The Quebec directory, for 1822 : containing an alphabetical list of the merchants, traders, and house keepers, etc. Within the city, to which is prefixed a descriptive sketch of the town together with an appendix containing an abstract of the regulations of police, etc. etc., 1 janvier 1822, Descriptive sketch of Quebec

[" DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH CITY OF QUEBEC.\u2014\u2014 THE City of Quebec is fituated in 46 deg.| 48 minutes North Latitude, and 71 deg.10\u201d minutes West of Greenwich.It is the Capital of Lower Canada, and the largest Town in British America, Its peculiar situation and natural strength render it of the first importance, being the strongest fortified Town in North America.The whole City is a complete Garrison, the Upper Town being surrounded by immense Fortifications which protect the Lower Town.The St Lawrence which flows on one side of the City and one of the largest Rivers in the \u2018World, was visited by Jacques Cartier in 1585, who sailed up the stream as far as Montreal, 180 Miles above Quebec.Seventy three years-after- wards, viz: in 1608, Quebec was founded under the protection of the French Government, in whose hands it remained until October 18th 1759, when it was taken after a most sanguinary battle by the British Forces, under the command of the intrepid General Wolfe\u2014This young commander was mortally voue at the commence. 2 ment of the engagement, which took place on the Plains of- Abraham, about two miles West of the City, and breathed \"his last, just at the moment \u2018of Victory.Montcalm, the French General lost his life in the same action.Since that time Quebec has been in the possession of the English, and a strong and a respectable body of troops are always garrisoned within the Cisy.The soil around Quebec is of rather an inferior quality ; the principal lands being stony or shingly ; and in many places large tracts of sandy soil covered with a shght coat of vegetable mould, Near the Mountains the soil is better, being light and loamy ; these lands are easily cleared and very productive.The country is fast settling in\u201d those places where there is a prospect to the hue bandmen of meeting with sufficient remuneration for their labours.\u2014To Emigrants who feel disposed to.turn their attention to agriculture every encouragement is given.\u201cThey are located on some of the best tracts bf land in the neighbourhood, and when actuated by motives of industry and economy, have invariably met with success.The climate is similar to those \u2018Countries on the Continent of Europe, between 10 and.15 degrees farther South.The temperature varies at present from 30 below zero to between 90 and 100 above it of Farenheit.\"In common seasons the cold seldom exceeds 20 below zero ; and the heat from 80 to 90.About 70 or 80 years ago the extreme of cold was.stated at 36 below zero of Farenheit.In Winter the variation in a few minutes has been known to-exceed 50 degrees.On the 18th January 1810, a remarkable in- $ stance of this occurred, when the thermometer stoad a few degrees below temperate, and almost instantaneously fell below zero.The change in summer is frequently as abrupt.A slight degree of frost happens almost every month during the Summer.About a month after the renewal of vegetation, fruit trees are in full bloom.All sorts of grain are sowed in the Spring: wheat first, then peas, oats, &c.Wheat generally ripens in three or four months, and all the vegetable productions which thrive in Europe, prosper when introduced into Canada, if cultivated with' care and judgment.- Wheat is the chief agricultural production of the Country, yet an instance seldom occurs that the other necessary vegetable productions cannot be obtained in the Markets.A few ycars back large quantities of grain were exported to foreiga Markets, which was of great benefit to the Country.At present there is but a small quantity shipped from Canada.This may be owing to the natural disadvantages the country labours under, when compared to the United States of Americasfor supplying Foreign Markets; and\u2019 - the additional restrictions by the present Corn Laws of Great Britain.Animal food is abundant, and the prices lower than in any part of North America.The farmers of Lower Canada are chiefly Canadians: they are a happy loyal people, strongly attached to their religion (which is Roman Catholic) laws, customs, and manners; and utterly 2 gl , 4 averse to innovations.Ambition and envy creaté no unreal wants or enjoyments.To uncontroul- able evils, they submit with resignation.To their equals they are friendly and obliging ; inferiors are unknown to them for they may justly be styled a land of brethren : they acknowledge their superiors, and are respectful to them, but they expect a corresponding attention in return ; when such omissions occur they are seldom for given, however high the rank or station of the offender.The Canadians are of a middle stature ; firm and active capable of great fatigue and privations.