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Partios In want of Mowlni^-Miichines will ploaso tako notioo that we build machines for cvc' y range of work— from the finest Family to the coarsest Manufacturing. We warrant all Machines nincle by us to be equal In every res'iicct to thoi-e of any other maker in America, while our prices are from iili 20 to 30 per cent. less. There is I'l a 'nwn or village in this Dominion that a goodly number of our Sowing-machines cannot be so i i;i ; mil the terms we ofl'er to Agents will pay them better than any other business tliey can enj. i.;e in if there is no Agent in your town or village for our machines, sonil for our terms and sci :;•<) a Ajrcncy. Manj* parties in quite moderate circumsiances have been able to sell a large nvim bet (• Machines, without interfering with their otlier business. Those wlio do not feel quite i'i> •' • > 1 1 rchase a 'gootl Machine are often able, by a little exertion, to sell enoujjh to socuro one U>r tl rutelves without cost. Send for ( .rculars, and Photographs of our Machines, MOAiTREAL -J NOTES OP A RAMBLE THROUGH CAPE HRETON. 87 ••) ES. les for cvo' y ■^f any other i-^-macirnies lier business send for our been able to hose who do ) sell enoiiijh mes. Boon as death's semblance makes weary man's eyes, Sad, sweetly sad, thy notes swelling arise. Wliy dost tliou fly the first streaks of the day ? Why does the coming light chase thee away? Hast thou In daytime, from sorrowing, peace ? Do thy sad thoughts with the bright sunshine cease ? Now breaks nist that •aronetcy. e colonial ty feet in jht; they id twenty ome mor- an island- ;hen eon- a battery NOTES OF A BAMBLE THROUGH CAPE BRETON. 89 •on shore, which mounted 30 largo guns, and was surrounded by a formidable moat. The success of tho colonial troops naturally at- tracted a great deal of attention throughout England. The victory, too, came at a very opportune time for tlie mother country. At the time tho colonists were gaining laurels at Louishourg, the British troops were bo- iug beaten on tho eontinent of Europe. " Wo are making a bonfire for Cape Breton, and thundering for Genoa," wrote Hora«e Walpolo ta one of his friends, " while our army is running away in Flanders." By the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Cape Breton fell once more into the hands of the French, who immediately renewed the for- tifications of Louishourg. At the time the negotiations for this treaty were going on, the French court instructed its envoy to take every care that Cape Breton was re- stored to France, so important was its posi- tion in connection with the trade of Canada and Louisiana. Peace between France and England was not of long duration in those times, and among the great events of the war that ensued was tho capture of Louisbourg by Wolfe and Bo.scawen. Great were the rejoicings when the news of the fall of the " American Dunkirk " reached Englaad. The captured standards were borne in triumph through the streets of Lon- don, and deposited in St. Paul's amidst the roar of cannon and the beating of kettle- drums. From that day to this, Cape Breton has been entirely forgotten by the British Government. Fifty years after the fall of Louisbourg, Lord Bathurst ordered all Ame- rican prisoners to be removed from Halifax to Louisbourg, as a place of safety. After the fall of Louisbourg, its fortifica- tions were razed to the ground ; and a good deal of the stone, as well as all the imple- ments of iron, were carried to Halifax. As the visitor now passes over the site, he can form a very accurate idea — especially if he has a map with him — of the character of the fortifications, and tho large space occu- pied by the town. The form of the batte- ries is easily traced, although covered with sod, and a number of the bomb-proof case- mates, or places of retreat for the women and children in the case of siege, arc still standing. Many rolics, in the shape of shells and cannon-lialls, are to bo picked up amid the ruins. A person who dwells near tho old town told mo that lie had recently dug up an old cellar full of balls. The country surrounding the harbor is exceedingly barren and uninteresting, and the houses, which aro scattered about at distant intervals, are of a poor description ; whilst tho small farms in the vicinity do not appear to be at all productive. Alight- house stands on one of the points at the en- trance of the harbor, w}uch is always open in winter, and easily accessible at all times from the ocean. It is eertainly strange that Louisbourg, notwithstanding its great advantages as a port, should have remained so entirely desolate since it fell into British hands. Whilst other places, without its great natural facilities for trade, and espe- cially for carrying on the fisheries, have