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even notwithstanding this, if Canada were as well 

 cleared and as populous as France, the winters 

 would become much fhorter and lefs fevere. They 

 would not however be always fo mild as in France, 

 on account of the ferenity and purenefs of the air ; 

 for it is certain that in the winter feafon every thing 

 elfe being equal, the fro ft is always fharper when 

 the Hey is clear, and the fun has rarified the air. 



After winter is pair, fi filing and hunting fupply 

 thofe who will take the trouble with provisions in 

 abundance befides the fifh and the game which I 

 have already fpoken of, the river St. Lawrence and 

 the forefts furnifh the inhabitants with two articles, 

 which are a great refource to them. From Quebec 

 as high as Trois Rivieres, a prodigious quantity of 

 large eels are caught in the river, which eels come 

 down from Lake Ontario, where* they are bred in 

 the marines on the north fide of the Lake, and 

 meeting, as I have already obferved, with the white 

 porpoifes which give them chace, the greater!: part 

 endeavour to return back, which is the reafon of 

 their being taken in fuch numbers. This fifhery is 

 carried on in the following manner. 



Thro' that whole extent of ground, which is co- 

 vered at; high water, but left dry during the ebb, 

 boxes are fet at convenient diftances, which arefup- 

 ported by a pallifade of ofier hurdles, contrived in 

 fuch a manner that no free palTage is left for the 

 eels. Large calling nets of the fame materials and 

 Uruclure are fixed by the narrowefl end in thefe 

 boxes, while the other extremity, which is very 

 wide, is backed againfl: the hurdles, upon which 

 green branches are placed at intervals. When all 

 is covered by the tide, the eels which love to be near 

 the banks, and are attracted by the verdure, gather 



R 3 in 



