits. They prepare the meal, and bring it upon table; for the common servants are not admitted.

This afternoon I visited the building called the Seminary, where all the priests live in common. They have a great house, built of stone, with walks in it, and rooms on each side. It is several stories high, and close to it is a fine garden, full of all sorts of fruit-trees and pot-herbs, and divided by walks. The prospect from hence is the finest in Quebec. The priests of the seminary are not much inferior to the Jesuits in civility; and therefore I spent my time very agreeably in their company.

August the 11th. This morning I took a walk out of town, with the royal physician M. Gaulthier, in order to collect plants, and to see a nunnery at some distance from Quebec. This monastery which is built very magnificently of stone, lies in a pleasant spot, surrounded with corn-fields, meadows, and woods, from whence Quebec and the river St. Lawrence may be seen; a hospital for poor old people, cripples, &c. makes part of the monastery, and is divided into two halls, one for men, the other for women. The nuns attend both sexes, with this difference however, that they only prepare the meal for the men and bring it in to them, give them physick, and take the cloth away when they have eaten, leaving the rest for male servants. But in the hall where the women are, they do all the work that is to be done. The regulation in the hospital was the same as in that at Quebec. To shew me a particular favour, the bishop, at the desire of the Marquis la Galissonniere, governor-general of Canada, granted me leave to see this nunnery likewise, where no man is allowed to enter, without his leave, which is an honour he seldom confers on any body. The abbess led me and M. Gaulthier through all the apartments, accompanied by a great number of nuns. Most of the nuns here are of noble families and one was the daughter of a governor. Many of them are old, but there are likewise some very young ones among them, who looked very well. They seemed all to be more polite than those in the other nunnery. Their rooms are the same as in the last place, except some additional furniture in their cells; the beds are hung with blue curtains; there are a couple of small bureaux, a table between them and some pictures on the walls. There are however no stoves in any cell. But those halls and rooms, in which they are assembled together, and in which the sick ones ly, are supplied with an iron stove. The number of nuns is indeterminate here, and I saw a great number of them. Here are likewise some probationers preparing for their reception among the nuns. A number of little girls are sent hither by their parents, to be instructed by the nuns in the principles of the christian religion, and in all sorts of ladies work. The convent at a distance looks like a palace, and, as I am told, was founded by a bishop, who they say is buried in a part of the church.

We botanized till dinner-time in the neighbouring meadows, and then returned to the convent to dine with a venerable old father recollets, who officiated here as a priest. The dishes were all prepared by nuns, and as numerous and various as on the tables of great men. There were likewise several sorts of wine, and many preserves. The revenues of this monastery are said to be considerable. At the top of the building is a small steeple with a bell. Considering the large tracts of land which the king has given in Canada to convents, Jesuits, priests, and several families of rank, it seems he has very little left for himself.

Our common rasp-berries, are so plentiful here on the hills, near corn-fields, rivers and brooks, that the branches look quite red on account of the number of berries on them. They are ripe about this time, and eaten as a desert after dinner, both fresh and preserved.

They reckon the north-east wind the most piercing of all, here. Many of the best people here, assured me, that this wind when it is very violent in winter, pierces through walls of a moderate thickness, so that the whole wall on the inside of the house is covered with snow, or a thick hoar frost; and that a candle placed near a thinner wall is almost blown out by the wind which continually comes through. This wind damages the houses which are built of stone, and forces the owners to repair them very frequently on the north-east side. The north and north-east winds are likewise reckoned very cold here. In summer the north wind is generally attended with rain.

The difference of climate between Quebec and Montreal is on all hands allowed to be very great. The wind and weather of Montreal are often entirely different from what they are at Quebec. The winter there is not near so cold as in the last place. Several sorts of fine pears will grow near Montreal; but are far from succeeding at Quebec, where the frost frequently kills them. Quebec has generally more rainy weather, spring begins later, and winter sooner than at Montreal, where all sorts of fruits ripen a week or two earlier than at Quebec.

August the 12th. This afternoon I and my servant went out of town, to stay in the country for a couple of days that I might have more leisure to examine the plants which grow in the woods here, and the state of the country. In order to proceed the better, the governor-general had sent for an Indian from Lorette to shew us the way, and teach us what use they make of the spontaneous plants hereabouts. This Indian was an Englishman by birth, taken by the Indians thirty years ago, when he was a boy, and adopted by them, according to their custom, instead of a relation of theirs killed by the enemy. Since that time he constantly stayed with them, became a Roman Catholic and married an Indian woman; he dresses like an Indian, speaks English and French, and many of the Indian languages. In the wars between the French and English, in this country, the French Indians have made many prisoners of both sexes in the English plantations, adopted them afterwards, and they married with people of the Indian nations. From hence the Indian blood in Canada is very much mixed with European blood, and a great part of the Indians now living, owe their origin to Europe. It is likewise remarkable, that a great part of the people they had taken during the war and incorporated with their nations, especially the young people, did not choose to return to their native country, though their parents and nearest relations came to them and endeavoured to persuade them to it, and though it was in their power to do it. The licentious life led by the Indians, pleased them better than that of their European relations; they dressed like the Indians, and regulated all their affairs in their way. It is therefore difficult to distinguish them, except by their colour, which is somewhat whiter than that of the Indians. There are likewise examples of some Frenchmen going amongst the Indians and following their way of life. There is on the contrary scarce one instance of an Indian’s adopting the European customs; but those who were taken prisoners in the war, have always endeavoured to come to their own people again, even after several years of captivity, and though they enjoyed all the privileges that were ever possessed by the Europeans in America.

The lands, which we passed over, were every where laid out into corn-fields, meadows, or pastures. Almost all round us the prospect presented to our view farms and farm-houses, and excellent fields and meadows. Near the town the land is pretty flat, and intersected now and then by a clear rivulet. The roads are very good, broad, and lined with ditches on each side, in low grounds. Further from the town, the land rises higher and higher, and consists as it were of terraces, one above another. This rising ground is, however, pretty smooth, chiefly without stones, and covered with rich mould. Under that is the black lime-slate, which is so common hereabouts, and is divided into small shivers, and corroded by the air. Some of the strata were horizontal, others perpendicular; I have likewise found such perpendicular strata of lime-states in other places, in the neighbourhood of Quebec. All the hills are cultivated; and some are adorned with fine churches, houses, and corn-fields. The meadows are commonly in the vallies, though some were likewise on eminencies. Soon after we had a fine prospect from one of these hills. Quebec appeared very plain to the eastward, and the river St. Lawrence could likewise be seen; further distant, on the south-east side of that river, appears a long chain of high mountains, running generally parallel to if, though many miles distant from it. To the west again, at some distance from the rising lands where we were, the hills changed into a long chain of very high mountains, lying very close to each other, and running parallel likewise to the river, that is nearly from south to north. These high mountains consist of a grey rock-stone, composed of several kinds of stone, which I shall mention in the sequel. These mountains seem to prove, that the lime-slates are of as antient a date as the grey rock-stone, and not formed in later times; for the amazing large grey rocks ly on the top of the mountains, which consist of black lime-slates.