\u2018They are supported under these by the gaiety of their dispqgitions.In wordly affairs they reason and act from experience, their own feelings, or some long received maxims.In spiritual concerns they are guided by their Curate; who if he wishes to remain on good terms with them must meddle with nothing else.* The following description of Quebec is taken from Herio\u2019s History of Canada, an elegant work published in London in 1807, with the necessary additions which have taken place since that period.\\ è In the year 1608 Samuel de Champlain vi- fited the country, and after furveying the borders of the river for the choice of a fituation for a fettiement, gave the preference to an clevated promontory, between-the St.Lawrence and the {mall river St.Charles.\u201cThe precedin is chiefly taken from a brief account of Canada written ia 1811 for the British Be Royal Kalendar, - 8 - The fpot which Champlain designed as the foundation of a future City, did no lefs credit to his judgment than to his tafte.Its fuperior altitude and natural ftrength afforded the advantage of its being rendered by the labours of skilful engineers, a refpectable and formidable fortrefs.Cape Diamond,* the fummit of the promontory rifes abruptly on the fouth to the height of 350 perpendicular feet above the River ; advances from the line of the banks on the weft, and forms the Anse-des-Meres a {mall harbour occupied for the purpofe of ship-building.Some uneven ground fubfides into a valley between the works and the heights- of Abraham : on the latter there are natural elevations, which are about the.fame height of the grounds within the fortifications.Several ftrong towers are erected on the high lands outfide the walls on the weft, which will ferve to check the advance of an enemy thould the town ever be attacked from that quarter.: In 1690 Quebec was fortified with eleven stone redoubts, together with feveral block-hou- fes ; Thefe works are now in ruins.The Citadel is now conftruéted on the higheft part of Cape Diamond.The corps of Royal Engineers are daily making great additions to its.strength, which in the courfe of a few years will render it one of the.meft formidable fertreffes in the world.cat, .When viewed from a finall diftance they exhibit a handfeme as well as formidable appedr- * This Cape receised 11s name from a species of rock crystal found embedded in it.: - 6 ance.A fteep rugged bank, about 50 feet in height terminates the ditch and glacis on the north, towards which the ground flopes downwards from Cape Diamond mearly 300 feet in a diftance of 900 yards.Along the fummit of the bank a ftrong wall ot fone, nearly 40 feet high with baftions, flanks, &c.occupies a fpace of 200 yards to Palace-Gate, at which there is a uard-houfe.From hence to the works at ope-Gate is a diftance of about 800.yards.The rocky.eminence increafeg in fteepnefs an elevation as far as the Bifhop\u2019s Palace, near which there isa ftrong battery of heavy cannon, extending a confiderable way along the brow of the precipice and commanding the bafin and part of the River.Between the edifice juft mentioned and the Lower Towrfskeep paflage partly formed by nature intervenes, over which there is a bairier with a gate-way of ftone, furmounted by a guard-houfe ; and the communication is otherwife defended by powerful works of ftone under the Palace on one fide, and on tbe other, ftretching upwards to the Government Houfe where the bank becomes confiderably more elevated.This building which is dignified with the appellation of Chateau or Cattle of St.Louis, is placed on the brink of an inacceflible precipice, whofe altitude exceeds 200 feet.The building is fupported by counterforts rifing to one third its height and fuitaining a gallery.The building is occupied by the Governor General of Britith America.