OUR VISIT 
 
 ro 
 
 TORONTO, THE NIAGARA FALLS 
 
 ANU THE 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
 BEING A SHORT ACCOUNT OF A TOUR 
 
 IN CONNECTION WITH 
 
 TIIK MEETING OK THE HRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE 
 
 ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, HELD AT TORONTO, CANADA 
 
 AUGUST l8 to 25, 1897 
 
 BY 
 
 W. T. CROSWELLER 
 
 Privately Printed. 
 1898 
 
c\H 
 
 c 
 
 262057 
 
TO the Friends we left at Home, and 
 
 found on our return, we venture 
 
 to dedicate this imperfect little sketch 
 
 of our pleasant trip across the Atlantic. 
 
 W. T. C. 
 
// 
 
 // / 
 
 \Jt • 
 
 / 
 
 — n(gU-iiiit»ii i> )iii>iiii< I 4 ii fci lit II II « ^miaaiBHi^xfi" 
 
 Mid-Atlantic. 
 
 W. T. AND Annie Crosweller. 
 1897. 
 
OUR VISIT TO 
 
 TORONTO, THE NIAGARA FALLS, AND 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
 LiwWING ENGLAND. 
 
 TH E British Association, of which I 
 am a member, having decided to 
 hold their 1897 meeting in Canada, 
 I thought it wotild be a grand oppor- 
 tunity to take my wife to see the '' New 
 World," or at least so much of it as was 
 possible in the time at my disposal. 
 
 I booked our passages on board the 
 R.M.S. Vancouver^ which was adver- 
 tised to sail from Liverpool on July 29. 
 We left London on Wednesday, July 28, 
 
8 OUR I- 1 Sir TO TORONTO. 
 
 and arrivel in Liv(n*pool the sann; day. 
 We put our baggaije into the cloak- 
 room at the Central Station, and went to 
 see the chief passenger manai^er of the 
 Dominion Line, at the offices in James 
 Street. We arranged to go on board 
 the R.M.S. Vanconvej' early \^\\ Friday 
 morning by tender, so as to miss 
 the rush from the special train from 
 Euston. 
 
 Subsequently we called on Mrs. Wil- 
 liams, of Fraser Street, and remained 
 there for the night. 
 
 After breakfast next morning we went 
 to the Central Station, got our baggage, 
 and drove to the Prince's Landing Stage, 
 went on board the tender and were taken 
 out to the liner, which was lying in the 
 Mersey. Miss Williams came to see us 
 off, and went with my wife to look a 
 
OUR \1S1T TO ruhJXTO. 9 
 
 our berths, which were on the bridge 
 deck (state room G). 
 
 We entered our names lor first table 
 sitting, which means breakfast at eight 
 o'clock in the morning (rather an early 
 hour for us, and caused my dear little 
 wife to be " slick '' — a really serious 
 matter considering two hours later would 
 have satisfied her), luncheon about 
 12.30, and table d'hote at 5.30. The 
 second table sitting have all their meals 
 an hour later. Supper can be obtained 
 at any time, as there is no special hour 
 for it. A bugle is sounded for every 
 meal, half-an-hour's warning being given. 
 We said ''Good-bye" to Miss Williams 
 and started about 4.45 p.m. on our trans- 
 Atlantic voyage. 
 
 Nothing very startling happened, but 
 we were fully occupied in watching the 
 
lo OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 shipping in the Mersey, and gradually 
 we began to have that indescribable 
 feeling which I suppose everyone 
 experiences when they first set foot on 
 one of these floating palaces. A tour of 
 the vessel filled us with wonder at the 
 elaborateness with which the gigantic 
 concern was arranged to make a period 
 of comparative confinement one of the 
 most comfortable and enjoyable of one's 
 existence. We retired to our berth 
 about half-past eleven and prepared to 
 sleep the sleep of the just. At first the 
 continual throbbing of the engines was 
 very disquieting, and the strangeness of 
 our surroundings seemed to make sleep 
 impossible, but everything comes to him 
 who waits. 
 
 In the morning, about half-past seven, 
 we left our berths and went up on the 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. ii 
 
 bridge-deck to have our first chat with 
 the captain. Captain B. O. Jones, 
 R.N.R., proved to be a thorough gentle- 
 man, and quite a lady's man^ and a 
 conversation with him was sufficient to 
 convince the most nervous of travellers 
 that a voyage on the R.M.S. Van- 
 couver was practically as safe as the 
 one in the train from London to Liver- 
 pool. To his ability as a seaman 
 we had, before we set foot in the 
 New World, ample opportunities of 
 testifying. 
 
 The Bishop of Moosonee told us one 
 day, at divine service, that it was entirely 
 through the captain's seamanship and 
 coolness under trying circumstances that 
 some years back the Vancouver was 
 taken into the port of Liverpool without 
 the loss of any lives. The agent of the 
 
12 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 Dominion l^inc on that occasion said it 
 was a matter of surprise that any vessel 
 could have withstood such a storm, to 
 the violence of which the wreckage on 
 the shore bore terrible witness. The 
 captain was lashed lo the bridge for 
 thirty -six hours, the force of the waves 
 partially demolishing the companion- 
 l.idder and chartdiouse. 
 
 The man who seems to be more in 
 demand than any other on the first day 
 out is the saloon steward. The poor 
 man must have been born without a 
 temper. The number of questions he is 
 asked, and the constant tact he has to 
 exercise to persuade people that the 
 captain's table is full, or that such and 
 such a seat is more comfortable than 
 another, are marvellous. If every one 
 wants to sit on the right of the captain. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. r;, 
 
 it is very certain that a large number 
 will be disappointed. 
 
 A great many people turned green as 
 we were approaching the north -easi 
 coast of Ireland (I don't know if it was 
 the effect of the Emerald Isle or what), 
 and appetites seemed, on the whole, to 
 be lost. Both my wife and myself made 
 rather spare meals, as we feared that 
 old bogie — " mal de mer" — might come 
 with his eccentricities and upset our 
 enjoyment. After consideration, I think 
 that sea-sickness is often the outcome 
 of one's fear of it, and with a little de- 
 termination and care might be avoided, 
 although several of the passengers had 
 rough times. 
 
 We arrived at Moville, in Lough Foyle, 
 during the morning, and had to wait for 
 the packet which was bringing the mails 
 
14 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 from Londonderry. Many of the pas- 
 sengers availed themselves of this oppor- 
 tunity of landing in Ould Oireland ; hut 
 we had on several occasions visited the 
 island, and did not care to risk the chance 
 of a wetting by going ashore in a surf 
 boat manned by coastmen. In addition 
 to the discomfort of a wetting the chief 
 officer would not say how long he would 
 stand by, so we stayed on board and made 
 ourselves very comfortable. About two 
 o'clock we started again, and all prepared 
 to take the last look at the dear old 
 British Isles. When one sees the land 
 receding from one's vision the feeling 
 of patriotism and love for the dear old 
 country is very strong, and one wonders 
 why it is so ? 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. t5 
 
 DIVERSIONS ON SHIPBOARD. 
 
 Now begun a series of <^ames and 
 divertissements^ with which every ocean 
 traveller is acquainted. The surgeon 
 was the moving spirit in everything that 
 was started to break the monotony of 
 the voyage. He really was a fine speci- 
 men of a Britisher. Although only a 
 young man, his aptitude for making 
 everyone cheerful, and his general genial 
 kindliness, made him very popular. Fill- 
 ing the position of surgeon on so large 
 a vessel, his constant contact with so 
 many and various characters had given 
 him experience far beyond his years. 
 
 For the benefit of my friends who 
 have not been across the herring pond 
 I will describe one or two of the time- 
 killers : Stretching to chalk, deck-quoits, 
 
1 6 OUR \ISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 deck-cricket, deck-billiards, and the 
 potato race, all speak for themselves. 
 These reminded us of our youthful 
 days, and all seemed to afford amuse- 
 ment to the lookers on — especially the 
 potato race. The joke of adding a tail 
 to a pig drawn on the deck minus that 
 article was rare fun. Competitors were 
 blindfolded and started from a chalked 
 mark. I am afraid the missing link was 
 found anywhere but in the right place, 
 and when the bandage was removed 
 from the competitor's eyes the look of 
 amazement at the result of his artistic 
 endeavours was quite laughable. 
 
 There is a large number of passengers 
 on board, six hundred and sixty-six souls 
 we are told, including forty-five boys and 
 ninety-three girls from Dr. Barnardo's 
 
OUR VISJT TO TORONTO. 17 
 
 home ill London. These latter are all 
 going out to service in Canada. May 
 they make a good start and uphold the 
 traditional character of Britishers. On 
 the first day out from IMoville we ran 
 three hundred and one knots. 
 
 Sitnday . -^\\^\\ we went on deck a 
 very strong head-wind was blowing, and 
 the sea was very rough. The iiishoj; of 
 Frederickton conducted divine service 
 in the saloon at half-past ten. We sang 
 that good old sailors' hymn, '' Eternal 
 Father, strong to save,'' and never before 
 have I noticed the solemnity of the words 
 as they appealed to me then. The Bishop 
 preached an excellent sermon from 
 Job i. 9, ^' Doth Job fear God for 
 nought?"' A liberal collection was 
 made in aid of the Liverpool Sailors' 
 Orphanage. 
 
i8 OUR VISIT TO TOJW.yTO. 
 
 There was a beautiful rainbow in the 
 sky about nine o'clock — a si^n of rough 
 weather according to some. Although 
 we had experienced strong head w inds, 
 we were informed that the ship had made 
 three hundred and nineteen knots for the 
 day. One of those events happened in 
 the afternoon, which always cause tre- 
 mendous excitement on board. Two 
 ships were seen approaching us from 
 Canada ; one proved to be a Beaver 
 Liner, and signalled that she had seen 
 icebergs. The other vessel came broad- 
 side across our bows and spoke us. The 
 captain was drunk, and they had lost 
 their latitude. 
 
 I got a rug from the deck steward for 
 
 Mrs. C , and we sat on deck and had 
 
 a very interesting chat with Mr. S-m-n, 
 who had been on the Eclipse expedition. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 19 
 
 One very popular institution on board 
 that I have hitherto omitted to mention, 
 although it came under my notice some- 
 what early in the voyage, was a little 
 shrine erected to Bacchus. It was known 
 among the passengers by a nuich more 
 prosaic name. In fact it was vulgarly 
 called "the canteen." There passengers 
 of all sorts and conditions would meet, and 
 under the genial inrtuence of the " dovv • 
 ing bowl " tongues which were not wont 
 to wag freely became active, and others 
 which were usually pretty hard-worked, 
 were stimulated to further exertions. 
 
 PASSENGERS' YARNS. 
 
 Many were the tales of more or less 
 
 plausibility with which travellers regaled 
 
 each other, much to the amusement of 
 
 the steward, who was the presiding genius 
 
 c 2 
 
20 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 behind the bar. He must have heanl 
 some queer stories in his time, and likr 
 the ghost of Hamlet's father, could no 
 doubt tales unfold, which if they did not 
 make each particular hair stand up on 
 2nd, '' like quills upon the fretful porcu- 
 pine," would at least put a dangerous 
 tension upon one's credibility and risible 
 muscles of the face at one and the same 
 time, 
 
 I heard a good many of these tales ; 
 most of them have gone from my 
 memory, but one yet remains. A pas- 
 senger who had some pretensions to be 
 a sportsman, was telling us of a remark- 
 ably good shot he made whereby he 
 brought down two deer, one with each 
 barrel. We naturally agreed in thinking 
 this a fine performance. But when 
 sporting feats are on the tapis one 
 
OUR I /SIT TO TORONTO. 21 
 
 never knows where they are going to 
 end, and we were hardly surprised when 
 a silent man who had hitherto done little 
 but listen, chipped in with a narrative 
 to cap that of the previous speaker. 
 He had, he said, made a much finer shot: 
 with one bullet he had killed a deer, 
 a salmon, two hares, and a porcupine. 
 Seeing the incredulous smile which went 
 round, he proceeded to explain. It 
 appears that he was firing at a deer 
 standing away on the further bank of a 
 stream. As the bullet passed over the 
 water a salmon jumped into its way 
 and was killed. The missile then sped 
 on and finished the deer. '' But how 
 about the porcupine and two hares?'' 
 asked the other sportsman. "Why,"' 
 replied the veracious narrator, triumph- 
 antly, " I was knocked over by the 
 
2 2 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 recoil of the gun. In falling I spread 
 out my arms and caught a hare in each 
 hand, and sat clown upon the porcupine. 
 It was the last time I sat down for 
 weeks/' Solemnly liftinof their hats the 
 company separated. It was a blow, 
 especially as the hero of the story 
 resembled George Washington about 
 the mouth. 
 
