Banff TICK FT AQE.Nr IN THE CANADIAN ROCICIES AND THE GLACIERS OF THE SELKIRKS REACHED BY THE Canadian Pacific Railway. 1899. ^ Co... C Banff (.1 ;-r'. IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES AND THE GLACIERS OF THE SELKIRKS ,v>, -^^ ix ^P 1 -^ .^..0mm^^^^ REACHED BY THE Canadian Pacific Railway. 1899. BANFF THE BEAUTIFUL. ~ ~ ~ ■" ■ ■'""'■i' 'nH' iiiiBliii"' BANKl'', in the heart of the Rocky Mi)imlains, is channinnly situated in till; (.'nnadian National Park, a large reservation chosen by the Do- minion Ko^'cniient for its beauty and sublimity and healthfulness as the great breathing place of the nation. Few places have found such speedy recognition of their attractive novelties, and none have better deserved the encomiums of enthusiastic tourists. Hanff is siii j^nieris, but in its kind cannot be excelled, for of all the lovely spots that gem the Ameri- can continent, it stands alone without a rival. Its sur- roundings are the mountain steeps, beside whose immense, jagged heights the crags and peaks of the Alps sink into insignificance. It is not a (juestion of one mountain or of two, but more than can be counted, for they stretch far away as the eye can follow them, and roll upon one another in chaotic disorder. The very acme of sublimity and grandeur is reached, and in its natural beauty ISanff finds no counterpart in other lands. In the cenire of this magnificent panorama are the Hanff hot springs — some natural wells of min- eral water having peculiar medicinal qualities — and here the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, whose transcontinental lines traverse the park, has erected a large and lu.xuriously appointed hotel, perched on a lofty promontory, commanding not only .-'.n uninter- rupted view of the How Valley, but of peaks and stretches of the Rockies in other directions. In the surrounding country, for many miles, science has availed itself of nature's lavish gifts to create, out of the wilderness, a mountain park, twenty-si.x miles long by ten wide — a public pleasure ground without an equal. .Streams have been bridged, roads laid out and trails cut, penetrating for miles into the solitudes, so that in many directions the visitors may drive, ride, wheel, or wander afoot, inhaling the health-giving mountain air, or seeking the most favorable spots for brush, pencil, kodak, rod or gun. There is fairly good trout fishing in the bright and rapid Bow in the valley beneath the hotel, and good trolling on Devil's Lake, a pleasant drive of nine miles from the hotel. Steam launches, besides boats and canoes, have been placed on the Bow River for the use of visitors, enabling them to make excursions on the river and to Vermil- lion Lake. In the immediate vicinity there are numerous lakes at which, in season, good duck shooting is obtainable, , and, for the more adventurous, the mountain sheep (big horn) and " mountain goat, at some distance, offer a temptation to which men , who have gained other laurels in the sporting world are glad to yield. :4 j^^Vlf^- '<^'. 4r/> '-^.f^' ^';/^;^ ;.',"' W'"^ '''-^ mautBCSA ..•••V '■''•", I <' ! *■' •.■! BANFF HOTEL FROM OVER THE BOW RIVER. 3 All exctllunl iiui.scuiii, containing iniuimuialile spuciiiicns of the Mora, fauna, etc., of the park, has been estabiishtd by lliu Dominion government, and in its pleasant rooms the student of nature will find many olijects of peculiar interest to him. Of this institution, Lord Lister, physician extraordinary to the Queen, and ex rresident of the Ihitish Scientific Association wrote, on the occasion nf visiting the institution: " We have been much i iterested in the nuiscnm, which has supplied us with valuable information regarding the birds and anii.ials which we liave observed in the districts of the Kocky Mountains." In a large enclosure near the railway station is a herd of buffalo, liciiig among the last of the pitifully few remaining bison that once roamed the great western plains in countless thousands. The Medicinal Hot Springs. Though lianff is chiefly a resort of tourists and p'casure seek- ers, its