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FRASER RAE WITH MAI'S AND ILLI'STRATIONS NEW YORK G . I? . I' U T N A M ■ S SOX 27 AND 29 WT'.ST 23D SIRLKT 1881 «i| wvmtimair^'im ^1^ - - ■ .p. fJ ... /* iM:VV!()liM)LA.ND (ngllf tl Mllu '■ "> ■'/ (tiivtut I M ^O — \-. . y .0 i,StJ>ihn /r/ft.j^^^-iiri j^-'sS^'T"' /fci -opu >^.Q, ""O I "'►ir.Sf ' /V^'^ .,.'^^" ^jl y^ ■.fVo«^^ (ireen«J'oru*' i -•-4— - Atytyuhetcv /-.^' re ^2 n i"^' J J 'I "2 rilEFACE. T visiTKO nnd described the Provinco of ^raiiitoLa and a ])iirt 111' tlic Now West in tho United Statos, as a Cori'c- spondcnt of The Times, (lman!> '11 4:i 45 47 4.!> 51 r,'.i r>r> h7 61 CI] 65 6? Mil Contents, Nova Pcotiiin Collicriog. • Siciicrv iiinl (Miiiiiito . • The ('ii|>it,il (it Nova Scotia • lliililiix ll(i^-|iit:ilit V . • Ciuvcruor ArcliibalJ , . PAfiK (i!> . 71 . 73 rf. 1 i'i . 77 CHAn'Kii iir. THE T'KOVINCK OK MCW JUIUXSWICK, The riiiiiiins niitl New Urauswick 81 KoMnil:iti(iii of St. John 83 Now Di'iiiiiark .••#•#..• 85 The St. John Uivor 87 ('Imvclics i'l Frt'ilt'ricton ..••... 8i) lit ii(l(|Miirtt'is (if the Intercolonial Dl A Forest on Fire 03 New UninswieU Laud Laws 05 Cultlc*lleurini)or Value of JS' alive Copper Copper Aliiiitif,' Coni])iiniea JMiiieral liiclies Silver, Copper, and Iron L)t'i»( ).sit8 CIIAI'T DUI-UTII T(> Mr. Prnctnr Knott's Speech . D.'liulits of Diiliilli (u'oj'mpliical I|.,'iioranpo. . ^Manufactures and Tiado Land .Spt'(!iilator.s . . . A iliut to Eiuigruuts ClIAI'TI ON' THE KKD J'lVJi Course of tlie Rod lliver . JManiinoth Farrris . . , ]}y Water to Winnipeg . ]/ake !Minnetonla . ]Iistoric:ii anil Scientilio Society J'nhlic Markets Fruit and Flowers . A Journalistic F.vporimeiit . Tlie Hudson Uay CouipaJiy . Mr. Hrydties . . . ' . St. Boniface . . , , Archbishop Tache . Advice to Electors . , A French JS'ewspaper . II \ IT. UlN.NinCG. I Y |[ r. Oi' TUU NORTH. ETl TX. WLNM I'KG. r.v(;i! Jl:{ 117 II!) ].M l.W ir.7 LV.) l»)l ](;:? IGo 109 171 17;{ 175 177 17i) 181 183 185 187 189 lltl V.K\ 195 190 20 1 !.'(»;{ 211.") 2(>7 209 211 213 2ir. 217 219 a iilli Contents. CHAPTER X. THE PROVINCE OJ? MANITOBA. OpiiiioTia aVtnut tlie Region Extent of the Province . Farming in JManiioba . Red River Farmers . Prairie Grasses . • GrMsshoppers . . Manitoba Homesteads . PAOB 2-Jl 225 227 229 231 2133 ill CHAPTER XI. MENNONITES AND ICELANUEUS IN MANITOBA Mennonite Homes iMennonite Doctrines and Habits • . Failings of the Meunonites . • . Llennonite Exclusiveness • • . Kew Iceliind ...... Discord among the Icelanders . . 237 2;«) 241 i:43 247 CHAPTER XTT. THE NOllTU-VVEST Il^KKITGRIES. Western Roads • • • • !Miidlioles • • • • • Prairie Hotels .... Royal Commissioners in ^Manitoba JourniiHsni at Ra]nd City . . Snccessl'ul Farmers . . , Home of the Hnilalo . . . Sale of intoxicants Prohibited . 219 2ol 253 255 257 259 2tJl 2G3 CHAPTER XIII. TUE CANADIAN FAll WES Western Winters .... Climate, Soil, and Minerals . . Sir George Simpson's Prophecy . Ciiniidian Pacific Railway . . Hudson Bay Route . • • Rival Regions .... Perlect Wheat Plants . , . The •« Lund of Misery" . A Terrestrial Paradise . • • Canada's Future .... 267 2<)9 271 273 275 277 279 2.SI 2«3 285 SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. WEEDS IN NOIITH AMBEICA. Weeds in North America 237 PAGB 221 22:3 225 227 229 231 263 237 2;{!} 241 247 MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 24.9 251 253 255 257 259 261 203 1. Map op Newfoundland. , 2. Do. Manitoba . , , 3. Do. Dominion op Canada 4. VVlNNIPDa AS IT WAS IN 1870 . 5. Do. as it 18 , , PA OB ri'untisjiicce . 2:!3 . 295 . 197 . 212 267 269 271 273 275 277 279 281 283 285 287 "l NEWFOmDLAND TO MANITOBA. ♦ CHAPTER I. England's oldest colony. I. Newfocjndland was discovered in the reign of Henry the Seventh and incorporated with the Enghsh realm in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It IS an Island presenting many and marked con- trasts to the Fiji Islands which have been added to the British Empire in the reign of Queen Victoria. In Fiji every prospect pleases and man does the reverse, owing to a taste for eating his fellows. Nature often wears a rude and for- bidding aspect in Newfoundland ; the aborigines, on the other hand, were too mild and inoife'^nsive to survive the invasion of savage Mic-Maclndians and the effects of civilized vices imported by white men from Europe. B 1 «i! 2 . England'' s Oldest Colony, Money is made in Fiji by growing and crushing sugar-cane ; in Newfoundland fortunes have been accumulated by catching and curing fish. The colonists of Fiji are envied for backing in Slimmer weather all the year round, while the Newfoundlanders are pitied for having to sustain a struggle for existence amid the icy gales and fogs of the Northern Atlantic. If the lot of the latter were as sad as is commonly supposed, thry would be pardoned for repining and complaining that it was intolerable. Though not more con- tented than other mortals or reluctant to exercise the truly British prerogative of grumbling, yet their grievances are not those for which Nature can fairly be held responsible. They are proud of their Island despite its fancied drawbacks, loving it with a devotion which nothing can impair. The intensity of a Newfoundlander's patriotism is a striking apd admirable trait in his character. His patriotism is evidently as genuine as it is profound. Even new comers soon learn to vie with the native-born inhabitants in ex- tolling the Island's charms. Life in Newfound- land has many compensations and enjoyments which are unsuspected by a stranger. For many years after the month of June, 1497, when John Cabot discovered this Island, nothing was done by Englishmen to profit by its J 3 Earliest Notices of Newfoundland. [•usliing ^e been I. The mg in lile the sustain les and b of the d, thoy )laining re con- ?xcrcise ng, yet Nature ! proud v^backs, ' can ander's t in his ^ennine 1 learn in ex- rfound- yments June, Island, by its ■■■I I I natural advantages. The earliest notices of it are to be found in the records of ITenry the Seventh's privy purse expenses ; the first of these references is dated the 10th of August, 1497, and is to the efTect that 10/. were given " to hym that found the new Isle ; " the last is dated 25t]i August 1(505, and is a reward of 13.s. 4cZ. to Clays for going to Eichmond " with wilde catts and popingays of the Newfound Island." Entries between these dates relate to two payments of 20/. and one of 30/. made to merchants that had voj'^aged to Newfoundland, and to a reward of 1/. " to one that brought hawkcs from the Ncav- founded Island." It was not till 1510 that Englishmen sailing from the ports of Biddeford, Barnstable and Bristol systematically engaged in the Newfoundland fisheries. As early as 1504, the Portuguese had begun to catch cod there ; fifteen years later, the crews of forty vessels belonging to Portuguese, Spaniards and French- men were thus employed. In 1578, England had 50 vessels, Portugal 50 and France and Spain ] 50 occupied in reaping the harvest of the sea in the North Atlantic. The value of Newfoundland as a fishing station having been demonstrated, it was resolved to send colonists thither. The first essay towards carrying out this resolve was made by Mr. Robert B 2 M M 1.1! i . 4 EnglancVs Oldest Colony. Tliorne of Bristol, in 1527; the sccoiirl, by Mr. Hore of London, Ji man whom IJukluvt describes as " of goodly stature and great courage and given to the study of Cosmography." Mr. Hore persuaded many gentlemen and others to join with him in an undertaking Avhich Henry the Eighth regarded with approve^ ' The party to the number of " about six score persons whereof thirty were gentlemen " embarked at Gravesend, towards the end of April 1530, in the Tvinify and Million. Before embarking, the entire party " mustered in warlike mannr and received the Sacrament." They returned home in October after visiting Newfoundland, getting a glhnpse of the natives, observing that the land was covered with fir and pine trees, undergoing such great privations through lack of provisions that the strong killed the weak and ate their flesh. The survivors took forcible possession of a French ship and sailed in it to England. It is related by Hakluyt that Mr. Thomas Buts, one of the party, " was so changed in the voyage with hunger and misery " that his father nnd mother Sir William and Liidy Buts, of Norfolk, " knew him not to be their son, until they found a secret mark wdiich was a wart upon one of his knees." The subsequent action of the French crew, whom the English had shamefully used, gave ■I '$ % "4 ^1 1 ■-■-L -^. ;3 s ■A h 4 c ■f 1 V \i 1 t i 8 1 s 1 h 1 .. Products of the Island. by ]\Tr. ascribes ^0 and \ Hore to join iry the irty to rliereof i'esend, iUj and party ^ed the )ctober npse of covered I great lat the The French related of the with mother " knew L secret ees.'* crew, 1, gave ITonry the Eif>'1itli an opportunity to disjplny the better side of his character. Jlaklnyt records that these Frenclinien readied KnHand certain niontlis after "and made complaint to King Henry the Eif^hth : the Kin^f cansin<>; the matter to be examined, and finding the great distress of his subjects, and tlie causes of the dealing so with the Frencli, was so moved with pity, tluit he punished not his subjects, but of his own purse niade full and royal recompense unto the French." * The most detailed account of Newfoundland as it appeared to the early visitors is contained in a letter of Mr. Anthony Parkhurst of Bristol to Mr. Hicliard liakluyt of the Middle Temple, dated loth of November 1578. Parkhurst had made several voyages to the Island, and Hakluyt having applied to him for information, Parkhurst said in reply that he hoped Hakluyt would use his influence to induce men in power to help in christianizing Newfoundland or rather, as he phrases it, *' to redeem the people of Newfound- land and those parts from out of the captivity of that spiritual Pharaoh, the devil." He gives a glowing picture of the Island. He says that the soil is good and fertile, that, in sundry places, he had " sown wheat, barley, rye, oats, beans, peas, » Hakluyt's Works, ed. 1810, vol. 8, pp. 1G8— 170. England's Oldest Colony, m \ \ and seeds of herbs, kernels, plumstones, nuts, all of which have prospered as in England. The country yieldeth many good trees of fruit, as filberts in some places, but in all places chei-ry trees, and a kind of pear tree meet to graft on. As for roses they are as common as brambles here; strawberries, dewberries and raspberries, as common as grass. The timber is most fir, yet plenty of pineapple trees ; few of these two kinds meet to mast a ship of three score and ten [tons] ; but near Cape Breton, and to the South- ward, big and sufficient for any ship. There be also oaks and thorns, there is in all the country plenty of birch and alder, which be the meetest wood for cold, and also willow, which will serve for any other purposes. As touching the kinds of fish beside cod, there are herrings, salmons, thornebacke, plaice, or rather we should call them flounders, dog fish, and another most ex- cellent of taste called by us a cat, oysters and muscles, in which I have found pearls above forty in one muscle, and generally all have some, great or small. I heard of a Portugal that found one worth 300 ducats. There are also other kinds of shell fish, as limpets, cockles, wilks, lobsters and crabs ; also a fish like a smelt which cometh on shore, and another that hath the like property, called a squid." lie calls the climate temperate and far pleasanter than might be supposed from the tales of " foolish mariners.'* He depicts the land as being intersected with rivers and covered 1 1 J^ic/i in Minerals. 7 in places with lakes full of fish : ** Tlioro are plenty of bears everywhere, so that yon may kill of them as oft as you list; their flesh is as good as young beef, and hardly you may know the one from the other if it be powdered but two days. Of otters we may take like store. There are sea- gulls, murres, ducks, wild geese, and many other kind of birds store, too long to write, especially at one island named Penguin, where we may drive them on a plank into our ship, as many as shall lade her." Deer, hares, foxes and wolves abounded. In addition to possessing a fruitful soil, and many varieties of trees, animals and fish, the Island was believed by Parkhurst to be rich in minerals ; he had found and brought home with him specimens of iron and copper ore. The foregoing particulars, which Parkhurst communicated to Ilakluyt, were doubtless known to many persons and increased their desiro to colonize the Island. In the year that Parkhurst's letter was written. Sir Humphrey Gilbert pro- cured Letters Patent from Queen Elizabeth autho- rizing him to search for and occupy unknown lands or places which were not in the occupation of the subjects of any Christian potentate. In those days, as at a later time, the natives of a country whose skins were dark and who had never heard of Christ, were denied any rights if i ^1 8 England's Oldest Colony. \ which white-faced Cliristians were bound to respect. The Cliristians considered themselves justified in taking possession of the lands of these heathen barbarians on the plea that they would teach them to read the Bible and rescue them from the dominion of Satan. Sir Humphrey Gilbert's first attempt at ex- ploration failed after he had collected a fleet and persuaded many persons to join him. He returned to England without accomplishing anything, and with the loss of a vessel. Sir Walter Raleigh, his half-brother, who was associated with him in the enterprise,was to have accompanied him when he set out the second time, from Causet bay near Plymouth, on the 11th of June 1583 ; but Raleigh did not go and the vessel which he had fitted out put back to port shortly after sailing. However, Raleigh sent a letter to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, immediately before the latter sailed, containing a message from Queen Elizabeth to the effect that she wished him " as great good hap and safety to his ship as if she herself were there in person," this letter being accompanied with a jewel from the Queen in the form of an anchor guided by a lady. A narrative of the expedition has been written by Captain Hayes, one of the few survivors. He says the fleet consisted of five vessels, the DeligJd, 120 tons burden, the Baleigh Sir IIiDiiphrcy Gilbert's Mission. :\ 200 tons, tlio ftoJdf'R fliiid 10 tons, tlie SirttJJoin 40 tons, and tlio Si/nirrd 10 tons. The ])arly ninnb(M'(Ml abont '200, " anioii,i2f whom wo luul of every faculty good clioice, as shij)wri<^lits, masons, carpenters, smitlis and such like, re(niisite to sucli an action ; also mineral men and reiiners. B(>sides, for solace of onr people, and allurements of the savages, Ave were pi'ovidcd of nuisic in p^ood variety : not omittini^ the least toys, as morris dancers, hobby horses and jMaylike con- ceits to delight the savage people, whom we intended to win by all fair means possible. And to that end we Avere indifferently furnished of all pretty haberdashery wares to barter with those simple people." Their first mischance, as has been stated, was that the Raleigh parted company soon after sailing, aT\d pnt back ; their second was that the crew of the Swallow engaged in piracy. However, they reached the harbour of St. Johns, Newfoundland on the 3rd of August. The next day being Sunday, Sir Humphrey and his company went on shore under the escort of the English merchants, " who showed ns their accustomed walks unto a place they call the Garden. But nothing appeared more than Nature itself without art, who con- fusedly hatli brought fortli roses abundantly, wild, but odoriferous and to sense very com- fortable. Also the hke plenty of raspberries, which do grow in every place." On the following lO EufihuuVs Oldest Colony, i i! day, Sip TTiiinplircy Cilbcrfc read his Letters Patent and took possession of tlic country in the Queen's name. A fortnight was spent in ex- ploring tlie country and in trying to communicate with t!ie aborigines. It was found that there were no natives in the Southern part, and it was su[)posed that this arose from the south coast "being so much frequented by Christians." In the Northern part they found savages who were " altogether harmless." The country pleased them. They liked the chmate ; they were struck with the abundance of fish and game and with the fine flowers which grew luxuriantly. Indeed, Captain Hayes ex- presses his thankfulness to God for having super- abundantly replenished the earth with creatures for the use of man, though man hath not used a fifth part of the same, and this consideration, in his opinion, " doth aggravate the fault and foolish sloth in many of our nation, choosing rather to live indirectly, and very miserably to live and die within this realm pestered with inhabitants, than to adventure as becomcth men, to obtain a habitation in those remote lands, in which Nature very prodigally doth minister unto men's en- deavours, and for art to work upon." Captain Hayes notes that there are traces of minerals in many places, that iron is plentiful, and that lead Daniel Discovers Silver. II and copper arc to bo met with. Sir Humphrey Gilbert's avowed desire was to discover silver or gold. " Amongst other charges given to inquire out the singularities of this country, the General (Sir Humphrey) was most curious in the search of metals, commanding the mineral man and refiner, especially to bo diligent. . The same was a Saxon born, honest and religions, named Daniel, who after search brought at first some sort of ore, seeming rather to be iron than other metal. The ext time he found ore, which with no small show of contentment he delivered unto the General, using protestation, that if silver were the thing which might satisfy the General and his followers, there it was, advising him to seek no further : the peril whereof he undertook upon his life (as dear unto him as the Crown of England unto her Majesty, that I may use his own words) if it fell not out accordingly." Captain Hayes avows that he was sceptical about the value of the '* mineral man's '* discovery, and adds Sir Humphrey ■was so thoroughly satisfied that ho took pre- cautions to keep the discovery a secret lest the Portuguese and French, who were in force there, might seize the DeltgJit freighted with the precious ore. The Delight was lost soon after on Sable Island, the island on which the Cunard steamer Jh'itannia grounded for a short time when Charles Dickens crossed the Atlantic in 1842. A man of letters, who was a passenger on board the Delight, 4- I ^ England'* s Oldest Colony, i! t tliG nlteration will not bo in any ways injurious to tlie fishery, you have hereby permission to make it. As to Alexander Long's house, which has been built contrary to his Majesty's express com- mands, made known to the inhabitants of this place by my proclamation of the 13th of last October, it must and shall come down I shall embrace this opportunity of warning you against making an improper use of any other part of (what you are pleased lo call) your ground, for you may rest assured that every house or other building erected upon it hereafter, without the permission — in writing — of the Governor for .the time being — except such building and erection as shall be actually on purpose for the curing, salting, drying and husbanding of fish . . must unavoidably be taken down and removed, in obedience to liis Majesty's said commands. And it may not be amiss at the same time to inform you, I am also directed not to allow any posses- sion as private property to be taken of, or any right of property whatever to be acknowledged in any land whatever which is not actually em- ployed in the fishery." The conduct of Governor Milbanke was not exceptional ; his successor Governor Waldegrave wrote in the same strain and acted in the same style. In a letter addressed to the sheriff in 1797, he says: "Your having suffered Thomas Nevan to put up what you are pleased to call a few sheds, is clearly an infraction of my orders ; Condition of the Fishermen. 23 ■lie in as a you will tlierofore direct liim to romovo thorn immediately; which, if not complied with, Idcsii-o that yoii will yourself see this order executed. You will take good care that Jeremiah Marroty and John Fitzgerald do not erect chimneys to their sheds, or even light fires in them of any kind." The parental despotism which interfered with the building of houses and the construction of chimneys naturally extended to the prices of provisions. Thus, Governor Edwards having issued a decree that the price of beef, veal and mutton was to bo \s. per lb. and Luke Ryan having sold beef at Is. Zd. a lb., the latter was fined lOL for his offence. The boatkeepers at Harbour Grace, having complained of the mer- chants charging too much for provisions, the Governor ordered that the prices charged there should be the same as at St. Johns, notwithstand- ing that the extra carriage to Harbour Grace necessitated the imposition of a higher charge in order to reap a profit corresponding to that ob- tained at St. Johns. Governor Waldegrave recognized the fact that the fishermen had a hard struggle for subsistence. He describes the fishermen, in a letter to the Duke of Portland, as " a set of unfortunate beings, working like slaves, and hazarding their lives, when, at the expiration of their term (however successful their exertions), they find themselves not only without gain, but so H ?feii 24 England's Oldest Colony, deeply indebted as forces tliem to emif^rato, or drives them to despair." The foregoing remarks on the condition of the fishermen were elicited by a remonstrance from the merchants against the fishermen at Burin being suffered to emigrate. Many instances occur in the history of Newfound- land which prompt the inquiry whether an essen- tial difference existed between the relation of the fishermen to the merchants in that Island and that of the slaves to their masters in the West India Islands and the Southern States of the Union ? The picture given of the condition of New- foundland at the end of the last century is not a pleasing one. The poorer classes were in great suffering and were naturally discontented with their hard lot. The richer classes displayed, ac- cording to Governor Waldegrave, " an insolent idea of independence (which will some day show itself more forcibly) and a firm resolution to oppose every measmo of government which a Governor may th.i:!k proper to propose for the general benefit of tlie Island." One of the reasons which made him think so was the refusal of the mercliants to submit to taxation. The consump- tion of rum having increased to a great extent, the Governor estimated that a tax of sixpence a gallon levied upon the rum imported would \\\' Increase of Pauperism, 25 a the )ns blie ip- Int, ice lid defray tlie entire cost of the Government and that it would be fiiirer to do this tlian to call upon the Mother Country to bear the burden. "VVlien the merchants were sounded on the sub- ject, they expressed their sentiments in a letter which is a curiosity in its way. Tlicy stated that they would be " extremely concerned to see any species of taxes introduced into this Island, which would inevitably be burdensome and inconvenient to the trade and fishery in genfiral, and we trust that in the wisdom of his Majesty's Ministers, no such innovation will take place." During his Administration an attempt was made to provide relief for the destitute, a fund being formed for the purpose by voluntary subscription. That plan afterwards gave place to a regular system of charity from funds raised by taxation. The demand for relief has gone on increasing at so rapid a rate as to suggest that something must be seriously wrong in the system which leads to such a result. Two generations after the intro- duction of the palliative which Governor Walde- grave devised for the succour of the destitute, one- third of the public expenditure of the Colony was absorbed in pauper relief. The retention of the fisheries on the Banks of Newfoundland in British hands was for many years the great object of British statesmen. The 'I ! Ill lil j'lii' 26 England's Oldest Colony, elder Pitt, in one of his impassioned speeches, dechired tbose fisheries to be so valuable to the country that they must be preserved even though foreign soldiers had captured the Tower of London. Whatever tended to promote the fish- eries was favourably regarded by the British Government, while any scheme for benefiting the people of Newfoundland was either regarded with indifference or rejected as inopportune. In con- sequence of this the Islanders made but little progress ; their numbers were comparatively small ; the fixed population of the Island did not much exceed 10,000 at the beginning of the present century. During the winter season j when the fishery was over, it was deemed appropriate that the Governor should leave the Island. It was not till 1818 that Governor Pickmore broke through the established rule and lived there all the year round. Since then the Governor finds plenty to occupy himself in winter as well as in summer, and the office itself has not only risen in dignity, but has also been illustrated by men of great capacity and distinction. The slowness with which this Colony made its way to the position which it now occupies cannot be better exemplified than by the fact that, not till 1807, was a newspaper published there. Its modern history dates from 1855 when responsible Responsible Government Granted. 27 lb )k e all in 5en of lita lOt lOt llts Government was granted. Twenty-two years earlier a Representative Assembly was constituted. It is since the Colony has been truly self-govern- ing, that its progress has been most marked, and that its dissensions have become less serious and violent. Although a laije part of the people from the earliest days belonged to the Church of Rome, it was not till 1784 that a Roman Catholic priest was permitted to discharge in public the duties of his sacred calling. Till 1875, the subject of religious teaching in public schools was a constant source of discussion and bitter- ness. No system of general education meeting with approval, the young were prevented from having a fair start in life. Now, however, there is a national system of education based on the plan of dividing the fund voted by the Legislative Assembly among the several bodies in proportion to their numbers, and thus the chief step has been taken to ensure that future genera- tions of Newfoundlanders will be wiser than their progenitors. Other changes and movements in the path of progress will be noted hereafter. II. Though St. Johns, the Capital of Newfoundland, is about 1000 miles nearer the United Kingdom than ! I I 1 ' ■■Baa 28 England's Oldest Colony. I New York, the means of commimication are greater between Liverpool and New York than between Liverpool and St. Johns. An Allan steamer runs direct between Newfoundland and the United Kingdom every fortnight during nine months in the year, while passengers and letters are con- veyed by way of Halifax during the other three months. If the Government of Newfoundland did not pay the Allan Company a subsidy of 12,000/. the facilities for passing from the Island of Great Britain to the Island of Newfoundland would be even less than they are, while the postal arrangements would be as primitive as in the days of Queen Elizabeth. This constitutes one of the grievances, referred to at the outset, which gives the Islanders greater concern than the climate. It is held by them that the Mother Country ought at least to contribute something towards the mail service between the two Islands. I visited Newfoundland in the Allan liner Caspian^ under the command of Captain Trocks, an experienced sailor and excellent man. The Caspian is one of three steamers which ply between Liverpool and Baltimore, touching at St. Johns and Halifax. Two thirds of my fellow- passengers were Newfoundlanders, all of whom were firmly of opinion that St. Johns was a city second to none, that the climate of the Island was t 1 a c T C ii Views of the Islanders, 29 ler ks, 'he 1st. >w- lom ras unequalled for salubrity and tliat the Island was as nearly perfect as any other spot on the earth's surface. When it was suggested that improve- ments might be possible, that the interior of the Island should be thoroughly explored, that its agricultural and mineral resources could be better developed, and that railways might prove of great service in these respects, some of them scouted the very notion as superlatively absurd. It seems natural for Nev/'foundland to form part of the Dominion of Canada ; yet, when union was proposed, the opposition in the Island was overwhelming. Mr. Bennett, the Premier at that time, looked upon the scheme with genuine horror, and he laboured with mortifying success to convince his prejudiced fellows that Confedera- tion would be succeeded by increased taxation, their virtual enslavement and utter ruin. Many men have prospered exceedingly under the exist- ing Government in Newfoundland and they are apprehensive of the effects of any change and indisposed to hasten it. The rich merchants apparently consider that everything has been ordered for the best in the best of all islands, whilst the poor are too ignorant to appreciate the changes which would prove beneficial and too inert to agitate for them. If money and know- ledge were more equally disseminated the aversion ■1 • ■ ^^ mmmmifmm 30 England^ s Oldest Colony, \ \i I to new things and ideas would be less, wliile tlie desire to know more about the Island itself, and contribute towards its farther development would be far greater. Extraordinary though the state- ment may seem, it is literally true that the interior of Newfoundland, especially towards the northern side, is as undeveloped a region as the middle of Greenland, and the heart of Africa. When the weather is propitious the approach to the Island impresses every admirer of grand scenery. I was told that the spectacle was strik- ing ; the reality exceeded my anticipations. On either hand, as far as the eye can reach, the rocks which rise from the sea to the height of several hundred feet, are moulded into fantastic forms by the incessant dashing against them of the Atlantic waves. The masses of floating ice play a part in affecting the appearance of the rocks. Naviga- tion in the spring is rendered hazardous here owing to icebergs and fields of ice. As the Caspian nears the land it is difficult to understand where the entrance occurs into the famous harbour of St. Johns ; it is not till the steamer is comparatively close in shore that a breach is seen in the rock bound coast, which is 220 fathoms wide at the inlet, and 95 at the opposite end of the Narrows where the harbour is reached, this harbour being a sheet of land-locked deep water, a mile and a quarter long The Capital of Newfotmdland. 31 t.. y id of 'g and one-third of a mile wide. With the exception of Halifax, there is no finer harbour in this region of the world. In former days it was hard for a ship to run the gauntlet of forts which command the Narrows. If the old fortifications were re- paired and put into a proper state of defence no hostile force could pass or take them. St Johns has not inaptly been styled the Gibraltar of the Atlantic. The capital of Newfoundland is situated on the slope of a hill. Its population at the time of the last census was 30,574. This was in 1874, and and it showed an increase over the census taken in 1869 of seventeen hundred persons. As there is much building going on, it may be assumed that the population of St Johns is increasing at a satisfactory rate. Though founded so long ago as the year 1572, the city has none of the marks of age. This modern look is due to the fact that the houses are all of recent date, having been erected within the last 30 years. More than once the entire city has been swept away by fire, and the last time this occurred the impression made was so profound that proper precautions are now observed to hinder a recurrence of the like calamity. In the lower streets, where an outbreak of fire would be most serious, as the flames would spread from them to the buildings in the upper \ ; !■' • t' 32 England's Oldest Colony, streets, the erection of wooden structures is absolutely prohibited. Moreover an ample service of water, always available, has been provided for the extinction of a fire in any part of the city. At the water's level there are wharves which run round the Bay. They are lined with stores in which the process of extract- ing oil from seals is carried on, and with ware- Louses in which cod are packed for exportation. Bi iud the wharves on the North side is Water Street, about a mile and a half long, wherein are tl^pi'-Aipal shops and merchant's warehouses, the post-office and the Custom House. This street has the uninviting aspect of similar streets in seaport towns, the services of a scavenger being obviously required. The other streets are cleaner and they contain many neat houses of brick or wood. The most conspicuous edifice in St. Johns, when approached from the sea, is the Roman Catholic Cathedral. It is built of stone ; its form is that of a Latin cross ; its extreme length is 237 feet ; it has two towers which rise to the height of 138 feet. Internally it is richly orna- mented. Close at hand the Church of England Cathedral is now in course of erection from the desio^n of the late Sir Gilbert Scott. Its lono-th is 120 feet, its width is 56 feet and its tower and Public Buildings, 33 •th id I spire are to be 180 feet high. The nave was finished and opened for divine service in 1852. At that time tlie cost was $200,000, and at least another $100,000 must be expended before the building is finished. When complete in all its parts, this Cathedral will be one of the grandest piles on this side of the Atlantic. There are other churches belonging either to the Roman Catholics or to members of the Church of Eng- land. The Wesleyan Methodists possess more than one church, and the Presbyterians who, though small in number, abound in intellect and wealth, have recently erected a very tasteful stone Church at a cost of $")0,000. Among the public buildings which attract a stranger's notice is the AthenaBifm, where lectures and concerts take place, and which has a library and reading- room for the use of the members ; it is the property of a company and it is so admirably managed as to yield a dividend to its proprietors. St. Patrick's Hall, a more recent structure, is also used for public meetings. No public building is so noticeable at night as the Custom House owing to the large red light which shines from the upper part and serves as a beacon to vessels passing through the Narrows into the Bay. The Colonial Building or Parliament House 1 34 England's Oldest Colony. and the Government House are the two largest public buildings. They are situate on the platetm which stretches for some distance inland from the upper part of the city. The view of the surrounding country is not unlike that from the elevated ground in South Devon and far more picturesque than that which the stranger expects to find in an Island which has been depicted as barren and unattractive. The eye gazes upon cultivated fields, clumps of trees, villas encom- passed with gardens. The Colonial Building is surrounded by balsam poplars. The building is of white limestone imported from Cork; it has a stone portico supported by pillars, the front re- sembling that of the British Museum in its general outline. In this Building the staff of some of the government departments is accommo- dated as well as the Legislative Assembly when that body is in session. The Upper House or Legislative Council numbers 15, the Lower one, or House of Assembly numbers 31. The rule in the British House of Commons is not observed in the Newfoundland House of Assembly, as to the relative positions of the Ministry and the Opposi- tion. At present the Newfoundland Opposition occupy seats to the right of the Speaker and the Ministry to the left. The Ministry may sit on either side ; the other members keep their seats irrespec- Legislative Assembly. 35 tive of a cliaiige of Government. But tlio most comfortable seats are on the Speaker's left because a large fireplace is at that side of the Chamber. In Newfoundland politics, the party farther from the fire is the one which experiences the " Cold shade of Opposition." The acoustic properties of the Chamber are very bad owing, possibly, to the great height of the ceiling and to the intercepting effect of a largo chandelier. As it was found that the reporters of the Press could not hear the debates in the gallery set apart for for them at the end opposite to the Speaker, seats have been provided for them close to his chair, the members of the Assembly thinking it better that reporters should be admitted to the body of the Chamber than that their speeches should be unrecorded. The qualification for a seat in either House of Legislature is the posses- sion of an income not less than §400 or of property to the nett value of $2000. Every male person who has attained the age of 21 years and has occupied a dwelling-house for a year as tenant or proprietor is an elector. Votes are recorded openly in the old English fashion. The party lines were drawn between Protestants and Roman Catholics and, strange though it may seem, the Protestants being styled Conservatives, and the Roman Catholics, Liberals. It would D 2 MMiMhb.- I 36 EnglancTs Oldest Colony. have surprised the late Pope Pius the Ninth, ^/ho t^xecrated the very epithet Liberal, to have learned that his devout adlieronts in Newfound- land gloried in applying it to each other. Happily, the days of bitter religious disputes have passed away in this Island. I have already stated that the question of appropriating the fund for edu- cating the people which was the chief subject of contention and source of animosity has been amicably adjusted by dividing the fund among the several religious denominations. Another question which also caused strife and ill-feeling, the right to control the burying-grounds, has been harmoniously settled by each body having pro- vided for itself a place for burying the dead. I noted a novelty in funerals ; this consisted in the coffin, which was borne exposed to sight on a vehicle shaped like a cart, being painted light blue. Government House divides with the Colonial Building the honour of being the most important in the Island. It is one of the plain stone build- ings which Mr. Euskia has characterized and denounced as huge boxes with holes in their sides, but which, though deficient in architectural beauty, are not lacking in comfort. The grounds about it are extensive and well laid out. Sir John Glover, the present occupant is one of the best I The Soil and C/iinale. 37 Governors wliich tlio Colony lins had ; ho has taken great pains to make liiniself acquainted with the scenery and resources of the Island ; he has outstripped his predecessors in this respect and no native has a stronger faitli than his as to its future capabilities. It is pleasant to be able to add that he enjoys the popularity among all classes which he richly merits. Before passing from these official buildings, I may state that the house of Sir William Whiteway, the present Prime Minister, which is not far distant from them, has a garden attached to it which charmed me greatly. I was struck with the number and beauty of the flowers in all the private gardens, but this one impressed me the most. Amono^ other familiar Enoflish flowers, I saw dahlias in fine condition and looking as if the climate agreed with them. The condi- tion of the gardens was a strong testimony not only to the care bestowed upon them, but also to the excellence of the climate. That the soil and climate of Newfoundland are really good is a statement which may be read with scepticism. The common opinion is unfavourable to both, and this opinion is based i pon experience gained near the coast. It is a transparent absur- dity to take the climate of Paris as representing that of all France, to suppose that the fogs which sometimes visit London spread on all England, to ! 