A GLIMPSE OP CANADA,
lit
METER AUE2BACH,
Of New York.
V
TO GO, OE NOT TO GO, THAT IS THE aUESTION.
(Shakespeare, slightly altered).
The time for wonders is past. We ou<;bt not to be
surprised, therefore, if a young member of a staid family
meets with a resolute resistance and a mountain of un-
answerable objections, when he tries to upset time honored
old notions by some novel and startling proposition. It
would, indeed, be something like a wonder, if it were not
so. The orthodox rule of the family circle reads: —
always do as your grandfather and the old folks in general
have done, and stand from under if any one tries to
inveigle you into new methods and new ways of doing
things. Certainly the laws of nature are supreme in the
family circle, as well as in every other part of creation :
and as the spirit of youth is far separated from the wis-
dom of old age, we cannot expect that in even the best
regulated household, folks twenty years of age will feel
and think like grandmothers and old aunts.
It was a case like this, which almost raised a storm of
indignation, surprise and fright within the lines of the
circle of which 1 liappen, since the first day of my appear-
ance in this treacherous world, to be a tolerably worthy
member. At least they often told me so while I went to
school, and they didn't fail to tell me so on many an
occasion since I left .-ichool. But, alas! Tiie day came
when I almost lost the whole prestige I had theretofore
been enjoying.
I gave way to a rather bold, revolutionary inclination,
and thereby shook the entire household to its foundation.
1 will tell in the following story all about it, as a warn-
ing to all young men against trespassing upon well settled
rules and habits, and perhaps as an example of how easily
a persevering mind can in the end attain the object it is
striving for.
It vvas on a fine evening in August, that, to the no
small surprise and consternation of the folks at home, 1
made the announcement that I intended to participate in
a trip to Canada and the White Mountains, to be made
by a small party of excursionists. I was at once over-
whelmed with an avalanche of questions, as to who was
the originator of the idea; how many were expected to
go; whether 1 was personally acquainted with any per-
son in the party; when the excursion was to start, &c.
After having satisfactorily answered the foregoing que-
ries, grandmother Harriet, after settling herself firmly in
her chair, commenced the attack, by saying that she, for
one, did not at all approve of the idea of starting on a ten
days trip, without knowing the co-excursionists, or even
the projector of the tour; — that she was sure that the
v;hole plan was a barefaced swindle, as I would find to
my cost, as soon as I had paid my money.
Grandfatlier, as in duty bound, (it being here under-
stood that he is a great '• ladies man,") ably second el the
lemarks of his better half, supplementing his argument
by saying that when lie was a 3'outig man of my age, no
one would have risked going from New York to Phila-
delphia, much less on such a tour, with an unknown
number of strangers.
Father thought that the idea was a very good, but
not altogether new one, as such pleasure tours had been
greatly in vogue in Germany for some years past, and
had proved entirely successful.
He thought, too, that it would be highly beneficial for
me to see Quebec and Montreal, differing, a.s they did, so
greatly from our American cilies, in appearance and in-
habitants. •
Mother was of the opinion tliat I would have more
real, unalloyed pleasure, if I adhered to my plan of spend-
ing the vacation quietly among the Catskiil Mountains,
instead of traveling about from place to place, which
must prove very tiresome and mayhap dangerous.
The boys and sister Alice were all of one mind, that
I ought not hesitate to take advantage of tlie splendid
opportunity now ofi'ered, which would probably not so
soon arise again, whereas I could go to the Catskills at
any time. Uncle Julius, quiet as usual, said nothing,
only interrupting the discussion for a moment, in order
to a.=;k what class of liotels we intended to patronize, and
whether Mr. Leve had made ample arrangements for the
acc-ommodation of so large a party. Each one having had
his oi her say, the matter was cut short by grandfather
saying, that, as I seemed determined to go, he would no
longer oppose my desire, but would wish me " God speed."
This opinion was finally coincided in by all, grand-
mother bi.'ing the last to succumb ; — and so it came about
that I went on the excursion.
CU AFTER I.
The departuro. — The sail up the Sound. — Arrival in Boston. —
Ascent of Bunker Hill monument. — A liistorical tree. — Mount
Auburn Cemetery. — A short Ocean voyage. — Portland, Me. —
A fine residence.
Leaving New York on Sunday, August 26th, 1877, on
the beautiful Fall River steamer Bristol^ we had a charm-
ing sail up the East Kiver past Blackwell's Island, Hell
Gate and Ward's Island, and thence through the pleasant
Long Island Sound to Newport, R. I. Before proceeding
to supper the members of the party were introduced to
one another; the party, besides Mr. Leve and myself,
then consisted of Mr, and Mrs. Riley and Mr. and Mrs,
Hiiyderof Pliila<lel{»liia; Mr. ami Mrs. Gaftney and Mr.
Donnelly of New York City.
The supper was everything that could be desired, but
the company inclined to be fonnal. At about 10 P. M.
liaving enjoyed the promenade concert on the boat, the
entire party letired to their respective staterooms, I occu-
pying one in common with Mr. Leve. At about 2 A. M.
I was awakened by the rolling of the vessel and found
that we were just passing Point Judith. At 8 A. M. we
touched at Newport and stopped there about one hour
when I, together with many other passengers aro.«e, but
could see absolutely nothmg, on account of the fog which
quite suddenly enveloped the boat. It took the steamer
about two hours to reach Fall River, during which time
the steam fog whistle kept up a continuous screeching.
At Fall River we took the Old Colony R. R, and at pre-
cisely 7 A. M. reached the '' Hub of the Universe," Boston.
Elere hotel carriages awaited ns and we were driven to the
United States Hotel where the entire party enjoyed a first
class New England breakfa.s<^. Then a car ride of about
forty minutes brought us to Bunker Hill monument,
which was ascende(l by myself al( e, as several of the
party had been up before ami as the others did not feci
patriotic enough to venture the ascent. It proved quite
a task before I got to the bottom agoin; the number of
steps was 294 by actual count, and I venture to say that
very few persons would reach Heaven if it were only to
be reached by climbing up such steps. The labor was
richly repaid, however, by the magnificent view of Boston
and its environs obtained from the top; — the descent
proved, if anything, worse than the ascent, as a person is
very liable to make a misstep, on account of the shortness
of the steps. Afier I had safely completed tlie descent
and rejoined the party, we took the cars for Cambridge.
On the way we passed the Navy Yard and Harvard Col-
lege with its many outbuildings and dormitories and its
Campus. Next came a very old looking tree in the centre
of the road, patched witli zinc or t.i» and bearing an in-
«cri|»tion, saying that it was tlie tree under winch Gen.
Wiisliington had first assumed cotiimand of the American
army. About twenty minutes ride further on and we
reached our goal, Mount Auburn C y. Over the
massive archway the following nr », iiew, butalwpvs
true text is inscribed : — " Man i. . of dust and to .i it
be sliall return."
We strolled through the grounds, which are artistically
laid out in flower beds and which in this tegjird vie with
anything seen in Horticultural Ihdl in Philadelphia dur-
ing the Centennial Exhibition. We only think of going,
as the bells in some neighboring church chime out the
twelve strokes reminding us that it is noon; we are all
sorry to leave, as we had been there only about an hour
and had not seen half the grounds. The Cemetery is
very large aud its tombstones, monuments and vaults are
very imposmg. We returned to the hotel by cars and on
the way passed through Washington and Tremont streets,
and had a fine side view of Boston Commons and of many
noble edifices. After partaking of dinner the ladies retired,
and ihe gentlemen separated and in parties of two and
three took shoit walks in the neighborhood of the hotel.
