It
Would Appear The Roystering Middies, Having Sacrificed Copiously To The
Rosy God, After Rising From A Masonic Dinner In
The Albion Hotel, in
Palace street, had noticed the "General" by the pale moonlight, looking
very seedy, and considering that
A sea voyage would set him up, had
carried him on board. The General was driven down in a caleche by Colvin
of St. Louis street - a carter - through Palace Gate, standing erect; the
sentry presenting arms, as if he were saluting the officer of the night.
He was safely introduced through a port-hole, the seaman of the watch,
shaking his head knowingly, saying - "One of our swells pretty tight, I
guess." From Halifax "General Wolfe" sailed for Bermuda - thence to
Portsmouth, at both of which places he was jauntily set up as a signboard;
a short time after he was re-shipped to Halifax, packed in a box, with his
extended arm sawn off lying by his side. Fearing, however, the anger of
the Quebec authorities, the "General" was painted afresh and returned by
the "Unicorn" steamer, "Cape Douglas," which plied between the Lower
Ports, - with the "Inconstants'" best regards to their Quebec friends, and
best wishes for the General's health and safety.
The following extract from the journal of the venerable Jas. Thompson, the
last survivor of Wolfe's army, who expired at the ripe age of 98 years - in
1830, throws light on this matter. This anecdote was reduced to writing,
and by request forwarded by him to His Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie,
through his A.D.C. and brother Col. Ramsay. "We had a loyal fellow in
Quebec, one George Hipps, a butcher, who owned that house at the corner of
Palace and John streets, still called 'Wolfe's Corner,' and as it happened
to have a niche, probably for the figure of a saint, [348] he was very
anxious to fill it up, and he thought he could have nothing better than a
statue of General Wolfe; but he did not know how to set about getting one.
At last he found out two French sculptors, who were brothers - of the name
of Cholette, and asked me if I thought I could direct them how to make a
likeness of the General in wood. I said I would, at all events, undertake
it, and accordingly the Cholettes tried to imitate several sketches I gave
them; but they made but a poor job of it after all; for the front face is
no likeness at all, and the profile is all that they could hit upon. The
body gives but a poor idea of the General, who was tall and straight as a
rush. So that after my best endeavors to describe his person, and I knew
it well, for which purpose I attended every day at their workshop which
was in that house in St. Louis street where the Misses Napier are now
(1828) residing, [349] and which is somewhat retired from the line of the
street, the shop itself being on the projecting wing - I say that we made
but a poor "General Wolfe" of it. It has been several times - the house
being only one storey high - pulled down by mischievous persons and broken,
and as often repaired by the several owners of the house; and, much to
their credit be it spoken, it still keeps its ground, and I hope it will
do so until the monument is finished. [350]
"I suppose that the original parts of the statue must be as rotten as a
pear and would be mouldered away if it was not for their being kept so
bedaubed with paint."
Note. - Officers of H.B.M. frigate "Inconstant," Capt. Pring: 1st Lieut.
Hope; Lieutenants and other officers, - Sinclair, Erskine, Curtis,
Connolly, Dunbar, McCreight, Sharpe, Stevens, Hankey, Shore, Barnard,
West, Tonge, Prevost, Amphlett, Haggard, Tottenham, Maxfield, Paget, Kerr,
Herbert, Jones, Montgomery. Mr. James was purser. L. de Tessier Prevost is
now high in command, having distinguished himself in the Indian seas,
capturing pirates: West and others are admirals, (1870).
[See page 197.]
2 Sept, 1796. VENTE D'UNE NEGRESSE PAR FRANCIS BELLET A TH. LEE
Pardevant le Notaire Public en la Province du Bas Canada, residant a St-
Denis sur la riviere et comte Richelieu, soussigne et temoins enfin
nommes, fut present Messire Louis Payet pretre, Cure de la paroisse de St-
Antoine au nord de la riviere Richelieu, lequel a constitue pour son
procureur special M. Francois Bellet, capitaine de batiment, residant en
la ville de Quebec, pour vendre pour et au nom du dit constituant et a son
plus grand avantage qu'il pourra faire, une negresse d'environ trente et
une annees, appelee Rose, appartenant au dit constituant par achat devant
M. J. Pierre Gautier, notaire a Montreal, en date du mois mars 1795, dont
il s'oblige remettre l'expedition si besoin est a la premiere Requisition,
pour le prix et somme que le dit procureur en trouvera du recu donner
toute quittance valable et raisonable, approuvant d'avance comme alors,
tout ce que ce dit procureur aura fait concernant la dite vente, ce fut
ainsi fait et passe a St-Denis, etude du notaire soussigne, l'an mil sept
cent quatre-vingt seize le deux de septembre avant midi presence des Srs.
Charles Gariepy et Jean-Baptiste Gosselin au dit lieu, temoins a ce
appelle, qui ont signe avec Messire Louis Payet et notaire soussigne,
ainsi signe Charles Gariepy, Jean-Bte. Gosselin, L. Payet, Chs. Michaud
Nre. Pc. a la minute des presentes demeuree en la Garde et possession du
dit notaire soussigne.
CHS. MICHAUD.
Nre. Pc.
Par devant les notaires publics en la province du Bas Canada residens a
Quebec soussignes.
Fut present M. Francis Bellet demeurant en sa maison, rue sous le Fort, en
cette ville, lequel en vertu de la procuration ci-dessus et precedentes
pages reconnait et declare avoir vendu et vendre a M. Thomas Lee du dit
Quebec, la nommee Rose, negresse, denommee et designee en la dite
obligation, pour prix et somme de cinq cents livres de vingt sols et de la
lui delivrer incessement le dit Sieur acquereur declarant la connaitre et
l'accepter, et a paye les dites cinq cents livres au dit Sieur vendeur en
billet de la dite somme, ordre du dit sieur Bellet, lequel acquitte, la
presente vente le sera aussi, Quebec, neuvieme septembre en l'office de M.
Dumas, Notaire, l'an mil sept cent quatre-vingt seize et ont signe,
lecture faite avec les dits notaires
FRANCOIS BELLET
THOMAS LEE.
CHS.
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