make a handsome appearance. The other buildings are composed of rough stones, covered with a cement of the same colour, which is indented in the form of squares, and at the distance of a few rods, cannot be distinguished from those whose exterior is stone. The windows of most of the houses are divided perpendicularly and open in the same manner as a double door, and are supported by hinges on which they turn.

All the public and many of the private edifices have their roofs covered with tin, exhibiting a brilliant appearance. The buildings are very compact, of two and three stories in height. A few of the inhabitants are beginning to build of brick, but as yet there are not more than from thirty to fifty buildings of that description. The streets with the exception of Notre Dame, and a new street near the College, are so narrow as to make it difficult for two carriages to pass each other excepting on a walk. Most of them are badly paved, the side walks not being more than from two to three feet in breadth, which renders it difficult for two persons to walk upon them abreast. The principal streets are St. Pauls and Notre Dame, in which and on the docks, most of the business of the city is transacted. The wholesale merchants principally reside in the former, which is the "Pearl Street" of Montreal. Notre Dame is broad and well paved, containing besides the public edifices, many handsome private buildings. In this street are most of the fancy stores, and its appearance is much superior to that of any other in the city. These streets run parallel with the river, and are more than a mile in length; they are intersected by many others obliquely and at right angles. The commerce of this town is very great, having rapidly increased during the last ten years. Ships arriving at Quebec are under the necessity of unloading half of their cargoes before they can proceed to Montreal, owing to the numerous shoals in the St. Lawrence between these cities. The

distance which is but 180 miles, is not accomplished under several weeks. To remedy this evil they have introduced Steam Boats on this river, so constructed as to carry freight. These boats are on an average twenty-four hours in descending the river, and about twice that time in returning. The number of Ships that arrive at Montreal has much lessened since the introduction of steam navigation; still many vessels pursue their snail-like course, up the river to this city, where discharging their cargoes they partially reload for Great Britain and complete their lading at Quebec. In consequence of the difficulties experienced in navigating this river, it is seldom that a vessel can make more than one voyage to the mother country in a year. The British Government have adopted the same restrictive system towards the Canadas, which they have so long exercised towards their other colonies, requiring them to import all their goods through the medium of Great Britain. This is executed with so much rigour, that the productions of the East and West Indies, which find their way into the province through the United States, are always confiscated when discovered. This Colonial system extends not only to the productions of a foreign country, but also to those of their own islands. In this manner the inhabitants of the Province, not only have to pay the duty exacted by the Government, but likewise the profit which the British merchant charges on the article. An additional duty of 2 1-2 per cent is paid by the Canadian merchant, who making his advance on all these charges is compelled to vend his goods at a much higher price than the same productions are sold at in the United States. In consequence of these difficulties which the merchant of the province has to contend with, all articles with the exception of those manufactured in Great Britain or Ireland, are sold from 15 to 20 per cent higher than in our cities on the Atlantic.

The trade of Montreal is principally

carried on with the North and Northwestern parts of the states of Vermont and New-York, and with Upper Canada. The productions sent from these states, and from the upper province, are, grain, pork, beef, ashes and lumber. In return, they take the fabrics manufactured in Great Britain into the states. Into the upper province they carry all the articles of foreign manufacture, in addition to those manufactured in the mother country. These last articles are not brought into the states, as they can (unless they are smuggled,) be procured on much more advantageous terms at Boston or New-York. The trade of this city during the last war was much more profitable than either before or since that period, although it has in creased in amount since its termination. The merchants are principally Scotchmen and emigrants from the United States. The latter have increased very much in number within a few years, and have in several instances accumulated large fortunes. The jealousy which exists between these two classes of merchants is very great, the former viewing our countrymen as interlopers, who are attempting to supplant them, while they regard the Scotchmen as very wealthy, and exerting all their energies to destroy them. They make up in enterprise what they want in capital, and contend for every inch of ground. Their influence is rapidly increasing. The inhabitants from the United States who are now residents in the city, amount to two thousand. There are but two banks now in the province, one of which is under the direction of the Scotch, the other is managed by the emigrants from this country. The trade between this city and the United States has been very profitable to the Montreal merchant, until within two years, since that period they have found it less lucrative, in consequence of the numerous failures in this country.

In this city is established the celebrated North-West Company, which has been so long employed in the fur

trade. This company was incorporated in the year 1783, since which time its capital and commerce have greatly increased. There are at present about one hundred partners and clerks, some of whom are stationed at Montreal, and at different depots among the Indian tribes. Others are occupied in conveying goods to these stations, and from thence back to the city. The capital employed by this establishment is immense, and by many they are supposed to be very rich, while in the opinion of others, if all their debts were liquidated, they would become insolvent. They have in their employ from fifteen hundred to two thousand Canadian voyageurs, whose business is to convey goods to their various establishments. These articles consist of trinkets, fine cutlery, arms, ammunition, and various kinds of cotton and silk fabrics. They have three rows of settlements, one up the Uttawas, on Ottawas river; another up the St. Lawrence to Kingston, thence crossing to Lake Huron, where the settlements commence, and extend along Superior and some distance down the Mississippi; the third and last is along the Red river, west of the lake of the woods.

The clerks belonging to this estab lishment leave Montreal in separate companies, with from twenty to thirty of these voyageurs under their com mand. They pursue some one of these routes in their birch canoes, as far as practicable, when unlading their barks, they carry them, with the goods, to the next water course, where they reload their canoes, and pursue their way by water, until they are compelled to leave them behind.They visit the various establishments on the route, leaving the goods which they take with them as they are wanted. To visit all these posts, and return, employs them seven years, a campaign which each clerk has to serve before he can become a partner. The goods carried by these voyageurs, with the exception of the muskets, are packed in bundles of cubic form, each of which weighs ninety-six lbs.

