Picturesque Quebec : a sequel to Quebec past and present Part 77

[309] The French named the Wyandats, Hurons, from their style of wearing their hair--erect and thrown back, giving their head, says the Historian Ferland, the appearance of a boar's head, "_une hure de sanglier_."

[310] The Dutch called them Maquas; the English, Mohawks, probably from the name of the river Mohawk which flows into the Hudson.

[311] The Mission of St. Joseph, composed of 400 Huron families, was suddenly attacked by the Iroquois on the 4th July, 1648.

[213] St. Ignace was surprised and taken on 16th March, 1649.

[313] Ste. Marie mission-house was given to the flames by the Jesuits themselves on 15th May, 1649.

[314] St Jean was ravaged on 7th December, 1649.

[315] This parish was called after the celebrated Church of _Santa Casa_, of Loretto, in Italy. The Huron Missionary, Father Chaumonot, had arranged their huts around the church, which he had erected in imitation of the Loretto Chapel in Italy, where he had seen a vision of angels.

[316] A census of the settlement taken on 19th January, 1879, exhibits the population as composed of 326 souls, divided as follows:--Adult Males, 94; Adult Females, 137; Boys, 49; Girls, 56. Total, 336. 143 males to 193 females; bachelors must have been at a premium in the settlement. We understood that a complete history of the tribe is now in course of preparation by the Rev. Prosper Vincent, a son of Chief Vincent.

[317] An excellent sketch in French has been published of _Tahourenche_ and his tribe, in the Opinion Publique, under the _nom de plume_ of _Ahatsistari_, which we think ourselves warranted in crediting to the elegant pen of A. N. Montpet.i.t, one of their honorary Chiefs.

[318] Probably the same as alluded to in a quaint old engraving, presented us by John Neilson, Esq., P.L.S., a son of the Hon. John Neilson, himself an honorary Chief of the Lorette Hurons. Under the portrait of Chief Nicholas is printed "Nicholas Vincent Isawanhoni," princ.i.p.al Christian chief and Captain of the Huron Indians, established at _La Jeune Lorette_, near Quebec, habited in the costume of his country, as when presented to his Majesty George IV. on the 7th of April, 1826, with three other chiefs of his nation, by _Generals Brock and Carpenter_; the chief bears in his hand the wampum or collar, on which is marked the tomahawk given by his late Majesty George III. The gold medal on his neck was the gift of his Majesty on this presentation.

"They were accompanied and introduced into England on the _14th December_, 1824, by Mr. W. Cooper, who though an Englishman, they state to be a chief of their nation, and better known to them as chief _Tourhaunchi_."

N.B.--It may be well to say that from the earliest times the Lorette Indians have been in the habit of electing as "Honorary Chiefs" Quebecers of note, who may have rendered service to the tribe. A large oil painting is now in the possession of William D. Campbell, Esq., of Quebec, exhibiting the installation as a Chief, in 1837, of the late Robert Symes, J.P., of Quebec.

[319] _Ononthio_ means the _Great Mountain_, the name the Indians gave Governor de Montmagny and his successors.

[320] The 8 is p.r.o.nounced _oui_.

[321] May, 1675, Louis XIV and Colbert granted Monsieur le Comte Talon, Intendant, the Seigniory des Islets, "together with those three neighboring villages to us belonging the first called Bourg Royal, the second Bourg La Reine, the third, Bourg Talon, subsequently changed into the Barony of Orsainville."--(_Ferland_, Vol. II p 59.)

[322] I am happy to be able to throw some additional light on the early times of this mysterious ruin, which has much perplexed Quebec antiquaries. 'Tis probable this stately mansion was built by the great Intendant Talon as the baronial _chateau_, permitted by his grant, (see _Seignorial Doc.u.ments_, 1852,--page 444 and 488) according to which he was empowered to establish gaols, "a four-post gibbet, a post with an iron collar on which his arms should be engraved." Of all this redoubtable feudal pomp there are no vestiges now extant. How the _chateau_ fared from Talon's time to Bigot's, remains a mystery.

