Travels through the states of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 [Vol. 1 of 2]Weld, Isaac
History
Travels through the states of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 [Vol. 1 of 2]
Weld, Isaac
Canada -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; United States -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
It requires about five thousand soldiers to man the works at Quebec
completely. A large garrison is always kept in it, and abundance of
stores of every description. The troops are lodged partly in barracks,
and partly in block houses near Cape Diamond, which is the most elevated
part of the point, and is reckoned to be upwards of one thousand feet
above the level of the river. The Cape is strongly fortified, and may be
considered as the citadel of Quebec; it commands the town in every
direction, and also the plains at the outside of the walls. The evening
and morning guns, and all salutes and signals, are fired from hence.
Notwithstanding the great height of the rock above the river, water may
readily be had even at the very top of it, by sinking wells of a
moderate depth, and in some particular places, at the sides of the rock,
it gushes out in large streams. The water is of a very good quality.
No census has been lately taken of the number of houses and inhabitants
in Quebec; but it is supposed that, including the upper and lower towns
and suburbs, there are at least two thousand dwellings; at the rate of
six therefore to each house, the number of inhabitants would amount to
twelve thousand. About two thirds of the inhabitants are of French
extraction. The society in Quebec is agreeable, and very extensive for a
place of the size, owing to its being the capital of the lower province,
and therefore the residence of the governor, different civil officers,
principal lawyers, &c. &c. The large garrison constantly kept in it
makes the place appear very gay and lively.
The lower town of Quebec is mostly inhibited by the traders who are
concerned with the shipping, and it is a very disagreeable place. The
streets are narrow and dirty, and owing to the great height of the
houses in most of them, the air is much confined; in the streets next to
the water also, there is oftentimes an intolerable stench from the shore
when the tide is out. The upper town, on the contrary, is extremely
agreeable: from its elevated situation the air is as pure as possible,
and the inhabitants are never oppressed with heat in summer; it is far,
however, from being well laid out, the streets being narrow and very
irregular. The houses are for the most part built of stone, and except a
few, erected of late years, small, ugly, and inconvenient.
[Sidenote: GOVERNOR’S CHATEAU.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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