38 EnglancVs Oldest Colony. ■ >> niaintaiii that tlie weiithoi' wliicli prevails in tlie city of Now York is the Sf.rae as that prevaiHnj^ in San Francisco, and to fancy BerUn, the capital of the German empire, enjoying the natnra 'van- taf^es wliich have made the vine-clad slopes of the lihiiie things of beauty and sources of wealth. Newfoundland is not very large, yet it is large enough to have a varied climate and a diversified soil. Tlie Island is nearly the same size as England; its extreme length is 419 miles and, at the widest part its width is about 300 ; its coast-line extends •over 2000 miles and its surface over 40,000,000. Mr. W. E. Cormack who traversed the Island from East to West in 1822, being the first whit' Tian who did so, has left a vivid picture of v he saw after he had penetrated the dense forest which intercepted his path westward and when standing on an eminence, he obtained a view of the interior : " What a contrast did this present to the conjec- tures entertained of Newfoundland ! The hitherto mysterious interior lay unfolded upon us — a bound- less scene — emerald surface — a vast basin. The eye strides again and again over a succession of northerly and southerly ranges of green plains, marbled with woods and lakes of every form and extent, a picture of all the luxurious scenes of national cultivation receding into invisibleness. . . The great external features of the eastern portion of the main body of the Island are seen from these Ncii[foimdland Raihvay. %% 10 in 1- 1. e i coninianding lioii^hts. Ovci'laiid t'omnuniiciition between tli(^ bays ol" tlie east, north and south Coasts, it appears, niitilit easily be (»stal)lished. . . Wo descended into the bosom of the interior. The pUiins whicli slione so brilliantly arc stef)pes or savannas, composed of fine black compact peat mould, formed by the growth and decay of mosses. They arc in the form of extensive gently nnduL.t- ing beds, stretching northward and southward, ■with running waters and lakes, skirted with woods, lying between them. Their yellow green surfaces are sometimes iminterrupted by either tree, shrub, rock, or any irregularity, for more than ten miles. They are chequered everywhere upon the surface by deep beaten deer p.iths and are in reality mag- nificent natural deer parks, adorned with wood and water." Not till a few years ago was it determined to open up the interior of the Island by construct- ing a railway across it. A preliminary survey was made in 18G8 at the instance and cost of Mr. Sandford Fleming, the eminent Canadian Engi- neer. In 1875, the Legislature passed an Act for a more extended survey. The reports of the Engineers confirmed all that had been previously written in praise of the Island, while showing how easily it was to construct raihvay s there. Nearly the whole of the interior is undulating, is covered in parts with forest, is intersected with rivers and is strewn with lakes. One third is water. The 40 England's Oldest Colony, greater part of the soil is adapted for the growth of all kinds of vegetables, most kinds of grain and even tobacco. On the Avestern side the soil is richer and the climate is finer than in the penin- sula of Avalon at the East. If the earliest settlement had taken place at the western shore the Island might now sustain a large population, living by the pursuit of agriculture alone. Mr. Alexander Murray, the Government Geolo- gist of Newfoundland, has carefully analyzed and summarized the reports of the railway engineers. This summary is the more valuable and instruc- tive because Mr. Murray is personally acquainted with a large portion of the ground passed over and able to estimate the statements made regard- ing it. He says, with regard to St. George's Bay on the west side, that it forms a convenient har- bour and terminus for the trade of the adjacent mineral region. Twenty miles from the harbour there is a coal-field thirty miles long and ten miles broad. " That the Geological character of the country over a vast area, extended to the northward of Bonne Bay, gives promise of the presence of metallic ores, seems well assured ; that the Humber Valley contains marbles of nearly every shade of colour — some of the saccharine variety vieing in purity with the far-famed statuary of Carrara — is well known, and, finally, that there is nothing less than 1000 square miles of country — Agricultu7'at Prospects, 41 Sf A 1* uie including tlie Humber Valley — scattered over region, in every respect worthy of being reclaimed, I re-assert with contidence. . . As regards climate and the possibilities of iigricrltnre being properly pursued, Newfoundland is not, by any means, so bad' as has often been represented. True indeed it is that the eastern sea-board and this (St. Johns) immediate part of it, in particular, suffers much from the effects of the cold arctic currents which, ice-laden, pass along their shores ; but even here in St. Johns the drawbacks of a late spring are greatly compensated by the unusually lonsf continuance of fine weather in the Fall, whicli allows barley and oats to ripen well as late as the middle or end of October ; and if we may be allowed to judge from the experience of those who have spent much time in the interior (among whom I am one) the rigours of the coast are to a great extent modified there, and fogs are exceed- ingly rare. . . Everyone, nowadays, appears ready to admit tliau the Bay of Notre Dame is destined, to develope itself into a great mining^ region. Supposing, then, that there were some half a dozen such establishments as Tilt Cove and Betts Cove in Notre Dame Bay, the mining population alone would amount to many thousands of souls, to say nothing of horses, cattle and the like. . . There are, beyond all doubt, many places border- ing on the great Bay of Notre Dame where oats and barley, turnips and jjotatoes can be cultivated as well as in any part of Nova Scotia and grass crops can be raised as well, if not better, as iu the most favoured regions of the Dominion." I', i 1 ■>■ ' w 42 England's Oldest Colony, I After exhaustive debates in the Newfoundland Legislature and acrimonious discussion in the Press an Act was passed on the 18th of April 1880 authorizing the construction of a narrow- guage railway across the Island with branches to the more important points at a total cost of §5,000,000. The ground upon w, ch this legis- lative enactment are based may be found in a Report of the Joint Committee of the Legislative Council and Assembly. That Report sets forth that the future of the growing population of the Island is a matter of grave solicitude ; that, though the yield of the fisheries has increased, tliis has not been in proportion to the increase in the population ; that it has been proved how much can be gained by a further development of mining and agriculture, the mining industry having been very profitable and the most prosperous of the labouring people being the cultivators of land in the vicinity of St. Johns whore the conditions of fertility are far inferior to those in the interior and the AYestern side of the Island; that, if a railway were made, large tracts in the interior might be turned to such good account for grazing purposes, the Colony might export cattle to England instead of importing cattle from Nova Scotia. To the valid reasons why a railway should be made is added the opposition to a Railway. 43 curious fact that tliis Colony is the only one of like importance wherein no railway exists. The passage of an Act to make this railway did not end the opposition to the project. I was surprised to find men of intelligence and position disapproving of the railway and speaking with approval of the attack made by some excited women on the Surveyors. Looking over the files of the newspapers, I meet with many letters denouncing the whole matter as a dangerous innovation and treating this railway in the same terms with which railways were treated by English landowners and others when they were first introduced into England. The burden of the strain is, what was good enough for our fathers is good enough for us ; that, if improve- ments are required they will come naturally in due course of time without any special legis- lation or taxation being necessary. One of the extreme opponents of the railway clenclies his argument by stating that no return has yet been obtained for the money expended in making a preliminary survey. With such a man the gods would argue in vain. An explanation of much that was said and done on this subject which seemed to me incomprehensible, occurs in a number of the Tairwi and Terra Nova Uerald. There it is written that " the sole opposition to ] li I ii m 44 EnglancPs Oldest Colony, I : tlie Railroad lias been created in the capital with the view of getting up a party cry. All the old shibboleths are dead. Party itself is dead or dying; and something inusi be started to give animation to the next General Election^ and afford some chance for new aspirants to Legislative honours to become lawmakers." There is more method in the madness of such a party cry than is obvious at first sight. It is certain that the railway -will not be finished for some years and, whilst under construction nothing will be so apparent as the fact of its cost. Even when finished, it will differ from nearly every railway if it should prove immediately remunerative. Thus the opponents will be able to refer to their opposition to it as to a fulfilled prophecy and may even succeed in getting people to elect them to the Legislature in order that they may cure the mischief which they have foretold. Mean- time, despite covert and open opposition the railway policy of Sir William Whiteway and the Administration of which he is the head, has triumphed. This spring the Government entered into a contract, which has been sanctioned by the LetTislature for the construction of a narrow- guage line of three feet six inches from St. Johns to Hall's Bay on the north-east coast, the distance Newspaper Pi^ess. 45 ] being about 340 miles. Branches are to run to Harbour Grace and Brigus. At a future day a branch may be made as far as St. George's Bay on the western shore. A New York Syndicate has undertaken the construction and working of the hue, the line to be constructed with in five years and worked by the Company — conditionally on receiv- ing an annual subsidy of $1 80,000 for 35 years and a grant of land, consisting of every alternate sec- tion one mile long and eight miles deep along the line of railway. Unless the calculations made should prove entirely misleading the Newfound- land Railway Company ought to be profitable to its founders and beneficial to the Island in which it will supply intercommunication by rail. I should convey an erroneous impression if the foregoing remarks about the railway led any reader to suppose that I have formed a low estimate of the Newspaper Press of Newfound- land. These journals contain foolish writing now and then, as is the case with journals in other places. When the writing in them is the most extreme and severe in tone it is least easy to imagine that the writer is perfectly in earnest and that he is not intentionally resorting to exaggeration. Certainly it was with a feeling of amusement that I read in a number of The Neics Letter, to quote but a single instance out of I i 46 England's Oldest Colony. 11 many, lliat certain figures respecting the public debt of tlie Colony " show the hopeless incapacity of the present Government to rise superior to the vulgar hankering for official place and salary.'* The strong language which is a character- istic of these newspapers, may be in perfect accord with the taste of their readers. In conse- quence of this habit, the writers express a great deal more than they really mean, having no in- tention, when they style a man a scoundrel who is robbing the public, to convey any other idea than that they disagree with his political opinions. Sixteen newspapers are published in the Colony ; my collection comprises thirteen of them. The oldest is the Royal Gazette, estab- lished in 1807, and having the motto "Fear God: honour the king." It contains a good selection of news as well as the official documents which are not light or very interesting reading. The Ngios Letter, which was the youngest at the time I made my collection, is " devoted to the interests of the Liberal party in Newfoundland." • The Patriot and Terra Nova Herald, which has been published for more than thirty years, prints its programme in a metrical and a prose form, the first being " Here shall the press the people's rights maintain, Unawed by inliueuce and uubribed by gain ; Notes on Newspapers. riore patriot truth her glorious procopts draw, Pledged to religion, liberty and Law." 47 The second being " Be just and fear not. Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy God's, thy country's and truth's." The importance of de- veloping the resources of the Island and the means for doing so are clearly apprehended and set forth by the conductors of this journal. The Evening Telegram is a sheet to which a writer siofninor himself " Au Revoir " contributes letters opposing all improvements, whether they relate to sanitary arrangements or railway communication, disparaging the politicians and professional classes and eulogizing the merchants as " the old pioneers of the country" and holding them up as the only persons whose wishes and interests ought to be considered and advanced. In The Morning Chronicle the policy of considering the good of the people at large is skilfully advocated and pungent letters have appeared in reply to the tirades of "Au Revoir." The North Star is another of the journals which treat patriotism as synonymous with the well-being of the whole community. TJie Times, which has been in existence for upwards of a generation, takes as its motto " For the Queen, the Constitution and the people." The Newfoundlander ; The Terra Nova Advocate; The Public Ledger, and The 9P 48 England's Oldest Colony, Temperance Journal are other journals published in St. Johns. At Harbour Grace, the next place in size to the capital, the people are enlightened and guided by the Standard^ a large and well conducted sheet, while at two other " Outports," as all the towns save St. Johns are designated. The TwiUingate Sun and The Garhonear Herald are quite as good newspapers as many published in the capital. Though the newspaper Press does credit to the Colony, yet the credit would be greater still if a larger percentage of the people were able to profit by any printed pages. According to the census of 1876, it appears that 20,758 children did not attend school and that 18,935 did, the figures for the corresponding cases in the census of 1869 being 16,249 and 18,813. It is to be hoped that the next census will show more satisfactory results. The reports for 1879 of the Inspectors of Public Schools exhibit an attendance at school of 15,315. These Reports are from Mr. M. J. Kelly, Superintendent of the Roman Catholic Schools, of the Rev. G. S. Milligan and the Rev. "William Pilot, the former being Superintendent of the Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian, and the latter of the Church of England Schools. Mr. Kelly considers the schools under his supervision to be in a satisfactory state. Both Mr. Milligan Compulsory Education. 49 and Mr. Pilot aofree in thinkinGr that, till atten- dance is made compulsory, a large number of children will grow up ignorant of the rudiments of education. Mr. Milligan holds that, while public opinion is growing in favour of educating all the children, yet that many persons will not send their children to school unless compelled by law to do so. He notes that the poorest parents are the most apathetic. He instances one case where the teacher was in fault ; saying that " he was industrious, but that his education was defective." Another entry is to the effect that " at Perry's Cove, the day not being fine and the teacher aged, school was not open." He adds that this worthy old man has since retired from a position for which old acje had long: unfitted him. Mr Pilot is emphatic in condemning the practice of employing incompetent teachers, taking care to point out that the remedy is to pay adequate salaries in order to ensure good service. Like Mr. Milligan, he bewails the apathy and indifference of parents respecting their children's education, rightly attributing it to the fact that the parents are too ignorant themselves to appreciate the advantage of knowledge. His opinion is that '* nothinfr short of compulsory attendance will bring about the consummation devoutly to be wished, viz., the general education of all." It is clear that the E ^ ^ 50 EttglancVs Oldest Colony. existing arrangement as to education is but pro- visional. Through its operation sectarian jealousy and strife have ceased. But, until all the children under twelve are obliged to attend school for a" given time, it cannot be maintained that New- foundland enjoys all the benefits which flow from a comprehensive and thorough system of national education. Though the Island of Newfoundland is as large as England, the population numbers no more than 158,985; in Labrador which is united to it there are 2416 persons. In 1809 the total popu- lation was 140,530, so that the increase in New- foundland and Labrador between 1809 and 1('^76 was 14,830. Considering the nature and extent of the Island, the number of persons inhabiting it is absurdly small. The mass of the people find it hard to earn daily bread. Upwards of $100,000 are expended annually in relieving the poor. The misfortune of the people consists in the fishery being their only means of livelihood and that they do not seem disposed to embrace any others. Indeed they look with suspicion upon any harvest except that of the sea. They have a saying that an acre of the sea is worth a thousand acres of land. It has been proved that the Island abounds in excellent timber, that there is grazing-ground il k Principal Imports, 51 sufficient for rearing tlionsancls of cattle, tlint there is liiiid enough to grow all the grain re- quired for home conaum[)tion and leave a large surplus for export. I have examined the Customs lleturns for 1879 and I observe that the following articles, all of which might bo produced in the Island, were imported to the extent specified : Flour 30.3,483 barrels; oatmeal 1884 barrels; meat and poultry to the value of $28,479 ; peas 4445 barrels ; salt 42,943 tons ; timber 341 tons ; potatoes 109,380 bushels ; other vegetables 24,428 bushels ; hay and straw 59G tons ; shingles 42,943 tons. These are some of the articles which ought to be produced in the Island and which might be exported in place of being im- ported. Among the curiosities of those returns is an entry among the exports of 27 gallons of Spanish red wine having been sent to Spain. This is a new version of sending coal to New- castle. If the Reformation had taken place at an earlier day and been universal, or had not the Church of Rome made a fish diet obligatory on many days in the year, it is doubtful whether the Newfound- land fisheries or those of the Cornish fisheries either, would have attained their present value. Next to the United Kingdom, the country to which Newfoundland exports the most is Brazi\ E 2 Sa Fui^laniVs Oldest Colony. I subjoin flio lisifc wliicli I luivo nrrnnoiod in accor(];mco with llio Mtnouiits exported toencli: — Tho United Kiiv^fdoiii . r.ni/il .... I'dltlll^Ml Spain .... Tlio Dominion of Cnnaila United States of America IJiitisli West Indies Italy .... (Jil)raltar lland)ni\' Frentdi West Indies Sicily .... Saintti Pic'rre ^laui'itius . . Jeisey . , . . ^Madeira France .«c2,0(;7,r);v; l.;5s;{,si!) 7i;5.:.7i nst,427 .3 ](;,(;;{() 2(iS,()18 2:U.S18 i;{|,H)3 84,SK) 40.i;?9 4(),i(;!) lL',012 f<,!)03 8,071 8,1!) 9 7,1(»1 2,148 By rirrauginf^ the imports in the order of vahies, it will be seen that several countries, to which the exports are the largest, send the smallest pro- portion of goods in return. The Dominion of Canada The Uinted lviii<:dom , United States of America Britisli West Indies Spain .... French \yest Indies Portn^'al Jersey . • . . Sieilv .... Ilandjiirg France $2,258,071 2.180,703 2,140,345 329,220 172,704 101,738 2r 1)80 ' 374 11,417 4,502 005 Four places, Brazil, Gibraltar, Madeira, Mauritius, to which the exports amount to $1,484,4 10 send Mines and Mhii'm^, 53 in 10 t riolliintj^ hack to NcwfoimdlaTKl. Tlio result i?i tlijit tlio valiio of the total expoi'ts is $.~,918,1)2 t, wliilo that of the imports is Jii;7,2()l,002. Amounc the exports arc 28, 105 tons of copper oro valued at $-51], 21)0 and 1112^ tons of rc'^rulus valued at $ !• l',-")00. These are the results of miniug at Betts Cove and Little IJay carried on by a company formed by Mr. EUershausen of Nova Scotia. In the brief space of five years Newfoundland has risen to the sixth ])lace among the cop[)er-prodncing regions of the globe. Other minerals have been discovered in sutlicient quanti- ties to justify their extraction ; these include gold and silver, nickel, lead and iron. Coal-beds of vast extent, though known to exist, have not yet been worked. It seems probable, however, that when the mineral deposits on the Island are systematically explored and made available it may become as famons and envied for its mines as for its fisheries. At present the merchants, Avho are the capitalists of Newfoundland, give their atten- tion to the fisheries and neglect alike its mineral and agricultural resources. A company has been formed for prosecuting copper- mining on an extensive scale. It is styled the Newfoundland Consolidated Copper Mining Company and its originators are citizens of the United States, the head office being in New York. H 1 I 54 England's Oldest Colony, Mr. Ellcrshanscn transferred to this company the properties over which he had controL Other properties have been acquired and the undertaking, as a whole, is gigantic. The capital is in keeping, being three million dollars. Should this company be as successful as its sanguine promoters antici- pate, a great impetus will be given to mining in Newfoundland. As the Island is peopled and if a railway be constructed to St. George's Bay, a question of in- ternational relations will have to be finally deter- mined. Between Newfoundland and the United States frequent disputes have arisen concerning the fisheries, but these are even less complicated and more easily settled than the chronic misun- derstanding with France on the same subject. The misunderstanding known as the Fortune Bay outrage has been dispelled by Great Britain paying 15,000/. in full of all demands for compen- sation from the New England fishermen who were maltreated by the Newfoundlanders. Other dif- ferences of opinion as to the true interpretation of clauses in the Treaty of AYashington may yet be luirmonized by diplomacy. That treaty is as note- worthy as other similar documents for the vagueness of its terms. This appears to be the great object of diplomatists. Just as plumbers seem to take care to leave some damaged pipes when they are called French Claims, 55 • ^1 in to put the water supply to a house in good order and do so with the hope of being soon summoned to repair the miscbief they have wrought, so diplo- matists continue to leave treaties in such a con- dition that controversy arises as to their precise purport and fresh negotiations have to be under- taken with a view to make their terms intelligible and satisfactory to the persons affected. The treaty of Utrecht, which defines the rights of the French at the coast of Newfoundland, might be regarded as an exception to the rule, as it is as clear as any instrument of the kind. Yet it has been held by the French to confer rio^hts which do not seem to have occurred to its fraraers. By that treaty the French enjoy the right, con- firmed by subsequent tr(\ities, of fishing off the west coast of Newfoundland and of drying fish on the shore, concurrently with the subjects of the British Sovereign. This has been interpreted by French diplomatists to mean an exclusive right both to the fishery and to the occupation of the westerr shore. As Lord Palmerston observed, in a masterly despatch on the subject to Count Sebastiani in 1838, a concurrent right of en- joyment cannot possibly mean an exclusive right to a particular privilege ; he added, " the claim put forward on the part of France is founded simply upon inference, and upon an assumed in- Wi 56 England's Oldest Colony, terpr(?tation of words." Yet tlie Frencli have protested against mining operations on the plea that the land must be reserved for their exclusive use. The district about which this dispute exists is the favourite resort of persons who have im- perative reasons for disliking the police and who like this region because policemen are unknown in it. The points at issue between France and this country concerning Newfoundland become more embarrassing as time passes away. In such a case as this, delay is unquestionably dangerous. The sooner a clear and definite understanding is arrived at the better for all parties. By a system of bounties the French have given their fishermen a practical monopoly of fishing on the Banks of Newfoundland ; not a single British vessel being able to compete with them. This they are free to do, but no valid authority has yet been shown by them for excluding British subjects from British soil. AVhen the matter is again dealt with, it would be wise if the statesmen of Newfoundland were represented on any commission which might be empowered to act ; the question immediately concerns them and it is one with which they are intimately acquainted. I have shown how much there is in Newfound- land to attract and enrich the woodman, the farmer and the miner, in addition to the original Fish^ Game and Dogs. 57 attraction which has made it the great home of fishermen. It may yet be iiuml)ered among the spots to which invahds liasten in order to regain liealth by drinking mineral water. Tliere are many mineral springs in the IsLmd which only require pufling to be popular. A chalybeate spring at Logic Bay, near St. Johns, resembles the spring at Bath which used to be most in reqnest when that place was tlie fashionable resort for all sorts and conditions of invahds. The seeker after sport will there find as good opportunities of gratifying his taste as he can in the hunting-grounds of the Far West. The rivers abound in salmon, the inland hikes teem with trout; cariboo are still numerous and bears are often met with. Feathered game are plentiful. Anyone who desires to combine sport with profit can hunt wolves. Under an Act of the Legislature a reward of $12 is paid for the head of every wolf killed. Mosquitt 3 and other insects are even greater plagues than wolves, causing more annoyance and being less easily exterminated. On the other hand, the Island enjoys imnumity from frogs, toads, lizards and all venomous reptiles. It has long been noted for its dogs. In the earlier days of its history there is frequent mention of wild cats and hawks being brought from Newfoundland to England. Later the Newfoundland dog grew into ^^1 \h E- ff; 58 England^ s Oldest Colony. .lil' repute and was desci'vcMlly prized. When the Prince of Wales visited the Island in 1861 a splendid dog of pure breed was presented to him which he appropriately named Cabot. The Islanders cannot make many such gifts now. They have innumerable dogs, but most of them are mongrels which no rational person would accept as a gift. The resources of *' Enoland's Oldest Colony " are greater ; its soil and climate are far better ; its natural attractions are more varied, than is commonly supposed. Among these I do not number the public debt of $1,240,990, bearing interest at the moderate rate of_ 4 per cent. Yet no independent state or self-governing colony has a debt which has been incurred for more useful objects and which imposes so light and temporary a burden upon the community. The bonds, which were issued at par, are at a premium. In the statement of accounts for last year, the Auditor remarks that the public debt of the Colony is " held solely by the people of Newfoundland." The Islanders ought to be prouder of this fact tlian of the many advantages which Nature has placed within their reach. CHAPTER 11. THE LAND OF THE " BLUE NOSES. )> TnK Hoyal Province of Nova Scotia, as its in- liabitants proudly style it, is familiar to readers of " Sam Slick " as the home of " the Blue Noses." The late Mr. Justice lialiburton, the author of *' Sam Slick," was a member of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia ^Yheu a young man, and he died, at an advanced age, a member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. He did not object to tlie nickname which the Yankees had given to his fellow-countrymen ; on the contrary he thought it an honour to be " a Blue Nose." One of the most accomplished and estimable of New England poets has embalmed in harmonious verse a sad and romantic episode in Nova Scotia's early history. Indeed, the legeudiiry history of this Province has received a circulation through ]\Jr. Longfellow's "Evangeline" far wider than that of its authentic and more prusaic records. :.iM 6o The Land of the " Blue Noses.^^ I" I II' Sir AVilliam Alexap.der, the founder of Nova Scotia, -was accounted a good poet in his day. His verses pleased James the First, wlio called liiin "my pliilosopliical poet." He was a consummate courtier ; he excelled in the art of persuading Princes to confer upon him substantial tokens of their favour. The Province of Nova Scotia was a gift to him from James the First. His son Charles made the further grant of the power to create Baronets to the number of 150 as a means of promoting the settlement of the Province. Each Baronet was to acquire GOOO acres of land in return for a payment of loO/. A special privilege, which thoy much valued and which some of their contemporai-ies deservedly ridiculed, was to wear a yellow ribbon round their necks from which hung the badge of their order. This excited the jealously of the Irish and English Baronets Avho petitioned that they, too, might dis- play a similar token of their rank. Sir William Alexander did not find his Province or his order of Baronets so remunerative as the permission to coin base money. With the wealth thus acquired he built himself a fine house at Stirling. Sir AVilliam's wealth would have been greater still if the people of Scotland would have consented to adopt in their churches the Metrical version of the Psalms made by James the First and re- The Foimdc7' of Nova Scotia. 6i vised by him. Chiirles the First ordered that the version should be used, but tlie people ob- jecting to it as decidedly as they did to Laud's Prayer Book, the monopoly of printing" tliat version for thirty-one years, conferred u])on Sir William Alexander, did not profit the " philosophical poet." He died bearing: the title of Earl of Stii-lino: without having effected anything else for Nova Scotia than to give it a name. Through great tribulation that Province has slowly attained its present condition as the chief among the Maritime Provinces of the Dominion of Canada. When the Confederation of Canada was achieved in 18(37, a strong protest was made by Nova Sco- tians asTfainst becomino- members of the Dominion. The Hon. Joseph Howe, the soul and leader of the malcontents visited England and enlisted Mr. Bright's powerful advocacy in appealing to Par- liament to detach Nova Scotia from the new Con- federation, The attempt failed ; Mr. How^e was pacified, after what were called " better terms " had been offered to the Province and then he accepted office in the Government of the Do- minion. The controversy as to the advantage of Confederation has not yet lost all bitterness, or ceased to excite and divide the people of this Province. Superadded to it is the question of that " National Policy" which Sir John Macdonald 62 The Land of the "Blue Noses,'* it I .', fi; lie'' devised cand to wliieli the Dominion Parliament Las given effect at the instance of his Administra- tion. " National Policy " is tlie old-fjishioned " Protection to native industry " under a new form and with a new name. Some Nova Scotians declare that the evils of Confederation have been intensified by the effects of protection. Others are of opinion that the severe depression felt in business circles durinf^ the last few years is due to general causes affecting the entire commercial world. For six or seven years after Confedera- tion, the Province enjoyed extraordinary pros- perity. Large sums were then expended in con- structing railways, cutting canals, erecting public buildings throughout the Dominion, and tliis Province shared in the business activity which ensued when so much borrowed capital was put into circulation. Merchants and others lived up to their means ; sometimes they lived beyond them in the belief that the gains of the future would more than meet any liability they might incur, and thus, when the day of reckoning suddenly and unexpectedly arrived, the reaction was the more disastrous because the expansion had been so extreme. It is a gross blunder to blame Con- federation for this. Nor would it be discreet to pronounce that the new panacea for making everybody rich and contented has utterly failed. The ''National Policy r 63 A protective policy onglit to succeed for a time, and it Avill continue popular so long as the peo{)le at large are satisfied to pay the price. An indi- vidual who is rich enough can have any luxury ■which money will buy. Protection is a luxury which only a very wealthy or a very self-denying nation can afford to pay for. As yet the influence of the " National " or protective ])olicy of Canada has had so slig^ht an effect in this Province that although the Nova Scotians rail against it, they are influenced by their fears rather than by their actual experience. The most doleful and dispiriting account which I received as to the position and prospects of Nova Scotia was supplied by a Virginian gentle- man, who played a leading part in the ti^agedy of secession and who has made his home in Halifax. His heart is in his native State but his money is invested in the capital of Nova Scotia. He assured me that the Nova Scotians had ceased to be loyal to the British Empire and would have no objec- tion to become citizens of the North American Republic. I failed to ascei'tain any gr'ound for this conclusion ; but I heard that, house property having fallen in value, this gentleman's invested capital has been reduced for the moment. Should land and houses rise in price he may cliange his views. Despite his dissatisfaction with the policy > • 'I 64 The Land of the '^ Bhic Noses. >» ii of the Government under wliicli lie had voluntarily chosen to hve, lie had no fault to find ^vith the Province as a place of abode; on the contrary, he prai.sed both the soil and climate in strong terms. Natives of the country deplored the eniigration from it of young men to the United States. Com- munication between Halifax and Boston in Mas- sachusetts is frequent and the journey can be made for a small outlay. The temptation is extreme for yonng Nova Scotians, who are dissatisfied with their home prospects, to proceed to New England in order to begin life there under conditions which they consider more favourable. They are influenced by the feeling which causes the country bumpkin to quit his quiet English village and hasten to London where he hopes to find the streets paved with gold. Many Nova Scotians learn b}^ sad experience that, if they are better paid abroad, they must work harder and expend more than at home, and the numbers of the disenchanted and disappointed who return are said to balance the numbers wdio depart elate and over sanguine. Intelligent Nova Scotians whose opinions on oilier subjects would have commanded my respect, spoke concerning the Canadian Pacific Railway with a recklessness which astonished me. They laboured under the delusion that the construction of the R-ailway would either ruin the Dominion or '•Old Fossils." 65 else tliat the oper.ition of tlie railwny would benefit tliG Western Provinces exclusively. II: a citizen of New York were to uso similar lauG:uaGfe in reference to the Union Pacific Uailway,liis hearers would naturally conclude that he had lost his wits. The truth is that Halifax will profit by a railway through Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific just as New York city has profited by the railway between that city and San Francisco. The evidence which I have collected leads me to the conclusion that the Nova Scotians are too ready to grumble and are deficient in a patriotic faith in the resources of Canada and in the capacity of her sons to develope them. In Halifax there are many men who are irreverently but not inaptly termed ** old fossils." They have made enough money upon which to live in comfort. They have invested it in non-speculative securities yielding them a moderate return. They have adequate capital wherewith to embark in any enter- prise, but they lack the requisite courage for sup- porting novel undertakings with their money, even though the chance of doubling their capital and in- come by so doing may not be slight. These men are foremost in complaining of capital and energy being lacking to develope Nova Scotia's resources. It has been proved to demonstration that the gold fields are as rich and as safe investments as the J)' 66 The Land of tJie " Blue Noses.** coal pita from wliicli advonturoiiK tuiMvo and Eiiolisli capitalists have derived largo profits. The Nova Scotian capitalist hesitates to take shares in a gold-mine. AVhon a gold-mine of undoubted richness is discovered and tested, it usually passes into the hands of a shrewd and enterprising United States capitalist, and when the Nova Scotians see him becoming rich by his venture they blame Confederation or the Govern- ment for marring the prosperity of their Province. After the discovery of gold in 1861 at Tangier River, forty miles to the east of Halifax, there was an outburst of foolish speculation. AVhen over-cautious men lose their heads, they are fre- quently guilty of inconceivable follies. Experience then taught the lesson that a gold-mine may ab- sorb more of the precious metal than it can ever yield, and that it is necessary to exercise judg- ment in choosing a mine and skill in working it. The Nova Scotians seem disposed to act like a boy who, having burned his fingers, refuses ever after to warm his hands at the fire. Instead of profiting, in a rational way, by what has occurred, their prevailing feeling now is to eschew mining altogether and let strangers step in and carry off the golden prizes. From the year that the extraction of gold began down to the present time, the total yield has been i Cold-Mines. 67 \ i 307,n72 ounces. TiRst- year 1 1,000 onncoa wore rcturnod. Tlio avoriiw caniinjy of each iiniior lias exceeded $000 [iniiually ; the earniiij^ last year exceeded $700. These figures contrast most favourably with returns from otlier regions of this Continent where gold-mining is a re- munerative industry. Yet the room for improve- ment here is very great. The waste in extracting gold is enormous. It is indisputable that a yield of five pennyweiglits per ton is ample for paying the miner who uses the most improved machinery and follows tlic most modern processes. Gold- mines in Bra/.il and Australia, where tlie return is at that rate, pay large profits, yet in Nova Scotia tlic complaint is that no profit can bo obtained unless the quartz yield ten pennyweights per ton, seven being a common yield and seven being found inadequate for profitable working. Mr. Selwyn, the Director of the Geological Survey of Canada w^lio, for sixteen years before filling that oflTice, filled an analogous one in Vic- toria, has shown how close are many of the geological resemblances between the Provinces of Victoria and Nova Scotia. lie also shows how wasteful the system of mining is in the latter Province, many mines there wasting as much as would suffice to return dividends of 10 per cent, in Victoria, and the machinery in the Australian F 2 68 TJie Land of the " Blue Noscs.