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Photographic

Sciences
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(716) 872-4503

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32X

TIIK

QUEEN'S IIIGIIWAY

MllNTF.D BV

Kl'orns«l.01)li AND .u., NEW^TliJiJiT SQUAUK

LONDu.N

IT.

TIUO

QUEEN'S Highway

fRO/V\ pCEAN TO pCEA

liY

STUAliT CUMIiERLAND, F.R.G.S.

CHEVALIKlt OK inj.; ,)l{[jy.n OF CHUIhT, ETC.
Al-THOK or 'BESL-Cl.EU AV8 l-KM ..ENHEITS ' ' THK lUBBl'S BrKLl. ' KTC.

WITH NUMEROUS COLLOTYPE ILLUSTRATIONS AND TWO MAPS

LONDON
SAMPSON LOW, MAKSTON, SEAllLE, & RIVINGTON

CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 FLEET STHEET

1«87

(.ill riyhli laerteil)

T(l

CANADAS TKLEST FltlENU

THE MOST HUN. THE MARQUIS UF LOHNE. K.T.

} PfOicilf lljis ^ooli

S. c.

CONTENTS.

•■ii.u n l;

I. Till: ruoviNci; ki.' riii: M
I '< urn ON

I AliK

iiiNKiiir Six 'rin: Isi \m.

N'ictMrift uiul V'nnc mv.T Islmil
The t^iifcii Clmrldit,. (;i,iii|,

n. Tiu; ritoviNfK ((K Tin; .M

lo.vKiiiT Sin -Tim: .\1\i\-

I.A.VK

Viincouvur, tli.. ' Tonniimj (Jin

i>ew

W.'st

Port Mo.xly, tlif I'

iiiin.st.T and tli.- Fras..r Uivir Di.^t

H'sctii Icrinimis

iiiiate and (i.'iit'ral U.-iuinrtsi of tli.' I

I'll I

\''l\ llICi'

48
H4

Kii;

III. KsoriMAi

IT AS A \aVAL ('kX

ii'oN RrsHiA's Posit

On THK IllOHWAY .

rUi;, AM) IIS I'.IMM.N.,

ION IN Tin; l*A(ii.|(

Frniii the Pacilic to the IJ.icJf
Across the Open Prairie

IPS

^■• The Halfway II

ousi;

Vi. I

tocxD THE Noirrn Snom; oi' Lake S

fl'EUIOK

Nil. Ottaw

V, mi; DOJIIXION Cvi'lTAI,

^ in. Montreal,

TQE CoMMI'UtlAI, ('aiti.i

\7,

IX. T

HE City op the NAuuowiNii W.-

ATI; lis

X. The IIkjuway's last Stages

From Point Levia to the Si'a
'I'lie Atlantic Terminus .

I.JO
l.ii;

!)0

!l!)

J-JO

}().•:

}

\\^

LIST OF TLLUSTUATIONS AND MAI'S.

.Mi>r.vr Stepiikx anm. Kickincuiohsi.: I.'ivek .

VicrouiA, J'miTisii Cof.r.MiiiA

\VNC01VER,THE Pacific T,;RM.xrs ok -Tin: (^n;i:N-s

IfrUHWAY"

Tin; PurxcEss LonsE's Pink
Xi:w U'estmixsteh

I>l(lI.MAT-I,T . . . _

-MocxT Ross Axi) (ii..u;ii:i;

FoiKTH BRriKu: at Loop, .Moixt lioss

Tm: Sxnw ItAXcu:, Selkihks ...

(JATEWAV TO Beavek Ca.VOX

'i'liE Lower Kickixghokse Caxon .

TCXXRT, ox KlCKiXGHOUSE, LOOKING WesT

THij Lower Kicking IIokse River
The Cathedral Mocntaix.

WlXXIPEG

Fort Garry

Thi; Great Northern Packet

Ott.vwa • . . .

moxtreal ...

Quebec ...

Halifax, Nova Scotia . . . _

Chart of the ^Vorld, showing v- Routi: tiir-.i

>r*r OP the Dominion of Canada.

F/'Hifixjiicrc
f" face j). U

ir,,s
IT);)
Kil

161)

It!?

PiS

170

litU

i'4(i

pai/c -Jiif^

fojace}). .'51 !»

.'340

-Jo;i

jii Caxaoa.

'. ■!

<iif!

I:!-

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

FROM OCEAN TO OCEAN.

CHAPTER I.

THE PROVINCE OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN- THE
ISLAND PORTION.

I. VICTORIA AND VANCOUVEK ISLAND.

From Her Mnjesty^s dominions lying under the soft
effulgence of the Southern Cross to tliose in the
North Pacific is a long cry ; but, with the opening
of the new line (the Canadian Pacific) across
Canada, connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific,
the Antipodes and the ' Province of the Midnight
Sun '-British Columbia-will, in the immediate
future, be brought nearer together by many days.

At present there is no direct communication
between Australia and Canada, and we have to thank
American enterprise for carrying us over the 7,000
miles which separate British possessions in the A^ortli
and South Pacific. This consists of a monthly mall
service between Sydney, N.S.W., and San Francisco

ill

2 THE QUEEN S HIGHWAY

the steamers stopping at Auckland, N.Z., the Samoan
group (sometimes), and Honolulu en route.

The time occupied in making this trip is from
twenty-four to twenty-five days.

On arriving at San Francisco, a weekly steamer
— which, by the bye, you invariably miss by a day
or so — takes you on to Victoria, Vancouver Island.
There are two vessels, both of American build, run-
ning on this route : one, the Queen of the Pacific,
is a fair ship ; whilst the other, the Mcvico, is a
wooden tub, possessing neither speed nor comfort.
It was my misfortune to journey by the latter.

The transcontinental railway, I learned, would be
in working order in the early part of July ; so I took
the June mail from Sydney in order to be the first
passenger to make the through journey from the
Antipodes to England over the new route. I w^as
not only, however, the first through passenger, but, I
believe positively, the first person to go over the line
of rail between the Pacific and the Atlantic in a
journalistic sense, I having been commissioned by a
syndicate of Australasian, Indian, and English news-
papers to give a description of the country through
Avhich runs this new Queen's Highway.

In recording my travels I have earnestly sought
to make our kinsfolk in the South Pacific more fully
acquainted with the vast provinces and territories
comprised in the Dominion of Canada; for I am con-

VICTORLV AND VANCOUVEll ISLAND

IS a

Irougli

longlit
fully

Itories
con-

vinced that with the bringing of the Australasian
colonies and Canada together not only will trade, to
their common advantage, spring up between them,
but the bonds of kinsmanship will be materially
strengthened — which in these days of disunion and
rumours of disunion must not be underrated.

I have also endeavoured to show India the
advantages of this new line, which, failing the Suez
Canal route, may in time of necessity be the only safe
road by which she could have touch with Great
Britain. An increased trade between the East Indies
and Canada will, I also hope, arise from this closer
communication.

I have also, in my letters to China and Japan,
done all that I could to impress upon those countries
the advantages to be derived from the opening of the
Canadian Pacific Railway. Commerce between this
portion of Asia and the Dominion cannot fail to
materially increase. Canada's products, such as tim-
ber, coal, skins, and oil, are in ever-increasing demand
in those countries, whilst their teas are welcomed in
the Dominion for home consumption or reshipment.
Already traders have taken advantage of the new
route, and tea ships from Asia are constantly arriving
at Port Moody, the present terminus of the trans-
continental railway.

' The Queen's Highway ' is in no way a reprint
of any newspaper letters, as they only form th*^ basis

\§

•111.

I tin-

I 'ill:

4 TflE QUEEN'S IIIOTIWAY

of the present work ; and in order to lend additional
interest to the descriptions contained herein I have
had the pages interspersed with numerous striking
illnstrations. Many of the pictures are from photo-
graphs cxliibited in the Canadian Court at the
Indian and Colonial Exhibition, and kindly given me
for the purpose of illustrating this book by Sir
Charles Tuppcr, High Commissioner for Canada, to
whom T am indebted for other kindnesses.

Many books have been written about Canada,
the Marquis of Lome and the Princess Louise
especially having with pen and pencil done much
towards making the country known ; but in ' The
Queen's Plighway ' I shall, I think, be the first person
to describe the country lying between the two oceans
in a connected form.

ifir

III!.

Coming north from the ' Golden City,' j^ou sight
Vancouver Island as soon as you round Cape Flattery.

Victoria, its chief town, lies in the Strait of Juan
de Fuca, and it is some sixty miles from the point of
entrance. This strait divides the island from the
mainland of the United States, Washington Territory.
Further on it runs into an island-dotted sea, called
Puffet Sound. North of it commences the Strait of

Georgia, and there ends the territory over which float
the Sta}'.'^ rind Stripefi, and there begins the mainland
of British Columbia, which, save where it is cut into

VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

dditional
1 I have

strikiii":
n plioto-
: at the
^ven me

by Sir
mada, to

Canada,
Louise
le much
in 'The
;t person
oceans

ou sight
lattery.
3f Juan
loint of
om the
rritory.
, called
trait of
ch float
ainland
ut into

by Alaska — the land ac juired by the United States
of liussia — has a stretch northward of clo.se upon
760 miles, where it finally loses itself in the weird
loneliness of the Arctic Ocean.

This important province of IJritish North America
has an estimated area of 3i)0,344 s(juarc miles, con-
taining about 250,000,000 acres, in wliich Hmits are in-
cluded Vancouver Island, the (^ueeu Charlotte group,
and about a thousand small islands adjacent thereto.
Tiie southern boundary of the province is in the 19th
parallel, and its northern tlie (>Oth degree of north
latitude. British Columbia, it will thus be seen, is
greater than California, Oregon, and A\'ashington
Territory combined.

Looking eastward from the Strait of Georgia, if
the eye could carry so far, it would rest upon nothing
but British land for close upon 4,000 miles. It is
through this vast tract of country, comjjrismg timber
limits of inexhaustible extent, mineral belts of untold
wealt]i, and millions upon millions of corn-producing
acres and rich grazing lands, that this new rail-
way runs, serving to connect the Pacific with the
Atlantic, and giving us the only highway we have
to Asia and the Antipodes. From the moment the
traveller arrives in A' ictoria until Liverpool is reached
he will have been under no Hag other than the
British.

Victoria is not only the capital of ^'"ancouver

'»*>

I'llh

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

\fi

I m

'■^

Island, but it is tlie centre of j^overnmont of the entire
province. It contains a population of about 12,000,
of which upwards of 3,000 are ^longolians. There
is a tax upon tlie entrance of each Chinaman to the
extent of SlyO ; yet this docs not appear to have
a deterrent effect, as visitors from the Flowery Land
are constantly arrivinp^, and they pay their entrance
fee with a bland resignation which is highly com-
mcndable. One and all of them appear to be doing
very well. They have a quarter to themselves, and
their houses are clean and well built. They are
engaged in all kinds of manual labour, and nothing
comes amiss to them, from tilling the soil or lum-
bering in the woods to doing the family washing or
waitinij at table.

Opinions are divided here, as elsewhere, as to
whether the Chinese are a blessing or an injury ; but
at the present moment I, for my part, fail to see how
the Europeans could do without them.

The principal feature of the Chinese quarter is
the theatre, where are nightly performed portions of
plays which drag their wearisome way for months
before they are finally finished. With the plays of
the Celestials it seems to be all ' act-drops ' without
' curtain.' The English have just erected a very
handsome theatre of their own, and it is by far the
largest and best equipped temple of the Muses that
I have seen in a town of its size in any part of the

VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

com-

world. P)Ut then Victoria is big in its ideas, and
promises to possess, ere long, imposing commercial
houses, banks, churches, and other public buildings ;
and, in its general go-ahcadncss, it already has elec-
tricity to light up its streets. True, the Government
buildings are not much ; they are built in the Swiss
style of arcliitecture, and seen from across the river
they look like so many dolls' houses. ])ut very good
laws are passed inside of them, and the inhabitants
can get within their precincts all the justice they
want. In this matter they are better situated than
the peo])le of the neighbouring State of California,
who erect costly buildings in which to administer
the law, only to find that the law is neither so well
nor so justly administered n their marble balls as it
is in Victoria's wooden courts.

In reference to the government of Brittsh
Columbia, whilst the Provincial Government — whose
head-quarters are in Victoria — has control over all
local affairs, the Canadian Government regulates all
matters connected with trade and navigation, the
customs and excise, the administration of justice,
militia and defence, and the postal service. The
province is, at present, represented in the Dominion
Parliament by three senators and six members of tlie
House of Commons. Its own Legislature consists
of a Lieutenant-Governor appointed by the Governor-
General of Canada, an Executive Council of four

.f*

TIIK QUKENS niailWAY

Tl"

members, and a Legislative Assembly of twenty-five
members, elected by the peo[)le for a term of four
years. In practice the Extfciitive Council holds
office at the will of the Assembly.

Victoria is not a bustling place, neither is it
sleepy ; but there is an air of old -world ism, of (piiet
content about it, aflbrding a striking contrast to
the active towns I left behind me in Australia. The
streets are neither very long nor very broad (the
principal ones are Government Street and Yate
Street), but the liouses therein are in the main
substantially built, whilst in various parts buildings
of improved style and greater size are in the course
of erection. The shops are well supplied, and
London goods can be purchased for a slight advance
upon Lon<lon prices. There is a first-class hotel
(I)riard House), where, for twelve shillings a day,
one can get much better accommodation than is
afforded in many of the larger provincial towns in
England. Although everything is reckoned by
dollars, and the currency is American money, there
is little of the Yankee element in Victoria. It is
distinctly British, and the people are more in the
habit of looking towards L^ngland than to Canada ;
indeed, many have never got over the bitterness
engendered within them by the incorporation of
British Columbia with the Dominion of Canada,
i As in the case of the Great North- West, it was

i^^l

»f twonty-five
term of four
'ouncil holds

neither is it
I is III, of quiet
<; contrast to
istnilia. Tlie
y l)roa(l (tlie
at and Yate
in tlie main
rts biiildino's
in the course
upplied, and
iight advance
it- class hotel
llings a day,
tion than is
Aid towns in
reckoned by
money, there
itoria. It is
more in the
I to Canada ;
ie bitterness
)rporation of
Canada.
West, it was

ir*"

!''*«

\4.

V.l^

VICTOKIA AND VANCOUVKU ISLAND

C
h

tlic Iliidson's I>ny (^)mi){iny wlio tirst l)r()H<,^]it tliis
\)\ncxi in coiMiiicrciul toucli witli luiroiu!. From a
mere f'>rt of the Company's lias si»iMin^' tlio present
oily, which, witii its railway ami .shippini-- connec-
tions, promises finally to become one of the most im-
portant ports in the \orth I'acilic. The harbour of
Victoria, whilst it is of considerable extent, does not
in its natural state atford accounnodation for vessels
<b-awin;j;- more than 18 feet of water ; but Ks(juimault
(which I shall deal specially witii in another chapter),
althoM<z:h it is some .'».} miles distant, will ere lon<( bo
))art and parcel of Victoria ; and it possesses a ma<^ni-
ficent harbour, capable of containing' vessels of almost
any drau<^ht. Esrpiimault, it is asserted, will in th(>
inunediate future be a naval depot of the highest
importance, and already a scheme is in hand for the
Ibrtifying and defending of the harbour and its ap-
proaches But of this in another place.

Victoria, from the time that the c(msolidated
Hudson's Pay Com[)any founded its ti-ading ports in
these regions, became the general snj)ply point. This
was in 1X18, and the Company named the stockade,
where stands the present block, Fort Victoria, in
honour of licr Majesty the (^ticen. Then the trade
of the entire country was almost exclusively in furs,
and the route taken by the ships engaged in this
trade was round Cape Horn ; so that the island was
separated from the mother country by nearly 20,000

i '

•'I
p.

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

miles of water. Tlie journey was then one of montlis^
now it is one of days. With the present connection,
and at tlie present rate of speed, the distance between
Liverpool and A^ictoria can be readily encompassed
Avithin fourteen or fifteen days. Outside of the Hud-
son's l>ay Company's ships very few vessels touched at
either A'ictoria or the mainland, and life for the early
settlers nuist, under such circumstances, have been
dreary in the extreme. In 1 80 G a gold craze swept
over these parts, gold having been discovered on the
mainland, on the Columbia and Fraser Kivers.
Speculators and experts, vagabonds and idlers, rushed
in their thousands to Fort Victoria, as the centre
from which they could eventually depart in their
search for the precious metal. At one time it was
estimated that there were, consequent upon this rush,
not less than 30,000 people encamped in the neigh-
bourhood. It was, I believe, chiefly owing to the
firmness displayed by Sir James Dc'iglas, chief factor
of the Hudson's Bay Company at A^ictoria, that law-
lessness was kept under, and the rabble did not
attempt to serve the fort as the Barbarians and mer-
cenaries served ancient Carthage.

Whilst jxold was discovered in considerable
([uantities, it by no means panned out so well as
was expected, and the wave of excitement gradually
subsided. Of thousands who had rushed in search
of fortune, the greater part returned in poverty.

VICTOPIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

Scvcr.il linndreds remained behind, some in possession
of wealth, others in the searcli for it. Tlie craze,
liowever, was tlie chief means of making the c()h)ny
known, and it in a measure caused N'ictoria and otlier
towns on the Cohunbia and Fraser to be built u\).
Gold is still found in the neiii'libourhood of these
rivers, some of the old claims beinsj^ even yet worked
at a profit.

It was in 1819, some seven years previously to
this, that Vancouver Island was constituted a Crown
colony; whilst two years later, in 185S, the main-
land, the paradise of the Indian fur-hunter, was also
made a colony with the name of British Columbia.
It had previously gone by several names, the chief
one being New Georgia, a title bestowed upon it by
the explorer, Captain George Vancouver. At that
time ^^^ncouver and British Columbia were separate
colonics, but in ISGG they were united, and so they
remained till 1871, when they Avere incr)rporatcd in
the Dominion of Canada. In thus forfeiting its in-
dependence the colony received certain handsome
concessions from the Dominion Government, one
of the chief conditions being that a railway should
be built opening up the country from the Kocky
Mountains to the sea. After several delays this
promise has been fuKilled, and British Columbia is
now as much an integral portion of Canada as are
the Upper and Lower Provinces.

\1t\ '

i'?IW '

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

The island of Vancouver is oblong in shape, ex-
tending north- westwardly parallel with the mainland,
from which it is separated by the island-dotted
channel of the Gulf of Georgia, a distance of close
upon 300 miles. It has a varying width of from
thirty to fifty miles, and its area is estimated at
12,000 square miles. Whilst being densely timbered,
much of this land is altogether unsuitable for cultiva-
tion, and would not pay for the clearing. The tim-
ber, however, is in places very large and sound, and
lumbering industries cannot fail to be remunerative
for many years to come. The interior of the island
is generally mountainous, some of the peaks attaining
an altitude of from 6,000 to 9,000 feet. There is but
very little level land in any part of the island, and, so
far as is yet known, the arable tracts are principally
confined to the extreme south-eastern portion. I am,
however, assured that there is some fairly level land at
the extreme north which would repay the agriculturist,
liut the good land is in patches — here and there,
between the forks of rivers and between the mountains
and the water, and in no part is it sufiicient to warrant
agricultural operations upon an extensive scale. A
great — the greater part, in fact, of the country is
unknown. The interior of the island is still a terra
inco^/nita, and, save in and about the coast, there are
neither roads nor settlements. Victoria, Esquimault,
and Nanimo, the great coal centre, are the only

VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

I.^

am.

places of note. About midway between Victoria
and Nanimo there is a small agricultural settlement
called Cowicban ; and on the same east coast, engaged
in similar undertakings, are Maple Bay, Chimainus,
and Somenos. Saanicb is at the extreme soutli-east ;
whilst Comox, a logging centre, is sixty miles further
north than Nanimo. What land there is is good, arid
anything will grow on it. With the draining of the
marshes, of which there is no end, rich pasturage
will be afforded, and the island should have no equal
in tlie matter of hay-producing.

The climate of Vancouver Island is, to my
thinkino;, the most deli"'htfid in the world. There is
a certain balminess about the air which at once
creates contentment ; and one speedily arrives at the
laudable condition of being at peace with all mankind.
In summer — and I speak from experience — it is
never too hot ; and the winters, I am assured, are
never too cold. True, rain falls somewhat heavily
in the autumn, but winter brings with it little frost
and less snow. Sometimes the inhabitants get a
fortnight's sleighing or an equal amount of skating,
but the Avinter in such case Avill have been exceptional.
Flowers bloom and flcurish in the Victorian gardens
all the year round. The whole island is Flora's
paradise.

Sweet old-fashioned Encrlish flowers abound in
profusion, keeping the settlers, in memory at least,

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

in touch with the mother country beyond the
seas.

There are beautiful drives around Victoria, and
tlie roads are excellent. There is the scent of wild
flowers about everywhere as the team spanks along
the macadamised roads. A few late dog-roses peep
from out of the hedges, exhaling a delicate perfume,
which eventually gets lost in the overpowering odours
of the trailing honeysuckle, which is in extraordinary
abundance. Here there are natural hedges of it,
whilst there its waxen petals are beating out their
perfume on the trunk of an oak as the soft July wind
fans them up and down.

Ferns are in countless profusion. The banks are
a quivering mass of them, whilst they nod like plumes
from the crests of moss-grown stones. In some
places they burst like tufts of waving hair from the
sides of monster trees, or hang like curling feathers
from the lower branches. There arc watei -ferns and
rock-ferns, wood-ferns and tree-ferns ; some coarse
and vulgar, others delicate and well-bred, all forming
one great family of healthy, flourishing, well-to-do
plants.

Most of the larger trees have already fallen by the
woodman's axe, but there are still a few left within
the city limits sufficient to give you an idea of the
timber Avealth of the island. They are in great
variety — hemlocks, cedars, maples and firs, oaks and

»,«

VICTORIA AND VANCOUVEIl ISLAND

and

lo-do

the
Itliin

the
Ireat
luud

dogwood, and the evergreen arbutus, which is heavier
than oak, and resembles box in its grain. In tlie
copses grow the wild cherry and prickly raspberry,
and trailing over the rocky banks are the blueberry
and blackberry ; in the swamps is to be found a species
of gooseberry, and the hedges are often red with rasp-
berries, or purple and white with varieties of wild
currants.

Singing birds are scarce, but game is plentiful.
Grouse rise up from beneath your feet at almost every
step you take in the woods, and not infrequently
cross the road just in front of your horse's nose when
you are out driving. Deer and mountain goats are
in plenty within a short distance of the town. Fish-
ing, for those who care for it, can be had anywhere.

The views afforded by a drive along the coast roads
are simply exquisite. Ijetween the pines, little lakes
sparkle and ripple in the sun, whilst frogs croak
amongst the browning rushes, or a fish splashes sud-
denly upwards in chase of a gaudy fly which has been
temptingly skimming the surface of the water. A
duck, with shining blue wings, may whirl from out
of the lily leaves with a hoarse note of alarm, or a
water- fowl duck his black head in fear beneath the
water. To the right is an Indian camp, and the blue
smoke rises high above the top of the tallest cedar in
curling, lingering columns, whilst the air is odorous
with burning pine fumes. As the team mounts a hill

rvi

•■»•»".

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

higher than the other.s, one can look clown m the
valleys. A green expanse strikes the eye, although
here and there a streak of blue denotes the existence
of a stream, and the patches of red glowing in the
sunliglit speak of habitations. At this point one
unconsciously draws in the pure air, and invigorated
thereby continues to open one's mouth the wider —
this consciously, of course. The resinous })erfume of
the firs tickles one's nostrils, and one sniffs and sniffs
as if it were impossil)le to have enough. A feeling
of exhilaration creeps over one, and all the petty
troubles and worries of everyday existence are mo-
mentarily forgotten. As the horses descend, the way
leads throu";li some scrubby tiiuber, such as dwarf
spruce and bark-shedding arbutus ; we are approach-
innr the shore. The stones rattle from the rocks on
either side, and the sand flies up in stinging clouds
from beneath the horses' hoofs. l-Jound the race-
course we speed, and then down to the pebble-strewn
beach, where break the white-crested waves of the
Pacific. The gulls and other white and black plum-
aged sea-birds are spreading their wings in the sun
or are diving after fish. An Indian is mending his
nets, and a Chinaman is collecting mussels from off
the rocks, the haunts of the ghastly octopi. Some
children are bathing close inshore ; the water is not
deep, but the bathers are fearful of venturing out too
far because of the devil-fish. Some half-breeds are

•..«

VICTOrjA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

in the
:hongh
istcncG
in the
nt one
^orjited
;^ider —
•ume of
rl sniffs
feeling
e petty
re mo-
he way
3 dwarf
proach-
)cks on
clouds
le race-
strewn
of the
phim-
Ihe sun
Xmsc his
rora oiF
Seme
is not
Dut too
kds are

propelling a cnnoo, which is fantastic with carved
emblems and gaudy with colour ; and spread over
the surface of the water are frail sail-hoats.

There is no coast in the world whidi affords such
facilities for safe boating as docs Vanrouver Island.
Everywhere the land seems to run out in forks as if
to enfold the water ; and the water, nothing loth,
rushes into the land's embrace and nestles there,
wearing away the soil into placid 1)1 ue basins. Some
waves more daring than the others rush still further
onward, piercing a way into the interior, creating
numerous little inner seas, wliich afford safe boating
at all times. The same th'ug occurs on the main-
land, and there is no doubt of the coast line being
the most wonderful in the world. It was this
peculiarity of bay-indented shores and tortuous inlets
which so struck the luad of Dufferin when he paid a
visit to British Columbia in his capacity as Governor-
General. In a speech delivered in Victoria his
Excellency said, with regard to this matter, ' Such
a spectacle as its coast-line presents is not to be
paralleled by any country in the world. Day after
day, for a whole week, in a vessel of nearly 2,000
tons, we threaded an interminable labyrinth of watery
lanes and reaches that wound endlessly in and out
of a network of Islands, pronioutories, and peninsulas
for thousands of miles, unruffled by the slightest
swell from the adjoining ocean, and presentintJ" at

It*"

f^"

THE (iUEKN'S HIGHWAY

every turn an ever-sliifting coniI)iiintlon of rock,
verdure, forest, glacier, and snow-capped mountain
of unrivalled grandeur and beauty. When it is
remembered that this wonderful system of navigation,
equally well adapted to the largest line-of-battle ship
and the frailest canoe, fruiges the entire seaboard of
your province, and communicates at points, sometimes
more than a hundred miles from the coast, Avith a
multitude of valleys stretching eastward into the
interior, while at the same time it is furnished with
innumerable harbours on either hand, one is lost
in admiration at the facilities for intercomuumication
which are thus provided for the future inhal)itants of
this wonderful region,'

For a lonix time Vancouver Island was thouuht
to be part and parcel of the mainland, and the early
S[)anisli and English explorers designated it as such.
It was, I believe, Vancouver himself who, in 17i)2,
cleared up the matter by exploring Puget Sound and
the Gulf of Georgia. Just previously to this the
Spanish had taken possession of a small English
settlement at Xootka Sound, on the west coast of the
islard, and held it in the name of their sovereijjfn.
This act aluiost precipitated a war between the two
countries. An understanding was, however, eventu-
ally arrived at; and in a treaty, signed in 171)0,
S[)ain undertook to vacate ^sootka Sound, without
prejudice to what she considered to be her general

VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

1!)

7i)2,
and
the
in;lish
)f the
t'cign.
two
cntu-
7J)0,
tlioiit
ncral

rio'lits in the region. On the nrrival of Captain
A'ancouver two years later, Hon Jioflei^-a y (,|uadra,
actinf^ connnissioner for S})ain uniU'r the treaty,
surrentlered tlie post of Nootka Sound to liiiii.

One ean well understand how the early navigators
Avere united in the matter of imagining Vancouver
Island to be a part of the mainland, as in parts
chains of small islands almost connect the two ; and,
in the original survey of the transcontinental rail-
way, it was intended to carry the railway over one
of these chains on to the island. This scheme being
found to be impracticable was eventually al)andoned,
and the railway was built some distance further south,
with a terminus at 15urrard's Inlet, distant u[)wards
of sixty miles from Victoria.

So that, instead of there being a complete line of
rail from the liritish Columbian capital to the far east,
there are these miles of sea to be got over before one
strikes the iron highway. It is in order to lessen
the water distance that ]\[r. Dunsnniir (the British
Columbian millionaire) has built a railroad alonir
the coKSt from Victoria to Naninio, a distance of ninety
miles, leaving only some seventeen miles to be got
over by steamer. This will be a distinct advantage
to winter tralfic. ^Ir. Dunsmuir — who, by the
bye, is not only absolutely without ' side,' but is the
most obliging millionaire I have ever had the i)leasure
of meeting — was good enough to place at my disposal

I'?'

f'T ■

LM>

TIIK (^UKKN's IimilWAY

ill

a pprcial train, in order that I rni^lit <xo over tlic track
as far as it was then constructed. At that time no
portion of it was open to traffic ; but it is now, I
believe, in working order, and avaihiblc for tlie public.
The line goes through some charming scenery. The
trahi glides in and out of the woods, giving you a
glim[)sc of the sea as you go along, or winds its way
Avearily round the purple hills. At one moment you
are many feet above the sea, in another you are almost
on the same level as the waves. U[) and down, in
and out you go, yet the grading is never dangerous,
and the views are ever enchanting. I had a seat en
an open platform in front of the engine, and at first
a nervous shiverinfj^ came over me as the eno'ine
pushed us along. As we went downhill I thought
that the chair upon which I w?,s sitting nuist slide
off, leaving a mass of unrecognisablcness upon the
rocks below ; or that as we toiled uphill the stool
must fall backw^ards, passing me under the wheels of
the tender. The position was a novel one, but I
very soon got used to it, and from my point of vantage
I could take in everything there was to be seen.

AMiilst there is a great deal of bridging on this
line there is but very little tunnelling ; indeed, I do
not think there is more than one tunnel of import-
nnce along its whole length. The country en roiilr
was wild in the extreme, there being scarcely a sign
of cultivation. Hut the soil Avas anything but

VICTOIIIA AND VANCOUVKll ISLAND

on the

stool

eels of

but I

^ but

generous. Mucli of it was rank elay, whilst hirge
portions of the higli f^round consisted almost en-
tirely of oravel. Hero and there were patches of
ground with a thick topsoil of decayed ve<^etable
matter, but the country generally \\i\9 nothiug more
than pictures(iuely barren. I'icturescjue it was, with-
out doubt ; and as one ran alonu^ the side of a
mountain, with the blue sea below sj)arkling and
gently foaming over its bed of many-coloured stones,
and the dark setting of firs behind, the scene was little
short of the subliuie.

On several occasions startled deer dashed hastily
over the iron rails or watched us curiously from their
leafy fastnesses as we rushed past. Mingling with
the I'resh salt breezes from the sea were the pungent
odours of resin-yielding pines, the fainter scents
of Avild-flowers, and the somewhat sickly smells of
ripening berries. A supreme silence reigned, alone
broken by the puffing of the engine, or the dull
boom of the blasters at work in the distance. The
air Avas intoxicating, and, leaning back in my scat in
meditative peacefulness, I drank my fill.

In the fulness of time country residences of the
rich of \'ictoria will dot the valleys or nestle amongst
the hills along the line of rail, and the inhabitants of
the city will make these views connnon property with
their cheap excursions and picnic parties. As yet,
no part of the country through which I passed had

Tlir; (^(JKKNS I! Kill WAY

bccii viil^iirisdd by iimn ; in fiicf, oiitsido of tliose
t'n.i^a^ed in the construction of tlu; niilway, niatlicr
forest nor valley had known the [)rescncc ot any
livin;j^ person.

it is not lor the purpose of aflbrdinn; pleasure
resorts for tiie people; of N'ictoria that the line has
})een built, iilthouii,h naturally its promoters are
anxious to secure sufHeient [)ublic patronai^e to make
it a |)aying concern ; but in order, firstly, that there
should be a direct highway to the coal mines at
Nanimo ; and secondly, that the agricultural country
— and there is, I understand, some very good land
further on towards Nanimo — should be opened up
for settlement. As Kstpiimault is to be develo[)ed
into a first-class naval station, this brinmni? of the
coal centres into direct connection with it will be of
the hi<::hest advantau'c to it.

Nanimo is a town of rbout 4,000 inhabitants, and
on account of the wealth o." l..s coal de]K)sits it is in a
flourishing condition. Mr. Dunsmuir is the great
man of the place ; he is the owner of the princi{)al
coal mines in the district. Nanimo possesses in
departure P)ay a harbour capable of containing the
largest ships. Vessels trading in these waters
invariably coal there, as the coal is superior. to any
other found on the Pacific coast. It is bituminous,
and very large quantities are sliipped to San Fran-
cisco and other American ports, as well as to the

VICTOIUA AND VANCOUVKIl ISLAM)

2l\

and

in a

;Tc'at

icipal

2S in

the

aters

any

lOUS

ran-
tlie

Sandwlcli Isliiiids and Asia. Tlii' value of sut'li coal
supplies to the ilritisli scpiadron in the I'acilie i.s
natiu'ally incak'idaMc. Tho c<jal-ri('ld.s arc said to he
of iiiiiiicnsc extent, reaehini;' in one direction over
loo niiles. Coal, I should add, is not confined to
Xanimo, as rocks of the tertiary n^jfc containinjij
lignite occur at Sooke, and at various points (ju the
south-east coast.

Tliere are hut very few Indians in the ininie.diato
vicinity of Victoria, disease and the advance of civili-
sation having" conihined to dispose of them, A small
tribe of, I hclieve, Timpseans still occuj)y a reserva-
tion across an ami of the sea opposite the city.
J)esirinu" to make their })ersonal acciuaintance, I hired
a hoat of a half-caste, who pulled me to the op})ositc
shore.

From him I could o^ain no sort of information,
for Avhilst brown in skin he was, he said, white at
heart. Jt is curious how all half-castes renounce
their mother's folk and only claim kindred with
their father's race. This stain of white blood to them
brings with it nothhig of shame ; on the contrary,
they are proud of their bastardy, and they glory in
the extra readiness Avitli which they })ick up the
white man's vices. The red nian, no matter how
pure-blooded he may be, is but a poor creature in
their eyes ; for to be quite red is to shiver in rags in
the forests or on a barren reservation, and in his

■^5,

it"

'.I

m' i

ti ', I

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

ignorance killing himself with poisonous fire-water,
all for the want of k.iowing what to take and how to
take it ; whilst to have a dash of white blood in one's
veins is to live in the warmth of the cities, to wear
serviceable cast-off European clothes, and, above all,
to kn3W how to mix drinks, and what spirits make
the best mixture.

On landing at the foot of the hill where stood the
native encampment, several lean and hungry dogs,
"witli wolfish heads and bushy tails, came out and
sniffed tlie air. Immediately after, they set up a
chorus, but whether of welcome or defiance I could
not at the moment determine. I am not at any time
particularly fond of strange dogs in out-of-the-way
places, especially when such places are the legitimate
homes of the dogs ; and I invariably fight shy of
intruding myself on their privacy.

On this occasion I firmly grasped my stick, and
paused — I had almost written retreated — until I
should have assured myself as to the actual intentions
of the furry- coated brutes who held guard over the
reservation. Indian do<i:s are not benevolent-lookini)'
animals, and their general appearance is not such as
to inspire confidence at first sight. They have a
horrid habit of hanging out their tongues and rolling
their eyes in a fine frenzy, as if their leading ambition
in life was to make a summary meal of the trembling
paleface. Their wolfish origin betrays itself in every

VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

movement ; and, however much one likes to sit behind
them in a sledge whilst they wildly career over the
snow, one certainly has good reason for fighting shy
of them when they are out of harness and their appe-
tites are keen.

After hesitating awhile I determined upon advanc-
ing. At this, a long, uncouth, yellow brute — yellow
dogs, by the bye, are always the worst — approached
several paces nearer me and connnenced growling.
What a cold that dog appeared to have! and how
hoarse his "[•rowl seemed ! never before do I remember
having fallen in with a canine with such a deep bass
voice. I shook my stick at hmi, and he, by way of
response, showed his big yellow fangs and coughed
out a growl. I picked up a stone and flung it with
all my force. My aim is generally good, but on this
occasion it fell Avide of the mark. My foe was evi-
dently used to this method of attack. During this
content the rest of the dogs remained perfectly pas-
sive, as if awaiting events. The big yellow dog
was evidently the cock of the Avalk, and had been
told off to do duty for tl^em. They seemed fearful of
exciting his wrath, and they yelped approval every time
he succeeded in dodging the stone, whilst they equally
showed admiration for my skill by indiscriminately
scattering every time 1 jerked a stone in their direc-
tion.

Whilst I was stooping to pick up a piece of rough

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

rock, with the avowed intention of smashing my
assaihmt at one desperaLt; blow, a loud and terrific yell
sounded above me, and a moment later the big yellow
dog was speeding towards a shed with his tail be-
tween his legs, and a bend in his back as if something
heavy had fallen across it. Of the other dogs there
was not a vestige ; instead, smiling blandly from his
position, was a dusky-faced Indian. In his hand he
held a canoe paddle, which amply accounted for the
yellow dog's discomfiture.

' Him bad dog,' said the brave, with an emphatic
grunt ; ' him cost white man much fire-water.'

I looked quickly at him, expecting to discover
some expression of humour, but his face was gravity
itself.

The feat of disposing of the said dog was cer-
tainly worth something, so I threw him a ' short-bit,'
and in a twinkling he had disappeared with it.

I am convinced that this dog was a source of
income to its owner, for on another occasion it
attacked me in a precisely similar manner ; but this
tune I felt certain that its master Av^as in hidimj; close
by, so I called out to him, and, on his approach, the
whole tribe of canines retreated as before.

The coast now being clear, I approached the
dwelling-houses of the ' noble red man.' For filth
and squalor commend jue to the Indians of this
reservation. Their houses were like so many cow-

VICTOllIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

cer-

1 the
filth
this

cow-

sheds, and the people were stalled off in compart-
ments much after the fashion of cows. The
atmosphere of these rooms was by no means savoury,
and the general appearance of them was such as to
impress the casual visitor with the idea that insect
powders were in this encampment unknown quanti-
ties. These houses had neither the picturesquencss
of the wigwam nor its utility ; and the clothes they
wore were altogether unsuited for their requirements.

Most of the women were hideously ugly, whilst
the men looked dirty and utterly debased.

In one shed I, however, came across a young
squaw of singular beauty. Her type, curiously
enough, was almost pure Grecian. It was a face
such as I had seen in Athens and in Alexandria.
Her eyes were very soft and large, and there was a
sweet shyness about them which made her doubly
attractive.

She was very young, but in her arms she carried
a ' papoose ' — her ' papoose.' It was a bright eyed
little fellow, seemingly half starved, and his hunger
apparently gave additional shrillness to his voice.

A ' bit ' silenced him.

The young squaw could not speak a word of
English, and all the time 1 was there she hung her
head in seeming shyness.

Presently we were joined by her father, a
noisy old ruffian. He had evidently been making

THE QUEEN'S IIIOTIWAY

himself acquainted with ' lire- water ' from an early
hour that day, for he reeled and danced in a manner
which, although not lacking in novelty, was certainly
wanting in decency.

It was he who did the honours of the house, and
after asking me to take a seat — where seat there
was none — he tried his blandishments on me for
the purpose of obtaining two ' bits ' with which to
purchase ' fire-water.'

But I remained obdurate.

Then he sang in an unknown tongue, and danced
a frantic accompanhnent. I did not understand a
word he said, but the burden of his song was
evidently 'fire-water.' His breath whispered whisky,
and his glaring eye and the frenzied action of his
hands spoke it as clearly as words.

There was no mistaking his meaning.

I advised him to take a rest, but he professed
not to understand me. Suddenly he stopped in the
course of his double-shuffle, which did duty for a
war dance, and, resting his hand upon my shoulder,
pleaded in his native tongue for ' two bits.' This
was the only English he knew, and the knowledge
of what they would procure lent additional eloquence
to his expression of them. Thinking, however, that
he had had ' bits ' enough for the one day, I declined
to administer to his wants, and he eventually dis-
appeared, consoling himself with an ancient black

.^'^

VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

td t'

n early
manner
srtainly

ise, and
t there
me for
liich to

danced
tand a
g' was
kbisky,
of his

)fessed

in the

for a

ulder,

This
'ledcj'e
Lience

that
lined

dis-
jLick

pipe, looking, when I next saw him, the picture of
thirsty misery.

At this moment there came in the mother-in-law
and brother-in-law of the youthful wife. The former
was simply hideous. She was fat — very, and seem-
ingly without proportion ; her hair, beyond being
irreased, showed no sijirns of having- been attended to
for goodness knows how long ; whilst the natural
yellowness of her skin was almost hidden by incrusta-
tions of dirt. When young, many of the Indian
women are remarkably handsome — and I am not the
first traveller who has been struck by the classical
features of some of them — but they age very quickly ;
at forty, and often at thirty, they not infrequently
are simply withered-up or shapeless hags. Under
better treatment, and imder more favourable condi-
tions, they would in great measure, I feel certain,
retain tlieir good looks. The half-castes are, as a
rule, liner featured ; and the women, when they do
not too readily adopt the paleface's vices, retain their
good looks much longer than do the pure-blooded
squaws.

The brother-in-law spoke English, such as it was,
and what there was of it was chiefly made up of
Americanisms picked up whilst at work in Washing-
ton Territory.

' Is it usual,' ] asked the young buck, ' for that
old chief to be in such a condition ? '

THE QUEEN S HIGHWAY

:,.1

' I guess ' (find the Yankee accent came out
stronf^ly) ' him drink s})irits every time him get 'em.'

' And you ? '

' I guess me drink too. Spirits him good — rum
him good — whisky him good — beer liim good — him
all very fine, and " two bits " him buy plenty, lot,
good fire-water ; ' and he checked off on his fingers
the various intoxicants enumerated.

Then he gave me the customary ' two bits ' look,
but I was blind to his suggestions and continued the
conversation.

' And the squaw ? ' I asked, quite confident that
she in her bashful simplicity knew nothing of the
red man's curse.

' Them all drink. She' (indicating the lady with
the Greek profile) ' very good drinker. Before she
marry my brother she drink plenty much. Now my
brother he drink for her. Him very good drinker
too, and he beat squaw Avlien she drink. Her very
much licked,' he continued as he beat time with his
liand upon a bench, as if he too would like some
female property to chastise.

I learnt from him that wives were acquired })y
purchase, and that no religious ceremony accompanied
the transaction. AVhcn the contracting parties could
afford it they made it the occasion for a magnificent
gorge, in which — so far as the funds Avould allow —
they indiscriminately partook of both solids and

VICTOKIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

hied
)uld
k'lit

Imd

liquids. Your ludinn loves a big feast, and lie will
cat in a single night a month's provisions, continuing
lean and hungry the remaining 27 days in blissful
remembrance of the feed he has had, and in joyful
anticipation of a similar one to come.

The bepalnted brave does not woo the dusky
maiden of his choice after the fashion of Longfellow's
and Fenimore Cooper's mythical heroes. AVhen he
wants a wife, he looks around him and makes liis
selection. Perhaps he may honour her by informing
her of his choice, but her ()})inion is never asked.
Having made up his mind, he repairs to the wigwaiU
of tlie parents of the ' intended,' and proceeds to
barter for her. If they come to terms, the lady is his ;
if they don't, she is for the man avIio will bid higher
than the original visitor.

The price paid for a wife — whose looks have, I
believe, no sort of monetary value — much depends
upon the wealth of the bridegroom and the neediness
of the bride's part;nts.

Some squaws, as a matter of course, go dirt clienp,
Avhilst others fetch high and even exorbitant prices.

"When guns were first introduced into Canada,
the lucky possessor could procure with such a weapon
a wife for each barrel ; and the sternest parents,
before they becatnc hlnsi' by the use of too nuich
alcohol, would gladly sell their daughters for a mere
sip at a si)int-bottle.

f^'

THE QUEEN'S IIIOIIWAY

The young squaw in front of inc was, I under-
stood, a high-priced one. She cost her proud pos-
sessor ninety doLars and two boxes of biscuits.
At that time her fatlier was not addicted to drink, but
now tliat he has developed a taste for ' fire-water,' bad
blood has sprung up between Lira and his son-in-law,
as he feels that the latter ougiit to have anticipated
this developraent of taste, and have supplemented the
biscuits with a bottle of rum.

Later on, when I saw the husband himself, he
asked me what I would give him for his wife and
* papoose ' — the two as a salejible commodity were
inseparable.

1 assured him that I had no intention of robbing
him of such treasures.

' Give me two hundred dollars and one l)ottle
of wliisky, and you have botli.'

' Him very good squaw, him very good papoose,'
he luistened tc add as I shook my head depre-
catbigly.

Then he commenced to bargain, as he found I Avas
obdurate.

He would take a hundred and fifty dollars and
two bottles of whisky ; he would accept a hundred
arx^ lifty and my trousei's — payable at once, no credit
being allowed ; he would be content with a hundred
and tAventy, a bottle of Avhisky, and one pound of
tobacco. Finally, he came doAvn to one hundred dol-

-I

'li I

.^'^

VICTOIUA AND VANCOUVEU ISLAND

bottle

I'S and
indrt'd
[credit
ndrcd
bid of
dol-

lars, a l)Ottlc of whisky, and a bottle of Ijcer, where
he stopped.

I assured him over and over again that I had no
intention of carrying' away either his squaw or lier
'papoose ;' that I had no place for tliom, and that 1
was a married man, and had no desire to acquire
anotlicr wife.

At this he commenced to upbraid me. Wliy had
I inquired about her if I did not want her ? Why
did I say she was beautiful if I had not meant it ?
And, finally, why did I give the ' papoose' a ' bit ' if
I had not in mind the idea of i!:aininn: his affection ?

lie was evidently nuicli hurt, and, as I was pro-
ceeding to leave him, he asked me if I was blind,
that I could not see that his wife had improved
several dollars since he had purchased her.

I don't think he was particularly anxious to get
rid of his wife, but lie thought he saw an oppor-
tunity of making a few dollars upon the original
transaction, and the temptation was too strong to
be resisted.

Although these people's marriages are not en-
cumbered with social and religious preliminaries, they
are fairly moral, the stick being freely used as a deter-
rent ; and the wife or daughter who becomes unchaste
is very severely maltreated.

tSo far as I could judge, the majority of the tribe
possessed no religion. Some of them had been

"'■II

■in

THE (iUKHNS UK J II WAY

taken in liand l)y IJomnn Catliollo or Cliurcli of
England missionaries, but they appeared to have
practieally la[)SL'd into their orii^'inal lieatlienism.

They mainly believed in nothing;*. The God of
the palefaees was unknown to them, and the '(Jreat
S[)irit ' whieli their forefathers \vorshi[)ped seemed to
have no place in tlieir thoughts, I don't think they
for a moment troubled themselves about a futnre
state, and I sliould say that they were not jiartieu-
larly anxious to join the shades of their ancestors
in those hai)py hunting-grounds where life was one
eternal holiday. To the great Hereafter they did not
jiive a moment's consideration. The present alone
exercised them. It was sufficient for them tp secure
the daily meal, to grow their vegetables and corn,
and to cast their nets for fish. If religion conld not
increase their provender in this world, and secure
them from labour in the next, then they would have
none of it. This, so far as I could glean, appeared
to be the view they held.

The new ' island railway ' cuts through a portion
of this Indian reservation, but the land so occupied
will have to be paid for by the company. This
money, in order to avoid Avantvjn waste and reckless
dissipation, does not, however, go direct to the tribe,
but it is paid over to what is called the ' Indian Fund,'
which fund noAV amounts to over three million dollars,
the Government taking charge of the members of the

It?

VICTOiaA AND VANXOUVKR ISLAND

This
Ickless

tribe,
fund,'

jllars,

)f the

tribe the while. Wlien u tribe show themselves
coni{)etent to manage their own aflairs the Govern-
ment relcfase them as wards of the country, and ••ive
into their own keeping the moneys obtained from the
sale of their lands.

Sir John Macdonald, Canada's vetersm Premier,
arrived in Victoria whilst I was there, and he was
accorded a magnificent reception. The pe()})lc turned
out in thousands, Indians and Mongolians sAvelling
the throng. There was a torchlight procession from
the landing-stage to the Driard House, a palatial
hotel where Sir John and Lady Macdonald put up,
and a band of nuisic played inspiriting airs whilst
the mob shouted and added to the heartiness of the
Avelcome. This was the first time Sir John Macdonald
had visited the Pacific side of Canada.

' I shall only come,' he had said, ' when the
through railway Government has promised you shall
have been completed, so that I can myself tell you
that our promises have been fulfilled.'

At this his political enemies in British Columbia
had sneered, and, in their unbelief, mockingly pointed
out that the Premier would never visit Victoria, as the
})romised railway Avould never be com[)lcted ; and
that it was a suicidal act for the Province of the
^Midnight Sun to h'^'o entered into confederation
with the Dominion of Canada, which had misled them
with delusive promises — the through railway scheme

1) 2

I i

' I-:

■ I

I'i !>

:)C>

TIIK (iUKEXS IIKHIWAY

I)olng one of tliciii — wliioli they lui<l uuitlicr the wUii
nor the jibllity to perforin.

One Ciin, consider! n<if these cireiunstances, under-
stand the Canadian Premier's pi-ide at tlie reception
accorded liini by a tliaiikful |)opulace ; and when I
went down to welcome him on hmding, lie seemed to
mc in his enthusiasm to he yciars yonn<;er than when
1 had last seen him in Ottawa three years ]>reviously.

At one time the ojjponents of the national policy
inaur^urated by Sir John ^lacdonald Avere stroni^ly
opposed to the scheme which should connect Canada
with the Pacific by way of British Columbia. The
leader of the opposition picturescpiely, but inac-
curately, described the province as a useless ' sea
of mountains ; ' and he and his party — for, strang'c
to say, in every country there can be foimd an
anti-national party — wished the proposed trans-
continental railway to end, so far as Canada was
concerned, at the Jvockics, there connecting with the
railway systems of the United States, and through
them reach the Pacific. In such case British
Columbia would have been almost as completely cut
off from the rest of Canada as she was in the Hudson's
]^ay Company's days ; and we should have been
without the present (Queen's Highway stretching
from ocean to ocean.

It was this isolation of the past which prevented
British Columbia from becoming generally known

III

Ml.

VICTOnrA AND VANCOUVKU ISLAND

.37

to tlio mother-country, wliidi porsifstcd in looking"
upon tlie province us an ice-hound, t'o^r-bcoirt hind,
given up to warlike Indians, and overrun witii
savage animals. On the contrary, the climate
j^cnerally is admirahle, and N'anconver's Isle is a
vcritahle (Jarden of Eden, only there is room hi it
lur more than one couple.

sea

ly cut

Ison's

been

Idling

rented
mown

II. Tilt: QUKEX ClIAllLOTTE (IRolll'.

I have already pointed out that contained in the
estimated area of Jiritish Cohnnbiu are numerous
islaiuls, and ni the course of the following pages I
l)urpose giving a brie, description of some of them.

As will be seen by tlie map, from the head of
A'ancouver IsLind to the southern extremity of
Alaska, the British Colnmbian coast presents the
same indented and tortuous line, flanked by innu-
merable islands, though without the great outlying
land, except in the extrei e north, where the Queen
CliJirlotte group shelters for several miles the minor
islands which fringe the coast.

The chief industry in this region is fishing, in
which Indians are almost solely engaged. Lumber-
ing, as the forests are of great thickness, is also
carried on somewhat extensively.

Although so far north, the climate is remarkably
mild, the region bemg still within the w^arming in-

THE QUEENS IITGIIWAY

1^.^

ikm

fluence of the Kuro-Siwo, or Japanese current. Tlie
thermometer in the southern portion never, I believe,
falls below zero, and but seldom does so in the
extreme northern end.

On the other hand, the rainfall is very great, and
the climate is consequently extremely humid.

The first settlements one comes across in eroinoc
north are at liivcrs Inlet. There is a small village;,
called Weekeeno, at its head, and on the inlet itself
there are two salmon canneries and a saw-mill. Bella
Coola and Bella liclla are Iludson'ri Bay Company's
ports, and the former was the landing-place for the
once prosperous Cariboo mines. TJiere is some very
good agricultural land on the Bella Coola River, and
the Indians who cultivate it seem to be doing very
well. Bella Bella is about 400 miles north of
Victoria. The Indians are somewhat numerous in
these parts, there being fully 500 of them contained
in the three villau'es one sees from tlie vessel.
Although Skeena River i.s not so prolific in salmon as
the Fraser, it supports three canneries, and the fisher-
men say that the shadows of the fish do not materially
lessen.

Sixteen miles beyond the mouth of the Skeena is
the missionary settlement of j\Ietlakahtla ; it lies on
the Tsimpsheean peninsula, and is the largest station
of the kind on the coast. Upwards of 1,000 Tsimp-
sheean Indians are there gathered within the folds of

1 t

THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE GROUr

lagc,

ma IS

is on

ition

limp-

lls of

Christianity, being taught many useful mechanical
arts. The women weave woollen fabrics, and idle-
ness with either sex is unknown. Here, at least, the
missionaries have done and are doing excellent work.
On the north-west end of the same jieninsula, some
fifteen miles beyond Metlakahtla, is Fort Simpson,
anotlier Hudson's liay port. It is separated from
Alaska territory by the channel of the Portland Inlet.
Fort Simpson possesses one of the finest harbours in
British Columbia. In addition to its iuiportance as
a depot of the fur company, there is a ^lethodist
mission, and upwards of 800 Indians engaged in the
fisheries have a home there. The Nass River is a
perfect gold mine to the dusky fishermen, it being
the greatest known resort of the oolachan, a fish of
the sardine type. Tlie mouth of this river is about
40 miles up the Portland Channel, and furtner np its
bed gold is, I understand, found in small quantities.

The Queen Charlotte grouj), situated between
52° and .54' north latitude, and 130° 25' and 134°
west longitude, are, next to Vancouver, the principal
islands appertaining to British Columbia. They are
three in number' — Graham, jMoresby, and Provost —
and are about 170 miles long and 100 wide. The
upper end of this group lies nearly opposite the
southern extremity of Alaska. Tlie interior of these
islands is very mountainous, and the quantity of
arable land is very limited. No doubt many of the

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

;
I-

k ;'

I 'i

i ,. i

marshes wliich they contain would, if drained, afford
excellent pasturage, but it is questionable if it would
be worth Avhile to drain them. The soil is certainly
not rich, the surface of the earth being* covered in
many places with sphagnous moss several feet in
depth, and saturated with water even on steep slopes.
I am told that the mineral resources of these islands
are considerable, although the exj^loring parties sent
out by the Government do not appear to have made
any striking finds of metals. As gold, however, is
being found in large quantities in Alaska, I see no
reason why the precious metal should be entirely
absent from the (^ueen Charlotte group.

At Skidegate, on Graham Isiland, a company is
extensively engaged in producing dog-fish oil. This
is about the only industry on the islands. The
Hydah Indians arc skilful catchers of dog-fish ; and
long before the Skidegate Oil Company establislied
its works, they used, for their own purposes, to
extract oil from the livers of the fish. Their method
of extraction was crude and by no means cleanly.
It consisted of filling hollow logs with fish livers,
and piling hot stones on them. Dog-fish oil is prin-
cipally used for lubricating purposes. From the
oolaclian the natives not only extract food-grease,
but they use the fish when dried as candles, they
being extremely oily and well adapted for such
purposes.

THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE GROUP

Dany is
1 This
The
; and
)lis]ied

crease

they
such

Jt is, in fact, somewhat difficult to tell, when a
Hydali takes up a handful of these small lish — they
are seldom longer than seven inches — whetlier he
purposes using them for food or for lights. Sometimes
he will do both, and, after devouring the uulighted
ones, will turn with unexpected eagerness upon tlie
lighted 'dips,' leaving you suddenly in utter dark-
ness. It is an amusing sight to watch tlie vagrant
dogs gazing wistfully at the tasty food burning
briglitly before their eyes, or to see tliem sidle up to
one of the candles, and, after knocking it down with
their tails, seize it boldly and make tracks for the open
air, folloAved by the anathemas of their irate master.

For r-iedicinal purposes oohichan oil is said to be
vastly uperior to cod In^cr oil. Personally I can
give no opinion on this matter, not having attempted
to distinguish the difference, medicinally or other-
wise, between the equally nauseating liquids. Such
oils are an acquired taste, and those who have suc-
ceeded in mastering their original repugnance in the
matter are quite at liberty to taste the rival oils and
give their decision thereon.

The Queen Charlotte Islands are inhabited solely by
Hydah Indians, of whom thereare about seven hundred.
These Indians are undoubtedly of Asiatic origin.
Their features, tattooing, carvings, and legends indi-
cate that they are castaways from Eastern Asia. They
are physically and intellectually superior to any of

h I

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

!>. \u

i [.lii

Sj, ■,

tlie north coast Indians, and their lantruao-e is differ-
ent in its structure from that of the T'linkets, clearly
denoting a different origin. Their complexions are
lighter, and they have liigher foreheads and altogether
finer features than any other North American Indians.

The llydahs were at one time a great naval
power, and consequently the terror of all neighbour-
infr tribes. In addition to beino- skilful in the manaije-
mcnt of canoes, they were a most warlike jieople,
and they made predatory excursions as far south as
the Fraser, sackinc; and burnino; river-side and coast-
lying villages by the way. The more peaceful Timp-
seans of A^ancouver Island were in constant dread
of them, and they, in order to make their houses safer
against the periodical attacks of the Queen Charlotte
Islanders, erected substantial stockades around their
villages. Even the Hudson's Bay authorities in these
parts were in constant dread of them. But now their
power has departed ; contact with civilisation has
been too much for them, and those who do not
succumb to the white man's vices become the white
man's servants at a very reasonable sum per diem.

Massett, on the north shore of Graham Island, at
the entrance to Massett Inlet, is the ancient capital of
the Hydali nation. It was from this port that the
fleet of war canoes — each canoe containing from forty
to fifty warriors — used to set out in the tribe's ex-
peditions against the enemy. It is said that Massett

kV I

THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE GROUP

^d, at
pal of

tlie
forty

ex-
Issett

in the height of its glory contained upwards "oi one
thousand braves, but now there are not more than two
hundred and fifty people in the place, all told. Canoe
making is still actively carried on at Massett, and it
is there that the best canoes in the wdiole region are
made, the builders doing a brisk trade in tliem with
the various coast tribes. Massett lias been described
as the ' abode of the aristocracy of Hydah land,' as
tlie ^eadinof chiefs — who have but little now remaining
except their titles — reside tliere.

The islands forming tlie (^ueen Charlotte group
are a veritable Indian paradise. Fish, otters, and seals
crowd the waters, whilst bears and minks and other
fur-bearing animals abound everywhere.

Tlie natives, both men and women, as in Alaska,
paint their faces, urging — how our European ideas
do get upset ! — that by so doing the complexion is
preserved. Without such a preparation the sun, they
say, would blister their faces ; and the women, who,
for Indians, are surprisingly fixir, are remarkably
proud of their complexions. There is nothing harm-
ful in this preparation, it being composed of pitch,
deer tallow, and charcoal. After being rubbed on
the face, streaks of cinnabar are laid on. The women's
appearance is certainly not improved thereby ; and
it is only when they consent to wash off the objec-
tionable mass that the striking beauty of some of
them becomes apparent.

it'

t ..

THE QUEEN'S IIIGIIWAY

The houses of the Hydahs are substantially built
of cedar loo;s, those of the chiefs beinnf distinsruished
by their size. In front of the houses are the totem
poles, ujDon which are carved tlie pedi^Tce and deeds
of the various families to whom they appertain. The
domestic life is patriarchal, several families being
gathered under one roof The chiefs are very proud
of their titles, and great care w^as taken in the past to
preserve genealogies. The native carving is rude, but
some of the older genealogical poles show considerable
skill. The carvers, long since gone to their rest, have
left behind them relics full of speculative curiosity.
In the gigantic representations of family emblems
appear the portraits of mytliical animals, bearing a
remarkable family likeness to those mammoths which
almost every country in the world appears to believe
existed at some distant geological period or other.
]\Iany of the figures and hieroglyphics are without
doubt Asiatic, and they are certainly deserving of the
attention of some savant who might be disposed to
trace them back over the ages to their source. A ery
little elaborate symbolical carving is now done in
these parts, the natives evidently having no pride in
their work. They still pay considerable attention to
the carvings on their canoes, adding bright-coloured
dyes to such handiwork. But then carved and
painted canoes are marketable connnodities ; and
totem poles, save to hunters of curios, are not readily

THE QUEEN CIIAFvLOTTE GROUP

saleable. In the clays .G^one by it was a terrible
insult to a family to injure its genealogical pole,
whilst to cut it down alt(^gethcr was sufficient to
cause a blood feud.

Now a Hydah or T'linkct brave would, with the
ntmost readiness, sell a pole containing the ashes
of his great-grandmother for the price of a glass of
whisky.

Most of the totems one sees in A'ictoria, Sitka, and
other civilised centres arc of Yankee manufacture.
One frequently comes across such poles ' maturing '
on the sites of ruined Indian villages, and what the
cautious tourist would i)ass over in disdain in a curio-
sity shop in the town he is often known to give
fancy prices for when he sees them in such respect-
able liistoric surroundings.

^Y'lth the abandonment of national pride tlie
Ilydahs quickly became debased. Sobriety is mi-
known to most of the men, whilst cliastity amongst
the women is extremely rare. For such a state of
things they have to thank the white man. He lias
debauched and pillaged them, and left them to reap,
in misery and suffering, the crop of nameless vices he
has sown in their midst.

Truly, evcii the most distant, the most humble of
her Majesty's subjects arc deserving of protection.
The I)omini(m Government has done much for tlu^
Indians generally, and some of the missionary bodies

"i?.

■. » ■

"t I

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

have done still more ; but there does not appear to
be any Christian liand ready to rcchiim the once
valiant Ilydah. The few healthy children should be
taken in hand and cared for ; they, I think, would
be found tractable, and would be sure to repay the
trouble lavished upon them. At any rate, they would
be spared the degradation of drunkenness and the
awfulness of ling'cring and shameful diseases.

There is little in the Queen Charlotte Isles to
attract the capitalist, unless the veins of copper and
gold, to which I have already alluded, should be
found to be of any extent. The natural grazing land
is small, and the arable land still smaller, whilst the
timber generally is not of a character that would
repay felling, unless expensive roads Avere made into
the interior — where there are a few fine spruce — as
the trees along the coast are very stunted. By the
bye, the Douglas fir of the mainland does not find a
home on these islands, the tindjer being principally
composed of yellow cedar, cypress, and spruce.

It is, however, a tourist and sportsman's paradise,
h^ome of the mountains, clothed with dense forests of
cedar and si)ruce, are really very grand ; whilst the
nmnerous inlets, bays, and rusliing streams present a
])icture in keeping with one's dreams of fairyland.
The rivers are small and scarcely navigable even by
canoes, as they are practically choked by fallen trees.
The river Tlell, the largest of them, can, however, be

,:i:

THE QUEEX CHARLOTTE GllOUr

Idise.

Its of

the

bnt a

land.

Iiby

rees.

[, be

ascended witliout miicli difficulty or danger for
several miles.

For a wild life, full of novelty and adventure,
nothing" can exceed a trip to the (^ueen Cliai'Ljttc
Isles. Indians as guides can be readily procured,
and si)()rt with both rod and gun is in abundance.
The tourist would have an o})portunity of ritling in
some of the most perfect canoes in tlie world, manned
by natives unsurpassed in ingenuity and skill. The
coast scenery is, with precipitous mountains fully
1 ,5U() feet in height rising from out of the sea, remark-
ably bold ; whilst the gruesome caverns of unknown
(lej>rh which hollow out fhe rocks have enough mystery
about them to satisfy the most fastidious. In these
caverns, in which the salt waves foam and roar,
dwell, accordhig to Indian legends, the remorseless
' storm spirits ; ' and a native never passes by with-
out making the demons a propitiatory offering. He
Avill, in his superstitious dread, go so far as to hand
into the caverns, on his paddle-blade, morsels of
jealously treasured-up tobacco. Nothing, it jippears,
is too good for these ' spirits ' ; and, in moments of
unusual danger, the islanders have been known to
even make offering's of ' fire-water.' Such a siuht
would be enough to strike dismay into the hearts of
the Total Abstinence and Anti-Tobacco Leau-ues,
who, I presume, woidd not look u})on unsophisticated
demons as being without the pale of their sympathies.

m : H

'Hm: QUEEN'S HICillWAY

CIIAPTKlt H.

THE niOVINCE OF THE MIDNIGHT HUN—
TllE MAINLAND.

I. VANCOUVER, THE 'TERMINAL CITY.'

The inninland o/ British Columbia extends from tlio
l*acific Ocean to tlie llocky ^lountains, its extreme
l)rea(lth beinji' about ."iOO miles. It stretches north
i'rom the international line to the sixtieth parallel,
although, as I have already pointed out, a narrow
strip of the United States territory of Alaska, situated
on the extreme north of the province, interposes for
a distance of 300 miles between it and the Pacific
Ocean. The general surface of the country is
mountainous and broken, ccnisisting of short ranges,
detached groups of mountains, elevated plateaus, and
many valleys of various c xtent. Running parallel
with the liocky iMount'iins, and in many places
scarcely distinguishable from th/^m, arc masses of
mountains ; and along the coast lies a high range
usually indicated as a continuation of the famed
American range — the Cascades, but, in fact, a northern
extension of the great coast range. T^-ying between

VANCOUVEIJ, THE 'TERMINAL CTTV '

•I'J

Dm tlie
svtrcnic
1 north
anillul,
^1 arrow
uated
>scs for
'acific
ry is

;angcs,

IS,

and
>arallcl

places
<scs of

range

famed
irtliern

'tween

tliesc two, and extending as far nortli as latitude
5.")° 3', is an irregular belt of elevated [)late;ui.
Beyond this tiie interior mountains decrease in lieight,
and the land has a gentle slope toward the Arctic Ocean.

Peace lliver and other streams of the Arctic water-
shed find their sources there.

Such are the general features of the interior :
hij]:h mountain ridges on the east and v,cst enclosing
a high plateau, down the centre of which flows the
Fraser River, its general course being south, almost
to the international line, where it turns sharply to
the west and enters the Pacific.

The other great streams of the interiijr are
Thompson River, which enters the Fraser from the
east ; the Okanagan, Kootenay, and Columbia. The
Columbia, which has a most eccentric cour.se, rises
almost in the extreme south-eastern corner. For a
considerable distance it flows northward, around the
npper end of the Selkirk range, and then flows
directly south between the Selkirk and Gold },Ioun-
tains into the United States, and thence into the
ocean. The loop thus I'orAied is called thv^ ' J>ig Bend
of the Columbia.'

The course of the Kootenay is scarcely less
eccentric. It has its source in the same region, and
it makes a long sweep south, crossing the boundary

turnin*

'o'

disci

'entually

lar-'-ing its waters into the Columb

la.

5!P

,:!

'5j

THE (QUEENS IllUIIWAY

Tlicrc is no lack of water in liritish Columl)ia,
lakes and rivers abov'.ndini^ from one end of the
province to the other, some of them being navigable
for a considerable distance by steamers of a light
draught.

To reach the mainland of Hritish Columbia from
A'ictoria, in order to join the transcontinental rail-
way at its present terminus, Port bloody, the pas-
seiii>'cr has to take a local steamer. From \'ictoria
to Port bloody it is about ninety miles, the distance
from Naiiimo being considerably shorter.

Tlie first [)oint stopped at, after leaving the capital
of the province, is Vancouver, a place destined to
be the future terminus of the Canadian Pacific Hall-
way.

\'ancouver, save in the logdnit form, had no
existence twelve months ago ; but Avhon it became
known that the railway company had in mind the
idea of making the spot then called Coal Harbour —
where stood the saw-mill and log huts aforesaid —
the Pacific terminus, there was a quick rush of
speculators and prospectors, and a wooden town
suddenly sprang up. In a few weeks there were
upwards of 2J){)i) people in the place, and stores of
every variety and description carried on a brisk trade.

Then came the "'rcat fire, in flune last, s

eep

in<»

every tiling before it. The whole town Avas destroyed,
and the forests round about ignited. Many people

WK_,

I . I . .

imblii,
3f the

I light

a from
111 rail-
ic piis-
'ictoriii
istiincc

capital
ined to

Kail-

lad no
became
nd the
hour —
said —
lush of
town
were
ires of
trade,
leeping
[royed,
beople

s
■J

> f-
35

• i

t I:

^'^di

VANCOUVER, THE 'TERMINAL CITY'

— how many can never be known — lost their lives,
whilst the living lost not only all that they had on
the spot, but, in many cases, absolutely everything
they possessed. The Dominion and Provincial Go-
vernments at once came to their assistance, and pre-
vented, as far as possible, any widespread distress.

I arrived in Vancouver exactly six weeks after
this catastrophe, and although the fire had (save in
two instances) not left a single house, hut, or store
standing, a new town had already begun to arise.
Streets were being laid out, and houses erected on all
sides ; stores were doing an active trade, and grimy
sharp-witted boys were busily hawking copies of a
daily newspaper, edited, by the bye, by a son of
the late Dr. Kenealy. I never saw such enterprise
amidst so much desolation. It was enough to make
one feel heartsick and sorrowful to note the effects
of the disaster. Where the brand-new houses had
once stood there were heaps of ashes or smouldering
logs. The glow of fire and the fumes of burning
wood were about everywhere ; the air was thick with
smoke, and hot with flames. Walking wdiere the
tree stumps were burning was difficult and not
without danger ; and, at every step, one was in ashes
and the debris of burnt-up stores. The bones of
cremated animals frequently lay in one's path, and
may be I unknowingly trod on the dust of some
poor soul, a victim to the Moloch who, on that

f*r

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

1I-: 1'

III!

momentous day in June, wrapped so many human
forms in his fiery embrace.

Everywhere I saw signs of enterprise. ' The old
hath gone ; let the new arise,' seemed to be the motto
of the people, who, instead of falling into lethargy
or bemoaning their fate, were one and all bestirring
tlicmselves wdth an energy and a spirit that was
little short of heroic.

Such is British pluck, no matter where you
meet with it, be it on Afric's burning sands, in
India's tangled jungles, Russia's frozen steppes, or
Canada's pine forests.

The mayor — for Vancouver can boast of a mayor —
is most indefatigable. He is a man of many parts,
and for the time being he is, in the matter of office-
holding, a veritable Pooh-Bah ; only, unlike Gilbert's
Japanese official, each office entails no end of hard
work, and, outside that of mayor, brings with it little
or no remuneration.

The buildings in course of erection were mere
frame-houses, but they are simply temporary, as it is
intended to build up what is termed the future com-
mercial capital of British Columbia upon very grand
lines, and the plans of streets and so forth are on
a most extensive scale. There are to be churches,
municipal offices, banks, and Dominion Government
buildings. The Hudson's Bay Company will put up
a store, and next door the Bank of Montreal pro-

-4

VAJ^COUVER, THE 'TERMINAL CITY

mere
IS it is

com-
I grand
ire on
[relies,

uncnt

)ut up
pro-

poses to erect a substantial edifice. Opposite there
will be a grand hotel, worked in connection with the
Canadian Pacific Railway, the foundations of which
are already laid. Lots in this i)rospective street fetch
as much as one thousand dollars, and even more,
according to position. I was off'ered two lots next
to the Hudson's Bay Company's block for two
thousand dollars, but speculation in building lands
not being in my line, I did not, as our American
cousins would say, ' catch on.'

AVhether A^ancouver will ever come up to the
grand ideas anticipated for it by the local authorities,
time alone can prove.

Its position as a port is unique. It is situated
at the mouth of Burrard Inlet, and possesses an
admirable harbour, and vessels of any tonnage can
readily anchor there. The view affbrded from the
steamer on leaving the beautiful harbour of Victoria
in singidarly lovely, and the panoramic scene of sea,
islands, and mountain spread out before one becomes
more enchanting as we proceed. Across the Straits
of Fuca to the south rise the snow-capped Olympian
peaks ; to the eastward are Mount Baker, white and
majestic, and the Cascades, green and broken ; whilst
all around one are fairy-like islands covered with
perpetual verdure. The water is placid and full of
varied colours ; and as the vessel threads its way
through the maze of green-coated isles, and splashes

' I

;ii

III; I rn

■■'. t
tit

THE QUEEN'S inGIIWAY

up the rainbow-liued foam, it is difficult to imagine
that one is in tliis prosaic world at all. The colour-
ing at the narrow mouth of Burrard Inlet is especially
rich. Tlie stones on the beach are for the most part
covered with a thick coating of moss, and those that
are not verdant-coated are warm and sparkling in
tlieir natural colours as the sun strikes them. There
is a warmth, too, about the foliage on the shore,
whilst the blueness of a summer sky lends an addi-
tional charm to the surroundings.