waters have properties that are commended strongly by medical men. Dr. wanter, a former president of the Ameri- can Health Resort Association, says : "The springs are natural hot sulphur water, combining other chemical ingredients, and while the air is a restorer to the pulmonary di.seased, the springs are particularly beneficial to rheumatic patients and to those alllictcd in some oilier ways." Mr. McOill, assistant analyst of the Canadian government, who recently made a full analysis of the Itanff water supplies, reports : "The water is very free from organic impurities and gives no albuminoid nitrogen. * » » Kach gallon contains dissolved sulphuretted hydro- gen to the amount of 0.5 grains (equivalent to o..S cubic 'nch). "The dissolved solids are as follows: — Chlorine (in ^:lll^^illL•^) Snlplmrii- Acid (S (l,i) . Silira (Si ():!). I.nni' (Ca ()) . Mai;ii.~in (Mt") Alkalii-s (as Sciila, Na:;";. I.illiuun . . . • n.4.' «rans. t.S.jo " '. -M-Hs " . 4.«7 " 0.(1;! " A ,li-, i.lcl ira.c. Analyst Met Jill reports that the i|uantily of litliiuin present is at least one hundred times as much in the I'.anff water as in some of the so called lithia waters placed on the market. The t'-mperaluie of this spring is 114.3 degrees I''ahrenheit. I'atieiils are sent here to bathe in the hot sulphur baths ; and these are none the less aiiprcciated from the circumstance of tlieir being an annex of a hotel which, though situated in the wildest part of the con- tinent, is, in its appointments and luxurious accessories, as if in the midst of eastern civilization. There are many hotels, indeed, in the leading cities of this continent which, pluming themselves upon being distinguished houses, arc excelled by lianff in many things that make the reputation of a hotel. The Qimate. The climate of Uanff during the summer months is delightful, and while, as in all high altitudes, the nights are chilly, the days are warm anil pleasant, with plenty of genial siuisliiiic and very Utile wind or rain. The following table is taken from llieoliicial records of the local meteor- ological station : — MONIlll.N ANh ANNIAI, SUMMAUII.S 1(1K 11I1-. \1'.\K i8,S. llanfl, AILella. N. \V. I'., I .at. N ;l ' i..': l.nn-. W 1 1 O' m' ■ Height al) t\r st-a lc\t:l. 4.s.(.' feci. I'KKsst km:. I'KMIKK.M'I HE. I'KKl ll'l- K.MN. TATIIIS. MctNTIf^. H S nxTUK\n.;s. Mean. EXTKK.MKS. 7^- Max. Min. Max, Mill. In. In. Total. Iascakv .... 25.22 25.61 34. go .6.4 1 30.2 1 -8.9 - _ Vl-r.KIVKV . . . 25. ly 25.7;! 24.(13 ; '9.:f 44.2 ^ -23.2 — 24-05 2.47 MAKtil .... 25.25 25.(13 : 24.8g 1 17.9 41.8 -27.3 1 — 9-95 o:g? .\IKII 25.12 25.71 24.80 36.6 65., 7.8 a.8i — Mav ■-■s-ji 25.(17 1 24.y6 44.9 72.4 ( 20.8 1 3.o« 3.08 Jink 25.. 15 25-87 1 25.09 5>.> 80.1 1 302 , 2.15 2.15 jr,v 25.58 25.63 ' 24.1)6 .56.2 85. .1 1 30.5 4.. 54 — 4-54 All. I ST .... 25..I9 25.59 , 25.12 .59.9 85.2 : 32.0 2-37 2.37 Skitkmi^kk . . . 25.:i2 25-79 , 24.94 48.0 73-3 24.8: "•73 — ••73 Ol-TOllKK .... 25. <9 23.79 24.8.1 15.11 49.6 15.8 l.oi, — 1.09 Ni>\KMHKK . , . 25.21> 25.113 24.711 2o,y 4..8 -.5.8 I 0.07 8.65 0.93 |>ErRMItKK . . . 25.36 25.85 19.2 48.0 -25.5 ; U.U9 1.08 0.20 Vl-AK .... 25.30 25.71 24.89 35-5 85.3 1 -27.3 1 1 «5.93 44.33 20.36 NoTi-:. — liaiiinictcr nut rt'dmed tt) sc:» level. Around About Banff. Nine piilcs from Ilanff is Lake Minncwanka, or the Uevil's Lake, a drive to which, over an excellent road, affords a pleasant outing. The lake Is deeply set in a mountain fastness, the bare rocks rising sheer from the water's edge to great heights, and at its further end a chalet inn is l)eing erected, wliich will afford a comfortable rendezvous for those wishing to spend a day or longer here. There is a capacious launch, and there are boats and canoes on the lake, and the fishing is |>articu- larly good. Tl>e natural cave and basin in which are sulphur springs ; the iJow P'alls at the confluence of two mountain streams in the valley beneath the hotel; the hot springs on Sulphur Moimtain ; the Loop, a beautiful drive around the How Valley; the Spray ride up the Spray Valley and through the virgin forest to