Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/102

 92 Documents above Quebec the whole distance 60 Leagues and as I found myself very much fatigued with my bad lodging, I got the Capn. to land me at the last post, and went to Quebec in a Calash, which I had reason to rejoice at as by that means I had an opportunity of seeing from the road which is on a Terrace the beautifull and thick setled plain which extends from a river I pass'd near the Post house, to the City of Quebec, the Post for travellers was establish'd by the French, it is a Calash with one Horse, which can occasionally carry two per- sons and pays I2d. pr. League, it goes all the way from Montreal but is very fatiguing, and the Lins on the road very bad, nor does one see so much of the country that way as by water as the road is by the side of the river all the way. the City of Quebec lays below the terrace on which the road is, nor does one see it 'till just entring it. it is divided into upper and lower towns, the upper is on the declivity of a hill and is surrounded by a wall, the part next the river is perpen- dicular, wh'ere are strong batteries of cannon, that intirely comd. the river, the lower Town is built on a very small space between the foot of the rock and the river, the streets of which are very irregular, the principal is very long, warfs are made here for the shipping but the fall of the tide is so consble that it is inconvenient unloading but at high water, the houses here are but indifferent and the streets not very clean or well pav'd ; the upper town is much better built, and has two long streets pritty regular, some of the buildings are good; the Govt, house is spacious and from the balcony which seems to hang over the rock there is a fine view, the Jesuits colledge is spacious, it is now turn'd into barracks, the churches and Convents remain as in the French time with all their rights, the Cathedral is a large but rude pile, the fortifications on the hill where also is the Citadel are very extensive and wou'd demand an enormous Garrison but cannot from their situation notwithstanding the expense they have been to the Govt, be strong, as there is a hill at a small distance which if it is not higher, is at least as high, and wou'd offer a most excellent situation for a Battery agt. it; the plains of Abraham are adjoining and are pritty extensive, the part where Genl. Wolf got up does not appear very steep, and has now a very good cart road up it. next day the 2d. July I rode to the falls of Montmorancy about 9 miles. I pass'd a small river near the Grand Hospital (where is also the order of nuns that take care of the sick) which winds very much, and by the town of Beauport, got to a Villiage adjoining the falls, where I left my horse, and passing the grounds of Genl. Halde- mand where he has built him a pleasant wooden house, descended by a wooden stair case in his Garden to a small Pavillion which is sus- pended over the bason where the river falls, the height is about 245 feet perpendicular, the breadth ' feet and take it altogether I think it is the finest fall I ever saw. I afterwards took a road that leads ' Blank in MS.