At the inlet's entrance stands, apart from the
shore, an immense shrub-clad rock called the Siwash
Rock. At first sight it looks like an Egyptian mono-
lith, and you from the moment determine in your
own mind that there is something uncommon about
it. It has a decidedly weird appearance, standing
there in its sombre solitariness. Its base is splashed
by the playful waves, but its grey-cold sides are
verdureless and lifeless, the apex alone showing any
signs of life in the gnarled and fantastically twisted
dwarf trees which grow thereon. Black patches in
the clefts of the rock speak of fires having been
lighted therein — sacrificial fires, it turns out. For
it was on this rock that the Indians at one time
made their sacrifices and their off'erings to the
Manitou of their superstition, in the hope and ex-
pectation of favours to come. The natives had
apparently great ffiith in the efficacy of such ofFer-

iV> VViV\ >

VANCOUVER, THE 'TERMINAL CITY'

any
nsted
les in

been
For

time
the
ex-
bad

)ffer-

ings, tbe practice being common to all the tribes.
The Siwash sacrificed on his great ' medicine stone '
■svhon the tribe were on the war-path against the
Timpseans, or when a big chase or fishing expe-
dition was being undertaken. The Timpsean ofi'ered
up the fruits of the chase and the products of the
earth on certain chosen sjDots when the all-dreaded
Hydahs w^ere seen oir his villages in their famed war
canoes, in the hope that the Great Spirit would
confoimd his enemies and give the palm of victory to
his people. The Hydahs burnt tlieir candle-fish, and
ofiered up skins and fish and oil in commemoration
of their victories; whilst the Alaska savages crawled
from out of their tunnelled, ill-ventilated huts in
order to sacrifice portions of their scanty stores when
the hated war-whoop of the Queen Charlotte Islanders
sounded on the air. This disposition to make off'er-
ings is still jirevalent amongst the natives some
distance removed from the centres of civilisation.

Just beyond the Siwash Iiock, as one enters the
neck of water called ' the Narrows,' opening into
Burrard Inlet, some characteristic Indian graves are
sighted. They are the last resting-place of pagans ;
and the bodies, unlike those of their Christian
brethren lying in the graveyard at the Catholic
mission at Moodyville, on tlic opposite shore, are
preserved in salt, instead of being buried ivnder-
ground. The salted remains rest in ark-shaped

■i '

THE QUEENS IITGIIWAY

if
111,

sepulchres, carved in fantastic shapes. One of tliesc
tombs contains tlie preserved body of a notorious old
sinner, ' Sapple Jack ' by name. He was a far-famed
chief, and, according to local chroniclers, he is accre-
dited with no less tlian thirteen murders. It was, in
fact, wliilst in prison awaiting his trial on the charge
of murder that he died, his cori)se having, for the
juirposes of burial, been eventually given up to his
people. Furtlier north the salting-down process
with regard to the dead is not, I believe, carried
on. With the northern-coast Indians the custom
was to cremate the bodies, and to place the ashes in
the hollowed-out totem poles. Now the natives
who arc not Christians have gathered just enough
from their contact with civilisation to make them
iridiffercut to their own religious customs and observ-
ances, and they do not as a rule lavish much
attention on their dead, or particularly bother them-
selves with time-honoured burial rites.

The portion of the inlet where Vancouver is
situated is about two miles across, forming an ex-
ceedingly handsome bay. The currents thereabouts
are somewhat swift, and the wind noi; infrequently
sweeps with considerable force from the mountains
over the surface of the water ; but the anchorage on
the whole is good, and it is anticipated there will be
neither danger nor difficulty on that score. To give
the reader an idea of the force of the local currents,

N^fc

VANCOUVER, THE 'TERMINAL CITY'

ex-

mts

ntly

liins

Kve

nts,

the steamer the Princess Louise, in wliich I journeyed
across from Victoria, was tlie best part of an lioiir
in ronndinn- the Siwasli IJock in order to enter the
' Narrows ' from English l>ay. 'Hu.' inlet once
entered, the thing was all right ; but the diihculty
Avas in entering. For some time we stood quHe still
opposite the grave of ' Snpple Jack,' althor.gh the
engines were working with increased energy. At
times we even lost ground with the force of the
current ; eventually, however, the steamer made
headway — inch by inch, as it wcre^ — and at the end
of the struggle Avitli the bubbling, rushing waters
we glided into the placid harbour of V^ancouver.

1 liave already described the surroundings of this
courageous little town, which, when I reached it,
was almost entirely hid in clouds of smoke arising
from the burninn^ loixs and smoulderinii: brushwood.
Considering the disorder, want, and despair conse-
quent upon the conflagration, there was very little
to complain of on the score of lawlessness, offences
against the majesty of the law being almost entirely
confined to petty larcenies. AVhen I was there the
court-house consisted of an old tent, in which the
magistrate and his clerk sat daily. AVithout fuss or
show, law was impartially administered therein with
a celerity unknown in our law courts in this country.
I had an opportunity of seeing the law administered
in this canvas temple of justice.

Ill

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

?ln!

A man bad been brouglit up to answer to the
charge of having stolen a quantity of old rope. The
magistrate sat at the head of the table fronting the
prisoner, and the tent was full — inconveniently so —
of peo])'.e. It was a hot day, and the sun's rays
i •': ic : ; tod vhrongh the holes of the canvas, making
tiiv. iMt'.:: or of the tent practically unbearable.

Tiie pi > ner was a characteristic type of the
genus loafer. Never before in my travels had I fallen
in with such a dilapidated specimen of humanity. In
appearance he was a veritable ' scarecrow,' or rather
worse if anything, for the clothes he wore had
apparently been annexed after a ' scarecrow ' had
flourished at least one season in them. His trousers
were remarkable for the way in which they bagged
at the knees and puffed out behind, as if some portion
of a year's high winds when the ' scarecrow ' had been
on duty was still left in them. The ' scarecrow ' to
whom they had the honour of belonging previously
to adorning the present owner had evidently been
a bigger man than the prisoner. How those pants
kept on the man was a mystery, for one could see at
a glance that they possessed neither buttons nor
suspenders. They were in some unfathomable way
attached to the front of what at one time had been
a much-beflowered and bebraided waistcoat, but
which was now faded and flowerless, ragged and
buttonless, whilst a frail piece of string held them

VANCOUVER, THE 'TERMINAL CITY'

up behind. One was fearful that with every move-
ment of the prisoner the piece of string would snap,
for at a "lance it could be seen that the man wore no
shirt. Wliat a brave string it was, and how stoutly
it held it^^ own, although the prisoner in his loafing
attitudes strained it to the utmost !

During the examination the prisoner assumed an
air of complete indifference. Now ai. ti a he would
pass his fingers, the nails of which ^ re 1 vily laden
with real estate, through his matt • L ir, the colour
of which, from dirt and exposure, wa. ab.^olutely un-
recognisable. Then he would ■ V viciously with
his hat a fly settling on his bemottled nose, or fan
the perspiration off his face. His hat was quite in
keeping with the rest of his attire, although it appa-
rently had not come with the baggy trousers and
puffy short-tailed coat. It had evidently been acquired
later, not showing so fully as these articles of apparel
signs of having borne the heat and burden of the day.
I should be sorry to do the vagabond an injustice
(for he was punished for his offence, and has by this
time served his term), but my impression at the time
was that the hat in question was a boy's hat, and had
been filched from some child whom he had come
across in the course of his predatory wanderings.
The hat had once been black and possibly jaunty, but
nmch of the blackness was faded, and all the jaunti-
ness knocked out of it ; yet it was respectability

it I 1^

I A

m ' 'ii

fiO

THE QIJl'lEN'S TIICaiWAY

itself as compared with some of liis garments. Tn
the course of flickiiiij: witli increased snvan:enes8 at
a loo persistent fly, there was a creak, and the hrini
of the hat was seriously split. It still, however, re-
tained its hold of the crown l)y a sort of hing-e, and
until it and the crown should definitely part company
pome sign of its former glory would yet be left.
This view seemed to strike the prisoner, for he looked
sadly at the rent, and ceased to take further action
against the flics, for fear of increasing the breach.
This was the only emotion I saw him display during
his trii'd, the sentence of sixty days passed upon him on
his being found guilty of the charge making, so far
as I could observe, no sort of impression upon him.

As the man moved off in company wdth the law
officer, the tension upon the string which held up
his trousers behind became all the more apparent,
and I wondered why he had not augmented these
risky suspenders with some of the stolen rope. To
have stolen rope in order — for decency's sake — to
liave rigged up some species of braces might have
told well with the magistrate, and have secured him
against punishment. Whereas he filched the rope
in order to purchase drink, inconsiderately leaving
the thin and much-tried string to bear the whole
strain, w^ith a result which eventually could not fail
to be disastrous.

It was whilst the man was leaving the tent with

■l; \

VANTOUVEU, TIIH 'TKUMLVAL CITY'

ting
lolc
Ifail

ith

tlic policeman tluit I noticed his boots, whicli in no
way matched. The L'ft boot was smaller than the
right, and it had at one time possessed buttons as
fasteners, though pieces of string now siq)[)lied tlieir
place. It was a heelless boot, and the sole, as could
be seen, had for some time [)ast been imbued with
notions of separation. This natural desire to be free
had, however, been curbed l)y the tramj) running a
piece of wire through the sole and again through the
uppers, finally twisting the ends into a knot outside.
Whether it Avas because the wire hurt him, or whether
it was his natural gait, the man limped as he Avalked,
making his a[)pearance all the more pitiful and dis-
reputable. The last I saw of him was stooi)ing to
pull on his right boot, which, being spacy and spriny-
less, refused to keep on his foot. The hat was then
on his head, stuck jauntily on one side, the brim
flapping from its hinge with Qvcry movement of the
head.

When the tramp had disappeared, I asked the
mayor, who stood by me, wdiy a man like that pre-
ferred stealing rope, and getting sent to prison, to
working — when there was work to be done — and
being paid for his labour.

' There is no work in these dead-beats,' replied
the mayor.

' But, supposing he would work,' I askea, ' how
much would he get a day? '

■ Ml

THE (iJKENS IIKJUWAY

' Oh, about a dollar.'

* Well, v'ouldn't it be i. ''e to his advantage to
work for a dollar a day than w ■rkni'jf sslxty days for
the inuiilclpality for nothing'? — for I i)r('sinne you
intend making him do something useful whilst you
have him in keeping. '

' lie evidently doesn't think so,' answered the
mayor. ' You see, whilst he is in our charge he will
be well fed and housed, and when his time is up we
shall give him a suit of clothes, a flannel shirt, and
may be a few dollars, and march him out of the town
— for we don't want any such "dead-beats" hanging
about here for ever. The fellow just figures all this
out, and, by the time he has done, he reckons the
deal is about square, and after a few weeks' loafing
he gives another municipality the benefit of his com-
pany.'

Many labourers were at the time employed in
digging wells, the natural water supply being any-
thing but good. This lack of water would be a
serious thing for Vancouver were it not easy to bring
the water into the town from the opposite moun-
tains. The municipal authorities have two schemes
in hand for obtaining an efficient water supply, and
that one or both of them will be carried out there
can be no doubt, so that the difficulty on this score
will be readily overcome.

Moodyville, on the opposite side of the inlet,

VANCOUVKU, "niK Ti:U>[I\AL CITY'

let,

wborc there is a \av*^o and proMperons saw-inill, a
very clean and wi'll-ke[)t hotel, and u C()nMideral)lo
Indian vilhij^e, enjoys a perfect water 8U[)ply. At
one time it was expected to liave taken the [)hice of
N'ancoiiver as the terminns of tlie transcontinental
railway ; hut Mr. \'an ilorne, the «(eneral niana;^er
and vice-president of the railway, told me that there
were en<i;ineering ditKculties in the way of carryin*^
on the line from Port ]Moody to JMoodyville, so that
the line had to be built on the other side of the inlet
on to N'ancouvcr instead. Moody ville is the more
l)ic;tures([ue location of the two. There it is warmer,
and the foliage is richer, whilst the soil generally is
better than that on the Vancouver side. In con-
sideration, however, of Vancouver being an important
commercial centre in the near future, speculators are
snapping eagerly at town lots in that place at 8/. per
foot, Avhilst land at Moodyville practically goes a-
begging at the same sum per acre. Much of the land
close in on the Moodyville shore belongs to the saw-mill
company aforesaid, and it is consequently locked up ;
but the unlocked-up land does not appear to tempt
the independent purchaser. Of course, if A'ancouver
ever reaches the high position mapped out for her by
her friends, why then land in Moodyville cannot fail
to command high prices by-and-by as the sites ot
suburban residences. It is a very lovely si)or, and I
made a special tr'p across there from \'^ancoiiver in

k 'v

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

order to observe tlie country, and to visit tlie Indian
village, where there is, as I have once before men-
tirncd, a Catholic mission.

For this purpose I hired a 'dug-out' of some
natives. This, I may tell the reader, is a canoe dug-
out of a cedar or fir tree, and it ditFers entirely from
the birch-bark canoe of tlie Lake Indians in the
north-west, or the redskins of the St. Lawrence.

These ' dug-outs ' are, however, easily worked, and
what they lose in elegance they certainly make up in
gaudiness. The Indian of the Pacific coast dearly
loves colour, and he daubs it on everything he can.
His boats, after being grotesquely carved wdth
monsters quite imknown to natural history, are
coloured and brightened up in a manner wondrous
to behold. The canoe I went over in was supposed
to represent a bird, and the stem had been fashioned
into a beak-like point, painted red, Avitli an eye,
entirely out of proportion, coloured light blue, with
a rim of orange round it. I regret to say I failed to
trace in the carving a likeness to any known bird,
and the native owners did not appear to be able to
enlighten me.

' Him very fast can( said the chief as I got
into the boat, ' him fly like bird — see ! ' and with a
twist of the paddle we shot out from the bank into
the deep Avater. He and his son actively plied their
paddles, and we certainly, i.i our peed, did seem to

VAXrOUVEE, 'THE TETJ:sri\AL CTTV

the

got
Ith a

into
their
111 to

almost fly over th(^ tiirqiioiso-bluo w;itei' of the
bay.

Wc lan(le(l at Moo(lyvill(> wharf, and I went over
the saw-mill, wiiich sends out millions of feet of
timber every year to all ]>arts of the world. Two
small sailing vessels were at the moment in port
loadino; with lumber, one beiny; bound for Honolulu
and the other for Australian ports.

There is no end of exeellent timber rpiite close to
Moodyville, and were it not for the recurring fires
the timber sup))ly of the district would be practically
inexhaustiMe.

To reach the Indian village one has either to
paddle along the shore or to follow an ancient trail
through the forest. I chose the latter course.

What a tortuous way it was !

The mouth of the trail was all right, but I
speedily found it to be a snare and a delusion. The
promise it held out was in no way fulfilled, for the
easy passage I had antici[)ated did not extend far
beyond the opening. Not only did the path become
narrower and more winding with every step, but, to
make matters worse, several minor trails would from
time to time in a most tmexpected manner branch
from out of the parent road. I was often sore per-
plexed what course to pursue, and repeatedly I went
wrong when 1 was most confident 1 was going right,

TIIJO QUEENS HIGHWAY

I (■!

ISM I

and no end of tiine was taken up in retracing my
steps.

Tliose who have followed an Indian trail will at
once understand the situation ; whilst those wlio
follow nu; throu<;ii the woods in the course of this
description will, J trust, learn soniething of an un-
beaten track in a forest's solitudes.

Let the reader imagine himself to be in a densely
timbered forest, in which silence reigns supreme, a
silence unbroken by the song of birds or the voice
of man. Nothing comes upon the profound stillness
but the soft sirisji^ su'/'.sh of the Douglas tirs, or the
gentle jfap, jl'p of the broad-leaved maple, as the
wind sweeps through their branches. All is in the
shade, and were it not for the faint patch of blue sky
just above the tall red ce<lar-tops the aspect would
be gloomy as well as solitary.

To the left, where you have just paused, runs the
faint outline of a ])ath. and branching to the right is
another trail; while straight ahead, on the main trail,
the trunk of an immense tree bars further progress,
^'ou approach the tree, and see that it is moss-covered,
having lain there untouched maybe for years. In
this direction the trail, therefore, goes no further.
In your ])orplexity you halt and try to decide
whether you shall go to the left or to the right.
Finally you take a seat on the trunk of the fallen
tree — a spruce tir whose base is thirty feet in cir-

IS the
!;lit is
trail,

lo-rcss.
'cred,
In
L'tlicr.
ilocide
H'ilibt.
alien
li cir-

VANCOUVEIJ, THE 'TERMINAL CITY

ciimfereiice — and rcconnnencc arguing the jyros and
cons of the two paths.

It is a perfect paradise that you are now in. At
your feet feathery ferns crowd in rich })rofusion ;
from the moss-clad trunk there grows a Avild ras[)-
berry cane, the fruit of which is ripe and luscious ;
all id)out one is the fragrant odour of pines. You
are in a lotus-eater's heaven, only the situation is
more invigorating and healthful than anything the
East can su])ply. Ceylon's spicy groves and India's
sweet-scented gardens are, it is true, full of fragrance
and cool relief, but there is a heaviness about the
perfume and a dankness about the vegetation which
intoxicate whilst they enervate. In a Canadian })ine
forest all is diflerent. Everything is crisp and free
from noxious moisture. The air is dry and balmy,
and when you rest you feel soothed and free from
lassitude. It is astonishing the distance that even
an average walker can get over in these pine forests;
he feels an unaccountable springiness, and a capacity
to walk on until, dead tired, he is forced to jiause.
No man — unless he Avilfully courted such a disease —
could live in such an atmosphere and become con-
sumptive ; and no consumptive could pass his time
therein without materially lengthening the nuuiber
of his days in this world. To know liritish
Columbia is to love its climate, and to feel a health-
fidness unacquirable in any other country.

II I i

'i Hi

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

'tvf

Whilst ill tlio pleasant spot just described, yon
light your cigarette and enjoy your repose to the
full ; for the smell of good tobacco seems to o-o un-
commonly well with the forest's odours. Jn such a
place even an anti-smoker would be sorely tempted
to cidtivate an acquaintance with the noxious ;vced,
for in these parts everybody seems to smoke. The
red man takes in his nicotine, slowly and with philo-
sophical calm, from his carved wooden pipe ; the
woodman puifs vigorously tit liis short black clay ;
and the sportsman inhales an Old Judge cigarette, or
sends the smoke of a cigar in curling rings from him
with contented puffs.

The weed over, and the traveller still hndino;
himself undecided as to the path to pursue, he takes
from his pocket a coin and proceeds to toss it, in
order to decide whether it shall h^ to the right or to
the left. The toss declares for the left, and leaving
liis comfortalde seat, he dashes boldly up that trail,
only to find that the coin has lied — a coin so tossed
invariably does lie — the path leading in an entirely
opposite direction. The steps have therefore to be
retraced, and nothing remains but to take the
direction to the right. From the ver}^ first this path
winds in and out like a corkscrew, and you have no
end of difficulty in following it.

An Indian trail never seems to have any method
about it , yet I suppose, if the truth were known, it

1 ? - -jr

ill

VANCOUVER, THE ' TERMINAL CITY '

ang
[rail,
Issed
frely

be
the
iD.ath

mod
ti, it

is full of iiietliod. To the uninitiated the Indian, like
the ants described by Mark Twain, seem to oo by
roundabout ways simply because they are round-
about, and avoid takhig the direct track on account
of its directness. I certainly failed to account on any
other grounds for the serpentine windings of this
])articular trail.

It wound and twisted in ovqvv direction, now
coinii: up and anon s^oinu' down hill, till I was coni-
pletely out of breath. One moment I would slip up
on a concealed stone, or catch my foot in a gnarled
root, rendering a fall unavoidable. Here the trail
takes one over a fallen tree; there it tN^'ists sharply
to the right, bringing you ftice to face with an immense
rock, round which you have to o-awl by means of
the narrowest of narrow ledges. P)eneath, there un-
invitingly lies a slimy pool. If the trail would bui
go straight, one is found muttering to •neself at every
step; and yet, I suppose, every din ai has its pur-
pose. In a virgin forest there ar» many natui-il
impediments that, as I afterward found out. the
straightest route is often the lonli■('-^

On nearinu' the viilaue fresh

( iouities ])resen

I ted

themselves. Additional trails abounde 1 ev-^i-ywho- "
One led further up into the forest ; som^- to different
l)oints in the village ; one or two to the sea-shore
Avhilst others appeared to lead nowhoi'e.

^^ 1

ere is

the pli

ice to again pause, m order to take

:.' J

'•I

I M

i '

TIIK l^UEKN'S lilUIIWAY

yoiir l)eariii^' s ; for to ln!iJvcr*"'^?itly take ii direction
ill the dense forest beyond inig-ht not be nnattended
Avitli danger. Cougars abound in tliese pine soli-
tudes, and the tawny brutes are of great strengtli,
and often of exceeding ferocity. Travellers througli
the woods, in fear of both cougars and benrs, seldom
go unarmed, and they take every [)reeaution to guard
against surprise.

Just before [ visited Vancouver a man had
mysteriously disappeared ; and, on the day of my
arrival, a top-boot, containing a foot and portion of
the leg, had been found in llic forest at False Creek,
a place close by the town. This, it was surmised,
vras all that remained f the nussinir man, a couo-ar
iiaving disposed of the rest

But to return to the halting-place. After care-
fully considering these nudtitudinous trails, I came
to tl e conclusion that the safest and readiest way
was to make for the sea-shore. I did so, and, after
scrambling over numerous rough stones and plunging
ankle-deep into salt pools, I eventiudly came out in
front of the village.

The villao-e was in a hiu'lier state of civilisation
than any 1 had seen in the neighbourhood. Tliere
were in all about fifty houses, each of one story. It
had a hio-li street runiiino- in front of the church and
the principal houses, consisting of narrow planks
raised on piles. Tjie street was just broad enough

ter

fiiig'

111

Lion
liere
It
land
Inks

VANcouvi:ri, tiik 'tkumixal city

to allow of loot jKisst'ii^vrs paradiiiL:^- it in single lilc ;
and, as the planks wen! excecdini'ly rickety, one
felt that there was considenihle danger of hiaving
the ' high street ' i'or the hollow helow. In I'aet, at
about the middle of the street I was forced to ])aiise,
a l)ig gap in the p'mking yawning in front of nie.
A bull, it appeared, had been trying his Avcight on
the boards, and had come to grief; for on looking
down [ saw the said l)ull glaring angrily up at me.
The gap was tr)o wide to leap, and T did not relish
the idea of missing my footing and impaling myself
on the uplifted horns of the ann;ry beast below. The
street on one side — naturally ^ot the side where one
could fall off — had a handrail, so I elected to try my
luck on it in order to gain the opposite planking.
So hand over hand I went, the rail creaking under
my thirteen stone Avith every movement, whilst tlu;
bull raged beneath me. I never saw a bull so put
out. He was evidently highly incensed at the success
of my undertaking, and seemed (piite mad that the
idea had noi struck him in the first instance, thus
saving him a nasty fall and the inconvenience of
making a long journey round to the paddc^ck whence
lie had come. He did all he could to indu.'e
me to drop and try my weight on his finely pointed
horns, and his sense of annoyance at my persistent
refusal was only equalled by his chagrin when he
saw me safely land on the other side. Almost

'.','

i|:;

Ilk I

TUL QUEENS HIGHWAY

opposite the ])1:um.' wlieiv I laiulcd stood tlio
cliurcli, Ji plain but (;om(()rtal)k' stnictiiro, capable
of bol(lin<^* some two liiiiith'ed })eoi)k'. Tlie })riest
Avlio had charge of the mission was not in residence,
and the natives in tlieir natural reserve seemed alto-
gether loth to sui)ply any kind of inforination in
connection with the village.

The natives were about everywhere ; some of the
men were engaged in fishing, whilst others were
mending their nets. The squaws, for the most part,
were indoors, occupied with household duties —
cooking, nursing, and such like. Children, like little
brown rabbits, were squatting about on the ground,
a})pearing to be, even at that early age, too solemn
and taciturn to romp or indulge in childlike games.
When they saw me approach they were off as quick
as rabbits to their holes, and now and then I could
catch them watchinu' me with lar^-e black wondermu'
eyes from behind a boat, a tree stump, or a half-
closed door.

L went into some of the houses, about which
there were signs of civilisation far superior to any-
thing I had yet seen on the coast. The women
looked modest and clean, and the men respectable
an(1 sober. Scarcely one of them, however, either
spoke or understood a word of English, ('hinook
being the language in which the white man converses
with them. Babies appeared to be plentiful, and,

)

licli

lueii

ible

Iher

)()k

fses

lid.

VANCOUVER, THE 'TERMINAL CITY'

unlike those in other places, they seemed to l)e both
iiealthy and well nourished. Their lun,o-s were
certainly of the stron<i,-est, and their appetites were
tnUv i)rodi<^-ious. An Indian baby will yell at the
slightest provocation — and, ibr the matter of that,
without ])rovoeation at all — and his notes are always
foi-fi.'.s/'iiiit, ;ind never by any chance piano or even
cresrent/o. It is also equally remarkable that a
' i)apoose ' will eat, or endeavour to do so, any-
thing he can hiy his hands on. Once, whilst I
was endeavouring" to make myself understood to a
wrinkled squaAV, a velvet-eyed, unweaned youngster,
with deft fingers, snatched a cigarette out of my
hand and j)roceeded to devour it. At first he seemed
to like it, but he did not go on long with the job, for
with a mighty yell, which would have startled any-
body except an Indian out of his boots, and which
drove me out of the room, he dispossessed himself
of his spoil, whilst the ancient dame aforesaid pro-
ceetl'jd to till her pipe with what reinained.

Some of the children are very handsome, especially
in })rofile. Their e\cs are large and lustrous, and
their colour is rich and glowing. The only truly
ngly feature is the mouth, the li[)s being thick and
wide apart. The ugliness of mouth is common to
both sexes ; indeed, after a certain age, the wcniien's
mouths, unshaded as they are by moustache or
beard, become far worse than those of the mule sex.

3 I

' ^

Tin: (iUKllN'S UK ill WAV

\\'Ii('n ii woiiiiiii Ix'coMK's old — jind in thcsi; piii-ts >iho,
is ((iiito iiJH'ioiit iit thirty — lior month is |i()sitivdy
liiiJeoiis ; at no time is it, accordinL!: to ii white man's
oscnhitory idi-as, purticnhirly kissahlc, l)iit with age
the pi'otrndinn- lii)s arc ultogetlier riivoltni^'. Whetlicr
it was tho ancient cnstom of insertini^' objects into
the lips which, in accordance with the principles ot"
evolution, enlari;'ed them, or whether the natives were
in the iirst instance horn Avith lij)s calling' lor such
ornaments, 1 leave ethnoloi^ical exj)erts to ex[)lain.
The Pacific coast Indians are a mild lot now, all the
lii^htini;' apparently having' gone out of them, al-
though, for the matter of that, they never gave the
wliitc strangers much trouble, prineij)ally concen-
trating their warlike energies npon each other. The
Hudson's Hay Company's rule was from the iirst a
just one ; and if the natives did not thrive and prosper
under it, they had no canse to com|)lain of either
unfair dealing or oppression. This, now the conntry
has passed out of the Hudson's Bay Company's hands
into those of the Dominion Government, has made the
Governmental dealings with the natives much easier,
and the Government has not found its(;lf at variance
Avith any of the tribes, Avho, combined, would still be
sutKciently powerful to give no end of trouble. So
far as I conld jndge, the thirty thousand Indians of
British Colundjia were in the main content, and many
of them Avere certainly swinuning Avith the civilising

!iM'

"JW

VANCUUVKi;, Tin: 'TKK.MiNAI, CITY

I •>

try

IT,

tide wliifh is swccpinjjj ovei* tli*' wliolc province. If
tiu! luitivL's, a.s tlu! ViiiikL'Cs term it, are ('aii<;,lit yoiiii';'
they can l)e easily trained, and as a rule they turn
out industrious and eonipetent worknim. They are
strong and «|uiek, and many saw-mill projjrietors and
railway contractors prefer tliem to the Chinese. Uiit
tliey, unlike their Mongolian fellow-workmen, have
ji great temleney to [)eriodieally go out on tl'.e spree,
on such occasions painting the ])Iace redder than
the loose-going wliites who have; set tliem the ex-
ample. To 'paint a town red' is, I ought to explain,
a AVestern expression, and signifies the; height of
reckless dehaueh ; and when a cowboy, liaving drunk
his fill of whisky, has let daylight with revolver
shots throuiih the hats of those who have ventured
to ditfer from him, and has smashed all the glasses in
the drinking saloon with his stock-whip, andgallo])ed
with a wild whoop down the prnici[)al street to the
danger and consternation of the inhabitants, he may
fairly be said to have done his part towards painting
the town red. Like the Asiatics, the Indians of
North America know not moderation in the matter
of imbibing strong drinks. They ai-e of opinion that
if they drink at all they must drink until the bottle
is empty, in order to show theii* appreciation of its
contents ; and if the bottle could be converted into
something drinkable they would, I believe, drink that
too, thereby showing their recognition of a vessel

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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Photograpliic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 873-4503

r<i^ «?.

X
^

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

^v]^icll contained in so convenient a forni so niiich
good ' fire-water.'

The red man owes tliis bad habit solely to the
white man, whose first lesson in civilisation was to
make the ignorant savage beastly drunk. Later
civilisation has done much towards eradicating these
evil habits by sentencing unfortunate ' drunks ' to
various terms of imprisonment ; whilst the wretched
native fails to understand Avhy a later civilisation
punishes him for a vice which an earlier one taught
him, and in fact encouraged him to pursue.

In this particular village I, however, saw no sign
of driuikenness, the Catholic priests, so far, having
done excellent work amongst the inhabitants.

Opposite the church stands a flagstaff, and on
the day 1 was there a flag — a red and white mission
banner — was floating half-mast high, denoting that
some one in the village was dead, and on inquiry I
discovered that a child had died that morning. I was
directed to the churchyard where lie the bodies of
those who have gone to sleep in a belief in Jesus.
This burial-})lace is just outside tlie village, and it
contains many graves. One and all I found to be
ornamented with crosses, each cross having the name
of the dead roughly carved thereon. One only of the
names was English, two were Spanish or Italian,
and the remainder were French. It would appear
that the defunct, when they embraced Christianity,

-, 1

VAN'COUVEn, THE 'TERMINAL CITY *

inch

I was

lies of

Jesus.

and it
to be
name
of the

talian,
ippear
Lanity,

dropped their barbaric appellations altogether, and
received Christian names in their [dace, and, so far as
I could see, the favourite name for the men was Pierre,
and for the women Marie. Taken altogether the
churchyard seemed to l)e well cared for, but 1 did
not observe any mourners whilst I w;is there. After
the first wild outburst of grief the Indians do not
continue to mourn tlieir dead, and although you can
drive a species of Christianity into them you can-
not altogether change their natures. in the next
generation it may, of course, be diffcBcnt.

The s([ua\vs, outside of the cooking arrangements,
did not appear to be very busy housewives ; but sit-
ting at the fireside, stirring u}»somc smoking mess or
other, they seemed to be ([iiite at liome. In one
house a young mother with her babe on her lap was
boiling down some jam, and, in her desire to be hos-
pitable, she offered me a spoonfuL I tasted it, and
found it to be like sugar itself A careful Scotch
housewife might have told how many pounds of
sugar were used with the wild raspberries over and
above the prescribed (juantity, but I did not bother
my head about the matter. All I know is, the
Indians have a very sweet tooth, and what will make
a white man sick will make them grunt with profound
satisfaction.

I have often set myself down at an Indian's board,
sometimes at his invitation, but oftener without. Your

)

'IIFH (QUEENS HIGHWAY

! W

redskin is not profuse in liis show of hospitality :
what is his is yours — provided there is cnougli to
satisfy his own appetite first — but you must help
3'ourself, and not expect to be asked twice, or to be
waited upon once.

Whilst at Moody ville I came across an aged dame
regaling herself on a species of shell-fish, and 1 stood
awhile watching her devour them, one after another,
with evident satisfaction. I took up a shell ; it was
an empty one, and the squaw thereupon dug her
thumb witli a squash into a full one, and offered me
its contents on her blackened nail. I bowed a refusal,
and, not in the least offended, she immediately trans-
ferred the morsel to her own mouth. She did not
repeat her offer, but continued to dexterously transfer
the esculents to her mouth. I, however, elected to
help myself. I tasted the mess cautiously at first,
but, finding it far from unpleasant, 1 ate the whole
of it. This led me to another, and yet another — but
alas that ' other ' ! It completely did for me. A
queer sensation came over me as it went the way of
the two previous ones, and I straightway commenced
to feel horribly sick. A blood feud between the
devoured fish seemed to be going on inside me, and I
suffered severely in consequence. I thereupon begaii
to regret all my past misdeeds, and had gloomy
thoughts about making my will, and being buried
amidst the Maries and Pierres in the cemetery close

VANX'OUVEU, THE ' TERMINAL CITY'

'!►

I began
loouiy
)iiried

by. T.fiter on tlic fend cooled down «i bit, and for
a while I was freed from the excruciating pain con-
sequent upon this combat. The relief, however, was
but shortlived, and I went through renewed agonies
as soon as the contesting esculents had had breathing-
time, as it were. I am afraid that in my extremity
unprintable words rushed to my lips. It was very
wrong of me, I know, but then those fish were very
trying.

The old squaw watched me Avith evident satis-
faction, and to my intense horror 1 caught her
repeating some of my exchunations with extra-
ordinary ghbness. They seemed to be a source of
delight to her, for she checked one adjective after
another on her fingers, whilst I groaned aloud. My
groans eventually excited her commiseration, for she
placed herself by my side with a series of grunts
expressive of sympathy. Then she took me in hand
before I really knew" what was going to happen. 1
was patted on the back, poked in the I'ibs, rolled on
the ground, and — although in my confusion 1 can't
swear to it — I believe jumped upon.

Then relief came, and 1 heartily thanked my
deliverer, and in my ecstasy I believe 1 could have
— had she desired it — embraced the old hair, hideous
though she was.

So far as I could gather from her remarks, which
were principally made up of unprintable excla-

l! 't

TFir: QrEFA'S IIKIIIWAV

m >

mntions — loamt. I stipposo, oi" the looso-spoakinn^
fisliornu'ii and naiiolity lumhcivrs — tlio last fish 1 harl
ratcii was bad — poisonous, in faof. i rewarded lior
with the ciistoniary 'two hits,' and witli her fiendish
<jfii)l)erisli rinu;in;^ in my ears I Avent my way.

After heinii; nearly wreeked on a floatinji; h)2' I
readied tlie opposite shore, Inndini;' at the toot of a
])ine tree, the only one wliich eseaped the disastrous
fire already referred to.

It is eallecl the Princess Louise's pine, and it is
burrounded with a halo of romanee.

When the i'rincess, with the ]\[ar(iuis of Lome —
then Crovernor-General of Canada — was in tliis neii;h-
bourhood some five years a<^o, ILK. 11. took a strong
fancy to this stately i)ine, growing on the edge of the
bay and towering high above its fellow^s, and she
asked as a special favour that it might for all time
be spared the woodman's axe. This was when the
place was called Coal Harbour, and long before it
was thought of calling it ^'ancouver, or turning it
into the Pacific coast terminus of the Canadian
Pacific Railway. With the sudden development of
the town trees were cut down right and left, but the
Princess's wishes were respected, and her pine re-
mained as she had seen it. Moreover, in order to
screen it from the winds, a tree was left standing on
either side. Then came the great fire, and every-
thing was burnt up, including the two companion

!i.|

ig on
kvery-
lanion

THE PRINCESS LOUISE'S FINE

ir^

! I

tl
w

ri
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Ic
is

Sll

111

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IK
CO

VANCOUVKl!, TIIK ' TKIIMIXAL CITY'

Ill's. Idit the royal pine remained. It is considerably
scorolicd. and its roots are loosened by the wind, but
it is still a'ive, and there arc hopes — if it is pro-
tooted— of its otitlivini^ the memory of the con-
fin unition which reduood every tree and house within
its rcMch to charcoal and ashes. Sir Geor^'e Stephen,
the president, and ^Ir. Van Tlorne, the general
maiiiiiicr and vice-i)rcsidont of the Canadian Pacific
Jiailway, gave instructions in my bearing for ar-
ranu'onicnts to be made to protect the tree from
the high winds which blow in the autumn and
winter.

It has a strange ap})oaranre this hmely tree,
niniiiiig straight up for close upon 200 feet, whilst
all I'oiind is black and scorched, treeless and grass-
less. This striking instance of a miraculous escape
is not lost upon the matter-of-fact as well as the
superstitious.

The land about Vancouver is not very good, and
much cannot be exjiected of it agriculturally ; but it
has a rich backing in the Westminster district (which
1 shall describe next), a few miles off, and there will
never be any lack of agricultural supplies. Puit it is
not as a farming or corn-growing centre that A'an-
couver's ambition aims ; for, if the town is to be
anything, it is, according to local reckoning, to be a
great— the great shipping port of the North Pacific.
Of course, the Vancouverians will have to con-

THE QUEENS TlinilWAY

iHti *li

sitlcniMy modify tlicir views in tluH direction, l)ut I
certainly see no reason wliy, when tlie railway
terminus is definitely located there, it should not
i-a|)idly heeome a ilourishin'j;' town. Its harbour
f'aeilities are far in advance of those of Victoria, and
it has the distinct advantaii'e of heinn; on the main-
land. Victoria will, 1 ])resume, in any case continue
to be the capital and seat of Government of IJritisli
Columbia, but N'ancouver bids fair to become, in the
fulness of time, its connnercial capital, as it would
be impossible to have the centre of shipping on an
island, as such a centre nuist be where the line of
rail terminates ; and there appears to be no possi-
bility of carryiug the railway across the Straits of
Tfeorgia on to A'ancouver Island, and so on to
\'ictoria. Had this been possible there would be
no (piestion of Victoria, with Es(piimault, being the
natural terminus of the great transcontinental sys-
tem on the Pacific side.

The Canadian Pacific authorities are fully deter-
mined to abandon Port bloody and to adopt \iin-
couver as their terminus. There are legal diffi-
culties in the way of this being accomplished, but
1 have no doubt of their being eventually overcome.
In the pages devoted to Port Moody I shall review
tlic situation there, both past and present.

AVith the decision to make Vancouver the ter-
minus, it will be necessary to fortify both English

. I

.. I

VANTOUVKU, THE 'TERMINAL CITY '

Ideter-
Yan-
diffi-

|1, but

;ome.
iview

tcr-
lo-Usli

r»ay and tlic strij^ of soa called ' tlio Xarrows.'
This could easily be doiu', and the cost would })C
linht. Under such conditions no ship, in a hostile
spirit, could possibly enter Burrard Inlet, close in
the mouth of which lies Vancouver, thus servinjr to
keep secure a direct line of communication. Of
course Ks(piimault will be the naval centre in these
seas ; but, for the protection of the mainland, it will
not be sufficient to merely make a strong-hold of
Ksquimault. Ships, it is affirmed, could, so far as
the defences alone of that station are concerned,
easily steam into the Straits of Geor<^ia, and bombard
at will any of the mainland towns, liy, however,
fortifying' Kn^'lish ]>ay, the position of Vancouver,
even without the support of a naval squadron such
as Esquimault will have, Avould be rendered impre^^-
nnble ; a eom])lete protection Avould be j^iven to the
whole coast, and the line of communication kept
intact.

I saw the ' Terminal City,' as the Vancouverians
proudly call their frame-built houses, under great
disadvantages, but the ambition, pluck, and perse-
verance of the people convinced me that they would
make the place ' boom,' and that nothing short of its
finally outrivalling 'Frisco and monopolising the
trade of the East and the Antipodes would content
them.

i. I

"!a

! 'I

81 TIIK QUEEN'S ITinilWAY

II. Ni:\V WKSTMINSTKIl AND TIIK FUASKIt
lUVKIl DISTIUCT.

From Vancouver to New Wcstininstci' the dis-
tiiiicc by road is tliirtccn miles. I went by special
sta«^c in tlic cool of a 'ruly evening. "As tlie niglit
fell, the lurid light of numerous forest firos made our
way as bright as day. Nothing can ecjual the awful
grandeur of pine trees on fire ; and although, after a
short stay in liritish Columbia, one in a measure gets
used to them, the first si«;ht leaves an unfadinij:
impression on the memory.

The town of New Wcsstminster was an outgrowth
of the gold excitement in l.S"i7-')8. With the influx of
miners a government was rendered necessary ; and
the seat of government for the mainland — Vancouver
Island being at that time a separate colony — was at
first located at a i)lace called Lower Langley, or
Derby, but in ISaJ) it was removed to New West-
minster. With the union of the two colonies, the
island and the mainland, nine years later, the capital
was finally located at Mctoria. From this time
New Westnnnster ceased to have political import-
ance, but the loss of the capital had no effect upon it
as a business point.

New Westminster is still in point of numbers
the largest settlement on the mainland, and second
only to Victoria in the whole province, although

(lia-
pcciiil

or
West-
;s, the
capital
time
Inport-
pon it

Imbers
Iccoiid
liougli

TIM': FHASKIl lUVKi: DISTUlCr

Vancouver l/ids fair to (|Mi('kly outntrip her. It
contains upwards of .'>,000 inhabitants, and the
miiMher is steadily inereasinj^.

Tlie New Westminster <listri{t consists of tiie
country lyin^* on botii sides of the Frasur Iliver for
a (hstance, I believe, of 100 miles above its mouth,
extending on the south to the international line.
The town itself enjoys a most advanta<;eous situation,
being built on ground rising gradually from the
river, allbrding perfect draimige and splendid build-
ing sites. The district embraces some of the most
extensive and valuable tracts of arable and grazing
land in the })rovince ; and New Westminster, from its
situation, is not only the natural centre of the district,
but the whole region of the Fraser liivcr is in a
measure tributary to it.

The lumber and fishing interests are also very
great, and it is here that the principal salmon can-
neries are established, employing a good deal of
Indian and Chinese labour. I was informed that the
four canneries employ, all told, fully 1,^:100 })eople in
the fishing season.

New Westminster has, for so small a town, some
very imjjosing buildings, [)rincipally belonging to the
Dominion and Provincial Governments. The prin-
cipal church is Episcoi)aiian, viz. Holy Trinity ; it
is a handsome stone edifice, and possesses a tine
chime of bells presented to the parish by the ]]aroness

■*

THE QUEENS inGIIWAY

I :

J, ■:'

i'f "!

Burdett-Coutts. The edifices occupied by the Roman
Catliolics, Presbyterians, and Methodists are built of
wood, but they are roomy and conifortable. Tlie
Konian Catliolic Indians have a church to themselves,
built, it is said, exclusively l)y their o\Yn contribu-
tions. There are several educational establishments
for children of both sexes, and there are also a high
school and a <»'irls' colleu'iatc institution for instruc-
tion in the norc advanced studies, so that intending'
settlers from tlie old country need not hesitate to
brim:: their cliildrcn out with them for fear of cuttini::
off their education.

New AVestminster, like aU towns in the New
A\'orld, no matter how small, has its newspapers — the
JJritis/i Cohniililun and the }f(('ndiind Guanlidu ; and
the day that 1 arrived there the former paper, in
order to keep abreast v.ith the times, had come out
as a daily ; so that, sitting at breakfast over your
cup of tea, just arrived by the first direct tea ship
from Japan, and your sturgeon steak fresh from the
grill, you could that morning read Avhat had taken
place the day before in the Old World, some 7,000
miles away.

The principal hotel in New Westminster is most
comfortable, and the table is excellent as well as
abundant. Salmon cutlets and sturgeon 'steaks
deliciously cooked, hot rolls with pats of guinea-gold
butter, and jugs of fresh, thick cream and well-made

..I

■■■ I

most
ill as
ptcaks
i-o-old
Imade

I - I

THE FEASER RIVER DISTRICT

tea and coffee graced the breakfast-table ; and the
midday dinner inchided oyster soup, niarrow-boncs,
roast and boiled joints, and fat tender chicken. The
vegetables -were a treat in themselves, whilst luscious
fruits of various kinds were in abundance at every
meal. The charge per day was, I believe, from
Bl'50 to )^'?"00, a considerable reduction being allowed
permanent boarders. Next to the l)ri:ird House at
Victoria, the hotel at New Westminster was decidedly
the best house I ' struck ' from the Pacific to ]\Ianito])a.

It was at one time anticipated that New West-
minster would be chosen as the terminus of the
railway system, but its distance from the mcuth of
the river prevented its selection for such a purpose ;
Vancouver, in its })roximity to the sea, offering far
greater advantages, besides possessing a harbour in
which vessels of any draught could enter at all times.
New Westminster is, however, to be connected with
Port Moody by a branch line, and the rails were
being laid when I was out there ; and it will, I
anticipate, in due course be connected by rail Avith
Vancouver.

There is direct steam connnunication between
Victoria and New Westminster, altogether independent
of the steamers which ply between the capital and
Port Moody. The Fraser, which is the great water-
way of the province, is navigable only as far as
Yale, a town 110 miles from its mouth, and then

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

•i

only for river boats. Vessels drawing about
eighteen feet can, however, ascend as far as New
Westminster, which is some fifteen miles from
the river's mouth. The scenery up the Fraser is
most charming, and the passenger to Vancouver
Island from the East would do well to take the
return journey from A'ictoria vi(\ New Westminster
and Yale, at which latter place he would strike the
main line.

The Fraser divides at its mouth into what are
called the ' North Arm ' and the ' South Arm,' and
the delta thus formed contains many thousands of
acres of fertile and highly productive lowlands.
Tliis region is already fairly well settled, and is
divided between the municipalities of Kichmond and
Delta. The municipality of Richmond embraces the
land included in the North Arm. It possesses a
permanent settlement of some 300 people, whilst
in the packing season — there being two salmon
canneries there — employment is afforded to as many
as 500.

The Delta municipality takes in the South
Arm, embracing 40,000 acres of rich delta lands.
The settlers are engaged — profitably, I believe — in
salmon canninn; as well as in ao;riculture, which is
their principal industry. The chief outlet of the
settlement is a small port on the Fraser River called
Ladner's Landing, whence are shipped large quan-

I'S

. n

THE FRASEll KIVER DISTRICT

lUiin-

titles of salmon and farm products. There are
cliurches, schools, and useful public buildings in
both settleuients, and there i.s a post office at North
Arm.

The municipality of Surrey, Avhich embraces the
c»ettlements of Hall's Prairie, Clover Valley, and
Mud Bay, is just cast of the South Arm. It is a
fairly prosperous municipality, extending from the
Eraser to Boundary Bay and the international line.
Mud Bay is famous for its oysters, though much
cannot be said in favour of Pacific coast bivalves,
they being for the most part small and not very
delicate.

The municipality of Maple lUdge is above New
Westminster on the north bank of the Fraser, between
Pitt and Stave Kivers. Port Hammond is its chief
outlet, it being a station on the Canadian Pacific
Hallway, and a landing-point for all river steamers
plying beyond New ^Yestminster.

Still following the Fraser, agricultural settlements
are met with on both sides, the chief of which are
Langley, Chilliwhack, Ferny Coombe, Harrison
Mouth, Nicoamen, and St. Mary's Mission.

Yale, where the navigation of the Fraser River
virtually ends, is a place of some 1,000 inhabit-
ants. It is a town that has, I fear, seen its
best days. It was at one time a port of the Pludson's
Bay Company ; and later, when the Cariboo mines

^'^
'^*'

I, ■

' k'

THE QUEENS TIIGHWAY

were a ' booming concern,' it became the centre for
the despatcli of stores, and so forth, for the mines.

At Yale a great highway branches north into the
interior, called the Yale-Cariboo Waggon Road, con-
structed by the Colonial Government in 1862-63 at
a cost of over ,^'500, 000. This road is the main
artery of the interior, and is 400 miles in length.
Twelve miles above Yale it crosses the Fraser River
by the Trutch Suspension Bridge, built at a cost of
)S'50,000. From this point nearly to Lytton (a
town named after the Earl of Lytton), fifty-seven
miles from Yale, the waggon road and. the trans-
continental raihvay run on opposite sides of the
stream, passing by the way through a splendid
cafion.

The Yale district is a most extensive one, em-
bracing, as it does, an area of 24,000 square miles,
and comprising more than one half the southern in-
terior. It extends from the Fraser to the Columbia,
and from the international line to the fifty- first paral-
lel. Through it run the Thompson, Nicola, and
Okanagan Rivers, and along either side flow the
Fraser and the Columbia. The siouth-west section
is occupied by the Cascade Mountains, and what is
called the Gold Range is along the eastern end. Be-
tween these lies a high plateau 150 miles in width.
The land generally is not suitable for agriculture, but
in many parts it ofi'ers adniirable grazing facilities.

THE FRASER RIVER DISTRICT

Stock-raising already forms, I believe, the leadin«^
occupation in the district. Timber is limited to belts
of red pine on the uplands, but tliere is, it is said,
considerabU; mineral land, whicli only needs developing
to N'ield handsome results.

The location of Yale is among some truly grand
and remarkable scenery, forming a fitting close to the
journey up the Fraser, where so much that is beautiful
and picturesque is to be seen.

The Fraser liiver district is the agricultural Eden
of the mahiland, and now that the railway is fast
opening up markets for its produce settlers in the
neighbourhood will undoubtedly increase.

III. rORT MOODY, THE PRESENT TERMINUS.

From New Westminster to Port Moody by road
it is six miles — six miles of, I verily believe, the worst
travelling in the whole world.

I occupied a seat on the morning ' stage,' which
took its departure from the hotel where I liad spent
such an agreeable time.

The 'stage' was a most uncomfortable concern,
consisting of a rickety waggon drawn by a couple of
worn-out 'screws.' Uiihill and downhill — princi-
})ally the latter — we went at a jog-trot, clouds of
dust filling our eyes, and the summer sun broilhig
hot above our heads. The driver's hand appeared to

t ■ ' ■ ■

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

be ever on the brake, and the partly locked wheels
seemed to possess an extraordinary instinct in finding
out the deepest ruts into which to sink, or the largest
stones over which to jolt. It was a case of bump !
bump! bump! until every bone ached in one's body
as the wheels glided off one stone 014 to another ; or
(irind! grind! (jrind! till every tooth in one's head
was ajar as the loose sand was crushed under the
tires. How we escaped being overturned was a mar-
vel. Every moment I expected to end my days on
the piles of ragged rocks, or to lie with a broken arm
or a fractured skull in the half-cleared valleys below.
There was absolutely nothing worth seeing on the
journey. Clearings Avere few and far between, and
they one and all seemed to have been undertaken in
a spirit of half-heartedness. Truly the soil was in
appearance anything but generous, but no one ap-
peared desirous of making the best of it. I was,
however, informed that a great portion of the land
along the road was owned by some one who did not
live in the place, and who, in anticipation of pro-
sperous times for the district, declined to sell on
reasonable terms, holding out for extravagant prices,
such as he will, if I mistake not, never sec.ure. Thus
early, it will be seen, the country is suffering from
the curse of absenteeism. The smaller holdings in
and about New Westminster are chiefly in the occu-
pation of Chinamen, who make excellent market

PORT MOODY, THE PRESENT TERMINUS

in
ap-

as.

'hus

L'ket

gardeners, their little plots of vegetables ever looking
fresh and prosperous.

As the horses descend the last hill— which, by the
bye, is steeper and in worse condition than the pre-
ceding ones — a glimpse is canght of Port Moody. In
that glimpse the aveller has his fill, for there is not
enough in the place to warrant a good honest look
round. One can sec at sight that it is, in rough
Western parlance, a ' dead-sick ' place. Some places
have lived and have died ; some have been born and
strangled almost at their birth ; whilst others, having
become discontented with the surroundings in wdiich
they were originally cast, have ' gone on,' as it were,
to more suitable situations. But Port Moody was,
I should imagine, still-born, and tlie man Avho con-
ceived the idea of making such a place the termi-
nus of the great railway system has much to answer
for.

It is a mere village of amphibious proclivities, one
half of the houses finding a foundation on the land
where best they can, and the other half — where the
houses are big enough to divide — being built over
the water. Port Moody is a Aveakling incapiiljle of a
healthy present or a promising future, and the sooner
it passes out of existence, or 'goes on' to Vancouver,
the better it will be for all concerned. For the
inhabitants are buoying themselves up with the false
hope that because Port Moody was at one time

( V'

*■'

THE QUEENS IIIOHWAY

selected in error ns tlie pnrlinmentnry terminus it
Tuust continue to be the terminus for all time, utterly
foro-ettinff tliat it lias not one sinde advantasr'' to
offer in connection with so important a posqtion.

Tlie entrance to its bay is shallow and had, and
it is fully nine miles further from the sea than is
Vancouver, whilst its harbour facilities will bear no
comparison with those of that place.

There is no help for it; Port bloody must die in
order that A'^ancouver may live.

Vancouver is the natural terminus ; and it would
be suicidal to pass over the distinct advantages it
possesses, in order that a wholly unsuitable place,
disadvantageously situated some eii>"ht or nine miles
further up l)urrard Inlet, should be chosen for that
distinction sim})ly because a member of the Canadian
Government inadvertently selected it as the parlia-
mentary terminus l)efore the superior claims of what
was then Coal Harbour had become known.

Of course it is very hard upon the unfortunate
people who speculated heavily in land in and about
Port Moody, in anticipation of the place — m virtue
of its orio'inal selection as the terminus — becominjr
an active commercial centre. They very naturally
resent the ' going on ' of Port Mood}^, and by leg.'d
injunction and otherwise they are striving hard to
prevent the rail being extended to A'ancouver. When
I was there they had been partially successful in

rCRT MOODY, THE TRESENT TERMINUS

[hen

their efForts, and blocks of huul, where tlie owners
liad obtained injunctions restraining the railway com-
pany from building thereon, lay at varifMis intervals
alonir the shore of the inlet betwccni the rails
already laid down for the purpose of connecting the
two places.

These ' land blockers,' as they are called in these
parts, will be wise to come to terms with the company
in time, for there are means of getting from Port
]\Ioody to Vancouver Avithout going through their
land. The railway authorities are willing to give
them a fair price for their lioldings, but they
emphatically decline to be 'bounced' ; for it is solely
owing to the railway being there that land in these
parts is worth anything at all.

I accompanied Sir George Stephen, Mr. Van
Home, and other C. P. R. officials, on a sj)eeial
steamer, when they journeyed from Port Moody to
Vancouver and round English Bay ; and Mr. Van
Home stated most emphatically — and any one who '
knows this famous railway magnate knows how
emphatic he can be — that nothing would prevent the
construction of the line ; and that, unless the holders
were willing to come to terras, he should cause the
line to be carried out into the inlet, round the
places where it was blocked, and so circumvent his
opponents.

* I guess they'll be glad enough to come to terms

: : (

ii-i

THE QUKKNS IF inn WAY

tlicn ; l)nt,' lie added, with n «j^n»n chuckle, ' I
reekoi) tliey'll find tlietnselveH hndly left.'

I'ndly left they will he, there cnn he no manner
of douht, uhlesM they come to terms with those who
not only have the wdiip-hand of thcin, hut have the
public with them.

People in j-'ufi^land who have interested thcm-
S(!lves in this ^ivat nationnl railway arc very nnieh
mixed in their ideas as to which is the termhial town,
and where it is situated. It is therefore to make
matters clear to them that T am dealing*- so fully with
the sul)ject.

r cannot expect any one in this country to enter
into the rivalri .Mjf Port INFoody and \'ancouvGr ; ])ut,
believe me, it is a matter of first, I might almost sny
national, importance whether the terminus is fixed at
a place which, havin_<( no natural advantages, affords
no opportunities for development ; or whether the
choice is given to a port possessing every possible
natural advantan;c, and where the idea of makinfr it a
commercial and ship])ing centre worthy of its position
is the ruling ambition.

I have already stated that the Canadian Pacific
Railway authorities have decided upon Vancouver, and
that they purpose building extensive carriage works
and engine sheds on English Bay ; but whether they
will be permitted to make a direct connection by
rail between A\ancouver and Port Moody remains

roRT MOODY, Tin: rnrsrxT tehmixus

lific

Ind

ins

to bo seen. In one iiislimco tlic jiidi^es have (Uridfil
in tlioir favour, and in anotlicr a;iainst thoin, it l)('in«^
strongly nr^cd by tlic Port MoodyitcH tliat tlio
charter dons not allow of the line hcinj; cxtcniK'd
bevoiid tlu'ir town. So far as the original charter
is concerned they are, I believe, in the right ; but it
appears to inc to b(! utterly monstrous that the coni-
j)any should have to be; bound by it wlicn the pro-
sperity of the country and the welfare of the railway
would materially suffer in consequence.

Should the obstructionists refuse to fall in with
the company's views, and should tlic hiw, in virtue
of the ori'^intd charter, u[)hold them, the company
will, as I have already pointed out, devise some scheme
by Avhich the ' blockers ' would be thwarted and the
law evaded.

To return to the ' stage ' We drew up at an
hotel with a high-sounding name. We have been
told that tlicre is not much in a natne, but I can
assure my readers there is a great deal in it when
it applies to an hotel. The innocent traveller is
invariably attracted by a hostelry flying a finely
painted signboard and possessing a fine-soundin<»-
name.

The hotel in question stood in its own grounds —
at least half of it did, the other half being built over
the water. These grounds were anything but attrac-
tive, comprising, as they did, nothing but a small

()«

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

■\^

patch of scrub land, a few heaps of stones, a plen-
tiful crop of weeds, and a carriage drive, whose chief
claim to attention lay in tlie number of springs it
broke or dislocated in the coiu'se of a year.

x\s for the hotel itself, it was the very worst
house I had ever put foot in ; but, failing other
acconunodation, I was obliu'cd to remain in it.
Firstly, 1 had to help carry in my own luggage and
to pay for the privilege, just as if I had einployed
u man about the })lace for the purpose. Secondly,
I had to await the pleasure of the manager or pro-
prietor, or whoever it was Avho ' ran ' the hotel,
before I could secure a room. I think I had to wait
fully an hour before I got attended to, as the man
was, when I arrived, busy mixing himself and his
friends drinks ; and this finislicd, he took a hand in
a game at cards. Eventually he deigned to take
notice of me, and having been shown my room I
was left to drag up my own baggage, whilst mine
host's ' heli)S ' and mine host's friends drank their
' whisky straight ' at a go, or delicately sipped their
' long drinks,' as became gentlemen of independence
and leisure.

j\Iy bedroom jutted out into the bay ; the tide
was out, and the scene was not inviting. Xothinir
but black foul mud struck the eye, and black foul
odours lllled the nostiils. So strong was the smell
that it secuied as if you could see it ; go where

41^,

roirr moodv, the presknt terminus

3, a plen-
lose chief
prings it

3i'y worst
LDii" other
n ill it.
o;ao;e and
employed
Secondly,
!r or pro-
lie hotel,
id to wait
the man
f and his
hand in
to take
room 1
ilst mine
nk their
led their
Dcndence

the tide
INothing
lack foul

lie smell
where

you would, you could not escape it, and nothing
hut constant smoking afforded any immunity from
its all-pervading presence. How in those moments
I thanked my lucky stars that I could smoke !
and how glad I was that I had not heju'kencd to the
protests of my auti-tohacco friends who had so
frequently vexed themselves — poor, honest, well-in-
tentioned souls — at my persistence in this direction !

I was always smoking whilst in that hotel, and
although my whole system was permeated with
nicotine, and my nerves hadly jarred, it was only
that, I helieve, that saved me from fever. How
typhoidish everything smelt! and even in the sweet
fresh air outside some of the stench seemed to clin<»'
to ill}'" nostrils.

With the ringing of the dinner-hell I went into
the dining-room and took a seat. The company was
numerous, but not particularly select. Some of them
were in their shirt-sleeves, fresh from their work on
the line, whilst others had apparently been too pressed
for time to allow of their taking off their hats or of
washing their hands. Most of them, beinf in a
hurry, ate with. their knives — luckily these were not
sharp.

Flies — attracted, I suppose, by the smells and the
general uncleanliness of the place — were in the room
in clouds. Do what one would, it was impossible to
drive them oiF. They jumped like ravenous beastsi

■mi

100

THE QUEENS IIIGIIWAY

1';;: '

into the sonp, buried themselves in the vogctables,
quite lieedless — so long as they had their fill — of
being eaten with the next mouthful ; they drowned
themselves in your coffee, or, half drunk with immer-
sion in your beer, they would drag their clammy
faltering legs over your nose, or, in a spirit of remorse,
commit suicide by plunging unexpectedly down your
throat.

Flies, under the most favoured conditions, are
not pleasant eating, but Port Moody flies, in virtue
of the happy hunting-grounds on which they loved
to disport, Avere positively revolting. I am grieved
to remember that I swallowed my share — maybe
more than my share — of these pests, and the remem-
brance makes me sick.

The food supplied at the hotel was quite bad
enough without the fly accompaniment, and, hungry
though I was, I had great difliculty in swallowing
more than a mouthful of any dish ; and before long a
circumstance occurred which determined me in my
resolve to drop the bill of fare entirely.

Sitting just opposite me was a half-caste nigger
with a broad freckled face, which face appeared to
have special charms for the flies. Any way, they
were attracted to it aud settled on it, and amused
themselves now and then in swiiiuninii' about in the
lakes of perspiration Avlii' h formed thereon through
the intense heat of the room The nigger was either

POUT MOODY, THE PRESENT TERMINUS 101

etables,
fill— of
irowned
immer-
clammy
•emorsG,
ivn your

)ns, are
n virtue
^y loved

grieved
— maybe

remem-

uitc bad

ImngTy

iillowing

'c long a

in my

nigger

3ared to

\y, they

amused

in tlic
through
Is either

too busy eating or too indifferent to disturb them ;
and, as is well kncjwn, Hies like to be taken notice of,
and resent inattention on the part of those whom
they have thought tit to honour with their atten-
tions, by leaving them and seeking out people more
sympathetically inclined. They therefore left the
nigger and straightway went for me, knowing, I
suppose, that I heartily detest their presence. Whilst
I was busy flicking them off my nose and neck and
head, one half- starved brute thought he would take
advantage of the confusion by making a direct raid
on my food. So down he came straight from out of
one of the trickling perspiration pools on to a i3iece
of underdone beef on my plate. He dug his dripping
proboscis into the gravy, and did a war dance from
one end to the other of the undercut, drying his
wings by flapping them as he went along.

This was too much for me, and, seizing a knife, I
decapitated that fly in the moment of his triumph,
and getting up, I left the table never to return to it.

For twenty-four hours I lived upon smells and
inhaled tobacco smoke ; but the following day there
came a special train from Montreal, bringing with it
Sir George and Lady Stephen, the I'arl of Durham,
Mr. Van Ilorne, and others, and that night I dined.
Merlatti may tind pleasure in fasting fiicy days, but
twenty-four hours amidst plenty — plenty of a certain
kind — were quite enough for mc, and I believe that

Ml
iili

' t,

102

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

m'mi

my iletcrniination would not have stood the test
another hour, and that I should liave gone back to
the niii'firers and coatless navvies, and have eaten the
raw beef regardless of Hies, and, what is more,
perhaps have enjoyed the meal.

My bedroom was very small — I don't remember
how many square inches it contained, but I know it
was hardly big enough to be reckoned by feet. The
landlord had apparently been guided by its smallness
when furnishing it, for, besides a bed — mucli too
short for me — a solitary seatless chair, and a table
which was wash-hand-stand, dressing-table, and
wardrobe all in one, there was no superfluous furni-
ture to encumber the limited s})ace.

Lying on the table, however, wore a comb, with
gaps in it like a hayrakc after being dragged over
rouii'li "Tound. and a blackened tooth-brush, both of
which were for general use. These interesting .."tides
of toilet were chained to the wall, visitors beinjx
reminded in a notice to observe the eighth command-
ment. The considerate landlord, ins[)ired with tlie
laudable notion of meeting the requirements of liis
guests, had, moreover, provided a box of paper
collars, which was temptingly left open between the
fettered comb and tooth-brush.

In the corner under the table there lay a box
of cherry tooth-paste, where it had presumably been
thrown by some disgu.sted traveller, who, mistaking

being

paper
}n the

box
been
lakiiig

I'OIIT MOODY, THE TKESENT TKILMINUS 103

tlie paste for some sweetmeat, had tasted copiously
thereof, as a deep furrow, where his thumb liad
l)louu;lied out a goodly slice, distinctly showed.

This reminds me <»f an iu('id(!nt which ha])j)ened
to me a few tlays before. After a (hiy's (histy travel
I was, o\\6 morning, taking an at jj^csfo ])i\i\\, when, on
looking u.p, 1 siiw an Indian standing on the bank
foaming at the mouth, and gesticulating violently.
Thinking the man was in pain, I hastened towards
him.

' Him no good candy ; him make me sick,' he
said, sphittering forth a quantity of foam.

At first I did not understand him ; but on looking
round I saw that he had half devoured the cake of
J'ears's soap I had brought with me, having, in its
transparency, mistaken it for American candy.

liut to hie back to mv room. On "'oinn- to bed I
put out my boots in the usual way, but morning
found them not only uncleaned, but dirtier than ever.
A ' drunk,' on f'"f)inn; stao-o-erino' to l^ed, had knocked
the ashes of his pipe into one of them, and the
boarders in the liotel, tickled at the idea of seeing a
pair of boots in the passagx; waiting to be cleaned,
had anuised themselves by expectorating over them.
I remonstrated with the landlord, and he curtly
informed me that ' the gentlemen ' about his house
couldn't be expected to fool away their time at boot-
cleaninn;.

i ':■'

f!;l

Jij

r I

104

THE QUEEN'S IIICJIIWAY

' AVlien people wants their boots cleaned,' he
added, ' they generally in these parts cleans 'em their-
selves ; but most on 'em don't want 'em cleaned at
all ; ' and with this he ' engineered a spittle ' through
the back of a chair, and turned his attention to his
bar customers.

This man was rough and rude, but he was not, I
believe, a bad fellow at heart ; anyhow, he could mix
good, long, cooling summer drinks, and in my sense
of gratitude for this mercy I readily forgave him,
before I left, all the inconveniences to which I had
been put whilst in his house.

' Mine's a Al hotel, and don't yer forget it,' he
said to me one da}', pointing Avith pride to the
amphibious structure which bore his name. ' I'll own
as my customers ain't quite the " tone ; " but what's
that to you or to any man s'long as they pays tlieir
reck'ning? Just yer mind that I don't cater fur
no city gents, with bran'- new store clothes on their
backs and shiny toothpick boots on their feet. No,
siree, them as wants extry attendance won't get it
here, and there ain't no place fur the item on the
bill.'

I, however, discovered that there were plenty of
places for other items, and that his charges were
higher than those of the New Westminster Hotel ;
and I am of opinion that, although he affected to
despise what he terms the ' tone,' he would not

li'-^

ill:

ed,' he
n their-
aned at
;lirougli
L to liis

is not, I
Lild mix
ly sense
ve him,
li I had

t it,' he
to the
I'll own
t what's
ys, their
ter fur
)n their
No,

get it
on the

lenty of

Is were

I Hotel ;

ited to

Id not

I
I

POUT MOODY, THE PRESENT TERMINUS

hesitate to apply a higher scale of charges to such
people when they visited his hotel.

The more one sees of Port Moody, the less
impressed is one witli it ; and, for my part, I have
never ceased to marvel how it came to be originally
selected as the terminus.

The offices of the Canadian Pacific Railway are
of the most primitive character. Tliere is a wooden
building, in which are contained a ticket and tele-
gra{)h ortice ; opposite is a fairly commodious goods
shed, with a wharf beyond. Consequently a traveller
arriving from Europe by the We^'^-bound mail would
be something more than human if he failed to express
his disap[)ointment at the situation, for there is
absolutely nothing in the surroundings to favourably
impress him. But his stay in Port Moody would
necessarily be short ; instead of having to seek the
hospitality of the local hotel, he would find himself,
within an hour of his arrival, on board a steamer
making for A'ictoria, where he would find a good
hotel and all the comforts of civilisation. Tlie
steamers between Mctoria and Port Moody stop at
Vancouver both £ '

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li:.

lOO THE QUEEN'S IIICillWAY

IV. THE CLIMATE AND GENEHAL TIESOUHCES
OF THE rUOVlXCE.

No greater libel has ever been uttered upon a
country than the remark of an eminent l^]ni>lisli
statesman, that C'anada was a ' hu,i;'e ice-bound
desert.' It is possible that the statesman in question,
in making this statement, had in mind the remark
of the French monarch who, when signing the treaty
which transferred Canada to Great Britain, said, in
order to lessen the importance of the territory France
was called upon to sacrifice, ' After all, it's only a
few square miles of snow.'

This expression not only found acceptance in
official circles for many years after, but the school
geographies and encyclopaedias, in their references to
Canada, appeju' to have been considerably influenced
by it, so much so that the world at large looked upon
the country as being for the greater part eternally
doomed on account of the severity of its climate.

There are, of course, terribly cold spots in the
Dominion — parts, in fact, where the frost never
leaves the ground — but these are in the regions of
the ' Frozen Sea,' where no one is called upon or
expected to reside. It should not be forgotten that
the Dominion of Canada is of vast extent (altogether,
not including the area covered by the great lakes, it
contains 3,470,392 square miles, or about 40 per

iiii

iilll

CLIMATE AND GENERAL KESOURCES

107

the

lever

lis of

m or

that

klier,

|es, it

per

cent, of the area of the whole Hrltish Empire), and
that whilst one part may be perpetually frostljonnd,
another basks in perennial sunshine.

That British Columbia possesses, of all tlie
provinces of the Dominion, the best all-round climate
no one will, I think, venture to deny. It — where it
lies in the perpetual cold of the Arctic Ocean — has
its uninhabitable quarter, but this is lost sight of
amonirst the millions of acres which are habitable.

The Japanese current produces on the climate
alono; the Canadian littoral of the Pacific Ocean an
effect similar to that produced on England by the
Gulf Stream, thus giving to British Columbia — Van-
couver Island especially — a climate similar to that
of the south of England, save that it has a i>Tcator
summer hea^ with less humidity.

The ' current ' f^o^^■s northerly from the Japan
coast until it strikes the islands of the Aleutian
Archipelago, when it is deflected eastward, crossing
south of the Alaskan Sea, and striking the upper end
of the Queen Charlotte Islands, wliere its course is
again changed, and it passes south along the coast of
British Columbia. It is all summer and sunshine
wherever the full influence of this great volume of
warm Avater is felt. As a local authority puts it,
' even in the midst of winter, when hyperborean
blasts sweep the plains east of the Rock}'- Mountains,
the warm breezes from the sea steal over the islands

108

THE QUEEN'S IIIOIIWAY

nml iiuiinland, and penetrate far into the interior
among the many valleys of tlie mountains, their
mo(lifyin<r influence gradually lessening as they
advance. In the regions fully subject to them
flowers bloom, vegetation remains green and bright,
and there is little save the almanac to inform the
stranger that winter is at hand, though the native
knows it from the increased rainfall. The warm
moisture-laden currents of air comin<r from the
south-west meet tlie colder atmosphere from the
north, and the result is frequent and copious rains
during the winter season, the rainfall being much
more abundant on the mainland coast than on the
islands or in the interior.'

It must be clearly understood that the climate
of British Columbia, as a whole, varies considerably,
owing to atmospheric conditions and local causes.
The province is naturally divided into two districts,
insular and continental ; and these, owing to the
vast area and mountainous surface, are agjiin sub-
divided into districts with more or less distinctly
defined boundaries. However, taken altogether, the
climate of the ' Province of the Midnight Sun ' is,
as I have already intimated, nuich more moderate
and equable than that of any other portion of Canada,
each district enjoying cooler summers and milder
winters than any region of a corresponding altitude
lying east of the Rocky Mountains.

I, ,1

CMMATE AM) GKNEHAL IiESOUI{CES

109

111 1800 1 1. M.S. 7o/>((: iiuulc inctcorolo^^lcal ob-
bcrviitioiis (^vcry day, with the following result : —

isr.o

Moan (Inily dcR.

