We passed many log huts, which, though very rude, do not seem
uncomfortable dwellings.
We saw little of the country as we approached Quebec, and were conscious
only of crossing the Chaudiere river and of going along its banks for
some way, and afterwards along those of the St. Lawrence, till we
reached Point Levi, opposite Quebec. Here we got into a steamer to cross
the river, and from the steamer we had a grand view of the citadel and
town of Quebec, the tin spires shining jointly with the moon and the
comet; for we beg to say we do not require telescopes of high power, as
we see by the papers you do in England, to detect the latter luminary,
which really does look here almost as if it added to the light of the
night. Papa and I differ greatly as to the length of its tail. I say it
looks two yards long, but papa says it is difficult to tell this, but
that it is really about a degree and a half in length, or about six
diameters of the moon. The nucleus is larger and brighter than any star
in the Great Bear, and these are all bright here to a degree of which
you can form no idea. The planets look as large as fourpenny-pieces.
Papa has made me reduce them to this estimate, as I originally said as
large as sixpences; but he questions altogether my appreciation of the
size of the heavenly bodies, which do all seem wonderfully large to my
eyes.
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