CITIES OF CANADA.

QUEBEC.

The European poet may chaunt in undying strains the spirit-stirring associations of the farfamed Calpe,

Calpe, though giant warder of the main, Time hath not 'iminished aught thy stately mien." but have not we, the free denizens of the west, our own Quebec, a source from which we, also, may evoke with magical wand, the memories of mighty deeds, and if, unhappily, in the mists which enshroud the past, are lost the early legends connected with our own Calpe,† yet have we not enough of recollections, fresh in the mind, wherewith to circle our queenly citadel. History responds and points to the spot where, in the arms of victory, Wolfe fell, and where in later days Canadians repelled Montgomery. The first authentic fact connected with Quebec is the visit paid in 1535 to Cartier by Donnacona, "the Lord of Canada," who lived at Stadaconna, which occupied that portion of Quebec that was lately desolated by fire. Cartier was at that time with his vessels in the river St. Charles, which he then named Port de Ste. Croix. To the promontory, where he found some rough diamonds, he gave the name which it bears at the present day-Cape Diamond. But little more is known of Quebec until 1608, when Champlain, a distinguished naval officer, made his second expedition to Canada, and preceded up the river as far as the Isle of Orleans. He soon fixed on the spot, already visited by Cartier, called by the natives, Que-bio, as the site of a fort, and on the 3rd of July, 1608, he laid the foundation of the present City of Quebec.

and Quebec was of course one of the most prominent and important points to be assailed. The force destined for its reduction was placed under the command of General Wolfe, and amounted to about eight thousand men. The account of its reduction is a thrice told tale, and it is needless for us here to give a history of what is doubtless familiar to all our readers, suffice it to say that Quebec fell, and with it fell also French dominion in the Canadas. One monument serves to commemorate that eventful struggle, in which both generals, the victor and the vanquished, fell. Wolfe's remains rest not, however, by the side of his chivalrous opponent, Montcalm,--England, proud of his fame, and jealous of his ashes, laid them in Greenwich, the town in which he was born. A fine monument has been also erected to his memory in Westminster Abbey.

Several attempts have been made by the French, and by the Americans, during the War of Independence, against Quebec; the last siege sustained was in 1775, when, after an unsuccessful blockade of six months General Arnold was obliged to give up the attempt in despair. It was towards the end of this siege that Montgomery, one of the American generals, was killed in a night attack. Since 1775, Quebec has remained in the undisturbed possession of the British, and has increased steadily in importance.

Our sketch is taken from Point Levi, on the opposite side of the river, from whence a fine view of the river, the fortifications, and the lower town is obtained. On the right of the engraving may be seen the Jesuit barracks and L'école des Frères Chrétiens, at the head The name of Quebec is derived, as some sup- of Gallows Hill, a substantial stone building. pose, from the expression of Cartier's Norman To the left, at the head of the Rue Fabrique, pilot, who exclaimed, at first sight of the majes- and in the Market Square, stands the Roman tic promontory, in his patois, "Que bec?" but Catholic Cathedral, an old but handsome stone it appears to us much more probably derived building, most gorgeously fitted up in the infrom the Algonquil "Que-bio," which signifies, terior. The front of the cathedral has been "what a beautiful end." The force of this signi- recently re-built of cut-stone, and in the rear fication will strike any one coming up the river is the Bishop's Palace, a very handsome buildand passing the Island of Orleans, when the ing. In Market Square is also, le Séminaire promontory on which the city is built breaks de Québec, a fine old building of venerable on the view, giving all the appearance of a appearance. The Anglican Cathedral may be termination to the river. In the year 1759, it distinguished, apparently at the head of the was determined by the British to undertake a street leading from the lower town; it is, howplan of combined operations by sea and land, ever, in reality at the corner of Anne and Garden Streets, the back of it facing the Place d'Armes; near the Cathedral is the Anglican

Does the misguided man by italicising the. mean to place Byron before Milton or Shakspeare?-P. D. †The third, if not the second fortress of the world.-P.D.

