view when seen from the high bank from under the shade of the noble
trees: it can never be forgotten. Enough has not been made of this
district and all that it contains. It has been overlooked in the wealth
of beauty that surrounds Quebec. It is so easily reached from either
Quebec or Lévis that everyone should include the Chaudière in their
round of beautiful sights. Nothing could be more enjoyable on a fine day
than to take a luncheon and enjoy a picnic in the fine woods by these
famous falls.
It was by the valley of the Chaudière that Montgomery came from New
England when he made his disastrous attempt on Quebec.
Instead of returning to Quebec by steamer or railroad, the electric car
to St. Romuald and Lévis may be taken. The Church of St. Romuald is one
of the most important on the whole St. Lawrence River. It has some
magnificent paintings, fine altars and choice wood carving.
As the car speeds along, the freshness of the verdure and the bright
gold of the buttercups will call for notice. It would be impossible to
toss a cent out of the window without causing it to lodge in one of
those gorgeous yellow cups. Nature asserts her sway over man’s inroads,
for the railway embankments are covered with beautiful _parterres_ of
purple, white, yellow, and blue blooms, with here and there a cluster of
rich, wild lupine. No more beautiful country could be found, and the
view of the great St. Lawrence, the village-capped heights, the gentle
sloping mounds nestling for protection under the shelter of the high
mountain chain, and the romantic cuttings through the chain of hills
nearby—all these make a strong appeal to lovers of the beautiful. The
little river running off to the south-east is the Etchemin, and in it
there is a pretty waterfall.
[Illustration: Scenes in the Militia Camp at Lévis]
From the opposite shore of Lévis one of the finest views of Quebec may
be had. In fact, for miles up and down the south shore some of the
grandest standpoints for extensive views may be found. The massive forts
at Lévis, auxiliary to the fortifications of Quebec in the general
scheme of defence, are worth seeing. It was from the Lévis heights that
Wolfe’s artillery destroyed Quebec previous to its capture. The three
solid structures that now constitute a strong line of defence are said
to be very similar to the celebrated forts of Cherbourg. The Government
Graving Dock is well worth a visit, especially at a time when a large
vessel is docked there; for by descending the steps, walking along the
bottom and then looking up at the great mass above, some adequate idea
may be formed of the huge proportions of the modern “leviathan of the
deep.”
Too much cannot be said of the grandeur of scene, the beautiful wood and
dale, and the extensive panorama of country to be viewed from the
vicinity of the Engineer’s Camp at St. Joseph de Lévis. The
characteristic and charming view of the Montmorency Falls, with the
beautiful St. Lawrence in the foreground, should be seen by everyone.
A military camp for general drill and evolutions is held here every
summer, and in an amphitheatre of finely-wooded hills and gentle slopes
running down to an almost level campus or plain, the citizen soldiers
have ample room for comfortable quarters and extensive operations.
On a recent occasion six regiments of militia were encamped here, the
17th, 18th, 61st, 87th, 89th and 92nd. No better spot for the purpose
could well be imagined. The tents on the slopes, open at the side for
the air, and disclosing tastefully-grouped flags and other interior
decorations, were all well placed to take advantage of shade and other
natural advantages. In the officers’ quarters were mess tables
comfortably placed in an annex or wing. The tents of the men gradually
reaching down and on to the margin of the plain, the groups amusing
themselves, preparing for the afternoon muster, fixing and cooking
rations, etc.; and the orderlies and others passing from group to group
all made a busy picture. An impromptu concert was in progress on a shady
knoll where an artist on the accordeon was sweeping the air in long
curves as he sent music in every direction. Men were playing quoits, or
reading books and writing letters under the cool shade of the maple
trees. The post office at the entrance of the encampment, the sentinel,
the quarters of the staff below, the clean hospital, and, at the foot,
the view of the broad St. Lawrence with its receding background of bold
mountains, all made the scene a stirring and well-remembered one.
