Petite Riviere. 221 



juft at Petite Riviere, and the tide begin- 

 ning to ebb, it was impoffible for us to 

 come up againft it ; therefore we lay by 

 here, and went on fhore. 



Petite Riviere is a little village, on the 

 weftern fide of the river St. Lawrence, 

 and lies on a little rivulet, from whence 

 it takes its name. The houfes are built 

 of ftone, and are difperfed over the coun- 

 try. Here is likewife a fine little church 

 of ftone. To the weft of the village are 

 fome very high mountains, which caufe 

 the fun to fet three or four hours fooner 

 here, than ordinary. The river St. Law- 

 rence annually cuts off a piece of land, 

 on the eaft fide of the village, fo that the 

 inhabitants fear they will in a fhort tima 

 lofe all the land they poflefs here, which 

 at moft is but a mufket {hot broad. All 

 the houfes here are very full of children. 



THE lirne-flates on the hills are of two 

 kinds. One is a black one, which I have 

 often mentioned, and on which the towri 

 of Quebec is built. The other is generally 

 black, and fometimes dark grey, and feems 

 to be a fpecies of the former. It is called 

 Pierre a chaux here. It is chiefly diftin- 

 gui(hed from the former, by being cut 

 very eafily, giving a very white lime, when 

 burnt, and not eafily mouldering into fhi- 



vers 



