The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-09-04
meas. has 4 large establishment for the manuisctw

meas. hAs large essapiishlnehs i0t sne mhnui7ctW
the Rowland Hill did not proceed to Chicontami,
but after passing where tue Saguenay DIVORCES.
/ entered an expanse OF the river called Ha la Bay.
which Is nine miles in length by six in width, where
vessels Of the largest class may anchor, in depth
OF water ranging from twenty to thirtyve fathoms.
| Here we landed and remained at the village q
couple OF hours, during which time we visited the
saw and grist mill OF Mr.. Prices and was surprised
TO learn that not less than five or six thousand
bushels Of grain are here annually manufactured
into -four, the growth OF the neghboring lands MIR.
Price himself having large extent ut present cover
ed with luxuriant crop of wheat. There is neat
Roman Catholic chapel here, and population OF
five six hundred souls. This village Is OF recent
origin, and is evidently on the increase, although
ChContami must eventually become the metropolis
of this portion of Lower Canada, when it shall be
well settedwhich will probably be the case at no dis
tant day, particularly as the government are about
opening roads in this hitherto neglected part Of the
province, which, until lately was held exclusively
by the Hudson Bay Company, for the purposes Of
trade with the Indians.
Had time permitted should have availed myself
of the kind offer of the Catholic priest at Ha ha
Bay, to send me on to Lake ST. JEAN fifty miles
above ChicOntam l may here mention that the
peculiar name given TO this locality is referred to
the surprise of the original explorers, who thought
they were proceeding up the main river, add on ind
ing their progress interrupted, exclaimed 'Ha ha !"
Lake st. Jean, it is situated in an immense valley,
and is the reservoir of several great rivers most OF
which have their sources in the heights that sepa
Lower Canada the waters of which lind their way to
the st. Lawrence, through the Saguenay Its greatest
length is fifty miles, and its breadth is eighteen.
The depth varies from few feet to two hundred in
the centre, and the lake and its tributaries abound
with great variety and abundance of fish. The
rocks in the Heighborhood OF the ST. Jean are, for
the most part, sienite and trap and the surround
ing country told, affords no evidence OF any
violent deluge, by which they or the fertile soil in
their vicinity have been transplanted-the latter
being composed of the most minute and delicate par
tices evidently deposited by water when in tran
quil state, while the remains Of marine animals that
found in the cacineOus strata render 1t equally
evident that the adjacent country was once covered
by the sea. Lake st. James lies ninety miles north
OF Quebec but its climate owing to It's remotencss
from the ST. Lawrence, is said to be equal to that of
Montreal
This fertile tract of territory however is still unn
habited, and that cultivation which was formerly
the work OF the Jesuits has been succeeded since
their departure by the invasion OF the wilderness.
solitary house-or rather the ruins OF one-once an
ancient post, where commerce in peltries was
carried on for a number of years with the Indians
may be considered as the ultima thule Of the ndica
ton OF civilization in this direction, the American
continent-beyond, all is o desolate and bowling
waste Even the Hudson Bay Company have no
posts far to the eastward, their interests leading
them to form establishments rather in the northwest
where they exercise moral influence over the Indian
tribes, of which few have any conception.
BY means Of distant and solitary posts and with
ont an organized armed force, they preserve place
among the different tribes Of Indians, regulate the
periods at which various descriptions of wild ami
mails shall be destroyed, and compel the most i'm
pcit obedience to their will. The ab0rigines, the
other hand, have the most unbounded confidence in
the rectitude of their agents. and when suffering
from want during the inclemency OF the winter, re
ceive at their hands susenance and relief If at any
time, which rarely happens, an individual violates
the rules Of the company, all intercourse between
him and the other Indians is interdicted until he
yields submission. An attempt will probably be
made when the charter expires which, | believe,
UiI ha in IN stG Eal Init a
course would have the effect OF casting the Indians
loose from all restraint; sangunary wars would follow
among the different tribes, ardent spirits would be
Cbtaued the introduction Of which is at present pro-
hibited and the result, before any years, would be
the determination of the aborigines OF the country.
Allusion has been made to the missions of the
Jesnits to the Saguenay, which commenced as early
as 1861. where they endured the most appalling
hardships and exposure TO famine and danger, living
and suffering with the Montagnard Indians, who, at
the period OF the discovery OF Canada, were sub
divided into several tribes each living separate
its peculiar territory, but united in general
federation. At that time they were composed Of
four five hundred families but at present they
reduced to about twenty.
These the Jesuts, of whom the Montagnards pre-
afectionate remembrance, succeeded in con-
verting TO Christianity. The missionaries taught
them to read; and il is astonishing fact that, not
outstanding their errptic and subsequent dssolute
mode of life and without the aid of schools, this
o1irement they still retain: and, after a lapse Of
nearly two centuries each family preserves with care
is book Of prayers and canticles, which they
Sundays and fetes Of the church, which they reli-
gously observe according to the particular calendar
in which they have been misunderstanding TO
read as they would to draw the bow or paddle
canoe and considering one necessary as the other
About sunset we weighed anchor on return,
Tegret-ng that the darkness Of the approaching
night would prevent our again contemplating the
imposing scenery which we had admired upon as
candng the river: and about Eve o'clock this morn
ing We anchored of Cacouna again. The tide was
out as was the case when we arrived and left H ha
bay and vehicles were in waiting near the shore in
the water to convey the passengers to the land,
the boats successfully arrived OF this place shall
speak when describing this part of the province
Meantime cannot conclude without strenuously re-
commencing those travellers who may visit Canada,
not to leave it without extending their tour to the
shores Of the Saguenay. W.