from the sloping roof by the force of the fall. There are regulations to oblige householders to keep away these accumulations, but this wholesome law is not sufficiently enforced.

I had seen the Falls of Montmorenci in the summer, and admired them very much, but was glad to seize an opportunity, which afforded itself in the shape of a party of some twenty people, of visiting them in winter also. We assembled at the house of one of the ladies, at twelve o'clock. There was a very gay muster of carioles; some tandems, with showy robes and ornamental harness; handsome family conveyances; snug little sleighs, very low and narrow, for two people; and a neat turn-out with a pair of light-actioned horses abreast, and a smart little tiger standing on a step behind.

My lot lay in one of the family conveyances, with a worthy elderly gentleman, who gave me a minute account of the state of municipal politics, and other interesting matters. We jogged leisurely along with a sedate old horse, and were passed by all the party before we reached our journey's end, nine miles from the town. They looked very happy and comfortable as they went by us, particularly the Captain, in his long low sleigh with the highactioned horses; for, by his side, muffled up in the

warm, snug robes, sat a lady, with whom he was so busily talking that he nearly upset us.

It was one of those days peculiar to these climates, bright as midsummer, but very cold; the air pure and exhilarating, like laughing gas; everything seemed full of glee; the horses bounded with pleasure, as they bore their light burthens over the clean, hard snow. But I wander from my friends in the long low sleigh. Half-a-dozen bright reflections of the sun were dancing in the little lady's her soft fresh cheek was flushed

merry

blue

eyes;

with the rapid motion through the keen air; her little chin sunk in a boa of rich dark fur, the smiling red lips and white teeth just showing above it; her arms were cosily lodged in a muff, resting on the bear-skin robe of the sleigh; and a small bonnet of purple velvet sat coquettishly on her head, only half hiding the long fair ringlets which clustered beneath it.

We went by the river road, as it is called, over the ice; the northern side of the St. Lawrence, and the channel between the island of Orleans and the left bank, being always frozen over in winter. By this bridge, the traffic from the fertile island and the Montmorenci district finds its way to Quebec. The ice is of great thickness and strength; shells, from

mortars of the largest size, have been thrown on it from a thousand yards' distance, and produced scarcely any impression. Sometimes, the snow which has fallen on the ice, thaws, leaving large pools of water; this surface freezes again, and becomes the road for travelling. Such had been the case the day we were there; but a thaw had afterwards weakened the upper surface: our respectable old horse broke through, and floundered in the stream. Not understanding the state of the case, I made up my mind that we were going through to the river, and jumped out of the sleigh into the water; when the old horse and I, to our agreeable surprise, found the under ice interfering between us and the St. Lawrence.

About an hour's drive took us to the Falls of Montmorenci : they are in the centre of a large semi-circular bay, hemmed in by lofty cliffs; the waters descend over a perpendicular rock two hundred and fifty feet high, in an unbroken stream, into a shallow basin below. At this time of the year the bay is frozen over and covered with deep snow; the cliffs on all parts, but especially near the cataract, were hung over and adorned with magnificent giant icicles, sparkling in the sunshine, and reflecting all the prismatic colours.

The waters foam and dash over as in summer; but on every rock where there was a resting-place half concealed by the spray, were huge lumps of ice in fantastic shapes, or soft fleecy folds of untainted snow. Near the foot of the fall a small rock stands in the river; the spray collects and freezes on this in winter, accumulating daily, till it frequently reaches the height of eighty or a hundred feet in a cone of solid ice; on one side is the foaming basin of the fall; on the other, the hard-frozen bay stretches out to the river.

One of the great amusements for visitors is, to climb up to the top of this cone, and slide down again on a tobogin. They descend at an astonishing pace, keeping their course by steering with light touches of their hands; the unskilful get ridiculous tumbles in attempting this feat numbers of little Canadian boys are always in attendance, and generally accompany the stranger in his descent. A short distance to the right is another heap of ice, on a smaller scale, called the ladies' cone. The fair sliders seat themselves on the front of the tobogin, with their feet resting against the turned-up part of it: the gentlemen who guide them sit behind, and away they go, like lightning, not unfrequently upsetting, and rolling down to the

bottom. The little boys in attendance carry the tobogin up again, the ladies and their cavaliers ascend, and continue the amusement sometimes for hours together.

The party were in high glee, determined to enjoy themselves; they tobogined, slid, and trudged about merrily in the deep dry snow. The servants spread out the buffalo robes, carpet fashion, on the snow, and arranged the plates of sandwiches, with glasses, and bottles, on one of the carioles, for a sideboard. When the young people had had enough of their amusements, they re-assembled, seated themselves on the buffalo robes, and the champagne and sandwiches went round.

Though the thermometer was below zero, we did not feel the slightest unpleasant effect of cold; there was no wind, and we were very warmly clad; I have often felt more chilly in an English drawingroom. It is true that the ladies carried their sandwich or their glass of wine to their pretty lips in long fur gauntlets, through half-a-dozen folds of a boa, but their eyes sparkled the brighter, and their laugh sounded the merrier, in the cold brisk air, though their dresses sparkled with icicles, and the little fur boots were white with snow. There was a great deal of noise and merriment, with some