Mr. Leve, who had been absent looking after the excur-
sionists who were to meet us in Boston, now returned and
told us to make ready to start; at about 5.30 P. M. the
hotel coach drove up, we entered and were driven rapidly
to the wharf, where we embarked pn the steamer "Forest
Oity," for Portland, Me.
The peculiarities of the steamer of course were soon
the subjects of discussion, and we contrasted it with the
beautiful Bristol on which we had spent the preceding
night. It was small for an Ocean steamer, had narrow
cabins and a very perceptible smell of tar and pitch about
it, and the passengers were crowded off the forward deck,
in order to make room for six carriages ; — we also carried
quite a number of watermelons as freight. Punctually
at seven o'eltwk we .st ii ted, in llic midst of a drizzlint^
shower which juHt tlien coinnu'iiced, but which was not
heavy enongli to make us retire from the deck. When
•we were about half way down the harbor, the welcome
Hound of the supper bell was heard and we betook oursol ven
to the dining saloon, and w(Me there introduced to the
new-comers, who were:— Mr. and Mrs. Hastings and Mr.
and Mrs. Morgan, of Warren, Mass.; Mrs. .Marsh, Mr.-*.
Oliver and Mrs. l?isliop, of Lynn, Mass.
Once out of the harbor and fairly at sea, we split up
into small group.s and promenaded the deck, the rain
having entirely ceased.
We passed Lynn and Salem at about three miles
distance from shore, and then headed further out, .'^o as
to pa.ss the shoals of Cape Ann at a respectable distiince.
The ve.^sel now began to pitch and labor, although the
sea seemed very placid; — as it was about ten o'clock, and
as my stomach seemed to want a retired place ju-f at that
time, where it could say a word in private to old father
Neptune, I hurriedly bade the party good night and retir-
ed to my cabin. Here, after a few minutes battle with
my stomach for the mastery, in which I must confess that
I came out second best, I fell a.sleep, and did not awaken
until next morning, when I found the boat fast at the
Portland wharf. The company was soon gathered togeihtr
and we entered stages, which, after a ride of about ten
minutes, set us down at the Falmouth Hotel. Here we
partook of a substantial breakfast; and had time after-
wards, before the ladies were ready to accompany us on
a walk, to indite a short letter to the friends we had left
at home.
A short walk brought us to what is known as the West
Promenade, which is a very nice avenue on the limits of
the city, from which we were enabled to see the Saco
river and the suburbs of Portland. After resting in the
shade for a short time, we continued our stroll and passed
through the grounds of a Vjry rich land-owner named
9
Jolin B. Brown. The grounds were besiuti fully laid out
in winding paths and flower beds, and the hot housen
contained twenty-five different varieties of grapes, some of
which were ripe and looked very lu.«cious and tempting.
From here we walked to the hotel, where the entire party
soon assembled.
Then we took the Portland & Ogdensburgh R. R. to
the White Mountains, passing through some very pictur-
esque valleys and forests, the latter of which were notice-
able chiefly for tlieir many fir and spruce trees, which
scented the air for many miles with tlieir peculiar per-
fume.
CHAPTER II.
Arrival at North Conway.— Through Crawford Notch.— A bit of
history. — White Mountain Scenery. — Beeclier's Cttsciidc. — A
novel railway, — Trip »ip Mount Wa.shiiigton. — Vice President
Wheeler. — The Signal Service station. — A dog story.
At North Conway, which we reached at .'^.oO o'clock
P. M., and which is about one and ahulf hours' ride
from the Crawford House, we changed cai>', getting into
what are known as observation cars.
These cars are open on all sides, havitig no windows,
and are furnished with revolving cane chairs thus afford-
ing the passengers an unobstructed view on all sides.
The engine which was hitched on here was also heavier
and more powerful than tho.se commonly used, it having
to climb quite a steep incline before arriving at its desti-
nation ; — it at once strikes the beholder as sometliina:
extraordinary, as it haa six powerful drivi-ig wheels.
Continuing our journey up the mountiiins, we succes-
sively passed Mounts Kearsarge, Elephantis and Willard
.nnd obtained a distant view of Mt. Washington; — ^[t.
Elephantis is so named, because it presents a mcst perfect
picture of that animal in repose. We also passed the
10
Devil's Cave, situated on Mt. Crawford, wliich we were
assured has an opening of fifty feet in width, but which
aperture, from the railroad level, looked no larger than
an ordinary plate. The radroad track is also a curiosity,
for it runs at the base of one mountain, which towers
thousands of feet above, while you can look down into
the valley just as far again; — this part of the mountain
is called " Crawford Notch."
Hero, ' Iso, thousands of feet below, it was barely pos-
sible for us to discern a two story and attic frame build-
ing, known as the •' Willey House," of which the foUovv-
ing interesting story is related: —
" In the year 1829 the house was inhabited by a family
"named Willey, who gained a livelihood by farming.
" One night they had retired to bed early, as was their
" wont, not dreaming of danger, when 'hey were startled
" by a loud, rumbling noise, whose significance they only
" too wl, I knew ; — it portended that terrible phenomenon,
"a 1 dslide.
, " They rushed out of tlieir dwelling, intending to get
! " out of harm's way, and had gone only a short distance,
j '"when the moving mass of earth and stones overwhelmed
" them and they all miserably perished. The house, queer
"to say, vi'as not harmtid in the least." The path of the
slide was plainly marked on the side of the mountain. We
arrived at our hotel, the Crawford Uouse, at abouto o'clock
that afternoon ; it is prettily situated in a small valley,
from which there are otdy two outlets, and is hemmed
in on all sides by mountains ; the hotel was well patron-
ized, every room being engaged. Here, as indeed every-
where on our whole journey, we found quite a number
of New Yorkers. We had a very dne supper, one course
of which consisted of fried mountain trout, — small but
delicious.
Here we had an opportunity of seeing the full moon,
- _ _ slowly but surely, rise above the mountain top. After
a good night's rest, the party arose early, and a visit was
11
made to '• lu'echer's Cascade," a pretty lid'ie waterfall,
found about onetliousaiid feet from the hotel. Here, when
in the mountains, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Brook-
lyn's famous pastor, is wont to pass his time, speculating
probably about " Man's Inhumanity to Mat),"' or, whiling
away his leisure hours by reading "Somebody Else's
Darling."
Then we again took seats in the cars, and after a half
hour's ride, we reached the Fabyan House, where ac-
cording to programme, wc were to dine. Although the
sun was shining brightly, the tops of the mountains were
shrouded in mist and fog, which sometimes lifted for a
moment.
Some one of the party proposed a trip to the top of
Mount Washington, and after consulting Mr. Leve whe-
ther we would thereby miss our connection, and being by
him informed that our proposed excursion would not in
tlie least interfere with his programme, furtlier than that
we would have to dine on the mountain top, instead of
at the Fabyan House, we, with the exception of two of
our party, made ready to go. A ten minutes ride in the
steam cars, and we found ourselves at the base of Mt.
Washington, where we changed cars. There were two
locomotives in waiting, each attached to one p is.seuger
coach. The locomotive was a queer looking machine and
seemed ready to fall to pieces; — it was attached behind our
car, and really pushed us up the mountain. The track,
also, was something unusual, having besides the two
outer rails a sort of cog-rail in the centre, in which a
small wheel in the locomotive worked, and which acted as
a very effective brake. This is made necessary by the
steep incline, and prevents the train from slipping down.