^* ■ i ' mines doing nearly douljle as rancli Avork as tliat employed in the Nova Scotian. Ifc is clear that skill and proper macliineiy are lacking. Were tlie Nova Scotian gold-mines properly developed they wonld take rank among the most remunera- tive, favourite and stable investments of the Province. The c:old-bearin<2: reo:ion of 1^1 ova Scotia extends over 8000 square miles. Coal and Iron are two products of which Nova Scotia possesses an abundance. The capital in- vested in coal winning is estimated at$l 2,000,000 ; the number of pits worked is twenty-five. Pictou, whicli is the principal town in the coal district, is next in importance to Halifax. It is picturesquely situated on a point jutting into a land-locked harbour wherein hundreds of vessels can be con- Vfmicntly moored. The passage from Northum- berland Straits into the harbour is only 200 yards across at the entrance. On either side the eye rests upon a stretch of fine land dotted with trees and divided into farms. The town of Pictou was founded in 1707 bv some emiorrants from Philadelpliia. Five years afterwards thirty fatnilies arrived from tlie Scottish Iliii'lilands with the object of establishing a settlement, but, being unable to agree with the first comers as to the right of ownership in the land, they went else- where. Other families from Scotland arrived i Nova Scotian Collieries, 69 here at a later day, and the majority of the people still bear Scottish names and speak witli the accent o£ their forefathers. The demand for Nova Scotian coal is greater now than in former years. The trade with the United States, which was almost extinct for a time, has revived again. I saw three United States vessels taking in cargoes, a sight which, as I was informed, was both nn- nsual and welcome. When the Eeciprocity Treaty was in force, Nova Scotian coal was chiefly ex- ported to the United States; since the imposition of a heavy import duty, that market has ceased to be the principal one. The coal-owners com- plain that the present Canadian taritl' does not give them that monopoly of supplying the Western Provinces of the Dominion which they expected to have under the " National policy." The citizens of Ontario still buy coal imported from the United States, while the citizens of New England still buy coal imported from Nova Scotia. A protective taritl' cannot always subserve the design of its framers either by diverting all trade into a particular channel or in diffusing universal happi- ness. A short ride from South Pictou brings the traveller to New Glasgow, which resembles the ancient and flourishing city on the banks of the Clyde in being over-hung with smoke. Not far 70 The Land of the " Blue Noses.''* •\ distant are the Albion pits, from wliicli large quantities of coal have been taken for half a century, ami which are expected to continue productive for many years to come. The seam there is tliirty feet thick. At New Glasgow there are iron fonndiies, tanneries, a pottery and ship- building yards. The largest Nova Scotian ships have been built hci-o. This industry was not brisk at the time of my visit ; I saw only one ship on the stocks. The demand for wooden vessels is falling off and, if the ship-builders h^rn w^ould regain their supremacy, they must build iron ships. They have so many facilities for so doing that, by taking due advantage of them, the iron vessels of Glasofow in Nova Scotia mig^ht be in as great request as those of Glasgow in Old Scotland. The Island of Cape Breton, another part of this Province wherein coal abounds, is about a mile from the mainland, being separated from it by the Gut of Canso. The scenery on this island, which attracts tourists quite as much as the coal-fields attract ca})italists, is on a very grand scale. Readers of Horace Walpole's writiugs will remember an amusing reference to this Island. Walpole asserts that the Duke of Newcastle, the Prime Minister at the time, having learnt to his surpi'ise that Cape Breton was an Island, he could not rest till he liad communi- Scenery and Cliniate. 71 cated tlie extraordinary fact to every member of the Cabinet. From Cape Breton at tbe north to Yarmouth at the south, this Province covers an area of nearly 22,000 square miles, out of which 3000 square miles are covered with lakes. It has a coast-line of 1200 miles and a large number 'of excellent harbours. Within the limits of the Province, which is about 300 miles long by from 100 to 50 in breadth, there are great varieties of soil and climate ; the temperature is 8° higher in the western than in the eastern Counties. It has plenty of shagsry wood, but no mountains like those in Old Scotia. The height of the hills does not exceed 1000 feet. The richest and most picturesque part of the Province is the broad valley between Windsor and Annapolis, where the Acadians passed an existence which resembles the visions of the golden age. The historian of Nova Scotia, depicting their state in 1755, tells how these Acadians, to the number of 18,000 tilled the fields, reaped crops, and reared cattle and poultry in this happy valley. Their ordinary drink was beer or cyder. They clad themselves in garments spun from the flax which they cultivated or from the fleece of tlieir sheep. They rarely went to law, accepting the decision of the elders in cases of dispute. "TV 72 The Land of the " Dhie Noses." i ,1 ■ 1 ll 1 ■ ,1 i < \ 1 i i 1' There was no permnnent destitution among tliem, t1ie unfortunate being succoured by those richer in the world's goods. They lived as a large and happy family ; early marriages were the rule and the vices of great cities were unknown. The picture of these people before their expulsion makes their fate seem the more pitiful; but it may be that the picture is too higldy coloured and that the Annapolis A^alloy has never been the scene of an earthly paradise. It is certainly a pleasant and fruitful land where tlie inhabitants have every reason to enjoy life. The soil is very fertile and admirably adapted for the growth of fruit trees. Indeed, the apples grown :ii the Annapolis Valley are very fine and are highly prized by good judges. When the apple trees are in blossom the prospect resembles that between Heidelberg and Frankfort in the spring time when the cherry trees are in blossom. It is a peculiarity of this Province to offer great variety of scenery and of means of livelihood. The farmer, gardener, miner and fisherman can all find profitable employment. The fisheries are very valuable ; the fish caught comprise cod, mackerel, -.had, hake, herring and salmon ; the annual return from the fisheries is not much under a million sterling. Twenty thousand men are occupied in fishing. The land is specially well TJic Capital of Nova Scotia. 73 % suited for tliG cuUurc of such vegetables as pota- toes and turnips, and of such grains as wlicat, barley, oats, rye, buckwheat and maize. The number of acres of good land is estimated at 10,000,000. Of these less than 2,000,000 are under cultivation. This large, fertile and salu- brious Province, wherein there is ample scope for millions of people, has less than 400,000 in- habitants. Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia. It has many natural advantages among which beauty of situation is the most striking and that of possessing the finest harbour on the coast is the most useful. It was founded on the 2-jth July 1749. Kot till the close of the American revolutionary war did it secure a large acces- sion of citizens. Then, however, it became a refuge for the United Empire Loyalists who abandoned or were expelled from their homes in the United States. These men displayed great vigour and fortitude in promoting the interests of this Province. They gave an impetus to the capital wdiich it has not quite lost or which, if lost is owin) CHAPTER III. tail of to THE rROVINCE OP NEW BRUNSWICK. When Sfc. Jolm, tlio cliicf city of New Brunswick, was almost entirely destroyed by fire on the 20tli of June, 1877, the loss sustained was greater proportionately tiian that caused by tlie great fire at Chicago six years previously. About 18,000 New Brunswickers were then rendered homeless ; 1612 houses, covering an area of 200 acres, were destroyed in the brief space of nine hours ; the loss of property was estimated at $27,000,000. English philanthropists showed their usual and laudable alacrity in aiding the suflerers. Some of them also displayed discreditable ignorance about the situation of St. John and the nation- ality of its inhabitants. T remember an ap})eal earnestly made by one of them to the effect that the sad occasion was an admirable oppoi-tunity, not only for succouring the needy, but also for manifesting brotherly love and charity towards '. *■ i: IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 IIIM 12.2 «A£ IIIIIM 1.8 1.4 1.6 ^^ (9 /# A c-l c>5 VI / ■*». ? c? / z;^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY 14S80 (716) 872-4503 i i' 80 The Province of New Bninsivick. the citizens of the United States. Unfortunately, this is no isohited example of geograi)hical igno- rance. Indeed, when Cobden expressed his opinion that young Englishmen should bo in- structed in the history of Chicago, he niiglit have added that they would be all the better for obtaining precise knowledge of the history and geography of Canada. This knowledge would prove quite as useful to them as that minute and exclusive acquaintance with Grecian history and literature which he assumed them to possess and which, as an intellectual possession, he may have undervalued. It is true that the people of New Brunswick are closely allied in race to their neighbours across the border. Many of the oldest and most respected New Brunswick families are descended from the Loyalists who were driven from the United States because they pertinaciously avowed their predilection for an ideal British Empire of which the North American Continent should form a part. No Province of the Dominion of Canada is less Yankee in sentiment than New Brunswick which is conterminous on the south-west with the State of Maine. Its inhabi- tants do not seem to have forgotten how the State of Maine was aggrandized at the expense of their Province in 181-2, owing to what they The Puritans and New Britnsivick. 8i believe to have been the sliarp practice of Daniel "Webster, then Secretary of State in Mr. Tyler's Arbninistvation. The Pni'itans of ]\rassac1nisetts pla3'ecl a curions part in the early history of what is now Kew Brunswick but was then called Acadia. John "VVinthrop, then Governor of Massachnsetts, assented to a request that New Ent^hind ships and men should bo employed in hel[)iiig Latour, who held the fort which stood on tlie site of the principal city in the Province and who refused to surrender it, and resign his commission of Lieutenant-General to D'Aulnay whom tlio King of France had sent to supersede him. The assistance rendered by the New Eno:hinders proving effectual, D'Aulnay had to retire dis- comfited. This happened in 1G4^^. Two years afterwards D'Aulnay renewed the attack during Latour's absence. The wife of Latour then dis- played the heroic qualiti(>s which the Countess of Derby afterwards did during the war between the Enolish Parliament and Charles the First. Aofain, D'Aulnay was repulsed. A third titne he made the attempt and, on this occasion, he succeeded throngli bribery in getting a footing in the fort though vigorously ojiposed by IMadame Latour at the head of fifty brave men. His revenge con- sisted in hanging the whole garrison before the a m ■A ' 1 w •IS ' ! 82 7/ie Province of Nciu Brnnszvick, 03^03 of tlio woman who liad manifested so much fortitude and bravery. The spectacle was more terrible to lierthan an assault of armed, men; she died of g'rief soon after. AVhen D'Aulnay felt himself strong enough to assert his rights, he accused the Government of Massachusetts with a breach of neutrality and demanded compensation. The latter replied that they had not directly interfered in the quarrel, having merely permitted Latour to hire ships and enlist men. The damages demanded were 8000/., vet the Commissioner who urijed the claims of ITAulnay said that if the Government acknow- ledored their p^uilt in the matter the damaores might be reduced to a nominal amount. Ulti- mately the blame was transferred to Captain Hawkins and the volunteers who had taken part with Latour, and the Government consented " to send a small present to D'Aulnay in satisfaction of what Captain Hawkins and the others had done." Governor "Winthrop in describing the transaction, enables us to understand that the *' smartness " which is supposed to be a modern characteristic of New England was possessed and exercised by the early Puritans. The small present sent to D'xlulnay was " a very fair new sedan" which had been taken in the West Indies and presented to the Governor, which was Foiuidation of St. yohn. 83 " wortli forty or fifty pounds wliero it was made, but of no use to us.'" In 1050, Latour returned. D'Aulnay had died in the interval, leaving a widow wlio surrendered the fort to Latour and, three 3'ears afterwards, became his wil'e. Thus Latour not only regained possession of the fort but he became the husband of his rival's wife and lord of all his lands. This settlement occurred in 1653; in tlie following year it was abruptly terminated by Oliver Crom- well who sent a naval expedition against him with the result that he was ousted from office and Acadia was annexed to Eno^land. It was ceded to France again a few years later and it was re-acquired by England in 1745 ; a few years after this an English garrison under the coai- mand of Colonel Moncton was established in the fort wdiich, during a century, had been the subject of strife. A few settlers came hither from England in 17G1; but the first settlement on a large scale and permanent basis was made by 5000 United Empire Loyalists who left the United States in 1783 and, on tlie 18th of May in that year, founded the city of St. John. Several years later there was an influx of settlers from Ireland who have found their removal to the new country from the old one to be highly advan- * ' John Winthrop's "Xew England," vol. ii. p. 274. u 2 m li \m ■famrnnam'^ i: t, '!! |: 84 The Province of New Bntnswic/c. tacfoous. The least successful tillers of t1ie soil appear to be tlie deseeiulants of tlie Aeadians who escaped expulsion from the country. Their farmin": is both slovenlv and wasteful, consistinor in exhausting a piece of land and then applying to the Government for a new piece whereon to recommence the same process. Many smrdl colonies have settled in New Brunswick and have prospered exceedingly. A small colony numberincf 182 went thither from the North of England in 1837. The colonists had to fell trees before they could cultivate tlie land. According to a return compiled in the sixth year of their sojourn, the result of their labour was that they had taken from land, originally covered with trees, 2G0 tons of hay and straw, and 1500 brsliels of grain, potatoes and turnips. They appended to the return tlie fol- lowing remarks : " The climate of New Bi-uns- wick aofrees well with the constitution of Enoflish- men ; the air is salubrious, and the water as pure and wholesome as any in the world. During the six years of our location there have occurred but two deaths, while there have been thirty-nine births without the presence of medical aid. Six years' experience have convinced us that not- withstanding the privations to which new settlers are exposed, diligence and perseverance must A^'civ Denmark. ensure success." In 184-2, an 5itteiii[)t was made to found a small colony of Irish people where teetotal principles would bo rigorously practised. The experiment was succc'ssful beyond expecta- tion. The colony, iiicludinij^ women and children, number(Hl 101. Thirty male members of it are credited at the end of the first year with having gathered from a spot, which had been a dense forest till they cleared it, 727G bushels of grain, potatoes and turnips. Their labour had been rewarded with a total return, in crops and per- manent improvements, to the value of 2000/. Quite as interesting and significant as any of the foregoing examples is that of the Danish colony established within the last ten years about eight miles from Grand Falls in the western part of the Province. This place, formerly called llellerup, is now known as New Denmark. There it was that, in the year 1872, thirty-six Danes began to cut down the primeval forest. The toil was harder than they had counted upon, while the difficulties against which they contended seemed so great as to dishearten them. But they per- severed and they have now no reason to complain. Where trees covered the ground a few j^ears ago, is now a tract of cleared land extending over 3000 acres and yielding large crops. The colony has grown from 36 to 500 persons and it is I I ; I I 'I i I 86 The Province of New Briinsivick. bciii^" ivciiiitcd l)y lTt'(|ucut nrrivjib; as many as 120 imii) 'grants arrived there from Denmark in 1879. The extent of tlio settlement is such that there are tbirt3^-six miles of road running through it. The ])eo[)le are frugal and indus- trious, and are growing rich, because they have an annual surplus in excess of their own require- ments. A curious circumstance is that, whereas the Danes who arrived here were Lutherans, tliey adopted tlie service of the Church of England in the church which they built for themselves. All the facts which I have gleaned from official papers as to the prosperity of the New Brunswick farmers were verified in conversation with those Avhom I questioned as to their condition. They have many advantages over farmers in the Far West. The land yields as good a return, while the price obtained for the produce is higher owing to the proximity of a market. They have not to pay so much for wdiat they buy, as the farmers must do who are far removed from the sea-board, while they receive more for what they have to sell than the farmers can do whose crops have to be carried to market hundreds of miles by rail. The area of the Province is 27,i>32 square miles, being greater than that of the Kingdoms of Belgium and Holland combined. Thirteen million of acres are available for cultivation. It is estimated that The St. John River, 87 tlie land can support- a popnlation nnniborini^ four millions and a half'. The actual population does not much exceed three hundred thousand! The St. John River is the most notable fact in the Province of Xew Brunswick. It is a noble stream, affording, with its tributaries, 1300 miles of navigable waters, draining a region covering 17,000,000 acres, thereof 9,000,000 are within the Province, 2,000,000 in the Province of Quebei^ and 0,000,000 in the State of Maine. The valley through which it flows is very beautiful, the scenery being quite as attractive as at the most lovely parts of the Hudson. The Indians gave it the name *' Looslitook " because they were struck with its length, the word meaning " Long River." It winds through the Province for a distance of 250 miles ; as the Province is 190 miles long by 140 broad, it is obvious that the St. John River is a meandering stream. At the upper part of the stream are Grand Falls where the water descends 70 feet perpendicularly. AVhcre it enters the harbour at the city of St. John another fall of a singular kind attracts the notice of stranofers. When the tide is out and the water low, the water descends 17 feet. At high water, on the contrary, the fall, if I may thus phrase it, is in the opposite direction, the tide rising so high as to cause rapids up stream. I passed over the 1- i. ir n 83 The Province of New Briins:cii/c. spot in a stcam(T during' tlio twenty minutes tliis can be done wlion tlie tide is at its liei'dit, and I could scarcely realize that the spot was the same as that at wliich I had seen tlie river dashing down the rocks in a sheet of foam. For some distance above the city of St. John the river is very wide and is studded with wooded islands. The view on either side is varied and most attractive over the whole eighty-six miles which intervene between that city and Fredericton, the Capital of the Province. The Lieutenant-Governor occupies an oflicial residence at Fredericton which is imposing in appearance but which has a serious defect, judging from the statement which Dr. Botsford, a physician of St. John, made in a paper read before the Convention at Ottawa of the Canada Medical Association. Dr. Botsford said that Government House, which cost $100,000 to erect and from $5000 to $8000 annually to maintain, was so unhealthy that the persons who lived there did so at their peril. The sudden death of the late Lieutenant-Governor and the ill- health of the present one were attributable, in liis opinion, to the sewage gas which pervades the edifice. It is clear, then, that the Governor of this Province runs quite as much risk as the leader of a forlorn hope. Let me hope, however, that Government House will be converted into a CJiurchcs in Frcdcr'uion, 89 ■place, in wliicli to enjoy life, fi-oni one in wliicli to risk and lose it. A house of meetiiif^ for the Pi'ovineial Legislature is the most recent public buiklin<^' in Fi'ederieton ; it has been ei'ected to replace the one destroyed by fife. The n(nv llouso of Assembly is a substantial stone struc- ture. The Episcopal Cathedral is the buildin cr •th »f it. most conspicuous and best v This Cathedral vies with that of ^lontrcal as a fine example of Canadian ecclesiastical architec- ture. The loyal citizens take pleasure in in- forminof a strauGfer that the altar-cloth, is the one used at the coronation of AVilliam the Fourth. The Methodists have built a church with a spire still higher than that of the Cathedral and having a hand with an outstretched finger at the sunmiit. Much of this structure is of wood, and it does not resist the action of the weather like the stone of which the Cathedral is built ; thus, while the Methodists are entitled to boast of having the higher spire, they have also the obligation of paying largely to keep it in repair. The Uni- versitv of New Brunswick, founded in 1800, is at Fredericton. An annual scholarship of $G0 is awarded to one boy from each county in the Pro- vince as well as free tuition, and fifty-six scholar- ships, entitling the holder to free tuition, are appropriated for competition to any youth in the u 90 The Province of New Bninsivick. \:\ ■ cities and coiiiilii's. Tlio ^fi'lliodists founded a Cullcn^e Jit Siickviilc in 18()2 which is open to stndiMits of either sex, and the lionian (/utliolics maintain St. Josepli's Collet^'e at IMenirameook. Tho Post olHce, and otiier public buihlings in Fredei'icton are of red brick ; several stores and warehouses are built of the sarao material ; they Lave all a solid appearance and they belong to r^en who are enterprising and opident. Trees lino the streets and surround many of the buildings. Gardens are attaclied to most of the houses and the combination of foliage and flowers on every hand, and ])ublic buildings, shops and houses standing among gardens, produces a rural efl'ect and makes the observer fancy that he is looking upon a large and finely-built country village. I have never seen a capital which seemed less like a cit}^, or a city which had so pleasant reminders of the country. The river is half a mile wide here and the banks are too flat to be picturesqne. Fish of various kinds abound in the river.' Stnrgeon are specially plentiful. This fish used to be prized by royalty in England ; it is not considered a delicacy here. Yet great zeal is shown in catching sturgeon because the business is profitable. I visited a station where four men were engaged in fishing. They had caught twenty fish within twenty-four hours ; all these sturgeon I Ilcad'jiiai'tcrs of Ihc IntcrcoloniaL 91 were ljn\i';(', oiiu of tlicni mcnsurid six feet in length. Tlio price paid for cncli, irrespective oL' size, is fifty cents. 1 wjis told tliiit, when tlie fish rcacljed I'oston, whicli was tlieir destination, they woukl fetch five dollars each. It is stranL;'e that the New Brnnswickers have norelisli for the fish, bccanso it is good, (hough ratlier snb.-tantial eating. But a prejudice such n^ they entertain cannot be removed by argumeri, any more than the prejudice of the Irish T' oph against rabbits and of the Scottish peopl:* against eels. Moncton takes rank, after < he Capital and St. John, as the most rising New Brunswick town. It is the hea(hpiarters of the Intercolonial Uailway and the junction -where the trains meet which run between Halifax and St. John and Halifax and Quebec. While St. John is situated not far from the mouth of the Bay of Fiindy, Moncton is at the head of that extraordinary sheet of water which, as the tide flows and ebbs, rises and falls in ccTtain places as much as sixty feet. So far from the sea as IMoncton, the diflerence between low and high water is thirty feet, and the contrast is most striking betw'cen the vast expanse of almost dry ground when the tide is out and the area of water where the largest ships can float when the tide is at its height. The phenomena called the "bore," which is occasionally seen ou .1 '•""RWflWiw"-™-- — ...JJ:. . ^liUtKlU>*|W , ft- ill ■til CHAPTER IV. TRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. The Island now called Prince Edward was known as St. Johns Island till 1800. In that year its name was changed to commemorate the sojourn of the Queen's father in British North America. Till 1770 it formed a part of the Province of Nova Scotia. In 1873 it became a Province of the Dominion of Canada. Though the smallest member of the Dominion, its area being a little in excess of 2000 square miles, it has a population of 100,000, which is proportionately larger than that of any other Canadian territory of the like extent. The situation of Prince Edward Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence corresponds, in its relation to Canada, to that of the Isle of Wight in its relation to England. The climate is milder and more equable than en the mainland. The sea breeze tempers the summer heat, and renders the Island a pleasant place of resort during the H 2 ik m\ \ 100 Prince Edward Island, ii t warm season. The sea-bathing on tlio north side is excellent, and of late years many persons, not from Canada only, but from the United States also, take up their abode here in the summer 'hue and enjoy a dip in the Atlantic surf. Though the distance across the Straits of Northumberland between Cape Traverse, on the Island, and Cape Tourmentine, on the shore of New Brunswick, is 9 miles, and between the opposite end of the Island and Nova Scotia 15 miles, yet the journey over the route taken by the steamer occupies four to five hours. During the winter months communication with the mainland is maintained with difficulty, it being often an arduous feat to force a passage through the ice which fills the Straits. In spring, summer and autumn, steamers ply every other day between Point du Cliene, in New Brunswick, and Summer- side, the second town of importance on the south coast of the Island, and between Pictou, in Nova Scotia, and Charlottetown, the capital of the Island. When beheld from the sea on a bright day, the Island looks very beautiful. Its clills are as red as those of South Devon, and the com- bination of red rocks, dark green woods, and green fields, dotted with white houses, is very pleasing to the eye. The coast is frequently in- dented with bays, running far inland, and swarm- Itfl Oj'sfcrs, JMackcrcl, and Lobsters, loi ing witli fish. Slicll-fish abound. Oysters are plentiful and good. They are in great i-equest at Halifax and other cities on tlie mainland. Tho sliells are longer and the contents are larger than those of English oysters, and also than those of the " Blue Points " which are hicfhlv prized in the United States. On the other hand, they resemble English oysters in taste more than those of the United States. The chief fishing industry is that of catching and curing mackerel, and tinning lobsters for ex- portation. There are nearly 50 factories in which lobster preserving is carried on, giving employ- ment to 2000 persons. Some of the factories treat from 10,000 to 15,000 lobsters a day. It was expected that 125,000 cases, each containing 48 tins lib. in weight, would be exported the season of my visit. The price paid to the fishermen for every lobster delivered at the factory is half a cent, and the present shipping price of each box holding 48 tins of lib., is S4 25c. ; in other words, nearly 43 lb. of lobster can be bought for export at a trifle over 16s. If I do not mistake, the retail price of a tin in England is 9c/., so the margin between IGs. paid here and the oOs. ob- tained for a case in Engfland leaves a large per- centage out of which to defray incidental expenses and to gain a profit. I am told that lobster ..[? 102 Prince Edivard Island, I I catching is forbidden by law during the month of August. Tlie fishermen neither seem to care anything about a close time, nor to pay a willing respect to the law which decrees it. One of them told me that, in his opinion, lobsters were always in season, and that he did not believe any one knew or would ever know when they spawned. He adduced evidence to the effect that, at all periods, they presented the appearance of being in a condition to spawn. Yet there can be no doubt in the minds of rational men that lobsters can be exterminated, just as oysters have been in places, if the number taken from a given sjDot be in excess of the number produced. The cultivators of the soil thrive as well on Prince Edward Island as the harvesters of the sea. Oats, potatoes, and buckwheat are the most remunerative crops. Large quantities of oats are exported to Europe. Hay is exported to the West Indies ; oats, hay, eggs, fish, and other edibles are exported to Nova Scotia, New Bruns- wick, and Massachusetts. For several months in the year, a steamer which runs weekly between Charlottetown and Boston carries away many young islanders of both sexes, as well as the produce of the farms. The desire of the young men and women to visit Boston is as keen as the desire of young people in the rural Yield and Price of Potatoes. 103 districts of Eiiolai)d to visit Loiulon. In both cases tlioy consider tluit, when tlio capital of tlio country is reached, tlieir fortunes are made. I asked some of the young islanders what was tlio special attraction of Boston. They replied that they had been told they could get high wages th there. They did not know that if the wages tliey received were liigher than those obtainable in the island, the price of what they had to buy was higher also. Besides, they had the indnoement of being able to make the experiment at the low cost of $8, and they were sanguine that they would have no reason to regret the change. ]t was the change of life which most of them de- sired. They could not complain of anything save the monotony of existence ; the Island seemed far too contracted a world to them. Prince Edward Island has an established repu- tation for producing excellent potatoes. Neither in size nor quality can any potatoes be found of a superior kind. As many as three and a half million bushels are produced in a single j^ear. But the main difficulty is to find a market for this useful and abundant article of food. A year ago it was possible to buy a bushel of potatoes for 10 cents. At the time of my visit the price had risen to 15 cents, though 25 is the price at which the seller obtains a handsome ' w .' 4 it ' it i IK' I' I fcr' 104 Prince Edivard Island, W ! H profit. Even at 25 cents, or one sliillinpf, tlio price is extremely low from an Enj^nish point of view, seein^^ tliat one penny a ponnd is acconnted cheap by the ])nrehasers of ])otatoes by retail. A bnshel which sells in the Island for one shilling sterlinnf wouhl thus command five shillinofs in the London market. Last year, three steamers were freighted with potatoes from Prince Edward I5 land to Enghmd, but tlic result, unfortunately, •w\as disastrous to the exporters. AVhether the cause was imperfect packing or some other mis- take, certain it is that the potatoes arrived at their destination in so bad a condition that the parties who engaged in the venture lost money. I understand that the attempt will be renewed, and I hojie that the issue may be more satisfactory. The first settlement of this Island on an exten- sive scale took place shortly alter the beginning of the present century. It is not generally known, I thiidc, that among the few sensible measures of Mr. Addington's much ridiculed Administration was one for encouraging settlers to make Prince Edward Island their home. Lord Helkirk stirred Mr. Addington to move in this matter. It was Lord Selkirk's desire to divert the stream of emigration to the British pos- sessions in North America. He induced 800 Highlanders to proceed to the Island in 1803. IligJdand Settlers, 105 m Thoy prospered exceed in<2:ly. The colony would have liad maiiv accessions had not war ai^ain broken out in Europe. When the war was (h'aw- ing to a close in 181l*, Lord Selkirk had set his * heart upon what is now the Province of ]\Ianitol)a, as the most elit^ible ])l;ice for settlement; he had become chairman of the Hudson Bay Company and he had bouiiht a laro:e tract of land in the IVoi'th-west. Otlier Scottish families emip^rated to the Island. The two parties Avere divided into hostile camps on the question of reli<^ious worship, the one being attached to the Koman Catholic form, and the other preferring the Presbyterian. Down to the present day there is enmity between the descendants of the two sets of immigrants from Scotland. The branch of the Church of England in the Island has also many adherents. The tendency in the Episco^^al Church is towards the extreme form of Ritualism. There is now an end to the conflict which raged for a century between the tillers and pro- prietors of the soil in Prince Edward Island. From the date of its cession to England in 17G3 down to 1875, statesmen were perplexed with a *' land question " there. At the outset the best mode in which to dispose of the land had received great consideration. It was surveyed in 176G ; two years before it had been granted to rSffl :ii^ Ii 1 06 Prince Edivard Island. ■ 1 1 Lord Egmont who Avas enamoured of that feudal system wliich, even in his dny, was accounted foolishness by many peers. His scliemc was to divide the Island into fifty baronies ; each baron was to erect a castle with a moat and drawbridge in genuine medioBval fashion, he was to maintain a certain number of men-at-arms and do suit and service to the Lord Paramount. Upon the merchants of London hearin^r that the kinof had granted this Island to Lord Egmont they valued the gift at half a million sterling. When his scheme for dealing with it was published, the public laughed at him and doubted whether he possessed his senses as well as an island. Sancho Panza could not have made a more absurd propo- sition about the Island of Barataria. Finding that he could not turn liis grant to account Lord Egmont relinquished it, and the Bf»ard of Trade and Plantations devised a scheme .of their own. According to this scheme, the Island was divided into G7 townships of 20,000 acres each ; the proprietor of each townsliip was to find a settler for every 200 acres, within ten years after entering into possession, and to pay a sum varying from six to two shillings yearly for each 100 acres held by him. The applicants for the land were so many, being far in excess of the quantity to be allotted, that it was resolved to put X Subdivision of tJie Land. 107 up tlie T\^liolo as prizes in a lottery, subdividing the townships into lots of a half or a third. The prize-holders became the proprietors of the Island, with the exception of two townsliips which had been reserved for the use of a fishiiio- con1pan3^ In a single day of the year 1707, l,oOO,000 acres of land were appropriated to persons not many of whom had the intention either of settling ou the Island or of inducing others to do so. The prizes were sold for cash ; many fetched as much as 1000/. at first ; but, the supply continuing, they ceased to have any value in the market. Very few of the proprietors fulfilled the con- ditions under which they obtained their lands. In only ten townships were the conditions com- plied with as to settling one person for iix^ivj 200 acres, before the expiry of the time when the lands were to be forfeited in the event of all the conditions not being fulfilled. The quit rents remained unpaid. These proprietoi'S were de- faulters to the Crown and at the same time exacting landlords. They declined to pay the rents for which they held their lands, but they insisted upon rents being paid to them by tlie tenants to whom thev leased the lands. The scandal was so glaring that as far back as 1770 an agitation began in the Island for tlie forfeiture of estates to wdiich the holders had ceased to "i i' wm 1 1 V i 1 08 Prince Edward Island, \ I m « PI 1 I I 1 1 ! enjoy an indisputable title. Year after year tlie dissatisfaction waxed strono^er. Nothiiifj of a decisive kind was accomplished till 1853 when the Provincial Legislature passed an Act autho- rizing the Government to purchase such estates as miglit be offered for sale and to resell them, in portions, to the tenants. Between 185 1< and 1871, thirteen estates, comprising 457,260 acres, were bought by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, acting for Nthe Government, at a co of $518,294. In every case of re-sale the sum obtained for each acre was larger than that paid, so that the redistribution of the estates was profitable to the Government as well as satis- factory to both tenants and landlords. The Act was permissive only. Like all permissive legis- lation this attempt to settle tlie " land question " was fundamentally weak. The best landlords readily disposed of their property, the Avorst or the most useless refused to come to terms. Thus the agitation throughout the Island did not abate and the call for a drastic measure grew louder and more gjeneral. In 18G0 another attempt was made to effect a settlement of the popular grievances by appointing a Commission to devise and enforce a measure for converting leasehold into freehold estates. The Commissioners consisted of the Hon. J. H. Landlords and Tenants, 109 Gray of New BrLinswick, nominated by the British Governmont ; the lion. Joseph Howe of Nova Scotia, nomiocited by tlie Logishitiire of Prince Edward Island, and the Hon. J. W. Ritchie of Hahfax, nominated by the pro;)rietors. A Pro- vincial Act was passed giving the force of Law to the Commissioners' award. On the award beingr published the proprietors raised a technical objec- tion to the manner in which provision was made for valninof the land. The Commissioners had devolved tlie duty of valuing the land upon other persons, whereas tliey ought to have discliarged it tliemselves. Hence it was that their Peport and award which the Duke of Newcastle, then Secre- tary of State for the Colonies, pronounced " able and impartial " were invalidated and their labour led to no result. The people througliout the Island regarded this conduct on the part of the proprietors as betokening bad faith and a deter- mination to thwart a thorouo-li and enduring: settleiricnt. Accordingly the agitation increased in strength and the demands of the tenants became more extreme as well as more menacing to social order. A " Tenant's Leao-ue " was formed with the avowed purpose of resisting the payment of rents. The civil power, not being able to make head against the opposition to authority, a mili- tary force was despatched from Halifax to aid in !! (> i UW ¥-m ! i' i ! I. , ^ ^} i ■ '' 1: ■; ! IIO Prince Edward Island, upholding and enforcing the law. Rents were collected at the point of the bayonet ; unless over- whelming force backed the demand, they were withheld. This lamentable and discreditable state of things lasted from 180-5 till 1875 when the Land Purchase Act was passed. Under this Act the proprietor of any piece of land, or pieces of land amountinof in the ao-o-reo-ate to 500 acres, who was O 1.-5 O O ' in the receipt of rents, couhl be compelled to have his interest valued bv a Commission and to have his propert}'^ transferred to the Commissioner of Public Lands in exchange for the price fixed by the Com- mission and paid to him. No proprietor who culti- vated his own land was aifected by the Act, pro- vided his estate did not exceed 1000 acres. The opposition of the proprietors to this Act was perti- nacious and vehement. A petition to the Crown praying that the Act might be disallowed, set forth that the Act embodied " a most unconsti- tutional principle," that it was utterly " destruc- tive to the rights and property " of the petitioners, that it reproduced to a considerable extent in one provision " the worst features of the Star Cham- ber," that it was an " act of open and sweeping confiscation" directed against persons "whose only crime was to possess land in Prince Edward IsL>nd." However, the Act was put in force, the Commission over which Mr. Childirs presided as Settlement of the Land Question. Ill ^esentative of the Dc of Canada, held 'ominiou its sittinu:s and made its awards. Cases of dis- content were common, as was to be expected when tlie persons affected objected to the whole proceedings ; but cases of real hardship were rare and the Island has ceased to be the theatre of angry disputes respecting the tenure and treat- ment of land. The proprietors' loss has been the Island's gain. I found general satisfaction as to the result. I learnt also tliat, since the settle- ment of the land question and the transforma- tion of leasehold into freehold properties the area of land under cultivation has largely increased and that this salutary process is con- tinuing. I have since read the last report of Mr. Donald Ferguson, the Land Commissioner, which contains minute and satisfactory details as to the working: of the Act. The followino' extract is instructive; the passage which I print in italics I consider to be specially deserving of attention : — " The sums received at this office duriuir the years 1877, 1878, and 1879 in payment of instal- ments, and interest on purchase-money, amount to $177,878 7Gc. A nuich larger sum would no doubt have been received were it not for the o-reat depression in trade existing during that period, causing a decline in the prices usually received 1! ■■■ » -i' 1 ;■»: ■'. ' \ |Si:l!p| i iv ' ^ 4- ■. i' 1 Si" '1; t.:l ^H; . i •Pi Ml i .1- 112 Prince Edzvard Island, for aoTicultui'ixl prdtliicts. AYliilsb soiiio of the tenants are somewhat slow in meetinsf their instabneuts as tiiey fall due, tlto, luajorlti/ are makliKj commrnd'ihle efforts in that diredioii, and the iiiihllc seutliiLCiit In the Colon;/ will sustaui the Department of Pitl/llo Lands in firmly hut prn- dentlij enforcinij payme}it of the balances remaining unj)aid 1)1/ the tenants.