Picturesque Quebec : a sequel to Quebec past and present Part 76

[271] The last will and codicil of S. Holland was executed before Chs.

Voyer and colleague, N.P., at Quebec, and bears date 14th and 25th December, 1800. The Chateau St. Louis property is therein thus described: --"Un grand emplacement proche le Chateau St. Louis, donne et accorde au dit Sieur Testateur, cultive actuellement en jardin."

[272] The Gomin road took its name from Dr. Gomin, a French botanist and physician, whose dwelling according to plans in the possession of the "Seigneurs" the Seminary of Quebec stood some two hundred years ago on or near the spot where the cottage of Jas. Connolly, Esq., now exists.

[273] This property has since pa.s.sed by sherrif's sale into the hands of Arch. Campbell, Esquire, of Thornhill, and is actually owned by Israel Tarte, M.P.P.

[274] This deed was pa.s.sed at Quebec before W. Fisher Scott, N.P. It purports to have been executed "in the Gaoler's Room," _entre les deux guichets_, in the common gaol of the district of Quebec. Some of those who signed it must have been in custody, why or wherefore does not appear.

[275] A truculent gardener, it is said, who had been left in charge, some years back, converted the monumental slabs into grinding stones, on the 15th November, 1871, a violent storm broke in twain the Holland Tree.

[276] The iron statue erected in 1863, to commemorate the Battle of St.

Foye, fought April 28th, 1760.

[277] Vol. ii., p. 224.

[278] Subsequently Col. of the American Rebel Regiment called the "Congress Own."--See _Quebec Gazette_, 7 March, 1838.

[279] Bleak House, on the St. Louis Heights.

[280] "John King, living on General Murray's farm, at _Sans bruit_, having the best pasturage for cattle in the neighborhood during the summer, well watered by several runs, informs all those who may choose to send him their cows that they will be well taken care of, and that he will send them cow-herds to town every morning at six o'clock, who will bring them home every evening between five and six. The price will be two dollars for the summer, to be paid said King on St. Michael's day."-- _Quebec Gazette, 4th April_, 1768.

[281] Cannon b.a.l.l.s, shot and sh.e.l.l, and rusty bayonets have been dug up in the neighborhood. Old metallic b.u.t.tons, with the figure XV., were picked up showing that they once ornamented the scarlet uniforms of many gallant fellows of that XVth Regiment, who, "at eight in the morning on the 28th April, 1760," had issued triumphantly from St. John Gate--_never to return_.

[282] Emery de Caen dined here with the Jesuits, 6th August, 1632.-- _Relations des Jesuites_.

[283] Cahire-Coubat (expressive of windings, says Sagard,) called by Jacques Cartier, the river Ste. Croix (of the Holy Cross), and subsequently denominated the River St. Charles, in compliment says La Potherie, to Charles de Boues, Grand Vicar of Pontoise, founder of the first mission of the Recollets in New France.

[284] "Champlain a certainement jete un grand jour sur cette question, en prouvant aussi bien qu'il etait possible de le faire, que Jacques Cartier avait hiverne dans la riviere Saint Charles, et en faisant lui-meme des investigations sur les lieux. Seulement il pourrait bien se faire qu'on pris trop a la lettre un mot de son edition de 1632, ou il dit que les vaisseaux de Cartier hivernerent la ou etait de son temps la demeure des Jesuites. Quant a Charlevoix, non-seulement il n'a pas, eclairci la question, mais il n'a fait que l'embrouiller. Tout ce qu'il dit la dessus, a tres peu d'exception pres, est plein d'erreurs, et inconciliable avec la situation et la conformation des lieux decrits par le capitaine Malouin."

[285] The late Amable Berthelot, one of our antiquarians, in reviewing the papers published by Mr. Jos. Hamel, in 1843, on the recent discovery of the wreck of the _Pet.i.te Hermine_, on the _Ferme des Anges_, at the mouth of the Lairet stream, thus expressed himself, p. 3:--"Il ne me fut pas difficile, en suivant attentivement le texte du second voyage de Jacques Cartier, tel que nous le donne Lescarbot, de prouver, jusqu'a l'evidence, que ce navigateur Malouin avait reellement pa.s.se l'hiver a la riviere St.

