CHAPTER XVI.

_Excursions around Montreal— Township of Hinchinbrooke—River Chateauguay—Kinds of Houses—Bushmen and Farmers—Squatters—Price of Land—Flag Staffs—Huntingdon—Isle Bourdeaux—Face of the Country around Montreal—Farming of old Settlers—French Canadians—Laprairie—Wheat Fly—Cheap Purchase—Chambly—Cheap Education—Mistake Roads—Horse Ferry-boat—Starving Out—Mountain—Race Course—State of Agriculture around Montreal—Montreal._

In the town of Montreal and its neighbourhood reside several old friends, by whom we were kindly welcomed, and in whose company we experienced so much pleasure, that I shall ever look back on the time spent amongst them with delight. The town was soon explored, and became the centre of several excursions to the adjoining country.

On the second day after our arrival we set out for the Township of Hinchinbrooke, travelling by stage to Lachine; from thence by steam across the St Lawrence into the river Chateauguay to the head of its navigation, twelve miles from its mouth, where we got a stage to the village of Huntingdon. We dined at a hotel kept by Mrs Love, and walked up the banks of the river to the residence of Mr ——, whom we met by the way. Next forenoon was spent in walking over the farm, and after dinner we visited Mr ——, who arrived in the country a year ago, and who was erecting a good stone house. Early next morning, Mr —— and I walked over the country, crossing the river Hinchinbrooke, passing up Oak or Mud creek, and down Trout river to the village of Huntingdon. Here we met, by appointment, a party of friends, and examined a farm which Mr —— had bought a few days before. Next day we travelled by stages and steam-boat to Montreal.

During this excursion I experienced much pleasure at finding my friends and former neighbours possessing so many more old country comforts than the backwood settlers in Upper Canada, and all enjoying good health and spirits. This is quite an East Lothian colony; four farmers who have settled here dined with us, and there are blacksmiths, tailors, &c. &c. without number in the village. The township of Hinchinbrooke is a thriving settlement, and in point of climate perhaps the best in Lower Canada.

The river Chateauguay is of small size, its banks have long been settled by French Canadians, and for twenty miles above its navigable point is almost a continued village, the mode of French settlement being to place houses on each side of a road or street, with narrow parallel portions of land attached to each, extending a mile or two back. The farms are generally free of wood, and the banks of the river, consequently, without beauty. Towards Huntingdon there are few French settlers, and above the village the banks are wooded, and some good farms are seen. Here the Chateauguay is joined by the Hinchinbrooke, Trout river, and Oak creek, the banks of all of which are settled, and abound with good situations.

The soil on the banks of the river occupied by the French is strong clay, bearing alternately wheat and thistle pastures, with occasionally a few oats, big peas, and potatoes. The houses are generally brick, and a few are of stone. Boys were seen playing at cricket.

For several miles below Huntingdon the soil is very inferior, but improves in the neighbourhood of the village. On the small streams above the village the soil embraces every description of clay, loam, and sand. This tract has been recently settled, chiefly by British emigrants, and when the forest is subdued, likely to become valuable. Corn crops do not occupy much extent of ground at present. Grass was in many situations excellent, red and white clover abounding without having been sown. In two instances I saw wheat crops which had been sown in autumn, and neither were good; if such a crop succeeds any where in Lower Canada, it must be in this district. The houses consist of wood, and are log, block, or frame, according to the wealth or taste of the owner. A log-house consists of rough logs or unbarked trees, piled above each other, dove-tailed at the corners of the walls, and the intervals betwixt the logs filled up with clay or other materials. A block-house is composed of logs squared so as to class on each other. A frame-house is sawn boards, nailed on a frame, with lath and plaster inside, and corresponds with the wood barracks in Britain. There is another description of frame-house in Upper Canada, which has slender lath on the outside, simply rough-cast with lime and gravel, like stone houses in Britain, with common lath and plaster inside. Houses have pitched roofs, covered with thin pieces of wood, called shingles, resembling and answering the purposes of slate. A shanty differs from a log-house only in wanting a pitch roof, and having bark or hollow trees in place of shingles.

