Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/142

134: QUEBEC (PEOTIXCE) dumb persons, 1,023 blind, and 8,300 of un- sound mind. Of the 341,291 persons returned as engaged in occupations, 160,641 belonged to the agricultural, 26,507 to the commercial, 21,186 to the domestic, 65,707 to the indus- trial, and 15,376 to the professional class, and 52,874 were unclassified. A large portion of the inhabitants live in the region S. of the St. Lawrence and W. of the meridian of Quebec. This region is known as the "eastern town- ships," though the term in strictness is confined to the district between the Chaudiere and Richelieu rivers in the rear of the settlements immediately along the St. Lawrence. E. of Quebec the settlements S. of the St. Lawrence extend to and around the extremity of the Gaspe peninsula, but for the most part they are closely confined to the shore. N. of the St. Lawrence and below the mouth of the Sague- nay there are only a few scattered fishing settle- ments, and above that the settlements for the most part extend only a few miles from the river. In the valley of the Ottawa, however, and on the upper Sagiienay and around Lake St. John, there is a considerable population. A great majority of the inhabitants speak the French language, but English may also bo used in legislative and judicial proceedings, and the laws must be printed in both languages. Tho greater part of the English-speaking popula- tion is in the cities of Montreal and Quebec, in the S. part of the eastern townships, and in tho valley of the Ottawa. Recently efforts have been made to colonize the unsettled portions of the province ; colonization societies have been formed to aid settlers, and roads have been built by the government ; but the access of popula- tion from abroad has not been equal to the emigration from the province to the United States. The region S. of the St. Lawrence is generally hilly; N. of that river tho country is for the most part rocky and mountainous. The Notre Dame mountains, a continuation of the Green mountains of Vermont, stretch E. from the meridian of Quebec, passing through the interior of the Gaspe peninsula to near its extremity, and attaining in places a height of 8,000 or 4,000 ft. This elevation is reached near the Cape Ohatte river, in a portion of the range called the Shickshock mountains. The Laurentian mountains, on the north of the river St. Lawrence, extend from the Labrador coast to the Ottawa river above the city of that name. They lie near the margin of the St. Lawrence as far up as Cape Tourmente near the city of Quebec, above which they recede N., passing 60 m. behind Quebec and 30 m. behind Montreal. This range, between Quebec and Lake St. John, where the rivers are 8,000 ft. above the level of the St. Lawrence, attains an elevation of from 4,000 to 5,000 ft. above the sea, but in general its height is much less. The province has a coast line on the gulf of St. Lawrence, not including indentations of the land, of 1,164 m. There are many small bays on the coast N. of the river St. Lawrence ; the principal ones S. of it are Gasp6 bay and the bay of Chaleurs. The latter, lying between the province and New Brunswick, includes with the mouth of the St. Lawrence the penin- sula of Gaspe. Except those in the St. Law- rence, the principal islands belonging to the province are Anticosti (2,500 sq. m.), at the mouth of that river, and the Magdalen islands in the gulf. The St. Lawrence, flowing in a N. E. direction for more than 500 m. through the province, and rendered navigable the en- tire distance by canals around the rapids, is the great avenue of commerce. Vessels may ascend from the gulf of St. Lawrence to the head of Lake Superior. It contains numerous islands, the largest of which are Orleans (69 sq. in.) just below Quebec, Montreal (169 sq. m.) at the mouth of the Ottawa, and Isle Jesus (85 sq. m.) N. of Montreal and separated from it by a narrow channel. The largest tributaries of the St. Lawrence are from the north ; the principal ones from the south, proceeding down the stream, are the Chateauguay, which rises in New York and is navigable for a consider- able distance by bateaux ; the Richelieu, also called the Chambly, Sorel, or St. Johns, 80 m. long, the outlet of Lake Champlain; the Vu- maska, 90 m. long; the St. Francis, more than 100 m. long, which receives the Magog, the outlet of Lake Memphremagog, and empties into the St. Lawrence at Lake St. Peter; the Nicolet, 60 m. long ; the Becancour, 70 m. long ; the Chaudiere, 120 m., emptying into the St. Lawrence a few miles above Quebec ; the Et- chomin, 50 m. long ; the Rimouski ; the M i-t is ; the Matane, 60 m. long ; and the Cape Chatte river, entering the St. Lawrence at Cape Chatte. By means of the Richelieu river, Chambly canal, Lake Champlain, the Champlain canal, and the Hudson river, there is continuous water communication between the St. Law- rence and New York. The largest tributa- ries from the north, lying wholly within the province, are the Saguenay and the St. Mau- rice. The former flows out of Lake St. John, and after a course of upward of 100 m. joins the St. Lawrence 120 m. below Quebec. It has an average width of about three fourths of a mile, with high precipitous banks. It is navi- gable by tho largest vessels to Chicoutimi, 75 m. above its mouth. During the summer the Saguenay is much visited by tourists, and the ancient port of Tadousac at its mouth is a favorite watering place. The St. Maurice rises in the height of land, and after a course of more than 400 m. discharges into the St. Law- rence at Three Rivers. Its banks are generally high, and it contains numerous falls, and has many important tributaries. It is navigable for a few miles at its mouth ; the navigation is then interrupted for about 40 m., above which there is a navigable stretch of 75 m. Other important tributaries of the St. Law- rence from the north are the Portneuf, the Betsiamites or Bersimis (navigable for a con- siderable distance), the riviere aux Outardes,