NO EMIGRATION. 115 



A considerable number of emigrants arriving up from Mon 

 treal, in Durham boats ; all of them going to the upper 

 part of the province, chiefly Highland Scotch and Irish ; 

 some of tolerably decent, respectable appearance, others a 

 picture of squalid poverty. Some have no point fixed as 

 their destination ; others have, near some friends come 

 before. One party for Talbot Street, were going to Bur-^ 

 lington at the head of the lake, when they would have 100 

 miles of land carriage to haul their luggage ; while by 

 Queenston, Chippawa, and Lake Erie, there are only eight 

 miles by land. 



August 30. Left Prescott for Montreal, with several 

 other passengers in a batteau or Canadian boat, in pre 

 ference to the stage and steam boats, both for cheapness 

 of passage (4s. Qd. only), and particularly to see the 

 Rapids, which we had to go down. The country has a fine 

 appearance along the river, and land appears good, except in 

 a few places. On coming to each Rapid, the boatmen 

 (French Canadians) being Roman Catholics, perform slight 

 and quick acts of ceremonial devotion, the captains or 

 conductors particularly, there being danger in some of 

 them, for, should they not keep directly in the proper chan 

 nels down these shoals, or the boatmen not keep the vessel 

 steady and head-foremost, they are indeed almost certain 

 to be upset and lost. These Rapids are very grand, and 

 repay for once what risk there may be in going down them, 

 and in fine weather, with a good boat and experienced men, 

 I do not conceive there is much danger. The Long Saut, a 

 rapid of nine miles in length, is very narrow and swift; 

 this distance, it is said, with a light loaded boat and wind 

 favourable, has been run in fifteen minutes, but it took us 

 full double that time. Crossed two small lakes, in places 

 quite shallow j steam boats ply across them. Both sides of 

 the St. Lawrence are in Canada. In Lower Canada the 

 houses are all built in the French fashion, and occupied by 

 French Canadians. A house nearly every hundred yards 

 along the river banks, chiefly of one story, with long roofs, 

 and one door in front ; two windows on one side of the 

 door, and one on the other, and two or three at the ends of 

 the house ; and garrets, Many stud built and lath plas 

 tered, and often rough cast and white-washed. Their barns 

 are thatched, but in a rough manner ; the Americans call it 

 shingling with straw ! The Canadians are tolerably neat 



