with a charming sincerity, that rendered communion with him increasingly delightful. The arcana of Canadian society he unfolded in its minutest features; and however perplexing some of his statements appeared, he affirmed them to be all true, and vanquished incredulity by evidence which no scepticism could deny.

In the following narrative, some of the contents of my own port-folio are conjoined with Diganu's details. To specify the distinctions is superfluous. All the circumstances are part of those annals which represent man as he is, not as fiction describes him. A flattering portrayer of Canada delineates the habitans upon the banks of the river Lawrence, as a gallant, high-principled, enlightened, and dignified race of mortals, of superior mental elevation and moral worth. To assume this standard of any nation, en masse, is overstepping the boundaries of veracity, and that it is totally inapplicable to the Gallic population of Lower Canada, is known to every individual who has not continued in a dead sleep, while making the grand northern tour. The ensuing pages depict Canadian personages, not in the imaginative embellishments of romance, but in the unadorned drapery of truth. Who of Diganu's actors strutted on the theatre of life, anterior to the capture of Quebec by Wolfe's army, and who are of a subsequent period, there is no clue to discover. His descriptions of the natural scenery are very correct: and some of his individual portraits and

narratives of events, I have frequently heard attested as matters of common notoriety.

That the perusal of this narrative may enhance the love of freedom, intelligence, purity and truth : and also render that triple unholy alliance, ignorance, error and corruption, more odious and repugnant, is the sincere desire of

THE EXCURSION.

"Amid the crowd, the hum, the shock of men,
To hear, to see, to feel and to possess,

And roam along, the world's tired denizen,
With none who bless us, none whom we can bless;
Minions of splendour shrinking from distress!
None who with kindred consciousness endued,
If we were not, would seem to smile the less,
Of all that flatter'd, follow'd, sought and sued:
This is to be alone-this, this is solitude!"

On the twenty-first day of December, 17—, Diganu and Chretien devoted the hours to a circuitous ride around Quebec, for the purpose of arranging the most agreeable mode to dissipate the approaching Christmas, in conformity with the Canadian customs. This is a

season of festivity, in which every species of sensual indulgence is admitted without restriction. Considerable preparation and expense, and all possible ingenuity, are impressed into the service to render the close of the year a period of jollity-a carnaval-when folly and vice rule in all the plenitude of sway. High mass having been chanted, the people think the Saviour is honoured in exact proportion to the extent of their criminal revelry. In these practices Diganu had been nurtured. All his ideas of religion were compressed within a point. Like every other orderly peaceable Canadian devotee, his creed of faith comprised but two articles-"I must believe only what the priest teaches; and when I die, I shall go where Le Pretre chooses to send me." His moral code was equally concise and edifying—“I must do all that the priest orders."

Thus the revolving years repeated the same unvarying routine. Dancing, gambling, and dissipation

for two weeks from Christmas-gormandizing, drinking and frolic, during several days before Lent-pretended fasting, confession of sin, and mumbling over the Ave Mary, until Good Friday-High Mass and every species of youthful gratification in full indulgence at Easter: with all the other annual minor repetitions of the same farce of religious buffoonerythe same drivelling comedy of low life, and the same heinous tragedy of spiritual crime. His companion on the ride to Charlebourg and Lorette, was of the true Canadian orthodox stamp; a creature reckless of the past, present, and future; who regularly practised all the exterior mummery which Le Pretre enjoined; and with no less confidence implicitly trusted his soul to the priest's safe keeping and clemency. They had completed all their arrangements, and in their carriole, with characteristic levity, were exulting in their anticipated delights at the ensuing festival. It was a moonlight evening, but the heavens were partially covered with those deep gray flitting clouds, which, in connexion with the luminous effects of the snow, give to the northern regions that peculiar aspect which the Canadian nights present: and which attach to objects, at a short distance, a shadowy indistinctness that excites indefinable emotions. When they arrived at the head of the dell of Lorette, through which the river Charles so impetuously rushes, their attention was absorbed by an object which deeply alarmed them; and Diganu remarked to his companion, "What is that figure upon yonder rock ?""What is it?" replied Chretien, "I know not; but it looks like a woman. We must ascertain."

As they rapidly crossed the stream, they discerned that it was a female figure. Her head was uncovered; her hair was disordered; she had none of the clothing