THE EIYEE MALBAIE. 95 



fifteen to twenty children are not uncommon. They marry 

 early get a stripe of a concession from the seigneur, and 

 a house is run up for the young couple, more Hibernico, 

 by their relations. They are then set adrift, but never 

 separate far from their own connexions. There is infinite 

 social comfort in this custom ; but the worst of it is that 

 the bit of land is soon exhausted. 



" Their neighbours in the Bay of St. Paul, on the other 

 side of a long mountain, have a very indifferent character ; 

 but the peasantry of this remote and pretty glen are the 

 most virtuous people I have ever seen in any country. As 

 to temperance with regard to spirituous liquors, our good 

 philanthropists who are endeavouring to reform the world 

 in this way would find their labours needless here. 

 Among these primitive people, drunkenness is absolutely 

 unknown ; and whole families pass their lives without any 

 individual ever having tasted intoxicating fluids. Some 

 surprising instances of this kind have come to the writer's 

 knowledge. 



" Having been on four fishing expeditions to Malbaie, I 

 hope that a short account of one of these may not be 

 tiresome to the reader. 



"In the latter end of June, 1830, my friend, Major 

 Wingfield, of the 66th, and myself, set out from Montreal 

 on a fishing trip to Malbaie. We embarked in buoyant 

 spirits, well provided with choice apparatus, and taking 

 with us materiel for preserving our fish namely; salt, 





