The country south of that river is level, also; but generally wooded with pines, birch, larch, and willows.

Both the eastern and western coasts of Labrador are bordered with innumerable islands. The country is every where uneven, rocky, or mountainous. The mountains are frequently very lofty, and almost devoid of every species of herbage. The vallies are sandy and unproductive.

Rivers. These are the Churchill, or Missinipi, whose general direction is about E. N. E. its length about 750 miles; the Severn, Albany, and Moose rivers.

The rivers of Labrador are generally small.

Lakes. West of Hudson bay lie numerous lakes discovered by Mr. Hearne. The largest are Doobaunt lake, Yath-Kyed lake, and North-lined lake.

LOWER CANADA.

Extent. LOWER CANADA lies between 61° and 71° W. lon and between 45° and 52° N. lat. Its greatest length from E. to W. is Its greatest breadth is about 450 miles; the average

800 miles. breadth is 250.

Boundaries. Bounded N. by New-Britain; E. by New-Britain and the gulf of St. Lawrence; S. by New-Brunswick, Maine, NewHampshire, Vermont, New-York and Upper Canada; W. by Upper Canada.

Divisions. This province is divided into 21 counties, which are subdivided into parishes.

Historical Epochs. 1497. Discovered by John Cabot, a Venetian, in the service of the English.

1608. Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence as far as a strait, called, by the Indians, Quebec, where, on the 3d of July, he began to build, and here he passed the following winter. At this time the settlement of Canada commenced.

1759. Sept. 13. An English army, under gen. Wolfe, made a successful attack on Quebec, which surrendered on the 18th.

1760. The whole province of Canada surrendered to gen. Amherst, and was confirmed to Great Britain by the treaty of 1763, under whose dominion it has since continued.

1775. Canada was invaded by a body of provincial troops under gen. Montgomery; Montreal was taken, and an unsuccessful attempt made upon Quebec, in which the general was slain and his troops routed.

1778.* An act was passed by the parliament of Great Britain, expressly restraining itself forever, from imposing any taxes or duties in the colonies, except for the regulation of trade, the produce of which taxes, or duties to be diposed of by the provincial asscmblies.

In the 18th year of George IIL

1784. Canada was made the seat of a general government, to which the other provinces were, in a manner, made subject.

1791. Upper and Lower Canada were divided, and each constituted a distinct government independent of the other.

Religion. About nine tenths of the inhabitants are Roman CathOf the remaining tenth the greater part are Episcopalians. A few are Presbyterians. There are 15 clergymen of the church of England in the province, with a bishop at their head, and about 140 Roman Catholic, who also have a bishop. The catholics have 11 missionary stations in different parts of the British dominions, which are supplied with missionaries. There are 3 ministers of the church of Scotland, 1 at Quebec, 1 at Montreal, and I at NewOswegatchie.

Government. The governor general of British America, is the ordinary governor. He is appointed by the crown, A lieutenant governor chosen in the province executes that office in his absence.

The legislature is made up of a legislative council and an assem→ bly, who with the governor, have power to make laws. The legis lative council is composed of 15 members, who hold their seats for life; unless forfeited by 4 years continual absence, or by swearing allegiance to some foreign power. They are appointed by the governor general with the approbation of the king. The house of assembly consists of 50 members in the several towns and counties. The governor with some of the council selected by the crown, constitute the high court of appeals in the province.

Population. The number of inhabitants, in Lower Canada, in 1783, was by actual enumeration 113,012. The number, in 1806, was, according to Mr. Heriot, 150,000. In 1811, they were estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000.† The greater part of these are descendents of the original French colonists. We are not cer tain whether the aborigines are included in this estimation; but believe they are not. Their number is probably about 20,000

Army. The militia of Lower Canada is organized in 30 divisions) with their proper officers. Eight of these divisions are within the district of Quebec, 3 in that of Three Rivers, 6 in that of the Eastern townships, and 13 in that of Montreal.

