employed in producing, among other things, a monstrous pie, called in French, pâté. It was composed of the following substantial elements: One turkey, three pigeons, three partridges, two chickens, one dozen of snow-birds, and the tenderest and most succulent portion of two hares, the whole sandwiched between slices of pork and ham, and intermingled with highly seasoned meats finely minced. One of the difficulties of the cook would be to construct such a colossal framework of pastry as would retain its shape and withstand the weight and pressure of the mass of meats enclosed. This vast gastronomical chef-d'œuvre, of course, would stand as the pièce de résistance, in the centre of the table, and the other dishes comprising the remainder of the menu were placed at different portions of the board, before the guests sat down. An easy and friendly species of etiquette prevailed, each guest helping his neighbor to what he desired, being assisted in return, while the host dispensed to all a portion of the pâté, which formed the chief object of attraction. It was usual before dinner to whet the appetites of the ladies by a sip of cordial or liqueur, and that of the gentlemen by a glass of absinthe frappé, or Jamaica rum. As with us now, soup was served first, and fish was seldom partaken of; there were no entrées and few vegetables; but the more substantial meats were always on the table and in abundance. The desserts generally comprised fruits in season, the usual made-up dishes of to-day, and such foreign favorites as still retain their place at our tables. The beverages were claret, ale, cognac and sherry; the cognac was taken before the fruit and the sherry afterwards. To read of such menus makes the mortal of this latter half of the nineteenth century sigh for the appetite and vigorous health of his ancestors.

Another custom sometimes observed in villages of the district of Quebec is the erection of what is called un mai, a sort of may-pole, in honor of some notable or popular seigneur, or the election of the mayor of the parish. On the morning of the day when the compliment is to be paid, generally in the month of May, the recipient suddenly finds his house surrounded by a merry throng of the peasantry, bearing with them a tree with the branches lopped off, and only the top remaining. Attached to the top is sometimes a weather-vane, painted red and green. All the crowd engage in digging a hole in front of the house, and then plant the pole. The moment it is raised, they fire salutes in honor of the event. Formerly some nimble boy would climb the pole and entwine the vane with ribbons or evergreens, shouting, "Vive le Roi; Vive le Seigneur," and the crowd would take up the cry and repeat it with lusty good-will. A grand feast was then given by the Seigneur, while frequent salutes

were fired by both the Seigneur's family and the peasantry, to emphasize the important festivity, and all good feeling and joy prevailed.

But the grand national holiday of the French Canadians is St. Jean Baptiste's, the 24th of June. It is observed with imposing religious ceremonies, processions of trade, benevolent, religious, and other societies, headed by bands of music, with flags and banners exhibiting national and religious emblems and patriotic mottoes, and allegorical cars of most fanciful designs. In the city of Quebec, for instance, one important feature of the procession is the Carillon flag, the old military banner which waved within the ramparts of Ticonderoga, when the English sought in vain to capture it in the time of Montcalm, by whom it was heroically defended, to the glory of himself and his French troops.

This historic emblem and patriotic relic is usually borne by the most respected man in the community, however unmartial his character or appearance. It is always an object of admiring attention, and the bearer also. In the procession there is a representation of St. Jean Baptiste, in the person of a handsome boy of ten or twelve, fancifully arrayed in a fur robe, with a profusion of long, curling hair falling over his shoulders. He reclines in an elegant carriage, decked with maple boughs, a lamb at his feet. The youthful Baptiste carries a shepherd's crook, the whole figure and surroundings making a most effective and beautiful representation of this holy messenger.

All who take part in the procession exhaust their ingenuity, if not their resources, to make a striking display in costumes and accessories, with ribbons, rosettes, flowers and maple leaves in lavish abundance. The whole city or village assumes a gala aspect, the streets being lined with young maples or evergreens, and often spanned with decorated arches, while flags float from roof and windows, and in all directions the booming of guns is heard. The evening is devoted to social festivities, with patriotic addresses and music, "The day, and all who honor it," being a toast received with wild enthusiasm. The memory of brilliant events and heroic episodes in Canadian history is cherished, the sacrifices of the pious and the patriotic being recalled with ardor. Indeed, they enter into this celebration with zeal and pride. It forms the most joyous festival during the summer months, its attractions being enhanced by the perfect days of June.

BOSTON, November 1, 1888.

Prosper Bender

FRANCIS MARION'S GRAVE

It is a fact greatly to be deplored and which, as has been remarked, is "a sad commentary on the gratitude of a people," that the momentous events of the late civil war, the effects of which were felt so long and so grievously in the South, have almost eliminated from the Southern mind the memory of the men of 1776, and their gallant deeds.

In a true and commendable spirit of gratitude to those who, as a celebrated historian and diplomat has said, "true to the instincts of their birth and faithful to the teachings of their fathers," laid down their lives for the cause they believed to be just and holy, all over the South have been reared marble tributes and massive memorials to perpetuate the memory of the heroes of the Lost Cause. But among all these monuments, few can be found which are dedicated to the first heroes of our country; to the men of 1776 who left hamlet and hall, or who, releasing the horses from the plow, rode away to check the advance of the invader, without even returning for a moment to the family fireside to embrace for perhaps the last time their little ones, or to imprint, maybe, the last kiss upon the lips of an anxious wife.

