Letters from Canada, written during a residence there in the years 1806, 1807, and 1808;

Front matter

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Book froft

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Preface

The Author of these letters, from the nature of his pursuits in Canada, was led to direct his attention, in a particular manner, to the laws and the commerce of the country. In the investigation of its laws, ancient and modern, he became acquainted with the nature of the government ; and in the views he ''took of its commerce,-— the productions of the country, its commercial regulations, and political connexions in their different bearings, presented themselves to his consideration. Many important facts, and valuable commercial documents and calculations, relative to these interesting countries, were gradually collected and arranged.

During his residence in Canada, and while travelling through it, the manners

PREFACE.

and customs of the different classes of society did not pass unnoticed ; and the natural beauties of the country, which are every where conspicuous, were not regarded with indifference.

In Canada, nature presents itself in grand and imposing forms. To see, to feel, and to admire, necessarily follow each other. The peculiarities of the country, and of the climate, are striking; and the phenomena incident to the Canadian win-> ter are extremely curious. These were investigated with all the attention they seemed to deserve.

On his return to England, he found that the state of our political relations with the United States of America, and the northern powers of Europe, was still such as to render all communication with them extremely precarious ; any country, therefore, wrhich could give us the articles we had been in the habit of receiving from them, became doubly interesting. Such is Canada, and such are our other North American colonies. To point out the va-

PREFACE.

lue of the latter more forcibly, there are added in the Appendix the petitions and memorials from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to the British government, in which the productions and resources of those countries are stated, and the line of policy pointed out, which thej~ imagine most likely to promote their welfare.

The immense regions in North America, which still form a part of the British empire, are very little known to the English nation ; and yet the statesman, the philosopher, and the merchant, might there find an ample field for the exercise of his talents. The geographical position of our North American colonies, relative to the United States ; their immense extent of territory, and their commercial importance, ought to induce us (particularly at the present moment) to turn our attention that way. To effect this end, is, in a great measure, the object of the present publication.

LETTER I. Page

INTRODUCTORY— at sea 1

Letter II

Make Cape Breton — islands of ice — their origin and magnitude — Banks of Newfoundland — gulf stream —cause of the hazy weather generally found on the Banks of Newfoundland — Bankers - 9

Letter III

Gulf of St. Lawrence — Cape Breton — a short account of it — Magdalene islands — Island of Anticosti — Mouth of the St. Lawrence — country on each side of the river — mountains — principles for ascertaining their height — Labrador shore — Seven Islands — King's posts — a battle between a whale, a thresher, and a sword fish - - 18

Letter IV

Discovery of Canada, by Jaques Cartier — burning woods — visited by Indians — Islands of Bique, Kamouraska, &c. — the Traverse — Island of Orleans

Contents

Page —Bason of Quebec, and surrounding scenery — arrive at Quebec - - - 31

Letter V

The river St. Lawrence a fine approach to America —why — observations on theoriginal colonization of Canada — intrusted by the French king to private individuals — original discovery of Quebec — taken by the English in 1629, restored 1632 - 41

Letter VI

Samuel de Champlain founder of Quebec — advantages of its situation — Cape Diamond — Site of Quebec — Upper and Lower Town described— besieged by the Americans in 1775 — death of Montgomery— present population of Quebec — objects of curiosity — arsenals — nunneries — Roman catholic and protestant clergy — how supported— tythes - — fortifications of Quebec — Plains of Abrahamdeath of Wolfe — views of the surrounding country— Cape Diamond — why so named - 47

Letter VII

River St. Lawrence — extent of the ship navigation — its communication with the interior — situation of Quebec renders it the key of the St. Lawrence - - - - 69

Letter VIII

The policy of our government in the affairs and management of Canada — how far advisable in giving Canada a British constitution — Canadian legislators — their want of education and political

CONTENTS.

Page knowledge— division of Canada into two provinces— very impolitic — their union easy - 15

Letter IX

Falls on the River Chaudiere — travelling in the woods very difficult — not so to the Indians and voyageurs — why — delirium the effect of being lost in the woods — illustrated by examples — River Chaudiere — description of the Fall — the. Fall of Montmorency — description thereof — comparison between the Montmorency and Chaudiere - 87

Letter X

Influence of the Canadians in the legislature — - French language used in the House of Assembly — Le Canadkn, a French newspaper — observations upon the conduct of the managers thereof — the effects of conquest — Canadians* by the articles of capitulation, not granted their old laws — proved by a review of the articles of capitulation — bad effects of an improper adm'nistration of justice, illustrated by examples — in Canada, no bankrupt laws — consequences thereof - - 100

Letter XI

Travelling in Canada — the caleshes — the auberges — Canadian politeness conspicuous — manners of the people — appearance of the country — road from Quebec to Montreal — the seigneuries and concessions— rivers which fall into the St. Lawrence — Canadian farming — St. John's fort — Lake Champlain — Canadian farmers — in general poor — cause

CONTENTS.

