Travels into North America [3]

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TRAVELS INTO NORTH AMERICA; CONTAINING Natural History, and

Its

A circumftantial Account of its Plantation^ and Agriculture in general,

WITH THE CIVIL,

ECCLESIASTICAL and commercial STATE OF THE COUNTRY,

The manners of the inhabitants, and feveral curious and important remarks on various Subjects.

By ProfefTor of

PETER

Oeconomy

Finland, and

K A L

M,

in the Univerfity of Aobo in Swedifh

Member

of the Snvedijh Royal

Academy of

Sciences.

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH By

JOHN REIN OLD FORSTER,

Enriched with a Map, feveral Cuts for the

F.A.S.

Illuftration of

Natural Hiflory, and fome additional Notes.

VOL.

in.

LONDON: Printed for the

And

Sold by T.

EDITOR;

Lowndes,

MDCCLXXI.

in Fleet-ftreet.

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2015

https://archive.org/details/travelsintonorth03kalm_1

*,

PREFACE OF THE

EDITOR. Could

I

have

was it which I am going

preface,

ft an ces,

The America

volume without not for fome c ire u ra-

left this

to

mention.

author of this account of North is

a

Swede, and therefore feems

always to fliew a peculiar

way of thinking

in regard to the Englijhin general,

gard to the

firft

and in re-

proprietors and inhabitants

of Philadelphia in particular.

The French

the natural enemies of the Engltjh, have, for

upwards of a century, been the

the Swedes ,

who

allies

of

therefore are in general

more fond of them than of the Englijk

The

external

politenefs of the

a 2

.

French in

Canada

P

Iv

Canada

R £ F A C

fully

captivated our

E. author, prented a greater {hare towards promoting natural hifiory, than any nation under heaven, and certainly more than tljje French t though their learned men are often handfomely penfioned by their great Mcnarque on the other hand the Englijh. ftudy that branch of knowledge, from the foie motive of its utility, and the pleafure it affords to a thinking being, without any of thofe mercenary views, held forth to the learned of other the

It

firil

countries.

,

,

And as

to the other parts of literature, the Englijh

French in Canada , and fchools founded in the Englijh colonies in North- America, and fo many very confiderable libraries now ere&ing in this country, which contain fuch a choice of ufeful and curious books, as were very little known in Canada , before it fell into the hands of the Englijh ; not to mention the productions of original genius written by Americans born. F. in

America are undoubtedly Superior

witnefs the

many

to the

ufeful inflitutions,

colleges,

3--*

8

July 1749.

complained of here, that thofe

who

ftudled

natural hiflory, did not fufficiently enquire into

the

Canada

of the plants of

medicinal ufe

.

The

French ,

who

are

born in France ,

are faid to enjoy a better health in

than

in their native

Canada

and to attain the French born in

country,

to a greater age, than

I was likewife allured that the Canada European Frenchmen can do more work, and perform more journies in winter, without prejudice to their health, than .

The

thofe born in this country.

inter-

mitting fever which attacks the Europeans on their arrival in Penfylvania , and which as it were makes the climate familiar to them,* is not known here, and the people are as well after their arrival as before. The Englijh have frequently obferved, that thofe who are born in America of European parents, can never bear fea-voyages, and go to the different parts of South America , as The French well as thofe born in Europe born in Canada have the fame conftitutions; and when any of them go to the WejtIndia iflands, fuch as Martinique , Domingo , &c. and make fome flay there, they com.

monly

fall

fick

and die foon

* See Vol.

I.

after

:

thofe

p. 364.

who

Fort

who

fall

St. Frederic

feldom

there

ill

9

.

recover, unlefs

they are brought back to Canada contrary, thofe iflands

who go from

can more

and attain confirmed

eafily

On

.

the

France to thofe

bear the climate,

age there, which in many parts of Canada

a great

heard

I .

July the 5th. Whilst we were at dinner, weicveral times heard a repeated difagreeable outcry, at fome diftance from the fort, in the river Woodcreek : Mr. Lufignan , the governor, told us this cry was no good omen, becaufe he could conclude from it that the Indians , fort

whom we

Anne , had completed

efcaped near

their defign

of

revenging the death of one of their brethren upon the Englifh , and that their fhouts fhewed that they had killed an Englijhman „

As

foon as

I

came

to the

window,

I

faw

with a long pole at one end, on the extremity of which they had put a bloody Ikull. As foon as they were landed, we heard that they, being fix in number, had continued their journey (from the place where we had marks of their pafling the night), till they had got within the Englijh boundaries, where they found a man and his their boat,

fon employed in mowing the corn. They crept on towards this man, and fhot him

dead upon the fpot.

This happened near the

very village, where the Englijh ,

two

years

before.

IO

July 1749.

before, killed the brother of one of thefe

who were

then gone out to attack them. According to their cuftom they cut off the fkull of the dead man, and took it with them, together with his clothes and his fon, who was about nine years old* Indians ,

As

came within a mile of fort they put the fkull on a pole, in the fore part of the boat, and fhouted, as a foon as they

St. Frederic ,

iign of their fuccefs.

in

fhirts,

as ufual,

They were

dreffed

but fome of them had

put on the dead man’s clothes ; one his the other his breeches, another his &c. Their faces were painted with million, with which their fhirts

marked acrofs the them had great rings

coat, hat,

Ver-

were

Moft of ears, which

fhoulders. in their

inconvenience to them, as they were obliged to hold them when they leaped, or did any thing which required a violent motion. Some of them

feemed

to be a great

had girdles of the with the rattles on murdered man had breeches and cap,

fkins of Rattle-fnakes ,

them

the fon of the 5 nothing but his fhirt, and the Indians had. marked his fhoulders with red. When they, got on fhore, they took hold of the pole on which the fkull was put, and danced and fung at the fame time. Their view in taking the boy, was to carry him to their

Fort their

St. Frederic .

habitations,

1 1

him

educate

to

inftead

of their dead brother, and afterwards to marry him to one of their relations. Notwithftanding they had perpetrated this ad of violence in time of peace, contrary to the

command

and

Frederic,

St.

of the governor in Montreal of the governor of

advice

the

to

prefent deny

v

yet the latter could

them

provifions,

not

at

and what-

ever they wanted for their journey, becaufe

he did not think

them

;

but

it

advifeable

to exafperate

when they came to Montreal, them to account for

the governor called

adion, and took the boy from them, whom he afterwards fent to his relations : Mr. Lujignan afked them, what they would have done to me and my companions, if they had met us in the defert ? They replied, that as it was their chief intention to take their revenge on the Englijh men in the village where their brother was killed, they would have let us alone ; but this

it

much depended on

were

in,

juft at

the

humour they we firft However, the comthe

time when

came to their fight. mander and all the Frenchmen what had happened to me was

faid,

that

infinitely

and better. Some years agoalkeleton of an amazing great animal had been found in that part of fafer

Canada

12

July 1749.

Canada , where the the lieutenants

in

he had feen it. there, had found

Illinois

One of

live.

the fort affured me, that

The it

in a

Indians ,

who were

fwamp. They were

and when they were afked, what they thought it was ? They anfwered that it muff be the fkeieton of the chief or father of all the beavers. had It was of a prodigious bulk, and thick white teeth, about ten inches long. It w2ls looked upon as the fkeieton of an furprifed at the fight of

elephant.

The

it,

lieutenant affured

me

that

the figure of the whole fnout was yet to be

though it was half mouldered. He added, that he had not obferved, that any of the bones were taken away, but thought the fkeieton lay quite perfect there. I have

feen,

heard people talk of this monftrous fkeieton in feveral other parts of Canada Bears are plentiful hereabouts, and they kept a young one, about three months old, at the fort. He had perfeftly the fame fhape, and qualities, as our common hears in Europe , except the ears, which feemed to be longer in proportion, and the hairs which were ftiffer $ his colour was deep

brown, The

* country of the Illinois is on the river Ohio , near the place where the Englijb have found fome bones, fup-

pofed to belong to elephants. note.

See Vol.

I,

p,

135. in th$

Fort St

.

Frederic .

*3

He

played and wreftled every day with one of the dogs. vaft number of bear-fkins are annually The Inexported to France from Canada

brown,

aim eft

black.

A

'

.

dians prepare

with

which

an in

oil

from

bear’s

greafe,

fummer they daub

their

and all naked parts of their body, to fecure them from the bite of the With this oil they likewife fregnats. quently fmear the body, when they are excel]] vely cold, tired with labour, hurt, and They believe it foftens the in other cafes.

face, hands,

and makes the body pliant, and very ferviceable to old age.

fkin,

is

The common

Dandelion ( Leontodon Taraxacum Linn,) grows in abundance on the paftures and roads between the fields, and was now in flower. In fpring when the young leaves begin to come up, the French dig up the plants, take their roots wafli them, cut them, and prepare them as a

common It

is

fallad but they have a bitter tafle. not ufual here to make ufe of the leaves

for eating.

The foldiers, which had July the 6th. been paid off after the war, had built houfes round the fort, on the grounds allotted to # In France the young blanched leaves, which fcarcepeep out of molehills, and have yet a yellow colour, are univerfally eaten as a fallad, under the name of Fifenlit, F.

;

H

1749-

them ; but moft of thefe habitations were no more than wretched cottages, no better to

than thofe in the moft wreched places of Sweden with that difference, however, that their inhabitants here were rarely oppreffed by hunger, and could eat good and The huts which they pure wheat bread. had eredted confifted of boards, ftanding perpendicularly clofe to each other. The roofs were of wood too. The crevices were flopped up with clay, to keep the room

warm.

The

quartz.

In fotne hearths, the ftones quite were limeftones; how-

was commonly clay, or a black limeftone, which is common here. The hearth was hoik of the fame ftone, except the place were the fire was to ly, which was made of grey fandftones, which for the greateft part confift of particles of floor

clofe to the fire-place

was no danger of Are, efpecially if the ftones, which were moft expofed to the heat, were of a large They had no glafs in their windows. iize. The Galium tinBorium is July the 8th. called Fifavojaune rouge by the French throughout all Canada and abounds in the woods round this place, growing in a moift ever, I

was

a flu red that there

,

but fine

foil.

The

roots of this plant are

employed by the Indians in dying the quills of th % American porcupines red which they 2

put

Fort St Frederic.

15

.

put into feveral pieces of their work ; and air, fun, or water feldom change this colour.

The French women in Canada fometimes dye their clothes red with thefe roots, which are but fmall, like thofe of Galium luteum , or yellow bed draw. The horfes are left out of doors during the winter, and find their food in the woods, living upon nothing but dry plants, which are very abundant ; however they do not fall off by this food, but look very fine and plump

in fpring.

July the 9th. The fkeleton of a whale was found fome French miles from Quebec^ and one 'French mile from the river St. Laurence , in a place where no flowing waThis fkeleton has ter comes to at prefent. been of a very confiderable fize, and the governor of the fort faid, he had fpoke with feveral people who had feen it. July the 10th. The boats which are here made ufe of, are of three kinds. 1 .Bark-boats, made of the bark of trees, and of ribs of wood. 2. Canoes confuting of a Angle piece of wood, hollowed out, which I have already defcribed before They are here made of the white fir, and They are not brought of different fizes. ,

* See Vol. II.

for-

i6

July 1749.

forward by rowing, but by paddling

by which method not half the ftrength can be which is made ufe of in rowing; applied and a {ingle man might, I think, row as faft as two of them could paddle. 3. The third kind of boats are Bateaux They ;

;

.

made very large here, and emThey are flat ployed for large cargoes. bottomed, and the bottom is made of the red, but more commonly of the white oak,

are always

which

refifts better,

when

it

runs againft a

The fides are than other wood. made of the white fir, becaufe oak would make the Bateau too heavy. They make plenty of tar and pitch here. The foldiery enjoy fuch advantages here, as they are not allowed in every part of Thofe who formed the garthe world. rifon of this place, had a very plentiful al-

ftone,

lowance from their government. They get everyday a pound and a half of wheat bread,

more than they can

eat.

and

fait

which

is

They

like wife get peafe,

meat

almoft

in plenty.

and other tributed

cattle,

among

bacon,

Sometimes they kill oxen which is dis-

the flefh of

the foldiers.

All the

offi-

expence of the king, and the milk they gave was more than fufThe foldiers had ficient to fupply them. each a fmall garden without the fort, which

cers kept cows, at the

they

5

Fort St. Frederic.

*7

they were allowed, to attend, and plant in it whatever they liked, and fome of them had built fummer-houfes in them, and* planted all kind of pot-herbs. The governor told me, that it was a general cuftom to allow the loldiers a fpot of ground for kitchen-gardens, at fuch of the French forts hereabouts as were not fituated near great towns, from whence they could be fupplied with greens. In time of peace the foldiers have very little trouble with being upon guard at the fort ; and as the lake clofe by is full of fifh, and the woods abound with birds and animals, thofe amongft them who choofe to be diligent, may live extremely well, and very grand in regard to food. Each foldier got a new coat every two years but annually, a waiftcoat, cap, hat, breeches, cravat, two pair of ftockings, two pair of fhoes, and as much wood as he had occafion for in winter. They likewife got five fols* a piece every day ; which is augmented to thirty fols when they have any particular labour for the king. When this is confidered, it is not furprifing to find the men are very frefh, well fed, ftrong and

When

lively here.

brought

is

Vol. *

III.

A fol in franee

J3 is

he where the king

a foldier falls lick

to the hofpital,

pro-

about the value of one half penny

1$

July 1749.

provides him with a bed, food, medicine®,, and people to take care of, and ferve him* When fome of them afked leave to be ab~ fent for a day or two, to go abroad, it was generally granted them, if circumftances would permit, and they enjoyed as ufual their (hare of provifions and money, but were obliged to get fome of their comrades to mount the guard for them as often as it came to their turns, for which they gave them an equivalent* The governor and officers were duly honoured by the foldiers ; however, the foldiers and officers often fpoke together as comrades, without any ceremonies, and with a very becoming freedom* The foldiers who are fent hither from France , commonly ferve till they are forty or fifty years old, after

which they

and allowed to fettle upon, and cultivate a piece of ground. But if they have agreed on their arrival to ferve no longer than a certain number of years,, they are difmiffed at the expiration of their term. Thofe who are born here, commonly agree to ferve the crown during fix, are

difmiffed

eight, or ten years

;

difmiffed, and fet

up

after

which they

are

farmers in the country. The king prefents each difmiffed foldler with a piece of land, being comfor

monly

.

Fort

St. Frederic

19

monly 40 arpens * long and but three broad, if the foil be

of equal goodnefs throughout!

but they get fomewhat more, if it be a worfe ground *f*. As foon as a foldier fettles to cultivate fuch a piece of land, he is at firft afiifted

by the king,

who

fupplies

himfelf, his wife and children, with provi-

during the three or four firft years. The king likewife gives him a cow, and the rnoft neceflary inftruments for agricul-

fions,

ture.

Some

foldiers are fent to afiift

him

in building a houfe, for which the king pays them. Thefe are great helps to a poor man, who begins to keep houfe, and it feems that in a country where the troops are fo highly diftinguifhed by the royal favour, the king cannot be at a lofs for foldiers. For the better cultivation and population of Canada , a plan has been propofed fome years ago, for fending 300 men over from France every year, by which means the B 2 old * An Arpent in France contains ioq French perches, and each of thofe 22 French feet ; then the French foot being tot \\t Englijh as 1440 to 1352, an arpent is about 2346 Mnglifj feet and 8 inches long. See Ordonnances de Louis

&

XIF. fur le fait des Eaux Forets f Mr, Kalm fays, in his original,

Paris, 1687. p, 1 12. F. that the length ofan ar-

pent was fo determined, that they reckoned

84 of them in

a French lieue or league ; but as this does by no means agree with the ftatute arpent of France , which by order of king Lewis XIF% was fixed at 2200 feet, Paris meafure, (fee the preceding note) we thought proper to leave it out of the text. F.

20

July

old foldiers

may

1749-.

always be difmiffed, marryv

the country.

The

ufe of here are

made

which was allotted to the foldiers about this place* was very good* confiding throughout of a deep mould, mixed with clay., The harrows which July the 1 ith. and

fettle in

make

they

land

entirely of

The wood, and of a triangular form* ploughs feemed to be lefs convenient. The wheels upon which the plough-beam is placed, are as thick as the wheels of a cart, and all the wood-work is fo clumfily made

that

it

requires

a horfe

to

draw the

plough along a fmooth held.

Rock-stones of different forts lay featSome were from three

fered on the fields. to five

feet

high,

and

about three feet

They were pretty much alike in broad. regard to the kind of the (lone, however, I oblerved three different fpecies in them. confifled of a quartz, whofe 1 . Some colour refembled fugar candy, and which was mixed with a black fmall grained glimmer, a black horn -done, and a few minute The quartz was grains of a brown fpar. mod abundant in the mixture $ the glimmer was likewife in great quantity, hut the fpar was inconiiderable. The feveral kinds of dones were well mixed, and though the eye could didinguifh them, yet no indru-

ment

Fort St. Frederic.

ment could

feparate them.

21

The

ftone

was

very hard and compact, and the grains of quartz looked very fine. 2. Some pieces confifted of grey particles of quartz, black glimmer, and hornftone, together with a few particles of fpar, which made a very clofe, hard, and cornpad: mixture, only differing from the for-

mer

in colour.

A few of the ftones confifted of a mixture of white quartz and black glimmer, to which fome red grains of quartz were added. The fpar (quartz) was mo ft predominant in this mixture, and the glimmer appeared in large flakes. This ftone was not fo well mixed as the former, and was by far not fo hard and fo compad:, being eafily pounded. The mountains on which fort St. Fre3.

deric is

built,

as

like wife thofe

on which

the above kinds of ftone are found, confifted generally of a deep black lime-ftone, lying in lamellae as

flates

do, and

it

might be

which can be turned into quicklime by fire This limeftone is quite black in the infide, and, when broken, appears to be of an exceedB 3 ing

called a kind of flates,

*

Marmor fchiftofum Linn. ,

nt color

nigrum

.

Syfl. III. p. 40. Marmor tin. 2. Lime-JlatesyfcbiJlus

Wal?. Min. pag. 61.

jcalcamtif Forft, Introd. to

Min. p.

9. F-

22

July 1749.

There are fome grains log fine texture. of a dark fpar fcattered in it, which, together with fome other inequalities, form veins in it. The drata which ly uppermoft in the mountains confid of a grey limedone, which is feemingly no more than a variety of the preceding. The black lime-

done

conftantly found filed with petre-

is

fadions of

lowing

all

kinds, and chiefly the fol-

:

PeBiniteSy or petrefied

QJlrece

PeBines

.

petrefied (hefls were more abundant than any others that have been found here, and fome times whole drata are met with, confiding merely of a quantity of (hells of this fort, grown together. They are generally final], never exceeding an inch and a half in length. They are found in two different dates of petrefadion ; one (hews always the imprefiions of the elevated and hollow furfaces of the (hells, without any In the vedige of the (hells themfelves. other appears the real (hell dicking in the done, and by its light colour is eafily diftinguifhable from the done. Both thefe kinds are plentiful in the done ; however, the impreiiions are more in number than the real (hells. Some of the (hells are very elevated, efpecially in the middle, where they form as it were a hump 5 others again

Thefe

are

;

Fort St. Frederic

23

.

but in mod ; of them the outward furface is remarkably The furrows always run longielevated. tudinally, or from the top, diverging to the margin. Thefc are Petrejied Cornua Ammonis likewife frequently found, but not equal like the pehiito the former in number nitce, they are found really petrefied, and in are deprefled in the middle

.