They were now busied with making hay, and getting it in, and I was told, they had begun about a week ago. They have hay-stacks near most of their meadows, and on the wet ones, they make use of conic hay-stacks. Their meadows are commonly without enclosures, the cattle being in the pastures on the other side of the woods, and having cowherds to take care of them where they are necessary.

The houses in the country are built promiscuously of stone, or wood. To those of stone they do not employ bricks, as there is not yet any considerable quantity of bricks made here. They therefore take what stones they can find in the neighbourhood, especially the black lime-slates. These are quite compact when broke, but shiver when exposed to the air; however, this is of little consequence, as the stones stick fast in the wall, and do not fall asunder. For want of it, they sometimes make their buildings of lime-stone, or sand-stone, and sometimes of grey rock-stone. The walls of such houses are commonly two foot thick, and seldom thinner. The people here can have lime every where in this neighbourhood. The greater part of the houses in the country, are built of wood, and sometimes plaistered over on the outside. The chinks in the walls are filled with clay, instead of moss. The houses are seldom above one story high. In every room is either a chimney or stove, or both together. The stoves have the form of an oblong square; some are entirely of iron, about two feet and a half long, one foot and a half, or two feet, high, and near a foot and a half broad; these iron stoves are all cast at the iron-works at Trois Rivieres. Some are made of bricks, or stones, not much larger than the iron stoves, but covered at top with an iron plate. The smoke from the stoves is conveyed up the chimney, by an iron pipe. In summer the stoves are removed.

This evening we arrived at Lorette, where we lodged with the Jesuits.

August the 13th. In the morning we continued our journey through the woods to the high mountains, in order to see what scarce plants and curiosities we could get there. The ground was flat at first, and covered with a thick wood all round, except in marshy places. Near half the plants, which are to be met with here, grow in the woods and morasses of Sweden.

The Gnats in this wood were more numerous than we could have wished. Their bite caused a blistering of the skin; and the Jesuits at Lorette said, the best preservative against their attacks is to rub the face, and naked parts of the body, with grease. Cold water they reckon the best remedy against the bite, when the wounded places are washed with it, immediately after.

At night we returned to Lorette, having accurately examined the plants of note we met with to-day.

August the 14th. Lorette is a village, three French miles to the westward of Quebec. Inhabited chiefly by Indians of the Huron nation, converted to the Roman catholic religion. The village lies near a little river, which falls over a rock there, with a great noise, and turns a saw-mill, and a flour-mill. When the Jesuit, who is now with them, arrived among them, they lived in their usual huts, which are made like those of the Laplanders. They have since laid aside this custom, and built all their houses after the French fashion. In each house are two rooms, viz. their bed-room, and the kitchen on the outside before it. In the room is a small oven of stone, covered at top with an iron plate. Their beds are near the wall, and they put no other clothes on them, than those which they are dressed in. Their other furniture and utensils, look equally wretched. Here is a fine little church, with a steeple and bell. The steeple is raised pretty high, and covered with white tin plates. They pretend, that there is some similarity between this church in its figure and disposition, and the Santa Casa at Loretto in Italy, from whence this village has got its name. Close to the church is a house built of stone, for the clergymen, who are two Jesuits, that constantly live here. The divine service is as regularly attended here, as in any other Roman catholic church; and I was pleased with seeing the alacrity of the Indians, especially of the women, and hearing their good voices, when they sing all sorts of hymns in their own language. The Indians dress chiefly like the other adjacent Indian nations; the men, however, like to wear waistcoats, or jackets, like the French. The women keep exactly to the Indian dress. It is certain, that these Indians and their ancestors, long since, on being converted to the Christian religion, have made a vow to God, never to drink strong liquors. This vow they have kept pretty inviolable hitherto, so that one seldom sees one of them drunk, though brandy and other strong liquors are goods, which other Indians would sooner be killed for, than part with them.

The Swedish winter-wheat, and winter-rye, has been tried in Canada, to see how well it would succeed; for they employ nothing but summer-corn here, it having been found, that the French wheat and rye dies here in winter, if it be sown in autumn. Dr. Sarrazin has therefore (as I was told by the eldest of the two Jesuits here) got a small quantity of wheat and rye, of the winter-corn sort from Sweden. It was sown in autumn, not hurt by the winter, and bore fine corn. The ears were not so large as those of the Canada corn, but weighed near twice as much, and gave a greater quantity of finer flour, than that summer-corn. Nobody could tell me, why the experiments have not been continued. They cannot, I am told, bake such white bread here, of the summer-corn, as they can in France, of their winter-wheat. Many people have assured me, that all the summer-corn, now employed here, came from Sweden, or Norway: for the French, on their arrival, found the winters in Canada too severe for the French winter-corn, and their summer-corn did not always ripen, on account of the shortness of summer. Therefore they began to look upon Canada, as little better than an useless country, where nobody could live; till they fell upon the expedient of getting their summer-corn from the most northern parts of Europe, which has succeeded very well.

This day I returned to Quebec, making botanical observations by the way.

August the 15th. The new governor-general of all Canada, the marquis de la Jonquiere, arrived last night in the river before Quebec; but it being late, he reserved his public entrance for to-day. He had left France on the second of June, but could not reach Quebec before this time, on account of the difficulty which great ships find in passing the sands in the river St. Lawrence. The ships cannot venture to go up, without a fair wind, being forced to run in many bendings, and frequently in a very narrow channel. To-day was another great feast, on account of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, which is very highly celebrated in Roman catholic countries. This day was accordingly doubly remarkable, both on account of the holiday, and of the arrival of the new governor-general, who is always received with great pomp, as he represents a vice-roy here.

