DIFFICULTIES OF EIMOUSKI. 351 



It is a mark of the condition of agriculture in these 

 countries, that the old word muck, (never mentioned now 

 to ears polite,) which means the same thing as manure, 

 should have obtained a specific application to this black 

 earth. It shows not only how much in general has been 

 neglected among them, but to what kind of muck of 

 nature's making, when they at length found it necessary 

 to apply something to their land, they were content to 

 intrust the safety and productiveness of their crops. 



It was already becoming dark when I reached the 

 town of Eimouski, and I was driven up in succession to 

 several French houses where strangers were said to be 

 received, but was dismissed unceremoniously from one 

 after another. At length I pulled up at a shop kept 

 by an Irishman, where strangers were accustomed 

 to lodge ; but here, too, I was told that no enter- 

 tainment could be had. Through the kindness of my 

 friend. Professor Horan, of the seminary at Quebec, I 

 had been provided with a letter of general recommenda- 

 tion to the Koman Catholic clergy on my route, which 

 I meant to use only in case of an emergency arising ; 

 and I was about to order my cocker to drive to the pres- 

 hytcre^ which was large, comfortable-looking, and near 

 at hand, when a female came to the door of the house. 

 The sound of an English tongue in her ears soon 

 smoothed all difficulties, and I was speedily admitted, 

 and made as welcome as her means would admit. But 

 her husband was a sad screw, and provoked me much 

 by the detention he caused on the following morning, in 

 failing to procure for me, according to promise, the 

 means of advancing on my journey. 



The reason of my being bandied about from house to 

 house proved to be, that my French companion took me 

 from one French house to another, where they refused to 

 receive me because I was English ; and then, when I got 

 to the Irishman's house, I was refused again, because, 



