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110 CANADIAN GUIDE BOOK. situated at the mouth of the Rideau River or Canal, and is named in honour of Colonel By, its able engineer. The large house, which the enterprising colonel occupied for several years, was burnt to the ground last year (1848) to the universal regret of the inhabitants. Bytown is the District-town of Dalhousie, and contains a popula tion of nearly ten thousand. It is known as Upper and Lower Bytown. The former is situated about half a mile higher up the river, and on considerably higher ground. The land on which it is erected, together with a portion of that composing the Lower Town, was purchased some years ago for jE80, and is now computed to be worth upwards of £50,000. The appearance of the town has recently been much improved by the erection of several handsome stone build ings. A fine single-arched bridge of hewn stone, called the “ Sappers and Miners,” is thrown over the Rideau Canal, connecting the Towns. Eight handsome locks have been constructed to overcome the fall of thirty-four feet in the River. The Barracks, which occupy a com manding situation between the Towns, are garrisoned by a company of Rifles. From the Barrack-Hill is commanded a magnificent view, embracing the Cbaudiere Falls, the Rapids above them, the Union Suspension Bridge (which connects Upper and Lower Canada, and cost £117,133 17s. 5d.), and the Mountains to the North, with the Ottawa, a hundred and fifty feet below, gliding on in its winding course, dotted with numerous rafts, till it is lost in the distance. In the Upper Town are agencies of the following banks, viz., Mon treal Bank, Bank of British North America, City Bank of Montreal, Commercial Bank, and Upper Canada Bank. In it are three churches, the Episcopal, Presbyterian in connexion with the Church of Scotland, and Methodist. The Lower Towm is chiefly inhabit ed by Irish and French Canadians, the latter amounting to about a third. It contains the following places of worship,—the Roman Catholic Cathedral, which is well worthy of a visit, Free Church, Baptist, and two Methodist. Here, also, are a Roman Catholic College and Nunnery. Bytown has recently become the official res idence of a Roman Catholic Bishop. It sends a representative to the Legislative Assembly. We regret to understand that the Com mercial lteading-rcom, and Mercantile Library Association,
