Picturesque Quebec : a sequel to Quebec past and present Part 25

_As per Schedule, Consolidated Statutes of Canada (22 Vict.) Cap. 36._

_LOCAL NAME OF THE PROPERTY AND ORIGIN OF THE t.i.tLE._

Exercising Ground, Plains of Abraham--Leasehold from the Ursuline Nuns, 99 years from 1st May, 1802.

No. 3 Tower Field, N. W. of the Grande Allee, Plains of Abraham-- Leasehold from the Nuns of the Hotel-Dieu, 99 years from 1st May, 1790; s.p.a.ce covered by the tower is freehold.

No. 4 Tower Field, N. W. of St. John's Road--Leasehold from the Nuns of the Hotel-Dieu; 99 years from 1st May, 1790; including a freehold strip of 0_a_. 1_r_. 0-1/2_p_.

Land surrounding Nos. 1 and 2, Towers, S. E. side of the Grande Allee Plains of Abraham--Acquired by purchase from the Ursuline Nuns, 15th June, 1811, Joseph Plante, N. P., Quebec.

Land S. E. of the Grande Allee to the Cime du Cap and between Nos. 1 and 2, Towers property, and counterscarp of the Citadel and works adjacent--The greater part acquired by purchase from individuals, and partly by conquest, of the old French Works, &c., an annual ground rent of 1 17s. 0d., is payable on part of this land to the Fief de Villeray.

The Esplanade, Town Works--Glacis, Cricket Field, ditches, ravelin, &c., in front, lying between St. Louis and St. John's Gates--Acquired partly by conquest and partly by purchase from various individuals (Cricket Field, 5_a_. 3_r_. 22_p_.)

Citadel--Glacis and Town Works, as far as St. Louis Gate, Engineer Yard, &c.--Chiefly by right of conquest and military appropriation.

Town Works, Artillery Barracks, Glacis, &c., between St. John's Gate, Palace Gate and St. Valier street--Chiefly by conquest and military appropriation. Lots in St. Vallier street, purchased in 1846-7.

Mount Carmel, a commanding eminence, and site of the Windmill Redoubt or Cavalier, formerly a portion of the defenses of Quebec.--Acquired by purchase, 25th Nov, 1780. J. Plinguet, N.P.

Officers' Barracks, Garrison Hospital, &c., fronting on St. Louis street, and in rear by St. Genevieve street.--Acquired by purchase, 5th April, 1811.

Commissariat Premises, opposite old Court House, on St. Louis street, and in rear by Mount Carmel street.--Acquired by purchase, 11th August, 1815.

Jesuit Barracks, with other buildings and land attached, fronting on St. Anne street and Upper Town market square.--By right of conquest and military appropriation, occupied as Infantry Barracks, &c.

The Town Works, along the top of the Cape (Cime du Cap), between the King's Bastion of the Citadel and Prescott Gate, Mountain Hill, including site of old Fort St. Louis, Government Garden, &c.--Part of the Crown Domain by conquest and military appropriation, with small portions at either end acquired by purchase in 1781, and about 1827- 29.

Near Grand Battery, East end of St. George street. Magazine F., and Ordnance stores, &c.--By right of conquest and military appropriation.

Magazine E., Hotel Dieu, on Rampart street, between Palace and Hope Gates.--Acquired by purchase, 17th June, 1809.

The Defences along the Ramparts between Prescott Gate, Grand Battery, Hope Gate and Palace Gate (Upper Town).--By right of conquest and military appropriation (including Rampart street and cliff underneath).

Inclined Plane Wharf and land to the Cime du Cap (top of the cliff) on Champlain street, S. E. of the Citadel.--Acquired by purchase, 24th Sept., 1781, afterwards used in connection with the Citadel.

Queen's Wharf premises, and small lot opposite, on Cul-de-Sac street-- Formerly a part of the defences of Quebec, site of a battery.-- Acquired by right of conquest, &c.

Land at the foot of the cliff in La Canoterie and St. Charles streets, as a Glacis in front of the Town Works.--Acquired by purchase in 1846- 7, to prevent buildings against the defences.

Commissariat Fuel Yard, &c., on Palace Harbor, St. Roch's.--Part of the Intendant's Palace property, held by conquest.

_SEIGNIORY OF NEUVILLE COUNTY OF PORTNEUF._

(_Site of Fort Jacques-Cartier._)

A strong defensive position, on the right bank of the River Jacques Cartier, about 30 miles above Quebec.--Acquired by purchase from the Seignior, 26th June, 1818.

THE ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC.

