466 



House, standing on the highest ground of the 

 celebrated plains of Abraham. It is calculated 

 to be three hundred and thirty feet above the 

 level of the river, and commands most of the 

 works on this side of the town, except those on 

 the very summit of Cape Diamond, which ai^ 

 still higher by ten or fifteen feet. To diminish 

 the probability of this eminence being ever 

 seized upon as a point of offence against the 

 city, four Martello towers have been erected 

 some distance in advance of it, extending from 

 the St. Lawrence, across the peninsula, to Ste. 

 Genevieve, at between five and six hundred 

 yards distance from each other, and so posted 

 that they can sweep the whole breadth of the 

 plains; they are very solidly constructed, and 

 armed with guns of large calibre. Proceeding 

 along the Grand Allee westward, on the left 

 hand side are several large pieces of ground 

 belonging to the Hotel Dieu, and the Ursuline 

 Convent; on the opposite side, well cultivated 

 fields, and rich pastures, spread down to the Ste. 

 Foi road. The four meridian stones fixed in 

 1790 by the late Major Holland, then Surveyor- 

 General of Canada, are placed at convenient 

 distances from each other across the plains ; 

 they represent a line astronomically north, and 

 were established for the purpose of adjusting 

 the instruments used in the public surveys of 