We started, and soon k-lt the valley far below us; —
about one-third of the way up v\e stopped for water, and
tlie gentlemen of the party took advantage of the oppor-
tunity to alight. We soon discovered tiiat we were in
the midst of a wild raspberry patch, which luckily, were
12
just ripe and ready for picking. We continued gathering
them until the engineer blew the whistle as a signal for
starting. Some one now passed around, and asked for
our respective names, which appeared in print an hour
later, in a paper published on the summit, having the
pretentious title "Among the clouds." Scanning the
names on liis list, we found that Mr. Wheeler, Vice-Pres-
ident of the Unites States was in our car, and we soon
engaged him in conversatiun. lie was accompanied by
his sister, and another lady, and turned out to be a very
plain and unassuming gentleman, chatting uncoi strained ly
with our whole party. At Mr. Leve's suggestion I handed
liitn it programme of our trip, which seemed to inter-
est him greatly, as he asked many questions regarding it.
When about half way up tlie mountain, we obtained a
splendid view of the surrounding country, which was
soon sliut out, however, by the dense fog into which we
plunged, and which continued to the top.
Vegetation also grew scarcer, and gradually every shrub
disappeared, leaving nothing but mosses and the bare
rocks;— it also became quite cold, compelling the gentle-
men to closely button their overcoats, while the ladies
were glad enough to envelop themselves in their shawls
and capes. At last, after passing up " Jacob's Ladder,"
which is the steepest partof tlie mountain, and on whieli
u rude pile of immense boulders alone marks the spot
where a young lady, named Lizzie Bourne, miserably
perished, by making a fatal misstep, the summit was
readied, 6400 feet above the level of the valley. We
enteied the Summit Hotel, a two story frame house,
which was anchored to the ground by two immense cables
and found a bright, open wood fire crackling cheerfully,
whose benefits we were not slow to enjoy. A visit lo
the United States Signal Observatory, situated about
thirty yards distant from the hotel, was next in order,
but, as the wind was blowing at the rate of forty miles
an hour, we — particularly the ladies, — had some difficulty
18
in reaching it. It was a wooden house, one and a-half
stories in height, very solidly built, and having double
windows. In the okservation room, we found a very
pleasant officer in charge, who requested > to sign our
names in a book kept for that purpose, which when full
is pent to the Smithsonian Institute at Washington.
This duty perfornietl, the officer is ready and willing
to answer the many questions which various parties ask
him.
He showed us the inst ument by which the force of
the wind is measured, and informed us that at certain
times, when the wind blows ft the rate of eighty miles
an hour, or over, it is impossible to go out of doors; —
that at such a time it takes the full strength of two men
to hold the instrument out of the window for five minutes,
the time required to take an observation.
Although it was only the 29th of August, 1877, yet
he said that he had already laid in provisions enough to
last until June, 1878. Two men and a cat are the oidy
living things which remain on the mountain during the
winter, and once every month or so, one of them, (I mean
the men, not the cat) ventures down the mountain on
8now shoes, in order to bring up the mail, and it may
readily be imagined how lonely the other one feels during
his absence. In order to illustrate how completely they
were cut off from the outside world, he told us the fol-
lowing touching story : " Some years ago a friend of mine
*• presented a fine, healthy, New Foundland puppy
" to me, which was then six or seven weeks old. I took
'' it up to the signal station, where in the course of a few
" yt'ars it grew iip to be a mignificent and very strong
** do<r. When I had owned it three vears or so, I, one
CD •/ ^ '
''day, had occasion to go down into the valley and took
" the dog along. It had probably never before seen a dog,
" as none ever came tQ the top of the mountain, and as
" this was the first time I had taken it into the valley.
" Very soon a large bull dog came along, and hardly bad
14
" my dog seen it, when it fainted, and I am sorry to sny,
" never recovered from the shock."
Bidding the sergeant ailieu, we all started for the liotcl
in order to he in time for dinner, which consisted of a
great many hot dislics and therefore proved very accept-
able. Every one then bonght a copy of the paper " Among
the Clouds,'' which just then appeared in print, and they
looked happy as scon as they found their respective
names in i)rint. No view at all could be obtained from
the summit, which fact was deeply regretted by the whole
party.
The trip up the mountain had occupied 1? hours,
while it took us H hours to go down; — no steam was
used on the down trip, the train traveling by its own
momentum, its speed being regulated by the brakes before
described. This railroad, and the one on Mount Rigi in
the Alps, are the only two of the kind in the world, and
it is rt'ally surprising that man's ingenuity should so suc-
cessfully have accomplished such a great undertaking.
We returned to the Fabyan House at about two o'clock,
in good spirits and very W(.'ll pleased, regretting only that
the sun had not been powerful enough to dissolve the
fog and mist which encircled the top of the mountain, as
then we could have had a very extended view of the sur-
rounding countrv, as far as the Frunconiu mountains
CHAPTER III.
St. Jolinsbury, Vt.— Its Public Library.— .\ lively parfy.— At.
Newport, Vt. — An excursion on Lake Memphremagog. — The
serenade and dance. — A new acces.sion to the party. — A ride on
a locomotive. — Ilichmond Junction. — A dusty journey.
At about 3 P. M., after having enjoyed a very fine prome-
nade concert at the hotel, we once again took the cars, our
aim this time being Newport, Vermont. Vfe passed
through some very fertile and beautiful valleys; — the
15
mountains gradually became less liifrli and rugged, and
the country began to have a more inhabited appearance; —
at intervals of Irom ten to twenty miles we would pass
small liamlets and villages, every house therein being
built of wood. This is a great lumber region, wood being
worth about two dollars per cord and being the oidy
article used for fuel; — along tlie whole roadbed great
piles of wood were stacked, at which the train occasion-
ally halted in order to replenish its stock. At 7 P. M. we
reached St. Johnsbury, Yt, wbere we stopped over for
supper, and a first class one it proved to be. Then, as
we had about one hour's time \ye.iore the train would start,
we concluded to take a short walk. St. Johnsbury is a
well built, clean little town, and is the place where Gov-
ernor Fairbanks of Vermont has his famous scale works.
The hotel proprietor kindly sent a request to Governor
Fairbaidvs to open the public library and ait gallery for
us, we having come there on an evening when the same
was usually kept closed; — the keys soon arrived, and
the place was lit up by the janitor.
There was a goodly array of standard books on the
{shelves; the art ga'lery consisted of several hundi-ed
valuable oil paintings, and the building presented quite
u creditable appearance ; — we were afterwards informed
that Air. Fairbanks had presented the building, library
and art gallery to the town, on condition that everybody
should have fiee access thereto. AVe went soon thereafter
to the railroad stati(m, where we played many merry
praidvs on each other before the train arrived, to the no
small amusement of quite a number of persons who hap-
])ened to be waiting there, and who really formed a ring
around our party and laughe<l heartily at our jokes; —
it was something unusual for them, and I doubt not but
they took us for a traveling theatrical troupe, or escaped
lunatics.
At about 9 P. M. we reached Newport, where many of
us found letters awaiting us, after reading which we re-
16
tired, in order be up bright and early next morning.
We lodged in the Memphremagog House, which is
pleasantly situated on the very shores of the beautiful
lake of tlie same name. Next morning we were up with
the lark and in time to see the sun rise. After a very
substantial breakfast, part of which consisted of lake
trout, which is a very toothsome fish as we discovered,
we took a short walk through the principal street, and
and then climbed a hill situated just back of the place,
from which we had a very tine view of the lake, and tlie
town and its environs.
