1854.] 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE LITERARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF QUEBEC. 



Ill 



LITERARY OR STATED MEETING, 

 Wednesday, 4th October. 



The following donations were announced : — 



An Oil Painting of the Steamship "Royal William," the first Steam- 

 ship -which crossed the Atlantic, from Captain McDougall. 



A plan of Docks proposed to be erected on the beach of the River 

 St. Charles, and approved of by the Earl of Dalhousie, from William 

 Henderson. 



Several curious Fossils and specimens of Natural History, from 

 William Cooper, Toronto. 



A paper was read by E. A. Meredith, L.L.B., ou "the resources and 

 capabilities of the Island of Anticosti," by A. R. Roche. 



Henry E. Steele, of Quebec, was proposed as an Associate Member. 



GENERAL MONTHLY MEETING, 

 Wedn-esday, 11th October. 



Mr. Roche's communication on "the resources and capabilities of 

 the Island of Anticosti" was, on the Report of the Committee of Lite- 

 rature, ordered to be published in the transactions of the Society. 



The following donations were announced :— 



Specimens of Fossils from the Bermudas and other places, from 

 John Fraser. 



The following gentlemen were elected Associate Members : — 



Captain A. T. Hamilton, 71st. Regiment; Lawrence Oliphant; 

 A. R. Roche, and Henry E. Steele. 



LITERARY OR STATED MEETING, 

 Wednesday, 18th October. 



An interesting paper was read by E. D. Ashe, Lieutenant, R.N. 

 F.R.A.S., on "the Water Power of Quebec." 



Ijiterary nnd Historical Society of Quebec. 



The Council of the Canadian Institute, at the request of the Council 

 of the " Literary and Historical Society of Quebec," have authorized 

 the publication in the Canadian Journal of a synopsis of the proceed- 

 ings of the Quebec Society. As it is probable that the history and 

 objects of this valuable Association are not generally familiar to our 

 readers, we subj oin a brief account of its past progress and present 

 condition. 



The " Literary and Historical Society of Quebec," the oldest 

 chartered Association of the kind Ln Canada, was founded in 1824, 

 and owes its origin to the zeal and munificence of the Earl of Dalhousie, 

 at that time Lieutenant Governor of Lower Canada. He is said to have 

 suggested its formation, and in its early days, the Society was largely 

 indebted to his fostering care. The preamble of the Charter of 

 Incorporation states that the Society was formed "for the prosecution 

 " of researches into the early history of Canada, for the recovering, 

 "procuring and publishing of interesting documents and useful 

 " information, as to the Natural, Civil, and Literary History of British 

 "North America, and for the advancement of the Arts and Sciences in 

 " the said Province of Lower Canada, from which public benefit may 

 " be expected." 



The inaugural address, and first Essay (on the juridical history of 

 France) were read by Chief Justice SewoU, the first President, on the 

 31st May, 1824. This paper was followed by others of no common 

 interest and ability, on the Geology of the country by Captain Bayfield, 

 R. N. Captain Bonnycastle, R. E.; Lieut. Baddely, R. E.; and others. 

 The Flora of Canada was investigated by the lion. W. Sheppard, and 



W. Green, Esq., and papers on the Plants and Shells of the vicinity of 

 Quebec, were transmitted to the Society by the Countess Dalhousie, 

 and Mrs. Sheppard. Among the contributors to the department of 

 Natural History and Climatology appear the Hon. J. Hale, Joseph 

 Skey, M. D., and Wm. Kelly, M. D., Surgeon R.N.; W. Henry, Surg. 

 66th Rpgt., and H. D. Sewell, M. A. The History of the aborigines 

 was largely discussed by Major Mercer, R. A., and others, and the 

 late Rev. D. Wilkie, L. L. D.; Andrew Stuart, Esq., and Dr. Fisher, 

 also appear among the list of contributors to the published transactions. 



The amalgamation of this Institution with the " Society for the 

 encouragement of Arts and Sciences," founded a few years later, took 

 place in 1829. His Excellency, Sir James Kempt, who at that time 

 became the patron of both Societies, suggested the advantage that must 

 accrue by bringing together whatever talent and resources either 

 possessed. 



The progress of the Association has of necessity been considerably 

 retarded by tlie calamity of the 2nd. February last, when the parlia- 

 mentary buildings, part of which was occupied by the Society, were 

 destroyed by fire. On this occasion all the furniture of the Society, 

 nearly the whole of its Museum and apparatus, and great part of its 

 Library were consumed ; and it was only by the most strenuous eff'orts, 

 that the valuable "Records of the Realm," in eighty or ninety folios, 

 and the unique collection of Historical manuscripts, procured at an 

 expense of many hundred pounds, were saved from destruction. 



Paralysed by this severe blow, uncheered by sympathy from those 

 around, without a shadow of assistance from the authorities, and 

 compelled for the time to fall back on the individual exertions of its 

 members, the Society deemed it proper, in the interests of science, to 

 submit its condition to other American Institutions of a similar 

 character. A petition has also been laid before the Legislature, and 

 strong hopes are entertained that its affairs, ere long, will assume a 

 more favourable aspect, and its effectiveness and utility be completely 

 restored. 



It is a gratifying fact, however, and one which reflects great credit 

 upon the officers of the Society, and on its members generally, that 

 notwithstanding the severe ordeal through which the Society has 

 lately passed, it evinces at the present moment greater activity and 

 zeal, and numbers more members, than it has done for many years 

 before. 



It may be as well to mention, in reference to the proposed publication 

 of the proceedings of the Society in the " Canadian Journal," that 

 under the Charter " General Meetings" of the Society are held on 

 the second Wednesday of every month, for the transaction of the 

 business of the Society, and that under the By-Laws of the Society, 

 Literary, or Stated meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday 

 of every month from October to April, both inclusive. 



meteorology of Quebec* 



We arc again indebted to Lieut. A. Noble, now assisted by Mr. W. 

 Campbell, for the Monthly Meteorological Table for Quebec, which 

 appears in the present issue of the Canadian Journal. 



While thankfully acknowledging the resumption of the Quebec 

 observations, we cannot but express great regret that uncontrolablo 

 events should have prevented their continuance during the past re- 

 markable summer. Nearly simultaneous observations during that 

 interesting period at Quebec, Montreal and Toronto, yrould have 

 possessed no ordinary interest or value. 



