ld, of timber of which only the
edge has been slashed, of water power unestimated and of mineral
resources only guessed. It seems incredible at this late date that you
can count on one hand the number of men who have ascended the rivers of
Quebec and descended the rivers of Labrador to Hudson Bay. The forest
area is estimated at one hundred and twenty million acres; but that is
only a guess. The area of pulp wood is boundless.

Along the St. Lawrence, south of the St. Lawrence and around the great
cities come touches of the modern--elaborate stock farms, great
factories, magnificent orchards, huge sawmills. The progress of
Montreal and the City of Quebec is so intimately involved with the
navigation of the St. Lawrence route and the development of railroads
that it must be dealt with separately; but it may be said here that
nearly all the old seigneurial tenures--Crown grants of estates to the
nobility of New France--have passed to alien hands. The system itself,
the last relic of feudal tenure in Canada, was abolished by Canadian
law. What, then, is the aim of Quebec as a factor in Canada's destiny?
It may be said perfectly frankly that with the exception of such
enlightened men as Laurier, Quebec does not concern herself with
Canada's destiny. In a war with France, yes, she would give of her
sons and her blood; in a war against France, not so sure. "Why are you
loyal?" I asked a splendid scholarly churchman of the old regime--a man
whose works have been quoted by Parkman. "Because," he answered
slowly, "because--you--English--leave us--alone to work out our hopes."
"What are those hopes?" I asked. He waved his hand toward the
window--church spires and yet more spires far as we could see down the
St. Lawrence--another New France conserving the religious ideals that
had been crushed by the republicanism of the old land. Let it be
stated without a shadow of doubt--Quebec never has had and never will
have the faintest idea of secession. Her religious freedom is too well
guaranteed under the present regime for her to risk change under an
untried order of independence or annexation. The church wants Quebec
exactly as she is--to work out her destiny of a new and regenerate
France on the banks of the St. Lawrence.

A certain section of the French oppose Canada embroiling herself in
European wars. They do this conscientiously and not as a political
trick to attract the votes of the ultramontane French. One of t