Page of their poverty— the law making marriage a copartnership, and creating a communite de bien 124

Letter XII

Montreal — situation — Island of Montreal — surrounding country — Lake St. Peter's — markets of Montreal well supplied — La Chine — arrival and de* parture of the North-west canoes — the canoe described— the North-West Company — their origin —Canadian voyageurs— Upper Canada trade from Montreal — bateaux — Indians of different nations —remarks on them - - - 144

Letter XIII

Population of Canada— Upper and Lower Canada —reasons for a greater increase of population in Upper than in Lower Canada — Upper Canada preferred by emigrants — why — general idea of the trade of Canada— statement of exports on an average of five years — presents to the Indians— how far advisable that they should be continued 164

Letter XIV

Canadian trade with the United States— statement of imports from America, by way of St. John's, in 1806' — exports by way of St. John's — balance of trade against Canada— paid in specie— business of exchange considered — currency of Canada — government bills — treaty with America — advantages not reciprocal — American trade with India — its effects on the trade of Canada with Britain disadvantageous - - - - 179

CONTENTS.

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Letter XV

Productions and exports of Canada to Great Britain and elsewhere considered — wheat — flour — a scow described — biscuit — pease — barley — oats and Indian corn — hops — hemp — tythes to the clergy — lumber trade — pine — oak — maple — elm— ash— cedar, &c. — staves — rafts of wood — ships annually built in Canada — pot and pearl ashes — fisheries of the St. Lawrence — the fur trade — iron forges of Canada — manufactures of soap and candles, leather, hats, and snuff — maple sugar — inferior district of Gaspe — its trade and population — character of the merchants of Canada - 197

Letter XVI

The supplies required by our West India colonies — to what extent furnished by our North American colonies — policy of the Americans in regard to their fisheries — average importation of provisions and lumber into the West India islands for three years, ending 1806 — North American colonies claim the exclusive right of supplying the West India islands — their reasoning in support of such claim - - - - -231

Letter XVII

The Canadian winter — commences in November, when snow begins to fall — a snow storm — the country deserted by the winged creation — quadrupeds disappear — winter dress — the cariole> the winter carriage used by all descriptions of people —the navigation of the St. Lawrence closes — win-

CONTENTS.

Page ter customs and amusements — people not so liable to suffer from cold in Canada as in England — accounted for — winter air extremely dry — its effects resemble those of the Siroc wind — greatest degree of cold, and medium temperature, of December and January — winter roads — how formed — a pont ■!— the St. Lawrence freezing over, opposite to Quebec — the winter method of passing the St. Lawrence in canoes ... 243

Letter XVIII

Winter travelling — in carioles — on snow shoes — the military taught to walk on snow shoes— winter travelling very expeditious — the Canadian horse— a winter tour through Canada — summer and winter scenery contrasted — river du Loup — Maskinonge — Berthier — occupations of the natives during winter — winter iishing — petite morue — horses eat fish — re-animation of the fish after being out of the water for several days — arrive at Montreal — pic nic parties — hospitable reception of strangers in Canada — journey from Montreal into the United States, by way of Lake Champlain, over the ice — American sleighs — Laprairk — thence to Lake Champlain through the woods — a military pass — an American pitch — their method of clearing a piece of ground — extent of Lake Champlain— travelling on the lake very dangerous' — horses and sleigh often fall through the ice — horses S&yed— -curious method of doing so— weak places in the ice — cause thereof — cracks and openings in the ice—danger in passing them - - 260

CONTENTS.

Page

Letter XIX

Range of the thermometer in Canada — advantages derived from the frost — meat, fowls, and fish, preserved by being frozen — manner of doing so — -price of provisions in winter — fire wood — coals — extraordinary effects of cold — burning by a cold iron — exemplified and explained — frost-bitten frequent in Canada — the remedy- — the difference in the manner in which a cold iron, and a cold atmosphere affect the body - - - 282

Letter XX

A sudden change from extreme cold to warm weather frequent in the middle of winter — its effects — the ver glas — facts to shew the intensity of the cold — stoves generally used in Canada in winter — their advantages — experiments on the expansive force of freezing water in bomb-shells — the effects of frost on water confined in the fissures of rocks, in the walls of houses, &c. — Canadians use dogs in drawing light weights - - 299

LETTER XXIL

Conclusion of the Canadian winter — breaking up of the ice — account of a vessel arriving while the river was full of ice — state of the ice in the spring — vegetation under the snow — return of the feathered tribes — the land not so deeply penetrated by the frost as might be imagined — the causes

CONTENTS.

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thereof — the long continuance of winter may retard the improvement of Canada, but not prevent it — comparison between Russia and Canada — and between the Neva and the St. Lawrence — effect of winter on the habits of the people 312

Letter XXII

The constitution of Canada — the legislative council —•the house of assembly — observations on the propriety of having given to Canada a representative

1 form of government — complaints of the Canadians —unfounded — civil list of Canada — disposition of the mass of the people - 322

Letter XXIII

The English language not the language of Canada- English schools — opposed by the Canadians — government have not exerted themselves to introduce English — inducements for the Canadians to prefer English to French — English the most universal of all languages — Canadian militia - 335

Letter XXIV

Canadian tenures—^ fief- — en roture — the seigneuries — grants or concessions of land — townships held in free and common soccage — grantees bound to have a certain number of settlers on their lands in a given time — the boundaries of Canada — extract from the definitive treaty of peace with America— situation of the river St. Croix— Bay of Pas-

CONTENTS.

Page samaquoddy — sovereignty of the islands therein disputed — river Ponobscot — route from Nova Scotia to Quebec— in the grants of townships the crown makes certain reserves — roads leading from Canada to the United States — numbers of Americans settled on the townships — reflections thereon—policy of the mother country in her management of colonies - - - 346