[Illustration: Group of Officers, Militia Camp, Lévis]
The energetic Colonel-Commander and his efficient aides had plenty of
work before them in conducting the evolutions, and the men—many of whom
were doubtless in camp for the first time—did very well indeed. And now
the band formed, some regiments closed up their ranks, formed columns
and marched off up the slope for skirmishing and outpost drill; while
lower down other troops going through manual drill sent gleams of light
from their gun barrels into the dark fir trees as the sun’s rays were
deflected with brilliant effect. That persistent waving of flags on
yonder distant knoll has its explanation in the corresponding signals
that are being transmitted across the width of the broad amphitheatre
from the edge of a clump of maples just behind us.
Colors were to be presented to one of the regiments, and a preliminary
drill was being held for that occasion on the morrow. The ceremony, a
very impressive one, takes place in the centre of a hollow square, the
troops facing in; and to the imposing and patriotic strains of the
national anthem the colors are unfurled.
To write that a peregrination through this whole country is beautiful
and inspiring is to feebly express the charm of it all. The pleasure,
too, of spending a day in the field with our citizen soldiery in the
midst of such magnificent and heart-stirring scenery is great; and it
brings a satisfaction and uplift to the mind that should cause thousands
to visit this neighborhood.
Those who sojourn in Quebec, whether for weeks or months, will find no
want of varied amusements. There are walks too numerous to mention where
wild flower, the song of the bird and the music of the gushing rill and
rocky fall enliven every step of the way. Boating may be carried on
almost everywhere, and canoes may be placed on dozens of waters that are
either quiet or rippling; according to choice. The interior lands of
this district are the very best for hunting purposes; and many of the
larger rivers are splendid salmon waters. In all of the surrounding
streams and in the pure waters of the adjacent lakes lovers of trout
fishing will find ample occupation and unstinted reward. Motor-boating,
automobiling, golf, tennis, and all the sports of the field may be
enjoyed here to their full; while as a centre or starting place for
railroad and steamboat trips and tours in every direction Quebec
assuredly takes first place.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Murray Bay River]
_Summer Resorts of the Lower St. Lawrence_
[Illustration]
From the town of St. Croix, west of Quebec, where the river is three
miles wide, to Sillery Cove and the outlet of the Chaudière, the St.
Lawrence gradually narrows to a width of less than one mile. After
passing Quebec, however, and through the double channel that includes
the Isle of Orleans, it broadens considerably, until opposite Baie St.
Paul the great river has a width of over sixteen miles. Where the
Saguenay empties it is eighteen miles across, at Little Metis it is over
thirty-six miles, and finally to the west of Anticosti, where it meets
the waters of the Gulf, it has a breadth of over one hundred miles.
The St. Lawrence carries an amount of water to the ocean that is
exceeded by no other river on the globe save the Amazon. Its tributaries
are all clear trout and salmon streams, and no water system can compare
with it for purity. It has well been said that “Its waters shake the
earth at Niagara; and the Great Lakes are its camping grounds, where its
hosts repose under the sun and stars in areas like that of states and
kingdoms.”
Long before it reaches the end of its course the river has become as
saline as the sea, its tide like that of the ocean, its atmosphere about
as breezy as that of the open Atlantic; and in the various resorts that
are found on both shores—but principally or altogether on the south
shore after easting from Tadousac and Les Escoumains—considerable
variety of climate will be found.
From Quebec to Cape Breton, and Baie des Chaleurs to Halifax a
geographical quadrangle is bounded that includes a diversity of scene
and climate, and range of temperature, that cannot be found elsewhere;
and this great variety of climatic condition enables the Canadian
Government Railways to provide on its own system congenial places to
meet requirements that are widely different in character.
The whole area of Eastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces is much
cooler than the New England States, and cooler also than Ontario and the
West. It will be understood that Eastern Quebec is cooler than Western,
and that a still cooler climate than that found in Eastern Quebec is
obtained by going to the Atlantic Seaboard on the east side of Cape
Breton or Nova Scotia. East and South-East New Brunswick are cooler
parts than North, and North-West and West. Prince Edward Island occupies
a middle ground in temperature between Quebec and Cape Breton or Eastern
Nova Scotia; while in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia themselves the eastern
or Atlantic front is cooler than the western or protected side.
