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variety, and some very romantic prospects : a 

 mile or two from the town, near the tanneries, 

 the road ascends a steepish hill, and continues 

 along a high ridge for more than three miles, 

 commanding a beautiful view over the cultivated 

 fields below, the rapid of St. Louis, the islands 

 in the St. Laurence, and the varied woodland 

 scenery on the opposite shore; descending from 

 the height, it passes over a flat country until it 

 reaches La Chine. This road was formerly so 

 bad, winding, and interrupted by huge masses 

 of rock, that it was nearly a day's journey for 

 the loaded carts to go from one place to the 

 other. Stores and other articles, intended for 

 the king^s warehouses, a little beyond the rapid, 

 are sent by another road, which runs by the 

 river side. 



La Chine is a place of greater importance 

 than any other village on the island, being the 

 centre of all the commerce between the upper 

 and lower provinces, and the north-west country 

 also: whatever merchandise is sent upwards is 

 brought hither by land carriage from Montreal, 

 and all the imports are here landed. It con- 

 sists of only about 20 dwelling-houses, but a 

 great number of store-houses belonging to the 

 merchants, besides the warehouses of the Indian 

 department. A dry dock of great extent, for lay- 

 ing up the bateaux, forms a valuable part of the 



