St. Francis, a part of the St. Lawrence twenty-four miles long, and which, being from three to six miles broad, is consequently without any rapids. The second night, I stopped at the village of the Caughnewaga Indians, situated at the head of the La Chine rapids, and only about ten miles from Montreal. Here I at first experienced some difficulty in getting accommodation for the night, but was at last kindly received into the house of a French Canadian on the outskirts of the village, where I found most excellent cheer, and a good bed

The Indians of this village are by far the most civilized of any that I ever saw. They have all very comfortable houses, cultivate the earth, and possess a great many head of cattle. They have built a very large church with a steeple and bells, and support a Catholic priest who officiates in it. The young men and boys amuse themselves with fishing, shooting, &c.; and when I landed from the boat, which was late in the evening, I saw a great number of the young women, some of them very good looking, amusing themselves with swimming in the river.

In this village, the houses, sides of the church, &c., were all covered with myriads of that description of fly called in England the Mayfly. Clouds of these kept passing over the river, into which numbers fell, and were drowned, or devoured by

the fish What astonished me most was that they appeared call to come from the North. s gaivins236 The next morning, just as we began to deseend the La Chine rapids, our pilot Paul took off his hat, crossed himself, and said a prayer. The de scent was indeed more dangerous than I had sup posed; for a boat had that very morning been lost, and I saw the remains of it on the rock where it had struck. Visaared-:om to zady mod vlloitage

Down these rapids float many large timber-rafts, with oars afastened to different parts of them by means of which they are steered out of the current of the lost channel of each rapid, though constantly swung round and round by the violence of the stream: On these rafts there are often whole families, who appear to be tolerably comfortable in their little sheds or huts, made of loose boards, and in which they have even fires for the purpose of cooking.

I forgot to mention, that just before descending the La Chine rapids, we had one of those vlo lent thunder-storms so common in this part of América. The days had been intensely hot, and the sky without a cloud; when on a sudden, a large black spot was visible on the horizon, which risingh upwards formed a most extraordinary dark column. This continued to increase, and spread ing overhead, sent forth most vivid flashes of forked lightning, accompanied by claps of thunder that were quite terrific. or anlw more has oil. seoulua ed any ploome blvos I sbaar?

Theri first thing that every traveller remarks on arriving at Montreal, is that all the roofs of the houses and churches, and even all the steeples, are covered with tin. These, when the sun shines upon them, dazzle the eyes like so many lookingglasses. The houses are of stone, and very substantial; but the streets are remarkably narrow and inconvenient. In this respect they differ essentially from those of most towns in the United States, where the streets are in general very wide. Montreal indeed has all the appearances of a town in some old European country, where the houses are crowded together from the value of the ground on which they are built. mom bbq ismer

From carrying on a very considerable trade both with Europe and Upper Canada, Montreal is in a very flourishing condition and increases rapidly.

A canal might at a small expense be cut from the Ottawa, to a river falling into Lake Huron, and would thus not only obviate the portage occasioned by the falls of Niagara, but also the risk incurred, by descending the rapids of the St. Lawrence.hr & no poder; but .7

doThe inhabitants of Lower Canada, from having preserved their language, their religion, and their manners; differ altogether from any other people I have seen in North America. When passing through the different States of the federal Repub lic, and even when crossing the boundary to Upper Canada, I could scarcely perceive the slightest

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difference of national character; but the moment I entered Lower Canada, I found every thing changed, as completely indeed, as if I had passed from England to France.

The people of Lower Canada have made but little progress in agriculture, continuing their old system of cultivation, and being very unwilling to adopt even the most obvious improvements. Indeed, the generality of the inhabitants live in the same uncomfortable sort of houses that were built by the first emigrants; and there appears to be none of that spirit of enterprise, none of that wish to put themselves forward, that distinguishes the people of the United States, and of Upper Canada, and which will very soon place the Upper province far above the Lower one.

A great injury to the advancement of Lower Canada is, that whole families, nay, the inhabitants of a whole village often leave their habitations, and go up the St. Lawrence for the purpose of cutting lumber. At first sight, the money thus earned may appear so much clear profit; but it is not only a very precarious mode of gaining a livelihood, but it often occasions the land to be left uncultivated, and gives the men wandering habits that are destructive of industry.

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The French Canadians appear however upon the whole, to be a very contented set of people, with a great deal of leisure and but few cares, and pos sessing all that lightness of spirits, which charac

terizes the nation from which they are descended. They supply almost the only batteaux-men who navigate the St. Lawrence. Moreover, they form, I believe without exception, the only hunters for the North West Company an employment for which they are admirably adapted. They not only have a great inclination for a roving life, but when out on these hunting expeditions, which often last several years, they agree better with the Indians, than any other set of men; and are happy and contented upon much coarser fare, than would be agreeable to an Englishman, or the descendants of an Englishman.

After remaining a day or two at Montreal, I crossed the St. Lawrence, and bargained with a man, who possessed a small house on the bank, to drive me in his Char, as far as the village of La Prairie. My conductor was one of the most lively and light hearted fellows I ever met. He entertained me during the drive, with an account of himself, his parish, and the great proprietors in it. A Curé, who lived somewhere in his neighbourhood, seemed however to engross most of his thoughts. After telling me the number of bushels of grain this curé received, and which he appeared to think very prodigious, he held up the two forefingers of one of his hands, and exclaimed: "You may call the longer one the King, and the shorter one the curé; for there will soon be no greater difference between the wealth of these two personages." P61A