82 Montreal to Quebec. 



not unfrequently passing before the raft reaches its destina- 

 tion. Some of the men rig out their huge unwieldy craft 

 with gay streamers, which flutter from the top of the poles, 

 presenting a rude gala appearance. When a number of 

 these rafts are lashed together, belonging perhaps to the 

 same owner, they make as it were a floating island half a 

 mile wide and a mile long, forming a very picturesque 

 appearance ; and when the voices of these hardy sons of the 

 forest and the river join in some of their Canadian boat 

 songs, really " keeping time" with their oars, the wild music, 

 borne by the breeze over the water to the traveller's ear, as 

 his steamer threads its way past them, has a charming 

 effect. Passing the mouth of the River St. Francis, which 

 flows in from the Eastern Townships, and near which is a 

 settlement of the Abenaquis Indians, we arrive at the City 

 of Three Rivers, situated on the north shore of the St. 

 Lawrence, at the mouth of the St. Maurice River, which 

 here separates into three channels (whence the name of the 

 city is derived) and lying about mid-way between Quebec 

 and Montreal, being about ninety miles from either of these 

 two places. It ranks the third city in the eastern section of 

 the Province, and carries on a very extensive trade in lumber ; 

 the Government improvements on the St. Maurice River of 

 late years having given great advantages to the lumbermen, 

 in obtaining an easy access to market. The River St. 

 Maurice and its tributaries water a territory of over 50,000 

 square miles, exceedingly rich in lumber. Large quanti- 

 ties of sawn lumber are manufactured here for the West 

 Indian trade. There are also foundries, or as they are 

 called "forges," in full operation here, which have turned out 

 excellent railway car wheels, and are celebrated for their 

 box-stoves. The iron used is principally bog-iron, and one 

 of the foundries, known as the " St. Maurice Forges," a few 

 miles back of the city, on the right bank of the river, has 

 been in operation for over one hundred years. They were 