April .

. 51-50

Fahienlieit.

May .

. 55-25

June .

. f;i-oo

July .

. 00-50

August .

. 08-25

Sopteinbcr .

. 57-25

October

. 53-00

Noveniboi'

. 50-50

December

. 12-00

IHC.l

January

. 88-00

1 1

February

. 44-50

t»

March

. 4G-00

Mean heat of the year . 51*81 Falirenheit.

It is also affirmed that in some years the goose-
berry buds were opening in February ; that at the
beginning of March the native })lants were coming
into leaf in sheltered places ; that native hemp was
three inches high, and that by the 21)/// of the inonth
buttercups were in flower. Strawberries, we arc
also told, have been in bloom on A]>}-il \?> ; and
then, on ^^ay 1, the plains were covered with wild
flowers. liy this time s})riug wheat and peas were
also rising, potatoes were above ground, strawberries
and wild gooseberries were ripening, and the hedges
bloominii' with wild roses.

The s^xM-ies and varieties of plants gi-owing in
British Columbia are exceedingly numerous. Those

: il

'^1
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1 'li'l

110

TirK QUEEN'S IIKIIIWAY

«;T()\vln^ on \\\i\ inoiidow hinds mny ho classed lis
i'ollows : — \\'hit(^ pcii, wild hcjin, ^ronnd-nnts, a
sjKiclcs of white clover, reed nieudow-j^ruHH, bent
s))OiU'-<^riiss, wild ojit, wild Timothy, swcet-grasH,
cowslip, crowfoot, winter-cress, partrid;,^! l)errv, wild
sunflower, marigold, wild lettuce, wild angelica, wild
lily, hrown-leaved rush, and so forth.

I mention this in order to show Avhat an ctjuahle
climate the province really possesses, for where such
j)lants will grow wild tliere cannot ])y any chance
be anvthing wrony* with the climate.

I have given the result of the observations taken
in 1800, ])ut I think it well worth while to give tlie
result of observations taken at the meteorolouical
stations at Ksquimanlt at a much later period, viz.
during l.S71-5-() (see opposite page).

In speaking of tlie climate of the mainland of
]>ritish Columl)ia no general description will serve
the purpose, for whilst the -joast and islands are
liable to all-important variations, the differences in
the interior are still greater. The Provincial Govern-
ment authorities in dealing with the matter divide
the countiy into three zones — the southern, the
middle, and the northern.

The southern zone is taken to be between the
international boundary line (19°) and .51° north
latitude, and east of the coast range beginning at
Yale ; and it comprises most of the country in which

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112

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

irriiji'iitioii is osscntiul to the ij^rowth of cereals.
This iirisos from the air Iosin<r moisture in crossinir
the ruDgc.

It is, however, in this zone that special advan-
tages are offered for cattle and sheep raising, rich
bunch gr^ss existing in great quantities. The mean
annual temperature of this zone differs, it is said,
little from that of the coast region ; a greater differ-
ence being, however, observable between the mean
sum.ner and winter temperatures, and a still greater
contrast when the extremes of heat and cold are
compared. Tlie winter is shorter and milder than
the districts further north ; and though snow falls,
the wind-swept slopes are, it is affirmerl, unusually
thinly covered. Cattle as well as horses winter out,
the district thus having an advantage over the two
great western States of America, Dakota and Minnesota,
where, although horses do sometimes wirter out,
cattle cannot do so, the snow lying too thick on
the ground to allow of their getting at the grass —
cattle, unlike horses, not scraping for their food.

T!ie middle zone comprises the region between
'51° and 53° north latitude, and contains much of the
mountainous parts of the province, including the
Cariboo Mountains, the locality of the principal gold-
fields yet discovered in British Columbia. The
rainfall is heavier here than in the southern zone,
and the forest growth therefore becomes more dense.

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CLIMATE AND (iENERAL RES0UUCE8

ii;}

ben
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|ie,
ie.

The altitude of tlie settlements in this division varies
from 1,900 to 2,500 feet above the sea level ; at^i,000
feet wheat will ripen, and other grains at even ahii^lier
altitude. From loni»itudc 122° the land falls towards
the valley of the Fraser, the climate becomes milder
than in the mountains, and bunch-jiTass ifrows in
the valleys and on the bi^aclu^s.

The country embraced in the northern /one is
necessarily remote from the line of rail, the ' (Queen's
Highway ' running through no portion of it. l^^xcept
for its supposed minerals, its fur-ln'aring animals, and
the fish in its waters, this district possesses no attrac-
tion for settlers.

liritish Columbia is stated to possess a greater
variety of climate than any other country of its size,
the lines of demarcaticm between one and the other
being singularly abrupt and well defined. Van-
couver Island and the mainland coast supply an
equable genial climate, whilst within a few miles of
tlie border of this land is a territory in which rain
seldom falls, where the sky is inv^i-iably clear and
the air bracing, with sharper differences between
winter and summer temperatures, but with a mean
d'fl'cring but little from the adjoining region. Close
on this is a climate of almost constjmt rain, where
the vegetation is most luxuriant, and where timber
attains immense proportions. North of all these are
the frozen marvels of an arctic world.

if;*

■ m

TIIH (QUEENS IIIUHWAY

f Ml'

Tlic resources of liritisli Colunil)ia are very
numerous, Tlie fisliinu^ industry is at present the
best developed, yieldin<>- the liigliest returns. The
value of salmon (canned and barrelled) exported in
1884 amounted to )^8 13,0.55, whilst the value of fish
oil (the l)ulk of which is obtained from the dog-fish
at tlie (Jueen Charlotte Islands) was 1^15,017. Coal
followed salmon in the volume of 1884 trade, the
shipments (cliiefly to the United States and the
Sandwich Islands) amounting to 218,850 tons, with
a valie of ^700,018.

Gold, the Avhole of which was exported to the
United States, amounted to ($'071,379, being third
on the list. The timber exports came fourth,
there having been exported lumber to the value ot
1^458,251 ; Australia, Chili, Peru, China, British
East Indies, Great lU'itain, and the United States
being buyers ; the first-named being the largest and
the last tlie smallest purchaser, '\\hilst China took
^49,808 worth.

Coming to the fur exports, I find that furs
derived from land aniuials, the greater part of which
are collected and exported by the Hudson's Bay
Company, were exported to the value of ^209,103,
Great Britain and the United States bein"- about
equal purchasers. The furs from marine animals,
mainly seal and sea-otter, had an export value of
)8'70,178. Of these. Great liritain was by fiir the

■I

ish

ites

land

»ok

CLIMATE AND GENKIJAL IJESOUIJCKS

115

largest buyer ; China's share amounted to ,^8,2<S.'),
the United States not requiring — in virtue of their
own seal fisheries in Alaska — more than S'l^yO worth.
Hops are exported in small quantities ; but, con-
sidering the facilities there are for growing them, they
will, I should imagine, be an increasing industr}'^ in
the future. P>ritish Columbian hops are said to be
fully equal, if not superior, to those of Washington
Territory, whence the exports have attained large
proportions.

The growing of fruit is certainly a thing of
promise, A'ancouver Island, the districts west of the
coast range, and that southern stri[) of the province
between parallels 49° and 50° being specially adapted
for the raising of fruits of all kinds. At present
Canada's great fruit-raising farms are in Ontario, but
the districts I have mentioned, having greater cli-
matic advantages, can produce fruits that will not
grow in the province further east.

Ao'riculturallv consi<lered l^ritish Colundjia is
essentially a country of small holdings, and it will be
impossible — save in a few exceptionally favoured
parts — to farm on a large scale. It is true that the
climate is admirable, and that the soil is often very
good ; but the good spots do not lie close together, it
being only here and there that you come across lands
suitable for farming purposes. I certainly think
industrious families ^.ith a knowledge of farm work,

1 j

•■ '

' '

■ if

1 :

u'^pl

116

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

of moderate ambitions, and possessing a little capital,
might, having made a proper selection of land, thrive
and prosper on farming.

Land is easy of acquirement in the province.
The regulations, however, concerning the tract of
land along the Canadian Pacific Railway, and within
twenty miles on each side of the line known as the
Railway lii^lt, differ slightly from those governing
other portions of the country. This belt is vested
in the Government of the Dominion as distinguished
from the Government of the province of British
Columbia, whose regulations are in force for all other
parts. Provincial Government lands are classified as
either surveyed or unsurveyed lands, and may be ac-
quired either by record and pre-emption, or purchase.

Any person being a British subject may record
or pre-empt unoccupied, unreserved, and unrecorded
(^rown lands, being the head of a family, a widow, or
a single man over eighteen years of age. Aliens may
also record such surveyed or unsurveyed lands on
making a declaration of intention to become a British
subject. The quantity of land which may be re-
corded or pre-empted is not to exceed 320 acres
northward and eastward of the Cascade or Coast
Mountains, or KJO acres in the rest of the province.

The price of Crown lands pre-empted is one
dollar per acre, payable in four equal instalments.
The first instalment must be paid two years from

CLIMATE AND GENEHAL RESOURCES

117

re-
icres
loast

:e.

one
ints.

L'om

date of record or pre-emption, and each other mstal-
ment yearly tliereafter until the full anionnt is paid.

The Crown grant, it should be stated, excludes
gold and silver ore, and reserves to the Crown a
royalty of five cents per ton on every ton of
merchantable coal raised or gotten from the land,
not including dross or slack.

Vacant surveyed lands, which are not the sites of
towns and not Indian settlements, may be purchased
at the rate of two dollars and fifty cents (about ten
shillings) per acre, payment in full having to be
made at the time of the purchase thereof.

Unreserved lands can be purchased at two dollars
and fifty cents per acre, payable as follows : 10 per
cent, at the time of application, and 90 per cent,
on completion and acceptance of survey, such survey
to be made at the expense of purchaser, and by a
surveyor approved of and acting under the instruc-
tions of the Chief Commissioner. The quantity of
land under this regulation must not be less than
160 acres nor more than 640 acres.

Under the Homestead Act, farm and buildings,
when registered, cannot be taken for debt incurred
after the registration; it is free from seizure up to
a value not greater than ^2,500 (500/.) ; goods and
chattels are also free up to i^oOO (100/.); cattle
' farmed on shares ' are also protected by an Exemp-
tion Act.

■M

f'f

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

1 •

Greater attention is to be <j^Iven in the future
to the production of wool and the raisinjif of beef.

The ex})orts under tliesc lieads are at present small.
Grazing' hinds are to be had on exceptionally favour-
able terms, and there is a fair prospect of the province
materially increasing" its "wool and beef exports in

the

near

fut

ure.

What liritish Columbia urgently requires is an
increased po}mlation to develop its latent resources.

It undoubtedly possesses considerable mineral
wealth ; its fisheries and forests are practically in-
exhaustible ; its grazing lands, in the main, are rich
and well located, whilst farming and fruit-growing
cannot fail to form profitable industries. With an
increased population these natural resources will be
developed, and now that a railway has been built
across Canada the country has been made easy of
access, and new markets for her produce have been
opened up. These markets will extend far be^'ond
the American continent ; for with the promotion
of shipping enterprise in both seas, in connection
Avitli the great transcontinental railway, the ' Province
of the Midnight Sun ' will be brought into direct
communication with the Old World on the one side,
and with Asia and the Antipodes on the other, so
that she, of all the provinces of the Dominion, is
likely to be the most benefited by the construction
of the ' (Queen's Highway.'

iiy

CHAPTER JTL

ESijriMAVLTAS A NAVAL VEXTIii:, A XI) ITS llEAlUXa

ui'ox lurssLVs rusiTioN in the vacifuj.

The (letcrinination to fortify Escniimault, making it
a naval station of the first class, is iin<loubte(lly a
Avise one ; for with such a position in the Pacific, and
Avith Halifax on the Atlantic, and a line of rail run-
ning through her own territory directly connecting
the two stations, l^higland occu[)ies a position to-dtiy
undreamt of by the wildest enthusiasts a few years
back.

Hitherto the harbour of Es(|uimault has, states
Captain Edward PalHser, a well-known authority on
the subject of naval defences, been chiefly looked
upon as a ' repairing- shop useful to the North Pacific
squadron ; but, in its isolation from the rest of her
Majesty's dominions, not considered of sufiicient
importance to increase to the dimensions of an
arsenal.' With a railway (taken in conjunction with
the Intercolonial at Quebec) stretching in one con-
tinuous line from Atlantic to J'acilic, this s(jmewhat
obscure station has suddenly become of the first
importance; and the Canadian Governmenl. in

j-lri'!

m. •'

ill

120

THE QUEENS IIIGinVAY

<',>nsi(loi-ati(m of its bcin<;- an iiupLTiul arsenal, have
<l(.'(idc(l to spend 20,000/. m earthworks ibr its defence,
whilst the Enii'lish Government have voted 30,000/.
for ihc necessary arniauient ol'the fortifications which
the Canadian aiitliorities will supply.

l']s([uiuiault possesses nninipeachable natural ad-
vantages, and there will be no difficulty in the way
of making the place absolutely iuipregnable. From
its position it will dominate the Pacific, ' absolutely
commanding',' as Captain Palliser puts it, ' tlie rear
of any ring fence of islands others may set up round
Eastern Australia.'

Stores for Escjuimault, which formerly took
months to deliver by the steam transports from
Plymouth, can by coming over ' the Queen's High-
way ' now be delivered from Woolwich in about
fourteen days.

The Home and Colonial Governments are both
much to be commended in their decision witli reo'ard
to Esquimault, for a strategic want has been thus
supplied.

Countries which are not in accord with us —
Russia especially — fully recognise the importance of
the step we have taken in this matter, and the
formidableness of the position w-e now occupy.

Esquimault being but three weeks' steam from
Sydney, we should be able in time of trouble to send
from that station speedy and effective assistance to

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ESQULMAULT AS A NAVAL CENTIIK

the Australian colonies. These colonics, however,
must improve their own defences ; and it is hi^'h time
tiiat they set about creating an arsenal, similar to
Esqiiimault, at Melbourne or some ecjually available
pcjint. When I was in Australia, IJear- Admiral
Tryon was actively enga^'ed in promoting some
general scheme of coast defence in which each colony
should take part, but I have not yet heard the result
of these negotiations.

The first step towards what is termed Imperial
Federation should be the promotion of some practical
scheme of imperial naval defence. Such a scheme
would, I feel certain, if the subject were properly
approached, be quite feasible, as the colonies —
Australasia especially — would welcome any steps
which would give additional security to their sea-board.

Russian war- ships make periodical visits to
Australasian waters, and with the visit of each
cruiser a feeling of unrest comes over the colonists ;
not that they have the remotest dread of the
particular ship which is on hand, but because they
know that the object of the vessel is to collect infor-
mation respecting the colonies, and to generally spy
out the nakedness of the land with regard to its
defences. The colonists know only too well that
their coast is only too naked in the matter of
defences, and that an improved condition of pro-
tection is absolutely imperative.

ill

^'fFv!j

'I 1

if •iff!

122

TIIK gUKKWS II Id II WAY

Tlio liist ' Iviissiiin sfiirc ' was on aocotint of the
Vcstnik., wliicli, iirrivini;' at Melbouriu! in tlic early
summer of the year, stayed some time in Australian
Avaters, finally leaving to join the Kusslan sfjuadron
in Japanese waters.

Aeeording to the A<ji', the ureat N'ietorian daily,
the oflieers were caudit takinj'- observations and
makini'' sketehcs of the coast defences round about
j\lelbourne. The circulation of this information
created a sensation in the colon v, and the Mctoriaus
were hi'.'hly indi<^nant ; but it served to set them
thinking about putting their house in order in view
of future hostilities. I happened to be well ac-
(piainted with the officers of the Ve.stnik, and they,
as a matter of course, entirely repudiated the allega-
tions made against them by the A(je ; but then who
can economise truth — for political purposes — like a
K u^ssian ?

I have not the slightest doubt that the authorities
at St. Petersburg and at Cronstadt are i)erfectly
informed as to how the land lies in Australasian
waters, and that the Vestnik has added its contribution
to the general information.

Australia's extended eastern coast is, as it were,
en l\iit\ and it is in a great measure at the mercy
of any hostile cruiser who may come along. It is,
therefore, sincerely to be trusted that local jealousies,
which have principally prevented the carrying out

a-3

KSgUIMAL'LT AS A NAVAL IMNillH

lL^';

of :i joint |»l!iii of local (Icfi'iicc, will, in view ol" tiii'
iiri-cincy of the situtitioii, Uc t-ntirt'ly Ibri^ottt'ii. :m<l
that tluTo may be a speedy coiismimiatioii of iJear-
Auiuiral Tryou's sclieiue, wiiich, l)y the bye, woiihl
be a hi.^hly important step towarils the j^reater seheim'
of Imperial naval defence.

With the coiistrnetion of Canada's strategic rail-
way and the establishment of a formidable arsenal at
Ksipiimaidt, to be, it is hoped, quickly followed l»y
one at Melbourne or Sydney, the bonds — now only
too loose — between the Dominion and Australasia
cannot fail to be tightened by the instinct of mutual
preservation.

The harbour of Esfpiinuiult is, I should say,
cai)able of holding' the whole of the liritish navy ;
but only one man-of-war was stationed there when I
was there. This was the flag-ship the TrUinqih, in
eonnnand of Sir Michael Seymour.

I had the honour of lunchin; with the admiral,
when I took occasion to speak with him respecting
Ivussia's position in the North Pacific. lie was of
( 'aion that we had little to fear from ^luscovite
a<. ression in these parts, whilst he took exception
to the exaggerated statements then finding currency
in the London press with regard to our exercising
a dominating influence over llussia in these waters
on account of the direct communication afforded by
the opening of the transcontinental railway.

S^T-SJT' 1

124

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

Ksquitiiault, in his opinion, was of no use as a
base of operations against the Russian outposts on
the Anioor. Vhidivostock, for instance, was not
only a great way off, but the winds in the Okhotsk
Sea and in tlie vicinity of the Anioor are so severe
and contrary tliat steamers leaving Esquimault would
not only experience a difficulty in getting thither
quickh', but would probably find themselves without
coal b}' the time they arrived with the view of
connnencing operations.

In the region just referred to, monsoons, I am told,
rage for the better part of the year, whilst Yladivos-
tock for several months together is ice-bound and
practically inaccescible from the sea.

The fleet in Chinese waters is much nearer at
hand, and it would have a better opportunity of
dominating Russian influences in the North Pacific
than one stationed at Esquimault. The acquisition
of Port Plamilton,^ instead of materially improving
our position in this direction, is, it is stated, a ques-
tionable advantage.

As a set-ofl^, the Russians will, however, I suppose,
sooner or later occupy Port Lazareflf. This is a port
they have long coveted, and there can be no doubt as
to their actual intentions with regard to it. China and

' Since writing the above the British Government has decided to
evacuate Port Hamilton, but the actual intentions of the Russian
Government with regard to Port LazareflF are not as yet known.

ESQUIMAULT AS A NAVAL C;^NTRE

125

Japan would, I dare say, object, and the English
Government diplomatically protest, but the acquisi-
tion will be made all the same ; and Russia will have
a station in the Pacific more advanta":eouslv situated
than Aladivostock, and one tliat will be open all the
year round.

It is a thousand pities that we, in our blundering
io-norance, lost the Aleutian Isles, for had we them
now our position in the North Pacific would be
so materially strengthened that there would be no
question of our being able to dominate Russia's
interests in this sea. These islands are within easy
steam of Esquimault, and about halfway between
\';mcouver and Russia in Asia.

In case of a war with Russia it would, I presume,
be against Petropavlovski, the principal seapor^ of
Kamtschatka, that a fleet stationed at Esquimault
would probably operate. This outpost of Russia in
Asia cannot be more than about seven days' steam
from Vancouver Island. It is not, I think, generally
known that the allied English and French squadrons
made an attack on this place during the Crimean
war, meeting with a severe repulse, in consequence
of which the admiral in command committed suicide.
The allies were, I believe, much blamed at the time
for attacking so unimportant a place, and one so
isolated from the real centre of the conflict ; and one
can understand with what enthusiasm the news of

< V'flH

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ffln

fflffi

12G

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

tlie unexpected defeat of the storming party at the
liands of a few patriotic but badly armed Kamtscliat-
dals was received not only in the Kamtschatkan
peninsula, but in all parts of the Russian Empire.

To this day the inhabitants of Petropavlovski
celebrate their victory on its anniversary with great
pomp. Headed by the priests, the people march in
solemn procession round the town and over the hill
from which the storming [)art3'' was thrown, sprink-
ling holy water by the way.

At that time the Cossacks and peasants of
Kamtschatka had, probably, scarcely ever heard of
Turkey, and knew absolutely nothing of the Eastern
question ; but with Russia's continued advance into
Asia the people are getting alive to the fact that the
nation to which they belong aims at being not only
a great, but the great Asiatic power.

Petropavlovski is Russia's vulnerable point in
these parts, and if we possessed ourselves of it we
should be in a fair way of driving her out of the
Pacific altogether.

Besides, the Kamtschatkan peninsula — that is, the
southern portion — is not such a bad place after all ;
although, to the European mind, it is associated with
everything that is dreary, bleak, and inhospitable.
The southern portion of the peninsula is anything
but sterile ; for, in place of the mosses and lichens
associated with frozen climes, there are rich grasses

ESQUIMAULT AS A NAVAL CENTRE

127

and abundant pastures. Perfume-laden wild flowers
grow out in the open air in luxuriant profusion ; tlio
timber, consisting principally of silver birch, is
plentiful, and as a general thing well grown.

Petropavlov^ki — named, by the bye, after St Peter
and St. Paul — itself lies in a verdure-clad valley, in
which marsh violets and fragrant honeysuckle find a
home.

Of course Petropavlovski has its fogs — what place
on the North Pacific is at times without them ? — and
when the fogs do arise, houses, sea, mountains —
everything, is veiled from sight. Then the place is
dreary enough, and an enforced residence there in
the winter wou'd not improve a man's opinion of it ;
but in summc and early autumn Southern Kamts-
chatka is at its very best, nature then being fresh
and green, with a warm sun rendering life truly
enjoyable.

Northern Kamtschatka is quite another thing,
consisting chiefly, I beheve, of mossy barrens, over
which roam the wandering tribes and their herds of
reindeer.

Over these wanderers the Hussian authorities
have little or no control ; but the aborigines who
have come under holy Russia's civilising influence
are either fast dying out, or becoming absorbed in the
growing Russian population.

Chookchees, Koraks, Gakoots, Tungoos, and the

128

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

h i

swarthy southern Karatschatdals are fast adopting —
mor^ by force than persuasion — the religion, customs,
and liabits of their conquerors.

Naturally honest and fearless, the Kamtschatkan
tribes have, under pressure of the civilising in-
fluences referred to, become treacherous and crin";-
ing, lying and dishonest. Their own curious lan-
guages they have lost ; but, as they have become
liars, this is not so highly regrettable as it at first
sight appears, for they will doubtless find Russian an
excellent language in which to lie. Not content with
corrupting their morals, the Muscovite has robbed
them of their religion, forcing them to become Greek
Catholics.

The Russians never respect the religious convic-
tions of those whom it may please them to conquer,
and this is one of the principal reasons why the
Indians would in the bulk be loyal to us in case of a
Russian invasion of India. They know that under
British rule they enjoy absolute religious liberty,
which privilege would, under Russian rule, be denied
them ; and that Hindoo and Parsee, Mahommedan
and Buddhist, would have to renounce the religion of
their forefiither^, and come within the fold of the
Greek Church.

Whilst Russia, w^th marked severity, presses
onward the conversion of the conquered, it is — or
was a short time back — for an infidel to convert a

ESQUIMAULT AS A NAVAL CENTRE

129

a
ler

Christian to so-called infidelity (a crime punishable
with death).

Durino; the six months I was in India I was a
gnest of many of the principal native rulers, and I had
ample opportunity of ascertaining the true feeling
existing amongst the people, in the native states
especially, with regard to a Russian invasion of
India. From the information I thus acquired I am
convinced that, in the main, the native princes are
loyal, and that even those who are not conspicuous
for their loyalty would, on religious grounds at least,
hesitate ere leaping out of (as they might term it)
the frying-pan of British rule into the everlasting
fire of Muscovite despotism.

Since Peter the Great extended his dominions
across the snowy wastes of Siberia until liis empire
included the peninsula of Kamtschatka, Russia has
been closely associated with the North Pacific.
Whilst flie En2;lish were seekinii; for the fabulous
' Straits of Anian,' which were to provide thein with a
passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the Tzar Peter
was in search of a water passage into tlie Pacific
from the great Arctic Ocean which washed his do-
minions on the north. He did not live to see his
purpose realised, but under tlie Empress Catherine
and the Empress Anne his plans were fiiithfully
carried out, the result being the discovery of Behring's

<.M

ill

Kk'] -.i '■

t 'h

tt.r

f 11

130

THE (QUEENS HIGHWAY

Straits, in 1728, by tlio Danish navigator, Vitus
Behring, who had charge of the llussian expedition.

In 1732 another expedition discovered the main-
land of Alaska, and, in 1741, Behring made further
explorations of that country, discovering that giant
mountain which rears its snowy crest nearly twenty
thousand feet above the sea, Avhicli he named Mount St.
Elias — the name it still bears. It was on his return
voyage in the St. Peter that Behring was cast on a
practically barren island (now called Behring's Isle)
lying between the Aleutian Archipelago and Kamts-
chatka, where he and thirty of his companions died.
The survivors lived upon seal and otter whilst on
the island, and on returnino' to Avatscha the followinjij
spring (having made good their escape by construct-
ing a small vessel from the Avreck of the St. Peter)
they were clad in the skins of these animals, the value
of which excited great curiosity, and eventually led
to the despatch of several expeditions in search of
furs. The pioneers of the fur trade of the Pacific
were therefore the Russians. - "

Russian knowledge of the Alaskan coast was for
years confined to the Aleutian Islands, and, indeed,
they believed, and so represented on their maps, that
the region between Blount St. Elias and Kamtschatka
was one vast sea of islands, an idea which prevailed
until afier the mcmorjiblc voyage of Captain Cook
in 1778. This is easily accounted for when it is

eonsidcTccl that tl,e persons e„g„„e,l ;„ .,,, , „ .
fi.rs were nnprovi,le<l „-itb ch.rf, n ^*" '"

. "«f ';- of tl,e vano,. ..„■„,, 7, J,. J -.;"'-
■•"■d 'o;^gi.u,.e .ore conccn..,, .If, •""""'=
vngne ,le.scri,,tio„. Tl.cir sy^tcn of '"°"

»""l'ly to sail oast«.a,.d J, ""^f ™ "-

»iSlite<l, and „sc that as ■, , , ■""' '"•'"*

'•oacI> ti,o „e.t r" fir "'''' '^^ '^'''^'' ^o

i«'a.K] to i. r^:, , , ''" 'T'™^ ''"^'y l'---ed f,.o„.

yov.,.c, T °" "'" °"'"''''"' •™<I return

jojascii. Jl,„ principal depflts on tlin S,-l ■

f"i- the reception of f Siberian coast

■.Lcpcion ot iurs so coUcctp,! ^ .

^■I'a and Okhotsk, whence the ^'''"'■

on «ledn.estoIri.,t ,. ^ ''''"" '''^«P«tdied

o to HKntsk, a distance of 3^1,) , •,

Jl'ey were then divided some I ''*''•

St. reter»bnr,-, a further "" '""' °" '°

"■l'iI«ttI,eo,eXr ,0 " '""'""^ °' '•"'''' ">'H

» ii-.sian to : of e n •" ""*'''"' '° ^^'•^'^'•■'

"-e exehan ed r 1 rr "'°""^'-' '^''^ ''^^r

^"'^ """ oott: ,t„;%f-- -. l-eelain!

»'iJUhe greatest fur twei T'^ ''™' ""'• '•'
Ji"«rfanshad not then ' "■°''''' ' ^'"' ^he

--■••^f -e„.;H<,,tsk and Kilr"*'^ '''•'" ^''^'

y -i^ the same PaeiKc or South

K 2

■mm

132

THE QUEENS IlIOIIWAY

,»
1

Sea wliioli could be entered by Cape Horn and the
Cape of Good Hope, and it was an extraordinary
clmnce circunistance which revealed it to thcin.

In 1771 some Polish prisoners, who had been
exiled to Siberia, made their escajie from a small
port on the const of Kamtschatka, imder the
leadership of a noted patriot, Count jMaurice dc
Benyowsky. After a voyai^-c of considerable vicissi-
tnde, during which they picked np a large quantity
of furs, they finally reached the port of Canton,
where their cargo sold for a high price. Then foi'
the first tunc was the magnitude of the Pacific
realised, and the spreading of the information that
the rich fur rei^ions of the North Pacific were access-
ible to Canton l)y sea gave a great impetus to the
fur trade of the American coast.

It was the uneasiness caused by Pussia's advance-
ment in the Pacific that induced the Eno'lish Govern-
ment in 177 G to despatch Captain James Cook, with
the l^csohdlon and Discovery, on a voyage to the
Pacific coast of North America.

Ten years later private English enterprise em-
barked in the fur trade of the North Pacific, closely
followed by the operations of the famous ' South Sea
Company.' With the collapse of this commercial
bubble, and its protege the King George's Sound Com-
pany, English eiitcrprisc on an extended scale in
these reii'ions lani>'uishod for a while.

ESQUIMAULT AS A NAVAL CENTRE

133

At this time Spain claimed dominion of tlie whole
American coa.st (in virtue of descent from Mexico,
tlien a Spanisii colony) from Chili to Alaska ; Avliilst
a c(!ntury Ijefore a royal decree had been issued com-
manding the seizure of forein;n vessels of every nati(m
wherever found ir. Pacific waters, unless they pos-
sessed a trading licence from the Spanish authorities.
From this position tjiken in the seventeenth century
Spain liad not in the least degree receded, and she de-
termined, in view of the usurpation of her rights by
other countries, principally by English and American
ti'ading vessels, to exert herself towards maintaining
her supremacy. Consequently, early in 17H9 an
expedition was despatched by the Viceroy of Mexico
to Nootka Sound, N'ancouver Island (then called
Quadra Island Ijy the Spanish, who claimed pos-
session of it), which was Ibrtiiied and garrisoned ;
and, on some vessels conunanded by Englisli olHcers
putting in an appearance, they were at once seized.
Their cargoes were, by order of Martinez, the Spanish
commandant, confiscated, and their crews sent as
prisoners to Mexico.

This act nearly brought al)Out a war between
England and Spain ; the latter country, however,
gave way, and, after paying compensation, the
' Nootka Convention ' was signed, by which the
port of Nootka was abandoned, and Captain George
Vancouver had surrendered to him by Quadra, the

• I'l

THE (QUEENS IIKIIIWAY

! i!

Ciistiliim iio'Trnor, tl.'C island which now bears his

-V

nan 10.

The supremacy of Spain lias finally (le[)artc(l from
the North Pacific, but tlic names i:,ivcn by her to
various islands and j)oints along the coast still remain.

Until the war of 1X12 the Americans took the
lead in the whaling and fur trade of the Pacific,
Enii:lisli in(lei)endent traders beiii"' excluded from
Asiatic ports by the monopoly charter of the East
India Company, whilst liussia did not enjoy the
privilege of entering the few Chinese ports open to
the commerce of the more favoured nations, and con-
tinued to market their Alaskan furs overland from
Kamtschatka.

Then came the consolidated Hudson's V>ny Com-
pany, ruling': the Pacific coast from California to
Alaska, which latter place, being the })roperty of
Russia, was exempt from molestation.

With the selling of Alaska in 18(57 to the United
States Russia dispossessed herself of a magnificent
possession for, as it turns out, a mere mess of pot-
tage, the mineral wealth already discovered being
of greater value than the si;'n paid by America
for the whole country.

The liritish Columbians are naturally dissatisfied
with the accpiisition by America of this territory,
cutting off as it does the whole of their northern sea-
board. Durinii' the Crimean war this ' Land of

tl
It

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It

I I

KSQUIMAULT AH A NAVAL CENTRE

l.").')

I'romise ' could liave hvxm readily aotiuiiod without
purchase, and — until it was exchangecl for American
o-old ' — the colonists generally were inspired w ith the
idea that an occasion would arise when it could and
wouhl be included in the ' I*rovince of the Midnight
Sun.'

liritish Columbians must, however, l)e satisfied
with what they liave, and rest content with ih^ ivnow-
Icdgc that, with an sirsenal at I'^squiniPalt and a direct
communication with the mother country, they are in a
position to check any aggressive action on the part of
Russia in the Pacific, as well as possessing the con-
necting link of a strategic higlnvay to our Asiatic and
Antipodean i)Ossessions.

' Seven luillion cLjllars was, I believe, the sum paid to Russia for
the whdlo of Aliiska ; and the Fnited States Government has ah-eady
received from the Ahiska Connnercial Company (to whom it granted
exchisivo rights in the matter of tlie seal-iisheries and traftic in furs),
since it commenced its operations in 1870, sometliing like 111,000/. in
rent and 580,000/. in tax on skins. ^

mi.

i \iV'

13«

THE QUEEN'S IIKSIIWAY

' It'

1 1

i I'

^ ii

CIIAPTKli IV.

ON TIIK UfCinrAY.
I. FROM TIIK I'ACIFIC TO THE IJOCKIKS.

TiiH 'Atlantic Express' leaves Port j\Ioo(ly at 13
o'clock (that is 1 I'.isr., the 2 1-lioiir system beini;- in
vogue on the Canadian Paci(ic Kailway), whilst the
' Pacific l^xpress ' arrives at the terminus at mid-
day, being, as a rule, on time to the minute.

In the course of this and the following chapters I
purpose describing the various points of interest that
the railway presents between the Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans ; but I will first enumerate its advantages as
a highway between Great Britain and Asia, and her
Australasian colonies. As the following calculations
will show, the ' (Queen's Highway ' undoubtedly
forms the shortest and quickest route from England
to Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand.

The ii'eneral idea with regard to this transcon-
tinental railway is that it is too far north for the air-
line distance to Japan or the East, and that the lines
runninii" from New York to San Francisco are more
nearly in the direct route ; yet Yokohama is 250

i I'

FUOM Till'; rAciiH.' TO Tin; kocki'^

lot

«;c'();^raj)liical miles nearer to N'jincouver than to Sun
Francisco. A^'uiii, contrary to tlie popular idea, the
distance from ^Montreal to Liverj)ool is I'OO miles less
than it is from New York to Liverpool. It is close
upon 7(10 miles in an air line nearer from ^'okohama
to Liv('r))ool hy Avay ol' Canada than it is hy New
York. r»iit the udvantai'e in lavour of the ' ( >ucen\s
Highway' over the American routes is even j^rcater
still ; for Avjiilst the shortest railway r(jnte across the
United States from San Francisco to Xew York is
i^,9.7\ miles in length, that of the Canadian l*aeifie
from A'ancouver to ^lontreal is but i^, 1)0(1, or ,3,0.").']
miles to (Quebec. At o') miles an hour it would re-
cpiire 93^ hours by the American line, and 87 by the
Canadian line — supposing, of course, the circumstances
to be the same in the two cases. But the circum-
stances are by no means the same. ])y the American
route there are many natural disadvantages to be
encountered which nave no place on the Canadian
highway.

In the first place, there is a ferry of five miles
from San Francisco ; in the second, there are heavier
grades and greater altitudes up which the trains
have to be lifted ; and in the tliird, there are so
many important places to stop at en route, that
delays are unavoidable. Long lengths of the
American line (I am taking the shortest route, rin
Omaha and Chicago), aggregating fully one-half of

^01

I it

'■■i

i*'i' ■■ .'ii

' h

' 1"

I'l i

138

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

tlie distance between Omaha and tlie Pacific, liave
an elevation of 5,000 feet above the sea, 500 miles
are over G,000 feet, and 400 miles over 7,000 feet.
The Canadian route is in one direct line from
Montreal to A\incouver, and the stops are few and
far between, making- it possible to maintain a liigli
and uniform rate of speed. The summit of the
' Queen's Highway ' is nearly 3,000 feet lower than
that of the rival American line, and it is quickly
crossed.

In winter, again, contrary to the general idea,
the advantage is still with the Canadian Pacific ; for,
in addition to having a lower altitude, the snowfall
is greater south of the international line than it is
on the Canadian side along the line of rail.

The fastest time made on the American lines
between Xew York and San Francisco is 137 hours ;
and if the journey QY|rihe Canadian Pacific is to take
no more than ^7|^^R (Mr. Van Home says 8G),
there is a clear balance of 50 hours in favour of the
latter by the land journey alone.

l)ut coming to the sea portions the gain is still
greater.

The great circle air-line distance from Yokohama
to San Francisco is 4,470 geographical miles, and to
A'ancouver 4,232. At 15 knots per hour it would
require to steam these distances 298 and 282 liours
respectively, or 12 days and 10 liours against 11 days

FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

139

and 18 hours. But Mr. Van Ilornc talks of putting
on at Vancouver fast improved steamers, -svith a speed
of 17 knots, in order to completely cut out tlie steam-
ship lines now running between San Francisco and
Yokohama, which, instead of going 15 knots per
hour, take from 14 to 15 days to make the trip.

AVith regard to the Atlantic portion, Quebec
from Liverpool is 2,G61 geographical miles, Avhilst
New York is 3,130 miles, a difference of 409 ; which,
at the allowed speed of 15 knots, recpiires 31 hours.

It will, thus be seen that there is a total saving
by means of the ' (^;;ieen's Highway,' by land and by
sea, of upwards of four days.

The Quebec route, however, can only be used in
summer, the St. Lawrence being ice-bound in winter.
The Avinter route is at present by way of Halifax or
Portland, Maine. The Canadian Pacific people, how-
ever, purpose constructing an air line from Montreal,
through Maine, with a port in the Atlantic at Louis-
burg, Cape Breton Island. This short cut across
would, as a passenger route, present special advan-
tages over the roundabout intercolonial line, which,
joining the Grand Trvmk and C. P. it. systems at
(Quebec, runs into Halifax ; but it can at no time
serve as a highway, as Maine, which, botli morally
and geographically belongs to Canada, was, through
the stupid, I miglit almost say criminal, blundering
of English politicians, allowed to form a portion of

1,1

I' 'i

: ('

140

THE QUEEN'S IIlGinVAY

the United States. The strategic route in winter
must for the present be by way of Halifax, or in
the future via Louisburg and the Intercolonial.

The Louisburg route, as compared witli the
summer route by Quebec, would be GOO miles longer
by rail and 310 less by water ; or, as compared Avitli
New York, 250 miles more of railway and 750 miles
less on the Atlantic.

Fast vessels of the Etniria class should be able to
run from Liverpool to Louisburg in 5^ days, and the
land journey of 3,()20, from Louisburg to Vancouver,
should be got over in 5 days, liy the proposed fast
steamers connecting with A'^ancouver, the journey
across the Pacific to Yokohama would be got over
in about 10 1 days, or say 3 weeks for the whole
journey from Liverpool to Yokohama.

Under existing arrangements it takes by the
American route 30, I'id the Suez Canal 55, and by
Panama 56 days. The Panama route, even with
the opening of the canal, would not be able to suc-
cessfully compete in point of time with the Canadian
line. The distance from Southampton to Colon or
Aspinwall is 4,820 miles, and steamers would
experience great difficulty in maintaining a high
rate of speed so long a distance without re-coaling.
Allowing, however, IG knots per hour, it would take
12|^ days to get over the 4,820 miles, and with a
day in the canal it would be 13 1 days before tlie

FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE llOCKIES

111

Steamer could possibly be on its way across the
Pacific, when the route to be taken would be three
days longer than that ffora A^ancouver.

With regard to the Australasian traffic, the present
mail service to Australia is either by the Suez Canal,
Colombo, and King George's Sound, or by San Fran-
cisco, Honolulu, Auckland, and Sydney; whilst Xcw
Zealand has a direct mail service from Plymouth
via Cape of Good Plope on the outward, and Cape
Horn on the inward passage. —

]jy the first-named route (allowing for the quick
overland transit I'ia Brindisi) it takes on an averaire
39 days to Melbourne, and about 37 days to Adelaide
(whence the mails with the new connecting line of
rail just opened will be sent overland to Melbourne
and Sydney, instead of by sea as heretofore), but
during the monsoons a day or two longer must Ije
allowed. Sydney, the terminus as it were of these
mail steamers, is seldom reached under 42 days,
although it could easily be done in 40 days, the time
generally occujned by the direct mail steamers to
New Zealand lia the Cape.

Via the American line, which secures a u'ood deal
of the summer traffic, it takes about 36 days from
Liverpool to Auckland, and about 40 days to Sydney,
the service being unnecessarily slow, and one readily
accelerated.

]3y the Canadian Pacific route, which has a

112

THE QUEENS IIIGIIWAV

^if

longer distance on the Pacific and a shorter one on
the Athintic and across tlie continent, the journey
(at the previously estimated rate of speed ^) to Sydney
direct would take 30 days ; by sto})ping', however, at
Fiji and Auckland the time Avould be increased a
day or so.

Mails via Panama (another route), under existing
facilities, take 44 to 40 days to reacli S}'dney ; but
witli the opening of the canal — provided, of course,
that it is opened — quicker time will undoubtedly' be
made. Ihit the Panama route to Australia, as com-
pared with the Canadian line, is about 2,150 miles
longei' on the Atlantic and 1,100 more on the Pacific ;
th;. total distance by the former being 12,500 as
against 12,300 (including the railway section) by
the latter ; the saving, as will be seen, being by rail-
way instead of steamer speed. It therefore will not
be possible, even with the canal open, to go from
Southampton to Sydney under 35 days.

Another important fact in connection with the
Canadian route must not be ovci-looked, and that is
the abundance of coal at both termini.

From England to Colombo, Panama, Calcutta, or

I I

' I wish it to bo clearly umlerstood that I do not bind myself to
those il;^nres. It is pnHsible the p;issiiL;e will not be made within the
estimated time, although with througli trains and fast connecting
steamers it is fully within the bounds of possibility. Everything
depends upon the rate of speed the C. P. R. will run their through
trains, and the character of tlie .-steamers employed.

*•*,.
.i

'* :,5f

FROM THE rACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

113

even Hong-Kong, no coal is found available for the
steamers until the English coal comes within econo-
mical distance of the Australian fuel ; and whether
the steamer carries it herself, or gets it carried for
her, every pound of the coal she uses has to be trans-
ported 1,150 miles to Gibraltar, 2,130 miles to Malta,
2,950 miles to Alexandria, 4,150 miles to Aden, or
G,650 miles to Colombo, at r. vapidly increasing cost for
her consumption as she proceeds on her way from
England. This is one of the chief reasons Avhy the
East-going steamers are so slowly worked as compared
with those running on the Atlantic ; for, strange tliough
it may seem, it entails the consumption of double the
quantity of coal, above a certain rate of speed, in order
to increase the rate two or three knots per hour.

' The (Queen's Highway ' presents every advantage
with regard to coal, for at Louisburg, within 2,350
miles of Liverpool, the steamer reaches the port of
shipment of one of the largest coal deposits in the
world, whilst at Vancouver she starts again from a
point where coal can be obtained in abundance. I
have already spoken of the extent and excellence of
the coal-fields of ^^ancouver Island, whence large
shipments are made to San Francisco, Honolulu, and
to Asia.

It was in 1880 that a contract and agreement were
made between the Dominion and an incorporated
company, known as the ' Syndicate,' for the construc-

i''"l

I !' ' !» ,1

114

THi'j qui:i:n'S highway

i\ „•

tion, operation, and owncrsbip of tbc Canadian Pacific
Kailway. Prcvicusly to this tlie Dominion Govcrn-
nK-nt lia<I arranged to build and operate the first
transcontinental road, such an nndertakinu; heinfr
deemed too <>;igantic for private enterprise. AVith
this idea the Dominion began its construction, and, in
1871, surveying parties were sent out to explore the
comparatively unknown region through which, if
possible, it should pass, an<l report upon the most
favourable route. 0\'er )^o,50(S,()00 were expended
upon these preliminary surveys, and from the Rocky
Mountains to the Pacific coast no less than eleven
lines, aggregating upwards of 10, 000 miles, were
surveyed before the termimd point and the route
thereto could be determine I upon.

By the terms of the agreement with the Canadian
Government, the ' Syndicate ' undertook to lay out,
construct, and equip, in running order, the eastern
and central sections of the line by ]\Iay 1, 1891 ;
and the Government agreed to complete the unfinished
portion of the western section between Kamloops and
Yale by June 30, 1(S85, and also between Yale and
Port Moody on or before May 1, 1891, and the
Lake Superior section according to contract. In
chartering the Canadian Pacific Pailway Company
the Dominion Government adopted a policy precisely
similar to the one carried into effect by the L nited
States Congress, with regard to the earlier transconti-

FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE liOCKIES

115

iiental roads, by giving both a money and land siil)-
sidy. Tlie subsidy in money was ^25,000,000, and
in land 25,000,000 acres, such land to be chosen by
the company along the route between Winnipeg and
the Kockies. The company, under the terms of the
agreement, also received authorisation to mortgage
its land grant for ;^25,000,()00 at 5 per cent., and to.
in addition, issue a mortgage on the line on comple-
tion at the rate of i^lO,000 per mile.

The charter also gave the company very large ad-
ditional powei'S, embracing the right to build branches,
open telegraph lines, and establish steamer lines from
its terminals. The lands required for the road-bed of
the railway, and for its stations, station grounds,
workshops, dock ground, water frontage, buildings,
yards, &c,, were also granted free. Whilst granting
the company the right to construct branch lines from
any point within the territory of the Dominion, the
Dominion Parliament agreed that for twenty years no
railway should be constructed south of the Canadian
Pacific Railway, except such line as shall run south-
west or to the westward of south-west, nor to within
fifteen miles of latitude 49 degrees. The properties
of the company were also made free for ever from
taxation, and all material necessary for the construc-
tion and equipment of the line was to be admitted
duty free ; even the lands of the company in the Nortli-
West Territories, until either sold or occupied, were

iir*i

146

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

i-i

4'i

also made free from taxation for twenty years after
the <i:rant thereof from the Crown.

By 1882 the company had issued ^^20,000, 000
land grant bonds, depositing the proceeds with the
Government, wh'cli allowed 4 per cent, interest
thereoi T' 4 pair' .he principal back to the company
as tlie ruL* ■iva-v onstriiction proceeded. The remain-
ing iS'5,00U,000 k I grant bonds Avere held by the
Government as security that the company would
fulfil its agreements.

In 1884 the Government loaned the company
/8'22, 500,000 for the purpose of aiding the construc-
tion of the line, which was being pushed through
with marvellous rapidity, the company undertaking
to complete the main line by May ?>!, 1880.

The tracks were finally joined in the Eagle Pass
on November 7, 1885, and the great highway, which
had cost the enormous sum of i$'140,000,000, was
an accomplished fact. In the spring of this year
the line was being equipped, and on the evening of
June 28 the first through train left Montreal, arriving
at Port ]\Ioody on July 4, the journey occupying
exactly 13G hours. It will thus be seen that the
' Syndicate,' by dint of almost superhuman efforts,
managed to complete this magnificent undertaking —
by far the greatest feat in railway construction that
the world has ever seen — in half the stipulated time,
having accomplished what was generally considered

I '

FIIOM THE TACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

147

at first to be not only impossible, but altogether
mad.

By finishing the rtailway in 188G the Canadian
l*acilic Company has given Canada five years' advan-
tage, and Avith tlie running of the first tlu'ough train
the benefit to the country, arising out of this new
' (Queen's Highway,' commenced.

It shouki, I think, be added that not ni did
the 'Syndicate' complete the railway i- ha "Jie
time agreed upon, but it has honoural)l- '>s -.arged
all its obligations to the Dominion GovernL.enL five
years before the debt was due. Part of : -!/i Govern-
ment indebtedness was paid in cash, and part in land,
the Government having agreed to take back portions
of the land granted in the original instance at iS'i'SO
per acre.

This latter arrangement has aroused a storm of
protests from the Opposition in the Dominion Parlia-
ment, who accuse Sir John ]\Iacdon{dd of liaving
treated the company with excessive generosity, the
Government having given altogether, in cash sub-
sidies and completed railways, something like
12,000,000^., whilst the land gift is equal, I suppose,
to about 5,000,000/. more.

But, as Sir Jolm Macdonaid said to me, ' when
we, in the first instance, gave the " Syndicate" the
2"), 000, 000 acres accorduig to the agreement entered
upon, our opponents accused us of giving land away

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148

THE QUEEX'S HIGHWAY

1, *

worth S2'bO iiii acre ; but now that wo liavc taken
the lahd back agaui at Si'^0 [)ci' acre, tlic cry is,
we have ^iven Si'cii) too miicli.'

Cana(han politicians will, no doubt, be able to
thresh this matter out to their satisfaction in due
course, and in their hands I nuist entirely leave
the political and financial aspects of the ([uestion.
But Canadians, generally, cannot forget that very
much is owing to Sir John Macdonald's Govern-
ment for the spirited efforts and great sacrifices
they have made in order to help the ' Syndicate '
through with an undertaking which has so distinctly
2)laced them abreast Avitli the times, and through
Avhich so nnich future prosperity will undoubtedly
come.

The saloon car on the ' Atlantic Express ' is a
marvel of elegance, as well as containing every con-
venience, even unto a bath-room. Travelling in it
is very comfortable ; and as one lolls at ease on the
stam})ed plush sofas, sipping a cup of delicious coffee
— real Java — the scenery and general surroundings
can be taken in without an effort.

^Ir. A^ui llorne was good enough to give me a
ireneral letter to the conductors and officials of the
railway, in Avliich he strictly enjoined them to show
me everything there was to be seen C7i route, and to
otherwise show me attention.

The American black train-conductor is not, as a

FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

11!)

rule, overburdened witli politeness, and he is not
given to putting liimself out for anybody — unless, of
course, he sees dollars in it. I'^vcn then he is not a
particularly nice animal, and his very look, as he
handles the metallic consideration with which you
have sought to purchase his aid and g(wd-will —
especially if he be a ' nig' with ' big ideas' — is one of
haughty condescension.

But a sight of the letter in my possession pro-
d'jced results little short of magical, and I had the
advantage of exceptional attention the whole of the
journey.

I was provided with a rosewood writing-table, at
which I sat hastily knocking off ' copy ' for the news-
papers with which I was corresponding ; but: I was
scarcely allowed a moment's rest. The nigger con-
ductor, in his anxiety to carry out the ' boss's '
instructions, was at my elbow almost the whole time
pointing out something which he thought I might
like to see. Every now and then it was ' See here,
mister, there's a mighty big mountain ;' or, ' I guess
them trees '11 take a lot o' beating ;' or, ' Them
cusses' (pointing to some Chinamen at Avork) 'ain't
no slouches at picking up the dollars.'

At last this ' say, mister ' became so frequent that
I almost regretted the possession of Mr. Van Home's
'open sesame,' and I had to beg of my informant to
leave me in peace, and to only point out such things

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150

TIIF, QUEEN'S IIKIIIWAY

as were ot exce[)

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iini)()rtance, leaving the rcHt

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From Port Moody to Vale he road passes
tliroiifj^h a good deal ot* varied scenery, not pnr-
tieidarly bold, but infinitely beautiful. Through
wild meadow lands and between low hills we wend
our way towards the rising sun, skirting in our
progress the great river whicli is such a source of

wealth to the province. Of cultivation tnere are
already some signs in the valleys, where small
farmers have pitched their tents, whilst fishing
villages here and there dot the Fraser's banks.

The warmth of a summer's day is full upon one,
but with the window open there comes in enough
cool air to make matters comfortable. Upon the
breeze there comes the smell of ripening grasses and
marsh flags, strong enough to be distinguished from
the scent of the pines, through forests of which we
pass again and again.

The coast range is just high enough to have a
sprinkling of white upon it ; whilst on the other
side of the border Mount liaker, majestic and snow-
clad, scintillates and glows in the bright rays of the
sun.

With gladsome springiness the ' Atlantic Ex-
press ' rushes through the broad river's valleys, or
laboriously climbs up the steep inclines overshadowed
by hanging rocks, from which burst sparkling water

FROM TIIK PACII'K; TO THE liOCKlKS

V)l

jots. Then tlio trees, liow truly si)l('ii(li(l tliey are!
With the exception of the bare roeks or mountain
lu'i<^iits \iir<rc timber growH evcrywhen;. They are a
si'i-ht in themselves. It is true they are neither so
distinctive nor so stupendously great as the ' big
trees' of California, but in liritish Columbia big
trees are not only hcn^ and there in limited groups,
but they are in general abundance.

The Northern l\icirtc in its Yoscmite Valley has
a show place to be proud of, but liritish Columbia
contains a series of Vosemite Valleys, each one
presenting additional charms.

At Yale the train approaches scenery on a
grander scale than that ab'cady passed.

Yale itself is so shut up by lofty peaks that it
seems at first sight to be absolutely impossible for a
train to make any further headway.

Wo are now in the Cascades, through the heart
of which rushes and surges the angry Fraser. For
nearly sixty miles we follow the great gorge, with
the beetling granite rocks hanging overhead, and the
turbulent waters rushing past us below with ever-
increa ng velocity.

There is no method of climbing the Cascades by
gradual accents, and a roadway has been cut out of
the solid rock parallel with the great canon of the
Fraser.

The train hugs the sides of these forbidding i' x'jvS,

:i-*"

152

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

IJi

leapinc^ over the intervening spaces by means of
trestle bridges, or daslies through tunnels bored
through the granite peaks. It is an exciting time
as we speed on our way ; for, at every turn, solid
mountain walls appear to be in front of us, and, as
we dash through the outlets; bored at the cost of
hundreds of thousands of dollars, we come out in
front of yawning chasms, where the Cascades have
worn away the ledges of rock. As we go over them
by means of the bridges thrown across, it seems as
if the rocks will give way and send us headlong into
the foamin"' and ra^-iniir ":orffe below, or that the
boulders which project hundreds of feet above us
will drop from their positions and crush us.

Six miles below Lytton a gulch, deeper and
broadci than any of the preceding ones, presents
itself. To cross it by an ordinary bridge would be
impossible, and a cantilever bridge, 96 feet above
low- water mark, has been constructed at a great cost
for the purpose.

As one crosses the brido:e a mai^nificent scene
presents itself in thus being suspended over the
surging, maddening river, increased in force by the
waters of the North Thompson Tviver, and with a
full view of the gloomy canon through which we
have passed.

At r.ytton, an early 'gold town,' which is reached
at 20.35 (T.o;') p.m.), the Thompson River enters

FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

153

the Frascr. The track then follows the canon of
the Thompson River, where similar wild scenery and
equally wonderful engineering feats are encountered.
By the time the express reaches Spence's ]^)ri(lge,
where the waggon road to the gold mines crosses to
the opposite side of the river, night has fallen. Savona
Ferry, at the foot of Lake Kamloops, a beautiful
stretch of water, is reached a little after midnight,
so nothing of the chaster scenery which is said to
distinguish this point can be seen.

Following the south bank of the lake, the thriving
town of Kaml'^ops, which is 238 miles from Port
Moody, is reached at two o'clock. The town of Kam-
loops, meaning in the Indian language ' the meeting
of the waters,' is opposite the junction of the North
and South Thompson, and is the centre of a rich
ranching district ; but at two a.m. the weary passengers
have occupied their ' sections,' or portions thereof,
and are for the most part fast asleep. I cannot,
therefore, describe the surrounding country, which
I understand consists of valleys producing nutritious
'bunch grass,' through which the rivers run and en-
twine, with a back and foreground of bordering hills.

Kamloops has a poi)ulation of about 700, and,
with the exception of Yale, is the only station of
importance we have stopped at during our run of
238 miles from the sea ; for the majority of the
places at which we called were stations but in name,

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154

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

no passengers, as a rule, eitiier getting in or getting out
at them. There are twenty-two stations in all, each
one possessing an odd name, between Port Moody and
Kamloops ; and it is to be hoped that they will in the
future furnish both passengers and goods, instead of,
as now, being chiefly places of call for the purpose
of taking in water and fuel.

The region from Savona to Shuswap Lake is the
great interior platean lying between the Cascades and
tlie gold mountains, and it is, I believe, a fine
ranching countr3^

At five o'clock the ' nig ' apprises me of the fact
that it is time to get up. I speedily dress, and take
in the charming scenery that ' Salmon Arm ' as
seen in the early morning light aff'ords. Bird life is
seen in abundance. The duck and teal are thick
upon the swamps,, and the plovers take to flight Avitli
a shrill pec-wit over the reeds as the train disturbs
them. Blood-seeking mosquitoes are already on the
wing, and, as the morning advances, they fill the saloon
with their bus}- hum. Forest fires add to the red
glow of the new-born sun. In the district through
which we are now passing forest fires have been
very frequent, in some cases impeding, and in one
instance entirely stopping, the traffic.

Grand as is the sight — especially at night — of a
forest on fire, there is something truly saddening
about it.

FEOM THE PACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

155

I have seen these fires from their very commence-
ment, and have been struck with the rapidity with
wliich tliey progress in their course of destruction
when once the timber has ignited.

There is, we will say, a glow of fire amongst the
brushwood and dried leaves at the foot of a jjiji-antic
pine ; then a slight breeze fans the embers, sparks
fly, and a jet of flame bursts forth. With a sharp
crackle the tender twirls of the underoTowth and the
dried fallen branches are immediately ablaze. A
moment later a circle of fire is round the tree's base,
burniio- its bark and dcvourinn; its roots. Then,
like a;i electric flash, a tongue of flame darts np its
resinous sides, gathering ferocity as it advances,
imtil its topmost branches are reached. Crackle!
crackle ! sounds upon the air as the dried spurs feed
the tire, or a shrill agonised hiss ! hiss ! as the
green wood writhes and splutters in the flame's
embrace.

Now the pine is enveloped in fire, and it roars
and groans as the fiery tongues find their Avay into
the cracks in its bark. ]5y this time the topmost spurs
and branches are reached, the rising wind scattering
them in clouds of ashes and burnino; embers over the
forest. The roots have almost succumbed, and, Avith
the force of the wind, the tree staggers and bends,
staggering and bending more and more as the roots
snap one after the other, and the increasing blasts

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150

THE QUEEN'S HIGinVAY

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shake its foimdations. See, it is toppling — ah ! it is
clown ; and, with a terrific crash, the tree measures
its lengtli of 300 feet upon the charred and blazing
sward. With the fall billions of sparks fly upwards,
and the air is filled with dust and ashes.
"' A similar scene is enacted in another spot, and
splendid pines, hemlocks, and cedars fall a quick prey
to the demon fire-kino;.

The destruction of animal life in these forest fires
is very great. Bears rush hither and thither, side by
'^ side with the timid deer ; and the bloodthirsty
coujiar, haun-inii: out his tonofue, runs in terror from
. the flames, oblivious of the fact that his natural prey,
"^ the moose-deer, is close at hand seized with a like
^' agony of dread. Birds fall blackened and dead upon
^- the ground. For them there is no safety in flight ;
^ they either lose their way in the smoke, or rush
J blindly into the devouring flames.

Creeping things and burrowing animals find no
■ shelter in their holes. The ground is red-hot, and
they would bake where they lay within. So, creeping
- out, they find themselves enveloped in a circle of
flame, and meet their fate accordingly.

.In such fires there is but little hope for any living

' thiiig that comes within their range.

,:> The smoke from tlie burning trees naturally

*obs;.',urcs, in a great measure, the view, and the fires

'-lire contimious \w a considerable distance alon^: the

<■■

/La a I
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FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

157

line ; but by the time the Eagle Pass is reached the
smoke has disappeared.

There is a romance attached to the finding of
this pass, which will bear retelling.

In 1865 an expert named Walter Mobcrley had
been sent out by the Provincial Government to search
for a Avaggon route. After searching for some time
without success he was about to give up the searcli
in despair, when he one day noticed an eagle flying
up one of the narrow and unpromising valleys near
Lake Shuswap, and following the direction taken by
the bird he discovered the only pass leading through
the Gold rano-e, which otherwise is an unknown
v/all of mountains. This he called the Eagle Pass,
and by that name it has been known ever since.

The ■ scenery in the Gold range is rugged and
broken, but it is by no means so grand as that in
the Selkirks and the Kockies. Although the moun-
tains of this range are not very high, some o' them
jire snow-clad, and shine like burnished goL n the
rays of the sun. Nature could not have [)«)ssibly
been more accommodating than it has in the matter
of providing a road-bed for the railway thr igli these
mountains. The gradients through this natural pass
arc not nearly so heavy as in other places ; and. ^.-v
following the rocky border of the Eagle Kivcr, m aiy
a difficult engineering feat has been avoided. _^

Eagle Pass station is reached at 8.25, and r^iugleu

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TlIK (^'EENS HIGHWAY

or Crai<:^'elliicliie, wliere the lust spike was driven by
Sir Donald A. Smitli, on Xovenibei* 7 of last year,
has been ])ass('d an hour and a hali' hrfbre.

At Kivelstoki; we cross over what is called the
' Second Crossini:; ' of the Coluiubia by a brid^'e close
upon a mile Inn^-. Here, with its broad expanse of
water and curiously notched baidvs, a charming'
picture is presented.

Twenty miles further on the train halts at Albert
Canon station. The canon itself is one of the most
fascinatin;:: sii;iits alon^' tlio line. Picture an im-
mense iissurc in the; rocks throuu'h which the I'iver
suddenly bursts, ibrniing' a cataract 200 feet hi^ij-h, the
li'cr eventually flowing,' b< tween a iiarrow channel
of rocks, so narrow that the water churns and
foams, and laji'es and twists, in it^ vain endeavours
to be free.

JUici'l.'waet is tlie next stati.)n. Illicillcwaet,
mcanin^U' ' ragini^' waters,' is tlie name of the river
^vhich dadies down the ravine throu<^'li which the
railway runs. This ravine presenis many I'ugged
scenes, and it has been a most diificult route to follow,
the torrent having to be crossed several times (I
forget how many) wiiih;t the train is fighting its way
upwards. At one o'clock the train is in the heart of
the glaciers, and the grandest scenery of all c< ines in
view. Here it is that the engineering leafs, vrhich
are the wonder of the radway world, have been accon

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plished, consisting of a series of loo[>a l)y which the
niountuina arc ascended and descended.

As one ascends, tlic swinst pnrencss of the moun-
tain air invigorat,<^s and ius[)ires oj^i,-. (daricrs are
about everywhere, rising one above tli" otlier, notched
and carved by the elements into weird and fantastic
shapes. So close are some of thi'se '.(lacI'Mv that, as
tlie train groaningly proceeds liighrr and higher, it
seems as if you could reach out of thr window and
touch the glassy surface of their frozen caps or
ji'listening sides.

The scenery for some time past had been pre-
paring one for what was to come, but not a single
person in the train for one moment anticipated any-
thing one hundredth part so chaste and lovely as the
view afforded from the halting-place in the midst of
the glaciers.

Towering 11,000 feet towards the jky is the
Syndicate Mountain, the birthplace of the turbulent
lllicillewaet, whilst alongside are other glaciers, equal
to it in grandeur if not in height. Below is a valley
fresh and green, with a rushinu' river cuttinir it in
twain. There is not a house, not a sino-le siirn
of cultivation as yet in this valley, but in a very
little while villas will find shelter on its slopin^*"
sides, and cattle will meaner amongst its waving
grasses.

It is possible, however, the Government may turn

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160

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

it into a national park, and save it from the dese-
crating liand of man.

There is already an hotel, consisting of a disused
saloon carriage, located in the glaciers ; but the rail-
way company purpose erecting a connnodious house
on its site for the use of passengers, and Mr. Van
Home tells me that donkeys and guides will be
provided for those who wish to ascend the moun-
tains. '

As a sunnner resort tliere is no more charminjr
or perfect spot in the whole of North America than
this centre of the glacier district.

Mr. J^ucius O'iirien, I'resident of the Royal Cana-
dian Academy, was staying at the ' Glacier Hotel '
when I was there, busily engaged on a set of pictures
of the district. He was, from an artist's point of
view, in raptures over the scenery ; but he appeared
to be highly regretful at not having brought his rifle
with him, as bears were in sufficient numbers to
cause him uneasiness when going out on a lonely
sketching expedition. Mr. O'Brien is one of Canada's
greatest artists, and somethin'i; special from his brush
may be safely expected.

A propos of bears, there is no end of sport in the
neighbourhood ; moose-deer and horned sheep are in
plenty, whilst small deer are to be met with iii con-
siderable numbers.

When the new Glacier Hotel has been built and

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FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

161

e(iiu[)ped, sportsmen as well as tourists will, I sup-
pose, crowd thither, and one of the loveliest spots
on God's earth will soon be in a fair way of bein^-
completely vulgarise<l.

As the train leaves the Glacier valley, which is a
twenty-four hours' journey from the Pacific, it slowly
proceeds to make its entrance into the heart of the
Selkirks by means of what is called IJogers' Pass.
This pass through the great mountain range was
discovered l)y the veteran engineer A. ]>. Rogers in
1(S83, and it took two years of hardship and self-
denial before he was successful. The Indians, I
believe, denied the existence of any such pass,/ and
jMoberley, who, it will be remembered, discovered
the ' Eagle Pass,' gave up the matter after repeated
attempts as hopeless. The i:>ass is apparently walled
in with giant snow peaks and ice-clad mountains,
and it is next to a marvel how Rogers found the
Qif trance after all.

Just as we enter the pass a magnificent view is
afforded of the glaciers behind, with their stately
peaks rising several thousand feet above the railway,
and their carved fronts and notched sides suggesting
exaggerated shapes of known and unknown aniuuils,
of saints and demons, and castellated walls and fairy
palaces. The ' Old Witch,' with her snow-white frills
and huge night-cap, glowers at the ' Hermit ' and his
dog as they contemplatively gaze at the ' southdowns '

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iK'jK'cfulIv urn/inuf on a UmW overlianmnu; a jjla-
cicr's precipitous side. IMount Ilcniiit is the second
lii^lii'st of the two <,n'eat peaks between wliieh the
I lain runs in foHowiniif the •!:orf;;e whicli forms the
pass, it iK'ini^' about 4,1)00 feet hi<^"li.

In th(! Selkirks and in tlie Gohl range when 1
])assed througli armies of men were busily engaged
in ei'eering snow-sheds, in order to guard against
<huuag(* from the -winter's inevitable snow slides.
I'l'cvious observation had informed tiic engineers of
the line where to erect these sheds, such sheds being
])laced wherever a 'slide' presented itself on the face
of the mountain. The sheds as constructed would
ahord complete innnunity from danger or obstruction,
as the train would i>'o under them as throu<»'h a tun-
ncl, the avalanclie of snow shootino; harmlessly over
the top of them.

There are enough wonders to attract the attention
until evening falls, and long ])eforc the day is well
spent you are Avcaried with seeing so much.

J tried to see as much as 1 could, and to note
down my impressions of what I saw at the time of
seeing them ; but I have no doubt that I left un-
noticed much that I ought to have noticed, and have
left unre[)orted much that ought to have been re-
ported.

lint I am sure the reader will pardon me if I
confess to having lelt tired after thirty-two hours of

cac
th

FROM THE PACinC TO THE ROCiaES

in.s

travelling?, out of ^vhich four-and- twenty hours wore
occupied in beinj? on the look-out. Hut there are
several imiJortant features still to be described before
the second day's record is closed.

Every rock as we j)r()ceed on oiu* w Jiy, alVer euter-
inji' Ivoo'ers' Pass, seems to have its own torrent, and
each torrent appears to have its own way of reaching
the river. Some do it methodically, and without fuss,
gettin<? to their goal no doubt as quickly as those
which appear to be in such a tremendous hurry, j
Others are all bustle and excitement, all froth and
foam ; and the smaller they are, the more fussy and
desirous of attracting attention they seem to be.
Some of these mountain streams have not the faintest
notion of going straight, and they meander this way
and that way, dividing and subdividing, losing force
and character every yard they go ; whilst not a few
of them — especially the turbulent children of the icy
glaciers towering high above the gulch — seem to go
out of their course out of pure ' cussedness.' Here they
leap to the right when they might have gone straight
on, simi)lv because a boulder miirht be loosened, and

curve

illy toppled

ley

larp

to the left when they might have kept on to the right,
all for the desire to sap the strength out of a fet^ble
dwarf spruce which a snow slide has spared.

Then there are the merry streams which sing as
they go, rii)pling and splashing in the vigour of their

!, • V;'
I'm'

r, •■>

ii!

it '

-•. /

\:'\
V

*:•'

101

THE QUEENS IlKillWAY

joy, tlic sun striking tlicir spray, (illing tlicm witli
bright prisniiitic rays. Sad streams, too, whicli never
murmur or ripple, liavc place in these mountain wills.
They appear to avoid the sun, and when his warmth
falls on them they apparently give no response, being
too wrapped up in their silent grief. They seem to
liave abojit them all the chilliness of tli(^ glaciers to
which they owe their birth, jroiny; out into the world
with the determination to be sad, and seeking in
their courses the deepest clefts in which to glide mi-
noticed and unseen ; and so they join the river below,
where they get warmed into life, and where the tur-
bulent and boisterous, the staid and the blithesome,
find a common level in the general churn of the on-
flowing waters towards the sea.

These torrents, especially in the I'eaver Canon,
have created gi-eat difficulties for the engineers. One
of the i>Teat sights of the railway is the brid^i^e crossin*:^
the Stony Creek Canon. This is said to be the
highest timber railway bridge in the world. It is 290
feet high and 450 feet long, being supported upon
iil)rights built up from either side of the gulch over
which it is carried.

This structure is, to say the least, startling ; and

e, one breathes more f

perfectly

when the train reaches the other side ; the idea of
toppling over into the boiling cataract hundreds of
feet below is not a j)leasant one. There is yet another

>A,

never
ivilds.
iirinth
being
em to
crs to
world
ng in
ile un-
below,
jc tiir-
icsome,
the on-

Canon,
One
irossing
be the
t is 290
1(1 upon
Ich over

ur ; and

in '

re freely

idea of

I reds of

lanotber

' 'ilv

iff

■ : '.■ .1*1 1

- ', ij

.'f 1

1 5".

;t^

il'

opp

FROM TIIK PACIFIC TO Tlin ROrKIFS l(i;»

• >

5,.''
i

bridge of a like character, only uot .so high, to he got
over when Monntain Creek is reached. This bridge
is 170 feet high and (100 feet long. ^

Havin<»" u'ot safely throiij'h Rogers' Pass and over
IJeaver Cafion by means of a natural gateway, the
train apjiroaehes what ia tenned the First Crossing
of Columbia's ' Wvx !>< iid.' the river being crossed
opposite Donald, where ends the western section olV
the '(Queen's Ilighwiiy.' The bridge has an eleva-^
tion of forty li'et, and as the ti'nin winds over it
niagniticent views of I lie river are to be had on botli
sides. The river riiu.- with great swiftness past this
point, fed by the numerous torrents which fall into
it. Parts of the C'oliunbia remind me very much of
the Rhine and the Hudson, 'illliough the background
of mountains, if lacking tiic romantic associations
of the one and the piu'j !e warmth of the other, is
decidedly finer. — -^

With the ci'cssing of tiie Columbia wc have put
two hours between us and the Selkirks, and the train
speeds along the valley towards the fjunous Kicking
Horse Pass, the road through the Rockies.

