Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-10

the life of a great and progressive
city, there was but the primeval for
est whose only Inhabitants were wild
beasts and still fiercer human beings
stepped in idolatry, cannibalism and
Understandable Indebtedness. Instantly
there came to mind the graphic de
scription of the birth night of Montre-
al by the historian, Parkman, and the
prophetic words of the Jesuit Father,
Vimont. After the little party of less
than a half hundred had landed they
erected an altar and then knelt in
reverent silence as the Host was raised
aloft. When the rite was over, the
saying:
you are a grain of mustard seed,
that shall rise and grow till its
branches overshadow the earth. You
are few, but your work is the work OF
God. His smile is on you, and your
children shall fill the land
The prophesy has been fulfilled and
from the summit of Mount Royal we
today look down upon the great build
ings comprising the Hotel Dieu (hospi-
tall, the convent (schooD, and the
monastery (college) founded by these
same pious pioneers who devoutly be-
lieved that their enterprise was an in
spiration of God.
But time presses and as we had ar
ranged to continue our journey with
but one day in Montreal, there was no
time for further reflection on the deeds
of the past and but little for observ-
ing the wonderful accomplishments of
the present. Montreal has several ca
| thedrals which should be seen by eve
| ry visitor, one of them being built on
plans that are a fac-simile of ST. Pet
ers at Rome.
Up the saquenay River.
| From Montreal We took passage on
one of the steamers of the Richelieu
& Ontario Navigation company for
Quebec, which is $50 miles down the
st. Lawrence and just a nights ride.
The decision is reached to continue
our journey still farther down the ST.
Lawrence and up the far famed Sa-
guenay river. hence it is that We defer
our visit to Quebec, that most interest
ing city in America, until our return.
AT Quebec in the morning we simply
transfer from one boat to another of
the same line. All day long we sail
upon the placid waters of the ST. Law
renee river until before nightfall it
has become majestic stream twenty
miles wide. rhe cliffs on either shore
rise to great heights and on the north
shore the Laurentian mountains form
back ground of natural scenic gran
deur. BY evening we are at Tadousac
1874 miles below Quebec. where the
Saguenay river enters the st. Law
renee. We go to bed to awake in the
morning at Chicoutimi, seventy-five
miles up the Saguenay and the head
OF navigation on that river. The boat
makes but a brief stop here, since the
chief pleasure of the Saguenay trip is
in viewing the awe inspiring scenery
1t is daylight ride back from Chi
coutimi to Tadousac and every mo.
ment of it is filled with deepest inter
est. An adequate description of the
| scenery is impossible and | shall not
attempt it. The climax is reached in
sailing close up to the shore under the
mighty rocks composing Capes Trinity
and Eternity. Far up the cliff on the
former has been erected a mammoth
statue of the virgin. This statue,
though thirty-six feet high, appears to
the passerby on board the steamer
scarcely larger than human being.
It's wide surface is boldly outlined
against the black rock of the cliff on
which it rests and can be seen for
many miles. Here one feels the true
sublimity of the mighty works of ma
ture as never before, and the religious
mind recognizes in truth the handi-
work of God.
Tadousac.
Tadousac is reached in time for din
ner at the hotel conducted there By
the R. & o. Navigation company and
the boat stops az hours. giving ample
time to see this quaint old hamlet.
Here was the first French settlement
in North America and here was locat-
ed for many years the headquarters of
the Canadian fur trade. A prominent
writer has well said that "a desolation
of barren mountains closes round it,
! betwiXt whose ribs of rugged granite,
bristling with savins, birches and frs,
the Saguenay rolls its gloomy waters
from the northern Wilderness. Cen
turtles of civilization have not tanned
the wildness of the place and still IN
! grim repose the mountains hold their
| guard around the waveless lake that
/ glistens in their shadow and doubles
in its sulen mirror, crags, precipice
and forest"
/ Everyone, of course, visits the old
church built nearly 800 years ago,and
said to be the oldest church on Amer
lean soil. The former commercial i'm
portance of Tadousac is now but a
memory; it is today only little ham
let of a few hundred people, mostly
fishermen and their families.
Murray Say.
From Tadousac we steam across the
st. Lawrence which is here twenty
miles wide, to Riviere du Loup and
then back again, distance of so miles
to Murray Bay. Murray Bay is 50
miles nearer the sea than Quebec and