the Spray CafSon at the foot of Goat Mountain; the Sun Dance Cafion, a remarkable cleft in the moun- tain ; and the crest of Tunnel Mountain, reached by a spiral drive, are some of the more noted points that attract the tourist who rests awhile at lianff. Those who like making little scenic discoveries for themselves, or fishermen who love to work in nolitude without fear of companionship, can find numerous spots where they may indulge in unbroken reveries, and by a little e." e'cise of fancy imagine themselves discoverers of the CASCADE MOUNTAIN FROM TUNNEL MOUNTAIN, BANFF. SWISS GUIDES IN THE ROCKIES, wilds before anil arouiwl them, and monarclis of all they | survey, and this within a short distance of ihe hotel. Km the more adventurous there arc still more pretentions trips — lo Mount Assiniboine, which is called the Mailer- liiini of the Rockies, a templing height to scale, twenh \ miles south of Ilanff, and reached by .Simpson's or the ( White Man's Pass; or up past the ice fields due west of ; Laggan and through the Howe Pass to the culminating; f heights of the range; but these involve weeks to reach and exploit. Guests at Hanlf, in addition to riding, driving, wheel ing, fishing, boating, bathing and mountain climbing, also : find amusement in lawn tennis, golf, billiards, bowlin.u. \ etc. Connected with the hotel are new and elegantly ap- i pointed bathing houses and a large plunge bath suppliei ' with water direct from the sulphur springs, and in tin ; hotel a dark room is provided for the use of photographei- j who desire to finish their pictures before returning honir ^ Alpenstocks for mountain climbers can be purchased ;i:'# Banff, Lake Louise, and (ilacier, at each of which place- J there are facilities for branding upon them the names o: | the different peaks in their neighborhood, thus convertinj: ^ the staffs into interesting souvenirs. Guides and tht si necessary outfit for parties exploring the mountains m | shooting in the .Selkirks and foothills of the northern j T '•, '4 J Rockies are procurable at llanff. The hotel opetm on May 15th and close* October ist, and the rates arc from 53.00 to $4.50 per day (with a redm tion for those stopping a week or longer), a moderate cliargc for such a hotel in six h a locality. Swiss Guides. Kxperienced Swiss guides are sialloued at the hotel during the tourist season, and under their personal guidance systematically planned excursions will be made daily to several of these or other points of interest, so that in a iiimparatively short stay the visitor is enabled to explore the region hereabouts luider the most favorable auspices. I'',ach day's prograttinie will be posted in the rotunda of the hotel on the even- ing previous, and will be so arianged that the greatest number of inter- esting places will be visite(' >vi'h the least aniomit of travel. The Lakes in the Clouds. Not far from Hanff arc the T.akcs in the Clouds. So near and yet so dissimilar are these two charming spots liiat, one having been seen, there is naturally a desire to visit the other. If lianff is beautiful, these lakes are enchanting. There is nothing like them on the face of the earth elsewhere than here in the Rockies, where they lie like a string of jewels in the clefts. The trip from Hanff is through one of the grandest parts of the whole mountain region — up the forested valley of the How, skirting the Vermillion Lakes and passing out of the National Park past Castle Mountain, a sheer precipice of 5,000 feet, with views of the Saw- back range on the right and the How range on the left, and I.efroy lift- ing its whitened head above the surrounding heigtits. The station on the Canadian Pacific line for the Lakes in the Clouds is l.aggan (thirty- four miles west of P.anff — aiiout an hour's ride), where choice can be made of driving, riding or walking up Id Lake Louise (altitude, s/'4S feet), the first to be reached of the three sheets of water hidden iiigh up above the valley. Lake Louise. The drive is two and one-half miles through a pine forest, in which a good carriage road has been cut, following