Chicago to the Sea. Eastern Excursionist / A complete guide to the principal eastern summer resorts, including: Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Montreal and Quebec, the New England sea beaches, etc., and how and when to enjoy them.

MONTREAL AND QUEBEC.

A tour from the West to the East which did not include a visit to the chief cities of Canada would be indeed incomplete. Hence, in the arrangement of summer excursions, the River St. Lawrence comprising a part of the trip, it is both easy and natural to embrace these points of interest.

Montreal is the metropolis of British North America. Its situation, both from a scenic and commercial point of view, renders it attractive to the tourist and prosperous as a business center. Its location is on an island in the St. Lawrence, at the base of Mt. Royal, which gives the city its name. The view of the city from the river, with the mountain in the background is beautiful and impressive, and when this is supplemented by the grand picture exhibited from the summit of the mountain, with the river and the Victoria Bridge in the distance, the observer is ready to exclaim, “Beautiful for situation!”

On arriving in Montreal, whether by boat or rail, the traveler is impressed with the idea that the entire population must indulge in riding, so numerous are the hackmen, or carters, as they are called, to be seen at every hotel, depot and landing. Their easy one or two-horse carriages are at your service for long or short trips, and their prices are very reasonable, being regulated by law. The fare from point to point within the city is twenty-five cents for one or two passengers, and fifty cents for three or four, although the usual custom of the driver is to charge twenty-five cents for each passenger, and collect it if he can. If you go outside the city limits, make a bargain in advance. In fact, there is safety in giving this rule a general application wherever you need the services of a hackman, and thereby always avoiding contention in settlement.

CITY OF MONTREAL, FROM THE RIVER.

THE HOTELS

Of Montreal are excellent, comprising, among the most elegant, the Ottawa, Windsor, and St. Lawrence Hall. The Albion Hotel has for many years been a great favorite with American tourists, both from the personnel of its management and the reasonableness of its charges. The Montreal House, the American, the Richelieu, and a host of other claimants for patronage, all have their special merits, and are well-spoken of by their visitors.

Sight-seeing, in the city and vicinity, is best accomplished by the employment of a “carter,” who is usually well posted on all the points of interest, and can often entertain his party with sundry legends in connection with them. The most delightful drive, for a single trip, is the

RIDE AROUND MOUNT ROYAL,

Which is about nine miles in extent, over splendid macadamized roads, through a section of country, in the suburbs, devoted to gardening, and under a high state of cultivation. The entire island, about thirty miles long by ten wide, is noted for its fertility, and is called the Garden of Canada. The trip should also include a drive to the summit of the mountain, which is reached by a carriage road of easy ascent, and which is being converted into a magnificent park, from which an extensive view of the city and surrounding country can be obtained. The Mount Royal Cemetery, the Grey Nunnery, and the Hotel Dieu are also to be seen in this drive, the latter being the largest building in the Dominion, used for a convent, hospital, and asylum for poor children.

The Water Works, the reservoir of which is on the side of the mountain, with the pumping station on the banks of the St. Lawrence, above the city, are well worthy of a visit. The reservoir was excavated out of the solid rock, and is 206 feet above the level of the river. The cost of the works, with the machinery, was over $2,000,000. The immense pressure obtained from such an elevated reservoir, enables the fire department to dispense entirely with engines, using hose carriages, and a large conflagration in the city is almost an impossibility.

The public buildings of the city are substantial and elegant, many of them conspicuous for their superior architectural design, and the completeness of their appointments. The Court House, Post Office, Merchants’ Exchange, several bank buildings, the Custom House, McGill College, Bonsecours Market, and a list that might be indefinitely extended, comprise the notable structures that will attract attention as you ride through the business thoroughfares of the city.

MONTREAL, FROM MOUNT ROYAL PARK.

The churches are among the finest to be found in America. Notre Dame, with its twin towers, conspicuous from every point of view, is the most capacious of any of the finished structures, although the Cathedral, now in process of erection, and modeled after St. Peter’s at Rome,
is to be second only to this famous edifice in point of size and elegance. The towers are massive and lofty, being 220 feet in height. The right-hand tower may be ascended, and the view to be had well rewards the effort of climbing. It contains the big bell, weighing nearly 30,000 pounds. The other tower contains a chime of bells. The Church of the Gesu is noted for the beauty of its frescoes and paintings. The English Cathedral, and several Protestant churches, are also fine edifices.

Lachine Canal, leading from above the rapids of that name, is a fine specimen of engineering, and not only serves to facilitate navigation, but furnishes almost unlimited water power for the extensive manufacturing enterprises along its banks.