About eight o’clock the chief people in town assembled at the house of Mr. de Vaudreuil, who had lately been nominated governor of Trois Rivieres, and lived in the lower town, and whose father had likewise been governor-general of Canada. Thither came likewise the marquis de la Galissonniere, who had till now been governor-general, and was to sail for France, with the first opportunity. He was accompanied by all the people belonging to the government. I was likewise invited to see this festivity. At half an hour after eight the new governor-general went from the ship into a barge, covered with red cloth, upon which a signal with cannons was given from the ramparts, for all the bells in the town to be set a-ringing. All the people of distinction went down to the shore to salute the governor, who, on alighting from the barge, was received by the marquis la Galissonniere. After they had saluted each other, the commandant of the town addressed the new governor-general in a very elegant speech, which he answered very concisely; after which all the cannon on the ramparts gave a general salute. The whole street, up to the cathedral, was lined with men in arms, chiefly drawn out from among the burghesses. The governor-general then walked towards the cathedral, dressed in a suit of red, with abundance of gold lace. His servants went before him in green, carrying fire-arms on their shoulders. On his arrival at the cathedral, he was received by the bishop of Canada, and the whole clergy assembled. The bishop was arrayed in his pontifical robes, and had a long gilt tiara on his head, and a great crozier of massy silver in his hand. After the bishop had addressed a short speech to the governor-general, a priest brought a silver crucifix on a long stick, (two priests with lighted tapers in their hands, going on each side of it) to be kissed by the governor. The bishop and the priests then went through the long walk, up to the choir. The servants of the governor-general followed with their hats on, and arms on their shoulders. At last came the governor-general and his suite, and after them a crowd of people. At the beginning of the choir the governor-general, and the general de la Galissonniere, stopt before a chair covered with red cloth, and stood there during the whole time of the celebration of the mass, which was celebrated by the bishop himself. From the church he went to the palace, when the gentlemen of note in the town, afterwards went to pay their respects to him. The religious of the different orders, with their respective superiors, likewise came to him, to testify their joy on account of his happy arrival. Among the numbers that came to visit him, none staid to dine, but those that were invited beforehand, among which I had the honour to be. The entertainment lasted very long, and was as elegant as the occasion required.

The governor-general, marquis de la Jonquiere, was very tall, and at that time something above sixty years old. He had fought a desperate naval battle with the English in the last war, but had been obliged to surrender, the English being, as it was told, vastly superior in the number of ships and men. On this occasion he was wounded by a ball, which entered one side of his shoulder, and came out at the other. He was very complaisant, but knew how to preserve his dignity, when he distributed favours.

Mr. Bartram, however, informed me, that he had found a single tree of this kind in Virginia, near the falls in the river James. Doctor Colden likewise asserted, that he had seen it in many places round his seat Coldingham, which lies between New-York, and Albany, about forty-one degrees thirty minutes north latitude. The French, all over Canada, call it Cedre blanc. The English and Dutch in Albany, likewise call it the white Cedar. The English in Virginia, have called a Thuya, which grows with them, a Juniper.

The inhabitants of Canada generally make use of this tree in the following cases. It being reckoned the most durable wood in Canada, and which best withstands putrefaction, so as to remain undamaged for above a man’s age, enclosures of all kinds are scarce made of any other than this wood. all the posts which are driven into the ground, are made of the Thuya wood. The palisades round the forts in Canada are likewise made of the same wood. The planks in the houses are made of it; and the thin narrow pieces of wood which form both the ribs and the bottom of the bark-boats, commonly made use of here, are taken from this wood, because it is pliant enough for the purpose, especially whilst it is fresh, and likewise because it is very light. The Thuya wood is reckoned one of the best for the use of lime-kilns. Its branches are used all over Canada for besoms; and the twigs and leaves of it being naturally bent together, seem to be very proper for the purpose. The Indians make such besoms and bring them to the towns for sale, nor do I remember having seen any besoms of any other wood. The fresh branches have a peculiar, agreeable scent, which is pretty strongly smelled in houses where they make use of besoms of this kind.

The Thuya tree keeps its leaves, and is green all winter. Its feeds are ripe towards the end of September, old style. The fourth of October of this year, 1749, some of the cones, especially those which flood much exposed to the heat of the sun, had already dropt their seeds, and all the other cones were opening in order to shed them. This tree has, in common with many other American trees, the quality of growing plentiful in marches and thick woods, which may be with certainty called its native places. However, there is scarce a single Thuya tree in those places which bears seeds; if, on the other hand, a tree accidentally stands on the outside of a wood, on the sea shore, or in a field, where the air can freely come at it, it is always full of seeds. I have found this to be the case with the Thuya, on innumerable occasions. It is the same likewise with the sugar-maple, the maple which is good for healing scorched wounds, the white fir-tree, the pine called Perusse, the mulberry-tree and several others.

August the 17th. This day I went to see the nunnery of the Ursulines, which is disposed nearly in the same way as the two other nunneries. It lies in the town and has a very fine church. The nuns are renowned for their piety, and they go less abroad than any others. The men are likewise not allowed to go into this monastery, but by the special licence of the bishop, which is given as a great favour; the royal physician, and the surgeon are alone entitled to go in as often as they please, to visit the sick. At the desire of the marquis de la Galissonniere the bishop granted me leave to visit this monastery together with the royal physician Mr. Gaulthier. On our arrival we were received by the abbess, who was attended by a great number of nuns, for the most part old ones. We saw the church; and, it being Sunday, we found some nuns on every side of it kneeling by themselves and saying prayers. As soon as we came into the church, the abbess and the nuns with her dropt on their knees, and so did M. Gaulthier and myself. We then went to an apartment or small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, at the entrance of which, they all fell on their knees again. We afterwards saw the kitchen, the dining hall and the apartment they work in, which is large and fine. They do all sorts of neat work there, gild pictures, make artificial flowers, &c. The dining hall is disposed in the same manner as in the other two monasteries. Under the tables are small drawers for each nun to keep her napkin, knife and fork, and other things in. Their cells are small, and each nun has one to herself. The walls are not painted; a little bed, a table with a drawer, and a crucifix, and pictures of saints on it, and a chair, constitute the whole furniture of a cell. We were then led into a room full of young ladies about twelve years old and below that age, lent hither by their parents to be instructed in reading, and in matters of religion. They are allowed to go to visit their relations once a day, but must not stay away long. When they have learnt reading, and have received instructions in religion, they return to their parents again. Near the monastery, is a fine garden, which is surrounded with a high wall. It belongs to this institution, and is stocked with all sorts of kitchen-herbs and fruit-trees. When the nuns are at work, or during dinner, every thing is silent in the rooms, unless some one of them reads to the others; but after dinner, they have leave to take a walk for an hour or two in the garden, or to divert themselves within-doors. After we had seen every thing remarkable here, we took our leave, and departed.

About a quarter of a Swedish mile to the west of Quebec, is a well of mineral waters, which carries a deal of iron ocker with it, and has a pretty strong taste. M. Gaulthier said, that he had prescribed it with success in costive cases and the like diseases.

I have been assured, that there are no snakes in the woods and fields round Quebec, whose bite is poisonous; so that one can safely walk in the grass. I have never found any that endeavoured to bite, and all were very fearful. In the south parts of Canada, it is not adviseable to be off one’s guard.

The Mickmacks are dressed like the Hurons, but distinguish themselves by their long strait hair, of a jetty-black colour. Almost all the Indians have black strait hair; however, I have met with a few, whose hair was pretty much curled. But it is to be observed, that it is difficult to judge of the true complexion of the Canada Indians, their blood being mixed with the Europeans, either by the adopted prisoners of both sexes, or by the Frenchmen, who travel in the country, and often contribute their share towards the encrease of the Indian families, their women not being very shy. The Mickmacks are commonly not so tall as the Hurons. I have not seen any Indians whose hair was as long and strait as theirs. Their language is different from that of the Hurons; therefore there is an interpreter here for them on purpose.