 When I say that the canteen was 
 popular, I do not, of course, mean to 
 insinuate that my fellow-passengers were 
 too much given '' to looking upon the 
 wine when it is red," as the poet hath 
 it, or that whisky-bibbing was the order 
 of the day. On the contrary, I think 
 we were all remarkably abstemious. In 
 fact I myself, like Warren Hastings, feel 
 astonished at my own moderation. No, 
 
(HA' VISIT TO TORONTO. 2.? 
 
 tlu* cantc'cii wi»s the scene of no baccha- 
 nalian orgies ; its popularity lay in the 
 genial company one met there, and the 
 opportunities it afforded for a pleasant 
 yarn over an occasional glass of grog, 
 accompanied by some form of the 
 '* fragrant weed." 
 
 Monday. — Goi up this morning feeling 
 as well as possible, and made a good 
 breakfast. Buckwheat and treacle were 
 a great feature on the table. My watch 
 was only two-and-a-quarter hours for- 
 ward. A sweepstake was arranged on 
 the distance we had covered during the 
 day. Tickets sold for as much as 27s. 6d. 
 each, and the winner of the pool got 
 £'j 13s. 3d. — of course I did not find 
 the lucky ticket. There was a particular 
 friend of ours on board— a Yorkshire- 
 man, Mr. B . He seemed surprised 
 
24 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 when I asked him what a Yorkshire- 
 man's coat of arms was. As he had 
 never heard that Yorkshire had a special 
 one, I told him— a tlea, a lly, and a flitch 
 of bacon. The first bites his best friend, 
 the second sups out of every man's cup, 
 and the third is no oood before it has 
 been hung. The weather was finer and 
 wind a little less cold, but I still found 
 my waterproof very comfortable. 
 
 I joined in a game of quoits, which 
 was well contested, and made the time 
 pass quickly. 
 
 More and varied games were started, 
 among them being a race. Competitors 
 had to take a ship's biscuit, run a certain 
 distance, thoroughly masticate the bis- 
 cuit and whistle a tune. You can guess 
 this afforded a splendid amusement for 
 onlookers. I might have been able to 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 25 
 
 do it myself but there was no whisky to 
 help the biscuits clown, and nothing to 
 wet the whistle. 
 
 Cock-fighting a nused us for a time. 
 Two competitors had a stick passed 
 under their legs and their arras passed 
 under the stick, and tied together. 
 They were then set facing each other on 
 the deck and each had to endeavour to 
 upset his opponent with his feet. I 
 think this is very funny when performed 
 on a raft in a swimming bath, as, of 
 course, each time one is upset he gets a 
 ducking as well. 
 
 Hearing puzzles and trying to produce 
 an answer also occupied some time. 
 
 Several whales were seen spouting in 
 the chstance, and altogether the day 
 passed very quickly. Towards night 
 the weather turned very cold, and we 
 
26 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 were told we might at any moment come 
 across icebergs. According to the log 
 we had run three hundred and thirty-six 
 knots for the day. 
 
 Tuesday. — Got up early this morning 
 and walked round looking for icebergs, 
 but finding none, went down and had 
 a good breakfast. It was very cold (I 
 mean the weather, not the breakfast), 
 the temperature of water was forty-nine 
 degrees and air forty-six degrees. I had 
 my matutinal game of quoits, and when 
 we finished we found the steerage pas- 
 sengers were engaged in a capital game 
 of " baiting the bear." Had a chat with 
 the chief officer, who told me the crew 
 totalled up to the number of one hundred 
 and fifty. Quite a little army ! Splendid 
 tobacco can be bought on board. What 
 we should pay five shillings a pound for 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 27 
 
 in good old England we get for two. 
 
 Mr. S n and Mr. B y formed a 
 
 limited liability company (2 shares is. 3d. 
 each), and bought a ticket in the mile- 
 age sweepstake for 2s. 6d. The num- 
 ber of the ticket was three hundred and 
 thirty-nine, but they disposed of it (the 
 whole stock of the company) for los. 6d., 
 and showed a profit of three hundred 
 per cent. The winning number proved 
 to be three hundred and thirty-eight, and 
 of course took the prize (^5). We had 
 by this time become very friendly with 
 our neighbours at meals ; and some of 
 the stories told across the table were 
 
 capital. Mrs. C was very much 
 
 amused with an account (told by 
 Mr. B ) of a cake, sent to an ex- 
 hibition for competition, getting the 
 first prize and gold medal for concrete. 
 
28 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 Sir John S delivered a lecture on 
 
 South Africa, in the main saloon, in 
 the evening, which was well attended. 
 
 Messrs. S n, B y, S n, and 
 
 myself were playing whist, but managed 
 to listen at the same time. 
 
 ICEBERGS AND FOG. 
 JVednesday. — I was up this morning 
 and dressed before seven o'clock. Cap- 
 tain Jones told me we had passed a 
 number of icebergs during the night. 
 We saw several, one a beautiful speci- 
 men. They were all sorts of shapes and 
 sizes, some like pyramids and church 
 steeples, others with more fantastic 
 shapes. The captain estimated the 
 largest we saw at about one hundred 
 and eighty feet in height, and between 
 two and three miles in circumference. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 62 
 
 Owing to the bergs, it was fearfully 
 cold en the windward side of the ship, 
 but the weather was beautiful otherwise. 
 My watch was then three and a half 
 hours fast. We had a change in our 
 amusements. One of the boys from the 
 Muncaster School, at Edinburgh, played 
 the bagi)ipes, and a procession was 
 formed and marched round the decks. 
 It made a picturesque scene, and a nice 
 break in the everlasting view of sky and 
 sea. Of course, some in the procession 
 introduced the comic element for the 
 amusement of onlookers. Once more wc- 
 saw the spouting of many whales, but the 
 greatest excitement was caused at dinner- 
 time, when the engines stopped. We 
 had run into a bank of fog off the north 
 shore of Newfoundland. The fog-horn 
 was set going, and we heard the answer- 
 
30 OUR VISIT TO TOJWNTO. 
 
 ing blowing of passing ships sev(M';il 
 times. Later on, the captain decided 
 to cast the anchor until the fos^ lifted. 
 Every member of the crew had his 
 special station, and signal bells fore and 
 aft were going all night, in addition 
 to the fog-horn. An old parson, who 
 was very deaf, passed the time by read- 
 ing in a very loud voice alarming stories 
 of shipwrecks which had happened off 
 this coast ! Such a night as that I have 
 no desire to experience again. The 
 uncomfortable feeling of not knowing 
 how soon we might be run into by 
 icebergs (being then in the main 
 route of detached bergs from the 
 North Pole) was really awful. Even 
 to a landsman unaccustomed to ocean 
 travelling, the look on the captain's 
 face was sufficient index to the anxious 
 
OUR VISIT TO TOROXTO, x\ 
 
 vl' 
 
 thoughts that were passing through his 
 mind. 
 
 During the evening Mr. A pre- 
 sided at a meeting in the state saloon, 
 at which addresses were delivered by 
 
 the lion. Mr. G and Mr. M . 
 
 Mr. G , who spoke about Australia, 
 
 gave us some statistics of the trade of 
 that colony, from which it appeared that 
 seventy thousand tons of sugar would 
 be available for export from Queensland 
 alone in 1898 ; that two hundred and fifty 
 thousand ounces of gold were exported 
 from Western Australia last year ; while 
 about twenty millions of bales of wool are 
 despatched from the colony every year. 
 He told us South Australia was founded 
 and principally inhabited by Noncon- 
 formists. Adelaide, he said, was the 
 
32 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 finest city in Australia, and had the most 
 perfect sanitary system. He related a 
 tale of some i^old-scekers who had 
 been prospecting, and were returning in 
 despair from the interior, finding a nug- 
 T^et in a cart rut. It weighed about six 
 hundred ounces, and was worth ;^2,6oo. 
 When everything seemed going against 
 them, and they were in the deei)est 
 despair, that witch, Fortune, suddenly 
 gave theni comparative wealth. 
 
 Mr. M 's address on New Zealand 
 
 was very interesting. He pronounced 
 it a very beautiful country, and gave a 
 grand description of the geysers. The 
 Maoris, he said, are a very fine race, 
 but idle. 
 
 Both of the lecturers told some curious 
 anecdotes about the queer notions the 
 people have of the size of the different 
 
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 CO 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 .").> 
 
 possessions of Her Hritannic Majest\. 
 Altogether it was a most entertaining 
 evenin'-'. 
 
 The fog continued, and we retired to 
 our berths rather early, but I did not 
 feel in a sulificiently calm state of mind 
 to rest. My wife, I really think, did not 
 fully realize the possible chances of a 
 catastrophe, and was delighted that the 
 ocean was calm and the ship compara- 
 tively quiet. She was very quickly in 
 her bunk and asleep. It was one of the 
 cases where ignorance is bliss. It com- 
 menced to rain soon after, and continued 
 throughout the night. About five o'clock 
 in the morning, I heard a sound which I 
 believe thrilled everyone on board — the 
 heaving of the anchor. We knew by it 
 the fog had lifted. 
 
 Thnrsday, — Nothing of special im- 
 
 D 
 
34 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 portancc happened this clay — the usual 
 round of kiilinor time. In the evening 
 a ^rand concert took place, which turned 
 out a great success. The programmes 
 were prepared and stereotyped by 
 
 Mr. P. C and Mr. F , of the 
 
 Graphic^ and copies were sold at one 
 shilling each. This realized ^6 12s. 
 The original design was raffled for 
 ^7 10s. The proceeds were given 
 for the benefit of various nautical 
 institutions. The programme was as 
 follows : 
 
 1. Pianoforte overture. 9. Song. 
 
 2. Song. 10. Violin Solo. 
 
 3. Recitation. 11. Song. 
 
 4. Duet. 12. Recitation. 
 
 5. Song. 13. Nigger Song. 
 
 6. Song. 14. Recitation. 
 
 7. Comic Sketch. Rule Britannia. 
 
 8. Sword Dance. God Save the Queen. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 35 
 
 The Bishop of iM'cdericktown pre- 
 sided. The two items which pleased 
 me most were a recitation entitled, 
 '' Now, Hairns, cuddle down," and a 
 
 mirthful sketch by Captain T and 
 
 Captain P , the latter keeping; us 
 
 laughing from beginning to Q.nC[. After 
 
 the concert Mr. S and I, with 
 
 Mr. B and ]\Ir. S , had a game 
 
 of whist before turning in. 
 
 THE MIGHTY ST. LAAVRENCE. 
 
 Friday, — Up this morning early, and 
 wrote a letter before breakfast. We had 
 been told that the mails would be taken 
 from the liner at Rimouski, in the even- 
 ing. We had practically completed our 
 ocean voyage and were steaming up the 
 river St. Lawrence, having passed 
 through the Straits of Belle Isle. The 
 
 D 2 
 
36 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 river St. Lawrence is very interesting 
 from a historical point of view. It 
 formed the highway by which the mis- 
 sionaries penetrated the interior long 
 before the English settlements were 
 made along the Atlantic coast. On 
 the north bank of the river the scenery 
 was very fine. We began to think 
 that what we had heard about the New 
 World s^oino: in for such colossal under- 
 takings was really true. In the St. 
 Lawrence we have more of a sea than a 
 river. One of the Canadian officers who 
 had been over for the Jubilee came to 
 me, and said with pride : '' Now, this is 
 just a river, is it not } In comparison 
 with it your Thames in London is merely 
 a ditch.'' Quite true ; for as we were 
 on the north side we could not see the 
 south bank. We even saw 'hales 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 37 
 
 spouting in the river. In the afternoon 
 we attended a lecture in the ofrand 
 
 saloon, delivered by Colonel G , and 
 
 presided over by Mr. P . It dealt 
 
 with the subject of secondary education, 
 and particularly with the students who 
 enter the Normal School for Training in 
 Pedagogy. The great excitement of the 
 evening was a dance on the saloon deck. 
 All the young people, and some of the 
 middle-aged ones, were looking forward 
 to it all day. It took place after dinner; 
 and the dancing to music supplied 
 by the steerage passengers (concertina, 
 accordion, and a piccolo), was very 
 diverting. After supper we remained on 
 deck to see the tender come out from 
 Rimouski to take the mails off. The 
 quarter-master of the Vancouver had 
 tired some rockets to announce our 
 
38 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 arrival ; and a searchlight was placed on 
 the lower deck and flashed on the boat 
 as it came alongside. The donkey- 
 engine had been busy hauling up the 
 mail bags from below, as well as the 
 heavy luggage belonging to the passen- 
 gers who intended going on overland 
 from Rimouski. The transfer of bag 
 gage was carried out in a very sys- 
 tematic manner, and was yet another 
 proof of the discipline (almost mechanical) 
 of the crew. We hove to about eleven 
 o'clock, and the tender left us about 
 twenty minutes past twelve. It was a 
 very smart performance, and showed 
 what an amount of work can be 
 done by an organised body of men 
 under proper guidance. After the 
 tender had left us we very quickly got 
 to bed. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 39 
 
 QUEBEC AND MONTREAL. 
 
