DOI issue:
No. 30 (September, 1895)
DOI article:Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor: Quebec as a sketching ground
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17294#0224
Quebec as a Sketching Ground
forbidding, though I suppose
they are all that the heart of a
military engineer could desire.
Furthermore they possess the
fascination of mystery, for there
are certain parts of them that
no traveller or citizen ever sees.
What do you suppose these parts
are—entrances to passages which
lead down, down, and out under-
neath the river-bed to the forts
on the Levis side, or treasure-
houses filled with golden ingots
and silver bars, or only—just
nothing at all ?
Of course all the guide-books
call Quebec the "Gibraltar of
America," and tell you it's im-
pregnable and all that; but what
if it is ? If one meets an un-
pleasant object, such as a wasp's
nest, for example, one usually
goes around it, and I don't see
why invading armies should feel
any desire to trifle with Quebec.
However, they always have in
the past, and so there must be
some reason for it. Gibraltar is
different, and from a picture in
the geography, which comes to
me but indistinctly now, it is
very evident that no ship can get
into the Mediterranean without
first asking permission. How-
ever, these are things which do
not rightly come within the
artist's province, and I didn't in- .?*■- "*■ ■<■ \ ' " ...........:•, ^ rux £0 CoJL
tend to go into them so deeply, A^tkm^."" ^_____ k>L^J *.
meaning only, when I began, to ^ j ^ ^ N Y^- ^ ZjL\'ti-* t\*\
warn you against violating any of U w-^^0\£_,
the military regulations of the
place, since the consequences of
such a proceeding would be dire
indeed.
On the other side of the town is the old barracks- courteous, however, and expressed its pleasure
yard and another delightful street, the Rue de la audibly at each house I added to the row. I
Canotterie, which, I take it, means the street of the omitted a window in one sketch, I believe, and
canoe-makers. Here again I had some difficulty, one dark-eyed ragamuffin, who peered intently
for I was surrounded by a crowd of gamins, each over my shoulder as I drew, departed with manifest
one of whom endeavoured to persuade me to add chagrin when he saw me preparing to put up my
the house in which he lived to my drawing. I traps.
have reason to believe that in the houses of this The churches will be a disappointment to you,
street there lives half the juvenile population since in spite of their age and their lovely time-
of the town. The multitude of Quebec is very worn exteriors, they are as vulgar within as any
205
r
forbidding, though I suppose
they are all that the heart of a
military engineer could desire.
Furthermore they possess the
fascination of mystery, for there
are certain parts of them that
no traveller or citizen ever sees.
What do you suppose these parts
are—entrances to passages which
lead down, down, and out under-
neath the river-bed to the forts
on the Levis side, or treasure-
houses filled with golden ingots
and silver bars, or only—just
nothing at all ?
Of course all the guide-books
call Quebec the "Gibraltar of
America," and tell you it's im-
pregnable and all that; but what
if it is ? If one meets an un-
pleasant object, such as a wasp's
nest, for example, one usually
goes around it, and I don't see
why invading armies should feel
any desire to trifle with Quebec.
However, they always have in
the past, and so there must be
some reason for it. Gibraltar is
different, and from a picture in
the geography, which comes to
me but indistinctly now, it is
very evident that no ship can get
into the Mediterranean without
first asking permission. How-
ever, these are things which do
not rightly come within the
artist's province, and I didn't in- .?*■- "*■ ■<■ \ ' " ...........:•, ^ rux £0 CoJL
tend to go into them so deeply, A^tkm^."" ^_____ k>L^J *.
meaning only, when I began, to ^ j ^ ^ N Y^- ^ ZjL\'ti-* t\*\
warn you against violating any of U w-^^0\£_,
the military regulations of the
place, since the consequences of
such a proceeding would be dire
indeed.
On the other side of the town is the old barracks- courteous, however, and expressed its pleasure
yard and another delightful street, the Rue de la audibly at each house I added to the row. I
Canotterie, which, I take it, means the street of the omitted a window in one sketch, I believe, and
canoe-makers. Here again I had some difficulty, one dark-eyed ragamuffin, who peered intently
for I was surrounded by a crowd of gamins, each over my shoulder as I drew, departed with manifest
one of whom endeavoured to persuade me to add chagrin when he saw me preparing to put up my
the house in which he lived to my drawing. I traps.
have reason to believe that in the houses of this The churches will be a disappointment to you,
street there lives half the juvenile population since in spite of their age and their lovely time-
of the town. The multitude of Quebec is very worn exteriors, they are as vulgar within as any
205
r