6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907

Afford a short passage, especially those of Nicolette, & Biencour, which run up within five or six miles of the source of Kennebeck River, and that of St François, navigable for Canoes to the Portage, which is six miles over, You then Enter a branch of the Connecticut River. To the Northward, this Government stretches thro' an Immense Tract of Country, as far as Hudson's Bay; and the same Nations that trade with the Company settled there, used formerly to bring their Furs into this Government thro' the Rivers of St Maurice & Batiscan.

Notwithstanding the Factory settled at Hudson's Bay, and the Posts at Tadousac, & Chicoutimi up the Saguenay, the easy Navigation of those Rivers especially that of Batiscan, Induces several of the Indians, Called Têtes de Boulle to Come down even now to this Government every spring.

STATE OF THE COUNTRY

All the Lands in this Government, as well as thro' all Canada, are Divided into Seigneuries, & mannors, granted by the Crown of France to different people, upon certain conditions, such as settling them within a limitted time, paying Hommage at Every Change of Seigneur, and part of the purchase in case of Sale, as also Reserving to the Crown the right of cutting timber for building of Ships, or Erecting Fortifications. The Seigneurs are likewise obliged by the said Grants to Report to the Governor Whatever mines may be Discovered in their respective Seigneuries, as all mines found in Canada are the King's Property. In general these Seigneuries run Four or six Miles in front; and six or nine deep from the Banks of the River St Lawrence so that many Lands are yet in the hands of the Crown, on the back of those that are Granted.

The Seigneurs had by their Original Grants the power of naming Judges & Administring Justice, even in Capital Cases, thro' their Districts; but Custom has Abolished those too great privileges, tho' the Powers for it are yet extant, in the hands of the Seigneurs: However all suits are now Carried before the proper Tribunals named & established by the Crown.

The Habitations are for the most part settled along the banks of the River St Lawrence, or up the Rivers & Rivulets that fall into it, and are seldom Carried up higher than five or six Miles. There are in this Government Eighteen Parishes, vizt

SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18

Machiche,

Riv du Loup.

Maskinonge

These seven last Parishes, vizt. Du Lac, Machiche Rivre du Loup, and Maskinongé on the North Shore; Nicolette; Bay St Antoine, St François, & Yamasca on the South, are settled round Lake St Pierre, which is formed by the Spreading of the Water of the River St Lawrence, the Bottom muddy, the Water Shallow, one & Twenty miles in Length, and about ten in Breadth; the Channel is not above thirteen feet deep, but the bottom of so soft a mud, that a Vessell drawing Fourteen feet may plough through it, it Abounds with many sorts of Excellent Fish.

The Town of Trois Rivieres which is the Capital lays in the Centre of this Government, as also at an Equal Distance from Quebec, & Montreal; it is built upon the North Shore of the River St Lawrence, and Consists of about One Hundred Houses a Parochial church, a Convent of Ursuline Nuns, & Another of Recollet Priests.

STATE OF THE FORTIFICATIONS

There was no other Fortification in this Town, than the Governors House, which is Stockaded round, and Commands by its Situation the Town & Country about it, Untill the siege of Quebec in 1759. When they Erected Batteries in several Parts of the Town, made an Irregular Intrenchment on that side of it which looks towards the River St Lawrence; and threw up Lines flanked with two Redoubts, in the Common that lyes to the Westward towards Montreal.

STATE OF DEFENCE

This place is at present in no state of Defence, the French having Neglected from their Imaginary Security to pay the least Attention to Fortifying it, & suffered the Inhabitants to build their Houses upon the low Ground near the Common, which is liable to be overflowed Every Spring, rather than take advantage of the high Situation upon which part of the Town is built, whereas they might have secured to themselves at a very little Expence, Safe & convenient Magazines for Stores & Provisions, which the equal Distance from Quebec & Montreal, & the proximity to the Iron Mines & Forges that lay behind this Town seem to have pointed out.

PRODUCTS OF the Soil

The Laziness of the people, & the alluring & momentary Advantages they reaped from their Traffick with the Indians in the Upper Countrys, & the Counterband Trade they Carried on with the English Colonies, have hitherto prevented the progress of Husbandry, so that out of very near One Hundred Thousand of Acres of Land, granted by the Seigneurs of the

6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907

different Parishes, there are not sixteen Thousand under Cultivation, whereof hardly Five Thousand have been Employed for sowing of Wheat, which for many years past have not been sufficient for supplying the Inhabitants of this Government with Bread; and has obliged them to procure Yearly from the Governments of Montreal, or Quebec, several Thousand Bushells of Wheat, in Exchange for Fish, Oats, & Tobacco. The Soil tho' light & sandy in some Parishes produces in general, good Crops of Wheat, Oats, Pease, & all sorts of Vegetables. Tho' the Lands are not near so well Cultivated as they might be, Fruit trees such as Apples, Pears, & Plumbs, have been often planted in this Government, but don't thrive-The Inhabitants attribute it to a Stratum of marle that lyes within a foot, or fourteen inches from the surface, which Occasions the Tree to Decay, as soon as the Root touches it. In the sandy Parts of this Government, musk & water melons are produced in great abundance, good of their kind, and with very little trouble. The difficulty for some years past for procuring Tobacco, from the English Colonies, has encouraged the Inhabitants of this Government to Cultivate it, by which means many of their Corn Fields have been turned to that use, and those Lands greatly Impoverished.

STATE OF THE REVENUE OF THIS GOVERNMENT

This Government has hitherto brought nothing into the French King's Coffers. There was formerly a Regular Office for buying of Beaver Settled at Trois Rivieres, in the same manner, and with the same priviledges & Restrictions as those of Montreal, and Quebec. But the Advantage which the Inhabitants found in Carrying their Packs to either of the above mentioned Towns, where they could supply themselves with what Goods they wanted, encouraged them to Venture, disobeying the orders given to the Contrary, and of Course rendered the produce of that office, so trifling that after some Years it was joined to that of Quebec.

