What I saw in America.

Otago Witness, Issue 1239, 28 August 1875, Page 20

What I saw in America.

By the Rev. Dr. Copland, Dunsdin.

No. 4. — Up the St. Lawrence, Quebec, Montreal. On reaching the banks of Newfound* land we met the usual fog whichjfoounds there, ,but it was not so dense JL to impede our progress to any great'Tsritent. We had also a view, of several icebergs. I noticed three of them. A fourth which had been seen by others was out of sight when 1 came on deck. They were about sor 6 miles distant. The mode by which the distance from the ship of an iceberg, or similar object that is stationary, maybe easily ascertained, is as follows : — Not* the time at which a line drawn from the ship to the iceberg forms an angle of forty-five degrees with the course of the Bhip. Then observe the time at which you come up at right angles with it. ' The distance which has been traversed by the ship during this interval will ba equal to the distance of the iceberg from the ship. Suppose half an hour has elapsed between the two observations and tho ship is going at twelve knots an hour, the distance of the iceberg will be six miles. With a steam vessel, and using the precautions which may be taken, little danger need arise from them. If the thermometer is carefully observed, it will invariably shew the proximity of an iceberg by the sudden decrease of temperature. With a sailing vessel, however, where the means ol directing the vessel's course are much slower and less efficient, the danger particularly in a driving tempest, is 'very serious, as sad experience often shows. On one occasion, some acquaintances who where going out to Canada, and- had reached this part of, the ocean where icebergs abound, saw a vessel dimly through the fog at some distance. In a little, they were startled by hearing a rumbling sound like distant thunder. The vessel had come full tilt, against au iceberg which the fog had concealed from | their sight until it was too late to avoid it. A large hole was knocked in the side near the prow, through which the water rushed furiously, speedily, bringing her down by the head. The^cargo, wljich wa» railway iron soon began to move

forward and was- causing terrific noise in its progress along the hold down into the abyss. The crew had just time tc^ jump as they were, some of |them with nothing on but the scanty "clothing in which they had been sleeping, and with difficulty they succeeded in scrambling on to the iceberg, where they in a freezing condition for several hours until the othor vessel /Was able to come near them and get a boat out to bring them off. This they successfully'"accomplished, and the vessel from jrjych they had escaped had meanwhile disappeared from view benea'h the treaoVerous waves. V ter getting safely through the fog on the Newfoundland Banks, which seem to be huge mountains under water, extfendhur aooutGOOmiles in the onodirection 2nd 200 in the other— and past the icefbergs without making any close and unBleasantriLacquaintance with them, we 'came inR-ight of the land of the great American-Continent, on the seventh day after leaving the coast of Ireland. "We •were still, however, a long distance, nearly (SOO miles, from the Port of Quebec, to which we were bound. We entered the SfxAts of Belleisle, having on the left or southern side the wild-looking coast of Newfoundland, and on the right or northern side the coast of Labrador. The Straits are about ten or twelve miles wide near the entrance, and then increase in breadth as we advance, until they are lost in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. But here it may perhaps be necessary to make an explanation, such, as a digger once offered to me when he was talking of some of the other diggers as "the boys." He suddenly seemed to recellect himself, and feared that I might not understand the currefit phraseology, and added abruptly, h "But when 1 say a boy I mean a man." So when I speak of a gulf in this Brobdmgnagian continent, 1 mean something as far surpassing the ordinary geographical conceptions peculiar to Europeans as a man exceeds the magnitude of a boy, and a great deal more. This Gulf of St. Lawrence forms a Vast sea, 240 miles from east to west and about 300 miles from north to south. Similarly, when I speak of the river St. Lawrence, it must not be supposed that it is some stream over which you might leap your horse whe»*fc chased by a wild bull ; or, at all even*, get across in a ferry boat in the course of a minute or two. It is a vast body of water, something like the Atlantic Ocsan, pulled out lengthwise. It forms the outlet for about half the fresh water ill the whole globe. Its sources are to be traced back to the wilds in the far West of the continent, and its course may be followed for two thousand miles, having Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Eriej and Ontario, as irregular expansions of its bulk. Its broadth at the place where it is connected with the Gulf is about 90 or 100 miles. -, The Island of Newfoundland, it must also' be kept in pinind, is only to be understood by such an elevated conception of an island as that cherished by the parish minister in the Greater 0 umbrae in the Frith of Clyde, who, it is said, was accustomed in .his public devotions to pray for the Great fCumbraeand the Little Oumbrae, and the adjacent islands of Britain and Ireland. To his enlarged capacity these appe-tred by no means imposing. Newfoundland is estimated to contain an area of 3(5,000 square miles, or between four and five thousand more than the area of Ireland. It is of a roughly triangular shape, deeply indented with well-sheltered harbours, and, as all the world knows, illustrious in the annajjof codfish/ Two Englishmen, John CaMt and his son, sailing from Bristol iw1497 in search of a north-west passage to India, stumbled on this country, and found it inhabited by wild Esquimaux, who were clad in the skins of beasts, and what of themselves remained exposed to view was painted red. European^ in those days were not so fond of 'emigrating as now, and it remained almost neglected for many years. Jaques Cartier came here from France with two vessels, sailed round it, and claimed it for the French in 1534, and they retained possession of it till, in the time of Louis XIV., it was ceded to Britain. Since then it ha 3 continued to be British terriIn 1830 two of the red men, supposed to have been the last of the abori* gin.\i inhabitants, were found in a bush in aY emaciated condition by a settler, who was as much astonished at their appearance as they were at liis, and, uncertain apparently of their quality or intentions, he aimed his rifle at them, and killed one. The other, I suppose, did not long survive.

