IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I III 1^ 12.5 ^ 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as rnany frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre fllm6s A des taux de reduction diffAronts. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichA, 11 est filmA A partir de Tangle supArleur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes sulvants illustrent la mAthode. rrata :o peiure. 1 d □ 32X 1 2 1 : 3 -"' i 2 3 4 5 6 '-■•S . "ti I . c^>% pf I , t^NWN: /'' 5i8ai U)U *»^-ft/VV t«,^>^ f> f r? »U If* t*. ,ymB' inun»#• (/} A TlUr TO CANADA. a p ANP THE FAR NORTH-WEST. < S > BY CUARLES ELLIOTT, F.S.L VsT" ITH IX.I.-CJSTI^>^TI01SrS- \v LONDON: '. KENT & CO., 23, PATKUNOSTER ROW, E.G. PLYMOUTH: W. BUKNDON ANl^ HON. mmsmm I ir IDcliicnteti, l!Y Sl'El'lAL VKIiMISSlON, TO THE MOST JIONOURAnLE THE MAKQUIS OF LOKNE, K.T., WliOSK INTEIJEHT IN THE rUOGHESS OF CANADA HAS BEEN SHOWN IN MANY WAYS, AND WHOSE UNTUUNG LAUOUKS ON ITS liElIALE DURING niS RESIDENCE WITHIN THE DOMINION AS GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUE GRATEFULLY REMEMBERED THROUGHOUT ITS VAST EXTENT. I i{>ii;.5 i- ■•^J I I IMJHFACE. . AVIN(i had ((ccasinii in llie summer of ISSli to \y.\y II visit to Caiiaila, I availed iiiysi'lt' of the. o])])orl unity of colliK'tiu,!;' all the iid'oiiiiation I could as lo its re- sources, more jiarlicidaily from an aLii'icultural point of view, and 1 uow oiler a l)rief account of what 1 saw and lu'ard durin<^ my tiip. I had lon.u' desiu'd to ascertain from personal ohserva- tion the condition and in-ospects of those who have emi^i^rated to that country, and T was very much pleased to lind that, with ahihly, sohriety, and perseverance, a man may he certain of ol)taininLi' a positi(.)n of inde- pendence and comf( vt. I will merely state that I have n<. ].crs(.nal intcri'st in anylhiuL-' connected with Canada, an The Voyage. 6 r r \i h r Thursday.— Two vessels in sight this morning, but no signals exchanged J had a storm in the night— very heavy rain and some thunder; the Aurania rollhig like a tub; the great Atlantic is getting angry, and is giving us a taste of her power, but the good ship bravely holds her steady course under half sail, running before the wind 19' miles an hour. This evening had an enjoyable concert in the music-room, £20 collected, Avhich was given to the fund for widows and orphans of seamen. Friday.— \Ye are now on the banks of Newfoundland, with, as is usual in that locality, much fog ; fog-horn blowing every five minutes, and twenty men on the look-out in different parts of the ship. Very close and hot, showing wc are nearing the great continent of America. Saturday.— Heavy storm again during the night; captain very anxious; in the region of icebergs; dense fog; heavy rolling sea ; few at breakfast. We are now only 500 miles from Sandy Hook, or the "Horseshoe," which, I believe, is one of the finest and safest harbours in the world. Fog clearing; running fuU speed; hope to get landed Sunday night. Sunday, 6.30 a. w.— Passing the wreck of the ill-fated Oregon. 7.30 p.m.— Just entered New York harbour ; landed, passed luggage, and arrived at the Metropolitan Hotel at 8 p.m. in time for dinner. First impression of New York City decidedly unfavourable, in conseciuence of the ill-paved streets and the extortion of the cab-drivers, whom I found most uncivil. 6 Canada, CTTArXER II. EW Yr)RK City was first settled hy tlin Dutch under Hondrick Hudson, an Eni,dishnmn in the Dutch service, in 1012, when it received the name of New Amsterdam. It was annexi'd to the British > 'onies in 1674, and its name changed to New York, in honour of the Duke of York, afterwards James II. During the Kevolution tlie Britisli and Americans occu;)ied it l)y turns, until it was finally evacuated hy the English troops in 1783. New York has grown from a little liandet, with its stockade and ditch encircling it, to the wide-armed city which, including the suhurhan towns of New Jersey and Long Island, now covers a more extensive area than London, and shelters a larger population than any city except London. It is still rai)idly growing, and bids fair to rival even the great city of the mother country in pojudation and wealth. New York is a great commercial as well as manufacturing centre, and is the home of science, art, and education, and I fear I must add, like other largo cities, of much wickedness. The talent of the glol)o, had as well as good, gravitates to New York, in which place it has more scope than elsewhere. It is the home of charities ; its philanthropists are famous ; also some of its preachers. I found it nnu;h easii>r to get about the city than I had anticii)ated, aftt^r my unpleasant encounter with the cabmen on the lirst evening of my arrival. The cars are most convenient, and there is a imiform charge of five cents {i.e. 2^d.) for short or long distances; and this charge is universal in all large cities, both in the States and in New York. ^ s !l Ciumilii. An elevated railway runs through Xew York City, and is most pleasant to ride in, but certainly it docs not add to the })eauty of the streets. The most wonderful structure I saw was the Great r.rooklyn IJridge. Since the Tower of Ilaljcl and the Great Pyramids of Egypt, perhaps tlu-re has been no more massive structure raised than this bridge. The total cost was £3,000,000. It was commenced January, IH70, took thirteen years in l)iiild- ing, nnd was ojjcned May, l8.s;}. The total length of the bridge is 5989 feet, and its width is 85 feet. The largest and most beautiful i»leasure-ground there is Central Park, which was laid out in 1857, and covers an area of 850 acres. Tlie park contains 5^ miles bridle-paths, 9^ miles of carriage-drives, and 27 miles of walks. A comi>lete descrip- tion of it, with its miiiiagerie, stocked with animals and birds from every quarter of the globe, its beautiful and ornamental fountains, terraces, stairways, statuary, and rustic arljours, would fdl a good-sized ])()(jk. On every hand in Xew York I saw signs of wealth and luxury. London has its Rothschilds and Parings ; Xew York too has its millionaires, its Vanderljills, Jay Goulds, and Astors. And in the magnilicent brown-sandstone houses and elegant equipages one sees the comforts of London ; but not the same amount of misery side by side that one notices in the mother country, livery man who is able and willing to work hard can earn sufhcient to keep him and his family in comparative comfort, and can also often save sometliing for old age. My first trip from X'ew York was up the river Hudson. Prol.'ably no river in the world pres(;nts so great a variety of scenery. Throughout its whole extent there is a com- bination of the finest views imaginable, and each turn in its course reveals fresh pictures, resmubling some of the best scenery in Devonshire, ^fany travellers have pronounced the Hudson grander than the German Khine. From X"ew York to Albany is 150 miles, and to Saratoga I 8 Canada. 180 miles. The latter is Xew York's most f«shionable watering- place, and thousands of tourists go there every summer. On the river Hudson the Hudson Lake Ice. Company has its depot, and employs a large number of men to cut and store ice for summer use. It is curious to notice, that whereas New York is almost entirely supplied with ice from this neighbour- hood, it is also supplied with water from Croton Lake close by. Forty to sixty millions of gallons are contributed daily to supply New York City. The water is conveyed from the lake to the city through an aqueduct 33 miles long. The entire cost of this aqueduct was £2,500,000. It is built of stone, brick, and cement, arched above and below, 7 feet 8 inches wide at tlie top, and 6 feet 3 inches at the bottom. A few miles more up the Hudson takes us past a limestone quarry, extending along the bank for half a mile, which, judging from the number of men I saw employed there, must ])rove a very profitable si)eculation. Two miles further on is Grassy Point, a small village where thousands of bricks are made. A little beyond we pass on the right a rocky promontory called Anthony's Nose, whilst on the left we see Wanderberry Mountain. Anthony's Nose is 1300 feet above the level of the river. Tlie Hudson River Railway Com})any had to tunnel under this mountain for a distance of 200 feet. Just across the river from here a large creek can be seen where vessels of almost any size can anchor, the entrance to which is guarded on one side by Fort Clinton, and on the other by Fort Montgomery. Almost immediately under the shadow of the form.er fort lies the picturesque little island of lona, belonging to Dr. G. W. Grant, anil covered with vines and \w,\v trees, in the successful culture of which the worthy doctor is said to be unequalled. A Utile way above lona a small siream flows into the river, falling a hundred feet in as many yards, forming the Ihitter- milk Falls. These ialls, when increased bv late rains or swollen by freshets, well deserve the homely name applied to I i i\ The CatsUlls. 9 them ; for the snow-white foam truly gives them the appear- ance of butter-milk. Half a mile more brings us to Cousins's Hotel Eock, at West Point. Here the vessel in which we were travelling stopped for a while to land passengers. This hotel during the summer is a very favourite resort, and is often crowded with visitors from all parts. Travellers would do well to telegraiih a day beforehand if they desire sleeping accommo- dation, or they may be disappointed. This familiar resort of summer pleasure seekers is porclied on a high cliff, the most prominent for many miles along the river. Nothing can be more lovely than its situation high up in the air, looking down upon the noble river. It is several hundred feet above the water, but so perpendicular are the rocks that it looks twice its real height. The scenery just here is very lovely, reminding one of many parts of the Rhine and Dart. Some distance from Cousins's Hotel Rock, we come to the Catskiil IMountains, one hundred and eleven miles from New York. Passengers who desire to ascend these mountains must alight at the Catskiil station and cross by ferry to the village, and I recommend every one who can spare the time to make this trip. There are plenty of conveyances to take one to the Mountain Hotel, al)out twelve miles distant. The scenery lie re must be seen to be fully appreciated. All I cau say is, I have never witnessed anything to equal it. Tlie Mountain House is traditionally attractive ; its elevation above the river Hudson is some thousands of feet, and it is built on a flat rock at the very edge of tlie precipice. The view from the verandah is truly wonderful, embracing a region of about 10,000 square miles in extent, portions of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut being plainly visible on a fine dav, whilst sixty miles of the river Hudson can be seen shining at our feet like a broad silver belt. The two grand attractions to this hotel are sunrise and thunder-storms. T 10 Canada. The Prospect Park Hotel, with its sixteen acres, and elevated some hundreds of feet, is situated on a terrace above the river. Here guests may find perfect rest and quietude, the bracing air of the Catskill Mountains being most refreshing to the tired worker or invalid. Another beauty of this region is the fall of the Kaaterskill. On the high tableland of the north and south mountains lie two lakes buried in a dense forest. A little brook, making its way from these lakes westward along the shoulder of the mountains, reaches the edge of a very steep declivity, over which it leaps into a pool in the very centre of a great amphitheatre of rocks. Gathering strength again, it makes a second leap over the huge boidders which from time to time have fallen from the ledges above and lie scattered down the glen, dashing itself into white foam in its headlong fury, tumbling from one ledge to another, till, reaching at length the bottom of the glen, it meets the stream that flows from Hain's Pall. The mingled waters tlien hurry down their stormy pathway, through the cove i iid out into the valley. Swelling to a v;ide stream, they glide placidly by the village of Catskill, and at last join the river Hudson. I think there is nothing more beautiful in American scenery than this wonderful wa orfall. Ui)on the very edge of the precipice, close to the narrow channel through which the fall makes its plunge, tliere stands a solitary tree which has grown out from a crevice, and then upwards, until it juts over the abyss. To this tree the lad who acts as your guide points with pride, and tells you of the adventurous young woman who crept out to the rock, and clasi)iiig the slender trunk of the tree witli her hands, swung her Ixnly far out over tlie Fall, and then, with a cry of triumph, back again in safety. Five miles from Catskill station, on the eastern side of the river, we come to the handsome city of Hudson, and seventeen miles further on Albany is reached. The Hudson Steamers, 11 Before finishing this chapter something ought to be said about the palatial steamers of the Hudson. The most comfortable and enjoyable way of travelling from New York to Albany during the summer and fall months is by these splendid vessels. The grand scenery of the river, with its highlands and ever-changing panorama of beautiful sights, has made steamboa./ travelling on it famous. The advantages of a steanier over a ride by rail are numerous. The Drew, in which I made the trip, is one of the " People's Line," a magni- ficent craft, and the pride of the fleet of that line. She is 2500 tons burden, and has sleeping accommodation for about 1000 passengers, although, as far as safety goes, she could carry twice that number. In addition to the capacious cabins there are 284 state-rooms, fitted most elaborately and lighted with electric lights. The grand saloon is superbly furnished, brilliantly lighted, glitters with mirrors, and is adorned with works of art, altogether presenting a picture of refinement and luxury. What is true of the Drew applies equally well to her sister steaml)oats. These vessels are very fast, and frequently make a trip between New York and AUtany— a diotance of 150 miles — in nine hours. ■::fi r^ 12 Canada. CHAPTER III. 1 NSTEAD of stopping at Albany, I went straight on to Syracuse per Kew York Central Railway, and during the journey passed through some of the most fertile portions of New York State. This line of railway is the most complete in its construction and equipments of any in America. It is a double track of steel rail line running north from New York City to Albany, and thence along the western shore of the Hudson, through Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, to Niagara Falls. The entire passenger equipment was especially designed and built by the Pullman Car Company, and is most complete in finish, comfort, and safety. The check system for luggage, in America and Canada, is simple, safe, and satisfactory ; for the passenger checks his baggage, or can do so, from an hotel in one city to any hotel in another, and can make sure jf its being there when he himself arrives ; and proviled the owner does not part with his counter number or check, the Railway or Express Company is liable to make good any loss incurred. Dining and smoking cars are attached to the trains, and one can enjoy a good dinner, a quiet smoke, or a pleasant walk, whilst the train is in motion. The carriages are about 80 feet long, and carry about sixty passengers each, so one has plenty of company. The guard collects the tickets on the run, and is constantly up and down to see everyone is comfortable. The cost of travelling in America is about the same as in England. Syracuse is a city of 40,000 inhabitants, and abounds in Syracuse. It manufactories of all kinds. It is particularly noted for its famous salt v/ells and a splendid cemetery of 500 acres. A very strange custom prevails here with respect to the burial of the dead. In winter time all dead bodies are placed in a dead- house in this cemetery, there to remain until the gravediggers can commence operations in the spring, when all the friends and relatives assemble together, and a general funeral takes place. Sometimes a relative opens the coffin to have a last look at the frozen face of some beloved one, and in many instances the features remain quite perfect. Some of the coffins are fitted with glass, so that the faces are plainly visible. This cemetery is free to all denominations. Each person selects his lot, erects a monument, and places on it his own inscription, and sometimes his name, the date only being after death filled in. These monuments in many cases cost hundreds of pounds. Very soon after my arrival in Syracuse a friend sent two milk-white horses in a landau, driven by a negro servant, to take me to see the famous salt wells. The salt Avater is drawn up from a depth of 400 feet by means of powerful steam- pumps, and is conveyed in pine tubes to the settling pits, where it is exposed to the rays of the sun until the salt crystallizes, and falls to the bottom, when the water is drawn away by means of tan= The salt is then removed to the grinding- house, and ground to powder by machinery, something like that used in flour mills, and afterwards packed in bags, each containir.