1749, Pehr Kalm, Swedish naturalist:
“The factory, which is the only one of its kind in the country, is three miles west of Trois-Rivières. There are two large forges, with two smaller ones back-to-back, under the same roof. The bellows are made of wood, as is everything else […] The blast furnaces are near the forges and resemble our own.
The mine is two and a half leagues from the foundry, and the ore is carted on sleds. It is a type of metal […] The ore is so soft you can crush it between your fingers. […] I am told that the iron that comes from this factory is soft, flexible and resistant; it does not rust as easily as ordinary iron […] The factory manufactures guns and mortars of various sizes, stoves that are popular all across Canada, pots, etc., not to mention iron bars.
[…] it is the only company of its kind in Canada and it has no competition to withstand. You can find every type of iron tool there, along with all the iron you could possibly need. What’s more, the river that travels from the forges to the St. Lawrence River provides an easy and inexpensive means of transporting metal to every point in the country.”