^* A narrow ffuaa;e railway, which runs from one end of the Island to the other, is of great service in developing its agri;jultural resources. Fanners can get their produce carried quickly and cheaply to the port of shipment. The railway is not a very pleasant ons to travel on. There are no mountains in the Island, yet there are plenty of undulations and, as the line is carried up one slope and down another and round sharp curves, the consequence is that the trains oscillate and jar to a great extent. A serious accident which occurred shortly before I journeyed on the railwa}^, was attributed to the imperfect condition of tlie permanent way and the Dominion Govern- ment, who manage the line, were bitterly denounced for this by their political opponents. Their political supporters were quite as ready to maintain that the Government deserved thanks for having kept the line in excellent condition. I could not find evidence of any other fault save 1 Miinmcr •side. 113 that of running trains at too great a speed over danoforous curves and \\vA\ gradients. Shipbuilding used to be the great industry of this Island. As many as 100 vessels were on the stocks at one time in the several yards, some being of lOUO tons burden. The demand for wooden vessels having fallen off, the Islanders are tlie losers. At Summerside, I saw but one small vessel on the stocks ; it was thouglit a subject of congratulatory notice in the newspapers that another of (300 tons, which was about to bo built, would give employment to some of the ship- wrights who had been for some time in enforced idleness. Timber of the best quality is so abundant, labour is so plentiful and there are so many facilities here for supplying wooden vessels of the highest class at the lowest price that, should a demand for them spring up again, the Islanders will have busy times. I fancy, how- ever, that wooden hulls are destined to diminish in number and to be superseded by iron ones. Summerside, the second largest town in the Island, is in communication by steamer with Point du Chene, in New Brunswick. The popu- lation is not much more than 8000. An attemyjt to make it a place of resort for summer tourists has failed for the present. This consisted in building a palatial hotel, called the Island Park m. i ; 114 Prince Edivard Island, Hotel, on an island in tlio Ba}''. The Island covers 200 acres and the grounds in wliich the hotel stands are beautifully laid out ; a hccam ferry keeps up communication between the hotel and Summersid(?. For a time the 600 rooms in the hotel were filled, but tlio visitors gradually departed without any intimation that they would return. The result has been a heavy loss to the pi.'oprietor of the hotel, which was closed when I saw it. Everything seemed in its favour. The situation was lovely ; a pleasanter spot on which to spend a few days or weeks it would be hard to find. But the sojourner in the Island Park Hotel found that it was less of a paradise than might have been supposed. I was told that the Island produces mosquitoes of a specially vicious and persevering character, and that these mos- quitoes did not rest till they had made the hotel too hot for its occupants. I have known cases of eyes being closed owing to mosquito stings, but I never before heard of mosquitoes shutting up a hotel. It is certain that the hotel was a failure and it is possible that the mosquitoes were unjustly blamed for a misfortune which might have been due to other causes. I did not sojourn on the Island where the hotel stands ; I cannot write from personal knowledge of its character as the hunting-ground for sanguinary insects, but I ■^ CJiarloitdozvn and its Suburbs, 115 Cfin say tliat I was untroubled bj mosquitoes in Prince Edward Island. Charlottetown, the Capital, is tlio largest city in the Island and even it does not contain more than 10,000 inhabitants. Its situation is admirable, being: built on a risiuGC e:round at the bottom CD Cj CD of Hillsborough Bay and at the confluence of the rivers Hillsborough, York, and Elliot. From the upper part of the city the prospect is charming ; in the distance are the hills of Nova Scotia, between them and the Island lie the Straits of Northumberland and many sheets of water filling irresfular indentations in the shore, as well as many small islands or promoncories covered with trees. There are several important buildings in Charlottetown, the principal one being the Colonial Building, where the Government officials and the Lesrislature are accommodated. The suburbs contain neat villas, surrounded with flower- gardens tastefully laid out and well kept. In traversing this Island and visiting the private houses and living in the hotels, one is pleasantly reminded of the Old AVorld ; there is not much bustle and there is much more comfort. Times do not appear to have changed materially since the Island was divided into three counties, Kings, Queens and Princes, and since the chief streets of its capital were traced and named I 2 H^ 1 '--'^i»M0^^(!*?"''"V":ii'''^*V)!t^.V'i^'"'' iii: ii6 Prince Edivard Island. m- |! Kent, Dorcliostor, Grafton, Qiicon nnd Crrnt Geor^'t\ The conductors of the nc\vsi)a|)c'rs are less disposed th[in the otlier Prince Edwai'd Islanders to take life easily and quietly. They dis[)lay much energy and fertility in personal attack and recrimination. The newspapers often contain specimens of the style of journalism typified by the Eaimi^wlll Gazette. Professional politicians, who are as active and unpopular here as they are in other parts of North America, frequently make public statements about each other's motives and conduct which the charitable stranger must hope are grossly exaggerated, if not wholly unfounded. Thouo-li the smallest Province of Canada, this one is not the least worthy of a visit. The future of the Island will probably resemble its past in all respects save the controversy concerning the land question, and also in the advance in wealth and population going on at an accelerated speed. It is possible that coal exists at a great depth, and it is known that a small quantity of iron ore exists, but the only natural wealth of the Island is in the trees which still remain and show how the whole country looked when it was entirely covered with forest, in the soil which is very fertile, in the game which is very plentiful and in the fish which swarm around the Island and fill its many rivers. w ail Ol rel th th P^ T^ Governor John Ready s Ad))iinist ration. 1 1 7 DiiririfT sovoral ^'(^firs of its carl>^lii>itory, complaints were made as to the injury wrou<»lit by the ra[)acity and tyranny of tlie Governors sent from Enghmd. One of them, Governor Smitli, was actually removed in 1813 for misconduct, in deference to the strong complaints of the inhabitants. Since the Island has enjoyed responsible government, that is since 1851, its rulers have not had the power, even if inspired with a wish to do, mischief. The pleasantest memories of bygone days are associated with Governor John Ready who dis- played a benevolent dis[)osition and a sincere desire to promote the welfare of the peo[)le. It was in 1827, during his Administration, that the first Census was taken, the population being found to number 23,2G(). At the beginning of the century the number was 5000. The census of 1871 showed that the population had increased to 94,021 ; it is estimated that about 15,000 have been added to the people during the last ten years. These statistics prove a steady increase in population and there is no apparent reason why the progress should be speedily arrested. After visiting the Maritime Provinces of Canada, I was struck with the advantage which they would derive from a legislative union. Before the Con- federation Act of 1867 was passed, it had been if \ I ' •! IN i I ■' S\ '•^i ii8 Prince Edivard Island, j)roposc(l to confedorato tlio IMavitimc Provinces, but tlio jealousy and opposition of each was too great to bo surmounted. Since becoming Pro- vinces of the Dominion, complaints are frecpiently made that they do not exercise so much influence at Ottawa as the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario. This grievance would bo mitigated or removed if they joined their forces and acted as a unit. Their interests are identical; a single Provincial Legislature could provide for their local affairs, while as a united body, they would command greater respect in tlie Dominion Parliament. Home rule has its advantages ; but, Avhon three legislatures exist in a population of 800,000, the cost of homo rule is greater than the benefit. AVhether the Maritime Provinces make this cliange or whether they remain as they are, they will be the better appreciated in Europe, the more they are known, and the tourist who desires to see new places will find a trip through them both enjoyable and insir;.ictive. The time wasted by ambitious travellers ia aimless journeys j-ound the world and in descri'jing what they had imperfectly seen and understood, would be more advan- tageouJy expended, while literature might have a lesser quantity of rubbish added to it, if they leisurely traversed and trnthfully described the Maritime Provinces of Canada. . CHAPTER V. INTERCOLOXfAL, GKANI) TIJl'NK, AND NORTHERN RAILWAYS. In 1838 tlio Earl of Durham strongly urged the British Government to construct a railway between Halifax and Quebec. In 187G the Inter- colonial Railway was completed and opened for traffic. AVhen passengers were first enabled in 18G9 to travel by rail from New York to San Francisco, they rejoiced that this had been rendered possible. It was not remembered that the con- struction of a Pacific Railway was advocated by John Plumbe in I80G. The rule is for a great national undertaking to be delayed at least thirty years longer than is absolutely necessary. A generation often passes away before the project of a far-seeing man is carried into effect by tlie persons whom he has converted to his views and who, when they see the feasibility and success of •i! ■*'**f.3"iaffi>ir- I20 Intercolonial Raihvay. \ \ tlie iiTidertaklng' are ready enough to appropriato the credit which is his due. The first objection made to tlie Intercolonial Railway, wdiile it was still tlie subject of considera- tion, was that it could not be constructed ; the second was that, if constructed, traffic over it would be suspended during the winter months ; the third and, in the opinion of most persons, the conclusive one was that, even if constructed, it could not possibly pay. The objections made in the United States to the Pacific Railway were of the same character and were equally conclusive. Enofineerinof skill has overcome all natural obstacles in both cases. The trains on both lines run with regularity all the year round, and both are successful railway undertakings. With re- gard to all such undertakings as great trunk railways or interoceanic canals, the prophecies of failure are the only things connected with them which usually remain unfulfilled. The Intercolonial Railway is the most palpable result of Canadian Confederation. At a meeting held at Quebec in 1864 of the delegates from the Provinces which first constituted the Dominion of Canada it was resolved, and this resolution was afterwards incorporated in the Imperial Act creating the Dominion, that " the general govern- ment shall secure, without delay, the completion Or ie'in and CJiaracter 121 of tlie Intercolonial Railway from Riviere da Loup, through New Brunswick, to Truro, in Nova Scotia." In accordance with this resolution and with a capital of 3,000,000/. raised under Imperial guarantee, the construction of the railway was begun in 18G9. Several surveys and plans for a railway had been made at an earlier day. The first scheme referred to a line, surveyed by Mnjor Yule, R.B., which was to run from St. Andrew's in New Brunswick to Quebec and which a joint- stock Company >^as to construct with the sanction of the British Government. The International dispute as to the boundary between New Bruns- wick and the State of Maine caused the postpone- ment of this undertaking, and the Ashburton treaty under which certain territory, claimed and occupied by Great Britain, was ceded to the United States, caused the project to be abandoned. Several other plans for constructing a railway from the sea-board to Quebec through British territory wore successively mooted, matured and laid aside. The great work was ultimately begun and completed, without half the difficulty vvhich was expected and with more advantage to those primarily affected than had been imagined or foretold. Though not so gigantic a work as the Pacific Railway from Omaha to San Francisco, it is yet no trifling dis[)lay of engineering capacity. Its 1 i m m\ 122 Intercolonial Raihvay, total lenp^tli, including branches to Pictou and Sliediac, is 713 miles. A more substantial lino of rail is not to be found anywhere. The permanent way is in admirable condition ; the rails are of steel ; the bridges are of stone or iron ; the engines and carriaofes are made of the best materials and on the latest models in the Government workshops at Moncton. It is indisputable that the snowfall is very heavy and the cold is intense in winter throughout much of the country through which the line runs. A part of it passes along a tract 743 feet above the sea level. In the Metapedia Valley the weather is frequently severe, 3^et the detention of a train owing to bad weather is rarer than in tlie Highlands of Scotland. This is largely due to the careful provision which has been made for all contingencies. Wherever the snow is like'y to drift and bar the passage of a train, fences have been erected to keep it off the line ; where it miglit fill up a cutting, snow sheds have been built ; one of these sheds, which is upwards of a miie in length, cost $1,000,000. In this case, however, the outlay has proved to be judicious economy. Only a short section of the line has baffled the efforts of the engineers to render it perf(^ctly free from risk or trouble ; this consists of a vast slope composed of clay down which, in the spring-time, a heavy mass sometimes slides Workshops at Moncton, 123 and sweeps rails and everytliing else before it. Various remedies have been tried in vain. As the clajis of excellent quality and bricks are in demand, it might serve a double purpose to erect a bi ick- making machine and thus turn the erratic clay to useful account. During my visit to Moncton, the headquarters of the Railway, I had the privilege of inspecting the Company's workshops and offices under the guidance of Mr. Bruce, the Chief Clerk, who was in temporary charge during the absence of Mr. Pottinger, the Government Superintendent, to whom I had an introduction. 1 was impressed with the business-like way in which everything "was arranged and executed. The workshops are on a large scale, consisting of three huge buildings which cover 70 acres ; as many as 2000 men being employed wdien the demand for making or repair- ing cars and locomotives is at its height. A proof of the care with which the line is manao-ed is the fact that carefully compiled Meteorological tables are kept at each station and forwarded at regular intervals to the head office, where they are filed for reference. This may seem supei'fluons, yet it is an eminently sensible as well as a practi- cal arrangement. Should the Manager be called upon to make compensation for damage to goods ill course of transit, it may happen that the !;Md fivpcmigvft" liil !i 5 ^ I! 124 Intercolonial Railivay, damage is entirely due to excessive heat or exces- sive cold or to a condition of the weather which exonerates the railway authorities from blame and from any liability to pay damages. By referring to the Meteorological tables on the given day at the place in question, the state of the weather can be ascertained and thus a dispute may be averted or settled. There can be no doubt that the Intercolonial Railway is excellently constructed and admirably managed. The Chief Clerk, Mr. Bruce, who readily afforded me all the information I desired and displayed a courtesy which I heartily acknow- ledge, and Mr. Pottinger, the Superintendent, whose praise I heard from many mouths and whose ability is demonstrated by his success, evidently do their duty without reproach. Yet I am not convinced that a great railway should bo a Government undertaking. The temptation to appoint or promote railway officers for party ser- vices rather than for personal merit is hard to resist and it is not easy to satisfy the public that Government patronage is uninfluenced by political considerations. Whenever this line is a paying property the Canadian Government w^ould show wisdom in leasing it for a term of years. They would then be able to count upon an annual return without running any risk. Hitherto the working Scenery along the Line, 125 expenses liave boon in excess of the receipts, but the clays of deficits appear to be numbered. The rate of increase has been rapid and, with one exception, continuous. In 187G-7 the deficit was $307,000; in 1877-8, it was S-2;32,000; in 1878-9, it was $547,867 ; in 1879-80, it fell to $97,131. A profit has accrued at the time I write. This is the manner in which the prediction has been justified that the Intercolonial Avould never earn enough wherewith to pay for the grease on the axles of the wheels. The Intercoloniid Railway is not only an in- valuable means of intercommunication between the Maritime and mid-Provinces of Canada, but it offers many attractions to tourists. From Hali- fax to Quebec the distance is ^'$>^ miles. After leaving Halifax the scenery begins to attract the beholder, nothing can be more charming than the chain of lakes with wooded islands nor can any- thing be more weird than the tract of country strewn with boulders. About thirty miles along the way the Gold quartz mining district is reached. Ten miles further on is Shubenncadie on a river of that name which divides Nova Scotia into two parts and abounds in shad and salmon. I was told that the sunsets at Shubcnacadie were gor- geous in the extreme. The statement was verified in my own experience ; never have I seen sunsets ■•r^'!y-i^-ir;m»fffh>^'^' mi 126 Intercolonial Railway, elsewhere tliat presented so many marvellous and brilliant effects. Truro, a refreshment station, was a small village before the railway was made ; now it is a town of 5000 inhabitants. Ifc is sur- rounded by meadows and it has the benefit of the ocean breeze from the Bay of Fundy. At London- derry, a station further on, shipbuilding is the chief industry. Here the Acadian Charcoal Iron Compa' "'s works are situated ; these works have been acquired by English capitalists. The outlay upon them ^ns been 300,000L and they are ex- pected to yield, when in full operation, 20,000 tons of pig iron annually. The railway runs throuoh the small settlement of Ishofonish, where rabbits are as plentiful as at Ostend. A local firm catches and tins these rabbits and exports them to England. The tins are labelled " Pre- served Hare.'* Purchasers of Nova Scotia pre- served hare ought to see that the contents of the tins tally with the label. Tlie course of the hne over the Cobequid Hills is very picturesque, tho elevation reached being 600 feet, and the view both far and near being exceedingly beautiful. Where the level country is gained lies the village of Oxford, which is noted for its manufactures of carpenters' tools and wooden boxes. After entering the Province of New Brunswick, the most notable place on the line is Dorchester on the left bank Newcastle^ 127 [ of tlie Peticddiac River. Near this place a mineral called "jet coal " is found in large quantities. It is as rich in gas as cannel coal. I pass over Moncton wliicli I have already described and name Newcastle as next in order of note. It is the most important business place in New Bruns- wick after St. John. Like St. John it has been swept away by fire and rebuilt in a more attrac- tive style though not a more substantial manner, wood being principally used instead of stone which is quite as abundant and nearly as cheap. The Miramichi river on which it is situated is one of the largest in the Province, being 220 miles long and having a width of 9 miles at its mouth. At Bathurst the sightseer, as well as the angler, will be repaid should he visit the Grand Falls on the Nequissiquit River. These Falls are IrlO feet in height, and are sublime specimens of natural scenery. On the banks of anotlier river, the TOte- a-Gauche, is to be found the curious Wax-yielding plant, Mijva Gonifera ; candles made from this wax are commonly used in the locality. Camp- bellton, which is 372 miles from Halifax is a place well known to the passengers who leave by the niglit express on Saturday, as they have to remain here all Sunday, the running of trains being for- bidden on Sunday in Canada. The attractions of Campbell ton, which greatly resemble those of the '■■{' wm ^'^mm^emsmsmm'^- xiiSiJ ■H '■ ■M ; f|:| ■ i' 128 Intercolonial Railway. J!i 5 1 f 1 town in Scotland after wliich it was named, would be more appreciated if tliey were not seen under compulsion. From tliis point to Metapedia the first village in the Province of Quebec, the scenery is diversified and the places at which the tourist might lialt are many. No finer fishing can bo had anywhere than in the Restigouche and Meta- pedia Rivers ; the valleys of both streams abound with game while the scenery is on as vast and im- posing a scale as in the Alps, while it has at times all the soft effects which enchant the traveller in the Pyrenees. A pretty place in the Metapedia Valley bears the unpronounceable name of Assa- metquaghan. Shortly after this valley is left behind, the line nears the St. Lawrence, and runs at no great distance from it for upwards of 200 miles till entering the terminus at Point Levi opposite Quebec. Here the Intercolonial ends and the Grand Trunk begins. In the latter part of the journey there are many places which tempt a halt, chief among them is Cacouna the fashion- able watering-place of the Dominion. Here the visitors can amuse themselves by bathing, boat- ing, fishing and shooting. There are several large and well-managed hotels at Cacouna, which is not only a pleasant place of resort for the holiday- maker, but also enjoys the reputation of restoring health to invalids. Mr. Justice Ilciuy, 129 I jonrnevod over tlio Intercolonial from Sfc. Jolin to Sliediac, from I'iciou to lliilifax and from Halifax to Quebec. A piece of pleasant personal experience on the last journey deserves mention. This consisted in forming the acquaintance of Mr. Justice Henry, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada. He is a native of Nova Scotia and took a leading part in the aifairs of that Province. He was an earnest advocate of the Intercolonial Hallway and of tlie Canadian Confederation. In addition to being an active and a respected poli- tician, he distinguished himself as a law reformer; it was at his suo-ofestion and under his <2rnidance that the Statutes of his native' Province were re- vised, a work which was praised in the House of Lords by Lord Campbell, then Lord Chancellor. The reforms in legal procedure introduced by him are vast improvements on the old state of things. At a dinner given in his honour by the Bar of Nova Scotia in 187G, after his appointment as Justice of tlie Supreme Court and before his de- parture for Ottawa, the Lieutenant-Governor, ]\lr. Ai'chibaldjSaid " It is fair to say that on our smaller scale Mr. Justice Henrv has had the honour of initiatino' in tliis Province something" in the same line of policy wliich has lately been carried out in England. If his bill did not succeed at once, it, at all events, entitles him to be considered as one E Irii I ■,(.. ,a'«'W«;?'.J^JWSJf»;- 1.^0 Grand Trunk Raihvay, I ' I' ml oftlic onrliost and oldc^^t ndvocatcs in tliis country of a policy on the subject of judicial tribunals, Avliicli has, after a long struggle, ])rcvailed in the Mother country." I was gratified to learn from Mr. Justice Henry that the Canadian Supremo Court is working satisfactorily and fully attaining the objects of its originators. The cost of litiga- tion is reduced, owing to appeals to the Privy Council occurring in exceptional cases only. The existence of the Supreme Court adds to, while gratifying national feeling in Canada. I have had the good fortnne to become acquainted with several Canadian Judges and I have been impressed not only with their professional attainments, but with their readiness to adapt themselves to changes of every kind and with their power of dealing with all matters as men of the world as well as trained lawyers. Among them Mr. Justice Henry is not the least notable. TI. The Grand Trunk Railway of Canada is a sadly familiar name in many an English household. When the line was projected its shares and bonds w^ere considered so good and safe an investment that thrifty parents bought them as a provision for their wives and children. During its con- ]\Ir. HUksons Management, 131 strnctioTi tlic Interest on the bonds was pnnctnally paid. It is now dillicult to credit that the Fourth Preference Bonds were once quoted at upwards of 70/. each in the Stock Exchange official list. After the opening of the Victoria Bridge, when the interest on the bonds was to be paid out of earnings, many an English family was reduced to poverty, no surplus having accrued wherewith to meet the interest on all the bonds and to divide something among the shareholders. Writing on " Railways ; their Cost and Profits " in tlie West- minster Reclcio for October 18G2, 1 stated that the Grand Trunk Railway was perhaps the most vm- successful undertaking: of the time : *' it has been made fifty years too soon for profit, but not a day too soon for the Province." This prediction has as good a prospect of being verified as any prediction about the future of a railway. The receipts are now increasing so largely that bondholders wlio despaired of their lot are now receiving a return, and the case of the shareholders has ceased to be absolutely hopeless. This pleasing rr msformation is due, both to the progressive improvement in trafiic, and to the great organizing and administra- tive ability of the General Manager, Mr. Ilickson, whose policy has been ably carried into effect by his assistant Mr. Drinkwater and a well- selected and an efiicient stalT. K 2 m ! I 1 ! : 1 1 • I' I . 11 1- w 132 Grand Trunk Raihvay* Tlio traveller bound AVest from the city of Quebec can now joui'ney over the Gi'and T \' as far as Chicago. By securing a (lii'ect tbrougli line to the great city of Illinois, tlie ]\Ianager and Directors of the Grand Trunk have displayed as much judgment as boldness. Moreover, the Inter- colonial acts as a feeder to tlieir line, so that the by rail [broken bet^ Halifu connexion by rail is unhroken between iiaiiiax on the Atlantic and Chicago on Lake Michigan. A feeder to the Grand Trunk of great value is now in course of construction. It starts from Sher- brooke and runs throuii:h New Brunswick till 't joins therailway in thatProvince which now ru^ St. John. The saving in distance between the sea- board and Montreal over this line will be 200 miles, and the result may be to make St. John a still more dangerous rival to Halifax. It is possible also that the Intercolonial may be injuriously affected, yet of this I am very doubtful. The local traffic on the Intercolonial will not be di- minished, and this is quite as remunerative as the through traffic. Indeed, there is ample room for both lines. When this new route is open the Grand Trunk will have three termini on the Atlantic, one at Portland in JMnine, a second at Halifax in Nova Scotia and a third at St. John in New Brunswick. AVhen the Canadian Pacific Kailway is finished, the Grand Trunk will form ( CiiU of Traffic. IZ?> < an important and profitable link in tlic iron road ■\vliicli will then pass across British Territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. It is eleven years since I first travelled over the Grand Trunk Railway ; on my last journey I could scarcely fancy that the line was the same, so com- plete had been the improvement in the interval. At the date of my earliest trip over the Grand Trunk, the chance of arriving at the appointed hour was very slight; the probability of a break- down, if not of a serious accident, being \Gry great, the oscillation and jumping of the cars being intolerable. Now, the trains run with remarkable punctuality and \\'\\]\ a smoothness equal to that on the best raihvay in England or elsewhere; acci- dents have happily become very rare, it seems to me that there is as much goods and passenger traffic on the line as can be accommodated ; the pressure on the rolling stock is specially severe between Montreal and Toronto. Another line of rails may yet have to be added between these two places. I think, however, that the struffofles of the Grand Trunk as a commercial undertakino: are nearins: their close and that the long expected period of prosperity is about to begin. Everything that can be done by skilful management to make the line remunerative has been carefully attended to, and the shareholders '^tm'^--:^m'~'-' Esra 134 Northern Railway, may yet find that their patience has not been tried in vain, and that the sanguine expectations which they once cherished about future profits were premature rather than baseless. III. While the Grand Trunk runs west beyond Toronto, another line, the Northern, running in a north-westerly direction, connects that city with Coliingwood on Georgian Bay. The distance between the two places is 95 miles. At AUandale a branch runs to the Muskoka district, that pic- turesque region of wood and water which bears many resembhmces to the Highlands of Scotland. The total length of the Northern Avith its branches is 167 miles. It has been under the management of Colonel Cumberland since 1859. Before his advent, the prospect of the line becom- ing remunerative was very slight. A great change for the better has now taken place, the vigour and ability of Colonel Cumberland having altered the pro:-])ects of the railway. Not only is the line in an admirable state for transporting goods and passengers, but its stations are models of neatness and good taste. The sight of a pretty garden at a station is common enough in England, but it is Mtiskoka Lakes, 135 so rare in Canada and the United States that tlie flowers, grass find shrubbery at the stations on the Northern Ilailway impress a stranger as ex- ceedingly effective. The country through which tlie Northern Rail- way runs after leaving Toronto is well adapted for farming. The Vale of Aurora is a district in which good grain is grown and liorses and sheep of the best kinds are reared. Bevond the villao;e of Aurora is Newmarket which is noted for manu- factures. Half-way between Toronto and Col- lingwood is the Holland River Marsh, a spot where snipe and wild duck abound and Avhere there is also excellent fishinnf. At AUandale, the junction for the Muskoka branch, the pm.=?pect is lovely. This place and Barrie are on Ketnpenfeldt Bay in Lake Sinic(ie. This Lake as well as the Lakes in the Muskoka district are not like the huge inland seas which entirely upset the ideas of Lakes formed by visitors to the north of England, the Highlands of Scotland and to Switzerland. The sheets of water in this part of Cauada while seldom too vast to be embraced at a single glance, 'are exquisite in thei. surroundings. It is fifteen vears since the Muskoka district was thrown open for settlement and free grants of land were made to those person c; who should fix their homes there. The influx of settlers has \«'msmw:*»^K*'>' is :JO(),()00 tons in weiij^ht and valuedat $ 1 1-0,0()(),00(). Sv>veral mines liave yiehled profits wliicli may bo literally termed fabulous. The shareholders in the Oiilumet and lleela, for instance, receive dividends at the rate of h;df a million sterling annnally on an original capital of forty thousand pounds sterling, the market price of the original capital being about five millions. Indeed, the tales about the yield of the gold mines of California and Australia, of the silver mines on the Comstock lode and at Leadville are ■not more wonderful than the authentic story of the Copper-mines of Lake Superior. The purity of the Lake Superior native Copper is remarkable, being as great as that of the same metal found in Japan and in Siberia. The metal is pronounced to be chemically pure, leaving no residuum when dissolved in pure nitric acid, giving no precipitate when the nitric acid solution is heated with ammonia, containing no trace of arsenic or other volatile metal. For electric purposes it is preferred to any other owing to its superior conductivity; Ikmicc it commands a higher price in tlie market and hence, too, the process of mining this native Copper is more renninera- tive than that of mining the sulphurets of Copper. I Co yl cross Lake Superior* I Wion I visited tlio Islaiul of ^ri^'liipicoton I learned tlint its mineral treasures are attracting the attention of capitalists. In addition to de- posits of native Copper, resend)ling those on the South Shore of the Lake, deposits of silver and nickel have been found. AVitli a supineness which it is difficult to understand and scarcely possible to justify, the Canadians allow strangers to reap the profits which the mines in this part of their territory can easily be made to yield. I was told that a company formed in the United States had acquired several acres of land on this Island where they were mining for native Copper and that their preliminary operations had been eminently satisfactory. Still better results w^ero anticipated by the Quebec and Lake Superior Mining Company which had acquired ten square miles of land on the Island. I was unaware at the time of my visit to the Island that the share- holders in that Company were indisposed to furnish the capital wherewith to erect machinery, so as to profit by the explorations which demon- strated that their property was as rich in native Copper as other remunerative properties on the United States side of the I-ake. Several months later I returned to England where I learned that a Company called the j\Jiclii])icoten Native Copper Company had been formed, that Mr. W, W. Stuart, Copper Mining Companies, i6t tliG Chairmnn of tlio Quol)oc niid LmIco Siiporior Mining Company, liuving piu'cluiscd tlio majority of tlic shares, iiad transt'errcMl his interest in ten square miles of the Ishind of IMichipicoten to the Englisli Company for a sum of 50,000/. in fully paid up shares, these shares not to raidv for dividend till the subscribers of money had received all their capital back out of profits. I was im- pressed witli tlie stories whicli I heard on tlio spot} and read about the mineral riclies of ^licliipico- tcn Island. I was also struck witli the unusually favourable terms on which the English Company had acquired a property there, and I thou^-ht I should not act foolishly in becoming a share- holder in a Company which not only promised so much, as is tlie rule in mining companies, but which appeared likely to be one of the companies which supplement promise with performance. Other Companies will doubtless be formed to bring to the surface and divide among shareholders the riches which lie below the surface of Michipicoten, Nor is the mineral wealth confined to the islands in the Lake. The North Shore also is ricli in copper and silver ; an Englisli company, the Lake Superior Native Copper Company, is now working a property at Maimainse, in Batchewaung Bay, where the Copper in the ore amounts to 09 per cent, while, in addition, the ore contains M ii I if iii 162 Across Lake Snpo'ior, silver to tlie value of oG ounces per ton. Silver Islet was the next place at wUicli the Frances Smith stopped. The passage from Michipicoten Island to that spot was made in most disagree- able circumstances. A storm of thunder and lightning raged for five hours ; seldom have I seen so much and such vivid liirhtnino: ; never have I seen rain fall so heavily ; the water descended in sheets. The storm bcofan at 6 o'clock in the evenincr; early on the followinof morninof the rain ceased, the wind lulled and the sea gradually went down. A dense fo2r covered the water. About 8 o'clock in the morninof while lookinGf towards the bow, I heard the roar of surf and I saw rocks not far distant on the port side. Captain Robert- son, who was on the look-out, at once ordered the eno-ines to be I'cversed, and the steamer besran to go astern in time to prevent any mischief. A delay of a few minutes Avould have rendered a catastrophe unavoidable. It is improbable that any one would have survived to tell the tale had the vessel first struck upon the rocks and then gone down in the deep, icy cold water. The coolness and rapidity with which Captain Robertson acted were appreciated by the passengers. It was with a tinge of incredulit}^, however, that they heard him avow he had expected to meet with rocks at the very ])iace where they loomed ominously through the fog. m 1,11 111 1^^ gone )liiess I acted 'itli a |1 him verv lefog. Mineral Riches, \\ 163 A few years ago a M(Mitreal Company was seeking^ for silver on an Islet abont a mile from the mainland. Having discovered that the rock was rich in silver the Company sold the property to a few citizens of the United States. These gentlemen have since then taken silver ont of this small rock to the value of two million dollars. The Islet is a mass of rich silver ore ; it is esti- mated that cii»:liteen million dollars' worth of silver may yet be extracted from it. The search for silver on other islands, such as Isle Rovale, Pie Island, McKellars Island, as well as on the mainland is actively'' pursued by many persons who have made valuable discoveries. Indeed, the prevailing opinion is that the mineral dejiosits around Lake Superior and on the islands in it are extensive and rich beyond calculation. After leavino: Silver Islet the steamer enters Thimder Bay, a slieet of water twenty miles in diameter, girded with lofty heights and guarded at its entrance by Thunder Cape, a rugged rocky headland rising: l'^'>0 feet above the surface of the Lake. Tlie cliffs of Thunder Cape extend in unbroken surface for a distance of seven miles. When the tempest howls around this mass of rock the echoes reverberate like claps of thunder. The Indians believed the noise to be the voice of the Great Spirit, Nana-bijoo, speaking to them M 2 :64 Across Lake Superior, i. from out of Lis dwelling in the clouds. The ex- phniation of the trndilion is that a volcano at the summit, now extinct, once belchod forth fire and lava. A grander or more impressive spectacle than that presented at this spot it is scarcely pos- sible to iman'ine. Prince Arthur's Landing: is a town on the mainland at which the steamer calls, and here the cattle, -whicli had suffered much dnring the voyage and had caused the passengers no sliG:lit discomfort, are sent on shore. The town itself dates from the time that Sir Garnet Wolselev started from this place at the head of the Iu.;d lliver Expedition to su{)})ress Louis Kiel's re- bellion in Manitoba. Prince Arthur's Landing^ is a Lake port of the Canadian Pacific Railway, com- peting with Fort "William to the South as the terminus of tlie line. The town has a thousand inhabitants. It supports two weekly newspapers, one being the TJniiider Bay Sentinel, the other the North Shore Miner. The purpose of the latter is to clironicle the prospects and progress of mining in this region. It contains highly eulogistic articles on the mineral wealth of the Islands in the Lake and of the mainland. The great demand is f(ir ca|)ital. Lamentations are indulged in as to the indifference of Canadian capitalists to the development of the riches which are buried underground, and the remark is made that "the Silvci% Copper, and Iron Deposits. 