LOWER CANADA. 251 



the inhabitants of the water; but we have few instances of fish 

 making a prey of the feathered creation, which this fish does, how- 

 ever, with much art He conceals himself among the canes and reeds, 

 in such a manner that nothing is to be seen besides his weapon, 

 which he holds raised perpendicularly above the surface of the water; 

 the fowls which come to take rest, imagining the weapon to be only 

 a withered reed, perch upon it ; but they are no sooner alighted, than 

 the fish opens its throat, and makes such a sudden motion to seize 

 his prey, that it seldom escapes him. This fish is an inhabitant of 

 the lakes. The sturgeon is both a fresh and salt-water fish, taken 

 on the coast of Canada and the lakes, from eight to twelve feet long, 

 and proportionably thick. There is a small kind of sturgeon, the flesh 

 of which is very tender and delicate. The achigau, and the gilthead, 

 are fish peculiar to the river St. Lawrence. Some of the rivers breed 

 a kind of crocodile, that differs but little from that of the Nile. 



Natural curiosities. ...Perce rock in the St. Lawrence presents 

 a curious appearance. It is perforated in three places in the form of 

 arches, through the central and largest of which, a boat with sails 

 set, may pass with great facility. This rock, which, at a distance ex- 

 hibits the appearance of an aqueduct in ruins, rises to the height of 

 nearly two hundred feet. Its length, which is at present four hundred 

 yards, must have been once much greater ; as it has evidently been 

 washed by the sea, and by the frequent impulse of storms. 



The falls of Montmorenci, on the river of that name, exceed those 

 of Niagara in height, by 80 feet, being 246 feet nearly perpendicular. 

 The water descends in a single sheet, falling, where it touches the 

 rock, in clouds of foam. The vapours arising, fly off from the fall in 

 the form of a revolving sphere, glittering in the sun with all the co- 

 lours of the rain-bow, and emitting with velocity, pointed flakes of 

 spray, which spread in receding, until intercepted by the neighbour- 

 ing banks, or dissolved in the atmosphere. The breadth of the falls 

 is one hundred feet. 



On the river Chaudiere about four miles from its mouth is a fall of 

 120 feet. The water, being separated by rocks, forms three distinct 

 cataracts, the largest of which is on the western side. The cavities 

 worn in the rocks, cause the descending waters to revolve with foam- 

 ing fury, to whose whiteness the gloomy cliffs present a strong oppo- 

 sition of colour. In winter nearly the whole fall is congealed into 

 solid columns of ice. 



On the river St. Anne, there are no less than seven falls which 

 are near to each other, the principal and lowest of which is 130 feet 

 high. There is a number of other cataracts in Lower Canada, but 

 there is a degree of sameness in their appearance, which renders it 

 unnecessary to enumerate them.* 



Population. ...In 1813 the population of this province was stated 

 at 250,000 persons, exclusive of Indians. The latter were once very 

 numerous, but their number is now insignificant. There is a tribe 

 called the Mountaineers, descendants of the Algonquins, who inhabit 

 the country around lake St. John. Their number does not exceed 1 300. 

 They are remarkable for the mildness and gentleness of their man- 

 ners; and are never known to make use of offensive weapons. There 

 is also a small settlement of Hurons, in the parish of Jeune Lorette, 

 about nine miles N. W. of Quebec, and a village of 800 Iroquois 



* Heriot, 