^' 2 cwt., and sent to all parts of the country. These aru the largest and most important salt wells in America. Having seen the cemetery and the salt wells — the only two very interesting things in the city — I left Syracuse, and visited the great fruit-growing district that lies between Rochester and Niagara Falls. Apples, pears, quinces, melons, chestnuts, grapes, and many other fruits, grow here in great abundance ; and from the train can be seen lovely orchards, their trees laden with golden fruit. The apples are very cheap, being 14 Canada. sometimes sold at 3s. 6d. for two bushels and a half, and cider is l^d. a gallon. Apple-houses are frequently seen; they are built entirely for storing the fruit. This great fruit-growing country covers an area of nearly one hundred miles by twenty, and in the season gives employment to a large number of hands. The fact that Canada exported 242,264 barrels of apples last year, as against 51,084 in 1874, is an indication not only of the gratifying manner in Avhich this trade has expanded, but also of the importance of this branch of Canadian commerce. Among the apples which the climate '^^velops to perfection are many luscious and handsome varieties, which would be readily bought up in the British, market ; but owing to their liability to decay, it Avas until lately thought impossible to ship them with any degree of safety. It has been found, how- ever, that with storehouses such as I have before mentioned, properly constructed and kept at a uniform temperature ; and with the further aid on board siiip of refrigerators or cold chambers similar to those employed in transporting mutton from Australia to England ; these perishable kinds can be laid down in foreign markets in an excellent state of preservation : and there is now no longer room for doubting the feasibility of shipping the short-keeping and delicate varieties of apples, as well as pears, grapes, and other fruits which heretofore have not been exported from Canada. I next visited the ^Niagara Falls ; but as they are so well known, and have been so often described, I need say very little about them here. Still they are so wonderful, that having seen them, I feel almost compelled to talk about them just a little. They certainly are among the " wonders of the world," and are the pride of the Americans. Tliousands flock there yeai'ly from every country to gaze with feelings of the deepest wonder on the tumultuous fall of water, and to adore the majesty of the Almighty there exhibited. Over this great cataract has been pouring for ages, with the deafening roar Niagara, 15 of a thousand tliundors, a torrent of water more than three- fourths of a mile in width and an average of twenty feet in depth. It is calculated that a hundred million tons per hour go over the Falls, and that the Avatcr-power would be sufficient, if it could bo utilized, to drive all the machinery of America, and perhaps of the whole world. For many years the advisability of employing the enormous power of these waterfalls has been discussed by engineers and the general public. Experts are accustomed to deal with large volumes of water, but when they are confronted with an estimated seven million horse-power, running to waste over a vast natural mill-dam, it someAvhat startles them. Still, on the American side many mills have been established, including one for flour doing thirty sacks an hour and running ten hours ])er day ; also a paper mill for making paper from wood. Further extensive mills and electric lighting of cities are contemplated by the ever-inventive and speculative Americans, to use this marvellous water-power. Works have been commenced to make a race-way or conduit, to give a result equal to two hundred thousand horse-power, and ])lans have been drawn out for a city having sites for five hundred mills of four hundred horse-power each. On the Canadian side the Dominion Government con- template purchasing all the land adjacent to the Falls and converting it into an immense recreation-ground for the people of Canada and the United States, so that one set of Falls may be used for business and the other for pleasure. Which will prove the most profitable, time and future events Avill show. It is a magnificent sight to see the Falls lit up by electricity. No wonder that to this grandest of natural shrines the untutored natives were wont to come yearly and worship their Great Spirit, and propitiate him, as they used to do, by the sacrifice of an Indian maiden sent in a floAver-laden canoe down the stream to death in the terrible vortex. No wonder 16 Canada. that they led hither the first missionaries who penetrated their wilds, and pointed in speecldess awe to this mighty cataract, this wonder of the world. The name Niagara means "voice of thunder." The Falls were first seen by a white man two hundred years ago. Leaving Niagara by Grand Trunk Railway at 11 a.m., I arrived about 4 p.m. at the beautiful city of Hamilton, which deserves some notice. This city (here let me remark that in America all towns of any importance are called cities) was laid out and settled in 1813. It is built on a platform of slightly elevated ground, winding around the foot of a hilly range, which extends from Niagara Falls, and here receives the name of the Mountain. The streets are of noble dimensions, the principal one — King Street — being 200 feet wide, block- paved, and running through the entire breadth of the city. Near the centre of this street is a new building of red sand- stone, destined to be used as a Post-office, Custom House, etc. Hamilton has many fine public buildings, with a new market of brick and wood, which was to be opened at the end of 1886. The drainage and water supply are both good. The water is piimped from Lake Ontario into reservoirs, filtered through beds of sand, and then brought a distance of ten miles in iron pipes. ' The churches are very handsome, and on the rising ground approaching the Mountain are many elegant residences. The city contains about thirty churches, several banks, a Wesleyan Female College, and a large number of manufactories. The population is about 40,000. Situated just on the summit of the Mountain is the Asylum, from the windows of which one gets a magnificent view of the city, which seems to lie at one's feet ; and also of Lake Ontario, some four miles away. It is a lovely sight, though somewhat marred by the thought of the poor creatures around. The Asylum contains 650 patients, of both sexes, and I was kindly taken through the different wards. One lady asked me if I knew she was "a divine Drink. 17 person ;" another thought herself the " Queen of Sheba ;" and one poor lady, whose father had been an Irish member of parhament, came and shook hands with me, and spoke regretfully of her unhappy country. Another, who had formerly kept an hotel, asked me if I was in the business, and when I replied in the negative, turned away in disgust. They informed me that she always asks strangers the same question. A very sad story is told concerning the gentleman who founded an asylum at Syracuse. Before the institution was built he had two sons, and they were both perfectly sane ; but after it was finished, all the children born to him were idiots. There is a very large number of lunatics in the asylums of America, and I attribute their condition in many cases to the habits of drinking, smoking, and opium chewing, indulged in so freely by persons of both sexes. On Sunday, August 8th, I went to the Presbyterian Church, and heard a Dr. Ormsby, of New York, a curious old man, Avith a very peculiar manner, who occasionally gave out the wrong psalms, and informed the congregation when they must sing and when they must be silent. In the evening I went to the Methodist Free Church, and heard a splendid sermon by a United States muiister on tour. On returning to my hotel after the evening service I met the Salvation Army. I noticed several blacks among the worshippers, and was told by a coloured waiter that they like the way their services are con- ducted, with, as he said, " plenty of fire and nice singing." I certainly believe it to be doing a good work there, especially in reclaiming men from drunkemiess ; and it is not considered an annoyance by the citizens. Drink is looked upon as a great curse in Canada, and is fatal to all who freely indulge in it, especially that brewed in the States. I think I may be permitted here to repeat a good story that was told me of a woman who had a drunken husband. This Mil ^ Mi 18 Canada. '!' lii woman tried by every possible means to reclaim him, and at last thought perhaps fright would eflTect what persuasion could not. So she enlisted her own brother in her service to act the part of ghost, in order to frighten her husband on his return home late one moonlight night from the dram-shop. The brother met John on his way homo. "And who may you ber' says John. " Ould Nick," was the reply. *' Then," says John, "give us a shake of your hand; for I am mairied to a sister of yours." I paid a visit to the Provincial member for the city of Hamilton, whom I found sitting under his verandah in his shirt sleeves. We chatted together for an hour, and I learnt from him that Provincial members, as they are called, are elected by the people, and receive a yearly payment of 600 dollars for their services. All men of full age who are assessed on real or personal property, or who receive an annual payment of 400 dollars from any source, are entitled to vote for a Provincial member. The Dominion members at Ottawa are elected by the government, and receive 1000 dollars per annum. All voting is by ballot. The Canadian Government, at the time I write, is Conservative, and the desire is for a close alliance with England ; but the country generally is not much in favour of compulsory federation. The Provincial Government has control over the expenditure of all money derived from liquor licences, sale of Crown lands and Crown timber, etc. Such money is used for erecting bridges, maintaining main roads, paying members of parlia- ment, justices of the peace, etc. The Dominion Government controls the expenditure of all money derived from duties on imported articles ) and this money is used for subj^idies to railways and government buildings, such as post-offices, custom-houses, and harbours. Magistrates are paid 3000 dollars and judges 5000 dollars per annum. Both are much respected ; indeed, the criminal and civil laws of Canada are most admirably and ably ad- mi: eitl ask in wa] to hou out i T Street Improvements. 19 ministered, and appeals or complaints against the decision of either magistrates or judges are seldom made. Street improvements are made at the expense of those who ask for it. For instance, if all, or a majority of those living in a certain street, desire block pavements and stone side- walks, they petition the city council, which orders the work to be let out by tender. The cost is then estimated, and the houses are all rated at so much per foot run to pay for such outlay, or the interest thereon. O i 20 Cftnada. CHArTER IV. LEFT Hamilton on Monday, August 9th, anil next visited tlie city of Guelph. I had looked forward with much interest to my visit to this place, as it is the centre of tlie great cattle- raising district of Ontario, and the spot where the Government Experimental Farm is situated. I paid a visit to this farm, and. found it Avas presided over by Professor r>rown, c.E. It comprises a fine college, and 500 acres of fair Canadian land, 400 acres of which are under cultivation and . '^ in native bush. Nine breeds of cattle and seven of sheep are kop. he farm. All the cattle and sheep look well, and, in my opinion, lue fine Hereford bull bouglit of Queen Victoria (and whicli she now wishes to repurchase), takes the first place, with the grand Shorthorn giving him a close run. In sheep the Ham; shire Down and tbe South Down seem to be the favourc'l bi(!i d- ; Init I liave not seen many good sheep, nor much good -;lv ep land, in Canada, especially in Ontario. The young students of this farm, of Avhom there are 120, were engaged in cutting a fine field of oats, forty bushels to the acre, and a field of barley, thirty-eight bushels to the acre ; and for that purpose ■were using two combined reapers, the young men bmding and stacking the sheaves of oats and barley. This is a good place for gentlemen to send their sons to learn farming at a small expense, and under the supervision of a thoroughly practical agriculturist. Should any gentleman who reads this desire further information, and will api)ly to me, I ■will gladly give it. the A Creamery. 21 I then visited the Creamery, to wliich tlie cream from twenty cows kept on tlie experimental farm, and also that from many surrounding farms, is brought to be made into butter for exportation. The cream is purchased at so much per gallon of a definite quality. It is first pkced in large cooling vats, and afterwards churned, in churns holding 300 lbs. each. The resulting butter is placed on a round table, on which turns a wooden roller, passing over the butter and pressing out the water. At the same time it is salted, and then placed in tubs in a cool room to await a sale for the market. I tasted the butter, and thought it well made and of excellent quality. At the Creamery they have a professor and a cream test, and all cream is paid for according to quality, which varies very much with the different breeds of cattle, and also with the foods used. These cream tests obtain accurate results, and may be thoroughly depended on. As far as I could ascertain, the farmers of Canada are '.,- ning their attention more and more to butter and cheese- making as a source of profit; and find it greatly to their advantage to send their cream to the different creameries, instead of making it into butter and cheese at home. The demand for information in connection with the establishment and working of creameries is very great Speaking generally, there is a great distinction between dairy and creamery butter. Dairy butter is just the butter made at a private dairy by farmers and theii- wives, without either of them very often being skilled in its manufacture. Creamery butter is the product of the butter factory, where the cream from perhaps one hundred dairies is collected and made into the purest butter by skilled workpeople. Canadians, you see, are adopting the same system with their butter that has proved so successful witli cheese. Canadian cheese when made at the farmhouses was often a complete failure, but since the factory system has been adopted it has been a marked success, as the farmers can now get a ready sale for lit' ¥1 wma 22 Canada. it, in both home and foreign markets, at fairly remunerative prices. There will be in Ontario by the spring of this year twenty-five new butter factories. The farmers are no w forming joint-stock companies and erecting factories for the better disposal of their produce, and it will be seen how much this RECEPTION FLAN OF CREAHEBY. is to their advantage; for whilst home-made butter ia worth only 6d. per lb., creamery butter is sold for lOd. The cost of erecting and working the creamery would be 2|d. per lb,, leaving l^d. per 11>. of the extra 4d. to the farmer, besides saving much labour and expense in butter-making under difficult circumstances. n Government Experimental Farm. 2a io 1 On leaving the Creamery I visited the sheep flock, and saw seven different kinds of rams — Hampshire Downs, South Downs, Lincoln, ;Shropshire Do\vns, and others. I found the Shropsliire Downs the favourite, as they are hardy, and stand the cold well. The cost of sending cattle from England to Ontario is about from 20 to 30 dollars per head, and for horses abuut 50 dollars. I find the price of a twelvemonths-old pedigree bull in Canada is about 200 dollars, and of a pedigree ram from 80 to iOO dollars. A good working or riding horse will fetch there 200 dollars. The average croj) on the experimental farm in 1886 was 40 bushels of wheat, 35 bushels of oats, 38 bushels of barley, and 2 tons of hay per acre ; swedes, not good ; mangel, fair ; the 100 head of cattle in good condition; sheep, poor; pigs, fairly good. Mr. Erown informed me that 20 acres of this reclaimed land with 15 acres of bush or forest run had grazed 37 head of cattle all the summer, and I must say they were looking splendid on the strength of it. I next visited the farm Suud of bulls, including the winner of the Royal Agricultural Society's prize in 1882 or 1883, and the lovely Hereford red bull from the Queen's Royal farm at Windsor. I also saw there a beautiful Sliorthorn, the favourite breed of nearly all farmers west of Chicago. I was told, however, that the H(irefords are not good milk-giving cows, and I believe the time will come when the South Devon improved br(;eds will find their vray to the " Far West," milk being a thing much sought after just now as paying well. I saw a few Xorth Devons, but these are not in favour either Avith the Canadian farmers or the United States cattle breeders. In this neighbourhood — that is, near the city of Guelph — there are other very fine farms and well-to-do farmers. I met one old Irish farmer, who said he had been in Canada fifty years, and that when he first came the country was a forest. It took liim forty-eight ilaya to cross from Liverpool to Boston, 24 Canada. and fourteen days to get from the latter place to Kingston, whereas now the whole journey can be done in nine days. But the old gentleman seemed perfectly healthy and contented at the age of seventy-five, even after all those hardships. He retained his Irish accent in all its purity. I also heard from a friend of his that he was reputed to be worth 200,000 dollars. I noticed that the Scotch and Irish retain their native pro- nunciation much longer than the English, who sooi {.lopt a nasal twang like the pure Yankee of the States, vv^.ilr ti '^rds "I guess" interlard their conversation pretty frerj[V..itiy. Ill Ik., London. 