:

impreffions

;

trefied fnails.

amongd them were fome peSome of thefe Cornua Am -

monis were remarkably big, and I do not remember feeing their equals, for they meafured above two feet in diameter.

Different plainly

done

in

of corals could be and feparated from, the which they lay. Some were white

kinds

feen in,

and ramofe, or Lithophytes ; others were darry corals, or Madrepores the latter were rather fcarce. I must give the name of Stone-halts to a kind of {tones foreign to me, which are found in great plenty in fome of the rockdones. They were globular, one half of them projecting generally above the rock, and the other remaining in it. They con-

of nearly parallel fibres, which arife from the bottom as from a center, and fpread over the furface of the ball and have a grey fid

colour.

The

outfide of the balls

B 4

is

fmooth, but

H but has

July 1749 a

number of

.

fmall pores,

which

ternally appear to be covered with a

ex-*

pale

They are from an inch to an grey cruft. inch and a half in diameter. Amongst fame other kinds of fand, which are found on the ftiores of lake Champlain , two were very peculiar, and commonly lay in the fame place ; the one was black, and the other reddifli brown, or granite coloured. The black fand always lies uppermoft, confifts of very fine grains, which, when examined by a microfcope, appear to have a dark blue colour, like that of a fmooth iron, not attacked by ruft. Some grains sre roundirh, but mod of them angular, with fhining furfaces ; and they fparkle when the fun fhines. All the grains of this fand without exception are attracted by the magnet. Among ft thefe black or deep blue grains, they meet with a few grainsof a red or garnet coloured fand, which is the fame with the red fand which lies immediately under it, and which I fhall now defcribe. This red or garnet coloured fand is very fine, but not fo fine as the black fand. Its grains not only participate of the colour of garnets, but they are really Some grains frothing but pounded garnets. round, others angulated all ihine and

.

Fort St. Frederic but the magnet has no j they do not fparkle fo and them, on This red fand is feidom in funfhine.

are femipellucid effed:

much

found very pure, it being commonly mixed with a white fand, confiding of particles of The black and red fand is not quartz. found in every part of the fhore, but only the order before menThe uppermofl: or black fand lay tioned. about a quarter of an inch deep ; when it was carefully taken off, the fand under it became of a deeper red the deeper it lay, and in a

few

places,

in

depth was commonly greater than that of the former* When this was carefully taken away, the white fand of quartz appeared mixed very much at top with the red fand, but growing purer the deeper it lay. This white fand was above four inches deep, had round grains, which made it entirely its

like a pearl fand.

Below

this

was

a pale

grey angulated quartz fand. In fome places the garnet coloured fand lay uppermofl, and this grey angulated one immediately under it, without a grain of either the black or the white fand. I cannot determine the origin of the black or fteel-coloured fand, for it was not known here whether there were iron mines in the

neighbourhood or not.

gather inclined to believe they

But

may

b.e

I

am

found

m

%6

July 1749 .

in thefe parts, as they are

common

in dif-

ferent parts of Canada , and as this fand

is

found on the fhores of almoft all the lakes, and rivers in Canada, though not in equal

The red or garnet coloured fand has its origin hereabouts ; for though the rocks near fort St. Frederic contained no garnets, yet there are (tones of different lizes on the (bores, quite different from quantities.

the (tones which form thefe rocks 5 thefe (tones are very full of grains of garnets, and

when pounded

no perceptible difference between them and the red fand. In the more northerly parts of Canada , or below ^ uebec9 the mountains themfelves conthere

is

]

number of garnets. The garnet coloured fand is very common on the I (hall fhores of the river St. Laurence leave out feveral obfervations which I made upon the minerals hereabouts, as unintered'ing to mod of my readers.

tain a great

.

The Apocynum

androfcemifolium grows abundance on hills covered with trees, and is in full flower about this time 5 the French call it Herhe a la puce. When the (talk is cut or tore, a white milky juice comes out. The French attribute the fame qualities to this plant, which the poifontree, or Rhus vernix has in the Englijh colonies $ that its poifon is noxious tp fome

in

,

per-

Fort St, Frederic.

27

The milky upon the hands and body, has no bad effed: on fome perlons 5

perfons, and harmlefs to others.

when

juice,

fpread

whereas others cannot come near it withI faw a foldier whofe hands were bliftered all over, merely by plucking the plant, in order to fhew it me ; and it is faid its exhalations afFedt fome people, when they come within reach It is generally allowed here, that of them. the ladefcent juice of this plant, when fpread on any part of the human body not only fwells the part, but frequently corout being bliftered.

rodes the fkin; at leaft there are few ples of perfons

As

for

my

on

whom

it

exam-

had no effedh

has never hurt me, prefence of feveral people I part,

it

though in touched the plant, and rubbed my hands with the juice till they were white all over; and I have often rubbed the plant in my hands till it was quite crufhed, without feeling the leaft inconvenience, or change on my hand. The cattle never touch this plant.

July the

1

2th.

Lappa grows ,

fort

;

Burdock,

or

ArBium

in feveral places about the

and the governor told me, that

its

tender ihoots are eaten in fpring as raddifhes, after the exterior peel is taken off.

The

Sifon

Canadenfe

abounds in

the

woods

28

July 1749.

woods of call

it

all

North- A?nerica. The French and make ufe of it

cerfeuilfauvage ,

in fpring, in green ioups, like chervil. is

univerfally praifed here as a

It

wholefome,

antifcorbutic plant, and as one of the beft

which can be had here

The

in fpring.

Afclepias Syriac a

,

or, as the

French

grows abundant

Cotonier ,

in the country, on the fldes of hills which Jy near rivers and other fituations, as well in a dry and open place in the woods, as call

it,

le

in a rich, loofe

cut or broken

it

foil.

When

the flalk

is

emits a ladtefcent juice,

and for this reafon the plant is reckoned in feme degree poifonous. The French in Canada neverthelefs ufe its tender (hoots .

in fpring, preparing

them

like afparagus

;

and the ufe of them is not attended with any had confequences, as the {lender fhoots have not yet had time to fuck up any ^hing poifonous. Its flowers are very odoriferous, and,

woods with

make

it

when

in feafon,

agreeable to travel in

cially in the evening.

nada make

they

fill

their fragrant exhalations,

a fugar

them

The French

;

the

and efpe-

Cawhich the mornin

of the flowers,

for that purpofe are gathered in

ing, when they are covered all over with dew. This dew is exprefled, and by boiling yields a very good brown, palatable

Fort

St. Frederic .

29

pods of this plant when ripe of wool, which enclofes cotton, from whence and refembles the feed, fugar.

The

contain a kind

the plant has got

its

French name.

The

and fill their beds, efpecially their children’s, with it inftead of feathers. This plant flowers in Canada at the end of June and beginning of July, and the feeds The are ripe in the middle of September horfes never eat of this plant.

poor colled:

it,

.

July the 1 6th. This morning I crofted lake Champlain to the high mountain on its weftern fide, in order to examine the From plants and other curiofities there. the top of the rocks, at a

little

diftance

from fort St. Frederic , a row of very high mountains appear on the weftern fhore of lake Champlain , extending from fouth to north ; and on the eaftern fide of this lake is another chain of high mountains, running in the fame diredion. Thofe on the eaftern fide are not clofe to the

ten or twelve miles from

lake, it

;

being about and the counlow and flat,

and them is and covered with woods, which likewife clothe the mountains, except in fuch places, try

between

as the fires,

it

which deftroy the

forefts here,

have reached them and burnt them down, Thefe mountains have generally fteep fines, but fometimes they are found gradually Hoping.

;

3°

Jufy 17 49

flopiog.

We

-

crofied the lake in a canoe,

which could only contain

three perfons,

and as foon as we landed we walked from the fhore to the top of the mountains. Their lides are very fteep, and covered with a mould, and fome great rock-hones lay on them. All the mountains are covered with trees ; but in fome places the forefis have been deilroyed by fire. After a great deal of trouble we reached the top of one of the mountains, which was covered with a dufty mould. It was none of the higheft j and fome of thofe which were at a greater diftance were much higher, but we bad no time to go to them ; for the wind en~ creafed, and our boat was but a little one. We found no curious plants, or any thing remarkable here.

When

returned to the fhore we found the wind rifen to fuch a height, that we did not venture to crofs the lake in our boat, and for that reafon I left the fellow to bring it back, as foon as the wind fub-

we

and walked round the bay, which was a walk of about feven Englifh miles. I was followed by my fervant, and for want of a road, we kept dole to the fhore where

fided,

we

paffed over mountains and fharp Hones

through thick forefts and deep marfhes, all which were known to be inhabited by

num-

Fort

St. Frederic.

numberlefs rattle-fnakes, of which

faw none

The

fhore

we hap-

very full of flones in fome places, and covered with large angulated rock-flones, which are fometimes roundifh, and their edges as it were worn off. Now and then we met with a fmall fandy fpot, covered with grey, but chiefly with the fine red fand which I have before mentioned \ and the black iron fand likewife occurred fomefound flones of a red glimmer times. of a fine texture, on the mountains. Sometimes thefe mountains with the trees on them flood perpendicular with the waterfide, but in fome places the fhore was marfhy. I saw a number of petrefied Cornua Ammonis in one place, near the fhore, among a number of flones and rocks. The rocks conlifl of a grey iimeflone, which is a variety of the black one, and lies in flrata, Some of them coiltain a as that does. number of petrefadions, with and without fhells ; and in one place we found prodigious large Cornua Ammonis , about twenIn fome places the ty inches in breadth. water had wore oft the flone, but could not have the fame efFed on the petrefactions, which lay elevated above, and in a manner glued on the flones.

pily

at

all.

is

We

The-

32

July 1749

The

.

mountains near the (hore are amaz-

ingly high and large, conftfting of a cornpad: grey rock-ftone, which does not ly in ftrata as

the lime-ftone, and the chief of parts are a grey quartz,

whofe conftituent

and a dark glimmer. This rock -done reached down to the water, in places where the mountains flood clofe to the fhore ; but where they were at fome diftance from it, they were fupplied by ftrata of grey and black lime-ftone, which reached to the water fide, and which I never have feen covered with the grey rocks. The Zizania aquatica grows in mud, and in the moft rapid parts of brooks, and is in full bloom about this time. July the 17th. rage

among

pleurifiesy

The

diftempers which

the Indians are rheumatifms and

which

arife

obliged frequently to ly

from

their

being

in moift parts of

the woods at night ; from the hidden changes of heat and cold, to which the air is expofed here ; and from their being frequently loaded with too great a quantity

of ftrong liquor, in which cafe they commonly ly down naked in the open air, without any regard to the feafon, or the weather. Thefe diftempers, efpecially the pleurifies, are likewife very

common among

the French here^ and the governor told

me

Port

St. Frederic .

33

he had once had a very violent fit of the and that Dr. Sarrajin had cured him in the following manner, which has been found to fucceed befi; here. He gave

latter,

him

fudorifics,

which were

tween eight and ten hours bled, and the fudorifics

to operate be;

he was then

repeated 3 he was

bled again, and that effedtually cured him*

Dr. Sarrajin was the royal phyfician at Quebec, and a correfpondent of the royal

He was pofof great knowledge in the practice of phyfic, anatomy, and other fciences, and

academy of

fciences at Paris.

fefied

very agreeable in his behaviour.

He

died

Quebec , of a malignant fever, which had been brought to that place by a fhip, and with which he was infedted at an hofpita), where he vifited the fick. He left a fon, who likewife ftudied phyfic, and went to France

at

to

make

tical part

The

bimfelf more perfedl in the prac* of it, but he died there.

intermitting fevers fometimes

come

amongft the people here, and the venereal difeafe

is

common

here*

The

Indians are

with it 3 and many of and fome ft ill have it 3 but they likewife are perfedily pofleffed of There are examples the art of curing it. of Frenchmen and Indians , infedted all over the body with this difeafe, who have been ra->

likewife

infedted

them have had

Vol.

III.

it,

C

dically

July 1749.

34

dically and perfedly cured by the Indians , within five or fix months. The French have not been able to find this remedy out ; though they know that the Indians employ no mercury, but that their chief remedies are roots, which are unknown toth z French. I have afterwards heard what thefe plants were, and given an account of them at large to the royal Swedijh academy of fciences *. are very well acquainted in Sweden with the pain caufed by the Fcenicc , or a kind of worms. They are lefs abundant in the BritiJJj North- American colonies ; but in Canada they are very frequent. Some of thefe worms, which have been evacuated by a perfon, have been feveral yards long. It is not known, whether the Lilians are affii&ed with them, or not. No particular remedies againft them are known here, and no one can give an account from whence they come, though the eating of

We

fome

fruits

to create

contributes, as

is

conjectured,

them.

Fort St. Frederic is a July the 19th. on the fouthern extremity of lake Champlain , fituated on a neck of land, between that lake and the river, which arifes

fortification,

from # See the Memoirs of that Academy, for the year 1750. page 284. The Stilling: a SylvGtica is probably one of thefe roots. F»

Fort St. Frederic -

35

from the union of the river Woodcreek , and lake

The breadth of this river Sacrement is here about a good muiket fhot. The Englifh call this fortrefs Crownpoint 9 but its French name is derived from the French fecretary of date, Frederic Maurepas 9 in whofe hands the diredtion and management of the French court of admiralty was, at the time of the eredtion of this fort for it is to be obferved, that the government of Canada is fubjedt to the court of admiralty in France 9 and the governor-general is always chofen out of that court. As mod of the places in Canada bear the names of faints, cudom has made it necefSt.

.

:

word Saint to the name of the fortrefs. The fort is built on a rock, confiding of black lime-flates, as afore faid ; it is nearly quadrangular, has high and thick walls, made of the fame lime-done, of which there is a quarry about half a mile from the fort. On the eadern part of the fort, is a high tower, which is proof againd bombfhells, provided with very thick and fubdantial walls, and well dored with cannon, from the bottom almod to the very top ; and the governor lives in the tower. In the terre-plein of the fort is a well built little church, and houfes of done for the officers and foldiers. There are fharp rocks C 2 on fary to prefix the

July 1749.

36

on all fides towards the land, beyond a cannon-ihot from the fort, but among them are fome which are as high as the walls of the fort, and very near them. The foil about fort St. Frederic is faid to be very fertile, on both fides of the river; and before the laft war a great many French families, efpecially old foldiers, have fettled there ; but the king obliged them to go into Canada , or to fettle clofe to the fort, and A great number of to ly in it at night. them returned at this time, and it was thought that about forty or fifty families would go to fettle here this autumn. Within one or two mufket-fhots to the eaft of the fort, is a wind-mill, built of ftone with very thick walls, and mo ft of the flour

wanted to fupply the fort is ground This wind-mill is fo contrived, as to ferve the purpofe of a redoubt, and at the

which

is

here.

top of

it

are five or fix fmall pieces of can-

During the

war, there was a number of foldiers quartered in this mill, becaufe they could from thence look a great way up the river, and obferve whether the

non.

laft

boats approached ; which could be done from the fort itfelf, and which was a matter of great confequence, as the Englijh might (if this guard had not been placed here) have gone in their little Englijh

not

boats

)

Fort

St. Frederic.

37

boats clofe under the weftern fhore of the

and then the hills would have prevented their being feen from the fort. Therefore the fort ought to have been built on the fpot where the mili'ftands, and all thofe who come to fee it, are immediately ftruck with the abfurdity of its fituation. If it had been eredted in the place of the mill, it would have commanded the river, and prevented the approach of the enemy ; and a fmall ditch cut through the loofe limeftone, from the river (which comes out of the lake St. Sacrement to lake Champlain , would have furrounded the fort with flowing water, becaufe it would have been fituated on the extremity of the neck of land. In that cafe the fort would always have been fufficiently fupplied with frefh water, and at a diftance from the high rocks, which furround it in its prefent fituation. prepared to-day to leave this place, having waited during fome days for the arrival of the yacht, which plies conftandy all fummer between the forts St. "John * and St. Frederic: during our flay here, we had received many favours. The governor of the fort, Mr. Lt'jjignaH) a man of learning and of great

river,

We

* Saint Jean.

C

3

polite-

38 politenefs,

July

J

7 49-

heaped obligations upon

treated us with as

much

civility

us,

as if

and

we

had been his relations. I had the honor of eating at his table during my flay here, and my fervant was allowed to eat with his. had our rooms, &c. to ourfelves, and at our departure the governor fupplied us with ample provifions for our journey to fort St. John. In fhort, he did us more favours than we could have expected from our own countrymen, and the officers were

We

likewife particularly obliging to us.

About eleven o’clock we fet out, with a fair

in

the morning

wind. On both of the lake are high chains of mountains ; with the difference which I have before obferved, that on the eaftern ffiore, with is a low piece of ground covered a foreft, extending between twelve and fides

eighteen

Englijh

miles,

after

which the

and the country behind ; them belongs to New England This chain confifts of high mountains, which are to be confidered as the boundaries between the French and Englijh pcffeffions in thefe parts of North America. On the weftern ffiore of the lake, the mountains reach quite to the water fide. The lake at firfi: is but a French mile broad, but always encreafes afterwards. The country is inhabited

mountains begin

.

within

Lake Champlain

39

.

within a French mile of the fort, but after that, it is covered with a thick foreft. At the diftance of about ten French miles from fort St. Frederic , the lake is four fuch miles broad, and we perceive fome iflands in it. The captain of the yacht faid there were about fixty iflands in that lake, of which

fome were of aflured

me

fo deep,

a

confiderable

that the lake

that a line of

He

fize.

was in rnoft parts two hundred yards

could not fathom it ; and clofe to the fhore, where a chain of mountains generally runs acrofs the country, it frequently has a depth of eighty fathoms. Fourteen French miles from fort St. Frederic we faw four large iflands in the lake, which is here about fix French miles broad. This day the fky was cloudy, and the clouds,

which

were

low, feemed to furround feveral high mountains, near the lake, with a fog ; and from many mountains the fog rofe, as 'the fmoke of a charcoal-kiln. Now and then we faw a little river which fell into the lake the country behind the high mountains, on the wefiern fide of the lake, is, as I am told, covered for many miles together with a very

:

tall

foreft,

interfered by

many

rivers

and and

brooks, with marfhes and fmall lakes, The fhores are very fit to be inhabited.

C

4

fome-

e

July 1749.

40

fometimes rocky, here.

creafed gradually

we

and

fometimes

Tandy

Towards night 3

the mountains dethe lake is very clear, and

obferved neitherrocks nor {hallows

in it.

Late at night the wind abated, and weanchored clofe to the Ihore, and fpent one night here.

This morning we proJuly the 20th. The place where ceeded with a fair wind. we palled the night, was above half way to fort St.

John 3

place from fort

for the diftance St.

Frederic ,

of that

acrofs

lake

Champlain is computed to be forty-one French miles 3 that lake is here about fix The mountains Bnglijh miles in breadth. were now out of fight, and the country lowr , plain, and covered with trees. The lhores were fandy, and the lake appeared now

from four broader,

to fix miles broad.

hut the iflands

It

made

was it

really

appear

narrower.

W

often

faw Indians

clofe to the ihore,

in

bark-boats,

which was however not

came here only Surgeons, wherewith this lake abounds, and which we often faw leaping inhabited; for the Indians to

catch

up into the lingular life

Thefe Indians lead a very At one time of the year they

air. :

upon the fmall ftore of maize, beans, and melons, which they have planted dur-

live

3

ing another period,

or about

this

time, their

;

Lake Champlain

41

.

food is fi(h, without bread or any and another fealon, they eat meat; other &c. nothing but flags, roes, beavers, which they (hoot in the woods, and rivers. They, however, enjoy long life, perfed: health, and are more able to undergo hardThey fmg and fhips than other people. content and always dance, are joyful, and would not, for a great deal, exchange their

their

manner of

life

for that

which

is

pre-

Europe were yet ten French miles from fort St. John we faw fome houfes on the weftern flde of the lake, in which the French had lived before the laft war, and which they then abandoned, as it was by no means iafe they now returned to them again. Thefe were the firft houfes and fettlements which we faw after we had left ferred in

.