Victoria Bridge, which crosses the river from the Southern shore, is a massive and costly structure. One of the best views of it is that to be had in coming down the river, the boat passing under the central span. It is tubular in shape, built of iron, and rests upon twenty-four piers of solid masonry, the central span being 330 feet, and the remaining ones 242 feet. It cost $6,300,000, is the property of the Grand Trunk Railway Company, and is used exclusively for railway purposes.

The shipping interests of Montreal are among the most important sources of the city’s prosperity. At the head of ocean navigation, it is the American terminus of a number of trans-Atlantic steamship lines, and the railway and river and lake connections from the West, combined with its facilities for ocean commerce, render it very prominent as a port for transhipment. Its wharves are not excelled in America, being constructed of solid limestone; and its harbor is deep and capacious.

The Champ de Mars, a spacious parade ground, where three thousand troops may be reviewed at once; Viger Square, near by, with gardens, conservatories, fountains, etc.; Victoria Square, Jacques Cartier Square, and several other smaller squares, constitute the parks of the city, in addition to the Mount Royal Park. Improve his time as he may, the visitor will not soon exhaust the attractions of this beautiful city, and will find many more, which we have not space even to mention, as we regretfully leave the pleasant spot, and resume our journey, to the

ANCIENT CITY OF QUEBEC.

The route from Montreal may be chosen from three: The North Shore Railway, the Grand Trunk Railway, and the Richelieu & Ontario Steamship Line via the St. Lawrence. The latter is a favorite, and unless the tourist is surfeited with steamboat riding, will be the one generally chosen. It is a night trip, and therefore less wearisome than a ride by rail, as the comfortable state rooms of the boat are preferable to the berths of a sleeping-car.

Leaving Montreal at early evening, passing the fort on the island directly against the city, and onward past the mouth of the Ottawa River below the city, the first stop is at the town of Sorel, or William Henry, at the confluence of Sorel or Richelieu River, forty-five miles from Montreal. Five miles farther on, the river expands into a lake about twenty-five miles in length by nine in width, and known as Lake St. Peter. Next we come to the ancient city of Three Rivers, taking its name from the fact that the St. Maurice River, which here flows into the St. Lawrence, is divided by islands into three channels.

CITY OF QUEBEC, FROM THE RIVER.

The view of Quebec, as approached from the river, is singularly impressive. Unlike any other city on the American continent, its situation and surroundings make it an object of striking interest. The fortifications, with their towers and battlements, frown upon you from the Plains of Abraham and from the lower town, and there surrounds the place an air of mediÆvalism at once novel and attractive.

It is one of the oldest cities in America, as well as one of the most interesting. It was founded in 1608, and its history is replete with events of tremendous importance. The scene of many a battle and of untold carnage, the crowning event of all was the memorable engagement which transferred half a continent from France to Britain, and immortalized the names of both commanders, the victor and the vanquished.

The city consists of two divisions, known as the upper and the lower town. The upper town includes within its limits the Citadel of Cape Diamond, which covers the entire summit of the promontory, embracing an area of more than forty acres. It rises to the height of 345 feet above the river, and from its commanding position and the strength of the fortification, has been not inaptly entitled the “Gibraltar of America.”

CAPE DIAMOND.

The shape of the city is triangular, the St. Lawrence and St. Charles rivers forming the two sides, with the Plains of Abraham for the base. The river fronts are defended by a continuous wall on the very brow of the cliff, with flanking towers and bastions, loopholed for musketry and pierced for cannon. On the west side, a heavy triple wall, with trenches between, formerly guarded that approach, but much of it is now demolished. Between the old town and the outside world, the wall was formerly pierced with frowning gateways, five in number; but these have been gradually demolished, in response to the increasing demand for more free communication, and on the occasion of the writer’s last visit to the city, the old Saint John’s gate was being entirely removed. We present views of these gateways, from which the fortified aspect of the town before their demolition may be readily inferred.

The nationality of the inhabitants is strongly French, and the visitor from the States can easily fancy himself in a city in France, so decidedly un-American are all his surroundings. The quaint houses, the steep and tortuous streets, especially of the oldest portions of the city, and the almost universal use of the French language in the ordinary channels of trade, require no stretch of the imagination to practically transport one to the old world, and give a glimpse, as it were, of a foreign country.

WOLFE’S OLD MONUMENT.

WOLFE’S NEW MONUMENT.

