North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-07-01

lalion, which showed that there were in
the province Is, gag men above the age OF
Is, and under the age Of 60 years, fit TO
bear arms. This census showed also that
there were yet so4 slaves in Canada.
The number Of cultivated acres Of land
were computed al ,56e, sIs--the quantity
of grain sown yearly " as said to be SIS, $40
bushels. The return o. horses was so, o96 I;
oxea 1904 cows "A, e9i young cattle
Sc, zoe; sheep l,666 f; hogs 7o,4e6, The
number Of firearms belonging 10 the peo-
pie was reported as being 10. 5S4.
The syiem Of favoritsm towards one
race a, the expense Of the other, was more
particularly shown in the composition OF
the Legislative Council, which was then
composed OF 2s members, seven Of whom
only were Of French extraction, the re-
mainder being foreigners and newcomers,
the greater part Of whom had no interest
whatever in the colony
The first public institution, apart from
the establishment OF the two presses Of
which we have spoken above, was that OF
a public library which was founded at
Quebec in 1855.
The same year very curious phenome-
non took place in Canada it is that COM
monty known as The dark Sunday. The
9th October, which happened TO be on
Sunday, between four and five O'Clock in
the afternoon, the whole atmosphere APP
peared of luminous and fiery color, and
there prevailed an uncommon darkness at
the same time now and then squalls Of
wind and rain would follow, accompanied
by the most severe claps of thunder and
lightning. This continued nearly the
whole night. For such climate as that
Of Quebec this was an extraordinary oc-
,urrence, more particularly as it had fro
zen considerably the night previous. But
The scene was more awful and alarming on
The Saturday following, which was the
18th of the same month. Fifteen minutes
past three O'Clock P. NJ, the weather was
darker than il had been on the previous
Sunday, the sky continued The same color
as on that day. A very heavy shower,
accompanied by severe thunder and light
ming terminated the scene for that day.
The next morning was a gentle calm, al
though very ioggy. About two O'Clock
The wind rose from the East and partly
* PEELED the fog. Half an hour after this
t became 80 dark that it was impossible TO
read common print within doors. This
weather continued at successive intervals,
zach darkness being followed by rain, and
hen it would clear again. 1t was SO dark
rom five till ten minutes after twelve
o'clock, that candles were lighted in the
different churches, so as 10 enable the
PRIESTS to proceed with their religious du-
les. Total darkness took place at two
o'clock p. NJ, and lasted twelve minutes.
L became totally dark also at 43 min
ties past three O'Clock p. NJ, and contn.
led seven minutes. The darkness again
vas very great for the space of ten min
ties at So minutes past four O'Clock, p. NJ
Gusts Of wind accompanied with heavy
ain and thunder followed each darkness,
md the atmosphere was of the same color
IS described on the the 9th of the same
month. Some people observed that
IN the days we are speaking of,
here were two adverse currents Of air :;
he uppermost one driving very bright
md vivid strata of clouds in northeast
I'm direction, while the lower one was
carrying with great speed broken misty
clouds towards the southwest, and il was
observed that the rain which fell on the 2nd
Sunday was Of deep black color. t
ITO be Continued
Du Calvet's Letter to the Canadians.
Smiths History Of Canada.