6 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA: 
kissed both her cheeks in turn, which she pre¬ 
sented to him with no small condescension. 
Some minutes are generally spent thus at 
every post-house in mutual congratulations on 
meeting, before the people ever think of get¬ 
ting a fresh carriage ready. 
The road between Quebec and Montreal 
runs, for the most part, close upon the banks 
of the River St. Lawrence,' through those 
beautiful little towns and villages seen to so 
. 
much advantage from the water, arid as the 
traveller passes along,' he is entertained with 
prospects, if possible, superior to those which 
strike the attention in sailing down the river. 
For the first thirty or forty miles in the way 
from Quebec, the views are in particular ex¬ 
tremely grand. The immense River St. Law¬ 
rence, more like a lake confined between 
ranges of mountains than a river, appears at 
one side rolling under your feet, and as you 
look down upon it, from the top of the lofty 
banks, the largest merchant vessels scarcely 
seem bigger than fishing boats; on the other 
side steep mountains, skirted with forests, 
present themselves to the view at a distance, 
whilst, in the intermediate space, is seen a rich 
country, beautifully diversified with whitened 
cottager and glittering spires, with groves of 
trees, and cultivated fields, watered by innu¬ 
merable little streams; groups of the peasan- 
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