At about half past ten o'clock we, — together with a
lunch basket of no small proportions, — got aboard the
steam yacht Oracle, which had been specially chartered
for our party by our ever attentive manager, as soon as
he had beanl that The Lady of the Lake, the regular
excursion steamer, had been engaged for the da}' by a
pic nic party from Portland.
Before starting, an elderly lady and gentleman asked
and obtained permission to accompany us, and so well
were they pleased with our party and program, that, be-
fore :ne day was over, they expressed the intention of
joi'.iing the excursion party, which purpose they carried
out next day; — they were later on introduced to us as
Mr. and Mrs. Gridley, of Hartford, Ct.
After we had steamed about five miles, the captain
blew the whistle and informed us with great gravity, that
we were crossing the imaginary boundary line between
Canada and the United States, the lake lying partly in
Canada and partly in thq United States. There is an
island in this lake, upon which a frame house has been
built, one third of which house is situated on American
territory, the balance on British soil, and we were in all
seriousness informed by the captain that a restless man
who bad gone to sleep on the American side, had during
the night rolled over into Canada; — this, 1 believe, is the
only known instance of the happening of such anevent.
17
We soon neared Mt Elephantis, which was a more or
less perfect picture of that animal, and reached Owl's
Head Mountain at about 1 p. M. ; we speedily found a
grassy spot, where we enjoyed our luncheon m true
picnic style. In the short space of ten minutes we also
disposed of a six pound lake trout, which was cooked for
us at the hotel at the foot of the mountain. The moun-
tain is 2,750 feet in height, witii very perpendicular,
thickly wooded sides, and although some one proposed
trying to ascend it, no one ventured the risky and labor-
ious feat Alter over an hour's rest we continued our
journey up the lake, which is a very fine sheet of water,
of great depth, and is thickly populated by lake trout
On its contines are many noble residences, notably tiiat
of Sir Hugh Allan, the proprietor of the Allan line of
European Steamers, who is reputeil to be the wealth-
iest man in Canada. We passed by Skinner's Cave,
formerly the haunt of a band of smugglers, the opening
of which cave presented a very dark and uninviting ap-
pearance; — we also saw Balance Rock, which is an im-
mense boulder, angular at one end, on which it rests as
on a pivot On the way back, amidst great cheering, we
were a overtaken and passed by The Lady of the Lake^
which had a great complement of passengers aboard. In
the evening, the guests of the hotel were treated by the
visiting Portland Band, to a concert given in front of the
hotel by torchlight, after which we adjourned to the
parlor, where dancing was indulged in until a late hour,
thus ending one of the most enjoyable days of the trip.
Next morning we were compelled to arise quite early,
in order to be in readiness to get the Quebec train in
time, it leaving the depot at half past seven o'clock a. m.
After having proceeded a short distance, seven of the
members of our party, embracing four ladies and my-
self, gladly accepted an invitation extended by the (civil)
engineer of the train, to ride on the locomotive, as the
track from there on would for several miles run directly
I
IS
?■.■■-.-. ■■ ' .
along side of Lake MempVl-emagog, tliun affording us a
better view of seeing it. The ride on the locomotive
proved quite a novelty ; — the train seemed to fly over the
track ; indeed, it appeared to us that we were going twice
as fast as usual, hut the engineer assured us tliat we were
proceeding at the usual, regulation speed. The scenery
was indeed very beautiful and romantic, the sun shining
brightly on the water, thus showing tlie lake in all its
grandeur. After leaving the lake, we debouched into the
valley of tlie Massawippi, who.se pastoral scenery pre-
sented a strongly marked contrast to the country we had
just passed.
Soon we caught a glimpse of water through the trees,
the train rounded a sudden curve on the road and for six
miles we had the pleasure of riding on the confines of
Lnke Massawippi, whijh was, if possible, a more beauti-
ful sheet of water than Lake Memphremagng.
From here on we passed through a very nice tract of
country, until we reached Lennoxville, where we were to
make connection with the Grand Trunk Ilailway, which
was to carry us to Quebec. Heartily thanking the en-
gineer and fireman for the civilities sliown us, we present-
ed them with half a dozen Havana cigars apiece, and
left their train, after receiving a kind invitation to again
ride with them in case we should meet them on the way
back. The engineer was a young man about twenty-
five years of age, irom Vermont, who told us that he had
just been exonerated by a coroner's jury, he having some
weeks before accidentally run over and killed an old man.
(who was proved on the inquest to, have been quite deaf,)
while backing his train into the round-hou.se at Lennox-
ville, the man, of course, not hearing nor heeding the
warning whistles of the locomotive. The Grand Trunk
train was late, no unusual thing for it, as we were reliably
informed. It eventually arrived, and we continued our
journey, reaching Richmond Junction, a small village
and railroad centre, at noon.
19
Here we got off and partook of a railroad dinner ul tlio
<lepot hotel. (By the term "a railroad dinner" must \w
understood a dinner ready on the arrival of a train, and
wliiclj is usually eaten with dispatch, on the well known
principle that time, tide and a railroad train wait for no
man — to finish his dinner). As we were informed that
we had an hour to wait, the party scattered in various
directions, I going with Mr. and Mrs. Gaffney to the vil-
lage chuioh, which we entered, it being like all Catholic
churches always open.
It was a very poor, tumble down looking structure,
with a capacity for seating about one hundred persons,
and contained nothing but rude, wooden benchei and
some oil paintings.
The people in that section must be very poor indeed,
as we found tliat thechurclies in the other parts of Canada
which we visited, were nicely built and profusely deco-
rated.
Passing on, we came to a hill, descending which we
found ourselves in anotlier village, smaller and meaner
looking tiian the first Here we determined to have some
amusement, and, calling several boys, — all bare headed,
bare-footed, sturdy looking lads, — we started them on a
race up the hill, promising the winners of the race money
prizes, which they earned and gladly took. By the time
we reached the brow of the hill, there was quite a gather-
ing of boys, and we were forced in all fairness to inau-
gurate a race for them, which, to both our and their
surprise, resulted in a victory for one whom they did not
seem to fear as an antagonist, and who had only consented
to participate in the race at the urgent solicitation of his
sister, who had naively told me " I think Charley can
run." One of the boys in this race rejected an American
nickel five cent piece, saying that he could not pass it in
Canada.
We re^iched the depot only to find the whole party
already seated in a train, which backed out before we-
20
could get aboard, leaving us under the impression that
we had been lift behind. It speedily returned on another
track, we jumped on, and were soon whizzing on towards
Quebec. We passed a great many small atreams, on
nearly all of which lumber mills were situated. The ride
from Richmond Junction to Point Levi, was terrible ; —
the dust was raised in perfect clouds, enveloping the
train, and making us look like a party of coal miners on
our arrival at the latter place at about 4 P. M.
CHAPTER IV.
I'oint Levi.— Quclwc— A short stroll.— On board the etctimer
Union.— Down the St. Lawrence lliver.— Places of interest. —
Ha Ha Buy. — A morning ride and its consequences. — Down
the Sagucnay River.— Cape Eternity.— Tadousac. — An old
Church. — A .salmon-breeding establishment. — A royal salute. —
Riviere du Loup. — Murray Bay.
At Point Levi, which, by the way, is to Quebec what
Brooklyn is to I^evv York, we took our way to a ferry-
boat, and were soon being carried across the St. Lawrence
river. • ■■;
On the trip across we passed several English frigates,
and a ram "♦ anclior; — saw the Plains of Abraham, and
a black tablet, with gilt letters, half way up the face of
rock fronting the river, showing the place where brave
Gen. Montgomery fell, in his desperate attack on the city.
