CAPTAIN MIDDLETON TO A. DOBBS, ESQ. Jan'y 1742-3. "I have seriously considered your proposition of laying open the Hudson's Bay trade, and settling the country higher up, upon those great rivers which run into the Bay; and though I may agree with you in the great advantage the public would receive from such a settlement, (could it be made) both as to their trade, and the cutting off communication with the Mississippi, yet I must declare my opinion, that it is altogether impracticable upon many accounts; for I cannot see where we could find people enough that would be willing or able to undergo the fatigue of travelling in those frozen climates, or what encouragements would be sufficient to make them attempt it, with such dangerous enemies on every side; no Europeans could undergo such hardships as those French that intercept the English trade, who are inured to it, and are called by us wood-runners (or coureurs des bois), for they endure fatigues just the same as the native Indians, with whom they have been mixed and intermarried for two or three or more generations. "As to the rivers you mention, none of them are navigable with anything but canoes, so small that they carry but two men, and they are forced to make use of land carriages near the fourth part of the way, by reason of water-falls during that little summer they enjoy. “Out of 120 men and officers the company have in the Bay, not five are capable of venturing in one of those canoes, they are so apt to overturn and drown them. Many of our people have been twenty years and upwards there, and yet are not dexterous enough to manage a canoe; so there would be no transporting people that way." OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BOUNDARIES OF CANADA. DESCRIPTIONS IN THE COMMISSIONS OF FRENCH GOVERNORS OF CANADA. Provisions en faveur du Sieur de Lauzon, de la charge de Gouverneur et Lieutenant-General du Roi en Canada, du 17me Janvier, 1651, donnant en charge du Gouverneur et notre Lieutenant Général dans toute l'étendue du Fleuve Saint Laurent, en la Nouvelle France, isles, et terres adjacentes de part et d'autre dudit fleuve, et autres rivières qui se déchargent en icelui jusqu'à son embouchure, à prendre dix lieues près de Miscou, du côté du sud et du côté du nord, autant s'etendent les terres dudit pays, de la même sorte, et tout ainsi que l'avoit, tenoit et exergait le Sieur Daillebout.*-Commissions des Gouverneurs et Intendants, T. II. p. 1651. The extent of country here mentioned is repeated in the Lettres Patentes du Gouverneur de la Nouvelle France, en faveur du Vi- . comte d'Argenson, du 26me Janvier, 1657; in the Lettres Patentes du Roi, qui établissent le Sieur de Mezy, Gouverneur pour trois ans dans l'étendue du fleuve Saint Laurent dans la Nouvelle France, à la place du Sieur du Bois d'Avangour rappelé par sa Majesté, du premier Mai, 1663.+ The expression depuis le Nord du Canada jusques à la Virginie, is used in the commission of M. le Barrois, April 8, 1685, as agentgeneral for the Compagnie des Indes Occidentales. * Provision in favour of Sieur de Lauzon, appointing him Governor and Lieutenant of the King, January 17, 1651, 66 'over the whole extent of the river St. Lawrence, in New France, the isles and lands adjacent, on both sides of the said river and the other rivers that discharge therein, as far as its mouth, taking in ten leagues near to Miscou, on the south, and on the north as far as the lands of the said country extend (du nord, autant s'etendant les terres dudit pays), in the same manner that it was held and exercised by Sieur Daillebout."--Commissions des Gouverneurs et Intendants, T. II. p. 1651. + Letters Patent appointing Sieur de Mezy, Governor for three years over the country traversed by the St. Lawrence, (dans l'étendue du fleuve St. Laurent) in New France, in the place of Sieur du Bois d'Avangour, recalled by the King on the 1st May, 1663. The description in the prolongation de la Commission de Gouverneur et Lieutenant-Général à Quebec, accordée par le Roi au Sieur Huault de Montmagny, du 6me Juin, 1685, makes him Lieutenant-General representing the person of the sovereign at Quebec, et dans les Provinces arrosées du fleuve Saint Laurent et des autres rivières qui se de déchargent en icelui, et lieu qui en dépendent en la Nouvelle France.* The "lettres patentes du Lieutenant-Général du Canada et autres pays, pour le Sieur de la Roche, du 12me Janvier, mille cinq cent quatre-vingt dix-huit," make him "Lieutenant-Général ès dits pays de Canada, Hochelaga, Terres-neuves, Labrador, Rivière de la Grande Baye, de Mozambique, et terres adjacentes desdites Provinces et rivières, lesquelles étant de grande longueur et étendue de pays sans icelles être habitées par sujets de Prince Chrêtien. * * * Pourvû toutefois que ce ne soient pays occupés ou étant sous la sujetion et obeissance d'aucuns princes et potentats, nos amis, alliès et confédérés.”† The commission of M. Talon, of March 23, 1665, makes him “Intendant de la Justice, Police et Finances, en Canada, Acadie, Terreneuve, et autres pays de la France Septentrionalle.”