H. L. SPENCER

“The story of Lake S£ Louis and Cavelier de La Salle has been told by Désiré Girouard, M.P., in beautiful language, and apparently with a strict regard to accuracy. Following a sketch of these (early) explorers, we have a history of the Indian wars, the story of Cavelier de La Salle, The Discovery of the Mississipi, À List of the First Inhabitants of Lachine, The Massacre of Lachine, The Old Trading Posts of Lake St, Louis, Thomas Moore at Lachine and St. Aunes, Sir John Franklin and the Voyageurs, The Prince of Wales at Dorval, etc., etc. Of the illustrations, of which there are more than 100, there is not one that is without historical as well as present interest. In paper, typography and illustrations, the volume is an honour to Canadian bookmaker, and its matter will be an acquisition to everyone interested in Canadian history. ? {Daily Sun, St. John, N.B., 4 septembre 1893.)

John READE :

‘, , . On the 200th anniversary of the Massacre of Lachine, Mr. Girouard was asked to give a. lecture on the subject. This, subsequently enlarged and annoted, he brought out in pamphlet form under the title of ‘* Le Vieux Lachine et le Massacre du 5 Août 1689”. Two years later this was followed by ‘ Les Anciens Forts de Lachine et Cavelier de La Salle”, and in 1892 appeared ‘‘ Les Anciennes Côtes du Lac Saint-Louis, avec un Tableau des Anciens et Nouveaux Propriétaires ”, In every instance, Mr, Girouard had gone for his authorities to the original sources, consulting the registers and maps in possession of the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice, the official index and ancient title-deeds. The three pamphlets contain a mass of verified information of the most interesting character relating to the early settlement of Lachine and the adjacent parishes on the shore of Lake St-Louis. The first and second were in French ; the third in French and English. , , . . . . . To make the historia connection, Mr. Girouard

prepared a Columbian edition of his three studies under the general title of ‘ Lake St. Louis, Old and New, illustrated, and Cavelier de La Salle”, It is a timely reminder of the share of the Old Regime in the opening up of the continent to civilization, and the author has spared no pains to make it worthy of its theme, ” (7%e Week, Toronto, 1er décembre 1893.)

N, F, Davin, MP, :

‘We have no hesitation in saying this book stands in the foremost rank among the contributions, only too rare, to Canadian historical research, It is one of the many instances of à man who is not a literary man by profession writing a better book than with the same materials a literary man would write, There is no attempt whatever a working up the materials artistically. The writer, confident in the inherent interest of his subject, dominated by the habits of mind of a great advocate, and having for his sole inspiration the desire to get at the truth, presents, shall we say his case ? presents all the facts connected with Lake St. Louis and with the life of La Salle, and permits us to see as a contémporary in its principal theatres in North America the heroic drama of the French settlements and explorations during the 17th century, while balancing in an admirable manner the new with the antique, the present with the past.

Mr. Girouard, a powerful and successful advocate and a prominent member of the House of Commens, had for many years found recreation in what was clearly a labor of love, studying the documents and archives connected with a scene of which his own summer residence makes a part to-day and which yields to no spot in North America in historical interest, He gave the results to the public in ‘Le Vieux Lachine et le Massacre du 5 Août 1689 . , . . . . .

‘The book before us is a large royal octavo volume, of some three hundred pages, printed in large type on heavy smooth toned paper, and magnificently illustrated with more than a hundred engravings and photogravures, besides maps new and old Itis an éwition de luxe, a book for the library, for the historian, for the student, and yet a book which could fittingly be placed on a drawing room table, for the léast studious person could not open its pages and easily ay the book aside, Who wants exciting adventures, trilling deeds of personal courage, tragedies to fill with pity and terror, self-devotion, romance, 1eligious enthusiasm, old world and new world views presented to the eye ? He will find all here, The beok is in English, having been translated by Désiré H. Girouard, son of the author, on whom has fallen the mantle of his UNE TOPOLOGIE NUE Re TRS A EC RS ES et CD Rd

