QUEBEC. [the company go into the open air in the middle People are less liable to suffer from cold in Canada than they are in England, notwithstanding the greater severity of the weather. Many reasons are assigned for this fact. The Canadians take care not to expose themselves to the external air without being warmly clothed; particular attention is paid to keeping the feet, the hands, and the head warm. The air is extremely dry in winter, being deprived of its moisture by congelation; the intense frost causes naturally a deposition of the aqueous particles, in the shape of hoar frost. Now, it has been accurately ascertained and proved by experiments, that cold dry air is not so good a conductor of heat from our bodies as cold moist air; it follows, therefore, that the thermometer may shew a very low temperature in cold dry air, such as we have here, without our being sensible of a great degree of cold; and, that in cold moist air, such as you have in England, the thermometer may not be under the freezing point, and yet the quantity of caloric or heat carried off from your body, be greater than if the thermometer shewed a temperature many degrees below freezing. Were the effect of the cold here on one's feelings, to increase in proportion as the thermometer falls, and go as far beyond what it is in England, as the real quantum of caloric in the atmosphere is more there than here, it would be impossible to exist in this country; but the evil carries its cure along with it, the frost deprives the air of its moisture, and consequently decreases its power of carrying off from our body the heat it contains. If we wish to know how the weather is to affect us, we should consult a hygrometer as well as a ther mometer. When the cold dry air of this country enters your apartment, and is warmed by the heat of the stove, its drying power becomes very great. To be convinced that this is the case, it is only necessary to observe how much the furniture of the house suffers from it. The very pannels of the doors shrink so much as almost to fall out of the frame, and the frame itself shrinks to such a degree that the bolt loses its hold. An Englishman can with difficulty form an idea of the cold of Canada, or of its effects, till he feels and sees them. The coldest weather is generally during the month of January. The medium temperature in December and January beginning of December all the small rivers are is about 22 degrees below freezing. About the frozen so completely, and covered with snow, cessary, and very little attention is paid to keepthat bridges for passing them are no longer ne ing in the summer roads. Where they are hollow, or where there are fences, the roads are so completely filled up with snow, that they are on a level with the fields on each side. roads on the snow, direct their carioles by the The country people, who first form the winter and they go in as straight a line as possible, to nearest course where the snow is most level; up branches of trees on each side the new track, the place to which they are destined. They put These they call des balises, or beacons. When as a direction to others who wish to go that way. they can conveniently follow the course or bed face is evener than over the fields, and there is of a river, it is generally done, because the surless on them, as they do not freeze till after a fields. considerable quantity of snow has fallen on the Even the great river St. Lawrence is arrested in its course. occasionally as a road to Montreal. It seldom It freezes completely over a few leagues above Quebec, and serves bason. As the river narrows here, the current freezes over, opposite to Quebec, or in the is increased, and the tide sets up and down with such force, that it generally keeps the floating masses of ice in motion. When the river freezes guage of the country, a pont, because it answers over opposite to Quebec, it is called, in the lanthe purpose of a bridge to the people who live below Quebec, and who then bring up provisions and fire-wood in great quantities. . form a pont: when many very large masses of A variety of circumstances must combine to ice happen to come in contact, and fill the whole other, they become stationary. If this happens space between one side of the river and the at neap tides, and in calm weather, the frost fixes the whole, and it becomes a solid mass before the rising tides derange it; when it has stood a few days, it generally acquires strength enough to resist every impulse it may receive, till the warmth of the April sun affects it. All these, circumstances so seldom happen at the same time that it is about once in 10 years that the river is the case, you see, for the distance of eight takes opposite to Quebec. When such, however, miles, an immense sheet of ice, as smooth as a] mirror. Thousands of people crowd upon it every day, and booths are erected for their entertainment. In one quarter, you see numbers of people enjoying the amusement of skaiting; in another, you see carioles driving in different directions; for the ice is so strong, that horses go on it with the greatest safety. Sometimes you see cariole races: they go over the ice with great swiftness. In short, when the pont takes (as they term it), it occasions a kind of jubilee in Quebec. In one point of view, it is a subject of real rejoicing to the city; it is accompanied with substantial advantages. Provisions of all kinds, and firewood, a no less necessary article in this country, fall in price, from an increase in quantity, as soon as the pont enables the people in the country, below Quebec, to bring their surplus stock to market, in their carioles, without the expense and risk of passing the river in canoes. These canoes are not such as are used in the n. w. trade. They are one solid piece of wood, the trunk of a large tree scooped out, and formed in the outside something like a boat; some of them are very large, carrying easily 15 or 20 people. The passing of the St. Lawrence in canoes, in the middle of winter, is a very extraordinary operation. The time of high water is chosen, when the large masses of ice are almost stationary. The canoe is launched into the