en
the luminous way along which have trod Dorchester and Dufferin. The
blended glory of Wolfe and Montcalm is immortal, and the renown is
hardly less of the young, ill-fated Montgomery. Where was there ever a
greater sailor than Iberville? The history of the Mississippi Valley is
linked for all time with the names of Marquette, Hennepin, Joliet, and
Lasalle.

It follows that in this era of centennial reminiscences, no city in
America is more interesting than Quebec, and an additional charm is that
we have comparative ease in placing it before the eye as it was a
century ago.

In the winter of 1775-76, the population was about 5,000 souls. Of these
3,200 were women and children. All the men were made to bear arms. Those
who refused were ordered out of the walls. There were probably not one
hundred English families in the town. The English language was spoken
only by the military. The times were hard. Provisions at first were
abundant, but fire-wood was scarce. Fortunately the winter on the whole
was mild. The houses during the day were partially deserted. The men
were on guard. The women were on the streets gadding. They found plenty
of occupation, for the air was thick with rumors. A besieged city must
perforce be a nest of gossip, a hive of cock-and-bull stories. The
regulars looked smart in their regimental uniforms. The militia wore
such toggery as they could get--grey homespun coat with red sash,
cowskin boots, and the traditional _tuque bleue_. The trappers not being
allowed into the town, furs were rare, and women of the lower classes
were obliged to go without them altogether. The centres of attraction
were the guard-rooms and sentry-boxes. There the episodes of the siege
were recounted. There all manner of serious and comic incidents occurred
to relieve the monotony of the long winter months. The principal
barracks were in Cathedral Square, in that venerable Jesuit College
which is to be pulled down during the present year. The three chief
outposts were St. Louis, St. John, and Palace Gates. These were the
three original French Gates, improved and strengthened by the great
engineer, de Lery. Through them, sixteen years before, the army of
Montcalm passed after its defeat on the Plains of Abraham, and then
passed out again, crossing by a bridge of boats to the camp at Beauport.
Through them one year later, the broken army of Murray rushed back in
flight from the disastrous field of St. Foye. But for those stron