Revenue. The only revenue to Great Britain arises from an advantageous commerce. The expenses of the civil list amount to 25,000/. sterling, one half paid by the province, the other by Great Britain; of the military establishments, with repairs of forts, to. 100,000l. of presents to the savages, and salaries to officers employed in trading with them, to 100,000l. more.

Language. The French is universally spoken. The English is restricted to the few British and American settlers.

Universities. Of these there are two, one at Quebec, the other. at Montreal, both belonging to the Roman Catholics, and respectable institutions, well endowed, and furnished with learned profes

'sors.

Quebec Almanac for 1811.

+ Ibid.

Cities and Towns. QUEBEC is the capital of the province. It stands on a point of land on the northwest side of the river St. Lawrence, lat. 46 48 39 north, lon. 71 12 6 west, at its confluence with the river St. Charles and about 320 miles from the sea and 180 from Montreal.* The streets are irregular, uneven, narrow, and unpaved. The houses are almost universally of stone, small, ugly, and inconvenient. The fortifications are extensive but irregular. A large garrison is maintained, but 5000 soldiers would be neces sary to man the works. The number of inhabitants, in 1806, was 15,000. The St. Lawrence, opposite the town, is only a mile wide. A little below it widens to 4 or 5 leagues, and continues that width to the sea. It forms here a safe and commodious bason for ships, and is from 20 to 25 fathoms deep.

MONTREAL, stands on the east side of an island in the river St. Lawrence, which is 30 miles long, and 12 broad. The town is 200 below lake Ontario, and 180 miles above Quebec, in lat. 43 35 north, lon. 73 11 west, at the head of ship navigation. The St. Lawrence is 3 miles wide at this place. The city forms an oblong square surrounded by a wall. The houses stand on a side hill, and may be seen at one view, from the harbor. The number of inhabitants in 1809 was estimated at 16,000. The distance of the town from the southeast bank of the river is half a league.

TROIS RIVIERES is pleasantly situated on the northern side of the St. Lawrence, 50 miles southwest of Quebec.

La Prairie is a little village on the opposite side of the river to Montreal.

Sorelle lies 45 miles below Montreal, and contains 100 scattered houses. Its chief business is ship building.

Inland Navigation. There are two routes westward to fort Chepewyan, the great rendezvous of the western traders. The southern is up the St. Lawrence and the lakes to the falls of St. Mary. The other is up the Ottawas to the mouth of Little river, up that river 45 miles; thence by land to lake Nepisingui 10 miles; thence down that lake and French river, and across by the northern shore of lake Huron, to the falls of St. Mary. This last route is alone taken by the men employed in the fur trade. The other is taken to transport merchandize for the western country to Detroit and Michilimackinac.

The river Sorelle connects lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence between Montreal and Quebec, and furnishes the former of these two towns an advantageous connection with the northern parts of New-York and Vermont.

Manufactures and Commerce. Ship-building is carried on at Quebec and at Sorelle with considerable success. Flour, biscuit, and pot-ash, are extensively manufactured for exportation. The sugar consumed in the interior is all of it manufactured from the juice of the maple. A few coarse linen and woollen cloths are manufactured for home consumption.

• Quebec Almanac for 1811,
↑ Heriot,

In 1802 the exports exceeded half a million sterling. Besides furs and fish there were exported in that year 1,010,000 bushels of wheat, 38,000 barrels of flour, 32,000 cwt. of biscuit, large quantities of potash, and considerable quantities of American ginseng. In the export of these articles 211 vessels were employed, amounting to 36,000 tons. The substantial articles of export in 1810 were peltries, lumber, flour, pork, and beef. The vessels cleared in that year were 661. Their tonnage amounted to 143,893; their seamen to 6,578.

The fur trade has become a very interesting object. The Northwest company was formed in 1783. They employ in the concern 50 clerks, 71 interpreters and clerks, 1120 canoe-men, 35 guides, and about 140 canoes. Each canoe will carry about 8,400 lbs. weight, and is navigated by 8 or 10 men.

