QUEBEC. 



77 



purposes of garrisoning and keeping in repair the for- 

 tresses, and also as forming the nucleus of a Canadian 

 army. By this course another imperial purpose would 

 also be gained, viz. to make the army more popular, for a 

 period of reserve service in Canada would be a great 

 boon to the British soldier, who in former times looked 

 upon Canada as his best station. 



There is no city in the New World that has a more inter- 

 esting history of its own than Quebec. A statue to the 

 memory of Wolfe and Montcalm, reminds the visitor of a 

 passage in this history. On one side is inscribed " Wolfe," 

 on the other " Montcalm." Nothing more ; but what a 

 glorious junction of names, equal honour alike to victor 

 and vanquished ! There is nothing after all like a fair 

 fight. The French and English fought it out in Canada, 

 and have ever since been the best of friends. If the Irish- 

 man, instead of asking everyone to tread on the tail of his 

 coat, and being generally "blue-moulded for want of a 

 bating," had only fought it out with the Sassenach, the 

 neighbours on each side of St. George's Channel might 

 now be as good friends as are 'the people who live on the 

 banks of the St. Lawrence. 



The province of Quebec is of such extent that it is 

 really hard to tell where it ends. On the south and west 

 the boundaries are plain, but to the northward and east- 

 ward the province has practically no bounds. It is com- 

 puted to contain about 130 millions of acres, over 100 

 millions of which have not even as yet been surveyed. At 

 a rough calculation, about one-tenth of this vast territory 

 is good farming land, the remainder is rocky and barren. 

 The best lands are generally found near the rivers and 