When we

,

:

thofe about fort St. Frederic

.

There

formerly was a wooden fort, or redoubt, on the eaftern fide of the lake, near the water-fide ; and the place where it

flood

was {hewn me, which

quite overgrown, built

it

Indians , that

with

trees.

at prefent is

The French

the incurfions of the over this lake ; and 3 was allured to prevent

many Frenchmen had been

thefe places.

fiain

At the fame time they

me, that they reckon four women

to

in

told

one

man

,

42

July 1749.

man in Canada becaufe annually feveral Frenchmen are killed on their expeditions* which they undertake for the fake of trading with the Indians . A windmill, built of ftone, ftands on the eaft fide of the lake on a projecting piece of ground. Some Frenchmen have but they left it when the war broke out, and are not yet come back

lived

near

it

%

it. From this mill to fort St. John they reckon eight French miles. The Englifh , with their Indians , have burnt the houfes here feveral times, but the mill remained unhurt. The yacht which we went in to St. John was the firfi: that was built here, and employed on lake Champlain , for formerly they made ufe of bateaux to fend provifions over the lake. The Captain of the yacht was a Frenchman , born in this country; he had built it, and taken the foundings of the lake, in order to find out the true road, between fort St. John and Oppofite the windmill fort St. Frederic the lake is about three fathoms deep, but it grows more and more fe allow, the nearer

to

.

it

comes

We

to fort St.

John

.

again.

now perceived houfes on the fhore The captain had otter-lkins in the

cabin,

which were

perfectly the fame,

in

colour

Lake Champlain

43

.

colour and fpecies, with the European ones. Otters are faid to be very abundant in

Canada

.

made ufe of to cover boxes and trunks, and they often make portmantles of them in Canada The common people had their tobacco-pouches made of the fame Ikins. The feals here are entirely the fame with the Swedijh or European one, which are grey with black They are faid to be plentiful in the fpotSc mouth of the river St. Laurence , below Quebec, and go up that river as far as its water is fait. They have not been found in any of the great lakes of Canada The French call them Loups marins. % Seal-Jkins are here

.

.

The

French , in their colonies, fpend time in prayer and external word) ip, than the Englijh, and Dutch fet-

much more tlers

in

the Britijh colonies.

The

latter

have neither morning nor evening prayer in their fhips and yachts, and no difference is made between Sunday and other days. They never, or very feldom, fay grace at dinner.

On

the contrary, the French here have prayers every morning and night on board

Sundays they fhipping, and on pray more than commonly they regularly fay grace at their meals ; and every one of

their

:

* Sea Wolves.

them

July 1749.

44 them

fays prayers

gets up. 3 fie

ing

At

m bled

in private as foon

as

he

fort St. Frederic all the foldiers

together for morning and evenThe only fault was, that

prayers.

moft of the prayers were read

Latin , which a great part of the people do not Below the aforementioned underftand. wind-mill, the breadth of the lake is about a mu fleet -(hot, and it looks more like a The country on both river than a lake. fides is low and flat, and covered with flaw at firil a few feat te red woods. cottages along the flhore; but a little further, the country is inhabited without interruption. The lake is here from fix to ten loot deep, and forms feveral iilands. During the whole courfe of this voyage, the iituation of the lake, was always diredtlv in

We

from S.S.

W.

to

N.N.E.

In foine parts of Canada are great tradls of land belonging to Angle perfons ; from thefe lands, pieces, of forty

Arp e ns

long,

and four wide, are allotted to each discharged foldier, who intends to fettle here ; but after his houfhold is eftablifhed, be is obliged to pay the owner of the lands fix French Francs annually. The lake was now fo fhallow in feveral to trace the rlaces. that we were obliped o way for the yacht, by founding the depth with '

i

with branches of oppofite,

it

trees.

In other

was fometimes two

places

fathom

deep.

In the evening, about fun

fet,

we

arrived

John , having had a continual change of rain, fun~£hine, wind, and calm, all the afternoon. yuly the 2 ft. St. yohn is a wooden fort, which the French built in 1748, on the weftern fhore of the mouth of lake Champlain clofe to the water-tide. It was intended to cover the country round about it, which they were then going to people, and to ferve as a magazine for pro~ vifions and ammunition, which were ufually at fort St. "Jean , or St.

1

,

from Montreal to fort St. Frederic ; becaufe they may go in yachts from hence to the laft mentioned place, which is impoffible lower down, as about two gunihot further, there is a flhallow full of ftones, and very rapid water in the river, over which they can only pafs in bateaux or Formerly fort Chamblan y which flat veffels. lies four French miles lower, was the magazine of provifions ; but as they were forced and firft to fend them hither in bateaux then from hence in yachts, and the road to fort Chamblan from Montreal being by land, and much round about, this fort was ere died. It has a low fituation, and lies fent

,

,

July 1749.

46

and the country about it is ; and covered with woods* fort is The quadrangular, and includes the fpace of one arpent fquare. In each of the two corners which look towards the lake is in a Tandy

foil,

like wife low, flat

a

wooden

four ftories high, the

building,

lower part of which is of ftone to the height of about a fathom and a half, in thefe buildings which are polyangular, are holes for cannon and lefier fire-arms. In each cf the two other corners towards the country,

only a

is

little

wooden houfe, two

Thefe buildings

ftories high.

are intended

for the habitations of the foldiers, and for

between two fathoms

the better defence of the place; thefe houfes, there are poles,

and a half high, fharpened at the top, and driven into the ground dole to one another. They are made of the 77xuya tree, which is here reckoned the beft wood for keeping from putrefaction, and is much preferable to

Lower down the palifades were double, one row within the other.

fir

in that point.

For the convenience of the broad

elevated pavement,

two yards

in height,

of the fort a

all

baluftrade.

foldiers, ftand

is

made

and

fire

this

than

in the infide

along the palifades,

On

a

foldiers,

of more

pavement

with the

through the holes

upon the enemy, without being expofed

to

their

Fort

St. 'John.

47

t

their fire.

In

the

laft

year,

1748,

two

hundred men were in garrifon here; but at this time there were only a governor, a commiflary, a baker, and fix foldiers to take care of the fort and buildings, and to fuperintend the provifions which are carried to this place.

manded

The

perfon

who now com-

was the Chevalier at de Gannesy a very agreeable gentleman, and brother-in-law to Mr. Lujigncuiy the goThe ground vernor of fort St. Frederic. about the fort, on both fides of the water, is rich and has a very good foil ; but it is ftill without inhabitants, though it is talked of, that it fihould get fome as foon as poflible. The French in all Canada call the gnats MarangoinSy which name, it is faid, they have borrowed from the Indians Thefe infedts are in fuch prodigious numbers in the woods round fort St. John , that it would have been more properly called fort The marfhes and the de Marangoins. low fituation of the country, together with the extent of the woods, contribute greatly to their multiplying fo much ; and when the woods will be cut down, the water the

fort,

.

and the country cultivated, they will decreafe in number, and at laft, as they have done in other

drained,

probably vanifli

The

48

July 1749.

The

Battle Snake

according to the is never feen in this neighbourhood, nor further north near Montreal and Quebec ; and the mountains which furround fort St* Frederic ,

unanimous accounts of the French ,

,

are

the moft northerly part on

where they have been lhakes which are found

feen. in

this

Of

Canada

all

fide,

the

to the

north of thefe mountains, none is poifonous enough to do any great harm to a man; and all without exception run away when remarks on the they fee a man. nature and properties of the rattle-fnake, I have communicated to the royal Swedipj academy of fciences, * and thither I refer

My

my

readers.

This evening fome July the 22d. people arrived with horfes from Prairie in The governor had fent order to fetch us. for them at my defire, becaufe there were not yet any horfes near fort St. John , the place being only a year old, and the people had not had time to fettle near it. Thofe who led the horfes, brought letters to the governor from the governor-general of Canada , the Marquis la Galijfoniere dated at Qjcebcc the fifteenth of this month, and from the the Baron vice-governor of Montreal, ,

,

* See their

Memoirs

for the year 1752, p*

308, fed. 9.

de

;

.

Fort

St.

de Longueil, dated

John

49

the twenty-firft of the

fame month. They mentioned that I had been particularly recommended by the French court, and that the governor ihould fupply me with every thing I wanted, and forward my journey 5 and at the fame time the governor received two little calks of wine for me, which they thought would relieve me on my journey. At night we drank the kings of France and Sweden's health, under a falute from the cannon of the fort, and the health of the governorgeneral and others. This morning we fet July the 23d. out on our journey to Prairie , from whence we intended to proceed to Montreal the diflance of Prairie from fort St John, by land, is reckoned fix French miles, and from thence to Montreal two lieues (leagues) and a half, by the river St. Lawrence. At firft we kept along the fhore, we had on our right the Riviere de

fo

that

St.

Jean

Johns river) * This is the name of the mouth of the lake Champlain which falls into the river St. Lawrence , and is /ometimes called Riviere de Champlain (St.

,

fChamplain

river.)

about a French mile,

After we had travelled we turned to the left

from the fhore. The countrv was a! wavs * j low, woody, and pretty wet, though it was

V oh-

III.

D

in

;

5°

July 1749.

we found But it is to be obferved that fort St. John was only built laft fummer, when this road was fir ft made, and confequently it could not yet have acin the midft of

it difficult

fummer

3

fo that

to get forward.

quired a proper degree of folidity.

Two

hundred and fixty men were three months at work, in making this road for which they were fed at the expence of the government, and each received thirty fols every day ; and I was told that they would again refume the work next autumn. The country hereabouts is low and woody, and j;

of courfe the refidence of millions of gnats and flies, which were very troublefome to us. After we had gone about three French miles, we came out of the woods, and the ground feemed to have been formerly a

mar fli, which was now dried up. From hence we had a pretty good profpedt on all

On

our right hand at a great dismountains, rifing remarkably above the reft and they were not far from fort Champlain could likewife from hence fee the high mountain which lies near Montreal and our road went on nearly in a ftraight line. Soon after, we got again upon wet and low grounds, and after that into a wood which conflfted chiefly of

Tides.

tance

we faw two high

;

.

We

the

,

From Fori St John •

the fir with underfide.* the

51

which have a filvery found the foil which we

leaves

We

very fine and rich, and be cleared and the

pafled over to day,

when

to Prairie .

woods

will

ground cultivated, it will probably prove very fertile. There are no rocks, and hardly any flones near the road. About four French miles fiom fort St* John , the country makes quite another It is all cultivated, and a conappearance. tinual variety of fields with excellent wheat, peafe, and oats, prefented itfelfto our view;

but we faw no other kinds of corn. The and each farms flood fcattered, of them was furrounded by its corn fields, and meadows; the houfes are built of wood and Inflead of mofs, which canvery fmall. not be got here, they employ clay for flopping up the crevices in the walls. The made very much doping, and roofs are The foil is good, flat, covered with draw. and divided by feveral rivulets ; and only in a

few places there

The

profpedl

are

fome

little

hills.

very fine from this part of the road, and as far as I could fee the country, it was cultivated ; all the fields were covered with corn, and they generally ufe

is

fummer-wheat

here.

The ground

is

Abies foliis fubtus argenUis >

-

-

D

2

{till

,

,

,

July 1749*

52

Hill very fertile, fo that there

for leaving

pretty

it

much

cleared, and

that there will be a time,

become very

is

no occasion

The

ly as fallow. it

is

forefts are

to be feared

when wood

will

Such was the appearance of the country quite up to Prairie and the river St. Lawrence which lafic we had now always in fight and, in a word fcarce.

-,

this country was, in

my

opinion the

fineft

of North- America, which I had hitherto feen.

About

dinner-time

we

arrived at Prai-

which is fituated on a little ground near the river St. Lawrence

rifing

rie

ftaid here this vifit

.

We

day, becaufe I intended to

the places in this neighbourhood, be-

fore I

went on.

Prairie de la Magdelene is a fmall village on the eaftern fide of the river St. Lawrence

about two French miles and a half from Montreal, which place lies N. W. from hence, on the other fide of the river. All the country round Prairie is quite jlat, and has hardly any rifings. On all fides are large corn-fields, meadows, and paftures. On the weftern fide, the river St. Lawrence pafies by, and has here a breadth of a French mile and a half, if not more. Mofi: of the iioufes in Prairie are built of timber, with Hoping wooden roofs, and the crevices in the

Prairie.

53

the walls are flopped up with clay. There are fome little buildings of flone, chiefly of the black lime-ftone, or of pieces of rock-ftone, in which latter the en chafemen t of the doors and windows was made of the black lime-flone. In the midft of the village is a pretty church of flone, with a fteeple at the weft end of it, furniflied with bells. Before the door is a crofs, together with ladders, tongs, hammers, nails, •&c. which are to represent all the inftruments made ufe of at the crucifixion of our Saviour, and perhaps many others befides them. The village is furrounded with palifades, from four yards to five high, put up formerly as a barrier againft the incurfions of the Indians. Without thefe palifades are feveral little kitchen and pleafure gardens, but very few fruit-trees in them. The rifing grounds along the river, are very inconfiderable here. In this place there was a prieft, and a captain, who afiumed the name of governor. The cornfields

round the place are extenfive, and

fown with furnmer- wheat

;

but rye, barley

and maize are never feen. To the fouthweft of this place is a great fall in the river St. Lawrence, and the noife which it caufes, may be plainly heard here. When the water in fpring encreafes in the river, D 3 on

tfu

b

54

I

749»

ice which then begins fometimes happens to rife fo high as to overflow a great part of the fields, and, inftead of fertilizing them as the river Nile fertilizes the Egyptian fields by its inundations, it does them much damage, by carrying a number of graffes and plants on them, the feeds of which fpread the %vorft kind of weeds, and ruin the fields.

on account of the to dilTolve,

it

Thefe inundations oblige the people to take their cattle a great way off, becaufe the water covers a great trad: of land j but happily it never ftays on it above two or The caufe of thefe inundations three days. is generally owing to the flopping of ice in fome part of the river.

The grows

Folle

Amine

rivulet, or

brook,

Zizania aquatica > or plentiful in

the

fome what below Prairie the 24th. This morning I went July from Prairie in a bateau to Montreal, upon The river is very the river St. Lawrence

which

flows

.

.

rapid, but not very deep near Prairie , fo that the yacht cannot go higher than Montreal> except in fpring with the high water, when they can come up to Prairie but no further. The town of Montreal may be feen On at Prairie and all the way down to it. our arrival, there we found a crowd of people at that gate of the town, where we ,

,

were

From Prairie

to

were to pafs through.

Montreal.

55

They were

defirous of feeing us, becaufe they

very

were in-

formed that fome Swedes were to come to people of whom they had heard ; lomething, but whom they had never feen ; and we were aflured by every body, that we were the firft Swedes that ever came to Montreal. As foon as we were landed, the governor of the town fent a captain to me,

town

who

defired I

would follow him

to

governor's houfe, where he introduced

the

me

The Baron

Longueuil was as yet but he daily expedted his promotion from France. He received me more civilly and generoufiy than I can well to him.

vice-governor,

deicribe,

and fhewed

me

letters

governor-general at Quebec,

from the

the Marquis

which mentioned that he had received orders from the French court to fupply me with whatever I /hould want, as I was to travel in this country at the exIn pence of his moll Chriftian majeftv. Aiort governor Longueuil loaded me with

de la Galiffoniere ,

greater favours than I could exped: or even

imagine, both during my prefent ftay my return from Quebec The difference between the manners cuftoms of the French in Montreal Canada , and thofe of the nglijh in

©n

E

American colonies,

and

.

is

D

as great as that

4

and and the

be-

tween

July 174 9

$6

-

tween the manners of thofe two nations in The women in general are handEurope fome here ; they are well bred, and virtuous with an innocent and becoming freedom. They drefs out very fine on Sundays $ and though on the other days they do not .

take

much

pains with other parts of their

yet they are very fond of adorning their heads, the hair of which is always

drefs,

curled and powdered, and ornamented with

bodkins and aigrettes. Every day but Sunday, they wear a little neat jacket, and a fhort petticoat which hardly glittering

reaches half the leg, and in this particular they feem to imitate the Indian women.

The

heels of their fhoes are high, and very

narrow, and it is furprizing how they walk on them. In their knowledge of oeconomy, they greatly furpafs the Eng/ifi women in the plantations, who indeed have taken the liberty of throwing all the burthen of houfekeeping upon their hufbands, and fit in their chairs all day with folded arms. * The women in Canada on the contrary do not fpare themfelves,. efpecially

among

the

com-

mon f It Teems, that for the future, the fair fex in the Englijh, colonies in North- America, will no longer defer ve the reproaches Mr. Kalm ftigmatizes them with repeatedly, fince is generally reported, that the ladies of late have vied one with another, in providing their families with linen, neckings, and heme-fpun cloath of their own making, and that a general fpirit of induftry prevails among them at this

It

prefent time.

Montreal

57

.

mon

where they are always in the meadows, flables, &c. and do not any work whatfoever. However, they

people,

fields,

diflike

feem rather remifs in regard to the cleaning of the utenfils, and apartments j for formetimes the floors, both in the town and country, were hardly cleaned once in fix months, which is a difagreeable fight to one who comes from amongft the Dutch and Englifh> where the conftant fcouring and fcrubbing of the floors, is reckoned as important as

To prevent the exercife of religion itfelf. the thick duft, which is thus left on the floor, from being noxious to the health, the women wet it feveral times a day, which renders

it

more confident

;

repeating the

dry and whole, however, they are not averfe to the taking a part in all the bufinefs of houfekeeping; and I have with pleafure feen the daughters of the better fort of people, and of the governor himfelf, not too finely drefled, and going into kitchens and cellars, to look that every thing be done as it ought. The men are extremely civil, and take

afperfion as often rifes

again.

as

Upon

the dufl

is

the

their hats off to every perfon indifferently

whom

they meet in the ftreets.

It is

cu (lo-

rn ary to return a vifit the day after you have received one though one fhould have feme fcores to pay in one day. I

HAVE

58

J*fy

1

749

•

have been told by fome among the French who had gone a beaver-hunting I

,

with the Indians to the northern parts of Canada , that the animals, whofe fkins they endeavour to get, and which are there in wild cats, or Thefe animals are the more valued, the further they are caught to the north, for their fkins have better hair, and look better than thofe which are taken more fouthward, and they became great

plenty,

are

beavers,

lynxs, and martens.

gradually better or worfe, the

more they

are northward or fouthward. White Pat ridges* is the name which the French in Canada give to a kind of birds, abounding during winter near Hudfons Bay , and which are undoubtedly our Ptarmigans, or Snow- hens (letrao Lagopus ). They are very plentiful at the time of a great froft, and when a confiderable quantity of fnow happens to fall. They are defcribed to me as having rough white feet, and being white all over, except three or four black feathers in the tail ; and they are reckoned very fine eating. From Edward\ Natural Hiftcry of Birds (pag. 72.) it appears, that the ptarmigans are common about Hudfons Bay -j~. Hares *

Perdrix blanches.

f See Br, ZoqL

S.uppl.' plate XIII.

f.

1,

F.