up Louise Creek, which carries off the waters of the Cloudland Lakes to the How. .Mlhough the most graphic word-painting does not ade(|uately convey the effect of the approach to Lake Louise and its sudden burst on the sight of the traveller, for mental pictures involve themselves with actual sights, it ni.iy be worth while cpiotitig one writer: — " Nestling at the foot of two great mountains, which seem to guard against the encroachments of the vast glaciers resting on the sides of a third, canopied by a sky like the petal of a soft blush rose, its great depths reproducing, with mirror like fidelity, the green forests, bare peaks and motionless seas of snow-mantled ice — Lake Loui.se is a dream of loveliness. The delicate colorings of its waters are an irresist- ible charm. The lake is about one and one-half miles in lengih, with a 8 > ■V O 7: I m o c width of half a mile, and it is between 500 and 600 feet deep. To the right is a vast amphitheatre of spruce, whose tall heads rise up in a terraced evenness to the foot of the Beehive, and through whose intrica- cies arc passes to the upi)er lakes. Helween the two great mountains is Mount Victoria, a back-setting of gray and white — the ice-fields, the one at the base being covered with the drift of centuries. These glaciers are of enormcms thickness and of great area, and with the coursing of the sun or the passing of clouds, present new shapes and fantastic forms, and, as the rays of old Sol pour down, the stillness of the air is broken by the crunching and grinding of the ice beds. The base of (ioat ^fountain, on the left, is clad with spruce on one side, and beautiful fresh foliage embellishes another, which, in the fall of the year, is rich with the autumnal tints peculiar to American woods, while above there are huge precipices of bare rock, which come sheer down for thousands 9 1 m TOPOGRABI^ M 'r:.s "tS v^' •"<> !)§''■ ^K*?/. >-N. '(»«»' CMC* fe & •\^# >w. '^V^t^-^,^" ,W.V. -.^""i .•!?y^'''"^ >£».:.■ :2lf&§, «^^ ■'.'S'S i(" 'ip iV^'^*! r/« C l«'l\\>-- 1.,.. "■•■„■: '"-'./".i.'^it *•'■'■. r;'': tr--:^^ , eiiniKi' ■ysr- :^'<^ >.:^^ .- AC T. :"»,. Ml'//, . ■•, ..J ■ -- '^^ '-4 -"'-;'■-■' ^,»^'i; / f •':' ■-'::;„ ;iii;.' •"'J'i^iii^'^** i] *^:;«5. t»'''v;=si ■■}M -4?" ^./"i S«^c v;??^ V'A%' i^ ;/' ■-i4, ^:-' &? riaraaiVi i^i:^g^ ^iiki-x '■fi&iA'ii'i. »^m LAKE LOUISE. ANL CHALET. (,f fitl. Till -c walK arc vaii ("loi. d, rc>eiiibliii,u iii.nlili- i.i |>l.i(.e«, wliiisc lintcd lilies an in plfasiiiL' ronlrasl with llu' dull iluii ami .yray inck ami till' ilaiU >l.iu." " 'I'n \i<\\ niii (111 iIr- KiUi in llu rally nmi niiii;," ailil> aimllu'i visilm, '• is a iiivi r-li)-liu-liML;iillL'ii (-•xpi.-rii.iiLC. 'I'lie Imal m-'i-iii> |i(iisiil in iniil- ail, Miiriiiiiulcd alunc and liclow liy llu- nniiinlaiiis and sky. .\«ay Imni it, siRtcliinu ■■111 1,11 all >idcs is llif \\ijiidi-i luih clf.ir, -iK en Mm i;ucn water. 'I'ln I. .us tmn li il- slu-cn, llu In. .it iiii.\cs ^;<.iUly forward, and gri.nii(l.s at knuth mi .i tiny -.uidy lu-.u li al ilii' ..ppo-itc riid of llu- lake frniii thai on wliKli iIkj cli.dtl i> sitnalcd. < in tli. >liiirc- iu~t li.yniid the liraili and liulmv llif glai.ii.-i is a IIiami gaiil.n of Mia- f.ii;^i.-l-nic-n.it.s. As wc i;,illiL-r tlaiii we an- lui|m.-ntly .-tartU-d liy peals liki tlinse uf lieav) tliiinder, tliiHi;;li wi are under clear skii-> ; Imt »m- s i distovi-r that the sniiiuK ari.- i .iii-i-d li\ tin faUiiii; iii,iss(.-> nf llu li.ingin;.i glacitis plunging ci\cr the distani elills of Mount Vii lori.i." On the margin of llu- lake the railwav comp.iiiy li.is l.iiill a cli.di-l, wliieli is iiiuler the s.iiiiu iiiana-eineni as the H.inlf Spiings lloii-l, for those ulio ik-sire lo leiiiain either to e.