8o Montreal to Quebec. 



FROM MONTREAL TO QUEBEC. 



There is very little really worthy of notice, and very few 

 objects that attract the attention on the trip from Montreal 

 to Quebec. As the steamers always leave, however, in the 

 evening, it is better for the tourist to choose a moonlight 

 night for what little there is to see. Leaving Montreal to 

 proceed down the river we pass Longueuil, a small village, on 

 the south bank, and the summer residence of many of the 

 citizens of Montreal, with which it is connected by means of 

 a ferry-boat. It is memorable in history for the repulsion of 

 General Carleton in 1775 ; and a Httle further on the north 

 shore is Loiigue Pointe, where is a fine building, the Convent 



of the Soeurs de la Providence. At a distance of nine miles 



« 



from the city we see Pointe aiix Treinbles, founded in 1674 ; 

 here is one of the old French Churches, built in 1704 ; — soon 

 afterwards we find ourselves among the islands of Boucher- 

 ville. These islands are mostly low and flat, with very 

 shallow water among them, and a thick growth of reeds and 

 other water weeds, affording excellent duck shooting and 

 pike fishing, but wanting in scenery from their extreme 

 flatness ; here it is that the ice grounds or settles on the 

 break up of the winter, causing the inundation which almost 

 always annually takes place above ; — and at a distance of 1 5 

 miles we pass Varennes, one of the most prettily situated 

 places between Montreal and Quebec ; it lies with the St. 

 Lawrence in front and the Richelieu in its rear. A steamer 

 runs between it and Montreal four times a week, and it is 

 rising into notice from the mineral springs situated about a 

 mile from the village. At a distance of forty males we pass 

 Berthier, on the north shore, opposite to the entrance of the 

 Richelieu and to numerous islands similar to those of Bou- 

 cherville, till five miles further down, at the junction of the 

 Richelieu, we arrive at Sorel, which, though a small town, 



