UPPER BAY OF KAJ[OURASKA. 337 



Tuesday^ Oct. 2. — Much rain had fallen during 

 the night and the early morning, but it had cleared off 

 before I started at half-past eight a.m. The fall of 

 rain, however, was unfortunate for me, as it made the 

 roads heavy as well as dirty, and delayed my advance 

 very much. 



Soon after leaving St Eoque, I entered the county of 

 Kamouraska. To this county, which is not densely 

 peopled, a few new settlers have recently come, though 

 I am not aware if any of them are from the British 

 Isles. Uncleared land sells generally at half-a-crown an 

 acre ; cleared land as high as two pounds an acre, and, 

 in some places, considerably higher. 



Two bays distinguish the river coast of this county, 

 called respectively the Upper and Lower Bays of 

 Kamouraska. At St Anne la Pocati^re the upper bay 

 commences. It is encircled by a ridge of romantic 

 rocky hills, against which, at some ancient period, the 

 waters of the St Lawrence washed, but which is now 

 some miles from the water's edge. The intervening 

 space consists of a broad flat of rich land, in some 

 places still marshy and wet, but where it is sufficiently 

 elevated, bearing magnificent crops of hay and of oats, 

 wheat and potatoes. The road runs through this flat 

 for six or eight miles, and at the lower end of the bay 

 crosses the river Quelle by a bridge of considerable 

 length. Through banks of rich alluvial matter this 

 river here falls into the St Lawrence, and forms a small 

 harbour, which is the shipping-place for the rich land 

 of the valley. 



Though marshy, I was informed that this flat is 

 exceedingly healthy — as most places in Lower Canada 

 and New Brimswick are said to be — even where in Great 

 Britain fever and ague would inevitably prevail. But 

 nevertheless, for agricultural reasons, it is a fit locality 



VOL. I. Y 



