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place it in a more clear and palpable state, 

 rather than to promote decision by any ob- 

 servations of my own ; the extent of my en- 

 deavours will be limited to conveying some 

 general ideas of the capabilities possessed by 

 these provinces of rising into commercial great- 

 ness, if their interests be attended to and 

 protected. The situation both of Upper and 

 Lower Canada is replete with conveniences for 

 trade : the great extent and many ports of the 

 St. Lawrence accessible to ships of considerable 

 burthen ; its inland navigation, even to the ex- 

 tremity of the lakes; the numerous rivers and 

 streams that fall into it, by which produce of 

 all kinds may be conveyed from the most 

 distant settlements to Quebec or other places of 

 shipment, open greater facilities to mercantile 

 speculations than perhaps any other country 

 can offer. This river is the only channel by 

 which the commodities of these two provinces 

 find their way to distant countries, and is also 

 by far the most natural, as well as most easily 

 available egress for such productions of the 

 districts of the United States that lie contiguous 

 to its southern bank, as they are able to furnish 

 beyond their own consumption. Prohibitory 

 laws of the American senate have, indeed, of 

 late been passed to bar its subjects from ex- 

 portation by this route, but they have not ob- 