In considering summer resorts the matter of climate and temperature is
very important. What will suit one will not satisfy another. The broad
and just statement may therefore be made that differences in temperature
between various parts of the Maritime Provinces are more equalized after
sundown. At night it is cool everywhere. Compared with the country to
the south and west it is cool in any part of the Maritime Provinces,
even at high noon. In the east the thermometer cannot rise high because
of the cooling sea breezes. The temperature in the west is therefore a
few degrees higher, and on that account the western and middle parts are
often preferred by those unaccustomed to the bracing sea air of the open
Atlantic coast.
The St. Lawrence in its progress oceanwards passes many a fair island on
its way. Some of the most charming views may be obtained on and from
these islands, and many of them are choice spots for picnic and
camping-out parties. The most of these islands will be found opposite
such places as Montmagny, Cap St. Ignace, L’Islet, Baie St. Paul, St.
Alexandre de Kamouraska, Rivière du Loup, Isle Verte, Trois Pistoles and
Bic, etc.
“I love to gaze upon those river isles,
Where beauty sleeps, and blooming verdure smiles;
Or view the nodding ships with swelling sails,
Borne onward by the tide and gentle gales;
Those winds that bring the vessel’d stores of wealth
Bear on their wings the healing balm of health.”
[Illustration]
Proceeding east over the Intercolonial Railway along the south shore we
pass in turn the prosperous towns of Montmagny, Cap St. Ignace, L’Islet,
St. Jean Port Joli and Ste. Anne de la Pocatière opposite Baie St. Paul
and the Isle au Coudres. Montmagny is fairly near the railway station,
but the other places are on the river front and a drive of a mile or two
is necessary from each station to reach a town.
Baie St. Paul, on the north shore, is a place of call for the St.
Lawrence steamboats, and is within easy reach of Quebec. In a country
where the grandeur of nature is visible on every hand, it is difficult
to do justice to all the beautiful sights without seeming to overpraise
them. And yet in this romantic little resort is a wealth of beauty that
must be seen if all that is lovely in nature is not to be slighted. It
is French through and through, and therefore delightful. Looking up the
valleys of the two rivers, Gouffre and Moulin, there is a fine view of a
mountain range that fades away in the far distance in different shades
of blue. Following the rapid course of the Gouffre there is a road from
which many charming views may be seen. The beautiful groves of trees,
the bright cottages, and the water falling over the precipice in long,
silvery bands are pleasant features of the landscape. There is a grand
view from the top of Cap au Corbeau, after the birds that make this
place their haunt have been frightened away. It was off Les Eboulements
that Jacques Cartier’s three little vessels, the _Grande Hermine_,
_Petite Hermine_ and _Emerillon_, anchored in the bay, near the end of
Isle aux Coudres, when he made his second voyage to the West.
Isle aux Coudres is even more French than Baie St. Paul. Here Jacques
Cartier landed on his second voyage to New France. He gave to the island
the name it has since retained, a name derived from the numerous hazel
trees he found here. It is recorded that in 1663 a mountain was lifted
by an earthquake and cast bodily over the water on to this island. It
was thus made much larger than before. At present the inhabitants are
content with their acreage, and have no desire for further additions of
this kind. A survival of the old Norman life is here, and for this and
the view of island and mainland it is worth a visit. Small white whales
are often caught near here in great abundance.
[Illustration]
A quartette of famous north-shore resorts is brought within pleasant
reach by the Canadian Government Steamship _Champlain_. There is a hotel
here where people from nearby places stay in the summer time to enjoy
the cool river air. The steamship _Champlain_ leaves the wharf twice
daily for north-shore resorts, making connection on its return with
trains going east and west each morning and afternoon. On Sundays the
boat goes to and returns from Pointe à Pic only, but as the other
resorts are only a few miles from that place, it is easy to reach them
by carriage. Stopping at Rivière Ouelle Junction, taking the train there
to the wharf and boarding the smart river steamship, an enjoyable run of
about sixteen miles brings up at St. Irénée, from which place the
_Champlain_ passes on eastward to Pointe à Pic and Murray Bay, and
thence to Cap à l’Aigle. On alternate trips the order of calls is
reversed; the _Champlain_ proceeding first to Cap à l’Aigle and then
going west calls in inverse order at the other points.