‡ The commission of M. de Bouteroue, April 8, 1688, Intendant, is in the same terms as that of M. Talon. The commission of M. Bigot, January 1st, 1748, makes him Intendant of Justice, Police, Finances, and Marine, "en nôtre pays de Canada, la Louisianne, et dans toutes les terres et isles dépendantes de la Nouvelle France." S And in the Provinces watered by the St. Lawrence, and the rivers which discharge into it, and the places that depend thereon in New France, + The letters patent appointing Sieur de la Roche, January 12, 1598, make him Lieutenant-General of Canada, Hochelaga, Newfoundland, Labrador, the River of the Great Bay, of Mozambique, and the adjacent lands, provinces, and rivers, which are of great length and extent of country, not inhabited by the subjects of any Christian Prince. * Provided always that it shall not embrace any country occupied and under the subjection of any Christian Princes and potentates, our friends, allies and confederates. ‡ Intendant of Justice, Police and Finances, in Canada, Acadie, Newfoundland, and other countries of Northern France. § In our country of Canada, Louisiana, and in all the lands and islands dependent on New France. DESCRIPTIONS IN COMMISSIONS AFTER THE CONQUEST. The commission of Jas. Murray, Esq., Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the Province of Quebec, is dated Nov. 21, 1763, recorded at the Treasury Chambers next day, and in the Register's office in Quebec, June 7, 1766: George the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, to our trusty and well-beloved James Murray, Esquire, Greeting: We, reposing especial trust and confidence in the prudence, courage and loyalty of you, the said James Murray, of Our special grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, have thought fit to constitute and appoint, and by these presents do constitute and appoint you, the said James Murray, to be Our Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over Our Province of Quebec, in America; bounded on the Labrador coast by the River St. John, and from thence by a line drawn from the head of that river, through Lake St. John, to the south end of Lake Nipissim, from whence the said line crossing the River St. Lawrenee and the Lake Champlain in forty-five degrees of northern latitude, passes along the highlands which divide the rivers that empty themselves into the said River St. Lawrence from those which fall into the sea; and also along the north coast of the Baye des Chaleurs and the coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape Rosiers; and from thence crossing the mouth of the River St. Lawrence by the west end of the Island of Anticosti, terminates at the aforesaid River St. John. COMMISSION OF VICE-ADMIRAL. George the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, to our beloved James Murray, Esquire, Our Captain-General and Governor-inChief in and over our Province of Quebec, in America, Greeting: We, confiding very much in your fidelity, care, and circumspec fun in tie sedad to by mese presence with are to continue turing Our pleasure my masticine and deprise you the said innes WT E. Our Cacran-General and Governor-in-Chief Koraut Our Tee-4 min. Comm.sary and Deputy in the office of Ten-Atm.rasy a Our Prunes if Quebec dicesabi and territories therena tepending and in the name parts of the same and therers atuning whatsoever, with power of taking and reparing all and every the fees, prida armatages, emoluments, enmnotises, and acrumtenances viassever due and belonging to the saút vêce sẻ Vee-A imini. Commissary, and Deputy, in Our sid Province of Queser, and termsones depending thereon, and marisome porta of the me and adjoining to them whatsoever, aer ling to the opiinances and stammes of Our High Court of Admiralty in Engiani And We do hereby remit and grant unto you the aforesaid James Murray, Esq. Our power and authority in and throughout Our Province of Quebec aforementioned and territories thereof, and maritime ports whatsoever of the same and thereto adjacent, and also throughout all and every the sea-shores, public streams, porta, fresh water rivers, creeks and arms as well of the sea as of the rivers and coasts whatsoever of Our said Province of Quebec, and territories dependent thereon, and maritime ports whatsoever of the same and thereto adjacent, as well within liberties and franchises as without. [This commission bears date March 19, 1764. The expression "Our Province of Quebec and territories thereon depending," or "territories depending on the same," or "territories dependent thereon," occurs seven or eight times.] The first commission of Guy Carleton, Esquire, as LieutenantGovernor of the Province of Quebec, dated April 7, 1766, has no other description than is contained in the words “Province of Quebec, in America." But in his appointment of Francis Maseres as Attorney-General, the attesting clause of the commission reads : "Witness Our trusty and well-beloved the Honourable Guy Carleton, Esquire, Our Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-inChief in and over Our said Province of Quebec, and the territo |