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the necessary and some ornamental branches 

 of female education are conducted upon a very 

 good system, with a success highly creditable 

 to the undertaking. The position of the seig- 

 niory of LaPrairie is extremel}'^ favourable, from 

 the numerous roads that pass through it in se- 

 veral directions, and particularly from being 

 the point where an established ferry from Mont- 

 real communicates with the main road leading 

 to St. John's, and thence by Lake Champlain 

 into the American states ; the general route for 

 travellers between the capital of Lower Canada 

 and the city of New York. In a point of view 

 before alluded to, viz. encouraging the transit 

 of produce from the countries bordering on our 

 frontiers to the ports of the Saint Laurence, 

 the seigniories adjoining this line of communi- 

 cation are most eligibly situated, and if mea- 

 sures having that object in contemplation should 

 be encouraged, they would indubitably attain 

 some eminence in commercial importance.— 

 From its contiguity to the line of boundary, 

 this part of the district was fated to bear the 

 brunt of the war against the lower province; 

 and in the year 1812, when the American go- 

 vernment formally unmasked its ill concealed 

 project of conquest, a British corps of observa- 

 tion was encamped towards the centre of La 

 Prairie to watch the motions of General Dear- 



