Vessel, is supposed on good authority to have been the site of
the old bridge (a little higher up than the present), called Dorchester
Bridge, where there is a ford at low water, close to the Marine Hospital.
That it was on the east bank, not far from the former residence of Chas.
Smith, Esq., is evident from the river having been frequently crossed by
the natives coming from Stadacona, to visit their French guests."
(Hawkins' Picture of Quebec, p. 47) The Abbe Faillon in his elaborate
work - Histoire de la Colonie Francaise au Canada, 1865 - in some valuable
notes on Jacques Cartier, p. 496, discusses the erroneous views of
Charlevoix and Father Leclerc, and corroborates the accepted belief about
the St. Charles and not the Jacques Cartier River, as being the spot where
the great discoverer wintered in 1535-36.
[287] Would this river be the Lairet or the St. Charles? We like to give
every circumstance calculated to throw light thereon: writers seem to
agree that Jacques Cartier, wintered in the St. Charles, as Champlain
says, in his edition of 1632, on the Jesuits' property - it may, however,
have been a few acres to the east or west of the spot generally indicated.
[288] "Le Capitaine fit renforcer le Fort tout a l'entour de gros fosses,
larges, et profonds avec porte a pont-levis et renforts de rangs ou pans
de bois au contraire des premiers. Et fut ordonne pour le guet de la
nuit.... cinquante hommes a quatre quarts, et a chacun changement des dits
quarts les trompettes sonnantes; ce qui fut fait selon la dite
ordonnance." - Voyage de Jacques Cartier, page 52.
[289] It is evident that the Beauport entrenchments were to be on a vast
scale In those days of corvees and forced labor, when it was merely
necessary to command de par le roi, it was easy to bring together
large bodies of men. "M. de Montcalm arrive a Quebec (from Montreal),
commanda tout le monde pour travailler a des retrenchements qui furent
traces vers une paroisse nominee Beauport. Comme il pensait que ces
ouvrages ne seraient pas en etat avant l'arrivee des vaisseaux anglais, ce
qui pourrait etre d'un jour a l'autre, il envoya un ordre a M. de Levis,
qui etait a Montreal, de commander, generallement, tous les hommes de ce
gouvernement a de descendre a Quebec, et qu'on avait besoin d'un coup de
main. Il envoya a cet egard des ordres precis et conformes, dans tontes
les paroisses, qui mirent tout le monde en mouvement." (Memoirs sur les
affaires du Canada, 1749-1760.) Finally, Vaudreuil decided that
Montreal would furnish 1,500 men only for this service.
[290] This bake-house appears to have been somewhere at the foot of
Abraham's Hill.
[291] It crossed the St Charles a little higher than the Marine Hospital,
exactly at the foot of Crown Street.
[292] A small bridge supported on masonry has since been built on this
spot, exactly across the main road, at Brown's mills, Beauport.
[293] The Great River. Such was the name the Lorette Huron Indians
pressed Hon. Mr. Panet to take when they elected him their honorary chief.
[294] A famous Chasseur of Lake St. Charles.
[295] Robert Buchanan's fine lines describe well the sudden coming of
winter:
"Then, with a gust,
Old Winter tumbled shrieking from the hills,
His white Hair flowing in the wind."
[296] Emma Duchesnay, wife of Robt. LeMoine, Esq., Ottawa, was the last
born there.
[297] Beauport Church, it is said, was built on this Fief du Buisson.
[298] "Une chandelle faite avec la graisse d'un pendu."
[299] Le mot chirurgien - qui etait la profession de Gifart, se presente
naturellement, mais l'article manque....Oh! le C, si c'etait un R? plus de
doute l'affaire serait claire.
[300] NOTE. - In a parliamentary Document of 1852, it is stated to have
been conceded on 15th January, 1634.
[301] By an ordinance of the Special Council, obtained through Sir Poulet
Thompson, in the troublous times of 1838-41, these gentlemen made safe
their well-beloved charter.
[302] Mr. Ryland, writing to Sir James Craig under date 22nd August, 1810,
thus describes his interview with the Ministers of State, the Earl of
Liverpool, Lord Bathurst, Mr. Percival, Mr. Peel, Lord Camden, the Marquis
of Wellesey, &c "On entering the room I found it was a meeting of the
Cabinet Ministers, eight in number, Lord Liverpool desired me to take a
seat between him and Mr. Percival.... I then repeated an observation I had
made in my first interview with Lord Liverpool, concerning Bedard in
particular as the leader of the anti-government party, who has now so
committed himself as to render it impossible he be employed....
"H. W. RYLAND."
(Christie's History of Canada.)
[303] MR. RYLAND TO SIR J. H. CRAIG, K.B.
London, 14th August, 1810.
"Dear Sir, - I yesterday had the honor to dine with the Earl of Liverpool
at Coombe Wood; the party consisted of His Lordship, Lady Liverpool, Lord
and Lady Bathurst, Lord Ashley and his sister, I believe, Sir Joseph and
Lady Banks, Mr. Peel the Under-Secretary of State, and a lady whose name I
do not recollect.
I had some conversation with Mr. Peel, before dinner, concerning the state
of things in Canada, and I was mortified to find that he had but an
imperfect idea of the subject....
He told me that he had read Lord Granville's despatch of October, 1789, to
Lord Dorchester, which I had recommended to his attention, and he seemed
to think a re-union of the Provinces a desirable object....
H. W. RYLAND."
(Christie's History of Canada.)
[304] In 1871, Mr. John Henderson Galbraith expired at Mount Lilac,
leaving to his widow his beautiful country-seat, on which he had expended
some $25,000.
