78 Montreal to Lake Champ lain 



river, which at this place widens into what is almost a beau- 

 tiful lake. Although only eighteen miles distant from 

 Montreal by land, yet from the easterly course of the Riche- 

 lieu, before its junction with the St. Lawrence, the means of 

 water communication are nearly 90 miles! The expansion 

 of the river is called Chambly Basin, nearly of a circular 

 form, embellished by several little islands covered with ver- 

 dure and fine trees, as ornamentally disposed as if regulated 

 by art. From this basin to its mouth the river retains a 

 uniform width of about 250 yards, and its banks are from 

 eiffht to twelve feet high. In the vault of the Roman Catholic 

 Church here some of the heroes of the battle-field of Cha- 

 teauo-uay lie buried ; and Colonel DeSalaberry, called after 

 that memorable engagement the " Canadian Leonidas," 

 Seigneur of Chambly, sleeps his last sleep here. A few miles 

 further we come to the little village of St. Charles, memor- 

 able for being the spot where in '37 a cap of liberty and pole 

 were erected, and where the insurgents had assembled and 

 fortified their position so obstinately, that the works had to 

 be stormed, and every house in it but one was burned. 

 St. Denis, a little further, has obtained unenviable notoriety 

 from the murder of Lieut. Weir, who had been sent over- 

 land to Sorel from Montreal with despatches, and wishing 

 to join his regiment, which was on its route to St. Denis, in 

 ea«-er haste, arrived there too soon, and thus fell a prisoner 

 into the rebels' hands, who barbarously and brutally murdered 

 him, and threw his body into the Richelieu. 



The tourist now directs his steps to a mountain which he 

 has seen towering up ; this is Belceil Mountain, twenty- 

 one miles below Montreal, and about twelve from Chambly, 

 and three miles from the Belceil station on the G. T. R. It 

 is known also as Rouville, and Mount St. Hilaire. The 

 village of Belceil is situated on the north shore of the Riche- 

 lieu, which having been crossed, a very picturesque road 

 conducts the traveller to the southern base of the mountain. 