\pliiie the inoniitaiiis or to lish or limit the rigioi) aboiinilinj', in ininiiilain goal, wliu h leipiiic- all tlie skill and perseveram.i- ol the Swis- clianinis Ininni. aii-l iiunierons t-oveys of ptarmigan grouse, dm k, and oilu-i feallien d g.ime — and at Lake .Agnes and the SaddUliaek, shelters have been erecteil for the acom- inoilatlon ol vIsitorH. Streams have lieen liridgi'ik and over twelve miles of trails have been loiistrm led, wliieli render many points of vaiilage easily aeiessible. One leads aroiiiul the west side of the lake I" llie base "f Vkloria Clailer, three and one ipiarter miles; .luother ti) Saddleliai k Moimtain, overlooking Taradise Valhy, and to Annette Lake in the Valley itself, giving maKiiifiienl views of i;r(inps of nigged peaks and elnslersof smaller glaeiers ; others lead lo the upper l.ikes — .Mirror and Agnes. I'onies are available for these asieiils by those not desiiing llie walk; but the delights of moimtain i limbing, which are hen- l.ivislily olli-nd, prompt many lo iiuliilge in lh.it pleasiiiabls expeiii ni e wliii li, eM ept to the fi-eble, is unattended with dilliiullv. 'llie eliarge for ponies i.s Ji.oo per day, and c.xpeiii-iued Swiss guides arrange foi and aeeompany e.\- lUisions d.iilv, as al Uaiilf, for llu- lonveiiiime of guests. 'I'lie 1 h.ilel is opi-n fmm .iboiil June I ^lli lo Sepli-inbi i 1 51I1, the i.ile lii-ing Sj,5o per d.i\. <'oine\aiices nuet all li.iiiis .11 l.agg.in, .ind bv pie-.irrangement the round ti ip, im hiding the aseeiil to the upper hikes, e.in be inadi- from ILinlf in om- il.iy, single-fare liikels being issued on presentation of eeltilhales from llu- inaii.igers ol the ll.inll Springs Hotel or Sanitarium. In the 1 li.det is a dark room for the Use of photographers, and tlieie is leli-plionie eoimei lion with the sl.ition at l.agg.in, by wliiih eomminiii alion with liaiilf is had. Mirror Lake. ■{'he asieiil III L.ikis Minor (.dtilude li.^sc. Ieel),iiid .\i',iies (.dli- lude (i.Sjo f<-et), the one on llu bn-asl .iiul llu- ullu-r on llie shoulder of the mountain ih.il eonline-s lake Ionise on the southern side, is nsii.dly made on Indi.iti punies. but with sturdy climbii g powers one e.in sdanilile up the sleep asieni willuiul ,iny gie.it wasie of time or e.\- ertion. A trail, eonipleled in 1S97, wliiih biings Minor Lake within two miles of the i h.ili-l and L.ike Agnes two and oiie-(|iiaitei miles, leads on to the sunimil of the I'leehiM-; anotlu-r braiuhes off iie.ir Mirror to the Lesser lie. hi\e .mil llie b.isi- of Si. I'in.n, from wliiih its siimmil 1 .111 be reai bed. Lour hours .ire oieiipied from the elialet to the eresi or St. I'iion and reliiin, and two hours to Lake .\gne- .ind rt-liirn. Minor l.,iki-. whiih is one- 1 bird of .1 mile long by a ipiaitei nf .1 111 ili- widi-. has ii'i visible outlet, ils shallow- waters escaping through an underground 1 lianiul into Laki- Louise. Thev risi- and fall .is the inllowing stieains pniii their lloods nioie i.ipidly lli.m llu v are (.iriied off. lis still .ind clear siu f.m, dillei ing in color from thai of lake Louise .ind ol Lake .Agnes, relleits in .1 peculiarly elleclive w.iy its eminling w.ills, and siig- gesU-d the appropri.ite name of Mirror Lake. Anxious to ri ,ieh the highest point, the \,isllor shortins his st.iy at llie inli-i im diale w-,ilei, and, remcninting his jxmy or grasping his alpenstock, (ontinues his .isieni to Lake Agnes, there being two trails, one a ten minutes' easy (limb and the other around ihe sloping side of the mount, lin, which, while not ,it all d.mgeroiis, is .il limes altendeil with all the pleasurable sensations of e-xcilenient. 15 Lake Agnes. K.iic Ih the l)caiily nf ilu- crystal | 1 kiiowii as Lake Ahiich, ■iltliiniuli its •iirroiindiiiKH (In not prpssrss that lovuliiKss wliiuli cliarac- h ri/cs its sister lakes. It is al)i)iit a tlilril nf a nilli' in t«;iit,tli, wiili liall ill. It liriadtli, and its j-rcat (Vpllis liavi' ivt yet li(.tii iisccrtaiin il. Ii is 1,(1 liy Hcviral watiTfalls, (|ri>|i|.l,,n fiiiiii the huinlits alxnc, and I i lUiniiTons spiin^-. and ).;rcMl li.mk^ nf mmiw vvliiili lini' tlic iiiMiiiil.iins lli.it cnclosL' it. Ni.ir its milkl, wlitic Ihi' waters |ic>iii in .1 |Milty 1 as- . .idc nvcr tin.' rucks and fall into the |.;nri;c' wlddi liads to Mirror Lake, i, .1 . Innip ol trees, in wliosi- sli.idc is •I'alilc Kui k, allnrdinj; a s;ili ndid VICTORIA GLACIER AND HAZEL PEAK diiiiiiM-lalplr