Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-07-27
LETTER FROM QUEBEC.

correspondence of tho Alexandria GAZETTE
QUEBEC, July 23d 1851 left Montreal
on the steamer Montreal, last evening, for
Quebec and arrived here at eight this morn
ing. After breekfasting at the Lion Dor, l
started out on foot, as almost always do,
to see the sights, and the first thing I en-
conutered was beautiful arch in honor of
Cardinal Taschereau, to whom the beretta
was presented by the papal ablegate on
Tuesday last. Soon came to another and
another, until I had passed under about
twenty. They were finer than any l had
ever seen. The streets are narrow and
winding, and it is very easy TO arch them.
Such arches as they have would be far moro
difficult and costly with US. They are
framed with wood, higher central over
the carriage way and lower over the foot
path on either side. The pillars are some
three or four feet square, and the whole
framework, except where wooden mould.
ings and inscriptions, &C., are placed to re.
leve it, is covered with spruce boughs,
which sci fat to it, and the dark green of
which gives o rich background to the arms,
portraits, &C., on the sides and top. "Vive
Leon XIII" and "Vive le Cardinal Tasche-
rean" appeared on the first saw, and there
were mplimentary, religious and patriotic
inscriptions upon ALL Special pride seems
to be taken by the people in the eleva-
ton of their archbishop to the cardl-
naate because he is their countrymau and
their townsman, and such inscriptions as
"Tu Gloria" Jerusalem" "Tu CDtitia Is
rael," give expression to this national pride,
while "Homens-an distingue promoteur de
instruction publique," shows one of the
grounds OF personal rejoicing. The Cardi'
nal seems to ba equally popular among
Catholics and Protestants, and see, by the
papers, that the latter were as forward in
decorating and Illuminating their houses as
the former. Flags of every sort, (the French,
however, predominating), are still floating
from many houses and the rich decorations
still remain on many. The Cathedral, a
handsome, but not magnificent church, is
still elegantly draped with crimson and
gold, for the fcte was just over last night
the whole city having given itself up TO
what we should call "a high old time,' for
three days. The procession, which was not,
as in Baltimore, merely religious, passed
through all the principal streets, and is said
to have been very fine.
some stone building four times as large and
ten times as handsome as our Capitol at
Richmond, though, Of course, much inferior
to the Capitol at Washington. The chambers
of the Provincial Council and Assembly are
elegant, but the galleries are not half so
we'll fitted up as ours, the seats having no
backs The citadel is a large stone fort,
more remarkable for its almost impregna-
BILE situation than for anything else; tho
view from it is magnificent. Strangers are
treated, as they are everywhere in Canada,
with the greatest courtesy. A soldier was
detailed to show me all the points of inter
est, and was very polite and attentive,
though am sure he must have been tired,
as he said every man in tho garrison of l65
was on duty every other day. / noticed in
the citadel a small brass cannon, bearing
the arms of Massachusetts, and found, on
examining it, that it was captured at Bun
ker Hill. You ascend to the citadel from
the terrace below (which is itself on very
high ROCKY by nearly $50 steps, so that one
can easily see what an enterprise Montgom.
cry and Arnold undertook, when they tried
to climb the rocks on that fatal night, amid
the snow. Just above the terrace is a hand
some column, bearing on one side the name
"Wolfe," on the other "Montcam." The
front has the appropriate inscription, Nor
tenn virtus commuuem historic famam mon
umentum posteritas debit" ("Valor gave
them death, history an undivided fame,
posterity monument.
walked some distance beyond the city
limits to the Plains of Abraham, and saw
the spot where the gallant Wolfe fell, which
ia marked by handsome monument with
the inscription, "Here, on the 18th of Sep
tember, 1859, died Wolfe, victorious" The
exact place of Wolfe's landing | did not
reach, as there seemed to be much uncer-
tainty about it and we received different dl'
rections, but we passed near the land on
the steamer and I am sure recognized 1t,
for there is but one point where any sane
man would try to lead up an army, and that
is in what was evidently once u cove, now
filled in by the wash from the hills. and is
very easy of ascent It corresponds, too,
with the place pointed out by most of our
informants on land. All of your readers
are, no doubt, aware that Quebec consists OF
two towns, an upper and a lower, The lat
ter is dirty and decaying, though there are
still many good business houses there; the
former has great many elegant stores and
residences. 1t is worse than Harper's Ferry
for its hills, and the steps to climb there are
many. We are more fortunate than my
friend I'M. B. H." as every one accosted
could speak English, SO ] had no trouble IL
finding my way. The trip was delightful.
| The Montreal is splendid boat, lighted by
electricity (incandescent lights but it was
| too cold to sit outside without sr. overcoat
and needed two blankets. FIDELIs.