north america-1-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


r　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　population　had　made　their　way　down　into　these　townships　before　the　English　and　American　war　broke　out；　but　had　not　done　so　in　great　numbers。　　The　country　was　then　very　unapproachable；　being　far　to　the　south　of　the　St。　Lawrence；　and　far　also　from…any　great　line　of　internal　communication　toward　the　Atlantic。　　But；　nevertheless；　many　settlers　made　their　way　in　here　from　the　Statesmen　who　preferred　to　live　under　British　rule；　and　perhaps　doubted　the　stability　of　the　new　order　of　things。　　They　or　their　children　have　remained　here　since；　and；　as　the　whole　country　has　been　opened　up　by　the　railway；　many　others　have　flocked　in。　　Thus　a　better　class　of　people　than　the　French　hold　possession　of　the　larger　farms；　and　are　on　the　whole　doing　well。　　I　am　told　that　many　Americans　are　now　coming　here；　driven　over　the　borders　from　Maine；　New　Hampshire；　and　Vermont　by　fears　of　the　war　and　the　weight　of　taxation。　　I　do　not　think　that　fears　of　war　or　the　paying　of　taxes　drive　many　individuals　away　from　home。　　Men　who　would　be　so　influenced　have　not　the　amount　of　foresight　which　would　induce　them　to　avoid　such　evils；　or；　at　any　rate；　such　fears　would　act　slowly。　　Laborers；　however；　will　go　where　work　is　certain；　where　work　is　well　paid；　and　where　the　wages　to　be　earned　will　give　plenty　in　return。　　It　may　be　that　work　will　become　scarce　in　the　States；　as　it　has　done　with　those　poor　jewelers　at　Attleborough　of　whom　we　spoke；　and　that　food　will　become　dear。　　If　this　be　so；　laborers　from　the　States　will　no　doubt　find　their　way　into　Canada。　From　Sherbrooke　we　went　with　the　mails　on　a　pair…horse　wagon　to　Magog。　　Cross…country　mails　are　not　interesting　to　the　generality　of　readers；　but　I　have　a　professional　liking　for　them　myself。　　I　have　spent　the　best　part　of　my　life　in　looking　after；　and　I　hope　in　improving；　such　mails；　and　I　always　endeavor　to　do　a　stroke　of　work　when　I　come　across　them。　　I　learned　on　this　occasion　that　the　conveyance　of　mails　with　a　pair　of　horses；　in　Canada；　costs　little　more　than　half　what　is　paid　for　the　same　work　in　England　with　one　horse；　and　something　less　than　what　is　paid　in　Ireland；　also　for　one　horse。　　But　in　Canada　the　average　pace　is　only　five　miles　an　hour。　　In　Ireland　it　is　seven；　and　the　time　is　accurately　kept；　which　does　not　seem　to　be　the　case　in　Canada。　　In　England　the　pace　is　eight　miles　an　hour。　　In　Canada　and　in　Ireland　these　conveyances　carry　passengers；　but　in　England　they　are　prohibited　from　doing　so。　In　Canada　the　vehicles　are　much　better　got　up　than　they　are　in　England；　and　the　horses　too　look　better。　　Taking　Ireland　as　a　whole；　they　are　more　respectable　in　appearance　there　than　in　England。　　From　all　which　it　appears　that　pace　is　the　article　that　costs　the　highest　price；　and　that　appearance　does　not　go　for　much　in　the　bill。　　In　Canada　the　roads　are　very　bad　in　comparison　with　the　English　or　Irish　roads；　but；　to　make　up　for　this；　the　price　of　forage　is　very　low。　I　have　said　that　the　cross…mail　conveyances　in　Canada　did　not　seem　to　be　very　closely　bound　as　to　time；　but　they　are　regulated　by　clock…