,

Montreal

Hares

59

.

are likewife faid

to

be plentiful

near Hudfons Bay, and they are abundant even in Canada where I have often feen, and found them perfectly correfponding with our Swedijh hares. In fummer they ,

have a brownifh grey, and in winter a fnowy white colour, as with us *. Mech ANics,fuchasarchitedure,cabinetwork, turning, and the like, were not yet fo forward here as they ought to be ; and the Englijh , in that particular, out do the The chief caufe of this is, that French fcarce any other people than difmifled foldiers come to fettle here, who have not had any opportunity of learning a mechanical trade, but have fometimes accidentally, and through neceffity been obliged There are however iome, who have to it. a good notion of mechanics, and I faw a perfon here, who made very good clocks, and watches, though he had had but very .

little

inftruftion.

The common houfeJuly the 27th. flies have but been obferved in this country about one hundred and fifty years ago, as I have been aflured by feverai perfons in this town, and in %hiebec All the Indians afiert the fame thing, and are of opinion that the com•*

See a figure of this hare in its white VII. f. 1. plate F.

tpBr.ZooL

XL

(late, in

the

SuppL

;

6o

July 1749.

common

flies firft came over here, with the Europeans and their fhips, which were ftranded on this coaft. I (hall not difpute

however, I know, that whilft I was between Saratoga and Crownpoint , or fort St. Frederic and fat down to reft or to eat, a number of our common flies always came, and fettled on |rae. It dubious, therefore whether is they have not been longer in America than the term above mentioned, or whether they have been imported from Europe. On the other hand, it may be urged that the flies were left in thofe defarts at the time when fort Anne was yet in a good condition, and when the Englifh often travelled there and hack again ; not to mention that feveral Europeans , both before and after that time, had travelled through thofe places, and carried the flies with them, which were attracted by their prOvifions. Wild Cattle are abundant in the fouthern parts of Canada , and have been there fince They are plentiful in times immemorial. this

in the defarts

,

thofe parts, particularly where the Illinois Indians live, which are nearly in the fame

with Philadelphia but further to I the north they are feldom obferved. a was of wild ox to-day it law the fkin ; latitude

as big as

one of the

largeft

ox hides in Europe,

1

Montreal rope , but had

better

6

.

hair.

The

hair

dark brown, like that on a brown

That which

Ikin.

is

is

be^ar-

clofe to the (kin, is

This hide was not very they do not reckon ; them fo valuable as bear-fkins in France In winter they are fpread on the floors, Some of thefe to keep the feet warm. wild cattle, as I am told, have a long and than fine wool, as good, if not better, as foft as

wool.

and

thick

in general

.

They make

(beep wool.

(lockings, cloth,

worded work which look as well as if they were made of the bed (heep wool ; and the InThe flefh dians employ it for feveral ufes. equals the bed beef in goodnefs and fatnefs. Sometimes the hides are thick, and may be made ufe of as cow-hides are in Europe * gloves, and other pieces of

of

it,

The

wild cattle in general are faid to be

ftronger and bigger, than European cattle^

brown

Their horns red colour. though very thick clofe to the head. Thefe and feveral other qualities, which they have in common with* and in greater perfection than the tame cattle, have induced fome to endeavour to tame them by which means they would obtain the advantages ariling from their goodnefs of hair, and, on account of their great drength, be able to employ them

and of

a

are but fhort,

;

fuc-

62

July 1749.

With this view feme have repeatedly got young wild calves, and brought them up in Quebec, and other places, among the tame cattle ; but they fuccefsfully in agriculture.

commonly died

in three or four years

time

;

and though they have feen people every day, yet they have always retained a natural feroThey have conftantly been very £hy, city.

pricked up their ears at the fight of a man, and trembled, or run about ; fo that the art of taming them has not hiSome have been therto been found out. of opinion, that thefe cattle cannot well bear the cold ; as they never go north of the place I mentioned, though the fummers be very hot, even in thofe northern parts. They think that, when the country about the Illinois will be better peopled, it will be more eafy to tame thefe cattle, and that afterwards they might more eafily be ufed to the northerly climates

and French

in

The

Indians

Canada, make ufe of the

horns of thefe creatures to put gun-powder in. 1 have briefly mentioned the wild cattle in the former parts of this journey •f .

The * But by this means they would loofe that fuperiority, which in their wild hate they have over the tame cattle as all the progenies of tamed animals degenerate from the excellence of their wild and free ancehors, F.

;
Nicholfon, and OJwego.

It will

there-

fore be in vain to attempt to plant faftafras in a very cold climate.

The red Mulberry-trees fMorns rubra 9 Linn.) are like wife planted here. I faw four or five of them about five yards high, which the governor told me, had been twenty years in this place, and were brought from more foutherly parts, fince they do not grow wild near Montreal The moft northerly place, where I have found it growing fpontaneoufly, is about twenty Englijh miles north of Albany , as I have been .

Montreal1

65

been allured by the country people, who that place, and who at the fame time informed me, that it was very fcarce in the woods. When I came to Saratoga , I enquired whether any of thefe mulberrytrees had been found in that neighbourhood ? but every body told me, that they live in

were never feen in thofe parts, but that the before mentioned place, twenty miles above Albany is the moft northern one where they grow. Thofe mulberry-trees, which were planted on this ifland, fucceed very well, though they are placed in a poor Their foliage is large and thick, hut foil. they did not bear any fruits this year. However, I was informed that they can bear a ,

confiderable degree of cold.

The Waterbeeck was planted here in a fhady place, and was grown to a great height. All the French hereabouts call it Cotonier *. It is never found wild near the river St. Lawrence $ nor north of fort St. Frederic where it is now very fcarce. The red Cedar is called Cedre rouge by the French , and it was Hkewife planted in the governor’s garden, whither it had been brought from more fouthern parts, for it is not to be met with in the forefts here,

Vol.

III.

* Cotton-tree. is

E

abouts.

Mr. Kalm mentions

given to the Afclepias Syriaca,

before, that this

See Vol.

Ill, p.

name

28,

F»

;

66

July 1749.

abouts.

However,

it

came on very well

here.

About evening

half an hour after feven in the

we

left this pleafant ifland,

and an

our return the baron de Longueuil received two agreeable pieces of news at once. The firft was, that his fon, who had been two years in France, was returned 5 and the fecond, that he had brought with him the royal patents for his father, by which he was appointed governor of Montreal\ and the country belonging to it. They make ufe of fans here, which are As made of the tails of the wild turkeys. are foon as the birds are (hot, their tails fpread like fans, and dried, by which means they keep their figure. The ladies and the men of diftin&ion in town wear thefe fans* when they walk in the ftreets, during the

hour

after

intenfenefs of the heat.

All

the grafs on the confifts chiefly

dow -grafs, This

or the

Poa

meadows round

of a fpecies of Mea-

Linn * which grows

capillar is ,

.

is a very (lender grafs, very clofe, and fucceeds even on the dried hills. It is however not rich in foliage and the (lender (talk is chiefly ufed for hay.

We * Mr. Kalm defcribes it thus : Poa culmo fubcomprejfo , panicula tenuijjima,fpiculis trifloris minimis, flofatlis bap pube/c inti bus*

\

Montreal

We

have numerous

*

kinds

67

of

graffes

in

Sweden, which make infinitely finer meadows than this. The wild Plumb-trees July the 30th. grow in great abundance on the hills, along the rivulets about the town. They were fo loaded with fruit, that the boughs were quite bent downwards by the weight. The fruit was not yet ripe, but when it comes to that perfection, it has a red colour and a fine tafte, and preferves are fometimes made of it. Black Currants ( Ribes nigrum , Linn. ) are plentiful in the fame places, and its bernes

were

ripe at this time.

They

are very final!,

and not by far fo agreeable as th.ofe in Sweden Parfneps grow in great abundance on the rifing banks of rivers, along the corn-fields, and in other places. This led me to think, that they were original natives of America , and not firft brought over by the Europeans * But on my journey into the country of the Iroquois , where no European ever had a fettlement, I never once fiw it, though the foil was excellent ; and from hence it appears plain enough, that it was tranfported hither from Europe and is not originally an American plant 5 and therefore it is in vain fought for in any part of this con.

,

E

a

tinent,

68

Augujl 1749.

tinent, except among the 'European fettlements, Auguji the ift. The governor-general of Canada commonly refutes at Quebec ; but he frequently goes to Montreal, and generally fpends the winter there. In fummer he chiefly refides at Quebec, on account of the king’s (hips* which arrive there during that feafon, and bring him letters, which he mud anfwer ; befides other bufinefs which comes in about that time. During his refidence in Montreal he lives in the cadle, as it is called, which is a large houfe of (lone, built by governor-general Vau dreuiU and ftill belonging to his family, who hire it to the king. The governor-

general de la Calijfoniere

is

faid Co like

Mont-

real better than §>uebec 9 and indeed the tuation of the former

is

by

far

the

fi-

more

ageeable one. They have in Canada fcarce any other but paper-currency. I hardly ever faw any coin, except French fols, confiding ofbrafs, with a very fmall mixture of fiiver they

were quite thin by condant circulation, and were valued at a fol and a half. The bills are not printed, but written. Their origin

is

as

ing found

it

The

French king havvery dangerous to fend money

follows.

for

;

Montreal

69

ftr the pay of the troops, and other purpofes, over to Canada on account of pri,

fhipwrecks, and other accidents he ordered that inftead of it the intendant, vateers,

com-

or king’s Reward, at Quebec, or the'

miffary at Montreal,

is

to

write

bills

for

the value of the fums which are due to troops, and which he diftributes to each foldier. On thefe bills is infcribed, that they bear the value of fuch or fuch a fum,

the

next October ; and they are figned by the intendant, or the commiffary ; and in the interval they bear the value of money. In

till

the month of October, at a certain Rated time, every one brings the bills in his poffeflion

comthem which

to the intendant at Quebec, or the miffary at Montreal who exchanges

for bills of

exchange upon France , money, at the king’s

are paid there in lawful

exchequer, as foon as they are prefented. money is not yet wanted, the bill may be kept till next OBober , when it may be exchanged by one of thofe gentlemen, for a bill upon France The paper money can only be delivered in October , and exIf the

.

changed for bills upon France They are of different values, and fome do not exceed a livre, and perhaps fome are ftill lefs. Towards autumn when the merchants (hips, qome in from France , the merchants en.

E

3

deavour

7°

Augufi 1749

.

deavour to get as many bills as they can, and change them for bills upon the French

Thefe

treafury.

fpaces

being

But the

left for bill,

fir ft

wrote, and

bills

is

are

partly

the name,

printed,

fum, &c.

or paper currency

is

all

therefore fubjed to be coun-

terfeited, which has fornetimes been done; but the great punifhments, which have been inflided upon the authors of thefe forged bills, and which generally arecapita!, havedeterred people from attempting it again ; fo that examples of this kind are very fcarce As there is a great want of at prelent.

fmall coin

here,

the buyers,

or

fellers,

were frequently obliged to fuffer a fmall and could pay no intermediate prices between one livre and two They commonly give one hundred and

lofs,

cy—

fifty livres a year to a faithful and diligent footman, and to a maid-fervant of the fame charader one hundred livres. A journeymen to an artift gets three or four livres a day, and a common labouring man

gets thirty or forty fols a day.

The

fear-

wages body finds every

city of labouring people occafions the to be fo

high

;

for

aim oft

it

* The foils the loweft coin in Canada , and is about the value of a penny in the Englifh colonies. A li^urey or frunc, (for they are both the fame) contains twenty fols ; and three iivres, or francs, make an ecu, or crown.

;

Montreal.

up

71

farmer in this unwhere he can live well, and at a fmail expence, that he does not care to ferve and work for others. Montreal is the fecond town in Canada, in regard to fize and wealth ; but it is the fir ft on account of its fine lituation, it fo

eafy to fet

as a

cultivated country,

Somewhat above the and mild climate. river St. divides into the Lawrence town, feveral branches, and by that means forms feveral

iflands,

Montreal

is

among which

the greateft.

It

is

the

ifle

of

ten French

and near four broad, in its broadeft part. The town of Montreal is built on the eaftern fide of the ifland, and clofe to one of the moft ccnfiderable branches of the river St. Lawrence and thus it receives a very pleafant, and advantageous fituation. The town has a quadrangular miles

long,

form, or rather it is a rectangular parallelogram, the long and eaftern fide of which extends along the great branch of the riven, On the other fide it is furrounded with excellent corn-fields,

charming meadows, and

It has got the name of Montreal from a great mountain, about half a mile weftwards of the town, and lifting its head far above the woods. Monf. C artier, one of the firfi: Frenchmen who furveyed Canada more accurately, called this E 4 mouix-

delightful woods.

;

Augujl 1749.

72 mountain in the year

on

fo, 1

his arrival in this ifland,

535, when he

moun-

vifited the

and the Indian town HofJjelaga near it. The priefts who, according to the Rxh man catholic way, would call every place in this country after forne faint or other, called Montreal, Ville Marie , but they have not been able to make this name general, for its fir ft name. it has always kept It is pretty well fortified, and furrc unded with On the eaft fide it a high and thick wall. has the river St. Lawrence , and on all the other tides a deep ditch filled with water, tain,

which

fee u res

again ft

the inhabitants

all

danger from the hidden incurfions of the enemy’s troops. However, it cannot long

Hand

a regular fiege,

becaufe

it

great garrifon, on account of

and becaufe

it

Here

confifts

requires a its

chiefly of

extent

wooden

churches, of which I fhall only mention that belonging to the friars of the order of St. Sulpitius , that of the Jefuits, that of the Fran eifean friars, that belonging to the nunnery, and that of the hofpital ; of which the firft is however by far the fineft, both in regard to its outward and inward ornaments, not only in this place, but in all

houfes.

Canada

.

The

are

feveral

priefts

of the

fe min ary

St. Sulpitius have a fine large houfe,

of

where

;

,

Montreal

73

.

they live together.

The

college

of the

and Francifcan not fo magnificent has good walls, but it is The college of the Jefuits as the former. To each pf thefe is fmall, but well built threebuildings areannexed finelargegardens, friars

is

like wife

fpacious,

for the amufement, health, and ufe of the Some communities to which they belong.

of the houfes in the town are built of (tone, but moft of them are of timber, though Each of the better fort very neatly built. of houfes has a door towards the ftreet, with a feat on each fide of it, for amufement and recreation in the morning and evening. The long ftreets are broad and ilrait, and divided at right angles by the fhort ones fome are paved, but moil of them very uneven. The gates of the town are numerous ; on the eafl: fide of the town towards the river are five, two great and :

th ree

lefifer

ones

like wife feveral.

;

and on the other

The

fide are

governor-general of

Canada , when he is at Montreal the caftle, which the government ,

refides in

hires for that purpofe of the family of Vaudreuil but the governor of Montreal is obliged

buy or hire a houfe in town ; though was told, that the government contribut-

to I

ed towards paying the rents. In the town is a Nunnery

and without its

Auguft 1749.

74 its

walls half a one; for though the

quite ready, however,

it

laft was had not yet been

confirmed by the pope. In the firft they do not receive every girl that offers herfelf; for their parents mufl pay about five hundred ecus, or crowns, for them. Some indeed are admitted for three hundred ecus, but they are obliged to ferve thofe who pay more than they. No poor girls are taken in. The king has ere&ed a hofpital for fick

The fick perfon there is provided with every thing he wants, and the king pays twelve fols every day for his flay, attendance, &c. The furgeons are paid by the When an officer is brought to thk king. foldiers here.

hofpital,

who

is

fallen fick in the fervice

of

the crown, he receives victuals and attendbut if he has got a ficknefs in ance gratis the execution of his private concerns, and :

comes of his

to be cured here, he

own

purie.

enough in the fome of the

in

When

mufl pay there

it

out

room

is

hofpital, they likewife take fick inhabitants of the

They have

town

the medicines, and

and country. the attendance of the furgeons, gratis, but mu ft pay twelve fols per day for meat, &c. Every Friday is a market-day, when the country people come to the town with provifions,

and thofe

who want them mufl fupply

Montreal.

75

fupply themfelves on that day, becaufe it is the only market-day in the whole week. On that day likewise a number of Indians

come

to

town,

goods, and buy

to fell their

others.

The

declination of the magnetic needle

was here ten degrees and thirty-eight minutes, weft. Mr rGHlion, one of thepriefts here, who had a particular tafte for m a thematic ks and aftronomy, had drawn a meridian in the garden of the feminary,

which

he had examined repeatedly by the fun and ftars, and found to be very exadt. I compared my compafs with it, taking care, that no iron was near it, and found its declination juft the fame, as that which I have before mentioned.

he

faid

According tions, five

to

the latitude

Monf. Gillian s ohfervaof Montreal is forty-

degrees and twenty-feven minutes.

Mqnsr. Pontarion another prieft, had made thermometncal obfervations in Mont,

real,

from the beginning of

He made

ufe of

Reaumur

s

which he placed feme times half open,

and

fometimes

this year

1749. thermometer, in

window

one quite will feldom mark

open, and accordingly it the greateft degree of cold in the ever,

a

in

air.

How-

give a fhort abftradt of his obfervations for the winter months. In JaI fhall

nuary

;

76

Atiguft 1749.

nuary the greateft cold was on the ]8th day of the month, when the Reaumur Ian thermometer was twenty-three degrees below The leaft degree of cold the freezing point. was on the 3 ft of the fame month, when it was juft at the freezing point, but moft of the days of this month it was from twelve to fifteen degrees below the freezIn Febi'uary the greateft cold ing point. was on the 19th, and 2 5th, when the thermometer was fourteen degrees below the freezing point ; and the leaft was on the 3d day of that month, when it rofe eight degrees above the freezing point ; but it was generally eleven degrees below it. In 1

March the greateft cold was on the 3d, when it was ten degrees below the freezing point, and on the 22d, 23d, and 24th, was mildeft, being fifteen degrees above

It

was four degrees below it. In April the greateft degree of cold happened on the yth, the thermometer being live degrees below the freezing point ; the 25th was the mildeft day, it being twenty it

:

in general

it

degrees above the freezing point ; but in general it was twelve degrees above it. Thefe are the contents chiefly of Monf. Porttarions obfervations during thofe months

but

I

found, by the manner he made his obhad every day been

fervations, that the cold

from

Montreal

77

.

from four

to

had marked

degrees greater, than he had likewife marked

fix

He

it.

that the ice in the river St.

in his journal,

Lawrence broke on the 3d of April at Montreal and only on the 20th day of On the 3d of May that month at ^'uebec fome trees began to flower at Montreal and on the 12th the hoary froft was fo great, that the trees were quite covered ,

.

,

with

as

it,

The

with fnow.

town

ver clofe to this

is

ice in the ri-

every winter above

a French foot thick, and

two of fuch

whom

as I

feet,

I confulted

fometimes it is was informed by all

on that head.

Several of the friars here told me, that the fummers were remarkably longer in Canada

,

fince

to be before later.

much

The

its ;

cultivation, than they ufed

begins earlier, and ends

it

winters on the other hand are

{hotter; but the friars

were of opi-

nion, that they were as hard as formerly, though they were not of the fame duration ; and likewife, that the fummer at prefect was no hotter, than it ufed to be. The coldeft winds at Montreal are thofe from the north and north-weft. Aagujl the 2d. Early this morning we left Montreal and went in a bateau on ,

our journey to Quebec, in company with the fecond major of Montreal, M. de Sermon -

^

ville.

y$

We

Hiille.

ly 49.

Augiift

r

fell

down

which was here

re 7ice 9

the river St.