After the conquest, the land came by purchase into the possession of the Stewart family, lately represented by Charles Grey Stewart--a most interesting and lengthy letter from Charles Stewart, describing the winter months spent in the Hermitage in 1775-6, whilst Arnold held for Congress the environs of Quebec, will be given hereafter, Mr. Wm. Crawford the late owner of the land and ruins, having kindly allowed me the use of his t.i.tle deeds. I find therein stated "Charles Stewart, avocat et notaire demeurant a Quebec, proprietaire du fief de Grand Pre, autrefois dit De la Mistanguenne ou Mont Plaisir, a la Canardiere par acte de vente du 26 Juin 1780, devant Jean Antoine Panet, N.P., concede a t.i.tre de cens et rentes seigneuriales ... a Monsieur Jean Lees, le Jeune, Simon Fraser, le Jeune, et William Wilson, negotiant en cette ville, 10 arpents de front situes dans le fief Grand Pre ou Mont Plaisir a la Canardiere an lieu nomme la Montagne on l'Hermitage, prenant d'un bout, vers le sud aux terres de Joseph Bedard, et Jean Baptiste Le Roux dit Cardinal, et allant en profondeur vers le nord quatorze arpents ou environ, jusqu'a la vieille cloture du verger, icelui verger compris en la presente concession et vente, les dix arpents de front joignant du cote du sud-ouest ou fief de la Trinite, appartenant au Seminaire, et du cote du nord-ouest a la terre de Jean Chattereau, ensemble la maison a deux etages, une grange et un etable en bois, construits sur les dits dix arpents."

[_Translation_.]

"Charles Stewart, advocate and notary, residing at Quebec, proprietor of the _Fief_ Grand Pre, formerly styled De la Mistanguenne or Mont Plaisir, at the Canardiere, by deed of sale, bearing date the 26th June, 1780, before Jean Ant. Panet, N.P., conceded _a t.i.tre de cens et rentes Seigneuriales_ ... to Mr. Jean Lees, junior, Simon Fraser, junior, and William Wilson, merchants of this city, ten arpents, in front, situated in the _Fief_ Grand Pre, or Montplaisir, at the Canardiere, at the place named The Mountain or the Hermitage, beginning on one side, towards the south, at the lands of Joseph Bedard and Jean Baptiste LeRoux dit Cardinal, and running in the depth towards the north, fourteen arpents or thereabouts, to the old orchard fence--said orchard included in this concession and deed of sale, the ten arpents in part joining towards the north-west, to the _Fief de la Trinite_ belonging to the (Quebec) Seminary, and on the north-east side joining the land of Jean Chattereau, together with the two-story house, barn, wooden stable, built on the said ten arpents."

The property was resold the 12th August, 1805, by John Lees, _et al._, to Charles Stewart, Esq., Comptroller of Customs, Quebec. It is now owned by Leger Brousseau, Esq.

[323] The fascinating daughter of Lord Clifford, famous in the legendary history of England, as the mistress of Henry II. shortly before his accession to the throne, and the subject of an old ballad. She is said to have been kept by her royal lover in a secret bower at Woodstock, the approaches to which formed a labyrinth so intricate that it could only be discovered by the clew of a silken thread, which the king used for that purpose. Here Queen Eleanor discovered and poisoned her, about 1173.-- (_Noted names of Fiction_, 1175. See also Woodstock--_Waverley Novels_.)

[324] I am indebted to my late old friend the Abbe Ferland for the following remark: "I visited Chateau Bigot during the summer of 1834. It was in the state described by Mr. Papineau in the interior, the walls were still partly papered. It must not be forgotten that about the beginning of this century a club of _Bons-vivant_ used to meet frequently in the Chateau."

Three celebrated clubs nourished here long before the Stadacona and St.

James' Club were thought of. The first was formed in Quebec, about the beginning of this century. It was originally called (after its London prototype) says Lambert, the Beef Steak Club, which name it soon changed for that of the Barons Club. It consisted of twenty-one members, "who are chiefly the princ.i.p.al merchants in the colony, and are styled barons. As the members drop off, their places are filled by knights elect, who are not installed as barons until there is a sufficient number to pay for the entertainment which is given on that occasion." John Lambert, during the winter of 1807, attended one of the banquets of installation, which was given in the Union Hotel (now the _Journal de Quebec_ office, facing the Place d'Armes.) The Hon. Mr. Dunn, the President of the Province, and Administrator, during the absence of Sir Robert S. Milnes, attended as the oldest baron. The Chief Justice and all the princ.i.p.al officers of the government, civil and military, were present. This entertainment cost 250 guineas. "The Barons Club," says W. Henderson, "was a sort of _Pitt Club_,--all Tories to the back-bone. It was a very select affair--and of no long duration. Among the members, if my memory serves me right, were John Coltman, George Hamilton, Sir John Caldwell, Sir George Pownall, Herman Wistius Byland, George Heriott, (Postmaster and author) Hon.

