y ravels in North America. 7 3 



Side of ^ehec the Lands are ^ood ; but in general you fee no^ 

 thing that can recreate the Sight. Moreover, the Climate is 

 very fevere ; for the more we go down the River, and the more 

 we advance towards the North, of Confequence the Cold is more 

 piercino-. ^ehec is in 47. 56. Latitude. Trois Rivieres is in 

 46. and fome Minutes : And Montreal between 44. and 45. The 

 River Laurence, above the Lake of Si, Pierre, making an El- 

 bow to the South. It feems therefore, when we are pafl: 

 the IJlands of Richlieu, as if we were tranfported all at once into 

 another Climate. The Air is fofter, the Land more level, the 

 River finer ; and its Banks have a Je ne fcai quoi, more pleafing. 

 We meet from Time to Time with lHands, fome of which are 

 inhabited ; the others, in their natural State, offer to the Sight the 

 fmeilLandfcapes in the World. In a Word, it is Tour aine iinà 

 la Li?nagne of Auvergne, compared with Maine and Normandy, 

 The Ille-of Montreal, which is as it were the Centre of this 

 /- . . ^ fine Country, is ten Leagues long from Eaft 

 the I fie of Mon Well, and near four Leagues over in its 



treal " greateft Breadth. The Mountain from 



which it takes its Name, and which has 

 two Heads of unequal Height, is almoft in the Midû of the 

 Length of the Ifland, but it is but half a League from the 

 South Coaft, upon which the Town is built. This Town was 

 called Vilk-Marie, by its Founders ; but this Name hath never 

 been brought into common Ufe : It is only mentioned in public 

 Writings, and amongft the Lords, who are very tenacious of it. 

 Thefe Lords, v/ho have the Do;Rriain not only of the Town, but 

 alfo of the whole Ifland, are Miffionaries of the Seminary of St. 

 Sulpice : And as all the Lands here are very good, and well culti- 

 vated ; and as the Town ik as well peopled as ^ehec, we may 

 affirm that this Lordfhip is worth half a Dozen of the bell in 

 Canada, This is the Fruit of the Labour and good Conduct of 

 the Lords of this Ifland ; and certainly twenty private Perfons, 

 amongfl whom this might hifve been divided, would not have 

 put it in the State we now fe(^ it, nor have made the People fo 

 happy. The Town of Montr'^al has a very chearful Afped : It 

 is well fituated, open, and well built. The Agreeabl^nefs of its 

 Environs, and its Profpeds, infpires a certain Gaity, of which 

 every one feels the Efi:ed. It is not fortified : A fmgle Pallifade, 

 which is but poorly kept up, is all its Defence ; with a bad Re- 

 doubt upon a little Eminence, which ferves for a Bulwark, and 

 which terminates with a gentle Slope at a little Square. This is 

 what we meet with at firfr, in coming ïrom ^ehec. It is nQt 

 forty Years ago, fince the Town vv^as quite open, and expofed to 

 be burnt by the Savages or the Englijh, It was the Chevalier de 

 Callieresy Brother of the Plenipotentiary of Rifwicky who en- 



L clofed 



