National Republican., 1873-09-16

I
raveling wsshingtonian upon the quaint,
istoricsl and interesting old city Of Quebcc
Iould DO acceptable TO your readers, I vii,
ttcmpt TO give briof account Of some OF
he many curious and Interesting objects
which witnessed In recent trip to and so
ourn In that unique city. will also state
ome Of the more important facts relating to
heso objects sf interest In and about tho
lily. Our party, consisting Of four eager,
,bservant and experienced tourists. repre-.
seutiDg the cities Of Washington, Philadcl-
phia and Chicago, arrived early In the morn
Ing Of the 23d OF August In one Of the splsn-
did boats Of the Richelleu company, plying
between Montreal aud Quebec, distance Of |
isO miles, Il will be well to remember, at
the samo time, that Quebec Is $50 miles north |
Of New York, and si0 miles north OF Wash |
ington.
Nothing is trucr than the statement, made
by Professor silliman In 1919, that "Quobce,
at least for an American city, is certainly
AVERY PECULIAR PLACE"
To the Canadian, even Of Montreal, It ap-
pears as strange as to foreigner. II Quebec
has a foreign air, even to . Canadian, Il was
oo"cthiuk hho bVtuk tuusBptttu Iuto new
world when we rounded Cape Diamond and
set foot In French city founded In the year
ioos-that 10, two hundred and sixty
years ago. Here tho Canadian looks upon
the sStant vsstigcs Of ancient notions and
improvements with feelings Of curiosity as
powerful as those which move q complete
stranger. Quebec, French u first, 10 French
still-in population, language, ways and man.
ners. More than half Of tho citizens, and
nearly all Of the Inhabitants Of the surround
ing villages, speak French o. their mother
tongue. Very many Of them have knowl-
edge, more or lees perfect, Of the English
language, while many Of the British citizens
speak French also. Tho language In its
written FORMS as seen In the numerous French
books, magazines and newspapers publlshed
In Quebec, Is correct and intelllgible; but the
speech Of the lower classes and Of the rustics
is difficult and often Impossible to understand
Il is not Parisian or even Rouennaiss French,
but . strong provincial dialect, brought from
the rural districts Of No--1ndy In the seven
teenth century. and enriched by the addition
lower towns, capping and betting In front the
imposing, high, rugged rock, have hcrcu-
lean-likc, classic and rough aspect, which
astonishes and bewildcrs. Quebec, the Glib
raltar Of America, possesses many Of those
"reminiscences Of Europe which In almost
every other place on this continent have dis
appeared TO make room for modern notions
and improvements. As strangers, our scuses
were thrilled at all wc saw. We almost felt
| caPtivatcd with the oddlty and strangcncss
Of this unique city. This Maid Of the st.
Lawrence, so unlike her sister Montreal, has
kept obdurAto faith to her national and poetic
monastic vows. She leads an austere life and
/ IIa,ka kaa ~, har a..a 4.
roes, whose blood and sweats have dotted
deeply the earth from the Gulf Of 81. Law
| renee to the Gulf of Mexico. She yenerates
tho past and teaches US by her example. Hcr
unique conditions and position are such as 10
make II to her almost calling. Her temples
Of worship, bcncvolence, science and art,
have distinct character.
IMPRESSIONS OF THE CITY.
As we approached In the carly sunlight the
city doomed up grandly and appeared as II Q
race OF Titans hsd heaved II mp o. a resting
place. Taking hasty survey, before moving
away from the landing place, We behold the
| frowning altitudina rock which to the left
at S37 feet, Is occupied at the summit by the
famous citadel. Almost overhead, at 1Sf
feet, was tho beautiful platform Of Durham
Terrace, supported by long chain Of mas
slve, elegant walls, partly Of plllarod kind
sticking together on the very verge Of open
space and destruction. People seen there
look like DWARF to you, and you to them
The place where General Richard Mont
gomcry foil 10 commemorated In golden let
ters on the rocks under the walls Of the cita
del. Tho attention Of the tourist Is attracted
In = hnerd high ~P on tho rock, b.aripg th,
inscription, Here Montgomery fell;" Il car
be seen 70 advantage on approaching ant
leaving the city by the Montreal boat, or OF
approaching the lower town In q carriage
from Wolfes Cove, through Pres-de-ville ant
Champlain street The position Of the board
and the inscription have led not q few 10 sup
pose that the unfortunate general, while at.
tempting to scale the heights, fell from tha
spot a,d was killed. Tho fact 10 that on tn,
morning Of the Sist Of December, ITS, thil
gallant soldier, while leading . large body o
his troops to storm the city, fell at the hrs
fire Of q gun from battery which had beer
placed so as to sweep the road. The bus,
wharvcs where We landed arc farther down
ward. The high, perpendicular, monstroui
rock on our left-so near, 90 menacing, 8,
thrillingly ghosty-seemed 10 vacillate on IL
deep, watery base and get ready TO entoml
the beholder. FOR moment we fancied ou
position dangerous one. But Henry Wart
Bcechcr, Professor Sllliman, W. II. Russell
Knox, Ampers, Hrs. Noodle, Trollope, Sail
and others have yentured up, and why MAJ
not wel The lower town, however, deserve
a stay Of few hours and the close attention
OF every one. Among
THE vIRsr oBJEcTs WHICH STRUCK OUR AT
TEsTfoN
here were those odd-looklng cdieches hltchet
to Norman ponies, which, with many shakes
will safely take you up Mountain street. A,
tho usual mode Of riding In Quebec 10 by tht
edische, It requires further description. Tn,
cdiec'e Ia singular and usually very shabby
looking vehicle, perched on two high wheels
with the driver sitting on . narrow ledge IL
front. These vehicles are drawn by homely
but hardy little horses, and are usually driver
by French Canadians. Ono or two persons cal
ride In them, but they arc not adapted I,
carrying luggage. Our party prsferrod :,
make the ascent from the lower to tho uppe
town on foot BY way Of Mountain street, one
. number Of streets which might calmly bid
defiance to the leveling propensities OF oul
Board Of Public Works. Though stoep, thil
street is much frequented. One Of the sun
dry halts We made was at that great curiosity
In the way Of . street, called "Break-neck
stairs, where we were In danger Of falling
into and rolling down the almost vertical
Champlain street. The long wooden staircase
leading to the foot Of Il has on both sides
small, dark shops, principally Of boots and
shoes, which soem TO do . good business
with the sailors, raftsmen and country peo-
pie. This very narrow, steep thoroughfsrc Is
quite curiosity. Itwas near the foot Of these
steep, crowded and picturesque Champlain
steps where the remains Of Samuel de Cham
plain, the founder Of Quebec, were recently
found, In the vault Of an ancient chapel. The
vault In which II Is alleged that the bones OF
Champlain were found was opened In 1855 by
the superintendent Of the waterworks. The
bones were subsequently removed to the
Cathedral. Those who have taken much
trouble to investigate the matter have nc
doubt that the vault Is that Of Champlain
Chapel, where he was buried. He died De.
cember IS, 1885. What q lesson does this
teach OF the vanity of human affairs! Iu
the city which hc had founded and fostered,
the tomb Of the great prspsgandist was for
centuries forgotten, and strangers and here
tics daily passed over his ashcs. Higher up
the street we wore fortified for further efforts
| by q sumptuous breakfast at tho Restdrrdnt
du CHEN dor, opposite the pest ofilce, for
the modest sum Of 50 cents! In the north front
Of the new and
FINE CUT-sToSB POST OFFICE,
on Buads street, is figure Of a dog, carved
In stone and gilded, under which Ia an in