Lem*

on our was the ifle of

pretty broad

on the north-weft fide Montreal, and on the right a number of The ifle of other ifles, and the fhore. Montreal was clofely inhabited along the river ; and it was very plain, and the riling land near the fhore confifted of pure mould, and was between three or four yards high* The woods were cut down along the riverlid e* for the diftance of an Englifh mile. The dwelling-houfes were built of wood, or ftone,indifcriniinately,and white- wafhed on

left;

the outfide.

The

other buildings, fuch as

of wood. The was turned either Now and into corn-fields, or meadows* then we perceived churches on both fides of the river, the fteeples of which were generally on that fide of the church, which barns, ftables, &c. were

ground next

all

to the river

looked towards the river, becaufe they are not obliged here to put the fteeples on the Within fix weft end of the churches. French miles of Montreal we faw feveral iflands of different fizes on the river, and mod of them were inhabited ; and if fome of them were without houfes on them, they were fometimes turned into corn-fields, but gefaw no mounnerally into meadows.

We

tains, tt

hills,

rocks,

or ftones to-day,

the

country

Between Montreal and Trois Rivieres

.

yg

country being flat throughout, and confiding of pure mould. # All the farms in Canada fland feparate from each other, fo that each farmer has his poflefiions entirely

diftinct

from thofe

Each church, it is true, of his neighbour. has a little village near it; but that conlifts chiefly of the parfonage, a fchool for the boys and girls of the place, and of the houfes of tradefmen, but rarely of farmhoufes; and if that was the cafe, yet their The farm-houfes fields were feparated. hereabouts are generally built all along the rifing banks of the river, either clofe to the water or at fome diftance from it, and about three or four arpens from each other. To fome farms are annexed fmall orchards; but they are in general without them ; however, almoft every farmer has a kitchengarden. I have been made journies to

da , and

to

the

told

by

all

thofe

who have

the fouthern parts of Cana river

Mijfijippi,

that the

woods there abound with peach-trees, which bear excellent fruit, and that the Indians of thofe parts fay, that thofe trees have been there fince times immemorial.

The

farm-houfes are generally bulk of ftone, but fometimes of timber, and have three or four rooms. The windows are feldam

8o

Auguji ly 49*

feldom of

but moft frequently of pi* iron ftoves in one of the rooms, and ch ironies in the reft. The roofs are covered with boards. The crevices and chinks are filled up with clay* The other buildings are covered with ftraw*

per.

glafs s

They have

There

up with which is parallel to the fhoreS of the river. Thefe croftes are very common in Canada and are put up to excite the road

are feveral Crojfes put

fide,

,

devotion in the travellers.

of wood,

five or fix

portionally broad.

They

are

made

yards high, and pro**

In that fide

which looks

towards the road is a fquare hole, in which they place an image of our Saviour, the crofs, or of the holy Virgin, with the child in her arms ; and before that they put a piece of glafs, to prevent its being fpoiled by the weather. Thofe croftes which are not far from churches, are very much adorned, and they put up about them all the inftruments which they think the Jews employed in crucifying our Saviour, fuch as a hammer, tongs, nails, a flafk of vinegar, and perhaps many more than were really made ufe of. A figure of the cock, which crowed when St. Peter denied our Lord, is commonly put at the top of the crofs.

The

country on both

Tides

was very delightful

1

Between Montreal and Trots Rivieres

,

8

of its cuU tivation, added greatly to the beauty of the It could really be called a village* fcene. beginning at Montreal, and ending at Quebec, which is a diftance of more than one hundred and eighty miles ; for the farmhoufes are never above five arpens, and fometimes- but three* afunder, a few places excepted. The profpedt is exceedingly beautiful, when the river goes on for fome miles together in a ftrait line, becaufe it then (hortens the diftances between the houfes^ and makes them form exactly one continued lightful to day,

and the

fine fiate

village.

All

women

in the country, withwear caps of fome kind or out exception, Their jackets are fhort, and fo are other. their petticoats, which fcarce reach down to the middle of their legs ; and they have a filver crofs hanging down on the breafh

the

In general they are very laborious ; however, I faw fome, who, like the Englijh women in the colonies, did nothing but When they have any prattle all the day. thing to do within doors, they (efpecially

commonly fingfongs, in which the words Amour and Qceur are very frequent.

the girls)

In the country

it

is

ufual, that

when

the

hulband receives a vifit from perfons of rank, and dines with them, his wife (lands Vol. III. behind F

Augujl

Ik

1

749.

behind and ferves him

; but in the towns, the ladies are more diftinguilhed, and would willingly aflame an equal, if not a fuperior,

power to their hufbands. When they go out of doors they wear long cloaks, which cover all their other clothes, and are either grey, brown, t lines

make

or blue.

The men fome-

ufe of them,

when

obliged to go into the rain.

they are

The women

have the advantage of being in a dejhabille under thefe cloaks, without any body’s perceiving

it.

We

fome times faw wind-mills near the farms. They were generally built of ftone, with a roof of boards, which, together with its flyers, could be turned to the wind occailonally.

The breadth of the river was not always equal to-day ; in the narrowed: place, it was about a quarter of an Enghjh mile broad ; in other parts it was near two Eng lijh

miles.

and

fteep,

At

The flhore was fometimes high and fometimes low, or Hoping.

three o’clock this afternoon

we

paf-

which falls into the river Lawrence , and comes from lake Champlain, in the middle of which latter is a large ifland. The yachts which go between Montreal and Quebec, go on the fed by the river,

St.

fouth-eafl; fide of this ifland,

becaufe

it

is

deeper

Between Montreal and Trots Rivieres

.

83

deeper there ; but the boats prefer the north-weft fide, becaufe it is nearer, and Befides this yet deep enough for them. ifland there are feveral more hereabouts,

which

are

all

uninhabited,

Somewhat

inhabited.

ther, the country till

on both

fur-

fides the river is

we come

to the

Lac Sh

Pierre ; becaufe it is fo low, as to be quite overflowed at certain times of the year. To make up for this deficiency, the country, I am told, is as thickly inhabited further from the

river,

as

we found

it

along

the banks of the river.

Lac St. Pierre isapart of the river St. Lawwhich is fo broad that we could hardly

rence ,

fee any thing but iky and water before us, and I was every where told, that it is feven French miles long, and three broad. From the middle of this lake as it is called, you fee a large high country in the weft, which In the lake are appears above the woods. many places covered with a kind of ruih, There are no or Scirpus palujlris , Linn houfes in fight on either fide of the lake, becaufe the land is rather too low there ; and in fpring the water rifes fo high, that they may go with boats between the trees. However, at fome diftance from the ihores, where the ground is higher, the farms are clofe together. We faw no iflands in the .

F

2

lake

Augujl 1749*

84

lake this afternoon, but the next day

we

met with fome.

Late

in

the

evening

we

left

lake

rowed up a little river called Riviere de Loup, in order to come to a houfe where we might pafs the night. Having rowed about an Englijh mile, we found the country inhabited on both fides St.

Pierre,

and

Its fhores are high ; but the of the river. country in general is flat. pafied the a in farm-houfe. territory of night The Montreal extends to this place ; but here begins the jurifdidion of the governor of *Trois Rivieres , to which place they reckon eight French miles from hence. Augujl the 3d. At five o’clock in the morning we fet out again, and firft rowed down the little river till we came into the

We

which we went downwards. After we had gone a good way, we per-

lake

St, Pierre,

ceived a high chain of mountains in the north-weft, which were very much elevated above the low, flat country. The north-weft fhore of lake St. Pierre was now in general very clofely inhabited ; but on the fouth-eaft fide we faw no houfes, and only a country covered with woods, which is fometimes faid to be under water, but behind which there are, as I am told, a great

number of

farms.

Towards the

,

Trots Rivieres .

85

end of the lake, the river went into its proper bounds again, being not above a mile and a half broad, and afterwards it grows ftill narrower. From the end of

Lake

Pierre to Trois Rivieres they reckon three French miles, and about eleven o’clock in the morning we arrived at the St.

where weattended divinefervice. Trois Rivieres , is a little market town, which had the appearance of a large village; it is however reckoned among the threegreat towns of Canada , which are Quebec, Monlatterplace,

and Trois Riveres. It is faid to ly in the middle between the two firfl:, and thirty French miles diftant from each. The town is built on the north fide of the river St. Lawrence, on a flat, elevated fand, and its fituation is very pleafant. On one fide the river pafles by, which is here an Eng/i/h mile $nd a half broad. On the other fide, are fine corn-fields, though the foil is very much mixed with fand. In the town are two churches of ftone, a nunnery, and a houfe for the friars of the order of St. Francis This town is likewife the feat of the third governor in Canada, whole houfe treal,

.

is

likewife of ftone.

Moft of the other houfes

are of timber a Angle ftory high, tolerably

well built, and ftand very the ftreets are crooked.

F

3

much afunder; and The Ihore here confifti

^

Auguji 1749.

?6 confifts of fand, it

and the

violent here,

about the

raifes

it

directs,

to walk in them.

twenty-two

in

rifling

When

are pretty high.

is very the fand, and blows it

making

The

grounds along

the wind

it

very troublefome

nuns, which are about

number,

are reckoned very

ingenious in all kinds of needle-work* This town formerly flouriflhed more than any other in Canada , for the Indians brought their goods to it from all fides ; but fince that time they go to Montreal and and to the Englijh, on account Quebec of their wars with the lroquefe or Five Nations, and for feveral other reafons, fo that ,

this «

by by

town

it.

Its

is

at prefent very

much

reduced

prefent inhabitants live chiefly

agriculture*

though

the neighbouring

jron-works may ferve in fome meafure to fupport them* About an Englijh mile below the town, a great river falls into the river St. Lawrence but firft divides into ,

three branches, fo that

it

appears as if three

This and this

rivers difernbogued themfelves there.

has given occafion to

call

the river

town, Trots Rivieres (the Three Rivers)« The tide goes about a French mile above Tfois Rivieres , though it is fo trifling as to be hardly qbfervable. But about the equinoxes, and ^t the new moons and full moons in fpring and autumn* the difference between the highed

.

Trois Rivieres.

higheft and lowefl water

is

87

two

Ac

feet.

«*

this river goes very

cordingly the tide in from the above mentioned place

far up, for

to the fea they reckon fifty

about a hundred and

French miles.

Whilst my company were

refling,

I

went on horfeback to view the iron-work. The country which I pafled through was high, fandy, and generally flat. I faw neither flones nor mountains here. The iron-work , which is the only one pretty

in this country, lies three miles to the wefl

of Trois Rivieres forges,

beiides

.

two

Here lefler

are

two great

ones to each of

the great ones, and under the fame roof with them. The bellows were made of

wood, and every thing

elfe,

as

it

is

in

Swedijh forges. The melting ovens fland clofe to the forges, and are the fame as ours. The ore is got two French miles and a half from the iron works, and is carried thither on fledges. It is a kind of moor ore which lies in veins, within fix inches or a foot from the furface of the ground. Each vein is from fix to eighteen inches deep, and below it is a white fand.

The * Tophus Tubalcaini, Linn. Syft. Nat III. p. 18 7, n. 5. Minera ferri fubaquofa nigro caruhfcens. Wall. Mineral, p. Iron ockres in the fhape of 263. Germ. Ed. p. 340. n. 3. Crufts, are fometimes cavernous, as the Brujk ore . Forfierh. Mineral p. .

Augujl 1749.

88

The both

veins are furrounded with this fand fides,

and covered

at

on

the top with a

The ore is pretty rich and lumps in the veins, of the fizp of two fids, though there are a few which Thefe are near eighteen inches thick. lumps are full of holes, which are filled The ore is fo foft that it may with ockre. They be crushed betwixt the fingers. make ufe of a grey lime-done, which is broke in the neighbourhood, for promoting thin mould.

lies in loofe

the fufibility of the orem to that purpofe they likewife employ a clay marie, which Charcoals are to is found near this place. be had in great abundance here, becaufe all the country round this place is covered with woods, which have never been ftirred.

The ?s,

charcoals from ever-green trees, that fir kind, are bed for the forge,

from the

but thofe of deciduous trees are bed for the fmelting oven. The iron which is here made, was to me defcribed as foft, pliable, and tough, and is faid to have the quality of not being attacked by rud fo eafily as other iron ; and in this point there appears a great difference between the Spanifio irpn and this in fhip-building. This iron-work ^vasfird founded in 1737, by private perfons,

who gall:

afterwards ceded it to the king; they cannon and mortars here, of different

89

*Frois Rivieres.

which are in ufe all over &c. not to mention the They have bars which are made here.

fizes,

iron {loves

Canada

,

kettles,

likewife tried to

make

fte^l here,

but cannot

bring it to any great perfection, becaufe they are unacquainted with the beft manner Here are many officers of preparing it. and overfeers, who have very good houfes, It is agreed on built on purpofe for them. all hands, that the revenues of the iron,

the expences which the king mult every year be at in maintaining They lay the fault on the bad date of it.

work do not pay

population, and fay that the few inhabitants in the country have agriculture, and that

it

enough to do with

therefore cofts great

trouble and large fums, to get a fufficient

number of workmen. But however plaufible this

may

appear, yet

it is

furprizing that

the king ffiould be a lofer in carrying on this work ; for the ore is eafily broken, very near the iron-work, and very fulible. The iron is gopd, and can be very conveniently difperfed over the country. This is moreover the only iron-work in the country, from which every bpdy muft fup-

plyhimfelf with iron tools, and what other But the officers and feriron he wants. vants belonging to the iron-work, appear to |>e

ip very affluent circumftances.

A

river

runs

Auguft 1749,

93 runs

down from

can be feet at a

the iron-work, into the

Lawrence, by which

river St.

low

in

all the iron boats throughout the country

Ip the evening

rate*

again to 5Trots Rivieres* Jlttguji the 4th*

At

the

I

returned

dawn of day

we

left

and

elofely inhabited along the

went on towards We found the land on the north Quebec* iide of the river fomewhat elevated, fandy,

The

this

place and

footh-eaft

water

we were

£hore,

fide.

told,

is

well inhabited ; but the woods along that lliore prevented our feeing the

equally houfes,

which

are

further up in the

built

country, the land clofe to the river being fo low as to be fubjedt to annual inundations. Near Trois Rivieres , the river grows fomewhat narrow; but it enlarges again, as '

that

foon as you

place,

come

below and has the breadth of above

two Englijh miles. As we went on, we faw

a

little

feveral churches

of ftone, and often very well built ones. The fliores- of the river are elofely inhabited for about three quarters of an Englijh mile up the country ; but beyond that the woods and the wildernefs encreafe. All the rivulets falling into the river St.

Lawrence

wife well inhabited on both ferved throughput Canada , r

are like-

Tides.

I ob-r

that the culti-

1

between Trois Rivieres and Quebec.

9

vated lands ly only along the river St* Lawrence , and the other rivers in the country, the environs of towns excepted,

round which the country is all cultivated and inhabited within the didance of twelve or

eighteen

Englifh

miles.

The

great

iflands in the river are likewife inhabited.

The

fhores of the

river

now became

more oblique and deep, however Now and they confided chiefly of earth. or great rivers brooks fall into fome then

higher,

the river St. Lawrence , among which one of the mod confiderable is the Riviere Piiante, which unites on the fouth-ead fide with the St. Lawrence , about two French tniles below Irois Rivieres and has on its ,

banks, a little way from its mouth, a town called Becancourt which is wholly inhabited

by Abenakee Indians , who have been converted to the Roman catholic religion, and have Jefuits among them. At a great didance, on the north-wed fide of the river, we faw a chain of very high mountains, running from north to fouth, elevated above the red of the country, which is quite flat here without any remarkable

hills.

Here

were feveral lime-kilns along the river $ and the lime-done employed in therm is broke in the neighbouring high grounds. It is compact and grey, atid the lime it yields is

pretty white.

The

Augnjl 1749.

gz

The fields here are generally Town with wheat, oats, maize, and peafe. Gourds and water-melons are planted in abundance near the farms.

A Humming flew

among

bird

(Trochilus Coin bn’s) the bufhes, in a place where

The French call it landed to day. Oifeau mouche and fay it is pretty common

we

,

in

Canada

times

at

;

and

I

have feen

it

fince feveral

Quebec.

About

five o'clock in

the afternoon

we

were obliged to take our night’s lodgings on fhore, the wind blowing very flrong againft ns, and being attended with rain, I found that the nearer

we came

to Quebec, the

more

from woods was the country. where we palled the night, is The place dilfant from ^u,ehec twelve French miles. They have a very peculiar method of open and

free

They catching fifh near the fhore here. place hedges along the fhore, made of twifted eziers, fo clofe that no fifh can get through them, and from one foot to a yard high, according to the different depth of the For this purpofe they choofe fuch water. places where the water runs off during the ebb, and leaves the hedges quite dry. Within this inclofure they place feveral weels, or fifh-traps, in the form of cylinders, but They are placed upright, broader below. ancf

Between Trois Rivieres and Quebec,

93

and are about a yard high, and two feet and a half wide: on one fide near the bottom is an entrance for the fifhes, made of twigs, and fometimes of yarn made into a net. Oppofite to thisentrance, on the other fide of the weel, looking towards the lower part of the river, is another entrance, like the firft, and leading to a box of boards about four foot long, two Near each of the deep, and two broad. weels is a hedge, leading obliquely to the long hedge, and making an acute angle with it. This latter hedge is made in order to lead the fifh into the trap, and it is placed on that end of the long hedge which looks towards the upper part of the river; nowwhen the tide comes up the river, the fifh, and chiefly the eels, go up with it along the river fide; when the water begins to ebb, the fifh likewife go down the river, and meeting with the hedges, they fwim along them, till they come through the weels into the boxes of boards, at the top of which there is a hole with a cover, through which the fifh could be taken out. This apparatus is chiefly made on account of the eels. In fome places hereabouts they place nets inftead of the hedges of twigs. The fhores of the river now confifted no more of pure earth; but of a fpecies of Hate.

They

are very fleep

and nearly perpendicular

Augufi 1749/

94

pendicular here, and the dates of which they confift are black, with a brown caftj

and divifthle into thin fhivers, no thicker than the back of a knife. Thefe dates foon they moulder as as are expofed to the open air, and the fhore is covered with grains of fmall fand, which are nothing but particles of fuch mouldered dates. Some of the ftrata run horizontal, others obliquely, dipping to the fouth and riling to the north, and iome tiroes the contrary way. Sometimes they form bendings like large femicircles fometimes a perpendicular line cuts off the ftrata, to the depth of two feet 3 and the Oates on both fides of the line from a perpendicular and fmooth wall. In fome places hereabouts, they find amongfl the dates, a ftratum about four inches thick of a grey, compact, but pretty foft limedone, of which the Indians for many centuries have made, and the French at pre:

ftill make, tobacco-pipes^. Augnjl the 5th. This morning, we continued our journey by rowing, the contrary wind hindering us from failing. The ap-

fent

pearance * This lime-ftone, Teems to be a marie, or rather a kind of ftone-rnarle: for there is a whitiih kind of it in the Krim-Tartary , and near Stiva or Thebes in Greece , which is employed by the Turks and Tartars for making heads of pipes, and that from the firft place is called Kejfzkil and in the latter, Sea- Scum : it may be very eaftly cut, but grows harder in time. F. ,

,

Between Trots Rivieres and Quebec.

95

pearance of the (bores, was the fame as yefterday they were high, pretty deep, and quite perpendicular; and confided of the The country black (late before defcribed. plain without was eminences, a top at the and clofely inhabited along the river, for about the fpace of an Engli/Jj mile and a •

half in-land.

Here

are no iflands in this

part of the river, but feveral ftony places,

perceptible at

low water only, which have

feveral times proved fatal to travellers.