25 igston, . But ted at I. He from a lollars. e pro- lopt a 'irds ! CHAPTER V. AVING obtained some very valuable informa- tion during my stay in Guelph, I left it very well pleased with my visit, and started for tlie London of the new world, per Grand Trunk Railway. Passing through some fine agricul- tural country, I saw splendid herds of "grade" cattle (a mixture of pure Shorthorn and Native Breeds). Travelling by this line is very comfortable, though somewhat slow. A rather unpleasant incident happened on our way to London. Tlio bearings became overheated, and set one of the cars on fire. When this was discovered the train was stopped, and many of the passengers alighted, and carried Avater to make out the fire, which was soon got imder. In half an hour we again proceeded on our way, arriving at our destination somewhat late. I Avas very much surprised on being told that my portmanteau was taken to a "Tecumseh house," but soon found the peculiar sounding name indicated nothing but a very com- fortable hotel. London is a flourishing toAvn, Avith 25,000 inhabitants. The streets are nicely paved, the buildings very fine, and the car accommodation good. In London M. Labott has his famous lagor beer manufactory. Here too is Elliott's reaping and nioAving machine manufactory, employing a large number of liands. The latter factory Avas burnt down in 1883, and in 188r) completely rebuilt of Avhitc bricks, Avhich are manu- factured in tlie neighbourhood. Tliese Avhite bricks are of excellent (juality, and are cheaper than those made in England. London is celebrated for its Avhite sulpliur springs and its Ilr (Tl Canada. ! I 1 ! . charming parks, called after those in the metropolis of the mother country. There are some very attractive-looking resi- dences on the north side of the city, and the streets are planted with maple and horse chestnut, which give the houses a cool and inviting appearance. The streets, bridges, and public "hinldings are also called after those in our own city of London. j\. " '' stream is dubbed the "Thames," and "Westminster" ana lackfriars " Bridges lead across its narrow channel. The public buildings and churches are choice in architectural design, and are built of grey or red sandstone or limestone. London certainly is a very go-ahead town. It has splendid waterworks, located on the river Thames. The electric light is used here, and in nearly all the towns and cities in the Dominion. London has many railway connections — northward to St. Mary, southward to Port Stanley on Lake Erie, west- ward to Petrolia (oil city) and Port Sarnia, at the point where Lake Huron passes into the St. Clair River. A further ride of 110 mdes brought us to the town of Windsor, and a short distance from Windsor is the city of Detroit, on the west side of the river St. Clair, where direct connections are made for the west, north, and nortli-west. I then went ,up the St. Clair to Port Sarnia, a distance of seventy miles. There was very little that was interesting to be seen or heard here, so I left it for Forest, where I hired a buggy and drove some miles into the country to gain information about farming in Ontario. On arriving at the farm I first intended visiting I found the owner busily engaged housing wheat in a large barn, Avith the help of his son and a hired man. This farm is situate in Bosanquet toAvnship, county Lambton, province of Ontario. Its size is one hundred acres, mixed cul- tivation, and its value about 5,000 doUars. The owner told me that the cost of soiling this farm would bo, if a lawyer were employed, about 24s. to the vendor, and a like sum to the purchaser ; but if no lawyer were employed on either side, the ' A Canadian Hundred-acre Farm. m cost would amount to about 4s. 2d. each; that is, 2s. Id. to the Record Office for examination of register, and 2s. Id. for re-registration. The vendor's wife must join him in the assign- ment, and the signature be witnessed by two persons of full age. Lots are numbered in every township. Roads are at right angles, and \\ miles apart, with 1000 acres of land between each road, or say ten farms. I give, for the benefit of my agricultural friends, the produce of this farm for 1886, as stated to me by the occupier on August 13th. As it is a fair average farm, and an average farmer, it will afford my readers means of judging what a hundred-acre Canadian farm will produce in one year : 20 acres wheat, average 20 busliels per acre, price 3s. bushel. 17 oats >i 36 „ >» ,, Is. 3d. bushel. 5 barley >i 22 „ 1) „ 2s. 4d. „ 5 peas M 25 „ If „ 2s. Id. „ 5 hay >« 1^ tons M „ £2 ton. 26 of grass, from two to four years dow n. 2 of orcliard and garden. Apples fine crop. 20 biuh laud. Grazing for cattle. gain and le, the This farmer rears five calves a year, and sells them at three years old, average price £8 to £10 per head. He keeps a dairy of six coAvs, and, like liis neighbours, sends his milk to a cheese factory, selling it at 4d. a gallon. Many pigs and a number of poultry of all kinds are kept, which always meet a ready sale in the towns. I find the farmers here plough their land with a single or one-way plough about four inches deep, and get all their ploughing and preparations for winter wheat finished by the end of August. In the first week of September they sow from two to two and a quarter l)ushels of seed (wheat) per acre. This grows, and gets four inches high before winter sets in, which it generally does about the middle of November. The ground is then covered until April Avith ncnirly three feet of snow. Then, after the melting of the snow, spring tillage w^^^^m. " I' um iwi mum 28 Canada. 11 ■i M ^ / A/ /P O /I D I ■!■'' Sketch Plan of a huudred-acre farm in the Province of Ontario, Canada, saowing pnalte fence. Each enclosure represents ten acres. The main road is 33 feet wide, repaired by the county; the bye road 16J feet, repaired by the farmer whose land adjoins. H i Canadian Farm Buildings. 29 ■■ commences, and barley, oats, peas, and small beans are sown, and the month after maize, large quantities of which are gro^v'n near Lake Huron. The last is a very prolific crop, yielding from forty to fifty bushels per acre, and is harvested in October. The favourite fence on farms in Canada is the snake fence, which is made by laying split poles one on top of tho other zig- zag to a height of four and a half feet. The distance from point to point is one rod, and by this means farmers easily measure the number of acres in a field. The snake fence costs about Is. per rod to cut down, split, cart, and erect, and it is estimated to last forty years. It is considered inexpensive, is easily fixed, and very effective. The only objection I can see to it is the waste of land involved. I Avas informed that the rates and taxes paid on this farm of one hundred acres were 2s. per acre, mainly school rates and those for the maintenance of State roads. Bye-roads have to be repaired by the ov^ners adjoining. I give on the following page a sketch of a dwelling-house and out-buildings, showing a general view of Canadian farm premises and large storage barn, the pride and boast of the Canadian farmer, and the first thing he erects after his dwelling-house. Very frequently the barn is the most substantial building on the farm. The buildings represented are all in the township of Jura, county of Lauibton, Ontario. The barn is 85 ft. long, 35 ft. wide, and 16 ft. high, built of framed timbers resting on wooden sleepers, and roofed Avith wood shingles 16 in. by 8 in. The dwelling-house is also framed, with chinmeys of brick or stone. The stable and corn-shed is likewise used as a buggy- house. I returned to Sarnia from Forest, and spent Saturday night and Sunday morning there. Starting from Sarnia on Sunday afternoon, I went by steamer down the St. Clair to a place called Courtright, where I spent the night at Macgregor's Hotel, a very comfortable hostelry for a country town. The !,1 4P m CaTUida, A V- STORAGE BARN !M r R AMEO DWELLING ill: iilii ! If ! %^ ^- STABUe .COWSHCO.Ii* LOG House V Clearing Land. ai next morning I hired a buggy and drove into the country to look over a " bush " farm, now being brought under cultivation by aii. enterprising young Scotchman. This farm is situated almost in the very heart of a forest. It is in the township of Sombra, and comprises 200 acres of fine deep undrained land on a rich clay loam. There are about 50 acres cleared, and 45 in crops ; the rest, when I was there in 1886, was still forest or bush. The following plan is adopted for bringing the land under cultivation. The undergrowth is first cleared in the winter, gathered in heaps, and burnt the following summer. The next winter the timber is cut down, split up into firewood or rails and cleared away, and the land fenced as I have before described. The following spring the ground between the stumps is grubbed up, rough grass seeds are sown, and the land is grazed for two years. Then the stumps, having been exposed to frost, gradually rot, and are easily removed. Next oats are sown between the remaining stumps (the land being previously prepared), and so on for four or five years, until all the stumps are removed and the land is brought under cultivation, and can be worked with any modern agricultural implement. The process is slow, and requires both time and patience. The farm I have just been speaking of is partly drained by the township; that is, the authorities have dug an open drain to the river St. Clair three miles long, six feet deep, and six feet wide, right along by the side of the road, making the thoroughfare extremely dangerous. The drain is of very little use, and does not quite answer the purpose for which it was intended. This farm when cleared and drained is intended for grass and stock raising. I returned in the buggy to Courtright, spent the night there, and the next day started for Windsor in a fine American steamer called the Greyliound, which took us sixty miles down the St. Clair for 2s. Id. This was a most enjoyable trip on, the beautiful river, studded with islands clothed with verdure, 1 , »4' - i 1 j i 1 II ■i f iJ Canada. I and varying in size from 600 acres do^vn to a quarter of an acre. There are many cities and small towns situated on either side of the St. Clair, wliich divides Canada f^om the United States. On the Canadian side we have Port Huron, Courtright, and Windsor ; and on the American, Point Huron, St. Clair, and Detroit, besides numerous smaller towns and villages. The St, Clair empties itself into Lake Erie, nnd on the American side you pass Oakland House, a well-known and far-famed hotel, about 400 feet long, situated on the Lank of the river, with landing-stage. This commodious building has accommodation for five hundred visitors at one time. Here are the famous health-giving mineral waters, so efiicacious in gout, rheumatism, lumbago, and neuralgia. A large quantity of the water is exported annually; indeed, there is no doubt the baths are very beneficial to invalids, and numbers will be found at Oakland House during the summer. On the Canadian side is an Indian settlement, which can always be distinguished by the scant cultivation around. The Indian never troubles to cultivate the land ; a little corn close to his hut and a few potatoes generally satisfy him. He much prefers wandering and depasturing his cattle and horses on the natural grasses. I find the Indian generally selects cleared country for his settlements. Just before reaching Windsor Ave passed through a canal a mile long and 200 feet wide. Windsor is a very pretty Canadian city just opposite Detroit, and distant from it only a quarter of a mile. Some day I should think a bridge will be thrown across to connect the two cities. Windsor contains 8000 inhabitants, is rapidly growing, and from its position must some day become a place of note. It is well supplied with good water, lighted with electric light, and has good hotel accommodation. Tlie CraAV- ford Hotel I can Avell recommend, having stayed there for some time. Near Windsor is the small town of Walkerville, founded and built by a gentleman called Hiram Walker, who twenty years ago arrived in Detroit from Boston, and I i Walkerville. 33 believe commenceJ business by exporting beef to England. lie afterwards established a distillery for distilling whiskey from Indian corn, and now annually makes about 10,000 barrels of this spirit. As the government of Canada has just passed a law that all spirits made shall remain in store for threo years before being sold to hotel-keepers, Mr. Walker has bnen obliged to build large storehouses to bond his spirits. You may perhaps wonder what becomes of all the waste corn after the spirit has been distilled from it. I will tell you. Mr. "Walker has a large farm two miles from the town, on Avhich he has barns to hold 2800 Canadian grade cattle, which he buys of farmers from all parts of Canada at 2d. per lb. live weight in store condition, generally two-year-old grade steers. The manager informed me that he generally buys in November and runs out about ^larch and April. These cattle are kept in fourteen large barns, each containing 200 head, and are all fed on the swill, or corn juice, after the spirit has been distilled. It is conveyed to the barn in largo cedar tubes by a powerful force pump, and so arranged that one man can feed a hundred cattle in fifty minutes simply by turning two taps and letting the swill run into the troughs in front. On this and good sweet hay these grade cattle will feed to 7 cwt. each, and are sold to the English market for about 4d. per lb. delivered in Liverpool, the cost of convf^vance to which port by the "Beaver" line of steamers is ab."' .£3 per head. In this Avay Mr. Walker turns out between four and five thousand fat cattle every season. He likewise keeps on his farm some prime Berkshire hogs, and a lot of Clydesdale horses, which breed are most in request in the country for farm-work. They are also used by merchants for dray-work in towns, being light, clean-legged animals, smart-looking and active. The value of a good pair of these horses is about 450 dollars. They command a ready sale and pay the breeders better than cattle. When the farmers in Canada, as in : fi' i !' lipi Canada. m '■'III Engand, endeavour to breed good horses from poor defective animals, they of course get worthless hrutos for their pains; but in the fc-y cases where men of intelligence study the breeding of working horses, as a trotting or racing man does his stud, nothing pays better, either for exportation to the States or lo England. The Canadian horse will command a hi[^her price in the State'i than a States-bred horse, being considered more hardy. There was a great deal that was interesting in this neigh- bourliood ; for after looking at the horses I visited a Canadian tobacco farm of fifty acres, and found the crop just being liarvested by about fifty blacks, under the able direction of a practical grower from the Southern States. Judgir from en";uiries made on the spot, I should say the experinn is a success ; for the crop was a heavy one, in spite of an unusually dry season. The plants averaged two feet ir height. They are planted two feet from row to row, and one foot between each plant. The young plants are grown in beds, being sown in April, and planted out about the middle of ^May. They were being harvested towards the end of August. The plan adopted is to cut the plants down Avith a hoolc, and lay them in rows. They are then carefully removed to specially-provided houses, which arc ventilated by the superintendent according to the weather. Here the plants remain for four months, each being hung separately, head downwards. When quite dry they are packed in cases and stocked for twelve months before being sold to the manufacturers. The produce of the farm I speak of generally goes to Montreal. A good crop pays well, the coot of cultivation being about £30 j^er acre, and the value of the crop £50, or sometimes mo'i'e. The manufacturer pays 6d. per pound for the raw material. When I first saw the farm I thought it a large field of red mangel, so much do the leaves of the tobacco plant and red mangel resemble each other ; but the small bulb of the tobacco plant is quite useless. The land is prepared in the fall by deep ploughing; it is again well r^ Tuhacco and Hops. 80 ploughed and worked in the spring, and also heavily manured. It has to be well hoed and kept free from weeds for the lirst montli after the young plants are put in the ground ; but when once the leaves cover the ground all weeds are kept under ; for the field resembles a sea of leaves. Not far from the tobacco farm is an Indian " corn-brush " field, an importation from the Western States. The plant grows just like the ordinary Indian corn, except the flower, which is really a brush. It is of fibrous substance, and will take dust off clothes much better than any hair brush I have ever seen. In most of the hotels in the States and Canada it is in general \isc. Tlie brush crn is fit to harvest in September, Avhen the brushes are thoroughly dried and sold to the manufacturers. The crop is considered a fairly paying one, more remunerative than the Indian corn, to which it is so similar. I also saAV a crop of hops, as fine as any I have seen in Kent. Altogether this county of Essex, Ontario, appears to be suitable for any kind of produce, so that farmers who properly cultivate the soil will have a rich reward, as far as crops are concerned, while prices are not much imder tlioso paid in the old countrj'. Essex is also noted for the deliciousness of its fruit. Grapes and tomatoes come to perfection in the open air. Its scentless flowers .and songless humming birds are lovely, and. both are very plentiful in the gardens around Windsor City. From the window of the Crawford Hotel I saw a huge raft of timber being towed down the river. It was quite three- quarters of a mile long, and consisted of hundreds of trees chained together. It was to be taken down to some timber yard, of which there are several on the lakes, there to be squared into baulks previous to being exported to England. These rafts come from Owen Sound, on Lake Huron, in the neighbourhood of which are immense pine forests. This hotel — the "Crawford," in Windsor — gives good if w 1 se Canada. i accommodation r.t 10s. per day; and anyone desiring comfort and quiet, a:id at the bamc time wishing to be near a large, busy city like Detroit, cannot do better than go there. A steam ferry runs across the river to Detroit every five minutes, at a charge of 2|d. Windsor is lighted by electricity, and has an electric railway in operation. From what I can judge great improvements must be made before the latter will bo generally adopted, or in any way supersede the horse tram-cars, so numerous in all public streets in every city in Canada. I am informed that in Avinter time these tram-cars are placed on sleighs, when the tingling bells and bright trappings add much to the gay appearance of the streets. The cars are also warmed, so that tram-car travelling at that season is both amusing and enjoy- able. No wonder the Canadians look forward with such pleasure to the winter months, instead of dreading them, as we do in England. ' T*" Detroit. 