The four resorts are entirely different in character, and to some extent
in scenery. The name Murray Bay is frequently applied to the whole
district reaching from Pointe à Pic to Murray Bay, a distance of about
three miles. This causes some confusion in addressing and receiving
letters, and it is well to remember that the steamboat landing is at
Pointe à Pic, that the Manoir Richelieu, most of the hotels, and the
heart of the resort, all within easy driving distance of the wharf, are
included in the Pointe à Pic postal district; while the name Murray Bay
properly belongs to the postal district surrounding the old village on
the Murray Bay River some three miles distant.
Pointe à Pic is a beautiful summer resort much in favor with wealthy
people. It is decidedly fashionable in its general tone, and there are
many handsome residences and bungalows on the heights and down along the
cliffs and sloping fields of the Bay shore. Carriage-driving, tennis,
golf and boating are the chief amusements. Murray Bay, by which is meant
the old French village near the river bridge, is a quaint place, less
fashionable, much more compact and town-like, and where the
hotels—smaller and not so expensive as those at Pointe à Pic—are in the
midst of the busy little main street, but within a stone’s throw of the
open country on both sides of the river. St. Irénée is smaller and
quieter than either of the foregoing places. It is about six miles south
of Pointe à Pic. Here a delightful life may be enjoyed at a quiet family
hotel right on the beach, in the midst of a charming country side for
walks and rambles. Cap à l’Aigle is the quietest resort of all. It is
about three miles east of Murray Bay. There are no hotels, but the roomy
farm houses on the cliffs have been adapted for the reception of
visitors, and the summer life is altogether rural and free from
fashion’s trammels.
[Illustration: ST. IRÉNÉE]
1. Habitant’s House
2. Where the Brook Meets the Tide
Pointe à Pic is gay, lively and fashionable; Murray Bay, town-like and
not lonely; St. Irénée, a beach resort for quiet people who take with
them their own amusements; while Cap à l’Aigle is suited for those who
like farm and country life, with good air and walks along the cliffs and
through country fields. Pointe à Pic and Murray Bay are nearly
connected; and as St. Irénée and Cap à l’Aigle are just a few miles
south and east, there is plenty of occupation, even for those who live
in the quiet outer resorts; for the St. Lawrence steamboats call at all
the wharves, and it is easy to go from one place to the other by
steamer, as well as by carriage. Summer costumes from nearly every part
of the world make gay the long wharf at Pointe à Pic, and with the
hundreds of carriages drawn up for the reception of visitors and guests
arriving by steamer the scene is animating, lively and full of interest.
The scenery of St. Irénée is very fine. The shore is green and fresh.
There are no unsightly landslides, and no bare rock. The elevation is a
bold one, with high mountains behind fading into grey and blue. The
gentle-sloping shore dotted with white cottages runs to a point at the
south that is shaped like the bastion of a fort. The shore is of rock
and gravel, with sand in some places. A stone road extends along the
shore and makes a pleasant promenade. A short distance from the wharf,
north and south—in fact directly at the wharf—is the open country where
the _habitants_ still live the simple life of other days. St. Irénée is
essentially a summer place—there is neither town nor village. The main
road to Pointe à Pic makes a very enjoyable course for a country ramble,
as it abounds in by-roads and quiet paths that lead through hill and
dale where may be heard the merry music of many a dashing cascade and
sprightly rill. The bungalows are all prettily placed at varying
heights—always in choice spots that command a direct view of the water
and shore. There is no obtruding village life, and no place where
‘shopping’ may be done. All the signs of life are contributed by the
summer residents. There is little or no formality. Ladies and children
lounge on the hotel piazza, saunter along the hillside and country
roads, or form sociable groups on the shore as they do fancy-work and
sewing, or write letters—the children taking their fill of pleasure from
the shore with spade and pail.
A few tied-up schooners float lazily at the wharf, awaiting their next
period of activity. River steamboats between Quebec, Murray Bay and
Tadousac call here, and it is also a port of call for the Government
Steamship _Champlain_.