_INTRODUCTION._

"Oh give me a home where the maple and pine Around the wild heights so majestically twine; Oh give me a home where the blue wave rolls free From thy bosom, Superior, down to the sea."

"Could you not write the history of 'Our Parish,' and also sketch briefly our country seats, marking out the spots connected with historical events?" Thus discoursed one day to us, in her blandest tones, a fair denizen of Sillery. There was a poser for a _galant homme_; a crusher for the first _litterateur_ of ... the parish. In vain did we allege we were not a "Christopher North," but a mere retiring "antiquaire"--a lover of books, birds, flowers, &c. The innate civility of a Frenchman elicited from us an unreflective affirmative reply. Thus, compa.s.sionate reader, was entrapped, caught and committed the first _litterateur_ of Sillery--irrevocably handed over to the tender mercies of all the critics, present and future, in and out of the parish. Oh, my friends, what a crunching up of literary bones in store! what an ample repast was thus prepared for all the reviewers--the Jeffreys and LaHarpes--in and out of the parish, should the luckless _litterateur_ fail to a.s.sign fairy scenery--important historical events--great battles, not only to each renowned spot, but even to the merest potato-patch, turnip-ground or cabbage-garden within our corporate limits? Yes, tremble for him.

Joking apart, is there not a formidable difficulty besetting our path--the insipidity and monotony inseparable from the necessity which will devolve on us of having constantly to discover new beauties in spots identical in their main features; and should we, in order to vary the theme, mix up the humorous with the rural, the historical, or the antiquarian style, may not fun and humour be mistaken for satire--a complimentary notice for flattery, above all others, a thing abhorrent to our nature? But 'tis vain to argue. That fatal "yes" has been uttered, and no true knight goes back from his plighted word. There being no help, we devoutly commend our case to St. Columba, St. Joseph, and the archangel St. Michel, the patrons of our parish, and set to our task, determined to a.s.sume a wide margin, draw heavily on history, and season the whole with short anecdotes and glimpses of domestic life, calculated to light up the past and present.

O critic, who would fain seek in "Our Parish"--in our homes--great architectural excellence, we beseech you to pause! for the majority of them no such pretension is set up. Nowhere, indeed, on our soil are to be found ivied ruins, dating back to doomsday book, moated castle, or mediaeval tower. We have no Blenheims, no Walton Halls, nor Chatsworths, nor Woburn abbeys, nor Arundel castles, to ill.u.s.trate every style of architectural beauty, rural embellishment, and landscape. A Dainpierre, a Rochecotte, a LaGaudiniere, may suit old France: they would be lost in New France. Canadian cottages, the best of them, are not the stately country homes of

"Old pheasant-lords, ... Partridge-breeders of a thousand years,"

typifying the acc.u.mulated wealth of centuries or patrician pride; nor are they the gay _chateaux_ of _La Belle France_. In the Canada of the past, we could--in many instances we had to--do without the architect's skill; nature having been lavish to us in her decorations, art could be dispensed with. Our country dwellings possess attractions of a higher cla.s.s, yea, of a n.o.bler order, than brick and mortar moulded by the genius of man can impart. A kind Providence has surrounded them in spring, summer and autumn with scenery often denied to the turreted castle of the proudest n.o.bleman in Old England. Those around Quebec are more particularly hallowed by a.s.sociations destined to remain ever memorable amongst the inhabitants of the soil.

Some of our larger estates, like Belmont (comprising 450 acres,) date back more than two centuries, whilst others, though less ancient, retrace vividly events glorious in the same degree to the two races, who, after having fought stoutly for the mastery, at last hung out the olive branch and united long since, willing partners, in the bonds of a common nationality, neither English nor French, though partic.i.p.ating largely of both, and have linked their destinies together as Canadians. Every traveller in Canada, from Baron La Hontan, who "preferred the forests of Canada to the Pyrenees of France," to the Hon. Amelia Murray, Charlevoix, LaGalissoniere, Peter Kalm, Isaac Weld, John Lambert, Heriot, Silliman, d.i.c.kens, Lever, Ampere, Marmier, Rameau, Augustus Sala, have united in p.r.o.nouncing our Quebec landscape so wild, so majestic, and withal so captivating, as to vie in beauty with the most picturesque portions of the Old or the New World.

Let us first sketch "Our Parish," the home of our forefathers--the home of our children.