fill |iii ni( Kirs. I.ikr a m nliiiil, iin Ihr ntlur >idc, st.inds :;iini Moniit Wlivle. and irrc-idai peaks, nniniiiK ba. k, tell of ilic siii- 'f->ion of \iolcnt irnplioiis in tli.it a«fiil d.iy of tin- ^real nplic,i\.il, far I'iii k ill llic dim, ini>ly ai'.cs ol .miiipiiiy. Tlie pc.iks ii~L- up in iiirares, li.e liinn f.ir .diove the tiniluT line, ami at the li,i>e aie luii;e heaps of moraine. Kiiilher on is a vast aniphitheatreshaped li.isin, in whiili lie ilie .in iiinnlalions of the snows of ajjes past. Here, even in the warmest W( .iiher, it is always cool and ple.isaiil, and hy a few further steps (for yon are nearinj; the verge of vegetation), the pastime of a snowliallinp match can lie indulged in — nut live ininntus after revelling amongst the U in(is.scs, the forget liieiiols .ind ihe ginli. Ills wliiJi, with tlii< hi.ilhti of pink and white, dot ilie mount, lin side. |:e\ond the snow li.isin ni!.n'm the spniee, inived with the laniar.nk, which licie lirsl sIiuw.h lis head, iloihes the hillside it this height; the w I anemone, the sweet little Mile hells of IJH Scottish highlailiU, the fein, the \lpilie idelweiss— the lirid.il llowerof the .Swiss inonnlaineer — , Hid iIm h. .ither thai lemiiids the sons and d.inghlers of Ixmnje Scotland of their native land, .ind other l)rilliaiit-hned (lowers, adil heanly i>> the scene. The shortest .mil not least point, m1 des,ripti..n of ihes,. lakes was given hv the l.idv who ealh d Ihcm " ,1 ne, klei of gems on the |i,„oin of the inoiml.dn." The I, linn to l.agg.iii is of comse made in comparatively .shcn t lime, anil the easi-lionml Ir.iiis, oinimnl.il ii.dn is either taken for Maiiff, to whi,li the tourist letiiriis , harmed with his exciirsioii, and thoroughly appreciative of the comfortal.le home that awaits him, or the wcst-hoimd express, if one purposes explor- ing the other splendors of the inoimlains, whi, h can lie liest iloiie from Meld, the (deal lilaciers of the Selkirks, Kevel- stoke, on the ( oluiirbia, and North llend, on the Kraser, where the C.iii.idi.ui racilic Railway Conipany has erected four I halet hotels, as they are called, at any of which a tourist will lind sin h comfort as is not generally dreamed of in the niouii- l.iins, I hese ch.ilets, unlike that at Lake l.onise, are hotels at which tourists may, and iisii.illy do, slop f,ir some time. Field. Kroin l.aggan, the railway c limhs up the sninmit of the Kockies, crosses " 'Ihe Great Divid.," and ten miles down the western slope reaches the lirst of these chalets — the Mount Slephen House at Kield. It is a delightful spot. 'I'he loftiest nniimlains of the Rockies are grnnped all about, many of them hearing gla, iers of great si/c, and thev Iowct on every h.ind as far as ihe eye can see. 'I'licsc steeps are Ihe h.iimls of monniaiii sheep, hear and other large game. In the iMckgroimd ,,f the hotel is Mount Stephen, the highest jioinl of the Rockies along the line (S.ooo feet), which can lie .LSI ended from the rear, .Hid around here artists, amateur and professional, lind ample choice for the exercise of their liriish. .\ear tlieli.ise of this giant, .mcl easily reachc;cl by a good 111 extensive lossil ln,| fnini uhich r.ir,' specimens c.iii lie olil.iincd. .Another walk t. ikes one to the Crysl.il ( 'axe, a place worili visiting, and to ihc> silver mines perched 1,500 feel up on the side of the iiioiinlain; and to the west is a curious natural bridge. Other cnitings gi\e grand views of the (Mterlail range. Kmerahl Lake, a few miles away, which is reached by a footdiridge over the Illecillewaet River, is a scenic gem of rarest beautv, not only attrac'ive to the lover of nature but to the angler, for its waters and those of its tributaries are lilled with hike and moiintain trout. The rates at the chalet at Field, and those at the Cieat (JIacier, 17 trail, is .11 UivuKliiki' :iii(l N'mlli Itciiil, all iif wliiili arc (>i)Ln tliii)ii,t;lii)Ml llic yuar, :iie 53.00 [icr (lay; spucial arrangeiiicnts, liowovur, buinj; iiiaile with tlinsc rc'inaininn a week or longer. The Great Glacier. In tile heart u//le