A striking illustration of this seeming neglect is the condition of the grave of Francis Marion, the famous Swamp Fox of the Revolution. When this celebrated soldier died, his remains were interred in a buryingground on Belle Isle plantation, St. Stephen's Parish, Berkeley county, South Carolina. Over his grave some years afterwards, was placed a simple marble slab-a "frail memorial, with shapeless sculpture decked," which barely recorded in few words the dates of the birth and demise of the illustrious warrior who lay beneath.

As years went by the once flourishing old plantation became neglected, and finally deserted, and the burying-ground soon fell into disuse and decay. The old slab, however, still remained, although stained by the weather, and marked by time, until about three years ago, when during one of the fierce equinoctial storms which often sweep the Carolina coast in the fall of the year, a giant sugar-berry tree was blown across the grave of the old soldier, and that of Mrs. Marion, which lay next to his, and the slab over the general's grave was completely shattered. There was considerable interest expressed at the time, and a country paper with more spirit of regard for the old hero's memory than dollars or influence, pro

posed to raise a fund with which to replace the slab, and to put the two graves in good condition. A few trifling subscriptions were sent in, but interest languished, and no definite movement has ever been made toward the consummation of this most laudable object.

The negroes, the only present occupants of Belle Isle plantation, have cut up the sugar-berry tree for firewood, and have carried away the frag ments of the shattered slab, which are now doing service as oven-backs in the numerous cabins along the country side.

Unless something is done very soon to reclaim the graves of the famous old Revolutionary hero and his wife from the decay and ruin into which they are rapidly falling, it will not be long before they will be in the same condition as the grave of the old patriot, William Moultrie, who died in 1805 full of years and honors, and was buried at "Windsor" plantation, in St. James, Goose creek, Berkeley county, South Carolina. No tomb was placed over his grave, and his family and admirers continued putting it off year after year, until, in 1852, when a party of gentlemen visited the old burying-ground to locate the grave for the purpose of erecting a shaft over it, to their mortification, and the mortification of all persons who value the memory of the heroes of '76, it was found impossible to identify it among the many brush-grown mounds in the decayed enclosure.

In speaking of Marion, it might be of interest to many to know that in Rocky Bluff Swamp, in Sumter county, South Carolina, there is a low island-now altogether inaccessible, unless one is willing to gain it on foot, cutting his way through the dense canebrakes which surround it with an axe-upon which can still be seen the ruins of one of Marion's old places of rendezvous. The spot where the shanties for the protection of the soldiers were erected is marked by the remains of mud chimneys, and the old forge where the horses were shod is almost intact. The old-fashioned anvil was in its place until a few years ago, when a country blacksmith penetrated the swamp and brought it away, and it is now doing good service in these piping times of peace, as it did under the hammer of some stalwart old soldier-smith an hundred years ago, when every ring of the horseshoe caused the rude patriots to start for fear it would guide the enemy to their hiding place.

Shirley Carter Hughsow.

CHARLESTON, S. C.

THE FRENCH COLONY OF SAN DOMINGO

ITS RISE AND FALL

San Domingo, in natural advantages, is unsurpassed. Three mountain ranges, of moderate elevation, traversing its entire length, are a guarantee for attractive scenery and well-watered land. The heat is tempered by the trade winds. The climate is salubrious, save along the coast. Splendid flowering plants adorn the plains. Majestic forests of pine, mahogany of the finest kind, the most valuable dye and cabinet woods clothe the mountain sides. The soil is one of exceeding fertility, the low-lying districts yielding in profusion the best varieties of tropical growths, while the productions of temperate regions thrive on the elevated slopes. In short, it is excelled by no other portion of the world. In its day it was called "The Garden of the West Indies," "The Queen of the Antilles ;" and it was the boast of Columbus, when its native richness and beauty burst upon him, that he had found the original seat of Paradise.

Columbus discovered this turtle-shaped island December 6, 1492, and at Isabella, on the northern coast, established the first Spanish colony. The city of San Domingo was founded, 1496, by the brother of the renowned admiral. For half a century these settlements received marked attention from the mother country, and rose to great prosperity. But, as other parts of America were discovered, the inhabitants were drawn off; and the indigenes having been exterminated by excessive work and general illusage, the island, for a period, declined.

In 1789 its sovereignty was divided between France and Spain. The French colony occupied the western portion of the island, an irregular north-and-south line separating it from Spanish territory. The area of this colony was ten thousand square miles, or one-third of the whole, being somewhat larger than the state of Vermont. It embraced three provinces, northern, southern, and western, presided over by a governor-general. Cape François, in the northern province, was the metropolis, and the Paris of the Western World. At the above date French San Domingo had reached a remarkable state of prosperity and splendor.

The utmost effort had been made to stimulate and improve agriculture, and on every hand the teeming colony smiled with successful industry. Spread over it were a thousand sugar plantations, and three thousand of of coffee, not to mention the cultivation of indigo, cacao, cotton, etc., and