PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE, 37 



iriver. He describes the mouth of the River Gananoque as being situated " above the 

 rifts of the St. Lawrence." In early maps of Canada and North America generally, 

 the term rifts is to be seen at the several points of a river, where now we should see 

 the word " portage " used, indicating thereby that the navigation at that point was 

 interrupted by cataracts or dangerous rapids. Apropos of rapids, it may be sub- 

 joined that a certain swift portion of the St. Lawrence, not far from Cornwall, used 

 to be designated by an English-speaking lumberman, " The Mill Rush," thereby 

 barbarizing the neat expression, " Les Mille Roches," used by the French when 

 speaking of the same spot in the river. The same lumberman has made Bobcaygeoii 

 out of some such Indian term as Baba-kad-juan, descriptive of the lockage between 

 Pigeon and Sturgeon Lakes. 



We now approach Montreal and Quebec. The Indian term for the former place 

 is stated to have been Hochelaga, and of the latter Stadacona. These two can 

 scarcely be termed lapsed names, as they still maintain a good standing in the prim- 

 itive and poetic accounts of Canada. The ecclesiastical title of Montreal, Ville 

 Marie, like thatof Regiopolis for Kingston, is now seldom employed by the English- 

 speaking portions of the community. The name of a town, situated at the mouth of 

 the River Richelieu, on the St. Lawrence, a short distance from Montreal, must be 

 mentioned. This is Sorel, which is another instance of the prevalence of popular 

 usage over authoritative decrees. The name imposed on the spot by the English- 

 speaking authorities was William Henry, a compliment to a Prince of the Royal 

 Family, but the earlier French name of Sorel has survived, as being doubtless the 

 fittest. 



I here bring to a close my list, after all, not by any means perfect, of lapsed 

 local names in Canada. To enter upon the changes that have taken place in street 

 names in our cities and towns would be an undertaking too large for the present 

 occasion. I cannot refrain from remarking, however, a usage which I observe to be 

 growing, in regard to the name of one great, conspicuous thoroughfare in Toronto. 

 A few years since it was universally known as Spa-dee-na Avenue. Dr. W. W. Bald- 

 win evolved out of some such Indian expression as Eo-pa-dee-nong, the quite ele- 

 gant and shapely name of S-p-a-d-i-n-a (pronounced by himself and all his belong- 

 ings, Spa-dee-na). It denotes, I am assured, a rise of land, and has reference to the 

 slight ridge which bounds the site of Toronto on the north side. A considerable 

 portion of this ridge was owned by Dr. W. W. Baldwin, and here was situated his 

 family residence, Spadina Housq, exactly at the extreme northern terminus of the 

 great avenue, bearing to this day the fine, modified Indian title just spoken of, the 

 polite pronunciation of which seems to be threatened, although it is to be con- 

 fessed that Regina. Carolina, etc., certainly favor the innovation. Below the shield of 

 arms on Dr. Baldwin's book-plate is to be seen " Baldwin, of Spadina, in thel 

 County of York, Upper Canada." 



One word in regard to the names of two outside cities, with which, in Canada, we 

 are sometimes brought into very near relations— Buffalo and Chicago. In some 

 respects it seems a pity that these names have not lapsed and been replaced by 

 others of a more becoming form, and nobler significance. Buffalo took its name, 

 no doubt, from the accidental circumstance that the stream, at the mouth of which its 

 first buildings began to arise, was named Buffalo Creek, in French, Riviere des 

 Boeufs, that is, the river of the Buffalos or Bisons. If the word Buffalo had to be 

 retained in the composition of the place-name, it should have been furnished with 

 some customary prefix or suffix, to denote the fact that it was a place-name. We 

 have, in classical geography, the city or town of Elephantine. The termination de- 

 notes that it was the city or town of the elephas or elephant. The founders of the 

 place would have had scruples as to calling it Elephas (Elephant) pure and simple. 

 So, another rather famous classical name— Bucephala— really meant the | city of 

 Bucephalus, that is, the city rendered famous as being the burial place of Alexander's 

 steed, Bucephalus. It would have doubtless been thought very /anomalous to have 



