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diff --git a/old/50433-0.txt b/old/50433-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e1d4c1c..0000000 --- a/old/50433-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11908 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of England and Canada, by Sandford Fleming - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: England and Canada - A Summer Tour Between Old and New Westminster - -Author: Sandford Fleming - -Release Date: November 11, 2015 [EBook #50433] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ENGLAND AND CANADA *** - - - - -Produced by Sonya Schermann, Charlie Howard, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - -[Illustration: ENGLAND AND CANADA.--_A Journey between OLD and NEW -WESTMINSTER, by Sandford Fleming, C.E., C.M.G. etc._ - - _Eastern Journey- - - - - - - - Western Journey------------_ - - George Philip & Son London & Liverpool.] - - - - - ENGLAND AND CANADA. - - A SUMMER TOUR - BETWEEN - OLD AND NEW WESTMINSTER - WITH HISTORICAL NOTES. - - - BY - SANDFORD FLEMING, C.E., C.M.G., ETC. - - - MONTREAL: - DAWSON BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS. - 1884. - - - - - Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year 1884, - by SANDFORD FLEMING, - in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture. - - - GAZETTE PRINTING COMPANY, MONTREAL. - - - - - TO - - The Right Honourable the Marquis of Lorne, K.T. - - G.C.M.G., P.C., &C., &C., - - ONE OF CANADA’S TRUEST AND WARMEST FRIENDS, - - WITH SINCERE RESPECT - - THIS RECORD OF A JOURNEY FROM THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL TO THE - - PACIFIC OCEAN, THROUGH CANADIAN TERRITORY, - - IS DEDICATED. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - _INTRODUCTORY._ - - - CHAPTER II. - - _HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL._ - - Halifax--Cunard Line--Intercolonial Railway--Truro--Travelling - by Pullman--New Brunswick--Miramichi--Great Fires in New - Brunswick--Salmon Fishing--Micmac Indians--Rimouski--S.S. - Parisian--The first Ocean Steamer the Royal William--Incidents - of Ocean Voyage--Arrival. Page 11 - - - CHAPTER III. - - _ENGLAND._ - - Willie Gordon--Custom House Annoyances--Cable Telegram--Post - Office Annoyances--London--Spurgeon’s Tabernacle--An Ancestral - Home--English and United States Hotels--English Reserve--A - Railway Accident--The Land’s End--A Deaf Guest. Page 33 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _ENGLAND (Continued)._ - - Marquis of Salisbury--Classical Studies--Henley Regatta--Red - Lion--London Dinner to Lord Dufferin--His Speech--Greenwich-- - Fisheries Exhibition--Bray--The Vicar--The Thames--Minehead-- - The Polynesian. Page 58 - - - CHAPTER V. - - _ENGLAND TO CANADA._ - - The Ocean Voyage--Its Comfort--Moville--Mail Coach Road of Old - Days--Impressive Service on Deck--Comfort on the Vessel-- - Rimouski--Halifax. Page 84 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _NOVA SCOTIA._ - - Early Colonization--De Monts--Champlain--Sir William Alexander-- - Capture of Quebec--The Treaties--The Acadian Evangeline-- - Louisbourg--First Capture--Peace of Aix la Chapelle--Boundary - Disputes--The Final Struggle--Deportation of the Acadians-- - Nova Scotia constituted a Province. Page 102 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - _HALIFAX TO QUEBEC._ - - Home in Halifax--Start for the Pacific--The Intercolonial - Railway--Major Robinson--Old Companions--The Ashburton - Blunder--Quebec--The Provincial Legislature--Champlain--The - Iroquois. Page 119 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - _QUEBEC, MONTREAL, OTTAWA._ - - Montreal--Ship Channel--Hon. John Young--St. Lawrence Canals-- - Indifference of Quebec--Quebec Interests Sacrificed--Need of a - Bridge at Quebec--Montreal Trade in Early Times--Beauty of the - City--Canadian Pacific Railway--Ottawa--The Social Influence - of Government House--Kingston. Page 131 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - _TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR._ - - Toronto--Collingwood--Georgian Bay--The Sault St. Mary-- - Navigation of the Great Lakes--Manitoulin Islands--Lake Huron-- - Arrival at the Sault. Page 147 - - - CHAPTER X. - - _LAKE SUPERIOR TO WINNIPEG._ - - Lake Superior--Early Discoverers--Joliet and La Salle-- - Hennepin--Du Luth--Port Arthur--The Far West--The North-West - Company--Rat Portage--Gold Mining--Winnipeg. Page 161 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - _WINNIPEG, HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY, LORD SELKIRK._ - - Early Explorers of the North-West--Du Luth--De la Verendrye-- - Mackenzie--Hudson’s Bay Company--Treaty of Utrecht--North-West - Company--Lord Selkirk--War in the North-West--Union of the - Rival Companies--The North-West Annexed to Canada. Page 179 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - _WINNIPEG TO CALGARY._ - - Winnipeg--Great Storm--Portage-la-Prairie--Brandon--Moose Jaw-- - Old Wives’ Lakes--The Indians--Maple Creek--Medicine Hat-- - Rocky Mountains. Page 201 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - _CALGARY TO THE SUMMIT._ - - Start for the Mountains--The Cochrane Ranche--Gradual Ascent-- - Mount Cascade--Anthracite Coal--Sunday in the Rockies-- - Mountain Scenery--The Divide. Page 221 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - _DOWN KICKING-HORSE VALLEY._ - - The Descent--Summit Lake--The Kicking-Horse River--Singular - Mountain Storms--An Engineering Party--A Beaver Meadow--A - Dizzy Walk. Page 237 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - _TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS._ - - The Eagle Pass--Kicking-horse River--Valley of the Columbia--The - Selkirk Range--The Columbia River--Summit of the Selkirks-- - Major Rogers’ Discovery. Page 252 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - _DOWN THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET._ - - The Descent of the Selkirk Range--Glaciers--The Last of our - Horses--Devil’s Clubs--The Ille-celle-waet--A Rough Journey-- - A Mountain Storm--Slow Progress--A Roaring Torrent--Skunk - Cabbage--Marsh--A Long Ten Miles’ Journey. Page 271 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - _DOWN THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET.--Continued._ - - A Difficult March--Cariboo Path--Organization of Advance-- - Passing Through the Canyon--Timber Jam--A Gun-shot heard-- - The Columbia again--Indians--Disappointment--The Question of - Supplies becomes Urgent--No Relief Party Found--Suspense. Page 284 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - _THROUGH THE EAGLE PASS._ - - The Kamloops Men at Last--No Supplies--On Short Allowance--An - Indian Guide--Bog-wading--The Summit of the Pass--Bluff Lake-- - Victoria Bluff--Three Valley Lake--Eagle River--Shooting - Salmon--The _Cached_ Provisions--Pack-horses again--Road - Making--The South Thompson--Indian Ranches. Page 295 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - _KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST._ - - Lake Kamloops--Savona’s Ferry--Irrigation--Chinese Navvies-- - Chinese Servants--Lytton--The Fraser River Canyon--Old - Engineering Friends--Sunday at Yale--Paddling Down the Fraser-- - An English Fog at New Westminster. Page 311 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - _ON PACIFIC WATERS._ - - New Westminster--Enormous Forest Trees--English Broom--Port - Moody--Down Burrard Inlet--Sea Fog--Navigation by Echo-- - Straits of Georgia--The St. Juan Archipelago--Seamanship-- - Victoria. Page 329 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - _BRITISH COLUMBIA._ - - Sir Francis Drake--Mears--Vancouver--Astor--Hudson’s Bay - Company--Gold Discoveries--Climate--Timber--Fisheries-- - Minerals--Mountain Scenery. Page 340 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - _HOME BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC._ - - Puget Sound--The Columbia--Portland--Oregon and San Juan - Disputes--Arid Country--Mountain Summits--The Yellowstone-- - The Missouri--The Red River--Chicago--Standard Time Meeting-- - The British Association--Home. Page 355 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - _THE INDIANS._ - - Indian Population--The Government Policy--Indian Instincts--The - Hudson’s Bay Company--Fidelity and Truthfulness of Indians-- - Aptitude for Certain Pursuits--The Future of the Red Man. Page 380 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - _THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY._ - - Rapid Construction--Travelling Old and New--Beginning of Pacific - Railway--Difficulties--Party Warfare--The Line North of Lake - Superior--The United States Government--Mountain Passes--Soil - and Climate--National Parks--Pacific Terminus. Page 394 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - _CONCLUSION._ - - England and Canada--Old and New Colonial Systems--Political - Exigencies--The High Commissioners--Lord Lorne’s Views--The - Future--The French Element in Canada--Colonial Federation--The - Larger Union. Page 420 - - - - -ENGLAND AND CANADA. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -_INTRODUCTORY._ - - -If we carry ourselves in imagination to that part of North America -nearest to Europe, we find that we have reached the most easterly coast -of the Island of Newfoundland, an outlying portion of the continent. -Standing on Cape Bonavista and looking from this promontory over the -waste of waters, we discover that between the Equator and Greenland -the Atlantic Ocean is generally of much greater width in every other -parallel than opposite our present position: that its breadth rapidly -increases as we proceed southward, if but a few degrees of latitude, -and that, in the parallels of New York or Philadelphia, the ocean is -more than double the width. Towards the continent of Europe the first -land the eye rests upon is that of the British Islands. Four centuries -back the first recorded discoverer of Newfoundland sailed from those -shores, and from the time of the Tudor monarchs this stretch of ocean -has been unceasingly traversed by European ships. It has thus been the -cradle of ocean navigation. Adventurous men, who planted the early -settlement of America, crossed to the new world on this narrow belt. -The vessels which carried them were indeed frail craft compared with -the creations of modern ship-building. But, step by step, they were -enlarged and developed to the magnificent clipper, which again has been -supplanted by the still more magnificent ocean steamer. - -In old days, even in a sailing vessel of large tonnage, a sea voyage -was frequently accompanied with much misery. It was not uncommon -for emigrants to be detained at sea as many weeks as now days are -needed for the voyage. Ships might be retarded or driven back by -adverse gales, or they might remain in mid-ocean, becalmed in water -as unruffled as a mirror of glass. Steam has revolutionized these -conditions. Instead of ships being turned far from their course by -contrary winds, or with flapping canvas waiting for a fair breeze, we -behold on the waters of the Atlantic fleets of swift steamers, carrying -thousands of passengers to and fro with the regularity of the daily -post between two neighbouring cities. However formidable the voyage -once was, its greater drawbacks are now removed. A steam ferry has been -practically established between the two continents, and transportation -is effected with scarcely less regularity than between opposite banks -of a navigable river. The path of the ocean steamer has in reality -become, as it were, the Queen’s highway; and were anything wanting -to facilitate intercourse, we possess it in the telegraph. If this -belt of ocean has been the nursery of the ocean steamers, it has also -given birth to ocean telegraphy. In no part of the world are so many -submarine cables laid along the ocean bed as in this direction. We -live in a period when instantaneous communications from continent to -continent are as easily effected as from county to county. Year by year -the facilities of intercourse, both by steamship and by telegraph, are -increasing in a manner to bind closer than ever, by the ties of mutual -benefit and common interest, the different members of the British -family. On the one hand, the Canadian is enabled to visit the old land, -where his traditions have been gathered, and where there is a history -in which he can claim an inherited participation. On the other, it -provides the youth of the Mother Country with an outlet by which he -may gain a home with a kindred people, who revere the same memories, -and who will cordially welcome his labour and energies to aid in -strengthening and consolidating the institutions of that portion of the -Empire. - -From a multiplicity of causes, there are different shades of character -and thought to distinguish the several members of the British family. -They are called into being by geographical position, by race, by -climate and other influences. Diversities exist, and why should it not -be so? It is a shallow and unwise pretension which would ignore the -fact. The inhabitants of neighbouring counties, even the members of -one family, have not the same characteristics or identical likes and -dislikes. As in the family so in the state. It is natural, and in some -respects advantageous, that varieties of character and power should be -traceable; on the other hand, as the family likeness may be seen in -a group of individuals, however in many respects they may differ, an -essential unity of national life and sentiment may be found one and the -same amid characteristics the most divergent. The people of Canada and -of England differ as the current coin of the realm differs. While in -the currency there are dissimilarities of name, of value, of colour and -of metal, all are impressed with the stamp of the one sovereign; so in -the people there are diversities, but all can be recognized as British -subjects. - -If we turn our eyes in the direction opposite to Europe, we find -Newfoundland situated as a barrier between the outer ocean and an inner -sea; the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Whatever its destiny, Newfoundland is -the one portion of British North America which has not allied her -fortunes with the Canadian Dominion. Geographically, the island stands -as a gigantic breakwater to shelter from the surges of the Atlantic the -continent to the west, and to protect the entrance of the St. Lawrence. - -The Gulf of St. Lawrence has been compared to the Baltic, but, unlike -the Baltic, having but one narrow channel of entry, it is approachable -from the ocean by two wide navigable openings. These passages--the -Straits of Belle Isle and St. Paul--lie to the north and south of -Newfoundland. Around this inner Baltic-like sea we behold the Maritime -Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, to -which may be added the eastern portion of Quebec. These Provinces -occupy an extensive coast line, indented with bays and capacious -harbours, presenting all the facilities for shipping, commerce and -fisheries. They are bound together, and to the other Provinces of the -Dominion, by one trade, one tariff and by one common nationality; on -the other hand, they have each distinct local institutions for their -own domestic government. - -Continuing our glance westward, a thousand miles from Bonavista, beyond -the ancient fortress of Quebec, we behold Montreal, the commercial -metropolis of the Dominion. Here are seen ocean steamers of the largest -class discharging cargoes loaded twelve days back in Liverpool, Glasgow -and other parts of Europe. Advancing our view another thousand miles, -over cultivated fields and flourishing cities and lakes of unrivalled -magnitude, our vision carries us through deep forests beyond the -Province of Ontario to the confines of Manitoba, in the middle of the -continent. Still another thousand miles to the west, across prairies -abounding with a fabulous fertility of soil, we reach the foot-hills of -a snow-capped mountain range, concealing the country which lies beyond -it. To penetrate this barrier we must advance by the known passes, and -for hundreds of miles follow deep defiles, traversing further mountain -ranges, until we reach the wide grassy plateau interspersed with -picturesque lakes in the heart of British Columbia. We may still pierce -another serrated wall of mountains by a deep and rugged valley, and, by -following a tortuous and foaming river to its mouth, we meet the flow -of tide of another ocean far greater in extent than that which lies -behind us. - -Carrying our vision beyond the shore of the western mainland, across -a strait similar to that separating England from Europe, we see the -Island of Vancouver, washed by currents warmed in the seas of Asia. -Vancouver Island is not quite so large as England, but it enjoys the -same climatic conditions, and possesses in profusion many of the same -mineral treasures. - -British Columbia is the youngest colony of the Empire, and until -recently was practically the most distant from the Imperial centre. -Its chief city bears the name of Her Majesty. The sun does not rise -on Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, until eight hours after -it gilds the towers of Westminster. One-third of the complete circle -of the globe separates the Imperial capital from the capital of the -Pacific Province, but no land intervenes which is not British, and the -whole distance is under the shadow of the one national flag. - -In imagination we first glanced across the ocean at its narrowest -limit. Turning our glance landward, we have looked across a continent -at its greatest width. All we have scanned, from sea to sea, is Canada. -The vast proportions of the Dominion, its varied features, its lakes -and rivers, mountains and plains, its sources of wealth and magnificent -scenery, are but little known to Englishmen. A country to be known must -be seen. It is not enough to examine a terrestrial globe or ponder over -maps and geographies in order to form an estimate of the character of -half a continent. They suggest but a faint idea of territorial extent. -You must traverse its different sections, and bestow time in examining -its fields and forests, its natural landscape, its cities and its -civilization. - -There are few, indeed, who possess anything like an adequate conception -of the immense extent and resources of the Dominion. It is scarcely -possible even for Canadians themselves to conceive the wealth of -territory and the varied magnificence of scenery and the productive -capacity of the land, the destinies of which it is their privilege to -control. - -During the past summer (1883), circumstances induced the writer to -visit England, to recross the Atlantic, and make a journey through the -whole extent of Canada to the Pacific coast. The railway took him to -the base of the Rocky Mountains. From thence he entered the passes, and -by pack-horse and on foot he followed the route proposed to be taken by -the Canadian Pacific Railway through British Columbia. - -As is customary in such circumstances, the writer sent home, at -convenient opportunities, a diary of his daily progress. He is aware -that the notes of travel which have interest for a circle of intimate -friends, have often but slender claim to public attention. These notes, -however, give a sketch of the first continuous journey ever made, -indeed the only one yet attempted, through the whole longitudinal -extent of the Dominion by the route taken. From the interest which has -been attached to his notes of travel, the writer has been prevailed -upon to prepare them for publication, and, with the view of supplying -such information as the future traveller may desire, a few historical -notes have been included in the narrative. - -Canada is certainly not within the actual geographical limits of the -Mother Land, yet it is no mere rhetorical phrase to say that this half -of the North American continent has become an integral part of the -Empire. Seventeen years ago, when the British North American Act of -1867, creating the Dominion, passed the Imperial Parliament, British -and Canadian statesmen laid the foundation of a great future for the -confederated provinces. From that date Canada has steadily, step by -step, done her part to realize all that was then foreshadowed of her -future. She undertook to establish a highway for commerce through her -forests, prairies and mountains, to connect the most distant Provinces. -In a short time the national highway will be opened from the Atlantic -to the Pacific, and Canada will become a recognized central commercial -link between England and Asia. - -The writer ventures to think that the record of the journey he made, -will show how closely England and Canada are brought together by the -modern agencies of steam and electricity. Equally it will be obvious, -how easily the British subject in Canada may revivify old associations; -and how the denizen of the United Kingdom can, without discomfort, -visit the whole extent of the Dominion, to enjoy the varied scenery in -the many forms in which it is presented. The writer sincerely hopes -that what he ventures now to submit may be instrumental in leading -others to enjoy what proved to him a delightful summer tour by sea -and land. It is not without diffidence that he yields to the wish -expressed for the publication of his notes. He is desirous, however, of -establishing that such a journey as he has accomplished presents many -other points of attraction independent of the beauty of the scenery -and novelty of the associations. There is much to repay enquiry in the -examination of our system of government and of the institutions of the -several Provinces; in ethnological developments; and in geological and -kindred scientific researches. It will be found, too, that there is a -past history which gives attraction to many a scene, and in all that -constitutes and promotes the advance of nations there is presented much -of varied interest worthy of investigation. - -The writer does not hide from himself the fact that, in describing -scenes and events, he may say much that is well known to many. He makes -no pretension to original research. His endeavour is simply to present -the notes of his journey side by side with some leading historical -facts, in a way which may admit of generalization and be useful to -the ordinary reader. Hence it is not impossible that the professional -_littérateur_ may, with a certain cynicism, consider that the following -pages contain much that is not worth the record. - -The two voyages across the ocean and the journey over the continent -embraced a total distance travelled of about 14,000 miles, the eastern -and western portions of which began and ended at Halifax. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -_HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL._ - - Halifax--Cunard Line--Intercolonial Railway--Truro--Travelling - by Pullman--New Brunswick--Miramichi--Great Fires in New - Brunswick--Salmon Fishing--Micmac Indians--Rimouski--S. S. - Parisian--The first Ocean Steamer the Royal William--Incidents - of Ocean Voyage--Arrival. - - -Halifax, selected for its excellence as a harbour in connection with -its geographical position, is well known throughout the world as one -of the most important stations for the British Navy. For upwards of a -century it has been pre-eminently the Admiralty port for the British -fleet in North Atlantic waters, and it was its superiority as a harbour -in all respects which determined the demolition of Louisburg in 1756. -It was held that no second naval arsenal was required in proximity to -Halifax, and consequently not one stone was left standing upon another -at Louisburg after its second capture. The enterprise of the city -has intimately connected its name with the history of the navigation -of the ocean. Ships of Nova Scotia may be seen on every sea, and it -is here that the centre has been, around which the commerce of the -Province revolved. It was in Halifax that the Cunard Steamship Company -took its origin, under the distinguished family who have so long -lived there: an organization which may well be considered one of the -most successful known. For nearly half a century the record of their -immense fleet shows that not a passenger has been lost or a letter -miscarried. The irreverent Frederick the Great was wont to say that -Providence was generally on the side of large armies. His own good -fortune in the field was owing, however, mainly to his supervision of -the simplest detail and attention to discipline. In a similar manner -the unprecedented success and the perfect organization of the Cunard -Company must be traced to the unwonted care and vigilance continually -observed in connection with the enterprise. The principle laid down by -Mr. Cunard was that nothing was to be left to chance; that the best of -all material and workmanship was to be obtained in the construction -of his steamers; that the crew were to be subjected to the strictest -discipline; and that no possible care or precaution, even in the -simplest detail, was to be omitted. The result of these efforts from -the initiation of the company is seen in the magnificent Cunard fleet: -a noble monument to the name it bears. - -My connection with Halifax sprang from my relationship with the -Intercolonial Railway, the explorations of which I was appointed to -conduct in 1863, and of which I remained Chief Engineer until its -completion in 1876. My acquaintance with this locality consequently -extends back twenty years. I have formed there many warm friendships, -which I am happy to think I still retain, and scarcely a year goes by -without my passing some portion of the summer months at that delightful -suburb of Halifax known as the “Northwest Arm.” - -In common with all who have been connected with Halifax, I must express -my humble view of the charm which the place possesses. Its scenery -of wood, hill and dale; its ample expanse of water in all forms; its -healthy climate and fresh air; its cool evening breezes in the heat -of summer; its pleasant drives and the varied features of its daily -life; all leave an impression not easily forgotten. But when to these -recognized advantages the social elements of Halifax are added, it is -held by common consent that there are few cities more attractive. And -when we remember the well-bred, travelled men, many of whom also highly -educated, to be met among the officers of the garrison and on board -the ships at the station, with their continuous efforts to return the -hospitalities of the citizens, we all must acknowledge that Halifax, in -its social aspects, possesses features and a charm peculiar to itself. - -A line of steamers runs from Halifax to Liverpool, but I had taken -my passage by the steamer “Parisian,” of the Allan Line. The weekly -steamer of this line, as a rule, leaves her moorings in front of -Quebec at a fixed hour on the forenoon of Saturday. The traveller -ordinarily goes on board the tender an hour earlier. But a train -leaves Toronto, 480 miles west of Quebec, on the evening of Friday, -connecting at Montreal on Saturday morning with an express mail train -for Rimouski, a point on the St. Lawrence about 200 miles below Quebec. -By this means letters can be posted at Toronto, indeed at nearly all -the cities in Canada west of Quebec, to the last moment. This express -mail, which makes rapid time, reaches Rimouski late on Saturday night. -By it, passengers who have been unable to embark at Quebec may take -the steamer, as it always remains off Rimouski to receive the mail. -Travellers to Europe from the Maritime Provinces may also embark at -Rimouski by taking the regular train over the Intercolonial Railway -from St. John or Halifax. The latter is the route which I followed. - -On the afternoon of the 15th June I said goodbye to my family at -the station at Halifax, and with my youngest daughter I started for -England. The day was bright and beautiful; indeed, although sea fogs -prevail at certain seasons of the year, I know no latitude where the -air is purer than it is in Nova Scotia, or where nature, during summer, -is more attractive. There were several of my friends on the train, and -when the sadness of parting passed away there was everything to make -the trip cheerful. - -After leaving Halifax we have supper at Truro, a large, clean-looking -Nova Scotian town, situated on one of the heads of the Bay of Fundy. -Truro, however, was not always so clean and cheerful looking as it -is to-day. At one time it was conspicuous for its dark and dingy -appearance, and it has to thank the visit of the Prince of Wales, -nearly a quarter of a century back, for the change. The Prince had -landed at Halifax, and was expected to pass through Truro in a few -days. Meetings were held to devise means to do honour to the Royal -visitor. I think it was Mr. Hiram Hyde who said that “evergreen arches -would be out of place unless the town presented a clean face.” He moved -a resolution, which was unanimously adopted, that a schooner load of -lime lying in the bay should be secured, and every one be obliged to -turn out with whitewash brushes. In forty-eight hours Truro was so -metamorphosed as not to seem the same place, and so well satisfied were -the inhabitants that they have kept its face clean ever since. - -To continue. We are at the Truro refreshment room. One never criticizes -railway meals too severely, at least those who are much accustomed to -travel. The golden rule on such occasions is to open your mouth, shut -your eyes, and take what is placed before you. If things are to your -liking, then you can “give them the painted flourish of your praise.” - -Our route passes over the Cobequid Mountains, and at Amherst, on -another inlet of the Bay of Fundy, you may have further refreshments -at ten o’clock. Then comes the night’s rest in the Pullman. To the -denizens of this continent the Pullman is a necessity. In a country of -narrow geographical limit nothing is more pleasant than a few hours -in an ordinary first class English carriage. But we do not count our -trips by hours on the western continent. Often we do so by days. -Sitting up all night in one of the old carriages, which many yet from -circumstances are obliged to do, was one of the small miseries of life. -The want of rest, the cramped position, the foul air, the banging of -doors, frequently the crowd of passengers, had all to be endured; and -who of that date cannot remember the extreme discomfort to which the -traveller was compelled to submit as best he could. With a Pullman you -have comparative quiet, and with well-mannered and competent officials, -who keep the car heated only to an endurable temperature and properly -ventilated, you have all the auxiliaries of comfort. What dream is -there in the Arabian Nights equal to the realization of finding -yourself in a comfortable bed, with all the accessories of home, -travelling at the rate of forty miles an hour? - -Soon after leaving Amherst we crossed the Missiquash, the river -which separates Nova Scotia from New Brunswick. It has some historic -import of which I will speak hereafter. Our course is now through New -Brunswick to the River Restigouche, on the north side of which lies -the Province of Quebec. The whole distance through the three Provinces -embraces a variety of scenes of great interest to me, as many years of -my life were passed in the construction of the Intercolonial Railway. - -It was not until after the American Revolution that New Brunswick was -looked upon as a colony. Five thousand of the United Empire Loyalists -arrived at St. John in the British fleet in 1783, one hundred years -ago. It became a Province in 1786. No little of its history is in -connection with its terrible fires. That of Miramichi in 1825; of St. -John in 1837, when, in the heart of a rigorous winter, nearly the whole -business part of the city was destroyed; and again of St. John in 1877, -when, in the short space of nine hours, 200 acres of buildings were -levelled to the ground, and fully two-thirds of the entire city laid in -ashes. During the night the train passes through the scene of the first -disaster, which left some 6,000 square miles in a state of devastation. -The summer had been unusually hot and dry. On the first day of October, -1825, the inhabitants of the valley of the Miramichi were disturbed by -immense forest fires in the neighbourhood of the settlements. The smoke -with great heat continued for seven days, when the fire extended to the -settlements, defying all efforts to extinguish it, and sweeping away -all that lay before it. The town of Newcastle was consumed, as also -Douglastown with all the smaller outlying settlements. The devastation -continued along the northern side of the river for one hundred miles. -Hundreds of settlers and thousands of cattle were lost. The number of -wild animals which were burned was also very great. Even the salmon -perished in the smaller streams, owing to the intense heat. To this -date the trace of the fire is distinctly seen in the character of -the trees which have grown upon the burnt district. A gale increased -the violence of the fire, so that its fury was uncontrollable. In -many cases the inhabitants, not looking for such a calamity, were -suddenly awakened in their beds by the alarm of danger. A few minutes’ -delay would have led to their destruction. Many were unable to save -themselves. Not a few owed their preservation to the fact that their -farms were near the river, in which they threw themselves, and escaped -by clinging to logs. The loss of life to those at a distance from the -river, where escape was impossible, must have been serious. Many of the -survivors were dreadfully mutilated, and in the distant settlements few -escaped to tell their dreadful experience. - -In the morning we reached Campbellton, on the Restigouche, at the head -of the Bay Chaleur, and we have a royal breakfast of salmon fresh from -the nets. Some of our friends on the train are enthusiastic fishermen. -Col. Chalmers, recently from India, and the Rev. Mr. Townend, Garrison -Chaplain at Halifax, are among the number. They are bound for the -fishing pools on the Restigouche, and are in high spirits. They learn -here that the run of salmon up the river is unprecedentedly large, and -their excitement is intense. My sympathies are with them, for fishing -to me is a most pleasant recreation. If I am not a skillful, I am at -least a devout, disciple of Isaac Walton. - -At the station I met some of my old Micmac Indian friends, some of whom -I have known for twenty years, and who accompanied me in my various -wanderings in the wilds of New Brunswick. I have a strong and kindly -feeling for these children of the forest. Personally I have found their -simplicity of character not the sham which many claim it to be. There -are exceptions, but, as a rule, in their relations to me, they have -proved honest and faithful. Although perfectly undemonstrative, they -never forget a kind act or word. Such is my experience, and I have had -much to do with Indians of nearly every tribe between the Atlantic and -the Pacific. It has been my invariable good fortune to come in contact -with those among them to whom I could at any time have trusted my life. -We shook hands all round. Breakfast, however, has only left time for a -few words. The train starts, and as it leaves the station I receive -from my dusky friends a hearty _bò jou! bò jou!_ - -We are still in New Brunswick, but in half an hour we cross the -Restigouche and enter the Province of Quebec near the Metapedia -station. Here our friends of the rod leave us with our best wishes for -their success. The Railway now follows the River Metapedia, and the run -up the valley is all we could wish. The day was fine; no morning could -be more bright. The curves in the track are frequent but unavoidable, -and how few who whirl over them ever think of the labour bestowed in -order to reduce them to a minimum! In the Metapedia many splendid -salmon pools are found. Mr. George Stephen, President of the Canadian -Pacific Railway Company, has the most pleasant of fishing boxes here, -pleasantly situated within sight of the passing train at Causapscal. -H. R. H. Princess Louise and Prince Leopold remained for some weeks -here three years ago. Mr. Stephen is himself a keen sportsman, and -never lets a season pass without spending a holiday at Causapscal. He -had arrived the day previous with a party of friends. - -In the middle of the afternoon we reached Rimouski, where we left -the train and placed ourselves in the hands of Madame Lepage, who -keeps a comfortable _pension_ at this place. This landlady’s untiring -devotion to the comforts of her guests is on a par with the glow of -her sparkling black eyes. She is the mother of a large family, some -of whom are grown up, yet she retains all her youthful vivacity and -_naiveté_. - -Rimouski is a large straggling French Canadian town, the last of -any importance in the Province of Quebec to the east, if we except -the thriving village of Matane. It is chiefly remarkable for its -ecclesiastical and educational institutions. There is another -peculiarity; the largeness of the family in many households. It is no -uncommon matter to find a family of from fifteen to twenty children. -Not long ago I heard of a case of a family of eighteen, and there was -a question of an orphan to be taken, for whose nurture nothing was to -be paid, its parents having died under circumstances of privation and -poverty. “Let it come and take its chance with our children,” said this -excellent French Canadian mother, and it was so resolved. - -Travellers to Europe, like ourselves, have their letters and telegrams -directed to Rimouski in case of more or less last words being -necessary. I was very glad to find good news in those I received. I -went to the station to meet the train for the south. There I found more -fishermen bound for the Restigouche, New Yorkers, who now come yearly -to our waters, a class who do not fish for the pot, but are sportsmen. -Among them were Mr. Dean Sage and Mr. Worden, with a party of friends. - -At 10 o’clock p.m., the mail train having arrived, we took the tender -for the steamer, which lay off in the stream. Sir Alex. Galt was on -the train, on his way back from Halifax, where he had taken part in -a public banquet given to his successor as High Commissioner for -Canada in London; Sir Charles Tupper. I was in hopes that he, too, was -starting for England, but to my disappointment he continued his journey -to Montreal. - -We reach the wharf on the branch railway, where the tender is lying. -The arrangements are not quite perfect. The wharf itself is of unusual -length, but it only reaches shallow water at low tide. In consequence -the capacity of the tender is limited, and, although strongly built, it -rolls disagreeably in rough weather, to the discomfort of passengers -who are indifferent sailors. - -We embarked on the “Parisian,” and at once found our way to the cabins -allotted to us. A friend had previously consoled us by saying that -they were the worst in the ship. They were directly under the scuppers -used for pouring the ashes overboard, the disagreeable noise of which -operation we were expecting to hear every hour in the night. We did -not, however, experience much inconvenience on this score, as for the -greater part of the voyage, our cabin was on the windward side, which -is never used at sea for the discharge of refuse. - -The passenger list placed in our hands contained several familiar -names. There were Canadian Cabinet Ministers and Montreal merchants, -with their wives and families, and there were friends whom we expected -to meet, some of them we found in the saloon before retiring for the -night. - -Trips by ocean steamers have much the same features, and, while -the changes and vicissitudes of fog, rain and fine weather are all -important in the little floating community, they have little concern -for the outer world. To sufferers from sea-sickness, an ocean trip is a -terror. Medical men say, in a general way, that the infliction should -be welcomed, for it brings health, but I have seen those prostrated by -it who have been so depressed that I can not but think that if this -theory be true the improvement to health will be dearly purchased by -the penalty. Such, however, are the exceptions. With most people one -or two days’ depression is generally the extent of the infliction. -Personally I cannot complain. Nature has made me an excellent sailor. -With no remarkable appetite, I have never missed a meal on board ship, -nor ever found the call to dinner unwelcome. - -Our first morning commenced with fog, but it cleared away as we coasted -along the somewhat bold shore of Gaspé in smooth water. There is always -divine service on these vessels on Sunday. The Church of England form -is as a rule adhered to, which is read by the captain or doctor if no -clergyman be present. If a clergyman be found among the passengers he -is generally invited to conduct divine service, and any Protestant form -is admitted. On the present occasion the Rev. C. Hall, Presbyterian -minister of Brooklyn, N. Y., officiated. The service was simple and -appropriate, and the sermon admirable. The day turned out fine, and the -water so smooth that in the afternoon every passenger was on deck. Our -course being to the south of the Island of Newfoundland, we passed the -Magdalen Islands and the Bird Rocks, and we think of the vast number of -ships which have ploughed these waters on their way to and from Quebec -and Montreal. It is now fifty years since “The Royal William” steamed -homewards on the same course we are now following. Much interest begins -to centre in “The Royal William.” It is claimed that she was one of the -pioneers of steamers, if not the very first steamer which crossed the -Atlantic under steam the whole distance. She was built in Canada. She -left Quebec on the 18th August, 1833, coaled at Pictou, in Nova Scotia, -and arrived at Gravesend on the 11th September. She did not return to -Canada, as she was sold by her owners to the Spanish Government. Her -model is preserved by the Historical Society of Quebec. Some of these -particulars I had from the lips of one of the officers of “The Royal -William,” who died a quarter of a century ago. - -There is but one counter claim to the distinction. A ship named the -“Savannah” crossed the Atlantic from the port of that name in the -Southern United States to Liverpool in 1819. She had machinery for -propulsion of a somewhat rude description, which seemed to be attached -as an auxiliary power to be used when the wind failed. There is nothing -to show that it was continuously employed. I have recently heard from -a friend in Savannah on the subject, and I quote from his letter: “She -was 18 days on the voyage. She resembled very much in mould an old -United States war frigate. The hull was surmounted with a stack and -three masts--fore, main and mizzen--and was provided with side wheels -of a primitive pattern, left wholly exposed to view, and so arranged -that they could at any time be unshipped and the vessel navigated by -sails only.” - -On Monday before 2 a.m. we pass out of the Gulf by the Strait of St. -Paul into the open Atlantic, and still the water continues perfectly -smooth. There is a slight fog, which passes away, and we behold nothing -but the world of waters around us. The moon appears, and we have an -evening on deck long to be remembered. Everything stands out clear and -distinct, but the shadows are dark and heavy. The moon casts its line -of rippling light across the waves, and the ship glides onward, almost -weird-like in its motion. - -One of the pleasures, as well as penalties, of travelling is to be -asked to make one at whist. It is a pleasure to take part in a single -rubber if played without stakes, but to one indifferent to cards, who -does not want to win his friend’s money or lose his own, to join such a -party is often no little of a sacrifice. Your reply when asked to play -may take the conventional form, “With pleasure,” and in a way you feel -pleasure, for you like to oblige people you care for, and you may be -in an extra genial mood; but how often I have wished some other victim -could have been found at such times. On this occasion I left the deck -when I would have willingly remained, and took my seat at the card -table. - -The fog returned, and the ship went at half speed for the night. When -next day came there was no fog, but there was some little rocking, -which, to me, during the previous night, was but a pleasant incentive -to sleep, for I did not once hear the fog whistle in its periodic -roar--no pleasant sound--nor was I sensible of the dreaded rattling of -the ashes emptied overboard, a nightly and unavoidable duty, and by no -means a musical lullaby. - -I find that several ladies are absent from breakfast this morning. A -breeze springs up; a sail is hoisted; and occasionally we have fog, and -now and then a cold blast, with alternations of damp and moist air. -Such is the general experience in crossing the Banks. As one passenger -remarked, “It is hungry weather.” The breakfast in most cases had been -sparing, an enforced necessity in some instances, but the general -feeling is one of being ravenous for lunch. The day passes pleasantly, -possibly idly, and in the evening the whist table has its votaries. We -leave the fog behind us, but the next day is cloudy. There is a light -wind, and the sea is a little disturbed. Most of the passengers keep -the deck. We fancy we see a whale. There is too much cloud for the -moon to penetrate, so the passengers generally leave the deck to enjoy -themselves quietly in the saloon. We have a bright midsummer day this -21st June after a glorious morning, and we advance eastward with all -sail set. The spirits of all on board seem to rise, the sky is so blue, -and the sea so bright. There is but slight motion, with which, most of -the passengers are becoming familiar. - -We are now half way across. We begin to calculate when we shall arrive, -and what trains we shall take at Liverpool. I have many times crossed -the Atlantic, but I never could understand the restlessness with -which so many look for the termination of the voyage. If there were -some urgent necessity for immediate action on the part of those who -are travelling this impatience could be accounted for. The majority, -however, are tourists for pleasure or for health, and, as for business -or professional men, I never could see how a few hours one way or the -other could influence their operations. To some the voyage is simply -imprisonment; the condition of being at sea is a penalty they pay at -the sacrifice of health and comfort. These are the exceptions. There -are a large number who feel as I do, and for my part, while it would be -affectation to profess to be fond of storm and tempest, a sea voyage -in ordinary fine weather is one of the most pleasurable experiences of -my life. I have good digestion and good spirits, and I am satisfied -with the pleasant change from a life on shore. I can generally read, -and I can always remain on deck, and I always have a certain feeling -of regret when I think that the voyage is soon coming to an end. We -are all well cared for, we form pleasant associations, and anyone who -can study human nature finds no little opportunity for doing so on -shipboard. - -Our library, it is true, is somewhat limited, but it has a few good -books. I was somewhat struck on reading during this voyage almost -the last words of the celebrated Mary Somerville, who, after a most -distinguished career in science, died eleven years ago at Naples. These -words appear more striking to me when read on board ship. “The blue -peter has long been flying at my foremast, and, now that I am in my -92nd year, I may soon expect the signal for sailing.” - -We discuss our progress on all occasions. There is a general -thankfulness as we advance. Towards evening the motion of the ship has -increased, but we can all walk the deck. On the following day we put -on more canvas, for the breeze has increased and is more favorable, -and our progress is much greater. There is now considerable motion, -but we have all got familiar with it, and, as sailors say, we have our -sea-legs. The wind is at north-west; the day clear and bright, with a -warm-looking sky, speckled with fleecy clouds. The decks are dry. We -appear to be achieving wonders in speed, and we are entering into all -sorts of calculations as to what extent we shall make up the seven -hours’ detention by fog on the Banks of Newfoundland. Our run yesterday -was 342 miles in 23½ hours. Reckoning by observed time, we lose half an -hour daily by the advance made easterly. During the afternoon we have -a fair breeze, with all sail set, followed by the same pleasant and -agreeable evening. The passengers talk of leaving with much readiness. -Well is it said that much of the pleasure of life is retrospective. “We -are approaching land” is now the cry, and we commence early the next -morning calculating when we shall reach Moville. Saturday afternoon -is delightful. Bright gleams of sunshine appear in the intervals of -occasional showers. In the evening there is a concert with readings -from eight to ten. The collection is for the “Sailors’ Orphanage” at -Liverpool. On account of the concert our lights are allowed to burn -until midnight, and many of us remain on deck nearly to that hour. The -moon is three-quarters full; we have all sail set, and we can see the -reflected light of the sun in the northern sky at midnight. To me -there is a strange fascination in a scene of this character, with all -its accompaniments. There is a movement in the sea and a freshness in -the air which give a tingle to the blood, and we seem to walk up and -down the deck with an elasticity we cannot explain to ourselves. - -Next morning was Sunday. I was on deck half an hour before breakfast. -The land on the west coast of Ireland was in sight. The morning was -most fair, and it seemed to give additional zest to the excitement -produced by the approaching termination of the voyage. We learn that -we shall be at Moville at 2 o’clock. We have again divine worship. A -Methodist minister read the Church of England service and delivered an -admirable sermon. We reach Moville, and find we have been seven days -and ten hours making the run from Rimouski. I took the opportunity -here to send a cablegram home; it consisted of one word, but that word -contained a page of family meaning. - -We passed the Giant’s Causeway, at which the passengers intently -looked. We could also see Islay and the Mull of Kintyre. - -In the evening we have a second service. Our eloquent friend from -Brooklyn satisfied us so well the previous Sunday that we begged of him -to give us another sermon. He complied with our wishes, and with equal -success. - -It is our last night on board; to-morrow we are to separate. Many -of us on this voyage have met for the first time, and in all human -probability few of us will again come side by side. There is always -a feeling of sadness in thinking you do something for the last time. -I can fancy even a convict leaving his cell where he has passed some -years pausing upon the threshold while a rush of the old recollections, -the long, sad hours cheered by gleams of hope, crowd upon him, when he -will feel some strange sentiment of regret that it is the last time he -looks upon the place. The feeling may last but a second, but it is an -impulse of our nature which is uncontrollable. - -On board ship, with a certainty of gaining port to-morrow, the last -hours are passed in packing up and preparing to leave, and a feeling of -regret creeps in that now so many pleasant associations are to end, and -in spite of yourself some of the good qualities of those who are set -down as disagreeable people come to the surface in your memory. Some -few friendships are formed at sea which are perpetuated, but generally -the pleasantest of our relations terminate with the voyage. It is too -often the case, as in the voyage of life, that those we have learned to -esteem are seen no more. - -We had to lose no time in order to pass the troublesome bar at the -mouth of Liverpool harbour. With vessels of the draught of the American -steamers it can only be crossed at high water. The officers generally -calculate what can be done from the hour they leave Moville, and -regulate their speed accordingly, so as to approach it at the right -moment. - -No one knows better than the occupants of the cabin corresponding with -our own on the opposite side of the vessel that a great many tons of -ashes have been thrown overboard during the voyage: we all know that -a large volume of smoke has passed out of the funnel, a proof of the -great weight of fuel which has been expended in keeping the screw -revolving. The draught of the ship is consequently considerably less -than when we left the St. Lawrence. - -There is now no fog; the weather is fine; there is everything to -encourage the attempt to run in, and it proves successful. On this -occasion, had we been twenty minutes later, we should have had to -remain outside until another tide. The lights of Galloway and the -Isle of Man were passed before the most of us retired last night. We -all awoke early; at a quarter to five we had crossed the bar; the -“Parisian” was in the Mersey; the tender came alongside the ship, and -very soon afterwards I stood again on English ground. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -_ENGLAND._ - - Willie Gordon--Custom House Annoyances--Cable Telegram--Post - Office Annoyances--London--Spurgeon’s Tabernacle--An Ancestral - Home--English and United States Hotels--English Reserve--A - Railway Accident--The Land’s End--A Deaf Guest. - - -As I stood on the landing stage at Liverpool awaiting patiently and -with resignation for the Customs officers to allow the removal of our -luggage, a host of recollections ran through my mind. My thoughts went -back twenty years to another occasion when I landed from an ocean -steamer at an hour equally early. My memory has been aided by one of -those works which appear so frequently from the New York press, so -fertile in this species of encyclopædiac literature, endeavouring to -embrace in a few pages the truths learned only by a life’s experience. -The small volume tells you what not to do, and it sententiously sets -forth its philosophy in a series of paragraphs. There are ninety-five -pages of this philanthropic effort, with about four hundred negative -injunctions. The title of the book is “Don’t.” The injunction that -struck my eye most forcibly may be taken as no bad type of the teaching -of the book. It runs, “Don’t” is the first word of every sentence. -“Don’t go with your boots unpolished, but don’t have the polishing done -in the public highways.” These words met my eye as I was engaged in -these pages, and they brought back the feelings which passed through my -mind on the morning I left the “Parisian.” - -My thoughts reverted to my visit to the Mother Country after eighteen -years’ absence; the first made by me since I left home in 1845. I was -a passenger on the “United Kingdom,” due at Glasgow. She had passed -up the Clyde during the night, and arrived opposite the Broomielaw in -the early morning. The night previous the passengers were in the best -of humour, and the stewards had been kept up late attending to us. We -were all in high spirits, and without exception delighted at returning -to Scotland. I was particularly impatient to get ashore, to touch the -sacred ground of my native land. I arose that morning one of the first -of the passengers, before the stewards were visible. The ship was -in the stream off the Broomielaw. A boat came to the side. I jumped -into her and went ashore. I strolled along the quay. My foot was not -literally on “my native heath,” but I enjoyed intensely the pleasure we -all feel in revisiting our native shores, and in being near the scenes -from which we have been long absent. Everything seemed so fresh and -charming. I had no definite purpose in my wandering, but I was at home; -it was Scotland. In my semi-reverie I was interrupted by a young voice -in the purest Clydesdale Doric saying “hae yer butes brushed?” I looked -down mechanically at my feet, and found that the cabin bootblack of our -vessel had neglected this duty, probably owing to the irregular hours -of the last night on board. Moreover, it was the first word addressed -to myself, and I should have felt bound to accept the offer if it had -been unnecessary in the fullest sense. I commenced conversation with -the boy. He was very young. I summoned to my aid my best Scotch for the -occasion. His name was Willie Gordon, and he told me his widowed mother -was a washerwoman, that he had a number of brothers and sisters younger -than himself, that his earnings amounted to about half a crown a week, -and that between him and his mother they managed to earn ten shillings -in that time. “And how do you live, Willie?” “Reel weel,” replied the -boy, with the cheeriest of voices. “And now, Willie,” I said, when -I had paid him his fee, “it is many years since I have been here. I -want to see the places of greatest interest in Glasgow.” “Ou, sir,” -he promptly said, “ye shuld gang ta see Corbett’s eatin hoose.” “Do -you know the way there?” I asked. “Fine, sir. I ken the way vary weel. -I’ll gang wi ye tae the door,” and his face looked even happier than -before. I accepted his guidance, and, if my recollection is correct, -the place was in Jamaica street. The boy walked by my side carrying his -brushes and box, and chatted gaily of himself and his life. Apparently -no prince could be happier. We reached the renowned establishment he -had named. It was a species of home which a benevolent citizen had -instituted, on the same principle on which the coffee taverns are now -established: to furnish an early hot cup of tea or coffee to men going -to work, to offer some other refreshment than whiskey and beer, to give -a meal at cost price with all the comfort possible with cleanliness -good cheer and airy rooms, warm in winter. After some hesitation, and -persuasion on my part, Willie shyly entered with me. The _menu_ was on -the wall. Porridge and milk one penny, large cup of coffee one penny, -bread and butter, thick, one penny, eggs and toast one penny, &c., -&c.; everything, one penny. I cannot say that I give a precise account -of what appeared, but it was essentially as I describe it. We were a -little early even for that establishment, so Willie and I sat down. -The buxom matron gave us some account of the place and its doings. The -Duke of Argyle had dined with her a few days before. She told us the -establishment was well patronized and prosperous. The time soon came -for our order, for we were the first to be served. I set forth what I -required for myself, and that was no light breakfast, as I had a sea -appetite, sharpened by the early morning walk. I directed the attendant -to bring the same order in double proportions for the boy, so that we -had a splendid _déjeuner_. My little companion was in ecstasies. Never -was hospitality bestowed on a more grateful recipient. He would not -leave me, and he seemed bound to make a morning of it, and from time to -time graciously volunteered, “I’ll tak ye ony gait, Sir.” His customers -were forgotten, but I trust he did not suffer from his devotion to -me, for I did my best to remedy his neglect of professional duty. He -followed me from place to place, carrying the implements of his day’s -work, and he seemed anxious to do something for the trifling kindness I -had shown him and the few pence I had paid for his breakfast. But I was -more than compensated by the pleasure I myself received. I listened to -all he said with fresh interest, for he was open, earnest, honest and -simple-minded. He was deeply attached to his mother, and was evidently -proud to be able to add to her slender earnings, which were just enough -to keep her and her family from want. He certainly seemed determined -to do all in his power to make her comfortable. He never lost sight of -me till I left by the eleven o’clock train, and my last remembrance, -on my departure from Glasgow on that occasion as the train moved out, -was seeing Willie waving his brushes and boot-box enthusiastically in -the air. I often wonder what Willie’s fate is. He appeared to me to be -of the material to succeed in life. In Canada he certainly would have -worked his way up. I never heard of him again, but I certainly shall -not be greatly astonished to hear of Sir William Gordon, distinguished -Lord Provost of Glasgow. - -One of the nuisances of travelling throughout the world is the ordeal -of passing the Custom House. Frequently the traveller from Canada -thinks the infliction at Liverpool is pushed a little further than is -requisite. What can we smuggle from Canada? I know quite well that -there is generally a very loose conscience as to the contents of a -lady’s trunk, considered under the aspect of its fiscal obligations, -but surely some form of declaration might be drawn up by means of which -honourable men and women would be spared this grievous and irritating -delay. Apart from the delay, it is no agreeable matter to open out your -carefully packed portmanteau. To ladies it is particularly offensive to -have their dresses turned over and the contents of their trunks handled -by strangers. Canadians, while crossing their own frontier, find the -Custom House officers of the United States, as a rule, particularly -courteous, and, on giving a straightforward declaration that they have -nothing dutiable, they are generally allowed to pass at once. Liverpool -may not be alone in strictly exacting all that the law allows, but is -this course at all necessary or wise? It cannot increase the revenue, -for the additional expense of collection must more than absorb the -trifling receipts. And one is not kindly impressed with this reception, -especially when we feel that it is totally unnecessary. We cross the -ocean from Canada with peculiar feelings of pride and sentiment to -visit our Mother Land, and it is somewhat of a severe wrench to be -treated as foreigners by the Customs authorities on our arrival; I will -not say uncivilly or wrongfully, but as if we were adventurers going -to England on some plundering tour. It is certainly no petty annoyance -to Canadians, when they make their entry into a land they are taught -to call “home,” to have their sense of common honesty thus challenged -at the threshold. Anything which is brought from Canada can only be -some trifling present, such as Indian work, to some relative in the Old -Country; and if, possibly, a few pounds be lost to the exchequer, it is -made up a thousandfold by the good will arising from being courteously -treated on the first landing on English soil. Would it not suffice if -every ordinary passenger were required to make a declaration in some -such form as the following?: “I am a Canadian subject. I declare upon -my honour that my baggage contains nothing whatever for sale. I have -with me my personal effects for my own use only.” Or it may be added, -“I have a few gifts for old friends, of little or no commercial value.” - -Perhaps some British statesman might not think these suggestions -beneath his notice. Let him send a competent agent to examine and -report upon this subject. He will probably discover that the whole -nuisance can be swept away without inflicting the slightest injury -on the national exchequer. It would form no discreditable sentence -in a statesman’s epitaph to read that “he did away with the needless -and offensive restrictions imposed on British subjects from the outer -empire visiting the Imperial centre.” - -Having at last passed the Custom House, I drove to Rock Ferry, one -of the most pleasant suburbs of Liverpool, to visit a family I was -acquainted with, and with them I passed a most enjoyable day. The -greeting I received was most cordial and gratifying. In the afternoon I -started for London, leaving my daughter behind me, and I found myself -once more whirling through the green meadows and cultivated fields -of England. I was alone, but I did not feel solitary. How charming -everything looked! The air was fresh with passing showers, and the -rain played for some quarter of an hour on the landscape only to make -it look fresher and fairer, and, when the sun came out, more full of -poetry. Why, we are at Harrow-on-the-Hill! Has time gone so quickly? -There is so much to think about, so many fresh scenes to gaze upon, and -so many events seem to crowd into the hours that the traveller, in his -bewilderment, loses count of time. - -I am again in London, at Batt’s hotel, Dover street, and I walk to the -Empire Club to learn if there are any letters for me. I am disappointed -to find there is no cablegram. I despatched one from Moville, and one -word in reply would have told me if all was well. I recollect well the -depression I experienced at the time at not receiving news. It was an -inexplicable feeling; not exactly one of impatience or disappointment, -but rather of keen anxiety. “Why should there be silence,” I murmur, -when everything points to the necessity for a reply. - -Next day my business took me to the city, and I returned as rapidly -as I could. In the afternoon, to relieve my suspense, I went to the -Geological Society’s rooms, and mechanically looked over the books -and specimens. I wandered into the rooms of the Royal Society, and -found before me the well known features of Mary Somerville as they -are preserved in her bust. I then strolled into the parks and down to -the Club, and still no cablegram. These facts are of no interest to -any but the writer, but possibly they may suggest, not simply to the -transmitter of telegrams but to the officials who pass them through -their hands, how much often depends upon their care and attention, -and that there is something more required than simply receiving -and recording a message. There is the duty of seeing to its proper -delivery, and it was precisely on this ground that my trouble took its -root. - -I was three days in London when I received a telegram from Mr. George -Stephen, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, stating -that he was desirous that I should proceed to British Columbia as soon -as possible. It was my acceptance of this proposition which has led -to the production of these pages, but at that hour I felt that Mr. -Stephen’s communication only increased my bewilderment. My telegraphic -address was properly registered at the General Post Office in London, -and it had been used over and over again during my annual visits to -England. The cablegram I had just received bore the registered address, -and yet I had received no message from my family in Halifax. I have -often sent cablegrams, and never more than twenty-four hours elapsed -before receiving a reply. Consequently I again telegraphed, plainly -stating my anxiety, and then wandered out to call on some friends. -Later in the evening I at last found an answer, and, in order that it -might not again miscarry, the sender put on my address five additional -words, held as quite unnecessary, at two shillings each, making ten -shillings extra to pay. On my return to Canada I learned that no less -than three cablegrams had been sent to me, each one of which remains -to this day undelivered. Two of the despatches were sent before, -one subsequently to, the message last mentioned. All were properly -addressed. I felt it a public duty to write to the Secretary of the -Post Office Department in London, but no satisfactory explanation has -yet been given. Life is a mass of trifles, as a rule. The exceptions -are our griefs and our sufferings, our triumphs and joys; the latter, -as a French writer says, “counting by minutes, the former by epochs.” -I passed three particularly unpleasant days during this period, my own -personal affair, of course, and one in which the world may seem to have -no interest. But the public has really a deep interest in having a more -perfect system of Atlantic telegraphy than we now possess, and the -facts I have described, have their moral. At least it is to be hoped -that the authorities may remember that anyone separated by the ocean -from his correspondents is not content that telegrams should be delayed -for days, and still less content not to have them delivered at all. - -I was a month in England, chiefly in London, remaining until the 26th -of July. I must say that when in London I often thought of, although -I can not fully endorse, the words of that enthusiastic Londoner who -held that it was the “best place in the world for nine months in the -year, and he did not know a better for the other three.” In London you -can gratify nearly every taste, and although it always takes money -to secure the necessaries and luxuries of life, especially in great -cities, still, if one can content himself with living modestly, it -does not require a wonderfully large income to enjoy the legitimate -excitements and amusements of London. In this respect it is a marked -contrast to New York, where, generally speaking, a large income must be -at your command for even a moderate degree of respectable comfort. - -In London, to those who cannot afford a carriage, there is a cab, and -those who have no such aspirations as a “hansom” can take the omnibus. -It is not necessary to go to the orchestra stalls to see a performance, -nor are you obliged to pay six guineas per week for your lodgings or -one pound for your dinner. The reading room of the British Museum is -open to every respectable, well-ordered person. You can look at some of -the best pictures in the world for nothing, and, if you are a student -of history and literature, there are localities within the ancient -boundaries of the city which you cannot regard without emotion. You -have two of the noblest cathedrals in the world; Westminster Abbey, -with its six centuries of history, and with its tombs and monuments, -setting forth tangibly the evidences of the past national life. Then -you have Wren’s classical masterpiece St. Paul’s, one of the most -perfect and commanding edifices ever erected anywhere. Its interior has -never been completed. Will it ever be so? Yet, as Wren’s epitaph tells -us, if you wish to see his monument “look around you.” - -Again, in London, by way of recreation, you have public parks, -river-side resorts, and by the river itself and underground railway you -can easily reach many pleasant haunts about the suburbs. Indeed, by -the aid of the steamboat or rail you can take the most charming outings -any person can desire to have. London may be said to be inexhaustible. - -As one of the directors of the Hudson Bay Company I had often to -visit the city, and some very pleasant relationships grew out of my -attendance at the various board meetings. I was constantly meeting -Canadians, and certainly we hold together in a peculiar way when away -from the Dominion. It is a strong link we are all bound by, and yet we -would find it hard to explain why. Even men who are not particularly -civil to one another in Canada will cross each other’s path with -pleasure when from home, and intimacies never anticipated are formed, -and associations entered upon once thought impossible. - -One of my visits was to Spurgeon’s Tabernacle. The name is familiar to -everyone, and as I had been many times in London without hearing this -celebrated preacher, I was anxious not to return to Canada without -making the attempt. I was told to be in good time, and, acting on the -suggestion, I obtained a good seat, and formed, I should suppose, one -of four thousand people. Just in front of me, strange to say, I beheld -a familiar form, which I recollected last to have seen at Queen’s -College convocation, Kingston: the Premier of Ontario! Mr. Oliver Mowat -was the gentleman who was seated two pews in front of me. He was the -last person I expected to meet in such a place, as I did not even -know he was in England. He was the only one in that vast assemblage I -recognized. Spurgeon is, undoubtedly, worthy of his great reputation, -and on this particular Sunday his sermon was forcible, marked by -rare good sense, and perfectly adapted to his auditory. I felt fully -rewarded for my effort to be present. When the service was over I had -a few words with Mr. Mowat, but our interview was but short, for I had -an engagement, and it was necessary for me to hurry to the Waterloo -Station to take the train for Guildford, in order to reach ---- Park, -in its neighbourhood. - -This was a most agreeable visit to me. I do not think there is any -country but England where scenes and associations are known such as I -there witnessed. At the station a carriage met us, for I found myself -in company with a gentleman going to the same hospitable mansion. He -was an Irish M. P. On our entering the grounds we passed amidst grand -old elms, along a noble avenue, and through walks beautiful with roses, -ivy and laurel. My welcome was most courteous and graceful. There were -several guests, but it was my privilege to sleep in the haunted room. -The walls were hung with tapestry; the floor was of oak; the fireplace -was a huge structure of sculptured stone from floor to ceiling. No -ghost disturbed my slumbers, and, in the words of Macbeth, “I slept in -spite of thunder.” I awoke at dawn, and drew back the heavy curtains -to admit the light. It was about sunrise. Shall I ever forget that -magnificent view from the old windows, with their quaint transoms and -quarterings, and circular heads! the sight of those fine old trees, -stately beeches, tall ancient elms, venerable blue beech, and many a -noble oak of from two to three centuries’ growth! It was one of those -old ancestral domains, with glades, avenues and forest, which seem to -take you out of the present world and back in thought to one altogether -different, in many of its conditions, from the life of to-day. The -most carefully developed homestead of old Boston, or one of the finest -mansions on the Hudson, with the outline of mountain scenery, and its -associate stream; any one of the well built halls south of the Potomac, -elaborated with all the wealth of the planter; or even one of our -own palatial Canadian residences; all appear a thing of yesterday as -compared with that stately edifice, with its delightful lawns, walks -and avenues, which bear the ancient impress of their date and of their -early greatness. No doubt these paths were trod by men in the troublous -times of Henry VIII. and his three children, men who then may have -debated mooted points of history in this very neighbourhood. There -is a tradition also that the virgin Queen has looked upon this same -landscape “in maiden meditation fancy free.” - -The morning was peculiarly fine, and as I opened the window to admit -the pure, fresh air I really breathed again to enjoy it, and inhale the -perfume of foliage and of the garden flowers; flowers whose ancestors -may have traced three centuries of life, at least the early known -plants indigenous to English soil; while those of foreign origin could -boast of sires, perhaps, the first of their genus brought from the -Continent. The air was vocal with music; the trees seemed peopled with -scores of blackbirds and mavis, and there was many a proverbial “early -bird” busy with the yet earlier worm, who had gained so little by his -rising. All nature seemed teeming with life and gladness. I can only -here acknowledge the courtesy I received from my host and hostess. The -hours passed away unclouded by the slightest shadow, and I know no more -pleasant memory than that of my visit to this English ancestral home. - -I was highly pleased, on my return to Batt’s Hotel, to receive -intimation that my daughter was shortly to join me in London. There is -a certain solitude in a London hotel, which is much the opposite of -the continental life, and entirely distinct from the _table d’hote_ -system of this continent. In England the desire is to secure extreme -quiet and privacy, while on this side of the Atlantic every auxiliary -is provided for publicity and freedom of movement. This is especially -the case in the United States. In Canada it may be said that a middle -course is taken. In many large hotels on this continent, in addition -to the drawing and breakfast rooms, parlours and halls and writing -and news rooms are open, where papers are furnished and sold, seats -at the theatre obtained, telegrams sent, books, especially cheap -editions of novels, purchased, with photographs of the professional -beauties, leading politicians and other celebrated people. All of -these places are marked by busy, bustling life. The dining room, from -its opening in the morning till a late hour at night, is one scene -of animation, be the meal what it may. Some of the _beau sexe_ even -visit the breakfast room with elaborate toilets, and many a pair of -earrings glitter in the sun’s early rays. A walk up and down the -wide passage or hall at any hour is proper and regular, and it is -stated that it is often the only exercise indulged in by many living -in the great hotels of the United States, the street car furnishing -the invariable means of locomotion. In the large cities the hotels -are situated, as a rule, on the main streets. There are always rooms -where one may from the windows look upon the crowds passing and -repassing. Thus a drama of ever-changing life can be comfortably -witnessed from an armchair placed at the right point of observation. -There is no such thing as loneliness. Almost everyone is ready, more -than ready, to converse with you. If you yourself are courteous and -civil you will probably find those around you equally so, whether -they be guests or belong to the establishment. With a little tact -and judgment you can always obtain useful information. My experience -likewise is that the information is invariably correct: for there -never seems to be any hesitation in a negative reply when those you -address are not acquainted with the particular point of inquiry. The -gentleman who presides over the cigars, the controller of the papers -and the photographs and the official of the bar, an important field -of action in a high class hotel, each and all make it a point of -duty impressively to patronize your local ignorance when you ask for -information. In an English hotel the general rule is for no one person -to speak to another. If you do venture on the proceeding, Heaven only -knows what reply you may receive. In the class divisions of the Mother -Country there may be social danger in not observing the lines defined -by etiquette. There are always men of good address and appearance who -are not unknown to the police, and whose photographs may be destined -at no distant period to figure in the Rogues’ Gallery. But such men -are to be found in all countries. Whatever necessity there may be for -prudence and circumspection, it has struck me that there is really no -ground for that absolute uncompromising offensiveness of manner which -often well-meaning men in England feel bound to show to any person -who addresses them, as the joke goes, “to whom they have not been -introduced.” - -If you are quite alone very little experience in the English hotel is -enough to throw you back on yourself, and to depress even a gay and -blithsome nature. You walk with a listless air through the corridors, -you take your meals with a sort of mechanical impassiveness which you -cannot help feeling, and you seem to drop into the crowd of reserved, -self-contained individuals, who act as if they thought that courtesy -to a stranger was a national crime. I do not speak of the clubs, -where, if you are a member, you can always meet some acquaintance. -But comparatively few Canadians visit England who are club