165 [cr IS ininor istic [Is in naiid I as the iiried the American capitalist is the one on whom we must depend for tlie development oE our rich resources. There are no Canadians who liave the push and stamina sufficient for the purpose." A Frenchman, Baron de Guichaiuville, who lias taken np his abode at Priuce Arthur's Landino; is hibourino-to induce his countrymen to invest money in a fish-canniui^ establishment there aud also in various miuintir enterprises. In addition to the deposits of silver and copper which have excited much attention and enriched many persons, this region abounds in vast deposits of iron ore which may prove as remunerative when extracted and smelted as mines of silver or ofold. Not far from Prince Arthur's Landino: stands Fort William, an older settlement on the Kami- nistiquia River where the Hudson Bay Company have long had a trading-post. The rivalry between the inhabitants of the two phices is extreme. In each place it seems to be an article of faitli that the rival must speedily decay and that the one which remains w^U increase rapidly in w^ealth and popnlation. There is ample room and o})por- tunity for both. After a ten hours' sail through scenery of great beauty and variety, the head of Ijake Superior is reached and the steamer is moored at the wliarf of Duluth, the ambitioiis city which it was su[)posed would rival Chicago in , 'I I m'r mm'i'mummmimmi ili $ I 1 66 Across Lake Superior. quickness of growth, wliicli is one of the best puft'ed cities on the North American Continent and which is styled by its self-satisfied and grandiloquent inhabitants, " the Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas.'* CHAPTER VII. DULUTII TO WlNNirEG. Twenty years ago a few enterprising and sangnme men settled on tlie site of Dulutli and resolved to found a city which should excite tlie astonishment and admirktion of mankind. They were also prompted by the desire to eclipse the city at the head of Lake Superior which then seemed destined to become a phice of importance. They partially succeeded in their project. It is unquestionable that Duluth has thriven more rapidly than Superior city with whicli it has maintained a constant rivalry from the outset. Yet the stranger whose expectations are very moderate will be the least disappointed Vv^ith Duluth. Eleven churches and a few houses scattered iq^on a hillside are all that meets the eye Avhen the city is approached from the Lake. There is a main street in it contain- ing stores and hotels ; there are side streets con- taining many unoccupied building-sites ; thero r- ; i68 Did nth to Winnipeg. ^ VM m % are said to be 5000 people in the city, yet notliin<^ is visible wliicli produces a stronger impression on a new-comer than that made on the least observant stranger by the siglit of other preten- tious and quite as populous cities in the United States or Canada. It must be apparent, however, to the careful observer that Dulutli possesses natural advantages which almost justify the hopes and boasts of its founders. This city is the natural depot for traffic by way of the Lakes to the interior of the Continent. The opening of new railways to the w^est has had the effect of increasins: that traffic and such increase must continue to benefit Dulutli. Cairo on the Mississippi, the *'Eden" where Martin Chuzzlewit nearly lost his life, is com- monly supposed to have been more cleverly and justly ridiculed in its younger days than any other city in the United States. Quite as much ridicule has been cast n})on Dulutli and nothing has served it so well. None of the advantages Avhicli this city owes to Nature have helped to make it so attractive as the speech in the United States Congress which Mr. Proctor Knott, a representative of Kentucky, delivered in February, ]871, a speecli which was designed to scout its )rete tl le nsions country. and to make it the lauo-liino-- stock of o Whenever the conductors of Dulutli JMr. Proctor Knott's Speech. 169 where com- aiid 11 (1 to itcd uaiy, lit its •k of lulntli newspapers arc at loss for somctliing Avlierewith to fill and enliven their columns, a condition of things which appears to be not infreqnent, they reprint Mr. Proctor Knott's speech and, when- ever the citizens have nothino- better to do, which appears to be a common occurrence also, they re- read it with unconcealed satisfaction. JMr. Knott made for himself a reputation for oratory by tliis one speech, resembling tliat which was made in the House of Commons by the member who was not quite accurately nick-named" Single Speech " Hamilton. Mr. Knott's effort is a strikinfij example of that mock heroic vein which is sup- posed to be the forte of AYestern orators. It made him and Duluth the subject of general talk and celebrity, if it did not confer upon both lasting fame. It was directed against an application for a grant of land from the national domain which ho fancied would advance the growth and foster the jn'osperity of Duluth. A few extracts will show the character of a speech which produced a more lasting impression than hundreds whicli have been addressed to Congress in our day and which no sane person would dream of reprinting from the volumes in which they are consigned to oblivion at a laro'o cost to the countrv. After a laboured introduction Mr. Knott said : " Years ago, when I first heard that there was somewhere in the vast •1^ :i,l.l '•BtSSK*'. TTTT 170 Dill nth to Wuinipeg, .:! 1 Iw terra inrnf/iiita, somewhere in tlie bleak ref^'ions of tlic Nortlnvest, a stream of water known to the nomadic iiiliabitants of the iiei\t;']ibourhood as tho river St. Croix, I l)eenme satisfied tliat tlie con- struction of a railway from that raiifinof torrent to some point in the civilized world Avas essential to the ha])piness and prosperity of tlie American pc'ople, if not absolutely indispensable to the per- petuity of re])ublican in^stitutions on tins Continent. I felt instinctively tliat the boundless resources of that ]n'olific reo-ion of sand and pine shrubbery would never be i'ully developed Avithout a railway constructed and equipped at the expense of tho Govei'ninent, and perhaps not theji. . . . "Who will have tho hardihood to rise in his seat on this floor and assert that, excepting tho pine busli(>s, the entire region would not produce vegetation enough in ten years to fatten a grasshopper ? . . . I had been satisfied for years that if there was any por- tion of the habitable globe absolutely in a suffering condition for want of a railroad, it was the teem- ing ])ine barrens of the St. Croix. At what particular point on that noble stream such a road should be commenced I knew was immaterial, and so it seems to have been considered by the draughtsman of this bill. It might be np at the spring, or down at the foot-log, or the water- gate or the fish-dam, or anywhere on the bank, no matter where. But in what direction it should run or where it should terminate were always in my mind questions of the most painful perplexity. . . I w^as utterly at a loss to determine where the terminus of this great and indispensable road tcem- ■ what 1 , road I erial, 1 )y tlie 1 lb the m ^at er- 1 ic, BO 1 d run 1 n my 'i y. • • I 3-. Dclii^hts of Duliith. 171 X' the roat should be, initil I accidentally overheard some g'(Mitl("!naii the other day rncnlioii the name oh' 'Duhilh.' Duluth ! the word fell upon my ear with peculiar aud indescribable charm, lik'e the gentle murmur of a low fountain stealim^ forth in the midst of roses, or tlie soft sweet acc(^nts of an augel's whisper in the bright joyous dream of sleeping innocence. Duluth ! 'Twas the name for which my soul had panted for years, as a liarb panteth for the water- brooks. I3ut where was Duluth ? Never, in my limited reading, had my vision been gladdened by seeing the celestial word in print. And I felt a profound humiliation in my ignorance that its dulcet syllables had never before ravished my delighted ear. I was certain that the draut»"htsman of this bill had never heard of it, or it would have been designated as one ol: the termini of this road. . . . Yet, sir, had it not been for this map kindly furnished me by the Legisla- ture of Minnesota, I might have gone down to my obscure and humble grave in an agony of despair, because I could nowhere find Duluth. . . . The fact is, sir, that Duluth is pre-eminently a central place, for I have been told by gentlemen who have been so reckless of their personal safety as to ven- ture away in those awful regions where Duluth is supposed to be, that it is so exactly in the centre of the visible universe that the skv comes down at precisely the samo distance all arouiul it. . . .- Th(3i^ sir, there is the climate of Duluth, unques- tionablv the most salubrious and (k'liu'hlfid to be found anywhere on the Lord's eartli. Now, I have always been under the impression, as I J,..- ,■ II 172 DuliUh to Winnipeg, prcsninc otlioi' o-i-ntlcincn Inive, tliat in thorco'ion aroniid Jiiiko Superior, it was cold ciioug-li for at least nine iiiontlis in a year to freeze tlie smoke- stack off a locomotive. But I see it represented on tliis map tliat Duliith is situated exactly half- way between the latitudes of Paris and Venice, so that <;'eutlenien who have inhaled the exhilaratiiii^ airs of the one or basked in tlio golden suidight of tlio other, may sco at a olance that Dulutli must bo a phico of nntold delights, a terresti'ial paradise fanned by the bMlmy ze})hyrs of an eternal spring', clothed with gorgeous sheen of ever- blooming flowers and vocal with silvTr melody of Nature's choicest songsters. . . . iSir, I might stand here for hours and hours, and expatiate npon the gorgeons prospects of Duluth, as de- picted on this map. But hunnm life is far too short and the time of this House far too valuable to allow mo to linger longer npon the delightful theme. I think every gentleman on this floor is as well satisfied as I am that Duluth is destined to become the commercial metropolis of the Uni- verse, and that this roail should be built at once. . . . Nevertheless, sir, it grieves my soul to be compelled to say that I cannot vote for the grant of hinds provided for in this bill. . , . These lands, which I am asked to give away, alas, are not mine to bestow ! My relation to them is sim])ly that of trustee to an express trust. And shall I ever betra}^ that trust? Never, sir! Rather perish Duluth ! Perish the paragon of cities ! Bather let the freezing cyclones of the bleak Northwest bury it for ever beneath the eddying iblo tful t»r is iiicd Iiii- ice. bo ■ant lese are sii . ! of Ceo 2'} 'dp J I i'cal lienor a ncc. 173 % sands of tlio St. Croix.*' The spoecli fi'om Avliich tlie foroo'oiii!^ extracts arc taken has been pro- nounced " the most anmsiug speech ever mnde in tlio American (congress;" it gave its aullior a reputation -which ho lias not adecpiately sustained. But the most curious thing is tlie ignorance of geographij sliown in it ; if a foreigner liad made half tlio numljor of blunders witli Avhich Mr. Knott is chargeable, he would ])o held up to scorn in hundreds of newspapers throughout tho Union, and pronounced a being unworthy to live. If Mr. Knott had spoken about tho St. Louis liiv^-r, his remarks would have had some cogency ; if the St. Croix River were to swallow up Duluth it would have to begin by making a journey across Lake Superior. Intending to ban Duluth, ]\Ir. Knott succeeded in blessing it most effectively. Tho bill which was thrown out, owing to his speech, was. oi')posed by tho friends of Duluth, and was supported by the friends of Superior City, of which it was the rival. Indeed, to repeat what I have said and to do so in the grateful words of a Duluth newspaper, Mr. Proctor Knott's speech " gave Du'.uth the best advertisement she ever had." For a year before, and for three years after this speech was delivered, the city was in a state of feverish activity. In the spring of 1870, every AS 'Ci>~^;:fa9^ 'i> ^ .c \^ f IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^/ ^l. / '/ s Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4S03 ^^ ,\ iV :\ \ ^% % "% ci^ X ^? <"■. ,<^' 9) ^^^ fn? ,<^ 'Q. C^- C.'^ 174 Diilnth to Winnipeg, boat that arrived swarmed witli passengers and every stage-coach was over-crowded. A railway was in construction to St. Paul, the capital of the State and ^Ir. Jay Cooke had projected the Northern Pacific railway which was to run from Lake Superior to Puget Sou.ul on the Pacific. Mr. Jay Cooke suspended payment in 1873 and a panic spread to Duluth from the financial centres of the United States ; real property fell to one- fourth of its former price and then, as an eye- witness wrote, " for a few months, there was as much of a sfavipede from Duluth as there had formerly been of a rush to the place." A worse fate than being buried '* beneath the eddying sands of the St. Croix River" was reserved for *• the Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas." In the days of its prosperity, money had been bor- rowed and expended in a reckless fashion : when the panic subsided, the citizens w^lio remained behind, found themselves face to face with municipal bankruptcy. Not till 1879 was a com- promise effected whereby the creditors agreed to cancel one-fourth of the amount due to them. The most significant sign of the depression then prevailing in Duluth, and the circumstance most deplored by many citizens, was the publication of the newspapers once a week instead of every day. There are two weeklies now, The Tribune ]\Tannfac hires and Trade, 175 and The Lnl-e Suiter lor Kcirs. Sliould tlic revival in trade continue, a daily newspaper, tliat neces- sary of existence according to western ideas, may again be reissued here. Certaiidy, the confidence in the city'sfuture which had vanished, has returned in full measure and speculation in land is renewed in the old style. During my visit 1 learned that pieces of land which could scarcely bo sold for $500 six months before were then easily saleable at SI 500. Several sawmills and a blast furnace are in active operation ; an industry paying those who take part in it very well is collecting tlie sand on the shore of the Lake and despatching it to glass- making works, where it is in demand. There is a large elevator for the transhipment of grain and there are well-built docks for the accommodation of shipping. Indeed, Duluth is not only doing a largo trade now, but has made full provision for future expansion. The additional traffic carried over the Northern Pacific Railway when its construction was resumed benefited the trade of this place, while the emi- gration to Manitoba has had the like effect. The Canadian Government have erected a home for the emigrants who halt here on their way to Manitoba. It is under the intelligent and atten- tive supervision of Mr. Grahame, the Canadian ■ ! » p 176 Diduth to Winnipeg, Emigration -Agent. He told mo that tlie immi- grants are often very exacting and are generally very dii'ty and that those among them who were most stinted in their means and living before they left home, developc tho most luxurious tastes after crossing the ocean. An express train starts once daily from Dulutli for Winnipeg. It is not long since the passengers who started for the same destination could not travel farther by rail than Fisher's Landing, on Red Lake River, the average time taken being a week. Now, the journey between the '* Zenith City of the Unsalted- Seas " and the Capital of Manitoba can be made in twenty-seven hours. The scenery is very beautiful on part of the line skirtin": the left bank of the river St. Louis. The " Dalles of the St. Louis " are as striking as those of the Columbia River, though on a smaller scale. AVithin the space of four miles the river descends 400 feet, passing over serrated rocks which are enclosed between high banks, the ap- pearance being that of a series of small and long drawn out cataracts surging downwards. At Glyndon the passengers for Manitoba change to the St. Paul and Manitoba line, while those for the Northern Pacific continue their journey west- wards. There is a second change at St. Vincent, the frontier city between Canada and the United Land Spcndatoi's. 1/7 on ap- long for est- ent, lited States, to the Pembina branch of the Canadi.m Pacific Railway. I have made tliis trip several times without finding many tilings worthy of recoi'd and I have been quite as unfortunate after having spent a night at Glyndon. Yet emigrants who pass over the line are kept in a state of pleasing excitement from the time they quit Canadian territory till the time they re-enter it. Land agents and speculators are accustomed to travel backwards and forwards in order to persuade the emiofrants to make their new homes in the United States. Tliese persons commonly assume the characters of disappointed Englishmen who, hav- ing tried Manitoba, left it in disgust, and have found a genuine Eden on United States soil. As the profits of these agents are not small when they manage to sell the land belonging to the Company with which they are connected, they are naturally disposed to make representations of greater strength than trustworthiness in order to effect sales. I can write from personal experience in this matter. It was erroneously thought b}'^ a woi'thy gentleman that I was on the way to settle in Manitoba and mi'jfht be induced to settle in .>iinne- sota instead. He told me that many English families were expected to arrive and take up their abodes on the prairie lands of Northern Minne- N f.t I ? f 178 Diihtth to Winnipeg, sota and that tlie rrprcsoiitntivo of an Enalisli Company was in nc<»'otiatioii witli tlio St. Paul and JManitoba railway company for 50,000,000 acros. There had been a sHy-lit liitch in the ncofo- tiations, but my informant adch.^d " I guess that will be fixed." He explained that the gentleman desired the Company to let him have the land at §4 an acre and to insert in the deed of sale that the price paid was $8. This gentleman could then make sales in England at a professedly sliglit advance upon what he had actually paid, while his real profit would be more than double. I was cognizant of a flagrant case in which isfnorant persons in England had been made to pay $25 an acre for Minnesota land which could have been bought on the spot for less than $4. I found that the gentleman who was negotiating with the St. Paul and Manitoba Railway for 50,000,000 and who was said to have 170 families waiting to be transported thither from England in the following spring bore the same name as the one who had disposed of land in another part of the country at an enormous profit to himself. I learned also that a second Englishman who was very active in recommending Minnesota as the best place to which his countrymen could emigrate, had been trying to establish a land Company, but had failed owing to insisting not only upon a large A Hint to EniioTants. 1/9 coTninission, but upon a double commission. I do not question the advfintnge of clioosing Minnesota as a place of residence. It may be quite true, as is alleged, that the land in the North-western part of that State is superior to that in the South- west of Manitoba, even though an imaginary lino is the only separation between them. The soil may be affected in some occult way by the nation- ality of the flag flying over it. Yet, after assuming for the sake of argument, the truth of everything that I have heard in favour of this part of the Continent, I still maintain that no folly can be greater than buying land here on the representa- tions of a third party, and that those purchasers of land will have least reason to repent them of their bargains who enter into no contract and make no payment till they have seen the land with their own eyes. t j ■ I if n2 ■ mi hi I -i CHAPTER VIII. ON TnE EED RIVER OP THE NORTH. ArTnouon tlie trip to Manitoba by rail through United States territory is generally uninteresting, yet the trip by water is sometimes diversified by incident. The railway attracts all the passengers in winter; but the steamers on the Red River of the North are eagerly patronized during the summer time. Having made the trip all the way by rail and partly by rail and partly by water, I can affirm from experience that, by journeying partly by rail and parti}?- by water, an adequate notion can be formed of the country and its insects, while much more can be learned about the people. Besides, the Red River is a stream of sufficient volume and importance to deserve notice. Com- pared with the JMississippi, the Red River of the North appears insigniticant. Nevertheless, as its length from Elbow Lake, in which it rises, to Lake Winnipeg into which it flows, is 900 miles, it merits a place among the great rivers of the world. Course of the Red River. iSi Two Rt;(l Rivers are niiinborecl amono-tlic notable Btrcanis of the North American Continent. One of tliem rises in the Territory of New ^lexico, flows tlirouui'li the States of Texas, Ai'kansas, and Louisiana, and, j{)iiiin<»;t]ie Mississippi, lielps toswell the vohime of tlie nn'^htv flood which the Father of O t Waters pours into the Gulf of Mexico. The other, which is known as tlie Red River of the North, rises in Elbow Lake, in the State of ^linnesota. Its source is not far distant from Lake Itaska, which is the fountain-head of the Mississippi. Tlioiigh that river's course is southward and the course of the Mississippi is northward when both streams first issue from their parent lakes, yet they soon follow the direction wliich they keep till their race is run. The Ke ' River, in its northerly prou^ress, divides the ^IViiitory of Dakota from the State of Minnesota,; it enters the Canadian Province of Manitoba at Fort Pembina ; it passes by the city of Winnipeg, the capital of that Province, where it is joined by the Assineboine, flowing from the west; it enters Lake Winnipeg, whence it issues under the name of Nelson River; and, Anally, it finds its level and a last resting-jilace in the icy waters of Hudson's Bay. The valley bearing the same name through which it runs is still more remarkable than the Red River itself. For a spaco which is 400 miles in length by 70 in breadth, that '1 *-■ w 1 82 On the Red Rhcr of the North, vjilloy is llio finest whcat-jjrnwiiii^ tract on tlio contiiiunt of North Amoricu, if not on the habitable globe. Fai'niing on a scale nnparallcled except in California is prosecuted in the Red River Valley. This dates from the year 1875, when several capitalists bonght vjist tracts of land there. ^Ir. B. P. Cheney, of Boston, and ^Ir. Oliver Dalryraple, of 8t. Paul, purchased 5000 acres of ■which 8500 were under cultivation in 1879. In 1877 they harvested 42,000 bushels of wheat, GOOO of oats, and 3000 of barley. The machinery on this farm comprises 40 ploughs, 10 seeders, 40 harrows, 16 harvesters, 3 steam thrashing machines, and 3 portable steam-engines. As many as a hundred men are employed at the busiest season. Mr. Cass has a farm of GOOO acres, nearly the whole of which is sown with wheat. Large though these farms are, yet they seem small in comparison with that belonging to Mr. William Dalrymple ; it covers 30 sqnare miles. The area sown with wheat in 1878 was 20,900 acres; the yield was 250,000 bushels. Seventy-five reaping and binding machines were used to harvest the crop, the work being done at the rate of 1000 acres a day. This farm is managed on the plan of a factory. It is divided into sections of 2000 acres, over each of which an overseer is placed ; j\Ianu)ioth Farms. 18 ho cnrrics out tlio orders of jMr. Dalrymple just as a Ih'inadier-Gciu'rjil carries out the orders of the Coimiiander-iu-Chief of an army. Comfortablo dwellinji^s are pi-ovided for the overseers, wliilo there is a boardiiiix-liouse for tlie accommodation of the farm-hibourers. Each section has its granary, stables, machine-shop, and engine-house. Indeed, the vast estate is really divided into a number of separate farms, each complete in itself, and all subject to a common head. Four hundred and fifty labourers and upwards of three hundred horses and mules are employed on this farm ; three bookkeepers are required to register the accounts, and two cashiers to receive and disburse the nioney. Indeed the whole arrangements are designed to assimilate the production of grain to the operations of a manufactory. The idyllic side of farming has no place here. The farmer is a capitalist; the farm-labourer is called a "hand" and treated as one. Advocates of spade-husbandry will see nothing to admire in this wholesale method of cultivating the soil, and they will maintain that if this system should grow in favour, the day must arrive when, in the United States as in certain European countries, there will be a perma- nent and rigid separation between the tillers of the soil and its owners. However, while land continues as plentiful and as easily acquired in i ■ 1 ■■ <\ -i \ Hi 1 i • ^ 1 \ 1 1 i i ;! 1 1 1 : f a. ■ 184 On the Red River of the North, Nortli Anici'ica as it was in I'^iiropo dui'inp: tlio ]\U(ldle Af^es, wlwii tlio oxistiiij^ lai'ge estates wei'e fonuccl ill l']nn;]aii(l, tlie citizens of tlie United States will disri^ouiMl pfloomy i'oivbodinj^s and will continue to lavish t heir admiral i(»n iij)on a success- fid capitalist like Mr. Dalrvniple. His farm is a common topic of calorification amon^ the citizens of the new North-West, and of admiring envy among the dwellers in less fertile parts of the land. My present purpose is not to linger and describe what may be observed on the Red River within the United States, but to journey along it to the Canatlian Province of Manitoba. That n;er is the silent highway of intercourse between the citizens of the Union and the citizens of the British Empire. A few years ago an Indian canoe was the only kind of boat Avhich traversed its surface. Now steam vessels pass backwards and forwards between St. Vincent, a station of the St. Paul and Manitoba Railway and the capital of Canada's Prairie Province. There has been a settlement of British subjects on this river since the year 1812. Then the Earl of Selkirk, chair- man of the Hudson's Bay Company, induced. Highlanders, who conld not live in comfort on their native heath, to seek a new home in the heart of the North America^ C(mtinent. Nearly half a century after this settlement was formed, By IVaUr to Winnipeg, 185 Dr. Rao, tlu^ fainons Arctic ('Xj)l()rer, iiifoniuMl a ScKct Coiimiittio of tlic House of Coininoiis that about two inontlis were rccjuircd to jouiMu>y from Toronto, in Upper Canada, totlic Red liivi rScttlc- mont in Kupcrt's Land. Tlic Earl (»f Soutlicsk, wl»o went to hunt in tlie Hudson's Ihiy Territory in 18u9, saw a steamer on the Red River For tho first time. In 1 '2 the hitc Lord ^Milton and Dr. Cheadlc expeiitncod on tlie Red River a pain- ful foretaste ' ' the peri'., which had to be laced and surmounted L* fore thev could Ix's^in their toilsome journe^ across the North-Western Wil- derness. Findiiiu: that the steamer sailed but onco a fortni«jht, and not carinu: tu wait for it, thev started down the rapid stream in a canoe, and endured extraordinary hardsliips before they reached Fort Garry. Eight years latter Captain Butler was commissioned by Colonel (now Sir Garnet) Wolseley, the chief of the exi)cdition which was sent to suppress Riel's rebellion, to proceed to Winnipeg through tho United States. He passed along the Red River in the steamer Inter- national, and suffered by the way as others have done before and since. The tale of his misery is graphically told in " The Great Lone Land." The inconvenience of this route caused the Government of Canada to devise another within the hmits of the Dominion, This was known i t w 1/ I l':i \-- j: K ■ ij i. 1 86 On the Red River of the North, as tlie Dawson route. A traveller over It, wlio started from Tliimder Bay, on Lake Superior, reached Fort Garry in the course of three weeks. The Red Kiver expedition, under Sir Garnet Wolscley, wdiich first passed over this part of the countiy, took three months to make the same trip. As the Dawson route proved unre- munerative to its promoters, it has long ceased to be a regular patlnvay for traffic and travel between the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. The traveller Avho started from the capital of the former province for that of the latter either went to Chicago by rail, thence by another line of railway to St. Paul and Fisher's Landing, where he stepped on board a steamer wliich carried him to his destination, or else he took the train to the shore of Lake Superior, where he embarked in a steamer for Dulutli ; thence he proceeded by rail to Fisher's Landing, and by steamer to Winnipeg. But, whichever route was chosen, the time occu- pied was not less than 11 days, so that Manitoba remained as far apart from the Eastern Provinces of the Dominion as Canada is from England. My first trip to Manitoba was made by rail from St. Paul to Fisher's Landing, thence by water to Winnipeg. Since then the landing-place has been changed to St. Vincent, thus saving the tedious navigation of Red Lake River. Lake Minndonlca, 187 wlio 1 peps- in the spring, wlien tlie river is in flood, tlie 500 miles wliich separate the two places can be traversed in 48 hours. In the autumn the river is very low and then the passage is very tedious. The return voyage which I made occupied five days and nights. The first part of the journey northwards is easy and pleasant. Leaving the capital of Minnesota by the St. Paul and Manitoba Railway at 5 o'clock in the evening, the passenger reaches Fisher's Landing shortly before noon the following day. Twenty-five miles from the starting-place a stoppage is made at Wayzata, on Lake Minnetonka. This Lake is one of the natural attractions of the State of Minnesota, ; it excites even greater admiration than the falls of JMinnehaha, which owe much of their popularity to Mr. Longfellow's poetry. The Lake consists of a series of bays, each of which is a lake in miniature, and many are studded with wooded islands. There are 25 of these bays. The Lake is navigable for a length of 17 miles. In olden time it was the favouiite haunt of Dakota Indians ; they encamped on its margin or en one of its islands. They caught fish in the lake, gathered wild fruits on the islands, hunted deer and other, game in the surrounding forests, and procured sugar from the maple trees which beautified the scene. The places of the wild s I !l^ 1 i i i \ 1:^1 1 e ! 1 88 0^1 the Red River of the North, Indians are now filled with thousands of civilized tourists, who enjoy themselves during the hot months of summer along the shores or on the bosom of the lake. As we proceed northward there is a change in the aspect of the land. The southern part of Minnesota is diversified with wood and rising ground ; the northern is genuine prairie, extending to the horizon without any- thing but a few log houses to vary its flat sur- face. The monotony of the night journey was broken by an incident of which I do not desire a repetition. About midnight the car was filled with an acrid and stifling odour ; such a smell I had never ex- perienced before. If the pungent and nauseous effect produced by throwing water upon hot cinders were intensified a hundredfold and if all the worst stenches were combined with it, the result would not equal the reality on this occasion. In the morning I learnt that the train had passed over a skunk. The small town, called Fisher's Landing, from which the steamers started was on the model of Western cities. It had two hotels, between which there was nothing to choose, both being as comfortable and attractive as the cabin of an Irish bog-trotter. There were several drinking-saloons and one general store ; a sensible notice in the latter was to the effect that Stcjii Wheel Steamers, 189 ^ilized e hot 11 the iwiird The with inuine t sur- jroken 3titioTi. L acrid er ex- useous n hot if all t, the this train called tarted d two 11 g to active were lore; a t that persons who came to make purchases were more welcome than those who merely wished to gossip. Fisher's Landing is on the Red Lake River, a stream which joins the main one at Grand Forks. Steamers plied between it and Winnipeg twice weekly between tlie months of May and Septem- ber. The Manitoba was the one in which I Avent, and the Minnesota the one in wliich I returned. They are the property of the Kittson Transpor- tation Company. I gladly acknowledge that the officials of the company and tlie officers of the steamers did what they could to render the voyage as pleasant as possible. The boats are unlike anything to be seen in England. Their appearance can best be realized by supposing a Thames coal-baro;e to have a deck and two long: furnaces, with boilers aboA'e them, placed near the bow, and two steam-engines further aft. Tlie engines work a paddle-wheel which is tlie breadth of the boat, and revolves at the stern. "Above the boilers and engines is a wooden house, containing the saloon and state-rooms. The top of this house forms the upper deck. Pipes convey- ing steam from the boilers to the engines run under the thin flooring of the state-rooms, which are situated at the sides of the saloon. As the thermometer seldom indicated less than 95 deg. in the sliade during this journey on the Red I m^ ii.ti- !'r 1 90 On the Red River of the North. R the extra heat from the t'i T: 1 "Mil 1 :i ^ !i il'i^l III: steam pipes was a superfluity with which the occupants of the state-rooms could easily dispense. Though the heat was intolerable almost beyond endurance and far in excess of wliat most of the passengers had ever experienced, yet it was not the worst infliction. Myriads of hungry and ruthless mosquitoes plied their sanguinary trade in every corner of the steamboat where a human being could be approached. Many black flies rivalled them in assiduous efforts to get food and inflict pain. At a competitive examination a black fly could bear away the prize from a mosquito. He bites with greater force and to a greater depth, and he clings to the surface of the skin with more firmness than a mosquito, while the irritation which he leaves behind lasts longer and is more painful than that produced by his fellow pest. It is a beautiful provision in nature that a real or imaginary remedy is provided for every plague. Everybody knows that there are several " infallible " cures for sea-sickness. Pro- vision of the same kind exists for the protection of the human skin against the bites of venomous insects. A passenger on board the Manitoba was the happy possessor of one of these infallible remedies. He had being fishing in Labrador, where the streams are alive with fish and the air Onslaughts of Insects, 191 is dark with stinging insects, and he liad been ablo to pursue liis sport in comfort by smearing him- self with a mixture of tar and sweet oil. He was loud in praise of this panacea before the mosqui- toes and black flies pounced upon their prey. He prepared himself for tlie onslaught, and he was kind enough to allow myself and others to do the same by rubbing the skin with the mixture. It was not long^ before ho stated with extreme emphasis that the insects of the Red River must be ditrcrently constituted from those of Labrador, because what repelled the latter seemed to attract the former. The distance from Fisher's Landing to Grand Forks is 12 miles by land. It is about 50 miles by water. The time taken to go between these two places when the water is low varies from 18 to 30 hours. Ten hours were consumed in passing over the worst part, the distance being four miles. I was surprised, not that the steamer made slow progress, but that it made any. The river winds to a degree which is unprecedented. At few parts is the course a straight one for a quarter of a mile in length. What renders the navigation more laborious is that a barge, laden to the water's edge, is generally lashed alongside the steamer ; hence the dilliculty of rounding sharp curves is materially increased. The stop- 's \ I ^ . 192 On the Red River o^ the North, pages are frequent and tedious. Sometimes they arc caused by the barge and the steamer ground- ing on a shoal, and then a rope has' to be sent on sliore, fastened round a tree, and dragged in by tac steam ^.vinch, or "nigger" as it is here called, till the tree is torn up by its roots or the steamer is moved into deep water. At other times long halts are made to repair tlie stern wheel, the floats of which are often broken by striking against the bank. It is strange, indeed, that the steamer is not seriously injured every voyage. At the narrowest and most cur . ed parts of the river the steamer's bow is forcibly sent against one bank, while its stern is swung round by the force of the current, and each shock shakes it from stem to stern so terribly as to produce the impression that the entire structure must fall to pieces. When a steamer runs aground or stops for repairs during the day, the cabin-boys, and tlie crew, who are not on duty, set to work and catch fish. They use long lines weighted with sinkers ; a piece of raw meat forms the bait. Cat-fish, gold-e}?es, and pike abound in the river, and a good catch of fish is often secured during the interval of waiting. The ano'lers and the on- lookers are kept awake and excited by the insects, which increase in number and energy when the vessel is stationary. If any one is tempted by the Scenery on the Banks, 193 for a the catch vers ; -fish, nd a the on- ects, the lythe wild grapes or wild plums to go ashore and pluck them, he gladly returns on board. The mosquitoes are even more plentiful and savage on land than on water. On each bank there is a belt of timber ; outside this fringe of trees, the prairie stretches its apparently illimitable expanse. The wood, which comprises elder, oak, box, ash, and elm trees, constitutes the supply for fuel and building pur- poses over a very large area. Rafts formed oi the fallen trees are floated down to Winnipeg, where they are broken np and the logs sawn into boards. One of the rafts which we passed was navigated by a woman ; a man lay in a rude structure erected upon it. Household furniture was piled up at the sides, the whole being the worldly effects of a couple changing their place of abode. The man, who had kept watch during the night, now slept while his helpmate took her turn in steering. The steamer stopped at four stations between Fisher's Landing and Fort Garry. The first was Grand Forks, a town in Dakota Territorv ; the second Fort Pembina, on the frontier between the United States and Canada; the third West Lynn, a Canadian settlement, where is Fort Dufferin, a trading-post; of the Hudson Bay Company; and Emerson, on the opposite side of the river, which is one of the rising towns of ^ I' 194 ^'^ ^^^^ ^'^^^ River of the North. y f ■■; ^Manitoba. A flng sliowing tlie lette^rs H.B.O. in white on a red ground was the mark of tlie Hud- son Bay Company beiiii^ in possession of the fort. An American citizen told me that some of his countrymen were puzzled when they saw this flag for the first time. One of their number thought he had solved the engima of the three letters by saying that tliey meant " Hero before Christ," as, from the appearance of the country, there had not been any change since then. Sixty miles intervene between the frontier and the capital of the Province. There is very little wood left along this part of the river, the greater part having been cleared away by settlers or by speculators. Farms are to be seen at short intervals; the crops which cover the ground look exceedingly well. The passengers in the steamer experience a change since the stream has run between banks denuded of timber — in other words, the mosquitoes have ceased from troubling. The only insect which skims the surface of the river and which fills the saloon when the lamps are lit is a Avhite-winofed one called a " miller." I have seen these insects on the Rhine in the autumn months, but I never saw so many as on this occa- sion. A constant stream of them is borne along by the breeze ; it has the appearance of a bank of snow. The glasses of the steamer's lanterns are First View of Winnipeg. 