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LETTER XXVII. 
Inhabitants of Lower Canada.—Of the Tenures 
hi) which Lands are held.—Not favourable 
to the improvement of the Country.—Some 
Observations thereon.—Advantages of settling 
in Canada and the United States compared .— 
Why Emigrations to the latter Country are 
more general.—Description of a Journey to 
Stoneham Tozvnship near Quebec. — Descrip¬ 
tion of the River St. Charles.—Of Lake St. 
Charles.—Of Stoneham Township. 
i 
Quebec. 
ABOUT five-sixths of the inhabitants of 
Lower Canada are of French extraction, the 
bulk of whom are peasants, living- upon the 
lands of the seigniors. Among the English 
inhabitants devoted to agriculture, but few, 
however, are to be found occupying land un¬ 
der seigniors, notwithstanding that several of 
the seigniories have fallen into the hands of 
Englishmen ; the great majority of them hold 
the lands which they cultivate by virtue of cer¬ 
tificates from the governor, and these people 
for the most part reside in the western parts of 
the province, bordering upon the upper parts 
of the river St, Lawrence. 
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