37 CHAPTER VI. FTEE leaving tlie farm of Mr. Hiram "Walker, I crossed by the ferry to Detroit. It is one of the oldest cities of the New World, liaving been, founded as a Frencli missionary station in 1670. This place, which is known as the " City of the Straights," extends about three miles along the Detroit river, and is b^ilt at a distance of one mile from the water. The streets are Avide and well-shaded by trees. There arc many fine churches, some of them imposing-looking struc- tures. The larger mansions are surrounded by spacious grounds tastefully ornamented, and the stores and public buildings are metropolitan in size and api)earance. Amongst these the finest are the Board of Trade, Post-office, and Custom House. The Michigan Freight Depot, or Railway Station, should by all means be visited ; it is of great siz(; and costly construc- tion — 12.5 feet long, 102 feet wide — and covered by an iron roof. I also noticed tlie large grain elevators, which were vrcU worth seeing ; and watched the de.s erity with which grain cars are loaded and unloaded. Detroit has elaborate waterworks, as well as large manu- facturing and shipping interest in grain and provisions ; and it is said that nearly as many slaps enter and leave the Detroit river during the summer months as the Tliames in England ; at least, this is the American view of the traffic, which is no doubt very large, and constantly growing. Each year there is hold a grand review of the Detroit river navy. This is always a pleasant city to visit. In summer excursions are of daily occurrence, and numerous pleasure steamers arc I 1 % hi Ca nada. III m: i ill :!lt ,'1 1 1!i H\ ■ I ; constantly coining and going to and from various fashionable resorts on Lake I!rie, and also on the banks of the St. Clair. It is a fact Avcirthy of some (.;onsi deration, that whilst Sarnia, Courtright, and AVindsor, on the Canadian side of the St. Clair river, remain, small toMns of from four to ten thousand inhabitants, the towns of Port Huron, St. Clair, and Detroit, on the other side, contain from ten to two hundred and forty thousand people. Detroit itself, forty jeavs ago, contained only 4000 in- habitants, and had little trade; now it has a population of 240,000, and a river traffic almost equal to that of any port in England. The increase m the value of land in and near the city has of late years been, ver;/ great. My next visit was to Chicago, the ''Xew York of the West," as it is justly called. Leaving Detroit by one of the trains of the Michigan Central ILailway, ten hours of comfort- able travelling brorcght me to my destination. The distance between the two cities is about 280 miles. Some of the scenery on the way is very attractive, ;;nd the city of Michigan is passed on the journey. It is a part of northern Indiana, and here is located one of the Indiana litate prisons. From Michigan we soon passed over the rolling prairies of Illinois, and on througli the suburbs of Chicdgo, till we arrived at Union Station, at the foot of Lake Street. Chicago is in many respec^ts one of the most, wonderful cities in the world. Its magnificence is all the more striking since it is so young in years, so far in the interior, and has passed througli an ordeal by fire \vhich Avould have ruined many other cities for ever. Chicago is (piite worthy of the name of '• Queen City of the Lakes," and is grander and more prosperous to-day than before the great conflagration of 187L The first permanent settlement on the site of Chicago was made in 1804. Tlie town was orga)iizcd in 1833, and incor- porated as a city in 1837. The pop\dation at the present time is estimated at aVjout three-quarters of a million. The growth ^!; Chicago. W of the city lias certainly been marvellous, especially con- sidering the clieck it received. The area over ■which the fire extended was nearly three and a quarter square miles. The number of buildings destroyed Avas 17,450, and 98,500 persons were rendered homeless, with over 200 killed. The depre- ciation of property must also be taken into consideration, and the loss of business, amounting in all to about forty million sterling, of which only eight millions were ever recovered from msurance. One of the results of the fire was the bankruptcy of several insurance companies. However, the business of the city was interrupted only for a short time. In the course of a few weeks many mercliauts had resumed trade in temporary wooden buildings, and within one year after the event a large part of the city had been rebuilt, and at present no trace of the fire remains. The buildings are iiuw of stone, and of improved architectural design. In July, 1874, there was anotbcr great fire, which burnt about eighteen })locks, covering ixty acres, and destroyed £1,000,000 worth of property. Chicago is situated on the western shore ^f Lake Michigan, and by means of the Chicago river and the Illinois .md Michigan canal lias uninterrupted communication with the Mississippi and tlie Gulf of Mexico on the south and west; and by the chain of the great lakes with the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Ocean on the east. There is indeed no inland city in the world that possesses greater facilities for commercial inter- course. The streots are about eighty feet wide, and very regularly built. They cross each other at right angles, and are for the most part paved with stone or wood. Some of the principal streets aiC from five to ten miles in length. A river and its branches divide the city into three parts, known as the North, West, and South Sides, which are connected by about fifty bridges. Two stone tunnels join the main avenues of traftic, leading from the city proper to the northern and western i : 1 If i' *; 40 Canada. I|l« Vif II divisions. Shipping accommodation for a distance of more than ten miles is afforded by the river and ship canal. The city is ornamented with rows of luxuriant trees. The park and boulevard system in Chicago is very extensive. One of the most charming parks is the Lincoln, situated on the lake shore north of the city. It has some pretty drives, a zoological garden, lakes, and fountains. Besides this they have Lake Park, Hyde Park, and Hannerly's Trotting Park, all well worth a visit. Chicago is the greatest live stock market in the world. Situated at some distance west of the city are the great Union stock yards. The quantity of land controlled by this company is 345 acres, of wliich the yards and pens occupy 146 acres. I was told that these were capable of housing 25,000 head of cattle, 100,000 head of hogs, and 22,000 sheep, besides stalls for 500 horses, making a total of 147,500. These stock yards are connected with all the railway centres in Chicago. The lumber trade of the city has grown so much of late tha'; perhaps there is truth in the assertion that Chicago leads the world in this branch of trade. There are over three hundred firms engaged in it, and millions of feet of lumber are annually handled. The pine forests of Michigan and Wisconsin are the principal sources of supply. Another great industry is meat packing, and some of the killing and packing houses cover acres of ground. In the Chicarjo Breeders^ Journal of August, 1886, it was stated that the average number of cattle killed in the city was 5000 daily, and of hogs 10,000. The live stock received into Chicago for Monday, July 26th, came to 9900 head ; Tuesday, 27th, 9600 ; AVednesday, 28th, 7600 ; and the total receipts for one year, ending July 28th, 1886, were— Cattle, 1,030,405; hogs, 3,678,416; sheep, 513,397. The best cattle were selling at 2^(1. per pound live weight. One lot of fine grade cattle, weighing 1700 pounds each, wer<' sold on July 28th, 1886, for New York, at 2iy lOd. per hundred pounds live weight. I Chicago. Good light hogs make about the same price, and find a ready sale to the packers. So much that is deserving of mention, and that I hope may be interesting and profitable to my readers, has crowded upon me, that I had almost forgotten the grain trade of Chicago — perhaps the greatest industry of the city ; for not only is it the headquarters of the grain trade of America, but it is the greatest grain market of the world. It has twenty-five elevators, with an aggregate storage capacity of twenty million bushels of grain. The speed and dexterity with which vessels and railway cars are loaded and unloaded is perfectly marvellous. Amongst the extensive manufactories I may mention the MacCormack reaper factory, of world-Avide reputation. Chicago is also one of the greatest — if not the greatest — rail- way centres in existence, no less than forty -five lines coming into the city. "With regard to hotel accommodation, no place in America can vie with it. The hotels are furnished with lavish cost and completeness, but, I must admit, are somewhat ex- pensive, the ordinary charge being from three to five dollars a day. For the benefit of any person who may intend visiting Chicago I. will mention the Palmer Hotel, the Grand Pacific, the Sherman Hotel in the central business part of the city, and Tremont House, styled the Palace Hotel, which is practically fireproof. It possesses all the elegancies of many a palace, with spacious halls and luxuriant suites of apartments, fur- nished with every comfort and modern luxury, and with a memi of delicacies to meet the taste of the greatest epicure. There is a dash and grandeur about almost everything xmder- taken in the way of i)ublic works. The waterworks are a good illustration of this. They consist of a tower 160 feet high, up which water is forced by four powerful engines, having a pumping capacity of 74,500,000 gallons daily. The water is brought through a tunnel extending two miles under the lake, thus securing perfect purity. There are also forty artesian wells. I 1 ! 1 42 . Canada. jjj ^ i The terrible experiences of the city have prompted most careful precautions against fire. The fire brigade arrangements are among the most interesting sights of Chicago. Every morning at twelve o'clock, and every evening at nine o'clock, the firemen are called on to be ready in twenty seconds to leave their stations. It is especially interesting to see the horses on either side of the engine come rapidly out of their stalls, place themselves under the harness, and stand perfectly still until the firemen have clasped the only link necessary to attach the horse to the engine. All new buildings now erected within the city fire limits are built of stone ; and if any old building is damaged by fire to the extent of 50 per cent, of its value it cannot be repaired. After having spent a very pleasant and profitable time in Chicago, I travelled into the hog-raising and corn-growing district of Indiana, where the corn grows to a height of from ten to twelve feet, producing one hundred bushels per acre, and where hogs are fed on it by the hundred in the fields, like sheep on turnips in England. Thence I passed to Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, called the "Sheffield of America," or "the smoky city." When boring for oil near this place a natural gas sprang up, which is now used generally for domestic purposes and also for driving machinery. It is even conveyed a distance of twenty miles to light another city. I have learnt that since the recent disastrous earthquake, which happened at Charlestown in 1886, this natural gas has considerably lessened in quantity. I returned to "Windsor from Pittsburgh, and from there travelled by Grand Trunk Eailway to Toronto; but we will leave an account of this city, which has been called "the Queen City of the Dominion," for another chapter. U iil^., Toronto. 4.8 CHAPTER VII. Y first impressions of Toronto were very pleasant. It is not only the capital of tlie province of Ontario, but one of the most progressive cities in her Majesty's dominions. It is situated on a bay, separated from the lake by a peninsula known as Gibraltar Point. This bay forms a safe and well- sheltered harbour. The streets are generally broad, and cross each other at right angles. The main thoroughfares are Queen Street and Yonge Street. Queen Street is about five miles long from one end to the other, and you may have a tram ride all the way for 2|^d., or five cents. The most im^"'Osing build- ing is the University, a good specimen of Norman architecture. It is on the west side of Queen's Park, and forms three sides of a quadrangle, each measuring 200 feet in length. This University was commenced in 1854 and finished in 1857. The principal halls are the Library, containing 25,000 volumes, the Museum, Convocation Hall, and Senate Hall. A very fine view of the city and of Niagara in the distance may be had from the toAver, 120 feet high, which stands in the centre of the south frontage of the building. Toronto is the seat of the Law Courts and Provincial Government, and the headquarters of the Educational Depart- ment of Ontario. The city near the lake is somewhat flat, but there is a gradual rise towards the north. Six lines of railway have their terminal stations here, and steamers of large size run to and from all the principal points on the lake. There are a very large number of public buildings, and new designs of 44 Canada. great arcliitectural beauty have just been completed for the houses of parliament, to be built of red sandstone from the Credit Valley. The assessed value of property in Toronto is fifteen millions sterling, and is rapidly increasing, as the revised assessment of the city, published in the Toronto Globe, gives the increase for one year, ending Lady-day 1887, at nearly two millions sterling. The detailed total assessments for this year are as follows : Real property, £14,000,000 ; income, £1,000,000; personal, £2,000,000. Tlie population for 1886 was 118,403, in 1885 it was 111,800, showing an increase of 6603 in one year. In every jjart of Toronto there are evidences of great activity in the building trade. All wooden houses are being replaced by elegant stone or neatly-built brick structures, and on the north and west sides of the city many pretty brick villas are being erected, and new and well-formed brick sewers are in course of construction. The streets are being paved, and ornamental trees planted ; indeed, there are signs of busy industry on every hand, and artizans of all kinds, as well as labourers, are in full employment, and are likely to be so for some years to come. Skilled masons, bricklayers, and carpenters receive from ten to twelve shillings per day in Toronto. Labourers are paid five to six shillings per day. Board and lodging in the city can be had for sixteen shillings per week. Female servants are in great demand here, as they are in all the colonies, and can command good wages. Those aio certainly best off who can do without them. Cooks and laundry women are in especial request. An ordinary cook will get from £30 to £40 a year with her board, and a laundress 2s. 6d. per day and her food. There are several good hotels in Toronto. The Queen's, and "Walker's House, are most convenient to persons coming from the station or " railway depot," as Canadians call it. At these two hotels the charge is about 12s. per day. The accommodation at the Queen's is very superior, and quite equal to the best hotels in the old country, and at a much more reasonable charge. Toronto. 