Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-07-10
AMERICAN LETTERS.


by steamboat. By this time our horses
had got used to almost all kinds of travel
ing. Both of them are bright and intel
ligent travellers. They turned their necks
in all directions and saw equally what
was on the boat, the river and the shore.
Our destination was village on the
other side marked by church with
double spre. To reach this we doubled
an island, large enough in extent for a
town, and where many hundreds of ami
mails were grazing. The boat drew along
side of quite lively dock. Carriages
were driving by, and little above dozen
small boats, some of them rowed by girls,
sported on the water.
The next place on our programme was
Toilette. This we reached by another
sandy road of some 20 miles, crossing on
the way several bridges. Generally in
Canada toll is charged on the bridges,
though not on the roads, owners of the
land alongside being obliged to keep the
roads in repair, but the bridges are built
by private funds as an investment.
Jolietteis another quite sizeable French
town with good stores and hotels, and
pretty residences. Here we stayed over
night and the next day drove to LAS
somption, perhaps % miles further and IS
miles from Montreal.
The second rain of our trip began just
as we reached L'Assomption, the other
at ST. Adams. Weather nearly all the
time had been cool and clear, only one
broken day. Between toilette and LAS
somption the farming country is again
good, and entirely settled by French.
Since before reaching Sorel we had seen
in the distance to the west a long line of
hills that look and are called the Blue
Hills. We had now approached within
perhaps dozen miles of these. They
border, as we understand, the settled
French country, and from them and the
vast country beyond, extending to the
north to the Saguenay and further, and
west indefinitely as far as trees grow, is
the great lumber region of Canada.
These hills are probably nowhere more
than about 800 feet in height, but good
sized rivers come from them to the St.
Lawrence, which are used to float the
logs. The logs that we saw coming down
the Assumption river were all spruce.
LAssomption is much smaller place
than Joliette.' 1t is, however, situated
on navigable stream and in summer a
small steamer runs daily each way be-
tween it and Montreal. We found the
hotel very good, with, as usual in these
French hotels. neat pallor with quite
good piano Thursday, the 18th day of
the trip, brought us to Montreal, the
largest city in the British Provinces, the
pride of French civilization in America
and one of the finest cities on earth, des-
tined TO be, when Canada and the States
are united, one of the largest.
1t is true that st. Louis, settled and
named by the French, is larger, but the
growth of st. Louis is mainly American,
whilst that of Montreal is French. New
Orleans is another city of French origin,
so also is Detroit. In New Orleans a
large part of the population still talk
French, but the two cities of the CONT
nent which remain distinctively French
are Montreal and Quebec. The French
settlement in America was one of the
wonderful things in history, extending as
it did along the st. Lawrence. through
the great lakes and down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.
In going from L'Assomption to Mon.
treal. after a few miles we cross the St
Lawrence to the island on which Mon
treal stands. This crossing is made ly
ferry boat propelled by horse power. II
is at the junction of the LAssomptior
river with the St. Lawrence. We passed
through one quite pretty village before
reaching the ferry. After crossing there
is macadamized road that runs to Mon
treal. 1t is well lined with houses, beside.
passing through several villages. Or
every side one sees the st. Lawrence, anC
Bel9i mountain is again in view.
Friday at noon we left Montreal by
steamboat to LaPrairie, nine miles, where
we had dinner at French inn, then drove
on over rough road some - miles IL
st. John, another typical French town Of
considerable size. Continuing by tn,
same partly macadamized road we came
in about II miles to another small French
town, and six miles beyond this settle
ment with mills on small stream tha
runs to Missisquoi bay. Here, at an
other small French inn, we passed the
night. Below Montreal but few speal
the English language, but at Montrea
many of those in trade who are Frencl
have learned it. The same is true at La
Prairie and st. John. In Montreal there
must be a large English-speaking popu
lation, but very few at LaPrairie or st
John. So the country seemed entirely
settled by French until we reached thes,
mills i'm MissisnuOi county and indeef