\u2018The apartments are dpacious and plain, but the ftructure has nothing external to recommend it.Upon the brink of the precipice is extended from the Chateau 2 ; 7 - ftone-wall nearly 300 yards to the weftward, which forms s line of defence, and ferves as a boundary to the gardens, within which are two {mall batteries, one rifing above the other.Cape Diamond, nearly 200 feet higher than the ground on which the Upper-Town is fituated prefents itfelf to the weftward.From the garri- fon there are five gates or outlets to the neighbouring country.\u2018The higheft, port St.Louis, opens to thé weftward and towards the heights of Abraham.Port St.John, towards St.Foix, through which is the road to Montreal.Palace and Hope-Gates open towards the River St, Charles on the north, and Prefcott-Gate affords a communication to the Lower-Town on the fouth-eaft.In moft of the public buildings, do great degree of tafte or elegance can be difcovered, although much labour and expense muft have been beftowed on their conftruction.The architeéts feem principaliy to have had in view ftrength and durability, and not to have paid much regard to the rules of their art which combine {ym- metry with utility.; The Catholic Cathedral is a long, elevated and plain building of fione, with the fpire on one fide of its front ; the internal appearance is neat and 'spacious and capable of containing 3000 perfons.\"16 The Jefuits College, originally founded at Quebec in 1685, has been fince that period rebuilt and is a large ftone edifice three ftories high, of nearly 3 fquare figure containing an area .5 ar its centre.This building is now converted inv to a commodious Barrack for the troops.The Seminary, a building of confiderable extent forming three fides of a fquare, open towards the north-weft, contains a variety of apartments suited for the accommodation of a certain number of ecclefiaftics and young ftudents of the Roman Catholic religion.It was founded by M.de Petre in 1663.The members of the Seminary are, a f{uperior, four Directors and five or fix Matters ; who are appointed to inftru& young men in the different branches profeffed by each.It was originally intended for the education of Priefts, but fince the extinction of the order of Jefuits has been open toall young men without respect to religion, and is the only eftablifhment of the kind in the Province with the exception of one at Montreal'and oneat Nicolet.The afpect of the building in fammer is delightful on the north eaft, having under it a fpacious garden which extends nearly to the precipice on the eaft and overlooks the Lower-Town.The Monastery, with the Church and gar- déns of the Recollets, which occupied the western side of the ¢ Place d\u2019 Armes,\u201d are now razed to the ground, the buildings ha@ng been destroyed by fire in 1796, and the Order to which they were appropriated having since that period become extinét\u2014A Protestant Cathedral Church and Court House have been erected on the site of the last mentioned edifices.\u2014They are constructed of the best materials the country affords, and executed in a neat.and handsome style.Lt is to be regretted that two buildings of so 9 much consequence to the ortrament of the City had not been erected in more separate fituations, particularly in a country where public edifices of such note are rarely to be met with.The Hotel Dieu, situated in Colliers Street, occupies with its gardens a large extent of ground, and was founded in 1638 by the Dut- chess d\u2019Aiguillon, In consists of a Superior and 84 Sisters, whose principal occupation is to assist and administer medicines and food to invalids of both sexes who may be sent to the Hospital, and are lodged in wards, where much regard is paid to cleanliness and comfort.The Convent of the Ursulines situated in Garden Street, was instituted in 1639, by Madame de la Peltrie a French lady.Tt is posses- .sed by a Superior and 50 Sisters, who are chie ly engaged in the instruction of young women.The number taught in this Convent daily, amount to 350 besides about 70 boarders.In the Chapel is the tomb of General Mantcalm who was killed in 1759 while defending the City against the English.It is a spacious building and has ektensive gardens.Ç The Bishop\u2019s Palace already mentioned, situated near the communication with the Lower- Town, has been for several years occupied for Public Offices.