Landing at the pier, at the foot of *' Break-neck Stairs,"
(and they seem to have been rightly named), we took seats
in a hotel-bus, which was then driven up the winding
and steep streets ; — we soon reached " Ilotel St Louis,"
where we gladly alighted. The St. Louis Hotel has the
reputation of being the best in Quebec, and is situated
directly opposite a one and a-half story brick cottage,
which stands a little further back than the other houses
in the street, and which is the house where Montgomery
)1
had his headquarters. After changing our attire, and
aubinitting our dnst-begrimed countenances to the action
of soap and clean water, with highly beneficial results,
we took a short ramble through the neighboring streets
and tiie Governor's Garden, which latter is an open park,
aboMt two blocks square, directly facing the river; it is not
nicely laid out, and contains nothing of special interest,
save an unpretentious monument to the memory of gen-
erals Wolfe and Montcalm;— the monument consists of a
plain column of some brown stone, with the names of
Wolfe and Montcalm hewn therein, while on the reverse
appears an appropriate latin inscription. On our return
to tlie hotel supper was served by English waiters;— all
the other attaches of the hotel, including the call boys,
were Englishmen, with quite an unmi3taka1)le British
accent. All the dishes were nicely cooked, but we sadly
missed the fresh fruits, which are found in such profu-
sion in all our first class hotels. Musk melons, — known
also as cantelopes, — and blue berries, (a large variety of
the huckleberry,) were the only fruits and berries which
we could obtain.
Mr. Leve here bade us adieu, promising to meet us
again on our airival p.t Montreal. He also introduced
us to his agent, Mr. Beck, who was to conduct us until
Mr. Leve's i-eturn ; Mr. Beck was accompanied by his
wife, and a little girl named Effie, about seven years of
age-
After a good night's rest, we next morning assembled
in the parlor, and were then driven down to the pier,
■where we went aboard the steamer Union^ which was
there made fast Punctually at half past seven they
cast tlie lines loose that bound the steamer to the dock,
and we commenced what turned out to be one of the
most charming water tours, which any of our party had
ever participated in. The steamer was a double-decker,
with very large and roomy saloons and cabins, which
were handsomely fitted up. Each cabin had an upper
22
and a lower berth, wliicli were provided with heavy wooTei J
coverletg, which are a necessity in that clitnate; — two
cork life preservers were also prominently hung up in
every cabin.
The stviamer, af indeed all steamers and ferry lx»jits in
Canada, burned wood and noft coal, and emitted a dense
black smoke, which in the night, however looked very
pretty, as it was then seen to be interspersed with
myriads of brilliant sparks. By this time we were pro-
ceeding swiftly down the St. Lawrence river, which \n
about one and a-half miles wi<le at Quebec; it soon
widens, however, and the steamer passes the " Isle of
Orleans," which is about twenty miles in length and alto-
gether a very beautiful spot Arriving at the eastern
end of the island, we found that the St. Lawrence had
attained a width of about six miles; that the mountains,
which are very steep and rugged, came to the very water's
edge; and that we were keeping very near the north
shore. After running in this way until noon, the steamer
made its first landing, at Murray Bay. This is a very fash-
ionable watering place, visitors coming here annually
in great numbers; during the summer months several
indian tribes make it their headquarters, doing a very
brisk trade in selling indian work and curiosities.
Quite a number of pas.sengers here left the vessel, and,
after taking on board an immense quantity of wood, the
steamer again proceeded on its journey, passing the Pil-
grim Islands and reaching Riviere du Loup at about four
o'clock.
This is a very nice little settlement, ])rettily situated
at the foot of a mountain; from here to Cacouna, the
most fashionable and best patronized watering resort in
all Canada, is a distance of only seven miles. After a
stop of two hours, during which several members of our
party mude a flying visit to the indian village here
situuted, we again got under way and beaded direct for
Tadousac. Night soon came upon us, and supper was
servcil. coiKsidtiii!^ in part of fried sahnorj trout, which fishes
lire cauglit i'l this region in itninen.se numbers. This
ineul, as well as all subsequent ones on boanl, was a
creil'.t to the younj,' french cook, who presided over the
culinary department, and it presented a very decided con-
trast to the English style of cooking, at Quebec and Mon-
treal. The captain, pilot, cook, steward and sailors were
all Frenchmen, and I considered myself exo'cedingly
lucky in being able to secure the services of a bright,
little, Irish waiter boy named Willie; indeed I feur I
should otherwise have fared very badly, as my knowledge
of the French language, I must confess, is very circum*
scribed. I was not the only one in this position, how-
ever; one of the Philadelphians, (charity compels me to
vvithliuld his liame,) who did not know how to speak one
word of French, and who, trutii to say, was blessed with
a keen and hearty appetite, had a French waiter assigned
to him. He, of course, failed to acquaint him with his
wants and desires, and therefore grew quite jealous of the
many little att-ntions shown me by my waiter, and finally
accused me ol having used unfair means in capturing my
waiter; whereas, all that I had done was to fee the waiter,
which certainly was not unfair, as he could as easilv have
out'yjV/, as he outate me; — however, 1 magnanimously
loaned the boy to him at several critical times.
Tadousac, where the Governor General of Canada and
other prominent citizens, have their summer residences,
is situated at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and
Saguenay rivers, and was reached at eight o'clock that
evening.
Several members of our party, myself included, went
«shore, but after a short walk we were glad enough to
return to the boat, as the pathway to the hotel, which
latter we had started out to see, was composed of wooden
planks, which could not well be seen on such a dark and
cloudy night, and as the effects of a misstep might have
had very serious consequences to persons not acquainted
24
with the road. At about 11 p. m., those on boar^ the
boat who had not retired to either Morpheus' or some-
body else's arnns, were treated to a very fine exliibition
of Aurora Bm-ealis, more famih'arly known as Northern
Lights. Next morning on awakening, we seemed sud-
denly to have been transported to fairy-land. The steamer
was found to be in Ila Ha Bay, a beautiful sheet of water,
land-locked on every side but one, and surrounded by
some very tall hills. Several teamsters drove their horees
down to the water's edge to drink, and informed us that
the water was sweet but had a slightly brackish taste. In
the near distance could be seen ;he lumbering village of
Saint Alphonse. Going ashore, Mr. Gaffney, his wife
and I entered one of the inevitable caleches or one horse
wagons, which are in general use all over Canada, while
Mr. Snyder and wife and Mr. liiley took possession of
the only remaining one ; — after agreeing upon a price
with the drivers, we started at a brisk trot for the vil-
lage. It was a glorious Sunday morning; — the blue sky
was unflecked by white, and tlie air was cool and brac-
ing; — just the morning, in fact, to thoroughly enjoy a
fast drive. And fast we went; — for before we were
really aware of it, we found that the oth»'r carria<ie was
close behind us the occupants thereof being evidently
desirous of trying the go-ahead qualities of our respective
horses.
We not being at all averse, the result was a race. The
race did not turn out as enjoyable as we had anticipated ;
it was not the fault of tlie drivers or horses, for they both
did their very best The thing which spoiled the fun,
was, first : — the hilly naiure of the country, and second : —
the mud through which the horses had to go ; for it was
no macadamized road on which we w^ere driving. The
mud was thrown back, in great, black masses, mercilessly
bespattering us; — where there was no mud, the wagons
jolted so over the rough road, that it made us wish we
had some softer substance than a hard pine board, utterly
devoid of cushion or covering, in such close proximity to
a certain sensitive portion of our anatomy. »
However, as all things must have an end, so did this
race, as our horse unluckily ran slap up against the village
church. Here we stopped to repair damages, and to re-
turn some of dirt, — which had lodged in our eye, faces
and clotlies, — to its native heath. We then drove to the
salmon fall.s, situated three miles furtlier inland, and had
the pleasure of meeting the two Warren couples on the
way.
