Impressions of America During the Years 1833, 1834 and 1835. Volume 2 (of 2)Power, Tyrone
History
Impressions of America During the Years 1833, 1834 and 1835. Volume 2 (of 2)
Power, Tyrone
Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
In the course of our progress we ran into two or three of the sweetest
bays imaginable, where the calm lake was shadowed by steep mountains,
down whose sides leaped little tributary streams that rushed sparkling
and foaming into its turbid bosom.
It is most certain that, had these beauties been given to England or to
Scotland, they would each and all have been berhymed and bepainted until
every point of real or imaginable loveliness had been exhausted: for
myself, I have looked on many lakes, and by none have been more
delightfully beguiled than by a contemplation of this during some nine
hours of sunshine, sunset, and twilight, the last alone too brief.
Atmosphere, I am aware, does much; and this was one of those lovely days
whose influence expands the heart and takes the reason prisoner.
After quitting Burlington, where we encountered the returning
steam-boat, and received a large accession of force, I retired to my
berth, and enjoyed the soundest possible sleep.
_Tuesday, 2nd._--On deck at six A.M.: found the lake had assumed a
river-like appearance; the channel narrow, the banks low and swampy. The
day, too, was as much changed as the scene from yesterday, for a
drizzling rain was falling, and the clouds looked heavy and threatening.
As we neared St. John's, we had a slight custom-house visitation; and,
soon after landing, were served with an excellent breakfast; after which
came the bustle of departure. A string of carriages, of the same build
used throughout the States, occupied half the little street, all loading
heavily with baggage and bipeds, till by nine we got in motion, forming
quite a caravan.
The road lay for a time along the bank of the new canal destined to
unite the head-waters of the lake with the St. Lawrence, and was a
pleasant succession of ditch and bog-hole. It got better after a few
miles' jolting, but was nowhere tolerable, or creditable to his
Majesty's dominions.
On entering La Prairie, at noon, we found the good people annoyed by a
visitation which had not yet reached St. John's, namely, myriads of a
winged insect called the shad-fly; these covered and crowded every
building, filled the water and the air; they lodged on your clothes,
rendered sight difficult, and speaking impracticable, except with closed
teeth. Luckily, these flies neither sting nor bite; so that, setting
aside their appearance, and a certain tickling they inflict upon the
neck and face, they are easily borne with. At half-past one P.M. the
steamer Britannia quitted the port of La Prairie to cross the wide St.
Lawrence, to where our Land of Promise, Montreal, lay glittering in
sunshine some nine miles distant.
Half an hour landed us, and I received the pleasure of a grip of welcome
from my old friend W----w, who, with two or three of his
brother-officers, was on the look-out for me. Leaving my baggage to the
care of Sam, I stepped into the boat, and at once accompanied W----w to
St. Helen's, lying about half a mile from the main land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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