We stop a few minutes at an unpretentious station
with a pretentious name, viz. ' Golden City.' I am
sorry to think it, and still sorrier to say so, but
Golden City appears to me to he on its last legs,
and how it has supported itself so long must, I should
imagine, be a complete mystery to all concerned.

i (

!\1

H^.i:

1:1

«;<;

Tin: (/I'KKNS UK III WW

At otic tiiiir unid was roiniil tll('l'«'. l)llt so I..IIM-
Sl^'o lllllt 11(1 (»lic ill tlic |.l;icc !l|)|»cMrs to kiKiW ullcli ;

Mild Millie aiiihifioiis individual in coiiscijucncc nnvo
it tlic iiaiiM- it now hears. Its ll.rtiiiies arc .scarcely
cvcf likely to cliaiiuc Ixit its n.-iiiie in all |.rol)al)iIitv
will, li>i' it cannot \>r iiLireeaMc to its inliahitants. few
tlioii^li they arc, to hear the town rell-rivd to in
teriiis oi" n.irlh. and ol'teii in iroiiv. hv e\-er\ tiasver
hv.
i I'or downriiiht riiL^iicd awfiiliiess there is notliinn-
on the whole of ilie Canadian I'aeirn; llailwav to
c(|iiiii tlic KickiiiH- llorM' Pa>s. In i|„. narrow canon
which the train enters there Iiai'dly aj»|»ears to l)c
room for the railway and t'n luihulent waters of the
' Kicking;- Hor.x',' and. as we Lii-oaniniilv ascend, it
seems almost impossihle that the Irain can lor lono-
kccji the track. I.ni that, in due cour-^ we imi>,t he
j)recipitatcd into liie eha>ni hejow. Njow is the i)ro-
«;rcss we make in <;oin.i;' round the cui'ves cut oul of
the solid rock, and ^•.•in^u'erly we lecl our way across
tlic bridges spanning- the narrow lissure in the i-ockv
bed, whci-c surges the boiJinn- water. The bectlim;'
sides of till' canon Irown down upon u>^, casting dark
shadows in our track, whilst the tiuinels thromdi
vlii

which wc slowly pass now and a
shut out the liuht. The tow

ii'am com

plctely

ei-nm- monntains oive
buck with increased shrillness the oft-soundin"- whistle

of the enmne, Avhilst the uroanii

igs and [)utlin«^-s of

:■•■['.

INK InWI'.K KK K1\(,I|()KSI

< \\n\

t i.

: ' . i"

m
ml

A jr.

'J ..

the sti
di.stiiic

All
prcci|)i(

TIk
osity i
howGvc
forciiii'
lor it, t'
oft' port
fill linn- ]

arc fro(j
siirmno-
loos

se ; n
l)ices, w
incroasos
lias been

Slow
western j
caiisino:
awful th
peaks cal
their piiri

As tl
falls like
backgrou
ness of tl
fiendish r

•J.

FROM THE rACIFIC TO THE ItOCKIES

1G7

tlic strainiiiii' locomotives reverberate with a straiu^e
di.stiiictness.

All is soiiibrc-hued and forbidding, the riin-ncd
precipices not only shutting out light but warmth.

Tlie roar of the water, as with increasing inipcru-
osity it rushes past us, is almost deafening. It is,
however, a li'rand sisrht, this foamino", roarinL!,' river
forcing its way through a channel much too nai-row
for it, tearins: down immense boulders and wasliiiiL;:
off portions of the rock in its course. Tlie ei'ash of
fallinii: boulders and the rattle of descendini"' stoiK^-^
arc frecpiently lieard high, above the turmoil (jf the
sunjino: torrent. It is inst as if hell's flood were k't
loose ; a)id the torn character of some of tlic ])reci-
pices, with the rugged mass of fallen rocks below,
increases the impression that some diabolic agency
has been at work. y

Slowly the sun sinks behind us, blood-red in the
western sky, tinging the torrent with its setting hues,
causing the surroundings to appear more grandly
awful than before. The snowy tops of the highest
peaks catch some of the lire of the expiring sun, and
their pure Avhiteness seems as if streaked with blood.

As the sun o-ets shut out, a o'ruesome dai'kness
falls like a mantle over the scene. The ii're\-l'ia( k
background only serves to increase the ghastly white-
ness of the foaming water, which seems to rise with
fiendish readiness to the occasion by splashing higher

I .•

•I

■Wr

1()'8

TIIK (QUEENS HIGHWAY

and higher nji'ainst the rocky walls, and plung'ing
with increased I'urce forward over its boulder-strewn
course.

Jt is as if there were a bli^'ht upon the region,
and as if the river were workini; out the conditions
of some terrible curse. Nature has apparently for
ages past done nothing but frown upon both river
and ])ass. Siie has revenged herself upon the former
by lilHng its bed with rocks, and upon the latter by
letting the river tear it and lash it on both sides in
its m;id rage in being thus impeded in its race to the
]*acilie.

Tlie tind)er — where timber there Is — is stunted
and scraggy, and for lack of nourishm(3nt and warmth
many of the trees have bid good-bye to this world,
whilst those that remain l(>ok consumptive and ghost-
like, ready victims to the fierce blasls v\hieh in winter
.-\vee[) dowji the rocky >id(, -. j-^vcn the st:rnb a[)])ears
Jishauied to be seen, and will liid(! its dwai'fed limbs
behind a]iy IjouMf.'r that oiiV-is itself. Flowers and
it'i'iis seem to have no ])lac(' there, it being apparently
.1 i>art (^i' (h(- curse that nothinii' should ii'row that

1 or?

would alford warmth, colour, or freshness to the
harsl) n'l'e'/ erne's.

The ' Kicking Horse Pass ' has a world of romance
in it, yet the origin of its name is anything but
romantic. It occurred in this way : a member of one
of the surveying parties got kicked by a horse whilst

I^IJM*-

THE LOWER KICKINGHORSE RIVER.

■

«!

FROM THE rACIFIC TO THE ROCKIES

169

surveying the route, and, in memory of the event,
gave the pass the name that it now bears.

I have never heard the Indian name of the pass,
although the Indians attach, I understand, some
mystic importance to the river, and, in order to
appease its wrath, will cast in sticks and stones and
sometimes provisions.

Trees float upon the stream as if attracted thither
by some fell magnetic influence. In one place a
huge pine had, after being carried some distance on
the flood, caught in the jagged rocks, holding on as
if nothing could dislodge it. The waters surged
round it and over it, played with it and splashed it,
casting sprays of white foam high up in the air.
These were, however, only preliminary efl'orts con-
ceived in a Puck-like spirit preparatory to gathering
strength for a final effort. Eventually it came ; with
an increased roar the gathering torrent dashed itself
against the tree. There was a creak, a splitting
sound, and the mighty trunk was lifted clean over
the boulders, and the last I saw of it was being
swiftly carried on tow\ards the sea bruised and
splintered, shivering and shrinking, whilst tongues of
surging water kept side by side with it as if to jeer
at it and defy it.

Every storm has its calm, and the turbulent Kicking
Horse has its placid lake, which is passed in dark-
ness, for by the time the train has got through the

"* It

.-.It H

'J i

170

TIIK i^UKKN'S lIKillWAY

pass all tlio colour has gone out ot'tlie sky, juid iii^-jit
is closing- in, so that Mount Stephen, tlie suiniiiit of
the railway in rlie Ivockies (this mountain, named
al'tcr Sir George Ste[)hen, the president of the C. P. !{.,
is supposed to be 1(),S()() feet liigh). and tlic s])ires
of Cathc(h'al IMountain can only he seen by the lin-ht
of the moon, but the effect,' as tlie soft rays phiy
upon the mountain's snowy peaks, isbeautifid l)ey()n(l
descrii)tion. One seems to have ascended to fairy-
land after visiting the netlicriuost world.

Banff, the Yellowstone Park of Canada, is 504 miles
from the Pacific, and 2,342 miles west of ]\[ontreal, and
is reached at an early hour in the morning — too early
by far, in fact, to see anything of the scenery ; but the
j)assenger desirous of testing the medicinal qualities
of its sulphuric baths, or of roaming amongst the
natural beauties of the place, could get off at IJanff
station bv iiivini>" instructions to the conductor to
call him in time, and he would undoubtedly be highly
gratiiied at having done so. If he were not then
he would be less than human, for round about Banff'
the views are perfectly delightful, Avhilst Banff itself
lies (or rather will lie, for at present there are only a
few log huts) in a rouumtic glen. From the moun-
tain heights there stretches out a series of panoramic
views which have not their equal in pouit of colour
and diversity anywhere in the Rockies. Glaciers are
all around one, whilst winding along its pebbly bed,

i !

lb''!

like a na
to the (
masses o
relief, iu
siiowstii
taiice ris
sun sti'i
what is
reality a
is the r
valley to
mense si
in gii^'anl
range of
the hjo-h
above th
and is a
Columbij

The «
but n'liste
a striking

Casca
and sparl
ioininjj w
Ghost St]
1 liver's si

From
burst fori

•■ *i irMii

I'lto.M Till') I'ACiriU TO TIIK IMK^KIKS

171

like a narrow <^\v.v,n ribbon, <(0('s tbo How River out
to tbe cast, and so on to lliulson's IJay. (nvat
masses of distinctly stratified rock stand out in bold
relief, in some instances the carvin«rby Nature's hand
siiooostinii" the work of tlie architect. In the dis-
tance rises Castle Mountain's pinnacled top, with the
sun striking- its castellated walls, su^'ucstinj;' that
what is marked on your map as a mountain is in
reality a mauuuoth castle 4,UU0 feet high, so perfect
is the representation. Following the Bow Kiver
valley towards its source, the eye encounters an im-
mense snow-])cakcd mountain standing sentinel-like
in gigantic relief as if guarding the ])ass through the
range of which he is king. This is Mount Lefroy,
the highest point of tlie Ivockies, being (J, (500 feet
above the railway, and ll,()r)(S feet above sea level,
and is a portion of the range which divides British
Coluud)ia from the North- West Territories.

The Cascade Mountain, deathly white in shadow,
but ii'listeninsr i»T)ld-like where the sun warms it, forms
a striking picture by itself.

Cascades formed by the melting glaciers foam
and sparkle as they dash down the mountain- sides,
joining with the waters of the Devil's Creek and the
Ghost Stream in the general desire to swell the Bow
1 liver's shallow depths.

From the Sulphur Mountain the healing waters
burst forth, and medicinal springs bubble from out

'Ml

,.,,);

:•'!

y\:'^

It i

172

TllK QUKEN'.S lIRillWAY

■ " '(
4 I

of the earth at your feet, whilst tlierc is a <,n'eennoH.s
about tiie W(jo(l,s and a fresiniess in the air most
•••ratiiyinj^' to the eye and invigoratin;[( to the body.

There are natural eaves in thi; nei<^hbourhood,
and in tiieni are natural baths. The water in one of
them is about 7')° ol" heat, and is so buoyant that
it is impossible for a human Ijody to sink in it.
Vou may push a person under, it is true ; but so
soon as the superinii)ose(l weight is removed, up he
co.'ncs again like a eork.

A short time back, so the story goes, Premier
Norquay of Manitoba was taking a dip in one of
nature's warm baths, when one of his political op-
ponents saw in the occasion an 'Excellent opportunity
of testing the vaunted buoyancy of the water ; so,
creeping upon the Premier unawares, he pushed him
down with all his force, political animosity lending
strength to his efforts. Down went Mr. Norquay
as far as his shoulders, when, with a wriggle, he was
free, and up he came again, with that bland and
cheerful smile u[)on his face so much admired by the
Manitobans, striking dismay into the heart of his
assailant, who beat a hasty retreat.

l.»anff has a wonderful supply of water — hot, tepid,
cold, and icy. The Upper Springs supply, I believe,
the greatest volume of water, it being computed that
there flows from the orifice through which the springs
bubble fully half a million gallons per hour.

lliT-i

ACROSS TFIE OPKX PllAIIlIK

ir. ACKnss TIIK Ol'FX rUAIItlK.

17.T

The train (IcsccmkIs tlic eastern slope hy tin; l»<)\v
Jiiver, and soon •'•ots into the ranchini^ conntry,
]»asHin<j; Cainnorc with its <j^Mar(liMn ' witclics ' l)y t\\o
Avay. Tlicso quaint tii^niros aro carved by the oh'nKMits
out of the snn<l rocks, and, standing;' as they do (juite
ahinc on the sandy jtlateau, they present a distinctly
weird and fantastic appearance.

Calj^ary, the capital of the district of Alberta, is
ei«^"hty miles from Itanlf, and is the head of the great
ranching country. Senator Cochrane is the biggest
rancher in the neiiihbourhooil, and is alike famous for
the excellence of his cattle and the extensivencss of
Ills enterprises. To the senator 1 am indebted for
considerable informiition in connection with the
ranching di.-tricts.

It is a pity that Calgary is passed so early in
the morninir, foi' it is one of the most— if not the
most — beautifully situated towns in the whole of the
North-west.

British Columbia was left behind in the night on
passini:: throujjh the Klckin<2: Morse Pass, and it will
be days before the through passenger's eyes alight
upon mountains and forests, wood and lakes, in the
course of his iournev further east.

The country round about Calgary is admirably
suite! for ranching purposes, and the excellence

4''i

J-

■:'■ ■ (

K: '

f, I

171

TIIK (,)U1:K\S IIKIinVAY

of the rniKuliiin pastuivs over those on thv Amoriran

1(> 1

KIS UK

liiivd

many Aincncan ranchors to cross

tlu' hordi'i's witli their herds, so that the business is
in a lair way of hecinnini;' cncrdone,

Tlie \va((>r is j)urer, tlie hunch i;'rass is more
nutritious, and llie country i;enerally IVi'sher in tlie
Alherta (hstrict than in llie more easti'rn portions of
the vast Norlli-west. Tlie corn-o'roAvin!'" (Hstricts
hei;in ;it Keui,ina, tlie capital of the Xorth-West Terri-
tory, and it is expected that with the influx of
ranchers with tluir cattle the i^'ra/inu; country will
he considerahly extcMided in the direction of tlie

ital.

As the ])assenLi'cr awaki>s in the moruinii,' he finds

cai)i

•If

umseii on lue oi)en prau'ie, and tu(! sio-

ht.

after

coiunii;; throuii'h so much mountauious scenery, is
a strani!,e one ; hut after tlie first period of curiosity
the scene wearies him, and he finds little in i>ractically
unvaried views to interest him the whole of the
journey across the plains.

A li'ood deal of the iHinntry in the earlier stai>"es
presented a most nu'lanchol)' picture. The around
seemed parched up or blackened with burnt grass.
Nothiiii;' was lirecn. and but little apjtanMitly was
ali\c. I was toKl that the season this year had been
an exce[)tionally dry one, but, allowinii; for this, the
u,Tcater part of the, ivLi;ion had the a)>pearance of
being sour, barren, and unju'ofitable.

AC'lIOSS TIIK orKN ri:AII!IE

( •>

I nni, lunvovcM'. assured that the soil is iu)t
iiatiirallv slorilo ; and Trofossor Macoim, who is an

authority on such matters, si-uMitilu-ally cxphuns
away tlic causes oi' tlic l)akc(l aspi^ct of tlic 0(Mintr\'.
Wo arc to undorstaiul that evil iiillucnccs have hecn
ojiorating" upon the surface of the land lor ai;"es past,

•hii't' of which was the heat of tlu^ (Julf of

]\lexic(^ home hy the winds therefroui, and losiui;,'
th(>ir moisture while ])assini»; over the heated sand
])lains lyino- between the (lulf ;nid Canachi.' Aetini;

•li

ujion tins conclusion, riie ]>roi(>ssor, we art> uiloruiei

luade an experiment, and heneath the hardeuiHl
surface was found earth i)oss(>ssini'- in a hii>h dcixreo
ihe constituent el(>nu'nts of tlu> hest soil.

The Canadian Pacilic IJailway authorities also

made some exjuMMuients ni connection ther(>\villi, am
I am told that it was ahundantly prov(>d that for
coru-ii'rowinu,' ])urposes the soil was all that could he

(lcsire(

This may he so. and it is ]>ossil)Ie that the Culf of
I\lexico and the Chinook winds have much to ;inswer
for in thus hermetically sealiiiu' iij) the soil — takiin;"
away its character, as it wer(> ; hut. with all defertMice
to the scientilic exjicrts and railway mai;nates, tho

loni'' as I could

secure

land Would he none of uiiuc

a secliiui of i^doil land c>lsewherc.

It is piM'fcctly correct that, as comj)ariMl with the \
I'liited States. Canada has no reallv 'had lands' to

', y:

'1^

ji,;

17(5

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

./.

sj)ejik of, but that she has a good deal of indifferent
hind no one can deny ; and Canada's best friends
must aduiit tliat a great portion of sucli land lies
in the North-West Territories.

The })rairic through which one is now passing
presents, as I have said, a dreary appearance. It
looks for all the world as if some omnipotent being
had taken whole sections of tlie Rocky Mountains,
and, after grinding them to })ieces in savage fury,
had handed them to the Chinook winds to scatter
in cruel wantonness over the surrounding country.

Nothing seems to care to live on these i)lains, in

//spite of the advantages afforded by the opportunities
of limitless selection. Perhaps it is that the Gulf of
Mexico's hot breath and the biting Chinook winds
are not ap})reciatcd ; anyhow, scarcely a living thing
of any kind is to be seen. The buffaloes, of course,
have long since disappeared, there not being one
sinule wild herd in the whole of the Dominion,
although there are heaps of whitened bones scattered
over the prairie in all directions telling of their whole-
sale destruction. Once the plains — and only a few
years back, too — were literally black with buffalo
herds, but they have been exterminated with a
savao'crv, bv white man as well as by red, that
affords no sort of excuse.

' Of bird life there was scarcely a vestige, although
I did on one occasion see a solitary specimen. It

ACROSS THE OPEN PRAlIJIi;

177

H-
-.:•]!

was a large white one, and had apparently lost its
way, or had purposely left more fertile quarters
possessed with the idea of committing suicide by a
process of slow starvation. It flew about most dis-
consolately, and it could he seen at a glance that the
bird in its utter loneliness was supremely unhappy.
The last I saw of it was distinctly courting death
at the hands of a man who had charge of a ' round-
house,' by flapping within easy gunshot of the
building, and it is to be hoped that the man satisfied
its longings and put it out of its misery.

The only kind of animal life to be seen were some
hungry-looking gophers, and these were in abun-
dance. ]>ut these gophers will thrive anywhere, their
one object in life being to live and multiply in order
to maintain their character as an insufferable })est.
Gophers are to the Canadian farm what the rabbit is
to the Australian squatter and the squiri'el rat to tin;
Indian ryot. They will devour everything devoui'-
able that comes within their reach, and in pure
wantonness destroy eveiything that comes between
them and the object of their hunger. With appetites
keenly set they never seem to know when they have
had enough, and it would puzzle all the poor law
guardians in the world to decide Avhat quantity of
food would be sufficient for a gojdicr. In addition
to being mischievous they are supremely impudent,
and whilst the farmer is threshing his corn they

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178

Tin-] QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

t ^

will, with consummate effrontery, devour the choicest
grains in full view of the irate tiller of the soil.,
r~Gophers ahvays live on the best, and their notions
( of selection are as remarkable as they are disastrous.
Much of the bad language current in the North-west
is ascribable to the gophers, and I have known the
most exemplary formers in a moment remember a
long list of long-forgotten ' cuss words ' at the very
sight of a gopher.

At one of the wayside stations I saw an amusing
scene between a gopher and an Indian.

The ' brave ' had noticed a gopher go into a hole,
so creeping on his stomach along the ground, he
cautiously approached the hole, knife in hand.

Ikit the cunning animal had two entrances to its
abode, and when the Indian held his knife over the
front door, as it were, it poked its nose out of what
served as the back door, preparatory to making a
dash for it. But the ' brave ' was wary, and with
marvellous quickness he, with a turn of his wrist,
sent his knife flying in the direction of that nose.
He was not, however, quick enough, for the gopher
backed into its hole, emitting a squeak of discomfi-
ture. In another moment it was cautiously looking
out of the other entrance, when the 'old buck' made
for him again.

]>y this time the scene had become quite exciting,
and it was evident that unless the gopher lay still

^ V' V /,

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ACROSS THE OPF.N rUAIK'IE

170

until the Indian dni^ it out, it had quite as u'ood a
chance of ott'ectinij; an escape as the Indian had of
transfixini>- it.

The ' hrave ' was nndouhtedly Ininii'ry and im-
patient, and was apparently desirous of securinn- the
gopher for liis breakfast. On tlie other liand, tiie
gopher was fat and prosperous, and evidently liad no
desire to he nuide a meal of. P)ut eventually human
skill got tlie best of it, and as I Avas leaving 1 saw
the knife flash through the air. there Avas a shrill
squeak, and the gopher lay pinncnl to the earth, and
with sundry grunts of supreme satisfaction the Indian
departed with his spoil.

The Indian had certainly earned his breakfast, but
whether the game was worth the candle I, not having
partaken of gopher, cannot say. The natives say he
is good eating if somewhat ' tasty ' ; but the Avhite
man turns up his nose with severe displeasure if you
ask his opinion upon the subject.

I can understand gophers thriving and waxing
fat in the rich corn-fields further east, but how they
manage to live, much less put on fat, m these liard-
baked, stone-strcAvn regions is a mystery to me. It
Avould be interesting to know whether the hot air of
the Gulf of Mexico and the Chinook winds have a
fattening: influence.

There are, of course, numerous fertile belts in the
North-West Territories, but they are in many instances

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THE QUEENS IIIQIIWAY

off the line of rail. The valley of the Ou' Appelle
is one of the best corn-n^rowinoj districts within the
immediate vicinity of the ' Queen's Highway.' It is
in this district that the celebrated ' Bell Farm ' is
located. This is, I understand, the largest farm under
one system in the whole of North America. jVIajor
J^ell, the manager, whom I have had the pleasure
of meetinn; on several occasions, is a shrewd man of
business and a thoroughly experienced farmer. That
the concern which he so ably manages will eventu-
ally be a paying concern, no one who knows anything
of the matter will, I think, venture to deny. Profits
have, I believe, already been made ; but the directors
have thought it wiser to re-invest profits, on account
of the heavy expenditure they have been called upon
to make in connection with developing the resources
of the farm, than declare dividends w^iththe certainty
perhaps of having to call additional share payments.
The original capital of the company was 120,000/., of
which one-half has been paid up.

In the centre of this immense farming property,
which covers a surface of close upon 100 square
miles, a station, at a place called Indian Head, has
been built on the main line for its general conve-
nience.

]\Iajor Bell and Mr. Eberts, the secretary of the
company, journeyed with me from this station, which
is about forty miles east of Regina, to Winnipeg, and

Hi'

ACROSS THE OPEN PRAlIilE

181

:!■

I gathered from them a good dejd of iisefid iiii'or-
mation.

The old saying that tlie ' Eockies passed on thel
sunshine, but retained all the rain,' is virtually tru©
■Nvith regard to a very great portion of thu North- West.
Even in what are called ijood farmiiij:: districts tlie
heat and drought are severe drawbacks to successful'
farming. Almost the whole territory was seriously
affected in this manner this year, and when I was
there everything looked dusty and parched up, whilst
the heat — often 100° — was almost unbearable. Natu-
rally all the farmers complained of ' bad seasons '
(fanners with one bad harvest facing them always
speak in the plural, entirely oblivious of the favours
that the past has shown, and that the future will for
a certainty repeat) ; and it was not possible to get \
any information as to the prospects of corn-growing
generally which was not tinged with the bitterness
arising from their present disappointment.

Regina, named in honour of her Majesty, is at
present a ' one-horse town,' although, as the capital
(jf the North- \Yest Territory, it exi)ects to be spoken of
as a city. But, with all due respect to its laudable
ambition, 1 must persist in adhering to my original
expression.

Regina is 1,779 miles from j\Iontreal ; 1,127 miles
from Port Moody, and 8 Go miles from AVinnipeg,
and it contains a population of 1,000 ; but it is laid

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182

Till'; gui:i;.\s highway

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111

out on a scale — when built upon — cai)able of con-
taining a hnndred times that nuniher. Ivegina is the
centre of government for the whole of tiie Territory, and
is tlie residence of tlie Lientenant-Governor, an olHcial
aj)j)ointed in tiieory by the Governor-General, bnt in
reality by the Premier of the time being. The
mounted police also have their headquarters there.
They are a line body of men, and do very effective
service. Of this constabulary, which numbers alto-
gether close upon 1,000, about ISO only are at the
Kegina barracks, the renuiinder being scattered over
the length and breadth of the vast territory which
they are called upon to keep in order. Their duties
are multifarious, for in addition to looking after cattle
thieves and attending to duties in connection with
the Indian reservations, they have to enforce the excise
regulations, prohibitionary li((Uor laws being in force
in the Territory. -^

This is on accoinit of the Indian population,
whom the Government seeks to protect from the
debasinii' and often fatal effects of stron"" drink. In
the old days cute Yankee dealers used to cross the
border ami return laden with furs, which they had
received in exchange for a mess of ' fire-water.'

I am quite at one Avith the Government in their
aims at protecthig the natives, who have not only
been debauched by drink, but shamefully defrauded
in addition ; but it appears to me that some middle

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ACROSS THE OPEN PliAIlilE

i?^;5

course with n'<^'jir(l t<j the lulinlssion uiul supply
of intoxicants niijiht bo urriveil at bv which the
Indians could be protected and the wants of the
white nuui f«upplied. As it is, one can oidy obtain
Hquor stroni^er than water by ex[)ress [)cnnit of
the Lieutenant-Governor. ""

Despite the efforts of the scarlet-coated [)olice,
who have an observini^ eye and a keenly discrimi-
nating nose, there is a good deal of illicit traflic in
spirits going on in the Territory ; and I don't W(jnder
at the most law-res[)ecting person running the risk
of fine, imprisonment, or even decapitation in seeking
to give a tone to his stomach by means of stiinuhuits
after goin<»' throuiih a course of the vile non-intoxi-

on o

cants which are allowed by hiw to be S(jkl to
unsuspecting travellers. ^

These decoctions go by the names of 'spruce beer,'
' botanic ale,' and 'iNloose-Jaw beer;' and, whilst each Y
of these bottled horrors is warranted not to intoxicate, \
the unhappy purchaser receives no warrantv as to j
what other consequences may arise from the drinking ^
of them.

Some people thrive on these ' drinks,' I suppose,
otherwise there would be no sale lor them ; whilst
I have seen travellers grow quite husky and weak
about the knees after drinking from a bottle la-
belled ' Botanic ale,' and grow cheerful and familiar
with sipping at a bottle resplendent in a label de-

yLi L^Atv^j five* ' jS*"*^

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181

THE (QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

I s('ril)iii^' its contents as iion-intoxictiting ' Moose-Juw

^' In ti llilrsty moment I ventured upon obtainiug u
Ijottle of one of tliese liarmless decoctions. I drank
some of it, Ijut, strange to say, I telt neither merry nor
husky ; and thinking I had not taken enougli of it, I
swallowed the remainder at a u'o. Then the trouble
began. iSIymind went inniuHliately back to the shell-
fish on the banks of the Fraser, whilst in body I writhed
alxnit on the sofa in the saloon carriage. Opposite to me
sat a sturdy rancher with a particularly fine glowing
nose, and although he had a lew moments "before been
drinking out of a ' botanic ale ' bottle, he seemed the
picture of jollity and ease. How I envied that man
his evident peace of mind — and body! and I began
to calculate how many years it would take before one
got seasoned to the stuff so as to look and feel as he
did.

By-and-by, noticing my distress, he spoke to me.

'Look here,' he said, 'just you take a nip of
this ; it will soon [)ut you all right.'

But the very sight of the label turned me sick,
and 1 shook my head sadly but determinedly.

' No? Oh, I su})pose it's t'other sort you want? '
and by way of increasing my horror lie held out a
' spruce beer ' bottle. This was too much for me,
and with a shudder 1 closed my eyes.

Trcsentl}' I felt the cold rim of a bottle touch my

JfV

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ACROSS THE OPEN I'UAIItlE

185

lips, and a smell stronger tliiiu tluit of eitlier ' spruce
beer,* 'botanic ale,' or even 'Moose- Jaw beer' filled
my nostrils. Witb this my revival was immediate ;
but on loolviug up, the man, instead of offering me
his brandy flask, was still holding out the bottle
labelled ' Spruce beer — non-intoxicant.'

It did not take long to take in the situation, and
soon we were having- a friendly chat, in which he fold
me that his 'botanic ale' bottle contained jrood Scotch
whisky — ' real Highland, and none of that Bourbon
rubbish.' lie also gave me the signs by which 1
mi<>'ht secure similar stronu' drinks when visitinfj

o o o

wayside refreshment-rooms in the Territory. But
which eye you have to wink for Scotch and which for
Irish, and how many fingers you hold up for brandy,
I am not going to tell. Travellers in the Territory
mmII soon find all this out, as not even a Verdant
Green could be there lonjx without beino; initiated.

At Regina, it will be remembered, Louis Iiiel and
his co-rebels were tried, and there it was he was
hanged in November of last year.

A good number of Indians frequent Begina for
the purpose of barter, but most of them loaf about
the place in order to see v/hat they can pick up.
There is not much work in the ' noble red man,'
although the younger generation are showing a dis-
position to work in the fields ; and in the harvesting-
season many of them are employed on the Bell Farm,

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thl: tiUKENs iiiuiiWAV

siiid l)y fiiniicrs and raiiclicrs in various parts of the*
coiintry. 'I'lie (li;4rict is [u'l-lirtly orderly, and there
is, now tiiat Louis Ificl lias hccn disposed of, no
chance of a rccurrcnci' of tiicsc lialt'-brt'cd rcltcllions.
Tlicsc! halt-hrccds arc not particularly trustworthy,
and they arc, as a •general thin«^, idle and iin-
|)rovident ; but they had, their Criends assure me,
heibre tiiey broke into o[)en rebellion, <;"cnuinu
j^rievanees, which nii«i,ht, it is said, have been ad-
justed had they been looked into in time, and thus
have ])revented the second hall-breed rebellion.

The rebellion was u lamentable occurrence, no
doubt, especially if, as it is sometimes asserted, it
might in a measure have been avoided ; but it served
to show most distinctly that the Dominion Govern-
ment is powerful enough to })roniptly put down w ith
a strong arm any such risings, and that it does not
hesitate to exert its strength on occasion. The fir n-
ness and justness with which the Government acted
in connection with the affair was highly creditable,
and they deserve the hig'hest praise for refusing to be
swayed by the pressure arising out of a false and
sickly sentimentality brought to bear upon them.

In a word, Louis Kiel deserved hanging, and he
Avas hanged. This is the honest opinion of every
person, unbiassed by race sympathies or political ani-
mosities, with whom I have conversed in the district,
who knows anything at all of the matter. It is most

ACROSS Tin: oimin I'UAiinK

I.S7

unlikely that uiiotlici' Louis liicl will arise, spreading"
L'.ecUtiou over tlic laud, and it is to be lio|H'd that the
Indians and ]iall'-l)ivi'ds will have no causo foi*
further ^ricfvanee, and will elect to live in amity with
the white man, who is seekiuL*' to build u\) the [)ro-
sperity of the country.

The east-jioinu traveller, unless he arranged to oct
o(F at l{(!<^ina, would see absoluti'ly nothing' of the
place, as the train arrives at the »tatit)n close upon

1 A.M.

IJetween IJe^ina and Winniiu'^^- there are several
stops, the most im[)ortant one being at Brandon,
a flourishiug* town of nearly 2,000 inhabitants, on
the Assiniboine River. Here the soil is rich, and
everythini;' tends towards building- n\) a hi<;hly pro-
sperous corn-growing' district, with a big central city
second only to Winnipeg. Some of the names of the
stations r/i route are very odd-sounding, and a few of
them, derived from the Indian, English-s})eaking
tongues have a difficulty in pronouncing ; and now
that Count Esterha/y is establishing a colony of Hun-
garians almost side by side with Lady Cathcart's
colony of crofters the strange mixture of names will
doubtless ere long become stranger still.

One of the queerest names given to a station is that
of ' Moose Jaw.' The Indians tell you it was so
named because a ' white brave ' mended near the spot
the wheel of his cart with the jaw-bone of a moose-

188

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

(leer. This is perfectly true, the ' white brave ' being
the Earl of Dimmore, who was one of the earliest un-
official pioneers in the North-AVest, then the ' Great
J-ione Land.' Passionately fond of sport, he used to
go for extended shooting and fishing trips into the
interior, attended only by some Indian or half-breed
guides. In passing the creek, close to which ' Moose
daw ' station now stands, he succeeded in shooting a
moose-deer, the flesh of Avhich was taken away with
thein, the head alone remaining. On their return the
Ked River cart whicli the party used as a means of
locomotion broke down, close to the spot where the
deer had been shot. They had no hammer with
them, nor was a stone at hand with which to drive
in the pin fixing the wheel, when Lord Dunmore
espied the liead of the moose, wliich had been picked
clean of flesh, and with the jaw-bone the pin was
driven home. From that da}' the place received the
name it now bears. A station called Dunmore, close
to ' JMedicine Hat,' is, I might add, also named after
his lordship.

From Brandon there is an almost straight run
into Winnipeg, which is reached in the early ev
the iourney from Port Moody, 1,483 miles.

enm
occupy

inu' 7o hours.

Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, and being
distant from Montreal 1,-123 miles, it is the 'half-
way house ' on the ' Queen's Highway.'

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ACROSS THE OPEN PRAIRIE

189

In order to obtain information in connection Avitli
the province, and to make certain desirable journeys
into the surrounding country, I not only broke my
journey at Winnipeg, but I made it my headquarters
for several days.

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190

rilE QUEENS HIGHWAY

CHAPTER V.

THE HALFWAY HOUSE.

^1 I I

Winnipeg is not onl}'^ the halfway house on the
' (Jiicen's Highway,' hut is a railway and commercial
centre of the hi^^host importance. From being a more
trading port of the Hudsor's Bay Company it sprang,
as soon as the real value of tlie surrounding onntry
became known, into, immediate prominence. In IS 70-
71, during the Red River rebellion, it was the head-
quarters of Louis Riel. Then the place was known
as Fort Garry, and at that time its inhabitants con-
sisted almost solely of the Hudson's Bay Company's
officials and half-breed hunters. There were, I should
add, two forts ; one was called the Upper and the
other the Lower. The former was the rei^idence of the
Governor of the great fur trading com[)any, and the
central fort of its northern department. Lower Fort
Garry was built of stone, and was the best sample of
the larger forts of the company. Mr. H. M, Robinson,
in his admirable work ' The Great Fur Land,' de-
scribes it as follows : —

' It is situated on the west bank of the Red
Liver of the north, about twenty miles from the foot

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of Lake
very higl
situated
inimdati(
At this
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other foi
and ser\
are all in
of about
its entire
'Enfr
the centr
view is I
mand, ai
ployes u
stone bu
three sid«
ing it is :
tremely j
the gateT
it, and b(
business
ception o
the builf
walls, an
The wall
high, anc

THE HALFWAY IIOU.SE

11)1

of Lake Winnipeg. The banks in this h-)cality are
very high, and, in consequence, the fort is favourably
situated for tlie avoidance of floods during periods of
inundation, by no means of infreqnent occnrrencc.
At this fort, during the summer months, boat bri-
gades are outfitted for the trip to York Factory and
other forts inland. The buildings consist of offices
.and servants' dwellings, shops and stores. These
are all inclosed within a stone Avail embracing an area
of about one and a half acres, and pierced through
its entire circuit with a tier of loopholes.

' Entering through the huge gateway pierced in
the centre of the east wall, facing the river, the first
view is of the residence of the chief trader in com-
mand, and also of the clerks and upper class em-
ployes under his charge. It is a long two-story
stone building, with a broad piazza encircling it on
three sides. A square plot of greensward surround-
ing it is fenced in with neat railing, and kept in ex-
tremely good order. A broad gravel walk leads from
the gateway to tbe piazza. Huge shade trees border
it, and beds of waving and fragrant flowers load the
business air with their perfume With the ex-
ception of the residence of the chief trader in charge
the buildings of the fort follow the course of the
walls, and, facing inward, form a hollow square. . . .
The wall surrounding the fort is about twelve feet
high, and flanked by two-story bastions or turrets at

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192

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

each corner. In the centre of the inclosure rises an
immense double flagstaff bearing the flag of the
/ compan} , with its strange design, and still stranger
motto, " Pro pclle cutem " — Skin for skin.'

All this has entirely disappeared, the only portion
of the fort now remaining being its castellated gate-
-, way.

The little village, nestling in picturesque untidi-
ness under the walls of the fort, has made way for
the bustling, well hiid out city of to-day. It is
practically impossible to conceive tliat what is now
Winnipeg was but a few years back a cluster of huts,
outbuildings, and smoky wigwams, dominated by a
rude stone fort. The authentic sketches which I am
enabled to furnish will, however, at once show the
.^ reader the glaring contrast between the two places.

The Winnipeggers are said to be proud and
ambitious ; but one can, on visiting their city, under-
stand their pride and sympathise with their ambition.
Winnipeg is to the north-west of Canada what St.
Paul's is to the north-west of the United States ; and
had not the latter got the start of her, she would,
with her natural advantages, have run a close race
for place with the great American city. As it was,
Winnipeg started somewhat too late in the day ; and
although there was, when she did start, undoubtedly
every prospect of growing and prospering with re-
markable celerity, it was manifestly from the very

THE IIAl.FWAY HOUSE

193

■' ' y

first impossible that she could catch up with her
already flourishing rival across the border. Over-
heated patriots and rash speculators did not, however,
take this view^ ; and in the wildncss of their specu-
lations they did much to discredit the city and retard
its j>rogrcss. For there can be no doubt that if,
instead of the ' magnificent boom ' which signalled
the birth of Winnipeg and the death of Fort Garry,
undertakings had been effected on a more mode-
rate and cautious scale, the city would be both
larger and more prosperous than it is at the present
moment. .-_^

I was in Canada in 1882-83, at the height of the
' boom period,' and I saw much of the feverish excite-
ment which then prevailed with regard to the North-
West in general and Winnipeg in particular. Young
men, middle-aged, and old men flocked to the
Manitoban capital, some without a cent, and several
with thousands of dollars, all bitten alike with the
demon of speculation. Nothing w^as done calmly,
whilst much was done madly. Real estate was
' boomed ' up to entirely fictitious values, and even
the naturally cool and cautious lost their heads in
the universal craze. Scarcely any one thought of
building up a fortune steadily and soberly, the one
idea being to become millionaires in the shortest
possible time. But it is not every one who can be-
come a millionaire, nice as it may be to some to do

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THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

so ; ill 1(1 file result of these reckless speculations
was that Wimiipeg- speedily contained more begp^ars
than Vandcrbilts. From A'anderhiltian dreams many a
foolisii man had to come down to the commonplace
thought of hoAV to provide a daily meal for himself
and his family. In the crash which ensued hundreds
were ruined and thousands were impoverished, causing
the outside world to lose confidence and the inside
world hope.

Before the crash it was the fond belief of every
AVinnipegger that the city would not only knock out
St. Paul's, but that it would in a very little while
even surpass Chicago as a centre for corn, pork,
and flour. With the collapse of the bubble specu-
lations more moderate views prevailed, and business
was henceforth conducted upon a more substantial
and less extensive scale. The wisdom of this is now
bearing good fruit, and although Winnipeg is not
what enthusiasts desired it, it is fast developing into
a city of substance and no little magnitude, the popu-
lation already exceeding 25,000.^

Winnipeg is the natural entrepot of wholesale
supply for the Great North-West, and, in addition to
being a railway centre, radiating in all directions over
100,000 square miles of territory, it being situated at
the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, is

' The population of Winnipeg in 1871 was 241 ; in 1881 it had
increased to 7,985 ; und in 1885 to 19,574.

•

Tin: HALFWAY IlOl'SK

l!).-)

the head of a system <)r8,0(M) miles of river and htko
navio:ation diiriiifj tlic summer inmiths.

Winnipeg' possesses a street Avliich, lor leiiotli,
width, and general extensivencss, is not to he heaten
hy any town of its size in the worhl. This is called
Main Street; it is lUO feet wide and close upcn two
miles long, being lined from head to foot with more
or less attractive buildings. The public buildings —
especially the Post Office and the City Hall, now in
course of construction — are very striking, aricl fully
in keeping with the city's aspirations. In place of
the fort, the Hudson's Bay Company have erected, at
a point lower down, a magnificent block of stores,
where can be purchased the latest Pai-isian and
London fasiiions, the delicate products of the East,
and the substantial manufactures of the \\'"est. For
the outer man one can be as well suited at the Com-
pany's depot as in Bond Street, whilst the cellars
contain matured wines and spirits une urpassed any-
where.

In Manitoba the prohibitive regulations with
regard to the sale of liquors in force in the Territories
further west have no existence, the Indian population
being too insignificant to demand them. But in the
old days, when Fort Garry ^v'as the rendezvous of
both Indians and half-breeds, the company exercised
every precaution against the traffic in strong drinks.
Indeed, the sale of raw spirits was permitted only

' i •

1 M

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

l-i

iqx)!! two (lays of tlieycar, viz. on Christmas Day and
the Queen's birthday. Even then the quantity to be
})urcliasi'd was limited to a pint to each head of a
family, who, before he could procure it, had to obtain
an order countersigned by the Governor. In case
spirits were re(juircd for medicinal purposes the sig-
natures of Loth Governor and attending physician
were necessary. The d(;mand of the natives and half-
breed voD<t(jciirs for ' fir(!-water ' to be taken 'me-
dicinally ' was, it is needless to say, both frequent
and troublesome ; and some amusing stories are told
by the old hands about Winnipeg of the way in which
these wild sons of the plains attempted to cajole a
permit out of the Governor and the doctor. The
course adopted by the Hudson's Bay Company in
this direction afforded an agreeable contrast to the
methods pursued by American traders, who, in their
dealings with the natives, appeared to encourage
drunkenness and debauchery. This was especially
the case with regard to the Blackfeet, the most war-
like and powerful of the tribes of the North- West.

The hate engendered amongst this tribe against
the Avhole white race in consequence of the unscru-
pulous conduct of the Yankee traders aforesaid ren-
dered it difficult for the Hudson's Bay Company to
carry on business relations with them, although the
C()ni[)uny, as has frequently been pointed out, cealt
with unvarying fairness towards the natives in

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

11)7

every portion of the vast territory over which tliey
so lon<jf hehl undivided sway.

Like Islimael, the hand of the Blaekfcet was
Rf^ainst every man, with every man's hand against
them ; and they waged war against each trihe tliat
touched the boundaries of their vast domain. Speak-
ing a language different from that of all other na-
tive tribes, and with customs and ceremonies ecpially
distinct, there is nothing in common between them
and other nations, be it Cree or Flathead, Crow or
Assiniboine.

General Butler, in ' The Great Lone Land,' relates
the following curious legend of their origin : —

' Long years ago, when their great fo'^efather
crossed the Mountains of the Setting Sun, and settled
along the sources of the Missouri and South Saskat-
chewan, it came to pass that a chief had three sons :
Kenna, or The Blood ; Peaginon, or The Wealth ;
and a third who was nameless. The first two were
great hunters. They brought to their father's lodge
rich store of moose and elk meat, and the buffalo fell
beneath their unerring arrows ; but the third or
nameless one ever returned empty-handed iVom the
chase, until his brothers mocked him for want of
skill. One day the old chief said to this unsuccessful
hunter, " My son, you cannot kill the mo'^se, your
arrows shun the buffalo, the elk is too fleet for your
footsteps, and your brothers mock you because you

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])V\U'j- no nu'iit into tlu! locWo : Imt sen ! I will niiikc
yoii a iiii;^lity Ininter." And tlu; old chiet'took from
liis l()d^(! lire :i piece of burnt stick, and, wetting it,
rubbed the feet of his son with the blackened charcoal,
and nanied him S(if-.s/ii-(p«(i^ or The lilackfeet ; and
evermore Sut-sin.tjuii was a mi<:;lity hunter, and his
arrows flew straight to the buffalo, and his feet moved
Bwift in the chase,'

From those sons, accordinii' to tradition, descended
the three tribes of Blood, Peaginon, and lilackfeet,
formin''- the confederacy of the i^reat Hlackfeet nation.
Previously to the small-pox epidemic in 1870,
which caused the death of so many of them, the
cond)ine(l tribes numbered some 14,000 pe()))le, 4,000
of whom were lilackfcet proper. Although not
so numerous, the P>Ioods claim to be most comme-
U-faut ; and It is one of the boasts of the tribe that
they never condescend to rob an enemy, going for
his blood alone. The Hlood Indian has, however,
yet to be discovered who woidd not, under suitable
tem})tation, steal a Cree pony, or run away with a
Beaver woman when the love fit was on him. Although
sadly diminished in point of numbers, the Blackfeet
are still the most numerous and powerful of the
Indian tribes of Ijritish North America.

Crowibot, a redoubtable brave, is the head of the
confederation, and he resides on the Crowfoot reserve
on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway below

THE IIALIWAV HDUSE

V.)\)

Cai^ary, The stt'am-t'n;;iiK' with its civilisiiiu; iii-
fliiL'iic'c lias ,!0t been without its ellect upon tliese
wilt], erring" lihickfoct ; and now that they are ))r<)M^ht
daily in touch v;ith civilisation by means oi' the
'Queen's Highway,' there is every hope of a i)er-
nianent inipuovenient takin<^' plaee in their condition,
and that they will settle down as peaceful and [»ro-
gressive niend^ers ot" the l)oniinion. ^-~-___

l»nt the lilacki'eet ilo not take very kindly to
agricultural pursuits. They ai'c for the most part
strong and active, and naturally averse to an indoleut
life ; but their activity runs more in the direction of
horse-stealing, scalping, and woman-lifting than in
peaceful labour. No Jilackfeet brave will ;o any
manner of work that can be done l)y his scjuaw ;
and 1 believe that the dominant idea in the mind of a
brave when he risks his life in lifting ' the maiden of
his choice' is not the pleasure, but the work he may
get ont of her. Women ju'e his slaves, creatures
predestined to minister to his wants, and to do ev( ry-
thing that there is to be done in the shape of manual
labour. A Blackteet brave rides his pony whilst his
faithful squaw trudge. nnuu*muringly by his side
laden with many burthens.

It is, I think, high time that my friend j\Ir. W.
Woodall looked to this, although he might, I fear,
run the risk of being scalped were lie to try his per-
suasive eloquence upon sotuc of the older warriors,

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THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

Avlio, whilst being proud of the privilege recently
jiUowed them by Sir John Macdonuld in the matter
of voting, would without doubt resent the insinuation
that their women-folk were equally entitled to parlia-
mentary consideration.

Now that the buffalo has disa})peared from off the
face of the prairie nothing is left to the Blackfeet, who
took much pleasure in the chase, but dreary inaction ;
and their general appearance, which in the immediate
past was of the ' dignified and stately ' order, is, con-
seq ;i u the dearth of buffalo robes, slovenly in

the extreme.

The Blackfeet — especially the Bloods — were
amongst the best dressed of all the North Ainerican
tribes, and the robes of the women were things of
' beauty and a joy for ever.' Their dress consisted of a
long gown of buffalo-skin, dressed soft and dyed with
yellow ochre. It was confined at the waist by a
broad belt of the same material, thickly studded over
with round brass plates, the size of a florin, brightly
polished. The faces of both men and women were
painted with vermilion, which custom on state or
special occasions is still indulged in.

The Blackfeet are said to be mentally superior to
all other tribes, and, so far as I could judge, they ap-
peared to have strong powers of perception, and to be
shrewd observers.

They are for the most part great talkers, and take

THE HALFWAT HOUSE

201

consv.lerable pride in iiiring their eloquence. A well-
known writer, wlio had exceptional opportunities of
observing them, says, ' In their public councils and
debates they exhibit a genuine oratorical power, and
a keenness and closeness of reasoning quite remark-
able. Eloquence in public speaking is a gift which
they earnestly cultivate, and the chiefs prepare them-
selves by previous reflection, and arrangement of topics
and methods of expression. Their scope of thought
is as boundless as the land over which they roam, and
their speech the echo of the beauty that lies spread
around them. Their expressions are as free and lofty
as those of any civilised man, and they speak the
voices of the things of earth and air amid which their
wild life is cast. Their lano^uajje beinjx too limited to
afford a wealth of diction, they make up in ideas, in
the shape of metaphor furnished ])y all nature around
them, and read from the great book which day, night,
and the desert unfold to them.'

With the extension of the franchise to the Indian
the future may see one of these natural born orators
take his seat in the Dominion Parliament at Ottawa.
Who knows ?

Although the Blackfeet nation is a confederacy
of three great and two small tribes, there never has
been the slightest semblance of a national government,
all political power being vested in the head chief of
each tribe, which, whilst he exercises it, is practically

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THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

absolute. He is the execiiter of the people's will, as
determined in the council of the elders. The oc-
cupiers of this position are elected chiefly on account
of their prowess in battle, but many of them are men
of undoubted natural ability, and have won the esteem
of the tribe on account of their merits as politicians or
orators. Whilst, however, they owe their elevation
to public opinion, it is the uncompromising assertion
of their rights which alone sustains them. Therefore
where the chief leads the warriors are bound to
follow, and disobedience is punishable with death.
In addition to those elected by the popular vote
there are, 1 should add, a few hereditary leaders.^

The Blackfeet have not, however, any place in
Manitoba, their happy hunting-grounds lying be-
tween the forty-ninth parallel of latitude and the
North SaskatchcAvan ; but I have mentioned them in
this chapter because it was whilst in Winnipeg that
I gathered most of my information relative to the
red man east of the Rockies.

* Great obscurity is thrown around the polity of the Indiana who
inhabited the Atlantic sea-board. The early settlers, accustomed to
despotic governments, very naturally supposed that the chiefs whom
they found in power were monarchs by right of birth, and they con-
sequently gave them the name of kings. This view was probably
erroneous, the form of government with the aborigines of the east
doubtless being very similar to that of the tribes of the west.
Whilst, however, the established regulations of each tribe acknowledged
no hereditary claim, it certainly often happened that the son, profiting
by the advantages of his situation, succeeded to the authority of the
father.

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

203

One of the excursions I made from Winnipeg
was to a place called Stony Mountain, where is
situated the penitentiary, in which are confined some
of the chiefs who took part in the recent rising in the
North- West. The warden of the gaol, Mr. Bedson, who
had charge of the transport dur Jig the said rebellion,
and his boon companion, ' Sec' are friends of mine,
and it was in their company that I made the trip.

It seemed but an hour since I had left them at a
little friendly game at 'poker' at the club, when they
were at tlie hotel telling me it was time to get up.
I got up and joined them, weary- eyed and heavy,
whilst they, who had gone to bed some time after I
did, were as ' fresh as paint.' V-.t this freshness in
the early morning is peculiar lo men in the North-
AVest, who can go to bed as late and get up as early
as you like without any perceptible inconvenience,
unless it be an intensified desire to sample ' long
drinks.' But then I never knew a Western man
who wasn't thirsty ; and yet, no matter what thirst
is on hini, he ever possesses a fine perception of
taste, and never fails to discriminate between the
' dew off Ben Nevis ' and the adulterated whiskies of
his native land.

The sun was just rising when, 'tooled' by the
skilful ' Sec,' we passed down Main Street on our
way towards Stony Mountain. We were soon out
in the open prairie, although the stakings to be

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THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

seen about on all sides told us that we were still
within the city limits. How far these ' limits '
actually extend I could never ascertain ; for during
the boom period immense sections of wild land
adjacent to Winnipeg were bought up, with the
object of reselling them as town lots. With the
crash which followed upon the heels of these erratic
speculations building enterprise at once languished,
and the town lots, which had had a fabulous price
attached to them, reverted to their original prairie
value.

Winnipeg in the flood of its excitement was a
place of ' big ideas,' and in no instance were these
ideas more strongly emphasised than in the space
allowed for the city's growth. In a couple of cen-
turies, maybe, Winnipeg will have taken in a fair
portion of the staked-out lots ; but, allowing for its
growth on the most liberal scale, it could not hope
to build up to some of the outside stakings any
time prior to the end of the world. In the mean-
time, therefore, many of the locked-up building lots
must be converted into farms and pasturage, and
farmhouses will arise where enthusiasts had planned
out business blocks or rows of suburban villas.

Stony Mountain is about sixteen miles from Win-
nipeg. It is only by courtesy, I should add, that it is
called a mountain ; for, in reality, it is but a mere
ridge of rock. But then it is the highest point in

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

205

the district, where the land is as even as a billiard-
table, and where the slightest eminence assumes
undue proportions in the eyes of the people round
about.

The drive across the prairie in the early morn
was inexpressibly delightful. The fresh, strong air
at once swept the dust of drowsiness from my eyes,
and invigorated me thoroughly. How sweet, how
pure, and how intoxicatingly strong the prairie air
at the dawn of morn really is, only those who have
drunk it in can in any way understand.

Then the supreme stillness which reigns all around,
and the absence of human life, render the scene doubly
impressive. The sweet-scented wind plays upon the
long grass, rippling it and turning it over in uneven
green waves, just as the salt-laden sea breezes agitate
the waves of the ocean. Plovers, like sea-gulls hover-
ing over the rolling billows, flap their wings just
above the wealth of fragrant green, or skim the tops of
the grass with their feet. You can almost imagine
yourself at sea, and the white-faced cottage in the dim
distance looks for all the world like a becalmed sail.
Only, as the morning advances, there is the busy
hum of insects and the rush of colour, as broad- winged
butterflies and big striped bees pursue their course ;
whilst, regardless of your presence, a rabbit squats
upon a moss-covered stone, or an early-rising gopher
warms himself in the spreading rays of the sun. Of

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TIIK QUEENS HIGHWAY

I : i:

bird life, too, there is no end, plover, prairie chicken,
and the ubiquitous crow ; and here and there, amidst
the grass chunps, twitter small songsters. Not a
tree is in sight, and nothing serves to break the un-
varying distance.

The sixteen miles w^ere soon got over, and with
keen appetites we took our places at the breakfast-
table in Mr. Bedson's private house. Before this
we went, I ought to say, into a certain little room
adjoining. It was Mr. Bedson's snuggery, but it
was the ingenuous ' Sec ' who led the way. ' Sec '
it was who did the honours of this little room, and
showed me where the three- starred bottle was kept,
and which bottle to patronise and which to avoid,
whilst my host looked on in silent admiration ; for
' Sec ' — the kindest-hearted and best of good fellows
in the whole North-West — is such an authority upon
these matters. His knowledge in this direction,
whether the drink be ' straight ' or ' mixed,' is per-
fectly marvellous ; and the man has yet to be found
who could say nay to his insinuating yea.

I never met so good-natured a man, nor one so
solicitous over the comforts of others. He is, more-
ovet, a man of tried courage and great natural ability,
both of which were put to the test in locating portions
of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and in the Nortli-
West rebellion. During the campaign he seemed to
bear a charmed life, and the Indian and half-breed

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

207

f:f1

sha'rpshooters tried their skill upon biin in vain.
But ' Sec ' has one failinix — but what oood man has
not? — and that is the warmth of his temper, and his
utter obliviousness to tlie maxim that it is the soft
answer that turneth awny wrath. The Indians aver
that his miraculous escape from their bullets was
principally due to the force of his language ; for, as
one of them said, ' bullet, him go straight to big
white chief ; but chief, him cock his hat and damn
big heap ; and bullet, him turn away frightened.'

It is stated — but this I cannot vouch for — that
hardened old-time voyageurs have sat at his feet
in abject adoration, listening to his exclamations,
which for strength and imagery, when he is tho-
roughly put out, are said to have no equal west of
the Red River.

But hard drinkino: and strono- lang-uafje jj^o hand
in hand in the North-West, where men in the freedom
and roughness of their lives scorn the conventionali-
ties which govern the people of the centres of culture.
Good-natured, manly, hospitable, and perfectly natu-
ral, these settlers present such lovable characteristics, ,
that any faults they, according to our superior city
notions, may have are readily condoned.

It is very sad, no doubt, bi;t it is nevertheless
perfectly true, that much can be dc>ne in these regions
by the use of vigorous words when milder expres-
sions would be unavailing.

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208

THE QUEKNS HIGHWAY

Horses and dogs arc taiiglit tlic value of adjectives
from their infancy, and curious tales are told of how
utterly worthless such animals, in virtue of their
early training, really become in the hands of a man
of kindly spirit and Christian resignation.

In the old dog-train days a voyacjeiir was valued for
the number of languages he could swear in, and the
team for the variety of adjectives they could under-
stand. For it would be fruitless to deny that, of all
the qualihcations requisite to the successful driving
of dogs, none is more necessary than an ability to
imprecate freely and with considerable variety in
at least three different languages. No half-breed
voyagiuv considered his education comi;)lete unless
he could ' cuss ' in French, in English, and in his
native tongue ; but I am assured that it was his
proficiency in the first-named language in which he
prided himself most.

f The author of 'The Great Fur Land,' who had
/much experience of the voyageurs and their ways,
/ says in connection with this point, —

' Whether the construction of that dulcet tongue
[French] enables the speaker to deliver profanity
with more bullet-like force and precision, or to attain
a greater degree of intensity than by other means, I
\ know not ; but I do know that, while curses seem
\ useful adjuncts in any language, curses delivered in
French will get a train of dogs through or over any-

THE TIAFvFWAY HOUSE

209

thing. For .'ill dogs in tlie north it is tlie simplest
mode of p(3rsuasion. If the dog lies down, curse him
until he gets up. If he turns nhout in liis harness,
curse him until he reverts to his originnl ])osition ; if
he loolvs tired, curse him until he becomes animated ;
and when you get weary of cui'sing liim get another
man to continue; the process.'

Now that the I'rencli luilf-i^'ceels have taken
themselves and their Frenchified imprecations further
AN'cst, the half-breeds who remain in and about Winni-
peg content themselves with the mildci" expressions
that the Fnglish language affords.

I am sorry to say that the education of several
of the Indians and half-breeds with whom I came in
contact was, so far as the English l.'uiguage was con-
cerned, apparently conducted with the sole object of
acquiring an extensive stock of anathemas.

But to return to Stony Mountain.

After breakfast we went to the Penitentiary, in
which were confined about one hundred prisoners,
among whom, as I before stated, were several Indian
braves taken prisoners during the rebellion, and who,
for their alleijed complicitv in the Frojx Lake massa-
ere, were not included in the recent general anmesty.

Big l^ear, the notorious Cree chief, was one of {
them, and I found him at work in the compound.
He saluted us with considerable hesitancy, and
seemed both sullen and ill at ease the whole time

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THE QUEEN'S IIIOIIWAY

\\'(\ were tli(;iv. \\\\f licar is {ibt)iit wlxty years old,
tall {Uid W(rll built, {iltlioiigii his (ii^'iiro is som(!\vliat
bunt. \\y nature he .s taciturn and morose, and he
takes his confinenicnt sadly. In his j)i'isoii o-jirb lu;
looked anything;' but pieturcsf(ue, an.l there was an
air ofslouchiness and <^'eneral broken-downness about
him which rendc^rcd him, in appearance, anythin<>' but
interesting. lUit, iu s])ite of that, the smothered
di!fianc(^ which now and tlien expressed itself in his
eyes and the nervous twitching of hi:' hands, and the
occasional hauii'htiness of his carria*!;e when addressed,
showed that he did not consider liimself an ordinary
criminal, although attired in convict dress.

I'ig l>ear is, from all I could hear, a great ruffian ;
but, for all that, I could not help feeling sorry for
him. For I don't remember ever seeing a man so
supremely miserable, or one who so much resembled
a caged wild beast, fretful of restraint yet impotent to
free himself. He was, it is true, an ngly, morose old
man, unlovable enough in all conscience ; yet he, hi
his (hnnb-like misery, appealed with irresistible di-
rectness to one's sympathies ; for at a glance it could
be seen that the man's heart was slowly but snr'^ly
breaking, and I presume the process is as painful to a
redskin as it is to a white man. There can be no
doubt that if 15ig Bear had had his choice, he would
much rather have been despatched along with Iiiel to
the happy hunting-grounds of his imagination than

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TTIE HALFWAY HOUSE

21i

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have sorvod a term, no mnttor liow l)ri('f, in JMnni
toba's state prison.

Pound maker, wlio was included in tlie amnesty,
liad been released from prison a sliort time before my
arrival, and bad diecl almost immediately afterwards,
lie was by tar tlie ablest and most influential of tbe
cliiefs concerned in tbe rebellion; and, so far as II
could le.arn, bad no band in any of tbe massacres
wiiicb so disfigured tbe rising. He was a magni-
ficent specimen of a man, tall, dignified, and a
splendid warrior ; tliere was, too, an ease and grace
about him not often met witb in tbe Indian of to-day.
lie was a great favourite witb bis tribe, especially
amongst tbe women — and bis wives were nnmerous.
On bis release tbe squaws made merry ; and be owes
bis deatb, it is said, to tbe extravagant feasting wbicb
took place on tbat occasion, altbougb tbcre is little
doubt tbat bis healtb Avas nndermined by tbe incar-
ceration be bad nndergone.

In justice to Ponndmaker, it should be added that
he from first to last professed to be loyal to the
' Great White Mother,' and tbat he never ceased to
declare that he w\as led into rebellion unwittingly.
There was possibly much truth in his protestations,
for it cannot be denied that on the occasion referred to 1
many of the reds took up arms against the authority of i
the Dominion Government without clearly knowing
why. The fiict is, there was some fighting to be

i t, ' .1

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212

THE QUEENS IIIUIIVVAY

W^^

done ; und, \vitli(Mit trouhlln;;' to iii((iiir(' witli whom
or a^i'iiihst wlioiii tlicy slioiild li^Iit, the In<hanH
riislu'd into tlic mr/ir, di.scovcriiiL'' too i{it(^ tliat thciy
Avcru \vji^'in_^' war against tlio Wliiti" (^lu'cu to wlioni
they owed allegiance!. Others were cajoled into dis-
loyalty by Hiel's emissaries, who brought both reli-
gious fervour and drhik to bear upon them.

All Fiidians, and most lialf-breeds, are su.sce[)tiblo
to ' fire-water,' and if they have been converted to
Christianity, they are as a rule easily worked up in
connection with ultra-religious matters. The. ma-
jority of them, es])eeially half-breeds who are of
French descent on their hither's side, have embraced
lioman Catholicism, that form of Christian belief
ap[)ealini>' more directly to them than any other.
Naturally intensely superstitious, and firm believers
in dreams, omens, and such like, they readily adopt the
doctrines of the lioman Catholic missionaries. Jiut
their conversion is not, I fancy, a very lastin<( or
genuine one ; for, whilst outwardly observing the
forms of their religion, they are as a rule anything
but sincere, and readily resort to paganism.

A striking and terrible instance of the untrust-
worthiness of Indian converts was afforded by the
Frog r^ake massacre, when red men professing the
white man's religion rose u}) and slaughtered those
who had been instrumental in converting them.

The converted heathen, whether he be u scalp-

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

2\:\

Mjc'kin;^ redskin, a woolly-licadcd AlVifan, or a mock
nnd siuilinuc Hindoo, is not, I fear, a triiinipliant
Huocoss, and, taken all in all, scarcely worth the
treasure, and ccrtaiidy not (he Mood sjx'fit over Ids
conversion.

In addition to (Jii:; I'ear I made the ae(|iiaintaneo
of two other Indians — chiefs, I believe. Anionjist
North American Indians, cliicfs, l)y the l)ye, are as
common as ' Kxcellencies ' in Lisljon. Jnst as every
other Portn^'uese yon meet expects to be called ' Voiir
Excellency,' most of the redskins you come in
contact with out West lead you to nnderstand that
they are chiefs in their own right.

The two braves in qnestion were quite young, and
they owed their incarceration to the part they had
taken in the late rising ; and although it was not
actually proved agjiinst them, it was believed that they
liad a hand in the massacre at Frog Lake. They
were Avorking in the warden's house, and they ap-
peared to go about their work in a cheerfid and willing
spirit. I had several proofs of their handincss, and,
so far as I could judge, they seemed remarkably
intelligent.

Mr. Bedson, who has had a long experience of the
natives, and whose knowledge of Indian character is
both extensive and thorough, told me that if taught
whilst young they made excellent domestic servants,
such light work suiting them perfectly.

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THE QUEEN'S lIIGinVAY

I was sorry not to be able to speak with the two
young Indians, who could only understand Cree, their
native tongue ; and all I could do was to make signs
to them, which they interpreted with marked quick-
ness and correctness.

Neither of them was handsome, but there was a
certain attractiveness about them which made up for
their lack of good features ; and a peculiar look of
determination and resoluteness impressed upon their
faces at once stamped them as being something very
difFerc^t from the common redskinned thieves who
worked similarly attired under the same roof.

At best, however, they cut but a sorry figure in
their convict garb — a jaundiced vision of dirty yellow
stamped with the broad arrow. In E^u'opean attire,
no matter how well fitting, an Indian looks irretriev-
ably connnon and uninteresting, and the reader can
imagine what sort of picture he would present clad in
rough clothes sizes too large or sizes too small for him.

(Jne always associates the redsldn with flowing
buffalo robes, rich in colour and picturesquely orna-
mented, with his feet in moccnsins and his lejxs encased
in prepared deerskins : but it is only on state oc-
casions that he cuts such a swell. JjJii famille he
discards the feathered vertebra, and puts off his finery
generally, economically wearing nothing but his
oldest clothes ; so that, after all, barbarism and civilisa-
tion have sometliin<^ akin.

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THE HALFWAY HOUSE

2 la

As European immigration advances, tlie native
either retreats further into the forest wilds or hangs
about the settlements, singeing himself moth-like in
the fire, which he sees, but lias neither the sense nor
the self-control to avoid. One of the first things he
does (after, of course, making the acquaintance of
fire-water, which always comes first) is to co2)y the
wliite man's style of dress ; and there is scarcely a
red man born who would not imperil his very soul in
gratifj'ing his passion in this direction. It is wonder-
ful to see Jiow he craves after the latest thing in to})
hats, or the oldest thing in bonnets, and how he will
give for a miserable mess of pottage in the shape of a
worn-out frock coat a bundle of skins which have
taken him weeksof labour and ingenuity to secure. His
tastes in this matter are, I need hardly add, not very
nice ; and to see the way in which he blends the
various articles of apparel is highly ludicrous. Fancy
the noble red man attired in a ' swallow-tail' and a
' chimney-pot ' ! Yet I have seen a chief so rigged
out ; and just didn't he fancy himself !

When an Indian brave dies he likes to have his
best clothes burictl ^\'itli him, so that he may be able
to make a good show when he puts in an ap2)earance
in shade-land ; but the surprise of a latter-day
warrior's forefathers on soeini>' liuu chasinii' the buifalo
shades in the ahost of a silk hat or a tiuht-iittinir

dress-coat cannot reat

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THE QUEENS IlIGinVAY

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It is really curious how much the Indian affects
the top-hat, and hoAV he is impressed with the idea
that it is the height of swell dressing. In fact, I
have known instances where natives have considered
themselves perfectly dressed with this and nothing
else on.

Not lono; a<>;o I came across an old buck attired
in this manner, and the airs he a'ave himself as he
strutted in fi'ont of his tent, or admired his figure in
a pool of water, were excruciatingly amusing. Luckily
the weather was warm, or he must have caught cold,
for, apparently fearful of spoiling the effect of his
antiquated head-gear, he had avoided putting on
even a pair of leggings. There were, moreover, no
mosquitoes about, otherwise the man must have
severely suffered in his pride, for the Greek Slave
costume could not afford any great protection from
these insects. But, even so attired, the old brave
looked infinitely more respectable than his conij^atriots
in their convict dress.

It is enough to destroy all the romance in one to
see a chief shambling along in a loose-fitting jacket
and baggy pants stamped behind with a huge black
number ; or to come across a sincAvy, well-knit form
bursting in a numbered garment made for a man half
his size ; and the disillusion is completed when you
liear llnnnin<j Wdtcr described as ' No. 49,' or see
Scttimj Sun stop short when ' No. 30 ' is called out.

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

217

I confess to having been disillusionised and made
sorry at the sight, for I cannot help thinking that
some of them at least were unduly, not to say unjustly,
punished.

The Penitentiary, although it is situated on the
open prairie, is not walled in or in any way enclosed,
yet it is next to impossible for a prisoner to escape.
To attempt to do so would mean running the risk of
being shot down by the Avarders, avIio are ever on
guard, and who can see everything that moves over
the ground. It is true there are instances where
prisoners have escaped during the night, and have
succeeded in reaching a copse about half a mile distant,
there to be caught lati^r on. A few, however, have
manao'cd to iret clear off, and cross the border into
the United States ; but, on the whole, there are fewer
escapes from this prison than from any other in the
Dominion.

Mr. Bedson is in his spare moments an ardent
naturalist, and the corridors of the Penitentiary are
made interesting by the presence of stuffed birds and
animals peculiar to the Xorth-West. He has also some
live pets in the shape of bears, wolves, and moose-
deer. The latter, fine young animals, were certainly
very tractable. They were just duvelo})ing some
antlers, of which they seemed as conscious and proud
as a youth over the first hair on his u})per lip. So
rapid is the growth of these antlers that y(ju can

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THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

almost fancy tlicy are increasing in length as you
v/atcli them.

I have often wondered whether the process of
cutting horns is as painful as that of cutting teeth ;
if so, what a lot of additional agony an unfortunate
deer has to go through ! Suffering is said to chasten
all, so perhaps this accounts for the meekness and
gentleness of the deer species.

In addition to the pets aforesaid Mr. liedson
is the owner of the only herd of tame buffa-
loes in America, and the only buffaloes, whether
tame or wild, in the whole of the Canadian North-
West.

One of my chief objects in visiting Stony
Mountain Avas to see this herd, with which ]\Ir. Bedson
had been making some interesting experiments in the
matter of cross-breeding. Some years ago, when
buffaloes were plentiful, Mr. Bedson acquired of one
Joe, a half-breed scout, a few young bulls and cows,
and having in a measure domesticated them, he
commenced breeding from them. Ihit when the
wild buffaloes gave out, and he saw no opportunity of
replenishing his stock, he, in order to save them from
deterioration through in-breeding, tried the experi-
ment of crossino; them with the domestic cow. The
result has been eminently satisfactory. In the first
crossing a nondescript half-breed is the result, but this
crossed with a butl'alo produces a three-(piarter breed

^'t

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

219

closely resembling its sire, whilst with the third
crossing- a pure buffalo is the result.

Mr. Bedson's herd numbered, when I was there,
fifty-nine all told, but by this time it will have con-
siderably increased.

It is his intention, I believe, to form a company
for the purpose of developing the scheme which he
has in hand ; and in such case there is, I am assured,
an excellent prospect of the concern paying. For
almost all parts of the buffalo have a market value.
The head is worth as much as 10/., and the robe,
according to quality, fetclies 5/. and upwards. The
meat Avould command a fair price, especially the
tongues and humps — perfect delicacies either fresh
or potted.

I think the crossing of the buffalo with the
domestic cow improves the colour of the robes, and
lends a variety to them at once pleasing and valuable.

Buffalo robes are almost indispensable in the
winter in North America, and it is difficult to find a
substitute for tlicm ; and as the demand exhausts tlie
ever-diminishing supply, the Stony ^Mountain herd
will increase in importance and value.

Although buttaloes have entirely disappeared from
the Canadian plains, there are, I Ijelieve, still two ov
three scattered herds in Montana, and some of a
smaller species in Texas, but they too will probably
disappear ofi" the face of the earth, leaving nothing

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220

THE QUEENS IIIOIIWAY

but dressed skins and preserved heads to speak of
their having been.

In going over the prairie one frequently comes
across heaps of bones, showing Avliere tlie animals had
been slaughtered ; and at points near the railway the
bones are being carted away for fertilising purposes.

I am told there is not a single wild buffalo left in
the whole of the Great North- West, yet but a few years
back tliey Avere in considerable numbers, if not in
actual plenty. Kepeating rifles have done their work
with marvellous rapidity, and the indiscriminate way
in which the monarchs of the jdains have been
slau<>htered is brutal and wanton in the extreme.

The buffalo rann-es extended betAveen the Sask'at-
cliewan Rivers and the Missouri, and old rojjiujeurs
tell me they have seen the plains jierfectly black
Avith their shai2:i»:y denizens. That Avas in the ""ood
old times Avhen reiiiments of Indians and half-breeds
SAA'ept over the prairie tAvice annually, dealing death
and destruction to the unfortunate beasts. These
hunts not only provided the hunters Avith food for
the remainder of the year, but they were a certain
source of income to all enaaned : so much so that the
earlier settlers refused to settle doAvn to agriculture
as a livelihood, Avhcn a pursuit nuich less arduous and
infinitely more congenial offered such striking in-
ducements.

After the animals had been shot the}- Avere skinned

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

221

•e

iind cut up, the robes being stnstclied upon a frame-
work of poles prior to bein<^ sent to the settlements
to receive their final dressing. Most of the meat was
converted into ' i)emmican,' although of course a
good deal of it was consumed fresh.

' Pemmican ' was at one time the indispensable
travelling provision of the Nortli-West, and the fol-
lowing was a popular recipe for its composition : —
Cut the meat into thin slices and hang up in the
sun or over a fire to dry. When thoroughly dried,
take down and Ijcat into a pulp with stones upon raw
hides. Make ba^'s — each baii: two feet lon<»' and one
and a half feet wide — of the hides, and having half
filled them with the powdered meat pour therein a
quantity of buffalo fat, and stir till cold ; then add
further fat, ami sew up the bag for future use.

