( SO!) ) 
LETTER XXII. 
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Description of the Town of Montreal.—Of the 
public Buildings .— Churches.—Funeral Ce¬ 
remonies.—Convents. — Barracks. — Fortifi¬ 
cations.—Inhabitants mostly French .— Their 
Character and Manners.—Charming Pros¬ 
pects in the Neighbourhood of the Town .— 
Amusements during Summer.—Parties of 
y 
Pleasure up the Mountain.—Of the Fur 
Trade .— The Manner in which it is carried 
on.—Great Enterprise of the North West 
Company of Merchants.—Sketch of Mr. 
M c Kensie’s Expeditions over Land to the 
Pacific Ocean.—Differences between the 
North West and Hudson's Bay Company. 
Montreal, July. 
THE tow.n of Montreal was laid out pur¬ 
suant to the orders of one of the kings of 
France; which were, that a town should be 
built as high up on the St. Lawrence as it were 
possible for vessels to go by sea. In fixing 
upon the spot where it stands, his commands 
were complied with, in the strictest sense. The 
town at present contains about twelve hun¬ 
dred houses, whereof five hundred only are 
within the walls; the rest are in the suburbs, 
which commence from the north, east, and west 