45 Near Toronto is Tony Island, or, as it is now called, Ilanlan's Island, for here the champion rower of the world has taken up his abode, and established an hotel, in one room of which are exhibited all his hard-earned prizes, and also many presents, including those from the Prince of Wales, the Marquis of Lome, President Cleveland, Vanderbilt, etc. In the same room also is shown the boat in which the unfortunate Renforth tried to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and in which he was picked up dead. Of course, we all looked at the boat with interest. It is thirty feet long, and canoe shaped. Hanlan's Island has an area of about twenty acres, and is a favourite summer resort for the people of Toronto. There is good bathing for ladies and children. There is also a merry-go-round railway worked without steam or electricity. A man pushes the car at one end, when it runs .round to the other, where a similar push sends it back again. There is likewise a good skating rink on the island, and numerous other amusements. Steamers run to and from Toronto every half hour ; return fare, ten cents. I went to Exhibition Park when I was in Toronto, and found it well worth a visit. It is situated on the west r.ide of the city, overlooking Lake Ontario and Hanlan's Isianf-, This park was formed and laid out at the expense (^f the inhabitants, for the purpose of holding in it the Toronto State Fair, which takes place every year in September, and lasts about twelve days. In the exhibition grounds are shown cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, as well as agricultural productions of every kind grown in the Dominion, and also manufactured goods. Prizes are given, and the competition generally is very keen. Special prizes have recently been offered for the best horses suitable for the British army, but I understand there was little competition; and I should like to call my readers' attention to the fact that Colonel Ravenhill and Colonel Phillips, having been sent to Canada by the English Government to purchase a very large number of horses for use in the army, were unable to find even ninety suitable for the purpose; a remarkably small J ' V ^:;l f m 46 Canada. 1 ' 1 w iiumlDcr for so large a country. It affords food for serious reflection on the part of both Canadian and EngHsh farmers, that the British government import annually for military pur- poses 17,000 horses from France, Germany, Austria, and Russia (none having hitherto been imported from our colonies). Breeders in England and Canada should therefore turn their attention to horse-breeding as a source of profit, and see if the fertile valleys of England and the magnificent prairies of Alberta, in the North-West of Canada, cannot produce a sufficient number of horses to meet the requirements of our army, thus keeping the six hundred thousand pounds sterling, now annually sent to foreign countries, in England and its colonies, and letting British money benefit British capitalists, instead of, as now, going to foreigners, who may some day use this money against us. Surely a good horse can be bred and reared to four years old on the prairies of Alberta for £10, and yield a fair profit all round, especially on land that only costs to rent 2d. per acre per" annum, and which will produce per acre two tons of prairie hay, and feed cattle and horses as fat as will tho pastures of Devonshire. No doubt the Provincial Governments of Manitoba and British Columbia will soon establish an experimental farm for improving the breed of horses, just as the experimental farm at Guelph was established some years ago by the Provincial Government of Ontario for improving the breed of cattle and sheep. This, I understand, has answered well, and is now under able management. The German Government supplies stud sires of the best English and other breeds to the German farmers for use at a moderate cost, and, in addition, gives every encouragement to farmers to breed good horses on a large scale. Not only have the Germans and Austrians great establishments for breeding purposes, but in some of these they actually breed for colour — one stud farm being devoted to browns, another to chesnuts, and so on. Foreign horses are largely imported i ' 1 ! ' 'i i « ■ -l ' ui l:iti ^1 1 & s a h z o < Htyrsc Breeding. m (I) H o < into England, not only for our Tmy, but for drauglit; and I should think ahout half of those seen in London come across the Channel. Germany would think it a deplorahh thing if a thousand horses coidd not he obtained for her army at a week's notice at £40 per head. Wo could not do this. But let England and Canada do as Germany and Austria have done, and wo shall very soon be quite independent of foreign countries for the supply of this very valuable animal. About seven miles from Toronto is one of the horse- breeding establishments of Mr. Garland, a pleasant and clever Canadian gentleman, who has taken a fancy to this pursuit, and, I must say, has commenced in a way likely to prove remunerative. He has also a farm at Hamilton, and another at Portage La Prairie, in the great north-west. In his stud sire AhiKmto he certainly has a splendid animal, bred from the celebrated English Touchstone blood on one side, and from Almonte, the trotting sire, on the other. Almonte was by Benedick, the best known of all American racehorses, and the sire of many of the brightest luminaries of the trotting track. Almonte is four years old, stands 16 hands without shoes, and weighs 1200 pounds; a rich golden chesnut in colour, and faultless in disposition. His brisket is deep, giving him plenty of lung room; his back and loins are veritable models of power, and his beautifully-formed quarters show immense muscular development ; his hocks are large and clean, his forearms and thighs are well formed, and he stands true as a die on tough and finely-formed feet. Amongst Mr. Garland's brood mares I much fancied Gipsy Maid, by old Cleargrit, and purchased her foal, a beautiful chesnut filly, to come to England in the spring. I also pur- chased a very fine colt by Almonte, and a five-year-old gelding by Kismet. This horse, called Toronto, I at once sent to England, per Dominion steamer Ontario, from Mont- real. The Ontario unfortunately got on shore going down the river St. Lawrence, so the horse had to be transhipped to 'I 48 Canada. m i !' a the Dominion steamer Texas, and after a delay of tliree weeks arrived safely at Bristol on the 27th October, 1886. I had him forwarded to my home in Devonshire, per Great Western Kailway, where he arrived without spot or blemish, at a cost of £12, and that after a journey of three thousand miles by sea and five luindred miles by train. He was none the worse in health for his long voyage; for on taking him out to exercise the next day he was as playful as a kitten, and fed well. I had the pleasure of selling him to Lord Rcvelstoke in the presence of the Princess Louise and ^Marquis of Lome (who were at that time the guests of Lord and Lady Revel- stoke at tneir country seat in Devonshire), Her Royal Higliness luuch admired the horse, and asked from what part of Canada I brought him. Mr. Garland has many very valuable horses and colts on his stud farm, including the fastest trotting 14 J hands mare in Canada, and he offers to wager an even bet that his Almonte, before mentioned, Avill trot a mile in two minutes and twenty- six seconds. All the colts run on the pastures in summer, and in winter are kept in yards and sheds with every comfort and convenience. Canadian-bred horses are much sought after by Americans, being more docile than those bred in the States. I do not know if this docility and tractability is owing to the climate, breed, or training, but I should think most likely to all three circumstances combined. It is nothing unusual to see a Canadian horse hitched to a buggy standing for an hour or more, tied to a small piece of lead laid flat on the ground, whilst the owner is shopping, and the animal will remain perfectly still, notwithstanding the noise and bustle occasioned by tram-cars and carriages, which are constantly passing to and fro in close proximity. > Talking of horse-breeding reminds me that I have not yet described my visit to the Canadian trotting race-ground in the Exhibition Park of Toronto. This visit I paid one very fine afternoon. On the "track," as the Americans call it, were ^^^■P Horse Racing. assembled all the sporting men of the city, and dames as well ; for somehow ladies always take a deep interest in horse- racing. Here were mixed up Canadians and Americans, all anxious to see who would he the winners of the numerous l»rizes offered for competition for horses in single and double harness, in heats of two miles. The track is just half a mile round, so the trotters had to go four times round at each heat. First started four single horses attached to light buggies, and driven by Yankee jochtys, and the highest record made was a mile in 2 mins. 31 sees. This was further reduced to 2 mins. 28 sees., and was won by a chestnut horse, not called Rat-tail, but having a rat-tail. He certainly did go, and the jockey Avho drove him pulled with all his might ; for I find on enquiry that the more a jockey pulls the faster a horse goes, and that directly the reins are dropped the animal comes to a sudden stop. Three pairs then started, and in the subsequent heats a fine pair of bays won Avith a record of 2 mins. 32 sees. The fastest trotting mare ever known was called "Maud's," having a record of one mile in tlie extraordinary short time of 2 mins. 7^- sees. She was purchased some few years ago by Mr. Vanderbilt for forty thousand dollars. Next to "Maud's" comes "VVildfiower, the grand Californian filly, bred by Governor Leland of Stamford. This extraordinary animal trotted in a sulky on the TJay District Course, San Francisco, California, October 22nd, 1881, for a goltl medal when only two years old, and did the mile in 2 min. 21 sees., a most remarkable feat for a two-yoar-old ; and I believe that record, having regard to age, has never been beaten. Most trotting lun'sos are trained for the race by having a leaden weight (about four ounces) tied on to the front part of the hoof, to prevent them froui.. ambling, or, as the Canadians call it, pacing. It is really to balance the animal in its stride, and to make it throw its legs well forward and trot from the shoulder. lu this province education is free to all, Every kind of > ■ \ ! 'ii i i - i ! ■ i i ^ ' i i f : J. I , ; 60 Canada. ■' Is-:? I IF \v. property pays a school rate, but parents have to provide books and other school requisites. Whore the Eoman Catholics desire it, separate schools are established for their children, and a separatist school rate, as it is called, is levied for that purpose, and paid into the hands of the trustees of the Roman Catholic schools and colleges of the iDcality. The universities are Open to all children who reach a sufficiently high standard in the lower schools ; and those Avho have ability can take the most distinguished degrees conferred by the universities, rich and poor having equal advantages in this respect. Equal rights to all classes is the Canadian motto, in civil as well as in religious matters. Religion is quite free. There is no State-aided church in Canatla, and I hardly know in what country religion is more respected, or Sunday more strictly observed. In many of its cities all tram -cars cease running on the day of rest; and in others, run only out of church time. All public -houses are closed on Saturday evening from seven o'clock until Monday at six a.m. Consequently there is no Sunday drinking, and all the religious services are well attended. The churches are fine buildings, numerous, and well furnislied ; and clergymen of all denominations are looked up to and beloved by their congrega- tions. The Sunday-schools are quite full. A Canadian thinks it as much a duty to maintain his church as his wife and family. The clergy are fairly paid, and generally have a nice residence somewhere near their cliurcli rent free. Every young clergyman has to work up some poor outlying parish, and then has to make himself acceptable to that congregation, before he becomes head of any church. It is no uncommon thing to see pastors of all denominations in Canada on the same plat- form advocating the same good cause, and meeting together in close friendly association, doing God's work with a unity of will one does not always see in the old country. In Canadian cities fire insurance is rather high. On all wood buildings within the cities, where business is carried on, ir Peterborough. m the charge is thirty shillings jjer cent. ; but on private brick or stone-built residences it is about three shillings per cent, per annum. The fire brigade of Toronto is splendidly equipped, and worked on the same system as that of Chicago. The prices of provisions in Toronto in September were : Best cuts of beef, 6d. 3 inferior, 3d. to 4d. per lb. ; lamb, 6d. ; veal, 6d. ; mutton, 5d. to 6d. ; butter, 6d. to 8d. per lb. ; eggs, 6d. per dozen ; raw milk, 3d. per quart ; bread, 7d. to 8d. per 8 lb. loaf; ducks. Is. 6d. per couple; fowls. Is. 3d.; geese, 2s. 6d. ; turkeys, 2s. 6d. to 3s. eacli. From Toronto the ^'anadian-Pacific Railway (certainly one of the best lines in the world for comfort, safety, and con- venience) runs in almost a d rect line to Ottawa, the capital of the Dominion, passing through the midland and eastern counties of Ontario, a district which furnishes most delightful river, lake, and woodland scenery. At Agincourt, which is eighteen miles east of Toronto, the line crosses a branch of the Midland Railroad of Canada, then passing through the villages of Claremont, Myrtle, Pontypool, and Cavanville. Peterborough is reached eighty-seven miles further east, where the Canadian-Pacific again intersects the midland system. Peterborough is a flourishing city, beautifully situated on the Ontonaba river, whose waters are utilized to drive the immense saw mills on its banks. Peterborough is one of the largest and most important lumber markets of Canada. Near this city is situated Stony Lake, a beautiful sheet of water dotted by hundreds of little islands. Leaving Peterborough we pass through the enterprising town of Norwood, and also the villages of Madock, Tweed, Shefl&eld, and Arden. This section of country is very rich in mineral deposits, and a short time ago Madoc township was the scene of considerable excitement, owing to the discovery of gold on the Moira river. Iron raining has long been carried on here, but want of railway accommodation hitherto has pre- vented its development. Now that the Canadian-Pacific line is Ibliaf) \ ' 62 Canada, • ail'! J I completed, an impetus will be given to this branch of trade. At Sharbot lake the Canadian-Pacific Eailway connects with the Kingston and Pembroke line running from Kingston, called the "Limestone City of Canada," northward to the upper Ottawa river. Sharbot is noted for its beautiful scenery • and excellent fishing in the river. Here I changed to the Kingston and Pembroke Railway for Kingston, which handsome city is 172 miles distant from Montreal ; and at Kingston I left the train and continued my journey by water, in a steamer belonging to the Ontario Navigation Company. In order to reach the steamer, I drove by omnibus into the city, distant about a mile. The best hotel here — the British American — is situated at the corner of King and Clarence Streets, and was completely remodelled during the autunni of 1883. The terms are moderate, as at all the hotels in Canada, and the accommodation good. The steamer Corsican, which leaves Toronto in the afternoon, is due at Kingston early the next morning, thereby enabling tourists to see all the lovely scenery down to Montreal by daylight. Soon after leaving Kingston wo entered that most remarkable collection of isles known as the " Thousand Islands." These islands extend from near Kingston to Brockville, a distance of over fifty miles. This is the most wonderful group of river islands in the world, and consists of about eighteen hundred wooded and rocky islets of every imaginable shape, size, and appearance, varying from mere dots of rocks to some acres in extent, thickly wooded, and of the most charming appearance, with rich foliage right down to the water's edge. At times our steamer passed so close to them tliat a pebble could be Cdst on their shores, and further progress seemed effectually barred; but rounding the points, amid winding channels, the way gradually opened before us; and when again the river seemed abruptly terminated by threatening shores, a channel suddenly appeared, and we were whirled into w^ The " Thousand Islands" 53 a magnificent amphitheatre of lake, bounded by an immense green bank, which as we approached seemed to break ixp mto a hundred little islands. This is a famous spot for sporting, myriads of wild fowl of all descriptions being found here ; but angling