The Anies are the third kind of Indians which came hither. Fifty of them went out in the war, being allies of the English, in order to plunder in the neighbourhood of Montreal. But the French, being informed of their scheme, laid an ambush, and killed with the first discharge of their guns forty-four of them; so that only the four who were here to-day saved their lives, and two others, who were ill at this time. They are as tall as the Hurons, whose language they speak. The Hurons seem to have a longer, and the Anies a rounder face. The Anies have something cruel in their looks; but their dress is the same as that of the other Indians. They wear an oblong piece of white tin between the hair which lies on the neck. One of those I saw had taken a flower of the rose mallow, out of a garden, where it was in full blossom at this time, and put it among the hair at the top of his head. Each of the Indians has a tobacco-pipe of grey lime-stone, which is blackened afterwards, and has a long tube of wood. There were no Indian women present at this interview. As soon as the governor-general came in, and was seated in order to speak with them, the Mickmacks sat down on the ground, like Laplanders, but the other Indians took chairs.

There is no printing-press in Canada, tho’ there formerly was one: but all books are brought from France, and all the orders made in the country are written, which extends even to the paper-currency. They pretend that the press is not yet introduced here, lest it should be the means of propagating libels against the government, and religion. But the true reason seems to ly in the poorness of the country, as no printer could put off a sufficient number of books for his subsistence; and another reason may be, that France may have the profit arising from the exportation of books hither.

The meals here are in many respects different from those in the English provinces. This perhaps depends upon the difference of custom, taste, and religion, between the two nations. They eat three meals a day, viz. breakfast, dinner, and supper. They breakfast commonly between seven and eight. For the French here rise very early, and the governor-general can be spoke to at seven o’clock, which is the time when he has his levee. Some of the men dip a piece of bread in brandy, and eat it; others take a dram of brandy, and eat a piece of bread after it. Chocolate is likewise very common for breakfast, and many of the ladies drink coffee. Some eat no breakfast at all. I have never seen tea made use of; perhaps because they can get coffee and chocolate from the French provinces in South-America; but must get tea from China, for which it is not worth their while to send the money out of their country. Dinner is pretty exactly at noon. People of quality have a great variety of dishes, and the rest follow their example, when they invite strangers. The loaves are oval, and baked of wheat flour. For each person they put a plate, napkin, spoon, and fork. Sometimes they likewise give knives; but they are generally omitted, all the ladies and gentlemen being provided with their own knives. The spoons and forks are of silver, and the plates of Delft ware. The meal begins with a soup, with a good deal of bread in it. Then follow fresh meats of various kinds, boiled, and roasted, poultry, or game, fricassees, ragoos, &c. of several sorts; together with different kinds of sallads. They commonly drink red claret at dinner, mixed with water; and spruce beer is likewise much in use. The ladies drink water, and sometimes wine. After dinner the fruit and sweet-meats are served up, which are of many different kinds, viz. walnuts from France, or Canada, either ripe, or pickled; almonds, raisins, haselnuts, several kinds of berries, which are ripe in the summer season, such as currants, cran-berries, which are preserved in treacle; many preserves in sugar as straw-berries, rasp-berries, black-berries, and moss-berries. Cheese is likewise a part of the desert, and so is milk, which they eat last of all with sugar. Friday and Saturday they eat no flesh, according to the Roman catholic rites; but they well know how to guard against hunger. On those days they boil all sorts of kitchen-herbs, and fruit; fishes, eggs, and milk, prepared in various ways. They cut cucumbers into slices, and eat them with cream, which is a very good dish. Sometimes they put whole cucumbers on the table, and every body that likes them takes one, peels, and slices it, and dips the slices into salt, eating them like raddishes. Melons abound here, and are always eaten with sugar. They never put any sugar into wine, or brandy, and upon the whole, they and the English do not use half so much sugar, as we do in Sweden; though both nations have large sugar-plantations in their West-Indian possessions. They say no grace before, or after their meals, but only cross themselves, which is likewise omitted by some. Immediately after dinner, they drink a dish of coffee, without cream. Supper is commonly at seven o’clock, or between seven and eight at night, and the dishes the same as at dinner. Pudding and punch is not to be met with here, though the latter is well known.

August the 23d. In many places hereabouts they use their dogs to fetch water out of the river. I saw two great dogs to-day put before a little cart, one before the other. They had neat harness, like horses, and bits in their mouths. In the cart was a barrel. The dogs are directed by a boy, who runs behind the cart, and as soon as they come to the river, they jump in, of their own accord. When the barrel is filled, the dogs draw their burthen up the hill again, to the house they belong to. I have frequently seen dogs employed in this manner, during my stay at Quebec. Sometimes they put but one dog before the water-carts, which are made small on purpose. The dogs are not very great, hardly of the size of our common farmers dogs. The boys that attend them have great whips, with which they make them go on occasionally. I have seen them fetch not only water, but likewise wood, and other things. In winter it is customary in Canada, for travellers to put dogs before little sledges, made on purpose to hold their clothes, provisions, &c. Poor people commonly employ them on their winter-journies, and go on foot themselves. Almost all the wood, which the poorer people in this country fetch out of the woods in winter, is carried by dogs, which have therefore got the name of horses of the poor people. They commonly place a pair of dogs before each load of wood. I have likewise seen some neat little sledges, for ladies to ride in, in winter; they are drawn by a pair of dogs, and go faster on a good road, than one would think. A middle-sized dog is sufficient to draw a single person, when the roads are good. I have been told by old people, that horses were very scarce here in their youth, and almost all the land-carriage was then effected by dogs. Several Frenchmen, who have been among the Esquimaux on Terra Labrador, have assured me, that they not only make use of dogs for drawing drays, with their provisions, and other necessaries, but are likewise drawn by them themselves, in little sledges.

August the 25th. The high hills, to the west of the town, abound with springs. These hills consist of the black lime-slate, before mentioned, and are pretty steep, so that it is difficult to get to the top. Their perpendicular height is about twenty or four and twenty yards. Their summits are destitute of trees, and covered with a thin crust of earth, lying on the lime-slates, and are employed for corn-fields, or pastures. It seems inconceivable therefore, from whence these naked hills could take so many running springs, which in some places gush out of the hills, like torrents. Have these hills the quality of attracting the water out of the air in the day time, or at night? Or are the lime-slates more apt to it, than others?

All the horses in Canada are strong, well made, swift, as tall as the horses of our cavalry, and of a breed imported from France. The inhabitants have the custom of docking the tails of their horses, which is rather hard upon them here, as they cannot defend themselves against the numerous swarms of gnats, gad-flies, and horse-flies. They put the horses one before the other in their carts, which has probably occasioned the docking of their tails, as the horses would hurt the eyes of those behind them, by moving their tails backwards and forwards. The governor-general, and a few of the chief people in town, have coaches, the rest make use of open horse-chairs. It is a general complaint, that the country people begin to keep too many horses, by which means the cows are kept short of food in winter.