Most of the houses along the road were wooden dwel-
lings with thatched roofs, and all looked very clean. In
front of many of the houses we often .saw something
closely resembling a beehive in shape, but much larger;
on asking our driver he told us they were the ovens
wherein the people cooked their food; — they were, in
fact, veritable mud ovens, formed of clay or baked earth.
We also passed a tobacco field in bloom, one of the plants
being crowned with an immense red flower. We also
pas.sed many cows, which were lean, poor looking crea-
tures, that seemed to climb the rocky hills with as much
easD as our goats would.
At last we reached the falls, where we alighted and
found a river about lOJ feet wide, which was dammed at
this place, the dam being about twelve feet in height.
(This is no great height for a djim, as I have heard very
respectable peoj)le damn a good deal higher than that.)
However, not a salmon was to be seen, watch as we would,
ajjd we were ut last forced to return, consoled by the in-
formation imparted by our drivers, that the salmon did
actually leap up the dam, but that this wis not the season
for their indulging in such gymnastical feats. This in-
formation could of course, not have been given us before
we had ridden an hour to get there.
We reached the steamer in time for breakflist, having
thoroughly enjoyed our drive, which bad occupied just
two houis. , ^^,_,, .^,^ ^^ ^^„,^ ^_^ ^__ ^,^^^ ,^^^,^ ,.,^^„ ^^
26
'■ Tlie time soon arriveil for tlie steamer to start ; Uk'
lines were cast off, and, amid the hurrahing of the vil-
lagei-s, \ ho had assembled on the bulkhead to see us off,
we began our return voyage.
As we had passed up the Snguenay river at night,
when asleep, we of course had not seen any of the scenery
along its banks, of which we had heard such wounderful
tales; consequently we were now all on the qui v/'ve, as-
sembled on the forward deck and ready to be astonished.
The hills along the river-bank gradually grew higher and
more precipitous, until they were really mountains; tho
river itself also became perceptibly wider. — The clima?:
was reached however, when we came to Trinity I>ay; —
the river here was about three miles wide, but was flanked
by such high mountains, that it seemed barely one mile
in width. — The steamer's prow was here turned in-shorc,
and we soon found ourselves under Cape Eternity, u
mountain 1900 feet high, perpendicular in its entire
length and overhanging the water, so that to us it seemed
as though it might topple over at any moment and crush
our boat. — Some wag had painted a life-like, full-length
caricature of the Fenian G.^neral O'Neill at its base, thus
creating a happy effect by combining the sublime with the
ridiculous. — The water at the foot of the mountain is
8600 feet in depth, making the actual height of this moun-
tain S.'jOO feet — After sounding several sharp whistles,
the echo of which kept reverberating back to us for
minutes afterwards, we resumed the trip, soon passing
Profile mountain, which as we approached nearer and
nearer, presented every moment a more distinct, clear
cut and perfect outline of a man's head of immense pro-
portions. The whole trip down this river was very im-
pressive, the scenery being so very. wild and the Water so
very deep.' . • ■ :. . - •-.;:■•. . . •<■ . -/^
Tadousac was again reached at about 1 p. M., and here;
in company with the ship's captain, the whole party went
ashore. After a walk of about ten minutes we arrived
21
at Tadousac Hotel ; from its porch we had a splendid
view of the bay and of tlie Sagueiiay and St. Lawrence
rivers, which here commingle their waters.
We then went to the churcli, a simple, wooden struc-
ture, unpainted and looking very old, with loom for
about 200 persons. We were assured that this was the
oldest church in Canada, and I actually believe that it
was; — several members of our party cut off small pieces
of wood from the door posts, to take home as relics.
From here we walked to the salmon breeding establish-
ment, which is unique in its way ; — there is a pon<l, some
200 feet square, situated thirty feet or so below the level
of the road, in which we could see tlie fish, which were
from i^ to 2^ feet in length, disporting in the clear water,
and occasionally leaping out of it twice their length. At
the entrance bordering on the river, a strong rope net work
was fastened, reaching about twelve feet above the water,
thus allowing a continual flow of fresh water from the
river. We were told that at high tide the salmon some-
times leap over this net and escape; — this seemed to us
not at all incredible, as we saw what great leaping powers
these fish had. In a room in the establishment were im-
mense troughs, separated from each other by fine wii'e net-
ting; in these throughs were young salmon in various
stages of development; — a constant flow of pure water
passed through the tanks. At tiiree o'clock we continued
our voyage, being saluted by a small brass fitild-piece as we
passed the Tadous.ic hotel, which compliment we returned
by running in-shore, dipping our flag, waving our hand-
kerchiefs and hurrahing. Sone one in the party here re-
marked that he was always ready to go in to get a salute,
at which there was a general langli. ;. .r
Shortly after 5 P. M. we touched at Riviere du Loup,
where some took a carriage for Cacouna; while others
went to the indian village; still others, myself included,
fishing off the dock. I had fisherman's luck, not being
able to land a single fish, while the others were more or
28
less successful ; — this ill luck must be ascribed partly to
lack of skill, partly to lack of point, for, in this latter
particular, my solitary hook was wofully deficient; — con-
sequently the fishes couldn't see it.
At ten o'clock that evening we arrived at Murray Bay.
The captain, after attending to some necessary duties,
accompanied us ashore to the indian settlement; — here he
unceremoniously entered the first iiandy hut, aroused the
inmates and asked them to show us the goods which
they had for sale. The hut was constructed of logs, not
closely put together, leaving large unfilled space through
which the wind would have had free entrance, had the
inner side not been lined with bark.
The hut was divided into two compartments by a calico
curtain, behind which we could hear the occupants, who
had been roused from their sleep by the captain, arrang-
ing their toilets.
Tliey soon appered; — he, a common looking indian,
but whiter than the traditional red men usually are ; — she,
a good-looking, smiling indian squaw, with her hair hang-
ing down her back en ymturel ; — in the back-ground we
could discover the eyes of some inquisitive child, watch-
ing us from behind the curtain.
They offered us bead-work, baskets and straw and
wooden-hats for ladies' wear ; these latter cost only two
dollars apiece, and weighed about a pound and a-half.
Returning on board the boat, we soon retired, and
in the morning on arising, found that were about twenty
miles from Quebec and jusi passing abreast of the Isle of
Orleans. Quebec was reached at about half past seven
A. M., and we were at once driven to the St. Louis Hotel,
where breakfast was served. -■ ^ = • "", ■ •
■I'.- >...
-.-•*■• . ,.* -.i. , ,^>s.
20
" CHAPTER V. ''
iiTieljCC. — An interesting drive through the City. — Off for Montreal,
— A long race. — The French and English Cathedrals. — Mount-
ain Park. — The Grey Nun convent. — Return to Newport. — A
little business matter. — The Journey to Boston. — The party
breaking up. — Back to New York.— Farewell.
As a light, drizzling rain now set in, it was agreed that
we would dispense with the visit to Montmorency Falls,
which we had intended to make had the weather been fair.