water, where there is an opening: the people are provided with ropes, boat-hooks, and paddles. When they come to a sheet of ice, they jump out of the canoe upon it; draw the canoe up after them; push it to the other side of the sheet of ice; launch it into the water; paddle till they come to another sheet of ice; again haul up the canoe, cross the ice, and again launch and so on till they reach the other side. You see 20 to 30 canoes crossing in this way at the same time; and you cannot help trembling for them, when you see two immense masses of ice coming together, and they between, apparently in the greatest danger of being crushed to pieces; but the people extricate themselves with great dexterity. Custom has taught them to avoid the danger which seems to threaten them with destruction: they dexterously jump upon the first piece of ice with which they come in contact, and haul the canoe after them. 8. Travelling in that season.-In travelling in Canada during the winter, you must wrap yourself up in various vestments. In addition to the usual number of coats and waistcoats, it is neces sary to have a very large double cloak, a large fur cap, and fur tippet; and, what will add greatly to your comfort and defence against the cold wind, a very large muff, in which you will be often obliged to bury your face when the wind blows keen; for you will recollect, that as the cariole is an open carriage, it affords no defence from the cold. With all the clothing and coverings you can put on, still you can with difficulty keep yourself warm. When a journey of any extent is to be made, a cariole must be used: but if you wish to deviate from the public beaten track, or to go into the woods, or cross fields, either from necessity or for amusement, you must use what are called snow-shoes. They are made of a kind of network, fixed on a frame, shaped like a boy's paper kite; they are about two feet long, and 18 inches broad, and therefore take in so much of the surface of the snow, that you sink but a very few inches. The military, in Canada, are all provided with snow shoes, and are marched out on them, that it may be no novelty in case of their taking the field in winter. For the same reason they are sometimes encamped amongst the snow. You can take a great deal of exercise in winter, without being fatigued, and can walk with ease and agility under a load of waistcoats and coats, under which you would sink in summer. The winter travelling in Canada is sometimes very expeditious. It is surprising with what speed a good Canadian horse will travel, drawing a cariole over the ice. There have been instances of a single horse having drawn a cariole, with two people in it, no less than 90 miles in 12 hours; which is more than the English mail-coach rate, with all their changes. When this happens, the roads must be very smooth and hard, which is generally the case when a severe frost has succeeded a thaw. The Canadian horse is a remarkably hardy animal: his best pace is a trot. He is accus tomed to a great deal of bad usage and hard work, and he is the most willing creature in the world (as the jockeys term it), for he never refuses the draught. You will see them brought from the country into Quebec, in the coldest weather, and left standing in the open air without covering, for hours together, while their owners are transacting their business, or drinking in a public-house; and they seem not to be the worse for it. In the winter time the Canadian horse, like all the other quadrupeds of the country, acquires an increased quantity of fur] [to protect him from the cold; and the Canadians never use the currying comb. The great difference, in point of beauty, between the winter and summer scenery is most striking. Instead of the fine variety, which, in summer, presented itself, in tracing the course of the river, the gaiety, the liveliness of the moving waters, and passing vessels-the fine tints of the forest, and of the corn-field-the labourer employed in the business of the farm— every surrounding object reflected from the surface of the river; nothing now is to be seen but one continued solid plain-one indiscriminate field of snow;-no rivers-no waters-no ships --not an animal in view, man nor beast, except now and then a muffled-up traveller, hurrying along, as if anxious to get to a place of shelter. Which way soever you direct your attention, nothing presents itself to your observation but ice and snow; so that you may suppose there can be very little variety in a winter journey. After the first day, your curiosity is perfectly satisfied. The country people pass their time in winter very idly. Their only care seems to be to keep themselves warm; and their principal occupation is cutting and bringing home firewood. They make a journey to Quebec or Montreal occasionally, to dispose of any surplus provisions they may have, and procure some of the comforts of life; such as replenishing their rum bottle, and renewing their stock of snuff, pipes, and tobacco. Those who live on the banks of the St. Lawrence, where the tide ebbs and flows, Occupy themselves occasionally in fishing, or catching a species of fish, which come up the river in the winter time in great abundance, and form a seasonable supply for those who will take the trouble to attend to it. These fish are from four to nine inches long, and resemble a cod in every respect, except size. The Canadians call them petite morue, the English call them Tommy cod. Some people think that it is a different fish from the cod, since they are found full of spawn; which, it is alleged, could not be the case with cod at so early an age, and so small a size. It is not, we believe, ascertained at what age or size the codfish begins to propagate; and we have yet to learn why this may not take place when the fish is six inches long, as well as when it is a foot, or two or three feet, long. If size were the criterion, is it not as extraordinary that a fish, which grows to the length of three or four feet, should propagate when at the length of one foot, as that it should do so at the length of six inches. The manner of catching these fish is to cut holes in the ice, and