The

breadth of the river taries > in fome parts it was a little more than three quarters of a mile, in others half a mile, and in fome

above two miles. ufe of the fame

The

inhabitants

made

method of catching eels here, as that which 1 have

along the (bores mentioned. In many places make ufe they of nets made of oilers inftead of the hedge.

juft before

Bugs Cimex ledlularius) abound in Canada; and I met with them in every place where I (

lodged, both in the towns and country, and

the people know of no other remedy for them than patience.

The

Crickets [Gryllus domejiicus) are alia

abundant in Canada efpecially in the country, where thefe difagreeable guefts lodge in the chimnies ; nor are they uncommon t

in the towns.

They

ftay here

fummer

both

and x

;

9^

Augitft

\

749.

and winter, and frequently cut clothes in pieces for paftime.

The Cockroaches ( Blatta orientalis) have never been found in the houfes here. The fhores of the river grow more dopTo the ing as you come nearer to Quebec. northward appears a high ridge of mounAbout two French miles and a half tains. from Quebec , the river becomes very narrow, the {Lores being within the reach of a mufket {hot from each other. The country on both fides was doping, hilly, covered with trees, and had many fmall rocks About four o’clock the diore was {tony. in the afternoon we happily arrived at Quebec. The city does not appear till one is clofe to it, the profpedt being intercepted by a high mountain on the fouth dde. However, a part of the fortifications appears at a good diftance, being fituate on the fame mountain. As foon as the foldiers, who were with us, faw Quebec they called out,that all thofe who had never been there before, {hould be ducked, if they did not pay fomething to releafe themfelves. This cuftom even the governor-general of Canada is obliged to fubmit to, on his fird: journey did not care when we to Montreal. came in fight of this town to be exempted from this old cuftom, which is very ad,

We

vantageous

Quebec.

97

vantageous to the rowers, as it enables them to fpend a merry evening on their arrival at Quebec , after their troublelome labour.

Immediately after my arrival, the ofwho had accompanied me from Montreal, led me to the palace of the then viceficer

go venor-general of Canada, the marquis la a nobleman of uncommon Galiffonniere qualities, who behaved towards me with extraordinary goodnefs, during the time he flaid in this country. He had already ordered fome apartments to be got ready for me, and took care to provide me with every thing I wanted ; befides honouring ,

me

fo far to invite

me

to his table,

almoft

every day I was in town. Auguji the 6th. Quebec, the chief city in Canada , lies on the weftern fhore of the St. Lawrence , clofe to the water’s edge, on a neck of land, bounded by that river on the eaft fide, and by the river St.

river

Charles on the north fide; the mountain, on

which the town

is built, rifes fiiil higher on the fouth fide, and behind it begin great paftures ; and the fame mountain likewife extends a good way weftward. The city is diftinguifhed into the lower and the upper*. The lower lies on the river, eafi>

#

Vol.

La

m.

haute VilJe

£s?

la hajje Ville ,

G

ward

Auguji 1749.

98

the upper. The neck of land, mentioned before, was formed by the dirt and filth, which had from time to time been accumulated there, and by a rock which lay that way, not by any gradual diminution of the water,, The upper city lies above the other, on a high hill, and takes up five or fix times the fpace of the lower, though it is not quite fo populous* The mountain, on which the upper city is fituated, reaches above the houfes of the lower city. Notwithftanding the latter are three or four ftories high, and the view, from the palace, of the lower city (part of which is immediately under it) is enough to caufe a fwimming of the head. There is only one eafy way of getting to the upper city, and there part of the mountain has been blown up. This road is very fteep, notwithftanding it is made winding and ferpentine. However, they go up and down it in carriages, and with waggons. All the other roads up the mountain are fo fteep, that it is very difficult to climb to the top by them. Moft of the merchants live in the lower city, where the houfes

ward of

I

are built very clofe together. in

it

The

ftreets

are narrow, very rugged, and almoft

always wet. There is likevvife a church, and a finall market-place. The upper city is-

Quebec is

.

-

99

inhabited by people of quality, by fevebelonging to the different offi«

ral perfons

ces,

by tradefmen, and others.

In this part

are the chief buildings of the town,

which the following

are

among

worthy particular

notice.

The

Palace is fituated on the weft or of the mountain, juft above fteepeft It is not properly a pathe lower city. lace, but a large building of ftone, two ftories high, extending north and fouth* On the weft fide of it is a court-yard, furrounded partly with a wall, and partly with On the eaft fide, or towards the houfes. river, is a gallery as long as the whole building, and about two fathom broad, paved with fmooth flags, and included on the outfides by iron rails, from whence the city and the river exhibit a charming pro«» fpedt. This gallery ferves as a very agreeI.

fide

able walk

come

after

dinner,

and thofe

who

to fpeak with the

governor-general wait here till he is at leifure. The palace is the lodging of the governor-general of Canada , and a number of foldiers mount the guard before it, both at the gate and in the court-yard ; and when the governor, or the bifhop, comes in or goes out, they muft all appear in arms, and beat the drum. The governor-general has his

G

2

own

100

Augufi 1749.

own

chapel where he hears prayers ; how* ever, he often goes to mafs at the church of the Recole ts which is very near the palace. II. The Churches in this town are feven or eight in number, and all built of ftone.

The

Cathedral church is on the right hand, coming from the lower to the upper city, fomewhat beyond the bifhop’s houfe. The people were at prefent employed in 1.

ornamenting it. On its weft fide is a round fteeple, with two divifions, in the lower of which are fome bells. The pulpit, and

fome other

The

gilt.

2.

The

parts

within the church, are

feats are very fine.

Jefuits church

is

built

in

the

form of a crofs, and has a round fteeple. This is the only church that has a clock, and I fhall mention it more particularly below. 3.

The

6.

The

church is oppofite the gate of the palace, on the weft fide, looks well, and has a pretty high pointed fteeple, with a divifion below for the bells. 4. The church of the Urfulines has a round fpire. The church of the hofpital. Recolets

bifhop’s chapel. 7.

*

A

kind of Francifcan

Jr r idioris ob/er .

* Originacs verts,

f Cerfs

verts,

j Originacs

et cerfs pafles.

8

3

.

§outh

.

.

,

September 1749.

278

South pichoux, pichoux du fud.

Red

foxes, renards rouges

.

Crofs foxes, renards croifes.

Black foxes, renards noirs

Grey

.

foxes, renards argent es

Southern, or Virginian foxes, renards du

fud ou de Virginia. White foxes, from

Ladoujfac^

renards

blancs de Tadouffac.

Martens, mart res. Vifons , o x foutreaux.

Black

fquirrels,

ecureuils noirs.

i.

Raw flags

fkins,

verts.

Prepared ditto, cerfs pajfes.

Raw

elks fkins, originals verts

.

Prepared ditto, originals pajfes. Rein-deer fkins, cariboux Raw hinds fkins, biches verts Prepared ditto, biches paffees .

.

Carcajoux.

Musk

rats,

rats mufques

.

Fat winter beavers, cajlors gras dlhiver Ditto fummer beavers, cajt'ors gras d’ete'. .

Dry

winter beavers, caftors fees dlhiver . Ditto fummer beavers, caftorsfees dlete . Old winter beavers, caftors vieux dlhiver Ditto

fummer beavers,

To-day,

caftors vieux diete.

got a piece of native copper They find it there from the Upper Lake almoft I

.

Montreal

279

.

almoft quite pure ; fo that it does not want melting over again, but is immediately fit for working. Father Charlevoix * fpeaks of One of it in his Hiftory of New-France. the Jefuits at Montreal, who had been at the place where this metal is got, told me, that it is generally found near the mouths of rivers, and that there are pieces of native copper too heavy for a Angle man to lift up. The Indians there fay, that they formerly found a piece of about feven feet long, and near four feet thick, all of pure copper. As it is always found in the ground near the mouths of rivers, it is probable that the ice or water carried it down from a mountain ; but, notwithftanding the careful fearch that has been made, no place has been found, where the metal lies in any great quantity together.

The head or Superior of the priefis of Montreal,

He

gave

me

a piece

of lead-ore to-day.

was taken from a place only a few French miles from Montreal and it confided of pretty compadt. Alining cubes, of lead ore. I was told by jfeveral perfons here, that faid

it

,

furthermore fouthward in the country, there is a place where they find a great quantity The In of this lead-ore in the ground. * See his Hift. de la

Nouv.

S

Fr.

4

Tom. VI.

p. 415.

dims.

2$o

September 1749.

dians near

if,

melt

it,

and make

and

balls

got fome pieces of it likewife, confiftingof a fhining cubic lead-ore, with

fhot of

it.

I

narrow firipes between it, and of a white hard earth or clay, which effervefces with aqua forth. I likewise received a reddifh brown earth to-day, found near the Lac de Deux Montagues , or Lake of Two Mountains , a

few French miles from Montreal. be

eafily

fingers.

It

may

crumbled into dull between the It is very heavy, and more fo than

the earth of that kind generally is. Outwardly, it has a kind of gloffy appearance, and, when it is handled by the fingers for

fome time, they ed over.

are quite as

it

were

filver-

probably a kind of or an earth mixed with iron-

It is, therefore,

lead-earth

glimmer.

The

of two kinds fome come over from France, and the reft natives. The former poffefs the politenefs peculiar to the French naladies

in

Canada

are generally

:

the latter may be divided into thofe 1 of Quebec and Montreal The firft of thefe are equal to the French ladies in good breeding, having the advantage of frequently converfing with the French gentlemen and ladies, who come every fummer with the king's fhips, and ftay feveral weeks tion

.

at

Montreal at

281

.

Quebec, but feldom go to 'Montreal.

ladies of this laft place are accufed

The

by the

French of partaking too much of the pride of the Indians and of being much wantWhat I ing in French good breeding. above of their drefting have mentioned their head too affiduouily, is the cafe with Their all the ladies throughout Canada '

,

.

when they are and fhort coarfe petticoat, that does not reach to the midOn thofe days when dle of their legs. they pay or receive vifits, they drefs fogayly, that one is almoft induced to think their

hair at

is

always curled, even

home

in a dirty jacket,

parents poffefled the greateft dignities

in

the (late. The Frenchmen , who coniidered things in their true light, complained very much that a great part of the ladies in Canada had got into the pernicious cuftom of

much

care of their drefs, and fquandenng all their fortunes, and more, upon it, inftead of fparing fomething for They are no lefs attentive future times.

taking too

new eft fafhions ; and they laugh each other, when they are not dreffed to each other’s fancy. But what they get as

to have the at

new in

fa (la ions,

France

;

are

grown

for the fhips

old,

and

laid afide

coming but once

every year from thence, the people in Canada confider that, as the new fafhion for

the

;

282

September 1749.

the whole year, which the people on board brought with them, or which they impofed

upon them and

to laugh at

\

The ladies in Canada , new. at Montreal are very ready any blunders ftrangers make in

as

efpecially

,

fpeaking ; but they are very excufable. People laugh at what appears uncommon In Canada nobody ever and ridiculous. hears the French language fpoken by any for ftrangers feldorn come but Frenchmen thither ; and the Indians are naturally too proud to learn French , but oblige the French From hence it to learn their language. naturally follows, that the nice Canada ladies cannot hear any thing uncommon withOne of the firft quefout laughing at it. tions they propofe to a ftranger is, whether he is married ? The next, how he likes the ladies in the country ; and whether he thinks them handfomer than thofe of his own country ? And the third, whether he .will take one home with him ? There are fame differences between the ladies of §>uebee and thofe of Montreal ; thofe of the to be generally handlaft place feemed fomer than thofe of the former. Their behaviour likewife feemed to me to be fomewhat too free at Quebec, and of a more becoming modefty at Montreal. The ladies at .Quebec, efpecially the unmarried A girl of ones, are not very induftrious. eighteen ,

283

Montreal.

reckoned very poorly off, if ihe cannot enumerate at leaft twenty lovers, Thefe young ladies, efpecially thbfe of a higher rank, get up at feven, and drefs till nine, drinking their coffee at the fame time. When they are dreffed, they place themfelves near a window that opens into the ftreet, take up fome needle-work, and few a flitch now and then ; but turn their eyes When a into the ftreet mo ft of the time. eighteen

is

young fellow comes ately lay afide their

and begin

to chat,

double- entendres

in,

him

acquainted with

;

ing very witty *.

whether they are

or not, they

work,

fit

immedi-

down by him,

laugh, joke, and invent

and

this

In this

reckoned bemanner they freis

quently pafs the whole day, leaving their mothers to do all the bufinefs in the houfe. In Montreal, the girls are not quite fo volatile, but more induftrious. They are always at their needle-work, or doing fome neceffary bufinefs in the houfe. They are iikewife chearful and content ; and nobody can fay that they want either wrt, or

Their fault is, that they think of themfelves. However, the daughters of people of all ranks, without exception, go to market, and carry home what they have bought. They rife as foon,

charms.

too well

*

Avoir beaucDup

d'efprit.

and

September 1749 .

284 and go

bed

to

any of the people have been allured, that,

as late,

in the houfe.

I

as

in general, their fortunes are not confider-

able ;

the

which

arc rendered

number of

nues

in a

are very

more fcarceby

children, and the fmall reve-

The

houfe.

much

ftill

girls

bec get hufbands focner than

reafon of this

at

Montreal Que-

difpleafed that thofe at

is,

men who come

that

they.

many young

The

gentle-

oyer from France with the by the ladies at Que-

fhips, are captivated bec,

men

and marry them ; but as thefe gentle-* feldom go up to Montreal, the girls

there are not often fo happy as thofe of the

former place. This morning I September the 23d. went ?o Saut ciu Recollet a place three French miles northward of Montreal to defcribe the plants and minerals there, and ,

,

of various plants. Near the town there are farms on both fldes of the road ; but as one advances further on, the country grows woody, and It is generally varies in regard to height. very ftrong ; and there are both pieces of rock-Hone, and a kind of grey lime-ftone. The roads are bad, and almoft impaffable A little before I arrived at for chaifes. Saut au Recollet, the woods end, and the chiefly

country

to coiledt

is

feeds

turned

dows, and paftures.

into corn-fields,

mea-

Between Montreal and Bant au Recollet 28 5 .

About two

a French mile

from the town are

lime-kilns on the road.

They

are built

grey lime-ftone, burnt hard, and of pieces of rock-ftone, towards the fire. The height of the kiln from top to bottom is

of

a

feven yards.

The

lime-ftone which they burn here, is One is quite black, and fo of two compadf, that its conftituent particles cankinds.

not be diftinguifhed, fome difperfed grains of white and pale grey fpar excepted.

Now

and then there are thin cracks in it filled with a white fmall-grained fpar. I have never feen any petrefaftions in this ftone, though I looked very carefully This {tone is common on the for them. about ten or twenty of Montreal ifle inches below the upper foil. It lies in ftrata of five or ten inches thicknefs. This done is faid to give the beft lime ; for, though it is not fo white as that of the following grey lime-ftone, yet it makes better mortar, and almc/t turns into ftone, growing harder and ,

more compadt every ples, that

day.

There

are

exam-

when they have been about to made partly of this mortar,

repair a houfe

the other ftones of which the houfe confifts, fooner broke in pieces than the mortar itfelf.

The

a86

September 1749.

The other kind is a grey, and fome times i dark grey lime-done, confiding of a eompadi calcareous-done* mixed with grains offpar, When broken, it has of the fame colour. a drong fmell of dink-done* It is full of petrified

greated

ftriated

part

Gf

The

(hells or pedlinites.

thefe

petrefadtions

are,

however, only impreflions of the hollow fide of the (hells. Now and then I found likevvife petrefied pieces of the (hell

itfelf*

could never find the fame (hells in their natural (late on the (bores ; and it feems inconceivable how fuch a quantity of imprefiions could come together, as I (hall prefently mention. I have had great piecesofthis lime-done, confiding of little elfe than pedlinites, lying

though

I

This lime-done is to one another. found on feveral parts of the ifie, where it lies in horizontal drata of the thicknefs of five or ten inches. This done yields a great quantity of white lime, but it is not fo good as the former, becaufe it grows damp in wet weather. Fir-wood is reckoned the- bed for the lime-kilns, and the thuya wood next to .it* The^wood of the fugar- maple, and other trees of a Similar nature, are not fit for it, becaufe they leave a great quantity of clofe

coals.

4

Grey

Sant au Re collet.

Grey in the

287

pieces of rock-flone are to be feen

woods and

fields

hereabouts.

The leaves

of feveral trees and plants began now to get a pale hue; efpecially thofe of the red maple, the fmooth fumach

%

the Polygonum Jagittatum veral of the ferns.

A great

,

Linn,

and fe-

eredled on the road, (hewed me the wood, told

crofs

Is

and the boy who that aperfon was buried there,

me

who had

wrought great miracles. At noon I arrived at Saut au Recollet which is a little place, fituated on a branch of the river St. Lawrence which flows

,

,

with a violent current between the ides of Montreal and Jefus It has got its name from an accident which happened to a re.

collet

friar,

called Nicolas Veil in the year into a boat with a convert,

He went

1625. ed Indian , and fome Indians of the nation of Hurons in order to go to Quebec ; but, on going over this place in the river, the boat overfet, and both the friar and his profelyte ,

were drowned. The Indians (who have been fufpedted of occafioning the overfetting of the boat) fvvam to the fhore, faved what they could of the friars effects, and

kept them. *

Rhus glabrum.

Linn.

The

\

88

September 1749.

The country hereabouts is full of ftonesi and they have but lately began to cultivate for all the old people could remember it the places covered with tall woods, which ;

are

now

turned into corn-fields, meadows,

The

and paftures.

priefls

fay,

that this

was formerly inhabited by fome conThefe Indians lived on a verted Hurons high mountain, at a little diftance from Montreal when the French firft arrived here, and the latter perfuaded them to fell that land. They did fo, and fettled here at Sant an Re~ and the church which ftill remains collet here, was built for them, and they have at-

place

.

,

tended divine fervice in it for many years. As the French began to increafe on the ifle of Montreal, they wifhed to have, it entirely to themfelves, and perfuaded the Indians again to fell them this fpot, and go to anoThe French have fince prevailed upther. on the Indians (whom they did not like to have amongft them, becaufe of their drunkennefs, and rambling idle life) to leave this place again, and go to fettle at the lake des

Deux Montagues where ,

they are

at

prefen t*

and have a fine church of ftone. Their church at Sant au Recollet is of wood, looks very old and ruinous, though its infide is pretty good, and is made ufe of by the Frenchmen in this place. They have already

Saut au

Recollet.

289

ready brought a quantity of ftones hither, and intend building a new church very foon. The botanical obfervations which 1 made during thefe days, 1 {hall referve for another publication. Though there had been no rain for fome

days part, yet the moifture in the air was fo great, that as I fpread fome papers on the ground this afternoon, in a fhady place, intending to put the feeds I collected into them, they were fo wet in a few minutes time, as to be rendered quite ufelefs. The whole fky was very clear and bright, and the heat as intolerable as in the middle of July.

One

half of the corn-fields are left fallow alternately. The fallow grounds are never ploughed in fummer ; fo the cattle

can feed upon the weeds that grow on them. All the corn made ufe of here is fummer corn, as I have before obferved. Some plough the fallow grounds late in autumn ; others defer that bufihefs till fpring ; but the firft way is faid to give a much better crop. Wheat, barley, rye, and oats are harrowed, but peafe are ploughed under ground. They fow commonly about the 1,5th of April, and begin with the peafe. Among the many kinds of peafe which are to be got here, they prefer the green ones to all

Vol

Ilf.