\u2018The Chapel has been converted into rooms for the meeting of the Provincial Parliament.Another Edifice on the north side of the town, extending in length from Palace-gate to the Ramparts on the West, upwards of five hundred feet in length contains a number of vaulted a pr c\u2014\u2014 ro partments, and is occupied for the Office of Ordnance, for Barracks for the Royal Artillery; for an Armoury, Store-houses and Work-shops.A Building denominated the King\u2019s Maga- aines completed in 1821, situated on the King\u2019s Wharf, in the Lower Town, is an elegant builds ing three stories in height and 250 feet.in length, built of stone.In addition to the Public Works an extensive Rail-Way is constructing, which will extend from the water's edge to the summit of the Cape.\u2014The object in constructing this stupendous work, is for the conveyance of bulky and heavy articles to the Citadel from the Lower Town.\u2014Such articles will be drawn up by Machinery.\u2014The extent is upwards of 500 feet ; the perpendicular elevation at this place being 850 feet.~ The Gaol situated in St.Stanislaus Street, is a large stone building having a large yard sus- rounded by a high wall.The Quebec Fire Assurance \u2018 Company - have just.completed, an elegant building for their \u2018Offices.It is situated in the Lower Town, between St.Peter and Sault-au-Matelot Streets, fronting both.The Office is kept in the centre of the building.Two extensive wings are to be erected immediately which will render it by far the handsomest building in the Cty\u2014The present: structure together with the.ground on which it stands, cost the Company about £5500, The other public Buildings in the City worthy of particular notice are, a Scotch Presbyterian Church situated in St.Ann Street; a Methodist Chapel in the same Street ; St.John\u2019s Cha- It 7 .- oo .: pel in &t.François Street, the French Congrez ationalists Church in d\u2019Auteuil Street ; a large Éatholic Church in.the suburbs of St.Roc\u2014 and a small Catholic Chapel in\u2018 the Lower- Town fronting the Market\u2019 Place.The General Hospital, on the banks of the River St.Charles, about a' mile westward from the .Garrison.and surrounded by meadow lands, was founded in 1693 by M.de Saint Vallier, Bishop of Quebec, with the benevolent design af affording support and relief to .the poor, the infirm, the sick, and the wounded ; nor have the purposes of its original founder at any time been defeated.The extent of the building whose form is that of a parallelogram is considerable, and contains-a great variety of apartinents, neat and commodious\u2014A part of this building is converted into an asylum for the Insane.A Superior and 50 fifters compofe the community.\u2014 Their time, which remains from the occupation of the daties of religion and the offices of humanity, are employed in gilding orcaments for the decoration of Churches, and in feveral other works at which they are expert.The ftreets of Quebec are, in confequence of its fituation.very irregular and uneven ; many of them .are narrow and none but the principal ftreets of bufinefs are, paved.\u2018The houfes are principally built of ftone, and of unequal heights.Owing to the damages the town has repeatedly fuftained by fire, the principal buildings are covered with tin er painted.fheet-iron.The roughnefs of the materials of which they are compofed give them a rugged afpeét, and their 12 interior is fitted up in a ftyle equally fimple and lain.The Lower-Town which is the principal place of commerce, occupies the ground at the bafis of the promontory.The channel oppofite this art of the City is about a mile in breadth to oint-Levi on the oppofite fhore ; and its great- eft depth at high water is thirty fathoms, the anchorage being every where fafe and good.Ship building has for fome years paft been carried on with confiderable fuccefs, and vefsels of every de- fcription and dimenfions have been conftructed.Owing to high tidesw no difficulty is experienced in eftablifhing dock-yards.The inhabitants in Quebec, including St.John and St.Roc fuburbs may be computed at twenty thoufand, (of this number about two thirds are Canadians) and the number of houfes at two thoufand four hundred.The principal exports of the country are lumber, pot and pearl afhes, and different kinds of ain.Immediately above the City are feveral arge Coves, which are continually filled with lumber brought from the Upper-Province and the United States.When viewed from Point Levi on the oppofite fide of the river, an interefting variety of objects are exhibited ; by mafly rocks interfperfed with fhrubbery\u2014by Cape Diamond, boldly rifing from the water\u2014by the houses along its bafe, contraft- ed with the overhanging cliffs\u2014by a confused clufter of buildings over-topping each other up the fide of the hill, and by the fortifications which * \u2018The tide generally rises from 15 to 90 feet. 13