C. 256 ) 



whole winter feafon can find nothing in the fields§ 

 and confequently the preferring them muft be ex- 

 tremely expenfive, while their flefti, after being kept 

 fix months on dry food, mull, have loft almoft all 

 its relifh. Corn is alfo necefiary for the poultry, 

 and great care muft be taken to keep them alive 

 during fo long a time. If to avoid expence all thofe 

 beafts are killed about the end of October, which 

 are intended for confumption before the month of 

 May* you may eafily judge how infipid this fort of 

 victuals muft be ; and from the manner in which 

 they catch fifh through the ice, it appears this can- 

 not be very plentiful, befides its being frozen from 

 the very firft, fo that it is almoft impoffible to have 

 it freili in the feafon when it is moft wanted. Were 

 it not for the cod-fifti and eels there would hardly 

 be any fuch thing as keeping Lent ; with refpect to 

 butter and frefh eggs there can be no queftion, nor 

 indeed is much more account to be made of garden - 

 fturT, which is kept as well as may be in the cellars* 

 but lofes almoft all its virtue after it has been there 

 for fome months. 



Add to this, that excepting apples, which are of 

 an excellent quality, and fmall fummer fruit which 

 does not keep, the fruits natural to France have not 

 as yet fucceeded in Canada. Thefe, Madam, are all 

 the difadvantages occafioned by this exceffive cold 

 feafon. We are, notwithstanding, as near the fun 

 as in the moft fourthern provinces of France, and 

 the farther you advance into the colony, you ftill 

 approach the nearer to it. Whence then can arife 

 this difference of temperatures under the fame paral- 

 lels of latitude ? This is a queftion, which in my o- 

 pinion no one has as yet anfwered in a fatisfaclory 

 manner. 



Moft 



