CHAMBLY. 
305 
opposite the yard. In proportion to the in¬ 
crease of trade between New York and Lower 
Canada, this town must improve, as it is the 
British port of entry on Lake Champlain. 
The country about St. John’s is flat, and 
very bare of trees, a dreadful fire in the year 
1788 having done great mischief, and destroy¬ 
ed all the woods for several miles : in some parts 
of the neighbourhood the people sutler extreme¬ 
ly during winter from the want of fuel. 
At St. John’s we hired a light waggon, simi¬ 
lar to those made use of in the United States, 
and set off about noon for La Prairie, on the 
banks of the river St. Lawrence. By the di¬ 
rect road this is only eighteen miles distant ; 
but the most agreeable way of going thither is 
by Chambly, which is a few miles farther, on 
account of seeing the old castle built there by 
the French. The castle stands close to the 
rapids in Chambly or Sorell River, and at a 
little distance lias a grand appearance ; the ad¬ 
jacent country also being very beautiful; the 
whole together forms a most interesting scene. 
The castle is in tolerably good repair, and a 
garrison is constantly kept in it. 
As you travel along this road to La Prairie, 
after having just arrived from the United States 
over Lake Champlain, a variety of objects for¬ 
cibly remind you of your having got into a 
VOL. i. x 