_SILLERY._

Henry IV. of France had for his chancellor, in 1607, Nicholas Brulart de Sillery, a worthy and distinguished magistrate, who, as state councillor, ever enjoyed the confidence of his sovereign until death closed his useful career in 1627, at the ripe age of 80. He was the eldest brother: his father had also for years basked in the smiles of good King Henry IV. for his unwavering adherence to his fortunes. To this eminent lawyer and statesman was born a patriarchal family of sons and daughters. The youngest of his sons, Noel Brulart de Sillery, [169] having brilliantly completed his studies at Paris in the cla.s.sics, entered, at the age of 18, the military order of the Knights of Malta, and resided twelve years in that island as a knight; his martial bearing and ability, modesty, and uniform good conduct soon paved the way for him to the highest dignities in this celebrated Order. Soon the Grand Master appointed him "Commandeur de Troyes"; this preferment yielded him 40,000 livres per annum.

On his return to Paris in 1607, the favour of the court and the protection of Marie de Medicis were the means of having him nominated Knight of Honour. His talents, birth, deportment and position soon procured him the appointment of French Amba.s.sador to the Court of Spain in 1614, which high position he left for that of Amba.s.sador at Rome in 1622, where he replaced the Marquis of Coeuvres. He spent two years in the Eternal City, and subsequently acknowledged that it was there that he conceived the idea first of embracing Holy Orders; Cardinal de LaValette replacing him at the Roman Court as French _Charge d'Affaires_. From what can be gleaned in history, this distinguished personage led a princely life, his enormous rent-roll furnis.h.i.+ng the means for a most lordly establishment of retainers, liveries and domains. [170] His fancy for display, great though it was, never, however, made him lose sight of the poor, nor turn a deaf ear to the voice of the needy.

In 1626, the Pope (Barberini), Urban the VIII., having proclaimed a jubilee, the ex-amba.s.sador, as if a new light had dawned on him, and under the guidance of a man famous for his pious and ascetic life, Vincent de Paul, determined to reform his house and whole life. Thus, a few years after, viz., in 1632, the Commandeur de Sillery sold to Cardinal Richelieu his sumptuous and princely hotel in Paris, called Sillery, entered Holy Orders in 1634, and devoted all the energy of his mind and his immense wealth to the propagation of the faith amongst the aborigines of Canada, having been induced to do so by the Commandeur de Razili, who had previously solicited him to join the company des "Cents a.s.socies," or Hundred Partners, of which Razili was a member.

The Commandeur de Sillery inaugurated his benevolent purpose by placing 12,000 livres in the hands of Father Charles Lalemant, a zealous Jesuit; this was the beginning of the mission which, through grat.i.tude to its founder, was called Sillery--it was distant about four miles and a half from Quebec, on the north sh.o.r.e of the St. Lawrence; date of the foundation, July, 1637. [171] History has preserved a letter addressed from Paris by the Commandeur de Sillery to the Chevalier de Montmagny, governor of the colony, in which the benevolent man asked the Governor to ratify a grant of "twelve arpents" made to him in the city itself by the company of the Hundred Partners, and also to ratify a promised grant of other lands to open a seminary or school to educate Algonquin and Montagnais children, although, at the request of the Indians, the settlement became, in 1638, more extensive, and comprised also the residence of the christianized Indians. Negabamat and Nenasesenat were the first to establish their families there. On the last day of June, 1665, we will find the eloquent Negabamat, then a resident of Quebec, sent by his tribe to harangue and compliment the great Marquis of Tracy on his arrival at Quebec. (_Relations_, 1665, _p_. 4.) Father LeJeune, a learned Jesuit, had charge and control over the workmen who were sent out from France at the expense of the Commandeur de Sillery; and on the 22nd February, 1639, a permanent bequest was authentically recorded in favor of the mission by the Commandeur placing at interest, secured on the Hotel-de-Ville at Paris, a sum of 20,000 livres tournois. Palisades had been used originally to protect the settlement; in 1651, the Governor of Quebec, Jean de Lauzon, strengthened the palisades and added redoubts. [172] In 1647 the church of the mission had been placed under the invocation of St. Michael the Archangel; hence Sillery Cove, once called St. Joseph's, was, in 1647, named St Michael's Cove.

The Commandeur de Sillery extended his munificence to several other missionary establishments in Canada and other places. What with the building of churches, monasteries and hospitals in Champagne, France; at Annecy, Savoy; at Paris, and elsewhere, he must, indeed, have been for those days a veritable Rothschild in worldly wealth.

This worthy ecclesiastic died in Paris on the 26th September, 1640, at the age of sixty-three years, bequeathing his immense wealth to the Hotel-Dieu of that city. Such was, in a few words, the n.o.ble career of one of the large-minded pioneers of civilization in primitive Canada, le Commandeur Noel Brulart de Sillery--such the origin of the name of "Our Parish," our sweet Canadian Windermere.

