Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-08-11
ON THE HUDSON.

SSe luc Olu HOiDO udU q Suai LII iOi uoi
and from that delightful place we start
ed on our journey down the majestic
St. Lawrence and through the iarfamed
rapids. We must confess TO some little
disappointment in the latter. They are
100 far apart-some of them as much as
thirty miles-to keep the mind on the
stretch as we expected, but, OF the river
nothing can exceed the wonder and
beauty of that. Between Alexandria
Bay and Montreal it widens out into
two beautiful lakes named respectively
st. Francis and St. Louis, the latter just
above the La Chine Rapids, which are
the most exciting OF all to shoot. From
Cornwall onward perfection is added to
the already exquisite beauty ofths river
oy the Laurentian Mountains OF Car ada
and the Adirondacks of New York,
coming into view. Montreal, the com
mercal metropolis OF Canada, is hand.
some old city, Interesting for its early
history and for the union of the French
and English which meets you in the
names over the shop doors, and also in
the languages you hear in the streets.
One feels in many ways as if the life Of
the old world had crossed the Atlantic
and found an abiding home in French
Canada. Here at least there is no fur
ther fight between the polite nation and
ner rival neighbor, but the lilies OF
France bloom beautifully under the
ample folds OF "the flag that's braved
thousand years the battle and the
breeze" After pleasant stay and
visit to all the important places includ-
ing old Notre Dame, with its twin tow
ers rising majestically over the
city, the Chateau Ramez4y redo.
lent with the history of the past, aud
notably 20 the top Of the mountain
which forms beautiful background
for the ci Y. We took q day steamer
for Quebec, romantic old Quebec. At
Sorel where the Richelieu pours the
tributary waters of Lakes Champlain
and ST. George into the St. Lawrence,
the mighty river widens out into Lake
~. Peter. The banks Of the river on
both sides all the way down are lined
with the little farm houses 6 the 'babi-
tants,' as the French Canadian land
holders are called, and at every four
or five miles is village or town in
which the chief building is the sub
stantial stone church, often beautiful
md composing. Twilight was deepen
,nc on the river as the citadel crowned
heights Of the anoi -Dt capital ofFrench
Canada rose before our view. Nothing
even in the old world was more inspr-
inr than the vision OF the noble Qneen
of the North sitting supreme on her
rocky throne where she has held sway
under two mighty empires since her
founda ion by the great explorer
Champain in 1908. just one year after
the foundation of jamestown. The
glory of Jam stown has passed first o
Williamsburg, thence to Richmond; but
Quebec after almost three centuries OF
cnecQuere6 history seems to be renew
ing her youth. Eoough of the old re-
mains to make her perhaps the most
picturesque and romantic city in Amer
ica. A we approached we passed
first on our left Wolfe's cove, where
that noble general and his heroic sol
diers Landed on the night OF september
y. 1859, TO scale the heights successfully
and win New France forEngland; then
Slllerv Point and town where the
fierce Iroquois descended upon the
Christian Hurons in the early day and
perpetrated bloody massacre, while
on our right is the point and town OF
Lewis, opposite Quebec. Our vessel
now glided to her deck, we landed and
drove up the steep street through the
walls into the upper town, where
we we're to spend four OF the
most delightful days of our trip.
There is no disappointment about Que
bec. in fact it is one OF the four places
which Joaquin Miller says came up TO
his exne Citations, while Lord Dutferln
saws the view from the terrace which
bears his name aud the citadel above is
one of the most magnificent in the
world. While our travels have not
been as extensive as those OF the noble
| earl. we heartily agree with him and
JOAQUIN Miller too. Among the most
interesting buildings of the past are the
Roman Basilica, Laval Seminary and
University, the Oldest Roman Catholic
institution of learning in Canada,
the historic Ursuline Convent, 10
whose chapel lies the gallant Mont
calm. buried in grave followed out
bv one of Wolfe's shells, making an ap-
propriate tomb for the great but defeat
ed general To this chapel we went on
| Sunday afternoon to hear the famous
chanting of the nuns-a strange s"eel
sound coming as it did through the
grating in the wall which separates tnem NE
from the visitors in the chapel. Ihls
is the only service in the convent al
which the public is allowed and TINS Ii ls
held at . O'Clock every Sunday evening
Visitors deem themselves toTtunate
who hear of it in time to attend. An
other very interesting place was 1he
citadel. We were taken ali around oy
an English soldier who spoke tTencn
A cannon, captured by the Eoglisn 81 81
Bunker Hill. occupies conspleuou;;
place in the center of The enclosure snG
we felt Inclined TO recapture 1t snU
bring it back with US; it looks SO smai
in comparison with great nine inch'
which has lately been placed IN posi-