Each bag of ' pemmican ' weighed as a rule about
one hundred pounds, and, besides forming a solid
food of unequalled nutrition, it was easy of transport.
Provided the compound was kept dry it would keep
for an unlimited period. I am speaking of ' pemmi-
can ' in the past tense ; for, with the disappearance of
the bufi^alo, ' pemmican ' has of course ceased to be
manufactured. The amount of it used in the service
of the Hudson's Bay Company was sometiiing enor-
mous, and the quantity that a half-breed ro7j(i(/nir
could dispose of at a single meal was nothing short of
startlin;

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THE QUEENS IIKillWAY

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Considerinfj; tlie fearful slaufi;litcr of tlio buffaloes
in these semi-aniuial hunts, when the animals were
chiefly killed for their hides, tho wonder is not that
they have altogether disappeared, but that they lasted
so long as tluy did.

For countless centu»h;jf \\\- red man found in the
buffalo not only his foo'- • ■ ■ 'ds clothing, and he
recognised the Avise provision of n; .re l)y killing no
more than were demanded by his wants ; and had not
the ■white man put in an appearance there would have
been enough buffaloes for his requirements for all time,
liut with the advent of the ' paleface ' everything
underwent a change. The red man's natural clothing
was suddenly invested with a monetary value, and
the warriors of the plains were led to slaughter in
wanton waste their best friends, who had supplied
every want from infiuicy to old age, for the sake of
wdiat their skins would fetch.

With the advance of civilisation the Indians have
\been gradually driven towards the IJockies, and with
them the buffaloes. The latter have disappeared,
and at the present rate of extermination it appears to
be only a question of time Avhen the last redskin in
North America m\\\, wrapped in his treasured-u[)
buffalo robe, close his eyes in that sleep which is to
waft his spirit to those who have gone before.

It is true a nobler race is arising in place of the
red man, and that the red man's disappearance or ab-

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THE HALFWAY HOUSE

99 Q

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sorption is iciidercd necessary by tlie events wliieli arc
takin<^" place on the American continent ; but, for all
that, the native is deserving' of some sympatliy. Wo,
it must be admitted, has been very hardly done by, for
injustice and wrong toward hiih have invariably
formed the rule Avith both government and indi-
viduals, and the opposite the exception.

What wonder is it that, smarting under the accu-
mulated wrong-doing of years, he occasionally rises
against his op[)ressors ? Such a course may be
foolish and suicidal, but it is highly natural, and
the mystery is why these much-injured pc(^ple do
not oftener take up arms in vindication of their
rights. These remarks have special reference to the
Indians across the border ; for, as I have frequently
pointed out, the Dominion Government is well dis-
posed towards the natives, and does everything pos-
sible to protect them and improve their condition.
Such can hardly be said to be the case in the United
States, where Indian wars are of frequent occurrence,
the result chiefly, if not wholly, of chicanery and
injustice on the part of the whites. ' Knowledge of
Indian character,' says an authority upon Indian
matters, referring to what is going on in the United
States, ' has too long been synonymous with know-
ledge of how to cheat the Indian ; a species of clever-
ness which, even in the science of chicanery, does
not require the exercise of the highest abilities. The

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vcA iium liiis jiliviidy liad too niiiiiy dealing's Avitli
per.sons of this clnss, iiiid 1ms now n very slirewd
iden tliat those who ])ossoss tliis kiiowlediifo of liis
t'liaractcr liave also mauag'ed to possess thcinsclves of
his i)r()perty.'

The red man belongs to a race apart ; and 'Jivilisa-
tion, instead of reclaiming him, seems to shrivel him
n[), body and soul, whenever it comet in contact
with him. Civilisation, on the other lian;l, is ter-
ribly cruel, for, in addition to crowding him ont and
generally despoiling him, it resents as a rank in-
justice the idea tliat he can have rights or clahns of
any kind.

No traveller in the North-AVest mi search of infor-
mation omits to make a pilgrimage to Stony Moun-
tain, Avith tlie object of seeing Mr. Bedson's herd of
buffaloes ; l)nt if he be pressed for time the chances
are that he will retin'n without seeing them, for they
have a habit of roaming for miles over the trackless
prairies ; and were it not for the almost supernatural
vigilance of u half-witted herdsman they would pro-
bably disappear altogether.

])ut with me time was no object, and I was
determined not to go aAvay without making their
acquaintance, and in this determination I was aided
and abetted by the all-obliging ' Sec,' who under-
took to pilot me over the plains.

Seated behind a big raw-boned mare, we drove

Tin: HALFWAY IIOdSE

225

liorc and tlicrc and evcry\vlu>rc, witlioiit catcliin;;" so
niiicli as a glimpse of wliat wo were in scarcli of.

Goodnoss nic! wliat a liunt wc had ! Xow to tlic
riglit, now to tlic left, away to the north and hack
a<(ain to the south we went, until I <rrow tired and
confused, and ' Sec ' got hot and cross.

Eventually T hegan to doubt whetlier the huf-
falocs had any existence except in my compani(m's
fertile imagination, and I ventured to express my
doubts.

Never shall I forget the look he gave. I was
iminedi.'itely ci'ushed and huddled up all of a heap,
as it were, under his dionified scorn. For if there
is one thing ' Sec ' is touchy about, it is his veracity,
and I had cut him to the quick.

I was fully prepared for an outburst, but he was
evidently hurt beyond t/mf, and I would have given
Avorlds to have recalled the words I had uttered. I
did my best to mollify him, but without avail ; and
it was only when the old ' crock ' he was driving
slipped up, nearly precipitating him on the ground,
that he descended irom his pedestal of scorn, lie at
once sio'nified his chano'e of front bv viiiorouslv
belabouring the animal. At first 1 was heartily
sorry for the mare, but I afterwards became equally
solicitous on my own account, for she immediately
went off in a gallop tDver the uneven ground, and it
was as much as I could do to save myself from l)eing

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THE QUKEN'S HUillWAY

jolted out ; and 1)}' tlic titnc slio, was got well in
hand a«jfain I ached in every liiu^.

We {'Oil tinned our seareh lor the bun";iloes i \
silence. 'I'he sun was powerful in the sky, nnd a
drowsiness came over nie, and had it not been for
the continncd joltin<^' of the trap I should have sle[)t,
whilst ' Sec ' strained his eyes in search of the
wanderers.

No one who has not visited the iiinnense plains of
the North-Wcst can in any way comprehend the dith-
cnlty ex})erienced in tracin<^ objects on the open
j)rairie, where space, unbroken by forest, monntain,
or river, stands forth with bewilderinf^ distinctness.
Often as we stopped and let onr eyes travel over
the farthest distance, not a speck of life, not a trace
of habitation was visible, nothino' but an nneiidinu'
vision of sky and grass and constantly shifting
horizon.

The immensity is almost terrifying, and I fre-
quently, with no landmarks to guide me, felt as if 1
were on an nncharted sea. out of sight of land.

Bnt ' See's ' knowledge of prairie- craft was some-
thing wonderful, and he seemed to be as mnch at
home npon the trackless wastes as I. shonld be in
Bond Street. Sij^ns which Avere as nothinu' to me
were everything to him, and he could interpret
. them, trifling as they were in themselves, as if they
had been so many milestones.

■t'-i I-

Tin: HALFWAY tiottse

227

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He told me that tlie iiovici; HikU. it iinpo.ssiblo
to |nir.siie a stral^lit course across tlie prairie, but
tliat lie invariably eommenecs to describe a circle l)y
bcariii;;' continually to the left. He also jrjtvc mc
instances where iiiexperienccKl travellers, thinking
they coidd guide themselves by the sun, had lost
themselves in the wilds, nothinij' beint;, he assured
mc, so fallacious to the nnskilful as this method of
guidance, as it was quite possible to keep the sun in
position and yet go roimd in a circle.

I afterwards learnt (although he was silent as
to his own good deeds) that he had been the means
of rescuing more than one person who had thus
strayed and got lost. The awfulness contained
in being h)st on the prairie can well be imaginiid.
A man then realises how utterly incapable he is, and
how fruitless are his efforts to escape from the trials
and danger? by which he is surrounded. It is not
only the fear of starvation or the dread of being
devoured by wild animals that oppresses him, but
the sense of utter loneliness, of being but a sinu'le
living speck upon the illimitable expanse of the
prairie ocean. So terril \^ is this sense of solitariness
to the wanderer that madness invariably claims him
for a victim before death c.aTies him away into un-
fathomable darkness.

Everybody who has stood in the middle of the
prairie will have noticed that it presents the a[)pear-

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THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

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ance of an immense sheet of green, raised at both
ends ; for the level plain lias the peculiarity of seem-
iii<i,'ly being" elevated in wjiatever point of the compass
one may turn, leaving the observer always in depres-
sion. Tlie atmosphere, moreover, is so clear that the
natural range of vision is materially extended, so that
distant objects — which anywhere else it would be
impossible to define — may be distinctly seen. But
as the eye ranges over a sea of waving grass, without,
may be, a single intervening object to afford the
accustomed means of estimatino; relative size and
distance, it is extremely difficult to ascertain the
relative distance of objects, and, consequently, to
estimate their size. Asa result one frequently makes
the blunder of mistaking a bird for a cow, or a cow
for a bird.

It was precisely so with me. and T found in3'.self
seeing in every little bush in the dim distance the
much sought-after buffaloes ; and when I eventually
did come across the animals I mistook them for a
cluster of bushes.

On one occasion I saw sometluno: movinii* in the
distance, which I thought was a crow, but ' Sec' said
it was a bear. I of course bower. i,o his superior
wisdom, but I maintained that I had never seen so
small a l)ear. At this my companion went into
scientific explanations (and any one who is acquainted
with ' Sec ' knows how intensely learned and all that

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T[1E HALFWAY HOUSE

22!)

lie can be) concerning the sense of sight. His theories
were right above my head, and I could but dimly
comprehend what he was driving at, although I cer-
tainly came to the conclusion in the end that he kneu'"
more about gauging distances on the ])rairic than [
did ; and that, as he pointed out, it was, in taking
a sight of the plains, very much like looking through
a telescope.

The above-mentioned incident gave rise to a bear
story on the part of my companion, who tohJ me how
a short time previously he had, close to where we
were then drivini*;, come across a bear. He was
accompanied by some half-breeds, and all of theui
were armed and more or less well mounted, and they
accordingly gave chase.

I forget the exact number of miles ' Sec ' said
they chased the animal, and the exact number of shots
he told me they fired ; but I remember arriving ;it
the conclusion, long before he was through with his
}arn, that each horse must have luid the endurance
of three, and that if one shot out of a dozen had
struck the beast, the mere weight of the lead sent
into him would have been sufficient to have materially
checked his progress if it had not brought him to a
coriiplete standstill.

I did not, however, venture to say so, but let my
companion run on ; and run on he did, until I
thought the bear would never be disposed of this side

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230

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

of the end of the world. Eventually, however, l^)ruin
was cornered, and amongst some bushes (which were
duly pointed out to me) the valiant ' Sec ' gave hiui
his quietus.

' You have no idea,' he said, pausing to take
breath at the conclusion of his story, which had
taken fully half an hour to tell, ' how tough that ])ear
was. The skin Avas perfectly riddled with bullets,
and when the men went to cut up the carcass their

knives bent ' ]>ut I stopped my ears at this

point, ni}' respect for my friend's veracity being too
great to allow me to listen to anything which might
be mistaken for exaggeration.

Curiously enough, a day or so before I arrived at
Stony j\Iountain a very big bear had been shot in
the nnmediate neighbourhood, and Mr. Bedson was
having it stuffed.

From bears my ' guide, philosoi)her, and friend '
passed on to buffaloes, giving me a good deal of
useful and interestinii; information with re":ard to
their habits and so forth.

lie told me that he had seen the plains in places
quite black with buffaloes ; and, b}^ way of giving me
an idea of how numerous they were, he said that the
Hudson's Bay Company would acquire close upon
30,000 robes in a single year, this representing less
than one half of the annual kill.

'It is onlv those who live out here know how

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THE IIALFW\Y HOUSE

231

'HI

indispensable these robes are in winter,' he went on
to say ; ' and now that tlie buffaloes have been entirely
cleared off the face of the prairie, it is difficult to see
what we can get to supply their place.'

jinffalo roljes are not only very useful, but they
are extremely handsome, and none knew better than
the Indians how to add to their natural beauty.

It was the women-folk who pre[)ared and dressed
the skins ; and the greater the skill of the squaw in
this matter, the greater her value in the eyes of her
lord and master. The work was tedious, and, in
order to lessen the labour, the robe was often split
down the middle during its preparation, instead of
being dressed whole, the halves being neatly sewn
together at the finish. But very few of the richly
painted skins came into the market, the Indians re-
taining such robes, upon which they bestowed great
pains and no little skill, for their own use. Amongst
the Blackfeet one still comes across some splendid
robes, the insides of which are rich in colouring, and
covered with quaint symbols and strikingly novel
designs.

We were out several hours in our search for the
buffaloes without once sighting them, and in the end
we grew ravenously hungry, whilst the mare got
groggier and groggier. ' See's ' annoyance increased
with his hunger — and (the day being frightfully hot),
I may add, with his thirst. In fact, once or twice

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THE fiUEEN'S IIIGIIWAY

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1 heard liini wliistle — soft and low, but still a
whistle — by way of giving expression to liis disaj)-
pointnient ; and tliinking that he might, if he got
fiirtlier annoyed, be driven to forget his early
Christian trainiui>', I suiru'ested lunch. The sniifo-es-
tion was welcomed, and, turning the weary crock's
head, we drove back to the Penitentiary.

I)iit I was determined not to leave Stony ]\[oun-
tain witliout seeinu' thebuflaloes, so after lunch I set
out with a fresh nag, accompanied by one of the
Government officials. ' Sec ' I left behind. lie
excused himself on the ground that he wished to
])ractise at some dunuuy Indians in the rifle-pits in
view of a shooting contest Avhicli was to take place
the next day ; but something in the droop of his
eyelids, and the glance he gave between each blink to
a comfortable-looking sofa in the corner of the room,
told me that that was not his only object in remain-
ing behind.

I was naturally sorrj' to be without his company,
1)ut experience has taught me never to disturb a man
who desires to sleep, especially if he be one who, like
' -Sec' has been religiously brought up.

i\Iv companion Avas sanguine of finding the ani-
mals almost innnediately, especially as he had been
told itv the Tiian Avdio had charge of tlKnn where they
had been fc-ei.in LisL ; but for a long time we drove about
hi the '-au.o apparently aindess way without catching

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THE HALFWAY HOUSE

9V\

a glimpse of them. I consequently grew weary,
nodded, and eventnally joined ' See' in dreamland.

J^)y-and-by I was dimly conscious tliat all was
not rii>"lit. Sometliinii" was nibblinu; at me, bitinij
me, pricking me from bead to foot ; my mouth
seemed full of living atoms, and a continued buzzing
was in my ears. I felt myself writhe and turn as
if to shake myself free of some nightmare that op-
pressed me, but it was only when a volley of uncon-
sidered adjectives falling from the mouth of my com-
panion sounded above me tluit I awoke, to find my-
self literally covered with stinging ants. I shrieked
aloud, and was wide awake in an instant. Despite,
however, my efforts to dislodge them, they clung to
me and caressed me in a way that clearly bespoke
their imalterable devotion.

I crushed them with my hands, making my
cheeks bruised and swollen, and tore out my hair by
the roots in my eagerness to get rid of them, whilst
they ran races down my back, or sought to make a
short cut from one side of my face to the other by
way of my ears.

I have been well brought up, and two of my
tutors Avere clergymen, but I am afraid in those
moments I forgot myself, and that I said more than
years of penitence will atone for. I have not a .lob-
like spirit^, neither had my companion ; and he gave
vent to his feelinirs in such a manner that 1 thoiiu'lit

«i

2?A

THE QUKKN'S HIGHWAY

W-

liis assailnnts would, in order not to allow him to
idtogetlier imperil his soid's welfare, desist from tor-
menting- him. Not a bit of it ; every adjective was
so nuich cav'uu'c to them ; and they apj)eared to take
a ilcndish deliu'lit in n'oadinii' the unfortunate man to
excel himself.

For my part, I trrn cold witli fear every time I
think of what is to come of me in consequence of the
unconsidered expressions I let fall that August after-
noo)i .

Dear me, what those ants have to answer for !
TJierc is nothing in the world like them for arousing
the old Adam in a man, no matter how cii'cumspect
and unco'' (juid he may be. The desire that one's
enemy would but Avritc a book miglit, if tlie injured
one were particularly wrathful, be exchanged for the
wish that he might accidentally sit upon a nest of
stinmnic ants.

I have made the acquaintance of mosquitoes in
many lands, Ijut the most abjindoned of these insects
are to my : ind winged angels in com[)arison with
stinging ants. In spite of the good things that Sir
fFolm Lubbock and other eminent savans have said
of ants, I nuist confess that I can see absolutely
nothing to admire in them. The most respectable
and harmless of them are nasty creepy-crawly animals,
which do nmch towards spoiling the pleasures of an
al fresco lounge ; whilst those of the stiiging species

m' .

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

'2?u)

ciiiinot even be t]iou<2:lit of without <'"ivinr'' rise to
inucli an!j;'er and vexation of s[)ii'it.

1 hate to recall the nieniorles of that day, when I
was as one vast pincushion for those pests' stint's.
1 was literally stun<;" all over, not a square inch of
my body esca[)ino- a puncture ; for as soon as one
i^'ot rid of one swarm, another would rise up as
the horse's hoofs struck thei)' hilly homes and uc-
(luainted them that the hated paleface was at hand.
J'^very mound we came to seemed to belong to them,
and the h ^rse seldom missed striking' one of them.

When once a stinging ant settles on you, it is im-
possible to get rid of it outside of des})atcliing it to
another world ; and the bottom of the trap Avas strewn
with the lifeless bodies of those Avhom 1 had thus
summarily disposed of; whilst my hair, my shirt, my
socks, and clothes o'enerallv were black with the
living. There were also dozens awaiting the oppor-
tunity when 1 should open my mouth to rush therein
witL sickening rapidity. I say sickening advisedly,
for if there is anything which is likely to make one
sick, it is ^.o swallow a cluster of sting-dealing ants.
At the commencement they make a dash for your
throat, as if they had a wager on which should get
there first ; but once inside, they seem to reverse the
process, each one taking its own time to get down, as
if the race were decided as with donkeys — the last ant
l)(!ing the winner.

■:i,.

23(5

THE QUEEN'S IlIflllWAY

sl! !

■y

Tliis is Jill very well for the ants, but it is de-
cidedly uncoinfortuble lor the unfortiuuite man in
whose stomach the races are held ; and it is iiu[)ossible
to conceive anything more calculated to take all the
saintliness out of a poor human tlian his unavailing'
efforts to dislodi^'c th(! wrijiu'linu', ticklini!;, indi^'cstible
mass :r insect life, whilst his body is smarting in
every part with the nippings of those who are awaiting
their turn to plunge down his throat.

Every person who comes across stinging ants on
the prairie is sup[)osed to swallow his sliare. I feel
certain I did this, if I did not do more, for I foolishly
opened my mouth every time 1 desired to express the
state of my feelings, whereas an old hand keeps bis
feeUngs in check until he is free from the presence of
the ants, when he ventin-es to express himself, and in-
variably with interest. But this to me seems some-
what cold-blooded, and I cannot help thinking that a
man who docs this needs to pray nnich oftener than
the one who is carried away in the moment when the
insects are in his throat and his flesh swollen with
their prickings.

To make matters worse, the ground on which we
were drivinij: at the time we struck the ant-hills was
too rough to enable us to go at any pace, and thus get
out of the rea<,*h of the insects, who can neither fly
very fast nor make headway against a bix^eze. There
is ai end sooner or later to all things, whether

Till' HALFWAY iroUSH

2r>7

111

ret

;

iTood or bad — onlv tlic tiirniinx \n tlic lane seems

to ]

)e reac

■lied

•k

uicKcr in

the 1

onner

lan 111

latter — and we eventually drove into a haven of
safety, and a short Avhile afterwards we si^^hted
the buflalocs.

In the distance the herd looked more like aclnni])
of bnshes than living' animals ; and it was not until

that I could clearly di

to th

(I'

we drove close up to tliein tiiat l could clearly dis
tiiiL^uish their shape. They were (piietly browsin
and so tame were they that they in no way resented
our approach.

They were for the most part fine animals, and it
was hiii'hlv interestinu" to trace the different staii'es
of the cross-brecdinu'. The half-breeds looked rather
scraggy, but the three-quarter lireeds were in several
instances scarcely distinguishable from the pure
buffalo, save perhaps in the breadth and general
massiveness of the head.

It was a bad time to see them with respect to
their coats, for during' the summer months the hair on
the sides and back is not only short, but in places it is
completely rubbed off, giving the animals a somewhat
mangy appearance. I'efore the 1st of November the
liair is not lonu" enouo'h to make what is calU'd a
' prime ' robe, and by the end of January the coat is
bleached by the weather to the colour of dirty tow;
especially along the back ; and this was the condition
the buffaloes presented when 1 saw them, although

Ill

2ns

TFIE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

\' >

ono could ROC in the faded mane nnd rafr^ed dewLip
a j)ronnsc of renewed grandeur witli the return of
Hiiow and frost.

A buffalo bull looks V(!ry leonine, and with his
savagedooklng muzzle and prominent black eyes
ilasliin<i- between the tangled locks of his hair he j)re-
Hcnts a dangerous appearance ; yet lie is in reality the
()l)posite of ferocious, and will never attack unless
di'iven to it.

j\rr. l^)edson's herd are perfectly tame, and I
walked amongst them Avithout scaring them in the
least, although at first I was, I must confess, some-
what scared myself when an old bull glared at me
between the wool and shaggy hair hanging over his
forehead alm(jst concealing his beautiful horns, for all
the world like a lion making ready for a spring.

On returning to Stony Mountain I found ' Sec'
battling Avith a swarm of stinging ants, which had
come in at the open window whilst he slept. J^oor
' See's ' face was very red and swollen, and the insects
had evidently had a ' good time ' before he had become
aware of their presence. It Avas in that moment that
my friend's true greatness became apparent ; fur in-
stead of, as 1 had anticipated, having to stop my ears
whilst he ' cussed,' he bore the increasing pain and
irritation Avith saintdike fortitude. JJut Avhilst out-
Avardly he was as calm as snow-capped .Mount Ellas,
inwardly he Avas, I felt certain, a raging volcano.

Till'] IIALl'WAV IKJUSE

2:v.)

and it was solely owiii;:; to tl»c presence of the j)ris()n
chaplain that an erii[)ti()n was prtjventcd. liat it
nevertheless says worlds for 'See's' early religious
trainin<^' that he, under such stron^i^ temptation and
undeniable provocation, should have thus lu^ld himself
in check. It is not always good, however, to restrain
your feelings, for the torrent 'leld back is apt, when
it does burst f(jrth, to carry you right out of yourself,
as it were, leaving you in the end demoralised and
stranded. jNliich though there was in ' See's ' self-
restraint worthy of canonisation, it would, I think,
have been better if he had adjourned in the midst of
his torments to have unburdened himself of some of
the things that troubled him, instead of letting loose
at a go the whole flood of his wrath so soon as wc
were alone.

In the cool of a summer evening the prairie
affords an enchanting prospect for a drive, although,
as the night descends, it seems more impassive, lonely,
and im})ressive than ever. An idmost rigid silence
reigns everywhere : a bird may flutter from luider-
ncatli your horse's feet ; a winged insect, losing
its way in the uncertain light, may strike your face
with a sharp buzz, or far away in the distance may
come the wail of a prowling wolf; but of man or his
ways there is, a few miles from any settlement, not a
binii'le siu'ii.

Itound about Winnipeg there are numerous smidl

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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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Hiotographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN SUEET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

<<^.1^

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210

1*1
If'

ti
■■»*:

THE QUKENS IIKJIIWAY

settlements, ,iii<l the fiirmers for the greater part seem
to l)c doing Avell.

Manitoba is witlioiit doubt tlie garden of the
Nortli-West, and while there is an acre of good land
to be had in the province intending settlers would do
well to secure it before searching for acres of doubtful
value further west.

The Hudson's I Jay authoriries were all along
aware of the fertile character of the soil in the
Winnipeg district, as they grew their own corn and
raised their own cattle ; but it was part of their
j)olicy to decry the Great Lone Land, in order that
the o-i<rantic nionoi)olv m-anted them under Kiuii'
Charles's charter should be retained intact. Ihit in
these days of advancement it v.m im[)ossible to longer
lock up these fertile wilds, and any attempt to retain
them for mere skin-[)roducing purposes would have
been an act of selfishness little short of criminal.

The key which the Hudson's Bay Company had
held for some two hundred years was finally delivered
into the hands of the Dominion authorities on June
2?), 1870, when, by imperial Order in Council, what
was known as Itupert's I^and and the Xorth-Western
Territoi'v Avere added to Canada, the Company re-
ceiving for their interest in these vast possessions
the sum of £^00.000.

On July 15, 1S70, Manitoba was created a pro-
vince of the Pominion, and from that lime it has

■:»m«^| ,

7771 -^IJ-T

Tin: IIAI.FW.W HOUSE

241

continued to increase in wcaltli, population, and im-
portance ; l)nt whilst tlie Dominion Government wiis
hitggling with the iliidson's liay Company about
terms and conditions, the tide of emigration was un-
interruptedly ilowi; J into the western States of
America ; and by the time Canada was ready to receive
lier visitors, her cute rival across the border had not
onlv skimmed the cream, but had succeeded in con-
vincing the world that there was no place like the
United States in which to settle. Canada, for her
part, had fully as good, and in many instances far
better lands to offer, but these lands were not so
easy of access as those on the southern half of the
continent; and she eventually became ali'.e to the
fact that, if she wished to avoid being entirely out-
stripped in the race, her means of intercommunication
would have to be improved. The result has been the
' Queen's Highway,' and through this railway the
valleys of milk and honey are brought into direct
touch with the mother country. Nothing now but
l)olitical dissensions or short-sighted acts on the part
of her rulers can keep Canada back, and the promise
of a great future is certainly with her.

Had the Hudson's Bay Company more promptly
delivered up the key, the population of Canada woidd
be far greater than it now is ; for up to 1810 a hu-ger
number of luiropean emigrants had been attracted to
the older provinces of Canada than to the United

'i 1

i ■

^ -ii

';^'-;t^

1 I

2lL>

TIIK

(ii:i:KNs

IlKiHWAV

Stales.

lint abont

this

time tlie western

Sti

tes, a

region

wliich first l)egan

attract {ittcntioii

1S3(),

]'%

were opened np, and wliilst draining Kngland and
Ireland of their surplus thousands, they drew great
numbers of Canadians over the border, the inovemtsnt
continuing for years.

One cannot wonder at the Canadians seeking
their fortunes in tlie region which iield out sucli
splendid hopes, especially as they were unaware that
the Great Lorn; Land, west of Lake Superior, was
the counterpart and in many respects tlie superior of
the new ' Land of Promise.'

It was not till thirty years after tlie opening up
of the western States that the Dominion secured the
territories held by tlie Hudson's liay Company, in
the meantime, for a whole generation, population liad
8j)r((ad throughout the western States towards tlu!
Canadian boundary line, and when the restraints to
settlement imposed by the Company were removed
by the purchase of the region by the Canadian Govern-
ment, many crossed over from America into Canada.
This is esjiecially the case in the ranching districts,
and the tide of immigration increases rather than
diminishes.

I'efore the act of purchase and the energetic
action which followed, attempts to settle the Nortli-
West cannot be said to have been attended with any
areat success. As far back as LSll the Larl of

Igctic

l)rtli-

uny

d of

THE IIAI.rWAY IIOUSH

213

Selkirk conceived the idea of .settlin*^ a populous
colony in these regions, and for that purpose he pur-
chased of the Hudson's Bay Company a vast tract of
land in the vicinity of the liccl IJiver. The lirst
hatch of colonists reached the coast of Hudson's liay
in the autumn of LSI I, and in the followinj'' snrin'X,
having advanced so far inland, they pitched their
tents at the confluence of the Assiniboine and Ked
liivers, al)out forty miles from the foot of Lake
Winnipeg.

From the first the settlers encountered ditficultit!s,
for not only did the rival French Canadian fur com-
panies, contending for the i)Ossession of the territory
with the ILuLson's l>ay Company, resent their
presence as intruders, but the Indians took objection
to the cultivation of their hunting-grounds. For the
lirst year the colonists turned their attention to
larming, but with the destruction of their cro})s and
dwellings by their all too powerful enemies they gave
up such operations as a bad job, and took up with
)iursuits more in kee})ing with the situation in which
they found themselves. This situation was any-
thing but agreeable, for there they were utter
strangers in the centre of the American continent,
I'ully 1, .')()() miles in direct distance froiu the nearest
<'ity, and separated from their own country by
thousands of miles of sea and land.

Xo wonder, then, they ado})ted a uomatlic life and

,; M\

' 'I .
; i

. t ■

t 1-1

5-1

K 1'

211

h(. \ ')

4'''

if'
'i

Ji'';

Till-: QUKKNS Ilir.inVAY

lived by the products of the chase instead of those of
the plough.

Witli tlie coalition of all the fur companies in
1 S2 1 the colony was materially increased in size by
the acquisition of the French hunters and traders ;
but whilst this rendered the pursuit of agriculture
l)0ssible, the experience of the last ten years had
totally unfitted them for such work, and the roving
life of the plain hunter appealed therefore more
strongly to their fancies than the eventless life of
an agriculturist. Besides, many of the younger
members had taken to themselves aboriginal wives,
and had in a lueasure fallen into the ways of the
red man. The French, who had all jdong been,
trappers and hunters, clung to their old habits, and
i»ave little or no attention to the tillin<j^ of il.n soil.
A few of the first colonists brought from their
Sutherland homes, it is true, still confined themselves
to agricultural pursuits, but they were chiefly those
of advanced age, who could not very well follow the
chase ; but the majority of the community, which by
this time numbered from eight to ten thousand,
pursued a nomadic life.

The anomaly of a settled civilised community
subsisting by the pursuits common to nomadic life
was a strange one. yet the same mode of life appears
lo have been adopted by all the early settlers in tliis
locality ; and it was not until the Territories passeil

TIIH HALFWAY IIOUSK

21:.

out of tlic h.inds of the great fiir-tradini;' company
into those of the Dominion Government that any
striking cliange took phiee in their condition. It is
ancient history now how these settlers and tlieir
lialf-breed olKspring disputed the sovereignty of the
(Jovernment, and resisted tlieir autliority with arms ;
and, as history never fails to repeat itself, the rebellion
ol" last year was but a repetition of the original Red
Iviver rising of 1870-71.

Love of the chase is ingrained in these half-
Im'cds, and the chase of itself is entirely unable to
sustain them. They will, therefore, have to conform
to the exactions of the ever-advancing tide of civilisa-
tion, hard though it may seem, and ado})t a method
of living different from that of the i)ast ; or, like their
Indian grandfathers, completely disapi)ear from od'
the face of the earth. They are being gradually
})ushed from pillar to post, as it were, nuirmuring as
they go ; from the Ked liiver they have reached the
Saskatchewan, and from the Saskatchewan the}' will
have to go still further north, unless they turn and
meet the civilising tide, mix with it, and fall in with
it instead of foolishly attempting to stem it. One
great source of income — the buffalo — has entirely dis-
appeared, and the time will come when the various
fur-bearing animals will be so materially diminished
that their capture will afford occupation for but a
limited number of trappers and hunters only, so that

! !

-1^^

t ■ I

l'k;

TMK gi'KKN'S nuiriWAV

t- 1

n -^ •

notliijin' will l)c left to tlic Indi.'iiis and li!ilf'-l)n'('(l>

Imt tlid cultivation <»l'tli(' soil. <»r

(i(;('ii|)atiuii in sonic

4orni oi' other in connection tlicrcwitli.

In walkini;- down ^lain Street it wonld 1)0 im-
possil)]e to iniauinc thai ilic iiavcnicnts you trod
Were Idit a lew years ha^-k llic canii)in"'-<''round of
these half-hrecds. and thai in place of the uuuiy-
storicd houses ihere wen- hiil a I'ew smoky fi'/xrs •
and wlicic ihe ti'ani-cars jiass. hidlock wau'uons and

lied 1

»i\ • r i-arts craw

l.'d

el'ejikin

.^ly

aloiiLf ni sninuicr,

anil don-vleiolis \\c)il their \v;iv in winter.

ihe e(,ii(iM-.(, too, he! ween the unitorudy and
carerully (h-esscd citizens of \VinnipL\<>: and the pictu-
rcscpic untidiness of the Iciliilui's of old Kort Garry
would niako one rub ones eyes in wonderment, could
the two be broueht suddeidy toLrctlicr ; and were it
not for th" few nondescript hall-breeds you occasion-
ally s((' wandering" ah'i'it in the ra^'s of European
attire it uould bedllHcult to believe that the red man
ever had j)hi('e there.

Lord Southesk's d( seription of a balf-breed
roi/a(/(iir is one of the b'st I have yet come across,
and his lordship's pen ]»ortrait does duty, in all
essential points, as th(.' correct portraiture of the
liardy and daring- men ^\]io. less than twenty years
<>o, were to be found in considerable numbers at

'n^i

Vovt Carry

' '\

!!.,•:

. ii

IllOtll

Avail (
(iarn
as a

OllU (

and I

StolU!
ilioly

hand:
dark
nious
to a 1
was I
"svitli
Avliicl
casin;
trons
wool!
I
plied
all p(
quan
tion,

'.I

•t t<l

TiiK iiAi.iwAV iiuusi:

247

One Jolm McKay is tlie person skctchecl. aiul of
liini Lord Soiitlicsk says, —

' A Scotcliuian, tliouu^li with Iiulian 1)1o(kI on his
mother's side, lu; was l)oni and hred in the Saskatche-
wan country, })iit afterward became a resident of Fort
(iarrv, and entered the comj>any's emph)V. Whether
as a uiiide or linnter, he was universally reckoned
onc! of their hest men. Immensely broad-chesK'd
and nuiseular, thou;^h not tall, lie wei^dicd eii;hteen
stone ; yet, in suite of his stoutness, lie was exceed-
ingly hardy and a«;tive, and a wonderful horseman.

' His face — somewhat Assyrian in type — is very
handsome ; short, delicate, aquiline nose ; piercing',
dark <^rey eyes ; lon<jf, dark brown liair, beard, and
moustache ; snudl, white, regular teeth ; skin tanned
to a regular bronze by exposure to the weather. He
was dressed in a blue cloth i-djxifr (hooded frock coat)
with brass buttons, and red-and-black flannel shirt,
which served also for waistcoat ; hurt' leather moc-
casins on his feet, black belt around his waist ;
trousers of brown-and- white striped homemade
woollen stuff.'

I should add that the term 'half-breed' is ap-
plied indiscriminately throughout the North-West to
all persons having Indian blood in their veins. The
quantity of such blood forms no part in the calcula-
tion, for a man may be three parts red, or so white as

|1 »

/:T.?,Li

:'■. (

" 1

lM8

Tin: gUKKN'S H lull WAV

*'»■ 1

to be |)r!i<'ti(;ally iiinlistiii^niishablc from the paleface,
and yet he u * l»alf-l)ree(l.'

In tlie eaHier days of the Hudson's Hay Company
tlie employes, in tlieir isohition, and for hick of
nnythin<^ hetter, freely married amongst tlie dusky
daughters of the land, and in their offspring are
to he met many fine men and several beautiful \von>en
wiio are sufHciently white to pass muster, yet they
would be looked down upon as lialf-breeds pur vt
siniide by the whites, who are almost as particular as

the S

)anisli

about blood.

In the Peninsula it is the ambition of every
grandee to be thought —

A true liicliilgo, free from every r-itain
Of Moor or Jewish blood.

It does not exactly amount to this in America,
Avhcre scarcely any one can lay claim to tlie j)ossession
of s(im/rc (CkI, that ichor of the demigods Avhich
Spanish dons alone woidd a})]iear to have inherited ;
but no one likes it to be thought that he has the
slightest possible stain of aboriginal blood in his
veins.

Ford, in his famous book on Spain, tells us how
from this tint of celestial azure the term sangre su is
given in sunny Spain to the elect and best set of
earth, the hmite voh'e, who soar above vulgar
humanitv. Bui blood, he adds, flows in the veins of

Till: IIAI.FWAV IKHSM

21!)

jM)()r o'c'iitlciiu'ii and yoiiiigor brothers, ami is just.
tok'rat('(l \ty all I'xcopt judicious mothers wlio.se
daughters aro luarriagi'ahlo. Hloml, siinplt; Mood,
is the puddlt! which paints the check of the pK'-
hcian and roturicr ; whilst Idnrk lilnixl is the vile Sty-
gian pitch found in the carcasses of Jews. (Jcntilen,
Moors, Lutherans, and other conibustihle heretics,
with whose bodies the holy tribunal in the days •'•one
by made bonfires for the good of their souls.

In America the matter would be summed up
somewhat as follows :

A white man to eat with ; a red man to linnt
with ; and a black or a yellow man to kick.

So mixed up haye some of these so-called 'half-
breeds ' become that it is impossible to tell where the
white man be<»ins and the red man ends. Throu<i:h
fre(juent intermarriage the blood of I'our or live
nationalities often mingles in their veins. Their
grandfathers may have been English or French
Canadians, their great-grandfathers Lord Southosk's
Highlanders, their gran(hnothers or greut-grand-
mothers Cree or Beaver squaws ; their lathers
Christian ' half-breeds,' and their mothers heathen
IMackfeet or Assiniboine ; and according to how they
marry will the colour of their progeny be deter-
mined.

The possession of an Indian wife, although she
is remarkably easy of acquirementj is not, I am

2M)

TIIK (iUKKNS moilWAY

i.ssiircd l)y tliost; wlio ()n<rlit to k

now, an iiimnxc;i

1)1

ess 111 L*".

For a fow (iolliirs, u rai^'ji;c(l pony, a bottle or two
ol' H|)ij'its, or some cast-ofl' r'.uro|)ean finery, tlie
choicest (liis]:y ir.aiden may he obtaine(l of lier
]tareiitK or _i;iiai-(lians ; but tli(; unfortunate piir-
cliascr not inlrc(|iiently finds that he has, althont>li
tlu! orin-iiijij |)iirehas(!-ni()ney was ridiculously insiij;-
nilicant, made a dear barifain. I-'or should his
habitation be within easy distance of the village
whence he ac(iui:'ed his bride, he will be literally
overrun with her sisters, her cousins, ;nid her

•h

ill

aunls, wlio wilt never leave hnn so lonir as there
is ni(!al in his tub or liquor in his bottle. It is
perfectly astonisliing how the number of relatives of
an Indian s(piaw increases immediatclv she is ' ac-

(pured by a paleface, and how solicitous they sud-
denly become ov(!r her welfare, never missing' an
o|)portunity of looking' in to see how she is yetting

on.

In place of the motley yet picturesque crowd —
and it seems but yesterday — which used hi tlu^
summer months to assemble on the banks of the
J^ed J^ivcr at Fort Garry to watch the boat brigades

iges, Ave have

depart on their northward voy:

platforms of the railway depot lined wdth a still

ai'irer crow..

That of the ])ast was very mixed. Then; were

TTIK HALFWAY [lOlJSK

251

cop))or-c()l.)iire<l Iiifliuns, with tlioir wcll-j^roasod,
stniiiilit l)liick liair, ornamented with bri<jrlit ribljons
and feathers, their thick nceks l)Oun(l with bands ot
wampum, from whieli (hin<;l<!d silver medals, whilst
broad leather belts or variegated sashes were about
their waists, holdini^ their beaded and quilled fire-
bags. Seoteh mcfis^ and Frencli half-breed i-oj/difciirs
strolled about, i^ay in tasselied cap and cdjiDlc of
fine blu(! cloth ornamented with silver-jz;ilt buttons,
jaunty le_i(<;in<j;-s, corduroy trousers, and bearskin moc-
casins, ji sash of many colours n;irding the waist.
There were but few whites amoni^'st this me<ney of
ii;aily bedizene(l young bucks and half-breeds, and those
who were there were one and all connected in some way
with the Hudson's liay Company and tlie fur trade.
To-day those who form the crowd are almost, if not
'cntiFely, palefaces. Now and again, it is true, a
shajKiless, staylcss old hag of a s(piaw in a be-
draggled skirt, and a tottering ' brave ' in a rindess
pot bat and seatless trousers, do ])ut in an ap])ear-
ancc on the platform ; or a seedy-looking half-breed
may bump you with the luggage he is carrying ; but
the company for the most, if not tbe whole part, is
inach up of farmers and cattle-dealers, shopkeepers
and traders, tourists and travellers, and the general
array of publicans and siimers who go to make up a
crowd at a large station in Western America.

Winnipeg, in virtue of its unicpie position as the

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252

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

l !

[i ' '

:«li

head of iinnierous navigable waterways, was even in
tlie old r<)i/(i(/cur days a sort of halfway house
between the extreme north-west and the east.
From what was th n Fort Garrv brigades of boats
were despatched every summer north and north-
west to ]\Iethy Portage and York Factory in Hud-
son's Bay, there to connect with other brif>:ades from
the remote arctic regions, to w^oni tlieir cargoes
were delivered, the year's collection of furs being
received in exchange.

The season during which water trans[)ortation is
available in the ^'orth-West is naturally limited ; and
the loss of a few days in the departure of boats
destined for the interior might deprive a whole
district of the means of traffic for the ensuing year,
and lock up an immense stock of furs f(jr a like
period.

Although the frost begins to give in April, and
the ice-bound rivers finally succumb to the Avarm
May sunshine and soft rainfall, it was not till about
the first week in June that the freighting season
began, and the longest journey from Fort Garry to
]\Iethy Portage occupied about four months, so the
reader can imagine the importance of starting each
brigade in time.
y' The extent of territory over which the Hudson's
Bay Company still carries on its trade is very great.
The distance between Fort A^mcouver on the

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

2.53

Oregon, and Fort Confidence on Bear Lake, exceeds
1,350 geographical miles ; and tlie space bet\veen the
company's ports on tlie Labrador coast and Fort
Simpson, situated near tlie Sitlva River, tlie boundary
between Alaska and British Coluinbia, is upwards of
2,500 miles. The company's most northern port
cast of the Rockies is on the Mackenzie River, and,
beimr within the arctic circle, is about the coldest,
although Fort Churchill, on the Churchill River, in
Hudson's Bay, runs it, I should imagine, })rctty
clo^'C. Fort Simpson, the most northerly Avest of
the Rockies, is a more genial spot, not being quite
without the warming influence of the Japan current.

"With the transfer of its interests in the Nortli-
West Territories to the Dominion Government the
power of the Hudson's Bay Company was from that
moment materially diminished, but the northern
part of Canada is still as much in the possession of
the company as ever.

Before the construction of the Canadian Pacific
Kail way the depots of the great fur trading company
to which supplies from the civilised Avorld Avere
periodically sent, and which formed the keys of the
company's vast sections, were York Factory in the
northern department (the northern department h,

situated l)etween Hudson's Bay and the Rockies) ;|
Moose Factor}'-, in the southern (which lies betweeii
James I5ay and Canada); Montreal, in the Canadas ;

• 'i
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254

THE QUEENS IlIGIIWAV

find Victoria, Vancouver Island, in the west. Tlie
vast extent of tlic northern department necessitated
a depot for the ' inhind districts,' which exists at
Norway House, on Jiake Winnipeg; and Fort Garry,
both on account of the uniqueness of its position,
and as the centre for traffic passing over the United
States route, became the principal depot for the
' phiin districts.'

Throughout the immense territory (the area em-
braced was about 4,500,000 sfpiare miles) then under
its influence the Hudson's Bay Company kept u\) a
regular communication, and supplies were forwarded
and the products of the chase received in return, with
a regularity and exactness truly marvellous. Jn
summer this was done by means of canoes, boat
brigades, and lied River carts ; in winter by dog-
sledges.

AVhat a. lively sight Fort Garry must have pre-
sented in winter, Avith its mixed assembly of roijd-
(jnirs, fur-clad whites, and athletic snow-shoe runners ;
gaily painted carioles, drawn by shaggy diminutive
ponies, and trains of dog-sledges.

Without these dog-trains locomotion over the
northern plains and over the frozen surface of the
rivers n';d lakes was im})ossible ; they were used for
freighting, for passengers, and for carrying the mails.

There were three kinds of sledges — the doir-
cariole, the freight-sledge, and the travaille. The

c
c

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

S.-io

first named was for passengers, and it consisted of a
very thin board, usually not over half an inch thick,
fifteen to twenty inches wide, and about ten feet
long, turned np at one end in the form of a lialf-
circle. To this board a lidit framework, rcsemblinn;
a slipper-bath, was attached, about eighteen inches
from the rear end. Over this framework was
stretched buffalo-skin parchment, wliich was duly
painted and decorated. Tlie inside was lined with
buffalo robes and blankets, in which the passenger
reclined. In order to prevent the vehicle from cap-
sizing the driver ran bcliind on snow-shoes, holding
on to a line attached to the back. The end, whicli
projected from behind the passenger's seat, was
utilised as a sort of boot, upon which to tie baggage,
or as a platform upon which tlie driver miglit tem-
porarily stand when tired of running.

The sleigh used for freighting purposes is made
of two thin oak or birchwood boards, lashed together
Avith deerskin thongs. It is turned up in front, and
its length is from nine to twelve feet, and its breadth
from fourteen to sixteen inches. Althougli invaria-
bly heavily laden, it runs over hard snow or ice with
great ease.

Good sleigh-dogs are not now met with in tlie
vicinity of Winnipeg, but there are plenty of them in
the Saskatchewan district and the districts further
north, where they are still the chief motive power.

-..,i

2')C>

THE QUKKN.S HIGHWAY

Ml]

■1 ' '
%

It*' 1 1-

■

In the maniiy lurchers one sees sniffinfif amono;st
the refuse in the streets of Winnipeg it would be
/ difficult to recognise the descendants of the gaily
caparisoned Mercuries who made the square at Fort
Garry merry with their bells as they scampered
amongst the snow, or dashed gleefully out of the
gateway on their northward journeys.

Sleigh -dogs are, as a rule, but little removed
from the wolf ; and if left to themselves, they would
speedily revert to. the wildness of their original
ancestors. The Esquimaux dogs are, however, dis-
tinctly diflercnt from the ordinary Indian dogs ; they
are, it is true, neither so fast nor so dashing as these
long-legged, wiry-haired brutes, but they possess
greater powers of endurance, and are infinitely more
tractable. The portrait of the Esquimaux dog, with
its fox head, clean legs, furry coat, bushy tail, and
sharp-])ointed and erect ears, is doubtless a fiimiliar
one, and certainly one that needs no additional
sketching at my hands.

Four miles an hour is the average rate of speed
for a well-laden dog-sleigh, and ten hours constitute
a day's work. But many of the well-trained teams
leaving Fort Garry with passengers and mails made
considerably more than forty miles per day, their rate
of speed and powers of endurance being almost equal
to many of the so-called express trains in Spain and
Portugal. The speed of these dog-trains was, I am

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

257

.■1 :
■ r

assured, greatly determined by tlic capacity of the
driver to ' cuss ' ; for so lieatlienisli had tlie doffs in-
variably become through a very loose early training,
that they mocked at soft words and gentle adju-
rations, even when accompanied by the use of
the whij), and alone responded to unprintable im-
precations.

Travelling by dog-sledges, after the first charm of
novelty has worn off, is anything but agreeable,
especially if the journey to be taken is of any length,
when much rough ground has necessarily to be gotten
over.

The journey day after day through the intense
stillness, rarely meeting a sign of man or animal life,
and with the thermometer several degrees below
zero, does not present a very cheerful picture. There is
the same monotonous sky-line and the unending vision
of snow, unbroken by shrub or tree, ever before you ;
the only change being in the rising and setting of the
sun, a sight unspeakably grand.

The cold is bearable, so dry and crisp is the air
in- the North-West, when there is no wind ; but let the
wind blow from the north-east, and then see how it
is. No animal exists that can grow a fur Avarm
enough to keep out the penetrating blasts, which find
out crevices, the existence of which you up to then
never once suspected, and damp you and cliill you
all over. The fine particles of snow are whirled

' \\

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ys^

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2:)S

TriE QUKKN'S IIICIIWAY

in clouds iibovo your head, striking your face uiul
frcL;zin'4- thereon, l)lindinf^ your vision, and making
you trciuible for the safety of your nose. In sucli
moments the utter desolation of the situation strikes
you with overwhelming force. You search the
horizon in vain for a forest of pines, for a clump of
birch, or a mere hazel thicket — anything for shelter ;

■ ' ' '-!, "H ^ — I

THE GREAT NORTHERN PACKET.

but nothing meets the eye save a glittering expanse
of white, broken by ridges where the snow has
drifted, and the journey has to be continued under
hourly increasing misery.

The ' Great Northern Packet,' consisting of four
dog teams, left Fort Garry early in December on its
northward journey via Norway House, the dep6t
on Lake Winnipeg, and, with its connecting links, it

i>w • -■

Till-: IFALKWAY HOUSK 2.')!)

was the one nicdiiiin in winter tlir()U<^li w liieli news '
was conveyed to tlie various parts of tlie Hudson's
Viiiy Comj)any, seuttered all over the vast region lyini;-
hetwcen the forty-ninth and sixty-seventh j)arallels
of latitude in North America, and reacliin<^ east and
west from Lal)rador to Alaska. The route taken was
down the frozen bed of the IJcd River and across the
icy expanse of Lake Winnipe<^.

There Avas something strikingly novel and
picturesque to the outsider in the scene of the
brightly accoutred dog-trains leaving the walls of
Fort Garry at a jog-trot, the quick yelp of the
team miniiliiio; with the tinkling of the bells and the
sharp crack of the voi/fn/c/trs whip.

Sledge-dogs in the North-West are harnessed in
various "ways. The Esquimaux run their dogs
abreast. In the Hudson's Bay region they run in
a pack, harnessed by many separate lines. The
teams that left Fort Garry were driven tandem, and
this is the form they still run in in the Saskatchewan
district. The ' Great Northern Packet ' consisted,
as I have said, of four teams, four dogs to a team.

Every one will know by this how, imtil a few
years back, comparatively isolated AVinnipeg was ; and
how, with the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, '
she has been brought into direct touch with the Old
AVorld and with all parts of the Dominion. I have

already mentioned that, in addition to being the half- j

8 2 .J

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2G0

THE QUEKX'S IIiailWAY

I-

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[ftl I

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P

I I

way house on the ' Queen's Iligliway,' and the head
of far-reaeliini^ waterways, Winnipe<^ is tlic centre
from which radiate several brancli railways, jifivinjr
lier extensive internal as well as external coniniu-
nieation. Yet, even with these sj)k'ndid facilities,
AVinnipog is as yet unsatisfied. She desires some-
thin*^ more in the sha[)e of railways ; and that
somethint>' — althouf^h the wish Las been decried as
foolish, childish, and impossible of attainment — she,
it appears, has hopes of eventually securing.

Manitoba is in the shape of a parallelogram, and
she alone of the provinces of the Dominion is without
a sea-board. Her nearest outlet is, of course, Hud-
son's Bay, which is something under 700 miles from
Winnipeg, the capital ; and it is by way of Hud-
son's Bay that Manitoba seeks to reach the outer
world.

For a loniT time ]\[anitoba's best friends looked
upon the scheme as being neither more nor less than
a pious Avish on the part of the ambitious Mani-
tobans ; but the last few months have witnessed
such a practical development of the undertaking that
even its bitterest opponents now hesitate to express
an opinion adverse to its ultimate realisation.

The scheme is to build a railway, some 700 miles
long, from Winnipeg to York Factory in Hudson's
Bay, there connecting with steamers direct for
England. The line of rail will not follow the route

THE IIALKWAY IlOUSK

2(;i

taken by the 'Great Xortliern Paeket,' wliicli was
over the fro/en surface of Lake Winni[)e;;-, hut will
run helweeii Lakes WiiiiiijK'g^ and Winnipe^^oosis,
h'aviny" Xorway House on the riiilit. and skirtinjr tlie
Nelson JJiver as it api^'oaehes Hudson's l>ay.

The eonti'acts for the whole distance are, I am
inf(jrnied, already let, luid so soon as the promoters
know how they stand with the Government (mucli, 1
presume, depending upon the result of the coming
elections) construction "will be rapidly puslied on.
Already some sixty miles have been constructed,
and trains will by this time be running from Winni-
])eg over a portion of the track. Moreover, arrange-
ments, I am also told, have been made with Messrs.
i\Iilburn for the sii]>ply of steamers to run to and
from York Factory in connection with the railway.

It is a matter of history liow the 'company m
adventurers' (the original Hudson's Bay Com])any)
received the royal charter giving them exchisive right
to trade in Hudson's Bay.

The only consideration the company were called
upon to make in return for this magnificent monopoly
was the annual payment of two elks (to be collected, I
believe, by the king in person) ; but under the charter
they contracted to do all they could to discover the nuich

' 111 the Indian laiigungc ^Vinllipeg nivalis the Lahe of the Dirty
Water, the waters of the lied River discolouring the hdvc as they
discharge themselves therein. "Winniijegoosis means the Little Lake
of tlie Dirty Water.

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2(12

TIIK gUKKNS HUniWAY

sonjrlit-artcr nortli-wcst passii^^o. So noon, however,
RM they discovered wliat an iiiexliaustihle •^old mine
in tlie sliapc of lurs liad been j^iven them to work,
they at once not only ceased themselves to search lor
tlie rahujous Straits of Anlan, bnt concentrated their
etlbrts u[K)ii preventin;^' any oni; else doiu«( so.

Maps compiled by French geographers in the
seventeenth century, based upon the discoveries of
Cabot and Cartier, represented the country west of
Hudson's Hay as avast inland hv.h, and even in the
maj)s of a century later everything north of the Gulf
of California was marked as unknown.

So licnt were the company of adventurers from the
commencement of th "r undertaking to keep dark the
fruitful region which had fallen into their hands, tliat
they, instead of dispelling popular delusions upon the
subject, sought if anything to increase them. For
with them not only was the much-desired north-
west passage non-existent, but the whole region was
bleak, barren, and inhospitable beyond description ;
and a similar policy caused the company to make
ecpially misleading statements about the inland
country (ner which they held sway down to quite
recent times.

It is the fashion, I know, to abuse the Hudson's
Bay Com})any for what they did in this matter, but at
the risk of running counter to fashion I must confess
that the selfishness which they displayed was highly

i'i^

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■iiftn^t-

TIIK IIAF.IWAY Hol si;

'2(u\

natural ; and tlie man lias yet to be born and tlu'
t'oin[)any to be lorined who would strictly conlini'
liinisc'lf or themselves to the truth when lictioii alone
' would ((tleetually raise a |>ro(e(tin^' barrier around his
or their vested interests.

Besides, it must not be forgotten that (lurln<; the;
two centuries and more that IJritish North America
was occupied by the Hudson's liay Company they
undoubtedly turned the country to the best account
possible by utilisin<i; what all alon^' was considered
(erroneously, it turns out) the sole [)ortion of its
wealth, vi/. its furs.

The fur trade, on account of the bar])arou.s natin*e
of the re<]^ion and its complete isolation, was the only
one which possessed strong vitality, and beyond furs
nothing could be profitably exported.

The fur trade was undoubtedly the motive spring
which gave life to everything in the way of business
in the ' Great Lone Land,' and it may be fairly
claimed that the half-breed voyayeurs employed by the
Hudson's Bay Com[)any in connection with the trade
formed the advance guard of civilisation in the
unknown regions stretching from James Bay to the
Pacific, and from the Athabasca to the Missouri.
The term royageur, I should add, is not restricted to
boatmen or canoemen, but it is generally ai)plied to
all persons connected with the fur trade, as freighters,
guides, hunters, trappers, &iC.

■ m

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2()1 TIIH (^UKKN'S IIKJHWAY

/ Evcrvtliiiij^ servos its turn, ninl the pursuit of
furs \v;is the nu'tuis hy wliich the fertility of the vast

)1:

iiieh

plMHis wlueli early i;'eoi2,'fa[»liers iinaguied were an
indefinite oeean heeaint' known : only the knowledi^'e
was kept hack too h)n^' ; li)r had ii been made public;
earlier, Canada would without doubt hav^

a niuen

ilati

.1 1

larucr poj)ulation and oe in a more advanced condi-
tion than she is at tlu> present time.

Tlu' natural outlet to what has been appropriately
called the CJreat i'lir Land is Hudson's liay ; and
throuj:,h Fort Churchill and ^'ork l-'actory. the com-
pany's chief de[)ots in the bay, touch was kept with

¥.

urope

The company's packet left l^iii^'land for these
depots in rlune, laden with stores, ammunition, and
so forth, which were distributed from there amonn'st
the ^lackenzie River, Athabasca, Ked Iviver, and the
northern districts o-euerally.

The opening of the Cana lian l*acilie Railway has
of course chaniivd the channel of communication so
far as Manitoba, the Saskatchewan, and the Pacific

coast are concerned, but the communication

betw

een

I'jiiiland and the Hudson's I'ay depots remains the

same,

Fort Churchill, which is situated about five miles
from Hudson's l»ay, on a small bay on the Churchill
River, receives its annual sin)})lies from the inother-
countrv towards the end of August or the bei>'inuinu!'

Till': HALFWAY HOUSE

!>(;:)

of SoptiMubiT ; ;iii(l the vessel by wliieli tliey arrive
starts on lier lioinewanl voya^'e within ten (hiys of
hi'r arrival, tin- sewritv of the eliiiiate I'entlerinu" it

imprudent to make a longer st;iy

le climate ni

this n'u'ioii is anythinii,' hut a desirable one ; for it is
not nnlil the middle of flime that the river on whieli
tlie factory is situated frtvs itself from the hold of the
frost, whilst by the uiiddle of November it is au'ain
enchained in ici'. Snow also falls as eai'ly as October,
remainiii!^' deep on the i;'round until late in Api'il ; so
that it is j)ractically im[)()ssible to walk about from
the end of ()etol)er to the ben'Imunii' of Ma\', sa\'e on
snow-sliocs.

I'or six months in the year little, it will thus be
sei'ii, can bi' done by the residents at this port outside
of that which has direct reference to self-preservation ;
and durini' the sununer juonths one is almost eaten
up by the swarms t)f mosipiitoes which infest the
swamps adjoinini:; the fort.

York Factory, at the head t)f the Nelson Kiver,
enjoys a more cheerful location, and it is the port
nearest Kni;land in that part of Ih-itish North
America.

From York l-'actory to I/iverpool it is but iV-'*!!)
miles, the distance beinu' oidy .'50.") miles lon^-er than
that between '^)uebcc and liiver[)ool, which is :2,<)()1
miles.

From Wiiniipei;" to Liver[)ool rii'i Montreal and

u , ft

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jl|

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2GG

THE QUEEN'S IIICIIWAY

! Quebec it is 4,250 miles, but via York Factory it is
only 3,G66 miles, the saving in actual distance in
favour of the latter route being 590 miles.

These figures are, however, somewhat delusive,
for whereas the Quebec route is open fully six
months in the year, and the route vi<1, Halifax all
the year round, it is by no means certain that the
one by way of Fludson's liay is navigable for four
months together.

The Dominion Government, with the object of
definitely clearing up the mystery which surrounds
this matter, recently sent out expeditions to take
observations and to report thereon. The reports
which have been received from the officers in charge
of the vessels comprising the expeditions are, I
understand, contradictory, and therefore inconclusive
and unsatisfactory. They must, however, stand for
what they are worth ; but, as the last report v/as in
fiivour of the practicability of the route, the Govern-
ment have, I hear, decided that further inquiries in
connection with the subject are unnecessary.

The fact is, one year is unlike another in these
regions, and there is no actual certainty about the
extent of time in which navigation (which appears
to be solely dependent upon the whim of the arctic
current) is possible.

One season the straits which connect Pludson's

THE HALFWAY HOUSE

207

Bay with the Athmtic insiy be free from ice, wliilst
anotlier they may be abnost blocked with it, render-
iug" navigation dangerous if not impossible.

Hudson's Straits are about GOO miles long, and
in the broadest part 50 miles wide ; and the Bay
itself is 1,000 miles long by GOO miles wide.^

It is, I believe, a fact that the casualties to the
sailing ships annually despatched by the Hudson's
Bay Company through the straits to the depots
above mentioned have been few and far between ;
and it is argued, by those who wish to make the route
the highway to the cornfields of the North- West, that
what could for upwards of a hundred years be done
without great loss by sailing vessels could be accom-
plished by steamers in very much less time and \\ ith
a minimum of risk.

Old Hudson's Bay men aver that it is impossible
to navigate the straits in steamers, in consequence of
the floating ice, which would crush the propellers,
wooden sailing ships alone being suitable for tlie
traffic. ]jut the promoters of the Hudson's Bay
Railway Company class these objections as childisli,

' Tlie basin of Ilmlstm's IJay is tlic lurgost in Uritisli Nortli
America, it being 2,000,000 S(iiiare miles in extent. Tlie Mackenzie
basin comes next with an .area of 550,000 S((uare miles ; whilst the
St. Lawrence basin covers 5.'}0,U00 S(iuare miles (of which 70,000 are
in the United States), and the Pacific slope .']41,.'}05 8(iuare miles.
The St. John basin and the Atlantic slope together have but an area
of 50,214 M(|uare miles.

.'*>

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THE QUEEN'S IlIGFIWAY

iii i

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and they assure me that, witli the modern appliances
at their disposal, the ships to be employed would be
able to overcome all difhciiltics on this score, and
that during the season they Avould be able to make
very fjur time.

If this be so, and should it be conclusively proven
that the straits are open sufficiently long to allow of
the despatch of the current year's wheat, the carrying
trade of the Ave^tern States of America, as well as that
of the north-west of Canada, would under^'o a com-
plctc revolution. For the Hudson's Bay route is not
only the shortest one to the interior corn- lands of
the American continent, but there are natural aids to
traffic in the shape of waterways, which are naviga-
ble for long distances.

The United States Government are paying con-
siderable attention to the deepening of the water-
ways on their side of the border, and it is anticipated
that by the time the }»rojectcd railway from Winni-
peg to York Factory could be finished, there would
be uninterrupted conmiunication between Fargo, on
the Northern Pacific, and the capital of Manitoba.
A few miles below AVinnipcg there arc small rapids,
navigable, it is true, for the North-West Navigation
Company's steamers all spring, and the company's
river stern-wheelers for the greater part of the sum-
mer, but of such a character as co prevent their
being navigated by vessels of a greater draught.

THE IIAT>FWAY HOUSE

200

The Hudson's Bay railway pec pic, however, talk
about making them available for corn traffic, and in
such case the wheat-fields of Dakota and Minnesota
would be brourrht within 21M) miles of the sea ; for
beyond these rapids there is, I understand, an open
channel, enabling vessels to proceed as far as the
head of T^ake AYinnipeg, wiiich point is about 2!)()
miles from tlie bay coast.

The all rail route would, I suppose, connect with
the ]\Ianitoba and South-Wcstern at Winni[)efr,
which, until the Canadian Pacific was constructed,
was the line by which passengers and freight were
conveyed to the United States, and from there to
Europe, the Xorth-West being cut off from the rest of
Canada for lack of direct rail communication. So
great is the change effected by the ' (Queen's High-
way,' that words entirely fail to convey an adequate
idea of the difference in the situation.

By the Hudson's Bay route the American corn-
fields would be brought 1,000 miles nearer by rail,
and 1,700 miles nearer by water to the shipping
point to the United Ivingdom or the Continent.

But the saving in distance might be more than
counterbalanced by the delays and perils of navigation;
for until tlie cxpcriuient of running direct steamers
were tried, it would be premature to say that the
route was a practicable one. For there is, it cannot
be denied, always the danger of these straits not

270

TIIE QUEENS TlKillWAY

f II:

i! I'

i i

being found open sufficiently long to allow of the corn
being shipped the same year as grown. And until
this matter was decided, but few growers would
care to run the risk of shipping corn to Europe
Avith the possibility of its remaining a whole year
at York Factory, having arrived there too late to be
despatched before the close of the navigable season,
the length of which repeated ventures alone can de-
termine.

Of the actual character of the land throuii'li which
the projected railway would run little is known, but
for the first 150 miles it is believed to be very good,
whilst the greater part of the remaining 550 is
not expected to be of any great value for agricul-
tural purposes. It is a truly wild land, a land in
which it has been said the stillness can be felt and the
silence heard ; the land of the prowling wolf and of
the many furry-coated animals, against which the
Indians of the plains and the woods wage a perpetual
warfare.

There, as the fiUthor of ' The Wild North Land,'
says, 'the seasons come and go, grass grows and
flowers die, the fire leaps with tiger bounds along the
earth, the snow lies still and quiet over hill and lake,
the rivers rise and fall, but the rigid features of the
wilderness rest unchanged. Lonely, silent, and im-
passive ; heedless of man, season, or time, the weight
of the Infinite seems to brood over it.'

ii-

1:J:

THE HALFWAY UOUSE

271

lUit civilisation is ever advjincinj^ and coikjikt-
ing these wiltls, working cliange upon change in
a manner so rapid and eftectual tliat little trace is
left of tlic original state of things ; and in no place is
this more so than in Winnipeg and the surrounding
district.

Dog-trains have given way to tlic iron horse ;
and the shrill whistle of the steam-engine is heard on
the Red lliver, in place of the wild chanfions of the
half-breed voyageurs as they urge! their canoes over
the water.

If Mr. Hugh Sutherland (the president ot the
Winnipeg and Hudson's Bay Railway Company)
should succeed in carrying through his great scheme,
further extraordinary changes will be wrought thereby
in the position of affairs in the North-West. It
would be enough to make the early employes of the
Hudson's Bay Company turn in their graves to sec
how modern science, manipulated by latter-day
energy and cuteness, had overcome difficulties which
they and their successors had learnt to look upon as
nature's prerogatives, impossible of conquest and
absolutely resistless.

For the future, so full of surprises, may after all
see the original highway to the Great Fur Land be-
come the highway to those limitless plains of waving
corn which but a decade ago were a wilderness,
possessed bv the beasts of the field and the birds of

272

TITK QUEEN'S IIinilWAY

I ' I

Wl'

the air, but now, owiiif^ to the -vvliite man's porsc-
vcrance and skill, a voritahlc land of plenty.

• •■•••

Winnipeg, which is 7o(S feet above sea level, and
enjoys a mean summer temperature of f)()*S°, is, during'
ffuly and yVu^'ust, a pretty warm corner, and I souLi'ht
Avhilst r was there cool relief in linen suits and a solar
topic. In winter (the i/iemi temperature is o2"9°) it
is quite another thing ; then the mercury drops to —
well, I don't exactly remember how many degrees
below zero, but sufficiently low to make you think of
fur coats and fur-lined boots. But the cold is not
nearly so trying as it is in Northern Ivuro[)e, where
chill mists and marrow-searchinir Avinds seem indis-
pensable adjuncts to frost. In Winnipeg and in the
North- West generally — save when it is a 'poudre day '
— the atmosphere in winter is ever rare imd clear, Avitli
a bright sky.

For my own part, I love a Canadian winter, with
its sleio-hino- snow-shooing, and toboirganing. Canoe-
injr and boating on Canada's broad rivers and far-
reaching lakes are summer recreations ever to be
siii'hed after when once indulged in ; whilst the
sportsman, whether armed Avith rod, rifle, or gun,
quickly finds his paradise a few miles removed from
any populous centre. In the North-West this is
especially the case, and small game can readily be
found almost within the city limits of any of the

I r

TIIR I1AI>F\VAY HOUSE

273

orowing towns, and l)i<i' game very often just outside
them.

Winnipeg is a city which at first siglit commands
the interest of every visitor, whilst no one can fail to
admire tlie splendid enterprise and daring of her in-
habitants. Those who get to know her better find
their interest and admiration develop into love — firm
and nnalterable.

I have conceived a strong affection for Winnipeg,
and for her warm-hearted, sturdy citizens, magnificent
specimens of the most hospital)le country in the Avorld.
] felt a little wrench at my heart when I wished
good-bye to my numerous friends at the excellent
little club where I had passed so many pleasant
hours ; and 1 distinctly remember promising ' Sec,'
Colonel Osborn Smith, Mr. Fred Buchanan, Mr. ff.
]\IcTavisli (to whom I am specially indebted for a
good deal of information contained in this chapter '),
and others wdio stood by, that I would pay them
another visit ; and I sincerely trust that nothing will
prevent the fulfilment of this promise.

Before, liowever, I can revisit Winnipeg, great
changes will probably have taken place in the city
and neighbourhood. The halfway house on the
(^lecn's Highway will yearly increase in importance.

' I must also mention that I have dcrivol cousideiahle kiiMwlcdge
of past atlairs in the Nurtli-Wost from Mr. H. M, liobiiisDifs Urcat
l'}ir Laiiil.

,»: , !i

27 1

TIIK QUEEN8 IIKIIIWAY

and on next visiting it I should not be greatly sur-
prised to see at the station notices running somewhat
as follows : —

|; i ♦

TluH way U> tho
Yokohaina, Hdiig
Kong, aiitl Asiatic
Mail.

C. P. 11. NOTICE ! ! !

Till- J'lii'ijii- JiIxjnrM liinrs
iV«». 1 I'lafJ'ona <it 5.3.

The AfldiiHc Expresn hava*
No. 2 fhilform <ii 17.2.

^}r PASSK-NdEKS rhinifje (•«)'.•<

licrc for St. Pii Ill's, York
Factory, Sitka, and all Sta-
tions on tho Hudson's Bay,
Alaskan, North- West Terri-
tories, and I'nitod States
Railways. By Ouddi;.

WiNMl'EU, 18 . . .

This way to the'
Australian and
Now Zealand
Mail. 1

%l i

27.)

CllAI'Ti:i{ M.

nOUND THE NOltTH SHORE OF LAKE SVl'EUlOli,

TiiK ' Atlantic cx})res.s ' leaves Winuipeg lor M(jiit-
rcal by way of the north shore of Lake Superior at
17.')U (that is 5.50 p.m.), and on the evening that I
journeyed by it tlie train was inconveniently crowded,
th(! traffic between the halfway house and points
i'urther east being very great. So numerous, in fact,
were the passengers, that those who had not secured
their berths beforehand experienced considerable diffi-
culty in obtaining even a })ortion of a section. Having
myself omitted to book in advance I had to t.'ike np
my quarters for the night in the smoking-room,
where a ' nig ' conductor fitted me up a berth. The
bed was fully as comfortable as elsew*liere, and 1 had
the advantage of having the large room all to myself;
but that night I did not happen to be particuhu'ly
sleepy, and, whenever I managed to doze, my sleep
was troubled and weighted with a thousand cares.

The forms of those who just before I had retired
to rest had been eagerly playing ' i)oker ' in the very
room in which I was, presented themselves to me,
and besou<::ht ine to take a hand.

I ig ■

270

Tin: (/UKKNS IIUIIIWAY

i?:iW.

Now, althoii;^li [ novel' foiicli awih suvo whoii I
nm triisellijiu', 't.ikiii'^ii IimikI' iji ohUt to hrciik tlic
monotony of tnivcl is m weakness of mine. This tlio
sliades evidently knew. uikI they tempted nie accord-
ingly, and. needh'ss to >ay, I {iA\.

In a twinkling I found myself spat('(l at tlu; table
with i»iles of ' chips' in front of me, and merrily sped
the •'■ame. J>ut luck was against me from the first ;
if I had three kings, some one was snre to have three
aces, whilst a 'full hand' invariably bronght ont
' four of a kind.' Do what I could 1 found it im-
possible to win. If 1 drew for a ' fill,' I ' filled,' it is
true, only to find that some one at th(! table had
di'awn a 'full hand' of a higher <lenojninati()n ;
had I a 'Hush,' with 'kinghigli,' some one would be
sure to rake in tlie sliekels with 'ace high ;' so bad,
in fact, was my hick that a liand of four aces was
met by a ' se(juence,' and the whole )f my ' ehl[)s '
went to my o])poncnt.

Dreams, they say, go by contraries ; this may Ijc
so as a general thing, but with ' poker ' I found that
the games I played in dreamland were but a repetition
of those T ha<l played /// jtropriA pcr.sona, when my
ill-luck was e(pially extraordinary.