The view from the Citadel, on account of its elevation, is surpassingly grand and comprehensive. The majestic St. Lawrence, alive with sailing craft of every size and kind, stretches before the vision in both directions, seeming like a band of glistening metal, beautifying the scene and giving animation to the picture. Directly below lie the crooked streets of the lower town, teeming with animation, while its busy population so far beneath, seem like pigmies, and you look upon the glistening roofs of the houses and down the very throats of the chimneys, into which it would seem an easy matter to toss a pebble.

Looking to the westward, the Plains of Abraham are spread out before you, together with the bluffs scaled by Wolfe and his brave soldiers in the preparation for the assault that ended in a victory, but cost the lives of both commanders. The spot where Wolfe fell is marked by a handsome monument. It was erected in 1849, but is still called the “new monument” in distinction from the simple monolith which previously occupied its site, an illustration of which is given on the preceding page. The new monument bears the simple but eloquent inscription, “Here died Wolfe, victorious.” Directly across the river is the settlement of Point Levi, and down the stream the beautiful Isle of Orleans may be seen. This pleasant resort may be reached by ferry from the city, and it affords delightful drives, giving views of the Falls of Montmorenci, the Laurentian Mountains, and other objects of interest.

Chaudiere Falls, nine miles above Quebec, on the river of the same name, are 130 feet high and 400 feet wide. The Falls and Indian village of Lorette, seven miles from Quebec, are points to which excursions may be profitably made, either by carriage or the North Shore Railway.

Other points of interest in and about Quebec demand at least a brief mention. The Dufferin Terrace, which will be included in the visit to the Plains of Abraham, as will also the Governor’s Garden, where the monument to Wolfe and Montcalm will be seen; the French Cathedral; the Laval Seminary, in the chapel of which are some very fine paintings; the English Cathedral, near by; the Ursuline Convent; the public buildings in the lower town, and others which the
driver will point out to you, are of sufficient interest to enliven a visit of several days duration, or they may be hurriedly inspected in a “flying trip.”

PALACE GATE, QUEBEC.

ST. LOUIS GATE, QUEBEC.

FRENCH CANADIAN HOME.

THE FALLS OF MONTMORENCI

Are among the most interesting of the objects which secure the visits of tourists to Quebec, both on account of their own attractiveness and the pleasant drive by which they are reached. The “carters” of Quebec are as numerous as those of Montreal, and the roads around the city and in the country adjacent are among the finest to be found anywhere. Securing your driver, you leave the city by one of the gates, and, crossing the St. Charles River, are soon in the suburbs, passing here and there a house or villa of modern style, but speedily coming to the realm of the ancient; the road leading through quaint old hamlets, the cottages with their picturesque dormer windows, the thatched-roofed outbuildings, and the peasant-like appearance of the people, combined with the universal employment of the French language, strengthen the fancy for the time being that America must be far away, and that the rural districts of France or Switzerland are the scenes through which your trip is made. Children run beside the carriage, asking alms or offering flowers, while the women and older girls are at work in the fields, or spinning with their rude wheels in the open doorways or on the porches of the little houses. The antiquated implements of agriculture, the rude carts by the roadside, and the rustic crosses by the way, at which some devout pilgrim, perchance, is tarrying
to breathe a Pater Noster, all tend to complete the illusion of a remoter age or more distant clime than the few hours’ ride from bustling, modern, Yankee civilization.

FALLS OF MONTMORENCI.

The ride of eight miles all too quickly brings you to the River Montmorenci, and here you gaze upon historic ground, it being the scene of the battle of Montmorenci which immediately preceded Wolfe’s final victory at Quebec. Leaving your carriage, and paying a small fee for the privilege of crossing private grounds, you descend the bank of the river to look up at the fall from below. The river here pours over the cliff into the St. Lawrence, broadening at the edge to about 50 feet, and falling 250, in a sheeny vail, half water, half spray, not sublime, nor even grand, but exquisitely beautiful.

The towers on either side of the river still mark the spot where, several years ago, a suspension bridge was erected, but which, through some defect, gave way as a laborer and his family were crossing in a cart, precipitating them into the gulf below.

Returning to Quebec, the views of the city are enlivened by the peculiar feature of glistening towers and roofs, so noticeable in connection with many Canadian cities. The sunlight, glancing from the metal-covered roofs, spires, and dormer windows, which, owing to the tortuous windings of the streets, are set at every conceivable angle, produces a brilliant and sparkling effect.

If you are ever tempted to indulge in sentiment, the words of the poet, used to describe the Celestial city, may come into mind:—

“There is the city in splendor sublime;
See how its towers and battlements shine.”

THE SAGUENAY RIVER.