grown up, the world has passed by Louis- bourg, and left it in a state of almost per- fect solitude. A few hovels now occuiiy the site of the old town ; a solitary " coast- er," wind-bound, or a little fishing-shallop, is now only to be seen on the waters of the harbor where once vessels of every class rode at anchor. Nothing breaks the silence that prevails, except the roar of the surf on the rocks, or the cry of the sea-gull. Wherever you go in Cape Breton, you coma upon traces of the French. Many of the old names are, however, becoming rapidly corrupted as time passes, and their origin is forgotten. One would hardly re- cognize in " Big Loran " the title of tho haughty house of Loraine. The river Mar- garie, remarkable for its scenery and the finest salmon-fishing in the Maritime Pro- vinces, is properly the Marguerite. Inga- nish was formerly Niganiche. The beauti- ful Bras d'Or, of which I shall speak pre- sently, is still correctly spelled, and so is the Boularderie Island at the entrance of the lake, which is thus named after the marquis to whom it formerly belonged. Port Toulouse — where a canal to connect 90 THE NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. I 51 the ocean with the lake is now in coumo ofconstTuotion — is now known as St. rotor's. Tho present nanio of the iblaud iH an ori- (lence of the French oicupation. yome of those advonlnrouH mariners who have been visiling the waters of the Gulf lor centu- ries, firet gave the name of Cape Breton to tho north-eastern point of the ishmd. It is believed by some w»iters that the Bretons and Basques were the tirst disooverersof the Continent of America. Certainly, it is well known thai, -a 1504, the fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland were prosecuted. In 1517, fifty Castiliau, French and Portu- gese vessels were engaged on the banks at the same time. Many interesting relics arc now and then turned up by the plough in the old settle- mentR. I remember seeing, some years ago, a fine bell which was discovered at Nigani- ehe, and which bore, in accordance with tho custom in France, the following in- scription : " Pour la Parolssede Niganicho jay et6 nommed janne Fracoiso Par Johannis Decaretteet par Frangolsse Vrail Parain et Maraine— la fosse Hvet de St. Malo ma fait An. 1729." With these few referenoes to the past his- tory of the island, I will now proceed to note a few of its present characteristics. Among the features of interest are the collieries, of which there are a large num- ber in Cape Breton. Uii to 1854, the coal mines of the Province were under the sole eontrol of the Mining Association of London, but during that year an arrangement was made between the Nova Seotians and the As- sociation, by which the coal mines, with the exception of certain acres reserved to the latter, were thrown open to capital and enterprise. The result of this arrangement has been most beneficial to the whole Pro- vince, and especially to Cape Breton. There are now at least sixteen mines in operation, and others on the point of being opened, in the island. At Glace iJay and Cow Bay tho raines are most vigorously worked, and a large number of buildings have been erected. The residences of the managers are very fine and commodious edifices. Ar- tificial harbors have been constructed at an enormous cost by enterprising companies, and now shipping of every clasii can anchor wlicre, only tho other day as it were, a ves- Hel of any size was never seen. Tho total quantity of coal raised in Nova Ciootia, in 1865, was 657,256 tons, nearly two-thirds of which came from the Cape Breton mines. During the past two years, tho mines were not so actively worked, and tho quantity of coal raised was somewhat less. Up to 1866, operations were carried on with great vigor, and there was every prospect of a new era in tlic commercial history of the island ; but the repeal of the Keciprocity Treaty produced a very injurious ofl'ect on tho trade. The principal mines are carried on with American oa])ilal, and all of them find their chief market in the United States. It is to be hoped that the people of Quebec and Ontario will bo induced to become large consumers of the coal of Cape Breton, which cannot now find a remunerative sale in the American market. If the coal trade was vigorously carried on, the prevalent dullness would soon disappear. To the lover of nature, tho island afl'ords a large fund of amusement. For variety of beautiful scenery, the Bras d'Or cannot be surpassed in British America. You will see all the attractive features of the Hudson and St. Lawrence Rivers as you pass over the magnificent lake which, from its great size, is deserving of being called a sea. The air was hushed and still as I took my seat, on a summer morning, in the little- steamer that plies weekly between Sydney and "Whycocomagh, at the head of the lake. The sun was just scattering the morning mist and revealing the fine farms that sur- round the harbor. The water was undis- turbed except by the ripple from the paddles of the boat. In an hour's time we had left the harbor and passed into the Little Bras d'Or, one of two arms that lead into the lake. This arm is very narrow in many places, and resembles a beautiful river. It is full of the most delightful surprises, for yon would think yourself perfectly land- locked, when suddenly you would see a little opening, and find yourself, in less than a NOTES OF A RAMBLE TIIROUOH CAPE BRETON. 