Although There Were Horned Cattle At Quebec In 1623, Oxen For The Purpose
Of Ploughing The Land Were First Used On The 27th April, 1628.
"Some animals - cows, sheep, swine, &c. - had been imported as early as
1608.
In 1623, it is recorded that two thousand bundles of fodder were
brought from the pasture grounds at Cap Tourmente to Quebec for
winter use." - (Miles.)
On the 16th of July, 1665, [13] a French ship brought twelve horses. These
were doubtless the "mounts" of the brilliant staff of the Marquis de
Tracy, Viceroy. These dashing military followers of Colonel de Salieres,
this jeunesse doree of the Marquis de Tracy, mounted on these twelve
French chargers, which the aborigines named "the moose-deer (orignaux)
of Europe," doubtless cut a great figure at Quebec. Did there exist
Tandems, driving clubs, in 1665? Quien sabe? A garrison life in 1665-7
and its amusements must have been much what it was one century later, when
the "divine" Emily Montague [14] was corresponding with her dear "Colonel
Rivers," from her Sillery abode in 1766; she then, amongst the vehicles in
use, mentions, caleches. [15]
They were not all saints such as Paul Dupuy, [16] the patriarchal seigneur
of Ile-aux-Oies, these military swells of Colonel de Salieres! Major
Lafradiere, for instance, might have vied with the most outrageous rake in
the Guards of Queen Victoria who served in the colony two centuries
later.
If there were at Quebec twelve horses for the use of gentlemen, they were
doubtless not suffered to remain idle in their stables. The rugged paths
of the upper town were levelled and widened; the public highway ceased to
be reserved for pedestrians only. This is what we wanted to arrive at.
In reality, the streets of Quebec grew rapidly into importance in 1665.
Improvements effected during the administration of the Chevalier de
Montmagny had been highly appreciated. The early French had their Saint
Louis (Grande Allee), Saint Anne, Richelieu, D'Aiguillon, Saint John,
streets, to do honour to their Master, Louis XIII.; his Queen the
beautiful Anne of Austria; his astute Premier the Cardinal of Richelieu;
his pious niece la Duchesse D'Aiguillon; his land surveyor and engineer
Jehan or Jean Bourdon. This last functionary had landed at Quebec on the
8th August, 1634, with a Norman priest, the Abbe Jean LeSueur de Saint-
Sauveur, who left his surname (St. Sauveur) to the populous municipality
adjoining St. Roch suburbs. [17]
In the last and in the present century, St. Louis Street was inhabited by
many eminent persons. Chief Justice Sewell resided in the stately old
mansion, up to June 1881 occupied as the Lieutenant-Governor's offices;
this eminent jurist died in 1839. "One bright, frosty evening of January
1832," says Mr. Chauveau, "at the close of a numerously attended public
meeting held at the Ottawa Hotel, to protest against the arrest of Messrs.
Tracy, editor of the Vindicator, and Duvernay, editor of the Minerve,
the good citizens of Quebec, usually so pacific, rushed in a noisy
procession, led by a dozen students wearing tri-coloured ribbons in their
button-holes, and sang the Marseillaise and the Parisienne under the
windows of the Chief Justice, whose ear was little accustomed to such a
concert." The ermined sage, 'tis said, was so startled, that he made sure
a revolution was breaking out.
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