During this excursion, the cause of bushmen or pioneers moving from first settlements to more remote parts of the forest, became obvious. The destruction of forest, and management of cleared land, are evidently different departments, the latter requiring more capital, and a higher degree of knowledge than pioneers generally possess; and in Canadian farming, the wood-chopper and husbandmen stand to each other in relation of mason and joiner in British house-building, the one forming a rude outline, which the other polishes, and may be instanced as illustrative of the advantages of a division of labour. In several instances I saw families of first settlers possessing a considerable extent of excellent cleared land, without the knowledge or means of rendering it productive, and they certainly would benefit themselves by disposing of their properties, and adopting another mode of life. Living almost in idleness, they cultivated, in the most negligent manner, only so much wheat and potatoes as was judged sufficient for home consumption, relying on the hay crop for procuring what necessaries they did not themselves produce, and appeared so encrusted with sloth, that they were likely only to fire a gun with the view of obtaining food, and to cut down a tree for the purpose of cooking it.

Amongst the numerous calls I made, was one on Trout river, at the house of a Yankee squatter, who was from home. Mrs C—— was also a Yankee, a good-looking buxom dame, with two or three young children, and a help of small size. She spurned the idea of assisting her husband to cut down his wheat crop, but said she would join him in eating it—never worked in the fields herself, and her girls should not; men must work for her girls, she did not think females were made for working. In all probability she was the daughter of a wood-chopper.

Lands in the district of Hinchinbrooke are held by English tenure, and sell moderately. A friend bought 200 acres last year, with a log and frame-house, for L.270 currency. This year another bought 300 acres, with 90 cleared, for L.327 currency. The inhabitants did not appear so much addicted to ardent spirits as those of some parts in Upper Canada.

In passing up the Chateauguay, many flag-staffs or poles were observed, which owe their origin to an old law, requiring captains of militia so to distinguish their residences. My friend Mr ——, residing near the frontier line, was appointed captain of militia some years ago, and erected a pole in front of his house. In the States similar poles are used for hotel sign-posts. The Yankees not being aware of this old custom, used to call at my friend’s and ask for brandy, &c. He was much annoyed by such visitors, and while deliberating one day on the mode of restraining them, a spruce fellow walked into his parlour, and asked to be shaved. The pole was instantly stretched on the ground.

The village of Huntingdon consists of 30 or 40 wood houses, with grist and saw mills; paper, and hat manufactory, and a post office. There is a school, and a church was soon to be erected.

On 2d August, Mr —— and I, in his gig, friend D——, with a driver and hired calash, left Montreal, passing down the banks of the river, by Long Point to Isle Bourdeaux, situated at the confluence of the St Lawrence with the north channel of the Ottawa, which forms the Island of Montreal. Isle Bourdeaux was understood to be for sale, and is one of the most celebrated spots for situation and soil in the Lower Province. Here a place was pointed out from which clay had been dug, and burned for manure some years ago, and which failed, as in other parts of the world.

After dinner, we crossed by the ferry to the opposite side of the Ottawa, passing up the banks of the stream by Terre Bonne, and reached St Therese in the morning. Early next day, we examined a property for sale, and after breakfast proceeded in a northern direction twelve or fourteen miles, and returned to St Therese. Here we changed our horses for those brought with us the day before; and after crossing a branch of the Ottawa by Porteous’ Bridge to the Isle of Jesus, and over a second branch of that river to the Island of Montreal, we reached our destination by six in the evening, having encountered several thunder-storms in the course of the journey.

The face of the country on the banks of the Ottawa, in the neighbourhood of Terre Bonne, St Therese, and from thence by St Rose and St Martin’s, to Montreal, is truly beautiful, and the softness of the scenery is in many places heightened by the small wooded islets, encompassed by the smooth gliding branches of the Ottawa. The scenery increases in interest on approaching the mountain over which the road passes by a kind of glen, clothed with fruit and other trees. From the brow of the hill passing to the south, the majestic St Lawrence, flowing in broad expanse down Lachine rapids, bursts on the view, and the declivity of the mountain, adorned with villas, and the city of Montreal lying at the foot, with shining tin-roofed houses, giving it the appearance of a distant camp, form a scene seldom equalled in America or any other part of the world. The general aspect of the country from St Therese to Montreal, closely resembles that of some of the finest parts of England.

