seen at a distance, the houses look like a
continuous line of street as far as the eye can reach, but we soon lost
sight of them in the obscurity occasioned by forests and the approach of
night. We passed many log huts, which, though very rude, do not seem
uncomfortable dwellings.

We saw little of the country as we approached Quebec, and were conscious
only of crossing the Chaudiere river and of going along its banks for
some way, and afterwards along those of the St. Lawrence, till we
reached Point Levi, opposite Quebec. Here we got into a steamer to cross
the river, and from the steamer we had a grand view of the citadel and
town of Quebec, the tin spires shining jointly with the moon and the
comet; for we beg to say we do not require telescopes of high power, as
we see by the papers you do in England, to detect the latter luminary,
which really does look here almost as if it added to the light of the
night. Papa and I differ greatly as to the length of its tail. I say it
looks two yards long, but papa says it is difficult to tell this, but
that it is really about a degree and a half in length, or about six
diameters of the moon. The nucleus is larger and brighter than any star
in the Great Bear, and these are all bright here to a degree of which
you can form no idea. The planets look as large as fourpenny-pieces.
Papa has made me reduce them to this estimate, as I originally said as
large as sixpences; but he questions altogether my appreciation of the
size of the heavenly bodies, which do all seem wonderfully large to my
eyes.

On reaching the north side of the river, on which Quebec stands, we got
into an omnibus and drove up streets of a most tremendous ascent; it was
really quite alarming, as the pavement was in the most dreadful state,
and the omnibus, which was very rickety, was crammed with passengers.
Next morning we got up very early, and papa went out before breakfast to
inquire for the letters which we expected to receive from England, but
which had not yet arrived.

After an early breakfast we went in an open carriage to the Falls of
Montmorency, and I think I never had a more lovely drive. We passed
through several most prosperous-looking villages, and between farm
houses so closely adjoining each other as to give the appearance of a
long suburb to the city. At Beauport, about half-way between Quebec and
Montmorency, there is a splendid Roman Catholic church, which would do
credit to any country. The