VOL. II.EE

Bishop's residence. On the extreme left is seen, in frowning grandeur, the citadel-the Gibraltar of the West. The street, which ap pears almost up and down the cliff, is Mountain Street, the connecting link between the upper and lower town, with Prescott Gate at the head of it. Close to Prescott Gate, and just within the walls, not, however, distinguishable in the plate, are the Parliament buildings, a very handsome pile of cut stone, forming three sides of a square, and commanding a very beautiful and extended view. The jail is a massive stone building, erected at a cost of about sixteen thousand pounds. It is in a healthy situation. The Court House and City Hall are plain stone edifices, well adapted to the purposes for which they were intended.

a charge almost nominal. Le Séminaire was founded by Mons. De Laval in 1663,-nearly four hundred youths are provided with a good education at a very moderate rate, and fourteen teachers are required for the various duties of the establishment.

We do not pretend, in our brief notices of the cities, to give more than an explanation of the plate, with a short sketch of the most prominent public buildings. We must, therefore,confine ourselves to remarking that here there are branches of all the banks in Canada, besides the Quebec Bank and the Quebec Savings Bank, and that the city is well supplied with hotels, of which the best are, perhaps, Payne's Swords' and the Albion. One building must not, however, be passed over— -Bilodeau's dry good store: this is the finest establishment of the kind in British North America; inside and out, it is splendidly got up, and it is quite the Howell and James of Canada.

prevails, also, in the ship-building yards, and commercial prosperity is everywhere visible.

As a place of residence, Quebec may be considered as one of the pleasantest in the province. The society is considered remarkably good, and there is no lack of healthy out-door recreation, especially during the winter, to re

The Wesleyan Church in St.Stanislaus Street, Upper Town, is a fine Gothic building, the interior is tastefully fitted up, and by many it is thought, the handsomest church in the city; That the trade of Quebec is considerable, there are two churches belonging to this per may be inferred from the tonnage of ships suasion. There are also, a Congregationalist and entering the port in the last year amounting a Baptist, besides the Free Scotch Kirk, a plain to about 520,000 tons, and the number of structure, and St. Andrews, in connexion with passengers arriving during the last five years the Church of Scotland; there is a neat cut-reaching 170,000. The greatest activity stone manse adjoining this church. The Anglicans have four, and the Roman Catholics thirteen places of worship in Quebec. Among the other public buildings which deserve to be mentioned, are the Hotel Dieu, the General Hospital, the Ursuline Convent, and the Semi nary of Quebec. The buildings of the Hotel Dieu are spacious, and the Hospital can ac-lieve the mind and cheer the jaded spirits. commodate about sixty sick. There are several fine paintings by celebrated masters in the church. This is, perhaps, the oldest institution in the city, and was founded in 1637 by the Duchesse d'Aguillon. The religious body consists of a superior and forty nuns. The General Hospital and Convent is a quadrangular pile of stone buildings, founded in 1693 by M. de St. Vallier, a bishop of Quebec. The religious body is under the care of a superior, This is the favorite place of resort in the there are about sixty nuns, and an excel-winter season, at which time the spray from lent girls school is attached to the church. the cataract, freezing as it falls, soon forms a The Ursuline Convent was founded in 1641, mountain or pyramid of ice, in front, of considand is a fine stone building with extensive erable height, and supplies the citizens with gardens. One hundred and fifty pupils can be the same sport which les Montagnes Russes accommodated in the school, which is perhaps do at St. Petersburg. The sleigh is drawn up the best in the city, and about three hundred to the top by means of steps cut in the ice, poor children receive a thorough education,at and the adventurous passenger, carefully ba

Among the notabilities in the vicinity of Quebec are the plains of Abraham, where the celebrated battle was fought which decided the fate of Canada. A monument serves to mark the spot where Wolfe fell. The Chaudière Falls, about nine miles distant, are very beautiful and romantic, and will amply repay a visit; but the Falls of Montmorenci are even still more attractive.