“We have no more space to give to this fascinating book, which no student who wants to

master the early history of Canada can afford to overlook. The translation is admirably done ; (The Regina Leader, 22 février 1894.)

the English is vigorous and idiomatic. ”

Henry J. MORGAN :

%, , . The book is unique of its kind, not only as regards originality of design, but in

the happy treatment of his subject and the splendid character of its /ou/ ensemble, as a specimen

of Canadian bookmaking. The task undertaken by Mr. Girouard was evidently a labor of love ;

seeing that he was born in the neighborhood, if not on the very shores of the Lake whose story

he telis, and that Lachine and Dorval have alternately been his home for many years past.

Jacques Cartier, too, the county he represents in Parliament, covers a large portion of the country

forming his theatre of action. While the scenery of the whole of this favored region is exceedingly

picturesque and easily counted among the most attractive in the Dominion, its history abounds

in events and incidents highly dramatie and romantic in character. Both story and scenery have

found interpretation in the songs of Moore and in one of the luminous and fascinating books of

adventure of Washington Irving. Who that reads had not felt the charm of the description in

‘ Astoria ”, of the departure from Lachine of the fleet of voyageurs ex route for their far distant

goal on the Columbia River? Our own John Fraser, from Glengarry, in his book of ‘Sketches, ”?

has likewise preserved some entertaining facts and recollections connected with one portion, at

least, of the country referred to ; but it required all the ardour, perseverance and ability of a

Girouard to frame a history out of the scattered materials at hand — to bring together and put

into harmonious whole the various fragments anil details of information hid away in many an ancient depository and storehouse. ” (74e Week, Toronto, 12 janvier 1894.)

Arch. CAMPBELL, président de la Société Historique de Québec :

“Within the last few days, I have come into possession of a very valuable book entitfed ‘Lake St, Louis, Old and New, and Cavelier de La Salle,” published this year at Montreal and written by Mr, Désiré Girouard, Q.C. and M.P.; it is beautifully illustrated —having amongst others the likenesses of the celebrities of the times it covers— Jacques Cartier, Champlain, Maisonneuve, La Salle —the representation of his departure for the unknown west in 1669, and hundred of other plates and plans of the country to the present times. The work is a most invaluable historical one and shows an the part af the writer an amount of reseææh worthy of the highest praise. "” (74e Chronicle, 21 décembre 1893.)

Edward G. MASON, président de la Société Historique de Chicago :

“, ,. . No one but a trained lawyer familiar with the region and inspired by true historical]

enthusiasm could have made the old real estate registers of Montreal Island 50 cléarly reveal the truth as to these matters, and settle the long-standing controversies in regard to them. It was time that this work was done, for romantic sentiment had been busy in the locality, and legends of the actual existence of ‘ La Salles House” and of ‘the grand old chimney of Champlajn's fur-post of 1615” flourished until Mr. Girouard’s pitiless demonstration made an end of them. With like care, and masterly use of old documents and records, he has gone over the history ot the whole island, and fixed the sites of its ancient forts and the scenes of the stirring events in its history. He has re-told and made very vivid the story of the terrible war‘with the Iroquois from 1689, the year of the frightful massacre at Lachine, to, 1698, during which the parish burial registers show that deaths from natural causes were the exception and those at savage hands the rule, and which ‘created so profound an impression that the lapse of two centuries has failed to obliterate it in the memory of posterity, while the dying chants of the victims have been handed down by tradition to find a place among the popular songs of the country. Suffice it to say that this book is a valuable contribution to our history, as well as to that of the neighbourhood to which it specially relates ; and it deserves high praise Honourable mention should also be made of the admirable translation of the original work from French into English by Mr. Désiré H. Girouard, son of the author, and himself a member of the bar of Montreal, ” (Ze Dial, Chicago, 16 janvier 1894.)