344 CANADIAN HORSES. 



studded with islands, and skirted on its opposite shore 

 bj lofty mountains, and the facilities of a steamboat 

 which, in the hot months, plies from Quebec, allure to 

 this, in British ideas, comparatively distant spot. 



About half-past seven A. M. I left Du Loup, keeping 

 still along the south shore of the St Lawrence. The 

 morning was gloomy, and the air oppressed with fog, 

 but fortunately the rain kept off for the greater part of 

 the day. I found the habitants, with whom I engaged 

 for horses and waggons from this point, each anxious to 

 carry me farther than his horses were able to go. 

 Though badly fed, indeed, it is astonishing how much 

 work these active little horses can do. They rarely 

 receive oats, unless they are to be put to unusually hard 

 work ; and, by way of preparation for the long journey 

 of this morning, my first driver had overfed his horse, 

 and actually unfitted him for a fair day's work. Not- 

 withstanding bad and heavy roads, however, he persisted 

 in whipping on till we had accomplished twelve leagues, 

 when, after frequent remonstrances on my part, he was 

 himself compelled to confess that his horse could do 

 no more, and I unwillingly to send him back. The 

 next horse carried me ten leagues, and, about eight 

 p. M., brought me to the town of Rimouski, where I 

 with difiiculty found quarters for the night. 



The road from Du Loup lay through a thickly-peopled 

 country as far as St Simon, and a few miles beyond ; it 

 then entered upon a new clearing, called the Portage, 

 along which, nearly the whole way to Rimouski, 

 scarcely a single house existed twenty years ago. 



Cacona, a rocky peninsula, about ten miles below Du 

 Loup, which we passed on our left, rivals the latter as 

 a sea-bathing station for the people of Quebec. It has 

 the same views of the St Lawrence, and a Salter water, 

 but is not so romantically situated as Du Loup. Oppo- 

 site to it is Green Island, on which stands one of the few 