tlic traveller who for the first lime visits this most chari'iing of spots. Vis- itors come year after year, so delighted are they with the splendour of the scenery, and one of them, Mr. Cicorge Vaux, Jr., of I'hil.idelplii.i, furnishes a description which is of such general interest and usefulness, that the following excerpts are made from it : 'I'lieCireat Cilacier naturally ihiinis attention fir^l. The distance lotlie fc rehoni of this frozen Niag.ir.i is one .iiid one-half miles, there being a p i |Hip| ■ i 1 ■,:./;;; 4^^^ri^Hft 1 ■r ' "■ ■" " " " "■'■ "■ '" , ■ ■:~f: ■ ■•• • . ' /' LOOKING OVER MIRROR LAKE AND LAKE LOUISE TOWARD BOW RIVER. IH MOUNT STEPHEN AND MOUNT STEPHEN HOUSE AT FIELD, good (rail crossing the A^ulk.in River, .uul following tin TllecillewacI Kiver, to whicli birlh is given by tin- gl.uiei, till the moraine is reached. ( hu cm here see hi>w slowh but suielv the ice-lield has receded in the last ten ye.irs. .Another trail leads to Lake Marion, where a shelter is irecled, and thence to Nbmnl Abbott. The lake is aboiii 1,750 feet above the hotel, and the bserv.ition Point, whence superb views of Rogers Pass and the Loop Vallev are obt.iiniil, with the silver thread of the Illecillt- waet, flanked by the railroad, winding ihiough the latter. The ascent from the lake to the sninniil of Mt. .\bboii should be made by everyone at " jcpial to the exertion of a day's climb. With tlie improved condition of (he trail, it is probable that with an early start the .isceiil ni.i\ be more satisfactorily made in a >ingle dav. .\noilui excellent trail is that to the top of the Cascade, and iheiici to the grassy slopes which i nlminate in the fine twin peak of Mt. Avalanche. The view is a superb one wht ii the points outlined against the sky just above the snow sheds are reached, and in many respects rivals that from Abbott. The most striking object is, perhaps, Mt. Sii Donald, which rises as a scpiare pyramid. Two sides el it are visible, and thus presents an entirely different as pect from that seen from any other point. From an 19 i;ll)()\v about half way iip tlu' Ca.-.( .uU-, where llie nail leai his its mosl sdiilhiiii puiiil, a fine view of tlie (iieat Claiiei anil its ri)iij;li ice fall is hail, ami tlirmi.nlKinl, where it ean he seen lhronj;h the trees, the Asiilkaii \alley is most exi|iiisitely lieaiitifiil. 'I'his tiip should have a ilay ilcvnieil to it if |>i)ssililf, anil the visitor is >lront;ly nrueil on this, as on the other more exienileil iii|is, to make an early start. I'he morning light iliseloses lieaniies not ilreanieil of, ami shoulil the weather he warm, .IS it sometimes is, one gels the adv.mt.ige ol lining the li.Milest part of the work in the i ool of the day. An early liie.ikfasi ami a snlisl.mtial liiiuMi are always obtaim.lile wilhont dilliinltv. I'ossilily ihr nn^st eh, inning of anvnt liie lri|)s is th.it up the Asiilkan Vallev. a gem of .Mpiiie l'i-.inl\ ill. It was liist exploieil in i.SS.S. The name " .\siil- k.m," given to this vallev, with the g'.ii ier and pass at its ^ollthern end, is the Indian n.ime lor the iiionnlain go.it. whiili are at times fonml here in large niimliers. The Asiilkan Vallev is hemmeil in on ii> eastern side liy (Ua- eier (rest and the ridges iimning Imm it to ilie smiih- u.llil, whiill form the Westnn >ide of the great llle- cilleuael Neve, or siiowlield. < l|i il- western siile the v.illev is lioiiiided liv the long r.mge whiih i- iilh ol Mnimt .\lilioit — ihe kampait, the 1 )ome, I'ollii.v .mil t .islm. A seiie> nf glai iers sweep ilowii from all of these exn pi .Ahjii.ii. ,iiui llie stre.ims Mowing from lliiin fmni a niimlier nf must gr.iiefiil and lie.uilifiil waterfalls. The Srveii K.ilU, so THE GREAT C.L.ACIER OF THE SELKIRKb ^fy-t^l^p^^ ik .^:. r :. iiO ■T-r MARION LAKE. NEAR THE GREAT GLACIER. far unnamed in detail, at other places would liv coiisiileieil worlhy of special attention. Tlie rich meadows would prove tempting pastures lor herds of cittle or llocks of goals. .