Every countryman commonly keeps a few sheep, which supply him with as much wool as he wants to cloth himself with. The better sort of clothes are brought from France. The sheep degenerate here, after they are brought from France, and their progeny still more so. The want of food in winter is said to cause this degeneration.

I have not seen any goats in Canada, and I have been assured that there are none. I have seen but very few in the English colonies, and only in their towns, where they are kept on account of some sick people, who drink the milk by the advice of their physicians.

The harrows are triangular; two of the sides are six feet, and the third four feet long. The teeth, and every other part of the harrows are of wood. The teeth are about five inches long, and about as much distant from each other.

The prospect of the country about a quarter of a mile Swedish, north of Quebec, on the west side of the river St. Lawrence, is very fine. The country is very steep towards the river, and grows higher as you go further from the water. In many places it is naturally divided into terraces. From the heights, one can look a great way: Quebec appears very plain to the south, and the river St. Lawrence to the east, on which were vessels sailing up and down. To the west are the high mountains, which the hills of the river end with. All the country is laid out for corn-fields, meadows, and pastures; most of the fields were sown with wheat, many with white oats, and some with pease. Several fine houses and farms are interspersed all over the country, and none are ever together. The dwelling-house is commonly built of black lime-slates, and generally white-washed on the outside. Many rivulets and brooks roll down the high grounds, above which the great mountains ly, and which consist entirely of the black lime-slates, that shiver in pieces in the open air. On the lime-slates lies a mould of two or three feet in depth. The soil in the corn-fields is always mixed with little pieces of the lime-slate. All the rivulets cut their beds deep into the ground; so that their shores are commonly of lime-slate. A dark-grey lime-stone is sometimes found among the strata, which, when broke, smells like stink-stone.

They were now building several ships below Quebec, for the king’s account. However, before my departure, an order arrived from France, prohibiting the further building of ships of war, except those which were already on the stocks; because they had found, that the ships built of American oak do not last so long as those of European oak. Near Quebec is found very little oak, and what grows there is not fit for use, being very small; therefore they are obliged to fetch their oak timber from those parts of Canada which border upon New-England. But all the North-American oaks have the quality of lasting longer, and withstanding putrefaction better, the further north they grow, and vice versâ. The timber from the confines of New-England is brought in floats or rafts on the rivers near those parts, and near the lake St. Pierre, which fall into the great river St. Lawrence. Some oak is likewise brought from the country between Montreal and Fort St. Frederic, or Fort Champlain; but it is not reckoned so good as the first, and the place it comes from is further distant.

All the brooks in Canada contain crawfish, of the same kind with ours. The French are fond of eating them, and say they are vastly decreased in number since they have begun to catch them.

The common people in the country, seem to be very poor. They have the necessaries of life, and but little else. They are content with meals of dry bread and water, bringing all other provisions, such as butter, cheese, flesh, poultry, eggs, &c. to town, in order to get money for them, for which they buy clothes and brandy for themselves, and dresses for their women. Notwithstanding their poverty, they are always chearful, and in high spirits.

August the 29th. By the desire of the governor-general, marquis de la Jonquiere, and of marquis de la Galissonniere, I set out, with some French gentlemen, to visit the pretended silver-mine, or the lead-mine, near the bay St. Paul. I was glad to undertake this journey, as it gave me an opportunity of seeing a much greater part of the country, than I should otherwise have done. This morning therefore we set out on our tour in a boat, and went down the river St. Lawrence.

The harvest was now at hand, and I saw all the people at work in the corn-fields. They had began to reap wheat and oats, a week ago.

The prospect near Quebec is very lively from the river. The town lies very high, and all the churches, and other buildings, appear very conspicuous. The ships in the river below ornament the landscape on that side. The powder magazine, which stands at the summit of the mountain, on which the town is built, towers above all the other buildings.

The country we passed by afforded a no less charming sight. The river St. Lawrence flows nearly from south to north here; on both sides of it are cultivated fields, but more on the west side than on the east side. The hills on both shores are steep, and high. A number of fine hills, separated from each other, large fields, which looked quite white from the corn with which they are covered, and excellent woods of deciduous trees, made the country round us look very pleasant. Now and then we saw a church of stone, and in several places brooks fell from the hills into the river. Where the brooks are considerable, there they have made saw-mills, and water-mills.

After rowing for the space of a French mile and a half, we came to the isle of Orleans, which is a large island, near seven French miles and a half long, and almost two of those miles broad, in the widest part. It lies in the middle of the river St. Lawrence, is very high, has steep and very woody shores. There are some places without trees, which have farm-houses below, quite close to the shore. The isle itself is well cultivated, and nothing but fine houses of stone, large corn-fields, meadows, pastures, woods of deciduous trees, and some churches built of stone, are to be seen on it.

We went into that branch of the river which flows on the west side of the isle of Orleans, it being the shortest. It is reckoned about a quarter of a French mile broad, but ships cannot take this road, on account of the sand-banks, which ly here near the projecting points of land, and on account of the shallowness of the water, the rocks, and stones at the bottom. The shores on both sides still kept the same appearance as before. On the west side, or on the continent, the hills near the river consist throughout of black lime-slate, and the houses of the peasants are made of this kind of stone, white-washed on the outside. Some few houses are of different kinds of stone. The row of ten mountains, which is on the west side of the river, and runs nearly from south to north, gradually comes nearer to the river: for at Quebec they are near two French miles distant from the shore; but nine French miles lower down the river, they are almost close to the shore. These mountains are generally covered with woods, but in some places the woods have been destroyed by accidental fires. About eight French miles and a half from Quebec, on the west side of the river, is a church, called St. Anne, close to the shore. This church is remarkable, because the ships from France and other parts, as soon as they are got so far up the river St. Lawrence, as to get sight of it, give a general discharge of their artillery, as a sign of joy, that they have past all danger in the river, and have escaped all the sands in it.

The water had a pale red colour, and was very dirty in those parts of the river, which we saw to-day, though it was every where computed above six fathoms deep. Somewhat below St. Anne, on the west side of the river St. Lawrence, another river, called la Grande Riviere, or the Great River, falls in it. Its water flows with such violence, as to make its way almost into the middle of the branch of the river St. Lawrence, which runs between the continent, and the isle of Orleans.

About two o’clock in the afternoon the tide began to flow up the river, and the wind being likewise against us, we could not proceed any farther, till the tide began to ebb. We therefore took up our night lodgings in a great farm, belonging to the priests in Quebec, near which is a fine church, called St. Joachim, after a voyage of about eight French miles. We were exceeding well received here. The king has given all the country round about this place to the seminary, or the priests at Quebec, who have leased it to farmers, who have built houses on it. Here are two priests, and a number of young boys, whom they instruct in reading, writing, and Latin. Most of these boys are designed for priests: Directly opposite this farm, to the eastward, is the north-east point, or the extremity of the isle of Orleans.

