[casgrain] L'HABITATION DE SAMOS 25 



possibly be a representation of a cottage on the ground before the house 

 was huilt, but I think it more probable that it was nearer to Wolfe Cove 

 Hill. The Bishop's house was a more pretentions edifice. It con- 

 sisted of two stories and an attic Avith basement, six windows in each 

 story, on the front, facing the river; four square cottages adjacent, 

 two of which were connected with the house by covered ways, the other 

 two opposite to them. As you wish to know the site of the ihouse, 

 I send you a rough plan of the property made from memory. The 

 proportions are not maintained, for the length of the property is much 

 greater. My father made several additions to the building, one of 

 which was a large conservatory for flowers, the first, I believe, ever con- 

 structed in the country. 



I do not show them, as they would not be interesting to you. When 

 digging for the foundations of these, a leaden plate was discovered con- 

 taining an inscription in Latin engraved thereon, headed with the 

 Bishop's mitre, commemorative of the erection of the building. I 

 recollect reading it, but, unfortunately, did not make any note of the 

 'date. My father afterwards (but at what time, I do not remember), 

 gave it to the Literary and Historical Societ}^, of which he was president 

 for many years. His remarks accompanying it were, I think, recorded 

 in the Transactions of the Society. If you could look this up, you 

 would probably find whether or not the house was in existence in 1759. 

 The Society occupied rooms in the old Parliament Building, near 

 Prescott Gate, which was burnt down. It is most probable that the 

 plate then perished. This is a misfortune, for it was a matter of some 

 little historical importance. I have no recollection of hearing about 

 a four gun battery on the place, nor have I seen any remains of such 

 a fortification ; but I remember seeing a redoubt or two, I think — about 

 30 feet square each, constructed of earth, in the wood at the opposite 

 side of the highway. Was the battery a part of the French defences? 

 and is it known whether it was near the clitf or further outward? 



It is somewhat singular that the place should have been occupied 

 by another bishop. Dr. Mountain, the first bishop of Quebec, who lived 

 there from 1793 to 1802. Subsequently, the Hon. Matthew Bell owned 

 it and my father, the Hon. William Sheppard, bought from him. I 

 was born in the house in 1820 and lived there till it was burnt down, 

 about 1842 or 1843. My father had got together a library of 4,500 

 books, among which there were no novels; my mother had made and 

 classified a collection of insects, another of minerals and shells, and 

 another containing dried specimens of all the indigenous flowers, plants 

 and ferns — all w^ent up in flames. Writing this recalls the happy 

 days of my youth which I spent there. It was a beautiful place. 



