350 LOWER CANADA INHABITANTS. 



CHAPTER III. 



Lower Canada Inhabitants Climate Soil Mode of Selling 

 Land Productions and Prices Farming near Montreal 

 Climate affecting Agriculture and Farmers. 



CANADA originally consisted of one country, and was divi 

 ded into two provinces. Upper and Lower Canada, in 1791. 

 It was discovered by Jacques Cartier, a Frenchman, in 1535, 

 and continued under dominion of the French until 1759, with 

 exception of a year or two, when it was ceded to the English. 



The descendants of the French, after the conquest by the 

 English, were allowed to retain their laws and religion, which 

 so attached them to the British government, that their fide 

 lity remained unshaken during the war with the colonies to 

 the south, which now form part of the United States. In 

 the late war between Great Britain and the United States 

 the population again continued faithful ; and their antipathy 

 to the inhabitants of the States seems to be unconquerable. 



About two-thirds of the inhabitants of Lower Canada are 

 descendants of the French, who speak the French language, 

 and retain most of their old manners and customs. The rest 

 of the inhabitants consist of all nations, and are chiefly de 

 scended from British subjects. The French Canadians pro 

 fess the Catholic religion ; and lands held by Catholics pay 

 one twenty-sixth of the grain produce to the clergy. The 

 exaction, however, seldom extends beyond the wheat crop ; 

 and the people of all religions represent the Catholic clergy 

 of Lower Canada as the best disposed and most inoffensive 

 class of men in the province. 



The French Canadians are chiefly engaged in agriculture, 

 and are a most unenterprising race of individuals, and lead 

 the same kind of life which their forefathers did upwards of 

 two hundred years ago. They appear to be poor, indolent, 

 and a mirthful loving people. The commerce of the pro- 