From the northern sides of the Straits of Bclleisle, Labrador stretches towards the north about 700 miles, and from all tht> reports of it, it does not appear to be k an. inviting country to live in. The chief inhabitants are the Esquimaux, who are sparsely scattered along the coast, with a number of whites, who are chiefly engaged in fishing or seal-catching. la summer thejemperature rises to 86 degrees, and abundance of mosquitoes make the most of their short-lived opportunity. When winter comes, the cold is so intense that rum is said to freeze in the open air as easily as water, and missionaries sleeping in houses heated with iron stoves find their bedclothes freeze to the wall where they may happen to touch. To compensate for its severe climate and arid soil, however, it « blessed with abundance of fish of every kind, both in its numerous lakes, and nvera and in the sea round its 1 extensive coasts. After getting through the Strait*, we soon lose sight of land while ploughing our track through the Gulf. We may again see it either on the Guufan »i4e on en A»totj, un bUni

about 120 miles long, near the mouth of the river St. Lawrence. Passengers certainly require to be told that they have here reached the river, for they would not readily form that opinion, as it is about 90 miles wide. On steaming up about 200 miles further the river narrows to about 20 miles, and the prospect of the land on either side, although distant, is cheering to any one who has grown weary with his voyage. It continues to grow narrower as we advance, until we enjoy so near a view of both sides that in good weather, such as we were favoured with in the beginning of October, it presented a very pleasing panorama.

The whole country seems to have been densely covered with forest at the beginning, much of which still remains, particularly at the lower part of the river, and also in the more elevated parts in the background all the way up. Near the shore we observe extensive clearances and settlements, occupied almost exclusively by the descendants of the original French immigrants. These become more numerous as we ascend the river. At intervals of 10 miles, or less, we notice churches — Roman Catholic of course — built for the most part somewhat after the style of the cathedral church of Paris — Notre Dame — at least resembling it in having t.vo towers on the front gable. I understand that in many of these settlements there may be observed more of the ancient peculiarities of the rustic French, in language, dress, and social customs, than are to be found in France itself — owing to the isolated position they occupy, so far removed from the influence of strangers and the influx of new ideas which have permeated France. This fringe of smiling settlements, dotted over with houses, churches, and well-tilled acres, increasing in breadth as we ad^ vance, presents a pleasant contrast to the rugged and mountainous country stretching behind it.

Opposite a place called Father Point, on the southern aide of the river, 170 miles from Quebec, we turned off steam and signalled for a pilot. Lights were burned as it was midnight, and a number of passengers who had waited up for this momentous event of the journey were standing about the deck or on the bridge, watching aniiously for the response. Very soon a small twinkling light was seen moving from the shore, and ns there was considerable way on the vessel it seemed to move towards the middle of the river a good piece ahead. "We scanned it eagerly, sometimes disappearing from oar sight, and again sending forth its feeble glimmer that assured us of its progress towards our vessel. Soon the boat which carried it and the pilot were alongside, and a rope-ladder held in readiness was at once lowered, by means of which he scrambled on deck. A bucket also was called for, which was let down to the boat and was filled with letters and papers for the ship and pulled up again. The pilot then took his station on the bridge, the captain retired to his cabin to enjoy his bitters and his ease, and we were once more under full steam towards our destination. I was agreeably surprised to receive here a telegram from a friend in Montreal, requesting to know at what time I would reach that city, in order that he might meet me < n arrival. This cousiderate kiudness afforded me no little satisfaction. It assured me of welcome, and made me feel that I had not come to a land of strangers. I mention it here simply for the purpose of suggesting to auy who may noi have had much personal experience of a pilgrim's lot, that they may afford by such attentions to any of their friends who may be in such circumstances as I was, far more pleasure than they are likely to imagine. Even although the communication may not be of weighty importance, it is the bearer of sympathy, which gold cannot purchase and the richest of men can never lightly esteem.