91 ft companioH, Hi can anchor L were, a ves- 1. Tho total )va e!ootia, in ly two-thirds 3rtton mines. mines were .ho fiuantitv less. Up to )n with great irospeet of a istory of the Keciprocity ous ofl'ect on IS are carried I all of them fuited States, e of Quebec to become Dape Breton, iierative sal* lie coal trade le prevalent ^land affords For variety d'Or cannot :. You will the Hudson )u pass over im its great illed a sea. IS I took my a the little- een Sydney of the lake, le morning BS that sur- was undis- the paddles we had left Little Bras d into the w in many il river. It irprises, for 3ctly land- l see a little less than a minntc, shooting into a largo bay. The banks wore wooded to tho very water's edge; whilst shady roads wound down, in most perplexing fashion, to some rude wharf, whore was moored a lishcrman's boat or coasting schooner. Fine farms were to be seen on all sides, and, now and then, we caught a glimpse of a tall white spire. By and by, wo passed within a stone's-throw of a lofty islet, wooded so deeply that the branches kissed tho very water. Anon, we shot out into the Great Bras d'Or itself, where the waves were much higher ; in fact, at times they were apt to become a little too boisterous for comfort. Far to the northward we could catch glimpses of tho highlands, which terminate in tho pro- monitories of Cape North and Cape St. Lawrence. We soon came to Bedeqne, or Baddeck, as it is now commonly spelt, the principal village on the lake, which is only a collection of a few houses, set down with- out reference to order. We spend two hours more on tho lake, and then come to Whyeo- comagh, a little Scotch settlement, situated on a prettily sequestered bay. Here the tourist can lind an hour's amu.scmont in visiting a cave of marble, comprising seve- ral chambers, in which a man can stand erect. The marble is said to be of good quality, though it has not yet been worked. Whilst at Whycocomagh, I found the peo- ple considerably interested by tho news that a New York Profes.sor was visiting the quarry with a view of testing its quality. Chance threw the gentlemen subsequently into my path, and the " Professor " turned out an illiterate marble-cutter, who had found his way, somehow or other, to this remote section of the Provinces. I do not think, however, from what I have heard, that he had " hoodwinked " the people of the settlement, who, if not very highly edu- cated, have a pretty accurate idea of the qualifications of a real Professor. The Yankee element, I may here add, is becom- ing very prevalent in Cape Breton, as well as in Nova Scotia, generally. Not only many of the coal and gold mines, but the principal stage-routes and the telegraph lines, are in the liands of the Americans ; and it would be well for tho interests of Cape Breton if more of their energy ami enterprise could be infused into its people. From Whycocomagh you have a drive to the sea coast of about thirty miles, over one of the most picturesque roatls in Nova Scotia. The tonrist will, in all probability, have to be satisfied with a vehicle entirely destitute of springs and cushions, but he will not mind a little discomfort in view of the exquisite scenery that meets the eye wherever it wanders. Those who have travelled over Scotland cannot fail to notice the striking resemblance that the scenery of thia part of Cape Breton bears to that of the Highlands. Indeed, the country is Scotch in more respects than one ; tho in- habitants are all Scots, and, as a rule, aro a well-to-do class. Some of the best farms in the Province are here to be seen, proving conclusively the fine agricultural capabili- ties of the island. As the carriage passed along the mountain side, wo overlooked a beautiful valley, where one of the branches of the Mabou river pursues its devious way, looking like a silvery thread thrown upon a carpet of the deepest green. Every now and then we pass groups of beautiful elms, rising amid the wide expanse of meadows. No portion of the landscape was tame or monotonous, but all remarkably diversified. The eye lingered on exquisite sylvan nooks, or lost itself amid the