put down either nets or lines. Between Quebec and Three Rivers immense quantities are taken. They are easily preserved without salt; the frost answers the pur pose; and you may see them piled upon the ice in large quantities, all frozen. It is a remarkable thing, that the Canadian horses eat them. One can scarcely help smiling at the idea of a horse eating fish, but such, we are assured by travellers, is indisputably the fact. Great quantities of these fish are caught at Quebec, with lines. The manner of doing so is odd enough: a hole is dug in the ice, and a temporary house is built over it, large enough to hold half a dozen people, and a stove to keep them warm. Those who cannot afford to purchase deals to make a house, substitute large pieces of ice, with which they form a kind of defence from the weather. The middle of the night is the best time for fishing. They place a strong light near the hole, which attracts the attention of the fish, and brings them round the hole in large quantities; so that they are caught as fast as they can be pulled in. These houses are erected on the river St. Charles, in great numbers, and have a curious appearance in a dark night, particularly those made of ice, the transparency of which gives them the effect of so many lanterns. It is a singular fact, that these fish, if not bruised, will, when put into cold water, several days after they are caught, return to life, and swim about as well as ever. At the time they are caught they are thrown into a basket, and in the course of a minute or two they become frozen stiff. When carried home, and put into cold water, they become thawed, and begin to swim. How long they would continue out of the water in the frozen state, and afterwards shew signs of life, we cannot determine; but some that have been taken, and been in a frozen state for eight days, when put into water, have not been found to recover, or shew any signs of life. In all countries, people pass their leisure hours pretty much alike; that is, they dedicate them to amusement. In Canada, as most of their winter hours are leisure hours, there is, of course, some ingenuity necessary to give such variety to their amusements as may prevent them from becoming insipid by frequent repetition. Hence, in Quebec and Montreal, to the regular town parties, are added, irregular country parties. Pic-nic feasts, where every one carries with him a ready-dressed dish, are very common ;] [and as the place of rendezvous is generally a few miles out of town, the ladies and gentlemen have the pleasure of a little carioling before dinner; the roads, it is true, are often abominably bad, being a constant succession of cahots, in which you are jolted most unmercifully; not to say any thing of carioles being very frequently upset, and their contents, ladies, gentlemen, soup, poultry, or roast beef, tumbled into the snow, to the no small amusement of the rest of the party. It is also any thing but excessively pleasant; after having dined, danced, supped, and passed the evening in festive glee, enlivened by the song and the catch, to drive home in the middle of the night, let the wind blow, and the snow drift, as much as they please. Besides, there sometimes come on such dreadful storms, that neither man nor horse can shew their face to them. The consequence is, the party remain all night; the fiddlers again strike up the merry dance, and the whist players again cut for partners. Day-light comes at last, and enables the party to take the road homeward without the danger of losing their way, which most probably would have been the case with some of them, had they attempted it in the course of the night. The little hardships, disasters, or inconveniences of these country parties, give a zest, however, to the more elegant amusements of the town. A stranger in Canada, who has had a respectable introduction, is well received. The difficulties attending a winter's journey from Quebec to the United States, are most striking. Mr. Gray, (to whom we are indebted for most of the information contained in this article), thus describes it: "I procured one of the Yankie sleighs, as they are usually termed, and left Montreal in a very cold, hazy morning. Our first stage was from Montreal cross the St. Lawrence to Laprairie, a distance of about nine miles. After travelling about two hours on the river, we began to think it was more than time to reach the other side. We continued our course for half an hour more; still no appearance of the place of our destination. In fact, we had lost our way. The weather was so thick and hazy, we could see but a very short space, and our driver had struck into a wrong track. There were a variety of tracks on the river, formed by the people coming from different parts of the opposite side, with fire-wood, &c. for Montreal. Indeed, I reckoned from two to 300 sleighs on that part of the river alone, all directing their course to Montreal. "On inquiring of some of these people, we found that instead of crossing the river we had taken a direction upwards, and were very near the rapids, a little below a part of the country inhabited by a tribe called the Caghnawaga Indians, at a considerable distance from Montreal. We had to retrace our steps; and, in about two hours more, we arrived at Laprairie. snow. "This circumstance is trifling in itself; I mention it merely to shew you the liability to go astray, when travelling over a level surface of snow. You can hardly imagine any thing more easy than to cross from one side of a river to another, over a track which we had been accustomed to look at every day, and yet, we went a considerable way out of our road, in a very short space of time. It was a good lesson for us, as we had to go on Lake Champlain; where, if we once lost ourselves, it might be long enough before we again found out the right road. "After leaving Laprairie, we very soon got into a primeval forest, through which a road has been cut as far as the American boundary line; and it is continued onwards to Lake Champlain. This is the principal communication in this district, between Canada and the United States. For many miles the country is very level, and