The produce of 1810, consisted of the following furs and peltries. 98,523 Beaver skins

2,536

Fisher skins

327 Lynx do.

517 Wolverine.do. Climate and Seasons.

1,833 Swan do.

2,684 Hare do.

Winter commences early in Novem

ber, and lasts till April. The ice on the rivers is usually two feet thick, and that close to the banks of the St. Lawrence, is commonly 6 feet. The snow usually lies from 4 to 6 feet deep.

Face of the Country. Lower Canada is every where hilly, and in many places mountainous. Far the greater part of the country is still covered with forests.

Soil and Agriculture. The soil is generally a loose, blackish earth, ten or twelve inches thick, covering a bed of clay. It is very fertile. Marl is employed as a manure, and is found in great abundance on the banks of the St. Lawrence. Wheat is raised in large quantities for exportation. Barley, rye, and other sorts of grain are productive. A little tobacco is raised for private use. Culinary vegetables thrive very well. The meadows, which are weil watered, yield excellent grass, and feed great numbers of large and small cattle.

Rivers. These are the St Lawrence, the Sorelle, the Saguenai, and Black rivers.

The Connecticut runs a little distance in this province. These rivers may be traced on the map.

Botany. The trees of New-England, with the exception of the various species of oak, are found in both Canadas, but generally inferior in their size. Evergreens predominate in the forests.

Zoology. See this article under the head United States.

Natural Curiosities. The falls of Montmorency are situated upon a river of the same name, which empties into the St. Lawrence on its northeasterly side, in the district of Beaupour, about 3 leagues below Quebec. They are 20 rods from the confluence of the two

rivers, and may be distinctly viewed as you sail down the St. Lawrence. The river is 50 yards wide, and so rapid, that the quantity of water is very great. About 50 feet above the perpendicular cascade, the water begins to tumble over rocks at an angle of 45°, till it arrives at its great leap; where it falls in one unbroken, uninterrupted sheet to the bottom. The height of the perpendicular fall is 240 feet.

NEWFOUNDLAND ISLAND.

Situation and Extent. NEWFOUNDLAND limits the northeastern side of the gulf of St. Lawrence. It is separated from New-Britain by the straits of Belleisle, and from Cape Breton by the principal mouth of the gulf. It lies between lat. 46 45 and 52 31 N. and between lon. 52 31 and 59 40 W. Its length is 381 miles, and its breadth varies from 40 to 287. Its shape is triangular. 1497. Sebastian Cabot discovered the island.

Settlement.

1504. Some French fishermen came upon the coast, and fished upon the banks.

1610. Mr. John Guy, with 39 others, began a settlement at Conception bay. Guy was employed by the London and Bristol company. Previous to this time Placentia was settled by the French. 1613. By the treaty of Utrecht Newfoundland was acknowledged by the French to belong to England..

Government. The admiral on the coast is the governor of the island, under the governor general of the British provinces.

Population. The population in 1805, was 24,922, of whom 8000 were Roman Catholics. It is now not less than 30,000. The greater part of the men are employed in the fishery. The Indians are considerably numerous; probably more than 1000.

Towns. Placentia stands on a large bay of the same name on the southern end, near the eastern side of the island. The bay is an excellent harbor, and is much resorted to by the fishing ships. The number of inhabitants is about 3000.

St. John's lies on the eastern side, near the southern end of the island, in lat. 47 35 N. lon. 52 20 W. It is about the size of Placentia.

Bonavista stands on the eastern side, near the middle of the island, on Bonavista bay, in lat. 49 20, lon. 53 25.

Fishing Banks. The Grand Bank lies 60 miles from the southeastern shore. It is 300 miles long and 75 broad. To the east of this lies False Bank. The next is Green Bank, 240 miles long and 120 broad; then Banquas, about the same size; then Sand Island Shoals, Whale Bank, and Bank of St. Peters, with several others of less note. These banks extend from lat. 41° to 49° N.

Harbors. There are about 20 bays and harbors on the coast. They are all complete anchoring places, being clear of rocks, and having a good bottom.

Fishery. There are two fishing seasons. That on the shore