13 



of fields full of gradually decaying stumps, whtMv thi' primitive vogotation 

 has resumed its sway as soon as man deserted them. 



The hills continue and succeed each other with veritnble emulation. 

 Far away we see Ihe road ascending still higher and higlier and \\h\ ask 

 ourselves with dismay whether we will eviT ])e al)le to reach those inter- 

 minable heights. We succeed sometimes, but think wc have triivflled 

 sixty miles. We examine the country but nowhere do we see what is 

 called Saint Marcellin. At last, aiti-r passing a r<i.'ul which leads from 

 the Taclie Road, on which we are travelling, to the Neigelle road, six miles 

 lower down, a road recently ojiened thiough ihe ellorts of Dr. 1'^i.set and 

 the,last h)cal uieml)er, the Uite Colonel Martin, tlie iirsl outlet, in a word, 

 which ItiiK b'eii given +o the Tache road, we "^ee a lew dwi'llings <'oll.^cted 

 around an ordinary house surHiouiiled with something resembling a 

 steeple. This is Saint Marcellin, wii h its little chap"l wh^'re tht^ poor 

 settlers meet but seldom because llie pri''st lii' the nearest )>ari.sh (^omes 

 oiily at long intervals and in tact did not »!ome here at all in the summer 

 of iJS'.iO. 



Notwithstiindiiig th(> poverty ol'the i)lace, the inhabitants do not yet 

 seem too dissatisfied with th(>ir late. They work in the shanties, weave 

 their own clotli, keep their houses clean and Avhen. you visit them, their 

 count nances are beaming and cheerl'ul. The <-iiildren have an appear- 

 atice of health and strength Avhich is truly astonishing. 1 saw two, one 

 Iroia four to six yt'iirs of a.ge at the most, relr.iJiiiig from the woodsdriving 

 tliemseiv.s a horse harnessed to a juiir of shafts fastened to a freshly cut 

 log. 



After a short stay in Mr. Gagne's house, the house par cxcc'hiire of 

 Saint Marcidlin, we drov(^ four miles further on the Tache road m the 

 i'or'st and through high grass reaidiing the horse's chest. 



We turned to the right and took the road to Saint e l?landine, the 

 second oxitlet from the Tache road, which has (rtily recently been opened 

 and completed this year only. 



The Tache road continues for ten or twelve miles further in the same 

 condition as before and then it becomes (juite impassabl(\ It was in good 

 condition some years ago, but has been abaudoio'd f-iiice, because it had 

 no outlet. Now, it is prol)able that persons will go I'lid settle ther<' again. 

 The i'orest trees are remarkably tall and llourishing ; lliey are most black 

 and white birch and spruce. 



The traveller is surprised with the regularity and firmness of the St. 

 Elnndine road cut through the lu'art of the forest and where there is no 

 hi'k of hills, to a distance of a])out lour miles Iroiu the shore. 



The first six miles of the Ste. IjUindine road ai'e in the woods, then 

 gradually the (/^srr/s appear, become la' ger, increase in number and finally 