The soil from Montreal to St Therese, a distance of nearly forty miles, by the banks of the St Lawrence and Ottawa, is strong clay, and I do not recollect of having travelled over the like extent of continuous good wheat soil in any part of the world; but the management which it was under is wretched in the extreme, although the crops in many parts were good. Pasture and spring sown wheat succeed each other, year after year, almost unaided by manures, with one ploughing previous to wheat sowing. Clover seeds are never sown, yet cow grass and white clover everywhere abound, and often attain the utmost luxuriance. Heaps of manure were seen dissolving into earth on the way sides. Manure is, occasionally, deposited thickly in heaps on pastures in the early part of summer, where it remains to be spread by the cattle and pigs. When manure is applied to the potato crop, which is very limited in extent, it is spread on the surface after the crop is above ground. Cattle and sheep are small, lean, miserable looking creatures, and their pastures as bare as possible. Fully one-third of the sheep are black coloured, the wool of which is useful in forming the grey cloth which almost the whole French population wear, and saves the expense and trouble of dyeing. Neither sheep nor cattle resemble any of the breeds I am acquainted with, and in all probability both are descended from those of France. The horses are small, and coarse-looking—mere ponies, though said to be active and hardy. The fences are invariably post and rail. Wild oats were particularly numerous in all crops.

The French Canadians, of the ordinary classes, almost invariably live in block-houses, with large windows, and seem ill constructed, externally and internally, for economizing heat, which the nature of the climate, and scarcity of fuel, render so desirable. They have a clean appearance, being often white-washed with lime, and the window-boards and roofs are occasionally painted of different colours, and seldom harmonize with the house. A tree or shrub is never found in their gardens, and an orchard, except in the neighbourhood of the mountain, is almost unknown.

The wealthier French Canadians are ambitious of having stone-houses, which are very awkward erections, and so ill built, that my friend D—— said the work looked as if it had been done by ploughmen between yokings.

The inhabitants are rather under-sized, broad-shouldered, and athletic-looking men, with swarthy complexions. They generally bowed to us in passing, and the boys invariably did so. The little creatures had a most grotesque appearance, decked in very broad-brimmed straw hats, and a flowing shirt being their only covering.

Contemplating a tour into what are called the Eastern Townships, and which have since become the scene of operations of a new land company, I was obligingly furnished with instructions and letters by Mr R. A——, who had passed through them a few weeks before, and on whose attentions I had not the slightest claim. We arranged to leave Montreal by the mail stage, on the afternoon of the 5th; but receiving a call from Mr ——, whom I had met with in Scotland, and who once farmed in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, it was agreed that we should accompany him to his residence on the opposite side of the St Lawrence, and be driven in his waggon a considerable part of our route, next morning. Accordingly, we crossed to Laprairie in a steamer, at ten A.M., and proceeded on the road to St Philip’s three or four miles, till we reached Mr ——’s residence.

Laprairie is a small mean-looking village, inhabited almost entirely by French Canadians, and deriving its chief importance from being the entrance and depôt of farm produce from the States to Montreal, and from its inhabitants enjoying the privilege of an extensive grazing common, which was part of the Jesuits’ confiscated property.

This part of the country differs from any we had yet visited inhabited by French Canadians, having many single trees interspersed over the surface, and a few on creek banks. The soil is invariably clay of the strongest texture, in bad condition, and stands much in want of draining.

In this neighbourhood I observed wheat ears exhibiting ravages of wheat-fly, and on examination found many capsules filled with shrivelled grains, or altogether empty. The maggots having left the ears and descended to the earth, I was unable to determine whether this insect is identical with the wheat-fly of Britain; but the collapsed state of the chaff presented the same appearance as the crop in East-Lothian when injured by fly, while spider-webs on the ears contained fragments of flies resembling ichneumons. I was told the French inhabitants around St Philip held meetings and processions a few days previous, for staying the plague of worms in wheat ears, and I have no doubt they were delighted with the apparent success of their measures; knowledge of the habits of the insect would, however, have taught them the futility of their attempts at so late a period of the season. The same insect caused extensive injury in 1825.

After dinner, we walked with Mr ——, to call on his neighbour ——, who once farmed in my native district, and whom we found engaged in hay-making. He had lately bought a farm, subject to an annuity on the lives of an old French Canadian and his wife. He was in good spirits, and had lost none of the rotundity of form carried from Scotland.