What dominoes are to the Latin races poker is
to lh(! iidiabitants of tlu; western States of North
America : it is the national game, every one playing
it from the highest to the lowest. The legislator

M'v;

'^m:

aO\J.-

J ) '. r^^ )/A^ I ^- V^ ! CU/'^

HOUND TIIK N'OHTFI SIIOUK OK LAIvK SUPKUKU! L'77

'takes a hand' witliiii tlic precincts oltlic verylioiise
wliei'e the laws of tlii' land arc made, and tlic I»ack-
woodsniaii tries liis luck with his coniiianions scaled
round the sTunij) of a tree which they have jnst
felled, liven reliufioMS jx'ople do not escape the
mania ; and in some of the ont-oC-the-way settle-
ments tlie popularity of a parson depends, I helieve,
more upon his skill in ilayinL;" 'poker' than on the
(pialily of his sermon- . Indeed, I havt; I'reipiently
noticed that the more eii'curnspect a man is as a
j^'cneral thin;^', and the higher the re[)Utation he
hears for all-round u'odliness, the l^ettcr does he play
' poker.' My advice is, always beware of such a man,
for you will invariably find him more ditftcult to read
than the most hardened gambler going-. You never
know when you have got him ; for, with an aspect
that is at once truthful and childlike, he will ' blnll"'
you without mercy.

It is scarcely ever worth while trying to ' ])lun''
him ; for he is not at all likely to be scared off, but
will, if he has any hand at all, invariably stay in
when he thinks he is being ' bluti'ed.' His attitude
on such occasions is calculated to lake any one off' his
guard, for you feel certain that every ' raise ' he
makes will be his last, whilst he in reality is meekly
egging you on to your destruction.

In rough AVestern parlance a man who falls in
with such a player ' catches on a snag,' and it is said

27S

TIIK QUKKNS IIirillWAY

I p.;
11'

iii

il ■'

that everyone who visits the Xorth-West comes across
sooner or later the snag on wliicli he is to catcli. I
know I found my snag, and this was how it hap-
pened :

One niglit I found myself — quite by accident,
of course — in the snuii; little card-room of ji club west
of tlie liockies ; and a game of ' poker ' was suggested,
in which I was asked to join.

This I agreed to ; and as I Avas taking my seat
there entered a certain distinguished statesman (whom
we will call Pii'owne — with an e, please). I had the
pleasure of his ac(|uaintance, and as we wanted one to
make five, \ suoii:ested tliat he should take a hand.

' 1 never play poker,' lie replied in a voice that
was full of meekness, casting a look of reproach at
me the while.

' No, I)rowne doesn't play,' ' never saw him touch
cards,' ' doesn't understand 'em,' I heard my friends
whis))er ; but there was something in P)rowne's
manner as he watched some people playing at
another table which told me that he did under-
stand cards, and that he would take a hand if he
were ]>ressed ; so 1 ])ressed him.

' Xo, thank you,' he said several times, ' I really
couldn't ; besides, IMrs, Browne [with the e writ large]
is waitinii: for me.'

I)ut I knew my man, and I could tell by the
furtive u:lances he threw at the cards, and the nervous

.J...

HOUND THE NORTH SHOHE OF lAKE SUPERIOR 279

way in which ho turned over the money in liis
trouser })Ocket, tluit in the end lie would find that he
could play, and that he would let Mrs. Browne
wait.

My surmises were correct, and in a little while he
ventured to join ns.

' Ivememhcr,' lie said as he took his seat opposite
me, ' I don't know the game, and I fear I shall make
some sad blunders,'

But it was astonishing- how well, in spite of his
alle<ijed it»'iiorance, he knew the value of his hand.

AVell, we played on, and luck, curiously enough,
was with me from the first, and quite a little heap of
small money (the play was very low) had accumu-
lated by my side. Browne was, I think, a little out,
but there was about him an air of Christian resigna-
tion which encouraged one to win of him.

By-and-by I found myself with three kings in
my hand, and hoping to ' fill,' I took two cards.
Chance favoured inc, and I ' filled.' After one or
two ' raises ' all went out except ])rowne ; and as he
had draw 1 three cards, I thought there w*vs no diffi-
culty in beating him. But he stayed with me, and
the rest of the players were the silent witne-ises of a
tug of war between us.

I raised Browne's last declare to the extent of the
limit, but instead of throwing up his hand he went
the ' limit better.'

• ill

• .

280

Tine QUEEN'S IIIOIIWAY

! i

iif

,i(i!i

liil!l|:w

i\ i'.

At tills I paused to take in my man ; but he was
difficult reading — so difficult, in fact, that I could
make nothing of him ; so I ' raised ' him again.

' I'll see you, and go a dollar better,' was his
reply as he put his two dollars upon the table.

All the time his attitude was one of irreproachable
humility, and his eyes seemed to say, ' I'm very sorry,
but I am bound to do it ; but I do hope I may not
win ijour money.'

This is wha^, his eyes said ; but the firm line in
which his lips a, '■ere drawn told me that he was not
bluffing, that he had a good hand and that he was
determined I should not win his money. Then I felt
I was beaten, splendid cards though I had ; for ex-
perience had taught me that, good hand though I
might have, there Avas always the possibility of a
better one being out, and that that better one invariably
w;is out whenever the stakes were worth winning.
The proverbially imlucky gambler never, or very,
very seldom, makes a grand coup. Fickle fortune
may allow him to win small sums, in order that he
may the more surely be lured to his destruction, but
never large ones ; and when he, in virtue of such
successes, stakes his all upon a hand which appears
absolutely invincible, that is the moment when for
a certainty better cards will be out agtunst him, and
his ' all ' will go to swell an opponent's pile.

An unlucky man — and he will know his luck only

ROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 281

too soon — should not play any game of cards for
money ; and the luckiest man in creation should, in
a game of poker, always ' see ' the cards of a player
wlio has the air of a saint and the manners of a
novice. He should, unless wilfully seeking financial
disaster, never ' raise ' him, for that player will
invariably be found to have the whip hand of every
one.

Taking this into consideration, I declined to l)e
led on by the brilliant prospect such a hand as my
own presented ; and, rising superior to what seemed
an easy cut to fortune, I decided to ' see ' Browne,
the luxury of ' seeing ' him costing me a dollar.

' I have only two pairs,' said l^rowne.

' Oh, that's no good,' I replied, stretching my
hand towards his pile.

But my hand was stayed with a gentle counter
movement on the part of my opponent, whose eyes
at the same time meekly rebuked me for my worldli-
ncss.

' Stay a moment,' he said, in his calm reflective
way, giving another look at his hand ; ' I foi-got to
say that my two pairs are alike,' and he laid his cards
quietly upon the table.

They ir ere four queens!

A good poker-player is supposed never to express
his astonishment, no matter what may happen ; but
I am a very bad player, and am sufficiently hiunan to

1 »■,■

■ '' n

', ri

I Si

I '.

ml ■ • •■!

282

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

feel agoTieved wlien the whole of my winnings, and
more besides, goes in one fell swoop to a man who is
' inst learninu' the n:ame.'

Of course Hrowne commiserated with me, and
said how sorry he was that the four queens were not
in my hand instead of in his ; but he pocketed the
winnino-s all the same.

He afterwards comited np his ' chips,' and as he
pushed them towards the middle of the table every one
thought that — good, unselfish spirit that he was — he,
as a sort of rebuke to the mammon of unrigliteous-
ness, was going, before rising from the table, to leave
them for the benefit of the next 'jack-pot.'

Nothing of the kind ; he asked the banker to
redeem them, and, adding the money to that which he
had oljtained from me, he got up from his seat.

' I am afraid, gentlemen,' he said, as he buttoned
up jiis coat, ' my ignorance of the game has caused
you no end of trouble.' (This with a sweet self-
deprecating smile.)

' Not at all,' was the reply. ' Don't go ; take
another hand.'

' No, thank you,' he answered, looking at his
watch, ' I cannot ; Mrs. Browne is waiting for me ; '
and, with a sigh which clearly told how bitterly he
repented having spent so much time in such sinful
company, he took his departure for the realms of
domestic bliss.

ROUND TIIK NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 28;^)

For many years I have made an exhaustive study
of human nature, and character-reading has, in a
measure, been my business in life ; but I have never
in any part of the world met people wlioso motives
were so unfathomable as the poker-players of the
Far West.

It is difficult for the most self-contained man to
keep liis emotions entirely in clieck, and to remain
under expectation or excitement so completely passive
as to give no physical indication of his mood ; yet old-
time poker-players seem to be liewn out of stone as
they sit at the table figuring out their hands. Their
features are as inscrutable as those of the sphinx,
and the careful observer who anticipates reading tlieir
secrets through facial or bodily expressions will be
mightily deceived.

I remember how, as I lay tossing on the narrow
bed in the smoking-room, I dreamt that 1 suddenly
became possessed of supernatural powers, and that
in virtue of such possession I should sweep everything
before me.

I thought I could read in the face of a veteran
gambler opposite me that he was ' bluffing,' and
that I had only to keep putting down the limit to
' raise him out of his skin.' But he stuck to me, and
there I was fetching out my last dollar and laying
my letters of credit upon the table, thinking as he
staked the equivalent what a rich haul I should have

s ■
;. „

284

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

^:i

when lie did venture to call me. But he didn't call
me, and soon I was effecting a mortgage on my last
article of wearing apparel, and then I had to ' see '
him. If I hud only 'seen' him earlier! He had a
sequence jiiish, and I only three of a kind ; and as he
raked in my coin and general belongings I felt un-
si)eakably mad. Supernaturalism had played me a
mean trick, and I was not only cross with super-
naturalism, but with myself for being such an im-
measurable idiot as to imagine that any person this
side of heaven could divine the secret thouuhts of a
skilled AYestern poker-player.

I was aroused from dreamland and brought to a
knowledge of my actual position by a blinding light
suddenly falling across my eyes, and with it dis-
appeared gamblers and table, cards and ' chips,' and
the whole scene in which I had recently been so
prominent an actor. A terrific cannonade followed
the unearthly glare, and in an instant I was wide
awake. It was not the first thunderstorm I had
encountered in the plains, otherwise I should have
been scared out of my life ; for never did the
heavens apparently discharge such quantities of
electricity, or reverberate with such deafening thun-
derings.

In a comfortable sleeping berth one can shut
one's eyes and lie still whilst the train runs through
the storm ; but it is quite a different matter being

t :

ROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 285

out on the open prairie alone and without slielter.
Once I had an experience of this, and I have never
forgotten it.

I had been spending the evening with some
friends who lived about two miles from the town in
which I was staying, and on my wj.y lic;;;e I had to
come across the plains.

When I left my host's house I had three com-
panions, but they almost immediately branched off in
a direction different froui the one 1 had to take, and
1 found myself absolutely alone.

' Keep straight ahead down tlie centre track,'
said one of those gentlemen by way of a parting in-
junction ; ' and be tarnation quick about it, for u
storm is brewing, certain.'

' Ivight you are,' I shouted, withan air of assinned
chcei'fidness, foi-ging ahead in the darkness ; for, to
tell the truth, I didn't half like the terrible stillness
which reigned around, and the inky blackness of the
sky, which prevented my catching even so mucli as a
glimpse of the centre track referred to. But I deter-
mined to m:ike the best of matters, and ' o-ano- mc ain
gait ; ' for one does not care to Ije looked down upon
as an ' enuo:ra.nt,' and everv man who makes a fuss
about difficulties or fails to rise to the occasion in the
Xorth-West is contemptuously dismissed from furtlier
notice with the remark, ' Oh, he's only an emigrant '
(emigrant with a blank). So I floundered about

' i

I .

^lii

280

TFIE (iUEEN'S HIGHWAY

|i;i
I

ill the (liirkiicss, in no way ccii'taiii as to tlic correct-
ness of the direction I was taking.

Presently the veil of nig'lit was rent in twain,
and a flood of Uglit ])urst from the heavens ahiiost
})lindini'' me in its hu'iduess. In the first moment 1
tlionglit the day of judgment had arrived, and im-
mediately my mind was clouded with the recollection
of my ]>ast misdeeds. I think I should in that
moment have prayed had I only knoAvn how to ;
but my whole time seemed to be taken up in re-
membering how worthless my life had been, and how
absolutely unprepared I was to be translated to
another s])here. After the first shock, however, the
dominant idea in my mind was, I am sorry to say,
not my uniitness for another sphere, but the intense
desire to keep myself alive and well in this world.
Jiut how ?

For it certainly did seem as if escape were im-
possible, and that with each flash I should be so
scorched up that it would be impossible to find any-
thing upon which an inquest could be held.

In those moments I discovered how weak my
knees were, and how anxious my hair was to relieve
itself of my liat ; in fact, I never knew it so stiff and
straight before.

I never from a child took kindly to lightning ;
and whilst my sisters, cousins, and aunts would
\\atcli with increasing interest the play of the forked

IIOUXI) TIIK NOUTII SIIOllK OF LAKE SUlM'llIOn 2<S7

fire, I would hide my infantile licad under tlie
bcdclotlies, or in any place where the light was in-
visible. In later years I learned to admire it — at a
distance ; and the greater the distanc(?, the greater the
admiration.

My horror, therefore, in finding myself suddenly
enveloped in Hashes of sheet lightning, with no
shelter within a mile or so, can readily be imagined.

I never saw such liy-htninjic, and in its diabolical
m*andeur it seemed rather to have its ori^i'in in the
nethermost pit than in the heavens above. Any
way, it ran along the ground, its trail tracca])le by
a faint smoky blue line like the phosphorescent
slime of a demon serpent. It ran into the cracks
made ])y the summer heat, and the earth ai)peared to
open tie wider at its approach, and, in its thirstiness,
to lap it in as if it were a volume of cooling rain
water.

All the scars of the recent prairie fires were
vividly displayed, the great black patches looking in
the sickly blue light like the huge mouths of yawn-
ing hells ready to receive all wandering human and
animal life.

I tried to make for the house 1 had recently left ;
but in my bewilderment I had lost all knowledge of
direction.

A new alarm seized me ; for if I escaped being
shrivelled up to a cinder, I felt I should have t(j

2.SS

TIIH QUEKN8 IHGinVAY

III A,

if I

:i : i

p\ . i ,i

make a nl;L!;lit of it out in tlio open, covcrless and
cxpo.s(!(l to tlie attack of prowling wild animals ; and
in my anxiety I thought I heard tlie baying of
wolves in the distance.

liy-and-by the rain began to fall, not softly and
refreshingly, but in large hard drops which struck
tlie dry earth with a dull tliud, quickly wetting me
to the skin — and (as it at the time appeared)
beyond. For I shivered miser{d)ly, and felt as if I
had been suddenly taken out of a Turkish bath
heated by flashing gas jets, and put under a douse
worked by an engine of a thousand horse-poAver.

No, I was not happy, and no one ever longed for
home, sweet home, more eagerly than I did.

Oh the solitariness of the situation! a desolate
loneliness whicli made me almost wish for the pre-
sence of devouring wolves or life-destroying thunder-
bolts.

1 am <ilad 1 said almost, for when somethino; did
fall with a thud and a hiss, ploughing np the ground
about a hundred yards ahead of me, I know I was
thankful enough that it had not fallen on me, and I
at once decided that death by meteors was not to my
liking. And as for wolves, I freely confess to having
ceased longing for their presence immediately I saw
some dim shapes moving in the distance. What
those shajjcs were I dil not stay to iind out, for 1
made a ' bee line ' in the opposite direction, the charms

'i ■

ROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 281)

of forming a Ruppcr for the hungry animals dis-
appearing with the first glimpse of the moving
shadows. I had, in fact, no further longings in this
direction, hut plodded on my miserahle way, ho})ing
to eventually come across some place of shelter.

As I went along the rain suddenly ceased, hut,
save when the lightning flashed, the ni^'lit, heinu;
moonless, was as dark as ever. Although these
flashes made in their vividness the space around me
as clear as would the noonday sun, they failed to
reveal any landmarks by which I could find my way;
nothing but a houseless, treeless expanse stretched
to the left, to the right, before and behind.

A subsequent flash, however, gave me a glimpse
of three black forms moving a short distance in front
of me. These forms, as the blue light played about
them, looked quite demoniac, and my thoughts at
once reverted to the weird beliefs of Indian medicine-
men ; but, whether humans or spirits, I was deter-
mined to seek their company. In my utter loneliness
I should, I believe, have freely welcomed the com-
panionship of any one short of Mephistopheles
himself.

Taking advantage of the next burst of li":ht, I
dashed in the direction of the figures.

'Thunder!' (I think the word ^ised was even
more brimstonish, but in my agitation I may have
been mistaken). 'Whose hand s that gripping my

20O

THE (iUEKX.S HKillWAY

'"■

i K

pi:.

! .i|

m< i '

^ il

111.

Hlioiiklor ?' excliiinicd the man whom I caii<^ht hold
of.

I rocoficnisod tho voice of one of the •gentlemen I
hud [)iirtcd from some time before.

' Wliut, don't you know me?' I replied, in an
ecstasy of thankfidness at having come across those
whom I knew.

' Know you, old man ? Shook ! Why, I thou«^ht
yon were safe home by now.'

'Safe home?' and I echoed his words with a

groan.

'Why, what's the matter?'

' Matter ! why, I'm wet through for one thing,
and almost frightened out of my life by the lightning
for another. Besides, the idea of having to roost
out here on the open prairie, a handy meal for every
prowling wolf, isn't a thing calculated to make a
man particularly happy.'

At this my friend burst into a loud laugh.

' Wolves about here at this time of the year !
that's too funny for anything ;' and his merriment
increased. ' Why, that beats Curran.'

Curran (one of the three) was a >oung man
from the Emerald Isle, who had come out to the
North- West avowedly for the purpose of learning
ranchinix and farmintr, but whose education in con-
nection with matters appertaining to the North- West
had not, so far as I could see, advanced beyond the

KOUNI) THK NOIITII SlIOItK OF LAKH SUI'KUIOII l'!)l

'4\

iihnwr.tury stage, wliicli incliulcd pokcr-pljiying' and
u knowledge of mixed and .straiglit drinks.

' AHiat about Cnrran? ' I askL'(l, on recovering
from tlie ver^ natural indignation whieli my com-
panion's ill-timed jest had cansed.

' Wliy, it was the funniest thing I ever saw.

' Wlicn the liiilitninii; came on, Curran at once fell
out, and when ^Murray and I look(!d round we foinid
him on his knees praying to all the saints in the
calendar. He would have counted his heads had he
got 'em to count, but he just ran over his "poker
chips " instead. I never heard a man make so many
good resolutions — all of wdiich he'll brci' before the
week's out ; and when ^Murray and I went to 1)ustle
hhn out of it, lie was busy clearing the cards out of
his pocket. His whisky flask had already Ix^en
flung overboard. [Aside] Murray, however, hxed
that. Curran 's a good Catholic, you know, and he
thought it wouldn't be giving his soul a fair c\auee to
have a pack of playing-cards and a spirit-bottle found
in his pockets.

' Ain't that so, ' .rran? '

But Curran wi^ grumpy and put out, and his
answer was a growl.

' Well, ]\Iurray will confirm me.'

But Murray, who had none of Curran's scru|)les,
and whose soul, if it had been released that night,
would in all probability have had a somewhat un-
ci i'

•i r.

292

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

I: I

t '.':■■

steady upward flight, was too much engrossed in
watching the prairie go round and round to either
confirm or deny Reid's statements.

Eventually we got safely home, when Curran be-
moaned the loss of his whisky, and actually took to
' cussing ' (the mean, backsliding creature) when he
found that he had thrown away a five-dollar bill
along with the pack of cards. The reformation, it
will thus be seen, was by no means lasting.

As for Murray, he would have it that the li^Jt-
Jng had singed his whiskers, although, as I ex-
plained to him, I had myself seen him set them on
fire whilst lighting his pipe. He also complained of
the rain havino; o;ot into the house, causino- the fur-
niture to swim about ; and when I turned in I left
him on his hands and knees holding down the four-
legged table, to prevent it, as he said, from being
floated out of window.

The play of the lightning as seen from the train
upon the broad expanse of Lake Superior is a sight
so uniquely grand that it cannot fail to leave a last-
ing impression upon the memories of those who
witness it.

The light falls upon the many little islands which
nestle close in by the shore, bringing out in the flash
their natural beauties in vivid display, leaving them
the next moment in imfuthoinable gloom.

The fierce crags and pinnacled fronts of the

ROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 208

last-
who

rn^'o'ed coast rocks attract the lightnino:, and forked
tongues of blue flame play about them in devilish
glee. They penetrate into the very bowels of the
rocks, lighting up tlie interiors of the gruesome
caverns into which no man has ever peered. The
castellated rocks as seen between the flashes look for
all the Avorld like mediaeval strongholds, only built
of solid iron instead of stone.

But I am anticipating the scene a stage ; for Lake
Superior is not reached on the first night of the
journey out from Winnipeg, but on the following
day.

The land for some distance east of the Red River
crossing is more or less flat, and its prairie nature
practically continues up to the boundary line sepa-
rating ^[anito1)a from the province of Ontario. Signs
of cultivation are about on every side, for the land is
rich, and will produce almost anything.

Lower down, at Rat Portage, w^hicli is tlie centre
of the "svatery mazes leading into the interior, lumber-
ing is carried on extensively, and the saw-mills there
are actively employed in preparing the logs which
are floated down from the vast forests behind.

After passing the Lake of the Woods and Rainy
Lake the country becomes sterile and uninterest«
ing, providing nothing deserving of special de-
scription.

On approaching Lake Superior the railway runs

ill

294

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

along the valley of the Kaministiqua, and at 11.45
Port Arthur (430 miles from Winnipeg and 993 from
Montreal) is reached.

Here tlie passenger can have his choice of routes
to the Atlantic. If tired of the all-rail route, he can
get off at Port Arthur and journey by the splendid
steamers of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company
across Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Georgian Bay,
to OAven Sound, which point is connected by rail with
all points on the C. P. R. system. Should he, how-
ever, prefer keeping to the railway, he will go direct
to ]\Iontreal hy way of the north shore of Lake
Superior, round which the line runs its tortuous
course.

Before the railway between Port Arthur and
Winnipeg was built ^ the method of communication
between Fort William, the Hudson's Bay Company's
depot on the north of Lake Superior, and Fort Garry
was by canoes and boat brigades ; for, with the ex-
ce})tion of some 50 miles portage, tliere is a navigable
channel from the great lake to the waters falling into
Hudson's Bay. The route was a most roundabout
one, being by way of Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods,
Rat Portage, and Lake Winnipeg, and thence up the
Red River to Fort Garry. This was the route taken

'This portion of the ' Queou's Highway' was originally com-
niuncod by the Dominion Government, the Canadian Pacific Company
iinishing the uncompleted parts under their charter with the Govern-
ment.

MM I .' '

ROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 295

by Lord (then Colonel) Wolseley in connection with
the Red River Expedition of 1870.

Canada is exceptionally rich in waterways, and
they serve as powerful auxiliaries to the network of
railways which are fast sprending over the land. In
addition, hoAvever, to the Jiatural means of intercom-
munication with which tlie country is favoured, tliere
are canal systems constructed by the Government
with the object of circumventing nature's barriers to
a perfectly free communication. The Government
have already done much in this direction, but instead
of resting from their labours they zealously undertake
further constructions and improvements wherever
necessary.

Between Port Arthip* and Montreal there is un-
interrupted communication by water during the sum-
mer months, the course taken being by way of Lakes
Superior, Huron, St. Clair, Erie, Ontario, and their
connecting canals.^

The Welland Canal, which is 2Gf miles long,
cnrbles vessels to overcome the barrier caused by
the Niagara Falls and rapids ; and the Cornwall,

•iii

■ ?«

1*1

' These Ccaiials were constructed primarily with a view to the
defence of the country, and they were hmg lield by tlie Imperial
Government, being transferred to the Canadian authorities in liS5(i.
Tlie necessity of the Ottawa and Rideau Canals, wliich connect
Montreal by the waters of the Ottawa with Kingston, on Lake
Ontario, was suggested during the war with America in 1812, wlien
the difKculty of communication by way of the St. Lawrence River, in
face of the enemy, was often great.

ii|

296

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

If •

f«

"i .'

l:f ^\

H'lr

Beauharnois, and Lacliine Canals circumvent the
various rapids met with on the St. Lawrence.

The advantage of this waterway as a route for
despatching Canadian-grown corn from west to east
must be apparent to the dullest. The Canadian
Pacific Railway brings the fertile lands of the
North-West within easy distance of Port Arthur,
where nature takes over the carrying at less cost
than it could be done over the route constructed by
man.

The area of Lake Superior is 31,500 square miles ;
its breadth is 170 miles, and its estimated depth 1,000
feet.

The great lakes in the St. Lawrence, viz. Lakes
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, taken
collectively, cover an area of 90,000 square miles, and
form the largest and purest body of fresh water in the
world.

Lake Michigan is second in extent, its area being
22,400 square miles, its length 320 miles, breadth 70
miles, and depth 700 feet.

Lake Huron, the third in size, covers an area of
21,000 square miles ; but whilst not so long as Lake
Michigan, it is both broader and deeper.

Lake Ontario is the smallest, its area being less
than 5,500 square miles, and its elevation above ocean
level not more than 235 feet (that of Lake Superior is
600 feet) ; it is, however, much deeper than Lake Erie,

the

HOUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 297

which has an area of 9,000 square miles, a length of 210
miles, a breadth of 57 miles, and a depth of only 200
feet (Lake Ontario is 600 feet deep).

The lakes of the prairie region, particulars of
which are contained in the following table, cover an
area of over 13,000 square miles.

Lakes

Leugth

Breadth

27
24

Elevation ^-;;;;;--

Winnipeg ....

Winnipegoosis

Manitoba ....

Cedar Lake ....

Dauphin ....

280
120
120

710
770
752
770
700

8,500

l.'.KW

1,<.I00

312

170

iake

The four principal rivers of the eastern, northern,
and western watersheds of Canada are the St. Law-
rence, the Saskatchewan and Nelson, the Mackenzie
and the Eraser. The length of the St. Lawrence is
1,500 miles, and it drains an area of 330,000 square
miles. Thfe Saskatchewan and Nelson taken togetlier
{'.re the same length, but they drain 450,000 square
miles. The drainage area of the Mackenzie, with a
length of 1,200 miles, is 440,000 square miles ; and
that of the Fraser, whose length is 450 miles, 30,000
square miles.

Port Arthur (which had no place in the census of
1881) is a bustling town of 5,000 inhabitants ; whilst
Fort William, seven miles to the west of Port Arthur,
has with the advent of the railway developed from a

■

1 •
1

'11 ■* (

II!'

Ml.

2()S

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

mere fur trading station into a town of equal size and
importance.

The Canadian Pacific Railway Company have
erected grain elevators of immense capacity at both
places, with which to handle the produce of the
great Canadian cornfields. So excellent are the
facilities for the handling of grain at these lake ports,
and so easy of access is the lake route to the Atlantic,
that I am assured, by those who profess to know all
about it, that the proposed Hudson's Bay route, even
if it were proved to be capable of safe navigation,
could never hope to favourably compete with it as a
highway for the grain traffic between J^^urope and the
Far West.

A few tribes of Indians are located in the district
of Lake Superior, but they are neither powerful nor
numerous ; they are, however, the remnants of great
tribes which have survived the advance of civilisation,
and some of their chiefs are, as judged by the white
man's standard, both civilised and educated.

A chief belonging to one of these tribes journeyed
with us in the Atlantic Express, getting off at one of
the intermediate stations between Winnipeg and Port
Arthur. He was most conversive, and in his ques-
tions and remarks displayed considerable intelligence.

I took to him at once, for there was a frankness
and a charm about him which at once attracted
attention.

EOUNI) THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 29!>

He was an invalid, and had been to \Vinnipo<^ for
the purpose of having an operation performed upon
him by a friend of mine, a well-known doctor, in
whose charge he then was ; but although in con-
siderable pain the whole of the journey he bore his
sufferings with remarkable stoicism, not a single
complaint escaping his lips.

He was certainly different from many of the
Indians I had seen lately, being neatly and well
dressed (Indian fashion), and fully alive to his own
importance, which fact was instanced in his digniiied
attitudes.

Upon his breast he wore a medal, of which he
was most proud : it had, I believe, been given him
in recognition of his loyalty to the Crown. He
seemed to perfectly comprehend the meaning of
* loyalty,' and he was anxious to let the world know
that he was a faithful subject of the Great White
Mother who lived bej^ond the sea.

There are many Indians in Canada equally ad-
vanced in what is called civilisation, and who highly
prize the electoral franchise which they possess.

Of the 85,000 ^ Indians reported to the Indian
Department as resident on their allotted reserves,
those west of the Ottawa River to Lake Superior,
along the great lakes, are the most advanced ; and of

! i »2 SI

' The total aboriginal population of Canada, including those who
lead a nomadic life, is supposed to exceed 131,000.

" 'If

I*,!

300

THE QUEEN'S IIIOinVAV

l^k

I 1

?:!^■

these the FO-called Six Nation Indians stand in the
front rank.

Speaking of this tribe, Sir John Macdonald, in his
annual report of 1<SS4, says :

' ]\[any of their farms are well cultivated, and the
products of the soil and dairy exhibited at their
annual agricultural exhibitions connnand the ad-
miration of all persons who attend them. Their
exhibition of this year was ^-emarkably sncccssful,
and they combined with it the centennial celebration
of the grant made to them by the Crown of the
tract of land of which their reserve forms a part, in
recognition of tlieir loyalty and valour, as practic.dly
proved on numerous occasions on the field of battle
in defence of the British flag.'

The same tribe sent a farewell address to the
Marquis of Lome and the Princess Louise upon their
departure from the country where they were so
deeply beloved ; and upon learning the death of his
Royal Highness the Duke of Alban}^, the chiefs in
council evinced their sympathy and loyalty by a
message of condolence to the Queen ; and they will,
I dare say, do something tow^ards celebrating the
' Great White Mother's ' jubilee.

The change from savagery to civilisation is not
made in a day, but tlie Dominion Government have
valiantly grappled with the difficulties of the situa-
tion. Schools and ftirni instructors are provided by

ROUND T[IE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 301

the Stato, in order tliat the natives may be the better
prepared to gain tlieir livelihood as fanners, labourers,
operatives, and such like, instead of, as heretofore, by
the chase alone.

There are mineral deposits — silver, copper, and
iron — in the neighbourhood of Port Arthur, and if
one tenth part be true of what one hears concerning
' Silver Island,' by Thunder Cape, that place is a
veritable ' bonanza.'

The country in the immediate vicinity is more or
less level and suitable for agricultural j^urposes, con-
siderable portions of it already being under cultiva-
tion. 15ut soon after leaving Port Arthur the train
runs through some wild scenery. So rough and
forbidding is the coast-line that it seems a perfect
marvel how a railway could be constructed at all ;
indeed, the cost of construction was, I believe, greater
on this section than on any other portion of the line,
and it was the link in the great highway chain that
was finished last.

The scenery, with its towering rocks, beetling
crags, and projecting promontories, is imposing but
not beautiful. There is a gloominess about the sur-
roundings which gives the onlooker the impres-
sion that Nature had been troubled with a fit of
the blues when she created them ; whilst the deep
fissures in the rocks, and the torn and splintered con-
dition of the mountain crab's show how in vexed ness

ill

802

THE QUEEN'S IITfJIIWAY

I! ;

,;fc'.-

i t

of spirit she Inul striven to undo what she iiad
built up.

Natural fortrcsfsos f^nard every pass throuf^h
which the line has forced its Avay, and tliey frown
down upon tlie work of man in a manner CMlcuhited
to make the timorous passenger tremble for his
safety. Now and then a loose stone rittles down
from the heights, Ijut there is no danger ; the basaltic
walls, spared in the general destruction dealt by ancient
convulsions which have made the land about deso-
late and unfruitful, stand solid and immovable.

Thunder Bay, as seen from the railway, looks in
its deep indigo tint like a sea of shadows; and the
rugged columns of basalt which surround it not only
shut out the warmth and the light, but serve to
attract the dark storm-clouds.

The general colouring of the coast-line is sombre
in the extreme, unrelieved by one bit of brightness.
The trees, chiefly white birch, are scraggy- looking
things, their unearthly pallor serving to intensify the
air of desolation which the scene presents.

Of human life there is scarcely a sign ; here and
there a fisherman's hut may be seen close in by the
shore, and a stray Indian or two drifting about in a
canoe, whilst the eagles and fish-hawks perch on the
rocks overhead or skim the surface of the waves.

There are portions of this world which Nature
reserves to herself, they, in consequence of their

HOUND THE NORTH SHORE OF liAKE SUPEKIOIl .'id.'i

sterility or innccessiblcncss, beinf^ unfitted for tlic
uses of man ; and almost the whole of the lake
coast from Tliimder Bay to Peninsula Harbour seems
to be one of Nature's reservations.

Fur hunting is still actively carried on in the
lakes and forests back of tlie coast-line, and the
Hudson's Bay Company have ports at various in-
tervals.

The bridging and tunnelling along this secti'^ii
are very heavy, and had it not been possible to have
made use of the lake for the conveyance of the
necessary plant and material, the railway could in all
probability never have been built.

As it is, with all the engineering feats whicli
have been accomplished, the train, in order to get to
a certain point, has often to make the most roundabout
journeys.

Frequently the solid face of the towering cliffs
has had to be cut in order to make a road-bed for
the rails ; whilst frowning promontories have been
tunnelled and blasted, bridged and spanned, in a
manner most wonderful to behold.

In some instances rivers, fed by the smaller
interior lakes, come dashing down from the hills,
losing their way in the depths of the great lake, and
these rivers are broad enough to require massive and
expensive bridges. Such is the Nepigon, which
brings down the surplus waters of Lake Nepigon,

(

"I ,

804

THE QUEENS TITr.inVAY

a region practically unknown save to the hunters of
fur and the cnsters of nets.

Smaller bridi^es tyinf^ the rocky p^orges together,
whilst the fierce, angry waters bubble and foam
beneath, are almost without number ; for, although
Nature could not prevent man from invading her
strou'chold, she has been most lavish in those jjcifts
which had for their object the prevention of this
scheme. Level land, therefore, is scarce, and when-
ever it does present itself, and there is the appearance
of a continuous straight run, the chances are that the
anticipations formed will not be realised. For before
you have journeyed far you will find that some
ancient upheaval has thrown immense boulders in
the track, necessitating a curve round them, or has
rent the rock in twain, leaving a gaping fissure
which has to be bridjjed and ffirdcd ton-ether before
the train can pass.

At what is called Kcd Sucker Cove there is a
Ions: trestle brido^e about 120 feet high, above which
tower the cold, uninviting cliffs.

Now and then the train descends and runs along
the pebbled shore. The shallow water as it washes
the stones is full of colour — a clear sparkling green.
Here and there rocks white with birds rise a few
inches above the water, whilst low-lying islands, tree-
clad and bright with verdure, frequently meet the
eye. They offer a cool relief in their greenness and

liOUXl) TIIH NOIITII SiroUH OF \<\KE SL'IMMUOU .'JO.")
freshness to the clieerless f^'rcy of the overhauling

Whilst evciytliinLC seems harsli ami I't'ttcred in
iron bonds idoni;' tlie coast, tlie islets on the hike
are I'ri'sh arcl ,uay in thiir eoloiirlni;' and aj)[)arent
freedom. Fruitful little sjjeeks on the lace of this
<^'reat inner sea, they seem to Ihuit about at their own
sweet M'ill, without anehora_L;'e or locality, affording ii
strikin;^' contrast to the clumps of cailh with their
sickly growth of scrub imprisoned in the rocky clefts.
Neiietable life has no chance in such surroundiuii's,
where the ja«^'ged crau;s between which the soil has
temporarily hxlged frown down on every speck of
i^reen, depriving' it of li;4ht and air, wai'uith and
nourishment. In such a birth[)lace it is only the
meaner kind of trees that can manai^'e to exist, there
not beinir sulHeient soil to maintain those of a laruer
growth. Sometimes a birch or spruce, fed well in its
infancy, outgrows its fellows, and lords it over them
accordingly. ]>ut the strength and pride of this
tree are its fall, for one spring thaw, when the
mountain torrents are additionally lierce, it becomes
sapped at the roots, overbalances itself, and is eventu-
ally wdiirled over the heights; whilst the cUlfs look
coldly down u})on its shattered remains, and the
other trees, taking warning by its fate, stunt them-
selves, and thus escape destruction. A more forlorn
l)osition for a tree to be in it would be difficult to

\^'

,11 flM

li.?:

mm »

306

'niE QUKENS HIGHWAY

conceive, and no tree witli any spirit wouM stand it
for a sinii'le season ; but these trees, throii<>-h centuries
of ill-usaue and want of sustenance, have become
utterly spiritless and anibitionless, and they ap[)a-
rently [)refer witherini^" by inches to taking' a short
and speedy cat to another sjjhere over the frowning
Avails of their prisons. ^lutilation or utter de-
struction would, I should think, be infinitely prefer-
tible to tlie miserable aimless existence they eke out
on the rocky beds .where a cruel fate has planted
them.

There are eleven sttitions between Port Arthur
and Heron liay, a distance of 191 miles, where the
line commences to leave the coast of the lake, makinii'
for the o[)en country.

A small station on this bay called Peninsula is
reached at 11 r.-M. (the trains east of Port Arthur
run on I'^astern standard time, and not on the
21-hour system), by which time weary passengers
seek their ' sections.'

Nothing of importance, however, is missed whilst
one sleeps, as the country through which the train
runs during the night is for the most part the
reverse of picturesque. As the journey proceeds
tracts of forest land are traversed, and it is not till
Chaplcau (avIucIi is -)7S miles from Port Arthur and
015 miles li-om ^lontrcal) is reached, at nuie in the
morning, that we come across a station with any

i i

HOUND THE NOriTII SHORE OF LAKE SUPEIUOli o07

'1
1

pretensions to a settlement, and Cliiipleau's inha-
bitants all told scarcely nuinl^er 600.

In addition to liavini!' a round-house and otlier
railway building's, Cluipleau is a port ol'tiie Hudson's
Bay Company, jis a glance at the map will show,
behig' conveniently situatetl near the range oi" waters
Avhich How through ^loose Jviver into James Hay
— i.e. the southern portion of Hudson's J>ay. Com-
munication by water — the [)ortages not being very
long or difficult — can, it will be seen, be readily had
between the Company's port at Cha[)leau ;uid Moose
Factory, the chief de})6t of the Southern J)e})artment
at the mouth of Moose Jiiver in James Bay. The
country lying between Lake Superior and James
JJay is a i)eriect paradise for the fur hunter, and
the Hudson's Vn\y Company are naturally taking
every advantage of the railway which brings them
into such direct connnunication with their huntinu'-
grounds.

The supply of furs in this vast district, over which
the Hudson't^ IJay Company still hold sway, a[)[)ears
to be practically inexhaustible, chiefly owing to the
judicious manner in which the traffic is carried on by
the officers of the Company. For so soon as tluire is
a danger of any particular animal getting scare- tbe
Conqjany at once di'})reciates the value of its skin,
and, accordingly, the hunter ceases to trap it. AW're
this not so, it .stands to reason that no hunter would

X 2

,!' I'

11 -■

;o8

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

trouble to trap a clieap fur when a high-priced one
remained alive.

The principal fur-bearing animals ^ of British Xortli
America are the silver fox, marten, fisher, weasel,
ermine, mink, beaver, Avolverine, land-otter, skunk,
and sea-otter. Taken all in all, the pine marten or
Hudson's ]Jay sable yields the greatest profit. The
skins of these animals, except those that are found in
the extreme north, are neither so fine-fiuTed nor so
dark as the Russian sable, but they are nevertheless
in great demand. The fisher is similar to the pine
marten, only larger, whilst his tail is longer and
bushier. IMinx, musk-rat, and racoon are in plenty,
but their skins have no great market value.

The beavers ^ are fast disappearing from the great
fur land, and in some districts they liave been wlioUy
exterminated ; but with the introduction of silk in
the napping of hats the demand for their skins mate-
rially diminished. Beaver skins are now worth 11.
per pound weight. •

The wild cat is still found in considerable num-
bers, despite the indiscriminate slaughter of these
prettily marked animals.

Thousands of land-otters are killed every year,

' The catalogue of quadrupeds in the CoMipany's hunting-grounds
embraces (or rather embraced, sonit- being extinct) ninety-four difleront
animals.

* At one time the beaver skin, tlie unit of comjiutation, was the
standard by which the value of other skins was gauged.

<i)f

1 it

r.OUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 301)

but tlic supply of soa-otter and seal is not great, and
it ai)pcars to be diminishing.

The fur wliicli has tlic iircatcst market vnbio —
taken skin f(jr skin — is tliat of the black or ' cross '
and silver foxes, a good skin of eitlier being Avortli
as nnicli as 10/., althoiigli that of the silver fox, of
which China is the chief buyer, is the more valuable
of the two.

The common red fox (of wliicli the two former
are said to be only varieties^) is also killed in great
numbers, but his skin is only worth as many shillings
as that of the black or silver species is woi-th pounds.

Bears — black, brown, and grizzly — are still nu-
merous in the North- West, and their skins are ever in
demand.

The cougar, although quite extinct in the older
provinces of the Dominion, is frequently met with in
the forests of British Columbia : his skin is a hand-
some trophy. It Avas to the cougar that the early
discoverers gave the name of the American lion.

In the reL>ion stretchino- from the northern shores
of Hudson's Bay to the Arctic Ocean is found the
musk ox. The robe of this animal is nuich prized :

' The Indians assort that cubs of the three varieties are constantly
seen in the same litter. And in a large collection of skins every inter-
mediate tint of colour, changing by regular gi'adations from the red
into the cross, and from the cross into the silver and l>latjk, may be
found, making it next to impossible even for the experienced trader to
decide to wliich of the varieties a skin really belongs.

■^1
I'- i

i3i-

310

THE QUEEN'S innnwAY

1b<

i i

<s -

;i r

in its natural state it lias what may virtually be
called a double fleece, cousistino' of loni^ surface liair
and an nnderii'rowth of close fine wool.

The mountain goat, with its beautiful silky coat,
is common in liritish Columbia ; but they are dilli-
cult of approach, and their skins are not often met
with.

The Indian and half-breed hunters have different
methods of snariuii; and trapping the various animals.

Tlie m;u'ten and fisher meet their fate in Avhat is
called a ' dead fall.' Thig, accordinii: to Mr. II. ]\I.
liobinson (aa-Iiosc knowledge of wild life in the Xorth-
AVest is most extensive, and to whom I am indebted
for much of the information concerning" fur-huntinuf),
is Qonstructed by the trapper as follows : .

' Having cnt down a number of saplings, he
shapes them into stakes of about a yard in length.
These are driven into the around so as to form a
small circular ])alisade or fence, in the shape of lialf
an oval, cnt transversely. Across the entrance to
this little enclosure, which is of a length to admit
about two-thirds of the anhnal's body, and too
narrow to permit it to fairly enter in and turn
around, a thick liuib or thin tree-trunk is laid with
one end resting on the ground. A tree of consider-
able size is next felled, stripped of its branches, and
so laid that it rests upon a log at the entrance in a
parallel direction. Inside the circle a small forked

it ^i!i

r.OUXD THE NOIITTI SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR .'Ul

stick holds a bit of dried meat, or a piece of partri(ln;c
or s(|nirrel as a bait. Tliis is projected horizontally
into the enclosnre, and on the ontcr end of it rests
another short stick, placed per])endicnlarly, Avhich
supports the large tree laid across the entrance. Tlie
top of the tree is then covered over with l)ai"k and
branches, so that the only means of access to the
bait is by the opening between the ^.roj)pcd-np tree
and the loir beneath. It is a li'uillotine with a tree
instead of a knife.'

Traps set in this fashion in places where marten
and fisher tracks are plentiful are sure to yield good
returns, as they very seldom miscarry.

The animal for whose capture the tra]) is set
creeps under the tree and seizes the bait ; l)ut being
unable to pull it off, he, after the fashion of his tribe,
commences to back out, tufi:"'inii: the while at the
forked stick to which the tempting morsel is attached.
Eventually he releases his hold, and with it lets slip
the small supporting stick, which brings down uj)()n
him the large horizontal log. It kills him instantly,
and does no injury to the fur.

Wolves, foxes, lynx, and the large animals are
generally caught by a steel trap with double s])rings
and no teeth. In setting the traj) the fur-hunter
takes the ])recau(ion that the jaws Avhen spread out
flat are exactly on a level with the snow, a thin
layer of snow being carc;l"ul]y sprinkled over the trap

*i I'

312

THE QUEEN'S IIIGinVAY

I'^iii

itself. Fr.igmcnts of meat are tlieij scattered about,
and the place smootlied down so as to leave no
trace.

Tlie nsnal mctliod of catcliinir beavers, in the
early [intninn before tlie ice has formed, is witli a
steel trap. The trapper sinks a trap in tlie water in
tlie vicinity of the animals' lodo^es (where the water
is generally shalluw), taking care to regnlate its
depth, which should be about twelve inches below
the surface.

Suspended from a stick so as to just clear the
water, immediately over the trap, is the bait, made
from the castor or medicine £>-land of the beaver. To
the trap is attached a long cord and a buoy, to mark
the spot where the beaver swims away with it. On
the animal returnlnn* to his lod^e lie cannot Ml to
scent the bait thus tem])tingly displayed, and he
makes for it accordingly. Failing to reach it whilst
swimming, the animal commences to feel about with
Ills hind ICG'S for somethinii' to stand on. He, to his
sorrow, invariably finds that somethinu', and at once
makes off with the trap clasping his leg. The buoy
reveals his hiding-place, and the trapper when he
comes upon the scene speedily puts an end to his
misery.

In the winter months, when the beavers keep
within doors, the trapper often cuts through their
lodges (having taken due precautions against their

ROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR 318

escape therefrom), and despatches with an axe the
unfortunate animals found therein. In a like man-
ner, having previously cut off their retreat, he de-
stroys those Avhicli may have found their way into
the storehouses on shore.

The Avolverine, wliose fur is coarse and of no
great value, is a very difficult animal to catch. lie
is the most cunning of the fur-bearing animals of
North America ; and the Indians, who call him
Kt'hcaliarkc^s — that is, the ' Evil One ' — hold him in
considernl)le dread, for wliikt keeping clear of all
snares and pitfalls set for him, he, during the Avinter
months, manages to make a very comfortable living
out of the labours of the trappers, whose trail he
unerringly follows from trap to trap.

His cunningness is thus described by one who is
familiar with his habits : —

'Avoiding the door [of the 'dead fall'], he
speedily tears open an entrance at the back, and
seizes the bait with impunity. If the trap contains
an animal, he drags it out, and, with wanton malevo-
lence, tears it and hides it in the underbrush, or in
the top of some lofty pine. When hard pressed by
hunger he occasionally devours it. In this manner
he demolishes a whole series of traps ; and when
once a wolverine has established himself on a trap-
ping-walk, the hunter's only chance of success is to
change ground, and build a fresh lot of traps, trust-

1 i'

ill!

314

THE QUEEN'S ITKITTWAY

I M '

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'^1

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if

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ing to secure a few furs before liis new pntli is found
out by liis industrious enemy.'

Tlie wolverine is also called the 'glutton,' and no
animal has been more correctly named. lie is a
curious-looki 9* an^'' d, 'atlier larger than a badger,
with a long *n,!y stoutly and compactly made,
mounted on exv • Liigly short legs of great strength.
His feet are large and })ov, erful, and are armed with
sharp curved claws, so that his big coarse trail can
be readily distinguished on the snow.

The life of the trapper is a hazardous one, and
full of hardships and privations. It is all winter
work (for it is only in winter that the fur is 'prime');
and the loneliness and cheerlessness of an occupation
carried on in the depths of a pine forest, across bleak
wilds, and on the icy margins of lakes and other
haunts of fur-bearin"; animals can be well imao:ined.

The cold is generally below zero, and trappers are
not infrequently frozen to death, or overwhelmed in
a snowstorm ; but they nevertheless pursue their
solitary and dangerous calling, which requires so
much courage and endurance, undeterred by the
fact that every time they venture into the trackless
forests they in a measure carry their lives in their
hands.

The reward is in no way commensurate with the
hardships they undergo and the risks they run, but
the trapper, whether Indian or half-breed, seems to

ROUND THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUl'ERIOI! ni'i

enjoy the life, and as long as lie has suflicient for the
diiy is perfectly content ; for he has no idea of saving
or putting hy for the morrow.

The hunter is invariably in debt to the Company;
for he no sooner "svipcs off an old chalk on the slate
than he contracts a ne^v one. Unless death steps in
before the debt is liquidated the Company, however,
seldom loses by a trapper, who is not yet sufficiently
civilised to seek to get out of i)aying Avhat he owes.
This is natural, for the Company is a just master,
who looks after him when he is sick, feeds him when
he is hungry, and rewards him for his labours. It
this system of fair dealing and humane treatmeni,
which has all along, characterised the Company in
their transactions with the Indians and half-breeds,
that has maintainerl the bond of n:ood-win existinu:
between them ; whilst the relations of other fur
companies beyond the border with their native cm-
jthn/t's have, in consequence of knavery .and unjust
treatment, been marked ])y bloodshed and rapine.

The profits made by the Hudson's liay Company
have been something enormous, and under the ju-
dicious system ^ adopted by the Com])any relative to

' Tlic Alaska Commercial Cnmpany have adopted an equally wise
policy in connection with the seiil fisheries in tho North Pacific. Only
yuung males arc allowed t(r be killed, and not more than 100,000 in
any one year. Tlie killing is restricted to certain montlis in the year,
and the use of firearms, which serve to drive them from thei). li;il)itiits,
is strictly forbidden. When Russia liad pcj.ssession of Alaska the seals
were slaughtered indiscriminately ; and, liad the system d.'itinued,

'S' 1

310

THE QUEEN'S TIir.ITWAY

li ! i

U^ »

•; . in

"i 1

tlio conservation of t]io morn valuable animals it will
1)0 a lono' while before the yield of fur becomes
so much (liminislu!(l as to be no lon^^T a payini;'
concern.

Tlie country onward from Chapleau is wild and
rough, but it is in the main well wooded, and one
frequently comes across saw-n.ills at work, the lum-
bering industry being about the only one cai)able of
being profitably pursued.

The line runs northward of Lake Huron, ^ and it
skirts the shores of Lake Nipissing (which empties
itself in Georgian r>ay) in its course.

The land about Lake Nipissing is, I believe, very
fertile ; it is, in fact, said to be the richest portion of
North-west Ontario.

North Bay, which is reached at 7.22 r.M., is
already a flourishing place, although it had no ex-
istence prior to the construction of the railway.

As seen in the frloaminG: the view across the Lake
was singularly attractive.

Tlie Nipissing region not only possesses many
. la.aral beauties and valuable agricultural limits, but
it is pi'olific in marketable timber, whilst its position,

seals would cro long have become more or less extinct. The yield,
moreover, was not nearly so great then as it is now. During the
Russian occui»ation the average yearly yield was 3t;,000, whilst the
Commercial Company manage to secure something like 1)5,000 skins a
year, and t!ie supply seems to steadily increase.

' Lake Superior and Lake Huron are connected by the Strait
Soult Ste. Marie, through which runs the international boundary line.

IIOUXI) TIIH NOUTII SirOllK OF LAlvE SUl'KIilOll ;>17

close to the line of rail ;ui<l imnu'diately connected
with the o'l'ejit lakes, is all that could be desired.

Until the construction of the '(Queen's Highway'
this fruitful region was ('()nii)arativ('ly unknown, but
during the process of locating the line of rail explora-
tions were made into the adjoining country, with the
result that the general fertility of the soil, the ])reva-
lencc of mineral wealth, and the excellence of the
timber have attracted many settlers thereto.

At Sudbui'v, some 71) miles to the anx'sL of North
])ay, a brunch line is being constructed to S(Hdt Ste.
Marie. It cuts through a country rich in nanerals,
especially in copper. This line, however, not oidy
serves to opoii up this mining district, of which, by
the bye, great things are expected, but it will in the
future act as a valuable feeder to the main line, it
heh:g anticipated by the C. V. 11. Com[)any that the
corn-growers in the Western State^^i America will
adopt this route, which brings them into direct com-
munication with the sea, at a considerable saving of
milca«>'e and frcis'litau'e.

After leaving Lake Nipissing the way of the
' Queen's Highway ' towards the sea lies across a
wild tract of country until Mattawa is reached, when
it follows the valley of the Ottawa liiver. Jiut by
this time nifjjht has fallen, and the remaininu' I'OO
miles to Ottawa is made in darkness.

From Pembroke (104 miles from the capital of the

II L
'^1

THE (/UKKNS II K; II WAY

Dominion) onsvanl tlu; line tmvtTMi !in older settled
country, and clearing's are more fVe(|Me. 'Jy met with.
It is in the main a ji'ood Inmlu'rin^' district, and the
character oftlu! town is sncii as to i)rovide nnlimited
water-power lor the various saw-mills which dot its
I>anks.

As Ottawa is a[)[)r()ached the luunerous si;^'ns (A'
cultivation, industry, and general prosperity afford a
striking" and agreeable contrast to the -wild waste
lands through which one has recently passed.

Ottawa (1:20 miles Irom Montreal) is reached at
4.38 A.M., and Montreal at 8.20 a.m.

So important a place of call on the ' (Queen's
ili<^hway' as the Dominion ca[)ital demands some-
thing more than a passing notice. 1 therefore devote
to it and its surroundings an entire cha[)ter.

r ■

Ikv i

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M* S(

ittlcd

not witli,
:iim1 the

mil

iiiitcd

I (lot its

.siii'iis of
' aft'ord a
ilil waste
I.
jaclu'd at

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ds soiiic-
re dcvuLu

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ClIAPTKlt vir.

OTTAiyj, Tin: DOMINION VAI'ITAL.

A r llic conthiciici! of the tluvo rivers, the ()tf;nva,
the Ikuietui, and the (Jatineaii, there was established
ill the early part of the present century a llritisli
military outpost and trading' station, Avhieh in the
course of time received the name of Hytown, not
froiu its ont-of-thewayness, l)ut after its founder,
one Colonel liy.

IJy 1851 the trading station had so far develo[)ed
that it became incorporated as a city, and its original
name not bein<>" thoui>ht to accord with its urowinu'
importance, liytown was changed into Ottawa, the
river to whom her prosperity was solely due acting
as sponso)'.

In 185S, when Montreal and Toronto were in the
throes o'" a (ierce contention as to which should be
selected as the seat of government of the newly
federate;! pry mee.-, iier jilajesty the (^ueen very
Avisely (as it turned out) })assed over the claims
of both, and selected an aspirant wliose claims were
neither so ' superior ' nor so pressing. This? decision,

■ f

;iif

31 i.

3i>0

THE Q^'IINS IIKillWAY

wliicli made Ottawa tlic capital of tlie Dominion,
})ut an end to tlie race dilFerenees existing' between
the provinces of (Quebec and Ontario, and lieneefortli
tlie rivaln' between I\rontreal and Toronto lias been
ou commercial instead of on political grounds.

Ottawa is in the [)rovince of (_)ntario, iind
altliougli a long way removed from some of the
outlying parliamentary districts, it is fairly central '
so far as the older provinces arc concerned.

It is admirably su})plied ^vith railways, which
radiate in all directions ; and now that the ' Queen's
Highway ' is iinished, she has direct touch with
all parts of the Dominion.

The most distant westward city -which sends
re|)resentatives to the federal capital is A'ictoria,
British Columbia ; and the most distant eastward one
is CharlottetoAvn (Prince Edward Ishmd), The
former is 2,871 miles from Ottawa, and the latter
1,0(10 miles.

The constitution of Cana(hi (wliich at the present
moment hnds so much favour in tlie eyes of certain
JU'itish politicians, ^vho see in its application to
Ireland a satisfactory settlement of the Irish question)
is set forth in the Ih-itish North America Act, 18G7
(30 Vict., cap. 3). By it the executive government

' Ottawa is distant fioin MdUtioal iL'Oiiiilos; Qiioboc, l.'?!' uiili'S ;
Toronto, 201 miles ; London, 377 miles ; Ht. John (New Brunswick),
835 miles ; and Halifax (Nova Scotia), 1*78 miles.

OTTAWA, THE DOMINION CAPITAL

321

ell

and authority is vested in the Queen, who governs
through the person of a Governor-General, appointed
by her, but paid by Canada.

A council, known as the Queen's Privy Council
for Canada, taken only from members of the ])o-
minion Parliament, forms a ministry, which must
possess the confidence of the majority in the House
of Commons. The power of dismissing the min-
istry lies with the Governor-General.

The command of the Canadian military, both
active and reserve, is vested in the Queen, who
appoints an officer of the British army, of not less
rank than a major-general, who is paid by Candida.

There is one parliament for Canada, consisting of
the Queen, an upper house styled the Senate, and a
lower house styled the House of Commons.

The Senate consists of seventy-eight members,
appointed for life by the Governor in Council — twenty-
four from Ontario, twenty-four from Quebec, ten
from Nova Scotia, ten from New Brunswick, four
from Prince Edward Island, three from British
Columbia, and three from ]\Ianitoba.

The House of Commons consists of 214 members,
elected for five years, on the basis of representation
by population for the older provinces, the arrange-
ment being that the Province of (Quebec shall always
have sixty-five members, and the other provinces
proportionately to population according to census,

1:1^^

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

It.

' H^^'.

Avliicli is taken every ten years, tlie last being taken
in 1881.

Tlie representation in tlie Commons, under the
latest rearrangement, is as follows : ^

Pkovixck (name of).
Ontario
Quebec
Nova Scotia .
New Brunswick .
British Columbia
IManitoba
Prince Edward Island

Membeiis (number of).
02
05
•21
19

214

The ([iialifications of voters for the House of
Commons are as follows :

Every person of the fall age of twenty-one years,
a British subject by birth or naturalisation, is en-
titled to vote on being registered, provided he is
the owner of renl property ^A'ithin a city of the
actual value of SoOO, or witliin a town of the actual
value of 1^200 ; or is the tenant of real property
within cities or towns, under lease, at a monthly
rental of at least two dollars, or. quarterly rental
of twelve dollars, or annual rental of twenty dollars,
having been in possession for at least one year ; or
lias been the honi"/ fhlc occupant, for at least a vear,

Tn till next census it will bo fduud that the j)opulation in the
Pi.Qviii--es of British Columbia and Manitoba has so much increased
ih.Lt t'ii V will be entitlcMl f-. additional representatives.

v:'

OTTAWA, THE DO^riNIOX CAPITAT.

of real property witliin a city of tlic actual value of
1^300, or witliin a town of the value of S2i)0 ; or is
a resident Avitbin a city or town, deriving an income
from earning's or investments, in Canada, of not less
than S'^A)0 a year ; or is the son of any owner of real
property, Avliich property is of sufHcient value to
qualify both father and son ; or, in the event of the
father's death, has been resident upon such property
continuously for a year with his mother.

In counties every person is entitled to vote, on
being registered, who is of the age of twenty-one
years, a British subject, and the owner of real
property within the electoral district of the value of
i^loO, or is tenant under the same conditions, as to
rent, as in cities and towns ; or is a bond jhlc. occu-
pant of real property of the value of S\hO ; or is
resident, with income from earnini^s or investincnts
of ^^oOO ; or is the son of a farmer, livino- with his
father on a farm of suflUcient value to give both farlier
and son votes ; or is the son of a farmer, living with
a widowed mother ; or is the son of any other owner
of real property in the electoral district, under the
same conditions as the father, living or dead ; or is
a fisherman, and is owner of real property and boats,
nets, fishing gear, and tackle of the value of ${'A).

Votinii" in elections for representatives sittin<>- in
the Commons is by ballot. Under the naturalisation
laws, aliens, after three years' residence, can have a

V 2

'." 1*1

k: % ■'•.!

321

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

^ w

■■\l

m 1 ■

certificate of naturalisation given them, and ''njoy all
the privileges of British subjects.

Under an Act passed in 1885, Indians, whether on
reserve or mixing with tlie gencnd comminiity, had
conferred upon them the right to vote for members
of Parliament on the same conditions as the whites.
Persons of Mongolian or Chinese race are, however,
rigorously excluded from enjoying the privileges
possessed in this direction by otlier inhabitants of
Canada.

The Dominion Government has, under the Act of
Union, thf more or less absolute control of .'ill matters
wliich by that Act are not specially delegated to the
provinces. It has power to make : iws for the peace
and o-ood government of the whole Dominion, as also
to regulate —

Public debt and property.

Trade and commerce.

Indirect taxation.

Borrowing orx the public credit.

The postal service.

The census and statistics.

Militia and defence.

Liixhthouse and coast service.

Navigation and shipping.

Quarantine.

Fisheries.

Currency and banking.

OTTAWA, THE DOMINION CAPITAL

325

Weights and measures.

Bankruptcy and insolvency.

Natiu'alisation.

jMarriage and divorce.

Penitentiaries.

Criminal law, including procedure in criminal
cases.

AVith regard to Provincial constitutions —

]^]acli province has its own elective assembly and
administration, with full power to regulate its own
local affairs as set forth in the Confederation Act ; to
dispose of its revenues, and enact such laws as it may
deem besi; for its own welfare, provided otiV/ that
such laws do not interfere Avith, and are not adverse
to, the legislation of the Federal Parliament.

The provinces appoint all the officers required for
the administration of justice, with the single exception
of the judges.

The Government of Canada appoints a Lieutenant-
Governor for each province, his salary being paid by
the Dominion Parliament.

The provinces regulate —

1. Education.

2. Asylums, hospitals, charities, and eleemosynary

institutions.

3. Common gaols, prisons, and reformatories.

4. Municipal institutions.

5. Shop, tavern, and other licences.

^ : • ut

THE QUEENS IllOIIWAY

(). Local works.

til

If-.

■1'^

7. Sole

iition of

uniiusi

(S. Property and civil ri^^hts.
J). Aduiiiiistration of justice, so far as the consti-
tution, maintenance, and organisation of
provincial courts of both civil and criminal
jurisdiction, and the appointment of
magistrates or justices of the peace are
concerned.
The general principles of the Canadian constitu-
tion may be summed up as folio vs : Kepresentative
Government by ministers res})onslble to the people ;
a Federal Government having charn^i of the ♦•eneral
pul)lic good ; and Provincial Goverriments attending
to local and provincial interests.

1'he [)rovinces have not (as in the United States)
the pov,<r to organise and maintain a provincial
military force ; nor have they final legislation, the
Dominion Government possessing, inider the consti-
tution, the power of veto.

I sliould also mention that a vast amount of
business, wdiich in England would re([uire special
Acts of Parliament, is successfully cari'ied on by the
various municipal bodies under the provisions of the
general law.^

' ]\Iust of tlie piU'ticulars contained in this chapter respecting tlio
constitution of Canada are taken fri>ui the i'mnidiati, HainUxKih, com-
piled under the direction of the Minister of Agriculture, to which
work I am much indebted for other statistical information.

"fl*

OTTAWA, Til?. DOMINION CAriTAL

\27

Witli rc'g'ard to tlie acquirement of land l)y
intcndiiifij eini«;Tants, it siiould be stated that land
can be more rcadil}'' acquired and in larger quantities

in Canada than hi the I nited States.

The land of Canada consists of granted and
ungranted land. The ungranted land in the older
l)rovinces ' is the pro[)erty of the [)rovinees, and is
disposed of, by officials appointed for the jjuqiose, in
accordance with the [)rovisions of statutes passed by
the several Provincial Legislatures.

The vast tracts of land in Manitoba and the
North-AVest Territories belong to the wIkjIc people
of Canada, and are administered by the Federal
Government.

Any person, male or female, who is the sole head
of a family, or any male who has attained the age of
eighteen years, is entitled, on making application
before the local agent of the district in which the
land he desires to be entered for is situated, and
paying an office fee of ten dollars, to obtain homestead
entry for any quantity of land not exceeding 1(!()
acres. This entry entitles the holder to occupy or
cultivate the land to the exclusion of any other
person.

Any person obtaining homestead entry is entitled

' By the Act of Union the pnn-inces retained possession of tlio
lands behjninnsf to them before confederation. Manitoba had no
pubUc lands at the time of its creation into a province.

.']28

THE QUKEN'S IlIGTIWAY

■;i'

Si ' I-

to obtain, at tlic same time, on payment of a further
office fee of ten dollars, a pre-cmjjtion entry for an
adjoinin*^' section of Hin acres, and to use and to
cultivate the same in connection with his homestead.

The Crown appoints oilicials to sec that the
conditions Avith respect to cultivation, residence, and
so fcjrth, are fulfdled by the settler, and titles to the
various grants remain with the Crown until the issue
of patents.

Both the Hudson's l)ay Company and the Canadian
Pacific Kail way Company — the former under the
terms and conditions of the deed of surrender,^ and the
latter under its charter — possess immense tracts of
hmd in the North-West ; hut land can be easily and
cheaply acquired of either of the companies.

For a long time thnber was the staple article of
Canada's export trade, but with the settlement and
development of the country it now^ takes second place,
ranking after agricultural produce. The expansion
of the farming interests of the Dominion is in a great
measure alone due to the lumbering industry.

In the North-West it w^as the fur-hunters, and in
the older provinces the lumbermen who served to
oj)en up the country.

In clearing the land of its primeval forests these

^ Under the conditions of this deed of surrender, the Company
became entitled to one twentieth of the land within what is called the
' fertile belt.'

OTTAWA, TIIK DOMINION CAPITAL

32f)

l)ioncei' liimbunncn cinscd the soil to ])ccoino niiicn-
ahlc! to culture, iiud whcrevor tlio laud was suitahle
for ag'ricultural piu'posL'S settlers I'ollowcd elosely in
their wake.

First the land along tlie banks of the great rivers
was cleared of its forest growth, luid then every
tributary stream that could (loat or be made to float
a log in the spi-ing freshets was followed, causing
hitherto trackless, impenetrable wildernesses to be
opened np to settlement.

The same thing will be repeated in the new
districts between the Ottawa and Lake Superior,
through which runs the ' Queen's Highway ; ' and
already many lumbermen — principally French Ca-
nadians from (hiebec Province — have taken advantajj-e
of the facilities afforded by the railwiiy to explore
the virgin forests of the interior. Au'ricultural
developments will follow u])on the heels of these
l)ioneers ; and Mr. Van Home tells me he has
received very favourable reports from the woodmen
as to the character of the soil, and that a very large
innnigration from (^)uebcc Province may be anticipated.
A new region like this offers the F'rench Canadian
advantages far beyond those provided by the province
of his birth, where the paternal acres, under the
rrench system, are so divided and subdivid(,'d that
there eventually arrives a time when further sub-
division is impossible, and it becomes imperative for

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4S03

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330

THE QUEEN'S IIIOinVAY

ii:"*:'

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tlie younger nicinbers of the family to seek their
fortunes ' in fields and pastures new.'

The Kanucks are expert lumberers, and they seem
to be more at liome in clearhiji' than in tillinjj: the
soil. From the earliest days of its occupation by the
French the timber wealth of the country engaged the
attention of the Home Government, who saw therein
vast resources .ivailable for their navy yards ; large
numbers of masts and spars were consequently
drawn from the Canadian forests, and stringent regu-
lations were issued for the preservation of the
standing oak. When, however, the country was
ceded to Great Ijritain, but little attention was paid
by the Government to the timber supply, owing
chiefly to the fact that almost the whole of the Baltic
trade was carried in British bottoms, and that the
timber of Northern Europe provided an unfailing and
convenient return freight for the shipping thus
engaged, l^e&ides, it was feared that Canadian timber
could not hold its position in the English markets,
being heavily handicapped as it were by a short
season of navigation, and heavy charges for ocean
freights and insurances. These fears proved to be
groundless, and almost every year saw an increase
in the exportation of Canadian timber. The pine
lands of the United States are fast becoming depleted,
whilst it will be many generations before the vast
forests of the Dominion can become exhausted.

OTTAWA, THE DOMINION CAPITAL

331

Ottawa is a great liiinbering centre, and the busy
whir of the saw-mills is heard the whole day long,
whilst the air is redolent with the resinous smell of
pines.

The saw-mills are a sight in themselves. Some
of them are lighted by electricity, so that, during
the season, work is carried on without cessation
day and night.

The principal mills are clustered around the
Chaudiere Falls ; and although it cannot be expected
that people of artistic tastes will quite forgive the
manner in which this romantic body of water has
been vulgarised by man, the excellent use to which
man has applied it says much in mitigation of the
offence. Much, in fact, of the prosperity of the city
is due to the valuable water-power furnished by these
falls and the river's turbulent rapids, which serve to
run quite a number of flour mills and factories.

The produce of these saw-mills finds its way to
Lake Ontario by means of the liideau Canal, the
length of which system of navigation (which begins
at Ottawa and ends at Kingston on Lake Ontario)
is 126|- miles.

On the opposite bank of the Ottawa lies Hull, the
home of the lumbermen. It is joined to the capital
by a suspension bridge, which spans the river just in
front of the Chaudiere Falls. It is from this bridge
that the best view of the falls can be had. These

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TIIK QUKENS HIGHWAY

falls are liiglily attractive at all times, and no one
bIiouM vi.'-it Ottawa without takini^ the opportunity
of seeing thein. I have seen them in all seasons, and
they never failed to have a fascination for me.

In the summer months, when the busy hum
of the mills fills the air, and the water fojuns and
sj^arklcs Avith many colours in the warmth of the
sun, they are the brightest ; but in the spring
freshets their grandeur increases, and they, as the
increased volume of water romps and roars, carrying
everything before it, seem altogether new-born. This
vigorous new life is in striking contrast to the thral-
dom from which they have just been released ; for in
the winter they are enchained in ice and shrouded in
snow. Then they seem but the gliosts of their
former selves ; and were it not for the gush of escaping
waters it would be difficult to imagine that they ever
lived ; for the clang of the wheels and the sharp hiss
of the dividinij saws are no loniicr heard, and the
roar of the waters in the unfathomable basin has
ceased. The gladsome music of summer and the
turbulent uproar of spring have given place to the
rigid silence of winter.

The spray has formed itself in fantastic draperies,
lacing the rocks and connecting the river's frown-
ing sides by icy threads seemingly spun by a gigantic
spider born of the frigid north. The whirlpool in
front of the falls, whose depth no man lias yet

IB? :

OTTAWA, THE DOMINION CAPITAL

333

■•-)

(lisnovered, lies iinriifllcd in the arms of the frost kiiiir,
wliilst tlic frozen foiun has heaped itself in weird
shapes upon its glassy surface.

In such time the scene, to my mind, is the most
striking.

The principal ' sight ' in Ottawa is, however, the
Government buildings. They are situated on what
is called liarrack Hill, in the midst of beautifully
laid-out grounds, and the situation is the most pic-
turesque one imaginable. They have an elevation of
fully 150 feet, and from this point of vantage one
can take in the whole of the surroundings, and at
the same time have a splendid view of the Ottawa
which washes the western base of the hill.

The nuiin building contains the senate chamber
and House of Conunons. The dimensions of these
halls are the same as those of the House of Lords,
viz. 80 by 45 feet. The whole building is
500 feet in length, and is constructed of a liirht-
coloured sandstone ; the red sandstone of the arches
and the cut sandstone ornamentations give a warmth
to the pile, and relieve it of its otherwise creamy
dulness.

There are two departmental buildings, removed
about a iiundred yards from the Legislative Chambers,
each of which has a front of 375 feet in length.

A third departmental edifice, called for by the
•growth of affairs in the North- West, is, I should add.

4
1

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334

THE QUEENS TIIGinVAY

'* i

1.- ■ »;

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in the course of erection, and altogetlier Canada will
have public bnildin<j;'s far in advance of those possessed
by many of tlie Kurojiean Powers (no otlier colony
lias anything approaching them), and fully worthy of
lier growing importance.

Tlie buildings together cover close upon four
acres, and they copjt, I believe, some «?? '),()( )(),()( )0.

The 1 Parliamentary Library is a splendid room ;
it is circular in shape, and constructed after the ])lan
of the library of the British ^luseum, with a dome
00 feet high. There are two librarians — one an
Anglo-Saxon, and the other a French Canadian ; the
former ^"^Ir. ^lartin J. Griffin, a very clever writer)
Avas at one time the editor of the Toronto Mail, the
leading organ of Conservatism in the Dominion ; and
his zeal in the cause which he made his own eventually
obtained for him the much-coveted post. With Mr.
Griffin's co-librarian I am \macquainted. Kach
librarian is supposed to bury the political past
immediately on entering the library's classic shade ;
but the old Adam, I fimcy, often requires a lot of
curbing.