men. I -know no solitude so dreary, nor any atmosphere so wearying, as that -of the London hotel in a first class lateral street when you have -nobody to speak to, where you can see scarcely a living soul out of the -window, where the only noise is the distant rumble of vehicles in the -neighbouring thoroughfare, and where, when you are tired with reading -or writing, you have no recourse but to put on your hat and sally out -into the street. - -A circumstance crosses my mind as I am writing which gives some -insight into English life and character. It happened to a friend, now -no more, with whom I had crossed the Atlantic. He was travelling -from Liverpool to London, and took his place in the railway carriage, -sitting on the back middle seat, while opposite in the corner seats -were two gentlemen, each with a newspaper. The train had been an hour -on its journey, but the silence was unbroken. At last my friend spoke. -“Gentlemen,” he said, “I am L---- D----. I have come from ----”, and -he named a city in the Dominion. “I have been a merchant for fifty -years, and now I am living in ease. I am eighty-three years of age, -and, like the large majority of Canadians, I have two eyes and one -tongue, and, like a great many of my countrymen, I feel a pleasure in -using them. My eyes feel the period of time they have done me service. -I cannot read from the motion, but I can take part in a conversation. -My business in Britain is to see my daughters. One is married to an -officer quartered at the Royal barracks in Dublin. I am just returning -from a visit to her, and I am on my way to see my second daughter, -whose husband is stationed at Woolwich. Having now introduced myself, I -trust, gentlemen, you will not look upon me as a pickpocket or anything -of that sort.” One of the gentlemen carefully drew out his card-case -and gave his card. This example was followed by his opposite neighbour. -“What, gentlemen,” my friend said, looking at the cards through his -spectacles, which he deliberately put on, “you do not seem to know -one another; let me introduce you.” At the same moment he crossed -his arms and presented the card of the one to the other. The curtest -and least definable bow was given. One query followed another, and -my friend had a great deal to say and much to enquire about. He had -occupied the highest position in the city he came from, and had mixed -a good deal with the men of his world. The three or four hours which -followed were most pleasing to the trio. My friend’s fellow travellers -were county men, and he was cordially invited to spend a week with each -of them. The invitations were accepted, the acquaintance renewed, he -met with the most cordial English welcome, and the visits proved to be -particularly agreeable to all parties. - -In my experience, and in that of others who come under the name of -Canadians, whose fortunes now lie in the Dominion, whatever our place -of birth, all that the Englishman wants to know regarding us is that -we are Canadians; in other words, that we are not dubious members of -an uncertain phase of English society. We then at once receive the -most genial courtesy and kindness; real, true, honest, hospitable -kindness. I reason from this that we must be outside the circle in -which this frigid intercourse is observed as a protection. We are in -England for a brief time; then we pass from the scene, and there is -no fear entertained on the part of our English neighbours of forming -an unpleasant and unprofitable, that is scarcely the word, an -embarrassing, relationship. I have heard the explanation given for this -peculiarity that its very defects spring from the loyalty of character -which marks the high-bred Englishman. The theory is that, if he knows -you once, he is always to know you. He wishes to run no risk of being -placed in a false position, and hence avoids any intercourse which, -although in a way agreeable to him, he will not accept at the cost of -his own self-respect. And there are men who in no way incur blame for -want of courtesy in a railway carriage, but they will pass their fellow -traveller after a week’s interval as if they had never seen him. It -may be urged that those who live in the state of society which obtains -in England are the best able to understand its conditions and the -wisdom of its laws. It is quite possible that this mode of treatment -of a stranger may be commended by experience. There are many examples -where the opposite course has led to trouble, but prudence and good -sense would surely avoid annoyance, and they are requisite under all -circumstances. But is it not also advisable to avoid the extraordinary -discourtesy with which sometimes a remark from a stranger is received, -as if it were designed to serve some deliberate scheme of wrong, or to -lead up to some act of swindling and imposture. Surely we may always be -able to detect any attempt of this kind and protect ourselves; and in -all conditions of life good manners cost little and entail no risk. - -In one of my excursions from London I was travelling by the Great -Western Railway. A lady and gentleman were in the same compartment. -I made the third. Shortly after leaving Paddington the lady suffered -from a spark in her eye, certainly a most painful annoyance. Her fellow -passenger appeared much troubled and as much bewildered. Neither seemed -to know what to do, and the lady did not conceal how much she suffered. -I ventured to address the gentleman, and said, as was the case, that -I had frequently experienced this unfortunate accident, and that if -the eye was kept moist the pain would be lessened. He barely answered -me. The lady continued in pain. The train stopped for three minutes -at Swindon. I took my flask, made a rush to the refreshment room, -carefully washed the cup, filled it with water, and brought it to the -carriage. I offered it, I believe with ordinary good manners, to the -gentleman, and suggested that a handkerchief moistened with cold water -should be applied to the eye. My offer was curtly declined! There was -nothing more to be done. I threw the water out of the window, replaced -my flask in my travelling bag, and turned to my book. I did not forget -the incident during my trip, nor, indeed, have I ever done so. - -I continued on my journey, and proceeded to visit some friends in the -West of England, after which I found my way to the Land’s End, which -I felt a great desire to see. I went to Torquay, and the sight of so -many invalids in Bath chairs made me melancholy; to Dartmouth, at -the entrance of the River Dart, near the birthplace of the great Sir -Walter Raleigh; to Totness, to Davenport and to Penzance; thence to -the treeless, bleak-looking district of the Land’s End, to look at a -landscape which I shall always remember. - -At a little inn on the most westerly point of England I found I could -get a chop and a glass of ale. Having ordered luncheon, I strolled out -in the meantime to have a look at the blue water and the wide expanse -of ocean. The place is certainly solitary enough, but in its way the -boldness of the landscape and the never-ceasing roar of the waves -elevated it from dreariness. I returned to the room of the inn and -found a gentleman seated at the table. I had a perfect recollection of -my experience in the railway carriage a few days previously. But it -seemed to me to meet a stranger at this spot, seldom visited, gave a -guarantee of a certain similarity of tastes, and that it might possibly -be agreeable to both to exchange a few words. Indeed, I thought it -would be perfect folly for us to remain together in silence for about -half an hour as if ignorant of the presence of each other. I therefore -made up my mind that, at any rate, the fault should not be mine, -and that I would make bold to break the ice. We were certainly not -introduced, but at all risks I would make an effort to begin by saying -some ordinary words about the weather. The sky was cloudy and the air -cold, but I raised my voice to a cheerful tone and said, “It is rather -raw to-day, sir.” The gentleman addressed took not the slightest notice -of what I had said! And how ridiculous and embarrassing it did seem to -me at the time to think that two rational beings should be lunching -together at a little round table in the last house in England in solemn -silence! I fear that not a few disagreeable thoughts passed through -my mind, but I could do nothing. In due time I was ready to return to -Penzance. I entered the vehicle which had brought me hither, and at no -great distance away from the inn we passed the individual I had lunched -with, walking by himself. I took the opportunity, when out of hearing, -of asking the driver if he knew who he was. I received the reply that -he was a deaf and dumb gentleman who lived in the neighbourhood! - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -_ENGLAND_--(_Continued_). - - Marquis of Salisbury--Classical studies--Henley Regatta--Red Lion-- - London Dinner to Lord Dufferin--His Speech--Greenwich--Fisheries - Exhibition--Bray--The Vicar--The Thames--Minehead--The Polynesian. - - -I was exceedingly glad to be joined by my daughter in London, because -much depended on her arrival. We had many places to see together, and -she was to accompany me on a visit to some friends in the country, who -had extended to us a very warm invitation. During this visit we met all -the kindness we could have even fancied, at one of those English homes, -standing among old trees, with ivy-covered walls, and gardens full of -roses of all colours and in the greatest perfection. - -We returned to London, as I had matters to attend to at the offices of -the Hudson Bay Company, the Colonial Office, and the office of the High -Commissioner for Canada. - -Shortly after my arrival the Marquis of Salisbury distributed the -prizes at King’s College, and his remarks on the occasion struck me -forcibly. Owing to my connection with Queen’s University, Kingston, -it had become my duty, however imperfectly I might have performed it, -to approach the same question: the extent to which classical studies -should form the basis of education. Lord Salisbury pointed out, with -all the polish which marks his utterances, that intellectual capacity -is as varied as any other of God’s creations; that many minds have -little inclination for study: and that to devote the best years of life -to the acquisition of an imperfect acquaintance with Greek and Latin -was most unwise and barren of good results. Lord Salisbury proceeded to -say: - - “I cannot but feel, in reading this list, how singularly privileged - the present generation is in the studies they are invited to - pursue. In my time, and before my time, for I was just at the - end of the darker period, there were only two possible lines of - study--classics and mathematics. Mathematics was looked upon in - many quarters with considerable jealousy and doubt. Classics was - the one food tendered to all appetites and all stomachs. I do not - wish to say a word in depreciation of classics. It would be as - sensible to speak in depreciation of wheat and oats because wheat - will not grow in the North of Scotland and oats will not grow at - the equator. But people are coming gradually, if they have not - come fully, to the conclusion that the intellectual capacity is - as various as any other of nature’s creations, and that there are - as many different kinds of minds, open to as many different kinds - of treatment, as there are soils on the surface of the earth; - and that it is as reasonable to try to force all minds to grow - classics, or to grow mathematics, or to grow history, as it would - be to force all soils to grow fruit, or grass, or corn. This is - an enormous gain to the present generation. For what happened - in the last generation, or two generations ago, was this, that - those minds which were fitted for education in classics received - full development, while those minds not fitted for that treatment - were stunted and turned from intellectual pursuits altogether. - There is no greater privilege of the present generation than the - full conception at which we have arrived of the fact that almost - every intellect is, if it be properly treated, capable of high - development. But whether that development be reached or not depends - upon the judgment with which its capacities are nurtured and its - early efforts encouraged. Now, in this list I am very glad to see - that modern history and the English language and literature occupy - a very distinguished position. - - “I have the greatest possible respect for the educational - establishments in which I was brought up, but I never look back - without a feeling of some bitterness to the many hours during - which I was compelled to produce the most execrable Latin verse - in the world. I believe that if a commission of distinguished men - were appointed to discover what is the most perfectly useless - accomplishment to which the human mind can be turned a large - majority would agree that versification in the dead languages was - that accomplishment. On that account, I suppose, we were compelled - in the last generation, whether we were fitted or not, to devote a - considerable time to it, and, if it is any compensation to you for - the severe examination you have to undergo, think of the agonies of - unpoetical minds set to compose poetical effusions, which you are - happily spared.” - -Lord Salisbury dwelt upon the number of examinations to which everybody -in the military and civil services is subjected, and instanced one -official who had passed through thirty-six examinations. In his own -able way he declared his opposition to the system of cramming, by which -the mere surface of knowledge is floated over with facts, cunningly -grouped together, soon to be forgotten and never of true value. - -Hot weather is sometimes experienced in London, but it is a different -heat from that of Canada, and by no means to be compared with it in -temperature. Few people dress to meet the summer in England, and in -winter the sole addition is the great coat. A fur cap is unknown. The -round silk hat, so much abused, holds its own, summer and winter, -against all attempts to banish it. Although the days are hot, the -nights are generally cool. Any extraordinarily hot weather is -exceedingly oppressive to the Londoner. - -It was during the warm days that I went to Henley, to join a party who -had engaged to be present at the regatta. With a Canadian friend I took -the train to Maidenhead, thence by the branch railway to Henley, one of -the most striking landscapes in the valley of the Thames, remarkable -for its many beauties. The river here is broad, and runs between -undulating hills covered with foliage. We cross the old stone bridge -at Henley in order to find our friends among the many carriages. No -more pleasant spectacle could have been seen. It presented only the -sunny and holiday side of life. It was as different from the mixed mass -of human beings of all classes and conditions you meet at the Derby -or the other horse races near the metropolis as can be imagined. All -was order, quietude and irreproachable respectability. There were no -drinking booths, no gambling, no shrieking out the “odds,” none of -the professional rough element in search of a “good thing.” We were -among the most elaborate toilets. No one but looked her best. Probably -nowhere do we see more thoroughly this one phase of English life than -at the Henley regatta. The scenery is English, the people are English; -we have the theoretical English staidness and propriety. The amusement -is English. What struck me was the absence of all excitement. This -indifference appeared to me remarkable. Indeed, the only exhibition of -interest was that shown by the oarsmen, who were young men in perfect -condition, with muscles well trained and developed, and who bent -enthusiastically to their work. I did not hear a single cheer. I never -before nor since beheld such an orderly crowd, if I may apply that word -to an assemblage of so many distinguished people. I noticed that those -who came under my observation were generally light-haired or brown, -with fair complexions. It seemed to me, judging from appearances, as -if the regatta was looked upon as a very ordinary affair in itself, -and that it was more an occasion for the well-dressed mass of people -to meet together. There evidently was a theory that some one boat must -come in first, and, as it generally happened that there was a foregone -conclusion as to who the winner would be, there was nothing to call for -enthusiasm. Certainly none was shown. - -We did not find our friends, although we searched diligently for them -on both sides of the river. After giving up the attempt reluctantly, -we resolved to take luncheon at the renowned old hostelry, the “Red -Lion,” celebrated as the inn where Shenstone wrote his lines in praise -of an inn, perhaps his only lines now generally remembered. The “Red -Lion” did not belie its ancient reputation. There is always a pleasure -in visiting these haunts of a former generation. There is little of -modern finery and frippery about them, but you find the actual comforts -of life above criticism. Nowhere can be seen a whiter cloth, brighter -glass, finer bread, sweeter butter, juicier meat or a more royal -tankard of English ale, whose praises Chaucer might have sung. - -We took the 6.10 evening train to Maidenhead, and then walked to our -friends’ place. We found that they had driven to Henley, excepting -those who kindly received us. The party, however, came back in -good time, having heard of us through a common friend, recently an -Aide-de-camp on the General’s staff in Halifax. We had met him at the -regatta, and asked intelligence of the party. He had succeeded where we -had failed, and had found those of whom we were in search. - -We returned to London. Finding we had now about a fortnight to remain, -we mapped out our plans in order to see what we could do in that time. -We saw all the public sights which our engagements enabled us to do. -I cannot say that I was greatly impressed with the pictures of the -Royal Academy. Several were good, but I did not find a large number -of surpassing excellence, I was much struck by a water-colour drawing -of mountain scenery, with a bridge and stream, Kirbrücher Stadden -in Switzerland, by Arthur Croft. We went to the theatre, and saw -Irving in “The Bells” and “Impulse” at the St. James; to a promenade -concert at the Botanical Gardens, Regent’s Park and to Wimbledon. -Through the courtesy of Col. Otter, in command of the Canadian camp, -we were invited to an at home given by him, where we saw a great many -Canadian friends. We also met some distinguished military people. We -were gratified to learn all about the success of our marksmen. The -rain, however, was exceptionally heavy during the whole day, and most -unfortunately there was no going beyond the shelter of the canvas -tents. - -One event of no ordinary importance which we witnessed was the -banquet to Lord Dufferin at the Empire Club. Lord Bury presided. Sir -Charles Tupper and the Honourable Alexander Mackenzie both spoke -very effectively. It struck me that in each case their speeches were -admirable. Neither of them occupied more than ten or fifteen minutes, -and what they said had the impress of careful consideration and finish, -for it was dignified, concise and appropriate. I have no recollection -of having heard either of those well known public men speak to better -advantage, and it was a matter of great regret to all of us that their -speeches were not reported. The dining room of the club is not large; -it can hold no more than sixty at most, so the number who could attend -was limited, much to the disappointment of many. We were all of us glad -to see Lord Dufferin. He was quite unchanged. He had the same high-bred -charm of manner, and that polished courtesy which becomes him so well -and is never out of place. We did not sit down to dinner until 8.30, so -it was late when we separated. There was something in Lord Dufferin’s -speech which made it more than a mere after-dinner address, something -so striking, so statesmanlike, that I deem it my duty to include it in -these chapters: - - My Lords and Gentlemen,--If there is one thing more embarrassing - than another to a person on commencing a public speech it is to - find his oratorical ground suddenly cut away from beneath his - feet. I had fully intended to claim your indulgence on the grounds - so eloquently referred to by my noble friend, and I can assure you - that that indulgence is as much needed as I have ever experienced - it, for, however easy it may be to speak with an empty head, it - is very difficult to do so with a full heart. In rising, however, - to return my warmest thanks for the kind manner in which you have - drunk my health, I cannot help asking myself with some anxiety - what title I possess to the good-will of my entertainers. Your - chairman has been pleased to refer in very flattering terms to my - public services: but I fear that the reason of your cordiality is - further to seek than anything which can be found in the indulgent - observation, I hope, on the present occasion, of the members of the - Empire Club, and I think I am not wrong in conjecturing that I am - indebted for the signal honour which you have conferred upon me, - not so much to my individual merits, as to the fact that for the - last twelve years of my life I have been unremittingly occupied - in promoting and maintaining the Imperial, as distinguished from - the domestic, interests of our common country. In Canada, at St. - Petersburg, at Constantinople and in Egypt, I can conscientiously - say that home politics, with all their irritating associations, - have faded from my view, and that my one thought by day and night - has been to safeguard, to protect and to extend the honour, - the influence and the commerce of England with the foreign - Governments or else to draw still more closely together those - ties of affectionate regard by which she is united to one of her - most powerful, most loyal and most devoted colonies. Well, then, - gentlemen, under these circumstances, I think I may be pardoned if - I have come to look at England, this sceptred isle, this earth - of majesty, this other Eden-beaming paradise, this happy breed of - men, this precious stone set in a silver sea; not as she displays - herself in the recriminatory warfare of parliamentary strife, or - in the polemical declamation of the platform, but in an aspect - softened by distance and regarded as the happy home of a noble - and united people, whom it is an honour to serve, and for whose - sake it would be a privilege to make the greatest sacrifices. I - do not say this in any spirit of selfish and vulgar “Jingoism,” - although I must admit that by their profession ambassadors and - colonial governors are bound to be a little “jingo.” I have come - to regard England in the same light as she is regarded by those - great communities who are carrying her laws, her liberties, her - constitutional institutions and her language into every portion of - the world, many of whose most distinguished representatives are - present here to-night, and to whom it is the especial function of - this club to extend the right hand of brotherhood and affection. - Gentlemen, I am well aware that many of our most influential - thinkers are almost disposed to stand aghast at the accumulative - responsibility and increasing calls upon our resources, and - the ever-widening vulnerability entailed by England’s imperial - position. Certainly, the outlook counsels both prudence and, above - all, preparation. After all, the life of nations and individuals - in many respects resemble each other, and each of us is aware that - his daily burden of care, anxiety and responsibility gathers weight - and strength in proportion to the expansion of his faculties, the - accumulation of his wealth, the energy of his endeavours and the - extension of his influence. Why, gentlemen, even the children - that people our homes are so many hostages given to fortune; and - the wives of our bosoms--I say this beneath my breath--are very - apt each of them to open a startling chapter of accidents; but - what man of spirit has ever turned his back upon the opportunity, - or refused to enter upon the tender obligations of a love-lit - fireside for fear of increasing his responsibilities, entailed by - a fuller, ampler and more perfect existence? But, my lords and - gentlemen, even did she desire it, I believe that the time is - too late for England to seek to disinherit herself of that noble - destiny with which I firmly believe she has been endowed. The - same hidden hand which planted the tree of constitutional liberty - within her borders, and thus called upon her to become the mother - of parliaments, has sent forth her children to possess and fructify - the waste places of the earth. How a desert in every direction has - been turned into a paradise of plenty those who are present can - best tell. I believe that, great as have been the changes which - have already occurred, our children are destined to see even still - more glorious accomplishments. One of the greatest statisticians of - modern times, a man of singularly sober judgment, has calculated - that ere the next century has reached its close the English - speaking population of the globe will have already exceeded one - hundred millions of human beings. Of these, in all probability, - forty millions will be found in Canada alone, and an equal - proportion along the coast of Africa and in our great Australian - possessions. If these great communities are united in a common bond - of interest, if they are co-ordinated and impelled by a common - interest, what an enormous influence, as compared with that of any - other nationality, whether for good or evil, whether considered - from a moral or material point of view, are they destined to - exercise! But, gentlemen, that they will remain Englishmen who - can doubt! The chops and changes on an accelerated momentum of - human progress forbid all accurate prediction. These enormous - forces, operating over such a large space, defy all prescience and - human wisdom to direct the current of events; but one thing, at - all events, is certain, and that is that these great communities - will be deeply impressed by English ideas, by English literature, - by English institutions and by English habits of thought. That - this shall long continue to be the case is, I am sure, the earnest - wish of those whom I am addressing. It is their desire that our - statesmen should so conduct the relations of this country with - their colonial dependencies as to cherish and maintain those - affectionate ties by which they are so remarkably and distinctly - bound to the Mother Country. One thing, at all events, is certain: - that the people of England will never again allow their Government - to repeat the error which resulted in the separation of the United - States. Whatever may be our present relations with the great - transatlantic republic, it is certain that, had it not been for the - violent disruption that occurred, those relations would now have - been even more mutually advantageous. The catastrophe, unhappily, - was brought about by the Ministry of the day being incapable of - appreciating and understanding the force and direction of colonial - sentiment. Now, my lords and gentlemen, I believe that statesmen - can make no greater mistake than not accurately to comprehend - the enormous part which sentiment plays in human affairs. By far - the greater number of the wars which have devastated the globe - have been produced and generated by outraged sentiment rather - than by the pursuit of material advantages. Even commerce itself, - the most unsentimental and matter-of-fact of interests, is - wont for long periods of time to follow in the track of custom, - habit and sentiment. This was a fact which for a long time the - English people failed to comprehend. They failed to comprehend the - desire which the colonies had to have their kinship recognised. - Happily, however, the increased facilities of communication and - the necessities and exigencies of trade have changed all this, - and I believe that now there is not a man in England who does not - understand, and to whose imagination it has not been forcibly - brought home, that beyond the circuit of the narrow seas which - confine this island are vast territories, inhabited by powerful - communities who are actuated by ideas similar to our own, who are - proud to own allegiance to Queen Victoria, whose material resources - are greater than those possessed by his own country, and whose - ultimate power may, perhaps, exceed the power of Great Britain. And - yet these great communities of noble, high-spirited, industrious - Englishmen, if only they are properly dealt with, and if only - their feelings and just exigencies are duly considered, will never - have a higher ambition than to be allowed to continue as co-heirs - with England in her illustrious career, associated with her in - her gigantic empire, and sharers in her fortunes, whether they be - for good or evil, until the end of time. Gentlemen, such are the - sentiments and opinions which I believe this club has been founded - to encourage and propagate, and I felt that in rising to return - thanks for the great and signal honour which you have done me, and - for which really I cannot find words sufficient to thank you, I - could not do so in a more acceptable manner than by telling you - with what enthusiasm and with what sincerity of conviction I myself - subscribe to these sentiments. - -One of my pleasantest recollections of London dates about ten days -before my departure for Canada. When the heat was tempered by a fresh -breeze, a party of us met by appointment on one of the wharves near -London Bridge. We owed the invitation to a Canadian who, like myself, -was from the north of the Tweed. He introduced me to our host, one of -his oldest friends, a friendship which had lasted from boyhood. Our -host had engaged a steamer to take his guests down the river to the -large establishment of which he is the leading mind. I believe I am -safe in saying that thousands of people are employed in these works. -We went through the various departments, and to do so took some hours. -Some of the ladies of the party thought they had accomplished miles -of pedestrianism. They were greatly interested in what they saw, and -before they left were delighted, for our host, who has a heart as large -as the business he controls, presented from the factory to each of our -party a substantial mark of his regard. - -We returned to Greenwich, the very name is redolent of fish dinners and -whitebait to the Londoner, and twenty-one of us sat down at the great -round table in the bow window of the “Ship Hotel.” We were not in a -mood to criticise our entertainment. Had we been so, we could only have -found something additional to praise. We had good appetites, were in -the best of humour, and felt prepared to do justice to the profusion -of dainties set before us. Our host had visited Canada nearly half a -century ago, and he spoke of his experience in what is now a highly -cultivated district, but was then very thinly populated. His youthful -days came back to him, and he referred to a pair of bright eyes he -encountered at a picnic on the shores of Lake Simcoe which very nearly -made him a Canadian. I do not know what prominent position amongst us -he might not now have occupied had the possessor of the bright eyes -affirmed her conquest. - -We are not, in Canada, a people particularly demonstrative in our -own land, but away from home, when those of us who are bound by -friendly associations come side by side, no meeting can be more gay or -pleasant. It was especially so on this occasion, and our host had the -satisfaction of seeing all his good cheer thoroughly appreciated by his -guests. It was ten o’clock before we separated, and found our way back -to London. - -The Fisheries Exhibition was then the event of the season. In London or -Paris there is always something going on which everybody feels bound to -see, and not to have the privilege or opportunity of seeing places you, -in an undefined way, in such a secondary position that you appear to be -excluded. The question is not always if the spectacle or exhibition, or -other notoriety of the moment, will repay the time and attention given -to witnessing it. The leading consideration is that it is something to -be seen, and it is never of any use running counter to the tide of the -community in which you live and move. Very often a good deal of trouble -is taken, and frequently no small amount of money expended, to pass -through some ordeal of this character, which brings no addition to our -information and but little satisfaction. - -The Fisheries Exhibition, however, was not of this character. Many must -have been surprised at the part played in it by Canada, and at the -richness and variety of her exhibits. Scarcely anything could have been -designed to set forth better to the London world the vastness of the -resources of the Dominion than this exhibition, and to bring before the -English people an idea of the extensive fishing grounds it possesses. -Many would then learn for the first time that our fisheries are not -confined to the St. Lawrence and the lakes. Canada has an immense -extent of sea coast in the Maritime Provinces frequented by shoals of -fish, for which these waters have been famous since the first discovery -of America. The almost virgin waters of British Columbia swarm with -fish of the finest description, and Canada possesses the whole of -Hudson Bay and the northern coast of America in which to develop her -enterprise and industry. What country in the world can boast of such -great and prolific fish fields on three oceans, all open to enterprise. - -One of the agreeable associations connected with the exhibition was -the _fête_ in aid of the English Church at Berlin, and in commemoration -of the silver wedding of the Crown Princess of Germany, Her Majesty’s -eldest daughter. It seemed to me that there was a constant rush of -visitors till midnight. The spectacle was a brilliant one, as much on -account of the great crowd of people who were there as from the light -and glitter of the scene itself. The newspapers mentioned the number -present as 6,000, and they truly described it as a fairy scene. The -whole place was bright with many-coloured lamps, Chinese lanterns and -electric lights. One of the striking features was the tea party of the -Chinese court, where a veritable Chinese grandee presided with her -daughter. The Marchioness Tseng seemed to me a type of liberality. -It could scarcely be political exigency which led this lady and her -family to intervene in aid of an Anglican Church in the heart of a -Lutheran population. The Duke and Duchess of Albany assisted her. Fans -were sold here, the recommendation of which was that they had been -specially painted by the Chinese Minister himself and embroidered and -worked by the Marchioness and her daughter. It struck me that if this -display be typical of the industry of the Chinese family our western -civilization is much behind in the path of productive labour. There -were to be seen also an English refreshment room, and an “American” -bar, under the direction of Mrs. Lowell, attended by all the United -States beauties in London, whose personal charms, supplemented by New -York taste in dress, not a little influenced the price of what was -served. The Countess of Dufferin was there. She seemed quite in her -element, doing her best to promote the general gaiety and brightness -of the scene. A distinguished naval officer, whose name has penetrated -wherever the English language is spoken, Lord Charles Beresford, -assisted Lady Dufferin. It was their duty to preside over the fish -pond, where the small charge of five shillings was paid for the use -of the rod and line. There seemed to be an unlimited supply of fish. -The successful anglers generally brought up something which excited -shouts of laughter. One fisherman would land a nightcap, another a toy -of some sort, and so on. The Prince and Princess of Wales came about -eleven o’clock, which added in no little degree to the excitement of -the scene. What must strike strangers on British soil is the admirable -order which prevails during an exhibition of this kind. It is seldom -that any unpleasantness occurs. We did not remain until the close, but -it was late before we reached home. - -It was my good fortune to spend some pleasant days with my friends -at their charming and hospitable house within four miles of Windsor. -A few hours in the country is always a congenial change even to the -inveterate London-loving resident of the capital. It was equally so -with myself. I awoke at my friend’s pleasant home one bright Sunday -morning. Some of the family started for the old church at Bray, and -invited me to accompany them. We pass along a winding road, between -hedges of hawthorn, with here and there fine old trees, some of them -with trunks as much as five and six feet in diameter, relics of Windsor -Forest. The country is somewhat flat, but it is rendered peculiarly -attractive by its fertility and the richness of the foliage. Windsor -Castle stands out boldly in the landscape, and to-day the Imperial -Standard on the Round Tower shows that Her Majesty is at her ancient -home. - -We reached the cross roads, with a finger post directing us to Windsor -and to Bray. Following the road to the latter, we came upon “Jesus -Hospital,” founded, we read on the inscription over the gateway -in quaint old English characters, by William Goddard in 1627. His -statue over the entrance looks upon a plot of garden flowers. On the -inscription we further learn that “he hath provided for forty poor -people forever.” Then we are told that there is no admission for -vagrants, or unlicensed hawkers, or dogs. - -We attended service at Bray Church, an old edifice dating, in some -parts, from the beginning or middle of the fifteenth century. The -square tower tells a story of a later date. - -Who has not heard of Simon Aleyn, the Vicar? His memory is still as -fresh as it was three centuries back, when he died. He lived from -the time of Henry VIII. to that of Elizabeth, and was an Anglican, a -Presbyterian or a Papist as was expedient. It does no harm to repeat -old Fuller’s words, although they appear in the guide book: “He had -seen some martyrs burned at Windsor, and found this too hot for his -tender temper. This Vicar being taxed by one with being a turncoat -and an inconsistent changling, ‘Not so,’ said he, ‘for I have always -kept my principle, which is to live and die Vicar of Bray.’” After the -service we walked through the churchyard, and, Scotchman-like, I looked -among the tombstones to see if there were any Dugalds, Donalds or Macs. -There were none. I never before felt so much being in the heart of -England. There was not a record of one Scotchman having died here, and -I thought they had penetrated everywhere. I can well recollect making -a trip to the west coast a few years back. It was during the period -when the Honourable A. Mackenzie was Premier of Canada. I was then an -officer of the Canadian Government on leave. I visited Truro, the most -southern city in England, and on entering the principal business street -the first sign I saw was that of Alexander Mackenzie & Co. I certainly -thought then I was a long way from Scotland, and still further from all -Canadian associations. I have been in many strange and remote corners -of the globe on both continents, but I was never before in a place -where there was no trace of the ubiquitous, enterprising and energetic -north-country man. And yet it was a Vicar of the church which I had -just attended who curtly refused to pay a bill of James the First at -Maidenhead. That monarch, on a certain occasion, having outrode his -hunting escort, and being hungry, begged leave to join the Vicar and -curate at dinner. His Majesty seems to have been in excellent humour. -He told so many stories that the two listeners, who did not know their -Royal guest, laughed as they seldom did. The bill came, the King had -no money, and asked his companions to pay for him. The Vicar declined, -it would seem, somewhat irately. The curate was more kindly disposed, -and paid the bill. In the meantime the retinue arrived, and with it -recognition of the Royal person. The Vicar threw himself on his knees, -and asked pardon for his harshness. James told him he should not -disturb him in his vicarage, but that he should always remain Vicar of -Bray. The genial curate he would make a Canon of Windsor, so that he -would look down on both him and his vicarage. - -On returning from the church we strolled by the river, which, from -Oxford to London, is renowned as boating water, and we saw many skiffs -and pleasure boats upon it. It is here that Monkey Island is situated, -so often visited from Windsor and Eton. The houses in the neighbourhood -are all suggestive of comfort; they are surrounded with abundance -of flowers, and have all a look of cleanliness, and an aspect both -cheerful and inviting. - -We return home by another route. Our walk is a good mile and a half, -in the course of which we are caught in the rain and take shelter in a -cottage. Some one remembers that it is St. Swithin’s Day, the 15th of -July, and according to the tradition, if it rains on that day, it will -rain for forty days. We revert in thought to those ancient historians, -the most sceptical of whom, while they very summarily got rid of the -portents and miracles of their own time, hesitated to reject the -traditions of their ancestors. However there is a break in the clouds -and we reach the house. - -Even with the dread of the realization of the prophecy, we take an -afternoon walk and return at five, just in time to escape another St. -Swithin shower. In the evening we go again to church. I experience that -which is not always the case in the Anglican service. The lessons are -remarkably well read, the words properly and distinctly pronounced, -the sentences not dropped in tone at the end and run into one another, -and above all with an entire absence of affectation. I learn that the -reader is Mr. Wallace, who has lately taken high honours at Oxford. - -The weather at this time turned exceedingly cold, and the Londoner may -recollect this exceptional wave of low temperature. The newspapers -declared that the thermometer fell to a degree lower than it read -on Christmas day. I never heard any explanation of this abnormal -depression in July, but last year was marked by remarkable phenomena. -The terrible earthquakes in the south of Europe and in the Indian -Ocean betokened the activity of extraordinary forces. We are, indeed, -fortunate in our experience throughout the British Empire that hitherto -no portion of it has suffered by such terrible convulsions, and that -the extent of them is limited to a fall of the temperature or an excess -of rainfall. - -I again receive a telegram to know when I will leave for Canada and -proceed to British Columbia. I had already arranged to leave London by -the 20th, but I felt that my plans must be altered, and that I would be -obliged to give up the idea of spending a week in Scotland. - -Previous to starting for Liverpool I had arranged to visit some friends -in Somersetshire. The route is by the Great Western Railway and the -branch line to Taunton. As I passed from Bristol to the latter place -the appearance of the country reminded me of the reclaimed marsh land -at the head of the Bay of Fundy; and the turbid water of the Bristol -Channel was very much the same in colour as that of the bay. The -country is admirably adapted for grazing, and large herds of beautiful -cattle; Herefords, Devons, and Shorthorns were to be seen along the -route. - -We reached our destination at Minehead, and here our friends, who -were originally from Nova Scotia, gave us that warm welcome which -we everywhere received in England. Not the least of the pleasant -associations connected with this visit was the charming scenery -from the hills behind the town, which command a view of the Bristol -Channel east of Ilfracombe and the distant mountains of South Wales. -The foliage of the west of England is always particularly striking to -anyone from Canada. Trees and plants which, with us, can only be raised -under glass, are found in luxurious abundance. There is a profusion of -walnut, myrtle, wistaria, laurestina, bay, ivy, and roses, which give -a rich variety to the flora of the parks and gardens, leaving nothing -to be desired. The drives are unrivalled; often through narrow lanes; -with high hedgerows blooming with flowers such as, at least, I have -never seen out of England. One of our drives took us to Exmoor, the -only district of England, as I was informed, where stag-hunting is -still enjoyed yearly. At Exmoor I gathered a bunch of heather which, -on the higher levels, has an extensive growth. On Sunday there was -a christening at the church, in which we were all interested, and -through which one of the names born by the humble writer of these -pages may be remembered a few years after his own race is run. There -was an old church in the neighbourhood which we visited, as a north -country man would say, “in the gloaming.” There was, however, light -enough to see in the dusk a marble statue of Queen Anne near the altar, -which might easily pass for the Virgin. There is a chained Bible on -the stand as in the first days when the people were called to hear -it read. I could not say what the date of the Bible was; whether one -of Tyndall’s or Archbishop Cranmer’s, or one more modern. The pews -were separated from each other by high divisions, five or six feet in -height, so that those who desired to pray unseen could do so. Certainly -they were not favourable to the display of any finish in dress worn by -their occupants, and which now makes such a marked feature in what are -called, I borrow the phrase, fashionable churches. - -On Monday we had to leave, and it is often hard to say good-bye under -such circumstances. Is it not one of the hardships of life that we have -to undergo these separations? But often our pleasantest memories are -crowded into the narrow space of such brief visits. Our destination -is Liverpool; we leave by the morning train at eight o’clock, and -reach Bristol to take the connecting train to Liverpool. We pass by -the world-renowned Stratford-on-Avon, by Burton, for which place the -unrivalled pale ale of Bass and Allsopp have obtained an almost equally -extended reputation. As we crossed the silvery Trent I wondered if any -calculation had ever been made as to the quantity of its water which -had found itself transferred to every clime in the shape of bitter -beer. We soon leave Birmingham behind and pass through the hills and -dales of Derbyshire; a district celebrated for its loveliness and -beauty. The panorama which is seen even from the carriage window is -worth the trip. It is, indeed, something to say you have looked upon -it. At half-past six we are again in Liverpool. Tuesday and Wednesday -we enjoy the society of some old friends, and on Thursday we embark -on the Allan line steamer “Polynesian,” and start on our way over the -western waters to Canada. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -_ENGLAND TO CANADA._ - - The Ocean Voyage--Its Comfort--Moville--Mail Coach Road of Old - Days--Impressive Service on Deck--Comfort on the Vessel-- - Rimouski--Halifax. - - -We are off this Thursday, 26th July, and underway at three p.m. As -is usually the case we have a pleasant run down the Mersey to the -Irish Sea. With few exceptions the passengers are all strangers, one -to the other, and we remain on deck, no few of us speculating as to -“who is who?” We dine at four the first day. There is a printed list -of passengers on the plate of each as we take our seats at the tables -which have been assigned to us, perhaps in some cases by a little -pre-arrangement with the purser. In the evening we pass close to the -Isle of Man with its bold headlands and picturesque coast line, but -few of us appear to be inclined to stay up late. There is always an -excitement, and consequent rebound, in leaving the land where we -have passed some weeks, whatever the associations we have separated -from, and whatever future may lie before us. The first night at sea -is generally quiet; it is true you have always your inveterate whist -player who wants to get up a rubber as if it was the one duty of life -not to lose an opportunity of gaining the odd trick. And you have the -perpetual smoker who looks upon leisure as specially designed for the -enjoyment of the pipe or cigar, as if the sole charm of life lay in -tobacco! - -The whole conditions of an ocean voyage have, of late years, been much -changed. A voyage in the modern steamship is more like a yacht trip. -Indeed, excepting the yachts of men of colossal fortunes, the yacht -suffers by comparison with the steamship. In the latter you have a -bed clean and comfortable, with all the auxiliaries of the toilet. On -nearly all the best ships you have hot and cold baths. Some vessels -carry a professional barber; and I have known a chiropodist to be -in attendance. If you want more bedding, or hot water, or any other -_et cetera_ you ask for and obtain it. You have a cabin as large and -comfortable as it is possible to have under the circumstances, and if -you chose to pay for it you can have it to yourself, and thus obtain -all the privacy of an anchorite. Your state-room, as it is called, is -cleaned daily, and it is open to you whenever you see fit to enter; -you have a large saloon in which you take your meals, sit, read, or -write, or play chess or whist; where ladies can group themselves in -order to carry on their embroidery, or to undertake less pretentious, -if more useful work. Generally there is a separate saloon, for ladies, -in an airy part of the ship, where, if they are not free from nausea -or depression, they can retire and be as private as they desire. You -have the best of food, thoroughly and carefully cooked, with the -most obsequious of attendants whom you are generally expected to -reward at the end of the voyage, and you feel yourself second to no -one in the world you are in. There are no troublesome experiences on -points of etiquette or ceremony; you never receive a lesson of your -insignificance, although if it be particularly sought for, it can be -obtained. You have fresh air, bright skies, and the ocean that - - “Glorious mirror, where the Almighty’s form - Glasses itself in tempests.” - -is your constant monitor. All you seem to want is a sea-stomach and -firmness on your feet. As a rule, a few days, often a few hours, -will give you both. To those who are not sea-sick what life is more -pleasant? You have all sorts of people on board, and the sea seems to -act as a sort of leveller of individualism. Although there are men and -women who are known to have spoken to nobody, and who have walked up -and down during almost the whole voyage in perfect solitude, wrapped up -in themselves, as if no contact with others were permissible. On seeing -these people I have thought of Æsop’s mountain in labour, and pitied -the poor little mouse brought into the world with such effort. - -There are storms at sea, naturally, but you have a crew in the highest -state of discipline; you have a ship as strong as money and iron -can make it; you have an engine of wondrous power and a marvel of -perfection in machinery. Competition, energy, and enterprise, have so -multiplied the means of travel that you may pass from one continent -to the other with comfort, and for not much more money than the sum -you pay for the same period of time at one of the high class hotels -in London or New York. You have no extras to pay for in the steamship -except wine or beer. - -According to your feeling you can give a _douceur_ to the steward who -attends to your room, and if need be nurses you in sickness, and to the -steward who waits upon you at table. The only items you have to pay -extra for, as before stated, are beer and wine, if you choose to order -either. You are not remarkable either in avoiding or using them, for -never was there so unrestrained a matter of taste as in this respect at -the saloon table. - -It is Friday: we have passed the first night at sea, and we take -an early tepid salt water bath. We are now steaming up Lough Foyle -to Moville, where the mails containing letters posted in London -on Thursday night, are put on board. Thus the clear business day -of Thursday is gained by English correspondents. The weather is -delightful. Some of the party go on shore as the steamer is seven hours -in advance of the train with the mails. - -There is nothing specially attractive on this part of the Irish -coast it is true, still it is always pleasant to touch _terra firma_ -as a change, and it is always a break during the hours that we are -lying at anchor. We remain at Moville until three o’clock, when the -“Polynesian” starts. The weather continues bright and clear, the -water smooth, all is pleasant on deck, where all the passengers are -present. The only spectacle to which I can compare the scene is a -garden party where everybody has but one thing to do, and that is to -amuse and be amused, and look as charming as each one can. We all know -that the best way to succeed in being genial and good-humoured is to -endeavour to be so, and where can a day be better enjoyed than at -sea? I am aware that tradition is against me. The poor sufferer from -sea-sickness may remember this trying time, as the most dreary of his -life, and this form of sickness is to many, even in a minor way, a -most serious ordeal, but, as a rule, it soon passes away. I believe -the best cure for those afflicted with this malady is to remain quiet, -to eat sparingly, and avoid everything greasy; if there be nausea to -take only toast and tea, and make the effort to get on deck. Looking -at the severities of the affliction in their strongest light they -are certainly by no means what they were in the old days of sailing -vessels of small tonnage, and with accommodation proportioned to the -craft. There were then many discomforts and privations now happily -unknown. Voyages were, at that period, counted by weeks instead of -days, and to one unaccustomed to the sea the Atlantic trip was no -little of a penalty. It is very much owing to the reminiscences of -this period that the dread of the sea now prevails. The discomforts -of land travelling in the past have now ceased to be even thought of. -The bad roads, the ricketty coaches, the foul air in the inside, and -the suffering from cold and wet on the outside of the coach, have all -passed out of mind. Even the modern novel does not dwell upon them. -All that is recorded is the cheery appearance of the old-time coach -on a fine evening, driving through a town, with the guard arrayed in -bright uniform, with his bouquet in his buttonhole, the cynosure of -all the servant girls; while the coachman handled the ribbons to the -admiration and envy of all the fast young gentlemen of the place. In -its way there was bitter suffering in bad weather in the course of -such a journey, but the ease and comfort of railway travelling have -destroyed all remembrance of it. What greater contrast can there be -between the torture felt in the inside of an old stage coach going -from Liverpool to London and the luxury of sitting in a Pullman car -travelling the same distance? What more striking difference can there -be between railway life as it is now in the journey from Brighton to -London, accomplished in an hour, and the same journey performed by the -old stage coaches? Railway travelling has so insensibly crept into our -system that the present generation does not think of the privations of -half a century ago. - -One of the causes doubtless of the continuance of the prejudice against -ocean navigation is the poor and inefficient steamers still in use for -crossing the English Channel. There is frequently bad weather, indeed, -if all that is said be true, it seldom would appear to be otherwise, -and an immense percentage of those now passing to the continent -suffer the tortures of sea-sickness, much as was experienced on this -route half a century back. One of the channel steamers, on a fine day -when the run is made in calm weather, is a spectacle. Everybody is -good-tempered and in the best of humour; even the most high-minded -somewhat unbend and cease to be ungenial. They appear to feel that a -great penalty has been escaped, that they have passed unscathed through -what is generally considered a terrible ordeal. - -To such as these, whose experience has been gained in this school of -travel, the escape from sea-sickness may appear impossible. They will -be exceedingly surprised to learn that many make an ordinary voyage -across the Atlantic without any sea-sickness at all. Some may, it is -true, have a slight qualm; but half a day’s retirement and careful -diet, are all that is necessary to bring back health, good spirits, and -vivacity, and possibly a wonderful increase of appetite. - -Such was the experience on Friday afternoon; all were pleasant and -agreeable, and many, as they retired that night to rest, on the -Atlantic Ocean, felt that the voyage was a delightful reality and that -there was every prospect of their proving excellent sailors. - -Saturday is equally pleasant, happy, and bright. The portholes are -opened, and, as usual, many begin the day with a salt water bath. -We pass the “Oregon,” which left Liverpool at the same time we did, -but our visit to Moville enabled her to sail onward as we entered -Lough Foyle. A light breeze springs up, and the swell of the ocean -gives movement to the vessel which causes more or less sea-sickness -and depression. Many are walking about with comfort and ease, and a -few are miserable. There is dinner at 6.30; one of those sumptuous, -well-served dinners which no wise man will face every day of his life, -even if he can manage to obtain it. There are one hundred and fourteen -saloon passengers and five children on board, but only seventeen are -at table, one of them a lady, Mrs. D., of Toronto. A great contrast to -yesterday’s experience. The deck is wet and uncomfortable, the rain is -falling and there is a heavy fog. The planks are slippery, and with the -unsteady motion of the ship, there is little to tempt one to abandon -the shelter of the warm, cheery, well-lighted saloon. - -On Saturday night there was a head wind, but on Sunday morning the ship -was somewhat quieter, the decks were dry, and motion was practicable. -There are on board two clergymen of the Anglican Church, so service -is held in the saloon. We have also with us Bishop Rogers, the Roman -Catholic Bishop of Chatham, New Brunswick, who holds a service in -another part of the ship. We pass through a school of whales, some six -of which rise above the water not far from the vessel. The majority -of the ladies make an effort to appear on deck, and either sit on -chairs or recline on couches extemporised with cushions, wraps and -shawls; some few even attempt a promenade. Well does Shakespeare tell -us that “Courage mounteth with occasion.” There are those who shake -their heads at the prediction of their immediate recovery. Some few -achieve wonders and attend dinner. The evening turns out fine, the air -is warm, so the Rev. H. Huleatt conducts a service on deck. He is an -old army chaplain, and over his white surplice wears three medals for -service in the Crimea, China and Abyssinia. I was bred in, and adhere -to, the Presbyterian Church, in which the forms of the Anglican Church -are certainly not taught, and by many of us not favourably regarded. -The persecution of the Covenanters in the seventeenth century, having -in view the establishment of Anglicanism, produced results which -its projectors did not conceive possible. It cannot be said that -persecution always fails in its purpose, for history furnishes painful -examples to the contrary. But there are few instances of its failure -more remarkable than this attempt to force on the people of Scotland -a form of worship which they did not favour. With certain classes -and individuals the feelings which the attempt left have long since -died out, but the memory of them remained for many a year. I am not -one who has been trained to regard the ceremonies of the English -Church with marked reverence, especially when they turn towards the -“high” development. With men like myself I venture the remark that -the Church of England is never so strong as when she adheres to her -simplest teaching. Her ritual is never so impressive as when stripped -of strained formality; it is then that, in spite of ourselves, we must -feel and admire all the strength and beauty of her liturgy. It is not -easy to comprehend how thoughtful men can advocate the introduction -of extreme ceremonies, which even many Anglicans themselves regard -as theatrical accessories. It has been my good fortune to attend the -English Church service in some of the noblest cathedrals in England; -at Westminster, Canterbury, Chester and St. Paul’s, unrivalled in its -classic excellence: and I have at such times felt how decorous and -impressive it can be made when the ritual is not encumbered with -the observances which a strong party in the Church of England regard -as unseemly, and which, with my feelings, I hold to be unnecessary. -With this limitation this form of prayer, in my humble view, appears -peculiarly adapted to the English mind and character. For more -gorgeous ceremonial, I have witnessed the Mass at St. Peter’s, one -of the grandest temples erected by man for the worship of his Maker. -Never in any church was I ever present at a scene and service more -memorable than the evening prayer on the deck of the “Polynesian.” -The military chaplain, in his white surplice, appeared with the three -medals on his breast and his Bible and prayerbook in his hand, walking -slowly once or twice up and down the deck, by way, as he afterwards -explained, “of ringing the bell.” In this manner the passengers -generally were collected into picturesque groups. He took an elevated -position; his white dress and his long white hair moving in the breeze, -formed a striking contrast to the dark funnel, masts and spars in the -background. He repeated the simple words of the Anglican liturgy in -a clear, natural voice. He spoke briefly and forcibly, as possibly -he had often done on the eve of battle. He conducted the singing of -some of those touching hymns common to all branches of the Christian -Church. The congregation, consisting of all sects and beliefs, was -unaffectedly serious and devout, and many voices joined in earnest -praise. - -We occupied the centre of the ocean, that marked emblem of the -Everlasting. Above and around us the blue vault of heaven was frescoed -with fleecy clouds, radiant with the rich hues of the evening sun. On -every side the rolling waters added solemnity to the scene. There were -few who did not feel the spectacle itself to be a sermon not soon to be -forgotten. It spoke to us all against our littleness and selfishness. -As we looked beyond the bulwarks of our ship, a point in God’s endless -creation, we could feel how imperfect was the teaching of sects and -creeds, in view of the higher and nobler views we should aspire to: the -faith which widens our sympathies as the warmth of summer expands the -buds of our northern forests. - -Monday again is a beautiful morning, and we are all on deck enjoying -the fresh, healthful breeze and the sun, whose bright beams glitter on -the face of the rolling waters, the blue sky above us with its passing -clouds, and the sea in ceaseless motion all around us, wave chasing -wave, chequered with varying light and shade. We are all so full of -life that the afternoon is given over to games which, on shore, many -of us might think somewhat undignified. At dinner the table is full. -And what appetites most of us have! Some achieve perfect wonders as -trencher men and women, and often in memory many of the passengers -will revert to their powers in this respect. Wholly undisturbed by -fears of dyspepsia, they ate with the best of appetites. The evening -passed pleasantly with most of us in the saloon, which presented -a scene of quiet comfort and amusement. The next morning is also -enjoyable. We find we are now half way across, and we talk of making -the Straits of Belleisle by Thursday. Our run at noon is 332 knots. -There is a little fog, and the air is somewhat cold. The theory is -expressed that we are near Greenland; that a cold blast may come from -across its “icy mountains,” told of by Bishop Heber in the hymn we have -heard so often. - -All the passengers, without exception, are now accustomed to the motion -of the ship. Every one appears at home. The forenoon passes quickly, -and we can hardly believe that the dinner hour is near. When we all -sit down at the long and well-provided tables one can hardly conceive -that he is not on shore at some famed hotel in Montreal or Toronto. I -am aware that I run the risk of being charged with exaggeration, but I -express the result of my convictions. I am sure that my remarks will be -borne out by all who have made several trips across the Atlantic. There -are stormy and particularly unpleasant voyages, I know. Such I have -myself experienced, but they are generally in winter; in summer they -are the exception. - -The evening passes in the usual pleasant way, and we all separate -reluctantly when bed-time comes. - -We have again another fine day, and the forenoon is marked by sunshine. -During the night we passed the steamer “Parisian,” homeward bound. At -noon we learn the run is 332 miles, the same as yesterday, and our -chart shows us that we are due at the Straits of Belleisle at midnight. -During the afternoon, at intervals, fog arises and disappears to return -again, and when the fog is on the water we prudently go at half speed. -We pass some icebergs, and they seem to have affected the temperature, -for the air is cold. The passengers are in high spirits. The prospect -of seeing land gives an impetus to the general hilarity. We expect to -enter the northern passage to the St. Lawrence before morning. The -trip so far has been most agreeable. The time has passed pleasantly. -The group to which I was more particularly attached was always full of -life and animation. One gentleman, who had retired from the army, and -was going out to Canada on a sporting tour, proved to be an excellent -artist, and made many amusing sketches. To another member of our group -we owe particular acknowledgments for the life he inspired around him, -and, if he cheered us by his unfailing good temper and charm of manner, -we owe also no little to his brilliant and ready wit. - -The evening was spent in asking riddles and playing card tricks. One -effort led to another. Some of them were worth perpetuating. Indeed, a -very interesting volume of a moderate size could be written descriptive -of our trip, which would be read with no small amount of pleasure, and -I have no doubt would lead to the removal of many prejudices regarding -sea voyages. - -We are now in the straits of Belleisle, having passed the light at -five a.m. During the forenoon the weather is a little foggy, so we go -at half speed. In the afternoon the fog clears away to be replaced by -pleasant sunshine. There is to be an amateur concert this evening in -aid of the funds of the Sailor’s Orphanage at Liverpool. Those who are -directors in this matter are particularly earnest. In the meanwhile -some of us write letters to post at Rimouski. I take it into my head -to count how many trips I have made across the Atlantic Ocean since I -left Glasgow in April, 1845. I have crossed in every kind of vessel, -from a sailing ship up to the “Great Eastern,” and this present voyage -I find to be my nineteenth, so I think I can speak with some confidence -of what life on an ocean steamship truly is. My shortest passage was -by the “Alaska,” in October, 1882, from Sandy Hook, New York, to -Liverpool, in seven days and five hours, but on this occasion we were -detained inside the bar in the harbour of New York for two days, owing -to fog. My longest voyage was by the ship “Brilliant,” it occupied -nearly six weeks. - -The concert was, as usual, a success, at least everybody was pleased. -Thirteen pounds sterling were collected. Those who ventured on supper -partook of all the usual delicacies in vogue on these occasions, and -the disciple of the pipe and cigar indulged himself for some time on -deck. By half-past eleven the last of us had turned in. - -It was wet the following day; we were steaming up the St. Lawrence as -we took breakfast. Those who were to leave at Rimouski, of whom I was -one, point out that it is the last time we may take this meal together, -for we may arrive at Rimouski by night. In the afternoon we have fog, -showers, and fine weather alternately. We overtake the “Hanoverian.” -She had passed us during the five hours we had lost in the fog. Night -comes on, and at ten o’clock we run into a dense fog. Prudence dictates -that we advance “dead slow,” so I throw myself on my bed without -undressing, to catch some little sleep in the interval before we are -met by the Rimouski tender. - -We are called at three o’clock on Saturday morning; we take a cup of -coffee in the saloon, and I receive a batch of letters from my family -and other correspondents. We enter the tender and arrive at the long -Rimouski wharf just as dawn is breaking. My daughter and myself go -southward to Halifax with three others, amongst them the venerable -Bishop Rogers, of Chatham. - -However pleasant the trip across the ocean has been, and although -many of us found its associations most agreeable and we separate from -them only by necessity, nevertheless all of us reach the shore with -no little satisfaction. The fact is we are subjected to a new set of -influences. We revive old associations. We see well-known scenes, -and meet familiar faces. There is a change from our life of the last -nine days to a new series of events and excitements. One of the first -Canadians to give us a welcome was the young son of Madam Lepage, who -had seen us off by the tender on 17th June. - -The train carries us over the familiar Inter-Colonial Railway, nearly -every spot along the line having a special claim on my recollection. -The landscape is always striking in the neighbourhood of the Metapedia -and Restigouche. There has been much rain and the vegetation is -luxuriant. Bishop Rogers and myself revert to fifteen years ago when we -crossed the Atlantic together. Then, as now, he was returning from a -visit to the Holy Father at Rome. The Bishop insisted on acting as host -at breakfast at Campbelton: he held that we had now entered his diocese -and that he must consider us his guests. It would have pained the good -old Bishop had we declined his courtesy. - -We learn that the fishing on the Restigouche this season has been -excellent. As usual, we have the best of fresh salmon for breakfast. We -say good-bye to the Bishop, who leaves us at Newcastle, and we proceed -on our journey, arriving late at night safely at our home in Halifax. - -We are now in Nova Scotia, where I am delayed a few days before -starting on the long land journey over the western continent. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -_NOVA SCOTIA._ - - Early Colonization--De Monts--Champlain--Sir William Alexander-- - Capture of Quebec--The Treaties--The Acadian Evangeline-- - Louisbourg--First Capture--Peace of Aix la Chapelle--Boundary - Disputes--The Final Struggle--Deportation of the Acadians-- - Nova Scotia constituted a Province. - - -The first attempt at the colonization of Nova Scotia which was made -from France was singularly unfortunate. In 1598, we read, the Marquis -de la Roche left Saint Malo with a crew, almost entirely composed of -convicts. He landed forty of them at Sable Island until he could select -a place fit for settlement, when a westerly storm drove his ship back -to France. These settlers, if they can be so called, remained unnoticed -for seven years, and when they were found twelve only remained. Had it -not been for De Lery, who placed some live stock here in 1518, which -in the interval had greatly multiplied, they must have starved. Their -houses were built of the timbers of wrecked vessels, and it would -seem no little of the fuel was derived from the same source. There -is a letter from one John Butt to Henry VIII., which states that in -1527, seventy years previously, he met fifteen vessels in the harbour -of Newfoundland, and there is every ground to warrant the belief -that individual enterprise led to constant communication between the -maritime nations of Europe and America from the early days of the -discovery of Newfoundland, and that very many vessels penetrated to -the shores of Nova Scotia and to the St. Lawrence before the days of -Verazzano and Cartier. The object being alone that of trade with the -Indians, and to obtain fish, no settlement followed, and doubtless many -a wreck lay on the dreary shores of the exposed island where these -unfortunate men had been landed. - -The first well-considered attempt at European colonization occurred -under the leadership of De Monts in 1604; in which we of Canada feel -the greater interest, as the founder of Canada, the illustrious -Champlain, took part in it. He has himself recorded the voyage, -and Lescarbot, the first chronicler of the northern portion of the -continent has fully related its history. It is mentioned that when De -Monts arrived, he found a free trader in one of the bays whose name -is preserved, Rossignol, a marked proof which I venture to adduce as -showing the frequent intercourse between the two hemispheres at that -date. De Monts entered the Bay of Fundy and passed up St. Mary’s Bay, -whence he proceeded to what is now known as Annapolis. Poutrincourt -was of the party, and he commenced his chequered career by obtaining -a grant of Port Royal from De Monts, founding a settlement there and -giving it the name it bore for upwards of a century. De Monts himself -passed over to Saint John whence he descended to Passamaquoddy Bay, -where he built the Fort of Saint Croix. His crew suffered from scurvy -during the winter. Hence he formed the opinion that the settlement -was unhealthy, and accordingly he went as far south as the Penobscot. -Finding the Indians unfriendly at this place, he returned to Port -Royal. Here he met Pontgravé, known as the friend and associate of -Champlain, who at this date first appears on the scene. - -The leaders returned to France where strong influences were exercised -against them. But they reappeared in 1606 and commenced in earnest -to cultivate the land. A mill was constructed, and in the height of -their efforts the following year notice was received from France that -the monopoly of the trade in peltry given to De Monts was revoked. De -Monts’ future scene of labour was the Saint Lawrence, but Poutrincourt -obtained the confirmation of De Monts’ concession to him of Port Royal, -accompanied by the condition that it should maintain a Jesuit Mission. - -The influence which sustained this addition was all powerful, so the -two Jesuits, Biard and Masse, arrived at Port Royal.