Feeling a desire to examine a bull-frog, a reptile which abounds in a pond in front of Mr ——’s house, I found them large, of a dirty green colour, with a remarkably large mouth, and in formation similar to the frog of Britain.

Mr ——’s farm is not of great extent, and, considering the excellency of his dwelling-house, was a cheap purchase. In an enclosure in front of the house, grew some hickory-trees, the nuts of which are held in esteem by the population. The first year of his purchase, these trees bore a great crop, while there was a failure of this nut generally; and he told me the value of his nuts actually amounted to the interest of the whole price of the estate.

Next morning, Mr ——, Miss ——, my friend and I, set out at five o’clock, in a four-wheeled waggon, drawn by a strong little Canadian horse, and arrived at Chambly in the midst of a thunderstorm and rain, which detained us during the day, by rendering the roads impassable. The soil in this part of the country is clay, of the most adhesive texture, and the roads being without stone, the clay became so waxy after the rain, as to remind me of bird-lime. Our horse would have had difficulty in pulling the empty waggon along the road, and I found walking on foot a very slow and arduous mode of proceeding.

The rain having abated, we walked out, after dinner, to view the village of Chambly, which is situated on the river Richlieu, in a fine bay or basin, three miles wide, and at the head of the navigation. At present there is a canal forming, to connect the waters of Lake Champlain with Chambly basin, and which is expected to be completed in course of next year. The village contains several churches and mills, and is celebrated for seminaries of education. Here young ladies are taught the French and English languages grammatically, arithmetic, writing, and drawing, for $5 a-month, or about 21s. sterling, finding themselves with books, bed-clothes, and washing. Gentlemen are educated for L.20 a-year, including all branches of education, board, and washing. Some excellent stone barracks are in the village, which is reckoned an important post in approaching Quebec from the States. They were unoccupied, and in good order. The river above the village forms a continued rapid for a mile or two, and affords ample power for propelling machinery.

The state of the weather and roads induced me to abandon the plan of visiting the Eastern Townships, and we agreed to pass down the banks of the Richlieu to Sorrel. We obtained a cart, in which a seat was placed for my friend D—— and me; and we set out, driven by a boy who was said to know the road well, followed by Mr —— and Miss —— in the waggon we all four occupied the previous day. A more wretched equipment than the one furnished us seldom appeared. A ragged boy drove a small lean Canadian mare, which hopped on three legs; and the ill fitting wheels of our crazy cart besmeared us with mud, and creaked so loud, that we could scarcely hear each other speak, while almost every passenger cracked a joke on our musical vehicle. After jogging on for more than an hour, it was discovered we were on the road leading to Montreal, instead of that to Sorrel. A council was held—we determined to continue the route, and Mr —— and Miss —— returned. We soon reached Longueil, and crossed the St Lawrence in an awkward-looking ferry-boat, propelled by horses. This horse-power differed from that we had seen used in the States for similar purposes, by the horses walking round a circle instead of remaining stationary. The machinery of the boat was fitted up for twenty-two, although only fourteen horses were attached, and the poor animals were unmercifully goaded by two ruffian drivers. On landing on the opposite side of the river, we walked to Montreal in time for dinner.

The soil, from Lapraire to Chambly, and around the village, is strong clay, varying considerably in quality, and uniformly ill managed. Parts of the canal channel, forming near Chambly, showed no change of soil at the depth of ten feet. The soil also from Chambly to Longueil was clay, and part of the country was flooded by the rain of the previous day. The whole surface bore evidence of want of draining, and how essential knowledge is to improved agriculture. In many instances, soil of the best quality did not yield more than two seeds of wheat, while the crops were intermingled with truly luxuriant indigenous tares, thistles, and white clover. I had often heard of the French Canadians clinging to their farms until starved from them—that is, till the soil did not yield them food to subsist on, and I had here evidence of the process and result of such an agricultural system. The ravages of the wheat-fly were everywhere evident.

The appearance of the population, houses, and gardens, resembled that of Terre Bonne, excepting that the floors of many dwelling-houses were raised two or three feet above the ground, the result, doubtless, of the wetness of their situation.