Iiideau Hall, the residence of the Governor-
General, is situated across the llideau River, a few
miles out of the city. It has no architectural beauties
of any kind, and contains nothing that calls for a
special pilgrimage, but in the minds of those who
have partaken of the kindly hospitalities of the ]\Iar-

•li

OTTAWA, THE DOMINION CAPITAL

33.J

qiiis of Lome, or those of other Govcrnors-Genenil, it
■will ever be associated with many ha|)j)y ineinories.

Speaking of Lord Lome, he of all those who have
reprct^ented her ^Lijesty in liritish North America has
left the most lastinj^ impression upon the inhabitants.
In following" so al)le and so exceedingly popular a
man as Lord Dufferin he had a most difficult rule to
])erform, yet he performed it with tact and good
iudirment, and in a manner which o;ained him the
respect and admiration of both the Government and
the people.

Lord Lome has not used Canada as a stepping-
stone to other thiniz:s, but since his return to England
has never once ceased to promote the country's
Avelfare, and in so practical a manner that his efforts
have invariably borne excellent fruit.

I was in Canada during the ^Larquis of Lome's
administration, and I have since travelled over it
from ocean to ocean, and I know the love and esteem
in which his lordship is held amongst the Canadians,
whom nothing would better please than his re-
appointment as Governor-General.

The centre figure in Canadian politics is, of course,
Sir John Macdonald, and no one in the Dominion so
completely fills the political bill as does this veteran
statesman.

He is the Disraeli^ of Canada, and many on both

' The resemblance between Lord Beaconsfield and Sir J(jhn Mac-

r ^ I M '

330

TIIK QUEENS IIICIIWAY

}.;

■ i

p. *

sides of the Atlantic imamno liim to be the ijront
Knglisli leader's e(iiial in statesniansliip. He has
• managed the various condicting political elements of
the Dominion with a skill and success that are little
short of the marvellous. In his hands the quarrels
of opposing factions, Avhich might have wrought
disunion and ultimate destruction to Canada as a
separate country, have been rendered harndess. Under
his administration Catholics have joined hands with
Orangemen, and Liberals with Conservatives ; whilst
he, Avith unflinching nerve and inimitable finesse, has
driven the national coach over, at times, a road so
rough and so beset Avith dangers, that a less far-seeing
o -Iful whi[) would have either turned back in fear,
or nave abandoned the ribands in despair.

lint the Canadian national coach has, thanks to
Sir John's skilful piloting, turned the corner of the
long lane through which It has been slowly wending
its way ; and, provided it escapes wrecking at the
hands of a factious opposition, its future course should
be a broad and even one.

Sir John ^lacdonald deserves well of his country
and of his Queen ; and when he does finally lay down
the reins of Government, his great services to the
State Avill, I trust, be specially recognised.

dunakl is, by the bye, not only ca pf)litical one, but, curiously enougli,
there was a strung physical resemblance between them ; so much so,
that people have experienced some diHiculty in telling ' t'other from
which.'

C 1k18
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5 little
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I'oujuht
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Under
Is Avith
whilst
ise, lias
road so
-seeing
in fear,

inks to
of the

l^ending
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ountry
down
to the

y enougli,

much so,

ther from

OTTAWA, Tin: DOMINION CAIMTAL

•1 •> T

.).)7

First of Sir John's lieutenants is Sir Charles
Tiippor (finance minister in the recently elected
Parliament), who for the past three years has so
ahly rejjresented Cana'la in i'^iigland. It was. I
helievc, in a great measure due to Sir Charles's finesse
and oratorical powers that the CoiiscrvatiN'cs were
returned hy so large a majority ; and he certainly
did a jLiTcat thinif when he succeeded in convert-
ing Secessionist Nova Scotia from the error of her
ways.

Sir Charles Tupper is an able debater and a
skilful j)olitician, who would make his mark at once
in the Imperial Parliament, and his many friends
in Kniiland have uroed him to lind a seat at West-
minster ; but whilst it would be our gain were he to
do so, the loss to Canada at the present time would,
in a mcasnre, be an irreparable one.

Both Sir John Macdonald and Sir Chaidcs Tuj/per
did nnicli to bring about the greatly needed c(>n-
federation, and they have undonbtedly done more
than any other ])oliticians in Ih'itish North America
to strengthen and maintain it.

I do not })retend to judge of the merits of the
opposing political parties in the Dominion, and in
my desire to steer clear of politics I altogether re-
frain from drawing a comparison between the policy
of the Govermnent and that of the ()p[)Osition ; but
this much I can say, that it is to Sir John Macdonald

• » • > 1 1

TIIK (^UKKNS 1 1 Id 1 1 WAY

mi]

^ ■■ \

II ■' 4

jiikI his |);irfy (liiit we arc cliicfly, if not, solely,
iiidt'Iilcd, not only lor tlic riiitcd Ciiniidu of
to-<lay, luit, I'oi* the L-rcat transciontiiioiital railway
liiikiiiii' tiio shori's of the Atlantic with those of tlu!
Pacilic.

it was a proud moment for Ottawa when her
Majesty, nine-aiid-twciity years a_i;'o, seleeti'd it as
the ea|>ital of the united I'rovineos of llj)|)er and
l.owei" Canada ; and the heii;ht of its anil»itIon was
|>rohal»ly reache(l when, in 1S(!7, the two maritime
Provinees joined the I'nion, and it hecame the centre
t)!' i;;overinnent for Nova Scotia and Xew Urimswick,
as well as lor Ontario and (,)uebec. At this time the
Great Noi'tii-West was in the hands of the Hudson's
J>{iy ('onn)any, an<l the Province of the ^Pidni^ht Sun
was a si'])arat(! colony ; hut three years later tlu;
(Jrcat Lone Land passed out of the hands of the
Company and was added to the confederacy, which
the year followinu; was joined by British Columbia,
and in LS72 by Prmcc l^lward Island. 'I'hen Ottawa
became the ])olitical centre of a vast empire, stretching
in one unbroken ex[)an.se westward to the Pacific,
eastward to the Atlantic, northward to the Arctic
Ocean, and southward to the internaiional bounchuy
line, instead of being merely the capital of the four
adjacent provinces.

The long-hoped-for ideal Canada was, however,
as yet nnattained, for Ottawa was completely isolated

OTTAWA, THi: DOMINION CAPITAL

>)(),

from tlio i^TOiitcr porliini of llir inl'jlity (Ittinliiiuii of
wliirli she was lo!^"iilIy tlic |>nli!i(;il liciirl.

Now iill lliis liiis (■IiniiL;'('"l, :iii(l lliruiiuh llic
' (^lUH'ir.s Ili;;Ii\Viiv ' ()(t;nv:i liiis Imicli with llic
most (lisl:Mil points, mikI tlir llioiisiiiiils of miles lyiii.u,"
lu'twccn llu! I wo oceans iiavc Ik'coiiu; tlicrcljV imil<'<l
I'oi* (liis and lor all liiiK'.

ever,
la ted

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Tin; {^UKKN'S IIKIIIWAV

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MoXTh'K.lL. Tin: CoMMFJiCIAIj (Wl'lTAL.

Tin; [iropluH'y f)I' the I'ruiich priest wlio, 2I'» years
ji^i^'o, luiiidst 8iicli clerical pomp as the |»riinitive siir-
rouiidin^i's would allow, consecrated the site of the
present city of Montreal lias been (Inly ful tilled.

• 'i'he i:rain of mustard seed ' lias taken root, and
its branches overshailow the land to a greater exti-nt
than cNcr could have Ijcen dreamt of by Maison-
iieuve's liitlr band of pioneers, who listened to the
inspirinii" words o'i the olliciating })riest under the
shadow of the mountain which flac(pies ('artier had,
over a hundred years l)efore, named after his royal
master, l''r;nicis I.

The hi^tory of ^lontreal in reality dates from the
visit of this intrei)id explorer, who, acctjrdini^ to his-
torical records, jicnctrated thus [\\v in J ■'»•'».■), huiding
on the :2nd of OvtolM'i* of thai yvwv at a populou?
town of the Aluontjiiiiis, called llochclaga (on the
site of which stands the present city).

The natives welcomed him and his little band
most cordially, i^ivini^ feasts and entertainments in

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jrONTREAL, THE COMMERCIAL CAriTAL ?> 1 1

tlieirliononr ; and on their returning to (Quebec (then
an Indian village called Stadacona), wlierc they ha«l
determined to winter, they were loaded with presents.

Cartier was, we are told, much impressed with
the industry and comparative civilisation of these
natives, and the high intelligence tliey displayed.
From them lie learnt of the vast interior lakes, the
illimitable plains of the Far West, and the mines of
silver, copper, and gold, which the latter-(hiy pale-
face has made such excellent use of

The following spring Cartier returned to I'^rance,
and he duly acquainted the French monarch with the
advantages that the ' Isle de ^lont Royal ' offered
as the location for a permanent settlement. As an
outcome of this recommendation, Cartier, when he
returned to Canada some five years later, was accom-
panied by a representative of the king in the jjcrson
of le Sieur de Roberval, Avho had been created Lieu-
tenant-General and Viceroy of Francis's newly ac-
quired possessions.

The centre of government was, however, located
at Quebec, but next to nothing was done in the
matter of settlement, the pioneers having most of
their time occupied in resisting the attacks of the
Indians, whose hostility they had excited by more
than one act of treachery. Eventually the majority
of the colonists returned to France, anything like
a permanent settlement having been found to be

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THE (QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

Bv ■, fi

i '■!■

impossiMc ; find, in 1541, Carticr finally witlulrew
from tlu! country, tlic Sieur de Robcrval liaving re-
ceived liis recall in the previous year.

Further attempts at colonisation in these regions
lanixuished until the beL»:innin<j; of the seventeenth
centiuy, when Samuel de Cluunplain was com-
missioned to o]>en up what was at that time called
New France to civilisation.

In IC){)>) he continued his passage up the St.
Tiawrencc as far as ^Font Ivoyal, when he found that
llochelaga had been destroyed some time previously
durimj; one of the internecine wars then wa^'cd
amonii'st the native tribes.

The growth of the mustard seed sown by
jNTaisonneuve on j\[ay 17, 1(342, was considerably
retarded by the [iction of the Indians (for whose hos-
tility the French had only themselves to thank), who
terribly harassed them. Massacres were of frequent
occurrence, and the })laut whose branches were to
o\ ershadow the whole land was plentifully watered
with blood. Xo wonder, therefore, that its growth
was slow and sickly.

The bitterest o[)ponents of the colonists amongst
the aboriginal tribes were the Iroquois, who had
1)ecome incensecl against the French, originally, on
accouut of Cham[)lnin having espoused the cause of
their natural foes, the Algonquins. Later on, the
Iroquois became the allies of the English, and, some

MONTKEAL, THE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL

8i;^>

forty-tAvo years after the foundation of ]\Iontreal, tlie
Governor, 'SI. tie la liarro, bitterly complained to
Governor Dongan that the redskins were permitted
to buy arms, i)o\vdcr, and lead at Albany. Governor
Doiigan, in reply, stated that the Irocjuois were under
the protection of the British Government.

M. tie la Barre made representations to his
Majesty Xing Louis XIV. on the subject, antl the
Grand Jfonart/ue thereupon urged the Governor to
crush the Indians without delay.

His commands in respect thereto ran as ft)llows :

' As it concerns the good of my service to
dimmish as mucli as possible the number of the
Iroquois, and as these savages, who are stout and
robust, will, moreover, serve with advantage in my
galleys, I wish you to do everything in your power
to make a great number of them j)risoners <)f war,
and that you have tlieui shij)ped by every <)[)p()r-
tunity which will offer for their removal to France.'

It is not recordetl that his Majesty's wish in this
direction was extensively gratified.

The growth of ^Montreal under the French regime
was but slow ; the French, however, not only held
their own there against foes both white and red, but
they pushed on their outposts as far as Lakes Ontario
and lu'ie, carrying on therewith a large and pro-
sperous trade in furs.

For 118 years from the time of its foundation.

■tiS .

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11 Ma ^S\

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844

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

Montreal remained, witli varying fortunes, in the
])ossessi()n of tlie French ; hut exactly one year after
Wolfe had won (^uehec ' on tlie Plains of Ahraliani,
]\IontreaF ca[)itulated under I)e Vau(h'eil to the coni-
l)ined IJritisli armies commanded l)y Amherst, Havi-
land, and ^Murray.

On the wliolc, the inhabitants appear to have
welcomed the change of government, they being, as
it was at tlie time stated, ' agreeably surprised to find
such an unexpected relief from the arrogance and ra-
paciry of their former intendants.' The local institu-
tions, the language, and tlie religion of the people were
scrupulously respected ; and the French of Montreal,
like their compatriots in Quebec, speedily discovered
that they were no longer slaves of an oppressive
feudalism, but that, as the historian Dr. Withrow
puts it, British rule ' sup[)hmied the institutions of
the Middle Ages by those of modern civilisation.'

The 'new subjects,' as the French were termed in
distinction from settlers of British extraction, who
were called ' old subjects,' were as a body loyal to the
Crown, and they eagerly answered the call to arms
when the Secessionists, during the War of Independ-
ence, invaded Canada, the address of the American

' September 13, 1759.

-' At tlie date of its eapturo Montreal was described as being ' of
an oblong form, surrounded by a wall Hanked with eleven redoubts ;
a ditch about eighteen feet deep and of proportional width, but dry ;
and a fort and citadel.'

MOXTREAL, THE COMMERCI.VL CAPITAL

;ii:)

ConijreHS nrfciii"' them to rebel beinf]^ met with indii:;-
nant refiisaL

But on November 12, 1775 (seven montlif4
from the connnencement of hostilities), tlie Seces-
sionists having captured Ticonderaga and Crown
Point on Lake Champhiln — the gateway to Canada
— possessed themselves for the time being of ^lon-
treal. The tide of victory, howevei", turned in
favour of the Canadians when the Secessionists
essayed tlie capture of Quebec, which successfully
resisted the daring attacks made upon it.

At this time ^lontreal possessed between four and
five thousand inhabitants, fully nine-tenths of whom
"were French Ijy birth or extracti(jn.

During the War of In lepeudence many of the
American colonists who remained loyal to the mother-
country passed over into Canada, where they found
a welcome and a liome. After the treaty of peace, ^
signed at Versailles, September 3, 17S3, tliosc of the

' By tlio terms (jf this treaty tlie whole of the region lying between
the Mississippi and the Ohio was lost to Canada, which was divided
from the United States of America by the great lakes, the St. Law-
rence, the 49th parallel of N. latitude, and the highlands dividing tho
waters falling int(j the Atlantic from those emptying themselves into
the St. Lawrence and the St. Croix Rivers. Under what was known
as the Quebec Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1774, tho
bounds of Canada (Quebec) were extended from Labrador to tho
Mississippi, and from the Ohio to the watershed of Hudson's Bay.
It was this Act, passed just before the outbreak of tho War of
Independence, which so incensed the American colonists, who bitterly
complained against this transfer to Canada of the country to which they
themselves laid claim on the ground of priority.

?, ■!■

ntd

THE QUEENS HIGHWAY

\--i

Vl.

United Empire Loyalists, as tliey proudly termed
tlieuiselves, "who still rcniaiucd in America, found a
residence there fVaiii^ht with dan^-cr and ditHcidty ;
so, in order to relieve them from their perilous
position, the Urltish 1 Parliament voted a siuii ex-
ceeding" three million pounds sterling, chiefly to be
applied to settling them in Canada.

In this way what is now called Ontario — then
almost a complete wilderness — began to be settled.

Wliilst, therefore, the inhabitants of the older
province of (^)ucbec were alien in race and religion,
this portion of the country became peopled with
settlers of ]>ritish origin, and chiefly Protestants.

l>y the Constitutional Bill, passed by the ]5ritisli
Government in 171)1, Canada was divided into two
})rovinces, known as Up[)er and Lower Canada, or
Canada West and Canada East. Each province
received a separate Legislature, consisting of a
Legislative Council appointed by the Crown, a
Legislative Assembly elected by the people, and a
Governor a})pointed by the Crown and responsible
only to it.

Montreal remained in the lower province, but
Quebec w\as selected as the capital of the province,
and the first Leiiislature of Lower Canada, held in
1701, sat at Quebec, then a city of 7,000 inhabitants.

The first Legislature of Upper Canada sat the
followiuii" vcar at a small town called Newark, wdierc

MONTREAL, THE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL '.) [7

it continued to sit until 171)7, when it removed to
what is now Toronto, then culled Yorktown.

Durin**' the wiir of IS 12-1 1 the Americans made
several attempts to capture Montreal, but suffered
defeat on each occasion, tlic IMontrealers making up
for the capture of the city by the Secessionists in
1775 by cai)turing the commander of the American
army, General Hull, wlio was, on Se[)teinl)er G,
1812, together with many of his soldiers, led in
triimiph through the streets.

At the close of the Avar, race prejudices and
religious differences, kc[)t in check by the instinct
of mutual self-defence, began to assert theuiselves,
throwing the two provinces into disorder. During
these domestic troubles two men came to the front
— Louis J. Papincau in Lower Canada, and William
Lyon ^Mackenzie in Up})er Canada — as the champions
of popular rights. Unfortimately the 'rights' of
one province were antagonistic to those of the other,
and a union of the two provinces was rendered im-
possible on account of this antagonism.

The form of government ^ at this time was highly
distasteful to the people of l)oth provinces, who

' It was a body callecl tho Executive Council wliicli was cliiefly
obnoxious to tho pcojjle. It consisted of salaried ollicials of the
Crown, and judges who were the CDnlideniial advisers of the Go-
vernor, although not accountable for their acts either to him or the
Legislative Assembly. They generally held seats in tlic Legislative
Council, and virtually controlled the legislation by their predominant
yet irresponsible influence.

V "•

318

THE QUEHXS HIGHWAY

'.* -<

il.

I . I

; '

HI'

ngitntcd for a new constitution. The stnifrgle for
rcsponsil)lo govcrninont in place of tlic existing form
of Crown government was carried on with great
bitterness, and in IHIM a secret order, known as tlic
' Sons of Liberty,' took advantage of tlie general dis-
content to precipitate a riot, which ended in open
re1)ellion.

The rebels were completely routed, and the
Government vigorously vindicated its authority.

About twelve years later the French Canadian
majority in the Legislative Assembly passed a I5ill to
indenmify the 'patriots ' of 1837 for the losses they
had sustained ; and Lord Elgin, who was then
Governor- Heneral, sanctioned the Bill, viz. on April
2G, 1849.

This act naturally enraged the British Canadians
to the utmost, and a serious riot ensued, in the
course of which Parliament House (then located in
j\Iontreal) was fired by the mob, who temporarily
assumed authority.

From this tune Montreal ceased to be the meeting-
pin ce of Parliament, Quebec being once more chosen
as the seat of government for the province, and there
it has ever since remained.

Such, briefly, is the past history of Montreal — a
history replete with romantic and stirring incidents.

With the single exception of Quebec, there is no
city in Canada which brings us so directly in touch

•:il

MONTREAL, THE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL ;ill)

with tlu; past as iMontreal, and tliere is certainly
no city in North America wliich, in its relics of
bygone clays and instances of modern civilisation,
affords such striking contrasts. It is a city in wliich
romance and })rose arc blended in a most extra-
ordinary manner. In one moment yon are in pots
which arc filled with the solemn silence of an old-
worldism, and in another in the midst of the Ijustle
and excitement peculiar to business centres in the
New World.

There are places ^^hich strongly remind you of
Rouen and Caen, and in passing through them you
readily carry yourself back to the days of I.ouis
Quatorze ; whilst you have only to turn tlic corner to
find yourself surrounded by unmistakable evidences
of nineteenth-century enterprise.

The life in the streets is entirely diiFerent from
that of any other town in North America, presenting
as it does very few Anglo-Saxon traits. The Avomen
are French, the men are French, the very horses
and public vehicles are French ; and not, moreover,
representations of the France of to-day, but the
France of two hundred years ago. Now and then
you catch sight of a blue eye and golden hair amongst
the dark-eyed and nattily dressed Avomen who throng
the pavements ; but, save in the newer parts of the
city, the pure British type is not frequently met
Avith. For out of the 180,000 inhabitants it is

it:'

ill

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i:;

'h.

3.50

THE QUEEN'S IlKIIIWAY

computed tliat fully two-thirds arc of French descent,
and that a considerable portion of the remaining
third are of Celtic origin.

The incessant dang of rival hells tells you that
you are in a city of churclies ; and the figures of
saints in their niches and the display of crucified
Christs prove beyond cpiestion that, in the matter of
religion, the inhabitants are chiefly Jionian Catholic.

In the black-frockcd priests and white-bonneted
sisters passing through the tree-shaded sfpiares one
is somewhat reminded of Seville, only the gold of
the ripening oranges is wanting to complete the
picture.

"Mo^t of the shops bear Ibreign names, and they
are tricked t)ut in foreign fashion ; whilst the S/rrarhc
of the passers-by is mainly foreign to the English
ear.

People salute each other as they meet, not
hurriedly // V AiKjlam', but gravely and politely after
the fashion of the anvkn regime ; and this remnant
of an old-time courtliness is not alone confined to
the respectables, but is in a measure common to all.

Added to the courtliness of the men are the
l)iquancy and beauty of the women, who are, to my
thinking, by far the best dressed and most beautiful
of the daughters of America.

Montreal is the largest city in Canada, and by
far the most importaJit. Great business ventures

■Hi I

aclii

vraviic

MONTIiKAF., THE COMMK KflAF. CAPITAL ;;.')1

arc Ciirricd on there, on a perfectly solid Imsls. It is
the head-quarters of the Canadian I'aeifie IJallway,
and is at present the eastern ternnnus of tlie ^'reat
transeontinc'Hal system, from whieh it daily derives
ii'reat henefits. In addition to this Montreal is the
centre of other railway systems, and from there one
can «^ct to any piU't of Canada or the States.

In IS.'J'J the first railway in Canada was opened
from the south shore of the St. Lawrence, opposite
^lontreal, toSt. John's, l^<^; and in 1817 the first line
on the north shore of the river was put in oj)eration.
In 18()() Stephenson's famous bridi2;e over the St.
Lawrence, connecting the city with the south shore,
was formally opened by ILK. 11. the Prince of Wales.
The Canadian Pacific Pailway authorities liave u
hridu-e of their own in course of construction across
the river, but it will scarcely be so line ov so costl}'
as the A'^ictoria ]>rid<''e, which is one of the ' siiihts '
of the city.

When Jacques Cartier in l.^o-l sailed u[) the river
which he had (on tlie festival of the saint) named in
honour of St. Lawrence he f(3und his progress barred
l)y the sand-bars of St. Peter, and he had to take to
his boats in order to reach llochelaga. History tells
us that it was with the smallest of the three vessels
with which he started from Fnuice with the blessinir
of the worthy IVishop of St. !Malo that he tried to make
the passage of the river (he having left the other two

3r)2

TIIK QUKKX.S IIIOHVVAY

1 :

if!

». if

■',1
I-

i •

iH'liiiul at Stadacoiiii) ; l)iit it.s actual size wc are not
told, altlioii^ili we know tlui lar;^('st vessel to have
been only 120 tons burthen.

It will, however, l)e seen l)y this how shallow the
ori^iiKil channel of the St. Lawrence up to the ])oint
where Montreal now stands really was, and what
(lillicidtles had to he overcome heibre it could l)e
made available for the enormous trallic of the present
time. Indeed, it was not lon^ a^o that vessels which
could reach the port from the sea were limited to
about 300 tons, ^lodcrn im})rovements have, how-
ever, chann-ed all this, and vessels of the various lines
(there are, I believe, fourteen lines in all) of from
1,000 to OjOOO tons can be hcci any day in the
season lyiu^' alongside the wharf.

The harbour of j\Iontreal is situated on the north
side of the river, immediately below the Lachine
ra])ids, and it is the highest point to which the larger
sea-ii'oinii: vessels can ascend to meet the vessels
trading in the great inner lakes. It is in every sense
a well-equipped harbour, and offers admirable fa-
cilities for every class of ship.

In order to show what improvements have in
recent years been made in this direction, there were,
I wouhl mention, up to 1825 only two small wharves
in existence, in which the depth of water at the
lowest stage w^as not more than two feet.

In 1832, after the construction of the Lachine

MONTUMAL, TIIF. COMMMIUIAI, CAriTAF. 353

'M'§\

hi\r<fG caniil, an I witli a inucli-iiiiprDVud \vliarfa«^e
acconiinochition, ^loiitival was iiiado a j)(M't of entry,
nncl h\\c has since completely outstripiKMl (^tu.'bec and
the older jiorts.

Of all the waterways constructcMl by Canada the
most vital to Montreal's success was the enlarijetl
liacliine ship canal commenced in 1S75. This splen-
did work has a length of ci;.:;ht and a r[uarter miles.
From leadline to Cote St. Paul (five and three
([uarter miles long) its mean width is a hundred
and fifty feet ; the remainini;- distance has a mean
width of two hundred feet, and the greatest depth is
fifteen feet. The ohl barge canal, commenced in
1S21 and completed in 182."», at a cost of t** i;5S, Id I,
was eight and a quarter miles long ; its bottom
width was twenty-eight feet, at water surface forty-
eight feet. The dej)th of water on the sills was four
and a half feet.

The first ship canal, commenced in 18 13 and com-
pleted in 18 1!), cost ^?2,Mi),U'8. It was eight and a
half miles long ; bottom width eighty feet, at water
surface a hundred and twenty feet, with nine feet
of water on sills.

The new Lachine Canal is, as I have said, of vital
importance to Montreal, which port, as well as being
the head of navigation for sea-going vessels, forms,
throuo'll the canal's connecting link, the distributinjjj

A A

(}»'

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if.

I i

tqi;

(

35 1

THE QUEEN'S lIKIinVAY

point for the yearly incronsinuj traffic over tlio vast
Avatorways of tlie intcr'u^r.

l)y means of this and similar eanal systems there
is a coiitiiiiioiis navigation from Liverpool to l)uluth,
Minnesota, a distance of MIliS miles.

As I have ahvady mentioned, the dilliculties en-
comitered hy C'articr in navi^'atinu^ the St. Lawrence
between (,)ucl)ec and Montreal have been cUcctually
overcome. The present ship channel of the river is
twenty-five feet at low water, and when the iin[)rove-
ments now in hand are carried ont the channel will
1k> twenty-seven feet at lowest stai^e of water. It
lias been an expensive work for Canada, the cost
amountinii' to ^^').00S, 170. In addition to this, close
upon three million dollars have been spent npon
the harbour im[)rovements. Ihit it is this splendivl
enterprise that has made Montreal what it is — the
conunercial ca})ital of the Dominion.

IMontreal is by far the best built city in Canada,
and is (with the exception of (Quebec) the least
American in its style. Its churches, public buildiniis,
and (u)vermnental institutions rank in size and arehi-
tectui'al Ix^uity with any city on the American con-
tinent.

]\[ontreal has been so frequently and, I nn'ght
say, exhaustively described, that were I to attem|)t
to minutely describe it the introduction of a i;rcat
deal of old matter would be absolutely unavoidable ;

f0\

MONTREAL, TIIK COMMF, RCIAI- CAPITAl,

.> ),)

upon

-11

nnnda,

U'iist

cllniis,

archi-

l 0(111-

luiiilit

leinpt

L;ivat

lliiblo ;

I must — iiltli<)iii;li in this way I do it but scant
justice! — ill oi'dor to avoid ri'iu'tition, content my-
self witli merely lilancini;" over the city's chief at-
tractiiMis.

'I'he ])arish church of Notre Hame, erected by
'the gentlemen' of the seminary of St. Sulj)ice, is
the most uni(|ue ^^pecimen oi' ecclesiastical archi-
tecture. The Suljiicians wi're at one tiiue the seij^'iicurs
of the ishnid of IMoiitreal, and they still hold a j^reat
deal ol' valuable |>ro))erty in the city. The Grand
Seminary of tlu; Order is situated in Sherbrooke
Street, and in connection with the new buildin_i»'
there are preserved the turr(>ted remains of the old
' Kort des ^lessieurs," in which ancient establishment
the iirst Indians nHH'ived a religious education. The
(Iraiid Seminary possesses ;i splendid library, con-
tainini»" amonost its four thousand volumes many
uni(]ue records.

The present church of Notre Dame, called 'The
Cathedral,' was opened for public worship in JSi'!),
it having" taken about six years to build. It occu])ies
the site of the church i-rected in 1(172. The church
accommodates close upon fifteen thousand ))eople,
and on special occasions is freijuently completely
filled. Notre Dame is not oidy famous amongst
churches in the New World for its size and archi-
tectural beauties, but for its bells. The chief of the
peal, the (rros iMnwdou, which is only sounded on

A A

Ill

► 3'

i \.

Pi'

5' ■

I!.

/ 1

it-

;•»

(

l>'>6

THE (^'EEN'S lIKiinVAY

occasions of moment, weighs 21,780 pounds, and is,
1 believe, the hirgest bell in America.

The old chnrch of the Recollects was a buildino'
of considerable historic interest, and it ought to have
been preserved, but some years ago it fell into the
liaiids of Vandids, who, according to approved
custom, promptly demolished it, in order to make
way for so-called ' modern improvements.' The
Recollects, I should add, were the first religious
order to settle in Cjuiada, and several of the pioneer
fathers suilered martyrdom at the hands of the
aborigines.

There are many other churches belonging to the
Roman Catholics, the chief of which are the church
of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours (the first stone church
built in Montreal); tlie Jesuits' church, famous for
its choir, its frescoes, and its paintings ; the modern
church of Our Lady of Lourdes, the lower chapel of
Avhich is constructed after the fashion of the Grotto
of Lourdes ; and the church of St. Patrick, which
has a facade two hundred feet lii<>h.

There is also in the course of erection still
another clnirch, which is to put all the other re-
lii«ious edifices in the sliadc ; it is to be an exact
counter[)art of St. l*eter's at I»omo — altliough, of
course, smaller. Jt adjoins the palace of the Roman
Catholic bishop.

(M' the religious establishments the Grey Xunnery

MONTREAL, THE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL ?)hl

and the Hotel Dieii are tlie most important, and at
the same time tlie most attractive.

The Protestants, although bat a small projiortion
of the poj)ulation, have some exceedingly handsome
edifices. Christ Church Cathedral, a Gothic structure,
is a building of which tlie Episcopalians may be
justly proud. The Central Methodist Church,
situated in St. James Street, is a commodious but
unecclesiastical-looking- buildini;' — not unlike, in ftict,
an ancient Roman amphitheatre or a modern Spanish
bull-ring. The oldest Protestant house of worsliii)
is the little unpretentious Presbyterian church of
St. Gabriel, erected in 1790.

The mountain which first struck Jacques Cartier's
e3'es when he landed at Hochelaga is, perhaps,
Montreal's chief lion, and none should leave the
city without paying the mountain park a visit.
From the mountain's height a splendid view of the
adjoining country can be had.

At one's very feet lies the city, and each striking
object that it possesses is clearly defined.

Seen in the setting: of a summer's sun the scene
presents features of exceptional grandeur, jjeneath
the purple and gold of the sky extends the city,
its cold grey buildings borrowing some of the flame-
like colour of the sun as he goes down in all his
majesty. The streets are busy with the hum of
life; the black frocks of the [)riesfs and th<; grey

f.i

358

THE QUEEN'S IIICillWAY

dresses of tlie nuns are niiii^^'led with the gny-
coloured garments of fasliionable idlers. Carriages
and horsemen go along the broader wa^s, whilst
waggons laden with merchandise wind their way
throuiifh the narrow streets down to the docks.

Everything is fresh and green, and the air is
odorous with many flowers. Later on, when the
sun has actually set, fire-flies will come out in their
myriads, and light up the darkness of the moonless
night. But the fiery glow of the sun is still in the
sky and over the expanse of roofs and towers, the
w\T,lled-in gardens and open squares, tinging blood-
red the spurting waters of the fountain in the
Place d' Amies, and lighting up ^larshal Wood's
statue of her Majesty in Victoria Square ; whilst
Nelson's monument, in Jacques Cartier Square,
borrows some of its warmth ere the pall of night
descends.

The sound of bells is in the air, and in the open
space by the skeletfin church of St. Peter a band
is playing, whilst the pigeons seek their roosting-
places on the pinnacles of Notre Dame, a few home-
ward-bound crows move like black specks across the
burning skies, and the grasshoppers fill the grasses
with their deafening chirp.

Below stretches the mighty St. Lawrence like a
silver thread, whilst beyond one can just trace tiie
bluish outlines of the distant White Mountahis.

MONTllEAL, TILE COMMERCIAL CATITaL

;i;)i)

As the eye glances soutliward, followiug the
St. Lawrence, visions of the turbulent Lachine rapids,
the fairylike Thousand Islands, and the mighty
grandeur of Niagara Falls crowd the memory. To
the cast, over the AMiite ^[ountains, is the rolling
Atlantic ; west lies that land of promise which I
have just described ; and stretching far away to the
north are the ice-fields of desolate Labrador.

There is a good deal of fertility in the land about
the city, and the fields of waving corn and the rich
green grasses of the meadows add to the beauty of
the ])icture. Although denuded of its finest trees,
]\Iontreal in summer is literally embowered in foliage,
and at the back of the city the forests rise blue-black
against the scarlet clouds.

How different is the scene of to-day from the one
that struck the c^-c of Jacques Cartier when he
named the mountain on which he stood after his
royal master! In place of the palisaded town of
Ilochelaga, Avith the gaily painted war canoes moored
at its feet, with the Indians coming with their offer-
ings of fish and corn, skins and carved objects to the
boats of the first paleface wlio had yet visited them,
lies a great city filled with the lunn of traffic, and
active with the movements of busy thousands.

Could Jacques Cartier but see the mighty vessels
gliding safely up and down tlie great river where,
three hundred and fifty years ago, his own poor little

3()0

THE (^UEKX'S IIiriirWAV

Si?^ •

ftp?

i>'i»i

.11

ships had hooii j^rcvcnted from i!,oing — could lie hut
Kce the splendid harhounige and wharfage in [)laee
of the broken hanks where, on October 2, ir)3'), he
landed his shallop, and the grand .array of houses
and churches, convents and nunneries, banks and
other public buildings, how great the tribute he would
pay to the magnificent enterprise of the Canadians
which had made these things possible !

Descendin*:; from the wooded heii>'hts, with tlu;
cool breezes from the river rising to meet you, the
memory recalls the scene of two hundred and forty
odd years ago, when the first actual settlement of
what is now Montreal was made.

In fancy one can see the shrine, with Montmagny,
^laisonneuve, and their companions kneeling befoi-e
it ; and the priest, rich in his vestments, with the
Host held high above his head, performing the sacred
rites. There seems to come upon the air the scent of
the curlinii" incense and the measured chant of the
monks ; and as one listens, one, in imagination,
hears Vimont at the conclusion of the ceremony
solemnly declaiming to the kneeling band of pioneers,
' You are the grai/i of nutstard seed that shall rise and
(/row till its branches orcr.shadoiv the earth. Yon are
few, hut your irork is the icork of God. Ills smile is
on you, and yniir ehildrtn shall fdl the land.^

As one gains the road, and j\lontreal appears in
view, the vision of altar and Host, of monks and

MONTREAL, THE COMMERCIAL CAl'ITAL

3G1

devont women, of kni_L';hts and sold'u'rs fuinlly dis-
ap[)cars, and one sees in tlie far-reachlni;' city liow
the mustard seed has expanded, and how in truth
its branches ovcrshtidow the Land.

On enterinu: Montreal from the mountain, a
buildin!!- vis-a-vis with the skeleton church of St.
Peter immediately attracts attention. It looks like
a palace, and scarcely any one would take it for an
hotel. Yet an hotel it is ; and in this palatial
cdilicc (the 'Windsor') Montreal possesses not only
by far the best hotel in Canada, but one of the
very best in America, and consequently in the whole
world. In summer it is crowded with tourists, who
make it their headquarters fur the various charmini^-
excursions to be male in the adjoining country,
whilst visitors attracted by the Ice Palace and the
winter Carnival completely iill it in the winter
season.

No city in the New AYorld is better supplied with
railway and wjitcr communication than is ]\Iontreal.
By the Grand Trunk Pailway system the passenger
can journey southward along the north shore of the
St. LaAvrcnce and Lake Ontario to Toronto ^ (the
second city in the Dominion), and from there througli
its various branches to all parts of Western Canada,

' A description of this interesting and highly prosperous district
cannot, I regret to say, have place in the present work, it not coming
within tho immediate neighbourhood of the 'Queen's Highway' ; but
in a further work on Canada t shall n«.it fail to do it justice.

iii

THE (iUEEN'S IIIGIIWAV

,!■

(

% ,

','

the garden of Ontario, and tlie United States. A
branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Ottawa
also runs into Toronto.

Admirably conducted steamboats regularly ply
in the season between Niagara and Toronto, and
Toronto and Montreal, performing the exciting feat
of shooting the Lachine rapids. From the com-
mercial capital to the ancient city of (Quebec there is
a daily steamboat service during the months when
navigation is open. There are lines, too, running to
New York, and through Vermont and Maine to
Portland. The North Shore liailway, a branch of
the Canadian Pacific, is a connecting link in the
' Queen's Highway ' as far as Quebec ; whilst the
Grand Trunk connects Montreal with Point Levis,
the starting-point on the Intercolonial Pail way for
the Atlantic. So that the passenger on arriving from
the distant Pacific by the great transcontinental
railway can take his choice of routes to Europe. My
route between the two oceans goes through British
territory from start to finish, and the concluding-
stages from Montreal to Quebec and from Quebec to
Halifax are contained in the following chapters.

, w

states. A
at Ottawa

iilarly ply
onto, and
3itin<^ feat
the com-
e there is
iths when
'unning to
Maine to
branch of
ik in tlie
vhiLst the
nt Levis,
lilway for
ving from
)ntinental
•ope. My
•h British
Dncludino-

Quebec to
Lers.

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CllAl»Ti:i{ IX.

77//-; <'ITY OF TllF. j\ A liRonixa nWTIyRS.

tJACCiUKs CAirriKH has the credit of luiviii,<;- first
penetnited up the St. Lawrence as far as what
is now Quebec, but it is just possible that the
phice was sighted by Jaspard Cortcreal in his ex-
plorations of ciglity-five years before, although no
authentic record has been preserved of this memo-
rable voyage. It is, however, admitted that in
addition to ji'oinn; over much of the <>Tound covered
by the Cabots in 1497, Cortcreal, two years later,
explored the Gulf of St. T^awrencc for a considerable
distance. It was the discoveries of John and Sebas-
tian Cabot, actinjx under a connnission from Kinij
Henry YII. of F.ngh.uid, and those of Cortcreal,
made on behalf of the ]\)rtuguese Crown, and later
on the discoveries made on behalf of S[)ain, that
caused France to exert herself in a similar direction.
The Frencii king, Francis I., seems to have been
particularly exercised over the matter ; and he is
reported to have said, on despatching the Florentine
A'^errazzani across the Atlantic in 1521, ' Shall the

.'w; i

THE (itJEEN.S IIKillWAY

kings of Si);iin and Portiif^.'il divide nn America
IjL'twi'L'U tlu'in? F!UI,l;1i! 1 would like to sec the
cliuisc in Father A(hiiirs will be(|ueathing that vast
inhcritaiu'G to them.' Verrazzani, who, it appears,
explored the coast from Florida to 50° north latitude,
])rocccded, therefore, to annex the country visited on
hehidf of his royal master, .u^iving it the title of New
F' ranee. His annexations, however, included the
rc<^ion previously discovered by the Cabots and
claimed for the Fjig'lish king; and it is a matter of
history how the rival claims to this territory eventu-
ally brought about war between the two countries,
ending, after many a bitter struggle for supremacy,
in the British ilag being planted on every rampart
where once had proudly floated the Jlcur dc //n.

It appears that Carticr was received by the
Indians with a cordiality similar to thtit extended
to the Pilgrim Fathers many years afterwiu'ds on
their arrival on the Atlantic sea-board ; and he wa:i
escorted to Stadacona ' (now Quebec), then a con-
siderable Indian settlement, by Donnacona, the Al-
gonquin chief.

Cartier repaid these kindnesses by a very gross act
of treachery. lie caused Donnacona and nine of his
chiefs to accompany him back to F^ ranee, and, need-

^ In Algonquin parlance Stadacona meant the narrowing of the
river, the St. Lawrence at this ])()int being loss than a mile wide.
The jucaning of the word Quebec has not, 1 believe, ever been satis-
factorily explained.

Till': cirv <»r tiir nakii)\vin(i a'atf.ij.s lU'ut

loss to sny, they ncviT rctiinu'(l. Tliis Ijivncli of fnitli
iiatiirally incensed the Indians against tlie ' paleface ';
and when Cartier, five years later, returned from
France with the })iir[)osn of effectini:; settlements in
the re<;i()n, he found the red man in arms a«(ain8t
him — so nuieli so that anything like permanent
settlement was rendered impossible.

It was not, in fact, until iridS, under Samuel de
Champlain, that the site of what is now (^Miehec city
was permanently occupied by the French. ()uebec
was selected as the cajjital of New France, and, as an
historian has pointed out, ' thenceforward, duriui;
many years, the history of (Quebec was the history
of Canada.' This history was an umvlieved record
of hardships and privations, and the settlers seemed
to be ever at war with the natives.

Under such conditions the growth of the place
naturally was slow ; and at the end of lifry-four
years (that is, in 1GG2) tlie total white population
did not exceed two thousand.

Champlain, to whose indomitable energy and
chivalrous conduct the settlers alone maintained
their position, died on Christmas Day, 1G3."», and
was buried in the castle of St. Louis, ^ such being the
name the gallant conunandcr had given to the fort
he had caused to be erected on Stadacona's beetlin^r
era Si's.

' The ciistle was destroyed bj^ lire in 183-1.

'It

1 V

30G

THE QUEENS 111011 WAY

'! •£ -■ ;

With the exception of Port Koyal/ in A adie,
Quebec snifered, I believe, more attacks at the hands
of an enemy than any other fortified phice on the
American continent.

The first actual sicj2;e (omitting the desultory
attacks of the Indians) (Quebec suffered was in 1G29,
Avhen the place was invested l)y the British under Sir
Diivid Kirk, who starved the garrison into a sur-
render. It eventually, however, turned out that,
prior to this, peace liad already been concluded
between tlie two rival coimtries ; so, under the
treaty of St. Germain, the territory occupied by
the 15ritish was restored to France, who was, more-
o\'er, confirmed in her claims to the whole of Canada,
Cape Breton, and Acadie.

The breaking out of war in 1G88 caused the
English to make further attempts upon the French
colonies in North America ; and in 1G90 Sir Wil-
liam Phipps made a bombardment of Quebec, in

^ Port Royal was founded by the Sieur de Monts in 1G05 ; and
it was there that the first wheat ever sown by the hand of a white man
was grown. The English stormed the place five times, viz., by
Argali in 1013, by Kirk in 1()21, by Sedgwick in 1054, by Phipps in
Ki'JO, and by Nicholson in 1710. Argnll abandoned it soon after its
capture, dd the treaties of St. Germain (1032), Breda (1007), and
Ryswick v '^7) duly restored it to France. The English failed in
their attempts on the fort no less than three times ; and the French
and Indians combined, under the Abbe de Loutre in 1774 and
Duvivier in September of the same year, were unsuccessful in ousting
the British. But a band of pirates succeeded in sacking it in lOUO,
and it did not escape the attack of the revolutionary forces in 1781.

THE CITY OF THE NARROWING WATERS o()7

wliich he was unsncccssful. A still greater disaster
attended the expedition under Sir llevenden Walker
in 1711 (consequent upon the war of the Spanish
succession), the majority of his vessels being lost in
the Gulf of St. Lawrence in a great storm.

The repulse and ultimate victory of AYolfe in
1759 are too well known to need recapitulating ; and
every student of history is aware how, in the follow-
ing year, the French, ten thousand strong, under
I)e Levis, attempted to retrieve j\Iontcalm's defeat
by Wolfe, and how General ^lurray's forces, deci-
mated by sickness, woidd probably have capitulated
had it not been for the opportune arrival of Commo-
dore Saunders with a formidable fleet, causini>' the
siege to be raised.

During the liebellion, Quebec was besieged by
the American colonists commanded by General
Montgomery ; and in the final assault on December
31, 177'), when the besiegers were completely routed,
the general lost his life, whilst General Arnold, the
second in command, was wounded and taken prisoner.^

This was the last occasion on wliich Quebec
imderwent a siege.

There are only three cities in the world — viz.,
Edinburgh, Salzburg, and Athens — although by in-
cluding Granada you might say four — which have

^ The house where Oeneral Montgomery's body was taken is still
standing, and it bears an inscription commemorating the fact.

; I

'■II:

; !

'■ »{

;5G8

THE (QUEENS HIGHWAY

, 'fl

sites equal to tiie one occupied by (^nel)ec ; and in
historic interest the Canadian stronghold is not far
behind even these famous places.

The view from the Terrace is one of unrivalled

grandeur.

Below is the majestic St. Lawrence, placidly
narrowing just in front of the city, yet growing
broader and deeper, swifter and fiercer, as it passes
on its way to the sea. Its surface in summer is
crowded with life, with the boats coming and going
on their various errands. T lere at the wharf where
the big Atlantic liners discharge and receive ^heir
human freight, and the schooners are being loaded
with lumber brought down from the forests behind,
there is plenty of bustle and excitement ; otherwise
the city is steeped in a quiet which looks very much
like sleep.

At this elevation of two hundred feet it is never
too hot on any of the warm summer days ; and the
wind which comes in from the sea brina*^, vvith it a
freshness and a coolness unknown in Montreal.
In summer, therefore, Quebec attracts many visitors,
and it is every season becoming more frequented.

But it is in winter that Quebec charms the most.
In winter, when the St. Lawrence is enchained in
ice, and the ranges of the Laurentian mountains
tower \\hite against the sky, and the Plains of Abra-
ham, where the gallant Wolfe fell, are covered with

-.<t

■|i!

where

TllK CITY 01- THE NARROWING WATERS 'S()d

a pall of snow ; when the click of the saw-mill is
(juietcd, and the whistle of the steamer is no long'er
heard, and the frost king forms a bridf^e connect-
'm<r the opposite cliffs of Point Levis, bristling
with guns, with those of Quebec, then the scene
in its silent grandeur is, to my mind, the most im-
pressive.

The beauty of the view from the citadel on a
moonlight winter's night is almost im[)Ossible of
description, and anything that I could say would
convey but a very faint idea of its reality.

LUit try and follow me as I gaze upon the frozen
expanse of the noble river, with the moonbeams
playing upon the rills of snow, and the patches of
transparent ice glistening like sheets of burnished
gold.

The whole country round about is enveloped in
a sparkling white mantle, the distant sombre phie
forests furnishing the only bit of colour in the whole
landscape. The air is clear and crisp, and every-
thing can be clearly seen, even unto the slowly
ascending smoke from the chimneys in the town
below. A supreme silence reigns over all, unbroken
either by the voice of num or nature.

Tlie sky's ex[)anse is unflecked by a single cloud ;
and you stand under a cano])y of the purest blue,
with the pale stars looking e(jldly down upon you,
whilst the surrounding ramparts are bathed in almost

V, i;

if
it

^li:

;i70

THE (^UT'EN'S TirOHWAY

!,' ,

31.

. I'f !

i h"

supernatural light, so powerful and lavish of her
gifts is the moon.

Lying in the middle of the river to the east is tlie
island of Orleans, where Cartier first landed on his
way from the sea, and when; Donnacona, acconi-
})anied by five hundred followers in tAvclve war canoes,
paid him a state visit. The wild vines which
existed in Cartier's time, and wluch caused him to
call the spot the He de Bacchus, have long since
disappeared, and with them tlie evil spirits ^ who
held high revels on the island, drinking in mad fury
the wine crushed from the wild grapes.

The famed Montmorenci Falls opposite have gone
to sleep in the arms of the frost king, and no longer
throw their showers of spray, fine as dust, high up
in the air.

The coves and inlets are filled with drifted snow,
and the streams running into the monarch river look
like twisted bnnds of white silk under the moon-
beams.

Now and again there may come upon the stillness
the plaintive cry of some wild animal in the woods
beyond, the sharp snap of a tree splitting in tk.c
intense cold, or the resound in o- boom of fractured
ice, but otherwise everything is still ; and, as the

' The simple, pious pioiieui's (iinily believed that this sjiot was
infested with evil s[(ints, and iav many years it went by the name of
rilr <1is Sorrierrs.

THI' CITY OF THE NARROWING WATERS 871

if her

is the
311 his
iccom-
;anoes,
which
lim to
: since
i^ who
,(1 fury

ye gone

longer

igh up

snow,
er look
moon-
illness
woods
in tl'.e
actured
as the

spot was
e name of

liour "TOWS late, and the blue smoke no loni»"er issues
from the chimney-tops, the city l^clow looks like a
city of tlie dead, for which nature, in the surrounding
snow, lias woven an endless ghostly shroud. •

(Quebec is supposed to be the most priest-ridden
city in the whole of America ; anyhow, its people are,
without doubt, strictly religious, and many outward
and visil)lc signs are afforded of their exceedinji; de-
voutness.

There is scarcely a bookseller's window that d()(;s
not contain some highly coloured print dei)icting the
martyrdom of some early fr(!suit father or other at
the hands of the Indians.

These i)ioneer pi'iests undoubtedly underwent
great privations, and in many instances suffered
fearful deaths, in the course of spreading the gos{)el
amongst the heathen ; but, at the same time, in
many of the instances depicted historical accuracy
has been sacrificed to artistic effect. Such pictures,
whilst arousing the scei)ticism of the traveller, are
not, however, without influence upon a people at once
deeply su[)erstitious and highly imaginative.

l>ut it must 1)e freely admitted that these priestly
pioneers (ehiefly of the Jesuit and K'ecoUect orders)
did more than any one at that time to explore the;
wilds of the Far West. Some records ' of their
travels have been preserved, and it is only by

' l!cl<iti<iii:< ,l(s,fi.'siilfs, piililisliiil by the t'aiiiuliiin <Mivon)iiiciit,.

U li

Vi.;.

: -si;

372

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

perusing them that one can have any idea of the
difficulties and dangers which beset them in their
self-ejected task of spreading civilisation amongst a
race of savages, who frequently barbarously resented
these pious folks' attempts to snatch their souls from
perdition.

Quebec is very French — much more so than ^lont-
real — the inhabitants of Anglo-Saxon origin forming
an exceedingly small section of the community ; and I
am assured that these numbers decrease every year,
so that ere long the entire population will be French
pur et siiuplc. As it is, very few people speak
English, and in the years to come, one, I expect,
in order to make oneself understood, \^ill have to
make a study of the language of the anclen regime,
for a knowledge of modern French will not be of
much avail. A Kanuck in moments of studied calm-
ness would not be readily understood by the super-chic
Parisian of to-day ; but should he be at all excited,
he would practically be as unintelligible to him as
the heathen Chinee or the blubber-eating Kamts-
chadal.

The i)atoi'^ of the Kanucks is neither musical nor
elegant ; nothing can be said in favour of it beyond
the fact that, amongst a people who know no other
lano-iuii'-e, it is not Avithout its uses : althouo;h I
assure th( reader that more than once, when 1 have
l)eeu kept awake in the train bv the threshing out of

THE CITY OF THE NARROWING WATERS 373

some vexed question of tlie day by some travelling-
French Canadians, I have deeply regretted tliat tliey
ever advanced beyond the method of conversation
adopted by Adam and Eve. l>ut, primitive as
they are in most things, there is no Kanuck living
who would content liimself with giving a biw*]'"v
Kanuck a piece of his mind by means of signs.
Silence with him would simply mean ultimate ex-
plosion.

He is, however, a very good fellow, and of course
it isn't his fault that you don't understand him ;
and I feel sure that if he knew how much his talking
disturbed you he would at once invite you to take
part in the discussion. More you could not expect
of him, for nothing short of a miracle could keep him
quiet until he had had his say.

The French Canadians have not only incorporated
many aboriginal words into their language, but they
have inherited from their Indian ancestors not a
little of the spirit of palaver ; and the consequence is,
almost every educated man is troubled with an itch
for jabbering. He jabbers on politics, religion,
science, literature, the fine arts, trade, finance, and
on every conceivable subject, whenever he can get a
listener ; and I am assured by those who understand
him that he jabbers unconunonly well. Only the
difficulty is that not one traveller out of a thousand
will understand a single word of what he says ; and

iim

hi '■ .

:;j

']. ■

n < '

i)7\

THE QUEEN'S [[KillWAV

instead of lookinii' upon liini ws ;i lieavcn-born orator,
he will invariably vote hi in a coin})lctc nuisance.

In re])ose a Kanuck is dig'niHed and self-contained,
but lie is (juite another individual when he is
animated. Then he <>"ives the casual observer the
ini])ression that he is terribly enraged Avith the person
Avith whom he is arg'uing", and that he imagines every
one around liim is completely deaf. It is, however,
only a way he has ; for in reality he may be on the
vjry best terms Avith his opponent, and, in all ])roba-
bility, he has not the remotest idea that he has so
penetrating a voice.

The French Canadians are an excitable people,
and easily moved, although in business matters they
move only too slowly, and cling, in their conservatism,
like grim death t(j old customs and antiquated ideas.
They liave many excellent (pialities, being frugal,
sober, and industrious ; but they look upon binova-
tions of all kinds with suspicion, and nineteenth-
century })rogress has little or no charms for them.
They are, in fact, so enamoured of the j)ast that they
seem in all their actions to be guided more by Avhat
their great-grandfathers did than by what their more
progressive contem[)oraries are doing.

This continual putting back of the hands has
practically caused the clock to 'stoj), so, instead of
inci'easing like other towns in the ^«'ew World, the
])opulation of (Quebec remains .^tationaiy, or, if any-

TlIK CITV OF THE NARROWIX(.l WATKlt^ .'{T')

lias
id ol"

I, the

tlilni;^, decreases. (The present poj)ulation is about

J>ut wliilst this aversion to pro^^ress is bad
comniereially, the old-worldism in wbicli (^^iiebec is
enwrapped gives it a i)oetical cliarin. wliieli is all
the more striking l)ceausc it is in such direct con-
trast witli tlic noisy'bustle and ghu'ing shotldiuess of
the so-called 'live' cities across the border.

There are many qnaint corners in old (^iie])ec in
which the most matter-of-fact Yankee would iind
interest if he did not find poetry. (Quebec is full of
those architectural inconsistencies so dear to the
artistic mind, and it is indeed difficult for the
traveller in such surroundings to imagine that he
is in the New World at all.

Much, however, of what was architecturally
quaint and historically interesting has recently dis-
appeared. The old gates have been pulled down,
and with that act of vandalism disappeared for. ever
the romantic incidents with wdiich they were asso-
ciated.

That ancient abode of austerity, the Jesuit
College, witli its immense corridors, gloomy pas-
sages, and underground cells, used by the English
for many years after the capture of (Quebec as
Ijarracks, has Ijeen levelled to the iLi'ound ; and of
the Palace of the Intendants, a building which out-
shone the Castle of St. Louis in point of luxury and

■ i

."A ■ f

•'hi

■itV

IMCi

THE QIJF.EXH iiirarwAY

splendour, but u mero IV.ai^mont remains ; whilst only
an outhouse of the Chateau escaped the tire of IH.'M,
"vvhich completely destroyed the main buildiui:;.

Aj)roi)Os of fires, scarcely any of the public
buildiuf^s in the city have altoi^ether escaped burn-
ing-. For instance, the ancient church of the
Iiecollects, together with the convent, was burned
in 17J)G ; the old Court-house in 1878 ; the Semi-
nary (founded by Monseigneur de Laval in lOO.'))
in 1701 ; the Ursuline Convent in lO')!), and again
in 108(5 ; the IL^tel l)ieu just prior to the siege
of 17")$) ; and Parliament House in 18'),'), and again
in 18S3, on which latter occasion I witnessed the
conflagration.

( )f the buildings now standing the chief ones
are —

The l>asilica, consecrated in !()()<) by ^lonseigneur
de Laval, possesses no very striking architectural
features, but it is said to contain some of the most
valuable pictures and the finest vestments of any
cathedral in North America.

The English cathedral, built in the Iioman style
of architecture, was consecrated in 1804. Its history
lias been an uneventful one ; but in the venerable
elm tree which grew in a corner of the cathedral
close, under which Jacques Cartier on landing
assembled his followers, it had direct touch with tlie
ronuuitic past.

TIIIC CITY OF THE XAUUOWINC WATHRS ;i77

Tlic romrxlellcd Setiiiniiry, and tlie \aivii\ I'ni-
vcrnity, erected in l.S')7. the former possessing; pic-
tures of considerable vahu;, and the latter a lihi'iiry
of some magnitude, incliidin'X a lunnber of MSS.
relatin;^' to tlic early history of the country, are insti-
tutions of great })ul)lic worth and importance.

The Ursuline Convent, founded by ^ladame de
la IV'ltrie of pious memory in Kill, besides contain-
u\<X the remains of the j2:allant ^lontcalm, claims to
have, amongst other relics, the body of St. Clement,
bronght from Rome in KJST, the skull of St. Justus,
a chij) of the holy cross, and a portion of the enjwn
of thorns.

The Hotel Dieu Convent and IIosj)ital was
fonndcd in lG3i) by the Duchess d'Aignillon, who
placed it in charge of the Ilospitalieres nuns
brought out by her from France. It is an institu-
tion doing excellent work, and patients are treated
therein gratis.

There are two other important hospitals in (Quebec
— the Marine and the General Ilo-pital. The first-
named is modern, having been built in IHoi ; but
the latter was founded by Monseigneur de St. Vali r,
the second P)ishop of ( Juel)ec.

In addition to the Enolish cathedral there are
eleven Protestant churches, one of which is Scandi-
navian ; and besides the Basilica there are twelve
Koman Catholic churches and chapels, the most

■if" I'i

!-r

•-8

'» I

T[IK (a'F'TlNS IlKlinVAY

iiiUircstiii*^" ol' which is tiiu Cluircii of Xoh'c Diiiiic
(Ics "N'ictoiri's.

This cliiircli was l)iiilt hy Chiiiii|)h'iiii in 1 (!!.'>,
iind, in cominoinoriitinn of the (icfeiit of A(hiiii'jil Sir
Williiiiii IMiipps ill 1(!!M), it was called Notre l)aiM('
(le hi N'ictoiru; but after the loss of the Kii^'lish Meet,
under Sir llevenden Walker, twenty-one year.s later,
it received the name it now bears.

Under the l^'rench tuy/'inc (Quebec was a phice of
considerable gaiety, and in the records of those times
one is astounded at the wild extravaL!:ance, reckless
dissipation, and luxurious proflig'acy of some of the
otlicials, especially of, as historians term him, the
' infamous ' Intendant IVig-ot.

The Duke of Kent, too, Avlien he was in residence
there, made tliin<^s lively ; and some remembrance of
the brillijincy of his dinners and his pftit.'^ soiij»'i%'^
lingers yet, although iive-and-ninety years have
elapsed since their celebration.

Now, however, (Quebec is dull enough, and there
is very little going on in the place. The French
Canadians content themselves with their own society,
and the garrison folk enjoy themselves after their
own fashion. The hospitality of the citadel and of
the garrison club is notorious ; and the good dinner
that the accredited traveller receives at either place
consoles him for the very indillerent accommodation
he receives at the hotels.

TIIK CITY OK TIIK XAHTIOWINC WATKI!S .'57!)

(huihoc; is very well fortilicd, niid it woiiM 1)0
(Ulficiilt ofcapturo t'n.Mi tiic riviT ; wiiiltst tlio (k'fciKTS
at Point i.tivis on tlu; ojiposite nliorc ofKcr considor-
i\\)\c ticcurity Ji<:;aiiist a la;:' I attack. TIic l)()iiiini(m
(Jovi'rniiiciit uiidertalvc tlic defciirc of tlio city, tlu;
IJritisli troops having been withdrawn some time
since.

(Quebec is l.V.) miU's by water from Montreal, and
17:^ miles by rail ; whilst, r/V/ the Intercolonial IJail-
Avay, it is (178 miles from Halifax, the winter port
on the Athuitic.

It is by wjiy of the Intercohinial Hail nay, the
link connecting tlu^ Mast with thc! Far West, that 1
ask the reader to follow me on my journey from
(Quebec to the sea.

-'n

. r-V-

rii

380

THE QUEEN'S TIIGITWAY

CHAPTER X.

THE HIGH \r ATS LAST i^TAGES.

I. FROM POINT LEVIS TO THE SEA.

81- ir

;13' i

■•?.

*.■ t ■

The Intercolonial express train for the Atlantic
leaves i' ' evis daily (Sundays excepted) at (S
A.M., and arrives at Halifax at 9.10 on the followin"'
morning', taking 25 hours and 10 minutes to get
over a distance of ()78 miles. Between Point Levis
and Halifax there are, however, great and small, no
less than a hundred stations ; and although, unlike
the ' a"coiiimodation train,' it does not, as a matter
of course, stop at every station, the so-called express
merely omits to call at about thirty of them.

The Intercolonial Kaiiway is Government pro-
perty, and is worked by officials appointed by the
Government. As a strategical line it is of vital
importance to Canada, but as a passenger line it is
lackinii; in manv of the essentials which dihtiniiuish
the more progressive railways in the Dominion,
especially the Canadian Pacific.

Its course, as will be seen by the map, is most
roundabout ; but it had to be constructed in that

FROM POINT LEVIS TO THE SEA

881

way in order to take in the villages and centres of
rnral population clustering along the banks of the
St. Lawrence.

A good deal of the country through which it
runs in its earlier stages is certainly more pic-
tures(|ue than fertile ; and in several places where
settlements have been effected it is difficult to see
how the people can cultivate the land to a profit ;
and I dare say no one but a French Canadian would
be content with the miserable pittance that these
farms yield.

Many of the river valleys — especially the valley
of the St. Charles — are, however, exceptionally fer-
tile, and conttiin prosperous farms, which have been
in the thrifty families who own them for generations.
A French Canadian clings to the soil on which he is
born with a tenacity as great as that of an Irish
peasant or a Scotch crofter, and it is next to an im-
possibility to make him see the imperativeness of
emigration, although the original holding may
have been so divided and subdivided amongst the
different members of the family that the plot of
land out of which he is to make his living may
not be bigger than a moderate-sized pocket-hand-
kerchief.

The whole of the country between (Quebec and
the Metapediac is the land of the Kanucks ; and
until IJimouski is left behind nothing but the hand

f ;!

111!

.•]82

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

of ' les habitants de la Nouvelle France,' as they once
proudly termed tliemselves, is visible.

From Levis heights a splendid view can be liad
of Quebec and the district, and, as they are hiolicr
tlian Citadel Ilill, you can, from this altitude, have
the gratification of looking down upon a point wliieli,
when you previously stood thereon, seemed to domi-
nate the surrounding country.

1 left (Quebec behind me bright in the rays of the
summer's sun. The city was astir, and the church
bells sounded musically from over the rivei*, which
was alive with many crafts. Close inshore were the
timber vessels, busily loading, and an immense At-
lantic liner was getting up steam preparatory to
leaving. Ferry-boats were swiftly dashing across
the river, upon the unruffled surface of which lay
many ships awaiting their turn. The fishing-smacks,
with their brown and white sails, stood out clearly
agidnst the blue of the water, and the s})lash of oai-s
and the song of boatmen Avere on the air.

The red-coated soldiers on the ramparts and the
many-coloured flags in the h;n*bour lent a bright-
ness to the picture, whilst the green of the trees
relieved the sombre grey of the crooked narrow
streets.

One leaves Quebec with a regret sunilar to that
experienced on leaving a beloved mistress ; for there
is but one Q)uebec, and search the wide world how

I! !

FR():\r POINT LEVIS TO THE REV

;^,8;^

you will, you know th:>t you will never see her like

ii ijl

;1 tlie

riii'lit-

trees

arrow

aijffun.

Adieu, Quebec, with your churches and convents,
priests and nuns, your monuments of an historic
past and a wealthy present, your windinii; ^urects and
open S([uares, Inroad places and quaint nooks where
the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries niini»-le and
embrace. Adieu, Quebec, the city o/ romance, the
city of the heavenly site, the city at the narrowing of
that noble river whose course I am following' to the
sea! Adieu, for the train fast takes me out of sio-ht,
and thy spires are but points losing themselves in
the clouds, and thv frowning battlements in the dis-
tance seem but mere walls of cards ; whilst the liner
and the schooner, the fishing-smack arl lerry-boats,
seem but sjiecks of black and white down there where
the water narrows.

For 182 miles, as far as Kimouski (where pas-
sengers from Europe are landed in the summer
months), the line runs close along the shore of the
St. Lawrence, ar. ^ there is conscquentl}- not much
change in the scenery.

One thing, however, which will strike the pas-
senger is iliat almost every other station the train
stops at is named after some popular saint. I
counted twenty-four stations so named between
Point Levis and the Xew Brunswick boundary, at
which point one passes out of saint-land.

;:;- m

384

TlIK (QUEEN'S IIIGIIWAV

<-v

At St. Anne, 73 miles from (Quebec, there is a
convent of grey nuns, and a college which will ac-
commodate 3U0 students. This St. Anne must not
be confounded with iha St. Anne, to whose shrine
])ilgTims flock in their thousands on her festival day,
July 2().

The villaii'e which this good saint has taken under
her particular care is some twenty miles below (Que-
bec, and it conunended itself to the piety of the
faithful at a very early i)eriod ; for we find that m
IGfiG ^l. de Tracey, then Viceroy of New France,
presented to the church a fine painting by Le Brun, re-
presenting St. Anne and the A'irgin. In consideration
of the miraculous cures alleged to have been effected
at this shrine, his Holiness the Pope was pleased a
few years back to create it a shrine of the first order.
In the church are placed countless crutches left by
the halt and the crippled who have undergone sudden
cures after kissing the finger-bone of hi bonne salute
de})osited in the sanctuary. In this direction it is
almost as interesting as that museum of gratitude,
the church of the Bonna Nova, in r>arcelona. Within
three miles of the shrine are some very fine falls, also
named after St. Anne do Beaupre ; so that it is
possible they may eventually be found to be endowed
with curative qualities of a high character.

Six miles after St. Anne on the Intercolonial is
reached, the train sto})s at a place called lki^•ier(•

FROM POINT LEVIS TO THE SEA

385

1 !

Quelle, where, in the days long since past, a tragedy-
was enacted, the memories of which have been kept
green by the Abbe Casgrain in his story ' La
Jongleuse.'

Every inch of the country through which we
are now passing is historic ground, and many au-
thentic records have been preserved of the romantic
events which occurred prior to the British occupation.
Some of these records are replete with weird legends,
handed down by the Indians, and with accounts of
miracles described by the holy men who claimed to
have witnessed them.

The legend associated with Vllet au Massacre at
Bic is worth retelling.

Many years ago, long before the paleface came in
his ships from over the sea, a band of Micmacs, con-
sisting of two hundred men, women, and children,
pursued by a party of the terrible Iroquois, took refuge
in a cave on the island, where they were ultimately
discovered by the enemy, who, finding themselves
unable to dislodge them by any other means, burnt
them out. All were massacred, with the exception
of five braves who had previously made good cbeir
escape. They solicited and obtained the help of a
friendly tribe of i\Ialacites, and together they secretly
followed the trail of the retiring Iroquois, whose
canoes and provisions they first removed. It was a
long way from this spot to the land of the Iroquois,

♦

tl'

ri: ■

:>|i,

aSG

THE (^UEICNS IIKJinVAY

and tlie retreating warriors not only found tlieir
numbers daily diminished by unseen hands, but they
were threatened witli famine. By the time they had
reaehed the open woods near Trois Pistoles Iviver
their number had shrunk to twenty- seven, and, dis-
couraged and weakened by luinger, they made but a
feeble resistance when the yells of their foes burst
upon their ears. All were killed with the exception
of six, and these were divided amongst the allies.
The Malocites took their three to their village at
Madawaska, and history does not tell us what became
of them. One of the three claimed by the ]\Iicmacs
was put to death by the allies in the presence of the
other five ; and, bidding adieu to the Malacites, the
]\[icmacs, with the two remaining prisoners, retraced
their steps to Bic. The unfortunate prisoners were
then tied with their faces to the island on which the
massacre had occurred, and put to death with all the
subtle tortures that Indian savagery could devise.
With their death the five warriors went their way,
never more to return to the neighbourhood ; but the
ghosts of their slaughtered brethren remained behind,
and although their death had been amply avenged,
they, so tradition says, never failed on the anniversary
of the massacre to assemble on the island wringing
their hands in the agony of despair, and making the
jagged rocks resound with their piercing wails.

The date of this story is unknown, but it was a

I e m

FROM POINT LFOVIS To Till'] SEA

387

tradition amongst the Indians when Jac(juc:s Cartior
arrived on tlie scone, it having been rehited to him
by Donnacona, the Algonquin chief.

This tale of retributive justice reminds me of the
tradition connected with the Maisou ilu Chi en (Vor in
Quebec. When this ancient structure, with which
were associated so many historic memories, was de-
molished, II corner-stone bearing the letters P. IT., a
St. Andrew's cross, and the date \l?>h was found.
To this was fixed a piece of lead bearing the follow-
ing inscription :

Nicolas Jaques,

dit Philiber,

m'a pose le 20 Aoiit,

1735.

>;i

The story in connection with this runs as follows : —
In the days of the ' infamous ' liigot there lived
in this building a wealthy merchant named PhiHbert,
who for some reason or other had made himself
obnoxious to the rapacious Intendant. The mer-
chant, being unable to openly defy his all-powerful
enemj'', sought revenge upon liini by putting a golden
doof above his door, with the attendant lines —

Jesuis 7in chien qui rouge Vos,
En le ronrjcant jc prcnds vioii rcpos,
Un tcm'ps vicndra, qui n'est pas vcnu,
Que jo mordray qui m'cmra mordu.

The Intendant, to further gratify his spite, caused

C ■>

'-■\\

ill

388

THE QUEEN'S IIIOIIWAY

'!,

'b\'' ■

> : 'f

troops to be (juartered upon the Chicn (Tor, and on
one of tliesc occasions, a quarrel having taken 2)hu;e
between an officer, a ]\I. de la Kepentigny, and M.
Philibert, the latter was killed by the former. M. de
la Kepentigny escaped to Acadie, where he remained
till he was pardoned by King Louis XIV. He
afterwards returned to (Quebec and took part in the
siege of 1759. On the capitulation of the city he
went to Pondichery, a nemesis in the shape of the
son of his victim dogging his footsteps. In a duel
fought between the pair M. de la Kepentigny was
killed, and the blood of the murdered man no longer
cried out for justice. So runs a story which, I am
told, has the merit of being true.

The scenery up to Bic is graceful and very
pleasing to the eye, but it is by no means grand.
There is grander scenex-y on tiie opposite shore of the
St. Lawrence, and at Iiiviere du Loup (116 miles from
Quebec) several passengers take the boats for Mm'ray
Bay and the Saguenay. Who has not heard of the
Saguenay, that river which the early explorers
thought led to the nethermost pit ? For down-
right gloomy awfulness there is nothing to equal it
in the world ; and as the boat glides over the black
fathomless water, through the chasm rent by angry
nature in the frowning cheerless rocks, one finds it
difficult to overcome the first feeling of awe that the
scene creates. With the fall of night, and with all

FRO^r rOINT LEVIS TO THE SEA

380

and on
1 place
and M.

M. de
mained
IV. He
t in tbe
city he
! of the
1 a duel
ny was
) longer

I am

id very
1 grand,
'e of the
les from
Mm'ray
1 of the
xplorers
down-
equal it
e black
y angry
finds it
that the
ivith all

briglitnei='9 gone out of the Rkics, tlie surroundings
assume an even more fearful aspect. From out of
the inky darkness strange devilisli forms seem to
issue and flit in threatening attitudes before you,
whilst from out of the depths of tlie impenetrable
caverns there in accordance with your fancy come
the despairing moans of souls lost in endless torture.

The early settlers were at constant feud with the
evil spirits of this most demoniacal river, and at its
mouth they built a church — the first one in Canada
— the ruins of which still exist.

