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said, was the first house of stone and mortar erected in Canada. 

 Here was, at one time the missionary station and residence of 

 Father Marquette, the explorer of the Mississippi. It was at an 

 early period, the capital of the French settlements in all this_ 

 region; and on that account always called at, by the first explorers 

 of the Great River, the St. Lawrence, the mighty outlet of a chain 

 of inland seas, and one of the noblest rivers in the world. 



"Our staunch sea-going steamer, in accordance with announce- 

 ment, proceeded fifty miles up the river — between bold, rugged, 

 sterile banks, abrupt and precipitous, like huge Titanic walls of 

 craggy, beetling rocks, rising often in frowning cliffs and pinna- 

 cles, to the height of one thousand, fifteen hundred, or two thou- 

 sand feet, scantily decked, here and there, with pines and birches, 

 and other trees and shrubs, of northern climes — to Grand Bay — 

 or as it has been, and is frequently called. Ha 1 Ha ! Bay — a 

 beautiful expanse of water, nine miles long and six wide, afford- 

 ing good anchorage for the largest vessels, the average depth 

 being from twenty to thirty-five fathoms, though, in many places, 

 not less than fifty fathoms. This singular name, Ha I Ha 1 Bay, 

 is said to ha,ve been given originally by the early French explor- 

 ers, as expressive of their surprise and delight at the view of its 

 broad surface, opening unexpectedly upon them, and capacious 

 enough to hold the combined fleets of Europe. 



" Steamers, on their pleasure excursions, do not usually ascend 

 the river farther than Ha ! Ha ! Bay ; because, a few miles above, 

 there is a bar, which it is said, cannot be passed safely unless at 

 high tide ; and thus they are liable to be detained. Ha I Ha ! 

 Bay, therefore, was the expected limit of my trip, and I was pur- 

 posing to return immediately, with the steamer, after a couple of 

 hours delay, to Quebec, but an unexpected and urgent invitation 

 to visit Chicoutimi, twenty miles higher up by the course of the 

 river, and thirteen by land, led me, very suddenly, to alter my 

 plan. I concluded to accept the invitation, thus proffered to a 

 stranger, and spend a week at C hicoutimi, and await the next 

 visit of the steamer ; I did so, enjoying, while at Chicoutimi the 

 hospitality of David E. Price, Esq., son of W. Price, Esq. .of 