Carriages were called into requisition, and we drove first
through St. Peter's Gate, — the only gate now extant in
Quebec,— to the fortress. At the entrance we were stopped
by a sentinel, who desired to know our business ; — he then
turned us over to the guard, one member of which was
detailed to accompany every four person. We were shown
the grand -battery, the great guns, the officers' quarters, the
parade and play grounds; — the latter consisted of a level
piece of rocky ground, at one side of which was erected a
brick wall thirty feet high and forty feet wide; — here the
.soldiers, when not on duty, are accustomed to play a game
of ball, familiarly known to every boy by the designa-
tion " hou.<e ball."
From the battlements we enjoyed a magnificent view
down the St. Lawrence river, and of Point Levi, directly
opposite. From here we were diiven to the Governor's
Garden ; thence to the Wolfe-Montcalm monument, which
is erected on the only elevated spot on the plains of
Abraham ; — the Champs de Mars was next seen and then
came the ride through the city proper. The buildings
were chiefly two-story stone structures, built in a very
unpretentious style, but evidently meant to last; — we saw
many houses which had been erected in the scven'eenth
century, and which were still as solid and well-built as if
they liad been put up butyi^-f^erday ; some others were in
a tumble down condition, u. I no effoi-ts seemed to have
been taken by anyone to repair the damage.^?. This state
so
of art'airs seemed to be very prevalent there, as even (he
outer walls of the fort had partially fallen down, and no
attempt was being made by the government to repair the
bread).
The streets are narrow, winding, short and steep, and
a stranger is apt, on starting to see a certain place, to
find himself at the point of departure after a five minutes
■walk. The last place where we stopped was the French
Cathedral, the oldest church in Canada, as we were told.
It was a very nice building, built of some greyisli kind
of stone, and had a large number of fine oil-paintings
decorating its interior; there was nothing very imposing
about it, however, most of the larger churches in New
York City excelling it in architectural beauty and in
their inner arrangement. From here we drove back to
the hotel, the ride having occupied about two and ahalf
hours. At noon the rain stopped as suddenly as it had
commenced, and the party sallied forth on a sliopping
expedition, each one bent on buying the most curious
curiosity, wherewith to astonish the friends at home; a
good many useful articles were also purchased, such as
seal-skin caps, sacques, muffs and purses, moccasin slip-
pers and clothes.
At 5 o'clock P. M., we embarked on the steamer Jlon-
trcal, bound for the city of like name ; — a brass band was
at the pier to see us off, which played some lively French
airs ; as we receded from the dock the music grew fainte r
and more indistinct, and was finally entirely lost in tie
distance, but we could see that the musicians were still
doing their best at their instruments.
When once fully started, we soon lef tthe city far be-
hind, as we had the tide in our favor, which at this point
runs at the rate of twenty miles an hour.
An '• Allan line" ocean steamer kept abreast of the
steamer until late that night, affording us a good chance
to observe the relative speed of a side wheel steamer
burning wood, and a steamsliip driven by a screw and
burning coal.
' We found tliat Iney were pretty evenly matched, as
the steamship did not gain on our steamer more than
two hundred yards in a contest lasting several houis.
Next morning we awoke in time to find that we were
just about to reach Montreal ; the houses along the shore,
which were at first far apart, gradually grew in numbera,
until at last we could see the buiit up blocks and the
church spires; — right aliead of us, spanning the river,
was the world renowned Victoria Bridge.
AVe landed at one of the beautiful, solid, stone docks
which project into the river in every direction, and were
rapidly driven to the Ottawa Hotel on St. James street,
Svherc we partook of a fine English breakfast. Carriagea
were then ordered and drove up soon after; — there were
five large barouches, accommodating four persons each
insi le, with room for another per.-^on next to the driver.
We first drove down St. James street, with its many mas-
sive business houses lining the way; — past the old and
the new post-offices, the court house and several immense
bank buildings, which latter looked more like palaces
than anything else ; then past the Place d'Anns to the
French Cathedral. • ' ' • ' •
Here we made a halt and the entire party entered ; — the
building which is capable of holding at least ten thousand
persons, was beautifully but gaudily frescoed and painted,
and altogether presented a very striking appearance.
There were a great number of pillars, painted so as to
closely resemble veined marble of different colors; —
many well executed and very valuable oil paintings
graced the walls, aud there were at least eight altars of
various sizes, but all very costly structures in the build-
ding. We all came to the conclusion that it was impos-.
sible that any-thing could exceed the cathedral in beauty,
but before the day was out we had to confess that human-
ity in general, and we in particular, were liable to make
mistake. We next <lro"e past the monuraent erected t(>
the memory of tliat great naval hero, Lord Nelson ; — then
aroujid the Bonsecours Market, a two story stone struc-
ture, occupying just one whole block and situated on the
street fronting the river. An immense traffic is carried
on here, and the streotsj were made nearly impassable bv
the many vehicles stopping there. Just around the coi*-
ner, and we came to what our driver informed us was the
oldest church in Canada. (We thought we had seen the
oldest Canadian Church at Tadousac, and then again in
Quebec, but must have l>een mistaken.) We did not
stop here, as the street was crowded with vehicles of all
descriptions, but drove on, past the Champs de Mars and
the Hotel de Louvre, to the English <^athedral. This
building does not by its outward appearance impress the
beholder as favorably as the PVench Cathedral, but once
inside, and it is seen to be infinitely superior to the latter.
It was not quite as large, nor as rich in fresco-painting
or colors, but was much prettier notwithstanding. All
over the ceiling, but noticeal)ly at the top of the upright
pillars supporting the dome, were statues of exquisite lines,
representing various epochs and incidents in biblical
history: — the main altar was made of marble and pre-
sented a very rich and massive appearance;— there were
not quite as many side-altars as in the other cathedral,
nor were there any oil paintings, but this want was more
than connterbalancod by innumerable statues and b<i8-
reliefs. We were loin to leave this building, but as time
pressed we again entered our carrisiges and were driven
to the outskirts of the city, where the new city park, —
called Mountain park, was in process of completion ; — it
is in reality a mountain drive. By a circuitous patii we
reached tlie summit, 680 feet above the level of the city,
and enjoyed a magnificent birds-eye view of Montreal.
The first thing to strike the eye were the Lachine Rapids,
which could easily be discerned by thenaked eye, although
Beveral miles away. We also saw Victoria bridge, over
88
tMTo miles long, completely spanning tlie St Ljiwrence
river; — then came the many olmrclies of the city and
the convents and reservoir, while in the distance could
be seen the Adirondack intl Fianconia mountain ranges.
Descending by another drive, we reached the bottom in
about half an hour, and were ready to coincide witii the
prophetic remark of our driver, that when the Mountain
Park is once fully laid out and finished, it will l)e the
fasliionable drive of the city. The carriages were now
taken through Montreal's most aristocra'ic streets, which
were lined with really eleoiant mansions, the most costly
of which, queer to say, are all the residences of rich slioe-
makers. Sherbrooke street is the Fifth Avenue of Mon-
treal, and is macadamized like the hovlevard drives in
New York City. AVe next stopped at the ''Convent of
the Grey Nuns," and were conducted through the entire
building, by two of the sisters.
As it was just 12 o'clock, we were first taken to the
chapel, and had hardly take' lie seats assigned us, when
about 100 nuns filed in, two by two, who kneeling in the
centre aisle, counted their beads and recited the noon-
day prayers. When this highly interesting ceremony
was over. We were led to the school-room, nursery, kit<;hen
and sleeping department, which were all kept scrupu-
lously neat and clean.
The inmates of the convent evidently believe in the
saying that "cleaidiness is akin to godliness."
