north america-1-第12章

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ere　and　have　never　tasted　the　sweet　cup　of　his　own　fame。　　For　fame　is　sweet；　and　the　praise　of　ones's　brother　men　the　sweetest　draught　which　a　man　can　drain。　　But　now；　and　for　coming　ages；　Wolfe's　name　stands　higher　than　it　probably　would　have　done　had　he　lived　to　enjoy　his　reward。　But　there　is　another　very　worthy　lion　near　Quebecthe　Falls；　namely；　of　Montmorency。　　They　are　eight　miles　from　the　town；　and　the　road　lies　through　the　suburb　of　St。　Roch；　and　the　long；　straggling　French　village　of　Beauport。　　These　are　in　themselves　very　interesting；　as　showing　the　quiet；　orderly；　unimpulsive　manner　in　which　the　French　Canadians　live。　　Such　is　their　character；　although　there　have　been　such　men　as　Papineau；　and　although　there　have　been　times　in　which　English　rule　has　been　unpopular　with　the　French　settlers。　　As　far　as　I　could　learn　there　is　no　such　feeling　now。　　These　people　are　quiet；　contented；　and；　as　regards　a　sufficiency　of　the　simple　staples　of　living；　sufficiently　well　to　do。　　They　are　thrifty；　but　they　do　not　thrive。　　They　do　not　advance；　and　push　ahead；　and　become　a　bigger　people　from　year　to　year；　as　settlers　in　a　new　country　should　do。　　They　do　not　even　hold　their　own　in　comparison　with　those　around　them。　　But　has　not　this　always　been　the　case　with　colonists　out　of　France；　and　has　it　not　always　been　the　case　with　Roman　Catholics　when　they　have　been　forced　to　measure　themselves　against　Protestants？　　As　to　the　ultimate　fate　in　the　world　of　this　people；　one　can　hardly　form　a　speculation。　　There　are；　as　nearly　as　I　could　learn；　about　800；000　of　them　in　Lower　Canada；　but　it　seems　that　the　wealth　and　commercial　enterprise　of　the　country　is　passing　out　of　their　hands。　Montreal；　and　even　Quebec；　are；　I　think；　becoming　less　and　less　French　every　day；　but　in　the　villages　and　on　the　small　farms　the　French　still　remain；　keeping　up　their　language；　their　habits；　and　their　religion。　　In　the　cities　they　are　becoming　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of　water。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　same　will　ultimately　be　their　fate　in　the　country。　　Surely　one　may　declare　as　a　fact　that　a　Roman　Catholic　population　can　never　hold　its　ground　against　one　that　is　Protestant。　　I　do　not　speak　of　numbers；　for　the　Roman　Catholics　will　increase　and　multiply；　and　stick　by　their　religion；　although　their　religion　entails　poverty　and　dependence；　as　they　have　done　and　still　do　in　Ireland。　　But　in　progress　and　wealth　the　Romanists　have　always　gone　to　the　wall　when　the　two　have　been　made　to　compete　together。　　And　yet　I　love　their　religion。　There　is　something　beautiful；　and　almost　divine；　in　the　faith　and　obedience　of　a　true　son　of　the　Holy　Mother。　　I　sometimes　fancy　that　I　would　fain　be　a　Roman　Catholicif　I　could；　as　also　I　would　often　wish　to　be　still　a　childif　that　were　possible。　All　this　is　on　the　way　to　the　Falls　of　Montmorency。　　These　falls　are　placed　exactly　at　the　mouth　of　the　little　river　of　the　same　name；　so　that　it　may　be　said　absolutely　to　fall　into　the　St。　Lawrence。　　The　people　of　the　country；　however；　declare　that　the　river　into　which　the　waters　of　the　Montmorency　fall　is　not　the　St。　Lawrence；　but　the　Charles。　　Without　a　map　I　do　not　know　that　I　can　explain　this。　　The　River　Charles　appears　to；　and　in　fact　does；　run　into　the　St。　Lawrence　just　below　Quebec。　　But　the　waters　do　not　mix。　　The　thicker；　browner　stream　of　the　lesser　river　still　keeps　the　northeastern　bank　till　it　comes　to　the　Island　of　Orleans；　which　lies　in　the　river　five　or　six　miles　below　Quebec。　　Here　or　hereabouts　are　the　Falls　of　the　Montmorency；　and　then　the　great　river　is　divided　for　twenty…five　miles　by　the　Isle　of　Orleans。　　It　is　said　that　the　waters　of　the　Charles　and　the　St。　