Many May Not Be Aware That Our Forefathers Included
Under The Denomination Of Abraham's Heights That Plateau Of Comparatively
Level Ground Extending In A South-Easterly Direction From The Coteau
Ste.
Genevieve towards the lofty banks which line the River St.
Lawrence, covering the greatest part of the land on
Which subsequently
have been built the St. Lewis and St. John's suburbs, the hilly portion
towards the city and river, where stands the Asile Champetre; thence
south-east, being then called Buttes a Nepveu; the land close by, between
the Plains and Pointe a Puiseaux, as Cote St. Michael; the ascent from the
valley of the St. Charles towards this plateau was through the hill known
as Cote d'Abraham. The locality afterwards known as Woodfield and Spencer
Wood, in the fief of St. Michael, was designated as the wood of Sames,
thus called after a celebrated French ecclesiastic of Quebec, Bishop
Dosquet, who owned there a country seat in 1753 - then known as Sames -
later on, as Woodfield. To the west lay the Gomin Wood - which had taken
its name from a French botanist, Dr. Gomin, who had located himself on
land on which it is said, Coulonge Cottage was subsequently built in order
to study the Flora of Sillery, which is very varied and rich.
The old Sillery settlement, which lay within the limits of the parish of
Ste. Foye, was, in 1855, placed under the distinguished tutelage of a
Saint, dear to those who hail from the Emerald Isle, and called St.
Columba of Sillery. Thus the realms heretofore sacred to the Archangel,
St. Michael and to St. Joseph, have peaceably passed under the gentle sway
of St. Columba, despite the law of prescription. The British residents of
Sillery - and this ought to console sticklers for English precedents and
the sacredness of vested rights - did not permit the glory of the Archangel
to depart, and soon after the erection of St. Columbia into a parish, the
handsome temple of worship called St. Michael's church, came into
existence. [200]
OUR COUNTRY SEATS.
In the preceding paper a general sketch has been attempted of that portion
of the St. Lawrence highlands adjoining Quebec to the west - a locality
remarkable for the numerous residences it contains of "the nobility of
commerce," as a contemporary facetiously styles our merchants. We shall,
in the following go over a great portion of the same ground, delineating,
first the land area west of Quebec proper, where was fought the battle of
the 13th Sept., 1759, the Plains or Abraham, and next detail,
specifically, the most attractive of these country residences, enlarging
our canvass, however, so as to comprise also descriptions of rural homes
beyond the limits of Sillery. Many other abodes we would also desire to
take in these pages, but space precludes it. It is hoped we won't be
misunderstood in our literary project: far is it from our intention to
write a panegyric of individuals or a paean to success, although sketches
of men or domestic recollections may frequently find their place in the
description of their abodes.
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