Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-09-25
Il YdNKkE ASTRAY.

QUEBEC, Sept. l7th, 1877.
Editor Of Keane}Ce journal:
When we awoke from our slumbers on Saturday
morning, the steamer was at the whsif at St. Al
phonse, lule village with a saw mill and piles
Of lumber, besides houses and the inevitable Cath.
u &c chuicb, at the head of IIal Ha Bay. You
wish to know where la Ha! Bay is Well,
you 20 down the St. Lawrence 1871 miles, in
north-ea,terly direction, and reach the moath OF
the Saguenay river. Then you turn towards the
northwest, and after voysgng up the Saguena,
60 miles, you reach the entrance to Ilal lIa
Bay. The entrance is about mile wide, and the
bay extends westerly seven miles. AT its westerly
end is the village OF st. Alphonse. Several small
rivers flow into the bay. 1t is surrounded %
every side by high and preeipitous cliffs, leav
iag but small space for houses or villages or any
other work of man. Rising as soon as it was fair
ly light, the writer went upon the hurricane deck,
and obtained a complete view of the bay and its
romantic surroundings, whilst most of the other
passengers were asleep or in their state rooms.
The next 10 make their appearance were hale old
gentleman from Montreal, an enthusiastic and
persistent sight-seer, and young Scotchman who
accompanied him. Most of the other passengers
were wrapt in the arms Of Somnus until we had
passed out Of the bay, to which we were not to
return, except to pass by its entrance in descend
ing the Saguenay.
The steamer left the wharf at ST. Alphonse,
proceeded to the mouth of the bay, rounded the
west cape and went on its way up the river to
Chicontimi, the terminus of the trip. Chicontlml
is village of some hundreds of inhabitants on
the west bank of the river. 1t has lumber mills
handsome stone church, and large stone build
ing called a college. Besides these, a large brick
Building is in process Of erection, to be used as
| Summary. The college is in fact a Catholic
school, and far as we could hear, its pupils are
/ furnished by the village and the country 10 the
rear Of it. And here let us say, that in Canada
you find colleges and seminaries, so-caed, but no
common schools. The little neighborhood school
house forms no part Of a Canadian lar dscape. Go
where you will in New England aud you will find
these colleges for the poor, or rather for rich and
poor alike, and where they meet together and are
reminded hat ''the Lord is the maker Of them
all" Bat in Canada, one sees nothing of the
kind either IN city OF country. The Puritan open
WIDE iht gates OF knowledge to ali the Catholic
keeps the key in hi own grasp, aud only educates
as he can tram aud mould at his W III.
| Above ChicoDumi, we told that the shores
Of the Saguenay are inhabited and cultivated for
- miles. The banks must be less rocky and
pfeeipitous than those below, to sustain an ap-
ricultursl people to any great extent.
After the steamer had turned lts course down
the river, some of the passengers compared their
impressions of what they had seen since daylight
AMI coull not avoid coniessiug to feeling of
DISAPPOINTMENT. Whilst they were ready to ac-
knowledge that the scenery was grand and pic
tutesque, II was not so unique and wonderful as
they had imagined from the descriptions they bad
real. But we had not then viewed the scenery
below, which We had passed through in our dai k
ADD silent voyage in the middle OF the nj ght
Aud now ii any reader has a notion, as had
maaY OF our party, from what we had read, that