Lawrence　do　not　mix　till　they　meet　each　other　at　the　foot　of　this　island。　I　do　not　know　that　I　am　particularly　happy　at　describing　a　waterfall；　and　what　little　capacity　I　may　have　in　this　way　I　would　wish　to　keep　for　Niagara。　　One　thing　I　can　say　very　positively　about　Montmorency；　and　one　piece　of　advice　I　can　give　to　those　who　visit　the　falls。　　The　place　from　which　to　see　them　is　not　the　horrible　little　wooden　temple　which　has　been　built　immediately　over　them　on　that　side　which　lies　nearest　to　Quebec。　　The　stranger　is　put　down　at　a　gate　through　which　a　path　leads　to　this　temple；　and　at　which　a　woman　demands　from　him　twenty…five　cents　for　the　privilege　of　entrance。　　Let　him　by　all　means　pay　the　twenty…five　cents。　　Why　should　he　attempt　to　see　the　falls　for　nothing；　seeing　that　this　woman　has　a　vested　interest　in　the　showing　of　them？　　I　declare　that　if　I　thought　that　I　should　hinder　this　woman　from　her　perquisites　by　what　I　write；　I　would　leave　it　unwritten；　and　let　my　readers　pursue　their　course　to　the　templeto　their　manifest　injury。　　But　they　will　pay　the　twenty…five　cents。　　Then　let　them　cross　over　the　bridge；　eschewing　the　temple；　and　wander　round　on　the　open　field　till　they　get　the　view　of　the　falls；　and　the　view　of　Quebec　also；　from　the　other　side。　　It　is　worth　the　twenty…five　cents　and　the　hire　of　the　carriage　also。　　Immediately　over　the　falls　there　was　a　suspension　bridge；　of　which　the　supporting；　or　rather　non…supporting；　pillars　are　still　to　be　seen。　　But　the　bridge　fell　down；　one　day；　into　the　river；　andalas！　alas！with　the　bridge　fell　down　an　old　woman；　and　a　boy；　and　a　carta　cart　and　horseand　all　found　a　watery　grave　together　in　the　spray。　　No　attempt　has　been　made　since　that　to　renew　the　suspension　bridge；　but　the　present　wooden　bridge　has　been　built　higher　up　in　lieu　of　it。　Strangers　naturally　visit　Quebec　in　summer　or　autumn；　seeing　that　a　Canada　winter　is　a　season　with　which　a　man　cannot　trifle；　but　I　imagine　that　the　mid…winter　is　the　best　time　for　seeing　the　Falls　of　Montmorency。　　The　water　in　its　fall　is　dashed　into　spray；　and　that　spray　becomes　frozen；　till　a　cone　of　ice　is　formed　immediately　under　the　cataract；　which　gradually　rises　till　the　temporary　glacier　reaches　nearly　half　way　to　the　level　of　the　higher　river。　Up　this　men　climband　ladies　also；　I　am　toldand　then　descend；　with　pleasant　rapidity；　on　sledges　of　wood；　sometimes　not　without　an　innocent　tumble　in　the　descent。　　As　we　were　at　Quebec　in　September；　we　did　not　experience　the　delights　of　this　pastime。　As　I　was　too　early　for　the　ice　cone　under　the　Montmorency　Falls；　so　also　was　I　too　late　to　visit　the　Saguenay　River；　which　runs　into　the　St。　Lawrence　some　hundred　miles　below　Quebec。　　I　presume　that　the　scenery　of　the　Saguenay　is　the　finest　in　Canada。　　During　the　summer　steamers　run　down　the　St。　Lawrence　and　up　the　Saguenay；　but　I　was　too　late　for　them。　　An　offer　was　made　to　us　through　the　kindness　of　Sir　Edmund　Head；　who　was　then　the　Governor…General；　of　the　use　of　a　steam…tug　belonging　to　a　gentleman　who　carries　on　a　large　commercial　enterprise　at　Chicoutimi；　far　up　the　Saguenay；　but　an　acceptance　of　this　offer　would　have　entailed　some　delay　at　Quebec；　and；　as　we　were　anxious　to　get　into　the　Northwestern　States　before　the　winter　commenced；　we　were　obliged　with　great　regret　to　decline　the　journey。　I　feel　bound　to　say　that　a　stranger；　regarding　Quebec　merely　as　a　town；　finds　very　much　of　which　he　cannot　but　complain。　　The　footpaths　through　the　streets　are　almost　entirely　of　wood；　as　indeed　seems　to　be　general　throughout　Canada。　　Wood　is；　of　course；　the　cheapest　material；　and；　though　it　may　not　be　altogether　good　for　such　a　purpose；　it　would　not　create　animadversion　if　it　were　kept　in　tolerable　order。　　But　in　Quebec　the　paths　are　intolerably　bad。　　They　are　full　of　holes。　　The　boards　are　rotten；　and　worn　in　some　places　to　dirt。　　