is rather a fatiguing pastime, from the great quantity and the size of the fish. On many of these islands summer villas have been erected, and every year adds to the number of visitors whose time is spent in this modern Hesperides, wliich bids fair to become the favourite camping-out ground of the continent. The islands have been the scene of romance. From their great number they afforded admirable retreat for the insurgents in the Canadi.in insurrection of 1837, when the "Patriots," as they were called, sought to overthrow the British rule in Canada. Among these was one man who, from his daring and ability, became an object of anxious pursuit by tlie Canadian authorities. In these solitary retreats he found a safe asylum, under the shadow of night, and was supplied Avith provisions and rowed from one place of concealment to another by his daughter, whose skilful management of her canoe baffled all efforts at capture. There are many Indian legends about these islands. They believe that the " Manitou " — that is, the Great Spirit (and hence their name for the islands) — has forbidden his children to seek for gold; and they tell you that a certain point where it is said to exist in large quantities has never been visited by the disobedient Indian without his canoe being ovewhelmed in a tempest. Opposite the "Thousand Islands," and on the American side, stands the village of Clayton, a delightful place of resort. It contains four churches, a bank, and telegraph offices, also two good hotels. The finest fishing in the river vSt. Lawrence is to be found in the immediate vicinity. Pike, l)lack bass, and pickerel are easily caught there. All lines of steamers stop at Clayton, and Wagner's palace sleeping-cars run through from New York in thirteen hours. u 64 Canada, Alexander Bay is the next spot to be visited. It is much frequented by fishermen. Some two or three miles below this village is a point from which a hundred islands can be seen at one view. "We then came to Brockville, 125 miles from Montreal It is on the Canadian side, and is one of the prettiest towns in Canada. The population is about 7900. Prescot, a town of 5000 inhabitants, passed, a few miles further down the river the descent of the Gallopes Rapid is made — the first rapid reached. Another is passed almost immediately, called Rapid de Plat. Continuing our journey we came to Marritsburg, on which is situated Chrysler's Farm, where in 1813 a battle was fought between the English and Americans. Then wo arrived at Long Sault, where the increasing swiftness of the current of the river warned us that we were about to enter the remarkable and justly-celebrated rapids of the St. Lawrence. "Shooting the Rapids " (as this portion of the voyage is called) is most exciting, and must be experienced to be fully appreciated. The Long Sault Rapid is nine miles in length, and is divided in the centre by an island. The passage in the southern channel is very narrow, and such is the velocity of the current that a raft, it is said, will drift the whole nine miles in forty minutes. The first passage down these rapids by a steamer was made in 1840, under the guidance of an Indian named Teronhiahira. The current rushes along at the rate of twenty miles an hour. When the vessel enters the rapid the steam is shut oflF, and she is carried forward by the force of the stream. The surging waters present all the angry appearance of the ocean in a storm, and going downhill produces a highly novel sensa- tion. Making this passage has the excitement of danger, the immensity of which is enhanced to the imagination by the tremendous roar of the headlong boiling stream. Great nerve and precision are necessary to pilot the vessel's head straight; for if she diverged in the least, and presented her broadside to 1^ TJie Rapids. 55 the current, she would be immediately capsized and submerged. Hence the necessity for enormous power over her rudder, to which a tiller is attached in addition to the wheel, while descending these rapids. Some idea of the force necessary to keep the vessel straight and steady may be gathered from the fact that it requires four men at the wheel and two at the tiller to ensure safe steering. In passing the Eapids of the Split Rock, which is distinctly visible from the deck of the steamer, a stranger will almost hold his breath. At one time we appeared to be running directly upon it, and it seemed certain that we should strike ; but skilful hands were at the helm, and in a moment more the danger was left behind. Immediately after clearing these Kapids we passed the ancient village of Laprairie, on the southern shore of the river. This place is interesting from the fact that the first railway in British North America was constructed, in 1836, from here to St. John's. It was originally run by horses, tlien by steam, but has not been used since the construction of the line known as the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railway, now a portion of the Grand Trunk. A ferry plies three times daily from the village to Montreal. "NVe now went under Victoria Bridge, and passed Long Wharf, which prior to the erection of the bridge was used as a railway wharf by the Grand Trunk Railway. We were then directly opposite the city of Montreal, the commercial metropolis and the most important centre in the Dominion, and destined, I believe, to rival in population and prosperity some of the overgrown cities; of the Old World. In order to avoid the Rapids — the natural barriers in ascending the river to the great water connnunication between Montreal and the West — a series of magnificent canals have been constructed at the expense of the government, of ample dimensions to allow the largest steamers to ascend. Montreal, the capital of the Dominion of Canada (or at least its most important towi . called by the Canadians the "Commercial Metropolis"), is bituated on the southern shore m 56 Canada. of an island bearing the same name, and at the base of a beautiful eminence known as Mount Koyal, from which both the city and island derive their names. Its population is 150,000. The island is about thirty miles in length by ten in breadth, and is formed by the river Ottawa, debouching into the St. Lawrence at its western and eastern extremities. It is famed for the fertility of its soil, and is frequently called the " Garden of Canada." The site of the city was first visited by Jacques Cartier in 1535, and he found a village of Indians near the foot of the mountain. He landed a short distance below the city, at a point still known by the name of the Indian village, Hochelaga ; and when he readied the top of the mountain, to which he was guided by the Indian chief Doma- cona, he was so struck by the magnificent outlook, that he named it, in honour of his master, the Koyal Mount. In 1779, when Canada was conquered by the British, Montreal had a population of 4000 souls, and the streets were narrow and houses low. T\;o or three of the streets still retain their primitive buildings and narrow paths, and remind one strongly of the quaint old Norman towns of Eouen and Caen. Growth has been exceedingly rapid ; and the view, as seen on approach by steamboat, with Mount Koyal and its pretty villas and tall spires as a background, is most imposing, and for beauty almost unrivalled. The river frontage extends nearly three miles from Victoria Bridge to the village of Hochelaga. At the beginning of the present century vessels of more than 300 tons could not ascend to Montreal. The foreign trade was carried on by small brigs and barges, and the freight and passengers were landed upon a low muddy beach. In 1809 the first steam vessel, called the Acconimodaiion^ built by the Honourable John Molson, made a trip to Quebec. She had berths for about twenty passengers. Behold the advance that fifty years of industry, intelligence, enterprise, and labour have produced ! Ocean steamers of over 5000 tons come right alongside the wharves and discharge. Montreal has good hotel 1' I li Montreal. accommodation. I stayed at that most comfortable hotel — the St. Lawrence Hall — kept by Mr. Henry Ho^^an, an Irishman. I believe nearly all the servants are Irish also, and everything is beautifully clean, the cooking homely, and the food excellent; charges, 12s. per day. It is situated close to the Post-office, Bank of Montreal, and Canadian Pacific Kailway Offices, all magnificent buildings, not to be surpassed in any country. The Bank of Montreal is built of cut limestone in pure Corinthian style. On the slope of the mountain above Sher- brooke Street stands McGill College, while lower down, in University Street, is the Museum of the Natural History Society, where one can study the zoology and ornithology of Canada; and to a follower of Isaac Walton, the Curator will give at any time practical information respecting its fishing- grounds. The English Episcopal Cathedral, in St. Catherine Street, is by far the most perfect sjiecimen of Gothic architecture in Canada. The streets are studded with churches — Roman Catholic, I*resbyterian, Wesleyan, and Episcopalian. A new Roman Catholic Cathedral has just been completed, and was opened with great ceremony the day after I arrived here. It is very magnificent, built after the same design as St. Peter's at Rome, and is 333 feet long on the outside, and 295 feet inside; the transepts are 216 feet in width, and the dome, supported by four huge stone pillars each 28 feet square, is 256 feet in height. The building is to be heated by hot water, and the grounds around are to be ornamented with statues and fountains. Mr. Victor Bourgeau (the architect) made a special voyage to Europe for the purpose of studying old St. Peter's, of which the portico, dome, and interior are exact imitations. Returning from the mountain, I visited the Grey Nunnery, founded in 1642. This fine edifice covers an immense area, and the chapel and wards are visited by thousands of people every year. The reservoirs on the mountain side are an r-'i :i .•) 58 Canada. w if ■ ill' ■ S» ! Iff m interesting sight. From these the city is supplied -svith pure water, which is taken from the St. Lawrence, about a mile and a half above the Lachine Kapids, where the elevation of the river surface is considerably above that of the harbour of MontreaL The wheel-house, at the termination of the aqueduct, is worthy of notice. The water is admitted to and discharged from this structure through a submerged archway under covered frost-proof passages, extending above and below the building. There are two iron wheels 20 feet in diameter and 20 feet broad, with enormous auxiliary steam-engines. The reservoir is excavated out of the solid rock, and is separated by a division wall into two parts. The depth is 25 feet, and the water surface over 90,000 s(piare feet, and 206 feet above the harbour. The length is 623 feet, and the width 173 feet, and the capacity about ir),000,000 gallons. The whole waterworks cost about £400,000 sterling. I cannot pass on without a few words about Stephen- son's wonderful tubular bridge over the St. Lawrence. This bridge is a fine structure, and reflects great credit on the designer and builder. The tubes through which the trains pass rest upon twenty-four piers, and are about a mile and a quarter long. The piers are all at a distance of 242 feet, excepting the two centre ones, which are further apart, and upon these rests the centre tube, which is 60 feet above the summer level of the river. The foundations of the masonry are twenty feet below the water, and the stones used averaged about 10 J tons in Aveight. The whole masonry work is laid in hydraulic cement in the proportion of two parts sand to one part cement, the backing being in common mortar. The piers are calculated to resist a pressure of 70,000 tons. The total cost was £160,000 sterling. The bridge gives Montreal unbroken railway communication, the value of which cannot be estimated. A very pleasant drive to Lachine interested me much ; for from the road on the banks of the St. Lawrence I could see -T Compton. • the steamers dcscemUng tlio mpidH. On a mountain at St. Hilary, a point on tho river beyond tho i.sland of Montreal, and eighteen miles by train from tho city, are the ruins of a chapel, the road up to which is marked liy wooden crosses, having inscriptions referring to our Saviour's journey to Calvary. From the ruins, 1400 feet a1)ovo tho river, there is a splendid panoramic view of tlie cotmtry for sixty miles around. On a rock near tho summit is tho Iroipiois Hotel, kept in first-class stylo l)y Cami)l)i'll Brothers, and near by is a beautiful little lake, three miles in circumference, found in the hollow of tlio mountain, where tisbing, boating, and bathing may be enjoyed to the heart's content. Leaving Montreal and its attractions I tr;i\elled l)y Grand Trunk Railway about 105 miles to Compton, to visit the farm of the Hon. "Walter Cochrane. Starting from tlie railway depot at 7.45 a.m. I crossed the Victoria Lridge, and for the first part of my journey travelled through a rather unin- teresting country, but from Sherbrooke to Richmond tho scenery was of the most charming description, scarcely to bo surpassed, blending as it did bold hills and rivers, whose banks were clothed with trees down to the water's edge. In the distance we saw the towering IJlue Mountains, looking very grim in the early morning light. In four hours Richmond was reached, a most charming little town or village, where travellers change for Quebec, and another half-hour brought us to Compton Station, when, I was met by young ^Ir. Cochrane with a w.aggonette and fine pair of Canadian-bred horses, over 16 hands high. Twenty minutes' drive through the village of Compton, and over a good shaded road, brought us to Compton House. After partaking of a substantial lunch, in company with the owner and his family, a handsome cob of about 14 hands was placed at my disposal for the remainder of the day j and accompanied by young Mr. Cochrane I pro- ceeded to inspect the pedigree and other cattle on the property. Tho estate extends over 1800 acres of line land, mostly in h i m 60 Canada. '(.;' 1 i0^^ r' 1 r 1 r'l. I « {j'rass ; for !^[r. Cochrane is a great believer in stock-raising as the most profitable kind of farming. We visited the cattle that were preparing for show at the exhibitions about to bo held at Toronto, and also at AFontrcal a few weeks later. There were lovely polled Angusos as l)lack and sleek as one's shoos when fresh from the hands of the shoeblack ; s])lendid red llerefords, with their white faces and level rumps; and also Shorthorns the very perfection of symmetry. I greatly admired them all, and could scarcely tell whi^Ji breed carried ofif the palm, though young Mr. Cochrane seemed rather to favour the polled Angus, a famous Scotch breed, now in great request in the United States and Canada. Mx. Cochrane informed mo that his father had received for the offspring of one imported Shorthorn cow no less a sum than ir)0,000 dollars. lie sold two yomig bulls at Toronto State Fair two years following for 20,000 dollars each. We next inspected the ordinary cattle on the farm, i.nd I must say that a better lot I never saw in any country in one owner's hands. All of them were level, well -shaped, fine animals, and likely to fetch remunerative [)ricos from breeders or butchers. However, very few of the Compton herd will go for sale to the latter, as this farm is entirely devoted to rearing improved stock of best jiedigree breeds, selected in England with great care and judgment by Mr. Cochrane and his son, Avho frequently come over for that purpose. We then visited the horses and colts. It may be important to notice that the Canadian farmers sell their live cattle and sheep by weight and not by guess, as we do in England. Every farmer of any means has on his estate a weighbridge conveniently situated, and those who cannot aflFord to purchase one, send their cattle and produce to the nearest town or village, where their goods are weighed for them. They also as much as possible bring themselves into conmiunication with the consumer, and deal directly with him, instead of employing the middle-mai' as in this country. T"^ Quebec. m Respecting the crops on the farm I may truly say that I liavo never seen finer in tlio old country. Forty bushels of wheat, forty bushels of barley, and fifty bushels of oats, are the averages for this season, if the yielding is (iqual to the straw. And as for mangels and swedes the croi)s were splendiil, and the second cut of clover a sight to behold. I found on this farm, as is frccpicntly the case in Canada, that the orchards, although laden with fruit, had been cropped with oats. Thirty bushels of oats and twelve hogsheads of cider Iter acre is not bad for one year. Canadian farmers say orchards bear better and heavier crops for being cultivated and manured, and the corn crop well repays for the labour. After four most enjoyable hours on horseback I had some tea, and immediately after returned to Montreal, where I arrived at 10 p.m., having spent one of the pleasantest and most instructive days that I ever remember. I may mention that in aihUtion to his valuable farm at Compton Mr. Cochrane has a large interest in the Cochrane ranche in Alberta, British Colundjia, where the company have over 1000 cattle and a large number of horses. Taking the Grand Trunk Railway from Richmond I pro- ceeded to Quiibec, and arriving at the city depot went to the St. Louis Hotel, kept l)y the Russel Hotel Company. This hotel, situated in the principal thoroughfare of the city, St. Louis Street, is surroumlcd by the most fashionable promenades, and here a traveller will find himself so comfortable that he will be tempted to pay oft-repeated visits to this quaint old city. Quebec, until recently the capital of United Canada, is built on the northern shore of the St. Lawrence, and was founded by Champlain in 1608, on the site of an Indian village. It is the second city in the province, has a population of nearly 70,000 inlial)itants, and is the great seaport town of Canada. The people are mostly of French descent, and have preserved their original language, religion, and customs. The principal street in the lower town is St. Peter's, in which most of the 1 'J 1 ! 