This is the largest affluent of the St. Lawrence, which it joins about 120 miles below Quebec. The scenery of the Saguenay is strikingly grand and romantic, and unlike anything else east of the Rocky Mountains. It is usually visited by boat, and the trip down the St. Lawrence to Tadousac, at the junction of the two streams, and up the Saguenay among its bold, wild scenery, should not be omitted, even at the expense of slighting some other point of interest lying in the highways of fashionable travel.

Leaving Quebec by steamer, you pass through some remarkably fine scenery, in which the majestic St. Lawrence abounds, the river being in some places thirty miles in width, and dotted with a multitude of islands, abounding in game. The Falls of St. Anne are on the river of that name, which enters the St. Lawrence off the lower end of Orleans Island through a bold ravine. The quarantine station on Grosse Isle is passed, and is associated with sad memories of the famine in Ireland. It received twenty thousand plague-stricken emigrants, of whom six thousand now lie in a single grave, marked by a stone monument.

Ninety miles below Quebec is the fashionable watering place known as Murray Bay. The river is here twenty miles wide, and the tides have a range of twenty feet in height. On the south shore of the river, still further down, is Riviere du Loup, a place of some importance, and six miles below it is Cacouna, already quite famous as a pleasure resort, and yearly increasing in popularity. Across the river from Cacouna is Tadousac, at the mouth of the far-famed Saguenay, formerly a place of some commercial importance as a post of the Hudson Bay Company, and one of the first towns on the St. Lawrence fortified by the French. It has a good hotel, near which is a little church over 250 years old.

TADOUSAC, AT MOUTH OF SAGUENAY RIVER.

The Saguenay River is remarkable, not only for its great depth, but also for the marvelous height of its banks. It seems to flow through a rift in the Laurentian Mountains, which appear to be cleft, as it were, to the very foundations, the height of the cliffs rising from the edge of the river being equaled only by the depth to which they descend below the surface. The source of the river is 130 miles from its junction with the St. Lawrence, in Lake St. John, which is fed by eleven rivers, draining an immense watershed, the great volume resultant pouring through this remarkable gorge, in many places unfathomable. At St. John’s Bay, 27 miles above Tadousac, the water is one mile and a half in depth, and but little less at Eternity Bay, six miles beyond. At the latter place, the wonderful capes, Trinity and Eternity, like giant sentinels guard the entrance, rising 1,500 and 1,900 feet, respectively, above the water.

Ha-Ha Bay is sixty miles above Tadousac, and is nine miles long by six wide. It has also been named Grand Bay. The first-named title is said to have come from the exclamations of delight which sprung from the lips of the navigators of the river on its discovery; and in contrast with the gloomy and forbidding aspect of the lower portions of the river, it would seem that such an outburst might be perfectly natural. The mountains around Ha-Ha Bay abound in whortleberries, or blueberries, as they are here called, and a very important industry with the natives is the gathering and shipment to market of the bountiful harvest thus kindly furnished by nature, the picking season extending from the middle of July until the falling of the snow, and the supply being inexhaustible.

HA-HA BAY, SAGUENAY RIVER.

CAPES ETERNITY AND TRINITY.

INDIAN CURIOSITY SELLER.

Chicoutimi, a few miles beyond, is at the head of navigation, the river being obstructed above this point by rapids and falls. Lumbering is one of its important industries, the immense forests of the vicinity being as yet almost in their virgin state, and the harbor accessible to the largest vessels, thus giving it natural facilities of great value.

The fishing in the Saguenay River and its tributaries is one of the chief attractions to the sportsman. Salmon abound, and the quality of the fish taken from such deep, cold water can readily be inferred by the disciples of Walton. Game also abounds in the forests, some specimens being well worthy of the skill and nerve of the trained hunter.

A student of character will find an interesting subject in the person of the Canadian Indian, to be met in various localities in Canada. Combining with his native craft the shrewdness of a Connecticut Yankee, he will often appear in the role of a vender of curiosities, in which “taking” attitude our artist presents him.

In closing our notes on the Saguenay, we feel that but faint justice can be done to its wonderful attractions. It has been tersely described by a writer as a “region of primeval grandeur, where art has done nothing and nature everything; where, at a single bound, civilization is left behind and nature stands in unadorned majesty; where Alps on Alps arise; where, over unfathomable depths, through mountain gorges, the steamer ploughs the dark flood on which no sign of animal life appears.” A better summing up of its peculiar features, in so few words, could not be written, and the tourist who visits the scenes we have briefly described will indulge in no regrets, unless it be that want of time to do justice to the trip gives only hurried glances where hours and days might be enjoyed in realizing the sublime grandeur of the surroundings.

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