The rive* Sagiienay flows into the St. Lawrence on the northern side, about 130 miles from Quebec. Its picturesque scenery is greatly celebrated. About eight milea from Quebec we got a view of the Moutmorency Falls, which form the termination of the river of that name, as it plunges over a precipice 230 feet high into the St. Lawrence. They form a solid stream of water 50 feet wide, surrounded with mist. Every winter the water freezes, and forms a solid cone of ice, sometimes reaching about 200 feet high. Here many assemble to enjoy the favourite sport of boggining. Olimbing up to the top of the cone, they take their seat on a small wooden sleigh, and descend at a most exhilarating rate, sometimes in " good order " and " this aide up," but occasionally otherwise.

Now we are in sight of the bold precipitous rock called Cape Diamond, on the northern side of the river, on which stands the fortress of Quebec. It rises 350 feet above the river, and on most sides ia defended by such rugged precipices—while the remainder is protected by massive and skilfully constructed for-tiiications-~as to be pronounced almost impregnable. It has had a cheq uered and troubled history ainca the days when it formed tho site of an Indian vilJage called titadacomu, to which Jacques Cartier ascended in 1535. Tile name Quebec is said to have been given to it from qucl bee (what point J) having been the ex. clamation of the Norman sailors on first Beeing it, or else from queheio, meaning straight, from the sudden contraction of the river which takes place here to about half a mile. Throughout the river tushes at a rapid rate, and at spring tides there is a rise of 18 feet, The harbour is deep and spacious, capable of holding the ivjicjc Bj-JtisJ} tfiivy, Although. £arj4e?

wintered here in 1535 on his return from Montreal, the city was not founded till 1608, when Chaplain built a fort on this rock. Franciscan monks came here from France in 1015, and the French settled here in considerable numbers during the next fifty years. At that time they seem to have been in trouble from the lack of wives, and accordingly a large cargo of ladies was shipped from France, and in the course of a fortnight the whole were disposed of in marriage. This might seem incredible to those who are acquainted only with the slow progress of matrimonial engagements in the home country, but our readers, familiar doubtless with more despatch in such matters, will readily understand it. A man once came to me aud said, " There's a young woman wants to marry me, sir." "And don't you want to marry her i " I said. "I don't know," he replied, and seemed to be iv a dilemma, as if he wazited advice ho yto act. 1 accordingly enquired if he had known her long. " About) ten days " he Baid. I remarked that was rather a short acquaintance on which to conclude

a marriage.. "But," he said, "she won't wait." I enquired if he knew anything of her friends, but found he did not. I then advised him to wait a month, and if she was of the right sort, no harm could be done, and if she would not wait, he would be a3 well without her. He followed' this advice, and the result was the proposed match was broken off, probably to his advantage. I fear my counsel would have been thrown to the winds, and perhaps myself to the river, had I lived two centuries ago and offered such advice to the settleis of Quebec in the face of their newly-arrived cargo of ladies. During the occupancy of this citadel by the French, it was several times attempted to be wrested from them by the English. Once, in 1029, they took it, but it was restored three years afterwards, and remained in their hands till General Wolfe came up the river in 1759 with eight thousand British soldiers. He was repulsed in the first engagement by the Marquis de Montcalm, who was Governor, but sooti afterwards by an unexpected movement he succeeded in landing, and gained possession of the heights beyond the city. After a short delay, the French troops joined battle with him on the Plains of Abraham near the city, and a desperate engagement resulted in giving the victory to the J3ritish, while the generals of both arniiea were mortally wounded. The French retreated, aud in a few days afterwards the city surrendered. The following year it was very nearly retaken by the French, who, after defeating the English general Murray with 1000 men, drove him back into the city, and then laid siege to it, and were only prevented from capturing it by the timely arrival of a fleet from England. In 1775 it was next besieged by the Americans, who came to close quarters with the British troops in the streets of the lower town, carrying on the battle by shots fired from the windows of the houses. The defenders trected a strong barricade across Champlain street from the cliff to the river, but as they saw the vastness of the assailing force they fled. The column of the Americans had advauccd near the barracks, when one of the fleeing Canadians turned back and tired a camnon which stood there loaded. Tho effect of this single shot decided the fate of Quebec. Montgomery, the leader of the Apierbans, was killed, while a number of his officers and men were knocked over by the same shot, and dismay and terror seized the whole column and they fled. The city remained therefore in the hands of the British.