11 i. p«liii I JIU 62 Canada. w biinks, insurance companies, and merchants' offices are situated. The fur trade of Quebec is very large, and has for many years employed many thousands of dollars of cai)ital and hundreds of men. Cape Diamond, on which the citadel is situated, covers an area of forty acres, and is strongly fortified. Until the past few years there were five gates to the city. The Esplanade is a beautiful piece of ground, situated between D'Auteuil Street and the ramparts. The Roman Catholic Cathedral, which fronts upon the upper town, is very large and commodious, but with no architectural beauty. The interior is handsomely fitted up, and has several valuable paintings. The Cathedral will seat 4000 persons, and has a very fine organ. There is an English Cathedral between Garden Street and St. Ann Street, and several English churches. The Cathe.■_ I! Ill 68 Canada. be — Breakfast at eight, lunch at one, and dinner at seven, I give the menu of the dinner on September 4th : Saturday September 4th, 1886. i m. a MENU". Soup. Maigre, Fish. Lake Superior Trout Boiled, HoUandaise Sauce. Entree. French Meat Pie. Roast. Sirloin of Beef, Worcestershire Gravy. Spring Lamb, Mint Sauce. Vegetablbs. Steumed and Mashed Potatoes, Stewed Carrots, Cabbage. Entremets. Baked Tapioca Pudding, .Jersey Cream, Apple Pie, Lemon Pie. Dessert. Apples, Antelope Melon, Honey in Comb. Japan Tea, Black Tea, Java Coffee and Cream. 1 This was three shillings, and wine, spirits, and beer were charged at fairly moderate prices. The steward, or, as he would be called in England, the conductor, carries on his travelling restaurant with a working staff of two cooks and two waiters, the dining-car conductor acting as butler of the establishment. FolloAving this dining-car comes the sloeping-coach, con- structed Avith six sections on each side, with an aisle through The Journey. 69 rcn. le. ivero the ting ctor con- ugh the middle dividing one side from the other. At night the seats form under-berths, whilst the upper-berths are pulled down from the side of the carriage. A leather curtain falling over both gives privacy to the sleepers. One coach accommo- dates twenty-six persons, and at either end toilet-rooms and bath-rooms, etc., are provided. At the rear of the train is a largo open apartment, with a good outlook from the back, which the passengers can use as a smoking-room, and enjoy the view as they move along. The conductors, guards, and waiters are most civil and obliging, and inform the passengers when they are about to pass the most attractive pieces of scenery, warning them when it is necessary to rise early to see them. The outfit of the sleeping-coaches is changed about half-way at Winnipeg, and clean supplied for the remaining half of the journey. Starting from Ottawa, with the lights of the capital receding from view, next morning tinds the troin at Pembroke, an apparently rising place, with the best of water communication. The Ottawa river is here lost sight of for a time, but reappears some miles further on, at the picturesque little station of Mackey. The country between can scarcely bo called interest- ing, having been apparently devastated by bush fires ; in fact, all the way until Lake Superior is reached the prospect consists chiefly of tall charred poles of tamarack or spruce springuig from a verdant carpet of second growth. At Eau Claire, 330 miles from Montreal, some pretty lakes form the first picturesque stretch of scenery, ai, d a ff w miles further on the scene is again varied by settlementb "lound Callender. Parsing Korth Bay, where the dining-car is put on for breakfast, the railway skirts for some miles the northern shore of Lake i^epissing, and then again striking to the north-west, enters the valley of Vermilion river, which certainly deserves more than a passing notice. The tors and peaks, covered to the crest with lovely foliage, between which the river runs, remind one somewhat of the well-known Peak of Derbyshire; and 1 I !1 1 it 1* ■ i 70 Canada. R ,«i down below is the swiftly-flowing river, whose rapids and falls can be seen as we follow its course. A striking feature is the peculiar variety of vegetation, as if the forest had been laid out by human hands. For some time nothing appears on either side of the track but tamarack, which is suddenly changed, as if by the wand of the magician, to the tall white stems of the birch. These may continue for a mile, and in their turn give place to poplar, beech, and maple (called the "emblem tree" of Canada); and then the train will run for a mile between birch on one side and spruce on the other, the division being as distinctly marked as if it were the work of man. Soon after passing Cartier, the line follows for about sixteen miles the course of the Spanish river, of which charm- ing glimpses are obtained; deep and dark from the over- hanging foliage, and fringed with rushes, with occasional rapids and swift stretches. This must be an angler's paradise. It may be well to mention that a traveller by the Canadian- Pacific can commit notes to paper with perfect ease and legi- bility while running at the rate of thirty miles an hour, so evenly-ballasted is the road. There is certainly monotony on some portions of the line, particularly between the Bircotasing and Chapleau. Chapleau passed, however, to the south can be seen a beautiful chain of lakes, increasing in size until they terminate at Windermere — a very formidable rival in beauty to its famous namesake in England. The prospects to the angler are fine, but to the farmer none whatever. Having passed the celebrated " Pic " trestle-bridge, a sudden bend brings us to the shore of Lake Superior. The magnificent scenery that bursts upon the traveller at every turn can never be adequately described. Lake Superior in its immensity lies stretched out some hundred feet below, and on the opposite shore a perpendicular wall of rock rises at least 200 feet. Scarcely has the eye time to take in the situation, when the train plunges into a tunnel in the granite rock, and emerging ^^^m Lake Superior. 71 from it at the rate of thirty-five miles an liour, sweeps over the ravine and round mere ledges of rock at great altitudes above the lake, and occasionally descending, rapidly skirts the shingly beach. It is an experience not easily forgotten to stand on tlie rear platform of the train while traversing this portion of the route. The numerous curves give one the feeling of riding on the tail of an immense snake, but with such smoothness as to dissipate all feeling of danger. Remarking to the guard that it was rather reckless to run at such a high speed, he smiled and said, " I guess we have never had no wreck yet." I was informed that the water of Lake Superior is so clear that the bottom can be seen at a depth of sixty feet. After crossing the Nepigon river and passing the pretty little Hudson Bay Post, the lake is lost sight of for a while ; but immense bluffs succeed each other, much resembling those near the Hudson, only on a larger scale. Hudson Bay Post is an important trading station, Ui'S miles from Montreal We then crossed the Wolf Run and Big Sturgeon river, and the line bending in a south-westerly direction towards Thunder Bay, on the north-western side of the lake, we felt the brisk southerly wind coming over the great freshwater sea, rolling white -cap breakers in upon the shore. This gre.at Lake Superior (the largest body of fresh water in the world — 360 miles long, covering a space of 32,000 square miles, with a coast line of 1500 miles, and an average depth of 1000 feet, and with its surface 630 feet above the level of the ocean) can, upon small provocation, produce even worse storms than the Atlantic. Our next stopping -place wjxs Port Arthur, one of the most beautifully -situated Canadian towns. Its stores and hotels would do credit to a place twice its size. Here at Fort William is the Canadian -Pacific's largest grain elevator, having a capacity of 1,350,000 bushels; and at Port Arthur is another of 400,000 bushels. The construction of a third elevator being contemplated is an evidence of the immense quantity of grain grown in the fields of Manitoba. 72 Canada. \ \ 1 K \'- im \ ii West of Port Arthur tlie soil appears to be very similar to that ill the Nepissiii*,' district — tamarack, spruce, and i)oplar pi-edominating. On Sunday morning we reached Winnipej:^, and tho sound of cliurch-going bells greeted our ears. Fashionably-attired citizens met our view, and the fine buildings, M'ide stroiits, etc., would shame many an older city ; for what wixs Winnipeg twelve years agol We hear of "roughing it" in ^Janitoba. I saw no instances where such a term was applic'dth;. Tho city of Winnipeg is 1423 miles from Montreal, and just 430 from Port Arthur, and is built on the prairie at Ihe confluence of the Ked and Assiniboin rivers, al)t)ut fifty miles south of Iiako Winnipeg, and ninety miles north of the United States boundary. The main street is 132 feet wide, well paved with wood, and has broad side-walks, with good buildings on either side. Along this street the city extends for two miles, and in a few years the number of inhabitants has increased to 30,000. All the lending Canadian banks have branches here, with imposing offices, and there are many stoves and other hand- some buildings. The sulnirlts, particularly along the beautiful shores of tho Assiniboin, have attractive villas, where tho wealthier citizens reside. At the rate new building is going on, and the older wooden buildings being reiilaced by white brick or stone (both plentifully produced in the neighbour- liood), Winnipeg should in a few years become one of tho most attractive of Canadian cities. Everybody is busy and anxious to make money, and fabulous fortunes were made here by tho great advance in the prices of lands during the recent "Boom" which followed tho advent of the Canadian-Pacific Railway. The numerous and hand- some shops show that trade is brisk ; for they are filled with varied assortments of the newest goods from Paris and London. There is a good club, called the " Manitoban," modelled after the best London standard, supplying a capital dinner, with two joints and vegetables, for half-a-crown. ■w Winnii^eg. 73 Somo of tlio retail pricos of Winnipog niny l)o of intcn-st : Good cuts of bi'cf, G(l. per 11).; socoivl, 3(1. to 4tl. ; mutton, Hd. ; pork, 5tl. ; ham, Gd. to 7i .V 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ,^ L<*/ IS 74 Canada. and the skies so clear, that people do not sufifer from cold more than in the North of England or Scotland. It is the fate of all new countries to be traduced, either through ignorance or malice, and often by both ; indeed, judg- ing from the past history of the world, this seems to be the natural order of things. Every new country in turn has been either too hot or too cold, all sand or all swamp, when first discovered; yet when actual settlement has been made, the new land has been found to very much resemble the old. But, of course, whilst the new settlers in new countries have been discovering all this, the people in the old have still remained in a state of blissful ignorance, satisfied with the tales of the first discoverers. So it was when the Anglo-Saxons first sent their ships across the seas to all parts of the world, dropping settlers here and there on many an unknown shore. They caught the traducing fever, and the thought of being exiled to that " horrid country, America," was dreadful to the mind of the average Briton. Happily there were and are many Britons above the average ; men who, undismayed by timorous and mendacious tro.vellers, have sought this new land, and found it so great, so wonderful, and so productive, that in less time than it took a village in England to become an incorporated town, they founded one of the mightiest empires in the world. In Canada too this phase of history has merely repeated itself; for when the emigrant first landed on the shores of [N'ova Scotia, he was informed that Quebec was a rough kind of a place to settle in, and nothing to compare with Nova Scotia. And as the Quebec province filled up, and the tide of migration rolled westward, Ontario province was vilified in turn and labelled the "land of eternal snow," where nothing could be raised but potatoes. Then came the turn of Manitoba, and she received even a worse character than any one of the other provinces, many going out of their way to prove that the North-West was nothing but a vast unproductive, waterless Manitoba. 75 desert, a " land of eternal snow " and something more, wbere farming would be impossible, and into which only the daring fur-trader might penetrate. One by one the old slanders respecting this province have been refuted, and now it stands in the proud position of being the greatest wheat-producing country in the world, with agricultural capabilities second to none, with excellent and ever -increasing means of trans- portation, with rapidly -growing towns and cities almost in- numerable, and with fertile plains dotted over with homesteads, the rich productive soil yielding glorious harvests of golden grain to fill hungry mouths in the overcrowded countries of Europe. Gradually but surely these illusions respecting the North- West are being dispelled, and the people of the Old Country are beginning to learn that the Manitobans do not wander about from year's end to year's end clad in furs, with a chunk of pemmican in each pocket, but are very much like themselves in manners and customs — that, in fact, they have established in their Western home the social conditions they left behind. In course of time they will learu that the conditions of public and social life are as strictly observed in Winnipeg as in any city of the Dominion ; that social pleasures and pastimes are also to be found there ; in short, that life in Manitoba and in Winnipeg is not tantamount to being exiled, but that in going there the emigrant or traveller will find the home-circle as bright and cheerful, and the public and social amenities as strictly observed, as at home in England. Twenty years ago, indeed, Winnipeg's social and sporting life was in a somewhat primitive condition, which is not to be wondered at when we know that the white population was exceedingly scanty, and consisted for the most part of employes and ex-employes of the Hudson Bay Company. No organised movement in the way of founding clubs was made until the arrival of the fled River Expedition in 1870; and from that time dates the growth of nearly all the local, social, and sporting institutions. The progress made may be judged by the establishment of a large H 1 i m _^:*»L Canada. number of clubs of various kinds, including Snow-shoe, Cricket, Baseball, Lacrosse, Football, Curling, Lawn-tennia, Tobogganing, and Boxing Clubs, as v/ell as Kacing, Bicycle, Gun, and other Associations. In the way of amusements, there is an ample supply, amongst them being the Princess Opera House, Victoria Hall, Trinity Hall, the Royal Ice Rink, Grand Roller Rink, Victoria Gardens, and the Grand Race Park of eighty acres, with a splendid race track of exactly one mile in circum- ference. In the summer meeting, July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1886, 3500 dollars were offered for competition, and drew sixty entries; whilst at the fall meeting, held at the end of September, a 5000 dollar prize list was offered, and drew together over seventy good horses, a larger number than on any previous year. The future prospects of the Winnipeg Turf Club are therefore promising, and the gentlemanly con- duct of the committee adds much to its popularity. It is a matter for congratulation that the lower class of amusements, such as variety theatres, dancing-halls, &c., are conspicuous by their entire absence, although efforts have been made at various times to introduce them. It is probaVjly owing to the absence of these vicious and vitiating institutions that the Manitobans find their 'ogitimate organizations so numerous and active. My readers may gathe.^ from this brief account how the Winnipegans live and amuse themselves. This vast prairie province of Manitoba is destined to make the fortune of Canada, and rule the future wheat markets of the world, as the pasture province of Alberta may some day rule the cattle and horse markets. It is calculated that this immense level prairie, stretching from. Winnipeg to the Rocky Mountains, with its millions of acres of land, has space suf- ficient and fertility enough to support 20,000,000 people. Resuming our journey westward from Winnipeg, after travelling over fifty-six miles of monotonous prairie, we came to the town of Portage la Prairie, with its 2000 inhabitants. The country for some distance around is good farming land. Corn Farming. 