The lime-stone which they burn here, is of two kinds. One is quite black, and so compact, that its constituent particles cannot be distinguished, some dispersed grains of white and pale grey spar excepted. Now and then there are thin cracks in it filled with a white small-grained spar.
I have never seen any petrefactions in this stone, though I looked very carefully for them. This stone is common on the isle of Montreal, about ten or twenty inches below the upper soil. It lies in strata of five or ten inches thickness. This stone is said to give the best lime; for, though it is not so white as that of the following grey lime-stone, yet it makes better mortar, and almost turns into stone, growing harder and more compact every day. There are examples, that when they have been about to repair a house made partly of this mortar, the other stones of which the house consists, sooner broke in pieces than the mortar itself. [[286]]
The other kind is a grey, and sometimes a dark grey lime-stone, consisting of a compact calcareous-stone, mixed with grains of spar, of the same colour. When broken, it has a strong smell of stink-stone. It is full of petrified striated shells or pectinites. The greatest part of these petrefactions are, however, only impressions of the hollow side of the shells. Now and then I found likewise petrefied pieces of the shell itself, though I could never find the same shells in their natural state on the shores; and it seems inconceivable how such a quantity of impressions could come together, as I shall presently mention.
I have had great pieces of this lime-stone, consisting of little else than pectinites, lying close to one another. This lime-stone is found on several parts of the isle, where it lies in horizontal strata of the thickness of five or ten inches. This stone yields a great quantity of white lime, but it is not so good as the former, because it grows damp in wet weather.
Fir-wood is reckoned the best for the lime-kilns, and the thuya wood next to it. The wood of the sugar-maple, and other trees of a similar nature, are not fit for it, because they leave a great quantity of coals. [[287]]
Grey pieces of rock-stone are to be seen in the woods and fields hereabouts.
The leaves of several trees and plants began now to get a pale hue; especially those of the red maple, the smooth sumach[118], the Polygonum sagittatum, Linn. and several of the ferns.
A great cross is erected on the road and the boy who shewed me the wood, told me that a person was buried there, who had wrought great miracles.
At noon I arrived at Sault au Récollet, which is a little place, situated on a branch of the river St. Lawrence, which flows with a violent current between the isles of Montreal and Jesus. It has got its name from an accident which happened to a recollet friar, called Nicolas Veil, in the year 1625. He went into a boat with a converted Indian, and some Indians of the nation of Hurons, in order to go to Quebec; but, on going over this place in the river, the boat overset, and both the friar and his proselyte were drowned. The Indians (who have been suspected of occasioning the oversetting of the boat) swam to the shore, saved what they could of the friars effects, and kept them. [[288]]
The country hereabouts is full of stones, and they have but lately began to cultivate it; for all the old people could remember the places covered with tall woods, which are now turned into corn-fields, meadows, and pastures. The priests say, that this place was formerly inhabited by some converted Hurons. These Indians lived on a high mountain, at a little distance from Montreal when the French first arrived here, and the latter persuaded them to sell that land. They did so, and settled here at Sault au Récollet, and the church which still remains here, was built for them, and they have attended divine service in it for many years. As the French began to increase on the isle of Montreal, they wished to have it entirely to themselves, and persuaded the Indians again to sell them this spot, and go to another. The French have since prevailed upon the Indians (whom they did not like to have amongst them, because of their drunkenness, and rambling idle life) to leave this place again, and go to settle at the lake des Deux Montagnes, where they are at present, and have a fine church of stone. Their church at Sault au Récollet is of wood, looks very old and ruinous, though its inside is pretty good, and is made use of by the Frenchmen in this place. They have already [[289]]brought a quantity of stones hither, and intend building a new church very soon. The botanical observations which I made during these days, I shall reserve for another publication.