Quebec is of triangular shape, situate on the angle formed by the junction of the Charles River with the St. Lawrence. The Plains of Abraham lie on the western side of it. The citadel covers 40 acres of ground. There is an upper town, about 200 feet above the river, and the lower town, formed of small, narrow, tortuous streets, stretches down to the river sides. A coluini^ 4^ feet high is erected ia honour of Wolfe un'Uie Plains of Abraham, and inside the town there is an obelisk in honour of both Wolfe and his opponent Montcalm, with an elegant inscription in Latin to this effect : " Valour gave them a common death. History, fame, posterity, a monument." There are over GO,OOO inhabitants, and the chief trade is in timber, of which the exports amount to about a million or a million and a quarter sterling in value yearly. For about six miles up the river there are coves, in which the rafts of timber that have beeti floated down from the Bhores of Lake Ontario are lying, ready to be floated out to load the ships in the haroour. Re<»ardiug the town and its inhabitants^ Sir Charles Dilke has recorded his impression as follows ;— "Leaving the Citadel, we are once more in the European Middle Ages. Gates and posterns, cranky steps that lead up to lofty, gabled houses, with sharp French roofs of burnished tin, like those of Liegs; processions of the Host, altars decked with flower, statues of the Virgin, sabots, blouses, and the scarlet of tho British linesman— all those are seen in narrow streets and markets that are graced with many a Cotentin lace cap, and all within 40 miles of the down-east State of Maine. It is not far from New England to Old France There has been no dying out of the race among the French Canadians. They number twenty times the thousands that they did 100 years ago. The American soil lias left their physical type, religion, language, and laws absolutely untouched. They herd together in their rambling villages, dance to the fiddle after Mass on Sunday*, as gaily us once did their 3Soj> WaiHirw, am te+f ty too /teurMyf ±

and the memory of Montcalm. More French than the French are the Lower Canada habitans. The pulse-beat of the Continent finds no echo here.

The§ steamer lands her passengers at Point Levi, a rising little town on the southern side of the river opposite Quebec. There is constant communication between the two places by means of steam ferry boats. Formerly there were paddle boats used for this purpose, on which the paddles were driven by 3 or 4 horses walking round on the deck. Close to the wharf where we moored is the station of the Grand Trunk Railway, conveniently situate for passengers and cargo landed here intended for the interior. The voyage from Moville, where I went on board, till our arrival here had lasted rather less than ten days. Our baggage had to undergo the scrutiny of the Custom House officials as soon as we landed, which necessarily occupied a good while. It was 9ffected without any unnecessary trouble or aunoyanc3. A special train "was put on for the bene6t of the passengers who were going to Montreal, of which i availed myself, and we were soon speeding through woods and clearances with log fences, and past odd-looking farm houses and unfinished townships. There did not appear to be any great population, at least for the first half of the journey. Our special train did not present a favourable indication of the comfort and elegance of railway^ travelling on this continent. The carriage we got was evidently one that had seen service and had been superannuated. We expected to make a speedier journey to Montreal than the ordinary trains, but were doomed to disappointment. We were told about six hours and a half would complete the journey, but found that two hours more were needed. This train brought us half-way, to a station called Richmond, where a junction is formed with a line running to Portland in the State of Maine. Here we joined the regular train from Portland to Montreal, after refreshing ourselves with supper, comfortably prepared and charged at a reasonable rate. We found the carriages of this train of more modern construction, and rather crowded with passengers. The remainder of the journey, 76 miles, was performed in the dark, so that I could not see much around, but the general character of it—though probably more cleared and populated, corresponds with what we had already seen. A large proportion of the inhabitants are of French origin ; at all events the names of the stations might have served as well for France as for Canada. We met such names as Soixante, St. H.laire, St. Bruno, St. Hubert, &c. After reaching the side of St. Lawrence opposite Montreal, there remains the celebrated Victoria Bridge to be crossed. There is often a tedious delay here on account of the vast number of trains that require to pass over it. Each has to wait until the bridge is clear of any other traiu. It is the longest and the costliest bridge in the world, ft is of tubular construction so that it forms a long tunnel (50 feet above the level of the river. The tubes are 19 feet high and 10 feet wide. There are 23 spans, each of them 242 feet long except the centre one, which is 330 foet long. These rest on 24 piers, built of heavy blue limestone masonry, cemented aun ironrivetted, with sharp wedge faces to the down current. The bridge is approached by abutments 2(500 feet long and 90 feet wide, which, with the G504 feet of iron tubing, makes a totul length of 93 94 feet from grade to grade, and over a mile and a quarter from shore to shore. This vast work was begun in 1854 and was finished in 1859. It required 250,000 tons of stone, measuring 2,900, 000 oubio feet, and 8000 tons of iron, and cost 6,300,000 dollars, or £1,200,000 sterling. After moving through this wonderful tunnel at a slow rate, we vary soon reached the station, where I was glad to moet friends waiting for me, and after a short drive through the streets found myself at homo in Montreal.