One of the first incidents, two years after the opening of the mission, was the visit paid to it by Madame de la Peltrie, the benevolent founder of the Ursuline Convent at Quebec. This took place on the 2nd August, 1639, the day after her arrival from Dieppe and stately reception by the Governor, M. deMontmagny, who had asked her to dinner the day previous.

This same year the nuns called _Hospitalieres_ (Hotel-Dieu) opened a temporary hospital at Sillery, as the inmates and resident Indians suffered fearfully from the ravages of small-pox. In attempting a sketch of the Sillery of ancient days, we cannot follow a truer nor pleasanter guide than the old historian of Canada in the interesting notes he published on this locality in 1855, after having minutely examined every inch of ground. "A year after their arrival at Quebec," says Abbe Ferland, "in August, 1640, the _Hospitalieres_ nuns, desirous of being closer to the Sillery mission, where they were having their convent built according to the wishes of the d.u.c.h.ess D'Aiguillon, left Quebec and located themselves in the house of M. de Puiseaux. They removed from this house at the beginning of the year 1641 to take possession of their convent, a mile distant. During that winter no other French inhabitants resided near them except the missionaries, and they suffered much from cold and want. But the following year they had the happiness to have in the neighbourhood a good number of their countrymen. M. de Maisonneuve, Mlle. Mance, the soldiers and farmers recently arrived from France, took up their abode at M. de Puiseaux.... They spent the winter there, and paid us frequent visits, to our mutual satisfaction." [173]

The mission of St. Joseph at Sillery being constantly threatened by the Five Nations, the _Hospitalieres_ ladies were compelled to leave their convent and seek refuge in Quebec on the 29th May, 1644, having thus spent about three years and a half amongst the savages. [174] The locality where they then resided still goes under the name of "Convent Cove."

"Monsieur Pierre Puiseaux, Sieur de l'habitation de Sainte Foye, after whom was, called _Pointe-a-Pizeau_, at Sillery, seems to have been a personage of no mean importance in his day. Having realized a large fortune in the West Indies, he had followed Champlain to Canada, bent on devoting his wealth to the conversion of the aboriginal tribes. His manor stood, according to the Abbe Ferland, on that spot in St Michael's Cove on which the St. Michael's Hotel [175]--long kept by Mr. W. Scott--was subsequently built, to judge from the heavy foundation walls there. Such was the magnificence of the structure that it was reckoned "the gem of Canada'--"_Une maison regardee dans le temps comme le bijou du Canada_,"

says the old chronicler. Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve having arrived, in 1641, with colonists for Montreal, the laird of Ste. Foye [176]

generously tendered him the use of his manor. Under the hospitable roof of this venerable old gentleman, M. de Maisonneuve, Mlle. Mance, the founder of the Hotel Dieu Hospital at Montreal, and Mdme. de la Peltrie spent the winter of 1641-2, whilst the intended colonists [177] for Ville-Marie were located close by in the Sillery settlement. During the winter, dissensions took place between the future Governor of Montreal, M. de Maisonneuve, and the then present Governor of Quebec, Chevalier de Montmagny. It appears that on a certain festival a small cannon and also fifteen musket shots had been fired without authority; His Excellency Governor Montmagny, in high dudgeon at such a breach of military discipline, ordered Jean Gorry, the person who had fired the shots, to be put in irons; Mlle. Mance had furnished the powder for this military display The future Governor of Montreal, Monsieur de Maisonneuve, is said to have, on this occasion, publicly exclaimed: "Jehan Gorry, you have been put in irons for my sake and I affronted! I raise your wages of ten half crowns (dix ecus), let us only reach Montreal; no one there will prevent us from firing." [178]

Bravo! M. de Maisonneuve! Peace, however, was restored, and His Excellency Governor Montmagny headed in person the expedition which, on the 8th May following, sailed from St Michael's Cove, Sillery, to found at Montreal the new colony. Monsieur Puiseaux accompanied M. de Maisonneuve, to take part also in the auspicious event, but his age and infirmities compelled Him soon after to return to France, where he died a few years subsequently, and by his last will, executed at LaRoch.e.l.le on the 21st June, 1647, he bequeathed his Ste. Foye property to the support of the future bishops of Quebec. "The walls of the Sillery Chapel," says the historian of Canada previously quoted, "were still standing about thirty years ago, and the foundations of this edifice, of the hospital and of the missionary residency are still perceptible to the eye on the spot now occupied by the offices and stores of Hy. LeMesurier, Esq., at the foot of the hill, and opposite the residence of the Honourable Mr. Justice Caron."