195 111 • and little •eater or by short look amer run ords, Tlie river lire lit have atumn occa- along auk of as are covered with these insects ; they dash against the glass and then fall down to die among the mass on the deck. They fill pails when the deck is swept in the morning. Tliougli they obscure the light, they give no other annoyance, and they are mere objects of curiosity. The fii'st I saw of Winnipeg was in the autumn of 1878. Fort Garry, a rectangular building, with a turret at each corner, then stood where the Assi- niboine enters the Red River. The steamer stopped a few minutes to land passengers, the permanent landing-place being a short way further down the river. The houses which form the city have a substantial look ; the villas on the river's bank are tasteful in appearance. On the opposite side of the river to that on which the capital stands is the parish of St. Boniface, with its cathedral, the palace of Archbishop Taclie, its college, and its convent. When Mr. Whittier was here a quarter of a century ago the journey down the river in a canoe seemed to him a wearisome undertaking. He wrote a poem on the " Red River Voyageur," which opens with this vivid and correct descrip- tion of the river itself: — Out and in the river is winfling The links of its long, red ohuia Thi'ougli belts of dusky pineluud. And gusty leagues of pliun. o 2 i ii ff 1 96 On the Red River of the North, lie depicts the *'voyngcnr," when tired and exhausted, ivf^iiiiiinj^ liis spirits and vi<^our on hearing tlie chiine of tlie bells of St. Boniface. Then the poet, as his manner is, ends his verses with a comparison and points a moral : — EvRn so in our mortal journey The bitter north wiiuls blow, And tlius upon life's lied IJivor Our hearts, as oursinen, row. And when the Anj^el of Shadow Rt'J:ts his feet on wave and shoro, And our eyes grow dim witli watching And our hearts iaint at the oar, Happy is ho who heareth The signal of his release In the hells of the Holy City, The chimes of eternal " peace." \: \ CHAPTER IX. THE CUT OP WINNIPEG. "WiNNirEG, the capital of Manitoba, surprised mo more at first sight than any one of the countless cities which I have visited on the North American Continent. Tlie older ones frequently surpassed my utmost expectations ; the youn<2fer as fre- quently fell below the most moderate estimate wdiich I had formed of them in imagination. Indeed, a pretentious city in the Far West is commonly on a par, in external appearance, with a paltry village elsewhere. I had read much about Winnipeg before visiting it, and the im- pression left on my mind was not favourable. The Earl of South(>sk, who was here in 1859, writes that " there were houses enough to form a sort of scattered town." Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle, who followed him three years hiter, saw nothing worthy of note. Captain Butler, who paid it a visit in 1870, refers to it, in his " Great fit fm 198 The City of Winnipeg, Loiio LnTid," as ''tlic lilllo villjic,^'," ami " tlio iiiisiTiihle-lookiiii]^ villa^a' of AViinnpe<(." I kiujw that cliangos liad boon made since Caj)tain Butler came hither on duty connected with tlio Red River expedition under Colonel (now Sir Garnet) AV^olseley ; but I was not prepared to find that they had been so great and startling as those which I actually beheld. Walking down ^Iain-street, on my way to the PacifiG Hotel, 1 could hardly realize that I was in a city incorporated so r^'cently as 1873 and supposed to be far beyond the confines of civiliza- tion. The street is 1:]2 ft. wide and it is lined with shops, churches, and public buildings which would do credit to a much older and more famous place. The solid look of the majority of the edifices is as noteworthy as their ornamental design. They are built of cream-coloured brick. It is at a comparatively late stage in the growth of a Avestern citv, either in the United States or Canada, that the buildings are composed of any- tliinix but wood ; hence, a strans2:er in one of them is apt to arrive at the conclusion that the build- ings are erected for a temporary purpose. Here, however, the effect is the reverse. The Town Hall and the Market, the Post Office, the Do- minion Land Office, and the Custom House, to name but a few of the public edifices, are as sub- iU Icrc, own Do- p, to sub- i! o y. o u y, y. ■w if ■}■ i ■ ?! Ijill fi! 4JI University of Manitoba. 199 i^j stantial biiildinofs as can be desired. No one looking at them can feel here, as is so commonly felt in other places of rapid growth on this conti- nent, that the citizens apprehend their city will decay as rapidly as it has sprung up. While the progress of Winnipeg is one of the marvels of the Western world, there is good reason for be- lieving that it will continue at an accelerated rate, and that Winnipeg will hereafter hold in the Dominion of Canada a place corresponding with that now held in the United States by Chicago. In 1870 there were 300 people in the miserable- looking village of those days; now, the popula- tion is approaching 15,000. There are eight} churches — one belonging to the Roman Catholics, three to the Episcopalians, one to the Prcoby- terians, two to the AVesleyan Methodists, and one to the Baptists. There are several scliools and colleges — two common schools, St. John's College Schools, for boys and for girls ; a Central School ; St. Mary's Academy ; Manitoba College, in con- nexion with the Presbvterian Church, and a Wes- Icyan Institute. Most remarkable of all, if not altogether exceptional among seminaries for the advancement and diffusion of sound learning, is the University of Manitoba. It grants degrees in arts, sciences, law, and medicine. Its govern- ing body is composed of representatives of re- ■ J III n m< 200 The City of Winnipeg, \ •liGfious societies which have not succeeded in working harmoniously for a common end in other parts either of the Old or the New AVorld. The colleges affiliated to it are the Episcopal College of St. John, the Roman Catholic College of St. Boniface, and the Presbyterian College of Mani- toba. Others may and are expected to join a University which, if as successful as it deserves to be, will become a model for other places, both on the North American continc and on the con- tinent of Europe. The governing body consists of a Council, composed of a Chancellor and Vice- Chancellor, representatives of each college, three representatives elected' by the graduates, and two representatives of the Provincial Board of Educa- tion. The first Chancellor chosen to preside over the Council is the Bishop of Rupert's Land, and the Yice-Chancellor is the Hon. J. Royal, the Secretary of State for the Province, and a higbly- rcspected member of the Catholic Church. Pro- vision is made for the colleges affiliated to the University granting theological degrees. No ob- jection can be raised to this by the most advanced and uncompromising educational reformer ; in- deed, the educational reformer would be hard to please, if lie were not satisfied with the constitu- tion and government of the University of Mani- toba, While those persons merit unstinted praise Historical and Scientific Society, 201 I'd to stitii- ilaiii- raise I who have worked and made no mean sacrifices to render the University successful, the Legislature of the Province is equally worthy to be held in honour for having contributed to aid the experi- ment by endowing the University. Tims nothing has had to be paid by the colleges which are now in connexion with it, nor will those which may hereafter become affiliated to it have to provide any funds. Another institution which I did not expect to find in so yonng a city is the Histoi'ical and Scientific Society of Manitoba. Though it has been only two years in existence, this Society has rendered a. service to the Province by collecting its records, exploring its Indian mounds and collecting specimens wdierewntli to illustrate its mineralogy and geology. It is Viufortunate that the Society could not persnade the Hudson Bay Company to spare old Fort Garry, instead of levelling it to the ground and using the stones to form the foundation of a new store. However, the Company have wisely presented many volumes of records to the Society's library, where they will be safely k(^pt, and accessible for study. Prom a personal inspection of the works in the library, and the curiosities in the museum, I can vouch for a good beginning havmg been made, and I have no doubt that, if the members continue \ ■ • ! .f f 202 The City of Winnipeg, to display tlie same energy, tlie Historical Society will prove of infinite advantage to the inhabitants of the Canadian Far West. The great width of ]\Iain-street, which runs north and south, adds to its effect ; Portage- avenue, which, like it, is 132 ft. wide, runs west, and is an important thoroughfare ; Burrow's- avenue is 99 ft. wide; and the other streets are G6 ft. Indeed, the city is laid out with an eye to its future increase in population. This is spe- cially shown in the care which has been taken to secure open spaces, which will prove of much benefit when the area is more thickly covered with buildings. There are three public parks — Victoria, Burrow's, and Mulligan ; the first covers eight acres, the second five, and the third three. There is a race-course and a rifle range. The young men take delight and are very expert in rifle-shooting, their ambition being to obtain a place in the Canadian team which pays a yearly visit to Wimbledon, and there displays a vigorous and fraternal rivalry with the volunteers of the United Kingdom. Several tall chimneys in diffe- rent parts of the city denote the presence of manufactories. I learn tliat there are two flour milks, three saw m'ills, and four planing mills; that there is a carriage factory, a biscuit and con- fectionery bakery, a distillery ; and that there is i PiibUc Markets. 20 .") aree. The ert in ain a yearly orous If tlie diffe- co of flour uills ; con- ere is a brewery five miles distant, wliere the liops used in combination witli malt are the wild hops whieh abound in the district and can be obtained by any one who chooses to gather them. Hotels of various classes are plentifully provided for the entertainment of strangers, the Pacific Hotel and the Queen's being the two best and largest. The public-houses, or saloons as they are called throughout the West, are many in number ; they are undep rigid supervision and each is licensed. The licence, which costs $240 annually, is lial)le to forfeiture in the event of the saloon beins: badly conducted. The public markets I found well supplied with butcher's meat, poultry, game, fish, and vege- tables. The fish come from the lakes and the rivers, comprising pike, cat-fish, gold eyes and white-fish. I have always thought that none but persons who are nearly starving can really eat pike with any relish. A good imitation pike could be manufactured out of white blotting-paper with small pieces of fine wire interspersed ; on being cooked the taste of the fish would bo well reproduced by the moist blotting-paper, while the sensation of finding a sharp bone at eacli mcjuth- ful would be periectly rendered by the sti'ay pieces of wire. One of the fish on the bill of fare at the Pacific Hotel bore the name of lied River n^ 1 • iff r h' fi i i M 204 T/ie Cily of Winnipeg, salmon. I tasted it and thought it delicious, tlioiigh not at all like any salmon which I liad eaten. It was quite as rich as salmon and had scarcely any bones, resembling a lamprey in this respect more closely than any fish with which I am acquainted. A travelling-companion was quite as much pleased with it as I was. Before eating and praising it, he had warned me against ever eating the cat-fish, which he had seen taken out of the river, and of which he disliked the look as well as the name. He was rather surprised to learn that ho had heartily enjoyed and commended cat-fish under the name of Red River salmon. The veofetables for sale in the market reminded me of stories which I had read at home in the months of autumn. No imaginative writer in a country newspaper ever penned a paragraph about gigantic vegetables that could not be justified by the potatoes, cabbages, and turnips which I saw for sale here, and others whicli 1 have seen se- lected for exhibition. It is a common thing for potatoes to weigh 2 lbs. each and turnips 20 lbs. and for them to be as good as they are heavy. A squash has been produced weighing 138 lbs. and a veQ:ctable marrow 26. Cabba^'es measurinof 4 feet 8 inches and 5 feefc 1 inch in circumference have excited the astonishment of other visitors as well as my own, while a cucumber, grown in the Fruit and Floivcrs, 205 open air and measuring G feet 3 inches in lengtli, was riglitly considered a curiosity. The disphiy of fruit was not equal to that of vegetables, the culture of fruit havino: been neodected owintif to the supply of wihl fruit being so varied and abundant. Experiments made in growing apples having proved successful, the gardens here will soon be filled with fruit-bcarin2C trees. Yet it is not wonderful that the early settlers should have been satisfied with what Nature has provided for them, seeing that they had notliing to do but gather and consume an abundance of wild plums, grapes, strawberries, curraTits, red and black raspberries, cherries, blueberries, whortleberries, marsh and high bush cranberries. If the settlers have not busied themselves about the culture of fruit, they have not neglected the culture of flowers. The little gardens which adorn the fronts of the houses are filled with roses, mig- nonette, and other flow^ers dear to English eyes. Never have I seen flowers with more brilliant tints than those of jManitoba, and the brightness of their colours is in keeping with the strengtb and sweetness of their perfume. An enumeration of the principal sights in the streets of Wiiuiipeg would be incomplete if I omitted to mention that it contains many stores which for size and variety of the goods kept Irr?" 206 The City of Winnipeg. ! ! !l I would do credit to any city, as well as several baukiiii^-liou.ses, which have not only a solid look as buildings, but wliich enjoy the reputation of beino: sound financial establishments. First there is the Post-office Savings-bank, where depositors receive interest at the rate of 4 per cent., with the advantage of perfect security ; secondly, there are branches of the Merchants' Barik of Canada, of the Ontario Bank, and of the Bank of Montreal. In the newest western cities it is customary to find churches and schools, manufactories and markets, shops and banks; but I think no other city than Winnipeg has ever been able to boast of a club-house at so early a stage of its existence. The Manitoba Club was founded in 1874 — that is, one year after the incorporation of the city. The club-house in Main-street presents a neat appearance externally, while its internal arrangements are as comfortable as the most fastidious person could expect. Its members number about 80. I can write with the greater confidence in praise of the Manitoba Club, because I had the gratification of being made an honorary member of it and of enjoying its advantages. Though acquainted with many clubs, I know of few wherein dinners are sup})lied of equal quality at so moderate a charge as in the Manitoba Club. I found that the members enjoyed some articles of A yotirnalistic Experiment. 207 iges. food wliicli would be accounted startling novelties in any English club, among thera being stuigeon, an excellent fish, and roast bear, a tender nnd finely flavoured meat. I was more struck with this club than with tlio fact that ^Yinnipeg pos- sesses two excellent dnily newspapers, the ^lnul- ioha Free Ptn^fi and the Dalhj Tiiiirs. A club- house is regarded as a luxury in the Far AVest, whereas a newspaper is held to be a necessary of life. In the town of Selkirk, twenty miles farther north, the few inhabitants decided that they must have a newspaper, and, as there was no printing- press in the town, the difficulty to be overcome was considerable. They agreed among them- selves to pay a sum of $500 to the founder of a weekly newspaper in Selkirk, and they advertised this offer, adding that a circnLition of 400 copies, at $2 each, Avas guaranteed for a year. The result was that an enterprising gentleman started from the older part of Canada with a printing- press, and became printer, editor, and newspaper proprietor in Selkirk. The experiment was not successful; the Aveekly jonrnal lived a year when it ceased to appear and a monthly magazine was issued in tlie hope that the reading public would give it the support which luid been denied to the weeklv venture. Before crossing the Red River and describing '(?■ ;( i m m' w I '■ ! i < i { \ « I J 1 I 20S T/ii: Ci/y of Winnipeg, tlio tliriving siibui'b of St. Boniface, I mnstdovote a few sentences to tlie Coin[)iiny which was onco snpreme and wliicli is still a ptnver in Winni[)eg. There was a time not very long ago when no per- son conld bny, sell, or reside here withont leave from the Governor of Assineboia, the old name for this Province. 'J'ho Hudson Bay Company had tlien an actual monopoly of the country and exercised an exclusive jurisdiction over it. It had not been disputed in a court of law that the charter conferred on the Company by Charles II. gave them all the authority to which they laid claim, neither could it be denied that the attempt to keep a fertile region vaster than Europe as the hunting-ground of savages and a breeding-place for wild beasts, Avas opposed to the spirit of tlie age. The monopoly ended in 1860, when the Company surrendered its claims to Canada in return for 300,000/. in cash, the retention of land round the trading-stations estimated at 50,000 acres, and of one-twentieth part of the remainder of the land. Thus the Hudson Bay Company became the largest possessor of landed propei ty in the w^orld. In past times no company could well be more prosperous than this one; the proprietors received enormous returns for their investments ; the divi- dends were sometimes as high as 300 per cent. TJic Hudson Bay Company. 209 moro leived divi- cent. Not even tlie East India C()ni]):niy in its palmiest day was a greater financial snccess than this great fur company of the North- AVest. And just as the East India Company had among its servants Tnen of genius like Clive and Hastings, so was the Hud- son Bay Company served by men whoso ability was not inferior to that of the conquerors and rulers of the East. The factors who conducted the Company's trade were proud of their position and did their utmost to uphold it. Once a year they met at Norway-house, reviewed the operations of the previous year, planned those of the following year, and carefully scrutinized each other's per- formances. The factor who had been weiglied in the balance and found wanting was excluded from acting with his colleagues. Indeed, merit was then the indispensable qualification for the ad- vancement of a Hudson Bay Company's servant. In treating the Indians of the North- West, the policy of that Company has been both humane and exemplary. No one, indeed, who has studied the subject and who has had the good fortune to enjoy the acquaintance of the pioneers of civilization in the North-West can refrain from praising tlie servants of the Hudson Bay Com- pany in the strongest terms. Though that Com- pany is as ably served as of old, yet its excep- tional prosperity is a thing of the past. The ■('■ 1^ 2IO The City of Winnipeg. fur trade must dwindle in importance as tlie settlors cover tlie region where the desultoiy efforts of wikl Indians to kill wild animals alone checked their multiplication. 'J^he Company must look lor ils future profits from the sale of land. It is difficult for any body which has certain tradi- tions, and which has prospered by observing them, to forget them altogether and begin an entirely new career, and this is the difficulty with which the Hudson ]]ay Company have been confronted. Fort Garry, the original post of the Hudson Bay Company, was at the southern end of Main- Btreet. A large store adjoins it, in which all the articles can be purchased which are required entlier by the simple savage or the exacting white man. Next to the store is the Governor's resi- dence, now occupied by the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province. Formerly this store was the only place where the Red River settlers, for several miles round Fort Garry, could make purchases, or where tLc}'^ could dispose of their produce. Even now the articles sold here are as good and quite as cheap as in the "Winnipeg shops ; in making this statement, I do so from experience, having been a customer both to the store and to some of the shops. Now, if the Company desired that their store should be able to cope most thoroughly with rival establishments the obvious course was to 3 tlie iiltory alono I must I lanel. tnidi- ; tlu-'iri, ntirely which oiitcd. ludson Main- all the cquired white s rcsi- vernor as tliG several ases, or Even d quite Imaking having lome of )d that ^oughly was to Mr. Byydgcs» 21 I promoto settlement in its vicinity. This was not done ; on the contrary, the chief business part of the city was driven northward. Five hundred acres of land at Fort Garry remained the property of the Company at tlie transfer of its dominion to Canada in 18G9. Instead of selHng tliis land to the highest bidder, a price was set on it far in excess of the sum for which land equally good could be boug^ht elsewhere. Hence it is that, instead of the neighbourliood of tlie Fort and store being covered with dwellings, it lay waste, while dwellings covered the opposite end of Main- street, nearly two miles distant. A change has taken ulace in the conduct of tlio Company's business which is likely to redeem all the errors once committed. j\lr. Brydges, who had been Manager of the Grand Trunk and Super- intendent of the Intercolonial Railway, was ap- pointed Commissioner for the sale of the Company's land. He has brought his large business-know- ledge and tact to bear upon the matter with the best results. There are still changes to be effected in the management of the Company's affairs before they can be said to be conducted in the most efficient manner. Nevertlioless, so much has been done in the riij^ht direction that the financial success of the Company ought to be far greater in the future than in recent years. About p 2 U SI' r t^am 1 i- 212 City of Winnipeg. ' liMii 1 ' 1 lii A<» the vnliic of tlieir property there can be no ques- tion. To use a phrase coiniuoii in the United States, " there are niilHons in it." But prudent management both in Lonrlon and Winnipeg is required to extract the millions from it. II. It is time, for tlie sake of variety, to pass across the river to the interesting suburb of this city. A few minutes spent in a ferry-boat, and then the passenger sets foot in St. Boniface. Tlie cliange between any part of the Englisli and French coast is very great ; crossing the Straits of Dover and landinof in France is like enterino;' a new world. ]\luch the same effect is produced on liim who leaves Ottawa, passes through the suburb of Edin- bunxh, crosses the river, and enters Hull. This is not only a cliange from the Province of Ontario to that of Quebec, but it is also a change from an English to a French speaking locality. Such a contrast may also be perceived, both in the oldest and youngest States in the North American Union. When the river is crossed which separates New York from Iloboken, one passes from an English to a German speaking city ; indeed, there are shops in Hoboken where German is under- ! i i QO qucs- 3 United prudent inipeg is ass across is city. A [ then the 10 cliange Diicli coast r)over and lew world, liini wlio b of Edin- l. This is )f Ontario re from an Such a h in the American 1 separates from an leed, there is under- '.S I in ir. < C u: a. 'A i i I S/. Boniface. 213 stood better than Engflisli. In Cbicnffo and Mil- waukee there are quarters where German is the prevailing speech, and in St. Paul there are quarters where Norse is the only tongue fluently spoken. But none of these cases is so curious as that of St. Boniface. In the cities of the United States, though the people may speak a foreign tongue, there is yet no external token of the popu- lation being foreign. On the western side of tha Red River, the wayfarer wdio looks at the street- corners sees such truly British names as Alfred, Gladstone, and Macfarlane ; on the eastern side he sees Rue St. Boniface, Rue St. Joseph, Rue du Moulin, while he hears the passers-by converse in the French lanornaGfe. It is not so much the fact that French is spoken, as that everything looks so French which renders this suburb of the city of Winnipeg unlike any other wliich I have seen in any city on the continent of North America or of Europe. The settlement of French half-breeds at St. Boniface dates from the year 1818. Since then it has been the Roman Catholic mission centre of the North- West. Bishop Provenchc^r laboured here as a priest from 1818 till his death as bishop in 1853. His successor, Archbishop Tache, has spent the greater part of a long life as a missioneiy priest among the Indians. Archbishop Tache's work 'm i ' , 1 i. 1 214 T/ie City oj Winnipeg. entitled " Twenty Years of Missions in the North- West of America " is not only an interesting record of personal experience, but till recently it lias been the only trustworthy guide to that obscure region. He is very popular, and his great authority over the Half-Breeds and the Indians is exercised with much discretion. He chiefly con- tributed to allay the irritation which occasioned and succeeded the rebellion headed by Louis Riel ; and, though he "was said to have rather strained his powers as a mediator by promising an absolu- tion to the rebel leaders which the Canadian Government did not intend to accord, yet he un- questionably acted in good faith and with a suc- cess proving that his interpretation of the mission which he undertook was justified by events. The most conspicuous buildings in the suburb of St. Boniface are connected with the church of which Archbishop Tache is a worthy representa- tive. First in importance is the Cathedral, a stone building in simple Gothic style, and one of the best edifices of the kind in the North- West. Its organ is one of the finest in the country ; it was a gift to the Archbishop from his friends in Quebec on the 25th anniversary of his accession to episcopal rank. The interior of the Cathedral is principally remarkable for the absence of the tawdry decorations which so often offend the eye \k I Archbishop Tachd, 215 [ortli- G sting itly it » that ; great ians is y con- sioned ; Kiel ; rained J:)Solu- naclian lie im- a suc- fiission mburb Lrcli of ;senta- stone of the Its lit Avas ids ill sion to bedral ►f the Lie eye in such places. The Archbishop's palace is close to tlie Cathedral, and is also built of stone. It is a plain, comfortable dwelling-place, with a well- kept garden in front, filled with flowering plants and trees. I had the pleasure of conversing with the Archbishop and of learning his views with regard to the settlement of the country. He has that polish of manner which seems to be the inheritance of most persons whose mother-tongue is French. Thouo-h no lonorer younff and thoui'h much of his life has been passed among hardships which render a man old before his time, yet he has the look of a man much younger than his years. He is a living witness to the salubrity of the climate, having been here upwards of 30 years ; his predecessor. Bishop Provencher, lived long enough to show that residence near the Red River was conducive to longevity. Archbishop Tache has a strong faith in the progress of this region of the country and in its adaptability for settlement. Some parts further westward he considers too poor for cultivation, but he admits there is ample space and attraction, for millions to take up their abodes and pi'osper. The task of civilizing the Indians he holds to be much less difficult than is commonly supposed, and the success which the missionaries of his Church have had among the Indian tribes between ..iiiii ■ I ' 1 i h TJlc City of Winnipeg, the Red River and the Rocky Mountains is strongly in favour of the sanguine views entertained by the Archbishop. His own exertions to promote edu- cation are worthy of high praise and have yielded good fruit. Several educational and charitable institutions over which he exercises supervision are within a short distance of his palace. First there is the College of St. Boniface, where the students number between 00 and 70 ; secondly, there is St. Boniface Academy for the education of girls, where the teachers are Sisters of Charity ; thirdly, there is the Convent of St. Boniface, where orphans and destitute old women are cared for and supported by the Sisters ; and, fourthly, there is a hospital in connexion with the convent for the relief of the sick. Having read some extracts from the pastoral letter issued by Archbishop Tache at the time of the last general election in Canada, I was desirous of seeing the document itself, and, on stating this, the Archbishop kindly presented a copy to me. I shall translate a few passages from it in order to show the kind of advice which is given to electors by this excellent representative of the Catholic Church in the Canadian West. • He begins by claiming for priests, as citizens, the duty to take part in elections and the right to do so in virtue of their education and sacred office. i ■ Advice to Electors. 217 ■ongly by tbe B edu- ielded ritable :'vision First re tbe jondly, ication harity ; , where for and there is 'or tbe xtracts ibisbop tion in iciiment kindly e a few ind of cellent in tbe litizens, [igbt to office. He sets forth tbe importance of the elections on account of tbe results wbich may follow, and tbe necessity of having a well-constituted Legislature. He insists on tbe value of every vote in a Legisla- tive Assembly, seeing tbat a single vote may turn tbe scale for good or evil, and be contends tbat tbis consideration ougbt to be borne in mind in choosing representatives. He controverts tbe generally prevailing view tbat any man is fitted to be a legislator, saying tbat to represent one's fellow-countrymen, to undertake tbe preservation of the interests of one's country, and to become a legislator are such very difficult and important duties that one is often surprised at tbe ease with which certain persons set up as candidates and solicit tbe votes of electors. A proper candidate ougbt to possess common sense, a thing which tbe Archbishop holds to be rarer tban is commonly supposed, and of whicb tbe absence is almost in- variably marked by ignorance of tbe precept there is *' a time to keep silence," adding, *' Discretion in speech is so cbaractistic of prudence that we are assured in Solomon's Proverbs that even a fool wben be boldetb bis peace is counted wise, and be tbat sbuttetb bis lips is esteemed a man of understanding." He tbiiiks it imperative tbat a good member of Parliament should be a well- instructed man, *' it being possible to be a worthy 1 IN '^K 1 ' 1 m 1 ''. f ''i ' B m ' B ■ i 1 B ■ ^ f 2l8 T/ic City of W'innipcg. man witliout instrnotion,biit not a good legislator." Equally necessary is it to be an honest man, to be received in good society, to be sober and God- fearing in order to merit being sent to Parliament. The Archbishop remarks that these considerations prove that the requisite Parliamentary qualifica- tions are not possessed by all men, and then he goes on^o show what are the duties incumbent on electors. The first is to pray for enlightenment, the second to consult wise and discreet persons, to avoid being influenced by passion or personal in- terest, to widen the sphere of their contemplation, and to consider the public weal. He warns them against the curses of elections, which are lying, drunkenness, venality, and violence, and he implores them to allow the result to be achieved in opposition to their wishes rather than to gain an electoral triumph through perjury, calumny, or falsehood. He denounces bribery as a crime which stains both parties, both the briber and the bribed being bad citizens, traitors to duty and honour. He styles a member who owes his el(}ction to corruption as an intruder in Parliament. He charges the electors not to commit any acts of violence and to refrain from cojjying the bad example in this respect which had been set else- where, adding, " Above all show yourselves Christians, and you cannot fail to be good citizens." M; A French Nczvspapcr. 219 tor." to be God- ment. itions lifica- leii lie ent on inient, ons, to nal in- )lalion, s tliem ) lying, ,nd lie eved in ain an ly, or crime ind tlie Ity and 'es liis lament, acts of Ihe bad let else- irselvcs Itizens.'* He concludes by forbidding the holding of political meetings at the church doors on Sunihiys and by desiring that such gatherings should be held on weekdays only. The foregoing summary of this pastoral letter not only shows the opinions which the Archbishop inculcates, but it justifies me in assertinof that if other di<]:nitaries of his Church displayed the same tact and good taste there would never be any cause for protesting against priestly interference at elections. Before leaving St. Boniface, I must note that this suburb of Winnipeg promises to thrive even better in the future than it has hitlierto done. The terminus of the Pembina branch of the St. Paul and Pacific Eallway is here, and this has given an impetus to building. A newspaper in French, called Le Metis, is published weekly. It is the only French journal published in the Cana- dian North-West and taking cognizance of the wishes and wants of the large class there which preserves the use of the French language. There is no part of Canada where speech is more diver- sified than in the Province of Manitoba, nor is there any in which the ordinary routine of existence is more varied. )'[': mm n i ? I 1 f li k CHAPTER X. THE PliOVI.NCE OF MANITODA. The surprise which I felt on first walking along the streets of Winnipeg and seeing so many tokens of progress and civilization was increased when I journeyed through the Province of which Winnipeg is the capital. I had read that the country was totally unfit for settlement. I had read that it was pre-eminently adapted for farming and that no other part of the Continent was a more desirable place of abode. Indeed, few regions of the world have been the subjects of greater controversy than Manitoba, the Prairie Province of Canada. It has had many indiscreet eulogists and as mauy unscrupulous defamers. If the former are right, the Province must be an Earthly Paradise; if the latter set forth the whole truth, it must be the counterpart of Dante's Inferno. Though the discussion as to the ad- vantages or drawbacks of this place has been IHi Opiiiiofjs about the Region. 221 along mary reased Avliich. at the I had d for itinent ndeed, ibjects rairie Iscreet traers. be an h the ante's e ad- been specially keen and persistent of late years, yet the difforonco of o[)inio?i conceruini^ it is of old date. Since the Hudson ]3ay Company received tlieir charter from Charles the Second in 1()70, doubts have been expressed and nncertainty has pre- vailed as to the character of the region ont of "which this Province has been carved. The matter was carefully investig'ated by a Select Committee of tlie House of Commons in 1 749 and again in 1857. Mr. Gladstone was a member of the Committee which sat in 1807 and he was not so readv as some of his colleagues to conclude that the officers of the Hudson Bay Company were justified in maintaining that tlie entire Canadian North West. was unsuited for settlers and had been evidently designed by Providence to be a perpetual breeding-gi'ound of wild beasts and a consrenial habitation for wild Indians. Sir George Simpson, who had been Governor of the Hndson Bay Company's territory during thirty-seven years and who had traversed every part of it, emphaticallv assured the Committee that the region now known as Manitoba was cursed with a poor soil, a variable and inhos- pitable climate and disastrous and frequent inundations. The Right Hon. Edward Ellice, speaking on behalf of the governing body of the Company in England, confidently asserted that 1 I Hi 222 The Province of Manitoba, ■\ K 1 1 tlio TJod River district was no place for settlers and that tlie State of Miniieso^*^ now so prospe- rous, was no place for tlieni .^ncr. Sir Jolin Ilicliardson, tlie famous Arctic explorer, agreed witli the ofHcers of tlie Company in pronouncing the land utterly worthless for settlement; and ho declared that he could not understand why any one should go thither except to prosecute the fur trade. He made a statement which caused an impression on his liearers but which seems very strange to me. It was to the effect that the vino does not grow naturally on the ^ortli American Continent to the north of 43 dt is of latitude. Now, I have eaten and plucked grapes on the banks of the Hed Riv^er to the north of the 49th parallel of latitude, and I have drunk wine made from wild grapes grown on the Assiniboine River at the 50th parallel. When men of experience and eminence like Mr. Eilice and Sir John Richardson made such extraordinary mistakes as to matters of fact relating to this part of the country, it is not to be wondered at if they grievously erred in matters of opinion. In truth, many of the facts and opinions current about Manitoba have been either palpable ficlions, or absurd blunders. The Province of ]\Janitoba occupies the centre of North America, being equidistant from the Extent of tJ:c Province, 223 )f the they centre the pole and the cqnntor, tho Atlantic nnd Pacific oceans. Its area when foi'inod into a Province was 14,;3IO square raik^s; since then its bounihiries have been extended and it now covers 120,000 square railes. In Canada tlie Pr>vinces of Quebec and British Cobimbia are tht o'dy two coverinGf a hirjjer area than ]\lanitot)a, whde in tlio Union two States only, Texas and California, are vaster than it. Yet ^lanitoba covers but a fraction of the Canadian Far AVest, tlierc bein*^ ample space i licrein out of wliich to carve fifteen other Provinces of the like extent. Its peculi- arity and advantage consist in the fact that settlement there is of an old enough date to enable its capacity for producing food and affording pleasant homes to the landless to havo been thoroughly tested. When I visited it in 1878 for the first time the novelty of the scene fell short of my expectation. I had been accus- tomed, in common with many other persons, to regard it not only as outlandish and inaccessible, but as a region where life must be spent under even less favourable conditions than in those remote parts of the Far West with which I was acquainted. With a feeling of amazement, then, I discovered throughout Manitoba innumerable indications of a long-settled and well-governed country. Many of the farms which I visited had ■I 4 , 224 The Province of Manitoba. an antiquated look wliicli produced a strikinjj impression. I bad expected tliem to resemble otlier Prairie farms, wliicli appear as if tliey had just been established, or were on the point of being abandoned, everything about them l)eing unsub- stantial and unfinished. The rude dwelling-houses seem intended to serve a temporary purpose. No trim gardens give evidence of long residence and the expenditure of leisure time. An unenclosed plot of ground, in which cabbages or potatoes are struggling for existence among a mass of weeds, is the only attempt at gardening to be seen 'on a new prairie farm. The fields bear testimony to the haste with which the settler has striven to grow and garner a crop. He has sown the seed before the land has been wholly reclaimed from its Avilderness state, caring nothing about appear- ances so long as he can harvest a quantity of grain sufficient to repay his outlay and to leave him a surplus wherewith to feed himself and his fiimily. Tidiness is not the forte of a prairie farmer. In Manitoba, however, many prairie farms have as finished and comfortable a look as any m Great Britain. An enclosed garden, filled with flowers and vegetables and free from wei-ds, is attached to most of them ; the fields are in excellent con- dition; the dwelling-house seems built to last Fanninfr in Manitoba. 225 rikincc emble y had being msub- iiouses . No ;e and iclosed )os are weeds, 1 'on a Dny to ven to le seed from ipear- ity of leave nd his prairie s have Great lowers ,aclied and to afTord a comfortable shelter; an air pro- 10 con- last il' vails wliicli can best be rendered by the epithet home-like. Tlii? was not what I had come so far to see. Yet, if I had pondered more carefully the history of the country, it is precisely what I ought to have expected. It is a common but an entire mistake to regard Manitoba as a region of the globe in which farming is an ex- periment. The truth is that farming has been practised there on a considerable scale and with remarkable success since the year 1812. At the beginning of this century the problem of how to deal with the poorer Highlanders caused much anxiety to philanthropists and statesmen. The semi-patriarchal state in which the Hi"'hland clans had lived was a thino: of the past, and there appeared to be no place for the members of these clans in the new state of things. Shortly after the bloody suppression of the re- bellion of 17-i5, many Ilighhmders emigrated to North America. Expatriated Highlanders con- stituted the bone and marrow of the colony which General Oglethorpe conducted across the Atlantic in order to found what is now the State of Georgia. Others had chosen North Carolina as their dwelling-place, and, siding with Congress in the war of Independence, they proved themselves sturdy and dauntless soldiers in battle. ■BnBBBnr— - ^BEB :i ■ ! 