All the gardens in Canada abound with red currant shrubs, which were at first brought over from Europe. They grow excessively well here, and the shrubs, or bushes, are quite red, being covered all over with the berries.

The strong contrary winds obliged us to ly all night at St. Joachim.

For the distance of five French miles we had a very dangerous passage to go through; for the whole western shore, along which we rowed, consists of very high and steep mountains, where we could not have found a single place to land with safety, during the space of five miles, in case a high wind had arisen. There are indeed two or three openings, or holes, in the mountains, into which one could have drawn the boat, in the greatest danger. But they are so narrow, that in case the boat could not find them in the hurry, it would inevitably be dashed against the rocks. These high mountains are either quite bare, or covered with some small firs, standing far asunder. In some places there are great clefts, going down the mountains, in which trees grow very close together, and are taller than on the other parts of the mountain; so that those places look like quick-hedges, planted on the solid rock. A little while after we passed a small church, and some farms round it. The place is called Petite Riviere, and they say, its inhabitants are very poor, which seems very probable. They have no more land to cultivate, than what lies between the mountains and the river, which in the widest part is not above three musket shot, and in most parts but one broad. About seventeen French miles from Quebec the water is so salty in the river, that no one can drink it, our rowers therefore provided themselves with a kettle full of fresh water this morning. About five o’clock in the evening, we arrived at bay St. Paul, and took our lodgings with the priests, who have a fine large house here, and entertained us very hospitably.

Bay St. Paul is a small parish, about eighteen French miles below Quebec, lying at some distance from the shore of a bay formed by the river, on a low plain. It is surrounded by high mountains on every side, one large gap excepted, which is over-against the river. All the farms are at some distance from each other. The church is reckoned one of the most ancient in Canada; which seems to be confirmed by its bad architecture, and want of ornaments; for the walls are formed of pieces of timber, erected at about two feet distance from each other, supporting the roof. Between these pieces of timber, they have made the walls of the church of lime-slate. The roof is flat. The church has no steeple, but a bell fixed above the roof, in the open air. Almost all the country in this neighbourhood belongs to the priests, who have leased it to the farmers. The inhabitants live chiefly upon agriculture and making of tar, which last is sold at Quebec.

It is remarkable, that there is generally a different wind in the bay from that in the river, which arises from the high mountains, covered with tall woods, with which it is surrounded on every side but one. For example, when the wind comes from the river, it strikes against one of the mountains at the entrance of the bay, it is reflected, and consequently takes a direction quite different from what it had before.

August the 31st. All the high hills in the neighbourhood sent up a smoke this morning, as from a charcoal-kiln.

This afternoon we went still lower down the river St. Lawrence, to a place, where, we were told, there were silver or lead mines. Somewhat below bay St. Paul, we passed a neck of land, which consists entirely of a grey, pretty compact lime-stone, lying in dipping, and almost perpendicular strata. It seems to be merely a variety of the black lime-slates. The strata dip to the south-east, and basset out to the north-west. The thickness of each is from ten to fifteen inches. When the stone is broken, it has a strong smell, like stink-stone. We kept, as before, to the western shore of the river, which consists of nothing but steep mountains and rocks. The river is not above three French miles broad here. Now and then we could see stripes in the rock of a fine white, loose, semi-opaque spar. In some places of the river are pieces of rock as big as houses, which had rolled from the mountains in spring. The places they formerly occupied are plainly to be seen.

Late at night we arrived at Terre d’Eboulement, which is twenty-two French miles from Quebec, and the last cultivated place on the western shore of the river St. Lawrence. The country lower down is said to be so mountainous, that no body can live in it, there not being a single spot of ground, which could be tilled. A little church, belonging to this place, stands on the shore, near the water.

No walnut-trees grow near this village, nor are there any kinds of them further north of this place. At bay St. Paul, there are two or three walnut-trees of that species which the English call butter-nut-trees; but they are looked upon as great rarities, and there are no others in the neighbourhood.

Oaks of all kinds, will not grow near this place, nor lower down, or further north.

Wheat is the kind of corn which is sown in the greatest quantities here. The soil is pretty fertile, and they have sometimes got twenty-four or twenty-six bushels from one, though the harvest is generally ten or twelve fold. The bread here is whiter than any where else in Canada.

They sow plenty of oats, and it succeeds better than the wheat.

They sow likewise a great quantity of peas, which yield a greater encrease than any corn; and there are examples of its producing an hundred fold.

Here are but few birds; and those that pass the summer here, migrate in autumn; so that there are no other birds than snow-birds, red partridges, and ravens, in winter. Even crows do not venture to expose themselves to the rigours of winter, but take flight in autumn.

The Bull-frogs live in the pools of this neighbourhood. Fire flies are likewise to be found here.

Instead of candles, they make use of lamps in country places, in which they burn train-oil of porpesses, which is the common oil here. Where they have none of it, they supply its place with train-oil of seals.

September the 1st. There was a woman with child in this village, who was now in the fifty-ninth year of her age. She had not had the catamenia during eighteen years. In the year 1748, she got the small-pox, and now she was very big. She said she was very well, and could feel the motions of the fœtus. She looked very well, and had her husband alive. This being an uncommon case, she was brought to the royal physician, M. Gaulthier, who accompanied us on this journey.

At half an hour after seven this morning we went down the river. The country near Terre d’Eboulement is high, and consists of hills of a loose mould, which ly in three or four rows above each other, and are all well cultivated, and mostly turned into corn-fields; though there are likewise meadows and pastures.

There are pieces of black lime-slate scattered on those hills, which consist of mould. For the space of eight French miles along the side of the river, there is not a piece of lime-slate to be seen; but instead of it, there are high grey mountains, consisting of a rock-stone, which contains a purple and a crystaline quartz, mixed with lime-stone, and black glimmer. The roots of these mountains go into the water. We now begin to see the lime-slates again.

The river is here computed at about four French miles broad.

On the sides of the river, about two French miles inland, there are such terraces of earth as at Terre d’Eboulement; but soon after they are succeeded by high disagreeable mountains.

Several brooks fall into the river here, over the steep shores, with a great noise. The shores are sometimes several yards high, and consist either of earth, or of rock-stone.

One of these brooks, which flows over a hill of lime-stone, contains a mineral water. It has a strong smell of sulphur, is very clear, and does not change its colour, when mixed with gall-apples. If it is poured into a silver cup, it looks as if the cup was gilt; and the water leaves a sediment of a crimson colour at the bottom. The stones and pieces of wood, which ly in the water, are covered with a slime, which is pale grey at the top, and black at the bottom of the stone. This slime has not much pungency, but tastes like oil of tobacco. My hands had a sulphureous smell all day, because I had handled some of the slimy stones.