\t the distance of two and oiiedialf or three miles the river is contracted hitween ii.irrow lockv walls, and the canon sides here show no striking signs of gl.ici.il action. lanerging from the gorge, the path leads over an old moraine, .icross the stream flowing in from the ea>i, .inil thence np a very stfip gr.issy slope lo the shelter erected fipr the accomnio- dalioii of tourists. This |)oiiit is about 2,000 feet above td.icier House, and about live miles distant from it. From about this level superb views of the .Asnik.in Glaciers are had, while the glaciers covering the sides of Castor and Pollii.\ and the home are e.\ceeilinglv striking. The ice-towers, pinnacles, obelisks, minarets and turrets are of surpassing graiuleur and beauty, and the sight of them is an ample recompense to anyone who lakes this tri|>, which, in fact, includes more varietv than anv of the others now easily accessible. Looking from near the shelter to the north, the Hermit Range is most beautifully set out, while nearer at hand .iiul passing eastward come in order the minor peaks of Mt. 21 Av.ilaiulif, i;;mlc I'cak ami Sir Donald, lliu latlcr main- fcsliiiH i|iiite a (lillLrcnt aspect fmiii tliat seen fmiM diIri pii.silions. I'loiii the slalttr the lidnc may be loll )«t.(l iiinvaril lor a mile or more, till siiiruicnt elevation is obtained to observe the |)eaks of the Dawson Kange. The total distance o| the rui|iaral)lu wild llower.s for which Uritish Columhia is famed reach the highest perfection, and grow iu wouhes thrcnigh narrow and picturcsipie cafuMis, before reaching the fertile country of its delta below \'ale, and makes a convenient base from which these wonders can be explored. There is a pretty series of cascades a short lifteen minutes' walk back of the hotel, and one .mile west is a favorite spot for salmon spearing, it being an interesting sight to witness the Indians engaged in this occupa- tion, and even more interesting for the tourist to participate in it him- self, as he is, in the season, easily enabled to do. At Siii/zic, four and one-half miles west, and Salmon Ki\er, four miles east, there is capital trout lishiug, and a trip to Mope by rail, for a day's fishing, is a popular oulmg. Hotel Vancouver. .At Vancouver, at a short distance from the harbor, aud commaudiug a series nf views of the bay and the surrounding countrv, i.-- the (Canadian Pacific Company's Ibilel Vancouver, the i)riucipal hotel of the city, and one unsurpas.sed in its appointments and general comfort by any on the Pacific t'oast. It is at all times well patronized, summer aud winter, but on the arrival and departure of the Japan and China or Australian steamers, is more than usually bright aud busy. Almost adjoining it is the < >pcra House, cue of the most charming theatres outside of New \'ork, and this, with other attractions, has served to make the hotel so popular that it was fouiul absolutely necessary 'o increase the size of the building. 'Phis series of hotels, with the Chateau Frontenac, on the famed Dufterin I'errace at (,)uel)ec, and the new Viger Place Hotel and stati(U) at Montreal, two of the finest hotels iu .America, enables the tourist to cross from the .Atlantic to the Pacific through Canada, and to spend whatever leisure time he chooses in fi.shiug, shooting or wandering amidst the magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains, with all the comfort that i'a[)ital aud enterprise have provided for the tourist bv this route. The rates .it the Vancouver are from .S3.00 to 54.50 per dav, with special terms for a week or longer, on application to the manager. Further infori\iation as to accommodation, rates, etc., can be se- cured by writing the managers of the different hotels, or J. -A. Sheffield, Superintendent and Manager of the Company's hotels, Montreal. The Route. lianff. Field, the Great Glacier, and the other resorts in the moun- tains, and the Pacific Coast, are reached from New York, Uoston, and 26 THE GLACIER HOUSE, GLACIER, olhcr Allaiuii; Coast points liy way of Mniitival, and tluiiLC- by the Can- adian I'acitic Railway, or by Niagara Kails Ilainilloii and Toronto, and llifiice to North I!ay on Lal