ANNALS OF AN OLD SOCIETY. S7 



favoïir of historical research in a fair way of being carried out, before he left for England 

 on a A'isit in 1824. 



It is needless to say that his Lordship's suggestions were favourably considered. In 

 the prelace inserted in the first issue of the Transactions of the Society, the difficulties in 

 the way of promoting the project are referred to, — especially those difficulties peculiar to 

 a country such as Canada, where, with few exceptions, the occupations of men are such 

 as to leave but little leisure for scientific enquiry. Yet one has only to run his eye down 

 the list of those who took an active part in maturing Lord Dalhousie's plans, to note how 

 many of them were truly capable men — men in whom 1 he literary spirit was so far de- 

 veloped as to secure from them due appreciation of the project in all its importance. In 

 enumerating but a few of them, we may mention the Hon. Jonathan Sewell, Chief- Justice 

 of the province, a man of keen judgment and strong sympathies, whose influence in the 

 community was paramount in religious and secular matters : he it was who founded 

 Trinity Church, and yet was broad enough in his views to foster the dramatic art by 

 founding also the first theatre in Quebec, — altogether a gentleman of culture, as ready at 

 times to court the Muses as to dissect some jixridical theory, and always willing to lend a 

 helping hand in whateA^er tended towards the intellectual improvement of his fellow-citi- 

 zens. There was also Dr. John Charlton Fisher, who had been consulted, not unfrequently, 

 by the Cxovcrnor-General upon political affairs, and whose advice, in literary matters, 

 was enhanced by the training which he had received as one of the editors of the New 

 York Albion, and which he subsequently showed to such advantage as joint-compiler of 

 that interesting volume, Hawkins' " Picture of Quebec." There was Captain Henry 

 (afterwards Admiral) Bayfield, the first to investigate the geology of many remote districts 

 in Canada, and the first to define the topography of lands adjacent to its coast-waters, and 

 to report upon their climate and mineral resources. There was Dr. Daniel "Wilkie, whose 

 learning was more than that of the average schoolmaster, a simple-hearted Scotchman with 

 a fondness for metaphysical iuA'estigations ; and there was Bishop Mountain, who had found 

 time amid his many pressing pastoral cares to compose a A'olume of lyrics under the title 

 of " Songs of the Wilderness." Nor need we overlook siicli names as Andrew Sttiart, the 

 eminent jurist ; Joseph François Perrault, the pioneer of elementary education in the pro- 

 vince, about whom his grandson. Dr. P. Bender, has lately published a pleasant volume ; 

 "William Sheppard, the enthiisiastic naturalist of Woodfield ; William Grreen, a shrewd 

 observer of men and things, and first secretary of the Society ; Lieutenant Baddeley, who 

 wrote some excellent papers on the Saguenay country ; and Gr. C. Wicksteed, who is as 

 fond of spinning verses in his eightieth year as he was in his eighteenth. By men such 

 as these, Lord Dalhousie's proposals were discussed with the greatest enthusiasm, and so 

 speedily were all fvrrther preliminary arrangements matured, that the new year was only a 

 week old when his i,ordship was called upon to preside at the first regular meeting of the 

 Literary and Historical Society of Quebec. 



The éclat attending the organization of the young Society served to heighten its ambi- 

 tion, and if this ambition, as it stands recorded in the first pamphlet issued by the Cou.ncil 

 in 1824, has not been completely realised, yet we cannot but admire the enthusiastic 

 ring aboiit the public address, which, among other things, this pamphlet of twenty pages 

 contains. While pointing out how f\ir the field of historical research is an interesting one, 

 this address iirges upon the attention of all the rich materials of folk-lore and tradition 



Sec. II., 1885. 8. 



