Nothing astonishes me so much as to find their manners so little
changed by their intercourse with the Europeans; they seem to have
learnt nothing of us but excess in drinking.

The situation of the village is very fine, on an eminence, gently
rising to a thick wood at some distance, a beautiful little serpentine
river in front, on which are a bridge, a mill, and a small cascade, at
such a distance as to be very pleasing objects from their houses; and a
cultivated country, intermixed with little woods lying between them and
Quebec, from which they are distant only nine very short miles.

What a letter have I written! I shall quit my post of historian to
your friend Miss Fermor; the ladies love writing much better than we
do; and I should perhaps be only just, if I said they write better.

Adieu!
Ed. Rivers.



LETTER 12.


To Miss Rivers, Clarges Street.

Quebec, Sept. 12.

I yesterday morning received a letter from Major Melmoth, to
introduce to my acquaintance Sir George Clayton, who brought it; he