Charles, et non a celle qui porte aujourd'hui le nom de Jacques Cartier; et je crois que depuis ma dissertation, il n'est reste en ce pays aucun doute sur ce sujet."

[286] "Le lundi, onzieme jour d'octobre, nous arrivasmes au Hable de Sainte Croix, ou estaient nos navires, et trouvasmes que les maistres et mariniers qui estaient demeures avaient fait un fort devant lesdits navires, tout clos de grosses pieces de bois plantees debout, joignant les unes aux autres, et tout a l'entour garni d'artillerie, et bien en ordre pour se defendre contre tout le pays."--(_Second voyage de Jacques Cartier_, p. 48). Republished by Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, in 1843. At the foot, we read, "On pense que ce fort a du etre bati a l'endroit ou la pet.i.te Riviere Lairet se decharge dans la Riviere St. Charles." "The exact spot in the River St. Charles, where Cartier moored his vessel, is supposed on good authority to have been the site of the old bridge (a little higher up than the present), called Dorchester Bridge, where there is a ford at low water, close to the Marine Hospital.

That it was on the east bank, not far from the former residence of Chas.

Smith, Esq., is evident from the river having been frequently crossed by the natives coming from Stadacona, to visit their French guests."

(_Hawkins' Picture of Quebec_, p. 47) The Abbe Faillon in his elaborate work--_Histoire de la Colonie Francaise au Canada_, 1865--in some valuable notes on Jacques Cartier, p. 496, discusses the erroneous views of Charlevoix and Father Leclerc, and corroborates the accepted belief about the St. Charles and not the Jacques Cartier River, as being the spot where the great discoverer wintered in 1535-36.

[287] Would this river be the Lairet or the St. Charles? We like to give every circ.u.mstance calculated to throw light thereon: writers seem to agree that Jacques Cartier, wintered in the St. Charles, as Champlain says, in his edition of 1632, on the Jesuits' property--it may, however, have been a few acres to the east or west of the spot generally indicated.

[288] "Le Capitaine fit renforcer le Fort tout a l'entour de gros fosses, larges, et profonds avec porte a pont-levis et renforts de rangs ou pans de bois au contraire des premiers. Et fut ordonne pour le guet de la nuit.... cinquante hommes a quatre quarts, et a chacun changement des dits quarts les trompettes sonnantes; ce qui fut fait selon la dite ordonnance."--_Voyage de Jacques Cartier_, page 52.

[289] It is evident that the Beauport entrenchments were to be on a vast scale In those days of _corvees_ and forced labor, when it was merely necessary to command _de par le roi_, it was easy to bring together large bodies of men. "M. de Montcalm arrive a Quebec (from Montreal), commanda tout le monde pour travailler a des retrenchements qui furent traces vers une paroisse nominee Beauport. Comme il pensait que ces ouvrages ne seraient pas en etat avant l'arrivee des vaisseaux anglais, ce qui pourrait etre d'un jour a l'autre, il envoya un ordre a M. de Levis, qui etait a Montreal, de commander, generallement, tous les hommes de ce gouvernement a de descendre a Quebec, et qu'on avait besoin d'un coup de main. Il envoya a cet egard des ordres precis et conformes, dans tontes les paroisses, qui mirent tout le monde en mouvement." (_Memoirs sur les affaires du Canada_, 1749-1760.) Finally, Vaudreuil decided that Montreal would furnish 1,500 men only for this service.

[290] This bake-house appears to have been somewhere at the foot of Abraham's Hill.

[291] It crossed the St Charles a little higher than the Marine Hospital, exactly at the foot of Crown Street.

[292] A small bridge supported on masonry has since been built on this spot, exactly across the main road, at Brown's mills, Beauport.

[293] _The Great River_. Such was the name the Lorette Huron Indians pressed Hon. Mr. Panet to take when they elected him their honorary chief.

[294] A famous _Cha.s.seur_ of Lake St. Charles.