 Saturday, — We arrived at Quebec 
 about half-past seven this morning-. 
 Quebec is about as far from Rimouski as 
 that place is from the mouth of the St. 
 Lawrence. We had about two hundred 
 tons of cargo to discharge, and as this 
 would take about three and a half hours, 
 we went ashore to have a look at the 
 city. Quebec has a very imposing ap- 
 pearance as you approach it. We saw 
 the '^ Heights of Abraham " (or as a 
 young gentleman who must have had a 
 very classical education, and who wore a 
 very high collar, miscalled them, '' the 
 Arabian Nights"), the scene of the 
 decisive battle of 1759. We also saw 
 the monument which was erected to 
 General Wolfe. The falls of Mont- 
 
40 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 morency (which are two hundred and 
 sixty-five feet high) are about six and a- 
 half miles from Quebec, and are very 
 fine. The river Saguenay flows through 
 a gorge, where the cliffs which form 
 the banks of the river vary from six hun- 
 dred to fifteen hundred feet high, and 
 create a very striking scene. We began 
 to find the weather much warmer. 
 Although we took a pilot on Ijoard we 
 had to anchor in the middle of the St. 
 Lawrence about nine o'clock, as there is 
 only one narrow channel navigable by 
 so large a vessel as the Vancouver. It 
 is marked by all sorts of buoys — even 
 branches of trees attached to poles 
 being embedded in the river, making 
 navigation at night impossible. 
 
 Sunday. — We were off again at four 
 o'clock, and arrived at Montreal just as 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 41 
 
 twelve o'clock was strikingc The dis- 
 tance from Quebec to Montreal by river 
 is one hundred and sixty-eight miles. 
 To get to Montreal we had to go through 
 several canals, as the rapids interfered 
 with our passage up the river. We 
 passed through the Lake of the 
 Thousand Isles and Lake Ontario. The 
 ever-changing scenery quite repaid us for 
 keeping on the boat. We could, of course, 
 have gone on from Quebec by rail 
 (Grand Trunk or Canadian Pacific), but 
 having heard so much about the grandeur 
 of the St. Lawrence we decided to 
 remain. Altogether the time on board 
 was a very happy one From Com- 
 mander Jones down to every individual 
 member of the crew, all had done their 
 utmost to make the trip enjoyable, and 
 what is more — comfortable. Although 
 
42 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 we were principally members of the 
 British Association, we could not all 
 claim to be scientists ; and as one of the 
 laymen I must say that no first-class 
 hotel could have been better. Consider- 
 ing the restricted resources the cooking 
 was pai' excellence^ and the attendance 
 left nothing to be desired. The kindly 
 feeling shown us will be remembered by 
 me, at any rate, whenever I think of this 
 trip. 
 
 Quite a large crowd were awaiting our 
 
 arrival at Montreal. Mr. B looked 
 
 after our baggage and got it through the 
 Customs, but passed the largest boxes 
 on direct by the Canadian Pacific to be 
 checked in bond at Toronto. It was 
 very amusing to see the various trunks 
 and boxes opened, and the contents 
 exposed to view. It was two o'clock 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 43 
 
 before we were able to start for our 
 hotel — the Windsor. This is a magni- 
 ficent place, containing eight hundred 
 rooms. After lunch I had a smoke, and 
 wrote some letters, until tea-time, which 
 
 meal we had in Mr. S 's private 
 
 room. We started off on a tour of 
 exploration round Montreal, and had a 
 series of very exciting times in electric 
 street tram cars, which rush down in- 
 clines at a fearful rate. The fare for 
 the journey round the city was ten 
 cents (sd.). On getting back to our 
 hotel we had dinner and supper com- 
 bined, which was well served by black 
 waiters. Nearly all the attendants seem 
 to be black. Commander Jones came 
 round in private dress, and we had quite 
 a long smoke and chat. He gave us the 
 following particulars of the Vancotiver, 
 
44 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 She used a hundred tons of coal a day, 
 and sixty tons of fresh water. The daily 
 run of the vessel was : — 
 
 From Thursday, July 29th (at Liverpool) to 
 Friday, ,, 30th 192 Knots. 
 Saturday, „ sist 301 „ 
 Sunday, August ist 319 „ 
 
 Monday 
 
 j> 
 
 2nd 336 
 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 »j 
 
 3rd 339 
 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 >> 
 
 4th 338 
 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 >» 
 
 5th 200 
 
 
 Friday, 
 
 >) 
 
 6th 326 
 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 j> 
 
 7th 292 
 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 >> 
 
 8th 157 
 
 Montreal. 
 
 After the captain left we were not long 
 before we got to bed. 
 
 Monday, August 9///. — As soon as 
 breakfast was over this morning Messrs. 
 
 S and B went out with us and 
 
 booked their berths for the return jour- 
 ney in the R.M.S. Labrador, which 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 45 
 
 Starts from here on September 4th. We, 
 
 Mrs. C and I, engaged our berths 
 
 for our return journey in the R.M.S. 
 
 Gerinanic (Captain S. R. McK , 
 
 of the White Star Line), from New 
 York on September 8th (we intended 
 making a tour through the United States 
 to New York after the meeting at 
 Toronto). We also secured our railway 
 tickets from Montreal to Toronto. It 
 
 was then time for lunch, as Mr. S 
 
 had arranged with a friend to join us 
 at one p.m. After lunch, while the 
 
 others were liquoring up, Mr. B 
 
 and I went to see the new Methodist 
 Cathedral. It is a splendid building, 
 holding over two thousand people. 
 The organist showed us its principal 
 
 features, and, at Mr. B 's request, 
 
 played a few chords on the organ. 
 
46 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 It was a really L^a'aiid instrument. After 
 dinner \vc dawdled about, and toddled 
 off to bed about eleven p.m. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT TORONTO. 
 
 Tuesday^ August \oth. — Left the 
 Windsor this morning at nine a.m. for 
 Toronto, by the Canadian Pacific Rail- 
 way, via Ottawa. Although we travelled 
 in a Pullman Car, the journey was tedious. 
 Meals were cooked and served in the 
 train. We arrived at Toronto at 6.30 
 p.m., and, having given our checks for 
 baggage to the hotel porter, we set out 
 for the Queen's.. The Queen's is one 
 of the largest hotels in the Dominion of 
 Canada, and while possessing every 
 modern convenience and all the improve- 
 ments adopted by "swagger" hotels, it 
 has that home-like air about it which 
 
OUR VISIT TO TO h' OX TO. 47 
 
 makes one comfortable at once. After a 
 
 fairly good dinner, Mrs. B 's rice cakes 
 
 from the old country were brought out, 
 and they were very highly appreciated, 
 
 Mr. S giving an order for some to 
 
 be supplied to his house in London. 
 
 We went out for a little stroll, and our 
 first impressions of Toronto were very 
 pleasant. We met four of our fellow- 
 passengers, and this meeting reminds 
 me that I have not mentioned rather a 
 funny feature of our railway journey. 
 Mr. B , being the only teetotal mem- 
 ber of our party, undertook the charge 
 of the grog to be used in the smoking- 
 cabin on the train from Montreal to 
 Toronto. We made an agreement that 
 no one was to have a drink unless he 
 could produce a certificate signed by 
 Mrs. C . Mr. B was explaining 
 
48 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 to Mrs. C the principal features of 
 
 the country through which we were 
 passing, but as is usual, I think, wh(.'n 
 travelling, they both fell asleep — fortu- 
 nately for his fellow-travellers of the male 
 sex. Of course his pocket was picked 
 in a friendly sort of way, and a bottle of 
 whisky found. It is only right I should 
 
 say injustice to Mr. B , that when the 
 
 bottle was found the cork had not been 
 drawn. 
 
 Toronto is situate on a slope rising 
 gently from Lake Ontario, and occu- 
 pies an area of about fifteen square 
 miles. The streets are unusually wide, 
 and are almost invariably lined with 
 trees. Here the electric street railway 
 is conducted in a most admirable man- 
 ner. The frequency of cars and the 
 equipment of them make it one of the 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 49 
 
 best in the world. The public buildings 
 compare very favourably with those in 
 other cities. The Parliament Buildings, 
 the Law Courts (known as Osgoode 
 Hall), and the new civic buildings, are 
 amongst the architectural features. 
 
 Wednesday^ August i\th. — After 
 
 breakfast this morning, Mr. S and 
 
 Mr. B , who were officials of the 
 
 British Association meeting, went off to 
 the University to report themselves to 
 the Central Local Committee. Mr. 
 
 S remained, while Mr. B went 
 
 in search of diggings. He found some 
 very comfortable ones near at hand with 
 
 a Mr. and Mrs. D , at Henry 
 
 Street, College Street, which, being 
 within walking distance of the Uni- 
 versity and other buildings in which the 
 different meetings, receptions, garden 
 
so OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 parties, at homes, &c., were to be held, 
 were most convenient. In the afternoon 
 we went to H anion's Point on H anion's 
 Island, and saw a capital baseball match 
 between Toronto and Syracuse. The 
 game was most exciting. We returned 
 in time for a late tea in olu' new home, 
 and after unpacking our baggage, we 
 
 went down town with Mr. S . He 
 
 had come from the Oueen's Hotel to bid 
 US good-bye, as he started next day for 
 Vancouver and the Rockies. 
 
 Thtirsday^ August 1 2th. — After break- 
 fast we started out to see Mr. S 
 
 safely in the train. We just caught him 
 leaving his hotel. After tea we went out 
 for a ride round the city in the electric 
 cars. We had a splendid ride from 
 8 p.m. to 9.45 p.m.. — nearly two hours 
 for the sum of 10 cents, or 5d. each. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 51 
 
 Friday^ August \T^th. — The landlady 
 lost a cousin yesterday by death, and 
 she is now laid out in her bridal robes. 
 She had only been married two months. 
 
 They much wanted Mrs. C to 
 
 accompany them to her last reception, 
 which was to be held in the chamber of 
 death. 
 
 The heat is still very great, and 
 we have very little inclination for out- 
 door exercise during the day. Our 
 meals are very curiously prepared, with 
 plenty of fruit, such as peaches, pears, 
 melons, bananas, blackberries, cherries 
 and apples. We have the greatest 
 difficulty in getting our boots cleaned, 
 and when we luckily came across a boot- 
 black (as we call them in the old 
 country), we had to stand in a row and 
 wait our turn. They are possessed of a 
 
52 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 most independent nature. The charge 
 for polishing boots seemed to us exor- 
 bitant, i.e.^ 10 cents, or 5d., and it seems 
 strange that such a lucrative employ- 
 ment as it appears to us is not more 
 closely followed. 
 
 Another peculiar characteristic of the 
 country is that most, if not all, of the 
 washing is done by Chinamen, and 
 having had some shirts washed by 
 them, I can truly say that the manner 
 in which they glaze and get up the 
 linen is simply marvellous. They seem 
 to possess a secret, utterly unknown 
 to the ordinary laundress in Eng- 
 land, of placing a beautiful and last- 
 ing gloss on shirt fronts and cuffs. 
 After tea we went out for a walk, and 
 among other novelties we saw a white 
 hearse drawn by white horses. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 53 
 
 Saturday^ Attgust 14///. — Walked to 
 the stage and took our first view of 
 Lake Ontario. We soon met Mr. 
 
 S , and he told us he had been to 
 
 the picnic grounds and had seen a num- 
 ber of people bathing. Theie are 
 numerous watering places on Lake 
 Ontario, which may be reached by rail- 
 way or steamer, Kew Beach, Balmy 
 Beach, and Long Branch being the 
 principal. We came across many of 
 Dr. Barnardo's boys who were with us 
 on board the R.M.S. Vancouver, They 
 were playing football, and seemed to be 
 
 quite happy and contented. Mr. S , 
 
 with that kindly feeling so thoroughly 
 characteristic of the man at all times, 
 gave one little lad 10 cents. He seemed 
 quite grateful. '' Now," he said, ^' I can 
 write two letters home to mother." What 
 
54 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 a lot of happiness can be given and 
 Stained by a little deed of kindness ! 
 Bicycle riding is quite as much in vogue 
 here as in London, for on our way home 
 in the car we counted over a hundred 
 and thirty. 
 