The　nails　have　gone；　and　the　broken　planks　go　up　and　down　under　the　feet；　and　in　the　dark　they　are　absolutely　dangerous。　　But　if　the　paths　are　bad；　the　road…ways　are　worse。　　The　street　through　the　lower　town　along　the　quays　is；　I　think；　the　most　disgraceful　thoroughfare　I　ever　saw　in　any　town。　　I　believe　the　whole　of　it；　or　at　any　rate　a　great　portion；　has　been　paved　with　wood；　but　the　boards　have　been　worked　into　mud；　and　the　ground　under　the　boards　has　been　worked　into　holes；　till　the　street　is　more　like　the　bottom　of　a　filthy　ditch　than　a　road…way　through　one　of　the　most　thickly　populated　parts　of　a　city。　　Had　Quebec　in　Wolfe's　time　been　as　it　is　now；　Wolfe　would　have　stuck　in　the　mud　between　the　river　and　the　rock　before　he　reached　the　point　which　he　desired　to　climb。　　In　the　upper　town　the　roads　are　not　as　bad　as　they　are　below；　but　still　they　are　very　bad。　　I　was　told　that　this　arose　from　disputes　among　the　municipal　corporations。　　Everything　in　Canada　relating　to　roads；　and　a　very　great　deal　affecting　the　internal　government　of　the　people；　is　done　by　these　municipalities。　It　is　made　a　subject　of　great　boast　in　Canada　that　the　communal　authorities　do　carry　on　so　large　a　part　of　the　public　business；　and　that　they　do　it　generally　so　well　and　at　so　cheap　a　rate。　　I　have　nothing　to　say　against　this；　and；　as　a　whole；　believe　that　the　boast　is　true。　　I　must　protest；　however；　that　the　streets　of　the　greater　citiesfor　Montreal　is　nearly　as　bad　as　Quebecprove　the　rule　by　a　very　sad　exception。　　The　municipalities　of　which　I　speak　extend；　I　believe；　to　all　Canadathe　two　provinces　being　divided　into　counties；　and　the　counties　subdivided　into　townships；　to　which；　as　a　matter　of　course；　the　municipalities　are　attached。　From　Quebec　to　Montreal　there　are　two　modes　of　travel。　　There　are　the　steamers　up　the　St。　Lawrence；　which；　as　all　the　world　know；　is；　or　at　any　rate　hitherto　has　been；　the　high…road　of　the　Canadas；　and　there　is　the　Grand　Trunk　Railway。　　Passengers　choosing　the　latter　go　toward　Portland　as　far　as　Richmond；　and　there　join　the　main　line　of　the　road；　passing　from　Richmond　on　to　Montreal。　　We　learned　while　at　Quebec　that　it　behooved　us　not　to　leave　the　colony　till　we　had　seen　the　lake　and　mountains　of　Memphremagog；　and；　as　we　were　clearly　neglecting　our　duty　with　regard　to　the　Saguenay；　we　felt　bound　to　make　such　amends　as　lay　in　our　power　by　deviating　from　our　way　to　the　lake　above　named。　　In　order　to　do　this　we　were　obliged　to　choose　the　railway；　and　to　go　back　beyond　Richmond　to　the　station　at　Sherbrooke。　　Sherbrooke　is　a　large　village　on　the　confines　of　Canada；　and；　as　it　is　on　the　railway；　will　no　doubt　become　a　large　town。　　It　is　very　prettily　situated　on　the　meeting　of　two　rivers；　it　has　three　or　four　churches；　and　intends　to　thrive。　　It　possesses　two　newspapers；　of　the　prosperity　of　which　I　should　be　inclined　to　feel　less　assured。　　The　annual　subscription　to　such　a　newspaper；　published　twice　a　week；　is　ten　shillings。　　A　sale　of　a　thousand　copies　is　not　considered　bad。　　Such　a　sale　would　produce　500　pounds　a　year；　and　this　would；　if　entirely　devoted　to　that　purpose；　give　a　moderate　income　to　a　gentleman　qualified　to　conduct　a　newspaper。　　But　the　paper　and　printing　must　cost　something；　and　the　capital　invested　should　receive　its　proper　remuneration。　　And　thensuch　at　least　is　the　general　ideathe　getting　together　of　news　and　the　framing　of　intelligence　is　a　costly　operation。　　I　can　only　hope　that　all　this　is　paid　for　by　the　advertisements；　for　I　must　trust　that　the　editors　do　not　receive　less　than　the　moderate　sum　above　named。　　At　Sherbrooke　we　are　still　in　Lower　Canada。　　Indeed；　as　regards　distance；　we　are　when　there　nearly　as　far　removed　from　Upper　Canada　as　at　Quebec。　　But　the　race　of　people　here　is　very　different。　　The　French