[A] The Jesuits -could not agree with the commander of the settlement and they departed -to found a colony on the Penobscot River. But in 1613, Captain Samuel -Argall, from James River, in Virginia, where a settlement had been -established since 1606, sailed to fish for cod in the more northern -waters. His pretensions were higher than that of a fisherman, for he -carried fourteen guns and a crew of sixty men. Some Indians in perfect -good faith set him on the track of the new settlements, which he at -once attacked and destroyed. - -No attempt was made to form a settlement from the Mother Country until -1621, when what in modern language are called the Maritime Provinces -were granted to Sir William Alexander. A vessel with emigrants sailed -in 1622, but owing to storms, was driven to Newfoundland. James I. died -in 1625, and his death led to the complications which followed on this -continent. Charles I. had determined to assist the French Protestants -then besieged in Rochelle, and as a portion of his operations, Kirke’s -celebrated expedition against Canada, took place in 1628. Quebec was -taken. The French settlements still continued with small increments in -what is known as Acadia: at Port Royal, Annapolis, to the country round -Minas Bay, or the Basin of Minas from Chignecto to Cobequid, and south -to Windsor and Cornwallis. There were some small settlements at Cape -Sable, Cape la Have and at Canso. Fifty years after this date the total -population was but little over 800, so settlement could only have taken -place slowly and at intervals. - -In 1632 all that is now known as British America, which lies beyond -the valley of the St. Lawrence, was given over to the French by -treaty. But Oliver Cromwell became Protector of England, and seized -the forts of St. John and Port Royal, and, what is more, in the treaty -of Westminster of 1655 held Nova Scotia as a possession. In 1658 the -great Englishman died, and the discreditable days of the restoration -followed. In 1662 the French Ambassador received instructions to -demand restitution of the country. The English King, the pensioner -of France, had no resource but compliance, although the people of -Massachusetts, hearing of the proposition, sent a remonstrance against -the proceeding. Its only effect was to lead to delay, for in 1667 a -discreditable surrender was made by the treaty of Breda. The Governor -was ordered to hand over Nova Scotia to French rule. The accession -of William III. led to war, and in 1690 an expedition against Port -Royal ended in its capture. But by the Peace of Ryswick, 1697, Nova -Scotia was again transferred to France. Port Royal was occupied and -placed in a condition of defence, and it was among the grievances -of the New Englanders that it was the resort of pirates who preyed -on Massachusetts commerce. War again broke out in 1702. The early -attempts to capture Port Royal were not successful. Had the Governor, -Subercase, been sustained from France, the conquest might have been -perhaps stayed. But the support he asked was not extended, and in 1710 -the place was again taken. The English Government had learned some -terrible lessons on the necessity of holding the territory in this -direction. The massacres at York and Oyster River in 1694 and the -attempt to destroy Wells must have taught her rulers that the English -colonies required some firmly seated support against such attempts. The -effort of France was to connect Canada by a series of outposts with -the Atlantic. A fort was built on the St. John, opposite Fredericton, -Naxouat, and at the Jemseg to the south. The thinly-peopled northern -parts of Maine and Massachusetts were thus constantly exposed to -attack, and it was manifestly necessary to the protection of New -England that a garrison of sufficient strength should be established -in a locality where it would be available to meet an excursion from -Canada, if French encroachments were to be resisted. It was thus -that attention was directed to Port Royal, which had been taken in -the expedition under Nicholson in 1710, and now received the name of -Annapolis, from the reigning Queen. Halifax was then unknown, and the -whole settlement of Nova Scotia consisted in what went under the name -of Acadia, which did not contain 1,000 souls. It was resolved, however, -to hold Nova Scotia permanently, and a garrison was left at Annapolis. - -It was not until 1755, forty-five years after this date, that the -deportation of the Acadians took place, and what follows in the history -of Nova Scotia must be remembered in connection with the relentless -policy of Governor Lawrence, which enforced their banishment. - -Many have formed their idea of that measure by Mr. Longfellow’s well -known poem of “_Evangeline_,” but it must be judged in a far wider -view than what is suggested by those polished hexameters. Few can -deny that the measure was one bringing much suffering with it, and -that many innocent persons underwent tribulation, and that there is -a hard, unbending purpose running through the proceeding to cause -feelings of horror and pain. This cannot be denied. But what is all -war but an unvarying scene of individual misery and wrong? A private -execution of the most notorious malefactor makes an appeal to one’s -more merciful feelings. The real question to be considered is; was this -step a merciless, treacherous, unnecessary brutality like the massacre -of Glencoe, inflicting uncalled for suffering on a defenceless -people, taken unawares, who had no chance given them to avoid such a -fate; or was it an act of necessary policy entailed by most pressing -circumstances, by consideration for the safety of a community, which -the sufferers could have avoided, without the slightest sacrifice -of principle, feeling or of individual right. The fact must be -clearly stated. The Acadians, as a conquered people, obtained every -consideration and kindness, and for years they were called upon -earnestly to be loyal and to abstain from injury to those who were now -their masters. No one ever received the slightest individual injury. -They were treated with justice, with forbearance, with mercy. They -were assured the practice of their religion, the maintenance of their -property and their personal liberty. All they were asked to do was to -give a solemn assurance, to become in fact and by their lives, subjects -of their conquerors. Not to side with their foes, but to defend the -land on which they held their property, against its enemies, and above -all to abstain from encouragement of the savage Indian, whose theory of -warfare was stealthy assassination. I return to the date 1710. - -Port Royal was conquered, and its conquerors clearly shewed that they -intended to retain it as a possession. The inhabitants never ceased -from hostility in all its forms. Parties sent out to cut wood were -assassinated. Travelling beyond the fort was dangerous; for the -individual it was death. The enmity of the people was kept up by the -missionaries with the assurance that the fort would be attacked and -retaken at the first opportunity, and that British continued possession -was an impossibility. War was closed by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, -when Nova Scotia remained a British possession. The French retained -the sovereignty of the Island of Cape Breton,[B] which with the Port -of Louisbourg, remained an eternal threat to Nova Scotia. The Acadians -were pressed by the French governor, to remove to Cape Breton. By the -14th Article of the Treaty, they had one year in which they could -leave Nova Scotia. But they would not do so. At the same time, they -declared to the French of Cape Breton their intention of remaining -subjects of France, and that they never would take the oath of -allegiance to England under any circumstances. - -In 1714 Nicholson was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia, then a -recognized Province. No steps appear to have been taken for some years -with regard to the Acadians. The oath had been tendered and refused. It -was not enforced, and they remained in this unsatisfactory condition -for thirty years, when war broke out again in 1743. It was well known -that, in the event of war, every Acadian would be an enemy to British -rule. Mascarene was then Governor. Descended from Huguenot French, -he was a man of rare ability and power. A French force attacked the -fort. The attack was to have been made in connection with a French -squadron. The latter not arriving, the force retired, having shewn -little enterprise. The Acadians did not join the attacking army. There -was a body of Indians from the main land, friendly to the English, who -were sufficient to counterbalance the Nova Scotian Micmacs, and the -determined defence was a guarantee against any pronounced aid from -within. - -If Nova Scotia was to be retained with a population ever ready to rise -at the first gleam of success of the enemies of Great Britain and its -religion, Louisbourg, it was evident could not be allowed to continue, -a constant omen of danger and loss. Whoever first proposed the attack, -and I think it must have been a necessity everywhere understood, it was -Shirley, then Governor of Massachusetts, who prepared the organization -by which the first taking of Louisbourg was effected, and whose -energy and ability led to the expedition of 1745. William Pepperel -was appointed its commander. Few such expeditions have been marked -by such signal organization and completeness, a striking contrast to -the contemptible result of Phipp’s expedition against Quebec in 1690, -and Walker’s miserable failure in 1711. Admiral Warren commanded the -naval forces. Louisbourg fell. The booty was immense, and to increase -it the French flag was kept flying so that vessels from France entered -the harbour to become the spoil of the conqueror. A lesson not -forgotten when Boston was evacuated by the British in 1776, by the -incompetent General Gage and his equally inefficient lieutenants. For -the British flag, still flying on the fort, invited the English vessels -unhesitatingly to sail in, if combatants, to become prisoners of war -and for the stores and merchandise to be sequestrated. It is said that -at Louisbourg the share of a seaman before the mast was eight hundred -guineas. The efforts on the part of France to revenge this reverse were -futile. The design was even to destroy Boston, but the expedition was -one of the most impotent on record. - -Port Royal, Annapolis seemed more easy of attainment. The commandant -knowing the weakness of his garrison applied for reinforcements. On the -arrival of 420 men, they were sent to Minas. A French fort was then at -Chignecto. An attack was at once determined. The English troops took -no precaution, as if they were in full security. Led by Acadian guides -to the exact locality where the men were quartered, the French arrived -at 2 o’clock in the morning on 23rd January, 1747. Snow was falling -so the advance was not seen until close on the sentries. The troops, -attacked in bed, made a desperate resistance, but they were defeated -and capitulated. Such a result would have been impossible without the -assistance of the Acadians, who led the troops precisely to the points -to be attacked and withheld all knowledge of the expedition. - -The disgraceful peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was made in 1748. It is hard -to believe that Louisbourg and Cape Breton were given back to the -French under the vague clause that no conquest since the commencement -of the war should be held. England, therefore, retained Nova Scotia -and France Cape Breton, for the tragedy of Louisbourg to be repeated -ten years later. We all recollect the toast of Blucher that the -diplomatist may not lose by the pen what the soldier has gained by the -sword. On this continent we have much to remind us how a few words in a -treaty, indistinct and indefinite in their purport, have ignored many -years of national effort, courage and determination, at the same time -sacrificing remorselessly a multiplicity of private interests. - -But the time had come when the quarrel between France and England -should be fought out, and both powers felt that this chronic condition -of war could no longer continue. In ten years the struggle had ceased. -One by one the strongholds of France passed from her hands, and in ten -years her flag had ceased to be a type of power on the continent. Both -countries accordingly put forth their whole strength in this period: a -fact of importance when the question of the treatment of the Acadians -is judged. One of the first steps was the foundation of Halifax in 1749 -under Cornwallis. It was done with rare organization, with perfect -success. Without delay Cornwallis called upon the Acadians to take -the oath of allegiance. They declined. For six years was this request -avoided with ill-concealed hostility. “In fact,” said Governor Hopson -in July, 1753, “what we call an Indian war is no other than a pretence -for the French to commit hostilities upon His Majesty’s subjects.” The -French, moreover, while recognizing the provisions of the Treaty of -Aix-la-Chapelle, drew an arbitrary boundary of Nova Scotia: that of -Missiquash River, now the boundary of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; -and La Jonquière, then Governor of Canada, sent a force under La Corne -to erect a chain of forts from the Bay of Fundy to Bay Verte. They -constructed Fort Beauséjour. The Governor of Nova Scotia established -Fort Lawrence, near the settlement of Beauséjour. In 1755 it was -resolved to drive the French from their position. As was looked for, -the Acadians were there on the French side, but the fort was taken and -called Fort Cumberland. It was these very encroachments of the French -against Nova Scotia which led to the declaration of war in May of 1756. -What followed I need but cursorily mention. Louisbourg again fell in -1758; Quebec in 1759. In 1760 Louisbourg was demolished, for no other -port than Halifax was needed. In six months this monument of French -power, which it had taken twenty-five years to raise, was levelled -to the ground. All of value was transported to Halifax, many of the -boucharded stones, even, having been taken there. In this year Montreal -capitulated, and De Vaudreuil signed the capitulation which gave the -continent to British rule. - -All these facts require to be stated when the deportation of the -Acadians has to be considered. What else could be done with them in -this crisis? From the period when Cornwallis first arrived, in 1749, -it was the one question: how to act with a body of men disloyal to the -country as it was governed. Too weak to obtain a national standing, -but constantly intriguing to injure the authority they lived under -but would not recognize; refusing all efforts of conciliation; and, -with the guarantee of possessing personal liberty, the free practice of -their religion, the enjoyment of their property, they still declined -to give the slightest assurance of good behaviour or fidelity. They -refused even to furnish supplies to the British garrison, and they -ranged themselves actually on the side of the French expeditions. They -encouraged the savage to rob, and to plunder, and to murder. They -complacently looked on while a vessel was looted under their eyes, -and at the same time they were subject to no direct tax and had every -privilege a loyal subject could ask. European writers who have alluded -to this proceeding have dwelt much on the peaceful lives and the quiet, -primitive habits of most of those who suffered. That fact has never -been disputed. But poetry has endeavoured to sublimate their virtues -to a height they never reached. The Acadians lived in rude plenty, -unmarked by the least culture. Their prejudices were only developed -among themselves. They were litigious and grasping, and French writers -of that date complain that the specie which they received never left -their possession, for they held it back for the hour of difficulty, -which would have been in no way unwelcome if it ended in driving from -their midst those who, with all the exaggeration on the subject, could -not be called their oppressors. In September, 1755, a considerable -number of the most troublesome were seized, arbitrarily, undoubtedly, -and banished from the country. What the number was which were thus -scattered and shipped in transports it is hard to state. Many were left -behind, as the despatches of subsequent Governors clearly establish. -In Grand Pré 1,925 were collected. At Annapolis and Cumberland many -took to the woods. I cannot form any other opinion than that the number -5,000 is an exaggeration. Among the papers at the Colonial Office or -at Halifax the true state of the case may be found. I am quite unable, -from what I can learn, to give any estimate, but the evidence leads me -to think that probably less than 3,000 were so deported. A melancholy -fate of suffering, sorrow and privation; for these poor creatures -were sent, homeless and destitute, to other States; but there was no -unnecessary hardship and cruelty shown, and their condition was not -worse than that of the immigrant who in old days sought our shores. - -Undoubtedly it is a chapter of human misery, this enforced exodus, but -those who suffered by it could have avoided it by a line of conduct -marked by no one act in any way unworthy or humiliating. All that was -called for was the acceptance of an unavoidable condition of events, -beyond their control, irremediable. They refused to become friends -of those who made the offer of peace and conciliation in the hour of -danger and difficulty. They showed themselves to be avowed enemies. -For upwards of forty years they destroyed the peace of the colony, and -had at length to pay the penalty their conduct exacted, which was only -with reluctance adopted as a necessity which self-preservation demanded. - -It is not until 1714 that Nova Scotia ranks as a British Province. -There were many mutations before it took this definite form, and in -connection with its history there is the record common to most of the -communities of this continent: that of misapprehension and a failure to -understand its importance as an American possession. - -For the hundred and seventy years which Nova Scotia has continued -under British rule its population has steadily increased from various -sources, and as a maritime people they have placed themselves in the -highest rank. Nova Scotia thus possesses the distinction of being the -oldest British Province of the Dominion. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -_HALIFAX TO QUEBEC._ - - Home in Halifax--Start for the Pacific--The Intercolonial Railway-- - Major Robinson--Old Companions--The Ashburton Blunder--Quebec--The - Provincial Legislature--Champlain--The Iroquois. - - -Arrived at my Halifax home, I made the few preparations necessary for -the journey before me. In the interval, I rambled through the Dingle -with my children and paddled over the north-western arm, a sheet of -water of much beauty. There is always unusual pleasure in such quiet -occupations, exacting neither labour, nor thought, nor any great strain -upon the attention. We float along or stroll idly, as it were following -the bent of our inclinations, now and then considering what lies before -us, or reverting in memory to that which once has happened. Then I -visited my old friends, who gave me the proverbial Halifax welcome. Two -vessels of the fleet were in port, the “Northampton” and the “Canada,” -the latter attracting some attention from the fact that Prince George, -the second son of the Prince of Wales, was on board, performing the -duties of a midshipman, as any other youngster in that position and as -efficiently. A new Commander of the Forces had arrived, Lord Alexander -Russell, formerly known in Canada as commanding one of the battalions -of the Rifle Brigade, and the conversation of the garrison was the -changes in discipline and general economy introduced, as is frequently -the case by new administrators. All my friends were well and in good -spirits. I had the additional pleasure of finding that the kindness of -former days was unimpaired, and my whole visit was one of pleasantness. - -I was four days in Halifax, and on the ninth of August, I started -alone. Dr. Grant who accompanied me on my first trip to the Pacific -eleven years ago, had accepted the invitation to accompany me across -the Rocky Mountains, and it was arranged that he should join me in -Winnipeg. My second son was also to be of the party. He was to meet me -in Toronto. - -My family went with me to the station. There was an unusual effort to -say good-bye in starting on this long journey, but that matter has no -interest here. - -It is only on alternate nights that the Pullman car runs through from -Halifax to Montreal. On this occasion I had to leave Halifax by the -Pullman which went no further than Moncton Junction, and with the -other western passengers I had to wait there for the train to arrive -from St. John. We reached Moncton at two o’clock in the morning, an -hour not the most convenient for effecting the change. It is among -the minor miseries of travelling to be obliged to turn out at such an -hour for a coming train. But the fault was my own. Had I curtailed my -brief sojourn in Halifax a few hours, or had my arrangements admitted -of delay for another day, I would have had the advantage of a through -Pullman without the inconvenience of a break at this place. Moncton is -in New Brunswick, at the junction of the lines from Halifax and St. -John, whence a common course is followed to the St. Lawrence. - -As I was sitting on the platform in the cool summer air before dawn, -I could not but recollect that the 10th of August was one of the red -letter days of my life. Thirty-one years back, on that day my railway -career in Canada commenced. I was appointed as an Assistant-engineer -on what was then known as the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway, -afterwards developed into the Northern Railway of Canada, and of which -I remained chief engineer for a number of years. The Montreal and -Portland Railway was under construction. The Grand Trunk Railway had -just been commenced, and with the exception of some small lengths of -line, such as the Lachine, the La Prairie, and the Carillon Railways, -it may be said that, at that date, railways had no working existence in -Canada. - -The station ground at Moncton was illuminated by an electric light; -to escape its piercing rays, I turned away to a seat which they -did not reach. As I was thus sitting apart, my recollection went -back over the last thirty-one years and to the many events which the -spot suggested. The night was dark, and, excepting in the immediate -neighbourhood, it seemed to be rendered darker by the light which -flickered and glared directly above me. I cannot say that the dazzling -“Brush” light is agreeable to me at any time, or on that occasion that -my tone of thought was affected by it; but in spite of myself my mind -ran over much of the past, and brought vividly before me many events -long forgotten. I remembered the frequent mention of Moncton by Major -Robinson in his well known report, and I felt how much I owed to his -labours and to those of his efficient assistant Captain, now Sir Edmund -Henderson. I thought of poor Major Pipon, who was drowned in one of -the streams while gallantly striving to save the life of an Indian -boy. Prominent among the actors I reverted to my friend Mr. Light, -who constructed the line from Moncton to St. John, whose labours were -continued on the Intercolonial Railway until its completion, and who is -still actively engaged in his profession. Naturally, in connection with -these memories, the whole staff of engineers who worked with me on the -Intercolonial Railway passed before me, from the first long snow-shoe -tramps through the forest and across the mountains in 1864 to the -completion of the line in 1876. Some are no more; those who remain are -scattered over this continent doing their work as manfully as they did -it here, wherever their field of duty. - -So far as the Intercolonial Railway appears before the public to-day, -those engineers who were for years engaged in its construction are -as if they never existed. I was struck with the similitude between -the life of the engineer and of the soldier. There is much which is -identical in the two professions. In both, privations and hardships -are endured. In both, self-sacrifice is called for. In both, special -qualities are demanded to gain desired results; and the possessors -of them for a time obtain prominence, to pass out of mind with the -necessity for their service, and to be forgotten and uncared for. It is -peculiarly during an hour of patient waiting in the advanced hours of -night that much of the past comes vividly before us. My mind reverted -to all the incidents connected with the history of this national -railway. I recalled many recollections of the Railway Commissioners -whom the Government appointed at that date, and I did my best to forget -many an unpleasantness. Differences of view were not unfrequent. They -seemed important enough at the time, but on looking back to them now, -how insignificant many of them appear. Those mistakes which permanently -affect the public interests are only to be deplored. The train had just -passed over the scene of one of the most glaring of these departures -from a wise policy. In order to serve purely local interests, the -railway was diverted many miles out of its true direction. The proper -location would have cost less; the line, when completed, would have -been better in an engineering point of view; the distance would -have been ten miles shorter. But the local interests, in themselves -insignificant, were sustained by political influence. Whatever -administration was in power, there was some one prominent politician to -advocate the location by the circuitous route. In this one point men on -opposite sides of the House could meet on common ground, and in spite -of all remonstrances[C] and regardless of the facts, their individual -interests prevailed. - -Thus the country was saddled with an unnecessary expense of -construction of a needless increased length of line with its perpetual -maintenance, and every person, and every ton of goods, entering or -leaving Nova Scotia, has to pay a mileage charge of conveyance over -ten extra unnecessary miles: a tax on the travelling public and the -commerce of the country for ever! As I looked along the track into the -darkness, I remembered that some fifteen years had passed since the -troubles and unpleasantness of those days, and it came to my mind that -the prominent actors in the events are dead. I was struck with the -truth of our experience in the vanity of human wishes and the worse -than folly of sacrificing permanent public interests for matters of -passing moment. - -The circumstances suggested another recollection of higher historical -importance and infinitely more consequence. Moncton itself, -geographically, is nearly due east of Montreal, but in order to reach -this point, the Intercolonial railway has to diverge northerly nearly -three degrees of latitude, through the narrow limit of territory -along the St. Lawrence. The extraordinary series of negotiations -which led to the establishment of the Maine boundary, is a chapter -in our history which the British nation equally with Canadians would -willingly forget. It is with pain and humiliation that we reflect on -the ignorance of the simplest facts of the case and of the deplorable -inattention to every national interest which marked the conduct of -the Imperial representative, Lord Ashburton, in the settlement of -that question. I had occasion, some years ago, carefully to examine -the whole subject, and I could never discover that the blame of -the discreditable settlement of the matter at issue is in any way -chargeable to the Washington Government, as many suppose, and as I -myself at one time had been taught to believe. The diplomacy of the -United States was perfectly straightforward throughout. Strange as it -may seem, the objectionable settlement, which leaves this painful blot -on the map of the Dominion, is due to the rejection of a proposition -which came from the Executive at Washington. Had the wise and just -proposal made and repeated by President Jackson been accepted, there -cannot be a doubt that the boundary would have been satisfactorily -established, in accordance with the true spirit of the treaty of 1783. -We would have been spared the bitter humiliation of the Ashburton -treaty; we would have saved ten millions of dollars in the first cost -of the Intercolonial railway, and Nova Scotia would have been, for all -practical purposes of trade and intercourse, two hundred miles nearer -the western provinces of the Dominion. - -The yearly cost of maintaining and working this unnecessary length of -railway represents a large sum. The direct advantages of the shorter -line would have been incalculable. The transport of coal alone, at half -a cent per ton per mile, reckoned on 200 miles, would effect a saving -to the consumers in the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario of one dollar -per ton. Such a reduction in itself would have created great activity -in the mining industries of Nova Scotia, the coal fields of which are -inexhaustible, but which from their distance from market are subjected -to much unfavorable competition. - -The train arrives in due time; a sleeping berth had been secured by -telegraph, and I proceed onwards. The following evening, the train -reaches the Chaudière Junction, opposite Quebec, having passed Rimouski -and Rivière du Loup in the afternoon. At the latter place, generally -so quiet and free from bustle, we saw an unusual number of people -assembled. It was the annual excursion of the Press Association, and -the members had been listening to an address from the Premier of the -Dominion. - -There are three ways of reaching Montreal from Quebec. The traveller -may take the steamboat up the St. Lawrence, 180 miles. He may cross the -river and avail himself of the North Shore Railway, or he may remain on -the south side and proceed by the Grand Trunk Railway. It is now seven -in the evening and the train is about starting, so I continue on the -Grand Trunk route and have a second night to pass in the Pullman car. -In the morning at half-past six the train enters Montreal by the famed -Victoria Bridge. - -To those who desire to pass a day at Quebec, the steamboat is a very -pleasurable mode of travelling. The steamers on the route are well -built. The accommodation is excellent, and they present a varied and -animated sight during the season from the number of passengers. - -I have frequently visited Quebec, and I have passed many days among its -many pleasant associations. On this occasion, it was a mere point in my -travels. Those who visit Canada for the first time, will certainly not -hurry past this famous city as I was then doing. - -Quebec will always be remarkable for its historical associations and -for the exquisite beauty of its scenery. The traveller, however far he -may have rambled, can not fail to recognize that the view from Durham -Terrace is one of the finest he has ever seen. Some contend that it -is unsurpassed. On one side is the citadel in all its strength and -grandeur. On the opposite bank of the river, Point Levis stands forth -with its coves and buildings and scenes of stirring life. Immediately -below us the majestic river itself flows in a great, placid stream -on its way to the ocean. To the north, rise the bold heights of the -Laurentian range, bearing evidences of life from their base far up on -the hill side. The whole scene furnishes a panorama rarely to be met. -In Quebec one feels that he is on a spot where every foot of space was -once of value, from the necessity of protecting the whole by works of -defence. We are taken back to the European life of insecurity of two -centuries ago, when every town was so protected, and yet was often -ravaged and despoiled. Quebec is the one memorial of that condition of -things on this continent. The city itself is built on an eminence which -admits of much variety of landscape. It is a spot of great attraction -which everybody visits with pleasure. The society has long been known -by the genial and kindly character of its hospitality. Although its -commerce is not relatively what it was in former years, it is still a -centre of much activity and possesses great wealth. The commencement of -a railway to the settlement at Lake St. John, to the north, entirely -by Quebec capital, is a proof that the spirit of enterprise yet remains. - -The city is the seat of Provincial Government. During the sitting of -its Legislature it is much frequented by men busy in political life. -In summer the hotels are invariably full of tourists, chiefly from the -United States, hundreds often arriving daily to go over the ground of -its historic associations, to enjoy the beauty of the landscape, and -to observe what remains of the life of a past, of which in their own -country they are without a parallel. Much of the history of Canada -centres around Quebec. Many illustrious names are associated with the -ancient city. The most distinguished is its founder, Samuel Champlain. - -Champlain’s career in Canada dates from 1608 to 1635. He founded -Quebec. He ascended the Richelieu and discovered Lake Champlain, which -bears his name. He ascended from Ticonderoga to Lake George, and -penetrated the valleys of the Hudson and the Mohawk. He ascended the -Ottawa, passed over the height of land, and by Lake Nipissing reached -Georgian Bay. He travelled the country overland from Lake Simcoe to -the Trent, and by the Bay of Quinté crossed the waters of Lake Ontario -to what is now the State of New York, and penetrated to one of the -lakes, believed to be Lake Canandaigua. He was the first to make a map -of Canada, and he published his memoirs and his travels. He, and he -only, is the founder of Canada. What he effected was wonderful. Few -men have been marked by such singular honesty of character. Few men -have possessed so well directed a spirit of adventure, controlled by an -unusually active and penetrating mind. His fortitude, his endurance, -his courage, his perseverance, his personal honour make him one of the -great characters of history. - -Midway between Quebec and Montreal the City of Three Rivers is -situated. This place was early settled, a fort having been constructed -here in 1634. Its geographical position called for this protection. It -is at the foot of the St. Maurice, whose sources lie far to the north, -and west of Lake St. Peter, which in those days might be called an -Iroquois lake, from the frequent incursions of the Indians, who were -merciless in their warfare. For forty years the early French Canadian -settler never knew if he would be able to reap the harvest of the seed -he had sown. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration to say that it was -doubtful, when he left his home for his day’s labour, if he would not -be before night a scalped corpse. It was not until 1686 that Tracy -passed by the Richelieu and read the Iroquois a lesson by which peace -was obtained. Three Rivers was at an early day a settlement of some -importance. It even obtained a preference over Quebec, but the better -situation of Montreal eventually diverted the trade to that city. It -has long been a pleasant enough place, but, as the saying goes, one -through which everybody passes and where nobody stops. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -_QUEBEC, MONTREAL, OTTAWA._ - - Montreal--Ship Channel--Hon. John Young--St. Lawrence Canals-- - Indifference of Quebec--Quebec Interests Sacrificed--Need of a - Bridge at Quebec--Montreal Trade in Early Times--Beauty of the - City--Canadian Pacific Railway--Ottawa--The Social Influence - of Government House--Kingston. - - -It is only within the last half century that the commercial advantages, -geographically, possessed by Montreal have been understood and -developed. It is not possible to enter into the history of the -remarkable works, extending east and west, which have secured to this -city its commercial success. They may, however, be briefly mentioned. -To the east a ship channel has been dredged through Lake St. Peter to a -depth of twenty-five feet, to admit of the passage of ocean steamers. -The original depth over the St. Peter flats was eleven feet. This -gigantic work, commenced in 1840, has been continued until the present -day. The excavation extends for a distance of seventeen miles, over -shoals irregular in depth. At this date the sum of $3,500,000 has been -expended in the work. The further deepening of this channel to admit -the depth of twenty-seven feet six inches is now in progress, and to -obtain this depth throughout above Quebec the shoals of the River St. -Lawrence itself above and below Lake St. Peter must likewise be dredged. - -There is but one parallel to this work in the world: the improvement of -the Clyde, which has been continued for one hundred years. Originally -only vessels drawing three feet six inches could reach Glasgow. From -time to time this depth has been increased, until it may be said that -at this date ocean steamers of the largest draught are found at the -Broomielaw. Hence Glasgow, by artificial means, has become one of the -most important ports in the United Kingdom; and similarly Montreal, -although a thousand miles from the ocean, is now one of the chief -seaports of the Dominion, and, judged by the standard of Customs -receipts, must be held to be the first. - -In connection with the improvement of the St. Lawrence, between -Montreal and Quebec, indeed with regard to much which has increased the -prosperity of Montreal, one name rises into marked prominence, that -of the Hon. John Young, so long and so honourably known in that city, -and still so well remembered. It was owing in a great degree to his -energy and capacity that the deepening of Lake St. Peter was completed -according to the original design. It may also be said that he was one -of the first to recognize the necessity of an increased sufficiency -of depth of channel above Quebec, if Montreal was to remain the -unquestioned port of the ocean steamer. A project which he advocated -to his death, and which until a great extent he was instrumental in -placing in its present satisfactory condition, so that in no great -number of years the depth will be attained. - -To the west of Montreal several canals have been completed to overcome -the rapids of the St. Lawrence, the last of which is the renowned Falls -of Niagara, and which our grandsires held to be so insuperable as to -bar settlement on the upper lakes. These works are a marked feature -of Canadian enterprise, and in themselves an important chapter in the -history of canal construction. Nowhere in the world, on a line of -navigation, are such locks to be seen. Those of the Lachine Canal are -two hundred and seventy-five feet in length, forty-five feet wide, -with twelve feet of water in the sills, so constructed that, without -interruption to traffic, they may be increased to fourteen feet. -The enlargement of the whole navigation of the St. Lawrence, now in -progress, is on a similar scale. It is by the central and commanding -position which these works have created for Montreal that the city has -attained its present supremacy. - -For a time Quebec enjoyed to the full extent the control of the ocean -shipping trade, but the day the channel was formed through the flats -of Lake St. Peter for the passage of seagoing vessels the monopoly was -broken and the trade diverted. - -The City of Quebec has long complained that its commerce was -languishing, among other causes, from the persistent efforts of -Montreal to control it. The deepening of the channel between the two -cities has accomplished more than was even hoped for by its far-seeing -projectors, for most of the seagoing steamships steam past Quebec, to -find at Montreal the point of transfer for their western freight, and -the point where it is most convenient to receive a cargo. There is a -recorded saying of the Hon. John Neilson, a well known public man of -forty years back, that there are two advantages Montreal could not take -away from Quebec: the Citadel and the tide. Evidently meaning by the -former that tourists would always visit the city to see what only could -there be found, and that Quebec, by constructing tidal docks, had the -means of bringing to her harbour vessels which, from their draught, -could not ascend the river to Montreal. The persistent, well-directed -efforts of Montreal, however, have been to concede no such advantages. - -What, in the meantime, has been the course of Quebec? It is well known -that at this hour great efforts are being put forth by Halifax public -men to establish Halifax as the winter shipping port of the Dominion. -It is contended that the Intercolonial Railway is a national work, -constructed with public money, and that it is precisely to meet an -emergency of this character, to prevent the diversion of the winter -freight to the United States ports, that one of the main causes of -its construction can be found. The City of Quebec, labouring under a -depression of its trade, gave its strongest support to the project of -the North Shore Railway, with its prolongation to Ottawa, and even -contributed $1,000,000 towards its establishment. In the eye of the -Quebec merchant it is a national work, the object of which is to extend -to Quebec, by railway, the same facilities for transhipment of freight -which is now possessed by Montreal. The Province had a plain policy -to follow. It was of paramount importance that she should retain full -control of the line to Montreal and Ottawa, and that it should offer, -at both points, perfect facilities for the transfer of traffic to -and from the competing railway lines: the Canadian Pacific and Grand -Trunk. The effect would have been to restore a share of the trade in -shipping freight which Quebec had previously enjoyed. Moreover, as -the navigation is confined to the summer months, it would appear to -be clearly the policy of Quebec to develop and complete her railway -connections to the east, so that the traffic in winter would flow -in a continuous stream over the North Shore line, and be carried -onward to the winter shipping port at Halifax. To carry out this -theory successfully the St. Lawrence would have to be bridged as near -Quebec as practicable. In the vicinity of the city, some few miles -south, there is a site adapted for such a bridge. The shores of the -river are high, and the deep-water channel can be crossed by a single -span, lofty enough for the tallest masts of a vessel to pass beneath. -Modern engineering has rendered the project not only possible but -comparatively easy, for it has reduced greatly the time and the cost -which some years back would have been held necessary to consummate the -project. The railway connections, equally of the City and Province of -Quebec, I may add of the Dominion, will always remain incomplete and -unsatisfactory without such a bridge. With this structure the whole -conditions of the problem would be changed. At all seasons of the year -it would facilitate the arrival and increase the number of tourists. -It would have the effect of augmenting traffic on both the North Shore -and Intercolonial Railways. It would extend provincial as well as local -advantages to commerce generally, and it would go far to establish -Halifax as the winter port of the Dominion. Moreover, it would affect -all this result without the sacrifice of one single Canadian interest. - -There is much in the late policy of the Government of Quebec to -astonish and bewilder all who study the laws of trade. It has been -remarked that the City of Quebec felt its interests to be so deeply -concerned in the completion of the North Shore Railway that it voted -$1,000,000 to secure its establishment. Throughout the Province the -railway was advocated for many years; it was fostered and cherished, -and held to be the key to its future prosperity. Nevertheless the -Provincial Government has deliberately sold all its interest in the -work, and has passed over its control to a railway company whose -interests lie in an entirely different direction. They have thus -sacrificed the one chance of extending a fostering hand to local trade -and regaining the prestige of the Ancient City. Indeed, the Provincial -Government stands in relationship to this railway as if it had never -been constructed as a public work. As I am writing I read in the -newspapers that the present tariff of charges between Montreal and -Quebec, a distance of one hundred and eighty miles, on certain articles -of freight, is thirty-three per cent. higher than between Quebec and -Halifax, a distance of six hundred and eighty miles! Possibly an -extreme case; but can any fact bear stronger testimony to the sacrifice -which has been made of the interests of the City of Quebec? It is long -since there has been such an abandonment of a position from which -so much might have been hoped, and, strange to add, the sacrifice -has been made without a protest, without a remonstrance from those -most interested. It would seem that there is a failure to understand -the extent of the advantages which have been thrown away. If there -be any truth in the adage that misery likes company, it may be some -consolation to the people of Quebec to know that the shadow of this -unfortunate transaction has been equally cast over the fortunes of the -Intercolonial Railway and on the prosperity of the City of Halifax. - -It seems to me that the error committed cannot too soon be rectified. -Indeed, it is a case in which the intervention of the general -government is both justifiable and necessary. The Intercolonial -Railway, owned and operated by the Dominion Government, extends from -Halifax to a point opposite Quebec. It connects only with the Grand -Trunk Railway. The interests of the Grand Trunk Company call for -the transport of freight to Portland, in the United States, rather -than its transfer to Halifax. The Intercolonial was established for -national purposes. Strong reasons present themselves why it should not -terminate at Chaudière Junction, but that its outlet should be Ottawa. -This policy of extension to the capital would involve bridging the St. -Lawrence at Quebec and of obtaining control of the railway to Ottawa. -Such a connection would admit of the exchange of traffic with the -competing lines on equal terms at Montreal and Ottawa, and would remove -from Quebec, from the Intercolonial Railway and from Halifax the -serious disabilities under which they now labour. - -Under French rule Montreal had simply a monopoly of trade with the -Indians, and no attempt was made until a later period to overcome the -natural impediments which lay in the way of its advancement. It was not -until some years after the conquest, when Western Canada, now Ontario, -became a field for settlement, that any improvement of the navigation -of the St. Lawrence was attempted. Some rude canals, with narrow locks, -were early formed to enable the Durham boats, then the only means of -transit, to pass up the Cascade, Cedar and Coteau Rapids. The present -canals were the impulse of a later date. In the early days of Canada -commerce was not of the importance it has now attained. There was a -chronic state of war, first with the red man for the possession of the -country itself; secondly with the English and the southern colonies for -the traffic with the Indians. The scene of the struggle was generally -on the borders of the great lakes, and then, as now, the main effort -was put forth to determine whether the products of the west would pass -by the Mohawk to the Hudson, or whether it would follow the course of -the St. Lawrence to the sea. - -Montreal, at this period, was virtually the end of French settlement, -and the population was small. At the present day Montreal is a city, -with its suburbs, of nearly 200,000 inhabitants. Most of the old French -landmarks are disappearing, one by one, and there remains little -of material form to recall French rule. It may almost be said that -the language, and that portion of our laws which owes its origin to -France, are all that remain to remind us of her power. Her criminal and -commercial law is English; the other divisions of her jurisprudence -retain their early impress. There remains, however, the Roman Catholic -form of worship, the most marked heirloom of those days which the -French Canadian has most jealously retained. Montreal, socially, is -now characterized by those features which wealth, proceeding from a -long and prosperous commerce, stamps upon a community on this side -of the Atlantic. On all sides you see palatial residences and highly -cultivated grounds. The main business streets are marked by unusual -architectural embellishments, for which the limestone quarries in the -neighbourhood furnish the best of facilities. The wharves in front of -the city, with the stone revetment wall, have not their equal on the -continent. The canals have already been referred to, and I know nowhere -else where such works are to be seen. The Canadian canal is a river, -and not a small one, and the vessels which pass through it are of no -ordinary size. There is much material success; and this commercial -element has gathered together a busy, anxious, enterprising, pushing -population, with all the accessories in connection with it which wealth -gives. But I must turn to the matters which have brought me to Montreal. - -I had a long and important interview with the Directors of the Canadian -Pacific Railway. They desired me to proceed to British Columbia on -a special professional service, and, if practicable, they wished me -to pass over the line west of Winnipeg to examine the passes of the -Rocky Mountains. It was agreed that I should start without delay. Some -preparations are always necessary for such a journey, and to cross -the mountains over an almost untrodden path I required strong, rough -clothing and unexceptional protection for the feet. - -I took the afternoon train for Ottawa. In Montreal the terminus of the -Canadian Pacific Railway is at Dalhousie Square. It extends from Notre -Dame street, at a lower level, to the quay, and it would be difficult -to find a more striking site for a railway station. For upwards of a -mile the line runs along the side of the harbour, and you have in view -the bold landscape produced by the river and St. Helen’s Island. To -the west Victoria Bridge stands out in bold relief, and, in spite of -its massiveness, it spans the river with the most graceful of lines. -The harbour of Montreal during the season of navigation is always more -or less full of shipping, among which the ocean steamer predominates. -In winter it presents a totally different appearance. The river is -a field of ice, often cumbered with Cyclopean masses, distorted by -“shoves” into most picturesque forms, often a scene in all respects -striking and rarely met. The railway, on leaving Montreal, passes -through a really charming landscape. Crossing two branches of the St. -Lawrence, at Sault-au-Recollet and Rivière-des-Prairies, it touches -the River Ottawa, and continues generally in sight of the river till -it reaches the capital. Twenty miles east the line passes directly -over the falls of Le Lievre, at Buckingham, which form an object of -special attraction. On approaching Ottawa we cross the long iron bridge -over the river, and see the city lying before us, and the outline of -the Government buildings, with their peculiar architecture, almost -suggesting that you are entering some mediæval city. - -At no period of the year, except during the three months when the -House is in session, is there any particular animation in the Capital. -Parliament meets in February, occasionally in January, and continues -its sittings until April or May. From Christmas to the opening of the -House the Government offices are unusually active in the preparation of -documents to be laid before Parliament. Strangers arrive a week before -the day of the opening. There is a constant succession of new faces -in the streets. The Ministers commence their series of dinners, the -intention of which is to affirm their political influence, but clothed -with all the graces of social attraction. Those in the city proper who -can entertain do so at this season. The Club, which for the remaining -nine months can number in its rooms its visitors by tens, is then -crowded, and the hotels are full of busy, bustling individuals engaged -in the many schemes which await the countenance of Parliament, and the -dining-room in the evening has the fullest attendance. - -Few cities of the size are more lively under this aspect than Ottawa -during the session. A few days after its close another story is told. -Government House, which for the last ten years has been the scene of so -much polished and plenteous hospitality, becomes tenantless. The two -previous Governors-General, Lord Dufferin and Lord Lorne, endeavoured -to bring side by side all that was estimable and prominent in the -capital. There was something so cordial, so unaffectedly hearty in the -welcome given to all, that no one went there without pleasure or left -without regret. The invitations were not confined to a comparatively -narrow clique. No hospitality could be more genial, more liberal -or more unaffected. Twice a week, or so, there were skating and -tobogganing parties. Once a week there were state dinners, frequently -on other evenings guests were gathered around the private table. Lord -Dufferin inaugurated a series of private theatricals. He was also -followed by Lord Lorne in his desire to add to the common happiness, -as indeed in all that was excellent which Lord Dufferin commenced. -No balls ever were more pleasant than those given at Ottawa under -their regime. There is a delicacy in writing all this, as both these -distinguished men are in active political life, and it is not easy to -speak of the actors in our Canadian drama who yet play a part in the -wider Imperial life. Equally difficult to venture to allude to the -Countess of Dufferin, who exercised such a healthy influence on the -society in which she mixed. The more exalted position of H. R. H. the -Princess Louise makes it more embarrassing to refer to her presence; -but who that has, in any way, been brought within her influence can -forget all the associations which it suggests, not those of rank, but -the more durable impress of genius, of excellence, with the most simple -and unaffected manner, blended with a consideration for others which -delighted everyone. - -I remained a few hours in Ottawa, and took the night train for Toronto. -We start from the Canadian Pacific station, at which I had arrived, -and follow the line to Brockville. Brockville is a town of importance -on the St. Lawrence, at the lower end of that interesting reach of -forty miles which embraces the Thousand Islands. During the night the -Pullman is connected with the Grand Trunk train, and we proceed on our -journey as if we were travelling on the system of lines we started -on. There is no tax imposed on travellers, as at Moncton on alternate -nights turning you out of your berth at three in the morning. When you -awake you are still proceeding onward on the western journey. We pass -Kingston at night, a town which has grown around Frontenac’s fort, -erected in 1672. Its site is still a barrack used for the Military -College. Kingston has the advantage of a finely settled country in its -rear; it has an ancient look, and is substantially built of limestone. -Its position at the junction of Lake Ontario with the St. Lawrence, and -the presence of many owners of craft, cause some activity during the -season of navigation. Kingston is also known as the seat of Queen’s -College and University, in which, personally and officially, the writer -has the greatest interest. - -There is a restaurant car attached to the train, and one can obtain -any breakfast he may require. After breakfast one generally becomes -critical, for thought is turned outward. As we are moving onward it -struck me that the farming between Trenton and Cobourg was not of a -high character. At no season should thistles and weeds be seen in the -fields, certainly not at the period when they are going to seed, and -even a few slovenly farms will disfigure a whole district. The grain -crop is later than usual, but is fast ripening, and in this section of -the country not without promise. West of Cobourg the land is among -the best in the world. Nowhere is agriculture more careful. There is -scarcely any land remaining uncultivated, and no one but can be struck -with the fertility of the district through which we are passing. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -_TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR._ - - Toronto--Collingwood--Georgian Bay--The Sault St. Mary--Navigation - of the Great Lakes--Manitoulin Islands--Lake Huron--Arrival at - the Sault. - - -Arriving safely at Toronto I was welcomed by my son Sandford, who -accompanies me on my journey. For the first time I am presented to a -still younger descendant, who confers upon me a new claim to family -respect, and whom I meet with much pleasure. - -It was the civic holiday in Toronto. It has been a custom on this -Continent, in the large cities and more important towns, for one -day in the year to be set apart, when, by common consent, business -ceases. All sorts of excursions are organized by railway and steamboat -companies, and to crown the whole with additional dignity, the purport -of the day is officially declared by proclamation by His Worship the -Mayor. Every possible auxiliary is called in aid to give effect to the -occasion. In the city there are various performances at the theatres, -morning and evening. The neighbouring small towns contribute their -sympathizing crowds. There are cricket matches, lacrosse matches, -with other meetings of every character of pleasurable association. -There is the best of good eating and drinking for all who require it -and are willing to pay for it. This Toronto holiday was in no way -wanting in the general characteristics which such a day brings with -it. Crowds of good-looking, good-humoured, holiday-dressed personages -filled the streets, and there was a gaiety of manner and an atmosphere -of amusement in the main thoroughfares which even the indifferent -spectators could with difficulty resist. - -If Montreal may be said to be the admitted commercial capital of -Canada, Toronto is battling hard to dispute its supremacy. The capital -of Ontario, it is what Montreal is not. It is a political centre of -great activity, where much is originated to influence both Dominion and -local politics. It justly claims, too, a higher tone of intellectual -life. On the whole, it may be said that there is a more assured type -of culture and urban refinement by the shores of Lake Ontario than -on the Island of Montreal. The city contains two Universities: one, -Toronto University, without religious test, supported by the Province; -the second, Trinity, supported by the Church of England. Besides -which there are a Presbyterian College and Theological Halls of other -denominations. The Canadian Institute also has a reputation. It -numbers among its members some of the leading minds of the country, and -for many years it has been distinguished as a centre for the exchange -of thought on scientific and literary topics; it has greatly aided -the collection of information respecting the economic resources of -the Dominion and in the determination of problems which have a direct -influence upon its future. There has been always a marked polish of -manner, blended with a sympathy with intellectual power, which has -distinguished Toronto society. The leading members of the professions -have, as a rule, obtained greater social recognition, and generally the -horizon of education is much more extended than in the larger eastern -city. - -The surrounding country is of little interest beyond what is -artificially obtained, but the large sheltered sheet of water in front -of the city, locally designated “the Bay,” and protected from the lake -by a long sandy island about a mile from the shore, will always give -it value as a harbour, and afford excellent boating water for the -members of the Yacht Club. The more distant environs are particularly -striking. In four hours, steamboats take you to Niagara. On excursion -days they are crowded with passengers. Niagara is one of those sights -which the more you behold the more you are astonished. I have met those -who have expressed disappointment at their first view of the Falls. -It is difficult to explain how this feeling is entertained, except by -some previous extravagant misconception of their extent and appearance. -Their character and beauty have deservedly included them in the wonders -of the world. Necessarily they have become a show place, and to some -extent one experiences the unpleasant influences which the tourist has -to contend with at such resorts. The locality is the scene of many -a small extortion into which the unwary occasionally stumble. There -cannot be a doubt that the Falls of Niagara, with the scenery above -and below them, and the masses of rushing water in all its various -aspects and circumstances, present a sight to dwarf into insignificance -everything of the kind generally beheld. At all seasons of the year -they attract crowds of visitors to the neighbourhood, and scarcely any -one visiting the Continent fails to look upon them. - -I spent a pleasant day at Collingwood with my dear old mother, 83 years -of age, looking fresh and hearty, without one physical ache or pain; at -the same time her mind retains its marked natural acuteness. - -At four in the afternoon on Tuesday, the 14th August, with my son, I -went on board the steamer “Campana” in the best of spirits. She is -a staunch iron vessel, built in England and registered in London. -There was an unusual crowd of passengers, but I had telegraphed and -secured state-rooms, as the cabins are called, so I had not to content -myself with a mattrass on the floor, the fate of many. The water was -perfectly smooth. As the steamer left the dock the outline of the town -of Collingwood, with the blue mountains in the background, appeared to -me more picturesque than ever. What a change has taken place at this -spot in the last thirty years, since the day when my men cut the first -trees on the first examination of the ground on which this important -town now stands. It was then in a state of nature with the primeval -forest to the water’s edge. It is to-day a scene of busy active life, -with wharves, streets, churches, schools and many a pleasant residence. -The ground on which the dry dock is constructed I recollect as the spot -where I have watched for deer when I had seen their foot tracks fresh -on the sand beach. Where are the men who were busy at their work in -those days? Who remain of the directors, engineers, contractors, and -what the newspapers called “influential personages,” who, on a bright -winter morning in 1851 gathered near the shore and on the ice, breaking -a bottle of wine, named the future City of Collingwood. The familiar -features of Sheriff Smith, Judge Orton, Captain Hancock, Messrs. Isaac -Gilmour, Geo. H. Cheney, Angus Morrison, John McWatt, De Grassey and -Stephens are yet kindly remembered by many, and especially by myself. -There were others present whom I do not so well recollect. How many -of these voices are mute, which then joined in the cheers given as the -heralds of our good wishes! Few of the actors in that scene remain but -myself. - -The direct course of the “Campana” was along the coast of Georgian -Bay, skirting Craigleith and Thornbury. We touch at the bustling town -of Meaford, where our well-filled passenger list receives additions, -certainly by no means desirable. But the new-comers crowd on board, -and the steamer moves off to round Cape Rich, to enter the bay of -Owen Sound. It was one of those pleasant, moonlight, calm evenings so -enjoyable in Canada. There was not a ripple on the water. The air was -cool and pleasant, the moon three-quarters full, and its reflection -seemed to dance over the whole surface of the bay. The steamer is of -iron, and we move onward with little noise and without vibration. We -enter the narrow harbour at Owen Sound, a town surrounded by low hills, -through the gorges of which the River Sydenham penetrates, passing over -some falls of great beauty a mile from the town. As we are moving up -to the wharf we hear the arrival of the train from Toronto, with more -passengers for the boat. The latter have come on board, the vessel has -started, when all at once the cry is heard, “A man overboard!” He is -soon rescued, but he has lost his hat, and the air of suffering with -which he regards this misfortune would lead us almost to think that he -held life of little account that it had been preserved at this serious -cost. Such an event is by no means uncommon on these lakes. Generally -it happens that some one is late for the steamer. Passengers have often -to drive long distances; nevertheless they loiter to chat over an -evening dram, and lose their time in gossip, or they fail to recollect -the length of the distance they have to pass over. Be that as it may, -punctuality seems to have been imperfectly learned in these latitudes. -It is remembered that the steamer itself is often late, and there is -ever present the good natured friend to suggest that “there is no -hurry.” At last the moment comes. The dawdler is made aware that there -is no time to spare. The steamer’s last whistle has sounded. There is a -rush to get on board, under unfavourable circumstances, and sometimes -the experiment is dearly paid for. It is not always the hat that is -lost. Sometimes it is the fate of the unhappy wearer never again to -require one. - -We have recovered from this adventure. We are starting, and have -actually left the wharf, but suddenly the signal is given to stop the -engine, and the voice of the captain is heard shrieking out, “Sam! -there is a letter left at the office by two young ladies.” Sam takes no -short time to find the letter, but at last we get under way, and our -captain is benignity itself. Our next landing place is Sault St. Mary, -which we will not reach for thirty hours. - -The arrangements for the steamer leaving Collingwood to touch at Owen -Sound cannot be accounted for by any doctrine of necessity. It would -appear as if the owners were anxious to act with perfect impartiality -to the two railway companies, which, if they cannot be called -opposition lines, have few interests in common. The Northern line runs -to Collingwood; the Toronto, Grey & Bruce to Owen Sound; both from -Toronto. As a rule, passengers by the steamer are for the North-West. -Generally Port Arthur, on Lake Superior, is their destination. But we -lost some twelve hours coasting around from Collingwood, and I could -not see with one single advantage. This profitless waste of time will -in all probability cease when the boats of the Canadian Pacific run -between Port Arthur and Algoma, on the north shore of Lake Huron, -connecting at that point with the railways now under construction. -The new route will give to eastern passengers what they never yet -possessed: a direct connection with Lake Superior without loss of time. -From Toronto, passengers will probably continue to be carried for some -time as at present. - -Having passed three succeeding nights on the railway train on my -journey from Halifax, I willingly sought my berth. The breakfast hour -is seven, but I had had some experience of the preceding evening’s -supper. Appetite must possess to many a somewhat tyrannical mastery, -if we are to judge by the demonstrative determination to obtain -seats at a steamboat table. With us there were four relays of supper, -and it was an effort to find a seat at any one of them. Who has not -noticed, under such circumstances, the rows of men and women who place -themselves, with suppressed impatience, behind the seats, standing in -the most prosaic of attitudes, in expectation for the word that the -meal is ready. I was myself content to take my place at the fourth -table, so that I could eat what I required with deliberation. With this -experience, I was in no hurry to rise, so it was about nine o’clock -when I entered the long saloon. There were a few stragglers like -myself present, probably influenced by the same philosophy, who were -seated here and there at a table on which lay the scattered remains of -the fourth breakfast. On these lake boats the attendants are called -“waiters,” not “stewards,” as on ocean steamers, and if there be a -difference of nomenclature, there is certainly no identity of manner. -The steward of the ocean steamer is the most benignant, courtly, -kindly, considerate person in the world, and, as a rule, his virtues in -this respect are sufficiently appreciated. On this boat I addressed one -of the waiters, I thought politely enough, and gave my orders. I was -met by the rugged reply, in the hardest of tones, “Ye cannot have hot -breakfasts if ye lie in bed.” The man’s axiom was certainly borne out -by fact. There was no breakfast, in the sense of the word, and what -there remained was not hot. But the coffee was exceptionally good, and -with a crust of bread I thought that I might have fared worse. Possibly -the owners of the new steamers to be placed on the lakes next summer -will introduce some improvement in the stewards’ department, which the -ordinary traveller, they may be assured, will duly appreciate. - -We were passing through the chain of islands extending from Tobermory -to the Great Manitoulin. The water is perfectly smooth. The passengers -are lounging, smoking, or basking on deck. Others, proud of their -prowess, are relating their adventures and experiences, enlivened -with many an anecdote, to the amusement of knots of hearers. As we -were running through these waters they were so beautifully smooth and -the air so fresh and pleasant that my mind went back to the Adriatic -as you see it near Venice, or to the western coast of Italy from -Civita Vecchia to Genoa. What you miss is the deep, ultra-marine -blue of the Mediterranean. Although above you to-day there is a sky -not less cloudless, bright and blue than we see in Southern Europe, -the hue of the water is a deep slate colour, but in no way wanting -in transparency. We have a horizon only broken by the islands behind -us and the Great Manitoulin, dimly lying to our right. Like the -Mediterranean, this great inland sea does not always exhibit the -glassy surface it presents to-day. As in the Bay of Naples, the waters -of which all pictures depict in the brightest blue, the gale can -sometimes produce an angry, turbid sea, so on Lake Huron, especially -in the late autumn, we have many a storm, often to create the roughest -of weather. Some thirty years ago, while crossing in a Mackinaw boat, -those were not the days of steamers with four relays of meals, I was -caught in a nor’-wester, and driven to take refuge to the windward of -one of the smallest of the islands we are leaving behind us. We reached -the shore before sundown by the most strenuous exertions. All of us in -the boat were exhausted, and we slept soundly on the gravel beach until -the following day. The island was but a few acres in extent, but we -could not venture to leave it. To have done so would have been certain -death, for the water rolled in on the exposed beach in giant, swelling -breakers. All the subsistence the whole crew had for three days was a -solitary rabbit, which we managed to snare, and a few biscuits we had -in our pockets. - -It seems as if the whole study of the hour on board the steamer is -to provide food for the passengers. It brings to recollection the -prosperous hotel manager, who related with great zest how many hundreds -he had been feeding in the last few days. It certainly required some -genius to feed the numerous passengers of the “Campana,” with such -limited accommodations. At noon dinner is provided. There are eighty -seats, and four times that number of people to fill them. But dinner, -like everything else, has its end. The passengers again form in knots -upon the deck: the lounger, the smoker and the man who delights in -euchre, the latter more within the scope of lake travel than the more -classic whist, are all seen at their occupation, and the _raconteur_, -with a fresh audience, is more than usually loquacious. - -The moon is a day nearer the full; and when the sun sets, it does so -gloriously and more brightly than last night. We arrive at a landing -place and are moored to a wharf where we have to wait till morning. The -Neebish Rapids lie before us. They have been improved for the purpose -of navigation, but they are not yet lighted, and it is extremely -hazardous to attempt to run them in the dark. Until a few years ago, -when they were deepened and widened, they were positively dangerous. -Eleven propeller blades were picked up by the divers during their -operations. By daylight the Rapids can now be safely enough ascended, -but it is not simply the Neebish Rapids which are unnavigable without -daylight. An artificial channel through Lake George, made some years -ago by the United States authorities, follows a circular course, and -it is not possible to pass through it after dark without extraordinary -precaution. It is true that it can be effected by sending two boats -with lights following the course of the buoys on each side one by one, -but all this was a labour our captain had no instructions to undertake, -so we remained at the wharf. Had we not experienced the incident of -the man overboard, and the forgotten letter of the two damsels at Owen -Sound, we might have arrived in time to have ascended by daylight. - -The next morning the boat left her moorings at dawn. It is a pleasant -sail through Lake George and the St. Mary’s River, with its Indian -settlements and the quiet locality known as Garden River. We had passed -all these places when I awoke. We were then moving through the canal -constructed on the Michigan side to overcome the Sault St. Mary. At the -“Sault” there are, on either side, the Canadian and United States town -bearing its name. Neither of them has much pretension, and neither of -them is deficient in picturesqueness. The United States town, on the -south side, is not without a certain commercial activity, and contains -some barracks, in which generally there are two or three companies of -the United States regular army. - -The Sault is celebrated for its white-fish, and the passer-by will -frequently observe a number of Indian canoes at the foot of the rapids, -paddling about, with a man in the stern to seize the fish by a hand -net. The white fish is held to be a great delicacy. They appear on the -table first about Kingston, and are caught in all the lakes, but the -opinion seems to be that the further north you go the better they are, -those on Lake Superior being considered the best. We run out of the -canal, and continue through the stretch of the River St. Mary above -the Sault. There is little to attract the eye until we reach the lofty -heights standing as portals to Lake Superior, the last and largest of -the great sheets of water tributary to the St. Lawrence. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -_LAKE SUPERIOR TO WINNIPEG._ - - Lake Superior--Early Discoverers--Joliet and La Salle--Hennepin-- - Du Luth--Port Arthur--The Far West--The North-West Company--Rat - Portage--Gold Mining--Winnipeg. - - -The morning is dull, the sky leaden, and the temperature is not very -enlivening for the most of us. But the boat moves pleasantly up the -slight current until we reach Whitefish Point, then we enter the lake -which lies before us in all its magnificent extent. Some idea of the -size of Lake Superior may be formed when it is pointed out that from -its two extremities the distance is equal to that from London to the -centre of Scotland. In width it is capacious enough to take in the -whole of Ireland. Its surface is 600 feet above, its bed is 300 feet -below, the ocean level, the lake being 900 feet in depth. Its water is -remarkably pure, with the colour of the finest crystal. - -We pass a number of steamers and deeply laden vessels. We are now -fairly in the lake, with its rugged, rocky hills on the north shore -ascending to the height of a thousand feet. We are in the midst of -a light fog. The air becomes chilly and raw, but the water continues -smooth, and we sail calmly over it. Towards evening the fog has cleared -away, and we find ourselves in the midst of this immense fresh water -sea. The nearly full moon appears and is high up in view. Our horizon -is the circumference of an unbroken circle, for there is not a trace of -land in sight. Our position is near the meridian of Chicago, although -six degrees of latitude further north; and we approach the longitude of -that great western territory which on both sides of the International -boundary is being developed with such marvellous progress. - -Champlain appears to have known the existence of a northern fresh water -lake of great size, but he never visited it. He showed on his map a -large body of water under the title, Mer de Nor Glaciale. This was in -1632. Galinée’s map of 1670 gives the River Ottawa and Lake Ontario -sufficiently correctly for those days, everything considered, but Lake -Michigan was unknown to him. He considered Lakes Michigan and Huron to -be one body of water, and so represented them. Lake Superior he did -not appear to know, although he had reached Sault St. Mary. One of the -earliest works of the Jesuit Fathers in Canada is their map of Lake -Superior, published in 1671, with the title of Lac Tracy-ou-Superior. -It showed that the many bays and inlets had been explored, and the -map is marked by great correctness, allowing for the date of its -production. They also knew of the Peninsula of Michigan. Indeed by -this date the general geography and coast line of the great lakes was -fairly understood. In 1669 La Salle made the first of the series of -discoveries which have preserved his name. He had heard of the great -river to the west, and he was desirous of proceeding thither. He -descended the Ohio, probably as far as Louisville, but it was not until -eleven years later that he discovered the outlet of the Mississippi. -Marquette and Joliet had in the meantime ascended from Green Bay, Lake -Michigan, and followed the Fox River to the Mississippi. They may be -held to be its discoverers, although claims antagonistic to their -priority have been advanced, I believe, without sufficient proof. -Hennepin, the Recollet Friar, was the first to ascend the upper waters -of the Mississippi and describe the Falls of St. Anthony, where the -great milling City of Minneapolis now flourishes. On his return with -his captors, for he was a prisoner of the Indians, he met Du Luth some -distance below the falls. Du Luth was one of those many enterprising -spirits whom France sent to this Continent, a man of untiring energy -and undaunted nature. He penetrated to the then utmost limit known. -He was a martyr to rheumatism, but no suffering interfered with his -discoveries and his devotion to the supremacy of France. At Lake -Superior he had heard that there were white men on the Mississippi. -The news caused him anxiety. His first thought was that English traders -had penetrated from New York, and in the interest of France he felt -such intrusion had summarily to be stopped. He started with four well -armed Frenchmen, followed one of the streams leading southerly and -passed by the St. Croix, which falls into the Mississippi below St. -Paul. It was here that he met Hennepin, who proved to be the white man -he had heard of. Du Luth returned by way of Lake Michigan. - -Previous to this date Du Luth had established himself on the -Kaministiquia, Lake Superior. In 1680 he built a fort on the site -of the present Fort William on that river, for half a century the -extreme point beyond which the French did not penetrate, and in itself -the first settlement on the north shore. The Jesuits had established -themselves on the south shore of the lake at an early date in Canadian -history at La Pointe, the modern Bayfield. - -It was a brilliant summer morning, Friday, 17th August, when I awoke; -we were near land. Silver Islet was in sight, and Thunder Cape, a bold -headland lit up by the sun, stood forth to bid us welcome. During -breakfast we enter Thunder Bay, a noble expanse of water surrounded -on three sides by lofty hills. The entrance is some six miles wide, -protected to some extent from the storms of Lake Superior by Isle -Royale, some distance to the south. We have fourteen miles to steam -before we reach what was formerly called Prince Arthur’s Landing, now -known as Port Arthur. It has grown up of late years. It possesses an -air of liveliness, and I do not think that those whose interests are -centered in the town underrate the advantages of its situation or have -any doubts with regard to its future. There are copper and silver mines -in the neighbourhood, some of which are represented to be of value. -They have been worked from time to time and discontinued, and their -occasional operations have told on the progress of the town. - -But Port Arthur does not possess unchallenged all the advantages -claimed for it. Fort William on the Kaministiquia proffers an equal -claim to become the Lake Superior terminus of the Canadian Pacific -Railway to the west, and to the point of connection with the eastern -bound steamers in summer. A propeller with freight, loaded in the canal -basin at Montreal, can reach Thunder Bay without breaking bulk. A large -movement in freight and passengers for transfer to the railway for -Winnipeg may be looked for, even when the railway line on the north -shore of Lake Superior shall have been completed. A trip by the lake -steamers is pleasant and agreeable in the fine weather of summer, and -doubtless these ports on Thunder Bay will retain their importance. - -There is but one train in the twenty-four hours from Port Arthur to -Winnipeg. We were twelve hours too late for the train which had left -and twelve hours too early for the one to leave. All that could be -done was to accept the situation. Human nature, however, asserts its -prerogative under a sense of injustice. My mind, in spite of myself, -reverted to our useless journey to Meaford and Owen Sound, and to the -waste of time at these places by which we lost so many hours at the -Neebish. It was the old story of the nail in the horseshoe of the -Cavalier. I think the experience of all travellers is that when a -journey is marked by delay, little is done in the way of remedying it. -Indifference succeeds the sense of misadventure or carelessness, and -the chance of making up lost time becomes every hour less and less. - -I had twelve hours before me, so I determined to make good use of them. -I communicated by telegraph with the railway superintendent at Winnipeg -and the engineer in charge of construction at Calgary, to enlist their -co-operation in our advance over the mountains. I drove with my son -from Port Arthur to the River Kaministiquia, a river which assumed some -importance in the early days of the construction of the railway six -years back. The terminus was established three miles from its mouth. -The river is upwards of three hundred feet in width, deep enough to -float the largest lake craft. A bar, easily removable, extends across -the entrance. When this obstruction is removed the river will be in -all respects accessible, and will extend greater capacity for shipping -than the river at Chicago, which accommodates the enormous business of -that city. - -As it was my duty, I visited the Hudson Bay Company’s post near -the mouth of the river. After an existence of two centuries as a -fur-trading station under varied fortunes, it is soon to disappear, -the fate of all such establishments on this continent as civilization -overtakes them. As Bishop Berkeley wrote a century ago, “westward the -star of empire takes its way.” - -In my own recollection the “Far West” was on the eastern shores of -Lakes Huron and Michigan, now far within the limits of civilization. -Those whose fortunes were cast there looked on themselves as pioneers -of an unexplored wilderness. Twenty years ago the upper waters of Lake -Huron and Lake Superior were but just coming into notice, and Fort -William was regarded as the chief eastern outpost of the Hudson’s Bay -Company, beyond which few thought of passing. This celebrated company, -which has played such a part in the history of the North-West of this -continent, was formed under a charter of Charles II. in 1670. It was -the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 which fully recognized the English title -to the territory granted under the charter, and abandoned forever such -French claims as had been preferred, for the Treaty of Ryswick with -France in 1696 had left the question of sovereignty undecided. - -As early as 1641 two Jesuits, Jogues and Raymbault, extended their -missionary labours to the shores of Lake Superior. The main mission, La -Pointe, now Bayfield, on the south shore, was established in 1670, and -the Indians remained during French rule entirely under their influence. -At the period of the conquest the trade of the French disappeared, for -they had no longer the power to visit the country, and by degrees it -fell into British hands. On the one side, the Hudson’s Bay Company, -from the north, pushed onwards to control it, for a period with -success; on the other, parties were started from Montreal to obtain -a share of the great profits which were made, the value of which was -fully known. - -The French trade had been carried on under admirable regulations. -Liquor, so ruinous to the Indian, was withheld from him. The -enterprising Montreal trader introduced it, regardless of consequences: -hence the orgies, the drunkenness and the quarrels which were a scandal -even to the wilderness. To intensify this condition of affairs, some -Montreal merchants entered into a partnership in 1787, and formed -the celebrated North-West Trading Company. It then consisted of -twenty-three partners, with a staff of agents, factors, clerks, guides, -interpreters, voyageurs, amounting in all to two thousand persons. -If the individual trader disappeared from the field, there were two -powerful companies remaining, who had to operate in the same field side -by side, and there sprang up the fiercest and most embittered rivalry. -I shall hereafter refer more definitely to this contention. This state -of things was leading to the common ruin of the two companies, when, in -1821, after forty-three years of competition, discord and disaster, the -two formed one corporation under the title of the Hudson’s Bay Company. - -As I looked upon the old fort on the site of its departed greatness, I -thought of the many stirring scenes which it witnessed before and after -the beginning of this century. The stone store houses, once so well -filled with every requirement, erected around the sides of a square, -are now empty, containing a few boxes of rusty flint muskets and -bayonets, with chests of old papers, dating back, some of them, more -than a hundred years. - -The buildings will all soon be unroofed, to make way for a railway -station. A year ago I saw two old cannon in the front of the courtyard. -On that occasion I believe they fired their last salute. They are now -removed. The old rickety flagstaff still remains, and so soon as it -is known that a member of the Company of Adventurers is within the -precincts the flag is run up as a salute, a service probably for the -last time performed at Fort William. In a few months the whole scene -will be changed. There is still an agent of the Hudson’s Bay Company -in charge, Mr. Richardson, whose complexion of bronze tells of many -years of exposure; and his attendant, an Indian, who has been attached -to the fort for forty years. - -On leaving Mr. Richardson we called on a retired Hudson’s Bay officer, -Mr. John McIntyre, who lives in a comfortable house a little further up -the river. He is an Argyleshire Highlander, who has the stalwartness of -his race, and is as active as ever. At his suggestion we go to Point -de Meuron, named after the soldiers of that regiment in Lord Selkirk’s -service, camped here in the memorable days of 1817. There was nothing -to be seen but the farm, so we returned to the town plot, and, as the -hour suggested, took dinner at the Ontario House, a place of some local -reputation. There were several vessels from Ohio discharging coal at -the railway wharves adjoining, showing that even the narrow cut dredged -some years ago across the bar at the mouth of the river was still -sufficient to admit their passage; establishing, moreover, how easily a -properly excavated channel can be maintained, and plainly showing that -the completion of navigation at the entrance of the Kaministiquia will -eventually have an important bearing on the commerce of the North-West. - -I returned to Port Arthur to prepare for the train, when some of my -friends kindly gave me an invitation to a ball to take place in the -evening. I should have liked to have accepted it for several reasons, -not the least of which was to see that phase of social life in this -region; but it was impossible to lose the twenty-four hours, the price -of my attendance. - -It was dark when the train left, so all that could be done was to turn -to the comfortable Pullman, and in due time retire for the night. The -railway to Winnipeg is far from being completed; indeed, it has but -lately been put in operation. Many of the station buildings have yet to -be erected. As a consequence, the following morning the breakfast was -served under a large canvas awning. There was no pretension about this -breakfast, but what there was of it was good; certainly the ventilation -was perfect. - -The distance from Port Arthur to Winnipeg is some 430 miles, and, -as the unfinished condition of a considerable portion of the line -necessitated travelling at reduced speed, the journey to most of -the passengers seemed very tedious. To me every mile was full of -interest. We pass over that portion of the line known as “Section A,” -which extends to a point 230 miles from Port Arthur. Civilization -and settlement have not penetrated to this district, lying, as it -does, intermediate between Lake Superior and the prairie region. We -have traversed a long stretch of black, boggy swamp, to which the -Indian name of Muskeg has been given. One is reminded of Chatmoss, -where similar difficulties in the infancy of railway construction -were so triumphantly met by the elder Stephenson. Muskeg is much of -the character of peat. It is here inexhaustible, and hereafter may be -valuable from its capacity to be formed into fuel. - -As the train moves on, nothing is to be seen but rock and forest in -their most rugged forms. The falls of Waubigon and those of Eagle -River, as we pass them, are the more striking by the contrast they -present. We reach the far-famed “Section B,” of which we have heard so -much, and which is still a theme of such varied comment by politicians -and newspaper writers. This section of railway passes through a country -rugged in the extreme. The surface is a succession of rocky ridges, -with tortuous lakes and deep muskegs intervening. The line has been -carried across these depressions on temporary staging, and steam -shovels and construction trains are busy converting the miles of frail -looking trestlework into solid embankment. Our train moves slowly over -this portion of the line; indeed, until this work is further advanced -it would be hazardous to adopt a high rate of speed. Eagle Lake, with -the numerous lakelets which we see from the railway, are sheets of -water with beauty enough to command attention. A few rude graves on the -hillside mark the violent death of the poor workmen who suffered from -the careless handling of that dangerous explosive, nitro-glycerine. -Although the most effective of instruments in the removal of rock, the -least want of caution and care often exacts the most terrible penalty. -In the fifty miles we have passed over, upwards of thirty poor fellows -have lost their lives by its use. This explosive may be used with -perfect safety, but in its handling it exacts prudence and attention to -details; otherwise there will be no immunity from want of care. With -the reckless and negligent it is a constant source of danger. - -There is no great area of land suitable for profitable farming -in this district. A few good townships may be laid out, but the -country generally through which the railway runs is not adapted for -agricultural purposes. Every acre of soil, however, is covered with -timber of more or less value. Care should be taken to prevent the -destruction of these forests. Stringent regulations should be made with -regard to them, and no reckless waste permitted. In a few years these -forests will prove sources of considerable wealth, and the ground over -which we are now passing should be jealously guarded as a preserve for -the supply of timber in coming years. - -The passengers begin to be clamorous for the next refreshment station. -We learn that it is at Rat Portage. We trust that the name does not -suggest the cheer we are to receive. There is an old tradition that the -Chinaman delighted in that rodent, and we all have read that during -the siege of Paris it was an established article of food. Rat Portage -is beginning to be an important place. It is situated where the waters -of the Lake of the Woods fall into the River Winnipeg. Four large saw -mills have been constructed here, and immense quantities of lumber have -been despatched to Winnipeg and the country beyond. At present Rat -Portage is the watering place for the City of Winnipeg. Gold mining has -been commenced, but it is a pursuit on which but little calculation can -be made. - -For the moment there is excitement in the district, and many explorers -are engaged in examining the rocky ledges which crop out on the shore -and are exposed on the innumerable islands of the Lake of the Woods. It -is to be seen if this is a passing spasm or an assured success. When -some instance of individual good fortune in gold mining becomes known, -crowds for a time push forward eagerly, many desperately, on the path -which they impulsively trust is to lead them at once to fortune. Such -hopes are often built on imperfect foundations. The slightest reverse -depresses the sanguine gold-hunter, and the pursuit is most often -abandoned with the recklessness with which it was undertaken. How many -may with bitterness repeat the well known words of my countryman, John -Leyden, in his ode to an Indian gold coin: - - “Slave of the mine, thy yellow light - Gleams baleful on the tomb fire drear.” - -When the train came to a stand the proverbial rush for dinner was made. -No regular refreshment room could be found. In fact, none had yet -been erected. But there were several temporary shanties built around, -whose merits were loudly proclaimed by the several touts in a great -many words and the ringing of bells. We had made the acquaintance of -some New Zealand travellers on their way to see two sons settled in -Manitoba, and we agreed to take our dinner together. We selected one -of these establishments. Our recollections of Rat Portage are not -impressed by any excellence in its commissariat. That which was set -before us was execrable. I am not difficult to please, but there is -a lower depth in these matters. Such a meal would scarcely have been -palatable during the hunger of the siege of Paris, and a man could only -have swallowed what was given at Rat Portage when suffering the pangs -of starvation. There is evidently a call for improvement at this place -before the line is fully opened to travellers. - -Leaving Rat Portage, we pass to what is known as “Section Fifteen.” It -is nearly forty miles in length, and, like “Section B,” runs through a -district remarkable for its rugged aspect. For a long distance west of -Rat Portage the country is much the same in character as the Lake of -the Woods: full of rocky, tree-covered ridges and islets, the former -a labyrinth of deep, narrow, winding sheets of water, separated by -tortuous granite bluffs. If the lake has within its limits hundreds of -islands, the land embraces innumerable lakelets. It was this rugged and -broken country, so repelling in its condition in the wilderness, which -dictated the opinion of a quarter of a century back of high authorities -that the country between Lake Superior and Red River was not -practicable for railway construction. The difficulties have, however, -been grappled with and overcome, necessarily with great labour and -great cost; and, as I was passing over it, it struck my mind as no bad -example of the danger of positively asserting a negative. The necessary -work of placing the trestlework in good condition on “Section Fifteen” -is more advanced than on “Section B.” The train, therefore, runs at a -higher rate of speed. As we proceed we can observe that the roadbed is -fairly well ballasted, and we run at about thirty miles an hour on the -finished portion of the line, over the gigantic earthworks of Cross -Lake, Lake Deception and the succeeding lakes. - -The distance from Lake Superior to the Red River at Selkirk is 410 -miles, and notwithstanding the extreme roughness of the country through -which it passes, the railway, when completed, will bear comparison with -any other line on this Continent. The utmost care has been exercised -to establish gradients favourable to cheap transportation. In this -respect I know of no other four hundred miles of railway in the -Dominion or in the United States that can be compared with the section -west of Port Arthur. - -We leave “Section 15” and the rugged country behind us, and enter on -the prairie land of the West. We pass Selkirk, which once promised to -be a centre of importance, but the City of Winnipeg, twenty miles to -the south of it, has grown up, is rapidly increasing, and asserting its -claim to be the first city in the North-West. As we proceed the sky -becomes darkened and we are overtaken by a thunderstorm, during which -the rain falls in as heavy masses of water as it has ever been my fate -to see. The wind increases to a hurricane, but art triumphs over the -elements. As the train continues its course on the well ballasted road, -at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour, the passengers generally -seemed scarcely aware of the tempest raging outside. An unusual -phenomenon is presented: we pass through an electrical snowstorm, -which, in a few minutes, whitens the ground over a stretch of a mile. -Hail storms are in no way uncommon when the conditions of the air are -disturbed, but I have never before witnessed a snowstorm under similar -circumstances. - -We reach the station at Winnipeg, having been twenty-four hours on -our journey. A few years ago the distance from Lake Superior to this -point, by the old canoe route, exacted twelve or fourteen days. When -the railway is in complete working order the journey may be performed -in fourteen hours. On my arrival at the station the night was black and -forbidding, for the rain continued to fall in torrents. Nevertheless -several old friends were there to extend me a welcome and the offer -of a temporary home. Among others I grasped the hand of Dr. Grant, -of Queen’s College, who again is to be my companion to the Pacific -Coast. Before leaving the station I made definite arrangements with the -railway officials to leave in thirty-six hours for Calgary. We groped -our way through the wind and rain to profit by the hospitality so -kindly offered, and I was not sorry to find myself again under a roof -with the best of good cheer before me. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -_WINNIPEG, HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY, LORD SELKIRK._ - - Early Explorers of the North-West--Du Luth--De la Verendrye-- - Mackenzie--Hudson’s Bay Company--Treaty of Utrecht--North-West - Company--Lord Selkirk--War in the North-West--Union of the Rival - Companies--The North-West Annexed to Canada. - - -Winnipeg, with a population of 30,000 inhabitants, is the creation of -the last decade. Thirteen years back there was little to distinguish -its site from any other spot on the river’s bank. The Red River was -skirted by a single tier of holdings on the shore line, directly -along its banks for a distance of fifty miles, known as the Selkirk -Settlement. At the confluence of the River Assiniboine with the main -stream there stood old Fort Garry, an establishment of the Hudson’s -Bay Company. We have in this old fort the precursor of the city. In -1859 a few buildings, including a hotel, were clustered near it as the -commencement of the future Winnipeg. At an early date in the history of -French Canada a great extent of the country around the western lakes -was explored. Prominent among the many men eminent in these discoveries -was Du Luth, who appears in connection with the North-West as having -been the first to establish a fort on the River Kaministiquia, Lake -Superior, about 1680, on the site of Fort William. It is not to be -supposed that at this date no further explorations were undertaken -westward by the French. Many of the waterways were certainly known, and -to some extent they were followed. But no attempt was made to extend -trade operations beyond Lake Superior; and it was only to a limited -extent that discovery was pushed westward. For some years exploration -was turned towards the south of the territory held by the French, to -guard against the encroachment of the English from New York, which now -commenced to attract more attention. - -There is no proof that any change in this respect took place until the -days of De la Verendrye. This remarkable man in 1731 was in charge of -Fort Nepigon, Lake Superior. In that year he started westward across -the height of land, passed through the chain of lakes to the Lake of -the Woods and followed the River Winnipeg to Lake Winnipeg. Proceeding -to the south of the Lake he ascended the Red River and reached the -Assiniboine. I cannot learn that any white man, before him, ever stood -on the site of the present City of Winnipeg. - -A series of forts were constructed by him; one where Rainy River flows -into the Lake of the Woods, Fort St. Pierre; one on what is known as -the Northwest Angle, Fort Charles; one where the River Winnipeg flows -into Lake Winnipeg, Fort Maurepas, which name he also gave to the -lake itself; one where the Red River flows into Lake Winnipeg, Fort -Rouge; and one at the junction of the Assiniboine with the Red River, -proximately on the site of the City of Winnipeg, Fort de la Reine. - -De la Verendrye, himself, never saw the Rocky Mountains, but the -discovery was made by his two sons in an expedition organized by him -and carried out in accordance with his instructions. They started from -the Fort de la Reine, followed the Assiniboine to the River Souris, -which they traced to one of its sources, thence passing to the Missouri -they followed that stream till they came within sight of the first -range of mountains. It was therefore to the south of Canadian territory -that the peaks were first seen. De la Verendrye had made a series of -northern explorations, reaching the Saskatchewan by Lake Winnipeg, -into which it discharges. He established Fort Bourbon at this point. -He advanced along the river as far as Lake Cumberland, at the entrance -to which he established Fort Poscoyac, which seems to have been the -limit of his travels. He was acquainted with Lake Winnipegoosis and -Lake Manitoba, and established Fort Dauphin at the northern end of the -latter lake. While engaged in organizing a more extended expedition he -died in 1749 at Quebec. - -The succeeding ten years of French Canada were passed in the struggle -for national life. The North-West obtained but little attention -except for the purpose of commerce with the Indians. In spite of the -difficulties of carrying it on, it had increased in extent and was -now of considerable importance. With the conquest the trade almost -disappeared, and it was not for some years afterwards that it was -recommenced on the part of the British. - -The celebrated Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the first white man who by land -reached the Pacific Ocean in Northern latitudes, has left some valuable -information concerning the trade of this period. We learn from him that -the military posts established by the French at the confluence of the -lakes had strongly in view the control of the traffic in furs. During -French rule, trade had been conducted under admirable regulations. He -himself tells us that a number of able and respectable men, retired -from the army, had carried on their operations under license with -great order and regularity. At the same time, the trade itself was -fettered by many unwise restrictions. Nevertheless it was taken to -immense distances, and “it was a matter of surprise,” he adds, “that no -exertions were made from Hudson’s Bay to obtain even a share of the -trade,” which, according to the charter of that company, belonged to it. - -The Hudson’s Bay Company at this date had been nearly a century in -existence. Hudson’s last voyage to Hudson’s Bay was in 1610. In -1612 Button sailed and discovered Port Nelson, York Factory. It was -not, however, until 1669 that any settlement was made, when Captain -Zachariah Gillam, a New England captain, established himself at the -discharge of the Nemisco and constructed a stone fort, calling it Fort -Charles, the present Fort Rupert. It was after this step, on the 2nd of -May, 1670, that the charter was given to the Hudson’s Bay Company, a -result no little owing to the influence of Prince Rupert. - -The first operations of the company were marked by great energy, -and their trade rapidly increased. In the first fifteen years five -factories were in operation: Rupert, to the east of James’ Bay, at the -discharge of the River Nemisco; Hayes, at the south-western corner and -at the mouth of the Moose River; Albany, on the west, some twenty miles -north of Moose River; York Factory, on the Nelson River; and Churchill, -north of York, the most northerly settlement on the west coast. - -From 1686 to the Treaty of Utrecht there were a series of attempts -on the part of French Canada to dispossess the company. No doubt the -French authorities held that their supremacy was dangerously threatened -by the establishment of flourishing settlements to the north, -identical in nationality with the Bostonnais of Massachusetts and the -English of New York. The Treaty of Ryswick itself, in 1695, even became -the cause of difficulty, from the vagueness of its provisions, and it -was not until the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, that the French claims -were entirely abandoned. The English Government had determined to -retain Nova Scotia, the fisheries of Newfoundland and what was called -the Hudson’s Bay Territory, and on that basis peace was made. - -For the next half century there was no clashing of interests between -the Hudson’s Bay Company and the French of Canada, owing to the -operations of the latter being extended in a limited degree north -of Lake Superior. After the conquest, for some years, the trade was -thrown entirely into the Company’s hands. Indians even went to York -Factory to barter their furs. During this period the profits must have -been immense. It was only by degrees that the English traders from -Canada penetrated into the country. They found the Indian unfriendly. -The French had instilled into his mind a jealousy of the English -speaking race, having represented it as the ally of the Iroquois, the -long-standing enemy of the Lake Superior Indians. A rooted distrust -had thus grown up which long remained. About 1766 trade somewhat -recommenced, assisted by Montreal enterprise. Michillimackinac was for -a long time the base of such operations, and few traders penetrated -further than the Kaministiquia. Thomas Curry was the first to pass -beyond this limit. He reached Fort Bourbon, where Cedar Lake discharges -into Lake Winnipeg, whence he brought away so fine a cargo of furs that -he was satisfied never again to return to the Indian country. - -By this time the Hudson’s Bay Company had pushed on their posts -to Sturgeon Lake, and now commenced that antagonism between those -representing the interests centered at Montreal and the members of the -company, which for half a century caused difficulty, embarrassment, -loss and finally bloodshed. - -One of the charges made against the Montreal traders of those days was -that they were the first to introduce rum into the North-West, to the -ruin of the Indians. - -A name of that period, preserved in the records of the law, still -survives: Peter Pond, who was tried for the murder of one of his -partners. He escaped by the Court determining that they had no -jurisdiction in the territory. Pond was a man of much energy. Following -in the steps of Frobisher, he traded north of Lake Winnipeg to the -tributaries of the Churchill, and to the Westward as far as the -Arthabaska and Elk Rivers. His purpose was to intercept the furs _en -route_ to Fort Churchill, on Hudson’s Bay. The trade, in the meantime, -received a severe blow from the conduct of some traders at Eagle -Hills. A dose of laudanum was given to an Indian, and caused his death. -In the turmoil which ensued several lives were lost, and the commerce -with the Indians became much impeded. - -To remedy the depressed condition of the trade and to avoid further -complications, the North-West Company was formed in 1783. A rival -company was started, of which the celebrated Mackenzie was a member. -The two were, however, united in 1787. - -At this date the North-West Company arrogated to itself full control -over the country. No operations of any kind except under their -authority were permitted. The company was supreme. The private trader -was driven from the field, and it would seem that these extreme -measures could be carried out with impunity. They were the days of the -North-West Company’s affluence and power. Influences even without its -ranks came within their control, to make the organization irresistible. -Peculiarly it was a Canadian enterprise, and as such commanded -sympathy against competition from without. We can scarcely, at this -day, understand the extent of its power. In our commercial world, as -we find it, there are many wealthy corporations possessing social and -political control. The avenues to wealth and distinction are numerous, -branching out from many centres. It may be asserted that formerly the -North-West was looked upon as the one field which promised prizes in -life’s lottery to the youth of the country. The leading magnates, who -had large incomes, indulged in princely hospitality, the memory of -which has not wholly died away, and it may be conceived how, at that -date, with a small population, with a limited field for enterprise, -with little general wealth, the power of the company was everywhere -recognized. - -I have now arrived at the period when I have to record the settlement -of Red River, the forerunner of the City of Winnipeg: indeed, the first -step taken towards making the prairies the abode of civilized life. The -task is not easy. The ashes of the fires of that day are yet warm under -our feet. The sons and grandsons of the men whose names are identified -with the leading events are among those who we meet daily. The story -has often been told; nevertheless it is only imperfectly known. The -principal actor in these events was Lord Selkirk. As his character is -studied it must be conceded that few men have been marked by a higher -sense of life and duty. A man of remarkable ability, his character was -one of rare disinterestedness and chivalry, and I cannot but think his -name will so live in our history. - -As early as 1802 Lord Selkirk entered into correspondence with the -English Government on the advisability of promoting emigration from -the Highlands and Ireland to Rupert’s Land. The following year he -arranged to carry a body of Highlanders to Prince Edward Island. We -next hear of him in Canada and the United States, where he passed two -years examining into the means available to carry out his purpose. -During 1804 he entered into correspondence with General Hunter, -then Governor of Upper Canada, now Ontario, with regard to making -settlements in that Province. Those were not the days when questions -such as these received much attention, nor were they even understood. -The value of population to develop the resources of a country had -generally to be better known before correct views could prevail as to -the value of unsettled land, and the negotiations failed owing to the -excessive price demanded for it. - -As Canada did not offer the field sought, Lord Selkirk turned to the -Hudson’s Bay Company as the means by which his theories of colonization -could be carried out. He and his friends took their measures -accordingly. He purchased stock in the company, and thus obtained a -commanding influence and the recognition necessary for the prosecution -of the undertaking. This event took place in 1811. - -From the commencement the North-West Company vigorously opposed his -project. They looked upon Lord Selkirk as a visionary, and his scheme -alike impracticable and undesirable. They might not be unwilling to -divide the hunting ground of a continent with their rivals, but they -did not recognise that the prairies of the west were available for -support of human life. They regarded the country as a wilderness, -to be reserved for the fur-bearing animals alone. Hitherto their -profits had been excessive and secure, and any change threatening the -discontinuance or reduction of the advantages which they possessed had -to be avoided. - -Evidently such a scheme as that of Lord Selkirk’s was the first step -towards the destruction of their trade and the diminution of their -profits. The same year some ninety persons, mostly Highland cotters -from Sutherlandshire, with a few additions from the West of Ireland, -reached Hudson’s Bay. They wintered there, and in 1812 travelled to -Red River, a proceeding in itself memorable, as from it dates the -settlement of the North-West. A further number was added in 1813. The -two winters 1812-1813, till the spring of 1814, were passed at Pembina, -at Fort Daer. The Governor was Captain Miles Macdonnell, formerly of -the Queen’s Rangers. In 1814 further settlers arrived under Mr. A. -Macdonald, having passed the winter at Fort Churchill. Towards the end -of the year the number amounted to two hundred. - -It was in this year that the Governor issued the proclamation so much -criticized and censured, and it has been brought forward as sufficient -in itself to justify the inimical proceedings subsequently taken -against the settlement. It is difficult to recognize that it was -not warranted by the circumstances, and, considering the interests -entrusted to the Governor, that it was not one which he had a perfect -right to issue when he did so, in no way to the injury of others. He -directed that no provisions should be exported from the country, as -such stores were required for the arrivals expected, that money would -be paid for all produce, and that those not observing these regulations -would be arrested. The Governor must have known and felt the -difficulties under which he was placed. The North-West Company, both in -London and on this continent, had shown the strongest opposition to the -settlement. Independently of the nature of the difficulties incident to -the situation, there was this enmity to be met; an enmity known to be -powerful and not over scrupulous. It is true that it had not taken the -armed and open attitude which it ultimately assumed, but the ruin of -the settlement had long been resolved upon. - -A council of the officers of the North-West Company was held at Fort -William in 1814, and it is in evidence that it was here that plans -were formed to induce the settlers to abandon their homesteads and -prejudice the Indians against them--every employé of the company was -already their foe--and to buy up all the provisions so that scarcity -should result and ruin to the settlement follow. It was in anticipation -of such a scheme that the Governor’s proclamation was issued. He had -obtained information that such a policy would be followed, and he -endeavoured, on his side, to meet it as best he could. - -The Selkirk settlers had constructed a new fort, Fort Douglas. Its site -lies within the present City of Winnipeg, not far from Fort Gibraltar, -the property of the North-West Company. It was in 1814 that Duncan -Cameron came to the Red River in charge of the latter. His special -mission was to influence the settlers to abandon their homes. Cameron -is represented to have been a man of address and plausibility, and he -so well executed the duty assigned him of making those who listened to -him discontented that about three-fourths of the number left the Red -River for Upper Canada. Their descendants are yet to be found in the -Counties of Elgin, Middlesex and Simcoe, in Ontario. - -It will scarcely be believed that a notice was served on those -who remained, signed by four partizans of the North-West Company, -sternly requiring them to leave the settlement. It had to be entirely -abandoned. The better to show their power, in the temporary absence of -the Governor, they removed the cannon, implements and other property -from Fort Douglas. The proceeding was doubtless calculated to show the -strength of the North-West Company, side by side with the impotent -character of Lord Selkirk’s protection. There was no course open but -compliance. The exiles took canoes and paddled down the Red River to -Lake Winnipeg, and reached Norway House, to the north of the lake. -They had not been long here when they were met by Collin Robertson and -some twenty employés passing up Jack River on their way to join the -settlement. Robertson was a man of determination, and saw that there -was no good reason why the enterprise should be abandoned, and that -such an outrage, with one of Selkirk’s character, would only call for -renewed effort. He induced the settlers to return. They found their -houses burned and their property destroyed. This occurred in August, -but in October an additional number came, and the settlement had -regained more assured strength. We have now arrived at 1816. - -In the half century which had elapsed since the conquest that which -may almost be called a new race of men had sprung up: the children of -the French _voyageurs_ of the North-West Company, who had married or -lived with Indian women in the neighbourhood of the several forts. -They obtained the name of “Bois-Brulés.” They were powerful in frame, -disinclined to restraint, attached to a wandering life and unsettled -habits, mostly without education. They were easily accessible to those -who knew how to appeal to their prejudices. They had courage, and -under able leaders became a formidable foe. Their sympathies were -difficult to determine. Perhaps the leading feature of their character -was jealousy of their individual rights. In subsequent years their -self-assertion took so threatening a form that the presence of Imperial -troops more than once became necessary. Early in June, 1816, a party -of them gathered at Portage-la-Prairie, on the Assiniboine. They had -but one object in view. It was, in a sentence, to retain the country -for themselves, and to drive out all whom they had learned to look upon -as intruders. There is everything to show that they were perfectly -organized. They were armed, it is said that they were painted and -disguised, and every precaution taken to make their movements appear an -act of the genuine Red man. The evidence, accessible to those who will -examine it, shows that the Indians were in no way mixed up with the -expedition. It was confined to the men whose sympathies were with the -North-West Company. Their operations commenced by seizing some boats -and furs at Portage-la-Prairie, belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company, -and advancing to Fort Douglas, at Red River. - -At the fort itself the intrigues and intentions of those hostile to -the settlement were known, and in some undefined way it was felt that -danger was near. What form it would take, or whence it would come, -none could say, but a watch was kept night and day. It would appear -that the attack came earlier than was looked for. On the evening of -the 17th June the alarm was given of the approach of the Bois-Brulés. -Semple was the Governor. He was a man of courage and had served. He -did what little he could with the resources which at that hour were -available. He collected a few men and started onwards to meet the -advancing party. Seeing the numbers increase, he sent for a cannon and -more force, and in the meantime continued to advance. As the opposing -parties approached, each leader asked the other what he wanted. It is -stated that one of the Governor’s party fired a shot in the air, on -which a shot from the Bois-Brulés brought down Mr. Holte, who held -the rank of lieutenant in the settlement. The firing became general. -Governor Semple was killed and his men fell around him. Twenty-two -in all were shot. There is no report of a death on the side of the -Bois-Brulés. No further resistance was attempted, and Fort Douglas was -given over to the North-Westers. The settlers were compelled to take -to their canoes and find a refuge where they could. The settlement was -again entirely broken up. - -Such was the celebrated affair of Seven Oaks on the 17th June, 1816, -yet sung in the songs of the Bois-Brulés and chanted as the hymn of -victory. - -Lord Selkirk had heard the story of the attack of the preceding -year, and at once hurried to Canada. He passed the winter of 1815 -in Montreal, the season being too late for him to go west. Governor -Semple was held to be in all respects competent, and Lord Selkirk had -given him his full confidence; so it was thought that until his own -arrival no further difficulty would be experienced. He was, however, -convinced that the attacks had not ceased, and that if the settlement -had to be defended a force sufficient to meet such outrages had to -be found. The deMeuron and Watteville regiments were on the eve of -being disbanded, and Lord Selkirk obtained from their ranks the men -he required to recruit the colony. These regiments were two of the -foreign legion raised during the Peninsula war; they had been ordered -to Canada in 1812. At the peace after Waterloo their disbandment was -resolved on. They left the British service with the highest reputation -for discipline and conduct. Early in June, 1816, the expedition started -from Montreal with four officers and eighty men of the deMeuron corps. -At Kingston the number was increased by seventy of the Watteville -regiment. It proceeded up to Drummond’s Island on Lake Huron to receive -a sergeant and six men of the Imperial army, who were to be present at -Red River as a proof of the countenance given to the settlement by the -home authorities. - -Selkirk joined the expedition at Sault St. Mary His purpose was to -have proceeded to Duluth, Fond du Lac, and to have crossed overland to -Red River. They had not advanced far when they met Miles Macdonnell -bringing down the news of the second destruction of the colony and of -the violent death of the Governor and twenty-one of his people. Selkirk -at once started for Fort William to meet the foe on his own ground. -They arrived on the 12th August and encamped on the Point deMeuron, -some five miles from the mouth of the Kaministiquia, a name it still -retains, and which the reader may remember I alluded to when visiting -that locality. A demand was at once made on the fort for the parties -captured, who had been brought there as prisoners. The North-West -people denied the fact of the arrest, and sent them to Point deMeuron. - -Lord Selkirk had now before him the evidence of such of his people who -had suffered at Seven Oaks to confirm the opinion that the trouble -had been caused by the North-West Company. Fort William was unable to -resist him. He arrested McGillivray, McKenzie and others of the Company -who were then present, by warrant. They were allowed to remain for a -time at Fort William, but as it was evident a rescue was intended, he -sent them down as prisoners to York, now Toronto, under an escort. -Selkirk wintered on the Kaministiquia and collected provisions. On the -1st May, 1817, he started for Red River, and arrived there the last -week in June, passing over the distance in seven or eight weeks, which -recently I travelled by rail in twenty-four hours. The settlement was -again established. - -Like all men who take a prominent part in life’s drama, Lord Selkirk -has his admirers and defamers. There are those who can see in his -conduct only the most self-interested motives and an example of -arbitrary, tyrannical self-assertion. He lived in an age when his -unselfish views were rare. To-day we can better understand that his -object in urging emigration as a scheme to aid the poor and struggling -masses of an overcrowded country, sprang from philanthropy and a desire -to relieve suffering humanity. His personal comforts and benefits lay -in the opposite direction to the course he pursued. A calculation -of the chances could promise only misconception of his motives and -personal annoyance. He lived half a century before his time. Of late -years his theories have been accepted as admitted truths. Every -facility has been established to carry them out. The shores of this -Continent yearly bear witness in the number of immigrants who arrive, -that it is the policy of all wise governments to aid the less fortunate -of a people to seek a home on the unoccupied lands which are open to -them. Such was Selkirk’s view. Moreover, he desired to keep up the -national prestige. His aim was to transplant those who were willing -to struggle to better their future to a land of promise beyond the -seas, where they were required to adapt themselves to no new political -existence; where they changed, it is true, the scene of their lives, -but still remained subjects of the mother land whence they had sprung. - -In 1821 the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North-West Company united -their fortunes, and have since continued under the name of the Hudson’s -Bay Company. - -Here I shall leave the subject. The events which grew out of the -proceedings above described are too near the present day to suggest -that any comment should be made upon them in the circumstances under -which I write. For the next half century the colony passed through many -difficulties. It had no assistance in the shape of emigration. The -Bois-Brulés often caused trouble. After Lord Selkirk’s death, which -took place in Paris in 1820, the wants of the settlers were cared for -by his relatives. In 1835 they gave up all control to the Hudson’s Bay -Company. - -The events following the transfer of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s -territory to the Government of Canada in 1870 are fresh in remembrance, -and the period has not arrived to state them dispassionately. In the -meantime Winnipeg has grown up to be a lively, bustling city, full of -business and enterprise. One danger, however, threatens Winnipeg, that -of floods; and I allude to it in the hope of directing the attention -of those of her citizens who have influence, that some consideration -be given to the subject, so that all possible precautions be taken to -reduce the risk of danger and loss. I believe it is one of the painful -experiences of humanity that where a flood has once been, there is -always a probability that it may repeat itself. During the early days -of the Pacific Railway this question was earnestly considered. The -levels of the recorded floods of 1826, 1852 and of 1861, from which -the Selkirk settlements suffered so much, showed that there was danger -to be apprehended, and that it would be advisable to bridge the Red -River at a point where traffic would run no risk of being impeded. The -town plot of Selkirk, about twenty miles nearer Lake Winnipeg, was the -point recommended. I have no desire to be an alarmist and to reproduce -the accounts of these floods, written by Archbishop Taché, the Bishop -of Rupert’s Land, and by Mr. Alexander Ross. It is not to be said that -these gentlemen were interested witnesses desirous of injuring the -country in which they lived. - -No one can more firmly hope than myself that no such flood may ever -again happen. We have, however, before us the experience of this winter -in the central United States, and the people of Winnipeg themselves -have had several premonitory warnings within the past few years. Should -there be a repetition of what has previously happened, damage so -extensive must arise that it cannot be contemplated without dread. All -but the original landowners and the speculators who have been enriched -by their operations in lots will be serious sufferers, and none more -than the population of Winnipeg will deplore that the city has been -built within the known limits of a periodic overflow. - -The time has passed for the consideration where a better location might -have been obtained for the establishment of a centre of the importance -which Winnipeg promises to attain. But it is necessary to endeavour to -find a solution to the complicated engineering problem by which future -disastrous consequences may be avoided. The responsibility is now -thrown upon the Municipal Corporation, and it is their duty to care for -the safety of the city, so that there will be the least cause to lament -that it has not been founded on a site above all risk of injury from -floods. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -_WINNIPEG TO CALGARY._ - - Winnipeg--Great Storm--Portage-la-Prairie--Brandon--Moose Jaw--Old - Wives’ Lakes--The Indians--Maple Creek--Medicine Hat--Rocky - Mountains. - - -The rain continued to fall in torrents the whole night of our arrival -in Winnipeg, and the gale increased in violence. The streets were next -to impassable. Roadways, without paving or metal, in the newest of -cities, formed only on the deep, black, vegetable soil of the locality, -are the least fitted to undergo an ordeal such as that of the last -fifteen hours. The storm increased in strength to the time when the -services commenced, so on this Sunday the city clergymen preached to -pews almost empty. It was not until late in the afternoon that its -violence passed away. But its traces were everywhere visible. Trees -recently planted had been torn up by their roots; buildings had been -unroofed and many injured; frame-work in course of construction had -been destroyed, and a church steeple was completely thrown down. As -daylight was waning it became possible to walk on the plank sidewalk -without danger of being mastered by the wind. The roads were in a -terrible condition, and where no plank had been laid down, the foot -sank deep into the tenacious mud. - -I had arranged to start by the eight o’clock train on the Monday. -Our baggage had been all collected, and we breakfasted early. The -cabman anticipated the appointed hour, bearing in mind the condition -of the streets through which his horses had to toil. The roads were, -indeed, in a wretched state. I could only compare the thoroughly -saturated, deep, black, vegetable soil to treacle, and the horses -had to do their utmost to draw the load through it. The wheels were -often axle deep, and the vehicle cracked, from time to time, as if -it was going to pieces. The platform of the station was crowded. The -last look was given to the bags, blankets and waterproofs, and to the -saddles, bridles, tents and our whole outfit, to see that they were all -collected and that nothing was left behind. As it would be impossible -to supply a missing necessary after we had left the railway, the -inspection had to be made with care. - -During my stay in Winnipeg I saw the Chief Commissioner of the Hudson’s -Bay Company, and discussed with him the possibility of having supplies -sent from the Company’s establishment in British Columbia to meet us at -a point east of Kamloops. It would scarcely be possible to carry with -us from this side sufficient food for the whole distance. It seemed -practicable, however, to make this arrangement, and he kindly undertook -to telegraph and also explicitly instruct his agent in British Columbia -to carry it out. Before leaving the station it was definitely agreed -that such supplies should reach the Columbia River, opposite the -Eagle Pass, by the 8th or 10th of September. If on our arrival at -Calgary circumstances compelled us to abandon the attempt to cross the -mountains, the fact would be telegraphed both to himself and to British -Columbia. - -The distance across from Calgary to Kamloops is possibly over 400 -miles. Leaving the railway at the former place, we must carry our -provisions with us, limiting our supply to the bare quantity necessary -to reach the point agreed upon. To make a good start is one of the -first elements of success, and it was my endeavour to avoid all ground -for self-reproach whatever might hereafter happen. - -As the train moved out of the station many of our old friends kindly -bade us farewell. The railway company had kindly placed at my disposal -a private car, attached to the rear of the four ordinary cars, which, -with the baggage and post office cars, constituted the train. My small -party was now joined by Dr. Grant, who had accompanied me on a similar -expedition across the continent eleven years back. - -There is no great extent of farming to be seen immediately in the -neighbourhood of Winnipeg. The land, I believe, is generally held -by speculators; probably as the “boom” has lost somewhat of its -force, this fallow land may once more be considered of value to the -agriculturist. During the past two years the locality has generally -been regarded as given up to speculation. As we proceed, however, we -come upon fields of oats and wheat, and much to the surprise of all of -us the grain stands up undamaged by the recent storm. - -The line runs, I will not say in the Valley of the Assiniboine, for -such an expression will scarcely convey the meaning in this prairie -country, but its direction follows generally the course of the river -to Portage-la-Prairie, from which point the route is almost due west. -Ten years ago Portage-la-Prairie had little more than the name by which -it was known by the _voyageur_; it is now a thriving town with many -streets and buildings extended over possibly a square mile. Two large -elevators are constructed on the railway line for the storage of wheat, -and there is a brisk, lively tone about the station, which, I am told, -is characteristic of the place. The town is on the northern bank of the -Assiniboine, directly to the south of Lake Winnipeg. A branch railway -has been established north-westerly to Gladstone. The next station is -Burnside, an improvement on Rat Creek, as it was once called. The new -name has not unlikely been suggested by some recollection of McGill -College, Montreal; the Burnside estate being the property on which that -University is built, and which furnished the means of its endowment. - -Eleven years ago I camped at this place, not far from the last house -on the prairies, no settlers having ventured west of where we stood. -The country around is now well cultivated, large fields of waving grain -stretch far back from the railway on both sides; and one might easily -fancy he was looking at a champagne country, developed by a century of -agriculture. Archbishop Taché was on the train, and did me the favour -to join us in our car. It need scarcely be said that our comfort and -convenience had been much increased by the possession of this private -car. Accommodation, in respect to meals, on many parts of the line is -not fully completed. We had a kitchen and a cook and a well provided -larder. We had bedrooms and couches, chairs and tables in perfect -arrangement. Meals were served regularly whether the train was standing -or moving. Our dinner with the Archbishop was very pleasant. He was in -excellent spirits, and we thoroughly enjoyed his conversation. We were -fortunate in respect to our cook, an artist in his way, and he did his -utmost to develop the many resources kindly provided for our use. - -Before reaching Brandon we passed through the luxuriant rolling prairie -in the neighbourhood of Carberry. It is diversified by groves of -trees, and it is an easy effort of thought to imagine that you are in -a suburban park of some large city. The soil is good and warm. Large -crops of grain are visible, and in no way have they been affected by -the storm of yesterday. - -We arrived at Brandon, where the passengers dine. We are now 130 -miles from Winnipeg. The progress at Brandon in so short a time is -remarkable. The streets are well formed, and, owing to the gravelly -nature of the soil, I could not but think, in a much better condition -than those we had left behind in Winnipeg. The town is advantageously -situated on a slope rising from the River Assiniboine, and commands -a good view of the surrounding landscape. It has become a busy and -important place. I was here a year ago, and then a cluster of canvas -tents constituted the town. The prairie in all directions in the -neighbourhood has a warm subsoil of sandy or gravelly loam, differing -from the deep, black, vegetable mould of the level banks of Red River. -Settlers’ houses and huts are seen in all directions, and I learn -that a great extent of the country has been taken up for farming. -As we advance westward the prairie appears in all respects suited -for settlement, and we see indications on all sides that the land is -occupied. - -We pass Virden, a station and village which have sprung into existence -in a year. About forty good wooden houses have replaced the one -tent of twelve months back. Carpenters are at work on an elevator, -on the summit of which their hammers resound, and which will soon be -completed. The streets of the village are also in course of formation; -and one feels that there is here great promise of a prosperous future. - -We have now reached the spot on the line where the reservation of the -mile belt along the railway begins, so the farms cease to come within -our immediate view. Stations succeed each other at every eight or ten -miles. To a greater or less extent a village is springing up around -each station. Passing one of these places our attention was drawn -to a pile of lumber destined, we were told, for the erection of a -Presbyterian Church. With some complacency we are asked to accept it -as an evidence that there are farmers, not far distant, to attend the -church, and that it is an evidence of their piety. It is a material -proof of the confidence of those furnishing the money to build it, that -there is every inducement to remain where they have settled, and that -their future is one of assured confidence. - -Moosomin is the place where the train halts for supper. It has a life -of six months and now counts several buildings. Meals, however, are -still given in a canvas tent. Broadview, twenty miles further, is a -place of more importance. Here an engine stable has been constructed, -and we obtain a fresh locomotive. As it is nine o’clock when we -arrive, a Pullman sleeper is attached to the train. It has been raining -and the night is dark; between ten and eleven the moon comes out to -some extent. We can see by its light the country around us, but all of -us had risen early and we were not sorry to seek our beds. - -During the night we have passed fourteen or fifteen embryo towns. -We even failed to see Regina, the capital of Assiniboine. I cannot, -therefore, speak of its Government buildings, its terraces, its avenues -and its parks. Possibly it may be described as being a place of as much -importance as Winnipeg was ten or twelve years ago. - -We reached Moose Jaw before breakfast, and received a copy of the -_Moose Jaw News_. Amongst its advertisements we learn that pianos are -offered for sale, and that these luxuries can be had side by side with -buckboards, stoves, and, what is of first importance in that country, -lumber. The paper, we learn, is published every Friday morning in the -city of Moose Jaw. There can be no doubt of its journalistic loyalty -to the interests advocated. The city is declared to be in all respects -a better, larger and more promising city than its rival, Regina, and -it is authoritatively claimed that the _News_ has an infinitely larger -list of subscribers than the _Leader_, published at the Capital. On -leaving this ambitious place, four hundred miles from Winnipeg, and -the editor and his readers have our best wishes for the future of -their city, our cook gives us a breakfast which would satisfy the most -critical _gourmet_. The line now follows Thunder Creek, gradually -ascending the grand Coteau of the Missouri. It may be said that we have -been passing over classic ground. According to common belief, it was -this route which the sons of De la Verendrye followed when they first -saw the Rocky Mountains. Leaving the Red River by the Assiniboine, they -turned into its tributary, the Souris, which they traced to its source, -not far to the south of us, and then passed over to the Missouri. - -The herbage is light but the soil, when turned over to form the -embankment, is warm, friable clay. I cannot but believe that if the -rainfall be sufficient, almost any crop will thrive upon such a soil. -The summers are undoubtedly dry in this section, if we may judge from -the flora; all grain, it seems to me, should be sowed in the first days -of spring to profit by the moisture of that season and to obtain early -strength. There is an utter absence of trees on these rolling plains, -and it would be well to encourage plantation for many reasons, not the -least important being the improvement of the climate. It is not by -spasmodic efforts at plantation that any appreciable change will be -effected. It is only by constant and persevering labour that the face -of the country can be changed and the climate rendered less arid. - -Secretan is the name of the station on the summit and we descend -westerly, passing through cuttings which expose fine beds of gravel, -excellent for ballast and road work. - -At some of the stations there are groups of Indians, men and women. -We enter into conversation with them through an interpreter on the -platform. Pie-à-Pot, the great Indian chief, we are told, has gone on a -mission to the Lieutenant-Governor at Regina to complain of the smoke -of the locomotive, which he considers to be an evil medicine to ruin -the health of his people. - -We pass a group of three salt water lakes, the “Old Wives’ Lakes.” -Together they extend fifty miles in length and from six to ten miles -broad. They abound in wild duck. Chaplin Station is in the vicinity. -Buffalo skulls and bones strew the ground, telling of the past, and -buffalo tracks are distinctly traceable in all directions. - -We had been led to expect, from much that we have heard, that this part -of the country was perfectly barren. I can entertain no such opinion. -The soil is light and variable. In seasons not too dry good crops may -be raised in the district we have passed over. In crossing the Coteau -des Missouri we have traversed a great grassy region, the surface of -which has the appearance of the ocean subsiding into a calm after a -great tempest. There are countless undulations of varied extent and -outline, and as the train passes along they look as if they themselves -were in motion; as if they were masses of water rolling into quietness -with the calm swell, so often experienced in mid-ocean after a gale has -passed away. - -We arrive at Swift Current, ten degrees of longitude west of -Winnipeg. This station is not far from the southern bend of the South -Saskatchewan, where that river makes a _detour_ before proceeding -northward to Carlton. A large engine house has been erected at Swift -Current. Dinner is provided for the passengers and we remain an hour -and a half at the station. Several Indians are lounging about. We -make an effort to converse with them, but as we have no means of -understanding each other the attempt is not successful. What will -be the fate of the Indian as the plains are filled up? Is he to be -engulfed in the common field of industry? Is he to become civilized -and labour with the rest of us at the prosaic occupations of every day -life? Is he to be uncared for and left to his fate, or be clothed and -fed in idleness? The problem is not an easy one to unravel. I learned -from one of the passengers, who seems to speak with authority, that -at present some ten thousand Indians receive an allowance of rations. -It may be said that the Indian territory has been appropriated in the -interest of the community, and that it is a consequent duty to care -for the Red man. If it be possible the course to follow is to train -the coming generation to habits of industry and self-reliance. Is it -possible? - -As a rule we take our meals when the train is in motion, so that we can -utilize the various halts to obtain information from those we may meet -at the stations. There is a change to be made in the composition of the -train at this point. The sleeping car goes no further, and a number of -cars loaded with material for construction purposes are appended. We -are really from this point half a construction train. There is only one -ordinary passenger car, with the private car occupied by our party. Our -speed, too, is reduced. It seemed to me somewhat churlish to retain -to ourselves all the comfort and accommodation the directors had so -liberally extended to me and mine, when there were others I knew on the -train not so fortunately circumstanced. I was therefore glad to be of -use to some of my fellow passengers. Our party became thus increased -by the Baron de Longueuil, Dr. Grant the younger, of Ottawa, and other -gentlemen. - -We pass Gull Lake and Cypress Stations, 554 miles from Winnipeg, north -of the Cypress Hills. Not a tree or shrub is to be seen; the lofty -ground to the south of us is perfectly bare; the country is dry, the -herbage scanty. On the other hand there are plain indications that -the country is not barren and worthless. It has been described by -some people as a semi-desert. So far as my memory will admit the -comparison, the soil resembles in colour and character that of the -Carse of Gowrie in Perthshire. Those who remember that section of -Scotland will perceive the force of the comparison. The ditches and -excavations expose a fine fertile clay soil, not only on the surface -but to the whole depth of the cuttings. On the recently formed -road-bed, in the bottoms of ditches, there are tufts of green oats -growing vigorously twenty-four inches high, each plant with twelve to -twenty strong stalks sticking out from a single root. This scattered -growth, so luxuriant in itself, has arisen from the seed dropped from -trains or the horse’s feed, during construction, without any attempt -at cultivation. It is true that the herbage is brown and dried up, but -not more so than I have frequently seen it in Ontario at this season. -I cannot speak of the country from Moose Jaw to Qu’Appelle, for it was -night when we passed through it, but from what I heard at the various -stations the land is good; and generally it may be affirmed that in the -five hundred and fifty miles of territory between Swift Current and -Winnipeg the waste and worthless land is scarcely appreciable. - -We reach Maple Creek, 596 miles from Winnipeg. The country continues -to be of the character I have described. I had some conversation with -a Dumfries man who had passed twenty years in the County of Bruce, in -Ontario. He had a comrade with him and both were fully satisfied with -their new home. There is evidently nothing whatever in their experience -to lead to a regret that they have left Ontario. Last November there -was not a single house at Maple Creek; this evening I counted more -than two dozen. The surface water is reported not to be the best. It -is slightly alkaline; but good, pure water has been obtained from -wells at no great depth. The snow does not appear until the end of -December. Last year ploughing took place on the 11th March.[D] Some -two inches of snow fell after this date, but it soon disappeared. This -year potatoes have been obtained from the virgin soil. I was informed -by these parties that all the land is fair to Medicine Hat, the country -being of the character of that which we have passed through. They are -decidedly of opinion that fall ploughing and early sowing will never -fail to produce good crops; they consider the country is excellent for -stock raising, as the winter is short and but little snow falls. The -water required can be obtained from wells pumped by wind-mills, and the -climate is in all respects healthy. It is men of this stamp who are of -the right build to force their way in a new country. They make light -of difficulties and are fertile in expedients. They know that their -success depends upon their skill and labour; they have no yearning for -continual holidays, nor do they affect an exaggerated love of sport to -take precedence of all duty. If they have some hardship for the moment -they put aside every thought regarding it, for they feel that their -reward is assured and that they are laying up a safe provision for -those who are to follow them. Hence their cheerfulness is unfailing. -Their romance lies in the future: numerous herds and flocks, with rich -harvests of grain, and men busy gathering them in. The small wooden -house they have put up is one day to give place to a more imposing -building of stone or brick, with verandahs and blinds and plenty of -room for occasional friends. The piano may come, too, bye and bye, -from Moose Jaw or some nearer place. Crowds of settlers will succeed, -with weddings and births. There will also be the churchyard, where, in -future generations, some Canadian Gray may write his “Elegy” over the -graves of the village Hampdens and Cromwells, whose force of character -has led their memory to be handed down as the pioneers of the district -they reclaimed from the wilderness. - -It was dark when we left Maple Creek. Observation in the dim light was -not possible. Our eyes were fatigued by reading, so recourse was had -to that universal panacea when time hangs heavy, the whist table. Our -rubber caused no regret on the part of the loser, for the winner had -nothing to receive. - -I was called early the following morning, for I was desirous of seeing -the station at Medicine Hat and of observing the course of the South -Saskatchewan. We had crossed the river when I rose. I learned that the -stream is spanned by a temporary structure of timber trestles on piles, -some thirty feet above the water level, to be replaced by an iron -bridge before next spring. - -There has been a hard frost during the night, and the air is cool. -I am writing on the 22nd August. We start as the sun rises and we -soon experience the heat of his rays. We have, as usual, an excellent -breakfast, and our cook proportionately rises in our esteem. Several -people joined the train at Medicine Hat. We discuss the character of -the country with them, for I desire to obtain as many independent -opinions as possible. I learn that the land between Maple Creek and -Medicine Hat, passed over during the night, is of the character of the -country to the east and west of it, which I have described. - -As we proceed we can see, undoubtedly, by the herbage, that the climate -is dry, but the excavation shows the friable soil necessary to the -growth and nourishment of cereals. There are probably seasons of -drought when ordinary root crops will not be generally successful. - -We continue through a genuine prairie without tree or shrub. Our point -of vision is really and truly the centre of one vast, grassy plain, -the circumference of which lies defined in the horizon. As we look -from the rear, the two lines of rails gradually come closer till they -are lost, seemingly, in one line; the row of telegraph poles recedes -with the distance to a point. I should estimate the horizon to be -removed from us from six to eight miles. The sky, without a cloud, -forms a blue vault above us; nothing around is visible but the prairie -on all sides gently swelling and undulating, with the railway forming -a defined diameter across the circle. Looking along the track in the -distance there is a small cloud of vapour discernible, indicating that -an engine is following us. The train itself is not visible. There is -certainly no little monotony in a railway journey over the prairie. -The landscape is unvaried: a solitude, in which the only sign of life -is the motion of the train. To obtain some change in this oneness of -view, I obtain permission to take a seat in the cab of the locomotive. -I discover that the engine driver is from Truro in Nova Scotia, Mr. -Charles Wright. I learn from him that he began his railway life under -me on the Intercolonial Railway. I need not say that the look-out from -the locomotive was no new sensation to me, but I was impressed with -different feelings to those which affected me when looking rearward -from the train. I do not think I ever was more conscious of the power -of the locomotive, or in so marked a way had I ever been so capable -of grasping its wonderful capacity to change the whole condition of -our lives. I felt as if I was borne along on the shoulders of some -gigantic winged monster, moving onward with lightning speed, skimming -the surface of the ground, and setting time and distance equally at -defiance. - -We are now on a broad plateau between Bow River and the Red Deer River. -The outline of the eroded valley of the former is visible away on the -southern horizon; the latter is too far distant to be traceable. We -expect soon to be able to see the Rocky Mountains. The soil improves as -we advance, and the prairie has long, gentle ascents, with occasional -heavy gradients. At the “Blackfoot Crossing” there is a large Indian -reserve, and at the station opposite we see many red men and women -still clinging to the life of their past, wrapped in the white or red -blanket, with fringed leather leggings. Some of the younger men have -their faces painted a brilliant scarlet, and, mounted on Indian ponies, -do their utmost to keep up with the train, the women and children -partaking in the excitement of the effort. They all looked so cheerful -and contented that they made no appeal to our sympathies on any ground -of suffering or discontent. - -We gradually ascend to the summit of the rolling plain, and now for -the first time the peaks of the Rocky Mountains appear in view. They -are possibly one hundred miles distant; nevertheless they stand out -clear and defined in the horizon, their snow-clad tops glistening in -the afternoon sun. They give a marked relief to the landscape after -the monotony of the prairie. They look like a huge rampart stretched -from north to south to impede all progress beyond them. Their features -slowly change as the sun sinks to the western ocean, but as long as -daylight lasts we never tire looking upon them, and in watching the -varying colours of the atmosphere reflected by their lofty summits. - -Our train has become heavy by constant additions. There are now twenty -loaded cars, and it is as much as the engine can do to take them up -the heavy grades. We experience, therefore, some delay in the last ten -miles to Calgary. It is after dark when we cross Bow River and enter -the outer valley. At last we arrive at Calgary, having reached the -114th meridian, 840 miles west of Winnipeg. - -When I crossed the continent eleven years ago, before Winnipeg as a -city had even a name, I left Fort Garry on the 2nd August, and did -not arrive in sight of the mountains until the 7th September. In that -journey we did not spare ourselves or our horses, for we made over the -prairies an average of over forty miles a day. On the present occasion -we left Winnipeg on Monday morning, to come within sight of the -mountains on Wednesday afternoon. The first journey occupied thirty-six -days, and the last about fifty-six hours! - -It was eleven o’clock when we stopped on a siding. We were anxious -to acquire the positive information which we were to obtain here. -Our further advance depended on the facts which we hoped to learn -respecting the country we were desirous of passing over. For it was -yet a question if it was possible to cross the Selkirk Range to -the Columbia; and it was not a matter of certainty that either the -Kicking-Horse or the Eagle Pass could be followed. But those who could -throw any light on the subject had long retired, so we could do nothing -better at that late hour than follow their example. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -_CALGARY TO THE SUMMIT._ - - Start for the Mountains--The Cochrane Ranche--Gradual Ascent--Mount - Cascade--Anthracite Coal--Sunday in the Rockies--Mountain - Scenery--The Divide. - - -We had reached the point on our journey when the accessories of modern -travel ceased to be at our disposal. Before us lay the mountain zone to -Kamloops, the distance across which, as the crow flies, is about three -hundred miles. We had failed to obtain any reliable information of the -character of the country over which we had to pass. Indeed, it was by -no means a certainty that there was a practicable route through it. -We had hoped to learn at Calgary all that was known of the territory, -to gain such thorough information that we should know precisely what -course we should take to reach British Columbia. - -The problem had now to be discussed: if we could venture to advance -directly westward, or if we should be driven to pass through the United -States. At the worst, it was in our power to turn to the south from -Calgary to Montana, and find our way by the Northern Pacific Railway -through Oregon to Victoria, in British Columbia. - -We had been referred to Mr. James Ross, the manager of construction of -the mountain district at Calgary. He had been instructed by telegram -before I left Montreal to collect the fullest information. Accordingly -he had sent out Indian couriers to the exploring parties to learn all -that was known, and it was in his power to acquaint us with the facts -if any one could do so. I had endeavoured to ascertain by telegraph -what Mr. Ross had learned; the invariable reply had been that the -couriers had not returned. - -Mr. Ross entered while we were at our early breakfast. The couriers -he had sent to the Columbia had been detained by forest fires, but -they had at last returned with letters from Major Rogers, at the mouth -of the Kicking-Horse River. I learned that the journey to Kamloops -through the mountains was not held to be impracticable, but undoubtedly -it was marked by difficulties. There was a road which waggons could -travel for some distance up the valley of the Bow River. Where the road -ceased there was a rough horse-trail as far as the exploring parties -had penetrated from the east, some five miles beyond the summit of -the Selkirk Range. From that point the ground was perfectly unbroken. -We were told that for the remainder of the distance the only way open -to us was to go on foot; that the walking, at the least calculation, -would occupy ten or twelve days; and that it required about ten Indians -to carry supplies. - -The question of supplies had specially to be considered, as there -was no possibility of obtaining them by the way. The country was -totally uninhabited. We could depend on no resource but our own -commissariat, which should be sufficiently ample to avoid all risk of -the chance of starvation. Our means of conveyance would not admit of -transportation to the full extent of our requirements for the whole -distance to Kamloops. Before leaving Winnipeg this contingency had been -anticipated, and definite arrangements, which we thought could scarcely -fail, had been made with the Hudson’s Bay Company for supplies, to be -sent easterly from Kamloops to the Columbia, opposite Eagle Pass. It -was my calculation that we would find our stores without fail at that -point on the 10th September. We therefore resolved to attempt to cross -the mountains on the trail across the Selkirk Range as it had been -described. To place the question of supplies beyond a peradventure, I -sent a special telegram to the Chief Commissioner of the Hudson’s Bay -Company, which I hoped would make error impossible.[E] - -It was the morning of the 23rd August. We all wrote some last lines -home, and telegraphed some last words to our friends in the east, -informing them that we were leaving Calgary to follow the mountain -route. Previous to starting I called at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s -store to learn all that was there known about the country before us, -and to see the establishment itself. - -We got off about eleven, meeting an unwelcome delay of an hour in -crossing Bow River. The ferry was being transferred to a better site, -and we had to wait until the final arrangements for stretching the wire -rope were completed. Finally it is stretched and secured, and we move -onwards. - -Before many miles were passed our waggon broke down. To save time we -take lunch during the halt for repairs. The prairie about us has good -soil, but the herbage is dry. However, it affords good pasturage. We -proceed onwards through the Cochrane ranche, passing along a stretch of -rolling country, with hills bringing in mind many parts of the south of -Scotland; well adapted for grazing. A smoky atmosphere conceals from -our view the outline of the mountains. Our drivers, however, inform -us that when the air is clear they stand out distinctly to view, and -present a grand sight. - -Our miserable waggon again causes us trouble. One of the wheels gives -way. We have again to halt, and remain by a large pond bordered by -willows. A fire is made to furnish some boiling water, by means of a -frying pan, to Mr. David MacDougall, who has appeared on the scene. -Boiling water, says this authority, repairs a wheel “slap bang, and -makes it go for another hundred miles,” with a few willow withes and -some cod lines, which everyone should carry in the mountains, unless he -has what is better, “shaginappy.”