 Sunday, August i^th. — We had 
 breakfast at nine o'clock this morning, 
 after which we all went to the Methodist 
 Cathedral again. It is a beautiful place, 
 with church parlour, lecture rooms, board 
 rooms, Sunday schools, kitchen, and 
 other rooms attached, and beautifully 
 
 furnished. Mr. M , who showed us 
 
 round after service, told us it cost half-a- 
 million dollars. The preacher was Dr. 
 Briggs (after the service he and Mrs. 
 
 M gave us a hearty invite to call 
 
 upon them during the week). The sing- 
 ing was fine, and it is the custom here 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 55 
 
 to begin the service by singing the 
 Doxology. During the service a heavy 
 thunderstorm came on, which caused 
 much alarm. One severe gust of wind 
 blew one of the laroe alazed doors and 
 windows down with a most terrific crash, 
 and as it just followed a very vivid flash 
 of lightning, many members of the con- 
 gregation thought the place was struck. 
 In the afternoon we had a stroll into 
 the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
 tion Rooms and the Roman Catholic 
 Cathedral. The latter is a very fine 
 building, the decoration of the interior 
 being magnificent. There were life-size 
 figures of the Crucifixion and the Virgin 
 Mary, as is usual in Roman Catholic 
 churches. We went for a ride in the 
 tram-cars with Mrs. D (our land- 
 lady) to the cemetery, and Rose Dale. 
 
S6 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 We all had supper together. Mrs. 
 
 D told us a very good story about a 
 
 curate riding tandem, and the objections 
 of his bishop thereto. 
 
 Monday^ Aitoust i6///. — Reception 
 Room of the British Association opened 
 this afternoon at two o'clock. It was 
 not well attended, and nothing particular 
 happened. The University of Toronto, 
 whose buildings were placed at the dis- 
 posal of the British Association, stands 
 in the Queen's Park, and is very con- 
 veniently situated, electric cars from all 
 parts of the city running quite close. 
 The reception room was in the main 
 building, with the post, telegraph, and 
 excursion ticket offices. The dining hall 
 of the College was used as a lunch-room. 
 The meetings of the different sections of 
 the Association were held in various 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 57 
 
 halls, each being specially suited to the 
 occasion. The different laboratories 
 were equipped with electric and other 
 lanterns, with the best means of givinu^ 
 graphic illustrations, and where experi- 
 ments were necessary, all the most con- 
 venient appliances were available. 
 
 Tuesday, August lyt/i. — Messrs. 
 
 S and B began official work 
 
 this morning at eight o'clock. As 
 
 Mrs. C and I had nothing particular 
 
 to do in connexion with the British 
 Association, we took the opportunity of 
 exploring the city. We went down 
 Young Street to the central market of 
 the city, and there saw carriages and 
 vehicles of every denomination and des- 
 cription bringing in the farmers' produce 
 for sale in the market place. The negro 
 or black man was here well represented. 
 
58 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 The miscellaneous things brought into 
 this market made it a scene never to be 
 forgotten, consisting of mush melons, 
 apricots, which were sold at from is. 2^0^. 
 to IS. 6d. per half-bushel basket (the 
 supply being so considerable they could 
 hardly find purchasers at that price), 
 and many other luscious fruits which 
 fetched only nominal prices. The many 
 varied costumes of women-folk could 
 hardly do otherwise than claim the atten- 
 tion of the strancrer. 
 
 Everyone in Toronto seems to be 
 endowed with a natural politeness — 
 even policemen answer any questions 
 with extreme courtesy. I believe as 
 a typical British Canadian city this 
 has no equal — its clean, well-paved 
 streets, splendid shops, magnificent 
 public buildings, extensive gardens and 
 
OUR \ I SIT TO TORONTO. 59 
 
 parks, make it an ideal summer resort. 
 Nearly all the streets are adorned with 
 shade trees. 
 
 The directors of the Victorian Era 
 Exposition and Industrial Fair pre- 
 sented us with a season ticket, and also 
 invited us to the opening ceremony and 
 lunch on the 31st.; but, as we had decided 
 to leave for New York on that day, 
 we could not avail ourselves of their 
 kindness. 
 
 Wednesday, August i^th. — Went to 
 heir the President's address, with Mr. 
 
 B and Mr. S at 8 p.m. Just 
 
 as we were dressed it began to rain 
 heavily, and I was compelled to send a 
 special messenger to the nearest livery 
 stables for a carriage and pair to convey 
 us from Henry Street to the Massey 
 Hall. This is a splendid building 
 
6o OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 (capable of seating four thousand people) 
 given by Mr. Massey (of reefer and 
 binder fame) to the State. The address 
 was given by Sir John Evans, the 
 President for the year. 
 
 T/mrsdayy Atigusl \Q)th, — Went in the 
 evening to the Parliamentary Buildings, 
 to the reception given to the members 
 of the Association by their Excellencies 
 the Governor-General of Canada and 
 the Countess of Aberdeen. Had the 
 pleasure of shaking hands with them 
 both, and with Sir John Evans, the 
 President. The scene formed by the 
 pretty dresses of the ladies and gentle- 
 men, the latter with their stars and 
 decorations, supplemented as it was by 
 the military uniforms of the many officers 
 and aide-de-camps present, was very 
 striking. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 6i 
 
 We met Major H , one of the 
 
 Canadian officers who returned with 
 us from the Queen's Jubilee, on board 
 the Vancoitver, and we left a little after 
 II p.m., having spent a very pleasant 
 evening. 
 
 Friday^ Aiig^tst 20th, — We attended 
 Professor Robert Austen's lecture on 
 " Canada's Metals " this evening, and it 
 proved to be most interesting. The ex- 
 periments were the finest I have ever 
 seen, and great praise was due to Mr, 
 
 S , the lecturer's assistant, for their 
 
 success. There were a furnace and 
 crucible heated by electricity, and the 
 contents of the crucible were reflected 
 upon the screen, so that we could see 
 exactly what was taking place as the 
 various metals melted and amalgamated. 
 It was really fine. 
 
6a OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 NIAGARA 1 ALLS. 
 SaUirday^ August i\st. — We went to- 
 day to see the Niagara Falls, the 
 grandest and most magnitkent sight we 
 ever saw in our lives. We were up by 
 5 a.m., and left Toronto at 7 a.m. in the 
 Chippczua (a fine steamer belonging to 
 the Niagara Navigation Steamship 
 Company), and after a delightful sail of 
 about two hours on Lake Ontario, we 
 reached the town of Niagara-on-the 
 Lake, at the mouth of the River 
 Niagara, on the Canadian side, just 
 opposite the American fort, the river 
 forming the boundary line between 
 Canada and the United States. After 
 a short stay the boat proceeded up the 
 river to Queenstown, opposite which, 
 on the American side, is the village of 
 Lewiston. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TOA'O.XTO. 63 
 
 We left the steamer here and entered 
 an observation car (electric ). and went 
 along the side of the river for about 
 fourteen miles, up to Chippewa Village, 
 rising nearly four hundred feet in a very 
 short distance. We passed the monu- 
 ment to General Sir Isaac Brock, on 
 Queenstown Heights, and in some places 
 we were travelling absolutely on the 
 brink of the precipices which over- 
 look the river. We got beautiful 
 glimpses of the river Niagara, the Whirl- 
 pool, the Rapids, the Falls, and the 
 Upper Rapids. We then came back to 
 the Falls and had. lunch at the Dufferin 
 Cafe. After a short rest we explored 
 the Falls thoroughly ; we boarded the 
 Maid of the Mist^ a little steamer on 
 the river, and went up to within four or 
 five yards of the Falls. We were dressed 
 
64 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 in waterproof suits. The view was 
 something sublime, and almost awe- 
 inspiring. We then crossed the Suspen- 
 sion Bridge, in front of the Falls, with 
 the Union Jack floating at one end and 
 the Stars and Stripes at the other. 
 Here we stepped upon American soil 
 for the first time. We crossed the 
 Rapids by a little bridge on to Goat 
 Island, and stood so near the Falls that 
 we could touch the water with a stick as 
 it tumbled over. We bought several 
 souvenirs of the squaws (female Indians), 
 and returned to Lewiston, on the 
 American side of the river, by the 
 Great George route (electric cars). 
 We all agreed that we had never seen 
 anything before to equal the sight for 
 grandeur and sublimity. We reached 
 Toronto before nine o'clock in the even- 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 65 
 
 ing, and it was not long before we 
 toddled off to bed very tired. 
 
 Sunday, August 22nd. — Went to the 
 Roman Catholic Cathedral (St. Michael's) 
 
 in the morning with Mr. S . In the 
 
 afternoon Mr. S , Mr. B and 
 
 ourselves went over to Centre Island, at 
 the invitation of the Royal Canadian 
 Yacht Club, of which, through the 
 courtesy and kindness of the vice-com- 
 modore and committee, we had all been 
 made honorary members. We crossed 
 in the Club's pinnace, Hiaivat/ia^ and 
 had a very good time, tea being served 
 on the terrace in front of the lake. 
 
 Mr. B returned for chapel at 6,13, 
 
 but the others did not get back till 
 later. 
 
 Monday, August 237'^. — President 
 Loudoun gave a garden party this after- 
 
66 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 noon, which we attended. At night we 
 went to Professor Mihie's lecture on 
 " Earthquakes and Volcanoes," which 
 was most interesting from all points of 
 view. 
 
 Tuesday^ August 2\th. — Went to a 
 garden party this afternoon, and to 
 the conversazione given by the Local 
 Committee in University College in the 
 evening, the orchestral concert in the 
 (juadrangle being very pleasant. 
 
 Wednesday, August 25///.— This was 
 really the last day of the meeting. At 
 2.30 p.m. the concluding general meet- 
 ing was held ; but we did not attend 
 it. We had received invitations from 
 
 Mr. T. G. B for an afternoon cruise 
 
 on his yacht, s.s. Cleopatra, We left 
 the esplanade of the Royal Canadian 
 Y'lcht Club at three o'clock, and spent a 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 67 
 
 very plc-isant afternoon, arriving home 
 about six o'clock. 
 
 Thursday, Auoitst 26///. — Rising early 
 we set out fresh and eager to get some 
 general idea of the " Queen City," the 
 capital of Ontario, and the second city of 
 the whole of the Dominion. The streets, 
 we found, are laid out at right angles, 
 after the American plan, and there is an 
 abundance of fine, handsome buildings. 
 We were particularly struck by the com- 
 pleteness of the horse and electric train 
 services. These vehicles traverse the 
 city in nearly every direction. They 
 seem to travel at a rather higher speed 
 than our own trains at home, and cut 
 round the corners at a rate which would 
 raise the ire of the British ^' bobby," 
 and probably move him to stay their wild 
 career with the strong hand of authority. 
 
 F 2 
 
68 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 But, in Toronto, everyone is, of course, 
 familiar with a rapid tramcar service, 
 and would probably grumble if the speed 
 were decreased. It is stated that the 
 passengers number from eighty thousand 
 to ninety thousand daily. The cars are 
 comfortably fitted, and as the foregoing 
 figures show, are largely used by the 
 population to get from point to point. 
 We made a pretty good round of the 
 streets, and returned to our hotel tired 
 with our tramp. 
 
 Friday, August I'jth. — We had heard 
 a good deal about St. James's Cathedral, 
 and determined to visit this fine old build- 
 ing to-day. It stands in King Street, and 
 is an excellent but unpretentious speci- 
 men of Early English ecclesiastical archi- 
 tecture. There are some fine monuments 
 of departed Canadian worthies, and the 
 
OUR VISI2 TO TORONTO. 69 
 
 Stained glass windows are considered 
 very fine. Although not connoisseurs of 
 this particular form of art, our admiration 
 was at least genuine. The spire of the 
 Cathedral is lofty — over three hundred 
 feet in height, I believe, and possesses 
 an elaborate clock, in which the ancient 
 official who showed us round seemed to 
 take particular pride, as though he were 
 its inventor, or owner at the very least. 
 We were told that a fine view could be 
 obtained from the top of the tower, but 
 did not ascend, not wishing to weary our- 
 selves early in the day. Toronto seems 
 to be a somewhat religious city, take it as 
 a whole, and inclined to Sabbatarianism. 
 Sunday is very strictly observed. The 
 trains stop running, the very cabs are 
 withdrawn from the streets, shops and 
 saloons are closed, and altogether Sunday 
 
70 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 in Toronto is as melancholy and suicidal 
 a sort of day as Puritanical principles can 
 make it. The more rational minded 
 among us at home are always complain- 
 ing of the British Sabbath, but, latterly, 
 the opening of art galleries, museums, 
 and the performance, at certain halls, of 
 classical and so-called "sacred" music, 
 have lent it a tinge of sickly gaiety. 
 The Toronto Sabbath is still as gloomy 
 and forbidding as the English institution 
 in its palmy days. 
 