[295] Robert Buchanan's fine lines describe well the sudden coming of winter:

"Then, with a gust, Old Winter tumbled shrieking from the hills, His white Hair flowing in the wind."

[296] Emma d.u.c.h.esnay, wife of Robt. LeMoine, Esq., Ottawa, was the last born there.

[297] Beauport Church, it is said, was built on this _Fief du Buisson_.

[298] "Une chandelle faite avec la graisse d'un pendu."

[299] Le mot chirurgien--qui etait la profession de Gifart, se presente naturellement, mais l'article manque....Oh! le C, si c'etait un R? plus de doute l'affaire serait claire.

[300] NOTE.--In a parliamentary Doc.u.ment of 1852, it is stated to have been conceded on 15th January, 1634.

[301] By an ordinance of the Special Council, obtained through Sir Poulet Thompson, in the troublous times of 1838-41, these gentlemen made safe their well-beloved charter.

[302] Mr. Ryland, writing to Sir James Craig under date 22nd August, 1810, thus describes his interview with the Ministers of State, the Earl of Liverpool, Lord Bathurst, Mr. Percival, Mr. Peel, Lord Camden, the Marquis of Wellesey, &c "On entering the room I found it was a meeting of the Cabinet Ministers, eight in number, Lord Liverpool desired me to take a seat between him and Mr. Percival.... I then repeated an observation I had made in my first interview with Lord Liverpool, concerning Bedard in particular as the leader of the anti-government party, who has now so committed himself as to render it impossible he be employed....

"H. W. RYLAND."

(Christie's History of Canada.)

[303] MR. RYLAND TO SIR J. H. CRAIG, K.B.

London, 14th August, 1810.

"Dear Sir,--I yesterday had the honor to dine with the Earl of Liverpool at Coombe Wood; the party consisted of His Lords.h.i.+p, Lady Liverpool, Lord and Lady Bathurst, Lord Ashley and his sister, I believe, Sir Joseph and Lady Banks, Mr. Peel the Under-Secretary of State, and a lady whose name I do not recollect.

I had some conversation with Mr. Peel, before dinner, concerning the state of things in Canada, and I was mortified to find that he had but an imperfect idea of the subject....

He told me that he had read Lord Granville's despatch of October, 1789, to Lord Dorchester, which I had recommended to his attention, and he seemed to think a re-union of the Provinces a desirable object....

H. W. RYLAND."

(Christie's History of Canada.)

[304] In 1871, Mr. John Henderson Galbraith expired at Mount Lilac, leaving to his widow his beautiful country-seat, on which he had expended some $25,000. The foundry or machine shop was closed, and under the intelligent care of Miss Elizabeth Galbraith, Mount Lilac continues to produce each summer ambrosial fruit and exquisite flowers.

[305] Originally a brewery owned by Intendant Talon, and sold to the French King, in 1686 for 15,000 _ecus_. Later on the Intendant's Palace, in magnificence rivalled the _Chateau St. Louis_.

[306] _Kahir-Koubat_ "a meandering stream" Ahatsistari's house (formerly "Poplar Grove," the homestead of L. T. McPherson, Esq.), on the north bank of the St. Charles, was called _Kahir-Koubat_ by N. Monpet.i.t. Here formerly dwelt, we are told, Col. De Salaberry, the hero of Chateauguay, until 1814.

[307] Beyond the unmistakable vestiges of its having been of early French construction, there is nothing known of the origin under French rule, of Bigot's little _Chateau_. History is replete with details about his peculations and final punishment in the Bastile of France; possibly the legends in prose and in verse, which mantle round the time-worn rein, have no other foundation than the fictions of the poet and the novelist. Thanks to Amedee Papineau, W. Kirby, Jos. Mannette, Beaumanoir, Bigot's Chateau, is now immortalized in song.

[308] Ahatsistari, such the name of the former great Huron warrior, which Mr. Montpet.i.t was allowed to a.s.sume when recently elected Honorary Chief of the Council of Sachems, possibly for the service rendered to the tribe as their historiographer.