[102] See Appendix—"La Négresse Rose."
[103] Quebecers will remember with pleasure the presence in our midst of this famous Polar navigator in August, 1880, and his lady, whose kindliness of manner and elegant French, won the hearts of many. The instructive torpedo lectures of the scientific commander of the Northampton iron-clad, Capt. Fisher, will likewise retain a corner in the chambers of memory.
[104] In fact, the spot where the remains of the great geographer and discoverer are supposed to rest, seems to be the site on which the new Post Office in the Upper Town has lately been built. Another theory, however, is lately propounded by an Ottawa antiquary. See QUEBEC PAST AND PRESENT.
[105] XAVIER MARMIER.—This writer was born at Pontcartier, France, in 1809, and early evinced a passion for travel. Having visited Switzerland and Holland, he came to Paris in 1830. Being well versed in German literature, he edited for ten years the Revue Germanique, during which period he travelled and wrote much. In 1836-38 he went as the Secretary of a scientific expedition to the north of Europe. He spent several weeks at Archangel, visited Iceland, Greenland, and other hyperborean regions, and after his return published many works, among which may be mentioned Travels in Iceland and Greenland (7 vols., 8vo, with elaborate maps and numerous folio plates), the Literature of Denmark and Sweden, Souvenirs of Voyages and Traditions, Popular Songs of the North, Letters on Holland and on Russia, Finland and Poland, Poems of a Traveller, the Rhine and the Nile, Letters upon Algeria and the Adriatic, A Summer on the Baltic, &c, &c, besides voluminous essays in reviews and magazines. He was recalled from travels to become librarian of the Department of the Marine, and in 1847 was appointed in charge of the library of Sainte Geneviève. He is still (in 1881) living in Paris.
[106] Lettres sur l'Amérique, par X Marmier, Canada, États-Unis, Havane, Rio de la Plata, 2 Vols., Paris, 1851.
[107] The Jesuit Fathers were in the habit of fastening the painters of their canoes at the foot of the hill, "la canoterie," on their return by water from their farm called "Ferme des Anges," hence its name.
We borrow from the "Directory for the City and Suburbs of Quebec" for 1791, by Hugh McKay, printed at the office of the Quebec Herald, the following paragraph, "Rues Ecartées" (out-of-the-way streets)— "La Canoterie (canoe landings) follows the street Sault-au-Matelot, commencing at the house of Cadet (where Mr. O. Aylwin resides), and continues up to Mr. Grant's distillery; St. Charles street commences there and terminates below Palace Gate; St. Nicholas street extends from Palace Gate to the water's edge, passing in front of the residence of the widow La Vallée; the old ship yard opposite to the boat yard, Cape Diamond street commences at the wharf owned by Mr. Antrobus and terminates at the outer extremity of that of Mons. Dunière, underneath Cape Diamond, the streets Carrière, Mont Carmel, Ste. Geneviève, St. Denis, Des Grisons, are all situated above St. Louis street" (Mr. Louis Dunière was M.P. in 1828.)
[108] Mr. T. P. Bédard sends us the following note on this street:—"Au 17ème siècle, la rue Sault-au-Matelot était la rue commerciale par excellence avec la rue Notre-Dame, c'était là où ce faisait toutes les affaires, la rue St. Pierre actuelle étant alors envahie par l'eau durant les grandes marées."
[109] Did the dog belong to Champlain? an antiquary asks us.
"Ad laevum fluit amnis S. Laurentii, ad dextram S. Caroli fluviolus. Ad confluentem, Promontorium assurgit, Saltum Nautae vulgo vocant, ab cane hujus nominis qui se alias ex eo loco praecipitem dedit." (Historia Canadensis.—Creuxius, p. 204.)