After dining at Montreal, we visited the nursery grounds of Mr C——, which were by far the cleanest and most productive of any we saw in America, on our way to the mountain. The mountain is about 700 feet high, situated at a short distance from the town, and one of its chief ornaments. From its summit is seen an immense extent of diversified country, together with the waters of the St Lawrence and Ottawa flowing in their various channels—those of the latter, by dividing, form the islands of Montreal and Jesus. The mountain is altogether destitute of public walks or carriage drives, although admirably adapted for both, being covered with trees, and affording some truly interesting views, which change at every step.

Next morning, in company with our kind and attentive friend, ——, Mr D—— and I rode in a gig round the country lying to the north and west of the mountain, calling on different individuals, and examining several farms for sale. During our drive, we visited the race-course at St Pierre, where we saw three horses belonging to Mr —— get a gallop. One was particularly small, and none of them seemed to possess racing merit. On leaving the race-course, we drove to Lachine rapids, and returned by the river side to Montreal, much gratified with our excursion.

A young thriving hedge of English thorn was observed at a village on the north side of the mountain. Bushvetch, _vicia caraca_, and yellow clover, were growing plentifully, and I also met with the latter at Chambly. Mildew was seen on wheat where the crop was strong, and the ravages of the fly generally traced, though they did not exist to the same extent as on the south side of the St Lawrence.

The soil of the island of Montreal, about seventy miles in circumference, is variable, including gravel, clay, sand, and peat; the two former preponderating, and a great part of all requires draining. Limestone is abundant, and on one farm I found marl, which we tested with vinegar. The land is held by French tenure, and divided, in the French manner, into long narrow portions of from 70 to 220 acres. The agriculture cannot be said to have been reduced to system, if we except the alternation of wheat and thistle pasture, already noticed. A better state of things is, however, about to dawn—several British farmers having commenced operations near the town of Montreal, and are draining, liming, and manuring freehold as well as leasehold properties. At present, the most lucrative department of farming is raising vegetables for the market, and from the cheapness of manure, the limited extent of free dry soil, the skill requisite for producing market stuffs, and the prospect of increasing population, this description of husbandry is likely to continue profitable for a great length of time. Manure during part of the year is obtained without price, and it rarely exceeds sixpence a cart-load. Vegetables are extravagantly dear at all times. My friend, Mr ——, while I was with him, sold a considerable extent of potatoes at L.35 per acre.

Hay fetches a high price at Montreal, more especially that of timothy grass for horses. Clover hay is only bought for the use of cows. Two Scotch farmers, in the neighbourhood of Montreal, sow from two to three lbs. of red clover seed to an acre; and I doubt if it is economical to do so when hay is grown for sale, as clover is more than one penny a-stone cheaper than timothy hay. A milch-cow can be grazed during the season for $1, and near Montreal, for $2, or 8s. 6d. sterling for a season.

The price of land on the island is from L.10 to L.20 per acre, according to quality, situation, and buildings. Labour is moderate, in the American sense of the word. Mr D—— had let the cutting of his barley crop, which was good, and the work well executed (to both of which I testify) to French Canadians, at 7s. 6d. sterling per acre, without food, or any etcetera. Mr ——, near Laprairie, paid a stout active East Lothian ploughman by the year, L.15 Halifax money, 6½ Lothian bolls of oatmeal, 3 bolls potatoes, 2 bushels peas, and a month’s meat in harvest, a cow’s keep, a house and garden, with 10 cords of firewood. A second servant got the same wages in kind, with L.12 in money. Mr ——, also, near Laprairie, paid his servant $8 per month, and his second, $7—both found, or L.20 sterling a-year, with bed and board.

The city of Montreal is situated on an island of the same name, on the north bank of the St Lawrence, and at the head of the ship navigation of the river. The houses consist chiefly of stone, and are disposed in narrow streets. The principal building is the Catholic church, a capacious building, not quite finished on the original plan for want of funds, and said to be capable of holding nearly 10,000 souls. The population amounts to about 30,000 souls, and the trade is most extensive. While Upper Canada, and the western part of the Lower Province, continue to prosper, limits cannot be set to the increase of Montreal, which is at present the most important place of trade in the British American possessions. Should manufactures ever flourish in Lower Canada, Lachine rapids could supply Montreal with an unlimited water-power.