Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-09-24
An ExcurAiOn Letter.

We have just left this ancient city,
bound for home. On Thursday, the 9th
inst, feeling that little business combin ed
with pleasure, would be acceptable and
profitable, both physically and M entally,
concluded TO avail myself of the generosi-
ty of the VT. Central II. Il. Co., aud pur-
chased one of their excursion tickets to
Montreal and return. We landed in th at
city about fifteen minutes behind its al =
vertised Time. We repaired to the best ho-
tel in our opinion in Montreal, viz, III e
Ottawa, on st. James street, kept 10y Messrs.
Browne and Pearly. The junior partner
of this firm was away on vacation, hut
we found Mr.. Browne host in hims elf
and his gentlemanly clerk, Henry An
drews, second TO no hotel clerk in the Cana
das or United States. Guests from the
States are warmly welcomed and there is a
sort of home'ike feeling pervading the diff
ferent departments of the entire establish
ment which is capable of accommodating
some four hundred travellers. We visited
the several places of note including a ride
before breakfast by rail 10 Lachine and
from thence by boat down the L1chine
Rapids TO Montreal city. l presume most
of your readers have either seen or heard
OF the Victoria bridge which is constructed
wholly of iron resting ON "a piers, whose
height is great enough to let all the steamers
run under it. This cost about S7,OO0,OOO
and it has not as yet paid any dividends to
its ckholders.
w took the regular line steamer Mon
treal at o'clock p. III. on Saturday, llth
inst, for Quebec down the magnificent and
grand old ST. Lawrence river, arriving
about six O'Clock OK Sunday morning. We
repaired TO the Albion hotel kept by one
w. Kirwin, situate on Palace street, and
mine host is evidently prince among ho-
tel keepers. Amer breakfast we attended
services al the French cathedral, although
we did not endorse the sentiments embod-
led in the sermon of the eloquent French
priest. At IL o'clock we ilelt the. church
and attended services al The English cathe-
dral and listened TO a trst-class orthodox
sermon by the Episcopal minister in charge.
In tie evening we heard the Rev. Mr..
Fowls, a Congregational clergyman, preach
very able and eloquent discourse refer
ing TO passage in the book of Exodus. l
have not lime TO give the sermon in full,
but il was very apropos for this city. The
subject was Moses lining up the serpent in
the wilderness. This morning we visited
the several places of note in and around
the city ,,some of which are the citadel, Gov
errors Garden, Grand Battery, Seminary
Chapel, the Plains of Abraham and monu-
ment where Wolfe fell at the taking of
Quebec in 1859, Falls Of Monimorenci last
but not least we called at the ST. Louis ho-
tel which is frstclass and will accommo-
date three hundred guests. While looking
at the falls this morning, we witnessed a
shell target practice from one of the Eng
lish forts on the south west bank of the
Island of Orleans, not far from the new
earthwOrks at Point Lewis, opposite the cit
adel of Quebec. The shells came in par
allel line nearly mile in our direction,
but fell short of the spot where we were
sitting, about four miles. 1t brought TO
mind some Of the campaigns Of 1862 and
'63, in Pennsylvania and Virginia. This
is our first visit to Quebec. 1t is so brief
that find that am saying TO myself about
these words: Is it possible that have seen
this historic city2 1t seems like dream
but then know 1t is pleasant reality. 1
have been within the English citadel look
ing over the spot where our brave and gal
liant Montgomery fell. have seen the
monument on the spot where Wolfe fell on
the 18Th of September, 1853. To-day is the
anniversary of that battle fought between
the two most powerful nations at that time
known, and conducted by two of the ablest
commanders of the period, who were con-
testing not perhaps, for any patriotic prin-
clple, but TO decide the destiny of empires
and the veal or woe of continent. We
are now on board the steamer Montreal
commanded by Capt. Nelson, who is gem
ial and perfect gentleman, and commands
a first class steamer. We expect to make
Montreal about o'clock to- morrow morn
ing, and from there we are homeWard
bound. Before closing, your correspond
ent desires TO thank our new friends for
courlesies received, especially w. b. Post,
agent of the ST. Louis hotel, Il. l.. Beck.
with, Albion, N. Y, and General Gugy of
Quebec, formerly Adjutant General OF the
British army, and Tor II years a mem
Der of the Canadian Parliament. If he was
Governor General of the Dominion to-day
il would be much better, not only for his
own country but for all this part of the civ
ilized world. RUSH.
The reuniDn of the army of Tho Cnm-