87 
returned into the lake, where she cast anchor. Immediately-after 
the storm, during which it had rained, we observed a remarkable 
phenomenon, viz. a fall of white-winged insects, of which a great 
quantity fell upon our boat. It continued during five minutes. 
These insects had in all probability been driven from the neigh¬ 
bouring forests. The storm, though unpleasant, had the effect of 
propelling us swiftly forwards. After 6 o’clock in the evening, 
we reached without any other unpleasant occurrence La Chine, 
a village, which has a harbour situated upon the island of Mon¬ 
treal. 
La Chine appears to be an insignificant village, though in com 
sequence of its favourable situation, it is said to do considerable 
business. The French was spoken so badly here, that I thought 
myself transported to our provinces of Hennegau or Namur. 
The village is said to have obtained its name from the circum¬ 
stance that during the time the country was occupied by the 
French colony, they believed they could pass to China by way 
of the St. Lawrence; and with this object, an expedition had 
been fitted out, which embarked at La Chine. 
Between La Chine and Montreal, the river has a very dan¬ 
gerous rapid, on account of which the government has built a 
canal as far as this place, which is nine miles long, has several 
locks, and is said to be of much importance to the trade. As we 
preferred going by land we hired a stage-coach, and started about 
eight o’clock in the eyening during a violent thunder-storm. 
Lady Clare, who was scarcely recovered from the fear which 
she experienced on the water, would willingly have spent the 
night here in a tavern, as she was much afraid to travel during a 
thunder-storm at night. It soon turned out that her fears were 
not unfounded. We had scarcely passed three miles over a good 
turnpike road, before we came in contact with several carts that 
stood in front of a tavern, loaded with iron bars. The drivers 
had gone into the tavern, and left their carts in the middle of the 
road, and as the night was dark we approached one of them so 
suddenly that three of the iron bars entered the breast of our shaft- 
horse, which immediately fell and expired. After much dispute 
between the coachman and the carters, we rode on with three 
horses, and arrived at Montreal about ten o’clock at night. We 
stopt at the Masonic Hall, a hotel which has been established 
within the last year. It is a very large, convenient, massy build¬ 
ing, four stories high, and built of blue stone. It affords a fine 
view of the St. Lawrence, which is upwards of twelve hundred 
yards wide here. At our arrival, I became immediately ac¬ 
quainted with Captain Mellish, of the engineers, who was sent 
from England on a scientific expedition into the interior of the 
colony. 