 Atignst 2Zth. — Acting under the ad- 
 vice of more experienced travellers than 
 ourselves, we packed all heavy luggage 
 in view of our approaching departure for 
 the States. We had the trunks crated, 
 and made arrangements for them to be 
 forwarded to Liverpool. This we found 
 a great convenience afterwards, and our 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 71 
 
 thanks are due to the friends who put us 
 up to this '* wrinkle." 
 
 August 29///. — In strolh'ng round the 
 city to-day a house in John Street was 
 pointed out to us as the residence of 
 Professor Goldwin Smith, the eccentric 
 individual who is always insisting that 
 Canada should desert the Union Jack for 
 the Stars and Stripes. Needless to say, 
 he is not a popular man in Toronto. 
 
 In connexion with the earnest desire 
 of Canadians to remain under the 
 British flag, and their dislike to the 
 Yankees, I may mention here an amusing 
 incident, of which I was a witness at a 
 well-known hotel in London, some time 
 ago. Although Canadians, as I have 
 said, are English in their sentiments and 
 loyal to the backbone, it is no use dis- 
 guising the fact that they talk what is 
 
72 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 called "the Amurrcan language," and 
 have much of the same peculiar accent 
 which distinguishes Brother Jonathan. 
 Well, a party of Canadians, entering the 
 hotel in question, asked the way to the 
 bar. The astute English waiter instantly 
 replied, ^' This way to the American 
 bar, sir," to the great disgust of the 
 speaker, who burst out with: ''I guess 
 no one said anything about Amurrcan 
 bars. There ain't no Amurrcans here, 
 anyhow." The waiter performed a fur- 
 tive grin, and I must say I shared his 
 amusement. 
 
 August 2)^ik. — The day was fully 
 employed in saying good-bye to our 
 numerous friends, buying little presents 
 for home, and taking a last look round 
 the city. Before taking leave of Toronto 
 I must not omit to mention the fine and 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 73 
 
 massive buildings of the Provincial Par- 
 liament. They stand at the south end 
 of Queen's Park, and present a very 
 handsome and imposing appearance. 
 In the eyes of a Briton, who is invari- 
 ably greatly impressed by the cost of 
 things, they gain additional importance 
 on his receiving the information that 
 they represent some million and a half 
 of dollars. The interior is admirably 
 equipped. We were also much inte- 
 rested in the great reservoir at Toronto, 
 which supplies the town with water. 
 
 SOME IMPRESSIONS OF CANADA. 
 
 Before leaving the great Dominion 
 and extending my tour into the Country 
 which once owned the sway of the 
 Mother Land, but which, as the United 
 States of America, has now become 
 
74 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 perhaps the most powerful and pros- 
 perous Republic the world has ever 
 seen, it may be as well to set down here 
 some of my impressions of Canada, to- 
 gether with some little account of the 
 country from my own point of view, 
 based upon such information of a varied 
 character as I picked up over there 
 during my stay. I am aware that the 
 common or garden globe-trotter, who 
 rushes through a country or views some 
 of it from the decks of a steamer, and 
 then hurries home and bursts forth into 
 print with the most dogmatic assertions 
 concerning its economic condition, its 
 social life, its morals, and the manners and 
 customs of its people generally, now incurs 
 some obloquy. But it is mainly because 
 he poses as an authority. Now I hope to 
 escape being classed with this type of 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 75 
 
 traveller, because, in the first place, 1 do 
 not pretend to have studied the country 
 minutely, and, therefore, do not speak 
 authoritatively ; in the second, because I 
 shall endeavour to avoid being dogmatic, 
 and in the third, because 1 am not 
 anxious to enlighten the world generally, 
 but merely desire to record my impres- 
 sions for the benefit of private friends. 
 
 Mr. Rudyard Kipling, the well-known 
 Anglo-Indian author, has been recently 
 somewhat severely criticised by Cana- 
 dians for having christened their country 
 " Our Lady of the Snows." Mr. Kipling 
 may, of course, plead poetical license, but 
 the idea conveyed in the phrase is hardly 
 accurate. Canada is already too much 
 associated in the popular mind at home 
 here with arctic costumes, blizzards, and 
 snow-shoes, and as the crying want of 
 
76 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 the country is population, it is hardly 
 likely that Canadians will be pleased 
 with any poetical title which tends to 
 confirm the notion of the uninstructed 
 over here that the Dominion climate is 
 terribly rigorous and severe all the year 
 round. Much has been done to dissi- 
 pate the idea already, and Mr. Kipling 
 himself has made honourable amends 
 for any injury he may have done the 
 country by stating in plain vigorous 
 prose what he really thinks of it. He 
 declares that *' it is a great country ; a 
 country with a future. There is a fine 
 bracing climate — a climate that puts iron 
 and grit into men's bones, and there are 
 all good things to be got out of the 
 ground if people will work for them." 
 Mr. Kipling goes on to say that what 
 it wants is more men and more money, 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 77 
 
 and asks why Englishmen do not think- 
 more of it as a field lor English capital 
 and enterprise. Why, indeed ? But 
 that, as the gifted Anglo-Indian author 
 himself would say, is another story. 
 What I would say here is that his words 
 seem to express my impressions of 
 Canada exactly. It is indeed a great 
 country and it will be a far greater one, 
 in so far as material prosperity and 
 commercial greatness are concerned, be- 
 fore it is very many years older. Its 
 present population, as far as I could see 
 at any rate, are a fine sturdy upstanding 
 race, the men healthy and well-built, the 
 women beautiful and fair to look upon, 
 as they are indeed in every corner of 
 Her Majesty's dominions. As I heard a 
 colonial statesman say, at a dinner I at- 
 tended during my trip, in proposing the 
 
78 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 toast of the ladies : '' Woman is Imperial, 
 she rules everywhere. Whether she be 
 found in the streets of Sydney with the 
 temperature at 90 degrees in the shade 
 wearing white drill, in her winter furs in 
 Canada tobogganing or sleighing, or in 
 Central Africa — I don't know what she 
 wears there, but feel sure she wears some- 
 thing—she is always Imperial and charm- 
 ing." I am afraid this is a digression, 
 but I am sure every male reader with 
 an ounce of chivalry in his soul will 
 forgive me, and I am sure no lady will 
 be hard-hearted enough to complain. 
 At any rate, the quotation serves my 
 purpose in so far as it indicates what a 
 Canadian statesman thinks of the fair 
 sex, and the fact that his audience 
 applauded showed they agreed with the 
 speaker. The French Canadians, in 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 79 
 
 particular, with their inherited and 
 traditional politeness to, and respect for, 
 the ladies, will endorse the sentiment as 
 readily as the English born subjects of 
 the Queen. 
 
 One thing which struck me very 
 forcibly during my stay in Canada was 
 the absolute loyalty and warm-hearted- 
 ness towards the Old Country and to all 
 coming therefrom that are characteristic 
 of all Canadians, those of French extrac- 
 tion not excepted. There is no portion 
 of the Tritish dominions in which more 
 enthusiasm is felt and evinced for the 
 home connection and more devotion to 
 the Crown. There is no "cut-the-painter" 
 talk in the great Dominion. All classes 
 of the community unite in rallying round 
 the Union Jack. In years gone by 
 Canadians have shown their loyalty by 
 
8o OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 deeds as well as words, and the little I 
 saw of the general feeling towards the 
 Homeland was sufficient to convince me 
 that they would not be sparing of deeds 
 again, did necessity call. The Dominion 
 maintains a very formidable military 
 force, well trained and equipped, and I 
 feel confident that it would acquit itself 
 well against any foe of the Empire. 
 Although generations are now springing 
 up in Canada who have never seen the 
 Old Country, yet the feeling is that it 
 is still home. It is true that Professor 
 Goldwin Smith has had the audacity to 
 declare for union v/ith the United 
 States ! But he is practically alone, and 
 his ideas are discounted. It is not the 
 practice of men of English descent to 
 talk of their affections and their senti- 
 ments. They are dreadfully afraid of any 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 8t 
 
 approach to priggishness ; but, neverthe- 
 less, under their Anglo-Saxon reserve it is 
 not difficult to discover in Canadians that 
 very strong under-current of passionate 
 loyalty to throne and tiag of which I 
 have been speaking. 
 
 As we all know, Canada has recently 
 been making a great stir, politically, in 
 the British Empire, and even abroad. 
 It was entirely through her action that 
 Great Britain was induced to abroo^ate 
 those commercial treaties with Germany 
 and Belgium which practically forbade 
 us to make preferential tariff arrange- 
 ments with our own Colonies. Judging 
 from the remarks of several well-in- 
 formed people with whom I talked on 
 the subject, Canadians generally are de- 
 lighted with the result of their efforts, 
 and are proud to have led the way in a 
 
82 OUR VI SI 2^ TO TORONTO. 
 
 movement which will probably result in 
 closer commercial union between Great 
 Britain and her Colonies all round, 
 and may eventually bring about that 
 political federation of the Empire to 
 which many ardent English spirits and 
 able English minds look forward so 
 eagerly. It is true that some deny the 
 possibility of such an union ; but the 
 fact remains that we are on the eve of a 
 tii^htening- of the commercial bonds be- 
 tween the various component parts of the 
 Empire. And the credit of it all belongs 
 to the Great Dominion and its statesmen, 
 of whom, by the way, it has produced 
 many tit to take rank with England's 
 best. 
 
 In addition to what may, perhaps, be 
 called their sterner and more serious 
 qualities, Canadians possess all the 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. ^i 
 
 lighter attributes of social life in an 
 eminent degree. It has been said that 
 the art of hospitality cannot be acquired 
 — it is a gift. And no race possesses that 
 enviable gift in a greater measure than 
 Canadians. They make charming hosts 
 and hostesses, and have a knack of 
 making a guest feel at home at once. At 
 any rate, all I met had a genial kindness 
 and sympathetic courtesy which went far 
 to dissipate the idea that I was a stranger 
 in a strange land, and to remind me that 
 I was not in a foreign country but among 
 fellow-subjects, citizens of that Greater 
 Britain which has grown up as the result 
 of the colossal expansion of the people 
 of two little islands in the north-west 
 corner of Europe. 
 
 G 2 
 
84 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 I have not said very much about Mon- 
 treal in my diary, so I propose to make 
 amends for this neglect here. It is 
 the commercial metropolis of Canada, 
 and its inhabitants consist of French and 
 English-speaking Canadians in about 
 equal proportions. From many interest- 
 ing conversations which I had with 
 several of the citizens, I learnt that 
 Montreal has made tremendous strides 
 of late years. Indeed, in the last decade 
 it has been completely transformed. For- 
 merly, as in many colonial towns, fine 
 buildings jostled humble dwellings, and 
 the streets presented a very miscellaneous 
 kind of appearance in consequence. It 
 has now grown into a stately city, and its 
 buildings are of a more homogeneous cha- 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 85 
 
 racter. I don't know whether the people 
 are particularly religious, but certain it is 
 that there are a great number of churches 
 in Montreal. I think it was Mark Twain 
 who said that you could not heave a brick 
 in the city without hitting a church 
 window, and allowing, of course, for a 
 little humorous exaggeration — a licence 
 which must apparently be extended to 
 most Yankee writers - the remark is 
 justified by the number of spires and 
 steeples rising in every direction. 
 
 It may seem somewhat of an abrupt 
 transition to turn from the churches to 
 the hotels, but after all, while the former 
 minister to our spiritual needs, the latter 
 supply us with creature comforts, none 
 the less necessary ; so the change is not 
 so startling as it seems at first sight. 
 Montreal is well provided with hotels. 
 
86 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 and among them I think I must give the 
 Windsor the palm for general comfort 
 and completeness of equipment. It is a 
 superb building viewed from the outside, 
 but only an intimate acquaintance with 
 the luxury and attention at the command 
 of the traveller within can enable one to 
 appreciate fully the perfection of its 
 appointments. 
 
