THE ATTRACTIONS OF QUEBEC.

23

insured to the inhabitants a certain amount of gaiety; and they have ever shown themselves ready to follow a lead so much in accordance with their own inclinations. It is, however, to be observed that, from the comparatively remote position of Quebec, and its hitherto great difficulty of access, society there has been thrown very much upon its own resources, and is consequently very independent on the score of amusement. As it is, moreover, composed of families which have been long resident in the place, there is an absence of that restraint and conventionality which is necessary in towns more exposed to the inroads of new-comers. And certainly there are in Quebec the strongest possible temptations to be sociable. In addition to the facilities of intercourse afforded by the intimate relations in which people live, and which render evening parties more particularly agreeable, there are all sorts of romantic spots in the immediate neighbourhood, only waiting to be visited under romantic circumstances; and nothing can be more delightful than the reunion of the sentimental and the picturesque which these expeditions involve.

It is, indeed, vulgarly supposed that, in order to appreciate nature in a correct and orthodox way, one ought to be alone with it, perched on some dizzy cliff, like Napoleon at St Helena, wrapt in meditation and a military cloak. But as for enjoying the works of creation at a pic-nic, the idea is scouted as preposterous and Cockney, particularly by those

24

THE PHILOSOPHY OF PIC-NICS.

who have never seen really fine scenery at all. For my own part, I have been as much overwhelmed with the wonders of Niagara, sitting on the grass at the edge of the Falls with a large and merry party, eating turkey and drinking champagne, as impressed with the majesty of the highest mountain in the world, as viewed from the summit of a snow-clad peak in the Himalayas, and with a ragged peasant, with whom communication was impossible, for my only companion. If the scenery be of the highest order, it will assert its influence under any circumstances; and those who require solitude in order to render them sensible of the emotions it is calculated to inspire, cannot really possess a keen susceptibility. If the scenery be second-rate, a great deal depends, no doubt, upon the temper of one's mind as affected by external circumstances. A thorough good-humour is an essential requisite to the enjoyment of a pretty view; and I pity those, therefore, who think that a fine day, a well-stored hamper, and pleasant company, spoil it. The Quebec world would not intrude upon their solitude.

Let him, then, that is not influenced by any such prejudices, adopt, in the true spirit of a traveller, the custom of the country he is in, and he must have been fortunate if, in the course of his wanderings, he ever met with one to which it was more easy at once to conform, than to the method of going to pic-nics in Quebec. If it be summer or

THE WAY TO GO TO THEM.

25

autumn, he must provide himself with a light waggon, the seat of which will accommodate two persons comfortably, and is placed upon a body shaped like an oblong tea-tray, which in its turn is supported by four very high wheels, so constructed as to insure an upset to those who are not experienced in the art of turning a vehicle the front wheels of which will not pass under the body. Under these circumstances, it is only prudent for the stranger to have somebody with him to give advice in cases of emergency, and he is, therefore, doubtless out of compassion for his ignorance, provided with a fair companion capable of giving the necessary instruction, as well as of directing his attention to objects of interest on the It will be his own fault, of course, if he way. profits so much by his lessons as ever to be able to drive to a pic-nic by himself, and has not to the last day some point of view still to be made acquainted with.

Thus provided, his will form one of a train of waggons containing couples similarly engaged; and in their company he will drive through a charming country, past long straggling villages composed of neat white cottages, and boasting substantial churches, with tincovered spires, and containing a population of simple French habitans, whose whole appearance and costume will transport him in imagination to a rural district in that country from which their ancestors sprung ; for the descendants of the Norman émigrés have

26

THE USE OF A COMPANION.

retained their primitive manners and feelings to an extent which in this unnaturally progressive country is refreshing to the stranger to behold, however unprofitable it may be to themselves. They look happy and contented enough, however, as they gaze on the cortège of waggons which follows the banks of the mighty St Lawrence until it reaches the lofty falls of Montmorency or the Chandière; or, turning into the interior, through the Indian village of Lorette, and over its romantic bridge, winds up glens and through variegated maple-woods, until the contents are safely deposited upon the grassy shores of Lake St Charles.

But a winter pic-nic is a far more interesting proceeding than a summer one. If it is difficult to turn a waggon, it is infinitely more so to turn a sleigh, and there is therefore proportionately greater need of the same sort of assistance. There are some novices, indeed, so ambitious as to begin at once with a tandem; but this is a sign of the greatest inexperience, as, perched upon a high tandem-box, it is impossible to reap benefit from advice, when all you can see of the person who gives it is the top of her bonnet, and all you can hear of her voice is a gentle murmuring stifled under a mountain of furs. Such imprudence will probably meet with the consequences it deserves; but a low single-horse sleigh is a safe and delightful conveyance. And I have been assured that to return from a pic-nic in one of

SLEIGHING BY MOONLIGHT.

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these upon a clear frosty night, protected from the sharp still air by soft luxurious furs, with a moon so mischievous and brilliant, and innumerable stars, "pinnacled dim in the intense inane," to light up the sparkling snow; to glide over the glassy roads, waking up the sleeping echoes with harmonious sleighbells; to accompany their music with still softer tones to one who can sympathise in the emotions evoked by such gentle influences, is to experience, in a novel and irresistible form, sensations which are always delightful.

But the act of going to or coming from a pic-nic does not constitute its only enjoyment. There is a great deal to be done in the interval. Romantic

people tramp off through the snow to see how their favourite summer-haunts look, clothed in the icy garb of winter; unromantic people fly down precipices in traboggins; hungry people adjourn to the house of a habitant, where they find a large scrupulously clean room, with a warm stove, and a table covered with the luxuries they have brought with them. Finally, everybody dances quadrilles to the tunes of Canadian boat-songs, played with great fervour by the village fiddler.

For the benefit of the uninitiated, I must endeavour to explain the accomplishment of traboggining, which can scarcely be acquired in less than two picnics. It is simply the descent of a Montagne Canadienne instead of a Montagne Russe. A traboggin