We then proceeded to the workshops, where many a
trifle was bought by our party. Leaving this buihling,
we were rapidly driven past the Victona Monument to
the hotel, and found that the ride had occupied just four
hours. Mr. Leve here rejoined us, while we were seated
at the dinner table, and his appearance was gladly wel-
comed by the party. A short walk was then taken
through the neifjhboring streets, for the purpose of pur-
chasing various articles which the ladies fancied.
W^e then entered the hotel carriage, and were set down
84
ut the railroad station, yihere further progrops was barred
by a strong gate, guarded by ('ustom House officials,
who were busy examining the many trunks, valises and
other packages belonging to the would-be passengers, for
contraband articles. As it wanted only five minutes of
the schedule starting time of the train, Mr. Leve made
an arrangement with the officers to examine our baggage
on the train, while on the way to Newport, and we there-
upon all entered one of the fine palace cars attached to
the train. This had been engaged forusby our attentive
guide, who had notice<l that the party would otherwise
have had to occupy seats in several cars, thus scattering
the company. About ten minutes after starting, the
train perceptibly slackened speed, and those who were
riding on the platforms were warned by the conductor of
the train to get into the cars ; — the porter carefully fast-
ened all the windows and shut the doors, and in another
minute we Ibund ourselves on the Victoria Bri<lge, cross-
ing the St. Lawrence River. This is an iron bridge, sev-
eral miles in length, and is covered, both on the top and
sides, by a wall of iron. Every 100 yards or so, there
is a large opening in the top of this iron cover, designed
for the admission of light and air, for both of which pur-
poses, however, these openings are totally inadequate
Tlie air in the curs grew hotter and hotter, and we per-
ceived that the object of the considerate porter in closing
the doors and windows, was to prevent us from being
roasted alive ; — it was quite a relief to us when we
emerged from this furnace, and could throw open the
windows and breathe the fresh air of heaven. Notwith-
standing all this, it must be conceded that it is an im-
mensely long bridge, and quite an engineering feat in
its way.
After passing through a very fertile tract of country,
and enjoying the farce of having our baggage searched
for dutiable goods, we, at about 8 o'clock, reached New
Port.
85
Aflcr pnrtakinji^ of a htiuntiful supper, and while the
kdiea, by pervious arrangement, engaged Mr. Leve in
the parlor, tlie gentlemen adjourned to the reading room
for the purpose of preparing resolutions, expres>ing tlie
gratitude of our party towards our amiable guide, Mr.
Leve. Dr. Hustings was unanimously elected chairman,
wliile the secretaryship was conferred upon me, and the
following resolutions, obtaining the approbation of the
entire company, were finally agreed upon, signeil, and by
the cliairman presented to Mr. Leve, who, in a short
s|)eecli, thankfully accepted the same.
The resolutions were as follows : —
Mkmphremagoo House,
Newport, Vt., Sept. 5, 1877.
At a meeting of the members of Leve's Grand Ameri-
can E.xcursion Party, the following resolutions were
passed :
Whereas, the undersigned, members of a party re-
turning from a visit to the White Moiintain.s, Lake
Memphremagog, Quebec, Montreal, St Lawrence and
Saguenay rivers, wish in some suitable manner to express
to our leader, Mr. Gustave Love, our thanks for the many
personal attentions and kindnesses which we have re"
ceived from him during the past ten days, and to fitly
show our entire sjiiisfaction with the trip through which
he has so ably conducted us; and.
Whereas, we think that to travel for ten days over
crowded thorougli fares, and rest at first-class hotels with-
out once missing a connection or a night's repose, and
this, too, without a thought or care upon our own part?
is a novel feature in American pleasure travel, of the
most pleasing character ;
Resolved, that we. the undersigned, would hereby re-
commend Mr. Gustave Leve to the travelling public in
geneml as a pleasant conductor of excursions, well
86
planned and nU^y carried ont, and we clu'crfullj and
voluntarily make tliis expression of our feelings towan]
liim.
J. W. TTASTFNrt!*, Warren, Masfl.
Maky L. IlASTiNo-a, Waircn, Mass.
E. C. Morgan, Warren, Mass.
Mrs, E. C. Morgan, Warren, MasH.
.Iames II. Gaffney, New York.
Dehorah L. (jaffnkv. New York.
Thomas Donnklly, New York.
Mkykr AuKRBACir, New York.
EB»i:R Gridley, Hartford, Conn.
MiservaGridlky, Hartford, Conn.
A. R. Snydkr, Philadelpliia.
Mrs. A. R. Snyder, Pliiladclphia.
L. J. Rir.EY, Pliil:id«'li>iii I.
Mix h. J. Riley, Philadelphia.
Mrs. M. II. Marsh, Lynn, Mass.
M. L. Oliver, Lynn, Mass.
Mrs. II. M. Bishop. Lynn, Mass.
Ne.xt morning we were up bright and early, and agreed
U) slightly change the programme l>y making the return
trip bv way of Nashua, Concord, Lowell and Boston, and
thence by Sound steamer to New York, so as to arrive
there in the morning, instead of at eleven o'clock at night
As this was to be the last day together of the participants
in the tour, we exchanged cards and addresses, and made
mutual promises to correspond with one another, many
of which promises, I am sorry to say, were alterwards
broken.
We pas:*ed down the beautiful Passumpsic river valley,
with its many little villages dotting the base of the
Franconia mountain ridge, and at about eleven o'clock
readied Wells' River .Junction, where Mr. and Mrs. Grid-
ley, after affectionately bidding good-bye to all, parted
from ihe company. Tliis leave taking rudely aroused us
87
to the realization of the stern fact that the party was in
pi*()ce-<.s of disintegration, and cast a gloom over us, wliich
conld not soon bo dispelled, try as we would.
Wo employed the half hour's stoppage at noon in en-
joying a substantial meal at the Pemigewasset House,
that excellent hotel located in Plymouth.
Then we again took the train, and in rapid succession
passed Crystal lake and Lake Winnipesaukee, as also
Lowell, Nashua, Concord, and many other manufactur-
ing cities of more or less note, and reached Boston at five
o'clock in the aftenuxjn* Here Mr. Hastings and wife,
Mr. Morgan and wife and the Mrs. Marsh, Oliver and
Bishop took their leave, and we, getting into an omnibus,
were hurriedly driven to the Old Colony Railroad depot
80 as to catch the train connecting with the Sound
steamer at Fall River.
The train made only two short stoppages on the entire
trip, and made the entire run of ,09 miles, the distance
from Bos'on to Fall River, in one hour and a half. The
steamer / 'rovidence, sister ship to the Bruilot,vf as here
found with steam up, ready to start; as soon as we came
al)oard the lines were cast off, and we were soon rapidly
.Hteaming down Narraganset Bay.
At Newport, R. L, a stop was made of about an hour's
duration, after which we continued the voyage to New
York.
Early next morning the remnant of the party assembled
(»ti the upper deck of the steamer, from which we enjoyed
the beautiful scenery of the Long Island Sound. At
seven o'clock we passed Hell Gate, and entered the East
River, down the whole lenght of which we passed, and
then rounding the Battery, the steamer made for her dock
at the foot of Murray street. Here we said adieu and
"God speed" to tae PhiLidelpbians, and, mingling with
the throng hurrying ashore, we were soon wending our
ways to our respective homes, having enjoyed a most de-
38
lightful Summer tour, ]astiiij( ju?t eleven days, with
out an accident having happened, or the enjoyment of a
single hour having been marred by illness.
That we may all live to realize the desire ex{)ressed by
the entire party, to meet again next year, is the fervent
wish of the author.
riNi!?.
< . I
vl