316 TRAYELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA: 
considerable mountains. The largest of these 
stands at the distance of about one mile from 
the town, which is named from it. The 
base of this mountain is surrounded with 
neat country houses and gardens, and partial 
improvements have been made about one 
third of the way up ; the remainder is entirely 
covered with lofty trees. On that side to¬ 
wards the river is a large old monastery, with 
extensive inclosures walled in, round which 
the ground has been cleared for some distance. 
This open part is covered with a rich verdure, 
and the "woods encircling it, instead of being 
overrun with brushwood, are quite clear at 
bottom, so that you may here roam about at 
pleasure for miles together, shaded, by the 
lofty trees, from the rays of the sun. 
The view r from hence is grand beyond de¬ 
scription. A prodigious expanse of country 
is laid open to the eye, with the noble river St, 
Lawrence winding through it, which maj' be 
traced from the remotest part of the horizon. 
The river comes from the right, and flow* 
smoothly on, after passing down the tremen¬ 
dous rapids above the town, where it is hur¬ 
ried over huge rocks with a noise that is 
heard even up the mountain. On the left 
below you, appears the town of Montreal, 
with its churches, monasteries, glittering 
spires, and the shipping under its old walls ; 