Matthew Bell, Gilbert Ainslie, Angus Shaw." (Notes of W. Henderson.)

The other club went under the appropriate name of "Sober Club,"--_lucus a non lucendo_ perhaps: it flourished about 1811; we believe one of the By-laws enacted that the members were expected to get _elevated_ at least once a year. It seems to be more than likely that it was the Club of Barons, and not the Sober Club, who caroused under the romantic walls of the Hermitage. The third Club flourished at Montreal in 1785 and later, it took the name of the Beaver Club) and was, I believe, composed of old _Northwesters_.

[325] It is painful to watch the successive inroads perpetrated by sportsmen and idlers on the old Chateau. In 1819, an old Quebecer, Mr.

Frederick Wyse, visited it; doors, verandah, windows and everything else was complete. He, too, lost his way in the woods, but found it again without the help of an Indian beauty. It was then known as the haunted house, supposed to contain a deal of French treasure, and called _La Maison du Bourg Royal_.

[326] Error--he was a bachelor. These unions were not uncommon. We find the Baron de St. Castin marrying Matilda, the daughter of Madocawando--an Indian beauty; he became a famous Indian Chief, helping D'Iberville, in Acadia, and left a numerous progeny of olive colored princesses with eyes like a gazelle's.

[327] Melospiza melodia.

[328] Zonotrichia leuchophry.

[329] The Hon. Mr. Dunn, Administrator of the Province in 1807, was the senior baron; Hons. Matthew Bell, John Stewart, Messrs. Muir, Irvine, Lester, McNaught, Grey Stewart, Munro, Finlay, Lymburner, Paynter; these names were doubtless also to be found amongst the Canadian barons; the Hon. Chas. de Lanaudiere, once a general in the Hungarian service, was the only French Canadian member.

[330] Book of Carthon.

[331] From Travellers' Guide Book, 1829.

APPENDIX

[332] See _Quebec Past and Present_, page 34.

[333] Relation de 1665, p. 25, Journal des Jesuites, 10 juillet 1665.

[334] Lettres de Marie de l'Incarnation, lettre 76e, p. 621.

[335] Archives de la Marine, vol. Canada, T. II, de 1670 a 1676, 20 aout 1670.

[336] _Ibid._, lettres de Colbert a M. Talon, 11 fevrier 1671.

[337] Relation de 1668, p. 3.

[338] Relation de 1667, p. 3.

[339] Archives de la Marine. Registre des depeches de Colbert pour les Indes, 1671, fol. 18.

[340] Relation de 1672, p. 2.

[341] Archives de la Marine. Registre des depeches, ann. 1674 et 1675.

Lettre du 16 mai 1674 a M. de Frontenac.

[342] _Memoire pour servir d'Intruction a Monsieur le Comte de Frontenac sur l'Entreprise de la Nouvelle-York_, 7 _juin_ 1689.

[343] The names of the Huguenot families who settled New Oxford, as far as ascertained, are as follows--

1 Montee, 1 Bureau l'aine, 1 Jermon, 1 Peter Cante, 1 Jean Maillet, 1 Elle Dupeu, 2 Ober Germon, 2 Jean Martin, 1 Andre Segourne, 1 Jean Milleton, 4 Bertrand De Tuffeau, 3 M. Baurdille, 6 Rene Grignon, M. Germaine, 5 M. Alard, M. Boudinot, Benj. Faneuil, Jean Beaudoin.

1 J. Dupeu,

[344] In 1870, when these lines were penned, the ma.s.sive gates, h.o.a.ry with age, were already doomed--a portion of the materials like the stones of Nelson's Abbey were robbed to build up houses near by.

[345] Memoirs de P.A. DeGaspe.