226 TJie Province of Manitoba. In the introduction to Scott's Legend of Mon- trose an account is given of Sergeant More M'Alpin who, having served his time in the army and been discharged with a pension, went back to his birthpkce in ^ ? North of Scotkind and found that a single farmer occupied the ground where two hundred persons had Hved in his boy- hood. He meditated following them to Canada and settling in the A^alley which t\\^'j had called after their native glen. Lord Selkirk persuaded some of these evicted Iliohlanders to unite in founding a colony on the banks of tlie Red River of the North. He had become Chairman of the Hudson Bay Company and ho had acquired a tract of land covering 1 1 0,000 square miles, whereon he wished to form a settlement. In the spring of 1811, a party of Highlanders, the majority being natives of Sutherlandshire, em- barked at Stornaway and sailed for York Factory on Hudson Bay. It was autumn before the party reached York Factory, and the land journey to Fort Garry, on the Red River, could not be begun till the following spring ; the emigrants did not reach their destination till the autumn of ,1812. The weary and dispirited Highlanders found that tliey Avere expected to fight as well as to farm, hostilities being then in progress between the Hudson Bay Company and the North-West Red River Fanners. 227 Fur Company of Canada and tliey -wore told that, if the latter Company were victorious, they would be deprived of tlie land which they had bought. So hard did their lot seem that they resolved to quit the country, and they had actually started in 1816 when, on Lord Selkirk appearing with a fresh band of emigrants, they agreed to remain. Their descendants in the third cceneration are now successful and prosperous farmers, and it was their farms which struck me as very difTerent from the Prairie farms which I had seen else- where. Their experience demonstrates how fertile the soil is along the Red River Valley. I visited farms in the parish of Kildonan where wheat had been sown and where crops had been reaped for sixty years in succession without manure being applied. Indeed, the Red Kiver farmers have long regarded the natural fertilizers of the soil as an incumbrance of which they try to rid themselves with the least possible trouble. Their habit was either to cast manure into the river or else to build out-houses in such a way that it might fall down and be no more seen. When this region passed from under tlie juris- diction of the Hudson Bay Company and became a Province of Canada, one of the earliest legislative enactments provided that the farmer who polluted a river with manure should pay a fine of $25, or Q 2 rti It I I t » 228 T/ic Province of Manitoba, else be imprisoned for two raontlis. Even now it is more common to collect the manure in lieaps than to strew it over the land. The only fertilizer add(id to many fields is the ash from burned straw. I often saw the straw, remaining after the grain had been thrashed, set on fire as the quickest way to dispose of it. However, as the country becomes more thickly peopled, straw will be taken to market and sold for money instead of being converted into ashes. That a piece of land should bear wheat for three generations in succession is extraordinary, but that the yield at the end of that period should amount to 25 bushels an acre is more extraordi- nary still. On virgin soil the yield is enormous. The best evidence on this head, because it is per- fectly authentic, is that furnished by Mr. Senator Sutherland, a native of the Province, to a Com- mittee of the Dominion House of Commons in 1876. Mr. Sutherland then said that he had "raised 60 bushels of spring wheat per acre, weighing ^^ lbs. per bushel, the land having been measured and the grain weighed carefully. I have also received reliable information to the efft'ct that 70 bushels of wheat have been pro- duced from 1 bushel of wheat sown." Another interesting fact rests on the same trustworthy authority ; this is the abundance of grass and Prairie Grasses. 229 cheapness of liaj. The prairie grasses, of whicli there are six varieties in tliis Province, con- tain much nutriment; they can be convertid into hay at the cost of $1 a ton. These wild grasses pften grow to the height of 5 feet ; the yield of hay is as much as 4 tons an acre. While the descendants of the original settlers are living in comfort, the new-comers are pros- pering also. They have to struggle against cer- tain drawbacks as is the lot of all prairie farmers ; in their case, however, it is emphatically true that patience and perseverance have their reward. I conversed with many of the later settlers. One of them was a very intelligent man who had emigrated from the North of Ireland to Ontario fifteen j^ears ago and who had migrated to Mani- toba a year before I saw him, being induced to do so because the return from his larm did not keep pace with the increase and the demands of his family. His flock of a dozen children gave him no concern in his Manitoba home. Ilis eldest daughter had found a good place at a 'liberal wao'e in a clerofyman's household, while his crops were so abundant that he could easily feed all the months dependent upon him and lay something aside lor the future. He had but one fault to find with the country, and he was not singular in his complaint. The 2:\o TJic Province of Manitoba, ,. ^* :^, violence of the tliuiulorstorms appalled liim. I was not surprised to bear liiin say this. I have laad some experience of thunderstorms and I am prepared to maintain that those of Manitoba are so terrific as to be be^^ond all rivalry. In Ontario the flashes of lightning are more vivid and the peals of thunder jy^e far more resonant than in England, but a Manitoba thunderstorm is to one in Ontario what one in Ontario is to one in England. Wlien Manitoba is visited with such a storm the rain falls as if the windows of heaven were open, the thunder crashes as if the celestial combat imagined by Milton were at its height, the liglitning fills the air with sheets of dazzling brightness athwart which dart tono-ues of flame. The air is so charged with electricity that the simplest operation reveals its presence. It can be made manifest by merely combing one's hair. At times it appears in a startling fashion. The Earl of Southesk records in the narrative of his travels here that, when about to wrap himself in a fur robe, " a white sheet of electrical flame blazed into his face, for a moment illuminating the whole tent." The Manitoba farmer who reaps fabulously large crops can afford to bear the discomforts of occasional thunderstorms of exceptional violence. When locusts, or grasshoppers as they are here Grasshoppers. 231 o called, visit the country tliey cause greater un- easiness because tliey occasion far f^reater loss than all the thunderstornn. This plag-ne is not peculiar to Manitoba ; it is dreaded by farniiM's in the AVestern States from ^linnesota to Colorado. At Denver, the capital of Colorado, I once saw a fliglit of grnsshoppers, resembling a scintillating brown cloud, pass over the city, and many were the speculations among the onlookers as to the part of the State on which it would descend and work destruction. The settlers in Manitoba have suffered less from this pest than their neighbours in the United States. Since the first settlers came here in 1812 the grasshoppers have ap- peared thirteen times, whereas they have visited the State of Minnesota six times since 185o ; in the former case the visitations havino- been thir- teen during sixty-eight years and in the latter, six during: twentv-five years. The Indians wel- come grasshoppers ; they catch, roast and eat them and pronounce them very good. Happily for the farmers, wdio prefer bushels of grain upon which they can live, to bushels of grasshoppers which devour their crops, the voracious insects are not regular visitors. As many as thirty-live years have elapsed between their successive apiiearances. Moreover, the farmers are better able now to ward off their ravages than they were in bygone days. \A I i u I S f. ' 1 fi Mi !' 5 -: 232 77/(? Province of Manitoba. Grasshoppers are an infliction wliich is not very frequent nor very greatly feared ; tlie spring floods are annual torments for which no remedy li;is yet been adopted. They cause the farmer nnich annoyance and serious loss. The depo.^ifc left upon the land which has been inundated fre- quently lessens its fertility for a season. There is a remedy wliich would cure all this, or better still wliich would prevent the mischief altogether. A liohtnincr-rod oniards the farmer's house and burns from injury by the electric fluid. A proper and general system of draninge would shield his fields from the destroying flood when the snow melts in the spring and the streams are swollen to a great height. The Government of the Province have a comprehensive scheme of drainage in contemplation. If it -were carried out and if it proved effectual, the wealth of the Province would be vastly augmented, the waste now produced by the floods being incalculable. The Red River cart is a relic of ^lanitoba in the old time which is destined to follow the bufl'alo and be seen no more. Indeed, it cannot outlast the buffalo, because buffalo hide is one of the chief materials used in its construction. The cart is entirely made of wood and buffalo hide, no metal being employed or required in its construc- tion. It was an ingenious device of the first settlers Avho, having no iron at their disposal, had ch is nofc tlie spring 10 roraedy he farmer he deposit) idated fre- n. There , or bclicr dtogether. house and A proper shiehl liis tlie snow swollen to 3 Province \ainage in t and if it ince would oduced by coba in the :he buflalo lot outlast •ne of the ion. The lo bide, no construc- ■ the first posal, had ■^^:^^^'^ ClWL|«;^y,y^\i/ fOXTOM ivftpfoiii — ^ruBRc "»IB CREEK mi t f iin 50ELL f sicJlME* TCRVIUE ^*«UifiERVfLU "*•*•• • l»£NNON/TE ^^^4i4 ^l^LEI^EmS WEST LYNHE »fVERVILL£ CUAR SptiNc) '^NONITE iRNAUO CBEeN R|QO£ "'OCEVILU EMERSON CiMU )AK POINT mNE-vifcAOSTONE iOOSlOE COLOEN STREA WELLINCtbN [BOURNE [RNiR aW' la LA PRLAIRIE IFOXTON [^HfcNWOOD CUNir^MYEMr^QW'B DYHyoftl LVICTORIA ^;^ELKIRK rK$CRE( WINNIPEG^ 8T^ ^ ilNOIAN FORD^ rREHERNE 'HOLLAND BEACOHSFIELD ,, _^ CAMPBf iLVIva TOBACCO CRE^ LORNE /" >UNNY$IO.E •LYMPTO URIC CREEK lETTE ILLBROM )DELL KAMI iUTTERVILLE ^NTENOY f stWAtmevqI 1^. ARO^BALoL^g^/J^/?^^ SIJEAN BAPTI8Te\\\ | KVERVILLE CLEAR SPDIHC »RAT RtVER KENNONITE EtSETTLEMENT^ Tg^iL iXAN IMNA _ )8I GAUTHiER MOUNTAIN CITY LETELLiER • ERVILLE MENNONITE WEST LYNNE "^^^ETTLEMENTS LRNAUO of -OREEN RIOOE ilDCEVILLE. EMERSON ■Vi • 1 1 ? ?' 1 r I 1 ; i 1 ' ' , fi i 1 : 1 1 1 1 1 1 ■n - 1 ': 1, ■' 1 i - i» Ih ' '1 1 1 f 1 ^ ■ m '■ 1 : 1 ■ i ' '1 ^B 1 9 1 i < 1 i ■ » 1 si ; ! JT'I "III ! i 1 t , '1 1- IB ' ' ' 1- ... , -. - ^R i 1 1 H t ■ ^H t| '-1 1 ■ B •'.^1 1 i^ V ]\Ianitoba Ilouicslcads. 2jj to contrive to (HspnriFJo with it. Such n cnrt costs §10; it is lit^lib as well as^cliciip, and si iioavior load can be drawn in it by an ox over tlie soft prairie than in a cart of another build. AVitli (^no of these carts carryiiifica h)ad of half a ton, a yoko of oxen, a plough and a few other iiii])hMnents, the Manitoba farmer is eqnipjicd for tilling the soil. Farming on the prairie is very different work from farming in the backwoods of Canada. It has been aptly and truly said, '* Where the Ontario farmer ends, the farmer of IManitoba begins." The latter has meiely to ])lough the prairie, sow the seed and wait till his grain is ready to be rciiped ; he has neither trees to fell nor land to clear. Any citizen of the British Empire can get a farm in ]\ranitoba on very easy terms. The Canadian Homestead Act provides that he may secnre IGO acres of land on pnying an oflice fee of §10, living there three years, erecting a dwelling on it not less than 18 feet long by IG feet wide, and cnltivating a part of the land. On complying with these conditions, he becomes the absolute owner of the land. ITis task is not hard. Ho may grow a crop the first year of occupation which will reimburse him for all his outlny. Shonld he have cattle, they can graze free of cost on the prairie grass and be fed in winter on hay Inch he obtains for the trouble of cuttiiiir and !! '! I i I 234 The Province of Manitoba, curing it. In order to succeed lie must start witli capital; the minimum sum wliicli lie ought to have on beginning to farm is $500 ; the larger his capital the greater his chance of success. In any case he must make up his mind to endure some privations, to eat very plain food, to sleep little and work very hard. Should he be diligent in toiling with his hands, lie may count upon being in comfortable circumstances at the end of five years and a rich man at the end of ten. Tlie fault will be his own if he fail. Nature has done everything for the Manitoba farmer that nature can do for any farmer, and it rests with him to do the rest. The Manitoba farmers whom I visited and witli wdiom I conversed are so con- scious of this as to indulge but seldom in the grumbling which is the failing of the farming class. I found them more ready to express thankfulness than to find fault. It was their rule to use nearly the same form of words in which to convey their reply to my question as to what they thought about the country as a whole, the phrase being " Manitoba is the finest land that God's sun ever shone on."^ ' Among the mnny p.atiiplilets, TjIuo "Hooks and works relating to ^IaniU)l)a which I have read, none contains a more interesting and vahiahle acconnt of its early liistory than a hook entitled Ixcil li-i'ei\ by Mr. J. J. llargrave, published at Montreal in 1871. irt vvitli to have 2^er bis III any e some 'P little rent in 1 being of five I. The as done , nature til him vliom I 30 con- in the ^'arming express eir rule liicli to lat they 1 phrase ) God's s relating iiter<>Htiiig k (nititlod )ntreal in CHAPTER XL MENNONITES AND ICELANDEES IN MANITOBA. The emigration of the Mennonites from their Russian homes near the Sea of Azoft' to new ones near the Red River of the North, is an interesting fact in contemporary history. These Mennonites are German Protestants wlio reject infant bai)tism, who will not bear arms or take an oath. Their ancestors took refuge in Russia a century ago because they were not allowed to practise their religion in Western Prussia. They fonnd an asylam in Russia where the edicts of successive Em])erors allowed them to till the soil and live in peace. It was decreed, however, that the immunity which they had enjoyed from military sei'viee should terminate in 1871 ; hence, they had either to submit to the conscription or l(«ave the country. The majority chose the latter alternative. A large number of JMennonites emigrated to the United States, settling in Nebraska and Kansas. tlji :1 236 Mennonites and Icelanders in Manitoba. A small body went to Brazil, suffered mncli and returned to Russia after undergoing great priva- tions and after being the objects of English charity during their stay at Southampton, on returning from Brazil, and till permission to re- enter Russia was granted. While the exodus was in progress, Mr. Hespeler was commissioned by the Canadian Government to proceed to Russia and suggest to the ]\[ennonitts that Manitoba would be a suitable place for them. A few IMennonites had settled in Ontario, had prospered, had grown rich and were disposed to succour their unfortunate brethren in the dominions of the Czar. They agreed to become sureties to the Government of Canada for the repayment of any sum which it might be necessary to advance to tlie Russian Mennonites by way of loan. The amount lent by the Government was $80,000, at G per cent, interest, repayable in eight years. Before deciding to leave Russia for Canada, the ]\[ennonites sent three agents to survey the land and empowered them, if satisfied Avitli it, to select a tract for settlement. These accents reported very favourably of Manitoba, and they chose two places one to the East, the other to the West of the Red Eiver, as suitable for their brethren. The Canadians were not impressed with the penetration of these agents, because the ha. Mcnnonite Homes. 237 cli and : priva- j]iiglisli ;on, on L to re- ins was ncd by ssiaand I would nonites . grown rtunato Tli(7 nent of I'hich it lussian lent by r cent. ida, tlie le land it, to aixents 1 they tlier to n- tlieir pressed use tlie i( land wliicli they deliberately selected seemed far inferior to other land which they might luive had. When the main body of the Mennonites arrived at the E-ed River about five years ago, they had much to endure. They had to encamp on the open prairie in the cold winter months. Water was scarce and trees were few in number. They dug wells and met the first difficulty ; they built houses of sun-dried brick and overcame the second and, what was still more wonderful, they heated their dwvjllin2:s and cooked their food with fires made without w^ood or coal. I mentioned in a previous chapter tliat the early settlers had a habit, which they bequeathed to their descendants and from which the latter are not yet weaned, of burning: the straw in their fields and casting* their manure into the river. The Mennonites carefully save both. They thatch their houses and barns with 'nirt of the straw; the remainder they mix with tae manure, press the two together and cut the mass into cakes, which serve admirably as fuel to burn in their clay-built stoves. These stoves are so arranged that three sides of each form parts of three rooms, tlms distributing heat over the o'reatest surface and economiziim' fuel. More cosy dwellings and better arranged farm offices than those of the ]\[ennonites are not to be found iu Manitoba or in the Canadian i'ar West. |i. ; ■I ' S I 238 Jllcnnonilcs and Icelanders i/i Manitoba, The furniture is plain but substantial, and well adapted for its purpose. It is the handiwork of the people themselves. They employ tlieir leisure in carpentry during tlie frost-bound winter months. The men think it as absurd not to make their own cliairs and tables, their writing-desks and chests of drawers, as the women consider it inexcusable not to suckle their infants and make the clothes used by their families. It is tlie custom of both sexes to buy anything which tliey can fabricate for themselves. They are thoroughly practical Christians ; they hold that their duties to them- selves and their nei2:libou.rs consist in dressinof plainly, being diUgent in business and rendering to every one his due and no more. They are ready to help those who help themselves ; but they will not lend a hand to keep tlie idle by nature in a state of blissful indolence. The men are farmers from choice. No drones are suffered to remain in their community. Every one in sound health is obliged to labour with his hands or to pay the penalty of starving. A clergyman toils in the fields during the week and ministers to tlie spiritual wants of his flock on Sundays. Nor is the schoolmaster exempted from manual labour during seed-time and harvest ; the rest of the year he is permitted to teach the children. The women have to labour as hard and as un- Mcnnonitc Doctrines and Habits, 239 remitting-ly as the men. No distinction of sex is made when a field has to be weeded, a house plastered, seed sown or cattle tended. All who can use their hands are obliged to do so when the occasion arises. The Mennonites will not fight on any provoca- tion. They will not take an oath whate\'er the consequences. They will not go to law if they can possibly help it, and they carry their in- dependence to such an extreme that each one acts as his own physician witliout thinking tliat he is chargeable with folly. They can tlie more easily dispense with drugs and doctors because they enjoy exceptionally good health. The conntry and the climate suit them. I was told by those whom I questioned on the subject that, in Manitoba, they had far less sickness, especially among the children, than in Southern lliissia. They are temperate ; but they are not water drinkers on principle. They relish a glass of whiskey and still more a glass of brandy if tlu^y can enjoy it Avifchout payment. Their chief objection to strong liquors consists in having to pay for them. They also delight in a pi[)e, if tobacco be supplied to them gratis. I spent a night in one of their settlements ; 1 visited many of their farms ; I conversed with several of them in their own tongue. It is a 1 . 1 1 1 %: 1 |l 240 Metmonites aitd Icelanders in Ma7iitoba. proof of their innato and intense conservatism that thoy have preserved their German speech till now. It is doubtful whether they will not be driven to speak English as well as German and, in time, to speak English exclusively. In Russia they had no temptation or inducement to learn the language of the country. They were a compara- tively educated body placed among an ignorant and, in their estimation, an inferior race. If the Eussians by whom they were surrounded wished to converse with them, they held it to be tlie business of the Russians to acquire their language. Now the tables are turned. They find it necessary to learn English in order to do business with their neighbours, these neighbours not caring to take any trouble for the purpose of being able to converse with them. AVhereas in Russia they looked down with contempt upon their ignorant neighbours, in Manitoba thoy recognize that their neighbours are better educated and far more advanced in the ways of the world than themselves. The agricultural implements which they saw in Canada were as much superior to those which they had used in Russia as a railway train is to a stage coach. They felt that the people who made and employed such improved ploughs, thrashing machines and harvesters must be infinitely tiieir superiors. They showed their tact and good i ( 3 i o and Isbing tiiuir good Failings of the Alcnnouilcs. 241 sense, not only in recognizing tliis, but also in buying the novel implements of agriculture wliere- wilh to cultivate tlie soil. Their satisfaction with the soil and climate is ex- pressed without reserve and in the sfi'ongest terras. Each of those to whom I addressed a question on this head informed me that the soil of Manitoba was more fertile, that the yield of grain was larger, that the quality of the grain was better there than in Southern Russia, while the climate, espe- cially in summer, was far superior. Some ot them waxed enthusiastic when speaking of their Canadian home. They have nothing to complain of. The Canadian Government have pledged themselves to respect the religious scruples of the Mennonites. The Mennonites, on the other hand, desire nothing: so much as to be left in the un- disturbed enjoyment of what they style *' a beautiful, a heavenly land." Their feelings are manifested in the names given to their villages, these being " Schonthal," " Blumenort," " Sclion- wiese," " Rosenthal," signifying Beautiful Valley, Flowery Spot, Beautiful Meadow, Rose Valley. Though the Mennonites possess many virtues and make excellent settlers in a new country, they are yet far from being model citizens. Their very virtues are not easily distinguishable from vices. They are as avaricious and niggardly as (i 242 Mcnnonitcs and Icclanacrs in Manitoba. Frericli peasant proprietors. They are morbidly suspicious of pcrs(jns who do not belong* to their bodvand, wlien deahno- witli strani'-ers, they drive bargains which are so hard Jis to verge on sharp practices. To get money is their cliief aim in life, and their wliole enioyment consists iu hd)our- ing for that object. Like otlier assiiUious cul- tivators of the soil, tliey allow their minds to lie fallow. They can read and write ; indeed, they would be ashamed of being unable to do both ; but they consider it no reproach to be indifferent to literature otlier tban school-books, hymn-books and the Bible, and never to look at a newspaper. They are utterly heedless as to the affairs of the world, so long as they can reap their crops and make a profit by selling their produce. If they learn Avhat is the market price of what they have to sell, they have learnt all the current information which they care to possess. Even the charity of the Mennonites has its dark side. The poorer bretliren are assisted by the richer, but the richer take care lest the poorer should be so well paid as to grow independent and make their own terms. Kicli Mennonites are thoroughly conyinced of the advantage of employing cheap labour. Their astuteness as a connnunityis sometimes carried far beyond permis- sible limits. I was present when the heads of one of Mennoniic Exchisivcncss. 243 bidly tlic'ir drive sharp \\\\ in L])Our- s cul- to lie , tliey both ; fferent -books paper, of the ps and f they ly have nation s dark »y tlie [poorer mdcnt lionites lige of is ;is a ierniis- ione of th(Mr '^^anicip:ditio3 were taken to task for the following coiidiiet. In connnon witli otlicrs in the Trovince, this Miinicipahty had received $100 from tlie Trovincial- Government to be applied in drainage. The grant was accepted by tlie Municipality in question, but nothing was done in draining the land. Unless each jMunicipality chd its duty, the effect of the Avork would be impaired. The result of investii2:ation was to show that the Mennonite jMunicipality had expended 'i^lh in buy- ing two drainage ploughs which were carefully stored away, and had lent the rest of the sum at interest to a member of their own body. It is the desire and hope of the Mennonites in Manitoba to live apart from their neighbours and to preserve their own speech and customs as th'\y did in Russia. There are many ])laces on the North American Continent where colonies have been established which have preserved most of the characteristics of their founders. In Nova Scotia and Ontario there are German settlements ; in New Brunswick there is a Danish settlement ; in Ontario there is a Highland settlement; in many parts of \\\(i country there are French settlements. But these settlements are chiefly characterized by two languages being spoken by the people ; those among them whose ancestral tongue is German, Gaelic or French learn English also and the fact R 2 ¥. 4 1,6 • ; ;5 m ■■Hi _J 244 ]\lennonitcs and Icelanders in JlTanitoba, oftlic po(^plo s[)onkinpr two lnni]:iinn;r'is is the diiof, if not the only distinction between tliem {lud other Canadians. Eveiy year tlie possibility of remaining a class apart is more difficult owing to the increase of interconnnnnication. The present generation of Mennonites may practise all the exclusiv^e rules to which thev have been accustomed and their ignorance of English will render it easier for them to resist any external influence which might cause them to modify or alter their views and habits. Thoir children w^ill assuredly succumb to these influences. They are learning English and they will acquire ideas which must alter their mode of life. Moreover, the Mennonites are making money more rapidly than they ever did before and the sons of rich parents may cease to labour with their hands as their forefiithers have done for genera- tions. It is to be hoped, however, that they will preserve some of their simple tastes and all their domestic virtues. The Mennonites have tanglit the Canadians many lessons, and they have learned much in return. The progress of their community deserves to be watched with interest. As tillers of the soil they have no superiors. As j^ioneers in subjugation of the wilderness they cannot bo rivalled. Their gospel of labour is sound and profitable doctrine for settlers in the Far West, and it is their merit to practise it with diligence Nc7a Iceland. 245 ami zo;il. As Lord DiifrtTui rema!'k(Ml in an adiiiirahle speech delivered when visit iiiq* tlieir resorvatioii, they are useful recruits and comrades in a contest waged with Nature wliero no blood is shed or misery wrought. Yet tlio war " is one of ambition, for w^e intend to annex territory, but neither blazing villages nor devastated fields will maik our ruthless track ; our battalion will march across tho illimitable plaius which stretch before us as sunshine steals athwart tho ocean ; the rolling prairie will blossom in our wake, and corn and peace and plenty will spring where we have trod." earned Qunity ers.of ;ers in ot bo and West, igence II. Fifty-six miles northward of Winnipeg is Gindi, the Capital of New Iceland. The territory set apart for the Icelanders covers 27,000 acres ; the population did not much exceed 1029 at the close of 1879 ; about 500 Icelanders of both sexes were scattered over the Province, the men working on farms, the women as domestic servants. Lord Dufferin was an enthusiastic advocate of immi- gration into Canada from Iceland. lie had learned from personal observation how hard life was in Iceland itself, the people there existing as he phrased it " amid the snows and ashes of an !i ^ ! 246 JMcnuoHiics and Icelanders in Manitoba, arctic volcano." Tlic first Tci'landic scttlomont in Cjuiiula was iiiado in 1875 near Burnt River in Victoria County, Ontario. Tiic spot reminded tlio Icelanders of tlieir native land far to well, the cliief i)r()duct of the locality being rock. It was tlien resolved to offer them a tract of hind in the Far West on the sliore of Lake Winnipeg, provided that they would remove thither and induce their countrvmen to ioin them. The removal was cfl'ected the following year and as many as 2000 took up their abode near Lidvo AVinnipeg, an inland sea as lonf? as Knn-land and not less abundantly stocked with fish than the salt ocean around Iceland. Immediately after arriving, small-pox broke out among them and they wero subjected to a species of quarantine; they com- plained of being kept too strictly isolated and. that intercourse with the rest of the world was forbidden them long after all risk of contagion had ceased. Perhaps no settlers in the Far West have had more difficulties to surmount than these Icelanders; certainly, none have found anything so strange aud nnlike what they had seen before. As Lord Duflerin justly remarked, the business of tho Canadian settlers is to fell wood, plough fields, make roads ; these Icelanders, however, had never seen in tlieir native isle, a tree, a cornfield or a ■ w Discord anion o- the Icelanders, 247 e had ders ; c and Lord H tlio fields, never d or a road, and tliey wei'o i^-nornni of I Ik* vi^i'V elcMnonts of agriculture. It is lii^ldy creditable to (lieiti that they h;ive learned very (piiclsly how to cultivate the soil, the neat CHAPTEB XII. I ■f .1 THE NORTH-WEST 'J'ETIRTTOKIES. " Go west, young man, and grow up witli tlio country," was tlie pitliy, sensible and often- quoted advice which Horace Greeley gave to such of his countrymen as were unable to get suitable employment in the Eastern States of the Union. The result has been to people the Western States with men who find it easier to grow rich there than in the place of their birth. What the younger citizens of the United States have been doing for many years back, the young Canadians are doing now. They, too, have a Far West which is as rich in golden opportunities as that which used to be regarded as the most favoured part of the North American Continent. Large and important though JManitoba undoubtedly is, there is a region beyond it still larger and still more attractive. Many persons fancy that JMani- toba is far enou^'h west, vet others reo-ard it as on IVcs/crn Roads. 249 til tlio often- o such iii table Union. States tbere t tlio e been adians West s that on red [jarge ]ly is, \ still Mani- as on K the threshold of the new and marvellous country for which they are bound, and they treat it as a mere halting-place in their journey towards the settinix sun. When the Canadian Pacific Ptailwny is finished and open for traffic the journey westward through IManitoba will be an easy one. At present it is tedious and trying. During a part of the year there is comnninication by water between AVinni- peg and Portage la Prairie, 70 miles to the west, and it is also possible to go in a steamer as far as Battleford, the Capital of the North-West. But the more general mode of travel, and the one which will be followed till the railway can be used is for travellers thither to start in a light spring wao-croii, carrving a tent and other encumbrances in view of the prol)ablo necessity of having to camp out. The traveller and the emigrant do not require long experience of ]\Ianitobato thoroughly understand its greatest drawback, the ab.-:ence of good roads. The word road has seldom a place in the language of the people, the common ex- pression to designate the pathway between two places being " ti'ail." It mny be said, indeed, that each traveller makes his own road. If he be aware of the direction which he ought to follow, he chooses the part of the prairie whei'e tlie ground is^ best fitted for driving. Nothing is 2sO The K'orth-W^cst Tcrrllorics. If '% ii: I 1 1 i t' 1 i 1 I id i i ensi'fT tlian to drive over the stoneless and springing turf of tlie virgin prairie and, if tlie traflic be not too great, an excellent" trail" is made by tlie passage of successive vehicles. But, when the traffic is heavy and continuous and holes are formed in which water settles and the soft mould resembles a mass of tenacious mud, then following the " trail " is a weariness to the flesh of man and beast. The roads of Manitoba must have mucli in common witli tlie famous roads in tlie Highlands before the advent of General Wade. When England was supposed to be the land of mirtli and song, the persons who regard those bygone days with r(\gret would feel themselves disenchanted if they were suddenly transphinted to tlie gold age of their dreams. English roads were then in much the same state as those in jManitijba now. The Slough of Des})ond through which l>unyan makes Cliristian struggle at the beginning of his heavenward pil- gi'image to the Celestial City, was doubtless copied from somethino- which he had seen near Bedford. No clearer or more accurate representation of a Manitoba " shnv "' has ever been furnished than that which Bunyan wrote by way of illusti'ating the obstacles whicli Christian liiid to face and surmount at the outset of his journey. Christian jMiidholcs. 251 s and if the lil" is But, 1 holes le soft 1, then e flesli a ii^ust roads li eneral iG Land regard d ^feel ddenly reams. e state gli of ristian rd pil- copied nlford. \\\ of a ll than i'atin2: |c and 'i.'itian had bnt one to cross, whereas the ])ilgi'ims bonnd for tlie Canadian Nortli-AVest have to cross hundreds. The stoutest-hearted eniio'i-ant \\\\o has resolved to settle on the Saskatchewan Kiver and who has begun what he considers the last stage of his journey at the Cnpital of Manitoba, has felt his courao^e and confidence fail him lone: before he lias reached the first towu of importance. Between Winnipeg and Portage hi Prairie the mudholes are so many and so difficult to cross that, if they had intercepted Christian's pnth, he would inevitably have returned in des])air to the City of Destruction. Many cniigrants have seen them and turned back in dismay. Some expk)rers of the land have done likewise. One of the latter warned me against making an attempt wliicli must end in failure, if not in tlie fracture of uiy neck. It is simply impossible to depict the difii- culties caused by those "mudholes ;" as difficult is it to persuade the new comer tliat tlic "mud" which he regards wnth horror and disgust is the finest alluvial soil which can be found anywhere. It is no uncommon occurrence for a train of freight waggons, bound A^estward, to be detained several davs in the " mudholes " which iutersect the beaten ])atli a few miles to the west of Winni- peg. The emigrants who have sunuounted these obstacles to their progress and who remain con- 11 2'^2 TJie NortJi-Wesl Territories. %% fi i H i ? il fidorit of iiltimato success arc llic persons wlio not only deserve success but reap it. An emigrant wlio has made up liis mind to seek a new home in Manitoha can easily prepare himself, before leaving home, for what he nmst encounter on the way to his homestead in the Canadian Far AVest. Let him practise crossing a newly- ploughed field for hours together with a horss and cart and pitching a tent at the end of his journey. , Let him arrange so that there are fre- quent ponds in the field, tli(>se ponds being at least five hundred yards in width, having an average depth of four feet and a muddy bottom. If he be not disheartened by exercise of this k^.nd lie is well qualified for starting on a trip to the Canadian Far W jst during the wet seasouo He m.ay bo agreenbly surprised at other seasons by finding the, roads in a very different condition. In the autumn they are sometimes as dry and liard and smooth as a I'oad paved with asphalte. During the winter months they xvcq always good, for then the hard frozen snow covers the prairie and any vehicle in the form of a sledge skims over it as easily as a train runs along a line of rails. J. he emigrant or traveller who is prepared to camp out will find life on the prairie far less un- bearable than if lie depend for shelter at night in a settler's hut. It is trying to toil along the miry R;l ■I Prairie Hotels. 253 inter hard cle ill ly as ■(m1 to ^s un- :lit in iiiiiy patlis ovor wliicli tliii'ty miles are nil tliat can bo conveniently ])assed between smniso and sunset, but tlie accommodation at the few stoppinij^-places Oil tlie beaten track is quite as great a trial to the fastidious AViiyfarers. These prairie hotels are the rude log-liouses erected by settlers who add to their incomes by entertainino* travellers. Th-^y are commonly 18 feet long by 16 feet wide and are divided liorizontally into two parts. On tlio ground floor is the place where the family and tho visitors sit and take the meals wliich v.re cooked in a stove at the one end, the stove serving the double purpose of heating the house and affording the rerpiisite facilities for cooking. In the npper story the occupants of the house pass tlie night. The food is plain and simple enough to satisfy the greatest foe to hi^-h livino*. consistiuix of fried salt pork, bread, potatoes and tea. Kggs and milk are luxuries rarely obtainable, ^^^ily the settlers do not rear poultry or keep cows is a qnestion which T cannot answer. A few of tlieni add to their incomes, not only by entertaining the strano'ers who present themselves, but also by levying a toll upon their vehicles. If a stream near their dwellings be difficult to fn'd, or if tho " trail" l)e in good condition over their land, they construct a rude briili>e across the stream and make the persons who use it or who pass over 1 ; rw i* !!«^ IM i I' * 254 The NortJi- West Territories. tlu'irliind ]iaj25 cents cficli. I found tliat smno of llu'sc astute men put as mucli as $50 weekly into their i)ockets by so actinu*. The eniioTants curse these iuj posts, but they have citlier to pay tliem or submit to serious inconvenience. The Govern- mcMit ouo'jit to see th;it tlie roads arc kept in better order and tliat they are free to all who pass over them. I was told that the Provincial Govern- ment are awakening to their duty in this respect. If they give effect to their praiseworth}^ intentions, many a settler who has to travel over the prairie to his houiestoad, and to whom cverv dollar is pr(^cious, will grumljle less about a matter which ou»>'ht never to have formed one of his troubles. Wlr'U I left Winni[)eg for the Far West, the first place at which I halted for the night was Whitehorse Plains where Mr. House combines farming with inid-ceeping. He has been twenty years in the country and he likes it ver}^ much. He re<»'rets the i>'ood old days when o'ame was ])lentiful, life was easy, when the settlers were few in nund)er and hunters were in the majority. The road betwe(>n Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, the first place of any i!n[)ortance on the Western road and about 70 miles distant from the Capital, is worse than in jiny other part of the country I have visitcnl. The population of Portage is lliOU. It is the most westerly place Royal ConiDiissioncrs in Manitoba, 23D li the from lirt of )n of i)lace visited by }sl\\ Pell and ^Fr. Tli>ndo, tlu^ r(>]-)ivso!i- tfitives of tlio lloval ('Oirniiissioii on Aj^'riculturc^ during tlieir scampoi' (hrou'^li Manitoba. I found that theso gontlcMnon li.