[F] The wheel is pronounced fit for -use, although it looked much less like a wheel, and we reach in safety -Morley, forty miles from Calgary. - -Our day’s journey had been partially through rich pasture without a -tree. In certain parts a few groves are seen. The general course was -along a wide valley bounded by lofty hills. We had to do the best -we could at Morley. What accommodation we obtained we owed to Mr. -MacDougall, who gave up his own bed. But few travellers passed this way -until recently, and but little provision has been made for them. We -were thankful for any shelter we could obtain. It was nine o’clock and -dark when we arrived, so in any case there was but time to establish -ourselves as best we could. We were up at an early hour the next -morning, to find that our baggage waggon had not come up. Who should we -see, as we sat down to breakfast, but Senator Ogilvie, to lead us to -think that we had still some relations with the world behind us. - -I determined not to wait for the waggon, but to push on to the next -stopping place and see what arrangements could be made for our further -advance. The baggage was to follow. I was much struck with the view as -we started. It was very fine, but its effect was marred by the cloudy -atmosphere which hid the more distant peaks. For twenty-two miles to -Padmore the whole route was equally striking. The valley is from three -to eight miles wide, extending generally in a western direction between -the foot hills of the mountains. It is marked by no sudden precipitous -ascents and is usually flat, carrying the prairie character with a -gentle ascent into the heart of the mountains. We are told that at one -time this valley, with the country around Morley and Calgary, was the -haunt of the buffalo. Mr. David Macdougall tells us that he has seen -the ground black with them, and that from an eminence not far from -Morley he has beheld them in herds on the plains, the number of which -would not be less than a million! - -The prairie diminishes in extent as we advance. We pass through -park-like scenery. Groups of trees appear at intervals, and the -Bow River in its windings gleams pleasantly in the sun. The heavy -atmosphere is partially lifted and the outline of the mountains in -the distance comes to our view. What we see is probably the outlying -group; they are, nevertheless, bold bluffs, some of them defined -precipices to the summit, with long slopes in one direction, and in -some cases their fantastic forms look as if shaped in masonry. - -The streams crossed to-day run in ravines of some depth, and the water -is clear and cold. We halt at Padmore, where the valley is contracted -to half a mile. Evidently we are about entering the portals of the -mountains. To the north, the slopes are bare; to the south, they are -wooded. The bare precipitous rock to the north is stratified and -strongly contorted. The geological features are most striking and the -exposure is on a grand scale. A great bluff rises nearly vertically -to the height of possibly fifteen hundred feet and is about two miles -in length. The lines of the strata are distinctly traceable, dipping -towards the west. - -Four miles west of Padmore we are completely in the mountains. On every -side the sound of the hammer and drill was heard, and every turn of -the road revealed new views of the grandest mountain scenery. Peaks -towering behind and above each other came in sight, and the sun poured -down its warmest rays, deepening the shadows and bringing out fresh -beauties. As we advanced, the eye rests only on these mighty heights -when they are not concealed from view by the hazy atmosphere. The smoky -air, occasionally, it seemed to me, opened up, and in a way added to, -the landscape by developing the aerial perspective. As we advanced the -vapour disappeared, and before us stood out, clear and well defined in -the horizon, bold, massive mountain heights, crowned by sharp, turreted -peaks. - -We pass Mount Cascade, so named from the small stream issuing from its -side, said to be at the height of two thousand feet, and with one leap -descending to the valley below. It is the most striking of the masses -we have seen, and we learn that its summit is 5,060 feet above the -plain. Discoveries of anthracite coal have been made in the flanks of -this mountain, and since my visit mining operations have commenced. The -road has become very rough; the wonder is how any vehicle can stand the -jolting, jarring and sudden wrenches over rocks and stumps which we -experience. - -We are indebted to Mr. Graham, of Mount Forrest, for our dinner. He -very hospitably received us at his contractor’s camp, and we were in a -condition to enjoy all he gave us. - -About 4 o’clock we arrived at Hillsdale, named after Mr. Hill, manager -of the company’s store. I was glad to meet here Mr. Dunbar, the -resident engineer, for I had looked forward to obtaining from him some -more definite information than we had yet received, especially of our -way across the Selkirk Range. A short conversation with this gentleman -gave a new colour to our enterprise, and I resolved not to proceed -further that day. Indeed we would have derived no advantage from -doing so. One statement of Mr. Dunbar, and he was supported in it by -one of his assistants who had recently come from the country in front -of us, certainly surprised me. He had heard of no one having crossed -the Selkirk Range. Major Rogers had made several attempts to do so, -but he had only so far succeeded as to reach the summit, or one of -the summits, but had not penetrated entirely through the mountains on -a connected line. No one was known to have passed over from where we -stood by the route before us to Kamloops; not even an Indian, and it -was questionable, if it were possible, to find a route which could be -followed. - -I must confess that this information was unwelcome to me. I was -not without experience in crossing mountains, but expected in this -instance that our route would be over known ground, and that, whatever -difficulties lay before us, we had only to persevere to overcome them. -From what I now heard all seemed uncertain before me. It was possible -that we might have to walk our toilsome way onwards for many days, -suddenly to find it was impossible to proceed. I did not contemplate -assuming the position of an original explorer. My knowledge of work of -this kind had taught me how frequently it exacted much time and labour, -often to end in failure; that a gigantic natural impediment might -present itself to bar further advance, and that whatever the courage, -determination and fertility of resource shown, failure to proceed -onward would be the irremediable result. - -I reserved, however, my opinion of our position until I had met Major -Rogers, in charge of these explorations. I understood he was at the -mouth of the Kicking-Horse River. In the meantime I entered into the -details of our journey with Mr. George Wilson, who had been detailed to -go with us in command of the pack train. - -We discussed our route, estimated every day’s journey, and all the -possibilities and probabilities incident to our advance. George had -once been a scout in the service of the Southern States during the war, -and was evidently experienced in rough travelling. He appeared to me to -know well the work and duty of crossing the mountains, and we formed -some estimate of the pork and flour required to take us, with half a -dozen packers, to Eagle Pass, at the Columbia. I went into the whole -question so far as my knowledge permitted, and we talked it over until -bed time. - -I owed to Mr. Dunbar, on that occasion, that we had comfortable beds -to sleep on, for he and his friends insisted that we should take -possession of their quarters. - -The weather on Sunday morning was really beautiful. Those living in -cities can with difficulty understand the effect on the spirits and -minds of men away from civilization of a bright, cheery Sunday. In all -well ordered expeditions Sunday is a day of rest, and this view alone, -denuded entirely of all religious feeling, which is to some extent -dependent on early education, creates a scene of quiet and repose not -always experienced to the same extent in civilized communities. To -one bred like myself in the strict views of the Presbyterian Church, -there is something more than this sentiment: it is as if you held it -a privilege on these remote mountains to pay homage to the lessons of -your youth. Not from the merely mechanical acceptance of them, but -from a heartfelt sense of their truth. I have felt, on such occasions, -a sense of peace and freedom from the carping cares of life I never -could explain; but that the thought is not peculiar to myself many -circumstances have shown. You seem, as it were, at such times, only -to commune with nature, and to be free from all that is false and -meretricious in our civilization. You are beyond the struggles and -petty personalities of the world, and you feel how really and truly -life is better and happier as it is more simple. - -The sun lit up in warm colours the great mountains encircling the -valley. We were surrounded by these magnificent heights. Our camp -was but a few miles distant from the valley, which leaves Bow River -for the Vermilion Pass. The atmosphere was not so clear as we could -wish, and the distant peaks were invisible. We had, nevertheless, a -remarkable view of the towering battlements to the north, in themselves -so lofty and so near to us, and the details so intricate that it would -be impossible to portray them within the limits of ordinary canvas. It -remains to be seen what effect will be produced by photography. - -Dr. Grant held a service at ten o’clock, and gave a short sermon. The -congregation was composed of men engaged on the surveys and works. Some -two dozen attended. There was one also of the gentler sex present, who, -with her husband, came from the contractors’ camp near by. We dine -early. As to-morrow we have to take to the saddle, and in order to get -hardened to our work, we think it prudent that we fit ourselves for the -journey. We ride about twelve miles up the valley, between mountains of -the grandest description. To the south two heights of great prominence -present themselves. They command a view of the depression leading to -the Vermilion Pass. One of the peaks is crowned with perpetual snow, -and is of striking beauty. The other has a cubical form of summit. -A third, at no great distance, is pyramidal, and so on in every -conceivable variety these mountains tower above us. Westward we see -Castle Mountain to our right. The resemblance to Cyclopean masonry -has doubtless suggested the name, for it is marked by huge masses of -castellated-looking work, with turreted flanks. After passing through a -mile of burnt pine wood at its base, we reach Spillman’s camp, where -we stay for the night. The fires in the valley are extinguished, but -they are still running up the mountain side, and as night comes on -the flames gleam with a weird light. We soon wrapped ourselves in our -blankets. Although with a certain sense of fatigue, I could not sleep. -My thoughts reverted to the journey before us. Uncertainty seemed to -increase as we advanced. - -Next morning some of us felt a little stiff and tired from our -afternoon drill, for such indeed was the object of our ride. Wilson and -Kit Lawrence, his assistant, started early with the supply waggon, as -our own movements are governed by those of the baggage. We did not deem -it necessary immediately to follow, and hence did not hurry our start. -The sun was a degree or so above Castle Mountain as we left. Our ride -was very agreeable: to some extent through Banksian pine, occasionally -along the bank of the Bow River, still a large stream, more -considerable, for instance, than the Thames at Richmond. The current is -strong, and unhappy the canoeman who has to pole up against it. Here -and there we ride through burnt woods. A “brulé” is an ominous word to -any one who has to make his way through the bush. The fire has recently -destroyed the growth of young timber. The existence of these fires -explains the frequent thick, heavy, smoky atmosphere through which we -have been unable to see the outline of the mountains. Occasionally a -snow-covered peak peers far above the dense smoke below, and to the -south we see what the maps suggest to be Mount Lefroy; but there are -several lofty summits, any one of which is sufficiently remarkable to -be named after that distinguished General. One is crested like a huge -camel’s back; one rises to a sharp cone; a third has the appearance of -an extinct volcano, and the crumbling edge of the crater reveals the -glacier within. - -The waggon which has brought us from Calgary has been driven by a young -man named Kane. He had started early in the morning with Wilson, and at -a turn in the path we came suddenly upon Wilson’s horse tethered up by -the bridle. Kane was lying upon the ground, suffering from a violent -attack of colic. We had at once to ride and overtake the waggon for -medicine. Thirty drops of chlorodine relieved him, and we left him at -the nearest contractors’ camp. The two waggons with which we started -from Calgary have now nearly disappeared, for we have lost three -wheels, and one of the drivers is left behind. - -Twelve miles distant from Spillman’s Camp the waggon road, bad as it -had been, comes to an end, and our supplies must now be carried on -pack horses. Here we met Mr. Neilson, a Kingston man, who renders us -great service; and it is here also, that Dave Leigh joins our service -as cook and pack man. There is always great delay in getting a pack -train ready; horses, saddlery and men must be collected. Our first -calculation was that three horses would suffice, as we know the weights -of all the packages and our calculation had been based upon them; but -from the badness of the roads we reduced the theoretical weight of the -pack by increasing the number of our animals. Our whole load amounted -to eleven hundred pounds, and our packers assured us that over the -bad roads it could not be carried by less than six horses. Experience -proved that the judgment of the men was correct; the consequence was -that the pack train could not leave that night. - -Our party, however, started. One of them, who left after the rest, took -a wrong direction and narrowly escaped losing himself, at least for the -night. George shewed wonderful judgment in hunting up the wanderer and -putting him on the right track, relieving us all from great anxiety. -Our course took us across two forks of the Bow River and thence along -the banks of a rapid stream called Bath Creek, so named from one of the -engineers having fallen into it. We ascended for a few miles, when we -turned to the west by Summit Creek, a small glacier-bed stream, which -we followed till we arrived at the engineer’s camp at the Summit, 5,300 -feet above sea level. - -I had here to take leave of my friend Mr. Dunbar, who had to return -to his duties. He had been good enough to accompany us this far, and I -had found his presence of great use. Sitting around the camp fire at -night he was an admirable companion, for he had a fine voice. I have -particularly a very pleasurable recollection of the hymns he sang on -the Sunday evening in the first mountain pass. All music has a peculiar -effect under such circumstances, especially when it brings back -thoughts of the past and of distant friends; and there is to men of my -age a peculiar feeling in listening to devotional music, the influence -and power of which, however simple, are not easily forgotten. - -To-night we fall asleep on the continental “Divide.” Hitherto we have -passed over ground draining to the east. To-morrow we follow a stream -flowing into the waters of the Pacific. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -_DOWN KICKING-HORSE VALLEY._ - - The Descent--Summit Lake--The Kicking-Horse River--Singular - Mountain Storms--An Engineering Party--A Beaver Meadow--A Dizzy - Walk. - - -We were up at half-past five, and it was a cold, sharp morning. At six, -Mr. Dunbar had said good-bye and turned eastward. When breakfast was -over the pack-train arrived, and by nine we had started for the River -Columbia. It was a rugged and broken path which we entered upon. To -our right two conspicuous twin summits were standing out in the range. -The water of the streams which we were following was more heard than -seen, for the trail exacted all our attention. Our horses were moving -among sharp broken granite rocks and fallen trees. In about half an -hour we passed by the side of Summit Lake. The northern mountains were -now concealed from view by a forest of spruce, through which we were -passing. To the south the landscape is more magnificent than ever; -a bold, rocky bluff rises thousands of feet directly in front of us, -while mountains of great height, in groups, tower above it to the right -and left. Some of them have crater-shaped peaks filled with snow. Our -progress is slow and much interfered with by the pack-horses getting -continually off the trail and losing part of their load. - -We pass the second mountain lake, and about four miles from our morning -camp we reach the third and largest lake, about a mile in length. We -cross the path of a great snow slide, an avalanche divided into two -forks, one about fifty yards and the other about one hundred and fifty -yards wide. Thousands of trees, two and three feet in diameter, have -been broken into shreds by it, and roots, trunks and branches, in a -tangled mass, have been swept away, and, with a multitude of boulders -of all dimensions, hurled into the lake, to form a promontory of which -three or four hundred feet still remain. To the south, beyond the lake, -the eye rests upon a mighty mountain, streaked by snow-filled crevices, -and reflected in the bright, glassy lake, presenting to our eyes a most -striking picture. We cross the outlet by fording a stream some forty -feet wide and about sixteen inches in depth. I looked upon it with no -little interest for it is the stream we are to follow for some days. -There is often a history lying behind the nomenclature of these waters -and peaks, and in the present instance it is said that Dr. Hector, who -accompanied the Palliser expedition, was kicked not far from this spot. -The Indians have translated it Shawata-nowchata-wapta--Horse-Kicking -River. - -As we ascend the steeper and southern bank we obtain a grand view -of the lofty twin mountains seen from our last camp, and it struck -me that it was from the lower heights that the avalanches must have -descended. A mile of bad trail brought us to Walton’s camp, where we -delivered the mail which had been entrusted to our care. We were now -six miles from our morning’s starting point. By George’s account we -are about entering the worst five miles of road before us, and bad -enough it proved to be. Dave declared that there were places further -on far more trying. We moved at a snail’s pace, but our progress, if -slow, was sure. The scramble on the rugged path, through the boulders, -rocks and ragged surface, was a constant effort to the poor horses. In -many places they had to be dragged up almost perpendicular heights. -Three packs rolled off, and one of the horses fell down a side hill, -accomplishing a complete somersault. No doubt the creature was saved -from injury by the pack, firmly secured to his back. He was soon -released by George and Dave unfastening the pack ropes and lifting him -to his feet. We are seldom in the saddle, for it is safer to walk. Now -and then we catch a glimpse of the stream passing along in foaming -rapids, with an inclination apparently from 1 in 5 to 1 in 8. By this -rapidity of current the water is churned into a liquid in colour like -weak whitewash. It gathers its volume from so many side tributaries -that although its source is a mere brook, yet four miles below when the -water is high the stream seemingly attains a width of nearly a thousand -feet. Even at the present time its volume is so great that it is only -with difficulty it can be forded. - -We descend the mountain side to the bed of the river and follow the -gravel banks. Before we reach our night’s camping ground we meet with -some remarkable scenery. Looking upwards to the south at about an -angle of sixty degrees, we can see high, in the clear air, a mountain -peak which, lighted up by the sun, presents in its horizontal strata -various colours, and assumes the form of a mural crown. Separated -from this height by a great depression rises a sister peak singularly -striking, both undoubtedly rising to a vertical mile above the river. A -great glacier on the second mountain overhangs a precipice with a face -of hundreds of feet in thickness: at the base _debris_ has gathered -for countless centuries to form an immense deposit sloping down the -mountain. We cross its base, and accept the first place suitable for -a camp which we reach. Grass for the horses is the first requirement, -water we can always count upon. Our saddle horses have travelled -twelve miles, the journey of the pack-horses has been seventeen. It was -still early in the afternoon, but the strain upon the poor animals had -been severe. The last six miles had taken four hours and a half to pass -over; and then there had been no mid-day halt and feed. There cannot -be a doubt that one of the secrets of driving a horse long continuous -distances is to let him take his own pace and feed him regularly. Any -one who has had any experience with horses well knows that the creature -will by a hundred ways let you know when he looks for his food should -you neglect to give it him. There is everything to show that he suffers -in strength if there be great irregularity in this respect. - -We learn that there is no pasture in our front for a long distance, so -we camp on the gravelly beach. The ground we are on, at high water, -is covered, and a few rods from us the river is winding on its rapid, -rolling course. The horses are provided for in a gully near by. Close -to us rise four massive, lofty mountains, and as we turn to their -summits the eye is raised from forty to fifty degrees. A blue sky looks -down between these heights through an atmosphere free from smoke. -These high peaks rising directly from the valley form the points of a -quadrilateral figure, the longest side of which does not exceed three -miles. There are no foot hills, no intervening eminence between us and -these mountains, rising 5,000 feet above where we stand. The sun sets -behind the western heights. I have often felt the calm of evening, but -I do not recollect so perfect a picture of quiet and repose as that -which reigned in this amphitheatre of nature in the first twilight, -when everything was marked and distinct, but with subdued colour, with -no high lights, and presenting a solitude so vast that one for the time -loses all consciousness of the existence of an outer world. - -Two families of Stoney Indians were encamped near by. They belonged to -the christianized tribe at Morley, and consisted of a father, three -handsome sons, two squaws and a number of children. They had with them -some of the spoils of the chase, mountain sheep and goats. - -Towards night a party of the locating engineers arrived wet to the -middle from fording streams. Their pack-horses had not come up, so -they were without dry clothes or tents, but they made the best of the -situation. They were all cheerful, and indulged in that “chaff” by -which men work themselves up to make a molehill of what is often a -serious hardship, accepting what is inevitable with perfect stoicism. -They made a huge fire to dry their wet clothes, by which they passed -the night without tents or blankets. For our part we had some days’ -serious work before us, and were not sorry to seek repose, and we soon -were lulled to sleep by the roar of the rapid which ran within fifty -yards of us. - -We are now fairly up to our work. We rise about five; then breakfast, -an important element at the start; then see to the packing of the -animals, an operation which takes a good hour’s time. We say good-bye -to the Indians and to the engineering party, none of whom seem the -worse for their night’s experience, and we start. Often during the hour -are the names of the horses shouted in those valleys, occasionally -with no feeble echo; especially of the pack animals, and we soon know -them one and all. There is always a wonderful link between the man and -the horse, and the kinder the man the more gentle the quadruped. The -names of our horses are Black, Coffee, Blue, Calgary, Coaly, Buck, Pig, -Bones, Strawberry and Steamboat, and each creature knows perfectly the -reproof or the cheering cry addressed to him. - -We follow the bed of the river, which is of considerable width, for -five miles, and leaving it we turn to a trail over low ground to return -to the stream some distance down. We find it considerably increased in -volume and it would be impossible to ford it fourteen miles from our -morning camp. The valley has widened out, the river now flows in a well -defined channel with banks six feet above the water level. We stop and -take our mid-day meal; the horses, too, must have rest and be fed. The -atmosphere has again become smoky, not a pleasant indication, for we -may be approaching forest fires, and it is the last situation in which -one desires to be placed, for when the fire is around you there is no -extrication. We advanced, however, but took the wrong trail, which led -to a _cul-de-sac_, where Mr. Davis was encamped, and his trail was the -best defined. We made our way back and fortunately met two gentlemen, -Messrs. Hogg and Shaw, connected with the engineering staff, returning -from an exploration to the Selkirk Range; they spoke of the travel as -of the roughest description as far as they had gone, and it was as far -as it was possible to go. They held that the continuance of the route -on which we were bound was impracticable; there was no path or track of -any description beyond the point at which they turned back and nothing -to mark the way; in fact, no one had been through to the western slope -of the Selkirks. I must add that, however little I said, I had some -very serious reflections on what I heard from these gentlemen. - -We halted about twenty miles from the last camping ground; the horses, -owing to the _detour_ at Davis’, had travelled about twenty-three miles -and had little to eat since we first started. It was six o’clock in -the evening, and on examining the grassy plain we discovered it was a -beaver meadow with the beaver works in excellent condition. One beaver -house was twelve feet in diameter by six feet high, formed of sticks, -and each stick showed the marks of the beaver’s teeth. We found a -number of underground passages through which the water flowed; here -and there were vertical openings twelve or fifteen inches in diameter; -the passages crossed and recrossed each other like the underground -passages made by moles. The dam was, generally, in good preservation, -but the water had found a way for itself at some points. We pitched -our camp on the edge of the beaver meadow; the horses could not have -better pasture. Our beds, too, were a shade in advance of last night’s -quarters on the gravelly beach, for they were of hemlock boughs, and if -well laid who would ask a daintier resting place. Certainly we were all -asleep at half-past nine. What a sound sleep it is after a day’s ride -or march over a bad road! - -As we started on our next day’s journey a high mountain frowned down -upon us; but not from its lofty summit, for its peak is hidden by rain -clouds. Yesterday the smoke interfered with our landscape, for we could -only dimly see the outline even when the glaciers were gleaming in the -sunlight. Our last night’s camp was half a mile distant from the river, -but we heard the roar of the water; the heavy atmosphere, the lowering -clouds and the loud echo of the rapid river warn us to prepare for -rain, and we do so as best we can. We ride onward, leaving the pack -animals to follow, for I am desirous of reaching Major Hurd’s camp, a -few miles distant. We were unfortunate on our arrival, for Major Hurd -had left for the Columbia about an hour and a half before we appeared. -As it was possible to overtake him we hurried forward; the trail winds -through old windfalls up and down the elevations in our path. We were -in hopes of meeting him at Island Camp, but on our reaching the place -we found that he had stopped and fed, but that he had left before we -arrived. Our horses were tired, his were fresh, and we had been told -that for the next thirteen miles there was no food for the animals, so -we remained there for the night. By this time it commenced to rain; we -made a good fire and toasted the slices of bacon we had brought for -luncheon. The pack-horses came up and there was good feed for them on -the island in the river. - -The clouds shortly rolled away. We could see that snow-covered -mountains lay directly in our front; indeed at all points of the -compass, and especially from the direction we had come, there were -magnificent lofty peaks. As we sat at our early supper a cloud appeared -and swept rapidly down the mountain side with a mighty rush of wind. -Heavy rain commenced to fall and everything about us which we could -not gather up got so drenched that we had some trouble in drying our -things. We retired in good time, to prepare for an early start, for we -well knew that we had a hard journey before us on the morrow. - -It was cold during the night, and on rising there was a dense fog, -with the prospect of a wet day. The mist hung like a thick curtain, -concealing everything not directly near the camp fire. But we start; -the six pack-horses in front with their loads standing out from their -backs, giving the creatures the appearance of so many dromedaries. Dave -rides ahead with the bell-horse, then the pack-horses follow, and the -horsemen bring up the rear to see that none stray behind. Our journey -this day was over exceedingly rough ground. We have to cross gorges so -narrow that a biscuit might be thrown from the last horse descending, -to the bell-horse six hundred feet ahead, ascending the opposite side. -The fires have been running through the wood and are still burning; -many of the half-burnt trees have been blown down, probably by the -gale of last night, obstructing the trail and making advance extremely -difficult. The delays are frequent; ascending a long slope by a narrow -path, the footing of one horse gave way and the poor animal fell, -rolling over a dozen times. Our fear was that Calgary was killed, or at -least seriously injured, and that he would have to be left behind. The -first thought is to prepare the rifle to put him out of agony, but Dave -and George unfastened the load and soon had him again on his feet at a -depth of some fifty yards below the trail. After some delay the poor -brute takes his place in the pack-train as if nothing had happened. - -The road does not improve as we advance, and we have many miles of -burnt woods to pass through. Fortunately there was no wind. The air -was still and quiet, otherwise we would have ran the risk of blackened -trunks falling around us, possibly upon the animals or ourselves, even -at the best seriously to have impeded our progress, if such a mischance -did not make an advance impossible, until the wind should moderate. We -move forward down and up gorges hundreds of feet deep, amongst rocky -masses, where the poor horses had to clamber as best they could amid -sharp points and deep crevices, running the constant risk of a broken -leg. The trail now takes another character. A series of precipices -run sheer up from the boiling current to form a contracted canyon. A -path has therefore been traced along the hill side, ascending to the -elevation of some seven or eight hundred feet. For a long distance not -a vestige of vegetation is to be seen. On the steep acclivity our line -of advance is narrow, so narrow that there is scarcely a foothold; -nevertheless we have to follow for some six miles this thread of trail, -which seemed to us by no means in excess of the requirements of the -chamois and the mountain goat. - -We cross clay, rock and gravel slides at a giddy height. To look down -gives one an uncontrollable dizziness, to make the head swim and the -view unsteady, even with men of tried nerve. I do not think that I -can ever forget that terrible walk; it was the greatest trial I ever -experienced. We are from five to eight hundred feet high on a path of -from ten to fifteen inches wide and at some points almost obliterated, -with slopes above and below us so steep that a stone would roll into -the torrent in the abyss below. There are no trees or branches or twigs -which we can grip to aid us in our advance on the narrow, precarious -footing. We become more sensible to the difficulties we encounter -each step as we go forward. The sun came out with unusual power; our -day’s effort has caused no little of a strain, and the perspiration is -running from us like water. I, myself felt as if I had been dragged -through a brook, for I was without a dry shred on me. About three -miles from the mouth of the Kicking-Horse Valley we met Major Rogers -and Major Hurd. At the same time we obtained the first uninterrupted -look upon the Selkirk range. From this point to the Columbia the trail -improved, but it still ran at a great height. We had not, however, got -out of our difficulties, for we came upon a hornets’ nest. The leading -horses were stung and darted forward. To have been attacked by the -whole colony on so narrow a path might have caused serious disaster, so -we abandoned the trail and traced a new route for ourselves to avoid -that which we were following, and thus escaped the dilemma. - -The Kicking-Horse Valley turns into the valley of the Columbia River, -which at the junction is some twelve miles wide from peak to peak. Our -train has now travelled through the whole valley of the Kicking-Horse -from its summit to the flats of the Columbia, a distance of about -fifty miles, with a descent of 2,700 feet; the average fall is about -fifty-seven feet to the mile, the first six miles however, give a -descent of twelve hundred feet, being two hundred feet per mile; the -last ten miles the river falls at an average of sixty feet per mile, -leaving on the intervening thirty-two miles an average fall of thirty -feet per mile. - -Arrived at Major Rogers’ camp, I own I was weary and foot-sore -after our frightful march of many miles over rough ground high up -on the mountain side, over a path every step of which was a renewed -difficulty. I was somewhat indemnified by knowing that the horses had -travelled without a mishap. I thought of the _Mauvais-pas_ at Chamouni, -which, extending only a few hundred yards, is thought to be a feat in -its way, even with a special guide leading the traveller, holding his -hand; but the _Mauvais-pas_ of the Kicking-Horse Valley extended for -miles, and they were only passed over from the very desperation of our -circumstances. Having entered on the journey we could not turn back and -we had to face the difficulties in our front cost what it would. - -We were all tired and weary, men and horses, and all equally hungry. -A sponge down with cold water, fresh, dry clothing and a good supper -are always the best of comforters, so in a few hours I had been able -to discuss our future progress with Major Rogers, and one of the first -arrangements to which we came was that to-morrow both men and horses -would take a day’s rest. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -_TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS._ - - The Eagle Pass--Kicking-Horse River--Valley of the Columbia--The - Selkirk Range--The Columbia River--Summit of the Selkirks--Major - Rogers’ Discovery. - - -The point which we have reached is about two and a third degrees -north of the international boundary, of the forty-ninth parallel. The -Columbia takes its rise ninety or a hundred miles to the south-east of -us and flows in a generally direct course to a point known as the Boat -Encampment, some seventy miles to the north-west. From its source for -nearly this whole distance the Columbia is flanked by lofty mountains, -those on the south-west side of the valley being known as the Selkirk -Range. The Boat Encampment is a trifle to the north of the fifty-second -parallel. At this point the Columbia completely changes its course -and runs almost directly south to Washington Territory, in the United -States. This section of the Columbia also flows between high mountains, -the Selkirk Range being in this direction of its course on the east and -the Gold Range on the west. - -Near the point where the river crosses the 51st parallel there is a -remarkable opening in the Gold Range, known as the Eagle Pass, which -leads westerly towards Kamloops. Measured on the map, the distance, in -a straight line to the second crossing of the Columbia at the Eagle -Pass, is scarcely sixty miles. To reach that point is the task directly -before us. - -The route which we had followed to the position where we now are, is -the Valley of the Kicking-Horse River, which has its source in one -of the Summit lakes of the Rocky Mountains. It flows with tremendous -impetuosity for the first six miles from the summit and for the last -ten miles through canyons. The descent in the principal canyon is most -rapid, and the water in the lower reach, now of great volume, rushes -downwards with wonderful force before it falls into the Columbia. In -the lower canyon this large volume of water is forced through a rocky -chasm of unknown depth. At one spot which I visited, the rocks on -opposite banks so over-hung the current that their summits did not seem -to be more than fifteen yards apart. - -The valley of the Columbia where we are now encamped is several miles -in width. Although less than one hundred miles from its source the -river is of considerable size, being fed by many streams, like the -Kicking-Horse, having their sources in the glaciers. - -It is the first of September, which we devote to the rest needed for -the horses and men. The subject of discussion naturally is the chance -of getting through to Kamloops. A lofty range of mountains intervenes -directly before us to make our advance in that direction impracticable. -We know that there is a possibility of passing round the Selkirk range -by descending the Columbia to the Boat Encampment and thence continuing -until we reach the Eagle Pass, and so get through the Gold Range to our -destination. - -We learn, however, from Major Rogers that he has found a pass through -the Selkirk range which we can take, and he proposes to accompany -us part of the distance and to send his nephew, Mr. Albert Rogers -the entire route. We must follow the Columbia River north-westerly -thirty-two miles on the way to the Boat Encampment, and then turning -westerly enter the Selkirk Mountains by the valley of a stream named -Beaver River to an opening in the west of the range, and crossing the -summit descend the valley of a stream, the Ille-celle-waet, which, -running southerly and westerly, falls into the Columbia directly -opposite Eagle pass. We learn that a horse trail has been opened to the -summit of the Selkirk range and a short way down the Ille-celle-waet. -Beyond that point we have the wilderness in its native ruggedness, -without a path for the human foot, with the river and mountain gorges -only as landmarks and guides. - -Such is the condition of the country to the second crossing of the -Columbia. The passage through the Eagle Pass is mentioned as being -of the roughest description; we have therefore to prepare for the -work before us. We take a day’s rest, lightening the packs as much -as possible. We arrange to start the horses in the morning, while we -ourselves will descend the Columbia in a canoe and overtake the animals -at the end of their first day’s journey. - -It is again Sunday. The horses with the men leave us as arranged. We -remain quietly in our camp. It is a beautiful morning; the sun lights -up the whole valley of the Columbia. The great Selkirk range lies in -front of us. To the west and north-west high peaks appear, forming a -golden line of stern magnificence. We are at the base of the Rocky -Mountains, which lie behind us to the east, and hence they form no -part of the panorama. A glacier is visible to the south and huge areas -of snow, possibly the accumulation of centuries, rest between the -peaks. It is a prosaic fact to record, amid all this grandeur, that -yesterday’s halt admitted of some washing of our clothes; a homely fact -but suggestive of volumes of comfort. We look forward for the rest of -the day to enjoying the quiet scene in which we seek a few hours’ rest, -to regain our vigour and elasticity, and they have never more strength -than after repose from labour. - -As it is Sunday Dr. Grant holds a short service. Our congregation, -gathered from the nearest engineer’s camp, numbers twenty-two. The -incident may hereafter be remembered as the first act of public worship -in this part of the Columbia Valley. After service we walk to the -river, about a mile and a half of a stroll over low ground. We find -the quiet stream gently flowing in its north-western course, a strange -contrast to the bold broken mountain peaks which form the border of -the valley through which it runs. The evening was warm. Some of us -took a plunge into the Columbia, a pleasant incident in our trip. The -water was of the right temperature, and there was a certain romance in -swimming in a stream in the heart of the mountains, in water as calm as -the Serpentine, in the centre of a vast solitude without the slightest -impress of civilization. In the cool of the evening we walked up the -first gravelly terrace in rear of the camp to enjoy the view, ascending -some 500 feet. We were repaid for our effort. The huge mountains in our -front and the valley stretching away in the magnificence of foliage -to the south-east, lit up by the warm colour of sunset, presented a -noble landscape. I asked myself if this solitude would be unchanged, -or whether civilization in some form of its complex requirements would -ever penetrate to this region? What is the nature of the soil, what -isothermal lines curve in this direction? Is there anything that -can be sown and ripened? Certainly as a grazing country it must be -valuable. Beef and mutton may be produced for men and women of other -lands. Will the din of the loom and whirl of the spindle yet be heard -in this unbroken domain of nature? It cannot be that this immense -valley will remain the haunt of a few wild animals. Will the future -bring some industrial development: a future which is now dawning upon -us. How soon will a busy crowd of workmen take possession of these -solitudes, and the steam whistle echo and re-echo where now all is -silent? In the ages to come how many trains will run to and fro from -sea to sea with millions of passengers. All these thoughts crowd upon -me with that peaceful scene before us as the sun sinks behind the -serrated Selkirk Mountains, and I do not think that I can ever forget -the sight as I then gazed upon it. - -The evening, like all evenings in the mountains, after sunset, became -cold, and we found our camp fire comfortable. As we sat opposite it we -missed our friend, Mr. Dunbar, whose cheery voice we would have all -welcomed. Possibly I exaggerate my friend’s powers, for it was the only -human melody we heard on our travels. We retired early to prepare us -for the journey. The night was cold, and sleeping in our clothes and -wrapped in our blankets we could not complain of the heat. As usual -we were up early. At eight we were in a canoe floating down the River -Columbia. The immediate banks are low and the river winds in its -course with but little current. We could now see the rocky range which -we have left behind us. The terrace on which we stood at sunset lies -along the foot of the hills and a second terrace is seen to follow the -Kicking-Horse River, I learn, some 1,200 feet high. The ground from the -canyon of the Kicking-Horse River ascends to this terrace with a slope, -as far as I can judge, scarcely one to one, an angle of less than 45°, -and it was along the face of this upper shelving acclivity that the -narrow ledge of pathway was traced, which we followed for miles. I -never wish to take such another walk. I dared not look down. It seemed -as if a false step would have hurled us to the base, to certain death. -There is many a joke of the strong head of the North Countryman. I -shall ever listen to any wit of this character complacently, for I feel -that it was because of my experience in my younger days amid hills -and dales that my nerve did not fail me as we went onward. I am not -ashamed to say that I still look upon the tramp in the Kicking-Horse -as a serious effort. I believe that there are many who could not have -passed through it in any form. The power to walk along heights is a -constitutional endowment not extended to us all. For my part I have no -desire to retrace my steps by the path I have followed in the descent -of the Kicking-Horse Valley. - -Six miles below our starting point, to-day, we touched the shore to -take note of the buildings erected by those engaged on the railway -survey of twelve years back. They are five or six in number, and look -as if once they offered a comfortable resting place. - -We continue our journey for three miles. We feel the contrast between -this comfortable advance compared to our efforts of last week. The -glacier-fed river, the grand wide banks and the dim distant hills, -with the snow-covered mountains far behind them, presented a panorama -as striking as it is rarely seen. At noon we passed a tributary -which has been called “Wait-a-bit,” suggestive as the spot where -travelling parties rest and adjust the loads in their canoes before -passing the three miles of descending rapids which lay before them. -In twenty minutes we have passed the rapids and reach the landing. We -have crossed the outlet of a clear stream from the east discharging -its bright blue water far into the turbid flood of the Columbia. The -landing is at the upper end of a canyon through which the river passes -between rocky bluffs at the foot of the mountains. At this point we -have overtaken our pack train. George and Dave speedily unload the -canoe and we make preparations for a twelve mile march on foot or -saddle. The sun has been hot the whole day. The air is smoky and the -distant mountains are not visible. The trail we follow passes up the -hillside for some little distance and then descends to a lower level, -and for this locality is comparatively good. It continues for six -miles alongside the canyon, so called, but which, really, is no more -than a series of rapid descents through the contracted portion of the -river. There is nothing to prevent them being safely run by canoes and -boats, as many of the rapids of the Saint Lawrence are so passed over. -Indeed, I believe that a steamer could descend them, for the water is -less turbulent than the rapids overcome by the Beauharnois canal. Once -down, however, ascent would be impossible. As far as I can learn, the -Indians of this territory do not use canoes to any extent. Generally -they depend on the Indian ponies, and mounted upon them they follow -known trails through the forest. We followed the flats of the river to -our camping ground, some thirty miles north-westerly from the mouth of -the Kicking-Horse River, opposite the mouth of the Beaver River on the -Selkirk side. - -We had now to ascend the eastern slope of the Selkirk range. We are -up by day-break. Although only the 4th of September, as usual in -these mountain valleys, the morning was raw and cold. A heavy dew had -fallen during the night. Breakfast was over at six, but our horses -were missing. There was little pasture for them in the neighbourhood -and they had strayed in search of food. George has been absent since -day-break in search of them. He shortly returns with three horses -less than our number. Those he has collected have to be taken across -the river, and the only way of reaching the opposite bank is to make -them swim the stream. The width is about 400 feet and the water is deep -for three quarters of the distance. All animals swim, especially the -horse, but to land on an opposite shore is not always easy. Such was -the case in this instance, and some of the poor creatures, failing to -make a landing, by instinct returned to the side whence they started, -the strong current sweeping them a long distance down stream. The three -lost horses are found. At last man and beast are on the Selkirk side of -the river. - -We ourselves, and the _impedimenta_ are taken across by an old leaky -boat built by the Moberly surveying party in 1871. By this time it is -nine o’clock. It is no use crying over spilt milk; but time is now -precious, and every hour lost is a mishap. I did not look complacently -on our delay; there was, however, the satisfaction that we had overcome -the difficulty. We hope after crossing the mountains before us to -meet the Columbia in its southern course in about a week. We follow -the rough and recently cut trail by the Beaver River itself, a large -stream, passing through an open canyon for four or five miles. It is -quite unnavigable. There are few places where it can be forded along -the whole route. We proceed through a flat well-timbered valley over -half a mile in width. - -There is a dense growth of cedar, spruce and cotton wood, and such -magnificent cedar! Four feet and more in diameter. We have now an -undergrowth which is the genuine flora of the Pacific slope. Everywhere -the prickly aralia or devil’s club[G] and ferns and skunk cabbage[H] -are to be seen, all of the rankest growth, on the low ground. There is -no pasture for horses. Having had little to eat last night the poor -animals look miserable and wearily wind their way through the woods up -and down the ascents, while the voices of the drivers are constantly -heard encouraging them. - -As we advance we come upon a flock of grouse, five of which were -secured by hand without much difficulty, the birds being so tame. The -packmen know them as “fool hens.” We fancy that they resemble the -spruce partridge of the Atlantic Provinces. A short time after the -capture as we were trudging onwards a few miles beyond the spot, my -friend, Dr. Grant, finds that he has lost his watch. He supposes that -it dropped from the guard as he was engaged in the chase. We are three -miles past the spot. Unfortunately it was a gold presentation watch, -highly valued, and an effort must be made to find it. Along with Mr. -Albert Rogers he determines to return to make a search for it. It was -not possible to halt; the pack-train moves forward and I accompany it. -The smoke in the air now becomes more dense, for we were reaching a -region where fires appeared to be ahead of us, the ordeal of passing -through which we did not wish to experience. The forest had evidently -been burning some time, and the trees had fallen in many directions, -obstructing the path and causing considerable delay. With difficulty -we continued our advance. The horses at one time clambered over fallen -trees, still on fire, at another waded through hot ashes or burning -vegetable soil. We go on with some dread. If wind arises the half -burned trees may be hurled across the horses and ourselves. - -We continue on wearily hour after hour in the hope of finding a spot -where the horses can pasture, but none is to be seen. At last we reach -an engineer’s camp about six p.m., and Dr. Grant soon appears, in the -best of spirits. He had found his watch, and if ever a patient search -was justly rewarded it was in his case. - -There is no pasture for a long way before us, and there is no -alternative; we must remain for the night, even if there be no feed for -the horses. The surveying party is in charge of Major Critchelow, a -West Point man, with all the marks of culture which that institution -extends. His assistants are equally agreeable. They give us a cordial -welcome, and we have a supper of oatmeal porridge and condensed milk. -I could eat only with effort when I thought that our horses were -without their feed. But so it was, and nothing could be done. We have -still five or six miles to ascend before we reach the summit. We have -travelled eighteen miles to-day, and we are fatigued, and I do not -think any of us were long wrapped in our blankets before we were fast -asleep. - -Our poor horses could only nibble the leaves of the devil’s club in -the attempt to satisfy hunger. There was nothing to be done but to -proceed, and as soon as possible reach good pasture at the summit. We -were now no longer by Beaver River. We had followed it for fifteen -miles, and had ascended a branch named Bear Creek. We heard that a -number of these creatures are to be met in this locality. The surveying -party had seen as many as fifty. We pass through a tall forest until -we reach a rugged mountain defile leading up to the summit, which we -are to cross. The mountain peaks rise high above us, and although it is -far advanced in the forenoon the sun has not yet appeared to us in the -defile, for it has not yet ascended to the lofty horizon. We crossed -many old avalanche slides. On the southern side of the mountains, as we -wind our way, great scaurs, banked with snow, are seen two hundred or -three hundred feet above the bottom of the narrow valley through which -Bear Creek flows. To the north we observe a glacier, possibly fifty -yards thick at its overhanging termination. It takes its origin at some -remote lofty source far beyond the reach of our view. Below the glacier -on the mountain side there are traces of a heavy avalanche, where trees -have been broken and crushed in all directions. Judging from the age -of the timber the movement must have taken place a considerable time -back, and was probably caused by the breaking off of a huge mass of the -glacier. What could have been more majestic than the fall of one of -those great glaciers, in its descent driving everything before it as -stubble in the field. - -Five miles from our last night’s camp we leave Bear Creek and follow -a small stream to the south. Half a mile further brings us to the -summit. At last there is pasture for the poor horses, so they are -unloaded and unsaddled and turned out to their food. Our dinner, too, -is prepared, although it is not yet noon. The horses require rest and -we ourselves are now in no hurry to proceed. There is a grassy knoll -in our neighbourhood which might have been placed in the most sylvan -of scenes, and we recline at our full ease to enjoy the scene around -us. Nothing would have been gained by leaving before the horses had -satisfied themselves. I recollected that I had a package of cigars, -a gift from our genial Ottawa friend, Mr. N----. They had crossed and -re-crossed the Atlantic with me during the present summer, and it was -little thought when they came into my possession that their aroma would -mingle with the atmosphere of a summit in the Selkirk range. They are -produced. We have no wine, so we can only congratulate Major Rogers -over the cigars on the discovery of a pass so far practicable and on -certain conditions appearing to furnish a solution of the problem of -crossing over the Selkirk range instead of making a detour, following -the Columbia by the Boat Encampment. We are now 4,600 feet above the -sea, surrounded by mountains of all forms, pyramidal, conical and -serrated. They are marked in bold relief on the lofty sky line. Between -them the everlasting glaciers present the most remarkable variety of -appearance. Westward there is an open valley with great peaks which -stands out in the dim distance. It is by looking north in the direction -whence we came that we have the grandest view. The valley is to all -appearance completely enclosed by what seemed to be impenetrable -mountains. The defile which we entered is not visible, although the -entrance is dimly seen clothed in shadow through the smoky air. -Towering high near the crest there is a series of glaciers extending -for half a mile or more from north to south. - -As we quietly rested, enjoying our cigars in the midst of the -remarkable scenery which surrounded us on every side, Major Rogers -described to us various details connected with the discovery of the -pass, and we felt that his description was as creditable to him as the -discovery itself. He stated that he was indebted to the report of Mr. -Walter Moberly for a suggestion which led to the examination. As far as -I have any knowledge, Mr. Moberly is the first white man who ascended -the Ille-celle-waet, the stream which we have now to follow on our -journey. It was eighteen years ago. He was engaged in an exploration -for the Government of British Columbia. In the year 1865, Mr. Moberly -had discovered the Eagle pass, through the Gold Range. He then -ascended the Ille-celle-waet, a distance which he estimated at forty -miles, to the Forks, where it divided into two streams, one of which, -the most northern, he traced some thirty miles farther. This branch -terminated in a _cul-de-sac_ among snowy mountains. The other branch -he was unable to follow, as the season was advanced, 23rd September, -and his Indian guide declined to accompany him. In his report, Mr. -Moberly spoke hopefully of a route by that branch[I] and recommended -that it “should be examined before a road is finally determined on.” -It was upon this hint that Major Rogers acted. Three years back he -traced the Ille-celle-waet to the Forks, and then followed the eastern -branch. This branch also proceeded from two streams, the most southerly -of which he followed. With his nephew he climbed a mountain on its -northern bank, and from the summit he looked down on the meadow on -which we were then resting. Major Rogers, pointing up to the height -directly in front of us, said: “There Al. and I stood; we could trace -through the mountains a valley, and the conclusion was established in -my mind that it led to the unexplored branch of the Ille-celle-waet. We -also traced a depression to the east, which we considered might lead to -the upper waters of the Columbia. And so it proved.” Major Rogers could -go no further at that date. He was short of provisions, and he returned -as he came. But next year he ascended the stream by which we have -travelled for the last two days and reached this grassy plot. On this -occasion also his nephew accompanied him, and recognized the meadow, -the height on which they formerly stood and the peculiar features -of the scenery which they beheld. All that remained was to follow -the flow of water westerly. They did so as far as the forks of the -Ille-celle-waet. They returned by another route in the hope of finding -a better pass, but this effort proved unsuccessful. - -A party had been detailed to cut out a trail westward, which we are now -to follow as far as it is made passable. Beyond that point our party -will be the first to pass across the Selkirk Range from its eastern -base on the upper Columbia to the second crossing of that river. - -The horses are still feeding and we have some time at our command. As -we view the landscape we feel as if some memorial should be preserved -of our visit here, and we organize a Canadian Alpine Club. The writer, -as a grandfather, is appointed interim president, Dr. Grant, secretary, -and my son, S. Hall Fleming, treasurer. A meeting was held and we -turn to one of the springs rippling down to the Ille-celle-waet and -drink success to the organization. Unanimously we carry resolutions -of acknowledgment to Major Rogers, the discoverer of the pass, and to -his nephew for assisting him. The summit on which we stand is a dry -meadow about a mile in extent, with excellent grass. On the approaches -we found raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, pigeonberries and -gooseberries. They were a treat to us with our hard fare. Fruit, -gathered from the bush is always more pleasant to the taste, and fancy -eating these delicious fruits in the heart of the Selkirk Range, -nearly a vertical mile above the ocean! We are in the best of health, -and have the digestion of ostriches. The air is bracing, the day is -fine. We have regained our freshness and elasticity, and to show that -we are all still young and unaffected by our journey we deem it proper -to go through a game of leap-frog, about the only amusement at our -command, an act of Olympic worship to the deities in the heart of the -Selkirks! Our packers look upon our performance gravely, without a -smile. It struck us that the thought passed through their minds that -it would be as well for us to reserve our strength for the morrow, and -that in view of the path before us our elation was somewhat premature. -If such were their thoughts they were certainly justified by the -following week’s experience. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -_DOWN THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET._ - - The Descent of the Selkirk Range--Glaciers--The Last of our Horses-- - Devil’s Clubs--The Ille-celle-waet--A Rough Journey--A Mountain - Storm--Slow Progress--A Roaring Torrent--Skunk Cabbage--Marsh-- - A Long Ten Miles’ Journey. - - -Our horses having grazed on the rich pasture are evidently satisfied, -some are actually rolling on the grass. So the hour has come to leave -the pleasant meadow in the Rogers Pass and pursue our journey. The -animals are loaded with their packs, but they are not too eager to -make another start. We hear “Steamboat,” “Calgary” and the other names -shouted in tones of anything but gentle remonstrance, and occasionally -stronger means of persuasion are employed. At last we are fairly -under way. Our descent is rapid. We soon come in sight of a conical -peak rising about fifteen hundred feet, as near as I can judge, above -the surrounding lofty mountains. It stood out majestically among its -fellows. We thought that it was a fit spot for the virgin attempt of -the Alpine Club. We name it Syndicate Peak. Major Rogers declared it -would be the summit of his ambition to plant on its highest point the -Union Jack on the day that the first through train passed along the -gorge we were now travelling. To the west there is a remarkable glacier -whence issues one of the sources of the Ille-celle-waet. We descend -slowly enough but with increased rapidity of actual descent, crossing -a series of avalanche slides with a growth of tall alder bushes, the -roots being interlaced in all directions. A line had been cut through -by the surveying party, or our progress would have been exceedingly -difficult. The narrow gorge occasionally widens out. The flat in the -valley of the Ille-celle-waet in some parts may be a quarter of a mile -in width, but it is exceedingly irregular in that respect. - -We soon find ourselves five hundred feet below the summit. The -adjoining mountains are steep, and tracks of avalanches are frequent. -From some little distance to a point where the last pasture for -the horses can be had the trail is moderately good. Later in the -afternoon we came upon an encampment of two Shuswap Indians, who had -left Critchelow’s camp in the morning before we started. They had -pack-animals with them, and had selected the spot on account of some -grass growing on the line of a snow-slide. They informed us that this -was the last pasture to be found on the trail, so we resolved to camp -at the same place. - -Our course had been westerly through a valley flanked on both sides -by high mountains of all forms with interlying glaciers. We have -difficulty in finding a place to pitch our tent, but finally we secure -a nook with area enough on the low gravelly bank of a brook of crystal -eighteen inches wide, but so small is the space available that the camp -fire must be placed on the opposite side of the rivulet; the murmur of -its waters at my feet was the sound by which I fall asleep. - -In our encampment we had eleven men and sixteen horses, and a strange -compound of nationalities we presented. We are from Massachusetts, -Minnesota, Virginia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Scotland, England, Norway -and Austria, and two are Shuswap Indians of British Columbia. - -The nights are now cold, and before morning we are chilled, although -we wrap ourselves in our blankets without being undressed. It could -hardly be otherwise in the neighbourhood of so many glaciers. The hot -sun penetrates into the valley, but after sunset the cold air of the -upper strata by degrees usurps its place. Breakfast and exercise make -us once more ourselves, and we again start, winding along the rough and -rocky edge of a rapidly descending stream on a narrow trail traced out -by the surveying parties a few days previously. We continue through -the valley walled in by mountains, the height of which must be counted -by thousands of feet. After a progress of fourteen miles we come upon -two large masses of frozen snow, one on each side of the river and -fifty feet back from it. We learn that three years ago, when first -seen, they were much larger and higher, forming a great natural bridge -across the stream. The water, which is here of considerable volume and -impetuosity, passed through the opening which it had forced in the -centre. It is the remains of an avalanche from one of the glaciers, -at what date no one can tell, and as I have said, it was first seen -three years ago. The bridge has disappeared and only the abutments -of hard frozen snow or ice are left, and they are gradually melting -away. It is to be inferred that it was of no late occurrence, and that -the mass must have been precipitated from a neighbouring glacier, -evidently not an uncommon occurrence in this district. Mr. Moberly -mentions in his journal, 26th September, 1865, having seen further up -the Ille-celle-waet a snow bridge on which his party crossed the stream -which flowed two hundred and fifty feet beneath without being seen. - -We trudge slowly along the newly cut trail high up among the rocks, to -descend again to the flats with its alders and devil’s clubs until at -last, we reach a surveyors’ camp, twenty-four miles from the summit. -Such is the measured distance but we would have estimated it as much -longer by the tax upon our strength. - -Our horses have now to leave us, it being impossible for them to -proceed further. I feel quite sad in separating from them. In an -expedition such as we are on, horses and men become identified, for -they have the common object of moving onwards on the trail before them. -A spirit of comradeship springs up but little known in the world of -paved streets and hack-cabs. Day after day, as you see the familiar -creatures obediently serving you and partaking of your fatigue, and, as -in this instance, undergoing privation by your side you regard them as -friends. You have always a cheery word of kindness for them, and how a -horse knows a man’s voice and makes an increased effort at obedience in -response to it! These poor creatures had acted admirably for us. On one -occasion for a spell of nearly sixty hours they had been almost without -food. Yet how patiently they kept to their labours. All of us, I may -say, greeted the pasture at the summit with as much delight as if our -own food depended on it. But we have now to separate. They return on -their way and we go onwards. I had a kind thought for the poor brutes -and said to them some parting words, and I hope to-day they have a -perfect paradise of pasture wherever they may be. - -On reaching the surveyors’ camp alluded to I find a fellow laborer of -former days, one of the Intercolonial staff, and I was delighted to see -him, Mr. McMillan. He commenced the active duties of his profession -with me some seventeen or eighteen years back. Engineers have always -a pleasure in meeting those who have been on the same work, and when -there has been no unpleasantness, which, I am glad to say, does not -often happen, the link having so worked together is very strong. -Nothing but the best of feeling existed between Mr. McMillan and -myself, so we were equally pleased at the meeting. - -We spent the evening in discussing the best means of proceeding, for we -required additional men to take our provisions, at least to the south -flow of the Columbia. - -The camping ground was not good. Between the tall cedars there was a -dense growth of devil’s club through which we had to pass going from -tent to tent, and to avoid it we were driven to carry torches to light -our way. Before the evening was over we had finally made arrangements -for our further journey, and it was ten before we retired. - -Last night it rained hard, with thunder and lightning. This morning -everything is wet and the trees are dripping in all directions; not a -pleasant prospect for those who have to travel under them. There is, -however, no halting in a journey such as ours. Our horses have left -us. They were driven back to find pasture last night. The men must now -carry on their shoulders what we require, through an untrodden forest -without path or trail of any kind. Clothing, tents, food and a few -cooking utensils constitute what we have to bring with us. Fortunately -we can always find water. It is a matter of some calculation and care -putting these articles into proper packs, but the task is finally -accomplished. We say good-bye to Major Rogers and Mr. McMillan and -we start at half-past nine. In saying good-bye to them we were -bidding farewell to all civilization which had forced itself into the -mountains. Hitherto we had enjoyed what appliances of the great world -were available. Our advance had been made as easy as it was possible -to make it. We were now turning our back on civilized life and its -auxiliaries, again to meet them, we trusted, at Kamloops. Our world was -for a time in our little band. We knew nothing of the country before -us and we had no assistance to look for from the world behind us. We -were following a tributary of the Columbia to the waters of that river, -and this was the one guide for our direction. One by one we march off -in Indian file to the forest, and I bring up the rear. Independently -of myself, the party consists of Dr. Grant, my son Sandford, Mr. -Albert Rogers and five men from Mr. McMillan’s party, transferred to -our service to carry our necessary stores as far as the Columbia. -We had also Dave, our cook. I must here say that Dave, in his way, -was a man of genius; with that magnificent equanimity that is seldom -unaccompanied by great powers. Dave was a plain, honest Englishman, -who had spent part of his life as a sailor, and had roughed it in -many parts of the world. He never shirked his duty, was of herculean -frame and always shouldered the heaviest pack. With a certain roughness -of manner he was, with us, one of the round formed pins set in the -roundest of holes. I often think of him, and I am sure that he will be -equally useful wherever he is. - -The walking is dreadful, we climb over and creep under fallen trees of -great size and the men soon show that they feel the weight of their -burdens. Their halts for rest are frequent. It is hot work for us all. -The dripping rain from the bush and branches saturate us from above. -Tall ferns sometimes reaching to the shoulder and devil’s clubs through -which we had to crush our way make us feel as if dragged through a -horse-pond and our perspiration is that of a Turkish bath. We meet -with obstacles of every description. The devil’s clubs may be numbered -by millions and they are perpetually wounding us with their spikes -against which we strike. We halt very frequently for rest. Our advance -is varied by ascending rocky slopes and slippery masses, and again -descending to a lower level. We wade through alder swamps and tread -down skunk cabbage and the prickly aralias, and so we continue until -half-past four, when the tired-out men are unable to go further. A halt -becomes necessary. We camp for the night on a high bank overlooking the -Ille-celle-waet. Three of us have dry underclothing, in water-proof -bags, but the poor men have no such luxury, so they make large fires -by which to dry themselves. Dave, our cook, fries the pork and makes -us tea in the usual way on such expeditions. We have all excellent -appetites and no fear of a bad digestion; and all quite ready to sleep, -literally and truly in spite of thunder, without criticizing the couch -on which we lie. - -The Ille-celle-waet, on whose banks we have camped, has increased from -a tiny brook to a raging torrent, some fifty yards wide. The colour of -the water is much as that at London Bridge; a result possibly due to -the disintegration of the rock over which the stream rushes and to the -grinding action of the boulders rolling down the stream. A sediment is -thus formed which is visibly precipitated in any vessel where the water -remains quiet. - -Last night we discussed the suggestion of constructing a raft and with -the current float down to the Columbia. As we look upon the water -foaming past us and the numerous rocks and obstacles in the stream, -we are satisfied that no raft could live long in such a torrent. The -valley is narrow and is skirted by lofty mountains, wooded up their -sides and of considerable elevation; but owing to the height of the -trees we cannot see their summit. Occasionally during the day we have -beheld snow peaks peering above the lower levels. In some parts of -the valley a stray sunbeam never penetrates to the lower ground. The -vegetation in consequence is peculiar, and mosses of rare variety are -found. The ferns, where the soil is rich, are as high as a man’s head. -The aralia and skunk cabbage are as rank as possible. Here and there -on rocky points, above the deeper portions of the valley, we find many -berry-bearing shrubs. They enjoy but little sunshine. The fruit in -consequence is acid but palatable. Darkness at an early hour enshrouds -the base of the peaks, so the cook has to bake to-morrow’s bread by -the light of the fire. Suddenly thunder is heard and the red glare of -lightning illuminates all around us. For some time we are threatened -with rain and at length it falls in torrents. The thunder and lightning -are now seen and heard through the valley, and our one danger is that -a heavy wind may spring up, and, as often happens, root up many of -the forest trees around us; but our trust is in Providence as we wrap -ourselves in our blankets to sleep. - -By the morning the thunder had ceased and the tall trees around us -stood erect; the air is thick with mist. The mossy ground with every -bush is wet with rain. Breakfast comes, with one and the same _menu_ -for all meals, and for us all, fried pork and bread made in a frying -pan, now and then some dried apples boiled, and tea without milk, -strong enough for anyone, and nothing could have been more relished. -We mount our packs, for we all carry something, and start onwards for -another hard day’s march. Our yesterday’s advance on a direct line we -estimate at four miles. This day’s experience was a repetition of that -of yesterday, and our great business at the halting places is for each -of us to extract the prickles from our hands and knees. - -The scene of our mid-day meal of cold pork and bread was the junction -of two clear streams from the mountains, the more bright and -crystal like from contrast with the chocolate looking water of the -Ille-celle-waet. We resolve to encamp somewhat earlier, so that the men -may dry their clothes by daylight. It was fair weather when we halted -by a picturesque brook, tired and weary enough. The spot we selected -was at a turn of the Ille-celle-waet where the boiling, roaring torrent -sweeps past with formidable fury. Coming from the south a brook falls -by gentle slopes into the larger stream forming a cascade near its -mouth, where we obtain a shower-bath of nature’s creation. On the river -side there is a forest scene of dark cedars, while here and there lie -immense prostrate trunks, some of them eight or ten feet in diameter, -covered with moss. Beyond the river the mountains frown down upon us as -defiantly as ever. The usual routine of camp settling is gone through -and after supper has been eaten the last pipe is smoked and the last -lingerer leaves the camp fire for his blankets. - -It is Sunday, so we venture to sleep a few five minutes longer, and as -we hear the roar of the rapids which seem to shake the very ground, -we wonder how we could have slept through it. It rained all night, -none of the men had tents and they nestled by the trees and obtained -what protection they could. Our waterproofs were divided among them -as far as they would go and such as did not possess them were more -or less drenched. Looking skywards through the openings in the thick -overhanging branches there seems a prospect of the clouds rising. -Sunday though it be, with our supplies limited, we are like a ship -in mid-ocean: we must continue our journey without taking the usual -weekly rest, which would have been welcomed by us all. Dr. Grant called -us together, and after the simple form of worship which the Church -of Scotland enjoins under such circumstances, we start onwards. The -walking is wretchedly bad. We make little headway, and every tree, -every leaf, is wet and casts off the rain. In a short time we are as -drenched as the foliage. We have many fallen trees to climb over, and -it is no slight matter to struggle over trees ten feet and upwards in -diameter. We have rocks to ascend and descend; we have a marsh to cross -in which we sink often to the middle. For half a mile we have waded, I -will not say picked, our way to the opposite side, through a channel -filled with stagnant water, having an odour long to be remembered. -Skunk cabbage is here indigenous and is found in acres of stinking -perfection. We clamber to the higher ground, hoping to find an easier -advance, and we come upon the trail of a cariboo, but it leads to -the mountains. We try another course, only to become entangled in a -windfall of prostrate trees. The rain continues falling incessantly: -the men, with heavy loads on their heads, made heavier by the water -which has soaked into them, become completely disheartened, and at -half-past two o’clock we decide to camp. Our travelling to-day extended -only over three hours, we have not advanced above a mile and a half of -actual distance and we all suffer greatly from fatigue. I question if -our three days’ march has carried us further than ten miles. - -We build huge bonfires and dry our clothes and are just beginning to -feel comfortable, under the circumstances, when we discover that an old -hollow cedar of some height, near us, has caught fire and leans towards -our camp threatening to fall across it. I have heard unpleasant stories -about camps in such situations, so we move to another place. In the -morning this very tree lay on the ground directly along the site where -we were first encamped. In the meantime the rain falls more and more -heavily. Our blankets, kept in their water-proof bags, are the only -parts of our baggage which are dry. Under the circumstances it was a -blessing we possessed this luxury. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -_DOWN THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET._--_Continued._ - - A Difficult March--Cariboo Path--Organization of Advance--Passing - Through the Canyon--Timber Jam--A Gun-shot Heard--The Columbia - Again--Indians--Disappointment--The Question of Supplies becomes - Urgent--No Relief Party Found--Suspense. - - -It rained when we awoke at five on the Monday. Dave, our cook, had had -one of those nights of misery which many have now and then to undergo, -but his excellencies are more appreciable as difficulties increase. -Soaking wet to the skin he performs the duty of preparing breakfast as -cheerfully as if he were in the Royal Kitchen, and in such a situation -good humour is the first of virtues. Some time is exacted in drying, -even partially, our wet blankets and clothing, so as to lighten the -loads, already heavy enough; we cannot, therefore, start as early as we -wish. - -In the first hours of our journey we make fair progress. We are now -far up the mountain side, and here and there we come upon the path of -the bear and the cariboo. Generally these trails do not run in the -direction we wish to take, but if they incline in the least towards -the West we gladly turn to them. They are gone over with so much more -ease than the tangled forest, that however much they prolong the -distance it is a saving to follow their windings. The cariboo paths, -however, too frequently lead to recesses in the mountains or to alder -swamps near the river. An attempt to systematize our travelling was -made to-day. Hitherto our rests had been irregular. Our halts were long -and we were drenched with perspiration; we got chilled, so we laid -down the rule to walk for twenty minutes and rest for five. Dr. Grant -is appointed the quartermaster-general for the occasion, with absolute -authority to time our halts and our marches by the sound of a whistle, -and when he sees fit to call special halts after extraordinary efforts. -Our period of progress for twenty minutes often seems very long, and we -wearily struggle through the broken ground and clamber over obstacles, -eagerly listening for the joyful sound to halt proclaimed by the -whistle. It was a system of forced marches and answered admirably, -for we made more progress in this way than on any previous occasion. -We have another experience of an alder swamp, possibly not quite so -formidable as that of yesterday, for we did not sink deeper than the -knee. But we had another phase of experience. We reached the lower -canyon of the Ille-celle-waet and climbed from rock to rock, grasping -roots and branches, scrambling up almost perpendicular ascents, -swinging ourselves occasionally like experienced acrobats and feeling -like the clown in the pantomime as he tells the children, “here I am -again.” At some places the loads had to be unpacked and the men had -to draw each other up, by clinched hands, from one ledge to another. -Then we had another chapter of the Kicking-Horse Valley experience: -passing cautiously along a steep slope, where a false step was certain -disaster; creeping under a cascade, over a point of precipitous rock -and surmounting obstacles, which, unless we had to go forward or to -starve, would have been held to be insurmountable. But we persevere -and overcome them, and reach our camping ground for the night, all of -us showing traces of our day’s work. We select for our camp a small -_plateau_ of about half an acre, overlooking the river, which passes in -a foaming torrent through a deep canyon with perpendicular rocky sides, -which twists in gigantic irregularities. Such places are only seen in -these mountains. The packmen give them the name of “box canyons.” A -dead tree furnishes us with fuel, and we obtain water by letting a man -down with a sling half way to the river’s edge to a spot where there is -an excellent spring. The water of the river was objectionable, being -impregnated with dark sand held in solution. - -As we were preparing to rest for the night a bright glare of lightning -and a sharp peal of thunder warn us to protect our clothes as best -we can against rain. We saw but one flash and heard its accompanying -loud crash, to remind us that each night of our descent by the -Ille-celle-waet we have been saluted after dark by heaven’s artillery. - -Our relief is great in the morning to find that it does not rain, that -the sky is clear and that there is promise of a fine day. We have all -slept well and are refreshed and hope to make the Columbia early in -the day. We start off cheerfully, but we are not out of the canyon. -We again climb through the rocky defile, and about half a mile from -our starting point we reach a jam of trunks of trees, not far from its -lower end. Tree after tree has been piled here by the current for many -a year. Who can tell the period? For the space of some hundreds of -yards up and down the stream a mass has been heaped up thirty or forty -feet above the level of the water. There is an accumulation of material -at this spot which would be a fortune to its possessor if he had it -in London or any European city. We cautiously clamber from log to log -over this jam and reach the opposite side of the canyon. We proceed -onward soon to find the ground cumbered by many fallen trees, with -masses of rocks and the invariable ferns and devil’s clubs in all their -luxuriance. We continue our march, making our halts by rule, and on the -whole make decent progress. - -We halt at mid-day sufficiently long to eat our bread and cold bacon, -and we thought we ought to be within hearing of a gunshot from the -Columbia. We expect the party from Kamloops with supplies to meet -us there. It is the eleventh of the month. I had named the 8th of -September as the date at the latest when we should reach the place -appointed. Accordingly I direct my son rapidly to fire two rifle shots. -We listen attentively and in a short time we hear the welcome report of -a gunshot. We answer with three shots in quick succession, and again -we hear a gunshot. We count almost with breathless excitement. It is -repeated and again repeated,--it is the three shots! Thank God! We have -established our connection. Our friends are in front of us with the -provisions on which we rely. All anxiety for the future is past, and -the promised waters of the Columbia cannot be far from us. - -By the nature of the ground over which we have to pass some time is -exacted for us to overcome the obstacles before us, but not a moment -is lost. We are all alive with excitement, and move forward as rapidly -as it is possible to do. At our first rest we fire another shot, and -we hear two shots more distinctly than on the first occasion. We are -much elated to feel that our combinations have been so successful, and -that we were on the eve of having to welcome new faces from the outer -world, and possibly receive letters from home. We strike a bee line in -the direction of the sound and strive to follow it. Soon we are out -of the green woods and are in sight of the Columbia. We observe the -smoke of a camp a mile from us on the opposite shore. Impulsively we -give a series of hurrahs, for it seems to us we can see our friends -from Kamloops. Two canoes cross the river. We are standing upon the -high sandy bank in full view of the Eagle pass, directly opposite to -us. We soon observe that our expectations have deceived us. The canoes -contain Indians only. We meet them at the water’s edge. They can speak -no English, but with the help of a little “Chinook,” we learn, to our -great disappointment, that no one has arrived from Kamloops! It was the -Indians who had replied to our shots. They were Fort Colville Indians, -and had come by the Columbia some time ago as a small hunting party, -and they had been on this spot for at least four weeks. However, we -decided to cross the river in their canoes and send back the men to Mr. -McMillan, as we had promised him. - -We divided our little store of provisions with the fine fellows who -had carried our _impedimenta_ down the Ille-celle-waet, so that they -would have enough to take them back to McMillan’s camp. I added a -letter of approval to their chief. No men ever more deserved thanks -than they did. Our lives had been passed side by side for many an hour, -so I could judge and estimate their good-will and the cheerfulness -with which they performed their duties. I never knew men with better -pluck or endurance. I could easily see that my friend, McMillan, had -specially picked them out for the arduous service they had to perform. -They were all made of the truest and best of stuff, and let me here -make my acknowledgments to them for their admirable conduct. We had -Campbell, Currie and McDougall, from Ontario; McMillan, from New -Brunswick, and Scoly, an Englishman, from Lancashire. These men had -been put to the test, and showed of what material their manhood was -made. They could not have behaved better, and they carry with them my -best wishes for their future welfare. - -Our canoes shot out from the shore and those we leave behind give us -three hearty cheers, which we as cordially acknowledge. The Columbia -at the junction of the Ille-celle-waet, is a noble stream, broad and -deep. We landed at the gravelly bank of the Indian encampment, where we -found three Indian families, with four canoes. We pitched our tent four -hundred yards down stream, where the current was much stronger. The -width here is about twelve hundred feet, and the whole river brought -to my mind the South-west Miramichi, where the Intercolonial Railway -crosses it. - -It was early in the afternoon and the stream furnished us the luxury -of a good bath. We made a fire on the beach and had dinner, after -which we seriously considered our situation. We were fatigued beyond -measure and every joint ached. The skin of all of us in a few places -was somewhat lacerated, our hands were festering from the pricks of -the devil’s club, and we had not yet come to the end of our work. I -was well aware that we would yet have difficulties to meet in reaching -Kamloops. Our supply of food was nearly exhausted, and what was left -we had to carry ourselves. I certainly felt grievously disappointed -that the men from Kamloops were not present. We were three days later -than the appointed day of meeting. We ought to have found the party on -the spot to receive us, and their absence had a most depressing effect -on us. Neither men nor provisions were on the ground. I distinctly -remembered the arrangements made at Winnipeg. I read over and over -copies of the directions left behind, also the telegrams sent from -Calgary, and I knew that if any one could carry out the arrangement -it was the agents of the Hudson’s Bay Company. I had been careful in -impressing upon the Chief Commissioner that we depended on him solely -and absolutely for our supplies of food at this point. We were on the -spot where they should have been delivered, and the time had passed -when the relief party should be on the ground. We thought of all sorts -of mishaps that might have befallen them. We knew there was no trail -through the Eagle Pass; indeed I myself had telegraphed that fact -from Calgary. Major Rogers and his nephew had traversed it three -years ago, and we were aware that the ground to be passed over was -of the most trying description: that there were several lakes to be -crossed. The thought came upon us that the supply party might have met -with an accident in crossing one of these lakes, or they might have -been overtaken by forest fires, or some other misadventure might have -happened which we knew nothing of. - -There was one alternative open to us. Fortunately the band of Indians -were on the spot, and if the worst came to the worst we might induce -them to paddle us down the Columbia to Fort Colville, in the United -States, and thence find our way through Washington Territory and Oregon -to our destination. But we had started to go through the mountains to -reach Kamloops on a direct line, and the idea of abandoning the attempt -and making a flank movement was the last we could entertain. - -Our decision as to the course we are to take cannot be long delayed, -as our slender stock of provisions will last but a few days. In this -painful embarrassment, and it was painful, we asked ourselves the -question: Would it be prudent to go on risking the chance of meeting -the party from Kamloops, or do the circumstances compel us to give up -the idea of crossing the Gold Range and force us to enlist the services -of the Indians to take us down the Columbia, some two hundred miles to -their own village, from which point we can find our way to Portland in -Oregon in twelve days, and then by Puget’s Sound reach our destination -in British Columbia? This mode of procedure was most repugnant to us; -but however desirous we were to cross the Gold Range of mountains, we -had seriously to consider the situation. I may seem to exaggerate the -doubt and misgiving which thus crossed my mind. But the facts of the -case must be borne in mind that our dependence rested entirely upon -receiving the supplies from Kamloops; this source failing, none was -open to us. Had our stock of provisions been exhausted and no Indians -been present on the Columbia, I do not see that our fate would have -been different to that of many an explorer: starvation. There was only -one deduction to be drawn from the absence of the Kamloops party: that -there had been misapprehension or misfortune, and that we could not -look for assistance where we stood. - -The responsibility of determining the course to be taken under such -circumstances was serious and depressing. It was evident that we had to -act independently of others, and viewing the state of our provisions -we had at once to do so. Our united feeling was strong that we should -not abandon the Eagle Pass. We all recognized that after a night’s -rest immediate action was imperative, that we ought in no way to delay -but to proceed onward, leaving behind us tent, blankets, baggage and -everything not absolutely required, carrying only the remnant of food -we still had, with a small frying pan, and so work our way westward -as best we could. With this feeling uppermost in our minds we try to -consider the prospect before us with equanimity. - -We had at least accomplished an important part of the journey, and -our advance had so far been without mishap. We had crossed through -the Rocky Mountain Range and the Selkirk Range, and had arrived at -the second crossing of the Columbia by the time estimated. We are no -longer in the wet and clammy recesses which we passed through along the -course of the turbulent river recently followed. We are on the banks of -a noble stream in the wide open valley of the Columbia. The landscape -which met our view was of great beauty. It was mellowed with autumnal -tints and confined within countless lofty peaks. To the east lay the -valley of the Ille-celle-waet, surrounded by towering heights gradually -fading in the distance, while in front of us the Columbia swept along -through its various windings, made more glittering by the contrast of -the dark masses of foliage on the low ground. - -Evening came on to throw a more sombre tint of colour over the scene. -All that was to be heard was the peculiar sound of the rapidly flowing -stream and the distant roar of the Falls of the Ille-celle-waet. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -_THROUGH THE EAGLE PASS._ - - The Kamloops Men at Last--No Supplies--On Short Allowance--An - Indian Guide--Bog-wading--The Summit of the Pass--Bluff - Lake--Victoria Bluff--Three Valley Lake--Eagle River--Shooting - Salmon--The _Cached_ Provisions--Pack-horses Again--Road - Making--The South Thompson--Indian Ranches. - - -Our anxiety passed away when five men appeared coming from the woods on -the flats of the Columbia, a short distance from our camp. We saw them -approach with more than usual satisfaction, for we felt certain that -they were the men we were looking for, and we hastened to meet them as -they came towards us. - -McLean was in charge, with four Shuswap Indians, and without delay he -gave me letters from the Hudson’s Bay Company’s agent. And among them -was a sheet of foolscap setting forth a list of the provisions sent us, -which, in the condition of our own stores was peculiarly acceptable. -On inquiry we learn that the sheet of paper alone represented the -provisions, for it was all that the party had brought with them. The -stores entrusted to them to bring to the Columbia had been _cached_ -at a point five days distant from us, and they had brought with them -barely enough food to supply their own wants. It was neither welcome -nor looked for intelligence with our slender stock of pork and flour. -We had already put ourselves on short allowance, and in view of our -resources we had not a moment to lose in making a start. - -The non-appearance of the Kamloops party at an earlier day was -accounted for by the well-meant but ill-advised attempt to bring horses -with them to the Columbia, and by the exceedingly rough character of -the ground through the Eagle pass itself, even for foot travel. Many -parts of the valley were blocked up by fallen trees of gigantic size; -and the obstructions, owing to masses of rock, the lakes, swamps and a -general ruggedness, had proved to be formidable. No attempt had been -made to bring on any of the provisions beyond the point which the -horses could not pass. At that spot the whole was _cached_, and one -of the Indians had been detailed to remain behind in charge of the -animals. The main object of their mission had, therefore, not been -fulfilled: that of being at the Columbia on the 8th of September with -provisions. They had neither observed the date of meeting, nor had -they brought with them the food which we looked for at their hands. -Fidelity to an engagement of this character is indispensable in the -wilderness. It ought to be felt that failure might lead to privation -and suffering. Had any one of us or our party slipped on the rocks or -trees, had forest fires impeded our progress, had we lost our way, or -had we, through any other unforeseen cause, been delayed, our stock -of supplies would have been exhausted when we reached the Columbia. -Fortunately we had met with no misadventure. We had been exceedingly -careful with our provisions, and hence we had a small reserve of pork -and flour, which, with careful management, could be made to serve for -a couple of days longer. There was nothing left for us but to make an -effort to extricate ourselves from the false position in which we found -ourselves. - -We discovered that the Fort Colville Indians encamped near us were well -acquainted with the country for some distance back of the Columbia. -It had been their hunting ground; accordingly we engaged one of their -party, old Baptiste, as a guide, to take us on our way by the least -difficult route, to the extent of his knowledge of the country. - -After the usual delay incident to a start with a new set of men we -march off in Indian file, headed by old Baptiste. None of us had been -impressed either by the knowledge of the country which the Kamloops -party possessed or by their skill in combinations. The Indian knew the -route well as far as Three Valley Lake, and we felt safer under his -pilotage, and assigned him the advanced post of our party. - -We imagined that we were making the best of starts. We all started -forward in Indian file with that springy gait which marks men having -confidence in themselves. The guide, however, led us to his own camp. -He did so without explanations or remark. He entered his wigwam and we -remained outside. The proceeding was inexplicable until we learned that -he had to repair his moccasins before he could start. We halted three -quarters of an hour, while the squaw deliberately plied her awl and -leather thong, the Indian in the meanwhile sitting motionless, smoking -his pipe and looking into the embers of the fire. We could only imitate -his patience and await the result. At length in the same silent way he -re-appeared, and started without comment on the trail. We submissively -followed. The thought crossed my mind that in this case knowledge was -power. - -Our guide took us by a circuitous route round the shore of the “big -eddy,” avoiding a mile of exceedingly painful walking, which the -Kamloops men had passed over last night. - -We find our way over ground almost clear of trees. Some years back -the country had been ravaged by one of the great forest fires, often -extending over immense distances. The trees had not again grown, and -we rapidly reach the green wood in the pass, where we take our mid-day -meal. - -We start again, skirting a large marsh. It seemed to us at first to be -a beaver meadow. It was full of water holes, skunk cabbage and deep -black muck. McLean and his men had waded through this bog up to their -middle for the greater part of the way. It was the one part of their -return they most dreaded to encounter. Do any of my readers know what -it is to wade through a marsh of deep oozy mud, covered with stinking -water? It is not an experience they may long for. The path we pass -along is the one taken by the Indians for carrying cariboo and game -over the mountains. The various wild berries we saw on the route were -unusually large. They more resembled small grapes in size than the -ordinary berry, and were pleasant to the taste. There was an abundance -of black huckleberries and blackberries. Is not this presence of a -luxurious growth of wild growing fruit an indication that garden fruits -might find their home in these sheltered valleys? - -We are fast ascending towards the summit. The valley leading to the -Eagle pass is about a quarter of a mile wide, walled in by parallel -mountains generally wooded to the top. We pass through a vast grove of -fine timber, mostly hemlock, fit for purposes of railway construction. -We cross several times the stream we are following, and about five -o’clock encamp on its eastern side. The site we select is the freest -we could find from the formidable devil’s clubs. Cedars, four feet in -diameter, rise up around us like the columns of a lofty temple. We -counted some forty or fifty in a circle of a radius of a hundred feet, -and a striking appearance they presented. - -We have travelled seven miles and have reached the summit of the Pass. -Our journey has been in every way satisfactory. We thoroughly recognize -all we owe to our guide. He has saved us labour, time and much -painful experience, and we are proportionately satisfied with our own -forethought that his services could be utilized. - -As night came on we lit up a hollow cedar. It is some distance from -us, and when it falls it will be away from us, as it inclines in -the opposite direction to our camp ground. It burns rapidly, and -illuminates the scene around us for the whole evening. It was moonlight -also, but the dense forest intervened, so the camp remained in shadow. -The vegetation around us was rank, with a green, luxurious growth of -mosses. Indeed the mosses extended in all directions, the surface of -the lower branches of the lofty trees not excepted. Some of the ferns -we saw were striking, and the abominable devil’s club was in profusion -all around us. - -It rained during the night; we were comfortable in our tents, but the -men were exposed to the rain, having brought with them no protection -against it. Before starting their blankets had to be dried, so it was -nearly eight o’clock before we got off. - -In less than two-thirds of a mile we gain Bluff Lake on the summit; -the steep rocky sides have given it its name, and the walking is so -difficult that we deem it expedient to form a raft on which we can -float to its further end. - -We have now entered into the third range of mountains and have passed -beyond the waters flowing into the Columbia. We have reached the -waters of the Eagle River, which find their way to the Fraser. Our -raft carried the tent and baggage, but was not large enough for all to -find a place upon it. Accordingly some had to clamber over the rocks -as best they could, and a difficult walk they had. We reached the end -of the Lake and continued on our journey. Another three-quarters of a -mile brings us to a second Victor Lake. We did not construct a raft to -navigate it. Baptiste took us by what he called an easy route. We had, -however, to clamber over rocky precipices the whole of the way, and it -is the afternoon before we sat down to take our meal at its western -end. The Lake is about three-quarters of a mile in length; the water is -like a mirror, in which the lofty peaks are reflected in every variety -of shade. Directly in our front there is a magnificent bluff rising -vertically sheer from the water seven hundred feet. Its image appears -in the mirror-like lake as well defined as in the atmosphere. On behalf -of the Canadian Alpine Club we name the bluff after Her Majesty, and -give three cheers for the Queen in honour of the occasion. We all -feel in good spirits, for we are satisfied with the progress we are -making. Our advance, however, was not without its difficulties. We -had a seemingly endless number of prostrate trunks of trees and rocks -to surmount, and on the lower ground we had from time to time to wade -through troublesome marshes. - -Three and a half miles from Victor Lake we arrived at Three Valley -Lake. Our Kamloops men, on their way to meet us, had constructed a -raft at this point, which is again available. It is large enough to -take the whole party. So we embarked upon it. Baptiste followed in -a small, birch-bark canoe, which he had taken from its _cache_. We -move slowly through this beautiful lake, nestling in the mountains, -where three valleys meet. Its shape is somewhat that of a three-corner -staff officer’s hat. It has lofty, wide banks, with bold rocky bluffs -standing out from the spruce and birch wood, here and there visible. -It is a beautiful sheet of water, dark in color and exceedingly deep. -It has been said that it is fathomless. Few Swiss lakes, which I have -seen in my limited wanderings, rise in my mind as superior to it in -wild, natural beauty. This sheet of water has a character of its own. -We reach the outlet in about an hour, somewhat chilled by sitting -immovably in one position on the raft. We soon are ourselves again as -we arrange our camping ground. Every spot is bright green, but there is -not a blade of grass. Possibly, owing to the excessive moisture of the -locality, the ground is brilliant with rich mosses of the thickness of -three or four inches, and you walk on them as on a Turkish carpet. - -We encamped on a small tree-covered promontory at the outlet of the -lake. Eagle River has now become a good sized stream of clear water -flowing over a rocky bottom. The scenery is striking in all directions. -The central of the Three Valleys branches into four subordinate -valleys, between each of which high peaks, covered with snow, are to be -seen. To the north and west the peaks are less lofty. Baptiste tells us -that much game abounds, and that from the lake large fish are taken, as -we infer, salmon. The evening was very pleasant; we were all in good -humour, not by any means the worst resource to the wanderer in his -travels. - -It did not rain last night. I do not hold my own experience as -sufficient for any generalization, but from all I can learn, at -this season of the year, it is seldom that such is the case in the -mountains. Certainly the nights during which we have escaped rain since -entering the Selkirk Range have been few. - -We had now to part with our Indian guide, who had fulfilled his -contract, so we settled with him and found he had a cool way of his -own in reckoning the value of his services, whatever he might know of -arithmetic. As a “lucky penny” we supplied him with enough matches to -last him a month, a mine of wealth to him; and he paddled away to the -east to find his way back to the Grand Eddy. - -The Kamloops Indians, now on their own ground, are unusually active -this morning. A tree is felled on which we can cross the river, and -we get off by eight o’clock, trudging through the woods, passing over -alder swamps and dry rocky ground, encountering prostrate trees of -giant growth until we reach Griffin’s Lake, a mile in length, with -rough and rugged sides. We constructed a raft of light timber and -formed our paddles of split cedar. It took an hour and three-quarters -to make the raft, but by paddling through the lake we made up the time -and reserved our strength for further efforts. We had an excellent -opportunity of seeing the country from the middle of the lake. Snow -covered peaks were here and there visible, but I question if this snow -be permanent; it struck me that it was only the deposit of the late -storms which we had experienced. We took our mid-day meal, it was now -bread and water, on the raft, so there was no delay in our starting -westward when we landed. The ground was smooth for some distance, but -we soon reached a part of the valley where it was entirely swamp to the -base of the hills. We had, therefore, to clamber along its side, which -was encumbered with large fallen trees and huge stones. Our progress -was as slow as in the valley of the Ille-celle-waet; and soon, from -sheer fatigue, we were forced to accept the first available camping -ground which offered: a small plateau near a mountain stream. - -As arranged, Albert and McLean started next morning at day-break -towards the point where the horses and supplies had been left, to get -everything in order, so that when we came up no time would be lost -and we could at once proceed. We shall not reach the spot a minute -too soon, for we are out of everything in the shape of food. McLean -and the four Indians, despatched from Kamloops with supplies, have -helped to finish the remnant of stores which we have carried across -three mountain summits from the Bow River. Without our forced marches -our provisions would certainly have been insufficient, and but for -the accident of meeting a guide we might have been in an unenviable -situation. Yet the failure of our plan was in itself so ridiculous that -I cannot look back upon it without a smile. We were in the heart of a -desert and asked for bread. We did not even get a stone, but we met -five hungry Indians ready to devour the little store we had brought -with us. - -We started soon after seven, every member of the party carrying his -own pack, except Albert and McLean, who had been already despatched -without loads. Our advance had much of the character of that of -yesterday, along a steep hill side, among fallen trees from four to -six feet in diameter. Our progress was exceedingly slow through these -difficulties; at length we reached the _cached_ provisions at eleven -o’clock. The hour of short commons was passed, and at our mid-day meal -we had a sumptuous fare. We found tinned oysters, potatoes, coffee, -bacon, flour, onions and such delicacies; we also had an example of the -saying that “it never rains but it pours,” for my son fortunately shot -a salmon in the Eagle River. We were thus in the very lap of luxury; -but our business was to do more than revel on good fare. We had to be -up and moving. The Indians expressed great astonishment when the order -was given to march. They expected we should remain here for a few days -to feast on the good things till they were done: as they term it in -British Columbia, to have a regular “potlatch.” - -We continued our journey, having horses to carry the loads. -Occasionally we ourselves mount, but the trail is so rough that for the -best part of the distance it was easier made on foot. The horses were -fresh after a week’s rest, and for an hour they bounded over the logs -and rocks with ease, but they soon settled down into their ordinary -pack-horse walk. - -Two miles from our dinner camp we crossed a stream of bright blue water -from the north, nearly equal in volume to the Eagle River. Four miles -further we met Mr. Joseph Hunter on his way to find us. He gave us the -welcome news that to-morrow we would be on a waggon road, now being -constructed over the western end of Eagle Pass, and that at Shuswap -Lake we would find a steamer to take us to Kamloops. - -Our trail did not improve. It continued on the hill side over rocky -ground, partially through a _brulé_. Our march was tedious, for we were -more on foot than in the saddle. - -Eight miles from our noon camp we reached the north fork of the Eagle -River, a stream about eighty feet in width. The water was turbid, -indicative of a glacial source. We found some difficulty in fording -it, owing to the rapidity of the current and the bed of the stream -being full of large boulders. A mile further on we camped on the hill -side among the charred remains of a forest fire, and had an excellent -supper. The moon rose, nearly at the full, lighting the lofty hills in -our front, and as we sat by the fire Mr. Hunter told us all he knew -of the doings of the outer world, of which we had lost all trace for -nearly four weeks. We learned that our camp is but four or five miles -in a direct course from a working party constructing a waggon road in -our direction. - -As the morrow will be Sunday, Dr. Grant suggests that we should start -as usual, and that he should hold a service when we arrive. Accordingly -the following morning Mr. Hunter and he start off on foot in advance. -We were so eager to reach the waggon road that all were up and at -breakfast before sunrise and were under way as its early rays were -peering over the mountains where, last night, the full moon came up. -The sky was without a cloud. The trail was so imperfect and circuitous -that, although the distance was given as from four to five miles, it -took us from six until about twelve to reach the encampment of Mr. G. -B. Wright, the road contractor. It was a tented village. Our hostess, -Mrs. Wright, received us under a large tent, appearing to us with an -additional charm as being the first white woman we had seen since we -left Morley on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. One of our -first luxuries was the use of soap and hot water, and certainly we all -required it. After we had partaken of the bounteous hospitality of Mrs. -Wright, Dr. Grant held a service, at which about forty men attended, -together with the only woman of our race within a long distance--our -hostess. The men wore the usual long beard, bearing no signs of the -scissors, and their dress was rough, but they all listened with marked -attention and reverence. - -In the afternoon we left this canvass town, which comprised some sixty -tents of all sizes. We were accommodated with a spring waggon and were -driven some sixteen miles over an excellent road. The whippletree gave -way more than once, but was speedily repaired by the help of a short -stick and some cod line. At half-past five we reached Shuswap Lake, -where a steamer was waiting for us, Albert having ridden ahead to -detain it. We were soon on board and steamed through the Sicamouse -Narrows, about three hundred feet wide with about six to eight feet of -water, as the last rays of the sun were lighting the lake. The moon -rose and we could see the country around us with the water channels -from every point of view. The shore is still in a state of nature, -without a settlement. There is not even a house at the steamboat -landing, and the supplies for the waggon road construction parties find -shelter from the rain under canvas. The steamer is about a hundred -feet in length, with a stern wheel for navigating shallow waters. It -was eleven o’clock before we turned in, and I could not but contrast -our present mode of travel with that of a few days back, and it seemed -almost like a dream as I thought of our advance from the first summit. - -We had still, however, a most unpleasant recollection of our wearing -journey through the mountains; the prickles of the devil’s club in -their poisonous effects had become a great annoyance to many of us. -Indeed, our swollen hands had to be wrapped in oatmeal poultices. -In one case the swelling and pain were really serious, and as a -consequence at least one of our party suffered from loss of sleep. - -At eight next morning we were on deck. The steamer was sailing down the -South Thompson. We stopped frequently at Indian ranches for passengers -and freight. The effort of getting some pigs on board at one of the -landings created some amusement; a scene in its way suggestive of our -having entered again the realm of civilization. Breakfast had been -delayed until our arrival at a spot where we were to obtain fresh milk -and some butter. When we reached the place, a ranche by the river side, -the fresh butter was not ready, so we waited until the churning had -been completed. Affairs seemed to us rather primitive west of Kamloops -Lake. Our cook is a Chinaman, comely looking enough, and the breakfast -that he put before us was certainly a respectable proof of his skill. - -We were now gliding through a country entirely different from that -east of Shuswap Lake. We had left the lofty peaks behind us, and were -surrounded by high hills covered with bunch grass, with groves of trees -and sometimes with single massive trunks of spruce or Douglas pine. -The landscape has a park-like character, and is highly picturesque. -The hills are high and varied in outline. Some portions of the River -Thompson recall the scenery on the upper portions of the Arno and -the Tiber on the journey from Florence to Rome. No rocky bluffs are -visible; the hills are smooth and rounded, but nevertheless of such -variety as to take away any monotony in the landscape as we move down -the river. About nine o’clock we arrive at Kamloops, some ninety miles -distant from Shuswap Lake, our starting place of the previous night, -where we had embarked. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -_KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST._ - - Lake Kamloops--Savona’s Ferry--Irrigation--Chinese Navvies--Chinese - Servants--Lytton--The Fraser River Canyon--Old Engineering - Friends--Sunday at Yale--Paddling Down the Fraser--An English Fog - at New Westminster. - - -The district into which we have entered, in its physical character, -is directly the opposite of that which we have traversed. We have no -mosses to tell the story of excessive humidity. We are now in a country -where the leading feature is extreme aridity. I can compare the dark -powdered earth to nothing to which it bears more resemblance ground -pepper. On all sides the indications show that this condition of soil -and climate extends over a wide district. The surface is covered by -a tufted vegetation known as bunch grass. There is only one remedy -to make it productive of farm crops: a system of irrigation on an -extensive scale. As yet no steps have been taken for its introduction -in this neighbourhood. Nowhere is the eye relieved by a flower garden -or by the familiar charm of cultivated ground. The small town of -Kamloops at present can boast of no such advantages, but there is -nothing to lead to the belief that they are not attainable. - -We are indebted for a temporary home to the hospitable factor of the -Hudson’s Bay Company. Naturally one of our first acts is to report our -arrival to our friends in the east. Unfortunately the telegraph line -is down and the operator absent repairing it. Deeming it of importance -that no time should be lost we despatch an Indian courier with messages -to the next station, Savona’s Ferry, thirty miles distant. - -We all feel that after our tramp we are entitled to a few hours’ -additional rest. It is true that for the most part we have slept -soundly every night of our journey; indeed, if men could not sleep -after serious work like ours, it would be hard to say when they could -do so. But we had not indulged in the luxury of late hours. We were -always up at day-break, and I never heard the complaint that any of -us had slept too long. One satisfaction we had, we can thankfully say -that we were generally spared the penalty of loss of sleep. Last night, -however, was an exception. In my own case the wounds on my hands, -swollen by the poison of the devil’s club, made sleep impossible. We -resolved accordingly to pass the afternoon quietly at the Hudson’s Bay -post, and retire early to bed; in this case not a figure of speech, for -under this roof we had all the comforts of civilization. - -We were up in good time next morning. I paid what bills we owed, bade -farewell to our Kamloops friends, said good-bye to Mr. McLean and his -Indians, and prepared to proceed westward. A steamer had been engaged -to take us to Savona’s Ferry. We started about nine o’clock, skirting -along the north shore of Lake Kamloops by Battle Bluff. We returned by -the south side, examining the ground adjoining Cherry Bluff. The day -was fine, so the trip was pleasant. The sky was as clear and the air as -pure and balmy as on an Italian lake. The steamer touched at a place -called Tranquille, where the land has been irrigated. In this instance -the experiment has been in all respects satisfactory. The result is -shown in a good garden with excellent fruit and vegetables. - -At Savona’s Ferry I received messages by telegraph, and I was -reminded of being once more within the circle of artificial wants and -requirements. For the last thirty days we have been out of the world, -knowing nothing beyond the experience of our daily life. Our leading -thoughts were of the difficulties which lay in our path and of the -labour necessary to overcome them. There was nothing vicarious in our -position; there was no transfer of care or labour to others. Each one -had to accept what lay before him, and our world for the time was in -our little circle. Now we are reminded that we are again in another -condition of being. There is scarcely anything more powerful to recall -the attention to this change than the receipt of a telegram sent across -a continent to remove anxieties as to home and family. - -I had much pleasure in meeting Mr. Hamlin, an old Intercolonial friend, -the Resident Engineer of the section under contract west of Savona’s -Ferry. I had telegraphed to him the previous evening, and he had -taken the trouble to come seventeen miles to meet me. We took dinner -at Savona; and the fact recalled to my mind that eleven years ago I -had stopped at this same place. Mrs. Whorn was then our hostess, whom -I perfectly recollected, but the poor lady had been dead for twelve -months, and is buried not far distant. - -Dr. Grant and my son started in a waggon for Cache Creek. I had -professional business with Mr. Hamlin. We proceeded by the banks of -the River Thompson, and reached his quarters about sunset, to receive -from his wife and mother the most kindly of Irish welcomes. We passed -a pleasant evening and spoke much of old days, going back to the time -when we were working in the valley of the Metapedia, in Quebec. - -I had another excellent night’s sleep and was up early. At six Mr. -Hamlin and myself started. The morning air was cold. We arrived at -Cache Creek about half-past seven, and found Dr. Grant and my son -under canvas. The hotel was so unpromising that they preferred their -tent to the cheerless entertainment it suggested. Albert and Mr. -Hunter soon join us, and the four took the stage to Spence’s bridge. -Mr. Hamlin was good enough to drive me there with his own horses. -We took some refreshment at Ashcroft, seven miles from Cache Creek. -The country residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia -is at Ashcroft, and I felt it my duty to pay him my respects. Mr. -Cornwall, himself, was absent; the ladies, however, received us with -much kindness, and our conversation turned to a previous occasion -when I passed an evening in their society under the same roof, some -years back, of which I retained the most pleasing recollection. In -fact, I may remark that, as they say in Paris, this was my _visite de -digestion_ after the pleasant dinner which I then had with the family. - -As we proceed the sun shines upon us with unusual heat for the time -of year. Small fields of irrigated land are seen here and there and -present a promising appearance. The ground generally is dry, for there -is little rainfall in this district. From the indications I fear no -crop can thrive without irrigation, and it appears to me it is the main -consideration for the residents to entertain. - -We descend by the westerly bank of the River Thompson, and obtain a -good view of the railway work on the opposite bank. We reached Spence’s -Bridge about three o’clock, where Mr. H. F. Macleod greeted me with -a warm welcome and invited the whole party to his house. Mr. Hamlin -returned to his own place. Dr. Grant, my son and myself availed -ourselves of Mr. Macleod’s hospitality. Mr. Macleod is another old -friend and fellow worker on the Intercolonial Railway. Spence’s Bridge -has a canvas town of about one thousand Chinamen, engaged on the -railway works. I presume the Chinese population will disappear as the -railway is completed. The place contains a good hotel, with a garden of -some size, producing apples, grapes and excellent vegetables; in itself -showing what can be accomplished with irrigation, effort and skill. -No fact is more patent than that irrigation is indispensable in this -district. - -Mr. Macleod kindly drove us over the works. We follow the deep gorge -through which the Thompson forces its way. Mr. Macleod’s house is -situated at Drynoch, so called from his relationship to the Macleods -of Skye. It is scarcely necessary to say that at Drynoch we received a -cordial and graceful Highland welcome. We were particularly struck with -the appearance of the Chinaman waiting at table. His loose dress was of -spotless white, and with his thick soft-soled shoes he moved so quietly -as to be scarcely audible. He had always a smile on his face, and his -mistress gave him the best of characters for intelligence, industry -and good manners. We passed a delightful evening in this oasis in the -mountains. - -In the morning Mr. Macleod accompanied us to Lytton, where the Thompson -falls into the Fraser. Lytton has not greatly improved since I saw it -last year. It is still a wretchedly dilapidated place. The dingy wooden -buildings were marked by a striking absence of paint, and evidently the -summary course applied at Truro, in Nova Scotia, on the occasion of -the Prince of Wales’ visit, could with benefit be introduced here. At -Lytton I said good-bye to Mr. Macleod, heartily thanking him for his -hospitality. Mr. Hannington, another of my old assistants, from Ottawa, -now received me. - -Mr. Hannington drove me to his place, three miles beyond Lytton, and -we proceeded eight miles further to the site of the railway bridge to -cross the River Fraser. The bridge, a massive structure of stone and -iron, is in progress. Here we met Mr. George Keefer, the Engineer in -charge of this section, another of my old staff. Mr. Keefer took me to -his quarters, seventeen miles below Lytton, being thirty-three miles -from Drynoch. Mr. Keefer’s house is on the railway line on the western -bank of the Fraser. So we crossed the river in a canoe and floated down -the boiling, seething current to a convenient landing place. Ascending -the bank about two hundred feet nearly vertically, we reached Mr. -Keefer’s present house, where we remained for the night. Mrs. Keefer -and her children were absent on a visit at Victoria, but he himself -left no effort untried to entertain us. I was delighted again to see my -old friend so pleasantly circumstanced, and we were all indebted to -him for his hospitality. - -I was awakened in the morning by a Chinaman appearing with a bath, a -luxury more appreciated after my late experience, and one among the -first benefits of civilization, which we hasten to enjoy. We are forty -miles from Yale, in that huge cleft in the Cascade Range through which -the Fraser impetuously continues its course. The rails are laid from -Yale to a point two miles above where we now are. We can accordingly -reach Yale by a locomotive in little more than an hour, but it is my -desire to pass leisurely over the line, in order somewhat to examine -it. It has therefore been arranged that we proceed on our journey by -hand-car. A dense fog fills up the valley but the sun soon comes out -and the fog is dispelled. As we approached Mr. Keefer’s quarters last -night we had to pass over the long ascent of Jackass mountain, a name -familiar to British Columbians from the day of the discovery of gold -in Cariboo. The road leading to the gold mines passes over it. The -frame of a house on a small terrace some nine hundred feet above the -river, was pointed out as the resting place for the night of Lord and -Lady Dufferin when in British Columbia. It affords a magnificent view -of Fraser river and the great mountains which flank the valley on both -sides. - -The hand-car came, bringing with it my old friend Mr. H. J. Cambie. He -had left his home this morning at Spuzzem, twenty miles distant. We -again start. To Dr. Grant the hand-car was almost a revelation; it was -certainly a new mode of travelling which he was about to experience. -Mr. Keefer follows on a railway velocipede. This machine has its two -main wheels on one rail, with a third wheel to steady it, gauged to the -opposite rail. It is kept in motion by a crank, worked by the rider’s -feet. I am sorry to say that on this expedition Mr. Keefer’s velocipede -was crushed by a gravel train backing, owing to a mistake of orders, -and Mr. Keefer had only just time enough to extricate himself to avoid -a similar fate. - -Our course followed the railway down the western bank of the great -canyon of the Fraser. The Cariboo waggon road runs on the opposite bank -as far as the Alexandria Bridge. We had an opportunity of observing the -lofty cliffs and the precipitous ledges it passes over, and from the -really slight character and dangerous appearance of the staging upon -which man and horse have so long risked their lives, I could not but -think that the railway would not be open for traffic an hour too soon. -I presume that when that result comes to pass the waggon road will -fall into disuse. The construction of the railway has been exceedingly -difficult and costly within the twenty-eight mile section in charge of -Mr. Cambie. The work is extremely heavy, including thirteen tunnels. -We reach Spuzzem in the afternoon, having travelled leisurely. We -proposed making another start, but Mr. Cambie would not hear of our -passing his house, and despatched the hand-car to Yale for our letters, -the place where they had been ordered to be addressed. In a couple of -hours I had received the bag containing my month’s correspondence, -including letters from home of the latest date. - -I was under no apprehension of any bad news, for the telegram which I -had sent from Savona’s Ferry had been answered to the effect that all -was well; but with what delight, when we have been for weeks cut off -from those dear to us, do we read in their own words that everything is -precisely as it should be. - -Every onward step, every hour, was bringing us more into the world’s -usages. I had not been long at Spuzzem when I was invited to attend -a telephone conference. On taking my place, at once I recognized the -voice addressing me, although at twelve miles distance, and I had not -heard it for two years. It was that of Mr. Onderdonk, giving the party -a cordial invitation to make his house our home during our stay in Yale. - -Under Mr. Cambie’s roof we had another delightful evening, as might -be supposed from my many years pleasant intercourse with him. It is -twenty years since he entered my staff on the first explorations on -the Intercolonial Railway in 1863, and I am glad to say our relations -have been untinged by the least unpleasantness. I cannot but express -the satisfaction I felt in meeting so many of my old associates in -my journey from Kamloops. I was no longer the Chief Engineer of the -Railway: I was simply a wayfarer. Nevertheless I felt no little -satisfaction to find the works originally planned by me so well -advanced and in such good hands. Nothing could have given me more -pleasure than the cordial way in which the members of my old staff -received me. There is always a perfunctory mode of paying a civility -which it is somewhat embarrassing not to offer, and it is generally -well understood on both sides what such attentions amount to. But -in the case of my old friends I was received by a hearty, natural, -unmistakeable kindness, and I feel confident that it will not be -unwelcome to them to learn that I was much affected by it. - -It was nearly ten the next morning before we started, continuing our -journey on the hand-car. The works we pass still continue very heavy. -We are in the heart of the Cascades, and many of the rocky masses which -rise up perpendicularly from the foaming torrent must be pierced by -tunnels as the only means of passage through them. - -We make our halt at Mr. Onderdonk’s gate at Yale, to meet with a -hearty welcome from his family. I continue my journey some twenty -miles further, but I return to Mr. Onderdonk’s house before dark, for -it is Saturday night and I had accepted his kind invitation to pass -the Sunday with him. We now sleep in beds in the true meaning of the -word, and how we enjoy our night’s rest! We learn that there is but one -church in Yale, a small wooden building of the Church of England, and -we readily accept the offer to attend the service. _En route_ Mr. and -Mrs. Cambie joined us, increasing our number to nine. When we entered -the building we really formed the major part of the congregation. As -the service proceeded other parties arrived at irregular intervals. -There were twenty-four in all, including five children. Two clergymen -officiated, evidently educated men, but with “advanced” views. To -me even the Lessons, the only part of the service not chanted, were -far from being read in a natural tone of voice. Intoning the service -may be proper enough in some circumstances, but it certainly seemed -out of place in Yale. There are possibly at this time eight hundred -or a thousand people, white people, Christians statistically at -least, within half a mile of the spot where the church was situated, -nevertheless the congregation was little more than half as large as the -number assembled for worship the previous Sunday, at the invitation -of Dr. Grant, in the Eagle Pass. As we walked home we saw not a few -loitering about the streets, and especially around the taverns. One -would think that with all the teaching which the Church of England has -received since the days of Wesley, the wants of those to whom the -clergy have to minister would be better understood. I asked myself -could these clergymen know the character and habits of the men who -have been brought together to perform the work of the railway. No -class of men are so peculiar. They are not perfect in many respects. -Some are sensual, brutal and self-indulgent. But they are not all of -this character. If the mass of them have any trait which is at all in -prominence, it is their respect for straightforward dealing and regard -of what is natural. They can understand what is plain and free from -pretension and affectation, but the least shade of what is artificial -and strained repels them. This very conclusion was again forced upon me -from the appearance of the congregation. I doubt if a single man of the -six or eight hundred workmen in Yale on that Sunday were present in the -Anglican Chapel, the only church open for worship. If the workmen were -not attracted by the service, the merest handful of ordinary citizens -were present. It was painful to observe so small an attendance. The -character of the service may not have been the wholly repelling cause -which existed; but I venture the remark that in my humble judgment -in circumstances of this character the simpler the worship the more -consideration it will obtain. What is wanted on railway works is the -active, simple effort of the missionary who will seek men out in -their houses and penetrate within their daily lives and conduct. -Such ministers of religion bring men within their influence by the -genuineness of the sympathy which they show and by an appeal to the -best feelings of their listeners. Ritualism on the Fraser was obviously -not a success. I am strongly of the opinion that such men as the army -chaplain whom we had on board the “Polynesian” would have found a fine -field in Yale, and would have attracted crowds of willing worshippers -to his services. - -We pass a quiet afternoon in Mr. Onderdonk’s shady verandah, around -which the hop vines luxuriantly grew. In the evening, as the lights -appeared in the windows, Yale had a pleasant and picturesque -appearance. It is built on a bend of the river at the head of steamboat -navigation, and at night, with the reflected lights in the stream, it -assumes an importance which by day one would not concede to it. As a -landscape the mountains are too lofty, too near, too precipitous and -crowded to be remarkable for beauty. There is a total absence of all -distance in the picture. One sees only a maze of rugged, towering -rocks, for the most part covered with a stunted vegetation. - -Monday came and with it our determination to start by the steamer for -New Westminster. We gratefully said good-bye to our polished host -and hostess, whose kindness reminded me of what I had heard of the -hospitality of the old Knickerbocker families. During our stay at Yale -it was hard to believe that we were not in some hospitable mansion on -the banks of the Hudson. We take with us a dug-out canoe and a crew of -Indians to paddle us on our journey when we deem it advisable to leave -the boat. My purpose is to proceed by steamer to the point which on -Saturday night I reached by hand-car and then take to the canoe. I will -thus be enabled fully to examine the whole line in the valley of the -Fraser. The steamer is by no means of little account on these waters, -to judge by the passengers that she carries and the places she stops -at. Our landings are frequent, to receive or discharge freight, cattle -and passengers. - -We reach the spot where, with my son, I go on board the canoe. We -arrive at Harrison River at half-past three. I was met at this point -by Mr. Brophy, also an old Intercolonial friend. Mr. Wilmot, who has -hitherto kindly accompanied us, goes on shore. We ourselves continue -our descent of the Fraser. The three Indians paddle at a good pace down -the Nicomen Slough to a point off Sumas. It is after six and twilight -is coming on, so we find our way through a cross channel to the main -river. We believe that any other course would be hazardous, so we -follow the stream to the point where Dr. Grant was to leave the steamer -and where we expect to meet him. The Fraser is wide at this spot and -the current swift but we keep the centre of the river. The Indians -continue to paddle briskly. We float down the current very rapidly. -The air is much warmer than we have yet experienced it, both when we -were in the mountains and since we reached Kamloops. Night comes on, -and although there is no moon the sky is without a cloud and the stars -shine brightly, giving us enough light to guide our canoe. We still -keep to the middle of the river where the stream is the strongest. -About eight o’clock we see a light on the shore towards which we -paddle, and as we approach we hear the well known voice of Dr. Grant. - -We find supper waiting for us for which we are indebted to Mrs. -Perkins, who keeps a workman’s boarding house. But we had a mile -further to paddle to the engineers’ camp, where we are to find -beds. They receive us as hospitably as engineers always receive men -accredited to them. They insist on me taking the one stretcher they -have; the rest of the party find rest on the floor. - -We were up early, for although we had come sixty miles yesterday we -were anxious to continue our journey. A heavy fog made it impossible -to leave before nine. We paddle for an hour and a half until we reach -Stave River, where we land. There is a fine view of Mount Baker, forty -miles distant, when the weather is clear, but there is too much mist in -the air to-day for us to see it. - -We again land three miles above Maple ridge, and walk that distance -over the half-constructed railway, crossing Kanaka bridge. We owed our -dinner at Maple Ridge to Mrs. Sinclair’s culinary art. - -We come to the site of the land slide of four years back. A surface -of twenty-four acres was carried into the river, bearing along with -it the forest trees with which it was covered. A large extent of the -mass was thrown across the River Fraser, fully a quarter of a mile on -to the opposite shore, uprooting many acres of forest and for a time -damming back the stream. Its traces are still visible, to show what the -consequences are of these minor convulsions of nature which on a great -scale effect such wonderful changes. - -We are again in the canoe. The water of this great river is as calm as -a canal in Venice, and our quiet progress partakes no little of the -motion of the gondola. The air conveys the idea that it is full of -smoke, while the temperature recalls the season of Indian summer. The -banks of the river, even at a short distance, are scarcely discernible. - -We now reach the tidal waters of the Pacific. There is no great rise -where we now are, and the water is still fresh for some distance, but -at flood there is no current and the surface looks like a placid lake. -The air is pleasant. The three Indians keep paddling with marvellous -regularity. Two sit in front, side by side, and the third is at the -stern steering as he paddles. The men work as if they were pieces of -mechanism, in perfect silence; not a word is spoken. - -We leave the main stream at the mouth of Pitt River, where we paddle -up to the new railway bridge, spanning 1850 feet of a deep inlet, at -one spot sixty feet below high water. We return to the Fraser, where we -were about thirty-four miles from the starting point of the morning. -We pass on our right the mouth of the River Coquitlum and on the left -is the salmon cannery of that name, consisting of a large number of -scattered buildings, the centre of one of the chief industries of the -Province. We meet a number of boats manned by Indians, drawing in or -laying down salmon nets. The river is nearly half a mile wide with deep -water. The Fraser is a noble stream, but it is only at intervals, as -the fog lifts, that you can see the opposite shore. So thick is the -fog that the sun itself is obscured, and it was in weather of this -character, bringing back to my mind the November fogs of the world’s -emporium on the banks of the Thames, that we made our landing at New -Westminster, on the Pacific ocean. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -_ON PACIFIC WATERS._ - - New Westminster--Enormous Forest Trees--English Broom--Port - Moody--Down Burrard Inlet--Sea Fog--Navigation by Echo--Straits - of Georgia--The St. Juan Archipelago--Seamanship--Victoria. - - -We had reached the most important town on the Mainland of British -Columbia. Although New Westminster is of modern date the town has had -its mutations and disappointments, the last and not the least of which -is to have seen the Railway terminus diverted northward to Burrard -Inlet, a proceeding which her own citizens must admit to have been -unavoidable. - -In the morning we found the fog even thicker than last night. I had -finished breakfast and was considering what course I would take when -Mr. Marcus Smith did me the favour to call upon me, and kindly offered -to drive me to Port Moody, first calling at old Government House, -now the Railway Engineer’s office. Government House was, I believe, -last occupied by Governor Seymour and, from all I have heard, many -pleasant hours have been passed within its walls. It has fallen upon -the evil days of ceasing to be the home of official life. Victoria, -on Vancouver’s Island, is the seat of government, and is the present -centre of political movement. The capacious dining and ball rooms are -much out of repair, but they still retain a trace of former grandeur. -The grounds are well laid out with shade trees and rich green lawns, -but unfortunately the fog conceals everything but the objects almost -within reach, and prevents any extended examination. - -New Westminster is not remarkable either for its extent or population. -Two thousand five hundred is the estimated number of its present -inhabitants. It possesses, however, a four peal of bells, the gift of -Baroness Burdett-Coutts, the only peal on the whole Pacific coast, -and indeed a rare possession on this continent. The residence of the -Anglican Bishop is in the neighbourhood of Government House; and at no -great distance the Lunatic Asylum and the Penitentiary are to be found. - -About half-past ten, under the escort of Mr. Smith, we started in -an open carriage for Port Moody, on Burrard Inlet. My attention was -attracted by the forest trees of enormous size. Within the limits -cleared for the roadway, blackened stumps of many of them, ten feet in -diameter, still remain, on which the record of their age is traceable. -Some of these trunks show a life of six centuries, and hence must have -attained the rank of good-sized trees before the recorded discovery -of the American continent. The ground is covered with a luxuriant -flora, indicating a rich soil and a moist climate. Along the road side -English broom was growing wild, in great luxuriance, the first I have -met in such circumstances on this continent. A drive of six miles over -a hilly road brought us to Burrard Inlet, at Bronson’s tavern, a recent -erection, where the road terminates. At this point we had recourse to a -boat and rowed about a mile to Port Moody, the terminus of the railway. - -Port Moody is something more than a village, but at the present moment -it is a strained recognition of its importance, even as a railway -terminus, to call it a town. The number of inhabitants when I was -there could not exceed two score of souls. Whatever its future, at the -present time it has certainly no claim to civic rank. A wharf of good -size has been constructed. At this time it was covered with piles of -steel rails. A freight shed is attached. Near it stands the small house -occupied by Mr. A. J. Hill, Resident Engineer. Two sailing vessels were -lying at the wharf. The rail track has been laid a few miles westward. -In the neighbourhood are half a dozen scattered frame buildings, -some of them scarcely finished, erected by speculators to promote -the selling of town lots. Several square miles of land have been so -laid out. At this moment the greater part of the city of the future -is covered with a dense growth of primeval forest, the age of some -portions of which carries us back to the century in which the Magna -Charta became law. I was told on the spot that the lots so projected -would accommodate tenfold the present white population of British -Columbia. - -I have to acknowledge the kindness and hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. -Hill. I derived no little pleasure from looking at the water-colour -drawings of the wild flowers of British Columbia, which Mrs. Hill had -executed. They promise to be a valuable contribution to science. I -trust they may be published at some future date, when they shall have -been sufficiently completed to admit of this proceeding. - -The steamer on which we had to embark at Burrard Inlet had not arrived, -so we obtained a small boat and descended the inlet to meet her in -order to have sufficient daylight to continue our trip through the -entrance. The fog, which had partly cleared away by this time, soon -re-appeared, and accordingly we kept near the shore so as not to lose -our reckoning. We had rowed a distance of three miles when we met the -small tug sent in search of us. We got on board without delay. The fog -necessitated caution in our progress. It became thicker and thicker, -until it was impossible to see a ship’s length ahead. Night came on -and we did not know where we were. The head of the tug was turned in -the supposed direction of the settlement, near Hasting’s saw-mill. -All that we had to steer by was a pocket compass, which on more than -one occasion has done good service. Some of us fancied that we heard -the squealing of a pig; important in the double sense that we were -not far from land and also near a settlement. Our whistle was almost -continually sounded and the sharpest look-out kept. The pig replied -unmistakably. We continued cautiously to approach in the direction of -the sound, and were enabled to land at almost the only settlement on -the south side of Burrard Inlet, west of Port Moody. - -On landing we obtained intelligence of the steamer “Alexandria,” -detailed to take the party to Victoria. The vessel was lying at the Saw -Mill wharf, at no great distance, so we found our way to it. Supper -was gone through; but the fog still continued. The captain therefore -concluded that it was better not to start, but wait until morning; he -on his part being prepared to leave the moment the fog lifted. The -“Alexandria” is a large, powerful tug, which the owner had kindly -placed at our disposal to cross the Straits of Georgia. She came -expressly from Nanaimo to Burrard Inlet to meet us. We slept on board, -and when we awoke found that we were still moored to the wharf. It was -early, half-past five, but the fog continued heavy and damp. Capt. -Urquhart, however, determined to start and to feel his way through the -thick mist. About half-past seven he took his bearings, and directed -the steamer towards the entrance of the Inlet. We steamed slowly on -through the fog, and in a few minutes nothing was visible from the -deck. The whistle was sounded continually, and the lead was cast -without ceasing. We several times stopped, backed, and again proceeded -slowly, till we reached the Narrows at the entrance. Here the current -is rapid and the channel narrow, not having above two hundred and fifty -yards of sea-room. Fortunately we got a glimpse of the shore through -the haze. The captain, however, saw enough to satisfy himself, and with -a fresh departure put the boat at full speed down English Bay; at least -so we concluded by reference to the chart, for we could see nothing -through the fog by which we are surrounded. - -We proceeded down the Straits of Georgia towards the San Juan Islands, -our whistle continually blowing. Mr. Joseph Hunter is the only -passenger not directly connected with the party. - -At Victoria I am to part with Dave Leigh, the last of the men who had -been with us in the mountains. He joined us at Bow River, and had -determined to see us to the end of our journey. From the day when we -commenced with pack-horses to cross the range of mountains, Dave has -stood by us and has gallantly helped in many a difficulty. He is a -powerful Cheshire man, such as one would fancy a northern Englishman -to be: honest, self-reliant, plain-spoken and staunch, with a -peculiar habit of calling a spade a spade. He has cooked for us in -all circumstances, there is no other word for it, heroically. He did -his share of the packing, and if there was a load a shade heavier it -was caught up by Dave with some saying of his own, and off he trudged -as if it were a plaything. He had done everything for us that a man -could do with unfailing cheerfulness, and has followed our fortunes for -many a mile. He has driven pack-horses, paddled canoes, rowed boats, -built rafts, stretched our tent, driven hand-cars, cooked our food and -indulged in many a hearty objurgation at Skunk Cabbage and Devil’s -Club. He crosses the Straits of Georgia, and then at Victoria we have -to say good-bye, he to seek other employment. I wish him all happiness -and success, but I have no fear of his future. Whatever his sphere he -will do his duty, and always be found from the beginning to the end a -true man. - -We approached the San Juan Archipelago and made our way from the -soundings read from the line and by the echo of the whistle, as its -tone was affected by the nearness or distance of the land. I stood on -the bridge with Capt. Urquhart, and the fidelity with which he could -judge the situation was not simply the result of experience, but of a -natural capacity to determine the niceties and delicacies of sound. I -myself began somewhat to understand the shades of difference, but I was -a very long way from possessing the ability to navigate the ship. We -were approaching an island. The whistle vibrated toward it with a more -muffled tone. We are warned by the echo on which side of us it lay. We -came opposite to it and passed without its being visible to the eye. -The echo changed as we proceeded. - -The lead is unceasingly cast. We are warned that we are coming near -land. The current is carrying us towards it. We see plainly before us a -precipitous rock, and with difficulty we change our course, for we have -to back against the current and give the ship’s head another bearing; -so we grope our way, stealing along to avoid mischance, without the -least guide beyond the echo of the whistle, as it is affected by the -nearness or distance of the shore. - -The fog continued all day; it appeared, however, to have little -influence upon Captain Urquhart more than to bring out his phonetic -genius. Familiar with the intricate channels, currents and tidal -influences of the San Juan Islands, the lead constantly going, he -keeps on his course slowly and cautiously, but perfectly undismayed -and without a moment of doubt. The whistle, with its echo, pilots him -through the archipelago; and to this day it is a wonder to me how we -found our way. I was by his side and had the benefit of his shrewd -deductions and theories. Even with a bright sun, skill and knowledge -of the landmarks are called for in the passage through these waters. -Our difficulties and the skill displayed in overcoming them may well -be imagined. Fortunately for us there was no wind; frequently we found -ourselves amongst kelp, with its rank leaves floating on the surface. -At one point we passed by rocks not seventy yards distant from us on -the starboard side, the land appeared through the fog a ship’s length -ahead. We immediately stop. The engine is backed. We are so near that -we can hear the voices of children playing on the elevated shore -directly ahead. No one is visible, but in reply to the question from -the look-out at the bow we learn that we have passed Victoria Harbour -and are near the entrance to Esquimalt. - -The course of the steamer is changed and we shortly enter Victoria -Harbour in as dense a fog as can be seen in any part of the world. -It was dark when we reached the wharf. I do not think that any of us -were sorry that the experience of the last thirteen hours had been -brought to a close. It was entirely new to me, and with all its success -somewhat bold and enterprising. Capt. Urquhart undoubtedly displayed -great qualities, sagacity, caution, coolness and skill to track his way -as he did. He achieved wonders in seamanship, but to men wanting in -the qualification he possesses, the attempt to imitate it is not to be -commended. - -It was three o’clock in the afternoon of the following day when the -regular steamer from New Westminster arrived. She left twenty-four -hours before we started for Burrard Inlet, and took fifty-six hours to -cross the Strait through the fog. We found our way in thirteen hours. -In clear weather the trip is made in about half that time. - -We went directly to the Driard house, an hotel which the Victorians -never tire praising. We were late but had a special dinner, and Mr. -Hunter with Captain Urquhart did us the favour to join us, when, as in -duty bound, we did due homage to the captain and ship which carried us -over; and we had especial cause to do so as we were indebted to Mr. -Dunsmuir, the owner, who, hearing of my desire to pass to Vancouver -Island, with great courtesy placed the vessel at my disposal. I did -not fail next day to call and thank him for his kindness, and I feel -it my duty again to acknowledge my obligations to him. The dinner was -excellent and after it was over we strolled out into the gaslight of -Fort street and walked a few miles into the country before we retired. -I looked upon the gaslight as an old friend whose acquaintance I was -glad to make again, and a pleasant duty it is to recognize all we owe -to a well lighted city. - -We obtained our portmanteaus, which had been sent from Winnipeg by the -way of San Francisco, and we were by no means unwilling to fall back on -the garb of every-day city life. Moreover we also had the happiness to -receive letters from home. - -Saturday was a comparatively idle day. We walked through nearly every -street of Victoria. - -We made some calls, and I recollected that eleven years ago on -Saturday, September 29th--to-day is the 28th--I reached Kamloops after -a hard journey across the mountains by the Yellowhead Pass. - -My task was now accomplished. We were on the shores of the Pacific, -having passed through the mainland of British Columbia and crossed the -waters to Vancouver Island. Our next thought is the direction we must -follow homewards. But for the moment, as birds of passage, we have to -wait for the fog to lift. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -_BRITISH COLUMBIA._ - - Sir Francis Drake--Mears--Vancouver--Astor--Hudson’s Bay Company-- - Gold Discoveries--Climate--Timber--Fisheries--Minerals--Mountain - Scenery. - - -The western Province of the Dominion cannot lay claim to even a -geographical recognition of longer date than that of a century. Drake -first visited the Pacific ocean three centuries back, in 1579, but it -is questionable if he ascended higher than the forty-eighth parallel -when he took possession of the country now included in Oregon and -Washington Territory in the royal name of Queen Elizabeth and called it -New Albion. - -There is also a tradition that Vancouver Island was discovered by De -Fuca in 1592. From this date the northern Pacific waters remained -without further notice for two centuries, until the voyage of Capt. -Cook, who coasted along the shores in 1778. Ten years later these -possessions were on the verge of causing war between England and -Spain. In that year, 1788, some subjects of Great Britain, the most -prominent among whom was a Mr. Mears, purchased from the natives the -land about Friendly Cove, Nootka Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver -Island. What was then held to be the transfer of the territory was -gone through; buildings were erected and possession assumed. Mr. Mears -shortly after left the spot to return the next season, placing the -whole in charge of Maquema, an Indian chief. During his absence two -Spanish ships of war arrived, took formal possession of the place and -declared it to belong to the realm of Spain. An appeal was at once made -to the Imperial Government for protection. Spain, on the other hand, -in the first instance, seemed determined to justify the act of its -officers. The proceeding attracted much attention in England. Public -feeling was greatly excited. The spirit of the nation was thoroughly -aroused. A fleet was fitted out, and it looked as if the dispute could -only be settled by war, when Nootka Sound was surrendered by Spain. - -It was in 1792, when Capt. Vancouver, of the Royal navy, was sent from -England to receive the transfer, and to make a voyage of discovery to -the Pacific. Those familiar with the literature of the last century -will recall all that was then said of Nootka Sound. By this date the -mainland had been penetrated from the east. Sir Alexander McKenzie had -discovered the river which bears his name, running to the north, and he -had accomplished the difficult journey of penetrating to the shores of -the Pacific overland, the first of our race to find his way through the -wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. To the south, the Government of the -United States had fitted out the expedition of Clark and Lewis, who in -1802-3 ascended by the sources of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, -and reached the Columbia and the Pacific Ocean. The name also of John -Jacob Astor cannot be forgotten in connection with the Columbia River, -at the mouth of which he established the celebrated settlement of -Astoria. - -In 1821 the Hudson’s Bay Company obtained a license to extend their -operations to New Caledonia, as British Columbia was then designated, -and the country virtually passed under their control. There was indeed -little to tempt the emigrant to cast his lot there and to seek an -independent existence, for without aid from the organization of the -Hudson’s Bay Company it was impossible to cross the continent. New -Caledonia could only be approached from the ocean. - -Vancouver Island continued in its state of isolation. Thirty years ago -its white population of all ages, chiefly employés of the Hudson’s Bay -Company, was four hundred and fifty. The Mainland was even less known -and had fewer civilized inhabitants. Without the influences which -caused the rush of population to the Fraser, New Caledonia might have -remained undisturbed for half a century. It is difficult to see how it -could cease to be other than a wilderness, and its gigantic forests -unpenetrated except by Indian tribes, with a few trappers of wild -animals. In 1856 the discovery of gold inaugurated a total change in -its character. The Fraser was then the scene of the gold excitement. -This, the chief river of British Columbia, flows in a course seven -hundred miles, and is marked by rare grandeur of scenery, with frequent -rapids dashing through gorges almost impassable. Mr. Douglas was at -that time chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company and Governor of -Vancouver Island. In April of this year, 1856, he reported to the Home -Government the discovery of gold, the miners being chiefly retired -servants of the Company. In 1857 the number was increased by arrivals -from the United States. In a short time the report of the richness -of the deposit was spread among the miners of California. The result -was that by July, 1858, some twenty thousand persons left California -for British Columbia. The parties who engaged in the new venture are -described as being of all ages and conditions; men advanced in life, -those still on its threshold, many with ample means, doubtless the -greater part extremely needy; all crowded to the Fraser, it was said, -some to steal, unquestionably some to die. They arrived too early in -the season, and the majority experienced disappointment. The river was -swollen and the bars containing the deposits covered with water. Those -who failed in patience or endurance through deficiency in resources, -returned to California, to share in the abuse of the district and of -the country in general. Those who remained received the reward of their -patience. The water ceased to cover the bars, and the miners who worked -them found what was sought after in fair amount. - -The political history of British Columbia goes no further back than -1840. Vancouver Island was then created a colony, with Governor -Blanchard as administrator. The only inhabitants were Indians, and -there was no revenue from any source. No laws were enacted, and -scarcely anything was done to promote settlement. He returned to -England in 1851, when Sir Francis Douglas succeeded him. In the same -year a Surveyor General and assistant arrived from England, and surveys -were commenced as the first step towards emigration and settlement. -A Council of four was nominated to assist in passing laws. Shortly -afterwards one hundred and fifty persons, farm labourers and miners, -arrived from England. Mr. Labouchere was then Secretary for the -Colonies, and in accordance with his instructions Governor Douglas, -in June, 1856, issued a proclamation for the election of a House of -Assembly, composed of seven members. The qualification of a member -to be the possession of £300, that of the electors the ownership of -twenty acres of land. The first House met in April, 1858. - -In 1858 the discovery of gold, which had become known, led to a great -increase of the population along the Fraser. The mainland, British -Columbia, was, however, not declared a colony until 1859, when the -license of occupation of the Hudson’s Bay Company expired. It was -presided over by the Governor of Vancouver Island, and possessed of -itself no Legislative Council or Assembly. The Assembly of Vancouver -Island, on the other hand, was increased to twelve members. There -was also this further distinction: Vancouver Island was free for -importation, whereas British Columbia had a revenue tariff. - -In 1864 Governor Douglas retired, and Governor Kennedy was appointed to -Vancouver Island, at the same time Governor Seymour was named Governor -of British Columbia, with an Assembly partly nominated and partly -elected. - -In 1866 Vancouver Island became part of the Colony of British Columbia, -with one Assembly, as above described--partly nominated and partly -elected. Governor Kennedy retired. On the death of Governor Seymour, -in 1869, Governor Musgrove was appointed, and it was during his rule -that the incorporation of the Province in the Dominion of Canada was -accomplished in 1871. - -It returns to the Dominion Parliament three Senators and six Members -of the House of Commons. According to the census of 1870 the population -was 8,576 whites, 472 coloured and 1,578 Chinamen. - -The present population is roughly estimated at 25,000 whites, 40,000 -Indians, 17,000 Chinese. - -Victoria, the capital, is reported to contain 8,000 inhabitants. - -The Province has been described as a sea of mountains. Within its -limits, however, are considerable tracts of rolling prairie, marked by -fertility. They consist of good soil, capable of abundantly producing -cereals, although in some localities there is too large an admixture of -gravel or of decomposed rock. - -Its extent is about 200,000 square miles, extending from latitude 49° -to latitude 57°. The sea coast is about 450 miles in length, indented -from north to south by a succession of inlets running many miles within -the coast line, in each case presenting a harbour of perfect security, -of great depth of water, generally to be approached with safety and in -all cases marked with the boldest scenery. In no part is the climate -so severe as in the same parallel of latitude on the Atlantic. To find -the eastern equivalent of the mildest sections we must descend twelve -hundred miles to the south. - -As a rule, throughout the Province, in the habitable portions, the -climate is favourable to the conditions of human life, generally -without the great extremes of heat and cold. It is marked, however, -with atmospheric diversities. From the mouth of the Fraser, inland, it -is moist. The rain is abundant in spring, summer and autumn, in the -fall of the year continuing for days together. In winter the depth -of snow is from one to two feet, in the extreme northern districts, -frequently deeper. It remains on the ground, near the coast, from a -fortnight to three weeks, and it disappears to be succeeded by another -fall, and so continues throughout the winter. Fogs prevail in October -and November, sometimes earlier, as was the case in my experience. But -they do not occur every year, for on a former occasion I found the air -both light and clear during my whole visit at the same season. - -There is much to be learned about the climate and its variations, and -it is difficult to form a close generalization of the extent of the -localities where changes begin and end. We pass by insensible mutations -from the one zone to the other. There is no definite arbitrary line -shewing when we are in another climate. It may, however, be said that -the humidity of atmosphere is found to extend from the sea coast up -the Fraser, as far as Lillooet, above the junction of the Thompson, -and that it is continued along the Upper Fraser to the Forks. Within -this district the level land is fertile and densely wooded. In the more -northern Cariboo section there are extensive tracts of forest land -and of open prairie, highly fertile, fitted for farming purposes, -and well watered and drained. The soil, most strongly marked by these -characteristics, is found more immediately in the neighbourhood of -the Fraser and of the innumerable lakes in this district. In these -localities the climate is superior to that of the Lower Fraser, for it -is drier. In Winter it is of a lower temperature, much like that of -some parts of Ontario. - -Leaving the Fraser to the east by the Valley of the Thompson, the land -is elevated but the winter is less cold. Indeed whatever varieties of -climatic influences may be found in different localities, it can with -certainty be affirmed that Southern British Columbia is free from the -extreme heat of summer and the intense cold of winter experienced in -Eastern Canada and North-Eastern United States. - -So far as such a statement can be made, it may be said that snow on -the Upper Fraser and its tributaries does not reach the depth found in -Eastern Canada. Often it is not deeper than from six to twelve inches; -frequently the ground is quite bare. The authorities I have referred -to assert that the larger lakes in the district do not freeze, as in -Eastern Canada, nor do the Fraser and other streams become locked up -in ice like the tributaries of the St. Lawrence. Stock can subsist on -the bunch grass throughout the whole year. On the more lofty ranges and -summits, the height to which they ascend must be taken as typical of -the depth of snow. - -There is, undoubtedly, east of the Fraser an extent of country where -the dryness of the soil calls for irrigation, especially in the -direction through which I passed; but wherever artificial moisture has -been obtained by this means, the result has left nothing to be desired. - -Around the more southern coast and the lower lands of Vancouver Island -it is not possible to live in a more favourable climate. The winter is -especially mild, the thermometer seldom falling below freezing point. -The summer is temperate; the thermometer, Fahrenheit, seldom rises -above 72°, the lowest range being 23° 30′. Southerly winds prevail for -two-thirds of the year, and summer lasts from May to September. The -atmosphere is sensibly affected by the current which flows from the -southern latitudes of Japan and China. The Kuro-Siwo brings the warmer -temperature of the southern seas in the same way as the Gulf Stream has -heightened the salubrity of the British Islands. - -It has been said that the weather of Vancouver Island is milder and -steadier than that of the South of England, the summer longer and -finer, and the winter shorter and less rigorous; and this is saying a -great deal. The climate of this Island must be almost perfection. It is -its oldest inhabitant who should be the most free from disease. - -There is one recorded fact to establish the salubrity of the general -climate of British Columbia. I refer to the miners, who suffered -great hardship and exposure, toiling in cold, rapid streams, camping -on damp ground, constantly wet from the rain, wading in water of -low temperature, and even suffering from insufficiency of food. -Nevertheless, no sickness, no epidemic was experienced by them. It was -the saying at the time that many increased in weight, and it was the -boast of not a few that they were never so robust. This circumstance -was brought into strong prominence by a recollection of the contrary -results which had been experienced in California when the conditions -of mining operations were much the same, and where there remained a -painful record of broken health and shattered constitutions. To a far -greater extent is this condition experienced in Vancouver Island, -described as one of the gardens of the world. The residents of -Victoria speak of the delight which Her Royal Highness the Princess -Louise experienced in this healthy locality, the more so as she could, -unrestrained and without annoyance, follow the simple habits she -prefers. Many anecdotes are still told of Her Royal Highness during her -residence, and twelve months have elapsed since she left. - -Medical men prophesy that the lower lands of Vancouver Island will be -constantly visited by many whose health exacts absence from latitudes -marked by severe temperature. Such as now visit Colorado will find -a more salubrious and genial retreat on the waters of the Pacific. -Vancouver Island promises not simply to furnish coal and to be a site -of many a manufactory of iron, but equally, to offer to the invalid a -home and a sojourn where he may hope for renewed health. - -The timber of British Columbia, drawn from its majestic forests, -might supply the markets of the world for years without a perceptible -diminution of its extent. In many localities trees, tall and straight, -stand so close together as to be a marvel. Its wealth in the pine -or cone-bearing family is very great. It consists of the celebrated -Douglas pine, white pine, hemlock, spruce and balsam. The cedars, I may -say, are of fabulous size. I have measured them and found the diameter -not less than twelve feet. At the saw-mills where the Douglas pine is -manufactured, it is strange to have to relate it, no log of greater -diameter than eight feet is received, for the trees of larger diameter -are unmanageable. - -There are localities of prairie destitute of trees, but the growth on -the river flats is abundant and varied. Birch, oak, ash, yew and maple -are found in some localities, and in the swamps alder, cotton wood and -Balm of Gilead. - -The wild fruits and berries seem inexhaustible. With fish they furnish -the diet of the Indian in his native state. They consist of the -wild plum, the cherry, the crab-apple, prickly pear, the raspberry, -blueberry, scarlet currant, gooseberry, bearberry, and on low ground -the cranberry. - -The game is most varied and plentiful, as every one who has lived at -Victoria can bear witness. I have counted fifteen deer hanging in a -butcher’s shop. The mountain sheep, when full grown, weighs several -hundred pounds. It is covered with long hair resembling coarse wool, -with enormous horns. There is a tradition that when escaping pursuit -the animal leaps over precipices to a lower level, and it is upon these -horns it throws itself. The flesh is equal to that of the domestic -sheep, but they are rarely caught as they keep up in the mountains -until forced down by the snow in search of food. - -The fisheries have already become a prolific source of wealth and yet -they are in their infancy. The British Columbia salmon is well known, -even in the English market, in which it has been introduced preserved, -and has been favourably received. Herrings abound around the islands, -and many kinds of fish are caught off the coast. The development of the -fisheries naturally will create other industries, such as are connected -with their own requirements, with fish oil and isinglass. - -The mineral deposits are coal, iron and copper, with the precious -metals. More or less gold is found in every stream. There are immense -iron ore deposits at Texada Island, in the Gulf of Georgia. Bituminous -coal is found on Vancouver Island at several points; at Nanaimo the -mines are profitably worked. Anthracite coal is obtainable on Queen -Charlotte Island. The proximity of iron and coal cannot fail to have -a large influence on the fortunes of the Province, especially as -manufactured articles will find an outlet to the east by rail equally -as by water in the opposite direction. - -It remains only to allude to the scenery, of which it would be -impossible to omit mention, for it is in every respect remarkable. It -presents the most marked contrasts. Gigantic mountains, themselves -overcapped by snow-covered peaks, quiet prairie, foaming cascades, -striking waterfalls, the most rapid of running waters, river reaches -with scarcely a ripple. Everywhere it is bold and even its occasional -sylvan quietude is impressive, sometimes reaching a grandeur as -majestic as it is wild. The canyons are clefts in the mountains which -ascend almost perpendicularly from the rivers and in some spots incline -inwards, while a torrent fiercely rushes through the fissure. On some -sections of the Fraser terraces are seen to rise in regular gradations -and to extend far back, each change of level shewing angles and slopes -as defined as if formed by art. The peaks, in clear weather, are seen -standing out in bold relief, receding by gradations until the last -outline can with difficulty be traced. Among all these bewildering -spectacles are seen waterfalls descending hundreds of feet of -perpendicular height. - -The fiords indenting the whole line of coast run into the Cascade -Range. Their shores rise perpendicularly to peaks, often a -perpendicular mile from the water’s edge, while the water is so -sheltered as to be without a ripple and lies dark and fathomless at -their base. - -Travellers relate how, in the solitude of the wilderness, sounds have -come upon them as of muffled thunder. It is the descent of an avalanche -from a glacier, miles away from them; or one of those mountain slides -of earth and trees which occur in the summer heat in the lands at high -elevation. These spectacles are among the most wonderful movement of -the earth’s forces. I have spoken of some of these phenomena as traces -of them passed under my notice. - -It would be difficult to find in any one of the four continents more -majestic or more varied scenery, marked by more of Nature’s fertility -of resource in grouping together scenes of astonishing grandeur. I -do not except Switzerland, with which no comparison can be made, for -British Columbia has a character of its own. It must be seen to be -appreciated. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -_HOME BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC._ - - Puget Sound--The Columbia--Portland--Oregon and San Juan - Disputes--Arid Country--Mountain Summits--The Yellowstone--The - Missouri--The Red River--Chicago--Standard Time Meeting--The - British Association--Home. - - -The fog had become less dense on the early Monday morning we were -leaving Victoria to cross to Puget Sound, to proceed thence to -Portland, in Oregon. We had now entered on October. It was the first of -the month. My object in taking this route was to pass over the Northern -Pacific Railway. It seemed to me in every way desirable, that correct -information should be obtained of the nature of the country through -which that line passes, and I had already travelled over the Central -Pacific line from San Francisco. The last spike had been driven when we -were in the Valley of the Ille-celle-waet, and the opening ceremonies -had been celebrated on an unusually large scale, three weeks back, -before we had finished our journey across the Selkirk Range. - -We had crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We had passed over -the four ranges of mountains by a hitherto partly unsurveyed route, -and I had satisfied myself as to the possibility of establishing the -railway on the line we had traversed. The journey we made was the -first of its kind, and no limited portion of the distance had proved -exceedingly trying. In a few years the railway connection will be -completed, and what a field for travel will then be opened to those who -desire to visit the boldest and most majestic of Nature’s scenes which -the traveller will be able to visit with very little effort. - -The Northern Pacific Railway extends from the western end of Lake -Superior to Portland, in Oregon, where it will have a connection -with a branch line to Puget’s Sound. To the east it is at present -connected with St. Paul and Minneapolis, and is accordingly brought -into relationship with the whole railway system of the continent. Its -charter dates from 1864, so it has taken twenty years to complete the -line. The enterprise has passed through many vicissitudes. No real -progress in its construction was made until Messrs. Jay Cooke & Co., -of Philadelphia, arranged in 1870-71 to float thirty million dollars -of its bonds, by which means the line was constructed from Lake -Superior to Bismarck, on the Missouri. The misfortunes of that firm -in 1873, involved the railway in the common ruin. The line was thrown -into bankruptcy. The company was re-organized, the bonds transferred -into preferred stock, and the building of the railway commenced at -the western end. The Missouri division followed. Several presidents -endeavoured to carry the line to completion. Finally a first mortgage -loan was negotiated. At this period the credit of the company was -established, money was obtained, and the track was pushed on equally -from east and west and the rails finally connected. - -The steamer North Pacific crossed the San Juan de Fuca Straits to -Admiralty Inlet and ascended Puget’s Sound. The day was wet and cloudy. -Neither at Victoria nor the Straits were we able to obtain a glimpse -of Mount Baker. I well remember the first view of the majestic outline -of this mountain, reaching far above snow-line. I was then at sea at -a point eighty or one hundred miles distant. Its appearance is as -familiar to the British Columbian as the less elevated “Fujisan” to -the Japanese. Nor could we see the striking Olympic Range, which in -clear weather in so marked a way strikes the eye on the southern coast -of Vancouver Island. The steamer called at one or two places before -reaching Seattle, the principal port of Puget’s Sound, itself a place -of considerable importance as the locality whence the product of the -coal mines is shipped. Tacoma, however, was our destination, which we -reached after dark. It has an excellent harbor, and is the terminus of -the railway. It was so dark on our arrival that we proceeded to the -nearest hotel, a few yards distant. In the evening, to obtain some -exercise we indulged in the proverbial “sailor’s walk” up and down the -platform in front of the building. - -We rose early next morning, for the train left at seven. The rain had -ceased, but the sky was dull, and there was no view of Mount Tacoma to -the east of us. - -The railway line ascends rapidly from the level of the Sound, and -continues through a partially settled country, much of it prairie, -with here and there groves of pine. The soil is generally of gravel -except in the flats of the Kalama River. The appearance of the -homesteads differs little from the backwoods settlements of Ontario. -I saw no example of good husbandry, nor could I trace any signs of -productiveness in the country through which we passed. We arrived at -Kalama about noon, striking the Columbia for the third time. First, -when we descended by the Kicking-Horse pass; again, when we came by the -Ille-celle-waet. From the latter point the river has flowed some six -hundred and fifty miles, four hundred of which are through the United -States territory on a course southerly and thence westerly. It now -makes a slight deflection to the north previous to discharging into the -ocean at Astoria. - -At Kalama we waited for the steamer which ascends the river to -Portland, that portion of the railway being yet incomplete. We also -took dinner at the one hotel, near the station. The fare was bad, the -charges exorbitant. It seemed to me that there was much uncalled for -delay in moving on board a small quantity of lumber. Incidentally, it -may be remarked that there is a tone of thought, a course of action -with the people on the Pacific slope by no means in accord with eastern -energy. There is no appearance of the bustle and rush you see nearer -the Atlantic. The steamer is propelled by a stern wheel. She is of some -size and is a regular river boat, with tiers of state-rooms above the -main deck. The river is about half a mile wide and is navigable for -sea-going vessels to Portland, and for some distance above that city -for vessels of less draught. Our trip is limited only to the thirty -miles between Kalama and Portland. We passed places with ambitious -names but of little promise. The cities of St. Helen and Columbia, so -called, neither of which is half so large as the new town of Brandon. -Each may be described as the site of a saw-mill, with dwelling houses -for the owner and workmen. - -We ascended the Columbia until we reached a branch, the Williamette, -which we followed to Portland. We were now thirty miles south of Kalama. - -The River Columbia is the boundary between the State of Oregon and -Washington Territory. Portland, on the Williamette, is in Oregon. It -is a commercial centre of such territory on the Pacific slope as San -Francisco has not made tributary. The construction of the Northern -Pacific has exercised great influence on its growth, for in twelve -years it has increased in population from 11,000 to 35,000. This city, -like Montreal, is some distance from the coast, being one hundred and -twenty-five miles from the ocean. But, unlike Montreal, it is not -easily approachable by a very large class of ocean going vessels. -The wharves, however, present some animation from the ships moored -there. On this occasion there were one iron steamer and six sailing -vessels. The railway accommodation for the transfer of freight is on -an extensive scale, and its promise of a prosperous future seems well -assured. - -We went to the hotel, which we were told both at Victoria and on our -way up the river, was the best. If such be the case, Portland must -be one of the worst provided cities, in this respect, in the United -States. Our rooms were small. One had no window to admit light. Not -one of them had a fire-place to assist in ventilation, which was -especially needed, for the passages were filled with a nauseating -stench proceeding from the filthy offices immediately below. The beds -were without clean linen; the towels seemed scarcely washed, certainly -they had not been ironed nor been passed through the mangle. The supply -of water was insufficient, and when more was asked for it was refused. -To crown all, we were hurried off from the hotel at half-past five -without breakfast, to cross the river to wait until seven when the -train started. - -The night previous we secured tickets for Chicago and paid for a -Pullman drawing-room, but there was no Pullman on the train on -starting, nor a restaurant car where we could get breakfast. From -Portland the railway runs easterly two hundred and twenty-eight -miles, to Ainsworth. Our first view of the Columbia is striking. It -is the locality where it flows through the Cascade Mountains. The -line runs along the base of bold, rocky bluffs, twisting and curving -a few feet above the water line. The fog and smoky atmosphere conceal -the mountains, but I should judge, when visible, that the view is -picturesque. - -For eighty miles from Portland the flora indicates a somewhat moist -climate, but on passing east of the Cascade Range everything is as -dry as at Kamloops. We are informed that no rain has fallen for four -months. We see bunch grass on the hills. The rocks are balsaltic, and -the indications suggest that the geology of the Thompson extends to -this locality. One of the most characteristic features of the landscape -are the basaltic columns which stand out prominently on both sides of -the river. - -Before twelve we reach the Dalles at the eighty-seventh mile. I have -kindly recollections of this place, for we broke our fast here. It was -dinner hour for the passengers, and what was served was very good. -Our hostess was an Ontario woman from Kingston, and the landlord one -of those genial, imperturbable geniuses whom our neighbours so often -produce, who have been everywhere and learned much. In his wanderings -he had been in Canada, whence he had carried away his wife. He had -so much to tell us of the Dominion that we looked upon him as a -countryman. Dalles, in Indian phraseology, we learn from him, means -“swift water,” or rapids. - -We continue the ascent of the southern bank of the Columbia. The -valley is generally from two to three miles wide, in the centre of -which the stream flows in its placid course. The banks are hilly and -appear broken frequently by trap and balsaltic rock. For miles not a -tree is to be seen. The light, dry sand is drifted with the wind, like -snow in winter, and sand is often formed during storms into mounds and -banks, which are more troublesome to the company than snow itself. We -were told that the trains were often seriously delayed by it. From the -car windows we could see the “dunes” which have accumulated in many -places. An occasional house is visible, with the sand half concealing -the windows; sometimes cast up to the very eaves. Persevering efforts -have been made to arrest its progress by planting trees, and to prevent -the saplings from being blown away the roots have been covered with -paving stones. At other places the surface is shingled with boards to -hold down the sand, so that it will not be blown on the railway track. -The landscape has a dreary and forlorn look, which even the river fails -fully to relieve. - -About one hundred and fifty miles from Portland the high river banks -have disappeared. We run through a flat, level, barren country covered -with sage brush, and we are probably less than three hundred feet above -tide water. - -Umatilla, one hundred and ninety miles from Portland, is the ghost of -a once flourishing centre, which existed when gold digging in the Blue -Mountains was actively followed. To-day it is a picture of desolation, -with deserted streets, with dilapidated wooden buildings surrounded by -a desert of sage brush. There is one marked memorial of its prosperity: -a graveyard, where many a poor miner lies in his last home. The fence -which encloses it is maintained, and what makes it more remarkable, it -is the only fence to be seen for many a mile. - -At Wallula Junction we have supper. There is at this place a branch to -Walla-Walla, thirty-one miles distant. On the side track there is an -excursion train full of “Oregon pioneers” travelling towards St. Paul. -They left Portland seventeen hours before us and had been detained by -an obstruction. As a regular train we take precedence and arrived at -Snake River about seven, a little way above its junction with the -Columbia at Ainsworth. Snake River is one of the chief tributaries of -the Columbia; it takes its rise five hundred miles to the south-east. -It is as yet unbridged, and we cross to the opposite shore by a ferry; -passengers, mails and baggage being transferred to the train, attached -to which, for the first time, we find the Pullman. - -We have followed the valley of the River Columbia from Kalama to this -point, generally on an easterly course, south of the 46th parallel, -ascending its great current flowing westerly. It runs in a southerly -course directly from 49° lat. to this place; and now we leave this -magnificent river to see it no more on our journey. - -The railway has followed the south or Oregon bank of the Columbia -from Portland. As a Canadian I could not but feel a deep interest -in looking across on the opposite bank to Washington Territory. I -reverted to the settlement by treaty of the Oregon question in 1846. -Great Britain most justly claimed the whole territory north of the 42° -parallel. The claims of the United States as set forth by them were -only limited by Alaska. At that date the fact is undoubted that there -was not a single citizen of the United States established north of -the Columbia River. The country was occupied only by the Hudson’s Bay -Company. The Columbia was the thoroughfare of that Company to the Boat -Encampment, already alluded to, at the extreme north of the Selkirk -Range. This river would have made a good natural boundary line, and -in itself would have been a compromise most favourable to the United -States. It would have given them Astoria and all the discoveries of -Lewis and Clark, but the treaty of 1846 was simply a capitulation even -more inglorious than the Ashburton Treaty of four years earlier date, -and will so live in history. Six degrees of latitude by three degrees -of longitude of British Territory were deliberately abandoned by the -Imperial diplomatists, and what is more remarkable the settlement -was so ill-defined as, some years afterwards, to cause the San Juan -difficulty, which raised great trouble and much ill-feeling. - -At six next morning we arrive at Spokane Falls, a well built town with -a population of fifteen hundred. The soil is light and gravelly, with -groves of pine. We reach Rathdrum, thirty miles distant, described in -the guide book as an agricultural centre in the best portion of the -valley. The train remains here twenty minutes. We learn that no rain -has fallen since early in May, and that the crops are almost a failure. -All the soil we have looked upon for three hundred miles is sandy and -gravelly, and without rain good crops can scarcely be looked for. - -At nine we reach Sand Point, four hundred and forty-five miles from -Portland. From Ainsworth we have been running in a north-easterly -direction and we are now fifty miles south of the Boundary Line. The -mouth of the Kicking-Horse River is two hundred miles from us, nearly -due north. I looked on Sand Point with some interest, for if we had -been driven at the Ille-celle-waet to abandon our journey through the -Eagle Pass, it was at this spot we would have reached the Northern -Pacific Railway on our descent by the Columbia past Fort Colville. - -We have passed the northern part of Idaho and are entering Montana. At -Heron, thirty-eight miles from Sand Point, a few drops fall from the -cloudy sky, we are told the only rain since spring! We are following -Clark’s Fork Valley towards the Rocky Mountains. We come upon open -prairie with good soil and bunch grass pasture, with patches of good -sized forest trees. The valley varies in width from one to five miles, -and is not wanting in natural beauty. It resembles somewhat Bow River, -above Calgary; but at Bow River the mountains are higher and bolder in -outline than on the Northern Pacific, and at this spot the heights are -wooded to the summit and are unmarked by bold, rocky, lofty peaks. - -We have rain during the afternoon. If it be acceptable to the arid soil -it is equally welcome to the traveller as an accessory to comfort. -Hitherto the dust has followed us like a cloud, but the rain dispels -it. It is getting dark. My intention had been to stay up to observe, as -best I could, the mountain “divide,” but as it was hopeless to look -for moonlight I turned in before twelve. - -I slept an hour when I again rose. It was still dark and drizzly, but -the glare from the engines working their full power up the ascent was -reflected by the hanging clouds, and near objects were dimly visible. -I was desirous of seeing what I could of the country, for we were -approaching the divide of the water flow of the continent; the one -turning to the Pacific, the other to the Atlantic and the Gulf of -Mexico. As morning advanced the sky became clear and the features of -the country visible. A tunnel two-thirds of a mile long, the Mullan -tunnel, is in progress through the summit. At present the rails are -connected over the mountain by a surface line, four miles in length, -with steep grades. The train was drawn up by two engines and we crept -up at a slow pace. On reaching the highest point we came to a stand to -admit of an examination of the couplings and of the whole machinery of -the locomotive and train. - -We had now to face the serious work of descent. The heaviest grade is -confined to a mile. The inclination, evidently great, was shown by the -angle formed by the hanging articles in the Pullman, with the vertical -lines of its panels. I extemporized a plummet and line with the silk -cord of my glasses, and according to my calculation the gradients we -passed over for some distance exceeded two hundred and sixty feet to -the mile; in one spot they reached nearly three hundred feet: 5.7 feet -to the hundred feet. - -We left the temporary line and followed the permanent track, the -gradient of which I was told is one hundred and sixteen feet to the -mile. In our passage over the summit no mountains were visible. The -hills through which we passed were but a few hundred feet higher than -the track. We crossed the “divide” by a narrow depression, as far as we -can judge, of no great depth. The exact length of the completed Mullan -tunnel will be 3,850 feet, its height 5,547 feet above sea level. - -We have reached Helena. We are now in the valley of the Missouri. The -second summit, between the Missouri and the Yellowstone Rivers, is -about one hundred and forty miles distant from the main summit. Before -reaching it I take the opportunity to get some sleep. - -Seventy miles from Helena we come to Gallatin. At this spot the -Missouri may be said to commence. It is fed by three important -tributaries, the Jefferson, the Madison and the Gallatin, all rising -within the periphery of a semi-circle of mountains visible to the south -and east of us. - -We passed through the fertile plain of Bozzeman, where we obtained -a fine view of the Rocky Mountains, south of us. Their lofty peaks, -tipped with snow, are probably eighty miles distant. It could not have -been very far from this neighbourhood that the sons of De la Verendrye -first looked upon the mountain heights as they ascended a branch of -the Missouri. At Bozzeman we prepared for another ascent and pass over -a temporary track until the Bozzeman tunnel is completed. It will be -4,500 feet long and 5,572 feet above tide level. There is a marked -contrast in the character of the heights at Bozzeman to those of -Mullan. The latter are wooded, whereas the former are bare, with only -a few small bushes. The Bozzeman tunnel, although only through a spur -of the Rocky Mountain chain, is a few yards more elevated than the -Mullan tunnel through the main divide. At Livingstone we are in the -Yellowstone Valley, eight hundred and eighty miles from Portland. We -followed the Yellowstone for three hundred and forty miles. Yellowstone -park is sixty miles to the south, and a railway leads to it from this -point. We can see the mountains of the National park in the distance, -grand, lofty and striking, recalling some portion of the Selkirk range. -I saw nothing on the Northern Pacific Railway except this distant view, -to equal the mountains on our Canadian line. - -We cross the Yellowstone River, about one hundred and fifty feet wide, -and which takes its rise in Yellowstone Lake, one hundred miles south -of us. - -At Livingstone we enter a prairie country which we follow in our -journey eastward for twenty degrees of longitude. As we pass over the -two water sheds, between five and six thousand feet above the sea, -we form the impression that there is abundance of moisture at this -elevation. We are now, however in comparatively low ground, and the -district generally is evidently dry, if not to some extent rainless. -Possibly the mountains intercept the vapour-bearing clouds, or drive -them into the higher regions. The maps show that there are spurs of the -Rocky Mountains continuing to the north and south of the Yellowstone -Valley for a long distance east of the main range, but all of them are -too distant from our point of vision or too low to appear above the -horizon. - -The railway follows the general direction of the river, sometimes along -its banks, and at no place at any great distance from it. The soil on -the bottom lands is loam or clay with a gravelly sub-soil. The grass is -dry and thin, but preparations for irrigation on a considerable scale -have been undertaken west of Billings’ station, one hundred and fifteen -miles east of Livingstone. By this means the lowlands adjacent to the -river will be brought under cultivation. Beyond the immediate valley -itself, in which irrigation is practicable the ground must remain -much as it now is. East of Billings we meet the same arid country, -with scanty herbage and a few scattered trees of small size along the -river’s edge. - -We are now in the territory which for so many years was the scene of -frequent Indian wars. Fort Custer is to the south of us, and to the -east Fort Keogh. At Custer station an officer entered the train on -his way to Fort Keogh. Like most officers of the United States army, -he was agreeable and full of conversation. He had had fifteen years’ -experience of the country, and consequently had many anecdotes to -tell of the wars. He showed us a rusty revolver which, a few days -previously, he had picked up from the field where Custer’s whole -command was destroyed in the last successful effort of the Red man on -a large scale. We can recollect the extraordinary excitement the news -caused on this continent. I must frankly say that, making all allowance -for Custer’s known gallantry, my sympathies have always been with the -men who rode after him, rather than with their leader. Custer himself, -it is true, paid the penalty of his rashness. The record is simple. -He, with his command, some six hundred sabres, rode up the valley of -the Rosebud. Not one returned to tell the tale of their extermination. -The criticism of the day was not favorable to Custer’s generalship. He -had turned into an attack what was intended as a reconnaisance. His -critics accuse him of endeavoring to attract public attention by some -bold dashing movement, the one justification of which would have been -its success. Every reader of the Indian wars knows that the strategy -of the Red man is that of surprise and ambuscade, and that failure in -observing caution in an advance, incurs the danger of defeat and loss. -The snare into which Custer fell is one of the most remarkable in its -results that not a man escaped. Its parallel in misfortune, however, -was not long after witnessed at Isandula, when not one man of the two -hundred in the ranks of the Imperial second 24th regiment survived the -Zulu attack on the unfortified camp. - -During the night we left the Yellowstone at Glendive. We have passed -over the _Mauvaise Terre_ which I had wished to see; but it was not -possible, as it was dark when we came through it. Our restaurant car -no longer accompanies us. The fact is brought to our mind by a bad and -expensive breakfast at Richardson, in Dacota. Between Glendive and -Bismarck the soil is good; the grass, however, is brown, but of better -growth than to the West. At Sims, coal mining has been commenced with -some success. - -This place is scarcely a year old, but it contains a number of brick -buildings. The site of the town is on an eminence, and altogether it -looks more promising than any spot we have seen since we left Portland. -We are now in the hundred and second meridian of longitude. - -Improvement advances as we proceed easterly; the towns are more -numerous and better built, and are marked by more bustle. The land is -of a higher character and better cultivated, and we see a superior -class of station buildings. - -We reached Mandane on the Missouri. Bismarck is on the eastern bank, -opposite. These two places are the creation of a few years, and the -progress they have made is marvellous. They are connected by a high -level iron bridge. The three centre spans are each four hundred feet, -on stone piers. The height from the bottom of the deepest foundation -to the top chord is one hundred and seventy feet, the height of the -truss is fifty feet. It is approached by timber trestling at one part -sixty feet in height. It is a bold piece of engineering, and the cost -is named at one million dollars. The bridge was finished in May of last -year. - -The land near Bismarck is very good. Already the country is well -settled; but night came on and cut off further observation. We passed -over an important but scarcely perceptible water-shed, about one -hundred and fifty miles east of Bismarck. The elevation above the -general level cannot be distinguished, and we have prairie around us on -all sides. Near the small station of Sanbon we leave the basin of the -Gulf of Mexico, and without visible signs of change pass to that of the -Hudson’s Bay. From the Rocky Mountains to this point the drainage has -been by the Missouri. The rainfall passes now to the Red River and Lake -Winnipeg to the north. We are in the upper part of the Red River Plain, -an extension of that district in Canada so unequalled for fertility. - -At eleven at night we reach Fargo, where the line crosses the Red -River. Fargo, like Winnipeg, is the wonderful creation of a few years. -The Station is illuminated by electric lights, and even at the late -hour the place has the appearance of an important commercial centre. -Moorhead is on the eastern bank of the river, opposite Fargo. Glyndon, -ten miles further east, is 1,626 from Portland and 274 miles from St. -Paul. It is a place of importance, in so far that a connection is made -with the railway from St. Paul for Winnipeg, but is not otherwise -remarkable. I was sorry to separate from my old friend and fellow -traveller, Dr. Grant, who left the train for Winnipeg. We had been -together for six weeks through the adventures which I have recorded. At -midnight we shook hands; Dr. Grant to go northward, and myself and my -son to find ourselves at St. Paul on the next forenoon. - -At St. Paul we are on known ground. Twenty-four hours brings us to -Chicago and another twenty-four hours to Toronto. There are many -Canadian interests in St. Paul, and this picturesque city on the banks -of the Mississippi has been often visited and described. We are now -thoroughly within all the influences of busy life, and the meagerest of -newspaper readers turns to the journals of the day to learn what has -happened and is to be looked for. - -I am gratified to learn that the next meeting of the British -Association will be held in Canada, and I read that in a couple of -days there is to be a gathering in Chicago of railway managers from the -United States and Canada in special convention to determine what steps -are to be taken to establish the standards for the regulation of time. - -Twenty years ago, personally, I had felt that in connection with the -railways of Canada in the future, extending over several degrees of -longitude, difficulties would arise in the computation of time. To my -mind it was evident that, in place of the rude mode followed, some -more scientific system was called for. When I became Engineer of the -Intercolonial Railway from Nova Scotia to Quebec, and of the Canadian -Pacific Railway from Ontario to the far West, my views were confirmed, -and, as I devoted time and study to the problem, I became more than -ever impressed with the importance of the question, not only to Canada -or to this continent, but to the world generally. - -Reasoning on the subject _à priori_ from the admitted necessity of a -change of system, it struck me forcibly that it could only be effected -on principles which would meet every objection and generally commend -themselves as well founded. Moreover, the subject appeared to me of -unusual interest, and as such I thought it my duty specially to bring -it under the notice of the British Association for the Advancement -of Science. I formed the opinion that this Association, having been -established for promoting the general welfare, was the body above all -others to which any proposition having so universal an application -should be submitted. I was in London in 1878, and addressed the -permanent officers of the Association on the subject, expressing my -wish to bring it forward. I complied with all the regulations, and -gave notice of my intention to introduce its consideration before -the forty-eighth meeting to be held in Dublin the following August. -I prepared a paper and submitted an outline of it. I was informed by -letter from the Secretary that it would be brought before Section A, -“Mathematics and Physical Science.” I arrived in Dublin the first -day of the meeting, the 14th August, and lost no time in addressing -the Secretary, personally, and informing him that I was prepared to -read my paper when called upon. He answered that I should receive a -reply in due course. Not receiving any communication for three days, -I saw the Secretary and was then informed by him that the Committee -had decided that my paper should be read on the 21st. It turned out -that on that day there would be no meeting. The last meeting was on -the 20th. My paper was put down at the end of the list: it was the -twelfth. I attended the Section until the meeting closed, but no -opportunity was given me to introduce it. There was still another day, -so I approached the Secretary and endeavoured to make some arrangement -for its being read in the morning. I was curtly told that Section A -would not meet again, as all the papers but mine had been disposed of, -and he took upon himself to add that the reading of my paper was of -little consequence. I deemed it my duty, without delay, to bring the -circumstance under the notice of the President of the Association, but -my letter did not receive the slightest attention. What could I do? - -The letter of the Secretary received in London distinctly informed me -that my paper would be considered, and consequently I had travelled to -Dublin and waited from day to day until the last meeting, but all to -no purpose. I was unknown. I was from the other side of the Atlantic, -and in those days there was no High Commissioner to obtain common -justice for the Canadian. I had simply experienced one of those acts of -official insolence or indifference so mischievous in their influence -and so offensive in their character, which I fear, in years gone by, -too many from the Outer Empire experienced. I assume that the secretary -represented the Committee, and that the Committee had the right to form -their own opinion as to the importance of the subjects proposed to -be brought before the Association, and reject such as to them seemed -unworthy of attention. But they were not justified in saying one thing -in London and acting as they did in Dublin. I will take upon myself -to remind the officers of the British Association that since that -date the subject I proposed to bring before the Dublin meeting has -not been considered beneath the notice of many scientific societies -on both sides of the Atlantic, that it has been earnestly discussed -at International Congresses in Venice and Rome, and it has led to the -House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States passing a -joint resolution requesting the President to invite the attention of -all civilized nations to the question. - -It struck me as a singular coincidence that among the first things -that I read in the Chicago newspapers was the notice of the important -meeting of Railway Managers[J] to take definite action on the subject -of regulating time, so unpleasantly disposed of in Dublin by the -British Association, and that the Association itself was coming to -Canada to learn that the managers of one hundred thousand miles of -railway, travelled over by fifty millions of people on this continent, -had taken the first important step in the scheme of Cosmopolitan Time -Reckoning, which, as an Association, it officially and offensively -refused to entertain; and, further, to learn that on the 1st October, -after their visit to Canada, an International Conference will be held -in Washington, on the invitation of the President of the United States, -to take another step in its establishment, and to recommend to the -world such further action regarding it as may be deemed expedient. - -I venture to say that members of the British Association visiting the -Dominion next summer will be received with cordiality and hospitality, -and some may recross the ocean with new ideas of the busy world outside -of England. Possibly their visit to Canada and the warm reception -which, I am sure, they will receive, will engender new feelings; less -insular, perhaps, and more kindly, more sympathetic, towards their -fellow subjects whose homes are to be found in the territory of the -Empire which lies beyond the four seas. - -From Chicago I followed the usual route to Ottawa. I paid my respects -to His Excellency Lord Lorne and Her Royal Highness, so soon to leave -Canada. Lord Lorne was in a few days to proceed to Quebec to meet Lord -Lansdowne. I went on my way to Halifax, where I arrived on Saturday, -13th October, exactly seventeen weeks since I left for England, on the -17th of June. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -_THE INDIANS._ - - Indian Population--The Government Policy--Indian Instincts--The - Hudson’s Bay Company--Fidelity and Truthfulness of Indians-- - Aptitude for Certain Pursuits--The Future of the Red Man. - - -In the foregoing chapters I have alluded more than once to the Indian -population scattered over the Dominion and more especially remarkable -in the North-West and British Columbia. It is a subject to command -attention when the future of Canada is at all considered. Fortunately -it is one concerning which little anxiety need be felt. The Government -on one side recognizes its obligations to the Red man, and is desirous -of doing him justice. The Indian is satisfied that there is a desire -to treat him fairly. The land formerly held by them and now owned -by the Dominion has not been ruthlessly seized, arbitrarily held in -possession by squatters and remorseless traders. It has been obtained -by treaty on principles of right and justice, and has been ceded to the -commonwealth for an agreed equivalent; when the settler enters upon -possession, he simply takes his holding on Government land. - -The decrease of the Indian population has steadily advanced since -the settlement of the east coast by the first Anglo-Saxon in the -seventeenth century. The number of the native race at that date must -be always a matter of conjecture. Catlin estimated it at that time to -have been fourteen millions, and half a century ago he described it as -reduced to two millions. All the early writers of Canada describe the -populous condition of the Indian tribes. That they no longer present -this character is undoubted. General Lefroy, in a paper read before the -Canadian Institute, of Toronto, in 1858, estimated the total number of -Indians in North America at 250,000. Even without intercourse with the -white man, their desolating wars, the frequent scarcity of food and -the want of knowledge of the means by which life can be preserved, all -had their influence. As the country became more occupied and under the -control of the European, their territory became narrowed, and hence -the greater cause of quarrel arose. Then the Indians of the Mohawk and -those of Lake Huron became mixed up in the wars of the English and -French. During the revolutionary war with the United States and the war -of 1812 the tribes took opposite sides, while there were whole races -who lived in open hostility to the white man. - -Except in the North-West, they have almost passed out of mind. In -Ontario they are seldom thought of, but in the neighbourhood where they -are seen, nevertheless their number amounts to 18,000. In Quebec they -attract greater attention; their number, however is only 12,000. In the -Maritime Provinces they number 4,000. At present the estimated number -of Indians east of the Rocky Mountains is 51,500; in British Columbia -proper there are nearly 36,500; in the more northern Hudson’s Bay -Territories, Labrador and the Arctic coast, 9,000. In the North-West, -at no late date, there was much to unsettle confidence, in view of the -rapid strides with which settlement was advancing, and in view also -of the difficulty which appears inherently to attend the solution of -this important problem in political economy; more especially when we -consider the constant turmoil and difficulty experienced in the United -States. But the solution has been found, as much else in life, by -following the very simple principle of justice and honesty. - -There are now in the North-West under the immediate care of the -Government 10,000 Indians. The proximate cost of beef and flour -furnished them is twelve cents per head per day. - -It may confidently be affirmed that the present satisfactory condition -of our North-West Indian relations is entirely owing to the admirable -government of the Hudson’s Bay Company. One principle observed was -never to allow the Indian to suffer from starvation. Provisions under -conditions of privation were given to those in need; but the recipients -were made clearly to understand that it was an advance of goods to be -repaid in the future. Those receiving assistance when in want, or to -enable them to start for the hunting grounds were held to give back the -value of what was then given, when the recipient was in a condition -to do so. A principle was accordingly established, which the Dominion -Government is endeavouring to enforce: that the Indian should never -regard himself as an object of charity, specially to be provided -for. He is by these means taught that to beg is discreditable, and -to receive Government rations as alms is personally dishonourable to -himself. He is taught self-reliance, for he is made to understand that -the rations, or clothing, or powder must be repaid by work or otherwise -as he can satisfy the claim. - -The duty has accordingly been imposed on those able to work to make -some return for what they have received. Such as these labour under the -eye of the farm instructor on each reserve. If there be no work there -will be no food, a principle perfectly within Indian comprehension and -sense of justice. Moreover, what labour they give redounds to their own -personal advantage. The strides to civilization may not be immediate, -but they are perceptible, and progress is in that direction. Above all -things, the Indian is satisfied, for he feels that he is treated with -justice. - -We must, on our side, be reasonable in our expectations. We must -remember that the Indian has never been habituated to steady labour, -and it should not be a matter of bewilderment if he is vacillating and -irregular in accepting that condition. For countless generations his -life has been nomadic. He has been lord of the soil, bred a warrior, -and the white men who has been the cause of the change in his condition -should bear with him and be patient, and extend him help and aid. It is -not only the Indian who finds it hard to accept the life of monotonous -employment, day out, day in. Many of our race who, at a somewhat -advanced period in their career are set down to patient effort, find it -no little of a trial. The hand of little employment hath the daintier -sense, and we must look to two or three generations passing away before -the Indian will take his place in the family of civilized man. He has -much of his former life to unlearn; he has to struggle against the -instincts of his blood; he has to accept the great truth that labour is -honourable. Those human lilies of the valley who toil not, neither do -they spin, do not hold the same high grade in human estimation which -they obtained a century back. No doctrine is more recognized than that -every right is co-existent with a duty. The Indian has to reach the -condition of understanding that he can only hold his place by the -side of the white man by fulfilling the obligations attendant on the -position he claims. - -The white man engaged in the effort to elevate the Indian, must not -be discouraged if the attempt made on his part does not at once -lead to little more than perceptible results. He must look forward -to much patient perseverance for many years, and he must guard -against discouragement. If he has difficulties to meet there is also -much in the Indian character by which they are fitted for peculiar -employment; as guardians of rivers, as herdsmen, as boatmen; and they -have extraordinary aptitude for any calling which exacts readiness of -resource and quickness of perception. Moreover, the Indian in many -ways displays much artistic skill. The Indians of the Pacific coast -especially are noted for their taste. This is exemplified in the really -fine models of ship architecture seen in their large sea-going canoes. -They are also distinguished for carving in wood and their work in -metals. - -They are capable of taking part in many profitable occupations. In -British Columbia they are preferred as labourers to the Chinamen. The -Indian has proved himself to be an excellent assistant on a farm. He is -useful in a saw-mill, and in such manufactures as he can undertake. He -can be relied upon as an overseer of rivers and to protect fisheries. -He can be trained to look after forests and to prevent the wholesale -destruction of timber, so often the result of carelessness and -imprudence. As forester and guardian of the observance of the game laws -he would be invaluable; and it is only by strict observance of our -regulations with regard to the season in which fish and game can be -hunted and killed that its preservation can be assured. Who more fit -for this duty? - -The Indians have already some minor industries, by which they show -strong commercial instincts. They split cedar logs by means of yew -wedges, which they sell to the northern tribes for seal or whale -oil, blankets and dried fish. The seal fisheries which they carry on -are of great extent. The annual value is named at $200,000. Speaking -generally of them in British Columbia, they are in no way held in this -western part of the Dominion, where they are well known, to be the -unimpressible animals many assert them to be. I can myself trace many -strong indications of progress, and I do not think that many years will -pass before this fact has been clearly established. - -Many are now receiving instruction in agriculture. They are furnished -with the necessary implements and seed. Cattle have also been given -them. If in some instances there have been failures, the majority of -those to whom these advantages have been extended have fairly profited -by them. - -On many of the reserves much interest has been shewn in agriculture, -with the important result that the grain raised has reduced the number -of rations issued. It is proposed to introduce on their farms pigs to -breed from. It is held that many will understand that they are not -at once to be killed and eaten. If successful, it will prove a step -of importance; on one side inculcating thrift, on the other being a -provision against want. Even the Blackfeet, who a few years back were -continually on the war-path, have settled down to peaceable pursuits. -Most families have a small farm or garden in place of the wigwam. An -attempt is to be made to establish industrial schools. But the Indians -do not willingly see their children separated from them. - -The Sioux, who were driven out of the United States twelve years back, -came to Manitoba with the stigma of the atrocities they were charged -with; into these I will not enter. They asked a home. They prayed to be -allowed to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. No special privilege -was claimed by them. The desire was granted; and they have never -violated the hospitality extended to them. Their career has been one of -patient labour. - -The Hudson Bay Company obtained control over the Indian, by its -inflexible regard to its obligations. They never falsified their word. -The love of truth in the Indian in his natural condition is one of -the marked features of his character. It is a virtue he respects in -others, for he himself practices it. It has been said that such was -the confidence in every officer of the Company, hence in every white -man, that an Indian would accept a few pencil words which he could -not understand, on a sheet of paper, from a stranger, telling him to -present it as a certificate at a certain post in payment for provisions -or skins or any service rendered. - -The fidelity of the Indian to his engagements is best known by those -who have intercourse with him. However the fact may be disputed by -mere petulant abuse, it is uncontradictable. A proof of the strongest -character can be adduced, even at this hour, by the agents of the -Hudson’s Bay Company. There are many localities where the business -is not sufficient to support a resident storekeeper, where there are -none but Indians. At the same time there are requirements of traffic -which cannot be ignored. This condition is met by an arrangement of a -simple character, but it is only possible when unvarying good faith and -honesty are observed. The Hudson’s Bay Company erect a store, generally -a large log shanty; glass being difficult to obtain, generally the -windows are made of parchment. The door is only secured against the -intrusion of wild animals, that is to say, it is securely fastened -from the outside by a latch or bar. So any one can enter it at any -time. Here are stored such supplies as the Indian may need: blankets, -clothing, arms, powder, shot and such articles as are used by the Red -man. When an Indian in the district requires any article from the -store, he enters and takes what he wants, leaving behind the requisite -number of skins in barter, denoting by some mark the individuality of -the deposit. A tariff of equivalents has been established, and the -Indian knows precisely what he has to leave behind for the value of -that which he takes away. This arrangement has existed for many years. -I have never heard an instance of the store having been fraudulently -visited, or of the least dishonesty on the part of the Indian. In the -regular periodical visit to these localities, in some cases not oftener -than twice a year, the agents have invariably found everything in order -and satisfactory. In these visits the stock is replenished and the furs -deposited taken possession of. The system still prevails, and until -fraud has been learned from intercourse with the white man it will -continue in the remote districts. - -It is difficult amid civilized commerce to find a parallel to the -confidence on one side and to the honesty shewn on the other. If all -the chronicles related of the days of Alfred be true, the national -honesty may then have partaken of the reliability and trustworthiness -of the Indian. But no other record of this character is to be found in -any page of history. It can only exist, indeed, in a simple state of -society in which the dominant class is marked by the strictest honesty -and fidelity to a promise made. It is this tone of personal honour -which the Red man both appreciates and in his own conduct observes, -until it is lost in the vices and misfortunes of a civilization which -generally he has experienced to his ruin, subsequently to be developed -to untiring calumny of his race. Whatever the feelings and weaknesses -of the Indian in his natural condition, in other respects truth and -honesty are his marked characteristics. - -There is a special difficulty in British Columbia, found in no other -part of Canada, the custom of holding “pot-laches”: feasts spread over -much time, when extravagant gifts are made. A proclamation was issued -by Lord Lorne forbidding these meetings. It is now proposed to make -them a misdemeanor by statute. In some parts of this Province liquor -has been introduced among the Indians by the Chinese and others, and -in some tribes the spirit of gambling is springing up. In one agency, -however, they have been induced to burn their cards. - -A more important proceeding is the introduction into the House of -Commons of a measure to give some of the old tribes self-government. -What is specially required is to make the Indian self-reliant and -self-respecting. If he have to live by the side of whites he can only -be taught a sense of equality with them by removing every remnant -of patronizing protection. Even communities not Indian, not subject -to effort, from whom little exertion is called for, easily drop into -habits of indulgence and indolence. The true policy towards the Indian -is that of extending to him protection from being robbed and abused, -but at the same time teaching him to feel how much of his happiness -depends on his own conduct, and that his future depends largely on -himself. - -There are a class of men who reason themselves into the theory that -the best civilization for the Indian is to civilize him off the face -of the country. Such as these seem to forget that the worst faults of -the Red man are those which he has learned from our race. From the days -of Columbus and Cortez until modern times, the white man has looked -upon the Indians as a class of beings to whom he was bound by no tie of -honour. By the wrongs he himself has committed he awakened feelings of -revenge, and one policy only was known, coercion and force. In modern -times, happily, one duty has been recognized, the enforced abstinence -of the Indian from liquor. Throughout the Dominion, but especially in -the North-West, on Canadian soil, the strongest precautions are taken -against the introduction of spirituous liquors. No alcohol is admitted -into Indian territory. Were the contrary course allowed, the Red man -would soon degenerate into the lowest depths of misery and crime. It is -not to be denied that our own race shew many examples of dishonesty -and fraud; but crime with the Indian is found in its most marked form -when in contact with the white man. The experience of all who know them -is that they have great tenacity of purpose, and will endure hardship -and privation uncomplainingly. The advance of events has changed their -whole lives, and in the proportion that governments have recognized -this fact and have endeavoured to adapt the tribes to the new relations -in which they have to live, so are they found to be willing to accept -what lies before them and to be grateful for the consideration which -they receive. The Canadian Government is acting on this principle. -Those who study the question hopefully look forward to the day when -the Indian population of the North-West will turn to pastoral and -agricultural pursuits and constant labour to obtain their bread. The -present peaceable character of the Indian is sufficiently established -by the fact that the mounted police, which consists of five hundred -men, is sufficiently strong to exercise the necessary control over the -fifty thousand of Indian population east of the Rocky Mountains. All -authorities agree in stating that they are under perfect subjection -to law, and that the police are competent to keep out the mischievous -whiskey trader, whose progress through the land is a blight and a curse -where it passes. - -It is true that the days of adventure and individual prowess have -passed away, but their energy and power of almost untiring effort -remain. All that is needed is a healthful, well-considered, just policy -to turn these good qualities into the right direction. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -_THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY._ - - Rapid Construction--Travelling--Old and New--Beginning of Pacific - Railway--Difficulties--Party Warfare--The Line North of Lake - Superior--The United States Government--Mountain Passes--Soil - and Climate--National Parks--Pacific Terminus. - - -Any one who, with the least attention, has followed the writer in -his journey cannot fail to have observed the ease with which long -distances on this continent in modern times are passed over. Within -the last quarter of a century the whole system of travel has changed. -With efficient railway carriages, possessing sleeping accommodation -and accessories to personal comfort and with a restaurant car, -making allowance for time and distance, the traveller may pass over -half a continent with no greater difficulty than he meets in going -from London to Liverpool. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company has -shewn extraordinary energy in the construction of the work. The -progress seems fabulous. Four hundred and fifty miles of main line, -independently of collateral branches in the North-West, aggregating -one hundred and forty miles, which they have completed in one summer. -The railway now extends westerly from Port Arthur, Lake Superior, to -the first range of the Rocky Mountain zone, thirteen hundred and ninety -miles. It has practically reached the eastern boundary of British -Columbia, in itself identical with the mountain crest forming the -continental water-shed. The Canadian Government, in accordance with -the contract, retained in its hands the construction of the line from -Kamloops to Port Moody, 215 miles. The intervening distance of 300 -miles remains to be constructed to complete the connection between Lake -Superior and the Pacific. - -North of Lake Superior the line is under construction easterly. During -the present winter a force of 10,000 workmen have been continually -engaged in the task of establishing the line between Port Arthur and -Callander, 650 miles, at which last named point connection has been -made with the railway systems of Ontario and Quebec. - -By degrees these gaps will be closed, and in two or three years it is -estimated that trains starting on the eastern seaboard will run on an -unbroken line to the Pacific waters. Literally a new continent will be -opened to the traveller; the tourist of other lands will be tempted to -visit Canada by the care bestowed on his comfort and convenience, and -by the moderate expense at which the journey can be accomplished. - -During the last century travelling was the prerogative of the wealthy -alone. The spirit of enterprise which leads to the examination of the -institutions and the inner life of foreign countries was not general. -The journey itself was marked with so much discomfort that it required -no little love of adventure to face the ordeal. There was also the -insular prejudice against the continent and what is still called -foreign manners. Men of ancient families and of large ancestral acres -frequently, during a long life, were known not to have extended their -visits beyond the county town of their shire. The grand tour of the -continent, it is true, was a portion of the education of the sons -of noblemen and of men of large fortune, but it was enjoyed by few -others. It was not simply a matter of money which imposed a limit to -the number. Leisure was equally necessary for its enjoyment, and men in -busy life could not give the time required. To pass from one locality -to another, separated by long distances, even in England itself, was a -matter of expense; and, although in their day the mail coach and the -post chaise achieved wonders in the then standard of rapid movement, it -was only the possessors of assured and ample means who could use those -conveyances to any extent for a pleasure tour. - -The wide influences which steam applied to motion, exercised upon life -in all its forms was rapidly felt. When we consider the shortness -of the period within which these changes have arisen, we recognise -additional ground for astonishment, that in so limited a period so -much has been done to mould us to a new condition of being. All the -important departures from our old theories and habits have taken -place within this century. It was but a few years beyond this limit -when Johnson expressed the belief that one of the happinesses of life -was to be whirled rapidly along in a post chaise. Only a few years -previously, in 1762, Brindley commenced his first canals which, if they -did not admit of speed, permitted intercommunication along their line, -until the very traffic which they created led to the establishment of -railways, in one sense, to supplant them. - -The success of the locomotive and the rapidity of movement which it -created, with the decreased cost of travel, were early suggestive of -the modifications which would arise in thought, in manners, in the form -of life and the political aspirations of modern times. The opening of -railways in the early stages of the system established that the new -mode of conveyance was one attended with less risk and danger than -the old stage and mail coach, and by the control obtained over it -applicable to all our wants. Moreover, it was of common utility from -the extreme lowness of the charge which it exacted from those using -it. It is no exaggeration to say that with the highest class of minds -profound emotion was experienced in the changes which they saw would -follow in the introduction of this new awakening of thought. It was -to them an entirely new departure from old traditions. The ordinary -mass of men saw but little beyond the excitement of the hour. Not a -few feared trouble in its democratic developments, that something -portentous and inevitable had come into being, the consequences of -which could not be foreseen. It was felt that life henceforth would -be turned into a new track. Men traced an analogy of feeling to -that experienced by their fathers when America was discovered, when -printing became a power, when the Reformation established liberty of -thought and made inward conscience the guide of conduct. It was felt -that new relations of life, new comforts, joys and sorrows had come -upon us; that the institution of the railway seemed almost a special -dispensation, the ends of which were inscrutable, and that the very -form and colour of our being had been changed. There are numerous -passages in modern literature to prove that in no way I exaggerate the -anticipations which were formed, and doubtless which many can well -remember. - -As we look back to 1839, when the “Rocket” ran the first trip, we have -but a few years of interval beyond half a century within which every -department of human life has been expanded, enlarged and widened. -Much as successive additions, adaptations and developments have made -the locomotive in its character, weight, power and capabilities, -wonderfully in advance of the primitive machine of that date--in -itself, be it said, in every respect remarkable, containing many -elements of what was to follow--so our lives, by its influence have, -step by step, assumed a totally distinct and different character to -that which marked the early days of the century. - -Few of those who are struggling in the business and pleasures of the -day stop to consider that the world was ever different to what it now -is. The positive results and advantages which we now enjoy have come -to us gradually. They are accepted by our children as if they had -always existed. It must, however, be evident to all who for a moment -think, that to the creation of the railway system we owe much. If the -railway has revolutionized many parts of Europe, I cannot but think -that the history of the United States would have been very different -but for its introduction. Certainly the lines of travel would have -been by no means so extended, and what influence a restricted field -of settlement might have exercised on the fortunes of the Republic no -mere speculation can define. It is obvious that without the new agency -the successful settlement of the great North-West of Canada would have -been impossible. We have only to compare the condition of the Selkirk -settlement of a few years back and the limited progress made during -half a century to the sudden and extraordinary bound which it took -when the first few miles of railway were put in operation. - -It is now twenty years since I was first publicly called upon, as a -delegate on behalf of the Selkirk settlement, to give my attention to -the question of opening up British North America by the establishment -of a line of communication from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I was -then called upon to submit my views on the subject to the Imperial and -Canadian Governments. Those views were recorded in the parliamentary -documents of that year, 1863,[K] and since that year have frequently -been referred to in debate. - -British Columbia became connected with Canada in 1871, and one of -the conditions of union was the construction of the Canadian Pacific -Railway. I was appointed Engineer-in-chief of the undertaking. What the -condition of the country was at that period may be seen in the many -volumes published by the Government. I shall quote but one passage from -the report for 1873, of the Department of Public Works, issued by the -Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, then Premier: “It is no exaggeration to speak -of the extent of territory to be explored as immense.” I undertook -the duty with all the zeal I could command, and moreover, I did so -with a strong feeling of sympathy with the work as a great national -undertaking, and as one which, I believed, would in the future command -more than an equivalent for all the moneys expended upon it, in its -bearing on our history and the advantages it would extend. - -In the tenth year of my labour in connection with this gigantic -undertaking political or rather party exigencies compelled me to sever -all official connection with it. I do not wish in any way, directly -or indirectly, to allude to my retirement from the position I held. -The subject can be of no interest to the general reader, but I may say -that before I retired, in 1880, the problem of the practicability of -the Railway had been grappled with and solved. The formidable natural -barriers which lay before us had been penetrated. Construction had been -commenced at several points between British Columbia and Lake Superior, -within a range of two thousand miles; and, further, the completion -of a length of railway of eight hundred miles, embracing some of the -most difficult sections of the work, was assured within a very short -period of time. The latter in the west piercing to the heart of British -Columbia from the Pacific, and in the east opening up a way through -Canadian territory for the influx of settlers to the fertile prairies -of the North-West. - -As I am writing, the subject of the Canadian Pacific Railway is -again before Parliament. Four years ago the Ministry entrusted the -construction of the railway to a Company. The measure was carried by -large majorities in both Houses. If I understand the argument advanced -for this policy, it was advocated on the ground that a Company could -carry on the work more efficiently and more economically than a -Department of the Government. - -The facts disclosed in the recent discussions in the House of Commons -establish that a Company cannot find money at less than double the -cost at which it is obtainable by the Canadian Government. The Company -has been raising capital at more than nine per cent. The Government -can find money at four per cent. or less. That a Company can carry -out a national undertaking more efficiently and economically than a -government, if the argument be not a fallacy, most certainly implies -that there is some defect in the system of government itself. - -The difficulty with our present system lies in the fact that the -interests of party must be consulted, whatever the cost, whatever -the sacrifice. Party takes precedence of every other consideration. -Party seems to cloud the judgments of men who, in many instances, are -irreproachable in private life. Public men seem to act on the principle -that there is one creed and language for the hustings, the press and -parliament, and another for social intercourse. - -The Canadian Pacific Railway has been considered a political question -during three administrations, and has played an important part in -party warfare. Every year, since 1871, motion after motion has been -made in Parliament relating to engineering operations and the mode -of conducting the work. Seldom have there been such acrimonious -discussions. Frequently the whole debate was dictated by the party -results supposed to be obtainable. Committee followed Committee, -year after year, in the Senate and House of Commons, nominally to -investigate matters, in reality to create party capital. Who now can -point out the slightest result from all these efforts? Two Royal -Commissions of special enquiry were appointed. The first made no -report; the second prolonged its sittings for two years, at a cost -of some $40,000 to the country. What remains of the labours of those -Commissions beyond the items of their cost in the public accounts? The -report of the second Commission was contained in two bulky volumes. The -record of an attempt for party ends to blast the reputation of men who -had given the best years of their lives to the performance of public -duty. When this report was considered it was held to be so valueless -that it has never been circulated. - -In Canada we enjoy a liberal constitution, and it may be affirmed that -it is the only principle of authority which, as a people, we would -tolerate. It cannot, however, be said that in its present form our -system of government is an unmixed blessing. - -We may ask if representative government is ever to be inseparable from -the defects which form the most striking feature in its application -and administration, especially on this continent. Must a country -constitutionally governed be inevitably ranged into two hostile camps? -One side denouncing their opponents and defaming the leading public -men of the other, not hesitating even to decry and misrepresent the -very resources of the community and to throw obstacles in the way of -its advancement. Never was partyism more abject or remorseless. Its -exigencies are unblushingly proclaimed to admit the most unscrupulous -tactics and the most reprehensible proceedings. Is there no escape -from influences so degrading to public life and so hurtful to national -honour? - -It is evident that the evils which we endure are, day by day, extending -a despotism totally at variance with the theory and principles of -good government. Possibly Canada may be passing through a phase in -the earlier stage of her political freedom. Can we cheer ourselves -by the hope that institutions inherently good will clear themselves -from the slough into which they unfortunately may be immersed? May not -the evils of partyism at last become so intensified that their climax -will produce a remedy. As by natural laws a liquid in the process of -fermentation purifies itself by throwing off the scum and casting the -dregs to the bottom, so may we be encouraged to believe that we are -approaching the turning period in the political system we have fallen -into, and that year by year Parliament will become less and less a -convention of contending party men and be elevated to its true position -in the machinery of representative government. Public life will then -become more ennobling; it will, indeed, be an object of ambition for -men of honour and character to fill places in the Councils of the -Nation, when rectitude of purpose and patriotism and truth will be -demanded in all and by all who aspire to positions of national trust -and dignity. - -From the earliest days of my connection with the Pacific Railway I felt -convinced of its national necessity. If the North-West country was -to become a part of the Dominion vigorous efforts for its settlement -were necessary. Among the facilities to be given to the immigrant one -of the most important was that of obtaining a means of ingress and a -market for his produce. Taking the geographical central position of -the country it was not enough to have completed a connection in one -direction. If, in due time, a market was open to the Atlantic, it -appeared equally essential that an outlet to the Pacific should be -obtained. It was clearly foreseen that the only true principle on which -the line could be constructed was to form a connection equally with the -valley of the St. Lawrence and with the Pacific Ocean. - -This view was not generally entertained. There were many who readily -admitted that the Railway should be carried across from Red River to -Lake Superior, to find an outlet to the East by the St. Lawrence. -For without such a connection no Canadian character would have been -given to the line, and freight and passengers equally would have been -diverted to St. Paul and Chicago, to be engulfed in the United States -system of railways. But while such as these recognized the commercial -and political wants of a line from the interior to Lake Superior, there -were many who saw no advantage in its Eastern extension along the north -shore of Lake Superior, to connect with the lines in operation to the -East. It was held that the Railway should terminate at Lake Superior. -It was argued that from May to the month of November navigation is open -for vessels to proceed by the lakes and the St. Lawrence; and that -during the remaining five months of the year it was contended that -connection could be obtained by passing over the Canadian frontier to -St. Paul and by following the railways eastwards. It was remembered -that Montreal had been many years without a winter port, and that -no practical inconvenience by that arrangement had followed. On the -contrary, that every convenience had resulted, and for the five winter -months the limited travel of that period had been profitably directed -through the United States Railways to Portland. Very many, therefore, -argued that the line should stop at Port Arthur, and that the -completion of the portion on the north shore of Lake Superior should -be postponed for an indefinite period. I have always held a different -opinion. My theory, from the first, has been that the construction of a -Pacific Railway meant the construction of the whole Railway. - -If Canada had held the sovereignty of the south shore of Lake Superior -or controlled the railways in operation by the South Shore, there -was much plausibility in the argument that the several links should -be connected by the completion of the parts wanting, and that this -route should be followed for a quarter of a century or until a large -increase of population called for the construction of the line along -the north shore of Lake Superior. But all lines south of the lake -pass through the States of Michigan and Minnesota. Any diplomatic -difficulty would at once be felt in this direction. We were, by such -a policy, creating for ourselves a weak spot to be felt on the least -strain in our relations with our neighbours. That it is not a fanciful -supposition may be found in President Grant’s proposition to Congress -in his annual message of 1880. In alluding to the course taken by the -Canadian authorities in seeking to protect the inshore fisheries of -the Dominion and to the Statute passed by Parliament in that intent, -General Grant makes the following deliberate proposal to Congress: -“I recommend you to confer upon the Executive the power to suspend -by proclamation the operation of the laws authorizing the transit of -goods, wares and merchandise in bond across the territory of the United -States to Canada; and, further, should such an extreme measure become -necessary, to suspend the operation of any laws whereby the vessels of -the Dominion of Canada are permitted to enter the waters of the United -States.” - -Such language as this is a threat of no slight moment, and its record -is a warning both so powerful and unmistakeable as not to allow it to -pass without providing against the contingency of its future execution. -With a summer route by water _via_ Port Arthur and a winter railway -line through the United States to Winnipeg, encouragement would be -offered to the United States Government on the slightest provocation, -to repeat the language of General Grant, and for Congress to carry it -into effect. Without a connection on the north shore of Lake Superior -we would have possessed but a shadow of a line, which an hour’s -declaration of unfriendliness would have nullified. Even in summer -Canada would be practically cut in two, for the canal overcoming the -Rapids of Sault St. Mary, at the outlet of Lake Superior, is in the -State of Michigan. With the connection completed from Ottawa we are -perfectly independent of any diplomatic strain on our relations. -Possibly the cost of our freedom from this risk may be some millions -of dollars, but it is precisely the situation when cost cannot be -counted. - -Some attempt has been made to cumber the problem by assertions of the -bleak and barren character of the intervening distance from Callander -to Port Arthur. One important industry is certainly ministered to by -this line: that of the lumber trade. At a period when some of the old -fields of enterprise have ceased to furnish the timber supply of former -days, all the territory where the waterfall runs away from the Ottawa -will be directly served by this line, and an opportunity for working -it opened up. It is also confidently affirmed that the mineral wealth -of the territory is great and that in no long period many important -industries will arise in connection with its development. - -The British Columbia terminus of the Pacific Railway involved many -considerations and it could not at once be determined. At any early -stage of our proceedings it was expedient to adopt a pass through the -mountains which would admit of a connection with any one of the many -harbours advocated. The Yellow Head Pass was the only one to meet this -condition; it was attended also with the accompanying advantage that -the line from Red River to this locality passed through the heart of -the best land in the North-West. It has been designated the fertile -belt; a fact, I believe, indisputable. On both sides of the proposed -line the land was marked by great productive qualities; the soil was -considered, in every respect, suitable for agricultural purposes. -Moreover, the line so projected ran within easy reach of the extreme -Peace River District, by some reported to be the most fertile of the -North-West. It was these reasons, its low elevation and its freedom -from objectionable features of climate, which led to the almost -universal recognition of the excellency of the Yellow Head Pass. I have -not seen it necessary to modify the views which, under the aspect in -which it was selected, I then expressed concerning it. I still regard -it as peculiarly favourable, and under that aspect superior to every -other passage through the mountains to the south or to the north. - -When the Railway Company entered into their contract with the -Government and assumed the work of construction, the conditions under -which the consideration of the location presented themselves were no -longer the same. Port Moody, Burrard Inlet, had been definitely chosen -as the terminus, and construction had commenced between Kamloops and -Port Moody, that distance being the extent of line which the Government -undertook to complete. To the East the line between Lakes Superior and -Winnipeg was also being pushed forward with vigour by the Government. -The problem which the Company had to solve was the location between -Winnipeg and Kamloops. They have considered it on the principle of -obtaining the shortest trans-continental route, and in these few -words they explain the theory of their selection. They claim that this -reason, in itself, is all powerful to determine the location by the -more southern route which they follow, and one in itself sufficient to -meet any objection urged against it. - -In the earlier pages of this volume I described the soil of the country -west of Winnipeg through which the Railway has been constructed, and I -expressed my opinion as to its capability for agricultural development. -It is generally conceded that for four hundred miles, to Moose Jaw, -it is of great fertility. I could not learn one unfavourable view of -any portion of this extent with the most trifling exception. The whole -distance may be said to be entirely free from that sterile, forbidding -surface soil which passes under the name of waste land. - -There is by no means the same unanimity of opinion regarding the -country from Moose Jaw to Calgary. Travellers and land jobbers in -Winnipeg described it to me as a semi-desert. I came to a different -conclusion. I was surprised, from what I heard, to find the soil -such as I have described it. I am satisfied that the same land in -the climate of the farming districts of England and Scotland would -produce the most luxuriant crops. I will not compare it in character -to the land away to the north on the route by Edmonton. In many places -I found the pasture short and dried brown, as it is often to be seen -in the best districts of Ontario at the end of August, the period -of the year I passed through the North-West. The fears which I heard -expressed respecting an insufficient rainfall exacted more attention, -for without moisture even good soil will bring only indifferent crops. -This important consideration, however, will soon be brought within -the domain of fact. The railway company has commenced a series of -experimental operations, breaking up the land and bringing it under -cultivation in the neighbourhood of the stations in those localities -where any doubt has been expressed of the character of the soil. - -I have crossed the continent on the four different lines now known, and -to a certain extent can contrast the features of the country and its -fertility as they are represented on each line by such an examination -as I could make. We have, likewise, the known opinions of each separate -route by those familiar with it. So some fair ground of comparison -exists as to their characteristics:-- - - 1. The Central and Union Pacific from Omaha to San Francisco; - - 2. The Northern Pacific from St. Paul _via_ Portland, Oregon, to - Puget Sound; - - 3. The Canadian Pacific from Lake Superior to Port Moody by the - Kicking-Horse, Rogers and Eagle Passes; - - 4. The line originally surveyed from Lake Superior to Port Moody - by the North Saskatchewan and Yellow Head Pass. - -Speaking generally, the country traversed by these lines is the least -valuable on the most southern and increases in value as the lines run -through the more northern country. - -The best land is undoubtedly to be met on the line through the valley -of the North Saskatchewan, leading to the Yellow Head Pass. The most -indifferent is the Central Pacific at the south. The Northern Pacific -line passes through a better country than the latter, but is again -greatly inferior to the land between Winnipeg and Calgary, which I -cannot recognize as so good as on the more northern route. - -The engineering character of the four trans-continental routes may in -some respects be judged by the mountain summits passed over. - -The Central and Union Pacific Railway passes over four main summits at -intervals apart of from 300 to 400 miles; the lowest of which is 6,120 -feet, the highest is 8,240 above sea level. - -The Northern Pacific line passes over two summits 120 miles apart, -reaching elevations of 5,547 and 5,572 feet. - -The Canadian Pacific Railway, by the route followed on the recent -journey, has the Bow River summit, 5,300 feet, and the Rogers summit, -4,600 feet above sea level. The latter summit may, however, be entirely -avoided by following the River Columbia, a _detour_ which would -somewhat lengthen the line. - -The one main summit on the line by the North Saskatchewan is at the -Yellow Head Pass, 3,720 feet above tide water. - -As nearly as can be ascertained, the lengths of the four lines are as -follows: From Montreal to Port Moody by the Yellow Head Pass 2,940 -miles, and by the route adopted 2,890 miles. From New York to Tacoma by -the Northern Pacific 3,380 miles, and from New York to San Francisco -by the Central Pacific 3,270 miles. It thus appears that the railway -through Canada will be 380 and 490 miles shorter between ocean ports -than the other lines established through the United States. - -The Canadian Pacific, now in process of construction, has this -remarkable peculiarity: it is unsurpassed in the variety and -magnificence of its scenery. Between Calgary and Kamloops we meet a -group of bold, striking combinations of rivers and mountains, not -yielding in any way to the scenery of Switzerland, so often visited and -described. I have not myself seen the Yosemite Valley, but, judging -from the photographs which are well known, my experience suggests -that there are scores of places in the mountain zone to be made -accessible by the Canadian Pacific equally as striking and marked by -as much beauty. They only require to be known to obtain a world-wide -fame. There are also some localities near the north shore of Lake -Superior possessing attractive scenery of a different character. It -is therefore suggested that the opportunity for establishing one or -more national parks or domains should not be neglected. Two such Parks -of ample dimensions, one to the east and the other to the west, might -now be selected. The most easterly should undoubtedly embrace Lake -Nepigon, to the north of Lake Superior, and the other should take in -possibly one hundred miles square of the finest mountain scenery in -the Rocky Mountain zone. Such parks, with the marked salubrity of the -climate, would attract visitors to frequent them. Rendered perfectly -easy of access by the Railway, and with assurance that the life to be -found there was marked by comfort at no extravagant cost, these resorts -would, especially in the heat of summer, bring many within their -boundaries on the score of health and recreation. Sportsmen and crowds -of tourists would flock thither, some to hunt the grizzly, the cariboo -or the bighorn, others to fish the splendid speckled trout to be found -in the mountain streams; many with alpenstock in hand to climb the -glacier-covered heights, and all to enjoy the pure air and the charm -of the scenery and the striking features of natural beauty nowhere -else to be seen. Every year a limited expenditure in forming roads and -bridle paths to the remote sections would render the localities more -and more attractive. In no long time all the aid that art could furnish -would be manifested in developing the landscape and in establishing -retreats of quiet and repose amid some of the grandest scenes of wild -nature. Evidently such improvements, being in the common interest, they -should in some degree be borne by the Dominion. In itself it would be a -national matter. It would require no large expenditure; the development -should be gradual and systematic, and in a few years the Dominion -would possess attractive spots of the rarest picturesque scenery, to -be ranked among those remarkable localities which all look upon with -pleasure, and which, by the number of strangers who would visit them -would become a source of general profit. It is scarcely possible to -estimate the amount of money circulated in this form in Switzerland. -It really forms no inconsiderable part of the annual revenue of the -Republic. Once a route of travel and centres of attraction of this -character are established with ourselves, the profit derived would -be equally considerable; and, taking the question in its commercial -aspect, would repay any moderate outlay so incurred. - -One important result of more than ordinary Imperial interest is -attained by the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Halifax, -with its admirable harbour, is the headquarters of the North American -fleet, and its dockyard is furnished with every accessory for refitting -and repair. If the British fleet is to rendezvous in Pacific waters, -it must be plain that the same opportunities for repair and renewal -of stores must be extended, and in proportion that the distance from -England is greater the more positive demand exists for a completely -equipped dockyard on the Pacific Coast. - -Naval and military men have come to the one conclusion on the subject: -that the Imperial Dockyard should be as near as practicable to the -terminus of the Railway. Indeed it must be evident to all, that where -there is a naval station with war vessels on active service there must -be the means of refitting and renovation, in a location central and -accessible, and one perfectly defensible. It is held that the dockyard -should be on an efficient scale, so that a ship of war which has -found refuge in port, whatever her condition, can be replaced in her -integrity and made completely serviceable. - -Captain Colomb, in reference to Imperial and Colonial responsibility -in war, has remarked “That an absolute and pressing necessity exists -for the erection of a great Imperial dockyard at the other side of the -world which would relieve the pressure on home dockyards, and fulfil -duties they cannot in war perform, and in peace offer commercial -advantages of construction and repair to ships of the mercantile -marine.” The advantages of a naval station in British Columbia extends -beyond the mere repairing and refitting of vessels. They can be best -set forth in the words of Admiral Mayne, who reports that with respect -to the fleet in Chinese waters:--“Our ships there, which are sometimes -almost disabled from sickness, could reach the healthy climate of -Vancouver in six weeks, and might, if required, be relieved by vessels -of the Pacific Squadron. Vessels have been ordered to Esquimault from -China with crews greatly debilitated, and afterwards returned with all -hands in perfect health.” - -However well situated Esquimault may be for a Sanitorium, it cannot be -looked upon as offering equally the proper site for a naval arsenal. -Esquimault was selected, it is said, at mere haphazard for the purpose -of an hospital during the Crimean war. It is an exposed situation, and -its defence is complicated by the position of the city of Victoria in -the neighbourhood. - -The construction of the railway, with its terminus established at Port -Moody, has totally changed all the circumstances which hitherto had -obtained prominence. It is now held that the naval dockyard should be -on Burrard Inlet, near the terminus. The site has been pointed out by -Major-General Lawrie and advocated by him in a carefully written paper, -in which both the question of the necessity of such a dockyard and the -site itself are fully discussed. - -The spot on Burrard Inlet described by General Lawrie, is held to be -eligible in every point of view. It is defensible by land and by sea, -with good anchorage in front. It is situated on the north shore, west -of the North Arm, so far within the Inlet as to be unassailable by -cruisers, except at the risk of their total destruction, unapproachable -by surprise by land, and in close proximity to the terminus of the -railway; while at the mouth of the Inlet batteries can be constructed -to make entry next to impossible. It must also be borne in mind that -Burrard Inlet is directly opposite to the coal fields of Nanaimo. -Coal is even to be found on Burrard Inlet itself, and in modern -naval warfare coal is an important article of equipment. Indeed, -it may be said to take priority; for without fuel no vessel of -modern construction can move from her anchorage. The supply of coal, -therefore, becomes of primary consideration, and the source where it -can be obtained is of special value and has jealously to be protected. - -These views of naval and military men have been widely echoed by all -who have studied the question. It is on all sides an accepted opinion -that with the completion of the Railway, bringing British Columbia -within twelve or fifteen days of England, the terminus on Burrard Inlet -becomes the most important strategic centre on the Pacific Ocean. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -_CONCLUSION._ - - England and Canada--Old and New Colonial Systems--Political - Exigencies--The High Commissioners--Lord Lorne’s Views--The - Future--The French Element in Canada--Colonial Federation--The - Larger Union. - - -Scarcely a season passes without the production of some volume of -startling adventures. If romance of incidents have been sought in these -pages the result must have been disappointing. Nevertheless I venture -to think that the described journey, embracing one hundred and twenty -degrees of longitude, which I twice passed over in seventeen weeks, -must have some interest to many who are identified with the growth and -development of the Empire. - -If I have any dominant thought in putting these pages into type, -it is the hope that they may aid, in however humble a manner, in -placing in prominence the close relationship between Great Britain and -British North America, and in showing how firmly and permanently it -may be established. Inferentially, it may be said that the feeling -of attachment to the Mother Land, which is blended with hope for the -future, is not confined to the Dominion alone, but is common to all the -outlying Provinces, in whatsoever quarter of the globe they may be. - -The part which Canada has to play in the aggregation of States which -constitute the British Empire is a subject which has constantly -crossed my mind when engaged on these notes. It is a subject which I -can only approach with diffidence. Until late years there has been -an active Imperial minority who estimate the value of colonies by a -narrow standard. They regard them simply as possessions beyond the -sea which, when they cease to yield direct returns of profit, should -be considered as so many sources of weakness. It was not only with -complacency that men of this stamp viewed their possible separation -from the Imperial relationship; but they advocated a severance of the -connection equally as a benefit to the community to be cut adrift as -to the Mother Country, which would thus be relieved of an embarrassing -and unprofitable responsibility. The early difficulties which were -experienced in some of the colonies arose mainly from the blunders -and mismanagement due to the fact that the principles of colonial -government were misunderstood. The second Pitt was one of the first -boldly to advance the theory that the gift of self-government to the -colonies would serve to attach them to the Mother Country, and Fox -gave expression to his conviction that the only method of retaining -them was to enable them to govern themselves. - -The old colonial system has passed away. It is now forty years since -virtual self-government was given to Canada. The Colonial Legislatures -became supreme in all matters which bore on national life within their -geographical limits. The only attempt at control exercised has been on -those points of legislation which had an Imperial bearing. - -Since the days when the Colonial House of Assembly possessed the -power of directing its own local affairs there has been an end of the -heart-burnings and disputes which were never absent on any assertion -of Downing street control. The concession of self-government in a -few years not only quieted the public mind concerning much which had -agitated it, but it admitted the settlement of the most difficult -questions, such as the Seigniorial Tenure in French Canada and the -advance of money on municipal security. It enabled each successive -administration to devote its energies to the establishment of the great -public works necessary to open out important lines of communication. -The true principle of colonial government has thus been realized. Great -Britain has adopted as a fixed policy and has faithfully adhered to the -principle of giving to her colonies of European races, equally with the -United Kingdom, the fullest liberty of self-government, entailing upon -them the wise observance of their political duties. As a consequence -a totally new character has been given to Provincial aspirations. -The principle, even with enlarged powers, has been extended to the -Confederated Provinces of the Dominion. Many prominent men have -advocated an extension of the system. They claim that the Dominion -should be represented in the Imperial Parliament. The difficulty must -always exist that the Canadian, as a representative of his own country, -cannot with propriety interfere with questions affecting the domestic -and political condition of the people of the British Isles. Their -internal affairs can only be constitutionally controlled by their own -representatives in parliament at Westminster. The Canadian’s interests -are assured by his own institutions. It is the Parliament at Ottawa -which controls the laws of the Dominion. Those who dwell in the United -Kingdom might equally claim to interfere in the legislation of this -country as the Canadian to vote on laws in the working of which he -has no direct interest. It would be at variance with all right for -a representative from this side of the Atlantic to cast a vote on -questions of taxation and expenditure to which the Dominion in no way -contributed. - -It is only step by step that human institutions adapt themselves to -political exigencies. The advance of opinion is slow. All change is -pertinaciously resisted. The British Constitution has grown and been -developed from the first century of its existence. It may not always -have kept pace with the progress of events, but the advance has been -steadily in the direction of good government. Why should it cease to -adapt itself to human requirements? As the world moves onwards it will -doubtless continue to expand and to improve, and as circumstances -demand its elasticity will admit of extension. Certainly there are -wonderful progressive agencies now at work, and the conditions of -life are changing every year. We cannot doubt that some political -organization will be arrived at by which the various units which -make up the Empire, while maintaining full control over their own -local affairs, will be held together by an alliance founded on mutual -affection and a consensus of belief in the common benefit which all -derive. - -In the mean time matters cannot be left to chance, and the best -possible provision must be made by which the Dominion may be -represented at the Imperial centre. To a great extent the void is -supplied by the presence in London of a High Commissioner. He is a -member of the Canadian Privy Council and can speak with authority on -the part of the Ministry of which, to some extent, he is a member. -All special representations can be clearly and lucidly submitted -through him, while he can receive and forward those confidential -communications which are made public only when it is expedient to -publish them. There is here a guarantee against misrepresentation or -misunderstanding on both sides by means of an organization which is -simple and natural. - -In his address to the Royal Colonial Institute Lord Lorne referred -to the appointment of a High Commissioner, resident in London, -representing the Dominion. He alluded to it as “by far the most -important event which has occurred in the colonial history of the last -few years. As the first step taken by a colony and cordially accepted -by the Imperial authorities,” to lead to an arrangement by which the -Imperial policy will be directly guided. - -Lord Lorne in no way overvalues the importance of the presence at the -Imperial centre of a High Commissioner of ability and experience. The -Dominion thus represented can submit on all occasions precise and -correct information, and in matters of treaty with foreign powers can -set before the Imperial authorities the considerations which directly -affect our interests. We have but to think of what we suffered through -the ignorance displayed during the Ashburton negotiations leading to a -treaty which, in its disastrous features, could not be repeated to-day. - -Until late years, except the few who by some strange chance obtained -the official ear, the Canadian entrusted with official business with -the home government felt that he was not included in the circles and -courtesies of diplomacy. Then the ordinary Canadian who was present -in London was made painfully to feel that he was far less favourably -placed than the actual foreigner. The citizen of a foreign state had -his Embassy to which he could address himself, but the Colonial Office -seemed to have the door barred against the Colonist. - -If the teaching of history has any weight the barriers between the -British people on the two sides of the Atlantic should be entirely -removed. By the appointment of a High Commissioner the connection -between the Empire and Canada, so far as the individual is concerned, -becomes more real. The great truth to bring to the mind of the Canadian -who sets his foot on the soil of the parent state, be it England, -Ireland or Scotland, is that it is his home; that he is in much the -same position as he would occupy in any Province of his own land. - -The office of the High Commissioner is common ground whereon all may -meet. At this centre the Canadian registers his name, and his address -is known to all who ask for it. It is at this office that all enquiries -about him can be made. He is personally and cordially welcomed. His -letters may be directed to the office. His friends may meet him in -the public room as if in a national club. He is in the midst of all -information, and if his business partakes of a public character he -is on the spot where its bearings can best be learned. If he has -legitimate claims to be brought into official relations with some -Departmental Head the High Commissioner is present to obtain for him -an audience. The days are gone when a Canadian of credit and _status_ -was placed in a position inferior to that of a visitor from a foreign -nation. - -There are many ways in which the High Commissioner can assist the views -of those visiting England. He can intervene even in the courtesies -of life. Cabinet Ministers in London have but twenty-four hours in a -day, like other folk, and, similar to the Governor General, no one -of them can hold himself at the beck of the first comer asking for -an interview. But there are many duties in life performed from self -respect and not through the prospect of profit. Few men of any position -in Canada visit Ottawa without leaving their names in the visitors’ -book of the Governor General, even when it is impossible that the least -attention can be extended to them. So in London it would be a courtesy -to inscribe your name in the book of the Minister in whom Colonial -interests centre. On the other hand, it could not be but agreeable to -him to receive this act of homage from a Transatlantic British subject. -To all of us with any right feeling it is no little of a pleasure to -testify our respect even in this unpretending manner. - -I have thought that it would be by no means without advantage if, -during the sitting of Parliament, and periodically when in London, the -Colonial Minister held an occasional _levee_, where colonists could be -presented by some responsible personage. With us the High Commissioner -would be held to introduce any one entitled to the distinction. The -presentation would be itself sufficient guarantee of respectability -everywhere exacted. The reception might be monthly, and no Minister -of the Crown could devote a few hours in a twelve months to a more -important purpose. The proceeding would be simple and without cost, -and it would be productive of good. It would establish the fact that -there exists a strong ground of sympathy which unites the members -of a common Empire. There is no feeling so paralyzing as that which -makes us think we are held in indifference. Turning back no great -number of years in the history of Canada, a feeling had crept on many -of us that the Mother Country had become completely careless whether -we remained within the fold of her Empire or passed out of it. Owing -largely however to the social and statesmanlike qualities of the two -last Governors-General that feeling has passed away. We do not now -view ourselves in that dreary and disheartening condition. It may be -said that there is much of sentiment in all this; but sentiment plays -a stronger part in national feeling than the mere _doctrinaire_ will -admit. No true statesman will ignore the fact. There are few who -possess the slightest knowledge of history but must recognize the -presence and strength of sentiment in national life. In Canada we -feel that from England have sprung all true theories of liberty and -personal freedom which have so much advanced the world. Not even the -Roman citizen in the best days of the Empire could feel greater pride -than any one of us in the possession of the right of declaring himself -a British subject. The sentence itself is, as it were, the aegis under -which he is protected and by which he is included in the first rank of -national honour. - -All that can be said respecting the degree of relationship between -Canada and the Mother Country applies with equal force to the -connection between every British possession and the Imperial centre. - -Lord Lorne, in his address before the Royal Colonial Institute, has -dwelt upon this subject with much power. - - “These islands have thirty-five millions of people, Canada has - now about five millions, Australia will soon have four millions. - Britain has, for the small area she possesses, great resources in - coal and other wealth, but it may be well for her to remember how - little of the earth’s surface she possesses in comparison with her - children. The area of Canada and of the Australian States is so - vast, the fertility of the soil is so remarkable, the healthfulness - of their climate is so well proved, and the rapid increase of - their white population is so certain that within the lifetime of - the children of gentlemen here present their numbers will equal - our own. In another century they must be greatly superior to us - in men and material of wealth. How foolish, therefore, will our - successors in England deem us to have been if we do not meet to the - fullest degree possible the wishes of those growing States. They - have a filial affection for their Fatherland. They will retain a - brother’s feeling for us if we are friendly to them in the critical - time of their coming manhood. Days may arrive when we shall implore - their assistance, and when the alliance of those Powers, grown into - maturity and strength, and under very possible circumstances the - strong arbiters of our own destinies, shall be ours through the - wisdom we may show to-day.” - -That a closer union between the different outlying members of the -Empire and the parent land is desirable, has passed beyond the stage of -argument. The basis on which the relationship will rest is certain and -known. It is that of affection and common interest. It may, however, be -difficult to define the precise arrangement by which its accomplishment -can be attained. The unity of the Empire is one of the leading -considerations of the day. Its dismemberment cannot be thought of. Even -in those more general interests which are common to the whole human -race, it is desirable that this vast Empire, marked by progress and -humanity of purpose, should be maintained in its integrity; an Empire -world-wide in its extent, with a population of three hundred millions -of souls. - -All the difficulties which naturally lie in the way of -inter-communication between these scattered possessions have been -removed by science. The ocean is the common link of intercourse, and -because it is so constituted Great Britain must remain its mistress to -safeguard it. - -If it be a marked feeling of this common nationality that a firm union -should knit together into one whole the several separated communities, -to each one there must be assigned special duties and functions, which -may be difficult but yet must be quite possible to determine when all -are animated by one dominant sentiment. - -Lord Lorne conceives that a legislative union would be impracticable. -At the same time he favours an organization in which the Mother Country -and each division of the Empire would meet as a collective body. Each -self-governing colony or group of colonies might be represented by -their High Commissioner or by members appointed on some established -principle. In allusion to this consideration Lord Lorne adds:-- - - “Your diplomacy in commercial matters must take into account - the vastness of Imperial sway, and it must be thoroughly - representative, not of this little island only, but of the great - continents or parts of continents which are content to be under - the same flag with you for the sake of mutual advantage. It must - be an Imperial, not alone a British, Commission which discusses - trade arrangements. The confederation of the Empire, which has - been spoken of as possible in the future, must be expressed by no - central and unwieldy parliament, representing lands separated from - each other by the width of the world; but it must be represented by - a council of envoys, who, by working together for each part, may - consummate treaties and enforce agreements. No country like Canada - would now allow the out-voting of her representatives which would - take place in a parliament in London.” - -It has been remarked that the Empire must maintain its naval supremacy, -and in this policy the Dominion, with her recognized nursery for seamen -can render important service.[L] - -The great importance of this principle rises into special prominence -when we bear in mind that the opening of the Railway to the Pacific -will lead to a great increase of British mercantile marine in these -waters. The construction of a system of submarine telegraphs will also -follow at an early day. They will be established across the ocean -to Japan and connect with China. They will be extended to India, to -Australia and New Zealand. Great Britain may then be in close relations -with her possessions in every quarter of the globe by lines of -communication under the protection of her flag without passing through -an acre of foreign soil. - -Egypt, owing to its geographical relationship with India and Australia, -is constantly a source of anxiety. Lord Wolseley gave as his opinion -that the destruction of the Suez canal could be effected by the -means of a few old canal boats loaded with stone or one effective -torpedo exploded in a well selected spot. Notes of warning in other -forms have frequently been given. Three years ago an insurrection in -Egypt, out of the fold of Imperial policy, but claiming consideration -from the aspect it assumed with regard to Indian interests exacted -British interference. Two-thirds of the available naval power of Great -Britain was called into service to keep open the canal. Given then the -possibility that the canal may at any hour be rendered unnavigable and -the telegraph destroyed, what other conclusion can there be than the -words of Lord Wolseley, that it is suicidal to depend on the route -through Egypt as the means of communication with the East. - -The Imperial character which this consideration gives to the lines of -communication now being constructed by Canada is indisputable. They -offer a constant reliable communication with the Eastern possessions of -Great Britain when European complications shall assume a threatening -attitude, or when Egyptian difficulties have led to the stoppage of -the navigation of the Suez Canal. Canada will consequently add greatly -to the common safety by the completion of her national Railway from -the Atlantic to the Pacific seaboard. Its two termini have the common -excellence of possessing within command inexhaustible coal deposits, -where ships may be supplied and naval arsenals may be established on -any scale. The Railway itself passes through a territory a great part -of which east of the Rocky Mountains is not surpassed in fertility by -any soil in the world, while immediately north of the line the fertile -belt presents a field for immigration for centuries, where bread and -butchers’ meat will be plentifully produced to meet the most extended -requirements which the future may create. I have described the changes -which have taken place in a few months, even under my own eyes, along -the line. What districts of population and cultivation a few years of -prosperity may create is beyond calculation. - -We are taught by history that some four centuries back Columbus -discovered this western land. But Cabot,[M] of English birth, and under -the English flag, was absolutely the first to land on the continent. We -owe to another nation the early knowledge we possess of a large extent -of Canada. The French were the first to penetrate the valley of the -Saint Lawrence to the limit it is naturally navigable. - -All nations are influenced by the events which they experience, and no -people were more moulded into a new development than the Anglo-Saxon -race in the Eleventh century, when the Norman crossed the channel -and wrung the sovereignty of the country from the reigning monarch. -Traces of customs, of laws, of thought, of language, of feeling, of -the character of those earlier centuries still remain. But in a few -generations the descendants of those who fought in the battle near -Hastings had no sentiment but for English soil. They had ceased to be -Norman, and it was by the children of the conquering race that the -liberties of the country were affirmed in the Great Charter. - -In the Province of Quebec there yet remains the unmistakeable impress -of its early settlement: of those Normans and Bretons who settled -on the shores of the St. Lawrence and in Acadia, and of those who -claim ancestry with the noble race which, south and east of the -Loire, extending to Rochelle, so constantly battled for freedom of -thought. One hundred and twenty years have passed since the last -remnant of the power of France disappeared from the northern part of -the continent. Great changes have taken place within this period. It -was only step by step, in confusion and difficulty, that the present -system of self-government became established: a truth evolved out of -much complication and from want of the comprehension of Imperial and -Colonial relations. The effect has been of imperfect accomplishment -in much. This positive good has, however, been achieved, even if in -other respects the consummation has been incomplete. The whole of the -inhabitants of the several Provinces are united by the one feeling of -advancing the common prosperity, and the French Canadian is found in -the advanced ranks when the progress of the whole Dominion is in any -way concerned. - -Of the five great colonial empires which arose in the sixteenth and -seventeenth centuries, Spain, Portugal, France, Holland and Great -Britain, the British Empire is the only one which survives. The -remaining powers possess but a few remnants of their once outstanding -colonies. No one of them retains the character of its former strength. -The loss of the thirteen colonies of North America a century back by -Great Britain was a wound to the national greatness which it was feared -by many would never be healed. It was a serious and painful separation -which prudence and good government might have averted. - -It is often no little of a benefit to each of us to pass through -tribulation. Equally so with communities. The Mother Country in this -struggle had much to unlearn before her possessions were wisely -governed. It took nearly seventy years before the lesson bore fruit. -But thoughtful men, step by step, won adherence to their sound policy. -We have its result in the present prosperous condition of the Outer -Empire, which now, apart from India, contains ten millions of the -European race, little less than the population of the British Isles at -the period of the American war. - -In the last century powerful antagonistic forces were in operation: -religious disabilities, commercial restrictions, a narrow franchise, -an imperfect parliamentary representation, unwise trade regulations. -Discontent followed. It was the interference with the commerce of -Massachusetts with the West Indies which was one of the first causes -of the severance of good feeling, so soon to be transformed into -bitterness and hate. That these grievances no longer exist and that the -several British Provinces enjoy free institutions, which it is to be -hoped they will learn wisely to work; all this dates from that terrible -struggle. Probably the lesson was only the better remembered that it -was taught in blood and suffering. - -No such repelling forces now exist. The causes of dissension have -passed into oblivion. Commerce, science and increased intelligence -have relieved the problem from the features which disfigured it. The -Atlantic has ceased to be a cause of separation. It is a pertinent -query, had these new conditions prevailed a century back, whether the -Declaration of Independence would ever have been written. - -The American revolution divided the history of the English speaking -race into two streams. What will be their future course? They cannot -flow in opposite directions. Are there any influences which will lead -them insensibly to gravitate one to the other, until in process of -years the waters will blend? - -We may assert thus far, that however we may be unable to forecast the -future, we can trace at this date an assimilation of thought in much, -which a few years back could meet on no common ground. Such a result -is visible on many occasions and in a thousand ways. In the words of -Commodore Tattnall, who went to our rescue at the Pei-ho forts, “Blood -is thicker than water.” On all sides the movement is convergent. - -The diffusion of the English race and the English language over the -face of the globe is a result without a parallel. When Columbus and -Cabot crossed the Atlantic the number of the English people equalled -proximately half the present population of Canada. When Elizabeth -ascended the throne it was about five millions. At the time of the -American revolution the English population in the British Isles and in -North America together numbered fifteen millions. The English-speaking -population in all parts of the globe has now increased to a hundred -millions, nearly equally divided between England, her Colonies and the -United States. - -The progress and well-being of the world is largely dependent on -the prosperity and harmony of this rapidly increasing branch of the -human family. That any of its elements should disintegrate, or -that antagonism should take the form of hostility, is painful even -to contemplate. There are no signs of any such tendency. There is a -natural affinity existing between the children of the one parentage, -with substantially the same theories of human duty, with the like -interests in the progress of art and science, by which our comforts -are multiplied and human happiness increased. They enjoy equally free -institutions, speak one language, with one literature, with common -traditions, with a history one and the same for nearly the whole of the -nineteen Christian centuries. The aims of the two great sections of the -race are identical, and whatever political institutions in either case -may prevail, it is an object worthy of the highest ambition of the most -enlightened statesmen to bind these peoples in a perpetual alliance of -union and friendship and common interest. - -We may look hopefully to the closer union of all countries where our -language is spoken as a consummation to be desired in the general -interest of mankind. In the meantime as Canadians and British subjects -our first duty is the strengthening and consolidating of the State to -which we owe allegiance. It is the peculiar privilege of Canada to make -manifest her earnest desire to build up and uphold the Empire of which -we are an integral part, an Empire without a parallel in the world’s -history. - - - - -INDEX. - - - Acadia, 106. - - Acadians called on to take oath, 114; - deportation of, 108, 115. - - Ainsworth, 361. - - Aix-la-Chapelle, peace of, 113. - - Albany, Duke of, 74. - - Alexander, Sir Wm., 105. - - Alexandra Steamer, 333. - - Aleyn Simon, Vicar of Bray, 77. - - American Bar, London, 74. - - Amherst, N. S., 16. - - American war, its unfortunate character, 437. - - Anne, Queen, her statue, Minehead Church, 82. - - Annapolis, 105; - Stone inscription, 105 _n_. - - Argall, Capt. Samuel, 105. - - Argyle, Duke of, 36. - - Ashburton treaty, 125; - its commercial effect, 126. - - Ashcroft, 315. - - Astoria, 342. - - - Bad weather at sea, 91. - - Baker Mount, 357. - - Baptiste, 297; - Guide up Eagle Pass, 302. - - Battle Creek, 235. - - Batt’s Hotel, 41. - - Bear Creek, Selkirk range, 264. - - Beauséjour Fort, N. S., 115. - - Beaver Meadow, Kicking-Horse, 244. - - Beaver River (Columbia River), 250. - - Belleisle, Straits of, 98. - - Beresford, Lord C., R.N., 75. - - Biard, Jesuit, 104. - - Billings Station Irrigation, 370. - - Bismarck, 373. - - Blackfoot Crossing, 218. - - Blanchard, 344. - - Blucher, Marshal, his toast, 113. - - Bluff Lake, Eagle Pass, 300. - - Bois-Brulés, 192. - - Bow River, 222; - crossing, 224, 226. - - Bozzeman, 368. - - Bozzeman tunnel, 369. - - Brandon, 206. - - Bray, 76. - - British Association, 374; - its proceedings in Dublin in the matter of a paper on standard - time, 376. - - Bristol channel, 80. - - British Columbia, 6; - known as New Caledonia, 342; - Discovery of gold, 343; - Political history, 344; - House of Assembly first called, 344; - Vancouver Island incorporated with, 345; - included in Dominion, Number of Senators and members allowed, 345; - Population, 1870, 346; - Physical geography, 346; - Products, 351; - Scenery, 353; - Indians, 385. - - British Empire, part which Canada has to take in, 421. - - British family, main characteristics the same, 3. - - Brockville, 144. - - Brophy, Mr., 325. - - Buffalo at Calgary, 226. - - Burdett-Coutts, Baroness, 330. - - Burnside, 204. - - Bury, Lord, 65. - - Brett, John, 103. - - - Cabinet Ministers, Imperial, 427. - - Cache Creek, 315. - - Calgary, 219. - - Cambie, H. J., 318, 320. - - Cameron, Duncan, 191. - - Campana, S. S., 150. - - Campbell, Mr., 290. - - Campbellton, N. B., 18. - - Canada influences yet traceable of its early settlement, 435; - duty to the Empire, 439. - - Canadian Alpine Club, its formation, 269, 301. - - Canadian Camp, Wimbledon, 64. - - Canadian Canals, 133, 140. - - Canadian Government retained portion of the railway work in its - control, 395. - - Canadian Pacific Railway, its Montreal terminus, 141; - its branch to Ottawa, 142; - line to Winnipeg, 171; - energy in construction of work, 394; - principle governing location, 405; - proposition to leave work on north shore Lake Superior - unfinished, 406; - positive reasons why that section should be constructed, 407; - reasons for its present location through mountains, 410; - height of passes, 413. - - Canadians abroad, 72. - - Cape Breton, 110, & _n_ 113. - - Cariboo waggon road, 319. - - Castle Mountain, 232. - - Cedars, large diameter, 299. - - Central Pacific Railway, 413. - - Chalmers, Colonel, 19. - - Champlain, Samuel, 103, 129; - knew of Lake Superior, 162. - - Chaplin Station, 210. - - Charles I., 105. - - Chinamen, 316. - - Church service on Polynesian, 93. - - Clark’s Fork Valley, 366. - - Climate British Columbia, 346. - - Clyde River, 132. - - Cobourg, 145. - - Cochrane Ranche, 224. - - Collingwood, 151. - - Colonial Government, true principles of, 422. - - Colomb, Captain, 417. - - Columbia River, 253; - feature of its territory, 257; - descent to Beaver River, 259; - junction with Ille-celle-waet, 290; - not an American citizen north of it in 1846, 364; - thoroughfare of Hudson’s Bay Co., 364; - river leaves line Northern Pacific, 364. - - Columbia Valley, 362. - - Commerce (early) of Canada, 139. - - Concert, 99. - - Cook, Captain, coasted Pacific Ocean, 340. - - Corbett’s Eating House, 35. - - Coquetlon River, 328. - - Cornwall, Lt.-Governor, 315. - - Cornwallis, 114. - - Coteau de Missouri, 210. - - Critchelon, Major, 263. - - Croft, Archer, 64. - - Cromwell, Lord Protector, 106. - - Cross Lake, 176. - - Currie, Mr., 290. - - Curry, Thomas, 185. - - Custer Fort, 371. - - Custer, General, his command and its extermination, 371. - - Cypress Station, 212. - - - D. Mrs., of Toronto, the one lady at table, 91. - - Dalles, The, 361. - - Dansmuir, Mr., 338. - - Devil’s club, 262; - poisonous effects, 312. - - Dinner on Steamship, 91. - - Divide Northern Pacific Railway, 367. - - Dominion of Canada, 7. - - Douglas, Fort, 193. - - Douglass, Governor, 343. - - Downing Street in Colonial matters--invariable cause of - difficulty, 422. - - Drake visits Pacific Ocean, 340. - - Driard House, 338. - - Dry dock--its advantages 416; - construction recommended at Burrard Inlet, 418. - - Drynock, 316. - - Dufferin Lord, his speeches at Empire Club, 65, 143, 318. - - Dufferin, Lady, 74, 143. - - Du Luth, 163, 180. - - Dunbar, Mr., 228, 230, 235. - - - Eagle Lake, 172. - - Eagle Pass, 253, 298, 303. - - Eagle River, 301. - - Engineers, their career, 123; - cheerfulness under privation, 242. - - English Channel Steamers, 90. - - English Society, its reserve and hospitality, 54. - - English-speaking races, their duties to each other, 437; - their population, 438; - happiness and progress of the world dependent on their - concord, 439. - - Evening on board ship, 88. - - Exmoor, 81. - - - Failure in Provision Supply, 291. - - Fargo, 374. - - Fine Weather at Sea, 95. - - Fires, 233, 247. - - Fisheries Exhibition, 72. - - Fisheries, Canadian, 73; - number engaged on them, 432_n_. - - Fleming, Sandford Hall, 269, 277. - - Fog whistle, 26. - - Forest trees, immense size, 330. - - Fort Colville Indians, 289, 297. - - Fort William, 164, 169. - - Frozen River, 325. - - Frozen Snow, 274. - - Fuca, de, tradition he discovered Vancouver Island, 340. - - Fur trade, 168. - - - Gallatin, 368. - - Galinee’s Map, 162. - - Galt, Sir Alexander, 22. - - George, Prince of Wales, 119. - - Georgia, Straits of, 334. - - Georgian Bay, 152, 156. - - Gillam, Capt. Zachariah, 183. - - Glaciers, 240, 265, 273. - - Glasgow, 34, 132. - - Glendine, 372. - - Glyndon, 374. - - Goddard’s Hospital, 76. - - Gold Mining, 174; - British Columbia, 343. - - Gordon, Willie, 35. - - Graham, Mr., 228. - - Grant, Rev. Dr., 120, 178, 203; - holds service at Hillsdale, 232; - holds service at the Columbia, 256; - loses his watch, 262, 277; - service on the Ille-celle-waet, 282, 285; - service at Shuswap Lake, 308, 314, 319, 326; - leaves for Winnipeg, 374. - - Grant, General, his message to Congress, 407; - its threat, 408. - - Great Western Railway, England, 55, 80. - - Greenwich hospitality, 71. - - Griffin’s Lake, 304. - - Guildford, Park near, 46. - - Gulf of St. Lawrence, 4. - - Gun shot signals, 288. - - - Halifax, its harbour, 11; - its pleasant society, 13; - arrived at, 101; - founded, 114; - again arrived at, 119; - a winter shipping port, 134. - - Hall, Rev. C., 24. - - Halliburton, Mr. R. G., 105_n_. - - Hamlin, Mr., 314. - - Hannington, Mr., 317. - - Harrison River, 325. - - Helena, 368. - - Henderson, Sir Edward, 122. - - Henley Regatta, 62. - - Hennepin, Father, 163. - - Henry VIII., 103. - - Heron, 366. - - High Commissioner of Canada, advantages of his presence in London, - 424, 426. - - Hill, Mr., 228. - - Hill, Mr. A. J., 331. - - Hill, Mrs., 332. - - Hillsdale, 228. - - Holte, Mr., 194. - - Hopson, Governor, 114. - - Horses on the route, 241; - their names, 243; - unable to proceed further, 274. - - Hudson’s Bay Co., 45, 167, 183; - admirable treatment of Indians, 382; - special arrangement of supply, 388. - - Hudson’s Bay Territory, French attempt upon, 184. - - Hunter, Mr. Joseph, 306, 315. - - Hurd, Major, 245, 249. - - - Ille-celle-waet, valley of, 272; - passage through on foot, 276-278; - painful advance of party, 283; - Lower Canyon, 285. - - Indian population: its decrease, 381; - estimated present population of the Provinces of the - Dominion, 382; - cost of support by Government, 382; - difficulties in way of civilization, 384, 391; - aptitude for many positions, 385; - those of British Columbia in many respects skilful, 385; - their love of truth, 387; - fidelity to engagement, 388; - measure to be introduced in House of Commons, 390. - - Indians, Blackfoot Crossing, 218. - - Indians, Micmac, New Brunswick, 19. - - Indians, Swift Current, 211. - - Intercolonial Railway: Chief Engineer, 12; - national work, 135. - - Irving, Mr. Henry, 64. - - - Jackass Mountain, 318. - - Jam of Timber, 287. - - James I. at Maidenhead, 78. - - Jesus Hospital, 76. - - Jogues, 168. - - Joliet, 163. - - - Kalama, 358. - - Kaministiquia River, 165, 180. - - Kamloops, 311. - - Kamloops Indians, 304. - - Kanaka Bridge, 326. - - Kane’s illness, 234. - - Keefer, Mr. George, 317, 319. - - Kennedy, Governor, 345. - - Kicking-Horse Pass., 287, 366. - - Kingston, 145. - - Kirke’s expedition against Quebec, 105. - - - La Corne’s Fort, 115. - - La Jonquiere, 114. - - Lake George, 159. - - Lake Huron, storm, 157. - - Lake St. Peter, 131. - - Lake of the Woods, 174. - - Lake Steamer accommodation, 155. - - Land’s End, 56. - - Land, character of, West of Winnipeg, 411. - - La Salle, 163. - - Lawrence, 108. - - Lawrie, Major-General, recommends Burrard Inlet as site for dry - dock, 418. - - La Verendrye, his discoveries, 181, 209, 368. - - Leigh Dove, 235, 334. - - Lefroy, General, 381. - - Leopold, H. R. H. Prince, 20. - - Lepage, Madame, 20. - - Lepage, Mr., jun., 100. - - Lery, De, 102. - - Levée suggested: to be held by Imperial Colonial Minister, 423. - - Light, Mr., 122. - - Liverpool, 33, 40. - - Livingstone, 369. - - Location circuitous, 124. - - Locomotives, changes effected by, 397. - - London, its attractions, 44; - hotel life, 48; - its heat, 61. - - Longueuil, Baron de, 212. - - Lorne, Lord, 143, 379; - his views as to the High Commissioner, 425; - address Colonial Institute, 429; - his views as to the Imperial connection, 431. - - Louise, H.R.H. Princess, 20, 144; - at British Columbia, 350, 379. - - Louisbourg taken, 112; - 2nd conquest, 113; - its destruction, 115. - - Lowell, Mrs., 75. - - Lytton, 316. - - - Macdonald, 189. - - Macdonell, Capt. Miles, 189. - - McDougall, 290. - - McDougall, David, 225. - - Mackenzie, Hon. A., 65, 77; - description of extent of exploration, 400. - - Mackenzie, Sir A., 182; - discovered Mackenzie River, 342; - first recorded white man to cross Rocky Mountains by land, 342. - - McLean, 295. - - Macleod, Mr. H. F., 315. - - McMillan, Mr., 275, 277. - - McMillan, 290. - - Moredone, 373. - - Maple Creek, 213. - - Marquette, 163. - - Maquena, 341. - - Mascarene, 111. - - Massachusetts against cession of Nova Scotia, 106; - commerce preyed upon, 107. - - Massacres, York and Oyster River, their lessons, 107. - - Masse, 104. - - Mayne, Admiral, 417; - his report on the salubrity of Vancouver Island, 418. - - Meaford, 152. - - Mears, purchased territory near Nootka Sound, 341. - - Medicine Hat, 216. - - Metapedia River, 20. - - Meuron Point de, 170, 196. - - Meuron de Regiment, 195. - - Minas, attack of troops there, 113. - - Minehead, 81. - - Miramichi fire, 1825, 17. - - Missiquash River, 114. - - Missouri, Valley of, 368; - Bridge at Bismarck, 373. - - Moberly, Mr., Survey, 261; - exploration Ille-celle-waet, 267 and 267_n_. - - Moisture excessive, 300. - - Moncton, 121. - - Montreal, routes from Quebec, 127; - canals to West, 133. - - Montreal, city of, 5, 140. - - Moose Jaw, 208. - - Moosomin, 207. - - Morley, 225. - - Monts, de, first effort colonization, 103. - - Mountain scenery, 227, 231, 238-241; - on the Columbia, 255; - Beaver River, 264, 279, 294, 304. - - Mount Cascade, 228. - - Moville, 30, 87. - - Mowat, Hon. Oliver, 45. - - Mullan Tunnel, 367. - - Musgrove, Governor, 345. - - Muskeg, 172. - - - Nanaimo, its coal fields, 419. - - Naval supremacy of England, influence of Canadian Pacific upon - it, 416. - - Narrows, 334. - - Neebish Rapids, 158. - - Neilson, Mr., 234. - - Neilson, Hon. John, 134. - - Nepigon Fort, 180. - - Newfoundland, 1. - - New Westminster, 328, 337. - - New York in London, 75. - - Naxouat, 107. - - Niagara, 149. - - Necomen Slough, 325. - - North Pacific S.S., 357. - - Northwest Company, 168-186. - - Northwest settlement, 379. - - Northwest trade, early records, 182. - - Northern Pacific Railway, reasons for returning by, 355; - its history, 356; - height of passes, 413. - - Nova Scotia, first colonization, 103; - held by Cromwell, 105; - demanded by French, 106; - route or British province, 118. - - - Ocean voyages past and present, 2; - Polynesian, 84; - present comfort, 85. - - Ogilvie, Senator, 225. - - Old Wives’ Lakes, 210. - - Onderdonk, Mr., 320. - - Oregon Pioneers, 363. - - Oregon Question, 1846, 364. - - Ottawa, 143. - - Otter, Col., 64. - - Owen Sound, 152. - - - Pacific Slope, people deficient in Eastern energy, 359. - - Pack train, 235. - - Padmore, 226. - - Parisian S.S., 22, 97. - - Parks, national establishment recommended, 415. - - Parliamentary discussions as to the Canadian Pacific Railway, 401. - - Party, its unfortunate influence, 402. - - Passamaquoddy Bay, 104. - - Penobscot, 104. - - Pie à Pot, 210. - - Pipon, Major, 122. - - Point de Meuron, 170. - - Polynesian S.S., 83. - - Pond, Peter, 185. - - Pontgravé, 104. - - Port Arthur, 165. - - Port Moody, Burrard Inlet, 330. - - Port Royal, capture of, 107, 108. - - Portage la Prairie, assembly of force there, 193, 204. - - Portland, Oregon, 359; - its bad hotel, 360. - - Poutrincourt, 104. - - Potlach, 306, 390. - - Provisions non-arrival, 295. - - Provisions obtained, 305. - - Pullman car, its comfort, 16. - - - Quebec, City of, 127; - its trade, 134; - supports North Shore Railway, 135. - - Quebec, Province of, duty regarding North Shore Railway, 135. - - Quebec, late Government of, policy, sale of North Shore - Railway, 137. - - - Railway, appearance of on the prairie, 217. - - Railway delays, 166. - - Railway mail train, 14. - - Railway travel. Mr. L. D., 52; - its comfort, 90; - ease of modern travel, 394. - - Railways, their social and political influence, 396. - - Rapids, St. Lawrence, 139. - - Rat Portage, 173; - its bad fare, 175. - - Rathdrum, 365. - - Raymbault, 168. - - Red Lion, Henley, 63. - - Red River plain, 373. - - Red River settlement, 189; - Governor’s proclamation, 196; - settlers called upon to abandon it, 192; - broken up, 194. - - Regina, 208. - - Representative Government, its abuses, 404. - - Representation in Imperial Parliament by Colonies - impracticable, 423. - - Richardson, 372. - - Robinson, Major, 122. - - Robertson, Collin, 192. - - Roche, de la, Marquis, 102. - - Rocky Mountain, first view, 218. - - Rogers, R. C., Archbishop of Chatham, 92, 99, 100. - - Rogers, Major, 222, 230, 249, 254; - discovers pass, 268, 277. - - Rogers’ Camp, 250. - - Rogers, Mr. Albert, 254, 277. - - Ross, Mr. James, 222. - - Route, uncertainty as to, 229. - - Royal Academy, 64. - - Royal Commissions, their importance, 401. - - Royal William, pioneer steamer across Atlantic, 24. - - Russell, Lord Alexander, 120. - - Ryswick, peace of, 107. - - - Sacrifice of British Territory, 365. - - Sage, Mr. Dean, 21. - - Sailors’ Orphan Concert, 29. - - Salisbury, Marquis of, Speech at Kings College, 59. - - Sanbon Water Shed, 373. - - Sand, its troublesome Character on the North Pacific R.R., 362. - - Sand Point, 365. - - Sault St. Mary, 159. - - Savannah, SS. Pioneer across Atlantic, 24. - - Savona’s Ferry, 312. - - Scenery Remarkable on Canadian Pacific R., 414. - - Scoby, 290. - - Scotchman, absence of all memorial of, 77. - - Seattle, 357. - - Sea Sickness, 23, 88. - - Sea Voyage, 23; - Sunday service, 24; - impatience of passengers, 29. - - Section A, 171. - - Section B, 172. - - Section 15, 175. - - Self-Government to Colonies, its concession the removal of - difficulty, 422. - - Selkirk, 176. - - Selkirk Range, front view of, 249; - ascent, 260; - summit, 266. - - Selkirk, Lord, 187; - early attempt at emigration, 188; - joined Hudson Bay Co., 188; - opposed by Northwest Co., 189; - Red River settlement, 189; - hurries to Red River, 194; - proceeds to the Kaministiquia, 196; - his character, 197; - death, 198. - - Semple, Governor, 194. - - Seven Oaks, affair 17th June, 194. - - Seymour, Governor, 329, 345. - - Shaginappy, 225, _n_. - - Shirley, Governor, 112. - - Ship Building, 2. - - Shuswap Indians, 272, 295. - - Shuswap Lake, arrive at, 303. - - Sicamouse Narrows, 309. - - Simms, 372. - - Sinclair, Mrs., 327. - - Sioux, their conduct in Canada, 387. - - Skunk Cabbage, 262, 253. - - Slave River, 326. - - Smith, Mr. Marcus, 329. - - Snake River, 363. - - Snow Storm, 177. - - Soil on the Plains, 209. - - Soil, Moosejaw to Qu’Appelle, 213. - - Somerville, Mary, 28. - - South Thompson River, 309. - - Spain, seizes country of Nootka Sound, 341. - - Spellman’s Camp, 233. - - Spokane Falls, 365. - - Spurgeon’s Tabernacle, 45. - - Spuzzem, 320. - - Stage coach, the old, 89. - - Standard Time--Meeting of railway managers to determine, 375; - proceedings taken by Congress United States, 378; - date when came in operation, 379. - - Start for the Mountains, 202. - - Stephen, Mr. Geo., President C. P. R., telegram from, 42. - - St. Croix, fort of, 104. - - St. John, city of, its fires, 17. - - St. Mary’s Bay, N. S., 103. - - St. Lawrence River, dredging near Quebec advantageous, 136. - - St. Paul, 374. - - St. Swithin’s day, 79, _n_. - - Stony Indian’s, 242, _n_. - - Subercase, Governor, 107. - - Suez Canal, its exposed state, 433. - - Summit Creek, 235. - - Sunday in the Mountains, 230, 255. - - Superior, Lake, 161; - north shore connection indispensible, 408; - progress of work, 395. - - Supplies to the Columbia, 223. - - Swift Current, 211. - - Syndicate Peak, 271. - - - Taché, Archbishop, 205. - - Tacoma, 357. - - Tattnall, Commodore, 438. - - Telegram, ocean, its non-receipt, 42; - receipt of recalls civilization, 313. - - Telegraph extension over Chinese seas, 432. - - Telephone, 320. - - Thames at Monkey Island, 78. - - Three Rivers, 130. - - Three Valley Lake, 302. - - Thunder Bay, 164. - - Thunder storm, 177. - - Toronto, 146. - - Townsend, Rev. Mr., 19. - - Trail through Kicking-Horse, 239; - on the side of precipice, 258. - - Travel, difference of present mode and that of last century, 396. - - Trent River, 82. - - Truro, N. S., Prince of Wales’ visit to, 15. - - Tseng, Marchioness, 74. - - Tupper, Sir Charles, 22, 65. - - - Umatilla, 363. - - Union of the several component elements of the British Empire a - necessity, 430. - - Union Pacific Railway Co., 413. - - United Kingdom, 34. - - United States hotel life, 49. - - Urquhart, Captain, navigates by sound, 333. - - Utrecht, treaty of, 184. - - - Vancouver Island, 6. - - Victor Lake, 301. - - Victoria, 330. - - Verden, 207. - - Voyage across Atlantic, 98. - - - Wait a bit, 259. - - Wales, Prince of, 75. - - Wallace, Mr., 79. - - Wallula junction, 363. - - Warren, Admiral, 112. - - Watershed Gulf of Mexico and Hudson’s Bay, 373. - - Watteville regiment, 195. - - West of England, its flora, 81. - - Westminster, treaty of, 106. - - Whist often a penalty, 25. - - White fish, 159. - - Wild fruit on Selkirks, 269, 280. - - Wilderness, entry into, 277. - - Williamette River, 359. - - Wilmot, Mr., 325. - - Wilson, George, 230. - - Windsor, visit near, 75; - forest, 76. - - Winnipeg station, 177. - - Winnipeg, 179; - its low level, 198; - unprofitable land, 204. - - Wolseley, Lord, his views of Suez Canal, 433. - - Wright, Mr. Charles, 217. - - Wright, Mr. S. B., 308. - - Wright, Mrs., 308. - - - Yale, 321. - - Yellow Head Pass, its advantages, 409. - - Yellowstone River, 363; - park, 368. - - Young, Hon. John, 132. - - * * * * * - -NOTE. - -The ceremony of naming Collingwood, which has been described at page -151 as having taken place in 1851, should have been referred to the -14th January, 1853. It was at this date that the meeting took place, -when the locality in question, protected from the north by a few -islands near the shore, then known as the “Hen and Chickens,” was -formally named Collingwood by the Sheriff of the County of Simcoe. - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[A] A stone inscription, dated 1609, was found in an old wall in the -Fort at Port Royal, now Annapolis, by the late Judge Halliburton, -author of “Sam Slick.” Some fifteen years ago it was in the possession -of his son, Mr. R. G. Halliburton, then in Halifax. That gentleman gave -it as a loan to the writer to be placed in the Museum of the Canadian -Institute. Thus the oldest stone inscription probably in America may be -found in Toronto. - -[B] The readers of Humphrey Clinker may recollect the astonishment -of the Duke of Newcastle, the foolish Minister of George II., on -hearing that Cape Breton was an island. The story as recorded is worth -reproduction: “They [the Ministers] are so ignorant they scarce know a -crab from a cauliflower, and then they are such dunces that there is -no making them comprehend the plainest proposition. In the beginning -of the war this poor, half-witted creature told me, in great fright, -that thirty thousand French had marched from Acadia to Cape Breton. -‘Where did they find transports?’ said I. ‘Transports!’ cried he; ‘I -tell you they marched by land.’ ‘By land to the Island of Cape Breton?’ -‘What! is Cape Breton an island?’ ‘Certainly.’ ‘Ha! are you sure of -that?’ When I pointed it out in the map he examined it earnestly with -his spectacles; then, taking me in his arms, ‘My dear C----!’ cried he, -‘you always bring us good news. Egad! I’ll go directly and tell the -King that Cape Breton is an island.’” - -[C] This matter is entered into at length in the writer’s published -history of the Intercolonial Railway, 1876, page 102. - -[D] At the same date in Ottawa the snow usually lies to a depth of two -or more feet. - -[E] “We expect to reach Columbia River, opposite Eagle Pass, on foot -from Selkirk summit about 10th September. No trail reported from that -point on Columbia River to Shuswap Lake. If there is no trail the -supplies must be packed through Eagle Pass. We will depend absolutely -upon your agent at Kamloops sending a guide, with supplies, to meet us -at Columbia River by 10th September. We leave to-day for the mountains. -Good-bye.” - -[F] Buffalo rawhide, used for cordage, indeed for nearly every purpose, -by Indians and trappers. - -[G] Devil’s Club - - Fatsia horida--Panax horridus - Echinopanax horridus-- - Oplopanax horridus-- - Horsfieldia horrida. - -[H] Skunk Cabbage - - Symplocarpus foetidus - Pothos foetidus - Icttodes foetidus-- - Lysichiton Kamtschatcensis. - -[I] The latter valley was evidently the one that, judging from -its general bearing, would be most likely to afford a pass in the -direction wished for. I therefore tried to induce the Indians I had -with me by every possible persuasion to accompany me all the way -across the Selkirk Range, and make for Wild-Horse Creek. (The Columbia -River Indians would, from the first, only engage to go as far as the -head waters of the Ille-celle-waet.) All my efforts were, however, -unavailing, as they affirmed that if we went on we should be caught in -the snow and never get out of the mountains.--_Mr. Moberly to Chief -Commissioner of Lands and Works, 18th Dec., 1855._ - -[J] This meeting was held on October 11th. As a result the Standard -Hour system went into force throughout North America on the 18th -November following. - -[K] Vide Sessional Papers, Province of Canada. - -[L] The fisheries, only in their infancy, already employ 60,000 men and -boys. - -[M] Cabot landed on the coast of Labrador 24th June, 1497. Columbus did -not see this continent till the following year. He discovered the West -India Islands in 1492-3-4. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -The original book contained an unusually high frequency of -typographical and spelling errors. Missing periods generally have -been remedied, but apparently misspelled words have been changed only -when correctly-spelled (according to dictionaries when this ebook was -produced) versions of those words also occur. - -Ambiguous hyphenation has been retained; unbalanced quotation marks -have been corrected when the intent was clear, and otherwise have not -been remedied. - -Page 19: “Rev. Mr. Townend” is spelled “Townsend” in the Index. The -latter seems more likely to be correct, so both have been retained. - -Page 70: Unmatched closing quotation mark removed after “these -sentiments.” - -Page 268: “There Al. and I stood;” was printed with the period after -“Al”. - -Pages 361-362: “balsaltic” should be “basaltic”, but as it was -misprinted that way twice, and only printed as “basaltic” once, both -spellings have been retained here. - -Page 372: “Dacota” was printed that way. - -Page 434: The reference to the footnote was missing. Based on the -context of the page and the footnote, the reference has been added -after the first occurrence of the name “Cabot”. - -The Index was not checked for proper alphabetization or correct page -references, except for three whose page numbers did not exist: “457” -changed to “417”; “458” to “158”; and “613” to “413”. - -In the Index, some periods, commas, and semi-colons were changed for -consistency, but not enumerated in these notes. - -When words in the Index were spelled differently than on the pages they -referenced, and this was noticed by the transcribers, the Index entry -spellings were changed, except for “Townsend” as noted above. - -Page 447: “Potlach” refers to two pages. On page 306, it is spelled -“potlatch”; on page 390, it is spelled “pot-laches”. - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of England and Canada, by Sandford Fleming - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ENGLAND AND CANADA *** - -***** This file should be named 50433-0.txt or 50433-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/4/3/50433/ - -Produced by Sonya Schermann, Charlie Howard, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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