e River St Lawrence. Friday Aug. 7.
At 2 PM, yesterday we passed a high rocky point and the river Saguenay was disclosed
to our view. It is a mile wide – at its mouth but this magnificent flood seems
narrow in contrast with the twenty miles breadth of the great river of North
America – The Saguenay inspired admiration when first seen three hundred years
ago by white men – and it is marvellous yet. It flows from the Lake
St Jean eighty miles Northward in a defile between mountains 1500 to 2000
2500 feet high – and its depth is 600 feet lower than that of the St.
Lawrence – Far up as we could see – and those acquainted say that as
far as it is navigable its banks are rugged and scarce a habitation
is found upon it. The shore of the St Lawrence is about equally rugged.
Here and there is a hamlet hung on the mountain side surrounded by
sterility itself – After passing the river the bay beautiful bay appears which
was the first resting place of the discoverer Jacques Cartier and which he named
or found named Tadoussac – On the shores of this bay we found a hamlet
of eight dwellings with a disproportionate number of store houses & depots.
Our flag the Dutch Jack brought two or three stragglers to the beach, while
we having cast anchor, went ashore in our small boat. We landed on
the rocks, where a dead porpoise and a dead seal had been washed
by the tide. On the beach we were kindly received by a young

Scotchman who lives in a long low and old but very respectable mansion which over
looks the Bay, and A flagstaff graces the ridge and beneath it are two mounted
miniature cannons. There told the story of the place. It is a station of the
Hudson's Bay Company and our host is the resident agent. He at this
time has under his roof two visitors in the same employment for other
stations. He gave us brandy & water and tendered us hospitatlities under
his roof for a day or a week. He showed us peltries snow shoes and
apparel which he uses in his excercises in winter. In summer Tadoussac
is visited daily by a steamer from Quebec. But in winter, it is shut
out from all the would except those who can trail the forests on snow
shoes. On the very brow of the hill which overhangs the Bay is a mean
chapel or Church exceedingly rude, hardly equal to the African Church
in Auburn. Yet pictures tinsel and candles indicates its Catholic
chapter. An old rusty tin basin holds an infintesimal quantity of
Holy water. There is no organ – but a galley in the Attic serves for the
chore rude Choir – The for ^church^ with a rude burying ground reclaimed
from the rocks is inclosed with a stockade of . It occupies
the very site of the first Catholic mission chapel established by the
French on this Continent, and its walls are graced by rude portraits
of its early missionaries. The Indians have long since disappeared and
the Church survives to the of the Agency and the few peasants or hab-
itants who surround it.

Our host Mr Scott led us by a windy path to the tip of the
mountain that forms the South bank of the Saguenay, where we had
a fair view far up that dark and deep water – Returning we
saw at our feet in a dell a cluster of homes some four or
five with a wharf in front. On one of these houses was a small
belfry which indicated the Post Office. Here our letters were deposited
Mr Scotts housekeeper a French woman of some 25 or 30 presented
us with a bottle of milk the first of that luxury we have enjoyed.
We left amid many salutations of respect and good wishes at
four o, clock – ^PM but^ were held fast by counter currents in the bay until
six when we cleared the headlands and stood down the
river before a fair wind. At this hour 10 AM, the wind has
about died away but we have made good progress, having passed
Bick Island & the Bersimis River and being now at the distance of near
200 miles from Quebec – We are keeping midway between the shores of
the river and see nothing distinctly on either of them. If the wind
continues fair we hope to reach the islands of Mignan in Labrador
off the Island of Anticosti tomorrow night, which point is the destination
fixed upon by us when we left Quebec. The sun is shining bright and it
is pleasently warm – But not so hot that we can dispense with
great coats or shawls – The sea is calm and we are content
in the belief that health is not evading our pursuits