 It is in Montreal that the character- 
 istic winter pastimes of Canada, such as 
 sleighing, tobogganing, skating, and curl- 
 ing are pursued most keenly. I had no 
 opportunity of testing the delights of 
 these pleasures for myself, but I heard a 
 good deal about them from those v»rho 
 had. They were particularly enthusiastic 
 about the tobogganing. The exhilarating 
 rush down hill in the keen dry air sends 
 the blood bounding through the veins, 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 87 
 
 and is one of the finest tonics in the 
 world. The feeble imitcitions of the real 
 sport which have been seen at places of 
 public entertainments in England give no 
 idea of the sense of enjoyment to be got 
 out of the genuine thing, and even the 
 domestic variation indulged in by a 
 friend of mine who caught the toboggan- 
 ing fever while on a visit to Canada, viz., 
 sliding down the staircase on a tea-tray, 
 is not so exciting and thrilling as the fly- 
 ing trip down the icy chute, although 
 wifely remonstrances are apt to intro- 
 duce a spice of danger even into the 
 innocent home amusement referred to. 
 
 I should have liked to see the 
 famous winter carnivals, with their ice 
 palaces, masquerade snow-shoe proces- 
 sions by torchlight, and other unique 
 entertainments; but, of course, when I 
 
88 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 was in Montreal, the trees were out in 
 full leaf, and the upper part of the 
 " mountain," as the culminating point of 
 the gentle slope upon which Montreal 
 stands is called locally, was covered with 
 a mass of foliage. This elevation is 
 about eight hundred feet high, I was 
 told, and houses are to be found quite 
 half-way up. 
 
 One thing that struck me while I was 
 in Montreal, and I believe the same is 
 true of the whole of the Dominion, was 
 the absence of any leisured class. 
 Everybody works. Education is very 
 cheap, and even an University training 
 can be had at a price which would as- 
 tonish British fathers who have to '' shell 
 out " regularly for sons who are learning 
 to play cricket and to row — picking up 
 perhaps, incidentally, a smattering of the 
 
OUR I'ISJT TO TORONTO. 89 
 
 dead languages — at Oxford and Cam- 
 bridge. An enterprising man has con- 
 sequently every chance of making a 
 competence for himself and of eventually 
 acquiring wealth. 
 
 The domestic servant problem, which 
 is always fluttering our domestic dove- 
 cotes at home here so violently, is also 
 a burning question in Montreal, and 
 indeed throughout Canada. Handmaids 
 or ** helps," as they are sometimes 
 called, are in great demand. They are 
 scarce, and the few that are secured 
 from time to time from the Old Country, 
 quickly change their condition and 
 speedily become wives. The Great 
 Dominion indeed is a happy hunting 
 ground for girls in search of a husband 
 or a situation. The mistresses, of course, 
 complain bitterly that they cannot keep 
 
90 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 a servant, and one lady I spoke to on 
 the subject, seemed quite indignant with 
 the young men who had taken several 
 of her domestics away in rapid succes- 
 sion. I doubt, however, whether the 
 servants in question were inclined to 
 regard their change of condition as a 
 disadvantage. Of course, the knowledge 
 that they can easily secure a berth 
 makes servants somewhat independent, 
 and I was told that sometimes their 
 demeanour towards ladies when apply- 
 ing for a situation, has been such as to 
 suggest that the servant was engaging 
 the mistress and not the mistress the 
 servant. 
 
 In concluding these brief, gossipy — and 
 altogether too inadequate — remarks con- 
 cerning the great Dominion of Canada, 
 which now represents, in the nain, Great 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 91 
 
 Britain's hold upon the New World, I 
 can only say, that I am sorry .1 could 
 not see more of so interesting a country 
 within the brief limits of my trip. I 
 have been enabled but to give a passing 
 glance at some of the features of Canadian 
 life which interested me, and which, in 
 some cases, came under my own im- 
 mediate notice ; but if I had been able to 
 explore the country and to converse 
 with more of its statesmen and politicians, 
 I should have liked to go more deeply 
 into the subject, and I might have said 
 something about the enormous develop- 
 ment which has taken place in steam 
 communication between Canada and 
 other parts of the Empire, and about 
 the various steamship companies whose 
 vessels, of which the good ship Van- 
 couver is a type, plying between British 
 
92 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 and Canadian ports, have done so much 
 to develop the trade and commerce of 
 the Dominion. 
 
 Of the railways and canals, 1 can only 
 make passing mention. The former 
 have grown wonderfully of late years, 
 and have played no unimportant part in 
 the progress of the country. That 
 Canada is rapidly advancing in material 
 wealth and prosperity, the returns from 
 the Post Office and Government Savings 
 Banks sufficiently show. The present 
 condition of affairs is indeed wonderful, 
 when it is considered what a short time 
 has elapsed since Manitoba and the 
 North-West Territories were taken over 
 from the old Hudson Bay Company, 
 which has had such a conspicuous place 
 in the history of Canada for the last two 
 centuries. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 93 
 
 The territory then transferred to the 
 Government was almost as large as 
 Europe, and its administration by the 
 Company was so good that the necessary 
 arrangements with the Indians were 
 easily made. Of course, the Company 
 is still the owner of millions of acres of 
 land in the great North-West, and its 
 fur trade in the Far North remains very 
 large. 
 
 Of the scenic charms of Canada and 
 of its attractions for the sportsman I had 
 not much opportunity of judging, but I 
 was assured, by those in a position to 
 know, that they are unequalled in any 
 part of the Empire. I can, however, 
 from my own experience, heartily re- 
 commend any of my friends who have 
 not yet visited England's great posses- 
 sion north of the United States, to take 
 
94 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 an early opportunity of becoming ac- 
 quainted with this, one of the greatest, 
 most interesting, and ancient parts of 
 Her Majesty's dominions beyond the sea. 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM CANADA. 
 Regretfully enough we left Toronto on 
 August 31st, and embarking on board 
 the s.s. Shipean, proceeded to refresh 
 the inner man, breakfasting in the neat 
 and cosy saloon of that tight little craft, 
 which landed us at Queenstown after a 
 run of about three hours and a half. At 
 this point we left the water-route and 
 took train to Buffalo, where we arrived, 
 after a delightful run, about one o'clock. 
 With only a short stop for refreshments 
 we proceeded on our journey, and got 
 to Albany about seven o'clock in the 
 evening. Railway travelling in the 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 95 
 
 United States is comfortable enough. 
 The coaches, in equipment and general 
 construction, are quite different from 
 those used as a rule over here, although 
 travellers in England are familiar with 
 the famous Pullman Cars, and with 
 the corridor trains which are now 
 running on a good many of the great 
 systems in this country. Of course the 
 tremendous journeys that can be accom- 
 plished in the States without once 
 leaving the train, the traveller eating, 
 sleeping, moving, and having his being 
 on board, in many cases for a week or 
 more at a stretch, leads the Yankee to 
 despise English lines, and to look with 
 some contempt upon our longest possible 
 journeys. 
 
 I recollect talking to an American, in a 
 smoking carriage of the London and 
 
96 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 South Western as we were coming up 
 to London from Southampton one day, 
 concerning railways. In the course of 
 his remarks, he expressed some surprise 
 and even alarm at the rapid pace of the 
 train. ^^Why," I said in astonishment, 
 " surely the trains over your side of the 
 Atlantic go at a much greater speed 
 than this ? " " Oh, of course," he replied, 
 '* it's all right there. We've plenty of 
 room. But over here, I feel nervous 
 lest the train should run off your darned 
 little island ! " 
 
 English people sometimes complain 
 that the railway officials in this country 
 are ogres of gruffness, and indeed their 
 abrupt and sometimes uncivil replies are 
 rather trying; but they are courtesy 
 itself in comparison with their American 
 brothers. The guard, as we know him. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 97 
 
 has some little importance even over 
 here, and is apt to transfix too perti- 
 nacious inquirers with a stony official 
 glare, but he melts under the influence 
 of a trifling tip and becomes urbane and 
 obliging. In America, however, he is 
 the " conductor," a person of consider- 
 able importance — in his own estimation 
 at least. At any rate, if the unwary 
 traveller should venture to act or speak 
 upon a contrary assumption, his ideas 
 on the subject are likely to be very 
 effectually corrected. Indeed, lack of 
 respect and )ert behaviour in menials 
 and others occupying subordinate posi- 
 tions of various kinds are what the 
 despised Britisher has to accustom him- 
 self to in Columbia, Happy land ! 
 
 K 
 
98 OUR VISIT TO TOROiVTO. 
 
 RAILWAY TRAVELLING IN AMERICA. 
 
 Although the long American cars are 
 pleasant for a lengthy journey, they have 
 their disadvantages, and I have heard 
 many people openly express their pre- 
 ference for the ordinary small compart- 
 ments of the European train, where 
 there is some privacy, although the 
 space is more confined, and one has not 
 the same opportunity of watching or talk- 
 ing to one's fellow-passengers ; but then, 
 English people are not companionable 
 on railway journeys as a rule. I have 
 travelled for hours in a compartment 
 containing some five or six people, 
 and, although each has had a good 
 but furtive stare at all the others, yet 
 no one has had the pluck to break the 
 ice and start a conversation with his 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 99 
 
 neighbour. Indeed, it needs a i^ood 
 deal of moral courage to disturb the 
 awful silence, for as likely as not, your 
 friendly overtures may be looked upon 
 with suspicion and frowned down. 
 American railway travellers arn some- 
 what more sociable, and, of course, the 
 French Canadians whom one may see, 
 and the Continentals, who are numerous 
 enough in the States, soon begin to 
 chatter when they are thrown together, 
 sometimes with more animation than 
 dignity. 
 
 One very serious objection to Ameri- 
 can cars is, that there are only two exits 
 for fifty or sixty people, as against six or 
 eight in the English carriages, and the 
 continual opening and shutting of the 
 doors in the former is somewhat irritat- 
 ing. But one gets used to it, and when 
 
 » 2 
 
100 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 we remember that the publicity of the 
 Americtm car renders the horrible crimes 
 which are too often committed on English 
 lines practically impossible, it must be 
 admitted that there is a good deal to be 
 said on both sides of the question. 
 
 The Yankee porter shares his English 
 confrere's infirmity of incoherency in 
 speech. When you get to a station 
 and hear a roar of unintelligible gabble 
 such as accompanies the arrival of an 
 English train at a platform, it reminds 
 you so keenly of home, sweet home, that 
 you feel inclined to fall upon the neck of 
 the American porter and call him brother. 
 He is not a very sentimental sort of 
 fellow, however, and would sooner have 
 twenty-five cents than all your sympathy. 
 As in England, smoking cars are pro- 
 vided, and these are generally pretty 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, loi 
 
 well crowded. In fact, you have to 
 "hustle around" sometimes, if I may 
 be permitted to use an Americanism, to 
 get a place. 
 
 Before leaving the subject of American 
 railways, I cannot help mentioning the 
 *' folders '' and descriptive pamphlets 
 which most of the companies distribute. 
 They are got up in a very superior style, 
 and have quite a literary air, although 
 sometimes the diction is more llorid than 
 chaste. The illustrations, too, are good, 
 and certainly better than anything of the 
 kind I have seen over here. 
 
 ARRIVAL IN ALBANY. 
 
 After our hard day's travelling we 
 were glad to reach Albany, and retired 
 to rest at Stanwix Hall with a very 
 grateful sense of the comforts which that 
 
102 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 fine hotel affords. It has recently been 
 re-modelled, and under the energetic 
 and enterprising management of its 
 present proprietors, has become one of 
 the most perfectly managed and liberally 
 appointed establishments of its kind to 
 be found in Albany or anywhere else. 
 About Albany itself I shall say very 
 little, as we had only the one evening to 
 look around us. But it seems to be a 
 fine clean city, with a large number of 
 handsome buildings, as one would expect 
 to find in the capital of the State of New 
 York. Of course, we did not fail to see 
 the Capitol, a tremendous structure built 
 in the French Renaissance style, and 
 having a central tower about three 
 hundred feet high. It is an impressive- 
 looking edifice, and the Senate chamber 
 within is generally admitted to be one of 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 103 
 
 the most sumptuous legislative halls in 
 the world. Naturally the Albany folks 
 are very proud of their Capitol, which, as 
 they point out exultingly, is one of the 
 largest buildings in the United States, 
 and covers an area of three acres. They 
 glory in its size more than anything else. 
 This is characteristic of our American 
 cousins, who seem to pride themselves 
 upon having everything — even their dis- 
 asters and calamities — upon a large scale. 
 Some scoffers in this effete old monarchy 
 have even ven<-ured to suggest that 
 Yankee humour is exaggerated, or at any 
 rate, based upon exaggeration, but upon 
 this delicate question I will not enter. 
 
 DOWN "THE AMERICAN RHINE." 
 
