being rendered independent of him, is perhaps the remote cause that the fair sex have such influence in France; and in Canada, it is well known, that a great deal of consequence, and even an air of superiority to the husband, is assumed by them. In general (if you will excuse a vulgar metaphor), the grey mare is the better horse.

British subjects coming to this country are liable to the operation of all these Canadian or French laws, in the same manner that the Canadians themselves are.They are not always aware of this circumstance; and it has created much disturbance in families. A man who has made a fortune here (a thing by the bye which does not very often happen), conceives that he ought, as in England, to have the disposal of it as he thinks proper. No, says the Canadian law, you have a right to one half only; and if your wife dies, her children, or, in case you have no children, her nearest relations may oblige you to make a partage, and give them half your property, were it a hundred thousand guineas, and they the most worthless wretches in existence. Nothing can prevent this but an

antinuptial contract of marriage, barring the communité de bien.

From Canadian travelling I got on Canadian farming: the farming led me to the farmers, and these to their laws and customs. One cannot well avoid following up an association of ideas; but it occurs to me that, having mentioned Montreal, you will naturally expect me to give you some account of it, which I shall attempt to do in my next letter.

LETTER XII.

Quebec, 1807.

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MONTREAL is situated on an island; but the island is so large in proportion to the water which surrounds it, that you are not sensible of its insularity. A branch of the river Ottawas, which falls into the St. Lawrence above Montreal, takes a northerly direction, and forms the island. This branch joins the St. Lawrence at Repentigni, where the public road from Quebec is continued by a ferry of about a mile in breadth. A little above the ferry there is an island; on each side of which the channel narrows much, and an attempt has lately been made to build a bridge across -it failed. The masses of ice which came down the river when the winter broke up, carried the bridge away. The attempt however will be renewed upon a different plan, and, it is to be hoped, will prove suc

cessful, as it would be of great utility to

the inhabitants of the surrounding country, besides very accommodating to travellers.

The island is about thirty miles in length, by about ten in breadth. The city of Montreal is situated near the upper end of it, on the south side of the island, at the distance of about one hundred and eighty miles from Quebec. It lies in latitude 45-30, being about 70 miles to the southward of Quebec. They pretend to say, that the spring is always earlier than at Quebec by near a month, and I believe it is allowed to be so. One would scarcely think that so small a difference of latitude, should produce such an effect; it would not be so in Europe; there must be some aiding cause with which we are not acquainted.

Montreal was once surrounded by a wall, which served to defend it against any sudden attack from the Indians; but as this is now no longer dreaded, the wall is about to be removed, that the town may be enlarged with the greater facility. The St. Lawrence comes close to the town on the south side, where there is a great depth

of water, but vessels have much difficulty to get at it; for immediately below the town there is a current, to stem which a very strong breeze is necessary: vessels lie sometimes for weeks (waiting for a wind) within a couple of miles of the town, without being able to reach it. It is a pity the site of the town had not been chosen at the bottom instead of the top of the current. This certainly would have been the case had the original founders reflected for a moment what might be the future destiny of the place. But they were monks, whose minds were directed to the propagation of their religion, inore than the advancement of commerce.

Montreal may be said to be a handsome town. Its streets are regular and airy; and contain many handsome and commodious houses. It is fully as large and as populous as Quebec, containing about 10,000 people, the great mass of whom are Canadians. Its suburbs, too, are extensive. It has suffered greatly from fire at different times, and the precautions taken to prevent the spreading of conflagration exceed even those of Quebec; for, in addition to the roofs

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