22 



dows tliis " river of waters," in a continuous cOutse <jf 

 above two thousand miles, and thence into the Atlantic. 

 At its mouth, it is more than ninety miles wide, is navi- 

 gable for ships of the line for more than four hundred 

 miles from the ocean, and is now happily taking its pro- 

 per position as the highway of commerce! Without pre^ 

 suming to the power of prophetic vision, but merely, if I 

 may so express it, using a geographic eye, I dare affirm, 

 that the whole of the imports from Europe necessary for 

 the Canadas and for the West, and also the exports of the 

 whole of this dountry, will be wafted on its bosom, and 

 that Quebec will become the depot and entrepot of com^ 

 inerce. 



It is now my purpose to show the value of that which 

 lies hid within its bosom ; I will direct the reader's 

 d,tlention to one valuable production of this river and its 

 tributaries, namely, the Salmon, It is not my intention 

 in this little voluhie to traverse the Tipper St. Lawrence, 

 but more especially that portion of the north shore 

 which lies between the most easterly extremity of the 

 province, Ance au Sablon, and the Eiver St. Ann's, 

 above Quebec — and on the south shore, to that which lies 

 between the Chaudiere and the Eiver Eestigouche, in 

 the Bay Chaleur. En jpassant, I would remark, that 

 the Upper Province suffers in the same manner and 

 from the same causes; that the White Fish and the 

 Salmon Trout have decreased at least seventy-five per 

 cent, during the last few years ; indeed, the salmon trout, 

 which abounded in most of the rivers, is now becoming 

 very scarce, and but few are to be seen in the markets of 

 the Upper Province. 



