LOWER CANADA.
162
Canada, N. by the territories of the Hudson Bay Company , and E. by the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; reaching about 500 miles from S. to N., and 500 from E. to W., with an area of 120,000 square miles. It is divided into four large dis-tricts, Montreal , Three Rivers , Quebec , and Gaspe.
Lower Canada lies on both sides of the St. Lawrence , and is separated fromUpper Canada by the Utawas.
The great river St. Lawrence forms the most striking feature of the countrv.The other principal rivers are the Saguenai, St. Maurice, Chaudierc, St. Fran-cis, Richelieu or Sorel, and Utawas. The cities are Quebec and Montreal .
The country is intersected by ridges of mountains, with fertile valleys inter-vening ; but the greater part is still covered with forests. The most populouspart of Lower Canada consists of a fertile valley, mostly level, through themiddle of which the St. Lawrence flows. The climate is subject to great ex-tremes of heat and cold. The winters are long and severe: the thermometersometimes rises, in summer, to 100 degrees, and sinks, in winter, to 40 below 0.
In a state of nature, Lower Canada was covered with an immense forest oivery lofty timber, much of which yet remains. The settlements extend aloimor near the streams, in general where the soil is most fertile, and means ofnavigation most attainable. In the angle N. from lat. 45° N T . to the St. Law rence river , the soil is generally very productive, and settlements advancingrapidly. Eastward of this triangle, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence , the countrvis hilly, broken, barren, and but very thinly settled. From the Mingan settle-ment, on the north side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence , to a short distance aboveQuebec , the left shore of that great stream is rocky and precipitous. Thisrange of hills leaves the river helow the mouth of St. Maurice, and extendstowards the Utawas, which it intersects about 120 miles above its junction withthe St. Lawrence . A very productive body of land is inclosed between thisridge and the respective rivers. Beyond this latter tract, and the margin ofthe streams, the country to the northward is but very' imperfectly known.
Total.... 495,568
Lower Canada is favorably situated for commerce. Some of the principalexports are fur, timber, and potashes.
This country' was originally settled by the French , and as many' as four-fifths of the present inhabitants are descendants of that nation. They live ingreat simplicity, resembling a European peasantry ; are polite and peaceable,but possessed of little enterprise, and their education is too generally neglected.
Their houses are built of stone and plastered ; are made extremely warm bymeans of stoves; but are seldom of more than one story, except m the towns.
The government is in the hands of a governor, lieutcnant-govr rnor, execu-tive council, w'ho are appointed by the king, and a house of assembly, who arerepresentatives of the people. The prevailing religion is Roman Catholic ; of.his persuasion there is a bishop of Quebec , a coadjutor, with the title of bishopof Salde, nine vicars general, and about 200 curates and missionaries, spreadover the different districts of the province. The revenues of the Catholic clergyare derived in part from grants made of land to them under the ancient regime.The spiritual concerns of the Protestants are under the guidance of the LordBishop of Quebec, nine rectors, and a competent number of other clergymen,who are supported in part by annual stipends from the government, and theappropriations of one-seventh of all granted lands.