332 CHANGE OF THE LEAF. 



in a more flourishing condition, therefore, than that of 

 the latter. And though, in the dull year of 1848, the 

 imports into Quebec fell off considerably, it was only for 

 that one year, while, from 1845, those of Montreal had 

 been rapidly lessening. In the exports, also, from the 

 two places, there was a much greater comparative falling 

 off in Montreal than in Quebec during the year 1848. 



Every observer of the political atmosphere knows well 

 that, under such circumstances, governments, whether 

 home or provincial, are always thought to display less 

 ability, and their measures to be much less suited to the 

 wants of the times and to the regard which ought ever 

 to be had to the rights and liberties of the subject, than 

 they are generally esteemed to be when harvests are 

 good and commerce flourishes. 



Autumn had now fairly set in in the province of 

 Quebec. About Kingston and Montreal, and upon the 

 banks of the St Lawrence, as I descended the river, the 

 leaves were still green upon the trees, the weather gene- 

 rally mild, and the mid-day sun hot and powerful. But 

 the beautiful amphitheatre of mountains towards the 

 north and east, which gives one of its peculiar features 

 to the striking scenery around Quebec, had this morning 

 clothed itself in the bright autumnal tints — of which I 

 have already spoken as characterising the woods of North 

 America in the/a/Zof the year. Like our Highland hills 

 in summer, when the heather is in bloom, the mountain 

 ridges appeared more cheerful and lively for the change, 

 and their outlines and varying features were more dis- 

 tinctly brought out to the eye than when the universal 

 green covered with a common hue both mountain and 

 plain, and blended together narrow ravine, wide retreat- 

 ing hollow, rocky escarpment, and rounded outlying hill, 

 in the hard and less distinguishable outline of a lofty, 

 dark-coloured, and frowning rampart. The sharp air, too, 

 indicated that the season for summer clothing was nearly 