The black lime-slate now abounds again, near the level of the water. It lies in strata, which are placed almost perpendicularly near each other, inclining a little towards W. S. W. Each stratum is between ten and fifteen inches thick. Most of them are shivered into thin leaves at the top, towards the day; but in the inside, whither neither sun, nor air and water can penetrate, they are close and compact. Some of these stones are not quite black, but have a greyish cast.

About noon we arrived at Cap aux Oyes, or Geese Cape, which has probably got its name from the number of wild geese which the French found near it, on their first arrival in Canada. At present, we saw neither geese, nor any kind of birds here, a single raven excepted. Here we were to examine the renowned metallic veins in the mountain; but found nothing more than small veins of a fine white spar, containing a few specks of lead ore. Cap aux Oyes is computed twenty-two, or twenty-five French miles distant from Quebec. I was most pleased by finding, that most of the plants are the same as grow in Sweden; a proof of which I shall produce in the sequel.

The sorb-tree, or mountain-ash, the cranberry-bush, the juniper-tree, the sea-side pease, the Linnæa, and many other Swedish plants, are likewise to be met with here.

We returned to bay St. Paul to-day. A grey seal swam behind the boat for some time, but was not near enough to be shot at.

The sulphureous springs (if I may so call them) are at the foot of the mountain, which contains the silver, or lead ore. Several springs join here, and form a little brook. The water in those brooks is covered with a white membrane, and leaves a white, mealy matter on the trees, and other bodies in its way; this matter has a strong sulphureous smell. Trees, covered with this mealy matter, when dried and set on fire, burn with a blue flame, and emit a smell of sulphur. The water does not change by being mixed with gall-apples, nor does it change blue paper into a different colour, which is put into it. It makes no good lather with soap. Silver is tarnished, and turns black, if kept in this water for a little while. The blade of a knife was turned quite black, after it had lain about three hours in it. It has a disagreeable smell, which, they say, it spreads still more in rainy weather. A number of grasshoppers were fallen into it at present. The inhabitants used this water, as a remedy against the itch.

The sand on the shore of the river St. Lawrence, consists in some places of a kind of pearl-sand. The grains are of quartz, small and semidiaphanous. In some places it consists of little particles of glimmer; and there are likewise spots, covered with the garnet-coloured sand, which I have before described, and which abounds in Canada.

September the 4th. The mountains hereabouts were covered with a very thick fog to-day, resembling the smoak of a charcoal kiln. Many of these mountains are very high. During my stay in Canada, I asked many people, who have travelled much in North-America, whether they ever met with mountains so high, that the snow never melts on them in winter; to which they always answered in the negative. They say that the show sometimes stays on the highest, viz. on some of those between Canada and the English colonies, during a great part of the summer; but that it melts as soon as the great heat begins.

Every countryman sows as much flax as he wants for his own use. They had already taken it up some time ago, and spread it on the fields, meadows, and pastures, in order to bleach it. It was very short this year in Canada.

They find iron-ore in several places hereabouts. Almost a Swedish mile from bay St. Paul, up in the country, there is a whole mountain full of iron ore. The country round it is covered with a thick forest, and has many rivulets of different sizes, which seem to make the erection of iron-works very easy here. But the government having as yet suffered very much by the iron-works at Trois Rivieres, nobody ventures to propose any thing further in that way.

September the 5th. Early this morning we set out on our return to Quebec. We continued our journey at noon, notwithstanding the heavy rain and thunder we got afterwards. At that time we were just at Petite Riviere, and the tide beginning to ebb, it was impossible for us to come up against it; therefore we lay by here, and went on shore.

Petite Riviere is a little village, on the western side of the river St. Lawrence, and lies on a little rivulet, from whence it takes its name. The houses are built of stone, and are dispersed over the country. Here is likewise a fine little church of stone. To the west of the village are some very high mountains, which cause the sun to set three or four hours sooner here, than ordinary. The river St. Lawrence annually cuts off a piece of land, on the east side of the village, so that the inhabitants fear they will in a short time lose all the land they possess here, which at most is but a musket shot broad. All the houses here are very full of children.

The lime-slates on the hills are of two kinds. One is a black one, which I have often mentioned, and on which the town of Quebec is built. The other is generally black, and sometimes dark grey, and seems to be a species of the former. It is called Pierre à chaux here. It is chiefly distinguished from the former, by being cut very easily, giving a very white lime, when burnt, and not easily mouldering into shivers in the air. The walls of the houses here are entirely made of this slate; and likewise the chimnies, those places excepted, which are exposed to the greatest fire, where they place pieces of grey rock-stone, mixed with a deal of glimmer. The mountains near Petite Riviere consist merely of a grey rock-stone, which is entirely the same with that which I described near the lead-mines of bay St. Paul. The foot of these mountains consists of one of the lime-slate kinds. A great part of the Canada mountains of grey rock-stone stand on a kind of slate, in the same manner as the grey rocks of West-Gothland in Sweden.

September the 6th. They catch eels and porpesses here, at a certain season of the year, viz. at the end of September, and during the whole month of October. The eels come up the river at that time, and are caught in the manner I have before described. They are followed by the porpesses, which feed upon them. The greater the quantity of eels is, the greater is likewise the number of porpesses, which are caught in the following manner. When the tide ebbs in the river, the porpesses commonly go down along the sides of the river, catching the eels which they find there. The inhabitants of this place therefore stick little twigs, or branches with leaves, into the river, in a curve line or arch, the ends of which look towards the shore, but stand at some distance from it, leaving a passage there. The branches stand about two feet distant from each other. When the porpesses come amongst them, and perceive the rustling the water makes with the leaves, they dare not venture to proceed, fearing lest there should be a snare, or trap, and endeavour to go back. Mean while the water has receded so much, that in going back they light upon one of the ends of the arch, whose moving leaves frighten them again. In this confusion they swim backwards and forwards, till the water is entirely ebbed off, and they ly on the bottom, where the inhabitants kill them. They give a great quantity of train-oil.

Near the shore, is a grey clay, full of ferruginous cracks, and pierced by worms. The holes are small, perpendicular, and big enough to admit a middling pin. Their sides are likewise ferruginous, and half-petrified; and where the clay has been washed away by the water, the rest looks like ocker-coloured stumps of tobacco-pipe tubes.

At noon we left Petite Riviere, and continued our journey towards St. Joachim.

Between Petite Riviere, which lies in a little bay, and St. Joachim, the western shore of the river St. Lawrence consists of prominent mountains, between which there are several small bays. They have found, by long experience, that there is always a wind on these mountains, even when it is calm at Petite Riviere. And when the wind is pretty high at the last-mentioned place, it is not adviseable to go to Quebec in a boat, the wind and waves, in that case, being very high near these mountains. We had at present an opportunity of experiencing it. In the creeks between the mountains, the water was almost quite smooth; but on our coming near one of the points formed by the high mountains, the waves encreased, and the wind was so high, that two people were forced to take care of the helm, and the mast broke several times. The waves are likewise greatly encreased by the strong current near those points or capes.

