New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-15

The peopling Of Canada, according to the piquant
narrative OF the author, was mainly due to LOUIS
XIV. Prior &C. his accession the whole population
did notexceed twenty five hundred. He had scarcely
attained Bis majority, when the shipment OF enii-
grants to the colony was made systematic Dust
ness Most of them were drawn from the nortn-
western provinces. Although some writers nave
denounced them in unmeasured terms, they seem In
the main to have been a decent peasanty' part
of them could read and write ond some had httie
money. The method of supplying the new settiers
with wives was without any tnge OF ROMANCE
Girls were taken from the hospitals, when were
rather asylums for the poor than houses Tor tne SICK
Complaints, however, were soon heard tnaV "oihen
from the cities made indifferent partners anu
neasant girls. accustomed to field work, were de-
manded in their place. But officers as well as men
wanted wives, and request was made for con-
sionmont of young ladies. "The character OF these
candidates for matrmony has not escaped the pen
of SANDER The caustic La Hontau, writing fifteen
or twenty wears after draws the following sketch OF
tho mothers of Canada After the regiment OF
Cariqnan was dsbanded ships were sent out
fre1ghted with girls OF indifferent virtue, under the
direction of a few pious old duennas who divided
them into three classes. These vestals were, so 10
speak piled one the other In three uihereH'
halls. where the bridegrooms chose their brides as
butcher chooses his sheep out of the midst OF tne
eook There was wherewith TO content the most
fantastjcal in these three harems; for here were
to he seen the tall and the short, the blond and
the brown, tho plump and the lean; everybody IN
short found shoe TO tit him. At the end OF a tort
night not one was Left am told that the Plumpest
were taken first because it was thought that BENG
less active they more likely to keep al hohe'
and that thew could resist the Winter cold better.
4 t. 1to1 tot la6 iPpc
to whom they we're obliged to make known their
possessions and means of livelihood before taking
from one of the three classes the girl whom they
found most to their liking. The marriage was con-
cIuded forthwith, with the help of priest and
notary, and the next day the encouragement
caused the couple to be presented with an OK,
COW. a pair of swine, pair of fowls, two bar
rels of salted meat and eleven crowns in money
This sketch of the girls, Mr.. Parkman regards as
n malicious caricature. From the commencement OF
the colony it was always the practice to send BACK
to France women of this class, as soon as they De-
came notorious Still mistakes would oecur
" Along with the honest people" complains Mother
Mary comes great deal of cdnGiiie of both sexes
who cause O great deal of scandal it was FOUND
that some of the young women who had been mar
ried at Quebec had husbands at home. The priests
became cautious 10 tying the knot. 1t was then
ordered that each girl should obtain a certlhcate
from the cure magistrate of her parish that she
was free TO marry. The annual consignment OF
Young women was shipped to Quebec in charge of a
matron appointed by the King Her task was not
an easy one for the troop under her was apt to
consist of what Mother Mary facetiously called
mixed goods.v An ample bazaar was provided for
the inspection of the damsels. The awkward young
peasant or the rugged soldier was required to choose
bride without delay. The new settler was at once
enticed and driven into wedlOck Bounties were
offered on early marriages. Each young man who
married before the of twenty and each girl VINO
married before the age of sixteen, received twenty
iyres exclusive Of the dowry presented by the king
This varied greatly in form and value. 1t was some
times house with provisions for eight months.
More often it was fifty lyres in household supplies,
besides barrel or two of salted meat. No mercy
was shown to the obduTate bachelor. Unmarried
men were forbidden to hunt, fish, trade with the
Indians or 90 into the woods under any pretense
whatever. In short, they were made as miserable
as possible The success of these measures was
complete No sooner did the vessels arrive than the
Young men went to get wives. and the number was
so great that they often married by thirties at
a time Throughout the length and breadth of
Canada, Hymen, if not Cupid. was whipped INTO
frenzy of activity. Dollies de Casson tells us of
widow who was married afresh before her late hus-
band was buried"
The life of the Canadian settler for year or two
was rough and difficult. But as soon as he had a
few acres under tillage, he could support his family
on the produce. Hunting, if he knew how to use
gun was q seryiceable aid The ST. Lawrence
abounded with cells, winch, smoked or sailed, sup
piled his larder for months. In Winter he hewed
timber, sawed planks. or split shingles for the mar
ket of Quebec. for which he received such neces-
saries as he required. With thrift and hard work
he was sure of comfort at last. But the former
habits of the military settlers were not favorable to
perseyerng industry. The monotony of their new
life often became nsuflerable, nor did the domes-
tic hearth afford much consolation Yet thrifty or
not, they multiplied apace. "A poor man says
Mother Mary, will have eight children and more,
who run about in Winter with bare heads and bare
feet and a little Jacket on their backs, live on
nothing but bread and eels and on that grow fat
and stout With such treatment the weaker sort
died but the strong survived. and out of this rug
ged nursing sprang the hardy Canadian race of
bush-rangers and bush-fighters.'
The genius of Mr.. Parkman as a historian receives
ample illustration from the skill with which he has
grouped events of comparatively temporary import
ance into narrative of engrossing and permanent
interest. lie has made the most of his materials,
which though abundant in quantity, are mainly not
of the quality which furnishes the elements OF
attractive historical composition. But his clear
insight into character is matched by his accurate
perceptions OF external nature In the field of iDd-
vdual portraiture, his sketches are marked by pre-
cison, harmony, and freshness of coloring. His
narrative style seldom rises above the level of chase
and luminous exposition, but his sympathies with
nature are so ardent that the presence of the forest
and the sylvan stream often inspires rich uxnriance
of description. He looks upon the primeyal BONES
tha Cau liam wit