The Saguenay is navigable only as far as Chicon-
timi, a place about Go miles from its mouth. Beyond
this is a wild desolate land entirely given up to the
beaver and marten, and other fur- bearing animals.

At various points on the Intercolonial Railway
there are much -frequented summer resorts : such arc
Riviere du Loup, Bic, and Cacouna (the Saratoga of
Canada).

From these places excursions can readily be made
into the maze of interior waters, where excellent
fishing and shooting can be had. The country
through which the railway runs is intersected with
navigable waterways, and it is perfectly feasible for
a man in a canoe on leaving the line at the shores of
the St. Ijawrence to proceed to La Bale des Chaleurs
or the Bay of Fundy ; and by making portages from
the head waters of one river to the other the canoe

ili

i.\

'■%' ;■

:ioo

TiiK (^ut:i;n"s iiiniiwAY

■hi

voyage can Ijc iiKlclinitely extended. In -iueli
injinner tlie tlirce jjreat rivers of New l>runswiek — tlie
^liraiiiielii, liestigouclie, and St. Jolm — can l)e readily
traversed. Hut the vcntureKonie traveller wonld do
well to provide himself witii a guide.

As the train passes onward one catches gliin])ses
of the typical Kannck villages steejjed in an ohl-world
(piietness, and there is no chaDge in the a[)pearance
of these settlements until Metis is reached.

In this land the Anglo-Saxon is, as it were in a
foreign country, l\)r the language is strange to him,
and the customs of Ics Itahlhints stranger still. lie
will, in fact, in the more isolated spots, find great
dilliculty in making even his simplest wants un-
derstood, for just as he fails to understand their
French they will ])e found ignorant of his English.
Lcs habitants are French in all their thoughts and
in all their habits, and they have an unchanging love
for their language, and a profound veneration for
their religion. They are for the most part simple
and God-fearing, leading peaceful, moral lives, un-
troubled by either scepticism or ambition. They
seldom travel ; indeed, many of them scarcely go
beyond their chimney's smoke, each family providing
for its simple habits and few wants with the produc-
tions of its own fields and flocks. They are, to all
intents and purposes, in the seventeenth century, and,
in adhering to the habits of their forefathers, they for

FUOM TDINT M^VIS TO THE SEA

:^oi

tlio most part .shun everything' jipiicrtaiiilni!; to a
niiu'tcenth-century jtron-ivss ; and altliouoli it may
knock at thoir very doors they remain (U-af to its
demands. Moorc^d to the anchor of prejudice, (^)ii('l)ec
Province han stood on her old ways, wliilst the otlicr
provinces round about her have proi^ressed and
waxed rich, leaving her behindhand in those very
things to which she originally gave the cue.

The French Canadian, although vivacious by
nature, is after all a mere creature of routine and a
slave of prejudice ; he has all the Turk's hatred of bcdng
hurried ; and whilst the Eastern makes signs behind
his back to ward off the evil eye when you talk
about innovations, he crosses himself at the sight of
everything new, and prays the pju'ish priest to pro-
tect him from such heresies.

The primitive methods of husbandr)'" in vogue
two or three hundred years ago are those mostly
adopted amongst the French Canadians of to-day.
The agricultural implements in use are rude in form
and material, often ineffective, and invariably in-
convenient. The peasant scratches the earth with
a plough modelled after those conunon to tlic time
of J.ouis (^uatorze, and beats out his corn after the
fashion of the ancient Greeks. ^lodern inventions
in this direction are, of course, things to be shunned,
and I question if a French Canadian peasant's mis-
givings about using any one of them could be ovcr-

■i J]

!?•)

JIM

1 1'

/'i

302

Tlir: QTJEEN'S moil WAV

come l)cforc it Imd Ixicn plentifully sprinkled with
lioly water.

The priests have an extraordinary influence over
the habitdvU^, who, as has already been stated, are
I)ious and God-fearing. These priests are in trutli
the pastors to their people, and look with a keen eye
after the spiritual well-being of their flocks ; but, as
with the early Jesuit missionaries, their pritnary
object is directed towards teaching the said flock
that they have souls to lose in the next w^orld, whilst
progression in this world has practically no place in
their teachings.

The French Canadians might say with the meek
and patient Hindoo, ' We are the sheep, and we know
that somebody must shear us ; but for the lovo of
j ustice let us grow our wool as we think fit.'

The curi is always a man of intelligence, and
often of refinement, and wherever you come across
him in the land of la Nouvdlc Frimcr, you will
invariably find him most courteous and obliging.
lie is a Uttle prejudiced and old-fashioned, it is true,
but he is passionately attached to the land of his
birth, and is exceedingly jealous of the ancient rights
of his countrymen. He believes firmly in Satanic
influence, and is honestly impressed with the idea that
he is serving God's will by resisting change, which
to him too strongly savours of the world, the flesh,
and the devil. He will tell yon that his people are

FllOM PDINT LEVIS TO THE SEA

3o;?

Imppy in the ambitionlcse, improgrcsaivc lives they
lend, and tlint tbey desire nothing better than to be
left alone in tliis restful simplicity.

It h a picturesque quarter of America, this land
of the French Canadians, and quite difierent from
any otlicr part of the New World — with its touches
of old-worldism and relics of tho romantic past
meeting you at almost every step ; and no traveller
over the 'Queen's Highway' with time at liis dis-
posal sliould hesitate to break his journey at s<»me of
the chief points of interest.

But I must warn him that outside of the larger
centres the hotel accommodation is anything but
good ; as a matter of fact it is generally very bad.
First-, as to the ciilsinc, there is very little variety, and
the cooking is primitive, rough, and horribly greasy ;
but healthful exercise in the open air gives one an
extraordinary appetite, and the traveller finds him-
self eating, in a wayside Kanuck hostelry, food which
he would elsewhere turn from with sickness and
loathing.

It is well that the traveller can live most of his
time in the open air, for he would certainly find but
scant comfort inside the inn, which is generally as
dirty, evil- smelling, and as insect-infested as any
Spanish venta.

I have had a considerable experience of the tribes
whose nocturnal raids tend to make life in a venta,

\ i

Jii .

31)1

THE QUEEN'S TIIC.IIAVAY

■Uif.3

'•V\ii

■pDstuhf, or even ft first-class fomla absolutely iinbear-
al)le ; but I frankly confess that ever, a Spanish
(•hincJic, strenii'thencd and made arrogant as he often
is with the blue blood of ijencrations of ""randecs of
tlie first class, takes second place when compared with
a full-scented domestic ladybird of the (inrien mjinic.
History fails to tell us which of the early explorers
it was who brought these pests over from France,
but whoever it was has undoubtedly much to answer
for. The winged voltigeiwfi common to the country
ciui in a men ure be endured, and with a packet of
Keating in one's trunk one can practically defy the
, r.rious tribes of red deer which leap and bound with
unaffected joy immediately a well-fed stranger outers
his ^.cdroom ; but a Kanuck jjunaise is said to be
partial to insect-powder, taking it as a tonic. Hav-
ing no regular larder — for travellers are not numerous
— she ever possesses the keenest of appetites, and
with an avidity which knows no control, she, almost
before you have had time to say your prayers and to
blow out the light, commences foraging for her supper.
I forge i; how many matches I struck one night,
and the exact number of impressions of my tor-
mentors I succeeded in leaving on the wall, but one
tiling 1 do know is that I kept awake as long as I
had a match remaining (the candle had already burnt
itself out), and that 1 left my slippers, made fragrant
by the slaughter, behind as a souvenir for the waiter.

FROM POINT LEVIS TO THE SEA

305

wlio, I Lad only too excellent reasons for believinu',
was not over-fiistklious in the matter of smells. He,
in fact, was himself a most iinsavonry individual,
smelling like — well, like what only a Kanuck <jarrpn
or a garlic-eating Spanish vcntero can smell : no health
officer would have passed that man, and I cannot
help thinking that the innkeei)er in employing him
(hither had no sense of smell, or he employed him
because he was cheap.

People, who noticed the effect without under-
standing the cause, often complained of the drainage,
and in consequence the drains were flushed in: tead of
the waiter.

After leaving Rimouski the St. Lawrence is
gradually lost sight of, and on entering the IMeta-
pediac Valley one leaves behind the habitants ile la
NoiivcUe France and their ways. At little ^letis (209
miles from Point Levis, and 27 miles from Rimouski)
there is a colony of Scotch descent, originally estab-
lished by a Mr. McNider, the seigneur of Metis, who,
(tome five-and-seventy years ago, located several hun-
dred men, women, and children brought from Scot-
land in various parts of the seigneury. The venture
was successful, and Metis is now a flourishing farm-
ing district. Little Metis is a summer resort, and
possesses many attractions, the principal of Avhich
are the falls, some seven miles distant. Good lishiiig
is to be had in the neighbourhood; ])oth the Grand

i )J

ll'J'M

U '

1^' i

3on

THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY

and the Petit Metis beinjr favourite haunts of the

salmon. Very fair sport can also be procured with
the gun.

The train from Metis, on its way to the Mcta-
pcdiac Valley, no longer hugs the shore, but makes a
dash across country, and at Malfait I^ake it is nearly
750 feet above the sea, the highest point, I believe, on
the whole line.

From this heic^ht the train descends into the
beautiful valley of the Metapediac, by which time the
last of the French villages has passed out of sight.
The railway stations are no longer called after popular
saints, they having for the most part received
aboriixinal names.

Lake Metapediac, a beautiful sheet of water six-
teen miles long, and in some places five miles broad,
is seen after passing Sayabcc, which station is reached
at 4.17,

The course of the train is now along the valley of
the j\Ietapediac, which river carries off the waters of
the lake. In Algonquin parlance Metapediac means
niusical waters ; and there is certainly music in the
river as it dashes over its rocky bed on its way to the
sea. The scenery in this valley is the most beautiful
along the whole length of l;lie railway, although after
what I had seen in British Columbia it certainly
seemed somewhat tame. The course of the river, as
it twists and winds through the grenn of the valley.

I ■

FROM rOINT LEVIS TO THE SEA

397

V ;tli its dark mountainous setting, here foaming over
rapids, there gliding into deep pools, tlie home of the
salmon, is certainly a picturesque one ; and alto-
gether the Bcene is unsurpassed anywhere in Eastern
America.

At the village of Metapedia the river effects
a junction with the Rcstigouche, another famous
salmon river, and they both discharge into the liaie
des Chaleurs.

The llestigouche forms a part of the northern
boundary of New Brunswick, and it and its tribu-
taries drain a land which is scarcely anything more
than a wilderness of mountains and valleys unexplored
by man.

The Restigouche has a most eccentric course,
making wild bends at all kinds of angles from its
source to its mouth ; the Indians in consequence called
it * the river that divides like a hand ' — a very appro-
priate title.

Crossing the river, the train passes into the
province of New Brunswick, halting at Campbeltown,
305 miles from Quebec. This growing town is most
advantageously situated both as a railway centre and
as a head of navigation. From there one can journey
by steamer to the historic land of Gaspe, and from
Gaspii to that island desert, Anticosti. Campbeltown
is in the midst of mountain scenery, and from the top
of the Sugar-loaf a magnificent view can be had :

i I '
llli

1 1

! .

i
■

1 -■ 1

0j^

]. '.

0.(

31)8

TIIIO (^UEKNS HKJIIWAY

below lies the Baic des Chaleurs/ and to the iiortli
rise the Gaspe Mountains, and that distant headland
on which, 352 years ago, Jacques Cartier erected in
the name of his master, Francis I., the huge cross
bearing the lilies of France.

Before Jacques Cartier's days the bay was cele-
brated for its fish, and the Indians called it Ecketiian
Ncmaachi, 'the Sea of Fish.' Xow it is famous for
its possession of a phantom light ; and just as no
Sydney man, unless dumb (and even then I think he
would endeavour to express himself by signs), will
omit to ask you what you think of ' our harbour,' or
no Lisboner refrain from pestering you as to your
ideas about ' our climate,' you will for a certainty be
asked by every Bay of Chaleurs man you come across
your opinion as to ' our phantom light.'

I frankly confess not to have seen this wonderful
light, which is, I believe, a modern institution, it
having no place in Indian tradition or priestly records.
A local writer describes the phenomenon as follows :
' It has appeared in various parts of the bay, some-
times appearing like a ball of fire within a mile or
two of shore, and sometimes having the appearance of

' It was during the memorablu voyage of 1534 that Jacques
Cartier, having explored the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland,
sailed one day in July into a large bay, whicli, to commemorate tlie
grateful warmth he felt therein after the cold of the inliospitable
north, he named La Baio des Chaleurs, which name it has ever since
retained. The bay is ninety miles long and from fifteen to twenty-
ve miles wide, and the largest ships can freely pass tlierein.

ivl

FIIOM POINT Li:VlS TO THE SI:A

a l)iirning' vessel many miles away. Sometimes it
shoots like a meteor ; at others it glides along" witli
a slow and diunified motion. Sometimes it seems to
rest npon tlie water ; sometimes it mounts ra|)idly in
the air and descends again. It is altogether myste-
rious and eccentric.'

The light, I understand, is generally followed l)y
a storm, and, as an instance of its mysteriousncss and
eccentricity, it on one occasion, I am assured, actually
appeared above the ice in the depth of winter.

I have watched more than once for a sight of the
' phantom,' but luck was never with me, and I can
therefore offer no personal opinion with regard to it.

In conclusion I may however say, that amongst
the simple fishing folk there is a tradition that some
three quarters of a century ago the crew of a vessel
lying in the bay mutinied, and killed their loyal
companions and plundered the ship. In making off
with the plunder, however, they were wrecked off the
coast and drowned, having been led to their destruc-
tion by a mystic light which appeared for the first
time in the memory of man.

This is all very well, but why this light continues
to appear after it had effected its purpose is not at all
clear.

The railway runs along the shore of the bay,
through many highly cultivated farms, for a con-
siderable distance ; but by the time Bathurst, where

( I

5
h

i :>t:

S !

400

TriE (JUEEN'S IIKJIIWAY

ri;','"ll

L ' ;i

■ii'i

.: .,|

tlie bay is left behind, is reached night lias ah'eady
fallen.

The far-famed Miramichi, * the river of the happy
retreat,' and all the beautiful country adjacent thereto,
are passed in the darkness ; and it is close upon
two o'clock in the morning when Moncton is reached.

Moncton is the head-quarters of the Intercolonial
system, but beyond this it possc::3GS no claims to
special consideration. Like, however, all places in
the New World, even Moncton is not without its
' lion,' consisting of an extraordinary tide, which
deluded tourists come many miles to witness.

In conse(;[uence of having read that this tide,
which it was alleged sometimes rose to the height
of 120 feet, and had even been seen thirty miles off
approaching with a terrific roar, could be witnessed
in all its grandeur at the bend of the Petitcodiac,
where Moncton is located, I on one occasion got off
at that town for the express purpose of taking in the
sight.

The tide duly came in with its rauch-vaunted ' bore,'
but I confess to having felt badly treated and alto-
gether swindled by it ; for, instead of having a rise
o^ half the fcalked-of 120 feet, its height scarcely
exceeded 6 feet.

It is high time that tide and its everlasting
' bore ' went out of the show business, otherwise it
will get Moncton a bad name ; for as an attraction

FHOM I'Olxr [.i:VT8 TO THK ^JKA

401

it lias certainly played itself out, and the interested
parties who advertise its daily appearance would do
well to take its name oft' the hills for a while. It
evidently requires rest from its prodi^i»'ions labours
of the past, and it will re(piire years of recup(n*ation
before it rei^ains that early vigour which so astounded
the veracious chroniclers referred to.

At Moncton there is a branch line to St. John
and to Fredericktown (the capital of New Brunswick),
neither of which cities, however, comes Avithin the
scope of the present work. From St. dohn, which
is 8!) miles from Moncton and aTO miles from
(Quebec, there is direct communication with Port-
land, Boston, and all ])arts of New F^ngland.

At Faijisec, eight miles beloAV JMoncton, the
passenger changes cars for Shediac and Point du
Chene, from which latter place there is, in the summer,
a daily boat service .to Pricce Edward Island.

Darkness is still over the land as the express
train ^ passes through An Lac with its historic
memories. In the daytime one can see high up on
a commandinu' hill the crumbling ruins of Fort
Beausejour, where France made her last eft'ort for the
retention of Acadie. Beausejour was captured by
Colonel jMoncton in dune 17.").").

) V

[ h

' A later train loaves Moncton at 10.28, so the passenger, unless
compelled to journey by the 'through express,' can stay over at the
town ami see the country between tliero and Halifax in the daylight.

1) 1)

I f. :':

102

Till'. (^ui:i:ns iikwiw.w

Soon after lonvin^* Amlicrst, a town 10 miles
distant fnjni Moncton, one coniineuces to enter u[)(>n
the vast coal-fields of Nova Scotia.

At Atliol, 12 miles below Amherst, connection is
liad by ^age Avitli the land ' th icauians and the
famed liasin of Minas.

Truro, a plctares(j^uely sitnaii l and ''irivi-ig town
02 miles from Halifax, is reached at a (|uarter to
seven. Here there is a branch line to Pictou (whence
the boats depart to Prince Edward Island) and New
Glasgow, where the passenger branches off, via Mul-
grave, for Cape Breton Island.

The rich Acadian coal mines are distant 20 miles
from Truro.

The Avay to Halifax from Truro is through the
district watered by the Stewiacke and the Shubena-
cadie ; it is a rich farming country, and settlements
are numerous.

At Windsor Junction, 14 miles from Halifax, a
branch line takes the passenger into the heart of
Acadia ; and thirty-five minutes later the express
arrives at the Atlantic terminus of the ' Queen's
HigliAvay.'

If"!

'I'm; ATLAXIFC rillMINLS

in;;

II. TliK ATLANTIC TKUMINUH.

TiiR cliit'f feature of Ilalinix, the Atlantic tennlmis
of tlio ' (Jiiecu's Ili^^lnvay,' is its liarl)oiir, wliieli un-
doubtedly is one of the finest in tluj whole world.
This harbour is accessible at all times and in all
seasons, and experts, \vho have taken the trouble
to work the matter out, assert — so capacious is it —
that a thousand vessels nii^'ht safely rest therein.

Halifax itself is located on a rocky peninsula, the
harbour beini»: to t'lie south and east of it. The
water narrows on reaching the upper end of the
city, but again expands into what is called Bedford
IJasin, which basin is said to contain ten square
miles of safe anchoraue. Some idea of the extent
and beauty of the harbour will be afforded by the
illustration appended.

Halifax, which was founded by iJovcrnor Corn-
wallis in 174!), is in itself not very attractive,' the
streets being narrow and the houses for the greater
part exceedingly poor. There is, in fact, nothing
architecturally interesting in the vvdiole city ; yet, as
the chief naval station of Ihitish North America and
the only place in the Dominion now occupied by

' The anrrouiuliiig country is very lovely, csiiooiiilly in tlio Anna-
polis Valioy, whore almost every inch, moreover, is historic "^ronnd.
The land of the Acadians and the ruins of the famous Port Iloyal, its
ancient ca^utal, are within easy access by rail from Halifax.

D D -J

Mil

TIIK (/UKKNS lIKIilWAY

11. i

Iinpuriiil ti'()(>i)s, it midcnialily ixisscsscs ni inliTcsl,
of its own.

Uotii tlio city iiii<l harbour nro very sfi*on;;]y
(Icfc'iKlod, tlicy bcin^' pi'otoctod by no less thiui clovcii
ditrcrt'iit fortilicatioiis, armed with batteries ot* >'AH)
and (100 j)oiind Ariiistroii^s.

The citadel, which towers above the town to tlui
height of 2')() feet, was coinnienciMl by tlu^ Duke of
Kent ; l)Ut, nidike that of (Quebec, its history up to
now has been one of peace instead of strife.

Halifax claims to be very JJritish ; biit, judginu,'
by recent events, its claims are none too well
foundcid. Long association with the army and navy
lias developed some British cliaractcristics, but the
traveller will hear more disloyalty ex[)ressed in
Halifax than in any city in Canada; whilst he will
there, and there only, find [)roiuinent politicians
o[)enly boasting of their [)referenee for the scream
of the eagle to the roar of the; lion. Jt is, J believe,
the only city in tlu; Dominion where any man of
note has dared to express a desire to see the Stars
and Stripes wave over the citadel in place (jf the Union
dack. Of course the majority of the citizens by no
means approved of this outrageous sentiment, but
the individual in question — quite a leading politician
by the bye — seems to be exceedhigly proud of having
the siibi'ltiiict ' ilaul-down-thc-fhig ' prefixed to his
name.

i \

Tin: ATLANTIC TKWMINUS

■Kl.'i

Tlio Xovii Scotijins arc imf ;i ixdiliciillv cod-
tented |K'()|»1(', jmd Iliilit'iix, tlic ciipital. MccmM to In;
tlic centre of this |)()liticiil discontent. On the whole,
however, Fat(! bus treate<l them execedlni^ly well, and
Nova Scotia is i^'enerally |»rosj»erons and well to do,
whilst Halifax is a cit\' ol' eonsiderahlc wc:ilth.

Nova Scotia mi^lit veiy |>i'o|)erly l)c termed the
Ireland of ('ana(hi. and lier action towards tlic
Dominion Ciovernmcnt is jn'cnocaiivc of future dis-
turbancc ; but this much must he sail, tlitit althouuli
the provincial pai'Iianicnt of No\a Scotia ]»o8scssc.s a
majority in favom* of secession, the secessionist move-
ment, chielly owing to the eiieru'v, tact, and ability
of Sir Charles 'rn])|)er, suirere(| a complete defeat at
the recent li'eneral election for the l)ominii>n I'arlia-
ment, wlien candidates advocatinn- adhesion to the
Dominion were triumphantly retiuMicd.

Of the merit? of the origin of the cpiarrel between
the Secessionists and the Dominion Government I do
not presume to judge ; but I am free to confess that
it is (litHcult to s(!e liow the former arc justified in
saying that Nova Scotia was entra{)ped into con-
federation ' instead of cnterh s. into it of her own free

' On April 17, liSlili, tlio HdU. (now Si) Cluirlos Tuiipcr iiiovod in
the Assembly of Nova Scutiii that tho Liuucuiiaiit-CJoveruorbe author-
ised to appoint delegates to arrange with tlie Imitcrial Parliament a
scheme of union eti'ectively ensuiing just provision for tlie rights and
interests of Nova Scotia. This was carried by ihliiij-nne. to eiijld.
The Union Act was finally enacted by the Imperial I'arliament on

^lOO

Tlir. QUFF'N'S IIIOinVAY

will. TIkj Secessionists, moreover, cannot ])e con-
gratulated upon their patriotism, ropecially at a very
trying time in Canada's liistory.

But the average Nova Scotian is very local in liis
ideas, and apparently cares next to nothing about
the welfare of the great Dominion of which he forms
a part. Jf he sees money in the connection with the
Dominion, then the connection is approved ; but if
his pocket be touched thereby, no matter how lightly,
lie having no notion o^ self-sacrifice for the general
good, commences to cry aloud for separation. Dut
what separation is to bring him and how it is to
benefit him he is l)y no means clear. Unscrupulous
ag'tators and an unprincipled press have told him
that the tearino- asunder of tlie bonds of federation
is th'^, only thing that will benefit him, and he, with-
out thinriinii; the matter out for himself, strikes for
secession.

The secessionist bubble was, however, completely
pricked by Sir Charles Tup])er during the last elec-
tion campaign, and it is sincerely to be hoped that
the movement will no\v die a natural <leatli ; at the
same time it would appear that the Dominion Govern-
ment might deal more generously with No /a Scotia,
the ' better terms * demandcnl by the province not
being on the whole so very unjustifiable after all.

]\T;u'ch 29, IfidT, ami a Royal .Proclamation was issued in toimoctiou
tlKi-ewith at Wiiulsor Cabtb on IVJay 22 of the same yt'ar.

THE ATLANTIC TERMINUS

•107

nut

But the Nova Scotians must be content with a
little at a time, and not expect to get the nuicli
talked of ' better terms ' all at once, wliilst it is
childish to cry out for an impossible separation,
and positively criminal to desire annexation with a
covetous neio'hbour across the border.

So far as one can understand the case, Nova
Scotia was sought in wedlock by Canada ; she cijn-
sented, and tlie marriage was duly solenniised. She
brought a rich dower with her, and Canada had every
reason for being proud of the matcli; but by and-by
Canada grew in size and strength and took other
wives, and Nova Scotia, feeling lierself sliglited, grew
peevish and discontented. Iler iirst impulse was to
apply for a separation, and to set up a separate
establishment, but her evil advisers, amongst them a
politically common man with a socially common
name advocated absolute divorce, and, at the same
time, re-marriage with a rai)acious neighbour who
had been for years tempting her from the paths of
rectitude. Vn\t public oi)iuion, not recognising the
reiterated pica of cruelty and desertion, refused to
grant a decree n/'-^i, and the politically common man's
unpatriotic suggestion to ' haul down the Hag ' and
set up the colours of the ai()resaid neighbour in its
place has happily never been seriously considered.

Nova Scotia is Icgitinuitely wedded to the rest of
Canada for all time, and the laws under which they

■lo.s

'I'lIK QUKl'.NS 111(111 WAV

were iiiuJe one permit of neither separation iioi'
(livo)'ce. Tlit^'y iii'e ab.sohitely necessary to eaeli
other, and from the day they Avere joined togethei'
tliey became as iiise[)aral)le as the Siamese twins ;
and any attempts to tear tliem asnnder would be
attended with grave danger to the body politic.

It is true Xova Scotia brouidit Canada more than
she received ; but it is ignoble and unworthy, now
that the glamour of the honeymoon has Avorn off, and
the weddinu' i>arnients have faded and grown thin, to
boastingly remind her spouse of how rich she was
before marriage, and to peevishly wish that she had
remained single all her days. It was in a great
measure a marriage of affection on the part of Canada,
but Nova Scotia |)ersists in looking upon it as one
purely of coiu'enancc, and now somewhat shrewishly
cries out for increased settlements.

For my part, if J were a Nova Scotian, I should
be far prouder of being a citizen of a great country
stretching from ocean to ocean for close upon 4,()()()
miles, than merely an irdiabitant of a comparatively
small ])rovince containing less than 5(»(),()UU people.

1 should do jny best to forget hjcal inconveniences
and disadvantages in the desire to finther the progress
of the country at large ; and, instead of trying to
hamper the etlbrts of the Federal Government towards
consolidation by ])arading the thi'eat of sece>^sion, I
shouhl endeavour, by every means in my power, to

TIIK ATI-A\TIC TKli.MlXrs

|()i»

briii<i,' about an eqiiitabli' modus rirciidi. T slioiild
nevcjr be forgetful of the facts, tliat my province "was
as life itself to Canada, tliat it funiisljcd tlie <»nly
eiHcient port on tlie Atlantic in Avinter, and that the
control of its coal-fields Avas of vital coniinercial
inip(jrtanee to the Dominion and of vital strategical
importance to the mother-conntrv.

I shouhl know that on these o'rounds neither the
Dominion nor the home (Jovernment conhl permit
the idea of se[)aration in any form, and I should,
whilst scouting it myself, do my best to discounten-
ance it amongst others.

A glance at the map will show the reader the
ini])erativeness of the retention of Nova Scotia in the
Confederation. Canada must have access to both
seas at all times and in all seasons ; and, although
St. fJohn, Xcw Brunswick, is available, Halifax is the
only good and thoroughly safe port that is open all
the year round on the Atlantic side. There is, of
course, Louisburg ; but then Ca])e Breton Island is
part and parcel of Nova Scotia, and in order to get
to and from the west by rail, one must couie through
that province. I may mention that loyal little
Cape Breton — die Ulster of Canada's Ireland, as it
were — is entirely free from the ta.int of secession ; and
wdien the provincial governuient of Nova Scotia
talked about seceding from the Dominion, she at once
sturdily informe I them that if they sought to carry

ill'

'am

ti,.

a' !

410

TIIK (,)UEENS IIiriinVAY

out tlu'ir iiitoiition slic would at onro "witlidrnu' from
liei* federation with Nova Scotia. This display of
loyalty lias, needless to say, had considerable etl'ect
upon the secessionary inovejiient.

AVitli Nova Scotia in the bands of tlie United
States Canada would i)ractically l)e cut off from
Europe, and it is regally difH(uilt to imagine that any
8r.ne man in Nova Scotia would for a moment seriously
consider the idea of annexation with tliat country.
Yet there are prominent people in this eastern
province whose political mor.'dity is so low, ami whose
sense of i)atriotism is so blunted, that they can pub-
licly advocate a })olicy calculated to bring about the
ruin of the country of their birth.

There is nothing' in the Avoidd to prevent these
renegades from going l)ag and baggage over the
border to the lan<l of which they profess to be so
enamoured ; but. wise in tlieir generation, they know
where they are best off, and so they remain foes
"svitliin the fort, daily contriving to create a breach
by whicli the enemy may enter.

One hundred and thirty years ago sedition
amongst the Acadian colonists ' was put down with
a strong hand, but i/mis (iro/i-s cfnti/^/i' font cchi ; and
in this year v)f grace, 1S87, sedition airs itself un-

' 111 his poem J:Vn' / nr, T,( ngfellow, as some one puts it, has
ohsciu'cd the true fact.- • ilie expatrijitinu of the Acadiim coloiii.-sts n;
ITo'i 'licneath <i j/i iin't..r .<\ citniauce and patlios,'' 'ir iiolitical necessi-
ties rendered thv couv ;o tlicu adopte ! nhsi^lutoly unavoidable.

TIIK ATLANTIf TKIi.MINUS

111

c^ieckcd in tlie newsp.i})crs, dines witli comfort at its
club, advertises itself with \ algar l»oiii[) in the
carriage Avajs, takes no risks, and waxes fat, pro-
sperous, and liigldy self-complacent.

If tlie Canadian Pacific peo[)lc decide upon
creating Halifax the terminus on the Atlantic side
of their new air line from ]\lontreal there is a iireat
future for the city, but nntil the bad feeling between
Canada and the United States arising out of the
fisheries question has been surmounted there is no
likelihood of this new direct line — which would make
a short cut throuu'li ]\{aine, U.S. — beinii' constructed.
liut even if the line be built, it is by no means
certain that the great railway C()m])any would make
the terminus at Halifax, but that they would carry
the line on to Louisburg.

History repeats itself, and the future will un-
doubtedly see a revival of Louisburg's ancient
im})ortancc.

At an early period in their settlement of Canada
the French became aware that the key to the (Julf of
the St. Lawrence was held at the point where they
eventually erected the ciiy of Louisburg, and under
their nyimc it became one of the strongest fortifu'tl
])laces of that period. Louisburg wa.s then the
Dunkirk of America, and its famous walls, which
made a circuit of some two aud a half miles, being

112

Till' (>ri'i:Ns iiininvAY

tliirty-six (ret lii,n'li ami forty feet tliick at tlic hasc.
took many yeai'« to l)uil(l. If is estimated tliat the
Freiicli s})(jnt I'ully thirty millions of livrcs over tlic
defences of this city, yet it failed to resist the attack
of the New l*]ngland fai'iuers under the merchant
l'cj>l)eral.' who, in 1 7 1."). snceecided in storminii,' tlu;
sn[)[)Osed impregnahh' fortress and addinii" it to
IJritain's possessions in Xoi'tli America. By the
treaty of Aix la Chapelle. I.ouishui'g was restored
to France, hnt durinu' the Seven Years' War. when
the struii'u'le between the two nations was fou'jiit ont
to the bitter end, rcsnltini'- in the utter destruction
of the sovereiii'nty of the I'rench on the Amci'ican
continent, it once more f 11 into the possession of tli3
Jjritish, who decided upon its complete demolition.

AVe arc told that it took two years to iinisb the
work of destruction, scarcely a stou' ' being left
standing upon another, and at :he present day the
site of the great stronghold can scarcely be traced.

The present Loui;-. burg occupies a position across
tlie bay op]i)Os'tc to v»diere the fortified city once stood ;
it is a small, insiiinilicant town of less than 1, ,")()()
inhabitants.

Louisburuf, liowever, i)ossesses a maiiuiticent bar-
hour, and its claims as the natural Atlantic terminus
of any railway across Canada are far in advance of
every other point on the eastern coast.

' ]Miiny iif the liD'yer blucks of stone weie brought out from .'•'ranee.

Till'] ati.antk; ti;u.minu«

hasc.

Capo Pirotoii Island is se})ai'atc(l from tlie main
land by tlie (Jut of Canso ; jjut in tlic immediato
future it has every prospect of ))eing' riseted thereto
as lirniiy and as histing-ly as iron and imiclianical in-
genuity can bring about.

Whilst in Ca[)e lireton Island I must not omit to
mentiim the liras d'Or [.ake. Tliis famous arm of
the sea penetrates inland for iifty miles, almost
dividing the island in twain, and every mile of it is
full of a rugged and strange beauty, no two miles
being alike.

This lake is the Yankee tourists' paradise, for
they have nothing like it in their own country. i'\)r
the European traveller it is not as yet very ready
of access, and consequently its unrivalled beauties
are not extensively known in the mother-country ;
but when we have West-bound passengers landing
at Louisburg instead of at New York or Boston,
all this will be speedily changed.

Cape Breton Island is chieliy famous for its
mijieral de[)osits. although agriculturally considered
it is b}^ no uu-aiis a l)ad ])la('e ; and at Sydiuy,
a few miles distant from Louisburg, there is one
of the most extensive eoal-helds hi the world.'

Should the action of the United States Govern-

' I liiive iilroiuly, in a pievioua chapter, diawii attoiitidii ti> tlu; ini-
ineawurable atlvauta^'cs arising frmn thu possuHsiuu of nn iiiexhaustihlo
co.'a supply at Die Atlantic and Paoitic tciinini nf tlu' 'Queen's
IJiu'hwav.'

1 1

THE (^UEKN'S llKillWAY

inciit render tlic construction of tliis projectecl line
tbrougli Maine impossible, the Caniulian Paeilic
Company, in order to carry out its quick tliroii^ii
trallic scheme between tlie two oceans, "wouki cither
liave to make a short cut tln*ougli tlic provinces of
(,)iieljec and Aw Ihnmswick to Louisburu', or to
make some arranii'ements for "workin*!: tlie inter-
cohjiiial in connection with their own system.

It is onlv, of course, a line runninu' throuirh
liritish territory from start to iinish which couhl
serve as a national highway to Australasia and
the Kast ; and the projected luie through ^Maine,
whilst servinii' in time of neacc to accelerate trallic
between Euro[)e and the Far West, would not be
available m time of war.

As almost every oue will be aware, the United
States Government, in order to be as it were even
with Canada on account of the treatment Ameri-
can fishermen have received at the hand^J of the
Dominion authorities, have passed a retaliatory
measure, by the terms of which all commercial
relationships between the two countries are hence-
forth to cease. There is to be no buyino- on the
one hand or selling on the other ; no through
communication by train or connection by shi[),
no exchange of social courtesies or relio-ious views
between the two peoples, wlio are henceforth to
be as strargers to each other : and tilthouuh it

Tlin ATI-ANTIC TKlt.MINUS

11.')

line

is not expressly stated in tlie provisions of this
extraordinary liill — wliicli reads more like a Cul-
mination of the Niliilists than a serious measure
passed by a sei'ious peo[)le — Amerieans Avill. I
presume, be altogetlier debarred from either mariy-
ing', dying, or l^eing born amongst tlie jx'rfidiiMis
Canadians, avIio will be etpially denied like prlvi-
leu'es amonu'st the libertydovini'" Yanks.

Tliis Bill has already beeomc law ; but, ])end-
ing negotiations between tlie two countries for an
adjustment of the fisheries dispute, it has not yet
been put in force.

One can understand the righteous anger of a
great people like the Americans, avIio not only
rule the world, but dispute Avith St. Peter the
possession of the keys of the gates of heaven
itself, at thus being held in check Ijy such a
little PoAver as Canada ; but to sympathise Avith
them is (piite another thing. Their fishermen
have been guilty of an unwarrantal)lc infrinn-e-
ment of Canadian rights, and the Canadians are
much to be conunended upon the manly, strai<dit-
forward attitude they have assumed in connection
with the matter. They have made a stand for
their rights, and the sentiment of the whole
country is with Sir John Macdonald's Govern-
ment in the action taken. Up to this the
Americans have met all Canadian overtures for

Till". <.»ui;i;vs iiif;iF\v.\v

m ■ m

Mil luljustnicrt of t]u> (lisjiiitc with nn arrou'ant
iissmii[)ti()ii ^Jiat there was iiotliing to discuss,
alli'^iiiu; that the iii-sliorc fisheries are open to
American and Canadian (islierrnen alike. Not only
li:is Canadian sentiment lu'en derided, hut her in-
tegrity lias heen threatened ; and were it not I'or the
knowledge that the Dominion was supporteil in its
action l)y the home Covernment, I'^nele Sam would
douhtless ere this have taken active ste[)s to satisfy
his (tiiioiir proprc, which lias been so roughly
handled by the inconsiderate Canadians.

The United States Covernment, compelled to do
sometliiiig, jiassed the retaliatory lUll aforesaid, think-
ing that a policy of hluster and menace would
succeed where arrogance and contempt of moral
obligations had faile I.

r>ut the (^madians very wisely decline to be
friu'htcned therebv ; and, whilst with all due
modesty admitting America's infallibility, they
sturdily contend that they would be the gainers
instead of the losers by being placed under the
threatened ban of commercial excommunication.

In fact, Sir Charles Tupper, in making his recent
linancial statement in tlu; Dominion House of Com-
mons at Ottawa, declared, amidst general applause,
that both parties were of one mind — that Canada
should maintain her admitted rights. The time had

not

come

uid he trusted that it never wouhl c

ome

Till'] ATI.ANTKj TKUMINUS

wlicn tli(! (yiiuiidlan House of Coininons would pcM'iuit
any (Jovcriiincnt to sliriiik IVoiu u lirm uiid t('Hi[)er{itu
insistence on tlie luainteniince of Canadian ri<^"hts.
Witli regard to tin; retaliatory Hill of the American
Con<i;ress, Sir Charles declared that Canada was dt;-
sirous of continuinii; connuen^ial relations with the
Unitefl States ; and that if the provisions of the IVdl
■were enforced, both countries, it is true, would feel a
dislocation of business, but that tlu; Cnited States
would feel it more than Canada, as their ex[)orts to
Canada were much g-reater than their im[)()rts fr(Hn
Canada. IJesides, as the minister very properly
pointed out, if non-intercourse were ))roclaiine(l, the
Canadian railways and Canadian j)orts would L.ivc
the benefit of handlin,!^' i^'oods which are now imported
througli the United States, and Canadians would
consc(piently purchase in the British market, instead
of, as heretofore, in the American. In conclusion, Sir
Charles dilated upon tlie advantag'es accrning from
the possession of the Transcontinental llailway,
which enabled the country to sustain any such
attack upon her trade as was contemplated in the
said Bill.

Those who have followed nie stage by stage in
the course of my long journey from the Pacific to the
Atlantic will see how absolutely independent Canada
is of the United States in this matter. A few years
back the oj^posite was the case, when connnunication

E K

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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I.I

1:^128 |2.5

|io ■^™ M^H

2.2

■^ illlM

1.8

1.25 1.4 1.6

■• 6"

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Hiotographic

Sciences

Corporation

33 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

-118

TIIK (^UKKN'.S FIKIIIWAY

witli tlic Nortli-West could only be luul tlirou^h
American territory ; and the passin^^ of sucli an Act
to which the President has recently set his hand and
seal would at that time have had a much better
chance of forcing Canada upon her knees.

Under existing facilities Canada can send her
commerce and the Imperial (iovernment its troops
and armaments the entire length from east to west
over nothing but British territory.

The only point at which Canada is for the
moment dependent upon the United States is in the
matter of the Soult Ste. IVIarie Canal, connecting
I-iuke Superior with Lake Huron, which canal is on
United States territory ; and under the terms of the
non-mtercourse Act it would, of course, be closed
against Canadian traffic. But the Dominion Govern-
ment has proved itself equal to the occasion by voting
a large sum of money — ;^1, 000, 0(H), J believe — for
the construction of a new canal on Canadian territory
connectinji: the two lakes : so that when this is
finished Canada will have an independent waterway
from east to west as well as an independent through
railway system.

Although, as Sir Charles Tupper has intimated,
trade for the time being would be seriously dislocated
if the retaliatory Bill were enforced, yet in the end
Canada would be a gainer rather than a loser by the
policy. She, moreover, will have maintained her

V i

THE ATLANTIC TERMINUS

411)

lie

Dugli

position with dignity and commendable temperance,
and one result of the Bill will be to strengthen the
feeling of independence, and to completely kill every
kind of lur'v.iig after annexation with a Power which,
in the arrogance of its superior strength, has derided
sentiment and acted generally as if it were superior
to every sense of justice.

Canada has no desire to quarrel with the United
States ; on the contrary, she wishes to continue
on good terms with her, but not at the sacrifice of
her just rights. Through the crass blunderings
of incompetent British officials Canada was shorn of
much of her eastern possessions, and a glance at the
map will show how she is robbed of a near approach
to the sea by her natural boundary being comprised
in the State of Maine, which State is so unfairly
wedged in between the provinces of Quebec and
New Brunswick.

The story goes that the British boundary com-
missioners in the years gone by offered no resistance
to America's preposterous claims to this vast tract of
valuable territory, on the ground that it had little
value from the fact that the ' demmed salmon wouldn't
rise to the blawsted fly.' But the latter-day Canadian
has begun to think and act for himself, and he
naturally refuses to be guided by any such idiotic
sentimentalities: he cannot undo the evil that has
been done, but he is determined to protect what he

V. E

A'2()

TIIK (^I'KKXS IlKillWAV

Si' , .

ft? '^'

lias left, and to resist to the utmost any fm'tlicr
attempts at spoliation.

This the Americans should know; and they are
j)rol)ably as well aware of it as I am, but, having got
all they wanted in the ])Mst by a policy of bluster and
bluff, they think they may accomplish their present
aims by a similar p(jlicy now. The Canadians, how-
ever, are not the people to calmly submit to be ridden
over in this roughshod fashion ; and it is high time
that the people of the United States recognised this
fact, and adopted another policy towards them.

I do not know how the neu'otiations between the
two countries for a settlement of the fisheries dispute
at present stand ; but I believe the latest proposals
made by liord Salisbury, with the concurrence of
the Dominion Government, to the Government at
Washington were not only of a most friendly but of
a most liberal character, such as that Government
if animated by a spirit of justice could not in honour
decline.

It is possible that the outcome of these neg >tia-
tions will be the ap})ointment of a joint commission
to settle the questions in dispute. In such case
oreat care should be taken with regard to the
selection of the conuniesicners.

There are two men whose claims in this matter
are pre-eminent, and upon whom the popular choice
would at once fall. I refer to the jNIarquis of Lome

Till-: ATLANTIC TEH.MIXIJ.S

121

{ind Sir Clare Kord, tlie Uritish ininistL'r at Madrid :
tlie former on account of liis superior acquaintanci'
with C^anadian Jind American affairs; and the latter
from tlie good work he did in connection with the
Halifax C(jmmission, and from the high reputation
he enjoys for tact and di[)lomatic skill. 15oth know
America well, both are extraordinarily hard workers^
and they both have thoroughly mastered the in-
tricacies of the question, so that they would be fully
a match for any commissioners that the United States
Government might appoint.

In the old days men served on commissions for
the adjustment of Canadian claims who knew and
cared nothing about Canada ; but, although the
mischief done by them may never be imdone, there
is hapi)ily little or no possibility of these blunders —
which in many cases were worse than crimes — being
repeated in the future.

I do not here purpose further entering upon the
fisheries question, and I sincerely hope that ere this
work is out the difficulties in connection therewith
will have been removed, not for the time being, but
for all time, and that Canada and the United States
will henceforth live together in peace and good-
will.

There is room, ample room, for the two countries

on this vast American continent ; one has got the
northern and the other the southern half; and,

122

TIFK (QUEENS IIKillWAV

In \

;!.;■■

silthoii^li the division luis not l)Ocn (]uitL' liiirly made,
Canada will rest perfectly content with what she has,
devoting the whole of her energies to the develop-
ment of its resources. She has started a little late
in the race, but she is ra{)idly makini;" up for lost
time ; and she promises, at the present rate of pro-
f^ress, to be in the near future a serious rival to
th(! very Power which had buoyed itself up with the
delusive hope that it was simply a (piestion of a few
years when tlie eai>le would stretch its wings over
the whole of the American continent instead of
merely over its southern half.

vVmerica's attitude of patronising commiseration
has rapidly been changed into one of keen anxiety
and scarcely veiled jealousy, for she sees in the
construction of the ' (Queen's Highway ' and the
development of through traffic in connection there-
with no little cause for alarm, for she is only too
well aware that the possibility of Canada successfully
competing with her in the traffic to Australasia and
to the East merely hangs upon a question of money.
And this money quf tion is in a fair way of being
speedily settled.

First, as will be seen from a recent debate^ in
the House of Lords, the Imperial Government has
practically pledged itself to subsidise the proposed
line of steamers from Vancouver to Yokohama and

' Friday, April 2!>, 1887.

I'lli: ATr-ANTIC TKWMIMS

12.">

llon^' Koiiu' ; bur tlie exact iunoiuit is not yet dcUT-
iiiiiied upon, neitlior is tlic extent of tlu; scrvico.

The latest proposal in this direction conies from
the Uoniinion (iovernnient, who otter a subsidy of
^•7.").0()() per annum, provided the Ini[)erial Govern-
uient will supi)lenicnt it with $3i)i),(}0{), the service
t(j be tri-nionthly.

Secondly, the Canadian Government iiave agreed
to subsidise a line of steamers from Vancouver to
Australia ; and, lastly, a line plying between Halifax
and the West Indies. This new system of mail and
passenger service will not only serve to bring the
Colonies in direct touch with each other, and so
enable them to become better acquainted than they
at present are, but it will for a certainty give birth to
an exchange of commerce greatly to their connnon
advantage.

The patriotic Dominion Cabinet, noAV that Canada
has the means of through communication between
Europe and the distant East, is doing its utmost to
promote Canadian mercantile interests in all parts of
the world. It, in particular, seeks closer connnercial
connections with Spain ; and I know, from in([uiries
I personally made whilst in that country, that the
Spanish Government is exceedingly well-disposed in
the matter. Spanish policy — thanks solely to the
brilliant diplomat who represents Great IJritain in
Madrid — was never so r^nu'lish as it is now : besides,

424

TIIK QUKKNS IIKJIIWAY

tlie S})aniar(ls arc all the iiiori; fiivourably inclined
towards the Canadian!* beeansc the relations between
Spain and the United States are at the present any-
thinjr Init cordial.

With re<^ard to the traffic across the Atlantic, the
Allan Line, wliich makes (Quebec the port of dei)arturc
in sunnner, and Portland, Elaine, in winter, possesses
for the present a very nnsatisfactory monopoly.' The
man.'igement of this line is not noted for either
progress or politeness, and the Canadian public in
consequence will unreservedly welcome the develop-
ment of the Atlantic traffic promised by the Canadian
Pacific authorities.

What class of steamers this great company will
put on and where they will finally locate their
Atlantic terminus time alone will show ; the time,
for a certainty, will not be hmg, for the Syndicate
are men of action, carrying out with remarkable
promptitude and thoroughness whatever they may
have decided upon.

For the time being Halifax is the Atlantic terminus
of the ' Queen's Highway ' ; and it was from there
that I took my dei)arture to the land of my birth at
the conclusion of my journey from ocean to ocean.

As the ship glides out of the magnificent harbour,

if! ■■,:■:

• Tlio Dominion and Beaver Steamship Companies, both well-
conducted and I'ilicieiit lines, are, however, doing much towards
lireakinj; di>\vn this monopoly.

TIIK AriiAXTIC TEKMINIJS

125

my task coiiies to an end ; and I lay down my pen,
for I liavc said.

r»ut long after the coast line has disappeared from
sight I look towards the land I love so well, and the
waves as they break npon her shores will tell her of
my love, and will not forget to whisper my ' Good-
bye, and God be with you.'

1 ^

INDEX.

At'A

A('Al)IA,iiitiitlu'lii'ai'tof,4():.'
AciuliiiiiM, limd of, 402
Ajriiciiltiivt', 1 \'>
Ai.v la ( 'liiiju'llf, truaty of, 412
Alaska, disci )vi'i'y "f, liiO
AUtert ( 'afmn, 1 ")rt
Aleutian Isles, 125
Al;:oriqiiiiis, the, ;!40-;542
Allan Liiii', unsatislactory mono-

polv, 424
Ainiii'rst. 402
Annapolis Valley is historic

fjiduiid, 40.'{
Assinihoine lliver, 187
Athul, 402

Atlantic lApress, lOO, 148, 275
All ]jac, 401
Australia, natural highway

to, 414
Australasian traffic, 141
Avatscha, Bay of, 131

BAKKU, Mount, 150
Ikntr. 170,172
Hasin of Minas, 401
Hathurst, .'{!l!)
]5ear-hunting, 220
liears, .'508

IJeauliarnois Canal, 200
IJeausejour Fort, capture ol", 401
IJeaver, the, ^508; modo of cap-
lure, ;?12
lieaver Canon. 104
Itehring Straits, discovery of, 1;{0
IJi'Iiring, death of, l.'U)
Ik'lla Coola liiver, :\H

CAU

Ilnll Karni, ISO
Hie, .".S!*

IJlackfeet Indians, 10(J
I tow 1 liver, 171
IJrandoii Town, 1S7
Hras-d'(h- Lake, 4 1. 'J
Uritisli Columbia, general feature.^
of, 40

— government of, 7

— when incorporated in the

Dominion and concessions
made, 11

— characteristics, 07

— forest fires, S4

— meteorological observations,
100

— variety of plants, 100

— variation of climate, 110

— resources, 117, lis

IJritiali North America, estimated

area of, 5
liutfalo robes, manufacture of,

231
IhilHiloes, domesticated, 21 S

— marketable value, 210

CAcnxNA,.'?8n
Calgary Town, 173
Campbeltown, .'507
Canada, area of, 10(!
— government of, 321
Canso, Cut of, 413
Cai)e Ih-eton, Loyal little, 400
(^apo IJreton Island, cbielly

famous for, 413
Cariboo Mountains, 1 12

iNi)i:\

427

CAH

ChscihIo Moiintiiin, 171
( 'asciides, the, |.">|. \')-J
< 'a.stlo Muiintiiin, 171

Castlf (if St. I is, ;!(;.')

Catlicdral .Mountain, 170

CallKplic nii>si,,n, Ml, 70, 80

Cfilai' I.ulu'. -JUT

C'iia|)lean, .'JOH

— jtiiiiiiiatidn (if, .'i()7

('liaiidi(Tf FalN, ;i;j|

Cliicdntiini, .'!S{)

('liiliiwliack, HU

Ciiiiiamcn, ta.v on, (i

("liincst! enii^rrant, tlic, (5

( 'liincsi; ^'ardcniiifr, !>-

t'liurcliill IJiver, 2.',:',

Clover Vallt'V, kU

(Vial, L>L', 1 1 4, 14:>, 41;l

Columbia liiver, lU

Constitutional 15111 of 171)1, .'!10

Cornwall Canal, 'Jun

('otc St. Paul,;jr,;{

Cougar, the, 70, WU

Craif,'-ellacliie, 1 ">8

Crowfoot, a reiloubtable lirave,

DAUPHIN, Lake, 207
Departure l{a\ , 22
Delta nniiiicipalitv, 88
Devil'.s Creek, 171
Doy: carioie, de.scription of, 2o5
Dojr-a.Mh oil, 40
DofT .sledgt', travollin'' by, 257
Duluth, ;j04

EAGLE I'as.s, roniaiiee of, li">7
Eaijle IJiver, 157
Early settlers, 24;}
Immune, the, .'508
Esquiiuault, Jl'J

— its advantages as a naval .sta-
tion, 119

— Harbour, 12;}

FERNY COO.MIJE, SO
Fisher, The, ;{08
Ei.slieri''S dispute. The, 414

INI)

Forest liro,<i, 84, 154
Fort I teaiist'joiir, capture of, 40
Fort Cliurcl'iill, ;',Vi, 2(54
Fort Uarry. 20t
Fort Siuipsim, .'{0, -JM
Fort William, 204, 208
l-'ra.ser Wiver, H, ss. I.-)l, '»)J
French oecupation, .'U I
Fruit-growini.', I l.>
Fiir-heariny animals, .'{OH
Fur, export of, 114
Fur 'i'rado, The, 20.'{

G.\SI'EM()IJNT.VINS,;;08
(ihost Stream, 171
Cold diseovere(l, |0
(told, export of, 114
(iold ItatiL'e, I."i7
(lolden City, 10.')
(iophers, 177

(Jreat Northern ]mcliet, 2'")8
(treat North- West, 8

HALIFAX to Australia, 42.{
- to West Indies, 42;i

— City, 40:{

— Harhour, 40;j

— foriilicatioiLs of, 404

— route, 1 .".0
Hall's Prairie, 89
Harrison Mouth, 89
Hochelaga, .'MO ..".42
Hops, export of, 1 15
Hud.son J {ay Co., .'51. '»

— jmyment to, 240

— extent of territory, 2.')2

— The JJoyal (Jliarter, 201
Hudson's Straits, 207

- Dav, 207

Hull,';{;{l

Huron Lake, area of, 200

Ilydah Indians, 41 5.{

TLLICILLEWACT, ir,H
X Imperial l'"ederation, 121
Indian customs, 21.5
^;overnmeiit, 202
— legends, i]H')

1. t

I.' '

128

TiiK »^i;i:i;ns iikiiiway

^ INI)

lliiliiill loyitltv, .'UN)

— iiii'IIukI nl" hmiiil, M

— villa;.'!', II vi.sil tn, 7<>
liuiiiiiiM, Al^i>iii|iiiiis, .'!(() :MJ

— Hliukl'.'i-t, llKl

— L'riiwf(»nt,iiri<lL)iilitiiblr hriivf,

I'W

— L'lO

— Til.! Hy.lah, Jl M

— 'I'll!' Ini(|ii()i9, 'J\'2

— Six Nntioii, .'{(M)

— Tt!in|ist'iiiis, :.'.'{, :\H, M
IiiilrjHtruli'iici', War of, HI')
IrkutHk, l:tl

iHludo Mont lioyiily.'Ml

TAI'ANKSK CUUKKNT, Thr,
*f 107

.liiiiifs IJiiy, •'iO?
•Icfuiit pioiu'tTs, .'J71

KAMI, OOPS. \r,'.i
Kiiinlwfhiitka, l:.'7
Kamiclj, 'I'lio, ii:iO liTH
Kiakia, l.'i!

Kirkiiif.' Hurst! I'ass, Id")
— Kiver, ](t(5
Kooti'imy IJiviT, 4!>

] A HAIK DJISCIIALKUIJS,

I J ;!S!t, .",i»H

l.ncliiiif Canal, L'OO, IWA

Latlner's Landiiijr, >*6

Lake, Itrasd'Or, 413

Lake, ( 'edar, 2\)7

— Dauphin, 2!)7

— iM-io, 'M'.i

— Huron, area of, L'DO

— Kaniloops, 1G,'5

— Malfait, .'5!)0

— Manit()i)a, area of, L'!>7

— .Mi'tajH'diac, V>'M>

— Micliifran, area of, 2i)ij

— Nt'pifiron, 'Mli

— Nijussinp, .'51

— Ontario, area of, J!)G

— Ifainy, 2'M

— Superior, 2! 14

MOO

Lnkn Siiprrlor, iivn of, L'lMl

- ^Villni|)^'^r. area of, •_»1(7

- \Vinnii)e>.'i)»<iH, area of, i.'U7

- of I he \Von(lH, L".i;t

l.anil, ac'iuirt'inenl of, I l(t, ,'L'7

liaiid-otttr, the, .'{08

l-aiif^ley. '^l*

1,1 iVoy MiMint, 171

I/llet au Massacre, lep-nd of, :\H't

l.ittlo M.tis, ;«»s

l,iver)io(i| to Duiutli, MAI

— to NokoliMnia, 140
l,ouisl(iiiv, key to the Oulf nf

St. Lawrence, 41 1

— its famous walls, 4 1 1

— route, 140
Luniherin^', l'})3
Lvtton, 152

"lirACKKNZlK UIVKII, llM,

Malfait l,akt', .'lilO

Manitulia, Lake, 207

Manitoba, the f,'ardeu of tho

iNorth-West, 210
Manitoba's Slate prison, Ml I
Maple HidfTo niniiicij)ality, M)
Marten, the, .'JOH
M asset t, 42
Medicinal sprin;rs, 171
Metapediae Vallev, ."{'.K}

— Lake, MiKi
Meteorological obsur vat ions, lOit,

111
Metis, 300,395
.Metlakahlla, 38
Michifran, Lake, 2fMJ
Mink, the, 30S
Miramichi IJiver, 300
Moncton, 400
Montmorenci Falls, 370
Montreal, 340

— capitulation of, 314

— first railway in ( 'anada, 'i5l

— harljour of, 352

— its chief attractions, 355

— population, 340

— Victoria Hridpe, 351
._ Warof 1812-14, 347
Moody villc, 02

INIMIX

121)

MOO

MorisnliMr, 1?I7
Moosf I'tictdiv, "JM
Mdoctf .Iiiw, Im7
M'Mis,. KImt, .'507

Mount HuldT, I.V)

— Il.rinit, lifij^lii of, KL'

— Ijcl'mv, 171

— St. i;iius, |;!()

— Stfjilifii, .sn|i|iii.mMl lii'ifflit of,
171)

Moiiiitiiiii p>at, till', ."ilO
.MoiiiitiMl ]>olici', IM*
Mini Idiv, fiiinoiiH for, Hi)
Mii.<*k o\'. thi', .tO'.t
Musk rut, till', ;)()S

N A NT MO, town ,,f, t>l'
Niitiiml raves, 1 7-'

NllMH IliviT, .'I'.l

Ni'lsoii Kivi'i', •.'!»7
Ni'lii^riiTi IJiviT, .■!();{

I.iiko, ;!(».!
Ni'wnrk, -iW
Now NVe.xtiiiiiiMtiT, its riri>.Mn, Ml

— (li.xtiinco from N'miconviT, s|

— j)r>j)iilatioii of, SO

— ilN cliii'f imliistrii's, ."^.'i

— I'duciition, Hi

— hoti'l fare, S7
NicortiiK'ii, K>
NiliiHsiiifT, liiike, 'iK!
Nooika ('oiiveiition, l.'J.'J
Nootka Soiiiitl, po.Ht of, 18
Norili May, MKi

North 'l'lioin|)s(iii IJiviT, \-')2
Norway Ilonsi', 'Jhi
Nova Scotia, its political ri'la-
tioiiH, 40')

— the Union Act linally en-
acted, 4ur>

OKANAGAN UIVER, 4!)
Okhotsk, llil
Old Witch, 101
Oolachen, ;«), 40
( )ntario, Lake, area of, i?()0

34.}

Ontario, tho setth'nu'nt of, .'}4()
Orleans, island of, -'mO

QL'K

()ltawa,:ilO. .'i;iN

— saw mill', .">."il
^'oviTiiiiii'iit liiiililin^'H, •[.'{•'!

Owen Sound, I'Ut

1).\('IFIC KXl'KKSS, 1;{(J
r.... IfiviT, 4!»
INinlimki', ."il7

I'l'iniiiiian, inaniifacliiro of, I'L'l
reiiileiiliary, visit t", i'0'.»
l'i'tro]iaiiluvHki, attack ni., \'J't
I'iiii-uiavtfii, the, .'lOH

— mode of laiiliire, ."112
rill Kiver, Mil
I'liiiits, viivlciv of, lO'.i
rioviT. 2(i(i

Point liivis. ;!(!i', ;!()!>, ."isO
I'okiT, ^'aine of, i'7t'>
Tort Arthur, 'J'M

|)ii|iiilation, Lii7

Miini'i'ul wcaltli, ''iOl
Tort Hamilton. 124
Port IIammoiid,>!)
Port Moody, i»l

— its disadvantajres, !I4

— hotel I'Xiicrii'tices, i»7
Port lloyal, founding'' of, .'{(!(
Piairii- chicken, L'l.Mi
Prairie craft, 'JM
Prliices*s Louisf'.s ]iini', >'0
Province of tiie Midnij,'ht Sun,

QL'APIMILLK, ISO
(^utlicc city, :UI .'{().■)

— population of, ;',J't

— principal Imildinirs, .'i77
(^ucfii ("harlotle Islands, child'

indu.stiif.s of, ."J"

clinuite, .'i8

situation, ."JO

mineral wealth, 40

s])ort, 47

(Queen's in^rliway, the udviin-

tages of, 1;{<'>

— — cost of survey, 144

coal su)>iily, I4.j

subsidy, 14.')

completion ami cost of, IK!

I its

43U

THE (^UEI'N'>^ IIinilWAY

QUE

(^lU'eiTs irijilnvav, Atlantic Ex-
liro^s. ];'.(!, 14H, 275

I'ucilic Ex]iitss, 13G

elevation of, KJS

extent of, l."57

Hiilifiix route, l.'iO

- L'jiiitsljurf; route, 140
Quebec route, loO

RArCOON, the, 808
ruiinv Lalv-e, 2m
l{iil Portaixe. 2!K}
Kebfllion, the, 1^(3,211
lied fox, the, .'iOO
!{(■(] Sucker Cove, .304
Kfd Uiver expedition, 2S)u
Itefrina Town, 1)^1
IJelifrion, 212

Kesti^'ouche River, SOO-.'M)?
liut.iliatory Bill of the American

( 'oiifjress, 414
Iliclimond municipality, 88
IJideau Uiver, o;34
liimouski, 'SH'-i
Rivelstoke, 158
Riviere du Loup, USS
Riviere Ouelle, 385
Rojxer.s' Pass, 101
Russian pioneers, 130

SAGUEXAY RIVER, '.]Hfi
St. Anne, 384
St. Charles, Vallev of, 381
St. ]':iias .Mount, 'l.".0
St. John River, 3!tO
St. John, T^ew 15runswiek, 400
St. iNIary's Mission, 8!)
St. Lawrence River, 297, 352
Salmon Arm, 154
Salmon, export of, 114
Saskatchewan River, 21)7
Savona Ferry, 163
Sayiibee, 300
Sea-otter, the, 308
Selkirks, the, 101
S' uswap Lake, 154
Silver fcxes, value of, 309
Silver Island, 301
Siwash Rock, 54

TKU

Six Nation Indians, .300
Skide^ate, 40
Skeena River, 38
Skunk, ilie, 308
S(nis of Liberty, 348
Soult Ste. Marie, 317

Canal, 4)8

Southampton to Sydney, 142
Spence's Bridge, 153
Sport, 100
Stadacona, 3G4
Stall! education, 300
Stave River, 89
Stephen Mount, 170
Stony ('reek Cafn-n, 104
Stovm-caujiht in a prairie, 284
Stinginer ants, attacked by, 233
Stony Mountain, 203
Straits of Araan, 12i>
Sudbury, 317
Sulphur Mountain, 171
Superior, Lake, 294

area of, 290

Surrey municipality, 88
Sydney coalfields, 413
Syndicate Mountain, heijiht
of, 159

TEA SHIPS from Asia, 3
Terminal City, 83
T'hompson River, 49
Tlmnder Cape, 301
'i'imber, export of, 114
Timpseans, a visit to, 23

— ciiaracteristics of, 24

— icception l)y, 25

— their dwtdliiifrs, 20

— the drink question, 30

— net value of a wife, 32

— religion, 34
Tlell River, 17

Toronto, government removed
to, 347

— city of, 302
Trapper, lit'e of, 314
Trapping, 310, 315
Treaty of Peace, 1783, 345
Trois Pistoles River, 380
Truro, 402

Trutch Suspension Bridge, co.^t
of, 90

IXDEX

4?.l

iOO

ley, 143

104

lirio, 284
id by, 2SS

11, height

bia, 3

2;j

•M

removed

345

idge. cost

VAN

VANCOUVER, city (if, 50
— value of laud, C3

— the law adniiui.stered, 57

— a vagabond, 5!)

— water supply, 02

— to Yokoliniiia and IIon<r Konpr,

line of steamers subsidised,
423
Vancouver, Island of, 1 1

— when constituted a Crown

colony, 11

— its area, altitude, Sec, 12

— climate, 13

— facilities fir boating, 17

— - early settlement of, 18
N'ictoria IJridge, 351
Victoria, town of, 4

— its population, 6

— lire the Chinese a blessing or

an injury ? G

— description of, 8

— currency of, 8

— Harbour, !)

— origin of, i)

- gohl discovered at, iO

— its neighbourhood, 15

— - to Naninin, railroad from, l!>

you

Victoria, a special traiii, 20
\'ladivostocK,124

T17EASF.L, the, 3()S
>f Welland Canal, 2!»5
Wild cat, the, 308
Windsor Junction, 402
Winnipeg City, li»0

— population, lit4
Winnijieg l^ake, 209

— area of, 2i>7

Winnijieg, mean temperature

of, 272
Winnipegosis Lalu', 201

— area of, 2!»7
Wolverine, the, 308
\\'oods, Lake of the, 203

YALE, 151
— Cariboo waggc
cost of, !)0

— town of, 87

— ])opiilation, 89

— area of, i)()

York Factory, 253, 205

road,

nuNTiii) iiy

SPOTTISWOODE A.NIJ Co., NEW-STUliET .SliCAUB
1.0.NDUN

Mr. Stuait Chimljurlniul's liook, "'I'ln; (^ckin's Hdinww,' is tlic only
work t'Xtiiiil \vlii(;li contains ii coiiiijlctc (Icscription of the country throui,'li
wiiicii runs tlio Caniiditin I'acilic liailwtiy ; and every inlurniation apiicr-
tainin^' to llic liii^liway across Canada to Australasia and tlio Kasi, as
forcsliadowod in the debate in the lloubc of Lords on April 21), will be
found tlierein.

The tollowin" is a sununaribed account of this debate : —

ffi I

:tf 1.

I'ACIFIC MAIL SKItVlCi;.

Tlio Kiirl of Hiirnnvliy asked wliivt roiirse wiis iiitcii.l'il to be tukcn liy tlio fioTPi-niiii'iit
rpspcctiii^' the iPi'oposiiN of t)n' (.'.'ininlifui (lovcniiin'iit to cstiiii i-li n line of lii',-.l-i''iis-; ruMil
iriiiil stcriiMi'i's iMtwicu tln' I'lU'ilic tcriniiiiH of tin' Ciiiiailiiin I'Miilio Kidhviiy lit Viiiicoiivcr
City, iiriil lloii),'-Koiit.', Cliiim, mill .Iii|miii. Tlic iiolili' i';u'l sniil ni-; motion iiro-e out of the
conililctioii of tliiit Ki'w't work, tin' Oiiiiiiliuii t'acilic lliiilv.iiy, uliidi hail |iroliiilily lii-oii^.'lit
iilioiit tlic t,'iviiti'st revolution in the eonilition of the lilitisli Ijiiiiire \Uiicii liml oeeiirreij in
our time. The people of i;nKliiiiil Mini not yet ivppreeiateil the enormity of ii ehimfre whieli
hml l)rou«ht the I'lieilie Oceiin within 1 ! iliiys of the lln^lish eoii>t, whereas it eoiihl not
bu roiieheil formerly within two or three iinmths. The railway l)roU(.'ht us into ilireet
t'ontiu't with the fjeiiutifnl ami produetive territories of llritisli Culiimlia and \aneouver
Isliind, whieli were iimoii),' the most sii. iilar ami valuublp possessions of the Crown. In
ooiiipiirinn the time taken to pi to Vokohama, lloiifj-KoiiK', and >haiif.'liai by the best
steamers under the new eoiitraet for ISHH, he found that from Kns-'laml by the I', ami <).
route, lid Suez and Brindisi, to llonK-Kon^', took from 3S to 37 dius, and by the Canadian
I'ueilii; Jtailway from 32 to ^5 days ; to Shanirliai by the T. and ((.route 37 to 12 days ; by
the Vancouver route 32 days; to Yokohama by the 1'. and C route 11 to !.'> days, by
Vancouver 27 duy.s. liy the Cape, the time taken to t-'o to Bombay was 31 days, by
Vancouver 3S days; to Sintrapore by the Cape 32 days, by Vancouver 32 day.- ; to Urisbane
by the Cape 2S days, by Vancouver 27 da.\ s ; to I'iji by the Cape 32 days, by Vancouver
27 days. Thus the route by \'ancouver was, in many cases, better than the existing lilies,
and where it was not, it was an excellent alternative in case of ditlioulty or danj.'er, as in
time of war. Once this line were established the subniariiie telegraph would follow to the
Australian Colonies, and v.e should not thus be left at the mercy of a hostile power for
our eommnnicatioiisin time of war. Thcstratetrieal advaiitaf-'esof the position at Vam'oiive.-
were important ami undeniable. He believed that by l)Uttin^' armed cruisers into the
hands of the Canadians in that most comniandin).' position of Vancouver, more wouli'. be
done to prevent hostile attack and coiiviuce the nations of the world tliat we were strong
than by any other means.

The iiarl of Onslow said the subject had necupied the attoution of two committees, one
of which had dealt with it almost entirely from the point of view of coniincrcinl and
postal advaiitaf-'es, and the other from a strati'trical asjiect. Since these committees had
rejiorted the subject had assumed a somewhat dilVerent aspect. A iirojiosiil had been made
that the service should bo monthly, and that her Majesty's Government should make a
contribution of 00,(iiKi/. a year. Cpoii receipt of tliat coniniunicatioii a teleffram wa.s
uddressod to the Ciiuadiau Covcrnment, inquiriii<r whether they were prepared to assist in
contributiuB to the subsidy. The Canadian lloveniment hid expressed their williufrness to
make soiu': contribution from the Canadian funds, and that proposal was at the present
nioment under tlie consideration of lier l[ajesty'.s (ioverument. The Canadian and J'acllic
Hallway miinagement had already taken some steps to place the service in .an elfieieut
CI iiditiou. He was informed that they had iiurchased three shijis from the Cuuard Com-
liaiiy, and that the vessels were now on their way to Vancouver, with a view to being
placed on service. The matter was receiving' and wouiil receive the most careful attention
of her Majesty's (lovermneiit, and as soon as a decision was arrived at on the subject tho
paiiers upon it would be laid ou the table.

The Earl of Carnarvon would tfladiy accept the monthly service, in the sure hope nnil
ponvii'tion that it wou'd soon become a fortuiirhtly service, for he shared entirely in tho
belief of his noble friend that when once the service was established commerce would tjrow,
trade would be developed, iind that the line from Vancouver to the East would at oncu
become a source of very grcit wealth and iiywer to this country. The subsidy would give
us five distinct imperial and commercial .advantatres — first, a rajiiil through postal and
passenger route to tjie East ; si <!ond, the means of estnblishing an independent telegraphic
line to the East ; third, the means of rapid and cheap transport of troops and stores across
tho American C'lntinent to our Eastern possessions ; fourth, a third, and possif)ly the most
important, route to the East; and fifth, the provision of ships which would form part of
the service at the Pfieific end of the route, and which would be constructed .as cruisers in
accordance with the Admiralty reciuirements.

The Eiirl of Dunraven said it was clcir that from a commercial and military point of
view it was of the utmost importance that this route should be utilised. It was not a
matter to be looked at from the narrow point of view of economy ; but, at the same time,
it could not be disputed that the country would get good value for its money.

Earl tiranville said he looked into the matter more than a year ago. when the noble
carl put a (piostion to him as Hccretary for the Colonies on the subject. The result of his
careful )iersonal investigation into tlie circumstances was that he enme entirely to the
conclusion that what the nubh' earl now asked was a de>irab!c thiug to do. The ipiestion
was still under investigation when he left the ofllee, and he was glad to gather fmni the
statement of the I'lider-Secretary that some satisfactory urriingciiient was likely to be
come to (hear, hear).

|t«n, SkitU

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Campbell I

P A ('

C HART OF THE WORLD

SHOWI NC

NEW ROUTE THROUGH

BETWEEN

ENGLAND, CHINA, JAPAN,

AUSTRALASIA AND the EAST.

_LY PREPARED FOR MR STUART CUMBERLANJD'S WORK
THE QUEEN'S HIGHWAY'

FROM OCEAN TO OCEAN

I I

160

120

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