The only Branch of the Revenue remaining in this Government, is the Kings Dues & Rights, Amounting to a twelfth part of the Price in Case of Sale or Exchange of such Lands, or Houses, as lye upon his Demesnes; as also a fifth Part of the Price of Sale or Exchange of all Seigneuries & Mannors, as being Lord Paramount of all the Lands & Estates in Canada, of which Dues a third part was always remitted, thro' the King's Pleasure. The produce of which Branch has likewise failed from the want of a Commissary in this Government to Inspect, and look into it.-N.B. There was only One Person called Receiver-General of the King's Demesnes in this Colony, who Resided at Quebec, from the distance, & the want of a Deputy in this Government, the Inhabitants had all the opportunitys they could wish, to sink the King's Dues.

FORMER MANAGEMENT REJECTED ALL BUT ONE ARTICLE

Indeed no part of the Former Management seems worthy of Adoption, but that of the King's Rights and Privileges, as every other Branch of the

SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18

Ancient Administration, has been the most powerful means of stopping the progress of this Colony.

EXPENCES OF THIS GOVERNMENT

The Expences of this Government cannot be Easily Calculated, as the most material Branch depended upon the probity of the Governors, Intendant, and Keeper of the King's Stores, as also the variable Circumstances of more or less Indians being Employed or visiting this Government; for which purpose there was at Trois Rivieres a Considerable Magazine of Provisions, & Dry Goods of all sorts, Wholly Intended to Supply the wants of Indians living in this Government marching thro' it, or Coming to Trade; the Expence of which Amounted some Years to two or three Hundred Thousands of French Livres, others less. Another branch, but of a Clearer nature was the Sallaries of the People upon the Staff in this Governmt & are as follows.

Lastly the King was pleased to Grant every Year, to the two Religious Houses of Ursulines & Recollets in the Town of Trois Rivieres, a Gratification not exceeding Twelve Hundred Livres for both Houses; and His Majesty was likewise at the Expence of paying for the Board of such Bastard Children, as were Declared to, and Registered by the King's Attorney, All which Expences were paid Half Yearly by the Treasury at Quebec.

ADVANTAGES DERIVED TO THE FRENCH

To all Appearances the French Derived no advantages from this Government, and utterly neglected, or abused such as they might have Improved, or profited by.

The most Material which they Abused was that which might arise from the Iron mines & Forges settled about seven Miles behind the Town of Trois Rivieres, up the River St Maurice.

This Establishment Consists of one Furnace and two Forges built upon a little Rivulet, whose water never freeses; it Discharges itself into the River St Maurice, from whence the Iron may be easily Conveyed to any Magazine at Trois Rivieres in Batteaux, and from thence in Vessells to Montreal or Quebec. There are besides a large Stone House for the Managers & other wood Buildings for the People Employed at the Works.

6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907

The Mine that has hitherto supplied the forges lays very near the surface of the Earth, in a low marshy Ground seven or Eight miles from them, There has hitherto been no Road made to it, as they used to fetch the Ore in Sledges during the Winter Season; but a good One may be easily made. The Iron made from this Ore, is so Excellent in its Quality, that in a late tryal made by order of His Excellency General Amherst, it was found greatly superior to any made in America, and even Exceeds that Imported from Sweden.

This Mine was opened in the Year 1732, and Granted in 1736 to a Company, whom the King Assisted with a Loan of about 3000 pounds sterling. Theyo bliged themselves to Afford what Iron the King might have occasion for, at two Dollars and a half the hundred weight; Whereas this Iron in Barrs never sold for less than five or Six Dollars in this Colony Their own Extravagance; and the low price of Iron Stipulated for between them and the King, was the reason some Years after of their giving up the Grant, and Declaring themselves unable to Repay the Loan they had borrowed from His Majesty.

In 1742 the King took back the Grant, and kept the Forges in his own hands, which from that time were put entirely under the Direction of the Intendant.

The Works were then Carried on in a Larger scale, the mine produced ore in great plenty; and in the Year 1746 the single Furnace built there returned one Million Eleven Hundred Thousands five Hundred & Twenty three pounds weight of Cast Iron which produced Five Hundred Thousand Weight of pure Iron, besides a large Quantity of Stoves & Pots, Notwithstanding All This, the great number of useless People employed there, such as a Director, a Comptroller, a Contractor for Provisions & forage, Several Overseers in Chief, a Chaplain &ca, at large sallaries; the little attention paid to the Improvement of the Lands to procure Oats & Hay. Which was always bought at a great Distance, and at a Considerable expence, & besides the Fraud of the Intendants, by whom all the accots of that Branch were settled; rendered that Establishment rather burthensome than profitable to the Crown. All the Buildings, Machinary, & Tools are now in a most Ruinous Condition, and require a thorough Repair. But the natural Advantages still Remain, vizt the mine itself, to which may be added another yet untouched, laying about three miles from the Forges, on the other side of the River St Maurice, the Woods about that Establishment, a Quarry of Limestone, absolutely necessary for the Melting of the Ore, Eight miles up the River St Maurice; and lastly the Rivulet upon which two more Forges & a Furnace may be easily built without any Incumbrance to Each other; All which Advantages may certainly be greatly Improved to the Advantage of the Crown, by Supplying His Majesty's Navy with proper Iron for Ship Building.

Tho' this Government is Extremely well timbered, with proper Wood for building of Ships, & for Masts, yet the greater Facility of supplying