-id inaik^ a (k'('|) improssioii upon tlioso with wlioni they came into contact. It was acbnitted that, if tlioy saw but little of the conntry, they wore assiduous in ri(j;*orously questioning everybody they met. Jioth gentK>- inen expressed themselves greatly struck with what they saw and both admitted that Manitoba was a wonderful land. Mr, Ileade embodied his feelings as a British farmer in terms Avhich wei'o certainly em[ihatic. Being asked what he thought of the counti'y, he replied that he re- garded it in the same light that a lamb does the butcher. It is imj)ossible to view the vast ex- panse of land covered with crops of wheat and of a stdl larger area of as good land still unculti- vated without arriving at the conclusion that the Manitoba farmers, who pay no rent, are dangerous rivals to British farmei's who both pay rent aiul obtain a far smaller return for their labour. ^V\\^ avei'ao-e yield of wheat liei'e is thirty-five bushels an acre. If the land were farmed with as much care as is the rule in (Jreat Brilaui, the 3'ield could be nearlv doubleti. The Hudson Bay Company have a stoi'c^ at the western division of Portage, under the care of -if ■■'{ 111 :i h ! m i|l! ■ H' 1 ■ H< 1 1 n ■1 i B \ tf fw '' si il 2!;6 77/6' A^or//i-JJ\'si Tcrrilorics. ]\ri'. riic(ofc. I found liiin ;i ^\'c^ll-i^l^()rnuMl and most courteous u'eutleiuiin of (jcnuau ori<»"in. I leariKMl from liiin t1iat tlio supply of furs has not yet f'allcMi olF. lie told lue that some wild animals are more jdentiful now tlian before the arrival of so many settlers ; he explained this by saying that tliese animals have always been more numerous in particular years and that the last two years are remarkable in this respect. IMore- over, the hunters use more ellectual weapons for kilUng them than in bygone days, so tliat tlie return is necessarily larger. It is obvious, how- ever, that the fur-bearing: animals which still abound here must disappear before the advance of civilization. I shall not mention in detail all the places at "whicli I halted during the ten days that I journeyed tlirongh the North-West Territory. The farthest point I reached was Rapid City wdiich, by the devious route I followed, is 200 miles to the west of Winnipeg. The weather was very bad during a part of the time and those persons who have traversed the prairie in an open waggon ■when snow or rain is falling will not wonder that I curtailed my journey. I could not, then, visit the young and aspiring city of Gladstone in the townsliip of Palestine, of whicli I saw a plan representing it to possess many fine buildings yourualisin at Rapid C ity. '^57 that it the II the [)hin and pnrks, hut whicli, like otiicr yonn(^ praii'io cities, doiihtlos:^ looks most attractive on p;iper. Not far fi'o it is the township of Boaconsfiekl which is less advanced than Gladstone city. h\ Beacon sfi eld there are only a few shanties and a post-ottice, whereas Gladstone has a population largo cnoujj^h to support a weekly journal, the Gladstone News. Rapid City is situated on tlio Little Saskat- chewan River and seems destined to grow in size and importance, being the centre of a s])lendid aofricultural district. It was two vears old at the time of my visit. I counted 5 [< houses and a saw mill, and I was told that the |)opulati()u numbered 4'00. A weekly journal the Uapid Clf)/ Enterprise, after a life of six mouths, had just ceased to appear and the citizens were occupied in devising measures for supplying a successor to it. A young Canadian journalist arrived at the same time as myself, his purpose being to make an arrano^ement with the citizens. It was ao^recnl that he shoStld receive a l)oiius of .^500, an office rent free and a lot of land in a good situation, in the event of his publishing a journal f(H" twelve months. The citizens were well y)leased with the success of the Show of the Ra[)id City Agricultural Society, the first which had been held and ono which they were glad to think was far better than S ■ ;'' 2=;8 The North- West Territories* %■ I i I li i it lii the first hold in tlio City of AViiiniponr. A tlionnnncl visitors rmiio to son tlio si^-lit luid tlio articlos oxIiihitiMl woi'o hi,L>lily crcMlitable L'licy cora- ])i'is('(l nil tliosG coininoiily stvMi at AL,^ricultural l'Lxliil)iiioiis and some which would not be found at sucli an l^jxlijhition in Kno-land. Tlio latter consisted of articles niainifactured in tlie locality aTid of needknvoi'k, prizes boini^ offered for tlie best set of horse-shoes and the best pair of j^'entlo- maii's or lady's boots, for the bi'st panel door and window sash and the best pair of woollen socks and mitts, for the best rug or mat and tlie best sack of flour. All varieties of needlework, from plain sewing to the most elaborate em- broidery, figured in the prize list. I thought it perfectly sensible to encourage local skill in all the cases where it can be turned to profitable account. When the railway is open the articles which have now to be made on the spot, will be made by machinery, and though brought from a distance, "will be sold at a lower price than hand- made goods produced at home. It does credit to the managers of the Show that they offered a special ]iri/e to the Indians for the best display of agi'icultural products. The land in the vicinity of Rapid City is rolhing prairie interspersed with small lakes; the soil is lighter than that of Manitoba, yefc it is nob less Successful Farmers. 259 ])T()ilii('tivo. Tliroe miles to tlie Soufcli-AVest is *' tlio Eiiij^lisli r>('S(M'V(»" a trnct of land covci'int*: 12 miles scjiiare ami cliiefly occupii'd by immi- grants from England. I visitcMl somo of tlio farins and I conversed with many of the sel tiers. Several bad emigrated with too little capital, others bad done so under the delnsion that a knowledge of farming was not essential, and both those who bad too little money and too little practical knowledge had found their task very severe. But I beai-d no other complaint than one to the effect that the conntry was too thinly peopled. All the practical farmers had done well, having reaped large crops and obtained good prices for their produce. The wheat was pro- nounced by an expert who accompanied me to bo the finest he bad ever seen. An Ontario farmer, who had been here a year only, was enchanted with the conntry. His seed sown in a shallow furrow on the wild prairie had yielded a vast increase. The root cro])S surprised him most of all, potatoes grown on the prairie sod averaging 2 lbs. in weight and turnips from 15 to 20 lbs. each. Some of the farms were very charming. One of i-)20 acres, obtained at the cost of ^"M. by a Ifereford- sliire farmer wdio had left England owing to the failure of his crops in 1879, was everytliing that any one could desire. A small lake lay in front s 2 I IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) / O il ZV4 V Q'., 1.0 I.I 1.25 IM ilM .^/ 12,0 1.8 1-4 IIIIII.6 V] & / ^c> c>m. • .^. 0/ ///. Photographic Sciences Corporation #|A^ ;v ^<^ ,\ >^. ^ \ \ ^^ 4!^ ^ ^ m 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. U580 (7)6) 872-4503 ri? c?. o 26o The North- West Tei'ritoi'ics. m of tlio house; a few trees grew close at hand, about twenty acres had been sown with wheat, a smaller portion had been devoted to root crops. A small patch before the door had been sown witli flower seeds brought by his daughter from the old home, and the sight of the flowers wr.s as delightful to my eye as the large yields of grain and vegetables. More luxuriant mignonette 1 never saw before ; the flowers were gigantic and the delicious perfume was not impaired by the size of the plants. I was so struck with theso flowers as to carry away specimens, being con- vinced that they were as curious as any specimens of agricultural pioducts and quite as striking testimonies to the goodness of the soil and climate. If the settler in Manitoba be not con- tented, he has but to migrate to the North-West Territories in order to find a still better farming country. There is plenty of room for all comers in these Territories ; they cover more than two and a half million square miles. A low estimate of the finest land available for settlement shows that there is ample room here for a population three times larger than that of the British Isles. The Hon. David Laird, Governor of the North- West Territories, was on a tour of inspection during my visit, and I had the gratification of much personal intercourse with him. lie is a w Home of the Buffalo. 261 b lianci, heat, a crops. 1 sown r from wr.s as f grain lettc I tic and by the I tlicso g con- cinieiis trikiiig il and t con- i-AVcst irniiiig •omers n two tiniato shows ilation sles. J'orlh- cction on of is a native of Prince Edward Tshind ; he admits that the fertile soil and pleasant climate of his island homo are quite matched by those ol: the great country over which he is now placed in authority. He even thinks that Battleford, the capital ol these Territories, is healthier than that of any other part of Canada. Though the attention of the wcrld has been concentrated on this region owing to its reputed value for grain producing, yet, in Governor Laird's opinion, the region is even better adapted for reai-ing cattle. He de- scribed a tract of country not far from the base of the Rocky Mountains which has long been the home of the butl'alo, and which is unrivalled for stock rearing; it is oGO miles long by 100 broad; it is covered with rich grasses, and the climate is so temperate that cattle can remain all the winter in the open air with impunity. Underneath the soil, throughout the whole of this tract, there are beds of lignite of the best quality, the lignite burning nearly as well as ordinary coal. I was pleased to learn that the Indians are giving no further trouble than to make appeals for food when the season is umisually inclement. Some of these Indians are setting an excellent example to their l)rethren. When Governor Laird went to Battleford in 1877 he found a body of Crees, numbering GOO, encamped there. He ! i 2G2 The North' West Territories, ])('rsii!i(l('!l l;uMii to icave ;i ])lic'e wliere tlioy liad IK) ri'^hl lo riMiiiin, :;nvl to settle on a sp )t to tlio south Avliicli bcloiigL'd to theiii. The Uov. Mr. Chirk, a Church of L]ii^-land missionary, was lal)ourin<::» auionuc these Crees. lie liad o-aiiied their confidence, and he induced tlieni to begin cultivatinfj; tlie soil. lie showed them liow to set to work, and in 1 878 they had good crops of potatoes. In 1879 they had crops of various sorts of vegetables and of sonio kinds of grain sufficient to provide for tlieir wants, and leave them a surplus to sell. Other Indians are copying what the Crees have done, and it is probable that the experiment so successfully begun on a small scale will prove of inestimable benefit to the Indians as a body. They must cultivate the soil, be fed by the Government or starve. Year after year buffalo are growing scarcer. Once the Indians become habituated to tilling the soil, they will give even less trouble than they now do to the Canadian Government. Out of consideration for the Indians and in continuance of the policy of the Hudson Bay Company, the sale and manufacture of intoxicants are absolutely prohil)ited throughout the Xorth- AVest Territories. The Governor-General of the Dominion is alone empowered to give a licence for manufacturing intoxicants there, while the Sale of Intoxicants Prohibited. 263 loy liad t to tlio y, wa.s gaiiR'd ) b('G:in "f to set rops of various f grain S and [ndians and it }ssfully timable must [•nment rowinij ated to rouble lent. md in n Bay :icant3 Vortli- of the icence Ic tlio Lientenniit-Covernoi" of tlie Territories ni'iy issue a licence alluwiiig tlieni to be sold or kept, uikict th(5 condition of making an annual return to tlio ]\linister of the Interior of the licences issued and of the quantity and nature of the intoxicants to which they refer, that return to be laid before Parliament. Owing to attempts to defeat the operation of such an Act the definition of intoxi- cants is made to include every conceivable foi-m of iutoxicatins: beverajxe or solid substance, the words of the Act being : '* The expression ' intoxi- cating liquor' shall mean and include all spirits, strong waters, spirituous li(|uors, wines, ft-r- mented or compounded liquors or intoxicating fluids; and the expression 'intoxicant' shall include opium or any prei)aration thei'eof, and any other intoxicating drug or substance, and tobacco or tea mixed, compounded or impregnated with opium, or with any other intoxicating drug, spirit or substance, and whether th(; same or any of them be liquid or solid." Though not himself a total abstainer on principle, the Governor has become one duriu'r his term of office on the ground that he could not well enforce the Act if he made himself an oxce[)tion to its provisions. He is beset with applications for licences; indeed, the enforcement of the law against the use of intoxicants Gfivos him more annovance and labour than any other of his duties, lie thinks the [)ro- liibitive system works well on the wh.jle. Whether \ I \ h 264 The North'U'cst Territories. U s it can be upheld wlioii the country is more densely populated remains to bo seen. The newly-arrived settlers complain bitterly about the Act. An English farmer's wife told me that she missed her glass of beer at dinner more than anything else, and that if she could enjoy it again, she would nob regret having left her old home. At present, the Governing body of the North- West Territories is nominated by the Governor- General in Council ; provision is made, however, for the nominated being transformed into an elected body. Whenever any district of 1000 square miles contains a population of not less than 1000 adults, exclusive of aliens or unenfran- chized Indians, the Lieutenant-Governor may pro- claim it an Electoral District and desire the peoplo to return a representative. Should the number of adults rise to 2000 then a second representa- tive may be returned. AVhen the Council shall consist of 21 elected members then it shall cease to be a Council and will become the Legislative Assembly of the North- West Territories. This transformation is now in progress and, when it is completed, it will be seen whether the people desire to continue the prohibitions as to intoxicants which are now imposed upon them by the Dominion Parliament. CHAPTER XIII. I'i THE CANADIAN FAR WEST. It is a misfortune that the most widoly-rcad descriptions of the vast and sparsely peopled region of Canada, extending from Lake Superior to the Rocky Mountains, chiefly relate to its appear- ance in the winter season. Ilenco the notion prevails that the " Great Lone Land " is an illimit- able wilderness, covered with snow and intersected with frozen rivers over which peo})le journey on sledges drawn by unruly dogs. All countries in the temperate zone have their winter, yet it pro- duces a misleading impression to depict them as if the winter state were the normal one. I have seen snow lying thickly in sunny Provence and in the Riviera along the Mediterranean which is supposed to be an Earthly Paradise, and I have felt the cold more keenly there than I have done when Fahrenheit's thermometer indicated 20° below zero in the coldest part of the North I t I i I tt^ 266 The Canadian Far West. Arncrionn Continent. A lesson soon learnt, and not rapidly for^'otten by the visitor to the ])art of North America where the winters are most severe, is that tlio position of mercury in a thermometer is no criterion of the cold experienced. iSo loni^ as tlie air is still, any person Avarmly clad is almost insensible to cold. When the tempera- ture is at the lowest point in ]\Ianitoba, it is tlio rule for the air to be absolutely still. At Pan, in the Pyrenees, the thermometer frequently falls far lower in winter than at Nice on the ]\Iediter- ranean ; but, as the atmosphere is so calip at Pan that, for days or weeks together, not a breath of wind stirs the witliered leaves on the trees, the sensation of cold is much less than in tlie warmer but more a(>-itated air of Nice. During a Canadian winter, the sky is clear and the sun shines brightly day after day, and hence, though the mercury may be very lov/ and tlie indicated cold very great, the feeling is one not of depression but of exhilaration, and the fact of the cold seems to be forgotten. Admiral Sir George Back told a Select Committee of the House of Commons in 1857, that at Fort Reliance, near the iVrctic Ocean, he had seen Fahrenheit's thermometer indicate 70° below zero. Beinnr asked as to the etTect of the extreme cold on himself and his party, ho rej)lied, "I cannot say IVcstcrn JVinkrs. 267 (1 on say tliat our licalth was affoctcd (lifFercntlv to wliat it would bo in any other cxtronio cold ; perhaps tlio appetite was considerably increased." Professor II. Y. Iliud, beini^ questioned on the subject of climate by a Comnuttec of the Dominion House of Commons in 187S, said, " Tlie winter cold of IManitoba is greater tluni the winter cold on the coast of Labrador. ]5ut it is a dry uniform cold, and it is very far less inconvenient to the senses, or in any other way, than tho moist cold of Labrador." Professor IJrvco of tho Universitv of Manitoba, efives the foUowinu* coi'- roborative testimony: " The winters of the A'orth- Wcst, upon the Avhole, are agreeable and sinnnlarly steady. The mocassin is dry and comfortablo throughout, and no thaw, strictly speaking, takes place till spring, no matter how mild the weather may be. The snow, though shallow, wears well, and ditfers greatly from eastern snow. Jts flako is dry and hard, and its gritty consistence re- sembles white slippery sand more than anytliing else. Generally speaking, the further west the shallower the snow, and the rule obtains even into the heart of the Rocky Mountains. In south-eastern Ontario the winter is milder, no doubt, than at Red River ; but the soil of tho North-West beats the soil of Ontario out of comj)arison; and after all, who would cai'o to exchange the crisp, spaikling, exhilarating winter of Manitoba for the rawness of Essex in South Ontario ? " 268 The Canadian Far IVcst^ i I I A common mistake is to nssumn tliat what applies to ono part of tlio Canadian Far West is true of tlio whole. No man can speak of tlie whole Ironi personal knowleclufe. A p^reat part has not even been explored. The extent of this territory is so vast that the mind cannot form a clear concej:)tion of it from statistics. To say that its area is l-\704,-U0 square miles is merely to set forth large figures. A clearer and more striking idea of the enormous expanse may bo formed when I add that it is seven hundred thousand pquarc miles larger than the German Empire, France, Spain, Italy and Russia in Europe put togetluT. These countries support a population exceeding 180,000,000. In the Canadian Far West, the population, including Indians, is probably nnder 200,000. It is not thonght an extravagant estimate to put the future popu- lation of this territory, when it shall have been rendered easily accessible, and when its advan- tajTfcs have exercised their full effect in attracting^ settlers, at nearly 100,000,000. Sanguine ob- servers maintain that the country can support a population of twice that amount. A territory so varst is exposed to varied natural conditions. The fauna and flora differ m different places ; the soil is not everywhere the same, and the climate is as diverse as the soil. Clii)iati\ Soil and Minerals. 269 IS it an )opu« been van- tural ' in the soil. Every Imiulrcd niili'S to tlio west of AVinnipet^ tlu>re is an iiierease in the temperiiture iniso/i's Prophecy, 271 TlinTKVr T>ay mid I wms iiiipn^ssod witli tlu^ aclvaiitiii^o oF tlio lino for (Icvclopiiis^ local, as well as for ut'coiMino(latiii_L( tlii"ou<^1i trallic. This ])irb of till' country lias attracted less notice of lato than the "NVcslci'n ])rairIo land. It is a rcfj^ion of lakes and wood, intersper-sed with tracts of fertile soil where crops could bo grown, and expanses of meadow whereon cattle could be "f^'ii'ed. In several parts mineral discoveries of importanco have been made. I saw specimens nf gold ([iiart/. taken from an island in one of the lakes. T was told tliid an abundance of quartz ecjuallv lich had been found; if it bo true that quant itios of (piartz rich in visible gold are obtainable, then gold mining will becon^c a most remunerative industrv here. This, added to its other advantages, will lead to the peopling of the region between T-ako Superior and Winnipeg quite as rapidly as that of the agi'icidtural region farther Avest. lb may be that the prophecy made by Sir George Simpson in 1811, after he had been twenty years Governor of the Hudson Bay territory, may be speedily fulfdled, a prophecy whioh, it is fair to add, ho stated in 1857 was made in a fir. of enthusiasm. AVritiiig .ibout Rainy Itiver which connects the Lalce of that name with the L:iko of the Woods, Sir George stated : — " From Port Frances downwards, a stretch of nearly ono 272 The Canadian Far West, "hundred miles, it is not interrupted by a singlo impediment, while yet the current is not strong' enough materially to retard an ascending traveller. Nor are the banks less favourable to agriculture than the waters themselves to navigation, resembling, in some measure, those of the Thames near Richmond. From the very brink of the river, there rises a gentle slope of greensward, crowned in many places with a plentiful growth of birch, poplar, beecli, elm and oak. Is it too much for the eye of philanthropy to discern, through the vista of futurity, tliis noble stream, connecting, as it does, the fertile shores of two spacious lakes, with crowded steamboats on its bosom, and populous towns on its borders P " The impression made upon me when I passed over nearly a hundred miles of the line to tho West of Winnipeg was that there, too, local traffic would be developed. The total length of line required to connect the present Canadian railways with the Pacific ocean is 2G27 miles. The struggle over the choice of routes, and over the way in which to carry out the undertaking, has been protracted and severe. A Syndicate has been entrusted with the execution of the gigantic work. The conditions under which the Syndicate enters upon its labours were thus set forth in the Dominion Parliament by Sir Charles Tupper, Minister of Railways : " For that portion ■ 1 Canadian Pacific Railway, 2/3 tlie the set irlos 'tion of the line from Fort AVilliam to Selkirk, 410 miles, the Pembina branch, 85 miles, and that portion from Kamloops to Burrard Inlet, 217 miles — all of which, amount in tlo, Tiurdock, AVild carrot, Yl'IIow dock, Ox-eye daisy, Civiu()inii(% The mullein. Eli'oatnpano, I'lantain, l^Iotlu'rwort, Siraiiiuiiiuia, ('at nip, Gill. Dino-weed, fc"liek-wto'i, U 2QO It^ceds m North America. if: IToand's-toiiifue, IleiibaiK', Pi will effect a radical cure in two summers. Of course the plough or the scythe, if not allowed to rest more than a month at a time, will finally conquer it. " Or take the common St. John's wort (Ilj/peri- cwm ppyforatiim), how has it established itself in our fields and become a most pernicious weed, very difficult to extirpate, while the native species are quite rare, and seldom or never U ccds 11 ! North America. 293 ;lnsv Of wed .ally m 3cd, :ive ver inv.ide cultivated fields, being mostly in wet and rocky places. Of Old World origin, too, is tho curled leaf dock (Einucr. Cri^puf^) that is so annoying about one's garden and home meadows, its lono; taiierino* root clino-jno- to the soil with such tenacity, that I have ]mlled upon it till I could see stars without budo-ino- it : it has more lives than a cat, making ji sliift to live Avhen pulled up and laid on top of the ground in the burning summer sun. Our native docks are mostly found in swamps, or near them, and are harmless. " Purslane, commonly called ' pusley,* and which has mven rise to the savino; ' as mean as pusley ' — of course is not American. A good sample of our native purslane is the Clay tenia, or spring beauty, a shy, delicate plant, that opens its rose-coloured flowers in the moist sunny places in the woods or aloTig their borders, so early in the season. "There are few more obnoxious weeds in culti- vated ground than sheep-sorrel, also an Old World plant, while our native wood-sorrel, with its white, delicately-veined flowers, or the variety with yellow- flowers, is quite harmless. The same is true of the mallow, the vetch, or tare and other plants. *'\Yeeds have this virtue : they are not easily discouraged ; tliey never lose heart entirely ; they die game. If they cannot have the best they will take up with tho poorest : if fortune is unkind to It \m •P 294 // ca/s in NortJi America, tlicin to-day, tliey hope for l)etter luck to-morrow ; if tlioy cannot lord it over a corn-hill, they will sit humbly at its foot and accept Avliat comes; in all cases they make the most of their oppor- tunities." ir I'll 1^ < !: f Hkl!- ^ '"/iStJOMW «!..-;^44i'fe,'*^ ^\i r i tM l m m at mn.h u n M HNJUULl'IlMttSr.r 80 7» 70 «6 60 DOMINION OF CANADA. TO illustrate:, EWFOUNDLAND TO MANITOBA. BY W.FRASER ROE. NEW V O R K 6. P. PUTNAM'S SONS.ISai. P \ ^ A \ LBANV O) oV\ VltfU' >^ bftthbenL. :a ! wtL R, Ui. L.tijoim BecuSfhaU ' / ST LAW \\ m \\ AT Hvf. MOlNTReAL !1«^ NEW BRUNSWICK N$p.\ ^\-JSk \, \moost ^ HUOL IKE CfUUIDTIMVEME crrv^ Jf^ \Albany '4M / Aya^ ...*' htm^Jf (inHand Beaduuf IPHIIAQ /\ ^^^^ ^ _;^:::*^^fibuh WASMINOTON^ \ \ nuto ^^ '^^^ \ . 85 80 75 70 f i k PUL The Round ]Vcva)nir.Krce, 1 Ajjriculture, Mining, Scenery and People. 15y John Codman. Oc- tavo, cloth. . . . . . . . . . . . I 50 1 "This is le.illy an uiiusually entertaining botiiv of travel, for the author lias taken for his '|)oints of oljservatioii ' objects and thmgs not often \vrittcn up and enlarged Opon them in an unrestranied, laniiliar fasliion, so tliat tiie reader feels as if he were feing entcrlainod by letters written for his special benelil by a persona, fricnii," — Worn-slcr Daily Spy. " We have reason to congratulate ourselves, upon tlie fact that ("apt. John C^odman has seen lit to weave into literary form some of the best results of his many protracted journeys through the great \V'cst, giving tliciu to us in a substantial volume of three hundred and thirty-one ['ages. Tiie author has made It his special province to go out of the beaten track of those amusement seekers who ci'.'l themselves tourists, and to see and write rather of the things which tourists do not see at all, or seeing do not understand, than of the C(jnveiitioiial 'siglits' of the A\'cstern States. .As he tells us in his jireface, ' little is said ot large cities, and absolutely nothing of the Vosemite.' For tins every reader will be tlianklul, and the omission can scarcely fail of itself to ■commend the author's judgment and eiihancj the reader's good opinion of the book." I — Evening; Post. "The writer is a keen observer and possesses the pleasing faculty of |ircsc-ntiiig his (Observations in the most vivid manner. The book is one that will undoubtedly attain a wide sale, abounding in matter of the most inslructive nature. We iieartily recom- ttnend itsjierusal " — I'tKston Jli\uon. " A journey ot great interest is described in a manner most instructive and entertain- ing. Captain Codman is a close observer of men and things and a ( apital narrator. lie has a keen sense of humor, a ((uick eye for i)icluresi|ue objects and incidents, great ■.kill 111 catching and preserving local cliaractcrislics, and a sensible aiul raiy style." — '.iterary World. \ "Mr. Codman has written a remarkably sensible guide-book. It is full of useful nfonnatioii t<>ld in a malter-of-facl way. Moral courage is manifested in its oiiinions, iiul conuium-sense in its collection t>f facts." — (.'///,, ixd /'uiit'^. " Mooks of tiavel arc always interesting when tiiey give us something new, but ispecially when written in a pleasant style. * 4- * it is well written, and aboumfS n i)leasant and uni)leusant incidents and experiences, which arc toUl in a racy and iiscinating style." — Herald b' I'rcsl>ytc>\ Chuiuiuiti. " A narrative of exceeding interest throughout, ami replete with in' Iruction. Tlie uthor is well (pialified for liis task, and this book has nut a dull page in it. It is full of I'aluabl'j information, and is written in a graphic and higiily pleasing style."- Kansas ,'ity 'I'itHcs. "It is rare to find a vt)lum'; of travel in this country so rich and rare. Tli • autl.or, krith his trained pen and observant eye, has grouped together a cl, arming pu ti:ro '^ avel."— /V//.i/'.v'i-;' fvl.x'-'i/''- RECENT BOOKS OF TRAVEL m \ A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains. By Isabella "Bird, author of "Six Months in the Sandwich Islands," "A Ride of 700 Miles Through Japan." Second edition, octavo, illustrated, ;j{i 75. " Of the bold dragoons wlio have le'ccntly figured in military life, bewitch- ing the world with feats of noble horsemansliip, the fair Amazon who ides lilt attractive volumes of the season. * * * Altogether, the author has given us a book, which, considering the nature of the information afibrded, and the succinctness and spirit of the narrative, is captivating and unique." — .\^ V. Sun. " Mr. Robinson's book, it will readily be seen from this, is both an entertaining and instructive one." — X. V. Herald. " Journeys by dog-sledgc, canoe life, the appearance, manners and peculiarities of the half-breed population, the organization of the IIudMJii's Bay Comjiany, the great buffalo hunt, trading with the Indians, canin life and some other characteristic phases of Northwestern experience are de- scribed in a graphic and detailed style, which renders the book very epi»»r- taining reading." — Boston Traveller. r.. r. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK PUBLICATIONS OF G. /'. PUTNAM'S SONS. UY THE AUTHOR OF A l.ADY S l.IKK IN TIIK ROCKY MOUNTAINS. I ■ -:!l UNBEATEN TRACKS IN JAPAN. An account of Travels on Horseback in tlie Interior, liy Lsauki.la L. Bird. 2 vols. Svo. Illuslraticr.s and maps. . . . . , , . $5 CO " Of Miss Hird's fascinatiiip; and instrurtivc volumes it is impossible to speak in terms of loo lii^li piaise. Tinv fully luaintain the well-earned reputation ot tiie author of ' Six Munths in the Sandwich Islmds' and ' A Lady's Lite in the Rocky Mountains' as a traveller of the first order and a graphic and picturesnue writer. The title she has chosen for her nev book is no misnomer. l"e\v foreij^ners, even of the stronger sex, woulil liave had the courage .uid i)erseverance to face anil surmount tlie obstacles which a frail woman in ill health, accompanied only by u single native servant, encountered in her cross-country wanderings. Hut Miss ({irdisaborn travel- ler, fearless, enthusiastic, patient, instructed, knowing as well what as how to describe. No peril daunts her, no prospect of fatigue or discomfort disheartens or repels her," — Quarterly Review, October, 1880. " Miss Hird is one of the most remarkable travellers of our day. Penetrating into regions wholly unknown l.y the outside world, she has aeconiplisiicd, by the force of an indomitable will, aided by ijreat tact and shrewdness, a task to which few men would have been found equal; !;nd she has brought away from the scene of her researches not only a lively tale of adventure, but a great store of fresh and intere--t- ing inforniatiin about the charactcv and habits of a people now ufidergoing one of the strangest transformations the world has ever seen. We doubt whether the inner life of Japan has ever been better descrdied than in the pregnant pages of this pertinacious Englishwoman." — X. Y. Daily Irilnine. '• Hevond question, the most valuable and the most interesting of recent bnciks concerning Japanese travel. * + * one of the most prcjfitable of recent travel records."— A'. )'. Evening Post. " One of the most readable books of travel of the day." — ^V. )'. Daiiy Times. " Miss Hird has given us what tt)-day must be regarded as the best win k on Japan."— A'. )'. lU-rald. " Hut it is in descriptions of men and manners that she excels, and in thc<;e she is so excellent that in no other bock in English is there anything like so vivid a picture as she gives of the Japanese people." — N. )'. World. "Her graphic power, her litnrary skill, and surprising freshness of material, especially in the sucimd volume, make this book one of the very best, and as a work of travels the best, in the library of books relating to Japan." — liev. \Vm. E. Gkiki is, in the ..V. )'. Indipotdent. " Her narrative is one of intense interest * * * forms a thoroughly valuable and desirable addition to any library " — Congregationulist. " Miss Hird's book is fascinating throughout." — The American, Philadelphia. " She draws out the story of the homely, everyday life iii Japan as it has never before Vieen i)resented." — The Kepublican, Springlield, Mass. "Japan is truly a wonderful country * * * who follows Miss Hird in its unbeaten tracks will be not only interested, but delighted and almost er.'haiitcd. * * * she has told us more about the country, its history, its literature, its business, and the habits, tlmutihts. and customs of the people, than we might learn from fortv ordinary books on Japan * * * a remarkably gond book * * * it is brimful of information, much of which has never cc.ne under our eye before." —Aw/o// Post. " VVe do not hesitate to say that ui all the books of Japanese travels which we have seen— and we have seen a score or two— this is, without (piestion, the best." — Louisville Con rier-Journal. " Among the works of travellers, relating to this country, we are inclined to rank ' Unbeaten Tracks in Japan ' as perhai)S the best. * * * In all respects it is a sensible, uselid work."- Troy Daily 'Times. " \ minute account of the interior of Japan. * ♦ * on nearly every page something new or novel is set forth. * * * This record of life in the interior of Ja])an is the freshest and most satisfactory of any which has yet been given to tlic public."— .S"«/» T'rancisco Evening Bulletin, PUBLICATIONS OF G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS. A NKW VOLUME 1!Y "JOHN LATOUCHE." PORTUGAL, OLD AND NEW. By Oswald Cravvfurd, British Consul at Oporto. Octavo, with maps and illustrations, cloth extra, $3 50 Mr. Crawfurd, whn is better known in literature under his, i,ciir rlc plume of John Latouche, has resided for mnny years in Portugal and has had uxceptional op- portunities for hecominfi thoroughly aciiiiainted with Ihir co>intry and its people. "The whole book, indeed, is excellent, Riving the reader not information only, but apj)reciation of Portugal, its clinuite, its jjeojile and its ways. It is lu't a book of travel, but a book of residences, if we may say so." — Xcw 1 'ork K-r'ening Po.^t. " Mr. Crawfurd's admirable book is most opportune, and his long residence in the country. Ins intunale and critical knowledge of the language, histcjry, poetiy, and the inner life of tlie people, render him an aulhoritv as safe to follow as he is pleas- ant. * ♦ * The book is excellent in every way."— .-J /'//<'«ri".7w. " A more agreeable account of Portujral and the Portuguese could scarcely have been written, and it will surprise ws if the book does not live as one of the best descriptions we possess of u toreign nation." — 'it. 'J.iincs Gazette, aluable lilphia. never d in its anted, siness, fortv rimfui Post. ieh we best." ineil to cts it is •y page •rior ot 1 to the A FORBIDDEN LAND ; OR, VOYAGES TO THE COREA. With full (lescri[)iion of the nuinncrs, cl!^;.)n^s, history, etc., of a com- munity of some 16,000,000 people hitherto almost entirely unknown. By Ernst Oppert. Octavo, with maps and illustrations, $3 00 " The author combines a story of his personal adventures, with a most intel- ligible descrijuion of the eountry, its inhabitants, their customs, and of everytliin<^ which would help his readers to form a correct iilea of what he himself saw and learneil." — Ike ( nut\h>iian. " Sure to be e.igerly and widclv read r- * * contains almost the only au- thentic deseription of (}orea and its |)co[)le \\ itli wliieh the public are familiar." — San Francisco Bulletin. " l'"ull of data of the highest value on the gei>graphy and history of Corea, its commercial value and products." — Sc-.v York Jim a. " Mr. Op[/ert has made a book of rare interest." — A'e7v i'ork E-!'cning Post. " His personal narrative is one of great nitarest * ♦ * lis is rewarded for his enterprise in beinn' al)le t ) communicate so much novel and valuable information in regard to a country which has sj long romaiueu beyond the scope of geographical research."— -W.f York J'riOnu.'. ROMAN DAYS. P.y Vikior RYnntRC. Translated by Alkkkd CoKNiN(; Clark, witli Memoir of the author by II. A. W. Lindkiix. Octavo, cloth. Illustrated . . . . . . . $2 00 The volume embodies the results of careful historical studies, and gives some legendar\' matters not lurctolore brouglit forw;ird. The art criticisms are the work of a poet and scholar ; the brief historical u;; ! t •|iv7raphical sketches, those of a dear-- headed iihiloso|)her and ea),er traveller, a (piick obsi-rver, a man of gi'uer.d and ihoi- ough culture. The book is a picturt'stpie mosai'; of the man\- brilliant, sober, gav, comic, dramatic, tragic, pietic, vulgar eK'nietUs ti at make up the i)ast history of that wonderful city and the r/livsiognomy it bears to-diiy. " We welcome this work from the hard- North for its broail S'hoiarship, its freshness and ripeness. Tlie articles beliav an urtisiic distrimmation rare in one not a sculptor bv prr/fession and experienceil ami enthusiastic in that art. k\dberu; pos- sesses tlje pure plastic spirit."— A. ]'. Herald. PUBLICATIONS OF G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS. A Ni:\V liOOK HY THK AUTHOR OF " CONSTANTINOPLE. HOLLAND AND ITS PEOPLE. of " Constantinople," " Stutlies of Ojitavo. With 1 8 full-page plates, r.y Edmundo pe Amicis, author Palis," " iMorocco," " Spain," etc. S2 oo In this volume of which editions are appearinp: at once in Florence, Paris, London and \e\v \'ork, the brilliant autiior of " I'aris" and "Constantinople" has turned his stci)S uS a laiul aboiiiuling in pit'turesque effoits and wiiose history is full of draniatit: interest, and his viviil descriptions of the I lollanders and tlieir luunes show that his pen lias lost none of its elotpience or delicai y of touch. His analysis of the traits and ciiaractcrisiics of this stiirdr race, which has played so important a part in/ the history of Europe, is most, interesting and valuable. " In descriptive passages, Signor Amicis is at home. A wealth of imagery flows from his pen and lightens the pages into jirosc poems. He has a cpiiet humor of the Latin type, a disnosition to be amused: l)ut lie is quick to symi)atlii/.e with the emotions of his Uutcli friends, and if he smiles at their stolidity, admires the rugged cpialities and native genius which have produced a ^VilliaIn of Orange, a John De Witt, a Uarricvekl, and a !\t inbraiu'*.." —/i'ps/hk T> aTrlicr. " Edmundo de Aii lIs i transformed tiieland ofdvkesinto a land of beauty> of w(mdcr, and of ench.uiimei;.. He has wruteii, in aworil, a book in every sense charming. ' ' — Cli icngo Times. " It is only sim; !e justice to say that a more delightful volume of travel* hardly may be fwund."— fA/A; ■■ 't>hia '. 's. " 1 lis sparkling, graphic nook 'S a thoroughly charming one, to which we givff the most unaffected i)raise." — Louisville Courier-Journal. BY THK SA.ME AUTHOR, \\ ' i ■■'I i r ' CONSTANTINOPLE. cloth " The most picturescpie and entertaining volume contained in the recent litera^ ture on the Eastern question." — Boston Journal. " A remarkable work * ♦ * the author is worker in words * * * his descriptions are givei Post. \ po<>t, an artist, a wonder- with rare skill,"— iV. V. Evening STUDIES OF PARIS. By Edmundo dk Amicis, author of "Con- j stantinople," " Morocco," "Hollaiul," etc. i2ino, cloth extra, $l 25 A series of wonderfully vivid and dramatic pictures of the great world's me- tropolis, by a writer whose previous bt)oks have gaincii a reputation for exceptional clearness of percci)tion and facilil- in description. There is hardlv a writer who can rival him in his power of reproducing for his readers the verv atmosphere of the place he describes. These "Studies" include original and charact.ristic luipers on the two authors whom he ccmsiders especially representative of the Paris of to-day— Hugo and Zola. " I'oet in prose, painter in phrases, su!>tle musician in the hirmonies of lan- guage, de Auicis has coinpreliemled the manifold ama/einent, the [jotent charm of Paris as no writ"r before hiiu has done."— /',i)7/,(;/r/ /'re^s. " A marvel of intense, rapid, gr.iphic and poetic description, bv one of the most brilliant ot modern I talian \s riters. The ( hapters on Hugo and Zida show the same power of description and analysis in dealing with mind and character."— tV/r/f/zij;* Kegisttr. I' i ^