September the 7th. A little before noon, we continued our voyage from St. Joachim.

They employ tree-mushrooms very frequently instead of tinder. Those which are taken from the sugar-maple are reckoned the best; those of the red maple are next in goodness; and next to them, those of the sugar-birch. For want of these, they likewise make use of those which grow on the asp-tree or tremble.

There are no other ever-green trees in this part of Canada, than the thuya, the yew, and some of the fir kind.

The thuya is esteemed for resisting putrefaction much longer than any other wood; and next in goodness to it is the pine, called perusse here.

They make cheese in several places hereabouts. That of the isle of Orleans is, however, reckoned the best. This kind is small, thin, and round; and four of them weigh about a French pound. Twelve of them sell for thirty sols. A pound of salt butter costs ten sols at Quebec, and of fresh butter, fifteen sols. Formerly, they could get a pound of butter for four sols here.

The corn-fields towards the river are sloping; they are suffered to ly fallow and to be sown alternately. The sown ones looked yellow at this distance, and the fallow ones green. The weeds are left on the latter all summer, for the cattle to feed upon.

The ash wood furnishes the best hoops for tuns here; and for want of it, they take the thuya, little birch-trees, wild cherry-trees, and others.

The hills near the river, on the western side, opposite the isle of Orleans, are very high and pretty steep. They consist, in most part, of black lime-slate. There are likewise some spots which consist of a rock-stone, which, at first sight, looks like a sand-stone, and is composed of grey quartz, a reddish lime-stone, a little grey lime-stone, and some pale grey grains of sand. These parts of the stone are small and pretty equally mixed with each other. The stone looks red, with a greyish cast, and is very hard. It lies in strata, one above another. The thickness of each stratum is about five inches. It is remarkable, that there are both elevated and hollow impressions of pectinites on the surface, where one likewise meets with the petrified shells themselves; but on breaking the stone, it does not even contain the least vestige of an impression or petrified shell. All the impressions are small, about the length and breadth of an inch. The particles of quartz in the stone strike fire with steel, and the particles of lime-stone effervesce strongly with aqua-fortis. The upper and lower surfaces of the strata consist of lime-stone, and the inner parts of quartz. They break great quantities of this stone in order to build houses of it, pave floors with it, and make stair-cases of it. Great quantities of it are sent to Quebec. It is remarkable, that there are petrefactions in this stone, but never any in the black lime-slates.

This evening, M. Gaulthier and I went to see the water-fall at Montmorenci. The country near the river is high and level, and laid out into meadows. Above them the high and steep hills begin, which are covered with a crust of mould, and turned into corn-fields. In some very steep places, and near the rivulets, the hills consist of mere black lime-slate, which is often crumbled into small pieces, like earth. All the fields below the hills are full of such pieces of lime-slate. When some of the larger pieces are broken, they smell like stink-stone. In some more elevated places, the earth consists of a pale red colour; and the lime-slates are likewise reddish.

There are no coals near this fall, or in the steep hills close to it. However, the people in the neighbouring village shewed me a piece of coal, which, they said, they had found on one of the hills about the fall.

We arrived at Quebec very late at night.

September the 8th, Intermitting fevers of all kinds are very rare at Quebec, as Mr. Gaulthier affirms. On the contrary, they are very common near Fort St. Frederic, and near Fort Detroit, which is a French colony, between lake Erie and lake Huron, in forty-three degrees north latitude.

Some of the people of quality make use of ice-cellars, to keep beer cool in, during summer, and to keep fresh flesh, which would not keep long in the great heat. These ice-cellars are commonly built of stone, under the house. The walls of it are covered with boards, because the ice is more easily consumed by stones. In winter, they fill it with snow, which is beat down with the feet, and covered with water. They then open the cellar holes and the door, to admit the cold. It is customary in summer to put a piece of ice into the water or wine which is to be drank.

All the salt which is made use of here, is imported from France. They likewise make good salt here of the sea water; but France keeping the salt trade entirely to itself, they do not go on with it here.

The Esquimaux are a particular kind of American savages, who live only near the water, and never far in the country, on Terra Labrador, between the most outward point of the mouth of the river St. Lawrence and Hudson’s bay. I have never had an opportunity of seeing one of them. I have spoken with many Frenchmen who have seen them, and had them on board their own vessels. I shall here give a brief history of them, according to their unanimous accounts.

Their shoes, stockings, breeches, and jackets are made of seal-skins well prepared, and sewed together with nerves of whales, which may be twisted like threads and are very tough. Their cloaths, the hairy side of which is turned outwards, are sewed together so well, that they can go up to their shoulders in the water without wetting their under cloaths. Under their upper cloaths, they wear shirts and waistcoats made of seals skins, prepared so well as to be quite soft. I saw one of their womens dresses; a cap, a waistcoat, and coat, made all of one piece of seals skin well prepared, soft to the touch, and the hair on the outside. Their is a long train behind at their coats, which scarce reach them to the middle of the thigh before; under it they wear breeches and boots, all of one piece. The shirt I saw was likewise made of a very soft seals skin. The Esquimaux women are said to be handsomer than any of the American Indian women, and their husbands are accordingly more jealous in proportion.

I have likewise seen an Esquimaux boat. The outside of it consists entirely of skins, the hair of which has been taken off; and the sides of the skins on which they were inserted are turned outwards, and feel as smooth as vellum. The boat was near fourteen feet long, but very narrow, and very sharp pointed at the extremities. In the inside of the boat, they place two or three thin boards, which give a kind of form to the boat. It is quite covered with skins at the top, excepting, near one end, a hole big enough for a single person to sit and row in, and keep his thighs and legs under the deck. The figure of the hole resembles a semi-circle, the base or diameter of which is turned towards the larger end of the boat. The hole is surrounded with wood, on which a soft folded skin is fastened, with straps at its upper end. When the Esquimaux makes use of his boat, he puts his legs and thighs under the deck, sits down at the bottom of the boat, draws the skin before mentioned round his body, and fastens it well with the straps; the waves may then beat over his boat with considerable violence, and not a single drop comes into it; the cloaths of the Esquimaux keep the wet from him. He has an oar in his hand, which has a paddle at each end; it serves him for rowing with, and keeping the boat in equilibrium during a storm. The paddles of the oar are very narrow. The boat will contain but a single person. Esquimaux have often been found safe in their boats many miles from land, in violent storms, where ships found it difficult to save themselves. Their boats float on the waves like bladders, and they row them with incredible velocity. I am told, they have boats of different shapes. They have likewise larger boats of wood, covered with leather in which several people may sit, and in which their women commonly go to sea.