 On the following morning (September 
 ist) we "rose with the lark," to use a 
 
104 OUR yjSlT TO TORONTO. 
 
 popular figure of speech, although I 
 strongly suspect that the melodious song- 
 ster in question hardly lives up to his 
 reputation for early rising. How he 
 managed to acquire it I can't say, as I 
 believe that many other Ijirds are on the 
 wing before he stirs from his nest. At 
 any rate, I " hae me doots " about him, 
 as the Scotsman said. It was a beautiful 
 morning, the sun lording it in an almost 
 cloudless sky. Our admiration for the 
 beauties of nature, however, did not dull 
 our appetites, and we did full justice to 
 the ample breakfast which mine host of 
 Stanwix Hall put before us. We then 
 made our way to the place of embarka- 
 tion for our voyage down the Hudson 
 River, or " the American Rhine,'' as it 
 has been poetically called, although I 
 cannot myself see much resemblance 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 105 
 
 between the two rivers. The Hudson is 
 three or four times as wide as the 
 European waterway, and its scenery is 
 grander and more imposing. The 
 American river, of course, lacks the vines 
 which cover the slopes of the Rhine, but 
 its banks are prettily timbered, and the 
 autumn tints which the foliage was 
 taking on at the time of our passage 
 were beautiful. The United States has 
 been described as a country without a 
 history. At any rate, its history is all 
 very recent, and consequently this noble 
 stream, which rises in the Adirondacks, 
 and flows nearly due south for about 300 
 miles until it discharges its waters into 
 the Atlantic at New York, has none of 
 those castellated ruins upon its banks 
 which add to the charms of the Rhine, 
 and which have inspired poets, Byron 
 
io6 OUR VISIT 2V TORONTO. 
 
 among the number, to celebrate in glow- 
 ing verse the beauties and historical 
 associations of the latter river. But the 
 Hudson has its poets, among them 
 Wallace Bruce, whose verses on the 
 subject are fairly well known in Europe. 
 The three stanzas which strike me as 
 being the best run as follows : — 
 
 * The Highlands and the Pahsades 
 Mirror their beauty in the tide, 
 The history of whose forest shades 
 A nation reads with conscious pride. 
 
 " From Stony Point to JJemis Height, 
 From Saratoga to the sea, 
 We trace the lines, now dark, now bright, 
 From seventy-six to eighty-three. 
 
 "We celebrate our hundredth year 
 
 With thankful hearts and words of praise, 
 And learn a lasting lesson here 
 
 Of trust and hope for coming days." 
 
 On boarding our steamer, the Albany 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 107 
 
 which started on her trip at 8.30, we 
 were struck by the various types of 
 people who were lounging, sitting-, and 
 strolling on her deck. Indeed, it was 
 quite an ethnographical study in a small 
 way. It would, perhaps, be too much to 
 say that there were *' all kinds and con- 
 ditions of men '' and women, but there 
 was at least a very good assortment. 
 After the bustle incidental to looking^ 
 after the luggage had subsided, we 
 settled down to admire the scenery on 
 the river banks and to enjoy the cool 
 and refreshing atmosphere. 
 
 I may here remark, en passant^ that we 
 were in the United States just at that 
 delightful season of the year known 
 there as the " Indian summer," or the 
 few autumn weeks which immediately 
 precede winter. The crisp air was most 
 
io8 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 exhilarating, and as we sat in our deck- 
 chairs we gladly inhaled the ozone, of 
 which there is such a *^ plentiful lack " 
 in grimy London. 
 
 We had not proceeded far on our 
 voyage, when we were enchanted by the 
 beautiful mountain scenery of the 
 Catskills, which are said to derive their 
 title from the Dutch '^ Katzbergs.'' which 
 was a name given to the mountains on 
 account of the number of wild cats which 
 at one time infested them. The village 
 of Catskill itself is a pretty little place 
 of under five thousand inhabitants. It 
 had a special interest for our party, as 
 " Sleepy Hollow," the place of Rip 
 Van Winkle's legendary twenty years' 
 slumber, is only a few miles away up 
 in the mountains. 
 
 Just beyond Germantown Station we 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. loy 
 
 get a good view of the ** Man in the 
 Mountain," a combination of different 
 peaks of the Catskills, which by no very 
 trying effort of the imagination can easily 
 be thought to look like the knee, breast, 
 and face of a recumbent human figure. 
 These resemblances in nature to the 
 human figure, however, are always more 
 or less a matter of fancy, and some of us 
 could not for our lives make anything of 
 the ";Man in the Mountain," while 
 others saw him plainly enough. After 
 a pleasant run through a beautiful 
 country we came to Kingston Point, and 
 thence on to Poughkeepsie, where we 
 admired the fine railway bridge which 
 here spans the Hudson. It is built on 
 the cantilever principle, is 2,260 yards 
 long, and eighty feet above high water. 
 At Newburgh, some of the passengers 
 
no OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 who had done the journey before told us 
 of the old Hasbrouck Mansion, which 
 was Washington's headquarters when he 
 was offered the title of King by the 
 officers of the army ; and on reaching 
 West Point, the domed library of the 
 well-known Military Academy — which 
 is a sort of American Sandhurst — was 
 pointed out to us. It seems a fine 
 building, but whether it will ever turn 
 out such fine, smart, and devoted young 
 officers as our own institution at home 
 has done, remains to be seen. 
 
 Steaming rapidly ahead, we passed 
 " Anthony's Nose," a lofty peak deriving 
 its name, according to Knickerbocker's 
 humorous account, from the nasal organ 
 of the Dutch trumpeter, Anthony van 
 Corlear, and entered Haverstraw Bay, 
 which is about four miles wide — a 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. iii 
 
 beautiful inland sea. The name recalls 
 the curious old verse — 
 
 ** West Point and Middletown, 
 Konosook and Doodletown, 
 Kakiak and Mamapaw, 
 Stony Point and Haverstraw " — 
 
 a quaint rhyme made with no less 
 quaint names by river captains. Just 
 past Lervington, our attention was 
 directed to the Palisades, a remarkable 
 ridge of rocks in places something like 
 the Giants' Causeway. Their grey stone 
 front rises like a wall for many miles 
 upon the west bank of the river, and 
 forms a very prominent feature in its 
 scenery. 
 
 Our steamer made a halt at Yonkers, 
 and when we left that thriving town, 
 where many New Yorkers reside, there 
 was considerable excitement on board 
 
II.? OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 among those who had never visited the 
 State before, when it was known that our 
 next stop would be New York itself. 
 We duly arrived there as the shades of 
 evening were falling, and at once pro- 
 ceeded to the St. Dennis Hotel, where 
 we secured comfortable quarters, and 
 were glad of a rest after our long day 
 on the Hudson. It was admitted on 
 all hands that we had enjoyed a mag- 
 nificent trip upon its broad bosom, and I 
 must say that I should advise all my 
 friends who are going to New York by 
 this route to do as we did, and take 
 the day journey. There are comfort- 
 able boats which perform the passage 
 in the night, but it would be a great 
 pity to miss the splendid scenery which 
 abounds on both banks of this pic- 
 turesque river. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TOROXTO. 113 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 We stayed in New York until Sco- 
 tember 8th, visiting tiie various places of 
 interest in and around the city. I had 
 the good fortune to meet a friend from 
 the Old Country, an old schoolfellow, 
 who was most kind and attentive. 
 Being located in \ew York, he was 
 able to give us the benefit of his know- 
 ledge, which was of great assistance 
 in our rambles. Now-a-days every- 
 thing is business — especially pleasure — 
 and we devoted ourselves to the business 
 of sight-seeing with all the energy 
 we could muster, with the thermo- 
 meter standing at about eighty degrees 
 in the shade — for we found the heat 
 intense in New York. My friend told 
 me that the city is simply like a bake- 
 house in the middle of the summer. 
 
114 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 A story is current to the effect that 
 a certain New Yorker died, and his soul 
 went up to the gates of heaven. He 
 applied for admission to St. Peter, and 
 was told to get on the elevator. " When 
 does it go up ? '' he anxiously inquired. 
 *'It doesn't go up at all," explained the 
 saint, '* it goes dozon ! " The same night 
 the widow of the departed heard a 
 rustling in the bedroom, and on investi- 
 gating, found the spirit of her husband 
 helping himself to blankets ! The shade 
 explained in a sepulchral voice that he 
 found the nether regions quite draughty 
 after living in New York through the 
 summer. This is only one of a number 
 of tales I heard all bearing upon the 
 same subject. 
 
 Another which struck me as being 
 rather fresh, was about a New Yorker 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 115 
 
 whose body was being cremated. After 
 the usual time had elapsed, the doors 
 of the crematorium were opened to see 
 if the corpse had been reduced to ashes. 
 No sooner had the air been admitted 
 than a voice from within indignantly 
 remonstrated, inquiring in vigorous 
 
 language what the d 1 they wanted 
 
 to let in the chilly air for. 
 
 In speaking of New York generally, 
 I need hardly say that it is the largest 
 and wealthiest city of the New World. 
 Every schoolboy knows that, as Macaulay 
 would say, its inhabitants are a poly- 
 glot community, and when we speak 
 of Americans as our kinsfolk, it must 
 not be forgotten that, in New York 
 at any rate, more than half its people 
 are foreigners. England and the United 
 
 States, forgetful of past differences, are 
 
 I 2 
 
ii6 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 just now weeping on each other's necks 
 like long-lost brothers, and it pleases us 
 to talk about blood being thicker than 
 water ; but as a matter of fact, the real 
 Anglo-Saxon element is comparatively 
 small. The Chinese in New York alone 
 number over ten thousand, and there are 
 in round figures, 30,000 Italians, while 
 the Irishmen number about 400,000. 
 The city strikes the visitor as being a 
 fine agglomeration of huge piles of 
 offices, banks, and warehouses, these 
 buildings being often of an enormous 
 height. In the fashionable quarters. 
 Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, and 
 other thoroughfares, of course, are to 
 be found lighter and more elegant struc- 
 tures, the handsome residences of the 
 wealthy being in some cases remarkable 
 specimens of modern architectural taste. 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 117 
 
 These select roads are kept free from 
 the marring touch of the tramway and 
 elevated railroad— the trail of which is 
 over all the rest of the city— but are 
 traversed by omnibuses. 
 
 We paid a visit to that great " lung " 
 of New York, Central Park, which is 
 one of the most beautiful open spaces 
 of its kind in the world. It covers 
 about 840 acres of ground, so I 
 was told. We saw many elegant 
 equipages, between four and seven, in 
 the "Corso," which almost rivals our 
 own Rotten Row in Hyde Park. We 
 did not run across the typical Yankee 
 of the expectorating kind. I strongly 
 suspect he exists in dramas and novels 
 only, although I suppose he was a reality 
 in the time of Dickens, who, in the 
 course of Martin Chuzzlewit's adven- 
 
i!8 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 tures, has given us some very good 
 character sketches of the vulgar, rough- 
 and-ready sort of American who is 
 now no longer representative of the 
 mass of his countrymen. In the theatres, 
 museums, art galleries, and other places 
 we visited, we found an orderly and well- 
 dressed throng, although, as in the Old 
 Country, art treasures and antiquities of 
 great price seem to get but scant atten- 
 tion, while the music halls and other 
 places of entertainment are crowded. 
 
 THE JOURNEY HOME. 
 
 We had arranged to leave New York 
 for England by the Germanic^ an ocean 
 greyhound which yields to hardly any 
 passenger vessel alloat, in point of speed 
 and general comfort. The advertised 
 time for saloon passengers to get aboard 
 
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OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 119 
 
 was noon, and on the morning of 
 September 8th, we had all our work cut 
 out to oet tofjethcr the innumerable odds 
 and ends which had accumulated durincr 
 our trip, and which we intended taking 
 home with us. The souvenirs and photo- 
 graphs of various places made up quite 
 a large parcel. After saying good-bye 
 to our numerous friends, we made for 
 the landing-stage, and reached the vessel 
 in good time. On looking round the 
 ship we saw no one we knew, and on 
 reference to the passenger list ascertained 
 that none of the passengers who went 
 out to Canada bv the Vancouver were 
 on board with us. During: the interval 
 which elapsed before we weighed anchor, 
 we were busy making ourselves as 
 comfortable as possible in our com- 
 modious state-room. 
 