T

others

2 go

September 1749.

others for fowing.

They require

a high, dry,

poor ground, mixed with coarfe fand. The harveft time commences about the end, and fometimes in the middle of Auguji Wheat returns generally fifteen, and fometimes twenty fold p oats from fifteen to thirty The crop of peafe is fometimes forfold. ty fold, but at other times only ten fold ; for they are very different. The plough and harrow are the only infiruments of hufbandry they have, and thofe none of the .

beft fort neither.

The manure

upon the fallow grounds foil confifts

of a grey

is

in fpring.

carried

The

mixed They fow no more ftony

earth,

with clay and fand. barley than is neceflary for the cattle ; for they make no malt here. They fow a good deal of oats, but merely for the horfes and other cattle. Nobody knows here how to make ufe of the leaves of deciduous food for the cattle, though the with no other than trees of that kind, and though the people are trees

as a

forefls are furnifhed

commonly forced to feed their cattle at home during five months. I have already repeatedly mentioned, that almoft all the wheat which is fown in Canada is fummer wheat, that is fuch as is fown in fpring. Near Quebec it fometimes happens, when the fummer is lefs warm, or

4

the

Saut an Recollet.

291

the fpring later than common, that a great wheat does not ripen perfectly

part of the

commences. I have been fome people, who live on the Ijle de Jefus fow wheat in autumn, which is better, finer; and gives a more plentiful but it does crop, than the fummer wheat before the cold

afiured that

,

;

not ripen above a week befote the other wheat. In feveral places September the 25th. hereabouts, they enclofe the fields with a

Hone

fence, inftead of

wooden

pales.

The

plenty of ftones which are to be got here, render the labour very trifling. Here are abundance of beech trees in the woods, and they now had ripe feeds.

The people in Canada collect them in autumn, dry them, and keep them till winter, when they eat them, inftead of walnuts and hazel nuts

;

and

I

am

told

they

tafte

very

well.

There

is a fait fpring, as the prieft of informed me, feven French miles From hence, near the river tf Affomption ; of which during the war, they have made a fine White fait. The water is laid to be very briny. Some kinds of fruit-trees fucceed very Well near Montreal> and I had here an opportunity of feeing fome very fine pears and apples of various forts. Near Quebec the

this place

T

2

pear-

;

September 1749.

29-2

pear-trees will not fucceed,becaufe the win-

them

and fcmetimes they are killed by the froft in the neighbourhood of Montreal, Plum-trees of feveral forts were firft brought over from France , fucceed very well, and withftand the rigours of winter. Three varieties of ter

is

too fevere for

;

America walnut-trees grow in the woods but the walnut-trees brought over from France die almoft every year down to the very root, bringing forth new fhoots in fpring. Peach-trees cannot well agree with this climate ; a few bear the cold, but, for greater fafety, they are obliged to put ftraw round them. Chefnut" trees, mulberry-trees, and the like, have never yet been planted in

Canada

.

The

whole cultivated part of Canada has been given away by the king to the clergy, and feme noblemen ; but all the uncultivated parts belong to him, as likewife the place 011 which Quebec and Trois

The ground on which town of Montreal is built, together with the whole ille of that name, belongs

Rivieres are built.

the

to the prieils of the order of St.

who

Sulpicius ,

They' have given the land in tenure to farmers and others who were willing to fettle on it, in fo much that they have more upon their hands at live

at

Montreal

.

prefent

6

Saut au Recollet . prefent.

The

firft

fettlers

293

paid a trifling

rent for their land ; for frequently the whole leafe for a piece of ground, three arpens

broad and thirty long, confifts in a couple of chicken ; and fome pay twenty, thirty, or forty fols for a piece of land of the fame

who came

muft pay near two ecus (crowns) for fuch a piece of land, and thus the land-rent is very unequal The revenues of throughout the country. the bifhop of Canada do not arife from any fize.

But thofe

later,

landed property. The churches are built the congregations. of the at expence The inhabitants of Canada do not yet pay any taxes to the king; and he has no other revenues from it, than thofe which arife from the cuftom-houfe. The priefts of Montreal have a mill here, where they take the fourth part of all that However the miller receives a is ground. part third of this (hare. In other places he gets the half of it. The priefts fometimes leafe the mill for a certain futn. Be« fides them nobody is allowed to ered a mill on the ifle of Montreal, they having referved that right to themfelves. In the agreement drawn up between the priefts and the inhabitants of the ifle, the latter are obliged to get all their corn ground in the mills of the former.

They

:

September 1749.

294

They boil a good deal of fugar in Canada of the juice running out of the incilions in the fugar-maple, the red maple, and thq fugar-birch; but that of thp flrft tree is moft commonly made

ufe of.

The way

of preparing it has been more minutely deby me, in the Memoirs of the RoyaJ Swedijh Academy of Sciences f. September the 26th. Early this morEvery thing ning I returned to Montreal began now to look likeautumn. The leaves of the trees were pale or reddiih, and moft of Thofe the plants had loft their flowers. which ftill preferved them were the following f

fer! bed

.

Several forts of

afters,

both blqe an4

white.

Golden rods of various kinds.

Common Common The The The

milfoil.

felf-heah

crifped thiftle.

biennial oenothera.

rough-leaved fun-flower, with

tri-

foliated leaves, ,

The Canada # See the

t

Volume

JJltres .

vulgaris. triloba.

violet. for the year 175 1, p. 143, &c. Achillea millefolium. Prunella

Solidagines.

Carduus

crifpus.

Viola Canadeifs.

Oenothera biennis . Gentiana Saponaria •

Rudbeckid

A

,

Montreal,

A fpecies Wild

295

of gentian.

vines are abundant in the

hereabouts, climbing up very high

have made enquiry among

I

who

travel far into

woods

trees.

the French ,

the country, concern-

Thofe who ning the food of the Indians live far north, I am told, cannot plant any thing, on account of the great degree of They have, therefore, no bread, and cold. do not live on vegetables; flefli and fifh is their only food, and chiefly the flefli of beavers, bears, rein-deer, elks, hares, and feve.

kinds of birds. Thofe Indians who live far fouthward, eat the following things. Of vegetables they plant maize, wild kidney beans * of feveral kinds, pumpions of different forts, fquafhes , a kind of gourds, waterAll thefe plants have melons and melons f cultivated by the been Indians , long before the arrival qf the Europeans. They likeral

.

wife eat various fruits which grow in their woods. Fifh and flefh make a very great And they chiefly like part of their food. the flefli of wild qattle, roe-bucks, flags, bears, beavers, and fome other quadrupeds. Among their dainty difhes, they reckon the water-taregrafs J, which the French call * Phafeoli. •f

Cucumis melo Linn.

| Zizania aquatica, Linn.

T

4

folk

September 1749. avoine , and

folle

which grows

in plenty in

their lakes, in ftagnant waters, and

fome-

flow flowly. They gather its feeds in Odiober, and prepare them in different ways, and chiefly as groats, which They make tafte almoft as well as rice.

times in rivers which

many

meal of the feveral kinds of walnuts, chefnuts, mulber-

likewife

a

delicious

chinquapins *f*, hazel-nuts, acimine peaches, wild prunes, grapes, whortle-berries,

ries of feveral forts, lars, black-berries,

But the is

various kinds of

and other

fpecies of corn fo

called the old world,

fruit

common

were

med-

and roots. in

entirely

what un-

known

here before the arrival of the Europeans ; nor do the Indians at prefent ever attempt to cultivate them, though they fee the ufe which the Europeans make of the culture of them, and though they are fond of eating the diflies which are prepared of

them. September the 27th. Be avers are abundant over North- America, and they areone of the chief articles of the trade in Canada, The Indians live upon their flefh during a great part It is certain that thefe animals of the year. multiply very faft ; but it is no lefs fo, that all

#

Annona muricata Linn. ,

‘f-

F agus putnila

,

Linn.

yafi

Montreal

297

.

numbers of them are annually killed, and that the Indians are obliged at prefent to undertake diftant journies, in order to catch or fhoot them. Their decreaflng in number is very eafily accounted for ; becaufe

vaft

the Indians , before the arrival of the Euro peans , only caught as many as they found neceflary to clothe themfelves with, there being then no trade with the fkins. At prefent a number of fhips go annually to Europe , laden chiefly with beavers fkins ; the Englijh and French endeavour to outdo

each other, by paying the Indians well for them, and this encourages the latter to exAll the people in tirpate thefe animals. Canada told me, that when they were young, all the rivers in the neighbourhood of Montreal, the river St. Lawrence not excepted, were full of beavers and their dykes 3 but at prefent they are fo far extirpated, that one is obliged to go feveral miles up the country before one can meet with one. I have already remarked above, that the beaver fkins from the north, are better than thofe from the fouth.

Beaver-flesh Indians , but

and efpecially days

;

is

eaten not only by the

by the Europeans , the French , on their fading

likewife

for his holinefs,

ranged the beaver

in his

among

the

fyftem, has fifh.

The fle(h

September 17 49.

298 fiefh

lived

is

reckoned

beft,

if the

upon vegetables, fuch

beaver has

as the afp,

and

the beaver-tree * ; but when he has eaten To day I tailed fifii, it does not tafte well. this flefh

boiled,

for

the

firft

time

;

and

though every body prefent, befides myfelf, thought it a delicious difh, yet I could ^ot 1 think it is eatable, but agree with them. has nothing delicious. It looks black when boiled, and has a peculiar tafte. In order to prepare it well, it mufti be boiled in feveral waters from morning till noon, that The tail it may lofe the bad tafte it has. likewife eaten, after it has been boiled in the fame manner, and roafted afterwards $ but it confifts of fat only, though they

is

would not call it fo ; and cannot be (wallowed by one who is not ufed to eat it.

Much has already been written concerning the dykes, or houfes of the beavers ; is

it

therefore unnecefifary

to

repeat

it.

Sometimes, though but feldom, they catch beavers with white hair.

Wine is almoft the only liquor which people above the vulgar are ufed to drink. They make a kind of fpruce beer of the top of the white fir •f*, which they drink * Magnolia glauca , Linn.

f

Epinette blanche.

defcrifced at large

Sciences, for the

in

The way the

of brewing this beer

is

Memoirs of the Royal Acad, of

yeanyji, p. 190.

in

Montreal. in

fqmmer

ral

and

but the ufe of it is not genefeldom drank by people of ; quality. Thus great fums go annually out of the country for wine ; as they have no vines here, of which they could make a liquor that is fit to be drank. The common people drink water ; for it is not yet cuftomary here to brew beer of malt ; and there are no orchards large enough to fupply the people with apples for making cyder. Some of the people of rank, who pofiefs large orchards, fbmetimes, out of curiofity, get a fmall quantity of cyder made. The great people here, who are ufed from their youth to drink nothing but wine, are greatly at a lofs in time of war;

when

all

;

it

is

the fhips

intercepted by the

which brought wine are

E nglijh

privateers.

To-

wards the end of the

laft war, they gave Francs and even one hundred Ecus, for a barrique , or hogihead,

two hundred and

fifty

,

of wine.

The

of feveral things, I have been told by fome of the greateft merchants here, is as follows. A middling horfe cofts forty Francs * and upwards ; a good horfe is valued at an hundred Francs, *

Franc

prefent price

is

the fame as

Li-vre

;

and twenty- two Litres

snake a pound llerling.

or

;

;

geo

September

A cow

or more.

1749.

now

is

fold

for

fifty

but people can remember the time 3 when they were fold for ten Ecus fbeep cofts five or fix livres at preient ; but laft year, when every thing was dear, it coft eight or ten Francs. A hog of one year old, and two hundred, or an hundred and fifty pound weight, is fold at fifteen Francs M. Couagne the merchant, told me, that he had icon a hog of four hundred weight among the Indians. chicken is fold for ten or twelve Sols ^ and a turkey for twenty fols. Minot J of

Francs

A

.

,

A

A

wheat

Ecu

but at preient it coft forty Sols. Maize is always of the fame price with wheat, becaufe here is

but

fold for

little o!

an

it ;

by thole who go A Minot of oats

laft

year

;

made life of with the Indians. feme times from fifbut of late years it

and

it is all

to trade cofts

teen to twenty Sols has been fold for twenty-fix, or thirty Sols*

Peafe bear always the fame price with wheat. A pound of butter cofts commonly about eight or ten Sols ; but laft year it rofe up to fixteen Sols. A dozen of eggs ufed however, now are to coft but three Sols *

An

Ecu

f Twenty

is

three Francs.

Sols

make one

Liu.ebec

.

;

then follows the governor of Montreal, and after him the governor of T rois Rivieres The intendant has the greateft power next to the governor-general ; he pays all the money of government, and is prefident of the board of finances, and of the court of juflice in this country. He is, however, under the governor-general ; for if he refufes to do any thing to which he feems obliged "by his office, the governor-general can give him orders to do it, which he muft obey. He is allowed, however, to appeal to the government in France In each of the capital towns, the governor is the higheft perfon, then the lieutenant-general, next to him a major, and after him the captains. The governor-general gives the firft orders in all matters of confequence. When he comes to Frois Rivieres and Montreal, the power of the governor ceafes, becaufe he always commands where lie is. The governor-general commonly goes to Montreal once every year, and moftly in winter j and during his abfence from fguebec, the lieutenant-general com.

.

7

mands

Montreal,

mands dies,

there.

When

the governor^general before a new one

or goes to France

come

3 *1

,

dead, the governor, of Mon* treal goes to Quebec to command in the mean while, leaving the major to comis

mand

in his

Montreal two of the king’s {hips are annually fent from France to Canada , carrying recruits to fupply the places of thofe folat

One

diers,

.

or

who

either died

have got leave

in

the fervice,

to fettle in the country*

or

and Ai-

farmers, or to return to France . every year they fend a hundred, or a hundred and fifty people over in this man-

turn

med ner.

With

thefe people they likewife fend

perfons, who have been found guilty of fmuggling in France. They were formerly condemned to the gallies, but at prefent they fend them to the colonies, where they are free as foon as they arrive, and can choofe what manner of life they plead*, but are never allowed to go out of the country, without the king’s fpecia!

over a great

licence.

number of

The

king’s Ihips likewife bring a

great quantity of merchandizes

which the

king has bought* in order to be diilributed among the Indians on certain occafions. The inhabitants of Canada pay very little to the king, in the year 1748, a beginning was* U a however.

,

30 8

0 Bober

1749

.

however, made, by laying a duty of three per cent, on all the French goods imported A regulaby the merchants of Canada. tion was likewife made at that time, that all the. furs and {kins exported to France from hence, fliould pay is

a certain

duty; but what

carried to the colonies pays nothing.

merchants of

The

parts of France

and its colonies, are allowed to fend fhips with goods to this place; and the Quebec merchants are at liberty likewife to fend their goods to any place in France , and its colonies. But the merchants at Quebec have hut few fhips, becaufe the fa dors wages are very high. The towns in France which chiefly trade with Canada , are Rochelle and Bourdeaux ; next to them are Marfellies, Nantes , Havre de Grace , St. Malo and others. The king’s fhips which bring goods to this country, come either from Brejl or from Rochefort. The merchants at Quebec fend flour, wheat, peafe, wooden utenfils, &c. on their own bottoms, to the French poffeffions in the The walls round Montreal Weft -Indies. 'were built in 1738, at the king’s expence, on condition the inhabitants fhould, little by little, pay off the coft to the king. The all

town at prefen t pays annually 6000 livres for them to government, of which 2000 are 1

given

Montreal

3°9

.

given by the feminary of priefls. At Quebec the walls havelikewife been built at the king’s expence, but he did not

redemand the

expence of the inhabitants, becaufe they had already the duty upon goods to pay as

The

above mentioned. longs folely

to

the

beaver trade beIndian company in

France , and nobody is allowed to carry it on here, befides the people appointed by that company. Every other fur trade is open to every body. There are feveral places among the Indians far in the country, where the

of their goods ; and thefe The king has no in Canada than Quebec Fort other fortrefles Chamblais Fort St. yean , Fort St. Fredeor Crownpoint, Montreal, Frontenac, ric, All other places belong to and Niagara The king keeps the Niaprivate perfons. all to himfelf. trade Every one who gara intends to go to trade with the Indians muff have a licence from the governor-general, for which he muft pay a fum according as the place he is going to is more or lefs advantageous for trade. A merchant who fends out a boat laden with all forts of goods, and four or five perfons with it, is obliged to give

French have

(lores

places they call

les

pojles

.

,

x

.

hundred livresfor the permiflion; and there are places for which they give a

five or fix

U

3

thoufand

C Bober

3io thoufand

llvres.

1749.

Sometimes one cannot buy

the licence to go to a certain trading place, becaufe the governor-general has granted, or intends to grant it to fome acquaintance The money arifing from or relation of his. the granting of licences, belongs to the governor-general ; but it is cuftomary to give half of it to the poor : whether this is al-

ways

ftri&ly kept to or not, I fhali not pre-

tend to determine.

End

op the

Third Volume*

.

N

I

D

E

X.

A.

ACer Negundo,

— rubrum

i.

67.

red maple,

,

Achillaa millefolium ,

iii.

i.

66.

294..

Adiantum pedatum, maiden-hair, Albany, town of, ii. 255.

iii.

118.

ii. 258. houfes of, ii. 256. inhabitants of, ii. 21.

fort at,

fituation of,

Albecor,

Algonkin words,

iii.

Allium Canadenfe ? ii. Anas acuta , blue bill,

Anemone Anies,

hepatica,

iii.

ii.

258.

19.

i.

1

ii.

204. 133.

237. 104. i.

81

Animals, tameable, i. 207. Anne fort near Canada, ii. 297. Annona muricata , cuftard apple, i. 69. Antiquities found in North-America, Ants, black, ii. 68.

——

-

red,

ii.

iii.

123-

70.

Apocynum androfamifoliuin ,

iii. 26. cannabinum , i. 131. ii. 131. Ardtium lappa , burdock, iii. 27.

-

—

Ardea Canadenfis ,

ii. 72. Virginium Virginian wake-robin, Arundo arenaria, iii. 210. Afclepias Syriaca , iii. 28. Afp, Penfylvanian, ii. 125. Azalea lutea i. 66.

Arum

%

i.

1

25-

,

nudiflora , white honey-fuckle, or ii.

May- flower.

169.

B. Badger, i. 189. Bark-boats, method of making,

U

4

ii.

298.

Bat-

..

INDEX. Battoes,

Bay

ii.

242.

St. Paul,

Canada, iii. 200. in North-America, in Canada, iii. 12.

in

Bears carnivorous plentiful

Beavers, -

—-—

-

—— —

ii.

tree,

Betula alnus ,

«—*—

——

59. eaten in Canada,

fiefh

i.

iii.

i.

1 1

6.

297.

204.

67.

ii. 90. 69. nana (pumila , Linn.)

lenta,

i.

i.

i. 138. Bidens bipinnata^ i. 171. Bill of mortality for Philadelphia, i. 57. Blatta Orientalise ii. 13, 14. Blubbers, i. 15. Blue-bilis. See Anas acuta. Blue-bird, ii. 70.

Boats ufed in Canada, iii. 15. Bonetos, i. 21. Bottle -nofe, a kind of whale, i. 18. Bugs, ii. 11. Bull-frogs. See Ram boons. Bunt as cakile , iii. 2 1 1 Burdock. See Arffium lappa. Burlington, the principal town in New-Jerfey,

ii.

219.

C. Calabafhes, i. 348. Cancer minutus, i. 13. Candieberry-tree, i. 192.

Canoes, Cap aux

ii.