[Illustration]
The pleasant residences of the Forget family are prominent on the
shelving hillside. The balustraded promenade, high up, with its
projecting bastion or observation terrace, its garden, walks, seats and
prettily arranged grounds, is a delightful point from which to enjoy a
commanding view of the shore, the wharf and the broad vista of waters. A
short walk from each end of the main or shore promenade brings out at
little hamlets or groupings of cottages of the native residents. They
present many points of interest for visitors, and pleasant rambles may
thus be enjoyed by those who would see how quaint a life the people of
remote parts in this province still enjoy.
A short distance to the north of the wharf there is a fine stretch of
clean sand, backed by rocks and turf. There are generally low piles of
newly-sawn lumber, stacked up near the wharf end of this beach, where
children may have jolly times playing ‘hide-and-seek,’ or climbing and
building houses on the shore from drift-wood, ‘ends’ and cuttings. A
walk of but half a mile leads to the attractive little stream that here
falls into the St. Lawrence, and meets real waves as it plunges into its
seaward goal. Across the little stream the stray logs that have
grounded, the rocks, the cottages on the hill, the rustling trees, the
soaring height of the near-hills, the bright green of the small point,
the darker green of the great cape beyond, the dim outline of the
far-away mountain range and the broad stretch of cool waters dotted with
gracefully floating vessels; all these make ideal summer surroundings.
It is a pleasant spot. A great charm for many will be the simplicity of
all, unspoiled by crowds—fashion left out. Children may here realize all
the joys of early youth; and adults, as they rest on the beach, will
live over again the joyous days of the care-free long ago. Few who roam
the delightful strand would know it was not the seashore. It is salt
water, of course; and it may be called an inner sea without the decided
range of temperature experienced on the open Atlantic coast.
Pointe à Pic (Murray Bay, South) is known the world over for its
magnificent landscapes and the rugged grandeur of the scenery with which
nature has endowed it. Precipice, gorge and cloud-capped peaks are
everywhere, and the general view, Alpine, Scottish and wild, is superb.
[Illustration: Cape Blanc, Murray Bay]
Champlain called here, and it was he who named it Malbaie on account of
its rapid tide. The native French still use that name; for the words
Murray Bay are difficult to pronounce, and when they do use this name it
sounds like Mooriebay with a long ‘Moore’ and a short ‘bay.’ Pointe à
Pic, on the other hand, rolls off their tongues with a delightful
piquancy; no wonder they prefer to use it.
There is fishing, boating, sailing and bathing of a very enjoyable kind.
Aquatic life has not been developed as much as it should have been with
so many choice privileges right at hand. Carriage driving, tennis, and,
particularly, golf are supreme. Perhaps this is not to be wondered at
when the splendid and inexhaustible drives the neighborhood affords are
considered; and the golf links are so beautiful and in such a splendid
situation that the popularity of this healthful recreation is easily
understood.
There are hundreds of pleasant cottages, many spacious bungalows and not
a few country mansions. These are dotted in long picturesque lines by
the shore of the Bay and on the cliffs that follow the bend of the
water. These houses are to the right and left of the long road that runs
from Point à Pic to the bridge at Murray Bay River, on which street or
roadway the village houses, rented cottages and some of the hotels are
placed. Many of the bungalows have charming situations right on the
water, with pleasant gardens and decorative stone walls between main
road and shore. Others are embowered in the hilly land that follows the
contour of the Bay, where with breezy porches, enjoyable gardens and
delightful air, the roofs and gables are all that show from the lower
road. Rustic gates, zigzag steps up the grassy heights, handrails of
saplings with the bark unstripped, and arbour-covered terraces or
‘rests’ with shady seats on the way up, all mark the country-like aspect
of the surroundings.
There are many alluring drives in this neighborhood; few anywhere can
compare with them. A more romantic trip than that to the Upper and Lower
Falls of the Fraser River could hardly be imagined. Leaving the
carriage, exploring the wood and descending into the ravine, a beautiful
view is seen. The upper fall descends in two drops to a depth of two
hundred and ninety feet, and the lower fall has a descent of one hundred
and fifty feet. The Thou, Chute, Desbiens, and the Nearn Fall with its
salmon leap, are favorite objectives for enjoyable driving excursions.
[Illustration]