120 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 When we were steaming out of New 
 York harbour, past that magnificent 
 statue of Liberty which dominates the 
 entrance, I could not help thinking of 
 those words of the American National 
 Anthem : — 
 
 " Land of the Noble Free, 
 
 Thy name 1 love. 
 I love thy rocks and rills, 
 Thy woods and templed hills 
 My heart with rapture thrills 
 
 Like that above. 
 Let music swell the bree/.e. 
 And ring from all the trees 
 
 Sweet Freedom's song ! " 
 
 The return voyage was in many 
 respects similar to the outward passage 
 on the Vancouver. There was the same 
 competition for the best seats at the 
 dinner table ; the same dismal sufferers 
 from 7nal de iner, one of whom re-echoed 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 121 
 
 Mark Twain's saying that, if England 
 ruled the waves, he wished she would 
 rule them more evenly ; and the same 
 daily amusements. So much, indeed, 
 has been written of the pleasures and 
 trials of a voyige across the Atlantic that 
 little remains to be said. Most of the 
 passengers were strangers to each other, 
 and for the tirst few days much specula- 
 tion took place as to who was who — the 
 names of people, destinations, business, 
 and so forth ; and it was amusinor to hear 
 some of the stories circulated by gossips 
 — individuals to be found on every ship. 
 In a small conimunity, shut up together 
 for a week or more on board ship, a 
 kindly feeling very soon grows up be- 
 tween the passengers, officers, and crew, 
 and on the Gerjuauic we were all " Hail 
 fellow, well met," in a very short time ; 
 
122 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 and when the Atlantic rollers had ceased 
 from troubling the squeamish, it would 
 have been difficult to lindamore cheery, 
 healthy, and satisfied ship's company. 
 The skipper, Capt. E. R. McKinstry, is 
 rather a young and good-looking man, 
 with urbane and genial manners ; and 
 the way in which he handled the 
 Gey 111 ante pro\'ed him to be possessed 
 of all the seamanlike qualities necessary 
 in the commander of a i>reat liner. 
 Altogether, the last few deiys on board 
 were some of the happiest of a very 
 enjoyable holiday. 
 
 I suppose there is no place like a ship 
 to encourage friendships, and where 
 intimacies have such a mushroom-like 
 growth, everyone soon becomes ac- 
 quainted with everyone else's peculiari- 
 ties, business, and social position ; and 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 123 
 
 the way in which acquaintanceship be- 
 tween young men and women improves, 
 or perhaps I should say, degenerates, 
 into flirtation, is positively astonishing. 
 Such friendships occasionally ripen into 
 some warmer sentiment ; and sometimes, 
 but not often, make partners for life. 
 There is a grand opportunity on ship- 
 board to sentimentalise on a moonlight 
 night on the lounges against the bulwark 
 rails with a pretty companion. Perhaps 
 you may even be tempted to try poetry ; 
 but it is risky, especially if the fair lady 
 be of a practical turn of mind, or have a 
 keen sense of humour. No, on the 
 whole, I think it is advisable not to be 
 too romantic even on moonlight nights. 
 This is only one of a long list of things 
 which one should not do on shipboard. 
 Of course, these things are not printed 
 
124 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 to hang up anywhere. They are un- 
 written rules, but although they lack 
 type, ink and paper, they are as im- 
 movable as the laws of the Medes and 
 Persians, which are popularly supposed 
 to be a synonym for adamantine hardness 
 and immutability. I don't know much 
 about the laws of these people myself, 
 and, therefore, must not be understood 
 to vouch for them in any way. I merely 
 speak from common report. (This in 
 parenthesis.) 
 
 Now, there is always a decided dis- 
 position to bore the captain with 
 innumerable questions, and generally to 
 overwhelm that unfortunate officer with 
 small talk, until he is on the point of 
 turning upon his persecutors, as even the 
 innocent, unoffending v/orm is said to do 
 at times, although there is no authentic 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 125 
 
 record of any serious damage resulting 
 to the offender of that innocent creature. 
 Now, this is one of the things you 
 should not do — I mean, talk the captain 
 into a state of fatigue — not offend the 
 worm, although the latter deed is cul- 
 pable enough, no doubt. The captain 
 has quite enough worry and responsibility 
 on his shoulders without any trouble from 
 passengers. The world is full of bores ; 
 and as the community on board ship is a 
 small society cut off from the main body 
 on land, as it were, it is pretty certain to 
 contain a fair proportion of bores, who 
 will insist on telling everybody on board, 
 over and over again, how many times 
 they have crossed the Atlantic ; who will 
 entertain nervous old ladies with tales of 
 the horrors and perils of the ocean ; who 
 will insist upon singing songs of ante- 
 
126 OUR i^ISIT TO 'I OK ONTO. 
 
 diluvian origin at the impromptu concerts 
 on board ; who will persist in wordily 
 sympathising with sufferers from sea- 
 sickness, thereby increasing the misery 
 of those unfortunates ten-fold : who will 
 ask the officers of the ship whether they 
 were ever shipwrecked or drowned ; and 
 commit a number of similar nuisances, 
 which are the terror of all on board. We 
 had samples of these on our ship ; they 
 were darkly watched, and if one or more 
 had disappeared, and a red stain been 
 found anywhere on deck afterwards, I, 
 for one, would have ''kinder suspicioned'' 
 their fate. Another objectionable class 
 of people one meets on an ocean steam- 
 ship are the cure-for-sea-sickness pests. 
 Ships* doctors are sometimes among 
 these, but not often — at any rate, our 
 doctor was not. Some of our passengers 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 127 
 
 had a *' go '' at nearly everybody's 
 remedy. The result was lamentable. 
 They became temporary wrecks. 
 
 There is really no end to the lesscjns 
 
 one may learn at sea by simply keeping 
 
 his (or her) eyes " skinned." When you 
 
 see an otherwise sane young man bowing 
 
 to ladies in a particularly ridiculous jerky 
 
 fashion, and eventually land in the lap 
 
 of one with an impetus which takes the 
 
 damsel's breath away, and makes her 
 
 hanker after a male relation to break the 
 
 third Commandment for her, you feel 
 
 that you will never be foolish enough to 
 
 try and play the gallant to the other sex 
 
 before you have ''got your sea-legs" ; and 
 
 when you see a man holding a crying 
 
 baby for a lady who has gone on deck, 
 
 you resolve never to venture upon such 
 
 desperate undertakings yourself, for the 
 
128 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 
 
 infant is sure to '^ boss " his temporary- 
 caretaker, and wrecks his collar and 
 ruffles his temper. The latter case, 
 however, that of a lady who requests a 
 gentleman to hold her offspring while 
 she goes on deck is, to speak the truth, 
 very rare, for, to their credit be it said, 
 the sex do not care to leave their progeny 
 to the tender mercies of the mere male, 
 whose one idea, should the unfortunate 
 infant cry, seems to be to pat it on the 
 back, ^* joggle '' it violently up and down, 
 until the unhappy babe is on the verge 
 of apoplexy. 
 
 By the way, it has often occurred to 
 me — I put forward the idea with all due 
 humility, and apologise to the u others — 
 to question whether infants are really 
 appeased by the shaking up which even 
 the maternal instinct seems to regard as 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 129 
 
 an infallible soothing remedy. It is true, 
 the little ones stop their howling when 
 they receive the orthodox "joggle "; but 
 is it not breathlessness produced by 
 the violent motion which hushes them 
 rather than its ^'soothing" effects ? This 
 is not an essay on babies, however, and 
 I must leave the question to be decided 
 elsewhere. But before I leave the sub- 
 ject, I must say that the baby on board 
 ship is really an unmitigated nuisance. 
 It is true, of course, that we all started 
 life as babies. We read in some journals 
 which give biographies of celebrated 
 men, that they started life with a half- 
 crown in their pockets. They must be 
 exceptions to the general rule, I sup- 
 pose, since most of us begin our earthly 
 career without any pockets at all, and 
 take our first look at the world from the 
 
I30 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 vacant rolling eyes of the common, fat, 
 red, snub-nosed infant. Therefore, we 
 ought to have sympathy with that irre- 
 pressible little creature. But, neverthe- 
 less, when he or she cries all night in the 
 cabin of a ship — ships' cabins have thin 
 partitions, recollect — we momentarily for- 
 get the love we ought to bear the voci- 
 ferous babe, and consign him to Davy 
 Jones — a gentleman, I believe, of uncer- 
 tain antecedents, who is supposed to 
 reside at the bottom of the ocean some- 
 where. 
 
 Talking of the thinness of the cabin 
 partitions, I may say they are substantial 
 enough in their way, but, considered as 
 walls, they are weak. If walls have ears, 
 cabin partitions have more. As you lie 
 in your bunk you should be careful how 
 you talk, especially about your neigh- 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 131 
 
 hour, who may chance to hear, which is 
 unpleasant, as you may not always be 
 dwelling upon the bright side of his 
 character, and saying what a nice, kind, 
 agreeable fellow he is. 
 
 One of the passengers confided to me 
 an amusing incident, which proves how 
 wary one ought to be in this respect. It 
 seems he had stayed up pretty late one 
 night with a companion in the smoking- 
 room, playing cards, and taking aboard 
 whiskeys and sodas, until the latter was 
 somewhat exhilarated, and in retiring 
 steered a rather eccentric course to his 
 cabin. In the morning, my acquaintance 
 was telling his son, who had retired early, 
 of the previous night's proceedings, 
 and was not a little satirical in describing 
 the demeanour of his companion, who 
 had imbibed too freely. In the midst of 
 
132 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 the narrative he was thunderstruck to 
 hear a smothered exclamation of indig- 
 nation come from the other side of the 
 cabin partition. He did not know that 
 the man whom he was talking about was 
 berthed "next door"! At the time I 
 was told the story, the two were strangers 
 who never spoke as they passed by. 
 Whether they have since " made it up," 
 I know not ; but the incident *' makes 
 you careful, doesn't it," as the old comic 
 song saith, and teacheth that the unruly 
 member should be bridled on board ship 
 in particular. 
 
 One personality which is extremely 
 disagreeable within the limited area of 
 a ship is the meddlesome man, who 
 attempts to teach the officers navigation, 
 and would, no doubt, on shore spend 
 hours in instructing an elderly hen how 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO, 133 
 
 to lay eggs. He is sometimes disposed 
 to show you how the ship may be made 
 to lay two— ahem! I beg pardon — lay 
 to. He sometimes causes trouble, and 
 is occasionally put to confusion himself. 
 
 I was once on board a vessel which 
 was slowly forging ahead into South- 
 ampton docks. Near me was a typical 
 meddlesome man, and he was engaged in 
 meddling with a mysterious little lever 
 which projected inwards over the rail of 
 the ship near the bow. He was playing 
 with the polished handle while talking to 
 a friend, and speculating as to its uses. 
 Suddenly there was a shout and a splash. 
 The passengers rushed to the side of the 
 vessel and beheld in the water a life-buoy, 
 with a little mast and a red flag attached. 
 It was the " man overboard " buoy which 
 had been dropped into the water. No 
 
134 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 one was more astonished than the culprit 
 at the consequence of his action, and, to 
 do him justice, I must say he had the 
 savincT orrace to look somewhat embar- 
 rassed. The buoy was rescued with 
 some trouble, and I venture to think that 
 this particular ^' meddlesome man " was 
 partially cured of his failing. 
 
 These few rellectlonsand recollections 
 I have set down as they occurred to me, 
 without any particular regard to the 
 order In which they come, but I trust 
 the friends who honour me by perusing 
 these humble pages will pardon all short- 
 comings. Some people make a journal 
 of their doings on shipboard with the 
 idea that, on reaching London or any 
 other great city to which they may be 
 bound, they have only to announce the 
 fact that they have such a document, to 
 
OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 135 
 
 be besieged by publishers eager to give 
 it to an expectant world. I have never 
 cherished such a delusion, so I have not 
 been disappointed, I have been able to 
 pursue the even tenor of my way since I 
 arrived in England without absolutely 
 tumbling over frantic publishers. They 
 have not molested me in any way, and 
 now that these lines are in print, I feel 
 that I am safe from any such troubles. 
 
 Having been brought up in good old 
 substantial England, the preparation 
 which we had in Toronto (which com- 
 bines the substantiality of Great Britain 
 with the go-aheadness of the States) was 
 really necessary for our proper apprecia- 
 tion of New York with all its bustle. 
 When we arrived in England and set 
 foot upon our native soil, our joy at re- 
 
136 OUR VISIT TO TORONTO. 
 
 turniiinr to the: Old Country was mingled 
 with some passinir rcL-rets that we had 
 come to the end of so deHuhtful a holi- 
 day, which had made us acquainted with 
 some portion of Greater Britain, and in 
 ii-ome nieasure with that lifreat nation 
 which, while it no longer owns the sway 
 of our Queen, yet speaks the sanni 
 language as ourselves, and inherits the 
 same ideas and traditions. 
 
 But here we are once more at dear 
 old Sidcup, and here we will say good- 
 bye, trusting that these few discursive 
 notes, with all their faults, will have 
 given my readers some little idea of the 
 happy time my wife and I spent on our 
 first visit to the New World— that land 
 of infinite possibilities. 
 
 FINIS.