If the Catholic religion can do this, we shall call it, so far, the Christian religion. In front of a beautiful grove, on Point Levi, nearly opposite the city and within cannon shot, has been pointed out to us the field on which Arnold encamped after his arrival from the Kennebec.

But the scenery from our ship, more beautiful than all the rest, appears on the opposite side of the river, which here is three miles distant making a basin or bay below the city. Up the river (west), Quebec, both in its upper and lower towns appears in full view; with its forests of masts at the wharves of the latter, and its fortified walls around the former, tall spires shooting up from the churches, and the whole crowned by the natural dome on which the American Gibraltar, the Citadel, is built. Below the city, we see also the mouth of the St Charles as it unites with the St. Lawrence from the northwest.

Down river, tracing the circular shores of this basin nine miles, we notice a level and fertile country, cut into handsome farms, with a great road, settled like a village of white cottages the whole distance, till it reaches the Falls of Montmorenci, which are directly opposite us in full view. These Falls are a great natural curiosity, and no one would ever think of leaving Quebec without visiting them. Though not so large, they are thought by many to be better worth a view, than Niagara. From the position in which I write, I can give the reader a correct, but distant idea of them.

Suppose yourself to be looking across a bay of deep waters, three miles wide, to a shore which rises by a slate wall three hundred feet high, the horizontal line of it being as regular as the level surface of the adjacent bay. From this high bank, the land, as it recedes, rises very gradually

for miles, presenting a rich and cultivated appearance, equal to anything about our Yankee cities, till in the distance, well covered mountains appear at the north. In these mountains the Montmorenci river rises. Accumulating volume from tributary streams, as it passes amongst distant mountains and hills, when it reaches the plains, it has become about as large as the Kennebec, at Augusta. Slowly its deep waters move in their bed upon the gradually descending plains, till reaching the end of them at the river's brink, suddenly they are precipitated in one wide sheet over the nearly perpendicular wall, 240 feet, to the rocky beach of the St. Lawrence. It is, doubtless, the most perfect and magnificent cascade in the world. If an Augusta reader would suppose the Kennebec bridge raised two hundred and forty feet in the air, as a structure of solid masonry, with a rocky wall upon the lower side, varying just enough from a perpendicular to break the falling waters all the way and keep them in milky whiteness; if he would also suppose that by any contrivance of art or nature all the waters of the upper Kennebec could be incessantly poured in one wide sheet over that high structure and be precipitated into the chasm which itself had worn into the rocks below, he would have a tolerable idea of one interesting object that is always before our eyes from the ship's deck the famous Falls of Montmorenci.

It was on the plains of Montmorenci, between the Falls and the city, that Montcalm encamped with his army in 1759, waiting the tug of war with Wolfe. The great Island of Orleans lies at the foot of this basin or bay, in the middle of the St Lawrence. The head of the island is just below a direct line from us to the Falls of Mont

morenci. It is a cultivated and thickly settled Island where ships are built, &c. When Wolfe arrived from England, he landed on this Island with his troops. Ultimately, he removed across the northern channel of the St. Lawrence and encamped on the plains below the Falls, looking at Montcalm above them, the Montmorenci river alone separating the two armies. Finally, Wolfe crossed the stream and gave him battle, but with ill success. He was repulsed, and retreated to Orleans Island. Here he became quite discouraged, and it is said, sent word to England that he must give up all hope of ever taking Quebec. But his courage revived and he determined to meet Montcalm by stratagem. So he moved his fleet up river several miles, as if abandoning his operations on Quebec, and as if proceeding to join the English forces at Montreal. In the night, however, he dropped his fleet down river again, and landed his army on Abraham's Plains, just above the city. The stratagem succeeded. Montcalm, supposing it could be only a detachment of the enemy's force now upon the Plains, did not remove his army within the walls of the city to defend it by its cannon, but marched openly up to the Plains of Abraham, and there "caught a Tartar." Wolfe himself was there with his whole army, to fight the French, not behind the city walls, but in open field. They fought; both generals fell; but the English were victorious and have held Quebec and the Canadas to this day.

Though, when on ship-board, I am beyond the excitement of city life, yet even here I enjoy much the sight of Nature's glorious scenery; nor is the busy motion about the boom, and pier, and ships, destitute of interest. Day before yesterday, a splendid ship was launched from the

head of Orleans Island. She went off gracefully; but no sooner was she in the liquid element, than the current took her, and threw her upon the sharp rocks, near the yard where she was built. The tide rises and falls here twenty feet. When it was low water, there she was high and dry again, but on her beam ends, much injured. Last night, the merciless tide, resolved on her destruction, took her off again, and carried her down stream we know not how far-probably to be made a premature wreck of. It is a sad sight to see such a beautiful object the embodiment of so much labor and treasure -wrecked before answering the purposes of her existence. But thus it is even with humanity; many a youth, in strength and in beauty, suddenly parts with life, and is laid to moulder in the grave, without appearing to have accomplished the great purposes of his promising existence.

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There are many objects of curiosity and interest in Quebec, which I have not been able to speak of in my letters from this city-such as the Parliament House, which, by the way, is now having a new wing added to it, for the reception of the Provincial Legislature, that is to be removed from Toronto to Quebec next winter; the Bishop's Palace; the Governor's Garden; the Jesuit's College; the Nunneries, &c. There are two or three Market houses; but the principal markets are on squares and wharves, where women sit in carts - precisely such carts as we see Canadians hauling dirt in with us which are arranged in regular files in great numbers. The women sit on the coarse board seat facing the hinder part of the rude cart, and there expose for sale their vegetables, meats, butter, &c. Canadians are not Yankees, nor is Canadian style Yankee style. The streets are

generally narrow and dirty, and numerous dog carts are to be seen in all directions. A large majority of the lingo we hear in taverns, shops and markets, is in French. We wonder that English power in Canada has not been able to Anglicise the people. But French Catholicism, which early acquired the control, is no friend to English Episcopacy, or Yankee Puritanism; and it is to this circumstance, I suppose, we are to attribute the tardy advance of English customs and manners amongst the people.

I have been disappointed in all this country as an agricultural region. Better land does not lie out of doors, than is to be found from Lake Champlain to the St. Lawrence, and from Montreal to Quebec. I know the winters are long, and the summers short; yet no better grass, oats, rye, wheat, potatoes, turnips and other vegetables, are to be raised on our Continent, and no crops are surer or more abundant. I see no corn fields. I find the country, also, better settled than I expected, and giving more evidence of thrift and comfort. All the cottages up and down the river, and in the interior as far as we can see, are white, and have an air of neatness; they are, however, not generally painted houses, but whitewashed, and appear better at a distance than on a closer inspection. I can point to many parts of our own State that do not appear so independent and happy as the rural districts of the St. Lawrence. If this can be done by mongrel French in Canada, what can be done, or rather what may not be done, by Yankees on the more southern lands of the Aroostook?

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