LOWER CANADA 



SITUATION AND EXTENT, 



Mile*. Degrees. Sq.Milej. 



800 > 



Breadth 45^3 



Length 800* C6land7lWcstIonBitude.7 2 



* 45 and 52 North latitude. 3 ' 



Boundaries. ...Bounded by New Britain, on the north ; by New 

 Hampshire, Maine, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and New Britain, on. 

 the east ; by New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and 

 New York, on the south ; and by Upper Canada on the west. 



Divisions. ...Lower Canada is divided into twenty-one counties, viz- 

 Gaspe, Cornwallis, Devon, Hertford, Dorchester, Buckinghamshire* 

 Richelieu, Bedford, Surrey, Kent, Huntingdon, York, Montreal, 

 Effingham, Leinster, Warwick, St. Maurice, Hampshire, Quebec, 

 Northumberland, and Orleans. 



Mountains... .There are some mountains in the northern part of 

 this country, and others between Quebec and the sea, but none that 

 deserve particular notice. 



Rivers. ...The principal river of Lower Canada is the St. Law- 

 rence. This river issues from the N. E. extremity of Lake Ontarioj 

 in lat. 44° N. It forms the boundary of the United States, till it 

 intersects the 45° of N. Latitude. Here it leaves the United States, 

 and running a N. E. course 600 miles, empties its immense mass of 

 water into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It meets the tide upwards of 

 400 miles from the sea, and as far as Quebec, 320 miles, it is naviga- 

 ble for the largest vessels. It receives after its departure from 

 Ontario numerous large tributary streams, and embosoms a multitude 

 of islands. It is 90 miles wide at its mouth ; 5 near Quebec ; thence 

 to Montreal, 170 miles, it varies from 4 to 2 ; thence to Kingston it 

 grows narrower and its navigation is interrupted by rapids and be- 

 comes dangerous. This noble river, if considered as commencing 

 with the west streams of Lake Superior, is upwards of 2000 miles 

 in length ; and is surpassed by no river in North America, with 

 regard to the quantity of water passing through its channel. 



The Outawas, takes its rise in Lake Abbitibbee in lat. 49° N. and 

 pursues a S W. direction for about 35 miles, when it strikes the 

 boundary line between Lower and Upper Canada. Thence its course 

 is nearly south to lake Temiskaming. Passing through the lake it 

 turns to the S. E. which direction it continues about 250 miles, when 

 in lat. 45° 30' it forms the two small lakes of Chat and Chaudire, 

 Hence it runs nearly west upwards of 100 miles, till it forms a junc- 

 tion with the St. Lawrence, near Montreal. 



The Saguenai draws its source from lake St. John, and pursues an 

 easterly direction through a mountainous and barren region. It is 

 interrupted in its course by abrupt precipices, and being bounded by 