Peregrine Wildgoose, and as he was paying Among other queer holes, he took us to a his addresses to Miss Nancy Glover, the land-drinking shop, named a sporting parlour, kept lady's niece who took charge of the bar, he by ane Thomas Cribb, a tinkler-looking loon, was naturally thrown much into our way. He who had made his bawbees by breaking the was a gay thoughtless creature, more given to noses of kindred bullies for the amusement of larking, as he termed it, than pushing his a denomination named the Fancy. When I fortune, and might be described as one of the questioned Mir. Wildgoose touching the creed rolling stones of society, which gather but a field by this sect, he answered that they were small dividend of the moss of mammon. not peculiarly strait laced, but if anything were followers of the ancient Hittites! Be this as it may the communion embraced some of the highest names in the land, Knights, Baronets, and Pecrs being among the number. Nay, even royalty itself did not disdain to patronize the King, which was another name for the body. Peregrine whispered me to take notice of a sonsy, full-faced, good natured looking customer who was chatting familiarly with Cribb, and drinking porter from a pewter pint stoup. This personage turned out to be nobody less exalted than the Prince Regent, who afterwards came to wear the imperial crown of Great Britain!

Perigrine had early been left an orphan, and his patrimony being but smail, he had conre up from Westinoreland, his native place, to London, in search of employment, and, at the time when we fell in with him, was acting as assistant to a haberdasher. He would have been termed a counter-louper in Dreepdaily, but in England the pride fu'-bodies like to sport fine names, even ganging the length of baptizing the huxters of kail and leeks, as green grocers!

There is an auld sang which says:

"How happy the soldier who lives on his pay

And spends half-a-crown, out of sixpence a day!" The secret of this jolly red-coat, it would appear, had been communicated to our measurer of ribbons, and though his stipend did not far turn the corner of fifty pounds per annum, he lived as if it had been multiplied by ten, or maybe even a higher figure. When he slipped the cable of the shop-as skipper Howison would say he would swagger into the coffee room of our change house, as magnificent-like as the Duke of Montrose, or one of the beefcaters of the Tower-the grandest tribe I ever met with in the Babylon of bricks and draftporter! When plain-folk like the Dominie and myself were content with a tumbler of toddy or a glass of brandy and water, this Sardanapalus of a yard flourisher would look at nothing less aristocratic than a pint of wine, and I have even seen him leave the house with a quart bottle of claret below his belt.

[Nota Bene.-The Fancy has dismally faded since the time when the worthy barber honoured London with his presence. A friend who some twenty years ago visited Tom Cribb's establishment gave us the following account thereof:

"In a small dingy comfortless room, containing one open table and a couple of boxes, sat a huge dirty personage, who might, as far as appearance went, once have been possessed of thewes, but who had run all to fat. Leech who is familiar with the ex-champion, saluted him and introduced me. Then a silence ensued; then an attempt was made on my part to affect a knowledge of the science pugilistic, which elicited nothing but a grim supercilious look from the old bull-dog. While I was seeking to digest my mortification, his wife entered, affecting to look at the bell pulls, Tom did It is true that owing to his engagement with you call?' The manoeuvre was too apparent, Miss Glover, (for the question had been popped, and my companion remained silent. No sooner, and answered in the affirmative) my gentleman however, had she quitted the room than turning had not to settle his reckonings on the nail. to me, Tom proposed that we should have a Luckey Stingo, however, the hostess, aye kept drop of summat. When he sipped his beverage, a note of them, intending to present the bill I proceeded to note his den more particularly. when Wildgoose came into the possession of It was closely hung with daubs in oil colours, some great fortune which, according to his and second-rate engravings, all setting forth story, was to fall due in about a fortnight frae the heroes of the ring. But there was a dimthe time of which I am writing. His nuptialsness in the light, a desertion in the room, that with the fair Nancy were fixed for the same made everything comfortless. The whole time epoch, and her wedding braws were in due course of manufacture.

As I hinted before, Mr. Paumie and myself took an especial liking to Peregrine, and he managed to do with us just as he pleased. Every other night he would contrive some ploy or expedition, to make us acquainted with life, as he termed the ten thousand vanities of London; and verily under his pilotage we were led into strange places, the very names of which would hae made the hairs of the Dreepdaily Kirk Session to stand on end.

we remained, not a living being did we see, but our host and his spouse, and the stray guard of a coach who looked in to tell Tom he was off. Tom attempted to tell stories of his old feats, but there was no fire in them. He played a tune on a tea-spoon. Everything was dull and coarse. He reminded me of the hide of an old bull-dog, stuffed and left to gather dust in a lonely garret."]

From the howf of the Hittites we adjourned to a place the very name whereof makes me scunner and grew. Though lighted up with