241.

iii. 210 Gaprimulgus Europ&us^ Carabus lotus , ii. 68.

Carduus

oyes ,

crifpus ,

Carpinus Betulus ,

—

—

GJlrya ,

iii. i. i.

GaJJia Chamacrifta^

Cajlor zibetbicus ,

ii.

whip-poor-Will,

i.

152.

294. 68. ibid. i.

120

57, 285.

Caterpillars, a kind of,

Cattle, wild,

ii.

ii.

7.

207. Cattle,

INDEX. Cattle, wild, in the country of the Illinois, Celtis occidentalism nettle-tree, i. 69.

Cephalanthus occidentalism button -wood,

60.

iii.

ibid.

Cercis Canadenfis y fallad-tree, ibid.

Champlain, lake, ii. 90. Characters of the French and Englifh

America compared,

of the ladies in Canada, Chenopodium alburn^ i. 118. anthelminticum, i. 163. Cbermes alniy i. 154. Cherry-trees, wild, iii. 160.

Chine, a village in Canada, Chinquapins, iii. 296. Cimex lacuftris, ii. 126. leftularius,

in

North-

208.

iii.

iii.

305.

ii.

126.

ii.

ii.

Cicindela campejlris , varietas, Civility of the inhabitants of

Clergy of Canada,

women

55.

iii.

iii.

Canada,

135.

iii.

140.

Climate, difference of, between Montreal and bec, iii. 152. Cockroaches, ii. 13.

Cohoes

fall,

in the river

Collinfonia Canadenfts,

Coluber conjlriftor,

Columba migratoriam ComarujnpaluJlrem

Mohawk,

197. black fnake,

i.

ii.

Que-

275.

i.

ii.

ii.

202.

82.

138.

Copper, native, from the Upper Lake, Cornua Ammonis , petrified, iii. 23. Cornus Florida , dog-wood, i, 66. Corvus cornix, crow, ii. 66.

iii.

278.

Corylus avellana ,

ii. 90. Coryphcena Hippurus , i. 19. Cows in Canada degenerate,

iii. 188. Cranes, American, ii. 72. — formerly abundant in America, Cratagus crus galli, i. 66, 115.

tomentofam currants,

Crickets,

ii.

290.

151.

10.

field,

Crows, great

ii.

i.

ii.

69.

flights of,

ii.

65.

Cryftals,

INDEX* Cryftals, tranfparent,

i. 82. Culex pipiens, mufquetoes, i. 143. pulicaris , ii. 296. Cunila pulegioidesy penny-royal, i. 194. Cupreffus thyoides , white cedar, or white juniper,

ii.

174.

D. Dandelion, iii. 13. Datura Jlramonium, i. 152. Deal, i. 2. Decay of the teeth of the Europeans in North- America, i. 360.

Delaware bay,

——— -

—

i.

—

11.

good water

— ——

;

10.

i.

—-river,

Delphinus Phoceena ,

Diet

in

of,

i.

47.

convenient for trade,

Canada,

iii.

ibid.

17.

i.

182.

Diofpyros Virginiana , perfimon,

i.

68, 127, 345.

Dirca paluftriS) moufe-wood, ii. 148. Diftempers common among the Indians, Dog-fife,

Dogs

draw water from the

trained to

put before fledges in winter, Dolphin, or dorado, i. 19. Draba verna , ii. 91. Dracontium fcetidum , ii. 90.

Drowned

iii.

32.

18.

i.

lands,

Dytifcus piceus t

iii.

ii.

river,

iii.

iii.

185.

186.

1.

127.

E. Elizabeth Town in New-Jerfey, i. 232. Elymus arenarius , fea-lime grafs, iii. 210.

Ember izu

by emails , ii. 51. Epigeea repens , creeping ground-laurel,

Efcbaray

i,

Efquimaux, America,

——

—

—

.

13. a nation iii.

arms

233. of,

boats of,

in the

ar£tic

ii.

130.

parts of

North-

.

iii. iii.

236.

235.

Efquimaux,

INDEX, Esquimaux,

drefs of,

words,

234. 239.

iii.

iii.

Evergreens in North-America, i. 360. Excrefcences on feverai trees, ii. 22. Exocoetus volitans , flying fhh, i. 20.

F.

—

Fagits caflanea , cheftnut-tree,

—

fylvatica , beech,

i.

i.

67.

69.

pumila , chinquapin, iii. 296. Fans, made of wild turkeys tails, iii. 66, Felts lynx wolf-lynx, ii. 200. Fever and ague, i. 364. Fi(h, caught by a peculiar method at Trois Rivieres,

—

iii.

,

92.

h 20.

flying#

•

Fleas, original in America,

Food of

the Indians,

ii.

ii.

9.

95.

Formica nigra , ii. 68. Fort St. Frederic, or Crownpoint,

John, Foxes, grey, red,

in

i.

i.

Canada,

iii.

iii.

4, 34,

45,

282. 283.

Fraxinus excelfior , afh, i. 68. Fucus natans , fea-weed, i. 12.

G. Galium tinfiorium , Gentiana

lutea^

i.

faponaria ,

German-town

iii.

14.

138. iii.

294.

in Penfylvania,

i.

89

Giants pots, i. 121. Ginfeng, iii. 114. Gleditfia triacanthos> honey-Iocufl-tree,

i. 69. 96. Gnaphalium margaritaceum y i. 130. Goods that have a run among the Indians, iii. 266. given in exchange by the Indians, iii.

Glycine Jpios ,

ii.

274.

Gourds,

i.

347.

Gracula quifcula , the purple daw,

ii.

7 6.

Grafs-

N

I

Grafs-worms, Ground-hog.

’

E

X.

76.

ii.

See Badger.

Gryllus campejlris ,

ii.

domejlicus ,

ii.

—— —

D

common, Gypfum, fibrous, Gulls,

30, 69. 10.

23. 229. Gyrinus nataior ( Americanus ) 9 i.

iii.

ii.

139,

H. Hamamelis Virginica , i. 68. Hares in Canada, iii. 59. Hatchets of the Indians, ii. 37. Hedera helix , ivy, i. 141. Hellebores trifolius ,

iii.

1

60.

Hinds, tamed in North-America, ii. 197. Hinlopen cape, in Penfylvania, i. 10. Hirundo pelafgia^ chimney-fwallow, ii. 146.

— —— — ——— *

-

-

--

purpurea , purple-martin, riparia , fand-martin,or

ii.

147.

ground -fwallow,ii. 147.

rujlica, barn-fwal!ow, ii. 140. See Glycine Apios. Hopnifs. Horfes in Canada ftrong, iii. 187. Humming bird, i. 210. Hurons, an Indian nation, iii. 178.

I.

Jerfey pine,

i.

334.

Ilex aquifolium , holly,

Impossibility of

making wine,

i.

351? 360. manufactures,

eftablifhing filk in

North-America,

i.

and

123, 125.

Indians, livelihood of the, ii. 113. religion of the, ii. 117. Inhabitants of Canada, iii. 8. Infhnces of great fertility among the inhabitants of

—

North-America,

ii.

4.

Intenfenefs of the froft in America, ii. 49. Iron-works at Trois Rivieres, iii. 87.

—

yuglans alba , hiccory,

— —— -

nigra ,

i.

66.

67. baccata f butternut-tree, i.

i.

69.

Juniperm

INDEX. Juniperus Virginiana , the red cedar, or red juniper,

Kalmia

latifolia ,

:.

ii.

68, 336.

angujlifolia ,

215.

ii.

See Sagittaria fagittifoiia . Kettles of the Indians, ii. 41. Kitchen-herbs of Canada, iii. 129. Knives of the Indians, ii. 39. Katnifs.

L.

Lac St. Pierre, iii. 83. Land -birds feen at fea,

i.

24

Larus canus , i. 23. Laurus ajlivalis, fpice-wood,

i.

68.

68, 146, 340. Lead- veins near Bay St. Paul, iii. 212. Leontodon taraxacum , iii. 13. Lepas anatifera , i. 16. Licences for marrying in America, in the governors, ii. 25. Lichen rangiferinus , iii. 137. Liguftrum vulgar e, privet, i. 86, 165. Lime-flates, black, iii. 243. fajfafras ,

i.

Lime-Hone, pale grey, Linnaa borealis, i. 138. Liriodendron tulipifera ,

i.

gift

of the

84.

66, 202. 67, 16 1. Locufts, which deitroy the young branches of trees, i.

Liquidambar Jlyracifua,

Log-worms,

i.

Long

ii.

ifland,

in

ii.6.

2.

226.

Loxia Cardinalis , Lupinus perennis,

Lynxes

i.

ii.

71.

ii.

135.

America.

See Fein lynx.

M. Magnolia glauca , beaver-tree, i. 69, 204. Maize-thieves, defcription of, ii. 74.

—

natural hiilory of,

ii.

76.

Maize-

INDEX. —

Matee-thieves, profcribsd in America, white backed, 11. 274..

ii.

-7$.

i.

83*

Maple, red, i. 167. Marangoins, a kind of gnats, iii. 47. Marble, white with blueifh grey fpots,

Marmor

rude

See Lime-flolie.

.

Mechanicks, few Medufa aurita , i.

in

Medoe majalis,

105.

——

Canada,

iii.

59.

15.

ii.

profcarabeeus ,

ii.

157.

Mickmacks, an Indian Nation, Mink, ii. 61. Mockingbird, i. 217.

180.

iii,

Moles, a kind

of, i. 19 1. fubterraneous walks of,

Montmorenci

waterfall,

190.

i.

227* Montreal, a great town in Canada, iii. 71, * account of the climate of, iii. 75. rchurches and convents of, iii. 72,

—

iii.

— —

hofpital of,

Moofe-deer,

iii.

74.

296. nothing but an elk, i.

Morus rubra i. 68. Mota cilia fialis , blue

iii.

204.

,

Moths abundant Mountain flax, Mufcovy glafs,

—— Mufk

rats,

bird,

ii.

70.

in the clothes i.

i.

and

furs,

ii.

8«

303. 84.

56. carnivorous,

ii.

ii. 285. Mufquitoes, i. 113. Myrica cerifera^ candleberry-tree,

—-—gale,

i.

i.

192.

138.

Mytilus anatinus 9 mufcle fhells,

ii.

80, 114.

N. Natural hiftory promoted in Canada, iii. 5. Negroe (laves in North- America, i. 396. know a kind of poifon, 1. 397. New Briflol, i. 219. Brunfwick, i. 220.

—

—

—

New

INDEX. Newciflle, a town in Penfylvania, i. 26. founded by the Dutch, i. 26.

New-York,

247. affembly of deputies, i. 259. houfes of, i. 249. public buildings, i, 250.

i.

port,

Ni.holfon

fort,

i.

near Canada,

ii. 293. America, ii. 6. Tupelotree, ii. 67.

Noxious infers NyJJa aquaticciy

252. 253.

i.

trade,

•

in

O. Oenothera biennis ,

iii.

Oriolus phoeniceus^

ii.

294. 79.

Orleans, Ille of, in the river Orontium aquaticum , ii. 10 1. Oxalis corniculata ,

St.

Lawrence,

iii.

194,

20 1.

i.

P.

Panax

quinquefolium^

114.

iii.

Paper-currency of Canada,

—

Papilio antiopa ,

ii.

euphrofyne ,

iii.

68.

105. ii.

ibid.

Parfneps, iii. 67. Partridges, American,

ii. 51. white. See Ptarmigans. Par us major , i. 24. Peafe, deftroyed by an infe£f, i. 173. Pe&inites, iii. 22.

Penn’s Neck, in New-Jerfey, Petite Riviere, iii. 221. Petrel,

i.

ii.

17.

23.

Phaeton athereus , i. ibid Philadelphia, capital of Penfylvania, i. 31, by whom, and when built, 1. 32. — houfes of, i. 34. .

— — —

— public

buildings,

regularity,

33

and

i.

36.

beauty of

its

flreets,

*

Philadelphia,

—

,,

INDEX. —

Philadelphia, temperature of

—

**

trade of,

American

Phytolacca decandra ,

Picus auratus ,

—— — —

principalis,

varius

nightfliade,

i.

95, 196.

ibid.

ii.

ibid.

ii.

— pubefcens,

46.

i,

ibid.

ii.

erythrocephalus , pileatus,

climate,

86.

ij.

carolinus ,

its

49.

i.

85.

ii.

ii.

87.

ibid.

ii.

86. Pierre a Calumet, iii. 230. Pigeons, wild, ii. 82. Pirns abies , the pine, i. 360. • fylvejlris , the fir, i. ibid. villofus

ii.

—— —— 69. -—— Americana, tceda,

*

i.

i.

ibid.

Plant ago major, i. ir8. maritima, iii. 211. Platanus Occident alls, i. 62.

—

Pleurify,

Poa -

i.

376.

anguflifolia ,

——

capillaris ,

Pcke.

iii.

iii.

156. 66.

See Phytolacca.

Polecat, American, Polytrichum commune Pontederia cordata, Porpefie,

i.

i.

i.

,

iii.

16.

Portuguefe, or Spanifii ber,

i.

273. 184. 260.

man

of war, a fpecies of blub-

15.

Portulaca oleracea , purflane, Potentilla fruticofa ,

ii.

284.

138. Prairie de Magdelene, a fmall village in Canada, 52. Preferablenefs

of

i.

Old Sweden

to

New

188. Prinos verticillatus , i. 67. Probability of Europeans being in long before Columbus’s difcovery,

Pro cellar ia pelagica ,

i.

Sweden,

iii.

ii

North-America ii.

31.

22.

Pr untila

N

I Procellar i a puffinus,

iii.

Prunus —

i.

domeftica ,

fpinofa ,

68.

i.

—

iii.

Pyrites, cubic,

i.

X,

294. 67.

Virginiana ,

Ptarmigans,

E

23.

i.

Prunella vulgaris ,

D

67.

i.

58. 82.

jPyra* coronaria> crabtree,

i.

.

Quebec, the chief

city in

68.

ii.

a Canada,

the palace of, iii. 99. other public buildings,

climate of,

iii.

166.

iii.

iii.

97*

IQO.

246.

£>uercus alba y

—

i. 65. Hifpanica , i. 66.

phellos , ibid.

•

—

prinos , ibid.

-

rubra ,

—

ibid.

—

1

varietas,

i.

68.

R.

Raccoon,

—

Rana

i.

97,

ii.

63.

boans , bullfrog, ocellata ,

ii.

ii.

170.

88.

village in New- Jerfey, ii. 168. Rats, not natives of America, ii. 47. Rattle-fnake, found no further north than fort

Rapaapo, a

derick,

48. Reafons for fuppofing part of

St.

Fre-

iii.

merly under water, i 132, Redbird, ii. 71. Rein-deer mofs, iii. 137.

Remarks upon

North-America was i.

the climate of North-America,

Rhus glabra , fumack,

for-

199.

i.

io6«

75, 66, radicans , i. 67, 177. vernix , poifon tree, .. 77, 68. Ribes nigrum , i. 68. Robinia pfeudacacia, locufl-tree, i. 69. i.

——

Robin- red-breaft, American.

VpL.

JII,

X

See Turdus migratorim. Rgclcftonp

N

!

8.0'ckftones of

B

E

'X.

various forts, near Fort St. Frederic,

20.

iii.

Rub us

occidentalism

Rudbeckia

i.

triloba ,

66.

294.

iii.

S.

Sagittaria fagittifoliam ii. 97. Salem, a little town in ISew-Jerfey,

ii. 164. Sambucus occidentalism /. CanadenfiSj i. 66. ii. 283. Sands of fevers! forts, near Lake Champlain, iii. 24, Sanguinaria CanadenfiSm ii, 140. Saratoga, an Englifli fort towards Canada, iii 289. Sarothra genticrnoideSm i. 126.

Scarabesuim

ii.

68.

— carolinus ?

Scirpus pallu/lrism

ii„

Scomber pelamySm boneto, •

—

125.

83.

iii.

thynnuSm tunny,

i.

21.

i.

19.

Sea hen, i. 24. Sea weeds, i. it. Servants, different kinds of, Shear water, i. 23.

i.

387.

Ships, annually entered into, and failed from FhiladeL phia,

i.

53.

Sifon Canadenfcm

iii.

27.

Skeleton found in Canada, fuppofed to be of an elc« phant, iii. 12.

Skunk, or American Smilax

laurifoliam

i.

pole-cat,

68.

ii.

i.

273.

185.

Snake, black, ii. 202. Snow-bird, ii. 51, 8l. Soap-ftone, i. 300. Soeurs de Congregation, iii. 3O4. Soldiers advanfageouily provided for in Canada, Sorbus aucupariam iii. 15 1. Spariium Jcopariumm i. 287. Squafhes, i. 348. Squirrels, flying,

—

16.

32Q. 310. ground. 2. 322.

- grey,

—

iii.

i.

1.

State*

INDEX; State^ former, of

New-Sweden,

ii. 106. Indians before the arrival of

of the American

the Europeans, ii. 36. Sterna birundo , i. 23. Sturgeons , ii. 229, 278* Sulphureous fprings near

Bay

St. Paul,

Swallow, barn or houfe, ii. 14 chimney, ii. 146. ground, or fand martin,

iii.

215.

.

feen at lea.

i.

ii.

147.

24.

T.

Tawho,

Ta

or

Tawhim,

ii.

98.

kee. See Oroniium. Terns, i. 23. Tetrao lagopus, Ptarmigans, -

Thuja

occidentalis,

Tilia Americana , .!

iii.

58.

170. lime-tree, i. 59.

Tifavbjaune rouge ,

Titmoufe, great,

iii.

iii.

14.

24. Tobacco pipes, Indian, ii. 42. Travado. ii. 214.

Trees, which

i.

putrefa&ion le£ than others, 138. Trig lochin maritimum , i. 138. *Trochilm colubris , i. 210.

Tr ientalls

refill

europaa,

ii,

19,

i.

\

Trois Rivieres, a town in Canada, Tropic bird, i, 23. Turdus migratorius, ii, 90. polyglottos,

Turtle,

Typha

i.

ii.

iii.

85.

217.

22.

latifolla,

ii.

132.

iii.

2 1 8.

IL Vaccinium , a fpecies of, i. 66. another fpecies, ibid,

—

hifpidulum ,

ii.

79.

i

Veratrum alburn^ ii. 91. Verbafcum tbapfus , i. 128. Verbena

officinalis ,

i,

119. Viola

—

IN

D

E

X.

Viola CanadenfiSy in. 294-.

——

Vifcum album , -

——

360.

i.

L 286,

filamentofum %

Vitis labrufca ,

i.

66.

vulpina ,

Viverra putorius, fkunk, i. 273. XJlmus Americana^ i. 67. ii. 298. MeleS) badger, i. 189.

W.

—

Wampum, —

261.

273. Wafp-nefts, curious, ii. 137. — Water, bad at Albany, ii. 253 Watering of meadows in Penfylvania, i. 308. Water-melons, iii. 261. Waves, bignefs of, in the Bay of Bifcay, i. 3. Whip-poor- Will, ii. 151. Whortleberries, American, ii. 80. Wilmington, a little town in Penfylvania, i. 156. Winds, changeable about the Azores, i. 5. Wolves in America, i. 285. Women in Canada, drefs of, iii. 81. ii.

iii.

Wood

of different forts, for joiners work, ii. 21* Woodbridge, a fmall village in New- Jerfey,|i. 232. Woodlice, ii. 16. 303. Woodpeckers, Carolina, U. 86.

——

-

——

* gold winged, ibid. king of the, ii. 85. leaft fpotted, ii. 87. leffer fpotted, yellow bellied* red headed, ii. 86.

—

———