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on an island under the shade of a mountain which they called Mont Royal; time has changed it to Montreal. The old name, like the old people, is well-nigh forgotten. The inhabitants had stores of corn and fish laid up with great care, also tobacco, which Europeans saw here for the first time. The natives were courteous and friendly in their manners, some of them of noble beauty; they bowed to a Great Spirit, and knew of a future state. Their king wore a crown, which he transferred to Jacques Cartier; but, when they brought their sick and infirm, trusting to his supernatural power to heal, the Christian soldier only blessed them with the cross, and prayed that Heaven might give them health.

The adventurers returned to France next year, carrying off one of the kings with them, to the great grief of his subjects; he became contented with his lot, but soon after died. This was the first wrong the doomed race suffered from the white men. Four years afterwards, the Sieur de Roberval, graced with many high-sounding titles, and aided by Jacques Cartier, landed at the mouth of the St. Charles River; the inhabitants, mindful of former injury, met the strangers with war instead of peace. Seven miles from Quebec is Cap Rouge; there, three hundred years ago, the

French built their first stronghold, to guard themselves from just vengeance; they named it Charlesbourg Royal. Their leader, tortured by the dissensions of his followers, soon led them back to France; in 1549, he, with his brave brother, sailed to seek the visionary Cathay, and were heard of no more.

At the end of the sixteenth century, when the gloom of this failure had passed away, Chauvin and Pontgrave opened a fur trade at Tadousac, without much success. Next followed the Calvinist De

Monts, with a little fleet of four sail; his enormous privileges and the religious dissensions of his followers caused his ruin. His successor, the worthy Champlain, founded the city of Quebec, in 1608, and cultivated the rich valley of the St. Charles; with some of his followers he penetrated to the great lakes of the west, and returned in safety from among their fierce and savage nations. To this vast territory of CANADA,* he gave the name of New France. For many years the settlers met with great difficulties from the climate and the Indians, but adventurers poured in from the old world, and wars and fire-water thinned their foes.

* A well-travelled friend has mentioned to the Editor that this name is derived from the Spanish Cañada—a defile between two steep defiles.

Some powerful tribes sought their alliance, serving them to the end with faith and courage. Montreal, Niagara, and other towns were founded, and Quebec was strengthened into the Gibraltar of the West.

The quarrels of the mother countries involved these colonists in constant difficulties with their English neighbours of the south, and their Indian allies added unheard-of horrors to their wars. After many alternate successes, a British army of great force, under the command of General Amherst, invaded Canada in 1759. Ticonderoga

fell into his power, and Niagara was won by the division of General Johnson, after a gallant battle. These triumphs were of but little moment, for all knew that on Quebec the fate of Canada depended, and the failure of General Hill, half a century before, had given a lesson of the difficulties of the attack. A large fleet, however, commanded by Admiral Saunders, carrying an army of seven thousand men, reached the Island of Orleans in the end of June.

For a few years, and for a great purpose, England was given one of those men whose names light up the page of history: he was humble, and gentle as a child, graceful in person and manners; raised by transcendant merit in early manhood, he had done high service at Minden and Louisbourg: the purpose was accomplished, and the gift resumed

at Quebec, when he was about thirty-two years old. This was WOLFE; to him the expedition was entrusted.

He took possession of the Island of Orleans, and occupied Point Levy with a detachment. His prospects were not encouraging: the great stronghold frowned down on him from an almost inaccessible position, bristling with guns, defended by a superior force, a portion of a gallant army, and inhabited by a hostile population. Above the city, steep banks rendered landing almost impossible; below, the country, for eight miles, was embarrassed by two rivers, many redoubts, and the watchful Indians. A part of the fleet lay above the town, the remainder in the North Channel, between the Island of Orleans and Montmorenci; each ebb-tide floated down fire-ships, but the sailors towed them ashore, and they proved harmless.

The plan which first suggested itself was, to attack by the side of Montmorenci, but this the brave Montcalm was prepared to meet. On the 31st of July, a division of grenadiers landed below the falls ; some of the boats grounded on a shoal, and caused great confusion, so that arrangements, excellent in themselves, were in their result, disastrous. The grenadiers, with an indiscreet ardour, advanced, unformed and unsupported, against the entrench

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ments; a steady and valiant defence drove them back a storm threatening, and the loss being already heavy, the General re-embarked the troops with quiet regularity. The soldiers drooped under their reverse, but there was always one cheerful face-that of their leader; nevertheless, inward care and labour wasted his weak frame: he wrote to England sadly and despondingly, for the future was very dark; but he acted on an inspiration. His Generals were brave men, and suggested very daring plans; he seized the boldest counsel, risked the great venture, and won.

On the night of the 12th of September,. the fleet approached the shore below the town, as if to force a landing. The troops embarked at one in the morning, and ascended the river for three leagues, when they got into boats, and floated noiselessly down the stream, passing the sentries unobserved. Where they landed, a steep, narrow path wound up the side of the cliff forming the river's bank; it was defended bravely against them, but in vain. When the sun rose, the army stood upon the plains of Abraham.

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Montcalm found he was worsted as a General, but it was still left to him to fight as a soldier: his order of battle was promptly and skilfully made

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