They are pressed very compactly together by a machine, and then covered with canvass, to protect the goods from the wet. One bundle is allotted to each voyageur, who, when they arrive at a carrying place, divide the provisions, cooking utensils, &c. among them, and with this increased load, they will go from twenty to twenty-five miles a day. So inured are they to hardship, and their strength is so much increased by habit, that they encounter the difficulties to which they are exposed in the forest, without a murmur, living on the coarsest food imaginable. They usually rest at the various stations on their route, where they recruit for a short time, and leaving some of their burden, continue their march to those stations which are more remote. The depots most distant, are on, and west of the Red river, (twelve hundred miles from Montreal,) where, unloading their freight, they return laden with fors. The articles carried from Montreal are sold to the Indiaus at an exhorbitant price, while those purchased of them are procured for comparatively nothing.

These voyageurs intermarry with the Indians, their families residing somewhere between these stations and the city. They are buried in ignorance, and are but just elevated above beasts of burden. Their children in their infancy remain with their mothers, but when arrived at mature years, they devote themselves to this employment, in which they usually continue during life. They are completely under the control of the clerk, who accompanies them, and by him they are chastised as often and as severely as he pleases. Their great happiness is found in visiting Montreal, where they remain several weeks VOL. 2-No. II.

11

after they have returned from one of their western expeditions. Here they afford much amusement to the populace in spearing fish, and in paddling their canoes. Six or eight of them will place themselves in a canoe, and with their short paddles will move through the water at the rate of from thirteen to fifteen miles an hour.The boats are round on the bottom, and covered with bark, which renders them so smooth, that they pass over the water without much resistance. The canoes, which weigh from thirty to sixty pounds, draw so little water, that a person unaccustomed to them could not guide them, without being in great danger of upsetting; still the voyageurs are able to balance them with so much exactness, that they remain perfectly true when moving with this great rapidity.

(To be continued.)

For the Christian Spectator

The Evening Cloud.

SEE yonder cloud along the west,
In gay fantastic splendor dress'd;
Fancy's bright visions charm the eye,
Sweet fairy bowers in prospect lie,
And blooming fields smile from the sky
Decked in the bues of Even!
But short its evanescent stay,
Its brilliant masses fade away,
The breeze floats off its visions gay,

And clears the face of Heaven.

Thus to fond man does Life's fair scene
Delusive spread its cheerful green.
Each smiling field seems dress'd in flowers,
Before his path shine Pleasure's bowers,
Hope leads him on, and shows his hours
For Peace and Pleasure given-
But one by one his hopes decay,
Each flattering vision fades away,
Each cheering scene charms to betray,
And nought remains but Heaven.

C. B.

common principles of determining, what is every one's due.

That may be said to be due to one on the principles of benevolence, as distinguished from principles of justice, which the public interest renders it and proper to be given him, but to which he possesses no personal claim. Thus the general good of a nation, renders it fit, that peculiar rewards be conferred on subjects who have performed some distinguished service for the state, as for example, on the commander of an army for achieving a brilliant victory, or an artizan for some useful improvement in mechanism. This principle respects service rendered in obedience to the requirements of law, or where no requirements of law exist. In the former case the reward is given as an expression of the ruler's approbation of the obedience rendered, and as an inducement to others to render similar acts of obedience. In the latter case where no law required the conduct rewarded, the reward is given as an expression of the ruler's approbation of conduct which is beneficial to the public. The merit of the conduct performed in each case is the merit of congruity or fitness, and has, as we shall hereafter show, no relation to justice, as an attribute of the moral governor.

That also may be said to be due to one which is the subject of promise, or for which an equivalent has been received.

That also may be said to be one's due, which he can claim on the ground of personal desert and as a matter of right. Thus every obedient subject has a right to the protection of life, liberty and property.This is denominated the merit of condignity, or the merit of desert.

That is one's due as a subject of law which is necessary to support the authority of law. The public good indispensably requires that the law be supported in full authority. That therefore which is necessary for this purpose is due to every subject.

In reference to the three last prin

ciples of determining what is every one's due, justice has been divided into commutative, distributive, and general justice. It is not to be inferred however, that these terms, designate three different sorts of justice, or so many distinct attributes. The terms are used to distinguish the different operations of justice toward its objects according to their different relations. Thus justice requires the communication of good in fulfilment of promises and covenants; and in certain cases by rendering an equivalent for what has been received.This is called commutative justice. As God however can receive nothing from creatures but his own, commutative justice can pertain to his character in the relation which he sustains. to creatures, only in reference to the fulfilment of promises and covenants. Justice as an attribute of the moral governour, can respect nothing but the enactment and enforcement of equitable laws, or the equitable administration of a moral government.

Justice as an attribute of the moral governor, respects the personal desert of each subject viewed in his individual capacity. No injustice must be done to any subject. Justice therefore requires that each subject be rewarded according to his positive merit, and that no subject be punished beyond his demerit. If the subject who has broken the law be considered merely in his individual character and not in his relation to the public interests of the kingdom, justice would not require his punishment; because justice viewing him as an individual is concerned only to see that as such, no injustice be done him; and exemption from punishment would to him as an individual be no injustice. At the same time justice to him as an individual admits of his punishment and that in a degree corresponding to his ill-desert; because in this case no injustice would be done him. God then is just toward the subjects of his kingdom viewed in their individual capacity, so long as he withholds no good from any which they positively