completely covered with large timber, principally pines. I saw no cross roads, so that it is a kind of pass, that might be defended with very few men. "The vicinity of Montreal to the United States, encourages the soldiers occasionally to desert, by the road we passed; to prevent which, a few invalids are stationed in the wood; they live in log-houses, not the most comfortably in the world. There is another road by way of St. John's, but the deserters avoid it, on account of the garrison or fort. As we approached the American boundary, we found a few settlements, what the Americans call a pitch. They cut down some trees, make a log-house, sow some corn; next year they cut down more trees, and sow more corn, and so on, till they produce something in the style of a farm. Instead of cutting down the trees, the Americans very frequently ring them, as they term it, which is cutting a section of the bark quite round: soon after which the tree decays. We saw several potash manufactories as we approached the lake, and the woods are continued close to the water. We found near the lake a kind of public-house, where we stopped during the night. "Next morning we could not proceed, because, during the whole night it had blown very] [fresh, accompanied with a heavy fall of snow, which continued till near mid-day; and as every track on the lake was covered, we could not venture to go upon it, our conductor not being well acquainted with the different bearings of the land marks. "The lake, though 120 miles long, is not broad, seldom above 10 or 15 miles; and there are a great many islands and head-lands, which direct the course of the pilot in summer, and the cariole or sleigh driver in winter. "So soon as the weather moderated, we set out on the lake; and took a guide for some time, till we should fall in with some one going our way, or discover a track in the snow to direct us. "Travelling on Lake Champlain, is, at all times, really dangerous; and I would not advise any one to attempt it, if it can be avoided; which may generally be done by lengthening the route. Instead of going on the lake to Burlington, or Skeensboro, you may go by way of St. John's, Windmill-point, and Sandbar, to Burlington, and from thence to Skeensboro. "It is very common, for sleigh, horses, and men, to fall through the ice, where the water is some hundred feet deep; and you have no warning of your danger till the horses drop in, pulling the sleigh after them; luckily, the weak places are of no great extent; you extricate yourself from the sleigh as quickly as possible, and you find the ice generally strong enough to support you, though it would not bear the weight of the horses. You instantly lend your aid in pulling out the horses, and in endeavouring to save them, which is done in a manner perfectly unique, and which will require the greatest stretch of your faith in my veracity, to believethe horses are strangled, to save their lives. "When the horses fall through the ice (there are almost always two in an American sleigh), the struggles and exertions they make, serve only to injure and sink them; for, that they should get out of themselves, is, from the nature of the thing, perfectly impossible. When horses go on the lake, they always have round their necks a rope, with a running noose. I observed that our horses had each of them such a rope; and, on inquiry, found out for what purpose it was intended. The moment the ice breaks, and the horses sink into the water, the driver, and those in the sleigh, get out, and catching hold of the ropes, pull them with all their force, which, in a very few seconds, strangles the horses; and no sooner does this happen, than they rise in the water, float on one side, are drawn out on strong ice, the noose of the rope is loosened, and respiration recommences; in a few minutes the horses are on their feet, as much alive as ever. This operation has been known to be performed two or three times a day, on the same horses; for, when the spring advances, the weak places in the lake become very numerous, and the people, whose business leads them often on it, frequently meet with accidents. They tell you, that horses which are often on the lake, get so accustomed to being hanged, that they think nothing at all of it. "Though this manner of saving horses, and getting them out of the water, appears extraordinary, yet the thing is very common, and known to every one who has been accustomed to travel on the lakes and rivers of this country, during winter. The attempt, however, does not always succeed. It sometimes happens, that both sleigh and horses go the bottom; and the men too, if they cannot extricate themselves in time. There was an instance of it on Lake Champlain, a few days before I crossed it. These weak places of the ice, which prove so treacherous, have been later in freezing than the surrounding ice. In all lakes, and large bodies of fresh water, there are some places which never freeze; and some which freeze much later than others. It is to be accounted for, probably, in this way: the great body of the water is of a higher temperature than the atmosphere, although the surface has been cooled down below the freezing point, and become ice. The water is constantly giving out its heat to the atmosphere, at some particular place, which thereby is kept from freezing for a considerable time; by and by, when the frost becomes very intense, that place at length freezes, but does not acquire the strength necessary to support the horses. "There is another source of danger to the traveller on the lakes, which it is difficult to account for viz. large cracks or openings, which run from one side of the lake to the other; some of them six feet broad at least. I had not proceeded many miles on the lake before I met with a crack; but, instead of an opening, I found that at this place the ice had shelved up to the height of several feet; and I learned that this was an indication of there being an opening further on. At the distance of eight or 10 miles from this place, I was surprised to observe the driver put his horses to their full speed: I could see no cause for it. In a few minutes, however, I saw] |