77 The farmers live in substantial houses, and have extensive reed- thatched barns and cattle-sheds. The whole country seems to be under cultivation, and a system of rotation of crops is followed. The land is being fencorl, nnd has the appearance of an old settlement. There is an Tnd' n Sioux village near by. Large elevators have been erected for the storage of grain awaiting sale ; and a brewery also flourishes, which sells its beer faster than it can produce it, showing (as the people there say) the progress of the inhabitants. I have a friend who owns a farm here, and he informed me that his wheat crop this past year averaged 40 bushels to th.s acre on 200 acres, and weighed from 62 to 65 lbs. per bushi^ The wheat grown was Xo. 1 hard, which yields the best floi r known. The price at present delivered on the elevators is 3s. 2|d. per bushel. The cost of production my fric To give some idea of what is meant by 1,000,000 square ■»:i!. liil fll 86 Canada. miles, I may state that this represents an area more than eight times the size of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland put together. In the British Isles, however, there are nearly 40,000,000 people, whereas in Canada there are less than 5,000,000 ; in other words, the population of Canada is much the same as that of London. Canada then has room for some of the population which Britain can so well spare. It is in need of a frugal, industrious people, who will till its vast unoccupied lands and gather in the fruits which it yields. Idlers and drunkards must not go there, because the coimtry is in need only of thrifty workers. Those too who wish to get rich without labour had better seek some other field for emigration. But the sober, industrious man is wanted there, and will prosper. The man of capital is wanted there, and may do well. And the strong and healthy have no need to fear the climate. The question most naturally asked in connection with the North-West is, What advantage or inducement does it offer to settlers 1 One of the greatest inducements is that grants of land ■".rithin convenient dii^tance of the railway may be obtained free from the Goveriuixent, or at very cheap rates from the Canadian-Pacific Kailway. These may be selected from the richest prairie land, at the choice of the settler. No clearance of timber is required. There is no severe labour with the axe, nor any occasion to wait for years in order that tree stumps may rot, to facilitate their removal. The prairie sod can be laid under a plough for the first time and a crop harvested, all within the space of the first twelve months. ' After travelling some time in the North- West, I have come to the conclusion that it will bo settled up from Winnipeg westward, and from Calgary eastward, round the principal towns and settlements on the way out. One portion which I ^:i>ilft.'?. Alberta. 87 I considered very attractive for immediate settlement is that lying between the C^^ress Hills and the Canadian-Pacific Railway. It is well watered and timbered on the hills, and is a very beautiful section. The soil also appears very rich. Judging intending settlers by myself, I do not think that the immense plains which I crossed will be taken up till the more favourable places are occupied, although the land is all good and fit for farming purposes. On looking at the position of this territory one can see how favoured the district of Alberta is, with its thirty millions of acres of the best soil and its beautifvd scenery. The high lands look just like mountains with their tops cut off. One never loses sight of the Rockies in the distance, and these momitains are heavily timbered. This splendid district has hundreds of lakes, and a great number of small streams traverse it in every direction. With Calgary for its great centre on the Canadian-Pacific, it will have a market for all its produce, either in the east, or in the future mining and lumbering centres of British Columbia and the Pacific sea- board. Nothing in connection Avith the North- West is perhaps more misapprehended at home than the nature of its climate. Old notions, and particularly wrong ones, remain very firmly fixed in the mind, and the idea which, up to fifteen or twenty years ago, was very prevalent in England, that the North- West of Canada was a dreary, desolate region, only suitable as a habi- tation for arctic animals, still lingers in the minds of many people, not only in Devonshire, but in all parts of England. It is perfectly true that in the region I speak of it is hotter in summer and colder in winter than here ; but we must bear in mind tliat the air of Manitoba and the North- West is usually much drier than that of the British Isles. Looking at the matter froia a physical point of view, then, it is easy to understand how the dwellers in the North- West can endure a winter temperature which in our own moist climate >IM :!i:i '.f "i :i ■ 88 Canada. would be intolerable. The dryness of the atmosphere is their protection. Moreover, the frost which locks up the land for months in winter is really a serviceable friend to the prairie farms. The moisture which permeates the soil expands in the act of freezing, and this causes a very slight separation amongst the particles of ploughed earth, so that when the thaw comes they fall apart in a desirable state for tillage, which it is almost impossible to bring about by any agricultural implement. Frost is a good servant to farmers, and one that works without pay. At home a winter without frost is regarded by tillers of arable land, especially of heavy clay soils, as a misfortune. They know well that it means much extra work on their fallow lands for both men and horses, and that with all their pains they cannot produce anything like the result frost will bring about. Thus the climate of the prairie is much more genial than is generally supposed, and excellently adapted for farming purposes. To persons in good health, moreover, it is most enjoyable. At the same time I should not advise weak or delicate people to go there, as they might find it too bracing. Speaking of the climate of Canada generally, I may add that in summer the heat is considerable, but not oppressive, for the fresh clear air dissipates all feeling of weariness, and the tem- perature on the highlands and lakes is always agreeable. The winter, though longer and more severe than in England, is not so trying, as the following testimonies, given me by residents in Canada, will show. A Scotch lady on board the steamer said she would defy anyone to find a more delightful winter climate than she had experienced fifty miles from Winnipeg. A gentleman who, with his wife, had recently passed a Christ- mas in England, said he had then suffered more from the raw damp fogs of London than from the severest cold in Canada. And anotl^or Englishman, resident six years in Canada, said that the damp cold of the English climate is more penetrating I tiJag^T - Climate. 89 than the frosty cold of Canada, where bright skies and dry exhilarating air invigorate the system and make one positively enjoy the winter. It is to be hoped that the Colonial Exhibition has done something towards correcting the false impression that exists about the Canadian climate; and that her fraitfulness and productiveness will become better known. Those seeking health or rest can make no more beneficial and enjoyable trip than across the Atlantic in summer weather in a beautiful steamer ; and then, by the luxurious cars of the Canadian- Pacific Railway, through a country unsurpassed for extent and magnificence of scenery, and inhabited by a hospitable English- speaking race. As to personal health in the Canadian settlements, it is a well-known fact that the Canadian-born sons and daughters of European parents are taller and more robust than their progenitors; and this is seen also in the comparative stature and strength of children from the same parents, some of whom are born in Europe and some in Canada. The cause is doubtless to be found in the superior nutritive qualities of the food grown from rich virgin soil. Even cattle are reported to fatten more rapidly on prairie grass than upon that of the best-cultivated meadow land. It is not unreasonable also to expect greater fecundity. Both parents and children are stronger, and the little ones have less need of the doctor in the most trying period of their lives. This applies likewise to the stock. It is more especitvlly noted in the rich alluvial lands of the North- West, and may perhaps be looked upon as a provision of nature, to promote the peopling of a country naturally fitted to support a large and industrious population. The incident about to be related is cnid to have happened in the vicinity of a village "out West." But "to make a long story short," we shall let the mother tell her experience in her own words, merely remarking that such fecundity is almost unparalleled. wr^ \ T 90 Canada. "I was married at sixteen years of age, and John bought a prairie farm, with a little woodland at one end ; and having built a comfortable little house, we set up housekeeping, with great hopes for prosperity. John had been so used to plough among stumps and rocks in Argenteuil county, that he found breaking up prairie land an easy kind of work. Our house was not large, but as we did not expect a family all at once, it made but little difference. Before a year was over I was brought to bed with triplets, and three lovelier babies couldn't be found in the whole country. We v/ero proud of them, and thought we'd get along. Two years after I became the mother of twins. I could see that John felt a little blue over this. But he would have his little joke, would John. ' Well, Mary,' said he, * you 're not doing any worse anyhow !' Fifteen months after that I bore one child only — a dear little boy. Then we had a glorious family jollification. John for the first time in his life got a little bit the worse. * Ah, Sis,' said he. ' we 've got down to a proper economical basis at last.' " To think that before I was twenty-one years old I should be the mother of six children made me feel very queer, but still I thought I could rear them, although many women at double my age had no larger families than mine; and they throve wonderfully well on the milk of our prairie-fed cows. Two years passed by, and I again became a mother. This time, to our astonishment, it was twins again. Poor John felt very much down in the mouth, but it was more in sorrow than in anger. Says he, 'Mary, this is awful!' These two were a lovely boy and girl, and their cute little ways inspired us with fresh hope in our new world. I opened a little shop in the village growing up around us. John worked the farm heartily, and everything went on smoothly for about a year and a half, when I was again brought to bed of twins. " This broke John all up, and he went on a spree for three weeks. * Old woman,' said he, * I can't support the whole country ! ' Well, I soothed and sobered him, and he got to A Bemarkable Family. 91 working again. During the next ten years I had but six children, single births only. John and I began to feel very much encouraged. *Ah, Sis,' says he, 'we won't have much of a family after all.' Three years then passed away without any addition; but in my thirty-eighth year I presented my amazed husband with another pair of twins. 'Mother,' says he, ' this is astonishing ! ' But the older children were working, and we put the best face we could on the matter. Two yearr after, and when I was in my fortieth year, to our unbounded surprise, I bore another set of triplets. This, I think, killed poor John. Yes, sir, he's dead; dead ten years ago this coming June. 'Mother,' says he, 'I think I've lived long enough.' " This remarkable woman is fifty years of age, hale, hearty, and well-preserved. Her parents came from Scotland, marrying and settling in Canada in early life. Her husband was of Irish descent. His parents also emigrated to Canada when quite young, and neither family had more than the ordinary number of children, and neither twins nor triplets. "Yes," said the good lady, "we did after a while have trouble to find the right kind of names for the babies. First it was easy enough, but after we had used up all our family names we were bothered a good bit. I used to have the neighbours oc*.^ in, and have a good time thinking of names. But one day John got an almanac, which had in it a long list of boys' and girls' names, and then we were all right. Of my children eleven were boys and ten were girls. All are living but one, who was run over by a runaway team when she was three jears old and killed. You see I had so many little things running around at a time that it was hard for me to look after them all. All the rest of my family are hearty and well, and ten of my boys and nearly all my girls being married, will bo on good Manitoban farms of their own, I hope, before I die." A few words may be acceptable about the Mounted Police gfe - 92 Canada. of the prairie. Really these police, as they are called, are a corps of horse-soldiers, and it is their duty to enforce the law and see that peace is preserved, over a district stretching from the Manitoban boundary 750 miles westward, and from the United States boundary 250 miles northward. They wear a bright military uniform, are well mounted on excellent horses, and each carries a carbine, sword, revolver, and cartridge-belt. The officers and men together number less than a tl-ousand, and yet under their care the North- West is absolutely safe, the Indians being particularly impressed by the power wielded by those guardians of the peace of the prairie. All enlistments are made at Fort Osborne, Winnipeg, and applicants must be between twenty-two and forty years of age, active, able-bodied men of sound constitution, and must produce certificates of good character. Each man must agree to serve five years, and there is no chance of buying out. Members of the force are supplied with free rations and free kit, and are boarded and lodged in the police barracks. The rate of pay varies from 50 cents a day (14s. a week), in the first year, to 70 cents a day (£1 Os. 5d. a week), in the fifth year. The duties of the North- West Mounted Police are ofien associated with danger and fatigue, which tax the physical strength severely; but there is a charm about the life which is very fascinating to a strong healthy man ; and some of my younger readers who think of settling down in these regions might like such a five years' introduction before pitching their tents. A man cannot help getting an excellent knowledge of the country during a term of service in the force ; but none of its members are permitted to combine the callings of police- man and farmer. During the last six months of their service they are allowed, upon the Commissioners' recommendation, to make application for a homestead, and everything possible is done to further their interests in that direction, provided their duties have been satisfactorily performed. The Mounted Police. 93 I The head-quarters are at Regina Barracks. Other" centres are at Fort Walsh, Fort Macleod, Calgary, and elsewhere. As the introduction of alcoholic liquors into the North-West is contrary to law, the policemen are charged with the enforce- ment of this regulation. The Governor has power to grant special permits, allowing certain spirits, wine, and beer to be used in special cases only, as in the dining-cars of the Canadian- Pacific Railway for travellers. The Indians give them a good deal of trouble, too, on account of the almost uncontrollable propensity they have for stealing horses. These thieves are generally captured and punished, but often not until the police have had a long and severe ride across the prairie on their track. I may conclude these desultory jottings by saying that after spending, as described, some time in Canada, and travelling thousands of miles north, south, east, and west, I am con- vinced that it is a splendid country for industrious men to emigrate to, and for the tourist to visit to enjoy a holiday. The extensive coast line, good harbours, and water communi- cation by means of lake and river, supjilemented by a most complete railway system, and associated with a fine healthy climate, make it easy to utilize the inexhaustible natural resources of the Dominion, and convey the' products of industry to all parts of the world. I found the inhabitants most hospitable, and ready to afford me all the information at their command ; and I would recom- mend them to offer every inducement to intelligent and striving men of other lands, to assist in developing the boundless capa- bilities of their most prolific country; and to holiday and health-seekers, every facility to enjoy its beautiful climate and delightful scenery. !!'• PLYMOUTH WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, QEORQE STREET. Ai i \ ' !' \, 1 ! Si'.-,w '1I' '~t ' ".\ i%^^ ,4-. ; »,f*:^*^Ti^,'%, ^■■r'^'^y^ '-^ 1 '4^?W'#'^ v-4 A'-" IC ■^■^^^r" m w 1%. ■- >, •fe •Ms