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The citadel is the object of greatest interest in Quebec. The approach is up a steep hill forming the glacis. Threatened by guns in all directions, you must pass by a winding road through a detached fortification, and arrive at the gate leading into the body of the place. The front is a high revétement of cut stone, with several embrasures for cannon, and numerous loopholes for musketry from the bomb-proof barracks within. There are certain ineffectual forms of jealousy as to admission kept up; my companion's uniform procured us immediate entrance. To the unprofessional eye this place appears impregnable, and is, no doubt, of great strength, in spite of one or two weak points, which the captain pointed out to me in confidence. It may, however, be considered perfectly safe from any besieging force likely to be brought against it from the American continent, for many years to come.

On the last day of the year 1775, the American general Montgomery was slain, and most of his followers shared his fate or were taken, in an attack on this stronghold: it was defended by General Carleton, the loyal inhabitants, and the crews of some English merchant ships; with about one hundred regular troops and invalids.

In the year 1838, Theller, Dodge, and three other State prisoners, from the Canadian rebellion, made their escape on a snowy night from this citadel, while in charge of a battalion of the guards : to the infinite chagrin of the officers, the two first got clear away from the town, the others were retaken, one with his leg broken by a fall from the walls.

A short time after this day's expedition, I was highly pleased at finding on my table an invitation to a military ball, which was to take place at the barracks this offered the wished-for opportunity of judging if the living beauties of Quebec were as worthy of admiration as the inanimate. From those of the former whom I had already seen walking about, I was inclined to decide very favourably; but there is no such place for forming an opinion on these matters as a ball-room.

Having discovered that ten o'clock was the proper hour to go, I presented myself punctually at that time at the door of the barracks, and, with a crowd of other guests, walked up stairs. The rooms were ornamented with flags, and stars of swords, bayonets and ramrods, arranged about the walls in a very martial manner; but the passages had an air of rural simplicity, being carpeted with

green baize and overhung with boughs of trees: little side rooms also were turned into bowers, sofas supplying the places of rustic seats, and wax lights of sunshine. Though the passages did not appear to lead anywhere in particular, they seemed to be very much frequented by some of the couples, after the dances; and the bowers were never unoccupied.

At one end of the ball-room was the regimental band, whence the lungs of some dozen or so of strong-built soldiers, assisted by the noisiest possible musical contrivances, thundered forth the quadrilles and waltzes. It was a very gay sight: about eighty dancers were going through a quadrille as I entered the room; the greater number of the gentlemen were in their handsome uniforms of red, blue, and green; good looking, with the light hair, fresh complexion, and free and honest bearing of Englishmen; some were mere boys, having just joined from school, with very new coats and very stiff collars and manners. Then there were the Canadian gentlemen, with their white neckcloths and black clothes, generally smaller and darker than their English fellow-subjects, and much more at home in the dance.

On a range of sofas at one end of the room sat the mammas and chaperons, attended by the

elderly gentlemen; here also were the young ladies who were not dancing, but they were very few. I obtained a place in this group of lookers-on, and found myself seated next an elderly young lady of rather an angular cast of mind and body; as she did not dance much, she had ample opportunity to give me the names and "historiettes" of the company. She was one of those whose tastes had taken a literary turn, and she had read nearly all Byron's poems, with Shakspeare from beginning to end. On the strength of this, she lamented to me the intellectual inferiority of many of her fair fellow-citizens; telling me in confidence that they did not read much, that, before their education was finished, they began receiving visitors and going into society. She wondered how sensible men could find pleasure in the conversation of silly girls, who talk of nothing but their amusements. Ill-natured thing! As she spoke, a quadrille broke up, and the dancers passed us by, two and two, on their way to the favourite passage and the bowers. The gentlemen seemed to find great pleasure in the conversation, whatever it was about; and no wonder, with such bright black eyes to help it out.

The young ladies were nearly all clad in white

muslin, very simply, but very tastefully; I do not think I ever before saw so many so becomingly dressed, in proportion to their number; the fashions were much the same as in England, perhaps a little older in date.

They were generally very attractive, but it would have been difficult to single out any one with much higher claims to beauty than her companions. Most of them had dark eyes and hair, and complexions tinted with the burning summer sun; their figures were light and graceful, their manners peculiarly winning. There is one thing in which the Canadian ladies certainly excel, that is, dancing; I never saw one dance badly, and some of them are the best waltzers and polkistes I have ever seen in a ball-room.

I see my friend the Captain coming; on his right arm rests a little white glove with a little hand in it; and a pair of large, merry blue eyes, shaded by long fair ringlets, are looking up into his grave face. He is so busy talking and listening, that he does not see me. Happy Captain, I wish I were young again! "What a pretty girl that is with the fair ringlets," said I to my sour friend. "Some people think so," answered she; "for my part, I think that silly smile is very tiresome."

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