hills that rose in the distance. The air was perfectly re- dolent with the fragrance from the newly- cut clover, and the wild flowers that grew so luxuriantly by the way-side. Everything, that summer evening, wore the aspect of Sabbath stillness, the rumble of the waggon wheels and the tinkle of the cow-bells from the meadows below were the only sounds that broke upon the ear. At Port Hood, on the Gulf shore — an in- significant village, though the shiretown of Inverness county — we took passage on board a fine steamer that plies between Pictou and Charlottetown, and early next morning we found ourselves in the prosperous town of Pictou, whence the railway carried us to < 92 THE NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. ' 111 Halifax. So much for tho most delightful trip that I have ever taken anywhere in America. If any of ray readers wish to make themselves acquainted with one of finest sections of tho Maritime Provinces, and to enjoy an exceedingly cheap and plea- sant trip, let them .visit Cape Breton next summer, and go through tho Bras D'or, and the valley of the Mabou, as I did. My note-book is full of many references to tho scenery of Cape Breton, but my pen cannot do justice to it, and I must pass on to other matters connected with the island. No one can travel for any length of time through tho island without seeing the evi- dences that it is far behind all other parts of British America in tho elements of pro- gress. As a rule, tho people are poor and n/ionterprising. The great majority of the people are Scotch, many of whom exhibit tho thrift and industry of thoir raoo. The de- scendants of tho old French population are an active, industrious class, chiefly en- gaged in maritime pursuits. A portion of the inhabitants is composed of the families of American loyalists, and the original English settlers. Agriculture is largely follbwed by the people, and with success in the interior, especially in tho vicinity of the great lake. On the sea coast the fisheries predominate, though the people more or less cultivate small farmg.' The collieries absorb a considerable numiber of men, but ^only in particular parts. A good many persons are also engaged in the coasting trade, especially at Arichat, in the county of Richmond (Cape Breton is divided into four counties. Cape Breton, Richmond, Victoria, and Inverness) which, in 1866, owned 300 vessels, comprising 21,049 tons, and valued at $675,164. The number of the present population of the island is about 76,000 souls. The Catholics and Presbyte- rians predominate. There are about five hundred Indians in the island, all belonging to the Micmac tribe. As is the case in other parts of America, they are slowly dwindling away. The majority of the tribe live in a very- picturesque section of Cape Breton, in the vicinity of the Bras D'or Lake, where they have some fine farms, and worship in a large chapel. Once every year, in the summer, they assemble at Escasoni, and have grand services. For months before, they save all tho money tlioy can collect from the sale of baskets, tubs, and fancy work, in order to display a little finery for this grand event of the year. No part of British America is richer in natural resources, and all those elements necessary to create wealth and prosperity ; but unfortunately for Cape Breton, its pro- gress has been retarded by the want of capi- tal. Tho tide of immigration to America has passed by its shores, and very little capital has ooroo in to develope its capabi- lities. The new collieries are carried on for tho most part, by Now York and Boston capital, and no English money is invested in any of tho mines, except those worked by the London Mining Abjociation, whoso estaoiishment dates a great many y,.trs back. Cape Breton is on the very threshold of the finest fishing ground in the world. Its coal fields are the most extensive and important in British North America. Quarries of marble, gypsum, limestone, and other valuable stones abound, and gold has also been found in several places. The natural position of the island is remarkably advan- tageous for trade of every kind. It stands like a sentinel at the very gateway of the Gulf of St Lawrence, which it must com- mand most effectually in the time of war. Its coast is indented by a large number of noble harbors, one of wliich, Louis- bourg, is open at all seasons, and is situated on the very pathway of European traflRc. No one can doubt that at no very distant date, when capital and enterprise come in and develope its resources, it must occupy a prominent position in the Dominion of Canada. [We heartily thank Mx. Bourinot for the foregoing admirable sketch of an exceed- ingly interesting though comparatively lit- tle known portion of the Dominion. — Eds. N. D. M.l I ' >W I H f*J